Fundies agree with the taliban.
ken melvin |
03.24.06 - 6:15 am | #
OT-
Every time I check in here, I think what’s happening here is just amazing!
And I’m always impressed with how articulate we are.
It’s also a bit of ‘preaching to the choir’ - most people who come here don’t need convincing about what’s going on in this country.
There is more we can do. The main stream media may be a collection of gutless wonders, but small-town newspapers are alive and well. Yes, many of them have a conservative slant, but they do print “letters to the editor”.
If you scroll all the way to the bottom of FDL, and click on “Site Meter”, on the upper left of their home page, click on “who’s on” and you’ll see a list of cities and towns all over this country and beyond. That’s us. We are everywhere!
I urge you to write to your local paper, say what you know, what you’ve learned here, be respectful, let your anger be your motivation rather than your message; that doesn’t mean you can’t speak strongly, but one of the most powerful things we can do is to let our neighbors, our communities know how we see what’s going on in this country and how we feel about it.
tpres2000 |
03.24.06 - 6:16 am | #
The reason the Right isn't hopping mad about this is because if they made an issue of it it would expose the administration's lies about the progress being made in Afghanistan and the fact that their constitution does NOT protect religious freedom, despite Bush's recent assertions to the contrary.
The media has largely ignored Bush's failure in Afghanistan and the Right is only too happy to keep the focus away from that. Karzai only has control of his little palace in Kabul and the taliban and the fundy warlords literally control the rest of Afghanistan.
Our refusal to finish the job there has helped all of this, of course. As Rummy said prior to the Iraq war, war with Afghanistan was never a great option because there weren't enough "hard" targets there. Another way of saying that is that the neocons didn't see Afghanistan as part of their neoconservative post-9/11 agenda.
Sure, we got an oil pipeline there thanks to Karzai being an old oil buddy of Bush's, but other than that, it didn't have the same promise as Iran or Iraq in terms of being a boondoggle for the military industrial complex.
And ask yourself this- if Afghanistan is such a glowing success, why hasn't the US government asked Karzai to PERSONALLY step in on behalf of this guy facing the death penalty?
It's also kinda awkward for the wingnuttia because, you know how they love the death penalty.
Stacy |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 6:23 am | #
Mornin', Christy.
Pachacutec |
03.24.06 - 6:24 am | #
Tony Perkins was on Hairball last night, on this topic. He's the new flavor of extreme in the Fundie sphere. He called Jefferson's desire for seperation of chruch and state a myth. Matthews didn't ask him about that.
Wait till these guys find out that all that good news in Iraq that ain't gettin' out is the rise of Shiastan south of Baghdad.
Gyro Gear Lose |
03.24.06 - 6:25 am | #
For every fundamentalist that thought George Bush was one of them…well, so much for protecting your own, eh?
Au contraire, Ms Smith: by keeping quiet about this, the fundamentalists are protecting one of their own ... George W. Bush.
That guy in Afghanistan may be a Christian, but he has brown skin.
Califlander |
03.24.06 - 6:25 am | #
Robertson and Falwell and Dobson and the like are basically in the tank for Bush, and playing their followers for suckers. Remember, these guys all supported the Harriet Miers nomination. (Dobson turned against it only when it was clear that the nomination was going to fail.) They do what Bush wants, and Bush funnels cash to them. Sweet deal. But don't expect them to speak up against their favorite boy President.
M.A. |
03.24.06 - 6:27 am | #
I'm not done yet, but this phrase jumped out at me...
"Domenech said he needed to research the examples but that he never used material without attribution and had complained about a college editor improperly adding language to some of his articles."
Pat |
03.24.06 - 6:31 am | #
In addendum to law, he says oversight rules are not binding
By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff | March 24, 2006
WASHINGTON -- When President Bush signed the reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act this month, he included an addendum saying that he did not feel obliged to obey requirements that he inform Congress about how the FBI was using the act's expanded police powers.
The bill contained several oversight provisions intended to make sure the FBI did not abuse the special terrorism-related powers to search homes and secretly seize papers. The provisions require Justice Department officials to keep closer track of how often the FBI uses the new powers and in what type of situations. Under the law, the administration would have to provide the information to Congress by certain dates.
Bush signed the bill with fanfare at a White House ceremony March 9, calling it ''a piece of legislation that's vital to win the war on terror and to protect the American people." But after the reporters and guests had left, the White House quietly issued a ''signing statement," an official document in which a president lays out his interpretation of a new law.
In the statement, Bush said that he did not consider himself bound to tell Congress how the Patriot Act powers were being used and that, despite the law's requirements, he could withhold the information if he decided that disclosure would ''impair foreign relations, national security, the deliberative process of the executive, or the performance of the executive's constitutional duties."
Bush wrote: ''The executive branch shall construe the provisions . . . that call for furnishing information to entities outside the executive branch . . . in a manner consistent with the president's constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch and to withhold information . . . "
scarecrow |
03.24.06 - 6:36 am | #
MUST READ article in Arkansas Paper (via Raw Story)
The missing link
Scientist discovers that evolution is missing from Arkansas classrooms.
Jason R. Wiles
Updated: 3/23/2006
"She knew quite well that the “balanced treatment” being taught had been found by a federal court to violate the Constitution’s establishment clause — perhaps there is no greater irony than that two of the most significant cases decided by federal courts against teaching creationism were Epperson v. Arkansas and McLean v. Arkansas Board of Education."
Me thinks Howie wrote that article a wee bit too early.
"Late yesterday, the liberal Web sites Daily Kos and Atrios posted examples of what appeared to be instances of plagiarism from Domenech's writing at the William & Mary student paper."
