Pete Stark, What the Fuck?

I sent an email to Pete Stark. It said: “You’re the man!”

Boy, do I feel like an asshole now.

Pete, last week, tried to insert a spine into the globulous pile of flesh that is the Democratic Party. He called out the Republicans, and had the gall (or, I thought, the balls), to assert that the troops were dying for the “President’s amusement.” Man, is it ever about time that a Democrat sounded off like that.

Too bad it lasted less than a week.

Earlier this week, Pete Stark was back on the floor of Congress. Hooray! The champion of the 70+ percent of Americans who are against the war and the President’s policies, Pete boldly takes the microphone and…cries?

He fucking choked up and shed tears while apologizing for his remarks.

What planet do I live on?

How do you have a lazy shit like me email you in praise of your manhood, and then turn around and act like an eight-year-old girl being scolded by her teacher? Or, more to the point, how do you criticize a lying, war criminal of a President with a 24% approval rating, and then do such a fast 180? Why are you caving when more than 70% of the country is in sympathy? What the hell happened to you?

I mean, I don’t get it. Or, maybe I do…

Over and over again, Democrat after Democrat, complete and total capitulation. I mean, there are hundreds of Dems, they can’t all be that weak. They can’t all agree with the President. They can’t all be ignoring the polls. They can’t all be this STUPID!

But, they can all be that greedy.

My guess is that lobbyists for our nation’s large corporations have been in contact with the Democratic leadership since before November of 2006. They have been telling Rohm and Hillary to “stay the course with the Republican plan, and the cash will flow to them.” It is the only thing that makes sense.

The war makes corporations money, and keeps oil prices high. The telecom corporations want immunity from the illegal spying they have been doing since before 9-11. The medical insurance companies and big pharma want no inroads into national health care. And even though most Americans want an end to the war, alternative energy, their civil rights and a fix for the high cost of health care, the Dems have been beyond challenged in meeting these needs; they have been totally ineffective. They have earned their pay.

And their pay is: double the political contributions of the Republicans. That is what Democratic fundraisers are getting from corporate donors right now. Now, think about that. I am so pissed at Democrats that I won’t give them a nickel (hell, I might not even vote for them). And yet corporations are so happy with them that they are shoveling the cash their way. With those wheelbarrows full of cash will come electoral victories, and more power. Power to write and pass pro-corporate legislation, which will net yet more containers of cash. Nancy Pelosi becomes Tom Delay!

This is the only scenario I can think of that makes any sense. Why else would the Dems betray us so thoroughly? Why else would their capitulation be so complete, when they have been poised for a year to crush the Republican opposition?

Why else would Pete Stark go from roaring tiger to timid schoolgirl in less than a week? Only the lure of giant piles of cash, or the threat to take said pile away makes sense.

Nothing else about the Democratic Party does these days.

Pelosi? No bueno!

As if the spring and summer were not enough, this fall has shown the utter uselessness of our current Speaker of the House: Nancy Pelosi.

Yes, we were all atwitter when she rose as the first female Speaker in our nation’s history. Even the evil puppet of President Cheney had to acknowledge the historical significance of Pelosi’s rise to the Speaker’s chair. We even thought some good might have come of it.

How wrong we were.

Last week, expressing the exasperation felt by at least 70% of Americans, California Representative Pete Stark went off, and criticized our so-called president Bush. He said that our brave troops were dying for the “amusement” of the President.

Big fucking deal.

He went easy on this president. This president, through his own, countless, thoughtless comments (and no, I won’t link to them, I have a day job, you have heard them all on Air America and U-Tube and countless blogs) has shown that he does find casual amusement in the destruction and mayhem he has caused in the Middle East, as well as the American heartland.

He should have continued to berate this president for his outright lies, and the murder of countless Iraqis for the profits of his oil company friends.

Oh, wait…that should have been Speaker Pelosi’s job! She should be leading this fight! Not some aged, multi-term congressman from a large state’s innumerable districts, the Speaker! One of the goddam party leaders of the alleged opposition. THIS WAS HER JOB!

Does she at least back up Representative Stark?

Fuck no. She throws him under the bus the first chance she gets. She calls his comments “inappropriate.”

Now, is it possible that she found his words inappropriate? Sure! And it doesn’t matter one bit. She is once again, for the countless time, responding to a barrage from the right, instead of attacking failed policies like Pete Stark did. She is letting the MINORITY opposition set the agenda, frame the debate, and define what is important in the public arena, instead of steering the conversation towards the safe harbor of 70%. She is supporting Dick Cheney instead of one of her own. How fucked up is that?

It is really fucked up. And, it should cost her her job.

I have personally written Speaker Pelosi and asked her to step down as Speaker. I also think she should have the primary fight of her life in ’08. And how sad is that. Instead of consolidating gains, and ushering in a Democratic president with an ended war and restored trust, we go into the 2008 elections with the Democratic-led Congress lower than the worst president in our history, according to the polls.

Pelosi is the least effective Speaker I can remember in 30 years of paying attention. Go Cindy Sheehan, or any other primary opponents that can topple her. You may not be great, but it is hard to imagine worse.

Nancy, we were excited, but now I am as let down as I can be. You suck. Quit.

Man Without a Party

God, I am such a whiner.

But, am I alone? Am I alone in my angst? I, who knew it would take the Democratic Party a little while to get used to wielding power. I should have expected a slow start. But who among us thought it would be such an unmitigated disaster?

Make no mistake: Republicans still wield the political power in our nation. They have the White House, and have made sure that that is the only office that matters. They have cowed the Democratic majority so effectively that it might as well not exist, except as a target for Bill O’Rielley’s derision. And what Bill, Sean and Rush say seems to matter most.

Where has it gone wrong?

Let’s look at the record:

• November, 2006 – Happy Days! Democrats take control of the House and the Senate. Seen universally as a repudiation of the Iraq War, and the policies of the Bush Administration. But especially, the war!
• Cheers as Nancy Pelosi becomes the first woman to become Speaker of the House of Representatives! Things were looking up.
• Oh yeah, then Pelosi took impeachment “off the table.”
• Blustering talk about the first 100 hours, how they were going to “hold this president’s feet to the fire.” Of course, they weren’t going to hold him accountable for lying and spying – that was taken off the table.
• Rather than end the war, or redeploy troops home, Bush ESCALATES the war, with his “surge”! Democrats go “huh?” and look weak and stupid.
• Filibusters – or, to be accurate Republican threats to filibuster. Not that a Democrat would ever actually make the opposition go through with a filibuster. Not that a Democrat would arrange the spectacle of Republicans actually explaining why a meager raise in the minimum wage is bad, or why the war is good. Not that the Democrats would take their job seriously enough to actually make Republicans read the phone book for hours on end, looking ridiculous as they work against what the majority of Americans want! Instead, Democrats look weak and stupid.
• Harry Reid speaks truth! Says, on TV, that the war is lost! Dick Cheney attacks Harry. Harry fails to call Cheney a lying sack of shit, even though he lied, and is a sack of shit. Looks weak and stupid.
• May, 2007. Democrats send the President an Iraq funding bill with timelines. Bush vetoes. Democrats totally cave in. Totally. They authorize billions in funding with no restrictions. No effective oversight whatsoever! They say “wait ‘till September.” Fucking please. They look totally, pitifully weak, spineless and politically dumber than a sack of rocks.
• Summer, 2007. “Surge” goes horribly bad. Democrats begin to talk tough again. Even some Republicans speaking openly against the war. Looks bad for Bush. And then, the wiretapping bill. This bill authorizes the unwarranted spying on Americans by phone companies and the intelligence agencies. No judicial oversight. And even though Pelosi could kill it, she allows it to be voted on, and Democrats help pass it. Dems look ineffective, weak, politically inept, and even corrupt.
• Fall, 2007. Democrats vote to condemn Move On, an organization that supports them and gives them money. The also put forth and help pass a resolution to make war on Iran. Oh, and children’s health insurance (S-CHIP), they fail to get that past the President’s desk. Weak, stupid, perhaps insane.
• And all this time, the Democratic frontrunners, in a presidential campaign that is over two years long, say that they would happily nuke Iran in a first strike, and that they can’t promise to end the Iraq war by 2013. That’s six years from now. Beyond stupid, and decidedly into the realm of lunacy.

And all this while, the Democratic members of the House and Senate have the power to end the war. It could have ended by last spring, and the last of the troops could have been coming home by this winter. They have the total power to cut the funding. I teach civics, I know – and it isn’t even hard:

Don’t give Bush a dime. Period. And it’s over. But they won’t do it.

Just recently Rahm Emanuel and Byron Dorgan have appeared on liberal talk shows to explain, as if to children, why they can’t defund the war. In infuriatingly slow, calm voices they say that they can’t cut the troops off “in the field.” In essence, they say that they will keep funding this madness rather than abandon our soldiers in a foreign war zone.

