Cartoon Commentary

"Freedom Fry" Congressman hungry like a wolf

Water Jones, a Republican from North Carolina was a vocal pro war proponent and was so mad at France for not joining us in invading Iraq he called for French Fries to be renamed Freedom Fries. Right wing dimwits across the land did what they do best - parrot - and soon it was a test of patriotism how one ordered their pommes. Well, like many on the right, he now realizes he was conned. He's now actually come up with a good idea about Iraq.

A Rod: The New Say "Hey" Kid

I was watching the Yankee game last night and really got a kick out of this. Alex Rodriguez was running to third when the Toronto shortstop settled under a high pop up ready to catch the ball for for out number 3. A Rod yelled "hey" as he ran behind him, distracting the Blue Jay who backed off the ball, letting it drop and starting a rally for my Yanks. The Blue Jays were livid saying A Rod's move was "Bush" league.

Here's my take. First, how appropriate that "Bush League" is the term for shoddy, unprofessional behaviour. Second, I admit it was kind of a cheap stunt. Finally, Since I am a Yankee fan, I loved it! I can completely understand why Yankee haters are in an uproar about this. You don't expect that kind of behavior in the MLB and especially with the Yankees. But I admit that I am biased, unfair and inconsistent by saying that I thought it was a great move and a stroke of near genius by Rodriguez. Nice job A Rod.

Fred Thomson Starts Presidential Drive

Just another Conservative quack!

Wow. This is cool

The bike messengers in New York are nuts! They fly by all the time missing you by mere centimeters. After a while you stop noticing them. It's sort of like a dragonfly whizzing by. But check out this video of some NYC bike messengers doing a cross city race.

She was covert

A formerly classified document released on Tuesday showed, without doubt, that Valery Plame WAS A COVERT AGENT in the CIA when her cover was blown by the Bush Administration. You'll remember that her name was part of a smear campaign by VP Cheney, Karl Rove, Richard Armitage and any number of other loyal Republicans in the Bush administration. When Scooter Libby was convicted of lying under oath to a Grand Jury to protect others we heard whining (sniff, sniff)about how unfair it was and that it didn't reeeeaaaly matter anyway 'cause (sniff) she wasn't a covert agent so there was "no underlying crime" to the overall leak case. Even though it was already known by everyone except those fooled by the devious right wing media, it is now proven beyond any doubt.

Of course, I would like to think that all those who have been hanging on to that excuse would repent and admit they were wrong. But I predict the Red talking heads will come up with something brand new and within a week, all of Red America will be repeating it and they will have completely forgotten the "covert" talking points they scurrilously parroted previously.

Ron Paul - Real Time

Ron Paul has long been one of my favorite Republicans. For years he warned his party of the dangers of the neocons. He was against the Iraq war. During the FOX news debate a couple weeks ago he was the target of harsh criticism by the network's host and the other candidates. Yet, in the FOX poll running on the ticker that night, viewers strongly favored Paul. I think he's a bit too eccentric to win the election but it sure is refreshing to see an independent thinker in the Grand Old Party.

Here's his appearance on this week's Real Time with Bill Mahr.

Pitiful Pinstripes

Went to the Yankee game today and we lost again. Still, it was a beautiful afternoon at Yankee Stadium so I really can't complain too much. We are really in danger of falling out of the playoff picture all together - already!! If things don't turn around it could get ugly. I heard Joe Torre boo'ed today for the first time ever. Told ya... During the God Bless America I looked around to see if they were stopping people from leaving their seats. I didn't see anything and 95% of people stayed still. But, some guy yelled from the back to "Take off your hat" and some guy who was in front of me who had forgot to get hatless yanked it off instantly. We play another series against Boston next weekend and at 12 games back right now, we can't afford to lose a single one of those games.

Bushie out of the bubble

Former Bush Chief of Staff Andrew Card was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Massachusetts this weekend. Graduating students, parents and guest were very adament about their displeasure about that. President Bush and his folks have tended to only attend public events with a pre-screen audience to make sure they are loyal to The Party. Supporters of the Party tend to stick with their own news sources and avoid debate with any Americans who don't parrot the party line. Well, Watch what happens when a Red visits the real world.

Young Las Vegas Partiers Drink and Scoot

Anyone who has visited Las Vegas knows just how expansive the strip is. My first night there I decided to walk from one end to the other stopping in every casino. I am a great walker and set on my way starting at the Stratosphere. Well, as you can guess I didn't get very far. It is really a bit misleading when you look down the strip. You see a neat row of casinos but what you can 't really tell is just how big they are. It takes about 20 minutes to just walk by or through a casino! It is impossible to hit all of them on the same evening. In fact, when I would go out I would usually focus on four places - two next to each other and two across the street. Even that was a lot of walking.

Well it seems that many young people now are not even bothering to try to hoof it around. This story tells how 20 somethings are the new booming market in Las Vegas for motorized scooter rentals. Those little carts, once used only by little old ladies from Pasadena, are now all the rage for party goers unwilling to walk from casino to casino.

Simon Lezama, 27-year-old tourist from Odessa, Texas, drives his electric mobility scooter at the Riviera hotel-casino in Las Vegas, Friday, May 18, 2007. "It was all the walking," Lezama said on his red Merits Pioneer 3. Lezama, a trim and fit-looking restaurant manager from Odessa, Texas, rented it on day three of his five-day vacation, "and now I can drink and drive, be responsible and save my feet."

MONICA BLOWS IT! Goodling Tells how GOP Partisanship Infests DOJ / Influenced Election Results

I watched with much interest the testimony Wednesday of former Justice Department official Monica Goodling. She insisted on immunity then calmly spilled the beans. She was ever so nonchalant when admitting to asking Justice Department job applicants their party affiliation - making sure they were loyal to The Party. She tried to muddle the issue by saying that SOME people applied for both political and non political jobs anyway - which is a bit like defending adultery by saying that you also slept with your wife ( Let’s call it the Ted Haggard Defense) . Goodling also claimed to be out of the loop on a lot of stuff and shifted as much of the blame she could over to retiring assistant AG Paul McNaulty. Still, this young and inexperienced political operative embedded in the Justice Department ended up revealing much of what has been deliberately hidden away.

Goodling is a graduate of Regent University, Rev. Pat Robertson’s right wing college with dubious academic credentials.(Interestingly, no less then 150 graduates of this University have gone on to work for the Federal Government since 2001). Of course when a Democrat pointed some of that out the Republicans on the committee claimed that Christianity itself was being assaulted and that people of faith were suffering unbearably from the unflattering comments. Anyway, they explained, the school recently won a debate competition! It's frightening to learn how many Regent University graduates have been given control of the levers of power. It's also illustrative to witness just how fast some Republicans will claim religious persecution at the slightest opportunity.

