BartBlog

                                  Finally… the TRUTH!
“Rewarding truthtellers during a time when lying is more profitable.”

I have a fantasy that at one of these moments, a candidate will say, “You know what, Tim (Russert), I’m not going to answer that question. (”What’s your favorite Bible verse?”) This is serious business. And you, sir, are a disgrace. You have in front of you a group of accomplished, talented leaders, one of whom will in all likelihood be the next president of the United States. You can ask them whatever you want. And you choose to engage in this ridiculous gotcha game, thinking up inane questions you hope will trick us into saying something controversial or stupid. Your fondest hope is that the answer to your question will destroy someone’s campaign. You’re not a journalist, you’re the worst kind of hack, someone whose efforts not only don’t contribute to a better informed electorate, they make everyone dumber. So no, I’m not going to stand here and try to come up with the most politically safe Bible verse to cite. Is that the best you can do?”

                                         -Paul Waldman

      Without further ado, YOS Enterprises and Magical, Marvelous, Genetic- Altering, Syntax-ual based Experimentation Lab Present…

                                  Two Torture Memos
                         “Thanks, RS, for the inspiration.”

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I just saw it on CNN – they’re going to confirm Mukasey, 
who says that President Bush doesn’t need to obey the law?

They need to have their minds changed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071102/ap_on_go_co/senate_mukasey

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Friday he won’t support Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey, further undercutting his chances for a quick confirmation, because Mukasey hasn’t taken a firm enough stand against torture.

“No American should need a classified briefing to determine whether waterboarding is torture,” said U.S. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt. He planned an afternoon news conference to make the announcement in Burlington.

Sliding support among Democrats on the panel, which will vote on the nomination Tuesday, makes it somewhat less likely the full Senate will send Mukasey to a Justice Department that has been leaderless for weeks.

Leahy became the firth of the panel’s 10 Democrats so far to say they will not support him.

Bart says: Fine, you’ll vote against him, but how about working the room and secure the rest of those votes?  And how about a filibuster or whatever you do to stop this bastard?
Bush can’t find a single Republican who’s not into torture?    I say MAKE HIM find one.

Let’s insist he put somebody in there with a reputation – maybe B’Orin Hatch.
Would Hatch risk prison to cover for Bush’s crimes in office?  I don’t think so.

No more cronies – let’s get a known entity who’s not on their payroll for A.G.. 

After it was announced that diplomats at the State Department would be forced to serve at the US Embassy in Iraq, many expressed their displeasure with the plan at a meeting this week. Essentially these career diplomats have been told by the Bush administration that if they are assigned to Iraq and refuse to go they will lose their jobs.

Traditionally diplomats are not forced to serve but rather are required to list preferences and then are assigned based on that list if appropriate. One diplomat at the meeting this week likened the Bush scenario of service in Iraq as a death sentenced passed on them for being career diplomats. However, the Bush people don’t seem to give a shit about the careers of the diplomats or the success of the State Department since they are willing to randomly send diplomats off to dodge rockets and gun fire inIraq or if they refuse to go fire them. Not a great moral booster for a department that has not had great success during this administration and faces many obstacle such as North Korea and Iran

Now a GOP lawmaker has decided to add his stupidity to the problem. Rep. Duncan Hunter a low level candidate for the presidency has decided to give us his ideas on the issue. In a statement Hunter said, “Let’s replace these reluctant Nellies with America’s finest citizens, our wounded warriors will serve our country efficiently, effectively and with undying patriotism.” Who the hell said any of our wounded soldiers would even be willing to go back to a place where they were wounded and scarred and shouldn’t have been in the first place.

Additionally, where does a low level politician like Hunter, who isn’t willing to serve in Iraq himself, get off questioning the patriotism of our diplomats. Not wanting to serve in a war zone, an illegal war zone, has nothing to do with patriotism. This is again the typical bullshit that you get from the GOP. Whenever someone doesn’t want to support Bush’s illegal oil grab in Iraq they are labeled unpartiotic. Why don’t we ask our brave men and women that have served in Iraq how they would feel if they were forced to return their against their will as a private citizen.

A very old/good friend of mine named Jay told me a sad story, and I say that because
I don’t want you to think this is one of those my-neighbor’s-gardner’s-cousin’s-friend-knows-a-guy type of deals.

Jay is 53, his dad is 80 and in bad health. Jay’s Mom can’t give her husband the proper care he needs, so he has no choice but to live in a nursing home in rural Arkansas.

He was in the Air Force for 23 years – shouldn’t that count for something?
You’d think 23 years serving your country for minimum f-ing wage would get you
some retirement health care, and in this case he is getting it – but it comes with a catch:

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