When pressed, they acknowledge that their premise is bullshit. They know and admit that without funding, troops will have to be brought home. They will not be stranded in Iraq without “beans and bullets.” They will have to come home. Period. But, the framing of the message will be that they abandoned them.

The FRAMING OF THE MESSAGE.

So, let’s get this straight. We voted Democrats into power to end the war, but they won’t because they can’t figure out how to “frame” the argument for doing it. Our sons, daughters, husbands, nieces, nephews and so forth will continue to die and be maimed for life because the career politicians of the Democratic Party can’t craft a public message that won’t threaten their power. They can’t think of a way to explain taking an action that 70% of the American people want.

What fucking good are these people if they can’t even think of a way to say the obvious?

And yes, Rush, Hannity, and O’Reilly will call them “troop-haters,” and blame them for losing the war. Of – fucking – course! That’s their job! The Democrats need to realize that part of their job is to call them liars and assholes, and then ignore them and do what is right. But I am far beyond hope that it will ever happen. No prominent Democrat will even use the word “liar,” even when warranted.

Since Democrats are afraid of a propaganda fight, they allow our soldiers to fight and die in a lost cause. (Not to mention the deaths of all the Iraqi citizens for NO GOOD REASON!) All while fiscally and morally bankrupting our nation. They are banking on being seen as slightly less nauseating than their Republican counterparts. They want to win by doing the WRONG THING, just not quite as wrong as their opponents. No wonder their approval rating is below 20%.

I have called for the rise of the Green Party, but I don’t see it. Without a serious push from the left, the Democrats will settle in to the right of Richard Nixon’s policies and happily rake in the corporate cash (can you say president Hillary?).

Perhaps the only valid chance for a left leaning voice is support for Democracy for America . They are an organization that organizes primary fights for “bad” Democrats – like the 41 who voted to do away with the Fourth Amendment this last summer. They are a slim hope, and certainly the only Democrats I’d give a nickel to.

But I’m not holding my breath, just my nose. I now consider myself an independent. Not because I’m a centrist, but because my country’s liberal party is spineless, inept and uncaring. They won’t do their job…the job of fighting for my interests. So, fuck ‘em. I am sans party. And, though I’m sure they won’t miss me, they will regret not attending to those that think as I do. They are abandoning millions of supporters who are as disgusted as I am.

The real sad part is…it wouldn’t take much to get me back. Just a little moxie, a little spine. But from the leadershiop, not just Russ Feingold. I would like to see Nancy Pelosi walk over to John “Boner” Boehner, slap him in the yap, and shout “so…you’ll send billions to kill kids in Iraq, but not spend a cent to give kids medical care in America? I’ll kick anyone’s ass who won’t save American children!”

Now how hard was that? Iraqi kids versus American kids: framing. Private contractors versus our brave troops: framing. Torture versus our national dignity: mother fucking framing! Our Constitutional rights versus not being Americans anymore: FRAMING, YOU DUMB SONS OF BITCHES!

Someone will ultimately do it. They will frame the argument for a hungry and parched American public who yearns for a righting of the ship. And, if it is not a Democrat, it will be another party’s leader. And the Democrats will go the way of the Whigs.

Until then, I am a man without a party.

How Low Can They Go?

No, my tantrum over the behavior of our Democratic majority is not over. It should be, seriously. You’d think that gift-wrapping our Fourth Amendment rights and handing them to the new American Gestapo would sate them for a while. But no. With Rovian talking points to validate, the Democrats in Congress will not rest until they have won the argument for the opposition.

Drew Carey was on the Bill Maher show. His new game show does public opinion polling for its…whatever it does. They asked the question: “should American troops stay in Iraq and finish their job.” 12% said “yes.” Twelve fucking percent. News polls for over a year now rarely go above the low 30s.

Nobody wants the war, nobody believes Bush, or Cheney, and nobody believes their lap-dog General “Betray-Us.” Even Republican Chuck Hagel of Nebraska called their use of the General a disgraceful misuse of the military for promoting political policy, during the recent public cheer-leading session for the “surge.”

Leading Democrats expressed their skepticism, but, of course, didn’t do shit. And didn’t say in plain, longed-for, American language what needed to be said: That the Administration was full of liars and criminals, and Betray-Us has become one of them. So Move On had to say it. And they did.

Holy shit, you’d think the leading Democrats in Congress had been caught having sex in a public bathroom! The pressure they felt from Republicans (a party in disarray, mired in scandal, saddled with the most unpopular war, and now, apparently, gay as hell) was too intense! They had to do something! The Democratic majority leapt into action – ever looking to the interests of their base – they welcomed to the floor a resolution condemning Move On for their criticism of a liar and political puppet in uniform. They voted along with Republicans to condemn the free speech of a liberal organization that turns out votes for them, promotes issues important to their base, and advances democracy in this country – particularly among our disaffected youth. Seventy six votes against free speech, meaning at least half the Democratic senators voted against Move On’s free expression and criticism of all that is wrong with our country.

But wait! This bold statement of obedience having been made by the August and deliberative body: the Senate, should have made clear to Americans where the Democrats stand - right with the President! But apparently the statement was not strong enough. The House demanded their chance to vote on a measure of condemnation of dissent. After all, if the opposition party won’t dissent, we can’t have public-interest organizations spouting off and criticizing a man in uniform! That he is a fucking liar and Bush poodle is inconsequential. What matters is what Hannity will say! Striding tall, Nancy Pelosi allowed this measure to take the floor of the House of Representatives, making clear that she meant what she said, when she said she learned her lesson with the wiretapping bill. You know, letting it to the floor and all, to be supported by Blue-dog Democrats. Right?

Right.

These fucking people. If there is a bigger waste of time, breath or money than the Democratic party, I don’t know what it is. The average American should resent the atoms of oxygen that we have to share with them. They are worthless.

They are only good at validating the Republican talking points. Again, Republican talking points. The other party. The one that lost the election. The one mired in corruption, gay sex scandals, and the hated war. What issues have they framed in the last week or so that the Democrats have fallen all over themselves to endorse? Just these:

• “Betray-Us” is a great American, simply because he wears that cool uniform, and anyone who criticizes him is scum.
• Iran is dangerous, and may have to be nuked at any minute
• We are not leaving Iraq for at least six years, and maybe longer
• Health care should not be “national” or “single-payer”
• “War on Terror” is a valid strategy, and should be continued

Way to go Democratic presidential candidates and Congressional leaders. Who needs Carl Rove when the Bush Administration’s got you guys.

Dems are DONE – GO GREEN!

I have written, called, emailed and protested. All for shit. I have tried to work within the Democratic Party, and have even been a delegate at the county caucus level (ooh, aren’t you impressed?). I have given these fuckers my money. And for what?

I’ll tell you for what: to be reamed in the ass by my own party.

We are on the verge of General “Betray-Us’s” report to Congress. A report that has been edited, hell, written by Dick Cheney and his Neocon cabal. Betray-Us will lie, and tell us that the “surge” is going great, and needs more time.

Anyone reading this (and I have no illusions that it is more than I can count on one hand) knows that this is a seminal moment in the history of the Iraq war. A chance for the opposition, one with a majority - and full control of the purse-strings – to stand up and save America from moral, military and financial ruin.

Too bad there is NO FUCKING CHANCE WHATSOEVER of that happening.

The current Democrats are the same party that, when in the slight minority, did not fight in the slightest the following:

• The authorization for a war that THEY KNEW was bullshit
• The violation of civil liberties that occurred with the passage of the Patriot Act
• The confirmation (and TOTAL FAILURE TO FILIBUSTER) of the worst Supreme Court justices we have had since Clarence Thomas
• The Military Commissions Act – complete with the destruction of Habeas Corpus.

Thanks a lot Dems, way to fight.

But wait, we gave them a majority in 2006! Surely, with a majority, they will turn things around. You know: restore the Constitution, champion the middle class, STOP THE GODDAM WAR?…in say, 100 hours? No, sorry. (And please, please, PLEASE…if you are within arms’ reach of the next liberal that says “but they need 67 votes,” please bitch-slap them into silence, as this lie is as damaging as any Republican talking point.)

But hey, after a filibuster, legislative failure and total capitulation to the MOST UNPOPULAR PRESIDENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY, they did raise the minimum wage a few cents. What else have they done?

• FAILED TO STOP THE WAR
• In fact, refunded the war, WITH NO “BENCHMARKS” OR ANY OTHER OVERSIGHT (Jesus they suck!)
• Approved wiretapping, and the DESTRUCTION OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION
• Are preparing now to YET AGAIN FUND THE WAR, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE STILL BEING LIED TO
• FAILED TO FIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SENT THEM TO FIGHT

Why aren’t they fighting for us? WHY?!!

As they say, follow the money. Democrats are now receiving more cash from PACs and corporate America than the Republicans are. This is a tidal wave of green that they don’t want to see go away.

