SoonerBlue

"There are some people who are saying that maybe Dick Cheney is setting himself up to actually run for president. You know, it makes sense. Republicans are looking for fresh blood, and Cheney just had some yesterday." --Bill Maher

"The other day George Bush gave a speech at a graduating high school class. He wondered why they didn't give him an honorary degree, but that's another story. It's interesting, he said he finds not being president liberating. Agreed." --Bill Maher

"He told the kids it's interesting the way life turns out, and now he finds himself walking the dog and picking up poop. Finally, something he can actually find. He couldn't find Osama, he couldn't find the weapons of mass destruction. If only we'd be attacked by dog s**t, we'd be OK." –Bill Maher

"Oh, poor George Bush, picking up after some unthinking creature's mess. Well, now he knows how Osama feels." --Bill Maher

"They put a provision in the credit card bill to let people carry guns in national parks. So when you're buried under a mountain of debt, at least you have a scenic place to go kill yourself." --Bill Maher

"Nobody knows debt like California. We had a special election, and they rejected all the proposals Gov. Schwarzenegger suggested to save the state from going under. Very bad day for him. He said he has not been this humiliated since the '80s when he took an acting class." --Bill Maher

"We're $26 billion in the hole. I don't want to say it's bad, but today Mexico announced they're building a border fence." --Bill Maher

"There was sort of an unprecedented event this week when Obama was on television giving his version of national security, and then moments later Dick Cheney was on. It was all about Obama vs. Cheney: yes we can vs. go f**k yourself , biracial vs. bicentennial; walks with a spring, craps in a bag." --Bill Maher

"Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the other day that the prison at Guantanamo Bay has become a taint on the reputation of America. And that's what the Bush administration will always be remembered as -- America's taint." --Bill Maher

[From HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher]

While many Americans seem willing to go along with waterboarding, sleep deprivation and confined spaces, I think rape is a different story...especially of children.

We like to tout ourselves as the world's Good Guys...yet we act like the Bad Guys. We condemn other nations, for exactly what we ourselves are doing/have done.

I'm afraid there are more terrible things to come...the following story is bound to come out. It may take years, but Truth always finds the sunlight.

If investigative reporter Seymour Hersh is right - and he usually is - it all gets much much worse. He has written about it in The New Yorker and once gave a speech to the ACLU, saying that children were sodomized and raped in front of their mothers (women in the prison), and the Pentagon has tape of it.

~Children sodomized at Abu Ghraib, on tape~

Hersh: "And I can tell you it was much worse, and the government knows it's much worse, than they've even told you. There are worse photos, worse videotapes, worse events. .........

"[.] Some of the worst things that happened you don't know about, okay? Videos, um, there are women there. Some of you may have read that they were passing letters out, communications out to their men. This is at Abu Ghraib . The women were passing messages out saying 'Please come and kill me, because of what's happened' and basically what happened is that those women who were arrested with young boys, children in cases that have been recorded. The boys were sodomized with the cameras rolling. And the worst above all of that is the soundtrack of the boys shrieking that your
government has. They are in total terror. It's going to come out."

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article6492.htm

It's quite horrific to think that the US military could use rape against women and children, and have other troops photograph and film it....horrific to think that it could be sanctioned, or at least accepted by those at the top.

And why do we have pictures and videos detailing the abuse? Who wanted these pictures? Why were they taken? Unless they were for those higher in the command chain, so they could see that the tactics they approved were actually being carried out.

But then, documenting evil deeds is nothing new...the Nazi's had plenty of pictures. Saddam had them...in fact, we put Saddam Hussein to death because of torture and rape videos...

The ultimate barbarity of it sickens me...our rules of engagement are pretty much like those in places like Angola and the Congo...

Well, this is surprising. A new survey shows that the happiest Americans are elderly, male, and Republican. In other words, Republican." --Jimmy Fallon

"You think security in Washington is so good? A Capitol police report said that a drunken man spent several hours wandering through the Hart Senate Office Building late at night, after he parked his car in the garage, staggered into the building drunk, didn't get stopped or challenged by anybody. Security didn't do anything to the guy. In fact, they first realized he wasn't a real senator when, after three hours, he hadn't groped anybody, raised taxes or taken a bribe." --Jay Leno

"This week marks the 54th anniversary of the invention of the credit card. See, before that, people practiced something called 'living within their means' -- a foolish, foolish, outmoded way of life." --Jay Leno

"At the White House the other night, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a night of poetry and music featuring musicians, authors and poets, to which President Bush said, 'Now, that's torture.'" --Jay Leno

"Both President Obama and Dick Cheney gave competing speeches on national security and terrorism. It's kind of like 'American Idol' except one of them got voted off months ago." --Jimmy Fallon

"President Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney gave speeches on torture. Now, is it me or have we seen more of Dick Cheney in the last week than we did in the past eight years? Anyway, the President spoke out against torture, while Cheney's speech was more of a how-to discussion." --Jay Leno

"Hey, President Obama has found a way to quickly close Guantanamo Bay. He's going to turn it into a Pontiac dealership." --Jay Leno

"And according to a Massachusetts educational official, 73 percent of the people who take the state elementary school teacher licensing test fail the math part. In my home state, Massachusetts, 73 percent of teachers taking the math test fail. That's almost half." --Jay Leno

"And according to a Rasmussen poll, when asked if English should be America's official language, 85 percent of the people said, 'Si.'" --Jay Leno

"Torture. That is the story that just will not go away in this country, and now with Nabcy Pelosi in the middle of it. Yes, Republicans keep changing their story on torture. First it was, 'We didn't torture.' Then it was, 'Okay we tortured, but it worked.' And now it's, 'Nancy Pelosi said we could! She said it was okay!'" --Bill Maher

"Newt Gingrich has been all over TV. He called Nancy Pelosi a 'trivial politician.' Pretty strong words from a guy who goes on CNN just to swipe food from the green room. A 'trivial politician,' as opposed to Newt himself, who is a very serious, unemployed fat guy who runs a think tank out of his basement." --Bill Maher

