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December 15, 2007
Anti-Torture Bill Blocked By Obstructionist GOP
Senator Graham blocked Congress's anti-torture legislation yesterday.
“I think quite frankly applying the Army field manual to the CIA would be ill-advised and would destroy a program that I think is lawful and helps the country,” Graham said in an interview.
There are a lot of people in our government who have a lot to answer for on this issue.
Oh, and why haven't the Democrats -- who are now a majority in both chambers, by the way -- been blocking shitty GOP legislation all over the damn place? Whenever the GOP blocks something, they just block it. Whenever the Democrats try to block something, there's a national debate about it, then it fails. So here's me...
Also, the blocking of this bill illustrates that the McCain Amendment has been entirely meaningless. Not only did the president issue a signing statement nullifying it, but clearly there are other agencies engaging in torture.
07:01 AM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
(I'll be in Washington today. With my energy legs.)
06:50 AM | Comments (4) | Posted By Bob Cesca
December 14, 2007
New Barney Christmas Video
Every year the White House produces one of these because they believe kids will enjoy watching the President of the United States talk goo-goo talk to his dogs. Instead, we all just make fun of the thing. This year's theme: National Parks, and we all know how much the president loves the national parks.
Also, if you can keep from hurling, stay through the credits. There's an hilarious joke in which even Barney is disgusted by the president's stupidity. Poor fucking dog.
04:25 PM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
The Three-Headed Hydra of Stupid
The National Stupid Index rose to staggering levels when stupid Dana Perino appeared in the same room as stupid Steve Doocy and stupid Brian Kilmeade on stupid FOX News this morning. By combining their powers of stupid into a single three-headed hydra of stupid, they began to vent tremendous levels of excess stupid into the lower atmosphere creating a blanket of stupid so massive it could be seen from space.
03:35 PM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
Right you are, Ken.
08:42 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
December 13, 2007
Pass It On...
03:57 PM | Comments (26) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Holy Jesus, Congress Sucks
This is joke, right? Greenwald:
To be fair, the Democratic-led House was able to pass an extremely important bipartisan resolution yesterday -- by a vote of 372-9 -- which "recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world"; proclaims that Christmas is "a holiday of great significance to Americans"; decrees that "Christians and Christianity have contributed greatly to the development of western civilization"; explains that "on December 25 of each calendar year, American Christians observe Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ"; and "expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world."
Time well spent.
03:16 PM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
They Make My Head Explode
There had better be a really fucking brilliant strategy behind the latest Democratic capitulation on Iraq. If there isn't, I hope they're prepared to lose seats next year.
Personally, I'll never regret supporting the party. They're better than the other bunch. But it's days like today when they make my head explode. I can tolerate the fact that I'm more progressive than some of the party leaders, but I simply can't swallow the party's cowardice in the face of an incompetent, unpopular White House.
You'd think that for no other reason than pride, Democrats would decide to fight. I mean, they can't stop telling us how tough they are by voting for "let's bomb Iraq" and "let's bomb Iran" resolutions. But people then elect them to do such quaint things as "lead" and "fight". So what happens when they don't? Congressional ratings keep tanking, we get headlines like these, and people think, "well, Democrats sure are wimps." Actually, "wimp" would be an improvement over the word they really use, but it's not politically correct so I won't use it. But you know what it is.
Me:
01:56 PM | Comments (5) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
It's no secret that a liar won't believe in anyone else.
09:18 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Republicans Don't Use Bad Words II
The following note is why I include my personal e-mail address within my Huffington Post bio:
Subject: You are a cocksucker
Message Body: Which is much worse than a ratfucker, asshole. Karl Rove will always be much more important and successful than you. Are you able to lure any little boys into your anime studio? Sounds like a good hook.
Scary and weird. And that last part sounds like he's researching.
12:25 AM | Comments (7) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Torture Everyone
I don't think some water inside someone's sinus cavities is going to make me toss and turn at night.
It should. If he cared about America rising above Gestapo tactics and preventing generations of blowback, he'd be losing sleep just like the rest of us.
12:04 AM | Comments (30) | Posted By Bob Cesca
December 12, 2007
Turn Those Machines Back On!
It's days like yesterday and today when I think I'd be better served handing over my modest investment cash to Mortimer & Randolph Duke.
Bernanke really screwed up the timing of the Fed's plan of action. And, as a result, the market totally overreacted and pitched an enormously expensive hissy fit. I'm not a fan of either group right now.
08:49 PM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Torture, Hearts And Minds
Back in February 2005, I posted this striking Yahoo News photo of three Iraqi children in Sadr City, and it deserves to be re-posted given the current politics of both Iraq and torture -- and the subsequent blowback which has yet to even begin.
08:13 AM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
To live between the wars in our time
Living in real time
Holding the good time
Holding on to yesterdays
(I'm on the road today. Be awesome to each other and such as, U.S. Americans.)
07:27 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
December 11, 2007
Top 10 Bushisms Of 2007
Here are my favorites from the list:
10. “And there is distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that exists in this town. And I’m sorry it’s the case, and I’ll work hard to try to elevate it.” –interview on National Public Radio, Jan. 29, 20078. “One of my concerns is that the health care not be as good as it can possibly be.” –on military benefits, Tipp City, Ohio, April 19, 2007
7. “Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit.” –addressing Australian Prime Minister John Howard at the APEC Summit. Later, in the same speech: “As John Howard accurately noted when he went to thank the Austrian troops there last year…” –referring to Australian troops as “Austrian troops,” Sept. 7, 2007
4. “The question is, who ought to make that decision? The Congress or the commanders? And as you know, my position is clear — I’m a Commander Guy.” –deciding he is no longer just “The Decider,” Washington, D.C., May 2, 2007
2. “There are some similarities, of course (between Iraq and Vietnam). Death is terrible.” –Tipp City, Ohio, April 19, 2007
1. “As yesterday’s positive report card shows, childrens do learn when standards are high and results are measured.” –on the No Child Left Behind Act, Washington, D.C., Sept. 26, 2007
May history forgive us.
