Global
THE FACTS
Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot his hunting partner, mistaking him for a covey of quail. As of this writing, the victim remains in the intensive care unit.
This is the first time since 1804, when Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel, that a sitting vice president has shot anybody.
The shooting occurred at the Armstrong Ranch in south Texas, about 60 miles southwest of Corpus Christi, where the vice president and several companions were hunting quail. The shooting victim was a 78-year-old man named Harry Whittington, a millionaire attorney from Austin, Texas. Whittington was reportedly 30 yards away from Cheney when he was hit in the cheek, neck and chest. Cheney was using a 28-gauge shotgun. Each of the hunters was wearing a bright orange vest at the time.
Dressed up as punk and Feminist, the SuicideGirls will be at the Arena in Qld., inevitably parading piercings, dyed hair, skin art and the other ingredients which effectively guaranteed the sensation its success.
There will be readers who will have acquainted themselves with Suicidegirls.com, and book, and burlesque review, alike. Championed by "pro-sex"-identified "Feminists" and Pop Culture's darlings, each are capitalist triumphs.
However, company president of the SuicideGirls Sean "Spooky" Suhl's inarguably questionable contracts, misogyny, pro-war neo-conservatism and lies should be common knowledge by now.
As should be Suhl's equally grotesque ideas about the Palestinians:
"I just said that all the Palestinians dying of smallpox is hopeful thinking for me. Sue me. It's a death cult not a civilization and them finally being wiped out by their buddy Saddam sounds like such a fitting end."
There will be readers who will have acquainted themselves with Suicidegirls.com, and book, and burlesque review, alike. Championed by "pro-sex"-identified "Feminists" and Pop Culture's darlings, each are capitalist triumphs.
However, company president of the SuicideGirls Sean "Spooky" Suhl's inarguably questionable contracts, misogyny, pro-war neo-conservatism and lies should be common knowledge by now.
As should be Suhl's equally grotesque ideas about the Palestinians:
"I just said that all the Palestinians dying of smallpox is hopeful thinking for me. Sue me. It's a death cult not a civilization and them finally being wiped out by their buddy Saddam sounds like such a fitting end."
The Attorney General is supposed to be America’s top lawyer. His job duties require him to direct the law enforcement efforts of the federal government. Alberto Gonzales seems to think that he works for Bush and Cheney instead of the American people. When Gonzales was first advanced for his position by the Bush White House, Democrats feared that Gonzales would politicize the Justice Department and overlook or excuse law-breaking by the Bush Administration.
Attorney General Gonzales has demonstrated in his recent testimony before Congress concerning the illegal NSA wiretapping authorized by the Bush White House that the worst fears of his Democratic opponents were justified. The performance of Gonzales before Congress was a clear example of excusing political abuse of office. He reminded many observers of similar performances by Nixon’s former Attorney General John Mitchell. Mitchell disgraced his office by trying to cover-up the crimes of the Nixon White House. Both Nixon and Mitchell were eventually forced from office.
Attorney General Gonzales has demonstrated in his recent testimony before Congress concerning the illegal NSA wiretapping authorized by the Bush White House that the worst fears of his Democratic opponents were justified. The performance of Gonzales before Congress was a clear example of excusing political abuse of office. He reminded many observers of similar performances by Nixon’s former Attorney General John Mitchell. Mitchell disgraced his office by trying to cover-up the crimes of the Nixon White House. Both Nixon and Mitchell were eventually forced from office.
Can you even imagine Republicans, even if they were in a minority in Congress, debating whether or not to call for the impeachment of a Democratic president known and documented as guilty of a wide range of high crimes and misdemeanors? In particular, if you can imagine that, can you imagine the Republicans who opposed impeachment arguing that they were doing so for strategic political reasons?
This is hard to imagine, because the Republicans won a majority in Congress by loudly proclaiming what they would do if they had it. The main thing they said they would do and still say they will do is oppose the agenda of the Democrats.
Meanwhile, Democratic voters and lapsed voters keep waiting for the Democrats to have an agenda. Polls show that most of us want strong positions on single-payer health care, clean elections, ending the war, shifting to renewable energy, investing in education, restoring the minimum wage, restoring New Orleans, and other policies that incumbent Democrats are usually - at best - taking baby steps on.
This is hard to imagine, because the Republicans won a majority in Congress by loudly proclaiming what they would do if they had it. The main thing they said they would do and still say they will do is oppose the agenda of the Democrats.
Meanwhile, Democratic voters and lapsed voters keep waiting for the Democrats to have an agenda. Polls show that most of us want strong positions on single-payer health care, clean elections, ending the war, shifting to renewable energy, investing in education, restoring the minimum wage, restoring New Orleans, and other policies that incumbent Democrats are usually - at best - taking baby steps on.
The media buzz about impeachment may be at 1 percent of the level it was during Monicagate, but guess what? The imperial presidency has less public support right now than the promiscuous presidency did at its lowest point - and as this administration's outrages pile up, George Bush seems to be losing his mandate simply to finish his term.
In two recent polls - one in October, just before the Scooter Libby indictment, and one in January, in the wake of the domestic-spying revelations - a majority of respondents considered impeachment the proper course of action for the crimes Bush is accused of.
The emperor may not be naked, but he's down to his fig leaf.
