“I grew up In Alabama, and I understand, and I know this from my own experience, that blacks are not the greatest swimmers or may not even know to swim.”
— Tramm Hudson, GOP candidate for Congress, FL-13
This was Katherine Harris’ seat. Figures.
by Goldy — ,
“I grew up In Alabama, and I understand, and I know this from my own experience, that blacks are not the greatest swimmers or may not even know to swim.”
— Tramm Hudson, GOP candidate for Congress, FL-13
This was Katherine Harris’ seat. Figures.
I no longer use Twitter or Facebook because Nazis. But until BlueSky is bought and enshittified, you can still follow me at @goldyha.bsky.social
He should get together with George Felix Allen.
Yeah, she must have the same campaign advisor as George Allen.
Lawrence Summers got in trouble in the politically correct kingdom of Harvard by suggesting women might not be as interested in science, math, and engineering as men are.
Lawrence Summers didn’t deserve the attack he got from the politically carrect crowd, and neither does this guy in Florida. He stated his opinion. So what?
Boy George is doing community service for a drug conviction. Why is this news for the tabloid press? One of the Kennedy’s has a car crash at 2:00 am, and has a substance abuse problem. So? He’s taking care of it. It’s his business and no one else’s.
Why not talk about something important?
Thursday, August 17, 2006, 4:02 pm
By PAUL QUINLAN
Hudson defends remarks posted to political blog
Republican Tramm Hudson defended himself against charges of racism Thursday, after a video clip surfaced in which the 13th District Congressional candidate made negative comments about the swimming ability of black people.
In the 27-second clip, which first appeared on the conservative Web site redstate.com and quickly spread to other blogs, Hudson spoke about a training exercise during which the infantry company he commanded was to cross a river.
There doesn’t seem to me to be any way that the story Tramm Hudson was beginning to tell could have benefitted him.
If he said that he started to pay close attention to the black soldiers, fell in, and was then saved by one of them; best case is he’d reveal that he had been a racist.
All the other outcomes would reveal the is currently is a racist.
But, as you are so loudly demonstrating with Darcy, it doesn’t matter who the candidate is, just the (R) or (D). No experience necessary; stupid or genius; racist or pacifist; communist or fascist… none of that matters. Only the (R) or (D). Darcy is just some run-of-the-mill retired Microsoft group program manager. There are hundreds of such people, all as qualified (or not) as her. Nothing special.
Hell, we shouldn’t even vote for Congressional candidates. We should just have a nationwide vote for what party each citizen supports, and then let the parties fill their percentage allocations with whoever they want.
All the other outcomes reveal him as a racist still.
@5 Now there’s a revolutionary idea.(Ambrose Bierce,The Devil’s Dictionary “Revolution:The abrupt change in the form of misgovernment.”
The latest numbers would seem to support a revolution if we follow you suggestion.
“I don’t belong to an organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” – Will Rogers
Ok, how about a bit of news from across the sound. I’m pleased and proud to announce that the Washington Association of Realtors (not exactly a left-leaning bunch) has chosen to endorse Derek Kilmer (D – Gig Harbor) for Sen Oke’s old State Senate seat.
He’s currently running against Lois McMahan (of the “Muhammad is not my God” fame) and Jim Hines, who has one issue, and who’s followers seem to think that anyone that votes against him is in favor of child molestation.
(Hint from the left, Jim. We don’t like child molesters any more than you do. The difference is that we would rather solve the problem than posture about it.)
Derek’s a friend, and I was a bit put out two years ago when my association endorsed Lois (who still has that endorsement listed on her website!)
Hey. Here’s a question for the right. Why does Lois McMahan still list the Washington Association of Realtors as endorsing her, when we’ve actually endorsed Derek Kilmer?
OK, How about “FUCKING JEW BASTARD!” ?? [Queen Hillary]
Better yet……..NYC: “Hymietown” [the most REV Jesse “Lovechild” Jacksooooooooooon]
A comment in the thread Goldy linked to seems like a rational commentary on the situation:
“Well, we live in a country where its okay to have a movie called ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ , so I’m not so offended. What is amazing though is how this even came up in a political campaign, and the cluelessness of the candidate making such a comment in the middle of a campaign.”
Howard Dean:
“‘You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room?,’ Dean asked to laughter. ‘Only if they had the hotel staff in here.'”
That was Terry McAuliffe’s job when Clinton was President. Figures.
@8,
They also endores Cathy McMorris and Dave Reichert.
“I don’t belong to an organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” – Will Rogers
JCH at 9 and 10 – While I’m not exactly Mrs. Clinton’s biggest fan, somehow I just can’t simply take the Drudge Report as being an unbiased source. They’re right up there with Fox News. If either of them announces the date, I check my calendar. If my calendar agrees with them, I double check with another calendar.
And as far as Rev. Jackson’s comments, they were well publicized. I can only hope that similarly inappropriate and racist comments from a sitting US Senator get as much publicity as are remembered for as long as that one. (Oh, and I’m not voting for Rev. Jackson either.)
What about comparing illegal immigrants to bazooka-toting terrorists- thank you SDCC and Charles Schumer…
13, John Barelli………Would you consider voting for SENATOR Robert “KKK” “Nigger” Byrd, DEMOCRAT, WV? Just “axing”? How about REP Pat “BitchSlap The Black Security Female At LAX Airport” Kennedy? Finally, are you a big supporter of SENATOR Ted “Oldsmobile” Kennedy, DEMOCRAT, MASS?
KATHERINE HARRIS CAUGHT FAKING ENDORSEMENTS
The St. Petersburg (FL) Times reports:
“In the U.S. Senate primary, Rep. Katherine Harris has been touting key political endorsements from fellow Republican lawmakers. The problem is, some of them never endorsed her.
“Several members of the U.S. House called the Harris campaign to complain Wednesday after the St. Petersburg Times notified them of the endorsements listed on Harris’ Web site. Minutes later, their names were removed.
“The list of politicians whose names came down includes Reps. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville, Cliff Stearns of Ocala, Mark Foley of West Palm Beach and Jeff Miller of the Panhandle. …
“Chris Ingram and Glenn Hodas, who both recently worked on the Harris campaign, said Harris told them to use the endorsements of members even if they hadn’t confirmed their support in writing. Ingram now works for Harris’ primary opponent ….”
This article is quoted under the Fair Use doctrine; for complete story and/or copyright info, see http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08.....ey_g.shtml
This is disgraceful, and almost as bad as the democrap running in Alabama:
http://volokh.com/posts/chain_1134438112.shtml
Dems: Hillary/Waters 2008!!! This is your winning ticket!!! hehe, JCH
John Barelli:
Not even Drudge claims that Hillary called Morris a “Jew Bastard.” Note how John Craig doesn’t have a single source to support himself?
It’s all right though, the old queer’s brain has been mostly eaten away by syphilis. That is why he is mostly stuck posting the same lies over and over and talking about having anal sex with a big black man.
Katherine Harris, of course, was the Florida secretary of state who certified Florida’s crucial electoral votes to Bush in 2000. Since then, evidence of her incompetence and dishonesty has grown by leaps and bounds. Since a known liar and cheat was in charge of Florida’s elections on Election Day 2000, the legitimacy of that election is under a greater cloud than ever before.
I haven’t applied for Dean Logan’s old job for 3 reasons.
1) I have no experience in elections administration, and
2) I’m a partisan hack, and
3) I have a conflict of interest because I do volunteer work (albeit at the flunky level) for Democratic candidates.
Yet, rightwingers would have us believe that an election run by a woman who had no competence in elections administration, is a partisan hack, had a conflict of interest (she was co-manager of Bush’s Florida campaign), and is a known cheat who even lies about campaign endorsements from members of her own party, did not steal the 2000 presidential election for her party.
Yeah, and the tooth fairy leaves quarters under bunnies’ pillows, too.
Someone who lies about endorsements from her own party probably would commit perjury when signing a certification form, too.
Believing Bush “won” the 2000 election is like believing Ted Bundy didn’t murder anyone because he pleaded “not guilty.’
My current dream ticket for the Dems from a purely partisan perspective is Mark Warner/Barack Obama.
Commentby JDB […………………………………………………………………………………………………..JDB..What is Barack’s middle name? BTW, I like “Osama Obama” because he likes SUVs, but not for everyone. Just for himself. hehe, JCH]
“So what? … It’s his business and no one else’s. Why not talk about something important?” Commentby Libertarian— 8/17/06@ 2:00 pm
Are you fucking blind — or wilfully stupid? This guy isn’t a musician, he’s RUNNING FOR CONGRESS!!! If he’s a racist — or even if he isn’t a racist but is a dolt who stereotypes people — that’s the voters’ business. And if you’re the kind of voter who blows this sort of thing off as “not important” then maybe you have no business voting.
5
“Darcy is just some run-of-the-mill retired Microsoft group program manager. There are hundreds of such people, all as qualified (or not) as her. Nothing special.” Commentby Newsworthy— 8/17/06@ 2:11 pm
Perhaps, but she’s the only one running for the 8th C.D. seat; and if Darcy is “nothing special,” RubberStampReichert is nothing period. No brain. No thought process. No independent judgment. Just a rubberstamp for the neocon agenda.
From Slate today:
“Almost 2 million kids participated last year. The Red Cross would like to raise that number, especially in minority communities: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, black children drown at twice the rate of whites.”
http://www.slate.com/id/2147913/
RR at 20: Yea, and the Republicans argue that we can “reform” the King County Elections Dept. by making it a political position. Yea, right! (dripping sarcasim font unavailable).
“I don’t belong to an organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” – Will Rogers
JCH – I’m actually surprised that Sen Byrd has managed to overcome his past. Still, his past is well publicized, despite what Ms. Malkin has said, and he has worked hard to overcome it. It would please me greatly if Sen Allen would have a similar change of heart. Perhaps he would then become a Democrat!
As to the Kennedys, I note that neither of them continues to hold Presidential aspirations. Of course, at this point I doubt that Sen Allen expects to see the inside of the White House (except perhaps on the tour).
Commentby rhp6033— 8/17/06@ 3:44 pm
“Yea, and the Republicans argue that we can ‘reform’ the King County Elections Dept. by making it a political position. Yea, right! (dripping sarcasim font unavailable).”
Actually the proposal I saw from Dunn and Hague was to create a non-partisan elected King County Auditor position to oversee KCRE.
http://www.metrokc.gov/mkcc/Ne.....uditor.htm
“Metropolitan King County Councilmembers Reagan Dunn and Jane Hague today called on the King County Council to immediately act on a charter amendment that would move King County towards an elected County Auditor.”
“In its March 2006 report, the King County Citizens Election Oversight Committee said, ‘Making the auditor a non-partisan elected position would promote a dramatic increase in public trust in King County elections. The higher level of importance given to an elected office would help ensure continued public scrutiny long after the current elections controversy has ended, thus helping to avoid a repeat of the elections problems of the past.'”
Vote for Darcy! She opposes alternative energy! With Darcy in congress, we can be assured that there will no more funding for wind power, oil shale, whatever. Take a daring stand against the democrats in this state.
Send your donation today to Netroots! Look what they’ve done for Lamont.
JCH,
What do you think ol’ Duke-ster is saying to his fellow African-American cell mates?
Possible answers:
“I’m sorry, Pimp Daddy, I tried to suck a enough dick for a pack of smokes.”
“Ohhhhh, Yeahhhh, Pimp Daddy, I like it when you two bang my butt hole.”
“NOOOOOOOO STOP IT!!” **blubber, whine, sinffle, snot** “PLEASE STOP BEATING ME, I’M SORRY I’LL SWALLOW EVERY DROP NEXT TIME.”
Sucks being a neocon, don’t it?
You gotta love it when the nazi racist side of the GOP is exposed for all the world to see. I mean everyone KNOWS they’re racists, but to see EVIDENCE like we’ve seen this week on two occasions, just brings it home a little harder.
In 2004 the fear mongering De Jour (that means of the day for you conservatives) was raising the “terror threat” level from yellow to orange based on “credible” sources.
Now it’s fake “terrorists” plots being foilded all over the country suddenly.
Let’s see air port evacuated in VA today. Seattle had bomb sniffing dogs detect explosives yesterday at Harbor Island terminal, a lady goes nuts on a plane from London to DC supposedly with notes about Al Qaeda. . .
I really hate modern day Republicans. You are without reservations the worst bunch of Americans this country has ever produced. You are scum. You don’t understand the Constitution, what it means and why people served and died for it.
Fuck you all. Real patriotic Americans do not associate with the bin Laden family. Either you are with America or you are with Bush and bin Laden’s.
You cannot support the troops and at the same time support the worst Commander-in-Chief in this nation’s history.
“I don’t belong to an organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” – Will Rogers
Uh, GBS. Is it true that you post this stuff here just so that you can re-post it over at SP under a different name?
If not, could I suggest some songbird-safe, fair trade certified, decaffinated coffee?
http://www.equalexchange.com/d.....ffee#OCPDe
We now return to our regularly scheduled ranting.
But, gee, Wally – the Brits don’t need this goofy Constitutional stuff…..
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/.....lance.html
Judge nixes warrantless surveillance
DETROIT — A federal judge on Thursday struck down President Bush’s warrantless surveillance program, saying it violated the rights to free speech and privacy, as well as the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.
U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit is the first judge to rule on the legality of the National Security Agency’s program, which the White House says is a key tool for fighting terrorism that has already stopped attacks.
John Craig, it is Hussien, like King Hussien of Jordan. Hussien means good or hansom in arabic. From the Prophet’s grandson, and peace be upon him.
On the other hand, Craig means rock, just like the rocks in your head.
You gotta love it when the nazi racist side of the GOP is exposed for all the world to see. I mean everyone KNOWS they’re racists, but to see EVIDENCE like we’ve seen this week on two occasions, just brings it home a little harder.
Commentby LeftTurn— 8/17/06@ 4:10 pm
==============
I’m only prejudiced against Scotch-Irish.
Oh, wait a minute! I’m Scotch-Irish!!
Nevermind!!
==============
Everyone has racial prejudices, whether he or she has the courage to admit it or not. About the best we can hope for is to minimize the effects of our prejudices.
GBS,
Republicans arn’t planting bombs around the US. How many more conspiracy theories are you going to hatch now?
And Furthermore, President Bush is hardly the worst Commander-in-Chief, that distinction definitely goes to Jimmy Carter – the Peanut Farmer-in-Chief from Georgia.
rhp6033,
It’s already a political position. Bought and paid for by Ron Sims. The people should elect an auditor, just like all of the other counties in this state. Democrats rule up there, what’s the problem?
-Republicans arn’t planting bombs around the US. How many more conspiracy theories are you going to hatch now?-
You spoke too soon, smegmatic. But, of course, this isn’t a case of terrorism. It’s just an isolated and uncoordinated coincidence, right?
Explosives found at Puyallup courthouse
PUYALLUP — Police found pipe bombs at the Puyallup Municipal Court early Thursday for the second time in a week.
Police and firefighters arrived at the court shortly after midnight to check out burglary and smoke alarms that had gone off. One unexploded pipe bomb was found in an office area, along with remnants of a pipe bomb that exploded, causing minimal damage, said police Lt. Dave McDonald.
Bomb technicians removed the pipebomb with a robot and detonated it in the building’s parking lot, he said.
The area around the courthouse was cordoned off for several hours while investigators checked the rest of the building, but the courthouse was open Thursday morning. Agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms arrived to assist with the investigation.
GBS:
Good to see you back. Hope your summer is going well.
However, have you been taping JCH at work?
“I’m sorry, Pimp Daddy, I tried to suck a enough dick for a pack of smokes.”
“Ohhhhh, Yeahhhh, Pimp Daddy, I like it when you two bang my butt hole.”
“NOOOOOOOO STOP IT!!” **blubber, whine, sinffle, snot** “PLEASE STOP BEATING ME, I’M SORRY I’LL SWALLOW EVERY DROP NEXT TIME.”
