This is why the UN is mostly useless

First, the UNHRC cannot sack up and call a spade a spade. Seriously, there are few more objectionable regimes on the planet than that of Sudan. These motherfuckers are complicit in, if not outright guilty of, the deaths of thousands of innocents. One would think the Human Rights Commision would recognize that but, alas, one would be wrong.

GENEVA - The U.N. Human Rights Council expressed concern over the situation in Darfur on Friday, but stopped short of criticizing Sudan's government.

The compromise resolution passed by consensus without a vote after Germany agreed to remove any mention of holding Khartoum responsible for the "armed attacks on civilian population and humanitarian workers, widespread destruction of villages, and continued and widespread violence."

Then we have the ongoing hostage situation in Iran. The UN’s flaccid response to the ambush and capture of the British forces in Iraqi waters has been pathetic.

However, two sets of U.N. sanctions have done little to sway Iran to comply with international demands over its nuclear program. And the country's trade partners on the UN Security Council UNIN— Russia and China — have consistently used their veto power to soften tougher measures favored by the United States and Britain.

Divisions bogged down negotiations Thursday over a Security Council statement on the captured Britons. In the end, the council expressed "grave concern" over the crisis, a statement that fell short of condemning Iran's actions.

Grave concern?!?!?!?! Are you kidding me? What is next - harsh language? Iran must be terrified…

Cavebitch

Phyllis Schlafly, founder of the Eagle Forum and conservative icon, has some views on the nature of marriage that I find bizarre, to say the least.

At one point, Schlafly also contended that married women cannot be sexually assaulted by their husbands.

"By getting married, the woman has consented to sex, and I don't think you can call it rape," she said.

Well Phyllis, I think the local DA will disagree with you on this, not to mention my wife.

Schlafly seems to be implying that the act of marriage absolves women of free will in matters sexual. Indeed, if ones husband determines solely the sexual behavior of his wife, one could say that wives are the husband’s property. This view of women is fairly similar to the some the more obnoxious male dominated societies around the world. Burkas anyone?

That one the leading conservative lights would seem to share common cause with the Taliban is just creepy.

Hat tip to Cliff Schecter

mmmm… Sacrilicious

Far be it from me to scold others for slaying a sacred cow now and then but this is just wrong.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Easter season unveiling of an anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ, dubbed "My Sweet Lord" by its creator, has infuriated Catholics preparing to observe some of their holiest days of the year.

The 6-foot sculpture by Cosimo Cavallaro was to debut Monday evening, four days before Christians mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. The final day of the exhibit at the Lab Gallery inside Manhattan's Roger Smith Hotel was planned for Easter Sunday.

Cue Bill Donahue, pro-Catholic worrywart and professional hyperbolist, and Matt Semler, dimwit gallery director:

"This is one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever," said Bill Donohue, head of the Catholic League, a watchdog group. "It's not just the ugliness of the portrayal, but the timing — to choose Holy Week is astounding."

The gallery's creative director, Matt Semler, said the Lab and the hotel were overrun with angry telephone calls and e-mails. The gallery was considering its options, he said.
"We're obviously surprised by the overwhelming response and offense people have taken," said Semler, adding that the Holy Week timing was a coincidence.

Now I agree that this is pretty offensive if one is prone to seek out offense for sake of basking in the glow of victimhood; something Donohue does with alarming regularity. At the same time, unveiling a chocolate Jesus during Holy Week and naming it “My Sweet Lord” seems geared towards pissing people off. So yeah, Cosimo Cavallaro, the “artist”, and I use that term loosely, has the right to be a dick and create his milk chocolate King of Kings. The gallery has a right to show it. And Donohue has the right to get all indignant but come on people. The whole cast of characters here are a bunch of dopes.

First, Donohue needs to get some perspective. This is not “one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever”. Throwing Christians to the lions, the Spanish Inquisition, priests molesting children, and wars of convenience are greater slights to Christianity than some hack artist mocking Jesus. Get a grip dude.

Next up, Cosimo Cavallaro is a jackanapes and third rate Christo impersonator. I compare his creation to a Klan parade. Yeah, the Klan has the right to march around in their sheets and spout their bullshit. And I have to right (duty?) to call them assholes for it. Tit for tat. BTW, Mr. Artist Guy, spraying cheese on a house is not art. It is a waste of cheese.

