I don't care who you are or what you are, you CANNOT violate The Constitution and CLAIM to be an American at the same time.

I am sick of all these fuck heads like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who advocate having Congress simply bless Bush's illegal procedures.

I am also sick and tired of those who attack the patriotism of those that support the recent Supreme Court Decision on Gitmo.

What part of freedom and liberty do you not understand wingnuts? What part of The Constitution and Declaration of Independents does not compute with you assholes?

I tell you what wingnuts, I will die defending The Constitution, will you? I will spill my blood to make sure you kooky wingnuts do not destroy America.

What the fuck are you pussy wingnuts so afraid of? This is America. We are fucking Americans. We believe in truth, justice, freedom, and the American Way. We are not going to let some schmoe from Texas strut in to D.C. and just scrap all The Truths we hold to be self-evident.

I guarantee that the Majority of Americans support The Constitution and will defend it. I guarantee that the Majority of Americans are willing to fight and die in order to preserve our Democracy and our way of life. Just as our forefathers (and mothers) did before us, so shall we fight against Tyranny.

America is larger than anyone that is alive. America is an idea founded upon the sacred document, The Constitution. This document has successfully navigated our country through 217 years of history. No conflict has been great enough to cause America to lose faith in its institutions and The Constitution. Not the Civil War, not two world wars, not The Great Depression.

We Americans are certainly not about to allow some "War on Terror" or "terrorism" scare us in to giving up our Constitutional Rights as Americans. And we are certainly not about to use this so called "War on Terror" as an excuse to stop behaving like Americans.

America is not about torture, it's not about rape, or sicking dogs on people. It's not about holding people in Gitmo without due process. America is not about violating the Geneva Conventions.

America is America and no amount of Bush Sycophantic wingnut propaganda can change that.

Try all you want wingnuts. When it comes to blows you will be outnumbered and you will die. This is America not some Nazi reincarnated country as you wish it to be.

Posted by PoliShifter at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

Silly Supreme Court, you can't tell a dictator what to do. The Dictator is The Law. He's also above the laws he enacts himself.

Bush will push new laws on detainees

Washington correspondent Geoff Elliott

July 01, 2006

THE Bush administration is expected to propose new legislation to try to establish lawful military trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees, including David Hicks, after the US Supreme Court declared the existing military tribunals illegal.

Some Republicans in Congress, where the party holds a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, have indicated they would support new legislation.

Continue Reading

We're reaching a critical point here folks. Bush is almost past the point of no return into Fascism.

I hope there are Minute Men and Women out there, (the True Patriots not these wingnut pretenders) willing to once again take up arms at a momments notice. It will be up to us to defend The Constitution when Bush declares it Null and Void.

Posted by PoliShifter at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

We have all known something was up with the high gas prices. We knew something smelled rotten. We understood that tensions in the Middle East, Katrina, an Oil Man in the White House, and lack of refining capacity could have been contributing to the high oil prices.

But when the Oil Companies kept turing in record profits, something didn't compute. Where was the money going? It's not like it costs the Oil Companies more money to produce that barrel of oil. It's not like the Oil Companies are pouring all their profit in to exploration, building more refineries, and improving supply lines in order to secure America's energy needs.

Well, now we can rest easy knowing why Big Oil and Government have colluded to fuck us over at the pump once again.

House approves bill to lift ban on offshore drilling

By Larry Wheeler, Gannett News Service

WASHINGTON — Anxious to show voters back home that Congress can do something about high gas prices, House lawmakers approved legislation Thursday that would expand drilling for oil and natural gas off most of the U.S. coast and Alaska.

The bill, which passed on a 232-187 vote, would end a ban on new domestic offshore drilling that for 25 years confined such activity almost exclusively to the western and central Gulf of Mexico.
#

"Americans are desperate for real energy solutions," said Lydia Weiss, a lobbyist for Defenders of Wildlife. "These are not real energy solutions. Drilling off shore will not help meet our energy needs. "

Those concerns seemed to carry little weight as bill supporters anticipated victory during the afternoon debate.

"Show me a natural gas well that has ever polluted a beach," said Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., one of the primary authors of the legislation. "This country cannot compete in the global marketplace without affordable natural gas. Natural gas is a commodity this country is rich in and the Outer Continental Shelf is loaded."

Continue Reading

It's the 1970's all over. We have rampant inflation and runaway gas prices. Only this time, the motivation is not getting legislation through Congress to allow for the building of the Alaska Pipeline. This time it's to get Congress to ok offshore oil drilling ubiquitously off the coast of the U.S.

Either way it's about greed, profit, and maintaining oil as our primary energy source rather than focusing on developing alternatives.

Posted by PoliShifter at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

It's been another episode of Wingnuts Gone Wild this past week as any and every wingnut in America including President Bush have been making the media rounds calling the New York Times traitors.

Wingnut logic argues that the New York Times wich "disclosed" Bush's secret bank monitoring program aimed at tracking terrorists' financial transactions and that because of this "disclosure" by The Times we are less likely to find terrorist funds therefore giving them more opportunity to attack us.

