In the wake of Rep. Randy Cunningham’s tearful confession to taking at least $2.4 million in bribes in exchange for lucrative military contracts, the NY Times editorial board takes the House Ethics Committee to task for its failure to… well… do anything.
It was a symbiosis between an ethically challenged lawmaker, who resigned on Monday, and easy-money boosters that might still be under way had San Diego newspapers not discovered a suspicious home sale by the congressman that concealed a payoff.
It was federal prosecutors – and certainly not any Congressional ethics monitors – who followed the rent-a-lawmaker trail. As Congress mulls over the larger lessons of the Duke’s demise, it should begin with the House’s ethics process, which has been shamefully locked into immobility for the past year while scandals have arisen as predictably as the new moon. The Republican majority has already seen its leader, Tom DeLay, indicted. The influence-peddling schemes attributed to the lobbyist Jack Abramoff are said to be unraveling, with prosecutors reported to be focusing on the dealings of at least a half-dozen lawmakers in both houses.
Where is Congress’s resolve to show the public that it can police itself? Something far better than passive denial was writ large in the first sentence of the Contract With America – the campaign tract that helped Republicans take power a decade ago – with its promise “to restore the bonds of trust between the people and their elected representatives.”
No doubt Delay elevated Rep. Doc Hastings (WA-4) to Chair the House Ethics Committee exactly for his well-earned reputation of doing nothing in Congress… and he hasn’t disappointed the Republican leadership. Under his control the Committee has sat in gridlock as scandal has erupted around them.
Common sense would dictate that it would be a waste of resources for Democrats to challenge Hastings in his bright red, Eastern WA district… but a profound aversion to political corruption is one issue that unites both Democrats and Republican voters alike, if not their respective party leaders. Hastings deserves to pay a price at home for his political toadyism in the other Washington, and we need to find a way to extract it.
2006 is already shaping up to be a disastrous year for the GOP. It’s possible we could be looking at the makings of a 1994-like shift, and if the Dems manage to field a credible challenger, Hastings could be vulnerable.
Careful what you ask for here Goldy. Some newspapers are linking Abramoff to your side too. Regarding Hastings, do you think they will get rid of him? He is entrenched just as Dicks is in Bellingham and Mr. Present is in Seattle!
2
“linking Abramoff to your side”
Puddybutt is desperate like never before! His fantasy world is unraveling before his eyes.
Puddy @1 Unlike Republicans, most Democrats do not believe their party is more important than the country. We believe that corruption should be punished, even if it is one of our own. If Dorgan or any other Democrat took betrayed their country by taking bribes and sending vital military contracts to cronies they should be prosecuted.
So far, there is no real evidence that Abramoff – a die-hard Republican activist – did any favors to any Democratic politician.
Good luck with the smoke screen, but I will bet the American people will see through it quite nicely.
Puddybud is a real dumbass. Dicks doesn’t represent Bellingham, you idiot.
Maybe the ethics committee can finally look into the McDermott allegations. In truth this is more troubling in that your favorite congressman may be guilty of breaking the law.
I don’t expect there to be any “clamouring” by the democrats to apply ethics codes without predjudice to this equally important case though.
The classic double standard by the libs.
“Some newspapers are linking Abramoff to your side too.”
Typical right wing spin. Just as Fox News uses the “Some people are saying…” in order to make completely baseless claims. Too bad for PuddyBud, we ain’t buying that crap anymore.
@3
I am a Republican and I believe corruption should be rooted out and punished to the maximum extent possible. That includes Democrats, Republican, Libertarians, and all other political parties and those who are partyless too! You do not need a political affliation to be corrupt. Everybody can and does do it, and has committed it in the past and will committ it in the future!
Nindid sez:
“Puddy @1 Unlike Republicans, most Democrats do not believe their party is more important than the country”
As do most Republicans and most Libertarians. Should we go back and rehash all the DEM scandals over the years??? Can you spell R-O-S-T-E-N-K-O-W-S-K-I??? How about Mel Reynolds, the pervert?
How about JESSE JACKSON, huh?
Dems trying to take a higher ground on ethics is like trying to beautify a big old hog with a little lipstick!!!
Congress has for way toooo long protected it’s own…BOTH PARTY’S. Look at Sims in KingCo hiring Cynthia Sullivan despite an anti-cronyism Executive Order issued by Locke. Sims was ready to reward Carolyn Edmonds as well….and probably Hammond. It’s a bureaucratic club that relies on blind Party Hacks like nindid to shelter their lowly behavior! Until we can get an agreement on that, we will get nowhere. I agree the Ethics Committee MUST beef up and start pro-actively looking under rocks….NO SACRED COWS.
But to pretend and fantasize that somehow this is a more important issue to Dems than R’s is ludicrous.
To jaybo @ 5:
I think the media in this country leans to the left in almost all cases, so the double standrd you’re talking about does exist because of who’s reporting what.
Some people in the media are acknowledging this bias. For example, Bernard Goldberg’s book, “Bias,” is aptly named. Mr. Goldberg pointed to many incidents of bias in the media, particulaly at CBS and at the NY Times. It’s a good read, and I recommend it for all here. Maybe it would make us all look critically at ourselves and our positions. I think we’ll find we all have bianses and prejudices and that no side is completely right or wrong.
Can anyone explain the difference between selling your house for more than it is worth to cover up a gift, and getting a book advance worth far more than the projected and actual profit from the book you wrote?
“What Liberal Media” by Eric Alterman, kinda makes the biased “BIAS” by Goldberg feel like weak chicken broth.
Goldy:
Here then is the list of former Democratic members of Congress who were convicted or pleaded guilty to major offenses between 1992 and 1999:
Nick Mavroules, Massachusetts Democrat: tax evasion, accepting illegal gratuity (1992).
Albert Bustamante, Texas Democrat: racketeering (1993).
Carroll Hubbard, Kentucky Democrat: fraud and corruption (1994).
Carl Perkins, Kentucky Democrat: fraud (1994).
Charlie Rose, North Carolina Democrat: financial-disclosure irregularities (1994).
Larry Smith, Florida Democrat: tax evasion (1994).
Walter Fauntroy, District of Columbia Democrat: financial-disclosure misdemeanor (1995).
Gerald Kleczka, Wisconsin Democrat: arrested for DWI (1995 and 1990); convicted DWI (1987).
Mel Reynolds, Illinois Democrat: sexual misconduct, lying to FEC (1995).
Walter Tucker, California Democrat: extortion (1995).
Charles Wilson, Texas Democrat: paid $90,000 fine to Federal Election Commission (1995).
Joe Kolter, Pennsylvania Democrat: fraud and conspiracy (1996).
Dan Rostenkowski, Illinois Democrat: mail fraud (1996).
Mary Rose Oakar, Ohio Democrat: financial-disclosure irregularities (1998).
Austin J. Murphy, Pennsylvania Democrat: vote fraud (1999).
You are right MOH, I got my Bremerton and Bellingham B cities mixed up.
For your reading pleasure a link previously posted by Pudster on Scary Harry Reid. You guys have to read more.
CluelessASS WaPo, such a right wing paper!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/2005/11/17/AR2005111701682.html
“Senate Democratic Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) sent a letter to Norton on March 5, 2002, also signed by Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev). The next day, the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana issued a $5,000 check to Reid’s tax-exempt political group, the Searchlight Leadership Fund. A second Abramoff tribe also sent $5,000 to Reid’s group. Reid ultimately received more than $66,000 in Abramoff-related donations from 2001 to 2004.”
For StuckASS: RUFUS’ additional info for his identified scandals.
The only president ever impeached strictly on grounds of personal malfeasance
Most convictions and guilty pleas
Most Cabinet officials to come under criminal investigation
Most witnesses to flee country or refuse to testify
Number of individuals and businesses associated with the Clinton machine who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes: 47
Number of these convictions during Clinton’s presidency: 33
Number of indictments/misdemeanor charges: 61
Number of congressional witnesses who have pled the Fifth Amendment, fled the country to avoid testifying, or (in the case of foreign witnesses) refused to be interviewed: 122 (9/99)
Estimated number of witnesses quoted in FBI files misappropriated by the White House: 18,000
Number of witnesses who developed medical problems at critical points in Clinton scandals investigation (Tucker, Hale, both McDougals, Lindsey): 5
Problem areas listed in a memo by Clinton’s own lawyer in preparation for the president’s defense: 40
Number of witnesses and critics of Clinton subjected to IRS audit: 45
Number of names placed in a White House secret database without the knowledge of those named: c. 200,000
Number of women involved with Clinton who claim to have been physically threatened: 5 (Sally Perdue, Gennifer Flowers, Kathleen Willey, Linda Tripp, Elizabeth Ward Gracen)
Number of men involved in the Clinton scandals who have been beaten up or claimed to have been intimidated: 9
Number of times Hillary Clinton said “I don’t recall” or its equivalent in a statement to a House investigating committee: 50
Number of times Bill Clinton said “I don’t recall” or its equivalent in the released portions of the his testimony on Paula Jones: 271
Number of times John Huang took the Fifth Amendment in answer to questions during a Judicial Watch deposition: 1,000 Larry corrected this figure and says it has grown to 1934 and with more testimony to come is expected to exceed 2000 and become “a new indoor world record”.
Visits made to the White House by investigation subjects Johnny Chung, James Riady, John Huang, and Charlie Trie. 160
Number of campaign contributors who got overnights at the White House in the two years before the 1996 election: 577
jaybo @ 5 — There’s no outstanding allegation that Rep. McDermott broke any law.
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) has a eight-year-old quagmire of a civil suit against McDermott (seeking statutory relief, meaning that he does not press a claim of actual damages), and lately even that’s not looking so good for Boehner. See recent coverage in The Hill and elsewhere.
