The Politics of Fear & Hate.

"The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail and so far it's working for us." -- Republican Whip Trent Lott, 4-18-07

Better Late Than Never-Republican Senators Lugar & Voinovich Bail from Bush’s Botched Iraq Policy.

“Sen. George Voinovich said Tuesday the U.S. should begin pulling troops out of Iraq, joining Richard Lugar as the second Republican lawmaker in as many days to suggest President Bush's war strategy is failing. . . . Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind. . . , a senior Republican and a reliable vote for President Bush on the war, said Monday that Bush's Iraq strategy was not working and that the U.S. should downsize the military's role. . . .The Ohio senator's remarks followed similar comments by Lugar, R-Ind., the previous night. The two GOP senators previously had expressed concerns about Bush's decision to send 30,000 extra troops to Iraq in a massive U.S.-led security push in Baghdad and Anbar province.” Another GOP Senator Urges Pullout By ANNE FLAHERTY

The Worst President Ever.

"[George W. Bush is]The worst President ever. This [Bush's Supreme] Court that eviscerates the Bill of Rights, the political bias of scientific and environmental decisions, the record trade deficit, the record budget deficit, thousands of Americans dead in a failed war for oil, and the shattering of international good will are the legacy of Bush-Cheney. As for the 26% who still support his policies, there is no excuse."

Jonah made this comment to a previous post. It bears repeating in big red letters. After the Supreme Court elected Bush the first time, I thought we'd wake up with a hangover but would be ok, but it took too long to wake up. As Jonah points out. Some of us still haven't.

Religious Groups Lead Gay Pride Parade

"We stand for a progressive religious voice, . . . Those who use religion to advocate an anti-gay agenda I believe are blaspheming God's name." Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum
We've known for years that homosexuals can be warriors, but there is some reason to think that men who live with men & women who live with women can't be religious leaders.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Edwards suggests non-judgmental tolerance. "’I don't know why somebody else's marriage has anything to do with me,’ [Elizabeth Edwards] said. "I'm completely comfortable with gay marriage.’ Like every other major Democratic candidate, John Edwards does not openly support gay marriage. Instead, Edwards and the other Dems openly support the second-class citizenship alternative of civil unions. I believe Elizabeth Edwards has also earned the distinction of becoming the first wife of a major candidate to actually express a controversial opinion that differs from that of her husband.
What kind of role model is this woman?” A very wonderful and rare one in Virgil’s opinion.

"The Supremes Have Done it Twice Today - No Free Speech and That 'Old Time Religion' Are 5-4 Winners."

A judge wrote this title. Unfortunately, he's not on the Supreme Court and the likes of Thomas, Scalia, Alito, & Roberts are. The Supremes, even more ideological & intellectually dishonest than they were when they elected Bush, (See, Opus Dei Goes To Washington) just ruled for Bush's faith-based initiative and for your tax dollars being used to advance religion. They also said public schools may censor students even for a nonsensical phrase if it hints at marijuana us and/or refers to Jesus the reference being preceded by “In” and followed by "’s name we pray.” This administration has made the same sound decisions with its judicial appointments as it has with its foreign policy.

That Moment-Thanks Again To The Incredible String Band

Cheney Says Law Doesn't Apply to Him

(Double Click On The Dick To Hear Melanie's Comment)
"Vice President Cheney's office tried to abolish the National Archives' office after catching him circumventing the system for overseeing classified documents, House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman reported Thursday."
I don't know what made me think of this Golden Oldie from the days when this Dick was Dodging the Draft.

At The Divine Rev. Ms. S's Request Here's Willie, Waylon & Patsy

Click here to here to hear Patsy & Willie team up on Life's A Railway To Heaven

To hear Waylon do Amanda, click below.


Click here to hear the boys do Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.

Click here to hear Patsy Fall to Pieces.

The More Things Change All Over Again

Most of our Supreme Court Justices have never represented real people & the chicken hawks who avoided service lead us into war. Maybe Sir Joseph Porter was right.

. . . that junior partnership, I ween,
Was the only ship that I ever had seen.
But that kind of ship so suited me,
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!

I grew so rich that I was sent
By a pocket borough into Parliament.
I always voted at my party's call,
And I never thought of thinking for myself at all.
I thought so little, they rewarded me
By making me the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!

Now landsmen all, whoever you may be,
If you want to rise to the top of the tree,
If your soul isn't fettered to an office stool,
Be careful to be guided by this golden rule -
Stick close to your desks and never go to sea,
And you all may be rulers of the Queen's Navee!