I think it's now well documented that it's a bit more extensive than that.
Since this is in the WaPo now, can we ask Debbie for a correction?
Pat |
03.24.06 - 6:42 am | #
so we will see how the right protects their own with Ben and the Prez
christofay |
03.24.06 - 6:43 am | #
I’ve been thinking a lot about this whole issue of the Bush administration’s latest tactic of blaming the media for the public’s perception that things are going worse in Iraq than they really are. Don’t know if anyone else heard Chris Matthews last night interviewing the woman who asked Bush the media-related question at his town hall meeting – he also interviewed her husband, whom she had referred to in her question – but during much of it I was shouting at the radio (was listening on XM).
Given that the media pretty much fell into line with the administration in the run-up to the war, paid scant attention to reports of intelligence manipulation, asked relatively few questions about inconsistencies in what the administration was saying versus what was coming out of other countries, provided little follow-up to anything that seemed to damage the case for war, they managed to lull the administration into believing they had the media in their camp. Now that there is at least some pushback from the media, the administration wants to blame them for the public’s declining support.
This is certainly in line with the administration’s belief that nothing they do ever has any connection to the results that ensue from their actions, but it past time to allow them to continue to get away with it.
The other thing I don’t understand is why there seem to be a belief that all bad news must be balanced with good news, and that good news should not be tarnished by the reporting of any bad news. The fact is that the neither coalition forces nor Iraqi security forces have been able to bring any stability or security to the Sunni Triangle, and the stability of that area is what will ultimately determine whether Iraq will be able to function as one country, and whether its citizens will be able to live and work without fear for their lives.
Does the fact that people in this region are attempting to continue to go about their lives as best they can mean that continued sectarian violence is not as important as is being reported? I don’t think so. While it is a testament to the grit and determination of the people who call this area home, that grit and determination does not balance the 50 to 70 people being killed every day in sectarian attacks. It doesn’t balance the failure, so far, of the Iraqis to form a unity government.
That there is good does not make the bad less bad, and to shift the balance away from the bad news and toward the good may make people here feel better, but it won’t change people’s feeling that we should be looking to bring our troops home. In fact, it is likely to increase calls for us to withdraw, and how exactly will the administration be able to explain why we are staying if the news reports are chock-full of mostly good news?
At bottom, the foundation upon which this war was built was full of cracks and no amount of attempting to manipulate the media is going to change that. The media have a larger responsibility than just to be a window into the daily war activity; they should be peeling back the layers, getting beneath the surface and not letting go, and in this area, they have been woefully inadequate. My hope is that having been poked with a big stick, it will finally awaken and do the job it should have been doing three or four years ago.
What is happening in Afghanistan is, in all likelihood, just a preview of things to come in Iraq, only in Iraq, it will be worse.
Sorry this is so long...
Anne |
03.24.06 - 6:44 am | #
Yay!
Predictably, Brady got his back up:
Jim Brady, executive editor of Washingtonpost.com, said Domenech was hired because "we were completely unrepresented by a social conservative voice." He said his goal "is to provide voices from as many perspectives as possible" and that Domenech is not intended to balance anyone in particular on his staff.
Domenech is "controversial" and the fact that liberals object to his hiring "shouldn't really be a shock to anybody," Brady said.
Like clockwork.
Pachacutec |
03.24.06 - 6:48 am | #
Pachacutec-
But what is he going to do about the plagiarism issue?
cathy |
03.24.06 - 6:51 am | #
More Brady:
Domenech is a board member and one of three founders of RedState.com, which bills itself as a "Republican community Weblog." Under his regular pseudonym, Augustine, he questioned President Bush's decision to attend King's funeral because she is a "communist."
"I regret using the term because I think it's been way overblown," Domenech said. But he said King worked with organizations affiliated with communists in the 1950s and 1960s. Brady called it "a silly comment" but said he is satisfied with Domenech's admission of error.
Pachacutec |
03.24.06 - 6:51 am | #
hey, the Post doesn't think they have any plagiarists on the payroll and they needed to add ChickenHawk Ben (famed plagiairist) to add some balance! Copycats need a job too!
Wilson46201 |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 6:53 am | #
In the interests of accuracy, and because it does change the meaning a little bit - this guy is on trial not for simply being a Christian, but for renouncing Islam. Albeit 18 years ago.
This is what happens when you let religious nutjobs run a government - GOTV!
Gridlock |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 6:54 am | #
cathy:
Howie's article basically means that as of late afternoon yesterday, when Howie had finished collecting his quotes and put his piece to bed, Brady was still digging in to play defense.
By late last night he already knew he had a whole new set of problems.
The Post online is in serious shit and the parent company is not happy. Even Kurzt ended his columen with more reporting of the criticisms from our side, by way of a last word.
The WaPo company is in serious trouble internally. Their business model is under serious threat, they are leaderless and visionless and they are going after each other.
It's not a pleasant place to work.
Pachacutec |
03.24.06 - 6:55 am | #
scarecrow | 03.24.06 - 6:36 am
Which makes me wonder if that stupid sonovawitch added another signing statement at the end of the Patriot Act extension, with all those Senate jerkoffs standing over his shoulder?
Bush really needs to be impeached; I know, many of us say or think that. But this guy is proving with more frequency that he thinks the job of president is something other than that to which he swore. WE are the ones who make the decision as to whether the executive office has more reach at any given time, not the resident of the Oval Office. He has clearly never understood that and he should be fired. If this were a corporation and a senior manager decided his job was something else than his job description, the board and shareholders would remove him.
Rayne |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 6:55 am | #
Gridlock -- thanks -- I oversimplified. That's what I get for writing a post on the fly. Appreciate the distinction. :)
ReddHedd |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 6:55 am | #
Reddhedd,
OT - regarding the subject of "peak oil".