The problem with wingnut logic is that Bush had already many years ago let it be known that we were going to track the finances of terrorists. Bush said as much in his 9/20/01 Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People:

"We ask every nation to join us. We will ask, and we will need, the help of police forces, intelligence services, and banking systems around the world." - President Bush 9/20/2001

Well, then using wingnut logic Bush should be tried for treason. Bush publically announced to the terrorists that we were going to track their finances! Oh my! But it doesn't stop there.

Dan Froomkin writes in the Washington Post in a column titled A SWIFT Kick in the Head:
#
When asked to back up the White House accusation that a recent New York Times story put American lives at risk by disclosing vital secrets to terrorists, the best press secretary Tony Snow could do yesterday was this: "I am absolutely sure they didn't know about SWIFT."

SWIFT, the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, is the international banking cooperative that quietly allowed the Treasury Department and the CIA to examine hundreds of thousands of private banking records from around the world.

But the existence of SWIFT itself has not exactly been a secret. Certainly not to anyone who had an Internet connection.

SWIFT has a Web site, at swift.com .

It's a very informative Web site.

It's a very informative Web site. For instance, this page describes how "SWIFT has a history of cooperating in good faith with authorities such as central banks, treasury departments, law enforcement agencies and appropriate international organisations, such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), in their efforts to combat abuse of the financial system for illegal activities."
(And yes, FATF has its own Web site, too.)

#

hmm, so the super duber uber double dog secret program disclosed by the New York Times has a website and advertises that they cooperate in good faith with authorities and law enforment agencies? Oh my God! The Traitors! Quick someone alert Hannity & O'Reilly so they can have a Wonder Twin Powers Activate momment!


This was posted on Democratic Underground:

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline.jsp?timelin...

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the anti-money-laundering cause has sprung back to life. The Bush Administration, which is trying to hunt down Osama bin Laden's cash in tax havens and secret bank accounts, has suddenly got religion about tracking down terrorists' assets, know-your-customer laws for banks and an array of other tools on law enforcement's wish list.

The antiterrorism bill the Bush Administration sponsored, augmented by tough money-laundering provisions proposed by Democrats, sailed through the Senate. But late last week House Republican leaders Dick Armey and Tom Delay thwarted efforts to include an anti-money-laundering bill in the chamber's antiterrorism legislation, sources tell TIME, endangering the entire banking reform effort.

#

What? So Tom Delay and Dick Armey are traitors too? I tell you what, if wingnuts want Congress to go after traitors (which by wingnut logic is anyone who in their opinion increases their risk of being attacked by a terrorist) then they better get cracking. There are a whole lotta traitors to round up.

Wingnuts, you should start with President Bush. After all, he was the first one to disclose that the U.S. was tracking the finances of terrorists. Secondly, President Bush and the whole Bush Crime Family have very close ties to Saudi Arabia. It is well known that Saudi Arabi funds many of the terrorist outfits in the world. If Bush wanted to, he could ask his Saudi friends to knock it off but he won't.

Further, the Bush Crime family has business ties to the Bin Laden family. If Bush really wanted to track the finances of the terrorists all he would have to do is hand over the banking records of his entire family as well as his friends at the Carlyle Group.

Posted by PoliShifter at 01:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Hell No! Bush ain't not cut and runner! He'd assume see more U.S. Troops killed than cut and run from Iraq just to appease the insurgents. Why, it would positiviely hurt his swagger if he took the deal. He might get perceived as a pussy; a Dictator cannot be perceived as weak and The Decider knows this.

Besides, using wingnut logic this would only embolden Al Qaeda. After all, we know that Bush's number one priority is catching Osama Bin Laden and destroying Al Qaeda...

Insurgents offer to halt attacks in Iraq

By STEVEN R. HURST and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writers

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Eleven Sunni insurgent groups have offered an immediate halt to all attacks — including those on American troops — if the United States agrees to withdraw foreign forces from Iraq in two years, insurgent and government officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Withdrawal is the centerpiece of a set of demands from the groups, which operate north of Baghdad in the heavily Sunni Arab provinces of Salahuddin and Diyala. Although much of the fighting has been to the west, those provinces are increasingly violent and attacks there have crippled oil and commerce routes.

The groups who've made contact have largely shunned attacks on Iraqi civilians, focusing instead on the U.S.-led coalition forces. Their offer coincides with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's decision to reach out to the Sunni insurgency with a reconciliation plan that includes an amnesty for fighters.

Continue Reading

Posted by PoliShifter at 01:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The invasion and occupation of Iraq was and continues to be a conscious choice by the Bush Administration as opposed to a reaction to circumstance.

After we were attacked on 9/11 by Al Qaeda, rather than seek to do what was in the best interest of the American People, the Bush Administration opted to fully exploit 9/11 for the political fruit it could yield.

Afghanistan was the logical target as was Osama Bin Laden. After a feable attempt at catching Osama Bin Laden and squashing Al Qadea, the Bush Administration turned its full attention to Iraq; a country that had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11.

The decision to invade Iraq was predicated by a political desire the Bush Administration needed fulfilled. Bush wanted desperately to be a War Time President. Not just for ego and bravado, but also to help justify the Administration’s advocation for the granting of Carte Blanche power to The Executive.

