Friday, July 30, 2010

Mystic Blogging From John Cole

Mr. Cole brings a breathless post linking to a Dan Frooomkin article claiming he has evidence we will be doing in Afghanistan in 2014, pretty much what we are doing now. Fighting a full on ground war with the Taliban. How does Froomkin know this.



There are increasingly clear signs that President Obama's vow to start withdrawing American troops less than a year from now will be fulfilled through a technicality if at all, and that the real timeline for significant troop withdrawal -- barring a change in course -- now extends at least to 2014, if not far beyond


Well, this is how

One signal was Vice President Joe Biden's offhand remark  to ABC News earlier this month that the promised summer withdrawal "could be as few as a couple thousand troops" although "it could be more."

This from the administration's most prominent opponent of escalation, a man who had earlier said you could "bet on" a "whole lot of people moving out" in July 2011.


Sounds fishy from a guy that makes a living, at least in part, from saying weird things and giving everyone a chuckle at old motor mouth Joe. But even if he was spot on, and nobody knows for sure, his remark leaves out the key question "what will those troops be doing then". Or, will they still be pounding a full on ground war with the Taliban, or more in advisory rolls, or like the Iraq model where small teams of US soldiers embedded with the Iraqi Army as sort of shadow commanders for OTJ training. We don't know yet. And for the record, Obama never said we were pulling out of Afghanistan for ever. He said we would begin drawing down our forced gradually and turning the ground fighting over tho the Afghan Army. Which of course is the responsible course of action, as opposed to progressives screaming to pack up and leave tomorrow. And even the best case scenario, Obama didn't say we were leaving completely with no military force in country. Only that our mission will change to more of a support role, and anti terrorist operations..

Froomkin goes on to cite some other readings from his chicken entrails into remarks by Richard Holbrook and Hillary Clinton, claiming obscure and ominous admissions of ill intent that Obama is snookering America and doesn't really mean his announced date to start withdrawing. It is pure conjecture he is scribbling at Huff to feed the red meat to folks like Cole and the rest of the netroot anti war crowd.

Here is what Froomkin didn't tell you. If Obama significantly waffles on his policy to begin disengaging from Afghan, he will suffer at polls of a country that has markedly turned against this war and wants us to start ending it. At least ending reports of dead GI's coming home in body bags. That is what they care about, they don't care that we remain there in some capacity, and likely want us to keep chasing Al Quaida and OBL, but they want the quagmire with the Taliban to cease, at least with our involvement.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Stop the Presses

All about it. Read all about it.

Republicans focus on tax cuts for recess

House Republican leaders largely avoid mentioning former President George W. Bush in their August recess package to GOP members.




Hilarious - after 8 long and bloody years full of wild spending by self described fiscal conservatives who backed George Bush tooth and nail. Now they never heard of the guy. But they have heard of the "cut taxes" mindless drone from the right. Of course, that is only to reign in Obama's socialist spending agenda.

The Irony Gawds are also alive and well within the winger world when they demagogue daily the size of the national deficit, all the while pushing for the government to collect less revenue by giving their rich friends more riches they couldn't possibly spend all of. Team America - Wingnuts Gone Wild.

nstead of calling for an extension of Bush’s tax cuts, which House Republican leaders support, they refer to the looming “Democrats’ tax hikes.”

Under the heading “Job Creation,” Republicans call the expiring tax cuts, set to lapse at the end of this year, a Democratic plan “on increasing taxes by $3.8 trillion.”


There own sun setted tax cuts set to expire becomes Obama's tax increases. How coolfu is that.

Time Heals Most Wounds

Not really surprising that the country is looking more favorable on the HCR, now that we don't have as many wingnuts going on the teevee lying about it, and no Tea Bag fools screaming at town hall meetings for congresscritters. Just the reforms alone, when the public has a chance to take in a deep breath, should slowly pass into peoples gray matter that they can no longer be tossed off their health insurance at the whim of a greedy insurance company, which so often happened when they got sick. And gradually the now prohibited practice of denying coverage for pre existing condition should also sink in.

The still big unnanswered question is will skyrocketing premium increases begin to come down, or at least stabilize with the national inflation rates. This is a big question mark, and until the new reform provisions kick in, the insurance companies will certainly continue to gouge the public any way they can. And that goes double to providers, especially hospitals.

Opposition to Health Care Law Declining
The latest Kaiser tracking poll finds opposition to the landmark health care law signed into law by President Obama in March has declined over the past month, from 41% to 35%.

Meanwhile, 50% held a favorable view of the law, up slightly from 48% a month ago, and the highest level since the legislation was enacted.


via Political Wire

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Wingnuts Crank Up the Wayback Machine

From the DNC


For the better part of the past year, Republicans have tried to come up with a new agenda for the American people with mixed results. However, with the Tea Party now the most potent force in Republican politics, and with the recent launch of the Tea Party Caucus on Capitol Hill garnering the support of Republican leaders like National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Pete Sessions and Republican Caucus Chair Mike Pence, the Republican Party agenda has become clear. Republican leaders and Tea Party supported Republican candidates can now rally around the “Republican Tea Party Contract on America” as the blueprint for how they would govern.


One, Two, Three - Open up the Pearly Gates we're all gonna die

Read 'em and weep

Democrats Unveil GOP's "Contract on America"

1. REPEAL THE PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM)

2. PRIVATIZE SOCIAL SECURITY OR PHASE IT OUT ALTOGETHER

3. END MEDICARE AS IT PRESENTLY EXISTS

4. EXTEND THE BUSH TAX BREAKS FOR THE WEALTHY AND BIG OIL

5. REPEAL WALL STREET REFORM

6. PROTECT THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OIL SPILL AND FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHES

7. ABOLISH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

8. ABOLISH THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

9. ABOLISH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

10. REPEAL THE 17th AMENDMENT

via Political Wire

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Abu Graib Comes To California

Brain dead wingnut Tea Baggers plan to intimidate muslim worshippers in California. And of course to show their solidarity with Bush torture stuff, they plan to use dogs. That's right. Wonder if they will make the Muslims practicing their religion in good ole free Murrica  make a nekked pyramid, Only way to be sure. Right. I hate these fucking right wing assholes with the passion of 50 white hot suns. I hope their God sends them to the place where the sun don't shine. American shame. The Tea Party.

