tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90353522011-04-22T00:20:59.451-05:00Scribenoreply@blogger.comBlogger7431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135208059267743542005-12-21T17:30:00.000-06:002005-12-21T17:38:37.606-06:00

...but to the chagrin of this blog's detractors, the spirit of "Scribe" will live on. With the addition of two new contributors and after thoughtful consideration of the plentiful feedback from our readers, we have decided to retool the blog soon to be known as the blog formerly known as The Subjective Scribe. As the New Year is ushered in, the blog will re-launch with a new name, a new address,

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135168657044690532005-12-21T06:36:00.000-06:002005-12-21T06:37:37.306-06:00

The United States proudly heralds itself as the "greatest nation in the world" and most Americans consciously or unconsciously look down on other countries who just can't raise themselves up to our standard of living. There's a reason we're "better." We're taking a grossly disproportionate share for the world's resources at the expense of the rest of the world, especially the low-income countries

Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135166897354176932005-12-21T06:07:00.000-06:002005-12-21T06:43:19.996-06:00

From Knight-Ridder Newspapers: Fewer African-Americans are joining the Army, a trend likely to make it harder to keep the all-volunteer military at full strength. The percentage of African-Americans among all those who signed up for active-duty Army service fell from 24 percent in 2000 to 14 percent in 2005, according to Army statistics. That's the lowest percentage since 1973, when the draft

Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135165888256314902005-12-21T05:50:00.000-06:002005-12-21T05:51:28.360-06:00

Matt Drudge shows that he's as committed as ever to the right-wing talking points disinformation machine. In another effort to justify Bush's illegal actions, Drudge employs the "Clinton did it to" defense, plastering the following headlines at the top of his page (as of this morning at 5:30): CLINTON EXECUTIVE ORDER: SECRET SEARCH ON AMERICANS WITHOUT COURT ORDER... CARTER EXECUTIVE ORDER: '

Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135076850085531532005-12-21T05:00:00.000-06:002005-12-21T05:29:12.066-06:00

by Bruce Plante, Chattanooga Times Free Press

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135105129128372942005-12-20T12:59:00.000-06:002005-12-20T13:00:34.263-06:00

The Political Teen examines a discussion this morning on The Today Show discussing the domestic spying scandal. The video clip is worth watching both sides spinning the political angles; the anaylsis is equally "entertaining."

Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135104300889483112005-12-20T12:44:00.000-06:002005-12-20T12:48:31.903-06:00

Today on several blogs and message boards, I've read many Bush apologists try to mitigate the unlawful actions of the president by resurrecting an all too common refrain — "Clinton did it too." Think Progress reports on it and then debunks it: Prominent right-wing bloggers – including Michelle Malkin, the Corner, Wizbang and Free Republic — are pushing the argument that President Bush’s

Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135099535271681092005-12-20T11:17:00.000-06:002005-12-20T11:25:39.226-06:00

From The New York Times: Counterterrorism agents at the Federal Bureau of Investigation have conducted numerous surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations that involved, at least indirectly, groups active in causes as diverse as the environment, animal cruelty and poverty relief, newly disclosed agency records show. F.B.I. officials said Monday that their investigators had no interest in

Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135087422336332922005-12-20T07:59:00.000-06:002005-12-20T08:03:42.600-06:00

Yesterday, Bush reluctantly admitted to NSA eavesdropping on American citizens without a warrant after a published NY Times story exposing the practice in place since shortly after 9/11/2001. Contrast that with what he said during his re-election campaign (April 20, 2004): Secondly, there are such things as roving wiretaps. Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking

Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135083790321389662005-12-20T06:59:00.000-06:002005-12-20T07:04:29.126-06:00

Gawker.com reports that the Fox News' publicity department sent out this card to the press. They took "Christ" out of Christmas! There's no nativity scene, there's a Santa Claus and the greeting on the side of the building says "Happy Holidays"! Of all the humanity, where's Bill O'Reilly when you need him? What's that? He works at Fox News? That's kinda ironic, huh?

