Jack & Jill Politics

AFTERNOON OPEN THREAD IS UP

Ben Nelson MUST GO! This so called Democratic Senator from Nebraska is trying to twart everything President Obama wants to do from healthcare, the energy reform and now he wants to fillibuster his judicial nominees. Can we trade him for one of the GOP lady senators from Maine? What's his deal? Is it political or racial because I don't get this dude at all.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/24/nelson...

Maybe someone shoulld remind him that PBO actually won one of his state's electoral votes on Nov 4th 2008? The Omaha district where all of the people live.

Nelson is having a hissy fit because President Obama cut his pork which was student loans.I am worried about him if he wants to fillabuster let him.It is Harry Reids job to call them on it and force them to stand up in their depends and filabuster.

Oh Jesus, Harry Reid? We have to rely on him? I can't remember a time when Harry Reid has called anyone on anything. I don't know how he got to be majority leader, other then senority.

Take 'em both.

Not sure I want Nelson, though. Will take Lieberman as part of the deal, if you can convince him to pull a Specter.

Sounds like a plan. Be like the GOP trading the Dems for black people to get the Southern white folks. Looks like the Dems got the better deal in the long run. The GOP ended up being a great place for the Dems to dump their crazies. So yeah, take Nelson and Lieberman and will take the two Maine senators, since our historical trades have worked out so well before. I like it.

West Oak Lane Jazz Festival update; the list of performers, time and stage are up on website: westoaklanefestival.com

Now why couldn't they pick a different weekend from the (more established) Clifford Brown Jazz Festival in Wilmington? Can't we all just get along? LOL Oh well, when it rains, it pours...

For Baucus, Health Care Is the Issue Of a Lifetime
Legislation Could Define His Career, His Party

By Shailagh Murray and Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, May 24, 2009

Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, may be President Obama's most critical ally on health-care reform. But which version of the independent-minded Montanan will preside as the debate intensifies this summer?

Republicans hope it's the cautious loner with a history of betraying his party on politically sensitive bills. Democrats are rooting for the iconoclast who emerged this year as a newly reliable champion of the administration's ambitious agenda.

Now 67, Baucus remains a Senate original in a chamber that has become increasingly homogeneous. He once confessed to viewing politics as "dirty, corrupted and tainted," but he hasn't lost a race in his conservative state since 1972. By dint of his seniority, Baucus is responsible for delivering the biggest breakthrough in health policy since Medicare was enacted nearly 45 years ago.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ar...

The Spending Trickle
In Maryland, which launched the first U.S. road project funded by the infusion of federal money, some people have gone back to work.

By Steve Hendrix
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 24, 2009

For Donavin Petre, 2009 started off as the worst of years. After he was laid off from his job as a diesel mechanic at a Baltimore truck shop in January, the first time he has been unemployed since he was 14, Petre found himself with no health insurance and no prospects for his family of three.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ar...

British banks revolt against Obama tax plan - British banks and stockbrokers may refuse to take on American clients if new international tax proposals outlined by President Obama are passed.

Anyone watch the season finale of Legend of the Seeker?

I thought it kicked ass!

What a great season!

Pastor Agnostic's Hypocritical MSM Sermon
Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock.

~Ben Hecht
At the tender age of 19, Newt Gingrich married Jackie Battley (26), his former high school geometry teacher. One wonders what Mary Kay Letourneau would think. The angle of the dangle? Newt allegedly served Jackie with divorce papers while she struggled with illness in a hospital in 1981, a clear indication of the strength of his family values.

Six months later, Gingrich married Marianne Ginther, with whom he strayed until 2000. His straying fuck partner, Callista Bisek, eventually ended up as #3 wife. At the same time, Newt led the Congressional inquisition about Bill Clinton's blow job from Monica Lewinsky, stating the blow job constituted "a level of disrespect and decadence that should appall every American."

This year, Gingrich converted to Catholicism, in essence telling the Main Steam Media that all of his sins are forgiven. They seem to have accepted his story. Again. Divorced? Twice? Catholic? OK.

Compare the deafening silence one hears about Newt's hypocrisy and questionable family values to the feeding frenzy surrounding John Edwards.

In late 2007, the National Enquirer reported that then presidential candidate Edwards began an adulterous affair with a campaign worker, Rielle Hunter. By July 2008, the rumors grew, and suggested that he fathered a child with Hunter. Edwards admitted the affair in August.