You must read Kevin Phillips' new book "American Theocracy".
Kevin Phillips is a highly respected academic who wrote "The Emerging Republican Majority" in 1969.
His new book covers "the politics of radical religion, oil and borrowed money in the 21st century." It is fascinating. A link to Alan Brinkley's review of the book in the NY Times is below:
apropos the Coretta King crack by Plagiarist Ben: he actually used "Communist" with a capital C. That denotes actual membership in a party as opposed to mere ideological kinship. Lawyers call that "libel per se"...the WaPoo lawyers noted the difference, even if Howie can't...
Wilson46201 |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 6:56 am | #
mayhap them fundies bleeves a gummint orta be able to kill them that dont bleeve whut they do. seems lack they ack thataway!
we revolted frum king george but all these years later, we gut king george back.
buddy don |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 6:57 am | #
It seems that fundamentalists are not giving Bush a pass on this. Perkins is one good indicator.
Beyond the simple nastiness of us shedding blood and touting democratic miracles for a goverment which executes people who exercise what is a basic freedom in our own country, this event highlights one of the most glaring flaws of Bush's "democracy by gunpoint" foreign policy.
We never wanted a truly democratic state in either Afghanistan or Iraq. We wanted a specific, secular, Westernized democracy that would ape our own. Everyone skeptical of this war has known it, and now in the story of one man's fate it is made crystal clear. We did not go to war to offer real self-determination to these nations, or at least Bush's base did not.
I am numb to the hypocrisy by now, but never let it be said the U.S. actually wanted Afghanistan or Iraq to freely choose its future. They were to freely choose to be a lot more like us.
The other irony is the fundamentalists here do not want a secular, religiously free nation in the U.S. but they demand it in Muslim parts of the word. Like I said, big fat hypocrites.
Some Guy |
03.24.06 - 6:57 am | #
The only altar that Bush worships at is the conjoint altar of oil and greed.
moe99 |
03.24.06 - 6:57 am | #
Meanwhile...
Just another Caucasian wingnut, dumb as wood.
ralphbon |
03.24.06 - 6:58 am | #
'The Base' started making excuses for Georgie even before he was 'elected.
They'll continue to cover for him.
It's the battered wife syndrom.They are emotionally invested and no amount of reason will get trough.
He'll destroy 'The Base' before its over.
I grew up in this kind of crap.
I'm feeling depressed this morning, think I'll go yell at a repub.
boiboi |
03.24.06 - 7:00 am | #
Thank the neocons for elevating the illiterate mullahs to their current positions of power.
(These guys memorize the Koran but have no clue what the words mean, cause they don't undersand Arabic!)
Juan Cole explains it all ……..search his archives for Fisking the War on Terror, which he summarizes with this:" and The American Right, having created the Mujahideen and having mightily contributed to the creation of al-Qaeda, abruptly announced that there was something deeply wrong with Islam, that it kept producing terrorists."
Dru |
03.24.06 - 7:01 am | #
Anne: The other thing I don’t understand is why there seem to be a belief that all bad news must be balanced with good news, and that good news should not be tarnished by the reporting of any bad news.
There is no honest belief in any of this from the people at the top who are pushing it. They're only concerned with PR, with making the impression they want, and they claim to "believe" it because they think it will produce the results they want.
There are those in the general public who sincerely believe it, because the talking point has been repeated ad infinitum and it sounds kind of reasonable if you don't have firsthand knowledge of what's going on and you want to believe things are going better than they are. But for the people who do have full information (administration officials and the press), it's conscious BS from top to bottom.
I highly recommend Harry Frankfurt's little book "On Bullshit." It made it so much more clear why administration officials lie constantly, even when they don't have to or when it's obvious they're lying. They're only concerned with creating a certain impression, they don't care whether what they say is true or false, only if it works.
Redshift |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 7:01 am | #
Like I've been telling my friends for a while now, if Dubya is correct that God is speaking and acting through him, then that God goes by the name of Allah.
Minnesotachuck |
03.24.06 - 7:02 am | #
If any photoshop geniuses can make and send to me a nice graphic of James Dobson's head "exploding," or any such image of rage and fury on his part, I'd be much obliged.
pachacutec01@gmail.com
Pachacutec |
03.24.06 - 7:02 am | #
Tennessean | 03.24.06 - 6:39 am | #
Indeed, that article is a must read.
My head is exploding on so many levels. Fear, ignorance.
Pat |
03.24.06 - 7:03 am | #
Christy - in response to your earlier post "drowning in peak oil": there's a book that's gotten great press here which I have in one of my TBR piles - "The Long Emergency - Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty First Century" by James Kunstler. The peak oil issue is one of the key catastrophes that Kuntsler sees looming.
Bottom line, I believe, is that we all need to think in terms of self sufficiency. Katrina made it abundantly clear that we can expect no help from this government were there a crisis.
Carolyn Urban |
03.24.06 - 7:04 am | #
celebrities are visiting the RedPoo blog! Anastasia Beaverhausen has penned a screed . It wasnt me! oh well, I could do a Turtle Box Ben and use it elsewhere anyway...
Wilson46201 |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 7:09 am | #
From CNN's Web site:
BREAKING NEWS Commerce Department reports sales of new homes plunged by 10.5 percent in February, biggest setback in nearly nine years.
Stephen Parrish, CPA |
03.24.06 - 7:11 am | #
Has the Justice Department dissolved? Why do these "signing statements" that allow the president to ignore the law he just signed continue? What branches beyond the executive have any power now? Or have any will to use their power?
dana |
03.24.06 - 7:13 am | #
I don't think self-sufficiency is going to cut it. I think mutual sufficiency is the key.
