Sad Day for Journalism

Right wing media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who owns such bastions of journalistic integrity as FOX News, appears likely to acquire The WSJ. The Bancroft family, until now the only thing standing in the way of Murdoch's bid, has agreed to the $5 billion offer. I love The WSJ, but I doubt its integrity can survive Rupert Mudoch's right wing bent. Hopefully it will not become the joke that is FOX News.

FBI Director Contradicts Gonzales

FBI Director Robert Mueller testified Thursday that his boss AG Gonzales had in fact visited the ailing Ashcroft in the hospital to discuss the NSA's wiretapping program, which is contrary to Gonzales' sworn testimony. It still amazes me that Bush supporters can stand by these assholes when the evidence is so completely damning. Is it just a blind hatred of the Democrats that compels such ridiculous loyalty? Crimes have been committed by this administration and its supporters are offended by the notion that people are criminalizing their criminal actions. The Congress is doing the people's business by investigating this administration and a Republican Congress would do no less to a Democratic president. Fry the S.O.B. Fry 'em all.

Everyday A Colonoscopy

The president is to cede powers temporarily to Dick while he undergoes a routine colonoscopy. How will that be different from any other day?

Vitter Sweet

Vitter made his first public address today, apologizing for his involvement with the DC prostitution ring. At the same address, his wife, the same woman who said she would react much like Lorena Bobbit in this situation, requested that the media back off. I feel sorry for their children, but it's extremely gratifying to see him under the spotlight of public scrutiny after he had the audacity to declare himself a family values candidate, the hypocritical bastard. This is the type of men leading the charge against homosexuality in defense of the "sanctity" of marriage. He is the type of man hijacking my party and arrogantly declaring it the family values party. It seems like a week doesn't go by any more without the hypocrisy shining through. Hats off to Larry Flynt for exposing the s.o.b. I'm taking bets on how long before Vitter is found with a prostitute. Any takers?

Al Qaeda Strongest Since 9/11

A new threat assessment report from U.S. counterterrorism analysts says that Al Qaeda is now as strong as it was in the months prior to 9/11. The title is "Al Qaeda better positioned to strike the West". But how can that be? The administration and its Bushbots tell me we're fighting them over there so they can't attack us here. Idiots.

We can stay in Iraq for decades. Hell we can even start fighting with something resembling a strategy or a plan, but we will probably be attacked again and staying over there doesn't make a damn bit of difference. As a matter of fact, our presence only creates new terrorists, new insurgents. But anyone who dares to mention the facts, or dares to recognize the complete incompetence, is shouted down as unpatriotic or defeatist. Bullshit. It's called independent thought. It's called not swallowing the illogical crap laid out day after day like a cheap Chinese buffet. It's called seeing the facts that keep slapping us in the face like we're red-headed step children. Bush and his tiny minority of dumb, deaf, and blind supporters don't have a freakin clue.

If for some reason we needed more proof of this, Bush clarified his stubborn incompetence and complete ineptitude today by saying "When we start drawing down our forces in Iraq, it will (be) because our military commanders say the conditions on the ground are right, not because pollsters say it’ll be good politics.” Those pollsters are reflecting the large majority of Americans and a large number of military and civilian experts who realize this whole war is FUBAR you idiot. How did this monkey become president?

Muffling Science for Political Gain

Former surgeon general Dr. Richard Carmona is accusing the Bush administration of muffling science in favor of political gain. Shocking. The following links to the story from the AP. I started quoting good passages but quickly realized the whole thing was quotable.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/10/surgeon.general.ap/index.html

This is insane! Politics should not be interfering with the surgeon general's work. He should not have Bush aides editing and blocking his speeches/efforts. God forbid we teach (or preach in the case of this administration) something besides abstinence to horny teenagers who will have sex no matter what. He should not be barred from speaking at the Special Olympics because the Kennedys support it.

And then the audacity of the administration (via spokesman Tony Fratto) to say "It's disappointing to us if he failed to use his position to the fullest extent in advocating for policies he thought were in the best interests of the nation. We believe Dr. Carmona received the support necessary to carry out his mission." I'm sick of this administration! I want my country back damn it! Viva la revolucion!

