But will Tom DeLay follow suit...
(R)
Randy "Duke" Cunningham, went on the news today and had his Jimmy Swaggart moment as he
tearfully announced that he is indeed guilty of
conspiracy and tax violation charges and has resigned from the House. Now if only this could convince Tom DeLay to do the same...but as DeLay truly lives in his own little "innocent" universe, I juuuust don't see this happening. In fact, I bet he's privately snickering and waiting to berate Cunningham by telephone. "GUILTY! What the hell were you thinking...pleading
guilty...and then you
cried...boo hoo hoo! You big p****".
IN THE MEANTIME...I sadly did not get the New Yorker in our afternoon mail but have heard that, once again, a "senior official" is claiming that Bush sees himself called on by God to bring freedom to {those depraved, dark heathens in} Iraq. ... ... ... do I really even want to go there?
From one zealot to another...
Saddam Hussein was back on trial today after a brief hiatus due to security concerns...which are still a factor, particularly as two of the defendants complained about their court appointed lawyers and asked to have replacements for the ones that were killed recently. Apparently, Saddam told the judge he ought to order his guards-"occupiers and invaders"-to treat him better, and complained about a broken elevator. Basically there was enough complaining to postpone the trial once again to December 5th.
And speaking of Iraq...After John Murtha suggested troop
pullout, Republicans went on the attack and it looks like
Kerry is the new Clinton for the time being...
AND speaking of the administration getting snippy...
60 Minutes FINALLY did a story on the stalling of Plan B by the FDA. It is ridiculous how this drug's OTC status that could prevent an unwanted pregnancy-and an abortion-has been stalled indefinitely by this administration...then again, is it really that suprising?
All right that's all I got time for today, but remember that even when they are making you do your dayjob, KEEP E-MAILING!! E-mail, call, fax, write your friends and family, the press and your Congressfolk and let them know that you are paying attention!!!
Peace --Alex
talking about talking a hint...
According to the Drudge Report and
Wonkette, CNN had some "typographical" issues while airing Dick Cheney's latest speech. As he spoke, a big black "X" occasionally flashed over his face. of course, Drudge and Michelle Malkin think it was a subversive subliminal liberal ploy by the network. I think it was an intern who screwed up the graphics...or perhaps it was a subversive liberal intern...
CNN.com has no comment (or at least no story about it on its front page). No they'd rather talk about, of all things,
Jose Padilla and how the government decided after holding him for two years to actually
charge him for something...
AND you gotta love it when GOPers have to eat their words...Rep. Jean Schmidt, the woman who quoted a Marine that had told her-in response to John Murtha's request for troop pullout from Iraq, "Cowards cut and run. Marines never do," is being called out by said Marine, Rep.
Danny Bubp who claims he never said such a thing and certainly "wouldn't insult a fellow Marine". Perhaps this will be a lesson in "think before you speak on the floor of Congress..."
On a completely random note...my friend Doug got an agent last night. I can't tell you how happy and proud I am of him. he is one of the hardest working guys in the business, one of the most thoughtful and supportive, and is indeed ridiculously talented. More power to ya baby!
Always good to end on some positivity people...
Take a HINT!
Okay, now that the Iraqis are asking for a pullout
timetable (symbolic gesture or no), you'd think that perhaps the Administration would take the hint. Somehow though, I get the feeling that Cheney is just grumbling "F***ers! We're there for your FREEDOM! You can't ask us to
leave We'll leave when we're good and ready! Who the f*** do you think you are (bunch of radical heathens)?"
Or maybe he'sll just call
them "corrupt,
shameless revisionists" as well.
And while everyone is looking to blame someone, the Administration has been blaming Al-Jazeera for riling up the insurgency, but Bush got to the point of "joking" with Tony Blair about attacking their headquarters...and
Tony Blair said "uhhhhh...no." (scroll to "Al Jazeera go boom!")
So now for a giggle, please go to Daily Kos' "cheers and jeers" section, as hell we all could use it.
More later...
You know...
Our president truly is clueless (please see front page photos of NY Times which walks you through his locked door incident yesterday). We know this...we've known this for a long time...and with his extremely low approval rating it appears that even some of his voters and the rest of the American people are figuring this out...but I still have moments when I wonder how the heck a coup has not happened. There is a website called mycathatesyou.com and I tempted to start up a website that we could send to George called yourcountryhatesyou.com (and add a link to mycountryhatesyou.com for all the foreign nations that have taken issue with him).
Speaking of countries that hate us...Iran has never been particularly fond of us-and the west in general- as it is and now their
parliament has voted to tell the UN "NO ATOMIC SITE VISITS FOR YOU!"
