Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

Woo Hoo ... my my right place at right time

Did I say Woo Hoo...

Congrats Jamie...

If Palin is chosen I guess that Joe the Plumber would make a good running mate for her.

Or she could chose the First Dude and keep it in the family.

Now to be serious. This is a surprise why? Politics is now a place for professionals. Even the newest bodies have had some brust up with the rules of the road. Palin was a nobody from nowhere who happened to have three things in her favor:

New Mother
Religious Base
Female to offset Hilary

The longer the campaigne, the more opportunity for flaws to be revealed.

psst, craig, one too many "that"s in the 3rd paragraph quote. also what's up with the comments showing pm for your 6am post?

thanks, you are a fast worker, my comment is in keeping with the times whereas the others are still stuck in the past.

happy july the oneth to oneth and all

Sarah just needs to try and do a good job as governor, do a little studying and keep the kids out of trouble. Let the rest of those GOP monkeys keep entertaining us.

Sanford is starting to sound like a Harlequin romance novel. I guess he was jealous of John Edwards. They seem to have a competition going. I guess from now on we are going to have to be a little suspicious of those innocent looking boring types.

I even think that Sanford was a little perturbed that Michael Jackson's death took some of his thunder. Seems he keeps wanting to juice up his story. Maybe it's a campaign strategy. A hot sex scandal, involving a member of the opposite sex of course, is the only thing they have left up their sleeves.

Countdown on another long weekend and another excuse to put my flag out. I just love putting my flag out. They can't say we Dems aren't patriotic.

ap, i found one of this morning's posts of yours lost in the last post. you're right, gremlins are working overtime.

"Jamie...

It seems that the new post is now missing. After I left three comments after your Woo Hoo when I hit refresh it showed five, but only four appeared.

I dumped my cache and when I returned it still showed five, however when I tried to go to the comments page it gave a error stating it could not find the page.

When I refreshed the new post was gone. Looks like the Gremlins are at it again.

Posted by: anon-paranoid | June 30, 2009 9:45 PM"

sturge, did you lose one too? also found this in the last thread right after ap's. sounded like it belonged here.

"something is amiss......

Posted by: sturgeone | June 30, 2009 9:46 PM"

patd...

Methinks it was suppose to post this morning and somehow ended up going up at nine last night instead.

Someone must of caught it and changed the time so it disappeared until this morning.

I also answered the question on what someone would do in case a neighbor killed ones family.

I would say my response to that question should have been thought provoking at the least.

By the way... Good morning all. Catch you later.

Have a good day.

In the off-the-recordists' minds (don't you love the fluidity English language?), they have built her up to be something more than she is: someone who is loved only by the GOP base. (Nice caricature of her though; very Angelina Jolie.)

Surely McCain isn't planning on running, again, is he? I think the GOP is looking at Mitt next time around. Jeb has the stench of W & would never be able to pull off the general...and then there's the fling with Kitty-Kat.

Speaking of which, the Sanford thing just keeps getting ickier. He should leave office & write a book:
The Anatomy of A Mid-Life Crisis (Male Menopause and You)

blue, someone should do a real time study of what those who trashtalked bill were doing at the very time he was getting a measly bj.

Blue...

Mitt or Jeb? "Jeb has the stench of W" in time that stuff of fertilizer that now stinks can yeld a great harvest.

If the Obama admin and this congress screw up healthcare and continue in error in other areas - And a Free Iraq continues to blossom... Maybe GWB is viewed in much different manner- and Jeb is the smarter of the two

I love the arrogance of my new congressman in his ad to show how he is bringing home the PORK !! And I am sure he is also one that supports blocking the much needed Tort Reform in Healthcare -

And he still does not respond to emails or phone calls -
the Mid term elections this year will be an early indicator and may we have a cleaning of those in power in 2010 as we did in 2006

I won't even comment on Palin. The insanity of someone like that aspiring to run the country blows me away and we have Joe the Non Plumber a celebrity spreading, er uh, crap.

But Sanford, can't someone near him get him into therapy? He seriously needs to be quiet, go see someone about his angst and keep his personal life private. Maybe keeping a diary would be helpful for him.
if he broke any laws re travel and leaving his state in the lurch for several days, NC can decide, but his personal life is not my business. I am very sorry for the wife.

Interesting story on real life spy stuff.

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE55T3H420090630

"Off the record quotes almost always come from somebody with an agenda." -CC

...as do on-the-record quotes. Is there anyone without an agenda in D.C besides the bus drivers?

Posted by: Syl Author Profile Page | July 1, 2009 8:07 AM

Book deal. Jenny's got the cash.

Here is an articles you probably won't find at the Huffington Post. "The Squandered Emancipation of Iranian Women"

http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.3623/pub_detail.asp

Hello Syl. Welcome to Craig's world.

Sanford is almost a cliche. The middle aged white male blessed with talent, money, and success while being cursed with a sense of entitlement. He wakes up one day and finds an emotionally empty life and proceeds to buy the red corvette convertible in order to feel "alive" and destroys everything he has built in his life.

Argentina was his corvette and he whines and wails as if surprised it didn't work out as expected for a man who expected to always have it all.

What has happened with the new transparency in government we have heard so much about? Back to business as usual.

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=50229

"NC can decide, but his personal life is not my business. I am very sorry for the wife."

That would be SC. NC has John Edwards.

sanford's personal life becomes every carolinian's business when it becomes evident that a fool is the CEO of the state....but after hearing from the missus it seems those two deserve each other......

Update on the seizure of the purported $134.5 billion in United States government bearer bonds. They were fakes after all, authorities don't know what they were to be used for, and the whereabouts of the 2 men are unknown.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/31560968/

And courtesy of Maureen Dowd--The Practical
Guide-- to help spurned political wives survive old
problems in the era of new techonlogy.

Unfortunately, my personal choice is not among them----get rid of him and fast!

"Rules of the Wronged"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/opinion/01dowd.html

"Off the record quotes almost always come from somebody with an agenda." -CC

"...as do on-the-record quotes. -- Posted by: dark-lord-bloggingham.myopenid.com"

yes, and that's why it's important to know where a quote is coming from. can't do that without attribution.

Meanwhile in the real world----

"Citi raises card rates on millions"

Those with co-branded cards (such as Sears) who
failed to pay their balances in full at the end of the month saw their rates rise by an average 24%
(or nearly 3 percentage points) between January & April.

Did anyone really think the banks/issuers would
just wait for the "new rules" to take effect?

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e1d0c610-65c7-11de-8e34-00144feabdc0.html

craig, see that there weren't too many "that"s but an errant "who" that got corrected

ct:

"I even think that Sanford was a little perturbed that Michael Jackson's death took some of his thunder. Seems he keeps wanting to juice up his story."

I know, right?! At first it seems like Sanford caught the ultimate break and his story was swept under the rug due to the 24/7 coverage of Michael's death.

But Sanford just keeps adding fuel to the fire with all his "love" talk. He could have easily deflected questions after his news conference saying he wants to get back to the business of SC.

I think it is also very disrespectful to his wife to continue on about his love for this woman in Argentina in public.

Tricky Dick was right...get some of those good looking republican women into office. Worthless, but elected. The republican cup continues to overflow with sleaze.

Gop ticket in 2012:

Palin/Joe the Plumber

Slogan: "Going down with a fight!"

Blue is right. The GOP is looking to Mitt. Agree with some of what Jamie said about Palin being picked because she could rally the base, and female to try and drag in disgruntled Hillary voters. However, she was and is still being attacked on gender-based terms. Just look at Vanity Fair new piece calling her the "sexiest" candidate and mentioning whether she still wore open toed shoes.

In fact, she was something of a rogue Republican in Alaska. Doesn't mean I would have voted for her.

I think women might as well just bow out of politics. Hillary was a bitch. Pelosi's a witch. Palin's a "beauty queen" and a bad mother -- of course let's don't forget Kay Bailey Hutchinson's campaign being compared to a whorehouse.

mornin'

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240546

Exactly, Craig. I had that discussion with a couple of anonymous bloggers down here who were trashing a friend running for judge. They likened themselves to the founders, who of course were under threat of death when they were trashing the crown. That was one of the few times I blogged under my real name. (And yes, I do understand the irony of posting this and every other thing I post on blogs under a pseudonym).

Posted by: craigcrawford.myopenid.com Author Profile Page | July 1, 2009 9:02 AM

What about "Deep Throat"?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240552

Patsi,

Most of the time I totally agree that attacks on female politicians that are based on gender should be a total no no. The only exception I would make are the ones who make their feminity an issue. Palin was one who substituted looks for expertise so deserved some of the shots taken at her on places such as SNL.

I'm not quite sure how to get away from politicians, both male and female, that are little more than department store dummies .... very attractive glib surface but not a whole lot underneath.