Lastly, Matt Semler, the gallery director, is dumber than a sack of hammers. I am not sure how much of a dunderheaded moron one must be to not predict a, shall we say, unfavorable reaction to displaying "My Sweet Lord" during Easter. Seriously, why not display some flattering pastel portraits of Hitler on Holocaust Remembrance Day, dumbfuck? You think that might generate some feedback in NYC? If this guy was seriously surprised that people were offended, he needs a week of extreme sensitivity training or a severe beating with the collected works of Miss Manners.

Happy Easter everyone.

Newsflash – Michael Jackson is still batshit insane

The Gloved One wants to build a 50-foot robotic facsimile that will wander around the Vegas desert, firing off laser beams. I thought this was a joke at first but apparently not. No word on whether he will build robotic kids to, oh never mind…

AG Alberto Gonzales lied to Congress

OK, everyone already knew that but his former Chief of Staff, Kyle Sampson, has confirmed in Senate testimony today. From the AP:

WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales wrongly stated he was not involved in discussions about the firings of federal prosecutors, his former chief of staff told the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday.

"I don't think the attorney general's statement that he was not involved in any discussions of U.S. attorney removals was accurate," testified Kyle Sampson, who quit this month as Gonzales' top aide. "I remember discussing with him this process of asking certain U.S. attorneys to resign."

Sampson said Gonzales attended a crucial meeting on the firings Nov. 27, 10 days before they were carried out.

"Wrongly stated" in this case is a journalistic euphemism for "lied his fucking ass off". Gonzo is toast.

Even more interesting (IMHO) was Sampson's perspective on why the US Attorneys were targeted. His explaination, perhaps accidentally, revealed one of the governing truths of this Administration.

In earlier testimony Sampson said the prosecutors were fired last year because they did not sufficiently support President Bush’s priorities, defending a standard that Democrats called "highly improper."

"The distinction between 'political' and 'performance-related' [emphasis mine] reasons for removing a United States attorney is, in my view, largely artificial," he said. "A U.S. attorney who is unsuccessful from a political perspective ... is unsuccessful."

Absolutely true. To the Administration, performance is not measured by any sort of rational standard of competence or ability to execute. Ones job performance is measured by the degree of loyalty, even fealty, one exhibits to the White House and the President. It was true with Michael “heckuva job” Brown. It was true with Donald Rumsfeld. It was true with Harriet Myers. Brown was way over his head with Katrina. Iraq completely baffled Rummy. Harriet Myers had no business whatsoever sitting on the Supreme Court. Yet each was loyal to Bush to the hilt and as such, they lingered in their positions despite utterly failing at same (or in Myers case, just gave up in the face of impossible odds) .

In Bushworld, good toadying is far more important than good governance.

The ball is in Bush’s court

The Senate passed (barely) an Iraqi withdrawal bill, setting the stage for a petulant outburst from the President followed by a veto. Good. It is about time someone tried to reign in the Bungler in Chief. The White House response was utterly predictable.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the president respects the role of Congress — and Congress should respect his.

"I think the founders of our nation had great foresight in realizing that it would be better to have one commander in chief managing a war, rather than 535 generals on Capitol Hill trying to do the same thing," she said. "They're mandating failure here."

Pardon me for pointing out the obvious, but if the war and Bush’s management of it were not such an utter clusterfuck 59% of the American public would not support withdrawal by 2008. That, however, is where we find ourselves. Bush has proven, repeatedly, his incompetence. People are smart enough to recognize that and Congress is voicing that lack of confidence. So Perino should shut her cryhole. It will be interesting to see how W responds. Given Perino's comments, I am betting on a tantrum.

Worst Faux-hawk Ever

This should be illegal. I thought the Farrah Fawcett hair was ridiculous but this rises (sinks?) to a completely new level (Sidebar - Sanjaya’s stylist should be arrested the next time he/she picks up a can of hair spray). I kept thinking that hairstyle looked like the result of an overly creative 8 year old going to town on her least favorite Barbie. Furthermore, the joint awfulness of his hair and singing threatens to tear a hole in the space-time continuum – stick with me here. The concentration of so much ghastliness may fold in on itself, creating a black hole of bad taste which will swallow us all. It is simple physics really. Sanjaya must be stopped before next week, where I fear he will sport Liberty nails, wreck an Otis Redding tune, and destroy the planet.

