Rush and Butter

This speech amuses me to no end...

At least here in America, didn't teach them how to fish, we gave them the fish. Didn't teach them how to butcher a -- slaughter a cow to get the butter, we gave them the butter.

Has the man ever been on a farm? Since when do you SLAUGHTER A COW to get BUTTER?!??? BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Here he is going on and on about fending for yourself, and he thinks you have to slaughter a cow for butter? I wonder where he thinks milk comes from?

Keith Olbermann Nails It

Video is here:

The man who sees absolutes, where all other men see nuances and shades of meaning, is either a prophet or a quack.

Donald H. Rumsfeld is not a prophet.

We end the Countdown where we began, our number one story, with a special comment on Mr. Rumsfeld's remarkable speech to the American Legion yesterday. It demands the deep analysis - and the sober contemplation - of every American.

For it did not merely serve to impugn the morality or intelligence - indeed, the loyalty -- of the majority of Americans who oppose the transient occupants of the highest offices in the land; Worse, still, it credits those same transient occupants - our employees -- with a total omniscience; a total omniscience which neither common sense, nor this administration's track record at home or abroad, suggests they deserve.

Dissent and disagreement with government is the life's blood of human freedom; And not merely because it is the first roadblock against the kind of tyranny the men Mr. Rumsfeld likes to think of as "his" troops still fight, this very evening, in Iraq.

It is also essential. Because just every once in awhile... it is right -- and the power to which it speaks, is wrong.

In a small irony, however, Mr. Rumsfeld's speechwriter was adroit in invoking the memory of the appeasement of the Nazis. For, in their time, there was another government faced with true peril - with a growing evil - powerful and remorseless.

That government, like Mr. Rumsfeld's, had a monopoly on all the facts. It, too, had the secret information. It alone had the true picture of the threat. It too dismissed and insulted its critics in terms like Mr. Rumsfeld's - questioning their intellect and their morality.

That government was England's in the 1930's. It knew Hitler posed no true threat to Europe, let alone to England.

It knew Germany was not re-arming, in violation of all treaties and accords.

It knew that the hard evidence it had received, which contradicted its own policies, its own conclusions, its own omniscience, needed to be -- dismissed.

The English government of Neville Chamberlain already knew the truth.

Most relevant of all - it "knew" that its staunchest critics needed to be marginalized and isolated. In fact, it portrayed the foremost of them as a blood-thirsty war-monger who was, if not truly senile - at best morally or intellectually confused.

That critic's name... was Winston Churchill.

Sadly, we have no Winston Churchills evident among us this evening. We have only Donald Rumsfelds, demonizing disagreement the way Neville Chamberlain demonized Winston Churchill.

History - and 163 million pounds of Luftwaffe bombs over England - have taught us that all Mr. Chamberlain had was his certainty - and his own confusion. A confusion that suggested that the office can not only make the man, but that the office can also make the facts.

Thus did Mr. Rumsfeld make an apt historical analogy excepting the fact that he has the battery plugged in backwards.

His government, absolute - and exclusive - in its knowledge, is not the modern version of the one which stood up to the Nazis. It is the modern version of the government of Neville Chamberlain.

But back to today's Omniscient ones.

That about which Mr. Rumsfeld is confused is simply this:

This is a Democracy. Still. Sometimes just barely. And as such, all voices count -- not just his. Had he or his President perhaps proven any of their prior claims of omniscience - about Osama Bin Laden's plans five years ago - about Saddam Hussein's weapons four years ago - about Hurricane Katrina's impact one year ago - we all might be able to swallow hard, and accept their omniscience as a bearable, even useful recipe, of fact plus ego.

But, to date, this government has proved little besides its own arrogance, and its own hubris.

Mr. Rumsfeld is also personally confused, morally or intellectually, about his own standing in this matter. From Iraq, to Katrina, to flu vaccine shortages, to the entire "Fog of Fear" which continues to envelope our nation - he, Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, and their cronies have - inadvertently or intentionally - profited and benefited, both personally, and politically. And yet he can stand up in public and question the morality and the intellect of those of us who dare ask just for the receipt for the Emperor's New Clothes.