Finally, she talked about “caging” - a Republican tactic used in 2000 and 2004 to disenfranchise black voters. (Or, to put it another way, steal elections) Again, Goodling admitted to it as if it should all come as no surprise. Maybe it doesn't the BBC reported it 3 years ago. Yet, the silence is deafening from the American public as our once great democracy is destroyed, from the inside, right before their eyes.

When you get 10 minutes watch this 2004 Newsnight report from the BBC which shows how “caging” was used by Republicans in 2000 and 2004 to keep Democratic voters from casting a ballot.

GOP 'Party Girl' broke the law

A government investigation has found a top Bush administration official broke the law by encouraging subordinates to use their power to support Republican candidates for office, sources tell ABC News.

Falwell Student Planned to Bomb Demonstrators at his Funeral

The Falwell legacy of hate and intolerance seems to be taught quite well at Liberty University.

A Liberty University student who told a family member he had made bombs and planned to attend the funeral of the Rev. Jerry Falwell was apparently upset about an anti-gay fringe group that protested at the funeral, authorities said. Mark David Uhl, of Amissville, was arrested Monday night after a family member contacted authorities, who found homemade bombs in the trunk of Uhl's car, Major Steve Hutcherson said. The five bombs were describes as ''sort of like napalm'' and about the size of soda cans. ''We do not believe the Falwells were ever in any danger,'' authotities said.

Smithsonian Administrator Claims Pressure from Reds To Deny Science

The fact that this story is not surprising shows just how far America has fallen under the spell of the right wing. At last, I know what citizens of the old Soviet Union felt like. Mr Bush, Tear Down This Wall (of ignorance).

The Smithsonian Institution toned down an exhibit on climate change in the Arctic for fear of angering Congress and the Bush administration, says a former administrator at the museum. Among other things, the script, or official text, of last year's exhibit was rewritten to minimize and inject more uncertainty into the relationship between global warming and humans, said Robert Sullivan, who was associate director in charge of exhibitions at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
Also, officials omitted scientists' interpretation of some research and let visitors draw their own conclusions from the data, he said. In addition, graphs were altered ''to show that global warming could go either way,'' Sullivan said. ''It just became tooth-pulling to get solid science out without toning it down,'' said Sullivan, who resigned last fall after 16 years at the museum. He said he left after higher-ups tried to reassign him.

Carter's Comments Bother Bush

"I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history. The overt reversal of America's basic values as expressed by previous administrations, including those of George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon and others, has been the most disturbing to me."

Jimmy Carter

"I think it's sad that President Carter's reckless personal criticism is out there, I think it's unfortunate. And I think he is proving to be increasingly irrelevant with these kinds of comments." White House Spokesperson

Cartoon Commentary

click to enlarge

I have to admit that my first thought when I heard that Jerry Falwell had died was that "Satan has Returned Home". He is one of a very, very small number of people that I suspect are true evil. If there is a heaven and Hell then Jerry Falwell must surely be in Hell. He used the word of God to advance un-Christian-like politics. He manipulated good people to follow his evil ways. He spawn an whole generation of hatred, lies and division in this country. All in the name of the Lord.
[One of the many political tales Falwell spun from the pulpit involve the notorious smear videos titles the Clinton Chronicles. It is a perfect example of this mans life. Find a lie, spread it to your flock, watch them help your political candidates win. ] Burn Jerry Burn!

Happy Friday!

Music from Loverboy - "Everybody's working for the weekend" with scenes from the TV show The Office.

Christopher Hitchens on the dealth of Rev. Jerry Falwell

It had to be said.

Happy Mother's Day!

I'll be in Florida for a few days to spend some time with my parents. Happy Mother's Day!

Freedom Curtailed In Order To Celebrate Freedom

Sometimes I feel myself evolving into Andy Rooney - a curmudgeon complaining about everything. Well, here I go again. What I want to whine about today is the policy of the New York Yankees during the National Anthem and God Bless America. I see in today’s NY Times that the Yankees now have a strict policy of fan being forbidden to move at all during the playing of these two songs.

OK let me start at the beginning. The playing of the National Anthem at the beginning of sporting events is a long held American tradition. I have no problem with it at all. I stand respectfully with my hands to my side and hat off. (I have always been annoyed at people who put their hands on their hearts during the national anthem. As best I can recall, Ronald Reagan started that to prove he was extra double proud to be an American. It doesn’t make any sense and reminds me of people, who during moments of silence, close their eyes extra tight for everyone to see and says “Amen” extra loud to demonstrate their piety. It’s silly.)

So I think that the National Anthem is fine at the beginning of the game. But ever since 9-11 we now all rise to sing “God Bless America” in the 7th inning. An easier song to follow (especially after 7 innings of beer sales) the crowd usually sings along. Personally I think that we should sing God Bless America at the beginning and leave the rest of the time to sing “Take me out to the ball game” and “Charge!!”. (Every team probably has their own unique sing-a-longs. My favorite at Yankee Stadium is the song for Jorge Posada. It is difficult to write how it goes but basically it is a long chant of “hor-hay, hor hay, hor hayyyyy, jor hayyyy, hor hayyyyy”. Believe me it sounds good when tens of thousands of people are cheering/singing it).

But the Yankee policy of now forbidding people from making their way to the restroom or wherever during these songs is just too much. I have noticed that 90% of the people naturally stop where they are while the National Anthem plays then afterwards make their way to wherever they are going. During God Bless America there is a bit more activity as people rush between innings so they get back in time for the end of the game. Now we will not be permitted to move freely as we sing about our freedom. We will be forced to stand where we are until, under the watchful eye of security, the song stops and we are permitted to go take a pee or buy an All American hot dog. To me - it seems downright Un-American to MAKE people stand for a song. In fact, it sounds down right fascist to me.

So, I have to agree with the ACLU

“Yankee management is free to promote its brand of musical patriotism,” Arthur Eisenberg, the legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a written statement. “But we need to be wary of enforced cultural conformity and the use of a ballgame to impose political correctness on a captive audience.”

