From Holden: Chimpy agreed to take a few questions with Australian PM John Howard today. Chimpy Gets A Bit Snippy Q Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, you’ve said that the government is not trolling through the lives of innocent Americans, but why shouldn’t ordinary people feel that their privacy is invaded by the NSA compiling a list of their telephone calls? PRESIDENT BUSH: What I have told the American people is, we’ll protect them against an al Qaeda attack, and we’ll do so within the law. I’ve been very clear about the principles and guidelines of any program that … Continue reading Your President Speaks!

From Holden: Sherrod Brown overtakes incumbent senator Mike DeWine in the latest Rasmussen Poll. Ohio Congressman Sherrod Brown (D) holds a three-point lead over incumbent Senator Mike DeWine (R). Brown is up 44% to 41% and that’s the first time he’s been ahead in any of the six Ohio polls Rasmussen Reports has conducted for Election 2006 (see crosstabs). The 44% level of support for Brown is his highest of the season. DeWine has lost ground in four straight polls since peaking at 46% in mid-February. [snip] When Ohio voters are asked which party they trust more on five key … Continue reading Tall In The Middle and Round on Both Ends

From Holden: Hmmmmmm…. Inflation jumped last month due to high energy prices (thank you oil executive administration) while housing starts stumbled. Wholesale prices leaped ahead by the biggest margin in seven months, propelled largely by soaring energy costs. [snip] The 0.9 percent jump in April’s Producer Price Index, which measures the costs of goods before they reach stores shelves, came after a sizable 0.5 percent increase in March, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. [snip] In other economic news, the Commerce Department reported that the number of new housing projects builders broke ground on in April dropped by 7.4 percent to … Continue reading My Bush Boom Is Headed For The Border

From Scout: From WWL WASHINGTON– The government won’t be ready for another major disaster such as Hurricane Katrina unless the Pentagon takes a more aggressive role in the federal response, congressional investigators said Monday. Poor planning and confusion about the military’s role contributed to problems after the storm struck on Aug. 29, 2005, and without immediate attention improvement is unlikely, the Government Accountability Office said. It urged the Defense Department to establish procedures to speed aircraft, troops and reconnaissance gear to hurricane-stricken areas when local and state officials are overwhelmed as well as beef up communications support to Homeland Security … Continue reading Military not ready for next disaster

From Scout: CNN broke into Bush rehearsing his speech a few minutes before delivering it. I was watching and saw this but wasn’t recording. But it is at YouTube. Update: Whoever uploaded this says is is “Yet another example of liberal media bias.” Commenters there are debating it. Some funny stuff Update: CNN says (Via Crooks and Liars)…”NBC stage manager has now admitted he cued the president early and CNN was the only network ready to go.” I took down the YouTube video. Crooks and Liars has the video. Go there…why give the wingnut the hits. Continue reading LOL CNN

Yeah, this base is energized like whoa … 6,000 is a joke. This bunch just doesn’t think things through. The Mexicans and Marxists are laughing at him. Bush could care less about our border security. He is apparently obligated to others in this regard. The City of Houston has 7,000 cops. W can’t assign more than 6,000 Guardsmen to a 1900 mile border? The reason he won’t assign more is because this is not a serious attempt to secure the border but a dog and pony show. Why do I keep saying ‘NO SH*T SHERLOCK’ at the Tv? But there’s … Continue reading Freepi Fun

Headline by Mr. A via IM this afternoon. I have a dance class in an hour so I am unfortunately sober. I make no such guarantees for Tena, who’s in bold. Bush Speech Time. Let’s learn about illegal immigration, kids!

Okay, T-minus six minutes or whatever. Blitzer’s counting this down like a shuttle launch. What a doofus. Seriously, somebody switch him to Folger’s Crystals and tell him other presidents make speeches all the time and it’s not like a volcano erupting or something. Sheesh.

Whoa, CNN fucked up the feed and the chimp was just shown practicing. He looks … thinner. Like he got a bigger suit, or something. Thinner and freaked out. Well, I feel safer.

He’s gone all blue tonight – watch out, it’s all about compassion and sincerity.

Oh he’s trying to whip up an issue and he thinks he can LEAD? hahaha!!!

