New cards drawn, April 27, 2006

Robert Rouse of Left of Centrist left a comment on my last "card-draw" entry, and added a link to LHP on his site. It's only fair, only fitting, and a damn good idea, to add his card to my hand.

New cards drawn, April 26, 2006

Added Torpor Indy to the left hand. Rather smart stuff.

The "Snow Job" jokes can't come fast enough.

From CNN: Fox anchor named Bush press secretary

Snow replaces McClellan as White House continues makeover

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Acknowledging the challenges ahead, former Fox News anchor and talk show host Tony Snow began his second stint at the White House on Wednesday, this time as press secretary.

President Bush appeared with Snow in the White House briefing room to announce his choice 15 years after the commentator was a speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush.

So he's going to be parroting the lies of the Bush Crime Family upon command. And this is different from his old job how, again?

Come meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Fake abortion clinics, or "It's okay to lie to the impressionable and scared!"

From Bush v. Choice: Fake clinics—and you’re paying for them!

Oh dear. Apparently an anti-choice group in Indiana is not only posing as a fake abortion clinic, but is also waging a war of intimidation against a teenage girl.

From SaveRoe:

One such center in Indiana shares a parking lot with a real Planned Parenthood clinic, and was designed expressly to lure our patients and deceive them. Recently, people from the fake "clinic" waged a campaign of intimidation and harassment against a 17-year-old girl who, with her mother and boyfriend, came to what she thought was our clinic for an abortion. Over the following days, the anti-choice extremists called the police to say the girl was being forced to have an abortion, showed up at her home, called her father's workplace, and even went to her school and urged classmates to pressure her not to have an abortion.

Wow.

Alternet’s PEEK points out that there are more fake clinics than actual abortion provides in the US (what?!) and that we’re footing the bill: “They receive tens of millions in government grants.”

Great. To find out more about anti-choice "Crisis Pregnancy Centers," click here.

(Emphasis in original document.)

I really do not know what to say about this. The fact that these bastards will deceive scared women is bad enough, but that they will violate someone's privacy and essentially put them in danger like that is too goddamn much. These people, and I hesitate to call them that, are inhuman. They're exploiting the fear of women in need to further their misogynistic, oppressive views.

And they get federal money for this? Oh no, not in my fucking state, they don't. Tell your legislator that you oppose federal money going to deception and harassment. Even better, join the campaign at SaveRoe.

Illinois House pushing for impeachment.

From the Chicago Sun-Times: Resolution to push Bush impeachment

SPRINGFIELD -- Leave it to the Democratic-controlled state Legislature to find an obscure way to attempt to oust President Bush.

State Rep. Karen Yarbrough (D-Maywood) has sponsored a resolution calling on the General Assembly to submit charges to the U.S. House so its lawmakers could begin impeachment proceedings.

It would be the first state legislature to pass such a resolution, though the measure faces a dim future in a Republican-controlled Congress.

My old state rocks. The Bush-leaguers infesting the Indiana congress would NEVER do anything like this.

I'll admit that for a midwestern state, Illinois balances out to be fairly liberal - there are a few really big cities (like a certain one you might have heard of, it's called Chicago) that are decent strongholds of, well, decency. The more rural areas are, unfortunately, conservative (damn if I know why), so that gives some sense of balance.

Yarbrough is hoping to get the U.S. House's attention through her grass-roots effort. She already has picked up two co-sponsors to her legislation, Democratic state Representatives Eddie Washington (Waukegan) and Sara Feigenholtz (Chicago).

According to the resolution, Bush has "willfully violated his oath of office" by manipulating intelligence to start the war in Iraq, leaking classified national secrets and authorizing illegal spying on American citizens.

"This president has acted like an emperor," Yarbrough said.

And here come the conservatives, chanting "we're at war, we're at war, we're at war, 9/11 9/11 9/11 terror terror terror!" I sincerely hope that this gets some kind of deep thought before the right assassinates it and smears everyone involved.

If you really want to be sickened, read the article. It smacks of right-wing bias. Liberal media my fat white ass.

Top 10 Conservative Idiots, No. 242 - Yikes!

From Democratic Undeground via The Liberal Avenger: The Top 10 Conservative Iidots #242

Go to DU and take a look at this. Specifically, look at #2. Can you believe this garbage? This is what these people do!

I heard the guy who took those photos, Mother Jones reporter Stephen Elliott, talking on The Majority Report about how goddamn creepy that was to watch. How shameless can that woman be?

Then again, she was one of the engineers of the Florida election fraud, so she doesn't have any shame at all. Guess that answers that question.

New cards drawn!

Today, added Eschaton and Media Matters for America. They, like all the other "cards in the left hand", can be "played" by clicking on them in the list on the right-hand side (irony).

Sex and candy, minus the candy.

From the Anderson, GA Independent-Mail: Bill would make sale of sex toys illegal in South Carolina

COLUMBIA — Lucy’s Love Shop employee Wanda Gillespie said she was flabbergasted that South Carolina’s Legislature is considering outlawing sex toys.

