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Yes, George Bush and Condi Rice, followed the yellow cake road:
There are great hopes for Hillary at State. I met last week with a number of career State Department employees and was surprised when one said she was looking forward to the “Glinda Party” next week. I asked her: if Hillary was Glinda, the Good Witch of the South from the Wizard of Oz, did that make Condoleezza Rice the Wicked Witch of the West?
“You’re on to it,” she said. Another person pointed out to me that after Rice’s arrival in 2005 the tone of official State Department publications changed; they began to praise and glorify Rice. “No prior secretary,” said the twenty-year veteran, “did anything like this.”
Of course, Condi wasn’t alone in self-glorification. Bush’s Interior Secretary Dick Kempthorne gave a farewell address to employees that was all about him,
“about 600 slides, each picturing the distinguished secretary, many of them taken at a national park.” One “longtime employee” groaned, “Slide after slide after slide. It was special. That’s all I should say.”
I just hope there wasn’t one of him in his quarter-million dollar crapper.
Cults of no personality, the Bush Administration was rife with them.
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Attaturk!
Condi Rice… Anal Cyst?
You be the judge!
Funny, all night at work “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead” was running thru my mind.
I saw this on C-Span. They really did look like they were being rescued.
When we stop telling the world how big and bad we are. And tell them that we can be very nice with a little help from our friends, the familiy of nation may want to plat with us again. That is if we quit playing them for suckers.
Horton is right…how can state do their job when Bushco’s belacosity low bridges them. Outing expesive spy OPS that take years to build has to break morale. Yeah I would be rejoicing too.
The picture, am undecided which:
1 Diplomacy by glower
2 Epiphany of reality and role played
3 Anal retentive spasm
We have our own strange politics going on in the Washington State Senate. When the nation and the world were breathing a wisp of optimism, the fresh air of a new direction, the Washington State Senate [democrat majority] approved in a voice vote to Recognize Israel’s democracy.And our[U.S.] recognition of their 60 year anniversary of their elected government, the Knesset. I have many people who I love,who are Jews. NONE of them support Israel’s war crimes.
When the whole world is SCREAMING war crimes.
Only caught seconds of it but, from on-line reports, it sounds like that was a happy bunch of campers. “Free at last, free at last; thank God, we’re free at last!” *g*
Will be interesting to see what the reaction at DOJ is
whenif the thugs ever get their heads outta their *sses and let Holder go through.Did your illustrious (entities) receive the news that the Knesset was overturned by the Israeli supreme court after passing a law disenfranchising all political parties representing Palestinian citizens in Israel.
That hardly qualifies as an act of a democracy by the Knesset. But then, actual democratic tradition is a shallow transplant to that government, used primarily as camouflage in relations with the US
Okay, I got all hopey for a moment and clicked on the “send Obama thanks” on the ACLU ad on this site. My computer started acting weird.
I’m a monthly sponsor of ACLU, so I don’t actually need to go there, but that thing scares me.
FDL wouldn’t let bad people advertise/unvetted/acting like our good people,right?
Link at AlJazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/n…..96500.html
I hear you. But the Washington state senate voted 1/21/09 in a voice vote[approved] to support Knesset.
31 democrats 18 Republicans
If you scan the official gov. website. you won’t find it, it’s that embarassing.
You literally have to put Resolution 8602 into the search box to find it.
My question: How many tax-payer dollars went into the fiasco of supporting Israel’s democracy?
Another question for the math minded.
What is a Senator’s hourly wage when they’re actually working? Given all the grandfathered-in time off to raise money. Cripes! they met on the first day of a new administration and their morning business was to support Israel’s war crimes. How much did that cost us an hour.
I have a sickening feeling that I might actually come close to finding out. Because I CAN NOT let this shit slide. Damn. Why are some people civically driven, but most people not so much?!
I want to be sedated!!!
now that bush does not have the firewalls, now that he will se in the gooogles and the internets, now that he will see the love for obama and the vitriol for himself
do you think he will finally get it?
Perris, that’s like asking George if the checks in the mail.
Don’t concern yourself about whether he get’s it. NO.He never has, he’s damaged.
Is he indictable? YES!!!!!!!!!
Citizen T-Bear:
All three of the above…after the Obama administration the role of the house servant, Amos and Andy characature, will be consigned forever to the dustbin of historical institutional racism and with it all memory of Condi Batwoman Rice and Colin Powell.
Good news on the embryonic stem cell front:
http://www.democraticundergrou…..15;3702912
(requires sign-in if you want full article)
To echo the sentiments of left blogastan, how sweet it is to wake up in the morning and not have every bloody headline fall in the “Oh, fork!” category.
