The Sturm und Drang of US Politics

Hello Bloggers! It would seem that "hope and change" for some is "chaos and confusion" for others. The highs and lows of American politics are not new, but except for the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, our generation may be living through one the most contentious and divisive periods of our history.

Americans stood together during the world wars, but today we seem more inclined to curse, abuse, or even harm one another.

Dangerous Republican Anger and Frustration

The radicals are everywhere, on both sides. Still, there are differences. One group refuses to acknowledge last year's election results; dismisses the whole concept of majority rule and the legislative process by calling it fascism (when they're not in control at least); is hell-bent on causing as much trouble as possible (disrupting town halls and more); uses propaganda filled with incredible lies to sway public opinion their way; "disrespects" the office of the president by calling him a racist and a liar; and worst of all, is threatening violence and revolution.

Those are serious differences. Ordinary Democratic Americans may have been angry with Bush and the Republicans - and called them names like "war criminals" for all kinds of good reasons, but the difference is that leading Republicans and trusted sources across the media spectrum are now doing it. It's all pretty despicable. Even moderate Republicans are beginning to talk about how embarrassed they are by it all. I don't blame them. It's been pretty ugly.

After eight years of shoving policies, laws and lawbreaking down our throats, they are now acting as though we are intruders in their home. Being the majority is not enough for them. Despite our true mandate, they need us to pass our laws with solid Republican support (by over 70% in the Senate). If not, they call us fascists, socialists or communists. They seem to come up with new names every week. It's insane.

They never allowed us any input while in power. They controlled everything in every committee, along with floor debates. They were the worst majority party in the history of Congress. So, after treating our attempt at bi-partisan politics (electing Barack Obama) like crap, why should we care?

It's simple, they're angry because they're out of power. It's not about the American people; it's about power. Now it's 24/7 lies, hate and bile all encouraged by today's ratings-based, corporate media. They may not see it, take responsibility for it, or even know they're doing it, but they're doing it. The sad thing is, except for losing the big election, their behavior is unprovoked. We try to be bi-partisan, and they spit in our face. It's tiring.

They're refusing to acknowledge the election results. Instead, they're resorting to lies and distortions in an attempt to annul our victory.

It all needs to end. It's getting dangerous. As I've said before, somebody is going to get hurt or die. We need to find our way back to real issue debates, and find a way to filter out all the lies. We need to convert the radicals. We need to clean our political house.

Before we can stop it we need to identify the source of the anger, which will help us get rid of it. What is different about today? The answer will help us.

What is the Source of the Anger?

I would say it's the decline of truth in media and the subsequent decline in American intellectual curiosity - especially as it relates to real news and facts. I often talk about propaganda in media today, but it's also important to acknowledge the decline in America's appetite or desire for real news. Sadly, facts no longer seem important to people. Opinion - especially coming from pundits - seems to be more important today. So, what caused it?

Did Americans lose interest in real news, or did real news abandon Americans first? It's complicated, but I blame Ted Turner and his network buddies. Sorry Ted, but somebody had to be first, and that means you get the blame. Ted launched CNN in the eighties as America's first 24/7 cable news channel. The quality was good at the beginning. Along with MTV it thrilled Americans, but unfortunately a nasty rot soon set in.

First, CNN became very successful. Ted was making millions (enough to sell his empire to Time Warner for billions), which caused the big broadcast networks (CBS, NBC and ABC) led by their corporate parent companies to do the unthinkable. Greed and jealousy drove them to merge their once great independent news divisions into their larger entertainment media groups, forcing them to compete as big corporate profit centers. That was the beginning of the end.

Second, CNN's success in the post Reagan era of money, power and deregulation (the late 80s and 90s) drove big corporate media men to take great risks. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and General Electric's NBC soon launched their own 24/7 news channels. Rupert joined forces with Roger Ailes and the Republican Party (FOX "News") while NBC joined forces with the high tech world of Microsoft (MSNBC). Both launches represented large corporate initiatives designed to consolidate power and influence while attracting huge profits.

Along with CNN at the time, they were willing to sacrifice their journalistic ethics for more tangible gains.

It was the beginning of the end for real news. Money from advertisers who were inappropriate - due to conflicts of interest - poured millions into the 24/7 news companies. Greed replaced ethics and the old divisions between "church and state" crumbled into dust. 24/7 news channels morphed into 24/7 "news" (some say entertainment) channels. I consider them "news" channels only because I don't know what else to call them. I suspect many people feel the same way. To me, they are corporate shills, or corporate whores.

If you're a fan of Orwell, I would also call them the "big brother" networks.

Our Drive-thru News Culture Today

Quality news still exists (NewsHour, NPR and the BBC), but they are drowned out by the less serious and more entertaining 24/7 competitors. Americans have grown accustomed to seeing their "news" peppered with anchor celebs, car chases, human interest pet stories, hype, sex, and the prolific he-said/she-said interviews where the interviewer cares more about the drama than real facts.

News is no longer about news. Interviews teach us nothing. Follow-up questions no longer exist. It's all about who is more convincing at the time. Interviews are more like duels - the truth be damned.

It may sound devastating, but America's "tabloidization" of the news is almost complete. News today is, for all intents and purposes, crap! Quality news and journalism is in decline, and sadly American intellectual curiosity along with it. I doubt journalism schools even teach ethics anymore. They probably focus more on hype. The days when real issues were discussed and debated and corrupt people everywhere worried about the investigative or confrontational journalist are over.

America's Fourth Estate has evolved into a bad joke. Corporate propaganda has replaced it, and it is now the engine that drives the ratings and money in media. It is corrupt, on the take, and in the tank.

That corruption leads us to the next big reason why things are different today - media's unhealthy influence on politics. Politics has always partnered with media, but not like today. There's something different. The 24/7 "news" channels have had a serious corrupting influence on today's politics. Instead of learning about issues and finding real solutions, politicians are spending inordinate amounts of time on public relations, communications and getting re-elected via the media. Sarah Palin is the archetypal modern media candidate - all BS and no substance.

Today it's all about getting a sound bite and form over substance.

The 24/7 Effect on Politics Today

We've established that modern politics is being eroded by the lies and manipulation of our corrupt 24/7 corporate media. It's unclear just how far the damage has gone, or will go, but it is clear the system needs to be fixed. Now we need to salvage what is left. I don't know how much faith I have left in the system, but President Obama and the Democratic leadership need to so something before it's too late.

The whole situation is made worse yet by the Supreme Court's decision to hear the case about the 2008 election-era Hillary Clinton movie. If the justices rule in favor of corporate money supporting candidates, the Democrats and our whole democracy may be at risk.

I realize that President Obama and the Democrats have a lot on their plate, but this is a critical issue. We may need to act soon. If not, we may never hold power again. Incredibly, the rest of our achievements may ultimately become meaningless unless we can prevent a potential corporate takeover of our political culture.

So the "system" is corrupt, polluted with misinformation, manipulation and media control - among many other things. Unless we can change course soon, our nation is at risk.

What Can We Do to Stop It?

It's time for us all to stop watching the 24/7 "news" channels, and that includes those of us who love to hear the "good news" on MSNBC. The same goes for FOX "News" fans, but my gut tells me that the 30% of Republicans who enjoy the FOX echo-chamber are even more loyal than Democrats - based on the ratings and cult-like fan base.

Besides ignoring the 24/7 big brother networks, we need to focus on education. Though our Republican friends deny it, the Reagan Administration started the process of dumbing-down America. It began when they started to dismantle our federal education standards in the 1980s. The process continued under Bush Sr., yet thankfully slowed under Clinton and Bush Jr..

We need strong national education standards. It is the only way to help reverse the damage.

We need to promote national excellence in math, science, civics and other critical subjects. We need to teach kids to doubt what they read, to question sources, and to think for themselves. We need to discourage home schooling and encourage respect for education, intelligence and learning again. Americans need to stop embracing leaders who cannot speak, read or write. America needs to move forward, not backwards.

