Time to let go...

More proof??

Here's what I don't understand..

-The Court initially found that the tube should be pulled
-Even after Congress, the Senate and the President RE-WROTE the law .... the courts: County, State, Appellate, State Supreme, Federal Appellate and the US Supreme Court still said "no.."

So even after you re-write the law, re-litigate the same issues, argue differently because you now have a different law in place -- the answer remains the same.. I'm glad to see that the black robes took the incredibly bold move to finally admit: it's not their place to decide such matters.. Even that is a twinge of hypocrisy because they make life/death decisions everyday for criminals..

Everyone is condemning the Bush brothers for failing Terri when in fact, it further proves the point they shouldn't have gotten involved to begin with.. I'm dismayed at Dubya's hypocrisy, but he's a consummate politician -- as are all of the others in D.C.. No sense of decency, moralistic or consistency.. That bothers me how people can end up on both sides of the issue arguing just as hard and fast as when they were on the counter-point.. *BAH*

It should've been a very easy case of family making the difficult choice.. If you can't make the choice, you should not have any authority in the decision process.. This is where you bring in someone who can arbitrarily look at the situation and determine what was right for Terri.. Obviously this voice seems a bit muted in comparison to the thralls of folks who are voraciously defending Terri's right to live.. What if she gave up that right?? What if she *had* communicated to her husband that she had no desire to be left in a vegetative state?? It's not as though Michael is acting in haste.. This has been evolving for 15 years - 7 of which in the legal system..

But even as Dubya maintains for his logic of the war in Iraq, he's had to make tough choices - and one of the most glaring ones was to put American lives in harm's way.. One of the hardest things to do if you're in such power is to be able to make some very unpopular choices if it remains to be the last choice on the board.. As much as I applaud Terri's parents for fighting for her daughter's life - they lack the foundation of reality to make any such decision.. Now that this has exploded into the pro-life/pro-choice debate, expect to see this not going away very soon..

I'll admit that the laws are incredibly vague regarding non-fetal right to die vs. right to live.. Unless you have it in writing, you're basically at the whim of whoever.. If anything positive were to come from this it gives the rest of America the wake up call: it can happen to you, anytime, any place, anyhow.. This means that unless you take corrective action soon - you could be in the same twisted fate that Terri and her family has gone through..

What every protester doesn't realize is the fact that any such mandate that guarantees the level of survival for Terri would've had far reaching implications for every person who is in a comparable state.. Where's the battle for those people?? Or for those people who have been hogtied with all of the health insurance red tape?? Where's Bush and the protesters for those people?? Hundreds of people die each day - and if we went to such elaborate lengths to save each and every single one of us - the country would collapse..

The single most important thing to consider is: "where would the $$cha-ching$$ come from??" Because the more $$ you have, the longer you're going to live.. Terri's money has been drained - only because her husband used it to pay the lawyers so to secure what appears to be her final wish.. He didn't spend it on a brand new SUV, a new house, or lavish gifts.. He secured the money to guarantee what she wanted: not to be left in a vegetative state..

It's amazing to think that her parents had all of this money just lying around, but if she's been in this state for 15 years, and the legal fight has been going on for 7 of those years, it sounds like to me her husband gave her the chance to recover before making the decision..

No one wants their child to die..

I'm not advocating that every person put in that position should have their plug pulled.. That's up to the individual.. And if it was Terri's wish - then why are we still talking about it?? The courts are obviously compelled.. When you go through so many levels - and each time you get denied .... there's more to the story that is getting printed or viewed..

I wish Terri peace, the family peace and hopefully there's a positive lesson people are taking to heart here..

Tomato, tomahto... potato ... potahto.....

It represents the balance of the equation..

I don't care if your name is Rush..

I don't care if you're an Air America follower..

I don't care if you read the Economist or the Washington Post..

The equation is balanced somewhere in between..

There is no longer (if there ever was) a liberal bias in the media.. Instead, the media has been perverted to some distant relative.. It's unidentifiable.. It's no longer about content as much as it is about editorializing one's view in the world..

The Drudge Report went on a seemingly predictable diatribe about the upcoming HBO special on Air America.. Using such phrases as "witness the ugly business of media ambition" to describe the sullen part of what "liberal media" must be about.. One should talk so boldly, Matt.. Clearly anyone with enough braincells realizes that Drudge is the Republican puppet and will always remain as such..

Asserting himself as some sort of legitimate media organization is laughable at best, scary at worst..