Every news organization has been going crazy over Elizabeth Edwards' book, (which spends only a handful of pages on the affair), badgering her and confirming almost daily, that Edwards' political future is dead meat.

On one hand you have a self-proclaimed conservative, a leader in the family values movement, having affairs, and proving to be the ultimate in hypocrites. Newt now appears ready to replace Rush Limbaugh as the head of the Shrinking Regional GOP, appearing on cable, news, and talks shows repeatedly. In terms of Regional GOP opinions, he is the "go to guy."

On the other hand, Edwards is repeatedly lambasted, attacked and insulted, even though he and Elizabeth remain married. (Their FIRST marriage, Newt. Just saying.)

The question is why? Why can GOP sinners, creeps, pederasts, adulterers, cheats, and liars be greeted with standing ovations in Regional GOP meetings, (even in the halls of Congress) while Democrats are attacked by the media?

After reviewing how today's Media treats the Democrats in general, and Obama/Biden in specific, it would be a mistake to call MSM a bunch of hypocrites. Hypocrisy implies that those taking certain positions are phonies, sanctimonious deceivers, and liars, because they say one thing, yet do another. I disagree. The MSM are not hypocrites. They are far worse. Today's corporate media are simply doing what Newt Gingrich did with his high school teacher before they made it legal. In other words, the MSM is sleeping with the Shrinking Regional GOP.

Is it hypocritical to be such a strong fan of one party, and against your opponent? Is it hypocritical to do everything within your power to further the goals and aims, even in subtle In terms of sports, a great example is feeling that every flag or whistle against your team is uncalled for and unfair? And why do they get away with it? The answer is Bill Clinton and his deregulation. With the passage of his horrific Telecommunications Act of 1996, Bill said, "we will support removal of judicial and legislative restrictions on all types of telecommunications companies: cable, telephone, utilities, television and satellite. Market forces replace regulations and judicial models that are no longer appropriate." While some changes were clearly called for, given the advent of the intertubes and portable technology, the mergers, buyouts, and the eventual destruction of our news industry.

When ownership rules for radio changed, media bastards like Clear Channel came into their own. Clear currently mishandles the majority of radio outlets in Chicago. By destroying creativity, banning Dixie Chicks, replacing it with pro-Regional GOP opinionators and boring elevator music, Clear has turned its best Chicago assets into s***, the only glimmer of light in this whole mess.

Other changes have been even more destructive. Just five companies - count them, FIVE - Viacom (CBS), Disney (ABC, News Corp, NBC) and AOL (Time Warner), now control 75 percent of all prime-time viewing. Cable costs have exploded. And now, after corporations squeezed 16% rates of return from newspapers, radio and TV, they find themselves with a product so beaten up, so damaged, that the very future of news seems to be in question.

There are other examples of the MSM's pro-Regional GOP tilt. Nancy Pelosi stated her belief that the CIA misled her on the issue of torture. The resulting firestorm, stoked equally by the MSM and the Regional GOP, has taken over the airways. Yet, the very same Regional GOP members who attack Pelosi, have themselves previously accused the CIA of lying, if not worse. The willingness to excuse and ignore high crimes and misdemeanors on the part of the Regional GOP would be astounding, but for the fact that they are so consistent about it. Except for a very few, brave, and probably short-lived media reports, no one is considering just why Dick Cheney ordered the CIA and DOD to torture folks into admitting that Saddam Hussien and Al Qaida were working together. The Iraq quagmire, with its million dead, 4 million homeless, and its trillion dollar price tag, is the real issue. Except for the MSM, which is doing its best to studiously ignore it. And god forbid that they investigate who profited from the war!

The MSM is not hypocritical. Because of mergers and corporate take overs, it is now a corporate cheerleader, and therefore, pro-Regional GOP. It should be treated no differently than the collapsing support for the nation's #2 political party. They created their own mess. Let them perish in it. News is a valuable commodity. Others will pick up the slack, and figure how to make a profit on it, while delivering real news. (for a welcome change)

In honor of our MSM, let's give Newt the final word and recall how he justified investigating Clinton's Blow job: "This is not about politics. I don't know -- and I don't care -- how this 'strategy' polls. This has nothing to do with vendettas or witch-hunts or partisan advantage. This is very simply about the rule of law, and the survival of the American system of justice. This is what the Constitution demands, and what Richard Nixon had to resign over."
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/5/24/734...

