George Clooney calls out Bill O' in an interview

This is from the December 18 issue of Newsweek. It is an interview with George Clooney conducted by Nicki Gostin.

Gostin: You just went to Darfur. Do you worry about the people like Bill O'Reilly making fun of you?

Clooney: Until O'Reilly sticks his neck out and goes where people are shooting, then I'm not going to worry. If you're going to be famous and have cameras follow you around, you might as well go where the cameras will do some good.

Look who else is making money off the fictitious War on Christmas

And in other 'War on Christmas' new....

Most of us already know that the only people making money off the fictitious War on Christmas are Bill O'LIE-ly and Jon Gibson, both of which are on the Fox News Channel (I know, shocking!).

Well, it's time to add another to the list, however, this time, it is an entire web site. The online home of writings by such individuals as Chuck Norris, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin and "Judge Mental" Roy Moore - World Net Daily.

Yes, www.WorldNetDaily.com has introduced their "ultimate line of magnetic bumper stickers," saying such things as "This is America and I'm going to say it: Merry Christmas."

Oh, but wait, there's more. Call now and you can also get "Merry Christmas: An American Tradition" (and yes, the word "Christ" is in red). And as a special bonus, World Net Daily is also offering, "It is Still a Wonderful Life. Merry Christmas."

So when the pimple-faced teenager making minimum wage at your local big box department store is ringing up your decorations, Natural Light Beer, twinkies and "Girls Gone Wild" DVD and has the gall to tell you "Happy Holidays," feel free to begin foaming at the mouth, and scream in the loudest I-want-the-baby-Jesus-to-hear-this-way-the-hell-up-in-heaven voice, "It's fuckin' Christmas, you bastard! Jesus loves you and you would know that if you had a magnetic bumper sticker from World Net Daily!"

So remember the real reason for the season - sales. So be sure to visit Bill O'LIE-ly's Christmas store online, buy Jon Gibson's book "The War on Christmas" (newly in paperback), and get your magnetic bumper sticker from World Net Daily.

Judge Roy Moore should not be called "Judge"

Yeah, you know him - Roy Moore, the "Ten Commandments Judge." Not the "Upstanding and Fair Judge." Not the "Level-headed and Constitutional Judge." Oh, no, he's the Religion Judge.
And this religious zealot wants his theocracy, and he wants it now!

Moore wrote an article for the bastion of fairness (if you are an extreme, right-wing, religious zealot) World Net Daily. (He contributes along with other big names like Chuck Norris.) His article has the title, "Muslim Ellison should not sit in Congress."

(In a sidenote, the people of Alabama, during the Republican primaries, said, "Christian Moore should not sit in the Governor's office.")

Moore's article talks about the newly-elected Keith Ellison of Minnesota, a Muslim who will soon serve in the US Congress. Ellison has said that he wants to take his oath on the Qu'ran instead of the Bible, and Moore (and others) are freaking out. A Muslim would rather take an oath on a book that he holds sacred and dear than a book Moore holds sacred and dear? Imagine that!

Moore talks about George Washington taking the oath to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me God." And of course, Moore goes on to say that this began "a long tradition...of acknowledging the Judeo-Christian God as the source of our law and liberty." Unfortunately for Moore, history has shown most of our founding fathers to be Deists and Freemasons, not Christians, and especially not religious zealots.

The article goes on to say that "The Islamic faith rejects our God..." To make his point, Moore uses Jaafar Sheikh Idris, the founder and chairman of American Open University, which Moore describes as "a radical Islamic school that has received funding from suspected al-Qaida sources and which supports Islamic law." According to Moore, Idris says, "Islam cannot be separated from the state." Moore goes on to paraphrase Idris as saying "that no Muslim elected to Congress or the White House can swear to uphold the United States Constitution and still be a Muslim, because the law of Allah as expressed in the Quran is supreme."

Now why does this sound familiar? I'll explain.

Moore uses an example that he claims runs a "radical" Islamic school to "prove" that all Muslims cannot uphold the Constitution because they believe that the laws of Allah are supreme.

One could argue, as I will do now, that Moore is no different from Idris. Moore cannot uphold the United States Constitution because he believes that the laws of God (his God, to be specific) are supreme. After all, isn't that why he is no longer a judge?

Now allow me to take Moore's radical beliefs and apply them to all who wear the name "Christian." By this logic, Christians should not be allowed in government because they believe the laws of their God are supreme - not the Constitution.

If you thought Moore was only going to question Ellison's patriotism, you would be wrong, as Moore goes on to say, "Perhaps Ellison is confused about what he believes, or else has another agenda." At that point, Moore continues to use his Idris example to confirm his own prejudice.

And just when you thought that Moore's insane rant was over, he goes on to slander Ellison even more, saying, "But common sense alone dictates that in the midst of a war with Islamic terrorists we should not place someone in a position of great power who shares their doctrine."
You see?! Moore just said that Ellison identifies with the terrorists! That he is a terrorist sympathizer.

Roy Moore loves to talk about God, government and the Bible, but he has yet to show a Biblical passage that shows Jesus demonizing and slandering people. Moore should be ashamed, and he owes Congressman Ellison an apology.

more info:
WND: Muslim Ellison should not sit in Congress

On the radio......Thanks WAUD 1230 am

Today, I had the opportunity to be a guest host on "Inside Auburn," hosted by Lane Powell on WAUD 1230 am in Auburn.

It went well. We got to talk about subjects ranging from the City of Montgomery's 2007 budget to David Duke defending "freedom of speech" in Iran to the fictional War on Christmas.

Lane's got a great show, so if you are in the Auburn area, tune in to the station at noon. Here is a link to the show: WAUD 1230 am "Inside Auburn" with Lane Powell.

Democrats, '08, Oscars, Christmas and another Ted Haggard...and it's not even 9am yet.

Lots of stuff this morning.......

Will Al Gore get an Oscar?

Al Gore is back in the news this week. While some people think he may be gearing up for an '08 presidential bid, the former vice president and winner of the 2000 popular vote is in, what the Associated Press calls, a "fierce campaign for recognition and an Oscar statuette for his global warming documentary" - An Inconvenient Truth.

Gore has said that he is not planning to run for president again, but he also said he has not ruled it out.

Dennis Kucinich is back - and married.

Dennis Kucinich will announce his bid for the presidency today. Apparently, in his last presidential bid, he made more headlines about his bachelorhood than his policies, but that will be different this time as he is married.

Kucinich was one of the earliest anti-war Senators - even before the rest of the country caught on.

If you get offended by 'Happy Holidays,' read this editorial...

An editorial in USA Today titled, "Christmas, pagans and religious divergence," is well worth the read. For the fighters of the fictional War on Christmas (read more about the Battle of Montgomery here), it shows how your holiday has become nothing more than consumerism, and the 'secular' symbols of the holiday - the evergreen tree, wreath, yule log, mistletoe, lights and candles, etc - are PAGAN. That's right, pagan. As other cultures in pre-Christian Europe were celebrating the Saturnalia, Christians at that time were telling their congregations not to get involved in these pagan celebrations....until Christians decided they wanted to have fun at the end of the year as well.

And last, but not least, it's Ted Haggard, part deaux.

Founding pastor of the 2,100 member Grace Chapel - Paul Barnes - has resigned; this following his confession that he participated in homosexual relations. The 54-year-old ex-pastor said he "struggled with homosexuality" since he was 5 years old.

Of course, we must give some credit to Haggard and Barnes...unlike the Catholics, their "significant others" were of legal age....and they actually stepped down from their posts.

more info:
AP: Gore chases Oscar nod
AP: Democrat Kucinich to launch 2008 bid
USA Today: Christmas, pagans and religious divergence
Christianity Today: Dismay as US Evangelical Leader Confesses to Gay Relationship

What do Iran and David Duke have in common?

Answer: They both deny the Holocaust.

