On Eve of Bailout, Vitter Proposes Wage Reduction for Prostitutes

Fitzgerald to Pre-Indict Next Illinois Governor

Michael Moore Would 'Go Naked' for Right Role

What, you want a story after that?

John McCain Appointed Guardian of White House Lawn

RIP Paul Newman

Who doesn't wish they could live that long and that well, and give the world such a legacy?

The Real War

Some disturbing clips of a Baghdad journalist's return to his home town. (h/t Raw Story.)

Video Clips from Iraq

Crooks 'n Liars found this revealng post of YouTube clips from Iraq. Won't see this stuff on the teevee.

What a Surprise

Seems the CIA was protecting recently captured Serbian war criminal Rodovan Karadzic for years. Boy, would I like to know why. According to the report, the deal was that he'd have informal protection and immunity from arrest as long as he stayed out of Serbian political affairs. But he jess couldn't hep hissef:

"Karadzic, indicted for genocide and war crimes, was under the US protection until 2000, when the CIA intercepted his telephone conversation that clearly proved he personally chaired a meeting of his old political party," the daily quoted a "well-informed US intelligence source" as saying.

I guess there wasn't a Politicians Anonymous in Serbia....

Tying up Loose Ends

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the gov't claims that a guy you've never heard of, a Mr. Bruce E. Ivins, a scientist with anthrax-access at Fort Detrick, Maryland, where we knew the Ames strain of anthrax used in the post-9/11 anthrax attacks* came from, committed suicide right before being charged with being behind such attacks. Allegedly, Mr. Ivins was depressed for the last month or so before his death. His alleged method of suicide was a combination of "prescription Tylenol and codeine."

Our astute AP reporter neglected to mention that:

1. The first wave of attacks targeted media outlets. Why?
2. The second wave targeted two Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D., S. Dakota) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D., Vermont), both of whom were carefully examining the pending Patriot Act and expressing the unlikelihood that they would pass it.

Our astute reporter then failed to ask:

1. When Ivins' brother "sang like a canary" to the Feds, what did he say?
2. What would Ivins' motive have been? Does anyone know or claim to know?
3. What would Ivins have been trying to accomplish?
4. Why, if Ivins did it, did he perform the alleged attacks so soon after 9/11? Did he merely take advantage of the situation? (If so, see #3).
5. Could Ivins, if guilty, have been subcontracting for another entity? (If so, see #2.)

There's far more to the story than this, all of which has long ago been reported. Randi Rhodes has them here, in case any actual journalists care to read the background information necessary to doing their fucking jobs. And, no, I didn't get the above ideas from her. Two of the most important articles in her list are likely this and this. Let's just say money, Dick Cheney, Saudi Arabia, and some intelligence folks appear to've been involved.

*Bububut there haven't been any terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11! Oh, wait....

UPDATE: Brad Friedman has a long post on the coverage of today's story.

It's a Class War, Stupid

The single best article I've ever read on the state of the country and how our presidential campaigns never address it. A must read.

Bush Cronies not Immune from Supoenas

Shocking ruling from a Federal judge today. You mean...there's more than one branch of government?

blogsturbation

"Blogging is like masturbating in front of a mirror while you're videotaping it so you can maturbate to it later."

--Lewis Black, Root of All Evil, 7.30.08

The Price of Gas

Pretty much sums it up.

The Real Meaning of Sacrifice

Why can't we have fun politicians like this?

Those Aliens

Edgar Mitchell speaks. He claims aliens have visited and are visiting us, and that he's been privy to this information. It's sad. Not that I'm not surprised, but that all I care about is whether the aliens will push Pelosi and Conyers to open impeachment hearings. I mean, come on, help us already. Short of that, do they want anything we can sell them?

Church Committe (Reprise)

Here's a little hope: Salon reports we could get (cross your fingers) an in-dept Congressional investigation of illegal domestic spying, rendition, and use of military assets to potentially spy on Americans. Unfortunately, Salon also reports that domestic surveillance is likely far, far worse than previously reported (note: there have been hints of this for years, but little real information).

Insurance Company Rules

Funny--and, sadly, true.

WaPo's Grandpa Simpson

Richard Cohen has started yelling at clouds. I understand Cohen's problem with tattoos; they're a mystery to me, too. But I can't fathom why he, a so-called journalist, would bother to write such a screed without even talking to some people who have tattoos. Cohen spoke with a college professor who supposedly knows something about kids today. Whoopee. Did it occur to him to speak with a tattoo artist? Apparently not. What is he going to ignorantly blather about next, piercings?

It's Alive!

Zugernat lives. For those unfamiliar with the zine, it's a literary journal Lein Shory (The Irate Savant) and others published years ago. He's put it up again in anticipation of another venture....

