The Speech

I skipped the President’s speech tonight, figuring I could rely on others for analysis.  A friend called a short time ago, and said he thought the President looked confident and he (me friend) realized that everything was part of a plan, surrounded by excuses. Andrew Sullivan has another take..

A Humbled President

He seemed almost broken to me. His voice raspy, his eyes watery, his affect exhausted, his facial expression almost bewildered. I thought I would feel angry; but I found myself verging toward pity. The case was so weak, the argument [...]

Tags: George W. Bush, Iraq War

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Friday Follies

I usually save that title for later in the day. This is posting late Thursday. It’s simply too interesting to wait.

Tomorrow, Bush admin. will report progress on only one of the 18 benchmarks since last report

If you’re watching Bush speak tonight, one thing you won’t hear from him tonight is the revelation about the lack of progress on benchmarks: "A new White House report on Iraq will show improved progress on just one of 18 political and security goals: efforts to allow some former members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party to rejoin the political process, a senior administration official told The Associated Press. The latest conclusions, being released Friday, largely [...]

Tags: George W. Bush, benchmarks, Saddam Hussein

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Blast From the Past

I’m really going to try to break up the serious stuff with some entertainment.  As many of you regular readers know, I spent  much of my working life in television.  My first stop was an ABC affiliate.  I was there when ABC was on a roll, back in the early 1980’s.  In 1982, they put together what is STILL my all-time favorite promo campaigns. Now, before you say "I hate promos", consider the fact that you may be too young, or you may just not remember how good they once were.  Also, this one is a great chance to play a bit of trivia. See how many stars you can name or how many TV shows you can name, all in one 2 minute promo.  That’s right – a 2 minute promo. Back when they were used to build the "image" of the stations and the network.  What a job this one did! Enjoy! And, I challenge you to not start singing along! And, you’ll be surprised, feeling just a little bit "happy" – they really hoped to do that back then.  Amazing, huh? That was lost somewhere along the way and is one reason I’m doing something else these days.

Tags: ABC Promo, 1982 Television

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Hurricane Party

Actually, we’re supposed  to get just a glancing blow from Hurricane Humberto.  Still, it’s an opportunity to gather round the old figurative campfire and trade stories tonight.  Here’s one to get the discussion started.  One I found nigh on impossible to believe…

BREAKING: Petraeus considering running for president. For real.

From the party who still loves Oliver North, this should come as no surprise. Though this pretty much puts to rest any argument about whether Petraeus is "political" or not. You think? Besides talking about his own visions of glory in American politics, read the entire article which highlights – lowlights, actually – the miserably failed missions of Petraeus during [...]

Tags: Patraeus for President, Iraq War

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How Long?

Now, here’s a stomach-churning thought – we’re stuck in Iraq for decades? Not liking that thought…

General Tommy Franks: Iraq May Require 10 or 20 More Years

General Tommy Franks, former Centcom Commander, told Alan Colmes last night (9/12/07) that American troops may have to stay in Iraq for decades. That was no big deal to Franks when put "in the broad sweep of American history." Besides, he said, "No one has yet said that that will be 10 years or 20 years at the level of violence that we see in Iraq right now." Because surely we’re in the last throes of the insurgency, right? With video [....]

Tags: Tommy Franks, Alan Colmes, Fox News

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Iraqi Opinions

Yes, even in the midst of war, somebody managed to survey Iraqis to find out what they think of the war.  Guess what?

Iraqis want U.S. to stop occupying their country

Taking some time off from dying of cholera, being shut out of Syria as they attempt to flee, dying in car bombings and watching their elected leadership crumble, some Iraqis were polled on their opinion of the U.S. occupation of their nation. Shockingly, after four-plus years, they just aren’t into it that much [...]

Tags: Iraq War, Iraq Survey

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An Eye on Oil

Just in case you didn’t hear the news, you’d better keep a close eye on gas prices at the corner station…

Eighty Dollars

"What costs $80 buckaroos?" you ask. The answer is: The price of a barrel of crude oil, my friends. And isn’t that just wonderful news for all the little people, like you and me? The price of oil last night broke through the $80 a barrel level for the first time on fears of winter supply shortages. [...] Analysts said the 500,000 barrels per day increase in quotas from November announced by Opec this week had not been enough to outweigh concerns that a fresh wave of hurricanes could hit [...]

