Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

This really is a full service blog.

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

Joe Lieberman disappointingly reemerged to remind us that he’s still alive.

No Justins, No Peace

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

Come on, man.

“Cheese and Kraken paired together for the appetizer trial.”

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

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

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

We’ll be taking my thoughts and prayers to the ballot box.

“And when the Committee says to “report your income,” that could mean anything!

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Let’s finish the job.

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

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64Comments

  1. 1.

    Dreggas

    No break needed, but this is a good place to review “Buying the war”. My take one it, I used to get extremely pissed every time I saw the mugshots of the 9-11 highjackers, pissed at what they had done, I never thought I could be more pissed until last night. Last night as I watched clips of Rice, Kristol, Cheney, Bush, etc. that all changed. Each time I saw them the words “should be dragged into the street and shot” went through my head.

  2. 2.

    mrmobi

    It’s is good to have Moyers back on TV. His stuff has been consistently excellent, last night was no exception.

    While some in the media have jumped off the “perpetual war” train, it’s good to be reminded how utterly wrong and how lazy most of them were. All the information needed to detect the lies was out there and very few had the balls to buck the neocon steamroller.

    All the folks who rooted for this nonsense should be laughed off any stage that they appear on. In a just society, they would be forced to wear the torn and bloody uniforms of soldiers killed in this catastrofuck.

    Now this same bloodthirsty crew wants us to “give the surge a chance to work.” As Bill Maher said a while back, “You’ve been wrong about everything, so you don’t get to predict stuff anymore.”

  3. 3.

    Scruffy McSnufflepuss

    Now this same bloodthirsty crew wants us to “give the surge a chance to work.” As Bill Maher said a while back, “You’ve been wrong about everything, so you don’t get to predict stuff anymore.”

    Iraq’s going just fine, though, moonbat! In a few Friedman units, the country will be a thriving democracy, and our strongest ally in the world. Just you wait.

  4. 4.

    numbskull

    And now we find that Rove or Rove-bots held 20 meetings at 15 different federal agencies to make “the political appointees” at those agencies aware of who Rove was targeting on the D side and who specifically needed help on the R side in the midterm elections.

    Hatch Act violations as clear as can be.

    Yet nobuddy remembers nuttin’…

  5. 5.

    jill

    What we need a break from is this incompetent, lying, useless, shameless, ignorant President.

  6. 6.

    Pb

    Also, Bill Kristol wants to debate Bill Moyers now–I say, bring it on. And Condi Rice apparently thinks she can just ignore a subpoena? Again, bring it–I’ll make the popcorn.

  7. 7.

    jill

    On Washington Journal today Kristol said he would not go on Moyer’s show b/c he doesn’t want to be edited by Moyers and his producers. What a hack. I’m sure Moyers wouldn’t edit the truth, like Kristol does.

  8. 8.

    Bubblegum Tate

    Yet nobuddy remembers nuttin’…

    This administration is staffed with a bunch of Johnny Tightlips.

    As long as I’m mentioning peripheral Simpsons characters, I hope they include Birch Barlow in another episode sometime. Sure, making fun of El Rushbo is easy, but that was a hilarious character.

  9. 9.

    The Other Steve

    No break needed, but this is a good place to review “Buying the war”. My take one it, I used to get extremely pissed every time I saw the mugshots of the 9-11 highjackers, pissed at what they had done, I never thought I could be more pissed until last night. Last night as I watched clips of Rice, Kristol, Cheney, Bush, etc. that all changed. Each time I saw them the words “should be dragged into the street and shot” went through my head.

    On a scale of 1 to 10, where does this rate compared to the revelation this week that the military delayed the rescue of Jessica Lynch by a day because they were trying to find a camera crew?

    Although, I have to admit when I heard that I nearly broke down crying. So perhaps pissed is not the right term.

  10. 10.

    jill

    The most egregious part of the Bush Administration role in the build up to war was their planting a dramatic story in the NYT and then they would cite the exact story that was planted by them.

  11. 11.

