1. There are WOMD in Iraq.
2. Republicans did not forge documents to prove these weapons exist.
3. The economy is booming -- booming!
4. That was a trick question.
5. Bill Clinton is responsible for the Calif. wild fires, earthquake, solar storm and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.
6. Remember cute Halloween jokes! Smile!

A six year veteran at Fox News describes "The Morning Memo" that tells "the talent" how to spin the news.

But the roots of FNC's day-to-day on-air bias are actual and direct. They come in the form of an executive memo distributed electronically each morning, addressing what stories will be covered and, often, suggesting how they should be covered. To the newsroom personnel responsible for the channel's daytime programming, The Memo is the bible. If, on any given day, you notice that the Fox anchors seem to be trying to drive a particular point home, you can bet The Memo is behind it.

This guy rules, a real straight shooter. Read his quote today:

“Honestly, it’s a little tougher than I thought it was going to be,” Lott said. In a sign of frustration, he offered an unorthodox military solution: “If we have to, we just mow the whole place down, see what happens. You’re dealing with insane suicide bombers who are killing our people, and we need to be very aggressive in taking them out.”

Seriously, any raghead camel jockey sand monkeys that walks in sight of one of our boys should be taken down, ipso facto, God speed, A.S.C. See, people forget that we were put on this earth to do whatever the fuck we want. In our world, there is no murder or exploitation -- only good ol' American ingenuity. Bring 'em on, indeed!

"It's awesome here!"

"We don't need the red cross... we can do this on our own!"

"Cheap forign cars, always givin' you trouble!"
"Deputy mayor of Baghdad assassinated? They hate our freedoms!"

"Shooting rockets at Wolfowitz? Well, I'd say "bring 'em on" but I might actually have to look him in the eye one day..."

"Those explosions you hear? Them's progress!" "Oh, and the sailors made me say mission accomplished over and over again. Those dicks!"

Section 802 of the act defines, in part, domestic terrorism as "acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any state" that "appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population."

Bush today in a news conference probably surprised his handlers by proclaiming that the troops on the Abraham Lincoln were to blame for the "Mission Accomplished" banner. This is almost certainly not true, since Scott Sforza, a former ABC producer who now works in the White House communications office, has been credited with the banner in the past:

Media strategists noted afterward that Mr. Sforza and his aides had choreographed every aspect of the event, even down to the members of the Lincoln crew arrayed in coordinated shirt colors over Mr. Bush's right shoulder and the 'Mission Accomplished' banner placed to perfectly capture the president and the celebratory two words in a single shot. The speech was specifically timed for what image makers call 'magic hour light,' which cast a golden glow on Mr. Bush.

Even if his team didn't place that banner he was still spouting "Mission Accomplished" when talking to troops in Qatar more than a month later.

UPDATE 7:02 PM:
The White House has come to the conclusion they can't pull this one off- they've admitted the President was talking out his ass.

It's pretty obvious that the White House doesn't want Google or other search engines to be able to cache web pages about Iraq because the administration's version of history may change. Example: We were never looking for WMDs- we wanted to free the Iraqi people by blowing them to hell.

One example of how search engine caches bit The White House in the ass from a couple months ago- White House web site headline:
"President Bush Announces Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended"
was changed several months later (as soldiers died daily) to:
"President Bush Announces Major Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended"

We can only hope the information age won't continue to constantly humiliate our president.

The Bushies, not satisfied with merely taking on the entire world, have decided to also wage war on America itself. Yeah, yeah, they've been doing that all along ... but this case is particularly fucked. See, Bush is trying to stop a group of POWs who were tortured (beaten, electrocuted, starved) in the first Gulf War from collecting a settlement, approved by a U.S. federal court, from the Iraqi government. It seems the Bushies want to keep the $653 million in compensatory damages to themselves. A bit of irony in the case: when the POWs returned home from Iraq, they were greeted as heroes by none other than Dick Cheney and Colin Powell. Throw in a president who dodged service in Vietnam, and we've got ourselves a real cluster fuck in the upper ranks of our military command.

Two of the four articles I've read about the Rumsfeld memo leak contain the phrase "vintage Rumsfeld." That's almost half!

It's got to be hard to maintain objectivity when a reporter falls in love with his subject as appears to be the case here.

Shouldn't the press be peeved that since invading Iraq Rumsfeld has been feeding them the exact opposite of the reality his memo portrays? No... We seem to be happy enough to take his bullshit with a grin and watch for his trademark sparring with reporters who know he's lying... then let him off the hook, passing it all off as an endearing quirk in his character .

He may be lying... but damn, he's at least entertaining right? Ahhhh Rummy! Let's keep calling him by his nickname! Rummy! That way he'll never need to be held accountable for anything, right? Right! Vintage fucking Rummy!

Vintage Rumsfeld
Vintage Rumsfeld
Here's a Vintage Rummy

"A person under a shadow of suspicion, who has not committed any crime, can be approached by the police, do absolutely nothing, and yet be arrested, convicted and incarcerated."

