Liberal Repercussion: 02/22/2004

samedi, février 28, 2004

"Ruminations from Gitmo"

Dearest Denizens of the Relatively Free World:

Good news for me, bad news for everyone else concerned: the whole staff of Media Whores Online has joined me at Merka’s foremost vacation spot, Club Gitmo. I confess, I was glad for the good company. I tell you, if they round up enough of us liberals, we can stage a revolt and start our own damn country.

They got Muhammed Ali in here too. Appears that ChoicePoint gurged up his name on the “round up list” The Homeland Security folks asked him if he knew how to land a jet plane. He said “no” -- and here he is. Nicest dude you will ever meet. Ali told me to give you all a shoutout and tell you, if anyone asks if you know how to land a jet plane, SAY YES.

Also, that pasty little stinkweiner of a man -- Karl "Colonel Klinck" Rove is here. He's running the Bush reelection campaign out of Gitmo. Apparently, our captive volunteer pool is cheaper than outsourcing to India and more Republican-friendly than Austin, even.

They have us doing all kinds of weird things in the name of politics. Yesterday, I spent the day in a makeshift clean room preparing packages of anthrax that the Bushies are going to mail out to some of their Democrat friends in a show of bi-partisan love. They took me off of that shift after me and Ali broke the robotic arms while arm wrestling.

Now, I'm assigned to one of the more interesting Top Seekrit projects, beta testing the new Diebold hybrid ATM voting machine. You put in money in order to begin the voting process. It’s called a “financial competency threshold”. If you pass that, then it registers your vote -- Republican of course.

We are undergoing full tilt religious indoctrination here. They made us watch “The Passion of The Christ” the other night. Most of us thought it was gonna be porn, so there was a full house in the movie tent. Damn, didn’t know it was gonna be a snuff flick. It makes Quentin Tarantino look like a piker. Wonder if they couldn’t get something a little more family-friendly for us, like “Kill Bill” or “Reservoir Dogs”?

They’ve got this whole racket going where they’ll give you extra food if you just accept the Lord as your Savior. At first, I resorted to regurgitating song lyrics, a classic dodge from my college years.

So the head Jesus-jumper asked me “tell me hotshot, which religion is the truest?” I said “They’re all about the same. Buddha wasn’t a Christian, but Jesus would have made a good Buddhist.” That confused them and pissed them off. Apparently logic doesn’t sit well with these yo-yos.

Then, because I was so damn hungry, I threw myself on the floor and did The Worm. I recited Hiawatha in pig Latin and asked if they had any poisonous snakes I could kiss. Scared the shit out of them, but I’m eating a lot better now! AND I got internet access so that I can witness to my brethren. Consider yourselves witnessed to.

Which reminds me, I think I’ve devised the perfect google search for flushing out the creme de la creme of idiot blogs. Google: “Irwin Schiff” and “Free Republic” KA-CHING. This search yields vast legions of greedy losers posing as constitutional scholars and patriots. I gotta marvel at the brazen hypocrisy of those dickweeds. What kind of so-called patriot whines nonstop about paying his taxes? For real.

The same arrogant monkeys that snot off about how there is “no such thing as a free lunch” when it comes to social programs, but NOOOOO. When it comes to their only actual imposed duty as a U.S. citizen, paying taxes, they feel they are being boofooed with a red, white and blue broom handle.

And yet, they drive their Ford F350s around on state and national highways, hunt in state and national forests, and soak up MORE than their share of bandwidth on the government initiative known as the internet. Save me from sniveling pussy rednecks.

Snicker. I emailed Dick Armey using Herr Rove’s email account, asking him for Schiff’s home phone number, favorite color, turn-ons and such. I feel like Cupid.

Well, better get back to "witnessing" for the Lord. Love from Cassius, the MWO staff and me.

Weezil

vendredi, février 27, 2004

A Strange Intersection of Bushes, bin Ladens

By Tom Brazaitis, The Cleveland Plain Dealer
November 12, 2001

Movie producers would reject the script as too implausible even for Hollywood.

Here's the bizarre plot twist: The father of the president of the United States stands to profit from the war his son is waging against terrorists, and so does the family of the leading terrorist.

Until recently, the Texas-based Bush political dynasty that produced two presidents and the Saudi Arabian-based bin Laden family that spawned the FBI's most wanted terrorist reaped dividends from the same source.

Details of the case of strange business bedfellows have dribbled out over the last several months, raising at least the perception of conflicts of interest. But the Bush family and the White House maintain there is no impropriety.

Critics do not contend that President George W. Bush is waging war for his family's financial benefit. But they say the fact that the family stands to gain from any military action puts the family in a compromising position, even if the circumstances are purely
coincidental. Former President Bush is a senior adviser to the Carlyle Group, a private equity company that buys failing defense and telecommunications enterprises and sells them for a profit. Carlyle's investors have collected returns averaging 34 percent over the last decade.