Early retirement claims increase dramatically - Instead of working longer as the economy worsens, more Americans are calling it quits before age 66. The ramifications could be profound for the retirees, families, government and social institutions.

Get it while you can! I went on SS as soon as Obama beat Hillary, and it looks like many others did the same. Sold my property, payed off all debts, and am now paying cash for new property, hut, and everything else that I buy. You young people need to get another job (i.e. 2nd and 3rd jobs), because supporting me for the next 20-40 years is going to get expensive. I might even qualify for food-stamps and some other Gov't freebies...hooorah!

My GOD!!!!! The end is here. Karmi is a socialist.

No, but I will certainly be helping to take what money the new Communist/Fascist/Socialist BIG Gov't manages to raise before it goes bankrupt.

Then you are a lying hypocrite and still a idiot.

Stop whining and get a 2nd job…you owe me!

RobM warn me dont feed the trolls and like a kid at the zoo I ignored the do not feed the animal sign and gave it some popcorn.Oh well you live and learn.

Are the meds not working today? Or are they working especially well?

I don't need or take them...just get them because the Gov't pays a *LOT* for them.

Do the world a favor. Swallow a bottle. I seriously doubt anyone would miss you.

"I don't need or take them...just get them because the Gov't pays a *LOT* for them."

So...that means they've been prescribed, huh? Take the shrink's word for it...you need them.

Dear Eugene Robinson
If you read this blog let me give you some advise.First you are a first rate writer and I enjoy reading your columns but the next time you are on TV and hem and haw over a rebuttal to the most transparent of lies the right spin then I will truly lose it.When you are on you are suppose to represent the democratic side and not smile and stammer some b.s about I disagree.If you say I am not a democrat I am a journalist fine just don't go on to debate right wing hacks if you will not stand up for our beliefs.That is all.

HEH,HEh,Heh,heh
TV is the softest job in America if you can get it.

I've gotten tired of the Powell bashing.

In Defense of Colin Powell

You know, that's what always got me. Mofos who used deferrment upon deferrment to DODGE serving their country, talking about someone who put their life on the line for this country.

It's becoming piling on. Which isn't helpful.

I don't know, man. That's just not a credible complaint from someone who (virtually) and enthusiastically attend Glenn Beck's "We Surround Them" event.

If you see the "them" as elected officials-which is how I took it-then it's got nothing to do with Powell, as he's not one.

Pretty sure you'll disagree with that...but that's how I take it.

No, I didn't see "them" as just elected officials. Neither did Beck and Chuck Norris.

I know...

...but that isn't the vibe I get from the 9/12ers I know.

Now, does that mean that everyone in the 9/12 movement isn't suspect? Of course not. But I'm not going to cast that net over everyone in the movement, especially when I have nothing to base that on.

the 9/12 "movement"??....ok...that's just creepy D.

I think that the problem of the few sane one's left in your party is you refused to recognize the rot that is the core.Anyone who listens to beck,limbaugh,cheney and the rest of the loony right knows that they are racists,homophobic and sexist.But you do not speak out and those that do quickly pucker their lips and kiss the loony rights azz.Till you speak out then you will be lumped in with the no -nothings and you will never be a national force again.

Limbaugh's an entertainer. Him, I ignore. Beck occasionally makes a good point.

On this stuff about terrorism and how we fight it, I agree with Cheney.

They have their benefits to the national discussion, even if I'm not completely sure with Limbaugh's are...

"Beck occasionally makes a good point."

Obviously this is the sleep deprivation kicking in from your newborn. Glenn Beck couldn't make a good point with a ruler, a protractor and some straight blade scissors.

D's either sleep deprived or sniffing GLUE if he even hints at Beck making a good point.

D, have you LOST your MIND?

You support torture?

We don't torture.

Surely you jest.

You knew what I was gonna say when you asked that....just as I knew what your response was gonna be.

Why are we back here again?

I don't recall us ever being here. I didn't know (remember?) that you thought that we don't torture. I'm stunned.

Really?

Um, okay...gotten into several arguments on that here.

I don't believe torture is/was the policy of the US, or that we ever engaged in it. Everyone else disagrees, and that's fine.

