Hillarious

Hahaha, if anti-drug commercials really were like this, my life would be so much more interesting.

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A Day In The Life... Right Wing Nutter

From an AP article on Sam Brownback -

"I am an economic, a fiscal, a social and a compassionate conservative," he said.

"I'm the one that has been there, is there and will be there in the future," he added, a subtle dig at his potential rivals who are trying to claim the conservative mantle.

Positioning himself as the traditional values candidate, Brownback said his campaign's main focus would be "to save and improve lives, rebuild families and renew the culture" in the United States that supports the institution of family.

"We don't have enough family formation taking place in this country," the father of five said. "We know the best place to raise children is between a mom and a dad. It's not the only place, and you can raise great kids in many different settings, and people do, and they struggle heroically to do it."

"Raising kids is difficult, and it's difficult, too when you have a culture that doesn't particularly support you, but is constantly pulling away," Brownback added.

*Shudder*

Sam Brownback is a walking right-wing nutter stereotype, so I’m glad he’s making his positions known loudly, early on. This should designate him as one of the Republican extremists entering the presidential race, which should get him booted quite quickly.

Technorati Tags: 2008 Election•Sam Brownback•Family Values•Republicans•Nutters

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ISG Report: The Iraqi Feeling

The overall tone of the ISG report is a simple one. America must begin transferring power and responsibility over to the Iraqi government. It seems like such a simple little idea, but published in today’s WaPo is an article detailing the feelings of Iraqis to this report.

Basically, Iraqis feel that the report doesn’t take into account the difficulties that are actually taking place in Iraq. The civil war is so strong that most are unsure that the warring factions will ever be able to agree, leaving the ISG report filled with ideas that can never be achieved. This may be the case, but what is America supposed to do?

Admittedly, this is America’s (the Bush admin’s) mess to clean up, but we can only do so much. If Iraqis refuse to give up their warring ways, there is nothing we can do as the toll on our country would certainly not be worth the risk. As much as it is our mess, unfortunately, it has to be their mess to clean up, for it is impossible for us to do so. We cannot change the minds of people that are engaged in a centuries old battle.

From the WaPo article -

"It comes far too close to having the U.S. threaten to take its ball and go home if the Iraqi children do not play the game our way," Anthony Cordesmann, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in an e-mailed analysis, referring to possible withdrawal of support.

Actually, that is exactly what is happening, as the U.S. needs to threaten Iraq in this way. There seems to be this prevailing thought in Iraq that they cannot bring safety to their own country. Even if this is true, the problem is that Iraq will never be truly safe until their Government is able to fully govern. America cannot govern Iraq into sanity, and quite frankly, we’re sick of trying. If Iraqis want to live in a civil society, then they must take the steps needed to achieve it.

Other Bloggers: The Moderate Voice


Technorati Tags: Bush•War On Terror•Iraq•Iraq Study Group

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Gates Confirmed

Gates has been approved. The final vote: 95-2
Voting No: Santorum and Jim Bunning (some sort of protest or something… probably protesting that Jesus wasn’t made Secretary of Defense, or somethin’ whacky like that).



Technorati Tags: Bush•Senate•War On Terror•Iraq•Gates•Secretary Of Defense

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Iraq Study Group Roundup

[Updated Below...Updated Again]

The AP has a nice summary about the Iraq Study Group’s findings and all the hoopla around them..

It recommended the U.S. reduce political, military or economic support for Iraq if the government in Baghdad cannot make substantial progress toward providing for its own security.

I was never down with the immediate troop withdrawal idea in the beginning, but I always warned that we needed to find a way to make the Iraqis step up, a way to show them that this is their country now, as well as their responsibility. Apparently no one could find a way to accomplish this, leaving us with only this hardnosed option.

The truth of the matter is that the Iraq government needs to take control, and apparently this is the only way to achieve this. What’s the only eother option? Sit in Iraq for decades while their government works it out? Yeah right.

"If the president is serious about the need for change in Iraq, he will find Democrats ready to work with him in a bipartisan fashion to find a way to end the war as quickly as possible," said Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), the California Democrat who is in line to become House speaker when the new Congress convenes in January.

Thank you for acting like a real leader, Pelosi. Seriously, score one for our side… or something - you know it works somewhat like that in almost everyone’s head, don’t lie - .

In a slap at the Pentagon, the commission said there is significant underreporting of the actual level of violence in the country. It also faulted the U.S. intelligence effort, saying the government "still does not understand very well either the insurgency in Iraq or the role of the militias."

(emphasis mine)

Take that Michelle Malkin! You little liberal conspiracy believer, you.


