In your face, jerkoff
(See above post)

When Justice Breyer wrote in his separate decision that "nothing prevents the President from returning to Congress to seek the authority he believes necessary," he did not mean that Bush and his compliant Red-State yokels in Congress can collaborate to draft an unconstitutional law.

[F]or now, at least, the White House has found its crucial sound-bite incantation: "Congressional authorization." We will be hearing nothing else from the right-wing punditry until a popular myth is established to the effect that the Republican-controlled Congress need only ram through a bill legitimizing the existing system, to which the President can even append "signing statements" indicating his determination to ignore any language he dislikes.

It's clear that the Bush Administration reads the Constitution of the United States with a contemptuous and very selective eye. It finds within it a plethora of concomitant rights for itself, such as the right to deny trials to so-called "enemy combatants," to torture foreign captives, and to spy on innocent US citizens without a warrant.

All of these activities are expressly forbidden by the Constitution.

Denying trials is forbidden by the Fifth Amendment: "No person shall be ... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." Note the key phrase "no person," as opposed to "no citizen."

Torture is forbidden by the Eighth Amendment: "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted." The restriction is unconditional.

Warrantless spying is forbidden by the Fourth Amendment: "...no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized."

The Constitution is paramount to all other laws. And [today], the Court said it: the President does not have the power to violate the Constitution. And, we will add, Congress does not have the power to authorize the President to violate the Constitution.

- from the UK Register, which seems to know the US Constitution better than Faux News' fuckheaded fauxpatriot John Gibson.

The Constitution? It's just another Goddamn piece of paper
Because you can't be a patriot unless you blindly, brown-tongueingly support Il Duce-bag.

Fox News' subhuman squeegehole and chronic masturbator John Gibson: With the Supreme Court ruling Bush's military tribunals illegal, "once again the lefties are cheering the terrorists' victories."

Yeah, that's it, you cocksucking lapel-flag-pin-wearing moron. But I guess flagrant demagoguing and ratcheting up the level of hatred and ignorance is the way to go when the facts are working against you.

Fuckhead.

Boy King stands by illegal tribunals
'Th' Supreme Court is ac'vist judges! They kin kiss muh ass!'

The Bush misadministration has 'dug in its heels and refused to abandon military tribunals for Guantanamo Bay inmates, despite a Supreme Court ruling that its "war on terror" trials were illegal.'

"The 'merican people need to know that the ruling, as I understand it, won't cause killers to be put out on the street," Bush said, implying that if it wasn't for him, those evil terrist-loving Dems and their liberal judge friends would do that very thing, adding, "People got to understand that."

We 'got to', huh? Fucking dumbass.

The Washington Post and the New York Times on Friday 'hailed the decision' as "a victory for law," while the ultraconservative MoonieTimes condemned it as "a dangerous restriction of our great dictator's presidential authority." Whatever.

Ahbada-ahbada-ahbada...
WH spokes-tool Tony Snow tries to explain why General Casey's troop redeployment plan doesn't constitute 'cutting and running':

Q: What does the President think of General Casey's outline of a plan for troop withdrawal, most of them by the end of 2007?

SNOW: Well, a couple of things about that, and I'm sure we'll get asked a lot about this later, as well. General Casey is assigned the business of making a lot of plans, and this is one of the plans that's under consideration.

Q: Tony, you had Democrats over the weekend - Senator Kerry, Senator Boxer - saying that even the framework of a plan would kind of fly in the face of Republicans' "the Democrats want to cut and run." Do you have any response to that? I mean, the President, himself, has implied it, Rove has said it outright.

SNOW: There's still a pretty significant difference between what Senator Kerry or even Senator Levin had proposed, and what General Casey is talking about, simply because one is driven by Democrats a calendar and the other is driven by repub - uhhh, events on the ground. So there is a significant difference.

Q: But doesn't General Casey -- like, part one of his plan has a significant number of troops, two combat brigades, coming out in September. Doesn't that give the enemy --

SNOW: Well, actually, he has one, and it -- you know, again, this is not, I believe the way, at least it was reported, is you've got two brigades by the end of the year, September being short of the end of the year. Thou shall count to three, no more, no less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it. What was I saying? Oh yeah, Dems suck.

Got it, commie? They're different.

Friday cat blogging
Stuff on my cat -


Jaffa, feeling much better these days, celebrates a bit too much with the catnip, wakes up with the dog's old pineapple woobie on his head.
****

Fear! Terra! Fear! We're doomed!
Rethugs, facing an increasingly restive public right before the midterm elections, are not giving up on the fear factor, still harping on aged, harmless dust.

Rep. Peter Hoekstra -- one half of Frothy Retardo's dog-and-pony (or is it man-on-dog?) show -- accused US intelligence chief John Negroponte's office on Thursday of "downplaying the significance" of chemical weapons finds in Iraq. You remember, the degraded ones that "predated 1991" and posed no threat whatsoever.

"I am very disappointed by the inaccurate, incomplete, and occasionally misleading comments made," Hoekstra said in the letter, a copy of which was released by his office.

"Because this call was organized by your office, I assume that you authorized and were familiar with its content. I would appreciate an explanation and correction of these inaccurate and misleading assertions," he told the national intelligence director.

Negroponte's office would not comment except to say that Hoekstra was a mindnumbing douchebag and stupider than a bag of nails.

A secret the terrorists already knew
The misadministration and its sheep-like backers' claims are "formulaic, knee-jerk, disingenuous and purely partisan." They also suck wet monkey ass.

Conservatives claim the NY Times 'alerted terrorists' - but they're ignoring the Bush misadministration's own promotion of its "highly classified" bank-tracking efforts -- including:

A September 24, 2001 speech when Bush announced the establishment of a "foreign terrrist asset tracking center at the Department of the Treasury" to "follow the money."

A September 24, 2001 letter to Congress, where Stupie McJerkoff noted his commitment to working with international agencies such as the Financial Action Task Force "to stop the flow of resources to support terrism."

A September 24, 2001 fact sheet detailing the creation of the Treasury Department's Foreign Terrorist Asset Tracking Center, which would "identify the network of terrorist funding" and freeze assets.

A September 26, 2001 statement by the AWOL WarMonkey, who said, "We're fighting them on a financial front. We're choking off their money. We're seizing their assets. We will be relentless as we pursue their sources of financing." 'Heh heh'

A October 10, 2001 statement by Preznit PlayStation that the "nations of NATO are sharing intelligence, coordinating law enforcement and cracking down on the financing of terrist organizations."

A December 2001 report on the steps the administration had taken to combat terrorism, which also noted that the FATF "-- a 29-nation group promoting policies to combat money laundering -- adopted strict new standards to deny terrorist access to the world financial system."

A December 2002 mention of SWIFT by the United Nations' Al Qaeda and Taliban Monitoring Group in its report to the U.N. Security Council, recommending "the adoption of similar mechanisms by other countries."

A September 10, 2004, Treasury Department statement that read: "The targeting of terrorist financing continues to play an important role in the war on terror. Freezing assets, terminating cash flows, and following money trails to previously unknown terrorist cells are some of the many weapons used against terrorist networks."

SWIFT even has a website, for crying out loud.

- more at Media Matters.

Meanwhile, while all this bullshit is going on, the US is "losing the fight" against terrorism, say reports.

Bush attack on NYT could have 'chilling influence,' Overseas Press Club warns
"A serious blow to press freedom and to the long-range good of the country."

Defending the New York Times's recent disclosures of secret government programs to monitor Americans' overseas phone calls and financial transactions, the Overseas Press Club of America today told [the Dictator-tot] that his administration's attacks on the Times could have a "chilling influence" on editors around the country.

OPC President Richard Stolley wrote Preznit Poopypants, using pictures and everything, that his Vice President singled out the Times "in particular," even though both the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times had also broken the story.

Stolley said it is "by no means an open case" that the secret programs were legal, and added that "it is hard to believe that the terrorists did not suspect that their activities were being monitored." President Bush and other top officials, he noted, have repeatedly warned that they were tracking terrorists' financial transactions.

House passes resolution confirming their own douchebaggery
With all other problems solved, House repukes condemn liberal press commies, ejaculate to the witticisms of the conservacrap, America-loving Whore Street Jizm. God, I am so sick of this bullshit.

The House on Thursday approved a Republican-crafted resolution condemning news organizations for revealing a covert government program to track terrorist financing, saying the disclosure had "placed the lives of Americans in danger."

And by "news organizations" we mean "The New York Times."

The resolution passed 227-183 on a largely party-line vote.

"This is a clear, bald-faced attempt to strangle criticism of this administration," said Michigan Democratic Rep. John Dingell.

Democrats also argued that Republicans have not been interested in investigating leaks that advanced the Bush administration's agenda, such as the disclosure of a CIA official Valerie Plame's identity after her husband criticized the administration's use of intelligence before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Repugs: Blah blah blah - terra! Terra! Terra!

Busted!
Keith Olbermann plays clip after clip of the Boy King saying that we are using international financial networks to track terrists.

The Bush bounce
FOX News poll conducted from June 27 to June 28: "Bush approval holding." At 41%. In a Fox Nooze poll.

Another finding shows that a 60 percent majority thinks that by publishing information about the terrorist funding program, the NY Times did more to help terrorist groups than the public, and that the Wall Street Journal publishes pictures of our Great Leader surrounded by magical unicorns and a host of cherubic angels playing "Hail To The Chief" through their golden buttcheeks.


People are so fucking stupid I could BARF.
*****

Makin' progress
Breaking news: With the insurgency in its last throes, a suicide car bomber has struck a funeral in Kirkuk, killing 17 people and wounding 50. Ironically, the funeral was for the 63 people killed in Tuesday's suicide car bombing.

Dummygoguery
AZ repuke Senator Haywood Jablowme wants NY Times reporters banned from the White House, Capitol because of their liberal slant, use of really big words.

Freedom of the press undermining The War Against Terra.
Oh really.

That being the case, I'd guess the bad guys might have suspected that we were secretly attempting to monitor their financial transactions when, in 2003, the Treasury Department very publicly announced that it was creating an "Executive Office for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes."

The terrorists also might have gotten a hint that we were looking for suspicious bank records through appearances before Congress by people like a Treasury Department undersecretary who said in public testimony in 2004, "There is little need to underscore the importance of our campaign against terrorist financing..."

Or from testimony before a congressional committee by a Defense official who said of the terrorists, "We are convinced that 'following the money' (in all forms) is a key element to mapping the network..."

All of this is easily accessible via the Internet. That last official also said, "Terrorists use a wide, imaginative, and a quickly evolving series of tactics, techniques and procedures to transfer money through their networks, from high-tech means such as sophisticated bank transactions to low-tech/no-tech means such as couriers."

