Posted by casey at November 8th, 2006
Democrats win the house and probably the senate… Rummy was thrown under the bus … and I just got done eating a very tasty steak from Mancini’s. Today was one big middle finger from moderate middle America to the neocon Bush, evangelical White House.
The only thing that will keep me drinking is that T-paw was re-elected and I voted for Peter Hutchinson expecting an easy victory for Hatch. Oh well I guess you can’t win ‘em all.
Posted by casey at October 22nd, 2006
Bush Flip-Flops on Stay the Course. With the upcoming election and probable loss of the House (and possibly the Senate) they are doing everything they can to set the stage for the looming congressional inquiries and oversight proceedings.
Let’s not forget the rhetoric, it wasn’t that long ago
May 6, 2004
“They’ll kill innocent people to try to shake our will,” Bush said of terrorists. “That’s what they want to do. They’ll never shake the will of the United States. We understand the stakes.”
“Bush: Stay the course on terror war
July 10th, 2003
“We’re making steady progress,” he said. “A free Iraq will mean a peaceful world. And it’s very important for us to stay the course, and we will stay the course.”
U.S. ‘Will Stay the Course’ in Iraq, Bush Says
Posted by casey at June 14th, 2006
I guess Bush won’t be getting the Nobel Peace Prize any time soon.
(source guardian.co.uk)
Posted by casey at March 19th, 2006
John Kerry, the 2004 presidential nominee, was overheard in an Irish bar on Capitol Hill talking about how satisfying it would be to impeach Bush if Congress went Democrat. He was just having a laugh, his spokeswoman rushed to explain: “Impeachment jokes in Washington are as old as Donald Rumsfeld.”
But then she turned serious: “How are the same Republicans, who tried to impeach a president over whether he misled a nation about an affair, going to pretend it does not matter if the administration intentionally misled the country into war?”
Posted by casey at March 11th, 2006
In very sad news, American hostage, Tom Fox, was found dead today with apparent torture wounds.
In other sad news, the US continues to hold its own hostages in order to demonstrate to the world what it takes to be strong democracy.
Maybe in an attempt to be more like the US, the new Iraqi government should hire Tom Fox’s captors to teach them how to take hostages, torture people and all in all just be more like the US.
Posted by casey at March 3rd, 2006
If people want a theocratic state move to fucking Iraq. I’m just sayin… ’cause If you haven’t noticed we are doing a hell of a job setting one up for yah.
Posted by casey at March 1st, 2006
While most of this survey is “good news,” there are a couple very troubling statistics about why the troops believe we are fighting in Iraq.
The wide-ranging poll also shows that 58% of those serving in country say the U.S. mission in Iraq is clear in their minds, while 42% said it is either somewhat or very unclear to them, that they have no understanding of it at all, or are unsure. While 85% said the U.S. mission is mainly “to retaliate for Saddam’s role in the 9-11 attacks,” 77% said they also believe the main or a major reason for the war was “to stop Saddam from protecting al Qaeda in Iraq.”
Posted by casey at February 27th, 2006
The bill cites “credible research” that proves children raised in GOP families tend to exhibit “emotional problems, social stigmas, inflated egos, and an alarming lack of tolerance for others they deem different than themselves and an air of overconfidence to mask their insecurities.”
Andrew Sullivan remarks:
“It’s absurd, of course. But no more absurd than the empirically baseless claims that kids brought up by gay parents are somehow at a disadvantage.”
Posted by casey at February 9th, 2006
Posted by casey at December 2nd, 2005
Man … parts of this is really moving… use real player to view it.
rtsp://cspanrm.fplive.net/cspan/project/iraq/iraq111705_murtha.rm?mode=compact
Murtha quotes:
“Get that wounded marine a purple heart or I will give him one of mine…”
“80% of Iraqis want us out of there…”
“We are uniting the enemy against us…”
“There is more terrorism (in Iraq) now than there ever was…”
“I like guys that have never been there criticize us who have been there… I like guys who have five deferments criticize us who have been there… this is a flawed policy.”
“This one young commanding officer from Youngstown, three days before he was supposed to go home, he walked up to this IED and it blew up…”
“We have an obligation to speak for them… what do you think the soldiers are going to say… they are proud of their service… we have an obligation to speak for them… “
Posted by casey at November 18th, 2005
Last time I checked 50 billion in spending cuts and 60 billion in tax cuts adds 10 billion to the deficit. How exactly is this a winning budget plan as so proclaimed by the Republicans?
