Preview of Bush's Convention Speech

In the spirit of those who condemned Michael Moore's movie Fahrenheit 9/11 without actually having seen it, I will now preview Bush's RNC convention speech:

He will talk of the economy being on the upswing. Lies.
He will say we are winning the war on terror. Big ass lies.
He will say his administration has been creating a lot of good jobs lately. Preposterous lies.
He will say we have Al Qaida on the run. Stupid, dangerous lies.
He will say he's not an extremist. An extreme lie.
He will say he helped old people with new prescription cards to save them money. Another lie.
He will say his henchmen have not been hassling Pakistan to dredge up some big name terrorists in time for the election. Big, fat lies.
He will say the war Iraq was worth it. Expensive lie.

I don't need to hear him speak again to know if his lips are moving, he's lying.
The radical right has taught me that I don't need proof to make assertions. I don't need the benefit of seeing or hearing something from Bush before I can proclaim it's all a pack of dirty lies.
Bush is a stupid guy, a dishonest guy and an arrogant guy. We know all that already. So whatever he says will be said stupidly, dishonestly and arrogantly.
Trust me on this. We don't have to see it to believe it.
We've seen enough.

Sandy Berger's Big Surprise: The Charges Were Bogus

Yep, just in time for the Democratic National Convention, the GOP made a big stink about former Clinton National Security Advisor Sandy Berger allegedly stealing a pantload of secret documents.
And just in time for the end of the DNC convention, we learn no charges will be filed because there were no crimes committed.
At the time the charges were leveled, Berger was serving as a security advisor to the Kerry campaign, but of course he resigned once the GOP claimed he stole documents, so's not to cast aspersions on the Kerry campaign.
My political nemesis Barcodie wrote last week and asked what I thought of "Trousergate."
I told him to get back to me once an indictment was handed down, because without one, this was likely just another of Bush's dirty tricks, timed to cast a shadow over Kerry's convention.
Once again in this never-ending political debate, score one for me and zip for Barcodie.
I hope once President Kerry takes office, his security people start examining the Bush criminals in as harsh a light.
Only this time, we should expect indictments.
Sic semper tyrannis to those lowdown pricks.

Yesterday, John Kerry's campaign raised more than $3 million online.
That is a record for online contributions to anyone, anytime.
If anyone thinks Bush can win again after numbers like that scream so loud, they are just like Bush–
Delusional.
:D

A Sneak Peak at the Republican National Convention
Special thanks to my friend Steven in Seattle for creating this

AUGUST 30, DAY ONE

OPENING PRAYER read by Mel Gibson, while being flogged with a spiked leather strap wielded by Ann Coulter, who will enjoy it a little too much.

TOM RIDGE raises National Alert Level to RED.

LEST WE FORGET -- HONORARY ROLL CALL of All Members of (and Friends of) Bush Administration Who Might Very Well Have Been Killed In Vietnam If It Hadn't Been For Nasty Trick Knees, Anal Cysts, Recurrent Headaches, and Highly-Placed, Overly-Protective Parents. (Sponsored by Tyson Chicken)

ANTONIN SCALIA speaks -- "SLAVERY - THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF OUR FOREFATHERS, AND GREAT FOR BUSINESS! (Sponsored by Wal-Mart)

DICK CHENEY hosts AMBASSADORSHIP RAFFLE - Opening Bid $1,000,000 (cash, non-sequential bills 20's or less)

CLIMAX OF THE EVENING -- FILM - "BRING IT ON!" Stirring fictionalized re-creation of Mr. Bush's actual dental appointment in Alabama in 1972, where he showed the incredible courage to allow "deep cleaning" of gums without anesthetic. (Sponsored by Sinclair Broadcasting)

SUGGESTED AFTER-EVENT -- "GET BAKED WITH RUSH "Crankster" LIMBAUGH! (Location TBD) (Sponsored by Pfizer)

AUGUST 31

OPENING PRAYER read by Our Lord (The Passion Of) Jesus H. Christ, as channeled by Lt. General William G. "Jerry" Boykin, the man who first revealed that Mr. Bush was chosen by God to lead this country into war against the heathens. Mr. Boykin will then give a short, upbeat presentation on Islam called, "My God can Beat Up Your God."

TOM RIDGE raises National Alert Level to FLASHING RED.

WAYNE LAPIERRE will pry Davy Crockett's Kentucky Long Rifle out of Charlton Heston's cold dead fingers (subject to Heston's death) (Sponsored by Smith & Wesson)

DESIGNATED BROWN PERSON (Hispanic or Muslim, or possibly an Hispanic Muslim, if we can find one) will speak on how being a brown person doesn't automatically disqualify you from being a Republican (subject to finding a brown person capable of being bribed to do this -- may need professional actor, possibly brought in from third world country)

CLIMAX OF THE EVENING -- PAUL WOLFOWITZ announces American plans to invade Iran, strip them of nuclear weapons, and turn over entire country to Bechtel to be run as a subsidiary. (Wolfowitz will tell anxious voters that the operation will involve 200 out-sourced "consultants", will take one week and will be entirely funded by pocket change found in a White House couch.) (Sponsored by Halliburton)

SUGGESTED AFTER-EVENT -- "RIDE THE WAVE WITH RUSH "Big Oxy" LIMBAUGH!" (Do a couple of 'ringers' with Big Pharma -- sponsored by ROBITUSSIN)

SEPTEMBER 1

OPENING PRAYER by the REVEREND JERRY FALWELL who will demonstrate the spirit of Compassionate Conservatism(tm) and the eternal mercy of God by wishing a horrible fiery death and an eternity in the pit of hell for all non-white, non-male, non-Christian non-heterosexual non-Republicans.

