Scooter Libby's Independence Day comes early

Bush commutes Libby's sentence

Another job for the "4th branch"- advocating for sentence commutes & pardons

“This decision to commute the sentence of a man who compromised our national security cements the legacy of an Administration characterized by a politics of cynicism and division, one that has consistently placed itself and its ideology above the law." -Senator Barack Obama

Forget 4th meal...

... it's 4th branch. Daily Show & Colbert Report are both having a blast mocking Cheney's claim that the VP is not part of the executive branch.

http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/?lnk=v&ml_video=89059

http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/?lnk=v&ml_video=89061

No bong hits 4 Jesus

There were several Court rulings today:

-Corporations and labor unions wide latitude in airing advertisements close to elections (oh joy. more swiftboating)
-Students' speech rights limited (no bong hits 4 Jesus)
-No taxpayer challenge to the Bush administration's initiative encouraging faith-based groups to apply for federal grants

What health care crisis?

In my hotel room earlier this week, I watched the morning news shows covering the woman who died after calling 911 from the ER. What amazed me is I didn't hear a damn one of them mention that overcrowded ERs are a direct result of the health care crisis in this country. After the blondes shared outrage over the tone of the 911 operator, they jumped right to Law & Order clips featuring Fred-enstien Thompson.

And don't even get me started about "Amnesty". That deserves it's own rant posting.

I am glad to be back home to local news with weather, traffic, & dog pictures on the 2s .

Scooter to the Slammer, Davids to Divorce

Scooter to the Slammer

June 5, 2007 · I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison for obstruction of justice and perjury in the investigation into the leak of a CIA operation officer's identity.

Libby is the highest-ranking White House official convicted in a government scandal since the Iran-Contra affair, although he has maintained his innocence...

Does anyone remember how long the reporter who protected his source stayed in jail?
Perhaps Scooter & Paris could share a "special needs" cell?

Davids to Divorce

"Curb Your Enthusiasm creator and star Larry David and his wife, eco-activist Laurie David, have split after 14 years of marriage, a rep for the couple confirms..."

How long until the supermarket checkout mags ask, "Did Laurie David leave her husband for Sheryl Crow?"

Online Wine Buying

My (& I think others) email address was harvested from some happy hour invite list and added to Jennifer Rosen's Cork Jester email list. Usually this annoys the heck out of me but I find this weekly mailing informative at times. Here is a bit of news from this week:

"A year after the Supreme Court eased up on direct shipments from wineries to customers, a new survey shows teens have not been rushing to the Internet to buy. Only 2% of 14-20-year-olds reported purchasing alcohol online and fewer than 10% had browsed websites selling alcohol. By contrast, 80% reported browsing sexually explicit sites.

Nevertheless, The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America called the news “Shocking! Hard evidence that should really shake up this debate.” Long-time foes of direct shipping, which bypasses wholesalers’ role, the WSWA likes to raise fears of resulting teen drunkenness. Unfortunately they can’t ignore this study, since they commissioned it. "

Understandable blog silence

When the news of the day turns to unimaginable tragedy, it is understandable that the blog has been silent. The political news has, of course, moved to gun violence and gun control which I will not weigh in on, but Media Matters has a good overview on the presidential candidates weighing in on the issue. However, it seems to me we are going down the wrong path. Shouldn’t the country instead be weighing in on de-stigmatizing mental health disorders, integrating mental and physical health, increasing funding for mental health treatment, and encouraging people to seek treatment for depression? It seems to me this would be a much more productive national discussion given that socially integrated and healthy individuals do not commit mass murders? Perhaps if we stopped judging anti-social behavior and treated such conditions without attaching stigma, this kind of violence would be on the decline.


I’m just waiting for the anti-immigrant debate to refuel. It is going to be more shameful than before, I fear.


Since all politics do not take a break, there is some good news out of the Colorado Legislature. Today the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, SB 25, passed out of the Senate (yes, on a party-line vote, but what’s new?). The bill adds adds sexual orientation and gender identity to Colorado’s Discriminatory or Unfair Employment Practices law. The bill is now headed to the House where it has been assigned to the Judiciary Committee. Also, HB 1330, which allows gay and lesbian couples to adopt children in Colorado, passed the entire legislature late last week and is expected to be signed by our new governor. Hooray! I know of one goofador that will be pleased.

What is WRONG with our government?!

I don't always care what the rules are, but at least if we make them, let's follow them!

