LEVY!

Last night on mainstream politics the DUck witnessed another drive-by racism.

Levy walked into the room, said the Word than tried to apologize that he said it.

To this Duck, the Freaks come out at night and so do the Damn Racist!

THE CONSERVATIVE THAT TIME FORGOT

Where wingnuts live

We have a discovered a rare specimen in the room tonight. bosmike is The Conservative That Time Forgot. The rest of us have moved on and know enough to not rehash Repukelican lies. But bosmike, like a jungle-dwelling primate, has chewed up the spin, digested it, crapped a giant steaming pile, and is now busily shoveling handfuls of shit into his mouth, cooing with delight at the pungent taste.

He first got rolled on the issue of abortion. He piously intoned- pardon me, I misspoke. He didn't intone anything, because he's too much of a coward to take the mic and have a real debate. But as he furtively tapped out his message, pausing to cover his mouth and cackle with glee, he laid out his irrefutable argument: Abortion is murder. Fine, I ask him, so do you think we should arrest and jail mothers who have and doctors who perform abortions, bosmike? You're just a bitter atheist, JC! Really? Well, can you answer the question, mike? You're too obtuse and hebetudinous to understand my perspicaciousness, JC! Ok, mike we can see you can use a thesaurus, but can you answer a simple question...?

And so it went. I even challenged him on the mic, but to no avail. Like a tiny lizard, he froze in place, hoping no one would be able to pick him out of the environment. Very sad display, bosmike. But not surprising. Not one to be so easily defeated, though, bosmike waited until he imagined everyone had forgotten how badly he'd performed, and started challenging Nooogie to a debate about either economics or Israel. Naturally, Nooogie was more than happy to debate on mic with this troll. This is always a safe bet, of course, because trolls never defend themselves on mic. bosmike, in this case, made some pathetic excuse about not wanting to make noise in his home office. Sure, bosmike, we believe you. Now, don't let us catch you in another room later, crowing on the mic about how you beat a roomful of libbies on every topic.

Speaking of losing conservative arguments and issues from long ago resurrected from the tarpits, bosmike then started arguing in text that we should have privitized Social Security. He insisted that the Chilean system was a great success, even though we know that both they and the British people are now clamoring to go back to a public pension system because of the pitiful returns under the private regime. bosmike was even so silly as to resurrect the old canard about SS going insolvent in a few years. Hello, Earth to bosmike! That meme was slashed and burned about a year ago. Even if nothing were done, SS would be able to pay 80% of benefits forever. With minor changes, the system would be in perfect shape.

Can you believe we still have wingnuts trying out these old arguments? It's kind of like when I watched all the episodes of Firefly after I saw the movie Serenity. Now I have to wait a bit, until the memory of the episodes fade, before I can watch them again. Don't you have a favorite movie that you love, but you have to let a little time pass before you watch it again? It's like a horror movie, people. Just when you think you've finally offed the psycho killer, he jumps back up to attack again. The same is true of this loser, bosmike. Hopefully, we've jammed the stake in hard enough that he won't be around to bother us for awhile.

Phew, we're finally safe. bosmike is gone for good. Wait, look there! Wasn't that door open before? No, don't creep over there and slowly open the door to see what's behind it? Are you an idiot? We're in a horror movie! Ooooo, that looked like it hurt...

JC

MESSAGE FROM MYSTIC

From our comments:

I feel so grateful that there are so many true, caring people left in this world. I will admit after the death of my son I truly did not think many good people were left. Yes I am Mystic and I want to thank everyone for their support. It's hard to explain the pain one feels when they lose a child, no matter the reason. I rememember watching the news each and everyday while my little boy was there in Iraq. I dreaded checking my email, I cringed whenever I saw Marines in my neighborhood. Everyday I worried this will be the day I lose my son.

Well time drew near for my son to come home and I was getting prepared for his welcome home. My youngest daughter was excited her big brother was going to be home just a few days after her 5th birthday, she refused to have her birthday till her brother was home to celebrate it with her. Well a month before my son was to come home he was told his duty was being entented. (My daughter never did celebrate her 5th birthday. She didn't want to) Well what could I do, how could I get my boy home. Trust me I had many thoughts and wishes to bring him home, but none could be a reality. Well imagine how I felt when I got the call that my son was coming home (that is what was said first) then I was informed that my son, my baby, my first-born and only son was injuried.

He was transported to Germany to a very good and kind staff that did all they could. It took me 3 weeks to save the money for a plane ticket to Germany, three whole long hellish weeks. All I kept getting from the hospital is that he was still in the same condition not worst not better. Well I get to Germany, I had to leave my two daughter back home (one is 18 the other is now 6) I needed to be with my son. I see this man that although he looked a bit as my son something was missing, his spirit was gone. I am one of the lucky ones for I got to talk to my son and hold him, I got to say goodbye and hold his hand as the last breath passed his lips.

My son died and people that have not one friend or family in Iraq dare tell me I am a fool. Dare tell me I'm a traitor for I say the war is wrong. I say that the "war" was based on lies. I get called names , but those that are too blind, ashamed, or just too plain uneducated to know better, call me a traitor. To me a traitor is one that follows blindly, that agrees with whatever they are told and cannot bother to educate themselves, they are the traitors in my eyes. The ones that can sling hurtful remarks to parents, wives, husbands, fathers, and mothers that have lost their loved ones are beyond despicable. For one to closes their eyes and follow without thought, without care are the ones that are allowing our troops to die. It's wrong! The "war" was based on lies, ok let's say it was "bad intel" well now we know it was bad intel why don't we get out. The Iraqi don't wants us there, most Americans don't want us there, why can't we leave? US is the World Power, we are to set examples. Why is the US becoming the world bullies, and more important how can anyone be proud of that?

PLease I implore you all to take some time and educate yourselves on this "war".
Thank you all
Mystic Sea Maiden

MALO AND PHONE SEX!

Today the Duck had a great time listening to the Cindy Sheehan interview.

Afterwards the Duck stuck around to listen to people speak about how great the interview was.

To the Duck's suprise Malo admitted to having phone sex with Bayarea1979 for $350 an hour.

This Duck wouldn't pay $1.99 for gas let alone $350 an hour for phone sex. MALO must be a lonely man. Either that or Bayarea is the "bomb" at talking dirty!

Quack Quack !

REST IN PEACE, BRAVE SOLDIER

Mystic Sea Maiden, a new regular in Mainstream, just told us on mic that her son died recently in Iraq. She was overcome with emotion from the interview with Cindy Sheehan, and was weeping on the mic when she spoke. All of us at The Rattler are so sorry for her loss, and wish her all the best.

Unfortunately, someone in the room is rotting from within. That miserable crone flalady_1, who was bounced shortly after the following, (thank you, abby_1312) is filled with venom and venality. She had this to say:

flalady_1: mystic u r a fool

Now, flalady_1 will probably say she was talking about Myst's support of Cindy, but Mystic was crying terribly over her dead child, and flalady_1, the wretched harpy, stamped on her pain. You should be ashamed of yourself, flalady_1. I hope you have the good sense to stay away from us for a long time, for you are no longer welcome here.

JC

I'M SEMI-FAMOUS

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! I just talked to Cindy Sheehan! I'm never going to wash this ear again. Not that I washed it much to begin with. Ok, I wallow in filth people, give me a break. Karl d-Az, known in the meat world as Karl Leuba, now has an interview show on Stardust Radio, and tonight his guest was the Peace Mom, Cindy Sheehan. And I talked to her! How cool is that.

I asked her about the new ordinances Crawford passed to keep them from protesting at Camp Casey, and she said that they intended to fight those laws as unconstitutional restrictions on free speech. I wish her luck, and hope she doesn't have to get arrested too many times to make it happen. Anyway, I have to go run around flapping my hands like a little schoolgirl from excitement. I may need to lie down later with a cool washcloth over my eyes.

JC

THIS JUST IN FROM WINGNUTTIA

RichardCranial's cerebral cortex, grilled and garnished with oregano

RichardCranial gives us the latest happy talk from the mystical land of Wingnuttia:

RichardCranial: Saddam is gone,there is no civil war, the oil fields were not set on fire, there have been free elections, most of Saddam's clique (including his two sons) are dead or imprisoned,the schools and hospitals are open and functioning,the economy is recovering, there is a free press (with 170 newspapers), democracy is spreading, and the terrorists have failed

If you know anything about RC, you know that this drivel isn't even his own thoughts. Everything RC puts in text he cuts and pastes from some wacked out right wing website like FreeRepublic or WingNutDaily. So we in Mainstream don't even get fresh wingnut. We have to content ourselves with freeze-dried, shrink-wrapped MRE wingnut. Yum, Steakish flavored!