Update1 5:38 PM EST

The Truth Laid Bear has the report in html. Check it out if you want to know more about what is inside.

Update2 9:28 PM EST

The Times has published a piece basically quoting some prominent Democrats on their reaction to the Iraq Study Group’s report.

Basically, it seems that most in the party are going to shy away from an immediate withdrawal proposal, which will anger some, though I have yet to decide if it is a good move.

There’s a part of me that thinks all hope is lost in Iraq, and that no matter what we do, we will lose. Part of me thinks that we should pull all our troops out, because simply, we have no business being there, our citizens have no business dieing there. Then there’s the other part of me that wants to give this new Congress a chance to work with the president and come up with a plan that will allow the Iraqi government to stand on its own. But, if we allow Congress to work with Bush and hammer something out, how long do we wait before we come to the conclusion that it’s time to pull the troops?




Technorati Tags: Bush•Congress•War On Terror•Iraq•Iraq Study Group•Nancy Pelosi

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Morning Roundup

Oh look, House members are going to actually have to work for almost a whole week.

Forget the minimum wage. Or outsourcing jobs overseas. The labor issue most on the minds of members of Congress yesterday was their own: They will have to work five days a week starting in January.

The horror.

The best quote comes from some random Republican who doesn’t want to work a full week, because it may hurt his “family”, or something.

"Keeping us up here eats away at families," said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who typically flies home on Thursdays and returns to Washington on Tuesdays. "Marriages suffer. The Democrats could care less about families -- that's what this says."

What a tool. If you are so worried about your marriage and family, then don’t run for office. Your job is to run this country, a job that should be taken seriously. Sorry Repub, but there won’t be any do-nothing Congresses here, even with you trying to paint Democrats as anti-family because they expect you to go out and do your job.

Seriously, you shouldn’t have expected Democrats to run a do-nothing Congress, so I’m not sure about why this guy is so surprised. We aren’t under Republican control anymore, duh!

Other Bloggers: Gun Toting Liberal•Captain’s Quarters

• Bush has been briefed on the Iraq Study Group report. Some interesting info I’ve ran across:

From CNN -

"The country is tired of pure political bickering," Bush said.

The report says "the primary mission of U.S. forces in Iraq should evolve into one of supporting the Iraqi Army."

It adds: "It's clear the Iraqi government will need U.S. assistance for some time to come, especially in carrying out new security responsibilities. Yet the U.S. must not make open-ended commitments to keep large numbers of troops deployed in Iraq."

From the AP -

The situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating," the commission warned after an eight-month review of a conflict that has killed more than 2,800 U.S. troops and grown increasingly unpopular at home. The report was obtained by The Associated Press.

The report warned that if the situation continues to deteriorate, there is a risk of a "slide toward chaos (that) could trigger the collapse of Iraq's government and a humanitarian catastrophe."

"Neighboring countries could intervene. ....The global standing of the United States could be diminished. Americans could become more polarized," commissioners said.

From the NYT -

According to members of the panel, the group concluded that American forces in Iraq should make a major shift in priorities over the next year, withdrawing from combat in favor of beefing up the training of Iraq forces. It also called for stepped-up diplomatic efforts — including talks with Iran and Syria — not only to stabilize Iraq but to revive the peace process between Israel and Palestine, news services reported.

According to The Associated Press, the report describes the current situation in Iraq as “grave and dangerous.” And The Washington Post reported that the group recommends that Mr. Bush threaten to withhold economic and military support unless the government led by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki meets specific milestones for progress on security and political reconciliation.

As word of the likely recommendations leaked out recently, Mr. Bush has moved to distance himself on some points, while emphasizing that his administration is already pursuing others. The president has also requested a review of policy options from the Pentagon, and has made clear that he will regard the Study Group’s report as one input among many.

In particular, Mr. Bush has been adamant that he will not agree to any timetable for withdrawal, and has dismissed the idea of a “graceful exit.” He has also said repeatedly that he will not talk with Iran until the standoff with the United Nations over its nuclear program is resolved.

Basically, Bush has finally been informed that his Iraq policy is fucked, and that he needs to change it quickly, which may include *gasp* working in a bipartisan manner, and through diplomacy with Iraq’s neighbors.

Will we see a change that will work? Probably not, as Bush is still the guy in charge, and I highly doubt that he is able to save this mess. His entire way of thinking about this war has just been labeled as “wrong”, yet I doubt Bush is able/willing to change his way of thinking.

Let the games begin….

•

Oh noes!!!1!!1 Lesbos having babies, someone call the Republicans! O wait, it’s those lesbians.

WASHINGTON -- Mary Cheney, the openly gay daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney and wife Lynne, is pregnant, according to a published report.