But I don't think Palin herself did anything but look like herself. It became obvious to me that the same mindset that kept snickering about Hillary's butt and aging face was saying Palin was a sexpot. Can't win in that climate.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/06/only-disaster-saves-cheney-leg.html#comment-240412

Once again, Truth, you ignore the facts to make your silly arguments. I don't give Clinton a pass for 9/11, and I don't think he could have prevented it after his efforts to get Bin Laden failed (Here's your opening for Hannity's insane "silver platter" lie) I will note that if you give Bush a pass for failing to get Bin Laden in the 7 years following 9/11, Tora Bora bungling included, your criticism of Clinton is wholly hypocritical - but I don't give Bush the pass you do for 9/11. See, BUSH WAS WARNED in a PDB about bin Laden's threats and intentions AND by the outgoing Cllinton intelligence community about being a danger to the US - but because Clinton couldn't tell him which airlines and flights would be used, he chose to ignore it. See, I do understand shift work and the way problems from one shift are handled by the next, but apparently you can't distinguish these two scenarios - one is when the outgoing shift is aware of a problem that they have tried to work on but haven't been successful in correcting it - such as Clinton's efforts re: UBL, and they tell the oncoming shift about the problem and the oncoming shift does nothing to address it versus the other in which a problem is created by the outgoing shift that is so apparent that they don't need to warn the incoming shift, and the incoming shift works to try and correct the problem caused by the outgoing shift. I dealt with these kind of problems for 5 years in the medical field, and I do indeed understand the difference. - see, I was a risk manager, and getting to the root cause of a problem that spanned shifts and determining who screwed up was part of what I did. I do understand the process - it involves looking behind the events to determine where the system broke down so that the problem could occur You and Max (Max much less than you) on the other hand tend to repeat talking points written by people trying to slime Clinton and cover the ass of Bushco because of the utter incometence, indifference and inactivity of the Bush administration after being warned about a specific and identifiable threat by the outgoing administration and BY ITS OWN INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. Your shiftwork pratter is crap, like much of what you post here. And yes, I've previewed this.

Your dark lordship - deep throat was under the threat of reprisal by the sitting Nixon administration. He wasn't just quoted like most of the weenies Craig referred to - the information he provided formed the basis for the investigation by Woodward and Bernstien that led to what they discovered and that brought down the Nixon administration. The difference is that Woodward and Bernstein followed up on a lead by an anonymous source that led to something, today's "journalists" just quote the source without follow up and think their job here is done.

Patsi..I am guilty of dissing Palin. Just like Joe the Plumber...she appears dim and whinny. And although we tend to focus on a woman's looks (after all we are the most beautiful of the species!), it is Palin's morphed and stupid views that have me upset. Hillary has a beautiful mind...Palin, IMO, does not.

Cankles, sure, but I would want her on my side, not the former Ms. Alaska.

Patsi...
If we bow out of anything because of name calling than we deserve what we get....

Blacks had to fight a lot more than that.... they had to fight all sorts of atrocities on their physical being such as lynching, burning, beating... etc. etc.

Dlord.... even bus drivers have an agenda.... they want to get from point A to point B..... ;)

Jamie,

This is where Liberals fall on their own swords. Your attempt to justified the MSM constant sexual ridicule of Palin, and the female portion of her family, but are horrified when certain females of a preferred pedigree are dismissed because of their sex. You can't have it both ways.

Oh, and Truth, Max and XR were engaged in discussing the topics you attribute to me. I was talking about Honduras and the absurd notion that the US was not hit under Bush. Learn to read who is talking about what.

Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com Author Profile Page | July 1, 2009 10:07 AM

Eh... if you say so.

Posted by: RebelliousRenee Author Profile Page | July 1, 2009 10:10 AM

Heh heh...

Posted by: TruthinReality Author Profile Page | July 1, 2009 10:13 AM

Jamie doesn't speak for all "liberals", just like you don't speak for all "conservatives" (thankfully).

pogo,

But I wasn't talking about Honduras. Learn to read.

Do,

Did I say Jamie spoke for all Liberals? No, I didn't. Learn to read.

Just curious, TiR: Are you an "O'Reilly Factor" PREMIUM member? Do you have the briefcase AND the coffee mug? Pretty swanky...

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240557

Patsi,

You are right about that. If voters are duped into thinking that an attractive woman who does nothing but spout parrot phrases to seduce the base, then they get what they get.

Of course when media takes the easy way out and attacks the surface rather than the ideas, they aren't doing the public any favors. When you add in political operatives who generate the talking points nonsense and attacks on physical attributes, it really does cheapen the whole election process.

DO,

LOL. God where is Brain? You sound just like him.

Patsi...when I saw your recent photo regarding the Garth book, I was impressed by your looks. If anything, it enhanced my view of you as one tough lady. Thin and beautiful and all that power in one woman. We all judge on physical appearances, but in my case, it either enhances or verifies the gray matter behind the skin.

"Learn to read."

Posted by: TruthinReality Author Profile Page | July 1, 2009 10:19 AM

Your posts make me nostalgic for the good old days of "Hop on Pop", I'll give you that.

Posted by: TruthinReality Author Profile Page | July 1, 2009 10:23 AM

I'll take that as a "yes". Sweet. I'm saying up for a "no bloviating" T-shirt.

...and I'm sure he be flattered, wherever he may be.

Oh, I could do this all day, but I'll concede for the benefit of the rest of the community. You stay classy.

DO,

Yeah Brian I hear you.

btw, on this matter of unattributed McCainiac attacks on her, my suspcion is that they aren't willing to be named because they are working for potential rival(s) in the next cycle. which, if known, would discount their attacks.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/30/AR2009063004170.html?wprss=rss_nation

Everything else aside, here is Bush's legacy.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240564

TIR

What in the world are you talking about? I said that women who use their physical image rather than learning about issues earn being attacked for not knowing those issues. The SNL remark was about the flute playing and "fancy pageant walking" skits. They were funny.

I didn't like the attacks on Palin's family any more than I liked right wing attacks on Chelsea. I do fault her for carting them from place to place and the hypocrisy, but I have that problem with the majority of religious right who shove their beliefs down the throats of others while merrily sinning because they can always get forgiven. It gets more than a little stomach turning.

I don't know aout you guys, but I am absolutely sick and tired of the administration hiding behind its military leaders' urgings to maintain the status quo because we are at war. We are at war witha concept that is unlikely to ever be defeated - so we are likely to always be at war. Cute trick.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/30/gates-pentagon-considerin_n_223458.html

There's a new series, "The Philanthroopist" that is interesting so far with the pilot. What I find even more fascinating is that the show closes with a "based upon the life of Bobby Sager". Went hunting for info and that is even more fascinating than the show

http://www.teamsager.org/

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240579

Pogo

Did you catch Zbigniew Breschinski this morning. There are time when I disagree strenuously, but this time his analysis of the Iraq war as an ultimately destruction act both for the Middle East and the United States. It was a straight forward damanation of everything Bush ordered done.

Honduras

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/world/americas/02honduras.html?_r=1&hp

Flatus, what say ye?

No, jamie, I didn't. Thanks to forgetting to set the alarm last night, I didn't get the chance to even peek in on the morning shows. So what did Zbig have to say?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240556

the fact remains that Palin is attractive. the fact remains that she was totally unprepared for the office of Vice President. It seems from the article she was not willing to follow the advice of the campaign staff. Nothing sexist about that. Edwards is considered an attractive male, right? testosterone caused his political demise, IMO. If you hold your children up as a virtue and they don't quite make the grade, people are gonna take shots at them. The mother allowed them to be targets because of her use of the kids.

pogo,

Clinton couldn't tell Bush what airlines would be used, for the same reasons Clinton could tell Bush the dates and time. You are working on very raw intelligence, you are pretty much limited on what you can do to stop something you don't know when it will occur, and who is involved. I seriously doubt if you would be calling for the FAA security to strip search every passenger, or the profiling of all Muslims boarding planes, and not to mention the impact this would have on the US economy as we were just heading into a recession. The 19 terrorist carried this out with a little bit of planning, luck, and a few box cutters. Plus there were the restrictions placed on the FBI after Watergate fiasco prohibiting them from modernizing and computerizing their data systems, keeping their of watchlists and investigations seperated, were among the biggest obstacles to terror prevention, making it impossible for the FBI to share information even within the bureau. And this doesn't even scratch the non-working relationships between all the other intelligence agencies. Only if we could use Monday morning quarterbacking on Sundays, it would put the bookies out of business.

Pogo

Zbig was straight forward about it being a totally unnecessary, wasteful war that had damaged relations and disestablished all prior negotiations in the whole Middle East while financially and morally injuring the US.

The part that really got me was when he talked about when Iraqis eventually create their own history of the period, the United States would not be viewed as a liberator but rather as a conqueror, and that it would be a generation or more before we lived that down.

Dex, a little Tour ditty for you.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/sports/cycling/01tourriders.html?ref=cycling

jamie, that sounds like Zbig has a pretty realistic view of the Iraq war. I never really thought of it from the perspective of history viewed throught the eyes of the Iraqis, but that sounds about right to me.