The things I've written about here are important. If we don't recognize what has gone wrong and try to fix it, we will become less competitive as a nation, and ultimately suffer a national decline. The Sturm und Drang (storms and stresses) of modern American politics are difficult to control, but it's clear that unless WE THE PEOPLE try to improve things ourselves, we may never recover our freedom.

Tuesday's/Wednesday's/Thursday's Political Rant - Michael

Democrats Failing Health Care Reform

Happy Memorial Day Bloggers! I hope we all honor the spirit of the holiday today and dedicate a moment of silence to remember the men and women who gave so much to keep us free. I would also like to pay special tribute to the members of my own family who fought in wars and who served during peace time.

It may not be an exciting topic, but it's important to each and every one of us. We need to discuss the lack of debate in Congress about America's broken health care system.

I wish I could say that it was the usual scenario where Republicans fight to maintain a bloated and broken system while Democrats ride to the rescue, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case. It seems President Obama, the man we voted into office to reform our broken system, is allowing Congress to set most of his agenda. Unfortunately for all of us, very little reform seems to be on that agenda.

It's all being controlled by a very corrupt Democrat who has no interest in real reform. It is Senator Max Baucus of Montana, and he is doing everything he can to thwart actual reform. Senator Baucus and the Senate Finance Committee have been corrupted by corporate health industry profiteers, and their donations are now standing in the way of us getting the kind of health care reform we need.

To demonstrate just how important reform is, you need to consider that health care represents 15% of the U.S. gross domestic product - a very important money-making industry to America's money-changers. Health care costs rise rapidly every year, surpassing $2.4 trillion in 2007 - more than three times the $714 billion spent in 1990. The cost of health care is projected to reach $4.4 trillion by 2018. It's an extreme for-profit industry that most Americans cannot avoid.

Those figures are terrifying when you consider the risk to average Americans trying to earn a living - or businesses trying to cover employees. They point to incredible waste and profiteering where none should exist. I don't care how Republicans spin it, corporate health care profiteering is the biggest drain on both Americans and the American economy.

We are one of the few countries in the world that support extreme profiteering when it comes to health care - something many other countries and cultures find unethical and immoral.

The health care industry has invested heavily in Max Baucus and his friends who sit on the Senate Finance Committee. The reform that we voted for under President Obama is being perverted by the Senate Finance Committee.

They won't even allow any talk about a single-payer health care system, which is the only reform that would take the "profiteering" out of today's for-profit health care system.

The only bill being considered today is a pro-industry bill that will ensure trillions in profits for the health insurance industry, HMO’s and pharmaceutical industry. It isn't what we voted for, and President Obama isn't doing enough to deliver the reforms that he promised. A matter of fact, the White House is a little too quiet about the controversy, and so is the corporate media. It's all a little too coincidental in my opinion.

Baucus has held only two hearings (not enough) so far and has refused to allow advocates for the most popular reform – a single payer national health policy – to even testify.

Single payer, improved Medicare for all, is favored by more than 60% of Americans as well as majorities of doctors, nurses and economists. It's what Barack Obama campaigned on and what most Americans voted for. It is the most cost-effective and efficient way to provide health care to all Americans from cradle to grave, and it's BEING IGNORED! If you would like to learn more about it, or sign-up to help, visit SinglePayerAction.org. It's worth it!

According to Consumer Watchdog, Senator Baucus alone has received more campaign contributions from the health insurance and pharmaceutical corporations than any other current Democratic member of the House or Senate. The man is bought-and-paid-for! He's no better than a lousy Republican! According to their report, Senator Baucus received $183,750 from health insurance companies and $229,020 from drug companies in the last two election cycles.

It's disgusting and outrageous how our system can allow one powerful man to take "bribes" in exchange for denying us the health care reforms we need. The number of Americans who die each year because they can't afford health care is estimated in the tens or hundreds of thousands.

That figure makes 9/11 look like a drive-by shooting. It's an issue just as serious as the "War on Terror," yet the fat-cat Congress treats it like agricultural reform. As long as they have their excellent health care insurance - they do, I know after working on Capitol Hill - they could give a damn about average Americans. THEY ARE NOT TAKING OUR DESIRE FOR REFORM SERIOUSLY ENOUGH!

During recent Senate Finance Committee hearings on health care reform, Baucus refused to allow even one person to testify on behalf of a single payer health care system.

• During the May 5th hearing a group of doctors, lawyers and other single advocates rose inside the Senate Finance Committee hearing room and one by one asked that Baucus open up the hearing to single payer advocates. Baucus refused and had the eight arrested, handcuffed, and charged with “disruption of Congress.”
• During the May 12th hearing another group of doctors and nurses asked to testify on behalf of a single payer plan. Baucus again refused and had the five arrested and charged.

It's estimated that 60 Americans die each and every day from a lack of health insurance. Single payer is the only proven way to save the hundreds of billions of dollars in administrative overhead and profits needed to insure everyone, and save lives. President Obama knows it, and yet he's doing very little to fight the efforts of sell-outs like Max Baucus.

It's time WE THE PEOPLE stand-up to corrupt politicians like Max Baucus. As I often say on this blog, it's time we act ourselves. Please sign-up at SinglePayerAction.org today, and take some time to call your representatives in Congress as well as President Obama NOW! Tell them you disagree with the way Max Baucus is handling health care reform. Tell them you want them to support a SINGLE PAYER SOLUTION! It's the only path to real change.

Memorial Day Political Rant - Michael

PS - If you decide to take action, here are a few links that may help you. Email President Obama, or your national elected officials. If you wish to call, simply call the Whitehouse at 202-456-1414, or the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

I suggest complaining to Max Baucus directly, Senator Harry Reid's office to complain about how he's running the debate, or your local newspaper. Please let them all know that you want a single-payer health care solution, and that we must minimize profiteering in our health care system.

Here is an example of what I wrote to various elected officials:

Dear _____________:

"I would like to encourage you to support a single payer health care reform solution.

To that end, I promise to give you financial support if you ignore the health care industry and its donations and support health insurance reform for the good of ALL Americans. I also promise to recruit other support if you actively support a single payer solution that minimizes a for-profit solution.

Senator Baucus is currently blocking all single payer reform debate in the Finance Committee, and it's discouraging to Democrats like myself who support real change and reform. Americans are dying. We need reform that protects them, not the industry.

Respectfully - your supporter,
Michael Boh"

The Angry Alaskan Gets Away Again

Good Morning Readers! In what could only be bad news to those of us who care about ethics in government, the Obama Administration's Justice Department today asked a federal judge to drop all charges against former Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska. As usual, politicians who break the rules go free. I find it so depressing.

A jury convicted Stevens last fall of seven counts of lying on his Senate disclosure form in order to conceal $250,000 in gifts from an oil industry executive and other friends. That is a VERY BIG DEAL whether you want to try to belittle it or not. I worked in the Senate, and lying about major gifts is a major no-no. It effects everything, especially the integrity of your votes.

I also met him. He is a very nasty piece of work. Stevens is a creepy little man who is directly responsible for tearing the Alaskan wilderness to pieces. The man never saw a piece of wilderness he wasn't willing to lease to a mining, oil or logging company. He spent his entire career trying to turn government protected land, owned by all Americans, into Alaskan corporate fodder.

He always claimed it was about jobs. Funny thing, like most Republicans, he never fought hard to use the billions in federal dollars - or oil/mining/logging dollars - for education or the creation of new industries. He was mediocre when it came to fighting for quality higher education. He never fought for anything much except those depressing blue collar jobs.

What does that tell you? It tells me that he promoted blue collar values and passions for one reason, so that he [and his political career] could benefit from the industries that need such workers. It was nothing more, nothing less.

Btw, I looked into it. Except for being a major supporter of natural resource industries, he paid little attention to Alaska's potential for other industries. Overall, Stevens did very little to promote a better future. Feel free to let me know if I'm wrong, but I can't find anything - and he had a LONG career. Explain to me what he did to help Alaskans move beyond just a few, crude, environmentally destructive industries?

