tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60931492011-09-06T04:12:19.130-04:00The Shameless AntagonistSteve Lindstrom's Award-Winning Blog. Keeping The World Safe For Democracy Since 2003.Stevenoreply@blogger.comBlogger5531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-65416949619274715542011-08-05T21:47:00.001-04:002011-08-05T21:48:17.726-04:00CHUMPDear President Obama, I'm not your supporter anymore, so don't ask me for any money. In fact, don't contact me at all--unless you're going to start selling stuff on Kijiji--In that case, I'm convinced I could persuade you to trade your Blackberry for a packet of Magic Beans.Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-3031015144095413102011-08-05T21:44:00.000-04:002011-08-05T21:46:10.690-04:00My Deficit Reduction PlanMy deficit reduction plan: A war tax to pay for Iraq and Afghanistan. It would be progressive in recognition of the fact that the rich are the demographic least likely to serve, and most likely to have military contractor stocks. Military families would be exempt, and some of the money would go toward a new GI bill. If war were pay-as-you-go, it would be less popular.Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-80631515220447243052011-08-05T21:40:00.002-04:002011-08-05T21:43:27.370-04:00I think Homer Simpson aptly summarized the Republican platform on Women's Reproductive Health when he said "Marge, it's not a UterYOU, it's a UterUS".Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-45332368758851786972009-08-16T09:34:00.003-04:002009-08-16T10:19:21.791-04:00It's Not About The Plan Do you want to stump a conservative? Ask them what the alternative is. What is the plan Republicans propose to counter what they refer to "Obamacare"? Can they answer you without shouting? Without mention of "socialism" or "fascism" being mentioned? I didn't think so. The truth is, they don't object to the plan, they object to the man. If John McCain had been Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-67346505943737274922009-08-16T08:38:00.002-04:002009-08-16T08:51:25.675-04:00How Hard Can Healthcare Reform Be?Step One: Identify the problem.Step Two: Identify people who are addressing the problem.Step Three: Evaluate their successes and failures.Step Four: Emulate their success and learn from their failure.Why isn't it this easy? Bob Herbert cites an example in today's New York Times...Read It here...Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-40533687692357998872009-08-13T22:24:00.002-04:002009-08-13T22:43:14.454-04:00What's So Scary About Socialism?Really. I want to know. When someone attempts to link President Obama's attempt to reform our healthcare system with Socialism, should I be curled up in the fetal position under my desk whizzing on my latest issue of "National Republic"? What horrible Socialist boogeymen do Conservatives have in mind when they think of the evils of Socialism? Whenever I hear Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-60356812790190255412008-09-10T07:07:00.002-04:002008-09-10T07:12:07.403-04:00The Dog and Pony ShowAccording to McCain's campaign manager, this campaign isn't about the issues. It seems the press is doing its' very best to make sure they focus on the personality issues and the polls. I'm currently watching The Today Show, and they've covered the election for ten minutes without even mentioning a single issue. Don't we deserve better than this?Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-10695537413737178642008-08-31T19:48:00.000-04:002008-08-31T19:49:01.284-04:00Senator Wanderin' EyesTalk about assessing your running mate!Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-78536141556540177492008-08-29T08:35:00.002-04:002008-08-29T08:47:53.787-04:00McCain: Iraq is "Peaceful and Stable"Read It:Amazing. If the Obama people don't jump on this, they don't want to win.Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-55853684758069461212008-08-23T11:14:00.002-04:002008-08-23T11:16:55.037-04:00Would You Pick Lettuce For $50 an hour?On planet McCain, do migrant workers make $50 an hour? Does he really think only illegal immigrants would pick at that price?Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-20839837155540936442008-08-22T21:00:00.000-04:002008-08-22T21:01:20.304-04:00How Many Houses?Gotta love the Feist!Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-14228466189303519602008-08-21T22:44:00.003-04:002008-08-21T22:59:00.137-04:00What Will Happen: The Election or Selection of the PresidentHere's what I think will happen: If the election is free and fair, I think it is very likely that Obama will win by a landslide due to his massive ground campaign and tech-savvy campaigning. His agressive courting of the politically disengaged will lead to an electoral tsunami that will stun the world.If the election is not free and Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-60490726637211515482008-02-07T21:02:00.001-05:002008-02-07T21:02:18.664-05:00Modern conservativism: "the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." -- John Kenneth GalbraithStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-36785274500261968082008-01-25T21:34:00.000-05:002008-01-27T16:52:21.427-05:00The New Scramble For AfricaWest Africa already provides 17 percent of U.S. oil imports. With Washington keen to ease its reliance on the volatile Middle East, the National Intelligence Council, a CIA think-tank, forecasts this will rise to 25 percent by 2015.Washington has already raised its military profile in the Gulf, launching a permanent naval presence and seeking a site for its new African Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-45188055129427215252008-01-24T22:15:00.000-05:002008-01-24T22:20:15.204-05:00The Last Person You'd Expect To See In AndongLinda Carter.Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-81233144968610198182008-01-23T21:45:00.000-05:002008-01-23T21:48:52.228-05:00Guy Smiley Attacks!Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-67733301925747471312008-01-23T21:18:00.000-05:002008-01-23T21:43:27.498-05:00Gutter TalkMany Democrats seem positively apoplectic due to the fact that Clinton and Obama seem to be resorting to name-calling and distortion in order to score political points. As for me, I'm unperturbed. Bill Clinton once famously remarked "Americans will never vote for a candidate that shows any sign of weakness. They'd rather have a president that is strong and wrong than weak and right".Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-2776677956940823292007-09-08T14:19:00.000-04:002007-09-08T14:20:47.185-04:00Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-74509139534876376982007-06-19T05:18:00.000-04:002007-06-19T05:25:31.146-04:00Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity9/11 whistleblower Coleen Rowley. She should have been listened to then, she should be now.-- Declaring “war” on the tactic of terrorism elevates to statehood what actually may be scattered, disorganized individuals, sympathizers, and small groups. It empowers the terrorists as they add to their numbers and provides the status of statehood to what Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-25406518332425456792007-06-04T22:30:00.000-04:002007-06-04T22:31:47.793-04:00International Justice: An Idea Whose Time Has ComeWhat would the world look like if all the tyrannical dictators of this bleeding earth were held accountable for their actions? We may find out... THEY are beginning to fall like ninepins. On Monday June 4th the trial began in The Hague of Charles Taylor, Liberia’s former president and Africa’s most famous warlord. He is accused of planning and Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-68967781323399856532007-05-15T03:50:00.001-04:002007-05-15T03:50:54.515-04:00Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-19739797058763727532007-05-10T21:34:00.000-04:002007-05-10T21:39:41.633-04:00Who's the Sicko?I can't wait for Michael Moore's Sicko.......In February, Moore took about 10 ailing workers from the Ground Zero rescue effort in Manhattan for treatment in Cuba, said a person working with the filmmaker on the release of “Sicko.” The person requested anonymity because Moore’s attorneys had not yet determined how to respond.Moore, who scolded Bush over the Iraq war during the Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-24443536230143238622007-05-03T22:40:00.000-04:002007-05-03T22:42:55.917-04:00Softball SeasonMr. Bush is hardly the first president to go before a friendly crowd during a challenging period. But he has done so several times in the last few weeks, even as some onetime allies voice worry about the White House creating the impression that he is cloistered, hearing only supportive voices. It was just such an impression last year that helped lead White House aides to put him Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-65212938943740092552007-05-02T22:36:00.000-04:002007-05-02T22:42:38.821-04:00Bush's VetoThe Democratic strategy: Chain them to the hull of the titanic.Everyone knows the war is a disaster. Reid and Pelosi are forcing congressional Republicans to either cross the president or to go on record again and again as supporters of the biggest disaster of our lifetime. When Democrats talk about Iraq, they're preaching to the choir of public opinion. When Republicans do, they Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-2722513205472177452007-04-18T21:22:00.000-04:002007-04-18T21:23:43.504-04:00Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-3095315378787998102007-04-16T22:20:00.000-04:002007-04-16T22:22:44.669-04:00A Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of The NRAThe first comment from the White House about today's tragedy:A White House spokesman said President Bush was horrified by the rampage and offered his prayers to the victims and the people of Virginia. ``The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed,'' spokeswoman Dana Perino said This is compassionate Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-247060914283387422007-04-11T21:17:00.000-04:002007-04-11T21:18:34.160-04:00Why Don't Republicans Testify Under Oath?Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-38809541703306426872007-04-04T21:53:00.000-04:002007-04-05T06:39:16.875-04:00John McCain's Campaign Is Over...Well, not yet--but it should be. His recent field trip to Iraq underscores not only his detachment from reality, but also his complete disregard for the troops and the Iraqi people:"...he told a talk radio host that there are "are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through." Then, when the claim was widely mocked, he went to Baghdad to prove his Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-32429781733703103292007-04-02T21:11:00.000-04:002007-04-02T21:28:23.150-04:00The Spanish Power TowerNo, it's not someone's Porn nickname, it's the future of solar energy, and it's happening now...Europe has gained a new source of renewable energy with the inauguration of the continent's first-ever "power tower" at the centre