Ungodly Politics

Rev Phelps at it again

2005-03-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

A Topeka, Kansas anti-gay and lesbian group picketed near Truett-McConnell College Saturday in Cleveland, protesting against the Gay-Straight Alliance Club.Eight demonstrators from Westboro Baptist Church, six adults and two children, held up protest signs on the roadside near the college entrance as a heavy escort of Cleveland Police and State Troopers looked on....Shirley Phelps-Roper held a

The Weak Faith of the Religious Right

2005-03-04T07:16:00.000-08:00

DailyKos diaryist advisorjim has a very interesting post about the religous right.One of the things religious conservatives fail to realize is that they have everything they want. They say all they want is prayer in schools. In Tennessee there's a state-mandated moment of silence during which their kids are free to pray. They say they want a warning sticker on science textbooks about evolution.

Christians demand audit of 'alternative' dramas

2005-03-03T05:50:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple of months there has been an escalation of direct action, or threats thereof, by British "God-botherers" .AN EVANGELICAL pressure group set up to fight the BBC demonstrated outside Broadcasting House in Central London yesterday with the symbolic destruction of a large widescreen television screen.The Christian Congress for Traditional Values is demanding a stronger emphasis on

Pope Calls Gay Marriage Part of 'Ideology of Evil'

2005-02-22T14:25:00.000-08:00

I can't even begin to come up with a response to this.[blockquote]Homosexual marriages are part of "a new ideology of evil" that is insidiously threatening society, Pope John Paul says in a new book published Tuesday. In "Memory and Identity," the Pope also calls abortion a "legal extermination" comparable to attempts to wipe out Jews and other groups in the 20th century. (snip) In one section

CNN.com - Parents challenge weekly?Bible classes - Feb 12, 2005

2005-02-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

At least we're not a bad theocracy like those Muslims, right?: "When Heather and Logan Ward's son entered public kindergarten this fall, they were shocked to discover that pupils were taken from class to a nearby church for weekly Bible lessons."

Welcome to the new Ungodly Politics

2005-02-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

The few of you who still check in will have noticed that posts have been scarce. To be honest, after the election I got rather bummed about the idea of blogging. What was the point? After all, there are bunches of great political blogs already out there. Just look at the list on the right. ----------> So I'm just another voice in the choir, and maybe not a great voice at that. Then

The Panda's Thumb: Is ID Unfairly Censored?

2005-02-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

The Panda's Thumb: Is ID Unfairly Censored? This is an AWESOME smackdown of a horrible argument for ID.

The Spanish Inquisition?

2005-01-25T06:02:00.000-08:00

From the eagle-eyed posters of Democratic Underground... I used to get annoyed about these things but then I realised that these treasonous opponents of the Republic are counting on my annoyance. PRO-CHOICE CATHOLIC POLITICIANS TO BE SUED FOR HERESY DATE: 24 JANUARY 2005 EVENT TYPE: News Conference TIME: 09:00 A.M. SPONSORED BY: DE FIDE EVENT LOCATION: National Press Club, Washington D.C.,

Quote of the Day

2005-01-25T03:41:00.000-08:00

“I always laugh when people say that George W. Bush is saying this or that to appease the religious right,” his first cousin John Ellis told the Schweizers. “He is the religious right.” I orginally saw this quote over at Kos ( it was somebody's sig line). However, the quote comes from this article published in the New Yorker.

Newspaper shouldn't print Liberal voices

2005-01-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

How can a country get to the point that this, clearly insane gentelman, sound so reasonable. Editor: Thank Goodness for such literate and intelligent men as Julius Wolfson, Derek Cooper, Ron Scott and May Shaw. I just can't understand why more good conservatives haven't spoken out against the dangerous opinions of rabble-rousers such as Phyllis Lilly, Linda Robin and that R C Johnson person.

