Here's Your Republican Viewpoint...

The fact that hate speech, and now the advocated assassination of an African-American candidate for president, is what passes for political analysis from the right wing is enough to repulse anyone with an ounce of humanity in them. When Fox contributor Liz Trotta verbally spewed forth the vile thoughts that usually reside inside her dank mind a new low was reached. It was bad enough that Hillary Clinton brought in the topic of RFK's assassination as somehow being part of the reason she is staying in the race. Now we have a right wing pundit (AKA infected hemorrhoid) actually advocating and wishing for the assassination of Barack Obama. Watch this horrendous snippet and have your barf bag handy. This beast needs to reside on the island of the succubi with Coultergeist and the rest of the insane clown posse.

Tim Russert's Folksy Stupidity

During the Bush regime certain commentators have shown their true colors, whether by wearing flag lapel pins (made in China), or through their questioning of opposition candidates. Of course we’ve always known where Faux News stands, but there are those who have admired people like Tim Russert with his folksy manner and his dad, “Big Russ.” But I’ve learned to disdain Tim over the last few years. Just this morning I was surfing by the news channels when I caught Ted Sorenson and Doris Kearns Goodwin as guests on Tim Russert’s show. They were in the midst of a conversation about Joe McCarthy and there was Tim, politely playing the devil’s advocate: “What about those who say that Joe McCarthy was right?” What is it with the lunatic fringe always wanting to rewrite history? Joe McCarthy was an insane alcoholic, whose finger pointing and the subsequent blacklists that resulted are still one of the darkest moments in our government long history of dark moments. How anyone could somehow still revere Joe McCarthy and his warped cause is beyond me. I guess these are the same people who scoff at the notion that humans may be related to apes, or that the earth is actually spherical in shape.

Appease This MoFo!

How much more of America’s reputation can George W. Bush manage to shred before he heads back to his “ranch” in Crawford next year permanently? Just in the past week he has opened mouth and inserted foot a number of times. To begin with, America’s favorite liar in chief stated that he gave up playing golf in 2003 as a show of solidarity with the troops that he was putting in harms way. He didn’t want the mother of some boy fighting in Iraq to turn on the TV and see him playing golf. I guess it’s okay to keep mountain biking though, and joking about those darn WMD’s. And then Mr. Goofball goes to Israel to speak on the celebration of their 60th anniversary and, during a speech on the floor of the Knesset, he non too subtly criticizes the leading democratic candidate (Obama) for daring to suggest that he would speak to countries like Iran and Syria in an effort at diplomacy. Here’s the quote: "Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is—the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history." Amazingly, he forgets to mention that the American senator he quotes in his speech as wishing he could have talked to Hitler was a Republican, but why bother with facts when you’re throwing mud. Never mind that the actual definition of “appeasement” is an attempt to reduce difficulties by making concessions. These goobers, including McCain, like to talk about “peace through strength” as if dropping bombs on wedding parties and hospitals will somehow make the world more peaceful. Okay, I realize that the intelligence of quite a few Americans is sub par, but how stupid does one have to be to think that killing brings about peace. I still remember the motto on the sign above the entry to Grand Forks air base: Peace is our Profession. I was only 17 when I joined the military, but even I was wise enough to recognize the stupidity in that statement.

It is somewhat refreshing to see that the typical negative campaigning doesn’t seem to be working as well this time around. Oh sure, there are still folks like my parents, who believe what they are fed by the corporate media, but after over seven years of the rule by the worst president ever (come on, is there really any doubt about that anymore?) a large number of Americans have woken up and thankfully Barack Obama is running a different sort of campaign that taps into that new found consciousness. When Hillary went into a bar in Pennsylvania and threw back a shot and a beer, most folks saw it for what is was: pandering. When Bush took his jabs at Obama, while speaking in a foreign country, even the mainstream media cried foul.

And then we have governor/pastor Huckabee joking at a recent NRA event, after hearing some noise in the background, that it was Barack Obama ducking because someone had aimed a gun at him. This was Huckabee’s attempt at humor during an event meant to denigrate the democrat’s stand on owning firearms. I remember when Huckabee was still in the news as a semi-viable candidate my parents saying that he was a “good man.” A good man and a pastor who jokes at an NRA function about someone taking a shot at an African-American candidate for president. Hmmm.

But enough about the news items that make me fume. If you’re at all media savvy then you have probably seen the old footage of Bill O’Reilly blowing a gasket at stagehands when he was the host of Inside Edition. What you may not have seen is the uncut footage. Well here it is:

In Memoriam

It was forty years ago today that Martin Luther King was assassinated by a sniper's bullet as he exited the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. King is always remembered for his work in the civil rights movement, but (not surprisingly) the mainstream media tends to forget his fierce opposition to the Vietnam War. Below are a few quotes from Rev. King.

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and
conscientious stupidity."

