Political Critic Archives

Did you know that the largest energy companies in the world are receiving assistance from the federal government? An energy bill passed last year gives oil companies $14.5 Billion in tax breaks!

These companies are reporting record profits. The top five most profitable quarters for any public company all belong to energy firms. Exxon Mobil has 4 of the top 5. In the fourth quarter of 2005, Exxon Mobil reported $10.7 billion in profit, the highest ever. They made another $8.4 billion in the first quarter. Not to be outdone, Chevron also reported record profits and a 50% increase over last year. Does the government really need to help these guys out?

This all comes at a time when prices at the pump are skyrocketing. The average price for a gallon of gasoline is now $2.91. Although that is not as high as other countries, it has risen tremendously in very short period of time. Now, I don't have that much of a problem with paying higher prices for gas, but when I'm also paying for tax breaks to oil companies, I have a huge issue with that.

Senate Democrats are attacking the problem of gas prices, but they are going about it all wrong. Shocking I know. They want to create a "windfall" tax on oil companies, which makes no sense. That simply goes against capitalism and a free market economy. No, the problem is the tax breaks. You can't stop a company from earning money, but you sure as hell don't have to give them government assistance.

In addition, very little is being done to search for alternative sources for energy and other means to reduce the dependency on foreign oil. It would be very easy to direct these $14.5 billion in tax breaks that the oil companies are getting and give them back to consumers who purchase hybrid vehicles.

Hybrids get far better gas mileage than regular gasoline powered cars, but they cost a few thousand dollars more. Why not give consumers a $5,000 tax break if they buy a hybrid? You would create an incentive for people to buy a vehicle that is less dependent on oil. You would also create a cleaner environment. It makes perfect sense to me, which is why it will probably never come to pass.

Friday, April 28, 2006

Senators Want FEMA Shut Down; White House Disagrees

A bi-partisan investigation by the Senate has determined that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should be dissolved and replaced with a more effective organization. FEMA has come under intense scrutiny after their complete incompetence related to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. All the money that poured in to FEMA from around the country and the world was completely wasted by the agency.

The Bush administration rejected calls to shut down the agency. We should not be surprised by this, as most of the people that run FEMA are Bush cronies. Yes, Mike Brown is gone, but the rest remain. The people that actually know how to handle emergencies left a long time ago.

For his part, Bush made a photo-op trip to New Orleans on Thursday to get his picture taken with local residents and pretend he is helping. Unfortunately, there is still very little being done by the federal government.

What the Senate has failed to realize is that FEMA does not have to be replaced. It just needs to replace all the political appointees that run the joint. FEMA was once a very well run organization. It was headed by a group of people that knew how to deal with disasters and emergencies all around the nation.

FEMA can get back to that form if only the cronies go away. Perhaps the members of the bi-partisan Senate inquiry do not have the stones to make that recommendation. I can see why. Even though Bush is at a 32% approval rating, Senators still do not want to criticize his wretched appointments to one of the most important agencies in the country.

So their solution is to shut it down, which also is nonsensical. They should try to fix the problem instead of just starting over. All you have here is an investigation that is politically motivated. The Senators are all trying to take the easy way out.

Unfortunately, it's not that easy to create a whole new agency and destroy the old one. It makes a lot more sense to fire the idiots who should never have been there in the first place and replace them with experienced, competent individuals. That is the solution.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

The Propaganda Network Called Fox

Just when you thought Fox News couldn't get any more ridiculous, they are now attributing the rise in stock prices to the "Success in Iraq". Yep, that's right. Fox News claims that the little invasion of Iraq that took place a few years ago has been a major success?!?! That's exactly what they claimed on a recent episode of "Bulls and Bears".

It's almost as if the White House is giving them scripts to read. I don't know how or when it happened, but somewhere along the way, Fox News became a puppet for the Bush regime. It is simply a government-run news organization. I thought in a democratic society that we didn't have such things, but I was wrong.

The White House is even hiring people directly from Fox. Tony Snow, A Fox News anchor who once claimed that racism is no longer a problem, has just been hired by the White House to be their spokesperson. Good luck with that! It's sort of like taking people from within your own firm and just transferring them into another department. I'd say it was a promotion, but Snow is going to be taking a big pay cut from his regular job in the "private" sector.

If you have the misfortune to ever watch Fox News, just know that they are not a news source. They are no better than The World Weekly News magazine, the crazy paper that literally makes up stories and sells them. At least with World Weekly News, they don't really hide the fact that the paper is fiction. With Fox, they still try to pass it off as legitimate. We all should know better.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Iran Continues to Talk Tough Despite Threat of Invasion

Yesterday, Iran threatened to cut the supply of oil to the world if foreign governments take action against them and their nuclear program. By foreign governments, they basically are referring to the Bush regime.

Perhaps out of sheer stupidity, it looks like Iran is purposely picking a fight with the United States. They might just get their wish. The American President and his trusty Defense Secretary would be more than happy to attack another Middle Eastern country.

