tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76955902007-04-16T10:44:20.598-07:00Permutations and ruminations<b>WARNING: Enter at your own risk.</b> <br> <br> Home of political diatribes, snarky vitriol and the Cheney/Voldemort 2008 Campiagn info, all delivered (almost) daily <b>Hell</b>-hot to the profound discomfiture of the Party of Treason (Republicans), the Christian Taliban, and Junior's Perfidious Monstrosity, sometimes laughingly referred to as the 43rd Presidency of the United States and its attendant hackocrats.Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comBlogger491125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1163771700039119282006-11-17T05:00:00.000-08:002006-11-17T05:55:01.750-08:00The triumph of the machinery...<span style="font-family: verdana;">Well, gentle reader, as expected in the 21st Century, the quiet political machinery working behind the scenes has triumphed once more.<br /><br />While I have no idea whether the ethics allegations against Murtha are true, I do know that the newly-elected Majority Leader has worked his ass off to undermine the incoming Speakeress. And I also know that the ex-ballerina elected caucus chair, being an "out" DLC triangulating corporate whore, will do everything in her power to pull the party toward the middle as defined by the neocons.<br /><br />So everything that this party absolutely <i>must</i> do as soon as the 110th Congress convenes now stands athwart the triangulations to come. John Conyers Jr.'s decision to open hearings on impeachment; Henry Waxman's hearings on the fraud, waste, and corruption of the Iraq Fiasco; and <i>any</i> chance of overturning some of the horrors from the 109th Congress (starting with the Military Commissions Act of 2006) now all stand in danger of the so-called "moderates."<br /><br />The reason the Democratic Party keeps losing (once you put aside Republican vote fraud, specious ballot issues, and a thorough brainwashing of the "base" by its attendant media echo chamber) is that in its triangulation creep it's become a pale reflection of the Republican Party.<br /><br />And Democrats simply will never be able to out-Republican the Republicans.<br /><br />Let's start with the theocons: <b>fuck 'em!</b> The Democratic Party can survive <i>very</i> well, thank you, <i>without</i> dipping quite so low into the murky puddle that's the theocon gene pool. Any non-crazy Christian will recognize the party of fat old sleazoid greedy white men for the scourge to avoid, and the crazy ones are absolutely welcome to stay with the Republicans.<br /><br />As for the corporate whores and neocons sucking up to K-Street and the endless corporate donation trough through the Church of the Democratic Leavings Council, <b>fuck 'em</b> as well! This party has never represented the interests of the moneyed elite, so why the fuck should we start now?!?!<br /><br />And while we are at it, let's also say <b>fuck you</b> to the Republican Fifth Columnists in the Democratic ranks. Anyone advocating changing Democratic positions on Iraq, energy, global climate, Iran, deficits, and the whole plethora of issues the new DINO Majority Leader will try to sway the caucus should be drummed out of the party. Though we ought to do it a lot more thoroughly than we did it to Independent Joe. Allowing that asshole to be the king-maker in the U.S. Senate will only open the door for the putz to stab Harry Reid in the back. Just you wait!<br /><br />Robert Scheer, bless him, has been right all along: Democrats win when they behave like Democrats, and this election was about the country wanting to <i>change</i> direction, not fucking <i>stay the course</i>! So if the incoming Democratic Leadership insists on moving toward the neocon-defined center, it will be the end of the Democratic Party as much as a Haggard ass, a Foley dick, and an Abramoff checkbook were the end of the Republican one.<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Murtha" rel="tag">John Murtha</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Steny+Hoyer" rel="tag">Steny Hoyer</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Nancy+Pelosi" rel="tag">Nancy Pelosi</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Rahm+Emanuel" rel="tag">Rahm Emanuel</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Iraq+War" rel="tag">Iraq War</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Democratic+Leadership+Council" rel="tag">Democratic Leadership Council</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Joe+Lieberman" rel="tag">Joe Lieberman</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Ted+Haggard" rel="tag">Ted Haggard</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Mark+Foley" rel="tag">Mark Foley</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Jack+Abramoff" rel="tag">Jack Abramoff</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/corruption+in+Washington" rel="tag">corruption in Washington</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1163448932342923632006-11-13T12:00:00.000-08:002006-11-13T12:15:33.773-08:00I TOLD you the bastard would do it!...<span style="font-family: verdana;">Yes, gentle reader, I've <a href="http://belldaere.blogspot.com/2006/11/well-its-about-time.html">shared</a> this with you five days ago: Independent Joe may yet screw the Democrats out of the Senate Majority, and just now it is <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/11/13/lieberman-im-not-rulin_n_34010.html" target=_blank>confirmed</a>!<br /><br />Now will <i>every single Democrat</i> who voted for Independent Joe apologise to the rest of the country for betraying the Democratic Party yet again?!? I sincerely doubt it.<br /><br />Damn it, it <i>sucks</i> being right about this one! I just hope the Connecticut Democrats will start their recall/impeachment process <b>today</b>!<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Joe+Lieberman" rel="tag">Joe Lieberman</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+Senate" rel="tag">U.S. Senate</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1163445910371064502006-11-13T11:00:00.000-08:002006-11-13T11:25:17.653-08:00Taking stock...<span style="font-family: verdana;">So the insanity of the election season really took a toll out of me. It was nice to take a break and to take stock of what's happened with the story so far.<br /><br />On the positive side, we've won a majority in both houses, but it's a very slim one at that. The majority includes the assumption (and quite the assumption it is!) that Independent Joe won't screw the Democratic Party. We'll see what happens there.<br /><br />Also on the positive side it's wonderful to note the end of political careers by such Republican luminaries as ex-Senator Cat-Killer Fristy-pants, ex-Senator Macacawitz, and most wonderfully ex-Senator Frothy Mix of Lube and Fecal Matter! Someone did a reasonably funny bit on Air America a few days ago saying that while Senator "I've Been Tortured By the Vice President to Support Torture" was at Carlo's baby's christening this election eve, the Democrats went and took out the heads of the five families (the future Seven Dwarves) "for him"...