Joe Hoeffel endorsed by Bill Clinton
Hear Bill Clinton's endorsement of Joe Hoeffel for Senate. Let's help Joe win PA! It's gonna happen.
iFlipFlop
Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative. - Oscar Wilde
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Hear Bill Clinton's endorsement of Joe Hoeffel for Senate. Let's help Joe win PA! It's gonna happen.
Green Bay beats Washington 28-14; Kerry win is next
The last 15 presidential elections have been presaged by a Washington Redskins win or loss at home just before the election. A win means the incumbent stays in office. A loss means the presidential challenger wins. GREEN BAY BEATS WASHINGTON 28-14. And it's only two more days until King George is deposed. Kerry in a landslide!
Rock the Vote for Kerry
According to a new Zogby poll, young mobile voters pick Kerry over Bush, 55% to 40%. There are 120,000 registered users of the Rock the Vote Mobile campaign. The ROTVM outlines these facts:
- In the 2000 U.S. Presidential elections, 5 states were decided by fewer than 8,000 votes.
- The night before the March 2004 elections in Spain, the spread of text messaging mobilized some thousands of people who congregated in front of the political party running the country, Partido Popular, in just a couple of hours.
- Filipinos, reputed to be the fastest texters in the world, organized the world's first political revolution by mobile in 2001. Titled "People Power II," the SMS messaging effort took place over five days, resulting in so much political activation that the government of President Joseph Estrada was overthrown.
Kerry for President. While we're at it, let's dump Bad Dad
I'm sorting through a lot of emotions about this upcoming election. I do believe, as many have said, that this is the "most important election of our lifetime." What I believe is based on my upbringing, my experiences, and my "frame," to use the words of Lakoff. That said, I'm going to apply a framework to why I'm voting for John Kerry on Tuesday and why I believe the man will be the 44th president of the United States. Think of this as Why I Would Never Vote for a Bad Dad.
Good dads don't lie and then lie to cover up lies. George Bush is a bad dad. He lied about WMD in Iraq; he lied when he tried to link Saddam Hussein and 9/11; he lied when he said the economy is getting better; he lied when he said he'd be a "compassionate conservative." Good dads make good decisions; but more importantly they are honest. No one wants to have the Jon Lovitz liar character from SNL for a dad. John Kerry is honest and ethical. He thinks before he acts (the very definition of ethics). George Bush acts, then creates situational ethics to suit his actions. Lies, damn lies, and George Bush.
Good dads don't use their anger to put their kids in harm's way. George Bush started a fight with the world. He's like one of those dads with a nasty temper who goes to the block party, gets drunk, and starts a fight with a neighborhood dad, shouting epithets at everyone. Then he leaves. Meanwhile, his kids have to deal for the rest of the year with being picked on, beaten up, and shunned in the neighborhood. Good dads think holistically. We have to live on this planet a long time. John Kerry knows that and speaks consistently about world cooperation.
Good dads don't send other peoples' kids to fight his fight. A good dad doesn't start a fight and then sacrifice other peoples' kids to the bullies. George Bush has two draft-age daughters. If he thinks the war in Iraq is that important, why aren't they there? I have a nearly 17-year-old son who will have to register with the Selective Service within the next 13 months. I don't want him to go to war in Iraq (or anywhere else George Bush might "pre-emptively" strike). I know John Kerry, who actually went to war instead of evading one, would think about that. (I also told my other two boys a few years ago we'd never have another Vietnam because we're too smart now and people wouldn't put up with it. I was sadly wrong about half this country.)
Good dads care about their neighbors' jobs and healthcare and livelihoods. I have many neighbors who lost their jobs in the last year or two. And I live in an economically advantaged area. Now everyone is a "consultant" after they can't find a job for a year - they're off the unemployment rolls. Good dads help people. They make connections. They make the entire area safe so that we don't have to a build a bubble around our lives. George Bush isn't on our side, he's on the side of the rich - the robber barons of our modern lives such as Halliburton. That's great for his neighborhood, but not great for everyone else. When John Kerry says he'll fight for the middle class he means it (and it's disingenuous for the Bushies to comment about Sen. Kerry's wealth as if that disqualifies him; George Bush is also a multimillionaire).
Good dads can imagine that others have different viewpoints. George Bush applies the "my way or the highway" approach to everything he touches: a woman's right to choose, same-sex marriage, religion or the choice to have no religion. Good dads give their kids perspective; bad dads like George Bush say "my way is the only way, and if they're not with us they're against us." John Kerry cares about the Constitution and he cares about people both before they're born and after they're born.
Good dads don't bring children into this world only to kill them when they do bad. George Bush is a really bad dad here. He professes to care about a mass of cells in a test that might become a baby. He is against a woman's right to choose, much like the rotten husband who forces his wife to have his baby to prove his virility, only to abandon the baby the minute it's born. George Bush cares about unborn babies, but he put to death 134 prisoners as governor of Texas. Is, as he says, "All life is precious under God"? It would be funny if it weren't so ironic and tragic.
Good dads paid attention in science class. Good dads know that the earth revolves around the sun. Good dads know that we must invest in scientific research, like stem cell research, to make scientific breakthroughs. Good dads know that the earth must be preserved for future generations, rather than applying George Bush's human dominion over nature, where all the earth's resources are Biblically-endorsed to be used and consumed, no matter the future. John Kerry paid attention in science class at Yale while George Bush was building beer bongs.
Good dads care about what will happen with their grandchildren and their grandchildrens' grandchildren. We don't own this planet, we're here for only a little sliver of time. Good dads care about what happens not only to take care of their immediate family, but what will happen to their family's families. What would have happened had our predecessors not made the investments (through taxes) to build roads and schools and infrastructure? What kind of country would America be if we had applied the "too bad, so sad, sucks to be you" mentality 100 years ago? We'd be some third world backwater instead of the most powerful nation on earth. Good dads know that we cannot leave our children and grandchildren to deal with the sins of the father. This includes staggering debt, lack of investment in moving all Americans forward, and creating programs like "Leave No Child Behind" while, in fact, leaving whole segments of our country behind.
All that said, I say John Kerry for President. Let's get rid of George Bush as our Bad Dad. No one wants an abusive dad around.
Halloween fun: Decorate your own pumpkin
Okay, sometimes we need a break from all this political strife. Decorate a pumpkin.
Tucker Carlson just predicted Kerry by 2 points
Tucker Carlson on Chris Matthews' show this morning: "Those lawyers aren't going to have anything to do. I think there's going to be a definitive win by midnight, and as much as I don't like it, I think Kerry is going to win by two points at least." Wow.
Cherie Blair lambasts George Bush over human rights
The coalition of the willing is eroding. Cherie Blair, the wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, criticized George Bush's policies on human rights for terrorist prisoners as well as his stance on gay rights. Mrs. Blair, in a speech to Harvard law students, said the "manner in which the White House has dealt with the human rights of UK citizens detained at the US-run Camp X-Ray prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba."
Can you imagine Robo-First-Lady Laura Bush having an opinion that wasn't written for her? Mrs. Blair is an international human rights lawyer; Mrs. Bush is married to an international human rights violator. When Bush's "British friends" criticize him just days before the election you can bet they think John Kerry will be victorious.
If you like the long version of electoral college poll analysis...
...here it is from mattb25 at Kos. It's a long story with a happy ending.
Go Packers: Redskins games predict the winner of U.S. presidential elections
I wrote about this earlier in the month. I thought I'd repost this piece from Snopes along with my cheer...GO PACK!:
Claim: The outcome of Washington Redskins football games has correctly predicted the winner of every U.S. presidential election since 1936.
Status: True.
The Washington Redskins have proved to be a time-tested election predictor. In the previous 15 elections, if the Washington Redskins have lost their last home game prior to the election, the incumbent party has lost the White House. When they have won, the incumbent has stayed in power.
The game takes place at 1 ET today against the Green Bay Packers. The bookies are betting Green Bay and 2.5 points.
Another reminder of why polls are a waste of time
CNN poll: Bush maintains 7-point lead over Gore
October 29, 2000
WASHINGTON (CNN) - GOP presidential candidate Texas Gov. George W. Bush continued to maintain an advantage over Democratic Vice President Al Gore in Sunday's CNN/USA Today/Gallup tracking poll.
Forty-nine percent of respondents said they supported Bush while 42 percent said they would vote for Gore, no change at all from Saturday's poll.
Folks, Al Gore won the popular vote (and the election for that matter). This poll, from October 29, 2000 taken four days before the election shows him 7 points behind. Forget the polls, just get to the polls.
Bush's backward logic
From Maureen Dowd this morning:
The Bushies' campaign pitch follows their usual backward logic: Because we have failed to make you safe, you should re-elect us to make you safer. Because we haven't caught Osama in three years, you need us to catch Osama in the next four years. Because we didn't bother to secure explosives in Iraq, you can count on us to make sure those explosives aren't used against you.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
A little look back
(via Kos)
CNN | Monday, November 6, 2000 | via Lexis Nexis:
BLITZER: And now, let's take a look at the latest poll numbers. The new CNN/"USA Today" Gallup Tracking Poll results are being released at this hour. It shows George W. Bush with 48 percent, Al Gore 43 percent, Ralph Nader with 4 percent, Pat Buchanan with 1 percent.That was the day before Gore won the popular vote.
And those numbers are similar to other tracking polls. Take a look: ABC's poll has Bush at 49 percent, Gore at 45 percent; The Washington Post, Bush at 48 percent, Gore at 46 percent; the NBC-Wall Street Journal tracking poll, Bush at 47 percent, Gore 44 percent. And both the CBS and MSNBC-Reuters-Zogby tracking polls have Bush at 46, Gore at 44 percent.
Transcript of bin Laden speech
If you want to read the entire Osama bin Laden speech unedited and unspun, you can see it on Aljazeera.com.
Security Moms: Remember that George Bush let Osama bin Laden get away
Security Moms, don't forget that George Bush was president when we chased after Osama bin Laden in Tora Bora. Bush likes to hide behind catchy phrases like "He can run, but he can't hide," even though the truth is Osama bin Laden did both. It's a funny and ironic twist that you would even consider George Bush the better man on terrorism. You wouldn't apply that same standard in your own town.
Letting a mass murderer escape...
Imagine if a mass murder had happened in your neighborhood. You and the police - everyone - knew who did it. The police even knew where the mass murderer was. But after a few weeks of chasing the mass murderer, the police decided to abandon their hunt and went to another city to chase after people for speeding violations. Meanwhile, they turned over the mass murderer search to local gangs.
Further imagine that after a while we didn't hear from the mass murderer. In fact, many people said he was dead. And your town's chief of police got on the air and said, "I don't know where he is... I, I repeat what I said I truly am not that concerned about him." (He was concerned about all murderers, he said.) Then two years went by.
...then saying you're tough on crime
All of a sudden, the mass murderer resurfaces. Sends out a chilling videotape threatening your neighborhood again. Would you really trust your chief of police when he said, "We have the mass murderer on the run"? Would you trust him to really get the bad guy? That's a choice you wouldn't make at home. And one you shouldn't make on Tuesday.
Triumph of the Willing: Pledging allegiance to George Bush
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla."I want you to stand, raise your right hands," and recite "the Bush Pledge," said Florida state Sen. Ken Pruitt. The assembled mass of about 2,000 in this Treasure Coast town about an hour north of West Palm Beach dutifully rose, arms aloft, and repeated after Pruitt: "I care about freedom and liberty. I care about my family. I care about my country. Because I care, I promise to work hard to re-elect, re-elect George W. Bush as president of the United States." (via Slate)
It reminds me of that song from The Producers: "Seig heil, seig heil, right in der Fuhrer's face."
George Bush: I'm determined, steady
Thanks to George Bush being "resolute," we now have an unwinnable war in Iraq and a guy in an Osama bin Laden costume threatening the U.S. just before Halloween. Thanks, George, for taking us over the falls.
U.S. wouldn't allow our election in Nicaragua
Great article that outlines what the U.S. would do if we were observing elections in Nicaragua and there were as many irregularities as we had in the 2000 election. And from the looks of it, Ohio and Florida (again) are having real problems in 2004. WWND - what would Nicaragua do?
Friday, October 29, 2004
I'm Osama bin Laden, and I approved this message
George Bush told supporters this afternoon, "We have the terrorists on the run." I don't know, but it sure didn't look like OBL was on the run. In fact, he looked well. Saffron robe. Scary message. George "I don't know where he is... I, uh, heh-heh-heh... I... I, I repeat what I said I truly am not that concerned about him" Bush looked like he wanted to run. Great. George Bush had the chance to end this in Tora Bora, and now this.
Watch George Bush say "I truly and not concerned about him." He's worried now. We all are.
Osama bin Laden issues a new tape
Breaking news. Osama bin Laden has issued a new tape. Guess he's not on ice. And if we hadn't spent so much time botching up Iraq, maybe this guy would be dead.
Begala just asked an RNC hack: "George Bush said he was going to get Osama bin Laden dead or alive. Which is it?"
Enblogment: John Kerry for President
You can "vote" for John Kerry and participate in this election meme by clicking on this Enblogment link. It's a Lessig experiment. Play along.
Security Moms: What made you that way
Fear works. You can make people do anything if they're afraid. Watch this video clip to see how George Bush and his Administration made you afraid by creating an aura of endless threat. Imagine if your husband and all his friends kept telling you that bad guys were everywhere and you couldn't go anywhere without him. In America, we'd call that psychological abuse. And in America, we call that the Bush Administration.
Security Moms: Would you let your husband get away with lying like this?
Watch this video and then ask youself, "Would I let my husband off the hook for lying like this?" And if you wouldn't, why would you let your government?
Find your polling place now
Let's make sure we turn out in record numbers on Tuesday. Here's how you can find your polling place. (I'll re-post this on Tuesday.)
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Evening joke: George W Bush's library burns
Crawford, Texas - A tragic fire on Saturday destroyed the personal library of President George W. Bush. Both of his books were lost. A presidential spokesman said the President was devastated, as he had not finished coloring the second one.
This is for you, John
Bruce played No Surrender and said, "This is for you, John." Here's the video.
Oh, 80,000 people were there. Kerry's so gonna win.
More great pictures from Madison here.
Security Moms: Mr. Bush, did I hear you say we're safer?
Azzam the American threatened, "Allah willing, the streets of America will run red with blood matching drop for drop the blood of America's victims." ABC News has the tape that says a new wave of terror attacks could come anytime. Nice.
Hey, Security Moms, pay attention here. This doesn't have anything to do with Iraq. But it has a lot to do with George Bush creating terrorists faster than we can kill them (and thousands of innocents). Look at it this way: Would you feel more "secure" if your husband prowled your neighborhood beating people up because they might threaten your kids? And then wasn't there when those same people were beating up your children later because they were brutalized? Being a security president doesn't mean being a tough guy and a bully, it means cooperating. A good husband to a Security Mom wouldn't start fights over how someone looks, and he sure as hell wouldn't create a threat in his own neighborhood and then claim he's a good dad.
Iraqis were going to throw flowers to soldiers...but we killed them
A survey of deaths in Iraqi households estimates that as many as 100,000 more people may have died throughout the country in the 18 months after the U.S. invasion than would be expected based on the death rate before the war. Read more.
A Tom Schaller says on Kos, "To borrow the incomparable Juan Cole's mathematical slide-rule, that would be the equivalent, in American population terms, of 1.1 million people here."
Kerry eclipses Bush
A total lunar eclipse happened last night. As a public service, I'm combining a little science with an explanation of how John Kerry will eclipse George Bush in the 2004 election.
Look at NASA's site for a great set of eclipse pictures. And here's a total eclipse photo gallery.
John Kerry will win the presidency when the Boston Red Sox win the World Series
(photo via Yahoo! News - AP)
I just saw John Kerry on CNN telling people at a huge rally, "A year ago, when my campaign was looking bad, a guy wrote and said 'John Kerry will win the presidency when the Red Sox win the World Series.' Well, that time is here. And I'm ready!"
Missing explosives seen on video
George Bush continues to lie and say the explosives weren't in Al Qa'aaa. Did I say "lie"? Here's the video proving it.
White House of Horrors
From Maureen Dowd this morning:
Dick Cheney peaked too soon. We've still got a few days left until Halloween.
It was scary enough when we thought the vice president had created his own reality for spin purposes. But if he actually believes that Iraq is "a remarkable success story,'' it's downright spooky. He's already got his persona for Sunday: he's the mad scientist in the haunted mansion, fiddling with test tubes to force the world to conform to his twisted vision.
Bush Diamond Level supporter spits in the face of a Kerry supporter
Philadelphia. Bellevue Hotel. October 27 at 1:45 p.m.: A small group was chanting about Ed Rendell, saying he was preventing veterans from voting. The Republican Suit confronted a Kerry supporter who was pushing a baby in a stroller. The Republican Suit got right in the Kerry dad's face. And all of a sudden Republican Suit pulled out a big cigar, bit the end off, AND SPIT IN THE KERRY SUPPORTER'S FACE. Nuts. It got really heated. Now I need your help.