AND
Dick Cheney (and his 19% approval rating) says that John Murtha is a patriot, the Iraq debate is good, but the Dems against the war are still "dishonest and reprehensible" and terrorist enablers...
And speaking of Dick...he and the rest of the administration want folks to stay on
message, hence he had a meeting with the three GOPers that aren't: John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and John Warner. They have this thing against the use of torture...amd I'm sure Dick brought out the thumbscrew and told each of them "Now...we have to stick together *twist* am I right?"
And speaking of torture and our guys helping it out, since 1990, there is an annual protest at
Fort Benning in Georgia as men who were taught at their Central American training school, killed 6 jesuit priests in 1989. Of course, as the war in Iraq has escalated and approval for it diminishes, there are folks using this protest to voice opinions about Iraq. Folks who live in the town have been having an "anti-rally" in support of the troops since 2002, many not realizing that the peace people support the troops as well, just not the war into which they were sent. It is a prime example of the divisions this war has caused.
so frightening...
cranky cranky cranky...
you'd think someone was trying to impeach them over some intern...
Dick Cheney goes to this conservative dinner (and we're not talking about the amount of food), and goes off growling about how the Democrats accusing them about
misleading the country on Iraq is "one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city [grrrrrr]..." I do believe he doth
protest too much...but that's just me...
And I think he's just cranky about first, paperwork being found about his oil meetings and now an American
contractor being charged for graft in Iraq...which means he may be next...*"cough" Haliburton "cough"*
Then there's also this thing about
FEMA kicking Hurricane Katrina refugees out of hotels with two weeks notice...and some folks, like the mayor of Houston and the
governor of Lousiana are just not happy about this...
And then those
Alaskan "bridges to nowhere" got killed in the budget...as well as
cuts to education and healthcare
You'd think they'd at least be happy about the fact that the Senate voted to allow them to keep checking our
library records...
do you hear Dick growling?
Yeah that little rumbling noise in the corner is Dick Cheney growling at his people for not destroying
documentation from that meeting he had with oil tycoons...that meeting he said
never happened...
And I'm sure there's some more twitching and some groaning at the White House now that
Bob Woodward has announced, now that he's testified before Patrick Fitzgerald yesterday, that he knew Valerie Plame's name a month before the article came out. He didn't say anything for fear of being subpeoned apparently. Oh, and his source was NOT Scooter Libby...I think I just heard an aid say "Not again...what
is it with this guy?"
AND Alito of course, when asked about his Regan era statement about how he really feels about
abortion, he claimed "it was different then...I was an advocate seeking a job, it was a political job, and that was 1985. I'm now a judge, I've been on the circuit court for 15 years, and it's very different. I'm not an advocate, I don't give heed to my personal views. What I do is interpret the law." I think the best response to that statement has been given by
wonkette:
"See: He's not pro-life, he's a sycophant. We're sure that's exactly what Feinstein wanted to hear. Wait a minute..."
All right, as they are making me actually do my job...and the amount of chocolate I had at the chocolate show Sunday has given even worse ADD than I already have, I gotta cut it short...but not before I say KEEP E-MAILING!!!! E-mail, call, write, fax your friends and family, the press and your Congressfolk (particularly now that we got this ridiculous budget plan up for vote), and let them know that you are PAYING ATTENTION!! and pass it on, pass it on, pass it on :)
Peace --Alex
surfacing....
Last Tuesday through this past Sunday I went to 4 chorus rehearsals, 1 benefit, 1 wedding, 1 chocolate show and performed at 1 concert. Last night was my first night in in a week and it was spent rehearsing for the gig I have tonight. After tonight, I may actually get some sleep again :) ...But I have to say that there is nothing like sitting on the stage of Carnegie Hall, getting ready to sing, listening to an amazing orchestra play the William Tell overture while riding an INSANE sugar high.
IN THE MEANTIME...there is blogging to be done!!!
David Kusnet believes that Bush's chief advisors could not possibly have had a look at the speech he made veterans day as it was so completely inappropriate for the occasion, so directly critical of those who have spoken against him, and such an obvious sign of how on-the-defensive the president is truly feeling. The speechwriters gave it to George and he ran with it and ooooooh...so ugly...so
desperate...and so full of material for the Daily Show...
Other things driving him to angry hour long speeches...
*The GAO has put out a report-after 16 months of investigating-saying that the
FDA indeed put politics before science in regard to the emergency contraceptive pill known as "Plan B". The pill can prevent a pregnancy up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. It appears that the FDA did not follow "normal procedures", top officials were "actively involved" in the decision to not make it available over the counter, and when "lower ranking scientists" refused to sign off on the FDA report (due to factual in accuracies), it was given to previously mentioned top officials. It also appears that the former head of the FDA deleted all e-mail correspondence and "written memos were routinely destroyed", hence messing with record keeping...which your not supposed to do...but what's a little thing like legality to this administration?
*and speaking of...a bi-partisan group of Senators have reached a compromise on the issue of
detainee rights. You can sue later, but you can't do anything
now...
*
Samuel Alito...people are gonna find these things, man. They're not going to forget that you did indeed say that you felt, that if
you were going to be on the Supreme Court:
"the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion," declared his firm opposition to certain affirmative action programs, and strongly endorsed a government role in "protecting traditional values."
**now he's gotta go back to all those Senators he's visited, claiming he admired the Roe V. Wade precedent saying "Okay, lemme explain..."
*AND did I mention that the
Republicans are looking to find a way to end the war in Iraq and bring our
soldiers home? No wonder George was so testy this past weekend...
*AND
John Edwards has renounced his pro-war vote and perhaps will inspire other Democrats to do the same...hmmmmmmm?
After all this, I would expect that we'll be hearing more bitter and cranky speeches from George
So while we wait for his head to explode KEEP E-MAILING!!! E-mail, call, fax, write your friends and family, the press and your Congressfolk and let them know that you are paying attention!!!
Peace --Alex
elections?
Okay, climbing out of the pile of postcards I've been making up for my gig next Tuesday and doing a small walk of shame as, there were elections yesterday in my adopted city and did I vote? No. I am still registered in Massachusetts and know that I do just need to finally suck it up and get that New York license.
Bloomberg got a landslide of the vote and, while I disgree with him on MANY issues, I DO like the fact that 1) he is pro-choice, 2)He's been fighting Pataki for city money since the get-go, 3) he may not be outright for gay marriage, but he took on Brian Ellner-democratic and gay city official-asking him "I wanna hear your voice on this [and other issues]". The man is willing to hear different views and delve into communities and find out what's going on in town. We all know he's got his own money so he takes $1 salary...
And Ferrer pretty much did NOT put up the good fight. So wrong...
At least in Virginia and Jersey, they got Democrats in the governor's seats...and it showed that Bush stumping for the Republican candidate in VA was more a
hindrance than a help...heh heh heh...
IN THE MEANTIME...The Senate voted 90-9 to ban torture...and this left
Dick Cheney growling *"they just don't...understand...that we need to...
do this...and it's not...torture...it's interrogation...that's legal...we're not dealing with...ah f*** it and pull out their fingernails...that should make 'em talk-" suddenly Cheney's mic is cut...*
And I particularly like Bush's quote when asked about the situation while visting Panama (and getting further nowhere with Latin America):
"Anything we do to that end, in that effort to that end, any activity that we conduct, is within the law. We do not torture."
Well, we got Alberto Gonzales to loosen up the laws so while it may be considered extreme, it is legal and is not "torture"... dammit!Even my Republican voice teacher was left to say yesterday "I just want to shoot him"...
dammit these people are making me do my JOB so I am going to have to cut this short, but at least we can know that Judy Miller has indeed "retired" from the team :)
Peace --Alex
The devil wears dockers...
Michael Brown...you poor sad delusional man...you actually thought no one would
find, print and publish these
e-mails...
Further proof of the arrogant, ignorant and incompetent boobs Bush is willing to put into leading positions. There's worrying about your style image, and then worrying about that over say, making sure hundreds of thousands of people need water, food, ice, etc...
And speaking of arrogant, ignorant and incompetent boobs, the president is in Argentina today for the Summit of the Americas...amd being called a fascist by
protestors...
Bush was hoping, I'm sure, to have a chance to get away from all the craziness in the White House, what with
Scooter Libby being arraigned yesterday, the rumors of Karl Rove perhaps having to resign, Arlen Specter scheduling Alito's
confirmation hearing for January rather than NOW, and his approval ratings hitting a new low of %37 (60%
disapprove of his job performance and 58% question the president's integrity [NOW?!?! taken 'em all this time?]), but of course, protesters and reporters weren't going to allow that to happen...YEA!
And I say that while he is away, perhaps send the
prez an e-mail or two about how YOU feel so he can feel that love when he gets home...oh and e-mail your
Congressfolk about the artic drilling bill they think it's okay to okay and remind them that it is NOT...
Peace --Alex
FEND FOR YOURSELVES!!!
