What's missing at americasupportsyou.mil?

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Wednesday June 29, 2005 · 2:42 PM PDT

2005/06/29 · 14:42

OK, so last Saturday I'm watching the Fox baseball game of the week and the annoying Fox ticker begins, which during sporting events tends to feature scores and highlights from around the sporting world. Out of nowhere what do I see trundle across?

"Show your support of the troops. Log on to americasupportsyou.mil."

Hmmmm. That's a bit, ah, forward, I thought. But whatever. I guess Fox has decided to embrace Gov. Dean's characterization of them as the White House's personal tool.

But then a strange thing happened. Bush mentioned this web site in his speech last night:

In this time of testing, our troops can know: The American people are behind you.<snip> This Fourth of July, I ask you to find a way to thank the men and women defending our freedom ... <snip>The Department of Defense has set up a website - AmericaSupportsYou.mil. You can go there to learn about private efforts in your own community. <snip>

So I went there. And you'll never guess what I DIDN'T FIND.
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Forget real estate: Invest in Republican lawmakers!

bigskiphazzy

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Monday June 20, 2005 · 4:41 PM PDT

2005/06/20 · 16:41

In light of the impending housing bubble burst, and the still lingering effects of the dot com collapse of 2000, venture capitalists might very well be wondering where they might best invest their money in order to ensure a big time Return On Investment (ROI).

I have some sure fire advice: Invest in a Republican lawmaker. With the right strategy and connections, venture capitalists can make hundreds, if not thousands of times over their investment by making their local Republican Congressman the next IPO.

Via Atrios:

See how on the flip. Read More

'True Believer' Santorum LIES about Pope/Death Penalty

bigskiphazzy

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Monday May 23, 2005 · 3:28 PM PDT

2005/05/23 · 15:28

There hasn't been much discussion here about yesterday's New York Times Magazine profile of Rick Santorum, titled 'True Believer.' The upshot of the article, (subscription required) by Michael Sololove, seems to be "love him or hate him, Rick Santorum is a man of religious faith and deep principles and everyone agrees on this point." Furthermore, the article infers, we should place Santorum in the lexicon of "great partisian liberals" such as Paul Wellstone and Russ Fiengold, whom Santorum "deeply respects." Men of conviction and all that.

The article even prompted our own Bob Johnson to pen a midnight diary, offering that Demos can learn from Santorum and that, indeed, we need to run candidates with "deep convictions" like Santorum.

While I concurred with Bob's idear about 'deep convictions' I took umberage with the notion that Santorum represented such a creature. I said I believed Santorum was nothing more than a political opportunist, and a shameful one at that. Bob implored me to read the article, which I did today. To which I say this:

Boy was I right!
More on the flip.
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Priscilla Owen: boy died? not my problem

bigskiphazzy

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Friday May 13, 2005 · 3:13 PM PDT

2005/05/13 · 15:13

All right. I haven't produced a serious diary in quite some time, but I can't let wingnuttery's tool of the year, Bill Frist, drop his nuclear option next week in honor of this piece of shit Owens without putting a face on what the fuck this despicable load of corporate feces truly represents.

And that face is: Willie Searcy

I first read about Priscilla The Hun's rat fucking of Willie Sercy a couple of years back in a book called "Bushwhacked: Life in George Bush's America" by Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose. I remember reading the account at the time and feeling physically ill and I told myself I'd never forget what this person did to that young man, all in the service of corporate America.

Then yesterday, Dubose reprised the harrowing story in an article on Salon (subscription or day pass required). Please read the entire account. Dubose's retelling loses some of the great Ms. Ivins' acid-tongue Texas wit, but still manages to convey the complete lack of morality and, to put it bluntly, a true lack of humanity on the part of Owens.

Kossacks: Support framing and activism

bigskiphazzy

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Monday April 18, 2005 · 11:05 AM PDT

2005/04/18 · 11:05

This diary is meant as a general reminder to all progressive democrats, but also serves as an "Action Alert" for NorCal Kossacks. It is my belief that we must, as a community, continue to support local activism, especially in off-cycle years, if we are to wage a 365-day year-by-year campaign and counter the rising tide of Ralph Reed's orcs.

In that spirit, a blatant pimp:

The Silicon Valley for Dean club, along with several other sponsors, is hosting "An Evening with George Lakoff in San Jose" this Friday at 7 p.m. There is also a dinner with Lakoff prior to event, where I'm told he's able to talk a bit more directly about some of his more "partisan work" that he's doing for the party.

Information on the event can be found at ReclaimThe Debate. This important event has a lot of seats available ($10 for the general talk, $100 for the dinner), and I want to urge anyone in the area to attend, if possible. Read More

Baseball hearing: More MISUSE of Power!

bigskiphazzy

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Wednesday March 16, 2005 · 9:44 AM PST

2005/03/16 · 09:44

Okay, this is probably a direct violation of KOS etiquette (i have no idea), but I wrote this diary on the travesty of the ongoing so-called "baseball steriod hearings" yesterday and it died due to, I'm generously gunna say, a combination of "kos server problems" and a dearth of news yesterday that produced a shitload of valuable diaries.

plas, i dint rite in a dawgs voiss. will blawg fer fud.

So since I think it's pretty decent, and the hearings are tomorrow, so there's still time to make a quick call and tell these people to stop wasting our time and abusing their power and call off this fiasco, I'm resubmitting. (Plus, I saw that Jon Stewart led with the baseball issue on Monday and it was hilarious.)