of a field of mirrors near the southern Spanish town of Sanlúcar la Mayor.The 115-metre-high tower (377ft) is the key element in what is being hailedStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-52438772496342592272007-04-02T06:04:00.001-04:002007-04-02T06:04:53.301-04:00After reading Dan Stout's recent Maufactured Environments post on the untimely demise of many a fine blog, I realize my own writing has come to a crossroads. If my blog is to survive, I must give you my worst.The problem I have is the same problem everyone else seems to have: I don't have the time or energy to come up with something good as often as I'd like. My ego would rather have me write Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-84852563349693451162007-03-28T19:47:00.000-04:002007-03-28T19:48:35.591-04:00Let's Question Gonzales and Rove in secret foreign prisons "...The Bush administration and Attorney General Gonzales don't want to testify to Congress under oath. Congress is ready to subpoena them to force them to testify. Bush threatens a constitutional showdown if they do. Can a compromise be reached? Is there a way that Gonzales and Rove can be questioned in a way that the Bush administrationStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-35741825490634398992007-03-26T21:01:00.000-04:002007-03-26T21:08:17.816-04:00Traitors Don't Get To Question My PatriotismBill Maher.....You know, not to generalize, but the 29 percent of people who still support President Bush are the ones who love to pronounce themselves more patriotic than the rest of us. But just saying you're patriotic is like saying you have a... ... big c**k. If you have to say it, chances are it's not true. And indeed, the Party that flatters Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-32942261067458440512007-03-24T22:26:00.000-04:002007-03-24T22:27:25.033-04:00Bob Geiger's Saturday Morning Politcal Cartoon RoundupThe Link is HereStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-34975241804872555362007-03-22T20:27:00.000-04:002007-03-22T20:47:30.290-04:00The War of Unintended ConsequencesD'oh!The US is scrambling to head off a "disastrous" Turkish military intervention in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq that threatens to derail the Baghdad security surge and open up a third front in the battle to save Iraq from disintegration...a Milliyet journalist, Kadri Gursel, said: "The US attitude has really pissed off the government and the army. The US Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-82287003571266296582007-03-21T22:39:00.000-04:002007-03-21T22:49:54.891-04:0094-2Consider it a vote of no confidence. When was the last time the Senate voted 94-2 on anything?Read It:Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-56212703953462768462007-03-15T05:19:00.000-04:002007-03-15T05:21:08.479-04:00So...Let's say you're the President of the United States. The chief aide to your Vice President was convicted of perjury and obstructing justice, a hostile congress is launching investigation after investigation of your abuses of power, and the impeachment movement is gaining steam. What do you do?The most logical thing to do...Fire all the lawyers! If you choose this option, make sure that Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-27784573493968803782007-03-12T19:26:00.000-04:002007-03-12T19:57:38.695-04:00This is the Conservative Philosophy in ActionFrom today's USA Today:President Bush wants to pay for his plan to send 8,200 more U.S. troops to Iraq and Afghanistan by cutting money for agriculture, education and other programs, budget records show.Take a step back from your disgust with this president and this administration.The problem behind the problem isn't failed policies and vapid Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-67392944180679297082007-03-10T06:50:00.000-05:002007-03-10T07:01:44.594-05:00Even he knew better.The Libby VerdictGuilty, Guilty, Guilty...What else can be said? What we need now are hearings on Walter Reed, The Firing of U.S. District Attorneys, Katrina, hell, everything back to the sinking of the Ehine Maru.If the Democrats really want to win in 2008, they need to investigate each and every scandal of the Bush presidency for the next ten years. Don't stop when we have Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-26574872621625996042007-03-10T06:45:00.000-05:002007-03-10T06:48:14.612-05:00The Revolution Will Not Be TelevisedSomebody tell Chuck D. it's time for either a cover or a collaboration.This time around, the revolution will be online.Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-33596506696003298752007-03-04T13:56:00.000-05:002007-03-10T06:50:05.550-05:00Ahmed's FieldsIn Ahmed's fields the poppies bloom, As soldiers search from room to room.They turn up little; some opium, a knife,and a burkha that must have belonged to his wife.A tripwire triggers a massive blastThat startles Mehmet while walking pastOthers shrug and carry on amid the gloom.We'll take our quarrel to the foeAs did the British, so long ago,With reasons unclear and purpose Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-38008449665838260672007-02-28T21:38:00.000-05:002007-02-28T21:39:08.791-05:00JIMIStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-7374632234776642292007-02-25T22:19:00.000-05:002007-02-25T22:24:14.141-05:00Joke of the DayWhat does it say about the people who are laughing?Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-84204050243196112432007-02-25T21:48:00.000-05:002007-02-25T21:56:24.181-05:00Time For a Long Hard Look In the MirrorThose who think that Muslim countries and pro-terrorist attitudes go hand-in-hand might be shocked by new polling research: Americans are more approving of terrorist attacks against civilians than any major Muslim country except for Nigeria. The survey, conducted in December 2006 by the University of Maryland's prestigious Program on International Public Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-5835397838947728782007-02-23T21:08:00.000-05:002007-02-23T21:15:16.316-05:00Frankenstein FactoryFar from reducing terrorism and the number of terrorists, the war in Iraq has led to more terror attacks around the world, according to researchers from the Center on Law and Security and the New York University School of Law.Their report, scheduled for publication in the March/April issues of the left-wing Mother Jones magazine, asserts that Islamic terrorism has increased Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-46631562421288271352007-02-22T05:52:00.000-05:002007-02-22T06:01:01.684-05:00Maybe We Deserve It...Eric Alterman via Bartop:While America obsessed about Brittany's shaved head, Bush offered a budget that offers $32.7 billion in tax cuts to the Wal-Mart family alone, while cutting $28 billion from Medicaid.Now, after she shaved her head, it's the question being asked by her fans, her foes and the general public: What was she thinking?" -- Inside Britney's Head, Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-59329429323984840562007-02-20T03:31:00.000-05:002007-02-20T03:35:27.380-05:00Gen. Lamar Odom vs. Hugh HewittA must read post from Glen Greenwald. Subtitle: How to spank a chickenhawk.Read It:Could someone please explain to me how retired generals now seem liberal compared to Wolf Blitzer, Brian Williams, and Katie Couric?Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-48661916476998716422007-02-13T21:29:00.000-05:002007-02-13T21:31:25.836-05:00Congressman Patrick Murphy Today on the Floor:via AtriosCongressman Patrick Murphy's Remarks, AS DELIVERED:Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you Mr. Chairman, I appreciate it.I take the floor today not as a Democrat or Republican, but as an Iraq war veteran who was a Captain with the 82nd Airborne Division in Baghdad.I speak with a heavy heart for my fellow paratrooper Specialist Chad Keith, Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-11921469364423451422007-02-12T19:38:00.000-05:002007-02-10T22:16:30.162-05:00Visit VVAW.Org (Vietnam Veterans Against the War). Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1169320383920552672007-02-10T14:12:00.000-05:002007-02-08T21:55:29.478-05:00Project Censored's Top Censored News Stories of 2006Read It Here:Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1170727147958910292007-02-08T20:58:00.000-05:002007-02-08T21:52:50.460-05:00G.O.P.: Grand Old PlagiaristsGOP.com, the official website of the Republican National Committee, encourages their supporters to write letters to local newspapers. I have no problem with that. The small minority of Americans foolish enough to support this president should feel free to publish their ignorance far and wide...It's a free country after all--or at least it used to be.The problem I haveStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1170923528376889142007-02-08T03:30:00.000-05:002007-02-08T03:33:29.406-05:00Let's Impeach The President...Neil Young makes the case:Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1168896758172172282007-01-15T16:31:00.000-05:002007-02-05T04:59:37.153-05:00How To End the War, Part One: Full DisclosureBush's admission during the SOTU: "Mistakes have been made". Note the passive tense--it's amazing that accepting responsibility without acknowledging his role in it passes for an apology. Would that cut it with Judge Judy, Rick?I think Bartcop's Rule #1 Applies Here: "Anytime someone makes a "mistake" that makes them millions of dollars, expect them Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1168393691494629162007-01-09T20:47:00.000-05:002007-01-09T20:48:11.520-05:00The Return of ShamelessStay tuned for the grand re-opening of The Shameless Antagonist on Monday, February 5th.Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1159320909672061402006-09-26T21:25:00.000-04:002006-09-26T21:45:34.093-04:00You Can't Swiftboat A ClintonUnlike Al Gore and John Kerry, Hillary and Bill Clinton don't let their attackers go unpunished. While Chris Wallace nurses the new whole Clinton tore him this weekend, President Bush sends Condoleeza Rice out to defend his pathetic administration's record--you know, their record as the administration that let 9/11 happen on their watch despite ample warning signs Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1159061417490422682006-09-23T21:29:00.000-04:002006-09-26T21:36:58.623-04:00Tim Ryan(D)Watch ItStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1158020074298562292006-09-11T20:12:00.000-04:002006-09-11T20:14:34.300-04:00Americablog's Real Lessons of Sept. 11th#1 The Constitution only applies when the going gets easy.#2 War is the answer, even when you forget the question.