Arkansas Blog

Speaking of ignoring stories-- great job not pointing out that Democrat State Rep candidate Robbyn Tumey owns MSI, the company that just had three employees indicted on 52 charges related to hiring illegals and not providing workers comp.

ARK. BLOG I believe you know about that story because we posted it here.

I heard the NPR report this morning. It's interesting that Senator Arlen Specter is trying to take Bush to court over some of his actions.

I never know what to think about Specter, except to think that on the whole, though sometimes misguided, he's a good man, and definitely a man who doesn't put up with a lot of monkey(boy) business.

By the way, did anybody see my favorite President on the cover of this week's Time Magazine?
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1207820,00.html

I have a feeling that we're just skimming the surface on this administration's corruption and disregard for the rule of law. Once sunshine cracks through, the Bush regime will go down in history right along side the likes of McCarthy as one of the most destructive/ineffective politicians EVER. Demons and traitors everywhere and the law is nothing but a nuisance.

This bastard should be impeached!

Can you say dictator? You can bet the Diebold scientists are in Karl Rove's office as I type hatching new plans to steal what should be a complete runaway by Democrats this November.

Remember how the exit polls didn't match the vote in the last election. Get ready for some more mind blowing differences this fall. In order for Fuehrer Bush to stay in power he must not lose the House or Senate this November. He and Karl know it will take until 2008 to seal their full control of America. A stumble 2 years early could blow the whole ball of wax.

Since we've never had an Emperor, most of us can't see it coming. But all the signs are in place, including these SIGNing statements. Why have laws if anyone can set themselves up to be above them? Put that Constitution in the bottom of the monkey cage at the zoo, Bush keeps a copy by his toilet where the toilet paper normally goes.

Now I see that 9-11 was a 2-fer for Bush. He could use the disaster as an excuse to invade a country to steal their oil AND he could use war as an excuse to do anything! (evil laugh) Spying on all of us is a pretty damn good trick that is surely making all other dead Presidents (except Nixon) spin in their graves.

Not having to worry about a budget in a time of war means an unending supply of blank checks for everyone connected with the Bush-Cheney crime family. Not having to follow the laws makes all things possible. Including stealing every future election. Whadda we going to do about it? What have we done about it? NOTHING!

Farmer Blanche and the flag burning vote proves Bush has moles in the Democratic Party. To make things look OK on the next wingnut vote Pryor will fall on the barbed-wire and vote the Bush way. They have a plan!

You wonder how Hitler got away with it? You wonder why the good German people didn't see it coming? You wonder why the decent people in Germany didn't stop Hitler & Co.? Look at the last 5 years of American history. Someone please tell me why nothing has stopped Bush up to now? Someone tell me how we can stop Bush in the future?

I'm afraid the answer is we can't. We're too late. The fix is in and we already live under America's first dictatorship. American Idol is so great and Brittney is expecting and we don't have a clue that the game has been lost and we're not in Kansas any more.

Our last chance is to try our best to defeat Bush and Diebold this November. No matter how good our chances look today, it will be an uphill battle to have honest elections and put the stop to Bush's 4th Reich.

Here's MY signing statement: "I assert my right to ignore that dumb son of a bitch and his gang of thieves, and anyone with a 'W' sticker doesn't get to cut in front of me."

I have a feeling that we're just skimming the surface on this administration's corruption and disregard for the rule of law. Once sunshine cracks through...Posted by: zelda

Up until the word "through" I thought you were writing about the state level rather than the national level.

Come January there should be a lot of investigating going on at all levels. This seems to be a repeating pattern regardless of the party leaving power.

It matters not. He is your king.

so much for the obligation to take
care the laws are faithfully
executed.

scary thing is the congressional
republicans are dedicated to making
themselves irrelevant. they give
sock puppets a bad name.

Where oh where is the mainstream press.

NPR/ Frontline cannot do it all. This is not high profile investigative reporting, but plain old grunt work, that is the JOB of news. Report the news. Not just sound bites, not just investigative work, that fills in for whta established entities should do.

A constitution is just a piece of paper. It is only the obedience to it that guarantees freedom. When all the power is in the hands of one faction it is only their willingness to obide by the law that give law any meaning. It is that consent of the governed thing. Well guess what, I don't consent. I assume that is now treason but I hope there is a God and that he or she will save us from our redneck selves and the Dr.Strangloves of this adminsitration.

HEY TIMES, WHERE'S YOUR STORY ON THE NEW YORK TIMES CAUSING MORE AMERICANS TO GET KILLED?

THEY ARE TRAITORS

Yeah TIMES..Where's the story in your free RAG ?

