Liberal Media Watch

I was shocked...SHOCKED, I tell you to see all the major news outlets and all the Sunday chat shows devouring Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Aren't they all her liberal stooges?

Liberal media bullshit owned once again.

Oh, and while I think she did know what was going on back in 2002 and 2003 (making her guilty of complicity after the fact), SHE WASN'T THE ONE EXECUTING A POLICY OF TORTURE YOU FUCKING DUMB ASSES.

Nice try, righties. You should know by now that I will always be here to call you on your bullshit.

Everyone Be Hatin'

To say that I have been bombarded in the last 24 hours with emails, phone calls, and personal conversations regarding President Obama's decision to fight the release of photographs detailing abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan would be an understatement. My friends on the left are pissed as hell and are accusing him of covering up just like W. My friends on the right are laughing and calling him a wimp and saying "I told you so." My opinion?

If you are pissing off everyone, you are probably doing something right.

The fact is that we all know what happened. There was rampant abuse across the board. More importantly, it was systemic, meaning that the abuse was tacitly approved by all levels of the Bush Administration. As we try to apologize to the rest of the world for being such D bags for the last 8 years, any sort of release of photographs of this type would be detrimental to our image clean up across the globe. In addition, President Obama is correct in stating that our troops would be in greater danger should these images see the light of day.

All of this being said, the fact that my guy has to put up with this bullshit really fucking pisses me off. The blame for all of this should be laid squarely at the feet of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld NOT President Obama, although being the REAL man that he is (and even though he had nothing to do with any of this) he is still accepting the responsibility for it. If people want to pissed off, fine... be mad that they allowed the most un-Christian behavior to occur that I think this country has ever seen. Be mad at the animals in our own armed forces that will never be prosecuted for these crimes.

Be mad at the sadists in the Bush Administration that had the incredibly fucked up idea that we have to become our enemy in order to "keep us safe."

Changing of the Guard

Yesterday, Defense Secretary Gates fired the top general in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan. He has replaced him with Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal (left), a man who has far more special forces experience than McKiernan. McChrystal had boots on the ground in Saudi Arabia from 1990 to 1993, serving both Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

"Today we have a new policy set by our new president. We have a new strategy, a new mission and a new ambassador," Gates said Monday at a news conference. "I believe that new military leadership also is needed."

I agree. I'm still not entirely backing off my criticism of President Obama (which, b to the w, is NOT to be confused with the right wing douche bag talking point that Obama is the next Jimmy Carter aka wimp) regarding his "Nixonian Vietnam let a proxy fight the war" pursuit of policy in that part of the world. But this is at least a step in the right direction. McKiernan and other U.S. commanders, echoing yours truly, have said resources they need in Afghanistan are tied up in Iraq.

The "read between the lines" part of this story is that if the Pakistani Army can't do what it is trying to do right now in the SWAT valley (and never will for reasons I have stated previously), the United States will have a man in charge who can get the job done if called upon to do so.

Once again, Stan's the Man!

Reform?

Since Last in Line is so fond of taking trips down memory lane regarding previous posts and comments of mine, I thought we would start off the week with one of his offerings.

A while back, John Waxy asked Last what positive things Bush contributed to our society. Last replied that tort reform was one of them. He went on to say that frivolous lawsuits were breaking the financial back of this country and we needed to be rid of them.

Take a look at this story which I caught on Fox News this morning. I guess Bush's tort reform is ok when we are making sure that corporate officers are able to keep their third vacation home (see: no such animal as employee rights...who gives a shit if they are in ill health?). But a student is allowed to sue his teacher for a thought provoking discussion of religion. Yeah, that's just dandy. I guess U.S. District Judge James Selna is not one of those activist judges we hear the right screeding about constantly because he thinks the case has merit.

And, once again, my tap into your inner rage and pass shit off as fact theory is fully proven. Next stop for Jim Corbett....the Inquisition! I'm sure the robes (white) are fully laundered and ready to go:)

Thanks, Dick!

I have to say that I think I have been wrong about Dick Cheney. Rather than repeatedly ripping him for being such a douche, I should be thanking him. Every time he opens his mouth, something extremely moronic comes out and politically increases the chances of more Democratic victories and a second term for President Obama.