I know I'm in the wrong place to sell that position.

Clearly, you define torture differently than the law does.

In which case, for this discussion, your definition simply doesn't count.

We waterboarded.Thats torture.We tried and convicted the japanese for waterboarding .That makes what we did a war crime.Now please D you are sane dont come here with lies and distortions.It is what it is.

The only one's who is bashing him are the cowards, draft dodgers,the far far right wing of your party.Whoever would choose limbaugh over a true hero(other than that sham at the UN) deserves ridicule.D in a way I feel sorry for you.You are like the Greek in mythology who pushes the rock up the mountain only to have it roll down and you keep doing it knowing the futility of it all.

Sisyphus

The difference, however, is that Sisyphus was condemned to the task for eternity.

D, on the other hand, has made a conscious choice to keep rolling the rock...

I think he was being punished for something...

Now I'm not sure if that helps or hurts your point, though I could make an argument for either...

Punish for what?Because he didnt endorse that nutbag Palin.That is the problem with your party, you think that people are stupid and with a wink a smile and endless lies and fear we will vote for you.But hey if you want to make limbaugh and cheney the only and true voice of your party I love it because the republicans will no longer be a threat to destroy our country again.

No, I was talking about the Greek you mentioned...LOL.

Indeed...why does he need "defending?" That's more idiotic than the attacks.

Because I feel what's going on with him is wrong, and that it's taking us as conservatives/Republicans down a direction we'll ultimately regret.

The "idiotic" thing to do, both on a personal and strategic level, would be to stand by and say nothing.

"Taking us"!!
People have climbed on that train to achieve power and when it is gone you conservatives claim we'll be going in a direction we'll regret. Why don't you simply admit you can not gain power without the extreme right? If you admit that first you will be able to go forward.

Cause if that's true, then I'm wasting my time.

And nothing in my experience so far says that we can't win without them, if we're willing to work to get others.

Not funny.

Okay, yeah it is. LOL.

Glad to see that you have a sense of humor - LOL.

It was the guy chasing the rock that did it for me.

My reaction would probably be "damn, again?"

Yeah, but D, seriously... Why do you keep "chasing the rock?' There are other options...

The so-called 'base' of your party doesn't want the likes of you. Unless your picture and blog entries are bogus, it is pretty obvious you are black.

They don't want you (or Michael Steele. Hell, they don't even want a retired 4star General, former Chrmn of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin Powell)

Why don't you declare yourself as an independent and be done pushing the rock?

BTW, I'm not being a smart-ass. This is an honest question.

Because on principle, my beliefs line up with the Republican Party. Which has driven my vote, and now, my employment.

So for me, the options become stay aligned with the party (until it becomes apparent that they don't want to move forward, which it hasn't yet), or go home, enjoy the family, and put politics to the side. Trying to rebrand as an independent would be seen as hypocrticial on both sides, I think.

So, in other words, you get paid to do it.

Enjoy...

Full disclosure.

But seriously...knowing me, and the comments I've made here, if I showed up where you are to run for office as an independent, what would you think?

I'd think you were a right-winger running as an independent.

Would you be more likely to vote for me as a Republican or as an independent?

(and "neither isn't an option, LOL)

I think you are.
I am enjoying the implosion of the Republican party. I am waiting for the Democratic party to do the same thing. At that point we will probably see a real center party and really have some progress.

I think the dems are more likely to hang themselves than implode.

Unfortunately, we on the right are already in disarray, so we won't get to enjoy it.

Finally: The Official LOL Cats thread........
http://deephousepage.com/forums/showthread.php?...

Cities Deal With a Surge in Shantytowns - As the operations manager of an outreach center for the homeless here, Paul Stack is used to seeing people down on their luck. What he had never seen before was people living in tents and lean-tos on the railroad lot across from the center ... Like a dozen or so other cities across the nation, Fresno is dealing with an unhappy déjà vu: the arrival of modern-day Hoovervilles, illegal encampments of homeless people that are reminiscent, on a far smaller scale, of Depression-era shantytowns ... While encampments and street living have always been a part of the landscape in big cities like Los Angeles and New York, these new tent cities have taken root — or grown from smaller enclaves of the homeless as more people lose jobs and housing — in such disparate places as Nashville, Olympia, Wash., and St. Petersburg, Fla ... The growing encampments led the city to place portable toilets and security guards near one area known as New Jack City, named after a dark and drug-filled 1991 movie. But that just attracted more homeless people ... Dozens of homeless men and women here have found more organized shelter at the Village of Hope, a collection of 8-by-10-foot storage sheds ... Mr. Stoops, of the homeless coalition, predicted that the population at such new Hoovervilles could grow as those without places to live slowly burned through their options and joined the ranks of the chronically homeless.

“Tent Cities” have been around for decades; however, the populations in these “Shantytowns” have surged since Obama took office, and new “Shantytowns” are springing up everywhere, as Obama establishes new unemployment records weekly.

It will get a lot worse…

as Obama establishes new unemployment records weekly

So Obama is the cause of the unemployment records? What a tool-ish thing to say.

Absolutely. There were no poor people until 4 months ago, and the economy went south on Jan 16th.

Karmi Ishkabibble

Karmi Ishkabibble gobbledygoop pussy wingnut? Ooops. Sorry. LOL

Actually if you had any knowledge of history, you would see how ridiculous your theory is. Once Obama fixes the Republican caused unemployment situation he'll have more time to focus on other areas of his agenda. Till then, here's a fact for you:

Republicans create unemployment, Democrats solve it.

01/53 End of the Truman Administration, unemployment = 2.9% (D)

01/61 End of the Eisenhower Administration, unemployment = 6.6% (R)

01/69 End of Kennedy/LBJ Administration, unemployment = 3.4% (D)

01/77 End of Nixon/Ford Administration, unemployment = 7.5% (R)

01/81 End of the Carter Administration, unemployment = 7.5% (D)

01/89 End of Reagan Administration, unemployment = 5.4% (R)

01/93 End of Bush(41) Administration, unemployment = 7.3% (R)

01/2001 End of Clinton Administration, unemployment = 4.2% (D)

01/2009 End of Bush(43) Administration, unemployment = 7.6% (R)

See a trend?
http://www.bls.gov/

Your stats are biased:
Truman - Korean war
Kennedy/LBJ - Vietnam war
Those wars reduced unemployment by sending a large number of young males over seas. They also ramped up at home employment as guns and butter were the order of the day.

The stats I used came straight from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that is why I sourced the website. I think it is far more an accurate view and a better trend line than the notion of which Karmi was trying to make by linking rise in unemployment to the Obama Administration. If one threw out the Truman and Kennedy numbers, what excuse could be made for the rise in unemployment that we saw in both Bush Administrations.

Karmi doesn't make any sense. Don't waste your time...

Zakaria: "Everything You Know About Iran Is Wrong"
They May Not Want The Bomb
And other unexpected truths.
Everything you know about Iran is wrong, or at least more complicated than you think. Take the bomb. The regime wants to be a nuclear power but could well be happy with a peaceful civilian program (which could make the challenge it poses more complex). What's the evidence? Well, over the last five years, senior Iranian officials at every level have repeatedly asserted that they do not intend to build nuclear weapons. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has quoted the regime's founding father, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who asserted that such weapons were "un-Islamic." The country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a fatwa in 2004 describing the use of nuclear weapons as immoral. In a subsequent sermon, he declared that "developing, producing or stockpiling nuclear weapons is forbidden under Islam." Last year Khamenei reiterated all these points after meeting with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei. Now, of course, they could all be lying. But it seems odd for a regime that derives its legitimacy from its fidelity to Islam to declare constantly that these weapons are un-Islamic if it intends to develop them. It would be far shrewder to stop reminding people of Khomeini's statements and stop issuing new fatwas against nukes.
Read More
http://www.newsweek.com/id/199147?from=rss

Obama vs. Cheney on terror - Cheney makes Obama look like amateur

Karmi Ishkabibble

A Reading Primer for F*ckwit Cheney Apologists
See Dick.

See Dick cower. Dick is terrorized.

See Dick fearmonger. Dick is a terrorist.

See Dick order torture. Dick is a war criminal.

See Dick get his rocks off on torture. Dick is a sick fuck.

See Dick claim that he upholds Christian values. Dick is an immoral hypocrite.

[more fun with Dick after the jump]

NamelessGenXer's diary :: ::
See Dick fabricate evidence of Iraqi WMD. Dick is a warmonger.

