He is not my Pope...

Columnist Jose Rodriguez has a pretty reasonable take on all of the celebrating and name calling taking place surrounding the new Pope...

Calgary Sun Columnist - Jose Rodriguez: Defending the faith: "Defending the faith
By JOSE RODRIGUEZ -- Calgary Sun

I don't know which bothers me more. The newly romanticized non-Catholics falling over themselves to defend the new Pope or the equally un-Catholic busybodies bent on tearing him apart.

Seems there is no shortage of opinion when it comes to the newly appointed Benedict XVI.

The former cardinal and close confidant to the much-loved John Paul II has been called medieval, ultra-conservative, backwards and all sorts of other nasty names.

By others, the first German pope in 1,000 years has been labelled a great defender of classic Catholicism, a strict theologian and a champion of tradition.

There is probably some truth to both characterizations -- if it mattered.

You see, praise and pre-judgement from non-Catholics is as worthless as fresh underwear at a nudist colony."

This is some pretty good advice for those on the outside of the Pope's Catholic family. If he ever makes a decision that actually affects my life, personally, then I might decide to muster an opinion on their choice for him to lead. As it stands now, since he is not my Pope, I will gladly take that columnist's advice about remaining silent when it comes to Benedict's good and/or bad. As for underwear... Well, who needs them?

Power Line represents a backward, primitive way of looking at the world.

Given how these radical right Power Line wingnuts claim that Dems are blocking extremist judges based on their faith, I find it interesting to see the typical hate towards religion, and Catholics in particular, that Power Line exhibits in its latest blog on science.

Power Line: Planet of the Apes:
"It's interesting, though, to contemplate the quest for insight into human nature via the apes in the context of news coverage of the selection of Pope Benedict. The conventional view is that religion in general, and Catholicism in particular, represents a backward, primitive way of looking at the world, and especially at human nature, compared to modern, progressive science."

It is plainly apparent that, aside from being the last ones to consult concerning "progressive science", these ridiculously hypocritical charges being tossed out there by Power Line like Maltov cocktails at all of the moderates that oppose the radical bush policies and tactics will eventully result in more self-destruction A LA Tom "the hummer" DeLay (he really sucks!), John "I support those who kill judges" Cronyn, and Condi "Skirts the Constitution" Rice, Jeff "get a BLOW job" Gannon, and John "Nuke the U.N." Bolton...

There is very little that is going right for the extremist bush lovers right now, even in their own little fantasy world, and it is our job to keep this "reality" ball rolling...

Yahoo! News - GOP Ethics Chair Trying to Snap Deadloc

Well... It still isn't Democracy. The GOP still seems to think they can DICTATE what the terms of Democracy are. When will these PIGS look up from their coporate troughs long enough to take a breath? This is the second blink in the last little while by these republican thugs led by Hastert, yet they still don't seem to get it. Even those republicans on the the ethics committee are obviously ethically challenged.

Yahoo! News - GOP Ethics Chair Trying to Snap Deadlock
House Ethics Panel to Probe Tom DeLay
AP - 39 minutes ago
Retreating under pressure, Republicans on the House ethics committee said Wednesday they were ready to open an investigation into allegations of wrongdoing against Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

DeLay Continues Attacks on Federal Courts - AP via Yahoo! News (Apr 20, 2005)
DeLay Outlines Strategy Against Federal Judges - at The New York Times (reg. req'd) (Apr 20, 2005)
DeLay Letter Cites Democrats' 'Hate' - at The Los Angeles Times (reg. req'd) (Apr 19, 2005)
DeLay Mails Long Rebuttal to Voters Back in Texas - at The New York Times (reg. req'd) (Apr 19, 2005)
DeLay Issues Broad Denial Of Ethics Violations - at The Washington Post (reg. req'd) (Apr 19, 2005)
DeLay Mailing Says He Never Broke Law - AP via Yahoo! News (Apr 18, 2005)

Yahoo! News - LOOK FOR THE MEDIA LABELS

I am a news junkie... I admit it! In the last few years I have witnessed an almost complete silencing of a left-leaning media as radical right wingnuts that spout pure opinion based on little fact have jumped into the forefront of American political commentary. The coulters, hannitys and o'reillys of US media are little more than "GOP talking point" billboards for the idiots of the world and a good example of Jeff Gannon mouthpieces prostituting themselves for the GOP.