Sen. Hayworth.
*****

What's shriveled, cheesy, and as useless as three tits on a boar?
"Airport security found a bottle of Viagra in Rush Limbaugh's luggage, so they held him up for three hours. Let's all say the punch line together, shall we? So they held him up for three hours, and then the Viagra held him up for another three hours." - Conan O'Brien

"Well, it's Tuesday, or as Rush Limbaugh calls it, 'hump day.'"

"Airport officials said they first got suspicious when they noticed Rush couldn't keep his tray table down."

"Here's an interesting fact. Did you know this? Even when Rush Limbaugh is on Viagra, he still 'leans to the right.'" - Leno, in between Clinton's cock jokes.

Resolutenitude
What! A timetable! Cut and run! Surrender! Then the terrists win! Oh. Wait...

Eleven Sunni insurgent groups have offered an immediate halt to all attacks - including those on American troops - if the United States agrees to withdraw foreign forces from Iraq in two years, insurgent and government officials told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, safe in Washington, Defense Secretary Donald "am I still here?" Rumsfeld said that the Decider's "view has been and remains that a timetable is not something that is useful." So that's it then. Phthththth.

SCOTUS: POTUS SOL
Rules against president regarding war trials

In a surprise move, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Dictator-tot overstepped his authority in ordering military war crimes trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees.

The ruling, a rebuke to the administration and its aggressive anti-terror policies, was written by Justice John Paul Stevens, who said the proposed trials were illegal under US law and [the "quaint"] Geneva conventions. The 5-3 ruling means officials will either have to come up with new procedures to prosecute at least 10 so-called enemy combatants awaiting trial, or release them from US military custody.

Damn activist judges!

CNN - the most trusted name in GOP news
From over-hyping the "terra scare" by the retarded, hapless idiots known as the Miami seven, to repeating the (false) premise of "divided" Democrats "cutting and running," to crowing over Bush's "bounce" in the polls (all of what, one point), CNN has become the official mouthpiece - and butthole - for Bush, Rove, and republicans.

Varmint cong
Did Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-COrnhole) burn an American flag for his book cover? Sure looks like it.

What he said
White House NYT bashers are hypocrites in The War Against Terra.

Bush administration officials have been lining up to condemn the New York Times for revealing a program to track financial transactions as part of the war on terrorism. But if the Times’ revelation about a program to monitor international exchanges is so damaging, why has the administration been chattering about efforts to monitor domestic transactions for nearly five years?

- Shane Harris.

Oh, and btw, you can't spell "treason" without "Valerie Plame Wilson, shitheads."

Bush confused about leaks, tooth fairy prices, how bubbles get into bubblegum

"After watching George Bush and Dick Cheney weep and wail over the 'damage' done by the New York Times for reporting that financial data is being dumped into the CIA as part of an effort to find terrorist networks, I kept waiting for Darryl Hannah to pop up and say, 'Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night.' Does George have Alzheimer's Disease? Has he forgotten that he used to love the New York Times? The only thing funnier is that most of the mainstream media is reporting the antics of these clowns as straight up news.

"I guess Bush and Cheney decided that leaks to the New York Times were no longer kosher when their go to girl, Judith Miller, got canned."

Whoa! LOL. From an editorial by terrorism and security expert Larry C. Johnson.

Weapons of mass deception
Catapulting the propaganda -

Former Bush spokesman/2000 Florida recount operative and John Murtha swiftboater Taylor Gross is urging newspapers to run "pro-war" stories by rethug front group Vets for Freedom. Though

"it might be more accurate to call it a Republican-financed, pro-war group geared toward helping the Republicans keep control of Congress and the Senate this November," says John Stauber of the Center for Media and Democracy.

"What I think is extremely disturbing is that no other national news media has picked this up. There's been no legs to the Buffalo News story, no wire services have picked it up. And yet, the Washington Post, the L.A. Times, the New York Times, have all run op-eds from these guys, without any reporting on who they actually are."

Gee - go figure.

Pic by Kevin Temple.

You're a merica-hating poopyhead!
And you're just like your yellow, pussy-assed president!

When repuke Sen. George Allen attacked his Democratic challenger's opposition to the flag-burning amendment, James Webb retaliated, calling Allen's news release "weak-kneed attacks by cowards."

"People who live in glass dude ranches should not question the patriotism of real soldiers who fought and bled for this country on a real battlefield," Webb's spokesman said. "While Jim Webb and others of George Allen's generation were fighting for our freedoms and for our symbols of freedom in Vietnam, George Allen was playing cowboy at a dude ranch in Nevada."

Priority issues
"Are you fiddling while Rome is burning?" - CNN anchor and Enterprise transporter chief Miles O'Brien.

Senator/douchebag Bill 'talking points' Frist blames CNN for low Republican poll numbers:

"Well, you know, it's part of my job and your job and your whole coming into this was, again, saying [from] Harry Reid that we are spending all of our time on marriage - which is important. That we're spending all of the time on flag without mentioning what we've done of the floor for six weeks. Iraq, the war on terror, making you safer... where's your coverage of that? What you do is concentrate on things that are spun to you from the other side of the aisle and that's why that message doesn't get out."

Raw Story has the video.


"What? The war? You mean the war against gay Mexican flagburners? I'm watching the video right now."
*****

Why does the WH hate America?
Real swift, guys -

Is it a leak if it wasn't a secret in the first place?

There's just one little problem here. The transaction-monitoring program described by the NY Times and other media outlets wasn't much of a secret anyway. As the Boston Globe reports today, "public records - government documents posted on the Internet, congressional testimony, guidelines for bank examiners, and even an executive order President Bush signed in September 2001 - describe how US authorities have openly sought new tools to track terrorist financing since 2001."

For those special moments
"Because I'm not a big enough prick already...!"


Pic from the General (click to -- ummm -- enlarge).
****

Nuking the messenger

The White House should focus on who leaked information on its secret international banking surveillance program rather than on the newspapers that reported it, NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said yesterday.

"What I'm surprised about is the lack of focus or attention" on those leaking the information, Kelly said. "It seems to be a whole new cavalier attitude out there, in terms of people who are required to keep secrets, who give secrets out apparently with impunity."

He called for a probe into the identities of the sources.

Reports were printed by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, but Washington's harshest criticism was aimed at The NY Times.

"It's a monstrous charge for the White House to suggest that the press is essentially aiding and abetting the enemy. But where's the evidence?" - Dan Froomkin.

Yo
Sorry for the light posting. Yeah, I'm sick again. This time it may be food poisoning. We were at a birthday party this weekend and after I had just polished off a huuuuge plate of lasagna, the cook goes oh no! I hope the ricotta was all right! Our refrigerator hasn't been working!

I've been yakking ever since.

Viagra threatens Limbaugh plea deal
Will limp 'privacy' excuse stand up in court?

"I am not a hardened criminal," blowhard states firmly.

Rush Limbaugh could see a deal with prosecutors in a long-running prescription fraud case collapse after authorities found a bottle of Viagra in his bag at Palm Beach International Airport. The prescription was not in his name.

Limbaugh was detained for more than three hours Monday at the airport after returning from a vacation in the Dominican Republic.

Customs officials found the Viagra in his luggage but his name was not on the prescription, ["for privacy purposes"] said Paul Miller, a spokesman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Miller said the alleged violation could be a second-degree misdemeanor. The sheriff's office was investigating and will soon turn the case over to the state attorney's office, which had no immediate comment Tuesday.

Under the deal reached last month with prosecutors, Limbaugh was not to be arrested for any infraction for 18 months in exchange for authorities deferring a charge of "doctor shopping."

It's hard being Rush Limbaugh. Though apparently not hard enough.

Sounds like more than just a drug problem this time
:: snicker ::

Rush Limbaugh was detained for more than three hours Monday at Palm Beach International Airport after authorities said they found a bottle of Viagra in his possession without a prescription. Limbaugh was released without being charged.


Bwwwwaahahahahahahaha!

Flooding of Biblical proportions
The world waits to hear what Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell will say as God smites the unbelieve ummmmmm, his followers in Washington DC.

Even Jebus's favorite preznit was not spared, as 'a large elm tree fell on the White House's front lawn overnight, blocking one of the roads.'

Mother#ucking yeah...
Ian McShane says the "rigged elections, backroom deals" and "treachery" on his hit show "Deadwood" remind him of the Bush misadministration.

"It does smack of a certain similarity that has been occurring in certain quarters in the last few years. It reminds me that from the days of the gold rush until now, government has existed for three reasons: one, to separate rich people from poor people; second, for the government to take as much of the remaining money from the poor people; third, to protect the rich people from themselves."

And we're tied at zero...
"HBO's Bryant Gumbel, on Real Sports, says he likes watching the World Cup even though 'in soccer they score about as often as Ann Coulter makes sense.'"

Markos warned us about this guy
Oh crap! He's on to us!


Me, minus my tinfoil hat and secret decoder-ring.
****

Update: more at the Mahablog.
*****

Gah!
LOL

Some haiku, via the General.

Bwaaaaaaaaaa!
Feel the Joementum...

Connecticut party officials were particularly incensed when President Bush kissed Lieberman on the cheek following his 2005 State of the Union address. In meetings with state Dems, Lieberman tried to assuage their concerns, but also kept reminding party officials he had a 70% approval rating. Even so, the attacks on the kiss became so vocal that an exasperated Lieberman told one group of Democrats "I didn't kiss him back," a response that didn't exactly hearten them.

The incident has become so radioactive that Lieberman now denies Bush actually kissed him, telling TIME last week "I don't think he kissed me, he leaned over and gave me a hug and said 'thank you for being a patriotic American.'"

Eschaton has the hot man-on-chimp video.

Smackdown!

DICK CHENEY: The worst possible thing we could do is what the Democrats are suggesting, and no matter how you carve it, you can call it anything you want, but basically, it is packing it in, going home, persuading and convincing and validating the theory that the Americans don't have the stomach for this fight.

WOLF BLITZER: All right. You want to respond to the vice president, Senator Biden?

SEN. JOE BIDEN: No, I don't want to respond to him. He's at 20 percent in the polls. No one listens to him. He has no credibility. It's ridiculous.

Why do they hate America?
CNN news alert: Preznit Poopypants and the GOP are sharply criticizing a newspaper's disclosure of a secret anti-terrorism program that taps into an international database of confidential financial records...

And by 'paper' the Boy King and his patriotic, frothing minions mean the libral commie terrist-loving NY Times.

wHoreward KURTZ: Joining me now in Washington boudoir, David Frum, a former Bush speech writer who writes for "National Review" online. And here in New York, Frank Rich, columnist for "The New York Times."

