Bush Gives Head Of State...

Busby/Bilbray CA 50 Hand Recount: w00t!

Filed by Brad Friedman from San Diego…

In a harshly worded statement, the DNC's Voting Rights Institute has issued a statement condeming the adminstration of the recent U.S. House race between Democrat Francine Busby and Republican Brian Bilbray joining a growing national outcry in calling for "a swift and verifiable 'manual count' of all 150,000 ballots cast in California's 50th District's 'bellwether' June 6th special election."

"This is no longer about whether or not Busby or Bilbray won the election on June 6th," the just-issued statement reads, "This is about the importance of verifying the facts related to election and voting machine irregularities in this race and the need to ensure an accurate count of all votes cast in this election so that the electorate may have confidence in the announced results in future elections."

The long-awaited announcement of a position on the matter by the DNC comes at the end of more than a month of outrage from both national and state election integrity organizations, many of whom have declared "No Confidence" in the reported results of the race held to replace jailed Republican Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Bilbray declared himself the winner on election night, and was sworn into office several days later before all votes had been counted and nearly three weeks prior to the election being certified by either state or county officials.

Bush Jokes During Visit to Germany

July 13, 2006 - President laughs about roast pig, leading the band, and a historic church

STRALSUND, Germany (AP) - President Bush was high on the hog in Germany.

Even before he sat down for dinner with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bush commented again and again on how much he looked forward to the 65-pound wild boar that was on the menu.

"I understand I may have the honor of slicing the pig," Bush told Merkel during opening remarks at a news conference Thursday.

One German reporter asked Merkel about violence in the Middle East, then asked Bush for his impressions of the region - aside from the pig. Bush cut Merkel off.

"I haven't seen the pig yet," he said with a chuckle, then apologized to Merkel for interrupting. She said she hoped it was already roasting, with six hours until dinner time.

And when a U.S. reporter asked for a follow-up, Bush seemed disappointed by the topic: Iran.

"I thought you were going to ask me about the pig," he said.

Thank You Jane Hamsher

Last night I recieved a rather remarkable gift from Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake. As folks know, whenever I post at the Progressive Blogs, I usually post a link to one of my songs as my personal "message in a bottle." I know some folks are annoyed by this, but one never knows when a funny song or a Love song can catch just one person at just the moment when it's really needed. Last night on my way to bed, I tossed a one liner into a thread about Ned Lamont at FDL and added a link to my Lee Greenwood sendup, as I did at Huffpo, ThinkProgress and Bradblog.

Bradblog, btw is doing some REALLY great work on the Busby/Bilbray CA:50 HAND RECOUNT that will tear the roof off...But I digress...

Literally ready to sign off, I passed by FDL again to see if the Lamont thread was going to be busy. Scrolling down I found that Jane heard the song and had a really good laugh. Good enough apparently that she linked it in the main post. Now, from my computer, (God Bless Broadband!) I had seen Jane at the YearlyKos, chairing the panel with Joe Wilson and Murray Waas. This married grandfather will testify that Jane Hamsher is SMOKIN'!

So I logged out and went to sleep. It was nice to know that I made such an important person smile. But when I logged back on in the morningI had quite a shock. Between 11pm and 4am "Goper's Lament" had been downloaded over 1000 times. It seems that for the first time since I posted my podcast, by 11pm tonight, Folks will have downloaded 2 Gigabytes of music from my website in a single day.

Thanks Jane, I'm glad I got the chance to make you laugh.

Podcast Update

I started my Podcast on New year's Eve, and I wanted to let my friends know how it's going.

To begin with, as of today I've had over 40,000 Pageviews. A "pageview" is either an htm page or an audio file. I have transmitted 17.13 Gigabytes of audio content. Together, Goper's Lament and 50 Ways to Dump the Dubya have been downloaded nearly 9000 times.

Thanks to all of the folks who've participated in this project so far. I'm working toward 100,000 downloads each for these two songs by Sept 11 of this year, and I think I'm gonna make it.

A Mother's Heartache

Empty Boots and Baby Shoes
By Stacy Bannerman
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

I am so tired of standing at memorials for soldiers; tired of weeping for the victims of this war.

I am tired of watching parents plant crosses for their dead children, day after day after godforsaken day.

I am tired of placing flowers in empty boots and baby shoes; of the way my body shakes at the first readings of the names that were added to the casualty count this week.

What's wearing me out is bearing witness to this war. This foreverness of death, and the unrelenting loss.