With assets of more than $12 billion, Carlyle is the 11th-largest defense contractor in the United States. It owns companies making tanks, aircraft wings and other military hardware.

Bush reportedly gets $80,000 to $100,000 for each of a half-dozen or more speeches he delivers for the Carlyle Group each year, and takes payment in Carlyle stock. How much the former president's stake is worth can't be determined because Carlyle's business dealings are private. An aide to the former president answered "no comment" to questions about his Carlyle compensation.

Until recently, the family of Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes against the United States, held at least $2 million in Carlyle stock. The family, which has publicly disavowed its black sheep, Osama, agreed to sell its Carlyle holdings last month to quash negative publicity. Details of this and the other relationships had been in reported publications including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Former President Bush has no such qualms about his relationship with Carlyle.
***snip*** more...

http://www.webcom.com/hrin/magazine/bedfellows.html

http://www.sendatee.net/TOMJuneVBO.html

This is the ONLY thing to wear this year. The perfect fashion statement. Check it out. TRUST ME ON THIS.

by deuced nuisance

Hear the babbling brook
Not the babbling of that crook
Can't be fooled again!

Iraq is now free!
Let a thousand caskets bloom!
Right. Now, watch this swing.

Ever notice what
He looks like while he's lying?
Like he wet himself?

He traded Sosa,
Sold the team, now rich, Big Time.
Major League Asshole.

True as true can be,
The way to save our Nation:
Anyone But Bush.

by jodybjodybresch3

Like a dismal storm
Dubya came into our lives.
Time for a rainbow.

Too hot to handle,
Bush needs a bucket of ice
Poured over his head.

Schmuck, the muddy pup,
Is a weasel in disguise.
See the beady eyes?

by unterhausen

Is that ghostly form
Bush's career as a pilot
or bag of blow, thrown?

Escaping from cops
James Bath throws cocaine from car
Busted, no flying

by Buzzcook

War, Debts, joblessness
Can God give us an answer
Perhaps a burning Bush

From the excellent site
http://www.toostupidtobepresident.com/

Top 11 reasons to invade Mars.

11. Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz believe our forces will be greeted with flowers when they arrive.

10. Once we kick the ass of the mythological god of war, the rest of the planets in the solar system will fall peacefully in line.

9. Running out of places to not find bin Laden, Anthrax killer, CIA agent name-leaker, etc..

8. Secret video shown Saturday morning reveals that Marvin the Martian is a brutal military dictator.

7. Owes Gore a Coke on the whole "global warming" thing.

6. If there was water on Mars, their might have been life. If there was life on Mars, then there must be dead things. If there are dead things, there might be fossil fuels.

5. The invasion will pay for itself through the sale of Mars' ample reserves of Mars bars.

4. Mars is the front line in the war on imaginary, interplanetary terror (Mars Attacks! (1996), Clinton failed to respond).

3. As with Iraq, Halliburton pitched the invasion (see Salon.com).

2. Mars itself is an intermediate goal, the ultimate prize is the natural gas of Uranus.

1. As Condi said, "We don't want the smoking gun to be the earth shattering ka-boom of the Illudium Pew-36 Explosive Space Modulator."

Peace Train
by Yusef Islam (fka Cat Stevens)

Peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ngise'Khaya, Ngise'Khaya*
Come on peace train

Peace Train on its way

Oh I've been happy lately,
Thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be,
Some day it's going to come
Oh I've been smiling lately,
Dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be,
Some day it's going to come

Some day it's going to come,
Come take me home again,
Mmm, come on peace train
Some day it's going to come,
Come on peace train,
Mmm, come take me home again,
Oh peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Mmm, come on peace train

Ngise'Khaya, Ngise'Khaya Ngise'Khaya, Ngise'Khaya, Ngise'Khaya

Cause out on the edge of darkness,
There rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country,
Come take me home again
Oh I've been smiling lately,
Thinking about the world as one
And I believe it could be,
Some day it's going to come

Some day it's going to come,
Come take me home again,
Mmm, come on the peace train
Some day it's going to come,
Come on the peace train,
Mmm, come take me home again,
Some day it's going to come,
Some day it's going to come,
Some day - some day,
Some day it's going to come

I've been crying lately,
Thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating?
Why can't we live in bliss?