Corporations like the way Republicans operate. They have told the Dems, “keep up the Republican agenda, and the cash will keep coming.” Game over.

Unless the average chumps like me, working two jobs just to pay the bills, can shovel out as much cash as, say, the pharmaceutical industry, we will be ignored. And the Dems have proved it over and over again in the last six months – they don’t give a fuck about us.

Those of us who want our Constitution preserved, and a middle-class chance to raise our families, are done! We are the new dinosaurs if we don’t push forth our own tidal wave of green. Not cash, I’m talking about the Green Party.

Yes, it is time for a third party. And the Green Party is there and waiting.

The Republicans filled the void for the ineffective Whigs. The Progressives forced the Republicans, most notably Teddy Roosevelt, to pay attention to a host of issues that were being ignored, such as worker safety and corporate oligarchy. Even the Grange movement moved farmers deeper into the calculus of American politics. The Green Party can do the same thing.

I know, you are saying: “aww dude, the Greens? Do I really have to wear a beret and eat tofu? Save the whales and shit like that?”

No! Seriously, I am a middle-aged white guy who eats tons of meat and drives a truck. I brew my own beer, but I DO NOT grow my own organic vegetables. I do not even see myself as a big environmentalist (even though, for my kids’ sake, I probably should be). I AM NOT A HIPPIE! But I see an opportunity with the Greens.

In fact, you too may have an opportunity to shape the Green Party from its infancy in America. Google the Green Party for your state. In my state’s case, more than half of the counties don’t even have a contact person. YOU could be your county’s point person for the Green Party. YOU could shape policies and a platform to bring your neighbors with you, to challenge the Democrats, and bury them at the polls if they won’t do what is right by Americans. The Green Party could quickly become the party of Middle America, or, force the Democrats to resume that mantle.

And yes, I know what happened to Al Gore in 2000. SO WHAT? It shouldn’t have been that close. And the only reason it was that close is that DEMOCRATS SUCK! And for the “liberal” pundits that tell me “any of the Democrats will be 1000 times better than Bush,” I ask you: what is 1000 times zero?

Are you seriously telling me that a President Hillary will check the corporate massacre of the middle class? Stop the war? Restore our rights?!! She could have led these efforts over the past few years, or even now, and has instead crafted cool webcasts and attended bullshit debates. Obama too, has decided to spend two years running for President instead of fighting for us in the Senate. Only Dennis K has come close to saying and doing the “right” things that would make him an acceptable president. And EVERYBODY acknowledges that, within the Democratic Party, he doesn’t stand a chance.

This last episode, agreeing to tear up the Fourth Amendment rather than give up a vacation, should convince any American, any REAL American, that the Dems could give a shit about you or your rights. Even Russ Feingold should have stripped himself naked, smeared himself with his own feces, and ran rabid through the Senate chambers to stop that heinous violation of our rights from passing. Sadly, NONE of the Democrats did even close to enough to stop our cherished Constitution from being partially shredded.

When Democrats in the majority fund an illegal occupation of a foreign country, and vote to destroy the Constitution, they are no better than Republicans. They may even be worse.

So go GREEN! Be your county’s chairperson and shape the agenda. Bring enough of your neighbors and you will put pressure on the Democrats, and maybe even beat them. If we beat them, then we kick ass! If we lose, and cause them to lose, THEY DESERVE IT! And we won’t be much worse off. Since capitulation to Republicans (and their corporate masters) is all they know, they will do it as President too!

Can you imagine four, or even eight years of Hillary, nuking Iran and whoever else to prove to her neocon handlers, and a few soccer moms, that she has as big a set of “balls” as Rudy or Nit does? The only room to “triangulate” that she has left is to the right of Arlen Spectre, and she’ll go there! Sadly, at this point, I believe Obama will too. We will not get change, only more of the same. And the same is BAD! As Americans, we should not stand for it. We owe ourselves, our country, and the world more.

A third party will not fuck up 2008 – it’s already fucked! It is time the Democrats learned from real pressure from the left, or went the way of the Whigs.

Reid and Pelosi said they would “hold this president’s feet to the fire.” Since they didn’t, we must hold their feet to the fire. A real third party threat will put the Dems on the side of good quicker than working within the party itself, a party awash with corporate cash and its influence. If it doesn’t put them on the golden path, it can replace them, with candidates in time for the ’08 primaries.

God, it is Unbelievable How Much You Guys Suck!!!

Fuck, fuck, FUCK! What the fuck are we supposed to do? These goddam Demo-rats have fucked us again. No Vaseline! I said before (in fact, my previous post) how much these guys suck, but they SUCK!

I am of the firm opinion now that the Democratic Party is a complete waste of time. They are doing nothing for this country, and nothing for their supporters. And please, don’t wave the minimum wage flag in my face like Nancy Pelosi does every other day. It was the least they could do (and never let it be said that they didn’t do the least they could do). And don’t tell me that it wasn’t all Democrats, and they are not all bad. NO SHIT! Thank you Russ Feingold, thank you Henry Waxman. Too bad your efforts are wasted because your colleagues are worthless.

They are a waste of time because they are completely ineffective as a political party. They lack any leadership that I can detect, and fail to meet the vast majority of policy objectives that their supporters sent them to achieve. And yes, I know it is a big tent, and that Democratic Party supporters have lots of agendas, but the BIG ones are no-brainers, and completely within their power!

Oh, what set me off this time? How about the shredding of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. How about the ceding of all leverage against the President and his administration for their illegal wiretapping of Americans, absolving them of previous wrongdoing. How about Nancy Pelosi and Harry Ried handing the keys to the Constitution-shredding tractor to ALBERTO GONZALEZ! Who in their right fucking mind would do this? Only corrupt, evil people who don’t give a shit about the American People.

Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and every Democrat who did not punch them in the face for sending last week’s wiretapping bill to the floor of Congress has shown that they do not care about us, and no longer serve their districts. They serve the President, and their corporate masters.

The wiretapping bill makes legal all of the law-breaking that the Administration has been doing since 2001. They have been wiretapping Americans without a warrant, admitted to it, and finally stopped it when a judge, not to mention John Ashcroft, said it was illegal. John Fucking Ashcroft was against it! But our congress, led by the Democratic Party, said “go for it!”

Alberto Gonzalez, just a week before this bill hit the floor of Congress, was being questioned about this wiretapping program, and was caught purguring himself. They (the Democratic Leadership) had him! Gonzo’s testimony was so bad, so ineffective, so badly bungled that even Republicans were disgusted. After watching him testify, any reasonable person would not let Gonzalez pet-sit for them.

So, what does this bill do? Gives the Attorney General the power to decide if a wiretap is reasonable or not. Not a warrant, just Alberto Gonzalez deciding if the security apparatus under the Executive Branch can invade the privacy of Americans. UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!

Some Democratic supporters, hearing this on liberal talk radio, are already saying “but they didn’t have the votes.” God dammit, I am soooooo sick of hearing this excuse. Listen carefully please, please, please: you do not have to have a veto-proof majority to move legislation. Those kind of majorities are a rarity in our country’s history, and yet legislation was passed just fine. Likewise, if you are the majority party, you don’t need even a majority of votes on a bill to have your way.

Democrats can vote in the majority and force vetoes. They can force the President to be the bad guy. They have the power of the purse, they can cut the funds of the executive branch. And as Congressional leaders, Ried and Pelosi can block legislation from even coming to the floor. They have the power, they just refuse to use it. And I think I finally understand why.

Yes, Democrats are cowardly, and have “battered wife” syndrome from all of the Republican abuse over the last fifteen years. But that can’t be the only reason why. Democrats, like Republicans, like their power. They get that power from tenure in Congress and powerful committee seats that seniority earns them. Running for office multiple times requires a constant stream of campaign cash, which comes from large corporations and rich donors. And these corporations have agendas that both parties have signed on to.

When Bush was spying on our phone calls, he enlisted the help of the telecommunications companies. He had them turn over customer records to make his program easy to manage. But companies like Verizon and ATT looked at the program, realized it was illegal, and told the President that they wouldn’t play unless the law was changed – so they wouldn’t get sued. This was a bill to protect those corporate donors, the telecommunications companies.

Bush and Gonzalez have shown through multiple actions that they don’t care if they break the law. The “impeachment is off the table” Democrats have shown that they don’t care if Bush and Gonzalez break the law. (By the way, I better never, ever, ever be held accountable for breaking a federal law, if I ever happen to. What’s good for the goose, right?) Neither party has shown any interest in protecting the Constitution. This was a corporate protection law. Our Fourth Amendment privacy rights were trashed to keep corporate donors happy.

Concerned Americans, know that you have been harmed. Know that the Democratic Leadership had the power to stop you from being harmed and chose not to! They have shown definitively that they do not care about you, or your rights. They don’t care about you any more than Republicans do, and they have proven it. As a party, they are a waste of time, a waste of money and, most sadly, a wasted opportunity for redemption after six years of the worst governance in American history.