TiR (Fry) -- You aren't paying attention to what Jamie is saying. Here's her key point: "when media takes the easy way out and attacks the surface rather than the ideas, they aren't doing the public any favors. When you add in political operatives who generate the talking points nonsense and attacks on physical attributes, it really does cheapen the whole election process"

" If you hold your children up as a virtue and they don't quite make the grade, people are gonna take shots at them."

Come on Doots -- are you saying that if a girl gets pregnant while still a teenager she's substandard? I've counseled too many young girls trying to help them regain a good self-image after getting "knocked up" to put in the vulgar terminology so beloved by some.

Come on Doots -- are you saying that if a girl gets pregnant while still a teenager she's substandard?

No, Patsi, that is not what I meant. The mother (Gov Palin) held her family up as "family values". Children are gonna get pregnant. Birth control should have been taught but apparently wasn't. My comment had nothing to do with the girl but it had everything to do with the mother. Mother is a dumb ass. IMO.

Jamie,
The David Letterman stunt of making reference to Palin's daughter, getting knocked up by A Rod at the Yankees game. Now Letterman back peddled real fast once he learned the daughter who attended the game was the 14 y.o., and not the 18 y.o. But forget the ages, the real story is why was it said at all, and why did Letterman make the comment about Plain having a slutty stewardess appearance? And why did NOW, the only woman's group to say anything, allow 3 days to pass before they said anything. And then you had these Liberal women like Joy Behar and others who defended Letterman's comments by saying he was a comedian, or she had it coming, or she just needed to get over it. Justification at all cost, just as long as the cruel comments are direct at a Republican female.

Patsi,

You have certainly mellowed out over the years, and that is a good thing. No actually I fully understand Jamie's comments, and I'm in total agreement with your 11:29 post..

funny, Truth, you had no problem suggesting that Clinton f*cked up by saying I was giving him a pass on the Cole, the embassy bombing, etc., which I had not even made passing reference to, as you give Bush a pass for ignoring his own administration's PDB and justify it because the FBI had constraints and the intel agencies didn't talk well to each other? As to the shots at Clinton, sounds to me like the Monday morning quarterbacking you decry - only done in that indirect slimey Fox news way that leaves wiggle room enough to deny having said what was clearly. suggested.

http://www.agonist.org/annex/pdb.htm

lunch

Is this a sign of things to come?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6505651.html

Thanks, pogo...here we go again! I'm looking forward to many hours of TV viewing again, with frequent five mile rides around town for myself! I have been averaging eight miles a day in the saddle, not much at all; I could try to stretch it to ten for a while.

Well, I'd be more likely to believe none of this is gender-based if I'd heard as much outrage over Huckabee's kid slitting a dog's throat as I have about a pregnant girl.

And no, Fry -- I haven't mellowed at all. The opposite. But I recognize that it's a lost cause and spend more time reading feminist boards.

By the way, Fry -- if that's really you behind the TiR name -- glad to see you back even if you can be a pain in the butt. :)

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240599

TIR

Your generalities get a little tiresome. All the women here agreed that Letterman was out of line and that an apology was in order. Palin got a little over the top pushing the issue even after Letterman's apology where she seemed to be milking the issue for her own self aggrandizement, but Letterman was the one who started it and who deserved the smackdown.

Tin Reality,

What did you mean by your comment, "Is this a sign of things to come? "

"glad to see you back even if you can be a pain in the butt. :)"

....You have mellowed out: you would have said pain in the ass before...!!

Ree,

Amen to that.

ping - You are so funny. Call W's stench "fertilizer" for Jeb if you want to, but I think it's political e coli.

1915 Willie Dixon Vicksburg Miss, bassist (Walkin' the Blues)

1850 At least 626 ships lie at anchor around SF Bay

SolarCrete,

Yep, probably would have. Patsi and I have had some real knocked downs at times. But we both enjoy some of the same country music artist., and I support a number of her feminist positions. Some, not all, but then again no 2 people will agree on everything.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240610
"Sex may sell but lame political figures indulging, on both sides, is not news anymore."

Ree, I agree with your 'entire' post.

Hey canjunjoe,

Is there a cost to PIP? One time, monthly, yearly?

Scanned the last few days, and I see that Palin is still a hot topic around here. If she didn't bring her pregnant daughter out on the campaing trail-someone else would have found out about her anyway. They still would have called her a slut. They would have asked her the reason for hiding her.

She picked the right choice as far as being a politician. They all would have done it, including Obama, it is in their nature. They will trot out any family member that has a secrete, before someone else does. Isn't this what they are advised to do? get it out in the open before someone else does. If it was Obama, he would have done the very same thing IMO.

Okay, I will try to keep this as short as possible.

1. Fry, please try to understand where the Liberal sentiment comes from. A Moderate Republican? http://www.slate.com/id/2221732 This is where such anger comes from and the stubborn connection between racism, religion and the GOP runs deep. That Southern Democrats were bigots is hardly remembered anymore.

2. Carter followed Zbig’s reasoning and baited the Soviets into Afghanistan. See even Wiki. Carter knew OBL and his band of foreign militants tortured Russian soldiers, crossed into Soviet territory and established dangerous networks between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Clinton did little to change the damaging effect of the Church Era. Yes Intel failures from the missile gap to the Viet Cong brought themselves trouble. The Intelligence community was a mess and Clinton did little to reform it. His Justice Department was a mess. His political troubles hurt his efforts against OBL and he even had Gore tell the Russians they could only sell weapons and technology to our adversaries like Syria and Iran. Now how frigging smart was that? To top it off, the guy I voted for twice sent his former Intel chief into national archives to steal memos related to 9/11. Clinton has said more than once, 9/11 changed the way we handled security. Yes, Clinton had a chance to get OBL and did not take it. He warned Bush of biological attacks. He offered Arafat a deal and the Palestinians chose violence.

3. Bush arrived late. His worst initial failing was his focus. He knew (see Gobal Security.org) the Chinese were up to some serious research in the China Sea. He knew the Russians and Chinese were proliferating technology and missiles. Bush increased the recon of China despite warnings from pilots and managed to give the Chinese our most advanced spy plan while hiring former Soviet experts instead of terror experts. This was not the focus on terror his father had warned about, no matter how important these other matters were. Bush also talked about breaking the SALT agreements before we had anything to test. Bush, like those before him did not correct Intel communications, keeping some of Clinton's people in place. To lay 9/11 at Bush, however, is about a foolish as blaming Clinton. It was a different world before 9/11.

4. I could post up twenty links to support all this. Although I was a vocal basher of Bush before 9/11 over the problems I just mentioned above, I have become far more critical of the dangers appearing on the Left.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_McKinney tries to help those peace loving Palestinians in a typical Lefty stunt.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/30/dabashi.us.iran/index.html Friend of Obama's friend Khalidi makes a bogus case not to help the Green Revolution in Iran and speaks nothing about the humanitarian plight of Iranian resistance supporters in Iraq. Columbia has become such a bastion of smart policy. My dad would be sad.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99555OG0&show_article=1 Iran will try and cause trouble in Iraq and Afghanistan. The coverage of yesterday's historic transition in Iraq shows the extent the media lies down with the Left. And the Obama WH has this new fact to deal with:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8128858. We all knew that the gestures wouldn't work because what Obama wants is exactly what the regime would never accept. The absolutist position on Israel and Iran is not borne of reality, so Obama is scrambling now to figure out a plan B. Obama is fortunate the surge worked. He is fortunate he has some good Generals at work. He better rethink his defense budget.

5. Last, Honduras.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8127772.stm

This what I mentioned yesterday before the BBC ran this article. The US should be careful in this case and Hillary's instinct was the right one. Mexico is weakening. Where is the media in rejecting the trend for lifetime despots?

In short, the blame game goes nowhere. We have to face the present facts apolitically. Although I despised Nixon and railed against Bush before 9/11, so what? It is what we do now that is important. Political baggage is useless. To those who see us as the criminal and bully; screw off. To those who think unbridled GOP mindset can save the world; see a shrink.

I can only hope Obama finds the right suit to don and throws all those who impede the excluded middle under the bus. His legacy won't be written by the loony partisans, it will be written by the victors.

Apparently, even the Catholic Church finds its position on abortion subject to consideration of circumstances.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/01/archbishop-jose-cardoso-s_n_223957.html

TIR, It's free (and 'beta')

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8128858.stm

The link above that didn't work. Does this explain what Iran thinks about stopping their race to the bomb?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240603

I certainly hope so.

EU's next move? Freeze trade and demand China and Russia do the same. The regime would collapse in 6 months. Period.

Or would it be best to try this in a year, after Iran has the bomb? And think of the carnage to the Iranian people under different options.

