Bush? I Never Knew Him!

According to a recent Newsweek poll Bush's ratings have tumbled to a new low. Only 31% of people asked believe he is doing a good job. At this point it's like beating a dead horse, or picking on the slow kid at school. Sad, really. But it's music to my ears, and gives me faith that we are moving in the right direction.

To give this some perspective the lowest ratings for previous presidents were:


36% for Clinton*
35% for Reagan
29% for Bush 41
28% for Carter
23% for Nixon

*impeached

Rounding out the cadre, Dick Cheney, who is probably insane or, at best, an out of control cyborg high on its own power, has an approval rating of 31%; Donald Rumsfeld, who might be the most hated man in America, resigned with 24% approval.

All indicators show that the mid-term elections were lost by the Republicans rather than won by the Democrats. Reasons cited for the Democrats' success include the botched war in Iraq, Bush's crappy Presidential skills, out of control spending, and poor Republican leadership in congress.

The blog Agnoiologist (which is an excellent name by the way) notes correctly that this election was not a rejection of Republican principles as much as it was a rejection of Bush himself.

"This election wasn't a rejection or approval of any set of principles," it says. "This election was a rejection of incompetence. The people were angry at Bush. He had failed with Katrina and failed with Iraq. The Republican party was corrupt, as evidenced symbolically by the Foley scandal. It wasn't a rejection of any of the principles of family values, etc -- it was the corruption of the principles."

True. One only has to look at traditional Republican fanboys for corroboration to the new belief that Bush may be the worst thing to happen to the Republicans since inception.

And so the debate among ideologies is very much alive in America. The metaphorical witch may be dead, but we still have to figure out how to get home. Most Republicans will now say they only supported Bush as a matter of circumstance. But Bush, to many, represented a wonderful mix of Christianity and politics, heady nationalism and values, and this very mix is why he is able to view the world in such stark blank and white terms, an attribute too intoxicating for most conservatives to deny.

He painted the picture himself--you are either with him or you are against him. Just as Jesus said, "he who does not gather with me scatters."

Bush's good vs evil world view, stoked by a sense of messianic destiny, are what got us into such a deep mess. Bush's actions betrayed his belief that he answers to only Jesus, and those who are with him. Terrorists, Saddam Hussein, liberals...they are all enemies of this country, and therefore enemies of Christ. And so they can all be dealt with harshly and God will sort out the mess in the end.

He had so many followers and now they are falling away. Is it really just a simple matter of disowning him? Weren't they his followers? No? Really? No? Surely they were his followers? No!

Somewhere a rooster crows.

You can't simply divorce yourself from Bush, unless you are also willing to divorce yourself from religious fundamentalist thinking in politics, nationalism, and the neoconservative axiom that we should use our power to promote our values around the world.

Thomas Jefferson was invoked much during this campaign. His is an axiom, that the government which governs least governs best, is one everyone wants to claim. The Republicans have brutally driven this lesson home in a most ironic fashion, by trying to govern as much as they could get their hands on, including other countries, and leaving a trail of wreckage in their path. The hope was, probably, that God would bless the whole endeavor, but people like Ted Haggard, Tom DeLay, and Mark Foley distracted Him.

If we have learned anything it is that what a person uses as a basis of judgment is extremely important. We have also learned that we can not possibly enact the mandates of neoconservativism, no matter how high flung they may sound. So I would like us to try some sober judgment for a while. Some pragmatism. Some empathy. Between the extremes lies the reality you and I live in. Let's govern there too.

Most people think with the Democrats in control of congress Bush will not be able to get much done over the next two years. That, alone, is reason enough to have voted the Democrats back into power. I have no doubt hamstringing Bush will pay unseen dividends at a level even the most gnostic pundit can't divine.

I hope the Democrats will use this chance to prove that other ways are better. We need to invest in education. It should not take six years for people to see fundamental character flaws in a man like George W. Bush. We need to invest in health care and raise the minimum wage. Our rate of poverty is unacceptable. We should employ the traditional Christian principle of working on the plank in our own eye before removing the dust from our neighbors. The answers to terrorism, the environment, poverty, are all found in cooperation, not isolation.

