TODAY'S TOPICS: Cuba, Olbermann, McCain Bombshell, Donna Edwards, Bush Most Unpopular Ever!
A Shorty today...no time...good articles tomorrow:
How easy it is to claim to champion universal human rights when you exempt your own country from judgment. When did the U.S. ever care about human rights in Cuba, or anywhere else in Latin America before Castro, if those rights conflicted with the rape of the region’s resources? And what a mockery we have made of the cause of democratic rule when our president, twice elected by the people, has created one of the world’s most fearsome symbols of torture on the U.S. “liberated” territory of Guantanamo, Cuba.
-- Robert Scheer
I Could Send Troops 'Anywhere' for a 'Long Period of Time'
-- John McCain
THE MCCAIN BOMBSHELL...
Its really amazing how fast McCain’s legion of fans in the media have flipped the story about his alleged possible affair with a lobbyist into an attack on the New York Times for smearing him. I don’t remember them ever doing that for Clinton, do you? And, as if the Times is really in the business of trying to change elections by running false stories. This may or may not be an important issue, or true for that matter (if he did her favors as a Senator it’s a huge issue), but we don’t know that yet do we?
Some more blogger responses to the media circling the wagons to defend their hero:
from C&L: I found it interesting that McCain calls John Weaver a good friend, but had no idea what actions he took while trying to keep a young and pretty lobbyist, Vicki Iseman away from him.
Dana Bash: (John Weaver) and what he said was that he did speak with Ms. Iseman and he wanted to tell her was that he was hearing that she was telling people around town, that she had influence with you, that he was worried back then that, just like it would today, it would undermine your campaign and that’s why he went to her. Knowing that, did he make the right move?
McCain: I don’t know because again, I never discussed it with John Weaver and so, as far as I know there was no necessity for it. That’s a judgement that he made so you’ll have to discuss it with him. I did not know anything about it.
It reminded me about the Clemens steroid case. Andy Pettitte, a good friend of Roger’s told the Mitchell Report that Clemens admitted he did use steroids. Clemens, like McCain didn’t know why he said that.
Christy Hardin Smith:
Here’s my first question for all the media types who have been covering McCain: why is it that any negative story about his myriad lobbyist connections gets relegated to the back pages — the A17 story death knell? Anyone know — because I’d love to hear the scoop.
And Marcy asks:
For the moment, though, I’m more interested in the 2004 election–the one McCain didn’t run in. You see, I find it a mighty curious coincidence that two of the companies for which Iseman was lobbying John McCain in 1999 and 2000–the time of their potentially inappropriate relationship–also happen to be the two television companies that championed the Kerry smear, “Stolen Honor,” in 2004.
The real story is how close John McCain worked with lobbyists to promote their interests. Let’s see the MSM dig into this a bit further, shall we? And how nice is it to have Robert Bennett, McCain’s paid attorney go on teevee and defend McCain’s honor by practically calling him the last honest man?
AND THIS...FROM C&L:
And: McCain vs McCain Staff:
Marc Ambinder notes that the Times’ use of the word “associates” suggests that, in fact, the people who confronted him were not aides or staffers. He hazards that “associates” might actually be other lobbyists…
Matthew Yglesias:
Obviously, I don’t know whether or not McCain had sex with Iseman. I suppose by “what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is” standards, he didn’t even deny having had sex with Iseman. Certainly it’d be a bit rich of McCain to get outraged that anyone would even suggest that he might engage in sexual improprieties. After all, it’s well known that he repeatedly cheated on his first wife Carol, of a number of years, with a variety of women, before eventually dumping her for a much-younger heiress whose family fortune was able to help finance his political career. That’s well known, I should say, except to the electorate, who would probably find that this sort of behavior detracts from McCain’s “character” appeal.
Meanwhile, there’s all this stuff Salter doesn’t deny (because, again, it’s true) about McCain’s questionable ethics. He wrote “letters to government regulators on behalf of the [Iseman’s] client,” he “often flew on the corporate jets of business executives seeking his support,” he resigned as head of a non-profit when “news reports disclosed that the group was tapping the same kinds of unlimited corporate contributions he opposed, including those from companies seeking his favor,” his Senate office and his campaign are run by corporate lobbyists, etc.
The poor, poor, GOP...
VIDEO SECTION
Olbermann covers the McCain bombshell…though very little is really known yet, and apparently the NY Times is going to do a follow up or two. So, I’m going to withhold judgment until more evidence is shown. Clearly though, this is another major setback for the GOP and their chances to win the White House. Unless of course, the story is a total fabrication…but that seems unlikely.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/20/countdown-mccain-in-bed-with-lobbyist-no-really-in-bed-with-lobbyist/
Olbermann covers the insanely racist remarks by bill O’Reilly on “lynching” Michelle Obama. Amazing…and this is what’s coming people:
http://alternet.org/blogs/video/77484/
Donna Edwards…our new progressive champion in the House talks Cuba:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/20/hardball-donna-edwards-on-where-we-go-from-here-with-cuba/
From C&L: Actually, most of these Bushed! segments are about lying liars, aren’t they? Continuing to track the scandals du jour that make up life in BushWorld, the first story up is Bush’s touting of his increases to his global fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria. The only problem is that the “increase” that Bush wants Congress to approve is actually a 40% decrease from last year’s Congressional-instigated funding.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/20/countdowns-bushed-lying-liars-edition/
ITS OFFICIAL: BUSH THE MOST UNPOPULAR PRESIDENT EVER!!
George W. Bush is now the most unpopular president in recorded American history. (h/t Atrios)
Worse than Richard Nixon in the days before he resigned in disgrace during Watergate, worse than Jimmy Carter during the Iran hostage crisis, much worse than Bill Clinton when he was impeached. Just as Roger Bannister raced through what once seemed the unreachable 4-minute mile, Bush has burst through a barrier once also thought impossible, below the 20-percent mark.
Check this out:
George W. Bush's overall job approval rating has dropped to a new low in American Research Group polling as 78% of Americans say that the national economy is getting worse according to the latest survey from the American Research Group.
Among all Americans, 19% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 77% disapprove. When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 14% approve and 79% disapprove.
Among Americans registered to vote, 18% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 78% disapprove.
That is just mind-blowing. How does it compare to other presidents? There's no comparison. Nixon, as he was hounded out of office in August 1974, never dipped below the mid-20s. Lowest ever? That would be Harry Truman during the Korean War, in February 1952, at 22 percent.
NEWS CLIPS
An Urban Institute study found that "the average number of Americans who lost their insurance each year increased faster during the economic recovery of 2004-2006 than the recession years of 2000-2004." The study concludes that this spike resulted because the number of Americans receiving coverage from their jobs declined, while wage increases failed to match growing insurance premiums.