On Face the Nation today, our former Vice President essentially stated that Colin Powell is no longer a Republican (see: American in angry white man desperately paranoid about his "culture" slipping away speak). He went on to say that Rush Limbaugh is a true Republican and the party should be taking his cues from him.

I agree. I think the GOP should align itself with someone who has a 20 percent approval rating nationally pushing it further into regional party status (see eight states in the south). In addition, ripping an honored member our Armed Forces (one who actually served in Vietnam as opposed to Dick who got four deferments) always goes over well with those folks who have conservative values but aren't lunatics. How many more votes do you suppose that will make for Dems in 2010 and the president in 2012?

Thanks Dick!

Bill Nails it Again

"When the president suggests things that will help the greater good, that's not a slight against your fragile manhood. I know. I know. You are a rugged individualist. Except you're not.

You're just a dick."

I didn't like this movie the first time I saw it...

Eric, from comments, writes (in relation to my week long rant about Pakistan)

So where does Pakistan's decision to throw out all peace talks and launch military action against the Taliban fit in to all this?

As I expected with Zardari and Karzai visiting the White House this week, there would be a slight uptick in military engagements in the SWAT valley. I've been following this story since 9-11 and I've seen this all before. While it is true that Pakistan declared "war" on the Tailban, it's a little hard to carry out an effective campaign when a). none of your main military is being pulled from possible combat against India (aka Pakistan isn't really that serious about this); b). half your army is pro Taliban; and c). all of you intelligence apparatus is pro Taliban.

In other words, much of what we are hearing about over there is a big show. Zardari does not have control of his country and his placations of "just let us deal with it" are hollow and false. Many innocent civilians are going to die and far too little militants are going to be neutralized. There will be no clear victory at all until US intelligence forces are formally allowed into the country to assist.

Basically what I am saying is that I am still not happy and know that President Obama is continuing to pursue a failed policy.

Nixon in 1969?

I opened up my morning Times and saw this...

There were new signs of uneasiness on Capitol Hill about United States involvement in the region. The Democratic chairman of the House Appropriations Committee pronounced himself as “very doubtful” that Mr. Obama’s plan for Afghanistan and Pakistan could succeed. The chairman, Representative David Obey, of Wisconsin, said he would allow only one year for the White House to show concrete results, and repeatedly likened Mr. Obama’s approach to President Richard Nixon’s plans for Vietnam in 1969.

Wow. I have to say that at this point I agree. Nixon thought that certain factions in Vietnam were working in tandem with US interests when they were not. There is no doubt in my mind that large swaths of Pakistani intelligence as well as the Pakistani army are very pro Taliban. They seem to be giving a whole lot of lip service to President Zardari, the current "leader" of Pakistan.

When we have our country's National Security Adviser saying that the situation in Pakistan is "one of the very most serious problems we face," one has to wonder why the "liberal" media is still stuck on fucking swine flu. Who gives a shit? In addition to the economy, this is the gravest threat we face...one that harkens back to the early days of WWII in my opinion. We have already had one horrendous attack on our home soil...we can't take another one let alone a nuclear strike. My guy seems to really be dropping the ball on this one. The people who harbored Osama bin Laden are on the cusp of getting nuclear weapons and there really doesn't seem to be much going on in DC...at least that I can see.

I'm waiting to be proved wrong.

Same ol...same ol'

Thus far, if I could pinpoint one major criticism of President Obama it would be that he appears to be pursuing the same line of strategy with Pakistan as President Bush did. Recent reports indicate that administration officials are working with Pakistani officials to negotiate with the Taliban, who have now advanced to within 100 miles of the capital city of Islamabad.

If you recall, President Bush tried to negotiate with the Taliban right after 9-11 and look at how well that went. He then proceeded to do nothing for the next seven years and essentially created this problem. Now, President Obama seems intent on continuing this same mistake. If the Taliban takes control of Pakistan--a very real possibility--then the people that harbored Al Qaeda will have access to nuclear weapons.