    Punchy

    And Condi Rice apparently thinks she can just ignore a subpoena? Again, bring it—I’ll make the popcorn.

    Letters took my lead….This, to me, is the most egregious thing I’ve heard all week, and that’s saying a lot. She can just “ignore” a subpeona? On “executive privilege” grounds?

  12. 12.

    Wilfred

    Newspeak 101:

    “Success will take continued commitment, perseverance and sacrifice, all to make possible an opportunity for the all-important Iraqi political actions that are the key to long-term solutions to Iraq’s many problems,” the general said at a Pentagon briefing.

    Somehow I get the feeling that the Surgin’ General is trying to tell us something.

  13. 13.

    Dreggas

    The Other Steve Says:

    On a scale of 1 to 10, where does this rate compared to the revelation this week that the military delayed the rescue of Jessica Lynch by a day because they were trying to find a camera crew?

    Although, I have to admit when I heard that I nearly broke down crying. So perhaps pissed is not the right term.

    Those responsible for the Lynch “tall tale” and the Tillman one deserve to be crucified upside down. The other night I was getting ready for bed and had the local fox station on (which tends to be, well, not fox news like) and the anchor looked right in the camera and said it, the military and other “officials” lied about both, that made me want to just put a fist through their skulls.

  14. 14.

    Paul L.

    Care to show where you got this nugget?

    On a scale of 1 to 10, where does this rate compared to the revelation this week that the military delayed the rescue of Jessica Lynch by a day because they were trying to find a camera crew?

    Media Lynch Mob

    Several officials cautioned that the precise sequence of events is still being determined, and that further information will emerge as Lynch is debriefed. Reports thus far are based on battlefield intelligence, they said, which comes from monitored communications and from Iraqi sources in Nasiriyah whose reliability has yet to be assessed. Pentagon officials said they had heard “rumors” of Lynch’s heroics but had no confirmation.

    For the Balloon Juice supporters of Hezbollah during the Israeli-Hezbollah War of 2006 who believe the media coverage was accurate and even-handed.
    How the Media Partnered With Hezbollah: Harvard’s Cautionary Report

    Journalists did Hezbollah’s work, offering little resistance to the Islamic militia’s effort to portray itself as an idealistic and heroic army of the people, facing an aggressive and ruthless enemy. With Hezbollah’s unchallenged control of journalists’ access within its territory, it managed to almost completely eliminate from the narrative crucial facts, such as the fact that it deliberately fired its weapons from deep within civilian population centers, counting on Israeli forces to have no choice but defend themselves by targeting rocket launchers where they stood. Hezbollah’s strong support from Syria and Iran — including the provision of deadly weapons — faded in the coverage, as the conflict increasingly became portrayed as pitting one powerful army against a band of heroic defenders of a civilian population.

    Israelis by the hundreds of thousands became the target of rocket fire aimed at civilian centers. Women and children, Jews and Arabs, young and old, spent more than a month living in underground shelters while nearly 4000 Hezbollah rockets rained on Israel. The coverage from Israel, however, quickly moved away from the anxiety-filled civilian areas, which were not terribly telegenic, and onto the front lines where armed, uniformed soldiers could be seen by television cameramen and reporters.
    By contrast, armed Hezbollah fighters were all but invisible to the media. Also invisible were Hezbollah’s thousands of rockets and rocket launchers strategically positioned near schools, hospitals and apartment buildings.

  15. 15.

    Dreggas

    Paul L. Says:

    Care to show where you got this nugget?

    On a scale of 1 to 10, where does this rate compared to the revelation this week that the military delayed the rescue of Jessica Lynch by a day because they were trying to find a camera crew?

    Have you been living under a rock the past few days or do you just not pay attention?

  16. 16.

    Wilfred

    Of course it’s more accurate to say:

    Journalists didn’t do Israel’s work, offering little help to the IDF’s effort to portray itself as an idealistic and heroic army of the people, facing an aggressive and ruthless enemy.

    That’s Paul’s job, along with the rest of the Aipac megaphones.