Can we call this a civil war now?

We have known for a while that the situation in Iraqi is bad but when the cops engage in a reprisal murder binge, I think it is safe to say things are completely out of control.

BAGHDAD - Shiite militants and police enraged by massive truck bombings in the northwestern town of Tal Afar went on a revenge spree against Sunni residents there Wednesday, killing as many as 60 people, officials said.

The gunmen began roaming Sunni neighborhoods in the city, shooting at residents and homes, according to police and a local Sunni politician.

Ali al-Talafari, a Sunni member of the local Turkomen Front Party, said the Iraqi army had arrested 18 policemen accused of being involved after they were identified by the Sunni families targeted. But he said the attackers included Shiite militiamen.

Here is the deal. Most of the violence against our soldiers stems from insurgents and terrorists. Think IEDs, snipers and the occasional gun battle. There are no rampaging mobs of terrorists slaughtering Americans by the dozen. The real battle in Iraq is between the Iraqis themselves. We are mere bystanders in Sunni/Shiite fight and there is not a damn thing we can do about it now. From that perspective, we should have been out yesterday. And to think, people are bitching about a timetable for withdrawal.

My new morning mantra

So Lo and I had a rough morning today. We both overslept, rushed through our routine, and left the house pretty cranky. A few minutes ago, I got this email from her and haven't stopped laughing.

I want to punch things. You ever feel that way? I want to punch everything but sleep. I want to hug sleep.

That is my wife people - funniest wife ever. How could I not love her?

It is funny because it is true

The Onion: Hillary Clinton Tries To Woo Voters By Rescinding Candidacy.

Too funny.

Animal Planet

Two cool stories in animal news today. First, a group of Aussie environmentalist found a Cane toad the size of a Yorkshire terrier. Check out the picture. That thing is huge.

Second, Reuters has a story about a breeding pair of Bald Eagles nesting in Philadelphia, the first in over two hundred years. Pretty cool.

In local news

Finally, after much posturing and crocodile tears, the Governor and the intransigent “no taxes” caucus in the Virginia State House have come to a compromise on transportation funding. For the uninitiated, the Commonwealth has not put any significant new money into the transportation system in over twenty years. The debate on transportation funding has been a biannual bar fight for nearly as long. Virginia was fast approaching a point where all available funds for roads would go to yearly maintenance. In other words, no new road projects in perpetuity. So something had to get done.

Of course, the deal is not perfect. There is a good bit not to like, ones political leanings not withstanding. For example, the plan taps the General Fund for at least $40 million a year. Admittedly, this is relatively small change in the $1 billion dollar a year plan but it opens the door to greater and, as I understand it, not very well defined sums in the future. IMHO – it is generally a bad idea to take money from schools and hospitals to pay for roads.

That said, a flawed deal is far better than doing nothing at all. Anyone that has traveled the Hampton Roads Bridge tunnel or I-66 in NoVa during rush hour knows that traffic barely moves. Another couple of years at current funding levels, it would quit doing even that. New transportation funding is critical to the health of Virginia’s economy. And while it took forever, the folks that run the show made it happen. So hats off to the Legislature and the Governor. Yesterday, y’all earned your money.

With friends like these…

I tend not read Robert Novak much anymore. He suffers more than most from the disease of pundit “know it all”-ism. Which is not to say the guy is a dummy; quite the contrary. After decades in Washington, you learn a thing or two. I just do not care for the constant reminders of that fact. Anyway, today, I decided to give it a go and it seems the Prince of Darkness and his fellow Republicans on the Hill are none to happy the POTUS. Here are some choice bits:

With nearly two years remaining in his presidency, George W. Bush is alone. In half a century, I have not seen a president so isolated from his own party in Congress -- not Jimmy Carter, not even Richard Nixon as he faced impeachment.

Anytime a conservative institution like Robert Novak uses Bush and Nixon in the same sentence, it is a solid indicator that the Presidential respect meter among Republicans is fast approaching zero. This is the political equivalent of being stood up by your date to the prom. Moving on…

The saving grace that some Republicans find in the dispute over U.S. attorneys is that, at least temporarily, it draws attention away from debate over an unpopular war. But the overriding feeling in the Republican cloakroom is that the Justice Department and the White House could not have been more inept in dealing with the president's unquestioned right to appoint -- and replace -- federal prosecutors.

