I am burnt out. No blogging today.
Archives for 2005
Loose Lips
Did John Kerry and Richard Lugar just pull a Bob Novak and out an agent? This report seems to suggest that they did:
Mr. Smith came to Washington again Monday, as an alias for a Central Intelligence Agency officer who works covertly. Senators, however, may have blown his cover.
During questioning on John R. Bolton’s nomination to be President Bush’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bolton and members of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee referred to “Mr. Smith” as one official among several who were involved in a dispute over what Democrats asserted was Bolton’s inappropriate treatment of an intelligence analyst who disagreed with him.
“We referred to this other analyst at the CIA, whom I’ll try and call Mr. Smith here, I hope I can keep that straight,” Bolton said at one point.
Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., both mentioned a name, Fulton Armstrong, that had not previously come up in public accounts of the intelligence flap.
It is not clear whether Armstrong is the undercover officer, but an exchange between Kerry and Bolton suggests that he may be.
In questioning Bolton, Kerry read from a transcript of closed-door interviews that committee staffers conducted with State Department officials prior to Monday’s hearing.
“Did Otto Reich share his belief that Fulton Armstrong should be removed from his position? The answer is yes,” Kerry said, characterizing one interview. “Did John Bolton share that view?” Kerry said, and then said the answer again was yes.
“As I said, I had lost confidence in Mr. Smith, and I conveyed that,” Bolton replied evenly. “I thought that was the honest thing to do.”
Valerie Plame all over again? Does anyone know more?
*** Update ***
Nope. Just the lazy media again.
Lies Michael Moore Told Me
Apparently the lies in Fahrenheit 9/11 were not enough, and Michael Moore had to tell lies ABOUT the movie’s popularity:
As publicity for Fahrenheit 9/11, Moore himself could not have written better stories. And he did seem to write some of them.
I Don’t Understand Democrats
Sometimes I guess this party just doesn’t want to be in power. After watching certain wings of the Republican party explode with rage regarding the extra-legal and idiotic attempts to craft legislation solely to insert themselves inthe Schiavo marriage, you would think Democrats would take the hint. Instead, some are cheerleading this nonsense:
Maryland lawmakers yesterday approved legislation that would effectively require Wal-Mart to boost spending on health care, a direct legislative thrust against a corporate giant that is already on the defensive on many fronts nationwide.
“We’re looking for responsible businesses to ante up . . . and provide adequate health care,” said Sen. Thomas M. Middleton (D-Charles), the Finance Committee chairman, as the Senate approved the measure with a majority wide enough to survive an anticipated veto. A similar bill has cleared the House of Delegates, and legislators expect to reconcile their differences easily.
Lawmakers said they did not set out to single out Wal-Mart when they drafted a bill requiring organizations with more than 10,000 employees to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on health benefits — or put the money directly into the state’s health program for the poor.
But as debate raged in the Senate yesterday, it was clear that the giant retailer, which has 15,000 workers in Maryland, was the only company that would be affected.
All your business are belong to us. Really, though (*wink*), they didn’t know that Wal-Mart would be the only company effected. They just pulled the number 10,000 out of the air.
Fine choice. Government control of your marriage and medical decisions, or government control of your business and economic choices. Let’s just throw all these bastards out of office. What makes it so inexplicable is that at the same time they were passing bills designed to control occupational issues, they recognize the value of individual liberty in some areas:
Other portions of the Democrats’ agenda targeted their progressive base. With the domestic partners bill, they gave unmarried partners, including gay couples, the right to make health decisions for each other.
And then reverted back to nanny state form:
The legislature set in place a host of new restrictions on teen drivers that came in response to a rash of road deaths in the Washington region over the past six months. A measure barring novice teen drivers from carrying teenage passengers who are not family members reached the governor’s desk, as did a bill prohibiting teens from using cell phones while driving during the 18-month provisional license period.
Explain.
The Bull Moose Speaks
On Tom DeLay:
Come on, fellow members of the vast left wing conspiracy – everyone has to relax on occasion. When you are busy implementing the K Street Project, ramming through a redistricting plan in Texas with corporate funds, using government assets for political business, gutting ethics rules and threatening judges, you really need time to unwind. And what better way to do it than with fine upstanding citizens like Casino Jack!
And besides, when he leaves Congress, Tiger Tom may give Tiger Woods a run for his money in the PGA. On May 12th when they celebrate his leadership, the denizens of the right should give Tiger Tom a Green Jacket – for he is truly the Master of Sleaze.
On the Republican ‘agenda:’
The Republican domestic agenda has run out of steam. Well, not exactly – they still seek to reward their corporate cronies and posture for the religious right. What was once said about the former Governor of Texas, “Pass the Biscuits Pappy” O’Daniel can also be said about the GOP. – the aim of the Republican Party is to save the soul of the poor man and the wealth of the rich man.
But for the rest of America, including Main Street Republicans, the cupboard is bare. Tax cuts have lost their appeal and the GOP has lost all of its credibility as the party of small government.
Of course, everything could change and the war against terror could return to center stage in an instant. But as long as the focus is on the domestic front, the War Party has nothing to say.
The current political situation is eerily similar to the period of 93 and 94 – an incumbent party has misinterpreted the results of the election, overreached on a domestic policy initiative, became identified with a controversial social agenda and the congressional wing appeared mired in corruption.
What is most damaging to the Republicans is that they appear out of touch with America. For years, the right’s rap on the left was that it was dominated by intellectual elites who couldn’t relate to America. That can now be said of the right. The conservatives are now a mix of inside-the Beltway egg-heads and K Street hustlers. The Schiavo case and social security privatization are two issues that illustrate the gulf between America and the right.
And who believes that most Americans are abuzz about activist judges? Browse through a Walmart and see if the folks are aflame about the nuclear option. No, the Federalist Society bow tie types are as out of touch as the tie-dye Berkeley types.
Today’s right is more comfortable on K Street than on Main Street.
Eason Jordan Syndrome
Ouch. I mean, damn. That had to hurt.
I propose we call this Eason Jordan Syndrome- when a titled figure shows a willingness to informally pass off as fact things he/she would never consider stating officially or on record, because, of course, they aren’t facts at all.
Just vicious lies.
A Real Eye Opener
If you take the threat of radical Islamist terrorism seriously (who doesn’t?), then the movie “Dirty War” will scare the living hell out of you.
The movie is, according to the website, fiction that was “based on factual research by BBC Current Affairs.” I watched it last night, and man, does it present some frightening scenarios, as well as really capturing the chaos should a dirty bomb be set off in a metropolitan area.
I understand that there is some discussion about whether dirty bombs are possible- I would choose to err on the side of caution. After watching this movie, I have some real questions about the preparedness of the Department of Homeland Security. Can we ever really be prepared?