I suppose you Bush-hating libs are celebrating the great ACLU/Al-Qaida victory today:
“WASHINGTON – In a scathing rebuke, a federal judge ruled Thursday that the Bush administration’s warrantless eavesdropping program is unconstitutional and should be shut down, but legal scholars said the administration has a good chance of reversing the decision on appeal.
“There are no hereditary kings in America and no power not created by the Constitution,” U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor of Detroit said in a 43-page opinion blasting the program.
Taylor said that the program, which President Bush secretly approved after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, violated the rights of free speech and privacy and went far beyond the president’s authority. Administration officials say the surveillance program targets telephone calls and e-mails between the United States and suspected terrorists overseas.”
“Taylor, a liberal Democrat whom President Jimmy Carter appointed to the court, concluded that Bush had overstepped his authority. She also rejected the government’s argument that the case should be tossed out to avoid the risk of exposing government secrets.”
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld.....298289.htm
What the lib press will likely not report is what prompted the Bush plan to listen to foreign calls:
“According to Williams, former CIA Director George Tenet informed President Bush one month after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that at least two suitcase nukes had reached al-Qaida operatives in the U.S.
“Each suitcase weighed between 50 and 80 kilograms (approximately 110 to 176 pounds) and contained enough fissionable plutonium and uranium to produce an explosive yield in excess of two kilotons,” wrote Williams. “One suitcase bore the serial number 9999 and the Russian manufacturing date of 1988. The design of the weapons, Tenet told the president, is simple. The plutonium and uranium are kept in separate compartments that are linked to a triggering mechanism that can be activated by a clock or a call from the cell phone.”
According to the author, the news sent Bush “through the roof,” prompting him to order his national security team to give nuclear terrorism priority over every other threat to America.”
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/n.....LE_ID=4520
When an American city goes up you suicidal libs deserve the blame as Al-Qaida’s fifth-column. Enjoy your party while it lasts.
sgmmac @ 37
Tell us what Jimmy Carter did that caused harm to the longterm interests of this nation even a minute fraction of what GW’s adventure in Iraq has caused. Carter had his flaws as president. In my lifetime, however, I don’t believe there has been a more decent and honest president than him.
It must be some gene in republicans that makes them utterly incapable of understanding the difference between right and wrong.
Republican crook # 839392912729
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14396304/from/RS.2/
GBS, Welcome back from Thailand. Hey, didn’t you live in Colorado ten years ago?
Democrat JDB………. Democrat “Tookie” Williams, Democrat “Tookie” Williams……….Democrat JDB…………………….Oh, sorry! It seems you already “know” each other!!!
americafirst @ 41
The court’s decision was a victory for freedom, the constitution, and the rule of law. You can bet your sweet ass I’m celebrating. Just what the hell is it about freedom that scares you? I’ll take some risk to keep the government out of my affairs. I prefer to live in a nation not governed by the Taliban. People like you need to feel protected. You poor, sorry-assed bastard.
americafirst:
Why do you hate America so much? Why do you hate the constitution that you would support the Bush Administration running roughshod over your Fourth Amendment Rights? Why are you and conservatives like you so opposed to the Constitution and the United States of America.
And who are these “legal scholars” who believe that the decision will be overturned? Most legal scholars believe that the NSA wiretaps of Americans, without a warrant, is unconstitutional.
And don’t give me “suitcase nukes,” or any such crap. Let’s face it, according to worldnetdaily, Bill Clinton is a communist who is going to impose marshal law after Y2K and never allow an election.
What makes this country great is the Constitution, not a man. A triumph of the Constitution over the illegal actions of the Bush administration should be celebrated by all. There is no greater victory we can have over Al Qaeda other than living up to the Constitution and not being pushed by our fear and ignorance into tyranny.
BOSTON (AP) – A woman on a trans-Atlantic flight diverted to Boston for security concerns passed several notes to crew members, urinated on the cabin floor and made comments the crew believed were references to al-Qaida and the Sept. 11 attacks, according to an affidavit filed Thursday.
Catherine C. Mayo, 59, of Braintree, Vt., appeared in federal court Thursday on a charge of interfering with a flight crew on United 923 as it flew from London to Washington, D.C., Wednesday.
She was dressed in a Rolling Stones T-shirt, black pants and socks without shoes for the hearing and was ordered held pending a detention and probable cause hearing next Thursday.
Her attorney, federal public defender Page Kelley, said Mayo was “just barely lucid” when they spoke. “She’s got some very serious mental health problems.”
Mayo’s son, Josh, 31, described his mother as a Democrat peace activist and said she had been in Pakistan since March. She traveled there often since making a pen pal prior to Sept. 11, 2001, he said. The pen pal hasn’t been allowed to visit the U.S., he added. [………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Yup….Just another “Democrat Peace Activist” doing what “Democrat Peace Activists” do best!!!!!!!]
Why is bush not in jail ?
AMERICA LAST: WHY DO YOU SUPPORT TERROR AND FEAR MONGERING AND THE LYING CORRUPT BUSH AGENDA?
BUSH BETRAYAL OF OUR NATIONAL AND PERSONAL SECURITY
1. THE BUSHEVIK AIRPORT SCREENINGS ARE JUST A PARTISAN PR STUNT AS LONG AS AIR CARGO GOES UNCHECKED AND THE BUSHEVIKS CONTINUE TO LET IT GO.
2. The CIA tried to warn Bush about terrorist threats on Aug. 6, 2001, with the hope that presidential action could energize government agencies and head off the attack. The CIA sent analysts to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, to brief him and deliver a report entitled ‘Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US.’
“Bush was not pleased by the intrusion. He glared at the CIA briefer and snapped, ‘All right, you’ve covered your ass,’ according to [Ron] Suskind’s book.
“Then, putting the CIA’s warning in the back of his mind and ordering no special response, Bush returned to a vacation of fishing, clearing brush and working on a speech about stem-cell research.”
Speaking of being out of touch with the mainstream, making up fucking lies, and having your head up your horsesass…
Did you see the poll in today’s Seattle Times? 81% of people say we should NOT immediately withdraw from Iraq. Of course, that’s not how the Times spun the data, but when you look at it, that’s what it says.
So you kook moonbats calling for immediate withdrawal are FAR out of the mainstream. As fucking ususal..
Read it and weep:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....ll17m.html
Moonbats: the airplane pisser is from Mass. Read all about a moonbat on a plane:
http://www.breitbart.com/news/.....DCCO0.html
egad’s don’t put blow job and bush in the same sentence the republicans boobs will be up all night abusing them self.
Something else interesting:
http://www.news.com.au/heralds.....61,00.html Prescott denies calling Bush ‘crap’
Hey moonbat luvers of the ZOO-N:
http://www.news.com.au/heralds.....61,00.html UN Sex abuse – What happens if they do their “thing” in Lebanon? All them nice muslim women?
Or moonbats how do you reconcile your hatred of Israel and love of Hezbollah?
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/S.....4525887756
A Lebanese general sits in jail today after committing a terrible crime — having tea with an Israeli. During the military operation, the IDF captured his barracks and held Adnan Daoud and 350 of his men prisoner, but apparently did so rather informally. A videotape taken during the event shows Daoud drinking tea with the soldiers as both sides acted cordially:
A Lebanese general was ordered arrested Wednesday for appearing in a videotape drinking tea with IDF soldiers who had occupied his south Lebanon barracks during their incursion of the country.
Adnan Daoud was summoned and ordered held for questioning, Interior Minister Ahmed Fatfat said in a statement. Daoud is commanding officer of the 1,000-strong joint police-army force that had positions in southern Lebanon and was based in Marjayoun.
IDF troops seized the barracks there last week and held him and 350 soldiers for a day before allowing them to leave the occupied zone. The Lebanese garrison, which is lightly armed, did not resist the Israeli force which moved in armor into the base.
In the videotape, aired on Israeli television and carried by a Lebanese TV station Wednesday, Daoud was shown having tea with smiling Israeli soldiers and walking with them in the base courtyard.
“He was very polite with me,” Daoud said of his first encounter with an Israeli colonel in this conflict or any other. It most likely will be the last.
Daoud finds himself in jail not for fraternization, but for exposing the real nature of the war. Israel had no beef with the kind of military police force Daoud commanded. In fact, Israel wants to have precisely these kinds of forces across their northern border, rather than the Hezbollah terrorists that have held the territory for years. That is why Israeli soldiers treated Daoud so chivalrously.
The Siniora government cannot afford to have the Lebanese see the Israelis treating the LA well, however, at least not while Hassan Nasrallah is still in charge. It interferes with the preferred terrorist narrative that the Israelis committed a war of aggression on Lebanon instead of a war against the terrorists that committed a casus belli in the first place. If Israel treats Lebanese people in a friendly manner, then the Lebanese people will wonder why they need Hezbollah protecting them from the IDF.
It shows that the Siniora government still finds itself hostage to the terrorists and their propaganda. Unfortunately, Daoud is the type of officer who could help establish peace and work with the Israelis to make further wars unnecessary. That also conflicts with the aims of Hezbollah and their masters in Damascus and Teheran. Daoud’s tea tour will likely make him into a martyr for radicalism.
Hey moonbats looks like your lock on Hollywood or is it MoonbattyWeird is slipping:
http://www.news.com.au/heralds.....61,00.html
“We the undersigned are pained and devastated by the civilian casualties in Israel and Lebanon caused by terrorist actions initiated by terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and Hamas,” the ad reads.
“If we do not succeed in stopping terrorism around the world, chaos will rule and innocent people will continue to die.
“We need to support democratic societies and stop terrorism at all costs.” …
The actors listed included: Michael Douglas, Dennis Hopper, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Danny De Vito, Don Johnson, James Woods, Kelly Preston, Patricia Heaton and William Hurt.
Directors Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Michael Mann, Dick Donner and Sam Raimi also signed their names.
Other Hollywood powerplayers supporting the ad included Sumner Redstone, the chairman and majority owner of Paramount Pictures, and billionaire mogul, Haim Saban.
Notice the story is from Australia? Shows the MSM is librul!
BUSH ADMINISTRATION ON WARRANTLESS WIRING TAPING
The lying corrupt Bush administration is wrongly convinced that it can run the country without Congress or oversight. This is their tragic failure, and the courts understand it,”
REPUBLICANS FEAR MONGER FOR POLITICAL CONTROL OF AMERICANS
We have nothing to fear but fear itself, especially since fear is now being fomented and manipulated for political purposes by a bunch of shameless Republicans hacks. Who is trying to make you afraid and why? This Karl Rove tactic is getting quite threadbare, in fact, and so much so that it is getting dangerously close to comedy.
The Miami terrorists, a fearsome horde of seven described by the FBI’s deputy director as “more aspirational than operational.” That means wannabes. An FBI informant posing as a member of Al Qaeda offered to supply the plotters with material for the jihad, so they asked for boots and uniforms. Every terrorist needs a uniform :)
Of the hundreds of prisoners, alleged terrorists all, who have been held at Guantanamo on the grounds that they were the worst, only 10 have ever been charged with anything. In the latest episode, shortly after announcement of a British-based plot to blow up airliners, Britain and the United States were airing their differences over when the perpetrators should have been arrested.
The Bushevik Administration has put itself in the position of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. If, God forbid, a serious terrorist conspiracy is uncovered, there will be a tendency to dismiss it in a backlash to these over-hyped “plots.”
We are all sleeping more soundly at night knowing that Michael Chertoff is secretary of homeland insecurity :) Ever since Chertoff’s agency brought us the stunning news that there are more terrorist targets in Indiana than in New York or Washington, We have realized this guy could find a terrorist plot anywhere. Watch out for the Amish—they’ll run right over you with those buggies, and they all have pitchforks, too. I hear they’re connected to Al Qaeda through Saddam Hussein.
Should you be suffering a fear shortage despite the administration’s best efforts, consider the paralyzing news of the defeat of Joe Lieberman.
According to none other than our very own Veep Duck Cheney, Lieberman’s defeat helps the terrorists. Yes! How can this be, you ask? Well, you know Joe Lieberman has been supporting Bush’s war in Iraq, and we are at war with Iraq because Saddam Hussein was allied with Al Qaeda and had weapons of mass destruction, see? He wasn’t? He didn’t?
Hey it’s a known fact we can’t swim well Goldie. Most blacks have denser bones and less blubber to make the body bouyant. We have a different muscle mass blubber ratio, hence we do not float as well as honkies. Apparently physiology wasn’t your forte either. However we do gain from this by having better muscle/mass ratios, and bigger penises!
But this article is a hoot though! Direct from our home town Goldie. But as I stated before, you are a suburbanite from the area. I wuz born and raised there. I even posted my coordinates Carl Grossman! Notice Goldie never did. He would prove he’s a white boy from the environment! http://www.jonentine.com/revie.....y_news.htm
Pay for it and you can read science mag
http://www.jonentine.com/revie.....heHood.htm
Goodness, another worthless post from one is getting more weird as the days go by! What a dingleberry!
Rabbit Pellet: Why are you posting that crap. No bunnies to fuck? Mrs Rabbit got your dick? She found it?
Post 58 is from Rabbit Pellet. Hit the enter key too quickly!
Hey #59: Are the Gitmo resort occupants US citizens? Simple answer NO! So STFU!
46,47, these are foreign calls being monitored. Why can’t you suicidal libs comprehend the distinction between a call to Seattle and a call to Iran or Pakistan?
Americafirst: Because they WANT another EVENT to happen. If GWB succeeds in getting through 8 years of his presidency without an incident the moonbats would have failed in their efforts. Why do you think they want to win the midterm elections? To water down everything put in place right now so another EVENT can happen.
Think about it!
26
“RR at 20: Yea, and the Republicans argue that we can ‘reform’ the King County Elections Dept. by making it a political position. Yea, right! (dripping sarcasim font unavailable).”
Commentby rhp6033— 8/17/06@ 3:44 pm
I’m at a loss to understand how they think electing a partisan Democrat to run KC elections will result in less partisan election administration. I think what they’re after is more partisan election administration — so they can more credibly attack the credibility of election outcomes.
Their attacks on the non-partisan KC elections administration aren’t getting the traction they hoped for.
Puddy@60, that is a classic post.
Carl Grossman – Proud Librul Democrat
You have eloquently stated your hatred for conservative ideals. That means you pass the first test of being a moonbat; an ideology based on blind hate. Congratulations, you should be proud of yourself.
But I’ve yet to see you engage in any substantive debate of moonbat policy issues. So just to get the ball rolling, please comment on any or all of the topics below so we can all get to know you better, and see if you’re a real seattle librul or just a wanna-be. Good luck…
1) Do you hate The Producers? Do you hate people who are more successful than you because they are better educated, work harder, and provide more value to society? Do you think these people should be punished for being successful through confiscatory rates of taxation?
2) Do you hate the initiative process that allows The People to have a loud and decisive vote on major policy issues? Do you believe that political issues are far too complex for the average voter to comprehend? Do you believe that political elites should make the rules and their subjects should simply follow those rules without question?
3) Do you believe that socialism is the answer to America’s problems? Do you believe that the only reason that socialism has never worked is that it just hasn’t had the right people in charge yet? Do you fear big corporations and embrace big government? Do you believe that oppression comes from multinational corporations and freedom comes from government?
4) Do you believe that some people should get special privileges and be exempt from societal norms if their skin is brown, if they have a vagina, or like to take it up the ass?
5) Do you believe that lasting peace comes from understanding your enemy’s position and negotiating a compromise, or from destroying their ability to make war?
6) Do you believe single mothers are the pillars of society?
7) Do you think The People in the Second Amendment are a different group of People than those in the First, Fourth, Ninth and Tenth?
8) Do you think that people who have fucked up their lives through a lifetime of bad choices are entitled to help themselves to the fruits of others’ labor in order to cover up the consequences of their own choices?
9) Do believe that the guilty should be spared and the innocent should be murdered?
10) Which do you think contributes more to solar warming? The SUN or the SUV?
