O'Reilly Responds... “What I Said Isn’t Controversial. What I Said Needed to Be Said.”

Bill O'Reilly went on a conservative radio show in San Francisco and responded to the controversy, and in my opinion he only dug his hole deeper. Think Progress has the full details, with a transcript. From this new tirade, here are some highlights, with my comments...

You know, if you had been hit on 9/11 instead of New York, believe me, you would not have voted against military recruting.

You know, Bill'O, New York (the city hit on 9/11) would likely also vote the way San Fransisco did if this measure was voted on here. We also voted overwhelmingly against the President in last year's election. Should we get hit again? Which monument would you direct the terrorists to?

And as I stated yesterday, what the hell does a school military recruiting ban even have to do with 9/11? Because of the war of terror, we should allow military recruiters to have unlimited access to children? I believe Mr. O'Reilly has children, perhaps we should send some recruiters to his home to speak with them?

I mean, it’s ridiculous. We’re in World War III and San Francisco votes against military recruiting in schools. It’s insane. So, you know, people have to live with their actions.

WWIII? Has the President or Congress made a declaration I am unaware of?

You know, this is the hallmark of the left: Cheap shot everybody. Come out with the most insane things you can. Convince your Kool-Aid drinking crowd to follow you.

OH. MY. GOD.

Do I even need to respond to this one? Please tell me I don't.

That’s the hallmark of the radical left.... We’re gonna ban military recruiting. Number one, that’s a fascist act.

A democratic vote to keep military recruiters away from schools is fascist? Bill'O, that's the most backwards, hypocritical thing you said from the last quote I posted. No, what is fascist is someone like you who endorses a terrorist attack against your own country to destroy your political enemies.

If we pay you off like you did Andrea Makris, will go away too?

Hit Him Where It Hurts.

As I posted in an earlier entry, it is a good idea to tell Bill O'Reilly's sponsors how his Al Quaeda/San Francisco comments made you feel. You can see a short list (a more complete one is likely available elsewhere) here:
Radio Factor National Sponsors

Here is an email I sent:

To whom it may concern,

I am very concerned about some comments made this past week on Bill O'Reilly's radio program, which you are a sponsor of. Mr. O'Reilly made several imflammatory comments about the city of San Francisco, based on a recent decision about military recruiting in schools. These statements, part of a lengthy discussion, included stating that if Al Quaeda were planning to attack America, he would direct them to San Francisco, specifically stating they should blow up the Coit Tower, which is a monument to the city's firefighters. These remarks, while some might dismiss them, go beyond Mr. O'Reilly's trademark hyperbole and are disturbing on many levels. Mr. O'Reilly has refused to apologize for his remarks, but his program transcript has notably removed the marks to hide this situation.

I ask that you reconsider your sponsorship of his program.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Jeremy Wilcox

Hopefully O'Reilly will be held accountable for his remarks.

I reiterate my point that if Wolf Blitzer had made the remarks, he would be unemployed right now. Remember in 2001 that Bill Maher lost his job at ABC for controversial remarks about terrorists. Dan Rather was shamed into retirement for a story he did on the President. Neither of them endorsed a terrorist act. O'Reilly should be fired. PERIOD. And I will do what I can to help on that front.

Daily Kos has more on the O'Reilly boycott plans:
OPERATION: FALAFEL

The Hypocrisy Of Bill O'Reilly

"Here's, here's the bottom line on this for every American and everybody in the world, nobody knows for sure, all right? We don't know what he has. We think he has 8,500 liters of anthrax. But let's see. But there's a doubt on both sides. And I said on my program, if, if the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clean, he has nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush Administration again, all right? But I'm giving my government the benefit of the doubt..."
-Bill O'Reilly (April 22, 2003)

John Edwards: "I was wrong."

Former Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards says what many Democrats need to speak...

The Right Way in Iraq

I was wrong...

...It was a mistake to vote for this war in 2002. I take responsibility for that mistake. It has been hard to say these words because those who didn't make a mistake -- the men and women of our armed forces and their families -- have performed heroically and paid a dear price...

...While we can't change the past, we need to accept responsibility, because a key part of restoring America's moral leadership is acknowledging when we've made mistakes or been proven wrong -- and showing that we have the creativity and guts to make it right.

