Karmic Retribution
Topic: Personal Attack
The news that CNN Suspends Robert Novak a.k.a. the Prince of Darkness After He Walks Off Set is some of the best news I've heard in a long time. As far as I'm concerned if there isn't a law applicable to Novak's disgraceful and contemptuous behavior in the Plame affair there should be and Novak should be sitting in a jail cell.

There are 2 reasons why I'm glad to see that Novak's been suspended. The first is that seeing Novak's despicable and childlike behavior tells me that this man, contrary to all previous malevolent acts, does indeed have a conscience and quite possibly starting to realize that the people he affected were flesh and blood human beings completely undeserving of soulless partisan retribution.

The 2nd reason why I'm glad to see that Novak's been suspended from CNN is that it has repeatedly been shown to me that miracles large and small happen to prove not to mess with the laws of karmic retribution because it is an absolute universal truth and as they say in the south, a real sum-a-bitch. My future probably doesn't bode well for taking such glee in Novak's downfall but I say this is finally a small win for the good guys. It's really too bad it took something so insignificant as Novak walking off the set of Crossfire for him to finally say that he's sorry.

He is sorry.

Congressional Watergate?
Topic: State Of The Union
The latest developing and potential blockbuster of a story that we know will be repeatedly misreported in the mainstream news, may be by a woman by the name of Sibel Edmonds who is taking her former employer the FBI and key high-level Democrats and Republicans head on. RawStory.com is reporting that Vanity Fair is going to be floating allegations that GOP chief Hastert took Turkish bribes.

Gail Sheehy of The New York Observer reported about the linguists plight back on January 21st of 2004 in an article entitled, "Whistleblower coming in cold from the F.B.I.". Sheehy reported that Edmonds has accused the FBI of a number of misdeeds including attempting to extort members of Congress by willfully allowing translation work to go unprocessed in an attempt to show that the FBI required more money to protect the nation.

Edmonds has also claimed the FBI has used bully tactics to keep her quiet about other allegations such as,

"...security lapses in hiring and monitoring of translators, investigations that have been compromised by incorrect or misleading translations sent to field agents; and thousands of pages of translations falsely labeled "not pertinent" by Middle Eastern linguists who were either not qualified in the target language or English, or, worse, protecting targets of investigation."

Additionally, TheMemoryHole.org has some great "double-super-secret background" on Ms. Edmonds' previous allegations, Classified Letters Regarding FBI Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds.

Sibel Edmonds is now alleging that she was privy to top secret conversations that took place between Turkish nationals and U.S. lawmakers whereby the Turks attempted to bribe U.S. politicians into not voting for a resolution to condemn the actions of Turkey in its complicity for genocide of its native Armenian population in 1915 because the ramifications of which would make Turkey's acceptance into the European Union extremely difficult if not impossible. The conversations have allegedly taken place between Republican U.S. Representative and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and other politicians from both sides of the aisle.

DemocracyNOW.org is reporting that

"Hastert originally backed the resolution but then withdrew it minutes before it was scheduled to go up for a House vote.

Hastert’s office has denied receiving any such payments and Vanity Fair reports that there is no evidence that any payments were made.

Edmonds is suing the government over her (sic) dismissal but the Bush administration is attempting to have the lawsuit quashed claiming it would reveal state secrets."

The following are questions asked by Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes to the Republican Senator from Iowa, Charles Grassley, about the credibility of testimony by Sibel Edmonds concerning previous allegations,

Bradley: "Did she seem credible to you? Did her story seem credible?"

GRASSLEY: "Absolutely, she's credible. And the reason I feel she's very credible is because people within the FBI have corroborated a lot of her story."

If these new allegations prove to be true this story has the makings of a controversy tantamount to Watergate squared but this time the repercussions of which will be felt by the legislative branch and the F.B.I.

Inspiration
Topic: Hopefully Humorous
I don't feel inspired to write about anything. Today a plane skipped off the runway in Toronto and everyone survived. I was glad to hear it but not remotely inspired to write about it.