Do you know this guy? This won't be hard to find out who he is. I'm going to lay a wager on him being a lawyer in Philly. Let's find him. Let's let the Bush campaign know about their Diamond Level supporters. Let's let his employer know about his behavior. Let's let him know.
After he spit his cigar in the young guy's face, this Republican walked around saying "I paid ten dollars for this cigar." Take a close look at the W pin on his lapel. Diamond. He said he contributed $20K to the Bush campaign to get that. Wonder how much he spends on Viagra. The bigger the cigar, the smaller the....
Another face of the Republican Party. This woman was going nuts, screaming obscenities at a Kerry supporter holding a Kerry/Edwards sign. These guys are going to blow a blood vessel when they lose next Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
P. Diddy's Citizen Change "Vote or Die" rally at Temple
iFlipFlop attended P.Diddy's Citizen Change "Vote or Die" rally at Temple University this afternoon. The auditorium was packed with enthusiastic voters - 6,500 of them. The electricity in the room was energizing. The fact that there's going to be a turnout that will shock Republicans is sublime. I said this as we were walking out: John Kerry's so going to win. George Bush won't know what hit him.
Even though P.Diddy's plane was a couple of hours late he made it well worth the wait.
Will Mega did a great job as emcee for the event.
Mary J. Blige gave an impassioned speech exhorting women to get out the vote.
P.Diddy answered questions from the press for about 20 minutes after the event. He had to get to Pittsburgh for another event tonight.
I didn't catch the name this Temple professor of rap (no kidding). But he did a spectrum piece of rap styles that was a real highlight.
The faces of Election 2004. The Gallup Organization forgot to call these people. But these people won't forget to vote.
Voting makes me smile.
6,500 people packed McGonigle Auditorium at Temple. They each pledged to bring two friends to the polls. This election is going to be a real surprise to Republicans.
P.Diddy hears the sound of change coming on November 2.
I'm John Kerry, and I approved this message
"For a political candidate to jump to conclusions without knowing the facts is not a person you want as your commander in chief," Bush said today.
Wouldn't it be cool if John Kerry would come on after they roll the tape of Bush saying that and follow with, "Like weapons of mass destruction, Mr. President? I'm John Kerry and I approved this message."
We just got back from Vote or Die in Philly
P. Diddy and Mary J Blige were there at Temple University. Along with 6,500 voters. Many pictures to follow this evening. Here's one for now.
George W Bush campaign website rejects non-US visitors
John Ashcroft, Dick Cheney, and George Bush work daily to make citizens paranoid. Now they're even bringing that paranoia home to the White House. GeorgeWBush.com, the official website for the president's re-election bid, is restricting non-US visitors. That can include registered US citizens working overseas as well as the 340,000 armed services personnel stationed outside the country.
Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, and Bushies have been nothing if not consistent. Consistently spooky.
Latest Bush excuse on weapons dump evaporates
From Kerry Rapid Response:
George Bush's continuing efforts to avoid responsibility for failing to secure 380 tons of highly dangerous explosives in Iraq just took another blow. The reporter who was actually traveling with the 101st Airborne in the report cited by the Bush campaign has clarified that the unit was not there to secure the massive weapons complex and it was merely a 'pit stop' on their way to Baghdad.
Try as it might, the Bush spin machine can not change the truth: the President is responsible for his catastrophic failures in Iraq and needs to personally address this issue.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
A great family project for this weekend: A Kerry Blimp
File this one under Great Ideas. This would be a great family project over the weekend running up to the election.
QWQ's 'lectioneering pickup truck post of the 24th prompted me to build a KerryBlimp for about $25. Made a big bag by folding a 12' X 24' painter's dropcloth in half and heat-sealing the edges with a pizza cutter heated on a stove burner. A 12' plank allowed each edge to be sealed with a single roll of the pizza cutter. Airtight will keep the bag from going flabby. Painted 'VOTE KERRY' on both sides with screenprinting ink (solvent won't melt film). Bought a helium & balloon kit $20 (WalMart, Sams, party store). Put filled balloons in bag (balloons hold helium much longer than film), filled bag using cool hairdryer, sealed hole and tied kite string to the bottom. I had only 200M of line but this put it way above the neighborhood.(via a comment by RoadRage at Kos)
Evening joke: How can you tell when George Bush is lying?
Q: How can you tell when Bush is lying?
A: His lips are moving.
Bush Brothers suppress the African-American vote in Florida
A secret document obtained from inside Bush campaign headquarters in Florida suggests a plan - possibly in violation of US law - to disrupt voting in the state's African-American voting districts, a BBC Newsnight investigation reveals.
This is sick stuff. Republicans plan to challenge African-American voters that are on a "caging list." Is this where we're headed under George Bush and Jeb Bush? Now in addition to the KKK in Florida, we have to deal with the WWW - "W" only Welcomes Whites. A "caging list"?
More from The Advancement Project. And you can read The Onion's article titled Republicans Urge Minorities to Get Out and Vote on Nov. 3.
More pictures of Kerry and Clinton in Philly
Just can't resist. Don't want that moment to go away. One week now, friends. BTW: Lots more pix below this post.
Philly for Kerry and 8 More Days to a Fresh Start were the signs of the day.
Rock stars. It was quite an entrance, from a hidden stage, confetti blasting everywhere, President Clinton and Sen. Kerry did the rock star entrance.
Never can say good-bye.
Senator Kerry, how much are you going to win by?
Senate candidate Joe Hoeffel says, "It's been a long time coming. It's been a long time coming. But CHANGE is gonna come."
More photos from the John Kerry rally (with Bill Clinton)
It was nice to see Bill Clinton looking so healthy... and it was fun to see him back on the campaign trail.
Philadelphia Mayor John Street hosted an excellent event.
It's estimated that 100,000+ people were there. I've been at football games with comparable crowds. I agree. Bill Clinton and John Kerry entered the event like rock stars - and all 100,000 people went crazy.
Even though he visited five states yesterday, John Kerry still made time to connect with voters.
Nice sign.
Hey brother, can you spare a dime? Or 700 billion dimes?
The Bush Administration is asking for an additional $70B to continue the war in Iraq. That will push the cost of the Iraq War to close to $225B. That's two hundred and twenty-five BILLION dollars, folks. Think we could use that money to take care of the 45 million Americans without healthcare? Or actually fund No Child Left Behind? Or reduce the deficit so our children don't have to bear the burden of our terrible decisions?
Fiscal conservatives, revolt! The Democratic Party is the party of financial restraint these days. Think.
Philadelphia rally from the trenches
I had a great time yesterday at the rally in Philadelphia. I was volunteering, helping our fellow Kerry supporters find their way to the appropriate entrances. My voice is hoarse from saying "Red and Blue tickets in this line!" I met so many great people, and everyone had such a great attitude that we were working together to make the country better. I don't think I have ever smiled so much to so many strangers. Anyway, after about 4 hours of ushering, the place was so full that there was nothing left to do. I became a spectator.
Luckily, there was a screen on 16th Street, because no one back here could see anything directly.
Even several blocks from the stage, Philadelphia was showing great support.
Oh, and I saw David Morse (of Hack) afterwards.
380 tons of explosives missing and Bush says, "Not my mistake."
Once again, George Bush cannot admit a mistake. Even when 380 tons of high explosives are missing from Iraq. That's enough to blow up ALL the airplanes in the world. Joe Lockhart had a clear response today in PR Newswire:
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In response to reports that the Bush campaign is distorting an NBC news report in an effort to cover up the White House's failure to secure 380 tons of explosive material in Iraq, Kerry-Edwards senior advisor Joe Lockhart released the following statement:
"In a shameless attempt to cover up its failure to secure 380 tons of highly explosive material in Iraq, the White House is desperately flailing in an effort to escape blame. Instead of distorting John Kerry's words, the Bush campaign is now falsely and deliberately twisting the reports of journalists. It is the latest pathetic excuse from an administration that never admits a mistake, no matter how disastrous."
Eminem's Mosh: The video message
I posted the lyrics to Eminem's Mosh a couple of days ago. Now you can see this powerful video here. Karl Rove didn't plan for this. Record numbers of young people are going to vote. They do care. Watch this one, even if you don't like Eminem. There's a motivating message here.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Phillystock
I know this one has been posted a lot. It's still great. And by coincidence, I met the woman from whose suite that shot was taken. I had gone back to the rally site once everyone was gone just to get a feeling of the space without all the people and cameras and such. There was a teardown going on. And I ran into her. Told her about the big shot showing on Yahoo. She loved it. And said, "We're gonna win. Just a few more days." Huzzah.
Bill Clinton and John Kerry in Philadelphia
Bill Clinton and John Kerry spoke to a crowd that was estimated to be over 100,000 today in Philadelphia. I laughed when I heard that a journalist who was there said there were "hundreds." I have pictures of hundreds standing right next to me. Here's a little photo essay of the day.
Some people said I'm the Comeback Kid. Well, in eight days John Kerry's going to make America the Comeback Country.
Wow, this is good for my heart.
I have always been a friend to Phiadelphia, and Philadelphia has always been a friend to me.
I'd say we need a President who can do more than one thing at a time.
John Street is going to deliver the big votes in Philly for Kerry/Edwards.
Joe Hoeffel, our next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, stands with the next President of the United States and a former President of the United States.
Mayor Street said we're going to get the job done in Philadelphia and vote Kerry/Edwards into the White House.
Mayor Street cracks up President Clinton and Sen. Kerry.
Here's New Math for you. Count the heads. Add up to more than a hundred?
I asked President Clinton today about any similarities between himself and President Bush. He replied, "In eight days President Bush and I will both be former presidents."
The crowd turned out to see Bill Clinton and John Kerry
Most media estimates were for 100,000 people. The Philadelphia Police that we talked to confirmed that the number was at least that big. Many more photos to follow, friends.
John Kerry at Love Park
We have over 150 pictures we're combing through right now. Will post a bunch of them soon.
Live blogging from the Kerry and Clinton rally
Media estimates there were 100,000 people there. Everyone said President Clinton looked great.
Bill Clinton and John Kerry in Love Park - Live Coverage
The event is just beginning.
The crowd is assembling.
We're posting live from directly in front of the stage. Stay tuned.
On the Kerry and Clinton Express
When I parked my car at the train station a few minutes ago a woman pulled up beside me and said, "Are you going to the rally?" I smiled and said, "Yes, and it's going to be some kind of day." She said, "I just put my daughter on the train. She's 18 and a student at Moore College of Design. She's voting for the first time. John Kerry all the way!"
That's how it's going these days, friends. There's an energy out there that makes my hair stand on end. Soon, we'll be among 50-thousand or more Kerry enthusiasts in Center City. Bill Clinton's going to be there. Rumors of a surprise guest (that's not Boo! they're saying, it's Bruuuuuuuce!). We'll be covering this up close and personal today. The main speakers are on at 1 EDT. Lot of pix this afternoon.
The ultimate flip-flop: 21 rationales for going to war
From Foreign Policy: "Want a reason for war with Iraq? Here are 21. A study by Devon Largio, a recent graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, reveals that between September 2001 and October 2002 10 key players in the debate over Iraq presented at least 21 rationales for going to war."
Eagle or Ostrich?
The Bushies put out their Wolves ad. Kerry counterpunched: Eagle or Ostrich? Man, I love these guys. Kerry's just one step from going Emeril on George Bush: BAM!
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Mom, do you know where my 380 tons of explosives are?
"Did you look in your sock drawer?" just doesn't seem to be the answer. Somehow, 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives - used to demolish buildings, produce missile warheads and detonate nuclear weapons - are missing from one of Iraq's most sensitive former military installations. Kos has the coverage of the story that's breaking on NYT. The Bushies blinked and now all kinds of hell is going to rain down on us.
Scary thought: Less than one pound of this stuff brought down Pan Am 103.
Jon Stewart on 60 Minutes
He's going to talk about the media. Wahoo. First the Eagles, now this. I'm going to rename Sunday as Funday.
Bush Administration violates Geneva Convention...again
The CIA transferred prisoners of war out of Iraq in direct contravention of the Geneva Convention. As Oliver Willis says, "Vote for it or against it. It really isn't that complicated."
If you got bad news, you wanna kick them blues; cocaine
George Bush said he volunteered for Project P.U.L.L. and that's where he learned "compassionate conservatism." He was pulling our leg. A worker from P.U.L.L. says, "George had to sign in and out - I remember his signature was a hurried cursive - but he wasn't an employee. He was not a volunteer either," she said. "John said he had to keep track of George's hours because George had to put in a lot of hours because he was in trouble." She dont lie, she dont lie, she dont lie; cocaine.
Kerry & Clinton in Philadelphia
I attended a volunteer training for the Kerry rally in Philadelphia tomorrow.
(more info)
About 200 volunteers (I estimate) turned up, and will be working to make things go smoothly for everyone who attends.
The stage will be at 17th and the Parkway. The secured area will span from 15th to 17th, and from JFK to Race street.
iFlipFlop will be covering the event.
1,103 coffins on the Mall
1000coffins.org placed 1,103 coffins on the Mall in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, one coffin for each American soldier killed in Iraq.
The Boy Who Cried Wolf and Chicken Little
Remember that breathless press conference by Tom Ridge three months ago announcing an "unspecified threat" wanted to disrupt the democratic process? Interesting timing of that aside, it's proved to be a lie. Little Evidence of Qaeda Plot Timed to Vote in today's NYT shows that Ridge knew that information was suspect at best. From the article:
"I've seen some analytical pieces from the bureau and the agency," said one senior American counterintelligence official, referring to election threat reports by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency. "On a scale of one to a hundred, I'd give it about a two."Boy Who Cried Wolf meet Chicken Little.
100 Facts and 1 Opinion
From The Nation: The Non-Arguable Case Against the Bush Administration. A sampling of Judd Legum's piece:
1. The Bush Administration has spent more than $140 billion on a war of choice in Iraq. Source: American ProgressThere are 101 facts, substantiated with research and links. Pick any, or any five for that matter. It's enough to kick Bush out of office. It's only 8 days, friends.
12. After receiving a memo from the CIA in August 2001 titled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack America," President Bush continued his monthlong vacation. Source: CNN.com
26. During the Bush Administration, North Korea quadrupled its suspected nuclear arsenal from two to eight weapons. Source: New York Times
30. The Bush Administration awarded a multibillion-dollar no-bid contract to Halliburton--a company that still pays Vice President Cheney hundreds of thousands of dollars in deferred compensation each year (Cheney also has Halliburton stock options). The company then repeatedly overcharged the military for services, accepted kickbacks from subcontractors and served troops dirty food. Sources: The Washington Post, The Tapei Times, BBC News
72. The Bush Administration gutted clean-air standards for aging power plants, resulting in at least 20,000 premature deaths each year. Source: cta.policy.net
88. President Bush opposed the creation of the 9/11 Commission before he supported it, delaying an essential inquiry into one of the greatest intelligence failure in American history. Source: americanprogressaction.org
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Is this the October surprise?
Former Navy Secretary John Lehman says bin Laden's location is pinpointed. Read more.
Bush joke
Q: What's the difference between Iraq and Vietnam?
A: Bush had a plan to get out of Vietnam.
Wolf Packs for Truth
I couldn't resist. WolfpacksforTruth.org features a little spot called Alpha Frank.
General Theory of Bush Political Relativity
Einstein's General Theory of Relativity was proved right. NASA scientists demonstrated that a rotating body "warps and twists the 'fabric' that combines the three dimensions of space and the fourth dimension of time." Although Einstein never posited it, iFlipFlop is first to discuss the never-before discussed General Theory of Bush Political Relativity.
iFlipFlop's General Theory of Bush Political Relativity
As political hacks from the Bush campaign spin their lies that action twists the space-time continuum, making blatant lies seem real to Republicans. When the Rovians spin enough, they bend space-time back to the 1950s, when men were men, women were silent, and John Ashcroft was just a twinkle in Joe McCarthy's eye. It's what Republicans like to call "the good old days."
In a parallel to the Bush Political Relativity Theorem, the Einstein Theory was shown to be true as well. "As the Earth turns, it is actually twisting space-time with it. Near Earth, the twisting is greater," said Michael Salamon, a physicist at NASA in Washington. "This is the first real, solid, direct evidence we have for the twisting of space-time caused by the spinning of a rotating body."
Spinning, indeed.
Coming next: The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. MLK's famous phrase has been co-opted by John Ashcroft, who thinks Dr. King said, "But it bends toward the Justice Department."
Mosh: The Real Slim Shady vs. President Real Shady
Eminem is sending his audience into the voting mosh pit. And they'll gladly go. I'm posting the lyrics to Eminem's Mosh in the first comment (R-rated, folks). It's a powerful song and Eminem is working to get out the youth vote. Don't underestimate (insert Bush joke here) how widespread this song will be, and its motivating power, in the next two weeks. You can listen to a sample of Mosh here.