The way I see it, he was a bought-and-paid-for, one trick pony. Interesting, how many other Republicans would fall into that same category? I'll bet more than a few. I think it's time we learn from the Ted Stevens of this world, and outgrow them.

His environmental legacy, comprised mostly of golf course and vacation home vista preservation, will go down as one of the worst in American history. Despite his personal love of hunting and fishing, his loyalty and passion for logging, mines and oil will anger preservationists for years to come.

Like the Long family of Louisiana, who helped destroy the wetlands and most of the "Sportsman's Paradise" in favor of the oil and gas industry, Steven's will be remembered for low wage jobs, dirty industries, carcinogenic waste, and poor overall economic development. He delivered millions each year to Alaska, but the state has very little to show for it. Where did that money go? You tell me.

Oh well, one more corrupt politician will be allowed to live his golden years out in peace and quiet, enjoying his spoils. When will this nation learn that unless we do a better job of prosecuting those who break our laws, we will continue to be victims of the treachery and manipulations of very bad people? I only hope Attorney General Eric Holder, and President Barack Obama, know what they're doing when they let people like Stevens go without a good fight.

Enjoy your retirement Ted, because if the universe does ask for payback, then you have a lot to account for after it's all over. Your nastiness alone should be enough to score you a hot seat. Who knows, maybe you'll be forced to mine or log for the rest of eternity - without gloves! At least you lost the election, and you're very old, so hopefully your bile - and ability to destroy - will grow less toxic very soon.

Wednesday's Political Rant - Michael

Special Note: For those curious about his actual vote legacy, feel free to visit On The Issues and get the facts - always remember, there's only one set of facts! Enjoy!

Republicans and Fear

Hello Bloggers - As many of you already know, I've been on the "Save American Justice" bandwagon lately hoping for leading Democrats and Obama to take a strong position against the Bush lawbreakers since the inauguration. Unfortunately, I may be giving up on convincing our Republican friends based on numerous recent debates.

To be blunt, I'm having trouble meeting ANY Republicans - yes, I mean ANY - that are willing to admit that Bush went too far. They always defend Bush as honest at first, but when pressed with the facts they always turn to a "laws and the Constitution be damned" response. The "he kept us safe" and "that's all that matters" argument always prevails. Many finish with "the ends justify the means" even if they don't always realize they're saying it.

No matter what I say to them, our nation's founding principles of justice, humanity, and fair play during wartime mean very little to today's frightened Republican minority. They are completely uninterested in fair play these days. They seem almost brainwashed.

Our nation's "rules of engagement" have been pretty much the same since George Washington fought the British. Our founding father was a great example of fair play, despite the atrocities committed at that time. A few Americans have been charged with war crimes during past wars, but so far America has been considered a role model on how to act during times of crisis. American presidents have been pretty great leaders, representing our higher ideals during conflict, by and large.

America helped create the international conventions that guide civilized modern conflict - to the best of our ability at least. We always fought to protect civilians and prisoners, no matter how horrible they were, for decades. We didn't waiver on our principles in the past despite enemy atrocities and crimes. We always took the high road, hoping to serve as a good example of what is right in the world. Until Bush and his sheep-like Republicans, we were a shining example of good in the world - that "shining city on a hill" that Reagan liked so much.

The Republicans I've been talking to recently all seem willing to do "whatever it takes" to keep us safe. They all seem unconcerned with past rules of engagement. They seem to feel that "everything has changed in the world." I'm sure our forefathers would disagree with them if they could share some of their horror stories. I don't care what you say, but this nation has faced horrible enemies for over two centuries, and I'm sure we can handle a few thousand religious, pirate-like zealots, without abandoning our principles.

Bush and Cheney somehow brainwashed a large part of America into profoundly changing their national mindset. "9/11 changed everything" is a phrase they use far too often, and one that should be eliminated from our national debate. Their "war on terror" is also counterproductive.

The conservatives I've debated seem perfectly comfortable with the idea of torture ("on Americans if necessary" was said), eavesdropping ("on AMERICANS too" was mentioned), open-ended suspension of habeus corpus, soldiers on our streets, detention camps, neighborhood informants, private armies, and even genocide against those who they say "threaten our existence." It's very black and white with them. There is a rancid, ugly fear out there today, and it's mostly coming from Republicans. Let's hope our democracy holds; a potential dictator could have a field-day with today's Republican minority.

Bush, Cheney and the irresponsible right-wing media have helped turn a large chunk of Americans into pathetic, frightened cowards. Yes, if that applies to you, that's what I consider you - a COWARD! Yes, I said it, a COWARD!

That's what I've been calling my Republican friends who espouse undermining our national principles out of fear. You see, I would rather we risk our lives, and remain brave Americans, than sacrifice the best of what this nation is about - justice and human decency - out of fear. YES, I said it, and I mean it. OUR LIVES, ALL OUR LIVES, EVEN YOURS! For God's sake Republicans, grow a pair! Trust me, I'll feel the same way if we're attacked again. Being attacked will change NOTHING!

Just like our soldiers, we need to stand-up for what we believe in. Our nation needs to be an example for good in this world. No matter how bad they get, we need to stay above it. We need to always treat our enemies as human beings. Justice should not be sacrificed at the alter of fear. I will never stop fighting to preserve our national honor and system of justice. We need to fight to remain a just and honorable nation.

Monday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

The Incurious Case of George W. Bush

Good Morning Bloggers - They call us Bush Haters and Bush Bashers, among many other insulting things, but the truth is WE are the MAJORITY OF AMERICANS who refuse to dismiss what happened over the past eight years as simply "bad luck."

I guess it somehow makes them feel better if they call us "haters," because it casts us as unreasonable malcontents who never gave Bush a chance. The truth is harder for them to swallow. It's easier for them to say "he kept us safe" while they ask us to ignore everything else. Republicans, or at least Bush supporters, seem to enjoy pixellating the Bush presidency, thus avoiding the whole picture.

Bush's farewell address, much like his last press conference, was nothing more than a farce. His supporters agree with his assertions of success, but when you pick them apart, and look at the facts, they are just as absurd as his presidency.

Last night he pointed to three areas where he feels the most pride: education, drug benefits and veterans health. The truth is many observers feel that all three areas are considered worse off today because of his actions.

No Child Left Behind is condemned by educators who feel it is a disaster, and will fail in Congress next time. The drug benefits passed by Bush and Congressional Republicans are considered a windfall for big pharmaceutical, adding billions in cost to America's heath care system, and are doomed to be scrapped in favor or true reform under Obama and the Democrats.

His final claim of success is nothing but a lie. Bush has some of the lowest approval ratings of any president according to the majority of Veteran's rights groups. Visit Project Vote Smart if you want to see for yourself. He has been considered a roadblock to improving the lives of veterans. That claim is a boldfaced lie, and is unsupportable like all the others.

Bush claimed "moral clarity" last night as one of the hallmarks of his presidency. Perhaps he believes it, but most people don't see it that way. History is strewn with the bodies and debris that resulted from leaders who claimed moral clarity.

Despots throughout time, including Hitler, believed they had moral clarity or a moral obligation to make the tough decisions. It's the nature of the decisions that disturb most observers. Stalin, Franco, Mussolini, and Pol Pot all claimed moral clarity. Their followers, even some alive today, believe they were right, and acted in the best interest of their nation.

Stalin is still revered by conservative Russians as their country's greatest leader. They think of him as their own George Washington. Moral clarity is a smoke-screen. Only fools believe in it, and Bush is a fool to claim it.

Equally disturbing was his claim about his willingness to make the "tough decisions." Again, it's absurd. It's impossible to become president without the ability to make tough decisions. The ability itself mean nothing. It's about making the RIGHT DECISIONS! We didn't hire him to simply make decisions; we hired him to make the right decisions. Again, he is being absurd.

That brings us to his claim of "safe-guarding the economy." It is another HUGE and DISTURBING LIE.

