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Friday, October 29, 2004

Tired of Short URLs?

Me too.

From now on you can click the following link to reach Uncle Horns:

http://hugeurl.com/?ZTZhMDQyZWU0N2E0YTJlNzFhYmFiMTZmNzVhZGM2
ZDImMTImVm0wd2QyUXlVWGxXYTJoV1YwZG9WVll3Wkc5alJsWjBUVlpPV0Za
c2JETlhhMUpUVmpGYWMySkVUbGhoTWsweFZqQmFTMk15U2tWVWJHaG9UVmhD
VVZadGVGWmxSbGw1Vkd0c2FsSnRhRzlVVjNOM1pVWmFkR05GZEZSTlZUVkpW
bTEwYTFkSFNrZGpTRUpYVFVad1NGUlVSbUZqVmtaMFVteFNUbUY2UlRGV1ZF
b3dWakZhV0ZOcmJGSmlSMmhZV1d4b2IwMHhXbGRYYlVaclVsUkdXbGt3WkRS
Vk1rcElaSHBHVjJFeVVYZFpWRVpyVTBaT2NscEhjRlJTVlhCWlZrWldhMVV5
VW5OalJtUllZbFZhY1ZscldtRmxWbVJ5VjI1a1YwMUVSa1pWYkZKRFZqQXhk
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dGthVk5GV2xSWmJHaFRWMVpXY1ZKcmRGUldiRm93V2xWb2ExWXdNVVZTYTFw
WFlrZG9jbFpxU2tabFZsWlpXa1prYUdFeGNGaFhiRnBoVkRKT2RGSnJaRmhp
VjNodlZGVm9RMWRzV1hoWGJFNVRUV3hHTlZWdGRHdFhSbVJJWVVac1dtSkdX
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V1pGZE5NRXBKVm10U1MxVXhXWGhhU0ZaVllrWktjRlpxVG05V1ZscEhXVE5v
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WFYzUnJWVEZzVjFWc1dsaGhNMUp2VlcxNGMwMHhXWGxsU0dScFVqQndSMVl5
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YkdoVlZsWndNMWxWV25kU2JIQkdUMVU1YVZKWVFqWldNblJyWXpGVmVWTnVT
bE5oYXpWWVdWUkdkMkZHV2xWU2ExcHNVbTFTTVZaWGVGTmhSVEZ6VTI1b1Yx
WXphR2hhUkVaYVpVWmtkVlZ0ZUZOWFJrcFpWa1phWVZsV1RrZFdiazVXWW1z
MVYxWnRlR0ZXYkZKV1ZXNUtVVlZVTURrPQ==


Get your own huge URL here.

UPDATE: OK. The link doesn't work and that's ten minutes I'll never get back. So much for being amusing & clever on a Friday afternoon. It was a good idea at conception.


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Bush WAS Wired



Proof. (Via Salon, free day pass required.)

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Scariest Halloween Costumes

My favorite: Jenna Bush's Liver

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Red Sox Redux

The Boston Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, kept a diary during the Red Sox historic game four win. Read it to see how many Shawshank Redemption references he can squeeze in.

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Halliburton

The FBI is now involved in the investigation surrounding the no bid contracts with the U.S. Army. There were already ongoing investigations concerning overcharging of the Army for fuel.

It's telling to hear the spokesperson for Halliburton deflect criticism by saying the charges are just election year politics. It seems to me they would want to distance themselves from their relationship to VP Dick Cheney. By talking about the political overtones I think they're actually drawing more attention to themselves.

Not that I think that's a bad thing.

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100,000 Iraqi Dead

Link.

Based on an Iraqi household survey across the country, as many as 100,000 Iraqi people have died since the pre-emptive war began.

But, as Hoges says, that's what happens in war.

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Thursday, October 28, 2004

Like Mother Like Son

This explains a great deal:
..."It's like the TV show 'Fear Factor,'" (President Bush's mother, Barbara) Bush said. "And there are times when I'd rather sit in a tank of snakes and eat bugs than watch TV or read the newspapers."...

If the bugs returned the favor who would object?

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Big Joke

I still don't get it.

Watch the video.

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Doc Brown Had it Right

He predicted, in Back to the Future II, that the Red Sox would win the World Series in 2004.

Well done, lads.

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Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Why Do Former U.S. Ambassadors Hate America

I'm at a complete loss for words.

I sure hope this guy's wife doesn't work undercover. You know. Like the CIA or something.

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4th Quarter 2001...

...was the time Bush screwed it all up.

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Our President

Leading by example. Video.



Tip of the Horn to Kos.

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9/11 Truth

I read the following today from the News Dissector:
An alliance of 100 prominent Americans and 40 family members of those killed on 9/11 today announced the release of the 911 Truth Statement, a call for immediate inquiry into evidence that suggests high-level government officials may have deliberately allowed the September 11th attacks to occur. The Statement supports an August 31st Zogby poll that found nearly 50% of New Yorkers believe the government had foreknowledge and "consciously failed to act," with 66% wanting a new 9/11 investigation.

Focusing on twelve questions, the Statement highlights areas of incriminating evidence that were either inadequately explored or ignored by the Kean Commission, ranging from insider trading and hijacker funding to foreign government forewarnings and inactive defenses around the Pentagon. The Statement asks for four actions: an immediate investigation by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, Congressional hearings, media Analysis, and the formation of a truly independent citizens-based inquiry.

Find out more information here.

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Savage

They drive home.

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The Onion

Some truth to this headline:

Republicans Urge Minorities To Get Out And Vote On Nov. 3

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Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Some Missing Absentee Ballots

In Broward County, FL. How many? How about as many as 58,000.

There are mistakes and then there is disenfranchisement. Jebby will make sure we never know which it is.

Sad.

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Banana Republican

For the discerning Neo-Conservative.

Sample:


Dude, where’s my car bomb? Can’t find a weapon of mass destruction – or a thing to wear? Rest assured that no one will call for your
resignation in these duds – Abu Ghraib ’em while they’re hot!

There are known unknowns grey tank top $27
And there are known unknowns grey pants $45
Listen to me, I know what I’m talking about glasses $75


Go shop!

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Nader off in OH & PA

The Supremes have final say.