Cynical:
Let’s go further with Mel Reynolds. Jesse Jackson has hired him at PUSH. I just love that name. An ex-congressman who had sex with a subordinate won clemency from a president who had sex with a subordinate, then was hired by a clergyman who had sex with a subordinate. Now that’s funny!!! I can keep on going too.
Remember this guy:
“Former Rep. Frank W. Ballance Jr. of North Carolina, who cited ill health in resigning from Congress in June, was indicted on federal fraud and money-laundering charges yesterday in connection with a drug and alcohol counseling program he founded. The 62-year-old Democrat was indicted along with his son, Garey Ballance, a state judge, who was charged with not filing a tax return in 2000, the Associated Press reports. A stinging state audit last fall found that the John A. Hyman Foundation was riddled with conflicts of interest and had made $325,000 in questionable payments. The foundation has received $2.1 million in state money since 1994, thanks in part to the elder Mr. Ballance.”
You see it’s on both sides. I will again say what I said before, vote all da bums out!
its fun to watch puddy’s signal-to-noise ratio go down as he desperately covers for the scumbags he slavishly follows.
Just a hint Puddy: How many times do we have to tell you? Other crimes don’t undo crimes like the ones Hastings has been ignoring for the last few years.
In fact, you’re actually weakening your own case… If hastings is ignoring democratic corruption too, all the more reason that he should be gotten rid of! Your smokescreen and blather is actually weakening the bastard not making it stronger…
That is if anyone could ever believe you to work in good faith about anything.
JC Watts, former Republican house member from Oklahoma, got it about right when he said recently that it only took the Republicans 10 years to reach the level of corruption of the Democrats over 50 years.
Hey, I’m a D and I can call a spade a spade – some of those guys like Rostenkowski WERE crooks and I said so at the time.
Are you Republicans going to stand up for ethics or continue your blind loyalty and go down with the ship?
Clean up Congress – vote Democratic in 2006.
Felix, I said basically the same thing to GBS a couple of days ago. We learned it from the pros and figured out how to get there in less time. Throw all the bums out!
WindbagASS: SNR? Wow you just learned a new term? Did you get out the SNR meter and scan the blog? I have to overcome the SNR of the leftist BULLSHIT spewers here on ASSes. All of the Ethics Committee people are ignoring it on both sides, idiot! Throw all the bums out!
I just present opposing facts that once again you CAN’T ridicule, so you ridiclue me. That’s okay WindbagASS, I’m a big ‘un!
I think…and correct me if I’m wrong (and I know you will)…
That the Rethuglicans came into power with some sort of “High Moral Agenda” to restore “Honor and Dignity” to Congress, the White House and the governing process.
So far…they’ve created a CESSPOOL of corruption whose STINK is spreading though ever corner of this great Nation. Just what kind of fucking “Moral Authority” is THIS, anyway? Rob, steal, cheat, lie, kill, it’s OK if you’re a Rethuglican.
What a vicious bunch of thieving, conniving assholes.
You apologists (PEE-WHACKY in PAR-ticular) are the WORST kind of hypocrites.
Cripes…what bunch of FREAKS.
Donngeddon 2 11:
That Eric Altman guy gives me the heebie-jeebies. He is REALLY a biased “journalist.” Godlberg admitted he has been a life-long Democrat, never in his life voting for a Republican for president. When Goldberg says the media is listing to the left, I tend to believe him.
Ronk,
He already has been convicted, read below.
Appeals court hears McDermott case
By Matthew Daly
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Rep. Jim McDermott asked an appeals court Tuesday to overturn a ruling that he took part in an illegal transaction by providing a taped telephone call to reporters.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....tt16m.html
I wonder how many of you hypocrites for for this loser.
PUDDY—
Great job of merely scratching the surface with one example of Dem corruption after another.
Clearly, it is UNACCEPTABLE on both sides.
For LEFTIST PINHEADED CLOWNS to try and take some moral & ethical high ground is so laughable it HURTS!!
Thanks PUDDY…perhaps a few of these Liberals will take off their rose-colored glasses.
However, the LEFTIST PINHEADED CLOWNS are completely hopeless!!
When you clearly outline THEIR corruption, they throw a temper tantrum hoping that feigning outrage will deflect from the UGLY TRUTH!!
PUDDY for ARBITER of MORAL & ETHICAL TERPITUDE!!!!!!!!!!!
Hell, even Roger Rabbit knows better than to say we are more ethical than you!!! The list is undeniable!
Let’s try to work to clean up the WHOLE FUCKING MESS….not get sucked in by the partisan thing of WHO IS LESS CORRUPT!
Mr. Cynical @ 8, a valid point, except that Jackson never held any political office, “R-O-S-T-E-N-K-O-W-S-K-I””was convicted in 1994 and Mel Reynolds in 1995/96.
The Republicans are in charge of all three branches of government my friend, with a lock on Congress these past 4 years. If the best you can do about Democratic corruption is a couple of ten year old cases, pathetic.
From the Boston Globe:
An examination of committees’ own reports found that the House Government Reform Committee held just 37 hearings described as ”oversight” or investigative in nature during the last Congress, down from 135 such hearings held by its predecessor, the House Government Operations Committee, in 1993-94, the last year the Democrats controlled the chamber.
Party loyalty does not account for the difference: In 1993-94, the Democrats were investigating a Democratic administration.
Hey David, friend of Israeli Supreme Court Justice:
You didn’t mention this link below. I haven’t visited this site in weeks:
http://www.jewishworldreview.c.....042905.asp
“Indeed, even The Washington Post, which more or less invented frenzy over Republican trespasses and transgressions, is having trouble dealing with the ripe aroma over the Capitol, reporting that Democratic lawmakers are settling old restaurant bills, filing missing forms and revising old ones. Nancy Pelosi, who has led the charge against Tom DeLay, assigned an aide to remember that she forgot to file a disclosure form for a $9,087 trip to South Korea until a newspaper reporter inquired about the aide’s trip. “I did not know I was supposed to file these forms,” the aide wrote to the ethics committee, “and I apologize for its lateness.” We know how rotten she and Nancy must feel about it. “
What the hell is going on with Arlen Specter and this TO thing?
Did one of you libs put something in his gravy boat over the weekend?
If I were the D’s, I’d spend my money in the 5th and let OLE Doc just move on up. What a great poster boy for the right! After reading the 33 page plea deal struck by slimster Dukey, and toward the end it indicates that prison time could be further reduced if he helps em nail others, one does have to wonder how high up in DOD this might end up, plus other members of congress. Hopefully the D’s won’t be afraid to pour some additional fuel on the fire. They just need to always remember what the R’s did over the little mess on the dress business.
Puddybud @ 15 Wow – it was like a regular Harper’s Index – but without the source citations to back it up. Cut and Paste?
I feel bad for Randy Cunningham. He was a hell of an aviator. Now he’ll probably go to jail. Greedy corrupt shithead. Too bad.
RugratASS, when have I apologized for Republican wrong doing? Throw the bums out on both sides. I have complained about the glee you ASSheads froth over when one guy is convicted and the “Politics of Corruption”. Hold on RugratASS, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You look for the speck in my eye when the tree trunk is in your eye. Damn you are the dullest knife here on ASSes! Don’t worry I won’t enter into an epithet laden tirade like DJ does.
You argue about Iraq all you want. They haven’t blown anything up here yet “Praise the Lord”. Keep the killing field over there. The more that arrive in Iraq and are killed, the more gone forever.
Still waiting for someone to answer my question: How do you respond to the NK Foreign Minister who said:”It is the historical truth that peace is won and defended only with strength.” Come on there has to be some ASShead here who has the intestinal fortitude to answer this! Or do most ASSheads here think the US is too strong? I’ll Use GBS’ argument of last week. “Could you / can you just answer the question?”
Poster Child: Searcheth the Internet Mr Child. You will find AMAZING things. I am writing a manual. Every few minutes another search thought appears and I look for an answer. While there I think about ASSes and the BULLSHIT SNR level (thanks WindbagASS). So I open another browser and search some more! It’s so easy to find stuff. Day 65 no Free Republic. CluelessASS & RugratASS have you performed your daily trek to Daily Kos? Still on Day “0”?
Pee-Whacky-
You are obviously a dangerously deranged ultra-religous nut case.
Get Help.
Puddybud @ 15, let us finish it, shall we. Half truths are so… Republican:
The Vindication of the Clinton Administration
Clinton administration officials indicted and/or convicted in connection with Whitewater: 0
Clinton administration officials indicted and/or convicted in connection with Travel Office allegations: 0
Clinton administration officials indicted and/or convicted in connection with alleged abuse of FBI files: 0
Clinton administration officials indicted and/of convicted in connection with Lewinsky matter: 0
Clinton administration officials indicted and/or convicted in connection with the Independent Counsel investigation of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbit: 0
Clinton administration officials indicted and/or convicted in connection with the Independent Counsel investigation of Labor Secretary Alexis Herman: 0
Clinton administration officials indicted and/or convicted in connection with the Independent Counsel investigation of Americorps director Eli Siegal: 0
Clinton administration officials indicted and/or convicted in connection with the Independent Counsel investigation of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown: 0 (Investigation abandoned upon Brown’s death in nations service)
Clinton Administration officials convicted in connection with the Independent Counsel investigation of Agriculture Secretary Michael Espy: 0
(Espy acquitted of all charges. Judge sharply rebukes Independent Counsel Donald Smaltz for bringing case in the first place.)
Other: HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for misstating to the F.B.I. the amount of money he gave his girlfriend.