Iran is holding a Holocaust Deniers Conference, and America's own ex-KKK (but I'm sure he still shows them some love) member, David Duke, made an appearance, telling the media that he was a "Holocaust questioner," and that he was there "to defend freedom of speech."

First of all, how can you defend "freedom of speech" in a country that does not have anything close to the First Amendment? Can you really have "freedom of speech" in a country where half the population (the female part) has to walk around with their faces covered?

So beyond Duke's apparent stupidity about Iran's imaginary "freedoms" that he is defending, he also questions whether the Holocaust actually occurred.

On a more local note, I'm sure Larry Darby's invitation to the conference was lost in the mail.

More info:
Ex-Klan Chief At Holocaust Conference

A 5-4 vote becomes a 4-5 vote for Montgomery's budget...and bye, bye Bolton

So the news is in:

The City of Montgomery will have to go back to the drawing board for their budget. In a surprise "change of mind" by city council member Tim Head, the expected passage of the 2007 budget WITH discretionary funds has failed.

Head originally voted for the budget. The mayor, Bobby Bright, vetoed the budget - which he had already promised he would do. The city council said they could override the veto with another 5-4 vote, and swing-vote Tim Head changed all that to the surprise of most of the city council.

Of course, in Alabama, everything has to do with race, so the city council has officially divided on the budget issue by race. The blacks voting for it, the whites voting against it. And this is the news in Montgomery, not to anyone's surprise.

In other news, after the departures of Donald Rumsfeld, John Giles, Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh and Ken Mehlman, the newest person to resign is our United Nations representative John Bolton.

If you remember, his vote was stalled in the Senate, so El Presidente Dubya threw Bolton into the job by a recess appointment....but alas, you don't get a second chance on that, so Bolton, who saw the election results and knew his fate was not to keep that job, decided to resign.

So, farewell ye, Bolton. You may now go back to publicly trashing the U.N. without having to worry about the effects on your job.

New stuff at the Capital City Free Press

First, my new column is posted. The title is, "So Now What?"

Here's an excerpt:

"Your senator is your senator, whether your vote assisted the win or not. It is our job to make sure our leaders understand that they represent us. Once the election is over, it is a time to come together and make some necessary changes."

Read the entire article here.


Also, the new article about the 'War on Christmas' and more specifically, the Battle of Montgomery, is also up.

Excerpt:

"Private Jon Gibson was promoted to colonel because of his bravery in the first battle. A journalist on the front-lines of the Fox News Channel, his promotion came after the release of his book, 'The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse Than You Thought.'"

Read the entire article here.

Bright brought out his "veto pen"

The 2007 budget for the City of Montgomery has officially been given the 'veto' by Mayor Bobby Bright.

Reasoning:
1. Bright believes that discretionary funds that were added are illegal, and
2. He believes a public hearing should have been held before the discretionary funds were added.

Of course, the initial budget with $2 million in discretionary funds was approved by a 5-4 vote. If the same five vote the same way, they can override the mayor's veto.

Alvin Holmes has chimed in on this, writing a letter to the city council stating that an opinion by former Attorney General Jimmy Evans that a mayor cannot veto a budget except when it applies to city salaries.

But Janet May claims that she doesn't care because she doesn't "put a whole lot of credence into attorney general opinions," because as she understands it, "they issue quite a number of those."

You know who else issues a number of opinions? The Montgomery city council.

(Visit this post for a little more info on this subject.)

more info:
MA: Bright backs vow to veto city budget

Bush purse-snatching and Montgomery purse-snatching

You don't hear this everyday.

Barbara Bush - the twin, not the former first lady - had her purse snatched in Argentina. Yes, they do have bodyguards, and yes, the thief got away.

It is nice, however, to see one of the twins in the news for something other than being drunk off her ass.

And in other news, last night, the Montgomery City Council added approximately $2 million to the budget for the next fiscal year. The extra money was for "discretionary funds," so that each city council member can do "projects" in their districts.

"What projects" you may ask? No one knows. At this point, this is as much a mystery as the location of Barbara Bush's purse.

The vote passed by a margin of 5-4, and the mayor has not said whether or not he would use his "veto pen."

more info:
CNN: Bush daughter purse-snatching talk of Argentina
MA: Montgomery City Council passes budget

Bye bye Johnny; Bye bye Twinkle

And the news is in:

Just months after breaking away from the national Chapter of the Christian Coalition and renaming the Alabama chapter "Christian Action Alabama"...and just after putting out their voter guide showing the relation of stem cells to school board, place 8, John Giles has announced that he will resign from Christian Action Alabama.

His resignation becomes official on December 29, 2006, but rather than say "Bye bye, don't come back now," it was reported that he may still serve on the board or as a consultant.

Also, Represenative Mike Hubbard of Auburn will be seeking the position of Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. This comes after Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh announced that she will not seek another term. You may remember the name "Twinkle" from my letter-to-the-editor...or from a children's nursery rhyme.

So goodbye to Johnny and Twinkle. You will not me missed.

more info:
WSFA: John Giles Confirms Letter of Resignation from Christian Action Alabama
MA: Hubbard announces GOP leadership bid

Why are we afraid of real news?

There is a war going on and sometimes it seems that all the American people want to see are Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

Our troops are being shot at, cities are being bombed, and while these are realities for some people as they try to live their day-to-day lives, it may disturb our dinner. Oh no, anything but that.

The reality is: war may cause indigestion.

When CNN aired footage of sniper attacks on Anderson Cooper 360, one hotel chain pulled CNN and CNN Headline News from their guest rooms and lobbies.

Stoney Creek Hospitality Corporation's president James Thompson says of the CNN footage, "It was shocking and repulsive...Their actions supported terrorism."

By showing the realities of war, CNN supported terrorism?! By giving you real news, CNN supports terrorism?

So here's the lesson: real news = the support of terrorism.

And we wonder why the rest of the world thinks Americans are so uninformed. Maybe it's because we are.

more info:
AP: Midwest hotel chain drops CNN over video

The RNC is looking for new leadership

The Bloomberg.com headline reads: "RNC's Mehlman to Quit After Election Defeat; No Successor Named."

Former George W. Bush campaign manager is also now former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Could this be the beginning of a much-needed change in the Republican Party?

more info:
Bloomberg: RNC's Mehlman to Quit After Election Defeat; No Successor Named

"'Animal House' meets 'The Daily Show'"

WAUD am 1230 host Lane Powell, who oversaw the election night coverage that I was privileged enough to be a part of, has posted some news about that night, describing it as "'Animal House' meets 'The Daily Show'."

For all who tuned in that night, I'm sure you would agree.

Here's a link to Lane's post: "A one way motorway -->"

Democrats take it all....Rumsfeld is gone....and more post election coverage

Democrats take it all!

So, Jim Webb wins in Virgina, meaning that Democrats, as of January, will control the House and the Senate. Hopefully, we will see some positive change. The President will now, for the first time, have to work with the other party.

One thing that struck me as strange this morning was on NBC's Today show. It showed Bush giving a speech in which he said he wasn't happy with the outcome of the election, but the Republicans lost and he was head of the Republicans.....what? Head of the Republicans...this is what we have been seeing. Bush has never considered himself a president for all Americans, just the president of the ones who voted for him. And honestly, I know many people who have felt the same way since he was chosen by the Supreme Court in 2000, but you would think a president would rise above that.....but then again, this is what is expected from Bush.

Rumsfeld is gone!

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is now former secretary of defense....or as Bush says, "secretary of the defense" because adding "the" in the title makes it sound less "elitist" or something like that.

Anyway, this comes after Bush said that Rummy would stay. Bush stood by his man even when retired generals and most recently, military newspaper editorials had called for his resignation. Does this mean that Bush is now listening? Maybe? Let's hope so.

Interestingly, this resignation comes just eight days after the Capital City Free Press published this article: 'Rumsfeld's skeleton in the closet.' Hhhhmmmmmmmmm.........