Colbert's Reaction to Loss on Election Night

You've been waiting for it, here it is.

Rush Limbaugh: I Feel Liberated

The Democrats have been in control of Congress for 15 minutes and already two incredible things have occurred. One, Donald Rumsfeld is gone. Two, Rush Limbaugh feels liberated.

I wondered how the GOP ministry of propaganda would proceed in the wake of a stunning defeat at the hands of the Democrats and I didn't have to wait long to find out. Rush Limbaugh posted a message on his web page that said he felt liberated.

"I'm going to tell you as plainly as I can why," he says. "I no longer am going to have to carry water for people who I don't think deserve to have their water carried."

Carrying water implies that Rush was somehow indentured to the Republican party; that they could buy and sell him; that his relentless shilling, mocking and lying were the result of circumstance rather than a flaw in character.

I guess there's nothing compared to the liberating power of a Democratic victory. This, then, is how the conservative talking heads will proceed and attempt to rebuild.

1. The Nazi defense: we were only following orders. Conservative mouth pieces will now say they never really believed in Bush, his ability, his vision, his mandate, they never believed the very words that have been spilling from their mouths these six, dark years. They were compelled to go against their will because serving a twisted Republican party was still far better for America than letting liberalism win. The Hannities, the Coulters, the Ingrams, the whole lot, they were just victims of a faulty Republican party that hijacked their beliefs and distorted it into a type of political terrorism.

2. Bush will be the scapegoat. This ill wind started to blow shortly before the election when top neocons, to a man, placed all blame squarely on the shoulders of Bush and his inept administration. This, after mountains of evidence, years of results. Again, the fault is not an inherit character flaw, but circumstances. The neo-conservative belief in using American power to promote moral values at home and in the world is not itself flawed. In the same way many high-ranking Germans believed Hitler took good ideas and blew them away with his insanity and ineptness.

It's looking like the last days of the Third Reich and we're just getting started, folks. The Democrats came into town and Rumsfeld tried to jump out an open window, while Limbuagh and company are singing a completely different tune. We've turned over a rock and the exposed bugs are scrambling for cover.

The light...it burns !

GOP Races to Get Out of Iraq...Emmotionally

The GOP is racing to get out of Iraq, emotionally. Ohio Republican Deborah Pryce, is the latest in a string of leaders distancing themselves from the war, in an ongoing fight to see who can support the troops the least.

The war in Iraq now polls so badly that people like Mrs. Pryce are withdrawing from Iraq, emotionally, even if they have openly supported it for years. Pryce made the attempt by telling CNN Radio, "What's happening in Iraq is not a direct reflection on me."

This is akin to a political cut and run in the final days of the 2006 campaign. People like Mrs. Pryce are essentially saying: I voted for the war, I supported the war, but now that 60% of Americans are against the idea I want them to know the war has no reflection on me. This is, of course, insane talk.



I believe the Iraq was is a direct reflection on all of us. It is certainly how the world views us, (Ah, that pesky world....), it's certainly carrying a steep price tag in lives and dollars, and I believe your opinion on the war is a direct link to your discernment.

You certainly can't be in favor of the war, and put your own pro-war speeches on your web page, and then try to sell the lie that the war is no reflection on you. You certainly can't ask the American people to give their sons and daughters for the cause, to give billions of dollars for the cause, and then ask that they not debate the war...can you?

"I voted to give the president the authority to use force in Iraq; that doesn't mean I'm always happy with what I see, but I can think of nothing worse for our troops or our prospects for success than having 435 members of Congress second-guessing our commanders," Pryce wrote.

