I don’t know who I would deem the sexiest woman alive, but I’m certain it wouldn’t be Jessica Biel, who I find rather bland and generic.
I am, however, quite sure that the sexiest man alive is Mr. Shakes, and nothing can dissuade me from thinking otherwise. Christian Bale—close second.
Sexiest Woman Alive
Who Knows? Who Cares? Part 2- The Head Shakening
And so it continues. Bush has found his new favorite Plan B: Blame The Local Authorities.
Bush: NYC Acted Alone in Unveiling Threat
WASHINGTON - President Bush said Friday that New York City officials exercised their own prerogative in publicizing a subway terror threat, declining to second-guess that decision or suggest they had overreacted.
"Our job is to gather intelligence and pass it on to local authorities. And they make the judgments necessary to respond," Bush told reporters. Administration security officials had said on Thursday the threat to New York was of "doubtful credibility," a phrase repeated earlier Friday by Bush's spokesman.
"The level of cooperation between the federal government and the local government is getting better and better. And part of that level of cooperation is the ability to pass information on. And we did, and they responded," Bush said during a picture-taking session at the White House with the prime minister of Hungary.
And the threat turned out to be nothing. Now, understandably, a lot of New Yorkers are going to be quite pissed about being frightened, and having their daily routines interrupted. But Bush still wants us to shoot the messenger. Mayor Bloomberg, however, is insisting he did the right thing.
NEW YORK - Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday defended his decision to go public with the threat that terrorists might want to strike the New York subway system, saying it is essential that authorities err on the side of caution when protecting a city of 8 million people.
"If I'm going to make a mistake you can rest assured it is on the side of being cautious," Bloomberg said at a news conference, flanked by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. But he stressed that he did not think that any mistake had been made.
"We did exactly the right thing," Kelly said.
Damn right. Then Scotty leaps to the defense of his beloved chimp:
Asked if he thought New York officials had overreacted, Bush said: "I think they took the information we gave and made the judgments they thought were necessary. And the American people have got to know that, one, we're collecting information and sharing it with local authorities on a timely basis. And that's important."
Earlier, White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters: "In this case, we notified New York City officials early on of the intelligence information that we had received. And while it is specific, you heard our homeland security officials say it is of doubtful credibility. It is something we continue to analyze."
Excuse me? Doubtful credibility?
Officials in New York revealed the threat Thursday, saying an FBI source warned that terrorists had plotted to bomb the subway in coming days. But Homeland Security officials in Washington downplayed the threat, saying it's of "doubtful credibility."
Bloomberg called it the most specific terrorist threat that New York officials had received to date, and promised to flood the subway system with uniformed and undercover officers.
(snip)
The official said the threat was "specific to place," and that the window for the attack was anywhere from Friday through at least the weekend.
So, although the credibility was "doubtful," this announcement was the most specific terrorist threat they had received to date, and was specific to place. Sounds like a pretty goddamned good reason to circle the wagons to me. (Interesting how they never received any information about those 10 9/11's that Bush was trumpeting yesterday, but I digress.)
How the hell do they expect New York to react when they're handed a "specific terrorist threat?" Of course they're going to react to protect the citizens of the city. But Bush expects us to believe that they just throw these things around willy-nilly, and the local authorities are just supposed to guess as to whether they are complete bullshit, or a real threat.
This is exactly what's infuriating me. No one, not even the Mayor of New York City can tell if Bush and his people are giving us credible, reliable information that we can work with and act upon, or if it's just an airy possibility, that we should take as seriously as a passed note stating "Do you like me? Yes/no?" The Mayor of Ground Zero had to resort to guessing.
I'm sorry, Mister Bush. You don't get to blow this off. You don't get to blame it on Bloomberg. You are the President of the United States, a self-described "War President," and the Grand Poobah of Terrorist Gettin'. You actually expect us to believe that you take terrorism seriously, but don't approve, assist with, or orchestrate a plan, or follow up on a major terrorist threat, regardless of how "credible" it is?