But it's not as though liberals don't have a counter-weight of their own..

But this isn't the point of the rant today..

It's about truth ... or rather the lack thereof..

It's about the abandonment of moralistic coverage regardless of who occupies the White House.. There's a feeding frenzy of outlets scrambling for market share and profit margins - that the media, the press that we have relied on to give an impartial view of the news at hand - is being whored for one political juggernaut or another..

I haven't seen the Air America special -- but I'm looking forward to it.. I actually applaud them for being forthcoming and opening up a potential PR nightmare .... even if it's meant to open up new markets.. You don't see anything similar from Fox News or any of the other republican pundits because they have finally secured a foothold on the airwaves and publications through out the nation -- and they don't want to endanger that precarious position..

I'm not oblivious to the liberal slant on things.. I got my fill of Al Franken sounding completely distraught that there wasn't more mayhem and bloodshed over the recent Iraqi elections.. I know the left is as much to blame for their own political machine as the right side is..

But what we have is a nation that resides somewhere in between.. Instead of trying to gather people into their collective positions, both sides continue to polarize the landscape creating a tremendous amount of indifference and irrational justification for voting/supporting the policies they are..

What's more sad is the fact that if I have a moderate position: I'm boring.. No one wants middle of the road anymore even though it's probably represents the majority of how all Americans feel.. It's also not incredibly shocking to find statistics that will resonate that a figure well over 80% or higher does not believe totally or completely with the party they generally support..

It's the tug-of-war attitude that pisses me off the most.. Both sides are shaking the fence so hard, people are scurrying for cover right and left.. Even if they don't fully identify as republican or liberal, they are often left with no choice because the parties, the media and the pundits have shaved the middle road so much - there isn't much of a strip to stand on..

--If you're against the war, you're a liberal..
--If you're anti-gay, you're conservative..
--If there's no immediate crisis in social security, you're liberal..
--If you believe in Schiavo's rights -- you're conservative..

The list will go on and on..

Both sides will have a score card once you reach the end of the road and that will decide where you fall.. From there you're cast into the throngs of the various misfits that happen to reside on your side of the aisle..

I despise Drudge.. Yes I admit that I admire Air America.. That makes me a liberal.. It doesn't mean I'm happy about it.. I don't like a lot of the things liberals do - but I like them more than I like what the conservatives have done..

I'm a realist.. And whoever can paint the most accurate picture on any given issue - will generally have my support.. Anything less is smoke and mirrors.. Karl Rove, Al Franken, and everyone else on *both* sides of the aisle need to realize that America is somewhere in between..

Want to win in 2006, 2008??

Start thinking about those in the middle and quit being so incredibly decisive.. The nation is already split - and neither party is grasping that concept...

The Right To Die...

I don't know where I'm coming from on the Schiavo matter.. I'm partial to her well-being which no one can seem to understand.. Now that it's "gone political" - I have real disdain for those that want to further their political lobbying on someone else's hardship -- who probably never wanted to have the attention she's getting..

Euthanasia is one of those issues that I really believe resides in the individual.. It's assisted suicide.. Now if we're going to legalize suicide -- which by itself seems to be an oxymoron because if one really is successful in suicide, the law is really meaningless....

...but if we're going to make a law saying it's okay to take one's life - then shouldn't we be examining "all life" (i.e. those on death row, abortion, etc)?? I know I'm cutting across the grain on this one, but if someone doesn't like it here - I'm not really inclined to keep them alive to make me feel better.. It's not MY choice to make, it's not YOUR choice in the matter, -- it's THEIRS -- Michael and Terri.. In Terri's case, we don't know what her choice is -- or what she ultimately would want.. Her husband says that they talked about it before the accident and she said then she didn't want to be kept alive by artificial means.. And if that were true, and if she said don't keep me alive, then this shouldn't be an issue..

Opponents believe that it will become an elderly free-for-all.. Old people, young people, every person on the planet will spontaneously go out and take their life.. Well guess what?? That happens on a daily basis anyway.. Making it a law doesn't mean God is going to reconsider sending someone back down from heaven because we've said so!! Even if that was the case, what government has the right to ordain that it's proper for a person to kill themselves or not??

A very personal example: my grandmother was very sick of living.. Her friends were dead, she couldn't care for herself anymore, and there was parts of her life that were dead already.. She wasn't active as she once was, and she wasn't adjusting that well to being an elderly citizen.. She was alone.. She was sick.. She was prone to accidents.. She became incontinence.. She was alive, but she wasn't living..

