The extremists in the Republican Party continue to show us who they really are.  And the picture isn't pretty at all.

Just this week, right-wing commentator Michelle Malkin referred to Los Angeles, California Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and California's Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante as "Latino supremacists."

Now, right-wing syndicated radio talk show host Neal Boortz has fired his gun on Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the first African-American woman to be elected to Congress from Georgia.

Commenting on Rep. McKinney's hairstyle, Boortz said "She looks like a ghetto slut" and "ghetto trash."

Transcript courtesy of Media Matters for America:

From the March 31 broadcast of Cox Radio Syndication's The Neal Boortz Show, with producer Belinda Skelton and talk radio host Royal Marshall:

BOORTZ: For instance, or for goodness sakes, jump in and I'm gonna say -- I'm gonna start out with something controversial. I saw Cynthia McKinney's new hair-do. Have you seen it, Belinda?

SKELTON: No.

BOORTZ: She looks like a ghetto slut.

-snip-

OK, Now I've seen Cynthia McKinney's new hairstyle. There is just no other way to say this. It's just hideous. She looks like ghetto trash. Get a braider over there ... quick! Nobody with a modicum of self-respect would go around looking like that.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200603310005

He also said she looked like a welfare drag queen.

Also courtesy of Media Matters:

"I don't blame that cop for stopping her....it looked like a welfare drag queen was trying to sneak into the Longworth House Office Building."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200604010003?src=item200604010003

So this is the face of the Republican Party today.  Racist at its core.  And when they cannot attack you on the issues, they attack you personally.

Let's see how Neal Boortz's coherts in the right-wing blogosphere try to spin this one. 

John Dean, who served as White House lawyer during the Nixon Administration, told the Senate Judiciary Committee today that Idiot Son's domestic spying program exceeds the crimes of Richard Nixon.

Dean knows a little something about Presidents and illegal activity.  In 1973, he told Richard Nixon there was a "cancer on the presidency" because of the Watergate scandal.  He told the Judiciary Committee today that Idiot Son should be censured, and possibly impeached.  (No, Mr. Dean.  You are wrong.  Not "possibly" impeached!  Most definitely impeached, and then while we are at it, let's remove this criminal from Office).

He also went on to say that had the Congress censured Richard Nixon, the tragedy of Watergate might have been prevented.  Hopefully the Senate will not sit by while even more serious abuses unfold before it."

But Sen. Russ Feingold, the sponsor of the censure resolution, had the comment of the day! He said "If we in the Congress don't stand up for ourselves and the American people, we become complicit in the lawbreaking."  He's absolutely right.  In effect, if the United States Congress does not exercise its oversight responsibility and hold Bush accountable for his crimes, they become his enabler. And they become criminals, too.

John Dean Blasts Warrantless Eavesdropping 

The United States Army has banned the use of privately procured armor. In other words, our soldiers can only wear the armor provided to them by the military.

The Army says they are concerned that soliders or their families are purchasing untested and/or possibly inadequate body armor from privately owned companies.

Well, call me crazy here, but perhaps the soldiers and their families feel compelled to buy their own armor, since the Army has done such a poor job of provided our soldiers with the appropriate material.

Because the Army has failed to protect our troops, you have mothers spending their hard-earned money to buy body armor for their son or daughter stationed overseas, fighting a needless, baseless war.

I guess if dear old Donald Rumsfeld were writing this blog, he would say something along the lines of 'you go to war with the body armor you have, not the kind you many want.'

Army Bans Use of Privately Bought Armor

The Covenant with Black America is doing EXTREMELY well!!

Today on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Tavis Smiley said he just received word, that the Convenant With Black America will jump to NUMBER 2 (yes, Number 2!!!) on the April 9 edition of the New York Times Best-Sellers List.

The Covenant debuted on the New York Times list at Number 6, it's currently at Number 4, and on April 9 it makes its way to the Number 2 spot!

I know that I had a very hard time finding my copy of the book!!!!

Like Tavis has said, there is something stirring in Black America right now!!! There seems to be a real hunger and thirst to help make Black America better.

Because as Tavis often says, when we make Black America better, we make ALL of America better.

If there was any "UP" side to Hurricane Katrina, I think it has truly galvanized us like nothing I have seen in my lifetime. We understand that America's promise has not been fulfilled yet for many people. And we understand that many times, "our" issues are the last issues to get addressed by the politico establishment, if they get addressed at all.

So to Tavis Smiley, I say a simple "congratulations!" Thank you for your leadership and all you do to help make Black America better.

If you want to sign the Covenant resolution, go here:

http://covenantwithblackamerica.com/involved_signed.html

It IS a cover-up!!

A new article by Murray Waas (National Journal) says that Bush's Brain, Karl Rove, forewarned White House aides in the summer of 2003 that Idiot Son's chances of 're-election' would be greatly compromised if it became public knowledge that Bush had been personally warned that some of his rationale for going to war had been "challenged" within his own Administration.