Your points are well taken, and the costs of such endeavors are not only the costs of the moment for such bodies. There is a wider cost that is near impossible to account for directly, that is the cost of believing propaganda as opposed to discernible facts. It is in this arena that the price paid has been America’s soul. One of the reasons I never use U.S. news sources is the probability of contamination by propaganda, the clues of propaganda lie in inconsistency of the narrative with other sources. I wished there were a non-complex answer for the problem.
cripes, forgot the /s tag, hope it didn’t get into anybody else’s comments. ;-)
hands down, no contest *g*
Good morning, pups. It’s Bobo and Krugman today. Bobo is wringing his hands over “The First Test,” and he says that President Obama must prove that he meant what he said about bringing change to Washington by not signing whatever bills the Old Bulls put on his desk. He’s nattering about the stimulus package. Mr. Krugman, in “Stuck in the Middle,” says everyone hoped that President Obama’s Inaugural Address would offer some reassurance. But at least on matters economic, the speech was too conventional. As I said the other day, it’s started. Let’s all get together an attack Obama for things he hasn’t done. Go, team!
Here they are.
The coffee, tea and hot chocolate are ready, and I’ve got banana pancakes this morning. Woo hoo!! The temperature is above freezing this morning! It’s still in the thirties, but above freezing. That’s movement in the right direction, as far as I’m concerned. Have a great day.
That’s the look of someone unhappy in their own skin. Personally, I think she wishes she was born a man.
Morning all, Yesterday at the introduction of Holbrook & Mitchell, a commenter on the tvs said that their presence might diminish Hillary’s star as they might get the accolades if there is some breakthrough and tweety commented with the Obama admin, it is all about getting the job done not accolades.
FYI -
Olberman will be on C-Span 1 Saturday 8:00 p.m.
Great post, Attaturk! You could tell yesterday that the State Department was thrilled to have a sane person at the helm. I can’t stand Hillary, but man, she is going to be wonderful for the State Department and for our country’s relationship to the world. Bravo!
Yesterday somebody on MSNBC was bloviating because the economy hasn’t improved yet. Let the good times roll!
I can’t quite figure out Condi. My best take is that she, like Bush, thought her’s was a ceremonial position. It’s not so much that her policies were evil (what were her positions, exactly?) more like she did nothing but media manipulation. I might not be saying this right but she didn’t seem to understand that her job was to do more than appear on MTP and spew lies. Other than that, she accomplished nothing. She traveled the world for photo-ops, zipping through countries w/o accomplishing anything, ignored terror warnings pre-9/11, vacationed during Katrina, and then would go on the talk shows to boost the propaganda. I think she thought that was her job. She was to be the ‘face’ of the State Dept., not actually work there. The message was all that mattered to these people.
The problem was…Condi was there to spew Bush’s policies and would not listen to anyone who had other ideas. For years the State Dept was mute and look where it got us? Nowhere! Hillary told the employees yesterday that she loves a good debate and will be listening to them….a complete 180 in what the State Dept has had to deal with. I thought it was wonderful.
Seems that shoe buying vacations took precedence over world crisis with Mz Rice
“Follow the yellow cake road.”
Great line.
It was paved by Michael Ledeen and Mel Sembler in Italy. Some FOIA requests for all White House and Pentagon correspondence (to include Libby, Feith and Rhode) with these two would reveal as much.
Revealing who conceived and crafted the Niger Yellow Cake forgery will go along way to informing the American people on exactly which faction was hell bent on forcing the US into Iraq.
David Sirota to be on C-span last hour
i need that hot cocoa. It’s been cold in the City Beautiful. per the Weather Channel it’s 33 and feels like 33 (hmmm) in O-town. And it’s been colder all week. Especially the “feels like.” I know. I know. That’s not cold you say. What a wuss is that Beerfart. But hey, next time your produce department doesn’t have any good oranges, you’ll remember this and say, gee, I guess it was pretty nippy down there.
I cringe when I keep hearing Bam talk about “transparency.” The winghuts are already hanging it around ghis neck. For the next 4 years, anytime he doesn’t respond to their latest goofball conspiracy allegations tehy’ll say “Ha! I thought this was going to be a transparent administration.” I think he shouyld give it a rest. Talking about it I mean. C’mon, Bam. You’re a baller. Talk is nuthin’ Just do it.
I just watched the video of Hillary arriving at State. Wow, so true, it looked like a rally. Except the woman with the ponytail (at 18seconds). Is she secret service or did she turn her back on her new boss?