I shed a tear for the America I used to live in. It is gone. Thanks, Demo-rats, for putting the “closed” sign on the three branches of government. You have ended the separation of powers. You suck so bad…

Ried, Pelosi, You Guys Still Suck!

No, I am not over my fit with the Democrats caving in.

And, when the ground is so fertile for Republican hating, it is a burdon. I mean vote caging? Where's the fire, Democrats?

Ah, who am I kidding, there is no fire from this group of pathetic pussies.

Yeah, the pundits were outraged for about a couple of days. The Air America voices were mad for a few hours, and others even longer. With the exception of Randi Rhodes, she was an appologist from the start. As was Ben M. of the Young Turks. And yes! I get it! They didn't have the fucking votes!

I know, all right?

The problem is, overriding a veto was not the only option.

I have yet to have anyone explain the detriment to cutting funding for the war. With no cash, the troops have to come home. Wesley Clark Jr. was one of several military men I have heard agree with this suggestion.

Our troops will not be left stranded in the Iraqi desert with no ride home. They will not have to throw bullets at the "enemy" because the guns have been reposessed. They will not be begging Blackwater mercenaries for spare change.

And if the are, it will be because the President did not redeploy them in a timely manner.

No, our troops were not saved from abandonment by politicians who understand the ways of compromise. They were left to continue to die and have limbs blown off because powerful Democrats were afraid of being called "wimps" in an election season that is more than a year away. Shit. What a bunch of pussies.

And now Bush has called for the Korea model for Iraq, and has reignited the Cold War with Russia. Way to reign this President in guys! God, I hope there is a slate of Green candidates this fall.

You guys still suck!

Fucking Democrats

No, no, no, no…NO!

Jesus Christ, don’t you guys get it? There is no deal with this administration, just you caving in, and the American people getting fucked.

Thanks, we really needed it in the ass again from the Cheney administration.

Senator Reid said that if you look carefully at the deal, there is no way you can say that the Democrats “lost.” What a sad, deluded man. You have lost BIGTIME!

You have lost the leverage you had – the power of the purse.

You have lost the political advantage of opposing the war, as you now share the surge, the occupation, the whole kit and kaboodle.

You have given up the temporary show of strength that forced the Administration and the Republicans to veto and filibuster, and caused Bush to sink below 30%.

What, were you being too successful?

You had these guys on the run. You had Republicans visiting the White House giving the President a September deadline. You had them speaking out against the war. They were reading the polls, why cave? So they stop calling you “troop haters”? Like they’re going to stop no matter what you do?

Even though many of you Democrats voted for the war, (when, and let’s be honest, you knew it was all bullshit, even in 2003) you had managed to foist the mess off on the President and the Republicans. Why take it back? Why buy into this immoral, illegal, international crime. You were getting your hands clean! Now you have filled the madman’s tank so he can continue to rampage through the Middle East. You are culpable, and you didn’t have to be.

You now share the blame because you know it’s wrong, and you are funding it anyway. And, by agreeing to nebulous benchmarks, instead of pulling funding at a certain date, you now have no leverage with this administration, and no credibility with the Americans who gave you a majority in 2006, largely on the war issue.

“But…those benchmarks are real!” you say. “The Iraqis will have to meet those benchmarks and the President will have to report to Congress on progress.” You can even pretend to puff out your chest when you say this. But we all know that any benchmarks don’t mean shit to the Iraqis or this president. They have our money, they will do whatever the fuck they want, just like they always have.

When this president reports to Congress he will say “everything’s great.” If you have facts to counter this assertion, he won’t care. He will lie to you all, and begin calling you troop-haters again, which apparently melts Democrat spines right out of the rectum. He has lied to you and all of us from the beginning, and you know this! Why you keep setting this gang of thugs up for success (their oil deal success, not military success) is beyond me. These guys will never play fair with you. There is no dealing with them. Just getting screwed by them.

I am again on the cusp of giving up on you all. Why support the Democrats if they can’t deliver on the one issue they ran on successfully. The one issue that a vast majority of Americans agree upon. Shit, if Republicans are going to get everything they want, I might as well vote for them, and at least be on the winning side. I certainly can’t see giving the Democrats a dime, or any of my precious time if this is how the American people are repaid.

Harry Ried, just a month ago you stood up publicly and said the war was “lost.” And you spoke the truth. You were attacked by Cheney, and he told outright lies (like the Iraq Study Group recommended a surge, when they specifically stated that it wouldn’t work). Instead of calling him a lying sack of shit, you faded into the background noise of stupid media. Now you show up at the President’s door with a giant bucket of cash to pay for a war you have acknowledged was hopeless. Our treasure, and our young men and women will be wasted, slaughtered and maimed, and you now try to sell this as a good day’s work. You disgust me.

This White House would have probably gone to the brink, and made you cut the funding. But staying on message would have forced many more Republicans to join you. All you had to do was stay in the game. Instead you folded, and now you don’t have enough chips left to challenge them again. Besides, you didn’t do what is right! Never mind that it will turn out not to have been expedient, or “bi-partisan” either, it WAS THE WRONG FUCKING THING TO DO!

Losing, while doing the right thing, is not great, maybe not even good. But it must be better than partnering with neoconservative criminals to ruin this great nation. Unless all you are concerned about is power, and an important, high-paying job. If that’s the case – that Democrats are only interested in fattening themselves at the public trough – then you probably made the right move. You will likely get to remain a Republicrat stooge for this administration, and be paid well to feign opposition and take a modicum of abuse from the Veep or other spokesliars.

But as for me, and millions of other Americans, we won’t have any use for you. We will see the Democrats not as the lesser of two evils, just the lesser evil, part of the greater one. No different, just pathetic.

Reid, Pelosi…this was not a deal that needed to be made. And today, you guys suck.

What, Me An American?

Traveling abroad this summer? Are you wearing a T-shirt that says: “Seriously, I am so fucking sorry…no really, I’m sorry!”?

Maybe I should have some printed.

Now, we Americans, we don’t blush easily when it comes to international dealings. We are, after all, the sole super power on earth. (We are still, right?) We do what we want, when we want, and pay for the damages if we party too hearty. That’s been our post WWII M. O. Others may call us arrogant. We call it swagger.

But the news this week has brought the last six years yet again into focus. And it is just getting too hard to not be embarrassed by our President and his cronies. How could it have come to this?

Oh, that’s right. We elected him. Twice.

Yeah, yeah…election fraud in Florida, then Ohio. And I believe it in both cases. Yet in each election the Democratic Party put forth the lamest candidates, or at least the lamest campaigns imaginable. This almost guaranteed Republican victory – ‘cause we knew they’d cheat! And, the elections were close enough for the cheating to work. Roughly half of America voted for the mess we have now. And what a mess. What an embarrassment! Just look at what we’ve got:

• Our President – The man is barely coherent in English, his native language. His speeches are primers for “How to Sound Stupid” lessons. He conducts himself like a man who hates his job, and hates the people he serves. More on this later.
• Our Vice President – Wow! Darth Cheney. So much evil in one person, he is like an evil vortex. If his approval rating was his credit score, he couldn’t finance a used AMC Gremlin.
• Condi Rice – Had a recent chance to shine at a Mideast Summit. Ended up acting like a three-year-old. “If the Iranians want to talk, they know where to find me” or some such shit like that. An intelligent African American woman who gets things done would be such a boon for America right now. Too bad she is either incapable, or on too short a leash to manage it.
• Donald Rumsfeld - Screwed up Iraq so badly, and for so long. And still has an office at the Pentagon. Many critics (including generals) say daily that our military is about broken, and will take years to fix. And we know what a cluster-fuck Iraq is. Thanks Don.
• John Bolton – Our President appointed a man who wanted to disband the UN as our UN ambassador. Enough said.
• Alberto Gonzalez – Oh-my-god! Have you listened to this weasel testify before the Judiciary Committee? Even Republican senators are incredulous; red-faced in anger over his bungling and sliminess. He is a scumbag, a liar, and lacking any credibility in any circles, anywhere! And he is our Attorney General…still! It’s almost like we have no Justice Department. We certainly don’t have one we can trust at this point.
• Paul Wolfowitz – Holy shit, Paul Wolfowitz…

Paul Wolfowitz is currently throwing the final shovels of dirt on American credibility around the world. The Bush Administration has killed our credibility, stripped it naked and sent it to be buried in an unmarked grave. Wolfowitz has pissed on the corpse and buried it upside down.

At least, that is how defiled Americans should feel watching this guy operate. I mean, what an asshole of the first order! While cutting off funds to starving nations under his “corruption” push as head of the World Bank, he uses his influence corruptly to get his squeeze hired at the state department. This Syrian woman gets security clearance because she’s banging Wolfie. And a big fat paycheck to boot. Your tax dollars at work!