A new study concludes that the "supposed 'global cooling' consensus among scientists in the 1970s -- frequently offered by global-warming skeptics as proof that climatologists can't make up their minds -- is a myth." An examination of "dozens of peer-reviewed scientific articles from 1965 to 1979" found that "only seven supported global cooling, while 44 predicted warming."
NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTS GROWING EDUCATIONAL GAP: A new report by the Brookings Institution on economic mobility in the United States shows that "the chance that children of the poor or middle class will climb up the income ladder...has not changed significantly over the last three decades." The report, Economic Mobility in America, warns that "widening gaps in higher education between rich and poor, whites and minorities, could soon lead to a downturn in opportunities for the poorest families." Furthermore, it concludes that "education can boost the mobility of children from poor and low-income families." The educational attainment gap between rich and poor is stagnant, however, while the earnings gap between people at different levels of educational attainment is increasing. Moreover, the economic mobility of African-Americans and Hispanics is constrained by the widening gap of college graduation rates between those groups and whites and Asian-Americans. African-Americans and Hispanics continue to be overrepresented among high school dropouts, a group which has seen its real annual income drop from 1964 to 2005, according to the report.
MAKER OF SUBSTANDARD HELMETS GRANTED ADDITIONAL CONTRACT FOR ARMOR: Earlier this month, the military contractor Sioux Manufacturing agreed to pay a $2 million fine for producing over two million substandard Kevlar helmets. According to Brandon Friedman of VoteVets, even while the manufacturer was the target of a federal investigation, the Department of Defense awarded the company one of three U.S. government contracts to provide armor for the new Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs). According to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), the Department of Defense granted the contract to Sioux Manufacturing just 12 days before the suit over Kevlar helmets was settled. CREW is requesting that the House and Senate Armed Services Committees investigate the $74 million contract granted to the company.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
TODAY'S TOPICS: Wiretapping, Zinn Film, Attacking Obama, Hillary, Denmark, Krugman, Bloomberg (sucks), Bernanke
This is one of the most bizarre propaganda dramas ever, even when weighed against other Bush Terrorism propaganda dramas of the past. There is one reason, and one reason only, that the Protect America Act expired. Its name is “George W. Bush.”
-- Glenn Greenwald, constitutional lawyer
That’s exactly how our country operates now. When high political officials here are accused of breaking the law, they need not defend themselves. Congress acts to protect and immunize them. The courts refuse even to hear the lawsuits. And executive branch officials are completely shielded from the most basic mechanics of the rule of law.
-- Glenn Greenwald on the Supreme Court's rejection of a request to take up a challenge to the Bush Administration’s warrantless wiretapping program, adding to the Administration’s string of legal victories in challenges to the controversial, five-year-long program.
ME ON HILLARY ATTACKS…THE PHONY PLAGIARISM CLAIM, PUBLIC FINANCING, MICHELLE, AND MORE...
As I said yesterday - esp. now that he's won Hawaii and Wisconsin by landslides - its really about Hillary now, less about superdelegates or even Michigan and Florida. She CAN'T win, yet she seems to be hinting at taking this campaign all the way to the convention (and going really negative in the process)...which would be a disgrace.
I've got my eyes on Texas. If Obama can win there (and obviously Ohio would be even harder for them to "spin away"), you'll see some serious pressure being put on the Clinton campaign by democratic leaders, including Gore, to withdraw.
But hold on to your hats, because the avalanche of attacks on Obama has begun in earnest now...from phony plagiarism accusations, attacks on his wife's comment about being "proud" of the country, the public financing "non story" brought up by McCain (who it has been found used public financing as collateral to pay off campaign debts if he didn't win!) him just being "all talk", and more.
It will be interesting to see just how much damage the Clintons are willing to do to the party, and to Obama, before they come to grips with the fact they've been beaten. Do we really want the nominee to still be undecided in August???
Bottom line is this: Obama DOES have specific plans, DIDN'T plagiarize, and yes, he is an inspiring orator. In fact, he had credited Patrick for the stuff about the power of words before...he's friends with the guy, and Patrick has come out in defense of Obama himself...saying he didn't want Barack to give him credit.
This is what has the GOP and Clinton camps so panicked: wherever Obama goes, and people get a feel for him, the better he does. And remember too, a much higher percentage of people in the country do not yet have a strong opinion of him, as they do of McCain (which is WIDE open to break down). Thus, any polls comparing the two should be taken with a big grain of salt, as the more people do get familiar with Barack, the more his advantage and lead will increase. This is what keeps the Republicans awake at night right now...
END
VIDEO SECTION
This video is a trailer for The People Speak, a star-studded (Danny Glover, Marisa Tomei, Viggo Mortenson, and many others) four part television series inspired by Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States. The series, hosted by Zinn, features performers telling the stories of those whose voices weren't heard in traditional history textbooks. It was shot in Boston's Cutler Majestic Theatre, and organized around four themes: class, women, race and war. Check out the video to your right for more.
http://alternet.org/blogs/video/77310/
Olbermann talks to Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley about the Supreme Court’s decision to not hear the ACLU vs. NSA case on warrantless wiretapping.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/20/contempt-by-the-supreme-court/
Is John McCain the New Miss Teen South Carolina? Classic!
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/election08/77280
Classic comparison between Hillary Clinton and Reese Witherspoon from the film "Election"...fits the narrative of Campaign 2008 perfect! "Don't you just hate when some upstart comes along and threatens your best-laid plans?"
This is funny shit...
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid988092926/bctid1377935786
Olbermann’s Bushed series…
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/20/countdowns-bushed-lying-liars-edition/
Wow…he really is stupid, there’s just no getting around it:
"I think actually the spending in the war might help with jobs…Yeah, because we’re buying equipment, and people are working. I think this economy is down because we built too many houses (Curry: hmmmmm) and the economy is adjusting."