In what country was Mr. Rumsfeld raised?

As a child, of whose heroism did he read?

On what side of the battle for freedom did he dream one day to fight?

With what country has he confused the United States of America?

The confusion we -- as its citizens -- must now address, is stark and forbidding. But variations of it have faced our forefathers, when men like Nixon and McCarthy and Curtis LeMay have darkened our skies and obscured our flag. Note - with hope in your heart - that those earlier Americans always found their way to the light and we can, too.

The confusion is about whether this Secretary of Defense, and this Administration, are in fact now accomplishing what they claim the terrorists seek: The destruction of our freedoms, the very ones for which the same veterans Mr. Rumsfeld addressed yesterday in Salt Lake City, so valiantly fought.

And about Mr. Rumsfeld's other main assertion, that this country faces a "new type of fascism."

As he was correct to remind us how a government that knew everything could get everything wrong, so too was he right when he said that -- though probably not in the way he thought he meant it. This country faces a new type of fascism - indeed.

Although I presumptuously use his sign-off each night, in feeble tribute... I have utterly no claim to the words of the exemplary journalist Edward R. Murrow.

But never in the trial of a thousand years of writing could I come close to matching how he phrased a warning to an earlier generation of us, at a time when other politicians thought they, and they alone, knew everything, and branded those who disagreed, "confused" or "immoral."

Thus forgive me for reading Murrow in full:

"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty," he said, in 1954. "We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law.

"We will not walk in fear - one, of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of un-reason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men;

"Not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were - for the moment - unpopular."

And so, Goodnight and Good Luck.

War Timeline

Lie by Lie.

Go Read

Just go read this.

Mike Lies In Ad

Even the Seattle Times admits that McGavick is lying about Cantwell in a radio ad. And the Times likes Mr Mike "Oil Tankers in Puget Sound" McGavick.

Shrubya's Palace

Maybe he'll retire there with all the grateful Iraqis throwing flowers at him when he walks the streets.

Via Brian Wood.

Don't Think of an Elephant

Goldy explains how a candidate is using language to run a campaign in the opposite manner as he's suggesting.

McGavick = Oil Tankers in Puget Sound

That's all I need to know about the guy. He supports Ted Stevens, who wants Alaskan oil to go through our delicate ecosystems. So no way is the guy getting my vote.

Too Much Time On Their Hands...

The Wizard of Oil.

Nance Rants

Another rant that I agree with, just about every word, in fact. Go read.

Is it Really An Apology If You Wink To Your Audience First?

Senator Allen apologizes for the "macaca" insult, but before he apologizes, he winks to his white audience. Hmmm...

McGavick's Drunk Driving

Ok, first off... it was in 1993 so, even in my opinion, it's not terribly important in this particular race.

However, let's look at this:

McGavick said on Friday that he was drinking "mostly beer," though he did not recall how much. He said his blood-alcohol level was 0.17 percent.

It's impossible to be precise about how many drinks that would be; an online calculator run by the University of Oklahoma says a 180-pound man would need about eight 12-ounce servings of beer in an hour to reach 0.17 percent.

A person typically would lack physical control, have blurred vision and "major loss of balance," according to a police analysis with the calculator.

Ok, eight 12-ounce servings IN AN HOUR???? And he still got in a car and drove?!?? That's not casual drinking, that's hard-core stuff. I don't think I could drink that much WATER in that amount of time. And he drove? At the very least, that's a HUGE mistake in judgement. At the very worst, it was a case of being willing to kill people because he was having so much fun drinking. And this was just the time he got caught. How many other times did he get drunk to that point before he stopped?