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…..g_hero.php
So HRC is in Foggy Bottom and her Senate seat is about to go to a blue dog, pro gun “Democrat” one has to wonder how the knee jerk Carolyn detractors feel now, bloody idiots.
I wonder what questions the ROM (republican owned media) will ask Gibbs today? Let me guess….they’re still pissed about a still photograph being released of the 2nd swearing in and will give us the impression that President Obama is worse than George Bush ever was when it came to transparency!!!
I’m a detractor. I don’t feel bad.
OOOH — Milli Vanilli at the Inauguration!
I think this is an example of ‘Be careful what you wish for’.
morning!
for a minute there I thought Sirota was scheduled for an hour; but no, we get Podhoretz, too …
7:30-8:00 MICHELLE McCLUER (Ret.)
Former Judge Advocate General
U.S. Air Force
National Institute of Military Justice
Executive Director http://www.nimj.com
Pres. Obama’s Executive Orders:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/executive_orders
Topic: President Obama on Thursday signed an Executive Order that will close Guantanamo Bay. Michelle McCluer, a former Judge Advocate General (JAG), joins us to discuss the mechanics of closing the facility, how long it will take, how detainees at the facility will be brought to justice and where will they be tried. Ms. McCluer recently returned from Guantanamo Bay.
8:00-8:30 Binyamin APPELBAUM
Washington Post
National Banking Reporter http://www.washingtonpost.com
Bad Bank Articles:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/…..03261.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/…..02667.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/…..04198.html
Topic: The Federal Reserve and Treasury Department are considering a government-funded “bad bank,” which would purchase the bad mortgage-backed assets owned by U.S. banks. Guest will discuss the idea behind “bad bank” and the Obama administration’s next steps on the economy.
8:30-9:00 Newspaper Articles/Phones
9:00-9:30 DAVID SIROTA
Uplink Syndicated Columnist &
Author, “The Uprising” http://www.davidsirota.com
Blog: http://openleft.com
Topic: Guest will offer a liberal perspective on the Obama presidency, the new Cabinet and Administration policies, and the Executive Orders signed by President Obama so far. Guest is the author of the 2008 book “The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington.”
9:30-10:00 JOHN PODHORETZ
Uplink Commentary Magazine
Editor http://www.commentarymagazine.com
Blog: http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blo…..retz/51402
Topic: Guest will offer a conservative perspective on the Obama presidency, the new Cabinet and Administration policies, and the Executive Orders signed by President Obama so far. He will also discuss how Republicans in Congress and political conservatives should deal with the Obama Administration. He is the fourth Editor in Commentary’s six-decade history, assuming the position in January 2009.
yeah. that was incredible. “You should have had all of us squeezing into the map room.” That’s the best they can do for criticism? And just what would they report? Bam took te oath again. they reported that anyway without bering there, so why the hell did rthey need to be there? Poor things are feeling left out.
Gibson sounded petulant when pressing Gibbs about the re-swearing in he was pissed that he was not one of the press pool to have witnessed the non-event…MSM idiot.
I did a post on how the New York Post and right wing radio host Howie Carr out of Boston reported how Caroline Kennedy is having an affair with Arthur Sulzburger and then almost instantly the name was scrubbed:
http://whitenoiseinsanity.com/…..ment-37007
Was this a set up by the wingers? Could be. In the comments, I also mentioned how a caller to Howie’s show thinks that it was the Clinton camp who was paying Caroline back for supporting Barack and through Gov. Paterson got the rumors about Caroline’s affair & tax problems out there, so Hillary could have who she really wanted to fill her seat, which was Gillibrand.
Anyone think this whole process made Patterson look bad? I’m not a fan, anyway, I think the guy’s a bit of an ass but this whole process reinforced my initial opinion.
It’s not so much they’re feeling left out, but they are using it as an excuse to drum up false hatred against Barack’s Cabinet NOW, so as to ride the wave for the next 4 years! I’m serious. There is talk all over the place of payback against how ‘unfairly’ George Bush was treated and the assholes are willing to focus on the minor crap to achieve their goals.
From her Wiki Bio
The right wing has found that news/rumours/about pecadillos is the way tp get rid of Dems that could threaten them. Money scandals they reserve for themselves.
Caroline Kennedy may not have been the stereotypical Senator in our lives, but at least she was a real progressive! Jees. Now we have Gillibrand in Hillary’s place. Remember how we worried that if Hillary wasn’t put in Barack’s cabinet somewhere she most likely would buck him in the Senate every step of the way? Well, now Gillibrand will! The only time I didn’t agree with Jane was over Caroline Kennedy. We had a chance to have a real progressive in the Senate to add to the measly few that are there and now we have a new shiny Blue Dog instead. Sad.