Ngise'Khaya, Ngise'Khaya Ngise'Khaya, Ngise'Khaya, Ngise'Khaya

Peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Mmm, come on peace train
Some day it's going to come,
Come take me home again,
Mmm, come on peace train
Some day it's going to come,
Come on peace train,
Mmm, come take me home again

Peace Train on its way
Come take me home again

Come take me home,
come take me home
Come take me home again,
Some day it's going to come,
Come take me home again,
Mmm, come on peace train

Some day it's going to come,
Come take me home again,
Mmm, come on peace train
Some day it's going to come,
Come take me home again,
Mmm, come on peace train
Some day it's going to come,
Come take me home again,
Mmm, come on peace train
Peace Train on its way
Peace Train on its way
Peace Train

Cause out on the edge of darkness
There rides a peace train,
Peace train take this country,
Come take me home again,
Come take me home again,
Come take me home...

* Zulu: "Take me home"

jeudi, février 26, 2004

inspired by Claypatch

Tricksey tricksey Bush!
The Oval Office is mine
ahhh Gollum Gollum

by SDent

How I Hate You George
I Know I'm Not Supposed To
But I Do Alas.

by samela

No need to read more.
Four years almost of news yields
just two words: Bush Bad.

by Jae

Danger lurks behind
the smirk, while apathy rules
across our nation

autogenerated Bushku

shore spends... drink
skips... sun trips - Gerson, how many sybalulls in Axis of Evil?! - ... Jeb laughs
moose hears... soft

Give it a whack! It's FUN!
http://www.everypoet.com/bushku/default.htm

>>>>>> Goldwater appeared as new and as startling as the booming suburbs in the desert.

Yet in his older years the founding father of conservatism gazed out upon his works and recoiled. It was not, after all, what he had had in mind. He railed against the right's intolerance, sanctimony and bullying. The author of the early seminal manifesto, The Conscience of a Conservative, took to calling himself in public a "liberal". And he denounced the right as the enemy of liberty.

"Barry was always a social liberal," Susan Goldwater Levine, his widow, keeper of the flame, told me at her home in Phoenix. "Barry believed that people should be allowed to do whatever they wanted in their own homes." When Goldwater observed the right trying to use government to enforce private morality, he spoke up for women's right to abortion and gay rights. His wife insisted that his convictions had remained unaltered, but that the movement for which he was the avatar had become warped. "He hated it that the rightwing zealots took over the party," she said.

Perhaps widow Goldwater speaks for a man who can no longer speak for himself. But it is inarguable that it's Arizona - bastion of conservatism - along with the other southwest states of New Mexico and Nevada which are, far more than those of the deep south, the battlegrounds in the forthcoming presidential election. For they may vote Democrat.<<<<<<

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1156648,00.html

by nolita nyc

where are we going?
what the hell are we doing
in this handbasket?

by Snabby

Flatulent monkey
Spawn of Satan's white-haired bitch
Go home to Crawford

by Pete Hisey

Stupid Right Winger
Reader of kids storybooks
Democrats' savior

First Amendment Zone
Fear of U.S. citizens
Begone Fascist thug

by cgreen

George Dubya Bush
The.Worst.President.Ever
Lose soon in landslide!

Illiterate chimp
As leader of the free world--
A joke not funny

Oil prices up
Assistance to needy down
Now it's time for golf

Delay probe news

lets keep the heat up on this ass clown
DeLay, speaking to reporters in Washington this week, lashed out at Earle, who he said was trying to "criminalize politics."

"The district attorney has a long history in being vindictive and partisan. He did it to (Republican U.S. Senator) Kay Bailey Hutchison and lost that case. He's done it to other people and only to get press and he doesn't even follow through and file charges," DeLay said.

Earle, a Democrat, said he has investigated 15 elected officials in the past, ranging from liberal Democratic Attorney General Jim Mattox to Hutchison, both cases he lost. He said in every investigation he has faced accusations that he is politically motivated.

"Being called partisan and vindictive by Tom DeLay is like being called ugly by a frog," Earle said.

State law allows political action committees to use corporate funds for administrative expenses such as utilities or accounting fees, but it is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, to use corporate money for direct political activities.

TRMPAC used corporate money to pay for fund-raising, phone banks, staff salaries, research and issue development in conjunction with the campaigns.

TRMPAC officials claim the corporate expenditures were administrative, but Earle's probe is directed toward proving the money was prohibited political spending.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2420890

http://austin.indymedia.org/newswire/display/15722/index.php

FABULOUS photos. It's okay to be gay, guy!

http://boards.excite.com/jsp/topicview.jsp?va=1&tid=189330

My GOOD FRIED Blaze is spreading the word.

For the record, Naked City looked into the Perry rumors when they first surfaced some weeks ago - inevitably accompanied by the warning, "The divorce papers are being filed today!" - and found no evidence of any truth to any of them, whatsoever. Amid much finger-pointing about who was the original source (and which political party he or she belongs to), nobody will go on the record. The governor's office (perhaps understandably) refuses any and all comment beyond a one-sentence statement from Perry spokesperson Kathy Walt: "These are false, malicious, and hurtful rumors, and the Chronicle's own investigation acknowledges that fact."