But it's hard to blame EPA for not paying much attention to the study. And it's more than a little ironic that DC Republicans have chosen its author as their new standard-bearer in the defense of pure science against politics. Because the author, EPA veteran Al Carlin, is an economist, not a climate scientist. EPA says no one at the agency solicited the report. And Carlin appears to have taken up the global warming topic largely as a hobby on his own time. In fact, a NASA climatologist has called the report -- whose existence was first publicized last week by the industry-funded Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) -- "a ragbag collection of un-peer reviewed web pages, an unhealthy dose of sunstroke, a dash of astrology and more cherries than you can poke a cocktail stick at."

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/climate_skeptic_i_was_hoping_people_at_epa_would_p.php?ref=fpb

Yep, NP, invade houses instead of stopping illegal aliens. Crack down on guns here, instead of shutting down the flow of materials and people illegally across our border. That seems consistent with the law and Constitution. Bravo.

And yes, more of the things to come.

Ree... I agree.... I'm finding the repeating subject of Sarah Palin as interesting as the repeated breaking news over Michael Jackson's death....

Truth,

I see Patsi, Both mellow, and tough. I just depends on what is being talked about. I do wish that she would let it rip, just like she used to.

I also see that the two sides are still have a finger pointing match, about who is more wrong than the other. Sure the
D's can say that there are 100 R's that are: Lier's , Cheaters, thief's, etc. The reason that the R's can only point the D's and come with 50 is still reason to be concerned about how our government is run, no?

If all of those things are not what we want in our politicians, why is Ronn Paul not worthy of getting my vote.......he is not a hypocrite: He is not a lier, he did get the war right, he has been on the right side of the issues than all of the greedy health care Dems (Dodd), and all of the greedy corp. R's and D's etc, etc.

In the long run-it is not the fault of the greedy f--ks that we put in there, it is ours. Why is Ronn Paul not better than all of the shits in there now?

"Dear Mr. Hiskes,

I'm glad to see I've been promoted to 'gullible blogger.' Usually your team has more pungent characterisations of my personality, habits and ancestry. Not that 'journalist' tends to get any greater amount of respect, I guess...

The two essential points about Dr. Carlin's report are:

First, that he was performing due diligence to protect the EPA from liability in the future. Relying on the IPCC AR4 shuts out 70% of the information on the issues under discussion. Such is the rate of scientific progress.

Unlike the IPCC, the EPA is liable for the correctness and proportionality of their regulations under the Clean Air Act. What Dr. Carlin was trying to point out was that there is a real risk that future litigation would not go well for the EPA if it were shown in court that considerable relevant research was not considered.

Second, that if new legislation limiting the EPA's mandate to regulating CO2 to large emitters does not emerge from a finished bill, this Endangerment Finding would prove to be a time bomb that would explode in the EPA itself.

I spoke with Dr. Carlin (did you?) He's not what you would call a 'denialist' (God, I hate that term and instantly lose respect for anyone who uses it.) He's a physicist who became an economist--kind of a bright guy. In his report, he referenced scientific issues that he maintained have not yet been settled, using peer-reviewed papers to show that the debate was not yet settled. As a physicist, he has a good understanding of the uses and abuses of computer models, but told me that while he found the rest of the science 'accessible' he did not consider himself an expert on climate science.

I personally wouldn't characterise the EPA's actions as 'suppressing' his report. It's worse. It's ignoring someone who has spent six years studying climate issues and was trying to help the organisation. He did not release the emails or the report to the Competitive Enterprise Institute. He was just trying to do his job.

As were you, I imagine. You got your counter-argument up on the web and into the list on Google News. You didn't talk to any of the principals or do what this gullible blogger would naively call 'journalism.' But then I guess that isn't part of your job, is it?"

Max,

"Carter knew OBL and his band of foreign militants tortured Russian soldiers, crossed into Soviet territory and established dangerous networks between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan." Really? From the font (Wiki)...

"After leaving college in 1979 bin Laden joined Abdullah Azzam to fight the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and lived for a time in Peshawar.

"By 1984, with Azzam, bin Laden established Maktab al-Khadamat, which funneled money, arms and Muslim fighters from around the Arabic world into the Afghan war. Through al-Khadamat, bin Laden's inherited family fortune paid for air tickets and accommodation, dealt with paperwork with Pakistani authorities and provided other such services for the jihad fighters. He moved to Peshawar in 1994, and during this time met his future collaborator Ayman al-Zawahiri, who encouraged Osama to split away from Azzam.[citation needed] Osama established a camp in Afghanistan, and with other volunteers fought the Soviets.

"It was during his time in Peshawar that he began to wear camouflage-print jackets and carrying a captured Soviet assault rifle, which urban legends claimed he had obtained by killing a Russian soldier with his bare hands."

and

http://www.conspiracyarchive.com/NWO/CIA_Created_Osama.htm

"Osama bin Laden, one of 20 sons of a billionaire construction magnate, arrived in Afghanistan to join the jihad in 1980. An austere religious fanatic and business tycoon, bin Laden specialized in recruiting, financing and training the estimated 35,000 non-Afghan mercenaries who joined the mujaheddin."

Sounds like most of OBL's activity in the Russian/Afghan war was under Reagan's watch. Carter was really that prescient?

A Blog about quick-n-dirty repairs

There I Fixed It -

http://boingboing.hexten.net/2009/06/30/blog-about-quick-n-d.html

If Ad Hominem attacks are acceptable once again, and it seems as if they are, then then the host might as well open up the forum completely, in my opinion. It's nice I've made the cut (for now, at least), but that doesn't equate to fairness.

...and after further thought (I know, I know, one may question my ability to that end), what does an agenda even matter anyway? If something's true (philosophical quibbles aside), then it's true. What's being said regarding Sarah Palin in the Vanity Fair article is reminiscent of similar complaints concerning her managerial style and aptitude during the past presidential campaign.

"a ragbag collection of un-peer reviewed web pages, an unhealthy dose of sunstroke, a dash of astrology and more cherries than you can poke a cocktail stick at."

Perhaps by chance someone can answer a question for me?

I keep hearing that Al Franken now Senator Franken is the 60th Democrat in the Senate and I don't under stand how this can be.

IIRC Senator Franken would be the 58th Democrat since there are two Independent Senators in the Senate who though not Democrat do vote with the Democrats.

So my question is how is Senator Franken the 60th Senator?

I'm having a hard time understanding this talking point being said over and over again in the press and on tv.

Take a look at, cars .gov. We will soon be able to turn in our old cars for a new one. I will take about a ten step process in order to qualify, and only a cpl. of months- window to buy a new one. They put a limit of one Bil $'s to it.

They did not put any rules, and or a process to loan ( the Tarp, and the Stimulus $) out billions to the corps that give $ to the D's, and the R's. They just gave it to them.

http://www.cars.gov/index.html

My wife caught me on film last weekend enjoying myself just before logging in on TM. roflmao

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcio3l6kwrU

anonP....
today the second hour on the Diane Rehm Show on NPR was on the topic of Franken.... and the panel basically said what you posted.... that Franken would mean 58 Democratic Senators and 2 Independents that mostly vote with the Dems....

They also said that Franken said at his press conference yesterday that he did not consider himself the 60th Democrat.... he considered himself to be the junior Senator of Minnesota....

I think we need to redefine success and progress

At his townhall meeting, Obama just said this may be the first generation that doesn't leave the next generation better off.
Is that really true or are we just reaping the failure laid out by the values of the previous generations whose expertise seemed to be in short term thinking.

No, Max, it's not an either/or proposition. INS doesn't do firearms and ATF doesn't do illegal immigation, and the 2nd amendment was never intended to be a mechanism to provide arms to Mexican drug cartels, despite NRA wailing and gnashing of teeth over reasonable inquiries into hinky gun deals. And exactly what home invasions are you referring to? What I saw was a knock on the door and a could we ask you a few questiosn approach. Never had those kinds of conversations with cops? I have, and was happy to cooperate since they were investigating crimes that occurred near my home. I suppose you now are supporting no police investigations into suspicious activity in high crime areas?

"The anti-communist rebels garnered support from the United States. As stated by the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and current US Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, in his memoirs From the Shadows, the US intelligence services began to aid the rebel factions in Afghanistan six months before the Soviet deployment. On July 3, 1979, US President Jimmy Carter signed an executive order authorizing the CIA to conduct covert propaganda operations against the communist regime.