Smart move. The chances of a dozen Mary Poppins' and George Jetsons' coming to vote are slim.

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Cover Ups

BushCo specialty. Krugman with details.

Medical procedure this morning. Sleepy. More later.

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Monday, October 25, 2004

Democratic Pumpkin Patterns



Available here.

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Something I Did Not Know

Gloria Vanderbilt is the mother of CNN's Anderson Cooper.

Is this common knowledge?

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al Pieda Strikes

Ann Coulter cowers.

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Rehnquist has Cancer

We wish the Chief Justice a full recovery.

Please vote on 11/2. A woman's right to choose is at stake.

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Powell: DPRK is a 'Terrorist State'

And that's not all (my emphasis):
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, on a mission to restart talks on North Korea's nuclear program, on Sunday branded North Korea a "terrorist state" that shows "no respect whatsoever for human rights."...

Who the hell are we to talk about human rights?

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Explosives Missing in Iraq

Not to worry.

It's only 380 TONS!

UPDATE: Condi's known about it for a month. So why keep the secret?
...The discovery was not made public sooner because standard intelligence practice is not to let the enemy know such information, the official said...
Have we completely lost the plot here? Seriously.

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Newspaper Endorsement Race

Details.

Looking like a landslide. 44 leads in total papers 125-96 and in circulation 16 million to 10 million (roughly.)

To make matters worse for Bush is that several Republican leaning newspapers are not endorsing anyone. They don't want to give 44 a vote of confidence and they feel the current Administration hasn't done anything to warrant endorsement. That'll leave a mark.

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Friday, October 22, 2004

Enjoy the Draft

John from AMERICAblog and a couple of other bloggers have just started EnjoyTheDraft.com. It has some fun with a serious issue, that will be made much more serious if Bush "Roves" his way into a 2nd term.

Be sure to read the "Drunken" and "Sobering" FAQs as well.

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Five Charged in SD Voter Fraud

They're all college students, let's hope their age will make it more likely that they'll roll over on their superiors. This needs to be spread around.

Details.

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Bush Lies, Still

Mr. Black with the extraordinary details.

UPDATE: Link fixed. I'd complain about blogger but hey, it's free. Thanks to the prowling Red Wolf for alerting us to this pressing situation.

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It Sucks When Your Team's Season Ends

I know this because I support all Philadelphia teams. You know, the place where Tagliabue keeps the NFC Championship trophy until someone comes in and takes it from us.

The Houston Astros season ended last night after a stellar run to make the play-offs. One hurting soul today is Norbizness, who says good-bye to his team here with special messages to Houston Astro players. He's under the impression that Carlos Beltran might play elsewhere next year. I agree.

You'll also now find Norbizness in the blogroll to your left (my right, nice haircut.) Go check him out.

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Bunning Clueless

U.S. Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) is losing it. According to this story Bunning was unaware of the story about the Army Reserve soldiers who refused to deliver fuel because they felt it was a suicide mission, because the truck weren't safe enough. To make matters worse for Bunning, the Reservists in question are from his home state.

Bunning is in a fight for his seat against Democratic Challenger Daniel Mongiardo. The race has tightened in recent weeks, particularly after their first debate, when it came to light that Senator Bunning (at RNC HQ in Washington DC) had used a teleprompter in some of his remarks in the televised face-off.

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He Just Doesn't Get it

Another powerful campaign ad, here.

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Firefox

I highly recommend the Firefox browser. I recently made the change from Safari at home and have been elated with the product. The ability to switch between web pages has been especially handy as a blogger. I was also able to import my Safari bookmarks with nary a problem. Worth a look.

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Thursday, October 21, 2004

Google Saves!

...and a beauty:
An Australian journalist kidnapped in Iraq was freed after his captors checked the popular internet search engine Google to confirm his identity.

John Martinkus was seized in Baghdad on Saturday, the first Australian held hostage in Iraq since the US-led invasion.

But his captors agreed to release him after they were convinced he was not working for the CIA or a US contractor.

He was reported to be making his way home to Australia on Tuesday.

His executive producer at Australia's SBS network, Mike Carey, said Google probably saved freelance journalist Martinkus.

"They Googled him and then went onto a web site - either his own or his book publisher's web site, I don't know which one - and saw that he was who he was, and that was instrumental in letting him go, I think, or swinging their decision," he told AP news agency...

Probably a good thing there is only one John Martinkus.

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Bush Relatives for Kerry

Six blood relatives of the President have started a website in support of 44.

Why?

In their words, "Because blood is thinner than oil."

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Condi on the Stump

We're fighting two wars and our National Security Advisor is making "speeches" in swing states.

Nice.

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GOPers Endorsing 44

And Republicans who will not vote for Bush.

Impressive list.

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Cockroach Subpoenaed!

Tom Delay for the uninitiated. The details from Dem Congressional Candidate Jeff Seeman in a diary at Daily Kos.

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More Red Sox

From the Boston Sports Guy. Dale Sveum is the Boston third base coach:
...Everyone seemed optimistic ... right up until Damon was thrown out at home in the first inning, thanks to yet another bone-headed decision from the immortal Dale Sveum. If this guy was a school crossing guard, little kids would be getting pancaked by SUVs like Tony Mandarich in his prime. ..

Heh.

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YES WAY!



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BushCo Slideshow

Hilarious overview of what we're up against.

Use discretion. May not be work safe.

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Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Serious Polling Alert

This is big:
According to a political poll by the Pere Partnership advertising agency, 31 percent of voters claim that if Paris Hilton endorsed a candidate they'd be tempted to vote for the opponent instead.

What about Erik Estrada?

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Reporters Suspended after Seeing Concert

I wasn't aware that loving Springsteen was considered partisanship:
Two St. Paul Pioneer Press reporters who were suspended for attending the recent "Vote for Change" political fund-raising concert have filed a union grievance against the newspaper.

Reporters had been asked not to attend the Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M. concert because ticket sales benefited an affiliate of the liberal group MoveOn. Newspaper management said attendance would compromise the politically neutral stance expected of journalists.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press has yet to endorse a candidate.

