An Inconvenient Truth About Our Politics

Hello Bloggers! Long time no see! I am sorry for being missing in action, but there is a good reason and I thought I should take a little time to say hello and explain why I've taken a break from blogging. So, hello to all of you! Now for the explanation.

I've grown tired of the lies and insanity of American political debate today. It's true that it's always been a little insane, but still the lies from the right have been too much lately. Great American political debate has traditionally been based on actual facts, but the truth is those facts are now an endangered species.

It's clear that "facts" today are corrupted by deceitful politicians, non-governmental organizations, special interest groups, corporations, and many fake news sources. Even its cousin the statistic is manipulated and distorted these days. Everybody knows the unemployment rate is much higher than reported. The same goes for most other - once trusted - leading indicators.

There is no doubt, WE THE PEOPLE are being lied to more than ever. I like to call it the big con, or simply IT. It refers to many causes, but mostly it refers to information technology, which sadly creates the conditions that lead to most of today's factual distortions. Unfortunately, we are now victims of it, we are controlled by it, and we are now all part of it.

Who is the #1 enemy of it? For me, it's currently Rachel Maddow. She dispels more of "it" than any other journalist alive today. Cheers for Rachel!

Sadly few know about it since the corporate media controls access to the message, and they rely on it for most of their fake news and ratings (yes, the ratings are manipulated). In Rovian terms, it is the muddying of America's political waters, stirred-up using bucket-fulls of lies and propaganda. Unfortunately, unless it can be fixed, it could ruin the faith, trust and respect that millions of Americans like me have in our system.

Unless real reforms begin soon, proving that truth and the good guys can still win, I fear that I may be just the tip of a very angry iceberg.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still fighting the good fight when it comes to helping the good guys. I'm still writing letters and making calls to President Obama and our legislators, but I admit that blogging has lost most of its appeal. Right now I'm focusing on helping create real change through political action.

Sorry, but I never really got the sense that our blogosphere - more often echo-chamber than debate club - helps us very much. Usually it just sets us up as punching bags for the uninformed, angry right. Sadly, no matter how well you research and write it, they just seem to ignore it or trash it. It just doesn't seem worth it.

My recent feelings of disappointment got me thinking. Despite my desire for more facts, sadly, when you really research it, America has never really been a great place for reality-based politics. Historically, most American political debate has been shrouded in myth and patriotic fervor.

Consider the simple idea that we Americans have always seen ourselves as the land of freedom and equality. Is it true? It's great to hear, but for millions it is less about fact, and more marketing. The truth is freedom has never been free in this country, and we have never been about equality. The shining city on a hill has more slums than most people want to believe; the great society has never been as fair as people think.

The fact is we rank low in terms of many freedoms, at least those freedoms most of the industrialized world cares about - individual welfare, and freedom from sickness and extreme poverty. We have never been a nation built on equality.

For a rich nation, we have the highest prison populations in the world, the highest number of hate crimes in the world, and the greatest divide between rich and poor. Only crazy Republicans and die-hard, love-the-fetus-hate-the-child conservatives see us as truly free.

Unless you have great parents, or a great parent like Barack Obama, you're usually on your own. It's true anybody can make it, but helping people make it is a political no-no.

For God's sake, even Mark Twain included murder, inequality and hatred in his American tales over 100 years ago. Actually, most of America's greatest literary works have touched on our internal inequalities. What is truly American is the public's desire to ignore it's problems, and to think the opposite.

Inconvenient Historical Truths

Just think about our incredibly dark history. The slave trade, native American subjugation and genocide, a century plus civil rights struggle of inequality and murder, countless wars financed by greed and corruption (especially in Central and South America), and finally our greatest gift, the global military-industrial complex.

This is not to say we're a bad country. We have done a good job trying to set things right, and probably should be considered better than most. Still, today I'm talking about the bad.

So, whether you want to admit it or not we have been lying to ourselves as a nation for a long time, and are not always the good guys in every situation, despite what Republicans say. The time for American innocence, ignorance and negligent stupidity must end.

It's time to talk turkey about our past, our recent history, and today. We need to discuss who we really are, how we fit in globally, and where we're going. If not, we'll remain ignorant, buy their propaganda and lies, and suffer the ugly consequences.

How many question what would the world be like if only the Germans fought the Nazis? Well, we're the Germans now, and today's liars are the Nazis. Let's act before it's too late.

If we cannot evolve, then we deserve the despots who control us. If we cannot change, then we deserve the lies and the deceit they market to us as so-called freedoms. On the other hand, if we admit that America has a dark side, that we're being lied to, and that fear, greed and the desire for power drive it, then I think it's only reasonable that we find a way to pull the plug on that power.

First, we need to identify who they are. We need to name the people who are trying to control us - the ones who also want us to be afraid. As I've said on this blog in the past, we need to start by ignoring the 24/7 "news" media. TURN THEM OFF! They need to be the first we shut out, and shutdown. Second, we need to focus more energy on reaching political independents (blogging by itself may not be enough), explain the truth, and discredit the liars.