UPDATE: You can read Eminem's interview in Rolling Stone here.
PA Victory '04 office opens in Philly
I love walking down Walnut Street in Philly these days. I see lots of people with Kerry buttons. (Honestly, and I'm not kidding about this, I have never once seen anyone in Philly with a Bush button. Either he has no supporters, or they're ashamed. First the "L" word, now the "B" word.) Now the PA Victory '04 office is making a splash on Walnut. Stop in. Say hello. Volunteer. Enjoy this thought: Kerry in a landslide.
Outside the PA Victory '04 office.
At 5:30 on Friday night there was a flood of people coming in to volunteer.
Philadelphia loves Kerry. We love the energy these great people bring to the campaign.
You won't hear this song on the radio....but you should!
When I get an e-mail with a subject line like that from my friend, Bill, I listen. This is a good one and I'm still laughing five minutes after I watched the video. Click here to see it.
WARNING: This is R-rated. (Which means the kids will click right away.) Consider yourself warned.
Friday, October 22, 2004
George Bush: The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf
The Cowboy and the Wolf: A Cautionary Tale
There once was a little boy named Georgie. Little Georgie used to like to dress up like a cowboy and ride around his parents' ranch on his very fine pony. You see, Georgie was a very fortunate boy indeed. But he never seemed to get enough attention. So he started drinking and smoking and cussing. That got some attention all right. That got attention from the police in Texas, who told little Georgie he couldn't ride his pony again for a long time. That made Georgie sad.
A few years later, Georgie's momma and daddy moved into a big, white house. Georgie loved that house. And he said, "One day, when I grow up, I want to live in that house." (He still wasn't getting enough attention.)
Sure enough, Georgie's momma and daddy moved out of that big, white house. And Georgie moved in. You could say he bought that big, white house.
Well, things were going along as usual with Georgie. He still wasn't getting enough attention. When he heard a big BOOM! one day in September, Georgie knew he would get some attention. Georgie decided that he'd tell everyone that there were wolves outside the big, white house. That'd get him some attention.
The first time Georgie cried wolf, he ran around the yard of the big, white house and said he saw an angry wolf. He called that wolf WMD, like wolf-mean-dog. "Heh, heh" said Georgie. Townspeople ran everywhere, scared to death. They paid lots of attention to Georgie. Georgie was happy. But that wolf-mean-dog, WMD, was nowhere to be found. (And there were LOTS of people looking for it.) The townspeople said, "Georgie, there was no big, mean wolf." "Yes there was," insisted Georgie. "Yes there was."
Some time later, Georgie cried wolf a second time. Remember, he was really bored and needed attention. This time Georgie told all the nice people who came to see him at the big, white house, that there was a wolf at the door, stealing away food and little children. And that mean wolf, owned by the DeMocrats, who lived next door, was the one. People were shocked. Scared. Outraged. And then they looked around. No wolf. Heck, the DeMocrats didn't even own a dog, let alone a wolf. (Georgie was stealing the food all along, but he had a VERY stern mother, and didn't want her to know he was raiding the Twinkies.) No wolf. Sad little Georgie.
Finally, little Georgie was about to get kicked out of his big white house. People were angry. But Georgie had a plan. "If I cry wolf just one more time, people will pay more attention to me," thought Georgie. "Heh, heh."
Only Georgie had cried wolf one too many times. The townspeople lit torches and ran little Georgie out of his big, white house. And now, mothers tell this tale of caution and woe across the nation - don't cry wolf or you'll end up like little Georgie, and who even knows where he is?
The end.
Voting for Bush causes dyslexia
Look at what happened to these poor spellers. Next thing you know the Republicans will start believing that Saddam Hussein had WMD. (Oh, they do think that.)
Bushisms 139: Hear the mex missages, but don't misunderestimate him
This is a very clever compilation of Bushisms from BushHatesAmerica. You can find Bushspeak: The Song! and Bushspeak Part Deux here.
(Thx to fellow citizen of the Reality-Based Community, d-e-m.)
George Bush repeats himself: He can run, but he cannot hide
Bush said his new favorite phrase, "He can run, but he cannot hide" at least a dozen times in speeches yesterday. As John Stewart pointed that out last night, the last time George Bush said "He can run, but he cannot hide" the guy did. (Um, that Osama bin Laden guy.)
Banner Kerry-ers
My day was made when I saw these banner carriers on Walnut and 16th in Philly today.
Drivers were honking their approval. The Kerry banners were 10 feet tall.
Real Kerry enthusiasts. Kerry's going to win bigtime.
George Tenet says Iraq war is wrong
Tenet: CIA made errors
By ANNA CLARK / H-P Correspondent
BENTON TOWNSHIP -- Although he emphasized that the Central Intelligence Agency boasts "tremendously talented men and women," former CIA Director George Tenet said it "did not live up to our expectations as professionals" regarding the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the search for nonexistent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
"We had inconsistent information, and we did not inform others in the community of gaps in our intelligence," Tenet said. "The extraordinary men and women who do magnificent work in the CIA are held accountable every day for what they do, and as part of keeping our faith with the American people, we will tell you when we're right or wrong."
Tenet called the war on Iraq "wrong" in a speech Wednesday night to 2,000 members of The Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan at Lake Michigan College's Mendel Center. He did not elaborate.
Kill the Wabbit
The Sacrifice of Life for a Photo Op
Kerry - 2 Canada Geese.
Bush - 1,100+ Young Americans... and counting.
Then Cheney has the nerve to mock Kerry for his hardly used camo coat? Like that's worse than Bush dropping in suited up in his hardly used flight suit.
(via Zueda at Kos)
Dear Abby: Worried in Beaumont
Dear Abby,
I am a crack dealer in Beaumont, Texas who has recently been diagnosed as
a carrier of HIV virus. My parents live in Fort Worth and one of my
sisters, who lives in Pflugerville, is married to a transvestite.
My father and mother have recently been arrested for growing and selling
marijuana. They are financially dependent on my other two sisters, who are
prostitutes in Dallas. I have two brothers; one is currently serving a
non-parole life sentence at Huntsville for the murder of a teenage boy in
1994. My other brother is currently in jail awaiting charges of sexual
misconduct with his three children.
I have recently become engaged to marry a former prostitute who lives in
Longview. She is a part time "working girl". All things considered, my
problem is this: I love my fiancé and look forward to bringing her into
the family. I certainly want to be totally open and honest with her.
Should I tell her about my cousin who supports George Bush for President?
Signed,
Worried About My Reputation
Thursday, October 21, 2004
The Clueless Train Manifesto
From the Program on International Policy Attitudes, proof that being a Republican requires very little thinking (it's hard work):
Bushies are clueless about Iraq and al Qaeda
72% of Bush supporters think that Iraq had actual WMD or a major program for developing them
75% of Bush supporters think that Iraq was providing substantial support to al Qaeda
63% believe that clear evidence of al Qaeda funding by Iraq has been found
55% assume, incorrectly, that the 9/11 Commission concluded that there was an al Qaeda-Iraq link
Know whey they think these wrongheaded things? Because George Bush and Company told them so. "One of the reasons that Bush supporters have these beliefs is that they perceive the Bush administration confirming them."
Bushies are clueless about how the world perceives the US
Only 31% of Bush supporters recognize that the majority of people in the world oppose the US having gone to war with Iraq. Among Kerry supporters, 74% assume that the majority of the world is opposed.
57% of Bush supporters assume that the majority of people in the world would favor Bush's reelection. In polls of 30+ countries, John Kerry was preferred more than two to one.
Former Republican Senator "frightened to death" of Bush
From Marlow W. Cook, fomer Republican Senator of Kentucky (1968-1975), who writes:
I shall cast my vote for John Kerry come Nov 2.
I have been, and will continue to be, a Republican. But when we as a party send the wrong person to the White House, then it is our responsibility to send him home if our nation suffers as a result of his actions. I fall in the category of good conservative thinkers, like George F. Will, for instance, who wrote: "This administration cannot be trusted to govern if it cannot be counted on to think and having thought, to have second thoughts."
[snip]
I have just turned 78. During my lifetime, we have sent 31,377,741 Americans to war, not including whatever will be the final figures for the Iraq fiasco. Of those, 502,722 died and 928,980 came home without legs, arms or what have you.
Those wars were to defend freedom throughout the free world from communism, dictators and tyrants. Now Americans are the aggressors — we start the wars, we blow up all the infrastructure in those countries, and then turn around and spend tax dollars denying our nation an excellent education system, medical and drug programs, and the list goes on. ...
I hope you all have noticed the Bush administration's style in the campaign so far. All negative, trashing Sen. John Kerry, Sen. John Edwards and Democrats in general. Not once have they said what they have done right, what they have done wrong or what they have not done at all.
Bush relatives for Kerry: Because blood is thinner than oil!
From bushrelativesforkerry.com: "Bush Relatives for Kerry" grew out of a series of conversations that took place between a group of people that have two things in common: they are all related to George Walker Bush, and they are all voting for John Kerry. As the election approaches, we feel it is our responsibility to speak out about why we are voting for John Kerry, and to do our small part to help America heal from the sickness it has suffered since George Bush was appointed President in 2000. We invite you to read our stories, and please, don't vote for our cousin!
Give Bush a brain
It's one of those pick-and-drop games like you see in a truck stop. Only this one's more fun. Give George Bush a brain; win valuable prizes. (Thx Lani)
Political Bohemian Rhapsody
The JibJab takeoffs are all over the place. This one's pretty clever. If nothing else because I liked the original song.
John Kerry Wins PRElection In Landslide
Pollsters have completely ignored the cell phone and young vote. It's going to be Kerry in a landslide. 300 electoral votes at least. Have any predictions? Comments? From Rock the Vote's sample of 35,000 voters:
The results of the PRElection are in. While the results do not represent a scientific sample of voters, they leave little doubt about who the PRElection voters thought should be in the White House for the next four years ...
Overall Votes
John Kerry 59,660 (61.1 percent)
George W. Bush 38,025 (38.9 percent)
Online Votes
John Kerry 24,052 (64.8 percent)
George W. Bush 13,084 (35.2 percent)
Mobile Phone Votes
John Kerry 35,608 (58.8 percent)
George W. Bush 24,941 (41.2 percent)
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Time for the October surprise
Bush is going back to his ranch this weekend. On a campaign weekend. Something's very fishy. Speculation on Atrios is 1) Bush is flying to Iraq; 2) Bush is flying to Afghanistan; 3) Bush is going to remove himself from the campaign trail while an October Surprise is revealed, and then he comments on it on Monday or Tuesday; 4) Bush is falling to pieces and has had a stroke/mental breakdown/pretzel. All in all, it's crazy. Should be an interesting few days upcoming.
BTW for Philadelphians: Bush will be in Downingtown and Hershey tomorrow in case you want to wave hello.
Kerry wins election...on Nickelodeon
NEW YORK (AP) - Kid power! Democrat John Kerry is the winner, and the rest of the country should pay attention because the vote on Nickelodeon's Web site has correctly chosen the president of the United States in the past four elections.
Nearly 400,000 children and teens voted, and the results were released Wednesday. Kerry received 57 percent of the vote; President Bush got 43 percent. (via AIM News)
Don't worry, be happy: 35 reasons
Top 35 Trends that say Kerry will Take the White House in November. If you don't want to read the long version, Libby summarized this on dK.
Bill Clinton coming to Philadelphia next week to campaign for John Kerry
Okay, the gossip is everywhere, even in the Hindustan Times. I'll be there. Pictures to follow. More soon.
Send Joe Hoeffel to the United States Senate
Joe Hoeffel is pulling even with Arlen Specter. He needs money for these last 13 days to keep his "Change is going to come" message of hope going out there. Specter has money; Joe has ideas. Let's help him get to the Capitol and having him work for our interests instead of Specter working for George Bush's interests.
Leading Democrats praise Joe Hoeffel. Endorsements include the Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Ed Rendell, Hillary Clinton; Barack Obama, Howard Dean, Max Cleland, and Barack Obama.
Contribute to Joe Hoeffel's campaign. Do it now. If you say you'll do it later it'll never happen. I clicked here this morning. And sent Joe some money. Let's help him keep ads on TV. And send him to the US Senate.
George Bush's delusions are getting creepy
NEW YORK (CNN) -- The founder of the U.S. Christian Coalition said Tuesday he told President George W. Bush before the invasion of Iraq that he should prepare Americans for the likelihood of casualties, but the president told him, "We're not going to have any casualties."
Heard any good jokes lately?
For those of you not likely to click through, please do. George "Shecky" Bush.
Teachers are terrorists in George Bush's world
These ruffians were tossed from a George Bush rally because of the terroristic threats on their t-shirts. Update from story yesterday.
Animated electoral vote map
Fascinating look at the electoral vote changes based on state polling since May 24, 2004. As of today, John Kerry shows 284 electoral votes; 270 votes are needed to win. Let's give George Bush two-week's notice.
Also another more detailed electoral vote map is at Race 2004. The important thing for people to keep in mind is it's the electoral votes that matter. Individual polls that swing wildly don't matter at all. It's now down to a few states: Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.
Presidents who reject stem cell research are girly-men
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has repeatedly called for fiscal discipline to heal the state budget, endorsed a ballot measure on Monday that would spend up to $6 billion in state money on stem cell research.
**************************
George Bush was girl-slapped today by The Governator. Bush, the one who learned English as a first language, opposes stem cell research because he thinks scientists are saying "stencil research," and he created some really swell stencil art when he was a college cheerleader. Bush also likes or loathes certain musicians because he misunderestimated their lyrics:
Deep Purple: "Smoke on the Water" / "Slow talkin' Walter, the fire engine guy" (Fireman, good.)
The Beatles: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" / "The girl with colitis goes by" (Healthcare, bad.)
Police: "Message In A Bottle" / "I'll send an SOS to a squirrel" (Hunting, good.)
Elton John: "Tiny Dancer" / "Hold me closer, Tony Danza" (Girly-men, bad.)
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Letter to John Kerry from my five year-old twins
Please tell Iraq that really we’re not trying to hurt them. Please help us stop hurting them. John Kerry you’re gonna be a better president. Please help us; we want the baby birds to be alive and safe. So they [lumber companies] don’t need to cut down the trees anymore. They [baby birds] really need to live. The baby birds need to be in the trees so they don't fall down out of the tree and break their eggs before they're ready to get out of their eggs. Baby birds are nice; and George Bush doesn’t like baby birds. We want to help you.
Open letter to Iraq from my five year-old twins
We don’t want to hurt you and we’re not picking on you. George Bush lied to us. George Bush said that you wanted to hurt us. We know that wasn’t true. We’re sorry.
What did the priest say when Clair asked if she could tell a big lie the night before the election?
It's a sin, Clair.
The New York State comptroller, whose state retirement fund holds almost 260,000 shares of Sinclair Broadcasting (SBGI), wants some answers. Sinclair down another 5.24% today. Down 50% for the year. It's a sin, Clair.
Afternoon entertainment
Xan at corrente has a good idea. Have some afternoon fun. Make Virginia Republicans go, huh?
How to Talk Like a Conservative (If You Must)
Subtitle: The lefts linguistics guru says liberals have to watch their language. From Mother Jones, an interview with George Lakoff, author of Don't Think of an Elephant. Lakoff says:
The key is not to shift rightward politically, but to lift a few moves from the rights linguistic playbook. Lakoff is trying to teach liberals what conservatives have known for years: the skill of defining, or framing, issues in a way that makes it next to impossible for the other side to contradict you. By consciously and cleverly framing the terms used in the debate, you define the debate itself. Clear Skies and partial-birth abortion arent just catchphrases; theyre brilliantly self-contained arguments. And if you need any further proof that liberals are losing the frame game, consider that many wont even call themselves liberal, preferring the (as-yet) unsullied tag progressive.
How dare you question George Bush? Look not upon his face or speak his name, sayeth his spokesman
From the Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt today: "The Bush campaign should be able to make an argument without having it reflexively dismissed as distorted or inaccurate by the biggest newspapers in the country." (via corrente The Outrage!)
Care International's director kidnapped in Baghdad; George Bush says everything's fine
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Arab TV reports an "armed Iraqi group" has claimed it kidnapped CARE International's director in Baghdad. Officials said Margaret Hassan was abducted Tuesday morning on her way to work. Link.
And still, George Bush says things are looking up. In fact, just yesterday he said, "The dream of freedom is moving forward in Iraq."
Top U.S. general says troops don't have proper equipment
General Ricardo S. Sanchez wrote to the White House saying saying he had inadequate supplies in Iraq. Body armor is needed for 36,000 soldiers. Yet, George Bush continues with the Big Lie: "everything's fine."