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2004-02-27/pols_naked4.html

Shame on Barbara Bush
Whelping such hatemonger pups
Kennebunkport bitch

Hey, George, Perry's gay
The guy you picked to govern
Texas, remember?

Votes for sale, call George
Give him money and your votes
Buy an amendment!

The Constitution
Venerated document
Bush wipes his ass with

The Christian right-wing
They're neither Christian nor right
Just judgmental fucks

Wasn't gonna wed
Now they say I can't do it
That makes me want to

How can Bush hate gays
When he gets such pleasure from
sodomizing us?

Attention, sane folks
Let's all vote, eliminate
Terrorist White House

mardi, février 24, 2004

Got proof of Dubya's service in the Air National Guard? Are you an eyewitness? You could win $10,000!

http://doonesbury.com/strip/bush_guard.html

Are you as weary of gutter politics as we are here at the Town Hall? Then whatever you do, don't click here. Instead, help us flush out an authoritative witness to President Bush's tour of duty defending the skies over Alabama -- and put this tired, recycled AWOL story to rest once and for all.

This is a hoot. The USO won't be getting THAT $10K.

http://www.polstate.com/archives/004572.html

Ugly ass email from Joby Fortson gloating about how the Delay flying monkeys managed to disenfranchise Texan voters and SCREW ME OUT OF MY REPRESENTATIVE IN THE HOUSE. fuckers

From: Joby Fortson
Subject: R's will pick up 6-7 seats now in Texas

The maps are now official. I have studied them and this is the most agressive map I have ever seen. This has a real national impact that should assure that Republicans keep the House no matter the national mood.

http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/research/redist/pdf/map_plan01374c.pdf

A quick rundown

1 - Sandlin - it gets more republican by throwing Tyler into the district. The heart of Turner's district goes to this distrioct. A solid state rep or senator could bat Sandlin/Turner in a tight race. The district is over 60% GOP but Sandlin has roots. (prediction lean staying Dem)

2- Turner - the distrcit is moved to the Houston area in an open Republican seat in northeat Harris County. It is new territory made of Brady, Lampson and a little Turner land.= but over 60% Republican (switches to Republican)

3 - Johnson - this Plano based diestrict stays the same (remains R)

4 - Hall - Hall will win this distrcit again IF he runs. However, having the area around Texarkana instead of Tyler ight discourage him. If he retires (as inidcations are he will) this will flip. (switches to R)

5- Hensarling - the district is shrunk and becomes more urban picking up East Dallas and becomes more republican (stays R)

6 - Barton - my boss actually was drawn into a district with both Frost's and Turner's homes however, if they would like to commit political suicide, be my guest. The district has gone from 57% R to 63% adding more Republican territory in Tarrant County. (remains R)

7 - Culberson - the Houston Memorial "old money" dsitrict remains the same (remains R)

8 - Brady - Brady keeps staunch Republican Montgomery County as his base north of Houston and goes north tyo chop off the other half of Turner's rural district that the 1st gobbled up. Montgomery County keeps this VERY republican (remains R)

9 - Lampson - This is a new majority minority african American district drawn for Rep Wilson around Houston Hobby Airport. Lampson is not in it and Bell is effectively drawn out in favor of Wilson (Remains D)

10 - Doggett - ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha - The district goes from North central Austin (NOT liberal Hyde Park but more north conservative Plugerville area) and stretches to Katy Texas outside of Houston. Robert called this the 290 district. It is very Republican and will be where my friend Brian Walters will be likely running. Littelfield already is a consultant. (sweitches to R)

11 - Edwards - This is the "new" Midland seat drawn for Speaker Craddick protege Connaway who lost a close one of Neugebauer in the Combest open seat. This is very Republican. (Switches to R)

12 - Granger - Granger's district continues to be a dafe Ft. Worth R seat (remains R)

13 - Thornberry - Thornberry remains pretty muich the smae but the map is very wacky at points to appease Speaker Craddick and State Senator Duncan. (remains R)

14 - Paul - Ron Paul and Nick Lampson are drawn together in a republican district. This could be trickier than thought given Paul's unusual behavior. It IS republican though centered around Lake Jackson south of Houston, but Brandon can attest that Galveston is a lean D area. Lake Jackson and points south though are HEAVY R. Tus, the district is 60% R. (remains R)

15 - Hinojosa - I do not know if if Hinojosa will take this one or another of the "stripe" districts. One of these is new and part of the voting rights protection element. They run from Austin area to the border side by side. (remains D)

16 - Reyes - this El Paso seat remains relatively unchanged (remains D)

