A few weeks ago, it was revealed that the Pentagon was deploying “military analysts” (retired military personnel) to each of the major news networks, in order to catapult the Bush administration’s propaganda on Iraq. It’s pretty clear why this scandal didn’t get a lot of play in the media: the media enabled it.

In an effort to come clean on the scope of the program, the Pentagon did a document dump last week. A short transcript taken from a video of Rumsfeld speaking to the analysts in December, 2006 is quite revealing, in terms of the mindset of the neocon contingent of the Bush administration. As you read these words from the former Secretary of Defense, days before his resignation and in the wake of the sweeping Democratic Party congressional victories a month prior, if you don’t get a chill down your spine, then either you’re not living in America (or you’re vacationing in a very warm spot):

“This President’s pretty much a victim of success. We haven’t had an attack in five years. The perception of the threat is so low in this society that it’s not surprising that the behavior pattern reflects a low threat assessment. The same thing’s in Europe, there’s a low threat perception. The correction for that, I suppose, is an attack…

So here we have the Secretary of Defense of the United States, sworn to uphold the Constitution and protect the country, waxing philosophic over the short attention span of the American public. He posits to a room full of former military propaganda catapulters that maybe the way to wake people up is for bin-Laden to launch another attack.

Roll that around in your brain for a moment.

And once your head has exploded, consider that (unless Olbermann or Stewart covers it) you won’t hear a peep about Rumsfeld’s words in the legacy media.

Rummy’s ruminations almost give credence to those who have long held that the events of 9/11/01 were, in part, a “false flag” operation.

I’m with Votevets.org on this one. The other day President Bush said that he honored our troops serving in war by giving up the game of golf. Yeah, he really said that. You can read Votevets.org’s take on it, and also how it turns out Bush pretty much had to give up golf anyway because of knee problems. That’s sort of like a diabetic deciding to honor the troops by giving up chocolate chip cookies. In short, ii is as meaningful as putting a yellow ribbon magnet made in China on your gas guzzling SUV.

But that’s not the only foolishness on the part of Bush yesterday. In an interview with Politico and Yahoo yesterday Bush came very close to endorsing the stupid John McCain plan for a temporary gas tax holiday, right after Bush claimed that demand was the problem. Someone ought to clue him in that supply and demand are related to price. He wants to reduce price, evidently, to give demand a little push? How utterly stupid. From Politico:

Q Mr. President, thank you very much for having us into the Roosevelt Room for the first online interview. In the spirit of the Internet, I wonder if we could ask a question from one of our users, Steve Bailey, of New York, who says: With oil at $126 a barrel, pushing up the price of everything — even food — what can your administration do to help people right now?

THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate Steven’s concerns. With the price of gasoline going up, it’s like a tax. I wish I could give Steven a quick answer. In other words, it took us a while to get to where we are — very dependent on oil, and in a world in which demand is greater than oil. So my answer to Steven is that the best thing we can do is to increase supply, and to drill for oil and gas in environmentally friendly ways at home, and build more refineries. Steven probably doesn’t know this, but we haven’t built a new refinery since 1976, and if we’re truly interested in relieving the pressure on our consumers, then we ought to have a very active domestic policy now.

Q Mr. President, as you know, as a possible solution, Senator McCain, Senator Clinton have talked about suspending the federal gasoline tax this summer. You never said an absolute “no” to that. Is it something you would consider or do you think it’s a bad idea to consider?

THE PRESIDENT: I’ll consider it. And there’s all kinds of ideas — they’re trying to pass a deal to stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; we’ll look at that.

The truth of the matter is that in order for there to be a substantial change either consumers have to change their habits — which we’re encouraging through alternative tax of automobiles — or there has to be an increase of supply. And both of them have to go hand in hand in order to achieve less dependence on this very unsettled oil market.

How stupid can he be, to talk about how consumers need to change habits while at the same time even considering to give out a gas tax holiday. Of course, he doesn’t address the fiscal implications at all, but deficits are the hallmark of this Presidency, so we didn’t expect that.

Doofus!

