"I have declared that this world can no longer harbor ill will in it after looking into Rupart's tiny eyes," said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Cooing and awes erupted as they brought Rupart out so world leaders could see the reason they had to lay down their arms. Many members of the UN council crowded the podium to get a look at the young dear that was to shape the future of the world. Although, many accepted Rupart, questions of his paternity soon emerged.

Rupart's mother's accident is still being investigated, although evidence has pointed to a simple traffic accident. However, this public statement from a prominent Disney representative sheds a new light on the tragic death of the little deer's mother.

"We knew this little wonder would bring about world peace, unfortunately we couldn't wait for his mom to give birth," said Walt Disney. "Like any Disney mom, she had to go."

Before leaving Disney revealed their plans to release Bambi for the final time via an "Ultimate 8-disc Exclusive Blu-ray Gold Edition".

The Tiggywinkles* Wildlife Hospital nurtured Rupart back to health. *(No, I couldn't make that name up if I tried.)

"Although, it's sad that Rupart's mother could not revel in the joy that her son has brought about what man could not do," said Vice President Dick Cheney. "I will gladly destroy my hunting rife not only for the betterment of the animal kingdom, but for the safety and peace of man."

"Thank god," said Harry Whittington, a 78-year-old Texas attorney Cheney shot while on a hunting trip in 2006.

And to create more good will Cheney decided to stop his plans for world domination.

THANK RUPART!" remarked the rest of the world.

The real story here, as Nathan Thornburgh writes, is how very "amateurish" the Palin administration was, and so obviously in for a thorough public humiliation over its bullying and cronyist tactics.

The 263 pages of the report show a co-ordinated application of pressure on Monegan so transparent and ham-handed that it was almost certain to end in public embarrassment for the governor . . .

Not only did people at almost every level of the Palin administration engage in repeated inappropriate contact with Walt Monegan and other high-ranking officials at the Department of Public Safety, but Monegan and his peers constantly warned these Palin disciples that the contact was inappropriate and probably unlawful. Still, the emails and calls continued — in at least one instance on recorded state trooper phone lines.

The state's head of personnel, Annette Kreitzer, called Monegan and had to be warned that personnel issues were confidential. The state's attorney general, Talis Colberg, called Monegan and had to be reminded that the call was putting both men in legal jeopardy, should Wooten decide to sue. The governor's chief of staff met with Monegan and had to be reminded by Monegan that, "This conversation is discoverable ... You don't want Wooten to own your house, do you?" 

. . . One telling exchange: Deputy Commissioner John Glass, who worked under Monegan, told Branchflower he was "livid" after a Palin staffer, Frank Bailey, went outside the chain of command and called a state trooper in far-off Ketchikan to complain about Wooten. Why had Bailey called the trooper? Because, Bailey said, this trooper had gone to church with Sarah Palin back in Wasilla, so he felt "comfortable" talking to him about Wooten. Glass, too, tried to sound the warning that continuing to pressure anyone and everyone in the matter would end in "an unbelievable amount of embarrassment for the Governor and everybody else".

 . . . Another amateurish sign: Todd Palin's outsize role in the mess. Branchflower said it was out of his jurisdiction to pass judgment on the First Gentleman, but his report paints an extralegal role for Todd Palin that would have made the Hillary Clinton of 1992 blush. In the report, the head of Gov. Palin's security detail says that Todd spent about half of his time in the governor's office — not at a desk (he didn't have one), but at a long conference table on one side of the office, with his own phone to make and receive calls. It became a shadow office, the informal Department of Getting Mike Wooten Fired.

Shadow office.  Todd Palin's outsize role in his wife's administration.  Quick: what two oft-maligned pols do those characterizations make you think of?  Dick Cheney and Hillary Clinton?  

Sarah Palin should count herself lucky that she was less directly involved in the harassment of Commissioner Monegan, having outsourced the job to everyone around her instead.  But Thornburgh is right that the overwhelming and truly sophomoric intimidation campaign -- started within days of her term as Governor -- that Sarah Palin tolerated and encouraged is the greater indictment of her short time at the helm in Alaska.  Power in office is a privilege and a responsibility, not an advantage to be exploited to settle personal vendettas, no matter how noble the cause.  

Sarah Palin has styled herself the outsider who will clean up Washington.  In truth, she is no more suited to the task than the Washington insiders she so often bludgeons with her hypocritical Youbetchas.

When we hear about nut jobs in Texas and Montana who are trying to secede from America, we usually chalk it up as a bunch of crazies in the middle of the desert. Then you have Sarah Palin, John McCain's VP running mate, who happens to be running around with the Alaskan Independence Party. No, that's not the Independent Party in Alaska. That is Alaskans who want to secede from the United States of America.

For someone who touts her patriotism not by the taxes she pays, I'm really looking hard for how the hell she is patriotic.

If someone wants out of America so bad, why are they running on a presidential ticket? How about she just gets the hell out of America. Russia is right in her backyard. She could just swim there and take the whole Alaskan Independence Party with her.

Pull The Hair Plug On This Guy

by Ann Coulter 

If Sarah Palin had made just one of the wildly inaccurate statements smugly uttered by Sen. Joe Biden in last week's vice presidential debate, there would have been 3-inch headlines in newspapers across America. (I can almost hear Katie Couric asking me, "Which newspapers?")

These weren't insignificant errors, such as when Biden said, "Look, all you have to do is go down Union Street with me in Wilmington or go to Katie's restaurant or walk into Home Depot with me where I spend a lot of time, and you ask anybody in there whether or not the economic and foreign policy of this administration has made them better off in the last eight years." 

It turns out that Katie's restaurant, where Biden gets his feel for the average American, closed 20 years ago. The only evidence that he spends any time in Home Depot is that it appears that a pipe wrench fell on his head one too many times. 

Palin would surely have been forced to withdraw from the ticket had she said something like that, but most of Biden's errors were not trifling mistakes like these. They were lengthy Lyndon LaRouche-like disquisitions that were pure fantasy from beginning to end. 