Latest Bush interview debacle:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/19/bush-says-the-economy-is-bad-because-they-built-too-many-houses/
From C&L: I’ve been looking at the toy recalls closely and have written about the Bush administration’s version of Consumer Products Safety Commission, which like so many of Bush’s appointees, places more importance on corporations than the consumers it has been charged to protect. Well, now CPSC chairperson Nancy Nord has brought the wrath of Dobbs upon her:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/19/lou-dobbs-whos-protecting-you-nancy-nord-isnt/
Tom Tomorrow Cartoon:
http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2008/02/18/tomo/index.html
Denmark…the happiest place on earth:
But Danish happiness is one that most Americans don’t seem to grasp, because most Americans confuse well being with being well off. Danish happiness is derived from lower expectations, rather than having to be #1. The need to be superlative is supplanted with a contentment of where you are and not needing to keep up with the Joneses. It is also a contentment of not worrying about some basic necessities: healthcare, childcare, education, retirement and long term care. Republicans are quick to demonize the socialism as something akin to the scary Red notion of communism, and it’s true that in a socialist democracy like Denmark, the average person is taxed at about 50%, which is uncomfortably high to our American ears, but ask yourself how much of your paycheck goes to health insurance, childcare, college savings plans and retirement accounts. Few people in the US can say that less than 50% of their paychecks don’t go towards those needs already. In fact, one of my friends discovered that they actually brought home more money by having the wife stay at home with the kids, because her entire paycheck went to childcare and costs relating to her work.
In The Science of Happiness, author Stefan Klein at this phenomena and comes to some conclusions on a meta-level on what creates happiness in a society and the results might surprise you. He finds that there are three critical standards that must be met: a civic sense, social equality and control over our own lives. The more participatory the democracy, the more equal the social and income distribution among the citizens and the more self-determination (meaning not being forced to do a job you dislike because you have to pay the bills), the happier the society is.
WATCH THE CLIP:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/18/dont-worry-be-happy/
Sibel Edmonds' Charges of Nuclear Treason Crack the U.S. Mainstream Media
Dallas Morning News Runs Edited Version of Phil Giraldi's Detailed 'American Conservative Magazine' Report on Former FBI Translator's Corroborated Allegations Against High-Ranking U.S. Officials...
FULL STORY: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5704
ARTICLE SECTION
Poverty is poison…a classic Paul Krugman on some extraordinary new data demonstrating just how destructive poverty is to children and their development:
...neuroscientists have found that "many children growing up in very poor families with low social status experience unhealthy levels of stress hormones, which impair their neural development." The effect is to impair language development and memory - and hence the ability to escape poverty - for the rest of the child's life. So now we have another, even more compelling reason to be ashamed about America's record of failing to fight poverty.
But the distance between the poor and the rest of us is much greater than it was 40 years ago, because most American incomes have risen in real terms while the official poverty line has not. To be poor in America today, even more than in the past, is to be an outcast in your own country. And that, the neuroscientists tell us, is what poisons a child's brain.
SNIP
To their credit - and to the credit of John Edwards, who goaded them into it - both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are proposing new initiatives against poverty. But their proposals are modest in scope and far from central to their campaigns. I'm not blaming them for that; if a progressive wins this election, it will be by promising to ease the anxiety of the middle class rather than aiding the poor. And for a variety of reasons, health care, not poverty, should be the first priority of a Democratic administration. But ultimately, let's hope that the nation turns back to the task it abandoned - that of ending the poverty that still poisons so many American lives.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021808E.shtml
Dean Baker on Bernanke, the Fed, and their complicity in our economic crisis:
Even after the bubble began to burst, Mr. Bernanke failed to recognize the seriousness of the problem. As recently as last July, he told Congress that, "for the most part, financial markets have remained supportive of economic growth," failing to see the financial tsunami that was about to engulf the economy and push it into a recession. As the successive waves have hit the economy, Bernanke has been consistently behind the curve. Even at this date, he still has not acknowledged the likely damage to financial markets and the economy from the loss of as much as $8 trillion in housing bubble wealth.
In fairness to Bernanke, most of the blame for the housing bubble rests on the shoulders of his predecessor, Alan Greenspan. However, Mr. Greenspan has fled the scene of the crime. (Actually he is still there, busily trying to rationalize his failures, but Greenspan is no longer accountable to Congress.)
SNIP
In addition to having a recession, which is likely to be long and deep, tens of millions of homeowners are seeing much of their life savings disappear before their eyes. After all, the Fed chairman and other experts assured them that there was no bubble, so why should they think that the price of their home could fall 30 or 40 percent? Unlike former Fed chairmen, these homeowners will not have the opportunity to sign multimillion-dollar book contracts or give speeches at a quarter million dollars a shot.
We are just at the beginning of the housing crash recession. It will get much worse, as the economists who never saw it coming are now recognizing. There will be many more credit freeze-ups and debt write-downs that are an order of magnitude larger than what we have seen to date. There will be plenty of blame to go around in this story, but it is not too early to start holding people accountable. There was a colossal failure of economic policy, and its perpetrators should not be able to walk away unscathed.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021808A.shtml
The Bloomberg myth destroyed! Finally someone debunked the medias love affair with a "moderate" alternative like billionaire tycoon Michael Bloomberg. It was always a joke that he had any national support from the left or right, or that he represents some "fresh alternative" with real ideas. Blah friggin blah! Its all a bunch of crap! Don't believe the hype...this isn't what people want...
A few clips from my man David Sirota:
To the consternation of news bureaus, political consulting firms and has-been politicians, the Wall Street Journal's poll last month shows that America is hostile to an independent presidential candidacy by Michael Bloomberg. The New York mayor is viewed more unfavorably than favorably by voters. In head-to-head general election polls, he gets crushed everywhere, losing even the city he now governs. Yet, despite the unprecedented enthusiasm for the major parties' 2008 presidential contenders, the media and political gatekeepers keep floating the possibility of Bloomberg's candidacy, showing just how much change frightens the status quo.
SNIP
Even on foreign policy he is out of step. With the public outraged at the Iraq War, Salon.com's Glenn Greenwald has documented Bloomberg's pro-war extremism echoing right-wing attempts to dishonestly connect 9/11 to the conflict; telling America to support President Bush because of the war; and offering a post-"Mission Accomplished" parade for the president. the elite are desperate for a stooge, and in Bloomberg, they've found one. Politically repugnant to most Americans and representing no mass constituency whatsoever, his wallet nonetheless imparts "legitimacy," and his corporate career ensures a candidacy working to suppress the change impulse under meaningless bromides about "bipartisanship."
http://alternet.org/columnists/story/77255/
This is one of the most bizarre propaganda dramas ever, even when weighed against other Bush Terrorism propaganda dramas of the past. There is one reason, and one reason only, that the Protect America Act expired. Its name is “George W. Bush.”
-- Glenn Greenwald, constitutional lawyer
That’s exactly how our country operates now. When high political officials here are accused of breaking the law, they need not defend themselves. Congress acts to protect and immunize them. The courts refuse even to hear the lawsuits. And executive branch officials are completely shielded from the most basic mechanics of the rule of law.