17 - Stenholm - Really its the one Chet Edwards will run in and . . . bye Chet. Chet loses his Killeen-Ft. Hood Base in exchange for conservative Johnson County. They will not like the fact he kills babies, prevents kids from praying and wants to take their guns. State Rep Arlene Wohlgemuth come on down, you are the next Congressman from Texas. To be fair, while Edwards will likely lose, at least he has a fighting chance as Waco is the population center (but hasn't he been LOSING Waco lately - yep!) (switches to R)

18 - Jackson-Lee - as much as we despise her, she cannot be drawn out. She still has the 5th ward and downtown Houston. The Queen lives!!!! (remains D)

19 - Neugebauer - thsi is easily the wackiest district and evidently was the last one drawn. It places Stenholm and Neugebauer in the same seat but most of it is Neugebauer's Lubbock based territory. Stenholm has a chnace because it is very Ag oriented. Abilene just simply replaces Midland as the other population center. Once you see the map, you will shake your head at this one. The overwhelming R nature of it gives the freshman the edge, but Tim Holden in Pennsylvania showed that is not necessarily all it takes. (remains R in a close member-member battle)

20 - Gonzalez - The Alamo still will keep its rep in a similar district. Tony Zafirini's boss is safe (Remains D)

21 - Lamar Smith - this district still has Alamo Heights (rich San Antonio), Westlake (rich west Austin) and San Marcos - (remains R)

22 - Tom DeLay - DeLay, the supposed architect of this map according to Dems, still has his strong R base in Sugarland but gives away enough R's to give Paul and even greater edge in the 14th. (remains R)

23 - Bonilla - half of Webb County (laredo) goes to Hispanic districts and he gets more of Bexar Copunty (north San Antonio) in return to shore up this slowly more Dem growing seat. (remains R)

24 - Frost - ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Hello Congressman Marchant (a state Senator). His distrcit disappeared as Burgess takes inner city Ft. Worth, Eddie Bernice Johnson takes his part of inner city Dallas, Sessions takes his hispanic voters in central Dallas and Barton takes his home in north Arlington. It simply disappears in a Coppell centered district in the VERY republican mid-cities area between Dallas and Ft. Worth. This is the D's best legal challenge as inner city Ft. Worth will now be outnumbered in a Rpublican suburban district (see CD 26). However, the creation of a new african american seat in Houston so that new map should pass the challenge. (switches to R)

25 - Bell - this seat is removed from the Houston area (in its place is the new african american district) and this is one of the new "stripe" districts running from Austin to the border. It takes hispanic east Austin and runs to the border. (remains D)

26 - Burgess - the old Armey seat takes on 150,000 inner city Ft. Worth residents but is paired with 450,000 fervent republicans in Denton County. Lewisville, Denton and other VERY republican areas north make it, over 60% R despite the presence of inner city Ft. Worth. (remains R)

27 - Ortiz - This district still has the Texas coastline from Corpus Christi to Brownsville in the beginning of the strpie districts. (remains D)

28 - Ciro Rodriguez likely will still run in the final "stripe" district that runs from Chinagrove (the little town outside of San Antone from Doobie Brothers fame) all the way to the border. (remains D)

29 - Gene Green - this is still a hispanic seat that gets even more hispanic in Houston. I expect Gene Green to keep it but watch for the primary challenge (remains D)

30 - Eddie Bernice Johnson - she takes Frost's african American population in Dallas and lets her republican precincts (like las colinas) go. Her district finally for the first time make perfect sense geographically. (remains D)

31 - Sessions - still has the Park Cities (rich Dallas) and north Dallas. However, he pciks up some hispanic voters from the old Frost district. This is still a VERY republcian seat as people from the Park Cities vote in great numbers. remember this is the infamous 75225 zip code which raise alomst 20% of Bush's presidential money and voted in the largets precinct 97% Bush-3% Dukakis. This district does not just have people who vote republican but people who ARE republican. (remains R)

32- Carrter - the final district is another gem. Edwards loses the republicans that suppiort him and they now are with John Carter in a Williamson County centered district. This is made for Carter and is still very safe republcian territory. (remains R)

"If Bush is re-elected, the health, safety, consumer, environmental, and open government provisions Ralph Nader has fought for will be undermined. George Bush's right-wing appointees will still be serving as judges fifty years from now, and our Constitution will be shredded. A vote for Ralph Nader is, plain and simple, a vote to re-elect George W. Bush." --Howard Dean

http://www.bettybowers.com/austin.html

Forget San Francisco!
Forget Massachusetts!

What about GAY MARRIAGE in Texas?

Betty Bowers and Laura Bush rush to Austin, Texas.

