I'MMA LET YOU FINISH
Bush finally got revenge on Al Gore - he may have invented the internet, but Fearless Mistakeless Leader has invented more internets than Gore ever did.
Man, kerry sure knows how to finish.
He is tough as nails
I think Kerry would've had Gibson's back if Little Boy Bush had gone after him. 'Though I doubt if Georgie would have done the dirty work himself. He would've taken the leash off Laura and had her attack...
"I was a little worried at one point, I thought the President was going to attack Charlie Gibson."
Big John is the best!
not frist
Yep, little President Wink-N-Nod was a real embarrassment last night.
I guess W thought debate points are awarded on the basis of who can shout the loudest.
This is why I love Kerry. Ok, I love him for a lot of reasons. But by acknowledging that moment in his rally today he ensured that it would get played over and over again. He knows how to craft a mean meme!
I couldn't believe it when Bush freaked on Charlie like that and shouted his answer to the crowd.
Can you imagine the uproar if Kerry did that??? The media would say it's the Dean scream equivilent.
It still will effect some undecideds
even though the SCLM is minimizing it.
I wasn't worried he was going to attack Charles Gibson - I was HOPING he was going to attack him. No offense to Gibson, it would just be fun to see Chimpy, finally, flip out and hand Kerry the whole shootin' match.
Maybe O'Reilly should have moderated:
"Shut up, Mr. President. SHUT UP! That's it, cut his mic. I'm stopping you out of respect for you father..."
hee hee!
jeff
Actually, we should start call him "The Presi-Snit"!
He wouldn't pick on Big John, because Kerry is BIGGER than him.
Besides, I think Teresa could open a can of whoop-ass on Bush.
Dred Scott, bitches!
On the radio that was the most astoundingly awful moment, Shrub lost in a Dred Scott quagmire.
On the shouting thing- last night I had some friends over to watch the debate and we let our collective children stay up late to watch a movie of their own. When I took my wee-est wee-Biblio upstairs to bed, the debate was about 2/3rds through. I could make out the voices, but not the words. Bush's voice was a steady, nasal, whining tone, all one note. Kerry's voice modulated as he spoke. It was interesting to hear it that way because it isolated their demeanors and threw their personalities into starker contrast.
Bush is one crazy bitch
everyone, including repukelicans should take a moment and reflect on Bush's screaming performance in Friday night's debate by imaging a real crises, like a terrorist attack on the US, or North Korea going nuclear and then think about Bush's performance - is that the guy you want making decisions and in-charge during a real crises?
On the radio that was the most astoundingly awful moment, Shrub lost in a Dred Scott quagmire.
Thersites
I know, I was open mouthed when he said that last night. Bush is that rare mix of pure arrogance coupled with an almost astonishing stupidity.
Isn't Kerry's comment a tongue-in-cheek twist on Barbara Bush's comment about Al Gore? "I thought he was going to hurt George."
"Shrub lost in a Dred Scott quagmire."
I could not believe the amazing level of ignorance he displayed in talking about the Dred Scott decision. I've long suspected that Bush has never read the Constitution. His remarks last night confirmed it. Lord knows the articles pertaining to slavery are the low points of the document, but they're sure as hell there.
Imbecile!
Dred Scott was not as bizarre as we think. It was code to let the extreme right know he was willing to end abortion rights.
My image of the Bushliar during a real crises is him balled up in a corner of the White House basement sucking his thumb and crying his heart out.
like a terrorist attack on the US... then think about Bush's performance
Yeah.
Further down in the article...
Bush conducted his own post-debate analysis on Saturday, telling supporters back in St. Louis that Kerry's stance on Iraq was not credible.
"With a straight face he said he only had one position on Iraq. He must think we've been on another planet," Bush said.
Well, yes, you are on another planet.
"Dred Scott was not as bizarre as we think. It was code to let the extreme right know he was willing to end abortion rights."
I'll go along with that. And I think that alone should be grounds for impeachment. How can you have a president -- an office whose holderis supposed to act in the interests of the entire country -- sending secret messages over the heads of the majority to a select group of people.
I've said this before, and I'm depressingly sure I'll say it again: George W. Bush is not the President of the United States of America. At this point in time, the United States of America does not have a president. The far-right wing of the Republican party has a president; the rest of us do not.
Pure and simple.
Sheds new light on his "bring it on" boast.
"It was code to let the extreme right know he was willing to end abortion rights"
Why does he feel he needs code? Is he uncomfortable with his own positions? Kerry nutted up on the abortion question and the stem cell question.. why can't Bush?
Speaking of which. Bush's drug re-importation answer was a monumental flip-flop.
Deserves to be repeated:
I'll go along with that. And I think that alone should be grounds for impeachment. How can you have a president -- an office whose holderis supposed to act in the interests of the entire country -- sending secret messages over the heads of the majority to a select group of people.
I've said this before, and I'm depressingly sure I'll say it again: George W. Bush is not the President of the United States of America. At this point in time, the United States of America does not have a president. The far-right wing of the Republican party has a president; the rest of us do not.
-Roddy McCorley
Bush on another planet? Yes.
"The world is seeing what's going on in Afghanistan." -Bush, glowing over this accomplishment at his rally.
John Kerry nailed Pretzel-Boy with the income tax return! My husband could not believe that Bush obviously never reads his return-he doen't read the PDBs, why should he check his return-WHAT A PANTLOAD!
