Wherefore Motherfucker

On C-SPAN now...Dennis Kucinich (yea!) is currently reading his 35 articles of impeachment against George W. Bush. Dennis has put together ALL of monkeyboy's known crimes, including the "secret laws" section which is a tell-all regarding NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51. I will link the transcript as soon as it is available. And of course, the MSM is missing in action.

I love Dennis Kucinich.

UPDATE: Still very little word from the MSM. One would think Articles of Impeachment against the President might make the news, but sadly, no. I did find some good info on KOS, with mention of Misprison of Felony which makes me giddy as a schoolgirl. The most significant thing about Dennis' 4 hour reading is how he has detailed and fact-checked all of his charges. He gives example after example detailing what Bush did and when he did it. Give the KOS post a look and I will post transcript when available.

Banging the Drum

Once again the Bush administration has begun to bang the war drum--this time with Iran. TPM's Todd Gitlin writes up why we should take this drumbeat seriously and the necessity more than ever before to contact our representaives and not let this go the way of Iraq. From Todd Gitlin's article:

If there’s anything we understand about the occupants of the White House, it is that worst-case scenarios are, if not dead certain, to use the phrase of the day, worth taking seriously.
But here’s the point of this post: Forget what Ollie North means by passivity. There’s a genuine passivity to fear. The Democrats have to stand up this week, loud, clear, and demonstrative, and declare that they will not get hustled into supporting a mindless, counterproductive attack on Iran. They will not appropriate funds for it. Half of them in the Senate got hustled at the equivalent moment in 2002 and now regret it, even if are only willing to use the euphemism “if I knew then what I know now.”
One thing they all must know now is who they are dealing with in the White House. The mania of George Bush and Dick Cheney is not the sum of all dangers today but it is, after all, a known quantity.

This time, for sure, post-facto regret won’t do.

Duct Bush

'Nuff said.

Someone wake me when it's over

Happy Birthday Chimpy. I can't in good conscience add that part about many happy returns.

Monday Factoid File

From the Thom Hartman Program:

-In 2003 it cost $25,000. to have your picture taken with George W. Bush

-Last year the same photo op cost $10,000.

-Today you can get a JPEG with Junior for a mere $5,000.

What a deal.

Pravda, Da!

Well it would appear that I am a communist...I agree wholeheartedly with this OpEd from the English language edition of Pravda.

Memorial Day speech 29.05.2007

Ladies and gentlemen:

During the Memorial Day Holiday, it is customary to honor those courageous individuals who lost their lives in the numerous wars America has fought during its two hundred and thirty years of existence. But it goes without saying that nobody questions the bravery, the commitment and the sacrifice made by those intrepid men and women.

So, in today’s world, it is perhaps more fitting to devote a Memorial Day Speech to the cowards, the liars, the hypocrites and the exploiters who made many of these wars, including the current Iraqi war, possible.

First and foremost, we must thank George W. Bush, a “pro-life” warmonger who instigated the Iraqi war based upon nothing but outright lies, and who then “intrepidly” challenged Iraqi insurgents to “bring it on” from the safety of the White House in Washington D.C., one of the most fortified buildings in the world, located in one of the most fortified cities in the world.

Americans should not forget that, when the time came for Bush to serve his country during the Vietnam War, he did not hesitate to use his family’s wealth and influence to avoid combat duty, instead performing some National Guard duties, the nature of which remains nebulous to this day.

Soldiers wounded in Iraq should also remember that even though their conditions could potentially be improved through advancements in stem-cell research, Bush opposes such research, thus ensuring that such advancements will never be made.

Americans should also not forget the “heroism” of the venal Dick Cheney, who received five separate deferments to avoid combat duty in Vietnam. When asked why he took such extraordinary measures to avoid military service, Cheney replied that he had “other priorities.” Well, I’m sure that many of those who did serve in Vietnam (or who are currently serving in Iraq) had (and have) other priorities as well.

We must also not forget that paradigm of cowardice and hypocrisy, Tom Delay. Delay’s cowardice was shown by the lame excuse he gave for his failure to serve in Vietnam: That so many “minority youth” had enlisted in the military, there was no room for “patriotic folks” like him.

Delay’s hypocrisy was shown when he proclaimed during the Clinton administration that “bombing a sovereign nation for ill-defined reasons with vague objectives undermines American stature in the world,” yet announced during the Bush dictatorship that “it’s not the time to be questioning this president on how he is carrying out the war.”

Of course, this speech would be remiss if one did not mention how an apparent alliance between “The Swift Boat Veterans” and Sinclair Broadcasting Group, owner of the largest chain of television stations in the United States, resulted in hypocritical attacks on Presidential Candidate John Kerry and his conduct during the Vietnam War, particularly since, by attacking Kerry, these veterans were basically endorsing the candidacy of two cowards who avoided even serving in Vietnam.