I agree.
I was a strong supporter of Kennedy, as I am a strong supporter of all Kennedys, they have “noblesse oblige” down. ONe of the knee jerk arguments against Carolyn was that she was a tyro well the new right wing Senator has only bee in the house for two years and she is an effin expert? Sheesh.
Gillibrand is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition.
mornin’ all.
and – dammit !!
Robert, Jr would have been an inspired choice for HRC’s seat…
That was my hope.
Does Carl;ine’s bio say:
In late 2008 she embarked on a “campaign” for the Senate seat vacated by Hilary Clinton and suprised by presnted as an inarticulate, not-ready-for-primetime fuck-up.
Sorry, but I don’t see what there wass to like about her. Maybe next time she can get it together. I hope so, I really do. But her recent performance was pretty pathetic. She even fucked up her withdrawl. I was very disappointed with her. I’m with Jane (and alot of others) on this.
Absolutely. The knee jerkers better rest on their patellas and pray that this woman has a change of heart when getting to the Senate.
Citizen Jayt:
Right on about Bobby Jr. there Citzen Jayt…and he was an early Clinton supporter too…I think he’s burned a bunch a bridges and old family connections in his “wild and crazy” days.
Hey you are allowed to be wrong once in a while :)
Oh, good, we’re getting back to normal. Enough of this liberal crap. Boehner will be the star on MTP this Sunday. Doing lots of promotion for MTP on JoeScar.
That’s by my count, the second time yopu’ve used “knee-jerk” to descibe those who didn’t support her. Bogus, man. I was open to her from the beginning. But less so with each passing day. Got to the point where I felt sorry for her and I was actually glad her “campaign” was put out of its misery.
What’s on Obama’s schedule for today?
well Carolyn McCarthy’s going to run against Gillibrand in the next primary if Gillibrand is named to replace Clinton. – Mercurio Hotline
LOL. Jeez,….what I would give to be wrong only “once in awhile.”
Here ya go:
http://voices.washingtonpost.c…..l?wprss=44
You then, if you supported then changed your mind, do not qualify as a knee jerk. THere was an immediate (knee jerk) negative reactive to Carolyn by some at FDL (their absolute right) that was silly and one does have to wonder just what they think has been gained by this appointment.
I was very surprised that McCArthy was not selected once Kennedy dropped out. But I guess this was a sop to the three and a half people that live in upstate NY.
I’m being a little hard on her. But seriously, i’m not a knee jerk. I can’t say i was behind her from the beginning. But i wasn’t behind anybody else either. She had a difficult job selling herself and wished she did a better job. My initial reaction to Gillibrand is not dismissive but she certainly isn’t somebody I’d choose. In Biden’s farewell speech he tried to make the point that his experience is that the Senate can change people and he’s seen it. maybe she’ll change with obama in there providing leadership. besides, gun control isn’t a disqualifying issue for me. we’ll she how she does.
oo thanks Kay
is it official that it’s Gillibrand? Andrea Mitchell was the source for and …well… she hasn’t been very right on the matter.
his “wild and crazy” days.
I’m not sure the Senate should be open to anyone who *hasn’t* successfully gone through that phase.
hmmm – just got a flash of Kay Bailey Hutchinson, and now I don’t much wanna think about “wild and crazy” any more….
Let’s put it this way. I would have been fine with her being picked but I’m not upset (yet – and hope I never will be) that she wasn’t picked. That’s why I say I was being hard on her. I said some nasty things but I didn’t really feel styrongly about her one way or the other. So those nasty things aren’t really indicative of how I feel.
lol!
She’s still a little dazed from all those balloons.
You’re welcome. ;-)
I wish that it were not so but it seems to be.
The fact the neocons of the American Taliban would have started smashing their cannonball skulls together with another Kennedy in the US Senate, well, that was enough for me to say, “Bring on Caroline! Make the neocons weep in the streets and drag their asses on the ground like a dog with worms at the thought of her!”. But I digress. They have a friend in Gillibrand now. Spit.
maybe they had more confidence in Patterson than was warranted. Starting Tuesday, i’m giving out whole team – administration, Senate, House – a chance. Maybe they should have to earn my support first. But my approach is they have my support until they lose it. That’s not how I usually approach politicians. But I’m hopeful we’re onto something.
