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March 29, 2008
Turn Off Your Lights Tonight
10:51 AM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Wal-Mart Needs Cash
They don't really. In actuality, Wal-Mart has made a $107 billion this year alone. So why are they suing a brain damaged woman for $470,000 -- an amount that will send the woman into bankruptcy? Wal-Mart is trying to leech from a lawsuit award paid to Debbie Shank because of a fine-print line in her employment contract.
In other words, former Wal-Mart employee Debbie Shank was seriously injured in an accident. Her Wal-Mart insurance covered her hospital expenses -- as it should. The Shanks sued the trucking company involved in the accident. The Shanks won. And now, Wal-Mart is insisting that almost half of that amount should be paid to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has made $107 billion this year.
08:35 AM | Comments (5) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Eschacon
So... Damn. Even though I prepaid for today, I have to skip Eschacon. Long, long story, but I'm behind on the book and I need to catch up today from now until whenever. TRex has an initial report here, though.
08:18 AM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
08:06 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
March 28, 2008
The War Has Largely Ended
Headlines:
Fighting continues unabated in BasraAcross Iraq, battles erupt with Mahdi Army
123 Iraqis, 3 US Contractors Killed; 191 Iraqis Wounded
Thousands in Baghdad Protest Basra Assault
Growing clashes with US troops in Iraq
Baghdad's Green Zone attacked for 4th day this week
Bombers attack Basra oil pipeline
Iraqi spokesman kidnapped in Baghdad
07:49 AM | Comments (6) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
07:31 AM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
March 27, 2008
The Tide Is Turning
I made the following video for my Huffington Post item this week (without the permission of Roger Waters). Go here for the back story.
(bumped)
11:08 AM | Comments (25) | Posted By Bob Cesca
President Clinton Is Here
The Clinton campaign for the Republican nomination is in town and the former president will be speaking at Albright College today. I wonder if he'll say anything crazy.
07:46 AM | Comments (4) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
07:46 AM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
March 26, 2008
A Bosnia Vet Calls Hillary A LIAR
This is long, but I think it bears printing in full. It's a letter from Tammi Hetherington a veteran, a woman who was a soldier on the tarmac the day Hillary Clinton walked safely to greet a little girl. I'm posting it in full because this is a woman who was there, a woman who went willfully into a war zone to try to make peace out of chaos, a woman who is the antithesis of Hillary Clinton. This letter is not about politics, it's about truth - raw, smart, emotional, experienced truth.
I am quite angry that what I and my fellow soldiers worked to achieve should be used as a playing card to build up a political nominee and tear down another. This is not what those of us who actually risked our lives were working for, we were trying to maintain a Peace Keeping mission in a country that had been ravaged by ethnic cleansing. To trivialize the atrocities suffered by the real people I met in that country for political gain is beyond my ability to comprehend. I met mothers who had lost their children and children who had lost their parents. The sheer leap of credibility that the First Lady would have brought her daughter into an active war zone is an insult to the people there who suffered more than real risk, they suffered real loss.I did have contact with some of the general population on a daily basis. Many came to work for the Military in custodial capacities. Many carried all that they possessed in plastic bags every day. They brought their own food and cooked daily on little burner plates. I was constantly amazed at how upbeat and optimistic some of the people were in spite of things. It still is hard for me to think of Srebenica and all of the women who lost husbands, sons, and fathers because of religion and nationalistic fervor.
My father still works as a Civil Servant at WOMAK on Ft. Bragg, NC and a couple of years ago he met a Bosnian woman and her daughter, who had lived through the worst of it. They got to talking and found out that I had been over there and told him to tell me 'thank you' for what we had done. It still humbles me and chokes me up a little to know that even after all of these years there is appreciation for our past efforts.
I was simply a soldier doing my job in Bosnia and I believe in what we accomplished there. I do not either want to make of my service more than it was nor to denigrate those who served with me and those who lived through more than any of us. It seems to me that if I simply stand by while others "spin" their involvement for their own personal or political ambitions that I would be contributing to the slander of my fellows in arms and the people we were working to help in Bosnia, so I offer you my personal experience of the reality of the situation.
To verify my story I have included a copy of an commendation I received for service in the Bosnian theater during that period. It would be my honor to provide you more of my perspective if it would serve to deliver the truth to the American people.