There was the Bolton "abscess appointment" as it was called (I think) on TomPaine.com. Yeah so. We all know Bush is a horrible leader who makes completely pudding-brained decisions. My sentiments are let's move on. So what that we're the laughing stock of the world? Remember the election of 2000?

Iran is resuming it's nuclear program and do-do brain still won't sit down and have a simple conversation with them as he's left it up to the Germans, the British and the French to do all his heavy lifting while he goes off to Crawford for the 50th time. God knows that's where the next 1800 soldiers will die when Bush or his Republican "war at any costs" successor gets us into another iniquitous war of choice. Been there, done that.

1800 - no there's a milestone. The Busheviks and their ilk most be so happy that they've reached that one. But hey, we've turned the corner. Just close your eyes and try to forget that our troops are being attacked 50% more often than last year at this time. I know what we can do, just engrave all their tombstones with "turning the corner." Or here's a better idea, we'll just change our slogan. That'll show 'em! I'm curious, is mass stupidity by "intelligent design?"

Bill Frist is planning his run for President by announcing that he has finally broken from being Bush's ass hound and he's all for federally funding stem cell research. Way to go Billy boy, god knows you're politics are based on your love for your fellow man. Me and the Nazi Pope have voted. It's official, you're a saint. Release the smoke.

The space shuttle's cracking up. Again. And Michael Jackson ain't doing the moon walk because all his free time is being spent having pictures of his genitals taken.

The same Rafael Palmiero who said in front of a Senate hearing that he absolutely has not used steroids, has used steroids. His excuse is something about the steroids making their way into his body without his knowledge. Forget about "what the definition of is, is," Clinton should have used "she blew me without my knowledge." Can you just picture the entire House of Representatives doing a collective "oooooohhhhhh" and then voting against impeachment?

The polar ice caps are melting, major life-taking storms are happening more often and getting more ferocious and the dunder head gallery is running around yelling that it's all a figment of our imagination. Tell that to the polar bear who's sitting atop what was once a mighty glacier but is now a tiny iceberg as it heads for the Florida coast where it's about to be hit by 2 category 5 hurricanes.

Oh and lest I forget that I've received some 1000 emails from every foreign government on the face of the earth letting me know that I've won the lotto and another email 10,000 times from some dead guy from Liberia named Taylor who would just would love to give me millions of dollars because I'm so trustworthy. I have yet to see one red cent of any of that money. I'm either the luckiest guy on Earth or the unluckiest. Wait, I just got another 100,000 emails saying I'm the "lucky winner" so I guess that answers that.

I just wish I could find something compelling to write about. I wonder what J. Lo and Ben Affleck are up to?

Violence V. Diplomacy
Topic: State Of The World
In what is being heralded as a momentous occasion the IRA Is Ending Longtime 'Armed Campaign'. For all the violence perpetrated by both sides, they both have accomplished far more, in a shorter period of time, by sitting down and talking with one another. They still have a long way to go but it is my belief that the greatest obstacle for them to overcome is the distrust and hostility that has arisen from years of violence.

You need go no further than the analogy of your life to understand why this works. Try and recall how many seemingly insurmountable problems that you, your friends and your family have faced in the course of your lives. The overwhelming majority of you have never killed anyone to solve any of your problems and those of you who have ask yourself, did it solve your problems or only create more?

Diplomacy wins every time and it's to bad that we usually only draw that conclusion after doing what doesn't work.

Mike Did.
Topic: Personal
On June 28th, just 2 days before my birthday, I was listening to the radio when a news report described how a helicopter carrying Navy SEALS crashed in Afghanistan and that they were in the process of finding out the status of those on board. I instantly thought of Mike Murphy. I called my wife who was still in contact with someone that worked with Mike's father. I received a phone call back from my wife saying "Sorry honey, Mike was on that plane."