And that is just it. His pussy is coming at the expense of a State Department salary. Are we not outraged? And I don’t mean outraged that Wolfie is getting some. I mean, bang away, dude. I mean outraged that he wouldn’t be getting any if there was no six-figure salary to go along with his shlong. And Wolfie’s probably rich enough to pay himself! But noooo, Joe and Jane six-pack are footing the bill. And corruptly at that.

Now, our World Bank partners don’t care how much pussy Wolfowitz gets either. But they do care, being a lending institution, about fiscal corruption and poor governance. And this is what Wolfie has shown them. They want him out, because his is an embarrassment and an albatross around their necks. But he’s fighting it. And, his evil neocon partners, the Bush Administration, are letting him go to the mat for his job, taking the credibility of the world’s number one foreign aid organization down with him.

World Bank partners may just say, “fuck it” if this goes on too much longer. Paul Wolfowitz could destroy the World Bank by hanging on to his job in the most shameless fashion possible. Yet another neocon takes down yet another vital public institution through corruption and incompetence. How stupid are these guys?

Or, are they stupid at all? Has it not been their goal to destroy government from the beginning? Has not Katrina been used to destroy FEMA? NCLB used to destroy public education? Iraq used to destroy the army? Economic policy used to destroy the middle class? Alberto Gonzalez used to destroy the Justice Department? Have they not put the Bill of Rights through the shredder?

Taken as a whole, the actions of the Neoconservative shitheads can only be seen as a direct assault on the American People. They hate us! They see us as a liability because we expect governance, and they want none of that – just the power. They are a corporate oligarchy that sees the world as a zero-sum game, and their own citizenry as an impediment to getting “theirs.”

And we voted for them, twice.

Maybe our tee shirts should say “2006 - We get it now, really, we do!” Or, “please, give us until 2008!”

I hope we do get it. Whether by unimaginable bungling, or by devious design, our institutions are being destroyed by people we gave the keys to. And, as long as we have franchise, we bear some of the blame. Maybe our tee shirts, when we travel should say “they’re with stupid.”

Or maybe “Proud to be Canadian.” Can you say “eh?”

Where is Paris Hilton?

What with scandal, racism, more scandal, law breaking…(did I mention scandal), and of course, Anna Nichole Smith’s autopsy and fatherless, billionaire offspring, we have been missing something in the media circus. You know what I’m talkin’ about…

Paris Hilton.

Can it be that our media outlets are so busy covering the breaking news of a vibrant democracy that they can’t spare a reporter for the hotel heiress? Can it be that the responsibilities of the Fourth Estate are so daunting that such trivial matters as the Springeresque shenanigans of a spoiled, rich, publicity-addicted amateur porn star can’t be given valuable ink when our country has so many pressing issues?

Yeah, right.

Could it be that Ms. Hilton’s fifteen minutes are up?

No fuckin’ way!

Or, could it be that our own government is so fucked up, so freakishly corrupt, so stumblingly incompetent, so wicked hell-bent on the destruction of America that the antics of pseudo celebrities can’t even make the late edition? Yeah, that must be it.

Our president, meaning Dick Cheney, is such a soul-less monster that he makes Hollywood villains look tame by comparison. He really is Oilfinger, poised to destroy the world if he doesn’t get what he wants. And maybe even if he does get what he wants. And his puppet, our “elected” president should be driven from appearance to appearance in an armored clown car. I have known this for years, as have many. But the media seems to be just now breaking this story: “The President is Stupid, Corrupt and Incompetent.”

We seem to be cracking the veneer of this White House, as far as the media goes. And once the veneer is cracked, we realize that there is no pressboard underneath. It is a hollow coffee table that can barely hold up our mixed drinks, let alone the hardcover book of landscapes and the remote. These people who have been running the government are sick, evil people, and the press is trying to sort out the story without seeming like it has been under a dark spell for the last six years. And that is going to be hard.

Even Anna Nichole Smith couldn’t bury the Alberto Gonzalez story. That is such a colossal blunder by the White House – using the Justice Department as an extension of Karl Rove’s office – that it seems to be the straw that has broken the media camel’s back. Gonzalez is revealed as such a slimy weasel, and such a tool of Rove’s agenda, that the hounds are on his scent. As if holding a fire sale on wiretaps, data mining and authorizing torture weren’t enough to pillory him in a truly American media (and, they weren’t!).

The Scooter trial, the Gonzalez hearings, these are good starts, press. But you need to revive the ghost of Peter Zenger and hammer this administration. I know you don’t want to lose “access,” but you won’t lose it, even if you abuse King George like a red-headed Iraqi stepchild. Nobody believes a thing this president says. The 30% who still support him just hate liberals more. He is a fuck-up, a liar, and he has total distain for America and Americans. He may very well be a criminal, several times over. This is obvious to anyone paying attention for at least the last calendar year. The crimes of his administration make Nixon look like a three-card Monte hustler by comparison. The press can hammer him relentlessly and not lose ratings.

Press, you won’t lose access either. The bully pulpit only works if people listen. And they listen through you. Since FOX is losing viewer-ship, the White House needs you at least as much as you need a seat in the room where press conferences are held. Besides, there are only so many ex gay escorts who will be willing to sit through that drivel.

Press, you are the watchdog. Start acting like it! Start seriously sniffing the turds around the White House. Growl at those fuckers as they try to feed you a bowl of liar kibbles, instead of humping their legs like you have been. Dig up the dirt around this administration, and then bark and point at those who prove to be a danger to our country and our democracy. Or even if they are just a scumbag! When exposed completely, you can bite the ass out of their pants. Scandal enough to sell massive advertising awaits the aggressive news hound.

Besides, Paris needs ink! And Americans seem to need Paris. We are the democracy where less than 20% of polled citizens can name the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or the Majority leader of the Senate. We can consume scandal easy enough, but we don’t get the same buzz as we do passing judgment over celebrities when we have to pay attention to politics and governance. Just dig up the nasty cheese quickly, so we can discard the neoconservatives and get back promiscuous, drunken, second-rate celebrities. We like feeling superior to them. We can’t sleep well feeling so superior to our national leaders.

Unless…yes! Fuck Hilary! Paris in 2008!

Sorry, White People, We Don’t Get to Call It

The airwaves have been abuzz with talk of the controversy created by Don Imus’ comments about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. Many have called for his firing, few have defended him.

And no doubt, he said some stupid, racist shit.

And having used the word racist, I have joined the controversy (like anyone pays any fucking attention to my rantings!).

What has my hackles up is listening to my available Air America feed that plays “liberal” talk radio. Certainly, none of the hosts are defending Imus. But some hosts, and quite a few callers, have shown discomfort at the contention that Imus’ comments show a media, and even a nation, that is inherently racist. This does not go down well at all with white listeners, even on leftist talk radio. The lament from white, liberal America – can’t we just let this race stuff go?

Sorry white America, we don’t get to make this decision. Not on our own.

Full disclosure is warranted here – I am about as white as they come. I am from English, Irish and German stock. I can trace my family in America to mid-Nineteenth Century European migration. I am pasty, hairy, I can’t jump, and I can’t dance worth a shit. I married a white Norwegian girl, live in the burbs of a city that is over 90% white in a Western state that is over 80% white. I am as white a motherfucker as you are likely to meet.

Even so, I am shocked at how few white folks get it. We don’t get to choose when to let the “race stuff” go.

All the talking heads, all their callers, all asking the question “is this really racist?” African American guests or callers interjecting “uh, yes!” And they should know. As Chris Rock said on the Bill Mahr show, “do you have to shoot Medgar Evers to be racist?”

What is said matters, and it matters especially who says it. And yet white caller after white caller, and even some hosts say “what about rap music? They say ‘ho’ don’t they?” And, of course, the classic: “but they call each other nigger all the time!”

Let me make this clear, white folks: the “N” work is a racially charged word. It matters what race you are when you say it. It does. Period. If that is not fair from a free speech standpoint, tough shit! Its use for centuries by white people as an epithet to dehumanize an entire segment of our population is not fair either. So, when African American artists, comedians, sports figures or regular folk use certain language without the backlash that white people get, it doesn’t mean that they are just as racist as whites who say it. Yet that is the argument I hear being made. Over and over again!

And this argument is bullshit!

How does a white-as-milk guy like me know it’s bullshit? Because I was told so. I can’t experience it, but I have been convinced. I was convinced by a gentleman named Glenn Singleton, who holds seminars for organizations on the institution of racism. And when considering what he shared, and reading further, and applying it to a career in public education, I am convinced that racism is a one-way street. Lemme’ explain:

Racism is a system of oppression applied by one racial group to another. This system of racial preference and denial of power is applied across all of the institutions of the society. Racism is institutional. To be racist, you have to have the power to affect the lives of those of other races.

You have to be part of the dominant culture.