Highly recommended read.

I Need Some Soldiers.

Funny flash-animated rap video.


Link to Video

Walmart Bans Phrase "Merry Christmas"

OMG teh war on Christmas continues!!11!!! [*foams at mouth*]

Damn you... Walmart?

Wal-Mart Says 'Happy Holidays' Covers Several Events

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Thursday said it no longer employs a worker who wrote to a shopper that Christmas is a mix of world religions, but that the company does support the generic greeting, "Happy Holidays," as being more inclusive amid year-end celebrations by numerous faiths.

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights criticized the world's largest retailer and called for a boycott over Wal-Mart's approach to Christmas...

O'Reilly Rewrites History

In regards to Bill O'Reilly's recent radio rant that San Francisco deserves a terrorist attack because its citizens democratically voted to limit military recruiting activities in schools... well Bill O'Really may have publicly defended his insane, pro-terrorism comments, but his website tells a different story. In the transcript for that day's Radio Factor program, the entire part about al Qaeda has been omitted. Could it be that someone working for Bill'O thinks it was *gasp* a bad idea to say such a thing?

Bill'O, didn't hear the President? Rewriting history is totally out this year!

By the way- Here is a list of O'Reilly's sponsors. Let them know you too support jihad.
Radio Factor National Sponsors

Now these are my kind of Christians.

Nice to hear from the non-Pat Robertson wing of this country's Christian base...

Methodist Bishops Repent Iraq War 'Complicity'

Ninety-five bishops from President Bush's church said Thursday they repent their "complicity" in the "unjust and immoral" invasion and occupation of Iraq.

"In the face of the United States administration's rush toward military action based on misleading information, too many of us were silent," said a statement of conscience signed by more than half of the 164 retired and active United Methodist bishops worldwide...

O'Reilly Stands By Pro-Terrorist Comments

(see, Falafel Bill, I can be inflammatory too!)

Bill O'Reilly has strongly defended his comments wanting San Francisco to be attacked...
O'Reilly Won't Back Down After Blasting S.F.

Conservative Broadcaster Bill O’Reilly is making no apologies for his inflammatory comments about San Francisco.

"I'm from New York,” O’Reilly said on the radio Friday. “There are dozens of people in my neighborhood, on Long Island, who are dead because of 9/11, and you people are telling me you're not going to allow military recruiting out there. Hey, it's serious, and I think you guys need a wake-up call."

What the hell does military recruiting have to do with 9/11? Because of the war of terror, we should allow military recruiters to have unlimited access to children? Mr. O'Reilly, isn't that a bit.... fascist? Just a bit, ya know. Besides if hypocritical, draft dodger Bill cares so much about the military's numbers, perhaps he should get his ass to a recruiting center and lead by example. There's one in Times Square, Bill, just a few blocks away from Fox News headquarters!! Bring Sean with you.

Also, San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly says that he's taking action against O’Reilly by introducing a resolution demanding that Fox News executives fire the conservative host. Sounds good to me. And I'm sure O'Reilly's way patriotic viewers will agree. I know he didn't do a story about Bush's National Guard service, but let's get mad anyway.

And this just in!!!!

See Osama's correspondence with his spokesperson, Bill O'Reilly:
Exclusive Needlenose scoop: Bin Laden/Bill O'Reilly correspondence intercepted!

O'Reilly To San Francisco: "If Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it"

Bill O'Reilly is now channeling Pat Robertson.

O'Reilly Sounds Off At San Francisco Voters

[Look for video footage on the right side]

Bill O’Reilly is America’s most watched cable news guy. He is upset that San Franciscans voted to discourage public schools in the city from allowing military recruiters on campus, and he made his views very clear on his radio talk show.

"If you want to ban military recruiting, fine. But I’m not going to give you another nickel of federal money..."

That statement probably didn’t surprise those familiar with O’Reilly. But his rant didn’t end there.

“If Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it,” he continued. “We're going to say, ‘look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead."...