I gotta wonder if his judgement has improved since then? Well, let's see, he's shilling for Ted Stevens and wants oil tankers in Puget Sound... not a good sign. He wants to destroy social security... not a good sign. No, don't think I'll vote for him. Revealing this was a good political ploy, but it doesn't make me think any better of him.

Yeah, Everything's Great in Iraq...

...Unless you LIVE there.

Ah, Yet More On Bush...

Jim Hightower covers Bush's desire to take away freedoms. Via Mark Evanier.

Here's Why Americans Suck at Geography

Unbelievable. This is just horrible. You can't display other nations flags in a classroom? I mean, seriously? I can see not displaying them above the US flag, but not even as part of a lesson on geography?!??? And kicking the teacher off school grounds????!?? Isn't that a little tiny bit of over-reaction????

Did You Die Today?

Bob Harris reports on the fact that we didn't, in fact, all die in a fiery attack by Iran.

Author Arrested For "Papers" Error

This post should give you chills. An author was arrested for having a different name on her Social Security card (maiden name) than on her Drivers License.

In short, she hadn't filled out the forms required to change her name on her Social Security card when she got married. When she was notified about it, she went down and filled out the forms, and got the new Social Security card as required... But some clerk at the SS admin didn't indicate the change, so they canceled her driver's license and put out a warrant for her arrest. BECAUSE OF A CLERICAL MISTAKE.

And so she was arrested and her car impounded. Because her papers weren't in order.

When did the United States become East Germany? Whatever happened to "common sense"?

The 9/11 Report

Slate is offering a chapter a day.

Political Cartoon

I think I'll just link to this one: The State of the Media Today.

Another Lovely Rant

FilkerTom on Bill Clinton being a crook.

Another Nixon Comparison

You know, if Shrubya wants to avoid comparisons with Nixon, he's really bad at it.

I'm Not Absolutely Convinced...

...that Curtis is telling the truth, but if he is, then we need to support him. I wish I could tell you what would convince me. While I firmly believe that voting software by Diebold is designed to allow cheating, I can't figure out what it is about Curtis' story that triggers doubts for me.

Making Explosives From Harmless Liquids

Making Light points out how unlikely it is to be able to make something dangerous enough to blow up a plane. I've seen at least six other blog posts (while casually skimming) that made the same point: it's not as easy as the movies say it is to make liquid bombs.

And, of course, if it was that easy, then having everyone dump their liquids into a single vat when going through security was a momumentally stupid move.

Lots of other good stuff in that Making Light article, by the way. Check it out.

Bumper Stickers

Via Collective Sigh:

At least in Vietnam, Bush had an exit strategy

Blind faith in bad leadership is not patriotism

If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention

If you supported Bush, a yellow ribbon won't make up for it

Poverty, healthcare & homelessness are moral issues

Of course it hurts. You're getting screwed by an elephant

Bush lied, and you know it

Religious fundamentalism: A threat abroad, a threat at home

God bless everyone (No exceptions)

Bush spent your Social Security on his war

Pro America, Anti Bush

Who would Jesus bomb?

If you support Bush's war, why are you still here? Shut up and ship out

Feel safer now?

I'd rather have a president who screwed his intern than one who screwed his country

Jesus was a social activist - that is liberal

My values? Free speech, equality, liberty, education, tolerance

Is it 2008 yet?

Dissent is the highest form of patriotism - Thomas Jefferson

Don't blame me. I voted against Bush -- twice!

Annoy a conservative; think for yourself

Visualize impeachment

Hey Bush! Where's Bin Laden?

Corporate media = Mass mind control

Stop Mad Cowboy Disease

George W. Bush: Making terrorists faster than he can kill them

Keep your theocracy off my democracy

Democrats are sexy. Whoever heard of a good piece of elephant?

Aspiring Canadian

Corporate media: Weapons of Mass Deception

Don't confuse dying for oil with fighting for freedom

Stem cell research is pro life

Hate, greed, ignorance: Weapons of Mass Destruction

Honor our troops - Demand the truth

Rebuild Iraq? Why not spend 87 billion on America?

