PhineasBlog

Hooray for Obama!

2008-01-04T08:11:00.001-05:00

He's no Kucinich, but he'll do!

Scientists Unearth 'Missing Link' Jawbone

2007-11-15T11:45:00.001-05:00

"Scientists are postulating that a 10 million year old jawbone unearthed in Kenya's northern Nakali region may belong to the so-called evolutionary "missing link" - the common ancestor of African great apes and humans..."

More Here:
Scientists unearth 'missing link' jawbone

Entertainment Weekly once again encouraging right-wing myths

2007-06-19T20:11:00.001-04:00

As if it needed to be said, Entertainment Weekly gushed over right-wingers in their letters section regarding Michael Moore's film "Sicko", about the health care industry. The initial article on Moore was pretty much neutral, but EW tacked on a right-wing sidebar to "balance it out", in other words, made it a right-wing article.

In the letters section in Entertainment Weekly's June 22nd issue, they allowed three right-wing letters against Michael Moore, without allowing a single letter from the left.

Not that this is anything new from Entertainment Weekly, or for that matter, anything from the so-called "liberal media."

And, of course, not one of the three right-wing letters could back up anything they said.

So, Steven Winzenburg from Johnston, Iowa... John Griffin from Huntington, West Virginia.... and Johua Hamer from St. Louis... Will you back up your words?

They won't. Like most right-wing shills, the best they can do is drag links from anti-Moore websites. All of which have been thoroughly debunked.

So nice try, guys. Oh, and DIAF.

Atheism: Not a Religion, No Faith Required

2007-04-22T06:22:00.000-04:00

From Austin Cline:

Does Science Require as Much Faith as Religion, Christianity?

Myth: Science is the atheists' religion for the modern world, like Christianity or Islam, except that it is more superstitious and less refined. Atheists' belief in science requires faith like religion, but atheists doesn't recognize and accept its reliance on faith.

Response: Throughout the course of modern history, science and the scientific method have contributed substantially to the reduced scope of religious claims about the world as well as the scope of religious authority. Science has done far more to both explain the world around us and help us improve our condition than millennia of religion. It's not surprising that some religious believers resent this and among their response is to deny that science is any different from religion...Read More Here

House OKs Subpoenas for Top Bush Aides

2007-03-22T07:51:00.000-04:00

House OKs Subpoenas for Top Bush Aides

A House panel on Wednesday approved subpoenas for President Bush's political adviser, Karl Rove and other top White House aides, setting up a constitutional showdown over the firings of eight federal prosecutors.

For those that aren't following what's going on... firefly212 said it best:

According to the documents released from the White House, the subpoenas are for folks who were firing people who were prosecuting republicans, or failing to launch unwarranted investigations of political opponents. They were effectively subverting the execution of justice from the executive in an effort to use the judiciary to unlawfully and maliciously stack the legislative branch. They were firing people whom they acknowledged were competent, and replacing them with people who they acknowledged, while not necesarily competent, were loyal. What they sought to do effectively undermines every branch of governance in the US, and everything the constitution stands for. To add to the top of that, they acknowledge in their plans that they are doing so in violation of law, and they intend only to feign compliance and "good faith" in the subsequent investigations.

The President, and the Attorney General, acting as an agent of the President, have enumerated in detail, a plan already set in motion, in which they they willfully and intentionally miscarry justice in an effort to help cronies and retain power. It's serious because it creates two classes of people, those who are above the law, and those who are subject to punishment, regardless of the law. It is the very antithesis of the Constitution, and constitutes not only a failure of dozens of officials to honor their oaths, but an active attempt to decimate constitutional rule.

Great Richard Dawkins Interview on CNN

2007-02-16T20:17:00.000-05:00

Dawkins is probably the best spokesperson for Atheism on the planet today:

Scientists Predict Religion Will Be Irrelevent Within Decades

2007-01-02T08:37:00.000-05:00

Oh, please... let these predictions be true...

No religion and an end to war: how thinkers see the future

People's fascination for religion and superstition will disappear within a few decades as television and the internet make it easier to get information, and scientists get closer to discovering a final theory of everything, leading thinkers argue today.[...] Philosopher Daniel Denett believes that within 25 years religion will command little of the awe it seems to instil today. The spread of information through the internet and mobile phones will "gently, irresistibly, undermine the mindsets requisite for religious fanaticism and intolerance". Biologist Richard Dawkins said that physicists would give religion another problem: a theory of everything that would complete Albert Einstein's dream of unifying the fundamental laws of physics. "This final scientific enlightenment will deal an overdue death blow to religion and other juvenile superstitions."...Read More Here

Saddam Executed - And Now, A True Retrospective

2006-12-29T23:23:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Eric Blumrich, a flash animation illustrating Saddam's history with the United States:

Thanks For The Memories, Saddam

62% of Americans Say Sending Troops to Iraq was a Mistake

2006-12-13T09:16:00.000-05:00

From CBS News:
"Opposition to the war is now taking on historic proportions, with 62 percent saying it was "a mistake" to send U.S. troops to Iraq — slightly more than told a Gallup Poll in 1973 that it was a mistake to send U.S. forces to Vietnam."

Read more HERE.

Bolton Bolts

2006-12-04T18:40:00.000-05:00

International Herald Tribune:

Bolton's resignation greeted by UN officials with relief

LONG overdue.

Tis a glorious day for our country...

2006-11-08T08:59:00.000-05:00

Democracy restored.

Rumsfeld stepping down may be a desperate tactic on GOP's part, but it's still icing on the cake.

New Poll Shows 42 Percent of Americans Aren't Convinced There Is A God

2006-11-01T13:31:00.000-05:00

From WSMV:Many Americans Not 'Absolutely Certain' Of God
Poll Shows 42 Percent Aren't Convinced There Is A God

Americans are often thought of as people who believe in God. But results of a new Harris Poll show that may be changing. The poll found that 42 percent of all U.S. adults said they are not "absolutely certain" there is a God, including 15 percent who are "somewhat certain," 11 percent who think there is probably no God and 16 percent who are not sure. ... Read More Here
No big surprise here. I always felt the "90% of Americans believe in God" estimate was suspect.

Slowly but surely, people are finally wising up.

Rush Limbaugh on Michael J. Fox (Political Cartoon)

2006-10-25T10:24:00.000-04:00

Die in a fire, Rush Limbaugh.
And that goes for your worthless
dittoheads, too.

Bush on Iraq and Vietnam (Political Cartoon)

2006-10-21T06:33:00.000-04:00

Atheist Literature Gaining Steam

2006-10-19T10:50:00.000-04:00

Atheist Literature Gaining Steam

A fresh wave of atheistic books has hit the market this autumn, some climbing onto best-seller lists in what proponents see as a backlash against the way religion is entwined in politics...Read More Here.

No Historic Jesus

2006-10-17T22:11:00.000-04:00

From Bill M:

Amazingly, Christians almost never question the authenticity of Jesus and the Bibles, yet the very foundation of their faith is based on their authenticity[...]No one has the slightest physical evidence to support a historical Jesus; no artifacts, dwelling, works of carpentry, or self-written manuscripts. No contemporary Roman records show Pontius Pilate executing a man named Jesus. Devastating to historians, there occurs not a single contemporary writing that mentions Jesus. All documents ( the Bibles )about Jesus were written long after the life of the alleged Jesus from either: unknown authors, people who had never met an earthly Jesus, or from fraudulent, mythical or allegorical writings. It is reasonable to assume that these ancient documents were doctored and altered to enhance the power of the clerics of the time. Many of these writings come from fraud, interpolations and hearsay.