I don’t believe in crystal balls or tarot cards…but the fact that the Democrats have now won three congressional special elections in stronghold Republican districts doesn’t bode well for the GOP in November. The most recent loss took place tonight in the solidly red 1st. district in the state of Mississippi.

Democrat Travis Childers won Tuesday’s Mississippi special election runoff for Sen. Roger Wicker’s (R) former House seat, handing Democrats the biggest of their three special election takeovers this cycle and sending a listless GOP further into a state of disarray.

Childers led GOP candidate Greg Davis 53-47 with more than 90 percent of precincts reporting. Turnout increased substantially over the 67,000 voters who cast ballots in the April 22 open special election, with more than 100,000 voting in the runoff.

Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), issued a somber and self-reflective statement following the loss, saying Republicans were “disappointed” and that they need to prepare to run against Democrats campaigning as conservatives.

Cole added that “the political environment is such that voters remain pessimistic about the direction of the country and the Republican Party in general. Therefore, Republicans must undertake bold efforts to define a forward-looking agenda that offers the kind of positive change voters are looking for. This is something we can do in cooperation with our presidential nominee, but time is short.”

Now I understand that Rep. Cole has to respond to the defeat and I’m sure it’s difficult to craft a palatable rationale. Regardless, it’s hard to imagine the words “forward-looking agenda” and GOP in the same sentence.

After all, they have John McCain, a supposedly kinder, gentler version of George W. Bush, running as their presidential nominee…and he bills himself as the man who intends to keep his predecessor’s endless war racing full steam ahead. If that’s their notion of a forward-looking agenda, they might as well pull out the “mission accomplished” banners and see if they’re more effective the second time around.

The GOP also faces a campaign cash disadvantage that leaves them in a position they haven’t experienced in modern times. This, coupled with a disenchanted electorate, provides the Democrats with an arsenal of weapons that is both formidable and foreboding.

Both national party House committees plugged more than $1 million into the race, and spending by the candidates and outside groups like GOP-backing Freedom’s Watch pushed the race over $5 million total.

The NRCC’s investment was particularly painful given its stark cash disadvantage with less than six months to go until the November election.

The NRCC had just $7.2 million in the bank as of March 31. It spent $1.3 million in Mississippi.

Notwithstanding, it’s too early for the Democrats to let down their guard or uncork the champaign. While there is reason to be hopeful that the party will take back the White House and increase their majorities in the House and the Senate, a lot can still happen between now and November.

Needless to say, I suspect the GOP may be contacting Nancy Reagan’s astrologist in hopes of having something to look forward too. Hey, perhaps astrology could be the cornerstone of their forward-looking agenda? Nah, come to think of it, the first Bush already tried selling “A thousand points of light”.

Cross-posted at Thought Theater

It was bound to happen. Despite the president’s numerous statements that he doesn’t want to wade into the 2008 election, his remarks today not only signal that he’s reneged; they reflect his intention to employ the same tactic that he and the GOP used so successfully in the run up to the 2004 election. If you haven’t already guessed, let’s just say that it’s time to scare the bejeebers out of the voters by raising the prospect of a terrorist attack should the Democrats prevail in November.

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Tuesday he was disappointed in “flawed intelligence” before the Iraq war and was concerned that if a Democrat wins the presidency in November and withdrew troops prematurely it could “eventually lead to another attack on the United States.”

He acknowledged concerns about leaving the unfinished Iraq war to a Democratic successor. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton have said they will bring troops home if elected.

Bush said his “doomsday scenario of course is that extremists throughout the Middle East would be emboldened, which would eventually lead to another attack on the United States.”

This ominous message of potential doom comes from the same man who stood on an aircraft carrier nearly five years ago and declared “Mission Accomplished”. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m still trying to figure out which George Bush we’re supposed to believe…the one who thought the war in Iraq was a cake walk or the one who thinks the bogeyman is lurking around every corner.

Since I love metaphors, it’s worth noting that the president’s daughter was married at the family ranch in Texas over the weekend. While I wish her well in her marriage, unfortunately I can’t say that America’s eight year relationship with George W. Bush was all that successful. As is often stated when speaking about a troubled marriage, the honeymoon has been over for quite some time. I for one can’t wait to part ways.

