Fox Dishonors Troops

Crooks and Liars » Whither Rush Goest, So Goes FOX News; FOX Now Insults War Generals: "...And the text of the article — by Fox News Contributor and frequent O’Reilly guest David Hunt — is even more Despicable, as it repeatedly attacks the honor and integrity of members of the United States Armed Forces in one smearing paragraph after the next, beginning with this first sentence:

Our generals are betraying our soldiers . . . again.

Our generals are betraying our soldiers . . . again. And yet, Brit Hume still couldn’t keep himself from making a few anti-MoveOn.org slams this morning on FOX News Sunday. Et tu, Brit?"

The Empire Strikes Back

GOP Is Ready to Roll Out the Klieg Lights for Craig - washingtonpost.com

"Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho is a tough guy to run out of town.

Not that his Republican colleagues aren't trying. Worried that the disgraced lawmaker intends to remain in the Senate indefinitely, they are threatening to notch up the public humiliation by seeking an open ethics hearing on the restroom scandal that enveloped Craig last month..."

Who's Paying, Who's Profiting?

Hall Institute of Public Policy - New Jersey: ANOTHER $30M?: "...Finally, why oh why are New Jersey taxpayers continuing to fund professional sports teams? These sports teams are raking in hundreds of millions of dollars while our State and her citizens are drowning in debt. If the Jets and Giants can afford tens of millions of dollars for less than successful players, surely they can cover a $30M tab to finance their elaborate new stadium, which will earn them millions more in the long-term.

It is time to end government sponsorship of professional sports in New Jersey and to recognize that such sponsorship is an abuse of the taxpayer that must not be tolerated. It is also time to hold accountable the elected and appointed officials who engineered yet another taxpayer-funded debacle..."

And every time the government, state, local, or federal, builds a highway or put up a red light or adds a sidewalk because Wal-Mart or GM or somebody has moved onto a new parcel of farm land, the tazpayer has to pay that toll, too. It's not just sports, it's the entire corporate welfare structure that needs to be overhauled. We paid trillions to put satellites in orbits and pioneered the technology, so have you received that DirecTV dividend in the mail? (Buying stock dodges the issue; I get that argument. The dispute I have is over levels of taxation.)

Medieval McCain

Talking Points Memo | McCain: Constitution establishes a ‘Christian nation’: "By Steve Benen

I've always thought the constitutional language was straightforward: 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.' The Constitution is entirely secular -- there's no mention of God, the Bible, the Ten Commandments, or the Judeo-Christian tradition.

With this in mind, one wonders what Constitution Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has been reading..."

Dissing Rush

VoteVets.org Ad on Rush Limbaugh

Whack-A-Mole, Part Two Million

US-Led Forces Kill Top al-Qaida Leader - Politics on The Huffington Post
"WASHINGTON — A U.S. airstrike killed one of the most senior al-Qaida leaders in Iraq, a Tunisian linked to the kidnapping and killings last summer of American soldiers, a top commander said Friday. Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson said the death of the suspected terrorist in a U.S. airstrike Tuesday south of Baghdad, and recent similar operations against al-Qaida, have left the organization in Iraq fractured..."

Good.

Cal Theft Averted?

Talking Points Memo | Villains Go Broke: "Seems the GOP effort to pre-steal a chunk of California's electoral votes is kaput. So says this LA Times blog. The outfit behind the scheme is "virtually dead with the resignation of key supporters, internal disputes and a lack of funds..."

St. John Troop Propping

Military: Army personnel violated Pentagon directive by attending McCain event - The Boston Globe: "MANCHESTER, N.H. --Seven on-duty Army personnel participated in a campaign event for Senator John McCain earlier this month in Londonderry, New Hampshire, in an apparent violation of a Pentagon directive against partisan political activity, two military officials confirmed this week..."