Don't blame me! I just said that something might go down... THEY'RE the ones that got in a tizzy!
Goddamn it, Bush needs to be publicly called out on these bogus terrorist threats that exist simply to frighten the American people. Democrats, get your asses in gear. Americans are sick and tired of being lied to, and frightened into paranoia by a pack of goddamned lies.
I don't even want to think about how many people will be killed when there really is a wolf in a subway system somewhere, and no one listens to the boy yelling his head off about it.
(Bolds mine. Today I just feel like punching Bush in the neck Cross-post)
“Not listening is hard work.”
The Heretik takes on dicks (which is only half as dirty as it sounds):
ONE OF DICK Cheney’s sparring partners on WMD in Iraq just won the Nobel Peace Prize. [story] No word on where Cheney placed in the running behind El Baradei. Cheney, if you will, will clearly reconstitute his efforts to win the prize in the future. We don’t want the next smoking gun of Cheney’s attempts to win the prize to be a nuclear cloud.Read the rest here.
EL BARADEI HAS NEVER been proven to have not referred to Richard Cheney as “the dick.” Rumors that Nobel Prize winner El Baradei said the dick could never win the prize have not been confirmed in Prague. Nor could rumors that ElBaradei said Iraqi agents met with the dick. The dick was unavailable for comment.
Abandon Ship! Abandon Ship!
Because it’s sinking fast:
A new CBS News poll hands George W. Bush the lowest approval rating he has ever received. Just 37 percent of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing overall. Only 32 percent of the public approves of his handling of Iraq, another all-time low. While 36 percent say that U.S. troops should stay in Iraq as long as it takes to get the job done, 59 percent say that the troops should come home as soon as possible. And more than 60 percent say that the federal government should cut funding for the war in order to pay for Hurricane Katrina.37%. Yowza. At what point do we collectively decide 37% isn’t enough to keep his stinking job?
The poll was taken before Bush gave his big speech yesterday -- the one in which he informed Americans that Iraq is the "central front" in the war on terror and that "progress" is being made there. On the other hand, it was also taken before Americans got the latest news from Iraq: Six U.S. Marines were killed in bombings Thursday, bringing the U.S. death toll there close to the 1,950 mark.
Outing
Pam’s got an interesting post up on outing today, which I highly recommend. I always find it interesting that people to whom I’ve spoken who dislike the practice inevitably agree that they would argue with “outing” other aspects of a politician’s life that would expose hypocrisy, but remain uncomfortable with outing someone on the basis of his or her being gay. I think it reveals an entrenched discomfort with homosexuality that some people are unwilling to admit to themselves, even as they champion gay rights. When one supports exposing a politician’s ties to a special interest group that could fundamentally undermine his or her legislative objectivity, but doesn’t support acknowledging a homosexual relationship that is known to the political community but not the politician’s constituents, the basis for the distinction is often cited as, “I wouldn’t want someone to tell people I were gay if I didn’t want them to know.” Fair enough, but said politicians also don’t want their constituents knowing about their ties to energy companies (for example), either. Embedded within such reasoning is the thought that being gay is something of which to be ashamed, further evidenced by the nearly unanimous support for outing politician’s extramarital affairs. Comfort with homosexuality means one doesn’t see it as off limits.
It’s rarely politicians who support gay rights who seek to hide their sexuality; instead, it is almost exclusively conservatives, who support anti-gay legislation and hide behind the notion that exposing one’s homosexuality isn’t fair game. They depend on people’s discomfort in pursuing outing campaigns to keep their secrets—and their jobs. If the truth were known, their own constituents wouldn’t elect them.
Friday Blogrollin'
(I've been trying to republish the blog to get these added to the blogroll for over and hour, and it keeps error-ing. So, note that these blogs will be added, if Blogger ever lets me republish the damn thing!)
I Blame the Patriarchy, authored by Twisty Faster, who is just completely cool.
