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The Taliban?
 Today 17 Americans were killed in Afganistan when their plane was gunned down by THE TALIBAN. When I first heard the report, I assumed there was some sort of mistake.....surely, not the Taliban.....we have been told they were defeated. Nope, the freaking Taliban is still strong. As a matter a fact, the 17 that were killed were in a helicopter that was in destination to fight this very Taliban, who was engaged in fierce combat along the Afghanistan border.
The Taliban is actually linked to 9/11 (unlike Iraq), and as today proves, that very same Taliban is still operating in Afghanistan. Then consider: Bush took resources out of Afghanistan to go to Iraq. That is a fact. And due to that fact, the Taliban still operates in Afghanistan. Get it? Bush's Iraq war allowed the real culprites of 9/11 to keep operating their terror functions. If Bush had not diverted focus away from Afghanistan, today would not have happened. Hence, Bush's war in Iraq killed those 17 men and women in Afganistan.
 And how ironic, Bush is doing all this talking in front of the troops yesterday about Iraq, and its the war in Afghanistan that we could have actually won, with proper management, that makes horrific headlines. Bush could have focused 100,000 troops on Afghanistan and smashed the entire Taliban. Instead, Bush wasted the opportunity because he was determined to attack Iraq. This is the worst president in history, and we are stuck with him for 3 and a half more years. I guess the nation deserves to suffer for the consequences of his reelection.
No More Apologies
Karl Rove said some a--hole comments about Democrats last week. He just called Democrats cowards and mocked Dems post-9/11 reaction. Rove said: "Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war. Liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers."
Well, the comments are obviously inaccurate, because Dems voted nearly unanimously to go to war in Iraq. So then a bunch of Democrats were demanding an apology. Honestly, I think all this apology demanding (on both sides) must stop. Everyday, there is a new demand for apologies. I am pretty sure the use of the word Nazi or Hitler is automatic apology time. Last week, all the Republicans were screaming for an apology because Senator Durbin (R-IL) referenced Nazis in regards to US treatment of prisoners. If you actually listen to what he really said, in context, it wasn't really bad, but Republicans went nuts. Durbin did apologize, and cried while doing so.
Well, all I know is that I cannot take this stupid apology game. I am sure it annoys the general public and wastes so much energy. Democrats need to take the high-road on this type of stuff and instead of calling for apologies, they should attack back with facts. Point out the Republicans hypocrisy. Show outrage that Rove misrepresented the Democrats as anti-Afghanistan, when Democrats resoundingly supported the invasion. When someone says the dreaded "n-word" (Nazi), just point out that they have made more Nazi references then Democrats in the past year, instead of just succumbing to their demands for meaningless apologies.
Here are some cool things you should know about:
- Ring Back Tones - A service from Verizon. When someone calls your phone they hear music you select while they wait for you to answer.
- Today's Front Pages from The Newseum - A flash page that allows you to view the front pages of each day's newspapers from across the United States and world. This will help you understand "pack journalism."
- 30 Days with Morgan Spurlock - Spurlock directed the McDonald's diet movie Super Size Me. His new project is this television show where average Americans live different lifestyles for 30 days. Topics include living at the minimum wage, a Christian living as a Muslim, and a homophobe living with a gay man in San Francisco.
Commander-in-Chief Speaks
Join our discussion on the President's speech in the comments section
File-sharing suffers major defeat
BBC - The US Supreme Court has ruled that file-sharing companies are to blame for what users do with their software. The Supreme Court judges were expected to rule in favour of the file-sharers because of legal precedents set when video recorders first appeared...
The judges in those lower courts cited a ruling made in 1984 over Sony's Betamax video recorder. In that case, the Supreme Court said that the majority of people using a video recorder for legal uses outweighed any illegal use of the technology. But in this latest ruling the judges sets aside this precedent and the lower court decisions and means the makers of a technology have to answer for what people do with it if they use it to break the law.
Hmmmm, interesting:
"the makers of a technology have to answer for what people do with it if they use it to break the law"
So, I guess starting tommorrow auto-matic weapons manufacturers will be writing out heaps of check to the families of all those who were killed by their products. Right? Right?...Hello?
I don't mean to split hairs, but what about the computer manufacturer? The file-sharer wouldn't be breaking the law without their help. And while we're at it, shouldn't they be responsible to make sure that their customers aren't downloading child porn?