Wal-Mart: Wrongly Sued

2004-12-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

This is hilarious: "Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which promotes itself as a seller of clean music, deceived customers by stocking compact discs by the rock group Evanescence that contain the f-word, a lawsuit claims. The hit group's latest CD and DVD, 'Anywhere But Home,' don't carry parental advisory labels alerting potential buyers to the obscenity. If they did, Wal-Mart wouldn't carry them,

U.S. vets from Iraq war emerge at homeless shelters

2004-12-07T23:00:00.000-08:00

Hey, let's all support the troops. Right? U.S. veterans from the war in Iraq are beginning to show up at homeless shelters around the country, and advocates fear they are the leading edge of a new generation of homeless vets not seen since the Vietnam era. 'When we already have people from Iraq on the streets, my God,' said Linda Boone, executive director of the National Coalition for Homeless

Returning Fallujans will face clampdown

2004-12-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

blockquote>I'm back with a big one.

Wow

2004-11-22T00:18:00.000-08:00

I just realised I've been letting this go. I'll get some posting done over the next couple of days, then it'll be sporadic over Thanksgiving.

GOP moderates in Congress get cold shoulder

2004-11-22T00:15:00.000-08:00

This is no big surprise, really. The hubris of these people is going to be their undoing, hopefully.HoustonChronicle.com - GOP moderates in Congress get cold shoulder: "As the Republican Party's conservative leaders moved to consolidate power through rules changes and other maneuvers last week, GOP moderates watched with jaws dropping. They are struggling to find their place and their voice in

Police scoff at Ashcroft speech

2004-11-17T16:52:00.000-08:00

They're not the only ones.A day after Attorney General John Ashcroft told the nation's largest association of law enforcement executives that the Bush administration had made the nation more secure from terrorist attacks and violent criminals, the group lashed back at the White House on Tuesday. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) said that cuts by the administration in

Iraq vote could be delayed

2004-11-14T19:51:00.000-08:00

Shocking news. Not.

And so it begins....

2004-11-12T13:19:00.000-08:00

The people have spoken, and it's back to the Middle Ages with us: "When talk at the high school here turns to evolution, biology teachers have to make time for Charles Darwin as well as his detractors. With a vote last month, the school board in rural south-central Pennsylvania community is believed to have become the first in the nation to mandate the teaching of 'intelligent design,' which

Happy Veteran's Day from Bush

2004-11-11T21:13:00.000-08:00

Wounded veterans face new fight to secure government benefits: "U.S. casualties have swelled demands upon the Veterans Affairs Department serving troops who have left the service. The department serves 6 million to 7 million veterans alone, with a backlog of 300,000-plus claims. Many wonder how it will handle so many. In August, an additional 150,000 National Guard and reservists became eligible

Veteran's Day

2004-11-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

I'm a veteran of the Cold War. USAF 1984-1988, Honorable Discharge. I'm also a proud liberal. My father served in the Air Force during Viet Nam. My paternal grandfather served in the Army in WWII. My maternal grandfather had to take care of the family farm, but his brother, my uncle Joe Frank, was badly wounded in the assault on Anzio. He never really recovered. My maternal

An apology

2004-11-11T00:36:00.000-08:00

I got to spend a few days out of state, visiting my daughter. Hence the lack of any posting at all. Tomorrow's a whole different sort of bad day I'll explain later. In the meantime, Arafat's dead, Ashcroft's been replaced by someone who thinks torture is good and the Geneva Convention is "quaint", and we're committing atrocities in Iraq. Hoo-ah.

Ungodly Politics

2004-11-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

I'm back and I am pissed at a whole load of evil right wing people. There are also quite a few worthless Democratic "centrists" I want to vent some spleen on too. However, spleen venting is for a later date. LiberalOasis is one of my favourite blogs and post's like this are why.

Bush's Game Plan all along

2004-11-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Hermann Goering: "Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice

post mortem

2004-11-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

Well, that sucks. I don't know how I'll handle four more years of this bastard. I don't know if we'll ever get the voting system fixed. But the one thing the Democratic party has to do is figure out how to get our natural constituency voting for us again. And that's poor people. Rural people. "Flyover country" people. Everything that does good for them, we did. Liberals. The Republican

Global monitors find faults in Florida

2004-11-02T23:00:00.000-08:00

This is fucking pathetic: "The global implications of the U.S. election are undeniable, but international monitors at a polling station in southern Florida said Tuesday that voting procedures being used in the extremely close contest fell short in many ways of the best global practices. The observers said they had less access to polls than in Kazakhstan, that the electronic voting had fewer

GOTV

2004-11-02T15:05:00.000-08:00

Just cast my vote. I hate California's ballot initiative law, btw. Don't we have a legislature to figure this stuff out? Anyway, I'm actually anticipating low traffic today, as everyone will be nailed to the big boys (Kos, Atrios, DU, etc.). So enjoy, and let's get ready to party. One last thing before the votes are counted: If it's close, and we look to have another 2000 happening, Kerry

'Cornhole' Catching on Beyond Midwest

2004-11-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

Because the election is too damned serious right now.