After weeks of lobbying and intra-party squabbling, the House of Representatives narrowly approved a five-year, $50bn package of cuts to federal benefits programs, while the Senate backed a $60bn package of tax cuts.
It is a shame the 50 billion in cuts are to programs like Medicaid, food stamps, student loan subsidies, state child-support enforcement programs, and farm support. It is estimated that the House bill would cut $220,000 people off food stamps. I wonder how many of those people live in New Orleans? How quickly we forget the President’s pledge to rebuild New Orleans and put an end to the poverty in that region. Has the OMB even taken into account the President’s Katrina speech? Maybe they are still working on last year’s numbers? Where is the “unprecedented response of an extra 60 billion dollars” asked for by the President going to come from? — (let me guess the poor in New Orleans will have to give up more programs.) Was that all empty rhetoric of a President trying to save face?
My favorite part of this whole House budget proposal is a “concession” to the moderates.
A provision denying Medicaid nursing home benefits to people with home equity of $500,000 or more was modified by raising the equity standard to $750,000 or more.
Are you kidding me. If you have $500,000 in home equity you don’t need Medicaid because you probably are already a doctor with a great health care plan. Seriously… Raised from $500,000 to $750,000 … WTF… How can we give 60 billion in tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans and nonchalantly cut food stamps for 220,000 of the poorest Americans? You do know what I mean by “tax cuts to the wealthiest,” right? If not… that means lowering the dividend and long term capital gains tax rate from an already amazingly low 20% to 15%. When was the last time YOU paid 15% in income taxes? Could you imagine if they only took 15% out of your paycheck instead of more than 30%. Isn’t it backwards that the people that actually need the money to live are the people that don’t get it? Like I recently read… “Don’t Balance the Budget on the Backs of the Poor.” This “Reverse Robinhood” has to stop.
(Source MSNBC.com)
(Source WashingtonPost.com subscription required)
Posted by casey at November 8th, 2005
Seriously… this is no kidding… From what I can gather this is the second large city, next to Oakland, to legalize marijuana. They always say that you must first admit you have a problem before you can fix it … Well, we have a problem and it is called “The War on Drugs“….
(Source www.denvergov.org)
(Source saferchoice.org)
Posted by casey at November 4th, 2005
A panel of judges in the Florida county of Sarasota has granted a request by a group of over 150 citizens accused of drink-driving to view the source code of the breathalyser that was used to determine their breath alcohol levels.
…
If CMI keeps refusing to subject the application to an independent audit, it is unlikely that a judge can force it to do so. This would render the results of the test inadmissible in court.
(The Judge’s Ruling)
(Source http://www.vnunet.com)
Posted by casey at October 31st, 2005
Associate Professor Robert Pape of the University of Chicago has compiled an extensive database of all terrorist attacks from around the world since 1980. What he found is quite contrary to the current administration’s postulate that suicidal terrorism is driven by religious extremists.
The central fact is that overwhelmingly suicide-terrorist attacks are not driven by religion as much as they are by a clear strategic objective: to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from the territory that the terrorists view as their homeland. From Lebanon to Sri Lanka to Chechnya to Kashmir to the West Bank, every major suicide-terrorist campaign-over 95 percent of all the incidents-has had as its central objective to compel a democratic state to withdraw.
(Source The American Conservative)
Posted by casey at October 24th, 2005
Current papers:
I scanned the “Monetary Policy in a Data-Rich Environment” paper and can report this guy sounds like a Fed Chairman that techno geeks can live with. In this paper he advocates using larger, more complex data sets to make federal economic decisions.
(Source Princeton.edu/~bernake)
Posted by casey at October 7th, 2005
A three-part documentary on peace in the Middle East airs next week in Britain. In it high-level Palestinian leaders quote Bush as taking his foreign policy direction from God. Nabil Shaath, Palestinian prime minister and now the Palestinian Authority president recalls what Bush said to him in a high-level meeting in June 2003,
I’m driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, ‘George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan.’ And I did, and then God would tell me, ‘George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq …’ And I did. And now, again, I feel God’s words coming to me, ‘Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East.’ And by God I’m gonna do it.
The White House denies the quote. I wonder if the CIA is getting their intelligence from God too?