There's no doubt most of today's politicians follow those who wield money and power. Our interests have been replaced by a cabal of greedy influence peddlers, corporations and individuals from all parts of the world. It's now all about the global economy, corporate greed, and how the rich can get richer. That is the sad truth of today. It's time to see them as the corrupting influences they are; it's time for electoral reform.

President Obama must push for real campaign fianance and systemic reform. It's time to get the money out of the system.

Sadly, it's a long shot. It's clear that corporate Republicans and Democratic sell-outs will continue to undermine any progress. I'm even beginning to believe that Barack Obama doesn't have what it takes. The change we voted for (and often prayed for) is beginning to look like a sales job, or worse. Unless real reforms begin to take shape soon, the inertia will threaten to demoralize and undermine support within the rest of the American electorate.

So, what does all this ranting mean? It means that I've become so disenchanted that I can't seem to write like I used to. The lies, Republican manipulation, corporate corruption, and [mostly] Senatorial inaction have degraded the system so much it all seems futile. Unless I can see some light at the end of this dark tunnel, I will have little incentive to write about politics again. I'll probably start blogging about something else.

Let's hope the good guys can win one soon. Let's hope for real health care and financial reform. Those two alone would probably allow me to reconnect, to ignore the lies, and to fight for more CHANGE! They would go a long way to cure what is ailing me. In the meantime I'll continue to write my letters and make my phone calls, and hope for real progress.

My best to all of you. I hope you are are having a great Fall.

Monday's Political Rant - Michael

Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave

Hello Bloggers! Most of us within the blogosphere have become familiar with the crazy lies being told by the far-right these days, so much so that "crazy" doesn't even seem to describe the situation anymore. "Alternate realities" or "psychotic episodes" may be more appropriate.

Still, we have one more "fun fact" of theirs to add to the list, and it's a whopper. I don't know about you, but I've been a BBC News fan for many years. I watched it on PBS along with the [McNeil Lehrer] NewsHour long before BBC America hit the airwaves. It's one of the most respected news organizations in the world.

The latest shot across the bow of truth was fired in Scotland this past Friday - at the Edinburgh International Television Festival - by James Murdoch (Rupert's 36-year old son and the person in charge of News Corps businesses in Europe and Asia - and probably the guy who will take over the empire one day) who called the British Broadcasting Corporation a "threat to independent journalism."

The BBC is now a threat to independent journalism!

Not only is this the worst case of the pot calling the kettle black since George W. Bush successfully tarnished John Kerry's war record, but it's one more disgusting lie propagated by one of the worst and most disgraceful journalistic empires ever to sew ruin on the social fabric of mankind. In my opinion, the Murdochs are rich and powerful pond scum.

Most respectable journalists consider the Murdochs the worst yellow journalists in modern history, and that includes the past 150 years or so. Why? They're worse because media is now global, and the stakes much higher. You may consider me hyperbolic, but unchecked their lies may doom individuals, governments, and possibly all of mankind.

Yellow Journalism

Yellow journalism is considered biased opinion masquerading as objective fact. The practice of yellow journalism involves "sensationalism, distorted stories, and misleading images for the sole purpose of boosting sales and exciting public opinion."

It is an evil practice that has led to much pain and misfortune. It should be illegal, but it can't be legislated. Unfortunately, it is allowed to exist, despite leading to false wars (Spanish American and Iraq to name just two), death and much misery. It grows within a news organization like FOX "News" like a parasite, feeding on those within who seek money and power.

The most famous examples historically in the US involved two papers in the late 19th century- The New York World, run by Joseph Pulitzer and The New York Journal, run by William Randolph Hearst. They are now considered responsible for numerous tragedies at the time. They may be historically famous, or infamous, but they were also disgraceful.

The ethics embodied in the Pulitzer Prize have often seemed like a case of too little, too late for some. Still, like Carnegie's libraries, museums and halls, it helped heal some wounds. The same cannot be said for Hearst's legacy.

Who knows, perhaps the Murdochs will try to buy off history one day, but I doubt it. Besides, it won't matter much if the world is falling apart due to News Corp lies. The damage may be too great by that time. The way I see it, the Murdochs are human parasites, and we need to find a cure.

Murdoch and his progeny are carrying the torch, promoting the dark and destructive forces of yellow journalism. The only reason the Murdoch empire has competition in the US is due to laws that were enacted after the time of Hearst and Pulitzer. Sadly, almost instinctively, the Republicans are doing their best to weaken those protections - in their own quest for money and power.

If they have their way, FOX "News" will be our only source of information. God help us.

Murdoch Jr. Warns of BBC Monopoly
Calls "Threat" Chilling

It is so ironic, not to mention rich with corporate greed and unbelievable personal hypocrisy, that James Murdoch actually evoked the name of Orwell in his speech to warn about "a near-monopoly of information [by the state] is to guarantee manipulation and distortion."