2 Political Junkies, because I understand the jones, my friends.
Michael Bérubé, who has been on my favorites instead of my blgoroll forever and a day, and whose book Life as We Know It: A Father, a Family, and an Exceptional Child is really superb.
Blogging for Reality Based People of Spokane (shortened to Blog Spokane on my blogroll), which is authored by Big Brass Blogger JJ, who was an invaluable source during the first few days of the Jim West scandal—and continues to follow up on the story. A super source for Spokane progressives, but JJ writes about national issues, too.
Loaded Mouth, who should have been added a bazillion years ago. Sorry for the delay, Tas.
Duplex Dude, who is a new blogger, and already making me laugh regularly with snark like this.
And Evil Li-brul Overlord, because no blogroll is complete without one.
Who Knows? Who Cares?
By now it's common knowledge that Iraq is completely screwed, that a huge pile of lies got us into the mess, and the Administration can offer us no plan other than "stay the course." Public opinion is flagging on the war; Bush can't get his popularity numbers up, and the rumors flying around Washington say that a fistful of indictments are waiting in the wings.
Now, we all know what happens when Bush looks like a jackass in the news. The terror alerts begin, and the Closet Observation Control Tower says that, yes, they have seen the boogeyman.
Well, as you've all no doubt heard, New York City is once again on high alert due to a possible terrorist threat, and yesterday, Bush came out with this doozy (Bolds are mine):
Bush: U.S. Foiled at Least 10 Terrorist Plots
WASHINGTON - President Bush said Thursday the United States and its allies had foiled at least 10 serious plots by the al-Qaida terror network in the last four years, including plans for Sept. 11-like attacks on both U.S. coasts.
In a speech designed to revive flagging public support for the war in Iraq, the president also said the U.S. and its partners have stopped at least five more efforts by al-Qaida to case targets or infiltrate operatives in the United States.
The MSM is now just coming right out and saying it: Information on terrorist threats is NOT reported to the American People to keep them informed or safe. Information is only brought out to support the President and his failures. Designed, for chrissakes.
"Because of this steady progress, the enemy is wounded, but the enemy is still capable of global operations," Bush said. "Our commitment is clear: We will not relent until the organized international terror networks are exposed and broken, and their leaders held to account for their acts of murder."
Bush said Islamic radicals are seeking to establish a "radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia" with Iraq serving as the main front. He singled out Iran and Syria as "allies of convenience" for Islamic radicalism.
The usual George Bush "enemy terrorist enemy freedom enemy terror" bullshit. But this is important: has the U.S. managed to stop 10 major terrorist attacks in the last 4 years? Do we have any evidence? Can any plans be shown, or prisoners be named?
The White House initially would not give details of the 10 plots that Bush mentioned in his morning speech before the National Endowment for Democracy, saying some information remained classified. But in the evening, the White House released a fact sheet with a brief, and vague, description of each.
Brief and vague.
As Shakespeare's Sister said yesterday, we have gotten to the point as a country where possibly serious statements like this by the White House hold no weight whatsoever. We've seen the terror alert been raised, we've heard the terrorist bugaboo talks, and we've been lied to so much that we have no idea anymore if anything we're told is the truth.
This is a seriously dangerous position for us, as Americans. Sure, you can say that all Presidents and politicians have been liars, and you can't trust any of them. But Bush has proven time and again that we can't believe a single word that comes out of his mouth. The vast majority of Americans realize that they're dealing with a compulsive liar... to the point where news about possibly 10 more 9/11's doesn't faze us in the slightest.
Is this the truth? Who knows? Who cares?
Jesus, with the contempt America has for Bush, don't you think he'd be trumpeting every terrorist plot they'd foiled?
Frankly, I would love for this information to be true. Good lord, if I knew that we had thwarted 10 more terrorist attacks on American Soil, attacks that could have potentially been as disasterous as 9/11, I would feel much safer.