"I'll tell you what I'm pissed off at. Obama was speaking at Arizona State University, and they denied him an honorary degree, because his body of work, according to them, is 'yet to come.' This is Arizona State University, the ultimate dumbass party school? You know when strippers say they're 'working their way through college?' This is the college. You can have a double major in binging and purging at this school. But Obama's not good enough for an honorary degree. The first black president of the Harvard Law Review, got more votes than anyone who ever ran for president. He's been on 'Oprah!'' --Bill Maher

[gathered from NYTimes Laughlines and HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher]

"According to a new poll, Dick Cheney's approval rating is up eight points since leaving office. Wow, I can't believe Cheney's approval rating is eight percent. That's amazing." --Jimmy Fallon

"Former Vice President Dick Cheney has been in the news a lot this week, attacking President Obama. For eight years, this Dick Cheney never said two words, now all of a sudden he's like Regis, all over the place. He's been making so many speeches lately I'm starting to think he's not really dead." --Jimmy Kimmel

"Well, another gaffe by Vice Presudent Joe Biden. God bless Joe Biden. He's been our savior here. Newsweek is reporting that at the Gridiron Dinner, Joe Biden started talking and accidentally revealed Dick Cheney's secret hiding place. See, there's more proof you don't need waterboarding to get secret information. Just give Joe Biden a couple of drinks." --Jay Leno

"Actually, do you know what Dick Cheney's secret location turned out to be? Under the Vice President's house. Is that really a secret, huh? You're in the basement, really? Our enemies never think to look behind the furnace. Ooh." --Jay Leno

"Fascinating. I mean, on the other hand, you wonder about a vice president who's got a panic room. 'It's just the ice cream truck, Dick. You can come up.'" --David Letterman

"Yeah, the underground dungeon is where Dick and his evil monks plotted to take over the Vatican." --David Letterman

"Los Angeles will start a water rationing in June, which means Dick Cheney will only be allowed to waterboard guys two days a week now." --Jay Leno

"In a reversal of his position, President Obama this week said he now opposes the release of photographs showing terror suspects being abused in Afghanistan and Iraq. Meaning we'll just have to wait for Dick Cheney's Christmas card." --Amy Poehler

"And a New York City auction house is having something unusual. It's selling a large variety of torture devices dating from the 16th century. A bunch of torture devices. Said the whole thing looks like a Dick Cheney garage sale." --Jay Leno

"Dick Cheney went to see the Tom Hanks film 'Angels and Demons,' and through the whole movie he's screaming, 'Go Demons! Go Demons.'" --David Letterman

"Dick Cheney says that Rush Limbaugh is more of a Republican than Colin Powell. And I think, well, yeah, about 300 pounds more.'" --David Letterman

"I'm speechless, which is more than I can say for Dick Cheney. Dick Cheney will not shut the f**k up. He's all over. He's on Fox News, he's on 'Face the Nation,' he's on every radio show. Today, he was on 'Oprah' complaining John Edwards cheated on him. He's everywhere. Remember the good ol' days when the guy who got tortured did the talking?" --Bill Maher

[Gathered from NYTimes Laughlines, and HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher]

To a lot of people Memorial Day is just a time of backyard family BBQ's or sales in the mall...or a chance for a DIY project around the house. But while we're doing all that let's take time to remember that this holiday is supposed to commemorate US men and women who have died in military service to their country.

From the bloody battles of the Civil War to the battles in Europe and the Pacific, on the frozen hills of Korea, in the rice paddies and jungles of Vietnam, and the deserts and towns of Iraq and Afghanistan thousands of miles away, our citizens have always come to the defense of our country.

So take a few moments to reflect, and think about all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Also remember the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead.

Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the Civil War. I read that the first memorial was observed in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston... the site of a former Confederate prison camp, as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who had died while captive. A parade with thousands of freed blacks and Union soldiers was followed by patriotic singing and a picnic.

Anyway, after World War I, Decoration Day was expanded to include those who died in any war or military action in the service to our country.

On this day I also can't help thinking about the disabled veterans, and all of our military men and women overseas right now, who put their lives and limbs on the line day after day -- while we get to be with our family and friends, barbecue, and have fun.

Most of them will get to come home .... but some will not. And some will pay with their sanity instead of their lives.

I salute and thank them every one.

As the Senate voted for new rules governing credit card companies, they also voted to allow people to carry loaded firearms - including semi-automatic weapons - into national parks and wildlife refuges. My senator, Tom Coburn (R-Okla) sponsored the measure and the NRA is just so dang proud. Next thing you know he'll sponsor a measure that will turn all the Gitmo detainees loose in Yellowstone...

Seriously, the national parks/loaded firearms amendment would overturn a decades-old ban on carrying loaded guns into national parks. I think we could always take unloaded firearms into parks and wildlife refuges, but they had to travel and be stored unloaded.

But now we'll be able to put our loaded semi-automatic assault weapons right out there on the picnic table with the deviled eggs...

Under the Coburn Amendment, state law would rule over federal regulations. So, if you have a concealed carry license that's valid in the state of the national park you're visiting, go ahead, you can pack some heat on your walk over to the Trading Post.

What's next? Should it be acceptable to carry guns into Arlington National Cemetery, the White House...the Capitol?

~Bill Changing Credit Card Rules Is Sent to Obama With Gun Measure Included~

WASHINGTON — Congress on Wednesday sent President Obama a set of new rules governing credit card companies, completing a trio of consumer-related measures that Democrats had raced to get signed into law by Memorial Day.

But the credit card victory came at a cost that angered some backers of the legislation: approval of an unrelated provision allowing visitors to national parks and wildlife refuges to carry loaded weapons if they are otherwise licensed to possess guns.[..]"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/us/politics/21cards.html?_r=1&ref=politics

Coburn's measure plays into all the right-wing panic over Obama and gun control. One thing for sure - Ammo manufacturers and Walmart are just tickled pink to be making a freaking fortune from all this gun nut paranoia. They've long been spreading rumors that "Obama is going to make ammo harder for you to get, that's why it cost so much see, you better buy all you can now."

Some people say that this particular issue is a tempest in a teapot, and will have little bearing on public safety or the park critters for that matter.