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135083235642241302005-12-20T06:51:00.000-06:002005-12-20T06:53:55.710-06:00

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135081469136699762005-12-20T06:22:00.000-06:002005-12-20T06:24:29.593-06:00

Newsweek's Jonathan Alter has a piece on MSNBC.com about Snoopgate and why the president was so desperate to kill the New York Times story: Finally we have a Washington scandal that goes beyond sex, corruption and political intrigue to big issues like security versus liberty and the reasonable bounds of presidential power. President Bush came out swinging on Snoopgate—he made it seem as if those

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1135076756476414912005-12-20T05:01:00.000-06:002005-12-20T05:05:56.510-06:00

by Dick Locher, The Chicago Tribune

Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134995690147455762005-12-19T06:34:00.000-06:002005-12-19T06:34:53.126-06:00

From the Associated Press: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's AIDS charity paid nearly a half-million dollars in consulting fees to members of his political inner circle, according to tax returns providing the first financial accounting of the presidential hopeful's nonprofit. [...] World of Hope gave $3 million it raised to charitable AIDS causes, such as Africare and evangelical Christian

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134994098593583792005-12-19T06:09:00.000-06:002005-12-19T06:08:34.520-06:00

In an op-ed piece (subscription required) in Sunday's New York Times, columnist Nicholas Kristof issued the following challenge to Bill O'Reilly: If you really want to defend traditional values, then come with me on a trip to Darfur. I'll introduce you to mothers who have had their babies clubbed to death in front of them, to teenage girls who have been gang-raped and then mutilated -- and to the

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134991663936198412005-12-19T05:26:00.000-06:002005-12-19T05:30:29.726-06:00

Administration present (Bush, from Sunday night's presidential address): I will make decisions on troop levels based on the progress we see on the ground and the advice of our military leaders - not based on artificial timetables set by politicians in Washington.Administration past (Bush, 6/5/99): I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134990254845579272005-12-19T04:58:00.000-06:002005-12-19T05:04:15.776-06:00

by Steve Kelley, The New Orleans Times-Picayune

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134908395517375752005-12-18T06:00:00.000-06:002005-12-18T06:19:55.520-06:00

Names released this week: Spencer C. Akers, 35, Army National Guard Sergeant, Dec 08, 2005 Milton Rivera-Vargas, 55, Army National Guard Staff Sergeant, Dec 08, 2005 Adrian N. Orosco, 26, Army Sergeant, Dec 09, 2005 Julia V. Atkins, 22, Army Sergeant,

Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134861935510200392005-12-17T17:22:00.000-06:002005-12-17T17:25:35.543-06:00

The chilling of the First Amendment: A senior at UMass Dartmouth was visited by federal agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's tome on Communism called "The Little Red Book." Two history professors at UMass Dartmouth, Brian Glyn Williams and Robert Pontbriand, said the student told them he requested the book through the UMass Dartmouth library's interlibrary loan

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134823668719049962005-12-17T06:00:00.000-06:002005-12-17T06:47:48.963-06:00

David Horsey, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer by John Cole, The Scranton Times by Steve Sack, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune by John Trever, The Albuquerque Journal by Monte Wolverton, The Wolvertoon by Sandy Huffaker by Mike Lane by Mike Keefe, The Denver Post

Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134738783074335152005-12-16T07:11:00.000-06:002005-12-16T07:15:22.626-06:00

A bastardized Christmas Carol to bring you some holiday cheer this Friday! Ding Fries Are Done! (to the tune of Carol of the Bells)

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134737709616132772005-12-16T06:55:00.000-06:002005-12-16T06:55:24.360-06:00

The next time you hear the White House or the GOP leadership claim that Congress saw the same intelligence as the president did, we now know why they are lying. A memo sent to Sen. Dianne Feinstein by Alfred Cumming, specialist in Intelligence and National Security for the Congressional Research Service. Here are excerpts from that memo: By virtue of his constitutional role as

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134734757966036132005-12-16T06:05:00.000-06:002005-12-16T06:05:58.003-06:00

The New York Times reports on yet another agency that's engaged in domestic spying: Months after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants ordinarily required for domestic spying, according to government

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134733563258976642005-12-16T05:45:00.000-06:002005-12-16T05:46:03.293-06:00

Sean never lets hypocrisy prevent him from expressing his moral "outrage" against anything the "liberal establishment" (like universities) or liberals or Democrats may do (or what he claims that they do with circumspect motives). But people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. From News Hounds: For Sean Hannity, what's good for FOX and the Bush family is a scandal for universities. Last