<br /><br />Sure, the 2008 Republican nomination will end up so bloody that the party will (hopefully!) finally collapse into the three totally alien groups: the real conservatives, the neocons, and the theocons. The neocons have lost most of their value/bluster/hot fetid air out of their balloon with the clear denunciation of the Iraq Fiasco by the American electorate. The theocons will, hopefully, field one of their own in opposition to the "liberalism" of the real conservatives. And <i>those</i> poor lost souls will be left with the ruins of what once was the Republican Party.<br /><br />That's of course if things go as they should. In this past election, <i>thirty</i> House races were won by the slimmest of margins. How many of them would have gone Democrat if there weren't all the election tampering attempts by the Republicans? Just think about it: the Democratic Majority could have actually been +46 instead of +16, and you can just <i>imagine</i> the sort of an effect that level of a win would have had on the dregs of American society laughingly referred to as the Republican Party...<br /><br />And let's not forget: unless the Democrats focus and fix our election system, Tom Feeneys of the world will continue to flip their elections with a touch of a few buttons. We aren't out of the woods here; we're just beginning to see the path.<br /><br />Finally, the Democrats have got to be wary of the neocons in their own midst: the ex-ballerinas and other triangulating whores from the Democratic Leisure Council. There is little difference between the DLC whores and the AEI whores; maybe the color of their tie (or kneepads).<br /><br />So we have plenty to do, plenty to consider, and plenty to uncover still. But at least we won't have congenital idiots telling us that the Iraq War won't last more than six months, or that the Internet is made up of tubes, or that global warming is not based on solid science.<br /><br />Let us hope.<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Joe+Lieberman" rel="tag">Joe Lieberman</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Bill+Frist" rel="tag">Bill Frist</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Allen" rel="tag">George Allen</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Rick+Santorum" rel="tag">Rick Santorum</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+McCain" rel="tag">John McCain</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Dick+Cheney" rel="tag">Dick Cheney</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Iraq+War" rel="tag">Iraq War</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Rahm+Emanuel" rel="tag">Rahm Emanuel</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Hillary+Clinton" rel="tag">Hillary Clinton</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Democratic+Leadership+Council" rel="tag">Democratic Leadership Council</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1163039483030699742006-11-08T18:00:00.000-08:002006-11-08T18:37:32.966-08:00Well, it's about time!!!<span style="font-family: verdana;">It's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/taylor-marsh/official-webb-beats-maca_b_33696.html" target=_blank>official</a>: Senator Macacawitz is <b>toast</b>.<br /><br />You can imagine how happy I feel, but I do have to raise the following spectre: Independent Joe may yet screw the Democratic Party one more time. He might caucus, and vote, with the party that brung him, the fat old sleazoid greedy white men.<br /><br />And of course that's not all. Today's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-derych/rush-tells-his-audience-_b_33690.html" target=_blank>admission</a> by Rush Limpdick that he's been lying for the Administration only underscores how deeply this complete repudiation of the Republican Party will hurt them!<br /><br />Well, there's very little left now until the new Congress is sworn in, and begins its proceedings, except that I would encourage any Democratic candidates with any proof that Republican vote tampering of <i>any</i> kind caused them to lose is encouraged to come out and publish the evidence to shut the fright wing noise machine once and for all.<br /><br />But most importantly, we must remember that the reason the Democratic Party won was because the progressives have stepped in. This election saw a conservative puff-piece get defeated in the Tennessee Senatorial race, while a progressive managed to wipe Talentless Wonder off the Senate map.<br /><br />So a warning to the ex-ballerina DLC (Democratic-speak for "neocon" or "corporate whore") shill: this is <b>not</b> an endorsement of your idiotic triangulation. If you read it as such, Democrats will lose their slim majority just as soon as Turd Blossom's disciples have created themselves more believable Republican golems!<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Allen" rel="tag">George Allen</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/James+Webb" rel="tag">James Webb</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Joe+Lieberman" rel="tag">Joe Lieberman</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Rush+Limbaugh" rel="tag">Rush Limbaugh</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Harold+Ford" rel="tag">Harold Ford</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Claire+McCaskill" rel="tag">Claire McCaskill</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Rahm+Emanuel" rel="tag">Rahm Emanuel</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Karl+Rove" rel="tag">Karl Rove</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Democratic+majority" rel="tag">Democratic majority</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1163016068106787912006-11-08T11:00:00.000-08:002006-11-08T12:02:42.546-08:00The party of treason is finally on the run!<span style="font-family: verdana;">With the wins in Montana by John Tester and in Virginia by Jim Webb, the Democrats now control both Houses of the hitherto-errant Congress.<br /><br />Imagine what it will mean to have John Conyers, Jr., heading up Impeachment hearings, and Henry Waxman heading up fraud and waste hearings, and Charlie Rangel heading up tax-cuts for the super-rich while more and more people slide into poverty hearings!<br /><br />And just imagine that ugly evil-ravaged visage of Vice President Sidius as he keeps getting subpoenaed and then found guilty (at first!) of contempt of Congress!...<br /><br />Many things are ahead of us now!<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+Election" rel="tag">2006 Election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Dick+Cheney" rel="tag">Dick Cheney</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/government+oversight" rel="tag">government oversight</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/checks+and+balances" rel="tag">checks and balances</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1163012273840417372006-11-08T10:00:00.000-08:002006-11-08T10:57:54.223-08:00IT'S HAPPENING!!!<span style="font-family: verdana;">The vicious blood-sucking vampire, the nightmare ghoul who used to haunt the E-Ring of the Pentagon is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/us/politics/09BUSHCND.html?hp&ex=1163048400&en=90b2a0d9c77157ea&ei=5094&partner=homepage" target=_blank><b>resigning</b></a>! Now if only Vice President Wicked Witch of the West and his Treasonous Flying Monkey, Squinty McLuddite, would do the same!