Pope: Other Churches Not True

Pope Benedict XVI, who looks much like pure evil, issued a statement asserting that other denominations are not true Churches. A bit ironic. I don't think a man who walks around in Prada and who lives in a palace whose art alone could end poverty has any right to tell other churches they're illegitimate. It must be necessary to have priceless artwork and worship in ornate settings in order to be spiritual and fully understand God's word.

Fair and Balanced Moment of the Day

With breaking news that Gonzales had knowledge of Patriot Act abuses prior to testifying that he had none, FOX News.com places the story below the major headlines with stories like "Woman Charged With Attacking Husband With Fork". This is significant breaking news and they attempt to hide it among the "also making news".

Surely the stories that made FOX's headlines must have been comparable stories, right? One article asks "Is She On Ecstasy" and is about a little girl in a video rolling her eyes into the back of her head. Another reads "U.S. Officials: Some Progress Made in Iraq". According to U.S. officials we've been making "progress" for four years. Unbelievable. Tabloid journalism at its finest.

Gonzales Knew!

Gonzales knew information had been obtained illegally by the FBI prior to saying "There has not been one verified case of civil liberties abuse". According to the AP...

"Six days earlier, the FBI sent Gonzales a copy of a report that said its agents had obtained personal information that they were not entitled to have. It was one of at least half a dozen reports of legal or procedural violations that Gonzales received in the three months before he made his statement to the Senate intelligence committee, according to internal FBI documents released under the Freedom of Information Act.

The acts recounted in the FBI reports included unauthorized surveillance, an illegal property search and a case in which an Internet firm improperly turned over a compact disc with data that the FBI was not entitled to collect, the documents show. Gonzales was copied on each report that said administrative rules or laws protecting civil liberties and privacy had been violated."

It's so sad that the state of this administration is such that this comes as absolutely no surprise. It's one thing after another. This time he won't be able to stone wall with "I don't recall" until they can find a scapegoat. Fry the bastard!

New White House Position: "Don't Worry About It"

Congress is revisiting the DOJ firings and attempting to subpoena two former White House aides, which the White House has rebuffed by claiming executive privilege. This is from a recent AP article:

"In a letter to the heads of the House and Senate Judiciary panels, White House counsel Fred Fielding insisted that Bush was acting in good faith and refused lawmakers’ demand that the president explain the basis for invoking the privilege. “You may be assured that the president’s assertion here comports with prior practices in similar contexts, and that it has been appropriately documented,” the letter said."

Oh good. The White House says nothing improper happened so we shouldn't trouble ourselves. Wait. Isn't this the same administration that has told us for four years that we're making progress in Iraq? Isn't this the same administration that promised to get tough on crime, appointed tough judges, and then overturned a judge's sentence on Libby, a man who committed treason and spent less time in jail than Paris Hilton? Bullshit. This administration loves to claim that Congress is wasting the nation's time and money, but this administration has done just that for over six years. I hope they keep digging. These bastards need to be brought to justice for the way they've damaged this country.

Libby Verdict: A Legal Perspective

The following article from Law.com makes some excellent points...

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1183453585080&pos=ataglance

The judge who sentenced Libby was appointed by Bush specifically because of his reputation for being tough on crime. This administration is crap.

Libby's Reprieve

As expected, Libby will not have to serve a day of his sentence for treason. Although Bush has nothing left to lose, he took the oh so courageous approach of not pardoning Libby (so as not to totally offend the 72% majority who realize Bush and Cheney are complete fuckups) but rather commuting his sentence (so as to appease the 28% who are blind, deaf, and dumb).

Amusingly, Bushbots are quick to point fingers at Clinton, as if that makes everything better and returns to them the moral highground, which they've attempted to hold over Democrats like a trophy. Nor can they so much as imply to be the national security party. The administration outed a covert agent for political gain and supporters want to distort that fact in any way possible.

What's more, if the Bush administration was a Democratic one, those currently defending Libby, Bush, and Cheney would be calling for impeachment (and some might call for much worse). This is hypocrisy at its worst. But Libby was merely a puppet, and unfortunately the master will never be brought to justice. Cheney would eliminate the DOJ, or any other department that pointed the finger his way, before that ever happened.