Through a cannon!!
John asks 'If leaking classified info is such a big deal, then when is Karl Rove being fired?'

Not on planet Bushistan
The ACLU on the spy leak probe: “It's pretty stunning that, rather than focus on whether the President broke federal law, they are going after the whistleblowers...”


Ah love you too, chili-bean!
****

Sanctimonious hypocrite with gambling problem joins CNN
... the most trusted name in news?

Former 'values' spokes-tool and Fox News contributor Bill "aborting every black baby in this country would reduce the crime rate" Bennett will become a CNN political analyst early in 2006, replacing incontinent traitor Boob Novak. In addition, he is expected to appear on a "culture show" CNN is planning for later in the year, and will also guest-host CNN's new Presstitute Poker. #ucking CNN...

Things I didn't get for Christmas

Then there's this -
Indicted rethug pet lobbyist Jack Abramoff "put the finishing touches on a plea deal" that would secure his testimony against up to 20 members of Congress and their staff members. Mwwwwaaahahahahahahaha!

The year in stupidity
"Brownie, you're doing a heckuva job" was named as Preznit Bonehead's most memorable phrase of 2005, beating out "Wow, Brazil is really big!", "I think I may need a bathroom break. Is this possible?" and "Look, I'm wearing new underpants!"

The fix is in
Firedoglake asks 'guess who has been put in charge of the Iraqi Oil Ministry, only days after he was soundly trounced in the latest round of Iraqi elections?'

If you guessed the neocon pet thug who helped the Bush misadministration lie us into war, you win!

Oh good
With all other problems solved, Bush's handpicked cronies in the Bush Justice Department have opened an investigation into who leaked the information about Bush's secret domestic spying program.

The inquiry will focus on who spilled the beans about the misadministration's illegal, warrantless surveillance of American citizens to the New York Times a couple of weeks ago.


Trust me. I'm a short-fingered, powermad goon.
****

Did you know...
That every visitor to www.whitehouse.gov is tracked electronically?
Have a nice day!
*****

Sorry for the light posting, but I've been exhausted.

Around the intarwebs

The General finds something less painful than a crucifix. Or a falafel.

Via The Sideshow: Damp-underpanted WH apologist Tweety Matthews has taken home the prestigious Media Matters' Misinformer of the Year award for his gushing infatuation with Preznit Stupie McLyington.

RetroCrush's 100 most annoying things of 2005.

The Bush Year of Scandals, a) Victory in name only: Empty talk of turning points has failed to stop Bush's election triumph being reduced to ashes. - Sidney Blumenthal, in The Guardian.

The Bush Year of Scandals, b) Scandalrama: the misadministration's scandal soup nears boiling point. - Bill Berkowitz, Working For Change.

A third Republican challenger takes on corrupt, indicted scumbag Tom DeLay, to "to return some decency and civility to the way we conduct the public's business."

Via BuzzFlash: Crooked rethug lobbyist Jack Abramoff's deluxe D.C. restaurant, Signatures, is looking for a new name -- help out, won't you? Submit your suggestions here!

Another hand job, by Matt Taibbi.

Say, yore even purtier than that naked fella!"
*****

There's cat-hair all over my mouse ball
After spending yesterday and the day before zoned out on the couch smoking cigars and watching TV, today I'm doing some cleaning, and putting together my new toys. Sadly, I didn't get a laptop, but I did get my first ever cellphone! I have officially joined the 21st century.

I also got this (click to enlarge):


Yes, its a dogpoop calendar, and very tastefully done, I must say.

And the fountain:


This oughtta look awesome once it gets dark.
*****

Incoming meme!!
The gang of four, from the Biomes Blog. Plus I added a couple:

Four jobs you’ve had in your life:
pet store cage-and-animal cleaner
cubic zirconia grower
electrical thing-a-majigger
Office Space-type drone

Four movies you could watch over and over:
Battle of the Bulge
The Lord of the Rings movies (counts as one!!)
The Star Wars movies (!one!)
This is Spinal Tap