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134558051066214052005-12-16T05:00:00.000-06:002005-12-16T05:46:57.696-06:00

by M.e. Cohen

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134700251477020082005-12-15T20:29:00.000-06:002005-12-15T20:30:51.783-06:00

By Jim Wallis, in the latest SojoMail: There is a Christmas scandal this year, but it's not the controversy at shopping malls and retail stores about whether their displays say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." The real Christmas scandal is the budget proposed by the House of Representatives that cuts food stamps, health care, child support, and educational assistance to low-income families

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134695190834727622005-12-15T18:59:00.000-06:002005-12-15T19:11:33.356-06:00

(Courtesy HouseDemocrats.gov) Congressman John D. Dingell (MI-15) recited the following poem on the floor of the US House of Representatives concerning House Resolution 579, which expressed the sense of the House of Representatives that the symbols and traditions of Christmas should be protected. “Preserving Christmas” has been a frequent topic for conservative talk show hosts, including Fox

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134702938987439592005-12-15T18:42:00.000-06:002005-12-15T21:15:39.073-06:00

The DNC paid to have the following billboard erected in Rep. Jean Schmidt's district: Right-wingers are crying foul, calling it an outrageous smear — which I guess they would be experts on since their party seems to employ that strategy regularly. But it is quite ironic that such a billboard would be considered an outrageous smear when the subject of the billboard herself called a fellow

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134701764546777692005-12-15T18:35:00.000-06:002005-12-15T20:56:12.466-06:00

The non-partisan goodwill was shortlived in Malkinland this morning. After her respectful and admirable noting of the passing of a Democratic legend, it didn't take long for the bitter partisanship to resume. Malice in Malkinland set her unhinged sights on the liberals and Democrats, manufacturing outrage at perceived offenses around every corner: AN OUTRAGEOUS DEMOCRAT SMEAR, QUICK! SOMEONE CALL

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134666518261027032005-12-15T11:06:00.000-06:002005-12-15T11:09:38.346-06:00

Gene Sperling, National Economic Advisor to President Clinton and senior fellow with American Progress, writes a piece for Think Progress debunking White House and GOP claims that cutting taxes on dividend income helps boost the stock market and, in theory, help improve the economy: In the drive to make cutting taxes on dividend income a top national priority, the White House and their allies in

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134660096475394972005-12-15T09:22:00.000-06:002005-12-15T09:21:36.983-06:00

Michelle Malkin pays a "cross-the-isle" tribute to the legendary Wisconsin Democrat Sen. William Proxmire who died this morning. Didn't agree with everything he stood for, but he was the original Porkbuster--a crusader against government waste who issued "Golden Fleece Awards" to expose taxpayer-funded boondoggles. [...] Would that we had more like him...in both parties. We do indeed need more

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134651915887412722005-12-15T07:05:00.000-06:002005-12-15T07:11:58.553-06:00

House Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) calls on Congress to act on the true meaning of Christmas: As Congress focuses on leaving town to enjoy the holidays, I stood in the cold before the Capitol Christmas Tree with Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Rep. George Miller (D-CA) today to call on Congress to act on the true meaning of Christmas – hope, generosity and good will toward others – and

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134647503836748042005-12-15T05:51:00.000-06:002005-12-15T05:57:31.616-06:00

Another report from Think Progress: In October 2003, President Bush gave Condoleezza Rice the authority to manage postwar Iraq. USA Today, 10/6/03: President Bush is giving his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, the authority to manage postwar Iraq and the rebuilding of Afghanistan… Rice will head the Iraq Stabilization Group, which will have coordinating committees on

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134647223101146332005-12-15T05:47:00.000-06:002005-12-15T05:47:03.103-06:00

Think Progress has the report (and the encouraging analysis): In an interview today with Fox News’ Brit Hume, President Bush offered praise for Donald Rumsfeld that’s usually reserved for utterly incompetent disaster management officials: HUME: Is he here to stay as far as you are concerned? BUSH: Yes. End of my term is a long time, but I tell you, he is doing a heckuva good job. I have no

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134645835032957102005-12-15T05:23:00.000-06:002005-12-15T09:31:45.503-06:00