I can think of a few things worse for our troops:

1. Believing that debating the war is harmful to the troops.
2. Sending the troops into a war that can't be openly debated.
3. Sending the troops into a war in such a state that we can't debate openly in front of them
4. Sending the troops into a war with no exit strategy
5. Accepting vague and unmeasurable benchmarks as an exit strategy
6. Sidelining someone like Colin Powell (who actually has fought a war with Iraq)
7. Supporting those who told us that Iraq was a grave threat
8. Showing no signs of discernment or hindsight while conducing the war
9. Supporting those who said they had a plan to keep America safe, which involved sending troops to Iraq, and are now admitting that plan really sucks
10. Supporting those who would rather support Don Rumsfeld then the commanders
11. Really believing that Iraq is the central front in the war on terror
12. Believing that doing anything else in Iraq, other than what we are currently doing, means "losing" in Iraq.
13. Really believing that fighting the terrorists in Iraq means we don't have to fight them in "every street in America"
14. Letting Dick Cheney speak.
15. Saying things like "losing" or "coward" or rubber stamping for those who do
16. Letting troops fight in Iraq for freedom and then trying to keep freedoms from Americans...doesn't that kind of negate what they're doing in Iraq?
17. Getting the troops stuck in Iraq while North Korea builds a nuclear weapon. Nice move.
18. Raising defect spending on the war because of reasons 1 through 12, which our troops will have to pay off
19. Swiftboating someone a vet like John Kerry, or supporting those who do
20. Using the war in Iraq to get elected then saying it has no reflection on you

Did You Hear the One About the Kids Stuck in Iraq?

John Kerry started a firestorm with Republicans
when he flubbed a joke directed at President Bush. Study hard and stay in college or you'll end up "stuck in Iraq" he told students at Pasadena City College.

It is unclear if Kerry's statement has led to increased casualties in Iraq but the administration's response was so swift you'd think Kerry had sent the troops to Iraq with inadequate body armor.

"Senator Kerry not only owes an apology to those who are serving, but also to the families of those who’ve given their lives in this,” White House press secretary Tony Snow said. “This is an absolute insult.”

Kerry pulled a Nolan Ryan, met the charge, and bashed Snow's face in.

"This is the classic GOP playbook,” Kerry said in a harshly worded statement. “I’m sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did. I’m not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium.”

Kerry suddenly felt better than he had in years. "He really needed to get that off my chest," an aide reported. But Republicans were quick to point out the sensitive nature of our marines.

"Our soldiers need John Kerry's support, yet John Kerry offers nothing more than disparaging commentary," said House Majority Leader John Boehner.

This hits on an important topic. Discouragement of any type of criticism on how the war is being executed is pedestrian at this point. We are reminded almost daily that the troops need our support and many of us have responded with ribbons on the back of their cars, and flags on the 4th of July. The White House says our troops need not only this but also absolutely no sign of uncertainty as we commit more money and more lives in Iraq. While there seems to be no correlation between war criticism and US casualties rates in Iraq the previous 2,816 deaths have all been absolutely linked to the flawed decision to invade Iraq in the first place. And that is, ironically, the very thing we are not allowed to even think about. Kerry's comedic timing might suck, but he refuses to apologize because the greater evil was perpetrated three years ago, and has been since effectively been perpetuated.

But how much political damage has been done by Kerry's remarks?

"He has already cost us one election. The guy just needs to keep his mouth shut until after the election," a top Democratic strategist said Tuesday.

This certainly seems like a badly needed opportunity for the Republicans to wrap themselves again in nationalism and question the Democrat's commitment to "win" in Iraq. It's certainly a chance for someone to defend the troops honor, which the President did today by calling them "plenty smart." Yes, even his compliments are built from ruins of poor grammar. But, as in all things for the last six years, it's the spirit that counts, right?

Kerry's statement is the most recent in a string of emboldened Democratic attacks.
Jim Webb, who now leads in Virginia, easily fended off negative comments by faltering incumbent George Allen. Allen read some sexual passages from a book Webb wrote. Webb pointed out that was nothing compared to the raunchy lesbian sex in Lynn Cheney's book Sisters.

Touche.

President Bush has been out stumping but his poll numbers have actually fallen. Bush has become the star of numerous Democratic campaign adds since it was discovered that very few Americans like or trust the President.

Republicans are trying desperately to find a foothold as the mountain comes down around them. They carefully painted these elections around two issues: taxes and terrorism. Now that both are blown they've raised an old specter to aid them--gay marriage.

"For decades, activist judges have tried to redefine America by court order," Bush said Monday. "Just this last week in New Jersey, another activist court issued a ruling that raises doubt about the institution of marriage. We believe marriage is a union between a man and a woman, and should be defended."