Some people are pissed at the Dems for voting for it...others say don't be too hard on them, that this is just the way the game of politics is played. They had to add that amendment as a compromise...so they could stop credit card companies from cheating and taking advantage of customers. Something has to be done about such practices as sudden increases in interest rates even for those who paid their bills on time, hard-to-understand contract terms and hidden fees, etc.

Some say there will be far far more people benefit from the credit card regulations than will suffer from the gun amendment. Not sayin' I like it, but ...

Looks like the GOP didn't learn the true lessons of McCain/Palin - which was assuming they could drop in anyone with ovaries and suddenly Independents and Democrats who supported Hillary Clinton would change sides. It proved to be a really stooopid decision.

And now...trying to drag down the 3rd most powerful politician in DC with potshots about her looks is just as stupid and silly. Except for the hardcore 20 percent, I'll bet most Dem/Independent/GOP women are proud to have a woman as Speaker...these rightie bloviators must be too simpleminded to realize that.

Here's what I'm talking about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhd9_sqjHsI&feature=player_embedded

But, not to worry Speaker Pelosi, rabid righties usually save such nastiness for those they're most threatened and/or intimidated by - Hillary, Michelle O, etc. Maybe righties would be more supportive if Nancy went the route of Miss California and bought some boobs. Nah, Madame Speaker has actual power, not just a nice dye job and silicon.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the rabid righties are picking on Speaker Pelosi for her looks. I remember what insults Hillary Clinton suffered in the '90's...and again as a presidential candidate. So this seems pretty tame compared to things I've heard about other powerful women.

But it still riles me so that this level of playground taunting is tolerated. This is just another example of how a dying, thuggish political group eats itself alive.

I don't think the question is "would this happen if she were a man?" The bigger question is why do we tolerate this type of dialogue? Period. I know a lot of Democratic women - true feminists - who were upset because Palin was picked on for reasons other than her ideas.

It isn't that the hatred is more intense these days, or that the sexism is more overt...it's probably because the media coverage is more intense. There are more opportunities to see it on blogs and the Internet...there was no Fox News in '92.

Sad thing is, I probably won't live to see this sort of sexism ever change. We drive the misogyny underground, instead of killing it. So it's always there, festering...it bubbles up only when a woman in power is on the ropes. Since we have so few women in real positions of power, we rarely see it in public.

BTW - Rush Limbaugh attacking Nancy Pelosi's looks is just beyond the pale... it's like him giving a lecture on drug abuse...or weight loss tips.

See the major political party hand control over to the racist junkie radio show clown. An unrepentant bigot. No one challenges him , so his virulent misogyny grows louder and louder...

Amazing...don't they know who the hell votes? More women than men for sure.

Do they really think Sarah Palin can fix this?

Don't righties see that the same rhetoric on this video drives women away from the polls, also drives them away from party involvement. When you want to show them that there's room for them in the party, they see that someone like Palin is the best you can do.

Two smart cookies

Just call me an optimist but I think this will be very good for our country.

It's all over the news that Utah Governor and GOP moderate Jon Hunstman will resign from office to accept a nomination to become the ambassador to the People's Republic of China.

It's a smart move politically for both Obama and Huntsman because it shines up their bipartisan creds and swing voters loooove that. Don't forget, elections are won from the middle...

China is the big diplomatic get right now. How perfect that Gov. Huntsman adopted a Chinese daughter, is fluent in Mandarin and once served as the US Ambassador to Singapore...he'll be a very good public face for our country.

We might be saving a bit of true conservatism...when it's time we can reintroduce him into the wild, so he can form his own tribe...

In the meantime, Obama gets the best trade guy available...a Mandarin-speaking official, which will show Chinese leaders a sign of respect. Obama also gets to way-lay a credible re-election challenger...all the while boosting his bipartisan creds by adding another high-profile Republican to his administration.

I may have to rethink my opinion that LBJ was the wiliest president...

Huntsman is from the more moderate wing of the Republican Party. If he accepts the job he'll have to put his 2012 ambitions on hold...BUT he'll really boost his long-term prospects. This could make him the front runner in 2016 after the Limbaugh wing crashes and burns.

It will take until 2016 for the Republican party to sort itself out...going to China will keep Huntsman out of that fight. At the same time it will add to his excellent foreign policy creds.

He's also only 48...

By 2016 none of those Republican top runners could touch him. His resume would include impressive domestic experience (popular governor), impressive foreign policy experience (two-time ambassador), service under three different presidents, first-hand knowledge of a burgeoning superpower, and some bipartisan bona fides of his own.

Hey...Huntsman is a big Rock music fan...how bad can he be?

Here's more in washingtonpost.com 

"Gay marriage is now legal in five states. This is not one of them, so hold your breath. It's pretty much anywhere in New England now you can be as gay as you want to be. I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but L.L. Bean now is selling assless chinos." --Bill Maher

"Did you see the president and the vice president go out to lunch at that greasy spoon? Apparently, these guys got hungry -- I think they were stoned -- they jumped in their limos, they drove to Virginia, picking up Harold and Kumar along the way. I love Joe Biden, but he is a little gaffe-prone, because he went up to the counter and said, a burger for me, and fried chicken for my friend here." --Bill Maher

"Don't start with me, survivors of swine flu. Boy, last week, it was the pandemic that was going to wipe out the human race. This week, a great way to lose a little weight for bikini season. So, good news for you California housewives. You can go back to screwing your gardener." --Bill Maher

"But in Mexico, they are still taking precautions. The sex show, in Tijuana? The donkey now wears a condom." --Bill Maher

"What a panicky nation this is. In one week, we went from the hell pox to, now, the Center for Disease Control is having to warn people not to have swine flu parties. I swear to God, people were having swine flu parties, where they would infect each other on purpose, to build up the immunity." --Bill Maher

"I am starting to really worry about the Republican Party. I mean, last week they lost Arlen Specter. You know who they lost this week? Joe the plumber. Joe the plumber is quitting the Republican Party. This is like the Grateful Dead losing stoners." --Bill Maher

"Joe the plumber said at first he was flattered the Republicans were asking him for advice, and then one day, he remembered, he's a moron." --Bill Maher

"Dick Cheney was on the news this week, and he said that it would be a mistake for the Republicans to moderate their policies. He said they should remain true to their core principles: gay bashing, war profiteering and torture." --Bill Maher