Now, in the spirit of offering some balance in Internet media, I will devote an entire blog to that patriotic cartoonist Ted Rall. To be honest, I find that as a cartoonist his drawings are rather "child-like" in their presentation. That is irrelevant to Ted Rall being patriotic. What makes Ted Rall a patriotic cartoonist, in my humble opinion (OK, sometimes "over the top" opinion), is the written material and the commentary it provides on his view of the United States of America. It is the same thing that draws me to read his editorial views which are a good representation of many patriotic NYC residents I meet, as well as many of the patriots living in surrounding suburbs of NYC, and the blue state patriots that are within earshot of the ever present loud NYC voice.

Yahoo! News - LOOK FOR THE MEDIA LABELS: "What hits home hits hardest. I too have been victimized by the idiotic practice of repeat labeling. 'Controversial cartoonist Ted Rall' garners no fewer than 58 hits on Google. Care to guess the results for 'patriotic cartoonist Ted Rall'?"

Patriotic cartoonist Ted Rall... This "Google hit" is for you, and the millions of Americans you represent! If you are doing this search to prove Ted wrong on his theory please note that the only hit I came up with was his own editorial on the subject of Media labeling... This blog for patriots does not count since it was written after the fact.

ACSBlog: The Blog of the American Constitution Society: The Ball Is In Your Court, Rush Limbaugh

File this one under "never gonna happen": Not that I wouldn't pay a few bucks to watch Yalies slap Oxy-rush around a bit. The reality is that my 12 year old daughter can see through his blundering, blubbering, slobbering, ranting, and raving routine for what it is. Is it really fair to put a doped-up fool against someone that is educated and capable at debating when the blimp can't even convince a naiive kid that he can make a sane point?

ACSBlog: The Blog of the American Constitution Society: The Ball Is In Your Court, Rush Limbaugh:
April 15, 2005 04:59 PM Posted By Ian Questions & comments 14
The Ball Is In Your Court, Rush Limbaugh

Last weekend, ACS' Yale Chapter hosted a conference entitled "The Constitution in 2020," which conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh found quite objectionable:

[S]ome people got together to rewrite the Constitution. A bunch of liberal elitists gathered up at Yale to have this little pretend new Constitution. What it should say, what it should be, what the principles and guidelines of the new Constitution ought to be. So while there are those of us who are devoted to defending the current US Constitution, there are a bunch of leftists and liberals out there that are toying around with the idea of rewriting and changing it. (interruption) Well, I don't know if they've banned me, I haven't read everything that everybody there posited or wrote. Let me get the piece at the next break and I'll share with you some things that people are saying.


ACS's Yale Chapter has not banned Rush Limbaugh. In fact they have formally invited him to speak at Yale. In a letter to Mr. Limbaugh, the Yale Chapter wrote:

We are flattered by your interest in our recent conference and would be honored to have you visit Yale as a guest speaker. As you discussed in your broadcast, over six hundred progressives -- practicing lawyers, policymakers, academics, students and others -- came together to discuss a progressive vision of the Constitution, just as the Reagan Justice Department got together in the mid-1980s to produce a conservative vision of "The Constitution in the year 2000." You mentioned the possibility that you might be banned from such events. To the contrary! We would welcome you to Yale and believe that an event featuring you would be well-attended by our members, other students at the law school, faculty members, and representatives of the university.

In your broadcast, you also refer to our "little pretend new Constitution." Enclosed please find our gift to you: a pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution. Since the Founding, it has belonged to all of us. While it is "little," it is certainly not pretend. We hope that you will come to Yale to speak and take part in this very real dialogue.

The Australian: Reports undercut Iraq, al-Qaeda link [April 16, 2005]

As if you really needed any further proof that everything about Iraq coming from the lying bush orgy taking place at the White House was all a load of cow pies? Well there is more proof anyways. Just another piece to add to the already conclusive pile of evidence that they were all lying from the moment the Towers fell...

The Australian: Reports undercut Iraq, al-Qaeda link [April 16, 2005]
Reports undercut Iraq, al-Qaeda link
From correspondents in Washington
16apr05

A TOP Democratic senator has released formerly classified documents that he says undercut top US officials' pre-Iraq war claims of a link between Saddam Hussein's regime and the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

"These documents are additional compelling evidence that the intelligence community did not believe there was a cooperative relationship between Iraq and al-Qaeda, despite public comments by the highest ranking officials in our government to the contrary," Senator Carl Levin said today.