Shadows? Crime? Fuck you –

“We’re a nation of laws.” I’m sorry, I just shot Diet Coke through my nose. Ow. Give me a minute.

WE ARE A NATION OF LAWS????!!!!! He should have spontaneously combusted right then and there.

Liveblog continues … click on “Read More.”

Continue reading “It’s Hard Out Here For a Chimp: Liveblogging”

From Scout: Oyster at Your Right Hand Thief has a great post on the NOLA mayoral race. Conservatives are pushing Nagin but not because he’s the right guy to lead post Katrina New Orleans. Oh far from it…. In New Orleans’ first election since Katrina, Republicans are working to reelect Mayor Ray Nagin. Beg your pardon? I said, many Republicans believe Ray Nagin should be reelected Mayor of New Orleans. They want him to lead New Orleans for the next four years, and some are doing everything they can to assist this effort. According to the Gambit Weekly “several sources … Continue reading What will we tell the Corner Kids?

From Scout: skippy has some links on Karl rumors…oh I hope. Tomorrow would be nice as it’d step all over Bush’s speech. Continue reading Is it Fitzmas yet?

From Holden: Karl Rove is going down. Soon, maybe Wednesday. How do I know? Both Larua Bush and Mary Cheney attacked his “blame the gays” strategy on national teevee, with Cheney actually mentioning his name in her bit. The first lady told “Fox News Sunday” that she thinks the American people want a debate on the issue. But, she said, “I don’t think it should be used as a campaign tool, obviously.” [snip] Asked Sunday about reports that White House political adviser Karl Rove and other Republicans want to use the issue to mobilize conservatives for the midterm election, [Mary … Continue reading Attack Dogs Unleashed on Rove

From Holden: Many Texans like myself remember what happened the last time the US military patrolled near the US-Mexico border: a team of Marine snipers shot and killed an 18-year-old US citizen, Esequiel Hernandez, Jr. Hernandez was tending a flock of goats within sight of his home while carrying an antique, single-shot .22 calibre rifle. The Marines sniper team, sent to the border to hunt narcotics trafficers, claimed Hernandez had fired at them with his pitiful rifle, meant to protect his flock from wild dogs and kill rattle snakes. A crack team of Marine snipers shot an 18-year-old goatherd in … Continue reading Esequiel Hernandez, Jr.

From Holden: Someone was hitting the vodka and Xanax pretty hard this past weekend. First lady Laura Bush said on Sunday she does not believe opinion polls showing her husband’s approval ratings at record low levels. Interviewed on Fox News Sunday, Laura Bush said she did not think people were losing confidence in President George W. Bush, despite a series of polls showing support for him at its lowest point in his five-year presidency and among the lowest for any president in the past 50 years. “I don’t really believe those polls. I travel around the country. I see people, … Continue reading Hates Ponies

From Holden: For the past two weeks every time results from a national poll are released I have to update the list of Chimpy’s current all-time low approval numbers. It’s a pleasant burden. Newsweek: 35% Harris Interactive: 29% USA Today/Gallup: 34% USA Today/Gallup: 31% AP/Ipsos: 33% CBS News: 33% American Research Group (ARG): 34% NBC/Wall Street Journal: 36% CNN: 32% UPDATE: Chimpy leaps up to 34% in the latest CNN poll. Fox News: 33% Chimpy surges in the latest Fox News poll to 38%, so that Pony Blow appointment must be paying off already. Gallup: 36% Note: the USA Today/Gallup … Continue reading All-Time Lows — Continuous Updates

FDL on The West Wing, which ended tonight. Oddly enough, it wasn’t always the politics of this very political show that moved me. Sorkin said in some interview or other before he cracked up that it was a show about people in a workplace but that that workplace just happened to be the White House. And for me, what I loved about this eminently lovable, erudite, idealistic show cast with brilliant people saying funny smart things was how it was about people who really and truly cared about their jobs. And I think that’s rare, a positive depiction of somebody’s … Continue reading In Whom Love Wrought New Alchemy