Shows of patriotism, like that of religious faith, seems to have taken a strange turn during the past generation. Once a private action, recently we have been forced to publicly demonstrate our beliefs. We have had politicians build up reverence for symbols like the flag and these songs while they simultaneous remove the very freedoms the symbols once stood for! They have tried to force Christian rituals on the American people while they pursue policies which can be argued are not very Christian at all. Frankly, I think the efforts to elevate the importance of symbolism are part of a conscious plan to distract the American people from the substance of policies these politicians pursue.I personally believe that people should stand for the songs, stay still if possible and show respect for our country. But to FORCE ticket paying customers to do so is way beyond the pale. It seems pretty basic knowledge that the 1 sure fire way to make someone resent doing something (even something they would voluntarily want to do) is to mandate it. I have no problem standing still for these songs. I do have a problem being told that I must do that.

As a related issue (not sure if I wrote about it last year) is the use of military aircraft to open a baseball game after the National Anthem. During Opening Day 2006, the fighter jets buzzed the stadium so close that the noise shook the seats and the danger to fan safety seemed real. One false move, one mechanical failure and a speeding jet plows into the seats. That alone is a bad idea - never mind the symbolism of cheering an aircraft designed only to kill. During the 1st playoff game last year they also used fighter planes. I was running late for the game and was in line to get in the Stadium when the jets unexpectedly flew directly overhead. I am not exaggerating when I say that we unsuspecting fans and ticket agents all either crouched down in terror or hit the ground flat! C’mon is it really necessary to do that?

This commentary is crossposted at DailyKos.com. You can read the comments from those readers at the bottom of the page here . I also have this up at a Yankee blog and am getting a lot of interesting comments here.

UPDATE: Apparently the law says you have to put your hand on your heart. I did not know that. I do now.

Tammy Faye Bakker is very ill and I'm sorry to hear that. I remember her rise to notoriety on one of the original televangelists shows - the PTL Club. Her husband Jim would preach and ask for donations and she would cry. Oh boy would she. Her mascara ran down her face like a clown and people loved it. But then Jim landed in jail and she became a national joke for very long time.

I'm sure I made many jokes about Tammy Faye over the years until I saw her on the reality show ‘The Surreal World’. In it I saw a sweet, warm and caring person. I was surprised. Everyone in the house came to love and admire her.

I'm glad that Tammy Faye had a chance to give some depth to her story. She seemed like a genuine person with a good heart.

Here is a REAL commercial shown on the PTL club.

How To Convince Republicans To End The War

I had a bit of inspiration today after watching the national call in program Washington Journal on CSPAN. The topic was Iraq of course and typically Republican callers were arguing that we have to keep sending in more troops and keep spending billions of dollars a month in Iraq in an effort to win there militarily. Additionally, it was reported that Vice President Dick Cheney has made a surprise visit to Iraq today to check on progress. Here are the ideas I have come up with.

1. A Republican War Tax: Since only die hard right wingers still support the President and this war, they and only they should pay for it from this point on. The Republican War tax would be levied monthly on all people who have been registered Republican since 2000 to pay for the cost of their war. (This would also include medical and funeral arrangements). Let’s see if these loud mouth chicken hawks are willing to (gasp!) pay more taxes to fund their folly. I have a feeling that the mere threat of taking money out of their hands would send them running to the peace table.

2. Give Dick Cheney a gun - keep him in Iraq: Clearly the man likes to shoot caged animals and geriatric lawyers. Well play time is over Dick. Give him a gun and make him fight there until “the job is done”. He dodged out of service in Vietnam but here’s his chance to back up his tough talk with tough action. Sit him in a HumVee, give him a beer, hand him a gun and tell him to get comfortable. I'm guessing that he would declare victory in short order and personally lead the retreat out of Iraq.

Huh?

What began as a mid-latitude or extratropical low pressure system has now
transitioned to what is known as a Sub Tropical Storm

Sunday's Rocket Launch

Sunday was a great day at “The Stadium”. First of all the weather was perfect. Brilliant sunshine and mild temperatures. We won. A much needed victory and a great performance by a very young pitcher. There was a almost fight. Not that I like that kind of thing but it is an occasional occurrence at ballgames. It was my first “bench clearing” incident that I have seen in person. Very exciting. And of course there was the surprise announcement during the seventh inning stretch.

It was interesting how they made the announcement. They were playing “Take me out to the ball game” as usual when the announcer stopped the song and asked for attention for a special announcement. At first, it was a little worrisome. Something was happening, and the NYPD helicopter uncharacteristically circling the stadium all made me a little concerned that it was a security situation. But, then the announcer directed us to the big screen where Roger Clemens appeared LIVE from the press box to announce that he was returning to the Yankees.

The crowd did show their appreciation and I cheered along. However, there was NOT a RACOUS cheer at the announcement. I was surprised that most Yankee fans are like me -glad to have a new pitcher but not all a-flutter about it being Roger specifically. Careful readers of this blog have noticed that I am not that big of a Roger Clemens fan. I think he has an oversized ego, oversized contract, is a dirty player and by all means a huge prima Dona. I’m glad that he will pitch some games for us. But if Clemens expects me and the stadium to bow down in appreciation at his choice to wear the pinstripes he will surely be disappointed. And if he underperforms I predict he will hear boos louder that that ever hurled upon A Rod.

Cartoon Commentary

Barack in A Hard Place: Red America

It's tempting to think that all of America is ready for a black President, but we have to remember that the "conservative" ideology still plays the major role in American political dialog. I visit conservative blogs and unfortunately when the topic of Barack Obama comes up racist comments almost always follow. As with so many other issues regarding common decency, Red Americans still have a long way to go when it comes to race.

There have been two stories in the news lately that brings this point home. First of all the US Secret Service has been forced to give Barack Obama security already! This is, by far, the earliest any candidate has need protection. The Secret Service will not give any specific details except to say that "unspecified threats" are being made necessitating the unprecedented security precautions.

Next, CBS News found themselves in the position of having to pull the comments section of their news posts about Obama. Seems every time he is discussed, hateful and racists comments follow. So none are permitted anymore.

American history is full examples of power brokers fanning the fans of racism. The KKK was huge in the South in the early 20th century as they bolstered membership by many of the same rhetorical techniques used by contemporary "conservatives". The KKK evolved into segregationist Democrats and when the Democrats evolved past this, these people were welcomed into the "new" Republican party. From Ronald Reagan's race baiting to today's talk show hosts heated rhetoric, these racist feelings are still used by politicians to gain support by those who harbor racist feelings. It's no wonder then that Barack Obama finds himself threatened verbally and physically by the remnants of Americas dark past that now resides in too much (but not all) of Red America.

FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!

Did you ever get an e mail with that title? I'm sure you have. The magazine PCWorld has compiled a list of the 25 most common junk e mails of all time. You can read the whole list with a thorough debunking here. I'll give you the top 5.