31
“You gotta love it when the nazi racist side of the GOP is exposed for all the world to see. I mean everyone KNOWS they’re racists, but to see EVIDENCE like we’ve seen this week on two occasions, just brings it home a little harder.” Commentby LeftTurn— 8/17/06@ 4:10 pm
It should be obvious that when the racists were kicked out of the Democratic Party they didn’t simply vanish from the face of the earth; they went to some other political party. Um, let’s see, whiiiiich political party would thaaaat be????
32 ROGER RABBIT RIDDLE
Q: How can you tell an alleged “terror plot” is fake?
A: Nobody is convicted of terrorism.
Um, let’s see now, hooooow many of the alleged “terrorists” busted by the GOPs Fumbling Bureau of Idiots have been convictged of “terrorism?” None that I recall. It’s all smoke … the kind of smoke bullshitters blow out of their asses.
34
Before the yahoos fall in love with the Brits’ legal system (and its conspicuous lack of personal rights), they should be reminded that Britain also strictly regulates, and for the most part prohibits, private ownership of guns. Yeah, they’ll really like that part of the British legal code, I’m sure.
36
“Everyone has racial prejudices, whether he or she has the courage to admit it or not.” Commentby Libertarian— 8/17/06@ 4:53 pm
I’m prejudiced against human beings, because they’re fucking up my habitat.
Rabbit Furball says above: “Um, let’s see now, hooooow many of the alleged “terrorists” busted by the GOPs Fumbling Bureau of Idiots have been convictged of “terrorism?” None that I recall. It’s all smoke … the kind of smoke bullshitters blow out of their asses. Commentby Roger Rabbit— 8/17/06@ 7:22 pm”
Well Furball here’s the deal. Jamie Gorelick. When she placed the threshold so damned high how can the FBI do it’s job? Now the ACLU is sticking it’s needle-dicked nose everywhere so how can it do it’s job? The person has to be a Richard Reid type, where there are sooooo many witnessessssssss, the ACLU can’t attack the messenger!
37
“Republicans arn’t planting bombs around the US.” Commentby sgmmac— 8/17/06@ 4:57 pm
Eric Rudolph
38
“It’s already a political position. Bought and paid for by Ron Sims. The people should elect an auditor, just like all of the other counties in this state. Democrats rule up there, what’s the problem?” Commentby sgmmac— 8/17/06@ 5:01 pm
I could go along with that. If Republicans want to claim KC elections is run by partisan hacks, then it may as well be run by partisan hacks. When I was a young bunny, whenever Papa Rabbit punished me for something I didn’t do, I promptly did it — I figured if I was convicted, I might as well be guilty.
Who knows, maybe Roger Rabbit could get elected King County Auditor. You don’t have to know anything about running elections to win an elective office. You only have to know how to run a campaign. And as I’m a partisan hack, I have already have all the qualifications needed to fill an office intended t be occupied by partisan hacks.
Commentby Roger Rabbit— 8/17/06@ 7:22 pm
“Um, let’s see now, hooooow many of the alleged “terrorists” busted by the GOPs Fumbling Bureau of Idiots have been convictged of “terrorism?” None that I recall. It’s all smoke … the kind of smoke bullshitters blow out of their asses.”
It took me less than 2 minutes to find the conviction dates for these two high profile cases. I guess you need to read something other than liberal blogs to find out what is happening in the world.
Richard Reid (shoe bomber):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.....terrorist)
“He was sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the 3 charges, 20 years imprisonment on 4 other charges, and 30 years on 4 other counts, to be served consecutively, followed by five years of supervised release. Eight fines of $250,000, restitution of $298.17 and $5,784, $800 special assessment were imposed. He is serving his sentences in the ADX Florence, a Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.”
Zacarias Moussaoui:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zacarias_Moussaoui
“On May 3, 2006, the jury reached a verdict: that Moussaoui be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.”
Last time I checked two is more than none. I smell smoke, and it’s coming from your ass.
Rabbit woke me up. I SEE some BS; the word “bullshitters” appeared. Too bad the biggest HorsesAss bullshitter is at it again. That is you Rabbit! Damn, Bullshitting Rabbit, I have to SEE BS in how many entries? Mine eyes haven’t see the glory of all the BS yet I bet.
I SEE more BS: “I’m prejudiced against human beings, because they’re fucking up my habitat.” Tell me Rabbit is it in your mind or are you naturally moronic?
Eric Rudolph is a conservative? Please post some proof Rabbit! You are good for throwing something on this site and claiming liberal generalities.
I SEE even more BS: I didn’t know George Wallace or Robert Byrd left your party. I didn’t know Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton or John Lewis left your party. I didn’t know Bill or Hillary Clinton left your party. I didn’t know Barack Obama left your party.
41
No, but I’ll bet all you Nazis are drowning your sorrows in sterno manhattans after today’s great totalitarian defeat!
How do you know a something/someone is a terrorist? He claims to be a rabbit.
SEE B S!
Now that a federal judge has established the principle that Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping is ILLEGAL, I wonder how many of the rightys who have been ranting against Jim McDermott are going to support the calls for Bush’s impeachment and criminal prosecution?
#82SEE more BS. That’s like the 9th Circuit of Appeals getting their ruling overturned.
Fellow patriotic Republicans:
Support me in my re-election efforts ($$$$) and together we will defeat the Macacas.
Macacas are not part of the Real America. In the Real America, we will increase spending and lower taxes (to zero eventually), we will invade more countries and kill more terraists. If innocent people die, well that’s too bad. They just meet their maker that much sooner.
After I am re-elected to the Senate, I want to be your new Dear Leader. We will continue the God-inspired
CrusadeWar on Terra. We continue the successful policies of increased spending and lower taxes. We will invade more countries. We will blow more sh*t up!Forget the moonbats! Macacas are real enemy!
41
” … former CIA Director George Tenet informed President Bush one month after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that at least two suitcase nukes had reached al-Qaida operatives in the U.S. … http://www.worldnetdaily.com/n.....LE_ID=4520”
Commentby americafirst— 8/17/06@ 5:20 pm
Your “source” is WorldNetDaily? WHEE HOOOOO HA HAW HAR HAR HAR HAR !!!!! Apart from the little technical detail that you posted a dead link, WND isn’t exactly a reliable source. To wit:
Exhibit A: “WND published an article entitled ‘The Downing of United Airlines Flight 93’ which proposed that, to defend the White House, Flight 93 had been intercepted and destroyed by a supersonic jet. It also alleged that the government had tried to cover up this information. … This claim was refuted by a Popular Mechanics article entitled ‘Debunking the 9/11 Myths’.”
Exhibit B: A source who told WND that Joe Wilson himself “outed” his wife, Valerie Plame, as a CIA agent backpedaled after Wilson’s attorneys threated the source and WND with a libel suit.
Exhibit C: “… WND hired Aaron Klein to run a Jerusalem bureau. Klein’s articles have regularly promoted the causes of Israeli settlers in the West Bank and Gaza …. He has frequently written about right-wing Israeli activists tied to the far-right Kach and Kahane Chai movement without disclosing those ties. When Eden Natan-Zada shot and killed four people on a bus in Gaza on August 4, 2005, he was beaten to death by a mob while he was hand-cuffed, Klein wrote an article for WND claiming that Zada was ‘murdered’ by a ‘mob of Palestinians.'”
Exhibit D: WND is run by a rightwing whack job.
Sources: http://tinyurl.com/gda2q; http://tinyurl.com/kee7c
41 (continued)
If this story about suitcase nukes being smuggled into the U.S. by Al Qaida operatives is even remotely true, then the GOP’s adamant opposition to funds for inspecting cargo containers is even more fascinating.
Democrats want 100% inspection of cargo containers. Republicans think the current inspection rate of 1/2 of 1% is just fine. If an American city does go up in a mushroom cloud, Bush and the GOP Congress — and the traitors like FascistFirst who support them — will be directly to blame.
41 (continued)
If Al Qaida operatives in the U.S. received 2 suitcase nukes, why haven’t they used them?
My old mom told me, ‘Robert, you can’t go to heaven if you hate anybody.’ We practice that. There are white niggers. I’ve seen a lot of white niggers in my time. I’m going to use that word. We just need to work together to make our country a better country, and I’d just as soon quit talking about it so much.”
Before I forget:
Exclusive.
Was the Jew killer a conservative or liberal. In the Seattle Times we have the following quote:
Haq’s friend said he couldn’t believe the timid, “geeky” man he knew from the tutoring center was capable of such violence.
“Are you sure we’re talking about the same person?” he said Sunday………….
He said Haq was not a devout Muslim and often complained that the Tri-Cities were too politically conservative.
“I’m beginning to think I was his only friend in the Tri-Cities. I don’t recall him hanging out with anybody else.”
Now for the other side we turn to Goldy’s story from two weeks ago:
Psssssssssstttttttt…….
Ah it looks like the story was all a bunch of hot air. Well there you have it. Enjoy all you Nazi Libs.
ROGER RABBIT POLL
The Al Qaida operatives who smuggled 2 suitcase nukes into the U.S. haven’t used them because:
[ ] 1. Osama ordered them not to, because Osama doesn’t want to piss off the Americans any more than they’re already pissed off.
[ ] 2. The suitcase nukes were in a cargo container that was intercepted by the impenetrable wall of cargo screening that surrounds U.S. ports.
[ ] 3. The Arab employees of the Arab company owned by the Arab government that is contracted by the Bush administration to run security operations at U.S. ports alerted U.S. authorities that their Arab buddies were trying to sneak nuclear bombs into the U.S.
[ ] 4. A woman was out walking her poodle and the dog’s barking alerted her that her dog had sniffed radioactive material in the cargo container stacked on the dock a block from her $1.5 million Harbor Island condo.
[ ] 5. There are no Al Qaida suitcase nukes in the U.S.; WorldNetDaily is lying through its teeth.
For information on the disinformation regarding the mythical- yes, mythical- suitcase nuclear bomb, check out http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007478
I agree Furball, inspect all them thar containers. Since SEE BS brought up Robert Byrd, use Robert Byrd’s annual pork barrel budget to start with!
43
LT — why post only the link? The wingnuts won’t read it. Let’s rub their faces in it:
“Lawmaker helped brother’s lobbying clients
“Utah rep says he sees brother as lobbyist, not family member
“WASHINGTON – Three times this year, a lobbyist sought help from Rep. Christopher Cannon for his clients and got it. The lobbyist was the congressman’s brother, Joseph Cannon.
“The Utah lawmaker acknowledges helping his brother’s clients, including pressing Congress last month to intervene in a business dispute over an Internet contract estimated to be worth as much as $1.3 billion.
“‘If my wife decided to lobby, then we would probably say, “No talking to my office.” I just don’t see my brother in the same category,’ Cannon, R-Utah, told The Associated Press.
“Cannon has a financial interest in his brother’s success: The lobbyist owes him more than $250,000, according to the lawmaker’s financial disclosure reports. …
“‘A lot of people I know are lobbyists,’ said Rep. Cannon …. ‘I would put Joe in that category, not as a family member.’
“Some ethics experts rejected Cannon’s distinction. ‘It’s an obvious conflict of interest,’ said Wendell Rawls Jr. … at the … Center for Public Integrity, a nonpartisan watchdog group. … Fred Werthheimer, head of the Democracy 21 group that endorses lobbying and campaign finance reforms, said … ‘When a member of Congress starts taking action (for) a brother or spouse, you create the impression (it’s) to provide a financial benefit for the family rather to carry out a proper public policy’ ….
“Joseph Cannon, who also is chairman of the Utah Republican party, is his congressman-brother’s one-time business partner.”
This excerpt is quoted under the Fair Use doctrine; for complete article and/or copyright info, see http://tinyurl.com/create.php
GOP congressman = crook
Wow! This thread is already up to 95 comments! That’s more than the sucky little competing blog gets in a fucking month.
Stefan, you really should share your windfall from the lawsuit against Dean Logan and King County with the generous donors to your “legal action fund” who paid for the lawsuit — it’s the right thing to do. You don’t want to be a welsher like Redneck, do you? Welshers are evil and burn in Hell after they die.
Goldy — after the CHEAP LABOR CONSERVATIVES repeal the 13th Amendment and re-legalize slavery, I’ll buy Redneck from you for the $100 he owes you. Then he’ll give me a blowjob whenever I want one.
For a good time, call 1-800-SUCK-ROG.
wow!
this thread is already up to 100 posts! that’s more than the pathetic little competing blog gets in …
Being from Pierce County originally, elected Auditors give me hives.
@39 Liberal Redneck!
Pipe bombs at a court house don’t relate to Republicans, nor Democrats for that matter. 99.9% guarantee that it’s a pissed off person who was screwed over by a Judge.
It isn’t some grand conspiracy.
JCH @ 8:
Fuck Hillary’s expression, I’d love to see your face when two blacks are heading up the GOP ticket.
Commentby GBS [………..Er………….Dumb ass GBS, I’m the one supporting Condi/J. C. Watts 2008. Your comment indicates you still think you are back in Thailand ramming 12 year old boys up their rectums. Read first, then post.]
On Friday, August 11th, 2006, Allen twice called S.R. Sidarth, a 20-year-old Webb campaign volunteer, a word that sounds like “macaca” or “macaque”. Sidarth is of Indian ancestry, but was born and raised in Fairfax County, Virginia. Sidarth was filming an Allen campaign stop in Breaks, Virginia, near the Kentucky border, as a “tracker” for the opposing Webb campaign.
During a speech, Allen paused, then began referring to Sidarth:
This fellow here over here with the yellow shirt, Macaca, or whatever his name is. He’s with my opponent. He’s following us around everywhere. And it’s just great. We’re going to places all over Virginia, and he’s having it on film and it’s great to have you here and you show it to your opponent because he’s never been there and probably will never come. […] Lets give a welcome to Macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia.
According to Sidarth, he was the only person of color present among the crowd of 100 or so Republican supporters, some of whom applauded Allen’s remarks.
Indianapolis — Many potential young black Democrat leaders fall under the spell of the “gangster mentality” and are preventing themselves from making a positive impact in politics, the Rev. Al Sharpton said Thursday. The key to leadership is having the individual initiative to change the status quo, said Sharpton, who spoke during the annual conference of the National Association of Black Journalists. Sharpton, who is considering another run for president… [……………………………………………………………………………………..Run Al, Run!!!!! as a Third Party Candidate!!!!]
BTW, I wonder what the National Association of White Journalists thinks about this?
Proud Leftist,
Decent and honest certainly do describe the peanut farmer. As for his charity, he is a great human being.
I obviously state MY opinion when I say he was the worst Commander in Chief EVER. I was in the Army throughout his entire Presidency and he was my Commander-in-Chief. He decimated the Army, our equipment rotted, our training was on a down hill spiral due to a lack of funds and the soldiers suffered through his capping our pay 4 straight years. Life for soldiers with families was horrible, almost everyone I knew had to take a part-time job at night to feed their kids. He didn’t rescue our hostages in Iran either.
I despise his friendships with communists like Castro and Chavez. But his work with habitat for humanity is great. I believe that he is a total pacifist and that he truly hated the military forces. He thinks he is a negotiator, but Clinton was better. Diplomacy can’t solve ALL of the problems. There are times to stand and fight. They should be rare and they should be after diplomacy has failed.
@41 I believe this falls under the heading of being a Freeper Myth. We had the W-54 Davy Crockett weapon, and various SADM configurations, culminating in the 155 MM tactical nuclear weapons series.
The Soviets were reputed to have built some small, modest yield weapons. . .possibly suitable for delivery in a van sized vehicle, but what we know about Soviet capabilities and manufacturing methods for fissile material make this myth very remotely possible in the real world. Typically they manufactured highly impure fissile material, which had to be ‘recooked’ and re-purified to maintain their functionality as explosive devices. Small compact nuclear devices tend to have tritium trigger devices, another element not addressed in this ‘myth’. Such triggers are very high maintenance devices indeed,
often needing maintenance as often as every 6 months.