The Iraq-Pakistan Border Cafe

In Richmond, Virginia, there's a restaurant named The Texas-Wisconsin Border Cafe. I'm not sure, since I ate there about 18 years ago, but I think I had some duck with Texas toast. In any case, John McCain seems to have an imagination similar to that of the founder of that cafe. Except in this case, he thinks Iraq and Pakistan share a border. TPM's video guy makes the revelation hilarious.

The Price of Oil

An excellent article on the price of oil and gasoline and why ExxonMobil sucks ass.

Don't Come in My Ear

Harry Shearer gives us another installment of behind-the-scenes satellite news feeds. This time it's Laura Ingram. The key moment is after the 7:00 mark.

Secret Sopoenas?

Troubling.

So Long, Tony Snow

I hated Tony Snow as a "press secretary" but I wished him well with cancer. No one in that position deserves cancer, and his family deserves it even less. They won't read this, but all due respect to him and all due compassion to his family, which must be suffering terribly right now. It's a terrible loss.

Dear Traitor

Dear Senator Landrieu:

Please be advised that, because you violated your oath of office in voting for the unconstitutional FISA bill, I will be giving money to any progressive candidate who runs against you in every election until you are ousted from the seat you sullied with your pro-fascist votes (remember your inexcusable, pro-corporate bankruptcy bill vote?). You don't deserve any job with responsibility exceeding that of fast food manager. You are nothing less than a traitor.

Disrespectfully Yours,

Rob P.

P.S. Same goes for your, faux "Constitution scholar" Obama--except that I'm still voting for your treasonous ass.

To take out every last "Democrat" who voted for cloture or against the three amendments, go here.

preggers

the world is full
of many worlds, and
the world is one
of many, too.

Heckuva Job

John McCain should be applauded for his choice of campaign consultants--especially when it comes to speech writers and those coaching him on speaking style. These brilliant artisans have furnished their employer with a casualness that easily trounces his opponent's hamfisted attempts at eloquence. The easy laugh. The natural, confident grin. Realitique™ recommends that Senator McCain give these talented up-and-comers a raise, and find more like them to advise him on everything from photo ops to shoe shopping!

Where Do You See Bush in Five Years?

This post contains both the funniest conservatron musing ever and the funniest comment thread ever. Evah.

Mawage...Twew Wuv....

So I'm buying a pepper mill as a wedding present for a friend in Philly. I go to the "enter gift message" screen and, as I'm divorced, can't think of anything to write but "I hope it works out," "Good luck with that," and "I hope you guys stay together." Lovely. As my friend K. said about my quandry, "Jaded much?"

On a related note, here's my friend Liz bitching about how everyone around her's gettin hitched but her boyfriend's deployed in Iraq.

Tell Reid to Pull the FISA Bill

From Democracy for America:

Today may be our last chance to stop senators from voting to pass the so-called FISA "compromise" bill.

Last week, thousands of us called our own senators. Thousands more DFA members personally delivered our message to senators at their district offices. And tomorrow every senator will receive DFA petition signatures from members in their district demanding they stand up to President Bush and vote against the "compromise."

Yet there is still one person who can stop this bill today: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Call Senator Reid right now and demand he pull the FISA "compromise" bill which will lead to retroactive immunity for telecommunication companies who spied on Americans.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Washington DC: 202-224-3542

If the DC number is busy - Try reaching his district offices:
Reno Office: 775-686-5750
Vegas Office: 702-388-5020

...

Suggested script:
"I'm calling to ask Senator Reid to use his power as Senate Majority Leader to pull the FISA "compromise" bill from the floor which will ultimately grant retroactive immunity to telecommunication companies who spied on Americans."

This is it. We have stopped President Bush from getting his way and letting AT&T and Verizon of the hook four times.

It is up to us to stop it again.

Thank you for taking action. Thank you for everything you do.

-Charles

Charles Chamberlain, Political Director
Democracy for America

P.S. If you haven't signed the Senate Petition to Stop Telecom Immunity yet or sent it around and asked your friends and family to sign, you still can. We will deliver the signatures first thing tomorrow morning to every Senator right before tomorrow's votes. CLICK HERE TO SIGN

How Domestic Surveillance Affects You and Me

A must read. The "hoovering" of data, in both senses of the word.

Goodbye, George II

An excellent tribute to the radical that was George Carlin is in The Nation. Here's the last part of the piece, from one of Carlin's most recent interviews:

"There is a certain amount of righteous indignation I hold for this culture, because to get back to the real root of it, to get broader about it, my opinion that is my species -- and my culture in America specifically -- have let me down and betrayed me. I think this species had great, great promise, with this great upper brain that we have, and I think we squandered it on God and Mammon. And I think this culture of ours has such promise, with the promise of real, true freedom, and then everyone has been shackled by ownership and possessions and acquisition and status and power," he said. "And perhaps it's just a human weakness and an inevitable human story that these things happen. But there's disillusionment and some discontent in me about it. I don't consider myself a cynic. I think of myself as a skeptic and a realist. But I understand the word 'cynic' has more than one meaning, and I see how I could be seen as cynical. 'George, you're cynical.' Well, you know, they say if you scratch a cynic you find a disappointed idealist. And perhaps the flame still flickers a little, you know?"