I remember when her and I talked several years before she died that she didn't understand why God was keeping her alive.. In her eyes, God was really pissed at her for some reason because she really wanted to go - she felt tired and no longer wanted to be here.. Spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically.. When we explore the whole aspect of "quality of life" ... what are we really saying?? Are we even listening?? What about the part of a kind and compassionate God?? If we're to be absolutely protective of all life - regardless, shouldn't we be re-writing the laws that condone the death of people who are incarcerated?? What about those thousands of people in Iraq, in the Sudan, in the Congo?? What about the Right to Live in those countries??

And which definition do we care to use to determine "quality of life??" Just because my grandmother wasn't hooked up to a feeder tube 24 hours a day doesn't mean her life wasn't miserable.. She *wanted* to go.. She felt her time in this existence was over and she wanted to be up in heaven.. No one assisted in her death - and she had a DNR on her chart.. When she reached that point - she was going to die, and she did..

On the otherhand, my other grandmother really lived life to its fullest - despite the fact she was legally blind and was going through many of the struggles my other grandmother was going through.. She managed to do what she could, and was very happy with that.. She was active, seemingly happy, and enjoying what she could manage.. Clearly we can measure the differences in the quality of life between them and I think it's totally appropriate that they have the choice as to how they wanted to live the remaining years of their life..

Even though it's a purely personal decision to make, why are we allowing the government to step in to make the choice for us?? And why?? It should be a personal decision to make.. No one should be forced to stay alive for the benefit for the rest of us.. That's intolerably cruel..

Here's what it boils down to for me:

-Terri's been alive for the last 14 years.. The quality of her life hasn't been the greatest.. She's been classified as "permanently vegetative.." What kind of quality of life is that??

-If I were to subscribe to the belief that Terri would get better if she was going under more intense treatment, I do not know it's our choice to make.. That's something that had to have been considered by Terri and her husband.. Because if there had been this miracle treatment that was never pursued - why?? No promise, not a very good percentage, no real guarantee??

-Moreover, I haven't heard much, if at all - about this "intensive treatment" and what it would ultimately mean.. If this therapy has been available, then WHY hasn't it been given to her?? Too expensive?? If they can't afford it - then they can't afford it.. Forcing her to live isn't going to solve the fact they can't afford the intensive treatment..

-It's not as though her husband has been denying her medical treatment.. She's being fed through a feeding tube for the last 14 years, hello!

-If Terri really measured out that it's not worth the struggle she has gone through for 14 years, then is anyone really listening to her?? We've preserved her life 14 years beyond that which was probably her time to go.. Regardless of all the treatments, surgeries, and options - nothing has made Terri better..

Are we playing God here??
Are we going places we really shouldn't be going??

When we can keep someone alive beyond their personal capability, beyond their desire to live, then why must we mandate that she must live?? Why must the Congress, the Presidency, all of the various religions and the rest of the world intervene on behalf of the life of one woman who is in a permanent vegetative state??

This really shouldn't be a political issue.. Nor should it be a religious issue.. It's a personal issue.. A personal issue between one person and her fate.. If she wants to live - then the tube should go back in; end of story.. But if she doesn't - then let her live the remaining days of her life so that she can move on..

Drop the political subpoena bullshit..
Cut all the media hype, the radio pundit rhetoric, and the evangelical manipulations..
Rip the religious duct tape from your hypocritical mouths and let's strongly, deeply consider what Terri wants..

It's her life..

If she's spoken - then let it go..

The Martha Phenomenon

As we all know by now -- Martha Stewart was recently released from prison after serving her punishment for her little insider trader fiasco.. Now I need to preface that I'm not a huge fan of Martha.. She represents the stereotypical snobbish-type lifestyle/attitude that I find particularly discouraging.. Regardless of her crimes, it's her attitude I don't like the most..

I watched one of the E! Hollywood Stories on her - and I'll confess that I walked away from watching that she is a bigger flake than I already had her pegged for.. She just grates on my nerves.. Granted, it's E! - and let's face it, they want to sell their show, so I fully understand how they trump up certain facts and mitigate others so that they can get better ratings..

...and papers can sell more advertising...
...and TV can sell more slots...
...radio...
...etc...


So when I wake up to check out the news of the day I see this picture.. "All is well, and this is good..." Almost like she's on some sort of parade, doting on members of the press so she can become yet another coddled product of some twisted public distortion..