During the Y2K scare we heard a lot of talk along the lines of "I'm going to spend New Year's Eve in the woods, sitting on a 25 lb sack of pinto beans with my shotgun."
I think that kind of mentality is beneath us, as liberals and progressives. If we are to survive we must do it together, as communities. We will survive together or not at all.
Sadie B. |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 7:14 am | #
The shrub's base doesn't care. He can do no wrong in their eyes. The faux Xtians worship him like some sort of savior. No matter what happens in Afghanistan it will be some one elses fault. Liberals, democrats, feminist, the supine press which enables him. Any or all will be to blame but not the chosen one.
klyde |
03.24.06 - 7:15 am | #
The Afghan Constitution is written this way:
Article 2 [Religions]
(1) The religion of the state of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is the sacred religion of Islam.
(2) Followers of other religions are free to exercise their faith and perform their religious rites within the limits of the provisions of law.
>>>>>>>>>
It is the interpretation by clerics that is causing the issue. There is a resurgence of the Taliban, thanks to our bestest friend, Pakistan. They hold great power. Once again, we and our allies have caused the Afghan people much suffering. Historically, Afghanistan was a place with tremendous religious tolerance.
>>>>>>>
From wiki--
Because of the strong religious sentiments that animated their minds, rural Afghans were mostly captivated by the Taliban. Others looked on appalled at the rigidly orthodox dictates of these self-proclaimed arbiters of Islamic rectitude. To them Taliban interpretations of the Shariah were foreign deviations alien to the Islam practiced in Afghan society which has always stressed moderation, tolerance, dignity, individual choice and egalitarianism.
angie |
03.24.06 - 7:16 am | #
Good post, Redd - we must not allow Bushco's ABJECT FAILURE IN AFGHANISTAN to be swept under the rug by its ABJECT, MISERABLE, SPECTACULAR FAILURE IN IRAQ.
Sharkbabe |
03.24.06 - 7:20 am | #
Again, I'm at the mercy of someone who knows how to provide a link.....it's important.
Tristero via Digby and Hullabaloo gave us the operating word we will need to use over the next several months as we watch the Republican Party and its extreme right-wing implode: Jeffies. Yeah.
A jeffie is the rhetorical tactic preferred by Bush (Rove) and his apologists. A jeffie begins with the phrase: "Some people believe/think, etc...." followed by some outrageous idiocy that no one actually believes; i.e. "some people believe" the US should not pursue the terrorists. Examples abound. If you buy into this crap, you've been jeffed according to Tristero.
The current problem: The wingers, including Cheney, Dumsfeld, etc. and their cultish followers have all been jeffed. They believe their own propaganda. To wit: Cheney's insistance on Fox News in his hotel room.
nlacey |
03.24.06 - 7:21 am | #
Sadie,
I think mutual sufficiency is good, but I think that is built out of a whole lot of self sufficiencies. If your neigbors don't need to rescue you, that's a help to them right there. If everyone can begin to take care of themselves, then perhaps look around to see what else needs doing, how is that not a good thing?
Sorry, can't stay for the conversation, gotta go chaperone a field trip.
Carolyn Urban |
03.24.06 - 7:22 am | #
Bush is too damn distracted to notice Darfur in the Sudan, but we are noticing here in Philly. http://einkleinesblog.blogspot.c...tches-
from.html
i got to interview a few ex-sudanese slaves in front of the liberty bell during the Sudan Freedom Walk. Ain't irony a bitch?
the Walk started at the U.N. and will end at the Whitehouse.
Genocide is forever guys.
jay lassiter |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 7:25 am | #
Will go back to comments as soon as I write this, but Falwell's pretty busy right now protesting the removal of the Easter Bunny from a public building in St. Paul MN. Heard this on the fly during the minutes-long commute this morning, so I didn't catch the bldg. Minnesotans?
Props this morning to Chris Matthews on the Imus show for saying bluntly that the Bushies can't be trusted...like a guy striking out 4 times and wanting to be sent out to the plate again... Wonder how long before the Bushies started dialing to get any of this scrubbed.
Does MSNBC have as large a pair as Colbert? If they do, Matthews' comments will not only be transcripted on the Imus page, the videoclip will be there.
Prairie Sunshine |
03.24.06 - 7:25 am | #
Christy, thanks for a great post. My wild-ass-guess is that your post touches on the credibility of the Afghan government with conservative Moslems in Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East.
Conservative Moslems (both Sunni and Shia) are going to argue that the Afghan government is a "front" for Xtianizing the Middle East. It's their "democratically" elected government. If the majority vote that they want it to be an Islamic state, who is the predominatnly Xtian U.S. to tell them otherwise?
If we want the civil war in Iraq, to "migrate" to Afghanistan, it seems to me we ought to force the Afgan government to deny the "will" of the people. With that said, I am interested from others more informed than I about the religious make-up of Afghanistan. Is it predominantly Kurdish, Sunni or Shia, Persian or Arab?
John Casper |
03.24.06 - 7:26 am | #
Fundies instinctively know that George Bush is the high water mark for them. Whoever follows, regardless of party, will be "not Bush," and there will be a substantial backlash because I think most people are getting tired of the culture wars. With dismal polls, Bushies always go to exciting the base. War screwed Up? Let's talk about gays. What is Tucker Carlson's view on the Iraq War? He constantly says he opposed the invasion, never explains his stance, and then goes off topic to bash Clinton.
the auditor |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 7:29 am | #
Falwell's pretty busy right now protesting the removal of the Easter Bunny from a public building in St. Paul MN.