Frank Rich, as you know, a lot of people out there wondering why the "Times" keeps publishing these stories about secret government programs. And just an hour ago Peter King, Republican congressman from New York, had this to say on "FOX News Sunday".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PETER KING (R-Rabidasshole): No one elected "The New York Times" to do anything. And "The New York Times" is putting its own arrogant elitist left-wing agenda before the interests of the American people. And I'm calling on the attorney general to begin a criminal investigation and prosecution of "The New York Times".

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANK RICH: Well, why doesn't he also aim it at "The Wall Street Journal" and the "Los Angeles Times", which also published this story and try to shut down the entire press? Two points. First of all, we're talking about three newspapers, not one newspaper. One of those newspapers, "The Wall Street Journal", has a very conservative editorial page that supports...

FRUM: So what?

RICH: So why didn't the president -- why didn't the president ask them to shut it down?

FRUM: I worked with that editorial page. We couldn't have lunch with people on the news side.

RICH: We know from Howie's report that the White House did not ask them to step down from the story the way they asked the other two papers. They thought it was fine if it's in the "Wall Street Journal".

FRUM: I think it's pretty clear you guys got it first. And the other papers would have deferred to your leadership. I mean, the "Times" does...

RICH: You really think that our competitors would have deferred to what we did?

FRUM: I think what you have here is you have government officials, both active and retired Democrats, going to papers saying, "This is a huge secret. Please do not publish this in the national interest." Then there's a kind of moral dilemma.

But the grammar of the story, as I see it reported, suggests that information came to the "Times" first. If they had gone to the other two papers and said, we went to the "Times" and they agreed that this would be putting the nation's safety and security at risk, that would have been...

RICH: As far as I know that -- as far as I know, everything you just said is fictional. I've seen nowhere that the "Times" necessarily had it first. I got the feeling that news organizations were going neck and neck. What's your source for that? What's your source for it?

FRUM: I got -- I got -- that's not what I said. I said when I read the grammar in the story...

RICH: What do you mean, read the grammar? Is it code, holding it up to the light with lemon juice? Time to go to journalism school, guys.

Heh!

Fox alone gets ‘fair and balanced’ access to Guantanamo
Think Progress reports:

After the suicide deaths of three detainees, the Pentagon shut down access entirely to Gitmo. Journalists covering the suicides had their clearances revoked and were immediately flown back to the United States, and regular visits between detainees and their lawyers were cancelled. Human rights groups protested:

This press crackdown is the administration’s latest betrayal of fundamental American values. The Bush Administration is afraid of American reporters, afraid of American attorneys and afraid of American laws.

Afraid of American journalists, that is, as long as they’re not from Fox. This morning, Fox News analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano described how the Defense Department had personally invited him on a trip to Guantanamo on Wednesday:

NAPOLITANO: I was doing my radio show with Brian Kilmeade the other day and I get an email from the Defense Department saying, “We have an extra seat on a flight down to Guantanamo, would you like to come?” So, of course, I cleared it all — I cleared it here with our superiors. …

HOST: What’d you see?

NAPOLITANO: Well, we saw everything. … We saw all six camps. … We had FBI interviews, I actually sat down and examined the evidence they’re going to use at trial with prosecutors. It was very detailed.

HOST: That was some kind of access.

NAPOLITANO: It was. It was great.

Napolitano offered his fair and balanced review of conditions at the prison: among other glowing reviews, he claimed it is “now gentle, almost child-like the way they treat the detainees.”

Didn't they say that about Theresienstadt?

It's great! It's almost like being in Candyland! I even asked if I could stay!

How has the WH lied to you? Let me count the ways
Huh - here's another one!

Warnings on weapons labs, Curveball were ignored, ex-CIA aide says:

In late January 2003, as Secretary of State Colin Powell prepared to argue the Bush administration's case against Iraq at the United Nations, veteran CIA officer Tyler Drumheller sat down with a classified draft of Powell's speech to look for errors. He found a whopper: a claim about mobile biological labs built by Iraq for germ warfare.

Drumheller instantly recognized the source, an Iraqi defector suspected of being mentally unstable and a liar. The CIA officer took his pen, he recounted in an interview, and crossed out the whole paragraph.

A few days later, the lines were back in the speech. Powell stood before the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 5 and said: "We have first-hand descriptions of biological weapons factories on wheels and on rails."

The sentence took Drumheller completely by surprise.

"We thought we had taken care of the problem," said the man who was the CIA's European operations chief before retiring last year, "but I turn on the television and there it was, again."

Integrity.

Goose-stepping their way into history
"If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier - just so long I'm the dictator." - the Dictator-tot.

This White House has sought to quell debate by invoking such things as “executive privilege,” “state secrets” and “national security.” It has made the U.S. attorney general, sworn to uphold the Constitution, its lapdog.

Through indefinite incarcerations of people not charged with crimes, they have deprived people of the right to outside legal counsel and privileged communications.

With the oversight of an emasculated Congress, the administration has abused its powers to establish an imperial presidency.

We escaped one King George only to have crowned another.

- from a Kansas City Star columnist.

Cutting and running, Karl?
"Our soldiers deserve to be honored and respected, not to be used as pawns in a White House effort to maintain one-party control of the United States." - BuzzFlash.

Huh - turns out that while Dick 'dick' Cheney, congressional rethugs and their parroting media whores were attacking Dems for calling for some kind of troop redeployment in Iraq, the Pentagon was already working on that very thing.

Senate Democrats reacted angrily yesterday to a report that the US commander in Iraq had privately presented a plan for significant troop reductions in the same week they came under attack by Republicans for trying to set a timetable for withdrawal.

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass), who co-sponsored an unsuccessful resolution setting a deadline for the removal of US combat troops from Iraq, issued a statement saying the Casey plan looks "an awful lot like what the Republicans spent the last week attacking. Will the partisan attack dogs now turn their venom and disinformation campaign on General Casey?"

"Before this election, this November, there's going to be troop reductions in Iraq, and that little pissant the president will then claim some kind of progress or victory," Democratic Sen. Carl Levin said.

Russ Feingold told reporters that Casey's reported proposal "makes me wonder what all this talk was this week in Washington."

Yeah.

" Farcical" terror plan
Or, How your government is trying to scare the bejesus out of you right in time for the midterm elections. Well, thank God some papers are reporting how completely fucked up this story is.

The plot sounded menacing: a group of home-grown terrorists with sinister code names seek help from al-Qaida to attack the tallest US building, the 103-story Sears Tower in Chicago. But as more details emerged of a supposed terror plot interrupted by US authorities, the plotters and their half-baked plan seem less than deadly and more than a little ridiculous.

The seven alleged plotters were mostly unemployed men from a poor suburb of Miami who had no weapons, explosives or money, and were so disorganised they asked their "al-Qaida" contact for uniforms and boots for their "Islamic army," and a camera to take pictures of their target.

Indictment of suspected "terrorists" contains little evidence of plot, brains
While Justice Department officials crowed and Dick Cheney sneered that the group was a "very real threat," others weren't buying it.

A close family friend and cousin of one of the defendants described the leader of the group, Narseal Batiste, as a "Moses-like figure" who would roam the streets in a cape or bathrobe, toting a crooked wooden cane and looking for young men to join his group.

"We're as puzzled as everyone else," said Howard Simon, the director of the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. "There's no weapons, no explosives, nothing but this major announcement."

Yeah. What - a - surprise. It's got Karl Rove stank all over it.

How big of an asshat IS Rush Limbaugh?
Limbaugh to "24" creators: "You got lucky with 9/11 happening shortly after the show started."

Limbaugh peppered the panel over whether "24" influences public perceptions about counterterrorism, and whether the actors are snubbed by Hollywood liberals for participating in what Limbaugh called a "pro-America show."

Gregory Itzin, who plays the nefarious President Charles Logan, said he has had to defend himself from one or two people "about the fact that the show does have torture issues and how could I live with that."

"It's a show!" he said. "I've done Shakespeare and have killed people with a sword."

Later, Limbaugh went back to the program's creation, saying: "You got lucky with 9/11 happening shortly after the show started." [Whatever, druggie. And 9/11 happened about a month BEFORE. You fucking pukebag. - Ed.] He quickly stopped himself, saying: "Sorry — not got lucky — bad choice of words." At another point, he offered a story line for a political cameo: Democratic Rep. John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, a tough critic of the Bush administration's Iraq policy, as "head of the new KGB." [Gee, I thought that was Dick Cheney - Ed.]

David Heyman, a homeland security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said "24" may give the public a false impression of how fast and easy it is to battle terrorists and other threats against the nation. Agreed Heritage's James Jay Carafano: "If we're waiting for Washington to do something before we can start saving lives, we're all going to die."

No shit.

Condolences
Our thoughts and hugs go out to our good blogbuddy Jane Hamsher, whose mom passed away today. Hang in there, you...
xxxooo

Offering a choice
Tired of the ... well, tired 'Democrats in disarray!' stories on cable news? 'While conservatives bleat "cut and run" and "stay the [failed] course," progressives are offering multiple plans for common-sense strategic redeployment of our troops from Iraq.'

But you'd never know it from WH-talking-points-parroting c*cksuckers of the MSM.

Rethug family values
Brothel bust in Boca bags bigshots, Bush backer

Among those not quite living up to the vaunted gpuke moral code is a family values-supporting Republican operative and a recipient of the National Republican Congressional Committee's leadership award.




Speaking of values...
Repukes silent on hateful attacks by Godless harpy skank

"Republicans refer to the left blogosphere as a "fever swamp," yet the sulfurous venom that spews from Coulter's orifice creates nary a peep of Republican unease.... The question 'Are you an Ann Coulter Republican?' should confront every Republican running for every office in the land, from President to dog catcher. "

Batshit fucking crazy
Has he completely lost his #ucking marbles?? Braindamaged asshat and gay porn star Geraldo Rivera, on Fox 'News':

"I've known John Kerry for over thirty-five years. Unlike me he is a combat veteran, so he gets some props, but in the last thirty-five years, I've seen a hell of a lot more combat than John Kerry..."

Gawd. Fighting with your conscience doesn't count, as I doubt you have one.

It's amazing that some people never get struck by lightningbolts. Especially after he gave away troop positions to the enemy.


Ooooh! Seven times!
*****

Last throes
Mission accompli The Iraqi government declares a state of emergency -

The Iraqi government declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew Friday after insurgents set up roadblocks in central Baghdad and opened fire on U.S. and Iraqi troops just north of the heavily fortified Green Zone.

U.S. and Iraqi forces also clashed with insurgents in southern Baghdad.

In other violence, a bomb struck a Sunni mosque in a town northeast of Baghdad, killing 10 worshippers and wounding 15 in the same town where Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was slain earlier this month, police said.

In even more violence, in the southern city of Basra, a car bomb ripped through a market and nearby gas station, killing at least five people and wounding 15, including two policemen police said.