The Moonbat King: "I love George Walker Bush." With an endorsement like his, with all his "credibility" and "integrity" is sure to help boost Bush's sagging ratings. And his gift for eloquence inspires even the most ardent critic to see Bush as a great president who loves his fellow man. I love George Walker Bush because I think he’s a revolutionary. He’s a president that comes in with

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134557901964520552005-12-15T04:57:00.000-06:002005-12-15T04:56:12.123-06:00

by Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant

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I have been openly in opposition to the War in Iraq from its beginning. I was opposed to this invasion because there was too much question about the people trying to push us that direction. For anyone who has followed the development of the neo-cons "Project for a New American Century," it was no surprise that the players in the Bush administration were looking to attack Iraq long before the

Didaskaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644322135432117444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134585165804695402005-12-14T12:32:00.000-06:002005-12-14T12:42:29.570-06:00

FAUX NEWS: We distort. You comply. Think Progress reports on the latest distortion: Last night on Fox News, Brit Hume argued that waterboarding - an interrogation technique dating back to the Inquisition in which the prisoner “has water poured over him to make him think he is about to drown” – does not constitute torture: Torture has an actual definition, and it means extreme physical pain,

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134583393644448222005-12-14T12:05:00.000-06:002005-12-14T12:08:11.286-06:00

This is seriously entertaining (if not galling). The same people who have had to jump through a bunch of logical and rhetorical hoops in a feeble (and absurd) attempt at defending this president's and this administration's malfeasance are pointing fingers at another administration's alleged wrongdoings. To help divert attention from the sitting president who continues his reign, right-wingers are

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134563952714235312005-12-14T06:39:00.000-06:002005-12-14T06:39:13.573-06:00

Paul Craig Roberts, who served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration, writes a piece for counterpunch.org about "The Defenders of Torture," a great perspective that's worthy of your time. Here is a brief excerpt: Some Americans, horrified at what the Bush administration has done to their country, took hope in Europe's uproar over Bush's rendition/torture

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134562693793047092005-12-14T06:21:00.000-06:002005-12-14T06:22:58.226-06:00

This is where democracy ends and totalitarianism begins. It's happened before, but we thought that there had been reforms. But as with so many things, our government has regressed under this president. The government is now spying on Americans who happen to disagree with the official government talking points and agenda. From MSNBC: A year ago, at a Quaker Meeting House in Lake Worth, Fla., a

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134562935696694012005-12-14T05:56:00.000-06:002005-12-14T06:22:15.696-06:00

From Jesus' General: I have a new sponsor, GOP-MART. Don't you think your friends deserve the gift of graft for Christmas?

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134560154275222822005-12-14T05:35:00.000-06:002005-12-14T05:35:54.446-06:00

This administration will stop at nothing — nothing — to get its way. It reminds me of a little boy who can't take "no" for an answer and is always looking for ways around the rules — you know, those things that define what is right and wrong. This morning we learn that the Pentagon is trying to outsmart McCain. Think Progress reports: With Congress on the verge of passing the sweeping McCain

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134561119369550372005-12-14T05:16:00.000-06:002005-12-14T05:51:59.413-06:00

Malice in Malkinland gleefully cheers on this "Iraqi" woman (Betty Dawisha?) for her "blunt words... for the Cindy Sheehan Left": "Anybody who doesn't appreciate what America has done, and President Bush, let them go to hell!" No wonder the right-wingers love her comments. It reflects their idea of respectful, rational, and reasonable discourse; it represents how they react and respond to

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134557802078875662005-12-14T04:55:00.000-06:002005-12-14T04:56:42.130-06:00

by R.J. Matson, The New York Observer and Roll Call

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Since my first LIAR, LIAR post earlier today, Media Matters uncovered two more falsehoods by Mr. O'Reilly told in the last week. About postage stamps: On The Radio Factor, host Bill O'Reilly falsely claimed that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) no longer offers Christmas postage stamps with a "spiritual" theme. In fact, the USPS continues to offer the commemorative "Madonna and Child" stamp.