I wonder if RichardCranial cuts and pastes his cybersex as well:

RichardCranial: Hey, baby, are you lo.oking to get yo.urs.elf a lar.ger penis? Do you want to be sa.tisfi.ed by a bi.gger unit? Click Here!
RichardCranial: Two Hot Lesbain Girls Are Looking To Get Wet And Naked With You! And Me Too! Click Here And Enter Your Credit Card Number To Find Out How!
RichardCranial: Dear sexy lady, I am a member of the Nigerian Royal Family looking to get naked and dirty with you. What are you wearing?

Yeeesh. RC cybering. Grossed myself out again.

JC

TO WHOM IT MY CNCEREN

An open letter to the US Army National Guard:

Gentlemen, I write to you today regarding the case of Dandruff_Flake. (aka Tweedle_Dee, aka clubed_seal) My question for you is simple: what kind of organization would stoop to accepting someone like this? Are there even admission standards anymore? Please note the following:

Dandruff_Flake: <--Is this the role model liiberals tell their children to fallow?

Dandruff_Flake: rodney king is a pathectic piece of shitl

Dandruff_Flake: that's yoru king.

Dandruff_Flake: that you pathectically whine about kking and his rights?

Dandruff_Flake: good saddam will be forng

Dandruff_Flake: Because your to scarred.

Dandruff_Flake: scarred to write congressman and senators and govenores.

Dandruff_Flake: How come the politicians arn't trying to get oil from veneswella?

Dandruff_Flake: tho lazy?

Dandruff_Flake: the inshurgency was always their.

Dandruff_Flake: and the ruthless behaviur.

Dandruff_Flake: their her failed.

Dandruff_Flake: inshurgents.

Dandruff_Flake: they have a paralimnt.

Dandruff_Flake: shurly you can tell us the mos.

Dandruff_Flake: army vocational apptitude batery

Dandruff_Flake: and that guy was a lawer.

Dandruff_Flake: maby their under saddmas bed?>

Dandruff_Flake: I'm illeterate

Yes, indeed, he does appear to be illiterate. Is it even possible to assess the aptitude of one who cannot spell, "aptitude battery"? Perhaps simple battery, about the head and shoulders , with a baseball bat would be more appropriate.

Now, far be it from me to criticize a few miskeys that people are likely to make when typing quickly in an email or chat room. But look again at that partial list above. Note the consistency of the errors. "shurly"? "inshurgency"? Who lisps when they type? Is, "pathectic," something that is pitiful but done hurriedly? Are we really at the point where we must rely on someone who cannot even come remotely close to spelling, "veneswella," to defend our nations interests there?

I hope for your sake that the Guard is moving to improve its standards. Before you give this man a gun, please, for pete's sake, make sure he isn't lethal with a pen. Thank you.

JC

TROPHY KILLINGS!

Video of Random Shootings in Iraq
A "trophy" video appearing to
show security guards in Baghdad randomly shooting Iraqi civilians has
sparked
two investigations after it was posted on the internet, the Sunday
Telegraph can
reveal.
The video has sparked concern that private security
companies, which
are not subject to any form of regulation either in Britain
or in Iraq, could be
responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent
Iraqis.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/

CHOOSE YOUR ICE FLOE

The youth of the planet can see what we have done with their inheritance. In a few short years they will be voting and paying taxes, and taxes, and MORE taxes. Hard decisions will be needed about such things as aged care cost efficiency, euthanasia, pensions for non workers, and many other issues that will impact upon the people in power today (we adults) .........How are you feeling? confident that society will reward you for a lifetimes work? good luck.

A PSA FOR WINGNUTS

As usual, the whirling sparks inside my brain tend to toss up strange ideas at odd moments. Naturally, I'm years behind this internet craze, but just as forgetting the name of that one actor in that movie who played the tall guy's father is likely to have you sitting up and yelling, "Oh yeah, it was Judd Hirsch," at 3 AM, so too did the idea for this picture come into my brain unbidden. Don't worry, you should be seeing an, "All your Bush are belong to us," pic here the same day Christocracy declares his atheism on the mic.

Needless to say, I do not posess the required skills to alter a picture of such high comedic value. Granted, I did build my computer, and writing here has made me marginally competent at HTML, but the last time I had to try my hand at Photoshop it was in a college course, and I was far behind the curve, and all the machines were Macs, and for the love of god why can't I Right-Click?! So that went well.

I had to think fast. Who can I find that will change this photo for me, without asking too many questions. Lucky for me, d a r i was more than willing to help, and without a long interrogation. I would hate to have to invoke national security and the USA PATRIOT act just for this, but that's how committed I am to providing you with retro, hackneyed jokes based on tired web crazes. No no, don't thank me. You're worth it.

JC

A DOUBLE STANDARD.....

frank waiting for his turn to speak

Damnit, I can't stand it anymore. I went into Mainstream for like 5 minutes and frank was preaching a sermon. People were putting references from the bible in text, and I hated it. When did an A-rated room turn into a Sunday morning church service, and why was this allowed to happen? For months I began to believe that Mainstream was filled with double standards, but i didnt say anything. Nowadays I see it more than ever. I ask myself, where are the admins? Where is the rulebook? I forgot, there is none.

Let me make one thing clear...this is not Voo's fault nor any of the admins. I blame the people who use up valuable space by going in that room and saying any old bullshit and some of it is just plain stupid or crazy, Yet it goes on. They bitch about Casey coming in with truth, and praise people like frank and Christocracy for their crazy bullshit ideas. They make fun of me because I am telling them about the rise of the youth to set the nation straight, and they downplay it.

In closing, all I am saying is that Mainstream needs to get its head out of its ass and start being what I know it can be....a catalyst of change in this country. That was the vision of the room when it started, now it is a shell of its former self. What a sad day this is for me to be posting about it here.

NAMELESS HORROR

Flalady_1 and the spawn pose for a portrait

I think that might be her cousin, Georgie W. Bush, in the back. It's just spooky how your eye is drawn to flalady's awful hairdo. And what's with that freaking head? She's like one of those big-brain vein-pulsing aliens in Star Trek. Except without the charm or sex appeal.

JC

WHEN DID FRAUD STOP BEING A BIG DEAL?

Halliburton is stealing, and it ain't stealing these

The conversation turned to war profiteering tonight, and the usual suspects had this to say:

ZomoKKK: why shouldnt haliburton ...the best company for the job...rebuild them oil wells???
MrArchieBunker: Clinton gave Hallibuton no bid contracts.................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
MrArchieBunker: Halliburton worked for Clinton in Bosnia, big deal

There was even more, no less sickening, and no more cogent. I do not understand conservatives sometimes. Perjury used to be a big deal, when a Democratic president was suspected of lying. Now that it's Republican officials under the gun, it's no big deal. But when did these avatars of fiscal conservatism decide that defrauding the American taxpayer was irrelevant, as long as it is the Veep's former company? Just look at all the current examples of Halliburton misdeeds:

New Fuel To Halliburton Fraud Fire: But the Houston-based conglomerate once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney is neck-deep in allegations of waste and fraud involving millions of taxpayer dollars, reports CBS News Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.

The U.S. Army is threatening to partially withhold payments to Halliburton for the logistical support the company provides for troops in Iraq. The reason: allegations of millions of dollars in over-charges for food, shelter and services.

"There was no regard for spending limits," says former employee Marie DeYoung.

Some of the most compelling accusations come from people like DeYoung, who worked for Halliburton subsidiary KBR.

She recently told Congress that while troops rough it in tents, hundreds of preferred Halliburton KBR employees reside in five-star hotels like the Kempinski in Kuwait with fruit baskets and pressed laundry delivered daily.

"It costs $110 to house one KBR employee per day at the Kempinski, while it costs the Army $1.39 per day to bunk a soldier in a leased tent," DeYoung said.

"The military requested that Halliburton move into tents, but Halliburton refused."

Documents obtained by CBS News show an auditor repeatedly flagged improper fees for soldiers' laundry. At one site, taxpayers reportedly paid $100 for each 15-pound load of wash - $1 million a month in overcharges.

Halliburton insists it doesn't waste money, it saves it. But overcharging is the subject of one federal investigation and there are separate probes for alleged bribery and kickbacks.