She's riding a public relations high right now.. And it's very possible, if not expected/predicated/probable that she will come out of this perfectly cleaned and pressed.. As though she has been completely absolved of any wrong doing because her persona and the masses that follow her believe it's so..

But it's just not Martha - take any celebrity who has been through any portion of a public relations nightmare and spin it successfully into a PR juggernaut..... It's impressive to see it in action.. Irony: hot cocoa, handful of lemons, wearing "an ecru quilted coat and matching knit scarf...."

I don't know what in the hell ecru is - nor does it really bother me that her scarf may or may not be matching her ensemble.. What bothers me is how it was staged, anticipated, and otherwise predicted that something like this would happen once she was released.. After all, there was a count-down by the media: "Martha Stewart will be released from prison 12 hours from now, for a live report let's go to....."

Now hold on a sec.. Can't anyone else see what's going on here?? The nice spin cycle happening?? Remember not so long ago how the press portrayed her as this really evil, manipulative monger?? Now that she's been incarcerated, she's seen the error of her ways and therefore, she's given a clean slate ... to match her ecru quilted coat and matching knit scarf.. (however I don't know if it was HANDWOVEN knit, or machine processed knit.... but who cares....)

So as the Michael Jackson case looms, the Robert Blake case is in the hands of the jury, and the Phil Spector trial due to start later in the year -- we're constantly wrapped in a distorted spin of PR and reverse PR.. When it spins at full-cycle it really takes off.. Otherwise the waves will eventually crush your celebrity and send them to the bottom of the ocean.. (circa Courtney Love, Robert Downey Jr., Mike Tyson, etc.....)

A typical day in today's life:

(no wonder Bush never reads the paper - I'd be a bit depressed too...)

Bush: Lift Roadblocks to Faith-Based Help Programs.. Very interesting.. Skewing that very fine line between church and state..

Bush Accused of Playing 'Chicken' Over Judge Picks.. I don't even know why this should bother people anymore.. Look at his record - no matter what conventional wisdom says, Bush just doesn't fool around; he takes what he wants and that's that.. Some people find that to be appealing because it's a "tough," "no non-sense" kind of approach is what we need at the helm of our nation.. But like any spoiled child who doesn't get his way - all he has to do is wait for the right time to do what he wanted to do to begin with.. This President lacks the moral fortitude, that frontal lobe speed bump that most people have.. I'm not surprised by this, nor should anyone else.. It's who he is - and that by itself is a scary prospect..

Lastly, Judge, Lawyer on Saddam Tribunal Killed.. Okay, anyone else NOT surprised about this?? Look, they kept his name private for a reason.. This is why anyone who looks even remotely favorable for the Americans is TARGETED.. Justice for Saddam?? Right.. Are there marches over in Iraq over the slain Judge and lawyer who were going to prosecute this matter?? Any vigils?? No..

That's how you gauge whether or not you have a society that is backing your propaganda machine.. It's not happening in Iraq - yet let's continue to delude ourselves from reality...

I think I'm going back to bed - it's much safer there..

This is what happens when I wait to blog...

In all honesty - I for one maintained that I would never see a dime of Social Security.. After all, that's what every financial planner would tell me whenever I applied at a new job, or joined a bank.. I've been told several times in the late 80's, early 90's that Social Security won't be around when it gets to be my retirement age.. So, I for one was actually planning on not having any benefit reach me in my "golden years.."

And if this President has his way -- it's all but certain that prophesy will come true..

I hear what the democrat side of the radio dial is saying.. I hear what the republican side of the radio dial is saying..

Bottom line: I don't trust either side..

I do know that if Social Security would be solvent by the time I reached my retirement age as it stands *today* -- then I don't want Bush to touch it.. Why mess with something that has worked for the last half century??

Oh wait - we're trying to leave a legacy..

Oh, okay.. I guess having 1,500 deaths on your resume, billions of dollars seemingly fleeing the boundaries of our nation.. We're a nation that is far more vulnerable now than before 9/11..... and I'm not even talking about the prostitute reporter that got pretty significant clearance in the ONE PLACE in the nation where we would EXPECT the BEST in security..... Oh wait, terrorists are only Islamic, but a male prostitute fits nicely in this administ.......

Hold on a second - the visual isn't pretty, but I must admit my ass is feeling a little sore.. Yup, Bush still must be in office..

So if I understand the little man, let's just go right ahead an tinker with a proven system and let's screw that up too!!