-- Glenn Greenwald on the Supreme Court's rejection of a request to take up a challenge to the Bush Administration’s warrantless wiretapping program, adding to the Administration’s string of legal victories in challenges to the controversial, five-year-long program.
ME ON HILLARY ATTACKS…THE PHONY PLAGIARISM CLAIM, PUBLIC FINANCING, MICHELLE, AND MORE...
As I said yesterday - esp. now that he's won Hawaii and Wisconsin by landslides - its really about Hillary now, less about superdelegates or even Michigan and Florida. She CAN'T win, yet she seems to be hinting at taking this campaign all the way to the convention (and going really negative in the process)...which would be a disgrace.
I've got my eyes on Texas. If Obama can win there (and obviously Ohio would be even harder for them to "spin away"), you'll see some serious pressure being put on the Clinton campaign by democratic leaders, including Gore, to withdraw.
But hold on to your hats, because the avalanche of attacks on Obama has begun in earnest now...from phony plagiarism accusations, attacks on his wife's comment about being "proud" of the country, the public financing "non story" brought up by McCain (who it has been found used public financing as collateral to pay off campaign debts if he didn't win!) him just being "all talk", and more.
It will be interesting to see just how much damage the Clintons are willing to do to the party, and to Obama, before they come to grips with the fact they've been beaten. Do we really want the nominee to still be undecided in August???
Bottom line is this: Obama DOES have specific plans, DIDN'T plagiarize, and yes, he is an inspiring orator. In fact, he had credited Patrick for the stuff about the power of words before...he's friends with the guy, and Patrick has come out in defense of Obama himself...saying he didn't want Barack to give him credit.
This is what has the GOP and Clinton camps so panicked: wherever Obama goes, and people get a feel for him, the better he does. And remember too, a much higher percentage of people in the country do not yet have a strong opinion of him, as they do of McCain (which is WIDE open to break down). Thus, any polls comparing the two should be taken with a big grain of salt, as the more people do get familiar with Barack, the more his advantage and lead will increase. This is what keeps the Republicans awake at night right now...
END
VIDEO SECTION
This video is a trailer for The People Speak, a star-studded (Danny Glover, Marisa Tomei, Viggo Mortenson, and many others) four part television series inspired by Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States. The series, hosted by Zinn, features performers telling the stories of those whose voices weren't heard in traditional history textbooks. It was shot in Boston's Cutler Majestic Theatre, and organized around four themes: class, women, race and war. Check out the video to your right for more.
http://alternet.org/blogs/video/77310/
Olbermann talks to Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley about the Supreme Court’s decision to not hear the ACLU vs. NSA case on warrantless wiretapping.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/20/contempt-by-the-supreme-court/
Is John McCain the New Miss Teen South Carolina? Classic!
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/election08/77280
Classic comparison between Hillary Clinton and Reese Witherspoon from the film "Election"...fits the narrative of Campaign 2008 perfect! "Don't you just hate when some upstart comes along and threatens your best-laid plans?"
This is funny shit...
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid988092926/bctid1377935786
Olbermann’s Bushed series…
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/20/countdowns-bushed-lying-liars-edition/
Wow…he really is stupid, there’s just no getting around it:
"I think actually the spending in the war might help with jobs…Yeah, because we’re buying equipment, and people are working. I think this economy is down because we built too many houses (Curry: hmmmmm) and the economy is adjusting."
Latest Bush interview debacle:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/19/bush-says-the-economy-is-bad-because-they-built-too-many-houses/
From C&L: I’ve been looking at the toy recalls closely and have written about the Bush administration’s version of Consumer Products Safety Commission, which like so many of Bush’s appointees, places more importance on corporations than the consumers it has been charged to protect. Well, now CPSC chairperson Nancy Nord has brought the wrath of Dobbs upon her:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/19/lou-dobbs-whos-protecting-you-nancy-nord-isnt/
Tom Tomorrow Cartoon:
http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2008/02/18/tomo/index.html
Denmark…the happiest place on earth:
But Danish happiness is one that most Americans don’t seem to grasp, because most Americans confuse well being with being well off. Danish happiness is derived from lower expectations, rather than having to be #1. The need to be superlative is supplanted with a contentment of where you are and not needing to keep up with the Joneses. It is also a contentment of not worrying about some basic necessities: healthcare, childcare, education, retirement and long term care. Republicans are quick to demonize the socialism as something akin to the scary Red notion of communism, and it’s true that in a socialist democracy like Denmark, the average person is taxed at about 50%, which is uncomfortably high to our American ears, but ask yourself how much of your paycheck goes to health insurance, childcare, college savings plans and retirement accounts. Few people in the US can say that less than 50% of their paychecks don’t go towards those needs already. In fact, one of my friends discovered that they actually brought home more money by having the wife stay at home with the kids, because her entire paycheck went to childcare and costs relating to her work.
In The Science of Happiness, author Stefan Klein at this phenomena and comes to some conclusions on a meta-level on what creates happiness in a society and the results might surprise you. He finds that there are three critical standards that must be met: a civic sense, social equality and control over our own lives. The more participatory the democracy, the more equal the social and income distribution among the citizens and the more self-determination (meaning not being forced to do a job you dislike because you have to pay the bills), the happier the society is.
WATCH THE CLIP:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/18/dont-worry-be-happy/
Sibel Edmonds' Charges of Nuclear Treason Crack the U.S. Mainstream Media
Dallas Morning News Runs Edited Version of Phil Giraldi's Detailed 'American Conservative Magazine' Report on Former FBI Translator's Corroborated Allegations Against High-Ranking U.S. Officials...
FULL STORY: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5704
ARTICLE SECTION
Poverty is poison…a classic Paul Krugman on some extraordinary new data demonstrating just how destructive poverty is to children and their development:
...neuroscientists have found that "many children growing up in very poor families with low social status experience unhealthy levels of stress hormones, which impair their neural development." The effect is to impair language development and memory - and hence the ability to escape poverty - for the rest of the child's life. So now we have another, even more compelling reason to be ashamed about America's record of failing to fight poverty.
But the distance between the poor and the rest of us is much greater than it was 40 years ago, because most American incomes have risen in real terms while the official poverty line has not. To be poor in America today, even more than in the past, is to be an outcast in your own country. And that, the neuroscientists tell us, is what poisons a child's brain.