The October poll, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, which was commissioned by AfterDowningStreet.org, presented 1,001 U.S. adults with the statement: "If President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable by impeaching him." An astounding 50 percent agreed with the statement; 44 percent disagreed.
In two recent polls - one in October, just before the Scooter Libby indictment, and one in January, in the wake of the domestic-spying revelations - a majority of respondents considered impeachment the proper course of action for the crimes Bush is accused of.
The emperor may not be naked, but he's down to his fig leaf.
The October poll, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, which was commissioned by AfterDowningStreet.org, presented 1,001 U.S. adults with the statement: "If President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable by impeaching him." An astounding 50 percent agreed with the statement; 44 percent disagreed.
IMPORTANT: Our VERY first congressional race to impact will be decided
on March 7th!!
Congressman Henry Cuellar is the BAD democrat we should defeat in a primary. He votes republican, was pro-CAFTA and endorsed Bush against Gore. He is a product of Tom Delay's redistricting of San Antonio. There is No GOP candidate at all. We MUST defeat Cuellar!!
His opponent, former congressman Ciro Rodriguez is MUCH BETTER. Please Contribute and spread the word to EVERYBODY!!!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11241268/
http://www.cirodrodriguez.com/
Congressman Henry Cuellar is the BAD democrat we should defeat in a primary. He votes republican, was pro-CAFTA and endorsed Bush against Gore. He is a product of Tom Delay's redistricting of San Antonio. There is No GOP candidate at all. We MUST defeat Cuellar!!
His opponent, former congressman Ciro Rodriguez is MUCH BETTER. Please Contribute and spread the word to EVERYBODY!!!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11241268/
http://www.cirodrodriguez.com/
Simple acts and a little courage have worked wonders in the world. Nonviolent people's movements won democratic reforms in Russia, booted the British out of India, resisted the Nazi occupation in Denmark, drove a dictator out of El Salvador and another out of the Philippines, ended Jim Crow, crushed Soviet power in Poland, toppled military regimes in Argentina and Chile, ended Apartheid, and brought democracy to the Ukraine. George W. is no match for a force this powerful.
As powerless as we may feel in the United States right now, we have at our disposal the tools needed to end the war in Iraq and to impeach the criminals who began it. The impeachment may have to precede the peace, but, in one order or the other, we can achieve these two goals.
As powerless as we may feel in the United States right now, we have at our disposal the tools needed to end the war in Iraq and to impeach the criminals who began it. The impeachment may have to precede the peace, but, in one order or the other, we can achieve these two goals.
Chicago – A 34 day, liquids-only fast to end the war against and occupation of Iraq will begin in Washington, D.C. on February 15. Fast participants will consume only water or juice, and will maintain a daily vigil at the U.S. Capitol, lobby members of Congress and conduct sit-ins at key Congressional offices. The start and end dates of the fast commemorate the third anniversary of worldwide protests against the invasion of Iraq, and the date of the U.S. invasion. The activities are part of growing grassroots opposition to economic and military warfare against Iraq.
Ok, so the vice president accidentally shot someone while on a hunting outing South of San Antonio, Texas. Accidents happen all the time, right? And besides, it's not like he offed someone during a liquor-store hold-up. So what's all the fuss about you ask? It's simple. It took the Bush administration almost 24 hours to issue any sort of statement about the accidental shooting which occurred 5:30 PM Saturday. The vice president of the United States shoots someone, even accidentally, and all we got was a statement released by the ranch owner, Katharine Armstrong, to a small town newspaper, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. It wasn't until Sunday afternoon that Armstrong called the paper. She did not notify the national media or the White House press corps. The vp's office commented thereafter.
AUSTIN, Texas -- Of course the jokes are flying all over Texas -- what's the fine for shooting a lawyer? -- and so forth. Dick-Cheney-shooting-Harry-Whittington is fraught, as they say, with irony. It's not as though the ground in Texas is littered with liberal Republicans. I think the vice president winged the only one we've got.
Not that I accuse Harry Whittington of being an actual liberal -- only by Texas Republican standards, and that sets the bar about the height of a matchbook. Nevertheless, Whittington is seriously civilized, particularly on the issues of crime, punishment and prisons. He served on both the Texas Board of Corrections and on the bonding authority that builds prisons. As he has often said, prisons do not curb crime, they are hothouses for crime: "Prisons are to crime what greenhouses are to plants."
In the day, whenever there was an especially bad case of new-ignoramus-in-the-legislature -- a "lock 'em all up and throw away the key" type -- the senior members used to send the prison-happy, tuff-on-crime neophyte to see Harry Whittington, a Republican after all, for a little basic education on the cost of prisons.
Not that I accuse Harry Whittington of being an actual liberal -- only by Texas Republican standards, and that sets the bar about the height of a matchbook. Nevertheless, Whittington is seriously civilized, particularly on the issues of crime, punishment and prisons. He served on both the Texas Board of Corrections and on the bonding authority that builds prisons. As he has often said, prisons do not curb crime, they are hothouses for crime: "Prisons are to crime what greenhouses are to plants."
In the day, whenever there was an especially bad case of new-ignoramus-in-the-legislature -- a "lock 'em all up and throw away the key" type -- the senior members used to send the prison-happy, tuff-on-crime neophyte to see Harry Whittington, a Republican after all, for a little basic education on the cost of prisons.