  18. 18.

    Paul L.

    Have you been living under a rock the past few days or do you just not pay attention?

    I have not seen this revelation.
    There is button for links when entering comments.
    Educate me and post a link to a story with this revelation.

  19. 19.

    Paul L.

    Wilfred to people like you showing anything that reflects negatively on Hezbollah (no matter how accurate or truthful) ) is doing Israel’s work.
    Such as

    By contrast, armed Hezbollah fighters were all but invisible to the media. Also invisible were Hezbollah’s thousands of rockets and rocket launchers strategically positioned near schools, hospitals and apartment buildings.

    are you saying this is not true?

  20. 20.

    Pb

    Paul L.,

    Pick up a fucking newspaper and try to read it for once; inside, you might find something like this:

    Americans have known for some time that the stories of Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman, the two most famous faces of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, were embellished by the Pentagon. Even so, details revealed at congressional hearings this week were shocking.

    It emerged, for example, that the military delayed by a day the dramatic rescue of Lynch in early 2003 – after she had been captured and taken to an Iraqi hospital when her supply unit was ambushed. Why? Because it wanted to videotape the rescue. That tape was then used to help spin a false story portraying her as a female Rambo firing at the enemy. In reality, she had been too injured to fight. And her captors had left the hospital long before U.S. commandos arrived.

  21. 21.

    Wilfred

    Paul L, listen carefully: Tactics follow weapons, not the other way around. If Hezbollah had Cluster Bombs to drop on Israeli villages from F-18 fighters, I’m sure they would use them. If they had napalm to fire on Israeli towns like the Israelis did in 1982, they would. if they had a navy, they’d blockade Israel.

    But Hezbollah doesn’t have big cool friends like America who are willing to foot the bill for such weapons. You don’t like the way Hezbollah fights? Then join me in asking that we give it the same weapons we give the Israelis. Otherwise, fuck off – it’s not the job of Arabs and Muslims to lay down like Stepin Fetchit slaves before the Israelis or Americans.

  22. 22.

    Pb

    Incidentally, here’s yet another cover-up in the same vein as Pat Tillman’s and Jessica Lynch’s:

    McCaffreys only child, Spc. Patrick R. McCaffrey, was killed by Iraqi soldiers he was training on June 22, 2004. His death was originally attributed to an ambush during a patrol near Balad.

    In a June note to Congress, the Pentagon clarified his official cause of death. The document said the investigation was completed on Sept. 30, 2005, but for unknown reasons, it took military officials nearly a year to notify the families.

    One of the trainees has been arrested by the Iraqi government, according to McCaffrey, and he is expected to stand trial sometime this year. The second trainee is believed to be dead.

    Nadia McCaffrey was given her sons official cause of death two years after he was killed.

  23. 23.

    Paul L.

    Forgive me if I do not believe the word of Henry “Valerie Plame was covert” Waxman.
    See how hard it is to link the story.
    Pentagon credibility under a cloud

    Lynch was stunned when committee Chairman Henry Waxman revealed in the hearing that her rescue had been postponed a day so that the military could videotape the assault.

    Waxman, D-Calif., said that the military told The Washington Post that it wanted to be sure to videotape Lynch’s rescue because “it would be the hottest thing of the day. It was an awesome story.”

    But Waxman took exception to the military’s effort to publicize Lynch’s rescue. “Well, this might have been an awesome story, but this was your life, and you were the one feeling the pain, and they were trying to stage a rescue to sustain their heroic story that they had made up,” he said. “And your story was heroic enough without that fabrication.”

    I am guessing that the Washington Post will soon tell us who in the military said that.

  25. 25.

    Paul L.

    Er, yeah, he speaks the truth, therefore you don’t believe him. Par for the course, really.

