Month: January 2008

War in Iraq3 Comments

Hearts and Minds

Sadlyunspurprising. The Army is investigating possible war crimes after a Fort Carson soldier facing first-degree murder charges in the slayings of two Iraq war veterans told investigators he and another soldier randomly fired at Iraqi civilians. Pfc. Bruce Bastien Jr. and two former soldiers face charges in the December shooting death of Spc. Kevin Shields, while Bastien and one of those former soldiers face charges in the Aug. 4 shooting death of Pfc. Robert James. [snip] Bastien said he and another soldier used stolen AK-47 military rifles to shoot at civilians while their unit patrolled Baghdad neighborhoods while they were … Continue reading Hearts and Minds

Political Crack16 Comments

‘The Amount of Empty Space Around Him’

Lower Manhattanite on watching Obama’s speech in Iowa: It took an eternity for Obama to get to the mic to speak, and in that eternity, I felt the muscles in my neck tense up. The stepson wrapped his hand about his legs and bored in to the screen. And once Obama started talking, after about fifteen seconds, my wife suddenly flipped over towards the wall, covering her head and saying through the muffled blankets… “I can’t watch!” And in that moment, she verbalized exactly what was on my mind, and I dare say what was on the minds of a … Continue reading ‘The Amount of Empty Space Around Him’

Hurricane Katrina & Federal Flood4 Comments

“John Wayne dude” retiring, Says US hasn’t learned Katrina lessons…

…and those who think the folks of NOLA and MS are stupid…well right back at ya: FOREST PARK, GA. — The gruff, cigar-chomping general who led federal troops in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina is convinced that the United States hasn’t learned its lesson from the storm. As Lt. Gen. Russel Honore prepares to retire from the Army and hand over his command Friday, he says he wants to spend the rest of his life creating a “culture of preparedness” to prevent another post-disaster disaster. “There’s an attitude everywhere else that people are smarter than they are in New Orleans … Continue reading “John Wayne dude” retiring, Says US hasn’t learned Katrina lessons…

So Called Liberal Media5 Comments

Roger Ebert

Maybe the only man who understands the ongoing media crisis: Readers of the Chicago Sun-Times picked up a smaller paper Tuesday, the latest tangible sign of the economic struggles engaging metropolitan newspapers around the country. The tabloid’s physical shrinkage, by about 1 inch to save newsprint costs, is more easily accomplished than the pending staff cuts that will pare editorial positions by 19 percent, the largest local newsroom layoff in recent memory. [snip] Sun-Times Media also has been harmed financially by huge costs associated with the scandal and subsequent fraud convictions of former Chairman and Chief Executive Conrad Black and … Continue reading Roger Ebert

Your President Speaks2 Comments

Your President Speaks!

Here we go again. Yesterday, at theWhite House. Ed Gillespie Hasn’t Told Him Yet I don’t know what I think — what their thinking was, but I’m telling you what I think it was. I think it was a provocative act. Renegotiate The Home And so it’s a much more complex world for many homeowners, and we’re helping them as best as we possibly can find out how to renegotiate the home so they can stay in. There Is Some Things There’s some practical things that can be done. Holy Crap!™ Does any of you get to come with me? … Continue reading Your President Speaks!

War in Iraq

Chimpy Calls Them “Spectaculars”

Surge, baby! BAGHDAD (AFP) – A US commander on Wednesday said the number of “spectacular” assaults by Al-Qaeda in Iraq has increased although the overall number of attacks was down and 20 key militants have been killed or caught. Major General Mark Hertling, commanding general of coalition forces in northern Iraq, gave no specific examples of what he termed “spectacular” attacks, referring only to big car bombs and to suicide attacks. Continue reading Chimpy Calls Them “Spectaculars”

Geek Cred5 Comments

Book Ships Today!

It Doesn’t End With Us: The Story of The Daily Cardinal ships to stores and places that have ordered it and those of you who’ve placed orders and, you know, my mom, and the whole rest of the world today!

Previous book postshere andhere.

One of the most moving stories I heard during my researching of this book, the story of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s 115-year-old student newspaper and through it, the story of the past and future of American journalism, was that of Richard Davis.

Davis was editor of the paper for one day in 1938. One day. He was fired from his position because he was Jewish and the self-described “frat men” who ran the campus didn’t like the growing influence of “out of state” students at the university. Supported by a shameful number of people within the university establishment, they ran a campaign against Davis, who led his staff out on strike in protest of his firing and published a strike edition of the paper for weeks.

This is a snippet from the story of his fight to keep the paper in the hands of its staffers:

Continue reading “Book Ships Today!”

Political Crack4 Comments

Today on Athenae’s Obsession with the Freepi: McCainia!