...Read More Here.

Michael Ramirez - Repaired

2006-10-15T04:31:00.000-04:00

The GOP should be grateful for the Foley distraction, Michael.

Click image to enlarge:

With absolutely no apologies whatsoever to Michael Ramirez.

Open Letter To Scott Stantis of "Prickly City"

2006-10-10T09:04:00.000-04:00

Hey Scott Stantis, regarding your October 9th strip:

Your idea of a "big people's" table, is a table that embraces wiretapping, torture, starting wars in the wrong places, intolerance, racism, and homophobia. And it rejects reason, intellect, and the sciences in favor of a fairtale ghost in the clouds.

Rocking back-and-forth in a corner in a fetal position of total denial, crying your eyeballs out about how your group of superstitious assholes and child molestors are the "grown ups" won't change the fact that they simply aren't.

Scott, grow up. You're becoming as worthless as "Mallard Fillmore."

Dennis The Atheist Menace?

2006-10-03T16:04:00.000-04:00

How atheism begins... you start ASKING QUESTIONS!

You're on the right track, Dennis.

Funny Pro-Life Rally Clip

2006-10-01T00:18:00.000-04:00

Click on the square below to see one of the many reasons a pro-life rally isn't a great place to pick up women.

2001 Memo reveals - Clinton Was Right, Bush Was Wrong, and Rice is a Liar

2006-09-27T02:28:00.000-04:00

From Raw Story:

"...Rice made the comments in response to claims made Sunday by former President Bill Clinton, who argued that his administration had done more than the current one to address the al Qaeda problem before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. She stopped short of calling the former president a liar[...]However, Raw Story has found that just five days after President George W. Bush was sworn into office, a memo from counter-terrorism expert Richard A. Clarke to Rice included the 2000 document, "Strategy for Eliminating the Threat from the Jihadist Networks of al-Qida: Status and Prospects."This document devotes over 2 of its 13 pages of material to specifically addressing strategies for securing Pakistan's cooperation in airstrikes against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan..."

Retired officers criticize Rumsfeld

2006-09-26T09:55:00.000-04:00

AP - Retired military officers on Monday bluntly accused Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld of bungling the war in Iraq, saying U.S. troops were sent to fight without the best equipment and that critical facts were hidden from the public...

The Most Important Book of the Year

2006-09-23T04:17:00.000-04:00

From David Gleason of The American Chronicle:

...Letter to a Christian Nation is Mr. Harris's response to the thousands of letters (many of them threats from Christians) that he received in reply to [his previous book] The End of Faith. It is a take-no-prisoners approach to the hideous morality of the Bible and the people who follow it - an eloquent and moving appeal to those who would sacrifice reason at the altar of religious dogma. For the well-informed atheist, there is not much new to be found within its pages. But for indifferent theists, particularly those, say, who silently complain about a presidential veto of stem-cell research while rushing the kids off to a Sunday school sermon about virgin births and second comings, it is a devastating indictment of their lazy hypocrisy...Read More Here.

Cheney - Exactly The Same Thing (Political Cartoon)

2006-09-19T11:17:00.000-04:00

It's The Palestinian Problem, Stupid

2006-09-19T08:22:00.000-04:00

From columnist Charley Reese:

"The U.S. has consistently supported Israel rather than forcing the Israelis to settle fairly with the Palestinians, and most of the oppressive regimes in the Middle East are American allies, including for some years Saddam Hussein's..."Read More Here

I don't always agree with Charley Reese, but he's correct on this particular issue.

Conservative Christians have a tough position as far as Israel. On one hand, they hate the Jews because they "killed Jesus" (never mind the fact that Jesus never existed). But on the other hand, they have to support the Jews because the Bible says to support Israel (never mind the fact that the Bible is proven bullshit).

I wonder how Conservatives deal with this inner conflict?

Atheist pride

2006-09-16T23:15:00.000-04:00

Huffington Post, NY - Sep 14, 2006
...Need some politicians to stand up to the force of religion in society. To say, no I don't go to church, no I don't read the bible, and yes, I do have my own values based on liberal humanism. And most of all we need to standup and say 'Yes, I am an atheist, and proud of it'...

Senate finds no al-Qaida/Saddam link

2006-09-13T21:02:00.000-04:00

File this under the "Duh, all intelligent people knew that." category:

Saddam Hussein rejected overtures from al-Qaida and believed Islamic extremists were a threat to his regime, a reverse portrait of an Iraq allied with Osama bin Laden painted by the Bush White House, a Senate panel has found... The report, released Friday, discloses for the first time an October 2005 CIA assessment that prior to the war Saddam's government "did not have a relationship, harbor or turn a blind eye toward" al-Qaida operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi or his associates.

Full story here (Associated Press)

Don't Ever Forget

2006-09-11T08:50:00.000-04:00

On this day of remembering those that died on 9/11, here's a few things to remember about our president:

The video above shows how Bush handled receiving information on the 9/11 attack. He went into the classroom after already receiving news of the first tower being hit. During the video, he receives the information that the second tower was hit and that America is under attack. Rather than calmly excusing himself from the classroom (there was a perfect opportunity to do so before the children started their oral assignment), he merely continued to sit. In doing so he also put the children at risk.

And five years later, after scaring Americans with color-coding, wiretapping, a neverending war that had nothing to do with 9/11... what about Osama Bin Laden?

Well, here's what Bush had to say, six months after the attack:

""Well, as I say, we haven't heard much from him... I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority...I truly am not that concerned about him.” (3/13/02)

Brutal Behavior in the War on Terror Not Real Brutality When Christians Do It

2006-09-09T05:56:00.000-04:00

From Austin Cline:

Although it is technically inconsistent with Christian doctrine for a Christian to regard themselves as incapable of doing wrong, many seem to adopt this on a practical level and especially when it comes to acts designed to further a Christian religious or political agenda...Read More Here

Safe, Legal Torture (Political Cartoon)

2006-09-07T08:44:00.000-04:00

New Climate Change 'Time Bomb' Detected

2006-09-07T08:03:00.000-04:00

BY SETH BORENSTEIN (AP)

WASHINGTON -- Global warming gases trapped in the soil are bubbling out of the thawing permafrost in amounts far higher than previously thought and may trigger what researchers warn is a climate time bomb. (Read More Here)

Bush fearmongering on Iraq loses its punch

2006-09-03T19:31:00.000-04:00

From Philip Gailey of the St. Petersburg Times:

Read. Here. Now.

Bush on Wiretapping (Political Cartoon)

2006-08-19T21:29:00.000-04:00

Bush Signs Bill, Feds Take Control of Soledad Cross

2006-08-19T20:45:00.000-04:00

In response to this, Austin Cline has a good (albeit tongue-in-cheek) idea:

"...perhaps atheists should start adopting the cross as their own symbol. Instead of the "Christian cross" let's make it the "Atheist cross" and insist that wherever it appears, even on Christian churches, it's really a symbol of atheism and an atheistic dismissal of the likely existence of any gods or anything supernatural. Why not?..."