As you can see from the above video, the rhetoric the Bushies are using is almost identical to the language of a few years ago when Iraq was invaded. It's almost unbelievable that this is happening again. With an approval rating at 32%, does Bush honestly believe that the public will let him start another war?

I'm hoping the answer is no, but I'm thinking Bush still believes he can do whatever he wants. It may not be tomorrow or next week or even next month, but before the elections come up in November, Bush will find a way to attack.

In the meantime, Iran can still disrupt the world oil supply by pulling the product off the market. Oil is already up to $75/barrel, and although that is below the inflation adjusted levels of the early 1980's, it has risen markedly over the last three years.

So get used to sky-high gas prices for the near future. The rhetoric is not likely to diminish and if the bombs drop, it'll be $5/gallon across the nation.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Forget Hillary...Nominate Joe Biden

The Democrats are making a huge mistake. They are putting all their money and all their weight behind Hillary Clinton, one of the most divisive people in the entire party. What they are missing is the incomparable Joseph Biden. Senator Biden of Delaware is probably the most articulate person in the entire Democratic party. He actually has a clue when he talks about Iraq and all the other issues that face Americans. The problem, thus far, is that the party is not getting behind him as they should.

Joe Biden has been a Senator since he was 30 years old. In fact, he took office on January 3, 1973, a full eight months before I was even born! Yes, this man is a career politician, but he knows his stuff backwards and forwards. He is a Roman Catholic, which should pass with all the bible-thumping freaks, and he is from a state that really has no particular negative connotation. Unlike Massachusetts, which John Kerry couldn't get away from, Biden is from Delaware, which is as benign as you get.

Biden has been a key player in getting the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 passed. He is also chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus. He has been chairman on the U.S. Senate Committee of the Judiciary and on the Committee for Foreign Relations. He is the ranking minority member of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Biden's expertise on foreign policy places him far ahead of any Democratic candidate for President in 2008. Hillary does not even come close. Neither does John Edwards. Not a single Presidential candidate has as much foreign policy experience as Senator Biden.

The issue comes down to money....as it always does. Hillary rakes in more money than Caesar's Palace in Vegas. That is what makes her the frontrunner. Hillary is not the frontrunner because she is the better candidate. She simply has more bank. That is where people on the blogosphere can make a difference. The political blogs need to emphasized the strong candidates who may not have a significant bank account. In this case, it is Senator Biden.

Don't get me wrong, Joe Biden is not claiming poverty. I'm sure the man has plenty of money for himself and family. He just doesn't have the funds to compete with the Clinton machine.

Speaking as someone who has always seen a Bush or Clinton in the White House his entire adult life, I yearn for the day when we can have someone different. Joe Biden is that man.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Another Audio Tape from Osama

The mainstream media is all over this new audio tape from Osama bin Laden, the man who is desperately trying to stay important. The man has been issuing basically the same message for years now, but the media still jumps whenever he speaks. Osama has been on the run ever since the United States invaded Afghanistan and he seems to have lost much of his power.

This time Osama calls for...a holy war! OMG, I'm so shocked! Doesn't he always call for a holy war? I think he changes up who he wants to start the jihad, but the basic message is always the same. The more these tapes come out, the more pathetic and irrelevant he sounds.

So why does the mainstream media give this pig so much airtime? I can't answer that question definitively, but here's my best shot. I'm going to guess that it has something to do with ratings. Somewhere in TV-land, news executives have figured out that ratings bump up just a little bit when they start talking about Osama. Now the ratings probably don't spike up like they did 4+ years ago when they mentioned bin Laden, but I'm betting they still go up a little.

Unfortunately, the MSM doesn't distinguish between what is news and what isn't when ratings are involved. Instead, they continue to give air-time to an insignificant figure who lives in a cave. I believe Jaromir Jagr said it best when he stated "never has a racist, anti-Semitic fascist been given so much legitimacy and face time". That's the problem. The media never stops to think if it should report a story and how much time they should dedicate to covering it.

Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 6:33pm

Dear Mr. President

A great new video from Pink called "Dear Mr. President" is performed below. It is a must see...

Ok, I don't agree with everything she has to say in the song, but it's still pretty interesting. Although, I do love the whiskey and cocaine comment she makes.

Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 1:30pm

The Racist Incumbent vs. Family History

The two winners of the preliminary election to be the Mayor of New Orleans are Ray Nagin and Mitch Landrieu. Nagin, who freely admitted that he was surprised to receive so much support after some of the crazy things he said, received 38% of the vote. Apparently, voters weren't bright enough to pick a non-racist candidate. Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu, whose family has a long history in politics, came in second place with 28% of the vote. They now face each other in a runoff election on May 20th.

Nagin was not able to get much of any support from whites. Nagin received only 5% of the white vote, but garnered a large percentage of the black vote. Considering how racist Nagin is, I'm surprised that even 5% of the whites voted for him. Landrieu, on the other hand, was at least able to get both blacks and whites vote for him. The twenty other candidates received only 34% of the vote combined.

The whole thing just shows the senselessness of the voting public. There were other strong candidates in this race, but the voters simply voted for slick talking, career politicians. Ron Forman was a viable option, but he received just 17% of the vote.