More Post Electon Coverage

The Capital City Free Press has published its post election coverage. Titled, "All over but the shoutin'" editor and publisher Joseph Patton weighs in, adding to yesterday's comments posted on joshcarples.com

The aftermath: Alabama

Alabama

Governor Bob Riley (R) won another 4 years to tell us one thing and do the opposite.

Jim Folsom (D) became Lt. Governor, so now Luther Strange can go back to being the Washington lobbyist that he is.

Beth Chapman (R) beat Nancy Worley for the Secretary of State Job. Worley was tied up with scandals and Chapman's campaign was basically pictures of her with Bob Riley. Everyone give a big sarcastic "yeah" for choices.

Troy King (R) won the Attorney General race, showing that keeping our children safe from legalized gambling and sex toys will win over the 25,000 convictions that John Tyson, Jr got as District Attorney for Mobile. Congratulations, Alabama, on picking the politician over the guy who actually gets convictions.

Sue Bell Cobb (D) is now the first female Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court! Congratulations to her for making history, and showing that experience counts. Drayton Nabers can now resume his insurance career in Birmingham.

Tom Woodall (R) kept his place on the Alabama Supreme Court, place 2. Gwendolyn Thomas Kennedy got almost 44% of the vote, even though Woodall's campaign had well over 20 times the amount of campaign money. Much like the governor's race, this was closer than what most had predicted, so congrats still go out to Kennedy for putting up a bigger-than-expected fight.

Lyn Stuart (R) held on to place 3 of the AL Supreme Court.

Glenn Murdock (R) held on to place 4 of the AL Supreme Court.

Ron Sparks (D) retained his seat as Agricultural Commissioner, so congratulations to him.

Samantha Shaw (R) beat Janie Baker Clarke for State Auditor. Her accomplishments include being a member of the Republican party and going to church. I guess that's all it takes these days.

Kay Ivey (R) was reelected as State Treasurer. She seems to be scandal-free, so congrats to her. Serve us well.

Susan Parker (D) won place 2 on the Public Service Commission, beating incumbent Perry Hooper, Jr. 53% to 47%. Congratulations to Parker for beating Hooper and his smear campaign. Now, Hooper won't worry about having any more fines from the Alabama Ethics Commission - he should be glad he lost.

"Walking" Wendell Mitchell (D) won his Alabama Senate seat with 62% of the vote. This is great news because his opponent - insurance agent Joan Reynolds - has run one of the nastiest campaigns that I have seen. Mitchell was not present during a vote that "thanked" the troops for fighting in Iraq, and Joan Reynolds made commercials and sent mailings saying that Mitchell "did not sign" the bill. Joan Reynolds used our troops as a cheap campaign ploy, and now that she lost.....and I mean lost....she should go home, hang her head in shame, and start writing the most profound apology letter that her cold heart can muster. Congratulations to Mitchell for sending Joan Reynolds home by a landslide.


Thanks

I would like to thank Lane Powell of WAUD am 1230 for allowing Joseph Patton and myself to join him on the air last night for election coverage, proving that politics can also be fun.

Bush: "If we leave Iraq, they will follow us home."

You have probably heard this statement by President Bush or one similar to it. "We either fight them there or fight them here." Etc.

In a special Newsweek report, Fareed Zakaria says of this,

"This makes no sense. Qaeda terrorists from Iraq could have made their way to America at any point in the last three years. In fact, Iraq's borders are more porous today than they have ever been. If a terrorist wanted to inflict harm on U.S. civilians, he could drive across Anbar into Syria, then hop a plane to New York or Washington, D.C. Does the president really believe that because we're in Iraq, terrorists have forgotten that we're also in America?"

Remember this when you hear the speeches.

The special report does give tips for the Iraq War. Definitely worth a read.

Newsweek: Rethinking Iraq: The Way Forward

Pastor Ted Haggard ::hearts:: gay prostitutes and meth

Pastor Ted Haggard of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs has admitted to "sexual immorality" in regards to buying meth from and having sex with a gay prostitute.

Mike Jones, the gay prostitute/dealer who had relations with Taggard, said in an interview that he decided to publicize these allegations to point out Haggard's hypocrisy. Haggard advised people on how to have strong marriages and strong families. He spoke out against gay marriage. He had conference calls with President George W. Bush. And he had gay sex with a male prostitute while on meth.

Now, with the midterm elections happening tomorrow, will this, as well as the new book by David Kuo (see this post: "James Dobson ::hearts:: Ann Coulter"), have any effect on the turnout?

We'll see.

Ps - Join Capital City Free Press editor Joseph O. Patton and myself for election night coverage on WAUD AM1230 in Auburn from 7-10 pm.

More info
ABC News: Can Pastor Come Back After Fall From Grace?

Donald Rumsfeld helped sell nuclear reactors to North Korea

Yes, I said it.

My newest column is up at the Capital City Free Press. Titled, "Rumsfeld's skeleton in the closet," it shows how Rumsfeld lobbied our government to sell nuclear reactors to North Korea when he was on the board at a company called "ABB."

Exceprt:

"Steve LaMontagne, who is an analyst for the Center of Arms Control and Non-Proliferation in Washington, said of Rumsfeld, 'One could draw the conclusion that economic and personal interests took precedent over non-proliferation.'"

Read the entire article here.

John McCain joins in Republican bashing....getting ready for '08

I really miss John McCain. I do. I used to really like him. He was one of the few Republicans who seemed to actually try to be moderate. He seemed to be a uniter, not a divider, in the real way, not in the fantasy way of George W. Bush. But something happened to him, and I am not sure what.

That being said, he has now joined in the Republican chorus attacking John Kerry for some recent statements about education and Iraq.

Let's go ahead and get Kerry's direct quote out of the way. Kerry said, "You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

Dumb statement to make, especially before the midterm election? Yes. Is it 100% false, though? Maybe not.

Not too long ago, there were stories in the media that talked about the military lowering the standards for signing up. The military was now beginning to accept high school drop-outs, something the military was not known for doing.

So if the military is accepting high school drop-outs, wouldn't John Kerry's statements have some validity? I recently heard a professed Republican call into a local radio talk show. He said he did not like John Kerry, but agreed with the sentiment of his statement. He said his son did not do well in school and ended up joining the military, and that his son had recently told him that he wished he had done better in school so that he would have had more options besides the military.

So now John McCain, along with George Bush and White House spokesman Tony Snow, wants John Kerry to apologize to the troops. Now keep in mind that John Kerry and John McCain are both Vietnam veterans. Keep in mind the bravery that both men showed by serving in the military, but now one wants the other to apologize to the troops.

Why doesn't McCain apologize to the troops for continuing to support the Iraq war? Why doesn't McCain apologize for allowing our troops to continue to be caught in the middle of a civil war? Why doesn't George Bush apologize for sending our troops to a war that we have no business in? Why doesn't Donald Rumsfeld apologize for botching the war effort with one bad decision after another?

I guess apologies can go on for days.

I really miss John McCain, the brave Vietnam veteran who served his country. When did he lose himself and become part of a spin machine?

more info:
ABC News: McCain to Kerry: Apologize to Troops

Quick note on the recent Alabama debates...

Monday night, the candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General went at it. If you missed it, here is a quick rundown.

Governor: Bob Riley v. Lucy Baxley.
Baxley came out swinging, calling Riley out on all the lies he has told since he first campaigned for governor. Riley tried to be Reaganesque by saying, "Here we go again," but when it got back to Baxley, she made it clear that "you, sir, are no Ronald Reagan." Baxley also called him out on his no-bid contracts. "Bob Riley said he was going to get rid of Don Siegelman's no-bid contracts, and he did. He then started Bob Riley's no-bid contracts." I think Baxley won it.