TOM RIDGE raises National Alert Level to PULSATING RED

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF INSANELY RICH PERSONS (AAIRP) will present LAURA BUSH with A PLATINUM CHAINSAW in thanks for the Bush Administration tax cuts (Sponsored by Gulfstream)

ANN COULTER, BILL O'REILLY and SEAN HANNITY will lead a special TWO-MINUTE HATE aimed at photo of John Kerry.

CLIMAX OF THE EVENING -- DIEBOLD CORPORATION WILL ANNOUNCE ELECTION RETURNS - BUSH WINS RE-ELECTION WITH 51% OF VOTE (YET TO BE CAST). (JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA will certify vote results) Diebold Board member Wilbur H. Grafton will deny fraud, announce his retirement, and be named the new Ambassador to Jamaica. (Sponsored by Diebold)

SUGGESTED AFTER-EVENT -- GET WRECKED WITH RUSH "Kicker" LIMBAUGH (sponsored by Eli Lilly)

SEPTEMBER 2 (nomination night)

OPENING PRAYER by ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT, who will then sing "Let the Eagle Soar" and light the ceremonial "TORCH OF FREEDOM™ with the (actual) Bill of Rights.

TOM RIDGE raises National Alert Level to FIRE ENGINE RED, and ANNOUNCES CAPTURE OF OSAMA BIN LADEN.

CONVENTION SHIFTS TO "GROUND ZERO" -- DICK CHENEY will introduce and personally re-nominate PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, who WILL IMPALE OSAMA BIN LADEN WITH DAVY CROCKETT'S KENTUCKY LONG RIFLE donated by Wayne LaPierre (Sponsored by NRA)

PRESIDENT BUSH WILL GIVE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH, standing on Osama's dead body.

FIRST PEEK - Here is the proposed text for President Bush's speech:

"Hey, Freedom-Lovers! 9-11 Democracy Freedom Stay The Course Evil-doers trust my gut 9-11 Freedom Evil-doers Stay The Course Democracy 9-11 Evil-doers trust my gut 9-11 Democracy Freedom Stay the course Trust my gut Tax cuts Who cares what you think Evil-doers Things are great Jesus speaks to me 9-11 Democracy Freedom Stay The Course Evil-doers 9-11 Freedom Evil-doers Stay The Course Democracy 9-11 Evil-doers trust my gut 9-11 Democracy Freedom Stay the course Trust my gut Tax cuts Who cares what you think Evil-doers Things are great Jesus speaks to me. G'night everybody!"

POST CEREMONY CLOSING NIGHT PARTY OPPORTUNITIES:


"GET MAXED with RUSH 'ROCKET CAP' LIMBAUGH!" (Sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline)

RICK SANTORUM '"OG ON DOG'" PETTING ZOO (adults only, please)

BILL O'REILLY SHOWS OFF PULITZER PRIZE, ACADEMY AWARD, AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

SPECIAL BUFFET -- JOHN ASHCROFT will PERSONALLY EXORCISE A KINDLE OF CALICO KITTENS, BARBECUE THEM, AND SERVE THEM ON CANAPES (sponsored by KRAFT "Thick N' Spicy" BBQ Sauce)

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Yeah, But...

Sheesh, the GOP are working overtime trying to find fault with the Democrats.

I like how they are bitching about the Democrats saying they'd ease up on Bush bashing during the convention, then whenever a Democrat mentions anything Bush has done that hasn't been good, the GOP calls that Bush bashing.
Clue: Bush has done a lot of wrong things. Mentioning them isn't bashing, it's a little thing called TELLING THE TRUTH.
If the GOP wants a clean convention, let them apply it to theirs. Nobody has heard them insisting on a clean GOP convention, without Kerry and Edwards bashing.

Other piddly GOP complaints:
--Theresa Heinz Kerry is a loose cannon on deck the nation cannot afford to have sleeping beside the President of the United States.
Clue: The GOP was all over itself trying to recruit Mrs. Kerry to run for her late husband's Senate seat after he died. Now she's bad?? Please.
--John Edwards as VP doesn't have the international experience to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Clue: GW Bush never held a job that wasn't handed him, including the Texas governorship. Besides, in Texas the governor is more of a ceremonial job, because the Lt. Governor sets the legislative agenda and wields the REAL power. Edwards was a resounding success in his professional career and a great rookie senator. He has shown the skills to learn and adapt quickly.
--John Kerry looked silly wearing that little gown and skullcap at NASA, like Dukakis did wearing the helmet in the tank.
Clue: To enter the classified area in NASA Kerry visited, that garb is mandatory. Dukakis and his infamous helmet and tank pic were a mistake.
Kerry was right to visit NASA as a potential president, and he was right to follow their guidelines for appropriate cleanwear. A more accurate comparison to Dukakis would be Bush, appearing on that flight deck wearing a pilot's costume in front of a "mission accomplished" banner. Note you don't see that photo op touted in his campaign.
It's an embarrassment, that's why, and it cost us taxpayers millions for him to stage that scene.
--Senators Kerry and Edwards voted FOR going to war with Iraq.
Clue: They were told by the administration that Iraq had WMD's and was an imminent threat. Had they been told the truth, they would not have supported it.