Still Is

Bush Vetos Another Stem-Cell Bill Because He Finds It Morally Offensive to Destroy Discarded Human Embryos.

Of course, they'll be destroyed anyway. ". . . the legislation would only permit scientists to use embryos left over from fertility treatments that would otherwise be discarded. They also say it could clear the way for possible medical breakthroughs that could help millions of people suffering with debilitating diseases." Bush will veto popular stem-cell bill: aides by Thomas Ferraro
"This is just one example of how the president puts ideology before science, politics before the needs of our families, just one more example of how out of touch with reality he and his party have become," Hillary Rodham Clinton

We still have more than 579 more days of this.

Sickos Running Our Health Care & The Health Insurance Racket.

"Thirty-five years ago, in the same week Watergate happened, a New Left radical said something I never forgot.
'Eventually the United States and the Soviet Union will become mirror images of each other,' he told a bunch of us college students. 'They will get color TV, and we will get bugging, inefficiency and long lines.' That memory came back to me when Sicko showed how crowded hospitals bundle confused, disoriented and indigent patients into taxis and dump them out on Skid Row, in front of a mission. . . What's pretty clear is that we'd better start some form of revolution that involves single-payer health care, or this nation is doomed." From Sicko Makes You Want to Start A Revolution.

A Long Long Way

A dear friend and I were talking about our having come a long way. We have. It's been an interesting ride and I hope our journey has been mostly for the good. I still couldn't help thinking of this commercial. It's funny how we see ourselves and how we measure things sometimes.

Guess Things Happen That Way.

In keeping with my making my posts less depressing, here's a little number by Johnny Cash. I was a friend of old Johnny's. I was in the Navy with him. I'm sendin this song out this mornin to all them that's been dumped to cheer um up a bit. Take it away Johnny.

Patti & Emily Are Very Different, But Both Are Heros

I got this message from Patti yesterday. “You've finally done it. ONTHEVirg is even more depressing than snohwomen. We should give up on people, the animals and birds have probably had it, maybe the bugs have a chance.” She’s right, of course. I was going to take a sabbatical today. Only the spirit of Emily LaTella keeps me going. I hope Patti won’t quit. She actually researches her posts.

Finally Some Good News- Bare breasts get New York woman $29,000.

"A New York woman recently agreed to a $29,000 legal settlement with city officials regarding her decision to bare her breasts in public nearly two years ago. . . . the settlement as part of her lawsuit for an August 2005 arrest for indecent exposure.
A New York appeals court ruled in 1992 that women should be legally allowed to bare their chests just as men are."

Collateral Damage

"A US led attack in Afghanistan left seven children dead from an air strike.
The US-led coalition stated that they had solid intelligence that there were Al Qaeda fighters in a safe house in eastern Afghanistan which they absolutely had to take out. The complex where the safe house was though was also near a mosque and a religious school."

Sir Salman

“Our loyal ally’s reaction is a bit disconcerting. See, Rushdie's knighthood 'justifies suicide attacks' . . . Pakistani MPs have voted unanimously to condemn the knighthood awarded to Sir Salman Rushdie, amid growing Muslim opposition to Britain's decision to honour the novelist.”
Glad were not still bogged down in Iraq.
Have I suggested reading The End of Faith by Sam Harris? I haven’t read his Letter to a Christian Nation. Click here for reviews.

"Honor" Killings

Are Arkansas's Elephants Endangered?

I know Tom Riddle, but did not remember Scott Riddle from the Discovery Channel show about his elephants until I heard from J. There’s apparently more to the story than was shown. I can’t say it any better than J. did: "If you want to get on a soap box, please do so about one 'Scott Riddle,' AKA: 'Elephant Man.' He was in the Democrat Gazette last week...Seems that there were negotiations going on in which the State was considering assisting him along with some 'Elephant Protection Project' (the word "protection is truly a misnomer as it would NOT be a sanctuary but rather a breeding and RESEARCH facility.) Negotiations were to buy him out of his so-called 'elephant sanctuary' (my ass) for 3.6 million. Problem is (which was NOT in the paper articles) Scott Riddle has literally banned from handling England's elephants, run out of California and busted killing elephants through electrical prods. Man is a true monster. Killed an elephant named Twinkles in Garden City, Kansas with an anal hot shot. He also trains for circuses...'Nuff said."