His best yet. Had me in tears.

Go Sox.

This could actually happen.

I haven’t said anything about the Sox doing the impossible in New York and going 2-0 in the series for a number of reasons. The biggest of which is I’m still shellshocked and can barely string a sentence together. The second is of the 3 people that bother to read this, how many really give a shit what I think? But there are a few things that are annoying me and last night was the final straw.

Last night I was watching the terrible HBO documentary “The Curse of the Bambino”. How bad is it? Let’s just say the fact that Ben Affleck is the narrator is its high point. The film kept regurgitating the 2 things I hate most about sox fans, or rather, the 2 impressions people have about sox fans I hate most. Seeing as how I came late in life to sports (years 1-27 were taken up with comics, video games, and Star Wars Miniatures),
you can take it all with a grain of salt, so…

1. There is no curse. I don’t believe in it and no sox fan I know does either. They haven’t won because they haven’t been good enough. They spent years with a racist owner who would only hire slow white guys who could hit over the wall, not accounting for the fact that they spend half their games playing without it. The only people who like to talk about the curse is the media because it sounds neat. And that prick Dan Shaughnessy who started it all. I hate that guy. He’s a real dushebag.

2. The last 5 minutes are spent talking about how sox fans don’t really want to win because it would take away whats so special about them. And that once we win we won’t know what to do with ourselves.

F that. I want to win. You think I like going around saying “hooray my team sucks and never wins”? Hell no. I’m from Hartford not Philadelphia. (just kidding…)

I want a dynasty like the late 90’s Yankees. I want to spend endless hundreds buying useless world series Merchandise. I don’t want to ever hear the words “curse” and “1918” again.

I know exactly what I’m going to do if they win. Celebrate. Get drunk. I’m not going to be “lost” or “confused” in gonna be f'ing deliriously happy. The patriots never won a Superbowl before a few years ago, did Patriots fans look confused and lost after the won? No. They’re freaking happy. They have a dynasty of winning on their hands. I want that.

So no,. There is no curse and yes, we do want to win.

Go sox.

As if I needed another reason to watch.

God willing, soon we’ll all have taco flavored kisses.

The BikerFox.

New Superman picked.

Instead, said Harris, the film's storyline will begin after the events depicted in 1980's Superman II, the second of the late Reeve's four Man of Steel movies.

So Richard Pryor creating a tar laced kryptonite that created a duplicate evil Superman never happened? Superman ridding the world of Nuclear weapons only to be faced with Nuclear Man, Lex Luthors greatest creation made from a strand of Supermans hair, never happened?

A travesty.

Keyes Obama debate.

What would happen if Bush and Kerry were forced to live together?

Wonder no more.

Yeah these are stupid, but still, A-Rod is a punk bitch.

YOu gotta be f'ing kidding me.


NEW YORK - Gritting his teeth and grimacing throughout, Curt Schilling willed away the pain in his right ankle and the Boston Red Sox got the benefit of two reversed calls to move within one win of the most shocking comeback in baseball postseason history.

To show just how shameless the cheneys are, here is how they will literally abandon any sense of family in order to win an election.

Asked about the Republican senate Candidate’s comments calling Mary Cheney a “selfish hedonist” in an interview at the republican convention, here is what Lynne Cheney said in response:

“There are things that we all differ about … . But we sure, here in New York and Madison Square Garden, are perfectly united behind the idea that our president for the next four years should be George [W.] Bush and the vice president, of course, Dick Cheney.”

Here is her response when A democrat, John Kerry, actually spoke about Mary in a respectful and supportive way by saying “I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was, she's being who she was born as,”

"This is a bad man"

The utter lack of any sense of moral decency from this crowd is really stunning to witness.

The Red Sox are killing me. Absolutly killing me.

I need to get a decent nights sleep at some point.

Jon Stewart on Crossfire yesterday and he ripped that pompous Tucker Carlson a new one.

See it here.

Oh Bill O'Reilly, you had me at Falafel.....