<br /><br />Now that we have control of Congress, it's never been more important to <b>investigate, indict, impeach, and incarcerate</b> these venal traitors!<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Donald+Rumsfeld" rel="tag">Donald Rumsfeld</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Dick+Cheney" rel="tag">Dick Cheney</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+W.+Bush" rel="tag">George W. Bush</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1163003179922350462006-11-08T08:00:00.000-08:002006-11-08T08:26:20.163-08:00Let's extend a hearty "FUCK YOU!" and a double-handed middle finger to the neocon side of the aisle...<span style="font-family: verdana;">The inconceivable has happened. With all his bald-faced lying, with all of Turd Blossom's vaunted 72 hour masturbation programs, <i>Chimperator Caesar Deciderus</i> is no longer the unchecked and uncheckable neocon tool that he was.<br /><br />I just hope that when Democrats go back to form the new majorities, they extend the party of fat old sleazoid greedy white men a hearty "<b>FUCK YOU!</b>" right into their faces, along with a bunch of middle fingers: it's time to start putting America back together.<br /><br />So while John Conyers, bless him, will begin hearings on Impeachment, the rest can repeal the Military Tortures Act of 2006, US Patronizing Act, and other over- and under-reaches of the Perfidious Monstrosity. And in the mean time Henry Waxman can start subpoenaing the CEOs of Halliburton, Raytheon, and Boeing!<br /><br />Of course Vice President Sidius, being a fascist at heart, said that he would fight "to his death" <i>any</i> attempts to subpoena his fat old sleazoid greedy white ass. Oh, what fun! Sending him to jail for the contempt he's expressed and fueled toward Congress and the law should be fraught with delicious irony!<br /><br />But at least we can begin dismantling the corrupt Republican machine that is sucking money and blood out of United States.<br /><br />At least today we take our first step <b>out</b> of the neocon nightmare.<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Karl+Rove" rel="tag">Karl Rove</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+W.+Bush" rel="tag">George W. Bush</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Military+Commissions+Act+of+2006" rel="tag">Military Commissions Act of 2006</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/US+Patriot+Act" rel="tag">US Patriot Act</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Dick+Cheney" rel="tag">Dick Cheney</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/fascism+in+America" rel="tag">fascism in America</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+Politics" rel="tag">U.S. Politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162930019429030122006-11-07T12:00:00.000-08:002006-11-07T12:06:59.850-08:00There's more where that came from...<span style="font-family: verdana;">As someone said in one of the HuffPo threads, or was it on AlterNet... Regardless, thank gawd for Final Cut Pro!!!<br /><br />Watch this one as well.<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wxLb0ach0kg"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wxLb0ach0kg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br />And do not forget to vote these scum-sucking bastards out of power!<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+Election" rel="tag">2006 Election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Phil+Collins" rel="tag">Phil Collins</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Land+of+the+Living" rel="tag">Land of the Living</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Once+Upon+a+Time+in+America" rel="tag">Once Upon a Time in America</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162918173850404842006-11-07T08:00:00.001-08:002006-11-07T08:49:34.183-08:00Oh, no, Jack, you didn't!<span style="font-family: verdana;">Dear Mr. Cafferty,<br /><br />No!!!<br /><br />You did <b>NOT</b> go over the line when you so courageously <a href="http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/11/07/cafferty-shows-his-love-for-rumsfeld/" target=_blank>called</a> Rummy a war criminal!<br /><br /><b>Torture</b> is a war crime!<br /><br /><b>Extraordinary renditions</b> are a war crime!<br /><br /><b>Mass murder</b> of Iraqis is a war crime!<br /><br /><b>Death squads</b> are a war crime!<br /><br /><b>Illegal war</b> is a war crime!<br /><br />Do <i>not</i> <a href="http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/11/07/iraq-all-about-the-oil/" target=_blank>let him off</a> the hook and apologize!<br /><br />Do <i>not</i> stifle the truth just because some Republican tool in the CNN offices is going berzerk and seeing his or her future lucrative lobbying career go up on the barbeque of appeasement of this atrocity of an Administration!<br /><br />Do <i>not</i> let a few negative responses sway you from telling it like you have been, like Keith Olbermann has been, like Helen Thomas has been, like Randi Rhodes has been, like Rachel Maddow has been... Need I go on?<br /><br />We haven't anyone else left, Mr. Cafferty, who is willing to tell the truth day in and day out (the future President and Vice President on Comedy Central being the only exceptions, but they are always included in the lists of truth-tellers, and sometimes right into their fright-wing faces!). So please don't stop.<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Jack+Cafferty" rel="tag">Jack Cafferty</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/The+Cafferty+File" rel="tag">The Cafferty File</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Donald+Rumsfeld" rel="tag">Donald Rumsfeld</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Jon+Stewart" rel="tag">Jon Stewart</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Stephen+Colbert" rel="tag">Stephen Colbert</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Iraq+War" rel="tag">Iraq War</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Administration+lies" rel="tag">Administration lies</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/global+politics" rel="tag">global politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162916475547948752006-11-07T08:00:00.000-08:002006-11-07T08:21:16.713-08:00A good answer ...<span style="font-family: verdana;">Chellie Pingree is <a href="" target=_blank>wondering</a> whether this election will be stolen, while quoting Jimmy Carter on all the reasons why American elections don't qualify under the Carter Center rules for monitoring.<br /><br />First, someone else's response:<br /><blockquote>Answer - not necessarily - but yes, if necessary. <br /><br />And I think it will be deemed necessary today. So what have we (crafty Republican operatives) been up to? <br /><br />(1) Set the stage for enough confusion in enough places (HAVA, premature technology, strange voter ID regs, etc). <br /><br />(2) Spend six years appointing sympathetic judges. <br /><br />(3) Prepare and fly in teams of lawyers - challenge and litigate. <br /><br />If you win in court, fine. <br /><br />If not, <br /><br />(4) announce that the country cannot stand prolonged uncertainty at this crucial time, etc, (same argument that stopped the count in 2000) and therefore you are declaring the election void - make some noises about holding it again next year.