Rove's concerns surfaced after classified records showed that Idiot Son had been personally adivsed that claims he would later make in his State of the Union Speech about Iraq's designs on high-strength aluminum tubes, might not be true.

For his part, Stephen Hadley (then Deputy National Security Adviser) was concerned that the public would learn about a National Intelligence Estimate Bush received in 2002. So just what did that National Intelligence Estimate say? It revealed that although some agencies felt the aluminum tubes were related to uranium enrichment, the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and the Energy Department's intelligence branch, disagreed with those assessments! Rather, they felt that the aluminum tubes were likely to be used for more conventional weapons.

In spite of receiving that assessment showing there was disagreement about the probable use of the aluminum tubes, Bush still asserted 3 months later in his 2003 State of the Union Speech: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production."

In short, George W. Bush KNEW that there was disagreement within his own intelligence community, regarding the aluminum tubes and what they might be used for. Yet, he and others within the Bush Crime Team cited the aluminum tubes as hard evidence that Sadaam Hussein had designs on a nuclear weapon.

According to Waas' article, the White House was in full damage control mode, ensuring that they insulated Idiot Son to make it appear as though he did not know about the interal dissent over the aluminum tubes.

And therein lies the cover-up. The Bush Crime Team covered up the fact that the Commander-in-Chief knew that a critical piece of intelligence was being disputed within the Administration.

But Mr. President, I hear you saying, I thought you really didn't want to go to war? That war was your last resort? Well, my friend, think again!

Insulating Bush

"One of the great things about America, one of the beauties of our country, is that when we see a young, innocent child blown up by an IED, we cry."

- Idiot Son George Bush

So Bushie, are you implying that other countries and nations don't cry as well?  As much as I love my country, I don't think we've cornered the market on compassion.  Other nations grieve for the children blown up by IEDs as well, Bushie!

http://www.canofun.com/cof/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=18119&start=1&posts=1

So, another thought has just occured to me regarding Ann Coulter's possibly being in legal jeopardy for voting in the wrong precint this year.

In the 2004 Presidential election, Republicans sent "vote challengers" to the battleground state of Ohio.  Vote challengers who would simply walk up to someone in a precint and say "I don't think you are eligible to vote."

Not surprisingly, the Republicans sent their vote challengers to predominantly African-American and urban precints in Ohio, in what can only be described as shades of Jim Crow.

How ironic is it, that they sent vote challengers to African-American precints in Ohio (surely to help supress the African-American vote that they knew would turn out in full force), when members of their own party (i.e. Ann Coulter) don't even bother following the law and voting in the proper precint?

It was a poll worker who questioned Ann Coulter on that fateful day, not a vote challenger.

P.S.---Some required reading and education for our Repug friends not in the reality-based commuity:

Shades of Jim Crow: Election Intimidation 2004

Elections officials in Palm Beach County want some answers from Ann Coulter, regarding why she voted in the wrong precint during an election in February.

The Elections Supervisor in Palm Beach County will the right-wing nut job 30 days to respond to the registered letter they are sending her.  Elections officials want Coulter to explain where she really resides in Florida and "clarify certain information as to her legal residence."

They are not ruling out the possibility of referring the case to State Attorney State Attorney Barry Krischer for possible filing of criminal charges.

I'm no lawyer here, but I have a suggestion for Ann Coulter.

Perhaps she should just plead insanity in the whole matter. She clearly talks from her rear end, her elevator has never reached the top floor.

So just plead insanity, Ann, and perhaps Florida officials will have pity on you.

And what's that old saying about payback being a (well, you fill in the rest here).  Coulter made fun of Palm Beach voters who said they had trouble understanding the ballots during the 2000 Presidential debacle.

Well, at least they knew where to vote, Ann.

 Elections officials to query GOP pundit

Right-wing nut job Michelle Malkin's absolute bigotry is on display.

She referred to Los Angeles, California Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and California's Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante (who, shocker, both happen to be Democrats!) as "Latino supremacists." She also said that the protests over the immigration bill that recently passed in the United States House of Representatives, was tantamount to "militant racism."

In her March 29 column, Malkin wrote:

"Apologists are quick to argue that Latino supremacists are just a small fringe faction of the pro-illegal immigration movement (never mind that their ranks include former and current Hispanic politicians from L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to former California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cruz Bustamante)."

I challenge our Republican friends to repudiate and denounce Malkin's bigoted remarks. But they won't.  And their silence will show Americans just who they really are.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200603290003

A wonder job done by Media Matters, as always!

Franklyn "Lyn" Nofziger, a former press secretary and political adviser to Ronald Reagan, has died at age 81.

Part of Nofziger's legacy, is his fierce partisanship and loyalty to Ronald Reagan.

He was so loyal, in fact, that he wanted to purge the federal government of all the Democrats, and replace them with Reagan cronies.  Funny, that's exactly what's been happening at places like the Department of Justice, where career lawyers have been overruled and left out of the decision making, by the politicos who won't be there past January 2009.

John Dean has also said that Nofziger helped Richard Nixon put together his "enemie's list."

Sound like a man who served his country well!  Not!