From th AP article I jsut linked to:

Mrs. Cheney, introducing her husband in a post-debate appearance Wednesday night in Coraopolis, Pa., also avoided a specific reference to her daughter's sexuality when she made clear she thought Kerry had crossed a line into family privacy.

Family Privacy? Cheney has talked freuently about her gay daughter. She is also Cheneys Director of Vice Presidential Operations. She worked for Coors as a public liason to the Lesbian community. She is a openly gay public figure.

Family privacy my ass. They are trying to make this an "issue" by creating false indignation. Thats family values for ya.

Cheap and tawdry is right.

IT's official. If you talk openly about Lynne Cheneys gay daughter in a tone of respect and admiration, you are being "cheap and tawdry".

She doesnt want to hear about her fag daughter! Its emabrassing enough at dinner parties!

OF course we all know why shes so pissed. Becuse the homophobic bigot is their base. They need that vote.

Bill O'Lielly, pervert.

This is worth sitting through the Salon ad. Senator Jim Bunning Of Oklahoma is running for re-election, and suffering from senile dementia. Of course instead of bowing out of the race, the Republican Party is trying to hide it at all costs.

After all, this is the party that saw no problem in having an incoherent 99 year old senator wander the halls completly senile.

Sox in 6

A new TIME poll and it is just stunning how much the debates helped Kerry. Not just that it shows Kerry gaining 6 points to make it a tie, but all across the board.

On being "likeable," a key strength for Bush in 2000, Bush now trails Kerry, 70% - 65%.

but 30% of voters said that they were more likely to vote for Kerry because of the debate. This compares to only 14% more likely to vote for Bush.

Females now support Kerry over Bush by 12 points, 50%-38%. Pre-debate, the TIME Poll found women split evenly

It goes on and on. Its really amazing.

Bush's back is agaisnt the wall and it shows in his speeches where all he does is attack Kerry with lie after lie.

When the imcumbents only strategy is to hurl lies and smears at the opponent, you know tehy are in trouble. Especially when they ran for office 4 years ago to "change the tone".

Bush's debate notes.

So far the fallout will probably rest on Cheneys “we never met” nonsense. Simply because it’s the one lie they have him absolutely dead to rights on (I suppose they could show why he was wrong citing this figure because he was deliberately distorting this percentage… but this one has gotcha appeal) . It’s stupid and shallow to make this of all things an issue, but heck, we gotta win.

To recap, here’s Darth Cheney:
Now, in my capacity as vice president, I am the president of Senate, the presiding officer. I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they're in session.
The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight.

The DNC already has released video of them shaking hands and sitting next to each other at a prayer breakfast, and Cheney thanking him BY NAME, at the same event. Another video of Cheney and Edwards swearing in Elizabeth Dole in the senate has made the rounds, and reportedly the DNC has a video of a third meeting.


Also, Tim Russert was on the Today show this morning saying Edwards and Cheney were on MTP both one day on different segments, shook hands backstage and exchanged pleasantries.

Also, Kos shows the number of times Cheney has presided over the senate on a Tuesday in the last 4 years: 2 (that one is a lie only if you parse it to count only Tuesdays, so its not really that compelling)


Now, debates are always gonna be full of nonsense exaggerations like this, and I’m sure there are some Edwards pulled as well, But what strikes me is how unbelievably sloppy this lie is. I mean, you know it was a canned set up line that they crafted for Cheney beforehand. My question is; Who is their researcher? The DNC had video of them shaking hands within 2 Hours.

This is bad because its just like what happened to Gore. Gore in the first debate said “"I accompanied James Lee Witt down to Texas when those fires broke out," It turned out he went with Witt to numerous disaster areas but not with him to that specific one with Witt, he just went with a deputy. Big freaking deal. But it worked against him because it played right into the narrative the republicans were trying to create for Gore, that he can’t be trusted and he exaggerates and lies.

That’s exactly what just happened to Cheney. But it didn’t happen with a gaffe by Cheney, but a scripted line of attack.