Lt. Governor: Jim Folsom, Jr. v. Luther Strange.
Folsom did a great job of painting Strange as the Washington lobbyist that he is. Also, Strange repeatedly mentioned what he and Riley would do. Just about every answer had Riley's name thrown in it, so I am still trying to figure out who initiated the first kiss - Riley or Strange?

Attorney General: Troy King v. John Tyson, Jr.
King got a spanking. Bottom line. Tyson pointed out that he has been on over 500 homicide scenes as the District Attorney for Mobile, the most recent scene being this past Friday. Tyson has over 25,000 felony convictions, and King tried to come back about one case in particular where he took over a case to get "justice." Tyson then said that the suspect in question was in the process of giving names of other suspected murderers, rapists and meth-heads, but the suspect quickly stopped talking when King took over the case. Oh, and King put the crime victim's daughter on his TV ad, but neglected to mention that she herself is a convicted thief. There's King's credibility. Tyson won this one hands down.

My letter to the editor of the Montgomery Advertiser

Here is my letter to the editor of the Montgomery Advertiser, and here is the link to the online version where they printed it: click here.

"GOP leader top mudslinger"

"The chairman of the Alabama Republican party, Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, should hang her head in shame. For the head of a party who tries so hard to convince voters that it has an exclusive tie to God, she takes her party's politics to an ungodly low.

"For a party that claims to fight so hard for the Ten Commandments, maybe Mrs. Cavanaugh should read those Ten Commandments, paying special attention to the one telling us not to bear false witness. Her slanderous attacks on various members of the Democratic Party are sickening. She would rather throw around empty labels like "liberal" rather than actually talk about issues.

"If there was an election for No. 1 mudslinger, Cavanaugh would win by a landslide."

James Dobson ::hearts:: Ann Coulter

If you ever doubted that Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family was part of the extreme right, all doubt has now been erased.

This morning, I had the extreme displeasure of finding the Focus on the Family broadcast on my radio dial. I heard an interview with a female, and I recognized the voice. It was Ann Coulter.

During the interview, she and Dobson opened their usual bag of tricks, saying that "liberals" (to them, a.k.a. 'Democrats') want to "appease" the terrorists. They said that "liberals" were doing the same thing for Hitler in World War II, and that they want "600-thread count sheets" and "nice music" and "a full eight hours of sleep" for the current detainees at Guantanamo.

So because us "liberals" are against torture, (which really must be a Christian ideal that St. Paul forgot to write down in the Bible,) we must want nice sheets and music for detainees at Guantanamo.

After the taped interview, Dobson talked with his producer about Ann's newest "book" which, with all the plagiarism accusations, really has to be put in quotation marks. He said that Godless is an accurate title because liberals tend to be atheists, adding "not all liberals are atheists, but many are as polls have shown." If you were waiting on specifics on these "polls" you'll be wasting your time.

So Dobson is still blindly supporting the extreme right and the Republican party even after the book Tempting Faith by David Kuo is released. Kuo worked for the Bush administration from 2001 to 2003 as a special assistant to the president and the second-in-command of the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives. Kuo also identifies himself as a "conservative Christian."

In his book, Kuo writes, "National Christian leaders received hugs and smiles in person and then were dismissed behind their backs and described as 'ridiculous,' 'out of control,' and just plain 'goofy.'"

So we have learned that Dr. James Dobson is a tool of the right, a 'ridiculous,' 'out of control,' and 'goofy' tool, and all we can hope is that his sheep will one day see him for the tool he is.

more info:
MSNBC: Book says Bush just using Christians

McCain's on the campaign trail......again

(Looks like this could be an ongoing piece.)

I reported on September 22 about McCain's "stand" against torture, which basically allowed the White House to continue its practices of torture - only now, it's legal. Anyway, he brought up the big, bad ACLU, saying that they didn't get what they wanted, yada yada, spin spin, lie lie.

Well, in what I believe is his continuing media presence to gain support for an '08 Presidential run, he appeared on NBC's Today show this morning.

During the interview, Meredith Vieira asked McCain about comments he made yesterday, in which he called the Clinton administration's policies on North Korea a "failure."

From CNN.com: "Republican Sen. John McCain on Tuesday accused former President Clinton, the husband of his potential 2008 White House rival, of failing to act in the 1990s to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons."

McCain said, "I would remind Senator [Hillary] Clinton and other Democrats critical of the Bush administration's policies that the framework agreement her husband's administration negotiated was a failure...The Koreans received millions and millions in energy assistance. They've diverted millions of dollars of food assistance to their military."

McCain was then called out by Senator John Kerry, "He must be trying to burnish his credentials for the nomination process." Kerry added, "The truth is the Clinton administration knew full well they didn't have a perfect agreement. But at least they were talking. At least we had inspectors going in and we knew where the [nuclear fuel] rods were. This way, we don't know where the rods are. The rods are gone. There are no inspectors. Ask any American which way is better"

During the interview on Today, the fearless McCain backed down on his statements like a kitten in front of a pit bull, saying something about how this is not the time to be pointing fingers - even though that's exactly what he did the previous day.

Here is the point that McCain is missing - when the Bush administration was selling the idea of attacking Iraq, there were some people who pointed out that North Korea was a much bigger threat. Saddam Hussein's regime claimed they didn't have any weapons of mass destruction while North Korea openly admitted that they were pursuing nuclear (or "nucular" if you are the leader of the free world) weapon technology. And now we have a situation where we've been in Iraq for over three years and still have not found all those WMD stockpiles and animated mobile weapons labs that Colin Powell told us about, but Kim Jong Il has told the world that he just tested a nuke.

The Bush administration's policies have not made this country safer, and no matter how many congressmen you put on television to play the "Let's Blame Clinton" game show, it doesn't change that fact.

more info:
CNN: "McCain: Clinton's North Korea policy 'a failure'"

Foley's "vast left-wing conspiracy" has been proven wrong

So you've probably heard about former Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL), who recently stepped down from his seat in the House because of some improper emails and instant messages sent to a congressional page.

Well, of course, to some right-leaning people of the media, it must the the fault of the Democrats. I mean, after all, you can't blame the party in power for things that go wrong, it has to be the big, bad, scary, boogey-man Democrats who don't control any level of government.

Some people, including Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (also, a Republican) have suggested that the emails were leaked by Democrats because of the upcoming election. You may have also heard the phrase "October Surprise" more than once in regards to the timing of the scandal.

According to a CNN report by Dana Bash, Hastert "stepped up a charge that he has been making in the past couple of days that Democrats were behind the timing of all this. He said that his opponents, funded by George Soros, even aligned with Bill Clinton, held on to this to make a bigger splash right before the election."

Here's the problem: The Hill, which is "The Newspaper for and about the U.S. Congress," reported just the opposite.

The Hill published an article by Alexander Bolton titled, "Longtime Republican was source of e-mails."

The article states, "The source who in July gave news media Rep. Mark Foley’s (R-Fla.) suspect e-mails to a former House page says the documents came to him from a House GOP aide.

"That aide has been a registered Republican since becoming eligible to vote, said the source, who showed The Hill public records supporting his claim."

Can too much power held by one political party lead to corruption and a subsequent implosion? I guess we'll see next month.

more info:
The Hill: "Longtime Republican was source of e-mails"
Media Matters: CNN's Bash repeated Hastert's conspiracy theory about Foley emails; ignored report that a "longtime Republican" gave emails to media

Woo Hoo - It's PARTY Time!!! Victory in Iraq!!!

Our beloved Congress has included $20 million in this year's defense spending bill for the "commemoration of success" in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yes, you heard it right - PARTY TIME!

Apparently, the money was in there last year, you know, since Vice President Cheney told us that the insurgency was in its "final throes" and President Bush had already declared "Mission Accomplished" back in 2003.