1. The Accidental Tourist (2001)
Quite possibly the most famous hoax picture ever, this gruesome idea of a joke traveled around the Web and made a grand tour of e-mail inboxes everywhere soon after the tragedy of September 11. It depicts a tourist standing on the observation deck of one of the World Trade Center towers, unknowingly posing for a picture as an American Airlines plane approaches in the background.

2. Sick Kid Needs Your Help (1989)
This gem had its roots in reality. It all began in 1989, when nine-year-old cancer patient Craig Shergold thought of a way to achieve his dream of getting into the Guinness Book of World Records. Craig asked people to send greeting cards, and boy, did they. By 1991, 33 million greeting cards had been sent, far surpassing the prior record. Ironically, however, the Guinness World Records site doesn't contain any mention of Craig Sherwood or a "most greeting cards received" record, presumably because the fine folks at the site don't want to encourage anyone to try to break his mark.

3. Bill Gates' Money Giveaway (1997)
No, it's true. I thought it was a scam, but it happened to a buddy of mine. It seems that Microsoft is testing some new program for tracing e-mail, and the company needs volunteers to help try the thing out. He forwarded me an e-mail that he received from Microsoft--and get this, from Bill Gates himself! Two weeks later, as a reward for participating, my pal received a check for thousands of dollars! Sure he did. Another version of this hoax claims that AOL's tracking service is offering a cash reward. Tell you what--when you get your check, send me 10 percent as a finder's fee, okay?

4. Five-Cent E-Mail Tax (1999)
"Dear Internet Subscriber," the e-mail starts. "The Government of the United States is quietly pushing through legislation that will affect your use of the Internet." It goes on to reveal that "Bill 602P" will authorize the U.S. Postal Service to assess a charge of five cents for every e-mail sent. Not a bad way to cut down on the number of dopey e-mail chain letters and lame jokes people let loose on the world. But credulous curse averters and connoisseurs of boffo laffs can relax: This e-mail alert, which popped up in 1999 and comes back for a visit every year or so, just isn't true.

5. Nigerian 419 E-Mail Scam (2000)
"DEAR SIR," the e-mail starts. "FIRSTLY I MUST FIRST SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION; LET ME START BY INTRODUCING MYSELF PROPERLY..." I'm sure you've received one of these--a confidential, urgent e-mail message promising you a reward of mucho dinero for helping this person convey money abroad. All you need do in return is entrust your name and bank account number to the government bureaucrat (or his uncle, aunt, or cousin, the ostensible "credit officer with the union bank of Nigeria plc (uba) Benin branch") who needs your help.

Republican Debate Analysis

The debate last night was pretty interesting. I thought that most of the candidates did pretty well for themselves. Of course, they talked of Ronald Reagan in weirdly supernatural terms and style over substance predictably held the day for the Republicans. But besides that foolishness, most of the candidates articulated their positions well and came across as more thoughtful and intelligent than the current resident of the white house.

For some reason Chris Matthews chose to “attack” only 1 candidate - my favorite Mike Huckabee. Matthews read a quote from one of his interviews and tried to get Huckabee to admit he was attacking Mitt Romney. Huckabee seemed confused by Matthews accusations and tried to assure him that it was a general comment not a direct attack. That provided him a good deal of time that, despite being put on the defensive, I think he handled quite well.

Mitt Romney surprised me the most. He is a great speaker and can explain his thoughts in a clear and simple way without being elemental. If Republicans are looking for another Reagan than Romney, seemed to me to fit the bill most closely. Guliani did better than I expected and came across as a feasible commander in chief. McCain was very energetic which sometimes made him look a bit spastic. At one point he growled that he would follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of Hell - then burst out grinning at his own hyperbole. It was a strange moment.

The rest of the candidates seemed to fade into the woodwork with Jim Gilmore being especially bland. I also noticed, looking a the full slate of GOP candidates, that they were all old white men in dark suits. Interesting that in 2007, THAT is more noticeable than the rainbow of race and gender we see on the Democratic side.

Tonight - The Republicans

Tonight is the 1st Republican debate and of course I will be watching. They are holding it at the Ronald Reagan Library demonstrating the hero worshipping tendencies that I have always thought was a symptom of their propensity to “follow” and oversimplify everything. To them Reagan was not a mortal man - he was God like. Reagan was everything good. Anything positive that has happened in the past 30 years is because of Reagan. Every Republican candidate wants to be the next Reagan and all have talked about him on the stump the way a school girl goes on about the jock. It’s kind of gay and will be the most sickening part of the debate tonight. Look for everyone (the press included) to gush over what a great man Ronald Reagan was. No mention of his race baiting to get elected or the widespread corruption inside his administration after he was elected is likely to be made.

I have not talked much about the Republican field so here it goes.

Mike Huckabee - I have been meaning to write about him for some time now. He is the only Republican in the race that I would consider voting for. He is from (of all places) Hope, Arkansas. He’s the former Governor of that state, a man of the cloth and very conservative. The reason I like him is that he really understands that it is wrong to force his belief system on other people or the country as a whole. He actually believes that Christians should help the poor and take care of the less fortunate. He is smart and open minded. I tell any conservative I talk to that they would be wise to support Huckabee because (with the possible exception of Fred Thompson) he is the only Republican who could garner enough crossover votes to win the general election.

Rudy Guliani - He cleaned up New York City but the nation as a whole is nothing like the Big Apple. While he and the GOP have really worked on building up his 9-11 heroics, I always thought he did a good - not great job. His tenure as mayor was filled with corruption and abuse of power and I always like to remind folks that Guliani wanted to cancel the Mayoral elections after 9-11 and keep himself in charge for an unprecedented (and unelected) third term. His personal life also is a bit troublesome with affairs, divorces and dealings with people like Bernard Kerik. To me Rudy seems like an authoritarian leader prone to abusing power. I think we’ve had enough of that type of behavior in the White House for a while.

Mitt Romney - His fundraising abilities may assure him a VP slot but he has a long way to go to get the Presidential nomination. He has flip flopped so dramatically it is hard to know what he would do as President. I fear he would over-pander to the GOP base and without any internal political compass he could really get us in trouble.

John McCain - Well, well. Back in 2000 I was a big McCain fan. He talked straight about how George W. Bush was a dirty campaigner and would make a poor President. Fast forward 7 years and he has embraced not only George W. Bush, but the very political operatives that smeared him back in 2000. When McCain was a POW he signed and read an anti-American confession. I can, of course, forgive that. But doing more or less the same thing with George W. Bush makes me wonder if this straight talker is also a fast folder - and would end up being a very weak President.