AUSTIN, TEXAS (AP) First Lady Laura Bush was roused from a particularly virulent hangover this morning by her spiritual advisor Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian. Wielding a double-espresso, a fistful of tasty amphetamines from Laura's walk-in medicine cabinet and a look of delighted alarm, Betty resuscitated her dear friend and told her, "Pickled! I mean Pickles, I've just heard the most wonderfully alarming thing!"

Betty then played a stack of surveillance videos from the Texas Capitol and Governor's Mansion kindly supplied by her prophet and dear Brother-in-Christ John the Pentecostal.

"Goodness gracious me," exclaimed the First Lady, distractedly gulping multi-colored tablets and coffee. "I'm glad Bushie never did that with his Secretary of State because Bushie's Secretary of State is black – and that would hurt!

much more at link above

Visit Betty's Election Campaign & Gift Shop

Betty's NEW White House Book
CLICK HERE to take a look

It's so mean and nasty, you'll think anorexic spinster Ann Coulter had a hand in it -- until you realize it's all true!

Betty Bowers and her friends at the White House and Landover Baptist Church, in a delightfully brutal bout of political fervor, have busted the executive mansion's elegant doors wide open to take you on a hilariously eye-popping TOP SECRET tour through the most guarded – and ridiculous – people, places, prophesies and policies of the otherwise strenuously "on message" world of George W. Bush's White House.

"Rally today at Rick Perry's (Gov) Mansion in Texas"

some friends organized a rally in front of the Governor's mansion this morning. The report:

The rally at the Gov. Mansion occurred this morning. There were lots (15-20) of news people there, print and television.

One sign said "It's ok to be gay Gov." They wanted to encourge the Gov. to come out of the closet (if he is gay) and that being gay does not disqualify you from holding political office (but being a greedy scumbag should).

Some used the opportunity to tell the press that we should stop vilifying homosexuality and worry about important issues like kids dying in Iraq, no health insurance and no jobs. Others were protesting the constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage.

It was kind of disorganized but now the media knows that there is a rumor that Perry is gay (as if they didn't already).

This will not be enough for some in the media to chase down the story but for some, now the question can be asked publicly.

"Mr. Governor, is it true you are getting a divorce due to homosexual infidelity?"
"Mr. Governor, do you support gay rights?"
"Mr. Governor, who does your hair, cause it looks fabulous?"
Gotta love Texas....
Posted by: Rally at February 24, 2004 10:55 AM

"the ClearChannel/ChoicePoint candidate"

I am noticing something REAL interesting; the Bushies have purchased my email addy from someone and are reassuring me that I am one of them. I have NO idea how. There are only two likely sources: 1) that spastic Presidential Prayer Team (I signed up to get the sticker) or 2) the Federalist (daily bile - would be funny if they weren't serious.)

I'm also getting via snail mail personally signed photos of Chimpy, offers to "register" me as a "voter" for $25 (very dicey) and all sorts of freakish junk mail.

Anyway, excerpted from the most recent missive from the Committee To ReElect the pResident, an inspirational excerpt from a speech purportedly read aloud to some fat cats somewhere. (with enhancificating commentary)

The Clear Choice on the Economy:

"... Come November, the voters are going to have a very clear choice.

Well, except for those "special" ballots we'll have printed for the elderly and ESL folks.

It's a choice between keeping the tax relief that is moving this economy forward, or putting the burden of higher taxes back on the American people....

(We chose the latter. Eat it.)

Our opponents talk about job creation, but they're against every one of these job-creating measures.

That ain't the kind of Creation we're all about. Damn college eddjicated commies, flipping burgers is too good for them.

Empty talk about jobs won't get anybody hired. The way to create jobs is our pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-small business owner agenda."

Pro-pollution, pro-corporate, anti-labor, anti-workers' rights. The quick way to a healthier bottom line? Fire everyone over 40, with a family, experience or a medical condition. (Be sure to contest their unemployment benefits.) Then slash benefits for your remaining workforce. Don't worry, they will be grateful they have jobs.

The Clear Choice on the War on Terror:

"It is a choice between an America that leads the world with strength and confidence, or an America that is uncertain in the face of danger....

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread... no wait, wrong aphorism. What I meant is: "Bring it on!"

Our opponents say they approve of bold action in the world, but only if no other government disagrees.

Sorry about the nose thing. Someone will get you a check to replace that window.

I'm all for united action, and so are the 34 coalition partners we have in Iraq right now.

We're forming a club, and we're going to have meetings and matching t-shirts and a secret handshake! It'll be the ginchiest.

But America must never out-source America's national security decisions to the leaders of other governments.

Just our jobs.

Some of our opponents are skeptical that the war on terror is really a war at all.

Those rat bastards are cooling it in Gitmo right now.

They view terrorism more as a crime -- a problem to be solved with law enforcement and indictments.... After the chaos and carnage of September the 11th, it is not enough to serve our enemies with legal papers.

