Daily Kos

Email: dj.adequate(at)gmail.com

Law Day, Bush and Irony

Thu May 01, 2008 at 10:35:11 AM PDT

You may not have known it, but President Bush declared today Law Day, USA.

On Law Day, U.S.A., our Nation celebrates our belief in the equality of each person before God and renews our commitment to strive to bring America ever closer to its founding ideals.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, in accordance with Public Law 87-20, as amended, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2008, as Law Day, U.S.A. I call upon all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also call upon Government officials to display the flag of the United States in support of this national observance.

Of course, this happens on the same day this is realeased to the public, showing the law if pretty mutable to Bush.

Tone Deaf Clinton Supporters

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 09:10:58 PM PDT

As offended as we are, Clinton supporter appear to have loved this debate.  Over at Talk Left:

BTD - The biggest joke of the night is to watch Keith Olbermann of NBC say this debate was some travesty, which it was, as if NBC did not run the most offensive, most ridiculous, most unfair debates ever held. There is no doubt that the ABC debate tonight was horrendous and extremely unfair to Obama. There is no doubt that NBC's debates were all worse. How dare Olbermann critique ANY debate? Have you no decency sir, at long last? The answer? No. Keith Olbermann is the most shameless ridiculous hack on TV.

At Mydd.com:

Reviews are in and Hillary rocked in tonight's debate.  We'll get to those after the jump.  But first, Hillary's camp put up a video on YouTube of a clip from Channel 6 news in Philadelphia.  Take a look - Hillary was the overwhelming choice among WPVI's focus group of undecided Democrats.

Do these Democrats really not realize how damaging this debate was to the Democratic party?

What the White House and Wall Street have in common.

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 03:49:49 PM PDT

Only the little people can fail.

Bear Stearns Chief Executive Alan Schwartz, forced to sell the hobbled investment bank to JPMorgan Chase in his eleventh week on the job, has been invited to stay on as a senior dealmaker, a person familiar with the situation said.

Meanwhile, CNBC has learned that broad Bear Stearns layoffs are set to commence later today or Tuesday, likely resulting in the eventual elimination of at least half of Bear Stearns' workforce.

Heck of a job, Schwartz. Glad to know my 30 Billion will be going to some really deserving people. More ranting below.

Let Me Get This Straight

Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 04:00:12 PM PDT

Isaiah 29:21 - That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nothing.

Sorry to wade into Bittergate. But after seeing this ad by Senator Clinton, I feel like I've to to put something down or I'm going to explode.

So let me get this straight, two millionaire Senators, who've spent decades in Washington, are accusing the black man from Chicago of being and out of touch elitist? Excuse me? I can't even believe the media lets this play out as anything other than comedy.

Iraq Success=More Violence

Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 02:48:32 PM PDT

Pentagon says new Iraq fighting arises from surge's success

For a moment it was like I was traveling back in time, to the era of Rumsfield language where everything meant we were succeeding in Iraq. Car bombs, suicide bombers--that was just a sign we were succeeding. Well, I wasn't traveling back in time, it's just that they are recycling the argument that while a lack of violence means success, so does more violence.

More below, although you've heard it all before.

Brazil (the movie) == USA 2008

Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 04:16:27 PM PDT

"The enemy remains active — deadly in its intent — and in the face of this danger, the United States must never let down its guard," Bush said.

There it is, in clear black and white. We are, in the view of the Republican party, in a war that will never end--where we must be constantly on guard against an unseen enemy. That is why our rights must be sacrificed, why the President's powers must be unlimited, why the government must work in secret with no oversight. And it will never be over. Never.

It really hit me hard last night while watching Terry Gilliam's movie Brazil. It's always been a favorite, but I hadn't seen it in years. What I saw made me sad. I'll tell you why bellow.

I Hate Ohio

Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 08:30:24 PM PDT

2000 Presidential Election
Bush      49.97%
Gore      46.46%

2004 Presidential Election
Bush    51%
Kerry    49%

And tonight it's looking like a double digit win for Clinton, thus leading to further scorched earth campaigning. Geez, Can't you guys ever get anything right!

REAL STORY -- Recession, A View From the Bottom

Fri Jan 25, 2008 at 02:11:40 PM PDT

Okay, maybe a view from the middle. But I more or less found out I'm out of work today, so I feel pretty bottom-like at the moment. I thought I'd summarize what I'd seen recently, which makes me fear we're already in deeper trouble than those at the top will admit.

I work for (or worked for) a small company that sells training into the mid-corporate and education market; things like technical certifications, sales skills, computer skills, etc. For the last few years things were going reasonable well. But an adage in the training industry is that training is the first to go.

Which brings us to November 2007...

Poll

I'm currently feeling...

3%2 votes
35%21 votes
10%6 votes
43%26 votes
5%3 votes
3%2 votes

| 60 votes | Vote | Results

Republican Debate Drinking Game

Wed Nov 28, 2007 at 09:34:42 AM PDT

Hey, if you've got to watch--you might as well make it fun.

(Although I have to stick to drinking soda--and running to the bathroom to relieve myself when things get to stupid. Too bad, since being drunk would probably put me more in the Republican mindset.)

Proposed Rules below, please add suggestions.:

Poll

Most YouTube questions will come from which wing of the Republican Party?

25%16 votes
7%5 votes
34%22 votes
17%11 votes
4%3 votes
10%7 votes

| 64 votes | Vote | Results

Investigate The Pages?!

Thu Oct 05, 2006 at 12:24:56 PM PDT

Denny Hastert, it turns out, reached out to ex-FBI Director Louis Freeh. He wanted him to head up an overhaul of the page program, but it's not going to happen now, for the time being anyway.