The GOP will be bashing the Democrats' brains out come their convention, because they have nothing to brag about, except for more skewed "projections" that attempt to take the sting out of four years of lousy leadership, horrible mistakes and misrepresentation of the facts.
When all else fails, the GOP will throw mud, scare people and beat their chests in macho displays of aggression.
But behind the curtain is a very small man of limited intellect and unlimited arrogance, protected by handlers with an agenda that panders to a few very wealthy, very white businessmen.

The Democrats have them on the ropes, and it shows.

testing testing testing
This is me, posting to my Blog via my new Mozilla Firefox browser, installed with help from Grey Bird...if it works, thank Bird and Mozilla. If not...errrr

A Wonderful Feeling

Last night's opening night of the Democratic National Convention made me feel something I hadn't felt about politics in a long time. Happy.
For once, my beloved Democratic party was unified and strong during our DNC convention.
Their messages were supposed to go light on Bush bashing and heavy on promises for a better day through the leadership of John Kerry, but just by telling the truth, speakers like Presidents Carter and Clinton were able to show Bush and his administration for what they are.
It occurred to me, the need to >overtly< bash Bush is no longer a necessity.
If we simply describe his policies and values, the voters can decide for themselves whether the Bush policies meet their expectations for how the country should be run. Let's take a look.

Do you agree that we needed to invade Iraq? Despite the absence of WMD's and the 9/11 commission's findings of no Saddam link to Al Qaida, do you agree that Saddam needed to be removed "just because"?
Do you agree that the Iraqi war has been worth the nearly $100 billion price tag?
Do you feel safer now?
Do you think classified documents that justified an environment of permissiveness, negated the Geneva Conventions and fostered the sadistic torture and rape of prisoners in Iraq is all just part of the ugly business of war and should be left unchecked?
Do you agree that 1% of the richest Americans should benefit most by tax cuts?
Do you agree that a multi billion dollar budget deficit is preferable to the multi billion dollar surplus Clinton left us with? Do you think it's okay to finance the deficit by borrowing from the Social Security till and by taking out huge loans from China and Japan?
Do you agree that legislation is needed to protect the institution of marriage from gay people who want the same thing?
Do you agree that a woman's right to choose should be abridged?
Do you agree that unilateral force is preferable to courting allies in the fight against global terrorism?
Do you agree that a president and his father should have long standing, cordial friendships and business relationships with rulers of a country that spawned 14 out of the 19 September 11 terrorists?
Do you agree that 40 million+ Americans should not have access to adequate health care?
Do you agree that the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS can be handled with reduced funding and admonishments to stay celibate for optimum results?
Do you agree that veterans benefits should be cut?
Do you agree that the country needs to start again drafting our young people for military service?
Do you agree that opponents of the incumbent party should be arrested for wearing clothing that voices their opposition?

If you have reservations about any of these policies, perhaps the Democrats would serve your needs better. Some may take offense at calling Bush a crook or an imbecile, but the facts about his regime are incontrovertible.
You decide, based on the facts.

P.S. Theresa Heinz Kerry told a right-wing editorialist from Pittsburgh who had a habit of misquoting her to "shove it." Kudos to Dick Cheney for raising the vulgarity bar so high, his party hardly has the moral high ground to go on the attack against Mrs. Kerry.
Loved it!

Did you watch day one of the DNC? What did you like most about it?

Blog Salad To Go

-The Democrats have out raised the GOP this year and they did it with millions of individual contributions, not via white tie dinners with mega wealthy, white, male, business moguls who expected something in return from Bush in 2000 and got it.
-Black voters favor Kerry 8-1 over Bush, proving my allegations that Bush indeed is a punk ass chump, honky cracker, and so is his mama. Meanwhile, his little brother, Ku Klux Jeb, is down in Florida torturing black election supervisors.
-Creepy Ralph Nader is getting a hand landing on several state ballots from GOP goons like Dick Armey. So much for all those bullshit independent principles he espouses. Let's face it, he peaked about the same time the oil filter blew the back grille off my brother's Corvair Monza.
-Linda Ronstadt revived her sagging career this week when her gig at the Middle East themed, hideously decorated Aladdin casino fired her for praising Michael Moore at the end of her concert.
Fux News giddily reported that much of the 4,500 person audience stormed out in protest, but they failed to mention she'd made the remarks at the end of her show, during an encore. That may have influenced the exodus, eh? Fair and balanced, my ass.
-Arnold Schwartzenneger recently called some California Democrats a bunch of girly men. Yeah right, Arnold, I bet you've had more men than I have, you big Nazi faggot.
-American troops in Iraq are running out of bullets so the feds are going to have to buy some from our allies. Allies? What allies? Maybe all those tiny countries who joined Bush's coalition of the silly can give us their extra bullets, since they've all hightailed it out of that hellhole.
-Bush was calling himself the war president, but now he's switched to calling himself, "the peace president." I guess he figured if they bought the clear skies initiative and no child left behind, he might as well go for broke. Hell, he ought to go full out and call himself the intellectual president, since he's already in maxi bullshit mode.
-Sandy Berger and former Ambassador Wilson are this week's Vast Right Wing Conspiracy Poster boys. With timing even some GOP are rolling their eyes over, repugnicans are trying their best to brand Berger and Wilson as scoundrels. Alas, the public is tired of all the GOP mud slinging and nobody seems to be getting all het up over a former National Security Advisor with a few xerox pages in his attache case.
With treasonous moles allowed to remain on the Bush staff unchecked, they can roll those alleged documents Berger had into tight cylinders and Cheney each other with them.
Reminds me of Bush's pal Kenny Boy Lay trying to turn an Enron mail clerk into the cops for filching a box of paper clips.
It's all played out for those old farts.
Nobody cares about their hackneyed smear tactics anymore. They got no plans and they got no chance, so they smear the enemy.
-The most recent tally indicates 98 out of 100 American prison guards stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan have claimed Rumsfeld okayed all their pervy, sadistic prisoner treatment. But who are you gonna believe, soldiers or the man who was so jangled talking to the Senate Judiciary Committee he sounded like Mel Tillis?
Wouldn't a prison term for Rummy be deliciously ironic? It would almost be worth having to see digital pics of his saggy old ass perched on top of a manly pyramid.
-Once again, venerable Reporter Helen Thomas backed down Bush Spokesliar Scott McClellan during a July19 press briefing. Thomas asked if Bush, like Tony Blair, took responsibility for the fuckup in Iraq. Mc Clellan hemmed and he hawed, Thomas continued to land sharp jabs, then he abruptly cut Thomas off mid sentence and called on another reporter.
Pretty funny when a strapping young repugnican male can't take the heat from a newswoman who made her professional bones more than 50 years ago. McClellan is so outclassed by the veteran news hen, he can't even muster up one of those pithy quips he uses on younger liberal media reps.
Hey Scott- who's your mama, pussy boy?