The law is so... overrated. Really cumbersome.

With those attacks, the terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States -- and war is what they got."

We are now the world's foremost provider of senseless civilian death and destruction.

The Clear Choice on Trusting People Over Government:

"The American people will decide between two visions of government: a government that encourages ownership and opportunity and responsibility, or a government that takes your money and makes your choices....

And if you like that latter choice, again, I urge you to vote Republican.

On issue after issue, the American people have a clear choice.

We like to think of it as Shut Up versus Die.

Our opponents are against personal retirement accounts, against putting patients in charge of Medicare, against tax relief.

With the brilliant performance of the stock market and economy during my administration, who could go back to those bleak days of the Clinton era?

They seem to be against every idea that gives Americans more authority, and more choices, and more control over their own lives....

Give me four more years and I'll give you Patriot Act III and IV.

I trust the people, not Washington politicians, to make the best decisions for their own money, their own health, their own retirement, and their own lives."

That's why the good people at the TIA are working hard for YOU.

The Clear Choice on Optimism vs. Pessimism:

"Our opponents have not offered much in the way of strategies to win the war, or policies to expand our economy. So far, all we hear is a lot of old bitterness and partisan anger.

And not an unkind word from our mouths. Gentle Republicans being verbally abused. The Dems are just vicious, I tell you. Just thinking about it, I'm getting the vapours.

Anger is not an agenda for the future of America.

I don't guess Coultergeist and Rush got the memo.

We are taking on the big issues with strength, and resolve, and determination, and we stand ready to lead this nation another four years."

Straight to hell. You'll like it there. It's a lot like Crawford.

My good buddy MadSatyrist sez:

"The essential difference between Republicans and Democrats."

That difference is very simple, and very easy to explain.

Both parties believe in sacrifice for the common good.

Democrats believe such sacrifice should be shared by all.

Republicans believe such sacrifice should be done by someone else. They've done more than enough simply by existing, they should get a free ride.

dimanche, février 22, 2004

I am hoping those tax-scam scuzzbunnies go down. They fucking prey on the stupid, and use their appearance of authority to exercise influence over weak minded greedy hicks.

SOME PATRIOTS!! *snort*

http://www.americanpolitics.com/111197GOPCrimesUPD.html

Senator Levin subpoenaed and got bank records and other data which show, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Norquist used his tax-exempt corporation to launder money for the Republican National Committee.

The conspiracy, set up between Norquist, several RNC operatives and former Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour, worked like this:

Norquist and Barbour arranged for Norquist's "Americans for Tax Reform" -- in a highly detailed scheme -- to launder $4.6 million of RNC money through "Americans for Tax Reform" accounts in order to cloak the expenditure as an independent advocacy mailing.

Now, federal law prohibits coordination of such political activity between politics parties and so-called independent organizations like "Americans for Tax Reform." But Republicans have abused this law for years. I should know. I was trained at the presidential level by the Republican National Committee myself in 1980.

Norquist and the RNC claim there was absolutely no coordination between them -- but extremely detailed evidence show them to be liars.

In October 1996 the RNC gave "Americans for Tax Reform" a $4.6 million "donation." Keep that in mind -- nearly $5 million dollars. The "donation" itself would be questionable at any time, since Norquist seems to be universally loathed by a plethora of right-wing conservatives and liberals alike who see him as a nightmare in human form and an embarrassment to the Republican Party as well as the nation. But Norquists's closest allies, House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Haley Barbour share this mantle.

But wait. It gets better.

RNC officials, including Barbour, claim that the $5 million had no strings attached! They just popped what amounts to the a week of school lunches for a million poor kids over to Norquist's private anti-tax group -- because he was "like-minded." Boy, would I like to get in the heads of the jury that hears that one.

Norquist and Barbour, so arrogant that they didn't even cover their crime well, held onto enough documents to commit suicide. Among those documents are bank records that show an immediate transfer, after receiving RNC cash, from Norquist's accounts to pay for a campaign mailing to 150 congressional districts only days before the 1996 election. Shades of Batman.

In one case, more than $500,000 spent only an hour or two in Norquist's accounts before it was spent for pro-Republican advertising.

And where did the money go? Well, nearly $3.5 million went to something called the "John Grotta Company" - a direct mail house that works primarily for Republicans. Grotta mailed a piece targeted at seniors who knew Republicans were trying to gut Medicare. The Norquist piece told them this wasn't true and after it was mailed, polls showed Republicans recovering from a big decline in senior support.

What was Norquist doing mailing campaign pieces about Medicare? "Americans for Tax Reform" is registered as an anti-tax group, not a health care protectorate. What he was doing was attempting to "play ball" with the powers-that-be at the RNC.

