Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

Spilling the end game before they can coat it in frankl luntz-approved dogwhistles.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

Come on, man.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

I really should read my own blog.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

Russia bombs Ukraine’s maternity hospitals; Republicans in the House can’t sort out supporting Ukraine.

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

Every day Vance writes another chapter in the book called “Worst VP Pick Ever”.

Maybe you would prefer that we take Joelle’s side in ALL CAPS?

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

with the Kraken taking a plea, the Cheese stands alone.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

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16Comments

  1. 1.

    HH

    The media sees the UN as doing no wrong, especially in an election year in which the UN is critical of a Republican president.

    By the way, it was found by the nonpartisan Ctr. for Media & Public Affairs that Kerry has received the least critical coverage of any presidential candidate since at least 1988.

  2. 2.

    Dean

    If the UN were found to be a moral vacuum, on what would the foundations of international law be perched?

  3. 3.

    Andrew J. Lazarus

    Did you know that EVERY single Iraqi document about Oil for Food is in the physical possession of Iranian spy Ahmad Chalabi or his close political associates (e.g. nephew)? That was another assignment, besides the DeBaathification Blackmail Commission, that he wangled for his organization. Chalabi has refused to let anyone outside his group see the original documents.

    Needless to say, the possibility of blackmail, misinterpretations and outright forgeries should be in play.

    (link)

  4. 4.

    Rick

    I’m more concerned over the control of U.N. documents by Kofi Annan, since his son appeared to do well out of an ostensible program to do good.

    Dean in response #2 nails it.

    Cordially…

  5. 5.

    Kimmitt

    It’s complicated enough that it’s just plain under the radar. Same reason the S&L scandal, despite its insane enormity, lurched around for a bit and then finally faded away with a whimper.

  6. 6.

    Dean

    Kimmitt:

    You must be talking about some OTHER S&L scandal. Remember Paul Keating? Or Neil Bush? Or the debate over the literally billions and billions involved?

    I do, and the press coverage associated with it.

    I’m amused, frankly, at how little coverage names like Sevan have received.

  7. 7.

    A Hermit

    “why is the UN Oil for Food Scandal not receiving the attention it deserves?”

    Answer; it is. Until we see something besides allegations from that lying sonofabitch Ahmed Chalabi this is a non-story.

  8. 8.

    Rick

    Hermie,

    The stonewalling U.N. bureaucracy sure isn’t treating it that way.

    Cordially…

  10. 10.

    Dean

    GWTP:

    At least one of the candidates for President doesn’t think so. He actually went to the UN for permission.

    The other doesn’t think so, either, since he thinks that going to the UN wasn’t enough, he demands their approval.

  11. 11.

    willyb

    A Hermit, News flash …the problems with the U.N.’s Oil for Food Program have been around , and reported, for a while.

    Back in September of 2002, there was a big article in the WSJ about potential problems with the program. Not to mention the conflict of interest issue. The U.N. was Saddam Hussein’s biggest trading partner, and according to a dossier released by Tony Blair around that time, the U.N. was winking at Iraq’s gross violations of U.N. agreements. Part of the WSJ article, The Oil-for-U.N.-Jobs Program, by Claudia Rosett, September 2002, follows:

    “Mr. Annan and his crew have winked at Iraq’s gross violations of U.N. agreements, and not only on weapons inspections. The sanctions on Iraqi oil sales were meant to stop Saddam from diverting revenues to his own uses. But Saddam has been getting around the sanctions via surcharge-kickback deals and smuggling, to the tune of $3 billion a year, according to numbers in the dossier just released by Tony Blair.

    Back in May, The Wall Street Journal’s Alix Freedman and Steve Stecklow recounted how Iraq “has imposed illegal surcharges on every barrel of oil it has sold, using a maze of intermediaries to cover its tracks.” Last week, the Washington-based Coalition for International Justice released a 70-page report, detailing Saddam’s dodges and how this year alone, despite “smarter” U.N. sanctions, he will rake in billions for his “personal treasury.” When President Bush on Sept. 12 addressed the U.N., he charged that Saddam has “subverted” Oil-for-Food, “working around the sanctions to buy missile technology and military materials.”

    So the remaining virtue of the U.N.’s Iraq program would have to be the humanitarian relief. Not quite. Under the Oil-for-Food deal, it is not the U.N. but Saddam who decides what is needed, who in Iraq gets what, and which countries he buys from. He must submit his proposals to the Security Council, which can reject them. But the bulk of his requests are approved. The U.N. disburses the cash from the “Iraq accounts” and monitors the delivery. The result is that U.N.-approved aid goes to reinforce Saddam’s control over what is already a Soviet-league state-run economy.

    Today, with private business largely smothered, the only significant source of foreign exchange is oil. All oil in Iraq belongs to the state. “The government of Iraq has the sole responsibility for allocating the money,” says an official of the U.N.’s Oil-for-Food Program. “We cannot tell them, we only advise them.”