So troll me if you must, but without further adieu, my "baseball diaries." Read More

Joe McCarthy to chair baseball steriod hearings?

bigskiphazzy

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Tuesday March 15, 2005 · 4:58 PM PST

2005/03/15 · 16:58

So it has come to this: The U.S. House of Representatives threatens gainfully employed U.S. citizens with jail time if they choose not to show up for a hearing that serves no purpose and is a colossal waste of taxpayer's money:

House lawmakers ... said they have the votes to hold several current and former major-league players and two top baseball officials in contempt of Congress -- which could lead to fines or prison time -- if they refuse to appear at a hearing this week.

Ain't that America?

Here's one for ya: How is it that Rafael Palmeiro - 40-year-old major league baseball player, husband, father of two, host of the "Raffy Readers" reading program, spokesman for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation's Walk to Cure program, four-time All-Star, unabashed Viagra pitchman, and a player who, by virtually ALL accounts, has been a stand up citizen in his profession throughout his 19-year career - ends up on a witness list for a government hearing on steriod abuse in baseball?

Follow me to the flip. Read More

Slaughter/Pelosi Report: You Didn't Read It and What You Missed

bigskiphazzy

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Friday March 11, 2005 · 2:26 PM PST

2005/03/11 · 14:26

Okay, so no one read the Slaughter/Pelosi report "Broken Promises: The Death of Deliberative Democracy. I read it. I don't blame you.

But don't sweat it. I'll fill you in on the juicy details that this paper does a lousy job of illuminating.

I've had a civil back-and-forth with jesselee of the DCCC about the 147-page document (of which only 46 pages are actual report, the rest are appendices), where I argue that this potentially explosive report was a media relations failure.

In short, the thing was a Lakoff nightmare.

Among other failings, the "meat" of the story was buried, the writers managed to frame themselves as whiny democrats, and the media was given an "out" if they didn't want to cover the story, which most didn't. (The notable exception being this WaPo story that actually came out prior to the release of the report.)

On the flip, I'll provide some of the cool stuff that you DIDN'T read, complete with the requisite F-bombs here and there.
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On Profanity and BLOGS (Or GFY)

bigskiphazzy

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Tuesday March 01, 2005 · 4:57 PM PST

2005/03/01 · 16:57

I have never met a derivative of the word "fuck" that I didn't love. Someone used to do a standup routine about it. It's fucking hilarious.

I like to call it the "swiss army knife" of words. It's a multi-use tool.

I curse in front of my kids. I'm not proud of it. I just do. I've not thought much of it. I never bought into issuing a blanket edict: Don't use that BAD word. No word is inherently bad. Teach them context, I'd tell the better half when I first posited my idea of not "banning" words outright in our household.

"You take the call from their principal then," she'd reply, "This is your baby." Fair enough.

I WANT to teach my kids about the power of language. I don't want to take some of the most powerful tools available away from them for no discernible reason, other than "society" says so.

In other words, if I hit my thumb with hammer and yell, "EEOOWWWWW, MOTHER FUCKER!" ...
That's a far cry from "Go to your room, motherfucker!"

My kids will know the difference.
(Trust me, this relates to blogging. On the flip.) Read More

Where's the Gdm $9 billion Mr. President?

bigskiphazzy

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Monday February 28, 2005 · 4:28 PM PST

2005/02/28 · 16:28

So it's been exactly four weeks to the day since it was reported that Presidential Medal of Freedom winner L. Paul Bremer's Coalition Provisional Authority lost $9 billion in taxpayer dollars.

Does anybody care?

Freedom medal winner L. Paul certainly don't:

This reports ``assumes that Western-style budgeting and accounting procedures could be immediately and fully implemented in the midst of a war,'' Bremer said.

What the fuck, L. Paul? We can't expect "western-style budgeting and accounting procedures" now? Are we in fucking Deadwood here?

On second thought, better not answer that.

"No law at all in Deadwood...is that true?"

Why this matters on the flip.
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Kossacks: The Shire Awaits You

bigskiphazzy

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Saturday February 26, 2005 · 8:41 PM PST

2005/02/26 · 20:41

Brothers and Sisters,
Fellow kossacks spanning the globe, bringing us the constant variety of outrage; fellow lovers of good coffee, of late-night blogging on wine, of blogging on "The Man's" time on the sly (oh you know you do it, and it's barely on the sly), of blogging in outrage and in inspiration and for no good reason other than it beats the shit out of another hour of The Simple Life and, damnit, you better justify that high-speed connection: Fellow Key-gals and Key-guys, keymonkeys all of us, I have a few things I want to say to you tonight.

The forces of Mordor are gathering. The lidless eye searches. It can feel the ring. ... And yet, the Shire sleeps. The Shire awaits its fellowship. The Shire waits to be led.

Are you ready to lead?

Let my main man stroke the chords of your Patriotism. Turn up your speakers, open your windows, take a long deep whatever-it-is of whatever-you're-indulgin' and have a listen.
...Because folks, there's a war outside still ragin', and they say it ain't ours anymore to win.

Come with me now, to the other side....
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Beyond outrage: We are at War (UPDATED)

bigskiphazzy

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Sunday February 20, 2005 · 5:38 PM PST

2005/02/20 · 17:38

People, the truth can no longer be avoided, or postponed, or parsed. We no longer have the luxury of hoping that the political dialogue in this country is just that: dialogue. Something shared between reasonable people who, at the end of the day, still respect one another.

In the last 7 days, the stakes have risen in our rhetorical battle with those on the political right, and they have declared their bonafides: We are traitors and they intend to treat us as such.

This webpage is one of the most disgraceful outrages I've ever had the misfortune to happen upon on the internet. I came across this latest project by David Horowitz through Eric Alterman's blog, where he teased, "Is Bruce a communist? Read about it here."

This slander, no matter how absurd you think it may be, cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. Because for every outrage unchallenged, those that perpetrate the outrage are that much more emboldened to do it again. And worse.

And this is just one of several such developments during this past week. More on the flip. Read More

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