New Orleans has not had a white mayor since Landrieu's father in 1978. Before the hurricane, the city of New Orleans was 2/3 black. After the hurricane, it's anyone's guess what the demographics of the city are, but it is presumed that many blacks have not been able to come back yet. Despite this, for Landrieu to win, he must be able to take some of the black vote away from Ray Nagin.

A previous comment on this political blog described these two candidates as the lesser of two evils, as most political elections are. I cannot disagree with the reader. At some point, voters must stop electing political families and incompetent incumbents or nothing will ever change. The same goes for presidential races.

Friday, April 21, 2006

Don't Waste Your Vote on Ray Nagin

I am mystified about the New Orleans mayoral race. Tomorrow, residents go to the polls to vote for the person that will help restore the great city of New Orleans. Unfortunately, current Mayor Ray Nagin is near the top of the polls. This baffles me. There are a number of candidates running for mayor and the only one we know of that cannot do the job is Ray Nagin. The way Ray Nagin handled the Katrina disaster was a complete disgrace. Whoever votes for him deserves what they will get. Nothing!

To be sure, there are many others to blame besides Nagin. The federal government, FEMA, and state government officials completely dropped the ball. However, Ray Nagin was among the worst. Not only did he fail to get people out of the city before the hurricane, he took zero responsibility for the tragedy that ensued.

Unfortunately, the reason Ray Nagin is polling so well is because he is black and the rest of the top candidates are not. New Orleans is a city that is divided on racial lines. The black people vote for Nagin and the white people do not. For some reason, many black people in New Orleans do not think a white person can do the job. I guess that's what we call reverse-racism.

Oh, since we're talking about racism, the only one in this election who has made racist remarks is Ray Nagin. Mr. Nagin got in front of the mike a few months back and declared that New Orleans would be a "chocolate" city. He said that God intended New Orleans to be African-American! Now, if a white mayor stood up and said he wanted his city to be "vanilla" and God wanted his city to be white, he'd be forced to resign in humiliation in no time. But not Nagin. He got a little flack, but not much. It was, again, a disgrace.

The problem with Nagin is that he's just not bright. He talks a good game, but that is where it ends. He is a used car salesman who is in way over his head. He simply does not know what he is doing. In case anyone has forgotten, New Orleans wasn't exactly a safe place before the hurricane. It had rampant violence and had become run down. No, that is not all Ray Nagin's fault, but he certainly didn't change it for the better in his time on the job.

Voters will go to the polls tomorrow and the top two candidates will face a run-off election. If the residents of New Orleans have any sense at all, they will vote for anybody but Nagin.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

White House Shake-Up Won't Solve Anything

Another resignation has come to pass in the form of Scott McClellan, but it will never change the fact that the U.S. is bogged down in a war in Iraq. Bush can change as much personnel as he wants in an attempt to boost his sagging poll numbers, but he will live and die by what happens in Iraq. The Republican leadership has been demanding these changes and it seems as though Bush is complying to some extent. No big names have fallen and none are expected to, but the people around the periphery have been axed.

McClellan has been the whipping boy for the media as he has been the mouthpiece of a corrupt administration that continues to manipulate, deceive, and betray the American public. Whether he purposely lied to the media or the administration lied to him, we may never know. However, McClellan is smart enough to know if he was being manipulated by Bush and his cronies. He could've stepped aside months ago and saved some dignity. Instead, he stuck it out, but was used over and over again.

Bush accepted McClellan's resignation, but the one he should be demanding is from Donald Rumsfeld. I guess Bush is afraid to admit that the war in Iraq is an abysmal failure. Firing the Secretary of Defense, he believes, would acknowledge that the war is a disaster. My belief is, why is that so bad?!?!?!? So you acknowledge that the war is not going well. So what. The majority of the American public already know this. You don't lose anything.

If anything, you open up the possibility of actually winning this war if you elect to kick Donny to the curb. It must be done. The war cannot, I repeat, cannot be won with Donald Rumsfeld at the helm. The man simply does not know what he is doing.

So Bush can fire, uh I mean accept the resignation of other lower-tier minions, but it will not solve the problem that is the war. Fire the Secretary of Defense and replace him with someone competent; someone who actually listens to the generals on the ground who know far better what must be done.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

More Proof that He's a Lunatic

George Bush refused to rule out a NUCLEAR attack against Iran this morning when he talked to reporters outside the White House. He was asked specifically if he was planning a nuclear strike against Iran and his response was that "all options" are on the table. Bush also said that he'd like to resolve the dispute with Iran diplomatically. Of course, that's what he said about Iraq and we all know how that turned out.

Apparently, George Bush must have been drinking that day in school when they discussed nuclear fallout, radiation, and the atomic bomb. He seems to think that because the U.S. recently developed a mini-nuke, that somehow it makes it more acceptable to use the weapon against another country. "People of America" he will say, "It's not a nuclear weapon. It's a mini-nuclear weapon." Oh, ok then. That makes it all better, right?