That ain't right.

The CEO of Diebold, the company that is supplying states with touch-screen voting machines, said in a Republican fund raising letter dated August 14th that Diebold is "Committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."

That coupled with the lack of an audit trail on the Diebold voting machines adds up to bad fucking news for those who Diebold's CEO doesn't favor.

Now a leaked bulletin board type record of discussions from Diebold's internal network have been making the rounds- they give a interesting/scary look at the people developing GEMS (Global Election Management System) several web sites have been taken down because Diebold has threatened use of the DMCA.

Fuck Diebold.

Here are the files. (lists.zip)
Also in the directory are the first nine chapters of Bev Harris's book Black Box Voting- the publication of which Diebold is trying to stop. Enjoy.

From the NY Times Op-Ed page today:
In the current case, however, at least two senior officials are said to have approached at least six journalists to identify the C.I.A. officer. Any of those individuals has the power to resolve this episode and still maintain "plausible deniability." They could do so by confiding who their source was to another reporter who did not receive such a call. This would be justifiable in moral and political terms, because this counterleak would be serving larger public purposes, not narrow political advantage.

All the gory details will come out eventually in this case. Too many reporters know who the leaker was to keep it a secret. If the "Justice" Department's "investigation" turns up nothing I bet we hear whispers of names within a day.

It takes the demented mind of this administration to accuse reporters of "indulging in a morbid obsession with death and destruction, and ignoring how Iraq has improved since Saddam Hussein was toppled."

It boggles the mind that there are people who see so little value in human life that they feel it shouldn't be reported on. Now hospitals and morgues in Iraq are closed to the media because death and injury cause so darn much bad press. No freedom of the press in Iraq... we'll have to see if we decide to include that in the constitution we impose on them.

This kind of control over the press should piss off reporters. Will it backfire on the Bush administration? How could it not?

From today's WashPost:

To hear conservatives tell it, the liberals are being self-destructive by constantly and fervently denouncing the president.

"After a while," says (a right-winged political observor), "it sounds like they're not respecting the intelligence of the average American. It's become a brand for the angry left."


If the liberals were being so self-destructive, why are so many conservatives pissed about the wave of Bush-bashing that's underway? Wouldn't it be desirable for them to allow the lefties to simply continue to underscore the deep, frightening flaws of our sitting president? But, instead, they're crying unpatriotic hell on those who dare speak ill of W. It will be interesting to see how long peple stick with the prez through his inevitable unraveling. My guess is Repubs will start bailing as Nov. 3, 2004 approaches. Dead Iraqi soldiers, rape of the environment, windfalls for corporate friends, a fucked economy ... not exactly a strong platform to run on.

Prescott Bush helped finance the Nazis.
His bank played a part in Hitler's rise to power.
They continued doing business with the Nazi party even after the invasion of Poland.

Link

This is all stuff that's been floating around for years yet only now it's making the papers...

So... the other thing that should be making the papers which is more relevant to current events is the fact that the Bush family's CURRENT oil business was still working with Osama's family (FUNDING HIM) months after 9/11/2001. After the outgoing Clinton administration warned that Osama should be a top priority the Bush administration called off the search for Osama. Now they blame Clinton for 9/11.

From the Bush perspective it seems reasonable to call of the search- Osama was a business partner- the Bush family was going to make millions off the oil pipeline they were building with the Bin-Ladens... we couldn't very well be hunting him down if we want to do business with him, right? Well, it took 9/11 plus three months to stop the Bush family from sending him huge amounts of money.

Why can't the media put two and two together until it's too late to make a difference?

I'm asking you- our one reader- why???

"The majority of Americans did not vote for him (Bush). Why is he there? He's in the White House because God put him there for a time such as this."

That confirms it ... Antonin Scalia is God.

I know this seems rather silly, but Bob Novak was on Crossfire yesterday looking like Bugs Bunny- it was so distracting I had to mention it.



With these new horse teeth he's managed to make himself even more frightening to small children.

Developing...

NY Times reports on a father who has to choose between taking AIDS medication himself so he can work and provide food for his family, or giving the meds to his daughter so she can live a few years longer.

Folks, that's about as fucked up as things get.

Link

"But the violence we write about goes to the central issue in Iraq today, at least according to Iraqis, and that is security. Without a feeling of safety, nothing much can happen in the way of progress here. Torn from today's headlines:
A new school doesn't count for much if parents are afraid their kids are going to die in it."

Link

This is cool.

I've always had a problem with forcing children into a daily patriotic display- too "Germany circa 1939" for me... but adding that we are "one nation under God" has always annoyed me just a little bit more than the standard indoctrination. Hey, as long as we're indoctrinating little kids lets throw God on top of it!

The phrase was introduced to make sure everyone knew those school kids forced to say it every morning were not Godless commies back in the '50's.

