War and Religion

How many times have we heard Bush say god has told him that the war on Iraq is right?

How many times do we hear the terrorist kill in the name of allah?

It's obvious religion is huge in today's society. I think our current war is about religion more then anything. Bush thinks his god is better, the insurgents in Iraq are killing in the name of allah think that there god is better.

Nevermind in Israel they are surrounded by enemies who are killing in the name of god.

This is the world we live in. That is why I get pissed at religion. I am not blaming one over another but if you look at the mess we are in let's take a look at why we are in it.

That is also why our founding fathers left religion out of the constitution. They knew what would happen. Here we are now and look at how many stupid things are done in the name of god.

Bill O' Reilly

One of my favorite traditions as everyone who reads this site regularly is to talk about Bill O'Reilly's column that appears locally in the Los Angeles Daily News every Sunday and today is no different (even though technically it's Monday).

Today Bill O'Reilly stated in his column major newspaper subscriptions are down and he suggests that it is because newspapers are actually writing negative editorials toward Bush and the republican party.

I actually am (I know you are all suprised on this) but actually I think newpaper subscriptions are down because of the internet. People want information now and fast and by the time people read newspapers it's already old news.

So as always, being the whore for the republican party and G.W. he is, O'Reilly is wrong. He wants only sunshine for Bush when his(Bush) own actions are speaking louder
and people are FINALLY calling him on it and he, like most of the right-wing controlled media, are upset and are willing to blame anything but themselves since they are the party in power.

Hypocrite yet again

On today's Meet the Press Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R Texas, said the following:

I certainly hope that if there is going to be an indictment that says something happened, that it is an indictment on a crime and not some perjury technicality where they couldn’t indict on the crime so they go to something just to show that their two years of investigation were not a waste of time and dollars.

Isn't it funny how President Bill Clinton was up for impeachment on perjury charges and the same is happening to Rove and LIbby it's bogus? By the way if convicted they could face 5 years in prison.

I've said this before it's amazing what you can get away with if you are a republican isn't it?

Integrity

From thinkprogres.org

You know it's funny how when W. nominated Hariet Miers he mentioned the following that makes her qualified for the Supreme Court: Integrity,character and faith. Now faith has nothing to do with her nomination and if it did Bush violated article 6 of the constitution where it states no religious test should be applied to any nominee. But regarding the other two here are a couple of things that dispute the character and integrity portion:

Miers was suspended from the DC bar for non-payment of dues.

- Miers was suspended from the Texas bar for non-payment of dues.

- Miers repeatedly had tax liens placed on property she owned in Texas for non-payment of fines and fees.

- Miers received 10 times the market value for a small piece of land she controlled from the state of Texas, awarded by a panel stacked with friends and allies. A mediator ordered Miers to repay $26,000 but she has failed to do so.

So let's see tax evasion(isn't that how they got Al Capone) failure to pay dues, suspensions for two bars yeah Mr. President she got real integrity and character.

Born Again

I was reading an op-ed piece in the current section of todays Los Angeles Times but the point of the article was convicted multiple murderer,Stanley "Tookie" Williams, should be spared because he found religion and is born again.

I know this might generate some discussion (especially from Robert who if I recall is against the death penalty) but I'm sorry. This person was tried, given a trial of his pears, CONVICTED and sentenced and just because he found religion, doesn't make what he did right. He took away four lives and no matter what people say that is the most horrible act one can do.

And even though I don't know a lot about the bible but I do know it says "eye for an eye"? Yet religious people just blindly ignore that.

Just a sad state of affairs right now where people feel sorry and sympathetic to a murderer.

Downgraded

As of now Wilma (does anyone know where Fred,Barney and Betty are?) is at 115 m.p.h. I hope she doesn't increase the wind speeds anymore then so the damage is kept to a minimum. Again though as I've posted many times if you are told to evacuate get out. Do not take anything lightly.