Cross-posted at Thought Theater

The Hill has asked all Senators, Republican or Democrat, whether they would accept a nomination for Vice President. Several actaully left the opportunity open. Here’s a few who did, from The Hill:

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.)
“It’s presumptuous to even speculate about that kind of thing. But I suspect that’s not the sort of thing you say no to.”

Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah)
“Of course. Big house, big car, not much to do. Why not?”

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.)
“I would be honored to be asked. I’ve got to appraise the position in considering it. But I haven’t gone to the step of saying whether I would or wouldn’t at this point … I’d probably take away from the ticket, too. There’s always pros and cons. I’m strong pro-life, pro-marriage, and some people would say, ‘Well, I don’t like that.’ But really, people vote for president. Not vice president. I think vice president can hurt you more than it can help you. I can’t remember any time in my lifetime where I voted for a president because of the vice presidential nominee.”

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
“Does that include any sports picks or anything like that? … I would certainly consider it.”

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)
“Other than you and my wife, I’m not sure anyone else has asked me. Obviously, it’s a position that I think is critically important, that the right person who can lead the nation be selected as vice president, someone who’s compatible with the president, and someone who can add balance to the ticket. So I’m not going to presume to answer that as far as any specific people, including myself. But I’m in the United States Senate. To be president of the Senate would be a great honor.”

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.)
“Yes. Sign me up. I’ve been kidding people for years: The hours are better, the wages are just as good — whoever heard of a vice president getting shot at? — and it’s a great opportunity to travel. And actually since time has gone by, the job is robust … So sure. Anybody here would, if they’re going to be honest. The chances are slim to none. But I promise you, I would deliver all three of Delaware’s electoral votes.”

Of course, some of those guys and gals are kidding around, and that’s OK. Go read the list! The one who is really interesting is Chuck Hagel, who was asked specifically today if he would be Barack Obama’s VP. Oh, I think this would be a better choice politically than Hillary Clinton as VP. From the CNN Political Ticker:

“I don’t expect to be on anyone’s ticket this year. I don’t expect to be in anyone’s government next year,” Hagel, who is retiring from the Senate this year, told John Roberts on CNN’s American Morning.

But would he consider joining a bipartisan unity ticket with Obama? “I’m going to try and find some honest work,” he said, adding that “If [Obama] asks, I’ll let you know.”

Now that’s a nondenial if I ever heard one. Though Hagel is a good friend of John McCain, I’m betting he wouldn’t serve in the Veep role for McCain. I don’t think Hagel could stomach being partially responsibile for any more Republican incompetence.

While John McCain has chosen to avoid a repudiation of Pastor Hagee’s endorsement of the presumed GOP nominee, it appears that the damage control has commenced. Today, Hagee issued a written apology to Catholics and the apology was accepted by Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League. Ahh, yes…a marriage made in heaven…isn’t that wonderful?

Like many evangelical pastors, John Hagee is no stranger to controversial statements. With his endorsement of the Arizona Senator, many of the remarks attributed to Hagee have resurfaced…and they are every bit as incendiary as the words that were spoken by Barack Obama’s pastor, Jeremiah Wright…though they haven’t garnered near the attention. In the following video clip, Hagee is seen calling the Catholic Church “The Great Whore”.

Pastor Hagee On The Catholic Church (VIDEO)

Not to fear. Politics makes for strange bedfellows and none may be stranger than Hagee and Donohue. Take a look at today’s exchange of pleasantries.

“Out of a desire to advance greater unity among Catholics and Evangelicals in promoting the common good, I want to express my deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful,” Hagee wrote, according to an advanced copy of the letter reviewed by Washington Wire. “After engaging in constructive dialogue with Catholic friends and leaders, I now have an improved understanding of the Catholic Church, its relation to the Jewish faith, and the history of anti-Catholicism.”

In the letter, addressed to Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League and one of Hagee’s biggest critics, Hagee pledges “a greater level of compassion and respect for my Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ.”