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort
and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military
defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom."

We are now living in an America where the dead bodies, including many Iraqi women and children are shielded from us. The White House has even declared that photos of flag draped coffins of dead G.I.s returning home are off-limits. The government does not want us as citizens to know the maiming, killing and torture done in our name and with our tax dollars. They would rather that we spend our time watching Project Runway, or glued to our TV sets as Naomi Campbell is arrested yet again for being a flaming asshole. As far as the Defense Department (formerly known as the War Department, but truth in advertising is so out of fashion these days) is concerned, the actual on the ground results of Operation Iraqi Freedom are more palatable as "out of sight, out of mind." As far as the actual death toll of innocent Iraqi civilians? Well, I believe it was war criminal Donald Rumsfeld that said, "People say we hear about our death counts; we never hear about theirs. Why?" Rumsfeld's response echoed the famous remark in March 2002 by Gen. Tommy Franks, who ran the war in Afghanistan and later led the charge into Iraq. "We don't do body counts on other people."

Exactly one year before Martin Luther King was killed he gave a speech at a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned at Riverside Church in New York City entitled Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence. Here is a link to that brave speech that you probably will not see referenced today, as the U.S. continues to occupy Iraq five years after the start of this illegal war. And if, out of mere curiosity, you might be interested to see how many innocent Iraqi civilians have been killed as the U.S. bravely gives them the gift of freedom, liberty & democracy (read: Wal-Mart, McDonalds & SUV's) go to iraqbodycount.org. The numbers may shock you, or at least they should. If on the other hand you think that this war is justified and you're also a big fan of Jack Bauer and the show 24 then go ahead and vote for John McCain this November. You should also get your fit lily-white ass down to your local recruiter and sign up to ship off to Baghdad if you're so gung-ho. Of course, it was folks like Dick Cheney who had better things to do during the Vietnam War. Surprise, surprise! Hell, it was only a couple of weeks ago when our president-select, the chimp-in-charge, speaking by video conference to military and civilian personal in Afghanistan, spewed these vile words:

I must say, I'm a little envious. If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed. It must be exciting for you … in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. You're really making history, and thanks.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the same drunken fool who got out of serving in Vietnam by using his rich daddy's connections to secure a post in the National Guard. And then he didn't even show up for that duty! (I heard it was something about his fear of passing the urine test..er, I mean physical.) Of course, now that he's president the rules have changed and the Guard and reservists are having their bodies and souls shipped overseas with the rest of the volunteer force.

Inspiration

Sometimes we all just need a little inspiration. Thanks to Bob Cesca for creating this video using the song "The Tide is Turning" from the Roger Waters album Radio K.A.O.S.

Ignorance is Bliss

Watch as Rusty Carter and Billy Jack (?) lead a group of home-schooled Christian children on a tour of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Watch as they feed the children lines and get them to parrot their insular world view. Watch as they state that evolution is itself a religion. That's the IDer's latest trick that they've pulled out of their sleeves, claiming that Evolution is a form of religion and that by teaching evolution in schools the government is injecting religion into the public school systems. The whole idea might be laughable if it weren't so sad. These are bright and inquisitive children whose intellect is being stifled by a religion that is by definition narrow minded.





This news piece reminds me of the film Jesus Camp and the sadness I felt watching those kids having their bright burgeoning minds blunted by the ridiculous notions of adult Christians. I agree with Richard Dawkins when he says that one of the biggest problems with religion is its abuse of children through indoctrination and mind control.

It was Martin Luther who said: “Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but - more frequently than not - struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God”

Clintons Continue Down the Low Road

Bill Clinton, today:

It'd be a great thing if we had an election where you had two people who love this country, who were devoted to the interest of the country and people could actually ask themselves who is right on these issues instead of all this other stuff which always seems to intrude on our politics.

The philandering ex-president was talking about a potential fall match up between his wife and John McCain. So, is he implying that Barack Obama doesn't love this country? What is it with the Clintons lately building up John McCain? It's this type of egotistical sense of entitlement that will swing the super delegates over to Obama. They even found time to tear down Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama today, saying that at this point in the race it didn't mean anything. I'm sure they would have felt differently if the endorsement had been for Sen. Clinton. I'm sure Bill is pissed, thinking to think I went down there and watched the Super Bowl with that guy!

Appropriate to this democratic infighting is Tim Egan's op-ed piece in today's New York Times. He likens the Democratic candidates' journey to the convention in Denver to the tragic Donner Party of 1846. They haven't quite resorted to cannibalism yet, but August is a ways off. Here is the link to the Egan piece.

Meanwhile, we have McSame acting like a doddering old fool on his "fact finding" mission to the middle east, confusing Shia and Sunni and calling the Jewish holiday Purim their version of Halloween. Luckily, he has turncoat Joe Lieberman along to whisper sweet nothings into his ear.