Talkin Baseball

Taking a quick break from politics I just wanna make a quick prediction on the world series. Erik's lock is Astros in 6. (Locks are not guarenteed and Erik takes no responsibility if I am wrong. If you bet and take my advice and lose I am in no way responsible)

Shocker

I might shock you all on this but I actually agree with something the house did the other day (this was in yesterday's USA Today) where they passed a law that prohibits lawsuits that blame the food industry for making people fat. But not block civil lawsuits stemming from tainted food.

You see ladies and gentlemen I'm fat. I don't blame anyone but me for this and no one should blame anyone but themselves and maybe family genes from this (as I've stated previously I'm adopted so don't know how about my family history). But I have chosen to like that foods I like and to dislike the foods I dislike so why would that be anyones fault by mine?

People who are overweight need to look in the mirror and be responsible for their actions instead of blaming others.

That's just my view and I know I'm probably going to be a hippocrite at times regarding other issues.

Rush

from media matters.

This guy just lies all the time it's funny. He bitches how things are taken out of context when he says them and how he's not treated fair by the media I'd like to take a transcript from his show and you can tell me if this is the same thing or not.


LIMBAUGH: Moving onto the audio sound bytes. Yesterday, Michigan State University. A forum on the state of news journalism. ABC's Sam Donaldson says, "How important is objectivity?"

DONALDSON : If you listen to Rush Limbaugh, you don't hear a lot of the other side. I try to --

LIMBAUGH: Stop the tape. Sam, you don't listen to Rush Limbaugh. Otherwise you wouldn't have said that. What do I do on this program? I set up exactly what the other side's position is. I'm the only one who'll do it honestly. If I have a liberal guest on this program, I'm not guaranteed the liberal guest is going to be honest about what he believes. So in order to establish what I believe and what I think, I set myself up by presenting the liberal point of view on whatever issue it is I'm talking about. So he's wrong about that.

Let's take a look. First he cuts off the tape so we don't know what Donaldson fully said (something he clais sites like Media Maters does to him all the time) then he has the nerve to say he presents the LIBERAL point of view??

Here are a few examples that say otherwise.

From June 8th:

LIMBAUGH: Let me tell you something, the Democrats are more fearful -- and I've told you this too -- they're more fearful of Christians than they are of Al Qaeda. The Democrats are more fearful of Democrats [sic] than they are of Islamist terrorists living in this country. They are more fearful of Christians than they are of any enemy of the United States of America. They probably have more fear of Christians than they do nuclear weapons being launched by North Korea.

From August 1st: LIMBAUGH: The left in this abortion business -- when I tell you that that's the sacrament to their religion of liberalism, you've got to understand. It's their communion. It's everything, and you cannot touch it, and nobody's going to stop it, and it's got -- whatever they can find to legitimize it. And what better way than to come off of the stem-cell research business oriented towards saving lives as their means of actually promoting abortion?

From August 15th: LIMBAUGH: If it were up to you people, we wouldn't exist as a country today. You would have given in to the Soviets long ago, you would have appeased the Soviet communists. You would appease Iran right now. You probably wouldn't have cared about the war on terror or the bombing on 9-11. You would have sought out bin Laden and tried to make a deal with him, and this country exists today only because we have been able to prevent you from gaining power to do that kind of thing. We've had our run-ins with Neville Chamberlain types, and you're the modern incarnation.

Maybe he's on another drug high or something but none of these views are liberal.

Screwed

In an obvious deal to please shareholders and screw consumers, California regulators agreed to allow the acquisition of AT&T and Verizon Communications by SBC.

What makes this interesting and post-worthy is California law requires phone companies to split savings, such as the $2.7 billion dollars this merger will bring, with consumers the regulartors are going to allow the money to go straight to shareholders and the consumer will get screwed as they usually do in these mergers.

The regulators have required in previous mergers, such as when SBC bought Pac. Bell where consumers did receive the savings but not here the reasoning being "because the benefits of the merger will be passed through to California cnsumers through competition and market forces" said two commissioners in the draft decision.

What confuses me here is how are two less companies going to help competition?? That's the general problem I have with mergers because instead of increasing competition it's never the case and who loses in the end?? Consumers.