Pro-Choice, Pro-Kerry
Lunch@Rouge. Spotted these two women holding signs in the center of the Square. I wandered over and was so pleased to meet them. They were informing the Rittenhouse lunch crowd about NARAL-PA's pro-choice Pennsylvania plan. We really have to keep our eye on the ball, folks. George Bush has said he may be appointing three Justices if he's re-elected, and you can darn well bet you'll find out why he used that Dred Scott reference.
P.S. Thanks for the very cool t-shirt, which I'll be sporting in Center City this week.
Falafel Bill
I'm not saying anymore. Look at the Photoshops of Falafel Bill O'Reilly here. For those of you who don't track the tawdry side of Wingnut commentators on Fox, here's the complaint. And for mature audiences, here's why he's Falafel Bill. (Okay, I said I wouldn't say anymore...but I did. It's just so delicious. Okay, no more.)
Two weeks to go...and I feel fine
And I feel more confident every moment. Its because of people like this. Seen in Philly @Broad and Lombard. This gentleman was signing up volunteers to work the weekend before the election and on election day. Call the number on his sign if you have time. KE04.
The L Word
Conservatives equated Mary Cheney's sexual orientation with abortion, adultery, alcoholism, and now obesity. From Media Matters for America.
*******************************
Lady Astor: "Sir, you're drunk."
Winston Churchill: "Yes, Madam, I am. But in the morning, I will be sober and
you will still be ugly."
Monday, October 18, 2004
Dropping the hammer on Sinclair
Watch SBGI slide into oblivion.
Sinclair dropped 8% today on analysts' fears that the company is going from showing "Stolen Honor" to stealing value from shareholders.
And do look at what the Yahoos are saying. (via Maria)
Back to reality: Proud member of the reality-based community
The meme that spreading like wildfire is "Proud Member of the Reality-Based Community." Pass it on.
Shirts. Discussion 1. Discussion 2. Discussion 3. Discussion 4. Suskind's article in NYT Magazine had a HUGE impact.
Defend our civil liberties...unless you're a Republican
October 14 - MEDFORD President Bush taught three Oregon school teachers a new lesson in irony or tragedy Thursday night when his campaign removed them from a Bush speech and threatened them with arrest simply for wearing t-shirts that said Protect Our Civil Liberties, the Democratic Party of Oregon reported. (via Bend.com)
The metaphor: George Bush uses woman as human Kleenex
You'll have to see it to believe it. George Bush wipes his glasses on an unwitting woman's shirt when he appears on Leno. We're all human Kleenex to him, and those are rose colored glasses.
Jeb Bush will stop at nothing to help his brother win Florida again
Jeb Bush once again is making sure that he delivers Florida for Brother George, by hook and by excluding crooks. Ignoring advice that felon do-not-vote lists contained the names of 2,500 felons whose voting rights were restored, Jebbie went ahead anyway and sent the lists to county election officials. From Wired:
A software program matched data on felons with voter registration rolls to create the list of 48,000 names. Secretary of State Glenda Hood junked the database in July after acknowledging that 2,500 ex-felons on the list had had their voting rights restored.
Most were Democrats, and many were black. Hispanics, who often vote Republican in Florida, were almost entirely absent from the list due to a technical error.
A good idea
Lambert posted a good idea on corrente: Somebody should get a ticket to a Bush rally, silently hold up the Constitution....and see if they get arrested, thrown down on the ground and kicked, or beaten up and thrown out.
John Kerry leads George Bush in newspaper endorsements
From Editor & Publisher:
NEW YORK Senator John Kerry picked up a raft of newspaper endorsements on Sunday, widening his lead over President George W. Bush in this area.
Kerry gained the editorial backing of at least 30 papers, with Bush winning the support of 17 that we know of, giving Kerry the overall lead by 45-30 in E&P's exclusive tally. Kerry has more large papers on his side, maintaining his "circulation edge" at nearly 3-1: approximately 8.7 million to 3.3 million.
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Apologies to Iraq
Concerned and compassionate people from around the country wrote apology signs for the Iraqi people and had their pictures taken. The results of their work can be found here.
Of course, the compassionate conservatives have taken this good work and made a website to poke fun at these people. Guess it's easier to make fun of people who are compassionate than it is to recognize that we've killed over 13,000 Iraqis and sacrificed 1,100 American soldiers. But that's the compassionate conservative creed: their god only cares about them and people who go to their church.
John Edwards on the Main Line tomorrow
I saw John Edwards when he came to Phoenixville, PA a few weeks ago. It was a great rally and he's a dynamic speaker. Now he'll be in Haverford, PA tomorrow. Well worth seeing him if you haven't in person. Here's the details.
TOWN HALL MEETING WITH JOHN EDWARDS
Monday, October 18. Doors Open at 2PM
Haverford College. Alumni Field House
370 Lancaster Avenue. Haverford, PA
No parking on campus. For off-site parking and shuttle bus information, please call 610-566-8527. Ticket pickup locations:
CHESTER COUNTY
125 W. Market Street, West Chester
610-872-4016
PHILADELPHIA
1528 Walnut Street, 11th Floor
215-789-3663
DELAWARE COUNTY
IBEW Hall, 2937 Chichester, Boothwyn
610-364-1322
LOWER MERION
322 W. Lancaster Ave., Lower Merion
610-649-7200
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
14 W. Marshall Street, Norristown
610-872-8565
Why do we declare some people mentally unstable when they hear voices, but elect others President? George Bush says he's on a mission from God.
Things are getting spooky with George Bush hearing voices. Juan Cole writes, "Ron Suskind's profile of George W. Bush reminded me eerily of Mao Zedong, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. Suskind portrays Bush as filled with unwarranted certainty, sure that God is speaking and working through him, and convinced that decisive action shapes reality in ways that make it unnecessary to first study reality."
Bush is not only right in his mind, God told him he's right. From Without a Doubt:
"Just in the past few months," Bartlett said, ''I think a light has gone off for people who've spent time up close to Bush: that this instinct he's always talking about is this sort of weird, Messianic idea of what he thinks God has told him to do." Bartlett...went on to say: "This is why George W. Bush is so clear-eyed about Al Qaeda and the Islamic fundamentalist enemy. He believes you have to kill them all. They can't be persuaded, that they're extremists, driven by a dark vision. He understands them, because he's just like them...."It's crazy, scary stuff, this hearing voices. David Berkowitz heard voices, too. He was on a mission from Dog. It's the mirror of Bush's mission from God. Small difference though: The Son of Sam killed six people; George Bush has sent 1,100 American soldiers to their deaths in Iraq.
Heading back to the 1950s with Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Jim DeMint, wingnut Republican candidate for US Senate in South Carolina, said "in an Oct. 3 debate televised statewide, [that] gays and lesbians should not be allowed to be public school teachers. Two days later, DeMint also said women who have children out of wedlock should not teach."
Here's another of George Bush's "compassionate conservatives" who preach discrimination and practice backward thinking that was even outmoded in the 1950s. The good news, though, is that DeMint has squandered his lead over Inez Tennenbaum, has a "handler" traveling with him at all times to keep him from saying what's really on his mind, and has shown himself to be the true Conservative that he is.
The Bush Administration had no exit strategy for Iraq
Post-war planning was non-existent. Go figure. The cowboy rode into Iraq guns a-blazin'. Small detail, though. He didn't have a plan to get out of there. Remarkably, the Bush Administration thought they'd have the majority of soldiers out of there by September 2003.
Those mean liberals are just picking on poor George Bush
Check out this spoof website. It's been a crazy time for wingnuts, and for them there's no lie too big or conspiracy too nefarious. From Yes Bush Can 04 is this piece rallying conservative bloggers. It's fun to click on the site and read the actual legal judgments against George Bush, Dick Cheney, and the band of liars.
Calling All Conservative Bloggers!
You exposed RatherGate by proving the CBS documents were fake -- nice work! But now the liberals have found a bunch more documents so our work is not done. Let's get to work proving that these are fake, too!
Dick Cheney's DUI
George W. Bush's DUI
George W. Bush's Second DUI
Bush and Cheney have excellent judgment and would never get behind the wheel while drunk.
Memo to Ken Lay
Second Memo to Ken Lay
Ken Lay has been indicted on felony fraud charges -- there is NO WAY he was this close with President Bush.
Bush Daughters' Possession of Alcohol
It must be fake: This is clearly a liberal media snow job on these poor girls.
Osama Warning Document Part 1
Osama Warning Document Part 2
This so called "official document" suggests that Bush was asleep at wheel before 9-11. Get real.
Are there any other fake documents we are missing? Please send them to us so we can post them on this site for conservative bloggers to debunk.
New York Times endorses John Kerry
John Kerry for President is the title of today's New York Times editorial page. The full endorsement is well worth reading, both in its endorsement of John Kerry and its indictment of George Bush. From the summary:
Mr. Kerry has the capacity to do far, far better. He has a willingness - sorely missing in Washington these days - to reach across the aisle. We are relieved that he is a strong defender of civil rights, that he would remove unnecessary restrictions on stem cell research and that he understands the concept of separation of church and state. We appreciate his sensible plan to provide health coverage for most of the people who currently do without.
Mr. Kerry has an aggressive and in some cases innovative package of ideas about energy, aimed at addressing global warming and oil dependency. He is a longtime advocate of deficit reduction. In the Senate, he worked with John McCain in restoring relations between the United States and Vietnam, and led investigations of the way the international financial system has been gamed to permit the laundering of drug and terror money. He has always understood that America's appropriate role in world affairs is as leader of a willing community of nations, not in my-way-or-the-highway domination.
We look back on the past four years with hearts nearly breaking, both for the lives unnecessarily lost and for the opportunities so casually wasted. Time and again, history invited George W. Bush to play a heroic role, and time and again he chose the wrong course. We believe that with John Kerry as president, the nation will do better.
Voting for president is a leap of faith. A candidate can explain his positions in minute detail and wind up governing with a hostile Congress that refuses to let him deliver. A disaster can upend the best-laid plans. All citizens can do is mix guesswork and hope, examining what the candidates have done in the past, their apparent priorities and their general character. It's on those three grounds that we enthusiastically endorse John Kerry for president.
1,100 dead American soldiers in Iraq
Another milestone has been reached in Iraq: the 1,100th American soldier was killed there today. And there have been between 13,278 and 15,357 Iraqi civilians killed during that same time according to Iraqi Body Count.
I say again: Are we even yet?
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Bushism 127: I made it very plain. We will not have an all-volunteer army
The Stumbler in Chief said at a rally in Florida: "I made it very plain. We will not have an all-volunteer army." The crowd fell silent. "WE WILL have an all-volunteer army," Bush said, quickly catching himself. "Let me restate that. We will not have a draft." Read more.
I am shocked, shocked, that there's gambling going on here
The farmer wrote a very entertaining piece on corrente titled Lynne Cheney Theater of the Ridiculous presents.... Good read.
What will you do when your child gets drafted?
John Kerry said today what needs to be said: George Bush is pushing this country toward the possibility of a draft. Our troops are badly over-taxed in Iraq and there's already a back-door draft going on with soldiers being kept for extended tours of duty. George Bush, true to form, denies there will be a draft in his administration.
Funny, considering this Selective Service System document titled Selective Service Lottery. The first line is "If and when the Congress and the President reinstate a military draft, the Selective Service System would conduct a National Draft Lottery to determine the order in which young men would be drafted." Read this. And be very afraid. I am. My eldest son is only 14 months away from being 18-years-old.
The world's anger at George Bush
From The Guardian:
According to a survey, voters in eight out of the 10 countries, including Britain, want to see the Democrat challenger, John Kerry, defeat President Bush in next month's US presidential election.
The results show that in Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Japan, Spain and South Korea a majority of voters share a rejection of the Iraq invasion, contempt for the Bush administration, a growing hostility to the US and a not-too-strong endorsement of Mr Kerry. But they all make a clear distinction between this kind of anti-Americanism and expressing a dislike of American people. On average 68% of those polled say they have a favourable opinion of Americans.
Jon Stewart eats Tucker Carlson's lunch
File under 'Who's your daddy?" Jon Stewart on Crossfire yesterday:
CARLSON: It's nice to get them to try and answer the question. And in order to do that, we try and ask them pointed questions. I want to contrast our questions with some questions you asked John Kerry recently.
(CROSSTALK)
CARLSON: ... up on the screen.
STEWART: If you want to compare your show to a comedy show, you're more than welcome to.
UPDATE: Watch the video.
UPDATE 2: Another good and functional link from Media Matters
UPDATE 3: One more set of links from Random Foo
John Kerry's radio address on stem cells
Some of the text from John Kerry's radio address today:
Today, approximately 100 million Americans suffer from illnesses that may one day be treated or cured with stem-cell therapy. Stem cells may hold the key to treating heart disease and cancer. They may have the power to slow the loss of a grandmother’s memory, calm the hand of an uncle with Parkinson’s, or save a child from a lifetime of daily insulin shots.
By restricting stem cell research, President Bush has turned his back on this hope. He’s made the wrong choice to sacrifice science for extreme right-wing ideology. And right now, there is such possibility for treatments that could transform our lives – but because of the stem cell ban, they are still beyond our reach.
...
But President Bush just doesn’t get it. Faced with the facts, he turns away. Time and time again, he’s proven that he’s stubborn, out of touch, and unwilling to change course.
Leaders from both political parties – including Senators Orrin Hatch from Utah and John McCain from Arizona – both support stem cell research as well as many others. And the majority of Americans do. But instead of listening to them, this Administration claims that supporting stem cell research creates false hope.
Think about that for a minute. Imagine if we’d told researchers studying polio they were creating false hope. Imagine if we’d told those working to eradicate small pox they were creating false hope. It’s unthinkable, isn’t it? But that’s exactly what this Administration is saying to scientists who want to study Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, spinal cord injuries and so many other debilitating conditions.
Friday, October 15, 2004
Will George bush attack Sudan in a preemptive strike?
70,000 people have died in Darfur since March due to massive ethnic cleansing. Sudanese authorities estimate 10,000 people will die each succeeding month. Since George Bush is now using the "he killed his own people" rationale for deposing Saddam Hussein (once WMDs were shown to be Bush fantasy and mendacity), maybe it's time to invade Sudan. Then again, maybe we could just provide the $300 million needed to help these people and end the suffering. BTW: $300 million is about one day's worth of costs for occupying Iraq.
My conversion to Kerryism-Zut Alors! With apologies to Ed and all poetic muses
Once upon a day quite bleary
While I pondered (not too clearly)
Over some vague and curious columns of political lore
As I questioned who to vote for
In election 2-0-0-4
Will I vote as I have eerfore
Only this and nothing more?
Birthright dictates GOP,
But, help me, no more GWB.
Then I had an invitation,
"Do you want to save this nation?
Come to meet Diana Kerry
Here in Harbor--bring a friend."
Vote for Kerry, help us gain
Our former strength--we cannot tarry.
Help us "keep" our friends abroad
Who've been our allies, thank the Lord.
We've made mistakes, deluded friends.
There's opportunity for amends.
Kerry vows to heal our ills
And help assuage each other's wills.
We need a world-wide move for more.
Vote not for Bush, No, nevermore!
My mom wrote this poem after meeting with John Kerry's sister, Diana. My mom has never voted for a Democrat. About a month ago, I asked her to consider the issues she cares about... freedom, choice, equality, science... and look into which candidate best represented her. After some thoughtful consideration, she concluded that it was really no contest. John Kerry is the right choice for our country.
Our nation is very polarized. Both sides are doing a lot of talking, but neither side is hearing very much. I'm proud of my mom for thinking this though with an open mind. Like many people, I believe this is the most important election of my lifetime. I'm optimistic that we can repair our country... one voter at a time.
Same-sex marriage
POTUS. John Kerry is the man for the job. He demonstrates that more decisively with every passing day.
George Bush wants to discriminate against same-sex couples... he even wanted go so far as to ammend the constitution to do it.
John Kerry is on the right side of this issue but he needs to go further. I hope that when he's elected he'll take a stronger position on same-sex marriage. Until very recently, I thought... as long as same-sex couples were afforded the same rights as heterosexual couples, it shouldn't matter what we call the union. But as I considered the issue more thoroughly, my opinion evolved (some might even say flip-flopped). Imagine if we called interracial marriage by another name. What would the children of those unions hear at school? We've tried separate but equal in this country... it doesn't work and it's not equal. It wasn't so long ago that we had only MEN in jobs... policeMEN, mailMEN, CongressMEN. Women reacted. Labels matter.
Mutiny in Iraq: Army unit refuses a Hamburger Hill assignment
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. (via The Clarion-Ledger)
Bushy McBulge or, The Hunchback of Notre Debate
Here's a compendium of Bush Bulge pictures. This has moved WAY beyond conspiracy theory stuff. If you're interested in other Bush bulges, you can search bush codpiece.
Why change horsemen mid-apocalypse?