Hagee’s letter explains some of the harsh words he has used when describing the Catholic Church. “I better understand that reference to the Roman Catholic Church as the ‘apostate church’ and the ‘great whore’ described in the book of Revelation” — both terms Hagee has employed — “is a rhetorical device long employed in anti-Catholic literature and commentary,” he wrote.

Donohue, in a response to Hagee’s letter, accepted his apology. “The tone of Hagee’s letter is sincere. He wants reconciliation and he has achieved it. Indeed, the Catholic League welcomes his apology. What Hagee has done takes courage and quite frankly I never expected him to demonstrate such sensitivity to our concerns. But he has done just that. Now Catholics, along with Jews, can work with Pastor Hagee in making interfaith relations stronger than ever. Whatever problems we had before are now history. This case is closed,” Donohue wrote.

Hagee is also known for his derogatory remarks directed towards gays…particularly his assertion that Katrina was simply a matter of God punishing the people of New Orleans. Hagee argued that the upcoming gay pride parade led to the devastating hurricane. His statement in that regard follows.

All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that.

The newspaper carried the story in our local area, that was not carried nationally, that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it would was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other gay pride parades.

So I believe that the judgment of God is a very real thing. I know there are people who demur from that, but I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the Day of Judgment, and I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.

Hagee, subsequent to endorsing McCain, sought to step back from his comments by issuing the following statement.

“As a believing Christian, I see the hand of God in everything that happens here on earth, both the blessings and the curses. But ultimately neither I nor any other person can know the mind of God concerning Hurricane Katrina. I should not have suggested otherwise. No matter what the cause of the storm, my heart goes out to all who suffered in this terrible tragedy. There but for the grace of God go any one of us.”

Unfortunately, according to the Dallas Morning News, the seeming retraction apparently left a bad taste in the pastor’s mouth and that led him to offer the following response to a caller, who asked during a radio appearance, why the pastor had backed away from his comments in the face of criticism.

Hagee said he hadn’t. As for the Katrina, he said, God controls hurricanes and “God always punishes unconfessed sin.”

Now there seems to have been some confusion at the time. While Hagee was attributing Katrina to the gay pride parade, one of his fellow evangelists, Pat Robertson, was speculating that God was angry because Ellen Degeneres, a lesbian originally from New Orleans, had been chosen to host the upcoming Emmy Awards.

As it turned out, despite all of these revelations and proclamations, the French Quarter, the epicenter of gay life in New Orleans, weathered the storm with minimal damage. Since we know that God controls all natural disasters, I guess we’re left to conclude that the good Lord had an off day and simply misfired, leaving the gays unpunished and free to plan the next years parade.

Unfortunately, I had my phone turned off so I missed my own call from the Almighty - otherwise I might have been able to report my own communications and clear up any of the confusion that remains.

So where does this leave us? Well, I can’t help but see politics as a numbers game. As such, it’s far more important to make nice with the Catholics than with the LGBT community, since the Catholics comprise a larger voting block and they are certainly more closely aligned with the positions of the GOP than the gays and the Democrats. Besides, demonizing gays has always been an effective weapon in the arsenal of people of faith.

That brings me to the protection of marriage…one of the quintessential issues for Christians. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that today’s events demonstrate that even a marriage of convenience trumps a same-sex marriage. Therefore, it is far easier for evangelicals and Catholics to kiss and make up, under the umbrella of the GOP, than it would be for any of them to alter their stance on portraying gays and gay marriage as the source of all that ails society.

The funny thing is…I’ve always thought that Christians frowned upon acts of prostitution…and engaging in a menage a trois. Little did I know that God would rather bless the union of three trick-turners than the loving relationships of two homos. It just goes to show that politics and prostitution have a lot in common…and if you think about it…they have maintained a long standing and fruitful connection. After all, isn’t staying together through thick and thin…while procreating more of the same…what marriage is supposed to be about?

With this newfound awareness, I know you’ll understand my need to excuse myself…I’ve got to go confess my sins…I just can’t bear to be the one with the sullied soul who causes the next calamity.