    Henry Waxman read a prepared statement that was cleared by CIA director Michael Hayden. It read in part:

    “During her employment at the CIA, Ms. Wilson was undercover. Her employment status with the CIA was classified information, prohibited from disclosure under Executive Order 12958. At the time of the publication of Robert Novak’s column on July 14, 2003, Ms. Wilson’s CIA employment status was covert. This was classified information. Ms. Wilson served in senior management positions at the CIA in which she oversaw the work for other CIA employees and she attained the level of GS-14 — Step Six under the federal pay scale. Ms. Wilson worked on some of the most sensitive and highly secretive matters handled by the CIA. Ms. Wilson served at various times overseas for the CIA.”

    Novak – Hayden Won’t Say If Plame Is “Covert” Under IIPA

    Republican Rep. Peter Hoekstra could hardly believe what he heard last Friday on television as he watched a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing. Rep. Henry Waxman, the Democratic committee chairman, said his statement had been approved by the CIA director, Gen. Michael Hayden. That included the assertion that Valerie Plame Wilson was a covert CIA operative when her identity was revealed.

    As House Intelligence Committee chairman when Republicans still controlled Congress, Hoekstra had tried repeatedly to learn Plame’s status from the CIA but got only double talk from Langley. Waxman may be a bully and a partisan. But he is no fool who would misrepresent the director of Central Intelligence. Waxman was correctly quoting Hayden. But Hayden, in a conference with Hoekstra Wednesday, still did not answer whether Plame was covert under the terms of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.

  26. 26.

    ThymeZone

    Are we talking about the same Pentagon that said, weeks ago, that decreased violence in Baghdad was an indication that the “surge was working,” and now says that an increase in violence in Baghdad is an indication that the “surge is working?”

    So, whether violence goes up or down, it proves that the surge is working.

    See, these things are all just part of the proper metrics.

    On Thursday, Mr. Reid, Nevada Democrat, cited a series of five suicide bombings on Wednesday that killed more than 200 people as an example of why the war is lost.

    Mr. Bush acknowledged the violence and said that since he began sending the first of about 30,000 reinforcements in January, “we have seen some of the highest casualty levels of the war.”

    “And as the number of troops in Baghdad grows and operations move into even more dangerous neighborhoods, we can expect the pattern to continue,” he said.

    Apparently the bottomless stupidity of the True Believers is still being plumbed ….

  27. 27.

    Pb

    Paul L.,

    You’re quoting Novak? Well, two can play at that game.

    I obtained Waxman’s talking points for the hearing. The draft typed after the Hayden-Waxman conversation said, ‘Ms. Wilson had a career as an undercover agent of the CIA.’ This was crossed out, the hand-printed change saying she ‘was a covert employee of the CIA’…Hayden told me that the talking points were edited by a CIA lawyer after conferring with Waxman’s staff. ‘I am completely comfortable with that,’ the general assured me. He added he now sees no difference between ‘covert’ and ‘undercover’

    I’ll accept your apology now; hopefully Henry Waxman will as well.

  28. 28.

    Paul L.

    He added he now sees no difference between ‘covert’ and ‘undercover’

    However there is a difference under Intelligence Identities Protection Act.
    You will get the apology when Hayden states that Valerie Plame was covert under the terms of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.

  30. 30.

    Pb

    Paul L.,

    You will get the apology when Hayden states that Valerie Plame was covert under the terms of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.

    Waxman said ‘covert’, Hayden (i.e. the CIA) said he was fine with that (and of course Novak outed her in the first place!). But there’s another way to settle this–you know who else said Valerie Plame was covert, besides Waxman, and the CIA? That’s right, Valerie Plame did, under oath, before Congress. So if you really don’t believe her (and the CIA, and everyone else who also said she was covert), then I suggest you write to the appropriate Congressmen and Justice Dept. officials, to prosecute her for lying to Congress. And then tell us how that goes!

  31. 31.

    Paul L.

    you know who else said Valerie Plame was covert, besides Waxman, and the CIA? That’s right, Valerie Plame did, under oath, before Congress.