Bush FAILED THE ECONOMY by allowing the financial markets to run wild, crash and burn. I'll admit the fool finally reacted when confronted with a disaster scenario by Paulson, but the truth is they were warned months before and did nothing. I don't care what his supporters say, he was in charge over the past eight years, and his actions caused a catastrophic failure. His administration failed to enforce regulations that could have prevented the crisis. It's simply another lie. BUSH FAILED THE ECONOMY.

Finally, last but not least, I would like to refute the most annoying claim Bush and his supporters use over and over. The one about how HE KEPT US SAFE over the past seven years. It is a joke. Without real evidence of actual thwarted attacks, and that his decisions made us safer, I believe the terrorists are simply long-term planners. It's just too vague and unsupportable.

I could just as easily argue that he made us less safe because he tortured people, setting us up for an attack in the future. There is real evidence that we are threatened more now by jihadists because of the way they handled people at Abu Graib and Guantanamo.

Extremists take years to plan their attacks, especially since it takes a long time to plan and execute large-scale terror attacks. It is reasonable to assume that an attack could occur at anytime. I do not buy their assertion he kept us safe. It is my equally valid assertion HE HAS MADE US LESS SAFE!

I also want to point out that Bush deserves scorn for allowing 9/11 to happen on his watch. Real evidence, no matter what his supporters say, suggests that he, his Secretary of State, and his national security team, dismissed Clinton Administration warnings, and intelligence reports, about a pending attack by civilian aircraft. THEY DID NOTHING! It's plain and simple, George Bush was the president who allowed 9/11 to happen by not doing a better job as president.

The past eight years was not simply bad luck. It was much worse. It will be remembered as the American epitome of ineptitude and incompetence. Practically everything his administration has touched has become a disaster.

From his tortuous pursuit of his war on terror, to the millions who died in Iraq in pursuit of one dictator, to the drug lords who now run Afghanistan, to the multiple wars in the Middle East under his watch, to the people who died due to his delay in helping the victims of Katrina and the loss of a great American city, to the collapse of American justice and moral leadership, to the incredible debt, to his disastrous mismanagement of the economy, the list goes on and on, and it proves that George Bush will be remembered as possibly the WORST PRESIDENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

They call us Bush Haters. I'll counter by calling them Bush Sycophants, Toadies, Serfs, and Fools. They fail to see him for the true failures he represents. They look at one issue, or one small success, and refuse to see the whole picture. Their ostrich-like deniability offends the majority of us who have suffered through this idiot.

They elected an over-confident, incompetent, moral simpleton to be President of the United States. They need to learn from their mistake, and shun the Sarah Palins in favor of more well-rounded leaders. Their vote needs to be based on more than one issue. They need to be more careful next time.

Friday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Obama Must Go After Bush Lawbreakers

Good Morning Bloggers - I was going to write about the lack of regret shown by George - "I never made a mistake as president" - Bush at this morning's official final press conference, but something else caught my eye that made me even more upset. So, after my rant about choosing Warren to speak at the inaugural, I now offer my second RANT against Obama.

Unlike Republicans, we're not afraid to criticize our leaders in public.

The Internet is filled with snippets of Barack Obama's interview on ABC with George Stephanopoulos yesterday, which I missed because I do try to get away from political news in favor of a life outside on weekends. I can't believe it, but Obama said that Guantanamo Bay is not a priority for him, and even more disturbing is how he doesn't seem very concerned about the crimes committed by the Bush administration.

"We have not made final decisions, but my instinct is for us to focus on how to we make sure we're moving forward, we are doing the right thing. That doesn't mean that if somebody has blatantly broken the law that they are above the law, but my orientation is going to be moving forward," Obama said. THERE IS PLENTY OF EVIDENCE ALREADY THEY'VE BROKEN THE LAW, so what the hell is he talking about? Start talking about BRINGING THEM TO JUSTICE!

Now, I'm aware that we have an economic crisis that needs to be THE priority, but that doesn't mean that his Justice Department is unable to begin investigations into the crimes of the past eight years. The statement worries me a great deal. HE NEEDS TO MAKE IT A PRIORITY TOO.

We understood how he might have avoided the issue during the election, but what is preventing him from letting justice take its course now? NOTHING! There will be a grassroots DEMOCRATIC PARTY UPROAR if the Obama Justice Department doesn't do their job of going after the lawbreakers of the past eight years. Core constituents will be VERY ANGRY!

Numerous human rights and civil liberties groups are calling for senior Bush administration officials to be prosecuted for a series of alleged abuses, and OBAMA KNOWS IT. There are too many to list, but a few major ones include lies related to Iraq, war profiteering, the illegal detention and torture of terrorist suspects, domestic spying, destruction of White House records, lying before Congress, obstructing justice, and on and on. There are Congressional Reports that clearly state where the lawbreaking occurred, and OBAMA KNOWS IT!

Obama criticized Vice President Dick Cheney for his public defense of "extraordinary" interrogation methods used against top terrorism suspects, including waterboarding. "Vice President Cheney, I think, continues to defend what he calls extraordinary measures or procedures when it comes to interrogations and from my view waterboarding is torture," Obama said. "I have said that under my administration we will not torture."

TALK IS FINE, but they broke domestic and international laws so GO AFTER THEM AND THROW THEM IN JAIL! If you don't do it Obama, then I believe the international community should do what we're obviously too pathetic to do ourselves. Unfortunately, that would be worse, and make us look very bad.

I will do everything I can to give future President Obama every benefit of the doubt, but we elected him to do many things at the same time, and that includes restoring real justice. So fix the economy while REESTABLISHING JUSTICE in the country. WE WANT INDICTMENTS, PERP WALKS, TRIALS, and CONVICTIONS! It is not negotiable. My message to the Obama team is that justice is not optional. Do the job we hired you for, and restore the nation to its former glory. Equal justice under law is its cornerstone.

Monday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Expert Toady and Torture Tsar Needs a Job!

Hello Bloggers - The great wheel of life that moves the karmic forces of the universe appears to be spinning in the wrong direction for at least one in that criminal gang we call the Bush Administration.

I have the great pleasure to report that past thug, hired gun, and torturer-extraordinaire, Bush Administration Lawyer and Attorney General, Alberto - "the ghoul" - Gonzales, has admitted this week to be interminably UNEMPLOYED!

Yes, it's incredible. I always thought that Republicans hired Republicans, no matter how tainted they were with other people's blood. I guess I was wrong. It would appear that even repulsive Republican law firms have their standards. They "are skittish” about hiring him, Gonzales personally reports.

The man is under fire from the Justice Department and the entire Democratic opposition in the US Congress for his role in the political firings of nine US Attorneys, along with other suspicious behavior under investigation, mostly involving law-breaking related to White House record-keeping.

He says he considers himself a "victim of the war on terror.” WOW! What a CROCK of BS! He's the VICTIM now? I heard that Hitler felt the same way after losing his power, just before he killed himself. There you go Alberto, another way out!

The 53-year-old former judge and corporate lawyer told the Wall Street Journal, “What is it that I did that is so fundamentally wrong, that deserves this kind of response to my service?” UNBELIEVABLE! First of all, what service? Unless you call finding legal arguments designed to destroy the American justice system service, I don't see it Alberto.

The whole thing is scary. They all seem to enjoy the same "I didn't do it," Bart Simpson-like ability to distance themselves from their own crimes - both big and small, it doesn't matter. What incredible denial!

He says he’s delivered a FEW paid speeches, done mediation work and some arbitration. In the interview, he also said he’s writing a book but hasn’t yet found a publisher. If you ask me, he's angry that he HASN'T PROFITED from his role the way most Bushies have profited - in the MILLIONS AND BILLIONS!

Any "tell all" book, despite my personal desire to witness the exposure, wouldn't be worth the paper, and the publishers know it. The man has NO CREDIBILITY! Let's hope he NEVER finds a publisher, or a good job, and is forced to become a notary public (yea, right), or worse.

