Sometimes, when its a slow day, well OTHER than the fact that 9 americans were killed in Iraq (must've choked on the flowers thrown to them as liberators), the White house runs out of things to lie about and just needs SOMETHING.

TDS was hilaroius last night ripping Nofacts a new one.


NOVAK: Congressman, do you believe – and you’re a sophisticated guy – watching these hearings that Dick Clarke has a problem with this African-American woman Condoleezza Rice?”

EMANUEL: [looks stunned, grabs earpiece] Say that again.

STEWART: [interrupting the video] Yes, Robert Novak. Please! Say that again.

NOVAK: Do you believe that Dick Clarke has a problem with this African-American woman Condoleezza Rice?

EMANUEL: [mixture of non-plussed and bewildered expression] No. Bob, give me a break, no.

STEWART: Wow. Who even knew this deck had a race card? Don't you get it people? Civil rights activist Robert Novak is implying Richard Clarke was never interested in fighting terrorism -- he just hates black people.

That’s the thing about Robert Novak. He’s all about fighting injustice. Whenever he sees a white man attacking a black woman, he’s gotta say something. Or when he hears about a CIA agent still working undercover, he has to reveal that person. That’s Robert Novak. A douchebag for liberty.

For anyone who doesn’t read Altercation. I thought this was interesting.

Scott MClellan caught in a bold faced lie. Not a big deal you say? Well actually yes. It’s the White House Press Secretarys job to essentially spend every waking moment being blatantly dishonest. At least for this White house anyways. Ari Fliescher was such a master of bullshit it inspired awe. But they rarely get caught in an actual lie. That is, a demonstrably false statement. They’ll be deliebratly dishonest and deceptive sure, but couch it with “to the best of my recollection”, etc. This isn't relegated to just the press secretary either. Bush has lied to be sure, but most of the time hes just deliberatly misleading. For instance, Bush didn't lie in his state of the union speech ( a crime) because he said the "British learned" that Saddam wanted to buy uranium from Africa, which is "technically " true, but still deliberatly dishonest. the hallmarks of this adminstration.


Here’s the lie in question:
Q He's right that in October -- in October of 2001, when the President signed this directive, the President was directing the Pentagon to prepare plans for the invasion of Iraq?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's why I said, that's part -- that's part of his revisionist history.
Q That's not true?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's part of his revisionist history, that's what I'm saying --
Q Are you saying it's not true?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, that's right. I am.

Here’s why it’s a lie:
According to the 1/12/03 Washington Post (which quotes senior Administration officials) "six days after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, President Bush signed a 2½-page document marked 'TOP SECRET'" that "directed the Pentagon to begin planning military options for an invasion of Iraq." This is corroborated by 9/4/02 CBS News report that five hours after the 9/11 attacks, "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was telling his aides to come up with plans for striking Iraq."

Condi will now testify under oath. Hopefully we can now start to get to the truth about what happened in this adminstration regarding 9/11.

And a little perjury trap payback for the impeachment crap would be nice on a personal patrtisan level as well, especailly since Bush has the CIA searching through Clarkes testimony for the sole purporse of trying to go after him politically. THey will release any excerpts they can find to show Clarke as inconsistent, but keep everything else, including stuff that may shed light on waht happened or, god forbid, support Clarke's claims, classified.

Just when you think they couldn't be more corrupt, they just surprise you.

Air America Radio starts up tomorrow at noon with Al Franken's Radio show "the O'Franken Factor". Should be good.

You can listen to it over the internet here.

Clarke’s allegations about Bush incompetence, Condi refusing to testify, an election coming up. Who nabs an interview with the President?

FOX news.

Heres some of Britt Humes take no prisoners no holds barred questions:

Tell me one thing. How often do you talk to your dad?