And in even more, at least 19 other deaths were reported in Baghdad.

"Must we, as our leaders tell us, suspend judgment to await the verdict of history? The deaths are now; the grief is now. We must therefore decide now if we are being played for patriotic fools by people willing to risk our children in this cause but not their own."

Friday cat blogging

Stripey and Orangie Three relax in a deck chair on a hot summer day.
******

Oh really
Dan Bartlett surrenders when asked to name anyone ‘calling for the white flag of surrender’

After heating up the rhetoric, Bush's counselor evades the question:

NBC's Matt LAUER: The white flag of surrender - that’s a very dramatic and harsh expression to use against the Democrats. Have you heard any Democrats calling for the white flag of surrender?

BARTLETT: Well, I have heard a lot of Democrats call this President a liar, saying we’ve gone into Iraq for the wrong reasons, saying that he’s incomptent. So there is a lot of heated rhetoric in Washington.

So - that would be "no" then?

Earth to Matt: what, no follow-up, you halfballed idiot? Great job.

Integrity
What Pete Hoekstra and Rick Santorum forgot to mention at their damp-pantied press con the other day -

The lawmakers pointed to an unclassified summary from a report by the National Ground Intelligence Center regarding 500 chemical munitions shells that had been buried near the Iranian border, and then long forgotten, by Iraqi troops during their eight-year war with Iran, which ended in 1988. In other words, the leftovers from back in the 80s in the era that saw even Rumsfeld personally meeting with Saddam to offer Iraq some intelligence assistance in its war with Iran. It's hard not to believe that Santorum and Hoekstra were put up to this as surrogates of the White House, which gets all of the desired effect on the eastern side of the buzz machine, without too many fingerprints.

Eat me, Karl
"Senior US intelligence officials said Thursday they have no evidence that Iraq produced chemical weapons after the 1991 Gulf War, despite recent reports from media outlets and Republican lawmakers."

Hmmm...let's see: Election year again and for Rove, Bush, and Republicans what does that mean? It means that suddenly Iran is supposedly "planting roadside bombs in Iraq", Rove wants Republicans to talk about Iraq, Iraq, Iraq...oh, and Iraq. It means gay marriage amendments. It also means a sudden rash of terrorists hiding in Miami. Most of all, however, it means Bush's so-called National Intelligence Director, Negroponte, releasing a report claiming to have found "WMD in Iraq".

That means Rumsfeld making asinine and outright dishonest statements like "They are weapons of mass destruction. They are harmful to human beings. And they have been found."

That means other lying-liar Republicans like Santorum claiming, "We now have found stockpiles."

Then, of course, the truth leaked out: former weapons inspector David Kay, "It is less toxic than most things that Americans have under their kitchen sink at this point."

So, what does all this mean? It means Republicans are in the midst of an election cycle and, therefore, life for America will be all about terror scares, terrorists hiding in this and that city, charges of terrorism that are either eventually -- post-election -- dropped or tossed from courts. It means Iran becomes a new boogeyman and yes, it means more discoveries of WMD in Iraq, which aren't really WMD or the WMD Bush lied the nation to war over. That is what it all means. Be afraid America, be VERY afraid...it's election time Republican style.

- from the Progressive Daily Beacon.

Meanwhile, Circlejerk Central, World Nut Daily and the other rightwingnut sites are still crowing over the 'discovery' of 'weapons of mass destruction.' Apparently we were all wrong and we owe our Great Leader an apology. LOL. Doucheclowns. They can all kiss my ass.

"No imminent threat"
Terra scare update -
No, the other one.

Seven nutjobs playing ninja have been arrested for talking about blowing up the Sears Tower in Chicago and FBI headquarters in Miami. In a search of their building, police found no bombs, no bomb-making materials, no explosives of any kind - in fact, no weapons at all, and above all no ties to al-Qaeda.

According to neighbors, this super-duper dangerous group of idiots, for all the world to see, stood "guard" in front of their building while wearing black ninja-like outfits with only their eyes showing. Sounds like the FBI found a group of not-so-intelligent bozos, decided they were just stupid enough to be "dangerous" and asked them if they wanted to be al-Qaeda-like terrorists. Being the mental giants they are, the group likely thought that'd be pretty cool...it'd give them a real reason to be playing "ninja", so they went along with the suggestion.

Instead of '7 arrested in terror plot,' the headlines everywhere should have read Karl Rove up to his old tricks prior to elections. SCLM.

Update: Managers of the Sears Tower, the nation's tallest building, said in a statement they speak regularly with the FBI and local law enforcement about terror threats and that Thursday was no exception. "Law enforcement continues to tell us that they have never found evidence of a credible terrorism threat against Sears Tower that has gone beyond criminal discussions," the statement said.

PSM
Rethug family values - and the top three GOP adulterers running for President in ‘08.


And one drag queen
******

Karl Rove's biggest mistake
No, not lying to get student deferments in order to avoid going to Vietnam.
Nope, not treasonously revealing the name of a covert CIA agent.
No, not sitting on his pasty, air-conditioned fat ass downloading poon from Hannidate.com.
Or breathing.

"Let's hear Rove convince the parents of the two US soldiers who were tortured and killed earlier this week or the relatives of the four American soldiers slain yesterday in Iraq -- or the American public which has watched this repeated mayhem for months now -- that the Bush plan to stay indefinitely in Iraq is the answer to this forlorn, mistaken war.

"Sacrificing more American troops simply to uphold Bush's honor no longer computes in a conflict that now has lasted (since 9/11) longer than the American involvement in the entire second World War."

- Stephen Schlesinger.


Or this outfit...
******

Dur!
Preznit Dumbass states the "Hungarian experience should inspire Iraqis" - completely forgetting the Hungarians revolted against their Soviet invaders.

Gore documentary wins major award

The Al Gore documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" will receive a rare recognition from the Humanitas Prize, which honors screenwriting that helps "liberate, enrich and unify society."

"An Inconvenient Truth," which chronicles Gore's quest to draw attention to global warming, will receive the organization's first Special Award in over 10 years, president Frank Desiderio announced Wednesday. "It's a very important film," he said in a statement. "We want to shine a light on it."

Ouch
The immigration road show: "Given the topics that have preoccupied Congress lately, one wonders why the Republicans don't simply propose a catchall bill aimed at illegal gay liberal Mexican flag burners and be done with it."

[W]hat the Republicans really want to do is take the Senate bill on a perp walk through the red states, relishing the catcalls denouncing it as "amnesty" and using the hearings to milk whatever anti-immigrant resentment they can find or drum up for the benefit of their candidates. Their motives couldn't be clearer. A senior member of the Republican leadership, Representative Deborah Pryce of Ohio, called the Senate legislation the "Kennedy bill," a nasty bit of partisan mislabeling that would surprise Arlen Specter and the other Republican co-sponsors, including Mel Martinez and John McCain.

Today's music video
"I Will Survive" - sung by Jesus



Thanks, Ginger!
******

Why do they hate America?
Oh, wait...

The presence of US troops in Iraq is considered a greater threat to Mideast stability than the current government in Iran, according to a new poll of European and Muslim countries. The poll found that people in Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Russia rated the presence of troops in Iraq higher than the government in Iran as a threat, according to polling by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

Meanwhile, at the EU summit, a 'furious' and 'visibly annoyed' Dictator-tot was responding to a journalist's question about that very poll.

"I'd like to end Guantanamo! An' get a magic pony!" Bush snapped, snatching the microphone ahead of the president of the European Commission in his haste to answer the question. "You're all poopyheads!"

Bush knew
Unfuckingbelievable -

The book [Ron Suskind's The One Percent Doctrine]'s opening anecdote tells of an unnamed CIA briefer who flew to Bush's Texas ranch during the scary summer of 2001, amid a flurry of reports of a pending al-Qaeda attack, to call the president's attention personally to the now-famous Aug. 6, 2001, memo titled "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US." Bush reportedly heard the briefer out and replied: "All right. You've covered your ass, now."

Please tell me what that means. Because, to me, it sure sounds like the ultimate smirk from a man who has absolutely no intention of stopping a disaster he knows is coming.

- The Sideshow.


You've covered your ass - now watch this drive!
****

Quote


"Chickenhawk coward Karl Rove laughably [accused Dems] of 'cutting and running.' What the Busheviks are doing is 'staying and failing.'" - BuzzFlash.

Keepin' us safer
Oh good.

The Bush [mis]administration has spent nearly $43 billion of our money over the last five years on his buddies and contributors in the defense industry missile defense systems, but with North Korea poised to launch its most advanced missile yet, US government assessments and investigative reports indicate little confidence in the centerpiece portion of the program.

Eleven ground-based interceptors in Alaska and at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Central California, the cornerstone of the administration's new system, have not undergone a successful test in nearly four years and have been beset by glitches that investigators blame, at least in part, on [President Dumbass]'s order in 2002 to make the program operational even before it had been fully tested.

- TruthOut.

A disaster of really Biblical proportions
Is that a snake in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

Wall Street Journal opinion editor says gay marriage could lead to marrying snakes, gerbils -- not to mention hot man-on-dog action, possible human-animal hybrids:

HENNINGER: This is a footnote to our gay marriage discussion: A woman in India last week married a snake. I would like to ask the proponents of gay marriage--which violates, after all, traditions going back through all of human history--to now absolutely, positively guarantee that the next movement is not going to be allowing people to marry their pet horse, dog or cat. And you know what? Given the "anything goes" culture we live in, I don't think they can deliver that guarantee.

(Pic removed by request. Too bad, because it was pretty cool.)

Flop sweat
Speaking of empty, worthless shells...

With more and more polls showing increases in the number of Americans who see the war as a mistake, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Idiot) and Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Brainlesstwat) went out and held a press conference yesterday to make a startling announcement: “we have found WMDs in Iraq.”

"Congressman Hoekstra and I are here today to say that we have found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, chemical weapons. … Since 2003, coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent..."

Oh really. Funny - the White House’s very own Iraq Survey Group knew about them quite a while ago. And dismissed them:

While a small number of old, abandoned chemical munitions have been discovered, ISG judges that Iraq unilaterally destroyed its undeclared chemical weapons stockpile in 1991. There are no credible indications that Baghdad resumed production of chemical munitions thereafter, a policy ISG attributes to Baghdad’s desire to see sanctions lifted, or rendered ineffectual, or its fear of force against it should WMD be discovered.

Fox News’ Jim Angle contacted the Defense Department who "quickly disavowed" Santorum and Hoekstra’s claims. A Defense Department official told Angle flatly that the munitions hyped by Santorum and Hoekstra are “not the WMD’s for which this country went to war.”

Doesn't sound like much of a smoking mushroom cloud, Rick. You pathetic idiot.