(Source San Francisco Chronical - “Bush said God told him to invade Iraq”)
(Source BBC - “White House denies Bush God claim”)
Posted by casey at September 22nd, 2005
Let’s say are a judge in a case. Four days before you decide the verdict the defendant secretly approaches you with an offer of a promotion to your dream job. Doesn’t this qualify as “impartiality might reasonably be questioned?”
Read on to find out that this is exactly what happened in the Hamdan case involving a suspected terrorist Hamdan and the President. The President questioned Judge Roberts about a Supreme Court nomination four days before the verdict was decided. Under normal circumstances an ethical judge would recuse himself. In this case though, Robert’s did the opposite, he stayed on and sided in favor of the President. Impartiality reasonably questioned? … You be the judge.
Posted by casey at September 19th, 2005
Posted by casey at September 14th, 2005
How long will it take for everyday Americans to start connecting the dots between this Republican administration and the lack of funding for things that matter to everyday Americans (such as communications systems for first responders).
Republican Senate Rejects Stabenow Proposal for First Responders Communications Funding
Posted by casey at September 10th, 2005
I think it is time to up the terror alert.
Posted by casey at September 6th, 2005
Do you remember “Help is on the way?” Today on CSPAN I heard Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) describe how “help is on the way” to the Katrina victims. What about “Stronger at Home, Respected in the World,” another Kerry slogan? Maybe if Bush wouldn’t have cut the funding for the levies in New Orleans to pay for the Iraq war or appointed an unqualified FEMA head (Michael Brown) we might not be in the situation we are today. But through it all, let’s not forget that the buck does stop at the president.
And after all the reassuring that we are more secure and better prepared by the president and public officials, what have they been doing over the past four years? Where is the outrage that we aren’t better prepared? When it takes the 3rd Infantry Division four days to get within 50 miles of Baghdad under fire and in armored vehicals, why does it take the National Guard more than a week to get to a hotspot on our own soil?
This should have been a sweet exposition of just how prepared we are. FEMA, Homeland Security, the National Guard and the president all could have shone. Instead we get ineptness, lack of preparedness, and weakness. I really wish I could say we are “Stronger at Home, Respected in the World” and truly hope “Help is on the way!” — better late than never — maybe in ‘08.
Posted by casey at August 16th, 2005
Author of Bush’s summer book choices says “Oh, he reads books?!”
Gas prices are climbing, motorists are fuming and President Bush is at his ranch with a book about the history of salt. According to the White House, one of three books Bush chose to read on his five-week vacation is “Salt: A World History” by Mark Kurlansky, who chronicled the rise and fall of what once was considered the world’s most strategic commodity.
The other two books he reportedly brought to Crawford are “Alexander II: The Last Great Tsar” by Edvard Radzinsky and “The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History” by John M. Barry.(Source La Times)
“Kurlansky said he was surprised to hear that Bush had taken his book to the ranch: ‘My first reaction was, ‘Oh, he reads books?’
“The author said he was a ‘virulent Bush opponent’ who had given speeches denouncing the war in Iraq.
” ‘What I find fascinating, and it’s probably a positive thing about the White House, is they don’t seem to do any research about the writers when they pick the books,’ Kurlansky said.” (Source Washington Post)
Posted by casey at August 8th, 2005
Posted by casey at August 6th, 2005
This artical was so right on … I had to reproduce it all right here. ENJOY!
When it comes to science, President Bush is of two minds, one of which is wrong.
Concerning the space shuttle program, he defers to the views of experts.
In a conversation with Texas reporters Monday, he said that “the experts at NASA” will determine whether the shuttle should be retired before 2010.
But when it comes to science education, he unfortunately sees no need for experts. Answering a question about evolution vs. intelligent design, he said it was a question for local school districts, but he felt “both sides ought to be properly taught.”
And he added, “so people can understand what the debate is about.”
But among experts, there is no debate worth mentioning. The theory of evolution underpins all modern biology, and like any vibrant science it is constantly being expanded and modified as new lines of evidence appear. Thousands upon thousands of research scientists have contributed to it since Darwin proposed the mechanism of natural selection as an explanation for the relationships among species living and extinct.
Intelligent design, in contrast, is taken seriously by scarcely any scientific experts. It proposes that the natural world is too complex to have been created by entirely natural processes, so there must be a designer of some kind. As to how the designer acts, or how scientists could study those actions, it has no answers. Intelligent design explains nothing and predicts nothing; it isn’t even a theory. It has no place in science classrooms.