For me, the most stunning moment of the whole evening was when George Bush was asked to name three mistakes that he has made ... and the President couldn't even name one mistake
well, at least he didn't bring up trading Sammy Sosa again
Dred Scott was not as bizarre as we think. It was code to let the extreme right know he was willing to end abortion rights.
Okay, that means Bush will stand or fall playing to his base and no one else, because it sounded bizarre if you don't know the code.
It seems to me that Bush is possibly compromising the code by using it on national television rather than a radio station in East Jesus. That kind of stuff is usually below the national media's radar.
It's clear what the Rethugs are about,
Make it close, keep the outcome in doubt;
Then they'll chuckle with glee,
As they once again see,
The Supremes bail the Chimperor out.
..
Not since Three Mile Island have we been witness in this country to a MELTDOWN capable of such wide ranging and catastrophic consequences. What haven't we seen from behind closed and well protected doors?
Please Dick, keep the codes out of his hands.
"Why does he feel he needs code? Is he uncomfortable with his own positions?"
Bush needs to speak about outlawing ALL abortions in code because if he made it clear, he would lose the votes of everyone who is not a wingnut fundamentalist. Yup, these folks are the height of ethical. True role models for us all.
Bush needs to speak about outlawing ALL abortions in code because if he made it clear, he would lose the votes of everyone who is not a wingnut fundamentalist. Yup, these folks are the height of ethical. True role models for us all.
Well, he's already objectively in favour of kids raped by parents or guardians having to notify said parents/guardians about an abortion. Which is nice.
The way Bush shouted down Gibson was just astonishing. The guy is the GOP equivalent of Scrappy Doo... not someone you want in command of the world's most powerful military.
"Please Dick, keep the codes out of his hands."
Hah! Fat chance of that vindictive fuck doing the right thing at this late date. Try this scenario late on the afternoon of November 3: Cheney sidles up to Bush like Grima Wormtongue and coos in his ear, "You know what would make you feel better? A lot better? The red button. Yeah, that's right -- the red button. You just need to push it. C'mon, give it a try. Haven't you ever heard of blowing off a little steam?"
I highly recommend that the Secret Service guard the moderator for the next debate to hold GWB back.
Maybe the moderator should be behind a plexiglas panel. Kind of like the pope.
And, since the pope and GWB never make mistakes, does the schrub think he's comparable to the pope?
the Yahoo news article states that no republican has ever lost Ohio! that's funny, I remember Clinton winning it in both 92 and 96. so I looked it up, and I remembered right...
Ohio leads the nation in recent job losses, how can they still be half for bush?
For the rest of my life I will be shaking my head at the Dred Scott reference. I still can't believe he even brought it up, but then he went on to totally mangle whatever the hell it was he was trying to say. It was painfully obvious he really knows nothing about the Dred Scott decision. Nothing.
Ohio leads the nation in recent job losses, how can they still be half for bush?
Onceler
Bush: "but, but Blackwell promised me Ohio." That's how.
I highly recommend that the Secret Service guard the moderator for the next debate to hold GWB back.
Maybe the moderator should be behind a plexiglas panel. Kind of like the pope.
And, since the pope and GWB never make mistakes, does the schrub think he's comparable to the pope?
I'm committed to delivering Iowa's electoral votes for Senator Kerry.
I highly recommend that the Secret Service guard the moderator for the next debate to hold GWB back.
Maybe the moderator should be behind a plexiglas panel. Kind of like the pope.
And, since the pope and GWB never make mistakes, does the schrub think he's comparable to the pope?
OK, I've read a lot of debate posts and I need someone to steer me to the facts. Sorry if this is a little OT for this thread. Last night's debate was the first time I've ever heard someone state flat-out that:
"thousands of people have already been cured or treated by the use of adult stem cells or umbilical cord stem cells. However no one has been cured by using embryonic stem cells."
Did I miss some major medical breakthrough or something? I thought that we were still years from seeing any practical benefits from ANY stem cell research. What's the scoop on this?
Dick Cheney: Simon Barsinister
Gosh, it would have been hilarious if Kerry had physically stepped in front of Bush to protect Gibson, wouldn't it?
It ain't over untill the fat lady sings.
Remember that, focus on that.
Tena, you forget - Shrub wuz a History Major. He knows A LOT OF FACTS. That is to say, he did indeed take History 121 A&B and he did too graduate.....
Roddy is right on many levels - we do not have a president right now. The Democrats have not had a president since Bush stole the 2000 election. But I don't think the country has a president. what we have is a bunch of ideologues competing with each other to be president, plus George Bush, the campaigner. While the world goes to hell, we have no real leadership at all.
It is fucking scary.
Bush did better than last time, so they say, yet the most scientific post-debate poll (see Emerging Democratic Majority) show people thought Kerry won 45-37 over Bush.
It's odd that people judged Bush's performance such an improvement. He still made enough funny faces to fill a highlight reel, and maybe the silliest picture all night was Bush blinking his eyes a mile a minute as Kerry tore him a new one, as the saying goes. There can't be an unbiased viewer who honestly would say that of the two, W was more presidential.
I suppose people are feeling sorry for the poor bastard and need to say the whole damn thing was a draw.
I think Kerry wins every time he stands on stage for 90 minutes and shows us what a real leader is like. The momentum is moving in the right direction, and it will probably continue through the next debate and its aftermath.
