Gregarius » Crooks and Liars » November 18, 2008

Crooks and Liars (13 unread)

Open Thread

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 11:45pm EST by bluegal

by Pittsburgh artist Ian Short. Open Thread below...
Late Night Music Club with Jason Joseph

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 11:15pm EST by Howie Klein

A few months ago the Late Night Music Club debuted Jason Joseph's first single, "One Man." A friend of ours did his own very powerful Obama-oriented video for it. Today Jason sent us the official video-- simple, stark and extremely effective. (You might recall that Jason also did a fantastic clip for Blue America's campaign for Regina Thomas in Georgia.)
Hulk Smushed! Mark Begich declared winner in Alaska

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 10:57pm EST by David Neiwert

Enclosure: [download]

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Mark Begich finally takes down Ted Stevens, the rampaging Hulk from Alaska.

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, the Republican lawmaker convicted on felony corruption charges in October, appears to have lost his bid for re-election to Democrat Mark Begich, according to a release from Begich's campaign and unofficial results from state officials.
Democrat Mark Begich (left) has claimed victory over Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska.

The statement and results Tuesday come two weeks after the election, after absentee ballots were counted.

With 100 percent of Alaska's precincts reporting, Begich, the mayor of Anchorage, had roughly 47.7 percent of the vote, compared with about 46.6 percent for Stevens, according to unofficial results posted on the Alaska Secretary of State's Web site.

He appears to have bested Stevens by 3,724 votes, according to the posted results.

So much for Sarah Palin's hopes of sliding over to the Senate.

And the Democratic tally in the Senate now reaches 58, with two more races still in the balance.

Rarrrrghhh!!!
Adieu, Marilyn Musgrave: A fond look back

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 10:00pm EST by David Neiwert

Enclosure: [download]

I know we're supposed to be all bipartisan and forgiving and stuff in the wake of the Great Repudiation, but sometimes you've gotta sit back and smell the schadenfreude. Case in point: Colorado Republican Marilyn Musgrave:

Two weeks after the brutal loss, Musgrave still hasn’t called her opponent to concede or to congratulate the victor, as is not only textbook but also mannerly to do.

Moreover, Musgrave’s ill manners bleed into her own team. Rumor has it she still — 14 days later — hasn’t even thanked her campaign staff. (Again, textbook.)

Musgrave press secretary Joseph Brettell tells us: “It’s a campaign matter, and I have no further comment.”

And as for Markey, her campaign manger, Anne Caprara, who is in town this week with her boss for orientation, tells us of Musgrave: “No, she hasn’t called to concede, but we’re moving forward.”

Though the Markey team doesn’t plan on stopping by Musgrave’s office while in town, eventually the two camps will have to touch base — just in terms of transitioning. But curiously, more rumors abound that no one has seen or talked to Musgrave since the brutal loss; she’s all but disappeared.

One of the joys of this past election was seeing the final exit of characters like Musgrave from the nation's political stage. This was, after all, the woman who tried to have Michael Schiavo arrested merely for showing up to one of her events.

My favorite Musgrave moment, though, came with the above video, which shows Musgrave critics trying to get her to answer their questions. Not only does Musgrave ignore them as her entourage shoves the questioners out of the way; but at the end, some of her supporters confront the questioners and physically intimidate them by shoving them and grabbing their mike.

Congratulations to Betsy Markey. She did the whole nation a service.
Dick Cheney Indicted in TX.

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by John Amato

Enclosure: [download]

Not much info in the piece because the information is not public yet, but a DA has indicted Cheney and Alberto Gonzalez and a few others on charges that are related to corruption in the private prison system following an inmate's death. And not surprisingly, there's some profiteering involved.

I'm sure Cheney will try to have it thrown out of court.
Wanda Sykes on Prop 8: We Were Attacked! They Pissed Off the Wrong Group of People!

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 8:30pm EST by Heather

Enclosure: [download]

Wanda Sykes speaks out about Prop 8 at a rally hosted by the LGBT Center of Nevada in Las Vegas Nov. 15, 2008.
Mullen's Mission

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 7:30pm EST by Cernig

Enclosure: [download]

Today, a friend sent me a PDF copy of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mullen unclassified new "CJCS strategic guidance" for 2008-09. It makes interesting reading.