[snip]
BUSH: I've hurt my knee, and...
HUME: How bad is it?
BUSH: It's bad enough that I cannot run.
[snip]
BUSH: I'll come out here -- see my man Barney over there?
HUME: I see Barney over there.
BUSH: He loves to play golf.
HUME: Oh, he does? Does he chase your ball?
[snip]
HUME: Now, your faith is an integral part of your life. How often do you pray? Where you do you pray? Talk to me about that.
[snip]
HUME: Now, this rug, and there have been a series of them in here, this is one of your...
BUSH: Laura designed this rug. She designed this rug.
[snip]
And my personal favorite.....
HUME: How do you get your news?
BUSH: I get briefed by Andy Card and Condi in the morning. They come in and tell me. In all due respect, you've got a beautiful face and everything.

I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s in the news again and I just still have trouble wrapping my brain around it.

Tom Delay, a self professed evangelical Christian, is using money from a children’s charity to pay for lavish parties, a golf tournament, and concert tickets for him and his friends.

Something tells me WWJD is not part of his mantra.

Bill Clinton "authorized an intensive, ongoing campaign to destroy al-Qaida and seize or assassinate bin Laden by signing a secret National Security Decision Directive to that effect."


Bush's pre 9/11 plan (when they finally got around to it) was to open diplomatic negotiations as part of a 3 tiered program to try and get the taliban to expel bin Laden.

I'm finding a certain cruel entertainment in watching the Bush attack dogs attack when they have absolutly no ammunition. We've heard the Homer defense, and now we have Powell and Bush with the lowering the bar defense (Stole that from Josh Marshal, as A second rate blogger like me is wont to do)

Bush today:
"The facts are these: George Tenet briefed me on a regular basis about the terrorist threat to the United States of America, and had my administration had any information that terrorists were going to attack New York City on Sept. 11, we would have acted."

So if Bush knew the exact date and place of a terrorist attack before it happened, he wouldve done something dammit! SO everyone stop complaining!

Comforting isn't it?

I wonder what would happen If Clinton came before America and said if he knew the exact date and place of when the bombing of the USS Cole was going to happen he wouldve stopped it, how it would go over with all the right wingers who blame him for it?


And Powell:
at no time during the early months of our administration were we presented with a vetted, viable, operational proposal which would have led to an opportunity to kill, capture or otherwise neutralize Osama bin Laden; never received any targetable information. Let me return now to our diplomatic efforts.

Now the bar is set to not just a "plan", but it had to be a "vetted, viable, operational proposal."

Shameless.

One of the, admittedly numerous, idiotic attacks being leveled against Richard Clarke, or as I like to call him "disgruntled former Admisntration official whose only out to get the President #6" is the one Cheney pulled out in his hard hitting no holds bar interview with.... Rush Limbaugh. (The interview itself has to be read to be beleived. I half expected at one point to hear Rush say "is it in fact true, that you shit out gold bricks?")

Clarke doesn't know what he was talking about because he was "out of the loop". The Bush administrations head of counter terrorism was "out of the loop" on terrorism. And thats their defense.


This shall be dubbed, The Homer defense.

"Asleep at the switch! I wasn't asleep! I was drunk!"
Homer Simpson

The Clarke smear machine is out in force, just like it was for O'Neill. And the lies are in full swing as well. From Josh Marshall:

From today's NYT:
In an interview Sunday night, Brian Roehrkasse, a spokesman for the
department, denied that Ridge was against the creation of the
department and said the department did not have to go through any
more clearance with the White House than other Cabinet departments.


CongressDaily May 30, 2002:
Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge said today he would advise
President Bush to veto any legislation creating a congressionally
authorized Office of Homeland Security if Congress approves a bill
this year. "I'd probably recommend he veto it," Ridge told a
National Journal Group editorial board meeting.

Lie Lie Lie.

Its all they know how to do.

I'm a member of some Yahoo political groups. It helps pass the time. Most of it is dealing with right wing bushbots who will defend Bush at any cost no matter what, to the point of absolute absurdity. Its why I go, they entertain me. For instance, one guy defended bush as not being a liar about uranium because "the british have learned" is "technically" true, and then mocks CLintons definition of "is".

Thats entertainment.

But there are some people who are very intelligent. One, whose handle is "Captin Sarcastic" wrote this:

The invasion of Iraq lacked moral clarity.