Mary Cheney, 37, and her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe, 45, are "ecstatic" about the baby, due in late spring, The Washington Post reported in Wednesday's editions, quoting an unnamed source close to the couple.

Technorati Tags: Bush•Congress•War On Terror•Iraq•Senate•Democrats•Lesbians•Iraq Study Group

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Gates Wins Unanimous Support

[Updated Below]

Yes, yes, the surprising has happened, and Gates has won unanimous approval from the Senate Armed Services Committee.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously approved President Bush's nomination of Robert Gates to be defense secretary Tuesday and sent it to the full Senate for approval, the committee's outgoing chairman said.

Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia announced the committee's 24-0 decision after a closed session.

The full Senate could vote Wednesday, but senators may not have an opportunity to vote until Thursday, depending on how many lawmakers want floor time to speak on the nomination, a Senate aide said.

Everyone saw this coming. The snoozefest of a testimony was a simple pat on the back from Republicans for being Bush’s nominee, and a pat on the back from Democrats for not being Rumsfeld. I’m not sure that any of this even matters, as I am 100 percent certain that Gates will not call for a troop withdrawal, even though that is what the American people and Iraqis want.

UPDATE1 11:17 PM

Let the fellatio begin.




Technorati Tags: Bush•Congress•Gates•Iraq•Senate

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Moronic Quote Of The Day

From the Times -

The New York City Board of Health voted today to ban artificial trans fats in the city’s eateries, establishing more rigorous limits than any other American city on an ingredient considered by doctors and nutritionists to increase the risk of heart disease.

[snip]

“We’re not going to take away anybody’s ability to go out and have the kind of food that they want, in the quantities that they want,” Mr. Bloomberg said today. “But we are trying to make that food safer.”

Ummm, idiot, yes you are, in fact, taking people’s ability to go out and enjoy the foods they want. If I want to go out and destroy my heart by purchasing tubs of butter to, like, melt it down and drink it as a shake, that’s really none of your business.

And really, Mayor, your obsession with my health is sort of creepy.




Technorati Tags: New York•Bloomberg•Trans Fat

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Speech Should Always Be Free

From The Golden Gate (h/t LittleGreenWingnuts) -

Preceding an ongoing investigation into SF State College Republican behavior, the Associated Students board unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the student group for purposely stomping on flags containing the Arabic symbol for God.

“Associated Students, Inc. deems the College Republicans’ actions as contrary to university values and feel they should be held accountable by the university for their actions,” the resolution says.

[snip]

The resolution cited a rule outlined in the university’s Strategic Plan saying, “SFSU facilitates teaching, learning and work experiences among students, faculty and staff that promote equity and social justice within a respectful and safe environment.”

Moreover, the resolution sets the stage for the College Republicans possibly losing official student group status and or ASi funding.

The vision of a Republican student group - shudder - losing its status is hilarious... but, they should be totally within their rights to do whatever they want to any flag. Trying to limit someone’s free speech is the worst thing you could do, even if that person is contrary to everything you believe in.

I’m not sure I buy the story that these Republicans didn’t know the Arabic symbol for God, but even if they did, and were purposely stumping on it, they should be free to do so. Yeah, they broke a school rule, but I don’t see why the issue is being pushed by other students.

Talk about giving up your beliefs to fuck an opponent….

Oooo, and to the little, lying, loonies, the group didn’t “ban” anything, so please stop making it up.



Technorati Tags: San Francisco State University•Free Speech•Muslim Flag•terrorists•terrorism•Flag Desecration

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Morning Roundup

Yesterday, I posted about the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act that Republicans in the House are trying to push through in their last days of power. Today, the WaPo has a more in-depth article complete with this little tidbit -

Even the bill's definition of pregnancy -- beginning at the moment of fertilization, rather than at implantation in the uterus -- is problematic to some abortion rights groups, since it would legislatively establish that some forms of birth control induce abortion by blocking implantation after fertilization.

Really, this is simply just another declaration of science by a political body. “Fertilization” is not an accepted beginning to pregnancy amongst the scientific community, yet here we have Republicans frothing at the mouth to, like, declare their religious assumptions as truth.

And they wonder why they have been booted out of office. Perhaps someone needs to inform them that their job is in politics, not medicine or science.


Other Bloggers: Blue’s On Third•Sexuality and Religion: What's the Connection?

• From CSN -

With the White House facing a pivotal week for Iraq policy, the big question is not so much what the bipartisan Iraq Study Group will say when it releases its report Wednesday, but how President Bush will respond.

In the final two years of his tenure and well aware that Iraq more than anything will define his place in history, Mr. Bush is facing intense pressure to make extensive adjustments to save a project that most experts conclude is rapidly failing.