Afghanistan could not have given the Bush Administration the long, protracted, bloody quagmire that Iraq could. Catching Bin Laden and destroying Al Qaeda as well as the Taliban also would have worked against the Bush Administration. A never ending war was desired in order to justify the fascification of the United States in such a manner that the citizenry would accept it.

Hence now the “War on Terror” and the protracted occupation of Iraq. It was a political decision with devious political motivation. There was no evidence that Saddam had reconstituted his nuclear program. Saddam had no ties to Al Qaeda, 9/11, or Osama Bin Laden. There was no evidence that Saddam was an imminent threat to the United States.

The case Bush and Cheney presented to the American People was pure bullshit based on faulty, ginned up intelligence reports on Iraq from dubious sources. The motivation was pure and simple; get the United States in a war that could not be won during the Bush Administration’s tenure.

The purpose is truly multifaceted. One part was maintaining the Presidency. This was key to the Administration so they would be able to continue to execute their NeoCon agenda. Rove knew that if Bush was a “war time President”, a “Commander-in-Chief” if you will, that American common sense would dictate that we should not change horses in mid-stream. Indeed, this became a popular wingnut talking point during 2004.

The other part of the benefits to the Bush Administration involving the Iraq War revolve around being able to use Iraq and the War on Terror as an excuse to justify giving Bush “special war powers”. Basically, the Administration wanted and got the ability to break any and every law, civil liberty, and tradition established by our Constitution and our Congress without fear of having to answer to any body of power or be held accountable.

Bush has expanded the power of the Executive to unprecedented levels. Bush has become above the law, and for all pratical purposes, a Dictator. Expansion of the meaning and intention of signing statements have made it possible for Bush to ignore laws passed by Congress; laws that you and I must obey.

More importantly however is the fact that Iraq remains a political football that is still in play for the Bush Administration. The Bush Administration has been clever in their lack of strategy and attention paid to Iraq. They basically have made sure that the majority of Americans have not had to make any sacrifices in the name of the occupation of Iraq. Bush has done this by cutting taxes and borrowing money in order to fund the occupation.

Our military force in Iraq is relatively small, about 130,000. This serves two purposes: One, this means that the Iraq War is only really directly affecting about 600,000 Americans. Two, with a small military force Bush pretty much guarranted that Iraq would not become stable or peaceful. Enough bloodshed would occur in order to jusify keeping our troops there but not so much that The Public's stomach would sour to the occupation.

I guess we did learn some lessons from Vietnam, albeit the wrong lessons. With no draft, no sacrifice by Americans on a large scale, and a relatively low number of American Families who are directly experiencing the tragedy and horror of war, the Bush Administration has ensured that there won’t be a popular uprising against the occupation of Iraq.

Bush has been able to drain massive amounts of capital out of our treasury and divert it to his cronies all in the name of War. Bush has also been able to rack up our debt and plunge us in to deficit spending all in the name of his war.

And now that the occupation in Iraq is getting somewhat unpopular with Americans, Bush can announce to America that we will be withdrawing *some* troops, conveniently before the November elections, just enough to pacify the public’s angst over the occupation.

The occupation from start to it’s never ending finish was designed by choice to be a never ending occupation that serves as a political tool for Republicans. We have no intention of leaving Iraq. We have no intention of rebuilding Iraq. We have no intention of creating stability in Iraq. What the Bush Administration and the Republicans want is controlled chaos. What Republicans want is a political tool that basically allows them to keep winning elections, pass any laws they see fit, hold The President above the law, and raid our treasury for their own purpose and ill-gotten gain.

Posted by PoliShifter at 04:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Al Franken had on David Brock of Media Matters to discuss last week's claim by Rick Santorum that WMDs have been found in Iraq.

And yes I got extremely angry. I get sick and tired of listening to Fuck Heads like Hannity, Gibson, O'Reilly, Gingrich, Limbaugh, Hume, Angle, and Kristol make these bullshit claims that WMD have been found in Iraq. I get even more tired of them trying to extort Democrats into appologizing to President Bush for calling him a liar.

When Bush and Cheney sold the invasion of Iraq to the American People they did not come before us and say:

"Uh, we know Saddam has WMDs from the late 80's that Rumsfeld had personally sold him. We know they are buried in the desert and are not potent anymore. Nevertheless we feel we should invade Iraq and secure those 20 year old WMDs"

Bush and Cheney made NO MENTION of twenty year old WMD being the reason for invading Iraq.

What Bush and Cheney did tell the American People was that they had evidence Saddam had reconstituted his nuclear weapons program. They also told the American People that Saddam was manufacturing chemical and biological weapons with plans to fly a UAV over the United States and attack us with them.

To this day we have found NO EVIDENCE that Saddam had reconstituted his nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons programs.

Do these winnuts think that the American People are stupid? Do they think we will forget what Bush told us (which is on the public record in living color) were the reasons for invading Iraq?

Perhaps some blame does lay with Democrats and bloggers. You see, wingnuts hang on words and depend redily on parsing sentences. They do not look at the overall picture for a view of the truth. What they do is hang on a few words. In this case the words were "found no WMD in Iraq".

Wingnuts can say "ah hah! But we did find WMD in Iraq! Ah ha ha! You MUST appologize!"