*sighs*

Now I know I've been out of the blogging realm for the last few weeks, because how else can I reiterate that which I've already said?? Bush is an idiot.. He's messing with the security of this nation on every single thing he can get his hands on.. For those that truly want to follow him blindly, I can only pray that we don't suffer needlessly at the hands of someone this incompetent..

We've suffered enough..

Bring our troops home..

Going to Europe was a nice gesture, but there doesn't seem to be a huge outpouring of support -- in name only it would seem.. Nice photo-ops don't help the tens of thousands affected by Bush's inadequate plans..

North Korea was to be legitimate..

Who knows what's going to happen with Iran, Syria, the Congo, among other hot spots..

Assistance programs are being cut right and left..

As we figured, no medical benefits help.. Must've forgotten that little platform nugget..

We've been asked to sacrifice, nip, tuck - unless you're earning over $200k in that case nip & tuck is actually something you may look forward to the next time you see your plastic surgeon.. After all, the first 10 injections didn't work for your wrinkles, why not go for 11??

Yet - where exactly is this sacrifice and justice for those execs at ChoicePoint who learned that their system was vulnerable back in 2004, sold their stock - yet remain protected by some obscure SEC rule?? Millions in profit - pocketed.. Future secured.. Shareholders screwed.. Millions of identities exposed and "picked for the ripin'..." MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Oh yes - we protect those that screw endlessly, but my god if they happen to be homosexual, we simply will pretend they don't exist..

Oh yeah -- we're advancing right along, thank you very much..

I think it's safer where I've been over the last few weeks -- maybe I best stay there and hope the next 2-4 years pass by quickly..

Not surprising

The Bush administration announced that former POWs that served in the 1991 Gulf War should NOT be able to sue Iraq for mistreating them...

...coming from the administration that believes that we should be doing everything to protect our troops -- except if you get caught, then you're on your own..

Uniquely ---- what??

Drudge even picked up and *reported* the gaffe by Bush about how a upper 50 year old woman is working three jobs to support her three children.... funny.... laughter.... ensues....

... uniquely American??

The Poll Results are In....

Has anyone picked up on the fact that the the party who's winning the Iraqi elections thus far has ties to IRAN??

Did it dawn on anyone else that if the Shiite leading party wins the election - they will grow close to Iran??

Anyone else wonder how these elections became a "good thing" for the Iraqi people, for the peace and stability in the region, in the efforts to quash those against us ....

.... yet the party that is winning happens to be a noted enemy ever since I've been around...

Elections?? Sure seemed like a good idea at the time.. But I'm not so sure we're going to like the outcome down the road kiddies....

The news -- or something like it..

It seems like everytime I opened up another news item, it was riddled with just .... incredibly off world issues..

Like how the Iraqi people want to give George Bush his own statute... George may want think about this one through a bit longer considering what happened to the previous guy that had his statute done in the square, ya' know??

Next, it seems like the Iraqi people have the same problems as our friends in Ohio when it came to voting.. More booths, more ballots - and YOU TOO can have the candidate of your choice!!

The last one actually made a lot more sense than people will give Dubya credit for: Al Jeezera is being sold to Fox News.. Yes, I'm groaning as well because the last thing we needed was another "fair and balanced" news source.. *cough cough*

But then as I read further, I didn't know (maybe because it's gone unreported) how the Bush Administration has been pressuring Qatar to sell Al-Jazeera.. Hm.. It's not taking a rocket scientist to figure out that Bush's propaganda problems are behind him .... um - almost.. Because if he was successful to win the propaganda war to secure his Presidency for another term -- can you imagine taking one of the most hateful, most critical news agencies that continually defy your position -- then PURCHASE IT??

Yeah, we'll be seeing Al-Jazeera shape up real soon..

What this means is that the Arab countries news agencies will eventually become western propaganda!! How convenient -- especially how the conservative talk shows continually decry how Al-Jazeera is nothing more than a propaganda machine for Bin Laden and those radical Muslims against America..

Wow..

Imagine my shock and horror to realize that this is Bush's way of securing that there will no longer be bad press spread among the Arab nations.. When in doubt, secure the news agency printing bad things about you..

Seem a bit far out??

Think about it: not long ago I posted a connective nexus between GE, Fox, Viacom and Disney -- all having ties and interests in ... how should I say ... a more conservative way of thinking..

Get ready world.. The Rose colored glasses are coming to television near you!!

Admitting when she's wrong....