Several of those allegations have resulted on the Pentagon citing Halliburton subsidiaries for fraud. Or how about this story?

Halliburton exec on fraud charges: A former employee of a Halliburton subsidiary has been indicted on charges of defrauding the US military of more than $3.5m for fuel in Iraq.

Jeff Alex Mazon, 36, an ex-procurement manager for Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR), is due to appear in a federal court in Atlanta on 10 counts of fraud.

Kuwaiti businessman Ali Hijazi has also been indicted on the same charges.

Halliburton, once run by Vice-President Dick Cheney, is under renewed pressure over its work for the Pentagon in Iraq.

An audit report investigating $108m-worth of questionable fuel delivery costs in Iraq was released on Monday by Congressional Democrats critical of Halliburton's work in Iraq.

Mr Mazon, of Georgia, and Mr Hijazi are accused of defrauding the US government of more than $3.5m by devising a scheme to overcharge the military for fuel.

It is alleged Mr Mazon, while working in Kuwait between December 2002 and June 2003, inflated a bid by Mr Hijazi's LaNouvelle General Trading and Contract Company for a subcontract to store fuel and other operations.

He also inflated a rival Kuwaiti company's competing bid, but made sure LaNouvelle's bid was the lower of the two, the indictment alleged.

Critical report

They are both charged with four counts of fraud against the US and six counts of wire fraud.

Mr Hijazi, who is not a US citizen, has not been arrested, the Justice Department said.

Halliburton said, in a comment on the indictments, that its own internal auditors suspected wrongdoing more than a year ago and immediately reported it to the US government.

"They key issue here is self-disclosure and self-reporting," said spokeswoman Wendy Hall by email, Reuters news agency reported.

A Defense Contract Audit Agency report, released on Monday, criticised KBR for failing to provide clear records of its costs.

It was examining more than $108m (£56m) of a contract extension which was worth $875m.

The Pentagon said on Tuesday military auditors still had "major" unresolved issues with Halliburton, Reuters reported.

It is just unbelievable the lengths so-called conservatives will go to hide from reality. This is a company that is engaging in active fraud on an ongoing basis, and yet these spineless cons merely yawn. Hey, fellas, it's your money too, you know. When are you going to grow some fucking balls and take the leash off? There was a time when these morons were salivating at every bogus revelation Ken Starr fed them. Ohhh, Rose Law Firm! Oooo, FBI files! Ahhh, land deal fraud! And none of that bullshit turned out to be real. No one was charged, no one was even really accused of anything. But these empty-headed zombies munched on that garbage like fresh brains tartar. You would think when we see actual, documented fraud, it would spark at least a glimmer of interest in those dull cow eyes. I bet if that felonious exec had been blowing Karl Rove while he stole your money, you'd care. Nah, you'd just be strapping on your kneepads and getting in line.

JC

ISAIAH T-SHIRTS

The Rattler is selling these T shirts

SLAMMER!*

Today this Duck was on Paltalk today and he bumped into the biggest Neo-comic on Paltalk, Slammer18.

Slammer admitted to once living in Section 8 housing and vowed that he would move back in a heart beat, only if, the "Brothers" let him.

Its no wonder he was kicked out and now living with his mother.

Anyways the Duck while doing some research found a picture of Slammer's old house.

Quack Quack!

GETS YOU RIGHT IN THE SUB-COCKLES REGION

They're always after me Lucky- wait, wrong country and wrong cartoon...

Just saw this heartwarming text from drclean:

drclean: when you give someone a house that they have not worked for,,they dont value it as a person that has worked for it and paid for it himself.

Oh, doesn't that just make you tear up? I'm about ready to start bawling here. This asswipe cares so much about the young divorced mother of two who has a crappy minimum wage job and no prospects and nowhere to live, that he wants to make sure she really values her home. Oh yes, by all means, the primary concern here should be how much guilt we can extract, and how we can teach people important life lessons. That this woman and her kids end up living out of a late model hatchback, catching school on random days, living on the edge of crisis when one of the kids gets the sniffles, (oh god, please let it just be the sniffles) none of that matters to kindly old drclean. He'll toss you a buck, but only if you grovel for it first.

Where was this loser when we were all learning inportant ethical lessons from cartoons? I distinctly remember watching a Ducktales on just this topic. Scrooge McDuck was ranting about his lucky dime, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie were barely able to keep out of his way. And then Flintheart Glomgold, Scrooge's archnemesis, would crash through the roof of the mansion on some death-robot he'd had built, and steal all the money-and the lucky dime! So they'd grab Uncle Donald, and go on a globe-trotting adventure, where they'd beat old Flintheart, rescue the money, and Scrooge would learn that the true meaning of happiness isn't money, it's the love of your family. Dammit, drclean, don't be a Flintheart, be a Scrooge!

JC

I'M A METHOD ACTOR

You know what I love? The Socratic Method. And Pop Tarts. But mostly, the Socratic Method. It's just hilarious that the main reason the great men of Athens were angry at Socrates was because he made them look like fools by skillfully filleting them with simple questions. It must have infuriated them that it would seem like he didn't know something, because he'd constantly ask questions about it, and yet it was obvious that he knew exactly where his questions would lead.

Consider his dialogue with Euthyphro. Euthyphro had turned in his own father to authorities for a murder of dubious morality. The murder could actually be considered self defense. Euthyphro, though, was justifying his actions as righteous in the eyes of the gods. Now, we all know that Socrates could clearly see the problems in that argument, and it would have taken all of 5 minutes to explain that we can't be certain what is just, and whether it is just because gods love it, or just in it's own right. But did Socrates bring out the rhetorical bazooka and blast Euthyphro? Nope, not Socrates. By pretending to be ignorant on the subject, Socrates used leading questioning to bring Euthyphro, and us, to greater understanding of justice. In most cases, the journey can be more enlightening than the destination. What must have seemed like ignorance to Euthryphro was simply a ruse. What's most amusing is that in many of the dialogues the author, Plato, even acknowledges this deception by having characters accuse Socrates of either deliberate or actual ignorance. Pretty funny, huh?

JC

TWILIGHT ZONE

It's been a strange couple of days, hasn't it? While we were all celebrating Thanksgiving, the Bush administration has been head-faking and flip-flopping on this troop withdrawal. First, John Murtha is a coward for suggesting we leave Iraq. Then the prez and veep say it's perfectly all right to dissent. I'll bet their internal polling told them calling a 37 year Marine vet a coward wasn't going over well in the flyover states. And now, the Pentagon is publicizing a new plan to draw down troops. Talk about mixed messages. This just shows you how weak and disoriented the Bushies are now that Fitz is crawling around up Rove's ass with a torch and machete.

Congressional Repubs can't be happy that the flipping of Michael Scanlon has brought new suspicion on Bob Ney and Tom DeLay. What's that, Brutie? DeLay's getting off? Yeah, the only thing he'll be getting off is the gray bus at the prison gates. Listen, Tom, you'd better either shank someone the first day or you'll be a bitch by light out. You should be used to it, it's just like being in power, except now it's you who's going to get fucked.

JC

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

Ok, I was afraid of posting this but after reading some comments about the youth not caring about America, I decided to write this post to clear up that lie.

There is a movement going on in this country to take it back and give it to those it belongs to..the people of america, not Corporate America. Right now there is an underground movement made up for those under 40 to rise up and make its voice known. That's right, the youth of America is waking up to the lies and the dumbing down that is turning a lot of the population's brain to mush. We see it everyday. We are targeted by it. We are told to shut up and accept it. Well, I call BULLSHIT on that. We won't shut up , we won't accept it and we are fighting back. So, start watching the colleges and coffeehouses, folks, because pretty soon there will be songs of protest again, there will be rallies calling for a voice. There will be marches down main street USA and nothing is going to stop us.

So, to the youth i say this, put down the playstation, turn off MTV and look around to see what we have to pay for to fix in 10-20 years and let your voice be heard now!

SHHH, DON'T WAKE THE BABY

Uh oh, someone stole yukondon's binky...