It drains my spirit to meet the widow's eyes; to watch the fathers falter, falling to their knees. Christ, that makes me weak.

To stand at the lip of the mouth of a grave that will never get enough

catching mothers tears, a nation driving by the dead, is exhausting to my soul.

I am deathly tired today.

West Point Graduates Against the War

"When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war." (2)

"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its stupidity. War settles nothing." (3)

"Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels - men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion." (4)

"If all that Americans want is security, they can go to prison. They’ll have enough to eat, a bed and a roof over their heads. But if an American wants to preserve his dignity and his equality as a human being, he must not bow his neck to any dictatorial government." (5)

Dwight D. Eisenhower

34th President of the United States

(1953-1961)

Epilogue To A Love Story

Cross posted at Howard Empowered People

Ascension Sunday.

The Earthly story of John and Mickey Oehlmann came to an end this week, when the maintanance crew came to clear their apartment. I was fortunate to have gotten the word that their family had abandoned the contents of the place, save for an air conditioner, two TVs and a couple of electric reclining chairs.

I arrived about half an hour after the crew, and asked if they'd mind if took a few rememberances, and they said whatever I took was something less for them to carry, and knowing how close we were they were glad to help.

From the moment I stepped inside the apartment, I realized that a rich history was left behind. Things that should have been held for future generations of their family lay in bags waiting to be discarded to the compactor. First I found their wedding album, and many books of family pictures. Then I found all of John's scrapbooks and trophies. Sadly his military medals seem to have been lost to the trashbin before I arrived.

But the real treasure that I've found in the garbage bags was every letter they exchanged during WWII. She had only mentioned them to me once but they were clearly one of her prized possessions. Yet my favorite item so far, even though I'm not a Catholic, was her Rosary beads from her First Communion.

Mickey passed away just before Easter, and I resolved to light a candle for them on the Catholic holiday of the Ascension. When I got on the bus to go to work on Sunday morning, I had a feeling that she was on the bus with me, holding my hand, as if we were going to meet someone. I put the thought out of my mind while I got my coffee and went downstairs to set up.

About 20 minutes later as I was singing, I suddenly found myself holding back some very deep tears, and realized that Mickey and John had been there listening to my performance. They had never heard me before and I felt them dancing just a few feet away from where I was standing.

I got all choked up and had to stop singing while resisting the urge to burst out crying, Then I felt John ask me to play "Their Song."

I took a deep breath and the words came out.

When somebody loves you
It's no good unless he loves you
All the way

I felt them looking into each other's hearts and they slowly began to dance again on the subway platform. I was trembling. The other people on the platform saw me falling apart.

Deeper than the deep blue sea is
That's how deep it goes
When it's real

Then that Love that knows no Comprehension that I always talk about swept over me, and I could almost see them.

Who knows where the road will lead us
Only a fool would say

The song ended and I felt them watching as I played "Mail Order Annie." I could sense they realized that if they stayed longer I'd never get any work done, and would probably end up a shapeless mass in a pool of my own tears. As the train arrived, I felt their love draw near to me as if in farewell. When the train stopped I felt them move toward one of the doors. It opened and they both stepped on, turned to me and waved, and went off with a smile to continue their amazing love story.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day. I am.

An Open Letter To Kos

I was banned from your site for the comment in the previous thread. Haven't got a clue as to what upset you. There are many intelligent, aware and active people at your blog and I'm sure we'd all like to see a free and fair election in November. It's just not gonna happen, and there are dozens of reasons why that should be painfully obvious to you by now.

If Democrats take control of both houses, as seems likely, they will, in addition having to clean up the mess left by the elephant, have to begin it's long overdue constitutional duty of oversight of the executive and his party. If I were John Conyers, I'd start at the PNAC's need for a "New Pearl Harbor" that fooled the nation into war in Iraq, and just pull on the threads until the sweater unraveled.

In all honesty, do you believe that BushCo would let that happen? Do you think they'd just let the intelligence committee follow the money trail of graft and war profiteering? They didn't want the 9/11 Commission! They have never allowed oversight! Do you think they'd just leave their fate to the whim of a few carloads of rigged voting machines and hacked phone banks?

They couldn't come this far so blatantly if they didn't have a plan. Our lovable furry friend Grover (Norquist) seems to think they'll pull Ossama bin Buggin' out of a spiderhole on Halloween. Now that would toss all the Democratic efforts in the toilet, but at least there would be no violence involved, and the permanent majority that Rove wanted would be firmly in place.