When Earl gets drunk and bludgens his wife are we going to hold Miller Genuine Draft accountable or DeWalt? And poor 3M, their duck tape has surely been complicit in the majority of kidnappings that have taken place since its induction.
I'm joking and I'm not.
Let me clarrify that I understand the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and although I file-share, I know that I shouldn't be. So I am not crying about losing my free music. I am crying cause this type of ruling sets one hell of a precedent. The funny thing, is that probably most libs will be pissed and conservatives please with this, but it should be the exact reverse. All things considered, this will NOT be good for business
(or making the perfect party mix).
I say 'BOO.' What say you?
More Important Than The Money
 On this site we often debate the cost of the war. National Public Radio's Eric Westervelt has done an excellent piece on the lasting cost of the War in Iraq that will be here long after the financial debts are paid. It serves as a reminder that war is more than just a political debate. Please understand that I'm not looking to exploit the injury or loss of American soldiers, but to ignore the human consequences of war as I feel the national media has is unconscionable. Hearing the story of Spc. Robert Bartlett should remind us all of the sacrifices being made in Iraq. I strongly suggest you click here to listen to the story on NPR's site.
1 Ruling on 10 Commandments
 This morning the Supreme Court ruled that displays of the 10 Commandments in two courthouses in Kentucky were unconstitutional. Justice Souter said, "When the government acts with the ostensible and predominant purpose of advancing religion, it violates the central Establishment clause value of official religious neutrality."
I agree with this decisions and those like it which seek to maintain a separation of church and state. I think documents like the Ten Commandments have historical relevance in public places, but they must be presented in that context and not just thrown up on the wall.
At Least Bolton Only Yells At Women
 Last year Bush appointed a Dr. Hagar to a position on the FDA. I have recently read up on some of the doctor's beliefs......
1) Hagar says women suffering from PMS should pray and read the Bible for relief.
2) Hagar has railed against the morning after pill, by lying about its safety.
3) He refuses to prescribe birth control to unmarried women.
But those things are just small potatoes, compared to Hagar's very unusual stance on personal morality.....
On one hand, Hagar is a proponent of abstinence, and loves to boast of his close personal relationship with God. But on the other hand, he is a rapist.
See, Hagar's ex-wife has been outspoken about how her marriage with Hagar. She has explained that while they were married Hagar repeatedly sodomized her without her consent. "I probably wouldn't have objected so much, or felt it was so abusive if he had just wanted normal [vaginal] sex all the time," she explained. "But it was the painful, invasive, totally nonconsensual nature of the [anal] sex that was so horrible."
Just another example of the qualifications needed to work for Bush.
Preach On Brother
 "You already know the wonderful guests we have tonight. President and Mrs. Clinton... (applause). Many years ago when I was speaking and he was in the audience he had just spoken and I told him before an audience that I thought that when he left the Presidency he should be an evangelist. (applause) Because he has all the gifts... and he could leave his wife to run the country." - Rev. Billy Graham, June 25, 2005
Headlines: Iraq to Pigeons
 CIA Report: Iraq is now a terrorist training ground, and is capable of being even more fertile for growing terrorism then Bin Laden's Afghanistan terrorist hub. What a joke.
Katherine Harris (the whorish looking woman that played a key role in Bush's stealing Florida from Al Gore) is running for the Senate in 2006. Here is what's amazing: Bush is opposed to her running. That is how unloyal he is. That skank was so sleazy in 2000, all so Bush could win Florida, and that is the thanks she gets.
Tax Cuts: Nation's richest getting so rich from Bush, the regular rich are getting mad.
Republican myth: The Patriot Act has never been used quiz libraries. Truth: take a guess....the Patriot Act has been used to search library records.
Iraq: US gave one shipment of $2.4 billion to the provisional government.....IN CASH! The money disappeared. What a shocker! Seriously, anyone that thinks these Bush guys are competently running Iraq lives some sort of fantasy land.
Texas Governor Perry's 2006 reelection: Adios, mo-fo
Finally, non-politics: Mike Tyson's 350 pigeons are soon to be homeless. This story is hillarious. My two favorite things: 1) Tyson actually spoke at a Phoenix City Council hearing, asking the city to reject a proposal limiting the a ownership to 40 pigeons; 2) the article confirmed that Tyson only lives 3 miles away from me.
Rumsfeld: US not losing Iraq war
 Today's Iraq-related piece at the BBC:
Rumsfeld: US not losing Iraq war
In it Rumsfeld addresses the nation's worries with this bit of reassurance:
"And any who say that we've lost this war, or that we're losing this war are wrong. We are not."