Wasn't it the Easter Bunny that first hopped into Jesus' tomb and saw the risen Christ?
immanentize |
03.24.06 - 7:32 am | #
Well, you go to peace with the taliban who have, not the taliban you wish you had :)
Here' my take on our freedom agenda's smashing success.
Mash |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 7:36 am | #
Another local option. I mentioned to friends off-site that I was planning to find an email addy for the progressive op-ed writer in our local mostly Red newspaper and send her the link for FDL along with thanks for her writing. Outreach, outreach, outreach, synergize...
Matthews on Imus this morning was a 180 from his usual Hardboiling show. He also mentioned the Bush p.r. push didn't include the fact that the press hasn't been showing those 2500 bodybags coming back....
Non-froth morning Matthews is much better than the evening.
Prairie Sunshine |
03.24.06 - 7:37 am | #
nlacey -- "jeffie" is not a word most Americans would recognize. There is a simpler, more recognizable word that describes this phenonenon: "lying."
scarecrow |
03.24.06 - 7:38 am | #
Wilson 46201
Been away for a couple of days so forgive me if already covered.
"Plagiarist Ben" I like it!
I bet the Post will like it too if the statement is made over and over again.
Apple Canyon 2 |
03.24.06 - 7:39 am | #
This guy gives Benjy a pass for his bigotry and racism, but plagiarism of such a staggering magnitude is too much for even them to take. He's a dead, stinking albatross around their necks now, and they know it.
I'm guessing a "resignation" sometime after the newspapers are put to bed later today.
Joe Max | Homepage | 03.24.06 - 7:12 am | #
Pat |
03.24.06 - 7:42 am | #
If you scroll all the way to the bottom of FDL, and click on “Site Meter”, on the upper left of their home page, click on “who’s on” and you’ll see a list of cities and towns all over this country and beyond. That’s us. We are everywhere!
Hey we got Belgians in the house!
I'm going to have to check the meter more often. cool stuff.
Vivian Darkbloom |
03.24.06 - 7:44 am | #
Go read Howard Kurtz -- on second thought, don't give thj eloser the hits.
He wriites an artyicle today about media credibility and exoplanations -- and first complains about the New York Times being dupped by another person who claimed to be a Katrina Victim.
When he fionally get to Domenech, he links to Conason at Slate, but, here is the punchline
Never mentions the plagiarism information.
Not once.
Says there are "allegationd flying on all sides," but doesn't mention the guy stole other writer's work.
Brave, brave, Howard Kurtz. I am certain the Bush Administration will allow you to special benefits in the future.
immanentize |
03.24.06 - 7:44 am | #
It seems that fundamentalists are not giving Bush a pass on this. Perkins is one good indicator
Some Guy | 03.24.06 - 6:57 am
Perkins/FRC were the folks who released a poll last week stating 63% of Values Voters did not think govt. was doing enough for them -
My initial impression (besides them being rapacious ingrates what with 2, count 'em, 2 lifetime appts. to SCOTUS) was -
Oh Boy, the fundies are gonna be leaning hard on Repubs during an election cycle where the electorate is trending 'blue' whooppee, pass the popcorn and watch the contortionist act !
not so much . . . although I've just started digging, a lot of these outfits are glorified boiler room operations, they are unregulated and virtually unscrutinized - and with Uncle Karl's largesse, some of them are now lucrative boiler room ops - and they'll make up polls like the one above to keep a good thing going
this unfortunate soul in Afghanistan is a 'gift' to these guys and I've enjoyed the hell out of the likes of Mr. Perkins making political hay but I don't know how much the fundies are actually going to lean on Repubs. (please jeebus, make it so...) or how much of it will be wink wink btw RNC and the Perkins' of this country - a delicate dance to keep them both in power - Anyone ?
cbl |
03.24.06 - 7:45 am | #
Yes, Pat, the turtle is soup.
immanentize |
03.24.06 - 7:49 am | #
Stephen Parrish | 7:33 am --
Yes, I've been following the additions to that Wikipedia entry on "signing statements". There's a fundamental problem with the entire concept.
It's one thing for an executive to establish they are an independent branch, but another to claim they are 1) above the law, and 2) co-equal maker of law with Congress. Bush's statements reject the law's application to the executive, and border on making new law applicable only to the executive.
WE the people need to do something about this, it's gotten completely out of hand. NOONE is above the law. PERIOD.
Rayne |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 7:49 am | #
I disagree with the idea that the Christian base will not splinter on Bush. Regardless that in Afghanistan this poor fellow is being tried for leaving Islam, not specifically converting to Christianity, it is just the kind of specific, human level story that the social conservative base gets very animated over. In the eyes of many, like Perkins, it will likely be seen as Christian persecution and Bush's handling of it will be key. If this fellow is deemed "insane" and so off the hook, it will let Bush off the hook. If he is executed, at least some far right activists will be asking what happened.
Many far right activists are still angry that Jeb Bush did not stop Terri Schiavo from being disconnected from life support. And we still don't have any decisions to indicate how far the Court will go on abortion. Should the Supreme Court demure from slashing and burning Roe and instead favor and incremental hedging of abortion rights, I predict even more steam from the ears of social conservatives.
They see their moment as now and they feel they have earned obedience from the politicians they elected. They do not understand nor like democracy, they expect deference.
All that zealous loyalty can spring like snapped tendon if pulled too tight.
Some Guy |
03.24.06 - 7:50 am | #
Rayne -- right. The Bush Administration negotiated the anti-Patriot Act provisions with one hand, and wrote the signing statement with the other.
The daily Kos article you link to asks important questions: What will Congress do about this? My question is, how will this affect the Feingold effort to censure the President?