    From your link

    When asked by the committee the definition of the term “covert”, Plame responded: “I’m not a lawyer, but my understanding is that the CIA is taking affirmative steps to ensure that there is no links between the operations officer and the Central Intelligence Agency.” When asked if she was ever told whether her status fit the definition under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, Plame replied: “No,” adding “I’m not a lawyer, but I was covert. I did travel overseas on secret missions within the last five years…[but] no, no one told me that [I fit the definition under the IIPA].”

  33. 33.

    Pb

    Paul L.,

    As I said, she said that she “was convert”, as did Waxman, and Hayden. Really, do you dispute that, or not? You did before, but maybe you were mistaken. Remember?

    Forgive me if I do not believe the word of Henry “Valerie Plame was covert” Waxman.

  34. 34.

    Wilfred

    So, whether violence goes up or down, it proves that the surge is working

    That’s exactly right. Look, here’s a simple analogy; Someone blows on his soup to cool it, while someone else blows on his hands to warm them. Or someone blows on a fire to put it out while someone else blows on the fire to make it burn better. Different results but the same cause: All these people blow. While it’s true we have blown plenty in Iraq, our job now is to just blow harder, then we can stop.

  35. 35.

    HyperIon

    wrt Buying the War, the thing that really blew me away was the scripted WH presser showed at the beginning. who arranged this? i mean, who on the press pool side? what a bunch of pathetic suckups.

    i did not watch this press conference due to the detrimental effects to my mental health GWB’s voice has. but i have never seen any coverage of it like the clip in BtW that showed clearly that everyone in that room knew it was a staged event.

    there was a list of who to call on. did the WH also get to write the questions. or did “April” think up this question on her own?

    APRIL: How is your faith guiding you?

  36. 36.

    Pb

    Ah, Paul L. is on to another jackalope. Therein, he cites a post that can’t find the text of the bill, and another that can’t give details as to the capacity or the number of the magazines in question. Proof!

    You should take that show on the road. Really. Far, far away.

  37. 37.

    Paul L.

    Ah, Paul L. is on to another jackalope. Therein, he cites a post that can’t find the text of the bill, and another that can’t give details as to the capacity or the number of the magazines in question. Proof!

    She says it in the video.
    Standard Magazines
    Glock 19 15 rounds.
    Walther P22 10 rounds.

  38. 38.

    Pb

    the thing that really blew me away was the scripted WH presser showed at the beginning. who arranged this?

    I’ve known about those for a while–because if there’s a script, Bush will screw it up eventually.

    We’ll be there in a minute. King, John King. This is a scripted — (laughter.)

  39. 39.

    The Other Steve

    Paul L is a perfect example of projecting… Since he lies all the time, he thinks everybody else is.

  40. 40.

    The Other Steve

    However there is a difference under Intelligence Identities Protection Act.
    You will get the apology when Hayden states that Valerie Plame was covert under the terms of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.

    But once he does that, you’re going to come back and claim it’s not true because he didn’t swear upon the Bible, or give a blood oath.

  41. 41.

    Dug Jay

    At least it’s probably a good thing that all you dipshits are here posting your every little brainfart, rather than out actively planting bombs at our military bases and blowing up things.

  42. 42.

    ThymeZone

    But once he does that, you’re going to come back and claim it’s not true because he didn’t swear upon the Bible, or give a blood oath give his answer in the form of a question, Alex.

    Aligned with reality.

  43. 43.

    Pb

    Paul L.,

    That Glock clip probably would have been banned as well, as it’s over 10 rounds. Yet again, you are dead-wrong, entirely incapable of performing even the most cursory fact-checking, and quoting other idiots for your information. I’ll leave your next jackalope to someone else, if the shame alone doesn’t prevent you from posting again.

  45. 45.

    Jake

    Have you been living under a rock the past few days or do you just not pay attention?

    The two are not mutually exclusive.

    However, I think we should give PaulEll a round of applause for trying to kick his snowflake baby habit. He even resisted the temptation of an open thread. So despite the crippled jackalopes he’s releasing like some sort of demented PETA-phile at least give him credit for trying.

  46. 46.

