Apologies to Chuck Jones
George Bush…Oily Coyote.
By Zencomix
I didn’t know Nostradamus was a Muslim?
According to the Jerusalem Post…
A thorough analysis of the Koran reveals that the US will cease to exist in the year 2007, according to research published by Palestinian scholar Ziad Silwadi.
Hey Silwadi, what does the Koran say about next year’s Super Bowl?
Can We Interest You in Some F-16’s
Quick, what is the single most menacing feature of the F-16 fighter?
Answer, it is capable of carrying nukes under it’s wings.
Knowing this, why do you think the Bush administration is so willing to sell a couple dozen of these babies to the Pakistanis, particularly when they will most certainly use them to threaten India?
If you guessed cold hard cash you would be mostly correct. In addition to the administration not wanting France or China to make that sale as it might upset the folks at Lockheed, there is one other factor that seems fairly apparent; they want access to A.Q. Khan. You remember him don’t you? The former head of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program that has been implicated in playing the role of Nuclear Johnny Appleseed to the axis of evil.
A.Q. Khan’s network is reported to have played a significant role in North Korea’s nuclear program, providing it with an alternative way of manufacturing nuclear fuel, after it agreed under the 1994 Agreed Framework to freeze its reactors and reprocessing facilities. In all, A.Q. Khan’s network provided North Korea with both centrifuge designs and a small number of actual, complete centrifuges, in addition to a list of components needed to manufacture additional ones.
Sadly, when George W. Bush agreed to complete the sale of these fighters (the same ones his father cancelled due to the nefarious dealings and known nuclear capabilities of the intended recipient mind you) I am sure he didn’t expect Musharraf to repay him by refusing access to A.Q. Khan.
Pakistan rejected US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s request to allow Americans to question disgraced scientist AQ Khan over his alleged role in Iran’s nuclear programme, a report said in Washington on Tuesday.
Doh! Oh well, I guess that one didn’t work out the way we would have liked. Sorry India, can we interest you in some F-16’s?
Political News Wire Changes
This is just a heads up that as of midnight last night the news stories in The Political News Wire are date and time-stamped. Thanks for the suggestion Nick and thanks again for all the work neOnbubble.
Now I need your help in spreading the word, if you like this feature please tell your friends and blogging acquaintances.
Thanks,
-The Management (LOL)
Social Security Sabotage
With all the Republican talk about the “insolvency” of social security they don’t seem to be doing much of anything to address it. The President has now admitted that his proposed privatization plan will do nothing to address the projected shortfall, yet he and his team continue to press the plan as if it were a solution. Now I am reading that in the 2006 budget, Republican Senator Jim Bunning passed a Social Security tax break that will rob the system of more money and pass it on to the wealthiest of Americans.
Robbing the Treasury of $64 billion in reduced revenue over five years passes for fiscal discipline these days on Capitol Hill. Under Bunning’s proposal, Social Security recipients making over $200,000 will see a 14 percent increase in after-tax benefits. The over $100,000 crowd–which represents a mere 8.8 percent of Social Security recipients–rake in a 52 percent increase, while three-fourths of the eligible population will see no change.
Unless the Presidents’ agenda is to sabotage Social Security while at the same time making his donors rich; this entire exercise is a perfect example of the failure of Republican philosophy, at least this administration’s flavor of Republicanism.
Confucius say, "Shit happens."
I have been told that if a bird craps on your head it is good luck. I wonder what kind of luck you get if you step in a pile of dog crap on your way into the house? Sorry, but as I returned late this evening from my very first Young Democrats of Allegeny County meeting all ripe and ready to compose a post I squished my way into the foyer and lost all enthusiasm for posting. I can’t be upset with the dog as she is still a bit out of it from having puppies but damn. Anyway Shawn, I think this is the reason why there are so many people cat blogging, cats don’t leave gifts in the foyer. I will post on the YDAC in the morning.
Convention Center Hotel turns to BLACKMAIL…
Since my last post about this subject on March 16th, a LOT has happened, especially today. Since this is still developing as I write, I’ll try to summarize as best as I can. The latest information is in part from WGAL-TV, both on the Internet and broadcast, and from Lancaster Newspapers (which owns a share of Penn Square Partners, the “developer” of the proposed convention center hotel in downtown Lancaster, PA.
Penn Square Partners had continued their charade that the project was dead, however at the same time they were negotiating behind-the-scenes with the finance director of the School District of Lancaster. Earlier this week, Penn Square Partners had announced that they would accept the compromise proposal, if the School Board would approve it.