They will also have access to the Agosta class submarines currently sitting in the port of Karachi These subs have air delivery missile systems that can easily be upgraded to nuclear tips. As I have stated several times on this blog, I think that Al Qaeda wants to bigger than 9-11 on their next attack....little piddly shit just won't do. There is no doubt in my mind that this is they type of attack they have envisioned.

You can add into this whole mess that half the Pakistani army as well most of its intelligence agencies is pro Taliban. We have a very large problem here that needs more pressure than is currently being applied. Now, I don't see the daily intelligence briefings so I could be off in saying this but we need to step up our drone attacks and push the Pakistani government into letting us assist more in defense. If they refuse, we need to do it anyway.

It doesn't surprise me either that the "liberal" media isn't reporting this at all. To say the situation is grave is a fucking understatement. Time is running out.

Mixed and Clear Feelings

I have to say that I have mixed feelings about Arlen Specter switching sides and being a Democrat. While I am happy that he is yet another in a chorus of people who say that the Republicans are going too far to the right (anything to prove me right is always a plus:)), I am not sure I want the man who put forth the magic bullet theory on my side. President Obama was asked on Wednesday night what he thought about Senator Specter becoming a Democrat and he said that he had the up most respect for the man.

For all you righties out there who say that I worship and believe everything President Obama says, this would be ANOTHER example of an instance with which I disagree with our current leader. In fact, he couldn't be more wrong. None of us should have any respect for a man who assisted in covering up the highest crime this nation has ever seen. So, while I'm happy we'll get an extra vote out of the deal, it sucks that it has to be that guy.

I am clear, however, on yet another example of the continued psychosis of the right. I have been taken to the mat several times in comments recently regarding how I'm "just like them" for being intolerant of certain views. To those of you that say that, I would like you to explain to me how I should tolerate Michael Savage and Neil Boortz recent tirades that the swine flu is actually a terrorist attack by illegal immigrants. The comments that these two men have made recently are filled with hate, ignorance, and paranoia. They represent the EXACT base of the Republican party these days and to say I, or anyone else on the left, is like them is as fucking moronic as it is insulting.

You want to complain about a comment Bill Maher or Keith Olberman made about the right? Fine, every time I'm going to bring up Savage and Boortz and tell you to fuck off.

Owned and done.

100 Day Report Card

Well, my guy has been at 1600 for 100 days and I thought it would be nice to take a look at what he has done...the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Let's start with the 400 pound gorilla in the room...the economy. For the most part, I didn't really have an opinion on either the stimulus package or the budget. My knowledge of economic matters isn't as extensive as it is with foreign policy. After some reading and some careful consideration....I still don't have one...really. I'm not crazy about the deficit but I also think that you have to spend money to make money. President Eisenhower spent the equivalent of 900 billion dollars of today's money on the national highway system and ended up creating a much stronger economy. I think President Obama is on the right track when he says that health care and climate change can be keys to a stronger economy. But can we sustain a multi trillion dollar deficit? No one really knows so for that reason I give him a C+

On the issue of terrorism, sadly, I have to give him a D at this point. It's not because I think he is "weak" or because he shook hands with Chavez (btw, last time I checked he is not a Muslim). It's because he has continued the same policy of doing nothing in regards to Pakistan and look where that has gotten us? The Taliban within 100 miles of the capital and ready to take control of nuclear weapons. Granted, they wouldn't be there if a certain incompetent cretin with a daddy complex hadn't stomped his feet in frustration from not wanting to learn no more about stuff.

But President Obama is in office now and needs to take ownership, in a very forceful way, of this issue. We cannot allow these people nuclear weapons. They have no regard for human life and would love to see what little regard they do have brought to life with women in chains. This is an issue that is very important to me, as readers of NFTF for years know about, and I will be talking about it more in the coming days as the "liberal" media is not.I do give him props for closing Gitmo and releasing the torture memos. It's time to show the world that we are not like the animals that want to do us harm. So, he barely misses the F.

On the issue of health care, he gets an A from me. He extended insurance to 4 million children and threw out Bush's neolithic stance on stem cell research. The health and wellness of this country means more people working, spending money, and thus, a better economy. It's time to leave the long Spanish robes and cries of heresy behind when it comes to science.