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Philadelphia Inquirer Endorses Specter

Definitely not a wholehearted endorsement, but they do raise a good point:
...The Inquirer believes Specter should get another six-year term. Preserving the legality of abortion plays no small part in this decision. Sometime in the next four years, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee will very likely find himself in the pivotal role of scrutinizing at least one new Supreme Court nominee. Assuming that Republicans are in charge of the Senate, it would be better to have the chairman's seat filled by Specter, who says Roe v. Wade is "inviolate" as the law of the land. If Specter loses, next in line among Republicans to be chairman is Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, who opposes abortion rights.

It's highly unlikely that Specter's challenger, Democratic Rep. Joe Hoeffel, would find himself on the Judiciary Committee anytime soon. He may receive better marks from abortion-rights groups than Specter, but the implications of Specter not being in the Judiciary chair are hard to ignore...

Hoeffel is within six points of the incumbent with two weeks to go and a Dem pick-up would be nice, but it's kind of hard to argue with the logic in regards to reproductive rights.

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Monday, October 18, 2004

Without a Doubt

Suskind's article in yesterday's N.Y. Times magazine was one of the best descriptions of Bush I've ever seen, for good or bad.

Must read.

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Bush: No Muslim Peacekeepers for Iraq

Now THIS is unbelievable:
President George W. Bush rebuffed a plan last month for a Muslim peacekeeping force that would have helped the United Nations organize elections in Iraq, according to Saudi and Iraqi officials.

As a result, the UN continues to have a skeletal presence in Iraq, with only four staff members working full time on preparing for elections set for the end of January. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has refused to establish a new UN headquarters in Baghdad unless countries commit troops for a special force to protect it...

The reason? The Muslim forces would've been under UN control and not ours*.

*I'm really starting to hate the use of that word in the context of American world affairs. It sickens me.


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Putinization of America

Named after Russian President Vladimir Putin (or Pooty-Poot if you prefer). You remember him for his desire to appoint his own regional government leaders to ensure he'll stay in power for years to come. Credit Matthew Yglesias for the phrase and the details:
...evidence of what one might call the creeping Putinization of American life (the Sinclair incident, the threatening letter to Rock The Vote, the specter of the top official in the House of Representatives making totally baseless charges of criminal conduct against a major financier of the political opposition [shades of Mikhail Khodorovsky], the increasing evidence that the 'terror alert' system is nothing more than a political prop, the 'torture memo' asserting that the president is above the law, the imposition of rigid discipline on the congress, the abuse of the conference committee procedure, the ability of the administration to lie to congress without penalty, the exclusion of non-supporters from Bush's public appearances, etc.) are beginning to make me think this assessment may have been misguided. Terrorist forces operating in and around Chechnya have done some horrible things -- I was in Moscow for the big apartment bombings -- but ultimately the most harmful thing they have done was to enable Putin to tighten his grip on power.

I heard a report a month ago on NPR which detailed Putin's response to questions about problems with the Russian electoral system (as proposed by Putin.) In essence, he said, 'There are problems with governments all over the world. Look at the United States. They have serious issues with elections there.'

The USA. A shining beacon of....what, exactly?

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The Paper of Record Endorses Kerry

In case you missed it yesterday.

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ATTENTION: All Bush Bloggers

You have more work to do.

May the farce be with you.

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Friday, October 15, 2004

Keith's Back

After some down time with computer troubles, Berry's World is back online. His first post back is a round-up of everything that's happened in the past seven weeks. Highlights:

He won the Phillies-Angels wager between us and will get the (slightly used) DVD of Hairy Potter West Wing Season One in the mail soon.

He also wagers on minor league baseball where he didn't fare as well, losing a DVD to his brother.

He watches the WB now. No joke for this.

He picks Southern Cal to win the National Championship. (This is only because the Nittany Lions have been getting screwed by the officials.)

You'll have to read the rest over there...

Welcome back to the blogosphere, Keith!

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BC04 New England Campaign Chair Resigns

Election tampering. Info here.

This is due in no small part to the efforts of Josh Marshall.

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Rove Testifies Before Plame Grand Jury

There's no way this will break before the election.

But we can hope.

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iDebate

iBulge




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Entire Platoon Jailed for Refusing "Suicide Mission"

Wow.
A 17-member Army Reserve platoon with troops from Jackson and around the Southeast deployed to Iraq is under arrest for refusing a "suicide mission" to deliver fuel, the troops' relatives said Thursday.

The soldiers refused an order on Wednesday to go to Taji, Iraq — north of Baghdad — because their vehicles were considered "deadlined" or extremely unsafe, said Patricia McCook of Jackson, wife of Sgt. Larry O. McCook.

Sgt. McCook, a deputy at the Hinds County Detention Center, and the 16 other members of the 343rd Quartermaster Company from Rock Hill, S.C., were read their rights and moved from the military barracks into tents, Patricia McCook said her husband told her during a panicked phone call about 5 a.m. Thursday...

Read the whole article, especially the last two paragraphs.

Via Kos.

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Another Prisoner Abuse Investigation?

Prior to the Abu Ghraib atrocities came to light, there were allegations made by four Iraqi men employed by Reuters:

...The Iraqis, who were arrested Jan. 2 after trying to report on the downing of an American helicopter near Falluja, said they were physically abused while being held for about three days at Forward Operating Base Volturno. They said American soldiers hit them, deprived them of sleep and made them assume painful positions. They said they were threatened with sexual assault and photographed while being forced to simulate sex acts...

Details here.

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O'Reilly on Regis & Kelly

The FOX hypocrite will fight the charges with every fiber of his being:
"If I have to go down, I'm willing to do it..."

Weren't these threats what got him in trouble in the first place?

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Heavy Hitters Campaigning for Bush

Answer to a not-so-hypothetical question to first daughter, Barbara:
"Obviously our dad would make a great president."

More hard hitting analysis later, from the bar.

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Blogroll Additions

Good morning and happy Friday.

I want to let you know about three additions to the blogroll to your left. (My right, as I'm looking at you. BTW, nice shirt.)

With qualifying well underway for football's quadrennial event, I've added World Cup Football News as a way to get news on your favorite team. The US MNT have advanced to the final round of qualifying for CONCACAF and then there is this nugget:
New France international Rio-Antonio Mavuba has an unusual African background. The Bordeaux midfielder, who made his debut for France in August, has no country of birth. Mavuba, son of former Zaire international Ricky Mavuba Ndokia Ndombe - who featured at the 1974 World Cup finals - was born on a boat, off the coast of Angola, on 16 March 1984.