This is a bullshit argument and the American People know it. But from now on, for the sake of the wingnuts, I request that all Democrats and liberal bloggers say:

"we have found no evidence in Iraq that Saddam had reconstituted his any of his nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs as Bush and Cheney had asserted prior to the invasion of Iraq"

Posted by PoliShifter at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

What a fucking waste of taxpayer time and dollars. Don't these guys have anything better to do?

GOP bill targets NY Times

By Patrick O’Connor and Jonathan Allen

House Republican leaders are expected to introduce a resolution today condemning The New York Times for publishing a story last week that exposed government monitoring of banking records.

The resolution is expected to condemn the leak and publication of classified documents, said one Republican aide with knowledge of the impending legislation.

The resolution comes as Republicans from the president on down condemn media organizations for reporting on the secret government program that tracked financial records overseas through the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT), an international banking cooperative.

Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.), working independently from his leadership, began circulating a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) during a late series of votes yesterday asking his leaders to revoke the Times’s congressional press credentials.

Continue Reading

Posted by PoliShifter at 08:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Somewhere Bush is saying to himself "why didn't I think of that?"

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered Russia's special services to hunt down and "destroy" the killers of four Russian diplomats in Iraq the Kremlin said.

Nikolai Patrushev, the head of the Federal Security Service — the main successor to the Soviet KGB — later said that everything would be done to ensure that the killers "do not escape from responsibility," the Interfax news agency reported.

"The president has ordered the special forces to take all necessary measures to find and destroy the criminals who killed Russian diplomats in Iraq," the Kremlin press service said in a brief statement.

Continue Reading

Posted by PoliShifter at 07:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Perhaps you have come across them before, I know I have both in the real world and the blogosphere. They are people who wear their military service on their sleeve overly eager to tell anyone who will listen of their exploits. In the blogosphere, many fall back on a claim to military service in the heat of an argument they are losing.

"I served my country proudly, how dare you say that The President misled us into war with Iraq..."

Many have pictures of themselves in military regalia on their blogs.

Well, check out how far this guy went:

Frauds put up a decorated front

By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY

The man cutting a path across the Marine Corps Birthday Ball near Atlantic City last fall wore row upon row of battle ribbons on his chest — silent testament to a history of gallantry and sacrifice.

Among the awards he wore were a Bronze Star, a Silver Star and the Navy Cross, which is second in significance only to the Medal of Honor.

Retired Marine Corps master sergeant Fred Montney III and others turned to admire Gerard Smigel, 52, in his dress blue uniform and wearing the rank of lieutenant colonel. "He was in his element. He enjoyed it," says Montney, who sat at Smigel's table.

As the night wore on, Montney noticed little flaws. Smigel would excuse himself to go to the "latrine." Marines call it the "head." Smigel wore one award, a Combat Action Ribbon, upside down. "When I asked him questions, he would get somewhat fuzzy" about details, Montney recalls. He snapped a photo of Smigel, smiling next to his wife, and later called the FBI.

Smigel pleaded guilty this month in federal court to illegally wearing the uniform and medals. He was sentenced to three years of probation and fined $3,000.

Masquerading as a war hero has become riskier — but more tempting — during this time of war. "Right now, most everybody loves the military, and that's why I'm seeing more and more of these impostors," says senior FBI agent Thomas Cottone.

The FBI has investigated 58 cases of people allegedly wearing fraudulent military decorations since 2001. Assisted by military researchers and the Internet — where hoaxes can be quickly tracked and exposed — the FBI could end up investigating more cases of medal fraud this year than in any other previous year, Cottone says. He says he gets one tip a week.

Continue Reading this story

I guess this is to be expected in a country ruled by chickenhawks who so desperately want to be viewed as war time heroes. Their supporters also want to be war heroes. It's very easy to want to play war like a child with green army men. It's another thing to actually fight in a war and be in the military.

Posted by PoliShifter at 09:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Think about that for a while wingnuts.

It's also a crime to aid and abet a criminal.

Wingnuts, you are all culpable in the criminal activities of the Bush Regime by your vehement defense of their documented crimes.

You better think twice before you start throwing words around like traitor.

Posted by PoliShifter at 07:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

CNN:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A week after the GOP-led Senate rejected an increase to the minimum wage, Senate Democrats on Tuesday vowed to block pay raises for members of Congress until the minimum wage is increased.

"We're going to do anything it takes to stop the congressional pay raise this year, and we're not going to settle for this year alone," Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said at a Capitol news conference.

"They can play all the games the want," Reid said derisively of the Republicans who control the chamber. "They can deal with gay marriage, estate tax, flag burning, all these issues and avoid issues like the prices of gasoline, sending your kid to college. But we're going to do everything to stop the congressional pay raise."

Continue Reading at CNN

Posted by PoliShifter at 06:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I wrote before about the wingnuts' feigned outrage at the New York Times for leaking Bush's Bank monitoring program. I also asked where the feigned wingnut outrage was over the leaking of General Casey's cut and run, I mean adjustable troop withdrawl plan. Much to my not surprise as I was looking at Google News, there was no mention of Bush being upset about General Casey's plan being leaked to the press.