Then it's a few weeks till election day. No doubt the slime is going to get thick. These criminals will not give up power without letting loose every last cannon shot. But Kerry's hitting his stride and I rather like our chances.
we need to get to the media -- one simple question for them -- they are smart, maybe it will make them think: do you want you children (or grandchildren) to grow up on a world shaped by GWB? I really believe most journalists are rational and if they are, their answer HAS to be a resounding NO! If they think in personal terms, they have to stop this maddness! Contact them!
Next debate the moderator will be wearing the bullet proof vest.
At the top of the hour I switched to CNN: they played the "I thought we was going to attack Charlie" line.
Tena, re Dred Scott, pls see my post on the Pelosi thread which has a link to a well-researched Kos diary on the Dred Scott reference.
Re: stem cells, Forbes has a good summary, see link below at "homepage".
Here's the gist of it:
"As an embryo develops into a fetus, stem cells continue to specialize into multipotent stem cells, with specific functions. For instance, multipotent skin stem cells can generate any of the different skin cells, but not blood or brain cells. Multipotent cells are often referred to as "adult stem cells" -- the term "adult" referring to the maturity of the cells, not the age of the individual.
"The medical use of adult stem cells is neither new nor controversial. They have been employed for over 20 years to treat blood disorders and autoimmune conditions, as well as to replace bone and cartilage.
"Dr. Richard Burt, chief of the Division of Immunotherapy and Autoimmune Disease at Northwestern University, performed the first stem cell transplants to treat systemic lupus seven years ago. According to Burt, this work, which had a 70 percent success rate among individuals with the relatively common autoimmune disorder, "does move the frontier of death, disease and suffering further away."
"Other researchers point out that successes like Burt's may not be representative or easy to duplicate.
""These are a handful of isolated cases," said Dr. Robert Goldstein, chief scientific officer for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, in New York City. "Everything about stem cell progress has unfortunately been over-hyped."
"According to Goldstein, the greatest limitation of adult stem cells is that they can't regenerate all types of cells because they are specialized for definite cellular functions.
"Furthermore, it is impossible to extract certain adult stem cells, such as those that could regenerate brain tissue, without killing the donor.
"For this reason, the focus has shifted to embryonic stem cell breakthroughs, putting pressure on researchers whose access to these cells is currently limited by the Bush administration. . . ."
"Dick Cheney: Simon Barsinister"
This is way OT, but does anyone know what a "bar sinister" is? The term comes from heraldry. A bar sinister was added to the coat of arms to denote that the bearer was the bastard son of a nobleman. So those old Underdog cartoons maybe weren't quite so innocent...
"sinister" by the way, comes from Latin for "left."
Okay, now back to Bush & Kerry...
Next up on Jerry Springer: George Bush and the military wives he "loved."
The way Bush shouted down Gibson was just astonishing. The guy is the GOP equivalent of Scrappy Doo... not someone you want in command of the world's most powerful military.
Too late.
But it does explain the situation in Iraq.
i think that you will find the dred scott comment explained well here....
http://tinyurl.com/5y78d
and that should chill this audience. because it means that bush was performing theatrically so as to please his fascist base...
that is how this election is going to have to be explained to the electorate; voting for either fascism or anti-fascism[better still, fascism-lite].
sic sempet tyrannis
Watching the video of that segment at oliverwillis.com something happened to my computer so I got it in isolated bits and pieces. Bush was barking each statement which wasn't so noticeable when the whole thing ran smoothly. He was off his rocker at that point. He was displaying the kind of behavior which got us into the mess in Iraq: Unwilling to listen to anyone else; unwilling to go by the rules; pushing anyone who disagrees with him aside.
The President seemed to have difficulty naming a few mistakes when asked to name just three. Let's do a Letterman for him - hold a contest to select the Top Ten mistakes he could have fessed up to, and get bloggers to vote on them. Then send the Top Ten list to that poor woman who asked the questions (with suitable press coverage, of course!) Or give it to Letterman for airing before the next debate.
"I hear there's rumors on the Internets."
Get yer t-shirts at Democratic Underground.
I watched the debate in a room full of law students. They were literally slack-jawed and speechless at the Dred Scott answer. I think the actual word that could be applied is AGOG.
Bush even steps in his own bullshit political hackery, picking probably the best example of how wrong strict interpretaion of the Constitution can go and tried to call it "Judicial Activism."
The man doesn't get it right because he doesn't care what the Constitution says or doesn't say or what the law is. He thinks he's above the law and so he can't be bothered.
My image of bush during a real crisis is him sitting with a deer in the headlights look on his face for seven minutes.
"I was a little worried at one point, I thought the President was going to attack Charlie Gibson."
Commander Codpiece was probably acting out a combat fantasy.
For more on the stem cell question check out http://pharyngula.org/ PZ does some nice work on this.
Dred Scott, Dred Scott, Dred Scott grain embargo.
the dred scott answer is very revealing.....you know he didn't pull that out of thin air. he was prepped on it and waiting for an opportunity to bring it up.
my $0.02: they're worried, and they're sucking up to their base.
Next debate the moderator will be wearing the bullet proof vest.
Falstaff
I wonder....is there enough money in the world to get Schieffer to come out in a helmet & pads? And can Soros spare it?
Hell, the crowd yucked it up a few times Friday, and lightning didn't strike, so come on, let's have some fun, hey?
The bar sinister, more correctly known as the bend sinister.