See also audio here: Audio of Bill's rant against SF

This is mindblowing. At any other channel, this lunatic would've been fired by now. He is basically pulling an Ann Coulter and saying he thinks San Francisco deserves a terrorist attack... Why? Because they don't want military recruiters on campus (note that: they aren't banning recruiters, just making schools off-limit)? Is O'Reilly aware of the deceitful tactics used by recruiters on school kids? Is a man who avoided service in Vietnam in any position to critique people for restricting recruiters? Is he aware of the opt-out option available to parent and kids? Should those who opt-out also be killed by terrorists? Do any of these questions matter to a reactionary hypocrite like O'Reilly? Probably not.

Imagine the right-wing outrage if Wolf Blitzer said this... 'Nuff said.

President Bush To War Critics: Shut Your Mouth

Happy Veteran's Day to you too, Mr. President.

Bush Forcefully Attacks Iraq Critics

President Bush, in the most forceful defense yet of his Iraq war policy, accused critics Friday of trying to rewrite history and charged that they're undercutting America's forces on the front lines.

"The stakes in the global war on terror are too high..." the president said in his combative Veterans Day speech...

...Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who ran unsuccessfully against Bush last year, quickly challenged the president's charges.

"I wish President Bush knew better than to dishonor America's veterans by playing the politics of fear and smear on Veterans Day," said Kerry...

Me too, John.

Speaking of rewriting history, Mr. President...

You mean like the misleading statements you made before the war, but now ignore?

Or trying to alter a White House press briefing transcript?

Or, better yet, how about these hypocritical anti-war statements made by Republican politicians and media pundits back in 1999? Were they undercutting America's forces on the front lines, sir? Please tell me, I'd really like to know.
Why did they hate America?

History Lesson III

President Bush on the resolution* that preceded the Iraq war:

"That will be part of the resolution, the authorization to use force. If you want to keep the peace, you've got to have the authorization to use force. This is a chance for Congress to indicate support. It's a chance for Congress to say 'We support the administration's ability to keep the peace.' That's what this is all about."
-September 19, 2002

[*You know the one that people now discuss as if it were a declaration of war, when it actually wasn't, but boy did that Bush administration play the Congress for fools, huh?]

History Lesson II

Dick Cheney on Meet The Press in 2001:
"It‘s been pretty well confirmed that he [Atta] did go to Prague and he did meet with a senior official of the Iraqi intelligence service in Czechoslovakia last April."

Compare that to this conversation on CNBC last year:
Host: "You have said in the past that it was, quote, 'pretty well confirmed.'"

Cheney: "No, I never said that."

Host: "Ok."

Cheney: "I never said that."

Host: "I think that is..."

Cheney: "Absolutely not."

See video clips:
Dick Cheney: Flip Flops

History Lesson

Hardball did a great segment this week discussing the road to war.

Video:
How the Nation was Led to war

Love all the mushroom cloud smoking gun talk. Good times.

Republican Quote of the Day, Pt. II

Governor Schwarzenegger, very un-Bush-like, accepted responsibility for his political mistakes and apologized. He said he will work closely with Democrats in the future and be more patient about political progress.

The money quote...

"If I would do another 'Terminator' movie I would have Terminator travel back in time and tell Arnold not to have a special election. I should have also listened to my wife who said don't do it."

He'll be back.

Republican Quote of the Day, Pt. I

Bill Frist on the secret CIA prisons:
"I am not concerned about what goes on and I'm not going to comment about the nature of that."

He's more concerned with the leak itself than the prisons.

Well at least he's honest. Though Frist may not like what they find.

And the investigation begins:
AP: House to Probe CIA Prisons Leak

Pat Robertson to Dover: Prepare For Smiting

Yesterday I posted that Dover, PA residents voted out the 'intelligent design' school board.

Today Pat Robertson issued a warning to the citizens of Dover:

“I’d like to say to the good citizens of Dover. If there is a disaster in your area, don’t turn to God, you just rejected Him from your city. And don’t wonder why He hasn’t helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I’m not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that’s the case, don’t ask for His help because he might not be there.”

But... but... I thought 'intelligent design' wasn't about God!! I am *shocked* by this! Shocked!

People For The American Way has a video clip.

White House Stands By Altered Transcript

An update to the story of the altered White House press briefing transcript...

The White House defends their transcript as accurate; the controversy continues.

Think Progress has the details again:
UPDATE: White House Stands By Altered Transcript

ANWR Saved... For Now.