Jesus and the Noose

Crooks and Liars » Jena 6 DA’s “Undying Gratification” - Thanks to Jesus a Disaster averted!: "

Reed: The only way and let me stress that, the only way that I believe that me, or this community has been able to endure the trauma that has been thrust upon us is through the prayers of the Christian people who have sent them up in this community. (loud applause) I firmly believe and am confident of the fact that had it not been for the direct intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ last Thursday, a disaster would have happened. You can quote me on that!

There was a “press conference” today with the Jena 6 prosecutor DA Reed Walters. Or there was supposed to be a press conference but instead Walters played host for a gathering which sounded more like a revivalist tent meeting. ,While reporters noted they had never before been allowed to bring cameras into the courtroom, Walters had quite a show set up complete with about 60 local residents - described as “white supporters of the DA” on CNN who broke into applause when he appeared. I guess they had loved his performance back in 2006 when Black students protested the hanging of nooses in the “white tree.” Then Walters arrived at the school with a group of police and warned the peaceful student protest that “I could end your lives with the stroke of a pen.” This is the same Walters who consistently claimed “This case is not and never has been about race” and who “credits the ‘imaginations’ of African-Americans for the heightened racial tensions around the case.” Today, his words were less overtly threatening but the racist message was just as clear..."

Benefit of a doubt on bigotry now withdrawn.

Rush Disses Troops

Media Matters - Limbaugh: Service members who support U.S. withdrawal are "phony soldiers": "soldiers' During the September 26 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh called service members who advocate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq 'phony soldiers...'"

I'm gonna hold my breath until Congress passes a resolution condemning Rush Limbaugh (since they apparently have nothing better to do). Woops. Just passed and my head exploded.

Message To Congress?

Firedoglake - Firedoglake weblog » Fabled

"...The moral of the story: You want my vote? My phone banking time? My door knocking abilities? My knowledge of my community — and that of every person who reads here or any other online blog or for any other progressive political group? You earn it. Every damn day.

You can start with restoration of the rule of law, checks and balances and a commitment to the Constitution. With a more intelligent and long-reaching foreign policy strategy that doesn’t include the word “yeehaw!” With work — real work — on domestic policy, including strengthening our crumbling infrastructure and schools, tackling poverty and taking a long, hard look at how we care for at risk children. Oh, commitment to honesty and rebuilding in the Gulf Coast would be a nice start, too. Add in better care for our nation’s soldiers and their families — real mental health services for soldiers and families in need, and adequate care for the families left at home who are barely getting by right now on food stamps and prayer. And that’s just for starters..."

Could I add "Bring Blackwater To Heel?"

New Movie In The Offing

About that semi-perhaps-maybe nuclear incident in Syria: Defense Tech: Israeli Commandos in the Mix: "...All of this makes perfect sense, save one thing. Why the secrecy? If the Syrians have nuclear facilities, the Israelis should be delighted to make it public. Frankly, so should the United States, since the Bush administration has always argued that nuclear proliferation to rogue states, including Syria, is one of the key problems in the world. The Syrians should be spinning the story like crazy as well, denying the nuclear program but screaming about unprovoked Israeli-U.S. aggression. The silence from one or two parties makes sense. The silence from all parties makes little sense..."

Agreed. What could make everyone keep quiet when it is to someone's advantage to go public? There is only one answer. Majestic 12. Get those conspiracy theories revving. I feel another novel coming on.

Verizon's Abortive Decision

Verizon Reverses Itself on Abortion Rights Messages - New York Times

"Saying it had the right to block “controversial or unsavory” text messages, Verizon Wireless last week rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group, to make Verizon’s mobile network available for a text-message program.

But the company reversed course this morning, saying it had made a mistake...." along the way discovering that women use phones, women have money, women may want to preserve decisions about their bodies for themselves, and men can have their testicles clamped in a vice, and ...

Dobson Defocused

Focus on the Family lays off 30, moves 15 more to new jobs - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth: "Oh my goodness! Flogging the gay boogeyman isn't filling the coffers these days. Time for a happy dance...'MSNBC:

Focus on the Family announced Monday that it is laying off 30 employees and reassigning 15 others. It also announced that founder James Dobson had been cleared of accusations that he jeopardized the group's nonprofit status by endorsing Republican candidates...'"