In heraldry, a stripe or band from the upper right to the lower left corner of a coat of arms. It has come to signify bastardy in the family line. Normally, the stripe runs from the upper left to the lower right.
Think of it as a slash, backslash kind of thing.
Normal stripe = \
bar or bend sinister = /
Thanks for the comments explaining the Dred Scott reference, but I've spent every minute of the Fraud's reign with the firm belief that he would outlaw abortion at the first opportunity he could cook up. It's not a state secret, and even if it was, the same idiots who outed Valerie Plame would have broadcast it years ago. All the hundreds of thousands of people who took part in the March for Womens' Lives last May (mostly women, but plenty of supportive and dedicated men) were there because a woman's right to choose has been threatened for a long time. Maybe Bush feels like James Bond when he uses code phrases, but he is as transparent as saran wrap. Bush is the most aggressively anti-women president since women finally got the vote in 1920. He won't be happy until all women are pushed back into the Stone Age.
The Bush-Grinch sock puppet has added perpetual sneering to his repertoire of smirking, blinking and chewing... It's a toxic experience just to watch him. AKA ... it's "hard work".
"bar" sinister is a reference to old Hebrew... examples: Simon bar Jonah ... "son of" or "offspring of" ...
I very much remember "Simon bar Sinister". Tom Terrific, yes?
When I was a five year old we named our basset "Mighty Manfred of Forest View". My dad trained him to climb up on the hassock, and did the Simon voice, saying: "You dog, on stump, see?"
Repeat after me with empty eyes:
"I will do as Simon says."
"Maybe Bush feels like James Bond when he uses code phrases, but he is as transparent as saran wrap"
There is absolutely no secret about the real agenda these people have. There's a coworker with whom I have political discussions. Every so often I share an actual quote from one of these bastards, and his reaction is generally "They said that OUT LOUD???"
Yep. They say it out loud a lot. All ya gotta do is pay attention.
"Dick Cheney: Simon Barsinister"
So those old Underdog cartoons maybe weren't quite so innocent...
Roddy McCorley
"When Polly's in trouble, I am not slow!
It's hip, hip, hip, and away I go!!"
It explains Bush's 7-minute classroom inaction:
"Underdog won't stand a chance against my Freeze Ray! Simon says: 'Freeze'!"
For me, the most stunning moment of the whole evening was when George Bush was asked to name three mistakes that he has made ... and the President couldn't even name one mistake
One of the scariest things about Bush is his absolute bone-deep belief--deeper than religion, deeper than conscious thought--that problems don't exist if you don't acknowledge them. E.g., every time Kerry mentioned the way the war in Iraq is going, Bush started yammering about "sending the wrong message to the troops."
Yeah, George, it's the message that's the problem.
Going to war in Iraq may actually be, no hyperbole, the single biggest Presidential screw-up in the history of our Republic. But if Bush doesn't own up to it, Iraq magically remains the Disneyland of Democracy.
Phredd - saw your comment on the Pelosi thread. I appreciate knowing that that was the reason. I knew he was talking about abortion throughout that entire "activist judges" thing. But when he threw "Dred Scott" out there and then proceeded to confuse the shit out of the issue, I lost the whole thing.
Thanks.
For the rest of my life I will be shaking my head at the Dred Scott reference. I still can't believe he even brought it up, but then he went on to totally mangle whatever the hell it was he was trying to say. It was painfully obvious he really knows nothing about the Dred Scott decision. Nothing.
This is a guy who swore to uphold and defend the US Constitution--and has never, ever bothered to read it.
Why does he feel he needs code? Is he uncomfortable with his own positions? Kerry nutted up on the abortion question and the stem cell question.. why can't Bush?
Bush doesn't need code -- the repugs don't really intend to resolve their "values" issues, just like they will never bring us good government. These are called "wedge" issues because they divide us -- they are vital to the election of repugs. Only a small percentage of Americans actually benefit from repug policies. Their recent successes have been the result of convincing others to vote on divisive issues that they have no intention of resolving -- even though the bulk of their policies and initiatives go against the best-interest of many of their supporters. Its just another version of the old "divide and conquor" strategy. The "values" issues merely get the votes of suckers. If those issues were ever solved, or if government actually worked, then there would be no reason for the morons to continue to support the rest of the repug agenda that goes totally against the self-interest of the majority of Americans
You guys are the greatest. I cannot watch Bush-physically cannot. His body language, facial expressions and voice make me sick. Call it Chimpolitis or what you will, but I depend on you to keep me au courant.
"Furious George"!
Fuckin' brilliant, Atrios.
Oh, just give Schieffer a taser gun for any sudden Chimp lunges.
A yapping Chihuahua named Chimpy,
Did his very best not to look wimpy;
Though he didn't get sat on,
He was no General Patton,
But instead called to mind Ren and Stimpy.
..
tena, no problemo. it was a revelation to me, I thought he was talking to his white southern base......same dif, in many ways, but i originally thought it was about white power and not man power.
Turn the Dred Scott mention back on the Chimperor. Did he truthfully fill out his reg form to be eligible to vote in Crawford?
Thousands of poor, mostly African American voters were robbed of their vote through selective, racially based purges of the voter rolls in several southern states, including Texas and Florida. Permanently disenfranchising ex-felons in a criminal system stacked against black voters is a way to give the cracker Rethug base back the advantage afforded from that insidious 3/5 ratio.