Fun fact: Rick waved classified documents around on air, breaking God knows how many federal laws and endangering the country: "I'll show you the classified documents right here..."

Fun fact 2: you know it's going to be a bad day when you get your ass handed to you by Alan Colmes.

Thanks for nothing
The US Senate on Wednesday defeated a proposal by Democrats to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour by January 1, 2009.

Flashback, 6/14/06: Despite record low approval ratings and the fact that they've done absolutely diddly, House lawmakers Tuesday voted to increase their salaries by $3,300. The 2 percent cost-of-living raise would be the seventh straight for members of the House and Senate. Lawmakers easily squelched a bid by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to get a direct vote to block the COLA, which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it.

Rethug family values
The GOP consultant responsible for the famous "nuclear" anti-Gore ad has been charged with molesting two girls - including the one in the ad.
*****

GOP kills Senate bill to police fraudulent Halliburton practices
Party before country and supporting the troops II

"The contract goes to a subcontractor, which goes to another subcontractor, and a fourth-level subcontractor," said Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND). "And the payment for air-conditioning turns out to be payments to four contractors, the fourth of which puts a fan in a room."

Dorgan's bill - cosponsored by 17 Democrats and called the Honest Leadership and Accountability in Contracting Act of 2006 - was tabled by a roll call vote of 55-43, effectively rejecting the amendment. Every single Senate Republican voted against the measure to make the contracting process honest and impose penalties on those who break the law.

And screw our troops.

Where is the outrage?
Here we go again. Rightwingnuts more 'outraged' by the "where's the liberal outrage?" stories than by the fact that their reps are doing nothing - except tattooing the flag on their pasty white asses while posturing about staying the course otherwise 9/11 helping the enemy 9/11 blah blah blah blah blah...

Gaseous pukebags Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh, plus the usual syphilitic assclowns over at RimJob's Circlejerk Central, are again making up outrageous lies on how 'gleeful' libs are over the torture and death of our soldiers. Right. Name ONE. Maybe if you spent some of that time contacting your congressmoron about putting together some kind of plan - oh wait, wtf was I thinking?

Go crawl back under your rock, you fucking idiots. Jebus wept.

Last throes
Makin' progress

Another one of Saddam's lawyers abducted and killed. No, a different one.

Gunmen kidnap at least 85 workers from a factory north of Baghdad, the largest single abduction in Iraq ever. "It was unclear what became of the victims."


Go fuck yourself
****

US Diplomat: Bush a 'failure' on N. Korea
David Straub, the former head of the State Department's Office of Korean Affairs, said the Bush misadministration's handling of North Korea has been a failure of epic proportions "that left Pyongyang to pursue its nuclear and missile programs." He also questioned the competency of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, asking "What the fuck was she thinking? Yeah, let's really piss them off." (from newsmax, mostly, so no link)

GOP leaders cut and run on immigration bill
Party before country.

Republicans, their collective panties in a knot over the possibility of election losses this fall, kill the immigration bill for the year.

"Our number one priority is to secure the House and Senate this fall," Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Idiot, practically came right out and said.

"I think it is easy to say the first priority of the House is to secure the House for the republican party," Rep. Roy Blunt might as well have added.

"The discussion now is how to put the Democrats in a box without attacking the president," said one aide, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The hell with border security."

There are so many things wrong today I don't know where to start.

Supporting the troops
19 republican Senators - including John McCain - voted in favor of giving amnesty to insurgents who've killed US soldiers in Iraq.

Iraqi troops killed US soldiers
No, the other ones. It was thought that two soldiers shot to death in Iraq last year had been ambushed. It turns out they were - by the Iraqi civil-defense officers patrolling with them.

Speaking of not trying...
You're doin' a heckuva job. Dick.


"Zzzzzzzzt... bluh... did you say something, General? Mrrph. Fuck 'em. Zzzzzzt....."
****

Duh duh duh duh duh
Oblivious incompetent smackhead George Duh-mbya Bush urges republicans to keep Bill Frist as the Senate Majority Leader. Only one small problem: Frist plans to retire from the Senate this fall.

It's like he's not even trying anymore.

Keepin' us safer
The Pentagon has activated its missile-defense system in case North Korea launches.

"It's good to be ready," a US defense official said.

Yeah, great.

Great moments in television II
One of our favorite cranks, Jack Cafferty, reads his mail -

CAFFERTY: Eleven senators, 10 percent of that august body, all considering running for president in 2008, that's a comfort. They have done such a great job in the Senate.

The question is: Is the 2008 White House race distracting the Senate from getting its business done?

Richard in Panama City: "Welcome back, Jack. Maybe the week off cooked your brain. You ask that question like they would get anything done anyway."

Rowland in Austin, Texas: "Are senators distracted? Let's see. During the past five years, they gave away their right to declare war, gave Bush absolutely everything he wanted -- My, hasn't that turned to be a good idea? -- run up a $9 trillion bar tab. They have had emergency sessions not for the war or the deficit or to demand that the 9/11 Commission report be followed through on. No, those did not warrant late-night hours, but Terri Schiavo did."

Ken in Vallejo, California: "If nothing is being done, how can there be a distraction? Wasted time debating gay marriage and flag burning, when our borders are being overrun and over 2,500 of our kids killed in a war of lies."

Steve in Jericho, New York: "The Senate is the home of the gang that couldn't shoot straight, so anything that distracts these posturing, clueless clowns from doing their normal business can only be a benefit to the American people."

(LAUGHTER)

CAFFERTY: Some of you are in a foul mood.

Linda in Lynchburg, Virginia: "They might just as well run for president. They aren't doing anything else. I got an e-mail from a friend about a database, found my name on it. I called George Allen's office, my senator, to try to find out what I could do or what my options were. I got a recording that said the office would be closed all week. I'm going to vote for my cat. At least I know where to find her."

Bringing integrity back to Washington
Former Bush misadministration official David Safavian has been found guilty of covering up his dealings with Republican pet lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Safavian was convicted on four of five felony counts of lying and obstruction. No word yet on how many years in PMITA prison he'll get.


"Ah don't know him, do ah?"
****

Great moments in television
Say what you will about Howard Dean, but last night he not only made Wolfie cry, he took certain chickenhawk rethugs out to the woodshed and beat them to a bloody pulp -

BLITZER: Here's what Karl Rove said last week in Manchester, New Hampshire. He said, "Like too many Democrats, it strikes me they are ready to give the green light to go to war. But when it gets tough, they fall back on that old party's platform of cutting and running. They may be with you for the first few bullets, but they won't be there for the last tough battles." Karl Rove in New Hampshire last week.

DEAN: Yeah. Right. Woopdefuckingdoo. I thought Jack Murtha, who's a 37-year-old decorated Marine, had the best retort. Karl Rove is sitting in his air conditioned office on his big fat you-know-what, and he's never served. George Bush has never served abroad. Dick Cheney's never served abroad. Don Rumsfeld's never served abroad.

Republicans are great at sending other peoples' kids to war, but not so good at following up. You know, it's not good enough to just be tough. You've got to be tough and smart. Here we are. North Korea is in the process of firing a missile, a test missile. George Bush has been in office for 5 1/2 years, has done nothing about that.

We've got 200,000 brave troops pinned down in Iraq. You can't trust the president to defend America, not because they don't want to defend America, because they're not smart enough to defend America.

BLITZER: But they point out that things appear to be moving in the right direction in Iraq right now. In fact, earlier today, the Vice President Dick Cheney had this exchange with a reporter at the National Press Club. Listen to this.

QUESTION: About a year ago, you said that the insurgency in Iraq was in its final throes. Do you still believe this?

DICK CHENEY: I do.

BLITZER: He then went on to say that last year, the tide began to turn against the insurgents. And now, the U.S. is winning, and it's just a matter of getting the job done.

DEAN: Blitzer, for the love of God and all that's holy, what the fuck is wrong with you... First of all, Vice President Cheney has no credibility in this matter. Second of all, we have two of our brave soldiers that have been kidnapped by the insurgents, who are still in captivity right now.

You know, this -- we have been hearing this, a lot of this stuff, from this administration. I thought John Kerry had it right when he made a speech on the Senate floor, saying, we stayed in Vietnam a long time because politicians couldn't figure out what to do. And that cost us thousands of American troops.

We don't need to do that again. We know these guys got us in under false pretenses. The truth is, Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11.

And the irony of this is, one of the things that Jack Murtha has proposed is to put 20,000 additional troops into Afghanistan, where they are needed, because Afghanistan is now going south on us. Now, that's a war we believe we should have been in and we are still in.

The fact of the matter is that you can't trust the Republicans to defend the country, again, not because they don't want to, but they are not smart enough to listen to the military and listen to people who have served, like Jack Murtha.

BLITZER: Please don't hurt me.

DEAN: Get on your feet, man.

A toast, sir -

Strategery
From the party of no ideas. No, the other one.

Having refused for three years to try to come up with any actual constructive ideas about the war in Iraq, congressional leaders last week chose to put the enduring conflict smack in the center of the coming election campaign. Jeering at “cut-and-run” Democrats, the Republicans placed their confidence in a formula that would keep American soldiers in the deepening quagmire — indefinitely.

There it is: their strategy for victory.

- a Baltimore Sun editorial.

Cut and run? You bet. Lt. Gen. William E. Odom, former director of the National Security Agency, explains why.

Loserman
Hilarity ensues as Al Gore refuses to endorse vichycrat Joe Lieberman in his Senate re-election campaign. In other joesmegtum news, former Connecticut Democratic party chairman George Jepsen will be endorsing Lieberman's challenger, Ned Lamont, in a press conference this afternoon.

Pic by Maurizio Guarino.

Oh good
Thanks for clearing that up.

Lying dick Dick 'dick' Cheney left his bunker on Planet Rectoid to appear at the National Press Club yesterday, where he reiterated last year's statement that the Iraqi insurgency is in its 'final throes'.

Bully for him. I'd say it must be nice thinking that everyone around you is a total moron, but I doubt if that's the case. It's more like if he thinks about anybody at all, it's at the same level as a gnat, or those bits of celery that get stuck in your teeth. You know, just some stupid fucking annoyance you have to endure before you can swipe it away.

Meanwhile, with the insurgency in its last throes, the bodies of the two missing US soldiers have been found after their abduction by an al-Qaida group on Friday. They were probably tortured.

Also, a suicide bomber killed a woman and wounded five people when he attacked a crowd of elderly and disabled pensioners in Basra today.


"You little pissants! I said it's in its last throes! Write that down!"
*****

Light and flaky
"Trailer trash pie"

It was a great week for the Democrats!
If the media reported on Dems the way they report on republicans:

A grand jury refused to indict Rep. Carol McKinney (D-Ga). The indictment pass clearly indicates that McKinney did nothing wrong, most likely never hit the police officer, nor outed a covert CIA agent as political and personal retribution.