The Journal describes him as "flummoxed" by the amount of rancor leveled at his stewardship of the Justice Department, saying he wasn’t the one to blame. THEN WHO WAS YOU FREAKIN LUNATIC! “For some reason, I am portrayed as the one who is evil in formulating policies that people disagree with,” Gonzales said. “I consider myself a casualty, one of the many casualties of the war on terror.” Again, WOW!

How dare you! You little piece of crap! There are THOUSANDS OF CASUALTIES in the war on terror, and millions of injured, and YOU ARE NOT ONE OF THEM! You dishonor them all by that comparison. You are nothing but a narcissistic, disgusting little toady-like outre worm of a lawyer that happens to be scorned by the lowest of the low.

It is true that allies, Iraqis, Afghans, international "unlawful combatants" (a term you documented by the way), and honorable Americans have died because of your old boss, but you sir do not deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence with them. You are nothing compared to them.

You didn't even have the guts to tell Congress the truth when given the opportunity to help the nation, which also might have helped clear your name. You have been caught in LIE AFTER LIE, and nobody trusts you anymore. You are a liar! How many employers, especially law firms, need liars?

Sorry dude, but you are now what we like to call Bush debris, just like Bush himself. It is a term we use for Bush and his goons, the power slags who sold their souls, yet continue to exist without honor or ethics. Why not just go find a hole to crawl in, and leave us civilized people alone. Why not go work for Cheney in the UAE?

Like so many of his ilk, the man will never admit to what he did wrong. He will probably repeat the same BS about how he didn't do anything up until the point they close the jail cell door, or he drops dead.

No matter, he will always be the poster boy for the darker, more reprehensible parts of public service. His law-and-constitution-be-damned approach will be used to illustrate HOW NOT to represent the people or the president. All we can hope is, like most of the Bush Administration, justice ultimately prevails.

Wednesday's Political Rave #1 - Michael

Madoff and the American Market Meltdown

Good Morning Bloggers - I love prognostication, predicting all kinds of world events, mostly in business and politics/world affairs.

So, I would like to share a little theory I have that isn't being discussed much yet. Unless Obama can prevent it, we are facing years of American decline. Not because of domestic problems alone, but due to A LOSS OF RESPECT AND TRUST IN THE WORLD. Now, to speculate.

Our American financial system has been the envy of the world for over a century. We took the best parts of the British system and over time developed many advancements that helped build it into the wealthiest on Earth. I won't go into all the historical details that made it great, but suffice to say that it developed into the most trusted system.

Ignoring many citations, allow me to say that things are not looking good. The nightmare of the Bush Administration and its lack of oversight is the main reason why so many people around the world are now losing faith in the American financial system. Despite huge investments worldwide, the incompetence of the Bush years has resulted in instability and market turmoil.

I would argue there have been many final straws - that broke that proverbial camel's back, but the most recent and offensive was the announcement of potential billion-dollar writedowns worldwide caused by exposure to the Madoff hedge fund mess. Foreign losses alone could run as high as $11 billion (€8 billion).

Europe's largest financial companies and institutions revealed their exposure in the billions, and the European governments who own large percentages of those companies are due to lose billions in taxpayer money. That is not good news people. Those were our FOREIGN CUSTOMERS.

Think about it people! What Americans aren't hearing on their cable and local news is HOW ANGRY AND BETRAYED FOREIGN INVESTORS ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW. It's a main topic of daily conversation in the foreign media. It's only Americans who aren't talking about it. To be clear, they're angry at many countries, especially Iceland, but they're VERY ANGRY with US. Actually, to be blunt, they're FURIOUS!

This is serious people. The American financial system is LOSING MORE THAN JUST MONEY, IT'S LOSING THE TRUST OF CUSTOMERS WORLDWIDE. So, ask yourself, what is usually the result of a loss of trust. Well, in most businesses it means the customers will stop doing business with you. That has some pretty serious ramifications for Americans.

Once things begin to get back to normal, and foreigners stop buying American financial instruments based on a worldwide panic, they will begin to withdraw from American financial institutions. They will look to countries that will enforce regulations and promise stability. They're not like Republicans, they value financial stability above all else.

The result will inevitably be a falling dollar, higher interest rates, less investment, and a VERY SLOW ECONOMY due to our overwhelming debt (thanks to you Republicans) that will be very difficult to manage.

The real IRONY here is that Republicans still think they're trusted by people when it comes to money. I hear it everyday with my Republican friends. They still believe they know what's best when it comes to the economy. It's amazing. It never ceases to amaze me just how good Republicans are at lying to themselves and others. They have a true gift.

Well, like most things when it comes to Republicans, it's a lie. Average Americans and people worldwide have started to see that American market deregulation and Republican-led economic theories have created market chaos. WE have LOST CREDIBILITY and they don't even see it. Then again, they never do.

People everywhere (except rich Republicans) have lost both respect and trust in the American system. Unless Obama can assuage our customers, then we are looking at many years of being the world's bad boy. Foreign investment will be harder to find.

In a way the nation will be like it was in the early 1800s, saddled with debt and unable to borrow money. The only difference this time is we don't have tons of natural resources to sell and cheap labor to offer an industrial revolution. That is, of course, unless we're willing to make some pretty drastic changes to our system.

So, there you have it. We can only hope that Barack Obama and his brilliant team will do something to restore that respect and trust. It amazes me, but I really believe that my countrymen, especially Republicans, fail to see the whole picture. It's important people. We need to learn, to care, and to be aware of what's happening in the world. We need to care about how they see us more than ever. We can no longer afford to turn inwards.

Republicans are especially ignorant. They need to stop believing the propaganda. I don't care what FOX "News" says, we do not have the best of everything. Learn the FACTS people. We need to learn to see the forest through the trees. We need to be less xenophobic and more global. Unless we can do it, I predict severe hardship for America in the future. I welcome your perspective.

Tuesday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Bush Gives Medal to Domestic Terrorist

Good Morning Bloggers - Are you guys as angry as I am about the fact that George - the IDIOT - Bush has awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second highest honor for a civilian that recognizes Americans “who have performed exemplary deeds of service for the nation,” to that Nixon Administration CROOK and DOMESTIC TERRORIST CHUCK COLSON!

Bush seems to continue his quest to be the MOST OUTRAGEOUS president ever. Come on, the man was President Nixon's counsel from 1969 - 1973 and went to JAIL for refusing to cooperate in the WATERGATE investigation. He was the first member of the group to serve prison time after he pleaded GUILTY to OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. The man is SCUM. Is that what you Republican's consider an exemplary citizen?

I guess it stands to reason that Bush would see no harm done when it comes to obstructing justice. Just look at his Administration. It's almost a school for those wanting to learn how to obstruct justice. It just blows my mind that he would actually go so far as to give the second highest civilian medal to somebody who actually went to jail over it. I must admit, despite all my Bush rantings, this one leaves me almost speechless.

Think about it, past recipients include boxer Muhammad Ali, baseball great Henry “Hank” Aaron, civil rights icon Dorothy Height, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Colson the CROOK was given his medal alongside 24 recipients, including actor Gary Sinise and Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp. I'll bet they were impressed with COLSON being there with them - NOT!!!!

Back in 1973 Colson was called the “evil genius” of the Administration. Watergate historian Stanley Kutler points out that Colson sought to "hire Teamsters thugs to beat up anti-war demonstrators, and he plotted to raid or firebomb the Brookings Institution."

So, let me address my Republican readers. I especially want to hear from the ones who kept screaming day in and day out about Bill Ayers during the election. Don't you have a problem with this? Bush just gave a national medal of honor to a man who plotted to FIREBOMB a Washington institution. Wow, the silence is deafening. Unless you object, and I'm hoping to hear from some of you who do, then I say you're a bunch of freakin hypocrites. Then again, I already knew it.

Like Ayers, who is now a model citizen fighting for education reform, Colson has spent the years since Watergate trying to be a good citizen. Then again, when you look closer, it hardly merits a national honor (especially since he was a domestic terrorist). He has been an evangelical prison reformer running the nonprofit Prison Fellowship.