@49
Why would he be in jail? He doesn’t done anything to be put in jail……………
Furball: yeah, I know you are liburl, but you need to be a honest librul. Honest librul – oxymoron.
What about Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who sponsored and pushed legislation through Congress that netted his sons and son-in-law’s firm hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees?
How about Congressman Bernie Sanders who has used campaign donations to pay his wife and stepdaughter more than $150,000?
What about Senator Joe Lieberman who paid his son and daughter over $70,000 for working on the his 2000 presidential campaign?
And how about Nancy Pelosi? The Federal Election Commission (FEC) fined her fundraising committee $21,000 for enabling Pelosi to funnel more than $100,000 in illegal contributions to Democratic candidates in late 2002. She also paid her son Doug over $150,000
Where was the MSM on these issues?
Hi roger!
Eric Rudolph was several years ago was he not.
My grandmother always told me if you get accused of it you may as well go ahead and enjoy it!
Logan was still an partisian hack and still is. I would be more inclined not to believe it had Sims not sent selected members of his office staff to go down there and work before last November’s election………
You also need to have some sort of qualifications/experience to work there. Most voters do pay attention to things like that.
Mean spirited, run by moonbats and is still that way.
I love how Blatherwatch breaks it down simply.
According to Sidarth, he was the only person of color present among the crowd of 100 or so Republican supporters, some of whom applauded Allen’s remarks.
Commentby For the Clueless— 8/17/06@ 8:56 pm
Well at least we know he wasnt a white nigger. Damn these repubs are racists.
74
MWS – excuses are like assholes, everyone’s got one.
74 (continued)
Memo to fascist idiots: It’s about protecting the innocent from false accusations by incompetent (or worse) bureaucrats and politicians, dumbass!! You know — the government officials you rightys think can’t do anything right? Well, you’ve made your point — since you guys have been in office, government can’t do anything right.
78
There’s some doubt whether Moussauoi is anything but a wannabe with a big mouth and a death wish.
So that leaves Richard Reid — one actual terrorist convicted out of thousands of detainees, hundreds of whom were innocent and have been released, and dozens of whom have been murdered in U.S. custody. That’s why you nazi fucks need judicial oversight.
Let me ask you a couple questions, FascistFuck. Suppose I denounce you as a terrorist, then the government arrests you, beats the shit out of you and shoves a broomstick up your ass, holds you in a tiny concrete cell without charges or access to a lawyer for 5 years, then says “we don’t have any evidence against you so we’re letting you go” and throws your ass out onto the street without so much as an apology or bus fare.
1. Should you be able to sue me?
2. Should you be able to sue the government?
3. Should the government be allowed to treat people like that?
4. Should anybody face criminal charges because you were tortured?
5. If, on the first day of your detention, they let you make one phone call, who would you call?
a) Your mother
b) Your congressman
c) The ACLU
Be honest now …
Hey FBI — FascistFuck is a terrorist!
FascistFuck — the local phone number to request ACLU legal assistance is(206) 624-2184, in case you need it
HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR
@107 These myths also fail to address another nagging problem. . .who will manage the nuclear device? Typically our Nuclear Weapons Officers are highly trained specialists. They require extensive academic as well as military education. The care and feeding of small nuclear devices is not a simple matter. To accept this myth as true requires a level a credulity which is staggering. . .on second thought, not! The typical Wingnut would accept this camel in a single gulp.
79
“Eric Rudolph is a conservative? Please post some proof Rabbit!”
Does this sound like a raving liberal lunatic?
“Rudolph declared that his bombings were part of a guerrilla campaign against abortion, what he describes as ‘the homosexual agenda,’ and perceived support for them from the United States government. …
“Rudolph’s motive for the bombings, according to his April 13, 2005 statement, was political: ‘In the summer of 1996, the world converged upon Atlanta for the Olympic Games. Under the protection and auspices of the regime in Washington millions of people came to celebrate the ideals of global socialism. …’
“Rudolph has also confessed to the bombings of an abortion clinic in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs on January 16, 1997, a gay and lesbian nightclub … in Atlanta on February 21, 1997, … and an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama on January 29, 1998 ….”
Looks more like a wingnut lunatic to me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Rudolph
81
“How do you know a something/someone is a terrorist? He claims to be a rabbit.” Commentby See BS – I Love that Station— 8/17/06@ 7:37 pm
ROGER RABBIT QUIZ
Who would you rather trust?
[ ] 1. A liberal pretending to be a rabbit
[ ] 2. A wingnut pretending to be human
123
“See BS – I Love that Station” (aka Kevin Carns) just got bitch-slapped across the mouth.
Credulity in the matter of nuclear weapons can have some odd side effects. A former associate of mine retold this story:
Once a year the Far East Command held system wide war games, generally postulated on a scenario involving a North Korean Incursion past the DMZ. The Navy and Air Force were also involved in these war games, and a great deal of effort was involved in telegraphing to Soviet, Chi-Com and North Korean military commands that War Games were being staged.
The kickoff was suposed to be heralded by an explosive device planted on a roadbed Near North Korean observation positions, indicating the deployment of a tactical nuclear weapon to slow the advance of North Korean Army Units. My associate, a supplies specialist, noted in one of his catalogs a simulated nuclear explosive device. This consisted of a 55 gallon drum of diesel fuel along with a detonation charge, to be buried, and then detonated with the appearance of a small mushroom cloud for realism sake.
When the North Korean observers saw this explosion there was a cascade of alarm culminating in a full alert deployment for the Red Chinese and the Far Eastern Soviet Air Wing.My associate narrowly avoided a court martial.
92
“I agree Furball, inspect all them thar containers. Since SEE BS brought up Robert Byrd, use Robert Byrd’s annual pork barrel budget to start with!” Commentby Mike Webb Sucks— 8/17/06@ 8:11 pm
I’m glad we agree on something, but to get the amount of money this requires, we’ll have to go beyond Byrd’s pork and dip into GOP pork. Now tell me, how can you support Republicans after this:
Nov. 14, 2001: Senate Democrats propose $15 billion for homeland security; the White House warns against “permanent spending on other projects that have nothing to do with stimulus and that will only expand the size of government.”
Dec. 4, 2001: Senate Appropriations Committee votes 29-0 in favor of $13.1 billion for homeland security; the next day, Bush threatens to veto it.
Dec. 6, 2001: Senate Republicans reduce homeland security funding by $4.6 billion.
Dec. 19, 2001: Under pressure from White House, House-Senate conferees eliminate another $200 million of funding for airport security, port security, nuclear facility security, and postal security.
June 7, 2002: Senate votes 71-22 for $8.3 billion of homeland security funding; the next day, Bush’s advisors recommend a veto.
July 19, 2002: Under White House pressure, homeland security funding is further reduced by cutting money for food security, cyber security, nuclear security, airport security, port security, drinking water security, coordination of police and fire radios, and lab testing to detect chem-bio weapons.
Aug. 13, 2002: Bush decides not to spend $2.5 billion appropriated for homeland security on the grounds of “fiscal responsibility.”
Jan. 16, 2003: White House reacts to Democratic efforts to increase homeland security funding by stating, “The Administration strongly opposes amendments to add new extraneous spending.” Later that day, Senate Republicans vote against funds for smallpox vaccine.
Jan. 23, 2003: Senate Republicans cut security funding for the FBI, FEMA, INS, TSA, Coast Guard, and National Nuclear Security Administration.
Feb. 3, 2003: Bush submits a 2004 budget cutting homeland security funding by nearly 2 percent.
Feb. 14, 2003: Senate Democrats request money for smallpox vaccine, police and fire radios, and public transportation security; no Republicans support it.
March 21-25, 2003: Republicans defeat 7 amendments to bolster homeland security.
April 2, 2003: Senate Republicans reject Democratic amendment to provide $1 billion for port security.
April 3, 2003: Republicans reject protection of commercial airliners from shoulder-fired missiles and four other pro-homeland security amendments.
June 2003: House Republicans reject Democratic proposal to raise $1 billion for homeland security by reducing tax cuts for 200,000 millionaires by an average of $5,000 each (from $88,000 to $83,000).
Source: James Carville, “Had Enough?” (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003), pp. 41-43.
102
“99.9% guarantee that it’s a pissed off person who was screwed over by a Judge.” Commentby sgmmac— 8/17/06@ 8:40 pm
No — 99.9% guarantee that it’s a screwed up person who was pissed off by a Judge (who was only doing his/her job).
As a final comment on “satchel sized nuclear weapons’, I would re-tell a joke current in Soviet Russia in the sixties:
Ivan: Great News Comrade! We have created a briefcase sized atomi bomb!
Pyotr: Great news! Let us deploy six of them immediately to the USA and bring the captitalist dogs to their knees!
Ivan: I am sorry, Comrade. We cannot do this.
Pyotr: Why Not?
Ivan: We have no briefcases. . .
Now wait a minute….
I’ve heard from emergency workers her in Seattle that an inordinate number of blacks who can’t swim get pulled out of our local bodies of water. Apparently it’s not in the heritage of some people not to bother to learn how to swim. Probably true of Mongolians as well.
I’ve spent a hell of a lot of time in Alabama, and it’s a pretty weird place. I’ve seen plenty of black people wearing those demim jackets with confederate flags on the back. Believe it or not, contrary to the sanctimonius assumptions of us Yankees, there’s a genuine “southern heritage” that isn’t just about slavery. I don’t expect you who’ve never been there to understand…just show a little tolerance.
Now as to those of you who keep trying to reason with JCH, Mark the Shithead, and Mike Webb Sucks…when the hell are you going to come to grips with the idea that these dorks just post the same crap over and over again, and NEVER READ YOUR REPLIES?
MEMORIAM
In memory of James J. Lawless, Superior Court Judge of Franklin and Benton Counties
Assassinated in his chambers by a pipe bomb on June 3, 1974
I’ve spent some time in Alabama as well, and can agree, that it can appear to be a pretty wierd place. However, I would note in passing two points: Levels of political awareness vary by individuals, not race, and;
As one of my teachers aptly noted: The South is unusual in that it is an area that suffered a revolution imposed from outside! (the Reconstruction.)
106
Carter presided over a period of severe inflation and economic stagnation (called “stagflation”) not of his making. He didn’t single out the military for poor treatment; funds were in short supply for all government programs, civilian workers didn’t get COLAs either, and the entire country was financially strapped. The hard economic times resulted, in part, from LBJ and Nixon putting the Vietnam War on a credit card. There are no free wars, we pay for them one way or another. The stagflation actually started during Nixon’s presidency, continued through Ford’s and Carter’s presidencies, and in the first years of Reagan’s presidency evolved into the worst economic depression the country has experienced since the 1930s with official unemployment reaching double digits (actual unemployment and underemployment is higher than the official figures). Now George W. Bush is doing the same thing — deficit-financing an expensive war — and the same thing will happen. The Bush Inflation has already started, and will accelerate in the years ahead — and, down the road, it will take another gut-wrenching recession to wring the inflation created by his lavish deficit spending out of the economy. (And you will blame it on the Democrats.) The military will suffer, as it did the last time.
And you vote for these guys? I don’t understand you.
Let me be clear: The inflation and recession that is certain to hit the U.S. economy between now and 2015 will be the fault of George W. Bush and the GOP congress, and no one else.
108
“Why would (Bush) be in jail? He doesn’t done anything to be put in jail…………… ” Commentby sgmmac— 8/17/06@ 9:05 pm
Wiretapping without a court order is a federal felony.
109
How do any of these allegations (even if true) vitiate the GOP corruption? This is the most corrupt administration since Grant.
110
You said Republicans don’t plant bombs. My response is, yes they do. Numerous abortion clinics have been torched and bombed, and anti-abortionists also have murdered some doctors, nurses, and bystanders. It’s inconceivable these zealots didn’t vote, or voted for Democrats. It’s a 99% safe bet that all, or nearly all, of them were Republicans. Don’t tell me Republicans don’t plant bombs.
110 (continued)
Kaczinksi, the Unabomber, was a hermit who probably didn’t vote and didn’t consider himself either a Republican or Democrat. Some have called him a “neo-Luddite,” a label that defies easy partisan classification; but notably, Kaczinksi’s “Manifesto” devotes considerable space to criticizing leftists. A survivalist who rejected modern technology, he seems to have much more ideology in common with retrograde conservatives who want to return to the social and economic conditions of the 19th century than with progressive liberals.
125
Man I wouldn’t have wanted to be standing as close to the DMZ as you apparently were if the comrades didn’t get the word and thought it was the real thing and …
129
My Vietnam unit was full of southerners. There is a very strong military tradition in the South, and southerners are rightfully proud of their Confederate soldier ancestors. Great army, magnificent soldiering … bad cause. You can respect the Men in Gray and disagree with the cause for which they fought at the same time, I see no conflict there.
Yes, I think the trolls DO read my posts. Otherwise, why do they respond to my insults, and why do they so obviously feel threatened by my serious commentaries? From the amount of time they spend replying to Roger Rabbit, it looks like the RNC and BIAW have deployed at least 3 or 4 full-time operatives to deal with one 11-lb. rodent.
Roger Rabbit, do you post here???
Democrat vocabulary lesson: what the Democrats call “public service” is really a euphemism for what all reasonable observers call the “public trough.”
Man I love the Florida Republican Senate race! It’s like watching Siamese twins having a fist fight.
130- wabbit, it was a mail bomb, not a pipe bomb. Sent by an arsonist who the judge was due to sentence.
Who will the commie libs run in 08? “Purple Heart” Kerry? Al “SUV and Gulfstream 5″ Gore? Queen Hillary? Dick “Turbin” Durbin? Cynthia “BitchSlap MoFo” McKinney? Joe “Law School” Bidin? Maxine “MoFo” Waters? Jesse “Shakedown” Jacksooooooooooon? William J. “IceBox” Jefferson, DEMOCRAT, LA, Ted “Oldsmobile” Kennedy, Al “Tawana Brawley” Sharpton? Pat “BitchSlap The Black Female Security Guard At The LAX Airport” Kennedy, Nancy “Nip/Tuck” Pelosi? Osama “Hussuan” Barrack Obama? OK, commie libs? help me here??
144, cont…….Answer: Hillary “FUCKING JEW BASTARD” Clinton!!!!!!
Sacramento – California is forging ahead with the most aggressive US program to reduce global warming – a plan that pits Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger against fellow Republican George W. Bush. Both the governor and his state’s Democratic-led legislature want to make California – the world’s eighth largest economy – a model to follow with caps in greenhouse gas emissions /break/ The California Chamber of Commerce and business groups say the global warming bill is bad for the economy because it will drive up energy prices and send companies running out of state. [Atlas Shrugged]
Yeah they’re on the brink all right. On the brink of financial disaster as every major manufacturer that can runs from the state and power production drops to an all-time low and they can no longer import the power they need just to keep the state running. California: aspiring to look like N Korea.
California is governed by a cabal of liberal Democrat socialists, anti-american Democrat hispanics and Democrat environmental wackos….pardon the redundancy. Forty years ago California had the most advanced system of highways and freeways in the country, an education system that was the envy of the world and an industrial base of major industries…then the Democrats came.
Don’t expect California to be anything but a second rate economy with an under-educated population, TB, polio, 30 million illegals all voting Democrat, and a socialist government that exists to support illegal aliens and the Democrat controlled state employee unions.
143
It was a pipe bomb sent through the mail.
I would like to quote Peter Griffen (Family Guy) while riding an elephant:
“Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a big fat white guy who is threatened by change”.
Going to bed now.
Nite.
Carl Grossman
Liberal, Democrat, and just sick of Republican politicians who talk without thinking. I think I know why they stick to the talking points now.
Rabbit said:”feel threatened by my serious commentaries”
Damn Martha I think I SEE B S
Rabbit I call BS to your “feel threatened by my serious commentaries” because YOU WOULD NOT RESPOND to #109 by MWS. He forgot to mention the >$60,000 Harry Reid paid his son. Political nepotism is on both sides of the aisle. Only Nancy Pelosi (D) was ID’d by the FEC. Apparently using family members is okay since democraps do it time and time again.
