How Bad?

How bad are things for Bush?? In his speech last week the Democratic response drew more viewers then his speech.

Network Time Program Viewers
FNC 9:00 Bush Address 745,000
FNC 9:19 Dem. Response 813,000
FNC 9:24 Analysis 512,000

Network Time Program Viewers
MSNBC 9:00 Spec.Prog. 470,000
MSNBC 9:01 Bush Address 455,000
MSNBC 9:20 Dem. Response 446,000

Network Time Program Viewers
CNN 9:00 Bush Address 454,000
CNN 9:20 Dem. Response 507,000
CNN 9:24 Larry King 400,000

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/bush_reed_analysis_the_cable_numbers_67115.asp

O'Idiot

So as usual I'm reading Bill O'Idiot's column in the Los Angeles Daily News to see what misinformation he has today and as always he is lying and spreading lies.

Today he is talking about Brian DePalma's new movie which is about a REAL LIFE EVENT where three soldiers ended up being tried, convicted and sentenced for life after raping an Iraqi woman and murdering her family.

Now I realize if it's up to O'Idiot there would be no reporting on the war but this is important because it shows how disrespectfully we, as occupiers, are treating Iraqi citizens. I'm sure it happens more then we will ever know and will ever find out.

But O'Idiot thinks this is just normal behavior. In fact his last quote "Fair minded Americans should realize that in any war, mistakes will be made; horryfying things like Abu Gharib will happen. Thise things need to be dealt with, but not exploited for political gain.

I'm not sure if you realize this but I never heard any statements from DePalma saying yeah this film will help Democrats and Republicans exploit the war every chance they get.

Also the reason our cause is because of events like this and Abu Gharib and the fact we are kidnapping citizens of Iraq and other countries and sending them to places like Abu Gharib and Guantanamo Bay. That's what's hurting our cause.

Observations on Petraeus

First thanks to John Warner (R,Va.) for asking the right question to Petraeus yesterday. The question was "are we any safer since we are in Iraq?" and the answer was "I don't know." So I ask WHY THE HELL ARE WE IN IRAQ IF WaxtxE ARE NO SAFER THEN WE WERE BEFORE?

Also the troop "withdraw" is nothing of the sort. All they are doing is leaving the troop level the same as it was BEFORE THE SURGE! Don't believe the lies by Bush.

And understand I didn't post anything yesterday as I always say prayers and remember my friends who died on 9/11. I knew a couple including a firefighter when I lived in New York in 1998 and still kept in touch with when I moved back home and watched them die as the towers fell. And if 9/11 gets me particularly angry toward Bush and will continue until Bush gives a damn about capturing as his quote was "dead or alive" Bin Laden.

No Results

After hearing testimony by General Petraeus saying he will start sending the troops involved in the surge home NEXT SUMMER (mind you the report was written by the White House) wonder how this lazy President will but off the troops coming home at that point. Face it ladies and gentlemen the troops aren't ever coming home from Iraq.

Failure

George Bush failed to this date and time. That's the bottom line as Osama Bin Laden released another video tape. Bush failed to avenge the attacks on 9/11 cause Bush decided to go invade Iraq instead who had nothing to do with 9/11. Bush failed. Bush in the so-called war on terror did nothing to lessen Al Qaeda. Bush failed. Bush who did nothing to stop the attacks on 9/11 despite being told in advance an attack was imminent Bush failed. Robert, Geoff you can try to spin this anyway you want but those are the facts to this date and time. And I'm not even saying those facts can't change but the bottom line is Bush failed.

Disclaimer

I forgot yesterday if I make predictions they are IN NO WAY to be interpreted as fact. If you go with my prediction you do so at your own risk and it is your responsibility. Please gamble responsibly.

Pro Football Predictions

Since the NFL is starting tomorrow and I'm still shocked about Appalachian State over Michigan I'd like to make a prediction now on the NFL season:

Super Bowl: New England over New Orleans

Biggest Surprise NFC: San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions

Biggest Surprise AFC: Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills

Biggest Letdowns NFC: Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles

Biggest Letdown AFC: San Diego Chargers (one reason- Norv Turner)

Biggest Letdown NFC: Dallas Cowboys

Record for my Oakland Raiders: 6-10 (I don't believe they haven't signed Russell yet but that's the way it's been for the Raiders)

Surprising

This might or might not surprise you but I wanted to talk about Mariel Garza's column in the Los Angeles Daily News about illegal immigrant Elvira Arellano. For those who are not aware she received (wrongly) a sympathetic reporting from the media who conveniently forgot she is a criminal and for she was deported after being arrested here in Los Angeles for being an illegal immigrant as well as illegally having a social security number. (Funny I thought that meant jail time). She was hiding in a Chicago Church (which shouldn't anyone who knowingly hid her be arrested for aiding and abetting a convicted criminal)

So in the column Garza actually has the nerve to compare this woman to Rosa Parks. I mean come on here Parks was a champion for civil rights Arellano hasn't done anything except trying to save her own ass. The media tried to create sympathy for her saying how she was being separated from her son etc. well doesn't anyone care that's the choice SHE made by knowingly breaking the law?