Ron Paul I like a lot of what this guys says. He is fiercely independent and has been (fruitlessly) warning his own party of the dangers of the neo-cons and the radicals that have taken over the GOP. I hope he calls out the other candidates that have supported this President and his neo-con pals.

Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter - these are single issue candidate who are likely to blame everything from the Iraq war to their hemorrhoids on Bill Clinton and the democrats. For your everyday Republican voter this simple message will excite. However, it won’t be enough to become serious candidates.

Sam Brownback, Tommy Thompson and Jim Gilmore - Brownback is a traditional conservative who seemed to have a lot going for him. For some reason though, he hasn’t caught on with Republican voters. Thompson is a decent guy but really very uninspiring - Gilmore even less so.

Online Security: Do "they" know your passwords?

Isn’t it a hassle to keep track of all the passwords you use on line? E mail, newspapers, airlines, entertainment sites…they all require registration with their own unique password. Not only is it annoying to try to think of something original but it isn’t always easy keeping track of the password you entered. I try to use different ones for every website but I have registered for at least 100 sites, so this ritual stretches my imagination as much as my memory. On top of that, experts recommend that you change all your passwords every 90 days. Imagine that! I’ve come across this very interesting and helpful study about the security of the passwords people use online. Many, they say, use overly simple passwords when they should use uncommon alphanumeric combinations. They explain how to come up with good passwords and even made a list of the ten most popular (and thus LEAST secure) passwords.

The Top Ten passwords to avoid

1. password
2. 123456
3. qwerty
4. 123abc
5. letmein
6. monkey
7. myspace1
8. password1
9. blink182
10. (your first name)

RIP Tom Poston

Tom Poston seemed to be be every sitcom in the 80's but his career went all the way back to the 50's. Here's a clip with Bob Newhart as Poston plays George - who is having a dream.

(What) Mission (was) Accomplished?

It was four years ago today that President George W. Bush announced “Mission Accomplished” on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln At the time I knew it was premature to declare the war over and I was sickened at the crass commercialization of the war for partisan purposes that day. I figured that his little promenade would clinch his reelection because it was so beautifully produced. Ironically, today this image stand as a symbol of the disconnect between the Bush administration and reality. Unfortunately that realization did not hit enough Americans by November of 2004 and we are in the midst of the second term of this sad state of denial. How idiotic Bush now looks in his jumpsuit strutting around. Gosh, how some people were impressed! Are they still? Well, if you check out this short video you’ll see how the White House has left out the Mission Accomplished banner from their very own web site. I checked just Monday night and sure enough, it’s not there. So, no. No one is proud of this extravegant photo op any more.

Cartoon Commentary

Happy Friday News Roundup

I haven’t had much time to blog this week but here is a news roundup for your very own Happy Friday.



It's so inspiring to see Stephen Hawking floating around in zero gravity. Nearly completely paralyzed because of Lou Gehrig’s disease, Hawking has done groundbreaking work in Astrophysics. Now he hopes to travel in space. Thursday’s first run was characterized as a huge success. story

Check out this funny video I found that took the clip of Bush's dancing the other day and put it to a funky James Brown jam. It's one of the few times that W has made me laugh. He looks uncomfortable but that’s one part of his job where he can do no harm. So it is good to see him sorta let loose. Maybe he should dance more often.



I watched the Democratic debate last night. Brian Williams, the moderator, asked some really pointless questions and with 8 candidates there was little time for them to really elaborate on anything. I think Obama and Hillary did well. Richardson has some strong moments. Kucinich and Gravel are kind of out there but made some good points. Dodd blended into the background while Biden screamed for attention. Edwards was less dynamic than I expected and if I forgot anyone then that tells you what I thought of their performance.

The Yankees lost again last night for the 6th time in a row. Boston visits this weekend and I have tickets for Saturday and Sunday. I hope we can bounce back. We have so many injuries now including our best pitchers so it is going to be a challenge.

Finally, I have been following one story with urgent interest. The only thing is that whenever I tell people what I know they beg me to stop because it too depressing. Since it’s a Happy Friday edition of MQAblog let me accentuate the positive and simply assure you that I’m keeping an eye on the bees.

Marge Simpson Finally Discovers the Internet

The Voice of the Right

This is really something. It's an audio clip from the Rush Limbaugh show (someone else did the video portion). If you listen to it you'll hear a parody song supposedly sung by Al Sharpton and titled (no joke) "Barack The Magic Negro". I don't think you can underestimate the influence Limbaugh has had on the conservative movement. It could not have happened without him motivating the ground troops. It's amazing that the man is still so beloved by Republicans (with a $285 million dollar contract). I'm surprised he is still so influential - not just because of the content of his daily hate fest, but for his repeated falls from grace. Limbaugh is still lauded by the Right despite a lifetime of unseemly behavior. Further proof of the insincerity of this so called conservative movement.

Mets Fan Arraigned For Temporarily Blinding Braves Players

A Bronx man was arraigned on reckless endangerment charges Sunday after prosecutors say he flashed a light into the eyes of Atlanta players during Friday night's Mets game. The Queens district attorney’s office says 40-year-old Frank Martinez temporarily blinded the Braves' pitcher and shortstop by aiming a high-powered flashlight at them in the eighth inning. If convicted, Martinez faces up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine. NY1

Cartoon Commentary

Gonzo and the Red Menace we face for decades to come

I'll give a quick summary of the Alberto Gonzalez hearings yesterday. I was amazed at just how shallow Gonzo's thinking is and what a dim bulb this guy is. I knew he was soft and no genius, but I did not realize that he appears to be even more stupid than George W. Bush. Within the first 15 minutes I knew that he would soon be gone. Even the Republicans on the panel seemed amazed at the simple minded responses by the #1 law enforcement agent in the nation. (My personal favorite was when he said that HE made the decision but could not recall when, where or how)

His testimony showed me a few things. First, The republican party will promote for loyalty above anything else (including competence). It's just too bad for what's left of the USA. Two, George W. Bush probably kept Gonzo around all these years not only out of an ability to steer him around by the nose , but also because Gonzo was one of the few people on earth that made W feel smart! (It explains a lot.) Three, the Justice Department is simply one arm of Karl Roves' grand political scheme to assure one party rule. He has used DOJ to plant rightwing nutjobs in important positions - doing damage in the here and now as well as beefing up their resumes for future appointments in the US Government. Like little ticking time bombs, the Justice department is now full of little Roves', Gonzos' and W's, ready to go off whenever they are needed. Some are smart, others dumb but all willing to promote an ideology so removed from reality I can only describe it as a political cult preaching one truth (learned not real), absolute loyalty to the "cause" and a willingness to do whatever they are told to help the "movement". God help this country -now and in the years ahead as these little time bombs inevitably go off to do more damage for at least a generation to come.