With Tom Delay, Karl Rove, etc, etc, being investigated for months (and years), neither was castigated by the President nor his party yet the Democratic leadership took about two seconds to eject discredited Rep. William Jefferson (D- La) from the House and Ways committee.

But the Democrats' scored their biggest advantage this week when most of them did not get behind a Republican resolution to support the Bush policy that has resulted in the deaths of 2500 American soldiers as well as the over 100,000 Iraqis who never asked for the policy in the first place.

The politically-motivated vote will likely backfire on Republicans as a large majority of Americans believe that the President's decision to invade Iraq was not worth it. Now the Republicans have gone on record saying that the majority of Americans are wrong.

This was also a week where Republicans re-energized the obvious Karl Rove-supplied talking point, "cut and run," to describe John Murtha and John Kerry. It's still hard to gauge how difficult it will be to defend the fact that both men volunteered for war time duty while so many Republicans led by the likes of Rove, Vice President Dick Cheney and just about every radio talk show host, "cut and ran" when they had a chance to serve in the Armed Forces during wartime, yet seem to have no problem sending someone else's children into harm's way. Add to that the fact that neither Murtha or Kerry actually advocates either "cutting" or "running," but rather a careful watch from the borders of someopne else's civil war, should also give Democrats another arrow in the quiver as Republicans will surely be facing tough questioning on the Sunday morning talk shows concerning their continued shams and misleading phraseology.

- Steve Young. Kudos, sir.

Good one
Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Analfroth), who screwed over PA taxpayers not too long ago, has received the "Hero of the Taxpayer" award by Americans for Tax Reform, run by nasty, rodent-like conservative asshat Grover Norquist.

Turnin' the corner
Oh really --

"No upbeat presidential trip to Baghdad or flag-waving Congressional resolution can long divert attention from the sorry reality. More than 130,000 American troops are now spending their fourth year mired in a dangerous and ill-defined mission with no realistic plan for success and no end in sight."

- from a NY Times editorial.

"If I had known the president was going to be this incompetent in his administration, I would not have given him the authority" to go to war.

- Joe Biden, sorry-assed nutcase and top Dem on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Makin' progress
Hours before the Cheerleader-in-Chief left for his super-top-secret Green Zone pep-rally last week, the US Embassy in Iraq released a document that "painted a starkly different portrait of increasing danger and hardship faced by [their] Iraqi employees."

This cable outlines "the daily-worsening conditions for those who live outside the heavily guarded international zone: harassment, threats and the employees' constant fears that their neighbors will discover they work for the US government."

It's actually far worse than that.

We'll stand down when they... uhhhhh... ask?
Iraqi official: Please leave.
Bunnypants: You sure got purty hands!

Iraq's vice president has asked [Preznit Happypants] for a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq, the Iraqi president's office said. Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni, made the request during his meeting with Bush on Tuesday, when the US doofus president made a surprise visit to Iraq.

"I supported him in this," President Jalal Talabani said in a statement released Wednesday.

Bush, upon arriving back in the US: They need our help and they recognize that. Resolvitude! Against the defeatist Iraqi guvinmint!

Incompetence is not a course
War hero John Murtha mocks pasty chickenshit draft dodger Karl 'cut and run' Rove:

"He's in New Hampshire. He's making a political speech. He’s sitting in his air-conditioned office on his big, fat backside saying 'stay the course.' That’s not a plan! We've got to change direction. You can't sit there in the air-conditioned office and tell troops carrying seventy pounds on their backs, inside these armored vessels-hit with IED's every day - seeing their friends blown up - their buddies blown up - and he says stay the course? Easy to say that from Washington, DC." Karl Rove can suck my huge meaty wang - and that goes for you too, Russert, you fucking potato-head. Did your dad ever know what a fucking pussy you are, you little twirp? Shit.

Um, sorry. That last part was me, paraphrasing.

Pardon talk for Libby begins
Bush is likely to pardon Scooter Libby before his trial begins, to prevent "awkward revelations" from emerging that may emabarrass the White House, and to spare Emperor Palpa Dick Cheney from testifying.

I shouldn't be laughing, but...
Fox News gasbag/falafel abuser Bill O'Reilly: "Just hours after I left the prison at Gitmo last Friday, three detainees committed suicide..."

Jon Stewart: "I can't believe they lasted that long after an O'Reilly visit."

Happy Father's Day!

Makin' progress
Baghdad blasts mock US claims of Iraqi progress -- following death of Zarqawi and visit by Bush, leaders fail to bring end to cycle of violence.

The renewed violence comes as [Smirky McLiar] was seeking to take advantage of the death of Zarqawi to convince a sceptical American public that the situation in Iraq was starting to improve. However, a new CNN poll showed 54 per cent of Americans still believe the war was a mistake, and the political pressure on Mr Bush is growing in the run-up to crucial mid-term elections for the US Congress.

At least 41 people have been killed and 100 injured in a string of attacks in and around Baghdad, with many of the casualties reported to be civilians.

The US army is still hunting for our two missing soldiers, who may have been kidnapped by insurgents.

Gunmen seized 10 workers from a bakery Sunday in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad, while a car bomb exploded near a university in the northern city of Mosul, killing a woman and wounding 19 other people, police said.

Horror show reveals Iraq’s descent: “We have turned into a zoo. What level have we sunk to, to kill people in such a manner and hardly to notice any more?” A morgue’s grim scenes testify to a disintegrating nation.

Today's music video
The Blazing Saddles campfire scene

Saturday morning reads

Shakespeare's Sister calls bullshit.

The General improves on Joe Loserman's pathetic ad (Bonus: his letter to John Cornyn).

"An ad could have shown Joe Lieberman getting gang-fucked by the Senate Majority leadership while being forced to eat bacon and he'd've escaped with more dignity." - the Rude Pundit.

Heh - great 'toon at Easy Bake Coven.

Friday cat blogging

Fambly portrait: Tigger, Orangie Two, Orangie Three and Stripey.
****

Political talking points from Pentagon office may be illegal
Yet another stupid, possibly criminal action by rebooblicans

Integrity -- The Office of the Secretary of Defense published and distributed Republican talking points for the Iraq debate. Paid for by taxpayers. And sent to Dems by mistake.

Even funnier, the Pentagon asked to have them back. #ucking screwheads.

Must-reads
Two from Blah3: [No-talent assclown John] Bolton literally run out of Oxford, and Iacocca rocks.
Reenacting the fall of rome: boy, was i wrong... by Mimus Pauly.

The only one challenging it is the president, asshat
"Stay the course? I don't think so Mr. President. It's time to face the facts." - Nancy Pelosi, adding that she will vote against the republican resolution that she called "an affirmation of the president's failed policy in Iraq."

Countered House Speaker Dennis 'dumbass' Hastert in between sipping kool-aid and wiping the Rove-stank off his chin, "When our freedom is challenged, Americans do not run."

Fuckwit.

Higher ethical standards
Dems hold corrupt party member responsible, remove him from post. Rethugs twiddle thumbs, look sideways while waving flag.

Rep. William Jefferson booted from his seat on the House Ways and Means committee.

The Lord be with you
Dude!

US bishops approve new translation, hotter altar boys for mass.

Unspeakable bitch paints target on war hero's back
Godless skank mAnn Coulter, deciding not enough people have been repulsed by her yet, says that John Murtha is "the reason why fragging was invented."

Why do the repugs hate our troops?
2500 dead? "It's a number." - WH press-tool and mathmatician Tony Snow.

"While The Republican Congress wastes time with a non-binding resolution, American soldiers die. More and more Americans are dying and losing limbs -- losing their minds in a war with out purpose or end -- while Republicans stand up and demand that Democrats prove they are against terrorism. Disgusting."

- Jeffrey Feldman.

Integrity
Documents may link Dick Cheney to Halliburton no-bid contract, snuff film collection.

Judicial Watch, upon release of approximately 100 pages of documents from the Army, finds one that suggests the United States Army Corp of Engineers may have publicly lied regarding the involvement of the Vice President's office in awarding a contract to Halliburton subsidiary KBR.

Busted!
A must-see from the Colbert Report: Rebooblican Congressman Lynn Westmoreland, who co-sponsored a bill requiring the Ten Commandments be on display in the House and Senate, can't even name them. Or even name the best place to put them. Hysterical! Colbert is awesome.

Boners
The top 11 dumbest statements from House Majority Leader John Boehner’s confidential messaging memo regarding the floor debate on Iraq and the "global war on terror."

Pwnd
"Mr. Speaker, I move this House recommend that the Honorable Gentleman from Texas kindly suck my dick."

John Murtha puts the smackdown on a rethug chickenhawk.

Pic by Kristina Buceatchi.

Stay the course? What course?
Duhbya says he won't pull out. Most people wish George Sr. had.

Fresh from his triumphal visit to Baghdad -- a place so dangerous he had to sneak in without even telling the Iraqi prime minister -- George W. Bush is full of new resolve to stay the course in his open-ended "global war on terror." That leaves the rest of us to wonder, in sadness and frustration, just what that course might be and where on earth it can possibly lead.

This is a "war" in which the United States drops two 500-pound bombs with the express intent of assassinating the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, a group that wouldn't have existed if Bush hadn't decided to invade.

Iraq is just one theater in Bush's "war." Elsewhere, Afghanistan is once again ablaze as the resurgent Taliban counterattacks. Somalia is coming under the sway of an Islamic militia that may harbor al-Qaeda militants. America's popularity in the world continues to fall.

But [the smirking little squirt] forges ahead, trying vainly to kill a poisonous, retrograde ideology with bullets and bombs. His "war" is self-perpetuating, and no one even knows what victory would look like. Long after he's gone, we'll still be looking for a way to end the mess he began.

- Eugene Robinson in the WaComPo.

Turning the corner
House approves another 66 brazillion dollars to pay for the war in Iraq.

"In 18 separate actions, we will now have spent $450 billion on this adventure. This is a huge expenditure for a misguided war." - Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin.

Why do Americans hate America?
New Gallup poll: 6 out of 10 Americans said the image of the US was "worse off" because of the Iraq war, with only 11% jerking off.

Why do the troops hate America?
"A grotesque mistake."

Makin' prog 2500.

O rly?
Grublike slimeball Karl Rove, at a New Hampshire fundraising dinner, says Republicans have no need to make excuses.

Protestors outside say oh really?

Republicans needed a big draw like Rove to help pay legal fees in a phone jamming case. Three GOP officials have been convicted of charges stemming from the jamming of Democratic get-out-the-vote lines on Election Day 2002.