Bush's bad luck continues as the ANWR drilling plans get scrapped.

No doubt we haven't heard the last of this plan...

House Drops Arctic Drilling From Bill

A nearly two-decade effort to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling suffered a severe setback at the hands of moderate House Republicans just as Congress was about to deliver it to President Bush as his top energy priority.

GOP leaders scrapped the drilling plan in a search for just enough votes to pass another of Bush's priorities, a $51 billion deficit-reduction program cutting spending on food stamps, Medicaid, child support enforcement and other domestic programs through the rest of the decade...

I'm an amendment to be, yes an amendment to be...

18 Year Old Becomes Mayor In Michigan

And this is why democracy rocks.

'Go-getter,' 18, ousts mayor in Michigan

Michael Sessions is too young to drink champagne legally, but the 18-year-old high school senior has reason to celebrate: He unofficially won a race for mayor Tuesday by defeating the baby boomer incumbent.

Sessions, who turned 18 on Sept. 22, ran as a write-in candidate because he was too young to get on the ballot in the spring. The young politician used $700 from a summer job to fund his door-to-door campaign in Hillsdale, Mich., a town of about 9,000...

Leading to this IM conversation...
Me: [link to article]
Bill: Sessions plans to devote after-school hours to the job and use his bedroom as his office.
Bill: Just like Clinton.

White House Alters Record of Press Briefing

The antics of Baghdad Bob Scott McClellan reach a new low.

During the October 31 press briefing, McClellan was asked a question about the CIA leak investigation. McClellan gave a response that seemed to paint Karl Rove and Scooter Libby in a bad light. The official White House transcript has the response as stating, well, the opposite of the actual response. The White House have also asked other publications to change their transcripts, but they have correctly refused.

The question from NBC’s David Gregory:
"Whether there’s a question of legality, we know for a fact that there was involvement. We know that Karl Rove, based on what he and his lawyer have said, did have a conversation about somebody who Patrick Fitzgerald said was a covert officer of the Central Intelligence Agency. We know that Scooter Libby also had conversations."

McClellan's response:
"That's accurate."

McClellan's response (according to the White House):
"I don’t think that’s accurate.”

Think Progress has details, plus a video clip for clarification:
That’s Not Accurate: White House Alters Transcript of Press Briefing

The video clip speaks for itself.

Win Ben Stein's Talking Points

'Ferris Bueller' Ben Stein = cool

Republican tool Ben Stein = not cool

From yesterday's episode of 'The Situation with Tucker Carlson'

[Bold added by me]

"That is just standard business as usual.  It is standard business as usual to pass out leaks to reporters in Washington.  This prosecuting business as usual in Washington is just a way to break the political process down, and make it into an illegal, criminal process.  It doesn‘t have any role in the Constitution.  This guy is a thug.  This Fitzgerald is a thug."

Awww, Ben's just mad President Bush is trying to out-Nixon his old boss.

Intelligent Design kicked out of Pennsylvania

Kansas may be a lost cause, but sanity still wins out up north...

'Intelligent-design' school board ousted in Penn

Voters on Tuesday ousted a Pennsylvania local school board that promoted an "intelligent-design" alternative to teaching evolution, and elected a new slate of candidates who promised to remove the concept from science classes...

...For the last six weeks, the teaching of intelligent design has been challenged in federal court by a group of Dover parents. They said the concept is a religious belief and therefore may not be taught in public schools, because the U.S. Constitution forbids it. They also argue that the theory is unscientific and so has no place in science classes...

Random Postings

A few links of interest I came across today...

Arianna Huffington justifiably gloats about Judy Miller's retiring:
Judy is Out; Wants It Made Clear She Didn’t Screw Libby (Just the American Public)

Robert Scheer gloats about Schwarzenegger's political downfall:
Who's the Girlie-Man Now?

An mp3 'remix' of Iraq misstatements and contradictions by the Bush crew:
"CATAPULT THE PROPAGANDA"

Ms. Run Amok Retires

Judith Miller has retired.

To mark this major moment, I am writing to her the following letter...

“Dear Judy,

Your reporting, and you will not be missed. Like many Americans, I admire the balls it took to parrot the propaganda of criminals like Ahmed Chalabi and Dick Cheney. But, like many friends and readers, I would welcome your retirement, doing what neocons do best— sneaking out the back door when things get rough.

