"Dead Wrong"

Those are the words that Vice President Biden used when he commented on  Darth Vader's Dick Cheney's comments that Americans are less safe today because we aren't hanging terrorists up by their toenails.

As you may have gathered from yesterday's post (Spies Like Us), I am not even remotely in favor of the tacts the Bush Administration took to "secure" our safety. And I am deeply disturbed that Obama's people are not only keeping these tactics available, but are expanding on them. Wiretapping without a warrant and sending people to undisclosed locations does not keep us safer in the end. Not only does it turn people around the world against us and create even more future terrorists, it takes away many of the basic tenants of civil liberty that our country was founded on.

But what is most intriguing about the hubbub around Cheney's and Biden's remarks is the media's response to what Biden said. 

First of all let me set some things straight—Cheney is no longer in office; he doesn't have access to the information to determine what the United States security position is.

Secondly, it is poor cricket indeed for the former administration to be so bold in their criticism this early on in the new administration's time in office. Dubya ain't doing it; his daddy didn't do it, and Clinton didn't do it. There is a time for former leaders to criticize, but it surely isn't during the first 100 days when so much is at stake. While it would appear that Cheney has indeed "gone rogue," it would be nice if someone could reign him in. (Where is a man-eating shark when you need one?)

Finally, even if it were ok for Cheney to be critical at this point, or even later when it would be in better form, there is no need to sound so gleeful about the idea of another terrorist attack on Americans. This man is practically begging someone to do something just so he can be pronounced right. That is disturbing and he just might be even more deranged than I previously imagined.

But back to Biden. Joe's response to Cheney struck me as measured and almost subdued, which is saying a lot for Biden. I mean dude hasn't always been one to watch what he says . . . . This time around, however, I feel like he struck the right tone, respectful disagreement. CNN has more here.

The Right is being critical of Biden's response (of course), as Salon's Joan Walsh details in her blog post and as seen in this MSNBC clip where she debates David Rivkin, who not only thinks that Cheney isn't insane, but also managed to get Joan's name wrong too. Classy. Biden is not the one out of line here. Not even close.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Bonus Round

I guess I am just bored gentle readers. Yes, AIG's dispensing of bonuses to its employees is wrong, wrong, wrong. But I am having a hard time giving a shit. I can't stop it. It isn't like I will get any of that money. And in the grand scheme of things, even without the bonuses, they have WAY more loot than I. But I wish President Obama luck in getting them stopped.

Then there was last week's smack down between Jim Cramer and Jon Stewart. While nothing makes me more gleeful than seeing my boyfriend Jon give someone a good talking to, my soul is more jaded than usual of late and the euphoria did not linger. That being said, if you have ever longed to see Cramer cower, I highly recommend checking the clips out:

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Jim Cramer Pt. 1

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Jim Cramer

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Jim Cramer Pt. 2

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Jim Cramer

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Jim Cramer Pt. 3

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Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

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Jim Cramer

And yeah it is in three parts and was pretty much the entire episode. There are unedited versions available as well. So you know, when you have some spare time, you can watch.

Meanwhile, Bill Maher has cut back to two guests rather than three, and although I was glad he had a conservative on last Friday night, so at least things got mixed up a bit, it was still a big shoulder shrugger. He ended with Sarah Silverman who I just don't entirely get. Guys seem to love her, and I admit she is cute, really cute, but mostly she strikes me as some sort of Freaky Friday experiment gone awry and made permanent—if a frat boy got swapped with a hot Jewish girl and never got swapped back. Ok maybe I just explained the appeal. Nevertheless . . .

Ugh. Maybe it is the never ending rain we have experienced of late getting me down, or the all too frequent sightings of Cheney lately (seriously dude, go away), but I am bored with politics. Perhaps this is just the inevitable let down from the high of an election year. I think the thing that has excited me most lately is the snarkiness displayed of late by current White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. Dude has some backbone.

I may be forced to start posting about puppies or rainbows or God forbid something worse like the travails of Britney Spears. 