A man without citizenship. Important information.

I had Counterspin on my 'roll previously but removed it when Hesiod said he was hanging up the keyboard. Well, he's back. And I'm happy to return him to my hallowed blogroll.

Finally, I met Mithras at the Philadelphia Drinking Liberally event. He's got an excellent blog which isn't always focused on the regime change we so desperately need here. I think this is a good thing. All politics and no drunkblogging make for unexciting times.

Be sure to visit one and all.

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Thursday, October 14, 2004

More Hump

I don't know what to make of the picture on the left. You?


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OR Voter Fraud

The LA Times is on the story.

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Wes Clark on Hannity Last Night

Apparently, Hannity came completely unhinged when Clark made a crack about Bush being a cheerleader.

I'll happily send you a cheeseburger on Tuesday for a Hannity clip or transcript today.

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The Day After

For the President, not so good.

Tip of the Horn to the man with the green thumb.

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Spot On

Wolcott:
Now that the three debates belong to history, furnishing boring anecdotes from Michael Beschloss and Doris Kearns Goodwin for years to come, I'm struck by a single defining element that permeated each encounter: Bush's cavalier lack of preparation. Forget the cosmetics for a moment: the menagerie of mannerisms Bush displayed. He simply didn't come loaded with ammo. I assumed that he'd have some killer line at the ready, some surprise dug up from Kerry's record to spring, a practiced bit of eloquence that would lift the debate at a dramatic moment out of the recitation of facts and figures. He not only didn't have the eloquence, he barely had the facts and figures. For some bizarre reason best left to future psychologists, Bush doesn't seem to have approached these debates seriously. He refused to acknowledge he couldn't get by with simply rehashing his stump speech. When I saw on the news that Bush has prepared for this final debate by rehearsing during his spare moments on the campaign trail in Air Force One and the limo drives, I thought: that's now true preparation, that's lazy last-minute cramming...

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Safe Airports

Meow.
Hollywood actress Renee Zellweger found a recent trip through Toronto airport more stressful than usual, when she was asked to put her cat through an X-ray machine.

The 35-year-old, who was filming forthcoming movie "The Cinderella Man" in the Canadian city, was alarmed when overzealous airport security asked her to place pet Grady on the conveyor belt.

Zellweger says, "I was a little panicked at the notion at having to take her out at the airport because she'd already made it clear she wasn't appreciative of the mode of transportation or her living quarters.

"My cat likes to express her opinions."

As long as your cat's opinions are in full support of the Bush Administration you don't have to worry about it being in the trophy room at Ashcroft's chateau in the mountains.

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Caribbean Shower Fantasies

Bill O'Reilly has some 'splainin' to do.

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Three and Oh!

After 44's dominating performance last night I'm puzzled why there are still undecided voters out there. I guess if you decide on personality or the like that's bound to happen. And that's a shame.

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Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Women's Rights

Hmmmm...
...Oh and by the way, that suggestion currently being floated by some in the GOP that the Iraq war has become so nasty and desperate that we might very well need to reinstate the military draft? That draft includes young women. And oh yes, Bush has already upheld the ban on abortions for servicewomen stationed overseas, even if they were raped, even if they pay for it themselves. Feeling patriotic yet?

(...)

Here's the bottom line: 50 million eligible women didn't vote in 2000, and 22 million of them were single and nearly every one of them probably thought their vote doesn't matter and it isn't really worth it and who cares anyway because no matter who wins, everything's still pretty much run by rich powerful men anyway. Which is, you know, sort of true. But not quite.

Because as Oprah knows, there are powerful men who get it and who love women and who understand their issues and who have cool articulate daughters and opinionated self-defined multilingual firebrand wives (Hi, Teresa), and there are aww-shucks antichoice white guys with lifeless token wives who think your body is government property and you should just pipe down and keep your damn legs closed and go pray to an angry Republican God to forgive your plentiful vagina-induced sins.

Hey, it's your choice. But not for long.

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October Surprise

I'm sure Rove and the gnats have something else up their sleeve but they've already shown they can commit voter fraud:

-Former South Dakota Governor Bill Janklow (R) says the national GOP is encouraging campaign workers to cheat.

-In Nevada:
Employees of a private voter registration company allege that hundreds, perhaps thousands of voters who may think they are registered will be rudely surprised on election day. The company claims hundreds of registration forms were thrown in the trash.

Anyone who has recently registered or re-registered to vote outside a mall or grocery store or even government building may be affected...


-Don't forget the latest from Florida.

-Massachusetts Representin'!

-Not to be outdone, Minnesota is missing 1.5 million voter registration cards.

Finally, through dKosopedia you can find a clearing house of all the shenanigans.

I'm glad the Afghan elections went off OK. What about ours?

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Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Senator Closes D.C. Office Over Security Concerns

Link:

WASHINGTON-- Sen. Mark Dayton said Tuesday he is closing his Washington office because of a classified intelligence report which made him fear for the safety of his staff.

Dayton, D-Minn., said the office will be closed while Congress is in recess through Election Day, with his staff working out of his Minnesota office and in Senate space off Capitol Hill.

``I take this step out of extreme, but necessary, precaution to protect the lives and safety of my Senate staff and my Minnesota constituents, who might otherwise be visiting my Senate office in the next three weeks,'' he said on a call with reporters.

``I feel compelled to do so because I will not be here in Washington to share what I consider to be an unacceptably greater risk to their safety,'' he said.

Dayton said he could not describe the contents of the top-secret intelligence report, which was presented to senators at a briefing two weeks ago.

``None of us can predict the future,'' he said. ``I hope and pray that the precautions I've taken will prove unnecessary.''

Asked what advise he would have for Minnesotans who want to travel to Washington over the next few weeks, Dayton said, ``I wouldn't advise them to come to Capitol Hill. I would not bring my two sons to the capitol between now and the election.''

He won't bring his sons to Capitol Hill, but the government will allow other people to freely go about their business without a word of warning.

WTF?

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Iraqi Nuclear Materials Vanish

I thought you had them?