The I-word (incompetence) is also used by Republicans in describing the Bush administration generally. Several of them I talked to cited a trifecta of incompetence: the Walter Reed hospital scandal, the FBI's misuse of the USA Patriot Act and the U.S. attorneys firing fiasco. "We always have claimed that we were the party of better management," one House leader told me. "How can we claim that anymore?"

To which I would add both wars, Katrina, fiscal discipline, and our international standing. Look, you can suck at your job for only so long as your co-workers are unaffected by your failures. Eventually, however, you are going to screw up so egregiously that it will reflect on others. That is what happened in the midterms. Republicans in Congress paid a dear price for Bush’s incompetence and yet, the Administration soldiers on with the same style and the same game plan. Clearly, the results of Bush’s policies have been bad for the country, terrible if one is a Republican officeholder, and there is precious little evidence that things are going to change. If I was a Republican up for election in 2008, I would run like hell from the President and that is exactly what we are about to see.

The U.S.S. Bush is sinking and the rats are abandoning ship.

House passes plan to withdraw troops by fall of 2008

The plan is not perfect but it is, at least, a plan. It funds the war to the tune of another $100 billion plus but includes benchmarks for the Iraqi leadership and a timetable for redeployment. Pelosi and the leadership had to whip this thing hard to get it passed, but they got it done. Now the ball is in the Senate’s court where I expect something much less stringent will pass. If the House language makes it out of Conference Committee (BTW – I would not bet that it does), Bush will definitely veto the package. With the Senate set to debate their bill next week, we will see.

Regardless of the outcome, it is good to see Congress finally holding the Administration accountable for this disaster.

Sounds about right to me

Digby.

I think my favorite thing about the know-nothing wingnut argument is that Al Gore is said to be all hysterical on this silly little problem by the same people who are screeching like howler monkeys that the oceans don't protect us anymore and "they're" comin' to kill us in our beds! The fact that ridding ourselves of our dependence on oil might mitigate both of these problems escapes their notice. But then, they are incredibly stupid.

Go read the whole thing.

Turning up the heat

Both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees authorized subpoenas for White House officials to testify in the ongoing US Attorney scandal investigation. When threatened with the possibility, Bush offered what the White House described as a “generous compromise” whereby the officials could be interviewed in private sessions, with no transcript and without being sworn under oath – basically, a license to lie. Thankfully, the Dems called that bluff and re-raised. The leadership rightly recognized that testimony under such constraints would be less than pointless. How many times have they lied about the firings already (hat tip to TPM)?

Anyway, the White House immediately went to the “this is simply partisan politics” smokescreen defense. If you can stomach it, go read the transcript from Wednesday’s WH press conference and learn what a dancing Press Secretary sounds like. BTW – hearing that uber-assclown Tony Snow whine about kangaroo courts and show trials all the while defending the Administration’s enemy combatant policy is just priceless.

So what is next? I think the smart money is on some sort of compromise that gets Rove to testify under oath. I cannot see the Dems folding on that. They smell blood in the water. Nevertheless, given Bush’s stubbornness, if a deal does not happen soon, subpoenas will be issued and the whole thing goes to court. One other incident that could change the game, AG Gonzales’s former Chief of Staff and the man at the center of this controversy, Kyle Sampson, will testify before Congress next Thursday. If he drops a bombshell, expect events to unfold quickly.

Bummer

Elizabeth Edwards was diagnosed with cancer again. This time, the doctors say that it is incurable. John Edwards has decided to stay in the campaign. As I understand it, the Edwards made the decision to continue the campaign jointly.

Now, far be it for me to judge that decision but I think people will find it more than a little off-putting for someone to run for President while his wife may become seriously ill.

At any rate, let’s hope the Mrs. Edwards can manage her disease and somehow overcome it.

The Goracle Speaks

Al Gore took his slideshow to Congress yesterday. In what must be interpreted as a sea change of political will, only the real knuckle-draggers like James “Global Warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated” Inhofe and “Smoky” Joe Barton tussled with Gore.