The B61-11 bunker buster is the nuke he would likely use, but it is deplorable that he is considering it at all. The B61-11 has already been tested and it has failed to penetrate deep enough into the earth to prevent fatal nuclear fallout. It has only penetrated to about twenty feet deep before the explosion. To prevent widespread civilian casualties, the bomb would have to go hundreds of feet into the earth.

Isn't it ironic that George Bush is going to prevent a country from developing nuclear weapons by using a nuclear weapon on them? Isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black?

So let's recap. The U.S. has nukes, they're the only country to ever use nukes, and they may use nukes again. However, they are trying to tell another country that they can't have them because they wouldn't be responsible in using them?!?!? Yeah, makes perfect sense to me.

Monday, April 17, 2006

When will the U.S. Attack Iran?

We all know it will happen. It's just a matter of when. Sanctions are not going to work. Sanctions will make the people of Iran poor, but will do nothing to hurt the elite and the nuclear program. The only way to stop Iran from producing nuclear weapons is to attack them.

This administration is not the talking type. They are preparing to strike Iran and strike it soon. Military planning is already considered to be in "advanced" stages. Right now, the Bush administration is simply trying to prepare the public for a bombing campaign.

All the rhetoric you hear is simply public relations to the American people. It is exactly the same as when the U.S. invaded Iraq. A year before the invasion of Iraq, not many people actually thought the U.S. would try to overthrow Saddam. Even six months before the invasion, there were still many who believed the U.S. wouldn't invade.

Are we a full year away from a military strike against Iran? I doubt it. My best guess would be closer to six months. As I'm the cynical type, I'm thinking Bush would start a war with Iran near the 2006 mid-term elections. In six months, it will be mid-October. That would be only a few weeks away from the elections. Since citizens tend to rally around their president during times of war (especially new ones), Bush will be hoping to give the GOP a boost by attacking so close to the mid-terms.

The next six months will involve a lot of saber-rattling and rhetoric between the U.S. and Iran. It will all be just a buildup for a pre-election bombing campaign. I will be shocked if Iran isn't attacked before the election.

The question is what Iran does in return.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Illegals Coming From Canada Too!

A human smuggling ring operating out of Vancouver, British Columbia was broken up this week by Canadian and U.S. authorities. The group that was arrested were some aspiring entrepreneurs. They making $30,000 for every person they helped get in the United States. Not only that, but they weren't even transporting Hispanics. They were smuggling Pakistanis, Indians, and South Asian citizens. With all this effort focused on the southern border with Mexico, it seems that the northern border is virtually wide open.

As it turns out, 78% of the illegals that enter this country are from Mexico or Latin America. That means a solid 22% of the illegals come from somewhere else. It appears that the next largest group is from Asia, but there are also a significant number from Europe and Canada. So even if we build a wall on the southern border (which we still should), we will still have the problem of illegals coming from the north from a multitude of countries.

While politicians in Washington bicker back and forth, more illegals are flowing into this country at breakneck speed. Tons of money has been poured into Iraq and continues to do so, but barely a dime (in comparison) has been sent to protect the borders.

The case in Canada simply illustrates that the immigration problem is even more widespread than imagined. The northern border is virtually impossible to completely protect, but far more can be done. If the U.S. really wants to protect the country against illegals and potential terrorists entering this country, they must protect both the north and the south.

Friday, April 14, 2006

Dumb and Dumber

I don't know which guy is dumber, Donald Rumsfeld or George Bush. Rumsfeld won't quit and Bush won't fire him. The war in Iraq has been completely bungled by Rummy, but he accepts no blame and just goes on about his merry way. Thousands have died from his inept decisions as the Secretary of Defense. I just don't understand how Bush is so oblivious to not notice it.

-Dumb and Dumber - Bush J...

The current spin out of Rummy is that there are thousands upon thousands of admirals and generals under his command. It sounds like a lot of people when Rummy includes the admirals, but we're not even talking about them. In addition, the men and women under his command are active duty and are not allowed to speak out against their superiors. That is why you only hear from retired generals. It seems like a different general is coming out every other day.

The question we should be asking is how many retired generals are there that have retired since the beginning of the Iraq War. Those are the only relevant people in this conversation. They need to have worked under Rumsfeld during the war for their opinions to be relevant. There are currently five generals speaking out against Rummy. How many are still waiting their turn?

It also comes out today that Rumsfeld allowed the abuse and degrading conditions to occur at the Guantanamo prisons. Rumsfeld approved the interrogation plan, had the soldiers carry it out, and then denied involvement. Now we find out that he was personally involved in the harsh treatment that violated the Geneva Conventions.

But Georgie will keep trucking along, backing up his incompetent Secretary of Defense, all while ignoring overwhelming evidence that the guy is clueless. Of course, it is very difficult for one dumb guy to be fired by a dumber guy.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Yet Another General Wants Rumsfeld Out

This time it's retired Major General John Batiste calling for Rumsfeld to resign. Lately, a lot of high ranking generals have called for Rumsfeld's head. Lt. General Gregory Newbold, General Anthony Zinni, and Army Major General Paul Eaton have all come out against the Secretary of Defense. When is George going to finally listen to his generals?