Super Happy Bible Day!

In honor of self-described non-theologian James Dobson's criticism of how Obama's ignant black ass reads his white Christian Good Book all wrong an shit, here are some heart-warming Bible stories of rape and slaughter, depicted with (wait for it) LEGOs:

Here and here.

Can O' Whoopass

Time to bitch-slap the Dems who voted for the new, improved ("Now with less freedom!") FISA bill. Click here to donate to a worthy cause.

Maureen Dowd Revealed

This flowchart explains a lot. (Via HuffPo.)

Dear Senator

A cousin of mine sent his former senator David Vitter:

Senator Vitter,

I couldn't help noticing that in the ready-made 'topic' drop-down menu for email correspondence, you have "2nd Amendment Rights" (which I support, by the way) but you do not have 4th amendment rights. Why not?

Perhaps because you sold the 4th amendment up the river? Your support for S.2248 is a disgrace to the state of Louisiana and the name Vitter (not that it needed any more tarnishing).

You apparently enjoy prostitutes so much, you decided to prostitute the liberties of the American people. I hope you catch herpes from the act. You are a traitor to your country and I will vigorously support anyone who opposes your next candidacy. Even if you run for the school board, I will oppose you. Even if you run against a ham sandwich for Parish Alderman, I will give as much as I can afford to contribute to the ham sandwich opposing you. My very next google search is going to be "recall Vitter".

Enjoy your telecom money,

E.P.

Feel free to send a revised version to Mr. Barack "I'll Filibuster! No, I Won't" Obama.

Quiero Hondurans

The other day I was looking at a house I'll probably buy. After touring it, my realtor and a friend of mine were sitting on the porch, discussing options, when the issue of renovation crews came up. I mentioned that my friend Geoffrey had a crew of Hondurans whom he'd paid to help renovate another place, but he would trust them only with gutting and so forth. Then my realtor, who has a construction company, said she has expert Hondurans who do finishing and detail work. My friend Brad, who's married to a Honduran, then chimed in with, "I have Hondurans too. They're great with tile." Oddly, I know another couple who "has Hondurans." Hondurans are in abundance these days. If economic trends continue, perhaps one day Hondurans in Tegucigalpa will "have Americans" to renovate their homes.

Another Terrorist Attack a "Big Advantage" for McCain

Is there something you'd like to share with the class, Mr. Black?

Hopefully, in the next six months we won't bomb Iran and facilitate suffer another attack on U.S. soil--possibly by folks falsely tied to Iran, resulting in the institution of martial law.

Full disclosure: While I would make a killing in blood money if we bombed Iran, for some reason I can't bring myself to support such a heinous, criminal bold, decisive move.

Bush War Crimes Conference

I'm salivating at the prospect.... Highlight:

"This is not intended to be a mere discussion of violations of law that have occurred," stated [Lawrence Velvel, the dean of the Massachusetts School of Law at Andover] in a press release. "It is, rather, intended to be a planning conference at which plans will be laid and necessary organizational structures set up, to pursue the guilty as long as necessary and, if need be, to the ends of the Earth.

"We must try to hold Bush administration leaders accountable in courts of justice. And we must insist on appropriate punishments, including, if guilt is found, the hangings visited upon top German and Japanese war-criminals in the 1940's."

"The man ultimately responsible for the torture had a unique preparation and persona for the presidency," wrote Velvel. "He is a former drunk, was a serial failure in business who had to repeatedly be bailed out by daddy's friends and wanna-be-friends, was unable to speak articulately despite the finest education(s) that money and influence can buy, has a dislike of reading, so that 100-page memos have to be boiled down to one page for him, is heedless of facts and evidence, and appears not even to know the meaning of truth."

Say what you mean, Mr. Velvel.

Will renowned former uber prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi be attending?

Goodbye, George

He lived better than most of us could hope to. Too bad he died before the FCC. Condolences to his wife and family.

Jon Stewart interviews with Carlin.

NYT remembers Carlin.

Gay Marriage

"Getting married for sex is like taking a flight to London for the salted peanuts."

A Prairie Home Companion, 6.21.08

Remember: It Was Never About The Oil

It was about WMD, then freedom and democracy. It was never about oil.

Quote of the Day

"It's not one society. There are sweeping conspiracy theories about the Masons, Bilderbergers, Trilateral Commission and Counsel of Foreign Relations. I know people in all these entities, and most of them couldn't find their ass in a well-lighted room. It's much more prosaic and nuanced than that."

Steven Greer