Sloppy.

Initial thoughts as my "debate party" wraps up.

A tie. A boring tie, with a slight edge to Edwards simply because the sheer number of lies from Cheney will catch up to him afterwards in teh postdebate spin, where all this is decided anyway. Cheney lied a lot as usual, but the media will be lazy in reporting it, and never use the L word, as usual. Edwards got some good licks in, but also hurled mindless platitiudes that didnt work in the format he was in.

What amazed me was, and maybe I didnt notice it as much in the first debate, how each of them would essentally ignore the question. Gwen Ifill asked Cheney in the very first question, point blank, about Bremer and Rumsfelds recent statements:
Paul Bremer, the former head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, gave a speech in which he said that we have never had enough troops on the ground, or we‘ve never had enough troops on the ground.
Donald Rumsfeld said he has not seen any hard evidence of a link between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. Was this approved—of a report that you requested that you received a week ago that showed there was no connection between Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Saddam Hussein?

Cheney never answred the question. Didnt mention Rumsfeld or Bremer or anything they said. Instead we got the practiced and vague "Global war on terror...stay the course" answer. the whole debate was like this. A bunch of mini speeches that ignored the questions.

I lied when Cheney wanted more than thirty seconds and Gwen basically gave him her version of "the Cheney"

Ultimatly Edwards won, but it wasnt as decisive. The real test about Kerrys momentum will be in the post debate spin. Things dems need to grab onto and hammer away at:

I have not suggested there‘s a connection between Iraq and 9/11

Please...
Vice President Cheney said Iraq was the heart of "the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11."

But my favorite, for its sheer gotcha theatrics, is this one.

Now, in my capacity as vice president, I am the president of Senate, the presiding officer. I‘m up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they‘re in session.

The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight.


Atrios, take it away....

Congressman Wamp, Senator Edwards, friends from across America, and distinguished visitors to our country from all over the world: Lynne and I are honored to be with you all this morning.

This should be good.

I’ve finally decided what I hate most in this world. For the longest time it was Yankee fans, Ashton Kuchtner, and that infernal rap music the kids listen to. But now I have a new hatred.

Undecided voters.

This time during election season the news networks treat them like they are god. Cosntantly monitering their opinions, holding roundtable discussions every night on Hardball.

They are idiots.

Just listen to any MSNBC “panel” discussion with undecideds. How in sweet baby Jesus’s name can you not have an opinion on who to vote for? Who cares whether Gore sighs or Kerry has too much of a tan. To be undecided it means you have absolutely no real opinion about abortion, stem cell research, deficits, tax cuts, the environment, civil liberties, health care, education, and everything else.

That doesn’t matter to the undecided. They care about whether or not they feel they can have a beer with the candidate (an actual Zogby poll question, I shit you not). I work with a woman who’s still undecided and she drives me nuts. I just want to ask her “are you pro choice?” Yes? Then you’re either a Kerry voter or a goddamned retard.


"I told him, OK, pretend I've got a gun aimed right at your head ready to shoot. Who's it going to be -- Bush or Kerry?" Zogby said he told the man. "And without batting an eyelash, he said, 'You're going to have to kill me, then.' "

You got it buddy.

I love this guy.

So, here we have a draft dodger who accidentally found himself in the Vietnam War compared with a presidential candidate who flew many missions in a dangerous plane out over the Atlantic, completing five years of military service in the Texas Air National Guard.

Kerry in the debate:
I'll never give a veto to any country over our security.

Bush the day after:
Sen. Kerry's approach to foreign policy would give foreign governments veto power over our national security decisions.

Liar. He's a flat out irrefutable liar. I mean it doesnt get any clearer. But will the major media and pundits come out and say "President Bush lied today on the stump about Kerry". Of course not. Thats not "polite".

The fallout from the debate continues.

Condolieza Rice went to such pathetic extremes to cover up for the numerous Bush nonsense he spouted at the debate.