SNIP
To their credit - and to the credit of John Edwards, who goaded them into it - both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are proposing new initiatives against poverty. But their proposals are modest in scope and far from central to their campaigns. I'm not blaming them for that; if a progressive wins this election, it will be by promising to ease the anxiety of the middle class rather than aiding the poor. And for a variety of reasons, health care, not poverty, should be the first priority of a Democratic administration. But ultimately, let's hope that the nation turns back to the task it abandoned - that of ending the poverty that still poisons so many American lives.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021808E.shtml
Dean Baker on Bernanke, the Fed, and their complicity in our economic crisis:
Even after the bubble began to burst, Mr. Bernanke failed to recognize the seriousness of the problem. As recently as last July, he told Congress that, "for the most part, financial markets have remained supportive of economic growth," failing to see the financial tsunami that was about to engulf the economy and push it into a recession. As the successive waves have hit the economy, Bernanke has been consistently behind the curve. Even at this date, he still has not acknowledged the likely damage to financial markets and the economy from the loss of as much as $8 trillion in housing bubble wealth.
In fairness to Bernanke, most of the blame for the housing bubble rests on the shoulders of his predecessor, Alan Greenspan. However, Mr. Greenspan has fled the scene of the crime. (Actually he is still there, busily trying to rationalize his failures, but Greenspan is no longer accountable to Congress.)
SNIP
In addition to having a recession, which is likely to be long and deep, tens of millions of homeowners are seeing much of their life savings disappear before their eyes. After all, the Fed chairman and other experts assured them that there was no bubble, so why should they think that the price of their home could fall 30 or 40 percent? Unlike former Fed chairmen, these homeowners will not have the opportunity to sign multimillion-dollar book contracts or give speeches at a quarter million dollars a shot.
We are just at the beginning of the housing crash recession. It will get much worse, as the economists who never saw it coming are now recognizing. There will be many more credit freeze-ups and debt write-downs that are an order of magnitude larger than what we have seen to date. There will be plenty of blame to go around in this story, but it is not too early to start holding people accountable. There was a colossal failure of economic policy, and its perpetrators should not be able to walk away unscathed.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021808A.shtml
The Bloomberg myth destroyed! Finally someone debunked the medias love affair with a "moderate" alternative like billionaire tycoon Michael Bloomberg. It was always a joke that he had any national support from the left or right, or that he represents some "fresh alternative" with real ideas. Blah friggin blah! Its all a bunch of crap! Don't believe the hype...this isn't what people want...
A few clips from my man David Sirota:
To the consternation of news bureaus, political consulting firms and has-been politicians, the Wall Street Journal's poll last month shows that America is hostile to an independent presidential candidacy by Michael Bloomberg. The New York mayor is viewed more unfavorably than favorably by voters. In head-to-head general election polls, he gets crushed everywhere, losing even the city he now governs. Yet, despite the unprecedented enthusiasm for the major parties' 2008 presidential contenders, the media and political gatekeepers keep floating the possibility of Bloomberg's candidacy, showing just how much change frightens the status quo.
SNIP
Even on foreign policy he is out of step. With the public outraged at the Iraq War, Salon.com's Glenn Greenwald has documented Bloomberg's pro-war extremism echoing right-wing attempts to dishonestly connect 9/11 to the conflict; telling America to support President Bush because of the war; and offering a post-"Mission Accomplished" parade for the president. the elite are desperate for a stooge, and in Bloomberg, they've found one. Politically repugnant to most Americans and representing no mass constituency whatsoever, his wallet nonetheless imparts "legitimacy," and his corporate career ensures a candidacy working to suppress the change impulse under meaningless bromides about "bipartisanship."
http://alternet.org/columnists/story/77255/
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
TODAY'S TOPICS: Hillary v. Obama, "The Disgrace" McCain, Subprime Revelations, LA's Double Bubble, "No We Can't"
Me on Hillary, Super-delegates, Michigan and Florida:
As I said Friday, it’s nearly impossible for Hillary to win the elected delegate count now, especially after Obama wins Wisconsin (he better!) and Hawaii (and other sure fire states like Mississippi). And if he can pull off Texas – he will be so far ahead in the ELECTED delegate count you would expect Hillary to bow out...but that's what someone with principles and ethics would do...not a Clinton.
What makes this a problem for the Democrats are that since Florida and Michigan's delegates were barred from counting, Obama cannot get enough delegates to officially win until the convention (and if most of the super-delegates go to him). So if Hillary wants to be conniving, anti-democratic, and hypocritical, she could keep the campaign going all the way until the convention (which would be bad for the Dems), even though she has no way of winning it except if EVERY super-delegate votes for her AND she gets the delegates from Florida and Michigan to count (which would TOTALLY subvert the will of the voters).
Of course, she at one time agreed, as all the candidates did, that Florida and Michigan wouldn't count, now she wants them too. Obama and Edwards weren’t even on the ballot in Michigan...and Hillary, in answering the question why put yourself on the ballot, is on record as saying "michigan won't count anyway"!
Hillary even held a “victory party” in Florida no less…what a disgrace she is turning out to be…
What one would hope is that by March 4th (esp. if Obama can win Texas) or April 22nd (Pennsylvania) she would drop out, as she can’t win EXCEPT by cheating, and/or overthrowing the voters will. So, this whole controversy is less about super-delegates or even Michigan and Florida, it’s going to be about HILLARY and what she will do in the face of sure defeat. If she doesn’t concede, it could get messy…and she could seriously damage the Democratic Party in an election year that they were guaranteed to win (esp. with Obama). Only the Democrats could get themselves in such a fix…Michigan, Florida, Super-delegates, and Hillary. What a combo!!!
-- ZJK
Well, Renee it’s a very complex issue. It’s true that some of the authorities would carry over to the period they were established for one year. That would put us into the August, September time-frame. However, that’s not the real issue. The issue is liability protection for the private sector.
-- Freudian slip by Mike McConnell, director of national intelligence, as he tries to defend Bush fear-mongering on the FISA bill
The very idea that expiration of the Protect America Act would leave us with “intelligence gaps” is absurd on its face, since we simply revert to the more-than-adequate FISA framework. But even if it were true, those gaps could easily be closed if the administration simply accepted a bill without telecom amnesty.
The issue is not “intelligence gaps.” Rather, as McConnell candidly admits, the “real issue” is “liability protection for the private sector.” To take them at their word, George Bush and Mike McConnell are putting the nation at risk in order to ensure that AT&T and Verizon do not have to be held accountable in a court of law for having broken the law. Think about how twisted and corrupt that calculus is.
--Glenn Greenwald on the insane GOP threats on FISA and Telecom Immunity
"It's not a matter of how long we're in Iraq, it's if we succeed or not,"
-- McCain said to CNN's Larry King.