Heyyyy B! Happy Friday

Love ya B!!!! I know you'll remember this! :)(odd ending to the video, but what can I say, I still love the song.)

A little roundup

A couple of quick things before I shuffle off to work for the day.

THE NOR'EASTER It has been raining here almost non stop since Saturday evening. Real windy too. But compared to tropical storms in Florida or the dire warnings of the New York Weathermen, the Nor'easter wasn't really that bad. Just really wet and windy.

THE SCHOOL SHOOTING What can be said about this tragedy. It's happened before. It'll happen again. Banning all guns or arming everyone are impractical ideas. The Va. Tech police should have warned the campus that the gunman was still free - but that is hindsight. It is understandable that thought the first shooting was an isolated incident and that the gunman probably was long gone. They were wrong - but it is easy for me to understand how they could have made that mistake. The only person to blame is the killer.

ALBERTO GONZALEZ I took Tuesday off to watch his testimony and then it was changed to Thursday! Fortunately I have that day off too. I am really looking forward to sitting in front of CSPAN all day watching it. I want to know just how much Karl Rove was doing the job of the AG and exactly what are the backgrounds of DOJ staff. My understanding is that a disproportionate number are under qualified or graduates of the universities run by Jerry Fallwell and Pat Robertson. I want to know who Gonzales has placed in positions of high influence and just what qualifications these folks have.

GOVERNOR CORZINE That's big news here. I feel terrible for him - especially since he was travelling to mediate between Imus and the Rutgers Basketball team. He was travelling at 91 MPH without a seat belt!!! Everyone please (re) learn the lesson to always buckle up.

PAUL WOFOWITZ One of the architect of the Iraq fiasco, Wolfie was rewarded with an appointment to the World Bank. So, what does he do? Promote his girlfriend (another architect of the war) to an sky high paid position in the organization. I have never seen crooked and stupid so intertwined as I have with this Bush Administration. Maybe that's why Karl Rove seem to be calling all the shots. He is not stupid but makes up for it with his attempt to lock in Republican party rule for life. He is the smart fascist of the bunch bullying all the lightweights like Gonzalez around.

Bollywood Kiss Too Hot To Handle

The Bollywood actress who was the center of controversy in the UK Big Brother program finds herself in more hot water. It is interesting to see how conservatives in other countries get themselves in an uproar just like here, albeit for somewhat different reason. story of outrage not everyone upset

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is in the news again -- this time though for some wrong reasons -- as her kissing act with Hollywood star Richard Gere at a function on AIDS awareness has led to widespread protests from several quarters.In Varanasi, Shiv Sena and Bande Mataram Sangharsh Samiti activists as well as Muslims staged protests in various parts of the city and burnt effigies of Gere and Shetty to protest against their "indecent behaviour" which, the protesters claimed, was "an attack on our cultural ethos".

Why Republicans Are So Often Wrong

A new survey of 1,502 adults released Sunday by Pew Research Center for the People & the Press measured the levels of knowledgeability (correct answers) among those surveyed and found that those who scored the highest were regular watchers of Comedy Central's The Daily Show and Colbert Report. They tied with regular readers of major newspapers in the top spot -- with 54% of them getting 2 out of 3 questions correct. Watchers of the Lehrer News Hour on PBS followed just behind. Virtually bringing up the rear were regular watchers of Fox News. Only 1 in 3 could answer 2 out of 3 questions correctly.
Conservative groups work hard to make sure people stay misinformed

'Tiny Bubbles' singer Don Ho dies at 76

Don Ho has died . Here's his classic sing a long hit "Tiny Bubbles" performed at an outdoor party by the The Sampaguita Melody Singers.

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Cartoon Commentary

Lee Iacocca: From Bush voter to Bush critic

Former Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca calls the Bush Administration "a gang of clueless bozos" and attacks the U.S. auto industry in a new book. "We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind and we can't even clean up after a hurricne much less build a hybrid car," Iacocca and co-author Catherine Whitney write in the first page of "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" "I hardly recognize this country anymore," he writes. more

Me either Lee, me either. Bad politicians come and go, but what really baffles me is how so many were fooled so badly for so long.

Blind man turns the theory of déjà vu on its head

from Science Blog
Traditionally it was thought images from one eye were delayed, arriving in the brain microseconds after images from the other eye – causing a sensation that something was being seen for the second time. But University of Leeds researchers report for the first time the case of a blind person experiencing déjà vu through smell, hearing and touch.

"It is the first time this has been reported in scientific literature," said O’Connor. "It’s useful because it provides a concrete case study which contradicts the theory of optical pathway delay. Eventually we would like to talk to more blind people, though there’s no reason to believe this man’s experiences are abnormal or different to those of others.

"Optical pathway delay is a quite antiquated theory, but still widely believed – and was the basis for the déjà vu sequences in Joseph Heller’s novel Catch-22. But this provides strong evidence that optical pathway delay is not the explanation for déjà vu. The findings are so obvious, so intuitive, that it’s remarkable this research has never been done before."

White House says they may have "lost" critical e-mails

Why are these people not in jail by now?

The White House said Wednesday that it may have lost what could amount to thousands of messages sent through a private e-mail system used by political guru Karl Rove and at least 50 other top officials, an admission that stirred anger and dismay among congressional investigators. The e-mails were considered potentially crucial evidence in congressional inquiries launched by Democrats into the role partisan politics may have played in such policy decisions as the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. source

Imus off the air - Sharpton off his rocker

MSNBC said that Don Imus will be taken off their air permanently and Al Sharpton wants him off the radio for good too. What a disgrace. This may not only set race relations back, but it might create a bitter debate every time somebody says something hateful. Dangerous ground and very divisive. But, here's one encouraging thing I want to share. I just got back from shopping here in Harlem. With no prompting whatsoever an older black man asked me as I was exiting "whats up with Imus?". Huh? I thought turning to him. "He just said what black people say all the time. He shouldn't be fired". "Uh Huh, every one's talking about it, huh?" I said, stepping outside. (I didn't know what to say. It was not a conversation I expected). But it made me think that maybe Rev. Al is misreading his "constituency". Maybe, we the people, are better than that.