The Corruption in the Reagan administration:
Reagan administration era convictions in the Iran-contra scandal: 14 (two overturned on appeal)
Reagan officials convicted for illegal lobbying: 2 (Lyn Nofziger, White House political director, convicted to 30 days and $30,000 fine, overturned on appeal; Michael Deaver, White House deputy chief of staff, convicted and $100,000, given probation.)
Reagan officials convicted in Housing and Urban Development department scandal: 16
Total Reagan era convictions: 32
It really is fun watching PuddyBud self immolate. He just keeps putting more gas on himself, and lighting the matches.
“Libertarian” @ 23 It is funny how the truth gives you the heebie jeebie’s. Perhaps you are allergic?
While I think we can all agree that corruption in politics is bad, there are different levels of bad. So, which is worse:
a) A politician, represetative of the public trust, who abused his/her position for personal gain ($/sex/power/whatever)
or
b) Same as the above, except that his/her party specifically advertised that it would have a higher moral tone than the other party?
Both of the above defraud the American public and demean thier position, but the latter is, to my mind, particularly craven and lacking in any kind of moral fiber. They not only became criminals, they knowingly lied to get themselves into a position where they could perform the crime. I think they call that premeditation in criminal circles (as opposed to opportunistic or passion based crimes). And, as is right, a premeditated crime is considered more heinous.
When ALL you do is:
Listen to Carlson, Wilbur, Rush and Savage;
When all you watch is FOX News;
When all you READ is NewsMax, WorldNetDaily, LittleGreenFootballs, ad nauseum…
You’re gonna have a REALLY WEIRD view of the world.
EXACTLY, Urb-
They came in KNOWING just what they were going to do, and just HOW they were going to do it. This whole scheme has been CAREFULLY orchestrated from the jump!
Remember how they just GOT BUSY after the inauguration? And they NEVER stopped. I have heard this described as an “Old Fashioned Mafia Bust-Out”. Completely fleece the business and leave somebody else holding the bag.
Naaaaahhhh…that’s why I get so peeved. The 9/11 thing was such a GIFT…Bush wasn’t kidding about hitting the “Tri-fecta”. They got the chance to do MORE than what they EV-ER wanted to do. And most of ’em will get away scot-free.
What a scam. What a bunch of scammers.
jaybo @ 24 — I’m not sure I know how to dumb this down enough for you.
First, a “conviction” is what happens when you lose a criminal case — which Boehner v. McDermott is not. It’s a civil case, a.k.a. a “frivolous lawsuit”, where a loss may yield an “adverse judgment”.
Second, there’s a distinction between “illegal” and “in breach of a lawful duty”, which the AP reporter’s shorthand lede fails to convey. McDermott broke no law, nor is he accused of such.
Third, the case is on appeal. No judgment is final until the appeals process is complete.
In this instance, a very conservative Appeals panel (Sentelle, who created the Starr commission … Ginsburg, a failed Reagan choice for Supreme Court … and Randolph, to the right of both) poked a lot of holes in Judge Hogan’s District Court opinion. Eight years on, the case has been to trial (District) court twice, appeals (D.C. Circuit) court three times, and the Supreme Court once. It still has miles to go.
Donnageddon @ 35:
I wouldn’t go so far as to say Eric Altman is the ultimate purveyor of truth. Neither is Bernard Goldberg, but the bias in media is evident.
Consider the case of Dan Rather and the scandal that ensued as to GW’s service in the Air National Guard. Remeber that letter that surfaced about GW skipping-out on his physical? When that issue was before us, I took a look at the letter in question. (It was a PDF file on a website, so it was easy to view.) I read it came to the conclusion that the author was NOT in the Air Force or associated with the AF. Since I was an Air Force pilot for 20 years and knew a little bit about staff work in the organization, I could tell by the tone that the letter was NOT written by a flyer or anyone associated with the business, for that matter. The fact that it was “typed” in a typeface that was unavailable to the Air Force 30+ years ago just supported my belief.
So, Dan Rather, blinded by his hatred for GW, committed professional suicide on the 6 o’clock news. His career was ruined, and GW was re-elected. In this sense, the “truth” has revealed the lengths to which our media will go to promote their agenda.
Only this time it blew up in their faces!
Puddybud,
You’re being disengnious and you know it!
Sentator Reid and Dourgan taking $5,000 bucks. C’mon! 5 grand ain’t buyin’ you lunch in DC and you know it. Jack Abramoff sent money to their political groups. Do you honestly think a US Senator looks at every single check they get to their politcal groups? No way. They simply do not have the time.
This was a planned move by Abaramoff and folks like DeLay to implicate Democrats if their cover was blown.
Compare the $5,000 to what DeLay and Ney got just on their romp to Scotland.
While will agree with you that no one side is comprised of just choir boys, the filth coming from the right is unparalleled.
“When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer “Present” or “Not guilty.”
Theodore Roosevelt
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Since “Libertarian” likes Alterman so much…here’s a link to todays column:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10141435/#051130
and a TASTY BITE of the lead item:
“Martin van Creveld, a professor of military history at the Hebrew University, is author of “Transformation of War” (Free Press, 1991). He is the only non-American author on the U.S. Army’s required reading list for officers, but apparently he hates America (and therefore Israel). How else to explain this piece in the Forward, entitled: “Costly Withdrawal Is the Price To Be Paid for a Foolish War.” It goes like this:
“Simply abandoning equipment or handing it over to the Iraqis, as was done in Vietnam, is simply not an option. And even if it were, the new Iraqi army is by all accounts much weaker, less skilled, less cohesive and less loyal to its government than even the South Vietnamese army was. For all intents and purposes, Washington might just as well hand over its weapons directly to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Clearly, then, the thing to do is to forget about face-saving and conduct a classic withdrawal.
…
A withdrawal probably will require several months and incur a sizable number of casualties. As the pullout proceeds, Iraq almost certainly will sink into an all-out civil war from which it will take the country a long time to emerge — if, indeed, it can do so at all. All this is inevitable and will take place whether George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice like it or not.
And hey, check out this kicker:
For misleading the American people, and launching the most foolish war since Emperor Augustus in 9 B.C. sent his legions into Germany and lost them, Bush deserves to be impeached and, once he has been removed from office, put on trial along with the rest of the president’s men.”
“The Truth??? You can’t HANDLE the truth!!!!”
“Libertarian” @ 40 “the bias in media is evident”
Yes, it is evident. And it is a Corporate Bias, and a Defense Industry Corporate bias to boot. Your insane insistance that NBC, CBS, ABC, etc are “liberal” removes all doubt of your extreme bias.
blah blah blah “liberal bias in the media” blah blah blah “tax cuts are good for you” blah blah blah “dems took money as well as republicans” blah blah blah blah blah “the war in iraq is going just fine” blah blah blah blah blah blah blah “we really need to cover our asses better” blah blah blah “lets submit challenges to voters in king county and get some bad press on logan and sims” blah blah blah
Typical republican GARBAGE. Look, we put a (failed) oil man in the white house who’s daddy and friends are hevily invested in the defense and energy industry and what do we get?
Answer) A war in Iraq and record profits for the oil industry! Coincidence I think not.
We really need REAL campagn finance reform or our country will continue to be run by the people/industries with the most $$$$
Doc Hastings seat is as safe as Jim Mc Dermott’s.
But the right barn storming Democat could sure make some haeadlines and bring the Dems out of their stupor.
I have a lot of family over there, and even they have little Democrat fire.
The media is so far right that it’s not funny. The rethugs keep rolling out this old chestnut because idiots like pudwacker believe anything they’re told by their masters without question.
You just need to look at who owns the vast, vast, vast majority of media outlets–they’re large corporations. There isn’t a corporation around that isn’t part of the money-is-all-that-matters think of the rethugs.
Donnageddon & rujax206:
I think you two are operating under the impression that I thnk GW is just peachy-keeno. I don’t.
Good!
Up two notches in MY book!
“Libertarian”, I am only operating under the impression that you incorrectly feel their is a liberal bias to the MSM.
There is absolutely not.
DINO TO ANNOUNCE — ?
According to KING 5 News, Dino the Loserman will makes some sort of announcement later today. Hmmm … what could that be? It’s too early to announce he’s running for governor in 2008; makes more sense to declare a candidacy now if he’s decided to run against Cantwell. But I wonder … maybe he’s got some business deal lined up and has decided to quit politics. If so … buh-bye, Dino, don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out!
ASSES: Answer my FUCKING question in #31.
GBS: Being disingenuous? They voted in the affirmative on Indian affairs as the Indian Tribes wanted. And it was more than $5000 as denoted by the WaPo above. So how do you excuse their influence peddling for $5000 as you say it? Are you saying the Democrats are cheaper to buy? Well, we who think on the right have been saying that for years. Thanks for the corroboration GBS! I don’t think you really meant that but now that the pixels are available, it’s a correct inference! Yes a hooker at $5000 or $150,000 is still a hooker. It’s just Republicans have a higher threshold of finally falling over. Throw all the bums out. I haven’t heard any ASSheads saying that!
Where is DJASS the “Thread Policeman” on comment #50? Is the perfesser hitting that bong again?
StuckASS@49:
What percentage did the MSM vote for Al Gore in 2000?
What percentage did the MSM vote for John Kerry in 2004?
Let me help you since you are a dull knife! >80% each time, more like 88% for Gore and 85% for Kerry. Yeah, no MSM liberal bias there!!! DumbASS idiot savant!
BTW: Did you find an earlier link that proved PacMan called you a name before you called him “PacFeces”? No, I didn’t think you would. DumbASS idiot savant!
The Prosecution Rests!