VIDEO SECTION
“No we Can’t” parody of the Obama “Yes We Can” video…with a Dick Cheney impersonator…again, perfectly reflecting the diverging dichotomies at play this election: hope vs. fear, future vs. past…
http://alternet.org/blogs/election08/77083/
Bill Maher's "New Rules"...classic:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/16/real-time-with-bill-maher-new-rules/
More on Bush’s FISA fearmongering and lies…and another Democrat who “gets it”: Jack Reed. Watch him on idiot reporter, Wolf Blitzer’s show, and try and explain to him why the whole FISA, and telecom immunity debate is a sham:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/17/late-edition-senator-jack-reed-dispels-gop-fisa-lies/
Olbermann's Worst Persons…
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/16/countdowns-worst-person-in-the-world-3/
Charles Barkley goes off on the religious right in an interview by idiotic reporter Wolf Blitzer:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/15/charles-barkley-on-the-situation-room-gop-full-of-fake-christians/
One of the attacks coming on Obama…we've now got "plagiarism" (more on that joke tomorrow), he's just a great speaker, he's inexperienced, he's too black, he's not black enough, and now his "followers" are "cultish". Its going to be quite a year watching what they throw at him:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/16/the-cult-like-attack-of-obama/
Remember this memorable Rumsfeld quote: “You go to war with the Army you have. They’re not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time.”
Well as the USA TODAY found out. That was a fib.
Pentagon balked at pleas from officers in field for safer vehicles. Oh wait, they did decide to buy them for the troops. The Iraqi troops that is.
Even as the Pentagon balked at buying MRAPs for U.S. troops, USA TODAY found that the military pushed to buy them for a different fighting force: the Iraqi army. On Dec. 22, 2004 two weeks after President Bush told families of servicemembers that “we’re doing everything we possibly can to protect your loved ones”…MORE
LACK OF ARMORED VEHICLES COSTING MARINES THEIR LIVES: The AP reported last Friday that, according to a study written by a Marine Corps civilian official, "Hundreds of U.S. Marines have been killed or injured by roadside bombs in Iraq because Marine Corps bureaucrats refused an urgent request in 2005 from battlefield commanders for blast-resistant vehicles," known as mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles or, MRAPs. The study said that the delayed delivery of MRAPs to the battlefield resulted from "gross mismanagement" within the Marine Corps' ranks. While the study's author, Franz J. Gayl, recommended that the Marine Corp's inspector general conduct an inquiry to determine any culpability, Sens. Joe Biden (D-DE) and Kit Bond (R-MO), both of whom have, in the past, urged the Pentagon to send more MRAPs to Iraq, echoed Gayl's recommendation. Biden called for an "official investigation to figure out why this happened and to make sure it never happens again." Bond added that the government shouldn't have to "explain to the families of American troops that a cost effective solution capable of saving lives was not deployed because of bureaucratic delays or insufficient funds."
Watch Rumsfeld's original lie...to the faces of the troops themselves:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/17/wheres-the-mraps/
Olbermann’s Bushed series…keep track, don’t forget…we must ALWAYS remember what has been done to us, our country, the constitution and indeed, the world by Bush and co…that is the only way we’ll have a CHANCE of preventing it from ever happening again. Thanks Keith:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/16/countdowns-bushed-your-lying-eyes-edition/
This is extraordinary news coming from New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer...it appears that the Bush Administration intentionally and actively subverted efforts by states to deal with the Subprime Crisis...this should be a LEAD STORY on every channel and in every paper...instead its like crickets out there:
Bush Administration invoked an obscure Banking clause 1863 to enable predatory lending practices
Gov. Elliot Spitzer explains:
Predatory lending was widely understood to present a looming national crisis. This threat was so clear that as New York attorney general, I joined with colleagues in the other 49 states in attempting to fill the void left by the federal government. Individually, and together, state attorneys general of both parties brought litigation or entered into settlements with many subprime lenders that were engaged in predatory lending practices. Several state legislatures, including New York’s, enacted laws aimed at curbing such practices.
C&l: That sounds good. I witnessed such practices and saw prices skyrocket before my eyes . That was a huge reason that the Bush economy held up as long as it did—I think Bush called it the “ownership society.” I guess we can call it the foreclosure society….The right wingers usually try to say that we blame Bush for everything. Well, let’s see how he did, shall we…
Back to Spitzer:
Not only did the Bush administration do nothing to protect consumers, it embarked on an aggressive and unprecedented campaign to prevent states from protecting their residents from the very problems to which the federal government was turning a blind eye.
The administration accomplished this feat through an obscure federal agency called the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The OCC has been in existence since the Civil War. Its mission is to ensure the fiscal soundness of national banks. For 140 years, the OCC examined the books of national banks to make sure they were balanced, an important but uncontroversial function. But a few years ago, for the first time in its history, the OCC was used as a tool against consumers. In 2003, during the height of the predatory lending crisis, the OCC invoked a clause from the 1863 National Bank Act to issue formal opinions preempting all state predatory lending laws, thereby rendering them inoperative.
END
McCain has officially adopted "Iraq 4 Evah!" as a campaign slogan:
FROM C&L:
Republican presidential front-runner Sen. John McCain on Thursday defended his statement that U.S. troops could spend "maybe 100" years in Iraq -- saying he was referring to a military presence similar to what the nation already has in places like Japan, Germany and South Korea.
This again? For the last time, no Americans were getting killed in those countries 5 years after those wars started. And there weren't radicalized religious movements in those countries that our occupation was enraging. And two of those countries had actually, you know, declared war on us and stuff. (And by the way, why the hell do we still have troops in Japan and Germany?)
"It's not a matter of how long we're in Iraq, it's if we succeed or not," McCain said to CNN's Larry King.
Truly the words of a madman. Ahab-esque.
When explaining his position on Iraqi reconciliation, John McCain told an audience last year, “One of the things I would do if I were President would be to sit the Shiites and the Sunnis down and say, ‘Stop the bullshit.’”
As Brendan Nyhan noted, McCain’s approach to the debate over surveillance laws is awfully similar, though less vulgar.
Senator John McCain of Arizona, the Republican presidential hopeful, weighed in on the debate. When Mr. McCain learned that the House had voted down a 21-day extension and that the powers were likely to lapse at midnight Friday, he said: “That’s too bad. That’s very unfortunate. It’s symptomatic of the gridlock of partisanship here in the Congress.”
To break the gridlock, Mr. McCain said, “people that are patriotic Americans need to sit down together and work this out.”