First Amendment to the United States Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or restricting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Let's face it: all you Bush-loving toadies would have been on the side of the Redcoats during the Revolutionary War. Your fawning obedience to an administration that is quite content to trample all over the Constitution in a quest for absolute power is disgusting and un-American. So much for "strict constructionism"--you are content to ignore the Constitution when it serves your wingnut, neo-con worldview.

Bush, Cheney and their trained seal followers may see Francisco Franco, Augusto Pinochet and other totalitarian regimes that ruled by browbeating dissent as a model for this nation, but the 67% of Americans who disapprove of your man's presidency beg to differ.

Stop complaining. We elected the son of a bitch.

I heard a great sermon on taking responsibility the other day at church. The example given by the preacher was the war in Iraq. If we wanted to stop it, we'd be in the streets protesting. But we don't take responsibility. Instead, we blame it on the Republicans.

Then we sit here typing, congratulating each other on how easy it is to outwit conservative trolls. Like that is going to do a damn thing to change the planet.

Re: WHERE'S YOUR STORY ON THE NEW YORK TIMES CAUSING MORE AMERICANS TO GET KILLED?

This from the Glenn Greenwald blog ( you can read the entire post at -http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/2006/06/most-fact-free-accusation-yet-treason.html )

"For anyone who is accusing the Times of "treason," or claiming that they harmed national security, what is the answer to this question:

What, specifically, would a terrorist have been willing to do on June 22 [the day before the banking story was published] that he would not do on June 23 as a result of the Times' article?"

"The same question has been repeatedly asked, but never answered, with regard to the "treasonous" Times disclosure of the warrantless eavesdropping program:

"What, specifically, would a terrorist have been willing to do on December 15 [the day before the NSA story was published] that he would not do on December 16 as a result of the Times article?"

"Prior to the "treasonous" Times articles, The Terrorists already knew that we were eavesdropping on their international calls and monitoring their banking transactions -- because that information was previously, and repeatedly, put into the public domain, often by the Bush administration and President Bush himself. What the Times revealed is the lack of oversight and checks on these intelligence-gathering activities, not the existence of the activities themselves, which were already well known."

Then we sit here typing, congratulating each other on how easy it is to outwit conservative trolls. Like that is going to do a damn thing to change the planet.
Posted by: Roland

Well, I guess it keeps at least one troll occupied a while each day, keeping her out of mischief elsewhere.

Other than that, we may not accomplish a lot. I don't think a lot of minds get changed here. But it's not a futile exercise, as it helps us sharpen our knowledge and skills for those times where we do meet one of these troll types in person, and maybe then the resulting discussion can persuade a few standers-by.

The day will come where there are people in the streets, and some of us may be among them. Skills and knowledge developed here may help us then. And until then, it's a lot of fun. It's okay to still have fun.

Dear Diogenes
Check out the Daily Howler today, www.dailyhowler.com, it hasn't skipped right past, it, in fact, landed on the feet of Joe Scarbrough, yeah, that Joe Scarborough.
From a transcript discussing the current lack of congressional oversight ...
I'll tell you what would have happened - we would have raised hell. We would not have trusted Bill Clinton with this type of unlimited power. ...
it`s a fight between conservative Republicans who believe in limited governmen t - those Jeffersonian Republicans - and establishment Republicans that want to give this administration whatever they ask for.

it`s a fight between conservative Republicans who believe in limited government - those Jeffersonian Republicans - and establishment Republicans that want to give this administration whatever they ask for.
Posted by: Crash Davis

Jeffersonian Republicans? I never heard that one before (Jefferson being the founder of what became the Democratic Party), but I understand it. Jefferson was very much opposed to a strong central government (afraid of it becoming a monarchy) and quite opposite from my own favorite of the era, John Adams, who favored strong central government and a national identity rather than a collection of independent states.

"Stop complaining. We elected the son of a bitch.
"If we wanted to stop it, we'd be in the streets protesting. But we don't take responsibility. Instead, we blame it on the Republicans. "

Contrary to what you see on MainStreamControlledMedia (MSCM)
millions of have taken to the streets. Protests across this nation get little coverage. In Fayetteville we have demos against the War about 3-4 times per year. Several have happened in L.R. in past 2 yrs.

Regarding "electing the sob" that's not true either. In 2K he was selected after losing the popular vote. In '04 the vote was clearly stolen by a culture of corruption operating in Ohio and helped along by the most incompetent campaigner the Demo's could find.

