The Whale coming back to Hartford?

Amid debate over the future of the Hartford Civic Center, a major downtown developer said Wednesday that he wants to build a new, publicly subsidized, $250 million sports and entertainment arena in the city - and that he's even looking into buying an NHL hockey team to fill it."We've got our own money, we're willing to invest in an arena, and we're willing to buy a team," said Lawrence R. Gottesdiener, head of Northland Investment Corp., which has a Hartford real estate portfolio worth $500 million.

Yet another example of Republican priorities. From TAPPED:

WWBFD? Yes, and a Merry Christmas to you, Bill Frist:

As they prepared to send the spending cuts to the floor, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee and his GOP lieutenants realized they were headed for defeat unless they secured one more vote. And to get that, Frist had to meet the asking price of one of two GOP senators, Norm Coleman of Minnesota or Gordon H. Smith of Oregon.

Smith vowed not to support the bill unless it was changed so that proposed savings on Medicaid, the federal healthcare program for the poor, were achieved at the expense of drug companies and other providers instead of coming in the form of lower benefits for Medicaid recipients.

Coleman's price for supporting the package was removing from the bill a provision that would have eliminated $30 million in subsidies for sugar beet growers, many of them in his home state.

In the end, sugar farmers got to keep their subsidy and Frist got Coleman's vote.

That, I think, is exactly what Jesus would have done.

Since spending the last few years sucking Bushs cock and stroking his balls wasn't enough humiliation for John McCain, he decided to embarass himself even further.

"Let the student decide." With those well-chosen words John McCain summed up his view on the teaching of "intelligent design" along with evolution in public schools.

Amazing. THink of the possiblities if we let teh students across the nation control the curriculum. Classes on XBOX 360 will be mandatory for all High School freshman. Porn will be shown in all social studies classes. And none of that mamby pamby Vivid stuff, I'm talking full on German shit videos. And I've always wanted all kids to be taught that 2 + 2 equals 7. Thank's to McCain, I can now make that happen.

Crooks and Liars has the video of Ted Stevens little outburst. All I can say is "Baby need his bottle?"

Let's pray he goes through with his threat to resign.

In 1978 Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska was in a plane crash that killed five people including his first wife Ann.

But don't worry, he wasn't that upset.

"This has been the saddest day of my life," said Mr. Stevens, 82, as he watched victory slip away again in his 25-year crusade for drilling in the refuge.

Another little provision in the senate “deficit reduction” package that was passed yesterday, where most of the cuts were to the poor and needy:

Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota, senior Democrat on the Budget Committee, said one banished provision would have shielded hospitals from legal liability if their emergency rooms turned away Medicaid beneficiaries who could not afford co-payments.

Remember that the next time they start to brag about their Christian moral values.

"Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Psalms 43

...there are such things as roving wiretaps. Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so. It's important for our fellow citizens to understand, when you think Patriot Act, constitutional guarantees are in place when it comes to doing what is necessary to protect our homeland, because we value the Constitution.

Liar.

Yet another glimpse at the true morals of the far right Christians. A group of them protested outside of Wal-Mart because their advertising campaign was called “Home for the Holidays”, which they found offensive;

About 50 protesters took part in Saturday's demonstration, organized by religious leaders. Dick Otterstad of the Church of the Divide donned a Santa Claus costume and greeted shoppers with the message: Don't forget about the meaning of Christmas.

What they don’t find offensive? That Wal Mart’s health insurance only covers 48% of their employees. The average salary of a Wal Mart employee is below the poverty line. Locking illegal immigrants on a store overnight and not letting them out until its clean. Extensive violation of child labor laws. Firing workers or closing down stores that attempt to start a union.

Good news and bad news today.

The bad news is Democrats were unable to blick the senate bill that cuts 40 billion dollars from the budget. And since the Republicans run things they of course focus their cuts on things like Medicaid, Medicare and student loans. The trillions of dollars in tax cuts for millionaires of course remains untouched. So all you sick, poor and elderly, the people Christ was most concerned with helping, have a Merry Christmas.

The good news however is Democrats were able to block the defense spending bill with ANWR drilling in it. I expect that shitbag Stevens is having a fit right now. Of course we should expect endless claims of being “against the troops”, but that’s nothing new. Did you also know we hate Christmas?

I hate Ted Stevens. He is of course the scumbag Senator from Alaska who is responsible for the half a billion dollar “bridge to nowhere” pork project. The same one when people suggested that instead of wasting the money on his own useless vanity project they actually use it to rebuild the lake Pontchatrain Bridge in New Orleans. You know, a bridge that actually leads somewhere. He refused and even threatened to resign of the bill went through. It of course went through because we know the Republicans love 2 things more than anything. Tax cuts for rich people and pork barrel spending.