For example, Biden said about Hezbollah: "When we kicked -- along with France -- we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon." Hezbollah was never kicked out of Lebanon.

He continued: "I said and Barack said, 'Move NATO forces in there. Fill the vacuum, because if you don't, Hezbollah will control it.'" This is madness -- Lebanon is not a NATO country, nor had any NATO country been attacked by Lebanon.

Somebody please tell me that Biden wasn't picked for the Democrat ticket based on his knowledge of foreign policy.

Biden also stoutly denied that Obama ever said he would sit down with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Liberals find it hilarious that McCain can't use a computer keyboard on account of his war injuries, but Biden is apparently unaware of the Internet, because there are clips all over the Internet of Obama saying exactly that during the CNN/YouTube debate last year.

Biden might have remembered that debate since: (1) He was there, and (2) he later attacked Obama's answer, telling the National Press Club in August 2007: "Would I make a blanket commitment to meet unconditionally with the leaders of each of those countries within the first year I was elected president? Absolutely, positively, no."

And that's still not all! Obama's own Web site says: "Obama supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iranwithout preconditions."

Somebody please tell me that Biden wasn't picked for the Democrat ticket based on his ability to remember well-known facts.

Biden also gave a long speech at the debate on vice president Dick Cheney's "dangerous" belief that "he's part of the legislative branch." The great constitutional scholar Biden cited Article I of the Constitution as proof that Cheney "works in the executive branch" and has "no authority relative to the Congress." Biden huffily added: "He should understand that. Everyone should understand that." 

Palin would have had to deny that Alaska is a state in the union in order to say something comparably stupid. 

Article II, not I, describes the executive branch. Someone tell Biden, who is supposed to be a lawyer. Apart from getting the Articles of the Constitution mixed up, what on earth does Biden mean when he says that the vice president "has no authority relative to Congress," apart from breaking ties?

The Constitution makes him president of the senate every day of the week. I realize that Biden may not be able to count to two, but Article I says the vice president is president of one of the two houses of Congress -- the one Biden is in, for crying out loud -- which is what you might call "authority relative to Congress."

Somebody please tell me that Biden wasn't picked for the Democrat ticket based on his knowledge of the Constitution.

In one especially hallucinatory answer, Biden authoritatively stated: "With Afghanistan, facts matter, Gwen. ... We spend more money in three weeks on combat in Iraq than we spent on the entirety of the last seven years that we have been in Afghanistan building that country."

According to the Congressional Research Service, since 9/11, we've spent $172 billion in Afghanistan and $653 billion in Iraq. The most money spent in Iraq came in 2008, when we have been spending less than $3 billion a week. So by Biden's calculations, we've spent only about $9 billion "on the entirety of the last seven years that we have been in Afghanistan building that country." There isn't even a "9" in $172 billion.

Somebody please tell me that Biden wasn't picked for the Democrat ticket based on his knowledge of math.

In the same answer, Biden went on to claim that "John McCain voted against a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty that every Republican has supported."

The last nuclear test ban treaty the Senate voted on was the one Clinton signed in the '90s. As The New York Times editorialized on the Senate vote a few years later: "Last week, Senate Republicans thundered 'no' to the nuclear test ban treaty, handing the White House its biggest defeat since health care in 1994." Forty-nine Republicans voted against the treaty; only four liberal Republicans voted for it. That's the treaty Biden says "every Republican has supported."

Somebody please tell me that Biden wasn't picked for the Democrat ticket based on his ability to function as vice president. 

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Power?  You would say.  Yes "Power" I would answer.

It seems to me that in the last five or six weeks, since Ms. Palin has entered our Pop Culture Universe, there has been an extremely overarching amount written about her that somehow always goes back to her desire for power.

Her ascendance into the political arena started with her run for Mayor in the town of Wasilla Alaska.  For those people out there that have not had a five week crash course on the politics of Alaska, it can best be explained as comparable to the politics of the Old West, driven by corruption and big bosses and town alliances.   Since most of Alaska is still rural, and at best still extremely under populated,  the basic law of small town politics and survival still reign supreme.  The political atmosphere of Wasilla Alaska at the time that Sarah Palin chose to run for Mayor, in 1996, was exactly that.  A small town of roughly 6000 residents who basically all knew each other.  The politics of parties was not even part of the atmosphere until our Ms. Palin entered the race.  As soon as she started to campaign the local Republican party saw her as someone who could fit the bill.  They needed some new fresh meat since most of the old guard of Alaska politics were entrenched in their own political nightmares of scandal.  She immediately sought campaign funds and such from the NRA, who endorsed her.  For the likes of the NRA to get involved in a small town Mayoral race, there had to be more there than meets the eye.  She was already showing her political ambitions.  What Sarah accomplished was to take a small town Mayoral race and turn it into partisan politics.

She continued on with her march to power by "re-evaluating" the resumes from top officials, including the police chief, public works director, finance director, and librarian.  She had asked for their resignations in order to determine if they supported her.  She put a gag order on all city employees, stating that they could not talk to reporters until they got her approval.  The rest of her first and second term as Mayor would be filled with many of the same shenanigans.  Claiming to do things for the people while positioning herself in her own position of power.

Jumping ahead to 2006 and her run for Governor, Sarah once again showed herself to be an astute and politically savvy opponent.  She went up against the unpopular Republican incumbent, Frank Murkowski, in the primary and basically won on the stand that she "WAS NOT" Frank Murkowski.  She went on to defeat former Democratic Governor Tony Knowles in the General Election.

I am completely of the understanding here, that all politicians run for political office to obtain some sort of power.  I am not naive enough to think that Sarah Palin is not a smart politician who has managed to project herself onto the national stage in a short time, very much like Barack Obama has done.  But the similarities end here.  It has been shown time after time that Sarah Palin has an agenda and not one that will serve the many over the few.  Her agenda is simply to push her agenda which by any standard falls short of what is best for this country.  She consistently tries to blur the lines between Church and State and continually tries to use the factor of "Fear" to paralyze her followers into believing that if they don't follow her they are doomed.  I emphasis the phrase "her followers" because I have a very strong feeling that if, by some quirk of fate, John McCain and Sarah Palin were to win the White House, the spawns of Rovian Politics would be starting at day one prepping her for either her ascendancy to the throne, due to the death of John McCain, or her ascendancy in 2012.  Either way, Sarah Palin would make a Dick Cheney Vice Presidencey look like a walk in the park compared to what she would attempt to do to usurp the already diminished power of our Constitutional rights.