Oliver on the NSA poll. I don’t know when the legality of things became based on what percentage of doofuses polled by some guys at a telemarketing firm said the things were okay. Are people seriously making this argument? Because I think I could rally reasonable polling support for killing David Spade. I mean, if we’re gonna go there. How about rounding up everybody on the sexual predator list and shooting them in the head? I’ve been pondering that for quite some time as an effective means of controlling recidivism among pedophiles; maybe a poll would tell me if that’s … Continue reading It Doesn’t Matter If You Like It

The comments to this post are pretty good. But let me throw this out there and see if the cat licks it up. I know everybody’s orgasmic over this, but come on, hasn’t anybody heard of the expectations game? Has it crossed anybody’s mind that they’re throwing all this shit out there now for a reason? Why talk about it at all? Why talk loudly and confidently about your party’s free-fall, about a full-scale implosion, 30-seat losses, impeachment scares, OMGWTFBBQ WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE AIEEEE? Why do that? Democrats do that. We rip on each other in public. Republicans do … Continue reading Strategery

From Tena: I keep seeing and hearing this idea out there that maybe some phone tapping isn’t such a bad thing. Bill Maher was on about that again tonight on his show – apparently he thinks his ass is so fucking precious that just a little taste of fascism is ok, as long as it keeps those ports in San Pedro from getting blown up. Here’s a thought, Bill – If you’re so fucking worried about it, why don’t you move? The idea gets stretched alllllll the way over into: “if they had been allowed to wiretap before 9/11, they … Continue reading Myths

From Tena: Rove Informs White House He Will Be Indicted By Jason Leopold t r u t h o u t | Report Friday 12 May 2006 Within the last week, Karl Rove told President Bush and Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten, as well as a few other high level administration officials, that he will be indicted in the CIA leak case and will immediately resign his White House job when the special counsel publicly announces the charges against him, according to sources. Details of Rove’s discussions with the president and Bolten have spread through the corridors of the White … Continue reading It’s Starting to look an awful lot like Fitzmas

From Holden: Just don’t let him marry another dude. REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang Continue reading Mary Cheney Approved

From Holden: Qwest’s lawyer confirms the USA Today story. [A] lawyer for former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio confirmed that the government approached that company in the fall of 2001 seeking access to the phone records of Qwest customers, with neither a warrant nor approval from a special court established to handle surveillance matters. “Mr. Nacchio concluded that these requests violated the privacy requirements of the Telecommunications Act,” attorney Herbert J. Stern said in a written statement from his Newark, N.J., office. Nacchio told Qwest officials to refuse the NSA requests, which kept coming until Nacchio left the company in June … Continue reading Confirmation

From Holden:

A thousand thanks to Josh Micah’s TPMMuckraker for posting today’s gaggle transcript.

And….. OH MY GOD, what a complete disaster! Pony Blow is worse than I imagined.

Fuck-Up #1: He changed the start time for the gaggle, then did not stick to the new schedule. And he held the gaggle in a room that was too small.

QUESTION: I’d like — this was 9:00 a.m., then it was pushed back to 9:30 a.m., and then I walk in at 9:20 a.m., and it’s already well underway.

QUESTION: Do not do that again.

QUESTION: This isn’t good.

TONY SNOW: Well, this is — it’s my fault. And it had to do with vagaries of the schedule today, and I apologize, period.

QUESTION: Because we’ve missed half of it. This is the first one you’re doing, and I just feel like —

TONY SNOW: Well, I apologize. That’s just flat my fault.

QUESTION: Can everybody get a gaggle — can everyone get a gaggle emailed to them?

QUESTION: Can we get a transcript?

TONY SNOW: Yes. And what we will try to do, I will make this a lot more predictable and regular, you’ve got to give me a little forbearance.

QUESTION: I was here, sitting out here in the hallway. I can’t even hear any of this conversation.

Fuck-Up #2: He tries to communicate the Assministration’s complete support for Alphonso Jackson and winds up casting doubt on the continuation of Jackson’s tenure at HUD.

QUESTION: Is he going to fire the HUD Secretary?

TONY SNOW: No. He stands behind Alphonso Jackson. Alphonso Jackson has admitted that what he said earlier was improper, that it was a mistake, and the President accepts that and still supports a man with whom he’s had a long and close relationship.

QUESTION: Have they talked, do you know?