ANY other option that Bush has involves some lame excuse for declaring martial law. Invading Iran would be a great help to him there. Or maybe PNAC already has a sequel to 9/11 in the can.

Any mental health professional will tell you that Bush exhibits the pathology of an abusive spouse, except if he ever hit Laura, he knows he could never go to sleep. As Randi Rhodes often says, we're all wearing the blue dress now. Bush is at the stage now where he needs to teach his bitch a lesson. And who's gonna stop him? Arlen Specter?

So thanks for the troll rating, dude. It's greatly appreciated.

Banned At Daily Kos by Kos

Troll Rated By Kos Himself:

Stop It! Stop It!

There ain't gonna be no freakin' election this year and I'm freakin sick of folks talkin' like there's gonna be one.

Can anyone in the whole freakin' blogsphere give me one single incentive that Bush has to hold an election this year??

Can anyone in this freakin' blogsphere give me 20 reasons why Bush doesn't want an election this year.

Sorry folks, your Democracy has been swallowed by giant frogs that should have been marched on Sept 12.

And no one here has a Plan B.

50 Ways To Dump The Dubya

Love Songs From Ground Zero

by Subway Serenade on Fri May 12, 2006 at 07:40:36 PM PDT


[ Parent ]
* [new] Maybe not a real troll (2+ / 0-)

but sure as heck sounding like one.

by kos on Fri May 12, 2006 at 07:59:56 PM PDT
***

I'll take that as a badge of honor. Sorry I crashed your Phuquing "Gate."

It don't change the facts. We need a Plan B...

Just in case Bush cancels the election

Goper's Lament (Hard To Be A Republican)

Howard Dean On "This Week"

The Democratic Agenda for Real Change:

"The fact is we want real change in this country. We're going to balance the budget, we're going to have American jobs that stay in America and we're going to have honesty and openness in government again. I think those are pretty important. The next thing we're going to do after that is make sure that everybody has health care in this country. If they can do that in 36 countries around the world, we can do that here in the United States of America...

Ending the Republican Culture of Corruption:

"There is a culture that goes from the White House to the Vice President's office to the leadership of the United States Senate to the leadership of the United States House of Representatives, and in the agencies. Corruption has become a way of life and it has to change. We have to pass real ethics legislation, not the nonsense that was passed last week in the House of Representatives.

"We promise you that within 100 days we will vote on real ethics legislation. It will pass and there will be no more free trips. There will be no more free lunches and there will be no more sticking things in big appropriations bills that give oil companies and HMOs billions and billions of dollars of taxpayers' money in the middle of the night."

On the Bush Administration's Use of Prewar Intelligence:

"I think it's time to stop beating up on the professionals in the CIA. The fact is they did their job. They gave the intelligence to the White House. The White House didn't want to use the intelligence. The intelligence failures that got us into Iraq were not by large in the CIA, they were in the White House. They wouldn't listen to what they were being told by the CIA."

That's why I'm a Deaniac.

Gore/Dean '08

By Mr. Fish

Hard To Be A Republican

Great Image at Firedoglake

...From the words of
Bill O' Reilly,
That I heard on my TV,
From Bob Novak,
And Rush Limbaugh,
It all made sense to me.
Anyone who spoke
Against us,
Was playin'
A dangerous game.
But my Country's become
A laughing stock,
And The GOP's to blame...

Subway's SxSW Review

Love Songs from Ground Zero
The Subway Serenade (on CD)
Contact: David Teller E-mail: dave@tellercreations.com
Worth the listen!
More political fun than a White House full of monkeys!
With wit and humor David Teller pokes fun at the foibles of the human condition.
Downloads available at Web-site: http://www.3mels.com

Liberals Hate America?...

New from jc's designs

Where Credit Is Due (From Boston Legal)

When the weapons of mass destruction thing turned out to be not true, I expected the American people to rise up... they didn't.

Then, when the Abu Ghraib torture thing surfaced and it was revealed that our government participated in irendition, a practice where we kidnap people and turn them over to regimes who specialize in torture, I was sure then the American people would be heard from. We stood mute.

Then came the news that we jailed thousands of so-called terrorists suspects, locked them up without the right to a trial or even the right to confront their accusers. Certainly we would never stand for that. We did.

And now it's been discovered the executive branch has been conducting massive, illegal, domestic surveillance on its' own citizens. You and me. And I at least consoled myself that finally, finally, the American people will have had enough. Evidentally we haven't.