Here is an example of who Sarah Palin really is @ Time.com

1. Our economy -- that venerable house of cards -- is collapsing, and the architects show no signs that they intend to do anything but stack more cards into the rafters (to hell with the foundation, to hell with the people below).

2. The news media essentially serve as a 24-7 infomercial for McCain-Palin, and yet Obama is still ahead -- by double digits, according to some polls --  which means that people aren't lining up anymore to buy the Bush-Cheney line of bullshit.

3. And, lastly, according to a Sept. 30 article in Army Times, George Bush has officially done the utterly unprecedented: He ordered a brigade of troops to to begin patrolling U.S soil, beginning on Oct. 1st, as part of the new NorthCom force. Bush dispatched the brigade in case our country needs help with "civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive, or CBRNE attack."

Should I be scared? I am.

But it's a safe bet that -- since this post isn't about Sarah Palin -- no one will read it, which means that, on the topic of fearful things, I can plant my tin foil hat firmly on my head and talk without fear of reprimand.

According to the Army Times article, the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team goes by the incredibly adorable name, "Sea Smurf" -- which is the phonetically-correct moniker for it's official name: CCMRF (the CBRNE Consequence Management Response Force). Their mission is slated to last for a year, during which time we can all take comfort in the words of Sea Smurf commander, Col Roger Clouter: "We're going in to help American citizens on American soil, to save lives, provide critical life support, help clear debris, restore normalcy and support whatever local agencies need us to do, so it's kind of a different role."

Different, indeed. The brigade is equipped to use "the first ever nonlethal package that the Army has fielded," which includes, "equipment to stand up a hasty road block; spike strips for slowing, stopping or controlling traffic; shields and batons; and, beanbag bullets."

If the idea of soldiers patrolling your neighborhood with shields, batons and rubber bullets makes you nervous, take comfort in this: The Army Times article did issue a correction in early October, regarding the use of their non-lethal package. Accordingly, "A non-lethal crowd control package fielded to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, described in the original version of this story, is intended for use on deployments to the war zone, not in the U.S., as previously stated."

Rubber bullets aside, one strategic problem with the Sea Smurf's NorthCom mission is that, according to an April 2008 GAO report, Northcom has not bothered to involve local and state officials and governments -- much less the National Guard -- in their emergency preparedness planning and coordination efforts. In other words, NorthCom appears set to go it alone, leaving legislators, governors, mayors, the National Guard and the media,  to -- I don't know -- step in line? 

The unprecedented pre-emptive deployment of NorthCom military troops onto U.S. soil was paved in October 2006 when Bush signed the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007.  A few lawmakers, such as Sen. Patrick Leahy, protested -- as did governors across the country, who saw blazing red flags in the bills provisions. The governors banded together and repeatedly petitioned leaders on Capitol Hill with letters of protest, which were met, one by one, with silence. One such letter, signed by every member of the National Governors Association, read, in part:

This provision was drafted without consultation or input from governors, and represents an unprecedented shift in authority from governors . . .to the federal government..... We urge you to drop provisions that would usurp governors' authority over the National Guard during emergencies from the conference agreement on the National Defense Authorization Act. 

So much for democracy. The bill passed like a hot knife through butter.

The roles of traditional emergency preparedness team workers seem to have been usurped by Air Force engineer and medical units, the Marine Corps Chemical, Biological Initial Reaction Force, a Navy weather team and members of the Defense Logistics Agency and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Whatever that means.

On this topic, the bi-partisan group of legislators that released the aforementioned April 2008 GAO report had a few things to say:   

I remain convinced that almost seven years after 9/11, the U.S. Northern Command, as presently structured, serves no real purpose and is a waste of taxpayers' money. The only hope to transform this sham command into a viable asset for the American people would require major changes.  -- Gene Taylor, D-Mississippi 

The United States Northern Command is supposed to be out in front in the Pentagon's efforts to support civil authorities in emergencies. It should be planning and identifying possible equipment shortfalls. Above all, it should be working closely with state and local communities. Instead, the command is doing very little of this core activity. -- Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont

Clearly, a bias against playing a supporting role to civilian authorities has resulted in large gaps in NORTHCOM's ability to fulfill its stated mission. The fact is, governors and their National Guard are and will continue to be our nation's first domestic military responders. And until they and NORTHCOM can work together more seamlessly, NORTHCOM's ability to be of assistance in homeland response will continue to face significant challenges. -- Chris Shays, R-Connecticut

NORTHCOM's duty is to provide military support to States and the Department of Homeland Security, but it hasn't fully figured out this emergency support mission. Any crack in our emergency preparedness capability today will become a gaping hole in our catastrophic response tomorrow. -- Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi

Instead of working with the governors, the National Guard Bureau and the State Adjutants General, Northern Command has held the country's historic first military responders at arm's length. Northern Command needs to accept its supporting role or get out of the way. -- Tom Davis, R-Virginia
 

It is a curiosity. I mean, For more than 100 years - since the end of the Civil War - deployment of the U.S. military inside the U.S. has been prohibited under The Posse Comitatus Act (the only exceptions being that the National Guard and Coast Guard are exempted, and use of the military on an emergency ad hoc basis is permitted, such as what happened after Hurricane Katrina). Unless I missed something, a major hurricane has not hit the mainland in recent days, nor has a spate of riots broken out  in our major cities. And there's no imminent threat of an impending chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high explosive. Is there?  

Not that there's a damned thing we can do about it. But I'm just saying....

