Some decent news.

Turns out my (technically adoptive) Senator, Evan Bayh, voted Nay on confirming Alito. He'll probably get my vote in future endeavors.

You make me sick.

Scalito's been confirmed. Say goodbye to Roe, say goodbye to checks and balances, say goodbye to life as we know it, say hello to a court that has its lips stuck to Bush's ass.

Thanks to you cowardly sons of bitches who decided to vote for Alito despite knowing he'll screw us all over:

(NOTE: Because the Senate page doesn't seem to be working, this list is taken from a friend of mine. All troubles with this list should be addressed to her.)

Byrd (D-WV), Yea
311 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3954
Web Form: byrd.senate.gov/byrd_email.html

Conrad (D-ND), Yea
530 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2043
Web Form: conrad.senate.gov/webform.html

Johnson (D-SD), Yea
136 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5842
Web Form: johnson.senate.gov/emailform.cfm

Nelson (D-FL), Yea
716 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5274
Web Form: billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm#email

Every one of thse Senators is a Democrat, and all of them voted FOR Alito.

And the ones who pretty much allowed this ass-raping of our system, by voting against a filibuster:

Akaka (D-HI), Yea
141 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6361
E-mail: senator@akaka.senate.gov


Baucus (D-MT), Yea
511 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2651
Web Form: baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue


Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
703 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5521
E-mail: senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov


Byrd (D-WV), Yea
311 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3954
Web Form: byrd.senate.gov/byrd_email.html


Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
717 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3441
Web Form: cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html


Carper (D-DE), Yea
513 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2441
Web Form: carper.senate.gov/aemail.htm


Conrad (D-ND), Yea
530 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2043
Web Form: conrad.senate.gov/webform.html


Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Dorgan, Byron L.- (D - ND) Class III
322 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2551
E-mail: senator@dorgan.senate.gov


Harkin (D-IA), Not Voting
731 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3254
Web Form: harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm


Inouye (D-HI), Yea
722 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3934
Web Form: inouye.senate.gov/webform.html


Johnson (D-SD), Yea
136 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5842
Web Form: johnson.senate.gov/emailform.cfm


Kohl (D-WI), Yea
330 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5653
Web Form: kohl.senate.gov/gen_contact.html


Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
724 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5824
Web Form: landrieu.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm


Lieberman (D-CT), Yea
706 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4041
Web Form: lieberman.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm?regarding=issue


Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
355 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4843
Web Form: lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html


Nelson (D-FL), Yea
716 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5274
Web Form: billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm#email


Nelson (D-NE), Yea
720 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6551
Web Form: bennelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm


Pryor (D-AR), Yea
257 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2353
Web Form: pryor.senate.gov/contact/


Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
531 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20510
(202) 224-6472
Web Form: rockefeller.senate.gov/services/email.cfm


Salazar (D-CO), Yea
702 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5852
Web Form: salazar.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Anyone else not surprised LIE-berman, the stealth Rethug, is on that list? Anyway, thanks just loads, you cowards, for rolling over and letting the right screw us over again.

My ass hurts.

From Slate: Kick Me, I'm a Democrat - The game politicians play, found via The Liberal Avenger.

It seems to be time once again to play Kick the Democrats. Everyone can play, including Democrats. The rules are simple. When Republicans lose elections, it is because they didn't get enough votes. When Democrats lose elections, it is because they have lost their principles and lost their way. Or they have kept their principles, which is an even worse mistake.

Democrats represent no one who is not actually waiting in line for a latte at a Starbucks within 150 yards of the east or west coastline. They are mired in trivial lifestyle issues like, oh, abortion and gay rights and Americans killing and dying in Iraq, while the Republicans serve up meat and potatoes for real Americans, like privatizing Social Security and making damned sure the government knows who is Googling whom in this great country. Just repeat these formulas until a Democrat has been sent into frenzies of self-flagellation, or reduced to tears.

There is always a pick-up game of Kick the Democrats going on somewhere. But something about the Alito confirmation—the pathetic and apparently surprising inability of 45 Democratic senators to stop 55 Republicans from approving anyone they want—seems to have made the game suddenly a lot more popular.

Something good from Slate? Wow.

And even worse, he's right - we take this "we lost because we haven't changed" and "we lost because we don't appeal to the ignorant gap-toothed hillbilies" bullshit lying down. Conservatives never really change and get applauded. We keep on course and not only lose because of "fear, smears, and queers", but keep telling ourselves (right alongside conservatives) that since we haven't changed tone completely, we deserved to lose.