Hmmmm. Did I miss something? When did "we're winning" become "we're not losing?" Rums goes on to say that the insurgents have suffered 'significant losses in casualties, been denied havens, and suffered weakened popular support in recent months.' Good news...except for the fact that the very next story at the BBC is:
'New militant threat' from Iraq
It's a piece about a leaked CIA report that says Iraq has become a frickin workshop for terrorism. It says that their newfound skills make them more dangerous than those of the 80s and 90s, and that even if the Iraqi insurgency gets put down those insurgents who survive will take what they've learned in Car-bombs 101 and 'disperse' stronger than before we marched on Baghdad. (sigh) Well, in light of Rumsfeld's reassuring quote, here are some quality Rumsfeld-isms. Enjoy..
"I believe what I said yesterday. I don't know what I said, but I know what I think, and, well, I assume it's what I said."
"Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."
"I don't know what the facts are but somebody's certainly going to sit down with him and find out what he knows that they may not know, and make sure he knows what they know that he may not know."
"If I know the answer I'll tell you the answer, and if I don't, I'll just respond, cleverly."
Mr. Rumsfeld, if you are reading this please CLICK HERE
Two Important Stories and a Funny One
P"BS" Assault
Last week House committee Republicans voted to slash funding of public broadcasting by 46 percent. Republicans are specifically assualting PBS, the network that produces such programs as Sesame Street.
 Then it was revealed that the chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Kenneth Tomlinson, secretly (without any approval of the CPB board) retained a researcher to monitor the content of "Now" with Bill Moyers for political objectivity.
PROBLEM: His researcher is Fred Mann, who worked for 20 years at a journalism center founded by the American Conservative Union. So Tomlinson chose a partisan to do a study on being non-partisan.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) is calling for Tomlinson's resignation. He sent the following letter: "As a result of your recent attempts to inject partisan politics into the CPB, I am writing to urge you to step down as chairman. Your conduct has undermined the CPB and its mission of quality public broadcasting free of political interference. Under current circumstances, with investigations of your conduct pending, it is hardly possible for you to effectively carry out your duties as chairman of the CPB." Tomlinson responded that he sees no reason to resign. This man, and a large sect of Republicans, have no shame.
 American Family Voices had this to say: White House aide Philip Cooney promoted an ultra-conservative agenda from his climate control policy office and he got a sweet bailout from Exxon. Is FOX News already drawing up a contract for Kenneth Tomlinson?
Final Thought: is it possible that Republicans are hiding their real problem with PBS by blaming Bill Moyers? Maybe they really want to eliminate Sesame Street, because it advocated treating gays as human beings. I mean, they did attack SpongeBob, so why would these guys tolerate Big Bird being nice to gays?
UPDATE: Appears budget cuts did not pass the House late Thursday (after this post was pretty much complete), but the Republican assualt remains clear.
The Left Needs an Enema
Red Thursday Columnist Jeff Gandee resides in Columbus, OH
 The far right and the far left both have a history of coining righteous phrases to describe asinine ideas. The far right calls themselves “pro-life”, while debunking evolution with a far superior “scientific” theory called “intelligent design.” And don’t forget “traditional family values,” which means hating all things gay. Meanwhile the left thinks that styling their economy around that of Europe’s is somehow “progressive,” and that the Social Security “surplus” is in a “lockbox.” Creative descriptions of idiotic ideas can be found everywhere, including my personal favorite from the left- describing the constitution as a “living, breathing document.”
I’m glad that liberals know that the Constitution is a document, but guess what? It’s an inanimate sheet of paper, and it is NOT breathing. The Easter Bunny isn’t real either, and that Che Guevara guy… he wasn’t a hero, he was a communist hatemonger who didn’t believe in bathing.
Many believe that the “living breathing document” interpretation of the Constitution (which I will henceforth refer to as the Semi-Historical Interpretation Theory, or SHIT for short) is consistent with the beliefs of our nation’s founders, who intentionally left the Constitution vague, so that the vast wisdom of the majority could manifest itself in our government. This theory is actually half right; parts of the constitution are vague, most notably the 9th Amendment. But that doesn’t mean that the entire document can now be called into question.