The declassified documents undermine the Bush administration's claims regarding Iraq's involvement in training al-Qaeda operatives and the likelihood of a meeting between September 11 hijacker Mohammed Atta and an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague in April 2001, Senator Levin said in a statement.

In October 2002, Mr Bush said: "We've learned that Iraq has trained al-Qaeda members in bomb-making and poisons and deadly gases."

But a June 2002 CIA report, titled Iraq and al-Qa'ida: Interpreting a Murky Relationship, said "the level and extent of this is assistance is not clear".

The report said that there were "many critical gaps" in the knowledge of Iraq-al-Qaeda links due to "limited reporting" and the "questionable reliability of many of our sources", according to excerpts cited by Senator Levin.

The October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq's weapons programs said much of the information on Iraqi training and support for al-Qaeda was "second-hand" or from sources of "varying reliability".

And a January 2003 CIA report indicates some of the reports of training were based on "hearsay" while others were "simple declarative accusations of Iraqi-al-Qaeda complicity with no substantiating detail or other information that might help us corroborate them".

In December 2001, Vice-President Dick Cheney said Atta's meeting with an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague was "pretty well confirmed".

But, according to Senator Levin, a June 2002 CIA report says: "Reporting is contradictory on hijacker Mohammed Atta's alleged trip to Prague and meeting with an Iraqi intelligence officer, and we have not verified his travels."

And a January 2003 CIA report says "the most reliable reporting to date casts doubt on this possibility".

Senator Levin requested the documents' declassification in April 2004 as part of his minority inquiry within the Senate Armed Services Committee into Iraq intelligence failures.

privacy terms © The Australian

Life sucks... Because of the radical NEO-TORY bushies.

The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Unrest surfaces in home district of DeLay

Things are so bad in the MSM that even moderate republicans have to buy space to get a moderate opinion in their news papers... Sad, but true. Republican Patricia Baig paid $2776.00 to get an honest American opinion printed in her local Sugar Land, Texas, news paper to demand that Tom "the hummer" DeLay (he really sucks!) resign as house majority leader. Is a recall far off in some of the more radical GOP members' futures?

Drop the Hammer On Tom DeLay!

FOXNews.com - Politics - Critics Question Screening Tactics at Bush Events

You know you are in it deep when your favorite propaganda machine turns on you and says your policy is un-American. The humor of faux news picking up this story only after half of bush's "Dismantle Social Security Tour" is over, and when people have been furious about being booted from these fake events since the very first scripted "townhall BS session" for bush's reckless privatization scam, and even further back when they were turned away from hearing a presidential candidate speak at GOP campaign rallies simply because they refused to sign the "Hypocrite Republican's Oath"... Sounds like something only a king-wanabe would demand AND something only a "tory" (the original American conservatives) would ever consider signing.

FOXNews.com - Politics - Critics Question Screening Tactics at Bush Events: "Critics say planners weed out those who disagree with Bush's policies and bar them from attending events"

bush won't even talk turkey with our patriotic soldiers unless they sign a waiver to promise loyalty to his reign of terror.

Yep, even the lowest of the low, the "Guckert/Gannon's" at faux news, look down on bush and his thug supporters now...

Power Line's "Modus Oprandi"

It would be nice once in a while to see someone that claims to be conservative actually think like a conservative for a change. Unfortunately this does not happen too often lately. The reasoning most of the "faux" conservatives always seem to use these days are straight out of their "GOP talking points". If you cannot defend an idea declare the opposition socialist. If you cannot defend your policies declare all naysayers communist. If you cannot defend your behaviour declare your attacker a liberal.

Power Line
There is a familiar modus operandi at work in the accusation by Melody Townsel that John Bolton chased her through the halls of a Moscow hotel throwing objects and screaming threats at her in August 1994. New York Sun reporter Eli Lake has nailed most of the elements of the modus operandi in his article: "New Bolton accuser is a liberal from 'Mothers Opposing Bush.'" Lake reports:

It used to be conservative meant you would stop and think about something before you would speak about it. Now you have these radical right wingnuts that stop to check their "GOP talking points" regardless of how ignorant it makes them look. Instead of addressing the reality that bolton is a whack-job, Power Line chose the ignorant path of the wingnut.