If the Supreme Court is consistent with it's previous rulings on school prayer (They said no) and requiring kids to say the pledge (no again) then it's a no brainer. Of course, we are dealing with the most corrupt Supreme Court in history so that should make it interesting.

I've been looking for the name that would stick to the White House/CIA/Wilson scandal- I think we have a winner. Intimigate.

"But Limbaugh’s story owes more to the “Wizard of Oz” than “The Scarlet Letter.” The man behind the curtain is not the God of Family Values but a childless, twice-divorced, thrice-married schlub whose idea of a good time is to lie on his couch and watch football endlessly. When Rush Limbaugh declared to his radio audience that he was “your epitome of morality of virtue, a man you could totally trust with your wife, your daughter, and even your son in a Motel 6 overnight,” he was acting. He “regards himself as an entertainer who is very pleased that people pay attention to his political views,” says Wall Street editorial writer John Fund, who collaborated with Limbaugh on one of the radio host’s books (“The Way Things Ought to Be”)."

Link [Newsweek]

Overspun proudly presents: Rushy Maguire

Rush's statement from his show today:

(Link to mp3 of Rush's statement)

"You know I have always tried to be honest with you and open about my life. So I need to tell you today that part of what you have heard and read is correct. I am addicted to prescription pain medication.

"I first started taking prescription painkillers some years ago when my doctor prescribed them to treat post surgical pain following spinal surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery was unsuccessful and I continued to have severe pain in my lower back and also in my neck due to herniated discs. I am still experiencing that pain. Rather than opt for additional surgery for these conditions, I chose to treat the pain with prescribed medication. This medication turned out to be highly addictive.

"Over the past several years I have tried to break my dependence on pain pills and, in fact, twice checked myself into medical facilities in an attempt to do so. I have recently agreed with my physician about the next steps.
"Immediately following this broadcast, I am checking myself into a treatment center for the next 30 days to once and for all break the hold this highly addictive medication has on me. The show will continue during this time, of course, with an array of guest hosts you have come to know and respect.

"I am not making any excuses. You know, over the years athletes and celebrities have emerged from treatment centers to great fanfare and praise for conquering great demons. They are said to be great role models and examples for others. Well, I am no role model. I refuse to let anyone think I am doing something great here, when there are people you never hear about, who face long odds and never resort to such escapes. They are the role models. I am no victim and do not portray myself as such. I take full responsibility for my problem.


"At the present time, the authorities are conducting an investigation, and I have been asked to limit my public comments until this investigation is complete. So I will only say that the stories you have read and heard contain inaccuracies and distortions, which I will clear up when I am free to speak about them.

"I deeply appreciate all your support over this last tumultuous week. It has sustained me. I ask now for your prayers. I look forward to resuming our excursion into broadcast excellence together."

When this story broke, Howard Stern read his audience basically the whole Enquirer article on the air- it was the most brutally funny thing I've ever heard. The article has great stuff like Rush's code words, like "cabbage" for money and "grocery store" for bank- as in "Can we meet at the Denny's parking lot? I've got to stop by the Grocery Store to pick up some Cabbage" Then when the transaction actually takes place the maid says that Rush would hand over the money and say "Here's the cabbage."

In the end this is a guy who makes a living looking down his nose at people- statements he's made in the past about other drug addicts are damn near impossible to ignore now, but that's just what he'll do.

By the way, Tommy Chong just reported yesterday for his nine month sentence in federal pound-me-in-the-ass-prison for selling pipes.

Watch Limbaugh skate around this one- it'll be interesting to compare and contrast. It doesn't hurt to be in the pocket of the president.

Link to mp3 of Rush's statement

That orange is horrible! I love it!

I challenge anyone to search the Internet and find out how many U.S. troops there are in Iraq. It's unbelievably difficult. I can't decide if this is for national security, or a massive oversight by the collective googleplex. If people knew how many soldiers we had camped in the Middle East, would they be less simpathetic to the war? Would they start to question why we can't bring stability to a nation that we've allegedly freed from tyranny? Would they think: damn, that's a lot of people to send away from their families for months at a time, particularly the reservists who signed up to be adult cub scouts and are now professional soldiers who can't even get a decent pair of boots.
Can you hear the supporters of this desert daytrip to nowhere: Keep it quiet, keep it real quiet.

MoveOn.org has an affidavit you can sign to let the President know you weren't the one who leaked the name of a CIA agent.

Now all W has to do is forward this address to his senior staff.

Link

I don't care that Arnold's Governor of California. How much damage could he do?

Then again, I said pretty much the same thing about W...

Oh donkey shit, we're fucked.

very soon.

I have nothing to say at the moment. I'm not thrilled with the current template- it should change soon. Right now I'm just typing more words in so we can see how it looks when a sentence wraps.... Whoa- wacky! All right, that's it. Show's over folks.

Oh... you're already here... nevermind.

Test

update: golly, that seems to have worked.