After 25 years and a ton of science, most of the planet has come around to his position on climate change. One of the many reasons I pray the guy runs for President is that he can see what is coming before anyone else. How refreshing it would be to have a brilliant progressive futurist as President, rather than reactionary halfwit with a Daddy complex…

I don’t think The Donald will be invited to the White House for the next couple of years.

From HuffPo:

In an appearance on CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, real estate executive and reality television personality Donald Trump called U.S. President George W. Bush "probably the worst president in the history of the United States."

A transcript of the exchange follows:

TRUMP: Well, I think Bush is probably the worst president in the history of the United States, and I just don't understand how they could have lost that election.

Probably? Just for fun, I would love to know who else Trump has in the running.

Wrong about everything

When some basic assumptions underpinning an idea are incorrect, the consequences for the world around you are usually limited. Most of us have very little power to shape the course of human events. That is unless you are the President and surround yourself with likeminded advisors that share your skewed worldview. I write this because this week will mark the start of our fifth year in Iraq and I want to revisit a statement made by Rumsfeld in the run up to the War; a statement that was utter bullshit and could serve as a proxy for the rest of garbage we were asked to swallow.

And it is not knowable if force will be used, but if it is to be used, it is not knowable how long that conflict would last. It could last, you know, six days, six weeks. I doubt six months.

TownHall Meeting At Aviano Air Base in Italy, February 7, 2003

Idiots rule us. That idiocy continues to bear the bitter fruit of death, destruction and civil war. The Iraq policy is a miserable failure, such that the Administration and Pentagon are scaling back what they think is achievable even though the tactics remain much the same. These people are lost, grasping at straws. They opened the Pandora’s Box with rosy scenarios and pie in the sky expectations, so consumed by hubris and self-righteousness that calls to the contrary fell on deaf ears. Four years ago, this Administration had no idea what it was getting into. Four years later, they still have no idea how to get out. Happy Shock and Awe Day everyone.

Tarantino has issues

The new Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez collaboration flick is apparently so graphic that without major cuts, it will receive an NC-17 rating. From the article:

"There's a part where Jordan Ladd [daughter of Cheryl Ladd of 'Charlie's Angels'] is in a car with her boyfriend and giving him [oral sex] when she lovingly reaches to stroke his hair and discovers his neck is just a bloody stump - some maniac had just cut off his head while she was in the act."

[Snip]

Another jolting scene shows a grossly obese man chewing on a baby.

Wow. I would be a lot frightened to see what goes on inside that man’s head. Aside from that, did anybody else think Fat Bastard when you read the baby thing?

Not so fast there sport

Rumor has it that George ‘Macaca’ Allen is angling for John Warner’s seat should Warner retire in 2008. Aside from being a cracker and a dope, Allen must now overcome the stigma of being a loser as well. Good luck chump…

Props to Senator Warner

As a dyed in the wool Democrat, it would seem odd that I am proud to have John Warner as one of the Commonwealth’s Senators. He is a man with whom I often disagree on policy, but he has integrity, a wicked intellect, and a sense of common decency that is missing from all too many people, let alone politicians.

The Senator did Virginia proud yesterday by taking correct if unpopular (to Republicans anyway) stand.

March 13, 2007 — In a rare rebuke of the nation's top military officer, Sen. John Warner, R-Va., says he strongly disagrees with Gen. Peter Pace's views that homosexuality is "immoral."

"I respectfully, but strongly, disagree with the chairman's view that homosexuality is immoral," Warner said in a statement released by his office.

Granted, this was not the toughest call Warner has ever had to make, but it would have been far easier for him to say nothing. For that, he gets a gold star.

Shorter Alberto Gonzales

"I didn’t know how the firing of the US Attorneys came about, which is why my testimony given to Congress under oath was inaccurate. But I take full responsibility and promise to get to the bottom of this. The DOJ is really big and even though Karl Rove, Harriett Myers, the President and my Chief of Staff all were involved, I was in the dark. But I still take full responsibility…"

Make no mistake; this press conference was transparent attempt by the AG to cover his ass. The Administration fired the US Attorneys for political reasons in a plan hatched over a year ago by the White House. In an effort to hide that fact, Gonzales lied under oath to Congress about said plan. That is a crime and, I might add, an impeachable offense. The knives are out for Roberto.