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134511193522019332005-12-13T15:59:00.000-06:002005-12-13T16:02:50.193-06:00

This homeowner takes holiday light display to a whole new level. It's really, really cool. As Life and Deatherage says, "If yours don't do this, then why bother installing them?" > Download video (4.8MB WMV)

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134509847981474942005-12-13T15:15:00.000-06:002005-12-13T16:14:24.436-06:00

There have been quite a few comments received recently regarding the opposition to the death penalty expressed on this blog. These range from absurd suggestions — like Tookie being paroled to come live with those who oppose his execution — to more reasonable statements that Tookie is deserving of death and this represents Justice (albeit imperfect) and Justice is a pillar of Christianity. I can

Didaskaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644322135432117444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134508358345320052005-12-13T15:12:00.000-06:002005-12-13T15:12:38.346-06:00

From Zogby: President Bush’s job approval rating languishes under 40%, despite an upturn in the economy and a public relations onslaught defending the role of the U.S. military in rebuilding Iraq, a new telephone poll by Zogby International shows. Just 38% of Americans said they approve of the job the President is doing, down from 41% in a national Zogby America survey conducted last month.

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134507597273842672005-12-13T14:59:00.000-06:002005-12-13T14:59:57.320-06:00

From the Associated Press (via Newsday.com): An Associated Press analysis of a little-known government research project shows that black Americans are 79 percent more likely than whites to live in neighborhoods where industrial pollution is suspected of posing the greatest health danger. Residents in neighborhoods with the highest pollution scores also tend to be poorer, less educated and more

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134504491844999882005-12-13T14:08:00.000-06:002005-12-13T14:11:56.086-06:00

From WNEM TV5: A Mid-Michigan Township makes national news but there's a problem, local officials say the whole thing was made up. Bill O'Reilly is making the claim that Saginaw Township officials banned residents from wearing red and green during the holiday season. Local officials say he's dead wrong. Syndicated controversial talk show host Bill O’Reilly said on his radio show: “In

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134498666068838312005-12-13T12:30:00.000-06:002005-12-13T12:31:54.066-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I highlighted the outrage spreading in the wingnutosphere regarding a doctored image in a political ad. At that time, Malkin and her allies chastised MoveOn.org for such "outrageous" behavior: "The shmucks at Moveon had the nerve to photoshop the picture to make it look like it was American soldiers." Interestingly enough, this week the GOP released another smear ad

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134486461156187632005-12-13T09:08:00.000-06:002005-12-13T09:11:59.280-06:00

Malice in Malkinland and her friend Six Meat Buffet spread their Christmas cheer with another smear at Howard Dean. I haven't figured out yet whether Michelle is really this nasty of a person or secretly loves the man.

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134486254091060512005-12-13T09:03:00.000-06:002005-12-13T09:04:14.180-06:00

Malkin links us to a story about a rather unpleasant Christmas display. Seeing how this display is a protest of the commercialization of Christmas, I would think these people would be considered allies of the war on the War on Christmas. So, in reality, Michelle, isn't this really one of your friends?

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CNN is reporting this morning that "[d]espite a series of recent speeches spelling out the administration's policies on Iraq, the majority of Americans in a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll said they do not believe President Bush has a plan that will achieve victory in Iraq." Highlights from the poll: Bush has a clear plan for victory in Iraq 58% No 38% Yes Iraqis have made real progress toward

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134476846858781412005-12-13T06:39:00.000-06:002005-12-13T06:39:46.213-06:00

From The Independent: From Shock and Awe to a country torn between insurrection and democracyIt has been the strangest war. A thousand days ago, on 20 March 2003, the US and British armies started a campaign which ended a few weeks later with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. It seemed so easy. President George Bush announced that the war was over.

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134474451020725912005-12-13T05:47:00.000-06:002005-12-13T05:47:31.023-06:00

From Campus Progress: O'Reilly's credibility sinking faster than the Titanic ThinkProgress and The Majority Report have been covering News Corp (the parent company of Fox News) and how they invited everyone to a "holiday party." Well it turns out that Fox is apparently a full-on combatant in the war on Christmas, since it wasn't their only one. At the end of this post is a scan of an

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134472748827599882005-12-13T05:19:00.000-06:002005-12-13T05:32:03.106-06:00

From Knight-Ridder: The Iranian-backed militia the Badr Organization has taken over many of the Iraqi Interior Ministry's intelligence activities and infiltrated its elite commando units, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. That's enabled the Shiite Muslim militia to use Interior Ministry vehicles and equipment - much of it bought with American money - to carry out revenge attacks against the