Did Bush Know??

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/357107p-304312c.html

An angry President Bush rebuked chief political guru Karl Rove two years ago for his role in the Valerie Plame affair, sources told the Daily News.

"He made his displeasure known to Karl," a presidential counselor told The News. "He made his life miserable about this."

Bush has nevertheless remained doggedly loyal to Rove, who friends and even political adversaries acknowledge is the architect of the President's rise from baseball owner to leader of the free world.

As special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald nears a decision, perhaps as early as today, on whether to issue indictments in his two-year probe, Bush has already circled the wagons around Rove, whose departure would be a grievous blow to an already shell-shocked White House staff and a President in deep political trouble.

Asked if he believed indictments were forthcoming, a key Bush official said he did not know, then added: "I'm very concerned it could go very, very badly."

"Karl is fighting for his life," the official added, "but anything he did was done to help George W. Bush. The President knows that and appreciates that."

Other sources confirmed, however, that Bush was initially furious with Rove in 2003 when his deputy chief of staff conceded he had talked to the press about the Plame leak.

Bush has always known that Rove often talks with reporters anonymously and he generally approved of such contacts, one source said.

But the President felt Rove and other members of the White House damage-control team did a clumsy job in their campaign to discredit Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson, the ex-diplomat who criticized Bush's claim that Saddam Hussen tried to buy weapons-grade uranium in Niger.

A second well-placed source said some recently published reports implying Rove had deceived Bush about his involvement in the Wilson counterattack were incorrect and were leaked by White House aides trying to protect the President.

"Bush did not feel misled so much by Karl and others as believing that they handled it in a ham-handed and bush-league way," the source said.

None of these sources offered additional specifics of what Bush and Rove discussed in conversations beginning shortly after the Justice Department informed the White House in September 2003 that a criminal investigation had been launched into the leak of CIA agent Plame's identity to columnist Robert Novak.

So Bush new that Rove was the leak. If Bush new (please seriously correct me if I'm wrong) isn't that against the law? Is it a cover-up or how would this be classified cause I'm not sure about that. If he did not break the law also let me know.

Funny

I just saw the funniest thing on MSNBC. I came in the middle of the discussion so I didn't get the names of who was saying this but the quote was the following: Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald is overstepping his bounds and is breaking the law regarding his investigation of the leak and is spending too much taxpayer money." This was shown at 9:30 am pst so if someone can get me who was on I'd appreciate it.

Why this is funny is I remember Ken Starr was investigating President Bill Clinton on a land deal and wound up getting an affair he was having. Funny how when it's against a democrat it's ok to dig up whatever dirt you can and when it's a republican it's pretty much a sin.

Here we go again

So last night I goto bed and Wilma (the latest hurricane) is at a strong (100 mph) but not devastating wind speed. I wake up and find Wilma is at 175 mph which is as we all know a catagory 5 storm.

Again I've said this before and I will say it again: Something is not right. As long as I remember (I've always been a weather buff) I don't remember this strong of a storm this late in the season being this strong and while we know conditions have to be "perfect" for a storm to substain these winds for a long period of time but by the time the hurricane hits(and they say Southwest Florida is the likely landfall point) it should weaken but still this has been an incredible hurricane season and things will only get worse for the short term.

A point regarding disasters

At http://purdrivel.blogspot.com my good friend Robert might have a point on something. His regarding the waste of resources indicate this: Nature will balance its books one way or another. Disease, natural disasters, and/or a giant meteor will wipe out most if not all of the human race. If and when this happens, the world will be restored to its relatively balanced self in 10,000 years and all will be fine on Earth and there will be no more humans.


And you know I think Robert is right(shocking as it may be) you take a good look at what's going on in the world right now. Starting in 2003 with the devastating wildfires we had in California,in 2004 Florida got hammered by hurricaines, and we had the tsunami that killed several hundred thousand, again in Los Angeles in 2004-2005 we had the 2nd wettest season in terms of rainfall since recordkeeping began, we had possibly the most costly hurricaine ever hitting the United States in Katrina followed closely behind by Rita, we just had the devastating 7.6 earthquake in Pakastan and India (hopefully killing Osama Bin Laden since Bush isn't doing his job on that) and don't forget the scary bird flu that they say might become a worldwide epidemic and kill millions as they possibly claim.