Of course, there has to be a Republican angle to his preaching. He advocates for “privately run prisons and the delivery of all social services by faith-based groups.” Wow, an evangelical prison reformer who fights for privatizing prisons. That does deserve an honor - NOT!!!!

As many of you who read this blog know I am appalled by most of what George - Fredo - Bush does, but to be really honest I never thought he would go so far as to give out a national medal of honor to one of his henchmen. Okay, not HIS henchmen, but still a REPUBLICAN HENCHMAN.

It really does throw me for a loop. I hope you guys remember this, because it's one more example of CORRUPT Republicans acting like they're above it all, holding themselves to a different standard, and acting like the government is their own personal play toy whenever they take power.

To me, it's one more reminder that they're all a bunch of narcissistic psychos WHO NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM POWER and forced into whatever restraints are necessary to make sure they don't do any more damage. I don't know about you, but I can't take too many more of their surprises.

Friday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Democrats Can Be Such Idiots!

Hello Bloggers - I would like to write straight from the heart this morning and say I think we Democrats can be such IDIOTS! What the hell is wrong with us? We allow ourselves to be played by the corporatists and the Republicans like a bunch of fools. How you ask?

Think about it? There's TONS of evidence that "pay for play," or more accurately pay to play, has been BIG over the past eight years within the Bush Administration, maybe even within the past Republican Congress. There has been circumstantial evidence of it involving dozens if not HUNDREDS of cases stretching through all levels of government. So, what has Congress done about it? TALK, TALK, and more BS TALK! The Interior Department alone was PAY to PLAY heaven, and you hardly saw it covered in the press.

All of of sudden this MORONIC FOOL of a governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois is caught on tape by the Elliot Ness of the Justice Department, Patrick -the guy who failed to push the Scooter Libby case all the way up to Rove, Cheney or Bush - Fitzgerald, and we Democrats act like the sky is falling. Why should we worry at all about this case? One Democratic idiot gets caught on tape and we allow the compass needle of questions involving governmental ethics to point in our direction. Give me a freakin break!

Let's stop worrying about Blagojevich! The man's a FOOL! Let Fitzgerald figure it out. Let's KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN CRIMINALITY! Let's use their Rovian tactic and turn the spotlight on their crap while our idiot is being prosecuted. Let's take advantage of the fact that the media is TALKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES to point the finger AT THEM! Stop allowing them to control it! Take control of the topic!

Come on Democrats, stop acting like idiots. Let's not allow them to dictate the terms of the national debate, much less the conversation. We need to talk about their CORRUPTION! We need to talk about their CRIMINALITY! We need to GET ANGRY about THEM! They did MOST OF THE DAMAGE, and we need to keep talking about it. Blagojevich is NOTHING compared to what they've done over the past eight years. He's a minor thug compared to the Bushies.

Please, if anybody from the press is reading this, use this opportunity to talk about the real criminals in government. Democrats, please use this opportunity to TURN THE TABLES ON THEM! Let's stop being played like fools. This is THEIR ISSUE, not ours. For all those who want to keep talking about our extremely LIMITED corruption, I have a t-shirt you can buy. Feel free to email me and I'll make sure you get it.

Thursday's Political Rant #2 - Michael

"Torture Tsar" May Be "Perp Walked" Soon

Hello Bloggers - I think we should be very happy today, since The Washington Post is reporting that the federal prosecutor appointed by Attorney General - the law is relative - Mukasey is about to take action.

Nora R. Dannehy was assigned the job of examining the "haphazard, arbitrary and unprofessional" conduct of Alberto - the torture tsar - Gonzales. She is now supposedly "meeting with defense lawyers, dispatching subpoenas and seeking information about the events, according to legal sources familiar with the case," the Washington Post reported this morning. Read more on The Raw Story.

This is fantastic news! He was one of Bush's WORST HENCHMEN. He supported torture and fired good people for political purposes. He's one of the worst of that horrible crowd - and that is saying something. He did Bush's bidding more than most.

So, it looks as though we might finally get some action. As I've said many times, I've been fighting for indictments and perp walks for over two years now. I don't know if the prosecutor is thinking he broke any big laws, but watching Gonzales suffer is enough for now.

Hopefully this is only the beginning of his long road into being tortured by life itself. I hope he is indicted and goes to jail, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. Keep your fingers crossed.

Wednesday's Political Rave #1 - Michael

Bush Spying and Telecom Immunity Goes to Court Again

Good Morning Bloggers - One of the greatest battles fought against the despicable Bush Administration and the Republicans over the past few years involved immunity for the telecoms.

Earlier this year the Bushies sought to immunize people and companies who broke the law. They were being sued by many groups because they willingly gave our private customer data to US intelligence agencies before and after 9/11 WITHOUT a warrant. My own AT&T was one of the worst corporate "snitches," but there were others. I was a big supporter of those lawsuits.

For those who weren't aware of the battle, it involved a heated Congress where many fought very hard to keep it from passing. The domestic spying bill that angered so many of us passed in July. In a bold and unprecedented move, Congress voted to kill the lawsuits and grant retroactive amnesty to any phone companies that helped with the surveillance.

American history will never the same in my opinion. It was one of Congress' darkest moments. It reminded me of the Alien and Sedition Acts before the Civil War. Unfortunately, in one his darker moments, President-elect Barack Obama was among those who voted for the law.

Other Senate Democratic TURNCOATS who made speeches in favor of the bill and Bush were Senator John D. Rockefeller (D-WV) and my own Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA). I wrote all of them over many months and none of them gave a good answer for domestic spying or why they believed the telecoms should receive immunity for breaking the law.

So, now the battle has one last test. David Kravitz of Wired is reporting that a federal judge today in San Francisco is deciding whether to hear a case to determine if the law is constitutional. It will affect the nearly four dozen lawsuits filed by civil liberties groups and class action attorneys against AT&T, Verizon, MCI, Sprint and other carriers - they claim the cooperation violated federal wiretapping laws and the Constitution.

I think we should all keep a close eye on this case if it proceeds. Congress trashed the Constitution, so it will be interesting to see if the courts help piece it back together. I believe that a Constitutional Amendment should have been necessary to make that kind of law.

They spied on Americans WITHOUT WARRANTS guaranteed by the Constitution BEFORE AND AFTER 9/11! That is a FACT! You Republicans can argue it all you want, but there is plenty of evidence supporting it. It's even accepted by the criminals at the Bush Administration.

We are supposed to be a nation of laws, not of whatever is convenient for a particular group in power at the time. Congress FAILED us, as usual. They should have voted against that law. Diane Feinstein FAILED me.

It should not be allowed to stand. We can't write any more letters to our Senators, for that time has come and gone. All we can do is HOPE that the courts do their job. All we can do is HOPE that sanity returns to those in power again.

Tuesday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Rave: Congress May Expose Possible Spitzer Witch Hunt

Hello Bloggers - After living in NYC for a while I admit that I'm a huge fan of Eliot Spitzer, but I also admit that a Governor should not be caught paying prostitutes - big time conflict of interest on many levels.

I also agree with many of the conspiracy theorists that he was a possible victim of a Bush Administration hit job.

I think they were trying to knock him out of power. I haven't been bothering to talk about it, but I am THRILLED to see the New York Times do a piece on it. It deserves to be investigated. The Times is reporting that a congressional panel will ask why an eight month federal investigation into a prostitution service led to the exposure of Spitzer, and then pretty much disintegrated. It looked like they were out to get Spitzer? Doesn't it?

The prosecutor has said that politics played no role in the pursuit of Spitzer, but that has not satisfied many of us. Spitzer spent his career pursuing Wall Street wrongdoing, and many of us believe that he created a few grudges. Many wanted him to fall.