Of course, it's my prerogative to speculate on such things. After all, I am part of the tin-foil hat brigade, and have been since falling prey to tertiary Lyme Disease in 2002. Ever since, I've been on the vanguard with those who have long-believed in such unspeakable things as a Wall Street catastrophe, not to mention bizarre theories about bio-warfare pandemics, a second (and maybe a third) stolen election, 9-11 as a false flag operation, the Patriot Act, Dick Cheney's oil imperialism agenda, the ascent of mercenary armies, martial law, internment camps, government-controlled media, geophysical warfare and so on -- complete with all the legislative frills and scary, terrorist-bullying jargon necessary to making these newworldorder-ish things alternately possible, invisible, overt, covert and, ultimately, unstoppable.

Granted, a single brigade of Sea Smurfs dispatched to the blood red soils of Georgia, USA hardly seems like an overwhelming threat. But it is unprecedented, and it is also, um, un-American. So it's only natural that I'd jump on board, in full-tin regalia, fully unsurprised -- yet as surprised as the next person -- by the house of cards, the McCain-Palin infomercials and the Sea Smurf Brigade. Only, unlike the steadfast tin soldier, I don't feel so brave. And my heart's not doing so well, either.    

_________________________________

by Mantis Katz for the canarypapers

_________________________________

Army Times: (Sept. 30, 2008)  Brigade Homeland Tour Starts October 1st

Salon.com: (Sept. 24, 2008) Why is a U.S. Army Brigade Being Assigned to the "Homeland"?

Patrick Leahy: (April 16, 2008) GAO: NORTHCOM Failing in Civil Support Mission

CQ.com: (Dec. 1, 2006)  Fine Print in Defense Bill Opens Door to Martial Law

Global Research: (October 9, 2008) FEMA Sources Confirm Coming Martial Law

The Progressive: (October 7, 2008)  Leahy Concerned About NorthCom's New Army Unit

_________________________-

Having created the conditions that produced history's biggest bubble, America's political leaders appear unable to grasp the magnitude of the dangers the country now faces. Mired in their rancorous culture wars and squabbling among themselves, they seem oblivious to the fact that American global leadership is fast ebbing away. A new world is coming into being almost unnoticed, where America is only one of several great powers, facing an uncertain future it can no longer shape. -- From Asia Times  (October 10, 2008)  Wall Street: A New Iraq War

Cheney has always been an astute politician. He survived the collapse of the Nixon presidency, finding a position of power in the administration of Gerald Ford. He was then elected to the House of Representatives, and later he earned a spot in the cabinet of the first Bush presidency. But when he became George W. Bush�s running mate, Cheney reached a new level of influence. From the engineering of his own selection as vice president to his support of policies allowing torture as a permissible weapon in the �war on terror,� Cheney has steered America consistently rightward. In Vice, Dubose and Bernstein uncover startling revelations, including

� the extraordinary intimidation of CIA officials by a vice president bent on obtaining intelligence to support a foregone conclusion: the invasion of Iraq

� details on Cheney�s secret energy task force, including his meeting with Enron chief Ken Lay months before Lay was indicted�and how Cheney went to court to erode the powers of Congress
� how Cheney helped to kill 2003 diplomatic overtures from Iran to discuss concessions on its nuclear program and policy toward Israel
� Cheney�s role in engineering multibillion-dollar military contracts in Iraq to benefit Halliburton, the company he once ran
� eyewitness reports from prominent Republican and conservative sources who go on record for the first time to tell the truth about how Dick Cheney has hijacked the American presidency

In the words of one of Cheney�s colleagues from the House: �Dick keeps his own counsel. He�s completely in control. He�s completely sure of himself in everything he does. It�s what got him to where he is today: the most powerful vice president to ever hold office. It�s also what�s bringing about his downfall.� In Vice, we get an unprecedented expos� of how Cheney operates and what his vice presidency will mean to America�now and in the future.

From the Hardcover edition.

Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency is available at Amazon for $9.99. To Order click here
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Other Products of Interest

• A Tragic Legacy: How a Good vs. Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency
• Rumsfeld: His Rise, Fall, and Catastrophic Legacy
• Takeover
• Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War
• One Percent Doctrine

FCC Probes Ties Between Military and Pundits

10.8.08 / Derek Kravitz / Washington Post Investigations

The Federal Communications Commission has begun looking into allegations that the Pentagon recruited and, in effect, trained nearly two dozen retired military officers to promote the Bush administration's war policies in the news media.

A investigation published by The New York Times in May, "Message Machine," found that the Pentagon "used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration's wartime performance." Nineteen seemingly objective TV and radio analysts were given classified information and private briefings by senior White House, Justice and Defense Department officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney. And many of those analysts also had ties to military contractors, the Times reported.

The FCC earlier this month sent letters to people referenced in the Times' report asking for more information about the potential conflicts of interest. The FCC is focusing on whether the news outlets and the commentators violated federal rules for disclosing such potential conflicts.

"I'm glad we are looking into these allegations that there was a possible attempt to deceive the American people concerning one of the most controversial issues facing the country today," one of the FCC's commissioners, Jonathan S. Adelstein, said in a statement released yesterday. "We have an obligation to pursue this investigation, and to conclude it quickly."

The probe was sparked by Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) and Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.) after the pair sent a letter (text) to the FCC.

The Defense Department's inspector general opened up its own investigation this summer, at the behest of Congress, U.S. News & World Report's Paul Bedard reports in his "Washington Whispers" blog.

Then, earlier this month, top FCC officials suggested that TV stations and networks might have violated two provisions of the Communications Act of 1934 by not identifying ties between the analysts and the Pentagon.

"The FCC is so far reaching out to the analysts mentioned in the New York Times article and asking for each to respond to the allegations of wrongdoing within 30 days," "Washington Whispers" reports.

In June, Adelstein spoke at a conference urging the agency to "conclude this investigation quickly" while criticizing the length of a two-year-long investigation into the Department of Education's payment of $245,000 to conservative commentator Armstrong Williams to promote President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act.