Quit treating her like a hero cause she is a criminal and is getting what she deserves!

Just wondering

Just wondering what Montana Rep. John Sinrud is thinking with a quote like "We've gone ... from fighting log fires to structure protection. Where is it that we have to protect those structures? Why not just let them burn?"

What does he have against Firefighters and people who's homes are destroyed with flames?

http://leftinthewest.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=895

Wonder what he would have said about the firefighters in the World Trade Center?

A Football Take

Just wanted to give a take on the upcoming College Football season since it's here. I'll talk Pro Football next week.

USC is so loaded it's scary. They are like a pro team. Better then a few pro teams (my Raiders included). I'll be surprised if they lose a game this year they are so damned talented. The National Championship is theirs to lose.

As far as my UCLA Bruins I see three loses in their schedule. Their defense will keep them in games but the offense is still in question.

Prediction for National Championship game USC vs. Virginia Tech as the sentimental team.

This years surprise team: Hawaii

Bye Bye

So Larry Craig is resigning(as soon as today), John Warner is retiring but the biggest loser of the bunch Tony Snow has quit for the most absurd reason: His $168,000 salary is not enough.

Tell that to the millions of people who make 1/10th of that.

A little credit and a good idea

I've always said if Bush or any Republican has a good idea I'll give the credit they deserve. Here is a good idea which I hopes passes Congress and the Senate.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/31/AR2007083100778.html?hpid=topnews

(mind you I also thought on paper no child left behind was a good idea and we see that's got us nowhere so )

Here is the exact idea

People who have missed mortgage payments are now ineligible for FHA insurance. In the president's plan, they would be eligible if they fall behind only because the amount they are required to pay each month increases, as is now happening with many mortgages issued from 2004 to 2006.

Good for him actually thinking about people for a change. Although I must admit I'm waiting for a catch.

Two Scandals

I'd like to talk about two different Republican sex scandals that are currently affecting the Republican Party involving two of their Senators Larry Craig (R, Id)and David Vitter (R, La).

Both are involving sex, both are actually involving illegal sex.

David Vitter admitted having sex with a prostitute on the Washington D.C. madam and Larry Craig was arrested in a gay sex ring in Minnesota.

That's where the similarties end. For some reason Republicans are demanding Craig resign for his actions but not Vitter for basically doing the same thing.

Could it be the only difference is Craig had gay sex or was attempting to? I mean we know how Republicans feel about gay people which is disgusting as it is but could that's the only difference between the two scandals.

And the worse part is how they claim to be the party of values!

Biggest Failure

It was two years ago where Bush's biggest failure happened. Hurricane Katrina. And I know Robert and Geoffrey Church are going to whine and complain about this post since that's what blind Bush supporters do but this is reality and if this was Clinton or Gore who failed New Orleans they would be saying the exact same thing. That is a promise cause that's how right-wingers work.

I have links elsewhere on this site in my archives but a few reasons why this is Bush's fault include:

Bush had funding removed to build up levees to go toward the other failure in Iraq.

Look what happened as a result.

Bush had someone with no disaster training in charge of FEMA (Mike Brown)

Look what happened as a result

New Orleans was declared a Federal Disaster Before Katrina hit. Meaning since Bush is in charge of the Federal Government he was in charge of things like evacuation.

Look what happened.

And like I said you can claim nothing is his fault but I'm sorry the mess that is still down there is on him.

Fear

I see where Bush is at it again with the following quote

“And Iran’s active pursuit of technology that could lead to nuclear weapons threatens to put a region already known for instability and violence under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust,” he told the American Legion veterans group.

“Iran’s actions threaten the security of nations everywhere, and the United States is rallying friends and allies to isolate Iran’s regime, to impose economic sanctions. We will confront this danger before it is too late,”

First of Bush wouldn't know anything about the holocaust in fact his grandfather helped Hitler rise to power http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1312540,00.html so if anything his family has that history.