And naturally we should not forget all those other politicians who have emulated Bush and Cheney by voting to send young men and women off to wars that neither they nor their loved ones have volunteered to participate in. After all, why demand that Bush’s twin daughters endure the rigors of fighting in a war their father illegally started when they can “productively” spend their time drinking excessively and running nude through hotel hallways in Argentina?

But war would not be war without its legion of fans, particularly the fans of country music. Performers in this genre have made the exploitation of war an art form. So thank you Tim McGraw for performing “If You’re Reading This,” at the Academy of Country Music Awards—a venue much more fitting than singing in combat fatigues from the front lines in Iraq. And thank you Toby Keith for “bravely” volunteering to “kick ass” in Iraq from the safety of the concert stage and recording studio. And we should not forget to thank Kid Rock, that transparent opportunist who suddenly began appearing on country music stations when his support of the Iraqi war lost him fans in the “rock-and-roll” arena. Nor should we forget to thank the equally opportunistic Larry the Cable Guy, who used the comedy stage to praise Toby Keith’s cowardice, while condemning the Dixie Chicks for having the courage to denounce this cowardice.

But these performers would not be possible without all those country music fans who buy their records and attend their concerts or movies, never once asking these performers why, if they are so “patriotic,” they aren’t serving their country in the military, instead of just singing about it.

Next we must thank the stars of television and movies: the Gary Sinises, the Ron Silvers, the Dennis Millers, the Bruce Willis(s), the Elisabeth Hasselbecks, and other such cowards who, like many of their country music counterparts, “fight” the Iraqi war from the safety of television and movie studios. After all, if there weren’t real soldiers actually risking life and limb, people, like Willis and Sinise, could not draw bloated paychecks playing soldiers in the “Hollywoodland” of make believe.

Then we must thank those who “support the troops,” as long as it results in cheap publicity: the Wrestling Federations who film their excursions to Iraq so they can demonstrate their “patriotism” in televised specials back home; the cast of the movie THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, who conveniently visited an army base to tell the troops “thank you,” at the same time their movie was being released; and all those other celebrities who conspicuously make a point of discussing how they’ve gone to Iraq to “entertain” the troops. Whatever happened to entertaining the troops simply for the sake of entertaining the troops, without the need for crass self-promotion?

Nevertheless, it should be remembered that the Iraqi war would not have been complete without the invaluable assistance of the world’s most famous lap dog, the soon-to-be former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who, through his fawning subservience to George W. Bush, proved that Neville Chamberlain was not the only British Prime Minister willing to appease a tyrant. At least Chamberlain was trying to avoid a war, instead of provoking one.

Lastly, Memorial Day would not be Memorial Day unless we thank the pundits, especially those “heroic” neo-conservative warmongers, almost none of whom have ever served in combat, nor even in the military. Thank you Rush Limbaugh for avoiding Vietnam because of an alleged cyst on your posterior; Thank you William Kristol for your Cheshire grin as you promote your warmongering agenda on Rupert Murdoch’s Fox “News” Channel, the network that has apparently been inspired by the Joseph Goebbels “school” of journalism; Thank you Charles Krauthammer for adding your arrogant smirk to Kristol’s grin as you hawk the war you’re too gutless to fight in; Thank you Bill O’Reilly for “courageously” telling documentary filmmaker Michael Moore you would risk your life (though not the lives of your children) “for the defense of Fallujah.” Apparently Fallujah must now be located in the Fox “News” studios, since you certainly have not relocated yourself to the city of Fallujah in Iraq; Let us also thank the Richard Perles, the Ann Coulters, the Sean Hannity(s) and others whose warmongering cowardice is an inspiration to all those people who demand that others do what they will not.

Finally, a big thank you to Rupert Murdoch for opining that the casualty figures in Iraq are “minute.” Regretfully Murdoch and the scum he supports seem inordinately unwilling to risk becoming part of this “minutiae.”

Just think about it America! If the nation had to depend upon those politicians, pundits and celebrities who instigated the Iraqi war to fight the Iraqi war, there would be no war. Strange how those who are quickest to pontificate about sacrifice and courage are the ones least likely to demonstrate these virtues in their personal lives.

This list, however, would not be complete without thanking all the Las Vegas tourists who engaged in a “pro-war” riot, after singer Linda Ronstadt took an anti-war stance during one of her concerts. I wonder how many of you have transformed your willingness to riot into a willingness to perform combat service in Iraq. Thanks to the United States Supreme Court for ignoring all ethical, moral and legal precedent in its corrupt zeal to catapult a war criminal like George W. Bush into the highest office in the land.

But most of all, thank you Americans (you know who you are) who supported, and in some cases continue to support, the Bush dictatorship. Without your short-sightedness, without your slavish obedience and reckless belief that warmongers never lie, without your support of those politicians, pundits, singers and entertainers who expect sacrifices of others they are unwilling to make themselves, many young people would be celebrating Memorial Day at home with their families, instead of risking and losing their lives in Iraq.