The problem is, before you can spend $20 million on a victory party, you have to have a plan for victory - I mean, a little more than "Stay the Course."

more info:
CNN: War plans: Congress OKs $20 mil for victory parties

Uh, oh....the 9/11 Report missed something

This is really too much for me to just go into. Bottom line is that Dr. Condoleeza Rice had a meeting on July 10, 2001, which according to Bob Woodward's new book "State of Denial," was the "starkest warning they had given the White House" about Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida. This meeting has been confirmed even though Rice "could not recall" the meeting. Also, it looks like it was missed by the 9/11 Commission.

Read the article in The Guardian: State Dept. Confirms Rice-Tenet Meeting

Religion and war in an election...

October's issue of the Capital City Free Press is out, featuring my column, "Religion and war in an election."

Excerpt:

"If Jesus were on earth today preaching the same three messages from the Sermon on the Mount, he would be told that he was still living in a "pre 9/11 world." He
would be demonized by our political leaders, saying that he cares more about the
rights of terrorists than Americans."

Read the entire article here.

More of the Devil......

On my September 24 post, I talked about Rush Limbaugh calling Tom Daschle "The Devil" as I was talking about right-wing outrage of Hugo Chavez's "El Diablo" remark in front of the United Nations.

Well, in a reportedly "tongue-in-cheek" remark at the recent "Value Voters Summit" (which could have very well been named the "Summit for people who love the baby Jesus and vote according to what extreme evangelical bullies tell them"), everyone's favorite Christian - Jerry Falwell - made the following statement:

"I hope she's the candidate," Falwell said, "because nothing will energize my constituency like Hillary Clinton. If Lucifer ran, he wouldn't."

So these loving, caring, love-your-neighbor-unless-she-happens-to-be-Hillary-Clinton Christians would rally around the defeat of Hillary Clinton before rallying around the defeat of Lucifer?!?!

But when you combine Hugo Chavez's U.N. remarks and the 2004 evangelical vote, I guess they already did.

More info:
ABC provided no Clinton response to Falwell's "Lucifer" comparison and no rebuttal to Perkins's smear of Dems

When is the media going to stop giving George Allen a pass?

Senator George Allen (R-VA) is in the headlines again.

From the Associated Press (AP): "Dr. Ken Shelton, now a radiologist in Hendersonville, N.C., also alleges that Allen, a former University of Virginia quarterback, once stuffed the severed head of a deer into a black household's oversized mail box."

Allen "vehemently denied the allegations" in an AP interview.

Dr. Shelton's allegations were printed in an article published yesterday on Salon.com, which said that Allen frequently used racial slurs when referring to black people, and in one instance, stuffed the deer head into a black household's mailbox. Shelton claimed that this occurred soon after the movie "The Godfather" came out, which had a severed horse head in a bed.

The problem is that Allen has recently been in the news for using the term "macaca" to refer to one of his opponent's campaign workers (who is of Indian descent).

AP refers to the "macaca" incident, saying, "The word denotes a genus of monkeys and, in some cultures, is considered an ethnic slur, but the senator insists he did not know that and had simply made the word up."

"...made the word up."???

Media Matters For America noted that the word "macaca" has North African origins in its use as a racial slur, and that Allen's mother was born and raised in Tunisia, a part of North Africa.

Is it really that inconceivable that Allen had heard that word before? Or did he really just magically make up a word that is a racial slur? And when is the mainstream media going to quit giving him a pass by letting him repeat the fact that he made the word up?

more info:
Sen. Allen denies using racial slur
Media Matters For America article

Rush Limbaugh a hypocrite? No.......

If you haven't heard, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez referred to our President, George W. Bush, as 'the devil' in front of the United Nations last week. And Rush Limbaugh (among others) was so angry. Mad, I tell you, pissed off. He would never stoop so low....oh wait, yes he would.

Besides stooping to the level of referring to Chelsea Clinton as "the Clinton's dog" (when she was 13 years old - what a heartless bastard!) he referred to Democratic leader Tom Daschle as, you guessed it, "El Diablo" while playing "Devil in a Blue Dress" theme music.

Here's Limbaugh in July 2001: "Just yesterday, as Bush winged his way to Europe on a crucial mission to lead our allies into the 21st century...up pops 'El Diablo,' Tom Daschle, and his devilish deviltry, claiming that George Bush is incompetent."

So, if you haven't figured it out by now, Rush Limbaugh is a hypocritical bastard. But this isn't the first time. Remember when a prosecutor wanted to dig through his medical records and he claimed a 'right to privacy' after talking on his radio show about how the US Constitution does not guarantee a 'right to privacy'?

Seems to be the Limbaugh M.O.

more info:
What's Wrong With Calling Bush A Devil?

McCain's on the campaign trail

This morning on NBC's Today show, Senator John McCain was asked by Matt Lauer about the agreement reached between the White House and Sens. McCain, John Warner and Lindsey Graham.

The White House has been wanting to "clarify" the Geneva Conventions, and by "clarify," they mean to "define it the way we [the Bush administration] want it defined." Keep in mind that no other country has sought to "clarify" the Geneva Conventions, specifically common article 3, which deals with prisoners of war and how they must be treated.

"Clarification" to the Bush administration seeks to define common article 3 in such a way as to allow certain "interrogation techniques" which most people have defined as "torture" or even "torture light."

McCain, Warner and Graham were the three Republican senators who actually stood up to the Bush administration against this, stating that redefining the Geneva Conventions to suit our whim would make it seem appropriate for other countries to redefine them for their own purposes - and that puts American troops in more danger. How could we speak out against a country who is not treating our POW's by the Geneva Conventions if we had redefined them for our own purposes?

Former Secretary of State General Colin Powell wrote a letter to McCain, in which he said, "The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism."

As McCain was being interviewed by Matt Lauer this morning, he was saying that both he and the White House had won because of the compromise they reached, adding that the only people who did not get their way were people "like the ACLU" who doesn't want us to be able to interrogate prisoners at all.

That shows that McCain is already on the '08 campaign trail and has already resorted to lying. I have found no sources where the ACLU has ever said we should not interrogate prisoners or suspected terrorists. They have spoken out against torture and secret evidence issues regarding terror suspects, but they have never said, "You can't interrogate them."

Unfortunately, McCain has started his campaign out with false accusations and lies. You would think that as a former soldier and POW who was tortured in Vietnam, he would have morals to not only stand up against torture, but also against lying.

I guess not.

more info:
GOP split as Senate panel bucks Bush on terror tribunals

The Pope's gonna have to beef up his security now

So we now see images of protests, riots, fires and more as the result of outrage against the Pope for recent statements. Pope Benedict XVI read a statement from a 14th Century Byzantine emperor (Manuel II Paleologus for all you history buffs) which said, "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

"...His command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." So in the 14th Century, the Byzantine emperor was accusing Muslims of spreading their faith through violence, and when those words were read aloud by Pope Benedict XVI in the 21st Century, the Muslim world shows just how wrong those statements were (the part about spreading faith by the sword, which is rather 'violent') by fire-bombing churches in the West Bank, rioting, setting shit on fire and other acts of _____________? (Hint: "violence").

Today's lesson: The best way to show that your religion is not violent is to not set shit on fire when you get offended. (This lesson also applies to people who assassinate abortion doctors, so any non-Muslim extremists should also learn this lesson.)

more info:
Pope upset that Muslims offended

Just one more reason why you should love Keith Olbermann

The following is by Keith Olbermann, published on September 11, 2006, five years after the infamous attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The original link where this is found is at the bottom.

"This hole in the ground"
by Keith Olbermann.

Half a lifetime ago, I worked in this now-empty space. And for 40 days after the attacks, I worked here again, trying to make sense of what happened, and was yet to happen, as a reporter.

All the time, I knew that the very air I breathed contained the remains of thousands of people, including four of my friends, two in the planes and -- as I discovered from those "missing posters" seared still into my soul -- two more in the Towers.