But there is plenty about Bush being steamed up mad at the New York Times:

Bush Administration Clashes With Newspaper Over Anti-Terror ...Voice of America - 2 hours agoBy Jim Malone. President Bush's choice to be the next Treasury secretary, Henry Paulson, promised the Senate Tuesday that he will review a previously secret program to track terrorists through an international banking database. ...

Bush slams leak of terror finance story Leading The Charge
Bush Says Report on Bank Data Was Disgraceful New York Times
Bank data story harms US: Bush Times of India
Bush calls disclosure `disgraceful' Chicago Tribune
President Bush Takes on The New York Times and Other Committed ...

Where is Bush's outrage at the leaking of General Casey's plan? Or is Bush's Outrage only limited to those things that do not politically benefit him?

And why isn't Bush outraged at himself for being a lawbreaker?

Posted by PoliShifter at 04:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Spending their time on Flag Burning is clearly in the best interest of the American People.

Posted by PoliShifter at 04:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In a previous post titled Rush Limbaugh Detained At Airport Kenny asked the question in the comment section:

Why did Rush Limbaugh go to the Dominican Republic with Viagra?

Kenny pointed out that a quick google or yahoo search of the Dominican Republic and sex illustrates the country's burgeoning Sex Vacation Industry.

Now, I don't know what Rush's official explanation will be. No doubt whatever he says, his ditto head fan base will believe.

Common sense dictates however that if you go on vacation and make sure to pack your Viagra, something is going to happen involving sex either with yourself or someone else.

The question is, where did Rush go?

I'm guessing Sinsation was his destination.

Although Rush is kind of a dirty bastard so he may have preferred Black Beard's Adult Resort.

If I was the place Rush stayed I would use it as advertising: "The Adult Sex Vacation Destination Choice of Rush Limbaugh!"

And remember folks, just because you can say "Family Values" doesn't mean you actually have "Family Values"...

Another important question to ask is:

How many Viagra Pills did Rush Limbaugh take to the Dominican Republic?

How many Viagra Pills did Rush Limbaugh come back to the States with?

Ode To Rush Limbaugh

Girls or women, boys or men
Lady boys or shemales
Maybe LBFM's

What is Rush Limbaugh's Preference
Where did the Viagra go
How much Viagra did he bring with him
How much did he bring home

Rush Limbaugh: Wood On Loan From God

Rush Limbaugh, sex tourist?

Rush Limbaugh jokes about Viagra find

Posted by PoliShifter at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

Flipping through the TV news today it seems the debate has shifted away from "staying the course" and instead is about WHEN we are going to leave Iraq as well as how.

I consider this a victory for Democrats and The American People. Even though Republicans are trying to frame this debate to favor themselves, I don't think The American People are just going to forget how Republicans screamed at Democrats calling them coward cut and runners.

The debate is not longer about "staying the course" indefinately thereby fulfilling Bush's dream of Empire.

It has been settled. We need to get out of Iraq and everyone knows it. When and how are what is to be decided. Score one for Democrats.

What Demcrats need to do now is remind The American People that getting out of Iraq was a Democrat idea all along, that Murtha predicted there would be a miraculous troop withdraw right around the November elections, and that Politics predicate Bush's Iraq Policy. Bush will only act on Iraq when it suits his political needs. Bush will only do in Iraq what is beneficial to him politically.

In this case, Republicans winning the mid-term elections is all Bush cares about.

Posted by PoliShifter at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Druggy Limbaugh at it again!

Courtesy of Eschaton via Talking Points Memo courtesy of:

CBS 4

Limbaugh Detained At Airport

Joy Purdy
Reporting

(CBS4 News) WEST PALM BEACH

Sources have confirmed to CBS4 News that conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh has been detained at Palm Beach International Airport for the possible possession of illegal prescription drugs Monday evening.

Limbaugh was returning on a flight from the Dominican Republic when officials found the drugs, among them Viagra.

Updates:

Limbaugh detained at Palm Beach airport

#
ICE officials found in Limbaugh's luggage a prescription bottle labeled as Viagra, a prescription drug that treats erectile disfunction, Miller said.

"The problem was that on the bottle itself was not his name, but the name of two Florida doctors," Miller said.

The matter was turned over to the sheriff's office, whose investigators interviewed Limbaugh.

"He said he had the Viagra in his possession for his use and that he did obtain it from his doctors," Miller said.

Sheriff's investigators confiscated the drugs, and Limbaugh was released around 5:30 p.m. without being charged.

However, the sheriff's office plans to file a report with the state attorney's office.

"We believe there may be a second degree misdemeanor violation, which is possession of certain drugs without a prescription, because the bottle does not have his name on it," Miller said.

Read Full Article

#

Reflections:

The problem with liars is, when do you know when they are telling the truth?

What is Rush going to say tommorow (or the next day or whenever he is back onthe radio)?

"My Friends there is a perfectly valid explanation for this mishap that happened at the airport...none of which ofcourse the liberals don't want to listen to, but that is beside the point...Anyway, we all know how Democrats don't deal in facts so it doesn't surprise me that Demorats are filled with schadenfraude over this misunderstanding...At that is what it is simple as that! Just a misundertanding. This is what the liberals and democrats don't get. You see you have to have your facts in order to get at the truth. And the fact of the matter is that liberals once again have completely distorted and overblown this misunderstanding. I wasn't "arrested". I wasn't "detained" as the liberals would have you believe. No, I was routinely questioned by a few nice officers down at the airport and once this misunderstading was cleared up I went home...That's all I'm going to say about that...Now, about these liberal Democrats who keep putting us at risk for another terrorist attack..."