Colin Powell believes U.S. is losing Iraq war

2004-10-31T14:10:00.000-08:00

Salon.com reports on a coming Newsweek article. Secretary of State Colin Powell has privately confided to friends in recent weeks that the Iraqi insurgents are winning the war, according to Newsweek. The insurgents have succeeded in infiltrating Iraqi forces "from top to bottom," a senior Iraqi official tells Newsweek in tomorrow’s issue of the magazine, "from decision making to the lower levels

Bush Asked to Stop Using 'Still the One'

2004-10-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

Why is another Republican stealing music? First Reagan tried to hijack Springsteen's "Born in the USA". "Don't Worry, Be Happy" was also used by one of the campaigns, I think Bush1's. So why are the Republicans musical pirates? Don't their own musicians produce stuff they can use? Why not have that "boot in your ass" song instead? Isn't that the Bush Doctrine?

Presidential Politics Gets Ugly in Fla.

2004-10-27T23:27:00.000-07:00

Ugly? Yeah, I guess a gun to the head could be considered "ugly".An anti-John Kerry demonstrator was charged with felony aggravated assault with a gun for allegedly pointing a weapon at the head of a Kerry supporter.

that was interesting

2004-10-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

Blogger was apparently down for a while. Sorry about that.

New Florida vote scandal feared

2004-10-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

Greg Palaststrikes again. Another story you won't hear much about here in the States: "A secret document obtained from inside Bush campaign headquarters in Florida suggests a plan - possibly in violation of US law - to disrupt voting in the state's African-American voting districts, a BBC Newsnight investigation reveals. Two e-mails, prepared for the executive director of the Bush campaign in

US gave date of war to Britain in advance

2004-10-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

Simply amazing. Looks like all the October Surprises are on our side. Betcha a dollar this isn't covered 24/7 here.Secret plans for the war in Iraq were passed to British Army chiefs by US defence planners five months before the invasion was launched, a court martial heard yesterday. The revelation strengthened suspicions that Tony Blair gave his agreement to President George Bush to go to war

Eminem's Mosh Video

2004-10-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

Quite simply The most powerful video I've ever seen. Doesn't matter if you like rap or not, you should see this video. New link, this one should be working

British armed forces recognise first ever Satanist

2004-10-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Suppose we'll be seeing this anytime soon?"A technician in the Royal Navy has become the first serviceman in Britain's armed forces to be officially recognised as a Satanist, the Defence Ministry said today. Chris Cranmer, 24, has been given the go-ahead by his captain to perform Satanic rituals on board the HMS Cumberland and is reportedly lobbying his employers to register Satanism as an

Tracking the Weapons: Huge Cache of Explosives Vanished From Site in Iraq

2004-10-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

If this doesn't bring down the Bush Administration, something is badly wrong. 380 tons of high power explosives were snuck out of an armory under American control. They've known about this for some time. Condi Rice found out last month, at the very least. And those explosives are being used to kill our soldiers. And over 380 tons of it are on the loose. And nobody's answering for it. Let's

Hunter S. Thompson: Fear and Loathing, Campaign 2004

2004-10-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

Need I say more? Okay, how about a taste: Back in June, when John Kerry was beginning to feel like a winner, I had a quick little rendezvous with him on a rain-soaked runway in Aspen, Colorado, where he was scheduled to meet with a harem of wealthy campaign contributors. As we rode to the event, I told him that Bush's vicious goons in the White House are perfectly capable of assassinating Nader

Blackwell offers 'barnyard' take on gay marriage

2004-10-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is justsickening: "(Ohio) Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is under fire for saying that same-sex marriage is so absurd that it defies 'barnyard logic.' That's a lot of bull, responded a gay-rights champion, who called Blackwell an expert in spreading 'manure.' "Suppose I should send him video of our two male cats humping each other?