The president said that part of education is to be exposed to different schools of thought. Up to a point, yes. But in planning lessons on space exploration, how much time is due to the people who believe - quite sincerely - that the Apollo program and the moon landings were nothing but a hoax?
Posted by casey at August 3rd, 2005
As a journalist to risk and ultimitaly give it all, he is a true patriot. Almost predicting his future kidnapping, Steven writes in the National Review - Back in Basra, one year later, what the Iraqis are saying -
Beneath the surface, though, this is not the easy-going municipality of 1.5 million people I recall. For one thing, I can no longer wander the streets, take a cab, or dine in restaurants for fear of being spotted as a foreigner: Kidnapping, by criminal gangs or terrorists, remains a lucrative business. Instead, for safety’s sake, I’m tied to my hotel, dependent on expensive drivers, unable to go anywhere without Iraqi escort. “You really shouldn’t be here at all,” a British-embassy official warned me.
In that same piece he describes the Iraqis feelings of helplessness and anger. He paints a bleak picture of the infrastructure and rebuilding; electricity three hours on, three hours off, sewage a nightmare, water still bad, and gas lines intolerable. He relays questions about the apparent nonexistence of billions of dollars that are being spent on reconstruction efforts from a British Army translator, “Where is the money going, why is nothing happening? Tell your readers”.
Steven also maintained a blog for his book, In the Red Zone.
Posted by casey at August 2nd, 2005
Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture. When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm. — Senator Rick “The Frothy Mixture” Santorum
Is Rick standing alone or do others on the right really equate higher education and progressive values with pedophilia and sex abuse? If this is the case, is this some sort of deflection tactic to take the heat off of their educational shortcomings? It seems to me like the old school yard manipulation where one jealous kid says, “transformers are dumb” to the other kid that just got a new transformer.
This article explains how liberal values make great family values.
Posted by rlafrentz at August 1st, 2005
Stories like this really make me wonder why some people want to hurry the process to implement the death penalty after a “guilty” conviction - maybe they don’t ever want to find out they were wrong?
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/08/01/rape.exoneration.ap/index.html
Posted by rlafrentz at July 31st, 2005
As the war in Iraq continues, and the debate over stem cell research and abortion increases, I have become confused on what President Bush means when he states that he is for a culture of life. Ironically, his definition of a culture of life has recently been twisted into a culture of death.
First, a man that so strongly believed in saving Terri Schiavo’s life, now refuses to fund the research that could have saved her life.
Second, a man that so strongly believes in life, has had no regrets about sending 18 year olds off to die in a war that seems to have no end.
Third, a man that so strongly believes in life, has had no problem applying the death penalty.
Fourth, a man that so strongly believes in life, is against natural drugs so people can live life without pain.
Fifth, a man that so strongly believes in life, has no problem authorization the torture of that life.
Sixth, a man that so strongly believes in life, refuses to intervene in a genocide in Sudan to save life.
Seventh, a man that so strongly believes in life, cuts funding to feed low income children under the age of 5.
Because I do believe that we have a moral calling to save lives and alleviate suffering, I to support a culture of life - just one that is different then the President’s - I leave it to you to decide whose culture of life you support.
Posted by casey at July 28th, 2005
Software security and cryptography guru Bruce Schneier explains how the Transportation and Security Administration is violating federal law by using commercial data about its passengers. It is has also lied to congress about doing so.
Posted by rlafrentz at July 22nd, 2005
I want to warn all you pro-choicers out there not to be fooled regarding soon to be Justice Robert’s views on abortion. He stated while testifying for an APPEALS COURT POSITION that Roe was settled law. But as an Appeals Court judge he has no choice but to enforce a Supreme Court decision - so while he was an Appeals Judge it was settled law to him in that position. However, as a Supreme Court Judge he has no duty to follow the past decisions of the Supreme Court = stare decises is not law! If the Supreme Court truly followed previous decisions we would still have “separate but equal.” So understand clearly that Roberts is not bound by an over 20 year precedent regarding abortion. Roberts can do whatever he wants on the bench even if that means overturning Roe v. Wade.
BUT, I think what is most telling, is that his wife, Jane, was a vice president of Feminists for Life.
Posted by casey at July 19th, 2005
Summary of some earlier opinions
Posted by casey at July 19th, 2005
What is the difference between Eric Rudolph and Mohamed Atta? One is a Christian terrorist that kills innocent people, and the other is an Islamic terrorist that kills innocent people. What about the difference between Stephen John Jordi and Ramzi Yousef?