Missing the point of the whole Christianity thing

In what must be one of the all-time great acts of just not getting it, Reverend Cliff Jacobson of Saint Matthew’s Catholic Church has told a lesbian couple that they will no longer receive communion. The reason given was the pairs’ opposition to a state ban on gay marriage. One would think that the Catholic Church, with its recent “P.R” troubles, would try not to stir homosexual pot as it were but I guess not. And yes, the obvious bigotry at play here pissed me off, but it is the rank hypocrisy of a man of the cloth refusing another Christian that really puts this over the top.

Denying a Christian the ability to take communion is flat out spiteful. Communion is a sacrament and an act of supreme humility; essentially one submits before God and reaffirms one’s devotion to Him. Depriving a Christian of this act, as retribution for political activity, seems almost heretical to me. In the Book of Matthew, Jesus had the following to say:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

[Snip]

You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

One can call the Reverend’s actions many things, but act of love it is not. Unchristian is one word that springs to mind. For the leader of a congregation named for Saint Matthew, it is more than a little ironic that he should show such malice to a neighbor and fellow congregant. One last bit of scripture, also found in Matthew, was Jesus’ discourse on judgment from the Sermon on the Mount:

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

It is high time Reverend Jacobson brushed up on his Gospels.

Hat tip to AmericaBlog.

This is rich

Newt Gingrich has admitted to conducting an extramarital affair during the Clinton impeachment scandal. Now, most people (myself included) would consider that the height of hypocrisy but Newt says otherwise:

"The honest answer is yes," Gingrich, a potential 2008 Republican presidential candidate, said in an interview with Focus on the Family founder James Dobson to be aired Friday, according to a transcript provided to The Associated Press. "There are times that I have fallen short of my own standards. There's certainly times when I've fallen short of God's standards."

Gingrich argued in the interview, however, that he should not be viewed as a hypocrite for pursuing Clinton's infidelity.

Really now. So, it is not hypocritical for Newt to have an affair with a campaign aide while at the same time spouting off about family values and pillorying Bill Clinton for playing around with a subordinate? Um, bullshit. Somebody get the Shepard’s Hook, it is time to yank Newt off the stage.

More assigned reading

E. J. Dionne is one of the few reliably sane voices on the WaPo editorial page. His column today is a masterpiece.

A reader once expressed his amazement that Republicans win office by saying government can't work, then go about proving it. They don't take responsibility for their failures until they have no other choice. Instead, they just keep discrediting government by shifting as much blame as possible to that wonderfully serviceable group of unnamed creatures called "bureaucrats." We all know that bureaucrats are liberals, right? Besides, the word comes from the French.

More than a week after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, Bush was still suggesting that "bureaucratic obstacles" might be "preventing us from achieving our goals." The president, who took a long time to realize what was happening in New Orleans, made a firm pledge: "In other words, bureaucracy is not going to stand in the way of getting the job done for the people." Heck of an alibi, Mr. President.

That is a fastball right between the eyes. Bravo sir - take a bow.

What he said

Check out this great post, an autopsy of a scapegoating really, by Hunter at DKos. The money bit:

But while Libby was spending his last night before being rebirthed now as convicted felon, the President who Libby worked for and supported was dining on sausage and quail wings in Karl Rove's own home. And Karl Rove, despite now having been proven to have had a primary role in outing an agent as retaliation against her husband, despite the fact that all parties now know he did it, remains quite comfortably in the White House. Cheney's man is, barring appeal, going to prison; Bush's man is sending out doggie bags to the bored press corps outside his house.

If I were Libby, I'd be a wee bit pissed right now. I guess I just don't have what it takes to be a fall guy.

I think the big question in all of this is can/will Scooter flip and burn Rove. A boy can dream, can't he?

I am having a 1984 moment

Passing the ominously and ironically named USA Patriot Act was one of the scarier things the government did after 9/11. This Orwellian legislation granted the Executive branch enormous power to do all manner of constitutionally shady things, including the infamous warrentless wiretap, the ability to subpoena library and customer information, and the right to appoint US Attorneys without Senate confirmation. Much of this power has been abused, with the US Attorney scandal being the latest in the news (for more see Josh Marshall at TPM – he has been killing it on that story). That was until I read this today…

WASHINGTON - The FBI underreported its use of the USA Patriot Act to force businesses to turn over customer information in suspected terrorism cases, according to a Justice Department audit.