Note to Power Line: Jeff Gannon is NOT the only prostitute that works as a "mouthpiece" for the GOP. (Tough fact to swallow, but this is you Power Line!)

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iraq militias 'could beat rebels'

So Iraq feels it can take care of the insurgents all on their own? Iraqis are ready to take over from American soldiers "Right away" according to Talabani. I guess that means bush can begin bringing all of our soldiers home.

Hey! It also means bush can pull the plug on the billions of dollars in contracts with cheny's Halliburton and KBR to build all of those permanent bases in Iraq. It might hurt a lot of corporations that depend on endless war, but it sure will help the American economy and, MORE IMPORTANTLY, save a lot of good soldiers lives. Bring the boys back home!

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iraq militias 'could beat rebels'
Iraq militias 'could beat rebels'
By Jim Muir
BBC News, Baghdad

Iraq's new president has said the insurgency could be ended immediately if the authorities made use of Kurdish, Shia Muslim and other militias.

Jalal Talabani said this would be more effective than waiting for Iraqi forces to take over from the US-led coalition.

Mr Talabani, a Kurd, also told the BBC he would not sign a death warrant for captured former leader Saddam Hussein.

And he warned that any attempt to impose an Islamic government on Iraq would break up the country.

He said the Shia religious parties with whom the Kurds have struck a partnership to underpin the new government have agreed to a compromise whereby Islam will be one of several sources for Iraqi law.

'I won't sign'

If Saddam Hussein is to go to the gallows, as many of his erstwhile foes insist he must, his death sentence will have to be endorsed by the new Iraqi presidency.

We cannot wait for years and years of terrorist activity because we haven't enough government forces
Jalal Talabani
Iraqi President

But Mr Talabani, a lawyer and human rights advocate who has always opposed capital punishment, made it clear that his principles would not allow him to sign such a document, despite all the suffering the Baathist regime had inflicted on his Kurdish community.

"Personally, no, I won't sign," he said.

"But you know, the presidency of Iraq are three people. These three must decide. So I can be absent. I can go on holiday and let the two others [the vice-presidents] decide."

Mr Talabani said all other members of the new Iraqi leadership were in favour of a swift execution for the former Iraqi dictator.

"All of them are for sentencing Saddam Hussein to death before the court will even decide," he said.

"So I think I will be alone in this field, calling for a reprieve."

But President Talabani did not believe the execution of the former president - who has yet to go on trial - would undermine efforts to sap the insurgency by winning over elements of the former regime's Sunni Muslim constituency.

"I think if he'll be finished, many of his followers will give up their hope or their wishful thinking that one day he will come back," he said.

Militias

Mr Talabani said he favoured an amnesty for Iraqi insurgents who had taken up arms out of disenchantment with the new regime.

He also said he believed members of the former ruling Baath Party should be allowed to take up jobs in civil life and the administration - but not in the armed or security forces, unless they had a track record of secret opposition to Saddam Hussein.

But he made it clear that any such major decisions would have to be taken via a consensus involving the presidency, the cabinet and the parliament.

Asked how long it would take for Iraqi security forces to be in a position to replace the US-led coalition, President Talabani said the transition could take place straight away if a new strategy were adopted.

"In my opinion, Iraqi forces, the popular forces and government forces, are now ready to end the insurgency and end this terrorism," he said.

"But there is a kind of thinking inside the [outgoing interim] government that they must not use [them]."

The Kurds have in the past offered the use of their estimated 80,000 Peshmerga guerrillas for security tasks but have been turned down.

So, too, has the Iranian-influenced Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri) and its Badr brigade, another well-trained fighting force.

"We cannot wait for years and years of terrorist activity because we haven't enough government forces," the president said.

Role for religion

He envisaged taking up the offers of Sunni leaders who wanted to join the political process to ensure security in their own areas.

He admitted that the Americans remained opposed to the idea of a role for irregular forces.

"But we are independent now," he added.

Mr Talabani played down fears that the Kurds' senior partners in the coalition underpinning the yet-to-be-announced government, the Shia religious factions, might try to impose an Islamic government.

While Islam was generally agreed to be the religion of the state and should influence its laws, there could not be an Islamic government, he said.