<br /><br />Any protests - well, let's see, we got rid of habeas corpus, we got Halliburton to build detention centers for the DHS, and we federalized the National Guard - so we should be well set to handle any untoward shows of disaffection.<br /><br />Conspiracy theory. Tin hattery. Could never happen here.<br /><br />Of course not.<br />By: maantoninus on November 07, 2006 at 09:44am <br />Flag: [<b>brilliant!</b>]</blockquote>... and then there's my response:<br /><blockquote>FUCK yes! The unprecedented grab for power by the Republican Party will only continue! They will do whatever they can think of to steal this election, because they know what would happen if both the House and the Senate went blue:<br /><br /><b>Investigate. Indict. Impeach. Incarcerate.</b></blockquote>This is why every vote counts. Call your friends, relatives, acquaintances, and remind them to (1) vote for <b>anyone</b> other than a Republican, and (2) make sure that vote is counted right!<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162872999616018222006-11-06T20:00:00.000-08:002006-11-06T20:16:39.726-08:00Pass it on!!!<span style="font-family: verdana;">When you find perfection, all you have to do is to present it.<br /><br />Watch.<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wm2OXQh3duI"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wm2OXQh3duI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Freedom" rel="tag">Freedom</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Michael" rel="tag">George Michael</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+W.+Bush" rel="tag">George W. Bush</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/catastrophic+failures" rel="tag">catastrophic failures</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162870566946498712006-11-06T19:00:00.000-08:002006-11-06T19:36:07.736-08:00An astounding election-eve condemnation from Keith Olbermann...<span style="font-family: verdana;">Keith truly is a star. This latest in his string of Special Comments, addressing the unfettered lame-footedness of the Administration, drives the point home: this country has had enough of the Boy King and his court!<br /><br />Watch for yourselves, courtesy of <a href="http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/11/06/olbermann-this-country-was-founded-to-prevent-anybody-from-making-it-up-as-they-went-along/" target=_blank><i>Crooks and Liars</i></a>.<br /><br />Tomorrow's election is being fought in the trenches. Republicans are pulling out every <a href="http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/11/06/enough-is-enough/" target=_blank>dirty trick</a> ever invented. And while it'll be all very nice when Democrats file their lawsuits to bankrupt the Republican National Committee (their fines can be as high as $500/call times tens of thousands of calls!), it still doesn't change the fact that with these races all being so close, these dirty tricks may very well help the party of fat old sleazoid greedy white men to keep control of both Houses of Congress, and forego <i>any and all</i> oversight over this treasonous Administration.<br /><br />Without a large turn-out and an overwhelming vote against these bastards, this democracy will be relegated to the history pages.<br /><br /><b>Stop the Republicans tomorrow!</b> Vote, and don't let them ignore/miscount your vote! Remember, <b>1-866-OUR-VOTE</b> if you notice <b>anything</b> untoward!<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/MSNBC" rel="tag">MSNBC</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Keith+Olbermann" rel="tag">Keith Olbermann</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+W.+Bush" rel="tag">George W. Bush</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Republican+dirty+tricks" rel="tag">Republican dirty tricks</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/election+theft" rel="tag">election theft</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NRCC" rel="tag">NRCC</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/RNC" rel="tag">RNC</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162844855630403362006-11-06T12:00:00.000-08:002006-11-06T12:27:36.186-08:00The most important election in anyone's lifetime ...<span style="font-family: verdana;">Gore Vidal feels <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gore-vidal/the-most-important-electi_b_33405.html" target=_blank>threatened</a> by the possibility of the party of fat old sleazoid greedy white men remaining in power.<br /><br />Indeed!<br /><blockquote>Mr Vidal,<br /><br />How right you are. The Republican insistence on unbridled single-party rule is so Soviet I feel like I've been transported back in time to Brezhnev's USSR.<br /><br />The biggest difference, though, was that in the Soviet Union, the vast majority was already hip to the communist hypocricy; whereas here in the United States of Happy Families, we still have somewhere between 25 and 40 percent of the population so brainwashed that nothing, but nothing, seems to be getting through.<br /><br />I wonder what catastrophic event or chain of events could break through that authoritarian follower conditioning.</blockquote>Of course, this isn't a problem Mr. Vidal can solve...<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+Politics" rel="tag">U.S. Politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162830228175430602006-11-06T08:00:00.000-08:002006-11-06T08:23:48.486-08:00"This sure seems a lot like Iraq will be ..."<span style="font-family: verdana;">Yes, gentle reader, here it is, the absolutely devastating segment with the "Iraq" line still intact (pre Fox censors).<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uS4VFf3rvfE"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uS4VFf3rvfE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br />Devastating, isn't it?<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/The+Simpsons" rel="tag">The Simpsons</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Iraq+War+parody" rel="tag">Iraq War parody</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162771041212952522006-11-05T15:50:00.000-08:002006-11-05T15:57:21.523-08:00In haste...<span style="font-family: verdana;">Blogger is going down in a few minutes (these denial-of-service attacks are creeping up everywhere!), but I just had to post this: via Digby and <i>Crooks and Liars</i>,<br /><blockquote>The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed a system which will in essence make it mandatory for you to have permission before leaving or entering the country, effectively putting everyone on a no-fly list unless the government says otherwise.</blockquote>In times like this believe me, I shit you <a href="http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/11/05/want-to-leave-or-enter-the-country/" target=_blank>not</a>.