NewMexiKen
Half Wisdom · Half Whimsy · Half Wit
From the foothills of the Sandia Mountains, issues of
the day, sports, books, films, music, history, the environment and grandchildren.
[Thanks, PikaB! www.burqueblog.com]
Right’s Wrong
Right’s right: His domestic failings aside, the
president is focused on this basic truth: We’re a nation at war by Jeff Gardner, Albuquerque Tribune Online
[The Left]
disingenuously raged about ”W’s rush to war” or deceitfully claimed W ”lied” about weapons.
Well, let me say this about that….[I]f the president believed the weapons were there, he wasn’t lying…. [Duhbya] is dead right about
the most important thing: We’re at war.
It’s so frustrating to read right-wing columnists like Jeff
Gardner. First, conservatives act as if they don’t run everything: the House, the Senate, and the White House (ie, all of the Executive
and Legislative Branches). As for the Judiciary, the radical right rails against ”activist judges” while doing their best to stack
the bench their way (while using the Legislature to curtail numerous rights). With a tight grip on all three branches of government,
arch-conservatives turn their ire on the media, the supposed liberal media that puts someone like Gardner on the front of the section and
may, just may, print someone like me a few pages back.
If Bush wasn’t lying about WMD (or tax cuts or the Patriot Act, ad nauseum),
then he is ill-informed, even ignorant and incurious (widely acknowledged). Why is that so much better in a President?
For at least 20
years, conservatives have framed and determined every aspect of public discourse. Everything must be expressed in their terms, by their
rules. We are at war because they say we are. Gardner uses two standard reactionary tactics: put words in your opponents’ mouths
(ridicule them for things they never said — reread his column to note all the little digs and jibes) and repeat exactly what other
conservatives say (stay on target, consistent and loyal). These are powerful techniques that the radical right uses to stifle discussion.
You’re with them or you’re against them.
Bush’s presidency is the crowning achievement of the radical Christian fundamentalist
right — our Taliban. And still they feel the need to berate, belittle and bully the Left. Real nice folks. It’s a shame they can’t
enjoy their near-total victory (and all the spoils). Better get what you can before the pendulum swings again, as we all know it will —
maybe even in November. mjh
FactCheck.org
FactCheck.org – Annenberg Political Fact Check
Holding Politicians Accountable
FactCheck.org should have bipartisan appeal. Their goal is to investigate various political claims and report on how true or false those claims are. mjh
OverseasVote.com
OverseasVote.com – Absentee Vote in 2004 U.S. Presidential Elections
Have your voice heard in 2004 by
Telling an American Living Overseas to Vote!
Use this site to send voting instructions to your U.S. friends living overseas.
DemocraticUnderground.com
”Have you been to this Democratic Undergournd blog? Lotsa interesting people,
lots of reasoned discussion. It’s refreshing to just flip through the
discussions and feel as though one is living in a sane and responsible
society for a few minutes. Then, back to work … KLONK! J.”
Hey, Feds, Butt Out!
FBI Petitions for Broad Wiretapping Rights By Sebastian Rupley
The Bush Administration has asked the Federal Communications Commission to require broadband service providers to introduce new architecture in their networks that would facilitate eavesdropping by law enforcement officials. The 85-page proposal was filed March 12 by the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Experts are saying that if it is approved, it could dramatically hinder both emerging and existing technologies. [mjh: not to mention its impact on our freedom and privacy] …
The proposal specifically calls for giving police easy access to all forms of “switched” Internet communications, including communications conducted over Voice-over-IP (VoIP) systems, instant messaging systems, and communications taking place over cable modem and DSL networks. The language of the proposal, which is posted online, implies that backdoors should be integrated in networked systems to allow law enforcement officials eavesdropping rights.
You may recall ”Carnivore”, a Big Brother snooper from the Clinton administration. Though it was renamed to something less honest, it was a system that would be put in place on a specific ISP to spy on specific suspects (so they said) under a wiretap warrant. Now the Feds want to read every single byte you and I exchange. Every single byte — no warrants; just trolling for whatever they want. I’m not at all sure that getting rid of Asskraft (sic) or Bush will stop this, but keeping them means much worse intrusion in the future. mjh
Equal Treatment?
Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall: March 07, 2004 – March 13, 2004 Archives
How soon we forget…
Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), said Kerry should apologize for a comment ”outside the bounds of where people who want to hold the highest office in this country should be making.”
Washington Post
March 11th, 2004
Bush, standing on a stage outside of Naperville North High School, pointed reporter Adam Clymer out to his running mate, former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney. Then Bush described Clymer using a common obscenity.
”There’s Adam Clymer, major-league asshole from the New York Times,” Bush said.
”Oh, yeah, he is, big-time,” Cheney responded.
Houston Chronicle
September 5th, 2000
A major-league Santorum …
— Josh Marshall
Nebraska Democrat Bob Kerrey:
”Santorum? Is that Latin for asshole?”