Carter advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski stated: "According to the official version of history, CIA aid to the mujahideen began during 1980, that is to say, after the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan, December 24, 1979. But the reality, secretly guarded until now, is completely otherwise." Brzezinski himself played a fundamental role in crafting US policy, which, unbeknownst even to the mujahideen, was part of a larger strategy "to induce a Soviet military intervention." In a 1998 interview with Le Nouvel Observateur, Brzezinski recalled: "We didn't push the Russians to intervene, but we knowingly increased the probability that they would...That secret operation was an excellent idea. It had the effect of drawing the Soviets into the Afghan trap ... The day that the Soviets officially crossed the border, I wrote to President Carter. We now have the opportunity of giving to the Soviet Union its Vietnam War."[16]

Additionally, on July 3, 1979, Carter signed a presidential finding authorizing funding for anticommunist guerrillas in Afghanistan.[17] As a part of the Central Intelligence Agency program Operation Cyclone, the massive arming of Afghanistan's mujahideen was started.[18]

The Soviet Union decided to intervene militarily in Afghanistan in order to preserve the communist regime. Based on information from the KGB, Soviet leaders felt that Amin destabilized the situation in Afghanistan. Following Amin's initial coup against and killing of President Taraki, the KGB station in Kabul warned that his leadership would lead to "harsh repressions, and as a result, the activation and consolidation of the opposition."[19]" WIki

As I said, Zbig's great idea was to bait the Soviets into Afghanistan. Carter was the President> And OBL arrived in Afghanistan to reap the rewards before Reagan was sworn in. Reagan kept this pressure up in light of both events in Iran, Pakistan (which he protected from an Indian/Israeli strike on nuclear facilities) and Soviet stupidity in Afghanistan. And when peace negotiations were proposed, the US refused, hoping more Russian blood could be shed. There was little protests from Democrats over this policy when Bush Sr. was President, as the Wall had already fallen and the Gulf War loomed.

Rez....
ROFLMAO! I didn't really understand a word Jack said....

As for the McCain staff and Palin dust up .... McCain picked her and if this is an attempt at legacy protection, they could have picked a better strategery

A-P, you are right. Franken is the 58th Dem senator, but there are 2 indies who caucus with the dems. The more appropriate description would be that there are 60 senators who can be expected to vote to defeat a Republican filibuster.

rr...

Thank you.

That's exactly how I see it, yet they {the MSM} keep referring to him as the 60th Democrat.

Why the hell can't they say with the two Independent Senators Al Franken will give the Democrats 60 votes which is truer than calling him the 60th Democratic Senator.

However, we do have to consider the source is MSM where they do not state the facts truly, but through rose colored glasses.

AP

Rose colored is too nice for the media.

Exactly pogo.

Now back to work.

Have a good day all.

I pointed out the policy stupidity of checking up on American gunowners in an effort to prevent guns going to Mexico while abdicating border security because that isn't PC. Did you miss something?

If one is worried about the 2nd leading to guns going to Mexico. Prevent the flow. And there is ample recent news about guns going to potential terrorists, but such check on Muslims isn't PC either.

I think you get my point.

Rez,

I thought you were Indian? What Indian language were your using? Laughing at your own jokes again, I see. hahaha. ooops.

Franken is an embarrassment. In times like these, LIberals pick a comic who couldn't run a radio station. His many comments are history. I do not mean to vilify Franken, but to say this is a fine example of what we need more of ==not.

Obama just said single payer is toooooo big a change and we need a uniquely American solution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulw2QZ-O5t4

Yes,Max, as I said, OBL's activities in Afghanistan were largely under Reagan's watch (and GHW Bush's). Carter and Zbig clearly knew of the Mujaheddin in '79 & 80, and supported the anticommunist guerillas, but the OBL connection was in its infancy then, and I've yet to see anything that suggests that Zbig or Carter knew of OBL. Even if they did, Al Qaeda was not established until 1987-88 and OBL was not considered a terrorist until GHWB's administration. Another fun fact is that Orrin Hatch was one of the senior members of the Senate Intelligence Committee which approved US dealings with the mujaheddin, and has said he would make “the same call again”, even knowing what bin Laden would become. I guess you take yor enemies as you find them.

A fact based discussion of Al Franken's potential as a senator
http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2009/07/01/9965/what_kind_of_a_senator_will_al_franken_be

Ok ....
Fri - GOP World Strat, Mon - Ron Paul, Tues - Cheney, Wed - McCain/Palin....
Craig.....did you get on the payroll and not tell us....laughs

KGC....
Norm Ornstein of the Enterprise Institute (a conservative think tank) joined the discussion on Franken by phone.... he said he's known Franken for 20 plus years and that contrary to what some may think, Franken is a serious policy wonk and he believed that Franken would be a very good Senator....

RR

Exactly. Only those who get their news from rightwing conspiracy theory web sites think otherwise.

Max, if your point is that there should be a coordinated effort to prevent US guns going into the hands of terrorists and drug cartels, I'd agree. If you are suggesting that the issues of US citizens buying guns for Mexican drug cartels and US arms purchased domestically getting into the hands of Islamic terrorists in or near the US are the same, but if you aren't talking about the same types of acquisition and supply, I disagree. The issue of guns that get into the hands of the terrorists is to an extent a different issue, though, tied in part to our military presence in the corner of the world where terrorists train, isn't it? Or are you talking about guns getting in to the habnds of your friendly domestic terrorists? Or is that off limits because the 2nd amendment protects that kind of activity - as the NRA would remind us?

Well, gotta run - I have a kid I have to chase around.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240542

sturge, here's another point of view on the way sanford's wife has handled things compared to responses by other political wives.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/30/AR2009063003046.html?nav=hcmodule

Why does Obama let this go on? Sounds like Bush to me! A cpl. of weeks ago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today warned that by continuing to refuse to abandon its civilian nuclear program, Iran was risking the possibility of an invasion by the US or “some other enemy that would do that to them.”

Odierno Still Blaming Iran for Iraq Attacks
Insists Training 'Continues' in Iran

During his official video-conference, top US commander in Iraq General Ray Odierno again blamed the Iranian government for the continuing insurgency in Iraq, claiming that training was going on inside Iran and that the Iranians have been providing weapons and ammunition to Iraqi militants.
Gen. Ray Odierno

The charge is perplexing, given that the recent attacks have almost exclusively targeted Shi’ites and considering the strong ties the Iranian government maintains with the ruling Shi’ite government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

In fact many of the victims of the violence of the last several months have been Iranian pilgrims visiting Shi’ite holy sites. The claim that the Shi’ite theocracy in Iran is funding Sunni insurgents in Iraq to kill Iranian pilgrims in hopes of undermining a Shi’ite government with which it remains close is bizarre, but an enduring narrative for US officials looking for a scapegoat for ongoing violence.

The latest accusation also comes at an odd time, as US officials attempt to dismiss the massive death tolls of recent days as irrelevant to the question of the nation’s security.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240652

max, on that diane rehm show referred to by renee, there also was talk about how odd that the msm never mentions the fact that franken is an harvard grad and well-versed in poli-sci. of course, just because one's served time on the square doesn't always qualify one to run a radio station. however, being a comic in addition to a scholar does seem, imho, to overqualify one to be on the same playground with senators not necessarily known for wit or wittiness.

NP. I think we are in agreement that both Parties contain many idiots and I understand you point.

Another secret fact is that Clinton, the Russians and Inda gave the Taliban an ultimatum. Agree to a pipeline and remain in power or face military action. Say what?

What Zbig and Carter unleashed was a radical network and Reagan didn't do much to stop it. As you said, he increased the funding. And Carter didn't give the Shah options and supported the oil strikes that put the Mullahs in power. After that the Mullahs murdered the oil UNion leaders. Just what Chavez would love to do..

Oh, and I support checking out weapons for suspicious parties (provided that is a bipartisan criteria). The idea however for tougher gun laws and little border security is a joke at best.

Take care NP and thanks for the info......

cajunjoe,

Thanks. I owe you one.

"....You have mellowed out: you would have said pain in the ass before...!!"

Maybe I just don't give a shit.

I know many comics that would make great politicians.

Unfortunately, I don't think Franken is one of them based on his history and comments. I listened to his show. I found that perhaps only 50% of his claims and information were fact based. He was also an Iraq is Lost fan, supported attacks on Patraeous, anti-missile defense etc. etc. His campaign was low brow, but then Coleman was a dodo.

Watch.... we shall see. I rather doubt another Statesman has been born.

sorry, that 2:33 post should read:
...being a comic in addition to a scholar does seem, imho, to overqualify one to be on the same playground with senators not necessarily known for having wits or for wittiness.
to be fair and optimistic tho' some are not completely devoid of wit but only half so.

Solar, Intel yesterday said that the explosion in Shia land was a bomb making effort gone wrong. It happened in a suspected Mosque used for munition making. That has happened before.

And we have now entered the age of FALSE FLAG OPERATIONS....just wait and see. What would Iran need to anger the Shia into a revolt?

Instead you attack our military's claims. I suppose you attack the claims made that Iran is helping the Taliban.
Maybe Israel fored a missile at Egypt and not Hamas.

Franken was and is right about Iraq

It was a big mistake has done nothing for anyone involved and caused more harm than good.

Max
Shouldn't you be spending all your time working on the campaign to free the journalists from North Korea?

SolarCrete,

"The charge is perplexing, given that the recent attacks have almost exclusively targeted Shi’ites and considering the strong ties the Iranian government maintains with the ruling Shi’ite government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki."