<br /><br />Back when I was twleve, my parents set me down and told me we will be seeking exit visas to leave the Soviet Union, to get out from under an oppressive totalitarian regime. That process took two years, and we eventually left for what was supposed to be a free country.<br /><br />Of course, what was before the neocons have had their way.<br /><br />Go ahead and check my sources, but this looks like yet another step in creating a fascist dictatorship under a thin veneer of <a href="http://belldaere.blogspot.com/2006/05/re-christian-conservatives-commit.html">pseudo-democracy</a>.<br /><br /><b>It has never been more imperative that we take our country back from these treasonous parasites!</b> Vote for <b>anyone</b> but a Republican on Tuesday!!!<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Fascism+in+America" rel="tag">Fascism in America</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/government+over-reach" rel="tag">government over-reach</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162761119336029422006-11-05T13:00:00.000-08:002006-11-05T13:59:46.653-08:00And the question of the day is: (updated)<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Will a cock up a Haggard ass finally prove to be the undoing of the Republican Party?" If we are still talking about the United States of America in the year 2006, the answer is, <i> Not likely!</i> ...<br /><br />Yes, gentle reader, with only two days to go to the 2006 Election, yet another scummy Republican comes out of the denial <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4607865" target=_blank>closet</a>.<br /><br />Is it any wonder that they are so desperately trying to steal this election? Is it any wonder that those of us who've been right all along about this monstrous horror of an Administration stand back and point to all of those deluded millions of bushtards while desperately trying not to laugh our asses off?<br /><br />There is nothing wrong about a man wanting to have sex with another man. There is nothing wrong with a man wanting to pay for sex with another man. There is nothing wrong (save the damage to his own body) with a man wanting to take recreational substances while engaging in sex with another man.<br /><br />What <b>is</b> incredibly, indescribably, indisputably wrong is for that man at the same time to denigrate and deny rights to and demand punishment of men who want to have sex with other men, justifying it all with a concoction of choice mistranslations from that whole intentionally mistranslated book of fables the Christian Taliban only use when they want to justify their insane homophobia. Let's face it, if it weren't for the fact that Jeezus had <i>nothing</i>, and I mean <i>nothing</i> to say about gay anything, they would only ever focus on the <a href="http://belldaere.blogspot.com/2006/08/biggest-danger-to-first-baptist-church.html">Greatest Hits</a>!<br /><br />What is even more wrong is for that man's influence while screaming such obscenities about gay people to be so repugnantly pervasive that he had a weekly phone conversation with his moral equivalents in the White House, often discussing with other men of questionable sexuality specifics about using gay people as their convenient political scapegoats in rallying the authoritarian followers with closed minds to their cause.<br /><br />And what would be even more wrong would be for those same authoritarian followers to come out on Tuesday and despite all evidence in front of their already-blinkered eyes return these fat old sleazoid greedy white men back to power that they have never truly deserved.<br /><br />And remember: if you notice <i>anything</i> weird this Tuesday, document it with visual evidence if at all possible (even a cell phone photo might do it!) and then immediately call <b>1-866-OUR-VOTE</b> and then hope and paray that we can still have that 5-4 majority of sanity in the Supreme Court!<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Ted+Haggard" rel="tag">Ted Haggard</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/The+Supreme+Court+of+the+United+States+of+America" rel="tag">The Supreme Court of the United States of America</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/The+Bible" rel="tag">The Bible</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+Politics" rel="tag">U.S. Politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162713836502887092006-11-04T23:00:00.000-08:002006-11-05T00:03:57.466-08:00The latest in the heinous Republican tactics: Denial-of-service attacks on HuffingtonPost.com ...<span style="font-family:verdana;">I don't know about you, gentle reader, but over the last couple of hours most of my attempts at perusing articles that are more than a couple of days old on <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com" target="_blank">HuffPo</a> keeps coming back with this:<br /><blockquote style="font-family: lucida grande;"><b>Service Unavailable</b><br /><br />The server is temporarily unable to service your request. Please try again later.<br />Reference #6.a73bf546.1162712318.548fd3b</blockquote>This generally means that the server is working its little CPU cycles off trying to deliver pages, and it can't.<br /><br />Now, HuffPo being one of the top 10 blogs on the net, this will most likely start happening if there were "denial-of-service" (malicious) attacks taking place.<br /><br />And with just two days left to do whatever they can to muddy the waters sufficiently (as though Junior's EPA clean water enforcement wasn't muddying them up already) before Tuesday's election to just possibly squeak out a death grip on at least one of the Houses. Most likely, this will be the Senate, where, as someone quipped today on one of the blogs, only Republicans could end up with having to rely on Burns and Allen, with not a shred of Talent among them. But then with Senators like Monty Burns of Montana and Senator Macacawitz from Virginia, is it any wonder that Claire McCaskill is in a dead tie with Missouri's Talentless Wonder?<br /><br />As old Uncle Joe used to muse to his close friends (before sending them off to the gulags), "it's not who they vote for that counts, it's <i>who</i> gets to count the votes." Keith Olbermann used it recently, and so have a number of other bloggers, but its simplicity cannot be underscored: the Republican monsters will not give up their corrupt stranglehold on power in this country without the dirtiest fight we have every witnessed.<br /><br />And the culmination of that fight will be on Wednesday morning, when we find out <i>exactly</i> how many elections were actually stolen by the party of fat old sleazoid greedy white men.<br /><br /><b>Remember!</b> Document any irregularities, and then publish them to as many sources as you can (blogs, Black Box Voting, etc.) and even if you couldn't document them, <i>make sure</i> you call <b>1-866-OUR-VOTE</b> and report it to the army of lawyers who are ready to challenge the GOP's theft of power.