One maneouver in Florida to suppress the black vote targets whether newly registered voters in black neighborhoods correctly filled the section of their reg forms identifying themselves as felons.
Of course, a certain coke using drunk driving arrests-scrubbed candidate for president will have had to fill out a reg form himself and answer truthfully -- or be open to charges of perjury.
The relevant section of the Texas reg form asks:
I affirm that I ... have not been finally convicted of a felony or if a felon I have completed all of my punishment including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or I have been pardoned ...
The perjury warning reads I understand that giving false information to procure a voter registration is perjury, and a crime under state and federal laws.
Not being a legal expert or familiar with FOIA on candidates' papers, can anyone say whether Chimpy's Crawford reg is available for public viewing? (Newly released TANG records might also figure in here.)
"One of the scariest things about Bush is his absolute bone-deep belief--deeper than religion, deeper than conscious thought--that problems don't exist if you don't acknowledge them."
I can't claim more than a passing knowledge on this subject (mostly gleaned from the Matthew Scudder mysteries by Lawrence Block) but isn't that one of the foundations of Alcoholics Anonymous -- that you can't solve the problem until you acknowledge that there is a problem?
Sweet Sue, I also have that visceral reaction to Bush. A friend suggested alcohol, and it worked Friday night.
I just hope and pray that people understand what an irrevocable error it would be to vote this asshole to a first term. The world is waiting.
Blinky McSmirk is toast!
Albert - Thanks for the link to the diary on Dkos about the Dred Scott reference. I had no idea that Dred Scott is viewed by anti-abortionists as a precedent for Roe v Wade. Very cunning for Bush to mention it, knowing that only the fundies will really know what he is alluding to.
does anyone have the clip of furious george?
Farmer McChimpy is on his final legs!!
-
Daniel Ellsberg interviewed by "The Sun" magazine October,2004:
ELLSBERG: "I think al_Quaeda operatives are smart enough to realize that Bush is the best U.S. president they could have. Al-Quaeda wanted a U.S. attack on Iraq and they got it from Bush. Every day we stay in Iraq is a good day for al-Queada.... they do not want the U.S. out of Iraq and they do not want Bush out of office. Bush's reelection would be good for all the terrorists in the world. A vote for Bush is a vote for Osama.
Question: Do you think Bush can be defeated this year?
ELLSBERG: I think there's a good chance Kerry will win a popular vote the way things are going. But I don't think Bush and the rest intend to allow themselves to be voted out of office. That means two things. It means voting fraud, and it means another terrorist attack, whether Osama bin Laden is behind it or not. It could well be a Bush terrorist attack, because it would help him get reelected....
We have to be aware that any terrorist act on U.S. soil will almost certainly be intended to keep us in Iraq. And there's a strong potential that the Bush administration itself will bring about such an attack, because it would serve them so well. That is where al-Queda's and the Bush administration's interests converge. All Bush has to do is get out of the way, which may be what happened on 9/11.
If the media minimize the Bush Tantrum, in contrast to the Gore Sigh and the Dean Scream, that contrast will put the myth of the liberal media to rest.
"Furious George"--I like that.
As for the Dred Scott decision, it's conservatives, not liberals, who provide the real parallel. Chief Justice Taney, in the opinion of the court, based his conclusion that Blacks have no rights on the inferred views of the Framers of the Constitution. Original intent--that's what it was about.
Whoever asked the 'three mistakes' question deserves to go down in history as a Heroine of the Republic.
She knew -- KNEW -- that there was No. Way. In. HELL that Bush could answer that question.
Now, that same question has been asked of Bill Clinton, and Clinton, without hesitation, has answered it: Not moving fast enough on Rwanda, getting involved with Monica, and letting the Republicans con him into appointing a special persecutor. But Bush -- Bush, in his own mind, is so fucking insecure that he CANNOT, EVER, admit a failing.
Reading Ellsberg's words I don't feel that I'm just being paranoid. I have felt for a long time that Bush is not going to leave office regardless of the outcome of the election, or if they feel the vote will go against them they may do something before the election. What will the next three weeks bring?
this was hilarious.
Can anybody channel Scott Joplin?
We need a piece written for Bush called The Chicken Caesar Strut
Try this scenario late on the afternoon of November 3: Cheney sidles up to Bush like Grima Wormtongue and coos in his ear, "You know what would make you feel better? A lot better? The red button. Yeah, that's right -- the red button. You just need to push it. C'mon, give it a try. Haven't you ever heard of blowing off a little steam?"
[Button room] REN: Now, listen, Cadet. I've got a JOB for you. See this button? (Stimpy reaches for the button) DON'T TOUCH IT! It's the HISTORY ERASER button, you FOOL!
STIMPY: So what'll happen?
REN: That's just IT! We don't KNOW! Maayyybeee something bad?...Mayyybeee something good! I guess we'll never know! 'Cause you're going to guard it! You won't TOUCH it, will you?
(Stimpy salutes. Ren leaves.)
REN: Hehhh...hehhhh...hehhhh...hehhhh...
(Stimpy marches back and forth, starting at the button.)
ANNOUNCER: Oh, how long can trusty Cadet Stimpy hold out? How can he possibly resist the diabolical urge to push the button that could erase his very existence? Will his tortured mind give in to its uncontrollable desires?
(Announcer grabs Stimpy, forces him closer to the button.) Can he resist the temptation to push the button that, even now, beckons him even closer? Will he succumb to the maddening urge to eradicate history? At the MERE...PUSH...of a SINGLE...BUTTON! The beeyootiful SHINY button! The jolly CANDY-LIKE button! Will he hold out, folks? CAN he hold out?