....

You printed your bogus WMD stories in 2002. It is 2005 now. You will have stories to be apart of— Testifying against (for?) your pal Scootie, the damaged reputation of the NY Times, and the lucrative book deals you will milk out of your faux-martyrdom this summer. Out in DC, where your friends live, the indicted Republicans will already be turning. They turn in clusters, because their roots connect them. Go back to your home—- and life. Until then, you will remain in my nightmares and prayers for an end to the insanity you helped create.

Without admiration, Blueduck37.”

NY Times article:
Times and Reporter Reach Agreement on Her Departure

AP article:
Judith Miller Retires From New York Times

France Faces 'Moment of Truth'

The riots continue in France as the leaders look at the big picture...

Villepin: France Faces 'Moment of Truth'

Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said Tuesday that France faces a "moment of truth" in fighting racial discrimination that has inflamed tempers in suburbs with large immigrant populations...

Ohh don't worry, Mr. Prime Minister, you don't really need to face that moment of truth. Or actually do anything to address the larger issues that caused this unrest. We didn't. Just have a big fancy photo-up speech on top of a burning car and pay lip service to the problems, like our President did in September. If you're lucky like he was, you'll be enveloped by even more scandals and everyone will forget about these powerful images we're seeing on TV!

Viva la France!

Election aftermath: Governator's ballot measures are terminated

Poor Arnold Schwarzenegger. All four of his ballot proposals, which were key to his agenda, were soundly rejected by California voters yesterday. Arnie, I wouldn't count on reelection next year. Looks like you'll be making sequels to "The Terminator" and "True Lies" instead of awkwardly referencing them in speeches.

Voters Reject Schwarzenegger's Bid to Remake State Government:
The governor's four ballot proposals, the foundation of his sweeping plans for change in Sacramento, are halted at the polls.

Don't blame me, I voted for Gary Coleman.

Douchebag McClellan Douchebags It Up

Scott McClellan got hammered again yesterday. You see, that wacky ol' White House press corps wanted to know if the U.S. tortures. What a stupid question! The President himself said we are doing everything in our power (read: torture) to protect the American people! And remember- we do not torture! And just because Vice President Cheney has asked for exemptions from the torture ban doesn't mean he'll use them. I mean, duh! Let's see if Scott can get this airtight logic through to those stubborn, anti-torture (and therefore, anti-American) reporters...

White House Briefing: McClellan Deflects Questions on Torture Exemption A Couple Dozen Times

Q I'd like you to clear up, once and for all, the ambiguity about torture. Can we get a straight answer? The President says we don't do torture, but Cheney --

MR. McCLELLAN: That's about as straight as it can be.

Q Yes, but Cheney has gone to the Senate and asked for an exemption on --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, he has not. Are you claiming he's asked for an exemption on torture? No, that's --

......
Q Are you denying everything that came from the Hill, in terms of torture?
....
Q I'm asking about exemptions.

MR. McCLELLAN: Let me respond. And he would never authorize the use of torture. We have an obligation to do all that we can to protect the American people. We are engaged --

Q That's not the answer I'm asking for --

MR. McCLELLAN: It is an answer -- because the American people want to know that we are doing all within our power to prevent terrorist attacks from happening. There are people in this world who want to spread a hateful ideology that is based on killing innocent men, women and children. We saw what they can do on September 11th[*] --

......
Q You're not answering -- yes or no?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, you don't want the American people to hear what the facts are, Helen, and I'm going to tell them the facts.

....
Q Did we ask for an exemption?

MR. McCLELLAN: We are going to do what is necessary to protect the American people.

Q Is that the answer?

You know it's desperate times when you fall back to attacking Helen Thomas.

See video of this beautiful example of grade-A stonewalling:
Another bad day for Scotty


[*White House formula-
]

Trent Lott: "We have met the enemy, and it is us."

Be careful what you wish for...

The Republicans were almost actually happy when the existence of secret CIA prisons were leaked to the Washington Post last week. Why? Because they thought this was their opportunity to expose liberal hypocrisy- ie. Democrat made the Republicans look bad over the leaking of a CIA agent's identity by the Bush administration, so if a Democrats leaked info about CIA prisons overseas, they could expose them and have their own little scandal.

