Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.

When we show up, we win.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

“I was told there would be no fact checking.”

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

“Perhaps I should have considered other options.” (head-desk)

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

There are times when telling just part of the truth is effectively a lie.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Also, are you sure you want people to rate your comments?

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

“Just close your eyes and kiss the girl and go where the tilt-a-whirl takes you.” ~OzarkHillbilly

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Keep the Immigrants and deport the fascists!

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

I really should read my own blog.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Anne Laurie is a fucking hero in so many ways. ~ Betty Cracker

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Archives for 2003

Damn Saudis

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While the left will have a collective hissy fit over Bush declaring six prisoners fit for trial by military tribunal, they will completely miss this:

The top suspect wanted in the Riyadh suicide bombing was killed along with three other militants in a gunbattle Thursday when police raided their hideout in northern Saudi Arabia, officials said. al-Qaeda member Turki Nasser al-Dandani had been the kingdom’s most wanted man after the suspected mastermind of the Riyadh attacks turned himself in over the weekend.

Mighty convenient how these terrorists keep getting killed in raids or shot up in a crossfire before they get a chance to talk. This is not a coincidence or accident that this is happening in Saudi Arabia. The bastards are burying the evidence- literally.

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Bush and Money

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Yesterday I questioned why every time Bush and money raising are mentioned, it is stated as if the act of fund-raising itself was evil, but when Democrat candidates raise money, it is proof of their viability as a candidate. From the NY Times, today:

Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor making his first bid for national office, raised substantially more money this quarter than all his more established opponents in the Democratic presidential contest, according to figures released today.

The result forced Dr. Dean’s rivals to reconsider how to deal with an opponent they had until now viewed as little more than an irritant.

To date, Bush has raised close to $30 million. According to the Times, the Democrats have raised $52 million among the top five candidates. Pardon me if I don’t buy into the lie about Democrats not being able to compete financially.

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And Now the Bad News

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unemployment_jun03_graphic.gif

The nation’s unemployment rate shot up to 6.4 percent in June, the highest level in more than nine years, in an economic slump that has added nearly a million people to jobless rolls in the past three months.

Businesses slashed 30,000 jobs in June for the fifth straight month, with cuts heavily concentrated in the nation’s factories, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

Not good. I hope this individual is right:

Because the government calculates the overall unemployment rate based on a survey of American households, and because the lackluster economy wasn’t producing enough jobs to accommodate an increasing number of jobseekers, that rate increased significantly.

“That suggests a combination of better prospects, getting the war behind us, a better stock market — just more enthusiasm about economic prospects — is causing people to re-enter the labor force,” Mayland said, adding that the jobless rate should start to stabilize.

“It would be my bet that we’re at the high-water mark,” he said.

Again, unemployment is a lagging indicator.

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Economic News

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More good economic news:

Inspired by a bigger-than-expected rise in factory orders, investors sent stocks sharply higher Wednesday, taking advantage of lower prices after last week’s declines and extending the market’s advance to a second day. The Dow Jones industrials surged 101 points.

Surprisingly strong sales at Starbucks, brokerage house upgrades and a legal victory for Merrill Lynch contributed to the gains.

“The market continues to look forward to better economic news in the second half of the year,” said Lynn Reaser, chief economist and senior market strategist, Banc of America Capital Management. “(Investors) are beginning to believe the recovery story and want to be invested to profit from it.”

Keep your fingers crossed and keep going to work. Looks like we are on our way out of this.

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Just A Question

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Why is it that when it is pointed out that Bush might raise a record number of dollars (mainly through individual contributors), this is what is said:

Bush’s fundraising goal is twice the amount for his first presidential race. All he has to do is show up at about 10 lunches, dinners and receptions over the next five weeks and the money will flow.

Deep-pocket Republican guests will pay $2,000 to attend most of the events.

It looks like payback time for those big-wad corporate chieftains who hit the jackpot with his new tax-cut-for-the-rich law.

When Howard Dean leads the Democrat nominees in fund-raising, this is what is said:

Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean has raised more money during the past three months than any of his rivals for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. It is the latest indication that Mr. Dean is becoming a serious contender in the 2004 race for the White House.