Odd thing is, if we change even the slightest part of our wording about anything we think, we get lambasted for "flip-flopping". It's a self-defeating attitude.

Stop it! NOW!

The next time I see someone equate Michael Moore with Ann Coulter (I'm not going to call her what I usually call her, since it involves a word that some people really don't like), I'm beating the tar out of them.

Bushopatra, King of Denial.

Bush Says Photos With Abramoff 'Not Relevant'

WASHINGTON -- President Bush today acknowledged that he met former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges, but the president characterized the brief encounter as a "grip and grin" photo session during a holiday party.

"But I've never sat down with him and had a discussion with the guy," Bush said. "I frankly don't even remember having my picture taken with the guy. I don't know him."

Bush also rejected the notion of detailing possible contacts between Abramoff and members of the senior White House staff, saying he preferred to let federal prosecutors conduct their own investigation.

Once again, they're using the Chick McGee defense: "Don't tape anything, don't write anything down, DENY, DENY, DENY." Even though we know that the two knew each other and have evidence that Jack bought some influence at the White house, they just keep lying.

Sooner or later, someone's gonna call the chimp up on his lies, and then it's all over for the Bush Regime. They'll crumble like semi-hard cheese.

Quick thought on Bunnypants' wiretap fetish.

For all you people supporting these wiretaps, I can break this down very simply so you don't have to waste your time fishing for talking points to defend it:

IT'S HUGGING ILLEGAL.

And if you can support the idea of a man getting impeached over a hummer and a blue dress, you can damn well (and damn well better) support this.

Why must people be so damned stupid?

Why is it I'm spending my days having to deal with endless streams of people whose sole purpose in life seems to be backing ridiculous, untenable, outright STUPID ideas? Why must I throw myself into a situation where I become a voice of reason? WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE ME?

Oh, right, because that's what I wanted...

...well, I guess that answers that. Anyhow, I'm tired of having people welcome the idea of having our rights used for toilet paper. I'm sick of people backing the lowest, most shiftless, most shameless, most disgusting people possible to run this country. I'm utterly maddened by the fact that my own comrades will roll over and take it in the proverbial ass just because they don't want to be labeled! Get up off the ground, find your goddamn spine, and stand up for yourself and for every other person this democracy of hypocracy has rear-ended these past five years!

Right now, the right of a woman to choose what's done with her body is in jeopardy. Right now, the right of our people to be free from constant government surveillance is in danger. Right now, the right of our troops to be protected from death and brought back to medical treatment without worry of cost is in horrible peril. Right now, there are people gloating that Samuel Alito, the Scalia-wannabe, might become a Supreme Court justice, thus closing the book on checks and balances. Right now, every part of our government is full of nepotism and greed. Right now, we are in big-time trouble.

GET A BACKBONE, GET A VOICE, GET ACTIVE, AND GET OUT THERE AND KICK SOME ASS! The state of our union is a state of emergency. Let's stop rolling over and let's roll over them come this election.

Call the WHAAAMBULANCE!

Dad says Clooney made Abramoff’s child cry

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - The father of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff says George Clooney’s off-color joke about his son’s name during the Golden Globe Awards made the lobbyist’s 12-year-old daughter cry.

In a letter to Clooney posted Friday on the Web site of The Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs, Frank Abramoff said he was astonished by the actor’s “glib and ridiculous attack” during Monday’s televised program.

And this whining on the heels of the right-wing spin machine's coverage of Scalito's wife bawling on C-SPAN after people started *gasp* asking him questions! And then they have the nerve, the utter gall, to cover the whole thing asking what our problem is and why we're "hurting this poor woman's feelings". (But remember, anyone who complains about the fact that the right does bad things is a "whiner" and should shut up.)

Personally, I think Jack 'off's daughter should be crying, but not because that mean ol' George Clooney said something bad about her dad. She should be crying because her dad is a lying thief who exploited Native Americans. She should be crying because he tried to buy and sell Washington. She should be crying because Jack's going to a Federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison for his crimes, and yes, they ARE CRIMES.

When they're cornered, they pull out their most disgusting trap cards possible - women, emotional appeals, low-blow attacks.

Another random thought.