You see, the Republicans in Congress didn't care that the CIA was operating secret prisons out of former Soviet gulags; that sort of thing just doesn't bother them. They just thought they might be able to divert attention away from their own CIA leak scandal by starting another one. So Sen. Frist, Dennis Hastert, and others demanded an investigation into this leak. Some quick digging has already been done and it appears now that it's likely the CIA prison info was leaked by....

A Republican senator.

OOPS.

Sen. Frist won't be screaming too loud about that investigation anymore, methinks.

To quote Trent Lott who discussed this today:
"We can not remain silent. We have met the enemy, and it is us."

(Info courtesy of a CNN report mentioned on Daily Kos)

Seriously, what the fuck is the matter with Kansas? (Pt. II)

An update to the Kansas Board of Education story...

They have also changed the definition of science:

They not only question the theory that all life has a common origin, they also rewrite the definition of science, holding that it no longer is limited to searching for natural explanations for natural phenomena.

Science buffs take note.

We are witnessing the devolving of human intelligence right before our eyes.

Seriously, what the fuck is the matter with Kansas?

The Kansas state Board of Education voted today in favor of moving backwards intellectually.

I assume, of course, that all of the evolution questions on the federally-mandated No Child Left Behind test that the students have to pass to move up to the next grade will be removed? No? Ohh, I'm sorry, did I just expose your own backwards stupidity and hypocrisy? I do apologize, Kansas. Carry on with your reliving of the 1920s.

Kan. School Board OKs Evolution Approach

Revisiting a topic that exposed Kansas to nationwide ridicule six years ago, the state Board of Education approved science standards for public schools Tuesday that cast doubt on the theory of evolution...

...Critics of the new language charged that it was an attempt to inject God and creationism into public schools in violation of the separation of church and state.

"This is a sad day. We're becoming a laughingstock of not only the nation, but of the world, and I hate that," said board member Janet Waugh...

Election Night, Pt. II (Democrats win governor races)

Democrat Jon Corzine won the highly publicized governors race in New Jersey and Democrat Tim Kaine won the governors race in red-state Virginia. Kaine in particular would like to thank President Bush for coming to campaign for his Republican opponent. Heck of a job, Mr. President!! Your political capital really helped.

This bodes well for next year.

Democrats Win Gov. Races in N.J., Va.

If Fox News Had Been Around Throughout History

Great parody site.

If Fox News Had Been Around Throughout History

Sample image:

Election Night, Pt. I (Bloomberg manages an upset)

In a shocking upset, NYC Mayor Bloomberg defeated Democratic challenger Fernando Ferrer.

It was only a minor landslide.

Mayor Bloomberg Romps to Win in New York

Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg won a second term in a blowout Tuesday, easily defeating former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer by drawing a wide majority of Democrats away from his opponent in this strongly left-leaning city.

Evolution Of A Talking Point

Chirac Declares State Of Emergency In France

Could be worse. At least they don't have to wait for FEMA.

French Hoping Curfews Bring End to Unrest

President Jacques Chirac declared a state of emergency Tuesday, paving the way for curfews to be imposed on riot-hit cities and towns in an extraordinary measure to halt France's worst civil unrest in decades after 12 nights of violence.

Chirac then asked who he is supposed to surrender to.

History Lesson, Pt. II

"I think that the proposition of going to Baghdad is also fallacious. I think if we were going to remove Saddam Hussein we would have had to go all the way to Baghdad, we would have to commit a lot of force because I do not believe he would wait in the Presidential Palace for us to arrive. I think we'd have had to hunt him down. And once we'd done that and we'd gotten rid of Saddam Hussein and his government, then we'd have had to put another government in its place.

What kind of government? Should it be a Sunni government or Shi'i government or a Kurdish government or Ba'athist regime? Or maybe we want to bring in some of the Islamic fundamentalists? How long would we have had to stay in Baghdad to keep that government in place? What would happen to the government once U.S. forces withdrew? How many casualties should the United States accept in that effort to try to create clarity and stability in a situation that is inherently unstable?

I think it is vitally important for a President to know when to use military force. I think it is also very important for him to know when not to commit U.S. military force. And it's my view that the President got it right both times, that it would have been a mistake for us to get bogged down in the quagmire inside Iraq."