Rabbit I call BS to your “feel threatened by my serious commentaries” Ted Kacszinski charge. You democraps complain on this blog how conservatives paint you with a broad brush and yet all your BS is broad brushed!
Rabbit I call BS to your “feel threatened by my serious commentaries” to your Bush didn’t want DHS. He didn’t want another Federal Bureaucracy. We all know about Federal Bureaucracies right rabbit? Why do democraps like them sooooo much when they are in power and gloss over when they screw up Americans?
So when the Federal Bureaucracy screwed up with Katrina (FEMA) you libs went nuts. You forget FEMA screwed up in 1999 in the Carolinas with that big hurricane. Jesse Shakedown Jackson complained to Bill CigarBox Clinton and where was the democraps complaining then?
Rabbit I call BS to your “feel threatened by my serious commentaries” to your Carter post above. Any truthful “rabbit”/subhuman would have given Reagan credit to bringing down high unemployment and high interest rates. Not Rabbit. He’s disingenuous!
Rabbit I call BS to your “feel threatened by my serious commentaries” Let me ask you a couple questions, FascistFuck. Suppose I denounce you as a terrorist, then the government arrests you, beats the shit out of you and shoves a broomstick up your ass,… BS. So them great liberal NYC cops who did that to Amadu Diallo (Spelling may be off) and tried to cover it up? Yes Rabbit liberals know how to stick broom handles up people’s rectums. BS
Rabbit I call BS to your “feel threatened by my serious commentaries” So that leaves Richard Reid…BS
Where does it say one has to try enemy combatants in our courts WHEN THEY ARE NOT US CITIZENS? Did they try your captured forefathers in the US after WWII. I thought they were called the Nuremburg Trials? BS
That’s enough calling Roger and SEEing BS. You threw much BS on this blog last night Roger.
Time to go to work.
Please feed me more BS Roger. It wakes me up to S E E – B S!
I posted those last eight comments. More than one sentence too. I feel good about it when I SEE BS!
Is it true or not?
127
I’ll agree with that. I wasn’t trying to say the person planting bombs was stellar……….
With a name like Roger Furball everything from it has to be BS SEE BS!
Furball can’t answer #109 because he would have to grow hair and morph from moonbat. Once a moonbat always a moonbat.
66
Roger, it isn’t whether they are a partisian hack – because they are. It is WHO are they accountable to and working for! When you report to one man – he is the only one you have to please. Logan could do whatever he wanted as long as Sims is reelected. King County isn’t going to get rid of Sims – no matter what he does!
An elected auditor knows that they are accountable to the voters so they have to keep their butts fairly straight.
Roger,
What’s the difference between crazed religious fanatics blowing up abortion clinics and tree crazed enviro nazi’s blowing up and burning down luxury homes being built and SUV’s/Hummers sitting in car lots?
Extreme right/Extreme left?
Goldy and Gang some info you might find interesting and might explain why you folks graduate toward Socialism aka Socialist Democrats. The publication was written by Walter E. Williams and it explains what a leftist aka Socialist Democrat beliefs have evolve into today (Darwinism evolution). May Ali bless the greatest Socialist Democrat of the day, Ted Kennedy.
Dr. Pipes, who served on the National Security Council during the Reagan administration, explained that there are actually only a few communists among academics. At first glance, that’s a puzzling observation, given the leftist bias at most college campuses. Drs. Pipes and Kengor explain the puzzle in a way that makes perfect sense.
While academic leftists, and I’d include their media allies, are not communists, they are anti-anti-communists. In other words, they have contempt for right-wingers, conservatives or libertarians who are anti-communists. Why? Academic leftists, and their media allies, are in agreement with many of the stated goals of communism, such as equal distribution of wealth, income equality and other goals spelled out in Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ “Manifesto of the Communist Party.” Leftist elites love the ideas of communism so much that they are either blind to, or tolerant of, its many shortcomings.
http://www.gmu.edu/departments.....demic.html
Hey Furball and friends: Looks like some new fashion statements. You can use them as “baloons” for your Nov 2006 celebration. Celebration of losing!
http://tinyurl.com/rwhfo
Hey Furball and friends: Looks like some new fashion statements. You can use them as “balloons” for your Nov 2006 celebration. Celebration of losing!
http://tinyurl.com/rwhfo
The Bush Administration intercepted Iranian missiles headed for Hezbollah. The Kerry Administration would have missed it because they wouldn’t use reconnaisance. It would be illegal. The missiles would have landed and Hezbollah would be resupplied. Figure it out moonbats. You are weak on terror.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/w.....iles_x.htm
More moonbat art: http://tinyurl.com/ms6m5
I can’t believe Al Sharpton is saying this: http://tinyurl.com/p6z4u
Commentby Roger Rabbit— 8/17/06@ 8:02 pm
“Bush and the GOP Congress – and the traitors like FascistFirst who support them – will be directly to blame.”
Roger Rabbit school of debate.
1) Make and outlandish statement.
2) Get refuted.
3) Call names and avoid the topic.
If you actually read my posts, you’d know that I’m not a blind supporter of the Republicans like you are of the Democrats. Feel free to address my refutation of your arguments in post 78. Or on any other thread, since you seem to lack the fortitude to do any more than name calling when your arguments are proven to be false.
“34
Before the yahoos fall in love with the Brits’ legal system (and its conspicuous lack of personal rights), they should be reminded that Britain also strictly regulates, and for the most part prohibits, private ownership of guns. Yeah, they’ll really like that part of the British legal code, I’m sure.
Commentby Roger Rabbit— 8/17/06@ 7:24 pm”
Roger, if the Republicans had been alive in 1776, they would have been Tories, and encouraging the King and Parliment to send more troops to put down those pesky liberal “rebels”. A simple comparison of the Tory position with that of modern-day Republicans shows alarming similarities. And don’t forget that Tarleton’s forces, the ones that gained such infamy in the South and gave rise to the phrase “Tarleton’s quarter”, was composed mostly of Tories.
“I don’t have to appear on television to terrify Americans, all I have to do is commit some action and the American people will terrorize themselves and they will constrict their precious liberties and turn themselves into a country that’s unrecognizable”
– Osama bin Laden (quoted by Lawrence Wright, author of “The Looming Tower”
I also believe that Jimmy Carter gets an undeserved bad rap for his Presidency. As for the military aspect:
The military in the latter half of the 1970’s was undergoing a major reorganization. It was converting from a draft-fed force to an all-volunteer one, requiring changes in bases and amenities throughout the system.
AIR FORCE: In the Air Force, we were deploying new F-14s, F-15s, and F-16s and retiring Phantom jets, even while the F-18’s were in early development. The cruise missle program was moving out of early research and entering the development phase. A lot of money had been spent on the B1 bomber, intended as a strategic nuclear bomber to replace the venerable B-52s, but even while the first prototypes were being tested, stealth technology had made them obsolete, and billions of dollars had to be thrown into the B-2 stealth program, a classified budget item which wasn’t apparant to all but a few in the government.
NAVY: The Navy was modernizing its forces with the AEGIS class cruisers, and a complete re-working of its anti-aircraft and anti-missle defense systems. New submarines were also being deployed, but I forget the names of the programs right now (they were not the “boomers”, but the other kind).
ARMY: Here, also, there was a technological advances which required large amounts of money for research and development. The new attack helicopters, Bradely Fighting Vehicles, and M-1 Tanks were all researched and underwent early development during the Carter administration. The M-1 tank was particularly expensive, as the early versions used the British Cobham (sp?) armor, but then changed to a different system.
MARINES: As usual, they got the leftovers that the Army and Navy no longer wanted. There are some exceptions. The Marines insisted upon development of new amphibious landing vehicles, including hovercraft, and assault ships which facilitad loading of the vehicles (i.e., no longer using cargo nets to load Higgins-type landing craft with men and equipment). Also, ever since Guadalcanal the Marines have never really trusted the Navy to stick around long enough to supply continued air support, so they insisted on purchasing the British Harrier Jump-Jet, despite the strong objections of the Air Force and the Navy.
Now, most of the up-front money for these programs were spent in the mid to late 1970’s, but with the exception of the Air Force fighters, you didn’t really get to see the results of these programs until the 1980’s. But somehow they had to be paid for, despite many of the programs being in the “black” part of the budget which was not viewable by the critics. And as the 1980 election neared, there was tremendous pressure to cut the budget. California’s Proposition 13 showed that there was an anti-tax movement which the Republicans promptly hijacked as their cause-for-being. So Carter was under considerable pressure to cut the federal budget while funding programs no one could see. “After all”, his critics said, “don’t we deserve a ‘peace dividend’ now that we are no longer fighting the Vietnam War?”
So Carter ordered the lights dimmed. His budget director, Casper Weinberger (remember him?) earned the nickname “Cap the Knife”, for his parsimonious pinching of the pennies until Lincoln yelped. Visitors to White House breakfasts were even charged for their meal. Some military programs had to be abandoned – including the tactical nuclear weapons which killed by radiation bud didn’t destroy buildings (I forget the name right now), and the now-obsolete-befre-being-built B-1 Bomber. But Carter paid a heavy political price for cancelling those programs, as the very Republicans who criticised him for being “weak on defense” also criticized him for running budget deficits, even though most of the deficits went to interest payments on debts incurred by several presidents before him.
So Carter paid the price, economically and politically, for reforming the military, and lost the 1980 election. Reagan got the credit when the reformed military took to the field, with its new weapons systems, and more money was available to increase troop pay.
And the Republican insistence on a balanced budget was quickly forgotten in the light of massive budget deficits which followed the Republican tax breaks. This took Budget Director David Stockman by surprise (he believed the Republian rhetoric, but found out it was for political consumption only). It also left massive structural deficits which had to be adjusted a few years later by Reagon (yes, a Reagan tax increase), and then again during the Clinton years (which resulted in a balanced budget by the end of the Clinton Presidency, and projected surpluses thereafter).
Who will the commie libs run in 08? “Purple Heart” Kerry? Al “SUV and Gulfstream 5″ Gore? Queen Hillary? Dick “Turbin” Durbin? Cynthia “BitchSlap MoFo” McKinney? Joe “Law School” Bidin? Maxine “MoFo” Waters? Jesse “Shakedown” Jacksooooooooooon? William J. “IceBox” Jefferson, DEMOCRAT, LA, Ted “Oldsmobile” Kennedy, Al “Tawana Brawley” Sharpton? Pat “BitchSlap The Black Female Security Guard At The LAX Airport” Kennedy, Nancy “Nip/Tuck” Pelosi? Osama “Hussuan” Barrack Obama? OK, commie libs? help me here??
rhp6033,
I actually liked Jimmy Carter as a person, but I thought he was a weak sister when it can to leadership. I think a lot of us did in the 1980 election, though I voted for the Libertarian candidate for Prez then. I think it was the Iranian hostage crisis that brought Carter down.
On another topic, it’s nice to see that while our resident trolls do their best to denigrate Maria Cantwell….her approval rating went from 49% in July to 55% in the August poll of Survey USA. Her net job approval has risen to 17% positive and she is now ranked #46 in the Senate for net job approval. Say Good Night Mikey!!!!!
I gotta laugh at the way the righties, and one liberal from the South, want to excuse Tramm Hudson’s statement.
Lets’ review, Hudson was telling the audience of an experience he had as the commander of an infantry company on a training exercise that necessitated crossing a river. He eventually gets to the proposition that he wanted to make sure that all his soldiers could swim before they attempted what could be a dangerous training exercise. Before doing so, however, he makes the statement about blacks and swimming.
I don’t know how the soldiers and swimming related to what he was trying to get across to his audience, because the video at redstate.com ends before he gets to the point.
The logical fallacy is: what difference does it make that there were blacks in his company? Was he going to only determine whether or not black solidiers could swim? If so, was it OK with him if other soldiers drowned? Whatever the statistical probability about blacks and swimming is, it doesn’t account for the swimming ability of whites, Hispanics, Asians, etc.
Everyone has to learn how to swim. Whether or not one is buoyant, you still have to practice getting your head out of the water, kicking, and moving your arms. Genetic suppositions about body mass are irrelevant, the person has to have experience at swimming to participate in crossing a river. If one got caught in a current, floating back into formation wouldn’t work.
So, if Captain Hudson was really concerned about the soldiers in his company, he should have determined their swimming ability prior to the maneuver, by having his platoon sergeants take the soldiers to a pool for proof of their swimming ability — all the soldiers.
So, why bring up the black soldiers in a political speech in Florida, along with the biographical detail that his homestated is Alabama?
Harry Tuttle,
Remember the movie “White Men Can’t Jump” with Wesley Snipes (SP?) and Woody Harrelson? Wasn’t that was a racist movie because it denigrated white men. What if I made a move entitled “Black Men Can’t Do Long Division?” Would I get a pass on that one, or would the Hollywood elite and other leftists attack?
How far so you want to take this silliness?
ANOTHER ALASKA AIRLINES FIASCO
“13 injured in Alaska Airlines emergency landing
“KING5.com Staff
“SEATTLE – An Alaska Airlines flight from Vancouver, B.C. to San Francisco made an emergency landing Friday morning at Sea-Tac International Airport after it lost pressure shortly after takeoff … 10 passengers and three crew members reportedly suffered unknown injuries. … When the plane safely touched down, calls were made for a medical response.
“‘At this point, I don’t personally know if those are related to depressurization,’ said airport spokesman Bob Parker about the injuries. ‘It seems likely.’ … ”
This article is quoted under the Fair Use doctrine; for complete story and/or copyright info, see http://tinyurl.com/klfp2
DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. will cut North American production by 21 percent in the fourth quarter, requiring partial shutdowns at several plants in the U.S. and Canada. [……….Something about Democrats and unions in Michigan. Gee, what a fucking surprise!!!]
175
Mike? Who is a lightweight without political credentials who pretends to be a moderate while rubberstamping the GOP’s hard-right party line. In his early ads, he even concealed from TV viewers the fact he’s a Republican. What does that tell you? He was picked to run because he’s rich and can self-finance his campaign, not because he’s the best candidate to oppose Maria.
@177, Quote: “Wasn’t that was a racist movie because it denigrated white men.”
Apparently, you totally missed the point of the movie.
“What if I made a move entitled “Black Men Can’t Do Long Division?” Would I get a pass on that one, or would the Hollywood elite and other leftists attack?”
When white guys (and their families) are denied jobs, access to good housing, are visible by their absence from the top rungs of economic and political power, and are given longer prison sentences for the same crimes as committed by blacks, then by all means feel free to make the movie. Why, it may even be a hit if the “Hollywood elites” think it will make them a buck. Sign Mel Gibson up now….I hear his asking price has plummeted.
“How far so you want to take this silliness?”
Further than you ever wanted to go with it.
150
“Rabbit I call BS to your “feel threatened by my serious commentaries” because YOU WOULD NOT RESPOND to #109 by MWS.”
Commentby See BS – I Love that Station— 8/18/06@ 5:38 am
I call BS on you, because I did respond to #109 @ #135. Are you too fucking (a) lazy or (b) illiterate to read what’s posted here?
Quote of the day:
“ Republicans and Democrats alike feel they have firmly established their positions on a number of key issues for the midterm elections. Republicans have staked their claim on strengthening border security, lowering business taxes, cutting the inheritance tax and winning the war in Iraq.
Democrats have also put together their stance on the aforementioned issues, although they had to wait until the GOP had announced its platform so they knew what they had to stand against. “
150 (continued)
I decline to play your deflection games. We’re discussing REPUBLICAN corruption, and will continue to discuss REPUBLICAN corruption, because REPUBLICANS are in control of the government and REPUBLICANS are responsible for the massive corruption now occurring in our government. I won’t let you change the subject.