They do not like him, not one little bit: Are the people in NH off their meds? Fundamental problem with McCain is he “went over” to Fascism some years ago. Since FOX has zero credibility with me, I think I’ll wait for another news agency to announce it America elected the current Congress. Now NH picks a freak like McCain. Romney gets Algore’d in New Hampshire…Who’da thunk it? He pitched his tent in this region since ’94. Secured the tent in ’02. Gave those 7% (of the Bay state) uninsured folks $50 abortions. Gave every conceivable multiple-choice voter a multiple-choice … Continue reading Today on Athenae’s Obsession with the Freepi: McCainia!

Economy1 Comment

Holy Shitpile!

Them’s a lottaforeclosures. NEW YORK (Reuters) – Countrywide Financial Corp <CFC.N>, the largest U.S. mortgage lender, said on Wednesday that foreclosures and late payments rose in December to the highest on record, though it made more loans than expected in the fourth quarter. [snip] In its monthly operating report, Countrywide said the foreclosure rate among the 9.03 million mortgages for which it collects and processes payments doubled to 1.44 percent from 0.70 percent a year earlier, and rose from November’s 1.28 percent. The delinquency rate rose to 7.20 percent of unpaid balances from 4.60 percent a year earlier. December’s rates … Continue reading Holy Shitpile!

Your President Speaks2 Comments

Your President Speaks!

Yesterday, inChicago, before the Union League Club of Chicago. He Went To A Pabst Blue Ribbon School I remember a while back, everybody was a blue ribbon school. But that’s not the way it is these days because we’re judicious in who gets awarded a Blue Ribbon School. What Chicago Got Then the Mayor had me briefed by the 2016 Olympic Committee bid team, and you got a good bid. The Seven Year Itch It’s seven years we’ve had experience in dealing with anxiety. The Sixth Sense There’s a sense where we can be optimistic. Our Economic Horizon One of … Continue reading Your President Speaks!

Your President Speaks2 Comments

Your President Speaks! Again!

Yesterday, inChicago, at Horace Greeley Elementary School. Look, Up In The Sky! It’s A Bird! It’s A Plane! No, It’s Chicago Board Of Education Man! I’m proud to be here with Rufus Williams. He’s a Chicago Board of Education man. Mental Mash-up Every good school– every school that succeeds — by the way, it’s a Blue Ribbon School. So I asked Margaret — like, I remember coming up, everybody was a blue ribbon school. It’s Excelling It’s a Blue Ribbon School because it’s excelling. What Horace Greeley Elementary School Has Got And one of the reasons is, it’s got a … Continue reading Your President Speaks! Again!

Holden's Obsession with the Gaggle2 Comments

Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle

Dana Peroxide Chokes On The “I-Word”

Q Did the President read McGovern Sunday, calling for his impeachment?

MS. PERINO: No. I haven’t — well, I don’t know if he read it or not. I haven’t talked to him about it.

Q You haven’t. You don’t know if he has any reaction to that?

MS. PERINO: I think that we’ll just decline to comment on McGovern’s comments.

Where’s Osama?

Q Do we think that bin Laden is alive or dead?

MS. PERINO: I don’t think we have a reason to believe that he’s dead.

Q Pardon?

MS. PERINO: I don’t believe we have a reason to think that he’s dead.

Continue reading “Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle”

Uncategorized9 Comments

McGovern: “Nixon Was Bad. These Guys Are Worse”

In aWaPo editorial George McGovern lays out the case for impeachment of Bush-Cheney. Of course, there seems to be little bipartisan support for impeachment. The political scene is marked by narrow and sometimes superficial partisanship, especially among Republicans, and a lack of courage and statesmanship on the part of too many Democratic politicians. So the chances of a bipartisan impeachment and conviction are not promising. But what are the facts? Bush and Cheney are clearly guilty of numerous impeachable offenses. They have repeatedly violated the Constitution. They have transgressed national and international law. They have lied to the American people … Continue reading McGovern: “Nixon Was Bad. These Guys Are Worse”

Hurricane Katrina & Federal Flood2 Comments

Why isn’t the Gulf Coast on the campaign agenda?

FromFacing South… This Presidential Primary season, voters have listened to nearly a half a million words from two dozen Presidential candidates in 25 debates. Through 37 hours of ndiscussion, one major American crisis has struggled to break into the debate. Debate moderators have avoided asking what each candidate as President will do to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, where communities are still fighting to come back more than two years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the levee failures. Critics claim that the future of Gulf Coast communities and residents has not received adequate attention in the debates, … Continue reading Why isn’t the Gulf Coast on the campaign agenda?