You know, in all this flap about the Abramoff lies, the new OBL tape, and more low blows from the right, something seems to have slipped our minds:

Valerie Plame.

I figured that by this point, Karl "Turdblossom" Rove would be rotting in a jail cell for outing a CIA operative. And yet, nothing. We're being spread so widely among all the right-wing scandals stinking up Washington that we're missing spots. Spots that could be the key to restructuring this whole sick regime.

We need to do exactly what the right has done to try and beat us down for the lest decade or more: we need to keep bringing up the things that they want to ignore. They kept bringing up Whitewater and Lewinsky during Clinton's tenure, now we need to bring up their wrongs:

• 9/11


• The PATRIOT Act


• Osama bin Laden (I wonder what happened to "dead or alive"? It's not just a fighting game series, y'know)


• Iraq


• Hiring lobbyists to be Cabinet members


• Plame


• Katrina


• Abramoff


• Schiavo


• Spying on us


• Trying to spy even more on us


• Lying to us about Iraq


• Lying to us about policy


• Lying to us about 9/11


• Lying to us about just about everything


• Bush's innumerable other, less-direct lies, distortions, and non-truths

And other issues of importance too numerous for me to mention, since my time left on this computer is slim, I'm sure.

ATTN, Young Yellow Elephants: SIGN UP!

From Operation Yellow Elephant: Progressive Americans Support Military Recruitment of College and Young Republicans!

Attention Anti-War Leftists:

It's time to reach out to all Americans. On January 30, the College Republicans will sponsor "Finish the Job: Support Our Troops" Rallies in Washington DC and All Over America to support President Bush's January 31 State of the Union address. All of you can support every American's First Amendment rights and make a patriotic impression on our great country. Red States and Blue States together, we're all Americans.

Cindy Sheehan said it best: If you support the war, I think you should join it. I hear recruiting numbers are low. It's the College Republicans' day; don't spoil it with anti-Bush counter-protests against the war itself. Instead, encourage the College Republicans and their supporters, including Protest Warrior, to volunteer for military service: Be A Man! Enlist!

Brilliant! And yet, I'd wager that the next day, the enlistment rolls will not be one spoiled rich-kid Republican greater. They'll just say that we're "ignorant tree-hugging anti-American leftists" and walk away to spend more of mommy and daddy's trust fund money on Beer Pong and pro-war rally flyers.

If we push them enough, maybe some of them will realize the bitter irony of trying to keep our soldiers in this bullshit war while they sit comofrtably at home.

But I doubt it.

The Hussein Defense

From The Blogging of the President: The Hussein Defense

Saddam Hussein's defense against his indictment by an ad hoc Iraqi tribunal is simply that has the head of the state he had unlimited power to defend the state. That enemies of the state did not have legal protection, and therefore he cannot be charged for what he did during that time.

Does that sound like anyone we know? Does it sound like the ideas of someone we might have heard about recently?

But remember, that kind of comparison is wrong and evil and is uncalled for, yet we can't go one day without another right-wing hack regurgitating the talking points trying to desperately associate the left to terrorists.

Speaks for itself, this does.

Reports: Bush, Abramoff Together in Photos

WASHINGTON - Although President Bush says he doesn't recall meeting convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the two have reportedly turned up in photos together.

Both Washingtonian and Time magazines have reported the existence of about a half-dozen photos showing the two together.

Time reported on its Web site Sunday that its staff members have seen at least six photos featuring Bush and Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from his lobbying practices and has pledged to cooperate with investigators. They appeared to have been taken at White House functions, according to the reports.

The White House has acknowledged that Abramoff attended some events at the Executive Mansion, and spokeswoman Dana Perino said Sunday it's not surprising that the two would have met.

"The president has taken tens upon thousands of pictures at such events," Perino said.

(...)

The White House, after playing down the Bush-Abramoff photos and the lobbyist's ties to the president, criticized Abramoff for breaking the law. "Mr. Abramoff admitted being involved in outrageous wrongdoing," Perino said.

Hey Bush, I gotta song for you:

You can't hide your lyin' eyes
and your smile's a thin disguise
I thought by now you'd realize
there ain't no way to hide your lyin' eyes

Perfect.

Another Matthews Moment

MSNBC Airs Juvenile Homophobia on Imus in the Morning

Chris "OBL sounds like Michael Moore" Matthews on MSNBC's Imus in the Morning:

IMUS: Look pretty good. I mean, I'm not working toward a "Brokeback Mountain" situation here.