TONY SNOW: I do not know. I think they have, but I don’t know. I don’t want to mislead you on that. I don’t know.

QUESTION: So you’re not waiting for the Inspector General’s investigation, you’re just saying blanket, he’s not going to ask Alphonso to go?

TONY SNOW: Well, at this point the President is supporting Alphonso Jackson.

QUESTION: “At this point”?

TONY SNOW: Look, again, you’re getting me ahead of my brief. I don’t know any more than I’ve told you.

The fun continues, Read More!

Continue reading “Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle”

From Scout:

With the hurricane season fast approaching it looks more and more that NOLA residents will be forced to rely on a commodity in short supply…Hope:

Floodgates to block tidal surges out of the weakened 17th Street and London Avenue canals, and auxiliary pumps to help prevent inland flooding when the gates are closed, will not be ready as promised when the hurricane season opens June 1, Army Corps of Engineers officials confirmed late Thursday.

Corps commanders said braced-steel sheet piling will be installed at canal bridges to turn back high water, and portable pumps will be used to provide limited stormwater drainage if an early-season storm surge threatens the city before the work is complete. And they added that the work probably won’t be finished before early- to mid-July. (Details HERE)

Last week NOLA Mayor Ray Nagin unveiled the city’s evacuation plan which appears is a plan on paper and charts only….

For one, the plan to use Amtrak trains to evacuate the sick and elderly has not been completed with the rail operator. However, Amtrak officials said they are working on a memorandum of understanding with the city.

(Continues after the cut…Click Read More)

Continue reading “Not Ready”

From Scout: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Through Hell and High Water,” a serial narrative told in 22 daily chapters, reveals what happened inside two hospitals, one private and one public, during the days after the levees broke in New Orleans. It is an intimate portrait of medical professionals who faced unprecedented conditions and acted heroically to keep their patients alive. It is also the tale of daring rescuers who came to the aid of those the government had abandoned. This reads like a novel. It is excellent. There are also videos and podcasts. The first Chapter is here. A drop down … Continue reading A Great Read

Stripe engages in some pre-Fitzmas competitive eating.

Fox and Little Joe under the cut. Click “Read More.”

Continue reading “Friday Ferretblogging”

From Holden: Oh, baby. Abbe Lowell [attorney for indicted AIPAC officials Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman], a First Amendment specialist representing Rosen, sought and received approval from US District Court judge T.S. Ellis to subpoena Condoleezza Rice, retired General Anthony Zinni, Ambassador David Satterfield and Ambassador William Burns. All four have served the Bush administration in various capacities involving the Middle East, and Franklin held down the Iran desk in former Pentagon official Doug Feith’s office. The defense contends that it is common practice for Senior Assministration Officials to pass secret information around like those greasy breadsticks at Olive Garden. … Continue reading Condi Under Oath

From Holden: Chimpy hit another yet another all-time low approval rating yesterday so it’s time once again to update the list. Harris Interactive: 29% USA Today/Gallup: 34% USA Today/Gallup: 31% AP/Ipsos: 33% CBS News: 33% American Research Group (ARG): 34% NBC/Wall Street Journal: 36% CNN: 32% UPDATE: Chimpy leaps up to 34% in the latest CNN poll. Fox News: 33% Chimpy surges in the latest Fox News poll to 38%, so that Pony Blow appointment must be paying off already. Gallup: 36% Note: the USA Today/Gallup Poll and the Gallup Poll are conducted independently. <Pony, bitches. Continue reading All-Time Lows, Another Update

From Scout: …………….29%…………… Continue reading Sinking Fast

From Holden: Hey, the White House finally removed Little Scottie’s pudgy mug from the Press Breifings Page (thanks to Mike for the heads-up). But, what’s this? They replaced Scottie’s photo with an image of a microphone. They stole my logo! Fuckers. Dana Peroxide was pinch-pitching for the still-too-chickenshit-to-gaggle Pony Blow today. The travel pool was most interested in today’s big NSA snooping story, a subject Ms. Peroxide tried to run from but failed to escape. Q What bothers you about this USA Today story today? What bothers the White House about the USA Today story? MS. PERINO: Well, you heard … Continue reading Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle