and don’t come back
posted by TheDon
Sunday Funnies
posted by TheDon
Fawkes News
Curtain
This Weak
posted by TheDon
We’ve all marvelled at the Cheney administration’s dismissive attitude towards the legislative branch. Glenn Greenwald points out that this is just the tip of the unconstitutional iceberg. He has sussed out the strategery being used to run the clock out until January, 2009. It’s two pronged, with the first prong being a delaying tactic – don’t cooperate with investigations, stop the prosecution of your own gang members:
(the Cheney administration) has the power to block the Justice Department, and its U.S. Attorneys, from criminally prosecuting Executive Branch employees who refuse to comply with Congressional subpoenas, notwithstanding a statute enacted by the American people through their Congress requiring such prosecution where Congress issues a contempt citation.
The great unanswered question of the Bush administration has been, and continues to be, whether, upon losing a judicial battle, they would explicitly claim the right to defy the judicial order on the ground that the order exceeds proper judicial authority.
…
Always lurking at the core of these radical assertions of executive power is the belief that they can defy court orders due to the claimed “constitutional limitations on the judicial power.”
Posted by TheDon
As usual, this week was full of grim news, maddending news, and news which is sadly unsurprising. There were, however, some stories which were happy, or at least gave us hope for the future. Harry Reid pulled the Defense Appropriations Bill. Michael Vick was indicted. We’ve apparently killed 29/30s of Al-Qaeda leadership. The last installation of Potter-mania comes out. SPOILER ALERT: the wizard did it.
So in honor of some of the top stories, I made a yellow drink. Use it to toast the news story of your choice. And don’t give away your stickiness.
The Golden Snitch
or
Piss on Vick
or
The Cheney Stripe
Fill a double old-fashioned glass halfway with ice
Add 3 oz vodka
Pour in 2 oz Galliano (Don’t stir, just watch; it’s a lovely effect.)
Attention non-virgins: you’re nothing but a used-up linty piece of tape
Posted by Mikhaela Reid
Saw this in the NY Times a few days ago:
“You have to look at why sex was created,” Eric Love, the director of the East Texas Abstinence Program, which runs Virginity Rules, said one day, the sounds of Christian contemporary music humming faintly in his Longview office. “Sex was designed to bond two people together.”
To make the point, Mr. Love grabbed a tape dispenser and snapped off two fresh pieces. He slapped them to his filing cabinet and the floor; they trapped dirt, lint, a small metal bolt. “Now when it comes time for them to get married, the marriage pulls apart so easily,” he said, trying to unite the grimy strips. “Why? Because they gave the stickiness away.”
Why I Don’t Care
Saturday’s cartoon “Profile of a Suicide Bomber” prompted pro-genocide, fascist racist blogger Michelle Malkin to launch into one of her whiny pro-censorship tirades. It’s a fairly straightforward cartoon; I was reading a list of character traits ascribed to Muslim suicide bombers and was taken by the obvious similarities to traits required to serving in the military: blind obedience to authority, religiosity, etc. Both the suicide bombers and the soldiers are victims of a vicious con: die for someone else’s benefit, without questioning whether the sacrifice is worth it (which, in the case of the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, it isn’t). Here’s what Malkin had to say:
Rall is beyond contempt. He has accused our troops of being murderers for Halliburton*, mocked soldiers as sexual deviants**, and derided the late Pat Tillman as an “idiot” and “sap”***. Now, all in one cartoon, he shows his naked contempt for the very traits of the American soldier that helped give birth to this country and secured it for 231 years: willingness to sacrifice, faith, courage, respect for the commander-in-chief****, and determination to complete their mission.
*Her point is…?
**Only the soldiers who shove flashlights up Muslim asses in de Sade-ian dungeons at Abu Ghraib and Bagram and Gitmo and and pee on them and rape them.
***It’s since become evident that Tillman was no idiot. Sap, however, applies to anyone who jointed the armed forces after 9/11, when Bush made clear that he had no intention of defending the U.S. or going after the murderers of 9/11.
****Why on earth would anyone respect Bush? His own father doesn’t. But anyway…
Nothing unusual there. Her fawning fanboy blogger allies, apparently under the delusion that they have a shot at scoring with this “hottie” (ewwww!) if they parrot her every outburst, formed a glorious online pile-on. Again, nothing new.
What caught my eye during the past few days, mixed into the usual urine stream of inarticulate outrage at anyone who questions the fucked-up racket of jingoism and militarism, threats of violence and death against yours truly (aren’t these the same folks who criticized Muslims for their violent reactions to the Danish Mohammed cartoons?), was the wonderment at the fact that I don’t seem to be bothered by their anger at me. Why doesn’t Rall care?
A few choice samples of comments from a typical Republican blog. I’m only including a few because there isn’t enough room on my server to handle it all:
Anyone who whips his ass will be a hero. I’d be glad to post the video
I’m thinking Ted Rall is a jihadi delight! One of the 72 smooth virgins.
60 years ago Ted Rall would be charged with treason and be sitting in a tent in the 120 degree heat of Arizona right now. One more reason they were the “Greatest Generation”. Our generation is weak and we deserve what we are getting.
You mean to tell me this bitch has been drawing since he was 17, and he still sucks that badly? Wow
Remember the guy from Seattle who crapped on the American flag? Maybe someday I can do that on Ted Rall’s grave.
I’m not defending Ted Rall by any stretch of the imagination, but something has gone very wrong with this guy’s head. I would like to ask him that question as I’m kicking his ass.
Actually, I’m relieved that these uneducated morons hate me. Who’d want these violent closeted homosexual lunatics to like them? I’d have to double security at my book signings.
ITMFA – Stop the War edition
posted by TheDon
Sunday Funnies
posted by TheDon
I have to admit I’m looking forward to today’s viewings. So many stories and developments this week, it has to be good, doesn’t it? Well, doesn’t it?
Meat The Press
Webb talks about checks and balances, and about protecting the military from an idiot in command.
He says that Petreaus also says the #1 enemy of America is AQ in Iraq. Says we have to defeat them first because they want to kill the young Iraqi democracy. He’s claiming that the surge has routed AQ from Anbar. You know, the surge that started two weeks ago. That one. The surge is AQ’s worst nightmare because the Anbari’s have rejected AQ and embraced us. Yeah. Let’s see how long that lasts.
Panel time:
Republican primary– USA Today poll has Giuliani, Thompson, McCain, followed by Romney in single digits! Looks like it’s time for another “loan” to his campaign. McCain’s campaign is over. Yawn. Mike Murphy – R strategist thinks it’s not over. Says low-budget campaign of courage suits McCain. Guess he hasn’t been following the news closely if he thinks McCain can claim courage.
DB of L points out that swift-boating is a very good thing to R’s. He then digs a little deeper saying a lot of R’s like McCarthy. Truly, truly a douchebag. Al Hunt still finds it hard to believe that R’s will nominate the pro-everything Rudy. He hasn’t seen the rest of the field, I guess. The Mormon? The lobbyist womanizer? The bat-shit-crazy Bush hugger? Just do you see them nominating?
Murphy points out that Rudy is a one-note candidate, and needs to get in the early primaries.
Dems – Clinton (42%!), Obama, Edwards. Bill’s on the campaign trail, and Hil’s looking unbeatable to a lot of people. Bill says people say they are yesterday’s news, but points out “Yesterday’s news was pretty good!”. Indeed. She’s not my first choice, but any one of these candidates would be a huge improvement over numb-nuts. Obama calls her part of the past and says it’s time to turn the page. Ouch. Either way works for me, really. But they beat this to death for a while.
They spend the rest of the show flogging DBL’s new book – eeeewwww. Despite that, it was one of their best shows in recent memory.
Fawkes News. Brit Hume hosting. I probably won’t actually watch much of this…
Opening line – “An Iraq report card with SOME passing grades, and a strong presidential resolve to keep up the fight.” Stephen Hadley to discuss. Ok, I definitely won’t watch much of this. Then they’ll ask Fred Kagan (who inspired the “surge”) how the “surge” is working. I just can’t take this kind of propaganda seriously. I’m skipping to the panel.
Panel
Wow. I just can’t make it through this BS storm. Strawmen are being absolutely destroyed. Juan Williams is brilliant cutting through it.
On to…
This Weak
Ugh. Warner, Lugar, Hadley, McCain. I’m warming up the fast-forward finger.
First up, Hadley. Whooooosh on the ff…
Now Warner and Lugar. Whooooosh…
Round Table
Rehash of the benchmarks – is September important or not, can anything make the preznit change course (nope – only 67 votes in the Senate can change course, along with 2/3 of the House. Doesn’t look good.)
Sam Donaldson points out that every soldier who dies in Iraq is dying for the inevitable establishment of a Shia theocracy. George Will calls out people who think we are winning in Iraq, says that they will blame liberals for snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory if we leave. It still surprises me that Will doesn’t support this war, but I chalk it up to isolationism. He’s one of the finest minds of the 16th century.
Blah blah about McCain. Most amazing comment – McCain burned through all his money without running a single ad. Jeebuz. That couldn’t have been easy.
In Memoriam
Lady Bird Johnson – the last classy first lady from Texas.
Charles Lane – actor was 102
Doug Marlette – amazing cartoonist
23 service members – 17 in their 20’s, one still a teenager, 5 in their 40’s
Dave Matthews is pushing to get vets their rightful medical treatment. Guess he’s some kinda liberal.
Funnies
What’s up with showing unfunny clips from The ½ witted News Hour?
curtain
posted by TheDon
We finally know which administration is in power for the television show The 4400. April developed the ability to compel a truthful answer from anyone by just asking a question. The government immediately used it to force a confession from a man who had demanded a lawyer. They then, instead of imprisoning a woman who had illegally obtained a power, and then illegally used that power, fought over which government agency would get to use her abilities. Nobody even briefly considered 5th ammedment rights. Now we know that The 4400 is set in the present.
posted by TheDon
My dearest friend and esteemed colleague, Sheik bin Laden,
- US out of Saudi Arabia
- Bleed US economy
- Kill US citizens and soldiers
- Rebuild organization
- Depose Saddam
- Depose Iranian government
Our success continues unabated, helped along by our great ally. We will miss him greatly, and must start planning for an administration which truly means us harm. Fortunately, we are now stronger than we have ever been. I look forward to the fight ahead.
Your friend and fellow soldier,
Ayman Muhammad Rabaie al-Zawahiri
P.S. Thanks for the “Bless This Cave” tapestry. It is a great reminder of the days when we thought we had to hide from the crusaders, in fear of them finding us. It will hang in an honored place on my office wall, where I work secure in the knowledge that our Pakistani hosts will keep us safe, and our great ally does not truly wish us eliminated.