When you think about it there is no better way to escalate the havoc then to kill those of your own kind; the other group will automatically receive the blame.

Patsi,

Oh yes you do! To are to passionate about your causes to stop caring.

"When you think about it there is no better way to escalate the havoc then to kill those of your own kind; the other group will automatically receive the blame."

Since its been said that the World Trade Center Towers and Bldg 7 appeared to be brought down by controlled demolition maybe that 's what the Bush\Cheney War Crimes Family did.

Kill your own citizens then blame someone else for all the deaths, from the impact site down.

Sounds logical to me.

Well out of hear now, time to go home.

Just heard that there is now a State of Emergency in California since there is no budget and the State is Broke.

Solar, one thing you have not seen me do is to make claims about WHAT OBAMA KNOWS. I suspect he knows quite a bit. He MUST see the evidence the DOD makes public or Clinton delivers to the Press.

And clearly there is much about Iranian activities he knows which are more alarming than anything have suggested. NK turned around their ship and we are still here. China is very pissed at NK and recently snubbed them big time.

When your guessing, at least admit options not normally in your framework. And drones are back in service in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ahamdinejad is getting closer to the red line. Netanyahu knows that.

Wake up Germany. Suspending exports and imports with Iran would crush them. Today Ahmadinejad said fuck off to Europe as Russia must wonder if missile defense will be back on Poland's agenda.

I hear Obama's bus warming up Maher. I will howl when Obama supporters blast him for being a racist. Oh the irony, the irony......

Kath.... I think about them daily. They are pawns right now. China is the one we must move like Germany with Iran. Were you suggesting my concern for them was phony? They will become part of the deal once China makes NK blink. Until then, what can I say?

KGC, were you against the first Gulf War? Did you blast Bush Sr for not getting Saddam then? Is Iraq Lost? What would the Middle East look like with Saddam? Did you cry for those he butchered? What better containment of Iran than Democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan? Did you like Jefferson? Did you even read the Pirro interrogations of Saddam? Did you know Saddma paid Arabs to blow up Israelis?

Amd yesterday we saw the faces of all those Iraqi mistakes. Tell, me, did Bush liberate Iraq? And is now the world rushing in to buy their oil? Are less Iranians dead at Iraq's hands?

Are you so sure history will judge our invasion as you do?

Are you so sure history will judge our invasion as you do?

Posted by: maxtrue Author Profile Page | July 1, 2009 3:02 PM

Who is the historian loons or rational thinkers?

I was against the first gulf war. I thought GHW Bush was wrong for collaborating and selling arms to Saddam.
I think you are frequently short on facts.

I like the comics that turn politicians. Sonny B. ( did not agree with a thing he said-but) Franken. They when thru the nominating process that it takes to be a Senator. Not like the late night parasites, that will now ridicule Franken, like any other politician.

Max...
you are entitled to your opinion concerning Franken....
but you cannot dispute the FACT that someone who is extremely well respected from a conservative think tank (Norm Ornstein) went on the official record today of stating that in his opinion Franken would make a very good Senator....

Patsi.... I have to agree with fry.... you sound like you might be frustrated at the moment.... but I don't believe for a second that you don't give a shit.... I think you care deeply..... and that is something for which I have great respect....

Now Karl Maldin has passed away. Oscar winner in "On The Waterfront"

Oh he was 97 so not exactly unexpected. But so many of the older "stars" will be gone in fairly short order.

" but I don't believe for a second that you don't give a shit.... I think you care deeply..... and that is something for which I have great respect"

Oh I care -- but I don't think this particular place is the one to try to explain why Sarah Palin should be important to feminists.

hmmm, wonder why putin didn't look in to this

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/07/01/want_to_be_taller_russia_can_

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240589

Pogo, I prefer the Journal's editorial position on this one (first time this year, for that!):
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124640649700876791.html#mod=todays_us_opinion

Patsi...
I see your point.... and I agree....

Flatus... I read The Economist's special section on aging today with lunch....
I thought it was very interesting..... I know that we baby boomers are a huge bulge in the population because of returning WW2 vets.... but I'd never thought of it as something the whole industrial world was also experiencing because of that war....

There's an even bigger point to my feelings. I have dealt personally (and when I say personally, I mean IN PERSON) with women like Mirabelle Morgan and Phyllis Shafley -- believe me -- Sarah Palin is NO Phyllis Shafley. So this conversation is for me extremely painful. Palin is not anti-women's rights. Many are. MANY even if they don't understand that they are.

Renee, I was basing my remarks on the known track record. Everything else is speculation regarding Franken and of course you could be right. Who knows? Franken has some time to counter the image of him on Saturday night, well at least 3 and a half years before the next election.

As I said, I am loath to vilify anyone, Franken has made me laugh over the years. I just hope he doesn't make me laugh anymore. We need some serious shit in Congress. As you can see from my remarks, I am actually pulling for Obama (I do like him personally), still a fan of Hillary and Bill. I think the GOP could easily commit suicide if left to their base. Rush did himself in with that Kennedy Death Watch bullshit.

That article by Hitchens above made me so angry today when I think of Nixon and Kissenger. How could a Jew even sit in the same room as Nixon? Despite my remarks that Reagan was a New Deal Democrat, I voted against him and observed his many hairbrain remarks. I just give you all crap out of love and intellectual honesty, though I hardly have any lock on that as the Dark Lord will verify.. I hate cheer leading as you all know.

Flatus, thanks for that link. It's hard for me to get my mind around little democracies, military coups directed by a country's Supreme Court, transfer of power to a rival from the same party, and the US standing beside Cuba and Venezuela to demand anything.

And Max, I thought the fence was supposed to be answer to illegal immigration from the south - but a 20 foot fence between two immense bodies of water and in a land of shovels and 21 foot ladders has to be of some limited utility. Well, there are always the Minutemen, I guess.

But my day is at an end - I must run the kid to soccer practice so we can dodge raindrops and lightning strikes. Bye, all.

Patsi, good comments.

NP, you are right about what Border security means in a PRACTICAL sense. Right on with that comment though as you are leaving, my suggestions in response will have to wait.

Bye Soccer Dad

Iraqi oil up for sale, the true reason that we hit Iraq. They have 115 bil. of crude. They will make a lot of $.
raq has about 115bn barrels in crude, among the world's largest deposits, and the fields on offer account for roughly 43bn barrels of those reserves.

Iraqi officials have estimated that based on crude oil at $50 per barrel, the companies could earn around $16 bn in total.
Iraq, meanwhile, would get over $1.7 trillion.

Max, where will we get the $ to hit Iran like you want us too?

Speaking about $. One of my nephews could not hang on, and lost his house. I wasn't able to help him with more $. I have sold some of my equipment, and will end up selling it all before the fucking stimulus money gets disbursed.

Obama could give more to the Banks I guess. They can buy a cpl of more jets to scoot around in. This is Obamas mess now. He did not have any string with the $ he gave out. Just like Bush did not with the Tarp $

I haven't turned on the news-cos Im so tired of the M. J. bullshit!!. I was sorry to see him die. Just like I would any other human being. Now all of the scavengers are out. A last will and testament should read-STFU.

About that Hypocrite over in S. C. I really like him. I like that he got caught. It shows how religious people don't have a market on morals: Just the opposite, they are the worst offenders that there are. Ok I think that's it, see u all later.

KGC, the next time you find me short on facts, tell me specifically. I guess the WORLD was wrong to put Saddam back in his box. As a thought experiment think of how the world would be different had Bush Sr. removed Saddam. Think of the millions of Iraqi and Iranian lives saved. Think of removing the BUsh Jr. mistake or the need for the Mullahs to start Quds on steroids. Even the Russians and Chinese backed Gulf War 1 which flowed out of the Carter Doctrine. But then, we can revisit this some other time as well as who emboldened Saddam to move Southward.