Hurricane Katrina & Federal Flood5 Comments

Pitt’s pink project raises $10 million

From theTimes Picayune on the effort of Brad Pitt’s Make It Right foundation to rebuild homes in NOLA’s Lower 9th ward… To kick off the fundraising, both Pitt and philanthropist Steve Bing, a real-estate developer and film producer, pledged to match up to $5 million in contributions. The nonprofit is still collecting dollars, but at this point it has raised $10 million matchable dollars from more than 17,000 donors in more than 80 countries. The donor list is studded with luminaries: Angela Bassett, Bill Cosby, Tom Cruise, Carrie Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Laurence Fishburne, Will Ferrell, Goldie Hawn, Salma Hayek, Ethan … Continue reading Pitt’s pink project raises $10 million

Your President Speaks1 Comment

Your President Speaks!

The Friday Pre-Middle Eastern Trip Interviews, Part I: An Interview With The US-ControlledAl Hurra TV. A Chance To Be Effective Now because I believe that it’s possible to advance the Annapolis agenda; now because I believe it’s just going to be — that it will be a chance to be effective on my trip. When There Needs To Be Hold Hands I can press when there needs to be pressed; I can hold hands when there needs to be — hold hands. Keep A Vision On It And my job is to help them keep a vision on what is … Continue reading Your President Speaks!

Your President Speaks

Your President Speaks!

The Friday Pre-Middle Eastern Trip Interviews, Part II: An Interview WithIsrael’s Channel 2 News. Throw In A Noun Once In A While And so the goal is to have something other than just verbs — words. Military Covert Program It means to me that Iran was a threat and Iran is a threat. In other words, just because they had a military covert program that it suspended doesn’t mean, one, they could restart it. What Two Doesn’t Mean And two, doesn’t mean that their capacity to enrich couldn’t — you know, so-called civilian program — couldn’t be transferred to a … Continue reading Your President Speaks!

Stupid Republican Tricks9 Comments

A Hobby. Get One. Now.

Jesus BugfuckElvis Christ. It’s got to be hard being an authoritarian dickwad these days. Your heroes Gee Dub and Dick Cheney are draft dodgers, your war’s going badly, your baseball stars are all whiny titty babies who argue about the definition of “use” with regards to their chemical coping strategies, and the one football player who did abandon his career to go to war now has a family that’s denying you the right to use him to lull you to sleep at night by insisting the government stop lying about his death. Congressional candidates are paying you NOT to blow … Continue reading A Hobby. Get One. Now.

Stupid Republican Tricks7 Comments

Today on Athenae’s Obsession with the Freepi: HUCKABEE FEVER!

Except not really: The two candidates I detest are Huckleberry and McCain. My worst nightmare may come true. Hillary will be President because we nominated a real loser this time. Mark my word—Huckabee is a LOSER and so is McCain. I am sorry the voters in Iowa are nuts…Huckabee give me a break! The evangelicals in Iowa are, by and large, morons. They thought Pat Robertson would make a good president a few years ago. What is wrong with these people? Huckabee will NEVER get my vote and would NEVER win a general election. There’s a reason Iowa is said … Continue reading Today on Athenae’s Obsession with the Freepi: HUCKABEE FEVER!

Stupid Republican Tricks

Crimes of the Republikkkan Base

Yow, heads will roll at the Coast Guard when Chimpy’s minders hear aboutthis. COAST GUARD CRITICIZES CUBAN-AMERICANS MIAMI – In Miami, the U.S. Coast Guard is urging Cuban-American families to stop financing the dangerous business of smuggling people from Cuba to the United States. So far, though, those pleas have fallen on deaf ears as the lucrative trade in human cargo continues to grow and more men, women and children die at sea. Based on recent reports, the Coast Guard believes as many as 65 people may have died in Cuban smuggling trips since Nov. 24. “I find it particularly … Continue reading Crimes of the Republikkkan Base

Holden's Obsession with the Gaggle1 Comment

Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle

Helen Thomas Gives Tony Farto A Middle Eastern Wedgie

Q Does the President think it’s a good prelude for the Israelis to kill nine Palestinians, five in one family — as a prelude to his trip on the West Bank?

MR. FRATTO: I think what the President is concerned about is bringing peace to that region and allowing the forces of freedom and democracy to have the opportunity to thrive. And that’s one of the features of his trip. I think we’re concerned, whenever we see extremists, that are —

Q Have you explained to the Israelis about those killings?

MR. FRATTO: We talk regularly to the Israelis, and of course the President is headed there next week. But I think any time we see extremists who are looking to defeat the forces of freedom and democracy, we oppose that. And we understand Israel’s right to protect itself when —

Q It’s not extremist to kill nine people on the West Bank under occupation?

MR. FRATTO: I think what our focus on is having the Palestinians and the Israelis sitting down at the table and making the hard choices so that they can — so they can move to two states living side by side in peace.

Continue reading “Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle”