"I do solemnly swear...."

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Saturday May 31, 2008 · 2:41 PM PDT

2008/05/31 · 14:41

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

There it is, the oath that the eventual winner of this Presidential Election will say as he, or she, takes the reins of the most powerfull country in the world. In the context of today's procedings, and in light of all of the other well-defined reasons why the primary elections that HRC wishes to have counted would represent an unfair delegate grab on her part, let us just recall two salient facts. The states of Michigan and Florida were punished for violations of electoral rules of the Democratic party. They did so knowingly, whatever their hopes might have been regarding any actions taken in response. Also, the candidates ALL agreed that actions must be taken against these states for their actions, and supported the punishments at the time that they were imposed.

Now, if a candidate can't seem to be willing to live up to acting to preserve, protect, and defend the rulebook of his or her own party - but rather wants it circumvented for personal gain - ask yourself this question: How much faith do you have that they will preserve, protect and defend the Constitution?

The Swift-Boating of Obama

zeppomarx

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Tuesday January 22, 2008 · 8:17 PM PST

2008/01/22 · 20:17

Yeah, I said it. And dammit - he should too!

Last cycle around, Leiutenant "I bored you to death before I bored myself to death" Kerry provided a glaring example of why personal attacks cannot be left unresponded to. That taking the high road leads to the off-ramp of elections. By the time he responded to the scurrilous attacks levelled at him they had taken such a hold in the public eye that it torpedoed him more effectively than his own innanity could ever have accomplished.

Obama clearly learned from this, as did the Clintons. In that respect, their strategy is masterfull.

zeppomarx

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Saturday December 01, 2007 · 9:25 AM PST

2007/12/01 · 09:25

When a country suspends habeas corpus, when it engages in extraordinary rendition, when waterboarding is actually debated as to whether it is torture or not, and when it engages in an unprecedented attack on civil rights, well there is bound to be fallout.

It may come in the form of public distrust or disdain.

And it may also come in the form of legal suspensions of treaties. This, it seems, is now the case between the US and its longest standing ally as a Federal judge in Canada suspends Canada-US STCA Treaty.

zeppomarx

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Wednesday September 20, 2006 · 4:18 PM PDT

2006/09/20 · 16:18

Suppose the leading military leaders, military suppliers, and oil executives wanted to have a nice chat with senior government people. You'd think that might be newsworthy..... right?

You know, especially after all of the discussion over who wrote the national energy policy just a few short years ago?

Soooooooooooo, anyone get a wiff in the mainstream media about the big pow-wow at the Banff Springs hotel last week that brought Rumsfeld, James Schlesinger , James Woolsey, Admiral Keating, Geroge Schultz, Dan Fisk together with their Canadian and Mexican counterparts along with leading corprate interests to discuss things like "A Vision for North America", "A North American Energy Strategy", "Demographic and Social Dimensions of North American Integration", "Opportunities for Security Cooperation".

Well, It happened

And it can't possibly be good for anyone - except CEOs and major shareholders.....

The new Brown Water Navy (a.k.a. Swift boats for Iraq)

zeppomarx

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Monday April 10, 2006 · 12:09 PM PDT

2006/04/10 · 12:09

If the notion of a drawdown is seriously in the works, why - pray tell - is the Navy building up a brand new brown-water patrol unit specifically for the purpose of deployment to Baghdad next year?

At this time next year, about 200 sailors will fill up small boats, man .50-caliber machine guns and watch for trouble along the waterways of Baghdad.
There's a catch, though: A t the moment, these sailors have no boats, no manuals and no past missions to call their own. Riverine Group 1 of the Navy's new river combat force based at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base is starting from scratch.
They still are recruiting men and writing a fresh chapter on how to prepare for river fighting.

Sure. Cut education. Cut health care. Cut everything. But build a brand new brown-water navy just for one city that you claim to be leaving as soon as possible..... and a navy where there is no opposing sea force and anywhere you might be patrolling can be done just as easily from the air or ground.

Plamegate: It was just a Public Service Announcement

zeppomarx

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Friday April 07, 2006 · 1:15 PM PDT

2006/04/07 · 13:15

At least - that's the NEW story.

The White House on Friday declined to challenge assertions that President Bush authorized the leaks of intelligence information to counter administration critics on Iraq.
...
"There is a difference between providing declassified information to the public when it's in the public interest and leaking classified information that involved sensitive national intelligence regarding our security," [Scott McClellan] said.

So, if blowing Plame's cover as well as the entire Brewster Williams operation was "in the public interest", why the Hell didn't GW just fess up to it all a year or so ago, explain why he did it, revel in the adulation that such a selfless public service would have garnered him, and saved the taxpayers a shitload of money investigating the leak not to mention Scooter's career that he trashed trying to cover it all up?