What is it about chat rooms that turns otherwise normal adults into screaming, bratty children?

yukondon: Saint Casey of NY: yukon YOU dont impress me, ASSHOLE
yukondon: Saint Casey of NY: yukon YOU dont impress me, ASSHOLE
yukondon: Saint Casey of NY: yukon YOU dont impress me, ASSHOLE
yukondon: Saint Casey of NY: yukon YOU dont impress me, ASSHOLE
yukondon: Saint Casey of NY: yukon YOU dont impress me, ASSHOLE
yukondon: What is Casey talking about LOL
yukondon: CASEY, has to revert to NAME CALLING like the NEOCONS
yukondon: CASEY, has to revert to NAME CALLING like the NEOCONS
yukondon: CASEY, has to revert to NAME CALLING like the NEOCONS
yukondon: CASEY, has to revert to NAME CALLING like the NEOCONS
yukondon: CASEY, has to revert to NAME CALLING like the NEOCONS
yukondon: CASEY, has to revert to NAME CALLING like the NEOCONS
yukondon: CASEY, has to revert to NAME CALLING like the NEOCONS
yukondon: CASEY, has to revert to NAME CALLING like the NEOCONS
yukondon: CASEY, has to revert to NAME CALLING like the NEOCONS

Every single time something he doesn't like gets posted, this tool has to paste it a thousand times, just in case teacher didn't see the other kid steal his ball. I swear, I've worked with mostly nonverbal 2 year olds who show more maturity and character than this buffoon. Have you ever noticed that when yukondon wants to make a point, like "The deficit is growing and growing..." he will repeat the word "growing," literally, I kid you not, 50 times. Fifty fucking times he will yell into his overloaded mic, over and over, until you just want to jab a pencil in his eye just so he will SHUT THE FUCK UP and make a goddamn point.

And does he ever get around to making that point? The other day, he was telling us, again repeating himself like a mynah bird on methamphetamines, that 10 times as many Palestinians die as Israelis. This, of course, is true. But yukon, I ask, does the death toll alone tell you who is right and who is wrong? Don't you need to know more about a situation, like what started it, and what the state of affairs are, before you can assign blame? Immediately, he starts wailing like I stomped on his Lincoln Log house. "You're minimizing death, JC, you're a racist!" he declares like the bloated Queen in Alice in Wonderland. Then he says I'm putting words in his mouth. He never meant to say the Israelis were more to blame, he only wanted to point out the suffering. Alone. Without any other point. Just the suffering.

Gee, thanks don, thanks for the info. More Palestinians dying than Israelis. Yep, we all know that. It's like telling me that 10 apples are more than 1 apple. Ok, got it, 10 > 1. Thanks for the update. Why are you trying to backpedal, don? It was obvious from what you said that you were trying to impute blame merely from the death toll. You only made up this stupid story because you looked foolish. Is this the incisive mind you use to divine the future of the economy? Remind me never to invest money with you, ok?

JC

MEET THE HONEST RECRUITER

Fall 2005
Dear Parents,
Not so long ago, joining the military was a way out and a way up for lots of young Americans. It helped them grow up, get a start in life, maybe learn a skill, defend their country, and be part of a noble cause.
If you have kids today, recruiters will be around to see them. Maybe we already have, telling that familiar story.
But today, less and less of it is true. I hate to say it, but that's the fact.
For one thing, where's the noble cause? Let's face it: the latest war was based on lies. Too many troops there don't even have the armor they need. The top US leaders are now trying to justify torture, and ignoring the Geneva convention. Terror fears are up, not down.
Meantime, the dangers keep increasing. The war's official death toll is bad enough, and it's shameful the way high officials try to hide all those caskets coming home.
But it's more than that: for every dead soldier, up to ten are badly wounded. And lots more suffer serious psychological damage: PTSD, Gulf War Syndrome and more. Deployments are longer and tougher. Stop-loss keeps thousands of troops in the military long past their release dates. Naturally, all this is very tough on families - domestic abuse is much higher.
And what about all those benefits? Enlistment bonuses are up, but overall benefits are down, especially for those who get wounded or suffer PTSD. Besides, military job training really doesn't help all that much in civilian life. And veterans benefits? They can't cut them fast enough.
The word about all this is spreading, so recruiting is getting harder. As it does -- I hate to say it, but more recruiters are telling more and more, well, lies. It makes me ashamed, but the reports keep piling up. It got so bad by May of 2005 that we had a total recruiter stand down to spend a whole day studying recruitment rules. Didn't make much difference, though.
As a parent, what can YOU do about this?
A lot, actually. If your child is in high school, tell the school NOT to send their information to recruiters. (A word to the wise, though: the military will still get the information. But the schools need to hear from you anyway.)
Then, if your child is underage, you can say NO to recruiters. And even afterward, talk to your kids: Get my special guide to the enlistment contract (the link is below), and show them all the pitfalls. Urge them to go to college, trade school, start a business. They can have peaceful adventures, or do volunteer work to learn how to serve their country and the world.
If they sign up for the Delayed Enlistment Program and then change their mind, you can show them how to get out - it's easy. And if they do enlist and then regret it, remember this number, for the GI Rights Hotline: 1.800.394.9544.
So there's a lot you can do. But still, I know, it's tough to be a parent in a time of war. Where will it all end? More wars? The draft? Who can say? It's not a pretty picture.
I know this is a lot to think about. I think about it every day.
But you know what I think is most important? That you take good care of your kids.
Because we sure won't.
Sincerely,Sgt. Abethe Honest RecruiterP. S. Get more Truth in Recruiting information online here.

KEEP DIGGING

Our favorite cretinous wingnut, nellyandlynn, hits us with his core philosophy:

nellyandlynn: ALL CONSERVATIVES love our Country whether it is a Republican or Democratic running it, we dont' bash the hell out of our President like Liberals do\

It's breathtaking, isn't it? It's like the Grand Canyon of stupidity. If a giant rode a donkey to the bottom of his own Grand Canyon, and stuck his pinkie finger in the ground, and that was our Grand Canyon, that giant still wouldn't be in a hole deep enough or wide enough to hold the monumental idiocy of that statement.

You bastards paid a hack lawyer 60 million dollars to dig up dirt on a popular president, and when he couldn't find any real crimes, he jimmied up a perjury trap for an impeachment that you still ended up losing. I hear wacky wingnuts extolling the virtues of Joe McCarthy and Japanese internment. You people justify torture, for pete's sake. You don't love this country, you only love power, and what you can do with it. America is great because of its diversity, and you only want to be in charge so you can squeeze the liberty juice out of the orange. Conservatives want what's best for America, as long as everyone does exactly what they want, and no one is allowed to choose differently.

Al Franken had a very wise idea about love of country. Conservatives, he said, love America as a child loves his mother. Fiercely, but without rationality. If anybody attacks mommy, the claws come out. Mommy can do no wrong. Liberals love our country as adults love each other. Bound by bands of steel, but still able to see flaws. We love our country, and because we do, we want her to be the best she can be. A conservative will never be able to see when his country heads off a cliff. A liberal works to bring his nation back to the right path. Remember, the saying isn't just, "America, right or wrong." The full saying ends with, "When right, to be kept right, when wrong, to be set right." Learn it, live it, love it, conservatives. You won't be fucking up my country for very much longer.

JC

TITLE NOT NECESSARY

POOR ARCHIE'S ALMANAC

If I had a nickel for every time a wingnut lied...

Ok, what's the deal with this?

MrArchieBunker: Poor Fonsie
MrArchieBunker: Poor Claus
MrArchieBunker: Poor Fonsie
MrArchieBunker: Poor Karl

My first name isn't "Poor." Is this some kind of verbal tic? Or an appellation of respect, like "Don," before names in Latin America? It's all well and good for Arch to pity us so much, but it can't be healthy for him to be so empathetic, can it? Everything is "poor," this and "poor," that. Damn, find a new word, Arch, the wheels are coming off of that one.

I know, I'll get to work right away on Poor Claus' Almanac. Now, to think of some witty aphorisms for my book. Hmm...Uhhhh...errrrr...dammit, thinking up aphorisms is hard. Ok, I got one: "Argue not with wingnuts, for life is short enough, and the bounty of their idiocy is unlimited." I like it. Ben Franklin wrote a lot of aphorisms about not wasting time, and what could be more of a time waster than trying to explain reality to a wingnut?

JC

ANYBODY WANT A PEANUT?

Bush lied? INCONCEIVABLE!

