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Archive for Call Bullshit
August 19, 2007 at 11:44 pm · Filed under Confound Authority, Finish Ahead, Raise The Debate, Call Bullshit
It’s time to impeach Bush and Cheney.
Personally, I believed they should have been impeached after the whole secret torture prisons episode. Not only was it itself a travesty, but its execution further illustrated tis administration’s incompetence.
The first real “enough is enough” moment for me, though, has been the whole executive-branch/legislative-branch/just-go-fuck-yourself 3-card monty game being played by the white house, followed by the back-door pardon of Scooter Libby.
The last one was Cheney’s office explaining away his 1994 arguments for not invading Iraq: “He wasn’t the vice-president then.”
3,706 dead Americans.
On a more emotional level, I’m upset because I have always referred to them as President Bush and Vice-President Cheney, capitalized words like White House, Congress and Capitol; always believing that the office is above the man.
But this administration has done what Nixon and Clinton never did – brought the office low. They decimated the Justice Dept., FEMA, the FBI and other federal agencies in ways that reach down into our day-to-day lives. They go to extraordinary lengths to vigorously promote, defend and cover up torture. They have abandoned the rule of law. They consider me to be a traitor.
It’s time.
What we really need is a leader with a mandate – a landslide election. Currently, the only person that has a chance to give us that is Al Gore, and he won’t throw his hat in (yet). I thought we could wait for that, but these guys see the Visigoths coming over the seventh hill and have already started scorching the earth.
Congress wants to get rid of them, even the GOP members; but they are scared that they’ll pay for it next November. If enough people back them, they’ll do the electoral math and either do the right thing, or at least know the consequences of maintaining the status quo.
We can hope, anyway.
Either way, call your congressmen and tell them: It’s time.
June 14, 2007 at 12:08 pm · Filed under Live & Let Live, Call Bullshit
The President met with GOP Senators Tuesday to try and salvage his Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (the name seems to be as important as any particular provision with the GOP, doesn’t it?).
In fact, as the day went on, the President went from ‘courting,’ to ‘imploring,’ and finally to ‘pleading‘ with the GOP for their support on the bi-partisan compromise.
As delicious as it is to watch Bush grovel to his own party – and ironically frustrating that the GOP manages to be better at cowing him than the Democartic majority is – I actually find myself behind him on this issue.
The immigration compromise isn’t perfect, but it also isn’t terrible; and it’s far better than doing nothing.
The touchbacks and penalty fines are harsh, although Senator Kennedy’s provision to add back taxes to the tab would have been even more financially regressive, yet was striken from the bill.
But what the Congressional Republicans really oppose is the “amnesty” aspect, and want more focus put on “border security.” But the amnesty isn’t really amnesty, is it? And when they talk about border security, they’re only talking about the Mexican border.
This morning, on MSNBC, Pat Buchanan said “Support for this in Congress is collapsing. If this is such a popular bill, why is that?”
It’s about racism, that’s why – and any other explanation offered is simply bullshit. To say that it has nothing to do with race is like saying the Iraq war has nothing to do with oil.
Read the rest of this entry »
June 10, 2007 at 11:07 pm · Filed under Musings, Call Bullshit
A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine emailed me an article from WorldNetDaily, wondering if anyone was talking about it.
No one was. No one from the MSM, anyway.
The article concerned the new and improved National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, which grants the President extraordinary powers in a catastrophic emergency.
The idea seems practical enough on the surface: In the event of a crisis, we need to make sure the government keeps running, so a position is created to ensure national continuity. Sounds good, right?
Don’t be so sure. It turns out that there was already a National Emergency Act intended to keep the trains running and maintain our system of checks and balances. This one cuts Congress out of the equation, making the responsibility for maintaining government the exclusive purview of the executive branch. Sound familiar?
Also “catastrophic emergency” is rather broadly defined as “any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions.”
Let that sink in for just a moment.
Read the rest of this entry »
April 16, 2007 at 10:45 pm · Filed under Raise The Debate, Call Bullshit
Senator Mel Martinezn (R-FL) wrote in a recent op-ed piece that the Democrats need to reach accross the aisle and be more bipartisan in their approach.
After six years of lording themselves over the world (and six years before that doing their best to keep anything good from getting done), the freshly-neutered GOP are finally going to get to be the underdogs they are always portraying themselves to be.