Look what happens

2004-10-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

This is cool. I take a break for a couple of days (with an ear infection), and get mentioned on Slate.

Edwards Wonders Who's Minding the Store

2004-10-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Damned good question. It seems Bush has put his whole cabinet on the campaign trail, while Iraq falls apart, we have a serious flu vaccine deficit, and terrorists are about to blow up a nuke in one of our cities (according to Scary Dick Cheney).

No Talent Assclown Ron Silver

2004-10-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

He claims he can't find work. He really, really dislikes liberals, apparently. Odd feeling for a supposed Democrat."Michael Moore and that faction of the party was one of the factors that did not let me support the Democratic nominee this year," Silver said. "He is a charlatan in a clown suit. I compare him to Leni Riefenstahl and Goebbels," referring to Adolf Hitler's infamous

Calif. Woman Dies After Wait for Flu Shot

2004-10-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

Nothing to say, really. This is just sad.

Pentagon plans promotion for Sanchez

2004-10-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Standard operating procedure for Republicans. Reward those who screw up, so long as they're not poor or lower class or anything unseemly. The most telling comment?Rumsfeld and others recognize that the Texas native remains politically "radioactive," in the words of a third senior defense official, and would wait until after the Nov. 2 presidential election and ongoing investigations of the Abu

Platoon defies orders in Iraq

2004-10-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

And so it begins: "A 17-member Army Reserve platoon with troops from Jackson and around the Southeast deployed to Iraq is under arrest for refusing a 'suicide mission' to deliver fuel, the troops' relatives said Thursday. The soldiers refused an order on Wednesday to go to Taji, Iraq -- north of Baghdad -- because their vehicles were considered 'deadlined' or extremely unsafe, said Patricia

U.S. Orders Freeze on Zarqawi Network Assets

2004-10-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

Focused like a laserAssets: "The United States on Friday ordered a freeze on assets of the militant group led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, which has claimed responsibility for a series of bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in Iraq (news - web sites)."We're just now getting to this?

Bush administration takes emergency steps to avoid debt ceiling

2004-10-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

So, after attacking Kerry over hitting the debt ceiling, the Bush administration has no choice but to cheat. US President George W. Bush's administration weathered a pre-election mauling as it announced emergency measures to skirt a 7.38-trillion-dollar debt limit. Treasury Secretary John Snow said he would use pension money to keep the government running. In a letter to Senate majority

debate post

2004-10-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

My one comment: I missed the point where Ted Kennedy became our candidate.

Cheney: Iraq Could Have Been Arms Source

2004-10-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

So, let's get this straight. Saddam could have provided weapons he didn't have to groups he wasn't communicating with?Yahoo! News - Cheney: Iraq Could Have Been Arms Source: "Vice President Dick Cheney, who acknowledged last week that Iraq had produced no weapons of mass destruction after 1991, said Tuesday that under Saddam Hussein the country likely could have served as a source of weapons for

It's a back brace, folks

2004-10-10T05:40:00.000-07:00

Everyone's up in arms about Bush's being 'wired', particularly since the "hump" showed up in the second debate: There's a particular kind of brace one can wear that leaves that mark. Remember, he's been seen with this lump before: Notice how his shoulders are sort of held down, as if by straps? What if he's wearing one of these: I think the middle one is the most likely. My personal

Wood? Internets?

2004-10-09T05:24:00.000-07:00

NOW! BUY SOME WOOD ON THE INTERNETS! CHEAP! Beyond hilarious. Read the questions and answers at the bottom.

September Job Growth Weaker Than Expected

2004-10-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is sad for those out of work. But it's also going to make an interesting point in the debate tonight.U.S. businesses added 96,000 jobs to payrolls in September, the government reported on Friday, a weaker-than-expected total that was expected to sharpen a presidential debate later in the day over the economy's direction. The Labor Department report, showing the unemployment rate in

Beyond the Turnstile

2004-10-08T04:09:00.000-07:00

Just made a nice big post on the NBA over at my sports blog, Beyond the Turnstile. Posting's been sparse over there, as we tend to primarily be basketball and hockey fans. Oops. Jeff's been keeping us going with college football, but with the NBA heating up, I'm hoping we can get it fairly active now.

More debate crap

2004-10-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm not sure. My initial impression of the debate was that of a draw. Cheney was his usual lying self, and Edwards, while good, missed a huge number of knockout blows. So, as usual, it'll all be about the spin. And I think we're going to win this one. The Dems are energised - we finally have the hang of this online poll voting, and how that really influences the news orgs. And

Debate

2004-10-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

My blood pressure's too high to blog this debate. Never seen so much outright lying before. Go check Lean Left or one of the others for debateblogging.

Unsafe Products Reaching Retail Shelves, Consumer Reports Says (washingtonpost.com)

2004-10-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Imagine that.Unsafe Products Reaching Retail Shelves, Consumer Reports Says (washingtonpost.com): "Dozens of dangerous products that violate federal safety standards are finding their way onto retail shelves, while hundreds of other recalled items banned for sale in the United States are being shipped to shoppers abroad, according to an investigation by Consumer Reports magazine. After an

Samarra update

2004-10-04T05:48:00.000-07:00

Samarra update: "Of the 70 dead brought to Samarra General Hospital since fighting erupted, 23 were children and 18 were women, said hospital official Abdul-Nasser Hamed Yassin, the Associated Press reported."And this is a victory?

US forces to 'flatten Falluja' before Iraq's first vote

2004-10-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

Scotsman.com News - International - US forces to 'flatten Falluja' before Iraq's first vote "We had to destroy the village to save it." For those who don't know, Fallujah's got a population of @200,000. That's equivalent to Montgomery, AL; Scottsdale, AZ; Fremont, CA; Ft Wayne, IN; Des Moines, IA; Shrevesport, LA; Grand Rapids, MI; Yonkers, NY; Chesapeake, VA; Richmond, VA; Spokane, WA;,

Invisible Laws

2004-10-02T01:17:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, this sounds good.Wired News: ID Rule Exists, But Can't Be Seen: "Government lawyers defending the identification requirement at the nation's airports from a lawsuit by privacy activist John Gilmore admitted in a new filing Wednesday that the requirement exists, but argued it cannot be challenged or seen in full because it is a law enforcement technique, not a law."

debate thread

2004-09-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

vociferous \Vo*cif"er*ous\, a. [Cf. F. vocif[`e]re.] Making a loud outcry; clamorous; noisy; as, vociferous heralds. -- Vo*cif\"er*ous*ly, adv. -- Vo*cif\"er*ous*ness, n.

Ungodly Politics

2004-09-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Stunningly, Bush opened up with 9/11. Now he's dodged the question about if Kerry's election would cause another attack. And the podium is too tall for him. This is looking good so far.

Wired News: Diebold Rep Now Runs Elections

2004-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Could this be any more corrupt? "An influential employee of voting machine maker Diebold Election Systems left the company recently to take a job as elections manager for a California county. Deborah Seiler, a sales representative for the beleaguered voting company, was hired a week ago and started Monday in Solano County, northeast of San Francisco in California's wine country. The position

Yahoo! News - Car Bombs in Iraq Kill at Least 42, Wound 140

2004-09-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Things are getting better, aren't they? Does this mean we're winning yet, W?Car Bombs in Iraq Kill at Least 42, Wound 140: "Insurgents detonated three car bombs near a U.S. military convoy in southern Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 35 people and wounding around 140, many of them children, officials and doctors said. The apparently coordinated blasts came hours after a suicide bomber

LA Weekly: Columns: Deadline Hollywood: When Might Turns Right

2004-09-30T03:58:00.000-07:00

Via TalkLeft comes the latest example of liberal media:L.A. Weekly has learned that CBS, NBC and ABC all refused Fahrenheit 9/11 DVD advertising during any of the networks’ news programming. Executives at Sony Pictures, the distributor of the movie for the home-entertainment market, were stunned. And even more shocked when the three networks explained why. “They said explicitly they were

Insider Leaks to Reporters Spread as CIA Turns Wary on Iraq

2004-09-29T23:19:00.000-07:00

Insider Leaks to Reporters Spread as CIA Turns Wary on Iraq According to this article, there is essentially a war raging between the Pentagon, State, CIA, FBI, and the Administration. I've seen something like this before. And the reason always a lack of leadership at the top. Something similar happened when I was stationed at Greenham Common in the UK. We had a Group commander (in charge of