Read Full Article Here

Judge nixes warrantless surveillance (AP)

2006-08-17T13:33:00.000-04:00

Yahoo! News: Politics News

New human-chimp hybrid theory

2006-05-18T09:39:00.000-04:00

(From The Washington Post):

Human Ancestors May Have Interbred With Chimpanzees

Fox News Commentator is new White House press secretary.

2006-04-26T18:12:00.000-04:00

(From WISTV):
"From now on, when Tony Snow talks about President Bush, it'll be on Bush's behalf. The president named the Fox News commentator to be his new press secretary, replacing Scott McClellan. "
http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4820679

I guess Rush Limbaugh was unavailable?

Fossil Fish With "Limbs" Is Missing Link, Study Says

2006-04-06T11:52:00.000-04:00

(From National Geographic News):

Fossil hunters may have discovered the fish that made humans possible.

Found in the Canadian Arctic, the new fossil boasts leglike fins, scientists say. The creature is being hailed as a crucial missing link between fish and land animals—including the prehistoric ancestors of humans.

Full article is HERE

Atheists put their faith in ethical behavior

2006-03-19T08:31:00.000-05:00

(From the San Antonio Express):

"In a nutshell, atheists believe in reason alone, in those things that can be arrived at through intellect and the scientific method. Concrete evidence for God, they argue, simply doesn't exist. They don't cotton to leaps of faith or anything that involves a supernatural being reaching into human lives. They believe you can live a happy, respectable life based on human ethics that were derived not from God handing down a tablet but from a code of rules that emerged naturally through an evolutionary process in which humans learned how to live together successfully."

Full article is here:

Atheists put their faith in ethical behavior

Oscar Predictions

2006-03-05T01:39:00.000-05:00

Predictions for the 2006 Oscars:

BEST PICTURE:

SHOULD WIN: Munich
WILL WIN: Brokeback Mountain

BEST ACTOR:

SHOULD WIN: David Strathairn
WILL WIN: Heath Ledger

BEST ACTRESS:

SHOULD WIN: Felicity Huffman
WILL WIN: Reese Witherspoon

BEST DIRECTOR:

SHOULD WIN: Ang Lee
WILL WIN: Ang Lee

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:

SHOULD WIN: Wallace and Gromit
WILL WIN: Wallace and Gromit

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

SHOULD WIN: Matt Dillon
WILL WIN: George Clooney

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

SHOULD WIN: Michelle Williams
WILL WIN: Rachel Weisz

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

SHOULD WIN: Brokeback Mountain
WILL WIN: Brokeback Mountain

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

SHOULD WIN: Crash
WILL WIN: Crash

UPDATE: I got em all except Best Actor (I thought Hoffman's performance was too much "Oscar Bait" to win.), and Best Picture (that shocked me that Crash won Best Picture. Major upset!!)

Are charges going to be pressed against the VP?

2006-02-15T08:58:00.000-05:00

http://i1.tinypic.com/nvo49f.jpg
Probably not, unfortunately.

Cheney authorized aid to leak in CIA case - report

2006-02-10T07:56:00.000-05:00

From Reuters:

"Vice President Dick Cheney directed his aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby to use classified material to discredit a critic of the Bush administration's Iraq war effort, the National Journal reported on Thursday."

Stopping Alito

2006-01-11T08:33:00.000-05:00

Moveon.org gathered 300,000 signatures in their Anti-Alito petition -- in a day!
They're shooting for 500,000, please sign if you haven't already:

MoveOn.org's 'Stop Alito' petition

For more on Alito's key rulings, judicial history, Reagan-era documents, an interactive chart of his decisons, confirmation hearing transcripts and other essential materials, see:

The Alito Files

Tom DeLay Steps Down As House Leader

2006-01-07T19:23:00.000-05:00

Tom DeLay Steps Down As House Leader
"Rep. Tom DeLay, the defiant face of a conservative revolution in Congress, stepped down as House majority leader on Saturday under pressure from Republicans staggered by an election-year corruption scandal."

If he wanted to look ethical he should have resigned from Congress as well, back when he was first indicted. Or he should've stepped down as Majority Leader when he was rebuked 3 times. Now it just looks like the craven political act that it is.

One less corrupt GOP scumbag, at least.

Ward Sutton Sums It Up

2006-01-01T10:42:00.000-05:00

Click toon for larger version.

NY Times delayed story on Bush's wire-tapping for a year

2005-12-16T19:54:00.000-05:00

Read the article at Kos:

NY Times Self-Censorship, AKA "the President's Press"

Dead Soldiers Arriving Home As Frieght

2005-12-13T17:45:00.000-05:00

"Dead heroes are supposed to come home with their coffins draped with the American flag -- greeted by a color guard.

But in reality, many are arriving as freight on commercial airliners -- stuffed in the belly of a plane with suitcases and other cargo."

We want our troops home, alive. Our Conservative government wants them home... wrapped up and laying next to the luggage.

Read more of this outrageousness HERE.

Fossil More Firmly Ties Birds to Archaeopteryx

2005-12-04T14:42:00.000-05:00

Fossil More Firmly Ties Birds to Archaeopteryx

Iraq abuse 'as bad as Saddam era'

2005-11-27T11:43:00.000-05:00

From the BBC:

Iraq abuse 'as bad as Saddam era'

"Shut Up And Clap Louder" Doesn't Work Anymore

2005-11-19T16:19:00.000-05:00

Jim Hunter:

"Shut Up And Clap Louder" Doesn't Work Anymore

Torture - Ineffective

2005-11-08T09:24:00.000-05:00

Is torture an effective anti-terror tactic?

No "Middle Ground" - Intelligent Design is Simply Wrong

2005-11-05T20:08:00.000-05:00

Great article that spells it out perfectly.

Trying to find a "middle ground" in the Intelligent Design/Evolution issue is impossible.
Simply because of one fact: Intelligent Design is wrong.

One side can be wrong

Conservative groups blocking cervical cancer vaccine

2005-11-01T10:55:00.000-05:00

If I told you that some Conservatives are trying to prevent a nearly 100% effective vaccine for cervical cancer, would you believe me?

Read on:

SFGate

Bush to nominate Alito to Supreme Court

2005-10-31T08:27:00.000-05:00

Oy.

Let's hope they fight this.

More on Alito HERE.

The only debate on Intelligent Design that is worthy of its subject

2005-10-30T09:20:00.000-05:00

From Abstract Factory:

The only debate on Intelligent Design that is worthy of its subject

Moderator: We're here today to debate the hot new topic, evolution versus Intelligent Des---

(Scientist pulls out baseball bat.)

Moderator: Hey, what are you doing?

(Scientist breaks Intelligent Design advocate's kneecap.)

Intelligent Design advocate: YEAAARRRRGGGHHHH! YOU BROKE MY KNEECAP!

Scientist: Perhaps it only appears that I broke your kneecap. Certainly, all the evidence points to the hypothesis I broke your kneecap. For example, your kneecap is broken; it appears to be a fresh wound; and I am holding a baseball bat, which is spattered with your blood. However, a mere preponderance of evidence doesn't mean anything. Perhaps your kneecap was designed that way. Certainly, there are some features of the current situation that are inexplicable according to the "naturalistic" explanation you have just advanced, such as the exact contours of the excruciating pain that you are experiencing right now.