He also said the prospect of BBC expansion is "chilling" and "a threat to independent journalism." All I can say is who spiked his drink or meds.

James, unless you just fell off the proverbial turnip truck, and know absolutely nothing about media today (wink wink, nod nod), nobody would ever suggest that a "near-monopoly" of information exists anywhere in the Western world, at least when it comes to public entities like the BBC.

Sadly, the BBC is probably the greatest asset to independent journalism, since it's one of the few organizations left practicing real journalism - or investigative, confrontational journalism to be more precise. It shouldn't be that way, but it's true. It's also true that most of us are terrified by the Murdoch family's near-global monopoly. That is what "chills" the rest of us. The only Orwellian indicators we see today are from FOX.

For those who may not know, the BBC is not a monopoly, especially when it comes to the news. If anything, the BBC is a guarantor against private news bias, like PBS in the US. It protects against manipulation and distortion.

It's true the BBC is different, since it operates as a pseudo-government agency with a right to charge access, but that was a political decision made long ago. History and truth now prove that it was a good decision. Let's hope the Brits keep it that way for all of us.

Lying further, of course, Murdoch went on to suggest that public entities like the BBC harm private companies by siphoning off needed advertising revenues. In terms of international news programming, the BBC is a minor player when it comes to advertising dollars. Murdoch's point is both absurd and deceitful, like the rest of his company.

Like most power-hungry people these days Murdoch is clearly projecting. It seems to be a common psychological trait of the greedy-power-hungry-far-right these days.

A "Psycho" Right-wing Production

The right often says we do it, but most evidence suggests that projection is more of a right-wing tool. What is it? I'm glad you asked. It's one of many human defense mechanisms, such as being in denial.

"Psychological projection (or projection bias) is the unconscious act of denial of a person's own attributes, thoughts, and/or emotions, while ascribing them to the outside world, or another person or people. It is the fundamental mechanism by which we keep our selves uninformed about ourselves."

You see, our defense mechanisms help us cope with bad behavior. Think Eric Cartman on South Park. He's a perfect example of somebody who projects a lot of horrible things. I'm sure the Murdochs and Eric Cartman have a lot in common. Maybe they actually inspired South Park founders Trey Parker and Matt Stone? Now that makes a lot of sense.

So, projection helps us cope with the awful things we do to survive. The problem is that one person's survival is another person's nightmare, or a nation's nightmare. Oh yes, another side-effect of projection involves never taking the blame, or any responsibility. Sound familiar?

Untangling the Web
Slowing the Machine

Today's Republican "machine," politically perfected recently by Lee Atwater and Karl Rove, now led by FOX "News" and the Murdochs, needs to be slowed. If not, it will just keep lying its way into our future.

It runs on very strong and easy-to-find fuel - greed, money and power. So, based on my theory, the Murdochs and their ilk will continue to run amok unless we can slow them or stop them. We need to fight hard to shut down their access to greed, money and power. Slowing access to the fuel that feeds is always a good solution.

Until somebody proves me wrong, it's my best guess. Rupert and James Murdoch, along with FOX "News" and a lot of today's far-right fringe, will do their best to lie, cheat and steal until we stop them. They will also continue to soak us in their own crap. When you think about it, it's the only way they can live with themselves.

Sunday's Political Rant - Michael

Republican Debt Perception

Good Morning Bloggers! Since I seem to have drifted into my summer season, which is more about playing outside than writing about politics, I'll still do my best to get angry about something. Let's see, how about what I like to call the most recent Republican Brainwashing Initiative (RBI 2.0). Let's face it, the majority of them (non-tea-party-folk) have been relatively silent for a while. I think that seems to be changing.

I think our Republican friends are beginning to stir a little more these days. It seems they've been listening to FOX "News" (RBI central) long enough now [since their election losses] for some of their more heinous brainwashing to take full effect. At least in my world, they've begun to share. They're beginning their usual blame game, and unfortunately facts have little to do with how they assess or assign blame.

The lies have begun to flow like girly-poop in a man-sized Texas toilet. In the same way Ronald Reagan's fake legacy blossomed after a a few years (I guess they forget faster these days - must be the drugs in our water), George W. Bush is beginning to emerge as a competent president who ran a highly successful foreign policy and economy. The signs are there that he is destined for honor and glory within the party. I must admit, you have to admire them for their ability to turn anybody, even the biggest loser, into a hero.

Unfortunately, and equally perplexing, President Obama is now the one responsible for everything bad that's happening in the world - especially the bad bits they're mostly responsible for.

I could ramble on (as I usually do - to get the facts right) with a laundry list of BS they're beginning to buy into again, but that would be exhausting for all of us, and I want to go play outside. So, let's focus. What are the far-right screw-ups - the ones who drink their own Kool-Aid - really annoying me most about these days? What propaganda pisses me off the most?