US friendly fire report 'insidious cover-up'

2004-09-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

So, apparently the only thing the Patriot can manage to shoot down is our allies' planes? Hell of a system there.US friendly fire report 'insidious cover-up'. 30/09/2004. ABC News Online: "The Pentagon has covered up major flaws in the US Army's Patriot missile system that prompted a battery to shoot down a British Tornado during the Iraq war last year, a top US scientist says. Theodore Postol,

The Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News - 29-Sep-04 - Another View:Why I will vote for John Kerry for President

2004-09-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

Read the whole article. Then send it to any Republican friends and family you may have.John Eisenhower - Why I will vote for John Kerry for President: "The Presidential election to be held this coming Nov. 2 will be one of extraordinary importance to the future of our nation. The outcome will determine whether this country will continue on the same path it has followed for the last 3+ years or

a real "security mom"

2004-09-29T05:20:00.000-07:00

Sept. 11 Widow Joins Campaign (washingtonpost.com) Kristen Breitweiser joins up with Kerry. I'll see your "security moms" and raise you a 9/11 widow.

GOP leader wants to boycott United Way over scavenger hunt stop

2004-09-28T05:34:00.000-07:00

GOP leader wants to boycott United Way over scavenger hunt stop: "A Republican leader is calling for a boycott of the United Way of Summit County after a fund-raising scavenger hunt sent participants into a local Democratic Party office. County GOP Chairman Alex Arshinkoff says he also will try to get United Way's federal tax-exempt status revoked because of its partisan involvement. The

Houston CBS affiliate boots Rather show

2004-09-28T01:43:00.000-07:00

Salon.com News | Houston CBS affiliate boots Rather show: "Dan Rather's daily CBS radio broadcast is off the air where he grew up. Houston CBS radio affiliate KPRC hasn't been running it for the last couple weeks in reaction to his '60 Minutes' report questioning President Bush's National Guard service. 'I felt no anchor ... should ever be the story or bigger than the story,' Ken Charles,

George Bush: Seagull President

2004-09-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

I'm going to have read the Colonel on a regular basis now.MilitaryWeek.com: Karen Kwiatkowski: Without Reservation: "An absence of leadership qualities in our military leaders gives rise to terms like 'Seagull' Colonels and Generals, a species known to swoop in, make a lot of noise, crap all over everything, and then fly away. But our seagulls had an advantage over Bush and Cheney. Regardless of

Problems at the FBI

2004-09-27T23:25:00.000-07:00

We are soooo much safer now: "Three years after the Sept. 11 attacks, more than 120,000 hours of potentially valuable terrorism-related recordings have not yet been translated by linguists at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and computer problems may have led the bureau to systematically erase some Qaeda recordings, according to a declassified summary of a Justice Department investigation

Britain's Prince Harry to Join the Army

2004-09-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

Britain's Prince Harry to Join the Army Jenna, Barbara, your country awaits. And George P is about the right age, isn't he?

Compassionate Conservatives?

2004-09-24T02:58:00.000-07:00

And yet the poor in the South keep voting Republican. Just stunning ignorance on their part.Bid to Save Tax Refunds for the Poor Is Blocked (washingtonpost.com): "Congressional negotiators beat back efforts yesterday to expand and preserve tax refunds for poor families, even as they added $13 billion in corporate tax breaks to a package of middle-class tax cuts that could come to a vote in the

deportation?

2004-09-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

Sniff, sniff. Is that a deportation I smell?: "The head of the Police Department's counterterrorism bureau was detained by federal authorities Thursday after trying to board a flight at Los Angeles International Airport with a handgun in his carryon luggage."