Bush:
We pursued al Qaeda wherever al Qaeda tries to hide. Seventy-five percent of known al Qaeda leaders have been brought to justice.

“Known” leaders. How cute.

From CNN:
Rice said the total number was in the "tens to 100." U.S. officials estimate that most if not all of those positions have been filled, and the top two members of the organization -- bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri -- remain at large.

"Tens to 100". who wants to bet its probably.... 10.


And then there is this doozy:
BUSH: Libya has disarmed. The A.Q. Khan network has been brought to justice.

CNN:
Khan is living in a villa and was pardoned this year by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. None of Khan's co-conspirators have been brought to trial.
Asked how that could be interpreted to mean Khan has been brought to justice, Rice said, "He has been brought to justice because he's out of business."

So get this. The United States National Security Advisor just said that if and when a known terrorist gets pardoned and is allowed to live in a posh villa, he has been “brought to justice”.

Now I"m gonna say that again in case it hasnt sunk in.

The United States National Security Advisor just said that if and when a known terrorist gets pardoned and is living in a posh villa, he has been “brought to justice”.

I cant wait for Osam to be "brought to justice". I of course would prefer the Kerry version. By killing him.

How the f*ck does that not become a gigantic and huge story?

Don’t Forget Poland!

BUSH My opponent says we didn't have any allies in this war. What's he say to Tony Blair? What's he say to Alexander Kwasniewski of Poland? You can't expect to build an alliance when you denigrate the contributions of those who are serving side by side with American troops in Iraq.
[snip]
LEHRER: Thirty seconds, Mr. President.
BUSH: Well, actually, he forgot Poland. And now there's 30 nations involved, standing side by side with our American troops.

Polish President: “We were taken for a ride”

WARSAW : In a first sign of official criticism in Poland of the US-led invasion of Iraq, President Aleksande Kwasniewski said that his country had been “taken for a ride" about the alleged existence of weapons of mass destruction in the strife-torn country
"That they deceived us about the weapons of mass destruction, that's true. We were taken for a ride," Kwasniewski said Thursday.


Poland to pull out of Iraq

Polish troops will start to withdraw from Iraq in the New Year and all will be out by the end of 2005, the country's president has promised.

Wingnuts are blowing a gasket.

Big Kerry bounce.

I was just watching Scarborough Country And they had a roundtable and were all pretty brutal on Bush. Of course they needed at least one person to whore for Bush. That was former coke head Larry Kudlow.

Two interesting things happened to really cement his already sterling reputation as a right wing whore. The first was his response to historian Douglas Brinkley who said that he thought Bush showed up with a bunch of sound bytes. Kudlow then went all batty and said he should be ashamed! Thats totally not true! Kudlow deals with FACTS!

Then a few minutes later he said things look good for Bush economically (And Kudlows main forte is economics, especially while doing lines of coke) because, adn I shit you not, the unemployment rate is 5.5% and 140 million people are employed, which is a RECORD!

1. Unemployment was 4.0 when Bush came into office.

2. The number of people employed will almost ALWAYS be a "record" because our population is always increasing. Kudlow of course knows this, so the only explanation for that juvenile "its a record" comment is to, quite shamelessly, whore for Bush.

Josh MArshall is all voer FOX news Carl Cameron, one of teir main reporters, lying about Kerry and posting a story with invented quotes to make him look, how shall I say, like a gay fop.

WIll this get the attention of Rathergate?

One of the amazing things about last night. LEhrer giving the resident 30 seconds to respond to KErrys crotisim about North Korea and Bsuh simpoy saying. "Yeah. Umm. I got nothin'".

LEHRER: Thirty seconds, Mr. President.
BUSH: You know my opinion on North Korea. I can‘t say it any more plainly.

[awkward pause, then Lehrer tries to get him to talk about something]

You can always tell who won the post debate spin by the strength of that spin on each side afterwards.

So I present to you White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett, in Spin Alley, after the debate:

"President Bush spoke the only way he knows how, he's never been labeled the most eloquent and articulate speaker."