01:26 PM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
CIA Torturer Confesses
"What happens if we don't waterboard a person, and we don't get that nugget of information, and there's an attack," Kiriakou said. "I would have trouble forgiving myself."
This is the false conundrum. You could say this about any irrational, immoral or illegal behavior. Imagine this rationale throughout American history... What if I didn't hang that black man -- I'd never forgive myself if he raped a white woman. What if we didn't go into Vietnam -- I'd never forgive myself if it fell to communism. This is a sad, disgraceful era in our nation's history.
UPDATE: Blue Texan at FDL makes a similar point.
09:19 AM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
Genius.
09:00 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
December 10, 2007
Jesus Christ With Kung Fu Grip
Sorry, folks. Wal-Mart is sold out of the Talking Jesus action figure ($14.97 plus tax). Here's what you're missing:
He's wearing a simple tunic with that Kenny Loggins haircut. Push the button on his back and he says this:"I am Jesus. I am the son of God."
Jesus and his shelf mates, Mary, David, Noah, Samson, Esther and Moses, make up "Tales of Glory." They were introduced to secular commerce this fall. It's the first time the world's largest retailer has sold a full line of faith-based toys.
Naturally, stupid Christian children will believe that the toy IS Jesus because the voice chip says, "I am Jesus." Oh and there's this other thing that Christian parents should know. It's this thing in the Ten Commandments that says:
"You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth."
The Bible says gay people are an abomination, therefore they aren't allowed to have equal rights in America. Well fuck, the Bible also says you can't buy, sell or manufacture Talking Jesus action figures that look like Kenny Loggins! So what should happen to these shoppers?
--
PS. I went to the Wal-Mart site and typed "Jesus" in the search box. The site told me: "327 items found for Jesus." This made me laugh. The Wal-Mart website is finding a shitload of items... for Jesus!
05:31 PM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Dana Perino Is A Dumb Stupid
Who doesn't know what the Cuban Missile Crisis was? Dana, that's who.
Appearing on National Public Radio's light-hearted quiz show "Wait, Wait . . . Don't Tell Me," which aired over the weekend, Perino got into the spirit of things and told a story about herself that she had previously shared only in private: During a White House briefing, a reporter referred to the Cuban Missile Crisis -- and she didn't know what it was."I was panicked a bit because I really don't know about . . . the Cuban Missile Crisis," said Perino, who at 35 was born about a decade after the 1962 U.S.-Soviet nuclear showdown. "It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."
My head is going to FUCKING EXPLODE. Seriously. I have no patience for FUCKING MORONS who fail upwards. The Cuban Missile Crisis? And this blow-up doll works in the White House? Jesus fuck. It's only the most dramatic 13 days in the history of the White House -- and one of the most frightening sequences of events in American history.
Aw. That's a good little Bush Stupid. Now run along, Dana, you fuckwit.
10:57 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Huckaboner For Christ
Mike Huckabee yesterday:
"I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ."
So... America isn't already Christ-y enough under President "God Told Me To Invade Iraq" Bush? Oh crap.
08:53 AM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
1968
Tom Brokaw's 1968 on the History Channel was not good.
Hey guess what? There was the war in Vietnam, hippies, assassinations and Nixon won. Holy shit. If you know this, then you didn't miss anything. No insights, just very superficial. The same tired musical score, too. When "Turn, Turn, Turn" by the Byrds was featured within the first five minutes, the special became nothing more than the hippie protest rally sequence from Forrest Gump.
Also, I really resented the comparisons to 2004-2008. For crap sake, the Democratic frontrunner was assassinated in 1968.
08:34 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
Go Lars!
08:19 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
December 09, 2007
Kristol Choo-Choo-Chooses Rudy
So we know what Rudy Giuliani had to say this morning about Iran. Here's the kicker. Bill Kristol, who is somehow still at large, said the exact same thing this morning.
I believe we invaded a neighboring country in 2003 and removed their dictator and that sent shock waves through the region and at the time people were quite worried. Qaddafi gave up his program, he dismantled his. We took it out. Iran didn’t dismantle anything. That’s why they remain a threat. They halted it, maybe they’ve restarted it, maybe not. This is yet another feather in the cap for the invasion of Iraq.
The neocons have their World War III-IV candidate and it's Rudy Giuliani.
01:47 PM | Comments (6) | Posted By Bob Cesca
What's This You Say?
When pressed on the facts regarding his security firm's relationship with Abdullah al-Thani, the Amir who helped Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, Giuliani basically said that these types of relationships keep us "on the offensive against" terrorism.
Giuliani is batshit psychotic.
I'm sure John Amato at C&L will have the clip sometime today.
11:00 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Giuliani's Consistent Pressure
I'm watching Meet the Press and Giuliani -- who is the most psychotic candidate for president since Pat Robertson -- is saying that the military option should remain on the table when it comes to Iran. He also said that Iran ended its nuclear weapons program in 2003... because we invaded Iraq.
His rhetoric hasn't changed at all -- maybe more psychotic in tone -- but substantively consistent. However it just now occurred to me that if Rudy Giuliani is elected president we will absolutely invade Iran.
10:34 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
You're Mary Tyler Moore.
10:22 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