Intelligent Design advocate: AAAAH! THE PAIN!

Scientist: Frankly, I personally find it completely implausible that the random actions of a scientist such as myself could cause pain of this particular kind. I have no precise explanation for why I find this hypothesis implausible --- it just is. Your knee must have been designed that way!

Intelligent Design advocate: YOU BASTARD! YOU KNOW YOU DID IT!

Scientist: I surely do not. How can we know anything for certain? Frankly, I think we should expose people to all points of view. Furthermore, you should really re-examine whether your hypothesis is scientific at all: the breaking of your kneecap happened in the past, so we can't rewind and run it over again, like a laboratory experiment. Even if we could, it wouldn't prove that I broke your kneecap the previous time. Plus, let's not even get into the fact that the entire universe might have just popped into existence right before I said this sentence, with all the evidence of my alleged kneecap-breaking already pre-formed.

Intelligent Design advocate: That's a load of bullshiat sophistry! Get me a doctor and a lawyer, not necessarily in that order, and we'll see how that plays in court!

Scientist (turning to audience): And so we see, ladies and gentlemen, when push comes to shove, advocates of Intelligent Design do not actually believe any of the arguments that they profess to believe. When it comes to matters that hit home, they prefer evidence, the scientific method, testable hypotheses, and naturalistic explanations. In fact, they strongly privilege naturalistic explanations over supernatural hocus-pocus or metaphysical wankery. It is only within the reality-distortion field of their ideological crusade that they give credence to the flimsy, ridiculous arguments which we so commonly see on display. I must confess, it kind of felt good, for once, to be the one spouting free-form bullshiat; it's so terribly easy and relaxing, compared to marshaling rigorous arguments backed up by empirical evidence. But I fear that if I were to continue, then it would be habit-forming, and bad for my soul. Therefore, I bid you adieu.

What Happened To Mel Gibson??

2005-10-30T08:41:00.000-05:00

Yikes...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9855046

Hmm. reminds me of...

Miers withdraws Supreme Court nomination

2005-10-28T09:57:00.000-04:00

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9837151/

"Under withering attack from conservatives, President Bush abandoned his push to put loyalist Harriet Miers on the Supreme Court and promised a quick replacement Thursday. Democrats accused him of bowing to the 'radical right wing of the Republican Party.'”

Libby to be indicted

2005-10-28T09:55:00.000-04:00

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/28/politics/main990068.shtml

"Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, will be indicted Friday in the CIA leak investigation for making false statements to a grand jury, CBS News correspondent Gloria Borger has learned from sources close to the case."

Only 4-10% of insurgents are non-Iraqi.

2005-10-27T08:58:00.000-04:00

Just as a reminder, since our 2,000th American soldier has been killed...

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0923/dailyUpdate.html

"The US and Iraqi governments have vastly overstated the number of foreign fighters in Iraq, and most of them don't come from Saudi Arabia, according to a new report from the Washington-based Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS). According to a piece in The Guardian, this means the US and Iraq "feed the myth" that foreign fighters are the backbone of the insurgency. While the foreign fighters may stoke the insurgency flames, they make up only about 4 to 10 percent of the estimated 30,000 insurgents."

Tom Delay's mug shot

2005-10-21T00:25:00.000-04:00

From the Austin American Statesman:

Tom DeLay: Former majority leader was booked on Thursday at a Harris County jail, where this photo was taken.

"Hurry up and snap the picture! I can't hold this fake grin much longer!"

You know what kind of person smiles during a mug shot? A guilty person.

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Bush Conference via Satellite to Soldiers - STAGED

2005-10-14T20:05:00.000-04:00

Excerpt from The Associated Press:
It was billed as a conversation with U.S. troops, but the questions President Bush asked on a teleconference call Thursday were choreographed to match his goals for the war in Iraq and Saturday's vote on a new Iraqi constitution.

Listen to it here:

Actual Audio of Rehearsal

New Bush Flash Animation - "Asshole"

2005-10-02T13:10:00.000-04:00

A must-see!

Asshole: Film Strip International

Torture of Iraqis was for 'Stress Relief', Say US Soldiers

2005-10-02T12:38:00.000-04:00

Finally some more detail involving the "bad apples"...

Torture of Iraqis was for 'Stress Relief', Say US Soldiers

Generals Conclude U.S. Troops Exacerbate Iraq Campaign

2005-10-01T01:25:00.000-04:00

Here's a story you'll never find on Fox News:

Generals Conclude U.S. Troops Exacerbate Iraq Campaign

File that under the usual "Everyone with common sense knew that would happen before this war even started." category.

I guess those American Generals are just "traitors" that hate America and hate freedom, right? Guess they're not as brave as those right-wing chickenhawks that trumpeted for this war, but won't go there and fight. To these and other gutless right-wingers, Jim Hunter says it best.

Societies worse off 'when they have God on their side'

2005-09-30T22:01:00.000-04:00

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1798944,00.html

Societies worse off 'when they have God on their side'
By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent

RELIGIOUS belief can cause damage to a society, contributing towards high murder rates, abortion, sexual promiscuity and suicide, according to research published today.

According to the study, belief in and worship of God are not only unnecessary for a healthy society but may actually contribute to social problems.

The study counters the view of believers that religion is necessary to provide the moral and ethical foundations of a healthy society.

It compares the social peformance of relatively secular countries, such as Britain, with the US, where the majority believes in a creator rather than the theory of evolution. Many conservative evangelicals in the US consider Darwinism to be a social evil, believing that it inspires atheism and amorality.

Many liberal Christians and believers of other faiths hold that religious belief is socially beneficial, believing that it helps to lower rates of violent crime, murder, suicide, sexual promiscuity and abortion. The benefits of religious belief to a society have been described as its “spiritual capital”. But the study claims that the devotion of many in the US may actually contribute to its ills.

The paper, published in the Journal of Religion and Society, a US academic journal, reports: “Many Americans agree that their churchgoing nation is an exceptional, God-blessed, shining city on the hill that stands as an impressive example for an increasingly sceptical world.

“In general, higher rates of belief in and worship of a creator correlate with higher rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD infection rates, teen pregnancy and abortion in the prosperous democracies.

“The United States is almost always the most dysfunctional of the developing democracies, sometimes spectacularly so.”

Gregory Paul, the author of the study and a social scientist, used data from the International Social Survey Programme, Gallup and other research bodies to reach his conclusions.

He compared social indicators such as murder rates, abortion, suicide and teenage pregnancy.

The study concluded that the US was the world’s only prosperous democracy where murder rates were still high, and that the least devout nations were the least dysfunctional. Mr Paul said that rates of gonorrhoea in adolescents in the US were up to 300 times higher than in less devout democratic countries. The US also suffered from “ uniquely high” adolescent and adult syphilis infection rates, and adolescent abortion rates, the study suggested.

Mr Paul said: “The study shows that England, despite the social ills it has, is actually performing a good deal better than the USA in most indicators, even though it is now a much less religious nation than America.”

He said that the disparity was even greater when the US was compared with other countries, including France, Japan and the Scandinavian countries. These nations had been the most successful in reducing murder rates, early mortality, sexually transmitted diseases and abortion, he added.

Mr Paul delayed releasing the study until now because of Hurricane Katrina. He said that the evidence accumulated by a number of different studies suggested that religion might actually contribute to social ills. “I suspect that Europeans are increasingly repelled by the poor societal performance of the Christian states,” he added.