My favorite sign from this week's National Freeway Free Speech Day. I really admire these folks. They bring out the inner anarchist in me.
Wolf Blitzer asks the really tough questions: Do you think sexual preference is a choice?
Vote on Wolf's site. I couldn't help but notice that when I voted the count was 83,036 NO; 36,958 YES. That's 69% NO; 31% YES.
That whole Bush Olympics thing was a Republican operative plot
Republican operatives "found" Bush Olympic posters in a Tennessee Congressman's office. NOT. They were planted. By the bad guys. Then found. These guys will stop at nothing. The next thing you know, Dick Cheney is going to be on TV saying he's outraged that John Kerry would mention that Cheney's daughter is a lesbian.
One difference between John Kerry and George Bush: facts
As Hillary Clinton put it, Kerry may sometimes change his positions to fit the facts. But Bush changes the facts to fit his positions. (via Newsweek)
Are we safer in America? Scenes from NYC
Seen on 10/14/04 in NYC. 51st and 7th. What were eight police cars and police in riot gear doing in Midtown on a Thursday morning outside an insurance company? Must have been a threat. Sen. Mark Dayton is leaving D.C. because of security concerns; cop cars barricade a company entrance. Feel safer under George Bush?
Understand the issues: Why civil union status is separate and unequal
From scribbling.net comes the article 1,049 Federal Rights Depend on Marital Status. Read this piece and understand why saying a civil union is the same as marriage is both unfair and discriminatory. Civil unions are not the same as marriage, not in the eyes of the law. Friends, please read the scribbling.net piece. This issue isn't one for vague generalities and platitudes - you can influence public policy and stave off discrimination by being prepared with the facts. 1,049 of them.
Major items from the article:
Hospital Visitation Rights: Married couples have the automatic right to visit each other in the hospital and make medical decisions. Same sex couples can be denied the right to visit a sick or injured partner in the hospital.
Health insurance: Many public and private employers provide medical coverage to the legal spouses of their employees, but most employers do not provide coverage to the same-sex partners of their employees. LGBT employees who do receive health coverage for their same-sex partners must pay federal income taxes on the value of the insurance. Same-sex couples cannot even buy a family health insurance policy on the open market.
Spousal Privilege: Spousal privilege, granted to married couples, is the right of a person to refuse to testify against their spouse in the court of law.
Inheritance rights: When a married person's spouse dies, the survivor can automatically inherit a substantial share from the deceased spouse's estate regardless of whether a will exists. Without marriage, a same-sex partner has no automatic right to inherit.
Family leave: Married workers in many workplaces are legally entitled to unpaid leave from their jobs to care for an ill spouse but workers with same-sex partners have no right to family leave.
Pensions: After the death of a worker, most pension plans pay survivor benefits only to a legal spouse of the participant - so surviving same-sex partners get no pension support for their surviving partners. Any pension dies with the worker.
Nursing homes: Married couples have a legal right to live together in nursing homes. An unmarried and elderly same-sex couple does not have the right to spend their final days together in a nursing home.
Home protection: Laws protect married seniors from being forced to sell their homes to pay high nursing-home bills; seniors in same-sex relationships have no such protection. A non-married partner can be forced to sell his or her own house to repay a state lien for nursing home care. A non-married partner who lives in the home but does not own it could even be forced from the home to pay nursing home costs.
Retirement savings: While a married person can roll over a deceased spouse's 401(k) or IRA funds into an IRA without paying taxes, surviving partners in same-sex relationships must withdraw the entire amount, pay income taxes on it and also lose the tax deferral benefits of these accounts.
Taxes: Estate taxes. A spouse who dies may leave an unlimited amount of property to the surviving spouse without paying any state or federal estate taxes. Without the benefit of marriage, any amount of property over the federal or state exclusion amounts is taxed. Income tax. Every year, Terra and I are forced to file our taxes separately, as "single" people, ineligible for the tax benefits afforded to married couples.
Social Security benefits: Married people receive Social Security payments upon the death of a spouse. Despite paying payroll taxes, surviving partners in same-sex relationships receive no Social Security survivor benefits resulting in an average annual income loss of $5,528 upon the death of a partner.
And this is just the start. The US Government's General Accounting Office issued a complete list of the 1,049 laws involving marital status.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Heh, heh. Heh, heh. George Bush thinks 45 million Americans without healthcare is funny
Watch the video. Q: Who is responsible for the problems with healthcare? "Heh, heh. Gosh, I sure hope it's not the Administration. Heh, heh."
See Fahrenheit 9/11 for free at Conestoga High School
If you're on the Main Line in Philly, you can come to Conestoga High School in Berwyn, PA to see a screening of Fahrenheit 9/11. A letter from this evening:
Subject: Conestoga H. S. Young Dems showing Fahrenheit 9/11 free!
Hi all,
I wanted to spread the word that the Conestoga Young Democrats are showing Fahrenheit 9/11 at Conestoga High School next Tuesday, October 19th at 6:30 pm. The entire community is invited, students and adults.
It's free, so if you're a Bush supporter, you can see it without the guilt of lining Michael Moore's pockets. If you're a Kerry supporter, it's worth seeing twice.
A non-partisan message from the mother of the President (...of the CHS Young Democrats).
Lynne Brown
Bush Olympics
At the risk of being insensitive, I had to laugh when I saw this...especially because Little Green Footballs posted it. Those Wingnuts said the picture was being sent out by a Tennessee State Representative. I don't know about the art's provenance, but I do know the first rule of counter-argument isn't to repeat the accusation.
National Freeway Free Speech Day
Yesterday was National Freeway Free Speech Day. See what people said and did.
I saw the aftermath of an SUV crushing a small car in Devon, PA yesterday. This sign made me think that maybe there's something else to think about besides "whose is bigger?". (photo via Freewayblogger.com)
Hard Working George
George Bush's debate rhetoric in 60 seconds. It's hard work being Incurious George. (via simsadler.com)
"Middle class tax cuts" is an oxymoron; George Bush is just a moron
George Bush claimed last night, "Most of the tax cuts went to low- and middle-income Americans. And now the tax code is more fair. Twenty percent of the upper-income people pay about 80 percent of the taxes in America today because of how we structured the tax cuts." FactCheck.org calls him on it:
Bush could hardly have been farther off base when he said most of his tax cuts "went to low- and middle-income Americans." That's just not true.
In fact, the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center recently calculated that most of the tax cuts -- 53% to be exact -- went to the highest-earning 10% of US individuals and families. Those most affluent Americans got an average tax cut of $7,661.
And as for the "low- and middle-income Americans" Bush mentioned -- the bottom 60% of individuals and families got only 13.7% of the tax cuts, according to the Tax Policy Center, a far cry from "most" of the cuts as claimed by Bush.
The President came closer to the mark, but still got it wrong, when he said in the same breath that the top 20% of earners pay "about 80% of the taxes in America today." That's incorrect.
In fact, as we reported only that morning, the Congressional Budget Office calculates that the top 20% now pay 63.5% of the total federal tax burden, which includes income taxes, payroll taxes and other federal levies. It's true that the top 20% pays nearly 81% of all federal income taxes, but the president spoke more expansively of "taxes in America," not just income taxes.
George Bush mentions Tom Lea. Did he mean Tommy Lee from Motley Crue?
Last night, George Bush concluded Debate III with a story about Texas artist Tom Lea. That was the "east side of the mountain" speech. Atrios, in Recycle Man, points out that Bush told that same story in 2000. (Can't teach an old chimp new tricks.) I was thinking that it would have been cooler if Bush had updated the story to say he had just read Tommy Lee's Tommyland or was rocking to Music to Crash Your Car To.
Ralph Nader is off the ballot in Pennsylvania
Two-thirds of the signatures on Ralph Nader's nominating petitions were invalid. Nader off the ballot and the Bushies abandoning Pennsylvania is good news for John Kerry in PA. But I will miss the ad blitz we've had in Philadelphia. Oh well, I'll see if Comcast carries any Ohio stations.
Kerry wins Debate III: The polls
USA Today/CNN/Gallup
Kerry: 52
Bush: 39
Keith Olberman/MSNBC
By rounds, Kerry 12, Bush 5
By points, Kerry 18, Bush 3
Others still coming in. BTW: Not a mention this morning about Bush's lie about putting Osama bin Laden out of his mind. The video is here.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Initial CNN results for Debate III: John Kerry wins bigtime
CNN on air
Kerry: 52
Bush: 39
This had not chance to be affected by the spin. CNN expects the numbers to go up for John Kerry.
Where's Osama bin Laden? George Bush says he's not that concerned
George Bush sure did say he didn't think much about Osama bin Laden. This is shades of Ronald Reagan...maybe he just can't remember. Maybe this video will jog his memory.
ADDED: From George Bush's press conference in March 2002
Q: Mr. President, in your speeches now you rarely talk or mention Osama bin Laden. Why is that?...
THE PRESIDENT: Deep in my heart I know the man is on the run, if he's alive at all. Who knows if he's hiding in some cave or not; we haven't heard from him in a long time. ..So I don't know where he is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you.
Kerry: I'm tired of politicians who talk about family values but don't value families
This is a good line for John Kerry...he's got Bush on minimum wage. "The President wants to deny 9.2 million women $3080 a year, but he cares very much about getting another $136,000 for a millionaire."
Bushism #2: It's like the buggy and horse days
Thought he was going to say the healthcare companies need to use the internets more.
Activist judges are defining the defintion of marriage
First Bushism of the night. Now he's slurring his words.
John Kerry looks into the camera; George Bush is smirking
This gonna get good...Georgies' gonna blow here...I give him seven minutes.
Being lectured by the President about fiscal responsibility is a little like being lectured by Tony Soprano about law and order
Boo-yah. Kick em, John
The Smirking Chimp is being a smartass
Audience laughed when George Bush lied. "I don't think I ever said I didn't worry about Osama bin Laden. It's one of those EXAGGERATIONS." Kerry's gonna get him. Kerry's smiling.
Pre-debate III: Bill O'Reilly is caught playing with his O'Reilly Factor
Read about the sexual harassment lawsuit filed against the sicko Bill O'Reilly. We report, you deride.
Bush campaign abandoning Pennsylvania: He can run, but he can't hide
Atrios has a piece that says the Bush campaign is leaving PA and cutting its ad spending. We might want to use one of George Bush's lines on himself: You can run, but you can't hide.
Note to self: Don't win a $87 million lottery jackpot then get in a gunfight with police
This guy won $87 million in a group ticket with fellow Starbucks employees. He bought a house for his mother. Then he got into a gunfight with Seattle police. He's dead. Note to self: If you win the lottery, move somewhere warm and don't worry, be happy.
Law-and-order Republicans were heard rejoicing the lottery windfall. (Okay, I made that up.) Dick Cheney and John Ashcroft were heard humming the first bars to Ironic by Alanis Morrisette - An old man turned ninety-eight/He won the lottery and died the next day. (Okay, I made that up, too.)
Massacre in Iraq
Live peaceably with Iraqis. Then, when the order comes to clear the town, massacre innocent people. And label them "insurgents" to clear your conscience. Be sickened.
And don't forget the bombing of innocent civilians caught on tape. Look here. And don't look away. Think about what's really happening in Iraq.
Democrat voter registration forms trashed in Nevada
A private company that collected voter registration forms in Nevada trashed perhaps thousands of forms signed by Democrats. Final acts of desperation by Republicans. Read more.
John Kerry leads on domestic issues in Gallup poll
John Kerry leads George Bush by 10 points in polls about domestic issues. In a USA Today-Gallup poll taken October 9-10, showed Sen. Kerry far ahead on the topics that will be discussed in tonight's Debate III.
Get out of Washington D.C. says Sen. Mark Dayton
Sen. Mark Dayton (D-Minn) is closing his Washington D.C. office and sending his staffers to work elsewhere because he's worried about extreme danger in the capital. Something's up. I was in D.C. on Monday and Tuesday, and the city has really changed. You can't get within a country mile of the White House, and there are fences and guards everywhere. I used to wander around that city frequently and loved the access. Now it's a prison perimeter with beautiful buildings behind barbed wire.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Security Scholars for Sensible Foreign Policy say George Bush's policies have failed
From Security Scholars for a Sensible Foreign Policy:
An Open Letter to the American People:
We, a nonpartisan group of foreign affairs specialists, have joined together to call urgently for a change of course in American foreign and national security policy. We judge that the current American policy centered around the war in Iraq is the most misguided one since the Vietnam period, one which harms the cause of the struggle against extreme Islamist terrorists.
Germany backs Kerry: Would consider sending troops to Iraq if conditions "change"
German officials say they would consider sending troops to Iraq "if conditions change significantly." Read: When John Kerry becomes president. Mr. Kerry's coalition idea is working. Read more.
Tell Sinclair they will lose customers
In case you want to share your feelings about Sinclair's attempts to influence voters, I thought I'd make it easy by sharing my short note to three key executives (thanks to Atrios for the e-mail addresses). Atrios has a lot of good info about Sinclair - you can get the facts here on iFlipFlop and there at Eschaton. Sinclair needs to know this broadcast will hit them where it hurts - in their pocketbooks.
Addresses:
dsmith@sbgnet.com, jdefeo@sbgnet.com, mhyman@sbgnet.com
Dear [Senior Sinclair Executive]
I want to let you know that I will be boycotting all of your businesses if you air the anti-Kerry documentary just prior to the election. As an owner of media outlets, I believe that you have a responsibility to be unbiased. Unless you show Fahrenheit 9/11 on the same day at a comparable time, you'll lose me as a consumer. And, I'll work actively to make sure that others do the same.
Although I have an MBA, it doesn't take one to see the clear business case against such a broadcast. Fully half of this country is pro-Kerry - it could be a very costly business (or political) decision on your part. I am contacting your advertisers with a similar message.
Sincerely,
Sarah
Cut and paste and change the signature. Couldn't be easier.
George Bush's facts aren't checking out at FactCheck.org
From FactCheck.org today:
Pro-Bush Puffery on Economy, Medicare
New ad claims Bush inherited an economy "already in recession" and that 41 million seniors "now have access to lower cost prescriptions." Wrong on both counts.
Summary
The ad by the pro-Bush group Progress for America Voter Fund claims the economy was already in a recession when Bush took office, but the National Bureau of Economic Research (which dates business cycles) says the recession actually began in March 2001, after Bush took office in January.
The facts also get stretched when the ad claims "41 million seniors now have access to lower cost prescriptions (emphasis added)." Bush's new prescription drug benefit will cover seniors on Medicare for an extra premium of about $35 a month, but not until 2006. Even the currently available drug discount cards have been used much less than expected. Current enrollment is less than 5 million.
More Vote for Change pictures: Stipe, Springsteen, Dixie Chicks, James Taylor
More (and slightly cleaned up) pictures from the Vote for Change Finale last night in Washington, D.C.
R.E.M.'s set was stirring. And Michael Stipe was great. This is the shirt he wore for the finale's finale. He showed it to everyone.
The crowd was very enthusiastic about the Dixie Chicks, who sang Truth Number 2 as their finale. (You don't like the sound of the truth/Coming from my mouth/You say that I lack the proof/Well baby that might be so/I might get to the end of my life/Find out everyone was lying/I don't think that I'm afraid anymore say that I would rather die trying.) Um, the other guy there was That Lonesome Man, JT. James Taylor wasn't lonely, and his collaboration with the Dixie Chicks on Sweet Baby James was one of the best of the night.
Michael Stipe and Bruce Springsteen did "Because the Night" together. They were a blur on stage(and in this photo...but it captures Michael's hyperkinetic dancing and Bruce's frantic guitar riff.)
Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce!
A long shot of the finale. It did have a crazy moment...there were guys in a Richard Nixon mask and a gorilla mask up on stage. I didn't get that part. I did get Peace, Love and Understanding.
Marriage is a human right, not a heterosexual privilege
Seen today in front of the White House. These brave people traveled the country and collected thousands of signatures opposing the Bush Administration's move to discriminate against gays. Visit their site at DontAmend.com. And, got to PBS and cast a vote on your stand on gay marriage.
They collected signatures and got support across the heartland.
California Assemblyman Mark Leno sponsored anti-discrimination legislation. He was at the event this morning to lend his support and endorsement for the DontAmend.com project. One member of a married gay couple signs the 100-foot-long scroll.
Gotta watch out for that "rampant lesbianism"...in Oklahoma junior high schools!
So says nutjob Republican Senate Candidate Tom Coburn. This would actually be funny if it weren't so...Republican. From SF Gate:
In the tape released by the campaign of Brad Carson, the Democratic candidate, Coburn says a campaign worker from Coalgate told him that "lesbianism is so rampant in some of the schools in southeast Oklahoma that they'll only let one girl go to the bathroom. Now think about it. Think about that issue. How is it that that's happened to us?"
Stop Sinclair
Sign the petition. Now.
Boycott Sinclair Broadcasting. Lots of links to advertisers. Get mobilized. Call one today.