One government official familiar with the report said shoddy bookkeeping and records management led to the problems. The FBI agents appeared to be overwhelmed by the volume of demands for information over a two-year period, the official said.

"They lost track," said the official who like others interviewed late Thursday spoke on condition of anonymity because the report was not being released until Friday.

They lost track!?!??!?! Well, OK then.

Look, if we are to convey to our government such sweeping power to snoop, the least the FBI can do is tell us how often it exercised those powers. I don’t trust the Administration to be responsible about anything really. They fuck up nearly everything they do. That said, the Patriot Act was wrong to begin with and made worse by the idiots in whom we vested such power. The bottom line, to quote Benjamin Franklin:

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

I think it goes without saying that Franklin was a helluva lot wiser and more responsible than Dick Cheney. I am also willing to bet that Franklin was the better shot.

UPDATE: It is now being reported that not only was the Patriot Act used improperly but also illegally. Given the Administration's track record, this should be a surprise to no one. I guess then next question is who is going to be the fall guy?

The ultimate fridge

An enterprising booze hound in North Carolina built a refrigerator that launches beers via remote control to the recipient seated on a couch. Honey, my birthday is coming up.

The Dems unveil their Iraq pullout plan

Pelosi et al have added language to the $100 billion war appropriation bill that would require withdraw by fall of 2008. The idea is to pass this legislation on to the White House and force W to either accept the timetable or veto (ie. cut off) the funding for the war. It is, at the very least, a high-risk maneuver. First, the Party is split on what to do about the war. The ‘Get Out Now’ caucus numbers less than 100 members and a good many of the more conservative Dems will not vote for the legislation. With passage of the bill by no means guaranteed, Pelosi’s gamble could turn into an embarrassing defeat. Second, if the bill does pass, expect the R’s mantra of ‘the Democrats don’t support the troops’ to go into overdrive. In the wake of the Walter Reed scandal that may ring hollow to many people but who knows.

At any rate, it is good to see our side drawing a line in the sand. Bush has screwed this war up so badly that it is irretrievable. Pretty much any effort to extricate our troops from this mess should be applauded. Let’s see how it plays out.

Limping out of the Stone Age

For a nation sophisticated enough to develop nuclear (nukular if you must) weapons, Pakistan is as backward a place as one can find. And I don’t mean to harp on the plight of women in the nation, but come the fuck on. When a guy can repeatedly get away with killing women he finds objectionable, yours is a nation that is, if not rife, at least overburdened, with knuckle-dragging, misogynistic savages.

GUJRANWALA, PAKISTAN - Working for the public was a gift from God for Zille Huma Usman, Punjab's provincial minister for social welfare.
But two weeks ago, Muhammed Sarwar violently disagreed, killing her before a crowd because, he said, God does not allow women to work. He later told police that he felt no remorse for his crime.

Ms. Usman's death, which shocked the country, comes at a moment of violent flux over the role of women in Pakistan. As the Pakistani government clamps down on Islamist extremists, the conflict over competing visions of Islam has enveloped the issue of women's rights, turning it into a battleground issue between moderates and Islamist extremists.

[Snip]

More than religion, what most disturbs observers is that Usman was not Sarwar's first victim. In 2003, he confessed to police that he had killed at least four women and wounded four others, mostly prostitutes and dancers.

His gruesome acts made national headlines, but when Sarwar appeared in court, he changed his story and the cases fell apart. There were also allegations, according to the local press, that religious leaders paid compensation money to the victims' families, who eventually dropped the cases.

[Snip]

Such lapses are part of the larger fabric of abuse toward women that goes unchecked in Pakistani society, according to observers. An October 2006 United Nations' report highlighted that honor killings claimed the lives of 4,000 men and women between 1998 and 2003 in Pakistan.

"Police almost invariably take the man's side in honor killings or domestic murders, and rarely prosecute the killers," said a 1999 Amnesty International report. "Even when the men are convicted, the judiciary ensures that they usually receive a light sentence, reinforcing the view that men can kill their female relatives with virtual 'impunity.' "

One of the hallmarks of modern civil society is some measure of gender equality. In that realm, honor killings are a deal breaker. Pakistan, regrettably, is not singular in this respect. And while Pakistan deserves applause for making progress on the equality front by codifying some rights for women, the violence spawned by the debate betrays the political immaturity of the nation. There are a good many traditionalists/fundamentalists that are so wedded to the notion of feminine subservience and masculine domination that they will fight to the bitter end in service to those misguided ideas.