In the end, we saw that Rove led an efficient campaign and John Kerry's credibility took a thorough beating.  Some of the punishment was deserved and some unwarranted.  But, the doubt that was cast, in addition to a strong sentiment among Americans that they needed to re-elect the leader that had led the initial response against the attacks of 9/11, led to Kerry's demise.  Many couldn't trust a new guy to take over in the middle of a war on terror- especially the new guy's reputation was publicly beaten to a pulp.  Of course, Kerry got the staunch democratic votes, but he never stood a real chance with independents and undecideds.

The casting of fear and doubt was the most effective tactic used by the Bush campaign, and it was used brilliantly.  Questions about Kerry's attendance record in the senate, voting record on taxes, stances on social security and women's rights, and even his wife's status as the heiress to the Heinz ketchup fortune were raised to help cast uncertainty about Kerry's ability to be a trustworthy president.  But, it needs to be said that Kerry was a senior senator, a purple heart recipient from service in the Vietnam War, and most importantly for this discussion, he was a regular old white guy who just happened to belong to the opposing political party.

In 2004, when the Bush campaign sought to raise doubts about John Kerry, Bush supporters across the country were feeling a sentiment of uncertainty and dislike for Kerry, but hate wasn't in the equation.  When George Bush was on the stump and brought up John Kerry's name, sure, the crowd would boo.  If Cheney cracked a mocking joke, of course, the crowd would eat it up.  People made fun of Kerry's oversized chin, called him a socialist, denounced him as a "commie" for wanting to raise social security taxes, and mocked his runningmate, John Edwards, for being an out-of-touch pretty boy who once spent $400 at a hair salon.  But, I doubt Bush supporters would have spit on John Kerry, or shout "die!" at him if he were to have approached them on the street.  There were many exhibitions of dislike, but few public shows of hatred.

The times and circumstances have changed drastically since then.  Now, in 2008, the politics of fear do not just cast doubt and uncertainty- they are beginning to breed the politics of hate.  Why?  Let's go through an abbreviated list of reasons.  We have our first black candidate.  We have a candidate whose mere name, Barack Hussein Obama, casts fear into the minds of uneducated or miseducated folks all over the country.  We are in the middle of two wars- one in the Middle East and another in Afghanistan- and we have a guy with an Islamic ancestry running against U.S. war hero.  Our economy is in the dumps and Americans who want no part of a bigger government are even more desperate to be left alone.  These are tumultuous times and so far in this election, the polls have not favored the G.O.P. candidate.  Combine all of these factors, mix in the politics of fear, and we have created the perfect fertilizer for the growth of the politics of hate.

This development has become glaringly apparent as the contest draws closer to election day.  As the clock ticks down, the debates continue to bore, and polls continue to favor Obama, some McCain supporters (and I stress SOME, not ALL) are getting more fearful and angry.  Simultaneously, the McCain campaign is switching into 4th-quarter attack mode, accusing Obama of "palling around" with terrorists, contributing to ACORN voter fraud, being unpatriotic in his stance on the Iraq war- the list of accusations grows by the day.  The McCain camp is simply trying to incite a sentiment of doubt and uncertainty among voters- the same way Bush did to Kerry- but unfortunately, they have inadvertently inspired some of their supporters' strong dislike for Obama to blossom into hatred for Obama. 

It has been well documented that during McCain-Palin rallies during this past week, there have been multiple instances of McCain supporters shouting "Kill him!" or "He's a terrorist!" when Obama's name is mentioned.  There is also no doubt that these are statements of strong hatred.  Nobody wishes for death upon another as a joke.

Some McCain supporters have gotten so frenzied that they have begun to criticize their own candidate.  "Step it up a notch during debates!" they say.  "Take it to him!" they shout.  

Watch McCain dealing with frustrated supporters:

Now, take a look at this clip of a recent McCain-Palin rally, in which the same frustrated McCain supporters are expressing fear over the chance that Obama could potentially be elected president.

As John McCain explains that Obama is a "decent man," many members of the crowd boo.  As McCain explains that people shouldn't fear a possible Obama presidency, the some members of the crowd shout in disgust.  When a woman stands up, takes the microphone, and calls Obama an "Arab," McCain has no choice but to grab the mike back and denounce her comment as the crowd remains silent.

It is clear that John McCain- a decent, ethical, moral man- is starting to become uneasy about what he may have unintentionally started.  What he thought could be just a normal fear tactic game, has proven itself to be anything but normal.  You see the angst in his face- the crowd boos incessantly while pleads with them, "We must all respect Senator Obama.  He is decent family man."  You can see it in his face as he hears one of his supporters refer to Obama as an "Arab."  As a great man who has fought his entire life to promote tolerance, I bet a part of him cringes painfully when he hears his supporters shouting "Kill him!" upon the mention of his opponent's name.

It's safe to say,  John McCain is a torn man right now.  He is trying to win an election using his last resort- the politics of fear- but at the same time, he is absolutely disgusted that the only card he has left in his pocket may actually breed more hate than fear.  John McCain does not want hate to enter this campaign, but with every new attack ad, although he may cast some doubt among independents and undecideds, he strengthens the sentiment of hatred for Obama amongst his strongest conservative supporters.  It is not entirely his fault, since McCain, too, is a victim of our unique set of circumstances in 2008.  With less than a month before election day, he is losing to a rather liberal black democrat named Barack Obama.  Some of conservative America will have a natural tendency to despise the democratic candidate, and for the same reasons, the republican campaign will be limited in the tactics they can use to cast doubt on him.  While he does not want to do anything to spark more hatred against Obama, his party and campaign officials urge him to attack because a hail mary pass of doubt-casting is their only shot to win.  It's a terrible spot for McCain to be in.

Trailing in the polls and his supporters now desperately calling on him to step the attack up considerably, we can only wait and see if McCain will deny the chants of his supporters for the sake of preventing the growth of hatred, or if he will send the kitchen sink and risk creating a more more passionate and dangerous army of hatred within the conservative base.