I know! It's that latest false factoid being spewed on FOX "News" day and night these days - not to menation the lesser media minions. Hannity, O'Reilly, Cavuto and the rest are all talking about it ad nausea. They even have their creepy-crawlies Coulter and Matlin carrying the water on other networks. I guess it must be an edict from the top, wherever that top is these days.

What is it? It's their claim - which my friends and family now believe - that Barack Obama has now contributed more to the federal debt than any president before him. It's BS, but they keep saying it.

The claim is outrageous. It has no bases in fact. The federal debt remains the responsibility of the Republican Party, since their leadership created over 90% of it. Barack Obama has contributed to less than 1% of the federal debt so far, and his annual budget deficit is still overwhelmingly the product of George W. Bush.

A matter of fact, George W. Bush is reponsible for contributing the most to the federal debt. Now that's a fact you can take to the bank.

Of course, the far-right will ignore the obvious facts. A matter of fact (sorry, it's a fun word), I'm pretty sure we'll have somebody crapping those very same Republican BS-talking points in response to this very post.

As always, the Republicans are lying to the American people and to themselves. As you can see by the chart above, George W. created the largest annual deficits in American history. Incredibly, those annual deficits would be even higher if war borrowing had been included on the federal books. Barack Obama has included those negatives since taking office, which has increased the debt

I know it had to be done, but I wonder if the Republicans will get away with painting us with their own stink of irresponsibility. Unfortunately, our own honesty may become a liability in 2012.

In my humble opinion, because of these and other lies, the Republicans have no honor. They are liars, plain and simple. The Republican leadership/elite will do or say anything to regain their power, and that includes massive doses of propaganda. We can only hope the American people will not fall for it again. "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." Let's hope that shame remains a distant memory.

Just to be clear, the facts about the federal debt are simple. I have reviewed them on this blog numerous times. The overwhelming majority (over 90%) of today's federal/foreign debt was created during the leadership of the Republicans. They borrowed to lower taxes. It was done mostly under Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and George W. Bush. Bill Clinton lowered the debt. Those are the facts (see the chart below).

Like most Democrats, I can't stand the way President Obama is forced to spend to salvage today's broken economy, but to blame him for the debt is tantamount to blaming the Democrats for starting the Iraq War. They may have been involved to some degree, but the blame lies clearly at the feet of the Republican Party.

I will probably be writing about some of the other bits and pieces of propaganda the Republicans are pushing these days, but let's leave those for another time. Today it's all about the way they're lying about the money.

What do we ordinary American citizens do? We do what's right, and tell the truth. Please, keep talking to your friends and family about the facts. Tell the truth about the lies. I don't care how many times we have to say it, it's important to get our message out. WE ALL NEED TO TELL THE TRUTH!

WE MUST NOT allow those at FOX "News," or similar-slimy-corrupt-propaganda-fake-news-outlets, to poison the minds of the American people. We need to keep reminding our friends and family the truth about what really happened, and most important, about what really went wrong.

Thursday's Political Rant - Michael

PS - I know most have to work, but I'm taking a break at noon to join a group of protesters in front of Dianne Feinstein's office on Santa Monica Boulevard at noon this afternoon. If you're in LA, please consider joining us to call on her to support a strong public option as part of health care reform. If not, please think about contacting your representatives. It's the only way to prevent the private-sector from robbing us of affordable health care. Thanks - MB

Bush and the Patriots Who Stole Billions!

Good Morning! It's conspicuous by its absence in the media, but the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, the Army's criminal Investigation Command and the Justice Department NOW BELIEVE people in the US military and those in the BUSH Administration stole billions in cash that was sent to Iraq on pallets for reconstruction shortly after the fall of Saddam.

They're reporting that US military personnel and Bush appointees may have intentionally misspent or pocketed over $50 billion in American taxpayer dollars. $50 BILLION! That far exceeds the scope of the Wall Street bailout theft, making it potentially the "greatest fraud in US history."

They report the money is simply unaccounted for because many of the contractors and sub-contractors simply disappeared. They haven't been able to track it down! It's an INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF MONEY - enough money to bailout every broken state and local government in the US, and it's GONE!

What can we - the law abiding citizens of this nation - say except thank you once again to our Republican friends who SUPPORTED and STILL SUPPORT some of the greatest thieves in US history. George Bush, Dick Cheney, and the whole CORRUPT bunch of lying, scheming, scummy "patriotic" Republicans who raided the treasury over the past eight years!

What really bugs me is how ordinary Republicans continue to deny that Bush and his people were involved in any war profiteering or theft. They act like the whole Bush Administration was just a victim of bad luck and unfortunate circumstances, or they blame the Iraqis. When are they going to WAKE UP and SMELL THE SCUM for who they are? When are they going to start to use the brain God gave them? It's denial on a national scale.

More and more evidence hits the news every day about how the American people were screwed, and they still deny it. Instead, they spend all their energy whining and complaining about petty issues like how our elected officials are fulfilling their campaign promises by spending our money on us - hardworking Americans. Unless something changes soon, then the majority of Americans will begin to see them as nothing but loyal Republican WHACK JOBS!