(...)

MATTHEWS: Well, the wonderful Michael Savage, who's on 570 in D.C., who shares a station with you at least, he said [laughs] — he calls it — what's he call it? "Bareback Mounting." That's his name for the movie, so... [laughs]

IMUS: Right. Of course, Bernard calls it "Fudge-pack Mountain," but that's [unintelligible]...

All I can say about this is... WHA?! And people consider these people to be news sources? They call them liberal? These are people referring to anti-gay, hate-mongering troglodyte Michael Weiner as "wonderful", and they're not cast out as pariahs? Hell, they sound like a couple of teenagers talking to each other over a first-person shooter. And this kind of juvenilia gets respected by the right?

Liberal media my fat white ass!

And as if the last thing weren't enough...

From Crooks and Liars: Kellyanne Conway: Dems "equal" Osama.

This one's a winner, folks - lying shill Scarborough and his lying slanderer guest equate EVERY person who stands up to the Bush Regime to Osama bin Laden!

Scarborough: When you look at what Osama Bin Laden said it sounds an awful lot like what we hear the President's political enemies domestically---not only like what a lot of democratic senators have been saying, but also what one or two movie makers have been saying over the past several years...

Conway: If you held a piece of tissue paper between some of the comments that Bin Laden today and some of the comments that the president's detractor's say-it would be very difficult to stick more than a piece of tissue paper between--there's not much of a difference.

Boy, nothing like rehashing the same points as every other right-wing liar, huh, Joe? And your filthy liar guest needs to be applauded, too, for her ability to regurgitate this talking-points garbage on air. And yet we're the ones constantly accused of having nothing original to say.

Maybe if they were to think for five minutes, they'd realize what the truth of this is - that OBL wants us to throw our resources away on Iraq. He probably find it absolutely hilarious. You know what wouldn't surprise me, either? If maybe, just maybe, the OBL tape was translated by the Bush-Leaguers to try and smear the Democrats. Of course, they'd NEVER do something like that!

When they're trapped, these animals, these filthy beasts we call the Bush-League Right, they lunge out and start attacking everyone who doesn't look, sound, and act just as they do. Isn't it nice to know that comments like this will never be dissected in the conservative-run, conservative-owned, conservative-loving media?

Hillary Clinton says something that might be taken as racist if you completely misconstrue it? Outrage! She's evil! Everyone cover it! This whore says something that's a blatant smear against the entire body of the US that's not brainwashed anymore?

Nothing but silence...

Hardball is throwing beanballs. Poorly.

From Crooks and Liars: Chris Matthews compares Michael Moore to Osama Bin Laden

From the video clip of last night's Hardball:

Look at this line, this is from bin Laden today: "There is no defect in the solution other than preventing the flow of hundreds of billions to the influential people and war merchant in America." He sound like an over-the-top Michael Moore here, if not a Michael Moore...

And I've heard conservatives decry this fat slob as being a liberal! Is the right's media machine so devoid of arguments that they've resorted back to attacking Moore and using low-grade ad hominem attacks?

The contact page for MSNBC is here. E-mail them or write them and let them know you don't support baseless slander. Tell them that Chris Matthews must go!

New OBL Tape.

Bin Laden Warns of Attacks, Offers Truce.

I predicted just two days ago that another tape would pop up. That much, I was right about. Too bad I also said it'd be in October. Guess I'm the fool there.

Anyone surprised, though? Another tape pops up in another election year, and at ta time when the right is staggering under the weight of its own greed and corruption. And these were the same people who accused Bill Clinton of trying to throw everyone off his trail while they witch-hunted him!

So, Mr. Bush, didn't you say you'd leave no stone unturned in finding OBL? Didn't you say it was your first priority?

Well, where'd that determination go?

Some "culture of life".

From Accidental Blogger, a good point: "Culture of Life" - only to be interrupted by war and execution

My attempt here is to shed light on the so called "Culture of Life" favored by the Bush administration and its right wing supporters. That culture is anti-abortion, anti physician- assisted suicide for the terminally ill of sound mind, and against withdrawing life support from patients (like Terri Schiavo) who are in persistent vegetative coma. The right wing mantra is that all the above constitute taking of "innocent" lives. If on the other hand, someone qualifies as "guilty" in their eyes, the same "pro-life" folks become conspicuously blood thirsty. The deaths of "innocent" civilians during the conduct of an illegal war of choice, are characterized as "collateral damage", execution of a condemned prisoner is brushed aside as "just retribution", even if that person is mentally retarded or psychologically impaired. Please note that in their zeal for meting out justice, they see no special irony in resuscitating a person from a near fatal condition just so that they can put him to death. The perverseness is mind boggling.