Meanwhile, two of the three County Commissioners (Republican Dick Shellenberger taking the lead, with the agreement of Democrat Molly Henderson) posed 57 questions to both the Penn Square Partners, and the Lancaster County Convention Center Authority. These questions include the mishandling of a $40 million bond issue made by the county for construction of the convention center, of which nearly $9 million in unaccounted for. The LCCCA made an attempt to answer some of the questions, however the Penn Square Partners did everything they could to avoid responding. It all came to a head this past Thursday, at a meeting attended by Republican State Senator Gibson E. Armstrong, Democratic State Representative Mike Sturla, Republican Mayor Charlie Smithgall, Republican County Commissioner Chairman Dick Shellenberger, County Treasurer Craig Ebersole, Penn Square Partners President Nevin Cooley, and Penn Square Partners Vice President Mark Fitzgerald. Dick Shellenberger demanded the answers to all of the 57 questions; after answering a few, Nevin Cooley stated that the answers to any more questions could leave the Penn Square Partners open to a new lawsuit.
Fast-forward to today: Mayor Charlie Smithgall, with Gib Armstrong, Mike Sturla, Redevelopment Authority Chairman Charles Simms, and Republican City Council President Dr. Stephen G. Diamantoni, announced that Lancaster City would purchase the existing buildings and land for $6.8 million, and take it completely off of the tax rolls (PSP paid $1.25 million for the building in 1998, and has made NO repairs since then). Penn Square Partners would then lease the building from the city for an undisclosed amount, build the hotel, then at the end of 20 years PSP would have the option of purchasing the building from the city for an undisclosed amount. There is no word as to where Lancaster City would obtain the funds to purchase this building, in fact the City government is already operating at a deficit.
PSP announced that it would provide Lancaster City with $250,000 each year for 20 years, with payments to increase if the hotel exceeds a 12% profit after debt payments and expenses. The Lancaster County government, which is still demanding answers, will receive NOTHING. It would be up to Lancaster City to decide how much money to compensate the School District of Lancaster, but it was hinted that it would be the $200,000/year that the School Board had initially turned down. WGAL interviewed County Commissioner Dick Shellenberger and School Board member Michael Winterstein, as well as School Board Finance Director Curt Baker; all expressed shock and dismay at this turn of events.
Now here is the first part of the blackmail: the School District was told they will receive *NO* money if they oppose this new plan. Indeed, School Board members are already discussing legal action against the city.
All parties are aware that this arrangement opens up the possibility of multiple lawsuits, especially from the group of hotel operators who had originally argued against the hotel tax that is funding much of this project (and who only gave up when the LCCCA threatened to sue them for harassment!). The second part of the blackmail is this: State Representative Mike Sturla said on-camera that ANY money needed to fight ANY lawsuits would come directly from the funds that otherwise would go to Lancaster City and the School District. This is blackmail, plain and simple: our own public officials are holding the students of Lancaster City and Township hostage to guarantee that the Penn Square Partners never have to reveal what they are doing with OUR tax money.
Lancaster City Council will hold the first reading of the bill authorizing this action tonight, and vote on it two weeks from now. Since most of the City Council members are directly under the control of Charlie Smithgall, that it will pass is a foregone conclusion.
In my opinion, the fact that the Penn Square Partners are refusing to reveal how they have been handling taxpayers funds indicates a real possibility of wrongdoing. Nevin Cooley has even admitted that the information they are concealing will open them to legal action. I am amazed that the Lancaster County District Attorney and the State Attorney General are letting them get away with this.
There are several more meetings of public officials scheduled this week about this subject, so we definitely haven’t heard the last of it.
-Artie See
Right-Wing Terrorists
I know that the last thing the right wants to hear is some lefty invoking the words of the French but that is what I am going to do. While listening to The Al Franken Show this afternoon I heard something that I am fairly sure is a rare event on his program, Al was pissed! It was audibly clear in his voice that he was disgusted and holding himself back from saying some things that could have gotten him in trouble. What was it that had him so disturbed? It was this disgusting display of putrid-bile-spewing-lies stinking up the pages of the Wall Street Journal. If you can stomach it I urge you to read this piece, here is a snip (editing courtesy of Al’s blog):
I do not understand the emotionalism of the pull-the-tube people. What is driving their engagement? … Why are they so committed to this woman’s death?They seem to have fallen half in love with death. …
Terri Schiavo may well die. No good will come of it. Those who are half in love with death will only become more red-fanged and ravenous. …
Once you know that … human life is not so special after all–then everything is possible, and none of it is good. When a society comes to believe that human life is not inherently worth living, it is a slippery slope to the gas chamber. You wind up on a low road that twists past Columbine and leads toward Auschwitz. Today that road runs through Pinellas Park, Fla.