There will always be some level of debate whenever military force is
brought to bear, always. There are some individuals and groups that
will oppose ANY military action, no matter how justified the action
appears to be. It is not possible to please everyone, and not likely
desirable either. Regardless of opposition, there are occasions when
the use of military force is appropriate, and sometimes inescapable.
On these occasions, there is a level of moral clarity that
overwhelms critics.

Iraq is not such an example.

As such, the greatest tragedy of this administrations policy is
simply that as a result of 9/11, they enjoyed unprecedented global
support in the global war on Islamist terrorists like those that
struck the world trade center.

America's action in Afghanistan is one example of virtually
unanimous domestic and global support for military action. Sure
there were opponents of any action, but they were the usual
suspects, what the right likes to call the peace-at-any-price crowd,
as well as groups that were inclined to oppose any action involving
Western forces brought to bear against a predominantly Muslim
nation. The fact is that there was no doubt that al Qaeda and the
Taliban were inextricably linked, and that al Qaeda was physically
centered in Afghanistan. Republicans, Democrats, liberals,
conservatives, libertarians, Russians, French, Germans, Italians,
even the Chinese were supportive of American's invasion of
Afghanistan. This action was supported by moral clarity.

The invasion of Iraq did was not an example of an action taken with
moral clarity. There were three elements at play when Iraq was being
discussed as a target:
1. Weapons of Mass Destruction
2. Complicity between Iraq and al Qaeda
3. The immense brutality of the manner in which Saddam Hussein
administrated Iraq.

The third element is irrelevant with respect to unilateral action,
or even multilateral action. It is impossible and counterproductive
to attempt to impose global accountability on a sovereign nation
without a global mandate. The third element is also irrelevant
within the context of the global war on terrorism.

The other two items taken separately or together could well have led
to global agreement on the moral clarity of taking action in Iraq,
but there was no consensus on moral clarity even in the U.S. much
less globally, and the reason for this is precisely that clear
evidence of the existence of either was never provided, even though
the administration claimed there was "no doubt" that huge
immediately available stockpiles of WMD's were at Saddam's disposal,
and on the second point, the administration never passed up an
opportunity to insinuate that a failure to remove Saddam and the
WMD's was tantamount to handing nuclear bombs to terrorists (also
false). As President Bush clearly promoted in his state of the Union
Address in 2003 by discussing Iraq's alleged nuclear programs
(false) and then discussed 9/11 and the threat of terror directly
against America, and then closed the loop by telling Americans that
we needed to disarm Iraq or the "smoking gun" could be in the form
of a mushroom cloud. (see relevant text below)

The action in Iraq was not an example of a failure of intelligence,
it was an example of the triumph of stupidity. America took it's eye
off the ball and wasted lives and resources and relationships across
the globe, and the best we can hope to accomplish is to improve the
lot of 25 million Iraqi's who were not even disposed to rebel
against their own government and who seem to have a desire to kill
Americans and each other.

To obtain the moral clarity needed to support an invasion of Iraq,
the al Qaeda links and WMD's would have had to have been
substantiated by unequivocal evidence. Considering the effort by the
administration to establish such evidence as well as the fact that
there is now universal agreement that neither the weapons nor the al
Qaeda links exist, it is clear that those who questioned the
administrations intention of taking military action have been proven
correct, and the current reality facing America is that a large
number of Americans as well as a significant majority of the global
population now believe that America invaded a nation based on either
a lie or mistake.

If there were moral clarity surrounding this action, the possibility
of this circumstance would have been reduced to nil.

As a result of these realities, the invasion of Iraq was the single
worst foreign policy decision in the history of this nation and
should global conflict ever occur in our future, the catalyst for
such a conflict will likely be traced back to this single, poorly
considered action.

Cap

Mr. King, who watched Mr. Bush talk to firefighters at a groundbreaking for a 9/11 memorial in Long Island last week, said he told the president on Air Force One on the way back to Washington, "I would have a hard time seeing Kerry comfortable with these guys."
"And he said," Mr. King recounted, " `I didn't exactly grow up in deprived surroundings.' But then he said he thought he has much more in common with them than Kerry, and that it would come out in the course of the campaign."