<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati</span><br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/HuffingtonPost.com" rel="tag">HuffingtonPost.com</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/dirty+tricks" rel="tag">dirty tricks</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Conrad+Burns" rel="tag">Conrad Burns</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+Felix+Allen" rel="tag">George Felix Allen</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/James+Talent" rel="tag">James Talent</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Joseph+Stalin" rel="tag">Joseph Stalin</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/stolen+elections" rel="tag">stolen elections</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162666492258669562006-11-04T10:00:00.000-08:002006-11-04T10:54:52.663-08:00GOP-TV is at it again...<span style="font-family:verdana;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3217/486/1600/gop-tv.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3217/486/320/gop-tv.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>There they go <a href="http://belldaere.blogspot.com/2006/09/well-they-sure-went-there.html">again</a>.<br /><br />Yes, gentle reader, the network that so lovingly brought you the <i>Imaginary Pathway to 9/11: It's All Clinton's Fault</i>, having proved its bushtard credentials to Vice President Sidius, gets to finally reap its reward: a Kerry- and Hillary-bashing fawning acceptance of this atrocity of an administration.<br /><br />I sincerely wish I did, but, unfortunately, once again, I shit you <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/11/03/cheney-it-doesnt-matter_n_33239.html" target=_blank>not</a>.<br /><br />So Mr. Five Deferments, Mr. Secrecy About My Favorite Torture Techniques, Mr. There Were WMDs is now telling us that everything is going swimmingly in Iraq. And after six years of the most outrageous bald-faced lies and hitherto unthinkable incompetence and venality of the hackocracy he runs we are supposed to buy it?!?!<br /><br />Twice in one day I have to ask, "<i>You've got to be fucking kidding me, right?!?!?!</i>"<br /><br />Remember, bring a digital camera (or a phone that can take pictures) with you when you vote, and <b>document</b> the rampant election theft! Publish it on blogs, Black Box Voting, BradBlog, and anywhere else you can think of! We <b>MUST</b> take our country back!!!<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/ABC+News" rel="tag">ABC News</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Path+to+9%2F11" rel="tag"><i>Path to 9/11</i></a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Bill+Clinton" rel="tag">Bill Clinton</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Dick+Cheney" rel="tag">Dick Cheney</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Kerry" rel="tag">John Kerry</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Hillary+Rodham+Clinton" rel="tag">Hillary Rodham Clinton</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/stolen+elections" rel="tag">stolen elections</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162661832221871532006-11-04T09:00:00.000-08:002006-11-04T09:39:00.920-08:00The tour bus has just stopped at one of our regular spots: the aisles of the "You've Got To Be F@#%ing Kidding Me?!?!?!" Department ...<span style="font-family: verdana;">Oh, my gentle reader, this was something out of a Kafka novel: I saw this piece of garbage on HuffPo by a fucking neocon, and it just went <b>way</b> beyond the pale! He actually still contends:<br /><blockquote>My most fundamental views on the war in Iraq remain as they were in 2003: The war was right, victory is essential, and defeat would be calamitous.</blockquote>You'd think I'd be shitting you, but of course, for something this important, I am <a href="" target=_blank>not</a>.<br /><br />As you can also imagine, I had a few fine points to make to this swine:<br /><blockquote>Aw, gee, a member of <a href="http://belldaere.blogspot.com/2006/08/neocon-bunch.html"><i>The Neocon Bunch</i></a> refuses once again to see reality? Shock, horror, al Qaeda!<br /><br />Mr. Frum, your brand of horseshit just won't pass the smell test here: this is a war about lies, profits, torture, and desperate clinging to power! There was <i>nothing</i> right about us going into that war, there is <i>nothing</i> right about almost 3,000 Americans killed in combat, and there is absolutely <i>nothing</i> right about 655,000 Iraqis murdered!<br /><br />What I am wondering is why the fuck are you pushing your drivel on HuffPo, rather than somewhere more your style and your notion of substative debate, like TownHall.com? There you are welcome to flatulate freely about Chimpy being either a great president or the greatest president, but you see, we <i>know better</i>: he is a piece of scum that needs to be wiped off the global political map. Maybe a Democratic Congress with a permanent "veto the Boy King's idiocy" approach to his proclamations might do that effectively, but I digress.<br /><br />Your insane ideas, your astounding arrogance, and your blithe ignorance of reality have brought us to where we are today, and you <i>dare</i> come to a liberal blog and tell us that it's Junior's hackocrats that are responsible for Mess-O-Potaimia, and if only they executed his "brilliant" orders, everything would be peachy-keen?<br /><br />Well, why don't you go embed yourself with a unit outside the Green Zone for a few months, eat the same spoiled and contaminated food KBR serves them, drink the same contaminated water KBR sends them, and get your brain shaken in your head a few times by an imporvised explosion or two, and then we <i>might</i> consider what you have to say on the subject of Iraq.<br /><br />For now, the best thing you can do for the world is to shut the fuck up.<br /><br />Got that?</blockquote>I <b>sincerely</b> doubt that he'll even see this...<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/David+Frum" rel="tag">David Frum</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Vanity+Fair" rel="tag">Vanity Fair</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/HuffingtonPost.com" rel="tag">HuffingtonPost.com</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+W.+Bush" rel="tag">George W. Bush</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Iraq+War" rel="tag">Iraq War</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162659936949146872006-11-04T08:00:00.000-08:002006-11-04T09:05:38.003-08:00How much is enough?<span style="font-family: verdana;">It's a simple question, gentle reader: how much is enough?<br /><br />How much is enough to spend on a war for profits?<br /><br />How much is enough to spend on maliciously false advertising?<br /><br />How much is enough to spend in lives for idiotic goals of neocons?<br /><br />How much is enough to spend to give more corporate welfare to Halliburton, Boeing, Raytheon, Black Water, and other blood money profiteers while refusing to budge the minimum wage?<br /><br />How much is enough to spend on a Congress that's abrogated its responsibilities?<br /><br />How much is enough to spend on false science?<br /><br />How much is enough to spend on boosting the already obscene profits of ExxonMobil and ChenvronConoco?<br /><br />How much is enough to spend on even more tax cuts for the plutocrats?<br /><br />How much is enough to spend on the Republican cronies instead of Katrina victims?