Cartoon Commentary

click on picture to see full size

The Don Imus Controversy

Oh, how time changes things. I had recently grown more respectful of Al Sharpton and less amused by Don Imus. Up until this week, that is. By now everyone is aware that radio host Don Imus made some racist comments on his show and is now suspended for two week. He went on Rev. Al Sharptons' radio program yesterday to apologize and get a fair dose of condemnation. But enough is enough.

I do think Imus' remarks were racist, mean and stupid. He admitted it himself and has apologized many times. Al Sharpton has called for his firing but I strongly disagree. I just don't know how we would be able to define speech as inappropriate and just who would make that decision. For example, it is my sincere belief that Rush Limbaugh is not only more hateful on a daily basis than Don Imus is on rare occasions, Limbaugh is also also promoting a one party authoritarian form of government. I'd call that treasonous. I'd call that fascist. But, I believe that Limbaugh should be condemned, ridiculed and forced off the air BECAUSE PEOPLE REJECT HIS IDEAS AS UN-AMERICAN, not because of the words that he says. In fact, to put Limbaugh underground would only further embolden his sheep like supporters. Likewise, to fire Imus over these recent comments might make some people feel better, but it would hurt - not help - racial relations. Condemn the morons of the world and hope they either change or just lose their audience as the public wises up.

I probably have a unique perspective on racism. I am a white guy living in Harlem, NY and am frequently subject to racism (by much less that 1% of people - when I say frequently it is because of the thousands of people I interact with everyday. Even a tiny proportion of a large number make for something happening regularly. So while it happens more now than when I lived in Florida, it is still very unusual..if that make sense). If I feel I am prejudiced against because of my race - do I want to have that person arrested and thrown in jail? Well, maybe at first. But after a minute or two when my emotions calm down I realize it is just some loudmouth idiot free to speak his mind. He should not be arrested or fired or punished for being mean to me.

(I am suddenly reminded of the Two-Live Crew controversy in the 1980's. I bought the album back then just to support free speech - and actually thought it was hilariously funny. I had to show my ID and sign some paper saying that I wouldn't let minors listen to it. I was told that the list of album purchasers would be forwarded to law enforcement. Bizarre huh. Anyway, the point is that offensive speech should be protected in America no matter who says it).

Last night I saw Steven A. Smith on Anderson Copper 360 bitterly complaining about Imus and calling for him to be fired. Well, I sat in on the taping of one of his shows a few months ago (pic below) and I got the unmistakable sense then that he does not like white people very much. As I said, I have become familiar with what that looks like and I could tell that he has some deep dislike for whites. I felt bad for him, but I don't know his history and I understand that most people have some sort of chip on their shoulder - and it was his show - so I dealt with it. I didn't like it but I don't call from him to fired from his amateurish program buried late at night on a second tier cable channel. He is knowledgeable on sports and I guess that he would be doing much better if he wasn't so angry. But I could probably say that about myself too. We're all human. We all have faults. That's life.

Al Sharpton may just be whipping this up now so he can look extra gracious when he finally forgives Imus. If that's the case than OK, I get it. I know what it's like to stir up controversy for publicity. But if he chooses to use this divide the races than it would mark a return to the Twana Brawly phase of his life. Sharpton really started to impress me during the 2000 and 2004 Presidential debates. I hope he doesn't slip back into his old ways of dividing to conquer. By consciously using this moment to unnecessarily stir up bad feelings would actually be worse than Don Imus' racist and idiot attempt at comedy.

Don Imus has been saying stuff like this for years. He says it about Blacks, liberals, gays, Jews and whatever other group happens to be in the news. It's usually not funny. This latest comment was especially racist in nature and since it was directed at college athletes - aimed at a particularly undeserving group of people. He has rightly been condemned for the comments and has rightly apologized for them. But, let's use this incident to learn and come together - not to create another fault line in this country where Americans have to yet again choose a side to be on.

Yanks Lose In Flurries

Well the Yankees lost today but it did snow during the game. It was so wild to be sitting at the Stadium and see snow flying all around. It was freezing cold too. The next home game for me is two and a half weeks away so there probably won't be another cold weather game until very late in the year. The Yankees fall to 2 -3 with the loss. [It was 1996 when it snowed in the Yankee home Opener]

Video for make laughing in weekend time

The hit movie Borat is now on DVD so it seems like a good time to look back at the early years of the "Man from Kazakhstan". I have been a fan of Ali G, Borat and Bruno ever since the HBO show first aired 5 or 6 years ago. Before he did the show on HBO, Sasha Baron Cohen (the real name of the actor playing the characters) did his thing on UK television. Here is a full half hour of Borat highlights from that early British series. High Five!

Is Jack Happy now?

A very sad story has come to a very sad end. Darrel Stingley has died. He was paralyzed in an NFL exhibition game in 1978 by Oakland Raider Jack Tatum. Tatum never apologized or even express any regret at all. In fact, he was boastful of the injury he cause and nicknamed himself "The Assassin". He is one of the reasons I have always hated the Raiders and he certainly is the lowest of the low when it comes to pro athletes.

The Fool On the Hill

I couldn't let this one slip by. Seems the only choice was to mis-alphabetize this list, use the Presidents TITLE and hope that FOX viewers would believe their ears and not their eyes.

(Be sure to notice the percentage totals for each person)

Play (Snow) Ball?

I had to take a little break from work to go outside for a sec and get all giggly about the light snow flurries right now in central Brooklyn. Also, I just had a fantasy that it would be so cool if on Sunday, when I go to the Yankee game, it snowed. Now that would really be doubly exciting - to be at a game and have it snow! I know it happened on Opening Day (2000?) so it is possible. I have a right to dream. And if you read this blog you have to hear me go on about it.

Murderers

If there was one moment where America ceased being a democracy it was when the GOP riot in South Florida took place. I was in Miami at the time and was sickened to see the recount stopped simply because a bunch of blue blooded thugs (sent by plane from DC) stormed the building and caused a ruckus. (I have written about this many times.) This mentality has continued and accelerated. Now I have just found out that: Tim Griffin, the houseboy Rove insisted replace the Arkansas US Attorney was on the Florida recount team. So was [Alberto Gonzalez' Chief of Staff] Kyle Sampson. Surprised? Me either. In fact even less surprising is the fact that these enemies of America were almost universally rewarded by the Red friendly organizations after stopping the recount. The America that served as a beacon of hope to the world for 200 years is dead and these are the people who killed it.