The mail went out under the name of "Americans for Tax Reform" -- another crime inasmuch as the mail never revealed that the piece was from the Republican National Committee, nor were the donors who supplied the money to the RNC that was transferred to "Americans for Tax Reform" revealed as required by law. You can bet that some of them had already reached the legal limit for political contributions.

Haley Barbour, like Al Capone, is no dummy -- although he poses as one. He knew it was illegal for the Republican Party to run this mail and other ads on behalf of Republican candidates for Congress, so he transferred the $5 million to "Americans for Tax Reform" and Norquist ran the mail and ads for them, covering their tracks in the process.

Close to my heart and on Norquist's and Barbour's hit list was Bob Torricelli, my favorite home-state US Senator. Norquist targeted him last fall, using the RNC laundered money to specifically attack Torricelli during his election race in a series of negative ads. The only luck was that Norquist's ads were so impotent -- and so poorly produced -- that they had no impact. Torricelli won, and Norquist will pay the price if I know the New Jersey Senator.

Not only did Norquist and Barbour cook up this coin-op laundry, but Barbour also directed Carl Lindner - Chiquita Banana head poobah and often beneficiary of targeted Republican pro-Lindner legislation - to give at least $100,000 to Norquist.

And there's more.

An RNC memo appropriately titled "A Memorandum for Field Dogs" specifically outlines the conspiratorial nature of the deal between Barbour and Norquist and alerts RNC field operatives about the "Americans for Tax Reform" mail piece to "warn seniors on the Medicare issue."

Norquist's audacity doesn't stop there. Remember, he runs "Americans for Tax Reform" as a tax-exempt nonprofit corporation -- making him a guy who is "against taxes", yet uses taxpayer money to run his private fiefdom! Now his tax exempt status is only a dream, for his use of RNC money to make direct political mailings and attack ads against Democrats is a violation of IRS statutes and other laws which will result in his organization being stripped of non-profit protection forever.

Senator Levin has spent a long time tying this into a neat little bundle for Janet Reno.

Dems: Stolen Memo Case Should Go to DOJ
10-Feb-04
Republican Dirty Tricks

From Roll Call, via the Daily Kos: "Key Senate Democrats predicted Monday that the internal investigation into the Judiciary Committee's leaked memos would be turned into a full-blown criminal investigation. Exiting a 90-minute briefing about the probe with Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Bill Pickle, a quartet of senior Judiciary Democrats declared that what they had heard led them to believe a criminal inquiry, most likely with the Justice Department handling it, should occur. 'Eventually, this has to be looked at as a criminal matter,' said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the ranking member on Judiciary... While their levels of belief in the probability of a criminal investigation varied slightly, each of the Senators raised the issue of an increasing likelihood that the probe would bring about criminal charges. 'I think there's a possibility of a criminal investigation,' Feinstein said. Kennedy added that the accessing of memos was 'probably criminal.'"

http://www.publicampaign.org/pressroom/pressreleases/release2003/release07-22-03.htm

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM ORGANIZATIONS
CALL ON SEN. CORNYN TO RECUSE HIMSELF
FROM WILLIAM H. PRYOR NOMINATION VOTE

Fundraising from Republican Attorneys General Association at question Cornyn and Pryor both connected to RAGA’s fundraising from corporate special interests with matters before AG offices

Washington, DC – In a letter sent today, Public Campaign, National Voting Rights Institute, and Public Citizen called on U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) to recuse himself from voting in the pending confirmation hearing for Alabama Attorney General William H. Pryor, Jr. who has been nominated by President George W. Bush to the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

“Attorney General Pryor appears to have engaged in questionable fundraising practices with companies that were under investigation by his office, and may have misled the Judiciary Committee about those practices…[You] may have participated in similar fundraising that appeared to pose a conflict of interest with your duties as Texas’ Attorney General. In light of this information, we urge you to recuse yourself from further consideration of the Pryor nomination. …

“[It] is likely that you also have raised funds from companies who either had pending regulatory matters before you as Attorney General... It is alleged in the July 17, 2003, edition of the Washington Post, that, like Attorney General Pryor, you were also involved in fund raising on RAGA’s behalf…you were asked to “collect a donation from Shell Oil Company in late 1999…” Shell was one of the oil companies that reached a settlement with you as Attorney General over unpaid royalties.

At issue are the revelations last week that Attorney General Pryor founded and solicited funds for the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) from corporations with business before the State of Alabama. Sen. Cornyn, as Texas Attorney General, played a similar role for RAGA, which has reportedly raised funds from corporations with pending litigations before state’s Attorneys General all across the country.

Liberal Repercussion

samedi, février 28, 2004

vendredi, février 27, 2004

jeudi, février 26, 2004

mardi, février 24, 2004

dimanche, février 22, 2004

Qui suis-je

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