GBS, you asked why I support the “wrong” agenda. I just remembered this. Why didn’t David, the friend of Israeli judges doesn’t stand up and condemn this:
“Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, organized a forum at the Capitol in which material was distributed implying that Israel was involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
According to the Washington Post: “One witness, former intelligence analyst Ray McGovern, told Conyers and other House Democrats that the war was part of an effort to allow the United States and Israel to ‘dominate that part of the world,’ a statement Dean also condemned.”
McGovern added: “The United States went to war in Iraq for oil, Israel and military bases craved by administration ‘neocons.’ … He said that Israel should not be considered an ally and that Bush was doing the bidding of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. ‘Israel is not allowed to be brought up in polite conversation,’ McGovern said. ‘The last time I did this, the previous director of Central Intelligence called me anti-Semitic.'”
“Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.), who prompted the question by wondering whether the true war motive was Iraq’s threat to Israel, thanked McGovern for his ‘candid answer.’
“At Democratic headquarters, where an overflow crowd watched the hearing on television, activists handed out documents repeating two accusations — that an Israeli company had warning of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and that there was an ‘insider trading scam’ on 9/11 — that previously has been used to suggest Israel was behind the attacks.”
Roger L. Simon asks: “What’s going on with the ‘liberal’ (what in the world does that mean anymore?) wing of the Democratic Party? First Senator Durbin compares the US military to Nazis. Now this? Did these people have mass lobotomies? Enough!”
Yes just ASSheads here, frontal lobotomies!
Republican Committee to Restore Ethics, Democracy, Integrity, Balance, Leadership and Efficiency to King County government. Also known as BS of the Great Northwest.
“It’s great that Norm has finally stepped up to the challenge but we need to do more.” We Republicans need to get aggresive! The committee will be meeting with top officials in DC in a few months. IN THE MEAN TIME WE WILL BE PREPARING A DOCUMENT FULL OF ALL OF SIMS “MISTAKES” IN THE HOPES THAT THE FEDS WILL TAKE CHARGE AND FORMALLY INVESTIGATE. ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION THAT COULD PROVE USEFUL, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO THE INCREDIBLE FOR CREDIBILITY REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE.” HAR HAR MERRY KRINKLEPUSS TO YOU FOLKS.
Or GBS, your “progressive” Democratic Underground mates writing about John Ashcroft:
“He has it coming. He is utterly sub-human and evil. Suffer, bastard,” gloated one DU user. “he world would be better off without him,” was from another DU. “I hope he is in the most severe pain a human being can suffer, and after that, I hope he remains in constant pain with no hope of relief,” from another DU user. Then comedian Bill Maher echoed these unsparing sentiments during his HBO talk show monologue, speculating that Ashcroft contracted his unimaginably painful and potentially deadly illness: “doctors think he may have picked up some sort of infection wiping his ass with the Bill of Rights.” The audience roared with laughter.
GBS: I don’t think like that! But them “progressives” on ASSes I call ASSheads do!
PuddyBud, you fleaminded automaton. The MSM does not vote, shithead! They just influence the vote throught their corporate biased reporting.
If you can find ONE MSM who has EVER voted in ANY election, I will never post on HA again.
If you can’t then you must never post on HA again.
Deal?
Roger—
So you want to know what Rossi is going to announce???
The suspense is probably eatin’ at you a bit isn’t it Rog???
I suppose it’s best if you wait a little bit longer….excitement is good for you.
Do you think he may be running for another office Rog??
Or do you think he might be the new ____________________?
Uhhhh, Pee-Whacky…
It’s been proven that Conyers had NOTHING to do with that “Memo”…in fact it turned out the document was planted at the hearing by Jeff/Jim Gannon/Guckert the famous homosexual fake journalist employed by the White House to promote the Administration agenda at White House Press briefings.
(Actually…I made up that G/G “planted” the document. I don’t think anybody knows where it came from. But I just wanted to try “Making Shit Up” like Pee-Whacky” does. It’s kinda fun, but I worry about my blogger integrity doncha’ know.)
(Oh…but I DIDN’T make up G/G. Thay’s the kind of integrity this White House has.)
No Deal StuckASS. Whom are the MSM? The reporters and editors are the MSM. It is a term. Ever heard of a guy named Noam Chomsky? He defines it well.
http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/ar.....media.html
“You look at the media, or at any institution you want to understand. You ask questions about its internal institutional structure. You want to know something about their setting in the broader society. How do they relate to other systems of power and authority? If you’re lucky, there is an internal record from leading people in the information system which tells you what they are up to (it is sort of a doctrinal system). That doesn’t mean the public relations handouts but what they say to each other about what they are up to. There is quite a lot of interesting documentation.”
“There is another sector of the media, the elite media, sometimes called the agenda-setting media because they are the ones with the big resources, they set the framework in which everyone else operates. The New York Times and CBS, that kind of thing. Their audience is mostly privileged people. The people who read the New York Times—people who are wealthy or part of what is sometimes called the political class—they are actually involved in the political system in an ongoing fashion. They are basically managers of one sort or another. They can be political managers, business managers (like corporate executives or that sort of thing), doctoral managers (like university professors), or other journalists who are involved in organizing the way people think and look at things.”
“The universities, for example, are not independent institutions. There may be independent people scattered around in them but that is true of the media as well. And it’s generally true of corporations. It’s true of Fascist states, for that matter. But the institution itself is parasitic. It’s dependent on outside sources of support and those sources of support, such as private wealth, big corporations with grants, and the government (which is so closely interlinked with corporate power you can barely distinguish them), they are essentially what the universities are in the middle of. People within them, who don’t adjust to that structure, who don’t accept it and internalize it (you can’t really work with it unless you internalize it, and believe it); people who don’t do that are likely to be weeded out along the way, starting from kindergarten, all the way up. There are all sorts of filtering devices to get rid of people who are a pain in the neck and think independently. Those of you who have been through college know that the educational system is very highly geared to rewarding conformity and obedience; if you don’t do that, you are a troublemaker. So, it is kind of a filtering device which ends up with people who really honestly (they aren’t lying) internalize the framework of belief and attitudes of the surrounding power system in the society. The elite institutions like, say, Harvard and Princeton and the small upscale colleges, for example, are very much geared to socialization. If you go through a place like Harvard, most of what goes on there is teaching manners; how to behave like a member of the upper classes, how to think the right thoughts, and so on.”
I love using your “leaders” like Chomsky to prove my points.
“When you critique the media and you say, look, here is what Anthony Lewis or somebody else is writing, they get very angry. They say, quite correctly, “nobody ever tells me what to write. I write anything I like. All this business about pressures and constraints is nonsense because I’m never under any pressure.” Which is completely true, but the point is that they wouldn’t be there unless they had already demonstrated that nobody has to tell them what to write because they are going say the right thing. If they had started off at the Metro desk, or something, and had pursued the wrong kind of stories, they never would have made it to the positions where they can now say anything they like. The same is mostly true of university faculty in the more ideological disciplines. They have been through the socialization system.”
“Actually, it is very similar to Leninism. We do things for you and we are doing it in the interest of everyone, and so on. I suspect that’s part of the reason why it’s been so easy historically for people to shift up and back from being, sort of enthusiastic Stalinists to being big supporters of U.S. power. People switch very quickly from one position to the other, and my suspicion is that it’s because basically it is the same position. You’re not making much of a switch. You’re just making a different estimate of where power lies. One point you think it’s here, another point you think it’s there. You take the same position.” – Cynical, U R a man ahead of your time. Lenin’s Useful Idiots! That’s why those who think right call donkocrats communists. Chomsky says it all! Donkocrats see which way the wind blows; sort of like taking a poll rugratASS!
Hey Pee-Whacky…
Don’t you have any REAL work to do?
So StuckASS, what did you think? What is the MSM? Seems to me a collegial group of like thinkers who try to set an ideology antithetical to American Constitutional and Bill of Rights ideals!
58
“Roger—
So you want to know what Rossi is going to announce???”
Not really.
“The suspense is probably eatin’ at you a bit isn’t it Rog???”
yawn
“I suppose it’s best if you wait a little bit longer….excitement is good for you.”
Hey Cyn, if you want excitement, enlist in the Army and volunteer for Iraq. Me, I had enough excitement in The Nam to last the rest of my life — although I have to admit that sneaking in and out of Stefan’s garden under cover of darkness like a SEAL is kinda fun!
“Do you think he may be running for another office Rog??”
Issaquah dogcatcher?
“Or do you think he might be the new ____________________?”
Horse’s ass?
PuddyIdiot @ 52
‘Where is DJASS the “Thread Policeman”’
Looks like you are living in “PuttyWorld” again, jackass. I’ve never claimed to be or volunteered to be a thread policeman.
Quit making shit up, fucking moron!
RugratASS: Sure do. I am editing a training manual for a client. Almost done. I can independently work the left and right sides of my brain. Those of us who think right exercise the other hemisphere too. Mental exercises rugratASS. But being the dullest knife here, well… you are one of the exceptions to the rule, like StuckASS and CluelessASS!
You’re just a moron Pee-Whacker.
Dang.
Only a really unhinged lunatic believes that Noam Chomsky (fergawdssake) issues the marching orders for the “Left”.
You’re pathetic.
Get help.
RugratASS: Take some time and read this!
http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/ar.....rogue.html. Get out the knife sharpener. You’ll need to improve your edge to understand this.
Norm Maleng has asked the Attorney General (a Republican) and Secretary of State (a Republican) for “clarification” of whether voters can register at mailboxes, and also indicated his office tends to get involved in cleaning up King County’s voter rolls.
Which is a good thing, in principle at least, although I must reserve judgment because Maleng’s words and actions of the last couple days frankly smack of partisanship.
Hmmm. Why would Maleng, a prosecuting attorney with over 25 years, have to ask for legal advice from Rob McKenna (who is young enough to be his son) and Sam Reed (a non-lawyer)?