I mean - since it was all such a GOOD thing and all that.....

BTW: Can someone find where Valerie Plame's name popped up in the NIE since they are now trying to excuse the leak as just a premature release of that document? Shouldn't she be in there?

Dear Congress: it's 'bipartisan' NOT 'blindpartisan'

zeppomarx

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Friday March 17, 2006 · 7:11 AM PST

2006/03/17 · 07:11

So Congress is all about showing a little spunk these days right? Stood up to the head cheese on ports. Making a few noises here and there. And now looking to cast a critical eye on the current Iraq policy with the formation of a bipartisan panel to study the matters at hand.

I must say, Congress has a very interesting definition of bipartisan. Very interesting indeed.

Let's take a look shall we? Read More

Another Grassroots Venue: Internet Radio

zeppomarx

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Monday March 13, 2006 · 6:07 PM PST

2006/03/13 · 18:07

You know, we have built up our pressence the blogosphere, we have podcasts, we have indi media portals, and we have a ton of personal sites out there pushing progressive ideals.

And still we keep looking for new ways to get the message out. To get people to stop taking their political news from cookie cutter corporate venues who offer, at best, variations on the same general political mindset. (with a few exceptions of course).

One such option, as more and more of the world become broadband-connected is the still nascent venue of internet radio stations. One of the things you will note is that more and more are popping up - usually featuring indie music, but the corporate world is starting to take notice as larger venues such as iTunes start to include these independant stations in their online Jukebox.

But I've noticed few political shows really starting to take advantage of this, and I would love to see the progressive side jump onboard and start to take control of this venue before the other side does.
Read More

Happy Birthday Osama!

zeppomarx

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Friday March 10, 2006 · 6:34 AM PST

2006/03/10 · 06:34

Yes, it's your 49th birthday today. I'll bet when the words "dead or alive" were uttered by GW, you didn't think you'd make it this far. And I'll bet that as you fled the B52's and special forces at Tora Bora, that you thought the end was near.

But here you are. 49.

And, as much as we'd all like to be there to properly extend our birthday wishes to you in an appropriate manner (Here! Let ME light the fuse....errr.... candles), I would have to say that I'll bet the person you thank most for being able to enjoy this day is the person who took his eye off the ball and let you go so he could have a nice little adventure in a country just a little bit away from you.

So I hope that you remember to raise a toast to George for giving you the gift of continued life.

Because the rest of us would have cancelled the party by now.

Pity the Low Hanging Fruit...

zeppomarx

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Friday February 10, 2006 · 1:34 PM PST

2006/02/10 · 13:34

Who knew being a Republican was such a tough gig these days?

A staffer who resigned from NASA after he was accused of restricting access to a noted climate scientist said Thursday he was targeted because of his political ties.
...
"What you do have is hearsay coming from a handful of people who have clear partisan ties and they are really coming after me as a Bush appointee," he told radio station WTAW. "I was an easy target. I was low-hanging fruit."

Oh yes. The Democrats are so darn powerfull that they can get people removed without even needing control of the House, Senate, White House, courts....

But on the bright side, it is nice to see that Bush-ites are feeling like easy targets these days!

Bush joins Iran's Coalition of the Homophobes

zeppomarx

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Thursday January 26, 2006 · 8:06 AM PST

2006/01/26 · 08:06

Some articles leave little to add. But it seems that The Axis of Evil has at least ONE thing going for it. An agreement that gays (married or not) have no place at the policy table.

This is demonstrated as the US backs Iran's initiatve to deny consultative status to the UN to any NGO working to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people - joinging such human rights noteables as the Sudan, China, and Zimbabwe in this effort.

And once again that oft-mentioned "Beacon of Freedom" dims just a few lumens more.

Anonymity begone! A new tool in the war on bloggers....

zeppomarx

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Monday January 09, 2006 · 8:32 AM PST

2006/01/09 · 08:32

Can anyone here write anything with any substance that SOMEONE somewhere couldn't decide was annoying? Annoying because it runs against their closely held beliefs? Annoying because you wrote it better than them? Because it's too long? Too short? Too true?

Doubt it. Because "annoying" is such a weak word.

But it is now against Federal Law to be annoying. Well, to be annopying anonymously anyway.

More.... Read More

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"I do solemnly swear...."

The Swift-Boating of Obama

The US is legally deemed unsafe for foreigners

Secret meeting in Banff attracts everyone - except the media!

The new Brown Water Navy (a.k.a. Swift boats for Iraq)

Plamegate: It was just a Public Service Announcement

Dear Congress: it's 'bipartisan' NOT 'blindpartisan'

Another Grassroots Venue: Internet Radio

Happy Birthday Osama!

Pity the Low Hanging Fruit...

Bush joins Iran's Coalition of the Homophobes

Anonymity begone! A new tool in the war on bloggers....