Tags: Oil Prices, Crude Oil, Gas Prices

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Tilted Opinions

There was a very interesting (although not surprising) report released this week about newspaper op-ed pages.  It follows closely a similar report on the balance of liberal vs conservative radio talk shows.  In both cases, opinion is tilted strongly in favor of conservatives…

At least there are blogs

I’ve been really anxious to see how traditional media outlets respond to the new Media Matters report, which documents the way nation’s op-ed pages skew heavily to the right. Something is clearly amiss, and I’ve been curious to see how news outlets respond. The Chicago Tribune’s Frank James offers a response, suggesting this may have “nothing [...]

Tags: Newspapers Op-Ed, Media Matters

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Time Out

Take a quick break.  Another "blast from the past", stumbled upon today.  "Beany and Cecil".  Remember that cartoon?  A gentleman named Irv Shoemaker did a couple of the voices for several episodes.  He was married to a businesswoman in Cedar Rapids, Iowa at the time.  What a GREAT cartoon.  Creative. Fun. Entertaining. And, what a signature theme -  A Bob Clampett Car-Toooooon!

Tags: Beany and Cecil, Irv Shoemaker

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No Small Thing

This ain’t one to ignore or try to sweep under the rug.  It’s a big deal and the administration isn’t talking about it.

So much for ‘progress’

About that political progress that Amb. Ryan Crocker has been touting all week… "A carefully constructed compromise on a draft law governing Iraq’s rich oil fields, agreed to in February after months of arduous talks among Iraqi political groups, appears to have collapsed. The apparent breakdown comes just as Congress and the White House are struggling [...]

Tags: Crocker, Iraq Oil Deal

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Playing With The Numbers

It really didn’t take much time at all for Patreus to start backing away from the troop reduction numbers he gave Congress this week. It’ll be interesting to see how this updated info meshes with what the President says during his speech tonight.  Many of you will be reading this AFTER the speech.  We’ll try to compare notes afterwards..

Petraues: A reduction of 30,000 troops from Iraq doesn’t mean an actual reduction of 30,000 troops

Didn’t take long for Petraeus to start playing a numbers gain with the troop reduction in Iraq. Just because he said 30,000, doesn’t actually mean the number will be 30,000. So what plan is Bush actually accepting tonight? All week we’ve been subjected to another Bush campaign of spin and deception. Bringing the troop level back to pre-escalation levels isn’t really a reduction of forces anyway, but now it’s not clear that’s even happening. On NPR’s Morning Edition today, Petraeus explained — or tried to explain — the numbers: [...]

Tags: Patraeus, Troop Reduction, Iraq War

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Playing With The Numbers – Part 2

Again.  This time, top honors go to the Wall Street Journal.

Wall Street Journal: Lying for Bush

Did someone snooze through math class? The reporter for the Wall Street Journal is so eager to spin a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll for Bush that it verges on lying. But what’s surprising about that? Today’s WSJ, in an article by John Harwood starts out: Public Gives Bush Slight Reprieve U.S. War Dissatisfaction Eases a Bit, But Opinion [...]

Tags: Bush Approval Rating, Wall Street Journal

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The Constitution and Religion

It appears a whole bunch of Americans need to go back and review Civics 101.  There are some very basic concepts that have been mangled over the years to the point where a majority simply don’t realize they’ve been duped. 

Most Americans somehow think the Constitution was a religious document

Gulp. Most Americans believe the nation’s founders wrote Christianity into the Constitution, and people are less likely to say freedom to worship covers religious groups they consider extreme, a poll out today finds. The survey measuring attitudes toward freedom of religion, speech and the press found that 55% believe erroneously that the Constitution establishes a Christian nation. [...]

Tags: Constitution and Religion

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Sanders on Bush

During our regular jaunts between Arkansas and our daughter’s college in Missouri, we frequently listen to now-Senator Bernie Sanders on the Thom Hartmann radio program. Satellite radio is a wonderful thing – no more searching for something to listen to every 50 miiles!  Hartmann is, in my estimation, one of the most intelligent progressive talk show hosts around.  He’s written books, he researches his material and he converses easily with listeners.  Sanders has impressed me since his days in the House.  He’s over on the Senate side now, but still stirring things up as a true Independent.  via Iin These Times – a great example.