Even though I believe there are many pressing issues related to Bush that should be investigated, I'm still happy to hear the House Financial Services Committee will be looking into it. They plan to hold hearings that could include testimony from the United States Treasury’s law enforcement unit, along with Spitzer’s bank, North Fork, and HSBC, a bank used by a company connected to the prostitution service. I've read a lot about the issues involve, and it sounds pretty good to me.

Of course, Republicans are screaming about how the Democrats are interested in political "retribution." What the hell are they talking about? What is wrong with exposing Bush Administration witch hunts? No government should be allowed to destroy good people over small issues (like Gingrich did to Clinton, which I still think was wrong) to wipe out their power.

What if Democrats, while in power, tried to expose Republicans who sleep around or hire prostitutes, just to destroy their power base? I think that would be wrong too. Law enforcement needs to expose those situations quietly. They don't need to destroy lives, careers, and families over something that amounts to rogue behavior, or a weak constitution. People make mistakes of the "heart." Do you feel comfortable casting the first stone?

The bigger question is whether the Bushies were trying to keep him from exposing larger crimes they were committing - in New York, on Wall Street? It sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

I'll be keeping an eye on this one. I think it will come out that the Bush Administration destroyed Spitzer to keep him from exposing their own wrongdoings in the financial sector. I wonder how many lives the Bushies destroyed over the past eight years to cover their tracks? I'm sure the number's very high. Hopefully it will eventually be revealed, and justice will prevail. Well, I can hope.

We pride ourselves on giving people second chances. He did so many good things to help New York and the nation. He deserves our respect, not our derision. Think about forgiving him this Thanksgiving, and let's try to bring him back.

Wednesday's Political Rave #1 - Michael

Political Rant: Taxpayers Need to Get Rid of Alberto Gonzales Once and For All

Good Morning Bloggers - In my quest to keep us mindful of the Bush crimes, The Raw Story and I continue to focus on certain Administration scum who continue to amaze us, or screw us, depending on your point of view.

Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and John Conyers (D-MI) are upset and demanding answers from Attorney General Michael - all law is relative - Mukasey because of new revelations that "taxpayers are paying up to $24,000 per month to foot former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's legal bills," according to Raw Story.

The senators are supposedly demanding to know the details of the arrangement, which are being kept confidential. I tell you, Mukasey is a crook and a pig. I know many of you felt pity for him when he fainted the other day. I think of myself as pretty sensitive, but to be honest I could care less when a criminal of his caliber faints. The man could go into a coma and I wouldn't care. He's a lying crook who helps Bush and his band get away with God knows what!

Btw, I begged and pleaded with my Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) to vote against Mukasey's installment. She didn't have good reasons to believe him at the time, and has expressed many regrets since. So, Senator, I hope you know that you SCREWED UP BIG TIME! Everybody saw what he was during those hearings except you and Schumer(D-NY). You guys risked our nation on your foolish beliefs and we paid the price over the past two years. I lost a LOT of respect for you that day.

Anyway, I digress, so back to the story about Gonzales. This is one more area where internal Justice Department findings showed that Gonzales allegedly "politicized the department" and is personally liable for his actions. He broke the rules. So, the Senators are wondering why, with good reason, the Justice Department is paying to defend Gonzalez? He is being sued, so he should be forced to pay himself.

It doesn't make sense. Then again, when has anything related to the Bush Administration made any sense. The MAN IS SCUM. He should be forced TO PAY BACK THAT MONEY.

This is just one more example of how the Bush crime family is raping America and stealing from us. This needs to stop. I'm writing my representatives as well as Leahy and Conyers and I hope you do the same. It's easy, just search for their names using Google and you will find their websites.

Now that Obama is elected, it's tempting to think only about what is good. Unfortunately, we need to remain vigilant and demand justice for all the injustice over the past eight years. Please, help me keep demanding investigations, indictments, perp walks, and jail terms. They deserve it.

Tuesday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Rave: The Sweet Taste of Justice

Hello Bloggers - I think those who know me will know that I AM THRILLED by the news that VP Dick - Darth Vadur - Cheney and the former Attorney General Alberto - Torture, Torture, Torture - Gonzales have been indicted on charges involving federal prisons in a South Texas county. Isn't that INCREDIBLE! Texas no less! WOW!

I've been writing my elected representatives for years asking for more investigations, indictments, and perp walks. I've been let down the whole time. I've been especially angry about the Karl Rove Congressional subpoena debacle related to the Justice Department and Don Siegelman, but that's a rant for another day. What's incredible is that an indictment has come out of left field, or at least left Texas. Strange, I thought that was Bush country. I guess all Texans don't speak Bush BS.

The judge still needs to sign the indictment, but let's keep faith. There are seven indictments in South Texas' Willacy County naming Cheney, Gonzales along with a state senator and other public officials.

The AP is reporting that "Cheney is charged with engaging in an organized criminal activity related to the vice president's investment in the Vanguard Group, which holds financial interests in the private prison companies running the federal detention centers. It accuses Cheney of a conflict of interest and "at least misdemeanor assaults" on detainees because of his link to the prison companies."

Megan Mitchell, a spokeswoman for Cheney, declined to comment on Tuesday, saying that the vice president had not yet received a copy of the indictment. The indictment accuses Gonzales of using his position while in office to stop an investigation in 2006 into abuses at one of the privately-run prisons.

Gonzales' attorney, George Terwilliger III, said in a written statement, "This is obviously a bogus charge on its face, as any good prosecutor can recognize." He said he hoped Texas authorities would take steps to stop "this abuse of the criminal justice system."

Well, it's not a war crime, but it's something. I'll take whatever we can get. Besides, let's just call this the first step. Hopefully this will be the start of a whole bunch of indictments. The deceitful SCUM need to be flushed out of our system. We need JUSTICE! WE THE PEOPLE are finally taking action, and it will only get worse for them.

Wednesday's Political RAVE #1 - Michael

Political Rant: Bush is Stealing Trillions and Congress is Doing Nothing

Good Morning Bloggers - I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Bush Administration is pulling off one of the greatest heists in history disguised as a financial crisis bailout.

The Washington Post this morning is reporting that in the "six weeks since lawmakers approved the Treasury's massive bailout of financial firms, the government has poured money into the country's largest banks, recruited smaller banks into the program and repeatedly widened its scope to cover yet other types of businesses, from insurers to consumer lenders."

Incredibly, the Post is reporting that the lets-destroy-America-at-any-cost Bush administration has committed $290 billion of the $700 billion rescue package while paying little to no attention to the money's initial purpose - helping increase credit for small business and average Americans. According to most economists who wrote about Secretary Paulson's news conference yesterday, they are spending the money in ways that will NOT HELP middle-class Americans.

There are reports that Congress is getting very angry about it too. Even the House GOP is angry. That should scare some of you Republican readers. GOP House Leader Boehner is calling for immediate disclosure. I wonder if the Bush Administration is going to comply. I doubt it seriously. They're too busy investing in their family and friends to make sure their personal investments don't go too far south.

There is a Congressional Report required of Paulson, which shockingly hasn't showed up and the deadline has passed. "It's a mess," said Eric M. Thorson, the Treasury Department's inspector general, who has been working to oversee the bailout program until the newly created position of special inspector general is filled. "I don't think anyone understands right now how we're going to do proper oversight of this thing."

There are estimates that the Bush Administration has given away or loaned as much as $5 TRILLION of our money so far. If it's true, and the money hasn't gone towards reviving the economy to help most Americans, then we really are looking at one of the greatest financial heists and political debacles in our history, perhaps in world history.

There is also news - reported on few news programs except for my favorite The Rachel Maddow Show - that the Treasury Department eliminated a VERY IMPORTANT tax rule a few weeks ago WITHOUT CONSULTING CONGRESS. It could turn out to be illegal, but the rule prevented companies from investing in bad assets to avoid paying income tax. It was considered tax fraud.

Once released from the rule, companies made "stand-by" investments eliminating billions in federal tax debt overnight. The Bush Administration is allowing large companies to STEAL BILLIONS owed to the people of the United States. As I keep saying, this is one of the most corrupt and immoral administrations in American history.