News Round Up

The downside to attending a bunch of Yankee games is that I have to work like crazy all the other time. It's worth it. So I'll have to be brief today with the blog. As usual there is so much going on in the news. Here are a few stories worth noting.

Fundraising... Hillary Clinton has raised the most money of all Presidential candidates. No surprise. What is surprising is that Barack Obamba has almost matched her (some say even beat her) and Mitt Romney has far outpaced his GOP opponents. What does it all mean? Speculations abound but one result, in my opinion (and that I have not heard anyone else say) is that Romney and Obama have really made a strong argument to be (at least) their parties VP choice. It seems to me that by demonstrating such fundraising prowess, Obama and Romney will be seen as smart choices for the #2 slot if they don't win the nomination outright.

Of all countries in the world... Now it is time for Belgium to suffer. That's right, President Bush has "recessed" appointed a "Swift Boat" fundraiser to be ambassador to that European country. He could not have passed the Senate approval process because of his hateful partisanship, but Bush (of course) went around the confirmation process to place his crony in that position. A brief search netted me no results as to why we would want to punish Belgium by sending this hack over there.

Speaking of suffering...Republicans are hurting in the polls. John McCain has gone from maverick to weak candidate and even Hillary Clinton has seen her support wane. Why? Because they supported George W. Bush! Clinton, is the most striking example of just how far George W. Bush has spread his bad mojo. She wanted to support the President on Iraq. Hell, most of Congress supported the President- thats what people do in wartime - support the commander in chief. What nobody knew at the time was the stunning level of incompetence and dishonesty in the White House and just how far the Curse of the W would spread.

The Florida Gators won the basketball championship for the second year in a row. This, in the same year as they won the football crown. They are my rival school but I have to give credit where it is due. Good job Gators. I hope it lights a fire under the ass of my man (not) Dave Hart at FSU.

The whining out of the White House about Nancy Pelosi's visit to Syria sure is annoying. Especially since Republicans have gone there too. This bloggers give us four reason why her visit is a good thing.

Well off to a long day at work. Hope you all have a great one!

JIB JAB: "What We Call The News"

This is a very funny video about the news media from the folks at Jib Jab. Sorry about the ad at the beginning.

What We Call the News | Send To Friends | Funny Animations at JibJab

New Feature: "Priority News"

In the left hand column you will see a new feature titled "Priority News". There are already a few topics listed that you can click to get the very latest news on that particular subject. I will add more and change topics out from time to time. If you have any ideas for topics you would like me to include - let me know. I will change topics to fit my interest (and yours) of particular issues making news.

A few pics from the game

Started watching the basketball game and put together this quick little slide show of pictures from this afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

Opening Day 2007

THE YANKEES WIN!

It was a great game. I didn't really get very much sleep last night thinking about it. It looked like rain but only stayed cloudy and cool. I was surprised at the easy walk to the stadium - I had forgotten just how quick of a trip it is. The Yankees had another Opening Day comeback and Alex Rodriquez hit a monster home run. It was a great day. I may post a pic or 2 later. Sleep now.

One Party Rule (aka fascism) goal of GOP

Here is an editorial explaining something that I have been warning people about for many years. Perhaps the highly educated writers in the New York Times do a better job of explaining it than I have been able to. Basically, it shows how the modern Republican party differentiates itself from other parties in American history. Rather than be a source of ideas and proposals - the GOP of the past 25 years is in fact a "movement" designed to take over ALL power in this country and keep it indefinitely. George W. Bush and Karl Rove are the best at it but they were not the first and won't be the last. It is not democratic, it is not people powered and it is not American in any way. It is just the most recent version of fascism and it's right here in the USA.

Turn over a scandal in Washington these days and the chances are you’ll find Karl Rove. His tracks are everywhere: whether it’s helping to purge United States attorneys, coaching bureaucrats on how to spend taxpayers’ money to promote Republican candidates, hijacking the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for partisan politics, or helping to organize a hit on the character of one of the first people to publicly reveal the twisting of intelligence reports on Iraq. Whatever the immediate objective, Mr. Rove seems focused on one overarching goal: creating a permanent Republican majority, even if that means politicizing every aspect of the White House and subverting the governmental functions of the executive branch.

After his re-election in 2004, President Bush formally put Mr. Rove in charge of all domestic policy. Mr. Rove’s efforts to maintain one-party rule go deep into the government. Last week, we learned about a meeting set up by Mr. Rove’s staff with officials of the General Services Administration that was wildly inappropriate and perhaps illegal. The aim, as outlined by Mr. Rove’s deputy, Scott Jennings, seems to have been to take advantage of the billions of dollars in contracts put out by the agency every year to return Republicans to the majority in Congress in 2008.

Key Bush aid say now says he was "In Denial"

This is a fascinating story of Matthew Dowd, a key Bush and Rove aid who lead the attacks against John Kerry in 2004. You should check it out. In this interview he explains that he was fooled into supporting George W. Bush and went along with things he should have known were wrong in what he now admits was a tragic mistake. This interview in not just about Iraq. It is about the entire Bush administration and the right wing machine that develops a false narrative just to fool the public and keep power. We need more former Bush supporters to step up and admit they were mistaken. Only they really have the power to help other Red Americans see the light. Here are some selected quotes from the article and here is another analysis that goes even deeper into the way the Republican party has been taken over by folks with no need for the truth. Great Sunday reading.

Mr. Dowd, a crucial part of a team that cast Senator John Kerry as a flip-flopper who could not be trusted with national security during wartime, said he had even written but never submitted an op-ed article titled “Kerry Was Right,” arguing that Mr. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat and 2004 presidential candidate, was correct in calling last year for a withdrawal from Iraq. “I’m a big believer that in part what we’re called to do — to me, by God; other people call it karma — is to restore balance when things didn’t turn out the way they should have,” Mr. Dowd said. “Just being quiet is not an option when I was so publicly advocating an election.”

Mr. Dowd said, in retrospect, he was in denial.“When you fall in love like that,” he said, “and then you notice some things that don’t exactly go the way you thought, what do you do? Like in a relationship, you say ‘No no, no, it’ll be different.’ ”
He said he clung to the hope that Mr. Bush would get back to his Texas style of governing if he won. But he saw no change after the 2004 victory. He describes as further cause for doubt two events in the summer of 2005: the administration’s handling of Hurricane Katrina and the president’s refusal, around the same time that he was entertaining the bicyclist Lance Armstrong at his Crawford ranch, to meet with the war protester Cindy Sheehan, whose son died in Iraq. “I had finally come to the conclusion that maybe all these things along do add up,” he said. “That it’s not the same, it’s not the person I thought.”