We're tryng a little tough love for the PT wingnuts tonight. I read from a post I originally found on Hullabaloo by tristero. He correctly noted that a wingnut's faith in Bush is based on an emotional ego attachment, and that wingnuts xlearly know that Bush lied about Iraq. Their egos just can't take the blow of admitting it. So tristero recommends simply repeating the message, as follows:

Brutelogic: papa.......youre out of material........ty
Jesus Claus: The president is a liar.
KARL d-Az: Brute BUSH LIED . . . . FACT
tucherb: bush/ president lied
Brutelogic: ?
Brutelogic: lol
KARL d-Az: Brute BUSH LIED . . . . FACT
CooolAndy: So if he stole the election that would mean the president is a liar
nellyandlynn: President Bush Might be a Liar, But I know for SUREEEEEEEEEEEEEE...WALKSTHEDESERT ...ISSSSSSSSSSSSSS A LIAR
KARL d-Az: Brute BUSH LIED . . . . FACT
Jesus Claus: The president is a liar.
Brutelogic: NONE
KARL d-Az: BUSH LIED . . . . FACT
dennis the menace_1: Wrong, Brute, BUSH LIED . . . . FACT
tucherb: bush/ president, of the united states of america LIED
Brutelogic: google?
Brutelogic: lol
KARL d-Az: Brute BUSH LIED . . . . FACT
KARL d-Az: Brute BUSH LIED . . . . FACT
Brutelogic: lol
CooolAndy: Brute have you ever thought that maybe the president is a liar
Brutelogic: andy.......dont see the evidence
KARL d-Az: Brute BUSH LIED . . . . FACT
dennis the menace_1: Wrong, Brute, BUSH LIED . . . . FACT
Brutelogic: Karl.......wont work here......... OPINION
KARL d-Az: Brute BUSH LIED . . . . FACT
dennis the menace_1: Wrong, Brute, BUSH LIED . . . . FACT

Now, you may well think this has about as much chance of success as drilling through a 3 foot lead wall with a Cheeto. And you may well be right. But maybe this, like the steady drip of water torture against the forehead, maybe we can fracture the brain inside. Brute may be left a gibbering lunatic, and that would violate every tenet of psychological testing protocols as laid out by Institutional Review Boards, but that is a chance I'm willing to take. And he'd still be making more sense than Bush.

Ok, the loon just took the mic, and ere are his arguments: 1. Hillary and Bill CLinton wanted to pass a health care plan, but it was blocked by Congress, therefore they lied about wanting a health care plan. (?) 2. If Bush is a liar, why isn't he up on impeachment charges? (um...because the House is controlled by his party) Where do you go to get arguments this puerile? This is the debate equivalent of a monkey flinging his poo at you. The monkey's happy, you're sad and bemused, and the poo is having the time of it's life. You should try it. Have someone pick you up and throw you. Or, using empty paper towel rolls and duct tape, construct a 50 foot catapult. I'll wait. What did I tell you? Being flung is fun. You're welcome.

Northland has it 100% right:

Northland _: <--- No longer discuss the reasons for the war.... I feel stupid even debate it

Damn straight. Never debate with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. Karl is laying out the entire sordid story of the yellowcake affair. Brutelogic is still trying to convince us that Joe Wilson lied. Interesting. At least Brute can comprehend the concept of lying. I was beginning to wonder if this was simply a failure of language to convey meaning. Every time Karl lays out yet another example of Bush saying something that contradicts reality, Brute says "Nuh uh, that isn't a lie." I was starting to feel like Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride. "Brute, you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

JC

I KNEW YOU'D COME AROUND, AMERICA

Take a look at this new map of the United States posted over at the Daily Kos. They colored the states as darker shades of blue the lower Bush's approval ratings are. Except for two states in the midwest, it's as blue as Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka after eating the Blueberry Bubblegum. Way to go, America. You're finally figuring it out. We love chimps when they star in cute parodies of Get Smart like Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp, but they shouldn't be in charge of the country.

JC

UPDATE: I'm told by our crack research staff that it wasn't Veruca Salt who turned into a blueberry, but rather Violet Beauregarde. My apologies. As penance, I will be tied to a torture wheel and whipped repeatedly by Oompa Loompas in bondage gear. Mmmmm...penance...

WISDOMS X BAND

Hey man, we wit yo! Yo heah mofo? ...... Wisdom we feel your pain, but MAN! we would love to hear a different tune from time to time. If we heard your views on ANY other topic, we would understand you more. In case you hadn't noticed, the greatest deterrent to bigotry and racism is UNDERSTANDING. How can we understand you if you have just one topic? I applaud the mainstream room for its complete disdain for bigotry and racism. OK, now a group hug!

WOW

Hey, I just found a great website. Go to www.pandora.com. Its a new gadget from the Music Genome Project. All you have to do is enter the name of a favorite song or artist, and it analyzes the traits of the music and starts spitting out songs similar in style to your favorites. You can even shape the output by giving a thumbs up or down to the music it selects for you. If you're like me, you often listen to the radio, hear a song you like, and wish you could remember it for later, or find music like it. Well, now you can, Delilah! And if you're an Insufferable Music Snob like Amanda over at Pandagon, and you always know just exactly what music you like, well, you can go fuck yourself.*

JC

*Mr. Cheney

Happy Turkey Day

To all of our fine readers of the Rattler and their familes:
I wish you all a happy thanks giving filled with love, joy and plenty of food and football. Lets us take a monent to remeber to count our blessings.
Zombiemaster aka Kenny

CREDIBILITY GAP

MARCH 2003 "The BBC's Andrew Harding with UK troops near Basra says he was told of a group of Iraqi soldiers repeatedly trying to surrender but being prevented from doing so by commanders. A white flag of surrender was raised up to four times by the force of around 300 soldiers, he was told, adding to a British belief that Iraqi conscripts want to give themselves up but are being forced to fight." Returning soldiers reveal that a "take no prisoners" culture arose, shedding doubt on the explanation above. As we discovered, torture is systemic, perhaps we also shoot surrendering enemy? The questions need to be asked, and the answers need to be forthcoming, no matter how unpalatable the truth. If we don't pursue justice for all, we have justice for none. http://http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2897117.stm

VIRGINIA DROPPED OUT?

Poster child for Phoenix University, Virginia_1776

The Duck just came back from a Las Vegas vacation. While there, the Duck saw Hookers, Pimps and Drag Queens.

Logging back on to Paltalk it was no different.

TheDrag queens were around trying to make a buck (Virginia_1776). The Pimps were pumping up BUSH (Vic_Ferrari). And the hookers, were well...being hookers. (Jeseado)

Virginia, the Phoenix University drop out, was in full force today on paltalk. Rattlering about nothing and trying to argue about nothing.

With this Duck, she has lost all credibility when she claimed she graduated from Phoenix University. With some internet research and skill, we came up with that she was a drop out.

Quack Quack!

FACE THE FACTOIDS

anonymous (from "PROPAGANDA, NOT POLICY") waiting with bated breath for my reply. I'm glad you saw Rumsfelds quote on "MANAGING THE NEWS" within this blog. It's obvious from your comment that you are one of those who choose to swallow the whole package of propaganda. My theory is that some of you NeoCons CHOOSE to believe the lies, just so you can sleep at night. Of course, that supposes that you have some shred of decency left.

IT'S TIME TO GO

The Brutelogic no one knows...

The Guardian reports that Iraq's interim government has asked the US to enact a timetable for troop withdrawal:

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Leaders of Iraq's sharply divided Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis called Monday for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces in the country and said Iraq's opposition had a ``legitimate right'' of resistance.

The final communique, hammered out at the end of three days of negotiations at a preparatory reconciliation conference under the auspices of the Arab League, condemned terrorism, but was a clear acknowledgment of the Sunni position that insurgents should not be labeled as terrorists if their operations do not target innocent civilians or institutions designed to provide for the welfare of Iraqi citizens.

The participants in Cairo agreed on ``calling for the withdrawal of foreign troops according to a timetable, through putting in place an immediate national program to rebuild the armed forces ... control the borders and the security situation'' and end terror attacks.

I wonder if Buttlogic will stop calling John Murtha "Bertha," now that Murtha, the American people, and the Iraqi government are all on the same page. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be so completely in the tank for Bush. Does Brutie have a little shrine in his bedroom, with pictures of Bush in a giant collage, and little construction paper hearts glued around the dozens of tiny Bush heads? Maybe he bought a lock of Dubya's hair on EBay, and now he dresses up in ladies officewear pretending to be Harriet Miers. "Oh, Mr. President, you want me to be on the Supreme Court?" he coos as he clips on a dangly earring and smooths out his blouse in the mirror. "Would you fuck me, Mr. President? I'd fuck me. I'd fuck me hard." Yeesh, now I weirded myself out.