Blogger Blues

Sorry folks, Blogger recently made some improvements to their system that allow me the convenience of having to rely entirely on Grey Bird to publish my posts for me.
This great new Blogger improvement now will allow me to post fewer Blogs at a slower rate, all the while imposing on my pal Grey Bird.
I suspect the Blogspot company has been taken over by the Department of Homeland Security. Whenever they try to improve on anything, the system ends up not working at all for me.

How Much More Can One Nation Take?

The other day, I started hearing rumors the Bush regime was looking into ways to postpone the November election. It seems once word got out, the Bush tricksters backpedaled fast and gave up the idea once they got a whiff of how massive voter outrage would become.
Today, I heard on CNN that a goodly number of U.S. senators are calling for the UN to come in and monitor the November elections, to prevent ballot tampering.
When the UN has to come in and monitor elections in the United States of America to prevent the Bush boys from stealing votes AGAIN, something is horribly wrong. How embarrassing for this country to have to even consider calling in UN officials to monitor our elections, like we are a Banana Republic being run by a communist dictator.
The Democrats started this race pussy footing around and being too polite to call this criminal administration on it's outrageous malfeasance.
Thank God organizations like MoveOn.com had the balls to call things as they saw them, and after getting such great, massive, outspoken response, the Democratic machine finally became emboldened and started doing the same thing.
I think Kerry will win. I pray he will win.
I only hope once that happens, the Senate will feel safe enough to start investigating the hell out of Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney et al., and start indicting them and dragging them into in courts of law for prosecution.

• Abu Ghraib prison torture was authorized by Bush and Rumsfeld. That is a war crime.
Recently they have found video footage of adult American males sodomizing teen Iraqi boys. That is a crime against everything decent people hold sacred.
• One or more people on Bush's staff outed CIA agent Valerie Plame to the media. That is an act of treason, considered a crime so serious it could warrant most severe penalties, up to and including execution. Not only is it a serious crime of treason via established laws, the Patriot Act has it's own separate provisions for punishing such acts of treason.
• Dick Cheney's Halliburton had already paid more than $6 million in fines on Iraqi contract violations for price gouging, non delivery of goods and other felonious acts against the U.S. Government, our troops serving in harm's way and American taxpayers.
Cheney still gets an annual Halliburton paycheck, and documents have proven he was indeed greasing the government wheels to ensure Halliburton was awarded no-bid, secret contracts of untold value.
• There were no fucking WMD's in Iraq, and unlike Tony Blair, Bush has neither apologized nor taken responsibility.

Now with rumors reporting Iran had ties with 9/11 era Al Qaida operatives, what's to stop Bush from invading them next?

I didn't like Nixon. I didn't like Bush 41 or Reagan, either, after Iran Contra was exposed.
But I hate George W. Bush.
He is by far the worst president in American history. He is an arrogant, dimwitted, criminal, racist with the most engorged sense of rich, white boy entitlement I have ever seen on any human being.

The other day, a married couple from Texas bought tickets to a Bush appearance in West Virginia. The wife worked for FEMA, and the couple was in W. VA so she could aid in weather disaster relief.
They wore identical T-shirts to the Bush event that said, "LOVE AMERICA/HATE BUSH"
Within moments, they were arrested by FBI agents and dragged to jail for interrogation, finger printing and other humiliating treatment, including criminal charges lodged against them.
Once they made bail, FEMA fired the wife and told them to go home to Texas.
But the now unemployed couple had to remain in W. VA at their own expense to attend the trial, because the ACLU offered to assist them in beating the ridiculous charges and unless they appeared, they would have no right to seek redress.
After some days, the charges were dropped.
But the damage had been done, and because Bush America has become a police state, their names, prints and mugshots remain on file with the FBI as potential enemies of the state.

When the Vice President can tell a ranking Senator to go fuck himself in the Senate Chambers without so much as a mild admonishment, yet two tax paying American citizens are not free to wear T-shirts unfavorable to Herr Bush, something is critically wrong.