Looks like Vance & Co. are assembling such elected officials as the GOP can scrape up in this state for a full-court press against “voting fraud” — GOP style.
Maybe they hope that’ll create enough distraction to keep Sotelo’s crimes off the front page when the civil lawsuits are filed against her and KCGOP.
DJASS, You Fucking Moron. Everytime someone whom thinks right jumped a thread YOU complain. Hence you are the Thread Policeman! Fuck you and your aardvark too!
I wonder if Rossi’s announcement has something to do with this voter challenge brouhaha. It would be just like him to jump into the act with some new grandstanding trick. Maybe he’s gonna file a new election contest … in Haiti’s municipal court … ?
You can try to go after Hastings, although that would necessitate a credible Democrat challenger to move to the Tri-cities or Manastash or somplace similarly dry and brown.
But instead of doing that, and since I assume you’re a 206’er, why not support a pure, concientious Democrat to overthrow the corrupt, scandal ridden office of Rep. McDermott. He has done less then nothing for the state and has marginalized Seattle to the point where politically it is as credible as an Oakland PTO board.
Forcing McDermott to cash in on his federal retirement pension plan is an issue Democrats and Republicans should both parties jump on.
70
“DJ … Fuck you and your aardvark too!”
Well, well, what have we here?? Aardvarks vs. armadillos? Hey everybody, we’re gonna have a critter brawl! In the wingnuts’ corner — the aardvark; and in the liberals’ corner — the armadillo! Should be fun!!! :D :D :D
Reporterward: Oakland PTO gave you all Ebonics. Now ASSheads can walk the inner city streets and translate that English brought to you by “progressive” donkocratic inner-city teachers!
What are the “Progressive” liberal moonbats? Like ants crawing out of an anthill. Aardvarks eat ants by the millions.
RugratASS: Can’t answer the presented information so you attack me? Dull knife status getting to ya? Go ahead, make my day, I’m a big ‘un.
PuddyIdiot @ 70
“DJASS, You Fucking Moron. Everytime someone whom thinks right jumped a thread YOU complain.”
No I don’t. In fact, I rarely do so. You are living in your twisted PuddyWorld again.
“Hence you are the Thread Policeman!”
No…in fact, I am not–unless you want to pay me $200/hr. Otherwise, go beat your head on a rock, loser.
“Fuck you and your aardvark too!”
(*rolls eyes*) That was so…um…inspired.
Not.
Regarding “media’s” comments at 46…
The “media” is not far right or conservative. Flogging the tired “corporate” line is about as hackneyed and cliche as a U2 song. Maybe if you pick up a copy of the Ritzville or Colville weekly newspaper, you’ll get some right-of-center reporting. But most metropolitan papers and even the newsrooms of small dailies like in Wenatchee, Yakima and Chehalis are fairly left-wing.
Rossi’s BIG ANNOUNCEMENT?
He supporting Mike and the Mechanics for US Senate.
Wow – and he had to announce that he was announcing that? Did Mary Kay have to set up a press conference to announce the press conference. Talk about self-absorbed.
http://www.kgw.com/sharedconte.....17Q0A.html
PuddyIdiot @ 75
“Aardvarks eat ants by the millions.”
If you mean in a single sitting or even in a single day, you would be wrong (as usual).
LiberalRedneck @ 78
“He supporting Mike and the Mechanics for US Senate.”
Wow…that must be a coalition between McGavick and Irons!
I liked this part of the story:
McGavick also announced the backing of the state’s three Republican members of Congress: Doc Hastings in the 4th District, Cathy McMorris in the 5th and Dave Reichert in the 8th.
He also was endorsed by Fredi Simpson of Wenatchee, the vice chair of the state GOP, and said he is already backed by many Republican state legislators and most of the party leaders. The state Republican Central Committee hasn’t endorsed yet.
Endorsement?!!? I thought Rossi was going to announce he’d finally made up his mind on I-912!!!
PuddyBud, I hope you’re not charging your client by the hour.
“I love using your “leaders†like Chomsky to prove my points.”
Uh.. WTF? you proved a point? I must have missed it.
To your question “what is the MSM?”
A: The MSM, or “Main Stream Media” is the large corporate news organizations (sorry reporterward, but the facts is the facts) who like all corporations disseminate a spin that is profitable for their corporate bottom line. With large mega corporations (ABC, NBC, CBS, etc) the holdings of the corporation are vast, and include heavy industries supplying defense components and other governmental services. They use their mouthpiece (MSM) to spin attitudes beneficial to their corporate holdings.
But what the employees do in their private life has nothing to do with the “product” (News) produced by the corporation. Ie. the MSM spins a corporate and government regulatory friendly account of national and world events. At least to the extent that is possible. As a corporation, the HAVE TO DO THIS! It is part of their charter to increase the value of the corporation for their shareholders. But the employees may express themselves individually (vote) in an entirely different manner.
I work for a large defense contractor. They notoriously spin information in favor of their corporate bottom line. But to my knowledge, the majority of the workers for this corporation vote in an entirely different manner than the corporation would want them to.
So, PuddyBud, if a majority of the workers for a conservative defense contractor vote a liberal ticket, does this make the defense contractor liberal?
No.
Same with the corporate MSM.
Any point you may feel you have “made”, has just been demolished by the weight of sound logic and rational economic reality.
You have been served!
I didn’t qualify the ants at a sitting on purpose DJASS. This is a long struggle against “progressive thought!
DJ: You complain a lot. In fact you are the only complainer. Hence the comment by one of us whom said you head is far up the GoldyASS. DJ, did you see the Longest Yard with Adam Sandler? There was this big ugly guy who hit his head against the wall. That’d be you buster!
I love it. In #31 no ASShead dares touch it. #56 speaks volumes about “progressives”. #60 & 61 describe the liberal MSM and liberal universities and colleges. No answers to them but they attack the messenger. Does Ward Churchill and James Daly “Frag your officers” prove my point about liberal universities? Yes!
The Prosecution Rests
It is clear that no amount of reality will ever make it through the fog of PuddyBud Land. It is a reality free-zone.
RonK @ 82
You shoulda heard Dunno Rossi on KUOW yesterday. He was asked why he was totally silent on I-912. He got pretty testy pretty quick, claiming “he had promised everybody he was taking 2005 off” and had a right not to have to comment on anything that concerned politics.
Seems to me he broke that pledge today.
The State GOP’s favorite real estate agent strikes again.
Dino Lossi, He So Bossy.
Gregoire’s number keep getting better everyday… The Resucklicans had their revote, and they lost. Suckers.
StuckASS: You work for a defense contractor and you spew the shit you do? Wow! Do you create those broken widgets found by people like my nephew on a F-14 on the Carl Vinson?
Me being served? To answer your question no. Does the Defense Contractor dictate what story or stories get prominent news coverage? No they don’t. They don’t control the media or it’s outlets. Does the MSM control the media and it’s outlets? YES it does! Apparently you didn’t CAREFULLY read Chomsky! He explained the MSM and what they do collectively. If the mass collective, >80% votes a certain way, the collective is the voting group.
PuddyBud “Does the MSM control the media and it’s outlets? YES it does!”
And the MSM is part of the corporation that encompasses defence contracts, and other governmental services.
You just don’t get it PuddyBud, you are like a chicken who just had its head chopped off and doesn’t yet realize it.
And PuddyBud, if you ever showed an original thought without just repeating something you read off a website, or heard on a wingnut program, I would faint!
You Neo-Con Zombie!
Puddybud @ 51
Better check out their track records on items relating to Indians, particularly Dorgan’s. He has a long history of supporting legislation that supports Indians.
The Prosecution Rests
The Verdict: Puddy “Freep” Koresh aka TripleP (Puddy Pod Person) you have been found guilty of distribution and SEVERE abuse of the Regnery,Murdoch,Black,MoonieTimes,WSJ Editorial Page,NRO,AEI,Hudson,Manhattan,Townhall(Clownball).com,WND(WingNutDaily),Newsmax,Faux News,FourSistersFundingGroup(Scaife,Olin,Bradley,Smith-Richardson) and all their running dogs and lackeys on Talk Radio and the blogs NEO-CON KOOL-AID at the express direction of Lt. Col. Michael Aquino Phd., former Reagan/Bush I dirty trickster, staunch Republican and devoted Satan worshipper.
The punishment: you will forever be poked at like a dead rat by HA.org liberal commenters.
Puddybud:
Your rap on John Conyers rings as hollow as your Able Danger mass hysteria.
C’mon, man! You’re side is frightened of John Conyers because he wants to investigate the Downing Street Memos and now Bush’s desire to bomb Al-Jeezera news organization HQ in Qatar.
It seems Tony Blair was the leader in that situation and talked Bush out of invading another country that was no imminent threat to our national security.
CluelessASS: Such a dull knife. Where did I quote any of those web sites today? Still without a clue? Of course you are cluelessASS! Regarding satan, I didn’t find Acquino, you did. You quote him every day. He is your hero, since you worship his words, use them against me every chance you get, and have no other arguement!
Advice to the convicted: You are fond of using the words “your side”. Dr Aquino is on “your side” and makes no bones about why he is on “your side”.
Please keep the 11th commandment.
I haven’t read this whole thread — has Puddybutt posted the “Clinton body count list” yet? (This is a right-wing mass e-mail listing dead people who purportedly were ordered murdered by President Clinton.) If he hasn’t, I’ll pre-empt him by posting the Bullshit Detector now: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/clinton.htm
Note: This debunker is also somewhat applicable to Puddy’s list of Clinton-buddy crooks (or whatever that screed is) … to summarize, presidents meet, know, or have campaign or other connections with literally thousands of people, so it’s easy for anyone to associate any given president with a list of bad people, dead people, etc.