Update 2:

Crooks and Liars has some video of Keith Olbermann up.

Posted by PoliShifter at 07:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)

In a previous post I wrote about the wingnuts' feigned outrage over the leaking of information on Bush's sercret monitoring of banking transactions. Many wingnuts publically called for the New York Times and LA Times to be tried for treason. Agitprop rounded up the usual suspects and framed them with their own words.

I was listening to Sam Seder today who is filling in for Randi Rhodes and he brought up a great point.

This new cut'n'run strategy being embraced by the Bush Administration was supposed to be top secret but it was leaked to the New York Times:
#
According to a classified briefing at the Pentagon this week by the commander, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the number of American combat brigades in Iraq is projected to decrease to 5 or 6 from the current level of 14 by December 2007.
#
Calling all wingnuts! Where is your outrage now! This was a classified briefing wrecklessly leaked to the traitorous New York Times! Advertising that the Bush Administration and our military are embracing a cut'n'run approach to Iraq is just going to embolden the terrorists! Wingnuts unite against the traitors!

And while you're at it, you may want to call for trying BushCo for treason since they are the ones embracing this cut'n'run policy from Iraq. This is going to put us in more danger from being hit again by the terrorists when wingnut logic is applied.

Where's the outrage? Where's Malkin, Coulter, Bennett, Limbaugh and Hannity denouncing the traitorous New York Times for disclosing Bush's cut'n'run policy? Where's the concern that this move by Bush will only embolden the terrorists? Where is the worry that because this classified information was leaked to the New York Times, we are mow more at risk of being attacked?

Hmm, it seems that the wingnut outrage only applies when the leak or perceived bias seems to support a Democrat's position. If it supports a Republican, Wingnut, NeoCon, Conservative, or Bush Sycophant position, then the leak just doesn't matter. In fact, in these cases the leaks are justified according to wingnut logic cause it just sticks it to those damn liberals.

Update: Crooks and Liars has video of an unhinged wingnut, Chris Baker, feigning his outrage at the New York Times for disclosing Bush's Super Uber Duper Dog secret bank transaction monitoring program.

I wonder, is Chris Baker upset about the New York Times disclosing Bush's Cut and Run policy? He should be...after all, doesn't it just put us in the crosshairs of the terrorists?

Posted by PoliShifter at 03:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, we knew it was coming. When Ann Coulter suggested Rep. John Murtha (D - Penn) should be fragged only to be applauded and defended by her wingnut counter parts, it was just a matter of time before the swift boat gang jumped on board.

BootMurtha.com was supposed to be MurthaLied.Com but the webmaster got so many emails that she decided to buy the bootmurtha.com domain name instead. The site is underconstruction and reads more like a scorned love-sick teen at the momment rather a swiftboater site. Give it time to mature.

Amanda Doss, swift-boater in-training writes:

"...shortly after I purchased the domain name MurthaLied.com, my personal information (including where I live, my picture, my client list, and my email address) was posted on several "Liberal" blogs. Keep in mind, this information was posted BEFORE I had even created a website for MurthaLied.com. [sounds like she didn't buy the security packages from godaddy.com when she made her initial purchase...cheapskate! Also, she should talk to her webhosting service about their privacy policy. And by the by, using wingnut logic, if you have nothing to hide, then you shouldn't mind having your personal info out there.]

I would like to share some of hateful and even threatening emails I have recently received due to these blogs, before this website was even created. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, please feel free to email these "sweethearts" and let them know how proud of them you are for the way they represent the Democratic party."

You can read the emails at BootMurtha.com. I read them. I have gotten worse from wingnuts and read much worse from Malkinites and Coulterites. I've heard Rush say worse things.

Ok...Here is one email that has Amanda's ire:

Hi

I've got a great idea. Why don't YOU go to Iraq? You seem to take joy in the killing of innocent "brown people", so why are you here in this country making websites eh? Too much of a sissy to stand up for what you allegedly believe in? Or too much of a total windbag pussy to put your money where your lying mouth is?

Come on Amanda!

Just as Murtha said about Rove, you sit in your air-conditioned trailer-home in Texarkana, telling the troops we'll "stay the course". You're wrong. They will do the fighting, they will do the killing and they will do the dying. While you, waste our air, pollute our politics, and lie your conniving and ugly and slowly deteriorating face off.

Go fuck yourself. Better yet, prepare for the swiftboating we're about to do to you!
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Somone needs to call a waaambulance for Amanda.

I agree:

"I've got a great idea. Why don't YOU go to Iraq? You seem to take joy in the killing of innocent "brown people", so why are you here in this country making websites eh? Too much of a sissy to stand up for what you allegedly believe in? Or too much of a total windbag pussy to put your money where your lying mouth is? "

Posted by PoliShifter at 08:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, at least some Democratic Senators got a little press. I hope the irony is not lost on the American Public that while Republicans called Democrats cut'n'runners and cowards, they secretly knew a cut'n'run plan was coming out of the Bush Administration just in time for November. This should really be no surprise. Murtha has said publically several times that there would be a miraculous troop draw down just before the elections in November.