Consider the gun debate. Should people debate gun ownership? Of course they should, that is what a good civic culture does, but there should be no debate concerning the meaning of the 2nd Amendment. Liberals will predictably argue that the Amendment only guarantees a militia the right to bear arms, and it is this kind of logic that allows Limbaugh to refer to them as “Liberal Whackos.” Let’s pretend that the 2nd Amendment wasn’t even about guns. What if it said: (continued in comments)
NBA Finals Game 7
 This is the first Game 7 in 11 years. The series started out slow, but this series has turned out to be terrific. The series has steadily escalated to what should be a special conclusion. Something infamous will happen. Tim Duncan can become a legend (3 titles) or start hearing mumbles of his choking under pressure. Rasheed Wallace could vault to Hall of Fame status if he has a big game. Or Sheed could "go Sheed" and do something crazy, costing a title. Maybe Brent Barry will pull a John Starks. Personally, I want to see a "Big Dog" Robinson storyline, good or bad.
I am excited to see what happens. If you don't share in my excitement, there is still something to get excited about: this is my last NBA post for a long time.
The game is tomorrow (Thursday) at 8:30pm (ET) on ABC.
Republican Scum: Clinton's are Gay Rapists
 Recently, Kerry released all of his military records. Repubicans made up all sorts of lies about Kerry's military record. Those cowards, especially those Swift Boat clowns, claimed records would show, among other things, that his Vietnam awards were falsely awarded. Remember, they even wore purple bandaids during the GOP Convention, in an effort to mock Kerry's service. That's John Kerry, a man that volunteered to go to Vietnam. Their guy had his daddy get him into the National Guard to avoid Vietnam, and then he went AWOL. Those Swift Boat guys should be in jail, just because.
Well, the same liars that brought you the Kerry lies, have already moved their attention to Hillary. Presently, there is a book being released called "The Truth About Hillary," which is full of wild accusations. Here are some early excerpts: 1) claims dead New York Senator Daniel Moynihan "hated" Hillary, 2) accuses Hillary of lesbian activity in college, and 3) says Chelsea was born as a result of Bill raping Hillary. Of course, just as soon as those excerpts were leaked to London tabloids, their validity were struck down.
 Claim 1: Moynihan is dead, but that doesn't stop these animals from spitting on people's graves. The Moynihan claim was deemed "utterly and completely false" by his family.
Claim 2: The book cites a woman that allegedly banged Hillary. However, the woman denies it, and says she was never contacted by the authors to verify anything. Oh, and they misspelled her name. Essentially, there is no credibility to this claim.
Claim 3: The book quotes Bill in 1979 as saying "I'm going back to my cottage to rape my wife." AHHHHH, I think my heart just stopped......I need to find the author who made this shit up (Ed Klein) and fight him. Seriously, this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my entire life.
Problem: I really don't know if I can handle a Hillary candidacy. I think she will be an amazing President, but it is going to be so ugly. These people have no limits. I don't want to spend all of 2007 and 2008 defending absurd things like this. However, these liars must taught that they cannot get away with this.
So I say, "bring it on" scumbags.
What is The Downing Street Memo?
Click on this picture to view a one minute video summary by Democracy for America on why the Downing Street Memo is important.
Joe Biden is an Idiot...
 for declaring he is running for President. As some of you may have heard, Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) announced Sunday that he is running for President in 2008. After checking my cell phone to make sure that this is still 2005, I got to thinking about what a stupid move it is to announce that you are running for office two and a half years before an election. Now, everytime he does anything it will be dismissed as posturing to run for President. "Now there goes Biden again. Playing politics so he can run for President." It is disappointing because Biden is an articulate man and would make a great candidate.
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Today 17 Americans were killed in Afganistan when their plane was gunned down by THE TALIBAN. When I first heard the report, I assumed there was some sort of mistake.....surely, not the Taliban.....we have been told they were defeated. Nope, the freaking Taliban is still strong. As a matter a fact, the 17 that were killed were in a helicopter that was in destination to fight this very Taliban, who was engaged in fierce combat along the Afghanistan border.
And how ironic, Bush is doing all this talking in front of the troops yesterday about Iraq, and its the war in Afghanistan that we could have actually won, with proper management, that makes horrific headlines. Bush could have focused 100,000 troops on Afghanistan and smashed the entire Taliban. Instead, Bush wasted the opportunity because he was determined to attack Iraq. This is the worst president in history, and we are stuck with him for 3 and a half more years. I guess the nation deserves to suffer for the consequences of his reelection.
Chuck, 
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