Best Regards,
Tammi K Hetherington (nee Jann)
(formerly)
SPC
141 Signal Battalion, 22nd Signal Brigade, 1st Armored Division, US Army
Task Force Eagle
07:40 PM | Comments (6) | Posted By JumpyPants
Hillary Clinton: LIAR
Sniper Fire. Peace in Ireland. SCHIP. The Family and Medical Leave Act.
She is a liar many, many times over. She didn't misspeak. She isn't a victim of sleep deprived ravings. She is a big fat fucking LIAR. And here's the thing: she's lying about EXPERIENCE. That compounds the lie, because "experience" is basically all she's running on. Which is to say, she's running on bullshit.
We do not need another liar running for the Oval Office. We've had one of those for far, far too long.
04:37 PM | Comments (4) | Posted By JumpyPants
Massive Ice Shelf Collapses
Just like most presidential campaign seasons, the truly important issues are largely ignored. More so than usual. In this case...
WASHINGTON — A chunk of Antarctic ice about seven times the size of Manhattan suddenly collapsed, putting an even greater portion of glacial ice at risk, scientists said Tuesday.
But let's talk about Reverend Wright a little more. Because that will solve shit.
07:41 AM | Comments (6) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Sleep Deprivation
Clinton said she was "sleep-deprived" and "misspoke" when she said last week that she landed under sniper fire during a trip to Bosnia in 1996, when she was first lady.
This new excuse doesn't fit with the 3AM phone call thing. If she lies when she's sleep-deprived, what is she going to say on the phone in the middle of the goddamn night? I'm just sayin'.
07:36 AM | Comments (8) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
07:26 AM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
March 25, 2008
High Pitch Buchanan Is A Fucking Racist
First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known.
And this:
Second, no people anywhere has done more to lift up blacks than white Americans. Untold trillions have been spent since the ’60s on welfare, food stamps, rent supplements, Section 8 housing, Pell grants, student loans, legal services, Medicaid, Earned Income Tax Credits and poverty programs designed to bring the African-American community into the mainstream.
Will MSNBC continue to give him a forum on their network? Probably yes.
09:00 PM | Comments (9) | Posted By Bob Cesca
What The Crap?!
Senator Clinton meeting with...
Richard Mellon Scaife. Byron York:
In this picture, she is seen talking to none other than Richard Mellon Scaife, the owner of the paper and the man who once said that the death of Vincent Foster was the "Rosetta stone" of the Bill Clinton administration. (He also funded the so-called "Arkansas Project" at The American Spectator.) We've heard reports of a rapprochement between Scaife and the Clintons of late, and the Pennsylvania primary is fast approaching, but this is still a pretty striking picture.
08:55 PM | Comments (4) | Posted By Bob Cesca
The Surge? It's Working!
BAGHDAD — Iraq's leaders faced their gravest challenge in months Tuesday as Shiite militiamen loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr battled for control of the southern oil capital and unleashed rockets on the U.S.-protected Green Zone in Baghdad.Armed Mahdi Army militiamen appeared on some Baghdad streets for the first time in more than six months, as al-Sadr's followers announced a nationwide campaign of strikes and demonstrations to protest a government crackdown on their movement. Merchants shuttered their shops in commercial districts in several Baghdad neighborhoods.
Whether we're there or not, the Mahdi Army is eventually going to control Iraq and Sadr will be the strongman head of the government. So why are we still there?
03:16 PM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Please Stop It, Mr. President
The most distressing thing about this extended nomination process is President Clinton's behavior. To wit:
Watch how snippy he gets towards the end.
10:48 AM | Comments (9) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Lieberclinton for America
The more Senator Clinton remains in this race despite having no chance of winning the nomination on the square, the more I believe she's planning to run as a Liebercrat -- as a third party candidate just like her friend Joe Lieberman did.
There have been some rumblings about her running in 2012 against either a President McCain or, not surprisingly, a President Obama. This would appear to lend itself to all the compliments for Senator McCain -- i.e. she's now hoping Senator McCain will win, so she can run as a Democrat in 2012. But I don't think that matters. She'll either run in 2012 against whoever, or, what I believe she's contemplating, she'll run as a Liebercrat this year. Clap-clap-point-point-slash-burn-clap-nod-nod.
09:42 AM | Comments (10) | Posted By Bob Cesca
In Bizarro Iraq...
...where the surge worked and the war has largely ended:
BAGHDAD, March 24 -- Followers of influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr launched a civil strike Monday to protest raids and mass arrests by Iraq's security forces, underscoring the growing frustrations of Sadr's group, which U.S. military officials say is playing a key role in keeping down violence in Iraq.