EPA Wording Found To Mirror Industry's (washingtonpost.com)

2004-09-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

EPA Wording Found To Mirror Industry's: "For the third time, environmental advocates have discovered passages in the Bush administration's proposal for regulating mercury pollution from power plants that mirror almost word for word portions of memos written by a law firm representing coal-fired power plants. The passages state that the Environmental Protection Agency is not required to regulate

1918 killer flu virus to be tested in UW lab

2004-09-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

1918 killer flu virus to be tested in UW lab: "University of Washington scientists plan to infect monkeys with a killer flu virus grown from tissue exhumed from victims of the 1918 epidemic. They hope the insight they gain will unravel the mystery of why tens of millions of people worldwide died from the virulent flu strain and lead to development of better vaccines and drugs that may save lives

Iraq had no WMD: the final verdict

2004-09-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

In other countries, this is big news. Here? Cheney and Bush are still running around claiming they did have them. And if they didn't, it's the CIA's fault. But they did.Guardian Unlimited - Iraq had no WMD: the final verdict: "The comprehensive 15-month search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has concluded that the only chemical or biological agents that Saddam Hussein's regime was

GOP mailing warns liberals will ban bibles

2004-09-17T19:05:00.000-07:00

But let's not say anything mean about the Republicans. After all, both sides do this sort of thing, right?GOP mailing warns liberals will ban bibles: "Campaign mail with a return address of the Republican National Committee warns West Virginia voters that the Bible will be prohibited and men will marry men if liberals win in November."Yes, those evil atheist liberals, nominating a Catholic to

Personal issue

2004-09-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

I blogged a bit light the past couple of days for a personal reason: I had a custody hearing. I've lost round one on a jurisdictional issue, so my daughter's been taken from her friends and school and given back to her mother. For now.

Teacher Arrested After Bookmark Called Concealed Weapon

2004-09-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Things have really gone way too far.local6.com - News - Teacher Arrested After Bookmark Called Concealed Weapon: " A weight may soon be lifted off a Maryland woman charged with carrying a concealed weapon in an airport. It wasn't a gun or a knife. It was a weighted bookmark. Kathryn Harrington was flying home from vacation last month when screeners at the Tampa, Fla., airport found her bookmark.

Kerry Hires Ala. Woman Fired for Sticker

2004-09-15T02:27:00.000-07:00

Kerry has already created more net jobs than Bush: Democrat John Kerry has a new campaign worker helping him drum up support in Alabama after hiring a woman who was fired for displaying the presidential candidate's bumper sticker on her car. Kerry called Lynne Gobbell on Tuesday after reading a newspaper story describing how she had been fired last Thursday from her job packing cellulose

Rule of Law II

2004-09-14T01:32:00.000-07:00

Rule of Law II: "Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader's name can appear on Florida ballots for the election, despite a court order to the contrary, Florida's elections chief told officials on Monday in a move that could help President Bush in the key swing state. The Florida Democratic Party reacted with outrage, calling the move 'blatant partisan maneuvering' by Gov. Jeb Bush, the

Moulton woman says she lost job for sporting Kerry sticker on car

2004-09-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

Moulton woman says she lost job for sporting Kerry sticker on car Nice to see the Republican spirit is spreading...

The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > The President: Bush Describes Kerry's Health Care Proposal as a 'Government Takeover'

2004-09-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > Jeebus, could this guy be any more cold blooded?: "Mr. Cheney said Monday that last week's massacre at a school in the southern Russian town of Beslan had caused some foreign leaders who have been skeptical of America's aggressive foreign policy to reconsider. 'Some of our European friends have been somewhat ambivalent,' Mr. Cheney told a town

US troops announce curfew

2004-09-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

US troops announce curfew: "US troops on Monday patrolled Baghdad's Haifa Street, where at least 13 people were killed and 55 wounded in clashes between insurgents and US soldiers the day before, heralding a strict night-time curfew. Shouting in Arabic through loudspeakers mounted on military vehicles, soldiers said the curfew would come into effect from 20:00 to 04:00 along most of the busy

He still missed the deadline

2004-09-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, Bush missed the deadline. Some people have agreed with the Florida official quoted in the article, that the deadline only applies to electors and the governor, etc. But read Chapter 99, section 061 of the Florida Code: "(1) The provisions of any special act to the contrary notwithstanding, each person seeking to qualify for nomination or election to a federal, state, or multicounty district

Democratic Underground Forums - WEB EXCLUSIVE: George W. Bush lies about Air Force Service

2004-09-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

Democratic Underground Forums - WEB EXCLUSIVE: George W. Bush lies about Air Force Service He served in the Air Force? Really? When and where, Bushies. When and where is all we need to know. Oh, and another thing. Note that it says he served after receiving his degrees. We all know the timeline know: He went AWOL in part to go to college. I still want to know how he jumped from Basic

rule of law

2004-09-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

Rule of Law! Rule of Law! Remember how they kept screaming about this in 2000?Decision2004: Did Bush camp err on ballot papers?: "State law sets a Sept. 1 deadline for the governor to certify a list of presidential electors for each party's candidates. But Sept. 1 was also the day President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were being nominated at their party' convention in New York.