Reagan aide Lyn Nofziger dies at 81

During his commentary today on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, best-selling author, commentator and activist Tavis Smiley made an excellent point regarding the upcoming mayoral election in New Orleans.

Clearly, the city of New Orleans, with much of its population still displaced, is not ready to hold an election.  Many New Orleans voters will be disenfranchised in this upcoming election, because they have been forced to relocate to other cities.

The federal government has refused to intervene to stop an election disaster in the making, and told New Orleans to go forth with its election (despite the objections of Mayor Nagin).

Tavis Smiley commented, how is it that we were able to set up satellite voting stations for the Iraqi-Americans living here in the United States, in order for them to cast votes in Iraq's post-Sadaam elections.

Yet, we refuse to do the same for those displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Why does the federal government not set up satellite voting stations in the various cities where New Orleans' residents have relocated to, and allow them to cast their ballots.

Just a thought: I guess we are spreading democracy over there, so we don't have to spread democracy here!

By the way Tavis, congratulations on the Convenant With Black America debuting at Number 6 on the NY Times Best-Sellers List!

"Clearly, the United States government has not gotten to the point where we are as deft and clever and facile as the enemy that is perfectly capable of lying, having it printed all over the world, and there's no penalty for having lied," Rumsfeld said at an afternoon news conference at the Pentagon. "Indeed, there was a reward (for the enemy) because a great many people read the lie and believed it."-- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

Ok, Rummy, since you took it there, I'll play along.  Let's talk about lying.  Sure, "the enemy" tends to lie (that's if you and Bush Co. even know who our real enemy is).

But I want to talk a minute about your lies. And the lies of the Bush Crime Team overall.

Let's talk about the fact that before the Iraq war, you said "we know" where the weapons are.  Really?  You mind explaining to me why they never materialized, then?  Because I'm curious.

Your boss said just last week, that he never really wanted to go to war. He said no President wants war.  But Bill Cohen, a Republican who served as Defense Secretary under President Bill Clinton, told Chris Matthews that right after the Supreme Court decided the 2000 election, he received a call from Dick Cheney. 

And Cheney apparently told Cohen he only wanted a briefing on Iraq.  The incoming Vice President of the United States said he didn't want to know anything else--he just wanted the scoop on Iraq.

Let's also talk about your lie, Rummy, that we would be "greeted as liberators."  Sorry, that's a lie! We were not greeted as liberators.  The Iraqi people, the very people we claimed to have loved and wanted to liberate, view us as occupiers.

So Rummy, before you go pontificating on the lies of the enemy, maybe you want to try a little bit of course correction, and set your own record straight.

Just a suggestion!

Seems like Antonin Scalia could use an anger management class.

Just minutes after attending mass in Boston, Massachusetts, the Supreme Court Justice gave the middle finger to his critics.

He was asked by a reporter about his impartiality regarding issues of church and state.

Scalia responded "You know what I say to those people?" and then proceeded to give them the middle finger.  After the obscene gesture, Scalia told a photographer "Don't publish that."

Seems like the esteemed members of the Republican Party have a lot of growning up to do.

Jenna Bush infamously stuck her tounge out at the media in an unscripted moment during the 2004 Presidential campaign.  And now Antonin Scalia gives the finger to those people who would dare question his impartiality.  That's really mature!

I seem to remember that back in 2000, the Republicans promised us that the grown-ups would be in charge again.

Justice Scalia flips the finger in church

When Idiot Son George Bush signed the Patriot Act last month, he issued another one of his "signing statements" that says he doesn't have to follow what the Patriot Act law says.

He issued an addendum or "signing statement" to say that he doesn't feel obligated to follow the requirement that he inform the United States Congress about how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) utilizes the expaned police powers that the Patriot Act provides.

The Patriot Act Bush signed into law, has several provisions to ensure that the FBI does not abuse the power to search people's homes, and seize documents secretly. And under the Act, the Administration must provide Congress information by certain dates, a provision which Bush says he is not compelled to follow.

This is not the first time that Bush has issued a signing statement to say he may not obey the law which he just signed.

He issued a signing statement after he signed John McCain's anti-torture bill into law, saying he didn't feel compelled to completely obey it.

Bush shuns Patriot Act requirement

In addendum to law, he says oversight rules are not binding

"As I read the law I think the president's tapping or surveillance without a warrant was wrong.  It was outside the law."

- Sen. Joseph Lieberman, speaking on Face the State on WFSB-TV, about Bush's warrentless domestic spying program.

Well Joe, tell us something we don't know!  Of course the spy program is outside the law.  It's illegal.  The question is, what are you and your colleagues going to do about it?

We are a nation of laws, and we do have remedies when Presidents break the law.  And one of those remedies is called impeachment.

Furthermore, Joe, what are you going to do about some of your Republican colleagues who are trying to provide cover for the Idiot Son, by wanting to write his program into law in order to make it legal.

When was the last time Congress retroactively made an illegal program legal?

Lieberman says Bush wiretapping 'outside the law'

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has reneged on its promise to re-open four multi-million dollar no-bid contracts relative to Hurricane Katrina work.