And I knew too, that this was the pyre for hundreds of New York policemen and firemen, of whom my family can claim half a dozen or more, as our ancestors.

I belabor this to emphasize that, for me this was, and is, and always shall be, personal.

And anyone who claims that I and others like me are "soft,"or have "forgotten" the lessons of what happened here is at best a grasping, opportunistic, dilettante and at worst, an idiot whether he is a commentator, or a Vice President, or a President.

However, of all the things those of us who were here five years ago could have forecast -- of all the nightmares that unfolded before our eyes, and the others that unfolded only in our minds -- none of us could have predicted this.

Five years later this space is still empty.

Five years later there is no memorial to the dead.

Five years later there is no building rising to show with proud defiance that we would not have our America wrung from us, by cowards and criminals.

Five years later this country's wound is still open.

Five years later this country's mass grave is still unmarked.

Five years later this is still just a background for a photo-op.

It is beyond shameful.

At the dedication of the Gettysburg Memorial -- barely four months after the last soldier staggered from another Pennsylvania field -- Mr. Lincoln said, "we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract."

Lincoln used those words to immortalize their sacrifice.

Today our leaders could use those same words to rationalize their reprehensible inaction. "We cannot dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground." So we won't.

Instead they bicker and buck pass. They thwart private efforts, and jostle to claim credit for initiatives that go nowhere. They spend the money on irrelevant wars, and elaborate self-congratulations, and buying off columnists to write how good a job they're doing instead of doing any job at all.

Five years later, Mr. Bush, we are still fighting the terrorists on these streets. And look carefully, sir, on these 16 empty acres. The terrorists are clearly, still winning.

And, in a crime against every victim here and every patriotic sentiment you mouthed but did not enact, you have done nothing about it.

And there is something worse still than this vast gaping hole in this city, and in the fabric of our nation. There is its symbolism of the promise unfulfilled, the urgent oath, reduced to lazy execution.

The only positive on 9/11 and the days and weeks that so slowly and painfully followed it was the unanimous humanity, here, and throughout the country. The government, the President in particular, was given every possible measure of support.

Those who did not belong to his party -- tabled that.

Those who doubted the mechanics of his election -- ignored that.

Those who wondered of his qualifications -- forgot that.

History teaches us that nearly unanimous support of a government cannot be taken away from that government by its critics. It can only be squandered by those who use it not to heal a nation's wounds, but to take political advantage.

Terrorists did not come and steal our newly-regained sense of being American first, and political, fiftieth. Nor did the Democrats. Nor did the media. Nor did the people.

The President -- and those around him -- did that.

They promised bi-partisanship, and then showed that to them, "bi-partisanship" meant that their party would rule and the rest would have to follow, or be branded, with ever-escalating hysteria, as morally or intellectually confused, as appeasers, as those who, in the Vice President's words yesterday, "validate the strategy of the terrorists."

They promised protection, and then showed that to them "protection" meant going to war against a despot whose hand they had once shaken, a despot who we now learn from our own Senate Intelligence Committee, hated al-Qaida as much as we did.

The polite phrase for how so many of us were duped into supporting a war, on the false premise that it had 'something to do' with 9/11 is "lying by implication."

The impolite phrase is "impeachable offense."

Not once in now five years has this President ever offered to assume responsibility for the failures that led to this empty space, and to this, the current, curdled, version of our beloved country.

Still, there is a last snapping flame from a final candle of respect and fairness: even his most virulent critics have never suggested he alone bears the full brunt of the blame for 9/11.

Half the time, in fact, this President has been so gently treated, that he has seemed not even to be the man most responsible for anything in his own administration.

Yet what is happening this very night?

A mini-series, created, influenced -- possibly financed by -- the most radical and cold of domestic political Machiavellis, continues to be televised into our homes.

The documented truths of the last fifteen years are replaced by bald-faced lies; the talking points of the current regime parroted; the whole sorry story blurred, by spin, to make the party out of office seem vacillating and impotent, and the party in office, seem like the only option.

How dare you, Mr. President, after taking cynical advantage of the unanimity and love, and transmuting it into fraudulent war and needless death, after monstrously transforming it into fear and suspicion and turning that fear into the campaign slogan of three elections? How dare you -- or those around you -- ever "spin" 9/11?

Just as the terrorists have succeeded -- are still succeeding -- as long as there is no memorial and no construction here at Ground Zero.

So, too, have they succeeded, and are still succeeding as long as this government uses 9/11 as a wedge to pit Americans against Americans.

This is an odd point to cite a television program, especially one from March of 1960. But as Disney's continuing sell-out of the truth (and this country) suggests, even television programs can be powerful things.

And long ago, a series called "The Twilight Zone" broadcast a riveting episode entitled "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street."

In brief: a meteor sparks rumors of an invasion by extra-terrestrials disguised as humans. The electricity goes out. A neighbor pleads for calm. Suddenly his car -- and only his car -- starts. Someone suggests he must be the alien. Then another man's lights go on. As charges and suspicion and panic overtake the street, guns are inevitably produced. An "alien" is shot -- but he turns out to be just another neighbor, returning from going for help. The camera pulls back to a near-by hill, where two extra-terrestrials are seen manipulating a small device that can jam electricity. The veteran tells his novice that there's no need to actually attack, that you just turn off a few of the human machines and then, "they pick the most dangerous enemy they can find, and it's themselves."

And then, in perhaps his finest piece of writing, Rod Serling sums it up with words of remarkable prescience, given where we find ourselves tonight: "The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men.

"For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy, and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all its own -- for the children, and the children yet unborn."

When those who dissent are told time and time again -- as we will be, if not tonight by the President, then tomorrow by his portable public chorus -- that he is preserving our freedom, but that if we use any of it, we are somehow un-American...When we are scolded, that if we merely question, we have "forgotten the lessons of 9/11"... look into this empty space behind me and the bi-partisanship upon which this administration also did not build, and tell me:

Who has left this hole in the ground?

We have not forgotten, Mr. President.

You have.

May this country forgive you.

Original link at MSNBC: Click Here.

Warrantless=Unconstitutional - at the Capital City Free Press

This is delayed as I have been away for awhile, and if you are in Cozumel, Mexico, find "Casa Denis" and order the 'Cochinita Pibil.' It's a great dish, as eaten by Johnny Depp in the movie "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" (although in the movie, it is called 'Puerco Pibil.')

Anyway...my September column for the Capital City Free Press is now online (and has been for a few days now). It has to do with Judge Anna Diggs Taylor's ruling on the government's warrantless wiretapping program.

Excerpt:

"Many argue that in a time of war, the president's first priority is to protect Americans, and that he can do anything needed in order to do that, however he is supposed to do everything "in his power" to protect Americans. Breaking the law and dismissing the Constitution is not a "power" given to him by the Constitution."

Read the entire article here.

Politicizing the War(s)???

August 30, 2006 - Nashville, TN - President George W. Bush at a fundraiser for Republican candidates, gave speeches which he characterized as "not political speeches."

The same day at another fundraiser in Little Rock, AR, Bush said, "These are important times, and I seriously hope people wouldn’t politicize these issues I’m going to talk about."

What issues is he talking about? The safety of the nation. According to the New York Times, "The president urged an audience to vote for a Republican Senate candidate to help keep the nation safe...Mr. Bush said he needed colleagues on Capitol Hill who understood the importance of tools like the USA Patriot Act and domestic surveillance to help stop terrorism."

So Bush gives a non-political speech urging voters to vote Republican because they will protect the nation better than Democrats, and he doesn't consider that "politicizing" the issues? And sadly, many of his sheep believe this even though it defies all logic.

While Bush is touting his "message of optimism," Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is bringing up images of "the greatest generation" and World War II by explaining how we are fighting a "new type of fascism," also describing critics of the Bush administration as appeasers, comparing the current situation to the attempted appeasement of Hitler. He says that Bush administration critics suffer from "moral or intellectual confusion" about national security.