Yeah cuz Bush can relate to people who choose to put themselves in harms way to protect their community better than Kerry can. This was evidenced when Bush used actors dressed up as firefighters in his ad, eliminated funding for health testing for Ground Zero workers, cut 246 million, to the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (33% of its total budget), completely eliminate funding the Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act and the Project Impact disaster preparedness campaign, and the International Association of Firefighters actively and vocally supports John Kerry, an even have a website called Firefighters for Kerry.

Idiot.

Al Franken reviews Rich Lowry's piece of shit book. Funny stuff.
Can't wait for his radio show, which by the way will be streamed over the internet, starting March 31st.

Dennis Miller when he actually gets a guest with a contrarian view.

Eric Alterman goes on eloquently about how Bush is a liar, etc.. Miller can't respond so he insults him, "pretends" to fall asleep, and then when Alterman asks Miller to not interrupt him before he can finish his sentence, say's "fine, finish you're f*cking point".

The best is Altermans description in his blog of how everyone on the staff was apologozing and calling Dennis "unprofessional". His own staff.

Now I know why he wants the monkey as a sidekick. I may actually watch the show now, just so I can see him self destruct.

Dumbest poll ever. And its brought to us by the Moonie Times.

And a poll taken by Andres McKenna Polling and Research found that Americans overwhelmingly believe "the terrorists would prefer" Mr. Kerry to win the election.

I’m still waiting for the poll results to see what percentage of neo-nazi’s would vote for Bush as opposed to Kerry.

Who said traitors don't have a sense of humor?

Neil Bush in a 2002 email to his then wife, who he was cheating on with another woman (and he was cheating on that woman with asain whores, who gave him Herpes)

"We're almost out of money and I've lost my patience for being compared to my brothers, for being put down for my inability to make money, and tired of not being loved."

I would dispute the “not being loved” part.

Kerry told a worker in Chicago that he was ready to fight back against his Republican foes, adding in an exchange picked up by television and radio microphones that "these guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group I've ever seen."
Spokesman David Wade said Kerry was referring to "the Republican attack machine" and not specifically to Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney, although he said Bush had "a pattern of standing by while other people ... do his dirty work for him."
Republicans responded quickly, with Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt charging Kerry had run a "a relentlessly negative campaign from the very beginning and this comment is completely consistent with that."

SO Kerry saying something that he thought was off camera and whispered under his breath (I heard it) is now an “official remark” that the Bush people will respond to? And the liberal media has this as the title of the article?

I don’t remember Gore releasing a statement attacking bush for Calling reporters in the media “major league assholes”. I don’t’ remember a news story titles “Bush calls reporter 'major league asshole', Cheney agrees”. The press hates Kerry, always has. He’s going to be Gored.

And what he said by the way, was 100% correct. I can’t wait to vote for him now.

Must.....join.......CIA

I wonder who in the SCLM picked that picture of Soros.

McCain, In response to the rumor of him being offered the democratic VP slot:
"It's impossible to imagine the Democratic Party seeking a pro-life, free-trading, non-protectionist, deficit hawk," he said. "They'd have to be taking some steroids, I think, in order to let that happen."

Free trading? Deficit Hawk?

Is he confused as to what party he currently belongs to?

Does anyone else see the irony in a vocal Catholic who speaks out about religion, yet “test run” 3 other religions before he decided that Catholicism was the one that fit HIM best?

I was raised Methodist, and have passed through the Southern Baptist church and the Episcopal Church before I finally ended up in the Roman Catholic church 11 years ago.

They are now paying people to watch the Dennis Miler show.

What a loser.

This gave me an idea

Perhaps a contest to come up with the best “a day in the life of Scott MClellan”?

For instance:

Scott McClellan’s long suffering wife: Honey did you take out the trash?

Scott McClellan: Look, it’s important here to look at the big picture. The fact of the matter is Scott McClellan has had an unprecedented involvement in not only the buying of the new two ply garbage bags, but also with the new Atkins friendly menu from Subway, which results in less trash.

Scott McClellan’s long suffering wife: But honey I just want to know if you took the trash out?

Scott McClellan: Well, I would just say that no one wants to get to the bottom of the issue of where the trash is more than Scott McClellan. Scott McClellan fully understands that this is an election season and these kinds of tactics about the trash and where it is will be brought up. I’m not going to speculate on its whereabouts.