If any of this raised your hackles even a little, PLEASE take the time to vent your anger in the form of a check to the Kerry campaign, a letter to your senator, or something. Anything.

Hillary Will Speak

Turns out Hillary Clinton will speak at the Democratic National Convention after all.
On Monday night she will speak, then introduce President Clinton for his speech.
Both have said she will not oppose President Kerry when he runs for his second term.
So much for those rumors.
Last night on Jon Stewart's superb "The Daily Show," they did an amusing piece on the talking points the GOP created to lambaste Vice President Edwards. Then they showed various GOP mouthpieces describing the Kerry/Edwards ticket. All said precisely the same thing: "They are out of the mainstream."
Parroting the identical line aside, what do they mean, "out of the mainstream"? Kerry and Edwards are United States Senators, how much more mainstream can they get?
It's as silly as Bush saying he wasn't a "Washington insider." By very definition, a Washington insider is someone whose proximity to the White House measures the extent of their insider status.
They also echo talking points about Edwards lacking international experience. Sure, like being a governor who'd never even visited Europe as a tourist qualified Bush.
This is just more Bush dry drunk yammer. Day is night, night is day, nothing is quite clear in Bush's brain damaged world. The phenomena of groupthink lives within this administration, and their supporters are just minions in this dysfunctional family of zombies.
Even the GOP convention illustrates this dysfunction.
After four years of the most extreme right-wing partisan "leadership," none of the GOP's staunch conservatives will speak. Bush wants to distance himself from that base. Instead, serial groper Arnold Schwartzenegger and admitted adulterer Rudy Guilliani will highlight the event.
Now, there are two GOP dudes with some traditional family values.
When I was in my 20's, I lived on Venice Beach in California.
Arnold was a body builder at an outdoor gym on the boardwalk. While I didn't know him personally, I do know a bunch of gay musclemen when I see them, and he was in the big middle of it. His chief benefactor at the time was a notorious gay guy who went on to dominate the weightlifting industry.
Once Arnold started acting, he delighted in describing his adventures in group sex, drugging and fucking like a rabbit in various magazine articles.
While the GOP in this Bush era tries to imply an aura of stability and wholesomeness, it's starting to look like a freak show.
Jack Ryan was an up and coming GOP golden boy running for office in Illinois. He had to drop out after his divorce papers described him compelling his wife to visit sex clubs with him and trying to have public sex with her in cages and on bare mattresses before an audience of fellow perverts.
• They had to stash Rumsfeld away after his Abu Ghraib prison torture scandal came to light. Now with Seymour Hersh saying he has personally seen video footage of Americans sodomizing teen Iraqi boys, he'll really have to lie low.
• Rumors are flying that Halliburton's Go Fuck Yourself Dick Cheney's "doctor" has suggested he be replaced. How politically expedient that would be.
• John Ashcroft, a devout Pentecostal who thinks house cats are the embodiment of Satan, has been downplayed and stashed out of sight once he started defying the Senate's 911 commission.
• There is no CIA Director in an era of dire National Security concerns.
• Condi Rice has been silenced ever since she refused to testify to the commission under oath, based on security concerns, then decided to testify after all, once public outrage outran her alleged security issues.
Talk about out of the mainstream.
When a liberal, open minded lesbian's sense of decency is tweaked by the GOP's outrageous double standards, that's something to ponder.
And to think, Hillary is considered controversial among the GOP hatemongers.

We weren’t doing anything wrong’
Couple in anti-Bush T-shirts were arrested at president’s speech
By Tara Tuckwiller
West Virginia Gazette
A husband and wife who wore anti-Bush T-shirts to the president’s Fourth of July appearance aren’t going down without a fight: They will be represented by lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union as they contest the trespassing charges against them Thursday morning in Charleston Municipal Court.
Police took Nicole and Jeff Rank away in handcuffs from the event, which was billed as a presidential appearance, not a campaign rally. They were wearing T-shirts that read, “Love America, Hate Bush.”
Spectators who wore pro-Bush T-shirts and Bush-Cheney campaign buttons were allowed to stay.
“We weren’t doing anything wrong,” said Jeff Rank. The couple, who said they had tickets just like everybody else, said they simply stood around the Capitol steps with the rest of the spectators.
“We sang the national anthem,” Rank said.
The Ranks hardly fit the image of rabble-rousers. Jeff Rank, 29, has a master’s degree in oceanography. Nicole Rank, 30, has degrees in biological science and marine biology. They have been married for seven years.
Nicole Rank arrived in Charleston soon after the Memorial Day floods. She was working as deputy environmental liaison officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, making sure cities and counties obeyed federal environmental laws as they repaired roads and bridges.
After police arrested the Ranks, fingerprinted them and took their mug shots, FEMA told Nicole Rank she was no longer needed in West Virginia.
“I have not been fired per se,” she said. “But I was released from this job. And when they release you from a job, you no longer get paid.”
The Ranks started to go home to Corpus Christi, Texas, but they only got as far as Roanoke, Va., when it occurred to them that they might not be able to contest their arrest if they weren’t in Charleston on their court date. A phone call confirmed their suspicions. So they turned around.
“We’ve been living in motels ever since,” said Jeff Rank, who spent Tuesday evening in his motel room with his wife, their cocker spaniel Feinman, and their marmalade cat Rowr.
“It’s extremely difficult [financially]. We can only afford to do this for so long.”
But they had to stay and fight the charges, he said, “because we didn’t think we were guilty.”
Since Bush took office in early 2001, people have been banned from displaying anti-Bush messages at dozens of Bush appearances across the country. In September, the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit against the Secret Service, seeking an injunction against the Bush administration for segregating protesters at his public appearances.
The Secret Service agreed that such censorship was wrong, said Witold Walczak, one of the lawyers that filed the lawsuit.
“They had an internal memo dated September 2002, saying they couldn’t treat protesters differently or worse” than anyone else at a presidential appearance, Walczak said. “The judge said any agent responsible for doing so could be held liable for damages.”
The Secret Service had been telling local police to sequester anyone displaying an anti-administration message, usually in areas completely out of sight and earshot of Bush. Because the Secret Service agreed with the ACLU that it shouldn’t be doing that, the judge dismissed the case.
“Prior to filing our suit in September, we’d get a couple of confirmed ‘protest zone’ complaints every month,” Walczak said. “After we filed, there were practically none. We had two documented incidents between September and March: one in Little Rock, Ark., and one in Knoxville, Tenn.”
But now, lawyers like Walczak are carefully monitoring cases like the Ranks’ — and two similar incidents recently in Pennsylvania.
“We’re trying to assess what is going on at these appearances ... whether these ‘protest zones’ are resuming,” he said.
“We are continuing to monitor all campaign events by both Republican and Democratic candidates. We’re prepared to go back into court if we see discrimination occurring.”
Because Bush’s Fourth of July stop in Charleston was billed as an official presidential visit, not a campaign rally, “That makes it an even more glaring violation of the First Amendment,” said Andrew Schneider, executive director of the ACLU of West Virginia.
“It’s an Orwellian way to keep speech out of sight of those the speech is intended to critique ... We want to nip this in the bud before it becomes a habit of future administrations.”
A Bush spokesman did not return a telephone call seeking comment on the necessity of the “free speech zone.”