An e-mail alert sent to area newspapers last week announced that a one-hour "singing – praying – patriotic rally" will begin at 12:30 p.m. July 30 at the Islamic Center’s existing facility. The advisory – sent by a leader of a conservative coalition that has been active with Republican and Tea Party functions – recommended participants "bring your Bibles, flags, signs, dogs and singing voices."

"We will not be submissive," the notice proclaimed. "Our voices are going to be heard!" The alert went on to question what its authors described as Islamic beliefs. It suggested that participants sing during the rally because Muslim "women are forbidden to sing." It suggested that rally participants bring dogs because Muslims "hate dogs."


via RWW

Mike Huckabee and Tim LaHaye Discuss The End Times of Course Caused By Obama

Stupid Wingnut of the Day

"You could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion or is it a nationality, way of life or cult, whatever you want to call it."

-- Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey (R), quoted by NBC News.


via political wire

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Notes On Independent GOP Political Action Groups

The thing is with these now limitless money groups funded by nervous plutocrats, when they start to rival the party national committee, things can get quickly out of hand on messaging. These groups are in the shadows by and large and are hard to hold responsible as separate entities from the RNC. So all the crazy shit coming our way will all get pinned to the GOP proper. All the tea bag nonsense and loopy ads about watering trees with blood of liberal tyrants, and the rest of the quasi racist horror show will all be processed by the public as republican.
And they have no single leader to act as a buffer to this effect and articulating what the right wing stands for.
And spending a boatload of money attacking Harry Reid cannot be very affective when your tea bag nutbug candidate is hold up in undisclosed locations.
I’ve been watching the polling turning toward dems in NV and KY with Paul, and the wingnut circus hasn’t really yet begun, until just after Labor Day. Money can’t by you love when you are insane.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Friday, July 9, 2010

Meet "The Boss" Pattycake





From Reader Jim T, and his Pattycake

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Screw Politics

Let's turn this blog into a critter one, at least for the time being. Anyone who wants to send pics of their pets, or of wildlife they like, just email me with them. And includes whatever commentary you want with the pics and I will post nothing but these. arnold40zz@gmail.com

AND THAT INCLUDES ALL CRITTERS, FURRY AND OTHERWISE, EVEN SCORPION PETS. WE DO NOT DISCRIMINATE.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Obot Charlie - Post Bath

click to enlarge

Monday, July 5, 2010

Our Barnum and Bailey Press - A Sucker Born Every Minute

"It was the ideal metaphor for a politically troubled president. There was President Obama on the cover of the June 19 issue of The Economist, standing alone on a Louisiana beach, head down, looking forlornly at the ground," the New York Times reports.

"The problem was, he was not actually alone. The photograph was just edited to make it look that way."

This sort of things makes me wonder if we really did land on the moon.

via Political Wire

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Now For a Zen Moment

On The Fifth Day, God bequeathed opinions to man

Then somebody complained they had trouble expressing them

On The Sixth Day, God bequeathed assholes to man
 

Things have run more or less smooth since.

Happy B Day To You America

Friday, July 2, 2010

The Year of Living Dangerously

No, not the run up to Christmas, the run up to election day in November. Of course, there will be some overlap. But normal politics, if that reality even exists these days, is out on Holiday. Everything that happens, or near everything, will be choreographed to attract voters for one side or the other. Complete with a steady drum beat of I'm okay, but the other guy is a child molester. Our politics are ugly these days year round, but now that the Supreme Court has struck down key provisions of The Campaign Finance law, the mean and crazy will be cranked up to rock and roll. On legislative matters, the only thing still alive is Finance Reform, and only because it is such an important issue with voters following the economic meltdown of recent. In fact, it may be the best time to get any kind of bill out for this issue that isn't a complete joke, rather than half a joke. The influence of money has grown so powerful in our politics, it is a wonder Citigroup isn't made President For Life. And they may well reach that status with the SCOTUS opening the gates for unlimited corporate cash to be spent for outside groups campaigning for this candidate, or that one. Sad straights we are currently in, in this country, with no end in sight.

And then there is the tea bag factor, of a certain type of conservative with strong nihilistic overtones concerning anything government, and the GOP has thrown in with them, and getting increasingly militant and racist. Witness the Kagan SC hearing, and the bashing of Thurgood Marshall, a late former justice, and first black one, that has historically been revered as one of best in our history. Doesn't matter to the wingnuts, the tea bag white supremacists and xenophobes  are in scorched earth mode for the coming election, and it is going to get uglier as that day draws nearer. In their tiny minds, capturing the House and subpoena power is the ticket to salvation as a party. Start investigating everything that moves in the Obama administration, and feed ever increasing portions of red meat to the writhing wraiths of the true wingnut believers. It is all they have, other than trying their best to collapse the country into anarchy, and take control by the bullet and make the country into the militaristic theocorporatacy the believe it was meant to be. Gather your armies bullshit, to stop them (peeps of color) furriners, unbelievers from crossing our borders and cutting off the heads of good Christian white folk/

And then there are the puma/firebaggers who lately haven't seen a wingnut meme they couldn't adopt.

And sorry to those who have bookmarked this blog and found it empty of posts the past few days. Annie has been keeping up her end. Me not so much.