It's a long way back to America but we will make it. Btw demonstrations rarely accomplish very much. We learned that in the 60's when demos got Richard Nixon elected too Wht Hse and Ronnie Reagan gov of Calleeforneeuh.
*********************************************
Republicans are people who claim that government doesn't work then get elected to prove it.
Will Rogers
_
_

"Bush is the first president in modern history who has never vetoed a bill, giving Congress no chance to override his judgments.'"

Why should he? His staff authored just about every major bill voted upon in past 5 1/2 yrs. His signing statements are simply further moves to solidify control of interpretation for future generations. Cheney is clever about that stuff.
-----

Btw demonstrations rarely accomplish very much. We learned that in the 60's when demos got Richard Nixon elected...
Posted by: LWood

I disagree. Yes, the unrest probably cost Humphrey his Presidency, but in the long run I think public unrest/demonstrations are the only thing that finally made us leave Vietnam.

I think civil rights unrest and demonstrations are the only thing that brought about voting rights reform and actions that made life a little better for those relegated to the bottom rungs of our social ladder.

In fact, I think demonstrations usually work. But a few small ones won't do it. It takes big ones, repetition, public education, and years.

Stop complaining. We elected the son of a bitch.

We didn't elect him; he stole the election.

I heard a great sermon on taking responsibility the other day at church. The example given by the preacher was the war in Iraq. If we wanted to stop it, we'd be in the streets protesting. But we don't take responsibility. Instead, we blame it on the Republicans.

I'd hazard a guess that I'm not the only one on this blog who's done more than talking...activism wise. I do what I can politically (protesting/calling/writing/etc) and the rest I vent...and this blog is as good a place as any. Besides, Bush bashing on this blog is a lot safer than the alternative. I'd prefer the Secret Service/FBI stay away as long as possible.

I've also learned a lot from the Internet in general; and this blog, in particular, has a lot of interesting/fun information. Hell I now know more about the Lt Gov.'s race than I EVER wanted to know...state politics, too.

I guess I just disagree with your generalizations.

Zelda...The Republicans will never be upset by your little pitiful activism. To them you are nothing. You are just an unhappy old women who thinks she is still at Woodstock hugging a picture of Bobby Kennedy.

I've also learned a lot from the Internet in general
Posted by: zelda

OK, this post has nothing to do with the Internet in general, but I just wanted to jump in with a question for Zelda: Did you see the story on the restaurant called The Pink Taco on the Daily Show last night, and, if you did, any comments?

You are just an unhappy old women who thinks she is still at Woodstock hugging a picture of Bobby Kennedy.
Posted by: Anonymous

Much to your disappointment, I'm sure, this statement has no teeth, Anon, as I don't think you'll find many here who didn't love Woodstock and Robert F. Kennedy.

RFK was, by far, in my opinion. the best of the family and his death was a greater loss to this country than that of his two brothers.

I don't know why Republicans show such disdain and disrespect for people who die in service to their country.

But NBC News had some explanation tonight in their story on state redistricting. NBC determined that Democrats probably won't pursue the redistricting options laid out by Delay and the Republicans because they lack the "go for the throat" treachery* of the Republicans.

Anon, your posts here continue to verify NBC's judgment, but underestimate us at your own peril.

*treachy is my word, not NBC's

'I disagree. Yes, the unrest probably cost Humphrey his Presidency, but in the long run I think public unrest/demonstrations are the only thing that finally made us leave Vietnam."

Actually a few brave Congressmen did the trick, esp Ark's Senator Wm Fulbright who wingnuts affectionately called "Halfbright" at the time.He was a most vocal critic of the War. Basically Congress threatened to cut additional funding for Viet Nam after hearing from many constiuents opposed to the War.

I agree regarding Civil Rights movement and previously the Women's Sufferage movement. Both benefitted from large, frequent demonstrations which called media attention to them and hence focused public attention.

However today, 5 large conglomerates control a majority of media. Independents are yesterday.
Bush has enacted "Free Speech Zones" which prevent demonstrators from being within a half a mile of him. Free Speech Zones further stipulate that all media is forbidden to photograph the caged, penned, and guarded demonstrators. 20,000+ war protestors in NYC at Repug national convention ('04)were denied media coverage. Large protest signs on nearby buildings were ordered removed by FBI as a threat to the presidency. Local authorities went along with these unAmerican orders.
_

I love most stuff the Daily Show puts out; and I thought the Pink taco piece was funny. Nothing wrong and everything right with the human body. Dirt's in the mind of the beholder; and humor's a far cry from real life councilman stalking his ex-wife.

We should say words like vagina/penis/breast more often...then perhaps some of the sexual violence in our culture would ease up. If everyone became more comfortable with their bodies and quit making something as natural as sex and the human body into something forbidden/dirty, repressed sexuality might not turn into something ugly/un-natural...but that's just my opinion!