He said that most Western nations would become more religious only if the theory of evolution could be overturned and the existence of God scientifically proven. Likewise, the theory of evolution would not enjoy majority support in the US unless there was a marked decline in religious belief, Mr Paul said.

“The non-religious, proevolution democracies contradict the dictum that a society cannot enjoy good conditions unless most citizens ardently believe in a moral creator.

“The widely held fear that a Godless citizenry must experience societal disaster is therefore refuted.”

The one and only problem with this report... they left out divorce. Atheists also have the least amount of divorces. Catholics have the most divorces. Baptists have the second most divorces. Even Christian organizations like The Barna Group confirm that.

Real Bush Note

2005-09-15T11:31:00.000-04:00

A real note Bush wrote while at the U.N...

Bathroom Break?

Bush - Worst Polls Ever

2005-09-11T17:40:00.000-04:00

Eye of the Political Storm

No big shock that Bush's ratings are so low now. And the fact that he was jamming on a guitar while people were drowning didn't help him:

Bush Slow To Respond to Katrina

2005-09-04T09:24:00.000-04:00

Great summary of the usual Conservative pundit insanity at J.A.B.B.S.

The New Iraq "Constitution"

2005-08-30T08:29:00.000-04:00

Well, here's your new Iraqi "democracy"...

IRAQ: Constitution approved despite rejections

Hajim al-Hassany, a Sunni parliament spokesperson, said that the document was filled with religion and had little protection for women's rights and that federalism would only divide the country and separate the rich from the poor.

"I believe that any conscious person will reject this document due to its incompleteness and lack of rights for women and because Islamisation in a diverse country of ethnicities will not make us united," al-Hassany added.

Wow, what a shocker! We never saw THAT coming.

A radical religious theocracy that divides a country based on their race and gender, and separates the rich from the poor...

Sound familiar? Nah...

Our soldiers died for THIS?

Another Winner From "SlowPoke"

2005-08-17T14:01:00.000-04:00

Click to enlarge properly:

Support Cindy Sheehan

2005-08-12T00:17:00.000-04:00

Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, is asking for a meeting with the president.

You can support her goal by going here: MeetWithCindy.org

And by signing this Petition.

Amy Branham has a great article on Bush ducking Sheehan Here.

Eric Blumrich states the facts of Bush's cowardice Here.

Intelligent Design - The Oxymoron Illustrated

2005-08-11T20:49:00.000-04:00

For those that swallow the bullshit of Cretinists like Ken Ham and Kent Hovind, there's a great piece of work here:

Evolution and "direct observation": Be careful what you wish for.

Bush 393,000 Average Jobs per Year; Clinton 2.9 Million

2005-08-11T20:32:00.000-04:00

A nice reality check from Kos:

(From the diaries -- Plutonium Page. In case people have forgotten how good the economy was when Clinton was president, please check out this post. Edited to add a table below the fold.)
Here are some statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All are for the period from January 2001 - July 2005. Add three zeros to all the numbers. These numbers illustrate how bad the job creation statistics of Bush are. The industries that have increased workers are emboldened.

Click the image below to enlarge the table:

Data:

Total Non-Farm Payroll Jobs: 132015 133786

Good Producing jobs: 24523 22140

Natural Resources and mining: 605 629

Construction: 6817 7235

Manufacturing: 17101 14276

Trade Transportation and Utilities: 26262 25916

Wholesale Trade: 5859.5 5729.4

Retail: 15351.6 15245

Transportation and Warehousing: 4451.4 4366.3

Utilities: 599.8 574.8

Information: 3708 3148

Financial Services: 7755 8229

Professional and Business Services: 16834 16941

Leisure and Hospitality: 11974 12793

Education and Health Care: 15364 17353

Government: 20832 21782

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, GDP started picking up real steam in the first quarter of 2003 - 30 months ago.

On average, Bush's economy has created 393,000 new jobs per year.

On average,Clinton created 2.75 million per year.

Bush looks even worse when flash123 elaborates further:

"According to the BLS numbers, the total non-farm employment DECREASED from 132,454k in Jan., 01 to 130,326k in May, 03. In June, 03, the BLS fully implemented a new model to estimate the number of net new jobs created by new business start-ups, called the Birth/Death model. These figures are ESTIMATES, pumped out by a computer model created by the Bush BLS. They are NOT real jobs identified and reported by employers. Since June, 03, the total number of new "jobs" generated by the Birth/Death model is 1.8 MILLION. If you look at the total number of non-farm jobs created since Bush took office, it's 1.8 million jobs, but this number INCLUDES the 1.8 million phantom "jobs" created by the Birth/Death model. Therefore, the number of "real" reported jobs by employers since Bush took office is ZERO!"

Bush Remarks On 'Intelligent Design' Theory Fuel Debate

2005-08-04T08:24:00.000-04:00

Sigh...

Bush Remarks On 'Intelligent Design' Theory Fuel Debate

There's really no "debate." But that doesn't stop Cretinists from trying.

This country is being run by people who believe the universe is dictated by a ghost in the clouds.

Unbelievable.

Bolton Appointed UN Ambassador

2005-08-01T11:58:00.000-04:00

And here we go...

Don't worry too much, folks. Bolton has no credibility. He'll froth, but that'll be it. In 2007, Bolton's gone. In the meantime, nobody will take Bolton seriously, and all it will do is continue to prove that Bush has to defy the will of Congress and the American people to get his way. This will further cement Bush's legacy as one of the worst presidents in the history of this country.

Sink, Sank, Sunk

2005-07-27T09:04:00.000-04:00

Results of the latest Gallup Poll:

For the first time, a majority of Americans, 51%, say the Bush administration deliberately misled the public about whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction -- the central justification given for invading. The administration's credibility on the issue has been steadily eroding since 2003 after stores of the weapons weren't found.

By 58%-37%, a majority say the United States won't be able to establish a stable democratic government in Iraq, similar to the results when the question was asked in April 2004.

About one-third, 32%, say the United States can't win the war in Iraq. Another 21% say the United States could win the war, but they don't think it will. Just 43% predict a victory.

More HERE

They Just Never Learn...

2005-07-24T16:54:00.000-04:00

Bush attempts to supress new Abu Ghraib photos

2005-07-22T05:43:00.000-04:00

Republicans continue to make excuses for Karl Rove and try to portray him as a victim (?!?), never mind the fact that a Classified 2003 State Department Memo Gives Clear Indication That Plame Was Covert.

And of course, we see business as usual as Bush attempts to block the release of new Abu Ghraib photos.

Read About It Here.

Among the things these photos contain, are evidence of rape and child molestation.

Okay, let's see... why did we go to war with Iraq again?

Weapons of Mass Destruction? Bzzzt. None found.

Anthrax? Bzzzt. None found.

Uranium? Bzzzt. None found, forged document.

Violating UN resolutions regarding weapons inspections? Bzzzt. Weapons inspections were stopped by Bush. The resolution didn't justify war. And the UN itself opposed the war.

When the above excuses didn't work, they focused on these excuses:

The War on Terrorism? Bzzzt. Iraq had nothing to do with Al-Qa'ida or Osama Bin Laden. But NOW, as a result of this war, Al-Qa'ida recruitment has gone through the roof. And as the London Bombings have shown, the war's accomplished nothing on that end.