#3 The truth is for sissies.Read The Rest Here:Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1157369433881848712006-09-04T06:47:00.000-04:002006-09-04T07:30:34.830-04:00Bush Should Get His Ass Kicked By Americans For A ChangeMetaphorically speaking, there are many that would agree that President Bush deserves a good old-fashioned humbling ass-kicking. Unfortunately, the President has enacted policies that amount to 'assuming the position' for Al-Quaeda, and when Al Quaeda kicks one American ass, every American suffers. Don't get me wrong: I don't want to see Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1157107890352437222006-09-01T06:50:00.000-04:002006-09-01T06:51:30.380-04:00Thoughts on IranWithin a few months, my prediction is that the U.S., Israel, or both with be dropping bombs on Iran. This offensive will not take place until the groundwork for the military strikes has been carefully laid out day after day, night after night in the American and Canadian media. Before the military offensive comes the P.R. offensive. The first battle in the war to win hearts andStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1156987076880987422006-08-30T20:31:00.000-04:002006-08-30T21:17:57.136-04:00The Potemkin PresidencyRe: Hurricane Katrina from today's NY Times...Mr. Bush delivered his remarks at an intersection in a working-class Biloxi neighborhood against a carefully orchestrated backdrop of neatly reconstructed homes. Just a few feet out of camera range stood gutted houses with wires dangling from interior ceilings. A tattered piece of crime scene tape hung from a tree in the field Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1156814422979556312006-08-28T21:07:00.000-04:002006-08-28T21:20:23.023-04:00I'm From The Government And I'm Here To HelpAccording to Reagan, that's the scariest sentence ever spoken. Hardcore conservatives believe that the government should be trimmed down to the bare essentials; they envision a low service, low tax Eutopia where Americans don't spend money on frivolous things like Social Security or Public Education.Guess what happens when people who don't believe in Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1156734900053821222006-08-27T22:18:00.000-04:002006-08-27T23:15:00.266-04:00The "No Fly List" ListAccording to the Transportation Security Administration, you can only end up on a no-fly list if you're already on the Terrorist Screening Center's (TSC) Terrorist Screening Center Database (TSDB). According to the F.B.I., "...only individuals who are known or appropriately suspected to be or have been engaged in conduct constituting, in preparation for, in aid of, or Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1156387862372088272006-08-23T22:36:00.000-04:002006-08-23T22:51:02.396-04:00Give 'Em Hell, Howie!Al Rodgers presents a straight talkin' Howard Dean montage:On Katrina"I think Katrina -- the response to Katrina was effectively the end to the President's presidency in the sense that people all of a sudden saw the small man behind the curtain.People in America and throughout the rest of the world for a long time have believed that Americans can fix anything, that we're Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1155960006301755562006-08-18T23:48:00.000-04:002006-08-19T00:00:06.326-04:00Thomas Kean, 9/11 Commission Chairman, Distorts History on the Daily ShowAnd, I'm sorry to say, Jon let it slide.In his August 17th Daily Show interview, Kean painted a pretty picture of the committee's 2004 interview with the president: "I'll tell you why I've got a lot of hope...When we finally got our agreement to interview the president, we had five republicans and five democrats in the oval Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1155265108305551932006-08-10T22:41:00.000-04:002006-08-10T22:58:28.336-04:00WEAPON OF CHOICECursor.org reports on the alleged use of cluster bombs by the Pentagon and the Israelis.Such a wonderful way to win hearts and minds via shock and awe!You have to wonder if the military contractors don't print an expiration date on their munitions. Where are cluster bombs made, and what sort of sick bastard spends his days stuffing little parachute bomblets into a warhead and Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1154658669690658162006-08-03T22:12:00.001-04:002006-08-03T22:31:09.710-04:00StrategeryTo me, it seems that the IDF strategy is this:Use a shock and awe bombing campaign to win the hearts and minds of the Lebanese, who will undoubtedly curse Hezbollah for forcing the Israelis to blow up the infrastructure of their country. This will inevitably cause Hezbollah--and every other terrorist group in the middle east and elsewhere--to decide not to mess with Israel, because Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1153191635052219152006-07-17T22:58:00.000-04:002006-07-17T23:00:35.073-04:00Deepak Chopra:Did Christ teach love or is that just a liberal bias? In the current climate, it's hard to remember, but one thing is certain: Once a tight cabal of fundamentalists takes over any denomination, Christ's teachings go out the window. The reversal of Christianity from a religion of love to a religion of hate is the greatest religious tragedy of our time.Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1152756601486995582006-07-12T21:49:00.000-04:002006-07-12T22:10:01.513-04:00Methinks Their Closets Are Full of Heat-Seeking Missiles...Today I saw the Stratford Theater's production of Shakespeare's "Coriolanus". It seemed to some that it was more than intimated that Aufidius and Coriolanus were more than intimate. My companions noted that the portrayal seems to be part of a larger trend to imbue everything military-themed with a slight dab of homo. Some might argue Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1146447391910661642006-04-30T20:55:00.000-04:002006-04-30T21:44:45.080-04:00Who's Attacking You Now, Stephen Colbert? I Am!Yesterday, at the White House Correspondent's Dinner, conservative luminary Stephen Colbert took the liberal media to task for it's treatment of our president:But, listen, let's review the rules. Here's how it works: the president makes decisions. He's the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1146273643943674232006-04-28T21:02:00.000-04:002006-04-28T21:20:43.960-04:00It's The War, Stupid!Without a doubt, you've seen countless news reports about rising gasoline prices.CNN's Miles O'Brien was one of many talking heads in furious spin mode, attempting to exculpate the republicans who run the United States from blame. Take a moment and reflect upon every single report you've witnessed in the media about rising gas prices...Did any of them even mention Iraq?SinceStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1144377855983663972006-04-06T22:38:00.000-04:002006-04-06T22:44:16.000-04:00I Support The Conscientious ObjectorsRest in Peace, Desmond T. Doss, Sr. "...Doss endured ridicule for his beliefs but "remained true to his convictions even when it wasnot the most popular thing to do," said the director of the Medal of Honor Museum in Chattanooga.While under fire on Okinawa, Doss carried 75 wounded soldiers to the edge of a 400-foot cliffand lowered them to safety. During a Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1143512196030446362006-03-27T21:05:00.000-05:002006-03-27T21:16:36.046-05:00Busted!It only took eleven internal memos from both sides of the Atlantic to convince a plurality of Americans that Bush and Blair had their minds set about invading Iraq long before they came up with the WMD excuse.A Tiny Revolution spells it out here:Read ItStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1143169423755015342006-03-23T22:00:00.000-05:002006-03-23T22:07:56.746-05:00Quote of the DayI've never found Jimmy Kimmel particularly funny, but he knocked this one out of the park."Congress has approved a new ceiling for the national debt. They had to, it was going to go past the legal limit, so they just raised it. And our new national debt is $9 trillion, not billion. Every American owes $30,000, including kids. Bush borrowed $30,000 from each of us and blew it on Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1142387391844744972006-03-14T20:48:00.000-05:002006-03-14T20:49:51.856-05:00I am a liberal. And I make no apologies for it. Hell, I'm proud of it.Too many people run away from the label. They whisper it like you'd whisper "I'm a Nazi." Like it's a dirty word. But turn away from saying "I'm a liberal" and it's like you're turning away from saying that blacks should be allowed to sit in the front of the bus, that women should be able to vote and get paid the same as a man,Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1141604547980563762006-03-05T19:19:00.000-05:002006-03-05T19:22:27.996-05:00Iraq is not on the verge of civil war, the Pentagon's top general said Sunday, though he acknowledged that "anything can happen" in the beleaguered nation. "If wishes were horses, Bush could ride off into the sunset of his second term secure in the knowledge of a democratic Iraq and a middle East remade. Since they're not, he's just going to have to rely upon enablers like Chairman of the Joint Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1141256880051052892006-03-01T18:00:00.000-05:002006-03-01T22:22:57.010-05:00Gittin' Them EvildoersBush, yesterday, with Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan:Q I'd like to ask you, Mr. President, there was a time when you talked about getting Osama bin Laden dead or alive. Why is he still on the loose five years later? And are you still confident that you'll get him?PRESIDENT BUSH: I am confident he will be brought to justice. What's happening is, is that we got U.S. forces on theStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1140320670920983312006-02-18T22:11:00.000-05:002006-02-18T22:50:08.143-05:00Twice-Convicted Drunk Driver Bags Near-Perfect MetaphorSo Dick Cheney goes hunting with a rich campaign contributor and two women, Katherine Armstrong, and Pamela Willeford, the latter of which is described as his "hunting partner" for the weekend. They down a few beers at lunch, and they spend the afternoon "hunting" semi-domesticated quail until Cheney shoots his buddy in the face.Now I'm not Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1139260707138024572006-02-06T16:13:00.000-05:002006-02-06T16:18:27.153-05:00Republicans Never Testify Under OathToday, Alberto Gonzalez appeared before congress to explain why unathorized wiretappings of American citizens isn't illegal.He wasn't sworn in under oath.When the oil industry executives testified before congress earlier this winter about their windfall profits, guess what?They weren't sworn in under oath.When the president testified before the 9/11 committee, Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1139235054218335752006-02-06T09:08:00.000-05:002006-02-06T09:10:54.220-05:00Equatorial Guinea WatchReally strange news reported by the Chinese News Agency, Xinahua:Fifteen Belgian armored vehicles are lost in Equatorial Guinea, West Africa, together with radio equipment and field kitchens, local radio VRT reported on Friday. The equipment was meant for a Beninese battalion supervising the free election process in Congo, the report said. Those expensive Belgian Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1139234535801856662006-02-06T08:26:00.000-05:002006-02-06T09:02:15.876-05:00Bipartisan "F" for Medicare Part D:President