Considering all circumstances, I can say this objectively and forcefully: John McCain needs to realize that the way in which he runs his campaign from this day forward, effects not only the outcome of this election, but the social and moral health of this country after election day.  He needs to understand that when you go around the country and accuse a man named Barack Obama of cavorting with William Ayers, many people will ignorantly jump to the assumption that Obama is in the same camp as Osama Bin Laden- see him as an Islamic terrorist- and many will take on a militaristic, hateful mindset towards him.  Whether it is intended or not, we can ill afford to risk igniting more hatred in this country- especially during a time when hatred against all of us from the far reaches of the globe threatens our collective well-being as a nation.

My prediction is that as Governor, with unlimited executive power, she will pardon herself. Didn't she go to the Emily Post-Cheney school of political etiquette?

It opened with soft, serene music playin’ across a landscape of clouds and sky. Big American bomber jets flyin’ quietly in formation, no engine sound, just the cold wind whistlin’ through the clouds. Then it cut to another scene, and I recognized it as my bedroom in the Governor’s mansion. I was stretched out in the tannin’ bed in the corner, getting’ some color on my front side, watchin’ the news. My old annoyin’ pal Katie Couric came on with a news flash.
 
KATIE COURIC: I have just been handed this breaking news bulletin. In what apparently is a terrible accident, Vice President Dick Cheney has shot President Elect John McCain in the face with a shotgun while hunting drugged grouse at a game preserve outside of Waco, Texas. According to several sources, and confirmed now by President-Elect McCain’s campaign, President-Elect John McCain…is dead. That means, of course, that Vice President-Elect Sarah Palin will, just one week from today, be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States…

SARAH: (Propping herself up in the tanning bed on one elbow) Wow, things are happenin’ pretty fast, but then, that must be God’s plan. Yup, yup. Everything happens for a reason, and He musta wanted me to be President. He works in mysterious ways, you betcha.

ONE MONTH LATER

CUT TO: President Palin sitting in the oval office, signing papers. Suddenly the red phone on her desk lights up. She picks up the receiver.

SARAH: Hi. President Palin here.

FIRST DUDE’S VOICE: (Over revving snowmobile engine) Sarahcuda! We got a situation up here in the Great North…

SARAH: Oh, Toddy. This better not be another one of your frozen pizza problems. I told ya, just put it in the microwave for 2 minutes on high. I’m kinda busy, ya know. I got stuff goin’ on here with the Wall Street situation, and the Israelis and Palestinians are in a snit…Again....

FIRST DUDE: Sarah Bear, listen to me. I was just out here, zippin’ over the ice flows, trainin’ for The Iron Dog, and I saw him.

SARAH: Saw who, Toddy?

FIRST DUDE: Putin! He’s rearin’ his head again! I just saw him--well, a buncha Russian jets, anyway, zoomin’ overhead, headin’ south, for the lower 48. The Russians are comin’! The Russians are comin’!

Suddenly the door flings open and in walks Vice President Dick Cheney.

SARAH: (A rare aside to me, Brent Mooseburger) You’re probably wonderin’ why Dick Cheney is still  Vice President. See, after he shot John McCain in the face and I became President, I had to get a new V.P., so I put Cheney in charge of the search committee to find me one. Well, he searched through all the names of people I gave him and came back and said that he didn’t think any of ‘em were up to snuff, and the only one he felt comfortable with as V.P. was himself, so doggone it I just went with it and named him V.P.

CHENEY: (Waving papers) Madame President! The Iranians have WMD. I have undeniable proof here, intelligence reports, satellite photos. They have sleeper cells inside the U.S. at this very minute, and, our sources tell us, their plan is to inject this WMD into our water supply. We must attack now!

FIRST DUDE’S VOICE ON PHONE: Sarah, Pooty-Poot’s on his way with the nukes. I suggest you get your butt down to the bunker and launch an all-out attack. I’m headin’ for the bomb shelter myself!

CHENEY: Madame President, have you ever seen a terrorist drink a glass of water?

SARAH: (Hanging up the phone) Now just cool your jets, Dick. Grab a seat. Can I get you somethin’ to drink while I consult my higher power?

CHENEY: (Sits down, scowling) I’ll take a glass of grain alcohol and rain water. Frankly, Madame President, there is no higher power than the President. (Then, mumbling under his breath) McCain woulda nuked half the planet by now...

SARAH: (Gets up, goes to a cabinet, pulls out a bottle of grain alcohol and pours a drink, squirts some seltzer water into it and hands it to Cheney. She sits down.) Sure there is. (Closes her eyes) There’s God. (She prays) Oh, come on, Lord. Pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up...

GOD’S VOICE MAIL: This is the Lord Jesus Christ. I can’t answer the phone right now, but leave a message and I’ll come back to you. Soon. (Giggles.)

SARAH: Dang! It’s time that Son a God grows up. His father must be off somewhere, helpin’ some God-fearin’ halfback score a touchdown.

CHENEY: Madame President, do you realize that in addition to drinking water, that water is in virtually everything we eat and drink? Cows, where our steaks come from. They drink water. It's in our bacon. Pigs drink water. Kool-Aid, Madame President, children’s Kool-Aid. Were you aware, Madame President, that you, yourself, are 75% water? We must attack! We cannot allow terrorist infiltration, terrorist subversion, and the Iranian Muslim terrorist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids. Why it’ll be Armageddon in the bladders of every American man, woman and child!

SARAH: (Standing up and shouting) Armageddon! Get it on! That’s what this is! The End Times are here! Jesus is comin’ back, just like I knew he would! Oh, praise the Lord! OK, Dick. Get me the nucular suitcase.
 
CHENEY: (His mouth twisting into a crooked half-smile) You mean it, Madame President? Do you really mean it?

SARAH: Yup. This is it. It’s God’s will. Jesus is comin’ to take us all to our reward. Us true believers, that is. All the godless, liberal elites and east-coast gotcha media types, abortionists, fornicators, Katie Couic, and the like, well, they’re just gonna have to burn in the hellfires of eternal damnation. But the rest of us are getting’ raptured! 

CHENEY: Glory, glory Haliburton! (Runs out)

SARAH: (Pushes the “Intercom” button on her phone) Gloria, get Pat Robertson on the phone.