In America, the dominant culture is the white culture. It has been since the Europeans first arrived. White Americans wiped hundreds of native cultures off the map, with scarcely a look askance. Genocide, really. Do we think about who was there before us on our 1/3 acre lots in the burbs? No, because we don’t have to. We helped depopulate the continent of Africa, and held its children in bondage for 250 years, then systematically segregated and abused their African descendants for another 100. Does that impact our lives in a way we have to pay attention to? No, we don’t have to think about it if we don’t want to. Not until it intrudes on our favorite media outlet, anyway.

We don’t worry about cops shoving a broomstick up our asses because we are white. Maybe because of our hairstyle, or our t-shirt slogan, or some other factor we can control, but not our race. Likewise we don’t worry if the store owner will follow us around to prevent theft, or if we will get the apartment, or the job we want, or be allowed on the golf course because of our race. We don’t have to deal with shit like that, so we generally don’t think about it. Until we are called racist. Then we complain about “reverse racism” because we don’t get to say “nigger.”

My white brethren, listen to me – there is no such thing as reverse racism. Certain individuals may be bigoted against whites, but the only racism that exists in America is institutional white racism – and if you are white, you have benefited from it. No other racial group in our history, or at this time, has had the power to impact the lives of white people for that other group’s benefit. From a material and comfort standpoint – we have done well. From a moral or ethical standpoint, well…this is probably why we don’t think about it much.

There have been white people who have worked hard throughout the centuries to end racism. In the last decades, millions have supported changes to laws that have righted some of the historic wrongs. Most Americans of all colors would agree that the last 50 years have seen large strides for the better (and a few steps backward at times) where race relations and the actions of our institutions are concerned. African Americans have professional, educational, financial and social mobility where they didn’t have it a few decades ago. For many white people, this makes them say “see, we fixed it; let’s get rid of that Affirmative Action,” which many states did. I would guess that many African Americans think, “that was a nice start, if 300 years too late, but damn, don’t take shit away when we still have so far to go.”

Imagine going to the doctor and saying, “jeez, doc, my head is killing me.” The doctor says “here, take half an aspirin, it’s a pain killer.” Then the doctor hands you the bill and says, “we fixed it!” Now, you’re thinking “my head feels a little better, but what I really need is two or three fuckin’ Tylenol.” But the doctor says, “since I’ve taken such good care of you, we’re going to take some of the benefits out of your health insurance.” I perceive this as the type of disconnect between black and white perceptions of racism today. And white people, we are wrong!

We are not the racially oppressed. We don’t know how it feels. We don’t get to decide when it’s not racist any more. And we hate that, ‘cause we have been the deciders in North America for 350 years and counting. However, we are incapable of knowing when it’s over, because we don’t experience it daily.

Don Imus lost his job. But Rush, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, and don’t forget Bill Bennet, regularly push racist agendas, or use racism as a divisive political tactic. We fall in lockstep with them when we demand racial equality with the oppressed culture, for use of language that causes them so much pain. We don’t get to decide this one, white people. Our non-white fellow citizens will let us know when America is no longer a racist country. And they’re the only ones who can.

Chocolate Jesus from behind, bitch!

The Catholic Church has once again affirmed my atheism. As only they can do.

An artist, Cosimo Cavallaro created "My Sweet Lord," a 200-pound, 6-foot-tall and anatomically correct sculpture of Jesus made of chocolate. This is a Jesus with a dick.

Shlong, prick, phallus, todger, wang, Johnson – choose your epithet – a Jesus with a penis. And it is about time.

Of course, it brings to mind the age old question: is there enough chocolate in the world to accurately depict the dick of the Almighty?

And of course, it brings out the ire of the Catholic Church.

"This would rank as one of the worst, most vile, obscene and blasphemous assaults on Christian sensibilities that I have ever seen," said Bill Donahue, president of the Catholic League.

Because I am a crank, with a day job, I have not done the research to know exactly what the Catholic League is, except to know they are assholes! I mean, seriously, fuck you Bill Donahue. Fuck you right in the ass with a chocolate dick!

Why? Well for starters, the Catholic Church should not even mention dicks without flagellating itself for the dicks of children they have molested, and covered up for decades. This is the child molesting church! Shut up and atone. Pay your victims without hiding behind bankruptcy, and spend a generation earning the forgiveness of victims through good works and abandonment of material goods. Then, my grandchildren may listen, without expecting a punch line, Catholic officials having anything whatsoever to say about dicks. Until then…up your ass.

Is it not okay to be offended by naked chocolate Jesuses? Well, sure it is! Be as offended as you want. And, don’t go to the fucking show! But for the New York Gallery to pull the show shows what a bunch of pussies they are. Here is another case where pussies trump dicks – even chocolate ones. I’m married, I know all about this.

But what I don’t get is why the folks at the New York Gallery didn’t just say to the Catholic League: “you might not want to come to this show.” To cancel the exhibit because of a particular church’s sensibilities was so cowardly, so craven as to defy words. So the Chocolate Jesus is unconventional, even absurd. So what?

There are few things more absurd than the fairy tales of the Old and New Testaments. These literary homilies had traction in their day as parables for living the good life. Taken in the context of a warrior-like, nomadic people who settled among competing religions, and, over a millennia, adapted to an empire, may even make some sense - WHEN NOT TAKEN LITERALLY!

Hasn’t the Catholic League ever read a book on myth by Joseph Campbell? Have they not considered the trial of Galileo juxtaposed against modern knowledge of the Cosmos? Do they find modern astronomy equally as offensive for proving that the Earth actually does orbit the sun?

Unfortunately, the Catholic League is not alone. Muslims have become irate at cartoons of Mohammad. I’m sure Buddhists and Hindus, Krishnas and Baptists and chicken worshipers will get equally as worked up when their dogma is challenged by logic, reason, common sense, and confectionary soft-core porn.

I say, go hard core! Chocolate Jesus ramming a Holmsian boner up the ass of the Prophet Mohammad, while the Buddha laps up the chocolate fuck-sweat from below. Shiva can show up at the door with a pizza, and ask, “How do you plan to pay for this?”

That would be art. And art belongs in galleries.

New York Gallery, hang your head in shame. You are the dry, stanky pussy of the art world. You cast out an artist. You bowed down to a religion that has slaughtered Muslims, launched pogroms against Jews, tortured Europeans, eradicated culture in the Americas, and for the 20th Century, molested the children of their own parishioners. Great choice.

Fuck you, NYG, with a chocolate dick

Balls? Do We Have Balls? (I think there was a sighting!)

How high should we jump in celebration for the military spending bills just passed by the House and the Senate? Oh, and for standing up to Bush in the subpoena showdown in US Attorney-Gate. Way up? Just a little? We probably don’t know yet. But it is just possible that the Democratic Party is finding its collective balls.

Collective balls, if they actually got ‘em, is amazing enough in itself. The common refrain about Democratic unity is that it’s like herding cats. Too big a tent, too many agendas. But maybe, just maybe, the Dems are figuring out that there are some agendas that all of their constituents can get behind:

1. Ending the war – I mean, please…70%. Across the board, in just about every poll, for months and months. Men, women, evangelicals, just about every demographic except FOX News viewers support ending the war. That there are Democrats that may still have reservations about ending the war just floors me. If you are afraid that you won’t be able to win future elections by supporting something favored by 70% of the electorate, then you are way to timid to be in politics in the first place. Get the fuck out! Why the Senate’s version is not binding boggles my mind. But hey, this is better than even a month ago.
2. Corruption – Hooray for Waxman, and keep at it. Americans bristle at the phrase “wasting tax dollars.” Every speech any Democrat gives should include the myriad of waste and corruption allowed under the last Congress and current administration. If people complain that it is slowing down government, let them know that the mess is so bad, that you have to clean it up before responsible governance can begin again.
3. Punishing criminals – At our core, we Americans want our pound of flesh when wronged. We sat by, especially Democrats, and watched the Republicans beat the shit out of President Clinton. And elected Democrats went along with it because A) they were in the minority, B) they are generally a bunch of pussies, and C) Clinton was just slippery enough that Americans wanted to know if laws had been broken, and if they had, were willing to flush an effective presidency to keep law and order. Many House Dems voted for impeachment when it looked like Bill perjured himself instead of saying “none of your fucking business.” With this in mind, to go easy on Plame-gate, or Attorney-gate will be unthinkable. Americans will not thank you for letting the White House function without interference, they will revile you for letting a bunch of bullies run roughshod over our Constitution and our National dignity. We will be disgusted by you, and then ignore you, and then, fail to show up in needed numbers and support you when you need us. Just ask Al Gore.

But is the above list even necessary? Hell no! At least it shouldn’t be. I mean, the crimes of this administration are so legion, and so obvious, and the decisions so bad! And yet Bush acts like he still has the majority. And up until the last month, the Democratic majority let him. Take the “surge.” This was and is a bad, bad, bad idea. Nobody wanted it. Nobody but the last few inmates in the neocon asylum. Why not shut down government to stop it?