Some first thoughts:

"We have the most combat-hardened forces in history."

That's hyperbole, right? Even if you just restrict it to American forces.

"Our Navy and Airforce are unmatched, although our advantage could easily slip."

Slip to who and over what period of time? There isn't a nation on Earth spends a fraction of what the U.S. does on the military, and the next three biggest spenders are all ostensibly allies (France, Britain, Japan). The US could cut its military budget by two thirds and still outspend all of its possible threats combined.

Mullen's version of the objective in Iraq and Afghanistan:

"...a representative, stable, independent Iraq that is an ally and regional leader, and a representative, stable Afghanistan and Pakistan that are allies and cooperative members of the international community..."

Is this in fact doable at any price America is willing to pay and over any forseeable timeline? And why don't Afghanistan - and Pakistan! - have to be "independent" too?

"In the near term, Al Qaeda sanctuaries in Pakistan are the probable source of a terrorist attack on the homeland.

So Mullen agrees with Hayden that Pakistan is the true central front in the so-called "War On Terror" (and one the US isn't actually at war in). Is the reason that Pakistan doesn't need to be independent contained therein, for the warmongers? That'll be why we invaded Iraq and sent Pakistan billions in military aid while helping prop up the people in Pakistan's military and intelligence services enabling those Al Qaeda safe havens. That makes perfect sense.

"The pace of ongoing operations has prevented our forces from training for the full spectrum of operations and impacts our ability to be ready to counter future threats...The imbalance between our readiness for future global missions and the wars we are fighting today limits our capacity to respond to future contingencies, and offers potential adversaries, both state and non-state, the incentive to act. "

Huh? I guess Mullen just parted company with his current boss, Bob Gates, about what the military should be arming and training to fight right now. "Full spectrum of operations" means tank battles in the Fulda gap and naval action off Taiwan. Russia and China are not credible "potential adversaries" for the forseeable future. I mean, seriously, what "potential adversaries" are there other than counter-insurgency and 4GW ones? This is all about the coming Pentagon budget turf-battles in the Obama administration, folks - laying out the fearmongering stall often and early. That's Mullens biggest mission right now.

Here's a link to a copy so you can read it for yourself:

Download cjcsguidancefor200820091.pdf
Taking the Long View on Prop 8

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 6:31pm EST by Kathryn Kolbert

Enclosure: [download]

In the immediate wake of Prop 8's victory in California, much of the conversation in the blogosphere was dominated by anger – real and perceived – by some gay activists toward African Americans, acrimony grounded in eventually refuted claims that black voters provided the margin of victory. While Prop 8 opponents were understandably frustrated, the way some lashed out at African Americans was counterproductive at best. Although the Right is still trying hard to drive a wedge between blacks and gay rights activists, the broader conversation has mostly moved on.

This weekend's historic grassroots protests against Prop 8, organized via Join the Impact, have people thinking about the future again. And that's where our focus belongs. Prop 8's supporters have the past on their side, but we have the future. My advice to the marriage ban supporters is to savor their victories now because they're going to find out what it's like to be on the wrong side of history.

Even in defeat we can see the signs of victories to come. According to a CNN exit poll, 61% of voters aged 18-29 opposed Prop 8, while 61% of 65 and older voters backed it. That tells you where we're headed, especially if you compare those results to 2000, when according to an LA Times exit poll 18-29 year old voters supported the anti-gay Proposition 22 by a margin of 58-42. The final vote tallies tell a similar story. Prop 22 passed in 2000 with 61% of the 7.5 million votes cast, but Prop 8 passed with just 52% of the 12 million votes cast. Prop 8 was also defeated across a much broader area of the state than Prop 22 (results by county for Prop 22 & Prop 8).

As I see it, the biggest story about Prop 8 is the California electorate's strong shift in favor of marriage equality in just a matter of years. A majority of white voters backed Prop 22 but opposed Prop 8. We'll be able to say the same thing about African Americans and Hispanics in the future if we commit ourselves now to doing the necessary outreach, education, and relationship-building activism – something our opponents have been doing for years.