But banning the sale of sex toys is actually quite common in some Southern states.

The South Carolina bill, proposed by Republican Rep. Ralph Davenport, would make it a felony to sell devices used primarily for sexual stimulation and allow law enforcement to seize sex toys from raided businesses.

And just WHY do they allow laws like this to even be proposed? Surely these people would be flabbergasted if someone came by and started rooting through their private stuff. Surely they don't think that they're doing anything beneficial by destroying people's rights to do what they want in their own damn bedrooms?

My guess? They're "good Christians".

"I don't know where he is, I just don't spend that much time on him."

From the BBC: Another Osama Tape

The West's moves to isolate the new Hamas-led Palestinian government prove it is at war with Islam, a tape attributed to Osama Bin Laden declares.

The tape also described the situation in Iraq and Sudan's troubled Darfur region as further evidence that a "Zionist-crusader war" was being waged.

The recording was broadcast by Arab satellite TV al-Jazeera on Sunday.

If confirmed, it is the first message from Bin Laden since January 2006, when he threatened more attacks on the US.

Lessee, things are going even more to shit for the right, and it seems we can't be distracted totally... oh, look, another Osama tape! Be afraid!

Oddly enough, there isn't much in the way of threats in this one. Maybe I was wrong - maybe they're NOT traslating these with political gain in mind.

Anyhow, I'm not making massive judgments on this one beyond the fact that these tapes always seem to come out when the right is floundering.

I'm (sort of) agreeing with Hannity? Whoa.

From wimp.com: Video of Hannity and Colmes tag-team verbally pounding Fred Phelps's daughter.

I sure as hell don't like the kind of shit Hannity spews most of the time, but DAMN does he kick some ass in this video. He and Alan Colmes team up and annihilate the brainwashed spawn of the hate-mongering asshole Phelps.

You gotta see this. It's brilliant. And just watch the vapid looks set in on the bitch's face when she gets, as the kids these days say, "PWN3D".

ATTN: Ignorant trolls

If you make it a point to continually post childish, vulgar responses in the comments, your comments will be deleted on sight.

EDITED TO ADD: All comments are now moderated. If your post is childish shit, it will never see the light of day.

Note that, despite what some people might think, this does not mean that opposing views will not be let through. Rather, opposing viewpoints will be welcomed if they are well-stated.

Example: Andrew Kaduk sometimes comments here, and he is... well, not quite in line with everything I believe. He can remain civil. His comments will be let through.

Counter-example: The troll who's been annoying me today. His comments will be deleted until such time as he grows up.

EDITED AGAIN, 4/20/2006: Troll-boy seems to have moved on. Comment moderation is now off unless he decides to come back and be immature again.

EDITED AGAIN AGAIN, 4/25/2006: This weblog now uses HaloScan comments. Troll-boy will be IP-banned the moment he comes back.

Simple Scotty's out.

From CNN.com: White House shake-up touches McClellan

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A shake-up in President Bush's administration widened Wednesday as White House press secretary Scott McClellan announced his resignation.

News of McClellan's exit comes shortly after the departure of longtime White House chief of staff Andrew Card and amid calls by retired U.S. generals for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

During an appearance on the South Lawn with Bush, McClellan announced his departure after two years as press secretary saying his departure was right during a "time of transition."

Translation from Simple Scotty's Lie-ese: "The ship's sinking, and I'm following my fellow rats!"

I'm glad to see the back of Simple Scotty. The guy's a flat-out liar, and he's done nothing BUT lie, and when he couldn't lie, he got all indignant and acted like being asked questions was some sort of high offense to his sensibilities. Hello?! Moron?! That's yer JOB! Take the questions and answer like you've got some gray matter!

I think the following is apropos:

We know that we can't take no more
It ain't no lie,
We wanna see you out that door
Scotty, bye, bye, bye...
Bye Bye
Don't wanna be a fool for you
Just another player in your game for two
We all hate you and it ain't no lie,
Scotty Bye, bye, bye...
Bye Bye
Don't really wanna make it tough,
We just wanna tell you that we've had enough
You're just crazy,
And that ain't no lie,
Scotty, bye, bye, bye

And would you believe I cracked that joke TEN SECONDS before Randi Rhodes did on the XM feed?

A break from the usual: Dumb bitch wants to ban Harry Potter

From WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA: Gwinnett Mom: 'Ban Harry Potter'

A Gwinnett County parent is waging a war against Harry Potter. She says the popular book series should be pulled from libraries in the state’s largest school district.

Laura Mallory says the Potter books take kids to dark places.

“The books are indoctrinating children into witchcraft,” Mallory said. “It’s not mere fantasy.”

BAH HA HA HA HA! That's some funny shit right there!

Seriously, where's the proof? Haven't heard anyone but the Christian Right saying that bullshit. Where's the documented proof?

Here's a hint: There is none. Kids (and adults such as yours truly) aren't reading HP because of some desire to learn witchcraft. We read it because it's a damn good series.