Ever wonder why John “Let’s stay 100 years in Iraq!” McCain is doing so well with anti-war primary voters? Maybe it has to do with bobbleheaded discussions like this one on This Week with George Stephanopoulos, where the round table panel thinks that Iraq is a winning issue for McCain. Despite the fact that most Americans want out of Iraq within a year and do not think “success” (I’m still waiting for someone to define this for me) is not possible, Time Magazine’s Jay Carney thinks that McCain can coast to the White House by distinguishing himself from his Democratic rivals with his wargasmic rhetoric, a bizarre assertion that neither George Stephanopoulos, Claire Shipman nor Mark Halperin find questionable at all.
So let’s get this straight: almost two-thirds of the country wants us out of Iraq, but the guy who wants us to be there indefinitely (and Carney thinks this concept has “honor” as opposed to pulling out), will resonate with voters. And Democratic voters have been turning out consistently during these primaries more than two times as often as their Republican candidates. And McCain faces a mutiny from the noise machine on his own side for not being conservative enough. And despite the continual White House and media spin that the “surge” has been a success, there is no measurable documentation to back that up.
So, with absolutely no facts on their side, the media has decided to champion McCain’s candidacy on the one area that he is diametrically opposite from the majority of Americans. I ask you, what planet do these bobbleheads live on?
END
Me on Hillary, Super-delegates, Michigan and Florida:
As I said Friday, it’s nearly impossible for Hillary to win the elected delegate count now, especially after Obama wins Wisconsin (he better!) and Hawaii (and other sure fire states like Mississippi). And if he can pull off Texas – he will be so far ahead in the ELECTED delegate count you would expect Hillary to bow out...but that's what someone with principles and ethics would do...not a Clinton.
What makes this a problem for the Democrats are that since Florida and Michigan's delegates were barred from counting, Obama cannot get enough delegates to officially win until the convention (and if most of the super-delegates go to him). So if Hillary wants to be conniving, anti-democratic, and hypocritical, she could keep the campaign going all the way until the convention (which would be bad for the Dems), even though she has no way of winning it except if EVERY super-delegate votes for her AND she gets the delegates from Florida and Michigan to count (which would TOTALLY subvert the will of the voters).
Of course, she at one time agreed, as all the candidates did, that Florida and Michigan wouldn't count, now she wants them too. Obama and Edwards weren’t even on the ballot in Michigan...and Hillary, in answering the question why put yourself on the ballot, is on record as saying "michigan won't count anyway"!
Hillary even held a “victory party” in Florida no less…what a disgrace she is turning out to be…
What one would hope is that by March 4th (esp. if Obama can win Texas) or April 22nd (Pennsylvania) she would drop out, as she can’t win EXCEPT by cheating, and/or overthrowing the voters will. So, this whole controversy is less about super-delegates or even Michigan and Florida, it’s going to be about HILLARY and what she will do in the face of sure defeat. If she doesn’t concede, it could get messy…and she could seriously damage the Democratic Party in an election year that they were guaranteed to win (esp. with Obama). Only the Democrats could get themselves in such a fix…Michigan, Florida, Super-delegates, and Hillary. What a combo!!!
-- ZJK
Well, Renee it’s a very complex issue. It’s true that some of the authorities would carry over to the period they were established for one year. That would put us into the August, September time-frame. However, that’s not the real issue. The issue is liability protection for the private sector.
-- Freudian slip by Mike McConnell, director of national intelligence, as he tries to defend Bush fear-mongering on the FISA bill
The very idea that expiration of the Protect America Act would leave us with “intelligence gaps” is absurd on its face, since we simply revert to the more-than-adequate FISA framework. But even if it were true, those gaps could easily be closed if the administration simply accepted a bill without telecom amnesty.
The issue is not “intelligence gaps.” Rather, as McConnell candidly admits, the “real issue” is “liability protection for the private sector.” To take them at their word, George Bush and Mike McConnell are putting the nation at risk in order to ensure that AT&T and Verizon do not have to be held accountable in a court of law for having broken the law. Think about how twisted and corrupt that calculus is.
--Glenn Greenwald on the insane GOP threats on FISA and Telecom Immunity
"It's not a matter of how long we're in Iraq, it's if we succeed or not,"
-- McCain said to CNN's Larry King.
VIDEO SECTION
“No we Can’t” parody of the Obama “Yes We Can” video…with a Dick Cheney impersonator…again, perfectly reflecting the diverging dichotomies at play this election: hope vs. fear, future vs. past…
http://alternet.org/blogs/election08/77083/
Bill Maher's "New Rules"...classic:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/16/real-time-with-bill-maher-new-rules/
More on Bush’s FISA fearmongering and lies…and another Democrat who “gets it”: Jack Reed. Watch him on idiot reporter, Wolf Blitzer’s show, and try and explain to him why the whole FISA, and telecom immunity debate is a sham:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/17/late-edition-senator-jack-reed-dispels-gop-fisa-lies/
Olbermann's Worst Persons…
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/16/countdowns-worst-person-in-the-world-3/
Charles Barkley goes off on the religious right in an interview by idiotic reporter Wolf Blitzer:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/15/charles-barkley-on-the-situation-room-gop-full-of-fake-christians/
One of the attacks coming on Obama…we've now got "plagiarism" (more on that joke tomorrow), he's just a great speaker, he's inexperienced, he's too black, he's not black enough, and now his "followers" are "cultish". Its going to be quite a year watching what they throw at him:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/16/the-cult-like-attack-of-obama/
Remember this memorable Rumsfeld quote: “You go to war with the Army you have. They’re not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time.”
Well as the USA TODAY found out. That was a fib.
Pentagon balked at pleas from officers in field for safer vehicles. Oh wait, they did decide to buy them for the troops. The Iraqi troops that is.
Even as the Pentagon balked at buying MRAPs for U.S. troops, USA TODAY found that the military pushed to buy them for a different fighting force: the Iraqi army. On Dec. 22, 2004 two weeks after President Bush told families of servicemembers that “we’re doing everything we possibly can to protect your loved ones”…MORE
LACK OF ARMORED VEHICLES COSTING MARINES THEIR LIVES: The AP reported last Friday that, according to a study written by a Marine Corps civilian official, "Hundreds of U.S. Marines have been killed or injured by roadside bombs in Iraq because Marine Corps bureaucrats refused an urgent request in 2005 from battlefield commanders for blast-resistant vehicles," known as mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles or, MRAPs. The study said that the delayed delivery of MRAPs to the battlefield resulted from "gross mismanagement" within the Marine Corps' ranks. While the study's author, Franz J. Gayl, recommended that the Marine Corp's inspector general conduct an inquiry to determine any culpability, Sens. Joe Biden (D-DE) and Kit Bond (R-MO), both of whom have, in the past, urged the Pentagon to send more MRAPs to Iraq, echoed Gayl's recommendation. Biden called for an "official investigation to figure out why this happened and to make sure it never happens again." Bond added that the government shouldn't have to "explain to the families of American troops that a cost effective solution capable of saving lives was not deployed because of bureaucratic delays or insufficient funds."