These bullshit lists are a dime a dozen. I get two or three every week in my e-mail.
I could run this thread up to 500 posts just by debunking the bullshit e-mails mass circulated by the right-wing noise machine.
For example:
Claim: New York Senator Hillary Clinton refused to meet with a contingent of Gold Star mothers.
Status: False.
http://www.snopes.com/politics.....ldstar.asp
Pee-Whacky-
So fucking what?
I never said I was a Mother Jones reader…or a far left lefty. Chomsky’s OK…not MY guy though…hey it’s STILL a free country. We can have that “Z” Thing (whatever THAT is) and you guys can have WingNutDaily. Your opinions are misinformed, idiotic and just plain wrong…but nobody here is gonna stop you from having them.
Unlike the goose-stepping right, lefties are all over the place politically AND socially. We actualy tolerate…no ENCOURAGE…independent thought. That’s why it’s such a BIG EVENT when we can all get behind something. It’s a realtough thing for a bunch of stubborn, strong-willed free-thinkers to do.
Listen…I attack you because you attack I’m really, really, really, REALLY TIRED of you taking shit out of context or misquoting or misrepresenting and thinking you’ve got some blockbuster insight that’s gonna…well..do SOMETHING.
Dude, you are Tragi-Comic relief around here. Comic because your comments are so moronic, they’re funny. Tragic because most of us can’t believe there is ANYONE who actually THINKS like you. You got the goods on the left, huh? Well your side can be reduced to racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, hyper-religious fanatical freaks. IS that more attractive or more patriotic than being a revolutoinary radical leftist? Of course not. But all the time I get from you that that’s who and what we are…or I am. You are just bat-shit crazy is what you are.
Remember boys and girls, you can’t win the election if the other side controls the counting of the votes.
If you really want to win in 2006, you need to get Diebold and their digital computers out of the polling locations. Otherwise, we’re going keep losing these “can’t lose” elections year after year.
Ok rujax: (notice the real name use) Name me a prominent Pro-Life Democrat who is held in high regard by the party and gets play for their prominent role as a pro-lifer?
Don’t name Scary Harry Reid, because he votes with the abortion gang.
Let’s see from our side Pro-Abortion Republicans whom break ranks:
Olympia Snow
Susan Collins
Rudy Guiliani
Michael Bloomberg
Christine Whitman
Arnold Schwarzenegger to name a few.
Well your side can be reduced to racist – Robert KKK 3 Sheets Byrd – still looking for dem white niggers, J William Fulbright, George Wallace, sexist – Teddy Chappaquiddick Kid Kennedy, William Kennedy Smith, Mel Reynolds, Brock Adams, damn I have to stop (laughing and snickering), Orange County Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez wanting to hold a fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion, homophobic – wow too many to name, xenophobic – “The term is typically used to describe fear or dislike of foreigners or in general of people different from one’s self.” Progressives!!! – Any black whom leaves the reservation is called an O R E O! GLA, NARAL,ELF,ALF, hyper-religious fanatical freaks – ya got me here. Your beloved ACLU wants to tear apart the original fabric “All men are created equal and endowed by their Creator..” from the Declaration of Independence and how this country was founded.
Rujax, I put forth to your side commentary from “progressive” people and all you do is attack me. That’s because YOU CAN’T ATTACK THE MESSAGE! If you can’t refute the links maybe the kool-aid is not strong enough for you! Understand this, when GBS, Mr X, or Dr. E. engage in real dialog I engage back. I even agree with them So if I was a FUCKING GOOSETEPPER you idiot, I would be fighting them all the way. Such a dumb ass. That’s why I respect those three. But you NEVER. Let me state it again. NEVER. You could reverse course and start making sense. But you’ll NEVER get my respect. Figure it out. These three did something you have NOT!
Like I said…
Get Help.
PuddyIdiot @ 85
“I didn’t qualify the ants at a sitting on purpose DJASS. This is a long struggle against “progressive thought!”
What the fuck? Apparently another non-sequitur from PuddyLand!
“DJ: You complain a lot. In fact you are the only complainer.”
While you may call many of my responses “complaints,” I look at your responses to posters and “complaints” come to mind. Shit, PuddyDimwit, in a number of threads now, you have made unsolicited complaints about me not responding to things I’m not discussing! :-)
“Hence the comment by one of us whom said you head is far up the GoldyASS.”
Huh? The connection makes no sense whatsoever. How does that follow?
“DJ, did you see the Longest Yard with Adam Sandler?”
Ummm…no.
“There was this big ugly guy who hit his head against the wall. That’d be you buster!”
Without having seen the movie, it is hard to judge your statement. I mean, when you make statements of this sort, one can never tell what the reality is (was it really a beautiful skinny woman who laid her head on a pillow? Was it a Disneyland character dressed up as a big ugly guy? Etc.). You have a way of distorting things such that the original is unrecognizable. But, based on the description you have given, I must tentatively conclude that you are incorrect.
But, thanks for playing!
THE NON-GOVERNOR’S NON-ANNOUNCEMENT
Earlier today, Dino the Sore Loser told the media he would make an announcement today. Well, he did. He announced that he’ll announce in 2007 whether he’ll run for governor in 2008.
Sounds exactly like the clear and unambiguous leadership he provided on I-912.
Puddy @ 103
“I put forth to your side commentary from “progressive” people and all you do is attack me. That’s because YOU CAN’T ATTACK THE MESSAGE!”
No…usually it is because we have no idea what the “messenger” is trying to get at! Or, it is because the message has been so distorted as to be inaccessible. Or, the “messenger” is so illogical as to render the message useless.
Take, for example, your little rant in the first paragraph of 103. Here, you have selected a few individuals for whom you can attribute a particular negative characteristic. Then, you offer the logical fallacy: since this person also has the attribute of being a progressive/liberal/donk/moonbat politically (or whatever you mean by “side”), all progressives/liberals/donks/moonbats must also share the negative characteristic of the selected individual.
You do this kind of nonsense form of argument over and over and over and over again. That is (one reason) why people have no respect for you, frequently ignore you, or attack you. For the most part your arguments are as logical as this (incorrect) statement: Laura Bush killed her boyfriend in a traffic accident. Therefore, all wives of Republicans are killers. See how silly that sounds? Well, that is how the majority of your arguments come across.
You have other problems beyond this one invalid form of argument, but I’ll just leave this comment post here and hope you can figure out the rest.
Donnegeddon @ 84
This is the reason why “blogs” will never replace newspapers. Perhaps if you had read my comment, you would have noticed that I did not dispute the fact that most mainstream news outlets are owned by massive corporations. What I said is that just because they are doesn’t mean that they are necessarily conservative. So sorry yourself.
Next time I’ll type it out in morse code so folks will understand.
Who the heck is this puddy weasel? He either has to be a ringer posing as a stereotypical “far righter” to give normal conservatives a bad name or else someone from the ReaganWing has gone far past his 30 minute alotted computer time at the library.
Kind of sickening to have millstones like that hung around your political neck. Now I know how it feels to have someone like Howard Dean in your party.
Re-109
Ouch.
Reporterward @ 108, I read all of your post (and I don’t knolw morse code anyway). I simply disagreed with your opinion.
You don’t mind if I disagree do you?
Good.
109
Puddybutt is a troll, and does what comes naturally for trolls — trolling.
dj @105
Without having seen the movie, it is hard to judge your statement. I mean, when you make statements of this sort, one can never tell what the reality is (was it really a beautiful skinny woman who laid her head on a pillow? Was it a Disneyland character dressed up as a big ugly guy? Etc.). You have a way of distorting things such that the original is unrecognizable. But, based on the description you have given, I must tentatively conclude that you are incorrect.
Man, that is why I like you (in a manly, non-homosexual way that your wife should appreciate)…Oh, and you should too…
Anyway, great comment!
And reporterward “This is the reason why “blogs†will never replace newspapers.”
I agree that blogs will never replace newspapers, but for an entirely differrent reason. (careful now repoterward, I am about to disagree with you again, but please do not take it as an indication you need to get out the morse code)
Blogs are individual opinion pieces, coupled with group discussion. While I know it is close to ipossible to find, a newspaper (whether printed or on a computer screen) should strive for impartial reporting and investigation. Opinions should be saved for the opinions section.
It has nothing to do with people not reading a persons complete post, as you suggest.
PB @ 61
Actually, if you read the Chomsky article carefully, you’ll see that pretty much everyone that visits this board would fall into the category of “Lenin’s Useful Idiots,” if you want to use that term.
Why? Because he is essentially describing the hierarchical power structures behind an instution like the media, which is, in his view (which I think is quite accurate) an elitist power structure working from the “agenda-setting” outlets on down. This is not a positive thing, to wit:
“[the corporations owning the agenda-setting media] are way up at the top of the power structure of the private economy which is a very tyrannical structure. Corporations are basically tyrannies, hierarchic, controled from above. If you don’t like what they are doing you get out. The major media are just part of that system.”
Moreover, this argument renders the question of the political orientation (right vs. left) content delivered by the media as somewhat secondary: as he states, newspapers, for instance, are in the market of selling audiences (not newspapers), with their real customers being the advertisers that pay their operating costs.
This is where I think your quote on Leninism is taken too far out of context, for what he says prior thereto is:
“…look at the leading figures who have written about this. They all say (I’m partly quoting), the general population is “ignorant and meddlesome outsiders.” We have to keep them out of the public arena because they are too stupid and if they get involved they will just make trouble. Their job is to be “spectators,” not ‘participants.'”
That’s what we are, you and me, “left” or “right on the political spectrum, to these elite power structures: spectators. That’s the context in which the reference to Leninism/Stalinism is situated – and he says as much:
“People switch very quickly from one position [sort of enthusiastic Stalinism] to the other [big supporter of US power], and my suspicion is that it’s because basically it is the same position.”