Further proof that when a Conservative pundit is clearly *wrong* -- brought out that they are *wrong* -- they still insist they aren't *wrong*.....

(from The Meat Eating Leftist...)

Ann Coulter's blunder (see the video here)

Sorry Ann - you were wrong.... (and it won't be the first time....)


Text:

Coulter: "Canada used to be one of our most loyal friends and vice-versa. I mean Canada sent troops to Vietnam - was Vietnam less containable and more of a threat than Saddam Hussein?"

McKeown interrupts: "Canada didn't send troops to Vietnam."

Coulter: "I don't think that's right."

McKeown: "Canada did not send troops to Vietnam."

Coulter (looking desperate): "Indochina?"

McKeown: "Uh no. Canada ...second World War of course. Korea. Yes. Vietnam No."

Coulter: "I think you're wrong."

McKeown: "No, took a pass on Vietnam."

Coulter: "I think you're wrong."

McKeown: "No, Australia was there, not Canada."

Coulter: "I think Canada sent troops."

McKeown: "No."

Coulter: "Well. I'll get back to you on that."

McKeown tags out in script:

"Coulter never got back to us -- but for the record, like Iraq, Canada sent no troops to Vietnam."

Election Coverage: Iraq 2005

Let's see if I get this right....

... In Iraq, elections are being held for THREE days over a weekend (nonetheless....)

... In Iraq, there will be a curfew in place the night before the start of the elections...

... In Iraq, (although I hear this has been resolved) you may actually vote for a candidate who does not have a name yet...



Now -- this whole democrazation idea that "we" had -- exactly what democracy is this based off of??

Moreover, (and I'm beating a dead horse here) who *says* that the Iraqi people *want* a democracy?? Just because we say so?? Just because there are more murders that happened in the US last year than what occurred in Iraq in the last 10 years??

Imposing the ideals on another is NOT a good idea..

Lastly, you know it's bad when the absentee voters that are currently voting in the Iraqi election ... in DETROIT.. Yeah, that's right.. Detroit Iraqis are getting the headlines over the OTHER Iraqi people......

I promise: the last point here.. Afghanistan took two years before "electing" someone for themselves.. Now all of a sudden we have to RUSH Iraq to a new government....



Considering how all of this sounds like some weird Republican way of running an election -- I guess I'd be pretty pissed off myself if I was living in Iraq....

Problem vs. Crisis??

I recently caught this nugget where apparently several key Republicans question the administration's claim that social security is in a "crisis situation.."

What's ironic about this is the fact that it's coming WITHIN BUSH'S OWN PARTY....

Which is proving once again that Bush isn't leading his party very well.. I guess in retrospect when I asked the question a little while ago "what sort of challenge does Bush face" -- is actually bearing fruit this hour.. Moreover, it illustrates several things:

-The administration likes to "supersize" the scare tactics bearing a smaller problem than is being represented
-That this administration cannot make policy unless it scares the hell out of everyone in the process (it worked in Iraq, didn't it??)
-Bush is not the leader of the Republican Party

I'm not saying that Clinton had every democrat in his corner, but when this administration hasn't clearly detailed their plan for social security -- and when this administration can't *agree* on the status of a program with its constituents ...... we have a problem..

For a President to believe he has a mandate - to lose ground within the first week of his inauguration is an embarrassment.. It clearly illustrates his lack of understanding of the world around him - and the apparent bull in the china closet mentality that he can rush it and make it work.. *This* is the man who controls so much - and he has been elected *twice*..

*sighs*

Memo to the new DNC chair: Open your eyes, listen and apply..

Powell and SquareBob...

FCC Michael Powell apparently is stepping down as the Nation's Censor Chief.. (thank gawd)

What a legacy this guy put together.. I know many will applaud his efforts to improve technology - but he'll widely be known for the infamous "booby-gate" incident with Janet Jackson.. He'll also be known for trying to coral Howard Stern..

So in today's news - there's a shocking story that SpongeBob SquarePants are promoting a gay/lesbian agenda..... According to the report I heard about - "it wasn't the cartoon, or the song they were singing ("We are family") but it was the group that was purportedly finacially supporting the segment..

Keith Olbermann had a pretty good write up about it..

It's just .... ridiculous...

Accountability .... finally

Condoleeza Rice Acknowledges Bad Iraq Decisions...

It's not much, but it marks the first time *anyone* in the administration has said *anything* about the decision being a bad one in *any* degree.....