- Then-Secretary of Defense... Dick Cheney (April 29, 1991)

History Lesson, Pt. I

"The power of the Executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to the law, and particularly to deny him the judgement of his peers, is in the highest degree odious and is the foundation of all totalitarian government whether Nazi or Communist."
-Winston Churchill (November 21, 1943)

[hat tip- Andrew Sullivan]

Nero Chirac?

Drudge Report top headline:
"LEADERS FIDDLE AS FRANCE BURNS"

Touche, Mr. Drudge.

[Note: The headline comes from this article]

A history of the Iraq war, told entirely in lies

The following is a new Harper's magazine article detailing a 'revised' history of the Iraq war, told entirely using verbatim statements (lies) from senior Bush Administration officials and advisers. It can be described in two words...

Brilliant.

Revision Thing-
A history of the Iraq war, told entirely in lies

Natural History? You mean like the Book of Genesis?

The American Museum of Natural History here in NYC is opening a new exhibit later this month on Darwin and the impact of his findings. I am planning on going. I will take pictures, which hopefully will not steal anyone's soul. I want to find out what all this "science" business is about and/or see if I need to burn any curators at the stake for heresy. After all, if it isn't in the Bible, it can't be true. The Earth is only 6,000 years old and we were incestuously descended from two naked people in a garden. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to stone my wife for her sins.

Hey, 51% of Americans can't be wrong!!

Can they?

From the NY Times:
An Evolutionist's Evolution

It may seem that the American Museum of Natural History is cruising for controversy in presenting "Darwin," the most comprehensive exhibition any museum has offered on the naturalist's life and theories. It is a time, after all, when the theory of evolution by natural selection seems as newsworthy as it was back in the days of the Scopes trial 80 years ago...

See also: The ID Advocates Are Liars

Bush Declares: We Do "Not" Torture [*wink*]

President Bush, unaware of mortal concepts such as irony or hypocrisy, declared today that "We do not torture"... in a speech in which he was lobbying against the McCain amendment which seeks to outlaw torture.

Mr. President, you realize of course you're not helping here.

In doing this, the President has once again solidified the motto of the current Republican party: 'Committed To Saying One Thing And Doing The Other'. Party of smaller government... bloating the federal bureacracy and running up record deficits? Check. Party of moral values... running around like a bunch of criminals? Check. Party of national security... outing CIA agents and fighting for torture? CHECK!! God bless America!

Here's the article (I added the bold where necessary):
Bush Declares: 'We Do Not Torture'

President Bush vigorously defended U.S. interrogation practices* in the war on terror Monday and lobbied against a congressional drive to outlaw torture**.

"There's an enemy that lurks and plots and plans and wants to hurt America again," Bush said. "So you bet we will aggressively pursue them but we will do so under the law***."

He declared, "We do not torture****."

Notes:
*- Read: TORTURE
**- You know, the Congressional amendment overwhelmingly passed by all but 9 Senators.
***- The law, as interpreted by Alberto Gonzales and the Bush administration.
****- We do.

Visit Sunny Iraq

Well I know where I'm spending my next vacation.

Come for the sun. Stay for the beheadings.

Iraq plans hotel and theme parks for a tourism boom

Sen. McCain Serious About Stopping Torture

Sen. McCain, don't you know that torture is now the American way?!!

Here is what McCain is promising to do to stop this mess...

McCain vows to add torture ban to all major Senate legislation

Girding for a potential fight with the Bush administration, supporters of a ban on torturing prisoners of war by U.S. interrogators threatened Friday to include the prohibition in nearly every bill the Senate considers until it becomes law.

The no-torture wording, which proponents say is supported by majorities in both houses of Congress, was included last month in the Senate's version of a defense spending bill. The measure's final form is being negotiated with the House, and the White House is pushing for either a rewording or deletion of the torture ban...

...Speaking from the Senate floor, McCain said, "If necessary - and I sincerely hope it is not - I and the co-sponsors of this amendment will seek to add it to every piece of important legislation voted on in the Senate until the will of a substantial bipartisan majority in both houses of Congress prevails. Let no one doubt our determination."

I don't, Senator, and we thank you.