"It looks like a catfight is breaking out among the Republican Party's younger members, both of them, because Bristol Palin is on an abstinence tour, promoting abstinence. What a good person to do that. And she says abstinence is the only thing that works." --Bill Maher

"You did hear about John Edwards, didn't you? Yes, Elizabeth Edwards was on 'Oprah' this week to let the world know the pain of being married to that lying, cheating son-of-a-bitch, John Edwards. She said for years, she believed his vision of two Americas, until she found out he was getting laid in one of them." --Bill Maher

"She told Oprah, he's a really good man who did a very bad thing. But if you take that one thing out of it, we had a perfect marriage. It sounds to me like she's trying to get America to forgive John, because Lord knows she ain't!" --Bill Maher

[From HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher]

Who led the war into Afghanistan and Iraq? Who told Rumsfeld - "This ain't going to work. You can fire me. I'm either the commander or I'm not, and you've got to trust me or you don't."

He was known for his creative cussin'...called the Joint Chiefs "You Title X motherf**kers!"

Well, he's retired now and lives in my area...he's building a General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum nearby. A place for all his artifacts, papers and photos. I'll drive over there one of these days, I'm curious to know what it's about. This is from my local paper:

"Southwest Oklahoma boasts one of the top western museums in the country--the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan. Then there's the Discovery Trail in Lawton-Fort Sill that includes the Wildlife Refuge and Holy City of the Wichitas. "We have the Mattie Beal house, we have the Museum of the Great Plains, the Comanche National Museum and cultural center which is one of our newest museums, and we're out here at Fort Sill which is one of the most fantastic museums in the U.S. Army," said Tipton.

"There's an awful lot to do around this community and that's part of the reason that we love it here," said Retired 4-star General Tommy Franks. General Franks will soon open a museum of his own in Southwest Oklahoma. General Franks already unveiled a traveling road show of artifacts in September, and is about to open a permanent leadership institute and museum in Hobart. "With the way the economy is right now, a lot of people are looking for things they can do without having to climb on an airplane and spend a lot of money, and so I've told a lot of people to come on out to Hobart, Oklahoma, next Saturday the 23rd, have a chance to see the opening of our museum."

Even though his travels took him all over the world, Franks says he still likes to visit Lawton's museums, and even be "touristy" for some things we might take for granted. "Out around Roosevelt where we live, we don't quite have a Wal-Mart over there, or an Outback, or a Red Lobster, so we come over here quite a bit actually."

From kswo.com

Dang if we ain't found someone who'll spout off and not apologize to Rush Limbaugh - John McCain's 97 y/o mother.

Roberta McCain went on the Jay Leno show and dismissed talk show hyena Rush Limbaugh...said that Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele's assessment of Limbaugh as an "entertainer" was "exactly right"...and she blasted Steele for backing down on his own dismissal of Rush.

"I think that the chairman of the Republican Party, Steele, was exactly right when he defined this man as an entertainer, and to my horror the Republican Party made him back up on it," she said.

The audience broke into loud applause when she said, "What [Rush] thinks about or represents about the Republican Party has nothing to do with my side of it...I don't know what the man means. I don't know what he's talking about."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5YJoFHPqog&feature=player_embedded

Are we sure that wasn't a Roberta McCain doll used by some evil, gay, liberal ventriloquist.

More here...

Roberta is probably still fired up because last month Rush called for her son and granddaughter Meghan to be thrown out of the Republican party...saying that people who aren't really Republicans should just follow Arlen Specter and defect to the Democrats.

Limbaugh's response to Roberta? "McCain's mother is dumping on me! She is absolutely right. The Republican Party she belongs to gets shellacked, election after election."

Really? I sort of thought the Party Rush belongs to hasn't been doing all that well either...

Anyway, Roberta is plenty feisty, so Rush better be careful. He's too big a wimp to have a good go at Wanda Sykes - she can fight back with a razor tongue...and don't forget how big bad Rush mocked an actor who has a debilitating terminal disease.

This is how entertaining Rush can be. Back in the day of his failed TV show, he talked about Clinton’s cat Socks and then asked "Did you know there is a White House dog?" and held up a pic of 12 year old Chelsea. Wasn't that classy?

Actually, it was John McCain who came up with the joke about lil’ Chelsea being so ugly because she was the spawn of Janet Reno...

Hmmm, John...I'm gonna tell your mama on you...

I side with President Obama on this one. We already know that thousands of detainees have been abused...there will be a time for releasing photos, but not while the wars are ongoing and our troops are still in Iraq and Afghanistan with their lives on the line.

From the Washington Post:

"A month after making public once-classified Justice Department memos detailing the Bush administration's coercive methods of interrogation, President Obama yesterday chose secrecy over disclosure, saying he would seek to block the court-ordered release of photographs depicting the abuse of detainees held by U.S. authorities abroad.

Obama agreed less than three weeks ago not to oppose the photos' release but changed his mind after viewing some of the images and hearing warnings from his generals in Iraq and Afghanistan that such a move would endanger U.S. troops deployed there.

"The publication of these photos would not add any additional benefit to our understanding of what was carried out in the past by a small number of individuals," Obama said yesterday. "In fact, the most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in danger."

Civil liberties and human rights advocates said the reversal would serve to maintain the Bush administration's legacy of secrecy. Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said Obama's shift was "deeply disappointing."[..]"

Yes, some lefties are deeply disappointed...they say Obama is going back on his promises of transparency in government.

They say while they don't want to put our troops in danger, this is supposed to be a democracy, and we ought to be able to see what our government does in our name.

They say that people being appalled by the photos is not a good enough reason...because how could the photos inflame any more bitterness and anger in the Muslim world when they already know dang well what's been going on in those prisons.

Also - some lefties point out that you can tell when President Obama has made a wrong decision because all the prominent righties come out to praise him.

So, while the photo release 'change of direction' is disappointing to some, it doesn't really change things that much. I don't need or want to see the photos, I just want to see an independent commission do an inquiry into the widespread use of and authorization of torture techniques.

I'm sure such a commission would have access to all the photos it wanted...then later when our troops aren't in harms way, they could make them public.