Now Stevens has pulled another fast one. He has always wanted to drill in ANWAR. Since he can never get it passed he decided to slip it into the Military spending bill, which is almost always guaranteed to pass since it funds the military, and we all know that if you vote against that you are voting “to “defund the troops”. But since Bush’s approval ratings are in the toilet and he is now an admitted criminal, Democrats have a little more spine and are threatening a filibuster. But my favorite is Stevens pathetic excuse for attaching to the military bill:

"We've done it because of the sincere belief that production of oil domestically has a great deal to do with our national security," he said. "Our national defense cannot operate without the basic potential for our own production of oil."

Apart from the absolute absurdity of that statement it simply reveals that Stevens is a hypocrite and a liar. Notice he doesn’t mention our “dependence on foreign oil”, since drilling in Alaska will do nothing about that. If he was really worried about that we could pass bill for more renewable energy sources, or raising fuel efficiency standards. Things that can actually help. Drilling in ANWAR is nothing but a boondoggle handout to rich oil corporations. The oil produced would be negligible, the cost will be so high that we could only sell it to pacific rim countries due to shipping costs, it would take over a decade to actually get anything and the yield would be minimal. And of course it would rape one of our precious natural resources.

Happy Abramoffukkah? Or is it Abramoffmas?

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 - Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist under criminal investigation, has been discussing with prosecutors a deal that would grant him a reduced sentence in exchange for testimony against former political and business associates, people with detailed knowledge of the case say.Mr. Abramoff is believed to have extensive knowledge of what prosecutors suspect is a wider pattern of corruption among lawmakers and Congressional staff members. One participant in the case who insisted on anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations described him as a "unique resource."

The war on Christmas is over. We lost, or won, depending on how much of an idiot you are.

We started with Bill O’Reilyl declaring hew will bring “horror” upon the evil secularist Christmas haters and even this exchange:

NULMAN: "Season's Greetings" and "Happy Holidays," Bill, does not offend Christians.
O'REILLY: Yes, it does. It absolutely does. And I know that for a fact.


And now, since the Falafel king has become even more of a walking joke than he ever has before (quite an achievement), we get this;

"Happy Holidays" is fine. Just don't ban "Merry Christmas," that's all we're saying.
Bill O’Reilly December 19th

First the courts ban Intelligent Design in Dover and now this. I hope you god hating sodomy loving terrorist appeasers are happy.

Yet another reason CT is the place to be. An article in the Sunday New York Times talks about how Ct is becoming the new Progressive playground.

This year, the Legislature passed a law permitting civil unions, becoming the first state to offer gay unions without being pressured by the courts. Unlike in other states, where gay rights groups see civil unions as a long shot, groups in Connecticut were so uninspired by the civil unions bill that they initially opposed it, pushing for full marriage rights or nothing at all.

While the federal estate tax has been whittled away in recent years, the Connecticut Legislature reimposed its own estate tax this year. It also passed a law financing stem-cell research, despite widespread disputes over such research in other states and in the federal government. Liberal groups were delighted when the state sued the federal government over the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

To read the article go to http://www.bugmenot.com/ for a logon ID.

Fitzmakkuh continues.....

Short of a last minute intervention by Rove’s attorney, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is expected to ask a grand jury investigating the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson to indict Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove for making false statements to the FBI and Justice Department investigators in October 2003, lawyers close to the case say.

In the 12,345th example of Republican hubris I give you the congress.

After the 1994 republican takeover of congress they instituted rule any congressman In a leadership role can continue while under indictment. This, they said, was a show of how much more ethical they were than the evil democrats. But then some months ago the rumor was that the Majority Leader was going to be indicted it caused a problem. So they simply repealed that rule. After some bad press, since it showed quite clearly how unethical they are, they reinstituted it. Then Delay was indicted and forced to step down.

Now that he is under indictment some house members want to elect a new majority leader. But Tom Delay loves power more than he loves his Jesus, and wants to reclaim his position if he is cleared. But since his trial isnt iuntil January it presented a problem. Bt now that problem is solved.

Speaker Hastert has now decided to simply not reconvene congress for the entire month of January so their indicted majority leader can get his position back. Who cares about the "peoples business".