With education, he gets at A. His current budget includes money for ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) as well as college funds. Our country is falling behind in the world because we value education only through the lens of private corporations. This is an abomination. The simple fact that President Obama's idea of "taking a break" is going to a school is fucking mega. We will never have another "Greatest Generation" unless we bring our country up to speed in multiple intelligences.

In regards to the environment, I give him a C. I'm not certain that cap and trade is the way to go. I need to look more into this. He also seems very laissez faire about the latest IPCC reports which give me pause. But he at least admits that climate change is happening and action is going to be taken which is more than I can say for the world is flat crowd on the right.

On his staff, or the best and the brightest he has put in place to get us out of the Great Recession, I give him a B. James Jones, Robert Gates, Arne Duncan, Joe Biden, Eric Holder, Kathleen Sebelius, Ray LaHood, Eric Shinsecki, Janet Napalitano, Rahm Emmanuel: MONEY! Hillary Clinton: good, but I don't like her personally after the Karl Rove bullshit of the primaries. Timothy Geithner: love his intellect, hate his communication skills, up to his eyeballs in cronyism. President Obama himself gets lower marks due to the Tom Daschle dalliance (why would he EVER consider a guy who has a driver?) and subsequent DC speak surrounding the nomination. Throw in the Bill Richardson BS too. Who was on the vetting team for crying out loud?

Misc gaffes: the special olympics remark (total locker room jock shit), telling Republicans to not listen to Rush Limbaugh (he is only as big as you make him), and taking forever to buy the dog (dude, it's your kids)

Misc goodies: using a teleprompter (that's correct, righties, isn't it nice to have a president who takes the care to prepare?), not using a teleprompter (like...all the fucking time...the right must be tuned in to Hee Haw re-runs when this happens), and watching the beginning of the end of extremism (Ahmadinejad, the Brothers Castro, and Chavez falling all over themselves to be seen with Obama).

So, I guess my overall grade is a B. There has been some impressive stuff so far...certainly waaaayyyy better than President Bush...but the Pakistan thing is really sticking in my craw of late and I don't see a lot of movement in that arena. But hey! Maybe something will happen in the next few weeks...assuming we all don't die of swine flu...and I will be proven wrong.

I'd certainly be happy if he was the one to do it.

Simply The Best

The last new rule sent me to the ER for O2.

Hands down, the best commentary on the current state of the Republican Party I have ever seen. And I just said that with Matt Taibbi's piece two days ago in Rolling Stone.

Stomach...hurts....too much laughter

From Matt Taibi of Rolling Stone Magazine

Following the Republican Party of late has been a movingly depressing experience, sort of like watching Old Yeller die — if Old Yeller were a worm-infested feral bitch who spent the past eight years biting children at bus stops and shitting in neighborhood swimming pools. As a useful force in American politics, the Republicans have been dead for a while now. But in the seven months since Sarah Palin's nomination, they have taken on an intriguing new role: providing much-needed comic relief during dark times, serving as the unofficial rodeo clowns of the Financial Crisis Era.

NEWSFLASH!

This just in...

Jesus Christ would have approved of water boarding.

That's right folks. I've taken an informal poll of my conservative friends (not last in line as he is currently the star of Salsa Tonight!) and they all agree that, in addition to carrying an assault rifle, if Jesus were alive today, water boarding would've have been just dandy with him. I guess they really don't get the meaning of these passages.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

(Matthew 5: 9-10)

Last In Line...Salsas!

For those of you who wanted to know what Last In Line looks like, here he is in all his glory. Of course, I'm sure many of you thought that when you first did see him that it wouldn't be like this!

Looks pretty good, doesn't he?

Words of Wisdom

My friend Gina just posted this on her FB page. Very astute and quite accurate.

The meaning of "communism" and "socialism" has been thrown out there so much to describe so many things that it is really now meaningless. What does it mean to say that Obama is a socialist? First, get the definition of that correct, and then offer up the proof. Raising taxes is not "socialist." Requiring banks who take TARP money to hold to certain rules is not socialist.