IMHO, the situation in Pakistan draws a close parallel to the clashes in the America’s own Civil Rights movement in the 60’s, if not a bit bloodier. Let us hope that there is a similar outcome, because societies that provide equal protection under law tend to be more moderate, more stable, and more economically successful. The Talibans and Al Qaedas of the world do not spring forth from Canada or Sweden. These organizations come from places where power is more important than justice, tradition more sacred than freedom, and dominion more entrenched than equality. Ensuring that women have a seat at society’s table goes a long way to guaranteeing that society’s stability and security.

Time for the perp walk

Scooter Libby was found guilty on four of five counts. The offenses carry a maximum sentence of thirty years (though he will get a small fraction of that). That is yet another Republican official cum criminal to add to the list.

Maybe this will remove System of a Down from my radio

<----WORST BAND EVER

I am no fan of Noel Gallager. Whiny, bitchy, pretentious rock stars don’t do it for me. That said, his thoughts on System of a Down are so spot on that I am almost willing to give him a pass on the next ridiculous thing he says.

"After I heard System of a Down, I thought, I’m actually alive to hear the shitiest band ever. Of all the bands that have gone before and all the bands that’ll be in the future, I was around when the worst was around."

Alleluia brother, and can I get an Amen from the congregation? Holy cow does SOAD suck. They suck worst than Starlite Vocal Group played at 78 rpm. They suck worse than taking a savage beating while listening to the Chipmunks at 140 decibels. Every time I hear SOAD’s god-awful lead singer wail out some off kilter tremolo, I want to jam an ice pick into each ear. They are indeed the WORST BAND EVER.

Which leads to the inevitable question of how such dreadfulness makes its way onto the airwaves? How does an atonal, and frankly, weird band get a veritable cornucopia of spins on the radio? The answer is payola. The big distributors (Sony BMG, Warner, Universal, and EMI) pay off the big radio companies and/or local stations with money and gifts to ensure that their acts get a certain amount of play in a given market. It is very illegal, very hard to track, and has been around pretty much since radio began playing pop music (see Freed, Alan). It also means that playlists are bloated with crap and repetitive to boot.

In an effort to crack down on this practice, the FCC has reached a settlement with radio station that hits said stations squarely in the pocketbook and may force a bit of variety back on the airwaves.

Four major broadcast companies would pay the government $12.5 million and provide 8,400 half-hour segments of free airtime for independent record labels and local artists, The Associated Press has learned.

To my mind, this can only bring good things. Commercial radio needs to heal itself and giving indies a chance to compete is a great start. Maybe, just maybe, SOAD, Matchbox 20, Nickelback, etc. will yield to something worthwhile. Until that day, I have Sirius.

Keeping ‘em honest

Think Progress did an analysis of the coverage on the three big cable news channels counting references to Anna Nicole Smith and the Walter Reed scandal. I am sure you will be shocked to find that Fox mentioned Smith more than Walter Reed by a 12 to 1 ratio. The formula is easy: bad news for Dems equals maximum rotation, bad news for Republicans equals “who is Lindsey Lohan sleeping with” or some such frivolity.

Is there any doubt that Fox is less a news organization and more of a propaganda outfit?

What do you mean it’s not cool to call a guy a faggot?

Arch-conservabitch and world champion outrage harpie Ann Coulter has once again proven herself incapable of speaking without malice or hate. This time, it was at the Conservative Political Action Committee shindig. From CBS News:

"I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word "faggot."

The slur against gay people earned Coulter cheers in a young, standing-room only crow[d] at Friday's American Conservative Union meeting.

Now we know that Coulter is an evil wench – that almost goes without saying. I say almost because I really enjoy calling her names. That is childish, sure, but oh so much fun. Anyway, Coulter is a known quantity. She has made a career of slinging mud and I expect this kind of thing from her. What I find more interesting is that, per the article, the crowd cheered her on for it. These people love that shit. They revel in ridiculing that which they do not understand or otherwise dislike. Was calling John Edwards a faggot any different than, say, calling Obama a nigger? Would these assholes still have thought that worthy of a chuckle? Probably and that my friends, represents a whole lot of what is wrong with modern, “conservative” values…