Washington D.C. = Republican Culture of Corruption
151
“You democraps complain on this blog how conservatives paint you with a broad brush and yet all your BS is broad brushed!” Commentby See BS – I Love that Station— 8/18/06@ 5:39 am
How do you like your own B.S. being tightly rolled up in a cylinder and shoved up your ass? Does it feel good going in? Get used to it, because I’m going to do lots more of it.
GOP = party of warmongers, torturers, arsonists, bombers, and terrorists
OK Rabid Rodent… I will cede that possibly ONCE and only once, you MAY have been right… of course even a blind pig finds a mushroom occasionally, so don’t let it go to your head:
SALES TAX HOLIDAYS MAY NOT BE GOOD AFTER ALL
Sales-tax holidays are a temporary elimination of sales tax on
particular items by various states, and they’ve become quite
popular in recent years—15 states now have them in one form or
another. Yet according to a new study from the Tax Foundation,
they may not be all they’re cracked up to be. The holidays
significantly alter consumers’ shopping habits, as they buy
products preferentially given the tax relief by legislators
(e.g. school supplies), thus adding a political aspect to
purchasing school supplies. For example, if the state legislature gives a tax break on lunch boxes, but not on small coolers, consumers are no longer completely free from market interference by the government. Time periods are also regulated—tax holidays typically run for a single weekend a month before school starts. In addition, retailers may take advantage by raising prices, which removes the only benefit given to consumers. Across-the-board tax relief is a far greater solution than simple government gimmickry that interferes with the free market.
Spain’s Canary Islands can no longer cope with the soaring number of illegal immigrants arriving from Africa, local leaders say.
What’s the big deal? The City of Seattle can take them. After dumping 15,000 Somalis in Seattle, what’s a few hundred thousand more? They just want a better life and it’s up to WASH State Democrats would live in Seattle to give it to them.
@183 “Winningthe War in Iraq” HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH? What War? You mean our failed Occupation? That’s no war.
152
“Rabbit I call BS to your ‘feel threatened by my serious commentaries’ to your Bush didn’t want DHS.” Commentby See BS – I Love that Station— 8/18/06@ 5:43 am
You do, do you? Let’s review:
1. The Department of Homeland Security was initially proposed by Democrats and resisted by Republicans.
2. Republicans delayed creation of DHS for over a year while Bush wrangled with Democrats over whether DHS employees would have the right to belong to a union.
3. Some federal employees being involuntarily transferred into DHS already had unions, and would lose their union rights and membership under the GOP version of DHS legislation.
4. Bush and the GOP congress held out onto Democrats caved in on the union issue.
5. Bottom line: Bush and the GOP congress subordinated national security considers to their anti-worker, anti-union ideology.
Those are the facts, you lying fascist traitor. You can “call BS” all you want; a liar calling elephant shit “diamonds” doesn’t make it diamonds, it’s still elephant shit. And you are full of elephant shit. You even stink of elephant shit. You probably eat elephant shit and feed it to your kids, too. Now “call BS” on that, you fucking America-hating fascist traitor.
Well okay, I did BS about one thing I said in #191 — Mr. BS isn’t a “fucking traitor.” I can’t see him getting laid. Who would want to fuck a lying troll like him? I have $5 that says he’s still a virgin. To collect the bet, he’ll need to provide irrefutable proof that he’s been laid at least once in his miserable life.
How far so you want to take this silliness?”
Further than you ever wanted to go with it.
Commentby Joe Stalin (deceased)— 8/18/06@ 11:00 am
===============
You’re ignoring my point. Just because someone is black or brown or yellow or purple doesn’t mean they get to be racist any more than lilly-white boys from Harvard and Yale do. When Jesse Jackson uses the term “hymie-towners” to describe New York Jews, he’s being a racist, but gets little or no notice from the traditional media for his comments. Louis Farakhan gets aways with spouting-off a lot of anti-white, anti-Semetic stuff, yet he’s still does it without too much fear of media reaction. Al Sharpton tells blatant lies in the Tawana Brawley (SP?) incident, yet he’s STILL shooting his mouth off.
Was Mel Gibson an ass for getting loaded and making anit-Semetic remarks? You bet! He gets crucified (excuse the pun!) in the press, yet these “icons” of racial tolerance get a pass, and they said what they said stone, cold sober! Mell was three sheets to the wind! If Gibson gets raked over the coals, then the rest of ’em should get the same treatment.
BTW, Joe Stalin, weren’t you responsible for the deaths of over 20 million Russians and other ethnic groups during your reign of terror? But you were a Georgian, racially, so I guess it didn’t matter.
Racism has been around forever and a day, and I expect people to have racist attitudes and occassionally mouth-off. But don’t let minorities get away with racsim any more than you’d let anyone else get away with it. Don’t be a hypocrite, Joe.
153
“Rabbit I call BS to your ‘feel threatened by my serious commentaries’ to your Carter post above. Any truthful ‘rabbit’/subhuman would have given Reagan credit to bringing down high unemployment and high interest rates. Not Rabbit. He’s disingenuous!” Commentby See BS – I Love that Station— 8/18/06@ 5:46 am
Man you’re sticking your neck out — because responding to this bloviation is simply a matter of pasting the relevant statistics. Now I’m convinced you’re Kevin Carns, because nobody else except Redneck, pbj, klake, Janet Whore, and Ass are this dumb, all of whom are Kevin Carns. Okay, here we go …
UNEMPLOYMENT UNDER CARTER, REAGAN, BUSH 41, CLINTON, AND BUSH 43
Executive Summary: When Carter took office in January 1977, the official unemployment rate was 7.5%. It rose to 7.6% in February 1977, then began a steady descent, falling to 5.6% by May of 1979. It then rose slightly, hovering between 5.7% and 6.0% for the rest of that year; and in the last year of Carter’s presidency, unemployment rose back to the mid-7% range, and was at 7.5% when Reagan took office in January 1977. Looking at only the beginning and ending figures is misleading, because unemployment was below 7% for 33 of Carter’s 49 months in office, and was below 6% for 13 of those months. Those figures aren’t great by historical standards, but the job market did improve for job seekers (in terms of their chances of getting a job) under Carter, which also is reflected in the job growth figures below.
As noted above, official unemployment was 7.5% when Reagan took office in January 1981 — and by summer of 1981 was climbing rapidly, exceeding 8% by November 1981, 9% by March 1981, and 10% by November 1982. Reagan is the ONLY president since the GREAT DEPRESSION who presided over double-digit unemployment; while the media called the Reagan Recession of 1981-1982 a “recession,” many economists consider it a “depression.” It was certainly one of the worst economic downturns of the 20th century. Under Reagan, unemployment continuously stayed above 7% until July 1986 (except for a short-lived dip to 6.7% in 1 month, Jan. 1986), and did not drop below 6% until September 1987. The unemployment rate was 5.4% when Reagan left office in January 1989, but was below 7% for only 29 of Reagan’s 97 months in office (less than Carter achieved in half as many months) and was below 6% only 16 of those months. The Reagan presidency was hard on job seekers; Reagan’s job creation rate was only 2.1%, compared to 3.1% under Carter.
Unemployment rose again under George H.W. Bush, exceeding 7% again only 9 months into his presidency and staying above that level for the rest of his term; Clinton won in 1992 largely because of the economy. As the chart below shows, 41’s job creation record was worse than any other modern president’s except Hoover’s and his own son’s. Unemployment was 7.3% when Clinton took office in Jan. 1993, immediately began to fall, and was under 4% in Clinton’s last full month in office (Dec. 1992); it promptly rose again under Bush 43, and only recently has come down below 5% (which was achieved with the artificial stimulus of massive deficit spending that is certain to cause future high interest rates, high unemployment, and high inflation).
Jobs Records of Presidents
(as percentage of workforce)
(through December 2003)
Democrat Roosevelt 5.3%
Democrat Johnson 3.8%
Democrat Carter 3.1%
Democrat Truman 2.5%
Democrat Clinton 2.4%
Democrat Kennedy 2.3%
Republican Nixon 2.2%
Republican Reagan 2.1%
Republican Coolidge 1.1%
Republican Ford 1.1%
Republican Eisenhower 0.9%
Republican Bush Sr. 0.6%
Republican Bush Jr. (0.7%)
Republican Hoover (9.0%)
Source of unemployment data: U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://tinyurl.com/rt9hy
Source of job creation data: James Carville, “Had Enough?” (Simon & Schuster, New York, 2003), p. 87.
INTEREST RATES
Now let’s examine what happened to interest rates under Carter and subsequent presidents, using Federal Reserve data. There are, of course, many different interest rates, and I’ll use prime rate data, as the prime rate is what most economists generally use as an overall benchmark for interest rates.
Executive Summary: The prime rate first hit double digits in 1974, in the last months of Nixon’s presidency at the height of the Watergate crisis, and was 6.25% when Carter took office in Jan. 1977. However, the Fed at that time was raising interest rates to get the inflation that Carter inherited from Nixon and Ford under control; and the prime went above 7% in Aug. 1977, above 8% in Jan. 1978, and above 10% in Oct. 1978, topping out at 20.0% in April 1980. This was also the period when oil shocks were introducing significant real (as opposed to monetary) inflation into the economy, on top of the raging monetary inflation created by deficit spending for the Vietnam war. In the last year of Carter’s presidency, the prime dipped below 12% by midsummer, but rose through the fall and winter, peaking at 21.5% in Dec. 1980, and stood at 20.0% when Reagan took office in Jan. 1981. Obviously, inflation and high interest rates were a factor in Carter’s re-election defeat. But interest rates stayed above 15% throughout Reagan’s first year in office (while the nation was undergoing a gut-wrenching rise in unemployment), and the prime remained in double digits for Reagan’s entire first term. Not until the summer of 1985 did the prime dip below 10%, and it never went below 7.5% at any time during Reagan’s 8 years in office.
When 41 took office in Jan. 1989, the prime rate was 9.5%, but was below 7% within a year, and stayed there until 1994. One thing 41 did accomplish was avoid the superheated interest rates that plagued the presidencies of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan. From 1994 on, the prime rate rose again, and staying in the 8-9% range for the rest of Clinton’s presidency.
George W. Bush took office in Jan. 2001, and a recession began two months later, in March 2001. At the same time, the stock market was reeling from the dot-com bubble-burst that began in early 2000. In mid-2001, Fed chairman Alan Greenspan launched a recession-fighting campaign that consisted of aggressively lowering interest rates to artifically low “real” levels, and the prime fell to 4.0% in June 2003. But this was not sustainable, and from then on, the prime has steadily risen to the current 8.25%.
Of course, neither presidents nor congresses can directly control what the Federal Reserve does, and the Fed, in turn, can’t directly control what the market does; and it is the market that ultimately determines interest rates. But the president appoints (and the Senate confirms) the Fed chairman, and this appointment has a lot of influence on what policies the Fed adopts; in addition, the Fed is somewhat sensitive to political pressures, and those pressures are greatest when coming from the majority party. So, the party that controls the White House and Congress do indirectly influence Fed policy; plus, WH and congressional spending, taxing, and deficit policies also have substantial impact on money supply and other factors that affect unemployment and interest rates. Carter and Clinton didn’t have party control of their congresses; George W. Bush does.
Source of data: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System: http://tinyurl.com/elzda
conclusion: Getting back to BSer’s post @153, the lying troll challenged me to “give Reagan credit” for “bringing down high unemployment and high interest rates.” Why should I, when he deserves no such credit? Reagan presided over the highest unemployment since the 1930s. The prime rate was in double digits for most of his presidency, and was never below 7.5% during Jan. 1981 – Jan. 1989. Reagan created the largest deficits up to that time, which inevitably resulted in monetary inflation that pushed up interest rates; Clinton defeated Bush-41 in the 1992 election precisely because the Reagan-Bush41 economy was lousy for the average American, and especially for home buyers and job seekers. Not to be forgotten is the fact that Reagan and Bush-41 were forced to raise taxes 5 times because Reagan had cut taxes too much, resulting in deficits so deep they threatened the entire economy. And Reagan’s budget chief, David Stockman, famously renounced the “supply side economics” he himself had engineered; and to this day, there is no evidence that “trickle down” or “supply side” economics actually works.
The evidence is to the contrary. For example, trollfuck Mark the Redneck, who claims to have 4 engineering degrees but doesn’t know squat-shit about economics, recently posted on HA that tax cuts “always increase (government) revenues.” This is demonstrably false; disregarding FICA revenues, which were not affected by Bush’s tax cuts, Bush-43’s tax cuts had the following effects on federal revenues:*
2000 – $1,372,376,000,000 (baseline year)
2001 – $1,297,063,000,000
2002 – $1,152,413,000,000
2003 – $1,069,364,000,000
Source of data: Official U.S. government statistics replicated at http://tinyurl.com/gh684
195
Let’s recap and summarize: I just chopped BSer’s head off.
196
Next time, BSer, do some research before sticking your neck out.
On the other hand, if you want to make a public fool of yourself, be my guest.
wow!
this thread is
already up to 200 posts!
That’s more than the pathetic little competing blog gets in 10 years, and is WAY MORE than how many marbles are in BSer’s head.
Libertarian at 174: Yes, the military budget aspect was only one of Carter’s problems. He was one of those presidents who was elected in one era to solve one problem (the “Imperial Presidency”, but the nation’s problems changed thereafter. Since much of his earlier appeal had to do with his un-assuming leadership style, it was difficult (nay, impossible) to change the public’s impression of that style upon demand.
In short, an actor who hits his marks, plays the “leader of the Free World” role to the hilt, and recites his lines on cue (i.e., Ronald Reagan), gets credit as a better “military” leader than Clinton, an Annapolis-educated naval officer who’s intelligence was arguably greater than any other 20th century President, save perhaps Woodrow Wilson.
In addition to the military budget problems I outlined above, Clinton was faced with a changing world scenario. For years the Soviet Union and America had been supporting tin-horn dictators around the world, only because it was perceived that if they didn’t, the other guy would. This meant, unfortunately, that we ended up supporting lots of military governments against insurgent forces. Because we supported the status quo, regardless of how corrupt or tyranical, this fed the opposition insurgents into the hands of the Communists, a no-win situation for us. Our position in such conflicts could not be sustained indefinately, and when Carter broke the cycle by withdrawing support for some of the worse regimes (the Shah of Iran, the Nicaraguan dictator, etc.), he was blamed for the inevitable insurgent victories. Again, he was paying the price for policies made long before his time.
The final nail in the coffin was economic. The economy was having great difficulty paying off the budget deficits over the previous two decades (as alluded to in RR’s previous post, and mine also). Some of the national debt was for good investments – to pay for WWII and the Korean War, the construction of the Interstate Highway System, the Space Race, etc. Others had more political implications, and were investments only in the “social” sense that they were investments in people – Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Welfare, etc. But a large part of the deficits were incurred due to the cost of attempting to finance the Vietnam War without raising taxes, a politically motivated decision by both Johnson and Nixon. Inflation had already taken hold during the Nixon and Ford administrations (remember “Whip Inflation Now” Buttons? But by late 1978-79, it was taking off like a rocket, regardless of the extensive cost-cutting Carter was doing with the budget in an attempt to control inflation. A lot of the inflation during the Carter years, however, was due to oil prices, and its ripple-effect throughout the economy. The cost of gas effectively doubled during Carter’s years in office, and there wasn’t much he could do about it – it was being drivin by mid-east politics and economics. The Prudue Bay oil fields were being developed and the Alaskan Pipeline was being built, but they weren’t online yet. So the cost of gasoline pretty much doubled at the pump, going over $1.00 per gallon for the first time.
And lets not forget the 1977-78 winters. These record-breaking storms shut down the midwest and northeast, and came right when fuel prices were at their highest. Carter went on television in a sweater, urging the American people to conserve. But at the time the American people didn’t want to conserve. They wanted somebody to get the price of heating oil lowered and the streets plowed, or somebody was going to pay.