Rumsfeld is one of the primary reasons why the United States is having so much trouble in Iraq. If he had actually listened to the generals, he would've put enough troops on the ground to secure the country. Instead, Rumsfeld fired the general who disagreed with him on the troop levels. Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki had told Rumsfeld a month before the war that several hundred thousand troops would be necessary in Iraq. Shinseki turned out to be completely correct.

As a result of Rumsfeld's utter incompetence, thousands of American troops have died. If only he had listened.

Now, before another 2,300+ troops die, George Bush has the opportunity to listen to a growing chorus of high ranking generals who are demanding that Rumsfeld be canned. He didn't listen the first time and Iraq got worse. Let's hope this time he gets rid of Rummy and replaces him with someone who actually knows what he's doing. If not, thousands more will die.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

White House Considers Using Nuclear Weapons Against Iran

No, I am not making this up. Yes, the mainstream media is largely ignoring it. However, this is serious business. Military planners have included an option to use tactical nuclear weapons against specific targets in Iran. That's right; the only country to ever use nuclear weapons, the same country who wants to attack Iran for even considering making one, is contemplating the use of them. This is pure insanity! Have Bush and Cheney and the rest of the administration lost their mind? Did they learn nothing from the mistakes in Japan? Obviously not!

Fortunately, there are some senior people in the military who have said they will resign if the nuclear option is not taken off the table. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. But even that threat has not been enough to have Bush remove the option of using nukes. That in and of itself should tell you all you need to know about President George W. Bush. The man and his administration are animals. They are hell-bent on destroying the entire Middle East at any cost.

If the U.S. uses nuclear weapons on anyone, I will leave the country. There are some lines you never cross. It was bad enough that nukes were used 60 years ago. It should never happen again. The use of nuclear weapons would not only kill hundreds of thousands of people, it will open the floodgates for other countries to use them.

The United States is not the only country to have an arsenal of nukes. Pakistan, India, Russia, Great Britain, France, and others all have nuclear weapons. Any one of them could feel emboldened to use their nukes if the U.S. is willing.

The specific type of nuke the U.S. is contemplating using is called the B61-11, which is a bunker busting version of the B61 nuclear bomb. This particular bomb weights 1,200 pounds and has a delayed action fuse, which allows it to penetrate into the ground before it blows. The United States produced about 50 of these B61-11 nuclear bombs. This bomb has been tested in Alaska, but only penetrated 20 feet into the earth.

There is much dispute about the yield of this particular nuclear bomb. Some say it has a 10 kiloton yield, while others claim it could be as much as a 340 kiloton yield. To give you an idea of what that means, the bomb dropped on Hiroshima produced a 15 kiloton yield.

It is described as a mini-nuclear bomb because it is considered a "low-yield" nuclear weapon, but it still would produce a large area of deadly fallout.

The production of these mini-nukes has been recent and there are many who want to find out how effective they are. The were made in 1997, despite U.S. policy prohibiting production of additional nuclear weapons. At the time, it was argued that the B61-11 was simply a modification of an older nuke.

Escalating any conflict to a nuclear level is an act of lunacy. There would be massive radioactive fallout. Many civilians would die. The world would never be the same.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Senate Races Hold the Key

A small number of close Senate races may hold the key to the rule of power in Washington come November. Even though the GOP is falling on it's own sword nationally, the Dems must have a solid ground game in each individual state. There are 33 Senate seats up for election in November, but only six are deemed competitive at the moment.

In liberal Rhode Island, Senator Lincoln Chafee (R) is in a battle to hold his position. The smallest state in the union is drawing national attention. Money is coming in from Democratic people to push Chafee out of his seat. In such a small state, it won't take very much money to fully fund the Democratic challenger. Matt Brown and Sheldon Whitehouse are fighting to be the Democratic nominee. In polling, both Democrats are within a few percent of Chafee.

In Ohio, Senator Mike DeWine (R) is doing everything he can to run away from President Bush and the GOP, but it may not be enough. It doesn't help that Ohio's Republican governor was fined for receiving gifts or that one of Ohio's Republican Congressman, Bob Ney, is under investigation for his role in the Abramoff scandal. Sherrod Brown (D) is the challenger in this race. He has served 14 years in the House, which should give him the experience he needs to be seen as a viable alternative to the incumbent DeWine.

In Missouri, Jim Talent (R) is fighting Claire McCaskill (D). They are currently even in polling. Democrats have promised to fund her campaign extensively in the lead-up to the election.

In Pennsylvania, Senator Rick Santorum (R) is facing an uphill battle against the surging Democrat Bob Casey Jr. Santorum is extremely far to the right and often sounds like a fascist when he speaks. Casey is running ahead of Santorum in nearly every poll.

In Montana, Conrad Burns (R) has ties to Jack Abramoff, so the Democrats are painting his office as corrupt and unethical. There are a number of Democratic challengers and whoever emerges as the frontrunner should be able to take Mr. Burns out.