STIMPY: NO I CAN'T!!!EEEEEYAAAHHHH! (pushes button)
(Alarms go off. Ren, Stimpy, and Announcer stand around table with button.)
ANNOUNCER: Tune in next week, as...
(Flash, explosion as they all disappear.)
We see the Ren and Stimpy logo, Ren and Stimpy also flash and disappear.
MATTHEWS: Senator, please.
MILLER: You know, I wish we...
MILLER: I wish we lived in the day where you could challenge a person to a duel.
MILLER: Now, that would be pretty good.
Don‘t ask me—don‘t pull that...
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: Can you can come over? I need you, Senator. Please come over.
MILLER: Wait a minute. Don‘t pull that kind of stuff on me, like you did that young lady when you had her there, browbeating her to death. I am not her. I am not her.
(CROSSTALK)
I had no idea that Dred Scott is viewed by anti-abortionists as a precedent for Roe v Wade. Very cunning for Bush to mention it, knowing that only the fundies will really know what he is alluding to.
Maybe not so cunning. Bush used the code on a national forum instead of the usual under-the-radar medium like talk radio. Millions of people -- including mainstream media people -- heard it for the first time. If my WTF? reaction was typical, Bush sounded weird to everyone who doesn't know the code. The curious among us found out, or will find out, why the hell Bush was talking about Dred Scott, and his cover will be blown.
So, to everyone outside of Bush's base, Bush's coded statement is either evidence of lunacy or evidence of a vast right-wing conspiracy. Bush may have energized his base, but he has once again energized those who are scared of his base.
Bush is a fascist freak, but many conservatives have an equal dislike of Kerry. Michael Badnarik is the "Conservative Nadar" and could cost Bush the election. There is a media blackout on Badnarik because Bush knows Badnarik could be the Perot of 2004.
Gore Lawsuit Challenges Australian Election Results
(2004-10-09) -- Just hours after the polls closed across Australia, and Prime Minister John Howard headed for his fourth term, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore filed a lawsuit in international court at the Hague alleging "irregularities" in the balloting.
The election was seen by many as a referendum on Australia's participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the subsequent efforts to bring democracy to Iraq. Mr. Howard's opponent, Mark Latham, had promised to withdraw Australian troops from the Coalition.
"Somebody was disenfranchised or coerced down under," said Mr. Gore, now an itinerant professor. "John Howard betrayed his country. He played on their fears. There's no way they could have re-elected him legally. We'll fight this result all the way to the U.N. Security Council if need be."
Democrat presidential contender John Forbes Kerry expressed displeasure at the Australian election outcome.
"This is the wrong election result, in the wrong place at the wrong time," Mr. Kerry said. "Think of the precedent this sets."
A movie theater next to an Afghan restaurant in the Little Kabul area of Fremont, Calif., displays a sign thanking President Bush for the elections in Afghanistan.
Can anybody remember if any of the Polish Internets need any wood?
Or hydrogen-generated automibile?
Senator Kennedy, can you remember? Or that Silvio Berlo-tollonski guy?
Ask Tony Blair if he needs any wood! You just ask him! Ask him if the quality of the air is any cleaner! We all need an incent to treat the environmental quality more better.
Damn, I'm smart.
A common question on several sites is why Kerry seems to be passing on some obvious opportunities to send C Plus Augustus into total meltdown. One possible answer, and the more I think about it, the more I like it, is that Kerry is waiting until the last debate to induce the "Captain Queeg" moment, so there will be no chance to rebound in a later debate. As such, the last image the public will have from the debates is a completely berserk monkey.
I love the sound of metal ball bearings clicking, it sounds like---VICTORY!
Selah.
To me he when he wigs out he looks like a wannabe woman-basher.
I am a Canadian woman that lives right nest to the Us border. I am married to a wonderful American man. I have been watching the presidental debates very carefully. This is something that i dont need to do but, I feel sorry for the American people with Bush in power.
Now Mr Kerry was and has been a wonderful speaker, and if he puts all his words into effect as President. I really really liked listenening to Kerry and total sicken at the sounds and looks of Bush. I stronger felt that Kerry won that debate and told my husband that if he didnt i would be very surprised. THEN LOW AND BEHOLD AFTER THE DEBATE THE MEDIA ASKED A PERSON THAT WAS UNDECIDED WHAT THEY THOUGHT, AND THEY SAID BUSH OMG WHAT IS UP WITH THAT WHY IS THERE EVEN A SMALL MARGAIN BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM, KERRY REALLY SHOULD BE A HEAD BY ALOT.
Please tell what is that the american people want?
I am so confused
I don't think Gibson would have had anything to worry about with Laura charging him. It's Barbara he should worry about. She's a hellcat!
James Wolcott on Bush's performance last night. jameswolcott.com scroll down to "Empty Volcano"
I don't think Gibson would have had anything to worry about with Laura charging him. It's Barbara he should worry about. She's a hellcat!
"Underdog won't stand a chance against my Freeze Ray! Simon says: 'Freeze'!"
CapMidnight | Email | Homepage | 10.09.04 - 7:10 pm
That is until Underdog takes his "Super Energy Pill" and it sure seemed last night like someone encouraged Furious George to take one of those to counter the usual pills that Colin said everyone was taking to help them sleep. (And the doctor that's been passing out Ambien to Cabinet folks like candy in front of an agitated addict should have his license revoked, especially if he's passing a little sumthin' sumthin' to the Presi-snit!)