Four places you’ve lived:
Italy
NJ
state of shock
comatose state

Four TV shows you love(d):
The Daily Show
House
Hawaii Five-0
The Simpsons

Four places you’ve been on vacation:
London
Edinburgh
San Francisco
San Diego

Four websites you visit daily (that aren't on the bloglists):
Fark
Bartcop Forum
Webshots
Amazon.com

Four of your favorite foods:
roast chicken
roasted potatoes
roast pork
pistachios

Four places you want to be:
Jamaica
the Cotswolds
Rocky Mountain National Park
in front of the TV when they frog-march Karl Rove out of the White House

Four books you could read over and over:
The Lord of the Rings
The Tommyknockers
...And Ladies of the Club
The Source

Four songs you can't get tired of listening to:
Sweet Child o' Mine
Radar Love
Tijuana Jail
The Return of the King

Passing the ball to Elayne!

Wheeeeee!
Sometime last night we went over 500,000 hits! Thanks, everybody!

Santa brought Egon a present, too!


The g-pukes investigated Clinton’s cat but only plans ‘oversight’ on Bush’s illegal spying

The Pensito Review reports.







"[The Dictator-tot] reasoned that, as he was fighting a war, one that conveniently for him was never going to end, he could do anything he liked because he was the king..."

- from a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette op-ed.

Bush presses editors on security
His job security.

wHoreward Kurtz of the WaComPo reports that the honor-an'-integrity president has been summoning newspaper editors to meetings in an effort to prevent publication of stories he considers damaging to his misadministration "national security." First the Dictator-tot tried to bury the news that he authorized illegal eavesdropping on American citizens. Now we find out he met with editors to put the kibosh on their publishing articles disclosing the existence of the secret CIA "black prison" torture camps in Eastern Europe.

And before you give kudos to a newly-reballed media, now comes word that two columnists have admitted that they accepted payments from indicted rethug pet lobbyist Jack Abramoff for up to two dozen columns favorable to the repuke's clients.

Pic from Cute Overload.

I swear to God I must've gained about six pounds.

Douchebag of Liberty: the neocons knew there were no WMDs in Iraq
From Wolf's interview of the cranky incontinent traitor and next Fox Nooze anal-ist last night:

NOVAK: My sources didn't think there were, in the military, people I trusted. And the indication by the inspectors indicated there was no weapons. But the point...

BLITZER: Was the president sold a bill of goods on Iraq?

NOVAK: I think they got in a mindset where they really wanted change of government, and then it was a need to find reasons for a change of government.

BLITZER: Why was that?

NOVAK: I believe that they felt that this was the key to American foreign policy.

Follow-up
Found this at Yellow Dog Blog: hero/patriot Scott Ritter rips drunken assclown Chris Hitchens a new asshole:

"Stop evaluating Iraq from the perspective of a security threat to the US or you'll make yourself crazy – because it didn't exist," said Ritter. "This had nothing whatsoever to do with the security of the United States and it had everything to do with correcting a political embarrassment to the US and that was Saddam Hussein remaining in power."

Hey, if I don't see you guys later, have a very merry Christmas!!

xxxooo

Holy shit
You go, dude!

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: How are you doing? So after Nixon was doing this illegal eavesdropping on Americans, they made this -- they created this court in the Justice Department that is specifically authorized to OK the wiretaps if the administration asks permission, is that right?

BLITZER: In 1978 they did that. It's called the FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

CAFFERTY: Yes, and if my reading is correct, they've turned down exactly five requests in the last 25 years out of tens of thousands. And you can even get permission up to 72 hours after you conduct the wiretap, right?

BLITZER: That is correct.

CAFFERTY: So why can't they pick up the phone and saw we want to do this?

LESLIE the Wonder-whore: What they said is that the new technology requires a different kind of process. And they don't necessarily have that standard probable cause that would justify a court warrant. They just need to do it to save your life.

CAFFERTY: Yes. Well, you know what? He's in big trouble. And I can't wait for the hearings to start in January.

Start spreadin' the word
The 'I' word. On cardboard signs, stickers, grafitti... All it takes is a leftover amazon.com box and a black magic marker.

"[H]oly crap! If you're not motivated to get out there with a few paper signs or stickers now, you're clinically dead!" - Kagro X, at DKos.

"Suddenly, the "I" word - impeachment - is popping up all over - and starting to appear credible to the pundits of conventional wisdom."