Last year, Acting FEMA Director R. David Paulison had promised to re-open the contracts, initially awarded to companies like Bechtel Corporation, among others.

Now comes word that FEMA will NOT re-open the contracts. In fact, they've extended them to the current awardees, citing good performance as the reason.

But federal auditors found that three of the contracts have wasted significant amounts of money.

Also of note is that many of these companies are politically connected (what a shocker)!

The federal government has also been slow in awarding contracts to minority-owned businesses.  Normally, the government sets aside approximately 5% of contracts for minority owned businesses. But to date, only 2.4% of the $5.1 billion awarded, has gone to minority-owned companies.

This means that many of the people primarily affected by Katrina, are being left out of the opportunity to help re-build their own city.

They were abandoned by their government before and after the storm.

FEMA breaks promise on Katrina contracts

A recent poll conducted by the Washington Post, concluded that 58% of Americans nationwide do not support the idea of statehood for our nation's capital.  Democrats and younger Americans were more likely to support statehood for the District of Columbia.

I believe what's at work here, is that many people outside the nation's capital, simply aren't educated about the issue of statehood for D.C., and why it's so important. 

D.C. residents pay federal taxes just like every other American citizen.  Yet, they do not have adequate representation in the Congress.  They have no United States Representative or Senator to write to, in order to express their views on the issues of the day.

You know all those commercials produced by various advocacy groups, that ask you to write your Congressman or Senator regarding a particular issue or bill?  Well, the residents of D.C. don't have that option.

In short, they are being taxed without representation.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, an entity of the Organization of American States, found that, because of the failure to provide D.C. residents with the opportunity to have representation in Congress, the United States is in violation of a 1948 international human rights agreement.  This finding received very little attention from the MSM (main stream media).

The challenge is to educate the American public on this issue, and make it a priority for the United States Congress.

Not surprisingly, George W. Bush has indicated he does not support D.C. residents having adequate representation in Congress. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that D.C. is overwhelming Democratic (the horror of it all)!

D.C. Statehood: Popular as Dirt

Multinational Body Finds U.S. Violating Human Rights Accord

It appears as though a majority of Houston, Texas residents want the Katrina evacuees now residing in their city to get lost!

A recent survey conducted by Stephen Klineberg, a Rice University sociologist, found that 76% of the survey participants believe that the Katrina evacuees have been a burden on the city of Houston, while 66% say the evacuees are responsible for an increase in violent crime in Houston.

As well, 49% said they did NOT believe the city of Houston would be better off if the Katrina evacuees stayed.  The results of the survey were published in the Houston Chronicle.

Two thoughts here: 1) How's that for the edict "love thy neighbor" and 2) Was Barbara Bush surveyed?  ("What I’m hearing which is sort of scary is they all want to stay in Texas.")

Houston grows weary of Katrina evacuees: poll

"We have got influence in Afghanistan, and we are going to use it."

- Idiot Son George W. Bush, speaking on Wednesday of this week about the case of Abdul Rahman, who could be put to death in Afghanistan for converting to Christianity.

Well, Bushie, I'll tell you what else you can use your influence in Afghanistan for.  Use it to find the man who is responsible for the attacks against our country on 9/11.  You know him.  He should be really easy to find.  He's a very tall man.  And rumor has it that he may be walking around with a dialysis machine.  His name is Osama bin Laden, or something like that.

Then again, maybe you aren't that interesting in finding him!  In fact, you told us as much.

"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."

- George W. Bush, March 13, 2002

"And I'm kind of old-fashioned. I like to engage my brain before my mouth.'' (Denfense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, when speaking about the Pentagon's practice of paying news organizations to print positive stories about the military, secretly written by our armed forces."

Okay, Rummy, I have one question for you here.  Were you engaging your brain before your mouth (or were you simply talking out of your rear), when you said "we know" where the weapons of mass destruction are.

"We know where they (weapons of mass destruction) are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat."

- Rummy speaking on March 30, 2003 during an interview on ABC's This Week.

From the March 22 edition of his Harball show:

"How can you not trust a man who says 'I won't be able to win this war in my presidency.'"

Wonder how much the GOP pimps pay Chris an hour?

 http://mediamatters.org/items/200603230009

Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to Colin Powell, speaking on the Republican Party of today:

"The Republican Party that I knew, that I grew up in, a moderate party, a party that believed in fiscal discipline, a party that believed in small government, a party that had genuine conservative values. This is not a conservative leadership. This is radical leadership. I called them neo-Jacobins. They are radical. They're not conservative. They've stolen my party and I would like my party back."

Today, an unrepentant Army dog handler received 6 months in prison for his role in the Abu Ghraib debacle.

Prosecutors in the case said that 24-year old Michael J. Smith allowed an unmuzzled Belgian shepard bark and lunge at Abu Ghraib prisoners, simply for his own amusement and enjoyment.  Not surprisingly, the Defense argued that he believed he was acting on orders to soften up prisoners for interrogation.