"HEY TIMES, WHERE'S YOUR STORY ON THE NEW YORK TIMES CAUSING MORE AMERICANS TO GET KILLED? THEY ARE TRAITORS"

As opposed the the 2,500 American KIA, the 18,000 American WIA, the 50,000 plus dead Iraqis and innumerable wounded Iraqis all so Bush could pose in his borrowed flight suit and con the CCRRR's into believing his conquering warrior shtick?

That works out to over 16,000 Iraqis killed a year, ignoring Americans. I don't think anyone has accused Saddam of killing that many a year except when he was at war with Iran.

My filing statement: I reserve the right to disaasociate myself from the maroon in the White House and his continual suppression of the U.S. Constitution and degradation of the image of the United States.
Who would have believed he could be worse than Nixon?

Docholiday...You don't like it?...then get your a-- out of this country. You and your kind are a financial expense to the rest of us anyway so just move to another country. Cuba might take you in,,,they have your favorite kind of government there !

Actually a few brave Congressmen did the trick...
Posted by: LWood

Actually* they probably would never have taken action, and certainly could never have done anything with just "a few", had the nation's college campuses not been exploding with demonstrations.

I worked for the Fulbright campaign when I was in college in the early 70's, and I well know of his nerve, but he didn't come up with that on his own. Mass demonstrations, often not peaceful, had the whole country in turmoil before Fulbright spoke out against the war.

Sorry, but we'll just have to disagree and leave it at that.

*Forgive me, but the word "actually" has become one of my pet peeves. 20-something-aged folks these days can't seem to start a sentence without that word, and it drives me crazy.

I think Castro is paying nony to advertise his little island kingdom for him. He's also proving that Wal-Mart will sell a computer to anyone.

I will continue to live right where I am, thank you. I will continue to vote Democrat until something better comes along. I will continue to dig up every record I can on all our elected officials in an effort to keep them honest.

Isn't it amazing how many politicians are as crooked as a dog's hind leg? What is it with that bunch? You've got about an equal chance if you drop your wallet in front of a politician as you do in front of a used car salesman. Evidently the part of the brain that controls the ego lies right next to the crook part of the brain.....so sad.

If I ever drink enough to run for public office I will gladly air all my legal transactions so some suspicious snoop like me can't make something out of nothing. But by god.....if we could see into that PAC in Virginia.....mmmm mmmm....bet it would be very very interesting. Huck in '08---NOT.

We should say words like vagina/penis/breast more often...
Posted by: zelda

Please, zelda. There are innocent trolls here who are uncertain how to spell Sweden or Netherlands. How will they tell you to go live in these commie countries if they can't spell them.

Oh, I forgot. Spelling isn't real important to them.

I appreciate your attitude and agree on both the Daily Show and the use of words. It amazes me that England got over Queen Victoria by 1910 and we're still smothered by her 100 years later. If they knew history, the bawdy ways of the holy sacred founding fathers would drive Falwell-inspired trolls to fits.

"That works out to over 16,000 Iraqis killed a year, ignoring Americans. I don't think anyone has accused Saddam of killing that many a year except when he was at war with Iran."

GOOD JOB YOU MORON, WHAT ABOUT THE 1,200,000 BABIES ABORTED EVERY YEAR.

THAT WORKS OUT TO 40,000,000 BABIES SINCE ROE V WADE

***************BEFORE YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT LOSS OF LIFE, GET YOUR PARTY TO BE PRO-LIFE. UNTIL THEN YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO COMPLAIN*************************

***REPEAT: YOU CANNOT COMPLAING ABOUT DEATH IN IRAQ (800/year) UNTIL YOU FIX ABORTION (1,200,000/year). I HAVE SPOKEN****

5 large conglomerates control a majority of media. Independents are yesterday.
Bush has enacted "Free Speech Zones" which prevent demonstrators from being within a half a mile of him.
Posted by: LWood

Being a student and, to a certain extent, admirer of the French Revolution, I must interject* that we should never underestimate the power of a few large rowdy mobs. The Guillotine knows no difference between a head of state and a head of a large conglomerate.

*warning to trolls: I almost said ejaculate rather than interject here

***SPIRIT, TOO BAD YOUR SIDE DOESN'T BELIEVE IN GUNS. TRY TO BRING YOUR PROTEST BY MY HOUSE AND SEE HOW "REVOLUTIONARY" YOU ACT WHEN YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY STRONG MEN WITH GUNS.... YEAH, SO MUCH FOR YOUR ARGUMENT :( ****

Spirit...Are you threating me physically ? You are sure a tough guy, willing to beat up a women because we compete on "your" blog. Well our number is growing. If you think you can rough up a women then just tell me where to meet you Comrad...bring old Zelda with you.