I can't think of a single justification, even in Rahm Emanuel's pramatically moderated world, for not condemning the signing statement and adding it as another count to the Feingold measure. Enough is enough, but we're now at way more than enough.
Pound the Dems officies and phones again, this time, ask "what is your excuse now?" And if they hesitate, add "Do you have no shame?"
scarecrow |
03.24.06 - 7:52 am | #
nlacey | 03.24.06 - 7:21 am
that gambit was fleshed out rather graphically in the documentary "Outfoxed"
and I haven't been to WaPo yet this morning - am I seeing from Pachacutec that 'BarBrady' has made a statement in the face of the plagiarism charges ???
cbl |
03.24.06 - 7:57 am | #
Another photoshop request: Rahm Emanuel's face on a ballet dancer's body. pachacutec01 at gmail dot com
OT, Re--posted from prev thread bc it might be helpful:
Sorry, I can't read your blog anymore, as it is too wide for my screen, and just too messy to deal with. The format overwhlems the message.
margaret | 03.24.06 - 5:13 am | #
Jane and Redd, this is a problem for some others, too. Fortunately, you can fix it yourself. Margaret and anyone else having this prob, go to the recent posts list and click there on the one you want. It will appear in the proper format.
mommybrain | 03.24.06 - 8:02 am | #
mommybrain |
03.24.06 - 8:04 am | #
"Wasn't it the Easter Bunny that first hopped into Jesus' tomb and saw the risen Christ?
immanentize | 03.24.06 - 7:32 am"
I didn't know that. It explains a lot, though! Thanks, immanentize.
Edward Teller |
03.24.06 - 8:05 am | #
Pachacutec | 03.24.06 - 8:00 am - Have you checked with watertiger or Monk about your photoshop requests?
Stephen Parrish, CPA |
03.24.06 - 8:06 am | #
and just so I'm consistent:
William and Mary ?, did someone mention William and Mary ? you know that oh so dreamy 6' 8 Republican you can eat with a spoon; James Comey, graduated from William and Mary!sigh
I know, I'll be over here
cbl |
03.24.06 - 8:06 am | #
scarecrow | 03.24.06 - 7:52 am
You've got that right. MoveOn sent out a missive last night asking folks whose Senators have made no public statements to support Feingold on the censure.
This particular signing statement is the very hook needed with the Senators, going to the very issue of the 4th Amendment since the statement says more or less that the President reserves the right not to furnish any information to any one -- which may well be ANY investigation into the NSA warrantless spying. The President has basically taken a preemptive move to stop any attempt to prosecute violations of the 4th Amendment.
And he's also made Congress irrelevant -- not just with the signing statements, but the signing of bills that are not the bill Congress voted into law. The right tries to cover this up as a matter of semantics, a mere typographical error, but the White House has made NO attempt to remedy the situation even though they are are aware of it, indicating a clear intention.
Fire his *ss.
Rayne |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 8:07 am | #
Box Turtle - We couldn't ask for more. What better than a ignorant, plagiarizing ane (French for "jackass") to promote the Neonut worldview and way of life?
It is not like all of a sudden he is going to become some sort of eloquent and elegant writer of commensensical thoughts that dazzles the masses into believing NeoNut lies and misdeeds.
He is the "z" team if there ever was one. A neonut failure on the neonut welfare track. Light is a great disinfectant.
I understand we have to critique the hiring, but it actually helps our cause more if he is there (at least for a little while).
Evil Parallel Universe |
03.24.06 - 8:08 am | #
Can someone post a link to the Perkins material on the Afghani christian convert?
The Afghani religious issue is a perfect illustration of the Bush Administration's mischaracterization of what humane, stable democracy is all about. They think it's about letting everyone vote. But our own founders believed in a republic, and feared the consequences of a direct vote, including a direct vote for the President, and they concocted various means in the Constitution to prevent popular majorities from trampling the rights of minorities. And most important, the states insisted the Constitution not be approved without a commitment to add the Bill of Rights. Govenment would have power, but not without stringent limits on its ability to use that power against individuals and minorities, even despised minorities and those advoting unpopular views.
Bush's Administration pays lip service to this all important set of limiting principles. But he never understand that these are the principles we should be furthering, not just letting people vote. And his actions at home undermine every one of those principles -- in suppressing dissent, encouraging radical religions to be part of government(faith-based initiative), denying due process, conducting unreasonable searches and seizures, and so on -- and in the present case -- eroding the wall of separation between religion and the state's power.
The court case in Afghanistan is the logical extension of the dangerous principles the Bush Administration has followed from day one. And now that the logical extensioni of his policies may put to death a member of his own sect, he finds himself having to condemn there what he has promoted here.
scarecrow |
03.24.06 - 8:11 am | #
BREAKING NEWS Commerce Department reports sales of new homes plunged by 10.5 percent in February, biggest setback in nearly nine years.
Stephen Parrish, CPA | 03.24.06 - 7:11 am | #
Didn't we see a recent headline somewhere that said housing starts were up in Feb and all us doomsayers were wrong about the bubble, just like we're wrong about everything else? down=up, plunge=rise
mommybrain |
03.24.06 - 8:13 am | #
Pach -- the Perkins interview is on C&L this a.m.:
The easter bunny and a 'Happy Easter' sign was removed from a clerks desk at the City Hall building. Everybody here is just incredibly embarrassed about the blow up that happened afterwards. My counil member is quoted as wondering why we can't celebrate spring with "bunnies and fake grass.'' He's a good guy.
gbear |
03.24.06 - 8:14 am | #
Mommybrain - I believe the good news in home sales for January was that sales of EXISTING homes were up. NEW homes is a different and more important category b/c new homes fuel the entire building industry, sales of existing homes are just, for the most part, economically good for the broker and seller.