That’s the really salient point, as I see it.
pb @ 61
I’ve got a fairly lengthy reply on Chomsky above — I think you may have misunderstood his central thesis, or at the very least taken some of his text out of context. It’ll come out of the filter eventually.
For now, I’ll summarize with what I feel is his most salient point: that ordinary people from quasi-Stalinist to US-supremacist orientations, as they’re essentially the same position. It’s a rather complex and nuance argument that requires a pretty close reading.
Marks @ 113
“Oh, and you should too…”
Thanks…I do appreciate it, Marks. And, as you know, even though I don’t always agree with everything you say, I do respect your opinions and your ability to think and communicate.
116
WTFH What is this HA or a sausage love fest. Geesh. It is enough to make you sick.
RUFUS @ 118
“What is this HA or a sausage love fest.”
Hmmm…funny you should mention that. When I wrote post 117 above it was immediately after eating at Shultzy’s Sausage in the U district. I am not joking about that.
Maxine Waters/”Tookie” Williams 2008 [but only if Hillary doesn’t run!!]
DJ: Your comment makes no sense. You haven’t seen the movie but you make an analogy based on what? Conjecture? Your imagination? Pulling something out of your ASS? Trying to make a point by composing more rhetorical garbage?
Why not ask some of your conforming students if they saw the movie perfesser? I’m sure some have. It was on Comcast On-Demand. Since you DIDN’T view the movie what is your basis for your analogy? There was this ugly guy in his cell repeatedly banging his head against the wall. He reminded me of you, banging your head on the wall frustrated by those of us whom think right vehemently disagreeing with you.
Regarding your head up the GoldyASS comment, why not ask the original poster who wrote about it repeatedly in another thread? They also commented about your complaining and your “thread policeman” act. Search ASSes DJ, you can find it. Your not the dull knife like others ASSheads here. All I did was use it for a colorful visual. You love to dish it out against us whom think right and then parse your way out when called on it.
I can see why you and loosy get along so well. You teach your students what? Conformance? Group think? Being a Lenin Useful Idiot? Stalinism? How do you deal with students whom disagree with your politics? Illegally lower their grade out of spite like other perfessers do? Verbally abusing them in class, making them pariahs for their non-conformance viewpoint?
Dr E. I respectly submit that you missed his point. It’s only the ASSheads that are Lenin’s Useful Idiots. His statement emphasied by you: “People switch very quickly from one position [sort of enthusiastic Stalinism] to the other [big supporter of US power], and my suspicion is that it’s because basically it is the same position” applies to lefty ASSheads. It’s the ASSheads whom drink from the trough of MSM. Whatever the MSM says are your marching orders for the today. CluelessASS and RujaxASS go further and use the Daily Kos as MSM! Kool-Aid is what we call it. You all hijacked that term from those of us whom think right.
Why was all this uproar over Judy Miller and her WMD reporting in the New York Times? Your side (ASSheads) switched from Stalinism to the US side support because of the “newspaper of record” reported it as true. Now no WMDs were found for whatever reason, the ASSheads switch back to Stalimism. Us whom think right have not wavered that much in our support of the original position! If it was good in 1998, it was to be good in 2003.
We whom think right are the “ignorant and meddlesome outsiders” because we have been questioning everything the MSM prints and speaks since Reagan took office. Chomsky’s use of the biased media elite was perfectly stated. The biased media elite try to tell the public how to think because “the biased media elite are official university trained thinkers”. Your extraction of the quote and Chomsky’s injection of public being “ignorant and meddlesome outsiders…, We have to keep them out of the public arena because they are too stupid and if they get involved they will just make trouble. Their job is to be “spectators,” not ‘participants’.” is proving the point of why newspapers are losing circulation. The public are no longer “ignorant outsiders, spectators” because they have alternative means to view unbiased news.
Chomsky’s article said because (universities , colleges) institutions of higher learning force people to conform (his use of Animal Farm and 1984 as examples). Those whom rebel against forced conformance are labeled troublemakers. Those whom think for themselves are labeled troublemakers. So his example of Anthony Lewis writing an opinion piece biased to non-conforming “spectators” but is not biased to him because Anthony Lewis was trained to be a conformist by those higher learning institutions. Lweis can’t view his piece as biased and left leaning because all of his friends think like him. He has no friends in his circle whom are “troublemakers”. That’s what you missed in that paragraph. Whatever way the group think is leaning, their mouthpieces will gravitate that way. Because the MSM treated the people as sheep and the MSM are the “shepherds”, today people are steadily rejecting their biases. Alternative forms of news, such as the “hated” Fox News Channel and the Internet are allowing people to weigh another viewpoint and the “ignorant and meddlesome outsiders” decide for themselves. Many “ignorant and meddlesome outsiders” are choosing to view the Anthony Lewis’ and the MSM as biased individuals. Notice newspaper circulation is dropping? So my original statement stands. >80% of the MSM voted for the wrong side in 2000 & 2004. The conformists graduating from these biased universities and colleges DO NOT find fault the Ward Churchills and John Dalys’ preaching “frag your officers” offensive because they think alike. It’s the non-conforming “spectators” (those whom think right) rising up and complaining that’s wrong!
Dr E., my reply is in the filtering system.
DJ: You said: “Take, for example, your little rant in the first paragraph of 103. Here, you have selected a few individuals for whom you can attribute a particular negative characteristic. Then, you offer the logical fallacy: since this person also has the attribute of being a progressive/liberal/donk/moonbat politically (or whatever you mean by “side”), all progressives/liberals/donks/moonbats must also share the negative characteristic of the selected individual.”
First DJ you must have missed RugratASS and his rant before that. He implemented his particular negative characteristic character assassination of us whom think right. I answered him with FACTUAL representative on almost everyone of his negative characteristic associations. DJ, have you recently retreated back into your small intellectually empty prison cell?
Once again, in another of your assinine parsing exercises, you miss the “conversation” I was having with rugratASS. Is this how you teach DJ? In class when someone says something in response to another, you jump down the responder’s throat without regard to what previously transpired? I am so glad I never sat in a class taught by perfesser DJ. You are becoming a dull knife DJ.
DJ, put the bong down for a minute while you sit in your U district office. DJ, Reread some of the ASShead posts of buddies from your side. Yes, they are on your side because you always agree with them. Anything we write against the “official” ASShead position; we are called neo-con, kool-aid drinkers, jackboot goose-stepping Nazis, Fascists, etc. And you have the audacity to escalate the your above rant against me? Try again DJ! When YOUR SIDE (yes I include you as a liberal) wants to engage in legitimate discourse instead of sophomoric name calling, I’ll do the same. I still am waiting to see your first recorded disagreement with GoldyASS on ASSes. Remember 05-03-05, StuckASS named PacMan PacFeces. That name calling originated from the left, not the right here on ASSes!
This country needs Hillary/”Tookie” Williams in 2008!!! This is to best the Democrats can offer!!! [hehe]
PuttyIdiot @ 121
“Your comment makes no sense. You haven’t seen the movie but you make an analogy based on what? Conjecture? Your imagination? Pulling something out of your ASS? Trying to make a point by composing more rhetorical garbage?”
Try reading my response again. I specifically point out that it was completely based on the representativeness of your description, hence the very tentative nature of my conclusion.
“Why not ask some of your conforming students if they saw the movie perfesser? I’m sure some have. It was on Comcast On-Demand. Since you DIDN’T view the movie what is your basis for your analogy?”
You description.
“There was this ugly guy in his cell repeatedly banging his head against the wall. He reminded me of you, banging your head on the wall frustrated by those of us whom think right vehemently disagreeing with you.”
Yep…I stick with my original tentative conclusion.
“Regarding your head up the GoldyASS comment, why not ask the original poster who wrote about it repeatedly in another thread? “
Because I was addressing your comment.
‘They also commented about your complaining and your “thread policeman” act.’
Oh…so you were just mindlessly parroting someone else’s bullshit? Try developing some critical thinking skills.
“Search ASSes DJ, you can find it.”
Why?
“I can see why you and loosy get along so well. You teach your students what? Conformance? Group think? Being a Lenin Useful Idiot? Stalinism?”
None of the above.
“How do you deal with students whom disagree with your politics? Illegally lower their grade out of spite like other perfessers do? Verbally abusing them in class, making them pariahs for their non-conformance viewpoint?”
None of the above. The topics I teach are not political, so politics doesn’t come up in the classroom.
But, thanks for playing!
PB
Actually, I don’t think I missed his point, as it is consistent with what Chomsky has written on what he sees as the state of American democracy. The essence of Chomsky’s argument is that the American media (regardless of its perceived political orientation) is controlled by its ownership: powerful elitist corporations, which he sees as part of a tyrranical power system. And here is the essential point:
if you are not currently a member at the highest level (i.e. senior executive/directorship) of that power structure, then you are an “observer” in the political system, which is shaped by the “participants” (or “actors”, perhaps) who are the individuals that are in a position to directly influence that system, i.e. the leaders of these corporate power structures.
The argument basically asserts that the average American (you and me), regardless of his or her political affiliation, has little, if any, power to truly influence the system as it stands; as supporting evidence he also includes the typical American’s gross undereduaction and lack of information about the true power structures in the US — structures which Chomsky posits as non-democratic and possibly tyrranical.
This is the hardest nut for most Americans to crack: that our so-called democratic process actually might be one that is controlled from above, with the “little people” (that’s us, everyday Dems, Repubs, Independents, etc.) allowed a token act of participation every so often in exercising their franchise to vote. It hinges on a rather abstract concept of balance, whereby the balance of power remains in the hands of the elite, who exert control over the population indirectly, in part by controlling the content of what is reported by the news media. Chomsky has exhaustive factual evidence to support his claims, which is why he is sometimes referred to as a “radical realist.”