As far as some facts;

"Hussein's first contacts with U.S. officials date back to 1959, when he was part of a CIA-authorized six-man squad tasked with assassinating then Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qassim.[3]

Iraq was then regarded as a key buffer and strategic asset in the Cold War with the Soviet Union. In the mid-1950s, Iraq was quick to join the anti-Soviet Baghdad Pact which was to defend the region and whose members included Turkey, Britain, Iran and Pakistan. Qassim's sudden decision to withdraw from the pact in 1959 was an act that "freaked everybody out" according to a former senior U.S. State Department official.[1]

Hussein, while only in his early 20s, became a part of a U.S. plot to get rid of Qassim. Hussein was installed in an apartment in Baghdad on al-Rashid Street directly opposite Qassim's office in Iraq's Ministry of Defense, to observe Qassim's movements. The move was done with full knowledge of the CIA, and Hussein's CIA handler was an Iraqi dentist working for CIA and Egyptian intelligence.[1]

The assassination was set for Oct. 7, 1959, but it was completely botched; the 22-year-old Hussein lost his nerve and began firing too soon, killing Qassim's driver and only wounding Qassim in the shoulder and arm, Qassim escaped death. Hussein was shot in the leg, but escaped to Tikrit with the help of CIA and Egyptian intelligence agents. Hussein then crossed into Syria and was transferred by Egyptian intelligence agents to Beirut, the CIA paid for Hussein's apartment and put him through a brief training course, the agency then helped him get to Cairo, where he made frequent visits to the American embassy. During this time the CIA placed him in an upper-class apartment observed by CIA and Egyptian operatives.[1]

Saddam Hussein after the successful 1963 Ba'ath party coupIn February 1963 Qassim was killed in a Baath Party coup. Provided with information by the CIA, the Baath Party hunted down suspected communists. They then jailed, interrogated, and summarily gunned them down. Many suspected communists were killed outright.[1] An exact toll is not known, but accounts indicate that among the victims were hundreds of doctors, teachers, technicians, lawyers, and other professionals. These numbers also include military and political figures. Saddam Hussein himself was said to have participated in the killings.[4] There was an exchange of information between the Ba'ath and the CIA; for the first time, the United States was able to get models of certain Mig fighters and tanks made in the Soviet Union. That was what the Ba'ath had to offer the United States in return for their help in eliminating Qassim.[5]

The United States also sent arms to the new regime, weapons later used against the same Kurdish insurgents the United States had backed against Qassim and then abandoned. Soon, Western corporations like Mobil, Bechtel and British Petroleum were doing business with Baghdad -- for American firms, their first major involvement in Iraq.[4]

But it wasn't long before there was infighting among Iraq's new rulers. In 1968, the CIA encouraged a palace revolt among Baath party elements led by long-time Hussein mentor Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr.[6] Hussein's rise to leadership took a significant step in November 1969 when he assumed a number of senior posts in the Ba'ath Party and Iraqi government. The British embassy in Baghdad described Hussein as "the recognized heir-apparent" and "young," with an "engaging smile," "a formidable, single-minded and hard-headed member of the Ba'athist hierarchy, but one with whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business".[7] In 1979, Hussein formally assumed the presidency when al-Bakr turned over the reins of power to his ambitious protégé.[6]

Said Aburish, journalist and writer, believes that Hussein and the CIA had a common enemy -- Qassim. He believes that their alliance was for the duration of getting rid of Qassim, and it was not an alliance of permanent nature.[5]" Wiki

As you can see this covered JFK and LBJ as well as the key moves by Zbig and Carter. In fact, it would be far to say that the origin of Saddam's power was started by Democrats and with Carter's failure to see the Mullahs coming, set the tone for the Reagan and Bush years. If Zbig wanted to bait the Soviets into Afghanistan, certainly they sought a tough opponent against the Soviets in Iraq. This also explained the coup in Iran. It would be dishonest to say our efforts here while creating a mess in the Middle East, did not help lead to our victory against communism in Russia. Also note the role of Egypt and France as well as the British.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240694

Yes, Renee, that is a good article.

Clearly something must be done--but I'm unsure what. Despite the fact that many older people are able and want to work, others are simply worn out by the drudgery of construction jobs or assembly line work.

And it's more of a problem for boomers like you than pre-boomers like Stinky and me. I was going to add a smiley, but I can't because the situation is so serious.

Solar, no not today. I am blog-spent. Another time for how we or the ISraelis would selectively hit Iran should it come to that. They cannot highly enrich uranium without their heavy water plant. Without highly enriched uranium, they cannot reduce the size of warheads to fit on missiles or cruise missiles. Of course the real threat is WMD terror through their clandestine proxy network.

Of course, costs always are relative to the costs of inaction, but spare me today. You can see I have posted too much here already.....

Forgot....from C-span

We need a thread on this.

Helen Thomas hits White House for lack of transparency

At the White House presser on Wednesday, several correspondents questioned the way the Oval Office selected questions from the public for today’s virtual town hall.

President Barack Obama answered pre-selected questions Wednesday afternoon about health care sent in from emails, Facebook and Twitter. CBS’ Chip Reid and columnist Helen Thomas thought this reflected a lack of transparency at the White House.

“It feels like the concept of a town hall, I think, is to have an open public forum. And this sounds like a very tightly controlled audience and list of questions. Why do it that way?” asked Reid.

White House press secretary Richard Gibbs deflected the question, but that only raised the ire of Helen Thomas, UPI’s veteran correspondent who has long been at the top of the White House press corps totem pole.

“We have never had that in the White House,” Thomas said, referring to the degree that press events are pre-scripted in the Obama administration. “I’m amazed, I’m amazed at you peole who called for openness and transparency…”

That’s when things got testy, and Gibbs looked very uncomfortable as Reid and Thomas took turns attacking his evasive answers.

“Calling reporters the night before, telling them they’re going to be called on — that’s shocking,” Thomas said, referring to an incident last week when Huffington Post blogger Nico Pitney was given advance warning that he would be called on to ask a question on behalf of the Iranian public.

http://216.87.173.33/media/2009/0907/cspan_thomas_townhall_0900701a.flv

Do they know that U. H. is inevitable?, and just want to get out in front, or an April fools joke on July 1st.?? Maybe they can make a deal with Canada and buy some cheap drugs?

Wal-Mart backs push to make companies provide health insurance

In a major break with most other large companies, Wal-Mart said Tuesday in a letter to President Barack Obama that it supports a move to mandate health insurance coverage by employers.

"We are for an employer mandate which is fair and broad in its coverage," said the letter, signed by Wal-Mart Chief Executive Mike Duke. Also signing were two prominent liberals: Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, and with John Podesta, former Bill Clinton chief of staff and head of the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank.

The move "flabbergasted" the National Retailer's Federation, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"We have been one of the foremost opponents to employer mandate," Neil Trautwein, a vice president of the industry group is quoted as saying. "We are surprised and disappointed by Wal-Mart's choice to embrace an employer mandate in exchange for a promise of cost savings."

He added that an employer mandate for insurance is "the single most destructive thing you could do to the health-care system shy of a single-payer system" and "would quite possibly cut off the economic recovery we all desperately need," he said.

Wal-Mart, however, doesn't cover all its employees presently.

Lots to talk about....unless there hasn't been enough about Palin-or M. J. that is.

Solar, I hope Craig can stop the presses on his book with Helen--there's certainly the makings for another chapter or three emerging.

I would vote for this nut case, before I voted for a smooth talking R-or- D.

Israel captures peace activists en route to Gaza

Activists included Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney

A group of 21 peace activists sailing to Palestine were intercepted and arrested by Israeli authorities on Tuesday as they attempted to bring food and medical supplies to the war-torn city of Gaza. Israel said it plans to deport most of the people involved, including former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and Mairead Maguire, a Nobel laureate.

The group insists they were not in Israeli waters. In a media advisory, the arrests were characterized as kidnapping.

“This is an outrageous violation of international law against us,” said McKinney in a press release issued by the Free Gaza Movement. “Our boat was not in Israeli waters, and we were on a human rights mission to the Gaza Strip. President Obama just told Israel to let in humanitarian and reconstruction supplies, and that’s exactly what we tried to do.”

“Any organization or country that wishes to transfer humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip can legally do so via the established crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip with prior coordination,” the Israeli military told CNN.

Wal-Mart. Some of the best healthcare and retirement plans are run by unions (also some of the worst). If Wal-Mart and other large companies take the lead in providing these benefits, it reduces the natural pressure for a resurgence of unionism.

Solar....
the press conference that Ms Thomas is referring to happen early last week and was discussed on last Friday's Diane Rehms roundup.... someone there defended the move stating that the WH and the huffington blogger did not discuss which question he'd ask.... and said person claimed that all press conferences were now really just like informercial shows.... plus it was claimed that Obama is trying to showcase new technology such as blogs....

to all of that I say.... bullshit!.... you either give us the change you talked about in your campaign, Mr. President.... or you don't.....

Go Helen.... Go!

surprise surprise. Exxon Mobil caught lying again

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/01/exxon-mobil-climate-change-sceptics-funding

For those who were fans of the Brit Sit Com "Are You Being Served?", Mollie Sugnen who played Mrs. Slocomb has passed away

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8129617.stm

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240708

I guess when you're no longer part of the script you throw rocks instead. Back in the good old days everyone knew HT was "suppose' to get a question. How much more scripted do you want ! Sounds like a bunch of sour grapes to me with a little jello.

Flatus,

"Wal-Mart. Some of the best healthcare and retirement plans are run by unions (also some of the worst). If Wal-Mart and other large companies take the lead in providing these benefits, it reduces the natural pressure for a resurgence of unionism."

Agreed. When I would like the resurgence of unions to be, is after U H. or something similar, is agreed on by the two party's. I would like some time out for the Union Bosses, and get a look at their books, where the $ is, and where it goes for.