And this is even better news:

In Egypt, the final communique's attempt to define terrorism omitted any reference to attacks against U.S. or Iraqi forces. Delegates from across the political and religious spectrum said the omission was intentional. They spoke anonymously, saying they feared retribution.

``Though resistance is a legitimate right for all people, terrorism does not represent resistance. Therefore, we condemn terrorism and acts of violence, killing and kidnapping targeting Iraqi citizens and humanitarian, civil, government institutions, national resources and houses of worships,'' the document said.

The final communique also stressed participants' commitment to Iraq's unity and called for the release of all ``innocent detainees'' who have not been convicted by courts. It asked that allegations of torture against prisoners be investigated and those responsible be held accountable.

The statement also demanded ``an immediate end to arbitrary raids and arrests without a documented judicial order.''

That's right, the Iraqi government is fully in support of insurgents killing Coalition troops, and they don't consider that terrorism. Hearts and minds, people, hearts and minds...

JC

THE COMMON WELFARE

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Everyone will instantly recognize the above as the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America. But I wanted to focus specifically on one part of it, the bolded section, which sets out a broad task for our government: to ensure that everyone in society is afforded a good life, and that no one is shut out of society and left to starve or suffer. For most of us, it isn't hard to see that the government will have to often be proactive in protecting those things held in common to all citizens, like the environment, critical infrastructure, etc, and will have the affirmative responsibility to provide for those things no person can do without, like health care, subsistence food and shelter, etc.

There are those in PT, though, who have a somewhat bizarre idea of what the government should do, and what responsibilities citizens have to each other. MosesKnows, for instance, seems obsessed with the idea that America is built on the principle of each man receiving the fruits of his labor. That is fine as far as it goes, but MK is concerned with how some of the poorest citizens may be "sponging" off the rest of us, but he virtually never mentions the ways that the very wealthy and corporations take from the system in excess of their due. Where did the idea come from that a farmer who works all year for a harvest to feed his family is the equivalent of a CEO who does relatively little, may in fact harm others, and yet receives payment far in excess of his value? How does it follow that free enterprise means allowing corporations to use their wealth to improperly influence government, and, as is the case now, to insert their representatives into the very positions that regulate their industry, or have prewritten legislation friendly to their interests passed by corrupt politicians? How can MK justify such enormous violations of the common welfare at the top, while sniffing the ground intently for any sign of sloth at the bottom?

RichardCranial also joins such arguments, and his principal weapon is the relative percentages each group in society pays in taxes. Nowhere in his careful parsing of the numbers is there a recognition that our tax system is designed to be progressive. A person making $20,000 should pay a lower percentage than one making $200,000. This is simple common sense. Fifteen percent of $20,000 may well be fair at that level of taxable income, leaving $17,000 to live on. When you make $200,000, even 30% taxation leaves you with $140,000. I'm not weeping inconsolably for the wealthy.

As our society allows you to make more money, you should rightly contribute a higher percentage to the common good. Remember this when you argue with MK or Rich. They truly think that the government should simply allow people to starve if they cannot provide for themselves. If private giving is not adequate, as it inevitably is not, MK and Rich think that the CEOs and the wealthy should keep far more of their income than they do, and let the poor starve. I know that most Americans don't feel this way. We think that the government should tax the wealthy fairly, and provide for the common welfare, be it in food, shelter, health care, or other simple amenities. Other industrialized nations provide health care for all citizens, at less cost, with better outcomes. MK and Rich will try and pretend that the poor will be extravagant, and that we cannot determine an appropriate level of subsistence, so why bother trying? I never hear them suggest limits on the upper boundary of income, though. I think you know that it is eminently possible to provide basic care for the poor, and that we should do so nonjudgementally. That's what it means to be an American.

JC

MORE BLOODLETTING

The last thing a Republican criminal sees...

Oooo, the gladiatorial combat surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff just gave us another lopped-off head. Via TPM:

...today Michael Scanlon, Jack Abramoff's partner in much of the Indian gambling-congressional cash-n-carry hijinks you've been hearing about, pled guilty to bribe a congressman and other public officials. He agreed to pay back $19 million to Indian tribes he and Abramoff defrauded. He was also sentenced to 51 to 63 months in federal prison.

However, that sentence was immediately suspended. And it will be reduced if Scanlon continues to cooperate with federal prosecutors.

The first thing to note is the political and legal fate of Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH). A few days ago a fellow blogger sent me a post in which he incorrectly stated that Ney was not running for reelection. I pointed out the error -- he'd confused him with retiring Ohio Rep. Mike Oxley (R). But I told him not to feel bad since he was right. Ney is retiring too; he just doesn't know it yet.

Which brings us back to Scanlon's plea. In their charge against Scanlon, federal prosecutors assert that Scanlon and Abramoff offered and Ney accepted numerous bribes for various official acts. (He's referenced as 'Legislator #1'; but it's Ney.) By pleading guilty, Scanlon of course agrees that that is true. And he will testify to that effect.

The dominos are starting to fall. Can't wait for Brute, Arch and MK to traipse into the room and get all pouty about "innocent until proven guilty," something that never concerned them when it was Dems in the hotseat. Well, now we got one, guys, and he's pled guilty. He did it. And by "it", we mean "conspiring with Abramoff to bribe Republican congressman." And that's a crime. Just so you know. Your memories seem kind of selective.

JC

WISH I HAD ME SOME FROU-FROU FRILLY SLEEVES

From our neighborhood Protector of the Republic^TM we get the following:

MosesKnows: i don't know if kerry is a coward, although on reflection he does seem a coward, but he clearly was a liberal who wants america to become a democracy.

When I hear this nonsense from MK, I imagine him back in colonial times, sitting in an ornate rocking chair at his writing desk, quilled pen in one hand, and the breast of his teenage colored maid in the other. She's in his lap with her top pulled down, as he tries to write a letter without her tumbling onto the floor. "My dear TJ," he writes, "we simply must be extra specially certain not to allow any of the riff-raff, like shipwrights, farmers, and, dare I say it, blacksmiths, the vote. It simply wouldn't do for just any old person, or, god forbid, a woman to choose leaders. No, no, it is obviously just and right that only men such as you or I make those decisions. Trust a woman to vote? Ha, I'd sooner marry a negro. Your dear friend, MosesKnows." He'd seal up the letter, and toss it to his houseboy to deliver. Then he'd heave a sigh, knowing that the letter wouldn't reach TJ for months. If only they'd invent a topless-colored-girl-to-topless-colored-girl Email system...

Seriously, you always hear from the Superpatriots^TM that America is so much better because we aren't a democracy. Of course, what they mean is that our Founding Fathers were right to limit the vote to landed white men, and all the advances in the interim, like the 14th Amednment, the Civil Rights Act, etc, have all sent this country down the crapper because now all the wretched scum can vote. I don't think most people are pining for a government based in wealth and priviledge. Oh wait, that's what we have now...

MK seems to be playing on a gameboard no one else can see. I imagine him locked up in a 10 by 10 cell. The doctors will only give him blocks to play with now, because whenever they give him something sharp, he cuts himself and writes, "All democracy and no republic makes MosesKnows a dull boy," on the walls in blood over and over and over...

THE ECONOMY IS GREAT?

(flalady and her new husband driller in matching halloween costumes? serving customers at their newly opened dollar store)

Today I got a job ,decent pay, full time 40 hours a week with a great health insurance plan at an affordable cost , this I am glad about, very glad and extremely grateful. What disturbs this pissed off American greatly about it is this ....................The job is at a dollar store.
In my area of the country dollar stores and low cost general stores are the fastest growing business BECAUSE VERY FEW CAN AFFORD TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE TO GET WHAT THEY NEED! With the expected loss of another 30,000 jobs from GM how many more of these below walmart cost havens for the newly poor and unemployed are going to show up nationwide? And how many of their employees are going to be as lucky as I am and the other people I will be working with to be employed by a retired physician with a great understanding for the need of making health care and full time employment available to the community? Sadly and most likely not many.