Watch Rumsfeld's original lie...to the faces of the troops themselves:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/17/wheres-the-mraps/
Olbermann’s Bushed series…keep track, don’t forget…we must ALWAYS remember what has been done to us, our country, the constitution and indeed, the world by Bush and co…that is the only way we’ll have a CHANCE of preventing it from ever happening again. Thanks Keith:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/16/countdowns-bushed-your-lying-eyes-edition/
This is extraordinary news coming from New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer...it appears that the Bush Administration intentionally and actively subverted efforts by states to deal with the Subprime Crisis...this should be a LEAD STORY on every channel and in every paper...instead its like crickets out there:
Bush Administration invoked an obscure Banking clause 1863 to enable predatory lending practices
Gov. Elliot Spitzer explains:
Predatory lending was widely understood to present a looming national crisis. This threat was so clear that as New York attorney general, I joined with colleagues in the other 49 states in attempting to fill the void left by the federal government. Individually, and together, state attorneys general of both parties brought litigation or entered into settlements with many subprime lenders that were engaged in predatory lending practices. Several state legislatures, including New York’s, enacted laws aimed at curbing such practices.
C&l: That sounds good. I witnessed such practices and saw prices skyrocket before my eyes . That was a huge reason that the Bush economy held up as long as it did—I think Bush called it the “ownership society.” I guess we can call it the foreclosure society….The right wingers usually try to say that we blame Bush for everything. Well, let’s see how he did, shall we…
Back to Spitzer:
Not only did the Bush administration do nothing to protect consumers, it embarked on an aggressive and unprecedented campaign to prevent states from protecting their residents from the very problems to which the federal government was turning a blind eye.
The administration accomplished this feat through an obscure federal agency called the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The OCC has been in existence since the Civil War. Its mission is to ensure the fiscal soundness of national banks. For 140 years, the OCC examined the books of national banks to make sure they were balanced, an important but uncontroversial function. But a few years ago, for the first time in its history, the OCC was used as a tool against consumers. In 2003, during the height of the predatory lending crisis, the OCC invoked a clause from the 1863 National Bank Act to issue formal opinions preempting all state predatory lending laws, thereby rendering them inoperative.
END
McCain has officially adopted "Iraq 4 Evah!" as a campaign slogan:
FROM C&L:
Republican presidential front-runner Sen. John McCain on Thursday defended his statement that U.S. troops could spend "maybe 100" years in Iraq -- saying he was referring to a military presence similar to what the nation already has in places like Japan, Germany and South Korea.
This again? For the last time, no Americans were getting killed in those countries 5 years after those wars started. And there weren't radicalized religious movements in those countries that our occupation was enraging. And two of those countries had actually, you know, declared war on us and stuff. (And by the way, why the hell do we still have troops in Japan and Germany?)
"It's not a matter of how long we're in Iraq, it's if we succeed or not," McCain said to CNN's Larry King.
Truly the words of a madman. Ahab-esque.
When explaining his position on Iraqi reconciliation, John McCain told an audience last year, “One of the things I would do if I were President would be to sit the Shiites and the Sunnis down and say, ‘Stop the bullshit.’”
As Brendan Nyhan noted, McCain’s approach to the debate over surveillance laws is awfully similar, though less vulgar.
Senator John McCain of Arizona, the Republican presidential hopeful, weighed in on the debate. When Mr. McCain learned that the House had voted down a 21-day extension and that the powers were likely to lapse at midnight Friday, he said: “That’s too bad. That’s very unfortunate. It’s symptomatic of the gridlock of partisanship here in the Congress.”
To break the gridlock, Mr. McCain said, “people that are patriotic Americans need to sit down together and work this out.”
Ever wonder why John “Let’s stay 100 years in Iraq!” McCain is doing so well with anti-war primary voters? Maybe it has to do with bobbleheaded discussions like this one on This Week with George Stephanopoulos, where the round table panel thinks that Iraq is a winning issue for McCain. Despite the fact that most Americans want out of Iraq within a year and do not think “success” (I’m still waiting for someone to define this for me) is not possible, Time Magazine’s Jay Carney thinks that McCain can coast to the White House by distinguishing himself from his Democratic rivals with his wargasmic rhetoric, a bizarre assertion that neither George Stephanopoulos, Claire Shipman nor Mark Halperin find questionable at all.
So let’s get this straight: almost two-thirds of the country wants us out of Iraq, but the guy who wants us to be there indefinitely (and Carney thinks this concept has “honor” as opposed to pulling out), will resonate with voters. And Democratic voters have been turning out consistently during these primaries more than two times as often as their Republican candidates. And McCain faces a mutiny from the noise machine on his own side for not being conservative enough. And despite the continual White House and media spin that the “surge” has been a success, there is no measurable documentation to back that up.
So, with absolutely no facts on their side, the media has decided to champion McCain’s candidacy on the one area that he is diametrically opposite from the majority of Americans. I ask you, what planet do these bobbleheads live on?
END
Bowen to the Rescue: CA's SoS Calls on L.A. County Registrar to Count Thousands of Still-Uncounted Super Tuesday Ballots
Asks for 'Precinct-by-Precinct Reconciliation' of Poll Rosters to Begin Accurately Accounting for Tens of Thousands of Non-Partisan Voters Who Cast Machine-Unreadable
California Sec. of State Debra Bowen wants Los Angeles County's acting Registrar of Voters, Dean Logan, to check the poll rosters of thousands of precincts in order to help accurately count tens of thousands of currently uncounted ballots cast in the Super Tuesday Democratic Primary.
As The BRAD BLOG pointed out last week, tens of thousands of currently uncounted ballots cast by Non-Partisan voters who chose to cross-over and vote in the Democratic Primary, but who failed to ink in a second bubble meant to instruct voting machines to count the ballot as a Democratic vote, can be counted accurately, as per the voter's intent, if Logan bothers to check those poll rosters....
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5709
Next week, the Senate is planning to vote on a cloture motion on Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-WI) bill "to set a timeline for withdrawing combat troops." They are also planning to take up a second Feingold bill, "which would require the Bush administration to develop strategies to limit repeated deployments of troops and defeat al-Qaida."
Nine of 10 current and former military officers say the war had stretched the military "dangerously thin," according to a survey conducted by Foreign Policy magazine and the Center for a New American Security. Sixty percent of the 3,400 officers said the military is weaker today than five years ago.
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