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Red Sox v. Yankees

Even if you're just a casual sports fan, I encourage you to check out some of this seven-game series that begins tonight at Yankee Stadium. There are lots of good rivalries in sports, but I think this one is the best. Anytime these teams play something weird always happens (e.g. last year 84 year old Yankee bench coach Don Zimmer tried to tackle Boston ace pitcher Ramon Martinez during a bench clearing brawl.) For human drama and the undertone of hate between the teams, nothing can top it.

Bill Simmons over at ESPN has an amusing preview of the series. He asks the question: Is it good luck to be pooped on by a bird?

I'd be curious to hear from either of my readers who they want to win this series or if it's good luck to be shat upon by a bird.

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Stem Cell Research

In the aftermath of Christopher Reeve's death, Ronald Reagan's daughter, Patti Davis gives this back-body-drop off the third rope to George and Laura Bush.

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Blogging

The combination of my heavy workload and not feeling my best have contributed to a sparsity of posts in the last few days. Be back soon...

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Monday, October 11, 2004

Sinclair

Josh Marshall succinctly puts the entire fiasco in perspective here.

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Bush's Earpiece

The New York Times has joined the fray.

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Brits Downplay bin Laden

Of couse it wasn't their country that was attacked:

COALITION commanders in Afghanistan have begun playing down the importance of Osama Bin Laden — in sharp contrast to the statements made earlier this year that he would be caught by the end of 2004.

“From the Afghan point of view we don’t want to focus too much on Bin Laden,” said Major-General John Cooper, deputy commander of the American-led coalition forces.

“He is not necessarily the major player. He will be caught one day but his whereabouts today won’t have a huge effect.”...


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Saturday, October 09, 2004

Sinclair TV Stations to Air Anti-Kerry Film on Election Eve

Thus pre-empting local coverage including Mondaty Night Football with their ABC affiliates.

Details.

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The Day After

Blogging from State College. PSU v. Purdue. Here's hoping the Lions defense isn't on the field for 45 minutes today.

I stayed up for a while after the 2nd debate last night to gauge talking head reactions. I wasn't surprised to hear almost everyone's reaction was that the President did very well, perhaps even winning the debate. I suppose they're looking at the first debate as a benchmark for his performance. Since he didn't pout, roll his eyes or sneer he kicked ass. There was little chatter of the issues except to say that he did surprisingly well in talking about domestic policy. It was all about the "forceful" President. Funny, he sounded angry to me, cutting off Charles Gibson at least twice and gritting his teeth fighting to keep a stoic demeanor. I'm sure his coaches told him, "...anytime you feel like making a face or smirking draw those squiggilly lines you like so much on the paper." I bet those notes would fetch a pretty penny on eBay.

Bush was coherent on several issues, but the content was the same as what we've heard before except when it came to the question on the Environment. He rattled off his memorized talking points in a burst, almost regurgitating it, so quickly in case he forgot something. The questioner looked like he thought the "Clear Skies Initiative" was crap. 44 was strong in making his points, but I think he left a couple of questions on the table, where he could've done more to strengthen his position and discredit the President's. The longer the undecideds stay that way, the better chance they'll go with 44.

I've stopped paying close attention to the polls because the majority are underrepresnting the younger voter and ignoring the newly registered, which can't be measured because they have no voting history. Hopefully the strong Democratic get-out-the-vote effort will translate into 44's inauguration.

I'm off to see what the blogosphere & mainstream media thought about Bush's "win."

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Friday, October 08, 2004

Olbermann Scorecard

If you're looking for a debate overview go here. Includes a boxing type scorecard with each question being a round.

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Debate

Bush line of the night number one:

"This war is a long long war."

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Huge Debate Tonight

How is the President preparing?
...In the hours leading up to debate, Bush huddled with top aides at the home of a St. Louis Cardinals owner where he is staying and went fishing in the rain to relax...

I can see the answer now: "We picked up 96,000 jobs this month and I caught a huge bass today!"

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The Exterminator

Much has been said about this man in the past few weeks, so it's worth taking a look at one of his greatest hits:
On why the U.S. became involved in the second war against Iraq:

"Because the rabid environmentalists felt it was more important to jeopardize the lives of our brave American servicemen than risk the death of a single snail darter. The greenies have led us into the crisis in the Middle East. Not only are they responsible for the huge amount of American dependence on foreign oil, but if an open war develops in the sweltering heat of the Saudi Arabian desert, the tragic result will be on their heads."


Thankfully, there is only one Tom DeLay.

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More Fahrenheit 911

Michael Moore is close to a deal with pay-per-view company IN Demand to show Fahrenheit 911 on the night before the election.

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News Flash

Sean Hannity is a liar and hypocrite.

Tip of the Horn to Tom Schaller at Daily Kos for the heads up.

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Making the Case for Reelection of Bush

When the editor calls, Jonathan Chait gets busy:
An editor at the paper suggested that I use this week's column to try to make the most honest and persuasive case I could for President Bush's reelection. At first I was skeptical. To say that I consider Bush a "bad" president would be a severe understatement. I think he's bad in a way that redefines my understanding of the word "bad." I used to think U.S. history had many bad presidents. Now, my "bad" category consists entirely of George W. Bush, with every previous president redefined as "good." There's also the fact that, on a personal level, I despise him with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns. What I'm saying is, advocating Bush is kind of tricky.

But then I thought, what the heck. Why not try it for the sake of intellectual experimentation? After all, lawyers often defend some pretty repugnant clients, right? In keeping with that, I won't attempt to deny that my client has done some awful things. What I'll argue instead is that his very awfulness is the reason he deserves reelection....

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More on the Earpiece

Salon has and article posted on it today. (Free daypass required) The most mainstream media outlet to date to cover the story. A little bit of new information including a quote from the Dissector regarding his attendance at the RNC. The plot gets thickerer.

I'd love to see it malfunction tonight*.

*Assuming the President would ever deceive the Country.

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Employment Report

Only 96,000 jobs added last month.

There are about 800,000 fewer jobs today than when Bush took office.

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The White House isn't Actually White

From the Gaggle:

John Roberts: Scott, can you please confirm reports for me that the White House is, in fact, white.