Man, first desegregation and now this?

Republican strategy over the last week can be summed up as such: The infamous "plan" to keep America safe is now on hiatus for re-tooling. And, on Halloween, they're up to their old tricks trying to convince people that their sacred marriage is under attack by gays, lesbians, and activist judges...oh my! Uh, let me clue you: your marriage is falling apart because you suck at being a husband or a wife. OK? Get over it.

The Democrats have clearly learned though. They too have found a marginalized group and pinned the fears of a nation on them. Yes, they've got the Republicans against the ropes with a week left before the elections. It almost doesn't even seem fair, a guy like Kerry tossing Snow out of the ring like that. But it is incredibly fun to watch.

700 Miles of Nonsense

You know, after watching campaign adds from both sides, I'm really depressed that best people put forward are America-hating, backroom dealing, lying scumbags! And it gets worse. Some people running for congress are actually into...sex!

The race for the Senate seat in Virginia has been hot since Republican George Allen uttered "makaka." Last week Allen hit Democrat Jim Webb with the proverbial folding chair when he cited sexual passages from Webb's books. Webb responded by saying if Allen wants to read graphic sex he should ask Lynn Cheney for a copy of her book Sisters. The book is 25 years old and Mrs. Cheney has completely disavowed it, claiming it is not her best writing. Readers, however, seem to disagree.

Said one reviewer on amazon.com, "This story of a Washington wife who leaves her powerful husband to join a woman's commune is charged with the kind of eroticism you just don't expect from the Second Lady of the United States of America. I was amazed at how graphically Ms. Cheney details the commune's daily 'massage classes' and their predictable free-for-all aftermaths, while at the same time delivering a devastating critique of phallocentric discourse in modern culture. I can't wait for the sequel, in which the Sisters declare war against the male-dominated multinational corporation that is threatening to foreclose on their commune. Four Stars!"

The book has been out of print for years. Copies are selling on amazon.com for $700.

Check it out it here.

Or, check out Mrs. Cheney's much more Republican warm fuzzy Our 50 States: A Family Adventure Across America here

Mrs. Cheney didn't appreciate Webb's reference, bashed CNN, and completely denied she's ever written anything sexually explicit, but the play was fair. The point is, obviously, that a person's writing has no relevance on how they perform in public service. The fact is God fearing people writing books laced with sexual content is simply nothing new. Jimmy Carter's done it, Newt Gingrich has done it, William F. Buckley has done it, and of course Bill O'Reilly has done it.

So, can we please stop playing dumb here, talking about who wrote what and when? Can we please get back to the real issues? That's right, I'm talking about what everyone is asking: if the plan to keep America safe is no longer "stay the course" what the hell is it? With Iraq breaking at the seams, North Korea's new nuclear capability, and the President now admitting previous dogmatically held beliefs are futile, my God what IS the plan??

Well, we don't know....um, but rest assured, everyone, um...top minds are working on it. Stay calm. What we do know is that the answer will involve no less 700 miles of fence. Is it an omniscient, deficit-reducing, nuclear-diffusing fence? Erm, well, no, it's just a really long fence. OK? That's the plan at this point: a big fence. Fences keep your dogs in. Good fences make good neighbors. Fences are what made America great. Sleep tight.

Fences aside, the one thing Bush does have going for him is that his fiction contains no sex--just a lot of lies about Iraq and some kind of plan to keep us safer.

Election Tactics Heat Up

Google-bombs, interracial sex, shots at people suffering from Parkinson's disease--all at the same time? It must be time for an election!

A group of clever liberals has come up with a way to make Google's search algorithm work for them during the election. The idea, dubbed Google-bombing, was first outlined by Chris Bowers of MyDD. It involves buying Google AdWords so that negative articles appear next to key Republicans up for election. It's an attempt to sway those who may be searching for more information about someone like George Allen (R-VA) before voting. Of course it's our belief that if you don't know the difference between George Allen and George Webb, or Claire McCaskill and Jim Talent and you're just not trying.