FACT: BUSH OIL
1999 - $19 barrel
2006 - $70 barrel

The last time religion controlled politics, people got burned at the stake

I kind of wish I had a way to put them all on my car in rotation. I'd rather not have more than one at a time, but I'd like to put most of them up.

Ug.

Tom tells us how the chimp in chief reacted to the ruling that he was breaking the law, and AmericaBlog goes nuclear over the fact that Shrubya thinks he's a dictator and insists that checks and balances are no longer relevant.

Here's what I think. I think that any Republican still stupid enough to support Shrubya is either: A) completely evil and determined to destroy America by destroying the Constitution or B) so terrified of the boogeyman (never mind that you are far more likely to die in a car accident than in a terrorist attack) that they support any fool who promises to protect them from the threat, even though the fools "protecting" us are more concerned with making a show of it than actually doing anything to protect us. In either case, the terrorists are winning for those people. So the only people who actually support Shrubya, in my opinion, are people who think the terrorists have won.

The rest of the world, the brave and the not-evil, can't stand the murdering lying traitorous chimp of a commander-in-chief and want his sorry butt in prison for his crimes, along with all the scumbags who helped him in his attempt to destroy this nation.

Mark Evanier pointing out Glenn Greenwald clarifying the court decision:

It is important to be clear about what this decision means and what it does not mean — particularly since the White House, among others, is already depicting this ruling as some sort of epic blow to the administration's efforts to fight terrorism. This ruling does not, of course, prohibit eavesdropping on terrorists; it merely prohibits illegal eavesdropping in violation of FISA.

Thus, even under the court's order, the Bush administration is free to continue to do all the eavesdropping on terrorists it wants to do. It just has to cease doing so using its own secretive parameters, and instead do so with the oversight of the FISA court — just as all administrations have done since 1978, just as the law requires, and just as it did very recently when using surveillance with regard to the U.K. terror plot. Eavesdropping on terrorists can continue in full force. But it must comply with the law.

Emphasis mine. Shrubya is allowed to eavesdrop on terrorists. NO ONE IS DISPUTING THAT. What he cannot do, constitutionally, is eavesdrop without getting a secret warrant from a secret court that was set up in order to protect the people of this country from Nixonian abuses. Since he refuses to get warrants from the secret court, it's pretty clear that he's either the laziest president in the history of the United States (and he wouldn't even have to do the paperwork himself!), or he's abusing his power.

Unconstitutional

Judge rules warrantless spying is unconstitutional.

This is what we've been saying all along: if Shrubya wants to eavesdrop, he just needs to get a warrant from the top secret FISA court. That's all. It's not difficult, as the FISA court doesn't turn down requests unless they are clearly not being used for national defense.

Ergo: the only reason Shrubya would be avoiding getting warrants is if the eavesdropping isn't for national defense.

Shrubya needs to be impeached and imprisoned for his crimes against the constitution.

More on the Monkey

Senator Allen made a non-apology for his remarks, claiming that he was misunderstood.

That's doubtful. In some parts of Europe, the word he used to refer to the dark-skinned campaign volunteer is as bad as the "N-word" here in the states. Allen's mother is very French and proud of it. He knew exactly what he was saying.

If this doesn't sink his re-election chances, I'll be very disappointed in Virginians.

Turnabout is Fair Play

If someone accuses you of doing something wrong, then turns around and does exactly the same thing, you are totally within your rights to make fun of those someones who turned out to be hypocrites.

Huh, Political Wire Quote of the Day

Senator Allen and the racial slur. Note that the Senator told a man born and raised in the United States "Welcome to America" because the man's skin was dark. And Allen wants to run for president? Well, I suppose if people are stupid enough to elect Shrubya, they might be stupid enough to elect a racist.

Republican Slurs Volunteer?

What the heck is this about, anyway? I mean, what does "macaca" mean? Why go toward the one non-white in the crowd and call him something like that? Was it a racial slur? And if so, why make a slur like that on camera? I mean, is that seriously stupid or does that word mean something else entirely?