If you're wondering about whether this is a tempest in a teacup, look at the reach of Sinclair Broadcasting.
Vote for Change Finale Pictures: Springsteen, R.E.M., Dave Matthews Band, and Jackson Brown
It's late, so these are just a few pictures from the 5-hour-long Vote for Change Finale tonight in D.C. The bands were fantastic and I thought I'd post a few pictures from the event. When I get a little sleep I'll Photoshop the rest so there will be better lighting and such. (Sorry, had to sneak in a tiny camera; small aperture equals grainy shots. I did get some funny, higher-quality pix outside the venue that will be worth seeing.)
The final song was Peace, Love and Understanding. "The people have the power." It rocked the house. This is the entire group of artists including Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., Babyface, Jurassic, John Mellencamp, Dave Mathews Band, Dixie Chicks, James Taylor, Pearl Jam, John Fogerty, Jackson Brown, and others.
Michael Stipe was his animated self, and proudly showed this shirt at the end of the show.
Jackson Brown wore a Vote Peace '04 from KerryTShirts. Bruce Springsteen mentioned it during the show and said everyone should have a Vote Peace shirt.
I was sitting in the same section as DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe. He was very generous with his time. People were energized to meet him. I was.
And one sorta dark, Dave Matthews Band photo. The audience went nuts for him. He played just before Bruce. (Um, Bruce was last.)
Monday, October 11, 2004
The sins of Sinclair are blessed by The Son
This is serious stuff. Sinclair Broadcasting, a publicly-owned conglomerate, is forcing its local subsidiaries to show anti-Kerry propaganda the night before the election. The company has gotten an admonishment from the FCC, yet it looks poised to proceed. The situation is this: public broadcasting has an obligation to work in the public interest. (It's because you and I own the public airwaves and the FCC licenses them to advance the public good.) Showing a grossly-misleading movie, Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal, about John Kerry's anti-war activism upon his return from Vietnam, is not in the public interest. Sinclair wants to do it. But there are ways to apply pressure.
Atrios says make some new friends.
The Left Coaster advocates action with advertisers and supporters.
Write a letter. Call your representative. Hold Sinclair Broadcasting responsible as stewards of the public airwaves they are entrusted to use by you for the public good. BTW: We Progressives should feel equally incensed if ABC, for example, were planning to show Fahrenheit 9/11 the night before the election (even though there is no comparison in the research depth or quality of the two films).
John Kerry opens a 3-point lead on George Bush
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic challenger John Kerry expanded his slight lead over President Bush to three points in a tight race for the White House, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Monday. Read more.
George Bush's dry drunk syndrome
(photo via American Politics Journal)
This has made the rounds for a few years, but the application of dry drunk syndrome to George Bush's behavior is more pertinent than ever. Professor Katherine van Wormer outlined the dry drunk syndrome that Alcoholics Anonymous members call behavior that has these symptoms:
* Exaggerated self-importance and pomposityProf. van Wormer continues, "In short, George W. Bush seems to possess the traits characteristic of addictive persons who still have the thought patterns that accompany substance abuse." It is strange, considering the Bush presenile dementia video and his bizarre behavior at Debate II. And let's not forget him acting quite drunk at a friend's wedding long after he said he was dry.
* Grandiose behavior
* A rigid, judgmental outlook
* Impatience
* Childish behavior
* Irresponsible behavior
* Irrational rationalization
* Projection
* Overreaction
Florida election ballot
See how they do things "good and impartial" in Florida, according to Governor Jeb Bush. Cast your vote today!
Thx to JJJS for this one. Ta-ra-ra-ra-ra.kids-3john.mid
A letter to William Safire: Grow up, young man
A letter I sent to William Safire today
***************************************
Dear Mr. Safire,
RE: How Bush Won Round Two
Seriously, did you watch Debate II? You can actually cite with a straight face that "Bush was ready with a powerful counterpunch, 'Tell Tony Blair we'll go it alone...'?" That wasn't a counterpunch, that was a cheap rabbit punch aimed at Charlie Gibson and John Kerry. George Bush was the petulant little boy who was going to get his own way, damn the rules. Decent people use Marquis of Queensbury Rules; George Bush is like the kid who bites and kicks and when things get bad, calls his mommy (in this case, Condi Rice).
Sir, you are a better thinker and a better writer than to play into the "flip-flop" argument advanced by Republican juveniles, who are more interested in calling people names than speaking of their record of failure in Iraq and the American economy. A sound and respected journalist such as yourself should be ashamed to be chanting like a child just because all the "popular" kids are doing it. Stand up and be proud of yourself, young man.
Sincerely,
Frank
Vote for Change Finale
I'm lucky enough to be going to the Vote for Change finale tonight in D.C. I'll post a bunch of pictures tomorrow afternoon. In the interim, though, they will broadcast the concert tonight on Sundance Channel. You can also download Real Player and watch a live web stream. Look for me. I'll be the one waving my arms in the air.
George Bush presenile dementia video
From Kos. It's a scary descent into dementia, caught on tape. In 1994, George Bush could speak in full sentences; in 2004 he can barely speak in fragmented sentences.
Furious George and the Very Bothersome Appointee
The Kerry/Edwards Rapid Response Unit published this in response to George Bush's "I can't think of a single mistake I've made...well, maybe one" answer in Debate II:
During the second presidential debate, Bush was asked to give three instances in which you came to realize you had made a wrong decision, and what you did to correct it. Bush refused to answer the question directly, but he did imply he was unhappy with someone in his administration: I made some mistakes in appointing people, but I'm not going to name them. I don't want to hurt their feelings on national TV.Click here to see the Rogue's Gallery of Suspects.
Hey, kids, shake it loose together
Read The Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy's S.M. Dixon on motivating the youth vote. Great read. And where else can you get a link to the phrase hoist with his own petard?
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Dred Scott explained: It's code for anti-choice
Kynn at Daily Kos explains how George Bush's reference to the Dred Scott case wasn't lost on the anti-choice crowd. Dred Scott is code for removing a woman's right to choose. Kynn says:
Dred Scott and Roe v. Wade are an ominous parallel. In the Dred Scott Supreme Court, 7 to 2 decision, it was determined that blacks were not persons, they were the property of their owner, who could choose to sell or kill, that abolitionists should not impose morality on the slaveowner, slavery is legal. In the Roe v Wade, 7 to 2 decision, it was determined that the unborn are not persons, they are the property of their owners (the mother), their owner could choose to keep or kill, that the anti-abortionist should not impose their morality on the mother, abortion is legal.
In short: When Bush made reference to "Dred Scott" he was assuring his anti-choice constituents that he would indeed only appoint Supreme Court justices who would remove abortion rights.
I don't know, but I've been told, the Iraq war is getting old
From MSNBC's article For Marines, Iraq a frustrating fight:
"I feel we're going to be here for years and years and years," said Lance Cpl. Edward Elston, 22, of Hackettstown, N.J. "I don't think anything is going to get better; I think it's going to get a lot worse. It's going to be like a Palestinian-type deal. We're going to stop being a policing presence and then start being an occupying presence. ... We're always going to be here. We're never going to leave."
Think George Bush knows how to play chess?
Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. Notice the Kerry bumper stickers in the foreground. Somehow I just don't imagine Bush supporters playing chess. Republicans like Battleship.
How to become a Republican
If you repeat a lie, it becomes your truth. And if you repeat a lie often enough, you become a Republican. - Betty Bowers
Interesting trivia Sunday: Washington Redskins games predict presidential winners
Enough sniping (at least for this morning). Here's an interesting little tidbit from Snopes:
Claim: The outcome of Washington Redskins football games has correctly predicted the winner of every U.S. presidential election since 1936.UPDATE: PACK WINS 28-14. KERRY'S GOING TO THE WHITE HOUSE. HERE'S THE WRITE-UP.
Status: True.
The Washington Redskins have proved to be a time-tested election predictor. In the previous 15 elections, if the Washington Redskins have lost their last home game prior to the election, the incumbent party has lost the White House. When they have won, the incumbent has stayed in power.
This election year, that deciding game takes place on Sunday, October 31 ... vs. Green Bay.
Go Pack!!!
Bush's bulge stirs media rumours
File under "Funny but true headlines." Those Brits. It's a BBC article about George Bush wearing a wire at Debate I.
Saturday, October 09, 2004
JibJab: It's Good to be in D.C.
You can watch the new film here by the creators of This Land at JibJab.com. Send those guys some money for the entertainment. It's $4.99 to download both This Land and It's Good to be in D.C.
Afghanistan "election" is marred by fraud; U.S. Supreme Court to intervene
Afghani men in burqas line up to vote in fradulent election today. Overheard: Hey, who's going to know? Our faces are covered. (Photo: Reuters)
The Supreme Court part I made up. That was Florida in 2000. Sorry. But the "fair election" in Afghanistan that George Bush talked about isn't happening. Bush said today, "A marvelous thing is happening in Afghanistan. Freedom is powerful." Freedom is powerful, but so is fraud. The 15 non-US-supported candidates for president in Afghanistan withdrew and claimed massive voter fraud. I guess that's what we can expect for Iraqis elections in January.
He can run but he can't hide, says George Bush
George Bush said of John Kerry today, "He can run but he can't hide." More cowboy words. Bush used that language last night during the debate and this morning at a rally in St. Louis...and he used those same words about Osama bin Laden. So, I guess it's just another empty threat by George Bush, because look at where those threats got him in Tora Bora.
John Kerry will win, one voter at a time
Seen in Philly @ 18th and Walnut on Friday. This woman symbolizes the drive behind John Kerry's campaign and why he'll win by a significant margin on Nov 2. It's one person at a time. And they tell somebody, and they tell somebody, and pretty soon we'll have an honest government.
Bush versus Reality: The Wrap-Up
From U.S. Newswire, the entire text of the Kerry-Edwards press release about Debate II. This one's titled Bush vs. Reality:
To: National Desk, Political Reporter
Contact: Chad Clanton or Phil Singer, 202-464-2800, both of Kerry-Edwards 2004; http://www.johnkerry.com
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following fact sheet "Bush Vs. Reality -- Wrap Up" was released today by the Kerry- Edwards campaign:
BUSH vs. Reality
BUSH SAID: We're going to train troops, and we are. We'll have 125,000 trained by the end of December.
REALITY: Back in February, they said 200,000 and Interim Prime Minister Allawi recently told a joint session of Congress that only 50,000 are ready. And, according to documents provided by the Pentagon to Rep Obey, only 22,700 security personnel have enough training to be "minimally effective." (Rumsfeld, Department of Defense Briefing, 9/7/04; Allawi, Address to Joint Session of Congress, 9/23/04; Appropriations Committee, Democratic Staff; Rep. Obey; Fact Sheet, 9/24/04)
BUSH SAID: That's an odd thing to say, since we have tripled the homeland security budget from 10 to 30 billion dollars.
REALITY: The Bush administration's own estimates show that the Department of Homeland Security did not even double its budget. (OMB, Budget FY 2005, page 178)
BUSH SAID: When a drug comes in from Canada, I want to make sure it cures you and doesn't kill you.
REALITY: Congressional Research Service issued reports in 2001 and 2003, concluding both times that the Canadian drug supply was safe for importation to the US. (New York Times, 6/21/03; Knight Ridder, 11/27/03; USA Today, 8/12/03)
BUSH SAID: Q: Why did you block the reimportation of safer and inexpensive drugs from Canada which would have cut 40 to 60 percent off of the costs? Bush: I haven't yet.
REALITY: White House Opposed Drug Re-Importation During Medicare Debate. In a Statement of Administration Principals issued by the White House Office of Management and Budget on July 23, 2003, Bush stated his strong opposition to drug re-importation. (Office of Management and Budget, SAP on HR 2472, 7/23/03, http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb)
BUSH SAID: They create government-sponsored health care. Maybe you think that makes sense. I don't. Government-sponsored health care would lead to rationing. It would ruin the quality of health care in America.