    Delving into these matters gets tough, because the U.N. shuns transparency. Given that billions from the Iraq program are now sitting in U.N. escrow accounts awaiting some combination of Saddam’s planning and U.N. processing, one wonders which banks, and which of those countries now taking part in the Iraq debate, might be getting slices of Saddam’s business. A few years ago, all Oil-for-Food funds were kept at a French bank, Banque Nationale de Paris. These days, the funds have been diversified among five or six banks, according to U.N. treasurer Suzanne Bishopric. The U.N. forbids her to disclose the names or locations of the banks, or details such as interest accrued.

    “We don’t like to make public where our money is,” says Ms. Bishopric. Who audits the program? It’s a strictly insider job: The U.N. secretariat, supplemented by a rotating set of member nations (currently the Philippines).

    Neither does the U.N. disclose which countries get what amount of Saddam’s trade. Oil industry experts say France and Russia — both of which have resisted removing Saddam — have led the pack, with billions in deals. Russia being a big oil producer itself, these purchases are not for home consumption, but for resale at a profit. An official in the U.N. controller’s office says he is forbidden to disclose figures on Iraqi trade with individual countries. “If I did, I would get an earful from the countries’ missions.” ”

    Personally, I think the liberal media is giving the UN a pass. After all, the UN is the darling of the liberals, kind of like the designated international ass for liberals to kiss. I guess it beats kissing Chirac

  12. 12.

    Far North

    Yea, there might be something to that UN scandal thing. But I saw a debate on CNN about the question of Cheney and the Haliburton no bid contracts. The response from the republican on the panel was to bring up the “UN oil/food scandal”. Now, it seems to me that a lot of criticism of the administrations actions, Abu Graib, torture memos, no WMD, no post war planning, Cheney’s influence with the Haliburton contracts, etc……..it seems that whenever a supporter of the Bush administration is confronted with or asked about these issues, it’s always, “well, what about the UN Oil for Food scandal”.

    Fine. Investigate it. But, hey conservatives, stop with the “UN scandal” stuff when you’re asked about these other issues. BTW, why won’t conservative darling Chalabi turn over the relevant documents he says he has?

    P.S. I love how the 9/11 commision stated that “THERE IS NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE THAT TIES SADDAM WITH AL QAEDA” at the same time Dick “I’m lying again” Cheney restated the same old crap.

    Instead of the AG, how about the most corrupt and biggest liar of a vice president in US history? And there’s Cheney on the inside, down the home stretch….Cheney leads by 10 lengths, fifeteen….Cheney at the finish line by twenty-five lengths.

  13. 13.

    Far North

    Anyway, the conservative seems to think that, if this UN oil / food thing is true, it would justifies or validate all this other corrupt behavior of the Bush administration. Those of us that are disgusted with the incompetence and corruption of the Bush administration aren’t sitting members of the UN. If something corrupt happened, let the investigation run it course. Just like the Plame investigation.

    But, folks, quit hiding behind this UN thing as if it’s a “gotcha”. It has nothing to do with those that criticize the Bushies.

  14. 14.

    Slartibartfast

    “Anyway, the conservative seems to think that, if this UN oil / food thing is true, it would justifies or validate all this other corrupt behavior of the Bush administration.”

    Mind reading. Fifteen yard penalty.

  15. 15.

    Misha I

    …and an additional loss of down for incredibly bad mindreading.

    First, I’d love to have some actual examples, with added evidence, of “all of this corrupt behavior of the Bush administration”.

    Then, even if you manage to find some that wasn’t thought up by a drooling Moonbat on Dhimmicrap Underwear, you’re still dead wrong.

    The UN oil-for-kickbacks-to-Kofi scam isn’t a justification for anything other than finally telling the roaches on Turtle Bay to pack their bags and go find another rock to hide under.

    Besides, if it really WAS a way of diverting attention away from your alleged and mythical BushCheneyHalliburtonNeoconVRWC Illuminatis, don’t you think that the administration would be busying themselves shining a bright light on it, rather than instructing Bremer to help bury the evidence?

    Just asking.

  16. 16.

    willyb

    Far North,

    I think the thing to note about the UN Oil for Food scandal is that it gives some reason, other than the ones publicly presented by the French and Russians, for their Security Council positions on enforcing Resolution 1441 regarding Iraq. They were hip-deep in the skimming fraud that Saddam was engaged in. To the detriment, I might add, of the regular Iraq “citizen.”

    Beyond that, it just confirms what I have always known about the UN. They are a useless, less than honest, bunch of incompetent, third-world politicians. Our own politicians are pretty despicable, but this bunch take the cake.

    As for the administration “scandals”, I say let the accusers present their proof. If the adminitration is guilty of wrong-doing, then let the cards fall where they may. As far as I can tell, the Haliburton “scandal” has been entirely manufactured by Demoncrats.

    As for Cheney, the fact that he once worked for Haliburton, and was paid hansomely I might add, does not mean he is in their pockets. Do you have some specific lies that Cheney has told?

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