Retreat and Retrench

I am weeping copious tears today for the poor, beleaguered executives at Wells Fargo who are going to have to forgo their retreat to Sin City this year because we pesky middle class Americans are all up in arms at their lack of frugality. And woe is me! It is going to cost them. Something tells me that it is going to cost them way more than cash. I particularly love what Barney Frank had to say to the banking industry in general:

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., said banks were acting "stupid" and making it harder for lawmakers to defend them.

"People really hate you," he said, imploring banks to do everything possible to avoid offending people. "And they're starting to hate us just for hanging out with you."

Yeah I would say that pretty much pegs it. Meanwhile in other financial news, Obama's decision to cap CEO salaries at $500,000 for any company taking a future government bailout has been lauded by those on Wall Street as draconian. Are you freakin' kidding me? If that is draconian, maybe they should just give the CEO's a 10th of that, a salary that the average American would consider themselves damn blessed to have.

Meanwhile, the Senate Democrats can't seem to grow a pair and force the Republicans to actually filibuster Obama's proposed stimulus package. The Dems have 58 seats so it seems logical that they could come up with 50 votes to pass the thing. But no! They would rather lie down and roll over while the GOP forces them to meet the 60 vote threshold a filibuster demands without working for it. What is going on here? Is this some sort of bizarro version of battered spouse syndrome? The Democrats are so used to being whipped by the Republicans that they can't stand up and take charge, rather they continue to cower and submit? Today my party of choice is making me sick.

Adding to my general feeling of malaise is the fact that Cheney has decided to re-emerge. (Is this like the groundhog? A Cheney sighting means we will have eight more weeks of fear-mongering  or some other Bush Administration-related bullshit?) And what tender morsel of glee does the Dark Lord have to convey to us today?

"When we get people who are more concerned about reading the rights to an Al Qaeda terrorist than they are with protecting the United States against people who are absolutely committed to do anything they can to kill Americans, then I worry," Cheney said in an interview with Politico. He added that protecting the country is "a tough, mean, dirty, nasty business... These are evil people. And we’re not going to win this fight by turning the other cheek."

Right Dick. It is so much better that we inter people without cause or reason indefinitely. Cheney talked about the recidivism rate of the Gitmo detainees at 11%. Alrighty. But, maybe you ask, what is the recidivism rate of a normal U.S. prison? That would be 65%. Just go away Cheney, sane people do not care to buy the crazy that you are peddling.

You know, I don't know what the answer is to our current economic nightmare (aside from wishing this was an episode of Dallas and we will wake up and find out it was all a dream), but I do know that no one—meaning the politicians—seem to be talking about the credit card debt that faces most Americans. Only my boyfriend Jon Stewart seems to be pushing for this to be acknowledged. Twice in the last two weeks, he has questioned guests (newscaster, Gwen Ifill, and economist, Lawrence Lindsey) as to why the government can't give the American people a bailout to pay off their debts, thus giving the banks liquidity and giving the consumers cash to spend and/or save—preferably both. (Isn't it ironic that just last year everyone bitched about how Americans weren't saving and now they are bitching that we aren't spending? Make up your minds already.)

Admittedly I am no economist, but sounds like a fine idea to me. Maybe we all need to start contacting our Representatives and Senators asking why this idea isn't on the table?

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Lawrence Lindsey

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Gwen Ifill

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Final Farewell

For 2, 915 days I have been awaiting the time when I could bid George W. Bush a final adieu. With only five days in his presidency remaining, I have started waking up in a cold sweat, filled with fear that he will refuse to leave or something equally dastardly. (Ok, I am not really waking up in a cold sweat, but I put nothing past this man, or more specifically his puppet master, Cheney, but more on Lord Vader in a moment.)

Tonight, Bush will address the nation, part of this week's veritable pantheon of farewell addresses. For my own sanity, I may have to skip this one. I have long ago given up watching his State of the Union addresses and the like, simply because my weak and aged heart can not stand the driving, thrust of my increased blood pressure.