<br /><br />How much is enough to spend on protecting the Biggest Ball of String in the World instead of New York and Washington?<br /><br />How much is enough to spend on lying advertisements to American people with <b>public</b> funds?<br /><br />How much is enough to spend on stealing the election rather than honestly persuading the public?<br /><br />Now you see my dilemma, gentle reader? I simply do not know how much is enough. In fact, I suspect that they are unfamiliar with the concept of "enough".<br /><br />For those who don't spend as much time as I do looking at blogs and listening to the news, you may not have noticed that the 2006 election theft has already begun. Voters voting early in Maryland, Ohio, and other critical States have reported wholesale cheating by the Republicans (individual votes as well as straight party tickets are being converted from Democratic to Republican in front of their eyes). And as amazing as it may seem, <b>NOT ONCE</b> has anyone reported the reverse to be true!!!<br /><br />How much is enough to spend on voting machines that are specifically designed to make election theft easy?<br /><br />They are, of course, doing it to us once <a href="http://belldaere.blogspot.com/2006/08/is-it-shockingly-clear-now-updated.html">again</a>.<br /><br />So I ask United States of America and the world,<br /><br /><b>How much is enough to spend on a chimpocracy?</b><br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/stolen+elections" rel="tag">stolen elections</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162405276595569742006-11-01T10:00:00.000-08:002006-11-01T10:21:16.793-08:00A rosy picture...<span style="font-family: verdana;">Lawrence O'Donnell is always a good read on HuffPo, and today's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-odonnell/the-stars-of-november-8_b_32998.html" target=_blank>piece</a> is no exception.<br /><br />I could only wish!<br /><blockquote>Mr. O'Donnell,<br /><br />As my sainted grandmother used to say, from your mouth to [<i>fill in the deity of choice</i>]'s ears.<br /><br />This country simply cannot survive another two years of unbridled chimpocracy. The world certainly cannot afford two more years of what's laughingly referred to as bush foreign policy. And the environment absolutely cannot afford two more years of secret meetings where Vice President Palpatine allows the vestiges of Seven Sisters to write our energy and global climate policies.<br /><br />So when you paint that beautiful picture of both Houses changing hands, the only thing that detracts from it for me is the memory of our corporate shill Leaderess of the House Democrats guaranteeing a pass for this horror of an Administration and absolutely disavowing Impeachment.<br /><br />What do we say to the future generations, future presidents, and the future of democracy if <i>Chimperator Caesar Deciderus</i> and his entire coterie of venal hackocrats are NOT indicted for their crimes against the Constitution, the people of the United States of America, and humanity?</blockquote>By the way, while I absolutely love reading Mr. O'Donnell's pieces, I prefer him even more when he takes over the Center seat at <a href="http://www.kcrw.org/lr/" target=_blank><i>Left, Right and Center</i></a> instead of that right-wing shill Matt Miller.<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Dick+Cheney" rel="tag">Dick Cheney</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Nancy+Pelosi" rel="tag">Nancy Pelosi</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+W.+Bush" rel="tag">George W. Bush</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162403191495051532006-11-01T09:00:00.001-08:002006-11-01T09:46:31.733-08:00How to extract pearls out of swine droppings: a tutorial ...<span style="font-family: verdana;">The <i>New York Observer</i> can be <a href="http://belldaere.blogspot.com/2006/09/connectedness-of-all-things.html">iffy</a>, but once again Joe Conason is on point.<br /><br />He noticed the beginning of the new spin cycle desinged to explain how our repugnance of Republicans in power, and their ouster, is a win for the neo-con movement.<br /><br />No, really, I shit you <a href="http://www.observer.com/20061106/20061106_Joe_Conason_politics_joeconason.asp" target=_blank>not</a>.<br /><br />I just hope that this newest stupidity will be dismissed by the American people as easily as Mr. Conason does in his clear conclusion:<br /><blockquote>Who wins and who loses, where and why, may tell us whether voters are moving leftward and away from the rightist hegemony of the past six years. What a Democratic midterm victory in either house will surely mean, however, is that Americans are appalled by the manifest failures of President Bush and his one-party conservative government, both at home and abroad.<br /> <br />Only a torrent of popular anger can overcome the inherent advantages of incumbency, money, organization and gerrymandering. But if such a tide engulfs the Republicans, their rickety ideology will sink with them.</blockquote>So there you have it, gentle reader: the latest attempt by the Rovian spin machine to claim victory while suffering another defeat.<br /><br />Do you buy it?<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Karl+Rove" rel="tag">Karl Rove</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162402469208541962006-11-01T09:00:00.000-08:002006-11-01T09:34:29.533-08:00The Com-Passion of Rush Limpdick ...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3217/486/1600/rush-FDR.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3217/486/400/rush-FDR.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I hadn't weighed in on the Michael J. Fox/Fat Windbag of Fetid Wind controversy here, and there's very little I have to say on the subject.<br /><br />Besides being a typical amoral soulless venal Republican asshole, Rush also has a tendency to put his hoof in his mouth at least once a week. The soul-drained zombies who listen to him every day for their messages telling them what they should think about the events of the day continue to tune in, and continue to buy his pig shit geyser of talking points wholesale.<br /><br />The myopia of these authoritarian followers continues to astound me. It's as though none of them have any children; none of them want anyone to survive past this generation; and none of them care one fingernail clipping about the atrocities being committmed in their name by their government. They would much rather worry about Tomkat's wedding, or how Jack Bauer will find the next mole at LA anti-terrorist unit, or (most important of all) who wins <i>American Idol</i>.<br /><br />And while they continue to stick their heads in the sand, the country (and they themselves) is robbed blind, embroiled in unwinnable quagmires, and implicated in torture and crimes against humanity. But of course the bushtards don't care: they are so scared of jihadists falling right on top of them while they peruse the pork-chop sale at Winn-Dixie that they are willing to ignore the deepest tenets of their own religion and close their eyes on the flagrant abuses of power and office by their anointed party's leaders.