When you add this possible theft to the long list of waste and war profiteering already proven during the BUSH YEARS, the Bushies and the Republicans will undoubtedly go down as the greatest thieves in the history of the republic. Republicans like to call themselves the "party of small government" or "low taxes." What a joke! If justice prevails, they will always be the "party of crooks," as law enforcement and historians begin to prove how they stole billions, if not trillions, from the American people.

Tuesday'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

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

It Seems History Has a Sense of Humor

Good Morning Bloggers - Well, the holidays are over - thank God - and now we begin to focus on the inauguration and the upcoming storm of activity by the new Obama Administration. Something tells me that's it's going to be a fascinating year of analyses, praise and criticism.

Before we get to the more practical matters of turning the Bush DEPRESSION into a RECESSION, I would like to comment on the state of the far right, or what some might call their EXTREME DENIAL and lack of support for change. There are many reports, and lots of FOX "News" coverage, about how Obama will be making a mistake if he tries to be "too extreme" in his policies.

They do credit him with appointing a "moderate" team so far, but they won't stop criticizing him for plans to push FDR-like programs. You know, health care reform and stuff that WE AMERICANS voted him into office to fix.

They also won't stop repeating their BS about HOW he was elected. Did you know that he was elected due to "white guilt" and a strange and "irrational" hatred of George Bush, and not for his policies or "socialistic" ideas? I know, it's news to me too. It seems they feel the American people really didn't vote for change. I know, I know, WEIRD!

Wow, it would appear the Republican far right has gone past denial into some sort of alternative universe. A good example of their extreme thinking erupted this Christmas with the release of a new CD by a leading contender to become chairman of the Republican Party, Chip Saltsman, featuring a parody song called Barack the Magic Negro. It's repulsive, but many of them think it's hilarious. I think it serves as a great port-hole into that other universe.

I'm proud to say that many leading Republicans were horrified after he distributed the CD, but I'm less proud to report that a reasonable survey of right-wing websites and news organizations show comments very supportive of the parody. Rush Limbaugh LOVES it. It would appear that far right Republicans seem to have trouble distinguishing between good parody and racism.

The Republican party needs to recover from HEAVY electoral defeats over the past two years, and it won't survive unless it reaches out to younger and ethnically diverse voters. So, what is their method of recruiting such voters? To release a parody mocking Barack Obama's ethnicity and skin color. Sung to the tune of Puff the Magic Dragon (also a parody), the lyrics have left most intelligent Republicans cringing.

Chip Saltsman, a former leader of Tennessee Republicans, who is seeking to take over the party's national committee, sent the CD to party members as a Christmas gift. But unlike him, few found it funny. Let's hope that Chip finds a new career, better suited to his talents. How about sewer worker, or Tennessee Klan leader?

Anyway, that CD is only one example. Others include the fact that Sarah Palin has been named "conservative of the year" by more far right Republican organizations than you can count. Just do a search, and you'll find there are too many to name here. You don't even hear John McCain being mentioned anymore.

It's all about her these days. The woman is an IGNORANT fool with little education and a love of killing things, and they love her. She knows NOTHING about the world, or the economy, and they LOVE her? What the hell is wrong with them? Did you know that her 2009 calender is a top seller on Amazon? Okay, I admit it, they scare the hell out of me.

I'm also very disturbed by the right's denial about America's new faith in Obama. They seem to think it's a media construct. They also keep saying they would have won the election if they had been "tougher," and "stuck to their conservative principles more." What the hell is wrong with the far right? They LOST because of that conservative hard-headedness. Most of America wants to come together, they want GOVERNMENT TO HELP THEM, and they refuse to see it.

I know I shouldn't care, because it is their funeral, but I still want to understand them. Why do they keep hitting their heads against brick walls? Why do they keep thinking that the majority of Americans want a Sarah Palin? Where are the polls that make them believe that BS? I don't get it. It's like 30% or more of the country is either retarded or mentally unstable, capable of believing whatever BS they want to.

Oh well, I'll have to let it go. Let's just watch them bash, crash and burn. The majority of us will move on to fix the problems they created. They will do what they do. Just like the Republicans who praised Hoover for years after he left office, claiming that the roaring twenties were the best years of America, the far right will continue to sing the praises of Bush and claim that Obama does not represent the true America.

The Bush Legacy Project will continue to spin, lie, and tell tall tales to small groups of Republicans who want to hear their version of history, because they don't want to face the truth about what really happened. Did you know Hoover was a great president? They say history will vindicate them, but we all know it won't. The rest of us can't afford to wait for them; we have to get to work fixing things.

Monday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Update - Wow, many ordinary Republicans are defending Saltsman. I guess they're tired of hiding and finally want to come-out-of-the-closet to share their racism with the world. Smart Republicans know it's NOT a good strategy, because what some call a simple rejection of political correctness, most of the American people call ugly racism. Wow, you guys are screwed!