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by Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com

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Arthur Silber at Once Upon A Time has a mult-part analysis of the whole debate around torture, something that all rational people interested in this issue should take the time to read. In Part V, he examines an oft-employed, misleading hypothetical to justify torture in some instances — the "ticking time bomb scenario." He quotes columnist Charles Krauthammer's use of this hypothetical: A

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134413983367219722005-12-12T13:01:00.000-06:002005-12-12T13:03:49.800-06:00

For all those who are fighting so hard to put "Christ" back into Christmas, perhaps they should re-read the New Testament (particularly the RED letters) and see how Christ's teachings mesh with this message from Florida Rev. Tim Bumbardner: "Be American. Celebrate Christmas. People spend more money. Jesus makes people want to spend money!"Think Progress has more on the message from the right-wing

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It's absolutely amazing that these people can say these things with a straight face. I guess when you tell enough lies then you forget which lies you've told and you just say whatever the hell you feel like saying with little regard to history and the facts. Think Progress has the latest about Flip-Flopper Frist: A day before President Bush accepted Harriet Miers’ withdrawal from her nomination

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The Real Ugly American pointed me to this article by Ted Rall and asked me my thoughts on it from a liberal* perspective. Another liberal commented in Real Ugly American's post says that Ted Rall falls into "the same category as Ann Coulter." I have to agree. Rall's article is a real piece of... work (I'll be nice here). Check out the post at Real Ugly American, which includes an excerpt of

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Jesus' General (satirically) writes to the Hong Kong media contact of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (The Mormons) about not understanding "why brown people are so ungrateful."

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Watch the SNL paraody of the Rudolph classic. (Hat tip to YesButNoButYes)

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From a New York Times editorial yesterday: We are about to lose New Orleans. Whether it is a conscious plan to let the city rot until no one is willing to move back or honest paralysis over difficult questions, the moment is upon us when a major American city will die, leaving nothing but a few shells for tourists to visit like a museum. We said this wouldn't happen. President Bush said it

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A website that is all good news all the time? Associated Press reports: DALLAS - Carrie Rodgers is so engrossed by cable-television news shows that her husband calls her a news addict, but lately she has found another source to balance the onslaught of stories about war, crime and natural disasters. Two or three times a day, the 28-year-old insurance agent in Columbia, S.C., turns to a Web site

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From (the right-wing online propaganda arm) Newsmax: "Fox News Sunday" anchorman Chris Wallace says father Mike Wallace has "lost it" - after the legendary CBS newsman told the Boston Globe last week that the fact George Bush had been elected president shows America is "[expletive]-up." "He's lost it. The man has lost it. What can I say," the younger Wallace lamented to WRKO Boston radio host

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Malice in Malkinland and many of her fellow wingnut bloggers continue their death watch for Tookie Williams with champaign bottles at the ready. For the bloodthirsty, some people just can't die fast enough. "Revenge at last, REVENGE!" they cry gleefully. It's pathetic. I used to support the death penalty until I did more research into it and spent more time reflecting upon it in the light of my

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134388781440523692005-12-12T05:59:00.000-06:002005-12-12T05:59:41.440-06:00

From an online article in the Guardian: The waters have receded but the mainly black, low-income citizens of New Orleans are now the victims of rising rents, forced evictions and plans that favour the better off, reports Peter Beaumont. [Read article] An outside perspective can be eye-opening. The American effort toward Katrina recovery is embarassing.

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"Like father, like son." We helped father this democracy. We set the example and the Iraqis are following our lead. True to form, another detention center operated by the Iraqi Interior Ministry has been found to have tortured some of its prisoners. The Washington Post reports: An Iraqi government search of a detention center in Baghdad operated by Interior Ministry special commandos found 13

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by R.J. Matson, The New York Observer and Roll Call

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The GOP paid back some of its biggest contributors, the big banks and their credit card divisions, by passing legislation that helps an already highly profitable industry at the peril of already financially overwhelmed Americans. By passing the legislation, the GOP was absolving the credit card industry of its risky business practices. Any other business takes a risk when extending credit to a