But we can't believe anything our President says. Nor can we believe anyone in his Administration. They've all proven themselves to be untrustworthy, unctious and completely corrupt. Our Country is being led by crooks, liars and thieves, and when an American Citizen hears a terror alert, they don't know if they should run home and begin duct taping the windows, or head down to Dunkin' Donuts like any other morning.
This is so dangerous, infuriating and frustrating. When we get "information" like this:
Three targets cited were in the United States, including plans to use hijacked airplanes to attack the West Coast in mid-2002 and the East Coast in mid-2003. The White House said at least one planner of the West Coast attack was a key figure behind the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
The third was the case of Jose Padilla, a former Chicago gang member who converted to Islam and allegedly plotted with top al-Qaida commanders to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" in a U.S. city. Padilla, whose plot never materialized, was designated an enemy combatant by Bush and is being held without criminal charge at a Navy brig in South Carolina.
The White House said the other seven attacks included plans to:
• Bomb several sites in Britain in mid-2004.
• Attack Westerners at several places in Karachi, Pakistan, in spring 2003.
• Attack Heathrow Airport using hijacked commercial airliners in 2003.
• Carry out a large-scale bombing in Britain in spring 2004.
• Attack ships in the Arabian Gulf in late 2002/2003.
• Attack ships in the Straits of Hormuz, a narrow part of the Persian Gulf where it opens into the Arabian Sea, in 2002.
• Attack a tourist site outside the United States in 2003.
Or this:
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman would only broadly characterize the intercepted letter that the Defense Department released, which he said was written by Osama bin Laden deputy Ayman al-Zawahri to the leader of al-Quaida in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He would not say where, when or how it was obtained, or who intercepted it, but he said the Pentagon is confident it is authentic.
How the fuck can I believe it? The Bush Administration has made it impossible for me to believe anything I read, see, or hear. Can I trust the Pentagon Spokesman? Can I trust anyone in the Pentagon? Can I trust anyone that's come within sniffing distance of the goddamn President??
No. The lies are stacked too high. The secretive Bush Administration has kept too much from us. The investigations are too numerous. The corruption runs too deep.
And I have no idea if we've escaped 10 terrorist attacks.
Damn these men for what they've done to my country.
(There's a man with a cross-post over there... telling me I've got to beware)
NY Terror Threat
The New York Police Department is investigating what it deems a credible tip that 19 operatives have been deployed to the city to place bombs in the subway, and security in the subways will be increased, sources told ABC News.See, here’s the problem with crying wolf to try to distract the American public from what a terrible job you’re doing—something like this is reported, and I have no idea whether to be concerned on behalf of my friends and family in New York, or ignore it like so much smoke and mirrors because the polls need a pick-me-up.
While the police department is taking the threat seriously, it is also urging the public not to be alarmed because – while the source is credible – the information has not been verified.
[…]
After several days of work, sources said, the NYPD is increasingly concerned because it has been unable to discredit the initial source and additional information from the source.
The 19 operatives were to place improvised explosive devices in the subways using briefcases, according to two sources. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said officers will continue to check bags, briefcases and strollers, and additional uniformed and undercover officers will be riding in individual subway cars.
Strangely, CNN is reporting that neither Homeland Security nor the FBI is aware of any credible or specific threat against the NYC transit system.
And, lo, their teeth will gnash...
Interesting theory.
Of course, it could also be stress. Or a bad tic developed from constantly having to repress the urge to scream, "Don't you pieces of poop know who I am?! I'm the gadblasted preznit of Amurka, and you will do as I say!!!"
Rove on His Knees
Don’t let that horrific image dissuade you from reading the rest of this post, please. It’s not what you think…
Turd Blossom has asked prosecutors in the Plame case for the opportunity to give “11th-hour” testimony in the case, and has been granted his wish. Here’s the good stuff:
Federal prosecutors…have warned they cannot guarantee he won't be indicted, according to people directly familiar with the investigation.Oh, snap! Please let this mean that Rove is going down like a Bangkok whore will bills to pay!
[…]
Rove has already made at least three grand jury appearances and his return at this late stage in the investigation is unusual.