Cross-posted at Thought Theater

Here’s a picture of the T-Shirt being sold by the proprietor of a local bar in Cobb County, GA. Sure, the guy, Mike Norman, has the whiney excuse that it’s “just a joke,” but there really isn’t a doubt that it plays on the ugliest of racist stereotypes out there. And Norman has a history of making ugly racist “jokes. It is time for Republicans such as John McCain to denounce this sort of grass roots ugly racism. Here’s the report from the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

Marietta tavern owner Mike Norman says the T-shirts he’s peddling, featuring cartoon chimp Curious George peeling a banana, with “Obama in ‘08″ scrolled underneath, are “cute.” But to a coalition of critics, the shirts are an insulting exploitation of racial stereotypes from generations past.

“It’s time to put an end to this,” said Rich Pellegrino, a Mableton resident and director of the Cobb-Cherokee Immigrant Alliance. It was among the organizations planning to gather outside Mulligan’s Bar and Grill Tuesday afternoon to protest the “racist and highly offensive” shirts.

“There’s no place for these views, not in this day and age,” he said.

Just down the street from Marietta’s famous Big Chicken, Mulligan’s has carved a provocative niche in an increasingly multicultural area, thanks to its owner’s ultra-conservative political views. If you live in Marietta, it’s impossible not to know what’s on Norman’s mind, as he posts his views on signs in front of Mulligan’s.

Among his recent musings: “I wish Hillary had married OJ,” “No habla espanol — and never will” and the standard “I.N.S. Agents eat free.”

“I’m saying out loud what everyone in this town whispers,” Norman said.

Everyone in his area is whispering this crap? Maybe the stereotypes about the South being racist are correct? No, I’m not buying it. I’ve known too many people from the South who would walk across the street rather than be subjected to this kind of crap. There’s no excuse for this kind of incendiary divisiveness in this country. And it is good to see there is organized opposition to this guy now.

Next thing you know the guy will be having KKK rallies at his place! Hmm, here’s the advertising for said rally.

Longtime NBC correspondent Martin Fletcher checked in from Thailand yesterday with a rather weird blog post. He’s apparently been trying (without success) to gain entry into Tibet, Myanmar, and Zimbabwe to report on humanitarian issues.

I suppose that’s all well and good. According to Fletcher, he’s been working on it for three months, and is apparently feeling rather, eh, snubbed, because none of the governments are giving him an entry visa. His poetic waxing about the the U.S. of A., though, is almost laughable:

As a journalist who has tried to enter each of these places in the last three months and failed – my heart goes out to the citizens under stress, whose stories I would dearly like to tell, in the hope some good would come of it.

But my predominant emotion is thanks to the world into which I was fortunate enough to be born. My world has enough food and my vote is a force that cannot be changed, unlike Zimbabwe; I can say what I like, unlike in Tibet; and I know I can count on my government in case of a natural disaster, unlike in Myanmar… [emphasis mine]

Oh, where to start.

“My world has enough food”

May 2, 2008 — America’s Second Harvest — The Nation’s Food Bank Network reported the results of a new survey that found 100 percent of food bank respondents have seen an increase in the number of clients served within the past year. The increase is estimated at 15 - 20 percent.

Of those surveyed, 84 percent indicated they are currently unable to adequately meet the increased demand without having to reduce the amount of food they distribute or people they serve…

“The America’s Second Harvest Network and food service organizations nationwide have been ABSOLUTELY overwhelmed by demand,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of America’s Second Harvest. “Supply is not keeping up with demand and we must do something quickly to meet the needs of the more than 35 million struggling Americans trying to make ends meet and feed themselves and their families.” …

“My vote is a force that cannot be changed”

Compared to counties with paper ballots, counties with electronic voting machines were significantly more likely to show increases in support for President Bush between 2000 and 2004. This effect cannot be explained by differences between counties in income, number of voters, change in voter turnout, or size of Hispanic/Latino population. - In Broward County alone, President Bush appears to have received approximately 72,000 excess votes. - We can be 99.9% sure that these effects are not attributable to chance…

“I can say what I like, unlike in Tibet”

A free speech zone is an area set aside for protesters, within which law enforcement supposedly will not interfere with them if they stay inside it, but may arrest or assail them if they venture out of it. It is often at a remote location from which the protesters need not be seen or heard by those attending the event being protested.