*sighs*

Pre-inauguration

"In other words, since I'm not going to run for office again people don't have to view me as a threat and hopefully that will enable people from both parties to come together to get some big things done for the country," he told Fox News.

This - after he addressed members of the military:

"Bush told the troops that "much more will be asked of you in the months and years ahead."


"In Afghanistan and Iraq, the liberty that has been won at great cost now must be secured. We still face terrorist enemies who wish to harm our people, and are seeking weapons that would allow them to kill on an unprecedented scale. These enemies must be stopped, and you are the ones who will stop them."

Basically saying again: "we're going to be the ones who will stop them.." Another shining moment that Bush has isolated us from the rest of the world.. Even Condoleezza said in her confirmation hearings that we need to mend our relations with other countries..


This is the leader of the free world..

This is the man 51% of Americans elected into office..

This is the man who has "high morals" who will set precedent for America who can't even maintain friendly relations with those countries we have had for over 60 years..

Congratulations America - *this* is your savior.. This is your *man* who will protect us from the enemy.. This is your man who will *continue* to send your wife, your husband, your son and daughter overseas -- not just to clean up the mess he's started in Iraq.. Don't believe me??

.... read his last line again:

"These enemies must be stopped, and you are the ones who will stop them...."


It's starting all over again... and yet he has the audacity to say "I'm no longer a threat politically." Clearly not the message one should be projecting at a time when the level of sacrifice continues to climb..

Excuse me -- what "challenge??"

I read this and I found myself perplexed: Bush Facing Sharp Challenges in Second Term

You control the White House..
You control the Senate..
You control the House of Representatives..
You may control the Supreme Court soon..

... exactly what is the "sharp" challenge facing Bush??

Major rant...

Today I pull up to a stoplight..

I'm minding my own business until I see an outline of one of those magnetic ribbons on a truck that was very dirty.. As I studied the contours of the curvature and subsequent consistency of the dirt (I get bored sometimes when I'm driving) I wondered why the ribbon had been pulled off to begin with..

I then noticed that the car in front of me had a "Support The Troops" magnetic ribbon on their car turned sideways so that it could fit flat against the trunk lid..

Then a very bad thought came in my head: "What if the ribbon idea was a Karl Rove concoction??"

I sighed deeply and became angry at the mere notion that somehow the ideology behind a support effort may be politicized.. Now I haven't investigated it -- my google searches proved nothing ill about it.. But the mere thought of it sickened me..

Because it made perfect sense..

I can't say for certain when the ribbons came out, but just like those annoying yellow "Baby on Board" warning signs of the 80's - the fad has grown well beyond anyone's expectations.. It's also been noted that these magnetic ribbons have also been the source of some thievery.. Apparently someone wanted to show their American spirit to support the troops by stealing it off someone else's car.. What's more American than that??

I digress..

But at a time when Bush's strongest position revolved around the whole conflict - one can't be rushed to defeat such a proposition that the ribbon campaign had been a brain-child of some administration official.. Think about it: the overall presence of support for the troops would in fact help Bush's re-election bid.. The more solidarity that is portrayed, the more people want to jump on the bandwagon..

Because consider the alternative: "if you do not support the troops, you are not American.." It's a message that has been pounded into us for the last 18 months.. So, to prove that one supports the troops, they spend their $5.99 at their local WalMart and get a magnetic ribbon that can be conveniently be removed when one's support has waned or becomes unnecessary..

Pardon me, but how transparent is that??

We will slap on the "Don't follow me. I'm lost too" bumper sticker that will last longer than the car will run..... but we'll prefer the removable support ribbon why-for??

If I understand it: it's okay to have a temporary, removable support for the troops - which I guess should make sense.. Because on the one hand, we hope and pray that our troops come home soon so that the ribbons can be removed from our cars.. On the other hand - I think it's incredibly superficial..

Because when I look at the drivers who have placed these magnets on their vehicles, I really wonder if they get it.. I wonder exactly how many of those ribbons I see everyday reach out to those that really understand what it means to have a loved one being placed in harm's way.. And I'm not counting the families themselves because if there's anyone that really understands the meaning of those ribbons: ARE THE FAMILY MEMBERS?? These are the families and friends that have on-going vigils at their residences; praying for the sons and daughters we have sent overseas for purposes that seem to have eluded this Presidency..

The Bush Administration announced today that it has officially given up its search for Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.. Over 1,500 people enlisted in the search for WMD.. As I sit here brooding over that news nugget, I'm reminded that "we don't know if Saddam had them and moved them to some place else like Syria.."