That's the main part of Bush's flu plan. According to NPR, Bush is telling folks that states and cities really ought to have their own individual plan without looking for help from Washington as it really just could be too big for them to deal with...
well, we've seen that this government can't handle a hurricane, let alone a pandemic so perhaps this really is the best idea...
the horror...
yeah that's what this day became last year when middle America allowed themselves to be hornswaggled by the administration and Diebold voting machines and let this bugger and his cronies back into office...but this morning on the Today show, it was a regular segment of "What's driving George to drink?" as their headlines went like this:
*NBC News has confirmed the Washington Post article about CIA "
black sites" aka secret prisons for "extreme interrogation aka torture around the world including Thailand, Afghanistan and parts if Eastern Europe:
"While the Defense Department has produced volumes of public reports and testimony about its detention practices and rules after the abuse scandals at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and at Guantanamo Bay, the CIA has not even acknowledged the existence of its black sites. To do so, say officials familiar with the program, could open the U.S. government to legal challenges, particularly in foreign courts, and increase the risk of political condemnation at home and abroad."
Ya
think? ...as well as cause divisions in the party...
*Harry Reid called for a rare
closedsession of Congress yesterday to debate why the GOPers have been "dragging their feet" on investigating whether or not the White House manipulated intelligence in order to go forward with the Iraq War...did we really need a closed session of Congress for
that? Apparently the answer is
yes...of course Frist and other were up in arms saying it was an insult! "an affront" even! but we know that they're just upset cause they didn't do it first :p And had to concede to you know, actually
investigating...
*The White House and serious GOP senators are *gasp!* trying to "
reach out" to moderate democrats in order to get their vote for Judge Samuel "Roe Schmoe!" Alito. Wow...things really
are getting
desperate...
*Jimmy Carter's got a new book out called
Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis which is pretty much about how the present administration, which believes it is the moral compass of the free world, really isn't...
"In Our Endangered Values, Carter offers a personal consideration of "moral values" as they relate to the important issues of the day. He puts forward a passionate defense of separation of church and state, and a strong warning of where the country is heading as the lines between politics and rigid religious fundamentalism are blurred...
Many of these matters are under fierce debate. They include preemptive war, women's rights, terrorism, civil liberties, homosexuality, abortion, the death penalty, science and religion, environmental degradation, nuclear arsenals, America's global image, fundamentalism, and the melding of religion and politics."
He's covering a lot in this book,it appears...and is getting on TV about it...
*And Iraq continues to be an ugly violent
place...
And that was just the headlines on the Today show this morning...IN OTHER NEWS...
*Dick's not only growling over GOPers that don't like his idea of "interrogation" but over the fact that his replacement of Scooter Libby,
John Hannah, could be connected-surprise-to bogus Iraq intelligence...*"why...doesn't anyone...listen to me...and keep their mouths...shut...grrrrrrr..."*
*Bush has tried to distract everybody with talk of
bird flu...but is it working? I think not (see above) particularly as folk have been talking about how his plan would strain the vaccine...
*oh and by the way George, people are indeed still talking about
Katrina...
I truly hope that the people that voted for George one year ago today are realizing the err of their ways and START E_MAILING!!!! E-mail, call, fax, write your friends and family, the press and your Congressfolk and let them know that you are PAYING ATTENTION and KNOW that we have not only a monumentally ignorant and arrogant ass in office, but a very dangerous, very secretive, very undemocratic administration backing him up...and they need to go. Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on!
Peace --Alex
CLOSED SESSION!
Yep, Harry Reid has called for a rare
closed session of Congress in relation to Iraq intelligence. Of course, Bill Frist and Trent Lott are saying that this is all a publicity stunt in the wake of the Scooter Libby indictment, but I have a feeling that it wouldn't be closed if they wanted real
publicity...
IN THE MEANTIME...*to the tune of "Maria" from West Side Story*..."
Alitoooooo, George Bush named a
judge named Alito...he'll turn back the clock, on women's rights and lock, the Court into a right wing hell, Alitoooooooo"
Okay, I understand that Harriet Miers wasn't great just mainly because she wasn't really qualified...but for Bush to go the absolute opposite extreme; while it's not surprising, it just begs the question "Dude, what kind of glutton for punishment are you?" It's not like the second term has gone swimmingly and he knows it, but somehow does NOT think the Dems are going to fight on this guy just cause he's got some Ivy League status behind him? Bush has Ivy League status...but wait, the Dems haven't fought him much either...til like, NOW...thank God...
I mean, the man's own mother has said "Oh yes, he'd vote against abortion" and he did give the one approving
opinion on an abortion case that would require a woman to tell her husband-even if it is an abusive husband-that she wanted to get an abortion...princeton educated cave-man...
And of course, to disctract from indictments, and a controversial judge appointment, what did George want to talk about?
Bird Flu...
Is it just me or is our administration just looking more and more...redundant?
Peace --Alex