Evil Parallel Universe |
03.24.06 - 8:15 am | #
Thank you scarecrow!
Pachacutec |
03.24.06 - 8:16 am | #
if you're having a browser problem try the firefox browser. It works better anyway.
The remainer of the article that scarecrow excerpted is equally important. The article appears today, but it involved uncovering an action that occured last month.
Please scroll down at least to the parts I have marked in boldface.
The statement represented the latest in a string of high-profile instances in which Bush has cited his constitutional authority to bypass a law.
After The New York Times disclosed in December that Bush had authorized the military to conduct electronic surveillance of Americans' international phone calls and e-mails without obtaining warrants, as required by law, Bush said his wartime powers gave him the right to ignore the warrant law.
And when Congress passed a law forbidding the torture of any detainee in US custody, Bush signed the bill but issued a signing statement declaring that he could bypass the law if he believed using harsh interrogation techniques was necessary to protect national security.
Past presidents occasionally used such signing statements to describe their interpretations of laws, but Bush has expanded the practice. He has also been more assertive in claiming the authority to override provisions he thinks intrude on his power, legal scholars said.
Bush's expansive claims of the power to bypass laws have provoked increased grumbling in Congress. Members of both parties have pointed out that the Constitution gives the legislative branch the power to write the laws and the executive branch the duty to ''faithfully execute" them.
Several senators have proposed bills to bring the warrantless surveillance program under the law. One Democrat, Senator Russell Feingold of Wisconsin, has gone so far as to propose censuring Bush, saying he has broken the wiretapping law.
Bush's signing statement on the USA Patriot Act nearly went unnoticed.
Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, inserted a statement into the record of the Senate Judiciary Committee objecting to Bush's interpretation of the Patriot Act, but neither the signing statement nor Leahy's objection received coverage from in the mainstream news media, Leahy's office said.
Yesterday, Leahy said Bush's assertion that he could ignore the new provisions of the Patriot Act -- provisions that were the subject of intense negotiations in Congress -- represented ''nothing short of a radical effort to manipulate the constitutional separation of powers and evade accountability and responsibility for following the law."
''The president's signing statements are not the law, and Congress should not allow them to be the last word," Leahy said in a prepared statement. ''The president's constitutional duty is to faithfully execute the laws as written by the Congress, not cherry-pick the laws he decides he wants to follow. It is our duty to ensure, by means of congressional oversight, that he does so."
The White House dismissed Leahy's concerns, saying Bush's signing statement was simply ''very standard language" that is ''used consistently with provisions like these where legislation is requiring reports from the executive branch or where disclosure of information is going to be required."
''The signing statement makes clear that the president will faithfully execute the law in a manner that is consistent with the Constitution," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. ''The president has welcomed at least seven Inspector General reports on the Patriot Act since it was first passed, and there has not been one verified abuse of civil liberties using the Patriot Act."
David Golove, a New York University law professor who specializes in executive power issues, said the statement may simply be ''bluster" and does not necessarily mean that the administration will conceal information about its use of the Patriot Act.
But, he said, the statement illustrates the administration's ''mind-bogglingly expansive conception" of executive power, and its low regard for legislative power.
''On the one hand, they deny that Congress even has the authority to pass laws on these subjects like torture and eavesdropping, and in addition to that, they say that Congress is not even entitled to get information about anything to do with the war on terrorism," Golove said.
Prof |
03.24.06 - 8:23 am | #
And another thing, on how Bush's Iraq strategery has made the homeland less safe. I was reminded this morning when a local radio station reported that the Fargo police dept is facing near crunch level a la post-9/11. And it's because Rummy and Co are so dependent on our Guard units to fight this war.
The Guard is peopled by law enforcement, among others. And that means the cop in the school or on the streets may not be there any more. Red Lake is not that far away in time or miles that security in schools doesn't resonate with me.
And don't get me started on the smarmy ad campaign targeting young men who can join the reserves and go to college. Yeah, right, the college of the bloody real world.
Send Jenna and not-Jenna and the druggie and the law student and the model and... and then tell me what a great opp the Army Reserves are for America's youth.
Prairie Sunshine |
03.24.06 - 8:24 am | #
I see Ol' Buddy Don wuz heer.Shout out to ya son!
Bustednuckles. |
03.24.06 - 8:26 am | #
mommybrain | 03.24.06 - 8:13 am and Evil Parallel Universe | 03.24.06 - 8:15 am - What comes to mind when housing starts are mentioned? Are we talking about new construction which hasn't closed yet? Are we also talking about construction of spec houses?
Stephen Parrish, CPA |
03.24.06 - 8:29 am | #
Afghanistan is neither Arab nor Kurdish in ethnicity. It is largely a tribal society, mostly Pashtun, if I remember correctly, plus Uzbek, Turkmen and some Persians, I think, in the western part. I think the people are predominantly Sunni in their observance of Islam -- and I know that the Taliban's Wahabi fundamentalism (origins in Saudi Arabia) has targeted Shi'a far more often than it has any Westerners, both in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as well as Afghanistan.
dannyboy |
03.24.06 - 8:43 am | #
Dannyboy -- it was also my understanding from my (limited) knowledge that Afghanistan has a long, long history of religious tolerance, given its position as a pass-through nation during the Silk Road times. The enormous Buddha statutes that the Taliban destroyed were but one example of this history, along with the sufis and others. This is but one illustration of the idiocy of trying to force and impose "democracy" on a nation from the outside. SIGH
ReddHedd |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 8:46 am | #
Wow...I must say I think we progressives are actually improving our game with the collapse of cycle time on stories.