In my opinion it is people like Peggy Noonan, Tom Delay, and whoever decided “this is a great political issue” for the Republicans to hang their hats on that are destroying America with every word, every action they take. While the American public may be too myopic to see this, the rest of the world is not. This piece from the French publication Liberation sums it up:
The people who are camping under the walls of a clinic in Pinellas Park [Florida], are terrorists. The same people who, in the name of the right to life, care as little as Bush does about the life of Terri Schiavo, and yell “murder” in the name of their “sacred” fundamentalist Christian values.Matching the cruelty of their language with their convictions, they wave signs equating abortion and euthanasia with “Auschwitz.” The cruelty of so glibly invoking Auschwitz, and conflating euthanasia and abortion, is of a nature that, in trivializing Auschwitz, perpetuates Auschwitz.
Friday Pet Blogging Update
As many of you are now aware our female Lhasa Apso/Shitzu mix had puppies on Friday. For anyone interested in an update here is a picture of the litter at three days old (click to see larger versions in the gallery).
Navel Gazing
First off I would like to note that in an effort to speed up the loading of this main page I have moved the blogrolls which use either RSS or blogrolling.com to a separate page which can be found on the left titled Alliances & Other Blogrolls. Let me know if this speeds up loading on your end.
Also, The Political News Wire is up to 18 news sources and growing. These sources are:
ABC News: Politics
AlterNet
BBC News Americas
CNN.com Inside Politics
DemocracyNOW
From The Wilderness
In These Times
Indy Media
Information Clearing House
International Herald Tribune
Media Matters
MSNBC
New York Times
PittsburghLIVE Editorial
ProgressiveTrail.org
The Nation
Washington Post
Washington Times Insider
Yahoo!
Please leave any suggestions for additional news sources or comments on this service either in the comments below or via email at goose3five(at)gmail(dot)com.
Lastly, Happy Easter to everyone that celebrates it!
Quote of the Week
Jeremy and I have had our differences in the past but I will not let that get in the way of congratulating him on what I think is THE quote of the week.
Every blog and every pundit in the world seems to be weighing in on the Terry Schiavo story. Nobody looks good doing it, either.All I have to say is this. Her last name is being mispronounced. The correct pronunciation is Ski-ah-vo. It is an Italian last name.
It means slave.
Somehow, it encapsulates this whole sad ordeal.
Rendel Crushes Swann
Ok folks, the results are in from our first ever Useless Web Poll. With all of 52 people weighing in Ed Rendel crushes Lynn Swann in a head to head race for Pennsylvania Governor:
Ed Rendel - 78.85%
Lynn Swann - 21.15%
(Note: this is in no way a scientific poll, it only represents the views of the 52 fools who chose to weigh in.) Note: I was one of those fools, no offense.
Photo Friday - Tiny
Better late than never, behold “tiny“…
Sketchbook Saturdays
Bush and Dukakis from 1988
by Zencomix
Activist Congress
As if the political goings-on this week were not enough to make you choke back vomit, it would appear that one activist congressman from California took it upon himself to use the cover of the Schiavo circus to reintroduce a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage. Man these people will never quit will they? Apparently banning gay marriage has replaced flag burning as the go-to wing-nut issue.
Bush Extends Life of Nazi War Crimes Group
Considering the veil of secrecy the current administration has shrouded itself in, I was extremely surprised to read that George Bush signed into law a two year extension of the The Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group. The group, whose mandate was set to expire at the end of this month, has been working furiously on uncovering documentary proof of ties between the CIA and former Nazi’s and war criminals. For example,
Newly declassified documents demonstrate that a good deal of information about what we have come to call the Holocaust was available to officials of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a predecessor agency of the CIA. Yet until President Roosevelt established the War Refugee Board in January 1944, the OSS made relatively few efforts to secure information about the fate of Jews in Occupied Europe.
This research reveals an ugly underbelly of an era that rarely receives scrutiny and more often is painted as ideologically pure (think The Greatest Generation). I have to give Bush credit for signing this extension, let’s just hope he doesn’t seal up everything they find and ship it off to his father’s presidential library at Texas A&M University.
Sunday Talk Show Line-up
Here is the Sunday political talk show line-up for March 27 courtesy of the Washington Post.
FOX NEWS SUNDAY: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) and former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.).THIS WEEK (ABC): Reps. David Joseph Weldon (R-Fla.) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.); Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, archbishop of Washington, and author Rick Warren.
FACE THE NATION (CBS): Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council.
MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) and authors Reza Aslan, the Rev. Robert F. Drinan, Richard Land, Jon Meacham and Jim Wallis.
LATE EDITION (CNN): Gen. John Abizaid; Javad Zarif, Iranian ambassador to the United Nations; and the Revs. Jerry Falwell, founder of Liberty University, and Al Sharpton, founder of National Action Network.
Hey Harkonnendog, I expect you will be watching Meet the Press this week then eh? I personally am looking forward to seeing Al Sharpton and Jerry Falwell go at it, that is always entertaining.