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS, A POLICE STATE? A DICTATORSHIP?
Is anyone else sick of all this fucking censorship?
Bush is getting more like a banana republic dictator every day.
Cheney can tell a US Senator to go fuck himself in the Senate chambers and a married couple can't wear anti Bush T-shirts in public?
Outrageous.

Another Wheel Flies Off?

The GOP, led by Gay Basher in Chief George W. Bush, failed in their attempt yesterday to create a Constitutional amendment that specifically discriminates against gays and lesbians.
I quote from a July 15 New York Times article:

"It's a net loss for Republicans politically," said one prominent Republican in Washington who works closely with the White House. "It does nothing for our base, because they're grumpy about not having it, and it energized a significant portion of their base. I guarantee you that the gay community will give twice as much money and work harder for Kerry now, not so much because they care about marriage per se, but because this effort plays to their fears that we're homophobic."

Gays and lesbians don't fear that most Republicans are homophobic, most ARE homophobic.
But the Repugnican quoted in this excerpt is right about one thing, the gay community is giving twice as much money and working twice as hard for John Kerry.
Now that Bush has snubbed the NAACP by refusing to speak at their convention, people of color will be doing the same.
So will environmentalists.
So will people who watched Michael Moore's movie Fahrenheit-911.
So will those who hate being lied to.
So will anyone with half a heart.
So will anyone with half a brain.

Dick Cheney told Senator Leahy to go fuck himself.
Dick said he felt better afterwards.

George W. Bush doesn't need to be told to go fuck himself. He already has.

Thank you, Senators!

The following Senators need to be thanked for putting an end to the Gay Bashing Amendment. Please select those from your state, drop them a line and say thanks for representing ALL Americans.
The system works! Now, does anyone want me to list the Senate homophobes? Comments?


VOTED AGAINST CLOTURE (I.E., VOTED TO SUPPORT A FILIBUSTER)
Akaka, Daniel - (D - HI) Class I 141 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-6361 E-mail: senator@akaka.senate.gov
Baucus, Max - (D - MT) Class II 511 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2651 Web Form: http://baucus.senate.gov/emailmax.html
Bayh, Evan - (D - IN) Class III 463 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5623 Web Form: http://bayh.senate.gov/WebMail1.htm
Biden, Joseph - (D - DE) Class II 201 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5042 E-mail: senator@biden.senate.gov
Bingaman, Jeff - (D - NM) Class I 703 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5521 E-mail: senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov
Boxer, Barbara - (D - CA) Class III 112 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3553 Web Form: boxer.senate.gov/contact
Breaux, John - (D - LA) Class III 503 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4623 E-mail: senator@breaux.senate.gov
Campbell, Ben - (R - CO) Class III 380 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5852 Web Form: http://campbell.senate.gov/email.htm
Chafee, Lincoln - (R - RI) Class I 141A RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2921 Web Form: http://chafee.senate.gov/webform.htm
Cantwell, Maria - (D - WA) Class I 717 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3441 Web Form: http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html
Carper, Thomas - (D - DE) Class I 513 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2441 Web Form: http://carper.senate.gov/email-form.html
Clinton, Hillary - (D - NY) Class I 476 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4451 Web Form: http://clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html
Collins, Susan - (R - ME) Class II 172 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2523 Web Form: http://collins.senate.gov/low/contactemail.htm
Conrad, Kent - (D - ND) Class I 530 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2043 Web Form: http://conrad.senate.gov/webform.html
Corzine, Jon - (D - NJ) Class I 502 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4744 Web Form: http://corzine.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Daschle, Thomas - (D - SD) Class III 509 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2321 Web Form: http://daschle.senate.gov/webform.html
Dayton, Mark - (D - MN) Class I 346 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3244 Web Form: http://dayton.senate.gov/webform.html
Dodd, Christopher - (D - CT) Class III 448 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2823 Web Form: http://dodd.senate.gov/webmail/
Dorgan, Byron - (D - ND) Class III 713 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2551 E-mail: senator@dorgan.senate.gov
Durbin, Richard - (D - IL) Class II 332 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2152 Web Form: http://durbin.senate.gov/sitepages/contact.htm
Feingold, Russell - (D - WI) Class III 506 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5323 E-mail: russell_feingold@feingold.senate.gov
Feinstein, Dianne - (D - CA) Class I 331 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3841 Web Form: http://feinstein.senate.gov/email.html
Graham, Bob - (D - FL) Class III 524 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3041 Web Form: http://graham.senate.gov/email.html
Harkin, Tom - (D - IA) Class II 731 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3254 Web Form: http://harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
Hollings, Ernest - (D - SC) Class III 125 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-6121 Web Form: http://hollings.senate.gov/email.html
Inouye, Daniel - (D - HI) Class III 722 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3934 Web Form: http://inouye.senate.gov/webform.html
Johnson, Tim - (D - SD) Class II 136 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5842 Web Form: http://johnson.senate.gov/ContactPage/emailform.htm
Kennedy, Edward - (D - MA) Class I 317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4543 Web Form: http://kennedy.senate.gov/contact.html
Kohl, Herb - (D - WI) Class I 330 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5653 Web Form: http://kohl.senate.gov/gen_contact.html
Landrieu, Mary - (D - LA) Class II 724 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5824 Web Form: http://landrieu.senate.gov/webform.html
Lautenberg, Frank - (D - NJ) Class II 324 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3224 Web Form: http://lautenberg.senate.gov/webform.html
Leahy, Patrick - (D - VT) Class III 433 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4242 E-mail: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
Levin, Carl - (D - MI) Class II 269 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-6221 Web Form: http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Lieberman, Joseph - (D - CT) Class I 706 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4041 Web Form: http://lieberman.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm?regarding=issue
Lincoln, Blanche - (D - AR) Class III 355 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4843 Web Form: http://lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html
McCain, John - (R - AZ) Class III 241 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2235 Web Form: http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Contact.Home
Mikulski, Barbara - (D - MD) Class III 709 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4654 Web Form: http://mikulski.senate.gov/mailform.html
Murray, Patty - (D - WA) Class III 173 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2621 Web Form: http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm
Nelson, Bill - (D - FL) Class I 716 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5274 Web Form: http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm#email
Pryor, Mark - (D - AR) Class II 217 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2353 Web Form: http://pryor.senate.gov/email_webform.htm
Reed, Jack - (D - RI) Class II 728 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4642 Web Form: http://reed.senate.gov/form-opinion.htm
Reid, Harry - (D - NV) Class III 528 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3542 Web Form: http://reid.senate.gov/email_form.cfm
Rockefeller, John - (D - WV) Class II 531 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-6472 E-mail: senator@rockefeller.senate.gov
Sarbanes, Paul - (D - MD) Class I 309 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4524 Web Form: http://sarbanes.senate.gov/pages/email.html
Schumer, Charles - (D - NY) Class III 313 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-6542 Web Form: http://schumer.senate.gov/webform.html
Snowe, Olympia - (R - ME) Class I 154 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5344 E-mail: olympia@snowe.senate.gov
Stabenow, Debbie - (D - MI) Class I 702 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4822 Web Form: http://stabenow.senate.gov/email.htm
Sununu, John - (R - NH) Class II 111 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2841 Web Form: http://www.sununu.senate.gov/webform.html
Wyden, Ron - (D - OR) Class III 516 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5244 Web Form: http://wyden.senate.gov/contact.html
Jeffords, James - (I - VT) Class I 413 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5141 Web Form: http://jeffords.senate.gov/contact-form.html

Ding Dong, the FMA is Dead.

The radical right-wing didn't have the votes to pass the Gay Bashing Amendment. Even in a GOP dominated Senate, their efforts to legalize discrimination against gays and lesbians failed.
Now Bush and his evil cronies have to find another way to deflect attention from their failed administration.
I didn't like the Bush administration before this. Now that they've shown themselves to be hate mongers and discriminators, to hell with them.
Dick's lesbian daughter Mary Cheney? To hell with her.
Twins Jenna and Barbara Bush will have a hard time getting by with doing any more tequila body shots off the bare shoulders of lesbians in Austin gay bars.
So much hypocrisy, so little time left for Bush and his gang of hate mongers.

The defeat of the FMA? One more wheel coming off the careening Bush wagon.