Most all lefties see the torture scandal as a serious abuse of power that needs to be investigated. But right now, while the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan is so dangerous and precarious, I don't fault Obama for slowing the process down...so long as the process is allowed to continue.

This leftie also wants to know what leading Democrats knew about the torture and when they knew it...maybe Pelosi, or Eric Holder, or Patrick Leahy. Once it's clear that the investigations are more than partisan getting-even, the prosecutions will proceed.

Lefties should take heart from what President Obama said about his request to delay the photos - "Moreover, I fear the publication of these photos may only have a chilling effect on future investigations of detainee abuse."

See? Future investigations.

The Truth always comes out. Always.

"Everybody is excited about the economy getting better and you kind of feel it everywhere you go. People have a smile on their face and a spring in their step. Here's how you know the economy is actually starting to turn around a little bit. I saw Donald trump earlier today, and that thing on his head was wagging." --David Letterman

"It's nice to have someone like President Obama and his wife. Did you know this? They still take time out once a week to have a date night. I used to have a date night but marriage put an end to that." --David Letterman

"President Obama may choose a Supreme Court nominee by the end of the week. That's fast. Nothing against the President, but doesn't it worry you that it took him 10 times longer to decide on a dog?" --Craig Ferguson

"Here's an unusual story. Only in Louisiana! I love Louisiana politics. This is my favorite. A porn star named Stormy Daniels is now embarking on a listening tour of the state of Louisiana. She's considering running for the Senate. A porn star running for the Senate. Porn to politics. That's kind of a lateral move, isn't it?" --Jay Leno

"And today, President Barack Obama promised to 'detect and pursue' American tax evaders, as opposed to his first 100 days, in which he detected and nominated American tax evaders." --Jay Leno

"The White House announced that Vice President Joe Biden has laryngitis. Yeah. They said that he has a rare strain they hope lasts until 2012." --Jay Leno

"And former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a group of fourth graders that the Bush Administration never used torture to interrogate terrorist suspects. Condoleezza spoke to the fourth graders using simple, uncomplicated words that they could easily understand. Same way she explained it to President Bush. Almost verbatim." --Jay Leno

"Man, it was hot today. I was sweating like John Edwards watching his wife on 'Oprah.'" --Jay Leno

"No, this is true. A criminal grand jury is now probing whether or not Edwards illegally gave $114,000 from his political action committee to his mistress. Edwards said it was proper use of action committee money because he said, hey, he was getting plenty of action." --Jay Leno

"Ooh, I can't wait to see the ratings on this -- Elizabeth Edwards was discussing her marriage on 'Oprah.' And this weekend, John Edwards will discuss his marriage on 'Cheaters.'" --Jay Leno

"They taped the show earlier in the week and they've been showing little snippets of it. And when Oprah asks about their marriage, Elizabeth says, 'Neither one of us is out the door.' But believe me. One of them is on the couch." --Jay Leno

"There were signs that John Edwards was not the most faithful guy in the world, you know. Like, Elizabeth told Oprah that she asked John for one gift before their wedding, to be faithful. But after Elizabeth made this request, John stopped looking in the mirror and said, 'Huh? I'm sorry. Did you say something?'" --Jay Leno

"Actually, The New York Daily News is reporting that John Edwards' mistress is mad about all this publicity, and she is now demanding a paternity test. Well, good luck getting John Edwards to give up a strand of hair. Never happen." --Jay Leno

"And Federal authorities are now investigating how John Edwards spent his campaign money. Well, we know what he didn't spend it on — condoms!" --Jay Leno

"The economy is in bad shape. In fact, the economy is so bad, John Edwards is giving his mistress IOUs." --Jay Leno

"As you may have heard, there was a little controversy when some semi-nude photos of Miss California leaked out. The really bad news is that they were taken by John Edwards." --Jay Leno

"President Obama announced today plans to either trim or eliminate 121 programs. The programs he wants to eliminate -- Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly." --Jay Leno

"Here is something that's causing a huge controversy here in California. Our governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, says it's time to start the debate on legalizing marijuana. Yeah. He says he 'wants some pot in every pot.'" --Jay Leno

"Of course, people in Los Angeles are split on this. Half want it legalized, the other half think it's already legal." --Jay Leno

"Actually, the University of California says they may start a marijuana research center. Really? I thought the University of California was a marijuana research center." --Jay Leno

"And government bureaucrats in China have been ordered to smoke more locally produced cigarettes in order to set an example for citizens and stimulate the Chinese cigarette industry. And health officials are worried that smoking could become the number one cause of death now because of this government mandate. But do you know what the number one cause of death is in China now? Disobeying a government mandate. So, you're kind of stuck." --Jay Leno

"In Tennessee, lawmakers are planning to build a statue of Al Gore on the grounds of the state capitol. They say that the new statue will look just like Al Gore, except a little more lifelike." --Jimmy Fallon

"And President Obama held a White House Cinco de Mayo celebration this week, where he honored the Mexican people and he spoke Spanish. See, that shows you how far we've come as a country. Think about this. Where a half Kenyan/American president with an Arabic middle name can speak Spanish to a bunch of English-speaking reporters whose bankrupt newspapers are now owned by the Chinese. See what I'm saying? That's crazy. What a great country." --Jay Leno

"Happy Cinco de Mayo, everybody. Now, do you know the history of Cinco de Mayo? Well, Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexicans driving the French out of Mexico in 1862. See, I am so glad the Mexicans won that one. Imagine if the French had won. Mexico would not only have swine flu, they'd be rude and chain smoking, too." --Jay Leno

"Well, this flu epidemic thing has become international. Mexico has filed a formal complaint against the country of China for seizing 70 of its citizens and quarantining them. China seized 70 people from Mexico, and Mexico said it was shocked. And, of course, the U.S. was stunned. Seventy? That's more than we've seized all year. Come on!" --Jay Leno

"And health officials have confirmed the first case of the virus being transmitted from a person to a pig. A farmer has transmitted the virus back to a pig. Scientists say they have not been able to come up with a good explanation on how this happened and neither has the farmer." --Jay Leno

[gathered from NYTimes Laughlines]

Only 21 percent of the country admits they're Republican...it's easy to see why. They've become the Jerry Springer Show of political parties...embarrassing and almost painful to watch...yet oddly entertaining.