We've never been an unrestricted free market. The govt has always attached strings to its funding. The interstate/highway funding of each state is contingent (partially) on the state having a drinking age of no less than 21. It's been that way for many years now. Is that socialist? I mean, who is the fed govt to tell the states what laws they have to make? But if they give the funding, they can make it contingent on following their rules.

Obama has not even advocated repealing the bush tax cuts yet. And he proposes a modest increase in the upper tax bracket percentage, back to where it was under Clinton.

The sky hardly fell then. The hyperbole and hysteria of certain right wing people is just getting to be too much- like the boy who cried wolf. It's not being taken seriously. There has been much government intervention over the years- our country was not a libertarian free for all with no taxes and no restrictions before Obama took office.

And yet some people are acting like Obama is going to confiscate not only our money, but our guns and our houses and perhaps put us in concentration camps. We need a little perspective and some knowledge of history. And when we pay taxes, it is not OUR money being stolen from us. WE are the govt, WE elect these people, WE decide as part of the social contract that we need to pay taxes for the common good. We are not just a nation of individuals, every man for himself. Admittedly there's govt waste and incompetence, and that should be addressed. But different issue.

Worth 1000 Words

Suddenly he's not a socialist.

Last Thursday, President Obama unveiled a new plan to bring high speed rail to the United States in full force. While the 8 billion that is initially going to be spent is small change compared to what really has to be done, it is a start. As he made the announcement and discussed how it would benefit trade and our economy, I was reminded of President Eisenhower's plan for a national highway system.

At the time, the wealthiest people in this country were taxed at a whopping 91 percent of their income and some of that money went to build the infrastructure that built highways like Interstate 35 that runs from Duluth in my home state all the way down to Texas. Imagine that...a Republican using the government to make the economy better.

Of course, that would never happen today as it is quite clear to 58 million Americans that President Obama is going to "drag us into that European cesspool of socialism" as a conservative friend of mine recently reminded me. That number of 58 million just got a little smaller, though, as a friend of mine's railroad products company (his dad owns the company and he sits on the board of directors) has suddenly seen the light. Most everyone there has been pretty right wing and very much Obama loathers...that is until last Thursday.

As if out of someone's ass (where it all started to begin with), President Obama is a great guy! And not a socialist at all...

Teabags and Traitors

Well, well, well...it certainly has been quite an interesting few days, hasn't it? I know this sounds cliche but it really has ALL BEEN BUILDING TO THIS.

My posts over the last week or so have been around the general theme of how entertaining the right has become since they got their asses handed to them in the last election. They started off as their usual peptic selves and have since boiled over into a hilarious combination of insanity and paranoia spewing forth heretofore unfathomable lies and deceit. What has caused them to get this way?

First up is tax day (April 15th)...always a day to rile up conservatives. I want my money, damnit! But I also want a strong defense, smooth roads, and someone to take care of me when I am shitting my pants at age 80. Ah, the hyperbole.....

This year, in a sad attempt to find some galvanizing event to coalesce into something resembling a party, they have glommed on, much to the chagrin of real Libertarians who despise Republicans spending as much as they do Democrats spending, to the various "Tea Parties" being thrown around the nation to protest against President Obama's tax policies and his....socialism?

(Mark leaves computer area and walks into family room. Finds pillow with which to muffle copious amounts of laughter)

First of all, this year they would actually be protesting the tax policies of President Bush, not President Obama, who passed 2009 laws in 2008. Second, President Obama is more than likely going to wait to raise taxes on the top percent of this country AFTER Bush's tax cuts expire in 2010...which means that won't actually happen until 2011. He is doing this because, contrary to the belief in psycho-ville, he does have conservative economists advising him. And, third, socialism? Ok...um...fucksticks? Please do a little research. The current tax rate in the upper bracket is 36 percent. Under President Obama's plan it would increase to 39 percent. JESUS H JOHNSON!! If that's not socialism, then I don't know what is!! Anyone want to take a guess what it was Reagan? Nixon? Eisenhower? 50, 70, and 91 percent!

Oh...no...that's going to leave a mark.