Sean Hannity Chosen "Misinformer of the Year"

Hello Bloggers - It's my pleasure to thank Media Matters for choosing our favorite simpleton, the neanderthal of news, the uninspired, the unevolved, Sean Hannity, to be their "Misinformer of the Year."

"He has been a prolific and influential purveyor of conservative misinformation," according to Media Matters - and myself. Sean - "the Repetitive Monkey" - Hannity has admitted to do whatever it takes to stop the Democrats. He is a scoundrel and a LIAR. He is media SCUM. Media Matters made a very wise choice.

A man like Hannity would do well in any society. People like him come in many forms, and all are reprehensible. He's the liar and the propagandist. He's the prison stooge, the camp rat, the coward, the low life who sells secrets for favors. He's the one who rats out the good guys to get what he wants. People like him spew lies, wreck lives, and thrive on chaos. Sean Hannity is nothing but human vermin.

They use religion, ethics and morality as blunt instruments to control, persuade, and plunder. They act as judge, jury and executioner, and rarely burden themselves with matters of personal morality. To be blunt, they play God. They deserve exile or worse.

I'll agree with Media Matters and decent people everywhere, and name Sean Hannity as the Our Rants & Raves choice for THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD for December 2008! It would have been for the whole year, but I think O'Reilly and a few others deserve some consideration, don't you?

Thursday's Media Rave #1 - Michael

Political News: More Bush Lies Exposed

Hello Bloggers - It's sad, but true. Bush lies!

I like to point out how they often change history for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it's spontaneous, and sometimes it's to cover past lies. Either way, it's still pretty disgusting. Future Republicans might want to learn something from his mistakes.

Here's a New York Times article detailing some good examples of changing the facts about the Iraq War to sort out history Bush style. It would appear they added and subtracted coalition partners at will. The coalition, in effect, was whatever the Bush Administration wanted it to be. What a surprise!

Enjoy - Michael

Political Rant: Hateful Republican Liars Blaming Everything On Obama

Good Morning Bloggers - I won't cite specifics here, because there are too many, but last week and over the weekend the overall amount of Republican BS already being thrown at President-Elect Obama would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic. The Republican truth assassins are hard at work and the man hasn't even been inaugurated yet.

Of course, the worst culprits are the usual suspects: Hannity, O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Beck, Savage and others. Not only are they claiming that the election was stolen, and being stolen in Minnesota and Alaska, but they are constantly blaming the stock market downturn and EVERYTHING about the current economic crisis on Obama. The "Obama Recession" was a joke at first, but I'm not laughing so much now. It's beginning to get me angry.

Why do I let those assholes get to me? Yes, I needed to say the word. They are assholes. Actually, they're worse, but I need to keep this PG. No matter how much I try to ignore them, they are getting to me. I guess it's the repetition. They're blaming Obama for everything they destroyed and we can't shut them up. Why? I want to shut them up!

Okay, cool down Michael. Let's evaluate the situation. So far, they're blaming us for:

• the credit crisis caused by their lack of oversight and regulation;
• the stock market collapse caused by their poor management of the economy and their record-breaking debt creation;
• a "secular revolt" because gay people are angry after religious conservative Republicans successfully funded and passed a proposition in California that over-turned rights for a large segment of society;
• election fraud because of ACORN, which has been involved in elections for decades and has never officially registered any voters because all it does is collect signature cards for state officials (not to mention there is evidence the Republicans stole over six million votes); and,
• basically EVERYTHING they've SCREWED UP on us.

I'm pretty sure that's only the beginning. Well, what can we say except GET REAL PEOPLE! Any Republicans who are believing their crap are delusional. I'm not a psychologist, but I think it's clear you people need help. IT IS NOTHING BUT REPUBLICAN PROPAGANDA!

Two great resources to help clear the polluted air are BIG LIES by Joe Conason and/or Cracking the Code by Thom Hartmann. Both describe the Machiavellian/Rovian tactics of blaming the other side for your own mistakes. Muddy the water, lie, cheat and steal if you must. Win at all costs. The end justifies the means. It's all part of their world. It's sad, but true.

So, let's try to keep it all in perspective. They're going to try to pin EVERYTHING that's going wrong on us. They're going to try to BLAME US for their own failure. I guess we're just going to have to live with it and hope it doesn't work. I hate it, but there's not much we can do about it. I'll try to relax and let it go, and I hope you can do the same.

Monday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Rant: Cable Network Lies Keep Presidential Race in Artificial Dead Heat

Good Morning Bloggers - I would like to slam the corporate media for the manipulative "infotainment" they call news during this election, and how they're reporting a "tight race" at this time when all indications are that the race has already tightened and is favoring Obama by double digits.

From what I can observe, CNN and MSNBC are lying about the election at this moment. Yes, they're lying scum. Each continues to call Nevada, Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida "swing states" despite the fact that the majority of polls in each of those states is now showing Barack Obama ahead of McCain beyond the margin of error - many by double digits. I won't bother to report on FOX. I don't even consider that to be "infotainment." I just consider it pure propaganda, or crap, whichever you prefer.