Then, finally, the Iranian hostage crisis. Some say Carter could have been re-elected if he had only authorized an early military action against Iran, even if it meant the death of all the hostages. The attempted “surgical” rescue mission, which failed, only highlighted how difficult any action would be in Iran. Indeed, it showed the U.S. military didn’t have many options or resources available other than the “big guns”. But Carter would only authorize a resuce mission if he thought there was a good chance it would bring out all the hostages alive. He lost the Presidency, but the “Desert One” failure led to the creation of the Delta Force and other highly specialized military and para-military forces trained and equipped specifically to deal with these types of missions.
Lib @ 3
This guy is running for office. His constituents just MIGHT be interested in knowing what racial stereotypes populate his brain.
Janet S @ 29
“Send your donation today to Netroots! Look what they’ve done for Lamont.”
You mean bringing him up from 50-point underdog to the WINNER of the Connecticut Demcratic primary? BTW, Joe’s constant tongue-lock with the President’s ass might have had a lot more to do with that, but I’ll give the netroots credit for a few percentage points.
sgmmac @ 37
“the worst Commander-in-Chief…Jimmy Carter”
You mean the Jimmy Cater who graduated from the US Naval Academy (59th in a class of 820) and was selected by Adm. Hyman Rickeover to serve as an officer on the first of our nation’s nuclear sumarines? Yeah, what did he know…
MTR and 51
Read it and weep? According to your source, “Half of Washington voters believe the U.S. should withdraw from Iraq immediately or within 18 months, regardless of the political or security situation.” And I think it pretty reasonable to think that some portion of the 38% who favor “Leave when Iraqis can keep the peace” will drift over as the totality of Iraq’s clusterfuckedness becomes clearer to them. Nothing to “weep” about there.
“I don’t belong to an organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” – Will Rogers.
Not much time to play today, I’ve got work to do.
Libertarian commented:
“Jesse Jackson uses the term “hymie-towners” to describe New York Jews, he’s being a racist, but gets little or no notice from the traditional media for his comments.”
No, it got lots of press. Far more than Senator Allen seems to have received, except for the Washington Post, which is the local paper for much of Virginia. I wish that the media would give the apparently racist remarks of a sitting US Senator and Presidential hopeful the level of scrutiny that they gave to Rev Jackson, a person that holds no public office. (Yes, he was a Presidential candidate at one time, with about the same level of importance as Pat Buchanan.)
“Louis Farakhan gets aways with spouting-off a lot of anti-white, anti-Semetic stuff, yet he’s still does it without too much fear of media reaction.”
Except on the Daily Show, which is where it belongs. The only people that seem to think Rev Farakhan is a “liberal” are the neocons. The rest of us think he’s a loon.
“Al Sharpton tells blatant lies in the Tawana Brawley (SP?) incident, yet he’s STILL shooting his mouth off.
One more “liberal leader” that was appointed by the media and the neocons. Do you start to understand why liberals laugh at you when you talk about the “liberal media”? These are people that have no more credibility with liberals than they do with conservatives, yet Fox News says they’re “liberal leaders” and the rest of the news media buys it.
These folks don’t speak for liberals any more than Rev Roberson or Rev Phelps speak for conservatives. (At least I hope those two don’t actually speak for conservatives.)
Mike Webb Sucks @ 65
Umm, we already HAD an additional terrorist attack on the US after 9/11. It was called anthrax, or don’t you remember it? And, like they do with every other issue, the “heckuva job, Brownie” Bush administration has UTTERLY FAILED to make ANY progress or arrests in the aftermath of that heinous attack. We can’t trust these losers to stay in charge or we WILL suffer another attack while Bush is on vacation.
207…..Er, John, Wasn’t that Jesse “Shakedown” Jacksooooooon and Al “Tawana Brawley” Sharpton standing behind CONN Democrat Senatorial candidate Ned Lamote on election night? Why yes, John, both Jesse and Al were right next to Ned!!!! Classically funny!!!!
Daddy,
I didn’t say anything about his military service……… we were talking about when he was President and therefore Commander-in-Chief.
Big Difference.
JCH @ 146
“Forty years ago California had…an education system that was the envy of the world…then the Democrats came. ”
Sorry, pal, but it was Republican activist Howard Jarvis and Proposition 13 that did in California’s schools. It also caused a lack public infrastructure spending that ruined the roads and drove off industry. Nothing Democratic about it.
Daddy Love..Right..Prop 13 was the cause of the Democrat controlled NEA and the Democrat controlled Cal Dept of Education being piss poor. California spends over 10 grand per student per year [yes, ten grand per illegal alien kid per year as well], and as lond as Democrats and the Democrat NEA [teacher’s unions] rule, the results will be piss poor. BTW, typical Democrat response: Raise taxes!! Not enough money “for da chillen”!!! Total liberal bull shit!!! BTW, taxpayers pay for 85% of UC students total costs of an education, and you libs bitch and moan that taxpayers need to pay MORE!!!! [Thank God I left Kalifornia years ago! You libs will tax it into a third world Baja Norte shit hole and the private sector will leave. Atlas has Shrugged, Daddy Love]
MWS @ 166
“The Bush Administration intercepted Iranian missiles headed for Hezbollah.”
Wrong. The Bush administration
– persuaded some allies
– to deny permission to cross their airspace
– to an Iranian cargo plane flying to Syria containing God knows what.
No missiles were intercepted. Maybe there was some such cargo on the flight and maybe not. Maybe something on the plane would have traveled from Syria to Lebanon and maybe not.
Heck, we all know we can believe the Bush administraiton, right?
rhp6033,
Desert One didn’t create the Delta Force. It may have created something else, but Delta Force participated in Desert One led by their first Commander, Col Beckwith who fought hard to establish the Delta Force.
206
To the contrary, we all should be weeping, all the time, for the death and destruction wrought by the incompetent execution of this unnecessary and counterproductive war.
JCH
Sorry, maybe I am not understanding you. You say that Prop 13 was BECAUSE of “the Democrat controlled NEA and the Democrat controlled Cal Dept of Education being piss poor?” If so, how did they have “an education system that was the envy of the world?”
After all, it’s a fact that prior to the 1980s, California’s per-pupil expenditures were above the national average; since then they have fallen farther and farther below the national norm. California ranked 18th in public school funding in 1975; 20 years later (that would be 1995) it ranked 41st.
215
Of course, all wars are counterproductive, which is why we used to pay our presidents to keep us out of wars — until this clusterfucked president came along.
210
Carter didn’t get us into an Iraq.
BTW, re: CA per-pupil spending…
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that, “Although the amount spent per pupil will rise by $274 to $6,025, state spending remains far lower than the national average of $7,583 in the 1999-2000 school year.”
Source: “Governor Signs School-Friendly Budget,” San Francisco Chronicle, 30 June 1999: A1.
216, Daddy Love…….Californians need to raise taxes!! A shit load!! And then some more!! Illegals [“soon to be Democrat voters] need free health care, free education, free housing, and welfare and food stamps. Another 20 million illegals in California is 10 years, so property taxes should triple and income taxes should go to 100%. hehe…….I left three years ago, so that Hillary “Baja Norte” third world Democrat shit hole can become Mexico City for all I care. Atlas has Shrugged in Kalifornia. The Democrats and illegals have won, and the private sector taxpayers will leave as quickly as possible.
These folks don’t speak for liberals any more than Rev Roberson or Rev Phelps speak for conservatives. (At least I hope those two don’t actually speak for conservatives.)
Commentby John Barelli— 8/18/06@ 1:17 pm
===========
But they can get away with saying things that white people get called to account for. Hypocrisy? I think so.
Doctor JCH Kennedy wern’t you in the cast of the Deliverance too?
Commentby The Socialist [……………………………………………………………..GBS, No I “wern’t”!! ROTFLMAO!!!]
172 “So Carter ordered the lights dimmed. His budget director, Casper Weinberger (remember him?) earned the nickname “Cap the Knife”, for his parsimonious pinching of the pennies until Lincoln yelped.”
What kind of uninformed idjit writes something like that!?
During the Carter years, Weinberger was at Bechtel. His time in OMB was under Nixon, and he served as Reagan’s Secretary of Defense- were he worked overtime to ndo the damage Carter had done.
Takes one real stupid fuck-up to put Cap Weinberger into the Carter administration…
Illegal Immigrants in Country 20,426,887
Money wired to Mexico $23,575,296,302
Cost of Social Services for Illegal Immigrants $397,469,111,828
Illegals Enrolled in Government Schools K-12 3,749,373
Cost of Illegal Immigrants Enrolled in K-12 $14,489,987,299
Illegal Immigrants Incarcerated 315,460
Cost for Incarcerations of Illegal Immigrants $1,446,245,595
Illegal Immigrant Fugitives 623,761
Here’s a statistic from elsewhere, one that I did check out. Out of all of the outstanding warrants for murder in Los Angeles, 95% of them are for illegal aliens. […………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Daddy Love, A little “California Update” for you. Perhaps if the Californians only paid more taxes these problems could be solved!!!! hehe, JCH]
220, 224
Yeah, I’m against Bush letting in all the illegals so the CHEAP LABOR CONSERVATIVES have a ready supply of $9 an hour construction workers, $5 an hour fruit pickers, and $2.15 an hour waitresses.
223
“Takes one real stupid fuck-up to put Cap Weinberger into the Carter administration… ” Commentby Captain wierd— 8/18/06@ 3:14 pm
Takes an even stupider fuckup (i.e. Mark the Unfucked) to think you can increase revenues by cutting taxes.
2000 – $1,372,376,000,000 (baseline year)
2001 – $1,297,063,000,000
2002 – $1,152,413,000,000
2003 – $1,069,364,000,000
Roger, If 20 million Mexican illegals were deported from the US, how many millions of illegal votes would the Democrat Party lose?
Yo Roger,
You make me smile!
I haven’t seen anyone use the word clusterfuck in awhile. It is one of my Army favorites along with goatfuck, fubar, and yardbirds!
To the contrary, we all should be weeping, all the time, for the death and destruction wrought by the incompetent execution of this unnecessary and counterproductive war.
Commentby Roger Rabbit— 8/18/06@ 2:20 pm
What War was that funny bunnie Viet Nam? Kennedy, LBJ, Nixon? Who got us in that War? Who got us out of that War? Who could have won that War? Maybe if John Kerry did not support North Viet Nam, and was president, we could have won all the Wars that the Democrats got us in over the last 50 years. Funny little bunny think out of the Box.
“I don’t belong to an organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” – Will Rogers.
JCH at 209
“Er, John, Wasn’t that Jesse “Shakedown” Jacksooooooon and Al “Tawana Brawley” Sharpton standing behind CONN Democrat Senatorial candidate Ned Lamote on election night? Why yes, John, both Jesse and Al were right next to Ned!!!! Classically funny!!!!”
Yes, they manage to get into photos whenever they can. The bottom line is that the media gives Rev Jackson and Rev Sharpton most of their clout. They are the “Paris Hiltons” of the Democratic party, meaning that they’re famous for being famous. If they don’t get invited, the media makes a big thing about how they’re being “snubbed”.
But, wasn’t that Rev Robertson who was a featured speaker at both the 2000 and 2004 Republican National Conventions? For that matter, didn’t forty-eight out of fifty-one Republican Senators vote get a 100% rating for voting according to the wishes of Rev Robertson’s “Christian Coalition”?
Perhaps I was being too generous. It seems, after a bit more research, that Rev Robertson does indeed speak for you folks, and the media seems to let him off pretty lightly.
How did that assassination of a foreign leader go off, anyway? Too bad about PM Sharon being struck down by God, wasn’t it, and just how many meteors have struck that Kansas town recently, anyway?
Finding out that you folks actually seem to listen to Rev Robertson scares the heck out of me. All the conservatives that I know personally tend to wince whenever he opens his mouth, and I don’t find that funny at all.
sgmmac at 214: Checking back on it, I believe you are right. It was one of the initial deployments of the Delta Force. I must have it confused with something else, I’ll check it out in more detail.
Occassionaly I do get the details wrong.
Those details are easy to get wrong – considering a Google search says Delta Force was established in 77, 78, 79 & 80!
I looked because I was on DI status from 77 – 79 and one of my favorite DI’s went to Delta Force in late 78 or 79. He came back several times to visit. He said it was the toughest school he had ever been to and he was Special Forces and a Ranger. I was told that he was involved in Desert One, his name wasn’t on the KIA list so I was happy. The Desert One operation was in a book that I did a book report on called Military Officer Incompetence in the last school that I attended. The book attributed the failure to Inter-service rivalry and lack of Inter-service communication.
232, Those were our [PHIBON 7’s] CH-53s that were detached to the USS Nimitz Battle Group involved in Desert One. Jimmy Carter called the shots. Very sad.
233, spelling [PHIBRON 7] Flag: USS Belleau Wood [LHA-3] [1980]
PHIBRON Seven also carried Navy SEALs [Coronado, CA] and Marine Force Recon [from the MAF, White Beach, Okinawa, Japan]. I do not know if they were involved in DESERT ONE.
Carl Grossman, and Miss Goldie, Perhaps you would like to chime in here? Perhaps not.
Occassionaly I do get the details wrong.
Comment by rhp6033 — 8/18/06 @ 4:15 pm
rhp that was not the only one but since you are a nice guy we will give you a free pass on it.
226
Silly rabbit- are you a dumb enough bunny to defend someone putting cap The Knife in the Carter Administration? You must be one real fucked up rabbit. Cut the acid, come to your senses.
AIR FORCE: In the Air Force, we were deploying new F-14s, F-15s, and F-16s and retiring Phantom jets, even while the F-18’s were in early development. The USAF does not fly F14 Tomcats but they did purchase F111’s instead. The Tomcats replace the F4’s in the Navy and the F16’s and F15’s replace the Phantom’s in the Air Force. My military career started in 1966 to present and the worst time was under President Carter and the best was under President Regan. Carter we had to have bake sells to purchase fuel for the jets. Regan made it possible to replace the junk that was left after Carter left office.
After all, it’s a fact that prior to the 1980s, California’s per-pupil expenditures were above the national average; since then they have fallen farther and farther below the national norm. California ranked 18th in public school funding in 1975; 20 years later (that would be 1995) it ranked 41st. Commentby Daddy Love— 8/18/06@ 2:21 pm
Simple economics. Who is paying for all those illegal immigrants? Illegal immigrants? Americans? Can you add Daddy Luv?
California 2010: Another 10 million illegals, and 5 million private sector taxpayers leaving the state.
Mark the Red Nekkid Asshole @ 69,
Following is your post with my answers in caps. I can wait to see you childish response when I tear apart your carefully worded (loaded) questions.
Carl Grossman ? Proud Librul Democrat
You have eloquently stated your hatred for conservative ideals. That means you pass the first test of being a moonbat; an ideology based on blind hate. Congratulations, you should be proud of yourself.
But I?ve yet to see you engage in any substantive debate of moonbat policy issues. So just to get the ball rolling, please comment on any or all of the topics below so we can all get to know you better, and see if you?re a real seattle librul or just a wanna-be. Good luck?
1) Do you hate The Producers? Do you hate people who are more successful than you because they are better educated, work harder, and provide more value to society? Do you think these people should be punished for being successful through confiscatory rates of taxation? I DISLIKE ANYONE,INDIVIDUALS OR CORPORATIONS WHO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OTHERS, BE IS EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL OR FINANCIAL. TIME AND TIME AGAIN THE CORPORATIONS HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF TAX LOOPHOLES, USED BANKRUPTCY TO SAVE THEMSELVES (WITNESS THE THE RECENT SPATE OF AIRLINES USING THE BANKRUPTCY COURT TO UNDO PENSION PLANS, SLASH WAGES AND OTHERWISE INJURE INNOCENT EMPLOYEES) ALL THE WHILE FAILING TO MENTION THAT THEY WILLINGLY ENTERED INTO THESE AGREEMENTS THAT THEY NOW CLAIM ARE KILLING THEM, DUMPING MILLIONS AND MILLiONS OF PENSION DEBT ONTO THE TAXPAYERS. WINGNUTS DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS. WHY? BECAUSE WINGNUTS WANT TO PROTECT CORPORATE AMERICA, THAT IS THERE BASE SUPPORT. THIS IS AMERICA, OF COURSE I BEGRUDGE NO ONE SUCCESS. I RESENT THOSE WHO ARE SUCCESSFUL AND SPEND THE MAJORITY OF THEIR TIME FINDING WAYS TO PAY LESS THAN THEIR FAIR SHARE. THE AVERAGE WORKER IN THE COUNTRY LOSES 33% OF HIS WAGES TO TAXES. THE AVERAGE CORPORATION, LESS THAN 10%. THERE IS NO WAY TO JUSTIFY THIS. THE SALARY LEVEL OF CEO’S IS OBSCENE IN THE FACE OF LAYOFFS, PLANT CLOSURES AND OUTSOURCING. SO WHO IS PAYING CONFISCATORY RATES? KINDLY, GO BACK TO THE INTERNET MARK AND READ, RESEARCH AND THINK!