A Divider, Not a Uniter

Bush has gone ahead with his plan to urge the legislature to create a constitutional amendment to deny gays and lesbians the right to marry.
He calls it "defense of marriage" and says it's to "protect the sanctity of heterosexual marriage."
He also called legislation designed to hamstring existing environmental protection laws "the Clear Skies Initiative," so we know "defense" and "protection" are code words for something entirely different.
Whatever he calls it, it's a plan that effectively creates an amendment that legalizes discrimination based on sexual orientation.
That's orientation, not choice. If it's a matter of choice, I suggest the male heterosexuals in the Bush administration choose to suck a few dicks, and then explain to us how easy it is to make a choice.
This discriminatory initiative has been used to attract votes and contributions from the extremist, right-wing, hate mongering core of Bush's supporters. It's another fear tactic for which the Bush administration has become famous.
If you are gay or know and care about any gay people, you must take a stand and contact your legislators TODAY and voice your objection to this initiative.
This is ridiculous, it's hateful and it's wrong.
If you allow this to go unchallenged, you have become a part of the problem, not the solution.
Contact your legislators and complain, please.
When the terrorist attacks of 9/11 occurred, Bush said, "you're either for us or against us."
Bush has proven to be against gays and lesbians, against basic human rights and against the rights of homosexual adults to enter into marriage, with all its rights and responsibilities.
He's proven he's against us.
And we must prove that stance will have consequences.
Please comment below and tell us what you've done to help scrap this blatant attempt to discriminate against millions of tax paying Americans. Inspire us.

Kenny Boy and O-Man

Gee, I wonder if Enron's newly indicted Ken Lay might be willing to spill a few beans about his buddy Bush now that the GOP has found it politically expedient to indict him?
And I hear Pakistan has started looking for Osama Bin Laden in earnest, just in time for the conventions. If Bush said Osama was considered "a non-issue" a few weeks ago, are we supposed to be wowed if he's caught just before the election?
When I read the daily headlines online, my CD port is starting to emit a vapor that smells like cow manure. Or as I like to call it, BU__SH__.
Ah, to hell with it. Tonight there's a 400-woman lesbo party here in San Antonio, and I'm blowing off politics for the rest of the weekend. Y'all fill in for me, okay?

What Bullshit!

For the GOP to be whining about John Edwards lacking experience in international relations is beyond absurd. When George W. Bush got handed the presidency, he'd never even been to Europe as a tourist. Hell, he'd never even held a job for more than a few years each.
The GOP's level of venom aimed toward Edwards is a reflection of their level of fear. Apparently they worry that Edwards shines too much when compared with Go Fuck Yourself Dick Cheney.
If the Democrats were wise, they'd ask the American public who'd make a better president, a healthy young man with an appealing personality, or a crusty old fart with a machine regulating his heartbeat.
Seems like an easy choice to me.

testing testing

The Bush Buffet™

Seems like it's getting harder each day to select which area of the Bush administration to write about. With so many fuck-ups to choose from, it's like going to a $2.99 buffet and not finding anything digestible, much less digestible.
As such, I offer the Bush Buffet™.

Lotsa Luck Optimism:
The Bush regime can skew the figures any way they want, but unemployment is still too high and job growth has been too slow. For the first time since 1932, employment in the summer of an election year is lower than it was on the resident's inauguration day.
Refried Troops:
If Bush thinks pressing 5,600 honorably discharged soldiers back into service so they can be deployed to Iraq isn't an indication of poor planning, let him call the families of these retreads and ask their opinions. With more than 5,000 trained soldiers being thrown out of the service for being gay, you think any of the 5,600 recalled former soldiers would mind the queers being reinstated in their place?
Central Park Pork:
New York's GOP Mayor Michael Bloomberg may think he's being cagey by denying protesters the use of Central Park to protest the Bush administration's policies during the Repugnican convention, but when you combine hundreds of thousands of people already fighting mad with inadequate space to vent their spleens, expect an explosion. Bush may have managed to duck protesters and ignore the first amendment for three and a half years, but he never tried to muzzle them in the Big Apple. If you liked the Chicago convention where protesters took center stage and disrupted the entire event, you'll love this one. >KABOOM<
Moore, Moore, Moore:
If Michael Moore can be accused of anything in the making of his movie Fahrenheit 911, it's his use of oversimplification, emotional rabble rousing and sentimental gibberish to incite viewers to his way of thinking. He failed to list the Bush administration in the credits for inspiring his approach to story telling, and they deserved the credit.
Karpinsky Karp:
Former head of the Abu Ghraib prison, Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinsky, has so far been the administration's highest ranking sacrificial scapegoat. Now that she's been suspended from duty pending results of the ongoing investigation, she knows her name is mud and her military career has been ruined. With nothing more to lose, she's gotten in line behind other whistle blowers like the former Secretary of the Treasury, and started to pin the tail on the higher-up jackasses who authorized the use of dogs, sexual degradation and the rest of the creepy abuse we've seen.
How much more mud must Rumsfeld get splashed on his face before people realize he's dirty?
Medicrap:
If anyone who reads this wants to make a case for Bush improving American health care, please do. We can all use a laugh. Don't forget to mention the Medicare RX card Bush palmed off on old folks, that was a classic.
Arroz con Pollo:
As if he's not busy enough, Bush has tinkered with Cuban Americans' ability to visit loved ones in Cuba. The plan cuts visits Cuban-Americans can make to their families in Cuba from one a year to one every three years. It redefines family -- aunts, uncles and cousins no longer count. New limits have no exceptions for visits to a sick or dying relative or to attendance at a funeral.
Meow Mix:
Just in case the Repugnicans think we haven't noticed the infighting and backbiting they are starting to do to one another in the legislature, think again. Just as I predicted, the smart ones are starting to distance themselves from the doomed Bush neo-cons.

Thank You, Jesus!

The New York Post, owned by the same idiots who run FUX NEWS, ran a front page story telling us John Kerry had selected Dick Gephardt as his running mate.
As usual, they were wrong.
Kerry announced today he's selected John Edwards as his running mate.
Yep, he selected sharp, popular, young, vital and articulate John Edwards as our next Vice President.
And Bush has Dick.