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Malice in Malkinland rises from her sick bed to unleash a fresh dose of malice toward a New York Times piece about the influence of conservative blogs vs. liberal blogs, calling it a "candidate for dumbest NYTimes piece ever." Now, I can understand why Malice, blinded by her right-wing allegiance, would disagree with the conclusions of the writer. However, she is completely unhinged if she

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134322200746374002005-12-11T11:30:00.000-06:002005-12-11T11:30:00.966-06:00

It's easy to make promises. The tough part is keeping them. But as the memory of the horrors of the Katrina disaster fade (for those of us not directly impacted), so does our nation's (and national politicians') resolve to keep the promises made. In the Christian faith, a vow (or promise) is serious business; it's better to never make the promise than to make it and break it. Think Progress

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U.S. deaths in the last 7 days: 14 Latest fatality: December 11, 2005 Total U.S. deaths confirmed by the DoD: 2,135 Reported U.S. deaths pending DoD confirmation: 6 ___________________ Names released this week: Philip Allan Dodson Jr., 42, Army National Guard Sergeant, Dec 02, 2005 Marcus S. Futrell, 20, Army National Guard Specialist, Dec 02, 2005 Philip L. Travis, 41, Army National Guard

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134307371056055502005-12-11T07:25:00.000-06:002005-12-11T12:14:00.610-06:00

It's Sunday morning and on this Lord's Day, I must come clean. My post yesterday morning, "All Things Beautiful doesn't see all things as beautiful," wasn't entirely an honest critique. In my orneriness (partially due from a major lack of sleep), I chided All Things Beautiful as an experiment to see what kind of response I would get. The response was, unfortunately, as expected: predominantly

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From 10News.com: SAN DIEGO -- There's controversy over how the military is transporting the bodies of service members killed overseas, 10News reported. A local family said fallen soldiers and Marines deserve better and that one would think our war heroes are being transported with dignity, care and respect. It said one would think upon arrival in their hometowns they are greeted with honor. But

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The quest for power can make some people say anything. In our political system, it creates people who blow with the political wind, whichever wind has the best chance of leading to greater power. Much the way we've seen changes in John McCain during and since the 2004 campaign (selling his soul to Bush and the Bush faithful in the GOP for the chance at a future presidential bid) from the

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Malice in Malkinland continues to presume that the KU professor has to be making it all up. With little more than innuendo and pure conjecture, without any official factual evidence to back up her claim, she continues to impugn the professor's credibility. But this doesn't surprise me. The wingnuts always has differing standards for liberals (or anyone other than them) than they do for their own.

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Hunter shares with us the following letter. It's a "must-read" for anyone involved with the "War on Christmas": Dear Aunt Mabel, I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing you from the Christmas frontlines, currently in front of Cinnabon at Twin Oaks Mall. May Jesus and Santa forgive me, but I have to say that this is the worst I've ever seen it. What a horrible place, the mall. The

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Like I said in my first "War is hell" post, the toll of our actions in Iraq is much more extensive than most people look at. Not only is there the death toll or the forever-maimed toll or the mental and psychological toll or the financial toll, there is also the far-reaching, long-lasting toll on American families. This toll forever changes (and ruins) the lives of both immediate and extended

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134219541214387762005-12-10T05:57:00.000-06:002005-12-10T07:41:51.646-06:00

Talk about ironically named blogs... Alexandra's All Things Beautiful doesn't find beauty in those things she doesn't agree with or just doesn't understand. She can't understand why one of her fellow competitors in the WEBLOG AWARDS contest (who happens to be currently beating the pants — or skirt or whatever she's wearing) is less concerned about winning a vanity award and more concerned about

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by R.J. Matson, The New York Observer and Roll Call by Steve Sack, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune by Mike Thompson, The Detroit Free Press by Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant by M.e. Cohen by Matt Davies, The Journal News by Mike Keefe, The Denver Post

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This is another reason war is hell and shouldn't be a pre-emptory, voluntary, offensive foreign policy tool. It should be the solution of absolute last resort. Not only does it take a devastating toll on the people and the country we destroy in the process, there is an almost unbearable cost for families here at home. I'm not just talking about the unimaginable grief of the families and friends

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134154379451289142005-12-09T12:52:00.000-06:002005-12-09T13:01:28.376-06:00