Look how fast this Box Turtle story moved.
Now we need to hussle with the big issues, like the signing statement. I see since the post at DKos including links to the 24-MAR Boston Globe article that TruthOut has also published the same story and routed it in their daily feed. We needed to be on this on 10-MAR, though, the day after the signing.
Think we need to monitor every bill from now on, find a way to publish the context of the signing where it can get picked up right away. It sure looks like Congress isn't doing this.
Rayne |
Homepage |
03.24.06 - 8:52 am | #
A quick OT thought on the housing market.
Yesterday, existing home sales were up 5%; today, new home sales are down 10%.
The new home value market is created by cheap land far from employment centers. Therefore, new homes come with a built-in cost-of-gasoline distance tax.
With gas prices up, long distance travel is no longer a bargain; hence, existing homes are in greater demand.
HOW MUCH evidence do humans need before it becomes obvious that religion, ALL of it, is a hideous, dangerous SCAM based on lies, fantasies and fear and peddled by fanatic parasites???
capnmike |
03.24.06 - 11:20 am | #
President Bush said in a speech in Wheeling, WV earlier this week that "We have got influence in Afghanistan, and we are going to use it."
I think what Bush means is that he doesn't have to follow the law he created - or, stated differently, he is above any laws. He is Godly and supercedes any statutes created by man. He can simply tell another country what it will do, regardless of what their laws say. Of course, Dubya picks on the little countries. You don't see him telling Russia or China what they will do.
Anonymous |
03.24.06 - 11:29 am | #
So Condi phones Afghanistan and asks for a reprieve on behalf of the hapless chap in question. What is she, a diplomatist or a legal advocate? Why this personal legal aid work instead of diplomacy that might promote broader policies that would obviate this fruitless effort at micromanaging other governments? The Junta would be a laughable dog and pony show if it weren't so dangerous to have around.
alank |
03.24.06 - 12:15 pm | #
How tuff it must be to be a Dem. in this day and age. You want freedoms but only for you and then bitch in the way it is provided. Tell me, did you bitch about the policies of FDR during WWII or JFK during the Bay Of Pigs. Were you there or know any saliors that were there and watched as 1500 pro american cubans were butchered on the beach?
Does anybody on this page understand why there was no time to get a warrent for wiretapping? These terrorist are not stupid. They make one call maybe for two minutes and that is it. No second call. NO second chance. They intercept calls from and to "KNOWN HOT BEDS OF TERRORIST ZONES". Would you prefer to go back to playing catch up after the fact?
Question:
Which Senator had the most inside knowledge of a threat in Iraq? I am not talking about the so called link in 9/11 Iraq because that was only assumed by those who can't listen.
The answer.....Hillary Clinton.
If Her and Her Husband believed it, why wouldn't everyone else. If Iraq was not a threat, why did we have twelve years of sanctions and inspections (during Dem. control of the white house) and why did the U.N. still believe ther is 50 thousand lbs of unacounted for chemicals that were not documented as destroyed still on the books.
If you don't think Dems would have to do the same things as GB is facing, you have no business making a post.
How about this. Get your party to get back to helping the working man instead of telling him his Christian beliefs have no place. Tell them third trimester abortions to perfectly healthy fetuses and no health risks facing the mother are just wrong.
Tell them to do something about health care costs. Clinton had 8 yrs and not one thing was done for the working mans health care. Things were done but nothing for the working man. My costs went up coverage went down and quality didn't change. In a two yr period during the mid to late 90s the company I worked for changed HC providers 5 times because of rising costs.
Now we have new evidence of Saddam and Binladen both equally wanted to kill americans and still you directionless Dems will find a way to dummy it down.
This Situation in the Afgan courts is a law that has been around for hundreds of years. It has nothing to do with Bush.
Do you know anything of the Muslim history?
Jeff |
03.24.06 - 1:54 pm | #
Jeff-- can you let me know where you learned about Afghan history? It bears no relation to what I learned and I stand ready to go read so I can be better informed.
And this money quote makes no sense at all:
Does anybody on this page understand why there was no time to get a warrent for wiretapping?
Go read the FISA statute and maybe you can see why your statement is nonsensical.
I can most assuredly tell you were a former Demicrat.
angie |
03.24.06 - 3:16 pm | #
Thank you for your response. It still does not answer the question of aquiring a search warrent in the time needed to protect the lives of all our citizens. They were not intercepting Joe the auto mechanics phone calls to see who he wanted in the Super Bowl. Answer this please. If Bush had not authorized this, and an attack would have been carried out, would you say again......he isn't doing enough to protect us.
Better yet, what should he have done?
Jeff |
03.24.06 - 4:06 pm | #
you're right, Dru. I only have so much time on this beautiful planet Zoltar.
angie |
03.24.06 - 7:23 pm | #
Good point Christy:
"And for that matter, oughtn’t we have used all that influence to be certain that women’s rights were also protected? I’m just saying."
OCCUPATION
The prostitutes in Kabul tap their feet
beneath their faded burkas in the heat.
For bread or fifteen cents, they'll take a man to bed—
their husbands dead, their seven kids unfed—
and thanks to occupation, rents have risen twentyfold,
their chickens, pots, and carpets have been sold
and women's flesh now worth its weight in tin.
Two years ago, the Talibs favored boys and left the girls alone.
A woman then was worth her weight in stone.
Also, Fisa judges have cleared the wiretapping issue. It is only the Dems who are keeping it alive as an issue. Most Dems now agree with the procdeedure, they just want to be more involved with the process.
jeff |
03.31.06 - 2:33 pm | #