Only in the Republican's case they will call it "Adjustable Troop Withdrawal " instead of what it really is: Cut and Run Republican Style.

From the Washington Post:

Senate Democrats reacted angrily to a report yesterday that the U.S. commander in Iraq had privately presented a plan for significant troop reductions in the same week they came under attack by Republicans for trying to set a timetable for withdrawal.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said that the plan attributed to Gen. George W. Casey resembles the thinking of many Democrats who voted for a nonbinding resolution to begin a troop drawdown in December. That resolution was defeated on a largely party-line vote in the Senate on Thursday.

"That means the only people who have fought us and fought us against the timetable, the only one still saying there shouldn't be a timetable really are the Republicans in the United States Senate and in the Congress," Boxer said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "Now it turns out we're in synch with General Casey."

Sen. Carl M. Levin (Mich.), one of the two sponsors of the nonbinding resolution, which offered no pace or completion date for a withdrawal, said the report is another sign of what he termed one of the "worst-kept secrets in town" -- that the administration intends to pull out troops before the midterm elections in November.

"It shouldn't be a political decision, but it is going to be with this administration," Levin said on "Fox News Sunday." "It's as clear as your face, which is mighty clear, that before this election, this November, there's going to be troop reductions in Iraq, and the president will then claim some kind of progress or victory."

Continue Reading

Posted by PoliShifter at 07:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Agitprop does a brilliant job rounding up comments from conservative bloggers who are calling for the New York Times and LA Times to be tried as traitors. Why? Because they had the audacity to print an article on another one of Bush's many super uber double dog duper secret programs. This time the disclosed program tracks banking records.

And once again, the "conservatives" as they call themselves are outraged not at BushCo but at the press! That's right, conservatives who once upon a time considered themselves small government adovcates are upset. These same conservatives who in the past used to get outraged over government intusion in to our lives are now instead outraged that government obtrusiveness is being disclosed to the public.

Agitprop has quotes and links from over 30 wingnut blogs. Take a gander if you need a good simulatneous laugh and cry.

Here's a sampling of wingnuttery exposed by Agitprop:

American Thinker - Pinch Sulzberger is a traitor and satanic and an attention seeker, and he and the NYT should be prosecuted, and they can be, but maybe they can't be ... shit, where's the statute books?

Atlas Shrugs - the NYT traitors and the leakers should be pursued and jailed 'cause they put us in mortal mortal danger, and that's even worse than mortal danger!

Blue Crab Boulevard - someone should publish the NYT's floorplan, then maybe some terrorists will kill them, and that'd show 'em!

Bullwinkle Blog - if the NYT wasn't goin' bankrupt, we'd want them jailed and drawn and quartered and murdered and killed, but they're goin' bankrupt ... aren't they?

Captain's Quarters - the NYT is full of traitors, and their readers are idiots, and they shouldn't have released details of a program everybody including the terrorists knows exists anyway.

But what struck me even more was what Malkin is doing. She's calling all wingnuts to remake some WW2 propaganda posters...as if this is a new idea. Project for the OLD American Century has been doing this for years.

But what is exremely ironic is this poster Malkin is flaunting on her blog:

Now I do not doubt the wingnuts' desire to catch Osama Bin Laden. But the irony is here that they are supporting an Administration and its propaganda that absolutely refuses to catch Bin Laden. We have a President who doesn't care where Bin Laden is and doesn't spend that much time on him.

We invaded Afghanistan and for a time had Bin Laden in our sights. But BushCo turned their attention to Iraq and in doing so let Bin Laden get away. Further, we know Bin Laden is in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. So do we have 130,000 troops in this region trying to "smoke out" Bin Laden? Absolutely not. We have 130,000 troops in Iraq and about 15,000 in Afghanistan.

I think the opperative part of this poster is "this man MAY die". In other words, if you don't shut your mouth, this man may still die. One thing is certain, Bin Laden won't die while Bush is President unless it is of natural causes because Bush has no interest in catching Bin Laden. Bin Laden is too valuable to Bush alive. The Bin Laden boogey man allows Bush to manipulate and control sycophants such as Malkin and the 101st Fighting Keyboardists.

Posted by PoliShifter at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

It may be over as soon as it began if voters wake up this fall. Sensing a narrowing window of opportunity, Bush and the GOP are looking to destroy what is left of our dying democracy. The casualties will be the environment, civil rights, civil liberties, health services, education, and voting rights.

From Bushgreenwatch.org

White House, GOP Leaders Plan All-Out Assault on Federal Protections

Apparently rushing to lock in a long-sought goal before the fall elections, GOP congressional leaders may bring to a vote within weeks a proposal that could literally wipe out any federal program that protects public health or the environment--or for that matter civil rights, poverty programs, auto safety, education, affordable housing, Head Start, workplace safety or any other activity targeted by anti-regulatory forces.