2) Do you hate the initiative process that allows The People to have a loud and decisive vote on major policy issues? Do you believe that political issues are far too complex for the average voter to comprehend? Do you believe that political elites should make the rules and their subjects should simply follow those rules without question? MARK, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS MAKING AND CHANGING THE RULES AT WILL TO SUBJECT US ALL TO IT WHIMS AND DESIRE, MOSTLY MANIPULATED IN AN ATTEMPT TO STAY IN POWER. IT IS OPERATING ON “KEEP THEM SCARED, KEEP THEM STUPID” PLATFORM. PROBLEM IS, TOO MANY VOICES ARE BEGINNING TO CRY OUT AND WE CAN’T ALL BE SILENCED. THE GOVERNMENT IS FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE (WELL UNTIL THE WINGNUTS GOT TO POWER) WE ARE SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE OUR DESTINY, DECIDE THE ISSUES AND LIVE PEACEFULLY. AS FOR THE INITIATIVE PROCESS, I AM FIRM BELIEVER IN IT. YOU DON’T LIKE IT WHEN ONE INDIVIDUAL ABUSES IT AND CAN’T GET HIS INITIATIVES TO EVEN QUALIFY FOR THE BALLOT, SO YOU SCREAM DEMOCRAT CONSPIRACY. FACT IS, I SIGNED THE FIRST $30 DOLLAR TAB PETITION. WHEN I FIGURED OUT THE GUY WHO CIRCULATED IT WAS 1. TOO STUPID TO WRITE IT PROPERLY. 2. WAS LYING AND 3. WAS STEALING AND LYING ABOUT IT, WELL, LIKE MOST OF WASHINGTON I REFUSED TO SIGN HIS BALLOT MEASURES AND WHEN THEY QUALIFIED, I VOTED THEM DOWN. THIS WAS JUST A WAY FOR SOME RICH REPUBLICANS TO RUN AND END AROUND STATE GOVERNMENT.
3) Do you believe that socialism is the answer to America?s problems? Do you believe that the only reason that socialism has never worked is that it just hasn?t had the right people in charge yet? Do you fear big corporations and embrace big government? Do you believe that oppression comes from multinational corporations and freedom comes from government? I AM OPPOSED TO SOCIALISM. THE REST OF YOUR QUESTION IS SO WITHOUT MERIT IT WARRANTS NO ANSWER. I FEAR NOTHING OTHER THAN EXTREMISTS LIKE YOU ATTEMPTING TO EXPLOIT EVERYTHING THEY TOUCH FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT. TO WIT: TOM DELAY, DUKE CUNNINGHAM, BILL FRIST AND ON AND ON.
4) Do you believe that some people should get special privileges and be exempt from societal norms if their skin is brown, if they have a vagina, or like to take it up the ass? THIS COUNTRY IS BASED ON EQUALITY FOR EVERYONE, NOW READ THIS NEXT PART CAREFULLY: WITHOUT REGARD OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, EDUCATION. WE HAVE SINCE ADDED SEXUAL ORIENTATION. THAT WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE SMALL MINDED, BIGOTED INDIVIDUALS, SUCH AS YOURSELF, LIKE TO USE ANY AND ALL OF THE FOREGOING TO DISCRIMINATE, JUDGE, HARASS AND HARANGUE OTHERS YOU DEEM TO BE LESS THAN YOUR SELF. IN OTHER WORDS, IF I AM NOT LILLY WHITE, CHRISTIAN, WEALTHY AND REPUBLICAN. YOU BELITTLE EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT THINK LIKE YOU. THEREFORE WE NEED LAWS TO PROTECT, NOT GIVE SPECIAL PRIVILEGES, BUT RATHER TO HELP INSURE THAT THEY ARE ACCORDED THEIR BASIC RIGHTS. THIS WAS MADE NECESSARY BY MORONS LIKE YOU WHO LIKE TO USE COLOR AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION AS A BASIS OF CHARACTER ASSASSINATION AND DISCRIMINATION. I KNOW YOUR MIND HATES PEOPLE, WHILE MINE HATES DISCRIMINATION AND PREJUDICE. I HAVE COMPASSION, YOU HAVE FEAR OF WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW, UNDERSTAND OR AGREE WITH.
5) Do you believe that lasting peace comes from understanding your enemy?s position and negotiating a compromise, or from destroying their ability to make war? THERE IS A TIME TO FIGHT. THERE IS A TIME TO TALK. I DON’T BELIEVE THAT OVERWHELMING FORCE MAKES RIGHT. I ALSO DON’T BELIEVE IN TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK. BALANCE IS THE ANSWER, NOT OUR LEADERS FORCING THEIR WILL, LYING TO US TO JUSTIFY IT, AND THEN HAVING NOT THOUGHT FAR ENOUGH AHEAD TO HAVE AN EXIT STRATEGY, AND THEN LEAVING THE MESS FOR THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION TO CLEAN-UP AND FINALLY COMPLAINING ABOUT THE CLEAN-UP PLAN. MILITARY FORCE IS SOMETIMES STRONGEST WHEN IT USED AS A THREAT, NOT AN ACTION. THIS IS LESSON ONE IN STRATEGIC PLANNING.
6) Do you believe single mothers are the pillars of society? WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING. THIS IS ASININE. THIS IS NOT A QUESTION, THIS A STATEMENT. WHAT, ARE YOU JEALOUS NO WOMAN WILL HAVE YOUR BABY?
7) Do you think The People in the Second Amendment are a different group of People than those in the First, Fourth, Ninth and Tenth? THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SPACE ON THIS SERVER FOR ME TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION WITH ANY JUSTICE. HOWEVER, DUMBASS, EACH OF THESE AMENDMENTS STANDS ON ITS OWN, PROTECTING US ALL. NONE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHER. THIS QUESTION IS AKIN TO ASKING ME WHICH EYEBALL I WANT YOU TO POKE OUT. LOOK ASSHOLE, ALL THESE FREEDOMS ARE IMPORTANT, NONE MORE SO THAN THE OTHER. I AM JEWISH, I OWN WEAPONS, NO ONE KNOCKS ON MY DOOR (WELL THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING TO USE “TERRORISM” TO SUBVERT THE BILL OF RIGHTS AND COME TO MY HOME PHYSICALLY AND ELECTRONICALLY WITHOUT WARRANT) AND I VOTE IN ALL THE STATE ELECTIONS. AGAIN, READ, LEARN THINK, DUMBASS!
8) Do you think that people who have fucked up their lives through a lifetime of bad choices are entitled to help themselves to the fruits of others? labor in order to cover up the consequences of their own choices? WE HAVE A SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP THOSE LESS FORTUNATE THAN US. UNFORTUNATELY, YOU LIKE TO FOCUS ON THIS PART OF WHERE YOUR TAXES GO, FORGETTING THAT OVERWHELMING PERCENTAGE OF YOUR TAXES GOES TO BASIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE. POLICE, FIRE, STREETS, HIGHWAYS, MILITARY, ETC ETC. NEXT TIME YOU ASK A QUESTION THAT YOU THINK IS SO SMART AND SMARMY, READ IT AGAIN AND BE SURE YOU ARE NOT SHOWING YOUR ASS INSTEAD.
9) Do believe that the guilty should be spared and the innocent should be murdered? INNOCENTS ARE ALWAYS MURDERED, WHY DO YOU THINK THEY ARE REFERRED TO AS INNOCENT, FOR FUCKS SAKE, MARK. THE DEATH PENALTY IS WRONG. THE MAJORITY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION HAS ABOLISHED IT PRACTICE. LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE IS CHEAPER THAN THE UNENDING APPEALS PROCESS NOW USED. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME, READ SCOTT TUROW’S BOOK “ULTIMATE PUNISHMENT”. THE RESEARCH IS CLEAR, THE DEATH PENALTY IS NOT APPLIED EQUALLY WITH REGARD TO ETHNICITY AND OTHER FACTORS. AGAIN, YOU ASKED A QUESTION YOU BELIEVED TO BE UNANSWERABLE. AGAIN, YOU SHOWED YOUR ASS.
10) Which do you think contributes more to solar warming? The SUN or the SUV? MARK, FUCK YOU. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO THIS ISSUE THAN SUV’S. YOU DON’T FULLY UNDERSTAND IT, NEITHER DO I. BUT MORE AND MORE OF THE WORLDS MOST RESPECTED SCIENTISTS ARE GETTING IN LINE WITH THE GLOBAL WARMING PROBLEM AND NAMING ITS CAUSES AND EFFECTS. YOUR RELIGION, THE WINGNUT EXTREMIST THAT YOU ARE, PRECLUDES YOU FROM OPEN THINKING AND ACCEPTING THE POSSIBILITY THAT YOU ARE WRONG. WHICH, IN THIS CASE, YOU ARE.
NOW, I SPENT ENOUGH TIME ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS. IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO ANSWER MINE. WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO COME HERE, POST AND INCITE USING RUDE, CRUDE INVECTIVES THAT, IN PUBLIC, WOULD GET YOUR ASS KICKED BY ANY NUMBER OF PEOPLE? WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO HIDE BEHIND A FAKE NAME, AND NOT IDENTIFY YOURSELF? WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF, BESIDES CHANGE AND YOUR OWN SHADOW?
CARL GROSSMAN
LIBERAL, DEMOCRAT AND MARK THE REDNECK ASS KICKER!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Mark The Redneck — 8/17/06 @ 7:16 pm
BREAKING!
PhotoJournalism Revealed!
Photojournalism in Crisis
Amid the controversy over certain pictures from Lebanon, a longtime student of war photography asks, “I’m not sure if the craft I love is being murdered, committing suicide, or both.”
By David D. Perlmutter
(August 17, 2006) — The Israeli-Hezbollah war has left many dead bodies, ruined towns, and wobbling politicians in its wake, but the media historian of the future may also count as one more victim the profession of photojournalism. In twenty years of researching and teaching about the art and trade and doing photo-documentary work, I have never witnessed or heard of such a wave of attacks on the people who take news pictures and on the basic premise that nonfiction news photo- and videography is possible.
I’m not sure, however, if the craft I love is being murdered, committing suicide, or both.
Perhaps it would be more reassuring if the enemy at the gates was a familiar one—politicians, or maybe radio talk show hosts. But the photojournalist standing on the crumbling ramparts of her once proud citadel now sees the vandal army charging for the sack led by “zombietime,” “The Jawa Report,” “Powerline,” “Little Green Footballs,” “confederateyankee,” and many others.
In each case, these bloggers have engaged in the kind of probing, contextual, fact-based (if occasionally speculative) media criticism I have always asked of my students. And the results have been devastating: news photos and video shown to be miscaptioned, radically altered, or staged (and worse, re-staged) for the camera. Surely “green helmet guy,” “double smoke,” “the missiles that were actually flares,” “the wedding mannequin from nowhere,” the “magical burning Koran,” the “little girl who actually fell off a swing” and “keep filming!” will now enter the pantheon of shame of photojournalism.
A few photo-illusions are probably due to the lust for the most sensational or striking-looking image—that is, more aesthetic bias than political prejudice. Also, many photographers know that war victims are money shots and some will break the rules of the profession to cash in. But true as well is that local stringers and visiting anchors alike seem to have succumbed either to lens-enabled Stockholm syndrome or accepted being the uncredited Hezbollah staff photographer so as to be able to file stories and images in militia-controlled areas.
It does not help that certain news organizations have acted like government officials or corporate officers trying to squash a scandal. The visual historian in me revolts when an ABC producer informs me that Reuters “deleted all 920 images” by the stringer who produced the “Beirut double smoke” image and is “less than willing to talk about it.” Can you say “18-minute gap,” anyone?
There is one great irony here. From a historical perspective, this is the golden age of photojournalistic ethics. In previous eras wild retouching, rearranging, cutting of images and even staging and restaging of events for the camera were commonly accepted in the trade. As someone who has written a history of images of war, I can testify there is more honesty in war photography today than ever in the past in any medium or any war–but there is, of course, much more scrutiny as well.
The main point is that we are now at a social, political and technological crossroads for media—amateur, industrial, and all points and persons in between. First, we live in Photoshop-CGI culture. People are accustomed to watching the amazing special effects of modern movies, where it seems any scene that can be imagined can be pixilated into appearing photorealistic. On our desktop, many of us are photoshopping our lives, manipulating family photos with ease.
In addition, in a digital-Internet-satellite age, any image on the Web can be altered by anyone into any new image and there is no “original,” as in a negative, to prove which was first. The icons are sacred no longer. Finally, there are the bloggers: the visual or word journalist is not only overseen by a familiar hierarchy of editors or producers but by many independents who will scan, query, trade observations, and blast what they think is an error or manipulation to the entire world.
News picture-making media organizations have two paths of possible response to this unnerving new situation. First, they can stonewall, deny, delete, dismiss, counter-slur, or ignore the problem. To some extent, this is what is happening now and, ethical consideration aside, such a strategy is the practical equivalent of taking extra photos of the deck chairs on the Titanic.
The second, much more painful option, is to implement your ideals, the ones we still teach in journalism school. Admit mistakes right away. Correct them with as much fanfare and surface area as you devoted to the original image. Create task forces and investigating panels. Don’t delete archives but publish them along with detailed descriptions of what went wrong. Attend to your critics and diversify the sources of imagery, or better yet be brave enough to refuse to show any images of scenes in which you are being told what to show. I would even love to see special inserts or mini-documentaries on how to spot photo bias or photo fakery—in other words, be as transparent, unarrogant, and responsive as you expect those you cover to be.
The stakes are high. Democracy is based on the premise that it is acceptable for people to believe that some politicians or news media are lying to them; democracy collapses when the public believes that everybody in government and the press is lying to them.
And what of future victims of war? Will the public deny them their sorrows because we will dismiss all smoking rubble and dead children as mere digital propaganda?
Photojournalism must live, but not if its practitioners and owners are determined to jump into the abyss.
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David D. Perlmutter (letters@editorandpublisher.com) is a Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies & Research at the University of Kansas¿s School of Journalism & Mass Communications. He is author of “Visions of War, Photojournalism and Foreign Policy,” and a book of documentary photography, “Policing the Media.”
I notice we are being invaded by bots posting ads for drugs. Perhaps MTR and JCH should give some of them a try? Might help relax the tightness they feel around their assholes.
Carl Grossman
Liberal, Democrat and just trying to help.
Klake at 239: Yes, I lumped the F-14 Tomcats in with the Air Force. I agree that to any Naval Aviator, that is an unforgivable mistake. In my defense I started by thinking about the air force, then it expanded to aircraft research & development generally, and kind of morphed the paragraph along those lines, without bothering to change the paragraph title.
The F-14’s did preceed the F-15’s and F-16’s. The F-14’s were already being deployed in the mid-1970’s, and the F-15’s and F-16’s weren’t deployed until around the end of the decade. But research and development, prototype testing, and follow-on models make for quite a lot of overlap in the time lines. Not to mention that deployment itself took place over several decades, not all at once.
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