So as we close this Memorial Day weekend, America can be assured that many of its people will remain oblivious to the lessons of history; thus liars can still gain power, exploiters can still use war for profit and self-promotion, and Americans can still be duped into supporting unnecessary wars.

Sadly this also means that Memorial Days in the future will continue to be used to eulogize those who didn’t have to die.

David R. Hoffman
Legal Editor of Pravda.Ru

H/T to Rf for the linky

Bush grants presidency extraordinary powers

Being reported by The Bill Press Show via World Net Daily News, the preznit has issued and signed a "directive for emergencies" which apparently gives authority without congressional oversight.

The "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive" was signed May 9, notes Jerome R. Corsi in a WND column.

It was issued with the dual designation of NSPD-51, as a National Security Presidential Directive, and HSPD-20, as a Homeland Security Presidential Directive.

The directive establishes under the office of the president a new national continuity coordinator whose job is to make plans for "National Essential Functions" of all federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, as well as private sector organizations to continue functioning under the president's directives in the event of a national emergency.

"Catastrophic emergency" is loosely defined as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions."

All hail the king

Graphic courtesy of Truthdig
Sidney Blumenthal over at Salon, has yet again posted a laser-bright, scathing assessment of Chimpy and his cronies who snub their noses at the rule of law and the Constitution.

Loyalty to Bush is the ultimate royal principle of the imperial presidency. The ruler must be unquestioned and those around him unquestioning. Allegiance to Bush's idea of himself as the "war president," "the decider" and "the commander guy" is paramount. But the notion that the ruler is loyal to those loyal to him is no longer necessarily true. While he must be beheld as the absolute incarnation of kingly virtue, his sense of obligation to those paying homage has become perilously relative. [ ] Those who feel compelled to tell the truth rather than stick to the cover story are cast in the dust, like McNulty. Those Bush defends as an extension of his authority but who become too expensive become expendable, like Wolfowitz. And those who exist solely as Bush's creations and whose survival is crucial to his own are shielded, like Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Read the rest of Sid's Masterblasting.

Gravel: Bush should be jailed

Former Sen. Mike Gravel, the longshot presidential candidate who has generated buzz in the liberal blogosphere following a dramatic and heated performance during the first Democratic presidential debate, reaffirmed his belief that President Bush should be jailed for going to war in Iraq and that all drugs should be legalized during an interview with the Iowa Independent blog.

read the rest at Raw Story

Queen ends visit with a joke

At Chimpy's expense:

WASHINGTON - The queen had the last laugh. Dispensing with protocol briefly at the formal dinner she hosted for President Bush, Queen Elizabeth said, "I wonder whether I should start this toast by saying, 'When I was here in 1776.' " [ ]At one point in the South Lawn ceremony, Bush noted that the queen had dined with 10 U.S. presidents and had helped the United States "celebrate its bicentennial in 17 ... ." Bush caught himself and corrected the date to 1976." This brought loud laughter from many in the invited audience of thousands.

A chagrined Bush deadpanned that the queen just "gave me a look that only a mother could give a child."

He speaks volumes and inadvertently says something honest, like only a child could. Kids do say the darndest things.

The Story of the 'Codpiece'

From Randi Rhodes site: Let us not forget…
- Turning the ship around and heading away from shore in order to get the sun just right for the jet landing photo op.

- Not releasing his flight suit straps in order to get that codpiece effect.

- Blaming the sailors for hanging the Mission Accomplished banner.

- Knocking the Mission Accomplished banner out of frame in the video on the White House site.

Editor and Publisher has a great piece revisting Bush's speech on that day and the lies it contains.

Are We There Yet?

Happy Mr. President? Senators Obama and Edwards wish you a "Happy Mission Accomplished Day!" TPM reports.

Bush's 'Bunker Mentality'

Carpetbagger bags the Boss-Hoggish president in all his whining glory. Think Progress puts the bag in the trash. Best comment:"I knew Richard Nixon. Richard Nixon was my psychotic, yet lucid president. Mr. Bush, you’re no Richard Nixon."

‘Mission Accomplished’ By The Numbers

Thank goodness for Think Progress. Always putting just the right touch on the stories that need telling. Read 'the numbers' for Bush's miserable failure on this, the one thousand, four hundred and sixtieth day since Dubya-the-despicable declared "Mission Accomplished."

In other words

Comedian Kathleen Madigan does a bit about Dubya's use of "in other words." In fact she named her last stage show that very phrase, "In Other Words."

"I love it when he explains stuff to us the way they explained it to him. He does it a lot when he's 'free-speaking' and you can always tell when one's comin' 'cause he says, "in other words," but it's usually about stuff that didn't need 'other words' except earlier in the day, it did..." Her example while doing her best Dubya impression:"Osama bin Laden's on the run, still hidin' in a cave people...in other words, the man's jis' playin' peek-a-boo"

The Carpetbagger has a great piece up about most recent Junior's use of the phrase.
In other words, read it.