In fact, if the people of this country have spoken, the message is we're okay with it all. Torture, warrantless search and seizure, illegal wiretappings, prison without a fair trial or any trial, war on false pretenses. We as a citizenry are apparently not offended.

There are no demonstrations on college campuses. In fact there's no clear indication that young people seem to notice.

...

She could have protested the old fashioned way, made a placard and demonstrated at a presidential or vice-presidential appearance, but we've lost the right to that as well. The secret service can now declare free speech zones to contain, control and in effect criminalize protest.

Stop for a second and try to fathom that.

At a presidential rally, parade, or appearance, if you have on a supportive t-shirt... you can be there. If you are wearing or carrying something in protest, you can be removed.

This in the United States of America.

This in the United States of America.

...

What I'm most sick and tired of... is how every time somebody disagrees with how the government is handling things, he/she is labeled UN-AMERICAN.

(Lawyer: Evidentally it's speech time.)

And speech in this country is FREE, you hack! Free for me, free for you.

I object to governments abusing its power to squash the constitutional freedoms of its citizenry. And God forbid anybody challenge it, there smeared as being a heretic.

Melissa Hughes is an American!

Melissa Hughes is an American!

Melissa Hughes is an American!

(Poignant pause)

Last night I went to bed with a book. Not as much fun as a 29yr. old, but the book contained a speech by Adlai Stevenson. The year was 1952, he said,

"The tragedy of our day is the climate of fear in which we live, and fear breeds repression. Too often, sinister threats to the bill of rights, to freedom of the mind are concealed under the patriotic cloak of anti-communism."

Today, it's the cloak of Anti-Terrorism. Stevenson also remarked, "It's far easier to fight for principles, than to live up to them."

I know we are all afraid, but the bill of rights... we have to live up to that. We simply must.

My Valentine Song

Full Snuggle Blues (mp3)

 


I think about you when I'm workin'
And when I'm on the train.
Girl, the way you wear that lace and satin,
Is gonna drive me insane!
And lately makin' Love with you,
Is all that's on my brain.
Forgive me if I'm happy, darlin',
You know I can't complain.

That negligee you wore last night,
Was one complete surprise.
I loved the way it leaves your shoulders bare,
And drapes across your thighs.
But when you let it fall you nearly,
Brought tears to my eyes!
You're the nearest thing to Heaven,
That I'll know before I die.

(Refrain)
But all the soap in Texas,
Can't wash my dirty mind.
When you turn out that bedroom light,
You Love me till I'm blind.
Sometimes I'd like to walk right up,
And slap your sweet behind!
And all the soap in Texas,
Can't wash my dirty mind.

So wrap your arms around me,
And we'll turn the lights down low.
Then I can take your fantasies ,
As far as we can go.
Littlle darlin' what you see in me,
I will never know!
But sometimes you're just too naughty, baby.
That's why I Love you so. (And I'm tellin' you:)

All the soap in Texas,
Can't wash my dirty mind.
When you turn out that bedroom light,
You Love me till I'm blind.
Sometimes I'd like to walk right up,
And slap your sweet behind!
And all the water and soap in Texas,
Can't wash my dirty mind.

I Shoulda Used Preparation H...

jc does it again...

"Goper's Lament" Update

Just a note to let you know that "Goper's Lament (Hard To Be A Republican)" has been downloaded 124 times since it's release on Jan 27. It's a great start toward 100,000 downloads by Sept 11, 2006! It's time to put PNAC in a PANIC! Download "Goper's Lament" today and pass it on to 5 friends, and 5 Republicans. Come the November Election, if Bush hasn't already declared Martial Law, you'll be glad you did.

Grampa Munster Dies

Al Lewis had a radio show on WBAI here a few years ago, around the time that he ran for Governor to get the Green Party on the ballot. He once related this story on the air, and I'll tell it from memory.

He was booked on a flight to Los Angeles to film the movie version of "Car 54 Where Are You?" When he and his friend got on they were bumped up to first class.

When they took their seats and the plane took off, Al's friend noticed the gentlman in the seat in front of them speaking in a low German accent. As he listened further he realized that the man was none other than Henry Kissenger, talking to a young assistant.

So he turns to Al with a really low excited whisper: "Hey Al. look it's Henry Kissinger."

And Al says in his normal voice: "I know that's Henry Kissinger. Don't you think I know a war criminal when I see one!"

Kissenger's assistant stood up and turned to say something, and Al said. "Sit down, Sonny, I'm not your father."

No more words were exchanged, but Kissinger was flushed red for the remainder of the flight.

Rest In Peace Grampa.