Interfaith Compassion

Gathering celebrates interfaith compassion:

Jeff Siddiqui said he is overwhelmed when he recalls how Jewish and Christian people volunteered to stand guard outside his mosque after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, protecting it from potential threats or vandalism that local Muslims feared would come in retaliation.

It showed strong interfaith unity among people of the three faiths that continues in Seattle, he said.

"There's not a year that goes by when I don't remember that, particularly on a day like today," said Siddiqui, a member of the Idriss Mosque on Northgate Way.

Seattle religious leaders gathered at the mosque Sunday to call for continuing compassion and interfaith understanding.

Warrants Were Used To Thwart Terrorists

Read this. In short, the legal surveillance, using warrants, was used successfully to stop the terrorists. Not one liberal objects to legal monitoring, getting warrants from the FISA court as required by law. And it was that legal monitoring that caught the latest bunch of scumbags. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

We can catch terrorists legally, using the laws in place. Illegally eavesdropping on American citizens without warrants is not needed... and since it's already illegal, the people doing it should be punished as well.

If It's True...

If this guy's story is true... well, it just proves what we already know. Voting fraud has gone high-tech, and has already been used to steal elections.

Storytime

Colleen Doran and the Purple Panties.

What is this Stupidity???!???

Start here: If the liquid could be explosive, why are you dumping it in a crowd? And then go here: Could the liquid threat be hydrogen cyanide?

Not ONE terrorist was caught by making him dump liquids in a bin with thousands of other people. These terrorists were caught by police work and effort. Not only is the mass dumping of liquid utterly ineffective, it's possibly REALLY dangerous if any terrorist is actually carrying explosives/poison/whatever.

The "leadership" of this country is just trying to keep us all terrified with the hopes that we'll re-elect them because of their tough, but utterly useless, stance on the "war on terror". How many rights do we have to give up to the neocons before the sheeple fight back?

How the Terrorists Win

High Clearing has the post about how the terrorist are really winning, by making our leaders so scared that they take away our basic rights (even though random searches are pretty much useless). Be sure to follow the link at the bottom of the entry, to a poem about where suicide bombers go when they die.

Katrina Every Day

Katrina Every Day.

Toothpaste??

TSA bans carry-on liquids, urges passengers to check all bags.

You can take knitting needles, nail files and small scissors aboard flights in your carry-on bags, but as of today, not shampoo, hair gel or toothpaste, according to new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rules.

You know, if I was certain that my checked bags would actually arrive at my destination, and that no "screener" would steal anything from my bags, I wouldn't mind checking my bags.

But airlines have NEVER had a perfect rate of getting checked bags on the same plane as the customer, and I keep hearing more and more stories of "screeners" stealing stuff from checked baggage.

It's better to just not fly at all.

Is the country finally figuring it out?

Joseph Lieberman lost the Democratic primary in Connecticut. Well well well, won't this be interesting, if this is truly a harbinger of what might happen in November...

I May Have To Break My Diet For One Day...

Miracle Treat Day at Dairy Queen.

Stuff

Another perspective on terrorism. And while we're at it, let's teach our kids just like terrorists do.

Good Grief

I dislike Shrubya more than a lot of people, but even I have a hard time swallowing ridiculous conspiracy theories. Why suggest a deliberate plan on the part of the government when eight months of plain incompetence explains it even better?

More on Drunk Driving

Mark Evanier gets letters. I suppose I should feel for the correspondent in this one, who thinks that he/she just made a little mistake.

But I don't.

We've been told, over and over again, not to drive after drinking. We've been told in so many forums, so many ways... if it doesn't get through to you that you shouldn't drink and drive, then frankly I firmly believe you should be punished heavily for doing it.