    Punchy

    But once he does that, you’re going to come back and claim it’s not true because he didn’t swear upon the Bible he’s a leftist-leaning, failure-embracing, weak-kneed turncoat Lib who’s also lying and probably trying to sell a book while sipping on milkshakes of aborted gay fetuses of illegal immigrants from Iran.

    Fixed.

  48. 48.

    The Other Steve

    That Glock clip probably would have been banned as well, as it’s over 10 rounds. Yet again, you are dead-wrong, entirely incapable of performing even the most cursory fact-checking, and quoting other idiots for your information. I’ll leave your next jackalope to someone else, if the shame alone doesn’t prevent you from posting again.

    It really doesn’t matter.

    This is a Jackalope issue.

  49. 49.

    HyperIon

    However, I think we should give PaulEll a round of applause for trying to kick his snowflake baby habit. He even resisted the temptation of an open thread.

    and the bodies in Qana went unmentioned as well…another one of his brilliant successes.

  50. 50.

    tBone

    At least it’s probably a good thing that all you dipshits are here posting your every little brainfart, rather than out actively planting bombs at our military bases and blowing up things.

    Shorter Dug Jay: “Why does Paul L get all the attention? I’m a troll too!”

  51. 51.

    Pb

    It really doesn’t matter.

    Welcome to Balloon Juice,

    This is a Jackalope issue.

    I see you’ve met Paul L.!

  52. 52.

    demimondian

    You know, I’ve got a lot of respect for Paul L. (No, seriously. He isn’t, say, our *other* Paul L., but there’s only one of p.luk.) He comes in here, gamely, and tries a new attack — and, unlike other trolls, he deal seriously with them. It’s to his credit that he does as well as one can with truthy counterfacts, and that he beaten to death by the local commentariat. At least he’s loyal.

    Now, Paul — about those totipotent adult stem cells…

  54. 54.

    The Other Steve

    No break needed, but this is a good place to review “Buying the war”. My take one it, I used to get extremely pissed every time I saw the mugshots of the 9-11 highjackers, pissed at what they had done, I never thought I could be more pissed until last night. Last night as I watched clips of Rice, Kristol, Cheney, Bush, etc. that all changed. Each time I saw them the words “should be dragged into the street and shot” went through my head.

    Watched it tonight. I concur. I was particularly ready to reach through the screen and strangle Peter Beinart. Oh my fucking lord what a pompous know-nothing pinhead.

  57. 57.

    Zifnab

    See, if Glocks had been banned, we’d never get to read that fantastic little piece of journalism. Thank you jake.

  58. 58.

    mrmobi

    I was particularly ready to reach through the screen and strangle Peter Beinart. Oh my fucking lord what a pompous know-nothing pinhead.

    TOS, I agree, and I was struck by Moyers’ kindness during the interview. He was asking Beinart how it was he had fucked up so badly, and managed to do it without screaming. Truly a mature individual. I don’t think I could have managed it myself.

    I would point out, though, that at least Beinart agreed to be interviewed. Many other just took a pass. How brave are these war-mongers, eh?

  60. 60.

    jake

    Thank Mithras for the PATRIOT Act! Otherwise the employees would not have noticed the bag and the police would not have responded. I bet the PATRIOT Act helps solve this one in the form of an anonymous tip to the police. [/snark]

    Officials have not commented on possible suspects or motives or why the clinic was targeted.

    That’s ok dudes, we can figure out the last two, you work on the first one. And don’t let the FBI/NSA/DHS get in your way.

  61. 61.

    Tulkinghorn

    It looks like the Mooslim terriers are at it again, planting bombs at a women’s health clinic.

    Time to round up a few mullahs/bishops for enhanced interrogation.

  62. 62.

    Dreggas

    jake Says:

    Officials have not commented on possible suspects or motives or why the clinic was targeted.

    {channel’s his inner church lady}

    Could the motive have been…..ABORTION?

  64. 64.

    Rome Again

    Damn sticky WAPO subscription wall – Chocolate purists will not be sweetly standing by if their news doesn’t get out. We must fight the removal of cocoa butter from our chocolate, sweettooths unite!

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