Watch the Republican party deflate like a fizzling campaign balloon. See them go from an all-powerful political machine to a pathetic political footnote in the blink of a neo-con evangelical's eye.

See the childish meltdowns of their media gurus, see the former drug addict, radio hyena Rush Limbaugh take the helm of the party and become more powerful than GOP chairman, Michael Steele...who had to kiss Rush's big fat sweaty...ring.

See their laughable claims of socialism and fascism become so much fodder for comedians. See 40-year party veterans hightail it for friendlier pastures. See the GOP's obsession with social issues like abortion and gay marriage pull them deeper under the rolling blue rip tide.

See the GOP whine and complain about everything Obama does, but have no helpful ideas of their own. Wait...they did come up with the "Republican Road to Recovery"...18 pages in a little blue pamphlet which was filled with screwy little diagrams but not one single dollar figure. When the press got hold of it they laughed, asked if it was satire written by the guys over at The Onion. It wasn't.

See the GOP gather at Fox News organized side-shows called Tea Parties...where agitated taxpayers dressed up funny and protested, uh, they weren't exactly sure what, as they waved tea bags all around, called for a revolution and threatened to secede from our United States.

See the GOP have temper tantrums and wallow in sour grapes, while Obama ambitiously tries to clean up the mess they left...tries to change course and lead the country into an invigorating healthy future.

We finally have a president who outshines them all, and a lot of us too...a president who has a sharp intellectual creativity that the righties don't understand and can't keep up with. A president who has the best interests of We The People at heart...who loves this country and barely tolerates the Washington, D.C. games. Who just wants to get things done to make life better for us all.

The road forward may be bumpy, and we may get stuck in Republicans mud as we try to find our way...but at least the driver isn't drunk with greed and the car is no longer a clunker.

"Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences."
Robert Louis Stevenson

The Republicans were just so proud to have the first Black American leading their party...they just don't trust him with their money.

Republican National Committee members have been itchin' to strip Chairman Michael Steele of some of his power...and they finally did. They took away his authority to spend party money on his own. A Steele friend said this as an effort to "embarrass and neuter the chairman of the RNC."

And guess what? Jay Banning, who Steele recently fired, will be brought back to help keep an eye on RNC spending. How awkward is that going to be?

From washingtontimes.com: "Capitulating to critics on the Republican National Committee, embattled Republican Party Chairman Michael S. Steele has signed a secret pact agreeing to controls and restraints on how he spends hundreds of millions of dollars in party funds and contracts, The Washington Times has learned.

The "good governance" agreement revives checks and balances Mr. Steele resisted implementing for RNC contracts, fees for legal work and other expenditures that were not renewed after the 2008 presidential nominating contest.... It represents the first time in memory that rebel members of the Republican Party's national governing body have successfully taken on the party's historically powerful national chairman and his loyalists.[..]"

Who knows what the anti-Steele R's might try next. They don't like Steele, and clearly don't trust him...and just proved that they can win when they challenge his leadership. They have no reason to stop reining him in...since Steele seems to need the party more than the party needs him.

If he had any sense, or pride, he would've immediately resigned rather than agree to this. So, now he's stuck with a job being little more than a reviled sock puppet.

Notice how he wasn't on "the panel of experts" that Sarah Palin just joined.

Let's face it, Steele is where he is as a result of the Republican Party's issues with race and affirmative action. Funny, as much as the wingnuts scream about "racial quotas", they broke their necks to seat their own "black President"...the anti-Obama.

They still don't get Obama or why he beat them. They still think he won because he is black...they can't admit that he won a battle of ideas.

The R's used the same silly logic when they put up Palin as their "female" to counter Hillary Clinton...the anti-Hillary.

Anyway, Steele is toast. If he keeps his mouth shut he can last a couple more months. But next big gaffe and he's gone.

Oh dear, who will they get to replace him? The real chairman sits in a radio studio...

Hey, if some idiot Okies want to be that way, I say give 'em all the free beer and guns they can carry, send 'em on down to Texas, seal off the border, and just wait for the dust to settle.

~Oklahoma Declares Sovereignty~

Yep, I'm sure the Cherokee Nation (et al) would like to say a thing or two about sovereignty to those fine white folks in the OK legislature...

Dang, ain't it funny what three months of a black Democratic president will do to one's sense of patriotism.

Rest assured that plenty of us Okies are happy with being part of the United States. Right now, I'm ashamed of how many of the people in my region act. Then again, I've been ashamed of many of the things my country has done over the last eight years. Yet I remain a proud Sooner and a proud American.

A while back when the teabaggers were protesting, and the Governor of Texas was threatening to secede, the winds of right wing separatism started blowing through several red states.

It resulted in the Georgia Senate, the South Dakota House, and both chambers of the Oklahoma legislature passing resolutions to affirm their sovereignty...saying that the federal government stands in violation of the Constitution.

Oklahoma's Gov. Brad Henry vetoed it anyway. That's not stopping the legislature though...its set to override the veto and put Washington on notice. Which won't really change anything legally, but it just shows you what can happen to a blue governor in a red state.

Oklahoma has been playing around with this for over a year...jumping the gun on all the crazy secessionists. When it comes to crazy, Oklahoma is always at the top of the list.

For a state to "affirm its sovereignty" is for it to declare federal law null and void if it conflicts with state law.

Secession talk has been gaining steam in wingnut media for some time - lunatics talking about God's directives to secede - and a lot of gullible, confused people have picked up on it without really understanding what it would mean.

I just wonder how many secessionists would still want to leave the union when they realize they would lose all their pieces of the federal pie...they would lose their military bases, they'd lose government contracts because they'd be reclassified as foreign corporations. They'd lose FEMA funding, agriculture subsidies, DOT money, FAA money...they'd lose their National Guard. They'd lose access to the world's embassies...they'd lose FDIC protection for bank depositors.

Yet, they'd immediately gain massive unemployment and a crushing tax burden. Werks fer me.

I heard on the news that the states where secession polls are the strongest receive the most in federal money...like Texas.