In Tennessee, Senator and Majority Leader Bill Frist (R) is retiring. Frist is already under investigation by the SEC for his illegal stock trading. Frist sold stock in a blind trust (he's not supposed to know what stocks are inside it) on inside information. Congressman Harold Ford Jr. (D) is the likely challenger. Ford comes across as an extremely articulate and honest guy. With proper funding, he should have a very good shot at being the next Senator of the state.

All this bodes well for the Democrats right now. They need to win all six of these seats and hold their own to retake control of the Senate.

Sunday, April 9, 2006

Bush Administration Determined to Attack Iran

Haven't we been down this road before? The Bush administration claims that a country is developing nuclear weapons, so we must attack them before they actually acquire them. We know now that the propaganda leading up to the Iraq war was complete BS. Now the administration is using the same rhetoric in speaking about Iran. These lunatics must be stopped, and I'm not talking about the ones in Iran!

If Bush has his druthers, he will begin a bombing campaign against Iran within the next few months. According to military people, he is already collecting information on which targets to hit. Seymour Hersh writes about it extensively here. The Washington Post also writes about it here.

This rhetoric about attacking a country solely because they would like to develop nukes is completely absurd. As much as the United States tries, they will not be able to forever deny countries from developing nuclear weapons to defend themselves. Considering that the United States has more nukes than any other country and is the only country to have used them, it is not unreasonable to assume that other nations would develop the technology in order to keep up and protect their country.

Bush also seems to think that a bombing campaign will lead the people of Iran to rise up and overthrow the government. This is pure insanity. I mean, we all know Bush is an idiot, but this is just sheer madness. For once, the U.S. should stop thinking of war as a solution to diplomacy. The idiocy of the administration is going to get a lot more people killed. It seems that they have learned absolutely nothing from the war in Iraq.

The larger issue is the retaliation on the part of Iran. If the Bush administration decides to bomb Iran and kill their citizens, Iran will retaliate with the full force of their military. Don't think that the U.S. is that much more superior. The American military is stretched incredibly thin, they are bogged down in Iraq and are facing increased hostility in Afghanistan. A war with Iran will devastate the American armed forces.

The administration might think that it will be just a simple bombing campaign, but Iran will attack. There are an inordinate number of targets Iran can attack as well. The U.S. has over 100,000 troops in Iraq and Iran could hit U.S. bases quite easily. Iran has also been preparing for an attack for years. As an advisor points out in the Seymour piece, the Iranian military could take Basra (southern Iraq) very easily. Even though there are 8,000 British troops there, it would not be difficult.

What the Bush/Cheney administration really want is to overthrow Iran's government. They will use the phrase "regime change", but it is truly just killing or capturing government officials and putting your own people in their place. That means that they don't want to find a diplomatic solution.

The Bush administration wants another war. If it happens, you will see the demise of American military dominance in the world.

Friday, April 7, 2006

New Polls Suggest Republicans in Big Trouble

While President Bush's approval rating continues to set new lows, the bigger story is the lead the Democrats have over Republicans. In a newly released poll that asked who should lead Congress, the Democrats hold an overwhelming 49%-33% advantage. Even though it is a generic poll, it indicates that the American public may be ready to throw the crooks out of office, much like they did to Democrats in 1994.

That is the key to ending Bush's presidency. Democrats must retake both the House and the Senate, so that they can investigate and ultimately impeach George Bush. The task is daunting, especially in the Senate, but it can be done. This new polling shows that this is a distinct possibility. The Democrats need to win six seats in the Senate, which is basically every competitive race, but the public is finally beginning to get fed up.

Bush's job approval is now 36%, down from 37% just a couple weeks ago. The lower it goes, the more Republicans run away from him. The more Republicans speak ill of Bush, the lower the number will go still. Eventually, it is the GOP that is pushing the approval ratings down.

I believe about 35% is the benchmark percentage. If and when Bush falls below that rating, you will see Republicans jumping ship in mass numbers. You are already seeing it to some extent and we're not even that close to the elections. An approval rating of 35% or below signifies that Bush is losing his base and when he loses his base, the GOP is done. Conservatives will not come out to vote in November. They won't necessarily vote for the Democratic candidate, but they will just stay home.

I will be rooting this number down to as low as possible over the next seven months. That will be the best national measure of whether Democrats will be able to take over. Only then will we be able to see real investigations of this administration.

Thursday, April 6, 2006

Chris Matthews in Bed with Tom Delay

What has happened to Chris Matthews? He has become a stooge of the Republican party. He actually told Tom Delay, a crooked politician, that he owes him. Are you kidding me? Whatever happened to the (somewhat) neutral Chris Matthews that didn't suck up to his guests? Now he's pandering to one of the most corrupt and unethical conservatives around. What is he thinking???

In addition, Tom Delay showed what a tool he is when he said that there was "nothing worse than a woman know-it-all". Wow!!! I can't believe he said that! Ok, I can believe it. I mean, we're talking about Chairman Dodge, uh, I mean Tom Delay. So now we know how Tom Delay feels about women. This guy just keeps getting better and better. How in the world did this guy become Majority Leader of the House of Representatives?