“And your little dog too…”
and the horse she rode in on *nods*
it seems to have worked though, she signed yesterday or the day before with the william morris agency
I wonder if she’s gonna get a game show;
“cover your bosses ass”
maybe we can have a firedog contest naming condi’s first performance as a william morris handled entertainer
dancing with the stars?
You’re not mocking me and Toby, right?
Oh, man. Spitting? So early in the morning. In my experience that can be downright gross. Ick. Maybe that’s what you inteded, though. C’mon Kay. Is it really That bad.
They said on tvs this am that she has voted with the dems 90 % of the time and with GWB 6% of the time
Rumsfeld has disappeared as has Abu. I’m hoping the same for Rice, Bush et.al. May they never get a speaking engagement or book deal.
Cheney, of course, wants to write a book “to settle some scores”. Classy, right to the end.
from Progressive Punch
Gillibrand’s voting record in the House
I’m off. See all later.
I remember seeing old time movies of boxers, arms held high, fists clenched but facing toward their own face, straight posture, no movement but forward and back
back then that was state of the art boxing technology, they actually believed this was the best method for defending and attacking in the ring
obviously if someone tried that now they would get knocked out almost immediately
however if someone was trained with that technique and compared it to todays technique they would quickly realize everything they were taught is wrong, some would change and some might become great technitians using current theory
that is my analog with republicans right now however none can see what is before their eyes
every single thing they were taught, every single thing they followed, is clearly, unequivically, without question, wrong and demonstrated wrong
some of these “concervatives” will indeed learn, move toward the center, (which these neo-cons would call “far left” I might add) and become great thinkers
others will stand middle of the ring, arms high, neither moving left or right but on their predetermined course
the boxer
Lets see solai, Toby and my niece!!!! Actually I spend a fair bit of time in Saranac lake and love it up there.
I have trouble with that “voted with the democrats 90 percent of the time” crap
lieberman can say the same thing
what I want to see is how she voted when the democrats did not vote with the republicans
that’s the only real metric right there
Oh Jeez. I said gun control isn’t make-or-break for me. But dopeyness acertainly can be. The new Senator from NY, brags at her website:
In September of 2007, I introduced a resolution to make Hunting and Fishing Day – the 4th Saturday in September – a nationally recognized holiday.
Dopey.
Most of them will have jobs at at the Bush Library/Amusement Park when it opens. Condi’s going to be the main hostess. Abu’s going to be a ride operator.
I ahven’t looked at the individaul subcategories, but it’s not bad-especially on labor and that’s important to me.
that is dopey
I see BT’s up
Rumsfeld conducts the Torture Train?
Oh dear, it is worse than I thought. As for guns, except for a few that are used for hunting, they are made for killing humans , not something I am totally in favour of.
everyone here has heard me say I believe we are on the wrong side of the gun issue, everyone sane person wants gun control but very few people are against guns entireley
I have no problem with a hunting and fishing day and I believe gun ownership would have saved the day if bush tried martial law
we need a happy medium, here’s an example
my dad is a die hard fdr democrat but recently he has sided with republicans who press the gun issue
Well, we really don’t know how Gillibrand will be. I’m hoping she proves me wrong at this point. And yes! Spitting is good for the soul. LOL
Sending you more warm weather today. I was outside in shirtsleeves this AM 27 degrees already!!!
Heatwave! We were in the 30’s yesterday apparently. It felt like the 80’s to my cold bones! LOL
Have a great day Nomolos! And thanks for always sending good weather. You’re a great liberal. ;-)
I agree with that generally on the gun control issue. I believe that some people try to make this a straw man partisan issue, and I don’t think it is. I consider myself a liberal for the most part, and I own guns and believe in the right to own them.
I think the support or non-support on this issue does not necessarily follow the accepted political thinking as much as some people would like to make it seem. It crosses political lines and I think it is a result of how you were brought up and your life experiences.
I also agree with nomolos that most of them are made for the purpose of killing other people. I also am not in favor of doing that except in cases of severe, and I do mean SEVERE, distress. Your own life, or defense of loved ones would be an example of that. I believe the ability to present that as a response option should be available, and sometimes that is all that’s needed. I want that option.
One postscript to that:
I used to belong to and support the NRA just because of their stand on the 2nd Amendment. I held my nose because of some of their bedfellows, and things were mostly ok until the day I received one of their magazines with a picture of Dick Cheney on the cover. That broke it.
So in all that time, nobody at State thought about getting a bucket of water?
Of course the Wicked Witch of the West analogy is totally bogus. In the book and movie, the witch wanted to burn the character without a brain, not marry him.