According to the Bush philosophy, take the fight to the terrorists so they don’t attack us here, is this strictly limited to international Islamic terrorists? Does the war on terrorism differentiate between terrorists of different religions?
Posted by casey at July 14th, 2005
If we really want to protect the unborn maybe the pro-life groups should team up with the green party.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/07/14/health.chemicals.reut/index.html
Posted by casey at July 6th, 2005
* If 66% of Americans say that driving a fuel-efficient cars is an act of patriotism
* And 67% of NASCAR fans say the same
So why then did the Senate vote down an amendment to the energy bill that would require better gas mileage for vehicles?
(Source The Auto Channel)
(Source Harper’s Magazine)
(Source 40mpg.org)
Posted by casey at June 15th, 2005
So quick question, how many Kurds were caught up in the war between Iran and Iraq? Granted, Saddam was a horrible, brutal dictator, but comparing the 5,000 Kurdish deaths in 1988 under Saddam’s rule to the 20,000 Iraq civilian deaths now makes one wonder if the stability under the dictatorship wasn’t safer than the chaos of the current “democracy”.
Posted by casey at May 31st, 2005
Amnesty International recently released an article claiming the U.S. is at the top of a list of the world’s worst human rights violators. Today in the Rose Garden the President skirted a question about the claim. FLIP FLOP ALERT: Isn’t it strange that the administration was for AI before it was against it?
(more…)
Posted by casey at May 31st, 2005
Nader argues that since Clinton was impeached for perjury about his sexual relationships and… “Comparing Clinton’s misbehavior to a destructive and costly war occupation launched in March 2003 under false pretenses in violation of domestic and international law certainly merits introduction of an impeachment resolution.”
With the Downing Street Memo out, there is no reason why the issue shouldn’t be pursued.
What can you do? Sign this letter from the office of John Conyers to the President. It is a small… but a start.
Posted by casey at May 26th, 2005
This goes out to all my homies who in the run up to the presidential election of ‘04 were fully backing the president’s hard line on stem cell research, “don’t create life to destroy life.” And now with your republican senate and house passing legislation to allow federal funding for that very reason, don’t even think about changing your position. Stand tall behind your president. Don’t waver from your position under pressure to do the intelligent thing. Don’t be a flip flopper like John Kerry.
This op-ed piece in the Washington Post really hit home by describing an illogical double standard with the president’s stance. He argues that the logical conclusion from the president’s position would be to outlaw in vitro fertilization. He claims that since fertility clinics create many more embryos than they use, the freezing and destruction of this “life” is the same destruction of “life” in stem cell research. Compelling… but I’m going to err on the side of “life”, I mean cluster of a hundred non-differentiated cells.
(more…)
Posted by rlafrentz at May 18th, 2005
Please join me in welcoming our latest contributor, Mr. R. J. Lafrentz.
Posted by casey at May 17th, 2005
Supreme Court of the United States of America decides
Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954) (USSC+) Source
This is a perfect example of “judicial activism” as it would be defined today. Should we change the rules of the Senate, to use the Nuclear Option, to allow the packing of the courts with conservative judges? Or should we uphold the rules of the Senate and stop the tyranny of the majority and protect the rights of the minority? On what side of the argument would you have been in 1954?
(more…)
Posted by casey at May 9th, 2005
On Meet the Press, Mr. Shroen, a high level CIA agent, describes his orders from Cofer Black, the head of counterterrorism for the CIA, to kill Osama and bring his head back in a box.
Are you serious? High level Bush officials actually asked for Osama’s head in a box on a stick? Where and what year do we live? This is just disgraceful. Read the transcript below
(more…)
Posted by casey at May 9th, 2005
Apparently, the recent arrested Al Qaeda three man was little more than a regional facilitator between Al-Qaeda and local Pakistani Islamic groups. How is a regional manager the number three guy in Al Qaeda? Answer: they had the wrong man.
Here is what really happened. The United States confused the captured al-Libbi with the actual number three man, a Libyan on the FBI’s most wanted list, al-Liby. Captured al-Libbi doesn’t even show up on the FBI’s most wanted terrorists list.
The best part of the confusion is …. “When The Sunday Times contacted a senior FBI counter-terrorism official for information about the importance of the detained man, he sent material on al-Liby, the wrong man.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-1602568,00.html