The Religious Right is the real obstacle to equality. They bankrolled Prop 8 and led an aggressive and misleading campaign that convinced many voters that voting 'yes' on Prop 8 was a vote to protect their religious freedom and their children. There are millions of voters, of all races and ethnicities, many of whom are religious, who might vote today to support a marriage ban, but only because they've heard the lies spread by opponents of equality, and haven't had the opportunity to have a real conversation about the impact of discrimination on same-sex couples and their families.

We may have history and momentum on our side, but as we saw on November 4, progress is not inevitable, especially when the Right is willing to do and say anything to prevent it. It's time to learn our lessons, revise our strategies, and commit ourselves to strategic, respectful outreach to those Americans who need to hear from us.

Kathryn Kolbert is president of People For the American Way
Eric Holder will accept Attorney General position

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 5:30pm EST by David

Enclosure: [download]

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NBC news confirms that Eric Holder will accept the position as Barack Obama's Attorney General. NBC's Savannah Guthrie talked to Mark Whitaker who reports that Holder was the front runner for the position.

John Amato:

Holder comes out of the Clinton administration and was linked to the Mark Rich pardon which will have Conservatives up in arms, but supported Barack Obama for president. We need an AG for the people and not like the Bush crony Alberto Gonzales. It's no shock that Obama will appoint ex-Clinton people to his staff as his administration takes shape. Many capable people came out of that administration.

Newsweek:

President-elect Obama has decided to tap Eric Holder as his attorney general, putting the veteran Washington lawyer in place to become the first African-American to head the Justice Department, according to two legal sources close to the presidential transition.

Holder, who served as deputy attorney general during the Clinton administration, still has to undergo a formal “vetting” review by the Obama transition team before the selection is final and is publicly announced, said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified talking about the transition process.

Holder, 57, has been on Obama’s “short list” for attorney general from the outset. A partner at the D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling, Holder served as co-chief (along with Caroline Kennedy) of Obama’s vice-presidential selection process. He also actively campaigned for Obama throughout the year and grew personally close to the president-elect
Project Censored's Top 25 Stories You Won't Hear From The Media

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 4:44pm EST by Nicole Belle

It's been out for a while, but still cannot be mentioned enough. Project Censored, a media research and analysis group based at California's Sonoma State University has released the 25 Most Important Stories that are completely ignored by the mainstream media. They are:

#1. Over One Million Iraqi Deaths Caused by US Occupation
# 2 Security and Prosperity Partnership: Militarized NAFTA
# 3 InfraGard: The FBI Deputizes Business
# 4 ILEA: Is the US Restarting Dirty Wars in Latin America?
# 5 Seizing War Protesters’ Assets
# 6 The Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act
# 7 Guest Workers Inc.: Fraud and Human Trafficking
# 8 Executive Orders Can Be Changed Secretly
# 9 Iraq and Afghanistan Vets Testify
# 10 APA Complicit in CIA Torture
# 11 El Salvador’s Water Privatization and the Global War on Terror
# 12 Bush Profiteers Collect Billions From No Child Left Behind
# 13 Tracking Billions of Dollars Lost in Iraq
# 14 Mainstreaming Nuclear Waste
# 15 Worldwide Slavery
# 16 Annual Survey on Trade Union Rights
# 17 UN’s Empty Declaration of Indigenous Rights
# 18 Cruelty and Death in Juvenile Detention Centers
# 19 Indigenous Herders and Small Farmers Fight Livestock Extinction
# 20 Marijuana Arrests Set New Record
# 21 NATO Considers “First Strike” Nuclear Option
# 22 CARE Rejects US Food Aid
# 23 FDA Complicit in Pushing Pharmaceutical Drugs
# 24 Japan Questions 9/11 and the Global War on Terror
# 25 Bush’s Real Problem with Eliot Spitzer

My local Air America station (San Francisco's Green960) is working with Project Censored to cover these stories in a continuing series. You can listen to their coverage of the #25 story on Spitzer now, and check back for updates of other stories.
Mike's Blog Roundup