Personally, I always found the GOP to be a bunch of cry-babies. They come across all tough, but they’re the ones to come up with pedantic nuggets like “freedom fries” and “homicide bombers.” Anyone smarter than them is “elite,” and anyone different from them is a degenerate.
Mel Martinez, who viciuosly and personally attacks anyone who disagrees with him, wants the Dems to work harder get along with the likes of himself, James Inhofe and Ted Stevens. More Ted here. And here.
I hate to disappoint you, Senator, but no can do.
I’ll tell you what we will do, though. In the spirit of compromise, in 2009, we’ll be happy to work closely with the new Democratic senators from Oklahoma and Alaska.
Don’t worry, you’ll still have two years left to enjoy the newfound friendship before you go.
April 3, 2007 at 4:48 pm · Filed under Musings, Call Bullshit
I had a bunch of memes rattling around to write on, but I either never got the chance, or else there wasn’t much there.
Either way here goes:
• In DC, I noticed that the Metro trains and stations are full of ads for miltary vehicles. Not just the line that goes to the Pentagon, either. And even on that line, can the Pentagon officials making purchasing decisions can be swayed by a placard in the Pentagon City station?
What does that say about the seriousness with which the Pentagon regards our military?
• I believe that the Iraq war funding bill showdown is really a way for Congress to test the waters for impeachment. President Bush is on the ropes, and they know it. He’s also predictable, as all arrogant men are. So when he vetoes HR 1591, just as Nancy Pelosi knows he will, we get to see just how much support he still has from the Republicans in Congress.
If I could see it go differently, though, there is one thing that I would change: The earmarks. I realize that concessions had to made to ensure passage, but if there ever a time for a true one-issue bill, it’s now.Shame on you, Congress (you know who you are).
• Did the President just criticize Congress for being on vacation – just before he left to go on yet another vacation, himself??
January 24, 2007 at 11:40 am · Filed under Raise The Debate, Call Bullshit
There are lots (and lots) of postings out there today commenting on last night’s State of the Union address, so I’ll limit my take to this:
726 days to go.
Here are some other comments:
Even everyone’s favorite neocon cheerleader, Michelle Malkin, had trouble writing anything positive in response. Mostly, she just made fun of Speaker Pelosi. Read more, if you must.
Again, all you need to know: 726 days to go.
January 11, 2007 at 12:13 pm · Filed under Raise The Debate, Call Bullshit
Last night, I liveblogged the President’s speech on the “New Way Forward” in Iraq. I thought it would be fun to play Wonkette’s Surge Speech Drinking Game at the same time, in an effort to lighten the moment a bit.
Also, it was better to put a beer bottle in my mouth than a gun.
Having reviewed the speech more closely, and listened to some of the reactions, I have to say that I have an overwhelming feeling of compassion for President Bush. The look on his face was one of a man who suddenly realizes what he’s done - like the teenager that steals a stop sign for kicks, and causes a fatal car crash.
His face and body language spoke of a man that knew he couldn’t fix what he had broken, despite his verbal assertions that something good could come of all of this, sounding like that same teenager reading the requisite apology letter to the crash victim’s families.
I feel sorry for him, and for the anguish he must be experiencing – even though he did bring it on himself. He took control of a nation with a strong economy, a balanced budget and high international esteem; and he ruined all of it through his narrow vision and avarice.
September 11th changed everything, we’re told (and told, and told); but I maintain that it might not have happened, had someone else been in the White House – or at least not happened in the same way. But it did happen, and instead of embracing the national unity and international goodwill, he saw an opening for his singular, petty goals and he took it. And, like every other udertaking in his life, he blew it. It was the international equivalent of trading Sammy Sosa.
Last night, it was clear that he knew it. There was no more denying it. There was no more taking comfort in the fact that his friends had made out well. There was no delusion that history would prove him a visionary.
All that’s left to do now is to try and stem the tide of death and destruction, and that apparently requires more death and destruction.
January 10, 2007 at 10:03 pm · Filed under Call Bullshit
I’m playing Wonkette’s Surge Speech Drinking Game while I do this, so if things get punchy near the end…
Leading with the “blowing up the golden mosque changed everything ” defense: “Their strategy worked. Radical Shia elements, some supported by Iran, formed death squads. And the result was a vicious cycle of sectarian violence that continues today.” Up until then, we were winning. Really.