CUT TO: Another room, somewhere beneath the White House. Sarah and her advisors are watching a row of closed-circuit TV screens mounted on the wall, each one showing a live shot of one of the world’s major cities. New York. Los Angeles. Tokyo. London. Paris. Rome. Beijing. Moscow. Wasilla. All of the cities look calm and peaceful, pedestrians walking, cars driving through the streets. Sarah looks over to another screen, which shows the bomb bay of an American bomber in flight. A figure comes wobbling into view on the screen. He is a short, stocky, hunched-over ball of a man wearing a big, white cowboy hat. He walks to the bomb-bay and looks up into the camera. It is Dick Cheney. He reaches over and pushes a button on a panel on the wall, and an intercom burps to life.

CHENEY: Madame President, we are rapidly approaching the moment of truth. Tehran. Our boys up here will give you the best kind of start on the terrorists, and hopefully our boys heading for Moscow will do the same for the Reds. 20,000 megatons worth. God willing, we will prevail, in freedom and democracy, and in true health, through the purity and essence of our natural fluids.

He salutes, then turns to the bomb, climbs down on top of it, like a cowboy straddling a bull. Then he reaches up and pushes a button on the panel above him. Suddenly the bomb bay doors open beneath him. Below, sky and clouds zip by, and, thousands of feet down, barely visible through the wispy white clouds, we see land. He reaches back up to the panel and pushes another button and the bomb is released. As it falls, Cheney takes his cowboy hat off and waves it back and forth, whooping, “Wah-hoo! Wah-hoo!” The bomb falls with Cheney riding it, whooping and waving his cowboy hat, growing smaller and smaller as he falls atop the bomb, until he disappears from sight. A moment later, there is a white flash, the camera shaking violently, and then the flash transforms into a mushroom cloud, billowing up, closer and closer to the camera, and then suddenly the screen turns to snow.

SARAH: (Stands up, arms upraised): It’s the be-all, end-all! (Begins speaking in tongues) Ulohahayimhuminabuhbuhzibzoolimloolalalalalalalala!
 
Suddenly, Sarah disappears. Her clothes lie in a heap on the floor. And then everything vanishes in a blinding flash of light.

Fade back to Sarah lying on her hotel bed under a pile of miniature liquor bottles. She smiles beatifically, mumbling, "It's the be-all, end-all. It's the be-all, end-all. It's the be-all, end-all...." The First Dude enters and gently shakes her awake. Sarah opens her eyes.

SARAH: Oh, Toddy, why’d you have to go and wake me? I was havin’ the most wonderful dream….

THE BE-ALL, END-ALL, Goodbye, y’all....

CIA Superior: What did we learn?
CIA Officer: Uh...
CIA Superior: Not to do it again.

Sources tell us that once his run as Vice President is over, Dick Cheney will be hosting his very own hunting show titled “Coon Huntin’ with Big Dick!”  Our field correspondent attempted to contact Republican Presidential nominee John McCain but everyone one of his phone calls yielded the response “Dick who?”  On the other hand Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama said that “this is a travesty of justice” and that the “racist cracker should not be allowed near a gun let alone own one.”  An unconfirmed response from a Cheney representative was “Fuck him, I’ll bust a cap in his ass.”

By Bonita Goldsmith

After the Bush/Cheney administration sat around and stroked itself for 7½ years while the economy of the United States cracked and collapsed under the weight of skewed tax policies, wasteful deficit spending, short-sighted deregulation policies, some pundits seem surprised that the world doesn’t care anything about anything George W. Bush has to say.

Why would anyone, much less a pundit, be surprised that Bush has absolutely no credibility?

Most Americans agree that the Bush/Cheney administration has been ‘managed’ by the most inept, most corrupt, most out-of-touch, lying bunch of political hacks ever to crawl on to the public scene in the history of the United States of America.

How George W. Bush and Dick Cheney could ever have been elected and re-elected to the White House is a question most thinking Americans cannot understand, much less answer.

Bush and Cheney got everything wrong . . . from how tax cuts for the wealthy would impact the economy to how their oil industry friendly energy policies would impact our economic interests around the world to the economic and political damage caused by the deception they laid on the world to justify starting the Iraq war to the ultimate destruction of our banking system as the collective result of 7½ years of short-sighted, self-serving Bush/Cheney policies.

Could any two men be any stupider than George W. Bush or Dick Cheney?

Could any two human beings on the face of the earth have screwed things up worse than these two?

Aren’t these the two who put Alberto Gonzalez into the Attorney General’s office?

And, aren’t these the two who allowed Gonzalez to stumble around for years while he destroyed morale by playing games with the careers of United States Attorneys for political purposes?

If that wasn’t enough, aren’t these the two yokels who decided that that rambling old fool, Donald Rumsfeld, was the best qualified person in the nation to be Secretary of Defense?

And, aren’t these the two who cheered Rumsfeld on while thousands upon thousands of American troops were maimed and killed by the old man’s unbelievably incompetent ‘management’ of the Iraq War?

If you think it isn’t fair to couple Cheney and Bush together as dual dolts, let’s look at them individually.

So, why would anyone care about anything Dick Cheney might say?

Isn’t he the genius who told us that Iraqis would greet us as liberators?

And, who would trust George W. Bush to tell the truth about anything?

He’s the fool who told us just a few months ago that the economy was just fine and that he wasn’t aware that gasoline had reached $4.00 a gallon at the pump.

Dear Lord . . . could these two be any stupider?

Kinda makes you wonder whether these two might suffer from some form of weird brain damage, doesn’t it?

So, what is the Bush/Cheney legacy?