Earth to Bush

Ground control to Mr. Bush: What planet are you living on? Today, tens of millions of Americans are experiencing a declining standard of living and yet you continue to insist that our economy is "strong" and "robust." Rather than acknowledge the economic anxieties of American workers, you insist that they don’t know how good they have it. Since you have been president, 5 million more Americans have slipped into poverty; hunger and homelessness have increased. Because you refused to raise the minimum wage for six years, millions of workers are continuing to work full time and live in desperation. Low-wage workers are often unable to find quality childcare and their kids enter school at a special disadvantage–many of them never to catch up. It is no coincidence, Mr. President, that we have both the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world as well as the highest rate of incarceration. But it’s not only the poor who are suffering under your "thriving" economy. The next generation will be the first to have a lower standard of living than their parents. From 2001 to 2005, all of the income growth in our country has accrued to the top 5 percent,[…]

Tags: Bernie Sanders

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Toy Testing

Oh, my.  Sometimes it really does pay to keep an eye on C-SPAN.  You never know what you’ll stumble upon.  You really must follow the link to see the picture of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s "Toy Testing Facility" – astonishing…

Testing Agency Head Under Fire; Senate Commission Asks: Is it Safe?

Lawmakers, including the wonderful Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill), grill Nancy Nord (of the Consumer Product Safety Commission), demanding to know why lead-laden children’s toys and jewelry are still arriving in the United States. "Sen. Dick. Durbin (D-Ill.) charged that the CPSC was not aggressive enough in stopping unsafe toys and children’s jewelry manufactured in China from entering the U.S. He said the agency never obtained information on [...]

Tags: CPSC, Durbin, Toy Safety, Toy Testing Facility

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One Way To Get Viewers

When you numbers are tanking, and desperation sets in, you do what you have to do to get viewers.  Just ask CBS.

Katie Couric is the right wing’s new ’sweetheart.’

Last week, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric reported from Iraq, but her stories largely repeated the Bush administration’s talking points. She even admitted that her stories were largely based on “what the U.S. military want[ed]” her to see. The right wing is now embracing her. Roll Call reports that conservative aides on Capitol Hill [...]

Now, check out how CBS replied to some folks who wrote to criticize the Couric reporting..

Couric in Baghdad = ratings sinkhole. But blogs suck!

Tags: Katie Couric, CBS Newes, Iraq War

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Honest, perhaps.

But not very politically astute.  Not when you’re running as a Republican.  And, not when the majority of Americans think the Constitution specifies Christianity as our religion.

Thompson says he’s no churchgoer, won’t tout religion on stump

That’s the fundie-deflating headline at Bloomberg on Fred Thompson’s statements at his first campaign stop in South Carolina. All those bible beating fans of the former senator and Law and Order actor who were projecting their fantasies as a 2008 savior onto him just got drop-kicked out of the box: "Republican presidential contender Fred Thompson, who has based his campaign on appealing to conservative voters, said he isn’t a regular churchgoer and doesn’t plan to speak about [...]

Tags: Fred Thompson and Religion

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More Backwards Progress

I really do wish I could buy into the "Iraq Progress" line of reasoning, but there is simply too much evidence to the contrary. Remember, al-Anbar Province is the "success story" for the surge….

Shaikh Sattar Killed in Bombing; Anbar State of Emergency

Shaikh Sattar Abu Risha, leader of the Council for the Salvation of al-Anbar Province, has been killed by a bomb set at the entrance to his farm near Ramadi. Sawt al-Iraq says that a state of emergency has been declared in the province as a result. Bush met with him on the recent trip to a US base in al-Anbar and he was being held up as an American success story in finding tribal allies against the Salafi Jihadis that Washington styles "al-Qaeda."  The Bush adminstration has presented a lot of statistics on Iraq this week. Aljazeera English presents some others: [...]

Tags: al-Anbar Province, Shaikh Ssatta Abu Risha

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How Are Things in Afghanistan?

Rumsfeld (remember him?) says, "just fine".  Thank you.  Now, let’s get a quick reality check.

Former DoD, State Dept officials: Rumsfeld is wrong.

In a recent interview with GQ, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that Afghanistan was a “big success!” Today, a former CIA officer and a former State Department official write in the Los Angeles Times that Rumsfeld is wrong: Former Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld says in the current edition of GQ magazine that [...]

Tags: Rumsfeld, Afghanistan, GQ Magazine

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Well, now…

This is a striking statement…

O’Hanlon: ‘I Could Easily See Myself Changing Camps’ On Iraq ‘In The Next Six To Nine Months’

At a Brookings Institution event today, Iraq war proponent Michael O’Hanlon expressed his support for President Bush’s call to extend the escalation, but he claimed he could only support the strategy “for another six to nine months”: If you think there’s hope [in Iraq], there’s a very powerful argument in favor of trying to see what [...]

Tags: Michael O’Hanlon, Iraq War

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