The prosecutor did not give Rove similar warnings before his earlier grand jury appearances.
[…]
Before accepting the offer, Fitzgerald sent correspondence to Rove's legal team making clear that there was no guarantee he wouldn't be indicted at a later point as required by the rules.
Shakes Schwag
All right, bitches—the Shakespeare’s Sister CafePress Store is now open, featuring all kinds of useless crap with sassy bullshit such as:
I’m Shakespeare’s Sister’s bitch…and I need to be spanked.
Shakespeare’s Sister is my hag.
Shakespeare’s Sister: Proudly staffed by cocksuckers.
Shakespeare’s Sister…because NOW is the motherfucking winter of our discontent.
Hark! What snark through yonder weblog breaks?
To bitch or not to bitch is never a question.
Something is rotten in the state of Bushco.
Out damn Bush!!!
Don’t blame me. I read Shakespeare’s Sister.
Action is eloquence.
I’ll add more stuff soon. Please feel free to submit ideas in comments, or, if you feel like designing something, via email.
Heh Heh Heh
Bush says more sacrifice needed in war on terrorI think maybe he’s being snarky.
"Bin Laden says his own role is to tell Muslims: 'What is good for them and what is not.' And what this man who grew up in wealth and privilege considers good for poor Muslims is that they become killers and suicide bombers. He assures them that this is the road to paradise, though he never offers to go along for the ride," Bush said.
Wow, I always realized Bin Laden was an asshole, but what kind of a man who grew up in wealth and privilege would try to tell poor people to sacrifice for his cause while not sacrificing anything himself? Someone would have to be a real dickhead to do that. I wonder if there is anyone else in the world who would do something like that. I wonder...
Cheap Joke Thursday
I've been busy again today, but I have time to at least throw this your way. Who exactly wrote this headline?
Robotic Hummer Gets Pole in Robot Race
I mean, come on....
(Blame it on the cross-post, Blame it on the stars...)
Splendid
The founder of a “non-partisan” voting rights group which claims tax-exempt "non-partisan" status, works for the White House and is helping push Harriet Miers through the nomination process. BradBlog’s got the scoop. Yeesh.
You know, nothing else matters—not a shred of what we do around here every day, what other bloggers do, what activists do, what Democrats do, none of it—if we don’t have fair elections.
Growly Guts
Check out this picture of Cheney that the AFP used with its story on the spy scandal.
GRRRRRRRROWLLLL!!!!!
That is one. scary. dude.
Dare to Discipline: A Moment for Mom
As promised, I’d like now to share with you some more wisdom from the very knowledgeable Dr. James Dobson. First, I’ll introduce you to the good doctor’s explanation of why, exactly, Mom needs “a moment,” occasionally:
It is not uncommon for a mother, particularly, to feel overwhelmed by the complexity of her parental assignment. For each child she raises, she is the primary protector of his health, education, intellect, personality, character, and emotional stability. She must serve as physician, nurse, psychologist, teacher, minister, cook, and policeman. Since she is with the children longer each day than her husband, she is the chief disciplinarian and main giver of security and love. She will not know whether or not she is handling these matters properly until it is too late to change her methodology. Furthermore, Mom’s responsibilities extend far beyond her children. She must also meet her obligations to her husband, her church, her relatives, her friends, and in some cases, her employer.That’s a lot of shit, huh?! And he doesn’t even mention some of the really important stuff, like Mom’s responsibility to keep the house shiny clean and smelling lemon-fresh or making sure the oil is just the right temperature for cleansing Dad’s feet with her uncut hair when he gets home from the salt mines.
A foolish, non-Christian woman might think that perhaps Dad could help out with some of this stuff, rather than expecting Mom to be an indentured servant, but that’s just stinkin’ thinkin’. If Dad had to wash a dish or change a diaper, he might not have enough energy to get it up for Mom’s nightly duty of servicing him orally. Instead, these are Dr. Dobson’s recommendation for Mom:
1. Reserve some time for yourself.
It is important for a mother to put herself on the priority list, too. At least once a week she should go bowling or shopping, or simply “waste” an occasional afternoon… Even more important is the protection and maintenance of romance in her marriage. A husband and wife should have a date every week or two… A woman finds life much more enjoyable if she knows she is the sweetheart, and not just the wife, of her husband.2. Don’t struggle with things you can’t change.