It struck me tonight while I glanced at the picture of Mike in the article hanging on my fridge about why I haven't written about him. I can't live up to him. I can't describe how miserably low I feel for saying that. It's just that Mike was everything I try to live up to. Despite our differences about the military, I think me and Mike had a lot in common. With one huge difference. I wish that I could live up to my ideals and Mike, humbly did. I wish that I could have the courage of my convictions to lay it all on the line, coming to the card game with everything I have. Mike did. I wish I could put my head down, forget my perceived limitations and forge ahead, despite everything that they throw at me. Mike did. I wish that I could come to the aid of another human being, demonstrating the most ideal form of altruism by giving the only thing we really have, life. Mike did.

I can remember sitting in the car with Mike and his father as he drove me home from little league and puzzling at the intensity of their conversations. Mike had a goal and his father was just as intent upon making sure that Mike had the tools to succeed as Mike was in succeeding. At the time I didn't realize that I was witnessing greatness in the making.

When I heard that Mike Murphy became a Navy SEAL I was initially taken aback. I thought about Mike's small stature. How could a guy like him become a Navy SEAL? After all those guys are like Superman. I thought Mike may be a "Robin" but he's definitely no "Batman." And then I realized that those thoughts were due to my shortcomings, not Mike's. I remembered him possessing something so rarely observed. There is no better way to describe it than to say that Mike possessed a humble yet quietly intense perseverance. I remember thinking back to playing football and baseball with him and watching this humble, intense perseverance in motion. I particularly remember how Mike would rise to the occasion to help out the team, not for his ego but for the greater glory of the team. He was finely capable of doing just that. I was left thinking that Mike is the epitome of what it means to be a SEAL.

The details of Mike's death paint the picture of how many of us wish we could live; being, instead of wishing for greatness.

Mike, I am honored to have known you.

For more about Mike's service,

Remembering Lt. Michael P. Murphy

Navy SEAL from LI killed in Afghanistan

Official: Afghans sheltered SEAL from Taliban

How the Shepherd Saved the SEAL

Ceremony honors SEALs killed in Afghanistan

Longing For The Days....
Topic: Hopefully Humorous
Ah, do you remember the days when conservatives and liberals could get together and argue the finer points of the size of government? How I long for the days when the merits of my arguments were considered instead of my patriotism as exhibited by how well I fall in line with the views of the present administration.

Anyway, RawStory.com is linking to an article on the Rutland Herald entitled,

GOP candidate calls for impeachment

I'd much rather have the Independent Bernie Sanders but if I lived in Vermont Dennis Morrisseau is one maverick Republican I could vote for.

Isn't it ironic how during this tumultuous time for the Republican party and the United States that returning to your political roots makes you a "maverick?"

Talking Point
Topic: State Of The Union
Falling in line and being the good little Democrat that I'm not, here is the number 1 talking point,

Bloomberg Is Reporting That Karl Rove Is A Liar,
What A Shock!

After all, it is what they told me to say.

What Did You Expect?
Topic: State Of The Union
The President has predictably nominated conservative judge John G. Roberts for the Supreme Court.

Wanna know what I think? I'm gonna tell you anyway!

I think the President said that he would fire anyone responsible for leaking the identity of a undercover CIA agent to the press. I think that Karl Rove and Irv Lewis "Scooter" Libby have clearly done that.

I think that Joseph Wilson's credibility is not in question. I think that not only was he truthful, I think this administration admitted so much when they retracted the statement about Iraq seeking Uranium from Niger from the state of the Union address. Not to mention that IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Director Mohammed El Baradei has definitively quelled any remote possibility that Iraq was seeking Uranium from Niger by basically saying that the "intelligence" that it was a based on was a really bad hoax. Another administrator for the IAEA went so far as to say that it was possible to debunk the obvious hoax by doing a simple Google search.

What perplexes me is why on earth would anyone from this administration target Joseph Wilson for character assassination? They should have just left it alone and the press and the public would have completely ignored it.

I think that even if Karl Rove, Chief Advisor to the President of the United States and Scooter Libby, the Vice President's Chief of Staff, didn't use Valerie Plame's name or didn't know that she was considered an undercover agent by the C.I.A. and therefore not technically in violation of any laws, they still should be strung up from the nearest tree because they should have known or they shouldn't have opened their mouths.