Among the charges on which Smith was sentenced: 1) maltreatment of prisoners, 2) conspiring with a fellow dog handler and 3) ordering the dog in his charge to lick peanut butter from the bodies of other soldiers.

During his court appearance today, Smith seems to have no regrets about his actions at Abu Ghraib, saying "Soldiers are not supposed to be soft and cuddly."

Memo to Smith: No one said soldiers have to be "soft and cuddly."  But you do have to follow the law.  You see, Sir, there's this document called the Geneva Conventions that serves as a roadmap for the treatment of certain individuals in a time of war.

What's more, no one seems to be asking this basic question of George W. Bush: How is it that we tortured the very same people we said we wanted to liberate?

We went into Iraq (supposedly) to rid the country of it's (non-existent) WMDs, and to liberate the Iraqi people from a brutal dictator, in order that they might establish a democracy.

We tortured the very people that we claimed to have wanted to liberate.

Remind me again, someone, how that's supposed to help win the hearts and minds?

Army Dog Handler Gets Six Months in Prison

During yesterday's press conference, George W. Bush said "Listen, every war plan looks good on paper until you meet the enemy, not just the war plan we executed in Iraq but the war plans that have been executed throughout the history of warfare. In other words, the enemy changes tactics, and we've got to change tactics too."

Well, George, let's talk about the "war plan." 

In March 2003, only days before the start of the Iraq invasion, U.S. war planners and intelligence officials met in South Carolina at the Shaw Air Force Base, for the purpose of reviewing the Administration's plan to oust Sadaam Hussein and turn Iraq into a democracy.

An army lieutenant colonel showed a slide which was supposed to describe the Pentagon's plan to rebuild Iraq after the war.

When the lieutenant colonel's slide went up on the screen, it said "To Be Provided."

Our troops were sent into combat without a plan to win the peace!

And we are seeing the results now of this Administration's "To Be Provided" attitude.  The consequences have been there for everyone to see.  Our troops have lived with the consequences.  Their families have.  And so have the Iraqi people.

Post-war planning non-existent

Let's talk for a minute about the other propagandist in the room!

During today's press conference, Idiot Son said:

"Our foreign policy up until now was to, kind of, tolerate what appeared to be calm. And underneath the surface was this swelling sense of anxiety and resentment, out of which came this totalitarian movement that is willing to spread its propaganda through death and destruction, to spread its philosophy."

Well, Idiot Son gets no argument from me that the Muslim extremists (the same ones who think they're going to heaven if they ram a plane through a building and kill innocent people) like to spread their propaganda.  He's right on that point.

But when it comes to pushing and selling propaganda, the terrorists aren't alone.  They've got plenty of company at 1600 Penn Avenue.

Last year, while speaking on Social Security, Idiot Son George Bush said:

"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."

So during today's press conference, it was clear that the Chimp was talking out of his rear end, and thinking with it as well!

He was asked by veteran journalist Helen Thomas what was the real reason he went to war, and he falsely asserted that he didn't even want to go to war!

Well color me surprised!   During today's press conference, the Chimp says that a withdrawal from Iraq isn't any of his business. It's not in his purvue.  It's for "future Presidents" to decide.

This is what George Bush's post-war Afghanistan looks like!  Not freedom on the march.  But freedom at a complete standstill.

In a court in Kabul, an Afghan man is being prosecuted and could very well be sentenced to death for coverting to Christianity.

Amazingly, this is the first trial of its kind in Afghanistan.  But Bushie, I hear you saying, I thought we went into Afghanistan to liberate their people and help create a democracy?

And if Bushie were truthful and forthcoming, along would come the answer: Well, you see, that's what we were supposed to do, but we took our eyes off the people who attacked us on 9/11, and focused on the people who didn't attack us, and never threated to.

Abdul Rahman, 41 years old, was arrested last month when his family accused him of becoming a Christian, a crime under Afghanistan's Islamic laws.

The judge in the case, Ansarullah Mawlavezada, said that Rahman's actions are "an attack against Islam."  He is expected to make a ruling within 2 months, on whether Rahman is sentenced to death.

Afghan Christian Could Get Death Sentence

On this very solemn and sad third anniversary of the Iraq war, our esteemed Defense Secretary (feel free to insert sarcasm here) shows that he has no understanding of history.

In a printed op/ed today, Rummy compared the Iraq quagmire to post-war Germany, saying: "Turning our backs on postwar Iraq today would be the modern equivalent of handing postwar Germany back to the Nazis."

His remarks are receiving a thumbs down from former members of both Republican and Democratic administrations, who say that you cannot compare the situation in Iraq with post-war Germany.

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (who served Presidents Nixon and Ford), said of Rummy's comments: "In Germany, the opposition was completely crushed; there was no significant resistance movement."

Zbigniew Brzezinski, who served as President Jimmy Carter's National Security Adviser, was also critical of Rummy's comments: "That is really absolutely crazy to anyone who knows history.  There was no alternative to our presence. The Germans were totally crushed. For Secretary Rumsfeld to be talking this way suggests either he doesn't know history or he's simply demagoguing." (I vote for options A and B here!)