See Dick obtain five deferments from serving in Vietnam. Dick is a despicable coward.

See Dick send 4,295 (and counting) young Americans to their deaths in Iraq to obtain no-bid contracts for Big Oil. Dick is a premeditated murderer.

See Dick stash his Halliburton profits in Grand Cayman. Dick is a fascist war profiteer.

See Dick show blatant derision for The President of The United States. Dick is a treasonous loser.

See Dick break his oath to defend The Constitution of The United States. Dick considers himself to be above the law.

See Dick view The Constitution of The United States as an obstacle to neoconservative imperialism. Dick is a totalitarian megalomaniac.

See Dick boast how his brutal policies have "kept Americans safe". Dick was the Vice President of the United States on September 11, 2001.

See Dick ignore numerous 2001 intelligence briefings stating unequivocally that Al Queda was planning to attack within the United States. Dick was either criminally incompetent or in cahoots – you decide.

See Dick blow a covert CIA operative's cover, then order his marionette, the dimwitted Dubya, to commute the sentence of his flunkie, the convicted felon Libby. Dick is the quintessential elitist.

See Dick prefer a drug-addled radio hack with saggy man breasts to a decorated combat veteran and former Four-Star Army General, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff, and Secretary of State. Dick takes pride in being a vile racist.

See Dick send his wife and daughter out to defend his legacy of high crimes and misdemeanors. Dick is a lowlife pimp, utterly devoid of character.

See Dick overstay his welcome in DC. Dick is dangerous enemy combatant, on the loose in my own backyard, living off of my tax dollars.

See Dick anoint himself as the leader of the War-for-Profit Party (formerly known as the Republican Party). Dick and his evil, extremist ideologue cronies are post-seasonal anachronisms, doomed to decay into dust.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/5/24/734...

I think we chased that troll away for a while. He will be back, but he is gone for a while at least with his right wing, neo con, non based in facts sources.

Cheney makes Cheney look like a criminal.

Dick Cheney's dishonest speech about torture, terror, and Obama.

This morning's back-to-back speeches on torture and terrorism—first by President Barack Obama, then by the former vice president—could have been an opportunity to weigh competing arguments, examine their premises, and chart an agenda for a serious debate.

Obama's speech did exactly that. He spelled out his logic, backed up his talking points with facts, and put forth a policy grounded—at least in his view—not just in lofty ideals but also in hardheaded assessments of national security. Those who disagree with his conclusions could come away at least knowing where their paths diverged—what claims they'd need to challenge in mounting their opposition.

Cheney, on the other hand, built a case on straw men, red herrings, and lies. In short, his speech was classic Dick Cheney, with all the familiar scowls and scorn intact.

A special thanks to Rikyrah for posting this link of Patti singing "Change". You began my day out on a good note. Now can you please tell me how to copy and embed this clip please?


In about a week we'll know the POTUS' pick for SCOTUS. Can't wait to see who he comes up with...it'll be a winner for us all.

here is the code:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aUz7Jfl6s7g&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aUz7Jfl6s7g&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344">


now, to this, add </embed></object> to the end in order to embed it.

Thanks....OMG!! I'm still kicking and punching back at my resistance to this high tech age.

You can do it! :)

And you know what pisses me off the most? That the information I need to do something - anything - cannot be placed into one single, easily understood SENTENCE ..... of no greater than 10 words.

Obama gets schooled on terror: Cheney bests him in speech duel — by sticking to the facts - It was a tale of two speeches. One was clear, direct and powerful. Barack Obama gave the other speech.

The significant thing about the two speeches:
- Obama looks at the terror/security controversy from the standpoint of human rights and civil liberties. He asks the basic question, is what we are doing "right?"

Cheney addresses this little if at all. He says the methods used by his administration were "legal," while avoiding any discussion about the controversies within and outside of the administration about the supposed legality.

In other words: Cheney ducked the issues! It totally avoided the FACT of the controversy inside and outside the Bush administration about the legality and righteousness of their torture policies, which was a key focus of the Obama speech.

- Cheney uses a number of "straw Man" arguments in his speech, that is, he FALSEY CHARACTERIZES many of the Obama administration's arguments concerning torture and homeland security.