PROPAGANDA, NOT POLICY

Via AMERICAblog, this comes from Newsweek. Earlier in the day, a neocon in Mainstream challeneged me on my claims that the Bush White House is constantly obsessing about image and PR, rather than sound policy:

As Congress fled the capital for Thanksgiving, and Bush made his way back from a trip to Asia, White House aides were studying the political videotapes to see where they had lost control of events. Among those at fault, they decided, was GOP Sen. Bill Frist, outmaneuvered early this month by the Democrats' Harry Reid, who used a parliamentary trick to force the Senate into a secret session and demand answers on WMD issues. But White House aides concede that they, too, were at fault for having assumed that Bush was personally unassailable and that events—and explanations of them—would take care of themselves. A war-room defense was "something we did well during the campaign," said Nicolle Wallace, Bush's communications director. "Maybe incorrectly, we had hoped or presumed that wouldn't be necessary after the election."

It is. The war room now is back, staffed with many of the same people who ran it in 2004, led by the Boy Genius himself, Karl Rove. To answer the charges that Bush "deliberately misled" the country on WMD, the White House is arguing that most Democrats—and most U.N. officials and European intelligence agencies—thought Saddam had WMD, too. Bush aides argue that Democrats saw the same intel and came to the same conclusions Bush did (an assertion Democrats hotly dispute). "We recognized that we can't communicate our message effectively until we deal with this," said a top White House aide.

This is the level the White House is working on. Busy little bees buzz around, looking for the right opposition research smears or public statements that can restore the image of the Bush team in the eyes of the public. Only about 1/3 of Americans still think Bush is doing a good job, they don't trust him as a person, and don't trust his decisions on Iraq and terrorism. So, what does the "war room" under Rove focus on? Coming up with a new strategy to win in Iraq? Hell no. Like Brute, Archie, and StinkingWind, they are looking for new ways to viciously savage critics like John Murtha. Shameful, just shameful.

JC

WILLFUL BLINDNESS IN THE FIRST DEGREE

The Liar-in-Chief

I cannot believe that Buttlogic is still trying to sell this nonsense:

Brutelogic: Walks.........the indictment does not say delay did anything wrong..........thats a lie

Ok, let's take a look. Reprinted from a .PDF copy of the actual indictment:

The Grand Jury Of The County Of Travis, State Of Texas, duly selected, organized, sworn, and charged as such at the April term, A.D., 2005, of the 147th Judicial District Court of said county, in said court at said term, upon their oaths do present that on or about the thirteenth day of September, A.D., 2002, in the County of Travis and State of Texas, JOHN DOMINICK COLYANDRO, JAMES WALTER ELLIS, AND THOMAS DALE DELAY, the defendants herein, with the intent that a felony be committed, did enter into an agreement with one or more of each other or with a general purpose political committee known as Texans for a Republican Majority PAC that one or more of them would engage in conduct that would constitute the offense of knowingly making a political contribution in violation of Subchapter D of Chapter 253 of the Texas Election Code...

Brutie, do you really think we are as stupid as you are? Why would you lie so blatantly, about something that is easily proven? Don't you have any self respect at all?

JC

LOOK AT THE BIRD DOG

Hog Waller has a sore toe and a nose bleed. Somebody placed a BOWLING BALL in his yard DISGUISED as a beach ball, and of course, The Hog had to kick it! I dunno about you, but I can't stop laughing!

CAN WE REVOKE HIS MEMBERSHIP IN THE HUMAN RACE?

Baby Archie lost his binky

Even as I try to concentrate on smacking slimes and drackys in DQ VII, out of the corner of my eye, I notice that MrArchieBunker insists on embarrassing himself once again:

MrArchieBunker: ALL THESE OLD HIPPIES ARE WAR HEROES
MrArchieBunker: HA HA HA
MrArchieBunker: I saw Murhta on TV yesterday, I thought he was going to start drooling over himself

Oh, of course. By all means, let's start a political debate with a vile personal attack. I wonder how much Arch likes it when people want to talk about the shambling corpse that ran the country from 1980-1988? Off topic? You better believe shit like that is off topic. But does Arch have any meat to his arguments? Let's look at how he responds to criticism that Repukes who attack Murtha are chickenhawks:

MrArchieBunker: FDR was a chickenhawk
MrArchieBunker: FDR NEVER SERVED
MrArchieBunker: ITS TRUE CLAUS

Sigh. Way to completely miss the point, dumbass. What kind of child has so little insight into politics? Does mommy still have to feed you in the high chair, Archiepoo? Let's wipe your slimy chinny, little man, and fix your bib. Open wide, here comes the choo-choo! Archie, a chickenhawk is not simply a nonveteran leader who leads in wartime. A chickenhawk is, and always has been, a nonveteran who chooses war, and who ignores the advice of those who have served. Now that we've given the little soldier that puzzle to worry over, let's see how he manages it:

MrArchieBunker: DOES PUTTING ON A UNIFORM MAKE ONE A GEOPOLITICAL GENIUS??
MrArchieBunker: I THINK NOT
MrArchieBunker: DOES PUTTING ON A UNIFORM MAKE ONE IMMUNE TO CRITICISM??
MrArchieBunker: I THINK NOT
MrArchieBunker: WHAT WALKS IS SAYING IS THAT VETERANS CANT BE CRITICIZED. RUBBISH
MrArchieBunker: UTTER RUBBISH
MrArchieBunker: SORRY, BEING A VET DOES GIVE YOU A FORCE FIELD
MrArchieBunker: THERE ARE NOT TWO CLASSES OF CITIZENS, VETERANS AND 'OTHERS'
MrArchieBunker: ONLY ONE CLASS OF CITIZEN
MrArchieBunker: I AM FREE TO CRITICIZE ANY CITIZEN AND ANY POLITICIAN ANY TIME I PLEASE
MrArchieBunker: THANK YOU
MrArchieBunker: SERVING MAKES ONE IMMUNE TO CRITICISM??
MrArchieBunker: ITS INTELLECTUAL GANGSTERISM TO SAY 'I SERVED, YOU CANT CRITICIZE ME'
MrArchieBunker: SO, LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT CLAUS...BEING A VET MAKES ONE A GEOPOLITICAL GENIUS??
MrArchieBunker: NO CITIZEN, AND CERTAINLY NO POLITICIAN IS ABOVE CRITICISM

Oh, it looks like Arch has done the only thing he knows how, which is to shove this puzzle into his wet mouth and try to gnaw a piece of it off. We'd better take that back before he chokes on it. Let's try this one out again, slowly. When a veteran speaks on war policy, or on how troops are coping, or when active duty military leaders give recommendations on policy, their words have more credibility than those of people who have never served. It is especially wise to notice that those who have no military experience are often cavalier about war, while veterans and soldiers tend to, wisely, be more prudent. Notice that Arch wants to make a Strawman argument here. Noting that military opinions carry more weight than civilians ones becomes, in Arch's pitifully overtaxed brain, us saying that vets can't be questioned. Next, Arch attempts to rewrite recent history:

MrArchieBunker: I NEVER CALLED ANYONE A COWARD CLAUS, PUT AWAY THE STRAW MAN
MrArchieBunker: ANOTHER STRAW MAN, I MADE NO COMMENT ABOUT HIS COURAGE
MrArchieBunker: AS A STUDENT OF SEMANTIC GAMES CLAUS, SURELY YOU KNOW NO ONE CALLED HIM A COWARD

All right, kiddo, there, there, you can stop crying. It may be true that you specifically, in this room, at this time, didn't say he was a coward, (although you did call him a drooling old man, which is of course not nearly as bad, ha ha) but this debate is about how Republicans are attacking Murtha, and as you undoubtedly know, (unless your diaper was being changed at the time) Jean Schmidt, the rabid dog from Ohio, did call Murtha a coward on the House floor, and was forced to retract that insult by angry Democrats. Now, on the fantastical plaanet you call home, that may not mean anything, but here on Earth, it is part and parcel of the Republican M.O.: Attack, slime, smear, never debate. The only thing you can be proud of today, MrArchieBunker, is how much you perfectly exemplified everything that is wrong with American politics. Oh, baby spit up all over his nifty sailor suit. Better get mommy to clean you up, Arch.

JC

RANDOM ROOM RANTS

Well, now i've seen everything that MAINSTREAM has to offer in comedy, drama and suspense (and that is just waiting in line to speak)...i offer you a few random thoughs:

1. Dr doom is no hero in my book. I hate racist people, they add no vaule to anything, they are not even worth a mention on the rattler.

2. Could someone please tell me what the vaule of an american solider in iraq is worth? I ask this because there is a bidding war going on in Mainstream, i guess for 75 cents you can own 4 of your own.

3. Could we also raise some money for anger mangement for HOGWALLER?? This guy comes to the mic (when he anit jumping it) and screams "fuck you , fuck you" over and over. I have never heard him say anthing important (then again inbreds never do.