"In Iraq, it is impossible, because you have Kurds, Arabs, Shia, Sunni, Christians - such a kind of mosaic society. It is not Iran, it cannot be an Islamic society. If anyone tried to impose it, Iraq would be divided."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4454985.stm

Published: 2005/04/18 00:34:48 GMT

© BBC MMV

Yahoo! News - GOP Lawmaker May Vote Against U.N. Nominee

So Chuckie Hagel... You need even more proof that Bolton does not deserve the job. Just one more reason and then you have had it with him, huh? It is ok if there are dozens or more cites of Bolton's lunacy already publically known BUT just one more reason and you pull the plug on Bolton, huh? I am certain that someone will manage to find one more reason for you real soon. It is like looking at Tom "the hummer" DeLay's (he really sucks!) record and finding more proof of his being on the take and a huge hypocrite. As easy as shooting sardines in a can with a shotgun. You can bet they will find one more reason for you, Chuckie, but will you have the balls to do what you said you would when that time comes OR are you just grandstanding in an effort to "look bi-partisan" OR (more likely) are you trying to get a better bribe from DeLay et. al.?

Yahoo! News - GOP Lawmaker May Vote Against U.N. Nominee: "GOP Lawmaker May Vote Against U.N. Nominee
By SIOBHAN McDONOUGH, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - A top Senate Republican raised the possibility Sunday that he might vote against President Bush's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations if more accusations surface about John Bolton's alleged harassment of analysts who disagreed with his views

With a Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote expected Tuesday, Sen. Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record) of Nebraska was asked whether he would endorse Bolton. 'At this point, I will ... but I have been troubled with more and more allegations, revelations, coming about his style, his method of operation,' said Hagel, the committee's No. 2 Republican.

'We need a uniter,' he told CNN's 'Late Edition.' 'We need a builder. We need someone who will reach out to our friends and our allies at the United Nations.'

Bolton, who is now undersecretary of state, has been a vocal U.N. critic and rankled some lawmakers with his tough talk on foreign policy.

Democrats, who have accused Bolton of bullying subordinates, requested last week that a vote be delayed for further questioning of Bolton in writing and while they sought testimony by three U.S. officials on what lawmakers said were Bolton's efforts to remove dissenting analysts from their jobs.

Hagel said he was disturbed to learn of allegations that Bolton tried to intimidate an analyst — a State Department employee — who is now a temporary staffer in the senator's office.

Rexon Ryu did not initially tell Hagel about his encounter with Bolton until Ryu discovered the matter would become public.

Bolton and Ryu reportedly clashed in 2003 when Ryu allegedly failed to provide a document for Bolton's chief of staff. Bolton, allegedly accused Ryu of hiding information.

Hagel deemed the allegations "a disturbing pattern of things that have come out about Bolton's management style, this intimidation. We cannot have that at the United Nations. That should not be anywhere in our government."

Sen. Richard Lugar (news, bio, voting record), chairman of the committee, said he hopes to confirm Bolton on Tuesday, ending "not a pleasant set of hearings" on the contentious nominee.

The president "thinks Bolton is an agent of reform, has really the skills and the savvy and what have you, and maybe the combative nature, to bring about change," Lugar, R-Ind., told "Fox News Sunday."

But the committee's top Democrat said Bolton, a critic of the world body in the past, lacks credibility for the job, which could undermine U.S. influence.

"John Bolton's strong and in some areas very respected ideological view of foreign policy intelligence are admirable, but they're not admirable for someone running a Cabinet-level position, one of the largest embassies in the world, which is essentially, the embassy of the United States at the U.N.," Sen. Joseph Biden (news, bio, voting record), D-Del. said.

"What happens when our ambassador has to stand up and make the case on intelligence relating to Iraq and North Korea?" Biden added. "Do you think John Bolton is going to be believed? ... I think it matters a great deal whether or not they have credibility as we move into these most dangerous moments with Korea and with Iran."

Last week, the second-ranking senator of the minority Democratic Party said he expected Bolton to be confirmed despite Democrat efforts to derail Bush's choice for U.N. ambassador.

"I think ultimately he will be confirmed, but I hope there will be a spirited debate before that happens," Sen. Dick Durbin, of Illinois, said. "

Life sucks... Too bad it doesn't swallow!