Orcinus broadens the Scott discussion.
RE: Daniel Ellsberg's comments about the Bushies being willing to either launch a terrorist attack (and blame it on al -Quaeda) or let al-Quaeda do it in order to cause a national crisis that may help them win the election. (Maybe this is the October surprise that Rove was alluding to.)
I too have had these thoughts. I don't think the Bushies and their gang of thugs would hestitate to cook up some kind of "terrorist" attack if they thought it would keep them in power. But what are the odds that a big attack a few weeks before the election would backfire......and remind Americans that this gang of incompetents can't win in Iraq and can't keep anyone safe in the USA either???
I used to thnk they were going to drag Osama bin laden out of his hidey hole sometime, oh, three weeks before the election. But I don't think so any more. I don't think they know where Osama is. If they did.,. they'd already be hyping him as a big menace. (In order to make his capture a really big deal.) Instead, Osama has become He Who Must Not Be Named.
When JK answered the question about abortion, he did a really lovely gesture.
He was saying he respects her point of view, he's a Catholic, it's important to him, etc., -- and he's looking her right in the eye, with his hand on his heart, and he very slightly bows as he talks directly to her.
Looks her in the eye, hand on heart, bows to her, talks directly to her. That's a man who treats people who disagree with him with respect. And that calls those people to respect him in return.
God, can we please have President Kerry in a landslide, please God? I'll be good.
A little James Wolcott to brighten the evening. From his lips to the voters' ears:
My provisional opinion, contingent upon no unforseen events altering the current dynamics (i.e, a meteor crashing through the ceiling of the auditorium), is that Kerry is grinding Bush into such fine pencil shavings that even Peggy Noonan will not be able to sweep him up and make him whole.
Please tell what is that the american people want?
I am so confused
Dear Canadian,
I wish I knew too. I think this election is a national intelligence test. I hope we pass.
"The beginning of the end of every democracy is when the electorate figures out they can vote themselves bread and circuses -- for a while." -- Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein
The thing that gave me the biggest laugh of the debate was watching the attendees' expressions in the background as Bush gave his final statement. Everyone had a very serious look, but they didn't strike as a respectful, considering looks so much as near-hostile opinions that Bush was insulting them. One woman in particular, who could be seen to the right of Bush's head, had her hand on her face and a "I can't believe this bullshit" expression.
I saw her too, sister of ye. The dark-haired woman in the gray suit, right? up in the corner of the third row or thereabouts, leaning on her hand? Oh yeah, she was showing the fact that she has a true midwestern bullshit detector. God bless her.
Gorje Dubbya Busch: "Can anybody remember if any of the Polish Internets need any wood?...or that Silvio Berlo-tollonski guy?"
Actually, I think Bush said "Serbio Bellotollonski."
Can you imagine what that does to ol' Silvio's ego? His ol' buddy W doesn't even remember his name.
I mean we're talking world class moron. You wanna piss off our Eye-talian all-lies, just start calling them Serbios.
strawhat- Amen, I second your thoughts on Kerry's lovely way in answering the question on abortion. And I'll join you in praying for a landslide.
It seemed to me nearer the end of the debate that Kerry seemed to limping slightly, as if one of his legs was stiff. I was wondering if that could be from the shrapnel wound from Vietnam. Does that ever give him trouble? My heart went out to him thinking of him there, weary, having to deal with Bush's yappy threats. Like a tired newfoundland with a Yorkie nipping at his heels.
Grey pantsuit lady rocks!
Oh good. Glad I'm not the only one who noted the expressions of the audience, cause I'd hate for it to have been wishful thinking on my part. But can you imagine being trapped in a small room for 90 minutes with the Preznit on a rampage like that? I'd be, just sit verry still until the bad man goes away...
Re: "Bend Sinister":
Nabokov rules.
lisa re the audience:
I thought it was very interesting to see who went up to which candidate and had their pictures taken with whom after it ended. I noticed that the woman with the concern for no gov't abortions and her close friend in white (tee?) shirt went up to Bush afterward. Looked like they were old buds.
"...isn't that one of the foundations of Alcoholics Anonymous -- that you can't solve the problem until you acknowledge that there is a problem?"
Yup. Thus, our resident is a "dry" drunk. He may have stopped drinking, but he's not been treated.
Then again, he may not have stopped drinking, or he may have picked it up again due to all the stress and "hard work" associated with the Presidency.
yeah speechless, I did notice. others have speculated that the woman in white was an RNC plant. UGH...I like the post over at Digby's comparing shrub to the abusive, bullying husband/father - he's not the first to make the comparison, but it seems more and more apt as we watch Shrub become increasingly unhinged in public.
I've added a fun FURIOUS GEORGE graphic to my site...it's at
Poor, Dumb Furious George
Yeah, Bush's reply to the woman asking him to name 3 mistakes was classic Bush but shading into the bizarrely defensive. Since when does a candidate ever challenge the motives of a person who asks them a question in a public setting. Downright churlish I thought.
Did anyone else think as I did that Bush was referring to Paul O'Neill as one of his "mistaken" appointments. Any guy who "spills the beans" about Bush's pre 9/11 intentions to go to war w. Iraq undoubtedly ranks as a major screw up as far as Bushie is concerned.