Speaking of McCaskill v Talent, the Missouri Senate race has become extremely close and is now reaching the national state as a key state in 2006. The big issue in this race is stem cell research. Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1991, appeared in a TV ad urging Missouri voters to support stem cell research. Fox swayed uncontrolably during the commerical--or was he just over-acting? Rush Limbaugh became so upset that he accused Fox of not taking his medication, exacerbating his Parkinson's symptoms, and preying on public sympathy.



Personally, I think it takes a lot of brass to rip on a guy who has a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. I mean that's so low-class and distasteful it's no wonder Rush has to pop pain-killers to get through the day with himself.

It must be pretty frustrating to live with PD knowing that maybe there could be a cure if only stem cells, which are going to be destryoed anyway, could be used for reasearch. Yeah, I'll bet that sucks. But some see it differently. Opponents have responded in-kind with a commercial featuring Cardinal pitcher Jeff Suppan, former Rams quarterback Kurt Werner, and the guy who played Jesus in Passion of the Christ, telling Missourians to block the stem-cell bill because it could lead to human cloning.

Speaking of ads, the worst campaign commercial of the week goes to the Bob Corker and the RNC. This thing is so bad Corker wanted it pulled but RNC chairman Ken Mehlman pointed that it was beyond his control. It sort of sounds like how we've been running Iraq for the last three years. The add incites speculation that Congressman Harold Ford Jr. may have had—gasp--interracial sex with a white woman from the Playboy mansion. The idea is driven home at the end of the ad when the woman begs Ford to call her.

The NAACP called it “a powerful innuendo that plays to pre-existing prejudices about African-American men and white women.” Even Bob Corker called the add “distasteful.” Mehlman called it "fair."



Adults having sex? This really shows how messed up we are, doesn't it? Those who scratch their head at this kind of behavior are the Republicans, who effectively forfeited the moral high ground after spending a lot of time in white collar crime and recently committing and covering up acts of pedophilia. You can see now why they find Harold Ford's alleged behavior so odd and atypical. Can he really make it in an environment where people fudge their finances, prey on minors, and cheat on their wives?

I for one welcome the new trend of sex between consenting adults. This Ford guy sounds like a real visionary. Maybe he'll go into the Senate and shake things up a little.

Bush Distances Himself from Himself

The latest political move by President Bush is an attempt to distance himself from his own worst enemy: himself. And he says he doesn't read polls?

He pulled this move off masterfully Sunday morning by alerting George Stephanopoulos that his policy has never been "stay the course" in Iraq. This would have caused a lot of confusion coming from anyone else (As in: I could have sworn I heard him say "stay the course" just the other day...) but coming from this, the most elusive of eels, we're not a bit surprised are we?

Bush's unpopularity is well known. He has become such an albatross that Democrats are using him as an election year cudgel, and Republicans are doing all they can to get out from under his grim visage. These moves were mentioned by both Stephanopoulos and his next guest the far more presidential John Kerry. Yes, Bush's image is that bad: John Kerry looked like JFK in comparison.

But Karl Rove has apparently come up with an ingenious plan for President Bush and the Republicans in 2006--that is to completely disavow any knowledge of President Bush's former slogans or strategies. The Republicans don't look so hot if they can't even claim to be behind their glorious leader. But that task becomes a little easier if their leader claims to have no association with himself.

Not only is George W. Bush now flatly denying he ever said things that we've all heard him say, there are rumors on the internets that the White House may be preparing a whole new strategy in Iraq, to be unveiled after the elections, and also to coincide with the Christmas season.

We all eagerly await the questioning Tony Snow will get tomorrow when asked how the president could possibly expect the American people to believe we have never been "stay the course" in Iraq.

The truth would go something like this... Mr. Snow: "Well, the 'course 'was to find WMDs. Since Iraq had no WMDs we've had to adjust our course a tad or risk being completely off-course...”

But what you'll probably get something like this... Mr. Snow: "The Woodward books kind of melt on contact..."

When asked what the Woodward books have to do with the President's new doublespeak Mr. Snow will then tell the band to keep jamming while he takes the money and escapes through a service exit in the floor.

Speaking of Bob Woodward, he has now written three best-selling books about the current administration. Our exalted leader has read none of them. In-fact, during the interview, Bush seemed to strongly imply he doesn't do much reading at all. This seemed to be the subject he was the most uncomfortable talking about (that's saying a lot).