Saddam's a threat? Bzzzt. Iraq never threatened us or attacked us.

Finally, Republicans desperately tried to pretend they give a shit about non-white non-Christians:

Saddam hurt/killed Iraqi civilians? Bzzzt. We're killing more. And now 2,000,000 of them have no water/power. But... but did they vote? After all, forced democracy and free elections of radical Iranian allies are what's most important, right?

Not to mention the fact that most of the Conservatives supporting this war were screaming "kill all them sand n---ers and towelheads!" in 2001. Stop pretending you care about the Iraqi people, okay? Worthless liars.

So now we go to the last ditch attempt at justifying this war:

Saddam's people had rape rooms, and they tortured Iraqis. Just like tons of other countries. So the Conservatives, pretending like they care, pointed the finger directly at the country's leader, Saddam, and went to war with the intention of taking him out.

We now have concrete evidence that Americans at Abu Ghraib have raped women and CHILDREN, and have tortured Iraqis. Does this mean Republicans will become outraged and point the finger directly at America's leader, George W. Bush?

Nope. They just think raping children is nothing more than "harmless frat pranks." It's just "a few bad apples." And if people speak against the torture and raping, then Conservatives call them traitors.

Don't ever pretend to have the moral high ground any more, Conservatives.

Your excuses are used up. You have nothing left.

Bush nominates John Roberts Jr to Supreme Court

2005-07-20T09:17:00.000-04:00

As expected, President Bush nominated a Conservative to the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Namely, federal appeals court Judge John Roberts Jr.

Could've been worse, but there's a lot to be concerned about:

http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/John_G._Roberts_Jr.

Speculation is that the nomination was chosen at this time to help divert attention away from Karl Rove. Fortunately even Fox News isn't losing focus:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163000,00.html

Oh, and Bush is still sinking:

Gallup Finds Bush Approval Rating at New Low--and Compares to Other Presidents

UK memo says US, UK readying Iraqi withdrawal-report

2005-07-10T08:16:00.000-04:00

Interesting... worth keeping an eye on:

UK memo says US, UK readying Iraqi withdrawal-report

London Terrorist Attack

2005-07-07T08:27:00.000-04:00

Absolutely sickening:

London Terror Attacks Kill at Least Eight, Cripple Transport

Unfortunately, it's not a surprise. It's a demonstration of how the so-called "war on terror" is making us all safer... So much for the "flypaper" theory.

My condolences to the victims' families.

Happy 4th of July!

2005-07-04T13:55:00.000-04:00

Karl Rove is the leak

2005-07-02T13:49:00.000-04:00

Rove Blew CIA Agent's Cover

"I revealed in yesterday's taping of the McLaughlin Group that Time magazine's emails will reveal that Karl Rove was Matt Cooper's source. I have known this for months but didn't want to say it at a time that would risk me getting dragged into the grand jury.

McLaughlin is seen in some markets on Friday night, so some websites have picked it up, including Drudge, but I don't expect it to have much impact because McLaughlin is not considered a news show and it will be pre-empted in the big markets on Sunday because of tennis.

Since I revealed the big scoop, I have had it reconfirmed by yet another highly authoritative source. Too many people know this. It should break wide open this week. I know Newsweek is working on an 'It's Rove!' story and will probably break it tomorrow."

I'm sure Rove will be charged with treason soon. Yeah, right. Not under this hypocritical administration.

Red Alert!

2005-07-02T08:43:00.000-04:00

Yikes.

Not good. Not good at all.

Time to act fast. Kos has some great suggestions HERE.

We Were Right, They Lied

2005-06-29T09:07:00.000-04:00

Eric Blumrich unveiled another masterpiece of Flash animation. This one compiles the repeated lies told to us by the Bush administration:

We Were Right, They Lied

And Bush continues to lie, trying yet again to subtly link Hussein with 9/11 in his latest bullshit speech:

Bush Criticized for Linking 9/11 and Iraq

Bush's speech was hilariously bad, wasn't it? Felt like an infomercial.

"I'm going to raise my fingers one at a time and you tell me when I get to my current approval rating."

Via AMERICAblog in reference to Bush's speech:

"ABC's Terry Moran just reported that the only time Bush got applause was in the middle of his speech when a White House advance team member started clapping all on their own in order to cajole the soldiers into clapping, which they dutifully did.

So even the applause was fake."

Kos is stating that apparently even Fox reported the fake applause as well.

The Ten Commandments are Un-American.

2005-06-27T12:03:00.000-04:00

A partial victory:

US bans Commandments in courtroom

Naturally, I'm sure some toothless cow-screwing Conservatives are braying about how "This here country was founded on them there Commandments!"

What these airheaded bible-thumpers don't seem to be able to comprehend, is that several of the commandments, if made law, would clearly violate the Constitution and arguably would violate the Declaration of Independence.

Consider "Do not worship any gods but me." That is directly contrary to the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of religion to those who do not necessarily worship your god.

There are no laws forbidding "making graven images," or "taking the Lord's name in vain," or not "remembering the Sabbath day," nor do our laws demand that we "honor thy father and mother."

You'll get no argument about killing and stealing, but as for the rest of them, you won't find them in anywhere in the Constitution. Sorry, hicks, you're simply in error.

The Declaration of Independence is "Ius Naturale," which are laws that any man should be capable of perceiving from the nature of man and the world without need to be told by a god or King.

But don't tell the Christian Coalition that. Their entire lives are founded on believing that mythology like the Bible is the truth, even though the Bible has already been proven to be bullshit a thousand times over. So telling them the truth about the Ten Commandments violating things like the US Constitution won't break them out of their glassy-eyed coma. Fucking superstitious Neanderthals.

Bush Desecrates USA Flag

2005-06-27T11:14:00.000-04:00

On the subject of the proposed amendment to make it illegal to desecrate the USA Flag, here's a photo of Bush doing just that:

Perhaps he'll be more careful with his autographs from now on?

More Americans Now Feel Bush is More Responsible For Iraq War than Hussein

2005-06-25T14:48:00.000-04:00

49% Say Bush Responsible for Provoking Iraq War, 44% Say Hussein

This is from a Conservative website, no less.

Torture Confirmed

2005-06-24T11:30:00.000-04:00

US acknowledges torture at Guantanamo and Iraq, Afghanistan: UN source

Washington has for the first time acknowledged to the United Nations that prisoners have been tortured at US detention centres in Guantanamo Bay, as well as Afghanistan and Iraq, a UN source said.

You know, on matters like these, I wish us on the Left wasn't correct all the time...

Could a draft end the war in Iraq?

2005-06-22T11:39:00.000-04:00

What will it take to get U.S. troops out of Iraq?

The gullibility of the general American population (as well as the combination of their fear, ignorance, religion, homophobia, and bigotry) helped put this administration in office. These things also helped start this useless war in Iraq.

Now people are finally waking up to the reality of the situation, as the approval ratings have shown.

But what will it take to get the American people to take to the streets in protest in DROVES, as they did during the Vietnam war?

A draft, maybe?

Then perhaps Iraq would be put back on the front pages of newspapers and body counts would finally lead the evening network newscasts. With all able-bodied children facing the draft, people would realize that their donation to the war would have to be more than a two-dollar yellow ribbon stuck on the back of their SUV's.