PuddyIdiot @ 124
“First DJ you must have missed RugratASS and his rant before that”….blah blah blah…. Once again, in another of your assinine parsing exercises, you miss the “conversation” I was having with rugratASS.
My response to what you wrote in 103 was a general commentary about a (faulty) style of argument that you commonly use. The context was not specific to the details of your conversation with rujax.
“Is this how you teach DJ? In class when someone says something in response to another, you jump down the responder’s throat without regard to what previously transpired?”
Sure…if somebody is making a faulty argument, I might well point that out. (But, such contexts rarely arise in my classes).
“I am so glad I never sat in a class taught by perfesser DJ.”
You and me both, buddy!
“You are becoming a dull knife DJ. “
That would be one hell of a commute from the near east side.
“DJ, put the bong down for a minute while you sit in your U district office.”
In fact, I am bongless. Like you, I don’t do illegal drugs—never have.
“DJ, Reread some of the ASShead posts of buddies from your side. Yes, they are on your side because you always agree with them. Anything we write against the “official” ASShead position; we are called neo-con, kool-aid drinkers, jackboot goose-stepping Nazis, Fascists, etc. And you have the audacity to escalate the your above rant against me?”
Ummmm…PuttyBud…I decide what posts I read and what posts I respond to. Not you. If you don’t like what I have to say, you have no obligation to read what I write. If you feel that a response is needed to somebody’s post, respond to it yourself.
“Try again DJ! When YOUR SIDE (yes I include you as a liberal)…”
(Here is one inference you have gotten right! I am a liberal. But, I wonder if anyone reading HA comment threads has ever had any doubt about that.)
…wants to engage in legitimate discourse instead of sophomoric name calling, I’ll do the same.”
Hmmmm…I think your posts are slightly more tolerable when you go off on insane and largely incomprehensible rants—there is some humor value. In serious discussions with you, your “puddyworld” distortions ruin any satisfaction one might get from a good debate/discussion.
“I still am waiting to see your first recorded disagreement with GoldyASS on ASSes.”
Really? Would that make your day, Puddy? Ok…I’ll bite. I’ll show you an example of disagreeing with Goldy on a vote in the last election. Fact:dj voted against 901. Goldy publically supported 901 and, therefore, I suspect he voted for it. I “came out” against it here. Satisfied?
“Remember 05-03-05, StuckASS named PacMan PacFeces. That name calling originated from the left, not the right here on ASSes!”
And…this is relevant to this conversation how? Just another mystery of PuddyWorld, I guess.
Dj,
“Remember 05-03-05, StuckASS named PacMan PacFeces. That name calling originated from the left, not the right here on ASSes!”
And…this is relevant to this conversation how? Just another mystery of PuddyWorld, I guess.
While I am not certain what the animosity is between you and Puddybud, other than an obvious conflict of ideology, I do think this particular point is relevant. I met with PacMan over the summer and found him to be as smart in person as he is on pixels. He has a very pointed opinion on certain things that I respect and applaud, though you may find his views somewhat disconcerting. He is, after all, the black man he claims to be, and it was for such a background that he was attacked as an “Uncle Tom” and called the “N”-word by the very people of the political ideology that claims moral supremacy in all matters racial: the Left.
I understand claims can be made without verification on a blog, but your compadres who sniff and whine at each supposed violation of turf and become so nasty as to descend into the slime of 1950’s racism is indeed a double standard, and should justly be exposed for the racism that it is.
marks @ 129
“I met with PacMan over the summer and found him to be as smart in person as he is on pixels. He has a very pointed opinion on certain things that I respect and applaud, though you may find his views somewhat disconcerting. He is, after all, the black man he claims to be, and it was for such a background that he was attacked as an “Uncle Tom” and called the “N”-word by the very people of the political ideology that claims moral supremacy in all matters racial: the Left.”
I missed that (except for the aftermath of Puddy pointing it out for awhile) and most certainly did not participate. I hate seeing that kind of crap pop up on the comment threads. But, I have no intention of being some kind of thought police on HA—that would be a full time job. If people post raceist or sexist crap, it is there for all to see and they should and do lose credibility in the community. For example, JCH regularly posts raceist crap, but he is largely ignored.
My MO is to selectively read comments in threads and respond to ones I get an itch to responding to. It really is that simple.
I am still not sure, however, what Puddy was getting at in the context of our discussion by pointing out that StuckASS named PacMan PacFeces. (I am not even sure who StuckASS is, except that it seems that Puddy is doing exactly what he was complaining about). But, when Puddy asked the question, it did not occur to me that the nickname “PacFeces” had any kind of racial overtones to it. It just sounds like a slightly more distasteful than usual nickname. Am I wrong about that?
DJ: You claimed when I called you the “thread policeman” it was someone else’s thought. Wrongoh perfesser. When I said why are you complaining about it because you never enforce thread issues with RR Windbag and another agreed with me it was someone else’s thought. Wrongoh perfesser. I was the originator of both. Others whom think right agreed with me that all you do is complain when we thread jump!
Regarding PacFeces. StuckASS is donnageddon. Remember he was named stuckonstupiddon. I implemented name contraction, StuckASS. He claimed that PacMan called him a name first. I proved StuckASS is a perpetual liar as always.
DJ: I know you can search, so search on headless lucy, horsesass, the n-word, lionel, house n-word, field n-word, back to the fields, massa, and you’ll see the vile shit posted against PacMan.
I also sew PacMan has not visited lately.
PuddyIdiot @ 131
“You claimed when I called you the �thread policeman� it was someone else�s thought. Wrongoh perfesser. When I said why are you complaining about it because you never enforce thread issues with RR Windbag and another agreed with me it was someone else�s thought. Wrongoh perfesser. I was the originator of both.”
Sorry, Pudster, I have no idea what you are trying to get at with these sentences. Perhaps you can rewrite this more clearly, and, anything you attribute to me, please provide a link. I have a feeling this is another one of those cases where I make some comment and the the puddyworld filter creates a whole new meaning.
“Others whom think right agreed with me that all you do is complain when we thread jump!”
(This sentence seems to be a different topic than the previous ones.) Then you and “others” are incorrect. I mean, numerically you cannot support that assertion.
“Regarding PacFeces. StuckASS is donnageddon. Remember he was named stuckonstupiddon. I implemented name contraction, StuckASS. He claimed that PacMan called him a name first. I proved StuckASS is a perpetual liar as always.”
What you name people and what you believe you prove about them is not of the least bit of interest to me. Sorry.
PuddyBud @ 131
“I know you can search, so search on headless lucy, horsesass, the n-word, lionel, house n-word, field n-word, back to the fields, massa, and you’ll see the vile shit posted against PacMan.”
Thanks, but I am not really interested in searching for that kind of shit.
“I also sew PacMan has not visited lately.”
??
dj,
My MO is to selectively read comments in threads and respond to ones I get an itch to responding to. It really is that simple.
I do the same, though sometimes the nutters’ commentary like HL, JCH and some of the more clueless of either political spectrum makes me sick. In the case of JCH, he has driven me screaming from several threads due to his willful incompetence and ignorance. The guy is certifiably nuts. While I generally adhere to the 11th commandment, I won’t in his case. He needs help…as does HL.
btw – PacMan stopped posting after being racially insulted here, which is the point I tried to make above.
marks,
“I do the same, though sometimes the nutters’ commentary like HL, JCH and some of the more clueless of either political spectrum makes me sick. In the case of JCH, he has driven me screaming from several threads due to his willful incompetence and ignorance. The guy is certifiably nuts. While I generally adhere to the 11th commandment, I won’t in his case. He needs help…as does HL.”
Yes…I agree completely. There are some posters who go out of their way to spew hateful raceist (or biggotous) crap. They need help.
There are also posters who think they are hip and “enlightened” and that gives them some kind of license to spew raceist crap (without being raceist in their opinion). I find that pretty sopomoric at best, but usually it comes off to someone as offensive. And that makes it unacceptable to me.
The problem with the former group is that pointing out their behavior as unacceptable only eggs them on—if they know it pisses people off and they have no shame about it, they just continue (or get worse).
For the latter group, however, someone needs to pull them aside and let ’em know what they are doing isn’t cool. There was a recent thread that I know you saw where a Drinking Liberally regular pulled a “I can do it because I am hip” biggotous statement. I’ll pull him aside and offer my opinion about it the next time I see him.
“PacMan stopped posting after being racially insulted here, which is the point I tried to make above.”
That sucks. If you (or Puddybud, if you see this) communicate with PacMan, offer him my regrets that the conversation went that way. Geez…we all hang out on these comment threads as a hobby—it shouldn’t get so nasty that somebody quits because of raceist attacks directed against individuals.
dj,
Geez…we all hang out on these comment threads as a hobby—it shouldn’t get so nasty that somebody quits because of raceist attacks directed against individuals.
I agree, but there is quite a bit of rehabilitation for some folks…I do not doubt your sincerity, and I bet my money that you are everything I think you are. I exchange ideas with you, and I just trust your thinking. Er, perhaps we shouldn’t tell Goldy (just kidding, Goldy)…
Really, because of this (I’m not sure it was a coordinated) attack on PacMan, he did indeed quit the field. I don’t know how you could help, but I lay the case before you…
marks,
“Really, because of this (I’m not sure it was a coordinated) attack on PacMan, he did indeed quit the field. I don’t know how you could help, but I lay the case before you…”
Fair enough. I’ll see what I can do.
BTW: Perhaps this is the time of year that makes up for your hot summers. It snowed here on Thursday and Friday.