REALITY: Independent Analysts Agree That Kerry's Plan Would Not Disrupt Coverage -- But Would Actually Expand It. "Kerry's proposal avoids the usual pitfalls of Democratic health reform efforts. It is not overly prescriptive, and it wouldn't disrupt current health insurance." (Jeff Lemieux, Centrists.org, 8/25/04)
BUSH vs. Reality Debate Wrap-Up
TAXES: The Truth Behind Bush's Attack
BUSH SAID: "Yeah, he's got a record. He's been there for 20 years. You can run, but you can't hide. He voted 98 times to raise taxes. I mean, these aren't made-up." - GWB, 10/8/04
REALITY: BOGUS ATTACKS: These Attacks Have Been Declared Iffy And Misleading "Wrongly Claimed," "Iffy:" "Cheney accused Kerry of voting for taxes 98 times. That's down from the 350 times wrongly claimed by Republicans, but it's still iffy. Those 98 votes include times when many procedural votes were cast on a single tax increase or package." (Woodward, AP, 10/6/04)
"Misleading" Says NBC: LISA MYERS: " Misleading...The ad inflates the numbers by adding procedural votes and even counting Kerry's votes to cut taxes by less than others proposed. (NBC Nightly News, 10/5/04)
Kerry Has Gone On The Legislative Record Over 640 Times For Lower Taxes. (Congressional Quarterly Votes; CQ's Congress & The Nation; CQ Almanac; Senate Republican Policy Committee; Congressional Research Service bill summaries (via thomas.loc.gov), bill texts (via thomas.loc.gov))
George Bush's Plan Shifts the Tax Burden to the Middle Class. In contrast, under the Bush plan the "Tax Burden Shifts to the Middle" according to a Washington Post headline, and middle America -- average annual income $75,600 -- saw its share of the federal tax burden increase from 18.5 percent to 19.5 percent." In addition, George Bush has imposed a tax of thousands of dollars on families through higher costs for health care, gasoline, college tuition, and state and local taxes. (Tax Policy Center, "Kerry Plan vs. Current-Law, Size of Individual Income Tax Change, 2005," 9/16/2004 and Washington Post, 8/13/04)
Cheney Voted For 144 Tax and Fee Increases Which Became Law. Factcheck.org has said that "Bush Still Fudging the Numbers on Kerry's Tax Votes." Michael Kinsley pointed out in the Washington Post that applying the same logic would show that George Bush has proposed dozens of tax increases as President. And an analysis of Cheneys voting record shows that Cheney voted for higher taxes 144 times, including the largest peacetime tax increase in history in 1982. (Factcheck.org, "Bush Still Fudging the Numbers on Kerry's Tax Votes," 8/30/2004; Washington Post 3/24/2004; HR 4961, 1982 CQ Almanac, vote No. 289, 84-H; Wall Street Journal, 10/26/94; FY85-90 Federal Budgets, internal calculations; Tax descriptions from the 1982 Congressional Quarterly Almanac)
IRAQ: Bush Threatened to Veto Funding for Our Troops in Combat
BUSH SAID: "He said he voted for the $87 billion or voted against it right before he voted for it. This is a confusing signal for people." - GWB, 10/8/04
REALITY: Bush Threatened to Veto $87 Billion. The White House threatened to veto funding for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan if Congress made reconstruction aid for Iraqis a loan, rather than a grant as Bush wanted. "'If this provision is not removed, the president's senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill,' Joshua B. Bolten, the White House budget director, wrote in a letter to Congressional leaders." (New York Times, 10/22/03)
John Kerry Voted to Pay for Iraqs Reconstruction Through Shared Sacrifice, Not a Blank Check for a Failed Policy. After witnessing the way in which the president went to war -- without our allies, without properly equipping the troops, without a plan to win the peace John Kerry supported a responsible plan to pay for George Bushs $87 billion Iraq reconstruction plan, co-sponsoring and voting for an amendment to rescind the tax cut for the wealthiest Americans in order to pay for Iraq. (SA 1796, Kerry original cosponsor 10/1/03; Vote #373, 10/2/03; Vote No. 400, 10/17/03; Kerry statement, Congressional Record, 10/17/03)
IRAQ: The Kerry Plan vs. The Bush Plan
BUSH SAID: "My opponent says he has a plan. It sounds familiar because it's called the Bush plan." - GWB, 10/8/04
KERRY SAID: "I have laid out a different plan because the president's plan is not working." JK, 10/8/04
REALITY: John Kerry Has a Plan to Win the Peace in Iraq. John Kerry and John Edwards believe the following principles should guide American policy in Iraq right now: internationalize, because others must share the burden; train Iraqis, because they must be responsible for their own security; move forward with reconstruction because that's an important way to stop the spread of terror; and help Iraqis achieve a viable government, because it is up to them to run their own country. (www.johnkerry.com)
Bush Rushed To War With No Plan To Win The Peace. Bush told the country that the administration would "plan carefully" for a war in Iraq. Yet in August 2003, the Joint Chiefs of Staff prepared a secret report assessing the post-war planning for Iraq. The report blamed "setbacks in Iraq on a flawed and rushed war-planning process." It also said "planners were not given enough time" to plan for reconstruction. A New York Times report found that, "A yearlong State Department study predicted many of the problems that have plagued the American-led occupation of Iraq." The study was produced by experts on Iraq from various fields, yet "several officials said that many of the findings in the $5 million study were ignored by Pentagon officials" until after the war. (Bush Remarks, 10/7/02; Washington Times, 9/3/03, emphasis added; New York Times, 10/19/03)
IRAQ: Bush Didnt Listen to His Generals
BUSH SAID: "I remember going down to the basement of the White House the day we committed our troops as a last resort, looking atommy franks and the generals on the ground, asking them do we have the right plan with the right troop level? And they looked me in the eye and said yes, sir, Mr. President. Of course I listen to our generals." - GWB, 10/8/04
REALITY: SENIOR OFFICIALS AGREE WE NEED MORE TROOPS
Bremer: "We Never Had Enough Troops." In recent days, former Coalition Provisional Authority Adminstrator Bremer repeatedly criticized the Bush Administration for failing to send enough troops to keep order in Iraq. "We never had enough troops on the ground," Bremer said. In mid-September, Bremer stated that "the single most important change -- the one thing that would have improved the situation -- would have been having more troops in Iraq at the beginning and throughout." (Associated Press, 10/5/04; Paul Bremer Remarks, DePaul University, 9/16/04)
Echo Gen. Shinseki's Estimate that "Several Hundred Thousand" Troops Would Be Needed for a Postwar Occupation of Iraq. "More than a year ago then Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki told Congress the occupation of Iraq would require 'several hundred thousand' troops. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz called that estimate 'wildly off the mark.' The Pentagon leaked the name of Shinseki's replacement months before his scheduled retirement, rendering him a lame duck." (UPI, 4/12/04)
IRAQ: Iraq Could Not Have Passed WMDs to Terrorists
BUSH SAID: "Saddam Hussein was a threat because he could have given weapons of mass destruction to terrorist enemies." - GWB, 10/8/04
REALITY: Bush Admitted Yesterday That Iraq Did Not Have WMD. Bush: "Chief weapons inspector, Charles Duelfer, has now issued a comprehensive report that confirms the earlier conclusion of David Kay that Iraq did not have the weapons that our intelligence believed were there." (Bush Remarks, 10/7/04)
New Duelfer Report Concluded No WMD. "The 1991 Persian Gulf War and subsequent U.N. inspections destroyed Iraq's illicit weapons capability and, for the most part, Saddam Hussein did not try to rebuild it, according to an extensive report by the chief U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq that contradicts nearly every prewar assertion made by top administration officials about Iraq. Charles A. Duelfer, whom the Bush administration chose to complete the U.S. investigation of Iraq's weapons programs, said Hussein's ability to produce nuclear weapons had progressively decayed since 1991. Inspectors, he said, found no evidence of concerted efforts to restart the program." (Washington Post, 10/7/04)
NORTH KOREA: Bush's Failed Policy of Neglect
BUSH SAID: "Let me talk about North Korea. It is naive and dangerous to take a policy that he suggested the other day, which is to have bilateral relations with North Korea." - GWB, 10/8/04
REALITY: North Korean Nuclear Capability Has Quadrupled Under Bush's Watch While He Sat By and Failed to Do Anything. The Bush administration's erratic handling of the North Korean nuclear crisis has served only to create confusion and put North Korea's despotic leader, Kim Jong Il, in the driver's seat. Bush initially said he would "not tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea," yet since he took office, North Korea's nuclear capability has "quadrupled," with U.S. intelligence services estimating that Pyongyang now has fuel for up to eight nuclear weapons. According to Bush Administration officials, "The United States has determined that North Korea is working on new ballistic missile systems designed to deliver nuclear warheads and that it is testing the technology by proxy in Iran." (ABC, "This Week, 9/12/04; Christian Science Monitor, 9/15/04; Associated Press, 8/5/04; NYT, 9/12/04)
Former Bush Special Envoy to North Korea Said Bush Lacked An Effective Strategy To Deal With North Korea. Charles Pritchard, formerly Secretary of State Colin Powell's top official dealing with North Korea, has warned for months that "the White House lacks an effective strategy to dissuade North Korea from building up its nuclear arms." Under Bush's watch, "North Korea's nuclear arsenal, which was once thought to number one or two weapons, appears to be growing substantially." According to Pritchard, the situation has deteriorated because "the administration has neither offered much of a carrot nor wielded a stick." The administration has refused to engage North Korea in direct negotiations or "put the North Koreans on notice that further developments will trigger economic sanctions or perhaps even military actions." (United Press International, 9/21/04)
TAXES: Bush's Tax Cuts Are Shifting the Burden to the Middle Class
BUSH SAID: "Created a ten percent tax bracket for the low-income Americans. That's right at the middle class. He voted against it and yet he tells you he is for a middle class tax cut. You have to be consistent when you're the president." - GWB, 10/8/04
REALITY: George Bush's Plan Shifts the Tax Burden to the Middle Class. In contrast, under the Bush plan the "Tax Burden Shifts to the Middle" according to a Washington Post headline, and "middle America - average annual income $75,600 - saw its share of the federal tax burden increase from 18.5 percent to 19.5 percent." In addition, George Bush has imposed a tax of thousands of dollars on families through higher costs for health care, gasoline, college tuition, and state and local taxes. (Tax Policy Center, "Kerry Plan vs. Current-Law, Size of Individual Income Tax Change, 2005," 9/16/2004 and Washington Post, 8/13/04)
HOMELAND SECURITY: Bush Hasn't Doubled Budget
BUSH SAID: "We've doubled the size of the budget for homeland security." - GWB, 10/8/04
REALITY: Bush Overstates What He has Spent on Homeland Security: Bush said, "My administration has tripled the amount of money we're spending on homeland security to $30 billion a year." In reality, Homeland security spending did not come close to tripling under Bush. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), "Gross budget authority for those functions in that year, excluding supplemental appropriations enacted immediately after September 11, totaled about $17 billion. Adding the supplemental appropriations raises that figure by almost $4 billion, bringing total funding for 2001 to $21 billion. The Congress and the President increased that amount to... an estimated $41 billion for 2004." These CBO estimates are for the homeland security function, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. The Bush administration's own estimates show that the Department of Homeland Security itself did not even see its budget double: growing from $19.7 billion in FY 2001 to $36.5 billion in FY 2004. (CBO, "Federal Funding for Homeland Security," 4/30/2004 and OMB, Budget FY 2005, page 178)
INTELLIGENCE: Bush’s False Attack On Intel Cuts
BUSH SAID: "My opponent is right. We need good intelligence. It's also a curious thing for him to say since right after ’93 he voted to cut the intelligence budget by $7.5 billion."- GWB, 10/8/04
REALITY: Kerry Wanted to Cut Slush Fund, Republicans Announced The Same Day They Wanted to Cut The Same Fund. Kerry was part of bipartisan effort to cut waste & abuse in the National Reconnaissance Office. The $1.5 billion cut Kerry proposed represented about the same amount Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), then chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told the Senate that same day he wanted to cut from the intelligence spending bill based on unspent, secret funds that had been accumulated "without informing the Pentagon, CIA or Congress." (Washington Post, 3/12/04, 9/25/95)
Porter Goss, Hand-Picked By Bush to Head CIA, Wanted to Cut Intel More Than Kerry. The cuts Goss supported are larger than those proposed by Kerry and specifically targeted the ‘human intelligence’ that has recently been found lacking. The recent report by the commission probing the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks called for more spending on human intelligence." (Washington Post, 8/24/04)
Washington Post: Republican Criticism on Kerry Intel Record is Wrong. In fact, the Republican-led Congress that year approved legislation that resulted in $3.8 billion being cut over five years from the budget of the National Reconnaissance Office -- the same program Kerry said he was targeting." (Washington Post, 3/12/04)
Kerry Strongly Supports Increased Intelligence Funding -- Including $250 Billion in the Previous 8 Years -- A 50 Pct. Increase Since 1996 -- John Kerry has strongly supported recent increases in Intelligence funding, and, in the wake of 9/11, has supported the bipartisan call for an even larger increase in intelligence funding. According to a report issued by the Center for Defense Information entitled "Intelligence Funding and the War on Terror" John Kerry has supported approximately $250 billion in Intelligence funding over the past eight years alone. The report concludes that Kerry has supported a 50 percent increase in intelligence funding since 1996. (Senate Intelligence Authorization Funding voice votes 9/25/02, 12/13/01, 12/6/00, 11/19/1999, 10/8/98 & 9/25/96; 1997, Senate Roll Call vote No. 109; Jewish News Bulletin of Northern California, 4/5/02)
SPENDING: The Truth About Bush's "Tax Gap"
BUSH SAID: "The reason I bring that up, is because he's proposed 2.3 trillion dollars in new spending." -GWB, 10/8/04
REALITY: Washington Post Bush’s $3 Trillion of Spending "Far Eclipses" Kerry; Goldman Sachs Says Kerry is More "Credible" On The Budget. According to the Washington Post, "The expansive agenda President Bush laid out at the Republican National Convention was missing a price tag, but administration figures show the total is likely to be well in excess of $3 trillion over a decade....The cost of the new tax breaks and spending outlined by Bush at the GOP convention far eclipses that of the Kerry plan." This is why Goldman Sachs says that, "on the budget, Senator Kerry is more credible." (Washington Post, "$3 Trillion Price Tag Left Out as Bush Details His Agenda," 9/14/2004; Goldman Sachs, "Bush vs. Kerry," 9/10/2004)
Bush Has Failed To Balance a Single Budget: $5.6 Trillion Surplus Replaced With $2.3 Trillion Deficit. The $5.6 trillion ten-year surplus projected in January 2001 is gone, replaced with $2.3 trillion in deficits over the next ten years—a fiscal decline of $7.9 trillion in just three years. The Congressional Budget Office projects that the federal budget deficit will be a record $442 billion in 2004. [CBO, The Budget And Economic Outlook: An Update, 9/04]
Fiscal Conservatives Have Attacked Bush's Irresponsible Policies. "Conservatives are angry," including Dick Armey is upset about spending and says Republicans "own the town" on deficits, while the Heritage Foundation says the President isn't doing "nearly enough." Conservative Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform says spending is "growing too rapidly" and the American Spectator says Bush's leadership has been "non-existent." Stephen Moore of the Club for Growth said that "There's now not any pretense that Bush is committed to smaller government." (Wall Street Journal, 1/30/04; Washington Post, 12/6/03; "The State of Spending," Heritage Foundation, 1/21/04; "Supply-Side Economics," American Spectator, 11/26/03; Washington Post, 12/6/03)
MOST LIBERAL: "Just Plain Wrong"
BUSH SAID: "First, the national journal named Senator Kennedy one of the most liberal senators of all, and that's say saying something, that bunch."- GWB, 10/8/04
REALITY: National Journal stated that use of their rating is, "Disconcerting because the shorthand used to describe our ratings of Kerry and Edwards is sometimes misleading -- or just plain wrong." (National Journal, 8/2004)
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Bush flipping his wig
Oliver Willis has video of Bush flipping out, riding Charlie Gibson hard and puting him up wet.
My favorite line from Debate II
PRESIDENT BUSH: He complains about the fact our troops don't have adequate equipment, yet he voted against the $87 billion supplemental I sent to the Congress, and then issued one of the most amazing quotes in political history: "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it."
Saddam Hussein was a risk to our country, ma'am. And he was a risk that -- and this is where we just have a difference of opinion. The truth of the matter is, if you listen carefully, Saddam would still be in power if he were the President of the United States, and the world would be a lot better off. [sic]
MODERATOR: And, Senator Kerry, 30 seconds.
SENATOR KERRY: Not necessarily be in power, but here's what I'll say about the $87 billion. I made a mistake in the way I talked about it; he made a mistake in invading Iraq. Which is a worse decision?
(via WhiteHouse.gov)
The Delusional Files: George Bush cannot admit a mistake
Q: President Bush, during the last four years, you have made thousands of decisions that have affected millions of lives. Please give three instances in which you came to realize you had made a wrong decision, and what you did to correct it. Thank you.
PRESIDENT BUSH: I have made a lot of decisions -- some of them little, like appointments to board you've never heard of, and some of them big. And in a war, there's a lot of tactical decisions that historians will look back and say, you shouldn't have done that, you shouldn't have made that decision. And I'll take responsibility for them. I'm human.
But on the big questions about whether or not we should have gone into Afghanistan, the big question about whether we should have removed somebody in Iraq, I'll stand by those decisions because I think they're right. That's really what you're -- when they ask about the mistakes, that's what they're talking about. They're trying to say, did you make a mistake going into Iraq? And the answer is absolutely not. It's the right decision.
The Duelfer report confirmed that decision today, because what Saddam Hussein was doing was trying to get rid of sanctions so he could reconstitute a weapons program, and the biggest threat facing America is terrorists with weapons of mass destruction. We knew he hated us. We knew he had been a -- invaded other countries. We knew he tortured his own people.
On the tax cut, it's a big decision. I did the right decision. Our recession was one of the shallowest in modern history. Now, you ask what mistakes -- I made some mistakes in appointing people, but I'm not going to name them. I don't want to hurt their feelings on national TV. But history will look bac, and I'm fully prepared to accept any mistakes that history judges to my administration. Because the President makes the decisions, the President has to take the responsibility.
(via WhiteHouse.gov)
Friday, October 08, 2004
Polls coming in
ABC News (at 10:53 PM EDT)
Kerry: 44
Bush: 41
Tie: 15
More polls once they roll up. Good one for Kerry this time, even with the lowered expectations by TeamBush, where a tie would be considered a victory.
Did he say to Sen. Kerry, "You can run, but you can't hide"?
Next time he's gonna say "We're gonna smoke him out."
That's just not true what he said
Bush is back to flinching. Bush flinched when John Kerry said Bush got $84 from owning a lumber company. Bush tried to be a smartass. He talked about hydrogen-generated automobiles earlier. This has gone into that Ross Perot nuttiness. Glad to see Bush back to smirking and grimacing.
This one's over...
Kerry wins, Bush shouts. He's angrier and snipier than last time. He can't stand being challenged. Bush is toast.
I hear there's rumors on the internets
Guess internets is the new Bush technology to replace TV screens.
Bush is shouting because he doesn't have answers
It's killing him to hold his face steady. Kos called him a Little Chihuahua.
Weapons of Mass Deception!
The president didn't find Weapons of Mass Destruction, so they've laid out Weapons of Mass Deception. - John Kerry. Wham! Bang! Pow! (That's not wishy-washy.)
Debate Glue-Sniffing Game
Sorry this is so late. A funny debate drinking/glue-sniffing game from Electablog. Um, it's NC-17.
If ignorance is bliss, George Bush is the happiest man in the whole USA
Paul Krugman writes about the breakdown of reality control in Ingnorance Isn't Strength:
The point is that in the real world, as opposed to the political world, ignorance isn't strength. A leader who has the political power to pretend that he's infallible, and uses that power to avoid ever admitting mistakes, eventually makes mistakes so large that they can't be covered up. And that's what's happening to Mr. Bush.
September jobs numbers down
How will George Bush spin this one? The Department of Labor's figures show only 96,000 jobs were created in September, down from an estimate of 148,000 and the need for 150,000 jobs to be created a month just to accommodate population growth. Almost 600,000 jobs have been lost since George Bush took office. It will be interesting tonight to hear if he keeps harping on the 1.7 millions jobs created. John Kerry's going to poke a big hole in that balloon. Just ask your unemployed or underemployed neighbor how the jobs market is going. Read more.
Bush debate prep: Scare school children; make Americans forget Iraq and economy
If you're a parent you've probably already heard this: a computer disc was "found" in Iraq that contained U.S. school layouts. Conveniently, those schools happened to be in several battleground states. I'd bet we can count on Tom Ridge and John Ashcroft coming on TV shortly to scare parents and school children. This election has degraded now to "Vote for us or your kids will die." (I get nostalgic when I think back to those sylvan days when Republicans simply said, "Vote for us or you will die.") I wonder when this one will be revealed as a hoax. Any guesses?
Rep. Tim Ryan takes Bush lies to task
Found on DD. Here's a video of Rep. Time Ryan (D-Ohio) listing the Bush Administration lies in an impassioned speech on the floor of the House.
Minority Report: George Bush's WMD Precrimes Unit
George Bush seems to be using the Precrimes approach from Minority Report when he says that Saddam Hussein might have committed crimes in the future. Overwhelming evidence shows there were no WMDs in Iraq since 1991, yet Bush says, Saddam Hussein "retained the knowledge, the materials, the means, and the intent to produce weapons of mass destruction."