Mallory has three children attending J.C. Magill Elementary School in Loganville, and is asking the school board to banish the books.

“I’m asking that they be removed from the school -- elementary school in particular -- because the young children are not as able to discern as older children,” said Mallory.

Now there's one of the biggest myths spread by the ban-heads. I've known children all my life, thanks to having a large family. Kids know what's real and what's not. The ones who don't are the exception rather than the rule.

So far, nothing but LIES from this woman.

Another parent, Amy Pryor, says the Harry Potter series got her daughter excited about reading.

“I just think it’s another way for people to censor a literary form of art,” Pryor said. “People want to say magic is so bad. Magic is just a way of imagination; a different way of somebody expressing themselves. If we continue to allow people to take books off of school library shelves, then we're saying it's okay to take books off the shelves of our public libraries.”

Review panels with the Gwinnett School District have ruled the books should stay in the system’s libraries, but Mallory is meeting with the school district next Thursday to appeal the decision.

Ah, the everything-hating Christians: the triumph of blind faith over facts and experience.

I've been reading the Harry Potter series since last year. So far, I've read all six books four times, and I'm on the edge of my proverbial seat for the conclusion.

And not once have I ever tried to fly on a broomstick, or try to make the Draught of Living Death, or tried to use sectumsempra to cut someone down. Nor have I heard of cases of children trying to do so.

This woman's a liar and a censor-happy bitch, plain and simple.

Bush is trying to get us all killed.

I'm not going to do this in the usual format.

All I'll say is what we already know: Bush wants to use nukes against Iran.

And the obvious response: This is, without a doubt, the stupidest, most ignorant, most dangerous idea that you have ever had. The moment you do it, we're persona non grata to the world. They'll mark us as the rogue state, since we've essentially committed a crime against humanity.

You do it, and we will be the target. You do it, and we're all gonna die.

Is your legacy worth all our lives?

And an interesting thought from The Liberal Avenger: What if it's all saber-rattling?

Truth is, if it is, then it's to get Iran to actually get nukes; then Bushiemort can point and say "they got nukes, let's get 'em" and Avada Kedavra their asses with a nuke of our own.

So it all comes down to the same thing, most likely.

They all fall down.

From the Associated Press via Yahoo!News: Papers: Cheney Aide Says Bush OK'd Leak

WASHINGTON -
President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney authorized Cheney's top aide to launch a counterattack of leaks against administration critics on
Iraq by feeding intelligence information to reporters, according to court papers citing the aide's testimony in the
CIA leak case.

In a court filing, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald stopped short of accusing Cheney of authorizing his chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby, to leak the CIA identity of
Valerie Plame.

He didn't have to, though - we all know that was the case. We knew it from the beginning that that lying, sick, murderous bastard had something to do with it.

But the prosecutor, detailing the evidence he has gathered, raised the possibility that the vice president was trying to use Plame's CIA employment to discredit her husband, administration critic Joseph Wilson. Cheney, according to an indictment against Libby, knew that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA as early as June 12, 2003, more than a month before that fact turned up in a column by Robert Novak.

Fitzgerald quoted Libby as saying he was authorized to tell New York Times reporter Judith Miller that Iraq was "vigorously trying to procure" uranium. Fitzgerald said Libby told him it "was the only time he recalled in his government experience when he disclosed a document to a reporter that was effectively declassified by virtue of the president's authorization that it be disclosed."

Except he "declassified" something that was of interest to our national security. Maybe the right wing doesn't get this, but I do: Plame was a NOC agent working undercover. When these idiots, these bastards wanted to get their war, they had to discredit someone who knew they were lying about their facts (fruitless mission that that is - you'd have to discredit everyone in the country who realizes that it was a lie, and that's millions upon millions of people), and so they exposed someone working in the interests of national security, just because they wanted their precious oil money.

The process was so secretive that other Cabinet-level officials did not know about it, according to the court papers, which point to Bush and Cheney as setting in motion a leak campaign to the press that ended in Plame's blown cover.

In 2003, when the public furor erupted over the disclosure of a CIA operative's status, Bush said he wanted to get to the bottom of the affair. "I want to know the truth," he said at the time.

You knew the truth, you lying ass! You wanted the truth drug behind a shed and shot!

Libby's testimony puts the president and the vice president in the awkward position of authorizing leaks. Both men have long said they abhor such practices, so much so that the administration has put in motion criminal investigations at their behest to hunt down leakers.

I can bet you right now that nobody's going to go after them. The left has little power in Washington, and the right is too enslaved by Bush and his cronies and his business buddies and the money going right into their pockets to try and let justice be done. Fuck justice, they're getting paid, who needs justice?

The sooner that all the players in this farce, this charade of good government, are perp-walked out of Washington and put in prison for the rest of their lives (including Bush, Cheney, Libby, and the Bush-ass-kisser Judy Miller), the sooner that we can get back to the way things ought to be.

You might remember the way things ought to be - we had a damn good example of it about ten years ago.