Scott McClellan’s long suffering wife: Scott, I was just wondering if you-

Scott McClellan: Look. The fact of the matter is Scott McClellan is and always has been committed to the things that matter to the average working American member of the McClellan family. Paying the heating bill’s, paying off the mortgage. These are the things that he remains focused on.

Now where’s the remote?

It's early but here is some food for thought.

Kerry is leading in the polls in all Gore Blue states, and he is leading or tied in 8 Bush states.

George Bush will bring civility and respect back to the white house. His compassionate Conservatism will “change the tone”.


When Bush called Kerry last week after his Super Tuesday win he urged Kerry that he wanted to focus "on the issues."

And today's headline on the RNC website accuses Kerry of being a communist.

SO this is what desperation smells like?

When I get bored, I just go watch the Reggie Cam.

Hey you kids, let’s rock and roll across America! We’ll register anyone to vote, even the fag’s and negroes!

If that doesn’t sell you, than this will:


Nothing add’s more hip youngster street cred than getting Ed “hate speech” Gillespie’s personal seal of approval!

I mean just look at him. He’s totally gleaming the cube in that picture dude! I have it on persoanl authority that after they took that picture he took on all comers and kicked ASS playing Halo on the reggie van's own personal Xbox!

Update on the USS Cole disaster.

HE released a statement that basically boils down to “I didn’t say voting for Kerry would be like voting for Hitler, what I said was voting for Kerry would aid and comfort Osama Bin Laden, just like voting against FDR in 44 would have been aiding and comforting Hitler.”


Same f*cking difference you jackass.

And as Atrios points out, I’m sure the 46 Percent of the electorate, a majority of which were Republican, that voted for Dewey in 1944, appreciate being called Hitler supporters.

THis is an election year gift wrapped neatly in a bow.

Paging John Kerry. Care to respond?

Ed Gillespie Hate speech alert!!

Ed Gillespie, who call’s virtually any Criticism of Bush “hate speech”, Now has a potential new target!



Republican Congressman Tom Cole has now reported to have claimed that voting for John Kerrry is like voting for Hitler, and if Kerry win’s the election, so does Osama Bin laden!


The countdown to Mr. Gillespie’s outrage and these vicous comments starts.....

NOW!!!

Reason 1,297 John Derbyshire is an idiot.

"Both sides of the polarizing issue have been waiting for Spitzer's opinion since last Friday when the mayor of New Paltz, a small college town 75 miles north of Manhattan, married 25 same-sex couples without licenses. Village Mayor Jason West now faces 19 criminal counts and could face jail time."
I suppose it is "mean-spirited" of me, but I can't help wondering whether this Mayor would feel differently after spending time behind bars, knowing what we know about prison culture.

We can convince people to be against gay marraiges if we simply have them raped?

It's not mean spirited per se, as much as it's ignorant and stupid.

It's also nice to know Mr. Derbyshire spends his time fanstasizing about a$$ raping, and having the thoughtfulness to shatre it with the world.


By the way they pay this guy to write this sh*t. (Thanks Tbogg)

Right wing troop leader's disband girl scout troop because they decided not to hate homosexuals.

My favorite part is this supposed "gotcha" line:
“You’re telling these girls to raise their fingers up to pledge to honor God and country, and yet you’re handing out materials saying homosexuality is OK,” said Brownie leader Donna Coody, who disbanded her five-member troop.
Ummm. Yeah.

Norbizness’s photo caption contest.

Any suggestions? I’m stumped myself.

Once again, this administrations capacity to make me want to vomit never fails.

NBC now reports that he Bush Administration had evidence in late 2002 that Al-queda (the ones who murdered 3000 Americans) was operating a terrorist camp in Kurdish controlled Northern Iraq. The Pentagon drew up immediate plans to order air strikes and attack the camp, but the White House refused to act because it would threaten their argument to go to war against IRAQ.

Absolutely unf*cking believable.

I was under the impression the scene with Jesus driving his Chevy Lumina into a lake was going to be on the Special Edition DVD.


I was wrong.