Rummy's failure to fully comprehend the situation on the ground in Iraq, not to mention the failure of the Defense Department to send our troops in with a plan to win the peace, is part of the reason why Iraq is on the verge of civil war today.

On this third anniversary of an illegal, baseless war, my prayers are with our fallen soldiers and their families; not to mention the innocent Iraqis who were killed as a result of the culture of violence cultivated by the Bush Administration.  May they forgive us some day.

Rumsfeld's Iraq-Germany analogy disputed

Former top officials disagree with comparison

"More fighting and sacrifice will be required." 

- Idiot Son George Bush, speaking during today's weekly radio address.

OK Chimp, since you seem to love war, fighting and death so much, how about sending Barbara and Jenna to fight?

You believe your cause is so just?  Then ask your newphew George P. to join the battle.

Hmmm....I thought not.

You want to be the War President?  How about trying to become the Peace President?

"I really do believe this man will go down as the worst president this country has ever had."

- Sen. Harry Reid, speaking on Idiot Son George Bush's legacy.

Well duh, Harry.  Of course Idiot Son is going down in the history books as this nation's worst 'President.'  The question is, what are you doing to hold Idiot Son accountable for his many crimes and misdeeds against this country and the world at large.

You and your colleagues in the Senate have an oversight responsibility to perform, to ensure that George Bush has his accountability moment, every day.

The American people just don't want to know that George Bush is a bad man.  We understand and know that.  We get it.  The question you and the Democratic Party will have to answer: what do you offer Americans in return?

Too much Oxycontin again, Rush?  This is your brain!  And this is your brain on Oxycontin!

"What is interesting about this, and I'm not drawing any conclusions, and I'm not even making any connections. I'm not dot-connecting or anything else. But it has been reported that Slobo was considering calling Bill Clinton as a witness. He hadn't made the formal request but was considering it. And now, Slobo is no more."

-Rush Limbaugh 

http://mediamatters.org/items/200603140010

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, speaking about the fact that the Supreme Court he sits on, overturned a state anti-sodomy law:

"Sexual orgies eliminate tension and ought to be encouraged."

(Where are Pat Robertson, Tony Perkins, James Dobson, et al when you really need them?)

Scalia Rails Against the 'Judge-Moralist'

Regarding the immoral, illegal invasion of Iraq, Tony Blair, British Prime Minister (and most importantly Bush's lapdog) says that he would "do it all again."

I guess by "do it all again" he means he would participate in a war where the facts were fixed around the policy?

I guess he means he would have another conversation with George W. Bush, during which Bush discussed the possibility of entrapping Sadaam by flying U2 reconnaissance planes over Iraq, and paint them in the colors of the  United Nations?  So that way if Saddam fired at them, he would be in violation of U.N. resolutions?

Ok Tony, so you say you would break the law all over again?

Have at it, buddy!  Just remember, there's now an empty cell at the Hague.  Perhaps you and Idiot Son would like to share that cell?

Blair on Iraq: 'I'd do it all again'

A new Pew Research Poll has the Chimp's approval rating at an all-time low of 33%.  And as always, my question is: who are the 33%?

More Americans view Chimp as dishonest, and use the word "incompetent" to descirbe him.

Well America, what took so long for the grand awakening? 

I won't bother saying "told you so." 

Bush Approval Falls to 33%, Congress Earns Rare Praise

Meet Chris Matthews, newly minted Republican media whore.

Hopefully this will help our Republican friends come into the reality-based community and finally put to rest those "liberal media" accusations that have come ad nauseum from the extreme right.

In covering the Republican "straw poll" of GOP Presidential hopefuls that took place this weekend, MSNBC's Chris Matthews referred to:

- The "maverick" John McCain

- A "charming" George W. Bush

- "Kenny Boy" (Republican Party Chair Ken Mehlman)

Moreover, he advanced the theory that states such as Memphis were more in tune with the views of the entire country, more so than "Vermont, the home of Democratic Chairman Howard Dean."

Just how much is the Republican Party spending to pimp Matthews, anyway?

Matthews touted "maverick" McCain, "Kenny Boy" Mehlman, and "charming" Bush

As always, great job Media Matters!!!!

How sad is it that Bushie is still trying to sell the Iraq war to the American public, nearly three years after the start of the invasion?

Today, at George Washington University, Bushie gave the first of what he anticipates will be 3 speeches this month on the subject of the Iraq quagmire, as his poll numbers continue to go into a freefall.  Many Americans have cited their fustration with the Administration over the mishandling of the Iraq war.

Here's what Bushie doesn't understand: Americans don't care about the number of speeches he gives.  We care about the events on the ground in Iraq. And they tell us one thing: Iraq is sadly on the brink of civil war, and Bush's rosy scenarios won't change that.

And just in case you needed any reminding about what a miserable failure Bushie is:

"I'm a war president. I make decisions here in the Oval Office, in foreign policy, matters with war on my mind." - Idiot Son George Bush, speaking on Meet the Press With Tim Russert 2/7/04

Bush to lay out strategies as war anniversary nears

Today, Senator Russ Feingold announced that he plans to introduce a resolution on tomorrow, which would call for the censure of Idiot Son George Bush for his illegal domestic spying program.

Well Sen. Feingold, I would argue that censure is not enough.  George Bush broke the law.  He conducted domestic spying without going through the FISA Court to obtain necessary warrants.

In my book, that it an impeachable offense!

Feingold to call for rare presidential censure

Interior Secretary Gale Norton resigned from the Administration on Friday, citing the need to spend more time with her family.

That's the usual "inside the beltway" excuse given for many resignations within any Administration.

But is there more at work here?

Gale Norton denies it, but could her resignation be due to the Jack Abramoff scandal?  She is resigning just as the investigation in Abramoff's dealings with the Department of Interior is heating up.

Norton to End 5-Year Tenure at Interior

Secretary Says Resignation Is Unrelated to Probe of Abramoff's Ties to Department

Claude Allen, a former member of the Bush Crime Team (he was Idiot Son's Domestic Policy Adviser) has been arrested in Maryland.

Allen was arrested by Montgomery County Police for allegedly receiving "phony" refunds at area department stores.

He apparently returned approximately $5000 worth of merchandise that he never even purhcased.

Ex-White House official arrested for thefts

Domestic policy adviser who resigned in January accused in return scam

Memo to Sam Brownback: Keep your nose out of D.C.'s business.

It appears as though Republican Senator Sam Brownback has had another one of his brilliant ideas!    He wants to experiment on the good people of our nation's capitol.

He is proposing a flat federal income tax for residents of the District of Columbia. At the heart of his proposal: giving D.C. residents the option to "voluntarily pay federal taxes through a system that scraps tax breaks, like mortgage interest and charitable donation deductions, in favor of a lower tax rate."

D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton opposes the idea, saying it would gentrification.  "Shadow" Senator Paul Strauss remarked "It is morally wrong for Congress to use D.C. as an experiment. I also find it alarming that this Congress, which has all but bankrupted the federal government, now wants to change the system in D.C., which has a budget surplus."  And the people of D.C. said "Amen!"

Here's an idea for Sam Brownback: If you truly have an interest in the citizens of D.C. (which I am sure you don't), then how about becoming a proponent for D.C. statehood?

The residents of the District of Columbia are being taxed without representation.  They pay federal taxes just like every other American citizen.  Yet, they have no adequate representation on Capitol Hill.  And that defies everything that this country is supposed to stand for.

Senator looks to District of Columbia to test flat tax

Now listen up, people of Iran!  Darth Vader's daughter has her eyes on you!

Elizabeth "Liz" Cheney, daughter of Dick Cheney, is leading the march towards Iran.

She's known in the Department of State as the "democracy czar" or even better still, the "freedom agenda coordinator."

Officially, her title is Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.  And in that position, Liz Cheney oversees a $85 million budget, which has recently been allocated to help promote democracy in Iran.  You know, like we promoted democracy in Iraq.  That worked out so well, of course!

And never mind the fact that nepotism is taking place here.  The daughter of the Vice President of the United States is getting paid big bucks to be a high-level official in the State Department.

Imagine if all the votes had been counted in Florida, and Al Gore was allowed to assume the office to which the American people elected him.  Sometime after that, his eldest daughter Karenna was named to the top echelons of the State Department.

Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and the rest would have had a field day.

Cheney daughter leads Iran "regime change" campaign

It appears as though the New York City Housing Authority is balancing its budget on the backs of the poor- the least of these.

The NYC Housing Authority says it is facing a budget shortfall of $168 million.  So what is their proposal to dig themselves out of this hole?  They want the poor to cough up more money.

They want to charge poor residents new fees, and increase old ones, including owning dishwashers and fixing toilets.

They propose charging tenants $5.75 per month for running washing machines and $5 per month to utilize dishwashers, while charging $10 per month for separate freezers.

Rep. Jerry Nadler noted that the federal government has taken less responsibility for public housing.

New York Asks Help From Poor in Housing Crisis

Like a college student addicted to caffeine while pulling an all-nighter to study for exams, it looks like Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) has an addiction as well.

What, pre-tell, is Santorum addicted to?  Why, the K Street lobbyists, of course!

In January, Santorum promised that he would put an end to his regular meetings with lobbyists.  Well- FLIP FLOP, FLIP FLOP!  It turns out that Santorum has continued to meet with many of the same lobbyists, "at the same time and on the same day of the week," according to the Washington Post.

He's used these ongoing sessions to appeal to lobbyists for campaign aid.

Senator Resumes Lobbyist Huddles

Santorum Suspended Sessions Jan. 30

Four words: GOP Culture of Corruption.  As some have said, it's taken the Republicans 10 years to do what the Democrats did in 40.

At a time when the United States Congress should be seriously investigating the Bush Crime Team's illegal domestic spying program, the Rethugs on the Senate Intelligence Committee are racing to provide cover for the Bushies.