Cenk Uygur of the Young Turks made a great observation on the radio a few weeks back. He argued that the reason that Americans have not gathered in mobs on the White House lawn with torches and pitchforks is because we respect strength. The message from the election: end the war. The Iraq study group: end the war. 70% of Americans: end the goddam war! What does Bush say?: escalate the war! While everyone stood staring with mouths open at the suggestion, the debate had shifted from whether we should end the war, to whether we should escalate the war. And he fucking did it! He fired generals until he found one that agreed with his insane plan, and he did it. And for months, talk of actually ending the war was muted.

The Dems should have shut government down immediately. Let the Republicans filibuster! Let them stand up and explain why it is a good idea to send more of our young people into a meat grinder. They won’t be able to do it. They can’t pull it off. They too, read the polls. (While you were at it Dems, you should have made them actually filibuster the minimum wage bill, and explain why working Americans don’t deserve more than $5.15 per hour.)

The recent actions by the House and Senate are promising. Don’t fuck it up. Don’t compromise on justice for administration lawbreakers, or what is obvious to at least 70% of Americans. Show your own strength.

Or what? Or you will squander the political capital you currently enjoy. Your power comes from the People. The average Joes and Josephinas grinding out 50 hour work weeks with limited and overpriced health care. We are disgusted with Republicans, but we don’t really trust you. You were weak when you could have filibustered Alito, you were complicant in an illegal war, domestic spying, torture and renditions. You fucked us with NAFTA (thanks Bill!).

“Yeah, yeah” you say, “who the fuck else you gonna’ vote for?” Who else are non-facist, non-religiously deluded, non-CEO voters going to choose?

For one, nobody! Democratic voters may decide that there is no choice worth leaving the house for. The country is going down the toilet anyway, so why help flush? For two, Ralph Nadar! I almost pulled the lever for Nadar myself in 2000. At the last moment I did some political calculus and voted the least of two evils, not my conscience or my “choice.” He says he is considering a run again in 2008. If Dems, especially in the Senate, don’t act with courage and conviction, he will bleed away Democratic votes like a Medieval barber. He has name recognition with the best of the contenders, and is a stark contrast to Hilary or Ried. And, he can speak to the concerns of the working stiff way better than Obama or Edwards can. He can’t win, but he can disable the campaign of a political time-server who shows more concern for power than for constituents. He can appear heroic next to senators who show cowardice when faced with the tough political challenges of the day (can we say Hilary?).

So keep showing those balls. Let the hairy sack peek out from the bottom of the boxers. Hell, flop ‘em on the counter and shout “IMPEACH!” If you don’t give them air regularly, Americans will abandon you like they did in 2000.

2008 shouldn’t even be close. A complete sweep, House, Senate and White House with large margins. With the seriously crooked shit in the news on a daily basis, we should see three or four “clean” Republicans switch sides before the next elections. And if those Democratic balls are hangin’ about the knees, it’s a lock.

Fool Me Once

Uh…fool me once, uh…shame…shame on, you. Fool me twice (insert idiotic fumbling noises and the image of a man so dense that he doesn’t even know to turn red with embarrassment), uh…don’t get fooled again.

This inexact Bush quote is a staple of liberal talk radio, and why not. It sums up the bad deal we have in an Executive Branch. It also sums up the rest of the nation. We can’t get fooled, or bulldozed by neocon cock-sureness, again.

This morning’s Bush interview about Iran’s “meddling” in Iraq is déjà vu for anyone who was paying attention during the last four years. In short, more bullshit designed to pull tattered, moth-eaten wool over our eyes. Fool me once…

What is so irritating is how stupid this administration must think we are. As they gin up to make war on Iran, they assume they can lead us blindly into the meat grinder. Bush as the Pied Piper, and us as the gullible rats, following the tune blindly to war. It’s bad enough that we put up with the continuation of the first time – death, debt, maimed veterans and a complete loss of credibility around the world, and the destabilization of the world’s richest oil-producing region. It’s bad enough that Congress has sat idly by, and abdicated all oversight responsibility. This next time, we could be neck deep in shit.

First, let’s state the obvious:

1. Our President and his administration have absolutely zero credibility. They simply cannot be trusted. (Insert lawyer joke here – “Q, how can you tell if a Bush Administration member is lying? A, His/her lips are moving!) They lied us into war, criminally and intentionally.
2. Their ability to effectively wage war is non-existent. Iraq is a disaster, and it is clear they have no clue what they are doing.
3. The war is a financial disaster! Sure, it is only 5 to 10 percent of our annual GDP (and yet we can’t provide health care…don’t get me started), but we are financing the war, with interest payments alone in the hundreds of billions per year.
4. This war was another neoconservative attempt to privatize the functions of government, with private contractors bleeding resources from our treasury, and our troops on the ground.
5. This was a war waged not in the national interest, but for the benefit of a few large corporations.
6. The news media, and both parties on Congress sat by and allowed this to happen to us, and to the Iraqi people. Bastards!

How could we, seriously, as a great nation, allow this to happen? Maybe we are stupid and deserve what we get. Or, maybe we are victims of crimes by people in power, crimes of at least Watergate proportions. Congress is right to challenge troop increases, even if they doing it as meekly as possible.

But what would an Iran adventure mean? Here are some very realistic scenarios:

1. Zero credibility means we assume the Prez is lying about the explosives found in Iraq being used “on orders from top Iranian leaders.” The only reasonable assumption is that the President is lying. Remember, fool me once…
2. Even if (and this is a Godzilla on steroids sized if) some bombs in Iraq came from Iran, does this really surprise anyone? They’re next door for cryin’ out loud. And, they have strategic interests in what happens next door! How many bombs do we sell a year? How many people do they kill? How many kids in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Viet Nam, etc. are killed by US made land mines each year? Ones that cost $5 to sell, and $1000 to dispose of?
3. Iran is not Iraq! Better army, more soldiers, bigger fight. Forget being shocked at 3000 dead, make it times ten!
4. Forget 5% of GDP. Iran war will be way more expensive.
5. Regional destabilization will be intense. Can you say $10 per gallon gas?
6. In international circles, we will have to sit at the table with Kim Jong Il, the table for countries run by messianic lunatics. And he will seem the more stable of the two!
7. There is absolutely no reason to go to war with Iran. None. It makes no rational sense at all in terms of the national interest.

Now, war plans told to Seymour Hersch tell how Bushco™ plans to do it on the cheap: Nuke ‘em. Make no mistake folks, the nuclear option is on the table. And this crew is crazy enough to use it. Can you imagine the consequences of dropping a nuke in the Middle East? Can you say Armageddon?

Only an absolute IDIOT would use nuclear weapons in the Middle East.

And you see the danger: “Oh, shit…we have an absolute idiot in control of our nuclear weapons!” This is why we need heroes in Congress, right now!

When Senator Obama feels he has to apologize for stating the obvious, that our troops were being “wasted” in Iraq, we are doomed to another terrible war. Popular White House hopefuls who can’t speak the obvious truth and defend it cannot protect us against the ruthless neocon oligarchs. We need the presidential contenders, not just the Dennis Ks and the Feingolds, to tell it like it is. We need Democrats to put forth binding resolutions that cut off funding for this maniacal doomsday baiting that our President is engaged in. We can’t shake our heads, even our fists, and say “here we go again.” We have to shout, “fuck no, never again!”

If the President defies the wishes of the Congress, start with the subpoenas. There should be no shortage of them, and no shortage of rats ready to jump the neocon Titanic as it steams towards the big ice. The stink of corruption is so thick around this administration that you could put slices of it on a sandwich. And, when the rest of the White House aides watch Scooter head for prison, they will be ready to cut deals quickly.

Email your reps! Tell them “no way in Hell, no, no, NO IRAN WAR! Not until they are piloting bombers across the Atlantic. Tell them to face up to the truth that this war was an attempt to steal another country’s oil, and we fucked it up. Shut down this White House! They must play nice, or be indicted. Tell them you will remember in the primary next time if they don’t grow some balls right now! (Like that’ll work!)

Tell ‘em you don’t like being fooled. Fool me once…

Repubs show Dems how it’s done!

I feel, so often, that I slam my own party more than I criticize the opposition. And the opposition is evil! Republicans will sell their own children into slavery to stay loyal, and to make a few extra bucks for their corporate overlords. But I have to slam again.

When in the minority, Dems couldn’t stay loyal to stop evil when they could. They failed politically and morally, and we all suffer for their failure.

Case in point: filibuster.

The Republicans just successfully filibustered the completely vanilla, melba toast, ball-less resolution saying (paraphrased): “sorry, sorry…but we kind of disagree with a troop increase; but don’t think we hate the troops, or America, please! We are still imperialists, but the public hates this war, so please, please recognize that we don’t want an increase; sorry, really…sorry for having an opinion” was how the Senate’s version of the bill went.

Chuck Hagel made speeches against the increase, and co-sponsored the bill. Then he joined Republicans in filibustering his own bill! He did the dirty job in the trenches so his party’s leader, our idiot president, would not be embarrassed. He took one for the team, and did his job!