The fact is that the progressive tax was put into play by a Republican (Teddy Roosevelt) first because he called it the "fair and right thing to do...to spread the wealth." Imagine if ol' Teddy were around today...he would be taken out back and shot in the head by his own party.

And then we have the Department of Homeland Security Report which has right wing pundits blowing the biggest bowel since Hoover dropped his last deuce in office. The report (which should be titled "No Shit") says that "right-wing extremists have capitalized on the election of the first African American president, and are focusing their efforts to recruit new members, mobilize existing supporters and broaden their scope and appeal through propaganda, but they have not yet turned to attack planning," the assessment reads.

"The current economic and political climate has some similarities to the 1990s when right-wing extremism experienced a resurgence fueled largely by an economic recession, criticism about the outsourcing of jobs and the perceived threat to U.S. power and sovereignty by other foreign powers.," it continues.

The report also points to returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan as potential targets for recruiting saying that their combat skills would be welcome in such groups. It urges more support and funding for veterans so as to avoid "the difficulty of veterans to reintegrate into their communities that could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks."

It goes on to say that "proposed imposition of firearms restrictions and weapons bans likely would attract new members into the ranks of right-wing extremist groups ... The high volume of purchases and stockpiling of weapons and ammunition by right-wing extremists in anticipation of restrictions and bans in some parts of the country continue to be a primary concern to law enforcement."

This report has prompted cries of outrage from the right. All of you will have to excuse me for a moment....

(Mark leaves computer area and walks outside. His neighbors ask him if he needs any help as he is LAUGHING HIS FUCKING ASS OFF SO HARD THAT HE HAS PHYSICALLY LOST CONTROL OF HIMSELF.)

Setting aside the obvious and highly humorous fact at how many right wingers these days act and sound like Al Qaeda (remember English translation of Al Qaeda is "the base":)), what I find to be outrageously ironic about this is how many of these folks spent months screaming about Bill Ayers and now, when DHS gets a flood of new threats from right wing extremists every day...threats that we are not privy to...threats that make Ayers look like an eight year old with a green water pistol...and we have a sitting Congress person calling for people to be "armed and dangerous" THEY HAVE THE GALL TO CRY "FASCISM?!?

Perhaps they might want to stop listening to dolts like Michelle Malkin and ACTUALLY TAKE A LOOK AT REALITY. They will see, as I did last July, that the chief concern under the subject heading Domestic Terrorism comes from their side of the aisle not the left...and has for the last 15 years. Take a look at the fucking facts. Make sure you read the first comment directly after my post which entirely proves my point.

The last time I checked it was illegal to make a threat on the president's life. This happens all the time in koolaidville. The frenzy and anger that has been whipped up by the right is absolutely unparalleled at this particular point in time. They are out of their minds with the fact that President Obama might actually succeed at what he is doing. If he does, their entire belief system is going to shatter. And to them, their lives will be over. They simply can't deal with this.

If you don't believe me, here's a little story for you. I am friends with a doctor named Sam. Sam and I work out at the same gym. He is very conservative. Last summer, right before candidate Obama was to give his speech in Denver at Mile High Stadium, a group of right wing extremists were foiled in an attempt to kill him. My friend Sam, a well respected kidney specialist here in Minneapolis...a man who has dedicated his life to saving people...came up to me as I was on the treadmill and said, "Today is a sad day." He looked really down and, thinking that something horrible had happened, I asked him what exactly was wrong.

He pointed to the TV, which had images of the redneck fucks who were planning on killing Obama and said,

"Those guys failed at their mission to save this country."

Everyone...Quick! Be afraid...

I'm sure that all of you are happy at the end of the standoff between Somali "pirates" and the US military. Captain Phillips is back safe and the bad guys are dead.

Or...are they?

Dum Dum Dah!

Pick up any newspaper (while they are still around) or flip on any channel and you will see the "liberal" media reporting that the cohorts of the "pirates" vow revenge. Oooo.....

THEY'S A COMIN'!!! THEY'S A COMIN' MA....quick, hide the white women!

And the culture of fear rolls merrily along...:)