The pathetic part is that Delay talks about how "strong" his faith is?!?!? I can't stand when people hide behind their faith, when their actions go completely against what they preach. They act as if their faith makes them a good person. It doesn't. Damn hypocrite!!!

Oh, so what does Matthews say when Delay makes that comment about women? Nothing, that's what. The supposed neutral media guy does not call out the dirty politician who makes a derogatory comment about females right in front of him. Good job Chris!

I think Matthews needs to change jobs and go over to the state-run Fox Network. That is where he belongs. How exactly are we supposed to get an accurate depiction of the news when Chris Matthews is in Tom Delay's back pocket? Mathews owes him? What the hell for?

This is the beginning of the demise of Chris Matthews. He needs to go.

On another note, will John Kerry ever shut up? He comes out yesterday with not one, but two deadlines for the war in Iraq. This is John Kerry begging to be relevant once again. News Flash: He isn't! Just go away John! Don't go away mad, just go away! Between him and Nancy Pelosi, it's a wonder that the Democratic Party still survives.

I'm sure Johnny looked at a poll before opening his mouth. He campaigned entirely in that regard and it still continues. Wait until public sentiment has completely turned against the war, then call for a troop withdrawal. Good one John.

Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Amnesty International Levels Heavy Accusations Against U.S.

A new report has been released by human rights group Amnesty International that details the kidnapping and torture of international citizens by the United States. In the 15,000 page report, Amnesty International, a highly respected organization, states that "The U.S. administration is manipulating commercial arrangements in order to be able to transfer people in violation of international law." Amnesty International has multiples sources from men that were beaten and abused in these prisons.

Amnesty International has demanded an inquiry into the problem. The U.S. likes to call their secret program a "rendition", which is political spin for "we kidnap people off the street, fly them to secret prisons, and torture them". It sounds so hard to believe that the good ole U.S. of A would do such despicable things, but it appears to be true.

It isn't a secret is that the U.S. administration has been running these programs. It's been written about in the past, but somehow blew over. The CIA literally kidnaps people off the street, drugs them, throws them in a bag, and then onto a plane to some random "black site" jail in Eastern Europe somewhere. In the last five years, the CIA has managed to ruin all the goodwill that they had in Europe. Their reputation is referred to as "toxic".

The problem is that the U.S. administration does not believe they are accountable to anyone. Here in the states, they want to censure George Bush for violating domestic law in regard to spying on his own citizens. However, he has committed far more egregious crimes outside his own country. Unfortunately, the opposing party in America is dysfunctional at best. The Democratic Party is so concerned with appearing "un-American" that they refuse to come after the administration for the crimes they are committing overseas.

I'd like to think the Amnesty International report will actually change things, but I'm not nearly that naive. It is a front page story in Britain, but it's nowhere to be found in the American media. I guarantee that it will continue to get very little press inside the U.S. The mainstream media is fixated on mundane items like who will win an election that doesn't take place for another 2 1/2 years. They simply refuse to cover real, actual news. Chris Matthews, CNN, and others may touch on it, but unless ratings go up, they will switch to a different, more sexy topic.

To illustrate, the headline story in the U.S. for today is a sex sting of a Homeland Security official. While I'm sure that's important, I tend to believe that when our government is kidnapping people and torturing them at secret prison sites, it should at least be mentioned.

Tuesday, April 4, 2006

One Down, Many More To Go

A beautiful thing happened today. Tom Delay, one of the most crooked politicians in a generation, decided not to seek re-election to Congress in November. On behalf of all honest and hard-working Americans, let me just say...Thank God! Get rid of all the crooks and liars, no matter what side of the aisle they are on.

Unfortunately, Delay will not officially leave until the end of May or early in June, but at least he'll be gone. I'm sure he'll still be working behind the scenes, and we all know that he will still be crooked, but at least he won't be in Congress anymore. It is a step in the right direction.

In case you've forgotten how dirty Tom Delay really is, let me just remind you. Have you ever seen The Distinguished Gentlemen with Eddie Murphy? Well, Tom Delay is Chairman Dick Dodge, the corrupt Congressman that goes toe to toe with Eddie Murphy's character. In the end, Dodge gets caught in a corruption scandal and is forced to resign. In the movie, Chairman Dodge was a scumbag; but he's not nearly as dirty as Tom Delay.

Tom Delay has been involved in the illegal tracking the movement of members of Congress, has been indicted for money laundering and conspiracy, has broken state fundraising laws, endorsed specific members of Congress in exchange for votes, and has been deeply entrenched in the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Jack Abramoff might hold even more information on the amount of illegal activity Tom Delay has participated in over the years. Abramoff will be serving 7 years in prison in exchange for his testimony against certain political officials, one of which is presumably Delay. Two of Delay's top aides have already pleaded guilty to a variety of corruption charges.