So when Bush raises money (again- mainly through individual contributors), it is merely the payoff for his tax cuts or proof he is a corporate shill. When Dean raises money, it is proof he is a viable candidate. Interesting.

By the way- has someone bothered to total up all the money that all the Democrats have raised and then compare it to Bush’s total?

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The New Meme

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The new meme floating through the left flanks of the blogosphere is that Bush is going to lose because of “Bigot Eruptions.” Apparently a bigot eruption is not necessarily someone standing up and yelling “Nigger” in public like a Tourette’s patient, but a bigot eruption is whenever any Republican makes a political statement or proposal that could be massaged to a point that someonecan feel indignant. For example, this is a bigot eruption as Matt Welch sees it:

The Senate Majority Leader of his own political party — thinks the Constitution needs to be rewritten to specifically discriminate against the homos.

Matt, of course, is referring to a constitutional amendment proposal that is currently circulating through the Beltway that would officially declare that marriage is a union between a man and wife. Which, coincidentally, is exactly how things are today and have been for the last, well- since we existed as a nation. How this proposal is bigoted is beyond me- and for one thing, we know a successful constitutional amendment will at least be difficult to challenge as unconstitutional (although with this current court, who knows).

So, someone is proposing an amendment that will essentially maintain the status quo, and this is a bigot eruption? The assertion alone is dubious, regardless of your opinion on gay marriage (I am in favor of same sex civil unions- well, more honestly, I don’t care- if homosexuals who love each other want to get hitched, more power to ’em- except it is currently against the law). I am not sure what is wrong with same sex civil unions, particularly if they grant all the legal benefits of marriage. Then again, I have no horse in this race whatsoever, I am neither gay nor married.

What is the silliest part of this is Matt’s big hope that “Dubya is asked about this and every other Bigot Eruption at every press conference between now and November 2004.” You see- President Bush now must be accountable for every word uttered by anyone in the Republican party. As evidence, Oliver Willis pitches in with a link to a story about a SEMINOLE COUNTY Republican who has some bizarre views. That is right- not only is he not in the US Congress, he is not even elected to the Florida state assembly. He is a county official- and for that, proponents of the new “Bigot Eruption” meme think Bush should lose in 2004. Or this should be a weapon used repeatedly against Bush in 2004.

Excuse me while I laugh you guys off the stage. I guess then, with these rules, whoever is nominated as the Democrat candidate for 2004 should be repeatedly grilled about the adulterous affairs of Bob Wise, my governor. He is, after all, a Democrat, so clearly it will be Dean’s/Kerry’s/whoever-wins responsibility to answer for his behavior. Uh oh- I just remembered- a local city treasurer was just indicted for embezzlement- and SHE IS A DEMOCRAT. Whatever will Dean say about this one?

Politics is getting weirder by the minute. And do I have to remind you guys, that ifyou want to beat Bush, hammer on the spending- if enough people like me get disgusted enough, we will stay home, and it won’t matter how much money Bush raises during the campaign.

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Defense of Thomas

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Apparently affirmative action beneficiary/Uncle Tom/bigoted conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas isn’t as dumb as the bile on the left assert that he is- at least that is how the New Republic’s Jeffrey Rosen sees it:

Next to the hyperbole of Kennedy and Scalia, the most convincing opinions in Lawrence were the most modest. In the same way that O’Connor offered the case for striking down the Texas law in the narrowest possible terms, so Justice Thomas gave us a dissent of eloquent simplicity. “The law before the Court today “is … uncommonly silly,” he said, quoting Justice Stewart’s dissent in the contraceptives case. “If I were a member of the Texas Legislature, I would vote to repeal it.” Nevertheless, Thomas said he was unable to find in the Constitution a “general right of privacy,” or, as the Court called it “the liberty of the person both in its spatial and more transcendent dimensions.” The fact that the majority didn’t bother to respond to Thomas shows how little the judicial activists on the left and the right have learned from the errors of Roe. Their lack of self discipline will only fan the flames of the confirmation battles to come, whether they occur this week, next year, or in the years to come.

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