Rumsfeld goes on to say, "But some seem not to have learned history’s lessons," adding his feelings that part of the problem is the news media emphasizing the negative rather than the Bush-approved positive.

It's really easy to blame the news media when things aren't going your way. The same thing happened in the days after hurricane Katrina last year. The media actually goes to New Orleans with cameras, showing the devastation and destruction, showing the pats on the back given to "Brownie" by the president, showing the "refugees" in their own country - but according to spokespeople in Washington who never set foot in or near New Orleans, the news media is focusing on the negative.

So Bush is out campaigning for Republican candidates, giving speeches implying that Republicans keep us safer, and Rumsfeld is giving speeches bringing up Hitler and saying that critics of the Iraq war are appeasers - yet no one is supposed to "politicize" their already-politicized comments?!

All this while neoconservative spin experts like newsmax.com are writing articles titled "First Priority for Democrats: Politicize War on Terror."

And this is what it boils down to: Americans are starting to realize that Saddam Hussein did not attack us on 9/11. They are starting to realize that the Iraq War is not the same things as the "War on Terror." They are starting to get angry at "conservatives" who don't act "conservative." They are growing weary of troop deaths, higher energy costs, rising oil prices, massive deficits, war-mongering and fear-mongering.

We'll see if the majority are still sick of these issues come November 7.

more info:
Rumsfeld: War critics have ‘moral ... confusion’
Bush Shifting Public Focus to Terrorism and Iraq War
First Priority for Democrats: Politicize War on Terror

Profit, Profit, Profit......

From Newsweek, August 28, 2006 "Perspectives" section:

"We can't explain it."
-Ronnie Chappell, spokesman for BP, on the cause of corrosiion in an Alaskan pipeline. The damage caused the company to shut down a large portion of the biggest U.S. oilfield.

Mr. Chappell, I can explain it. After making billions and billions in profit last year, especially after you were able to jack up prices using hurricane Katrina as an excuse, you forgot to actually invest some of that money back into your company for "improvements" - "improvements" that don't include things like a new pool or renovated carpet for the CEO's mansion (or maybe even high-priced hookers and blow, if that's how he gets down.)

Ben over, America. The gas corporations are taking full advantage of the overturn of the Texas sodomy law.

Gwen Kennedy for Alabama Supreme Court, place 2

Gwendolyn Thomas Kennedy is running for place 2 on the Alabama Supreme Court, and unlike many of the current Supreme Court justices, she does not reside in any corporation's pocket.

I can say this because I know her personally, and have known her and her family for well over a decade. She has been practicing law in Montgomery for 20 years, and has the experience needed for the Supreme Court.

You can get more information at her web site: www.kennedyforsupremecourt.com

Responsibility starts at the top....

My new column, "All politics aside, what ever happened to responsibility?" is online at the Capital City Free Press.

Excerpt:

"Responsibility is lying on its deathbed and the "Credit Card" Congress is helping the Executive Branch pull the plug."

Read the entire article here.

NASA gets a verbal facelift

2002 - mid 2006: NASA's mission statement - "To understand and protect our home planet; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers ... as only NASA can."

2006: NASA's new mission statement - "To pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research."

Why the change?

According to NASA spokesman David E. Steitz, "to square the statement with President Bush’s goal of pursuing human spaceflight to the Moon and Mars."

The original mission statement said, "to explore the universe" which apparently, to the President, means "except for human spaceflight to the Moon and Mars" because the moon and Mars are not part of the "universe" but rather just background objects of the universe we call "earth." Kind of our own little back yard or just another acre attached to the ranch in Texas.

NASA's new job is no longer to understand the planet, and many NASA scientists are not happy about the mission statement makeover. Many of those scientists say that "the 'understand and protect' phrase was not merely window dressing but actively influenced the shaping and execution of research priorities," adding that without the phrase, "there will be far less incentive to pursue projects to improve understanding of terrestrial problems like climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions."

What have we learned here?

To the President, climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions is not as much fun as flying to the Moon or to Mars.

more info:
NASA’s Goals Delete Mention of Home Planet

Unfortunately, the article linked above did not go into any detail about the phrase "to explore the universe and search for life" in the old mission statement, but alas, in this huge universe, there could not be any other life except for earth....I mean, someone would have had to go to another galaxy to die for their sins, right?

The ACLU: What Bill O'Reilly never tells you......and more

"The ACLU: What Bill O'Reilly never tells you" is up at the Capital City Free Press.

See what you've been missing by only watching Fox News Channel, where "fair and balanced" really means "we'll give you our right-wing point of view and claim it's both sides of the story."

Click here for the article.

And also, if you didn't hear, Ken Lay died of a heart attack. A heart attack! Mr. Enron himself, a guy who was recently convicted of corporate crimes, a guy who bilked his employees out of their retirement funds, a guy who was finally brought to justice and was going to spend the rest of his life in jail....dies of a heart attack. Where is the justice in that? If only someone could have hooked him up on life support and let his body lie in San Quentin long enough for Tom Delay to come to his defense when they try take away the feeding tube....oh, justice.

An Open Letter to Roy Moore

So I did some research, and I found that Roy Moore was saying one thing in 2003, but in 2006, when he gets back into politics, he says something completely different. I think it's only right for him to explain himself, so the Capital City Free Press has published the open letter, including his direct quotes. The subject of his "flip-flop," if you will, is the separation of church and state.

Click here to read the letter in its entirety.

The face behind the immigration debate - at the Capital City Free Press

May's column is live at the Capital City Free Press.

Excerpt:

"The easiest part of the immigration problem to look at is the security aspect. Of course, if random people can easily sneak into a country, that poses a security problem. If a Mexican citizen can sneak across for a better life, what is stopping someone with terrorist motives from doing the same?"

Read the entire article here.

Bob Riley, Taxes and an explanation....

"Could somebody please explain this to the people of Alabama" is my newest column at the Capital City Free Press.

Excerpt:

"USA Today ran a story during the Amendment One days, stating, 'Bob Riley was a tax-hating, God-loving, conservative Republican congressman. Then he got himself elected governor of Alabama...'"

Read the entire article here.

"Cartoons, riots and Freedom of Expression" up at the Capital City Free Press....and has been for a while now....yes, this is late

Here's an excerpt:

"Because we live in a world of 30-second soundbites, most people think that this story began this past January with the publication of 12 cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, but it actually started earlier."

"So in the image that shows Mohammed wearing a bomb-turban, Muslims see a depiction of Muslims as terrorists... and so to stop people from believing that Muslims are terrorists, Muslim extremists set buildings on fire and commit other terrorist acts???"

Read the entire article here.

Vice President Cheney actually shot somebody!

You thought the war was in Iraq, but oh no, you would be wrong. Vice President Dick Cheney is now shooting people in the state of Texas.

This past weekend, Cheney was on a hunting trip back in Texas with his friend Harry Whittington, a 78 year old attorney from Austin, Texas. They were hunting quail, and Cheney turned to shoot a bird, and Whittington got "sprayed" with some shotgun pellets.

Whittington is said to be "alert and doing fine," although one must wonder how it feels to get shot by your friend....that's gotta sting.

more info:
Cheney Accidentally Shoots Fellow Hunter

The Latest Source of "Infotainment"......at the Capital City Free Press

"The latest source of 'infotainment'" is up at the Capital City Free Press.

Excerpt:

"Taking notes from the Fox News Channel's playbook, CNN "Headline News" is continuing a national trend to blur the line between real news and commentary/entertainment by adding conservative talk-show host Glenn Beck to its roster. "

Read the entire article by clicking here.

We Love Democracy......when it's convenient

Yes, we are lovers of democracy. According to our President, we want to spread democracy around the world. I am told we are currently bringing democracy to Iraq.