I want to have faith that Bush will listen… that he will realize that his policy is a horribly failed one and that we need an Iraq change, but… I think Bush has proven that he isn’t in touch with reality. Even if there is a policy change, how do we know that it will be the right one? Bush is utterly out of touch with the situation in Iraq. He refuses to call it a civil war, and he still claims that we are fighting terrorists there. If Bush doesn’t even want to admit the real situation in Iraq, how is he going to come up with a plan to solve it?

I believe that Bush, in some weird out-of-touch-moron-reality hating way, actually believes that he knows what he is doing. His Iraq policy is a complete failure, yet he thinks that it is correct. What makes anyone think that he will change? He has no political pressure to stop this insanity, so what would make him change his opinions? Reality certainly doesn’t have that power… so what the hell does?



Technorati Tags: Bush•Congress•Abortion•Iraq•Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act•Lame Duck Republicans

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Bush And His (Pushing, Thrusting, Moaning...Sick) Faith

The Boston Globe has published an article detailing Democrat initiated investigations that will look into Bush’s failed Faith-Based Initiative.

WASHINGTON -- Two leading Democrats on the House International Relations Committee said they want to investigate President Bush's faith-based initiative to determine whether taxpayer funds are being used to reward Bush's Christian conservative supporters and whether the faith-based groups are using the funds to help gain converts.

In addition, Democrats on the panel said they could be in a strong position to try to overturn a measure that requires one-third of AIDS prevention money overseas to be spent on "abstinence-until-marriage" programs.

The $1 billion abstinence measure was passed by the Republican-led Congress and signed by Bush, but many Democrats have complained that the money could be better spent on other measures such as condoms. Many of the religious groups receiving funds under Bush's faith-based initiative have received money as a result of the abstinence-until-marriage program.

If anything comes out of these proposed investigations, I would hope that it would be this horrible failure of a measure - which may actually help contribute to the spread of AIDS - being overturned.

Sexual development 101 teaches us that abstinence-only education is ineffective. The best method is a comprehensive method that explains all options, including condoms… you know, reality. It is highly immoral for this administration to award a failed method - a method that helps spread AIDS throughout the world - and something that all people should be outraged about. People need to take a step back and look at what the real issue is here. Is it the goal of our government to persuade people to live lives that coincide with their random morals, or is the goal to stop the spread of an epidemic?

The answer is quite obvious to me, but there are those who feel that the real goal should be to spread their religious doctrine throughout the world, no matter the casualties it may bring.

As much as it kills the Christian extremists, I fully believe that the Democrats’ new power will restore an inkling of common sense back to our government, which is quite a huge victory for all of us that were blessed with common sense to begin with.

Technorati Tags: Bush•Congress•Democrats•Values•Whacky Extremists•

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Do-Nothing Congress' Last Act: Do Nothing

If you’re like me, you had to be sitting on pins and needles, wondering what the Repuiblican House’s final action would be before they lose control (shhh, it’s a slow news day… and my ass is numb, sort of feels like it’s being jammed by pins and needles).

Well, apparently, in far-right fashion, they are going to throw the religious right another bone.

WASHINGTON (AP) _ An anti-abortion bill seeking to declare that fetuses can feel pain is slated to be voted on by the House this week, a last bid for loyalty from the GOP's base of social conservatives.

The measure, sponsored by New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith, has no chance of passing the Senate this year since it won't be brought to a vote in that body. And the incoming Democratic majority won't let it come to a vote when they take control of both Houses next year.

So yes, the do-nothing Republican Congress’ last act will be to… do absolutely nothing by pushing a bill that will, according to themselves, never be passed. Interesting.

The bill defines a 20-week-old fetus as a "pain-capable unborn child" _ a highly controversial threshold among scientists. It also directs the Health and Human Service Department to develop a brochure stating "that there is substantial evidence that the process of being killed in an abortion will cause the unborn child pain."

So, I guess the real question here is, what the Hell is Congress doing making scientific proclamations when what they claim is under scientific debate? Again, I guess it’s okay to lie, if your lies support a particular religious notion. Thankfully, these people are going to soon be out of power, and sanity restored to our Legislature. Hopefully.

Other Bloggers: Feministing•TalkLeft•Obsidian Wings•SoTu Blog

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Welcome

I've been playing with this new Beta for a few days now, and I am completely impressed. This will be my new home, so I’d like to welcome everyone to the site.

The layout’s a bit… fucked, but that will be coming along in time. Really.

I’m excited to actually begin blogging again. (Yes, technically this is a blog post, but really it’s a welcome message/post holder so I can play with the layout)

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