Well, thats the lastest and for God's sake, can someone go over to JC's house and smash his playstaion before it eats him alive?

SPEAKING IN TONGUES

Ibtisam tried so very hard to be understood, but most of the room were perplexed by her words. Karl tried to decipher the code, and came close to cracking it. Sounding like an auctioneer, Ibitsam kept bidding different prices for an american life in Iraq. IT SEEMS what she really meant was that Bush was prepared to let soldiers die for oil, and the price arrived at by dividing the value of oil received by the number of dead americans was about $X (go figure)

ON A QUEST

I am Dragon Quest VII, and I do not suck

I've just returned from purchasing Dragon Quest VIII. It comes with a playable demo of Final Fantasy XII, which was incredible. You may not hear from me for awhile. I'll be keeping my ears open in Mainstream though, so if Buttlogic says anything stupid, you'll hear about it. But, hell, what are the odds of that, right?

You know, when I was applying for a job as a Game Tester at Acclaim Entertainment, (they're out of business now, and no, it wasn't my fault!) I was asked how long I had played a video game in one sitting. The answer was 36 hours playing Final Fantasy VII, the best game evah. I survived on Pringles and Mountain Dew, and fell into a week-long coma the moment I dropped the controller. And those Katrina survivors think they had it tough.

JC

BRUTE'S F-UP

This Duck was making his rounds on Paltalk late last night. Once again the usual re-pigs were in the room (oink)ing the same mumble jumble. "Bush this, Bush that, Bush takes it in the A%&." This Duck doesn't really ever understand what they say.

One strange thing happened last night however. BruteLogic, the Mainstream Politics Russian mail-order bride, made a mistake. He said that the US never used White phosphorus in Iraq.

Well it turned out the other day the Pentagon admitted to using White phosphorous in Iraq. CNN Link here http://us.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/11/16/white.phosphorous.ap/

This Duck catches them everything. Even Bush knows when Brute F-ups!

QUACK QUACK!

FLIPPING LIKE BURGERS

Via Talking Points Memo, more developments in the Jack Abramoff saga. The WaPo reports:

Michael Scanlon, a former top congressional aide who became a partner of high-flying lobbyist Jack Abramoff, was charged today with conspiracy to bribe government officials and cheat Indian tribes out of millions of dollars.

The government officials were not named in the court papers filed by U.S. prosecutors in the District, but details of the gifts and legislative favors provided by an official identified as "Representative #1" match the alleged actions of Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Administration Committee.

...

The charge was detailed in a court document known as a "criminal information" -- a process that often precedes a plea-bargain arrangement with a cooperating witness. Officials familiar with the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Scanlon has agreed to plead guilty and cooperate in the ongoing bribery and public corruption investigation of Abramoff, members of Congress and executive branch officials.

This is an indication that prosecutors have begun to crumble the wall thrown up around Abramoff. This slimy lobbyist has been at the center of the Republican fund raising machine for decades. The Fitzgerald investigation may ultimately net some high-level scalps, but if Abramoff rolls on his Republican insider buddies, including Tom Delay, that will eventually have a more widespread effect in rolling up the tendrils of Republican corruption.

JC

FITZMAS REDUX

The Santa Pimp Hat. Patrick Fizgerald wears it to bitchslap Republicans

Via AMERICAblog, Reuters reports that Fitz is officially going to present evidence to a new grand jury:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a sign he may seek new or revised charges in the CIA leak case, special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald said on Friday his investigation would be going back before a grand jury.

It was the first time Fitzgerald said he would be presenting information to another grand jury since the indictment and resignation three weeks ago of Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

Lawyers in the case said the investigation into who leaked the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame, which has reached into the highest levels of the White House, could be moving into a new phase that could result in charges against other top administration officials.

President George W. Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, was told by prosecutors last month that he remained under investigation and could still be charged, lawyers said.

Fitzgerald may also be pursuing new leads following Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward's disclosure that he was told about Plame in mid-June 2003.

Fitzgerald has been investigating the leak for two years and the grand jury that indicted Libby expired after it charged him with perjury and obstructing justice on October 28.

"The investigation will involve proceedings before a different grand jury than the grand jury which returned the indictment" against Libby, Fitzgerald said in a court motion, which spelled out a compromise with media organizations for access to some documents in the Libby case.

After appearing at a court hearing on the compromise, Fitzgerald said he would not elaborate on his plans for another grand jury.

Libby's attorney, William Jeffress, and Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin, declined to comment.

This is not unexpected, but it demonstrates for the PT neocons who came in gloating that the indictment of "merely" Scooter Libby was no big deal. Fitzmas ain't over, kids, and this is the latest reason why. Rove is not out of danger, and at least one other official, (possibly Steven Hadley or Dick Cheney, himself) is likely in jeopardy as well. I can't wait for PT morons to try and argue that an indictment of the National Security Advisor is meaningless.

It's getting to be like the Black Knight in Holy Grail. Conservatives are an armless, legless stump, still insisting, "It's just a flesh wound!" Sure it is. Just get out of the way when we frogmarch the VP out of his office, ok?

JC

MANAGING THE NEWS

DONALD RUMSFELD: The battlefield is not Iraq, in a sense. The battlefield's in the media, in this country, in our country and all across the world. The terrorists know they can't win a single battle, they know that the only place they can win is if they can outlast the nations that are willing to invest in trying to help that country become a democracy. And so they're doing… they're very clever. They have media committees, the terrorists do, and they're very good at MANAGING THE NEWS round the world, and is it hurtful? Yes. Are they good at it? Yes. Are they better at it than we are? You betcha, you betcha they are. But are they going to prevail? No, they're not going to prevail. GO FOOK YOURSELF, MR RUMSFELD!

WHO KNEW JESSEADO WAS A REPRESENTATIVE?

Via Think Progress, this disgusting statement by Jean Schmidt on the House floor. This is the woman who nearly lost to veteran Paul Hackett in Ohio. And now she is smearing and insulting Rep. Murtha, a respected and revered man who just spoke out against Bush's Folly:

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) today on the House floor, speaking about Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), a decorated former Marine:

Yesterday I stood at Arlington National Cemetery attending the funeral of a young marine in my district. He believed in what we were doing is the right thing and had the courage to lay his life on the line to do it. A few minutes ago I received a call from Colonel Danny Bubp, Ohio Representative from the 88th district in the House of Representatives. He asked me to send Congress a message: Stay the course. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message, that cowards cut and run, Marines never do. Danny and the rest of America and the world want the assurance from this body – that we will see this through.

This sounds like something you'd hear on PT. But the people here are crazy, and a member of the House of Representatives should be worthy of respect. Jean Schmidt has shamed herself and her party.

JC

UPDATE - As we listened to the debate on Duncan Hunter's resolution, MosesKnows hits us with this, referring to John Murtha:

MosesKnows: when was it during this debate that he was attacked? never...but she makes it sound as that is all there was....lol

Maybe you weren't listening, MK, but Jean Schmidt called the man a coward. And that was the worst, but by far not the only, smear against him. Disgusting.

ANOTHER GRADUATE OF VIC'S SCHOOL OF DEM BASHING

Vic Ferrari's school of Dem bashing and making an ass of one's self is proud to unleash to the Mainstream general public a new graduate...bscap13. Apparently, assist dean brute must have a new class: "how to copy Mainstream Cult figures and sound like a intelligent person". We here at the rattler are on to you , dean brute and will continue to expose your school for what it is because you tried to create a liberal-lite chatter who was exposed after 5 minutes by me. Nice try , vic and brute, but next time try harder on your pupils and maybe we will take them a little more seriously.

This is a quokka, a marsupial about a foot high The quokka is indigineous to a small island 12 miles off the coast of Perth, Western Australia. It is UNIQUE, and very cute, totally unafraid of humans. The island where they live is called Rottnest Island, because dutch explorers thought they were rats. They are delicious with garlic and olive oil, and perhaps some Col. Sanders herbs and spices. Another thing, you don't find quokkas on the roadside because there are no cars on Rottnest. Just thought you needed to know that.

APPALL IN THE FAMILY

Archie is a likeable rogue, but the difference between the paltalk Archie and the TV Archie is so very telling. Paltalk Archie ACTUALLY BELIEVES in the demented rhetoric that the TV Archie was lampooning. Satire is wasted on the ignorant. I don't like to call anyone dumb, but, really Archie, you don't get the joke that you told.