Joe Gandelman has the latest Robertson/Chavez news.
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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
No one could have predicted…
There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.
I like political parties that aren’t owned by foreign adversaries.
Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” is supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.
Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.
It looks like winning debates is a black job!
Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.
It’s not hopeless, and we’re not helpless.
Technically true, but collectively nonsense
Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.
The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.
Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.
The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.
“Joe Biden deserved better than he got from some folks in his own party.”
Alternative history is always a weak argument. Always.
The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.
T R E 4 5 O N
So many bastards, so little time.
People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.
Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.
You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.
Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.
The lights are all blinking red.
Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.
Nikki
Gandelman posted this from a column in the Washington Post. The Post is also keeping you Republican?
Stormy70
August will be over soon, and all the silliness with it.
yet another jeff
That’s right, soon it will be September, and Roberts confirmation hearings.
Good times, good times.
Bob
And by October we’ll have the indictments for the Plame Affair.
There was a time that Robertson apparently was an informal counsel to the President. Remember the story about how he and George were discussing how many soldiers would be killed during an Iraqi invasion? Did those counseling sessions end?
Brian
Robertson is one of the people Bush consults when picking Supreme Court nominees, along with Falwell. A lot of republicans are trying to pretend he’s a marginal crank but he’s not. Not marginal that is. He wants to talk to Rove on the phone, Rove takes his call.
Joe Albanese
October will also probably bring us to the 2,000 dead American’s in Iraq milestone. Yes, I agree, time to get beyond silliness.
Marcus Wellby
August will be over soon, and all the silliness with it.
I don’t know why August news coverage is thought of as any sillier than the other 11 months. The “slow news month” is just a pathetic excuse the media uses to cover its usual, and constant, crap. I don’t even see how its possible to have a slow news month while we are at war. I guess there just haven’t been enough shark attacks or kittens caught in trees.
John S.
Ah yes, I almost forgot John’s ‘outrage’ over DailyKOs stating much the same thing.
It’s all part of a vast left-wing conspiracy to keep him GOP.
ppGaz
We’ll miss you.
Nathan Lanier
Did anyone read the Times editorial this morning? What a piece of hackery.
BinkyBoy
A link or something might actually be helpful, Nathan.
Nathan Lanier
Sorry.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/25/opinion/25thu2.html
BinkyBoy
Seems like a pretty good summary of everything that has been commented here about Robertson and his comments. Which part of it do you feel is hackary? Just the fact that its in the NYT?
Do you think, given the fact that a large amount of oil comes from Venezuala, that we have active troops in the country, and that possibly instead of issuing threats against democratically elected popular leaders that we might want to, well, you know, be rational?
Defense Guy
Chaves? You should look again.
BinkyBoy
Right now his popularity is soaring, partially because of Robertson’s call. Right wingers should know that Nationalism is a powerful force, one that gets poor leaders re-elected, in fact.
I wonder if they’ll all be putting ton of flags on their cars, to show just how damn patriotic they are.
Brian
Yes, that’s one thing people don’t seem to understand: the United States isn’t the only country in the world that does nationalism, and rallies around the leader when outsiders attack. (Think of Bush’s approval ratings after 9/11 – they were something like 90%). Keep attacking Hugo and the venezuelans will love him more and more. Same with Iran. Neocons think we attack Iran the people will overthrow the mullahs. Bzzt. The mullahs will be more powerful and popular than ever.
Defense Guy
Yeah, Chavez is a peach. We should hope for more like him, especially when accompanied by ‘nationalistic fervor’.
Here is what you are holding up as legitimate.
This point alone should tell you something about the dear leader.
BinkyBoy
Yes yes, DG, I understand you don’t like the guy. I’m impartial about him. However, just like the right wingers keep claiming, He Won, move on. Deal with it and do the best you can with what you have.
Or maybe you like Patty R and you think official policy should change, that assassination is a good thing.
Whatever it is, I’m sure I disagree with it.
Defense Guy
BinkyBoy
You are trying to compare a man who essentially changed every aspect of a government to his liking, gave himself absolute power to a man that was elected by the people twice and will go away by 2008. It has nothing to do with like or dislike, it is about the death of democracy in Venezuala. Don’t be fooled.
BinkyBoy
You mean like making parts of laws exempt from Judicial overview?
Yeah, I see a huge difference.
Now tell me why Chavez has a 70% approval to the man who “will go away by 2008” having a 36% approval rating?
Oh, must be their liberal media.
Defense Guy
BinkyBoy
This is not some joke. This man is seizing the country. If Bush took the power away from Congress and the Judiciary like Chavez has, we both would be reaching for our guns. This is not a left vs right issue, this is the real start of dictatorship.
Bob
Defense Guy, they’re shooting people in the streets in Central Asia, they’re starving people in the Sudan. Large portions of Afghanistan are creeping back into Taliban control. In the wake of the utter failure to resolve the consitutional questions Iraq is headed for a civil war. The ice caps are melting. People can’t afford gasoline and are abandoning their trucks and SUVs on the sides of the road. The entire US owes itself to China and Saudi Arabia.
And you’re worrying about Chavez?
BinkyBoy
And DG, the solution is to have a major religious figure threaten to have him assassinated?
That sounds just like having 11 Saudi’s armed with box cutters running planes into buildings and then rushing off to war with a whole different country and closing down the box cutter store.
Whats that damn D word again? It must not be diplomacy, because thats never worked.
Defense Guy
Bob
Is it ok if I take a moment to worry about each dictator on his own merits, or is there some scale you can show me that will allow me to know which ones are acceptable and which are not. When Venezuala can’t get rid of this guy, I will be sure to tell them that there were other more pressing matters.
Binky
I think Robertson was wrong to make that statement. It added fire to an already tender situation. Nothing else to say on that really.
So I should put you two down as either not giving a shit or just pro-Chavez then?
jg
We just knocked over a country where the people hated the leader and it turned to shit. We should now take out an elected leader who has a 70% approval rating? Maybe we should mind our own business. Isn’t that a conservative value?
Defense Guy
jg
Yes, in absolute terms it is more than a conservative value, it is almost inherently an American one. Simply put, you leave me alone, I leave you alone and together we are a force to be reckoned with, unless of course one of us is a criminal or general miscreant. I suppose. However, we easily run into problems that allowing fascism or tyranny to fester can and has lead to horrors not only for the people unfortunate enough to be stuck inside it, but for those that live in the free world as well. History will gladly bear this point out for you, should you care to examine it.
I have stated that I do not advocate yet Robertson initial call for death. I do think that the free worlds must hold to account those who are simply tyrants. No one should have to stand for it or suffer in silence while the world simply watches. I would bet you agree, at least on principle.
madrino
Bush and Christian Theocrats want war.
The evangelical right thinks exactly like Pat Robertson and has no remorse in what he said regarding assasination of world leaders that don’t believe as they do. The tears they shed are crocodile tears and can best be understood by going to http://www.theocracywatch.org/audio-video.htm and listen or watch what the leadership in the US has become. The US is a moving torward becoming a Militaristic Christian Theocracy.
Get ready to teach metaphysical sciences!
Som of the leaders of the religious right (excluding members of Congress, Senate, White House and Supreme Court)
Paul Weyrich, Michael Graham, Jerry Fallwell, James Dobson, Ralph Reed, George Barna, Grover Norquist, D. James Kennedy, Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHey, Bill Bennett, Tony Perkins, Gary North, Gary DeMar, R. J. Rushdoony, Rick Warren…
Defense Guy
If this were true, which it isn’t, they would win too. Go back to hating or denying the existance of your creator and being afraid of the black helicopters coming for you.