George Bush is beginning to sound desperate, according to Howard Fineman, who says:
As things now stand, Bush is left with only one argument and justification for having launched a war that has cost 1,000 lives, $150 billion and whatever goodwill America had won in the aftermath of 9/11. His last-resort reason: Saddam Hussein might have developed weapons that he might have given to terrorists that might attack the United States. And even that reasoning is undermined by the new report of the Iraq Survey Group, which says that Saddam's capacities, whatever they might have been, were withering, not "gathering," under the weight of inspections.This sounds an awful lot like Minority Report. Only in this movie, George Bush has condemned over 1,000 American soldiers to their death along with over 13,000 Iraqis. I wonder if the Precrimes Unit would like to take him into custody.
President Bush did not win election on October 7
The Associated Press wrote a test article saying George Bush won the election. While no legitimate journalist ever heard of writing a "test article" except for obits, the post was put out on an AP site. Kos called them on it. The new post says "President Bush did not win election on October 7." As Kos says, let's keep it that way. Read more.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Take them out, dude
Watch this video of an American pilot turning Iraqi civilians into dust. An especially nice touch, the "Take them out,dude" order by his CO. Instead of winning Iraqi hearts and minds , we're now scooping Iraqi hearts and minds off the streets. Wonder what Dick "The Lie-a-nator" Cheney would say about this. They had the "intent" to cross the road?
Kerry leads Bush in newspaper endorsements
John Kerry has been endorsed by 5 major newspapers with a total circulation of 881,012. George Bush has been endorsed by 4 lesser newspapers with a total circulation of 323,743. Most other newspapers will offer endorsements in the next two weeks. Read more.
Get off the internet and vote
Inspired idea I grabbed from BoingBoing. This group is offering a prize to people who vote. Send in a picture of yourself outside the polls on Nov. 2 or of your voter paperwork, and win a prize. Cool idea. And good advice: Get off the internet and vote.
The Dick Cheney School of Logic: Assault Weapons
For the first time in over 5 years, no one was shot or murdered in Chicago on Monday. Using Dick Cheney logic, I think that means that the legalization of assault weapons has lowered the murder rate. And when Uncle Dicky says it, you'd better believe it.
Dick Cheney Promotes The Big Lie on WMD
Without going off on too much of a rant, this new line by Dick Cheney and the Bush Administration rips at the fabric of good and honest government. Cheney is now promoting bald-faced lies about the CIA report on WMDs in Iraq. Namely, there were no WMDs in Iraq since 1991. But telling The Big Lie just requires repetition. I wonder how many people will start believing that the report - which clearly says there was no threat by Iraq and that Saddam Hussein was trying to get international sanctions lifted - has been turned upside down by The Man Behind the Curtain. Via USA Today:
Cheney: Report bolsters Bush decision to go to war
MIAMI (AP) Vice President Dick Cheney asserted on Thursday that a report by the chief U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq, who found no evidence that Iraq produced weapons of mass destruction after 1991, justifies rather than undermines President Bush's decision to go to war.
Tom DeLay gets third ethics rebuke in six days
House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Tex) was rebuked by the House Ethics Committee for another serious infraction. This one involved Rep. DeLay asking the FAA to track a private plane that had Texas Democrats as passengers. Previous rebukes this week included one about gerrymandering in Texas and soliciting campaign donations from Weststar Energy Inc. As Jon Stewart asked last night, "Where's the '-gate'? We have a Rather-gate, but no Iraq-gate, no WMD-gate, no Economy-gate." How about DeLay-gate? Where's the outrage, man? Or is there no law in Texas that Tom DeLay and George Bush think they're above?
From the House Ethics Committee about Rep. Tom DeLay:
In view of the number of instances to date in which the committee has found it necessary to comment on conduct in which you have engaged, it is clearly necessary for you to temper your future actions to assure that you are in full compliance at all times with the applicable House rules and standards of conduct.Read more about the lawless Texas lawmaker in this piece in The Washington Post.
George Bush: The Master of Low Expectations
George Bush is applying to be President of the United States for another term. Here's his resume. I'd say he's well on his way to achieving mediocrity.
The Bush Warriors
(via jandsm on Daily Kos)
This 2002 cover from Der Spiegel seems particularly approriate in retrospect considering the new WMD report issued by Charles Duelfer. Read the CIA report.
When all else fails for Republicans, they rewrite history
Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball write in Newsweek that, "In his debate with John Edwards, Dick Cheney had a brand-new version of the events that led to war." This kind of desperation is the scariest type - the Republicans are making up lies whole cloth even while video and 1,000-page reports directly refute what they say. "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance," said Wendell Phillips (1811-1884). It's time to be especially vigilant, friends.
Republicans, Out of Ideas, Ask Prosecutors to Arrest Michael Moore
A message from Michael Moore - more voter suppression - Moore registered 100,000 students in Michigan and the MIGOP doesn't like it
Dear Friends,
You may have heard by now that the Michigan Republican Party has called for my arrest. That's right. They literally want me brought up on charges -- and hope that I'm locked up.
No, I'm not kidding. The Republican Party, yesterday, filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutors in each of the counties where I spoke last week in Michigan.
My crime? Clean underwear for anyone who will vote in the upcoming election.
Read more.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Pete and Repeat: There were no WMDs
Iraq destroyed its weapons of mass destruction in 1991. Nice job by the Bush Administration, attacking a country over "intelligence" that wasn't accurate within a decade. Glad the Bushies aren't in the fashion business. Read more.
B-school profs send a letter to George Bush
October 4, 2004
Dear Mr. President:
As professors of economics and business, we are concerned that U.S. economic policy has taken a dangerous turn under your stewardship.
Read more.
Clustering information
Not much to do with Republican hypocrisy unless you search for it. Clusty the Clustering Engine. Worth a look.
Baghdad burning
Girl blog from Iraq. The blogger is a late 20-something IT professional, educated in Europe and back in Iraq with her family. She has kept a pretty regular diary of what life in Baghdad has been from her perspective since the war began.
Dear Abby
Dear Abby,
I am a crack dealer in Beaumont, Texas who has recently been diagnosed as a carrier of HIV virus. My parents live in Fort Worth and one of my sisters, who lives in Pflugerville, is married to a transvestite.
My father and mother have recently been arrested for growing and selling marijuana. They are financially dependent on my other two sisters, who are prostitutes in Dallas. I have two brothers; one is currently serving a non-parole life sentence at Huntsville for the murder of a teenage boy in 1994. My other brother is currently in jail awaiting charges of sexual misconduct with his three children.
I have recently become engaged to marry a former prostitute who lives in Longview. She is a part time "working girl". All things considered, my problem is this. I love my fiancé and look forward to bringing her into the family. I certainly want to be totally open and honest with her.
Should I tell her about my cousin who supports George Bush for President?
Signed,
Worried About My Reputation
A dressing down for Dick Cheney by FactCheck.org
From the independent, UPenn site Dick Cheney meant to mention last night, FactCheck.org:
Cheney wrongly implied that FactCheck had defended his tenure as CEO of Halliburton Co., and the vice president even got our name wrong. He overstated matters when he said Edwards voted "for the war" and "to commit the troops, to send them to war." He exaggerated the number of times Kerry has voted to raise taxes, and puffed up the number of small business owners who would see a tax increase under Kerry's proposals.
Dick Cheney said people should check his record on FactCheck.com
I'd say, yes, please, do check out FactCheck.com. I'm wondering why Cheney didn't tell people to look for a copy of his speeches on WhiteHouse.com. (Um, caution friends. NSFW)
If you want to look at the UPenn site that the VP has never seen (do you really see him surfing the net?) it's FactCheck.org.
Edwards wins debate
MSNBC
Edwards: 66
Cheney: 34
CBS News (uncomitted voters)
Edwards: 41
Cheney: 24
Tie: 38
Fox News
Edwards: 52
Cheney: 46
Lots of other instant polls last night had John Edwards winning by up to 3-to-1. CNN took their poll down (guess they didn't like the result). By any measure, it's been a Kerry/Edwards one-two punch on Bush/Cheney.
Dick Cheney lies about having not met John Edwards
During the Veep debate last night, Dick Cheney tried to get in a zinger about John Edwards's attendance in the Senate during this campaign year. Cheney said, " Now, in my capacity as Vice President, I am the President of the Senate, the presiding officer. I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they're in session. The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight." (Link.) Cheney told an outright lie.
Fox News (grudgingly) reports that Dick Cheney has met John Edwards twice before, once introducing Sen. Edwards by name to a group, and a another time sitting next to the Senator for over three hours. There are pictures. (Link.)
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Now the real wrap-up
I'm watching ABC
Stephanopolous: No new line of attacks, but Edwards didn't get "rolled" by the VP.
Wills: Relentless attack by both sides. Mr. Edwards gave as good as he got. VPS speak to the base of the party...clarify that there is a sharp difference of opinion out there.
General concensus: Draw....but aggressive...ass-kicking claimed by both sides. VP did better than his boss.
UGH! Stats are coming slowly....going to watch The Daily Show and then see if I have enough energy to blog the rest tonight or whether I do that in the morning.
Wrap up from John Edwards vs. Dick Cheney
John Edwards' cute little kids are out....pundits starting to talk. Struck by the contrast of youthfullness and vigor vs. Jabba.
The American people want leaders who will tell the truth
...and Sen. Edwards makes it clear that truth is not emanating from the current Administration. "A long resume does not make up for good judgment."
Cheney: Mumbling into his lapel. Qualifications: Proxy for President.
Cheney implies that Edwards shirked tax obligations...didn't work
When the VP was CEO of Halliburton, they took advantage of every offshore tax loophole they could. - Edwards.
Millions of people have lost their jobs
....but Cheney says we gained 1.7 million jobs. Liar. And Edwards is going straight at the Veep...."Mr. Vice President, I don't think America can take four more years."
Oops, that Halliburton thing
Lots of facts....Edwards has the facts about Halliburton being under investigation while Cheney was CEO. He is grinding Cheney but Cheney is like a Pit Bull. Bloodied, but still biting.
Cheney keeps lying about the al-Qaida/Iraq link
Cheney has gone with a single strategy: Lie like a rug.
The height of hypocrisy
I must say, this is an ass-kicking session. Both are throwing body blows. But Sen. Edwards is using the strong words that needed to be said. Height of hypocrisy. Got 'em.
"Conviction" seems to be Cheney's word
Maybe he'll have to think about that, because I think the other definition will be applied to Cheney once the truth about Halliburton comes out.
Long resume does not equal good judgment. - John "Whoop Ass" Edwards
Cheney is getting an ass-kicking
He says "Your facts are just dead wrong, Senator." But he makes it a good deal to say Iraq cost only $120 billion. Edwards says, "What you just saw is the Vice President laying out a complete distortion." I love this man!
George Bush's Coalition of the Killing Does Its Job Again
A 45-year-old mother of soldier killed in Iraq collapses and dies of a broken heart. Story.
Letters from the troops to Michael Moore: Iraq sucks
Here's a collection of letters home to Michael Moore from troops stationed in Iraq. Read more in the piece titled Dear Mike, Iraq Sucks in The Guardian.
Paul Bremer says we needed more troops
...and wouldn't you know it, Donald Rumsfeld denies that Bremer asked for more. Now, imagine that, Rumsfeld saying it ain't so. Like how he flip-flopped himself today about links between al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein. Can we believe anything these guys say? More at Atrios in a piece titled Liiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaars!
Fahrenheit 9/11 DVD Release Today
Fahrenheit 9/11 is released today. Here's an excert from Michael Moore's letter today:
May I suggest that you take this DVD and run with it? Use it as a way to energize people of like-mind or convince recovering Republicans that this may be the most important election of our lifetime. Here is what you can do:
1. Hold Your Own Neighborhood Premiere of "Fahrenheit 9/11." Do it this week. Get the DVD, break out the biggest TV screen you have, pop the corn and invite over your friends, family, classmates, coworkers and neighbors for a couple of hours of laughter and tears. When it's over, take a few minutes to decide what everyone is going to do between now and November 2nd.
2. Become Your Own Fahrenheit Video Store. Buy a copy of the film and then just start lending it for free to everyone you know for a night at a time. Become known as "The Fahrenheit Connection" to those with whom you work or go to school.
3. Sponsor Large Community or School Screenings. You have my permission. Don't charge money (unless everyone has to chip in for the union hall or church basement). Invite everyone; pack the place. Have something for people to do afterwards, like volunteering for a "get out the vote" drive between now and November 2nd.
4. Give It Away. The politics and economics of the video business mean that those in poorer communities often have to resort to bootlegging. While I'm happy for people to see my movie by any means necessary, I would love for them to see it the way I made it and under the best possible conditions. If you have the wherewithal, donate copies of the DVD and VHS to your local library or to your school library. Get multiple copies and pass them out, especially to groups and people who can't afford to buy it. In a free society, which only survives if it has an enlightened electorate, information should be shared, not privately owned.
There you go. Let's flood the country with this movie. It's the Republicans' worst nightmare, should this happen. You know what to do; I don't need to say any more.
Thanks for your help in this. I think we can make a huge difference.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
www.michaelmoore.com
www.michaelmoore.com/takeaction/vote/register.php
Donald Rumsfeld Flip-Flops Himself in 24 Hours
Filed under Oops!, Donald Rumsfeld is seeking to "clarify" (read: lie about) what he meant when he said yesterday that there's no link between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida. Read more.
Drunken Rage: The Real George Bush
From Thomas Schaller at The Gadflyer, who says, "He proved that a man is never totally cured of his addictions, and that his alcohol dependency has transmuted into a public drunkenness with his own power." Points from the article about George Bush:
He was too lazy and selfish to bother preparing.
He is a pathological name-dropper.
He is a terrible listener.
He is impatient to a fault.
Pathetic little weasels
John Kerry said Republican lies about his "global test" quote are pathetic. I like the new, direct John Kerry. Read more.
Monday, October 04, 2004
Rumsfeld: No Saddam, bin Laden link
In front of an audience in New York, Mr Rumsfeld was asked about connections between Saddam and Osama Bin Laden. "To my knowledge, I have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two," he said. Oct. 4, 2004.
"We have what we consider to be very reliable reporting of senior level contacts going back a decade, and of possible chemical and biological agent training. And when I say contacts, I mean between Iraq and al Qaeda." Donald Rumsfeld, Sept. 26, 2002.
The Bush Lie Machine is breaking down.
Seen in Philly today
"If the Party could thrust its hand into the past and say this or that even, it never happened — that, surely, was more terrifying than mere torture and death." - 1984, George Orwell.
Last day of voter registration in Philly
The great people in this "most important election of our lifetime" are the volunteers who stood out on the street corners of Philly (and lots of other places) and reminded people that they can have a voice. Remember to thank them. Kudos.
Last-minute registrations. Noontime in Rittenhouse Square today.
George Bush the Petulant: Unmasked
Dan Froomkin compiles a fully documented set of "Who is the 'Real' Bush?" questions in The Washington Post. He says:
So who was that George Bush we saw Thursday night? The one who at times looked more peevish and bored than gregarious and resolute?
The notion that voters may come away from the debate thinking of Bush as someone who becomes upset when challenged is potentially devastating to the image of the president that the White House has fostered since Sept. 11, 2001.
And it dovetails with the concern - not limited to Democrats - that Bush may be in denial about the grim realities facing U.S. troops in Iraq.
Hey, he forgot about Poland...
...and that's because Poland is pulling out of Iraq. The Coalition of the Willing is is becoming the Lonely Americans Out Killing.
Rocket man
John Kerry's poll numbers are blasting off. There's a certain symmetry in that, because today the Ansari X Prize was captured by SpaceShipOne. Onward and upward.
(photo via Space.com)
Condi Rice slices and dices WMD intelligence
Condi keeps spitting Adminstration lies between her teeth: Rice Says She Knew Iraq Tube Claims Questioned
Heck, the entire Bush administration lied about WMDs: How the White House Embraced Disputed Arms Intelligence
Sunday, October 03, 2004
George Soros: Why We Must Not Re-Elect President Bush
The President committed a fundamental error in thinking: the fact that the terrorists are manifestly evil does not make whatever counter-actions we take automatically good. What we do to combat terrorism may also be wrong. Recognizing that we may be wrong is the foundation of an open society. President Bush admits no doubt and does not base his decisions on a careful weighing of reality. For 18 months after 9/11 he managed to suppress all dissent. (via GeorgeSoros.com)
Mount St. Helens ready to erupt; George Bush next
NEWS FLASH! Tremblors were emanating from George Bush's head during the debate on Thursday. Repuglicans are evacuating Mount St. George.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Heh, ya, ya, ya, remember when Saddam Hussein attacked us at the White House?
Confused George actually thinks Saddam Hussein attacked us. He's morphing into Howard Hughes. It can't be long before he's in a rocking chair, wearing a cardigan sweater and staring at his really long toenails. Video by onegoodmove.
Also see George Bush: Still Misleading by MoveOn.
And for laughs, here's the entire Jon Stewart live debate review.