Monday, April 3, 2006

The Death of John McCain

You could see this coming. John McCain has been kissing some major tail the last few months, but nothing was more pathetic than his comments on Meet The Press yesterday. McCain had originally said that Jerry Falwell was an "Agent of Intolerance". This is true, of course, as Jerry Falwell is a racist, discriminating, pig. However, on Meet the Press, McCain backed off his original comments and said that Falweell was NOT an agent of intolerance.

McCain was right the first time. Unfortunately, now McCain wants to be President and he is sucking up to the Christian Coalition, the far-right wing of the Republican party. It is a horrible display. The extremists on the right are a large part of the problem in this country. They are the most intolerant group of people in America.

John McCain's base of support comes from the middle. Independents and moderates on both sides of the aisle have loved him in the past. When he spoke out against Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, the people in the middle were cheering. We loved that a politician would actually be honest; that he would say what everybody else was afraid to. It was very refreshing and was exactly what Generation X'ers and younger voters have been begging for.

However, now McCain is getting in bed with the people that moderates despise the most; the extremists. Not only that, but McCain is cozying up to George Bush as well. That makes me cringe to no end. He has made a deal with the devil. Who knows what will be asked in return. He is losing everybody in the middle. His only strategy, I imagine, is that nobody is paying much attention this early on in the 2008 race.

It is a damn shame that McCain has lost his maverick label and feels compelled to join the side of the corrupt and intolerant. He would have been much better off running as an Independent. With enough funding, he would be able to take votes away from the Democratic nominee (Hillary) and the Republican nominee and possibly win the presidency. There are enough people in the political center that McCain would have as good a shot as any.

Unfortunately, that's not how McCain wants to play it. He wants to take the easy way out and get in bed with the people he loathes and who loathe him right back.

I imagine that it will only get worse from here on out. The nutjobs on the right will ask more and more of John McCain until he has lost his entire identity. The old John McCain is gone. He has been replaced by a puppet of the extreme conservative base.

Sunday, April 2, 2006

Conservative Bloggers Owe Jill Carroll an Apology

Many conservative bloggers and some idiots in the mainstream media took the opportunity to bash Jill Carroll after she was released by her kidnappers. Carroll was forced to make statements in a video condemning the United States. She was also coerced into doing an interview while still under the watch of the Sunnis. In that interview, she said her captors treated her well. Anyone with a clue would've realized that these comments were made under duress and with a gun to her head. However, conservative bloggers jumped all over it and condemned Jill Carroll, the victim.

I'm quite certain that if those political bloggers had a machine gun to their head, they would say anything the kidnappers wanted. I know I would. Even mainstream writers for papers like The Washington Post openly questioned why Carroll would make statements like that.

Frankly, I'm shocked that people are so stupid. They couldn't wait until Carroll was in a safe area to find out what really happened. Low and behold, when Jill Carroll felt that she could speak freely, she immediately disavowed the earlier statements.

Jill Carroll is a courageous and brave American. She has been through a great deal in the last three months and the last thing she needs is American writers and bloggers bashing her. These morons owe her an apology and they owe it to her immediately.

Jill Carroll is due to arrive in Boston at noon today (right about now). She has requested that her and her family be allowed to spend some quiet time alone, together. Somehow I doubt that the media will allow her to do so.

In the days and weeks ahead, she may share more about her horrific ordeal and how she managed to survive. In the meantime, there should not be a negative word said or printed about her.

Saturday, April 1, 2006

Protests Greet Condoleezza Rice in England

High school demonstrators held up signs asking Condoleezza Rice how many kids she had killed today. Other citizens were incensed that she be allowed to visit certain spots in Liverpool. Even the Conservative Party member criticized her and the administration when he questioned the killings of thousands of innocent people on the part of the U.S. government all to create democracy. Rice had been giving a speech on the need to encourage democracies around the world, but skipped over the part where she doesn't abide by it.

I'm writing about this today to demonstrate the shear hatred of the United States by pretty much everyone outside of the United States. Citizens near and far are disgusted by the actions of the American government over the last few years. Administration officials like Rice travel around the globe and speak of democracy, but they get upset when the "wrong" people get elected. Rice and her colleagues preach democracy, but they don't even follow it themselves. That is why protesters are waiting to greet her and anyone else from this administration who decides to show themselves.

The hostility toward America from the rest of the world should scare the hell out of the citizens in this country. The U.S. will not be able to get away with their actions around the world forever. Eventually, they will need other nations on their side or they will cease to exist. History shows us that all empires fall. The U.S. is no different. The American democracy can exist for a very long time, but not if the government continues to act is such a reckless and incompetent manner.

The protesters in developed, foreign countries have it right. They see America for what it is becoming; an imperialistic nation with a far-reaching agenda. The United States government decided at some point that they were going to control the world. With Russia effectively out of the superpower picture, it left the U.S. as the only nation standing well above the rest. Today, the American presence is worldwide. Military bases have been contracted in many, many countries so that the U.S. can have a degree of influence in every part of the world.

So Condi is off trying to market the war in Iraq. That's all her trip is for, by the way. The administration thinks everything can be spun, so they sent Rice across the pond to tell everyone how important it is for (their version of) democracy to flourish.

Home / About Us / Site Map