Oh dang, Murtha again?

Latest headlines have Murtha's nephew receiving $4 million in no-bid contracts for warehousing and engineering services...but he doesn't seem to do anything but cash the checks.

The rest of the country seems to know that Murtha is corrupt...but the voters in his district seem to love him, they keep electing him, even after ABSCAM. I guess because he brings home the bacon (pork)...so, yes, he's a corrupt SOB but he's their corrupt SOB.

Yes, he's a war hero, but he's also a crook. ABC did a piece on the airport Murtha has funded...20 passengers a week but receiving millions in stimulus funds.

He doesn't try to hide it, he once said - "If I'm corrupt, it's because I take care of my district."

Reporters from the Washington Post hung around outside the business on several different occasions, and didn't see a single truck backed up to any of the ten cargo bays of the warehouse:

"...Robert Murtha said he is not at liberty to discuss in detail what his company does, but for four years it has subsisted on defense contracts, according to records and interviews. He said Murtech's 17 employees "provide necessary logistical support" to Pentagon testing programs that focus on detecting chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, "and that's about as far as I feel comfortable going." Giving more details could provide important clues to terrorist plotters, he said.

Murtha said he does not advertise being the nephew of John Murtha and considers it "unfortunate" that some will unfairly assume Murtech received its federal contracts because of his uncle's influence at the Pentagon.

"If we're not doing our job well, we wouldn't be doing our job," he said. "I'm successful at the work I do because of the skill sets I have. . . . You don't know how good someone is unless you work with them."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/04/AR2009050403743.html

Sorry kid, history has taught us that when the name Murtha is involved, you can pretty much bet something fishy is going on.

I wish the personnel files and the shipping records would be made public, just so we could finally retire the corrupt old goat and get someone in there who won't abuse power like he's been doing for years.

I sooo wish we could get rid of Democrats like Murtha - Jane Harman too - and replace them with decent Democrats who would work for all of their constituents...not just a handful of friends and relatives who get to fill their pockets just because they know them.

Let us not forget Halliburton/Cheney and the billions of dollars that went to them on no bid contracts...

But, really, the problem is not R or D, but rather the corrupting influence of power. Once certain people have power, there is usually very little they will not do to keep that power. This transcends all parties...it is a human disorder.

How surprised would we be to investigate all 500 plus on the Hill and find out whose little sticky fingers have been where...

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests." - Patrick Henry

"The number two movie in the country is the romantic comedy, 'The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,' or as John Edwards calls it, 'a horror film.'" --Jay Leno

"Well, former presidential candidate John Edwards is now admitting that Federal investigators are looking into his presidential campaign finances and the fact that he paid over $100,000 to his mistress. Of course, Edwards is denying any impropriety. He said his mistress earned every penny." --Jay Leno

"In business news after receiving billions of dollars in government bailout money, the company Chrysler ended up filing for bankruptcy protection. Chrysler was founded in 1923 by Walter P. Chrysler, but it really took off under his younger brother, Jesus H. Chrysler, who's I guess like some kind of marketing genius." --Jimmy Kimmel

"I'm glad you're all in a good mood, but I'm a little bummed out today because I made a bad investment. So stupid! I opened a Chrysler dealership in Mexico City." --Jay Leno

"So, I guess the other big news you heard: Chrysler, bankrupt, finally. Yes, this is very bad news for Chrysler drivers. I mean, besides the fact they drive a Chrysler. ... Chrysler is partnering now with Fiat! They have a new slogan: 'Chrysler: It's supposed to make that noise'" --Bill Maher

"Senator Arlen Specter, though, has really left the Republican Party, which is like resigning from Chrysler." --David Letterman

"Arlen Specter has been a Republican for a long time, so it has got to be tough, don't you think? I mean, for years you're lying out of the right side of your mouth, and now suddenly you've got to start lying out the left side of your mouth." --Jay Leno

"Senator Arlen Specter has a new reality show ? 'I'm a Republican Get Me Out of Here!'" --Jay Leno

"Seventy-nine-year-old Arlen Specter is now switching to the Democratic Party, which is a big loss for Republicans. You know, when they lose that young blood, it hurts." --Jay Leno

"Hey! Some happy news. As you may have heard, the White House has a brand-new puppy. I believe his name is Arlen Specter." --Jay Leno

"I'm sure you've heard, Senator Arlen Specter has switched to the Democratic party. Yeah, today, Obama told Republicans look, we'll give you Biden and call it even." --Jay Leno

"Well, there are now cases of swine flu in the United States, Canada and Mexico. So, see that? NAFTA does work." --Jay Leno

"According to one of the news services, U.S. pork producers are now lobbying the United States government to change the name of this swine flu because they say it's bad for business. And, you know, actually, they're right. You cannot catch swine flu from eating pork. Oh, sure, you can get heart disease, obesity and high blood pressure, but not the swine flu." --Jay Leno

"Vice President Joe Biden got himself in a little bit of hot water because on the 'Today' show, he's shooting his mouth off. He's saying that the subways in New York City are not safe because of swine flu. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, Joe, listen to this -- the subways weren't safe before swine flu." --David Letterman

"They said today you cannot get swine flu from eating pork, which, of course, raises the question, so what were these guys doing with the pig?" --Jay Leno

"How about that swine flu? The government is saying forget about nonessential air travel, an example of which would be flying Air Force One really low over New York City." --David Letterman

"In the latest swine flu update, the Mexican government has told its citizens to stay home, to which Lou Dobbs said, 'I've been telling them that for years!'" --Jay Leno

"A vacancy on the Supreme Court. This is something we haven't seen in awhile. Let's just hope the president is better at picking a justice than the justices were at picking a president." --Jay Leno

"President Obama says they're already looking hard to try and find a replacement for Justice Souter who hasn't, you know, paid any taxes." --Jay Leno

"Well, as you know, Supreme Court judge is a job for life. There's only one other job in Washington that's a job for life. That's on the Joe Biden Clarification and Apology Unit. And that's 24/7. That's very hectic." --Jay Leno