Bet we could see some scheming over on that front HA!!!
Then I would be all for unions:......I might even join one again, and let my workers in on them too.

Renee,

I have had the same problem with my blue corn-that you have. The weather has been kinda cold for this time of year. Don't get me wrong, I like it this way. I hate the heat.

I don't have a problem with bears like you do, but I do have a problem with the kids across the way. My garden is in a rear corners of my property: There is a 6ft. high fence that separates the two of us, and they keep climbing over to get thier baseballs, or toys back.
They are nice kids but they keep doing this. They keep stomping on my corn, and Im getting a little pissed. Time for some well placed bear traps......ouchie, ouchie, just kidding. I think that I cut in a gate opening for them to come thru.

"to all of that I say.... bullshit!.... you either give us the change you talked about in your campaign, Mr. President.... or you don't.....
Go Helen.... Go!" Abso-fin-looootly. I don't like putting that funny face up too much, so guess, if im kidding. Ok half smiley )

Patsi,

I understand your frustration about your cause. I share one similar to it: Racism. Even with friends that don't understand what racism is. Some times they are- even tho they don't see it in themselves. One example is with a friend that has never shown me any, but talks about (I tell him to shut up-not in front of me) Arabs in a demeaning way. I won't listen to any of it.

Carol,

Who-you calling a dog? Thanks for the pets. Can you scratch my back? my hind leg won't reach....ah that better, thanks.

"I understand your frustration about your cause. I share one similar to it: Racism."

Look at you using a colon properly. Kudos.

Ok. Thats enough. For a Nurse, you sure have some cold hands!! Hey, Hey, thats it. Im otta here. I should have know U would get carried away. Gonna go by that tree, and scratch myself. U know the one that-that giant beaver scratched his ass on. hahaha.

Thanks to U Champ. I will try it all, I decided that mistakes won't look any more confusing than what I used to to,,,,,,,,,,,right?

to to =to do

",,,,,,,,,,,"

...killin' me.

Wal-Mart is being very smart. They know that an employer mandate means a level playing field for retailers, and on a level playing field, the Wal-Mart model of cost control will allow it to retain its competitive advantage. Without the mandated coverage, they could find themselves having to pay for coverage, while others may not.

Bottom line -- a cost that is added universally to all retailers works just fine for Wal-Mart.

I also agree with the point on Unions made by Flatus and others.

KGC,

I had been meaning to ask, but had forgotten, if you had noticed or felt any effects of the CA state budget crunch, such as reduction or elimination of services like trash pick-up, mass transit, etc. Just curious.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240575
"Yeah Brian I hear you."

Hey Fry
Don't pick on are Champ,he's no Brian,we like him....

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240667

Hi Solar
You took a few days off,i missed you! You make so much sense.I hope you don't have to sell off all of your equipment.I keep hoping for a turn around in the economy.I heard from my niece Ashley that its been cool in Michigan so far....Hope all is well with you Mr.?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240716

well look here:

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240619

Sorry Solar but I beat you to it.

If you click on the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_McKinney in the post above you can see just what kind of person you use to discredit Israel. I mentioned her in the post above to draw attention to a side of "Liberalism" that is far too influential in popular Liberal culture. Funny you should mention her. She is the Green Candidate? Oh not that kind of Green.

You draw attention of McKinney's "peace trip" which is mentioned at the end of Wiki above while saying almost nothing lately about million of Iranians under threat of death for free speech. How many days has the revolution been? Then there is the suffering in Darfur. The up tick in violence in Iraq or the terrible plight of people in Pakistan and Afghanistan. And of course what goes on in NK and the sad internment of two American female reporters. Why not a peace mission to Germany to demand suspension of trade with Iran or a peace mission to China demanding action on North Korea and Darfur? No, it is solidarity to those brave Hamas guys and the agressor's victim play. I said agressor because of the below.

In the last weeks since we chatted last regarding freedom fighting Hamas, they have fired a missile at Egyptian soldiers, been seen beating Iranian protesters, tried to abduct Israeli soldiers in coordination with AQ of Palestine, attempted a coup in the West Bank against Fatah, again with AQ, debated Fatah as to who executed the most terrorist attacks against Israel, refused to change their charter, was found helping Hizb'Allah in a failed election bid.

Hamas has called off negotiations with Egypt and Fatah on reconciliation (let's bet if that was Ahmadinejad) while boasting money and arms are resupplying their weapons. During the last few months, international groups have confirmed Hamas stealing food and clothing from humanitarian deliveries as well as medical supplies. Their use of child shields and booby-trapping buildings WITH people inside have been documented. They stand with Hizb'Allah and he Muslim Brotherhood in removing Egyptian and Saudi leadership using any means. Why go on......

There is a sanction regime on Gaza for good reason. If McKinney had her way she would call Palestinian terror, resistance. She could care less whether Jews are booted from Muslim nations while supporting those who would terminate any Jewish State. She backs the worst horses in the Great Middle East Crap Shoot....

So the innuendo in your news flash?

Hey Tony, same here. Chloe too.! There is going to be a lot more suffering that will go on imo. Im willing to do my share of it. What does not make sense to me: Is that there are a lot of people that are not living the same world as the ones suffering. That pisses me off more than I can tell you.

Whats worse, is that I find a lot of the ones that are suffering playing the blame game. Most of the R's are blaming it on Obama, All of the D's are (as they should) are blaming it on Bush. I tend to blame both of them. A combination of the laws, lack of oversight, etc, etc, is/are both of their faults no.?

Like I told you before. I have a lot of future potential. The present is what is a concern. thanks for the good thoughts pal.

Posted by: tonyb39 Author Profile Page | July 1, 2009 8:31 PM

shhhhh...

(I picked on him, to be fair; not that he didn't deserve it, to be fair)

...but, thanks.

...and what's all this "we" talk, tony? I think the community is pretty evenly divided concerning my benefit to it, and that's being generous to myself. Speaking of, I've got some self-preening to do.

Have a good night.

Hey Solar, don't know exactly what you're experiencing, but it has been tough for years in NYC, starting right after 9/11.

http://www.buildingcongress.com/code/costs/rising-costs1.htm

2007 - 2009 construction in the Tri State area will top $120 billion perhaps. I think it might be reasonable to say that $30 billion or so is private residential housing. The article discusses Institutional and government spending that goes mostly to Union workers. No illegals there. Because trade labor is declining, land is getting scarce and material prices are rising, the costs are rocketing. $400 a square foot in NYC? Amnesty would supply needed labor for this huge sector which is why Unions supported Amnesty AND site enforcement of labor laws.

In my sector giving the huge expenditures, illegals from all over the country flock here. As a result, my playing field has experienced a HUGE DROP in wages as we must compete with illegals excluded from the public and institutional sectors. Since smaller projects command less material discounts, supply cost increases hurt us the worst.

And all this happens before we begin to talk about the job market and economy in general. Wealthy clients seeks out low bid contractors exploiting illegals. Shoddy work follows them around, not because of the illegal help, but because of their pathetic professional model. Working in NYC is more expensive, transportation and delivery, building requirements, insurance and taxes drive the small business owners costs through the roof, excluding the issue of health insurance.

To fix this goes way beyond the partisan divide. Why we don't make steel is crazy. Why Amnesty programs don't supply new trade workers is foolish. Waste and graft in large projects must be trimmed by better oversight. Union costs must be curbed. On the subway, Union posters ask citizens not to allow government to hire private contractors. Better concessions must be placed on stimulus and grant expenditures. Better urban design and green engineering must be applied. Health care help and insurance regulation must assist small businesses. Liberals in this city with money must be directed to hire legal workers and follow building and environmental codes.

This all requires systemic change and a change in attitude by the more Left leaning populations in the Tri-State areas.

I have seen people with million dollars apartments tighten up their wallets, but trying to restore a bathroom for under a few thousand dollars when that bathroom footage alone is tens of thousands of dollars is absurd.

So it has been tough and smaller companies teaming up together can survive. I know it is better in other places where there are fewer contractors and relatively wealthy clients. Maybe I will relocate. But if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere..........

My hopes are that you will get through this. I am taking smaller painting jobs at the moment because they have less reasonability and problems. The smaller budgets don't freak out clients. Not as fun but for now, less of a headache.

I don't see that stimulus money working for me at the moment. Let's see how long we can hold our breath...

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/now-they-tell-us-john-mccains.html#comment-240746

...and what's all this "we" talk, tony?

Hey Champ
I guess your correct I can't speak for everyone here and really I wasn't trying too..Hey your a treasure Lord B.....Funny,smart and I look forward to reading you,no shit....

Like I told you before. I have a lot of future potential. The present is what is a concern. thanks for the good thoughts pal.

Solarman
Anytime! You never give up same as me...Were winners! Things will turn around and hopefully soon...At least we have Obama who isn't being stuck on stupid concerning what this country is facing...Stimulus yes...