"Americans don't like cheaters, these people cheated," said Herb Moyer, 60, a Democrat from Exeter. The sign he carried read, "Karl Rove and New Hampshire GOP: Where criminals congregate."

Party of hatred
Sunnis are the new Hitler, I guess --

Pantyshield-sniffing dorkbreath Michael Reagan compares Dems to terrorists:

I've been wondering why there is something familiar about the behavior of the Sunni insurgency in Iraq, and suddenly it dawned on me that we have our own similar insurgency right here at home -- it is called the Democrat Party.

Nice. One, you're an asshole; and two, it's the Democratic Party. Asshole.

Think about it. Both are operating under the same motivation -- an unrequited lust for lost power. And both will do just about anything to retrieve it.

Besides everything else that is wrong with that statement, the repugs will do just about anything to keep it.

Remember, under Saddam Hussein's long rule, his fellow Sunnis -- a distinct minority in a nation with a vast Shiite majority -- were the kings of the hill -- and incredibly cruel monarchs to boot. Saddam may have ordered the atrocities, but it was the Sunnis who carried them out, torturing, beheading and otherwise brutalizing the Shia and the Kurds and looting the nation's treasure.

Uh huh. Yeah, we bad.

Fucking asshole.

I guess they're taking the hobbits to Isengard...
Today's music video is sacrilegious if you're a LOTR fan, but it does have a good beat to it --

God bless Bushistania

Prosecutors can use evidence seized by police during a home search even though officers violated the Constitution by failing to knock or announce their presence before entering, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled.

The justices voted 5-4, with John Paul Stevens, Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter dissenting.

A leap of faith, off a cliff
A NY Times editorial that doesn't have its head up its ass --

On Monday, the Bush administration told a judge in Detroit that the president's warrantless domestic spying is legal and constitutional, but refused to say why. The judge should just take his word for it, the lawyer said, because merely talking about it would "endanger America." {Oh for the love of crap. - Ed.}

Today, Senator Arlen Specter wants his Judiciary Committee to take an even more outlandish leap of faith for an administration that has shown it does not deserve it.

Mr. Specter wants the committee to approve a bill he drafted that tinkers dangerously with the rules on wiretapping, even though the president has said the law doesn't apply to him anyway, and even though Mr. Specter and most of the panel are just as much in the dark as that judge in Detroit. The bill could well diminish the power of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA, which was passed in 1978 to prevent just the sort of abuse that Mr. Bush's program represents.

This is not a time to offer the administration a chance to steamroll Congress into endorsing its decision to ignore the 1978 intelligence act and shred constitutional principles on warrants and on the separation of powers. This is a time for Congress to finally hold Mr. Bush accountable for his extralegal behavior and stop it.

As if.

Transparentude
The misadministration sues to prevent the NJ Attorney General from finding out how often phone companies provided customer records to the NSA without a court order.

Is this more of your version of openness, Ken Mehlman?

Father of lesbian to support homobigot
Crashcart McSnarly will be the star attraction at raging homophobe Michele Bachmann (MN)'s fundraiser on June 26.


"I have no shame whatsoever. Now get the fuck away from me before I blow your head off."
****

Bush: "It's up to [the new Iraqi government] to put a plan in place and execute it. We'll help." Thank goodness the President isn't a Democrat, or else we'd have no plan for Iraq - headline on the intarweb.

Rethugs' House debate on war divides party
"A dumb idea" - Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.).

Already, the resolution itself -- declaring that the United States will complete the mission to create a sovereign, free, secure and united Iraq and will prevail in the global war on terror -- has attracted strong criticism from lawmakers in both parties. Democrats and antiwar Republicans object to the linkage between the war in Iraq and the fight against terrorism, while some Republicans have said it sets unrealistic goals. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.), who supports the war, called the resolution "strategically nebulous and morally obtuse."

"This is nothing more or less than really a charade," said Rep. Walter Jones Jr. (R-NC).

Fun fact: Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.) almost called out the draftdodging chickenhawks.
Fubar fact: 'War on terror' a "failure."

Shameful silence on Hitler Memorial
Wtf????

Pic by Jon Martin.

So.... is there any good news today?

A shameful silence on Coulter's spewing
Joe Conason rips skankbeast, senators, and the sclm some new ones --

What is most disturbing about this episode is not that these women can be victimized by a brutal bully like Ms. Coulter, nor even that the mainstream media, which abandoned traditional standards of fairness and decency years ago, would eagerly assist her. That is our hideous political culture. What is most disappointing is the abject dereliction of the prominent politicians who worked so closely with the Jersey Girls.

John McCain and Joseph Lieberman, the Senate sponsors of the bill that created the 9/11 Commission, both believed that an independent investigation was essential for reasons of honor and national security. They both know that they could not have prevailed against the White House -- and the Republican Congressional leadership -- without the help of the widows.

But that was then, and this is now -- and these two pious politicians remain silent in the face of a malevolent attack visited on their erstwhile friends. Both men know that it is a lie to call these women partisans or profiteers. Both know that these women -- and the families they helped to lead -- brought honor and purpose to a legislative process that is often petty and corrupt.

Shame on the silent Senators. And please, let's hear no more from either of them for a while about tolerance, respect and decency.

Cool

Snakes on a Plane

Redford to Democrats: grow a spine, you #ucking pussies

The entire WKRP "Turkey Drop" episode!

New crater forms on the Moon

Giant blob of gas moving through space at 500 miles a second. And that's just the one in my bathroom.

Nedmentum!
Joe Loserman: vichycrat, douchebag.

Fun fact: "AFT Connecticut, the state’s second largest AFL-CIO union representing more than 26,000 professionals, including health-care, higher education, and public employees, has endorsed Ned Lamont for U.S. Senate in Connecticut..."

Dumbass
Heh heh: Bush criticizes reporter for wearing sunglasses while asking a question.
Oh shit: The reporter is blind.

Exploit and attack
The party of no new ideas brings back 9/11, 24/7.

AmericaBlog reports: The House debate on their "Iraq resolution" has nothing to do with an Iraq policy. It's only about politics. Big hat tip to Think Progress. They got [Majority Leader John] Boehner's memo and it's posted on their site. TP also summarized the key points:

1. Exploit 9/11. The two page memo mentions 9/11 seven times. It describes debating Iraq in the context of 9/11 as imperative.

2. Attack opponents ad hominem. The memo describes those who opposes President Bush's policies in Iraq Democrats as sheepish, weak, and prone to waver endlessly.

3. Create a false choice. The memo says the decision is between supporting President Bush's policies and hoping terrorist threats will fade away on their own.

Boner's memo also says that rethugs have to remind the public that republicans are "aware of the stakes and dedicated to victory, versus [the Democrats, who are] without a coherent national security policy that sheepishly dismisses the challenges America faces in a post-9/11 world."

Yeah. Like almost handing our ports over to the UAE, refusing funding for searching cargo containers, and cutting funding to the Ground Zero cities. Oh, wait, that was the republican party. Huh.

Fiscal responsibility
Despite record low approval ratings and the fact that they've done absolutely diddly, House lawmakers Tuesday voted to increase their salaries by $3,300.

The 2 percent cost-of-living raise would be the seventh straight for members of the House and Senate. Lawmakers easily squelched a bid by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to get a direct vote to block the COLA, which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it.

Cutting and running, Karl?
Draft-dodging chickenhawk goes after war heroes

In a speech to New Hampshire Republican officials here Monday night, the White House deputy chief of staff attacked Democrats who have criticized the war effort in Iraq, such as Sen. John Kerry and Rep. John Murtha, who he said advocate "cutting and running."

"They may be with you for the first shots," Rove said of such opponents. "But they're not going . . . to be with you for the tough battles."

Really. And where were you during the tough ones? Hmmmmmmm?

Never one to let the facts or delicious irony stand in the way of a vicious political smear, today Karl Rove took a swipe at war heros Sen. John Kerry and Rep. John Murtha, stating, "They may be with you for the first few bullets but they won't be there for the last tough battles." Rove, of course, never served in battle, dodging the draft for nearly three years of the Vietnam War. He's in good company, though-- the Vice President received five deferments from going into battle himself.

"Unfortunately for the American military, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and their merry band of draft-dodgers won't be with you for the first few bullets, the last tough battles, or anywhere along the way," said Christy Setzer, Communications Director, Senate Majority Project.

Major dorks

"What did we get ourselves into?"

"I've just pissed my pants - hold me!"


Showing us just how safe Iraq is: White House Press-tool Tony Snow and Counselor Dan Barlett look absolutely thrilled to be traveling with Preznit Flightsuit on his surprise photo-op to exciting Baghdad yesterday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Revving up the fear machine
A New York Times editorial blasts Bunnypants' manly visit to the highly-secured Green Zone, Rove's scumbaggery:

If Americans wondered whether the trip was a presidential publicity stunt or a true turning point in this ever-lengthening war, presidential adviser Karl Rove provided the answer.

In a speech in New Hampshire providing "campaign talking points" to Republicans for the November legislative elections, Rove suggested that "the Democrats could never have summoned the will" to kill Zarqawi.

For an administration that is supposed to be rallying a nation at war, it was a revealingly nasty, partisan and divisive moment.

After too many photo-ops aimed at giving Mr. Bush and his fellow Republicans a short-term lift in the domestic opinion polls at election time, Americans hunger more than ever for a realistic game plan for Iraq and some real progress.

Not so fast II
"Massive red flags"

There are 'strong indications' that Karl Rove has been indicted by a runaway grand jury (where a grand jury can return an indictment without the request or signature of a US Attorney) in the strange "Sealed vs Sealed" indictment still on the books, Citizenspook reports:

[A]ll of this might indicate that there is a war on to stop Fitzgerald, that he saw the pressure coming and enlightened the Grand Jurors as to their Constitutional ability to indict on their own without him.

If the Grand Jurors returned the indictment without Fitzgerald's signature, than it may very well be true that Rove was indicted but Fitzgerald is not the one who indicted

I need one of those Fox Mulder I Want to Believe posters, only with a picture of Karl Rove getting violently, repeatedly assreamed behind bars.

Not so fast...
Hero/patriot Rep. Henry Waxman calls for a public accounting of Rove’s actions in the CIA leak case --

Rep. Waxman has renewed his request to the chairman of the Committee on Governmental Reform for a congressional investigation that would "provide public accountability and address unanswered questions" - such as whether the unscrupulous weasel leaked a covert CIA agent's identity, whether he was part of an effort to discredit and retaliate against a misadministration critic, and why the allegedly traitorous sneak still holds national security clearance.

Pic by Erwin Jansen.

Fair game
Fitzgerald may not have indicted you, but you're still a slimeball.

[Doughy pantload] Jonah Goldberg has this one line post up at The Corner: "So where does Karl Rove report to get his reputation back?"