About Fontgate

2004-09-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

Daily Kos has an excellent article up about this whole font brouhaha. My two cents: 1. It's obvious that the wingnuts desperately need to debunk these documents. Notice that they haven't disputed any of the content, they're just attacking it on fonts, etc. Muddying the waters. 2. I remember doing proportional spacing on a 20 year old manual typewriter back in 1981. It's not that hard.

Yahoo! News - Democrats accuse Bush of lying over military service

2004-09-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

FINALLY we hear a prominent Dem use The Word: "US Democratic Party chairman Terry McAuliffe accused President George W. Bush of lying about his military record during the Vietnam war, saying this raised questions about Bush's integrity to act as US leader. 'It has become crystal clear that the president has lied to the American public regarding his military record,' McAuliffe told a press

Yahoo! News - Cheney: Economic Stats Miss EBay Sales

2004-09-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! News - Cheney: Economic Stats Miss EBay Sales Indicators measure the nation's unemployment rate, consumer spending and other economic milestones, but Vice President Dick Cheney says it misses the hundreds of thousands who make money selling on eBay. "That's a source that didn't even exist 10 years ago," Cheney told an audience in Ohio. "Four hundred thousand people make some money

Powell Says Genocide Has Occurred in Darfur (washingtonpost.com)

2004-09-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Powell Says Genocide Has Occurred in Darfur: "In the strongest U.S. statement to date on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell today said for the first time that 'genocide' has been committed there and that the government of Sudan and Arab militias 'bear responsibility.' 'Genocide may still be occurring,' Powell said in a statement submitted to the Senate Foreign

Beyond the Turnstile

2004-09-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

Beyond the Turnstile I and some friends have started a sports blog. No politics over there at all, just sports. If you're a sports fan, check it out! (We're just getting started, so it's kinda sparse right now. We could use some links to sports blogs, etc.)

Guest blog

2004-09-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'm bringing in a guest blogger for a post. This is an old buddy of mine from DU. Say hello to "the rebuttalist": The West Nile scare is something that has come up a few times in my office this week. I call it a scare because it is just that. See, sometimes the media gets bored. So they grab hold of the latest in-fashion disease and decide to perpetuate the fear by hyping it up. That way

2004-09-09T06:18:00.000-07:00

Dad Allegedly Attempts Son's Circumcision: "A father who allegedly tried to circumcise his 8-year-old son in the bathroom after reading selections from the Bible has been charged with first-degree assault of a child."But doctors get away with this type of assault on a daily basis in this country. I still find it disgusting that a supposedly civilised nation routinely mutilates the genitals of

2004-09-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

Voting for Barack Obama would make baby Jesus cry, according to Alan Keyes. This may be the funniest campaign ever.

2004-09-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

Fred Kaplan takes apart Zell's and Dick's convention speeches in beautiful fashion. For instance:"He declared at the Democratic Convention," Cheney said of Kerry, "that he will forcefully defend America after we have been attacked. My fellow Americans, we have already been attacked." Where in Kerry's speech did he say this? Nowhere.

2004-09-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

On Sept 6, 1989, my son Trevor was born. He was gorgeous. Red hair, like his daddy. He was sitting up unsupported at 6 weeks. Crawling at 7 weeks. At 2 months he had grabbed the side of his crib and was standing up. 2 months and 6 days after he was born, he died of SIDS. He'd have been 15 today. And not a day goes by I don't think about him. But today, and November 12, are the worst. I don't

2004-09-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been around much lately. My computer fell down, went boom. I've got XP on it now, and I'm trying to get used to it.

2004-09-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Funny, isn't a "compassionate conservative" the governor of that state? Newsday.com - AP News: "Charles and Laura Willis sat on a blanket in a high school hallway Friday because they had nowhere else to go to get away from Hurricane Frances. With a beat-up car and no money to even board up their house, they probably couldn't have gotten there anyway. 'Believe me, if I had any money I wouldn't