Scott McClellan: John, we've been over this. It's been proven in reports from the State Department and the Department of the Interior that the White House is actually a light shade of auburn. The Administration has said this all along. We categorically deny what these shadowy groups have been saying. In fact the President resents the implication that the color of the White House is any color other than a light shade of auburn we say it is. We've released all of the papers to back this up and, frankly, the liberal left is really out of line in making these salacious allegations. Go ahead, Helen...

More today from Krugman.

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Psychological View of Bush

The Red Wolf Redux has a fascinating post from John Sommers Flanagan, PhD on why the race is still so close from a psychological perspective. I encourage you to read the whole thing, but here is an excerpt:
...When our world is shaken, we seek safety. And who better to protect us than the big, strong, tough-talking leader who has been in charge all along. The competence or morality of our leader becomes less relevant. We are afraid. Change might make things worse. As Vice President Dick Cheney has so eloquently claimed, we'd better not vote for John Kerry or we may be hit again by terrorists, this time even worse. Never mind that Cheney's former company is a big benefactor from the hit that occurred on his watch...

Tip of the Horn to the Red Wolf for bringing this to our attention.

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Thursday, October 07, 2004

Homebrew Riding Mower

Maybe I can get Lance Armstrong to do my lawn.



Via Gizmodo.

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Think You've Had a Bad Week?

Try living in the White House.

We've controlled more than a handful of news cycles and all they can do is spin their wheels.

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The Lies Just Keep on Coming

Bush, today in response to the Duelfer (lack of) WMD report:
..."(Saddam) retained the knowledge, the materials, the means, and the intent to produce weapons of mass destruction," Bush said, adding that Saddam was trying to undermine international sanctions "with the intent of restarting his weapons program once the world looked away."

"In a world after Sept. 11, he was a threat we had to confront," Bush added in his first public comment on the Duelfer report...

So that explains all of the 'mushroom cloud' talk. Glad that's cleared up.

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Bush's Actions: Polls More Important Than Homeland

I'm really tired of typing this word, but these morons keep digging deeper:

Unbelievable

I don't think there are enough modifying words in the English language to describe how bad off we really are.

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I Couldn't Let This Pass

Someone left an anonymous comment in response to a post about 44's annhilation of Bush during the first debate. High comedy:
Kerry seemed poised and well rested for the debate because all he has to do right now is campaign. Bush, while trying to campaign, still has a job to do as President. If you were to spend the countless hours he dopes (sic) every day pouring over intelligence and in conversations with foreign leaders and military generals, wouldn't you look a little worn and weary too?

It's hard work, really hard work. For him. Of course I would like to have seen him "pour" over more intelligence while he was vactioning in the summer of 2001, rather than playing dude rancher.

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Wednesday, October 06, 2004

Does Bush Wear an Earpiece?

I think it's a possibility, but you'd think if he was they would've corrected his mannerisms and poor posture at the debate.

Regardless, Is Bush Wired? breaks down the possibility.

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Molly Ivins Rocks the House

Link. My emphasis.
...Speaking of both radar and stupid government, for a truly pathological example of how ideological fixations and denying reality can cost us dearly, to the $200 billion for the disaster in Iraq add at least $150 billion to deploy the unproven and unworkable missile-defense system, nee Star Wars. Since Star Wars was a pet scheme of Ronald Reagan's, Republicans insist on trying to carry out this nutty idea, the equivalent of hitting a bullet with a bullet. Ye olde military-defense complex also has a rather large stake in keeping this dog of a program going.

We have spent $90 billion on it since 1983, with much more to come. The thing is supposed to be deployed this year, but it will have no demonstrated capability and would be ineffective against a real attack by long-range missiles. Between 1999 and December 2000, the thing has been five for eight against targets WITH the information of the time and place of the launch and the missile's trajectory fed to the interceptor. In other words, totally rigged tests...

Exquisitely and sadly descriptive.

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Debate Overview

The concluding paragragh from this excellent piece by William Saletan goes a little something like this:
...With the Republican Convention extending into September, never has a trailing ticket had so little time to fight its way back into the race. Democrats desperately needed to regain and maintain control of the election agenda. Kerry had to knock Bush back on his heels in the first debate so he could broaden the discussion to domestic policy. Edwards had to do the same to Cheney, ideally generating new story lines about the administration's difficulty with reality. It's like a ninth-inning rally. Kerry got the lead-off hit. Edwards singled him to third. How will it end? Pass the popcorn.

Could we see a bases clearing double on Friday night?

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Letters Home

Michael Moore has just published a book, Will They Ever Trust Us Again, containing letters from our troops in the Middle East.

Here is a sample:
From: Michael W
Sent: Tuesday July 13 2004 12.28pm
Subject: Dude, Iraq sucks


My name is Michael W and I am a 30-year-old National Guard infantryman serving in southeast Baghdad. I have been in Iraq since March of 04 and will continue to serve here until March of 05.

In the few short months my unit has been in Iraq, we have already lost one man and have had many injured (including me) in combat operations. And for what? At the very least, the government could have made sure that each of our vehicles had the proper armament to protect us soldiers.

In the early morning hours of May 10, one month to the day from my 30th birthday, I and 12 other men were attacked in a well-executed roadside ambush in south-east Baghdad. We were attacked with small-arms fire, a rocket-propelled grenade, and two well-placed roadside bombs. These roadside bombs nearly destroyed one of our Hummers and riddled my friends with shrapnel, almost killing them. They would not have had a scratch if they had the "Up Armour" kits on them. So where was [George] W [Bush] on that one?

It's just so ridiculous, which leads me to my next point. A Blackwater contractor makes $15,000 [£8,400] a month for doing the same job as my pals and me. I make about $4,000 [£2,240] a month over here. What's up with that?

Beyond that, the government is calling up more and more troops from the reserves. For what? Man, there is a huge fucking scam going on here! There are civilian contractors crawling all over this country. Blackwater, Kellogg Brown & Root, Halliburton, on and on. These contractors are doing everything you can think of from security to catering lunch!

We are spending money out the ass for this shit, and very few of the projects are going to the Iraqi people. Someone's back is getting scratched here, and it ain't the Iraqis'!

My life is left to chance at this point. I just hope I come home alive.