The result: The Democrats can’t even pass a non-binding resolution when they have the majority, and when 70% of Americans support their view. The Dems look pathetically weak, and like they can’t get anything done. I support ‘em, and I feel this way!

Now, liberals, think back to the judicial nominations of a little over a year ago. There were 44 Democrats in the Senate, and Bush appoints his second Supreme Court nominee, Alito. A judicial weasel who stands for everything your voting base hates! Does the Democratic Party have the discipline in the Senate to filibuster? Have they got the eggs in their collective sacks to risk ridicule on FOX News?

Hell no. And, even though our party had the numbers, they were too much the party of simpering pussies to stand up to evil. To stand up for our rights. To represent us, the poor saps who voted for them in the first place, who donated money, who stayed involved in politics, who cared. We got fucked by our own party, because they were too chickenshit to risk appearing as a clip on FOX News as an obstructionist. At a time when the Bush administration was losing the war, caught lying about it, spying on Americans, caught torturing people at Abu Graib, and the whole Republican Party caught taking bribes from the likes of Abrhamof; Senate Dems were too timid to challenge a Supreme Court nominee that none of its constituents wanted. Chickenshit scumbag pussies!

GET A CLUE! This is why Ralph Nadar was able to scuttle Gore in 2000. The base was pissed about the attacks on unions and the fallout from free trade, and the uninspired spinelessness of the Democratic Party (not to mention a completely lackluster Gore campaign). Now, with the spectre of Hillarycorp ™ looming, Nadar is again throwing his lazy, egomaniacle hat into the ring again. We should kick his ass. But, he may be the only candidate we can stomach, as liberals, by the time Hillary knocks out her primary opponents and triangulates to the right of Arlen Specter to win soccer moms, and convince Americans that she has the balls to nuke Iran.

Back to current events.

What can the Dems do? Quit being pussies! The Democrats should make it clear that the resolution on the troop escalation was not to be killed. Make it clear, if Pubs won’t let us stop the war in legislation, then it’s time to IMPEACH!

I-M-P-E-A-C-H, bitches! If Republicans want to play hardball, show ‘em what hardball is! Step up and expose the lies, the war profiteering, the illegal torture, the misrepresentation from the beginning. With what’s coming out of Scooter Libby’s trial alone we should be able to impeach Bush and Cheney.

Enough of your boasting about the people’s mandate, and your new power. You have been humiliated in the Senate, and look weak, confused and far too focused on 2008 to serve the people today. You look more worried about which one of you will be president than our citizen soldiers dying over a lie.

Grab some Republican nuts and squeeze! Begin impeachment proceedings and serve notice that you will not be their bitch any more. If you fail to do so, you fail us, and you will (as I’ve said before, but I mean it this time) relegate yourselves to uselessness and obscurity. Empeach ‘em. Now!

We Fucked Up

I really need to hear the words, from anyone in the corridors of national power. I do. Three single-syllable words: We fucked up.

The Iraq debacle, from beginning to quagmire, was not an “oops…who saw this coming!?!” for anyone paying attention. There were a few brave senators, like my own Patty Murray, who smelled the bullshit from the beginning and said so.

But now, as candidates for the two-year campaign to become the next idiot-in-chief posture and pose, it’s all about supporting troops, and making the Iraqis “stand up.”

Do we forget that we started it? Do we forget that this was all completely unnecessary? Do we forget that it was all predicated on lies? That “terrorists” (TM Bushco) only exist in Iraq because we are there? That oil deals are the focus of the governance and lawmaking in that sorry country?

Do we forget that we have killed over 3.000 Americans and untold hundreds of thousands of Iraqis for the profit of a very few?

And that none of this, none of this, was even slightly necessary!

Don’t we owe the world a “sorry?”

I do not want to hear another American office-holder in the federal government say another word about Iraq that is not predicated with an apology to the world, and a pledge to extract US troops as soon as possible. To fail to do so is to assert the following:

1. You think that Americans are so stupid that we don’t realize that this war was, and is, completely unnecessary for our security or our national interest.
2. You think that we don’t realize by now that the “War on Terror” is like a “War on the Color Blue”, utterly absurd and impossible to wage or win. (I forget where I first heard this analogy, from someone much smarter than me!)
3. You think that we don’t realize that private corporations are getting rich while people die in Iraq for no other purpose than to make them rich.
4. You think we forget that we have tortured people. And wiped our asses with the Geneva Convention.
5. You think we don’t realize that the justifications for this war were lies.
6. You think we don’t realize that crimes have been committed against the Iraqi people, and the American people in the prosecution of this military conquest of Iraq.
7. You just think that we are really, really stupid, and completely malleable.

God help us if you are right.

For those of us who are smug in our opposition to the war, ask what you did to stop it. Did you protest? (I didn’t) Did you write your reps? (I did) Did you shout and scream and yell “bullshit!” No Republicans did, and too few Democrats did. They should all be ashamed, and not be allowed start any public utterance on the topic of Iraq with anything but an apology. They should certainly not be able to run for president on opposition to the war, like Hillary is now, until they offer up a mea culpa.

And if we really aren’t as stupid as they think, we shouldn’t let them.

Wolf Blitzer is a Pussy!

Oh, how the pundits were abuzz with the tense session between Wolf and Shotgun Dick. It was as if CNN had stepped off of the deep end. Imagine, CNN’s main man Wolf Blitzer putting the hard questions to our Vice President. Asking about the obvious (the plummeting polls), and about his lesbian daughter’s child rearing plans.

Talk about balls of tin.

Asking about his daughter was fair game. The RNC and the Bush administration has made no secret of their demonization of gay people for political gain. Cheney can’t have it both ways (unless he’s bi). But Blitzer, a seasoned journalist, looked like he expected to get shot in the face. He could hardly express enough love for Cheney’s family as he fumbled through a question that everyone should have expected to be asked of a gay-hating administration member in his position. Seriously.

And asking about the unpopularity of the idiotic escalation of the war in Iraq? (Oh, sorry, I mean the surge.) This is a no-brainer, not a tiptoe question.

Compared to the treatment that this administration usually gets from CNN – ass-licking acceptance and repetition of every insane utterance – I suppose it was a jolt. I guess.

But the whole exchange left me feeling sad and empty. And I judged it far less than worthy of a Daily Show send-up. I still want the real questions. The obvious ones.

Wolf, while you were at it, why didn’t you ask Cheney about the endemic corruption among the contractors in Iraq? Or ask him if he was sweating now that Democrats in Congress were planning on holding hearings on the corruption and waste.

And why not press him about his ties to Haliburton, a company that has profited mightily from this war? Ask if he’s getting a cut.

How about his roll in the outing of a CIA agent for political gain, now that his former Igor “Scooter” is on trial?

How about asking why he lied so many times about the war? So many times, with so many deaths as a result? And, how he feels about that having shirked his own service? (Five deferments during the Vietnam War.) Would he reject that premise?

Why not put the journalistic wood to that lying piece of shit of a veep? Why? Because you are a pussy! You, and your bosses. You are so worried about falling out of step with your rival FOX, so worried about the sensibilities of large corporate owners, and so concerned with loss of access to the White House that asking about a lesbian is the best you could do with the dirtiest, most hated man in American politics.

Wolf, you could have bitch-slapped Cheney, painted his ass red, and shot him out of a cannon, and faced no repercussions but the assault charges. The viewing public would have loved it, the sponsors been thrilled; hell…even the Prez might have given you a “heck of a job, Wolfie!” You would have been a fucking YouTube hero.

Instead, you are journalism’s equivelent of pudding salesman: two flavors, vanilla and chocolate (but the chocolate is kind of extreme, you know, so we’ve cut it with plenty of the vanilla, and we’ll apologize if the chocolate offends you in any way!). Pathetic! The ghosts of Tom Paine and Tom Jefferson are puking in the boardroom of CNN right now.

Free press in our country, guaranteed in the Constitution, was inspired by the trial of Peter Zenger, a publisher who criticized the corrupt British governor of New York in the early 1700s. Even though he broke the letter of the law at the time, by criticizing the King’s representative, American jurists refused to convict him because he did not lie about what he reported. Even before there was a United States, Americans wanted to know when their government was up to no good.

The upshot of that case was (and I am grossly paraphrasing here): it is okay to criticize the government if what you say is not a lie. It is okay to put the tough questions to those in power, even if it makes them uncomfortable. The founders thought this so important, they made it one of our Five Freedoms in the First Amendment.

Wolf, you have the right, and you have the access; I would even go so far as to say you have the duty to press Darth Cheney or any government official to the wall of your studio to get answers to the legitimate questions of the day. To not press is to flush your press freedom down the toilet, and to fail in your watchdog role. To not call the veep on his lies, to let him reject your premise without challlenge, you cheat the American public out of accountability for the administration’s use of the bully pulpit. You totally chickened out, and that makes you a pussy.