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 11:00am EST by Mike Finnigan

Attytood: It's official: The president of the United States and his aides are above the law

Portfolio: Drunk on his own Kool Aid and unmoved by reality, crazed ideologue Phil Gramm continues to babble failed conservative nostrums. A real player has a different view

Newshoggers: Deficits actually do matter and defense is, in fact, a budget item

Mike Tidmus: God smites gays with wildfires

digby: Sticker Shock Doctrine

Tomgram: Operation Enduring Disaster
Cafferty File: Should Congress Freeze The Remaining Bailout Money?

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 9:45am EST by Heather

Enclosure: [download]

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From The Cafferty File Nov. 17, 2008. David Sirota has more at Daily KOS.

Republican Senator Jim Inhofe from Oklahoma wants to put a “freeze” on the remaining cash in the big government bailout of the financial industry. In this week’s lame duck session, Inhofe plans to push for legislation that will require Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s plan for the remaining $350 billion in the bailout package to be voted on in Congress.

Despite promises from Congressional leaders that there would be both, there is absolutely no transparency or congressional oversight on where the first $290 billion has gone. Senator Inhofe suggests Paulson “may have given the money to his friends.”

Inhofe, who voted against the bailout package when it was originally passed, said in a letter to fellow lawmakers this weekend, “It is Congress’s duty to have a say in what happens with the remaining authorized amount of $350 billion. It is clear that it was a mistake to sign a blank check to one man for such a tremendous amount of money.”

Here’s my question to you: Should Congress freeze the remaining bailout money?

Robert from Wayne, New Jersey writes: The bailout money should be frozen. The entire bailout plan was hastily concocted by Congress to help improve their public image and make Americans believe the government was trying to help them. When Congress rushes to pass a bailout plan worth $700 billion in less than a month, no one should be surprised that the money is being misused and unregulated.

Cee from Kansas writes: Yes, freeze the remainder until there is accountability for the monies distributed to date. Transparency was supposed to be built in to the plan. Show us who got the money, how much they got, what they intend to do with it, and what they did with it.

Ken from Seattle, Washington writes: Yes. Paulson duped us all into thinking the world was going to come to an end unless taxpayers gave him 700 billion dollars to do with as he pleased. He gave taxpayers a wink and a nod regarding actually doing something constructive by helping homeowners hang onto their homes in order to convince us his intentions were good. All he has done is help out his crooked cronies on Wall Street and in the banking community.

Brian from Puerto Rico writes: A freeze would seem a good move. If they are unwilling to say what they have done with the money so far, they must have something to hide.

Jaime writes: Yes. It is clear that Paulson and the Bush administration and even our Congress have no clue what is going on at this time and they’re simply throwing money at everything that burps. It is time for a short pause to put some deliberate thought into what is it we’re trying to accomplish.

Gary from El Centro, California writes: I’m afraid the horse is already out of the barn and well down the road on this one. Once again the Bush administration scared us all into giving them absolute authority and no oversight. When will we ever learn?
Yet another Republican fearing the dread Obamahitler

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 8:30am EST by David Neiwert

From the Mankato Free Press, the wit and wisdom of a fellw named Paul Bade, "a Mankato resident and self-employed electronics repairman" "who has been active in GOP politics since he was 10 years old":

Bade considers Obama’s rise to be similar to that of Adolph Hitler’s in the 1930s, and he believes there’s an outside chance that America is headed for a dictatorship. More likely is a slide to socialism or, perhaps, just an inept presidency, he said.

“I’m almost expecting the Obama administration to make a botch of things,” Bade said. “They’re too ideologically socialist, and a lot of their ideas are impractical. They just don’t add up.”

When you hear right-wing pundits and politicians proclaim this garbage, you have to at least partially chalk it up to their desire to garner bigger ratings and attention by "pushing the envelope" -- it seems more cynical than sincere.

But the long-term effect is that gullible right-wing footsoldiers soak this shit up and internalize it. They really do believe it.

[Via BlueStemPrairie.]