When Stephanopoulos pressed he did admit he was reading "A History of English Speaking Peoples." This is a massive volume by Winston Churchill which wont help him one bit concerning what to do in Iraq, but does fit in nicely with his sense of ethnocentrism. Perhaps he should have consulted Chuchill prior to March, 2003.

Get on the President's reading list here.

Watch the President say 'stay the course' over and over, here.

See The Daily Show's take on 'stay the course' here.

Hey, Makaka, Go Long!

It's been quite a week, hasn't it, kids? The Republicans have taken on a wild ride and I, for one, am spent.

So, let's see, it's Friday and...holy crap there's a toxic waste fire in North Carolina! Officials are reporting nothing "alarming" with the air samples they've taken. That, to me, would be little comfort if my house was having flaming waste rained on it.

Rush Limbaugh is barking about Republican George Allen's "double digit" lead over Democrat Jim Webb in Virginia. Actually, it's four points, but we can understand when a Republican can't get basic intelligence right. Go to Rush is Right (*giggle*) and while you're there admire the snappy picture of Mr. Allen tossing the ol' pigskin! Rush knows as well as anyone that cowboy hat + flannel + a football = big votes! "Hey, Makaka, go long!"

Other polling news: Republican Tom Reynolds (R-NY) has watched his double digit lead evaporate. Mr. Reynolds was on his way to easy victory before becoming embroiled in that pesky Mark Foley affair. Oops! His challenger, Democrat Mark Davis is now leading 50-45%

I did a little digging, thanks to the Washington Post, and found out that Mark Foley voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in July. He was one of only 27 Republicans to vote against it--and now I think we all know why. One Republican who voted in favor of protecting marriage was Don Sherwood.

Republican More Faithful to Tax Cuts Than Wife

You've gotta love the Republicans for a good headline. 66 year-old incumbent Don Sherwood (R-PA) has released a TV ad where he says that he is "truly sorry" for cheating on his wife. He also took a second to deny ever abusing his mistress, Cynthia Ore, 30.

But the best part is that he took his infidelity as a chance to reiterate his consistent commitment to traditional Republican values. "While I'm truly sorry for disappointing you I never wavered from my commitment to reduce taxes, create jobs, and bring home our fair share," Sherwood said. "You should forgive me, you can count on me to keep fighting hard for you and your family."

Come on! Forgive him! The guy's 66 years old and he still has blue balls over tax cuts! That's commitment! So he had sex with a 30 year old he met at a Young Republicans meeting? Who among us wouldn't? You're a powerful Washington figure. Mark Foley isn't sharing any of his page-boys. You have a posh apartment somewhere in the city....that's a good gig, man! Fidelity just doesn't stand a chance versus a setup like that...oh, and tax cuts.

While the affair is clearly understandable in that light, admitting in a commercial you've been more faithful to your Republican values than you have been to your own marriage probably stings your poor wife a little, don't you think?

Tell congressman Sherwood you forgive him here.

Democratic challenger Chris Carney currently leads the race 48% - 37% .

Visions of a Better America

The 2006 elections are almost upon us and things are closer than ever.

Votemaster says that if the elections were today the Senate would be evenly divided 50/50. The Democrats need to pick up six seats to gain a majority. On the House side, currently the Republicans lead 219-216.

The hottest race is in Virginia where incumbent George Allen is fighting for his life after welcoming an ethnic citizen to "the real world" after calling him "Makaka." Allen, once considered a shoe-in for re-election is down to a 5 point lead.

Come on, Virginia, you can do it!

Other close races (incumbent first):

Missouri: Jim Talent (R) vs Claire McCaskill (D)
Montana: Conrad Burns (R) vs Jon Tester (D)
New Jersey: Bob Menendez (D) vs Tom Jean Jr (R)
Ohio: Mike DeWine (R) vs Sherrod Brown (D)
Rhode Island: Lincoln Chafee (R) vs Sheldon Whitehouse (D)
and
Pennsylvania: Rick Santorum (R) vs Bob Casey (D) (please, please, please....)

Get out and vote this fall, and put this country back on a reasonable course!