Second he is using the exact words he used in the run-up to the Iraq occupation which we know he lied under oath about. So I wonder when the people are going to wise up about this lying ahole?

Love the quote

And it funny how when the right dragged Bill Clinton through a made up trial based on political purposes it's ok but here is the following quote from George Bush on someone who has broken the law for political gain and has been called on it:

Bush: After months of unfair treatment that has created a harmful distraction at the Justice Dept. It’s sad. (pause) That we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeding from doing important because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.

If Gonzales has been as he said dragged through the mud then he really doesn't live in reality does he? Bush's own party was abaandoning Gonzales and it's sad where only he thinks what he did was ok.

More Trouble in the Bathroom

On the heals of Bob Allen's arrest in Florida for offering $20 bucks to a male undercover cop for sex and then claiming "This was a pretty stocky black guy, and there was nothing but other black guys around in the park," as his excuse we have another GOP who can't keep it together in the bathroom as Larry Craig was arrested on June 11th (why are we now being informed of this?) for lewd acts in the bathroom in Minnesota.

Craig did pay a $500 fine and a jail sentence was stayed .

Just a few votes from Craig just to show he's another Right-Wing hypocrite like all the others

Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)
* Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
* Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)
* Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
* Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)


http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/016257.php is a link to the Allen story

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/1_1/breakingnews/19763-1.html is a link to the Craig story

These are the same people who cried impeachment on Bil Clinton's affair with Lewinsky

When is it ok?

Just wondering if it's ok to talk about this now. I will anyway. Something about the mine owner in Utah, Robert Murray, struck me as odd from the first time they showed his face on tv. He seemed really arrogant to me dispite the tragedy that was then unfolding in his mine in Utah. I thought I was being cynical and maybe he that was just a person being brought into a tragic situation and he didn't know how to respond. Then I found a few things and found I was right with my first impression. For instance:

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6589559

This article showed that a mine Murray owns in Illinois had exactly 2787 violations since 2005. No that's not a typo. This is the most disturbing part of the story:

n the meeting with top MSHA officials, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Murray cited his friendship with Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the husband of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao who oversees MSHA and demanded Thompson be removed. He was reassigned and later retired.

A: that should automatically prompt an investigation into McConnell because if that is true (mind you I am not saying it is) that makes McConell directly responsible for this tragedy in Utah(I say that because he should have been shut down immediately and it wasn't).

Also not really being discussed much in the media (I saw a blurb on CNN for a minute or so) that three of the people who are missing are illegal aliens. Not American citizens. Someone has some explaining to do.

Death Threats

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-drake16.1aug16,1,914198.story?track=rss

You remember before the election I made posts about the IRS removing a church from tax exempt status because a guest pastor made anti-bush comments and the right gathered their wagons in outrage as they like to do. I wonder why no outrage at the following as a pastor in Buena Park used his church to endorsed a Republican candidate and ask his followers to pray for the death of the group called him on that.

I hope the group, the American's United for Separation of Church and State have this guy charged with making death threats and I hope they have extra protection cause we know about the religious right and some steps they are willing to do to support their cause.

Caught in a lie

So I'd like to offer this John McCain quote from allegedly dwkliberal CNN yesterday:

"It's entertaining, in that I was the greatest critic of the initial four year, three and a half years. I came back from my first trip to Iraq and said, This is going to fail. We've got to change the strategy to the one we are using now. But life isn't fair."

Now thinkprogress has the folowing quotes from the war critic he claims to be:

“But I believe, Katie, that the Iraqi people will greet us as liberators.” [NBC, 3/20/03]

“It’s clear that the end is very much in sight.” [ABC, 4/9/03]

“There’s not a history of clashes that are violent between Sunnis and Shiahs. So I think they can probably get along.” [MSNBC, 4/23/03]

“This is a mission accomplished. They know how much influence Saddam Hussein had on the Iraqi people, how much more difficult it made to get their cooperation.” [This Week, ABC, 12/14/03]

“I’m confident we’re on the right course.” [ABC News, 3/7/04]

“I think the initial phases of it were so spectacularly successful that it took us all by surprise.” [CBS, 10/31/04]

“I do think that progress is being made in a lot of Iraq. Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course. If I thought we weren’t making progress, I’d be despondent.” [The Hill, 12/8/05]

You all tell me does that sound like someone who is a critic of the war? Is it any wonder why his campaign is failing miserably. Shame to cause I used to have respect for the "man".