For example Cheney said Obama uses "euphemisms that suggest we’re no longer engaged in a war." In fact, in Obama's speech, he said "We are indeed at war with al Qaeda and its affiliates."

It's always easy to counter an opponent's arguments by misstating them; Cheney seems to have turned this into an art form.

Meanwhile Obama made what I think was a fair and even nuanced discussion of all sides of the arguments.

So yes, Cheney won on his terms. But his terms were avoiding the issues, and mischaracterizing the other sides issues. I guess we can say "mission accomplished."

Karmi Ishkabibble gobbledygoop pussy wingnut? Ooops. Sorry. LOL

Karmi Ishkabibble

If you got your links from people other than right wing neo cons who have been proven wrong every step of the way you just might get more respect.Other than that you are an idiot.

Spanish Judges Target High-Ranking US Officials In Investigation Of Human Rights Violations

Spanish judges are boldly declaring their authority to prosecute high-ranking government officials in the United States, China and Israel, among other places, delighting human rights activists but enraging officials in the countries they target and triggering a political backlash in a nation uncomfortable acting as the world's conscience.

Can you image your boy doing the perp walk
http://www.bartcop.com/cheney-arrest.jpg

Justice
https://wholesale.changingworld.com/catalog/ima...

Listen to the Patti Labell video above and CHANGE.

While you still have time, trade your TV and radio in for a tent, because tents will be very valuable by the time Obama is done…

Karmi Ishkabibble

Are you enjoying life at Ruby Ridge? Be sure to stock-pile!

Can we trade you for an informed troll.Wait there are no informed trolls.Sorry carry on.

Karmi Ishkabibble fibblefabble wingnut grifflepoof

lololololol

In hard times, tent cities rise across the country
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26776283/

This was in September under Bush

Poverty Gap in US Has Widened under Bush
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0227-02...

One Giant Leap For Chinese Naval Aviation

Robert Farley brings to my attention the news that the People’s Liberation Army Navy has reached an agreement with the government of Brazil to begin training PLAN pilots on board the Sao Paulo. This is big news. Difficult and expensive as it is to build and aircraft carrier, and the planes to fly on it, and the ships to protect it, it’s probably even more difficult to get personnel who are trained in the art of naval aviation:

Aircraft carriers represent a huge investment of time and effort. Apart from the carrier itself and the aircraft, a navy needs to assemble a battlegroup capable of protecting the carrier, and needs to master fixed wing big deck carrier operations. This last is exceptionally complicated, and its difficulty is not to be underestimated. Operating a modern aircraft carrier requires a high level of professionalism and expertise on the part of the pilots, the aircrew, and the ship’s regular complement. For example, taking off from and landing on a carrier is much more complicated than similar operations on land. Pilots also have to master a set of navigational skills that will guarantee they can find their carrier under adverse conditions. The maintenance requirements for aircraft at sea are much greater than for aircraft on land, because of the corrosive effect of seawater. Coordinating an air group at sea is difficult, and coordinating take offs and landings such that sorties can be maximized is very difficult indeed. We know all this because it took the United States quite some time to master jet aircraft operations on big deck carriers. Until the Chinese master such operations, they’re looking forward to large numbers of accidents and carriers of limited effectiveness.

The easiest way to get the job done is to get help. A handful of people training alongside a large group that already knows what it’s doing is a lot more practical than trying to train everyone up simultaneously from scratch. Right now, only Russia, the United States, France, and Brazil operate carriers that carry conventional aircraft so learning from Brazil will be very useful for the Chinese. And the Chinese have the economic clout to be useful to Brazil in a variety of ways.

10-15 years. And that's a minimum.

If the Chinese can't do it in that time, they can't do it at all.

Knowing the Chinese it may not take that long.Look at what they have done to their economey while still being a communist dictatorship.

I'd imagine it's difficult to reverse-engineer a carrier, so even if someone-say, the Russians-sold them one, it'd take years to become operational. It'd take longer to build one on their own; hell, we're good at it and it still takes years.

Even if it's fater than that time, one carrier (theirs) against several (ours) won't go over too well in a naval battle with China.

If I was in charge of the Chinese Navy my first goal would be to build carriers that are for VTOL aircraft which are a lot easier to operate and can still project power(The Falkland war)Because you are right it takes years to build and operate fixed wing carriers.I dont think they are building them for war with the US but for their own interest in the sea of japan and they are making inroads in Africa.