I seriously CHALLENGE any of you Republicans reading this to defend their actions. Don't try and claim that taxes are wrong. That argument won't fly here. For most Americans, these actions look like fraud and theft.

In my personal opinion, the Bush crime syndicate orchestrated this whole financial crisis at the end of their last term to do exactly what they're doing. This HEIST has been planned all along. THEY ARE CRIMINALS! You Republicans should be angry too, because they seriously hurt your party - not to mention your wallets.

I do want to rave more than rant now that the election is over, but this is just too important to ignore. We need to stop theses thieves from robbing us blind. CONGRESS NEEDS TO DO MORE! I hope Barack Obama can do something to repair the incredible damage done.

Thursday's ANGRY Political RANT #1 - Michael

Political Rant: NSA Listening to Personal, Private American Phone Calls

Good Morning Bloggers - ABC News is reporting on two whistleblowers who say that US intelligence officers are getting their kicks listening to Americans phoning home from overseas.

Despite legal requirements and pledges by Bush and intelligence officials, hundreds of US citizens overseas have been eavesdropped on as they called friends and family back home. Two former military intercept operators who worked at the National Security Agency (NSA) in Fort Gordon, Georgia, have come forward to report incredible news about how intelligence officers frequently listen in on very personal and private phone calls. Read the whole story here.

Once again we have an example of how the Bush Administration and the Republicans have broken our trust and done the dirty deeds we suspect they do. Who knows how deep the rabbit hole goes? What if they're listening in on Barack's campaign conversations? What if they're listening in on Democratic candidates across the country? The whole thing scares the hell out of me. I get tired of saying it, but Americans need to WAKE UP and vote them OUT OF POWER!

Thursday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Rant: Bailout Fiasco May Lead to More Predatory Lenders

Good Morning Bloggers - I am disgusted with what seems to be happening. The bailout is turning into a joke. Republicans are trying to include billions in tax cuts - capital gains - and forms of deregulation that got us into this mess in the first place. It seems to me they're not looking out for the country, but special interest. Did anybody see Tom Delay with Chris Matthews on Hardball last night? Some of the things he said were scary! The Republicans are pulling a fast one again. Obama and the Democrats need to fight this crap. If anything, the bill needs to be a "bottom up" solution instead of the usual "top down" BS pushed by the Republicans.

But what is really scaring me are the TV commercials I've seen over the past two days. I've spotted mortgage sellers here on local LA TV claiming to have millions or billions available to lend after Congress passes its legislation. I checked to be certain, and found the ads are showing up on spots during the Fox 11 Morning News and programs with low-income demographics on morning, daytime TV. I'll bet they're playing during freaking Jerry Springer! Something tells me it's more of the same. Congress needs to make sure that protections are in place, to protect people from predatory lenders. It's not a good sign when you see TV ads claiming to have money to lend based on Congress passing a rescue plan. Something smells very fishy. No, something STINKS!

Wednesday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Rant: Justice Department Finally Takes Action Against Gonzales and Gang

Hello Bloggers - For years I've been writing my senators and congressman for hearings, to subpoena witnesses, to enforce subpoenas, and to indict criminals at the Justice Department involving the firing of prosecutors, the politics of new hires, and the unbelievable Don Siegelman scandal (http://www.donsiegelman.com/).

It was obscured by the bailout crisis yesterday, but Attorney General Mukasey - a man I consider to be about as useful as the Pope's sex drive, probably less - finally appointed a longtime public corruption prosecutor to explore the basis for firing of the U.S. attorney in New Mexico two years ago. It's not everything, it's not even for all the fired prosecutors, but it's a start. Most incredible, it's a start under Mukasey and Bush. I'm still in shock to be honest. Most of us were convinced the criminals were waiting it out before their full pardons.

Congress has been upping its hand slowly, but many feel too slowly. I have always felt so slowly to the point of being co-conspirators -- they have been almost negligent! It would appear that Mukasey decided to act before Congress. He appointed Nora R. Dannehy, a 17-year veteran of the U.S. attorney's office in Connecticut, whose work led to the conviction of the state's former governor John G. Rowland (R) four years ago. She is responsible for delivering a preliminary report to Mukasey within two months. The best news is that lawyers involved in the case said her work will probably extend into the next administration - so it finally begins, I'm so happy.

Mukasey supposedly reacted to a report issued yesterday by department investigators that found "political motives" for the firing of three U.S. attorneys. He was probably thinking of his legacy when he decided to act. The report actually charges that senior officials "abdicated their duty to safeguard the independence of the process." Wow! Although prosecutors serve at the pleasure of the president, the report said that former attorney general Gonzalez - the real culprit - "bears primary responsibility" for the debacle because he allowed youthful subordinates to carry out the purge amid his "remarkable disengagement."

We all guessed it, but now we KNOW IT! Doesn't it sound like a common thread throughout the Bush Administration - "let the kids handle it?" Incredibly, the report said Gonzales was never notified about the dismissal of another top prosecutor, something the report calls a "stunning example of managerial default."

I know it's not everything we wanted, but like I said it is a start. Whether Obama or McCain (God forbid) wins the election the next administration will have to deal with it. I personally think Mukasey did it to cover his own ass in history. I don't think he wants to go into the history books having done absolutely nothing (though he is close, making him one of the worst AGs in history), so this is his something. No matter what, it's still real, and the person he appointed actually put a governor away.

I'm hoping things will finally begin to happen. I've been begging my elected representatives for indictments and perp walks for almost two years, and despite having the great Henry Waxman (D) as my rep, I've been disappointed. Let's hope this is the beginning of something BIG!

Tuesday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political News/Rant: Another Repulican Election Fraud Subpoena

Hello Bloggers - The silence is deafening as they say when you consider the number of cases of election tampering and fraud out there not being covered by today's corporate media. Despite many investigations and evidence that our election system has been corrupted by a few despicable individuals - mostly related to Karl Rove, who else - the media seems uninterested.

The Raw Story has a new article this morning, which covers the now infamous Republican IT consultant who supposedly did a lot of damage in 2004. Remember how we wondered why George Bush was so confident that the Republicans were going to do well that year. Rememember the famous White House press conference the next day when he looked shocked at the result. It's now clear that he felt Karl had it all under control.

Republican IT consultant subpoenaed in case alleging tampering with 2004 election

"A high-level Republican consultant has been subpoenaed in a case regarding alleged tampering with the 2004 election. Michael S. Connell was served with a subpoena in Ohio on Sept. 22 in a case alleging that vote-tampering during the 2004 presidential election resulted in civil rights violations. Connell, president of GovTech Solutions and New Media Communications, is a website designer and IT professional who created a website for Ohio’s secretary of state that presented the results of the 2004 election in real time as they were tabulated. "Connell is refusing to testify or to produce documents relating to the system used in the 2004 and 2006 elections, lawyers say. ..."Connell is a long-time GOP operative, whose New Media Communications provided web services for the Bush-Cheney ’04 campaign, the US Chamber of Commerce, the Republican National Committee and many Republican candidates. This in itself might have raised questions about his involvement in creating Ohio’s official state election website."

(Read the whole story at:http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Republican_IT_consultant_subpoenaed_in_case_0929.html)

Based on the number of ongoing investigations it is clear that Michael Connell is only one of many IT operatives. One currently works for the Senate and does part-time work for the RNC. Personally I believe there are many operating nationwide. I'm also certain that Karl Rove is at the center. Who knows, maybe that's why he left the White House early. He couldn't manage the operations from there. There is plenty of evidence about similar operations in all swing states - the research is easy, just Google.

I'm trying to cut back on my name calling for the sake of civility, but come on, isn't it obvious that Republicans stole the last two elections, and are trying to steal this one. I hope enough Obama supporters turn out that make it all a big waste of their time and money. I also hope an Obama Administration investigates their corruption and they all eventually go to jail - something to add to a growing list.

Monday's Political News/Rant #1 - Michael