"In fact, just a day after saying he wouldn't go anywhere in confined places like an aircraft or a subway because of the swine flu, Vice President Biden rode a train from Washington to Delaware. You know what that means? Not even Joe Biden listens to Joe Biden." --Jay Leno

"Finally, some good economic news. They're hiring at the Supreme Court. There's going to be an opening. David Souter is retiring, apparently, after a brief, terrifying conversation with Joe Biden." --Bill Maher

"The Republicans say that Obama's pick for Souter's replacement is completely unacceptable, and they will let us know why as soon as they find out who it is." --Bill Maher

"Conservatives, of course, are very nervous about this, for two reasons. One, David Souter was appointed by a Republican, and when he was on the court, became more and more liberal. And they say they will never again allow the appointment of someone who can learn.. --Bill Maher

And the other reason, of course, is because this week Arlen Specter has crossed the aisle. Now, maybe it's because he's 79, he just wants to be closer to the bathroom." --Bill Maher

"They say President Obama will most likely pick a woman. And I think that's probably true, because today, Clarence Thomas was seen renting porn." --Bill Maher

"Are you getting tired of swine flu hysteria? I think the media has done a hell of a job scaring the hell out of everybody in this country. I mean, planes have been diverted, people don't touch elevator buttons, proms have been canceled. At middle schools all across the country, students and teachers have been warned not to kiss during sex. And all for what? As of this morning, 331 confirmed cases worldwide. I've had more people than that in my Jacuzzi." --Bill Maher

[gathered from NYTimes Laughlines & HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher]

~Obama takes aim at offshore tax dodges...U.S. companies must not be rewarded for moving jobs overseas, the president declares.~

This has been long overdue. If you make money as an American company, you pay American taxes...period.

Thank goodness we have a leader now. Hope lives...change is coming to America.

Ooh, I can just hear Limbaugh and the Wingnuts (good name for a rock band) squeal from here...

Well, boohoo...isn't hiring in America, building in America, buying American, and paying your legal and fair share of taxes in America 'the American Way'? Won't this create jobs and help spur the economy...and keep profits within our shores?

Sure, big business and the Republicans are going to whine and complain that it will "kill" American business and hurt "small business" blah blah blah. Never mind that BIG business and RICH Republicans are responsible for our worst economic mess since the Great Depression.

I just don't buy the argument that the companies were "re-investing" in their "people" with the tax loopholes.

Now, I do agree with giving tax credits for R&D. This country needs to get back to making things...we have great natural resources in our own people ...who've been screwed over by the financial sharks.

Reporting from Washington -- President Obama said this morning that he plans to crack down on American companies that legally avoid U.S. tax obligations by investing money in countries with lower tax rates.

He also plans to eliminate tax deductions for companies that achieve similar breaks by sending jobs overseas, while extending the deduction for those who create domestic jobs.

The practice of "offshoring" cheats other taxpayers, the president said, and those who circumvent the system are "aided and abetted by a broken tax system" that he pledged to fix.

Speaking to reporters in the Grand Foyer of the White House, Obama said he doesn't think companies should be rewarded more for creating a job in Bangalore, India, than for creating one in Buffalo, N.Y.[..]"

BTW - Even Warren Buffett has said that the tax code is unfair and helps the rich.....

Muppet Swine Flu Fight Song...."It's a bad-ass new disease..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k90Sz6ihkBs

Favorite line - "Once you go frog, you never go hog."

The last genuine conservative Republican has died...the kind who could give Obama and the Democrats serious opposition.

Jack Kemp died a few days ago from cancer at age 73, here's a letter he wrote to his grandchildren after the Obama election....it reveals the kind of man, politician, Republican, and American he was.

From the letter: "...You see, real leadership is not just seeing the realities of what we are temporarily faced with, but seeing the possibilities and potential that can be realized by lifting up peoples' vision of what they can be.

When President-elect Obama quoted Abraham Lincoln on the night of his election, he was acknowledging the transcendent qualities of vision and leadership that are always present, but often overlooked and neglected by pettiness, partisanship and petulance. As president, I believe Barack Obama can help lift us out of a narrow view of America into the ultimate vision of an America where, if you're born to be a mezzo-soprano or a master carpenter, nothing stands in your way of realizing your God-given potential....."

http://www.kemppartners.com/about-jack-kemp/column/a-letter-to-my-grandchildren/

Jack Kemp was always one of my favorite Republicans, and now I better understand why. That I didn't agree with him on supply side economics didn't make me respect him less as a human being. He simply wanted what was best for our country and didn't hate anything except intolerance.

Today's Republican party has strayed from the ideals of decent human beings like Jack Kemp, a man who showed that being a conservative didn't mean spewing nastiness and pandering to hate-mongers.

People like Rove, Limbaugh, Cheney, Palin, etc. have just about killed something that was good for our country - a healthy two-party system - and they're driving out the people, like Kemp, who have personal integrity and ethics.

Kemp would never have had anything to do with the hate/character assasination politics of today's Republican party. He truly cared about his fellow man, not just himself or the party.

RIP Jack.

I'm not among the Democrats who are tickled pink about Arlen Specter jumping the fence. Oh I get that it's good PR for our party, but I don't think Specter will vote any differently than he always did.

I guess I should respect that he came right out and said the reason he switched was because he'd have a better chance to win his next election with Democrats helping him. He might've meant it when he said the GOP had moved too far to the right...or he might've known that was what we wanted to hear.

I still view him with suspicion and don't think he'll be that big a help in furthering Obama's agenda. Why should I trust such an unprincipled, power-hungry politician?

So I can't understand why Obama, Biden, and Harry Reid all think that Specter's exploitation of our party is so great...so wonderful that they're willing to raise money and support Specter prior to the primary. I'm not happy about that...it's denying *real* Democrats a chance to run for that Senate seat.

I don't mind if Democrats welcome Specter with open arms, but I do mind their neglecting the process by which the voters get to say who their senator is...instead of Specter's political friends.

Specter said that he welcomes 'all comers in the Democratic primary and the general election'...I think he should have them.

No politician should be entitled to an uncontested election - primary, general, special, or any other kind. I'm guessing that if there is a primary challenge to Specter, there's a good chance the core of working stiff Democrats who have been voting against him for years will continue voting against him.