I agree; start with those, build up your capabilities and go from there.

But I don't think they have much in that capability....

It isn't merely the carrier that allows you to project power. It is the ability to protect it. It was not to long ago that a PRC sub popped up totally unannounced in the middle of a US wargame off the coast of the PRC. Furhter a US commander wargamed a scenario wher he used very small over the horizon missles in massive quantity to defeat a carrier group such that they started the whole game over because he won so fast.
If the PRC continues on the route djchefron writes about it is simply to show the flag as a poke in the eye to us. VTOL capability will be sufficient for that.

Harassment as a form of deterrence?

The Russians tried that occasionally, and some of those instances could've evolved into full-out war.

You make a point, though: China's subs are a cause for more concern than their potential for any sort of carrier aviation. Aegis can counter that effectively, but some new subs would help.... (insert argument against cutting the Virginia class program here)

I worked in air defense and all I can say is dont believe the hype.Any system can be defeated.

True.

Which is why we have to stay ahead.

(insert argument against cutting defense spending)

Fredo needs to be whacked right now. He is allowing the banks that received TARP funds to determine how much the warrants are worth. They are of course undervaluing them.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109...

He truly is a loser of the highest order.

If in Philly area and you have never been to a drive-in: delseadrive-in.com
double features 2 screens. bring your picnic basket and lawn chairs
$8/person

Chicago radio just died a little more!
Dear WNUA Listeners,

I would like to take a moment to thank you for your loyal support of Smooth Jazz 95.5 WNUA during our 22 years of being a part of the Chicago community. We hope that you have enjoyed listening as much as we have enjoyed serving you. However, recent changes in how stations are evaluated by advertisers has resulted in a significant decline in financial support for WNUA. As a result, we are now faced with a decision that we hoped we would never need to make. Today at 9:55am we will be changing the format on our main frequency of 95.5 FM.

Thanks to the support of our parent company, we will be able to continue offering our Smooth Jazz format online at WNUA.com and on HD Radio at 95.5 HD2. If you do not have an HD Radio, please click here to get more information about HD Radio and to purchase your own. You can also listen to Smooth Jazz on your Blackberry or iPhone using iHeartRadio.

I also invite you to tune to one of our sister stations. V103 plays Today’s R&B and Old School at 102.7 FM. WLIT 93.9 FM, plays a great variety of songs from the 70s, 80s, and 90s – and all of Today’s Lite Music.

The WNUA On-Air Personalities have put together a photo montage of just some of our memories from the last two decades including Listener Appreciation Parties, Jazz Concerts, Trip-a-Day Destinations and so much
more. Thank YOU for making all of these memories possible. Click here to view the memories.

On behalf of Ramsey Lewis, Karen Williams, Glenn Cosby, Dave Koz, Scott Adams, and everyone at Smooth Jazz 95.5 WNUA, we sincerely thank you for listening.

Regards,



Earl Jones
President/Market Manager
Clear Channel Radio Chicago

P: 312-540-2682
E: earljones@wnua.com

I found this out when I turned on WNUA to go to sleep last night. I can't believe it. What if , gasp, you don't have a Blackberry, or iPhone. I'm really sad about this.

Clear Channel must be destroyed.It a shame that their are no real jazz stations or blues stations in Chicago.Now WNUA didn't play the jazz I prefer but they had a good format that if was played in public everyone could enjoy.Bring back independent radio.

Hi, djchefron:

There are a couple of real jazz and blues stations in the city, but they are on low wattage or limited hours. WDCD 90.9 FM (College of DuPage) plays great jazz Monday through Friday, 6:00 am - 6:00 pm. WBEE 1570 AM still plays great jazz and blues Monday through Saturday, but the signal is extremely low after dusk.

Does a internet station work as an idea for you?
I have been thinking low power fm to be on the air w/ the bulk of the live programming on the net. To find advertisers you hook up w/ the clubs by covering either local shows/clubs(money consideration) w/ a live broadcast.
Truly haven't fleshed it out.

If it was only that easy.The RIAA and their lobbies are trying to muscle in on internet radio by upping the fees and royalties.They have bought the congress to shut down small stations thank you John Conyers and already internet carriers are trying to limit your use of the internets.Have to do more research but I know my fees have gone up just to post mixes.