So I must confess I didn't see the entire final press conference that Bush gave on Monday, but the delightful snippets I have caught on the news and other venues have been enough to create a mild ventricular arrhythmia. Bush was at times defiant (to be expected and his favorite way of addressing the media), petulant (my personal fave in his emotional arsenal), and simply insane. Some highlights (per Yahoo News):

• DEFIANT—He particularly became indignant when asked about America's bruised image overseas."I disagree with this assessment that, you know, that people view America in a dim light," he said. "It may be damaged amongst some of the elite. But people still understand America stands for freedom."
• PETULANT—He went on to mock the way some describe the job."I believe the phrase 'burdens of the office' is overstated," he said. "You know, it's kind of like, `Why me? Oh, the burdens, you know. Why did the financial collapse have to happen on my watch?' It's just pathetic, isn't it, self-pity? And I don't believe that President-elect Obama will be full of self-pity."
• INSANE—He also cited the abuses found to have been committed by members of the U.S. military at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq as "a huge disappointment.""I don't know if you want to call those mistakes or not, but they were — things didn't go according to plan, let's put it that way," Bush said.

Disappointment or disappointing seemed to be Bush's watchword for the entire affair. For analysis of that, I must bow to Jon Stewart's greater skill (this is about an 8 minute clip and the best part starts around 3.30 minutes in)

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Six Days Seven Nights

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

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I think that Jon Stewart is right, Bush needs to redefine the word "disappointment." But then Bush has never understood nuance. 

And now for a bit on Cheney. He too has been pounding the media pavement of late, tossing bon mots about the way he usually throws around buck shot and pace makers.  The transcript from last night's The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and some fun bits:

• ON MISTAKES MADE—That is, we thought that the Iraqis would be able to bounce back fairly quickly, once Saddam was gone and their new government established, and step up to take major responsibilities for governing Iraq, building a military and so forth. And that took longer than I expected.
• ON THE IRAQ WAR—(Question)But Mr. Vice President, getting from there to here, 4,500 Americans have died, at least 100,000 Iraqis have died. Has it been worth that?  (Cheney) "I think so."

How many hours in five days  . . .

Shameful

With all eyes on the election today, it seems especially pertinent to remind voters of just what is at stake. The NY Times posted an editorial yesterday that aimed to do just that. 

The article looked at what the Bush Administration would try to slip in under the radar during their last 77 days in office (expanding on an earlier post). Among the atrocities Dubya and Cheney and the boys (sorry Condi) are aiming for are your civil liberties, the environment and abortion. Here are some highlights:

• New FBI guidelines—Agents will be allowed to use informants to infiltrate lawful groups, engage in prolonged physical surveillance and lie about their identity while questioning a subject’s neighbors, relatives, co-workers and friends.
• New EPA rule—They are expected to issue a final rule that would make it easier for coal-fired power plants to locate near national parks in defiance of longstanding Congressional mandates to protect air quality in areas of special natural or recreational value.
• Health & Human Services–The department's secretary, Michael Leavitt, is expected, after the election, to extend the so-called right to refuse to a wide range of health care workers and activities including abortion referrals, unbiased counseling and provision of birth control pills or emergency contraception, even for rape victims.
  
  

The Money Grab

Last week's Newsweek had a great article by Francis Fukuyama a professor of international economy at Johns Hopkins University, titled "The Fall of America, Inc." He discussed the damage to the American "brand" that has been done by this most recent stock crisis.

The part that I was most intrigued by came as he discussed the transition in our economy from the Reagan to the Clinton years. Fukuyama highlights a fact that has totally driven me crazy in the last eight years with Dubya in office, but apparently it has its roots back in the Reagan era—today's so called conservatives no longer seem to believe in only spending what they bring in. Apparently this is something that went the way of the dodo during Reagan's tenure when he promoted the idea that any tax cut would stimulate the economy so much that it didn't matter what the government spent, they would be taking in so much.

Psych! What happened is we started the 1990s with a huge deficit due to those tax cuts. Clinton took office, raised taxes and produced a surplus. Cut to Dubya, taxes get cut and we end up with a deficit so huge they have to take down the deficit clock in NYC due to LACK OF NUMBER SPACE!!!! 

So although Cheney apparently told Dubya early on that "deficits don't matter" that's just one more thing that Cheney has gotten horribly, horribly wrong. Why should I even be surprised. And of course here comes McCain yelling that Obama is going to raise taxes (the horror!) and that is going to kill our economy. So what does he want to do? Lower taxes  and freeze spending. Does anyone else see a huge problem here?

Three Strikes

Yesterday the news broke that Obama's passport file was breached three times by the State Department since the first of the year. Of course this is all due to the lack of oversight and no-warrants-required system that our government has created in recent years.

Maybe some of you think it is no big deal, but when the Department of Justice acknowledges (as it did two weeks ago) that the FBI has for years been abusing the national security letters part of the Patriot Act that is bad. The national security letters allows the FBI to look at whatever personal info they want about Americans without a warrant or any oversight. This means that without being accused of anything, Americans have been having their personal information riffled through. Nice. The Washington Post has more details here.

Then, of course, there is the recent interview that Dick Cheney gave to ABC's Martha Raddatz. Cheney made a statement that the surge has been a success (duh, of course he WOULD say that) and then Raddatz asked him how that squared with a recent poll that showed two-thirds of Americans think the fight in Iraq isn't worth it. As you probably all know by now 'ole Dickie-boy's response was "So." Nice. You can read or view the interview for yourself here. 

Finally, there is McCain's recent gaffe in a press conference in the Middle East where he stated that Iran was training and harboring Al Qaeda terrorists. His sidekick Joe Lieberman quickly stepped forward to correct him, and McCain restated his remark, but I am not sure I am buying that he didn't mean what he first said. This hasn't gotten much coverage because many of the media just seems to trust the idea that McCain knows what he is talking about when it comes to foreign policy. (For more on that, visit Glenn Greenwald's blog on Salon.com.) This is the man after all who sang, "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran."  Then Thursday, McCain's national security spokesman said this:

"There is ample documentation that Iran has provided many different forms of support to Sunni extremists, including Al Qaeda as well as Shi'ia extremists in Iraq. It would require a willing suspension of disbelief to deny Iran supports Al Qaeda in Iraq."

There is a lot we don't know about Iran. But one thing seems clear, that if the Bush administration doesn't get its chance to go after Iran, something it has seemingly hungered after for years, then McCain (if elected president) may just carry on that dream.

Just something to think about if you are on the fence about who to vote for—the Democrats or the Republicans. Frankly to me, it looks like three strikes against the current and incumbent Republicans in just this last week. Imagine what they could do with four more years . . .

The Green Post

Happy St. Patrick's Day Ya'll!

Well, now that I have that out of my system . . . In case you weren't properly enjoying your Monday I have two tidbits of news that will be sure to bring a spring to your step!

First, Clinton and Obama have agreed to another debate on April 16, in Philadelphia prior to the Pennsylvania primary. Oh joy! Oh rapture! Whatever will they talk about? Probably what they have been talking about for the previous 20 debates. I really don't know if I have the energy for another debate. Speaking of which, Obama has agreed to another possible debate, three days later in my home state of North Carolina. See, and you thought our primary wouldn't matter! Shame on you.

Second, does it send a shiver down anyone else's spine to know that Dick Cheney (and family) along with Republican nominee John McCain and two of his lap dogs, SC senator Lindsey Graham and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman have been kicking up their heels together in Iraq?

And what did Darth Evil have to say about the past five years in Iraq? "If you look back on those five years it has been a difficult, challenging but nonetheless successful endeavor . . . and it has been well worth the effort."

Wonder if the almost 4,000 U.S. dead and the estimated 600,000 Iraqi dead (definitely more now, since the linked article is six months old) feel the same way as ole Dick?

Shotgun Anniversary

And I bet you all thought I forgot!

Today marks the two year anniversary of Dick Cheney accidentally shooting his hunting buddy Harry Whittington with 200 pellets of buckshot. Nothing says true friendship like someone taking several hundred metal beads to the face and then apologizing for it!

You Say It's Your Birthday

A big 'ole happy 67th to our VP Darth Vader. Hope you have a great day—now isn't it past time for you to retire?