In my blog post about the debates I also noted Bush's bizarre reference to the Dred Scott case ("I won't nominate to the Supreme Court someone who favors slavery") & his complete misrepresentation of the the U.S. Constitution (in saying it opposes slavery).
And finally, how 'bout his comment that it is "naive and dangerous" to let the Iraq weapons inspectors do their job? Downright strange stuff from Herr Bush last night.
My post is at Bush Boners in 2nd Debate
Watching these debates, my friends and I have concluded that we would not want to debate John Kerry, even if we were absolutely in the right. He'd just rip us up anyway.
I have Gordon, aint it sweet?
I love the smell of victory!
Wonder how long it will take Terezaa to lose the loser after 11/2?
lol
People like Dave make me sick. So much is at stake in this election regarding the environment, our safety, and our basic human rights and yet these kinds of people treat the election as a your guy/my guy sporting event, cheering and catcalling like they're watching a fucking foorball game.
So Dave, GROW UP, FUCK OFF, and GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS and START PAYING ATTENTION to what's going on around you!
After watching Friday's debate, I can understand why Jenna and Barbara are such drinkers. When bush started yelling his answers, I felt like I was one of them just before I get sent to my room. big angry daddy for president.
Hey Anonymous at least I use a name!
Kerry is losing and you are in a tither.
This election is not about the friggin environment and saving some salamander.
It about saving your sorry ass! Or do you already wear a Burka?
You nimrods should have to take an intelligence test before you are allowed anywhere near a voting booth.
This one will probably get me banned again but big whoop. you should let me stay just so I can enlighten you some.
Bush is the most aggressively anti-women president since women finally got the vote in 1920
What Eileen Left (cute name!) said.
I liked how Kerry said things like "I can't force my beliefs on other people" and "It's more complicated than the President wants you to believe" and explained why he wasn't 'flip-flopping' on issues he was accused of doing so on. I did wish he'd say more about what he planned to do--"I have a plan!" with no details given makes me wonder if I'm going to *like* the plan or not.
But I couldn't believe Bush brought up the ICC (at the beginning, with no real reason to that I could see!) or Dred Scott (though now that I hear it relates to abortion, I can see it).
All in all, I do like Kerry fairly well, and wouldn't vote Bush if I could vote (I'm an American living in Canada who doesn't fulfil the overseas-voter requirements), but I'd still like to see more from Kerry.
And parenthetically--THK? So totally my new lust object. :D I think it was the "speaks several languages and has lived outside the US for years" that did it for me, but in any case--please be our new First Lady! Please!
I pulled up the transcript from C-SPAN to look again at the last question. Here it is, with the presnit's 2 minute response:
GIBSON: And the final question of the evening will be addressed to President Bush and it will come from Linda Grabel. Linda Grabel's over here.
Linda Grabel's over here.
BUSH: Put a head fake on us.
(LAUGHTER)
GIBSON: I got faked out myself.
BUSH: Hi, Linda.
GRABEL: 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.
BUSH: I have made a lot of decisions, and some of them little, like appointments to boards you never heard of, and some of them big.
And in a war, there's a lot of -- there's a lot of tactical decisions that historians will look back and say: He shouldn't have done that. He 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 was 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'd been -- 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 asked 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.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: But history will look back, 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.
My recollection is that he just about lost it on this question, almost attacked the questioner. Now I believe Kerry could have given a better answer, in particular, he could mention that it's a good thing the intel was wrong about nukes, because we didn't bother to rush our military to guard the "known sites," and terrorists would have got them the same way they got the contents of the ammo dumps. But hey, perhaps Bush knew there was nothing there, and no need to guard all those places the administration knew were chock-fu
Ahhh, there's a word limit on posts, let me continue:
But hey, perhaps Bush knew there was nothing there, and no need to guard all those places the administration knew were chock-full of WMDs. Hmmmm.....
Bush's inability to recognize a mistake he's made is devastating. Why couldn't Kerry have nailed him on it, instead of falling for the Iraq bait:
Sen KERRY: "Your question, [name], asked the President to name a mistake he had made, and how he fixed it. And it tells us something that he wasn't able -- that he was _incapable_ -- of naming a single mistake that _he_ saw and fixed.
I ask you: is there anyone in this room who hasn't made some mistake in the last four years?
So, the President's answer tells you a lot: once he makes his mind up, he can't see how he was wrong, no matter what. And if you can't see where you went wrong -- it's a complicated and dangerous world we live in, you know, and it's hard to believe the US government gets every policy on every major issue exactly right the first time -- well, if you can't see where you went wrong, then you can _never_ correct and improve your policy.
If I'm elected, I'll make the best decisions I can, as laid out in my plans. But if it turns out that a choice I make isn't the very best, isn't the one that makes America as strong and as safe as it can possibly be, then you bet I'll admit it and find out how to do better.
And that's what the American people wants. Because with this President, you can bet that every mistake he ever made will be with us as long as he stays in office, because he can't bring himself to admit he might have been wrong.
Can we afford four more years of all the things this Administration has gotten wrong?"
------
I'm the Presinent! I can talk anytime I want. The rules don't apply tuh me. I don't have ta 'splain muhself. Now, go get me a bag of M&M's and take out all of the green ones. Pronto!
After the Bush administration has slimed those former insiders who have called the president's bluff, I find it odd that President Bush would be worried about hurting their feelings.
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