True..

And I would normally subscribe to that belief if it weren't for the technology, methodology, investigative capability of the most technological country in the world -- couldn't find a piece of evidence to suggest even the manufacturing of WMD.. Nothing.. Could Saddam have personally cleaned every smidge of evidence so that nothing would be found?? I suppose..

But then anyone who watches CSI knows that it's impossible to clean up a bloodstain unless you know what to do with it.. And to do so without having *any* leads?? Not one shred of evidence??

And I'm the conspiracy theorist in MY family!!

(right)

But to have Scott McClellan announce: "Based on what we know today, the president would have taken the same action because this is about protecting the American people," is nothing short of treasonous..

Exactly *what* was the threat??

1.) There were no WMD
2.) The President would repeat what he did again
3.) Bush said he has no regrets for making the decision he made
4.) A staff of over 1,500 commanded by 4 different weapons inspectors and all of the collective help of the Iraqi citizens (some 4 million+) couldn't find them.....
5.) Over 1,355 Americans have lost their lives with another 10,000+ that have been injured.
6.) Not including the 15,289 Iraqi Citizens who have died during our liberation of their country.. That's 6 times those that died in 9/11..

We had the opportunity to support our troops this past November - but that didn't happen.. We had an opportunity to bring home our troops, but Bush is itching to get into Iran next..

So.. Let's consult the score card:
1.) No WMD (buzzer)
2.) Saddam has been caught (ding ding)
3.) 1,355 Americans have died (buzzer)
4.) 15,289 Iraqi civilians have died (buzzer)
5.) The Governor of Baghdad has been assassinated (buzzer)
6.) The 50+ Iraqi policemen who have been executed (buzzer)
7.) Holding an election that Bush ALREADY admits "The election is not going to be perfect." (buzzer)
8.) The sanctions have been lifted (buzzer) *note: just because you cheat doesn't mean you get a cookie!!
9.) We have an overwhelming support of the international community (buzzer)
10.) We are no where near getting Bin Laden or any other terrorist cell that was/is operating out there today.. (buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)

Let's see, 1 ding and 9 buzzes.. Not good Mr. President..

The fact that almost his entire cabinet resigned speaks volumes.. And now that these reports continue to trickle after the election reinforces the timing of the release so as not to affect the November elections.. How nice of us to make an "informed decision" based on withheld releases of information..

-Still don't think the system is flawed??
-You don't think the press has its talons in the midst of it all??
-Still want to believe that the right guy for the job is living on Pennsylvania Ave this evening??

*sighs*

I thought about something else yesterday as I was listening to Air America Radio: the louder we yell, the less people listen.. If in fact the democrats are serious enough to take back the country we lost then this is the message: get smart people in smart positions and get them there soon.. If the democrats don't find their own version of Karl Rove - then the party is in deep trouble in 2006 and 2008..

Get smart..

Media is in bed with who??

If there was any doubt that the media doesn't have any "in's" with this or any other administration:

One doesn't have to look any farther than Armstrong Williams...

I'm sure this is not the first time..
..it happens to be the first time anyone openly admitted it (to the best of my recollection..)

The Ohio Challenge

The Ohio challenge that is being put forth has made me reconsider whether or not I want Kerry in the White House..

The election is to be certified today, but Senator Kerry shows no real visible signs that he's eager to take on the Presidency:

"Underscoring that the outcome was not in doubt, Kerry, who conceded to Bush the day after the Nov. 2 election, said he would not join the challenge. The four-term Massachusetts senator was in the Middle East, thanking U.S. troops for their service.

In a statement, Kerry said there are "very troubling questions" about the Ohio voting and he would present a plan later to improve voting procedures. "

Now..

I don't like Bush - never hid that fact from anyone -- but if the guy you voted for is basically throwing in the towel and not fighting in what is right, then is this the guy we want to lead our nation??

*sighs*

I understand and support the "high road" that he wanted to take which was not going to put the nation in a strait jacket the public in another contested battle as what happened in 2000.. I understand that it paints him as a sore loser.. I understand that the Dems took a punch in the arm for what happened 4 years ago..

But at the very least he could've said "I'm concerned, and if there needs to be an investigation, the people of Ohio should lead it as they have been...."

But his tenor of what's been reported (and that may be the key here) is that he doesn't want it.. If this is the press' way of squeezing the last zit on this election so that everything can heal and move forward, then their portrayal of Kerry is assisting in that way..

It's frustrating as hell..