This will be spun as Pelosi refusing an investigation into Foley, but that wasn't what was being proposed at all by Hastert. Instead, he wants to investigate that page program--in other words, the young men and women who were victimized.

Isn't that just like the Republicans? Don't investigate the allegations, investigate the whistle-blower. Don't go after the leaker, go after the targets or the journalists.

Poll

Will the spin work?

11%3 votes
65%17 votes
23%6 votes

| 26 votes | Vote | Results

Requiring Torture, Demoralizing Us

Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 02:53:04 PM PDT

I apologize, this should probably be just an entry in an open thread, but I want to record my feeling here where they are easy to find.

I can't believe the darkness I feel at what I've seen transpire over the last 48 hours, and worse, I believe that this is exactly what Bush and Rove want out of me. I keep thinking two things:

1) This is worse than people think. It not only allows, but now requires, our military to engage in war crimes at the presidents discretion; and makes "enemy combatants" of us all.

2) The whole way this went down was designed to demoralize the left. To leave us disillusioned with our Democratic leaders, and less likely to work and show up on this election. I fear it may work.

Frist is right about Gitmo Healthcare

Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 03:24:39 PM PDT

Just read this article:

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said Tuesday his recent trip to the Guantanamo Bay detainee camp showed excellent prison conditions, including "24/7 medical care - better than many Americans" get.

Which just goes to show the Republicans have no sense of irony at all. You see, he's probably right, but that's not a good thing.

Frist said many detainees are getting dental care for the first time from a health staff with a ratio of 1 to every 4 prisoners.

I wish I could get that kind of healthcare.

Scariest Quote Yet

Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 05:18:17 PM PDT

If I'm parsing this right, this is the scariest argument yet in Bush's War on the Constitution.

Q You have stretched this resolution for war into giving you carte blanche to do anything you want to do.

ATTORNEY GENERAL GONZALES: Well, one might make that same argument in connection with detention of American citizens, which is far more intrusive than listening into a conversation. There may be some members of Congress who might say, we never --

Help me see if I understand this correctly.

The Long, Hard Cheney

Fri Nov 18, 2005 at 12:44:54 PM PDT

Oh, my. This has to be one of the funniest headlines ever--or at least that's what my inner 12 year old thinks.

http://www.time.com/...

If there are two words you do not want to use with someone with a nickname for Richard, Long and Hard would probably top the list. Top that with the break right before the VP's last name.

Yikes.

Invading Syria: Already Begun [update]

Thu Oct 20, 2005 at 10:27:12 AM PDT

I've been worried about a new front opening on the Presidents global war, most people I talk to think we are spread too thin for Bush to risk it. But evidence is starting to mount that an invasion of Syria has already begun.

First there was this exchange in the senate yesterday.

Yesterday, in her appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Lincoln Chafee wanted to clarify a simple issue - did the Iraq war resolution passed by Congress restrict military action only to Iraq? Chafee asked, "So would you agree that if anything were to occur on Syrian or Iranian soil, you would have to return to Congress to get that authorization?" Rice responded:

RICE: Senator, I don't want to try and circumscribe presidential war powers. And I think you'll understand fully that the president retains those powers in the war on terrorism and in the war on Iraq. ...

CHAFEE: So that's a no.

RICE: Senator, I am not going to be in the position of circumscribing the president's powers.

More evidence in extended copy. [update at the bottom]

Iran or Syria?

Thu Oct 06, 2005 at 01:52:58 PM PDT

Is it just me, or did anyone else get a disturbing sense of deja vu listening to todays speech by the president. It sounded eerily like the speech he gave right before launching the war in Iraq.

Just replace Afghanistan for Iraq when he talked about the progress made toward democracy in the middle east. And just replace Syria and Iran with Iraq when he warned we would treat those who harbor terrorist as terrorist, and not allow weapons of mass destruction.

Bush wouldn't be crazy enough to launch another war, would he?

Poll

The Next War Will Be...

40%16 votes
47%19 votes
12%5 votes

| 40 votes | Vote | Results

Ed Schultz replaces O'Reily in UTAH!?

Wed Sep 28, 2005 at 04:32:03 PM PDT

I never thought I'd live to see the day.

KSL is probably the largest radio station in town, and is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. Up till now, they've been dominated by right-wing talkers like Hannity in the afternoon, and O'Reilly in the evening.

Well, yesterday I was flipping stations on may way home from work, and almost crashed my car. In the place of O'Reilly was the Ed Shultz show--which I'd never heard of before, but slowly I realized that this guy is a liberal, and he's good.

Here is KSL's news release.

Poll

Things you thought would happen before Liberal Radio was on a Utah Station

16%27 votes
3%6 votes
50%84 votes
30%51 votes

| 168 votes | Vote | Results

Fox owned by Islamofascists

Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:31:18 AM PDT

I wonder how Fox's rabid right wing would respond if they knew the company was being protected by a fundamentalist Islamic regime. Well, since it's Bush's friends the Saudis, I guess they wouldn't mind.

From Wall Street Journal via Raw Story

Prince Alwaleed, president of Kingdom 5KR-62 Ltd. and Kingdom 5KR-63 Ltd., now holds 5.5% of the voting shares of the New York company controlled by Rupert Murdoch.

"We have transferred our stocks from the nonvoting to the voting, and we are all mobilized and ready to increase our stocks whenever the opportunity comes and whenever the situation warrants," Prince Alwaleed said Tuesday in an interview on CNBC. "For example, if we feel that the strategy of Mr. Murdoch and his son and his family is being threatened by any outsider, clearly, this is something we will not accept because we are very happy as shareholders with what Mr. Murdoch is doing."


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