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Wonder Why We're Hated?

This could shed some light on the subject:
The Pentagon said yesterday it was investigating cockpit video footage that shows American pilots attacking and killing a group of apparently unarmed Iraqi civilians.

The 30-second clip shows the pilot targeting the group of people in a street in the city of Fallujah and asking his mission controllers whether he should "take them out". He is told to do so and, shortly afterwards, the footage shows a huge explosion where the people were. A second voice can be heard on the clip saying: "Oh, dude."

The existence of the video, taken last April inside the cockpit of a US F-16 fighter has been known for some time, though last night's broadcast by Channel 4 News is believed to be the first time a mainstream broadcaster has shown the footage.

At no point during the exchange between the pilot and controllers does anyone ask whether the Iraqis are armed or posing a threat. Critics say it proves war crimes are being committed.

Chances we'll see this on ABCNNBCBS? Nil.

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Howard Stern

This morning Stern announced he will be moving to Sirius radio in January 2006. A big surprise for everyone involved, even his affiliate stations had no idea.

FYI: The stock symbol for Sirius is: SIRI

It began trading today at $3.35/share.

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It's Not a Lie if You Believe it

Vice President Costanza said last night was the first time he met Senator John Edwards.

Um.

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Tuesday, October 05, 2004

Debate



Thanks to bgod for the masterful Photoshop work.

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VP Debate

The one sure thing is that Gwen Ifill will never mediate another debate. She's clueless.

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Dark Window Tries to Get Out of the Hole

After getting smoked in our wager on the contest associated with Bush's speech at the RNC, our friend Pete at the The Dark Window has decided he wants to go to go double-or-nothing on the six-pack we wagered.

The new wager's genesis began innocuously enough; he asked me if I like football...

Knowing that Pete lived in San Francisco I guessed (via email) that he was a 49er fan. After threatening me with physical violence he informed me that he was a member of Raider Nation. So, we agreed that the bet would be Raiders vs. Eagles. The best record at the end of the season will be declared the winner. However, if the Raiders catch lightnting in a bottle, we'll need a tie breaker.

Any and all ideas considered.

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Florida Voter Suppression Story CXXXIII

Outrageous.

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Rummy: No Saddam-al Qaeda Link

I have serious doubts that Dick Cheney will be echoing this at the debate tonight:
...Asked to describe the connection between the Iraqi leader and the al-Qaida terror network at an appearance Monday at the Council on Foreign Relations, the Pentagon chief first refused to answer, then said: ''To my knowledge, I have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two.''...

No holiday bonus for Rumsfeld!

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Dave, What Are You Doing?



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Monday, October 04, 2004

Bring 'em On II: Nitwit Rides Again

Our President talks about our yet to be rolled out missile defenses:
...Bush has promoted the system while campaigning for re-election.
 
"We want to continue to perfect this system, so we say to those tyrants who believe they can blackmail America and the free world: You fire; we're going to shoot it down," he said during a stop at Ridley Park, Pa., on Aug. 17.
 
Military officials are less sanguine, stressing that the initial system will be modest and limited in capability but will improve over time.
 
Critics of the system, such as Philip Coyle, the Pentagon's former chief of testing, say Bush is wrong.
 
"Of course we don't have any capability to do that," he said. "For the president to sort of dare them (to fire missiles) is really misleading and even reckless."...

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Twitchy Little Man

I finally got a look at Bush Campaign Manager Ken Mehlman tonight on Paula Zahn. I feel like I know him through the Campaign emails that bear his name. From his writing style I could have sworn that he was under-caffeinated.

Writing styles can be deceiving.

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Incredible Statistic

Must be read to be believed.

I'm glad our tax dollars are being put to good use. **ahem** Aren't you?

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It Probably Means Nothing

The seventh game of the World Series is schedule to be on Halloween, or two days before the election.

Hoping for no rain-outs or increased terror threat levels.

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Michael J. Fox on Stem Cell Research

Link
Today, Michael J. Fox stood up and courageously spoke up that "George Bush's decision has dramatically reduced the chances for finding a cure for Alzheimers, for Parkinsons, for various kinds of cancersfor so many terrible diseases." Yet the Bush Administration continues to deny that there is any issue with their policy. As Fox said: "he so restricted the stem cell lines available to us that it was kind of like he gave us a car and no gas and he congratulated himself on giving us the car and we sat there and we sit there still"

The fact is that George W. Bush has put his ideological agenda ahead of the interests of the American people by placing a ban on embryonic stem cell research. His ban has prevented the use of 99.999 percent of potential stem cells from being used, standing in the way of possible cures and therapies. This research is supported by a broad coalition, including Orrin Hatch, John McCain and Nancy and Ron Reagan. It is time to put politics aside and allow our researchers to do their crucial work..."

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Powerful Debate Video

Here.

From the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

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Poland to be Gone by End of 2005

The coalition of the coerced is shrinking:
Poland will withdraw its troops from Iraq by the end of 2005, Polish Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said on Monday.

"In my opinion, the deadline (for Poland's mission) should be the expiry date of resolution 1546 of the UN Security Council," Szmajdzinski told the Gazeta Wyborcza daily.

Resolution 1546, passed in June, provided for the handover of power to the Iraqi authorities and includes democratic transition steps that will run through 2005.

Poland, a staunch US ally in Europe, now commands an 8,000-strong multinational force, including about 2,400 Polish soldiers,in south-central Iraq.

Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewsk, who is on a visit to France, confirmed the announcement in Paris on Monday...


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Bush and Reality

Herbert:
...The president likes to tell us that "freedom is winning" in Iraq, that democracy is on the march. But Americans are coming to realize that Iraq is, in fact, a country in agony, beset by bombings, firefights, kidnappings, beheadings and myriad other forms of mayhem. The president may think that freedom is winning, but television viewers in the U.S. could see images over the weekend of distraught Iraqis pulling the bodies of small children from smoking rubble - a tragic but perfect metaphor for a policy in ruins.

Mr. Bush got his big bounce in the public opinion polls from the Swift boat nonsense and the mocking, nonstop criticism of Senator Kerry at the Republican National Convention. Those were distractions from the real world. But reality cannot be kept at bay indefinitely. Readers of The Washington Post got a disturbing dose of it yesterday from a front-page article about the strain being put on the overloaded systems of veterans' disability benefits and health care by the thousands of American troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with physical injuries and mental health problems.