With strong support from the Bush White House and the Republican Study Committee, the proposal would create a "sunset commission"--an unelected body with the power to recommend whether a program lives or dies, and then move its recommendations through Congress on a fast-track basis with limited debate and no amendments.

Three leading proposals have been introduced and are being winnowed into a final version. They would give the White House some--or total--authority to nominate members to the commission. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has confirmed that his office is coordinating development of a final version for prompt floor action.

Sunset commissions have been proposed, and defeated, before. But public interest veterans say the current situation is unlike any in the past, because the House Republican Study Committee, which includes some of the most anti-regulatory members of Congress, has secured guaranteed floor consideration of a sunset bill.

Continue Reading

Posted by PoliShifter at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

In a previous post I out lined how Republicans are truly the cut and run party.

Well, after weeks of listening to Republicans call Democrats cowards and cut 'n' runners, we finally see what the Republican plan is...it's cut and run.

The fallacy that exists is that the Democrat Plan is a cut and run plan. This is simply not true. One of the three Democrat Plans is a strategic redeployment. The only plan Republicans have is "stay the course" which frankly, isn't a strategy at all.

But what Republicans are now offering up is pure cut and run policy.

Only, it's being called an Adjustable Troop Withdrawal Schedule...That just sounds more sexy than "cut and run". After all, Republicans are all about words and perception rather than reality.
U.S. General in Iraq Outlines Troop Cuts

The New York Times
By MICHAEL R. GORDON
Published: June 25, 2006

WASHINGTON, June 24 — The top American commander in Iraq has drafted a plan that projects sharp reductions in the United States military presence there by the end of 2007, with the first cuts coming this September, American officials say.

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Now, after criticizing Democratic lawmakers for trying to legislate a timeline for withdrawing troops, skeptics say, the Bush administration seems to have its own private schedule, albeit one that can be adjusted as events unfold.

If executed, the plan could have considerable political significance. The first reductions would take place before this falls Congressional elections, while even bigger cuts might come before the 2008 presidential election.
#

Read the full article

Posted by PoliShifter at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by PoliShifter at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

By Vietnam Vet Who Knows Better

Why?

Funeral services have been set for Marine Cpl. Michael Estrella, a Hemet High School graduate who was killed June 14 in combat in Iraq.
Estrella, 20, was participating in a foot patrol in Al Anbar province when he was attacked by small-arms fire, reported the Marine Corps Base Hawaii in a statement. Estrella was stationed in Hawaii.

Marine officials said Estrella was the 2,500th member of the U.S. military to die in Iraq.

George Bush’s war hit home today. There is no other way to express it. I hate George Bush. It is not because he is a Republican but because he is a corporatist and is killing our soldiers for profit.

Have you taken the time to ponder the number 2,500? It is not just another number as purported by George Bush and Tony Snow. It is more than the population of small town America. It is a large town High School student body. It is 12 Companies of American soldiers or a re-enforced battalion.

During a two week period in Viet Nam our unit experienced combined deaths of more than 4,000 men. There are times that I have walked through crowds and small towns and tried to imagine the carnage that we as humans bring upon ourselves. There really was no justification for all of the killing in Viet Nam but there is absolutely no justification for the killing in Iraq.

The question was asked yesterday, “If you are a Republican what are you getting out of this war?” What are you personally gaining from the deaths of innocent civilians, our soldiers and the death of American Freedom? What is in it for you?

Please tell me because I want to understand why it is okay to kill, kill and kill some more. Explain it to me. Make me understand. I am a big boy. I can handle the truth. Tell me what it was that I missed in Viet Nam. What valuable lesson did I not learn about killing. Brave up Republican. It is a simple question. Tell me why I should endure one more day of your stupid war.

George Bush is simply a stupid, selfish and moronic man. What is your excuse Republican?

Posted by PoliShifter at 08:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I guess tapping your phones, reading your emails, and monitoring your internet searches just wasn't enough for the Bush Administration. Now's they're reviewing your banking records.

This shit won't stop until Bush is removed from office. And it will continue to get worse until he is removed from office.

From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON, June 22 - Under a secret Bush administration program initiated weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, counterterrorism officials have gained access to financial records from a vast international database and examined banking transactions involving thousands of Americans and others in the United States, according to government and industry officials.

The program is limited, government officials say, to tracing transactions of people suspected of ties to Al Qaeda by reviewing records from the nerve center of the global banking industry, a Belgian cooperative that routes about $6 trillion daily between banks, brokerages, stock exchanges and other institutions. The records mostly involve wire transfers and other methods of moving money overseas or into and out of the United States. Most routine financial transactions confined to this country are not in the database.

#

Operative words here: Most routine financial transactions confined to this country are not in the database.

Does anyone still believe or trust the Bush Administration? I sure as hell don't. If they say they are doing something just a little bit, odds are they are doing it to everyone. Remember how the so-called warrantless wire tap program was supposedly narrow in scope?

Remember Saddam's reconstituted nuclear program? Remember Yellow Cake uranium? Insurgency in its last throes? The war last 6 days, 6 weeks, Rumsfeld doubting 6 months? Remember how Iraqi Oil was going to pay for the war and the reconstruction of Iraq?

Lies. Lies. Lies.

Bush is watching you.

Posted by PoliShifter at 08:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)