The Republican majority on the Senate Intelligence Committe is essentially trying to retroactively make an illegal program legal.

The Committee (along party lines) voted to reject a Democratic proposal to investigate the domestic spying program.  Instead, they voted to create a seven member panel to oversee the program.

First and foremost, why is the Committee establishing a panel to oversee the domestic spy program, when it comes under the purvue of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Court?  The Republicans are essentially bypassing the authority of the FISA Court to provide political cover for Idiot Son and Company.

Secondly, why are they trying to retroactively make an illegal program legal? George Bush broke the law by bypassing the FISA Court and not obtaining court orders to conduct wiretapping. And now Congress wants to sidestep its oversight function by making Bush's illegal behavior legal.

Senate Panel Blocks Eavesdropping Probe

Meanwhile, The Torture Man (Alberto Gonzales) says Congress does not need to act on the spy program. He's sent the word forward that the White House isn't looked for Congress to give it's stamp of approval and write the spy program into law.

No surprise here!  The Bush Crime Team thinks they are a country unto themselves.  They believe they are unaccountable to the American people and to the United States Congress that has oversight responsibilities.  Whatever King George wants, he will get.  He is emperor.

Gonzales: Congress doesn't need to act on NSA program

One of the recommendations that came from the 9/11 Commission, was the creation of a civil liberties board to ensure the civil liberties of U.S. citizens in a post September 11 world.

Consequently, Congress created the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board in December 2004.

Since then, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board has had the honor and distinction of being "the most invisible office in the White House."  There's a shocker!

Idiot Son George Bush has not provided his full support to the Board.  The Board has never held a meeting or hired staff.  Finally, the Board is scheduled to be sworn in at the White House and hold it's first meeting, on next week.

And here's where the "but" comes in....

It's always been said that you can tell a President's priorities and values, by the budgets they submit to Congress.

In his new budget, George Bush lists NO money or funding for the Board. Which begs the question: is he trying to make it fail by starving it? Alex Conant, spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) says he has "no explanation" on why the Board is not funded in Idiot Son's budget.

Thomas Kean, who served as Chair of the 9/11 Commission, calls the entire fiasco "outrageous."

Watchdog: What Ever Happened to the Civil Liberties Board?

When George Bush first ran for President, much was made of the fact that if he were elected, he would be the first President to hold a Master's of Business Administration (MBA).

His supporters and aides said that, in effect, Bush would run the country like a business, with him as the CEO.  They often sent the message that "the grown ups would be in charge again."  (As if the grown-ups weren't in charge during the Clinton years).

Well, that theory has clearly been debunked, many times.  And Americans have finally woken up to that fact.

According to a brand new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, only 40% of Americans think Bush can effectively manage the government.

Of course Bush can't manage the government effectively!  He doesn't have a clue what's happening in his own government (or so he wants us to think).

He first expressed surprise about the re-entry plan that he signed into law (requiring American, Canadian and Mexican citizens to show passports to enter the United States).  Most recently, he claimed to have been left in the dark about the Dubai ports deal.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2006/03/06/most_think_bush_cant_manage_effectively.html

http://progressiveminds.bloghi.com/2006/02/22/bush-pleading-ignorance-over-port-deal.html

Mr. Torture Man, Alberto Gonzales, may be called once again before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the Bush Crime Team's eavesdropping.

Gonzales testified before the Committee in person, and then provided written answers. 

It turns out his written answers have raised more questions than they actually answered.  Sen. Arlen Specter, Chairman of the Committee, says that the Torture Man's writtten answers suggest that there are other classified intelligence programs at work.

Specter told reporters: "There is a suggestion in his letter there are other classified intelligence programs that are currently under way."  (The Bush Crime Team would make J. Edgar Hoover so proud)!

In his letter, Torture Man Gonzales wrote: "In all of my testimony at the hearing I addressed — with limited exceptions — only the legal underpinnings of the Terrorist Surveillance Program. I did not and could not address operational aspects of the program or any other classified intelligence activities."

Gonzales May Be Recalled on Eavesdropping

Required reading for today, especially for those who don't want to believe the facts about what is happening on the ground in Iraq.

Military experts tell ABC News regarding Iraq: 'We're In a Civil War'

When Cpl. Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan, his family was initially told by the U.S. Army that Tillman's death was the result of "friendly fire."

We now know that was a lie.  Several investigations by the government found that Cpl. Tillman was in fact killed by some of his fellow U.S. soldiers in the midst of a shoot-out in Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense's Office of Inspector General had concluded that an investigation into Tillman's death is warranted.

Pat Tillman's family deserves to know the honest truth about how he died.  Hopefully they will get the answers they want and deserve.

Army opens criminal probe of Tillman’s death

Former NFL player was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004

Will the Bush Crime Team bid adu to the incompetent Michael Chertoff?

That's the word from Human Events magazine.

Human Events says they've been told by "administration sources" that Chertoff has a "few days left" in the Administration before he's shown the door.

One source told the magazine: "They will give [C