But alas, our love affair with democracy seems to have limits, because democracy is a lot like history - sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad.

The last two Presidential elections have had allegations of voter fraud. Even the recent Iraq elections had some fraud allegations, but I have yet to hear or read about any fraud in the recent Palestinian election.

If you have not been keeping up, Hamas, a Palestinian group who is recognized by the United States and the United Nations as a terrorist organization, recently won a majority of seats in their new government. Yes, the people have spoken, but they have not spoken what the U.S., the U.N. and Israel wanted them to say.

Hamas has said that it does not recognize Israel as a nation, and have basically said that they want to wipe Israel off the map. And of course, like in almost every aspect of politics, there is money involved.

The U.S., the U.N. and even Israel have been giving money to the Palestinian government, which before the elections was run by the Palestinian Authority (P.A.). The P.A. has been working with Israel on a peace process, which had a big boost from the recent Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The problem now is this: the U.S. and the U.N. do not negotiate or do business with those deemed to be terrorists, and of course, Israel would not want to do business with someone intent on wiping them off the map. The Palestinians have been dependent on the money that has been given to them for their economy. So now what?

Time will tell. It will depend mostly on the new Palestinian government and the way Hamas leads it. It will depend on whether or not Hamas will change its mind about Israel. But with all the variables in this scenario, one thing seems certain: Democracy has its ups and downs.

So I ask, do we support democracy in general or just when it's convenient?

more info:
Palestinians Appeal for Continued Aid (AP)

In regards to yesterday's post about Clinton...

Check out what ThinkProgress.org has to say about the "blame Clinton" defense that I was talking about yesterday.

They start off talking about Attorney General Alberto Gonzales going on Larry King Live. Here's what Gonzales had to say:

"I would say that with respect to comments by the former vice president it’s my understanding that during the Clinton administration there was activity regarding the physical searches without warrants, Aldrich Ames as an example.

"I can also say that it’s my understanding that the deputy attorney general testified before Congress that the president does have the inherent authority under the Constitution to engage in physical searches without a warrant and so those would certainly seem to be inconsistent with what the former vice president was saying today."

And here is what ThinkProgress.org has to say:

"The issue with the Bush’s warrantless domestic wiretapping program is that it violates a federal criminal law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Despite what Gonzales is implying, the Clinton administration never violated FISA and never claimed they could violate FISA. Here’s why:

"1. Prior to 1995, FISA did not cover physical searches. (With Clinton’s signature, the law was expanded to cover physical searches in 1995.) The search of Aldrich Ames home occurred in 1993. It did not violate FISA.

"2. Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick testified in 1994 that the President could conduct warrantless physical searches, before FISA required physical searches to be conducted pursuant to a warrant. Gorelick was arguing that the President could conduct warrantless physical searches in the absence of Congressional action. At no time did she suggest that, after Congress required the President to obtain a warrant, the executive branch could ignore the law, nor is there any evidence the Clinton administration failed to comply with FISA."

And one reader pointed out in a comment under the ThinkProgress.org post that Gonzales kept saying "it's my understanding." That phrase is great lawyer-speak for really saying, "I'm going to give this statement as 'my opinion' because I know I'm wrong, and when I'm called out for it, I can say I was stating opinion and not fact, so that I don't look like a bigger liar than I already am."

more info:
In Desperation, Gonzales Smears Gore (ThinkProgress.org)

I guess the ol' "blame Clinton" defense never gets old...

Listening to the Kevin Elkins radio show this morning on am 1440, a caller was talking about Bush's wiretaps being illegal, and Elkins jumped to Bush's defense with the question, "What about Clinton?"

Next caller calls in with some information she got from Fox "News" about Al Gore's speech in which he blasted George W for using illegal wiretaps, with Fox "News" saying that in a previous speech during the Clinton administration, he was defending those same wiretaps.

The point was that everybody does it, both Republican and Democrat, and if Clinton did it, then how can anyone complain when Bush does it?

So if both parties have done it, the question must be asked, "Does that make it right?"

If a president breaks the law, how is the best defense "Well, Clinton did it?" That does not magically make the law 'unbroken.' That does not excuse Bush from breaking the law. Hell, when Bush ran in 2000, wasn't his theme something about "restoring dignity to the White House" or some such nonsense? Shouldn't he be holding himself to a higher standard? Shouldn't his defense be more like, "Clinton did this, so I'm NOT going to do the same?"

I guess not.

And really, when it comes down to it, if Clinton really did break the law by using illegal wiretaps, then maybe the impeachment process would have been more successful for the Republicans if they had used that instead of who was blowing him.

more info:
Kevin Elkins

Why does anyone still take Pat Robertson seriously?

Comedian Lewis Black asked a similar question about Jerry Falwell in one of his comedy specials, right before encouraging Falwell's followers to wear tinfoil so we could pick them out. The same should apply to Pat Robertson. It seems he is in the news at least once a month regarding some new crazy and moronic quote.

Here he is on his TV show "The 700 Club" talking about Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon soon after Sharon's stroke: "He was dividing God's land, and I would say woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the EU, the United Nations or United States of America." Then Robertson goes on to quote God: "This land belongs to me, you better leave it alone."

Now of course, because Robertson supports the theory of Intelligent Design, which was seen when he threatened God's wrath on the city of Dover, PA, he believes that there is a 'Designer' or 'Creator' who created the earth from nothing, in fact, created the entire universe from nothing. And even though the 'Creator' formed the entire universe, including the earth and all the land masses on earth....well dammit, he wants that piece of land that sits between Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea or he's just not gonna be happy. And he won't stop handing out strokes to prime ministers over the age of 50 until Israel reneges on the deal with the Palestinians and gets renamed "Jesus Land."

During a recent interview, when asked about the recent remarks by Pat Robertson, God was quoted as saying, "Who is Pat Robertson?"

more info:
Robertson Links Sharon Stroke, God's Wrath (AP story)
Robertson blamed Sharon stroke on policy of "dividing God's land" (Media Matters)

Local News: Alabama sues gas stations for price gouging and Porn wants its money from the City of Montgomery

Stop N Go Express at 4714 Mobile Highway and the Cannon Kwik Stop at 1111 Perry Hill Road are being taken to court by Alabama Attorney General Troy King. The civil suit sites price gouging, which they say occurred in the days after Hurricane Katrina.

According to the Montgomery Advertiser, "In the days following Hurricane Katrina gas prices shot up across the nation, in many cases to more than $3 per gallon, prompting 45 attorneys general to investigate."

King says most businesses who have been accused of price gouging did not break the law, however some investigations are still ongoing.


...and in other news...Montgomery's newest adults-only store wants $500,000 from Montgomery...

X-Mart, located at 3500 Birmingham Highway in Montgomery, wants $500,000 from the City of Montgomery for lost income.

Apparently, X-Mart opened its doors without a business license, so naturally, the city shut it down, as if the City of Montgomery wasn't already looking for a reason to shut down a 24-hour porn shop. When X-Mart applied for a business license, the city denied the license.

X-Mart then fought the City of Montgomery in federal court and won on First Amendment free speech grounds.

The City of Montgomery caused X-Mart to be closed a total of 275 days, which Mayor Bobby Bright says was not because of the materials they sold (yeah, right) but because they initially operated without a business license.

City lawyers say that, as of now, a settlement has not been reached.

More info:
Montgomery gas stations sued for price gouging (Montgomery Advertiser article)
Adult store wants Montgomery's money (Montgomery Advertiser article)

What I learned in 2005...at the Capital City Free Press

See "What I learned in 2005," my new column in the Capital City Free Press.

Excerpt:

"In George W. Bush's America, dissent equals treason, and this fact is voiced by members of the 'liberal media' like Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly."

and...

"When a hurricane hits land, you can rest assured that the president will take charge of the situation within six business days."

Read the entire article here.

Read the January issue of the Capital City Free Press here.