I go a lot farther than Evanier, of course. I tend to think that someone who drinks and drives and kills someone should be convicted of pre-meditated murder. And the reason I think that is because WE'VE BEEN TOLD. We all know that drinking and driving is wrong. So if you drink and then get behind the wheel of a car, you are doing it INTENTIONALLY. That's premeditated. If you kill someone, it's murder. Not an accident.

Uh oh. Hold on to your Wallets

Alaskan oil field shut down because of corrosion, small spill. We're talking 8% of US Oil production, or 2.6% of total US supply. Expect the prices to climb very soon. I think it's time to find alternate methods of travel.

I want a hybrid that will run on gasoline or biodiesel.

More on Cantwell's Opponent

So, two tidbits that everyone in Washington should know about Cantwell's GOPpy opponent in the fall election: He hates workers who depend on tips and wants Creationism taught in Science classes.

Cantwell is no angel, but I'm not supporting someone who thinks religion belongs in science classes.

More on Drunk Driving

Mark Evanier got a response from a lawyer about his views on drunk driving. I still agree with Mark.

They are Not Coming

A Katrina story. As a new hurricane season starts, it's important to remember what happened.

Yikes

Here's another article that explains how wrong the neocons were about the cost of the Iraq war... in dollars only, not counting the many lives that have been destroyed.

McGavick's $28 million Months

Pacific Views explains why McGavick (and the board of directors at SafeCo) is being sued by a shareholder.

In short, McGavick's contract stated that if he resigned, he lost all bonuses and stock options. He resigned for Senate run. The Board then gave him a new contract that gave him back all the stock options and bonuses (to the tune of $28 million) for two months' "work" transitioning.

Emma Schwartzman, who is suing, claims that amounts to fraud for various reasons, not the least of which is that it was kept hidden improperly from shareholders.

$28 million for two months? Nice work if you can get it.

Support The Troops

Snopes has information on free military shipping kits and personalized postcards to the troops.

I don't support the war, but I have nothing against the men and women who volunteered in good faith to protect their nation.

Diebold Even LESS Secure Than Previously Thought

Boing Boing links to information about just how easy it is to put false information into a Diebold machine. A flip of a switch, and all the real votes are gone forever, replaced by some malicious program. Diebold machines are not voting machines. They are fraud machines designed to trick people into thinking they've voted.

In short, if you vote on a Diebold machine, you might as well not bother voting.

Update: Slashdot is also reporting on the security "feature" that allows unauthorized people to change the outcome of an election. Also, in the comments:

In August 2003, Walden O'Dell, chief executive of Diebold, announced that he had been a top fund-raiser for President George W. Bush and had sent a get-out-the-funds letter to Ohio Republicans. In the letters he says he is "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."

Ken Blackwell (Ohio's Secretary of State (Repub)) and current canidate for Ohio Gov is the one who certifies Ohio's elections, and is the one who approved the use of Diebold's machines.

Ohio State Senator Jeff Jacobson, Republican, asked Blackwell in July, 2003 to disqualify Diebold Election Systems' bid to supply voting machines for the state, after security problems were discovered in its software, but was refused.

When Cuyahoga county's primary was held on May 2, 2006, officials ordered the hand-counting of more than 18,000 paper ballots after Diebold's new optical scan machines produced inconsistent tabulations, leaving several local races in limbo for days and eventually resulting in a reversal of the outcome of one race for state representative. Blackwell ordered an investigation by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections; Ohio Democrats demanded that Blackwell, who is also the Republican gubernatorial candidate in this election, recuse himself from the investigation due to conflicts of interest, but Blackwell has not done so.

Slashdot users are passionate about the subject, as it's already been revisited.

What he said...

Mark Evanier says exactly what I think about drunk drivers:

If I were making the laws, a first offense would carry a mandatory prison sentence of a year and permanent loss of license, a second offense would be five years...and then three strikes and you're out.

There's no excuse for driving drunk. None. And too many innocent people have died when people get behind the wheel after "just having a few". As far as I'm concerned, anyone who drives drunk and kills someone has committed premeditated murder.