Again with the NYT, we are reminded of or alerted to the following:
1. The U.S. pressed for the U.N. arms embargo against N. Korea.
2. The U.S. also provides aid to Ethiopia, encouraging them to combat radical Islamists in Somalia. (That's a whole 'nother story, I am sure...)
3. Ethiopia recently received a shipment of arms from N. Korea, which the U.S. knew about and took no action in respect to the U.N. sanctions.

I guess there's no need to follow the rules if your fear of the 'Other' is just too great and must be combatted at all costs.

I'll bet Kim Jong Il laughed all the way to the bank with those U.S. dollars.

Shut up and Sing - you'll win some Grammys!

"Heh-Heh" (To quote Natalie, quoting the Simpsons)

Vindication!!! You don't need to like country music, only freedom of speech (you know, one of the Bills of Rights) to feel proud to be an American tonight watching the Grammys. Way to go, Music World, for not only honoring the Dixie Chicks as musicians, but as Americans who refused to back down for having an opinion and stating it.

To anyone who's ever been told "Just go along with it" or "Cooperate", hear this: If you believe in your heart and soul that you have something to stand for, then don't make nice or back down. This country is a better place because of the people who didn't just "Shut up and Sing".

The State of our Union IS indeed strong - just ask Webb :)

Sorry for the delayed response...

Unfortunately, Shrub didn't give me enough to be as creative this year. The entire time, he looked truly stunned..."Oh my - thar's a woman behind me - AND she's not a Republican...I don't git it!" In fact, most of the night was that look.

My favorite thing about Tivo is the ability to pause and see the creatures on the screen make awkward faces...of course, Shrub & Cheney make them without Tivo, too. Cheney's look said "What the hell was I thinking when I took this job? This guy's an idoit!"

Shrub was fairly dry this year...although I almost lost it when he suggested an enormous tax CREDIT for health care - as if that fixes things - and then, the nerve to suggest one amount for singles and just double it for couples. HELLLLOOOOO...Health care for couples isn't twice what it is for singles. Seriously. Granted, families need more, but single parents need more than couples...oh, wait - there aren't single parents. What am I thinking. And I assume he only meant heterosexual couples. That had to be the most random, off the chart, out of left field suggestion. Thus the "I have no idear what Ium sayin' but sumboddy will liike it and forgit about IRack" look. Dumbass.

The BEST look of the night was Jim Webb's. He looked and sounded like a parent who'd had enough of their teen's bad behavior. Ahhh...he basically "bitch-slapped" Shrub. I love the "if he doesn't go the right way, we'll SHOW him the way." I don't think I've ever had such pleasure after listening to Shrub. If you didn't see it, READ IT...for sheer pleasure! :)

"The state of our union is strong"

I’m anxiously awaiting CLC’s state of the union overview because she is much funnier than I (remember last year’s review?). Here’s what I heard.

Fully fund the war. Balance the budget without raising taxes (I can only assume that means throwing women off welfare, oh and maybe stopping bridges to nowhere, maybe.) Subsidize private health insurance. Block grant public health insurance programs for the most needy. Privatize public education (you know, for the minority children).

Global climate change (not warming, change). Subsidize clean coal (such a thing exists?) and nucular (sic) power, oh, and throw a bone to those hippies who want wind and solar power. Reduce our dependence on oil much slower than the rest of the world (I think he said 20% in 20 years).

September 11th. Terrorist, terrorist, terrorist. Fully fund the war.

Stop AIDS in Africa by giving money to Pharma. (Those fags that get it here deserve to die.) Eliminate global poverty. Those morons who can’t pull themselves up by the bootstraps in the US should just live on the streets. Just look at the black guy in the gallery who is the shining example of who we should be. More gratuitous examples of people who can pull themselves up. Just look again in the gallery, heroes, all of them.

We’ve been through a lot together. (Yeah, it’s called the Bush administration). God bless.

America is Exporting Environmental Nightmares

How's this for irony: The title of the article is "Making Trash Into Treasure" but the article ends with "Yet it's still a sensitive issue. No matter how bad the environmental damage, China's appetite for resources shows little sign of abating."

We're supposed to cheer that our recycling is being shipped to China to be used to make more crap for us and be only slightly concerned that the poor regulations in China are leading to serious environmental problems? Nice. Recycling was supposed to help us limit our negative impact on the world...or was it just to make us feel better about our consumerism. Shop on.

Old, but not so old stories on the same topic...
UK sends crap to China
Old Computers Often End Up in Toxic Heaps in Developing Countries
One Man's Trash Doesn't Necessarily Become Another Man's Treasure

We could all see this one coming...

900 miles away: Illegal Workers Hired By Border Wall Company.