The first principle of mental health is to learn to accept the inevitable… Life has enough difficult crises in it without magnifying our troubles during good times, yet happiness is often surrendered for such insignificant causes. I wonder how many women are miserable today because they do not have something which either wasn’t invented or wasn’t fashionable just fifty years ago.3. Don’t deal with any big problems late at night.
When husbands and wives discuss finances or other family problems in the wee small hours, they are asking for trouble… Tension and hostility can be avoided by simply delaying important topics until morning. A good night’s sleep and a rich cup of coffee can go a long way toward defusing the problem.4. Try making a list.
When the work load gets particularly heavy there is comfort to be found in making a list of the duties to be performed…5. Seek divine assistance.
The concepts of marriage and parenthood were not human inventions. God, in His infinite wisdom, created and ordained the family as the basic unit of procreation and companionship…Those aren’t all the verses the good doctor shares, but most of them are just more of the “obey Dad and beat the kids” variety, so I figured you’d gotten the gist.
“He (the father) must have proper authority in his own household, and be able to control and command the respect of his children. (For if a man cannot rule in his own house how can he look after the Church of God?)” — I Timothy 3:4-5
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” — Proverbs 22:15
“Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” — Proverbs 23:13-14
I hope this has been helpful to all you parents out there, especially the moms, who now know how to take a moment for themselves. Have fun bowling! But don’t pretend the pins are your husband and kids; it wouldn’t be Christian.
Next time: “Teaching Respect and Responsibility to Children,” and how “human beings have some of the same perceptual inadequacies” as frogs.
The Case for Miers
LeMew lays it out.
I’m in total agreement. The point is that our choices are between a blank slate and a known quantity that we find repellent. Let her be confirmed. Then use it against Bush.
The GOP’s love affair with cronyism should be a big part of the ’06 elections, and having Miers on the court is another example we can use. If the choice were between Miers and some brilliant liberal justice, I certainly wouldn’t make that argument, but it isn’t, and it’s never going to be. It will always be between Miers and some revered conservative wanker—who will not split Bush’s base and will likely be younger—and Miers won’t be worse in her decisions than s/he would, so the only thing to do is let her in and use it to our advantage later.
Edwards
Did everyone see John Edwards on The Daily Show last night? I thought he was really good. (And, weirdly, I had a dream last night that I was talking to him about poverty issues; specifically the problems with firm line assistance, as opposed to subsidized assistance.)
The thing that struck me about Edwards is that he does one thing better than just about any other politician I can think of, Dem or Republican: Shut the fuck up. He answers questions succinctly and clearly, and then he stops and waits for his next question. I remember noticing the same thing during the primary debates last year, and it's a skill that other Dems would be wise to learn.
I suspect Edwards may be setting himself up for another presidential run. Personally, I'd like to see him continue his work with the poverty center he started, not because I think he'd make a bad president, but just because the issue of addressing poverty needs notable spokespeople.
What did you think about Edwards' appearance? Do you think he should run again in '08?
The Lord Made Me Do It
Okay…
Foreign Minister Shaath declares: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, "George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan." And I did, and then God would tell me, "George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq …" And I did. And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, "Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East." And by God I'm gonna do it.'"Thanks a lot, God.
You know, the only thing I can conclude from this is that God is very inconsistent. He sends his son to earth to go on and on about helping the poor, but never mentions fighting poverty to his modern-day prophet, ol’ George. Instead, it’s all about fighting terrorists. Meanwhile, the terrorists are saying that God is telling them to kill the infidels. I just don’t get this God fella at all. He really needs to make up his mind.
Either that, or our president is in dire need of some antipsychotics.