Bush, true to form, is destoying another program he publicly vowed to "reform". Congressional Republicans are in full retreat on this one, despite a virtual blackout in the media. "Republicans and Democrats have finally found something to agree on. From coast to coast, north to south, they agree that Medicare’s Part D introduction gets a big fat F Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1139228955380921792006-02-06T07:26:00.000-05:002006-02-06T07:29:15.393-05:00From Raw Story:"In an interview that aired on PBS on Friday, Feb. 3, Colin Powell's former chief of staff claimed that the speech Powell made before the United Nations on Feb. 5, 2003, laying out a case for war with Iraq, included falsehoods of which Powell had never been made aware. He said, 'My participation in that presentation at the UN constitutes the lowest point in my professional life. IStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1139089005016525952006-02-04T16:33:00.000-05:002006-02-04T16:36:45.030-05:00They Get LettersTo the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: On January 31st, 2006, you joined together with other high-ranking military officers to send a letter to Mr. Phillip Bennett, the managing editor of the Washington Post, criticizing editorial cartoonist Tom Toles for a cartoon which you feel was insulting to the men and women of the armed forces. While I agree with your assertion Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1138548379958966782006-01-29T10:11:00.000-05:002006-01-29T10:27:56.816-05:00Winning Hearts and Minds the Rumsfeld WaySee how it works? We're the good guys, and therefore anything we do is always justified, even if it's exactly what the terrorists do.U.S. forces in Iraq, in two instances described in military documents, took custody of the wives of men believed to be insurgents in an apparent attempt to pressure the suspects into giving themselves up. Both incidents Stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1138337472300148602006-01-26T23:23:00.000-05:002006-01-26T23:51:12.406-05:00Democracy is on the March in the Middle EastThe Iranians chose to elect an insane anti-semite president who hates the United States, The Shiite fundamentalists of the United Iraqi Alliance won the most seats in the Iraqi election, and now the terrorist group Hamas is the democratically elected leadership of Palestine. Democracy is on the march.Why on earth would people elect governments with Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1138147417451362672006-01-24T18:38:00.000-05:002006-02-04T15:23:31.640-05:00I Support The Troops, But I Hate Babies: The Shameless Antagonist's Guide To Deconstructing Meaningless PropagandaL.A. Times columnist Joel Stein is taking heat from the right wingers for writing a column in which he says he doesn't support the troops. In his concluding paragraph, he writes:I'm not advocating that we spit on returning veterans like they did after the Vietnam War, but we Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1137578226435974472006-01-17T16:59:00.000-05:002006-01-18T04:57:06.500-05:00"We still have much to learn about the NSA's domestic surveillance. What we do know compels the conclusion that the President has been breaking the law repeatedly and persistently. If the President has the inherent authority to eavesdrop, imprison citizens on his own declaration, kidnap and torture, then what can't he do?" -Al GoreStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1136950413130696512006-01-10T22:15:00.000-05:002006-01-10T22:33:33.176-05:00The Alternative: Sara DadyI'd love to think that our country's political situation will change change dramatically if we vote the republicans out of office in November's elections.Unfortunately, as corrupt and venal the republican leadership is, the democrats in congress are hardly on the side of the common people. Instead, the national leadershp of the democratic party has positioned itself as Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1136736563239391422006-01-08T10:38:00.000-05:002006-01-08T12:32:37.460-05:00My Exit StrategyFrom today's Star-Tribune, which, unlike CNN--a.k.a. the Sago Mine Channel--still reports about the war:Five U.S. Marines were killed by small arms fire and roadside bombs this weekend, the military said today. And today a Black Hawk helicopter crashed, killing all 12 believed to be aboardRead It:Of course, I shouldn't worry. The president says we're not going to "cut and run", Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1136385308445408932006-01-04T09:27:00.000-05:002006-01-04T09:35:58.936-05:00Give 'Em Enough RopeAs Abraham Lincoln said, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely".It's good to see the wheels of justice finally turning.According to Kos, as many as 60 congressmen could be involved in the Abramoff scandal.Here's a list of those we know for sure have ties:1. George W. Bush2. Karl Rove (under investigation)3. Tom DeLay (indicted)4. Bob Ney 5. David Safavian (Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1136256970397433972006-01-02T21:48:00.000-05:002006-01-03T19:25:44.586-05:00Could It Happen Here?Dear God, I hope so...Chilean police took fingerprints and mugs shots of Gen.Augusto Pinochet on Wednesday following his indictment for the killing and disappearance of nine dissidents during his dictatorship — the first time he has had to submit to a police booking. Pablo Rodriguez, a lawyer for the 90-year-old ex-dictator who ruled Chile from 1973-90, called the procedure "Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1135567550401583482005-12-25T22:22:00.000-05:002005-12-25T22:25:50.413-05:00We're Winning In Iraq...and monkeys are flying out of my butt.Convicted fraudster and former Pentagon ally Ahmad Chalabi received less than 1% in Baghdad. The neo-conservatives of the American Enterprise Institute were predicting 5% for Chalabi (their overwhelming favorite) and 20% for Allawi; that's proof enough they have no clue about what's going on in Iraq. Bush's new Iraq is pro-Iran. It Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1135394341369912532005-12-23T21:55:00.000-05:002005-12-23T22:19:01.430-05:00Russell Baker on Spygate: Just the FactsSo let's talk about facts. And keep the discussion on them.What exactly was the problem with the prior set-up whereby the administration had to clear domestic eavesdropping cases with a special Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court within 72 hours of launching said surveillance? In other words, the government can eavesdrop first and get a warrant Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1134963640542108792005-12-18T22:07:00.000-05:002005-12-18T22:40:40.606-05:00President and KingmakerThis weekend, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made waves by claiming the holocaust never happened. In October, he claimed that Israel was a "disgraceful blot" that should be "wiped off the map". Sheesh...What a wingnut.At the time when President Bush claimed that Iran, Iraq, and North Korea were an "axis of evil", Iran actually had been moving toward reconciliation Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1134619118087092752005-12-14T22:53:00.000-05:002005-12-14T22:58:38.096-05:00Meet SophiaBorn December 6th. A beautiful baby girl!...The reason I haven't written for a while, and the reason why I'm back at it...She deserves a father who will fight for her future.Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1133755774113296112005-12-04T21:17:00.000-05:002005-12-04T23:09:34.166-05:00The Congo Solution In IraqOfficially, the Bush Administration is idealistic about its mission in Iraq. Its long term vision, as stated in the National Strategy for Victory in Iraq is to continue the occupation until Iraq "....is peaceful, united, stable, and secure, well integrated into the international community, and a full partner in the global war on terrorism".Perhaps it's time to question Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1133549777792641832005-12-02T13:54:00.000-05:002005-12-02T13:56:17.806-05:00Quote of the Day:Some Christians seem to me inclined to lose track of love, compassion and mercy. I don't think I have any special brief to go around judging them, but when the stink of hypocrisy becomes so foul in the nostrils it makes you start to puke it becomes necessary to point out there is one more good reason to observe the separation of church and state: If God keeps hanging out with Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1133382324895873082005-11-30T15:07:00.000-05:002005-11-30T15:28:54.150-05:00The Ask Dr. Torture ShowDr. John Yoo: Welcome To The Ask Dr. Torture Show. I have Steve from Minnesota on the line.Caller: Thanks Dr. Torture. I'm a long time listener, first time caller. I really loved your last show on the effectatious application of thumbscrews. Great show!Dr. Yoo: Thanks. Do you have a question?Caller: Yeah. I just need some guidance. I have this friend--I don't want Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1133224459139322562005-11-28T17:59:00.000-05:002005-11-28T21:26:37.290-05:00The Representative From California Has The FloorWatching Washington has a great post on the rise and fall of corrupt congressman Duke Cunningham(R-California). Here's a few highlights from the illustrious career of the representative via WW: Oct 6, 1992: Cunningham makes the Washington Post's "Reliable Source" column by suggesting the liberal leadership of the House should be "lined up and shot.Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1133211543769200922005-11-28T15:45:00.000-05:002005-11-28T21:30:07.260-05:00Lie of the DayThe number of countries participating in the coalition has gone up.-Donald Rumsfeld, Nov. 20th, 2005--an obvious falsehood the incompetent Bob Schieffer didn't challenge on Face The Nation.There are currently 27 countries in the Coalition of the Coerced, down from 49 in 2003, and more are pulling out.Read It:Tag, you're it! RumsfeldLiesStevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1133191129768312732005-11-28T09:41:00.000-05:002005-11-28T21:32:52.510-05:00The CIA Torture DiariesFrom Der Spiegel:But the highest-ranking al-Qaida members are apparently kept moving with a small group of CIA interrogation experts, like an invisible caravan, from one of the so-called black sites to another. Outrage over claims that some of these secret prisons may be located at former military bases in Eastern Europe triggered the Council of Europe's investigation.Read Stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093149.post-1132792840461737062005-11-23T19:25:00.000-05:002005-11-23T19:40:40.473-05:00Keep It Coming, Dick!So Mr. Vice President is going on the offensive, going after those who would call into question the Administration's Weapons of Mass Destruction claims. Bring it on, Dick. The more you speak, the worse it gets for Republican candidates in 2006. If the RNCC had their wits about them, they'd ask you to climb back into your bunker along with your 19% approval rating.It's Stevenoreply@blogger.com0