Example: When President George W. Bush travels around the United States, the Secret Service visits the location ahead of time and orders local police to set up ‘free speech zones’ or ‘protest zones’ where people opposed to Bush policies (and sometimes sign-carrying supporters) are quarantined. These zones routinely succeed in keeping protesters out of presidential sight and outside the view of media covering the event…

“I know I can count on my government in case of a natural disaster”

Perhaps Martin Fletcher has just been away from the U.S. for too long, and is experiencing some homesickness. But the bottom line is that he doesn’t need to be traveling to the four corners of the Earth (or Myanmar or Tibet or Zimbabwe) to experience social injustice. He really needs to examine the myth of American exceptionalism, especially in the wake of 8 years of the most socially destructive administration in U.S. history.

When he returns to the U.S., perhaps he could apply his skills to working on some of the same issues he laments from his experiences in other countries.

I wrote about the new slogan the GOP in the House have come up with, and Jason Linkins of the Huffington Post has found that it’s a registered advertising slogan for the anti-depressant Effexor XR, a drug brought to you by Wyeth. Here’s a bit of Linkins’ story:

What the GOP doesn’t seem to realize, because they are idiots, is that “the change you deserve” is the registered advertising slogan of Effexor XR, a drug that many of you might have started taking as a result of all the…you know — terrorism. (Hat tip to Bluestem for catching this gem.)

Effexor, also known as Venlafaxine, is approved for the treatment “of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder in adults.” Its common side effects are very much in keeping with the world the House Republicans have striven to build: nausea, apathy, constipation, fatigue, vertigo, sexual dysfunction, sweating, memory loss, and - and I swear I am not making this up - “electric shock-like sensations also called ‘brain zaps.’”

Its less common side effects are equally awesome in their appropriateness.

And when the Food And Drug Administration reviewed the ad copy that included the tagline, “The change you deserve,” it took issue with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures Effexor, saying that the company made “unsubstantiated superiority claims.” Sounds like the GOP have picked an ironically accurate tagline for their efforts!

Here’s one reason they might be needing anti-depressants. Bob Barr has entered the Presidential race, running as a Libertarian. sure, he’s still got to win their nomination, and while they might hold out for Ron Paul to quit the Republicans, they probably couldn’t get better name recognition than Bob Barr. Heck, and if the Libertarian Wing of the Republican Party is a bit upset at the GOP treatment of Paul, they just might vote for Barr.

Of course, in the Obama camp they are hiding their glee. Paul has siphoned off a few percentage points in the Republican primaries. I’m thinking those votes will only go to the Libertarians if the Libertarian is seen as enough of a public figure so that people voting that way won’t see it as a wasted vote. Then again, they mayu see voting against the GOP as well worth it. This is, after all, a time when flocks and flocks of people are fleeing the GOP, and for good reason. Heck, who could have believed, 11 years ago when Barr was leading the partisan GOP fight to impeach Clinton over a dress that he’d leave the party? That’s what’s stunning. Barr has always been a loyal foot soldier, and he’s got far too much religious right street cred to take up the Libertarian banner without huge provocation.

One wonders whether Bob Barr might even be able to syphon off some of the vote of the religious conservatives who make up the GOP base. Barr isn’t touting his cred with the religious right on his new campaign web site, but that’s likely because the moral wedge issues the Radical Right Wing Christian Clerics usually go for aren’t on the radar for the Libertarians. But Barr’s leadership on the War on Drugs, as well as his leadership on the legislation against same sex marriage give him a certain cachet with the GOP base, so he just might steal some votes away from John McCain. Yes, the Republicans are facing a perfect electoral storm that is rising to gale force against them, as discussed by Steve Chapman in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer, and it just got much, much worse.

I’m imagining they are hoping for a Republican sex scandal to take their minds off of this development today. Or maybe these guys are just popping the Effexor.

’nuff said. (More here.)