How Lesbian Culture Can Explain BushCo

post from My Left Wing - Front Page on 05 July 2007 09:50:45 AM. © My Left Wing - Front Page

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And no, I am not talking about THAT kinda bush.

The premium cable channel Showtime has a show called The L Word, and one character, Alice, has developed a chart to explain the sexual and emotional relationships of the characters on the show.

Well, it just so happens that Alice's chart is a great tool to illustrate who is screwing who over in the Bush Administration. After close examination of this chart, it really does explain my chaffing.

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http://www.myleftwing.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=17653

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SNEAKY PETE JUMPS OVERBOARD AND SWIMS FOR SHORE

post from DownWithTyranny! on 05 July 2007 09:50:00 AM. © DownWithTyranny!

"Yo, Sneaky P, how many times did you vote against Cheney's Iraq dictates?"
Just an hour or two ago I was wondering when the rest of the "moderate" GOP incumbents and all the "independent voices" over in the Senate Republican caucus would join Lugar, Voinovich and Warner in starting to distance themselves from the Bush-Cheney Iraq occupation and escalation policies. One would think it would be especially difficult for ultimate rubber stamp Susan Collins because of her full body embrace of the Joe Lieberman Middle East agenda. But one only need remember that Holy Joe himself ran as a peace candidate after Ned Lamont beat him in the Democratic primary and it wasn't until 30 ~~minutes~~ seconds after he won re-election last November that the mask slipped off and revealed the hideously ugly truth. So, expect Collins to run on a platform of peace, love and bringing the boys home. Forget that her Iraq voting record-- starting with October 10, 2002's resolutions to authorize the use of force, is virtually dictated by Dick Cheney. There wasn't a single substantive vote involving the Iraq war or occupation where she and Cheney differed; a real independent voice.

But it's not going to be easy for any of the faux-moderate GOP incumbents. Not one of the Republican faux-moderates who have to face the voters in 2008 has a leg to stand on in terms of easily accessible voting records when they have to make the case about how "independent" they've been. But they'll try. Even the most bloodthirsty, reactionary, war-mongering Democrat (Ben Nelson) has been 4 or 5 times more independent than any of the Republicans up for re-evaluation by the voters. There are no words that could better describe the voting records of Collins, Coleman, Hagel, Smith, Warner, or Sununu than "rubber stamp."

But of all the Republican rubber stamps up for re-election in 2008, only one-- New Mexico's Pete Domenici-- scores a zero on the Iraq voting record scale. A zero means he couldn't even pull away from Bush and Cheney on minor, non-substantive issues, like humanitarian aid or gentle suggestions to think carefully about policies. Nope, "Sneaky Pete" was absent for only one vote out of the 31 on Iraq and he was wrong every single time. He could have just given Cheney his proxy for the past 5 years and said, "Dick, I'm shopping for new pajamas; can you cast my vote for me?"

Today Heath Haussamen, one of New Mexico's top political pundits takes a look at Domenici's sudden and thoroughly unconvincing "change of heart." All of a sudden, with just over a year before his constituents have to decide if they want to rehire the senile and doddering old war-monger, Sneaky Pete says he supports a redeployment of American troops out of Iraq, something he has consistently opposed.

The GOP senator from New Mexico announced today that he has decided to cosponsor legislation that would call for the implementation of many of the Iraq Study Group recommendations. The move represents a major shift for Domenici, who up until now has supported President Bush in backing a controversial troop surge and opposing a timetable for withdrawal.

?I am calling for a new strategy that will move our troops out of combat operations,? Domenici said. ?This should result in a significant reduction in combat missions for U.S. troops and place more of a burden where it belongs ? on the Iraqis.?

The move is certain to upset Bush allies, but will also bolster Domenici?s re-election bid.

Domenici said he changed his mind over the course of the last two weeks as it became clear that the Iraqi government is not meeting benchmarks that were to accompany the American troop surge. In addition, he spoke recently with the parents of fallen soldiers who urged a policy shift.

Domenici said he continues to support American troops, and his shift doesn?t mean he believes they have failed. But, considering that American troops are suffering and dying, Domenici said he is ?unwilling to continue our current strategy? when Iraqis fail ?to even make modest progress.?

...Domenici said he is ?not going to say? the war was a mistake, but said it ?didn?t go the way it was planned.?

?It didn?t work in its current role,? he said, adding that it?s not too late to try to bring positive change out of the situation. He?s now trying to make that happen.

?I?m joining with a group of senators that have good ideas,? he said.