Indeed it is, sir, presuming you are a sir. The far right is that odd group of people that believes that balls of cells and persistently vegetative people are in need of protection, while soldiers and poor people aren't. They're the ones who say that they need to protect the "sanctity of life" and protect innocent people from our enemies, then turn around and kill innocent people in their efforts to rid the world of those same enemies, and call it "collateral damage".

The "culture of life" has nothing to do with life and all to do with control. It's controlling the way into life and the way out, a tactic learned by their masters in the churches.

At least Henery Hawk was funny.

From THE NEWS BLOG: Chickenhawk squawk

I have this feeling that the 'hawks are going to be slapping this guy on the back and haw-hawing about this. It's sick.

And I also wonder how long it'll be before this kid puts his dirty trust-fund money where his ever-open mouth is and enlists? Who wants to bet he never does?

The 101st Fighting Keyboarders march on!

If you can't say anything truthful...

White House Silent on Abramoff Meetings

WASHINGTON - The White House is refusing to reveal details of tainted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's visits with President Bush's staff.

Abramoff had "a few staff-level meetings" at the Bush White House, presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday. But he would not say with whom Abramoff met, which interests he was representing or how he got access to the White House.

The White House sounds a lot like Chick McGee: "Don't tape anything, don't write anything down, DENY, DENY, DENY." Well, they admit that Jack 'off came to the WH, but they deny everything else.

Since Abramoff pleaded guilty two weeks ago to conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion charges in an influence-peddling scandal, McClellan has told reporters he was checking into Abramoff's meetings. "I'm making sure that I have a thorough report back to you on that," he said in his press briefing Jan. 5. "And I'll get that to you, hopefully very soon."

McClellan said Tuesday that he checked on it at reporters' requests, but wouldn't discuss the private staff-level meetings. "We are not going to engage in a fishing expedition," he said.

In other words, Simple Scotty, you don't want to admit that Jack is meeting with the top brass and peddling his influence with them, too. We've already all got it figured out, man, you're just trying really hard not to see what you're seeing. Anyone reminded of the Iraqi Information Minister? You remember him - "The Americans are not anywhere near Baghdad! That American tank behind me isn't there!"

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, along with three other Democratic senators, wrote Bush a letter Tuesday asking for an accounting of Abramoff's personal contacts with Bush administration officials and acts that may have been undertaken at his request. "The American people need to be assured that the White House is not for sale," they wrote.

I wonder if he'd be satisfied with knowing the truth that yes, it is?

McClellan has said Abramoff attended three Hanukkah receptions at the White House, but corrected himself Tuesday to say there were only two — in 2001 and 2002.

McClellan said Bush does not know Abramoff personally, although it's possible the two met at the holiday receptions.

Which is the definition of knowing someone - if you've met, talked, whatnot, you know each other. Stop lying, Scotty, it's kind of annoying!

Abramoff was one of Bush's top fundraisers, having brought in at least $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney '04 re-election campaign and earning the honorary title "pioneer." The campaign took $6,000 of the contributions — which came directly from Abramoff, his wife and one of the Indian tribes he represented — and donated it to the American Heart Association. But the campaign has not returned the rest of the money Abramoff raised.

Yeah, that's what someone does when they don't know you - they give you money and be part of your transition team and whatnot.

And where could that money have gone? Not to schools. Not to protect the troops. I'd bet my Exodia it went into the pockets of a few "programs" designed to help out America by giving it over to corporate interest.

Just a thought.

Who wants to bet that, just like in the 2004 election, that another video of Osama bin Laden shows up around October? After all, the whole "fear" part of the 2004 "fear, smears and queers" campaign is part of what "won" the campaign for Bush.

The Left Hand opens play.

Welcome to Left-Hand Play, a weblog that's meant to be yet another shouted answer to the deception and destruction of the modern Right. Each day brings new tales of what they're doing wrong, and new hope of us setting things straight.