<br /><br />It may seem like a century ago, but this appointed president took office by swearing to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and then promptly violated said oaths hundreds, possibly thousands of times! And that corporate whore heading the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives has the audacity to promise not to impeach these Republican scum! Maybe it's not too late for the people in San Francisco to organize and send a Green, or a Libertarian (anyone but her, or her Republican opponent!) to Congress come January!<br /><br />Remember: the <b>majority</b> of Americans want Impeachment, and don't let the fright wing tell you any different!<br /><br /><b>INVESTIGATE. INDICT. IMPEACH. INCARCERATE.</b><br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Rush+Limbaugh" rel="tag">Rush Limbaugh</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FDR" rel="tag">FDR</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/George+W.+Bush" rel="tag">George W. Bush</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Nancy+Pelosi" rel="tag">Nancy Pelosi</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+Election" rel="tag">2006 Election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Impeachment" rel="tag">Impeachment</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162350148465727482006-10-31T18:00:00.000-08:002006-10-31T19:02:29.176-08:00Gee, what do you do when everything else fails?<span style="font-family:verdana;">Yes, gentle reader, we are down to the absolute wire in this election, and if you thought racist commercials, or commercials lying blatantly about Democratic candidates were the bottom of the dark pit of Republican dirty tricks, just you wait!<br /><br />A company with ties to the White House is engaged in a voter suppression operation even as we speak:<br /><blockquote>In increasingly tight races around the country, voters are receiving telephone "push poll" calls, a classic dirty trick designed to suppress turnout on election day. One calling firm in particular, with White House ties and an impressive ability to fire off millions of automated calls per day, is benefiting from the strategy.</blockquote>(And evidently, I shit you <a href="http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001906.php" target="_blank">not</a>.)<br /><br />So having Diebold be certified for use in at least ten States (including, mind you, California!) without a single check of any of its code, and having unregulated access to the voting machines for weeks prior to the elections is not enough. These bastards <i>know</i> that if everyone who is pissed off at them votes, they are out of their jobs come next Wednesday! So in order to allow for their election theft and in order to bring the vote closer, while Turd Blossom executes the 72-Hour Plan to get bushtard shock troops to the polls, ccAdvertising calls anyone they consider a blue voter and push poll them into not even coming to vote!<br /><br />You'd think the vileness of the Republican apparat had an end somewhere, wouldn't you? But obviously, then, you would be completely wrong. Their total self-conceit and unswerving belief in their own destiny to rule all blind them ethically and morally so completely that no act is too horrific, no lie too grotesque, and no life (except their own) is sacred.<br /><br /><b>This cancer on American body politic, American world standing, and American conscience must be amputated!</b> Stop everyone you can from contributing any more money to that most heinous cabal of traitors, thieves, and terrorists known as the Republican Party! Until people like Christie Todd Whitman run that party, it does not deserve <i>anyone's</i> support!<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati<br /><div class="tag_list">Tags: <span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Karl+Rove" rel="tag">Karl Rove</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FreeEats.com" rel="tag">FreeEats.com</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christine+Todd+Whitman" rel="tag">Christine Todd Whitman</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/2006+election" rel="tag">2006 election</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S.+politics" rel="tag">U.S. politics</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/commentary" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/opinion" rel="tag">opinion</a></span></div></span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695590.post-1162328349478458442006-10-31T12:00:00.000-08:002006-10-31T12:59:16.150-08:00Let's summarize, shall we?<span style="font-family: verdana;">So where do we stand as of today, the end of the year by the pagan calendar?<br /><br />This was the <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061030/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq" target=_blank>bloodiest</a> month in Iraq in two years.<br /><br />Over two-thirds of us are actually <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/10/31/69-of-americans-say-us-t_n_32910.html" target=_blank>sick</a> of "<i>Stay the Course!</i>" policies while unveiling new, even stupider, slogans.<br /><br />Even John Kerry is <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Kerry_Sick_of_GOP_attacks_from_1031.html" target=_blank>finding</a> a spine.<br /><br />And the chimpocracy is all hot and bothered about 20-somethings having sex, and is trying to stop them. Of course I am disgusted to tell you that I shit you <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-10-30-abstinence-message_x.htm?csp=34" target=_blank>not</a>.<br /><br />Would someone <i>please</i> explain these sets of values to me?! The only way I can comprehend this is to accept the basic premise of the <a href="http://belldaere.blogspot.com/2006/10/deliver-us-from-evil-at-133-c-street.html">Nouveaux Stonecutters</a> and their ilk declaring themselves <i>so</i> chosen by their fictitious deity that they are so far above the law that <i>anything</i> goes.<br /><br />But if you consider the behavior of our Mostly Elected Congress, aren't they acting precisely like nothing whatever will stop their tenure? Haven't ordinary Americans been relegated to either authoritarian follower neo-conservative echo chamber repeater stations, or the rest of us, who no longer have a voice even in our elections? How do we get to turn off the fucking echo chamber???<br /><br />The problem with the fright wing in the party of fat old sleazoid greedy white men is that it doesn't believe anything whatsoever except how <i>crucial</i> it is for them to cling to power and money at <i>all</i> costs. <i>Nothing</i> is beneath them, as we have seen: not stealing election after election; not intentionally disenfranchising millions of voters; not overtly lying about the opposition; not dragging the country into an atrocious war; not spending <b>trillions</b> of dollars on graft, corruption, nest feathering, political terrorism, and crimes against humanity. <b>Nothing</b>.<br /><br />And <i>still</i> bushtards around the country refuse to open even a fraction of one eye and see these monsters for what they truly are!<br />--</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Technorati</span>Leo Belldaerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17510567797423913810noreply@blogger.com