Read on . . . let's let the facts speak for themselves:

THE ECONOMY

• After 7½ years of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney ‘running the country’, we face the worst economic crisis in the history of the world
• Our National Debt now exceeds $10 Trillion – so each man, woman, and child in the U.S. owes China and other countries more than $32,600.00
• The Federal Budget Deficit is approaching $500 billion for this year alone
• The U.S. Dollar is trading at all time lows against foreign currencies
• Oil sells for $88.33 per barrel today, compared to $33.51 per barrel on the day the United States invaded Iraq
• Gasoline sells for over $3.00 per gallon compared to $1.45 per gallon when George W. Bush was inaugurated in January, 2001
• Home values have declined by as much as 30% to 40% across the country
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down nearly 5,000 points this year over its highest point last year
• Five million Americans face home foreclosures today
• Major financial institutions, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, AIG, and others have had to be bailed out by taxpayers
• Major U.S. corporations like Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors are edging closer and closer to bankruptcy
• The National Unemployment rate continues to climb - month after month
• A crumbling infrastructure with airports, bridges, dams, highways, pipelines, schools, and sewer and water systems falling apart with no plan and no funding

FOREIGN WARS

• 4,180 precious American lives have been lost in Iraq 5½ years after the U.S. invasion and occupation
• Nearly 31,000 Americans have been wounded in Iraq
• 65,000 U.S. troops are currently held in place in Iraq by arbitrary stop-loss measures
• $700 billion has been borrowed by the Bush Administration of an estimated $3 trillion to fund the Iraq war (compared to the Bush Administration’s pre-war estimate of $50-60 billion to fight the Iraq war to conclusion)
• An estimated 100,000 Iraqi civilian casualties have occurred since the U.S. invaded Iraq
• Nearly 5 million Iraqi refugees now live inside and outside the country
• Efforts to fight al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan have been compromised by the diversion of troops, equipment, money, and strategic focus on Iraq

WHAT NEXT?

So what do we do now? Blindly elect another President, Vice-President, and another batch of Representatives and Senators, then get back to 'Dancing with the Stars’ and ‘American Idol’ while we hope for the best?

Isn’t that what we did in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006?

How’s that working out for us?

Look . . . we’re Americans . . . we don’t have to get ripped off by our so-called leaders. We have the power to put a stop to this cycle of incompetence and graft!

The founding fathers didn’t constitute the government of the United States of America to be the playground of multi-millionaire politicians, lobbyists, and crooks who play at governing and steal us blind while we sit back and download our iPods and play the ‘Legend of Zelda’ and ‘Grand Theft Auto IV’.

The power of government comes from ‘consent of the governed’ (that’s us) which means we’re supposed to assign and monitor the powers we give to Representatives, Senators, and the President.

If every Congressperson, every Senator, the President, the Vice-President, and the Cabinet knew we were monitoring their initiatives, schedules, voting records, work habits, and their sleazy 'behind the scenes' deals, they wouldn’t have time or energy to waste on lobbyists, special interests, or self interests.

Would they?

Copyright © 2008 by Bonita Goldsmith. All rights reserved.

If you have questions, comments, or concerns, Email me at LTDAssociates@msn.com (goes right to my desk) and since I personally answer every Email, I look forward to hearing from you soon.

(picture)

The Secret Society of the Bush Family & Friends has finally come to fruition! The New World Order is underway with all stock markets crashing right now as you read this. Isn't that nice? Spit.

What is the New World Order? It's a dramatic restructuring of the Powers....one country/one group will control the WHOLE PLANET and we will all be slaves to them. America is not strong right now. We're broke and we are the laughing stock of the planet. Think we're gonna be okay? Bah hahahahahaha! Oh, you're funny if you think so. George Bush, Dick Cheney, and their ilk DON'T CARE ABOUT US. I repeat.....THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US. Not even their little neocons who want to drink their blood!

George H. W. Bush announced THE NEW WORLD ORDER on September 11, 1990:

THE MORNING OF 9/11/01 IS WHEN THE NEW WORLD ORDER OFFICIALLY STARTED. What an anniversary & celebration, huh? Remember how George Bush didn't move when he was sitting in the classroom? Well, he was waiting for the "house to burn real good" so he and his friends could collect their "insurance money". Oh yes! We witnessed the birth of the destruction of the world that morning. It was the first day of the rest of our lives!

And, ummmmm....

Wasn't it us liberals who have been screaming this was going to happen because of the evil fascist Pigs we've had in the White House for the past 8 years? Haven't we? Yes we have and in the past week or so, Laura Ingraham said on her radio program, (paraphrasing but not far off), "Remember all those conspirators we laughed about when they talked about black helicopters and the New World Order? Well, I'm starting to think they were right! Yep! They were right all this time!".

Oh yes! Even some of the right wingers are now understanding we liberals weren't lying and were spot on!

Here's just a guess: WITH IRAQ'S MARKET STRONG WHAT ARE THE CHANCES GEORGE BUSH (or Dick Cheney) ANOINTS HIMSELF KING OF IRAQ AND MAKES IRAQ INTO THE NEXT LITTLE ENGLAND THAT CONTROLS THE WORLD USING THE MONEY STOLEN OVER THE LAST 8 YEARS? AND THIS NEW KING OF IRAQ, Georgie, WILL ALSO USE PARAGUAY (WHERE HE HAS 99,000 ACRES RESERVED FOR A HOME/BUNKER) TO CONTROL THAT PART OF THE WORLD? Hey, it wouldn't surprise me. Nothing surprises me anymore!

It's gonna be a horse race to the finish line to find out which country comes out on top or how the world will be divided! Isn't this fun?

I guess it would make sense to listen to liberals from now on, huh? Yes. I think that is a smart move. You cannot say we didn't warn you about this! Assholes.

We will become slaves to a few people at the top. Nice.

So, what do you think is going to happen next in the New World Order? Any ideas?

As reported in Salon.com, Palin’s political career has been mentored and financially supported by a  collection of secessionists, militia leaders, One World paranoids, Christian theocrats and anti-Semites, including, but not limited to, Mark  Chryson and “Old Joe” Vogler of the Alaskan Independence Party. 

She may not be able to name the newspapers she reads, but there is photographic evidence that she reads the magazine of the John Birch Society.

And, as we noted last week, Palin appears to be surprizingly quite familiar with former Bush lawyer John Yoo’s constitutional law rationale for an imperial presidency whose power is unlimited by the courts or Congress.

Our first view of Palin was that, in regard to substance, she was far less than she appeared.

Now we think that she may be far more.