The mistakes that were made were made by him, but he doesn’t say what those mistakes are. “Tthe responsibility rests with me.” Except for the parts that are fault of Iran, Syria, Al-Qaeda, the insurgents and the New York Times.
Many people he spoke with had an informed opinion on what to do. “And one message came through loud and clear: Failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the United States.” I guess he finally gets it. But does he plan to listen to those opinions?
And here’s the 9/11 tie-in: “On September the 11th, 2001, we saw what a refuge for extremists on the other side of the world could bring to the streets of our own cities. For the safety of our people, America must succeed in Iraq.”
(Grabbing another beer)
And now, here’s the “war in Iraq is really just in Baghdad” message: “80% of Iraq’s sectarian violence occurs within 30 miles of the capital.” And it’s up to the Iraqis to fix this mess.
The mistake was that there “weren’t enough Iraqi and American troops” and that our troops were too restricted. Imagine what Lynndie England could have done if she hadn’t been so short-leashed?
In Baghdad, the Iraqis need 18 army and police brigades for “conducting patrols, setting up checkpoints, and going door-to-door to gain the trust of Baghdad residents.” 18 brigades?! That’s something like 30,000 soldiers, plus mechs and artillery.
Here it comes: Commiting more than 20,000 more troops to Iraq. They’ll work along side of the 10,000 US and Iraqi troops in Baghdad (how many Iraqi troops are there? Twenty-three?).
(I need another beer)
Before, insurgents hung out at the 7-11 until the troops left their neighborhood. This time, troops will house-sit until they return.
“In earlier operations, political and sectarian interference prevented Iraqi and American forces from going into neighborhoods that are home to those fueling the sectarian violence.” This time, we’re sending in denizens of downtown Baltimore – we have to get those troops from somewhere, dont’cha know - to set up “corners” in those neighborhoods.
Our commitment to Iraq is not open-ended. “If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people.” Um,…guess what?…
It’s going to be messy, and making sure we see how messy it actually becomes is all part of the insurgent/mainstream media coalition strategy. “Most of Iraq’s Sunni and Shia want to live together in peace…” Except for the Sunni and the Shia. “…and reducing the violence in Baghdad will help make reconciliation possible.” Except that they are the violence in Baghdad.
(Another beer already?)
We need to roll out more $10 billion, no-bid contracts; but this time Iraq is footing the bill – from, you guessed it, oil revenue – and Condi Rice is going to be personally in charge of making sure Halliburton gets their piece of the action.
(I’m almost out of beer)
We’re going to “build a grand army” for the Iraqi people. Oh wait, that’s Palpatine. Too many beers, sorry.
Al-Qaeda’s new home base in Iraq – for real, this time. And they are gunning for Iraq’s new government. “This would bring al Qaeda closer to its goals of taking down Iraq’s democracy, building a radical Islamic empire and launching new attacks on the United States at home and abroad.” Talk about your self-fulfilling prophecies.
And since we have all of these troops there, it’s time to address Iran and Syria (gulp). It’s time for Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and others to step up.
We have to stay and Iraq and sacrifice more Americans to make the sacrifices made by dead Americans mean something.
“Millions of ordinary people are sick of the violence,” so we need to stay there and fight? Is he playing the drinking game, too?
Victory will not look the ones our fathers and grandfathers received. You know, like actual victories.
(Now, I’m out of beer)
“Our new approach comes after consultations with Congress about the different courses we could take in Iraq.”
“Acting on the good advice of Sen. Joe Lieberman…” He used the “L” word! Lieberman is Congress, after all. We need a bigger army. We also need more civilians, “where they can help build democratic institutions in communities and nations recovering from war and tyranny.” Any takers?
“These young Americans understand that our cause in Iraq is noble and necessary — and that the advance of freedom is the calling of our time.” Where have we heard this before?
“Fellow citizens: The year ahead will demand more patience, sacrifice, and resolve…Now America is engaged in a new struggle that will set the course for a new century. We can and we will prevail.”
I do believe in fairies! I do! I do!
“Now back to Deal or No Deal, already in progress…”