Think Progress has the latest report on the First Lady's "War on Christmas": First Lady Laura Bush is a committed soldier in the war on Christmas. In this clip from a video recently published on the White House website she packs in three references to “the holidays” in 15 seconds: If Ms. Bush watched more Bill O’Reilly she’d know how offensive her remarks were to Christians: GUEST: “Season’

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The "cut and run" smear campaign wasn't working for them, so they've invented a new bullshit slogan: "Retreat and Defeat." And they've got another duplicitous smear video to go with it. Malice in Malkland is doing her conspiring part to distribute the latest insidious propaganda. If the GOP likes rhymes, try this one: "Bush Lied and People Died."

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Donald Rumsfeld is a disgrace. He has no integrity. He has no shame. He has no credibility. Not only has he failed miserably at the execution of the War in Iraq, he has been farcical in his rhetoric and unabashedly misleading in his statements about the Iraq War, from the run-up to the combat operations to the perpetuating quagmire. It's almost beyond believe that someone so pathological

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While Malice in Malkinland battles bronchitis (get well soon, Michelle!), she points her readers to other wingnuts maligning those who have dissenting viewpoints. When you can't win them over with persuasive arguments, beat them down with vitriolic, baseless attacks and personal smears — at least that's what I've learned from the wingers. So, put on your shit-waders and proceed at your own risk.

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Daily Show alum Stephen Colbert is brilliant on his new show, The Colbert Report. It is essentially a spoof of Bill O'Reilly and all the other self-important talking heads on cable news channels (especially Faux News). The Colbert Report even includes a segment called "The Word" spoofing O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo." This week, one episode's edition of "The Word" pokes fun at O'Reilly's

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Media Matters has the details on Jon Stewart's brilliant rebuttal against O'Reilly's unfounded allegations against The Daily Show. On the December 7 edition of Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, host Jon Stewart took Fox News' Bill O'Reilly to task for his misleading use of a Daily Show clip (documented by The Brad Blog weblog here and by Media Matters for America here). During the

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From Jesus' General:

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The Bush administration says it doesn't torture, but wants to keep the options open to protect American lives. It seems that one way they keep their hands "clean" is to hand detainees over to other countries who are all-to-happy to implement the technique. Well, the administration's scenario of using torture as a necessary tool to protect American lives backfired. One of the fundamental

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From the St. Petersburg Times: GAF Materials Corp. is handing out gift cards from Target as a reward to select employees this holiday season. That's because Wal-Mart, the discount store that held the business for years, last week called sheriff's deputies to apprehend a GAF manager on a bogus bad check rap while he was trying to buy this year's gift card supply. "I keep going over and over the

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134126444301463142005-12-09T05:00:00.000-06:002005-12-09T05:07:24.416-06:00

by David Horsey, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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From Think Progress: Former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz strongly suggested yesterday that, had we known Saddam did not possess WMD, the United States would not invaded Iraq. From the AP: “If somebody could have given you a Lloyd’s of London guarantee that weapons of mass destruction would not possibly be used, one would have contemplated much more support for internal Iraqi

Scribenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035352.post-1134080873344907582005-12-08T16:27:00.000-06:002005-12-08T16:27:53.733-06:00

Baby Bush Toys | Brain Food For the Average Child

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In a post yesterday, I told you about a Bill O'Reilly guest who blamed ABC News for killing American soldiers. Todd Manzi at townhall.com believes the U.S. casualty rate is higher because of the Associated Press. The terrorists know they cannot defeat us militarily. They understand the only way they can win is if our military withdraws because the American people stop supporting the war.

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Since I'm not a regularly listener of The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly, I miss a lot of the insane things he says. But thanks to various watchdogs, some of his craziest stuff come to light. Take for instance this bit from his December 2nd broadcast that Media Matters reported on: I am not going to let oppressive, totalitarian, anti-Christian forces in this country diminish and denigrate the

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The Lawrence Journal World reported Monday on the attack on a controversial Kansas University professor "who gained recent notoriety for his Internet tirades against Christian fundamentalists." Kansas University religious studies professor Paul Mirecki reported he was beaten by two men about 6:40 a.m. today on a roadside in rural Douglas County. In a series of interviews late this afternoon,

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