Now, I'm happy to take Patrick Fitzgerald's word for it, his evaluation of the evidence, that there's not enough evidence to indict Rove on any criminal charge.

But none of this changes the fact, for which there is abundant evidence, even admissions from Rove himself, that he did the malicious act. And he lied about doing it. Indeed, on top of that, President Bush welched on his promise to can anyone who was involved.

So, what reputation is it exactly that Rove wants back? I think this development leaves Rove's reputation quite intact.

- Josh Marshall.

For more on Rove's reputation, go to Google and type in "purulent scumbag" keep reading.

Rove got immunity in exchange for fingering Dick
Now that you've lost your lunch, the possible scenario:

"Does not anticipate seeking charges” means that if Rove testifies at Libby’s trial as expected, then all will be well for him. But if he “goes sideways” on Fitz and testifies differently from what is now expected, he could be charged - w/perjury certainly, and his deal to avoid criminal liability in the larger conspiracy could be “off” as he could face charges in that as well.

All told, a very standard deal and not unexpected. The more interesting issue and the reason for optimism now is that he couldn’t have gotten such a deal without having something important to offer Fitz. The “no prosecution” letter pretty much guarantees that he that he made a good deal. Either he offered up Cheney himself, or he offered up Libby to guarantee a conviction so Fitz can roll up Libby to Cheney. Either way, for me, I see Cheney going down...

- from firedoglake.


It would be worth it - just to see the fucker totally blow a gasket all over the witness stand.
*****

Not so fast...
Truthout "absolutely" stands by Rove indictment reports.

Who're you gonna believe, an organization called Truthout, or a lawyer? Specifically, Karl Rove's lawyer?

In 2003, while Rove was telling the media that he had no role in leaking Valerie Plame's identity, the corpulent pusbag was secretly telling the FBI the truth. It's now known that Rove had discussed Plame's CIA employment with incontinent traitor Robert Novak, who exposed her identity less than a week later, citing two unidentified senior administration officials. Rove's truth-telling to the FBI saved him from indictment, ass-raping in prison.

My head hurts and I need a drink.

This is our life on holiday
In honor of Chimpy McFlightsuit's trip to Iraq, I give you Green Day --

Heroes
Two NJ assemblywomen are pushing to ban Godless from all bookstores in the state, because of Coulter's godless attack on the 9/11 widows (from drudge, so no link).

Bonus: Ad Age calls her "subhuman," asks her if she'll kill herself.

Bonzo goes to Baghdad
"It was a dramatic move by Bush," gushed the AP.

With Zarqawi dead, our bold war preznit sneaks into the Green Zone for a photo op.

Fun fact: the visit was so secret even the Iraqi Prime Minister didn't know he was coming.


Meanwhile, it's Basra that's getting basted.
*****

Leno joins list of whores celebrating repulsive, inhuman troll
The unspeakably loathsome harpy skank will be Jay's guest Wednesday night, along with Tonight Show regular Bill Clinton's c*ck. Also booked: George Carlin.

Hopefully Mr Carlin will beat the hateful c*nt to death with whatever's available.

Fuck. Well, there goes my day
Slimy, pustulant worm will not be charged in CIA leak case.

Patrick Fitzgerald announced that while Karl Rove would not be charged with any wrongdoing, he remains a sneaky, dickless little prick whom he would have loved to have seen get raped in prison. Oh wait, that's me.

Howard Dean:

"If Karl Rove had been indicted it would have been for perjury. That does not excuse his real sin which is leaking the name of an intelligence operative during the time of war. He doesn't belong in the White House. If the President valued America more than he valued his connection to Karl Rove then Karl Rove would have been fired a long time ago. So I think this is probably good news for the White House, but its not very good news for America."

Christopher Wolf, counsel for Joseph Wilson and Valerie Plame:

"While it appears that Mr. Rove will not be called to answer in criminal court for his participation in the wrongful disclosure of Valerie Wilson's classified employment status at the CIA in retaliation against Joe Wilson for questioning the rationale for war in Iraq, that obviously does not end the matter. The day still may come when Mr. Rove and others are called to account in a court of law for their attacks on the Wilsons."

Ah well. Now we can focus on more important issues, like the gay flag-burning amendment or something.

Swann campaign sucking monkey ass
Political fumbles by the White House, the Pennsylvania GOP and gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann are turning the NFL Hall of Famer's campaign into a bad joke, the Moonie Times reports.

Republicans thought they could knock off Gov. Ed Rendell this fall by running a famous athlete against the former Philadelphia mayor. But now they say the Swann campaign is looking like a loser.

[S]ome Republicans in the state who were initially sympathetic to Mr. Swann are critical of a campaign they describe as arrogant and inept. Lacking guidance from the White House or the Republican National Committee, they say, Mr. Swann has failed to reach out to the state's most influential Republicans.

He has taken an ambiguous position on taxes, offered no clear philosophy of governance, arbitrarily cancelled speaking commitments, failed to file required financial statements and hired as chief campaign spokesman a New Yorker unschooled in Pennsylvania politics.

Fun fact: Swann was picked as the nominee by grublike slimeball Karl Rove.

Keepin' us safer
For the first time in five years, violent crime is on the rise.

Murders rose 4.8 percent, meaning there were more than 16,900 victims in 2005. That would be the most since 1998 and the largest percentage increase in 15 years.

Criminal justice experts said the statistics - increases in murders, robberies and aggravated assaults - reflect the nation's abandonment of effective programs that emphasized prevention, putting more police officers on the street and controlling the spread of guns.

"We see that budgets for policing are being slashed and the federal government has gotten out of that business," said James Alan Fox, a criminal justice professor at Northeastern University in Boston. "Funding for prevention at the federal level and many localities are down and the (National Rifle Association) has renewed strength."

Hey, but at least they're working on getting that icky gay-marriage thing out of the way.

Kitten-killer label may keep Frist from running for President
When knowlege of Senator/douchebag Bill Frist's little pet on Monday, cadaver on Tuesday habit first surfaced in the 1994 republican primary, one of his opponents sent beef-and-bacon-flavored 9 Lives Cat Treats to reporters.

But running a national race is a different animal from running a statewide one. He'd better have an answer ready on the cat thing before he can even think about winning the GOP nomination. Running for president requires candidates to dump out their underwear drawer for all to see, answer questions about what color eye shadow their prom date wore, and explain any cross word ever said to their dry cleaner.

In other words, it'll be brutal.

Next: Rick 'anal exudate' Santorum, working on that whole "man-on-dog" thing, sends cases of snausages to female constituents. In Virginia.

Mary Cheney's book sales eating carpet
Gay-hating lesbian Mary Cheney's book, Now It's My Turn, has sold less than 6,000 copies since it hit bookstores on May 9, 2006, Raw Story reports.

So who's buying it? According to Amazon, purchasers of Cheney's book also bought Godless: Yes, That's Me by mAnn Coulter, Can She Be Stopped: Hillary Clinton will be the next President of the United States unless... by John 'Pud' Podhoretz, and the Preznit GW Bush Dress-Up Activity Set from Colorforms.

So very cool
I can't get enough of this: Bruce Springsteen, live from the Seeger sessions tour --



Via AC.

LOL - could this be true?
Saw it on DemoUnderground:

And to make matters worse, since DeLay ran in the GOP primary with no intention of running in the general election, it is now apparent that he was engaging in fraud when he collected all those campaign contributions under false pretenses.

Looks like the Hammer might be going to the Slammer.

"I did not NAIL MYSELF to the cross!"
Jesus goes on Meet the Press with mAnn Coulter, Michele Malkin, and Bob Satan, Chairman of the National Republican Committee.

Pentagon: Al-Zarqawi died of old age
Kidding.
Injuries were caused by a bomb blast, not by helpful troops trying to revive him by repeatedly punching him in the face.

Oh, and in other winning the war on terra news, his replacement has already been named.

Visitors
Cool-sounding towns that recently popped up on our Mapstats box:

Horicon, United States - Sounds like the name of a hooker convention: Come One, Come All to Whore-i-Con 2006! Hot and cold buffet! Free door prizes! I went to Whore-i-Con '06 and all I got was this lousy T-shirt! kidding!!

Fort Dick, United States - maybe Whore-i-Con 2007 should be held there!

Wallula, United States

Lionville, United States

Neenah, United States

Nedrow, United States

Welcome, all!

Yo, c*nt -

"It’s not a 'liberal doctrine of infallibility' that keeps normal people from attacking Cindy Sheehan and the 9/11 widows as you allege, it’s something that, here on planet earth, we call BASIC HUMAN DECENCY."

- TRex at firedoglake, to repulsive skank mAnn Coulter.

Hey, Des Moines - your barn door's open



The city's huuuuuge detention basin, constructed to take "some of the load off of the pipe downstream" and prevent flooding. And here I was worried about mowing "#UCK W" in my lawn...

PSM
skippy is blogging live from the ykos convention!

Turnin' the corner
Blah blah blah. While the Fightin' Keyboardists greased up and gleefully masturbated over Zarqawi's death - and condemning everyone who wasn't jerking off - gunmen kidnapped a senior Iraq oil official in Baghdad, Iraq officials planned to ban daytime driving in order to deter car bombings, and Taliban leader Mullah Omar warned that Zarqawi's death would not weaken the war. Oh, and Osama was probably recruiting another terrist or two.

And all those other people, including our troops, wouldn't be dead either
CNN's Carol Lin to John Murtha yesterday: "A very big day for this administration. Is it fair to say that this attack and the killing of Al-Zarqawi wouldn't have happened if US troops were not on the ground?"

Murtha (paraphrasing): "Jebus, you ignorant slut. What kind of a stupid fucking question is that? How about this, you brainless twat: is it fair to say that Al-Zarqawi wouldn't have been kidnapping and beheading people if we hadn't occupied Iraq? Huh, you stupid bitch? Shit."

Must-read: How the Press Discriminates Against Democrats, at AlterNet.

I can't heeeeeeeear you...
Hero/patriot Rahm Emmanuel to rethugs: does mAnn C*nter speak for you?

"The hate she spews is the same kind of hatred we're battling in the war on terror. As a country of thought and reason, I urge all of us to reject it. I must ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle: Does Ann Coulter speak for you when she suggests poisoning Supreme Court Justices or slanders the 9/11 widows? If not, speak now. Your silence allows her to be your spokesman."

:: crickets ::

Cool stuff

Biologists discover that gazelles shrink their hearts in times of drought. Sizes described as small, very small, miniscule, and Cheney. (headline on the intarweb)

Why the stanky neonazi pigbitch is a c*nt.

Harpy skank is "a drag queen impersonating a fascist," says Andrew Sullivan. "She is worse than vile. She is just empty."

Good riddance, scumbag!