With Domenici at his lowest approval ratings in the history of the SUSA poll-- 51%, a figure that presaged defeat for every incumbent that low last year-- he expects New Mexico voters to forget all that has happened until now and buy into his new stance. The only real hope Domenici, who is also in trouble with some voters for conspiring with Rove to oust U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, has to retain his seat is if the Democrats don't field a strong candidate against him. And, so far, they haven't.

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http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2007/07/sneaky-pete-jumps-overboard-and-swims
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Because Everyone Loves Zoning Posts

post from Eschaton on 05 July 2007 09:45:00 AM. © Eschaton

Echoing Big Media Matt here, I'm always quite stunned at some of the reactions I get when I post about zoning/development issues. No one is trying to take your car away. No one is condemning your suburban existence or trying to wipe it out. No one is demanding everyone live in the equivalent of Manhattan. But the fact is there are a lot of policies in place - some which may have had a reasonable rationale at one point, some which probably never did - which promote the "one car per driving age member of the household" lifestyle.

I have no doubt that a lot of people live that lifestyle because they like it and they therefore support promoting policies which they perceive will lower the cost of it. But not everybody.

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http://atrios.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html#934348830135031529

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Morning

post from Eschaton on 05 July 2007 09:35:00 AM. © Eschaton

Damn rain.

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http://atrios.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html#8377186374714430533

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Frameshop: Second Life

post from FRAMESHOP on 05 July 2007 09:34:00 AM. © FRAMESHOP

Tonight I will be hosting a Framing the Debate book event in Second Life. If you are a regular user in SL, the event starts at 9:00pm EST in the open air theater next to the YearlyKos Pavillion on Progressive...

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http://jeffrey-feldman.typepad.com/frameshop/2007/07/frameshop-secon.html

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And they ask us to trust them

post from Crooks and Liars on 05 July 2007 09:33:42 AM. © Crooks and Liars

This administration lost credibility a long time ago, but still the media has stenographers taking notes that concern war and peace. I expect the White House to send the Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergners to Iraq so they can spread their war propaganda and he doesn’t disappoint.I give you: “Hamid the Mute.?What motivates a man [...]

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http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/07/05/and-they-ask-us-to-trust-them/

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The Natives Are Restless

post from Crooks and Liars on 05 July 2007 09:32:29 AM. © Crooks and Liars

Today David Broder looked through his telescope and spotted native savages just beyond the Potomac.The belief that official Washington is deaf to the people?s wishes is a staple of political rhetoric for both Republicans and Democrats ? even those, including Thompson, who have operated inside the Beltway for decades.Let a reporter [...]

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http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/07/05/the-natives-are-restless/

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Booker and the War on Drugs

post from Ezra Klein on 05 July 2007 09:25:00 AM. © Ezra Klein

It's hard to know how serious Cory Booker is when he says that the war on drugs has reached a level of absurdity so great that "I'm going to battle on [it]. We're going to start doing it the gentlemanly...[...]

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http://ezraklein.typepad.com/blog/2007/07/booker-and-the-.html

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Cheers and Jeers: Thursday

From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE...

Interesting panel discussion coming up at the YearlyKos convention:

Evolution and Integration of the Blogosphere:

The solitary, independent blogger was once the template for the entire political blogosphere, but has now been replaced by what are, in essence, mini-media outlets with numerous writers, multi-media options, and even original reporting. Many other bloggers have left the blogosphere for consulting gigs, or jobs with larger, more established news outlets. Has the blogosphere entered dangerous territory by becoming overly institutionalized, thus potentially softening its important critical and populist role, or will our new institutional support and connections only increase its media and activist effectiveness?

By bringing together one of the last remaining prominent solitary bloggers ([Duncan Black, aka] Atrios), a co-founder of an institution dedicated to support bloggers (Ali Savino), a professional, salaried blogger for the Edwards campaign (Tracy Russo), a populist blogger who ran into difficulty when trying to enter the consulting world (Amanda Marcotte), someone who straddles the world between professional consulting and blogging (Matt Stoller), a professional blogger who specializes in blogosphere "meta" (Chris Bowers) and Amanda Terkel of Think Progress, a successful, institutionally-based blog, this panel will be particularly well suited to handle these important questions facing the progressive political blogosphere.

Plus I hear there'll be an open bar...of Democratic ideals, that is!! (Seriously, there will be booze.) Only nine days left to register.

Anyone lose any fingers during last night's fireworks? I lost a toe, but I have no idea how. Cheers and Jeers starts in There's Moreville... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]