The article noted that "President Bush's budget for 2005 calls for cutting the Department of Veterans Affairs staff that handles benefits claims."

A staff sergeant who was paralyzed in a mortar attack near Baghdad was quoted as saying: "I love the military; that was my life. But I don't believe they're taking care of me now."

The real world is President Bush's Achilles' heel. He can't keep his distance from it forever.

Reality is one of the President's problems. I also think he has a deep desire to be liked. That's why his staff only puts him in front of adoring crowds and why he refused to question Kerry's character in the debate (even joking about his daughters, with the "leash" comment.) He thinks that admitting a mistake will make him less well liked. What we have is a little boy at the helm of our ship.

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George Soros

Has joined the blogosphere.

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Country Music in Politics

Not all Country music stars are in lock step with the Bush junta.

Attest.

Tip of the Horn to my music sensei for the heads up.

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Debate Cheating

Much has been made lately about the possibility of 44 cheating at the debate, as Kerry appeared to pull something from his pocket before the first question. Pandagon has the contents of the note 44 pulled from his pocket.

(I'm amazed that the RW blogosphere can't accept that their man was taken behind the woodshed. No contest.)

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Blogroll

I've added The Culture Ghost to my blogroll on the left. As a frequent commenter in this sophomoric forum, the CG has proven to have a quick wit and a healthy skepticism of our Dear Leader and his minions.

I've also given the Red Wolf her own section in the blogroll. Why, you ask? First, the Wolf is a good friend of the Uncle Horns community and second the Wolf has four blogs. Something their for everyone, except Santorum. Sorry Rick, you'll have to get your fix at the bath houses in Hoboken.

Go visit and tell 'em Uncle Horns sent you unless you're a troll at which point Spyware will be entering your OS presently.

Update: Fixed spelling error. There is no 'Q' in skepticism

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Saturday, October 02, 2004

Fox Cooks their W Photo

With Afro, 6'2".

See Fletch for reference.

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Kerry Won't Forget Them Again

Who?

Hint: They have 2,500 hundred troops in Iraq.

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Friday, October 01, 2004

We Report, You Switch the Channel if You're Smart



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What's the First Thing You Learn in Speech Class?

Don't do this:


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Down Goes Frazier!

William Rivers Pitt at truthout.org saw the debate as a complete asskicking. He points out that some people on the other side feel similarly:
...At FreeRepublic.com, the bastion of far-right cheerleading, the faithful were fashioning nooses. "It's really painful listening to Bush," said one Godebert. "Kerry has had him on the defensive from the beginning. Kerry sounds confident while Bush has a pleading defensive tone. Not good so far."

"Kerry looked much more experienced," said one whadizit. "He appeared to be relaxed and in control. W looked weary and worn and sounded weary and worn."

"Unfortunately," saith The Sons of Liberty, "Kerry looked more prepared. He seemed to have more facts, however questionable, at his command and he delivered his message succinctly. Even when confronted on his flip-flops, he had plausible explanations. On the other hand, The President seemed to lose his train of thought at times. He continued to repeat the same things, and he looked tired and a little haggard. He needs to do much better next time."

The comments went on and drearily on in this vein, in conversation thread after conversation thread, until a forum participant named areafiftyone threw the distraught legions a lifeline: "I had that feeling that Kerry had the questions beforehand. He seemed to have his answers right on target. Bush seemed like he was surprised by the questions. I wish they could investigate to see if the DNC got a hold of the questions beforehand."...

Um, I don't think that's it.

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"Mission Accomplished"

Our President made the case 17 months ago today.

We've lost 1,059 soldiers in Iraq, 920 since Bush made the fateful claim.

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Unhappy Bush

"How can it be the wrong war, at the wrong place at the wrong time if we're already fighting it? That doesn't make sense."
--Bush's little voice 9/30/04


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Debate Transcript

The entire bloodbath can be found here.

While reading, please keep these images of our President in mind:
-Leaning against the lectern, almost disinterested
-The facial expressions, see next post
-Fumbling at his cheat sheet, wishing he'd studied
-His newly-whitened teeth

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Faces of Frustration

Check out this video from the DNC. Hilarious.

Tip of the Horn to Duncan for the link.

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Jon Stewart

The Daily Show was aired live last night after the debates. Stewart interviewed Wes Clark and Rudy Giuliani about the points made and not made during the 90 minute face-off.

The best part of the show was when they played a clip of 44 feverishly writing as the President spoke. Stewart wondered out loud, "What is Kerry writing?" They then cut to an over the shoulder shot of a legal pad with a message in big block writing:

I'M SO KICKING HIS ASS

Beautiful.

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Right Wing Blogosphere Reacts

For the Land of the Lost, the news isn't good.

It's fun to read these guys grudgingly give 44 some respect. You know it's really bad for Bush when his fanatical base is conceding defeat on the first debate.

The only "rose-colored glasses" has come in an email from the BC04 Campaign:
...President Bush spoke clearly and from the heart last night about the path forward - toward victory and security - in the War on Terror.  The President spoke candidly about the difficulties facing our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan as these countries prepare for their first free elections.  The terrorists will continue to fight these steps toward freedom because they f! ear the optimism and hope of democracy.  They fear the prospects for their ideology of hate in a free and democratic Middle East.

President Bush detailed a path forward in the War on Terror - a plan that will ensure that America fights the enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan - not in America's cities.

John Kerry failed the one test he had to pass last night: he failed to close the credibility gap he has with the American people as his record of troubling contradiction and vacillation spiraled down to incoherence...

I'm not sure what debate they watched, perhaps the GOP typed this on Wednesday afternoon as a time saver.

One thing I did notice last night was the sheer volume of BC04 campaign commercials on all channels last night. My favorite was aired on Nickelodeon that featured two sock puppets, Drinky(!) & Winky, who discussed the President's leadership abilities and were then thrown in the washer.*

*May not measure up to the current administration's, "Lie Beleivability Scale" which is pretty liberal in it's own right. There were a ton of Bush campaign ads on.

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