I know the networks have a job to keep their ratings up, but they also have a duty to the American people and the airwaves we allow them to use to tell us the truth. It used to be required by law, but since those regulations were gutted by Clinton and the Congress in the 90's I believe it's more of a pledge now. No matter, it's still a pledge.

They should not be allowed to lie, and they are lying to us, their customers. We don't allow package goods companies to lie on their labels (at least the regulated ones), so why should we allow media companies to lie in their news. Sure, Republicans can defend them by saying that if even one poll suggests otherwise then it proves they're not lying, but that's not the standard they use for their statistical analysis. I read through their standards and it is clear that those states should be moved into "leaning-Obama" based on their own criteria.

We all know the only reason they're not doing it is because they need to lie about a close race to keep their ratings up. Those "swing states" remain their only bread and butter. They need to keep those residents frothing at the mouth, creating controversy, and angry. That's the way to keep the rating's up and the money train flowing I guess. It also helps them to keep pumping the candidates for more campaign ad revenues. I think it's despicable, unfair to the campaign donors, unfair to the voters who seek the truth, and shouldn't be allowed to continue after this election.

The networks should have a public obligation to report honest facts during elections. If people knew that the race was going a certain way they might turn their attention to other problems. Keeping us continually in the grip of a fast and furious horse race is dishonest and distracting. It's also completely unfair to the candidate who is actually ahead. They should be able to see the fruits of their labor, and focus on sealing the deal. I hope we make some changes after this is all over.

Tuesday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Rant: McCain Calls Obama a Big Liar for Being Honest About Crisis

Hello Bloggers - Incredibly, Philip Elliot of the AP is reporting that Republican John McCain called Democratic rival Barack Obama a liar in Albuquerque yesterday afternoon at a campaign rally - for being honest the way I see it.

Elliott reports that McCain told those in attendance that "Sen. Obama has accused me of opposing regulation to avert this crisis. I guess he believes if a lie is big enough and repeated often enough it will be believed." I looked and I can't find where Obama accused McCain of "opposing regulation to avert this crisis," but I can say that it is basically true.

To be blunt and honest both parties opposed legislation to avert this crisis, because both parties had reform legislation (or versions of legislation) they supported and the other party opposed - no compromise was reached and so the issue remained deadlocked in congress for years. Despite all of the claims and counter-claims, as I've said many times recently, all indications and research points to one primary cause: the Bush Administration's lack of enforcement and oversight while the reform legislation was being held-up in Congress.

As many of my readers know I've done a great deal of research on this issue. I've even spoken to many of my old friends in Washington to compare notes. The attempted reforms that McCain is talking about a few years back were partisan and considered extremely risky by those who wanted to keep the best parts of the housing system intact. McCain and his Bush allies were unwilling to compromise on reforms that would have preserved a system that worked for decades creating American housing prosperity.

He is calling Barack a liar. I am now calling him a liar! McCain said yesterday at the rally that "the campaign comes down to a simple question: Who is the real Barack Obama?" I say that is a bunch of BS! It's all Rovian distraction - or crap - to muddy the waters and make Obama look like a risky person.

McCain drew the loudest cheers when he said the Democrat has written two memoirs but "he's not exactly an open book." What? Most readers praise Obama's books as wonderful and honest. Who were the cheering fools in Albuquerque? Republican cult followers designed to create an appearance of support? I guess we have to consider the source.

If all McCain has over the next month is to call a good man a liar than he truly has run out of ideas and deserves everything he's getting. He's falling in the polls and unless his negative, Rovian campaigning works he will soon diminish more both in effectiveness and stature. He's already fallen too far for many of us.

If it gets much worse, I think we're going to witness an implosion and self-destruction on a personal level not seen in American politics since Richard Nixon disintegrated while in office. I personally think he needs a break. As I like to say, for all you Republicans who know the facts, and who don't drink the Kool--Aid, I beg you to reconsider your votes and take a stand against McCain, Rove, and everything that has gone wrong with politics in America.

Tuesday's Political Rant #2 - Michael

Political Rant: Barney Frank's Honorable, Tough Stand Against GOP Propaganda

Good Morning Bloggers - I hate to beat the proverbial dead horse as they say, but I just had to post another article about how the Republicans are using race to explain away their own mistakes related to predatory lending and the credit crisis.

One of my favorite Congressman, Barney Frank, the man who recently suffered the obnoxious slings and arrows of that Fox "News" moron, Bill O'Reilly, supported my assertions yesterday that Republican criticism of Democrats over the nation's housing crisis is a veiled attack on the poor that is racially motivated.

According to the AP's Glen Johnson reporting from Boston yesterday, the Massachusetts Democrat and Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said the GOP is "appealing to its base by blaming the country's mortgage foreclosure problem on efforts to expand affordable housing through the Community Reinvestment Act."