Ladies and gentlemen something is happening here. Maybe it's nature correcting itself maybe it's a message I'm not sure. But speaking only for me I am listening.

Another Threat

Got some news from Baltimore ladies and gentlemen where another unsubstantiated has been called to authorites and now a major tunnel is closed while they investigate the threat.

I really have a problem right now. Authorities are obviously doing right because you have to check out everything no matter what however where my concern lies is how we, as a people, are going to become complaisant not taking this stuff seriously because we will become more vulnerable for another terrorist attack and I don't think anyone wants that to happen.

I just wonder where is the so-called department of homeland security?

An apology

Ladies and gentlemen I would like to offer an apology. You see I realize how hard I might be on the christian religion and I really don't mean to be. I respect all religious views no matter what they are what I am upset about is the fact that I feel christianity is being shoved down our throats by pollititions like Bush and no other point of view is accepted. That's why I get upset.

It's not about how you worship as I said it doesn't matter to me but my right to worship how I please is just to me as important as anyone elses. Again though I would like to apologize if I am being to hard on christianity.

Rich Lowry

Since the topic of the media was brought up I'd like to talk about Rich Lowry's column in today's daily news. He is stating "schools can't fully educate without the Bible" and "the bible is being chased out of school."

Now no one is chasing bibles away from schools at least that I am aware of. However what is scary regarding this is the fact that what he is giving the obvious hint about intelligent design and how that needs to be taught in science instead of religious studies.

The right wing is getting rediculous with this. I truly believe in evolution. The right is cramming religion down our throats and not all religions just christianity. That's what I'm having a huge problem with especially being jewish myself. And just so you know I would not want my religion ONLY as the spoken word because there are other views. Islam,Buddah among many others but the right wing only wants to promote christianity as I said. I really think that's what the problem.

Violence in Ohio

In a disgusting act, a group of thungs (mostly shown on tv as being african-american) rioted and looted parts of Toledo, Ohio yesterday after what was supposed to be a peaceful counter-demonstration to a group of pro-nazi who were having a march there.

Now I'm jewish so you shouldn't need to ask how I feel about pro-nazi groups but if you wonder why there are racial problems in this country you take a look at things like that because there was no reason to destroy property of people who weren't involved (just plain homes and businesses broken into).

I'm sorry to say this but as long as thugs like this and what happened in New Orleans after Katrina is why we still have a long way to go in terms of race relations.

Do you remember

Does anyone remember when Ken Starr spent $60 million or so dollars of taxpayer money to investigate a land deal where then Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton lost money in and instead of having indictments about that found out that President Clinton had an affair and President Clinton had impeachment hearing about that affair? Remember how very few people bashed Starr for it?? Remember all we heard was how horrible President Clinton was. That's all I remember hearing for the 8 years he was President.

Here we are today, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is under indictment for Money Laundering and other funds and instead of being quiet all I hear from the right is how unfair it is, Earle should be in jail (as Pat Buchanan said) DeLay isn't being treated fairly and all the BS. You see that's what makes me sick how their hollier then thou attitude republicans have and how above the law they feel they are and when one is caught it's "liberalism" and "the liberal media being unfair" and you know they are the most corrupt party out there. Take a look right now in Frist,DeLay,Rove,Libby (who know who else) and these are the leaders of the republican party

Tom Delay, already under indictment for money laundering as well as illegal distribution of campaign funds, has the nerve to hold a fund raiser in the Petrolium Club in Midland, Texas. I don't know if I was under criminal investigation the last thing I would want is keeping a high profile but not "the hammer". This egomanaic is holding a huge fundraiser (probably for his legal costs).

I'm sorry but there is something very wrong about this


This is from thinkprogress.org