Just shows that they love power above all else. Although its hard to complain, keeping a far right wing congress out of session for an extra month isnt the worse thing in the world.

one of the fundamental principles we have in America is that the president is the commander in chief of the armed forces and attempts to undermine the commander in chief during time of war amounts to treason. I know we have an opportunity to express our points of view, but there is a time when we're engaged in a combat situation that carping criticism against the commander in chief just doesn't cut it.
- Pat Robertson. Deceber 7th 2005


We got a lot of traitors out there.....

“You can support the troops but not the president”-Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

“[The] President…is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation’s armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy.”-Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA)

“American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy.”-Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

“If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy.”-Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W. Bush

“I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning…I didn’t think we had done enough in the diplomatic area.”-Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)

“Well, I just think it’s a bad idea. What’s going to happen is they’re going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years”-Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

“I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our overextended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today”-Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

“Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?” -Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99

“Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is.”-Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

“This is President Clinton’s war, and when he falls flat on his face, that’s his problem.”-Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)

“Bombing a sovereign nation for ill-defined reasons with vague objectives undermines the American stature in the world. The international respect and trust for America has diminished every time we casually let the bombs fly.”-Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

For more on the treasonous terrorist supporting Republicans, go here.

Chris Wallace's reaction to his Dad Mike Wallace's critical comments about the President? Saying his dad has "lost it". I mean why else would anyone critizize the President? They clearly must be mentally ill.

"Fox News Sunday" anchorman Chris Wallace says father Mike Wallace has "lost it" - after the legendary CBS newsman told the Boston Globe last week that the fact George Bush had been elected president shows America is "[expletive]-up."

"He's lost it. The man has lost it. What can I say," the younger Wallace lamented to WRKO Boston radio host Howie Carr on Friday.

"He's 87-years old and things have set in," the Fox anchor continued. "I mean, we're going to have a competence hearing pretty soon."

Wallace Jr. quickly dispelled any notion that he was joking. When Carr suggested that his comments were likely to be covered by NewsMax, he responded: "You know what? Fine. Go ahead. Call them. That's fine. I'll stand by that."

Returning to the topic of his father's competence, Wallace Jr. explained: "He's checked out. I don't understand it," beyond the fact that Wallace Sr. has "problems with the war." "I don't know why he said what he said," he added.

I suppose it's cliche to say that I love It's a Wonderful Life, but I do. I can practically recite it line for line. That, Bing Crosby Christmas Holiday songs and any kind of retelling of A Christmas Carol, from the 1933 version all the way through to the Patrick Stewart one, I am just a sucker for.

So I found it interesting that practically everyone involved with the movie It's A Wonderful Life lived very long lives.

Frank Capra - Director 94
Jimmy Stewart - George Bailey 89
Donna Reed Mary Bailey 65
Lionel Barrymore - Mr. Potter 76
Thomas Mitchell - Uncle Billy 70
Henry Travers - Clarence 91
Beulah Bondi - Ma Bailey 93

Of course I am leaving out the death of Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer at the age of 31, who was shot over an argument about a dog, but since he was the one who opened up the floor so George and Mary would fall in the pool, he was asking for it.

I guess being associated with something that good rubs off. If my theory holds true Dick Cheney should be dead within weeks.

Bush administration treating our fallen soldiers as useless luggage, But its the DemocRATS who hate the military.

Remember Delays unprecedented rigging of the redistricting in Texas to cut up the districts to make sure that it got more Republicans elected? Well we now find out that at the time they tried to do this the Justice Department lawyers and analysts unanimously concluded that doing so would violate the Voting Rights Act. They were overruled by the political appointees. Votes are irrelevant. Holding onto power is everything.

Well thank god we don't have to worry about that anymore. The Bush administration has now decided to bar staff attorneys from making recommendations in Voting Rights Act cases.

Hate America with style this Christmas Holiday Season with podcasts of all Air America Shows here.


Mike Wallace is better than his shithead son.

Q. President George W. Bush has declined to be interviewed by you. What would you ask him if you had the chance?
A. What in the world prepared you to be the commander in chief of the largest superpower in the world? In your background, Mr. President, you apparently were incurious. You didn't want to travel. You knew very little about the military. . . . The governor of Texadoesn't have the kind of power that some governors have. . . . Why do you think they nominated you? . . . Do you think that has anything to do with the fact that the country is so fucked up?

Lieberman is a goddamn embarrassmentent.

With Randy "Duke" Cunningham off to prison it leaves a hole in the powerful Appropriations Committee, the same committee he used to bribe companies to give him millions of dollars in lavish gifts.

Who in the world could fill Duke's oh so corrupt shoes?

Don't fret dear reader, when one Republcain gets caught and sent to jail there are thousands more corrupt Republicans waiting in the wings. Tom Delay has now volunteered to take his place.

That is of course assuming he gets acquitted in his trial.