"Please?"
****

Slice up the fruitcake

"He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're alone
He knows if you've been bad or good
Cause he's got a wiretap on your phone"

- Ablogistan.

Freedom an' democratude
Actual war on Christmas: Iraqi Christians were relatively free to worship under Saddam's rule but since the US invaded have come to live in fear of attacks by Islamist groups and militants.

Suck it, O'Reilly.
****

Dick Cheney's imperial presidency

George W. Bush has quipped several times during his political career that it would be so much easier to govern in a dictatorship. Apparently he never told his vice president that this was a joke.

Before 9/11, Mr. Cheney was trying to undermine the institutional and legal structure of multilateral foreign policy: he championed the abrogation of the Antiballistic Missile Treaty with Moscow in order to build an antimissile shield that doesn't work but makes military contactors rich.

Early in his tenure, Mr. Cheney, who - ahem - "quit" as chief executive of Halliburton to run with Smarty McGeniusson in 2000, gathered his energy industry cronies at secret meetings in Washington to rewrite energy policy to their specifications. Mr. Chicanery offered the usual excuses about the need to get candid advice on important matters, and the courts, sadly, bought it. But the task force was not an exercise in diverse views. The Dick gathered people who agreed with him, and allowed them to write national policy for an industry in which he had recently amassed a fortune...

- from here. Mostly.

Party support in Senate erodes around Frist
Senate majority leader/douchebag Bill Frist found his party in a dogfight yesterday, with GOP lawmakers joining united Democrats in a series of embarrassing setbacks for Emperor Idiot and the Republican agenda of turning the country into one huge concentration camp

Senator Trent Lott, the whinging, hair-helmeted republican who lost the leader's post to Frist, said the GOP leader needed to be tougher on his colleagues to deliver the president's priorities.

"The leader has to be prepared to roll people," Lott said. "Instead, he's turned into a fucking zombie."


"Urrrrrrr... brains. Cat... brains....."
****

Daschle: Congress didn't OK spying, you lying sack of shit
The misadministration requested, and Congress rejected, war-making authority "in the United States" after the 9/11 attacks.

The use of warrantless wiretaps on American citizens was never discussed when Congress authorized the White House to use force against al-Qaida after the Sept. 11 attacks, says former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.

"Literally minutes before the Senate cast its vote, the administration sought to add the words 'in the United States and' after 'appropriate force' in the agreed-upon text," Daschle wrote in a WaComPo op-ed. "This last-minute change would have given that miserable, power-mad fuckwit broad authority to exercise expansive powers not just overseas -- where we all understood he wanted authority to act -- but right here in the United States, potentially against American citizens. I could see no justification for Congress to accede to this extraordinary request for additional authority. I refused to accede."

"If the stories in the media over the past week are accurate, the president has exercised authority that I do not believe is granted to him in the Constitution, and that I know is not granted to him in the law that I helped negotiate with his counsel and that Congress approved in the days after September 11," Daschle wrote. "What's more, he knows it too, the fucking liar."

Around blogtopia
y!sctp!

Kudos to the General's French grandson!

Ben discusses the double-standard of Hollywood showing huge swinging meatbags at Chapel Perilous.

The O'Grinch Factor, via Tild.

Heh heh heh: the mAnn Coulter merry-go-round.

"While Bush was busy illegally spying on Americans, someone just stole 400 pounds of high-powered explosives including undetectable C-4."

Mark at the Biomes Blog writes to John lame-ass Kerry.

Corrente asks what's on Dick Cheney's iPod?

My picks:
Sound of kittens frying
Retarded babies getting squished by Godzilla
The Hindenburg disaster
Puppies going though a wood chipper
Lady Chatterly's Lover, as read by Lynne Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld

Flip... flop... flip... flop....
Drooling, sanctimonious hypocrite and pudface Rick Santorum: "Blur! Gub! Wzztphth!"

Ick
And sometimes a cigar is just... never mind...

From the Things you'd rather not think about department: Linda Tripp's foot-long wieners.

War on Christmas!
Why do they hate the baby Jebus?

[U]nder the Capitol dome, a sour mood has settled over a Senate stuck in session with nothing but legislative stalemates standing between lawmakers and their holiday recess.

"Merry Fristmas," congressional aides muttered as they passed each other in the chilly halls, taking a sullen dig at Majority Leader/douchebag Bill Frist.

Frist, of course, blamed the Democrats.

Blue Christmas
Rethug pet lobbyist/travel agent Jack Abramoff ready to squeal on 'at least a dozen lawmakers and their former staff members.' Mwwwwwaaaaa!

Freedom. Democratude.
'Wtf were they thinking?!' says FISA court.

Several members of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court said in interviews that they want to know why the administration believed secretly listening in on telephone calls and reading e-mails of US citizens without court authorization was legal.

One government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the administration complained bitterly that the FISA process demanded too much: to name a target and give a reason to spy on it.

R-amen, brother
Pastafarian Bobby Henderson says The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is scheduled for publication in March.

Ho ho ho
Helen Thomas's reindeer run over WH spokes-liar Scott McClellan:

Ms Thomas: That fucking numbskull in the White House has publicly acknowledged that we went to war under false information, mistaken information. Why does he insist on staying there if we were there falsely, and continue to kill Iraqis?

McClellan: Well, maybe you missed some of his recent speeches and his remarks, but the President said it was the right decision to remove Saddam Hussein and his regime from power --

Helen: And a right decision to move in and to tell the people, the American people, that it was all a mistake, and stay there?

McClellan: I don't think he said that. He said that Saddam Hussein was a destabilizing force in a dangerous region of the world --

Helen: You lying sack of shit. That isn't true. We had a choke-hold on him.

McClellan: It is true. He was a threat. And the threat has been removed.

Helen: We had sanctions, we had satellites, we were bombing. Jebus, Scott, don't quote fucking talking points to me.

McClellan: :: whimper :: Let's talk about why it's so important, what we're working to accomplish in Iraq --

Helen: I want to know why we're still there killing people, when we went in by mistake.

McClellan: We are liberating people and freeing people to live in a democracy. And why we're still there --

Helen: Do you think we're spreading democracy when you spy and put out disinformation and do all the things that -- secret prisons, and torture?

McClellan: ::.. shit... :: Freedom! Democracy! 9/11! You defeatest terrist-lover! Gah!

- via Yellow Dog Blog, mostly.

I think this pic is by woofiemama.

Santa Clause: Feds clear Santa's flight plan, except for the airspace around Dick Cheney's house.



Public: bah, humbug to Boy King
Stupie McLyington's approval rating back down to 41%

Nearly two-thirds of those polled said they are not buying the whole spying-to-keep-us-safer thing, and are calling shenanigans on aWol's lies about going to war.

Fun fact: in a nonscientific poll, 88% of America-haters Americans said they want the lying warmonkey to be impeached.

Hey, we were just practicing our cheerleading routines, honest!
Saddam, enabling the terrists, claims he was tortured by the US while in custody. Why does he hate America?

Rethugs lying to defend Bush's spying
Sen. John Cornyn: "None of your civil liberties matter much after you're dead."

John at AmericaBlog: "Apparently they don't matter much when we're alive either."

They're now coming up with all sorts of "examples" of where Clinton - surprise! - and Jimmy Carter supposedly spied on Americans without search warrants.

Now, please sit down before I tell you this. But, the right wing blogs, Matt Drudge and Rush Limbaugh are lying to you.

Anyway, to debunk the first lie, here is ThinkProgress' report on the Echelon program - a program that Newsmax, among others, claimed had Clinton spying on MILLIONS OF AMERICANS. Yeah right. And if that were the case, then why would Bush even need the Patriot Act?

Anyway, ThinkProgress has dissected these morons and shows that they're lying.

As these guys are spreading this crap all over talk radio and around the Net, please do take ThinkProgress' analysis and email around the Net. - AmericaBlog.

Xmas PSM
Santa Search: Holiday music and lyrics for your listening pleasure.

"Please don't let the cat see me like this!"



"I will kill you later. Oh yes."



"Bah." :: coughs up hairball ::
*****

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas


DeLay's good buddy Jack Abramoff is looking for a plea deal in exchange for his testifying against his mostly Republican political associates.