Public opinion is finally turning against the war. But is it enough to have a real effect?

As horrible as it sounds, maybe a draft is the only thing that will get Americans off their asses and finally screaming in droves at the politicians to end the war. Maybe then, something will actually be done.

A draft could indeed end this war. Just not in the way most people think.

Durbin, telling the truth hurts... Conservatives.

2005-06-22T11:22:00.000-04:00

All I have to say about the Senator Durbin "controversy" is that Conservatives are losing their intelligence every day.

Here is what Senator Durbin said during a speech last Tuesday, quoting from an FBI agent's report describing detainees at the Naval base in Guantanamo Bay as being chained to the floor without food or water in extreme temperatures.

"If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime -- Pol Pot or others -- that had no concern for human beings," Durbin said.

Conservatives are trying to spin this as Durbin trashing American soldiers. Gee, where does it say "soldiers"?

Durbin was stating that if you used the description the FBI agent used in regards to the way certain prisoners were treated, a typical American wouldn't think for a moment that these were techniques used by Americans. Because, doing things like this ISN'T something associated with Americans. It doesn't take a genius to figure this out.

Durbin is pointing out that this was done by Americans under authority of an American government. Soldiers have nothing to do with it and it's not an attack on soldiers in any case. He never compares soldiers to Nazis. It's about policies. Not to mention the actions of civilian contractors.

Conservatives have actually convinced themselves that the Arab world, and the rest of the world for that matter, are being enraged by Durbin's comments, and not by the U.S. history of mistreating prisoners under the Bush administration. In their bizzaro world, people speaking AGAINST torture are the ones making the enemy angry. Not the ones actually doing the torture.

If the idiot Conservatives would demand accountability from the Bush administration for their myrad of abuses instead of trying to hang the messinger with phony charges of "aid and comfort to the enemy", this whole thing would be over by now.

It's the investigations that are telling us what's really going on down there. But no, Conservatives are actually trying to pretend that the investigations are giving Gitmo a clean bill. They expect the American people, as well as other nations, to believe Bush when he says Gitmo is a country club.

Now, most rational people already knew Bush was lying about WMD in the run up for the war. But, Bush and his cabal of Neo-Cons have been saying that they were misled by faulty intelligence. We now have the evidence that they didn't have faulty intelligence. They didn't have any intelligence at all. Saying that they had intelligence when they didn't, is what is known as a LIE. Are Conservatives ignorant enough to think that the rest of the world can't figure this out for themselves?

Other nations, including our enemies, already know that Bush is a proven liar. They already know that we're mistreating prisoners at places like Gitmo and Abu Ghraib. They're right. And, they know they're right.

The Conservatives are the problem. They lead the rest of the world to believe that the U.S. condones such actions. And that's part of why they hate us.

People like Durbin are doing damage control for the mess that Bush administration policy has caused. And what happens? Conservatives call him a traitor and call him "Turban Durbin."

Unbelievable.

Durbin's tring to convince the rest of the world that abusing prisoners isn't acceptable conduct to Americans, and that the U.S. isn't as evil as bin Laden says we are.

But Durbin, as well as other Americans who frown upon torture, have a major problem... Right Wing morons DO think that abusing and/or torturing prisoners is acceptable conduct. People like Rush who compare abuse to frat hazing. And idiot Republicans who compare Gitmo to a resort. What sort of message do they think that sends the rest of the world?

It's brain dead Conservatives who are creating this mess. The Gitmo controversy could be ended tomorrow were the Bush administration so inclined. If Bush doesn't want people like Durbin talking about how we treat captives, then all he has to do is make captivity at Gitmo transparent and bring it into line with international law. Things like legal representation or strict adherence to the Geneva Convention are all it would take.

But the Bush administration doesn't want that. Why? Because, they want to be free to abuse inmates in their quest for information. Even though it's against U.S. law and international conventions that we signed. And, Conservatives think that's just fine. The world knows that Republicans are proud of Guantanamo and all that it represents. Our enemies know that. And our enemies know that Americans that are speaking out against torture and abuse, like Durbin, are considered "traitors" by Bush and his followers. Our enemies know that the people who elected our president, think the abuse of prisoners (many of whom haven't been charged with any crime) is just a funny joke.

Bush and his followers are the ones that are turning the entire world against us, not Durbin.

It's one thing to compare the acts of illegal, amoral, and even counter-productive brutality perpetrated by a few specific criminals put in a position of power by a careless government to those of brutal, totalitarian regimes.

It's quite another to accuse the majority of your fellow Americans of being terrorist sympathizers when it is quite clearly (at least to any sane, non-indoctrinated person) not the case. This is what Rove did:

Read Karl Rove's hypocritical blather here

Then they have the unmitigated gall to try to paint Durbin as a "traitor" and Howard Dean as "loopy."

But hey, Conservatives, go on with your attempt to excuse your scumbag politician heros with a false, indeed intellectually and morally bankrupt, claim of moral relativism. This kind of intellectual dishonesty is most likely considered a badge of honor by you and your ilk.

Social Security - The Real Connections

2005-06-21T14:27:00.000-04:00

This is a great instructional video concerning the current Social Security issues. It's easy to follow, and simple to understand. It runs 12 minutes and gives a LOT of information.

I highly recommend watching it:

http://www.ecolanguage.net/

Operation Yellow Elephant!

2005-06-21T11:16:00.000-04:00

Jesus General has provided a public service for all the gutless, spineless chickenhawk cowards that squealed for this war, but wouldn't enlist.

It's OPERATION YELLOW ELEPHANT!

"The objective of OPERATION YELLOW ELEPHANT is to recruit College Republicans and Young Republicans to serve as infantry. They demanded this war and now viciously support it. It's only right that they also experience it."

Remember: It's easy for Conservatives to applaud this lie of a war. It's not so easy for them to enlist or encourage their kids to enlist, is it?

Sign up or shut up!

Memo: U.S. lacked plan for post-Saddam Iraq

2005-06-19T08:01:00.000-04:00

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/nation/11931821.htm

A July 21, 2002, paper written for top government officials preparing to meet with Blair said: “The U.S. government’s military planning for action against Iraq is proceeding apace. But, as yet, it lacks a political framework. In particular, little thought has been given to creating the political conditions for military action, or the aftermath and how to shape it.”

Conservatives - Rhetoric > Citations

2005-06-17T07:56:00.001-04:00

http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/6/12/17357/3049

"[The top 24 left-wing blogs] are full-fledged community sites where members cannot only comment, but they can also post diaries / articles / polls. By comparison, there are no community sites among the top twenty-four conservative blogs. None, zip, zero, nada."

This is no surprise. A POSTING community that can attract both sides is abhorrent to Conservatives, because then people can post citations and direct quotations. And if the Conservatives try to pull a fast one and use rhetoric, they can get called out on it.

In the mid eighties, Rush Limbaugh was allowed to guest host for Pat Sajak on his short lived talk show, the audience practically booed him off the stage when he started in on one of his rants. He finally had to finish the show with an empty audience. Seeing the clips, I actually felt sorry for Rush. He looked very shaken, as if he'd never had to deal with a real general audience before. It should be no suprise that on his radio show, he filters out dissenters before they can go on-air.