He said the blame "is misplaced, because those loans are issued by regulated institutions, while far more foreclosures were triggered by high-cost loans made by unregulated entities." As my regular bloggers know that is a point that I've been banging away at for over a month now.

The Republicans refuse to acknowledge that regulatory protections were in place to insure against fraud and credit problems. They act like the Community Reinvestment Act and other legislation left lenders unprotected and vulnerable like sheep ready for a slaughter. To anybody who has read the legislation and the accompanying regulations (see my earlier posts) the assertions are wrong - or lies if you will.

Do you Republicans even listen to yourselves? The whole idea is crazy. It was caused primarily by a lack of oversight by the Bush Administration over the past eight years. Other causes involved Republican-led deregulation signed by Clinton in 1999 (he was wrong too), a housing bubble (caused by the lack of oversight and subsequent, over-confident market forces), and ultimate mismanagement and greed.

After a lot of homework, including a review of recent congressional testimonies, I would say the causes are pretty much in that order. The poor people who took the loans are the least guilty, unless they lied - also the fault of the predatory lenders in my opinion. Aren't there ways to find out if people are lying?

Frank said Republicans controlled Congress for 12 years and passed no regulation, while Democrats passed a Bush administration Fannie and Freddie regulation package since gaining control of the House and Senate in January 1997. Frank is rightly accusing the Republicans of race baiting their constituents. "They get to take things out on poor people," Frank said at a mortgage foreclosure symposium in Boston. "Let's be honest: The fact that some of the poor people are black doesn't hurt them either, from their standpoint. This is an effort, I believe, to appeal to a kind of anger in people."

Frank dismissed charges the Democrats failed on their own or blocked Republican efforts to rein in the mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I agree with him. I researched and discovered that both parties attempted Fannie and Freddie reform legislation from their own party perspectives, and both failed over the years due to a lack of compromise. Much of it was caused by the Bush Administration and its demands for massive structural changes designed to help Wall Street, and less industry regulation that Democrats felt threatened a system that has worked well for decades. Despite the congressional conflict, the crisis still grew out of a lack of Bush oversight.

House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio called Frank's remarks "a lame, desperate attempt to divert Americans' attention away from the Democratic party's obstruction of reforms that would have reined in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and helped our nation avoid this economic crisis."

Mr. Boehner, the only lame and desperate things here are you and your party. You guys are willing to lie, cheat and steal to get your way. You are lying to the American people about the cause of this crisis, and you are attacking an honest man like Barney Frank to beat him in November and back up your absurd, deceitful, conspiracy theory that poor people brought down Wall Street.

Barney Frank did not cause this crisis. More than twelve horrible years of Republican "leadership" caused this crisis. The same leadership that brought us war, tragedy, and corruption on a massive scale. It is time the Republicans stop blaming others for what they caused, and take responsibility for their failures.

Rovian tactics like "muddying the waters" to make everybody look bad in this situation will not work. It was Bush and the Republicans. I hope you take the time to learn what I've learned, and vote them out of power in November.

Tuesday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Rave: McCain Turns 100% Negative Attacking Obama

Good Morning Bloggers - Yes, I have a rave instead of a rant for a change. I thought we should highlight exactly how wonderful and positive the Republicans are in this campaign. Just kidding. I actually want to say how impressed I am by the Obama campaign.

To support my rave, I would like to compare the Obama camp to the nightmare that is the McCain campaign. Many of us probably thought it was impossible for them to go more negative, but they have recently. According to the website Talking Points Memo and the Campaign Media Analysis Group, Mr. "I'm 100% honest McCain" has shifted to an incredible 100% negative campaign attacking Obama. Every ad he is now showing attacks Barack Obama. Incredible!

By contrast, the Obama campaign is devoting less than half of Obama's overall ad spending to ads attacking McCain. More than half of its spending is going to a spot that doesn't once mention his foe.

• Nearly half a million weekly is funding the ad called "Dome," which attacks "Obama and his liberal allies" in Congress for favoring "massive government."


• A shade more than half a million is funding the ad called "Mum," which attacks "Obama and his liberal allies" as "mum on the market crisis."


• Much of the remaining McCain money is funding a spot called "Overseas," which says that "Barack Obama and his liberal allies are to blame" for jobs going overseas.

I must say that I'm not very surprised. FactCheck.org has reported that many of McCain's recent negative ads are the "most deceptive yet in the campaign." McCain and his supporters should be ashamed of the crap they create, but I know that's asking too much from my Republican friends.

So, to my RAVE! I would like to point out how proud I am of the Obama campaign. I've supported them for almost two years now and they've done exactly what they set out to do. They've run an exemplary campaign based on smart strategy, creative tactics, and a very effective grassroots network. They haven't turned overly negative - like McCain, or even Hillary in the primary - and have impressed me throughout. I hope it leads them - and all of us - to victory.

Saturday's Political Rave #1 - Michael