I'm sure they will all find employment at an HMO denying health care claims. Meanwhile, the happy dance.

HuffPo Smearing Edwards?

This is a major non-story puffed-up on a major blog. The commenters on the post had a field day slamming the blogger and his intentions. I wasted 20 minutes of my life on this. It's your choice. Edwards Mystery: Innocuous Videos Suddenly Shrouded In Secrecy - Politics on The Huffington Post

Grammatical Butchery Continues

An Extra 'S' on the Report Card - washingtonpost.com: "NEW YORK, Sept. 26 -- As a candidate, George W. Bush once asked, 'Is our children learning?'

Now he has an answer.

"Childrens do learn," he said Wednesday..."

William Shakespeare, he ain't.

Smoked Tarheel

CITIZEN-TIMES.com: Man finds human leg in smoker purchased at auction: "MAIDEN, N.C. (AP) — A man who bought a smoker Tuesday at an auction of abandoned items might have thought twice had he looked inside first.

Maiden police said the man opened up the smoker and saw what he thought was a piece of driftwood wrapped in paper. When he unwrapped it, he found a human leg, cut off 2 to 3 inches above the knee..."

There is an explanation.

On BO Dining

Eric Deggans: Judging Bill O'Reilly: Why His Comments About Lunch in Harlem Matter - Media on The Huffington Post: "...The most disappointing turn for me in this media meltdown was watching a discussion on the issue this morning on The Today Show. Anchor Matt Lauer, clearly unsympathetic to critics, kept pressing the point that O'Reilly was trying to be complimentary, if by using 'ham-fisted' language.

But when it comes to dialogues on race, I judge people's intent and meaning by their history. And O'Reilly has never been one to seek understanding with an open mind. To this black American, his words felt like the most backhanded compliment I'd heard from a celebrity in many years -- a congratulation to black people for having, finally, the ability to act like we have some sense.

News flash, Bill: black people have been conducting themselves this way for many, many years. I'm just sorry that it took a lunch with Al Sharpton for you to finally realize it."

Air Foce Evangelicals

Fannie's Room: Christian Warriors Soldier On!: "...For, some evangelicals are unable to see how evangelizing within a military environment is offensive to the validity of the faiths of other people. Because they so firmly believe that their religion is the correct one, and are so intent on making other people also believe this, they don't seem to stop and think 'Maybe this Jewish/Catholic/Muslim person believes that her religion is the Truth just as strongly as I believe that mine is. And maybe I should respect that. '

Which brings me to the lack of tolerance and respect for other religions that became pervasive at the Academy. One report called the situation 'reflections of systematic and pervasive religious bias and intolerance at the highest levels of the Academy Command Structure.' In short, some military evangelicals are unable or unwilling to see how evangelizing often led to the inhibition of non-evangelical Christians' right to the 'free exercise' of their respective religions (or non-religions). Or, perhaps, they just didn't care..."

Bush Base Boogie

Tammy Bruce: Bush Approves of Ahmadinejad at Columbia

This from the comments:

" GWB had oil at $23/barrel before we went into Iraq; now it's +80/barrel; and he was our conservative and we all know that he sold us a barrel of goods. That's the "conservative" GWB and "god-fearing" man that I voted for twice; the most disappointing president in the last 100 years other than his father, who blew the legacy of Ronald Reagan's "3 rd" term.

Thank God that there are no more viable Bushes waiting in the wings.

Frankly it would have been interesting to see what the Dems would have dug-up on this administration had they had the balls to have investigated the underpinnings and dealings within this administration.

It sarted out with such high hopes and such HUGE disappointments by us who feel like the "battered wife" as Peggy Noonan wrote in her WSJ editorial "Too Bad" as Tammy emphasized in her broadcasts of May 2007. I read that piece and I thank you Tammy for calling your attention to it. http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110010148"