In other words, al-Sadr's cease fire might be ending.
09:36 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
07:32 AM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
March 24, 2008
Blogging To Sniper Fire! Now! DUCK!
Earlier today, I went to Linens 'N Things to pick up a clothing rack for my son's room. I parked in the lot, got out of my Prius and - whammo - the sniper fire started. I had to put a bullet proof vest under my ass and run all the way to the entrance.
After I got the rack, I headed home. I took my kids over to the schoolyard to ride bikes. It was fun - until the sniper fire started. We put bullet proof vests on the seats of our bikes and rode like hell to get out of there.
Tonight, as I was rocking my two-year old before bed, our window was pierced by - yes, sniper fire. I threw a bullet proof vest at the window and crawled over to the crib, where I put him down to sleep to the sounds of sniper fire.
All of the above is true. Except the sniper fire parts.
See, without the addition of the sniper fire, my day sounds kind of dull. Maybe a little sweet - I spend a lot of time with my kids - but nothing to really get excited about. Nothing that screams "experience"! Oh, sure, I have parenting experience. But not dangerous, send in the first lady, dodging sniper fire with Sinbad experience.
That's okay with me. I don't think dodging sniper fire would make me a great parent any more than dodging sniper fire would make Hillary Clinton - or anyone - a great president. Unfortunately, Hillary Clinton thinks avoiding sniper fire is such an asset to her potential presidency that she's willing to lie about it.
I do think lying and then lying about the lying are qualities I really really don't want in a president again.
07:52 PM | Comments (4) | Posted By JumpyPants
Senator Evan Bayh: Smart!
Senator Bayh has a dumb-ass smart idea -- decide the nominee based on electoral votes. Naturally, this plays into the backwards Clinton logic that just because Senator Clinton won New York and California etc., Senator Obama somehow won't win those states in the general election. Which is horseshit. You mean a Democrat won't win California? That's rich.
Also, you'll notice that Schecter's site is officially moved over to the Agonist. You might also notice that our site here isn't listed in Cliff's blogroll. I'm sad and hurt.
09:36 AM | Comments (8) | Posted By Bob Cesca
An Open STFU To MSNBC
Dear MSNBC,
I have watched for the last 45 minutes a group of wealthy white people on Morning Joe rip into the Obama campaign with regards to Reverend Wright's statements -- successfully and ridiculously extending this story into its third week (even though it barely deserved a third day).
ENOUGH! Wrap some duct tape around Pat Buchanan's high pitch mouth and delete the Reverend Wright lower-thirds from your production library.
Four years ago, your network tried to out-FOX the FOX News Channel on the Swift Boat Veterans issue. In that period of time, Pat Buchanan was on your network around the clock. Just like now. Only now, Buchanan is in his true comfort zone as a known race-baiter. This is inexcusable, especially considering that Buchanan has been recently quoted as implying that slavery was ultimately a positive thing.
Everyone else has moved on, MSNBC. Moved on to Senator McCain's lack of knowledge on Iran; moved on to the huge financial crisis the Bush administration has created by its non-regulation and tax cuts for the super rich; moved on to 4,000 Americans killed in Iraq (which your network didn't mention in the entire 8AM hour this morning); and so many other things.
I urge you to listen to Senator Obama's "Philadelphia Address" (you can use that) again. When he talked about distractions -- distractions that occur again and again and again -- he was talking to you and your fellow cable news networks, MSNBC. If you can't talk about anything other than these surrogate fights -- these distractions -- instead of the issues that are important to your viewers, you are running against the current of history.
Future historians will look at Senator Obama's Philadelphia Address and ask, What was he talking about in terms of distractions? And who perpetuated them? Do you really want to be named as the answer to those questions?
Bob Cesca
3/24/08
07:39 AM | Comments (6) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
07:12 AM | Comments (4) | Posted By Bob Cesca
March 23, 2008
Hahahahahaha!
It's a story of science and creationists and movies. You'll love the twist ending, too.
12:38 PM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Very Serious Bloggers
Politico.com is the newly ordained blog of choice for the very serious traditional media. Why? Because the Politico's staff is composed of very serious journalists. I suppose that's why this is the top story this morning:
Serious!
And I'm an asshole because I occasionally say 'fuck' in my blogs.
08:28 AM | Comments (10) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
Happy Easter.
08:21 AM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