YOU CANNOT COMPLAING ABOUT DEATH IN IRAQ (800/year) UNTIL YOU FIX ABORTION (1,200,000/year). I HAVE SPOKEN****
Posted by: GetREal

Yeah, you Get 'R Eal.

I really shouldn't enter this discussion, though, since I've always supported the right to abortion up to the 3rd month after birth.

But yeah, deaths in Iraq mean nothing since America isn't perfect enough for the Puritans yet.

The English drove the Puritans out 400 years ago.
Haven't we suffered enough? Can't we send them to Antarctica now?

Spirit...Are you threating me physically ?
Posted by: Anonymous | June 28, 2006 10:14 PM

Not that I know of. Where did I do that?
Not that I'm above it. I believe in treating both sexes equally. But I don't remember any physical threats today. That's my motto. I won't physically threaten anyone TODAY. We take this one day at a time.

Damn, too bad about all those aborted babies. Bush can't send them to be hamburger meat in Iraq.

Hmmm...maybe I've just found the only good thing that can be said about abortion.

***SPIRIT, TOO BAD YOUR SIDE DOESN'T BELIEVE IN GUNS....
Posted by: GetReal

GetReal, are you threatening me? IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS? Oh, never mind. That's someone else's line.

We have a house full of guns here. Perhaps more than we need. But no assault weapons. I'm for banning those, and registering all the rest with the local police. You do respect the police, don't you GetReal?

Spirit...read your 7:42 post...I would call that as a threat..big tough guy aren't you....you are a dispicable person....Trish

Spirit...read your 7:42 post...

I guess you mean underestimate us at your own peril.

Only one who routinely makes physical threats would consider that a physical threat.

If you read the whole post, you'll see that I had just quoted NBC as saying, "Democrats probably won't pursue the redistricting options laid out by Delay and the Republicans because they lack the "go for the throat" [mentality] of Republicans.

I believe NBC is calling us pansies, and I was letting Republicans, in general, know that we are not.

Sorry if you took it as a personal physical threat.

On second thought, that sounds like pansy talk. NO! I'm not sorry that you misunderstood me!

So it is ok for Bush to break the law? Is that what you 30%ers are saying?
You can't stand it that your boy has become the biggest SNAFU in history.
Guess idiots love their own kind.

Oh look! The man who would have been Asa's boss, you know Rudy's good buddy that was using the 9-11 apartment to have sneaky sex....is about to plead. What a fine Republican!

Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, is close to reaching an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to having accepted improper gifts totaling tens of thousands of dollars while he was a city official in the late 1990's, two people with information on the plea negotiations said yesterday.

Under the proposed agreement, Mr. Kerik would plead guilty to failing to report accepting roughly $200,000 in renovations to his Bronx apartment - a violation of the city's administrative code. The work, officials have said, was paid for by a New Jersey construction company that the city had long accused of having ties to organized crime.

Spirit...read your 7:42 post...I would call that as a threat..big tough guy aren't you....you are a dispicable person....Trish

HA...anon made a joke...well, I hope it was a funny rather than a serious assessment.

Clearly, DBI, the Republicans have been busy little beavers since 9/11. They stoked the fear fires then they (and their cronies) lined up with some kind of pseudo security service to sell the country at obscenely inflated prices. And, what they couldn't pilfer through the 'security' model of thievery (i.e. Halliburton), they stole through old-fashioned, tried and true methods like Kerik's.

RE:
"I'll tell you what would have happened - we would have raised hell. We would not have trusted Bill Clinton with this type of unlimited power. ..."

EXACTLY. Remember all the outrage from the right in the late 1990's that a President was even able to issue executive orders. Had Clinton pulled the signing statement stunt, they would have gone nuts. Of course, Clinton didn't need to result to such tactics becaus he had the courage of his convictions to veto bad legislation that came from Congress.

I DON'T CARE about signing statements: i care about paying my bills, my family, my church, and politically, i care about the governor's race, and iraq.

"signing statements" -- people arent mad, max, because PEOPLE DONT CARE

Spirit....loved your 10:19pm post last night about supporting abortion up to 3 months after birth. Very similiar to what my ex-wife told our 16 year old son after a particulary trying day of dealing with him that "he had better straighten his butt out because she and I both believed in abortion up to the age of 18." The look on his face was as Visa puts it........priceless.