Despite everything that RNC shill for the White House Ken Mehlman has to say on the subject, reality is that the CIA believes that a crime has been committed. Reality is that a federal investigation is proceeding and while it does journalist Judith Miller sits in a real jail. Reality is that Joseph Wilson was right and that President George W. Bush's has lied yet again. Reality is that all of the justifications for war with Iraq are complete bullshit. NO WMD. NO ties with Al-Queda. NO imminent threat.

As for Roberts, what did you expect from the pathological liar-and-thief George W. Bush when he said that he would be a uniter not a divider?

A Simple Question
Topic: Iraq
I think that we'd all agree that terrorism is defined as violence directed at civilians. I also think that we could all agree that in any war we can be assured that innocent people will be killed including women and children. My question is that if we are certain that innocent women and children will be killed at our hands in our discretionary war in Iraq, what separates our actions from that of the terrorists?

Obit.
Topic: Satire
A popular political party that rose to tremendous power in the 20th century, the Republican party redefined the nation's political agenda and dramatically reshaped the role of government in the private lives of its citizens.

The resilience of the party was observed throughout such morally testing times as the Nixon resignation and the Iran-Contra affair hearings. The party was symbolized by an elephant and possessed the animal-like quality of stubbornness that was often imitated but never duplicated.

Placing an inordinate amount of "political capital" in an oft repeated but rarely defined term known as "values," the contradiction between the party's actions and its rhetoric on the subject ultimately lead to its demise. The beginning of the end started on November 7th, 2000 with a great revolutionary crisis that eventually caused the party to wind up on the ash heap of history.

The party is survived by 62,040,610 bewildered citizens. Eventually those that supported the party came to learn of its great hypocrisy and strict adherence to its single tenet of profit and power before country.

The beginnings of the schism which ultimately lead to an unrepairable fracture of the party was fostered by the group's recruitment of corporations and the religious right, who's competing interests and dogmas were too diametrically opposed for a public ultimately concerned with political pragmatism. The final shot to the great political beast was administered by the ideologue and capitalist President George W. Bush, who embodied what the party had morphed into, from a pragmatic and benevolent organization into the world's biggest corporate and religious special interest group.

Bush, while leading the party towards the "ash heap," never came to realize that his wanton lust for power and profit would never allow his moral motivations to be ratified. Some claim that this internal tug-of-war was created by Bush's political master, Karl Rove, conclusions cannot be easily drawn except to say that Rove's obvious Machiavellian machinations lead a majority of the public to question the validity of their initial judgement that the party and its leaders were trustworthy. In fact, while many of the religious right claimed that there did indeed exist a morally unambiguous truth, their observations of the Bush administration and the Republican party lead them to believe that truth as the party observed it was malleable and justice would only be dished out to those who dare question the right of the ruler to rule.

At a time when the party held its greatest political power a small minority was calling for a return to the moderation that they believed the party once stood for. Unfortunately the voices of the reasonable were drowned out by those that claimed that the results of the elections were enough for the party to forsake respect for the truth.

The Democratic party issued the following statement,

"We offer our condolences to those unsuspecting souls that were blindsided by these events. You are in our thoughts and our prayers and we wish you the best.

The Republican party was a fierce political adversary and the competitor in all of us will miss their fighting spirit. In years past the Republican party has tried to keep us honest, sometimes more so than we tried to keep ourselves. For this we thank them for their shining example of what becomes of a party that fails to turn that discerning eye inward to introspectively correct faults and remain humble.

The example that has arisen out of the ashes could not be clearer. Whatever organizations come to represent the disparate groups affected by these events will be better off for it. Homage, no matter how bizarre, must be paid posthumously to the Republican party for allowing this much needed evolution and for this we again thank them."

Services will be held at the Lincoln Memorial at 900 Ohio Drive, S.W. Washington, DC 20024. Memorial donations may be made to Amnesty international, Children's Defense Fund, American Civil Liberties Union, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, NAACP, the United Nations, Sierra Club, Human Rights Watch, Greenpeace, Citizens for Tax Justice, and the Public Broadcasting Service.