This is why Conservatives prefer to either use blogs where people cannot comment back, or they use something like a chatroom. In a blog where nobody can add commentary, Conservatives can post rhetoric and don't have to be called out on citations. In chatrooms, they can just spout rhetoric over and over again. Because in chatrooms, their comments evaporate.

When Conservatives go somewhere where there is a wide base of people on both sides of the political spectrum, they get absolutely CRUSHED by the Left.

And if they go somewhere where there is more on the Left than the Right, they wind up a twitching heap on the floor. If you don't believe me, read the newsgroup alt.atheism and watch Christians and Conservatives get hung up to dry with facts.

Without a general community, Conservatives can post simplistic commentary and be nice and vague. In chatrooms, they can say "LIEberals are traitors!" over and over again, and never have to back it up with anything.

The top right-wing blogs and right-wing chatrooms are merely their protective shelters. Inject the real world with both sides, and in a format that doesn't evaporate, and their arguments collapse.
Thomas Lindaman backs down from fist fights.
AceofSwrds@aol.com backs down from fist fights.
AceofSwrds backs down from fist fights.
Thomas Lindaman (aka AceofSwrds@aol.com ) backs down from fist fights.
Thomas Lindaman (aka AceofSwrds ) backs down from fist fights.
Thomas Lindaman backs down from fistfights.
AceofSwrds@aol.com backs down from fistfights.
AceofSwrds backs down from fistfights.
Thomas Lindaman (aka AceofSwrds@aol.com ) backs down from fistfights.
Thomas Lindaman (aka AceofSwrds ) backs down from fistfights.
Thomas Lindaman is a coward.
AceofSwrds@aol.com is a coward.
AceofSwrds is a coward.
Thomas Lindaman (aka AceofSwrds@aol.com ) is a coward.
Thomas Lindaman (aka AceofSwrds ) is a coward.

Latest Bush Poll: Look Out Below!

2005-06-17T02:22:00.000-04:00

Boy, just when one would think Bush's numbers couldn't get any lower...

NYT/CBS Poll 6/16

The numbers in parentheses are from just a month ago.

Bush approval
Approve 42 (46)
Disapprove 51 (48)

Action in Iraq
Right Thing 45 (47)
Should have Stayed out 51 (49)

Terrorism
Approve 52 (58)
Disapprove 40

Economy
Approve 39 (38)
Disapprove 56

Foreign Policy
Approve 39 (40)
Disapprove 51

Iraq
Approve 37 (38)
Disapprove 59

Social Security
Approve 26 (26)
Disapprove 62 (62)

Bush shares your priorities for the country?
Yes 35 (34)
No 61 (61)

Congress shares your priorities for the country?
Yes 19 (20)
No 71 (68)

More at Kos.

Michael Schiavo Vindicated

2005-06-15T12:17:00.000-04:00

Schiavo autopsy shows no sign of trauma, brain half normal size

"The brain weighed 615 grams, roughly half of the expected weight of a human brain," he said. "This damage was irreversible, and no amount of therapy or treatment would have regenerated the massive loss of neurons."

Not that this is ANY shock to anyone with even a molecule of common sense that saw her CAT scan:

Schiavo CAT scan

That's cerebrospinal fluid that's flooded her brain, you ignorant bible-thumpers.

Remember all those nutball parents and their loony conservative and/or religious fans talking about how Terri would recognize people as they came in the room and smile, and follow hand motions and the like? It was all lying bullshit. Her vision centers in her brain were gone. She was BLIND.

The autopsy proves that the very few doctors who claimed she could "recover," etc., were incompetent and unethically lying out of political or religious grounds. Most of of these "doctors" were being very generously paid for their "opinions" by the Schindlers and their big-money right-wing backers. The most infamous, of course, was "Dr." Hammesfahr, a shady character who runs a small, seedy pay-up-front clinic in Florida. He was one of the Schindler's paid "experts", and made the rounds of the talking head shows on an almost nightly basis, claiming to be a "Nobel Prize nominee"--a bald-faced lie which he'd also told in court, under oath-- and parroting the Schindler's nonsense.

Terry's husband is vindicated.

UPDATE: A great article on the Joe Scarborough / Randall Terry interview concerning Schiavo can be found at JABBS.

A most excellent few days for Democrats

2005-06-13T09:56:00.000-04:00

The past few days sure have been great, haven't they?

The debate's over on Global Warming. Guess who wins?
The ones who know the truth... and it ain't the head-in-the-sand Republicans:

The debate's over: Globe is warming

The "debate" was actually over a long time ago among scientists and the informed -- it's only been slowly trickling down to the uncomprehending and clueless masses that global warming is real and humans have a big part in it. And we're effectively doing nothing about it.

But it's not in the Bible, so it must be a liberal conspiracy among scientists, right? Have you noticed how when Bush was asked about global warming in the 2000 debates he said we need to study it more, then in the 2004 debates he said the same thing, yet, in the meantime, he has learned enough to send us into to useless wars, attempted to redo social security to its detriment, and give us our largest deficits, yet he still doesn't "know enough" to act on global warming. Can't you just hear his supporters saying "We're not sure that 1+1=2, so we need to study it more!" Sheesh, the pure unadulterated stupidity of Conservatives...

Meanwhile: Dean's recent comments on the GOP and FOX News have really been getting Republicans' panties in a twist, haven't they? Including Cheney himself. Well, tough. The day Conservatives and Republicans stop lying about liberals and Democrats, will be the day we stop telling the TRUTH about Republicans. Dean's giving the party the backbone it's needed for a long time. And he's got the support:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8185333/site/newsweek/

"Officials estimate that $12 million of the $14 million the Dean regime has collected so far this year has come from those who gave less than $250. "For people who really look hard at the numbers, he's wowing people," says Elaine Kamarck, a respected DNC member."

You can't squirm your way out of this one, Conservatives. Squawk about Dean all you like. Once again, reality trumps you. Money talks.

As far as the Bush administration goes, not only are people waking up and getting sick of the way the GOP is raping this country, but they're also sick of Iraq:

http://coldfury.com/reason/?p=677

"Nearly six in 10 Americans say the United States should withdraw some or all of its troops from Iraq, a new Gallup Poll finds, the most downbeat view of the war since it began in 2003.

Patience for the war has dropped sharply as optimism about the Iraqi elections in January has ebbed and violence against U.S. troops hasn’t abated. For the first time, a majority would be “upset” if President Bush sent more troops. A new low, 36%, say troop levels should be maintained or increased."

And it's looking like Bush could be feeling the heat as the Downing Street Memo continues to build momentum:

Could memo sink Bush?

Just keep doing what you're doing, Conservatives. Just keep doing what you're doing.

And the polls keep coming

2005-06-10T12:47:00.000-04:00

More and more polls are showing bad news for Bush:

"President Bush's job approval and the public's confidence in the direction he's taking the nation are at their lowest levels since The Associated Press-Ipsos poll began in December 2003."

Full article here:

Poll: Bush Job Approval Dips to New Low

I'm sure all these different polls... all of which are showing the same pattern of the majority of Americans rejecting Bush, are just a conspiracy, right?

"Creation Unwise" Returns!

2005-06-10T11:56:00.000-04:00

By request, I have revived my parody rebuttals of the Creationist comic strip, "Creation Wise."

Here's an example:

Take a look at them all here:

CreationUnwise

Don't worry, more are coming!