Crooks and Liars » Olbermann’s Special Comment on GOP Fearmongering

Crooks and Liars » Olbermann’s Special Comment on GOP Fearmongering:

"The commercial, you have already seen, it is a distillation of everything this administration and the party in power have tried to do these last five years and six weeks.

It is from the Republican National Committee, it shows images of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. It offers quotes from them, all as a clock ticks ominously in the background. It concludes with what Zawahiri may or may not have said to a Pakistani journalist as long ago as 2001, his dubious claim that he had purchased suitcase bombs. The quotation is followed by sheer coincidence, no doubt, by an image of a massive explosion. 'These are the stakes' appears on the screen, quoting exactly from Lyndon Johnson's infamous nuclear scare commercial from 1964, 'Vote November 7th'.

There is a cheap Texas Chainsaw Massacre quality to the whole thing. It also serves to immediately call to mind the occasions when President Bush dismissed Osama bin Laden as somebody he didn't think about, except, obviously, when elections were near. Frankly, a lot of people seeing that commercial for the first time have laughed out loud, but not everyone. And therein lies the true threat to this country."

Click on the link to read the transcript or watch the video.

Truthdig - Reports - After Pat’s Birthday

Truthdig - Reports - After Pat’s Birthday:

"It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice… until we get out.

Much has happened since we handed over our voice:"

This piece is written by Kevin Tillman. His brother Pat, if you recall, is a former NFL star football player who joined the Army after 9-11, was sent to Afghanistan and was killed.

Kevin writes about the need for real change on November 7th. It's worth the read.

2006 General Election Special Edition Local Voters Pamphlet

2006 General Election Special Edition Local Voters Pamphlet
Ballots are mailed tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 20th) to all Thurston County residents. Make sure that your vote is an educated, liberal vote!!

Property Wrongs: Lessons from Oregon on "property rights" — Sightline Institute (formerly Northwest Environment Watch)

Property Wrongs: Lessons from Oregon on "property rights" — Sightline Institute (formerly Northwest Environment Watch):

"“Property Wrongs,” a report by Seattle-based Sightline Institute, documents a growing backlash against 'property rights' initiatives by chronicling six stories of Oregon communities deeply affected by Oregon's Measure 37.

The report also examines the implications for Washington and other states considering similar initiatives this fall, including Idaho, Montana, Arizona, and California, which are all modeled after Measure 37. "

My wife and I went to a sustainable communities forum this evening on I-933. I-933 is not something that is in Washington's best interest. Period. Being sold as a property rights initiative, it is a government busting, developer enhancer vote on steroids.

Want a strip club next door to your house? Vote for I-933. Wave to the felon who's coming out of the halfway house down the steet. Your neighbor loves to collect junk cars? No problem--you won't have a say.

The worst part--it takes away YOUR voice and your participation in the democratic process.

Don't do it. Vote no!

Thurston County Blue |

Thurston County Blue |:

"Conserving Communities Forum, October 19
Submitted by emmettoconnell on August 1, 2006 - 6:15pm. Agriculture – Environment – Forums – Land Use – Transportation

On October 19, the Thurston Democrats will hold a forum on environmental protection and growth issues. Entitled 'Conserving Communities, a conversation on growth management and environmental protection,' it will be a great opportunity to discuss the issues brought up by Initiative 933.

The forum will be held at St John's Episcopal Church at 114 20th Ave SE, Olympia (map) from 7 to 9 p.m.

The forum will be moderated by State Senator Karen Fraser.

Speakers to include:

* Eric de Place, a senior research associate, with the Sightline Institute and blogger at the Daily Score. He has written extensively about the property rights and the impact Measure 37 (a proposition similar to I-933) has had on Oregon.
* David Troutt, chair of the Nisqually River Council, a decades long effort to bring together residents of the Nisqually watershed to assure protected natural resources and a strong economy. The council recently released a sustainability plan that will advance these goals.
* Sandra Romero, a former state representative, and active member of Livable Thurston will represent the No on I-933 campaign.

Here are a few of interesting links:

No On I-933
Livable Thurston
This Land: The Northwest Property Rights Movement
High Country News: Taking Liberties
» emmettoconnell's blog – add new comment – 713 reads – subscribe blog – subscribe post"

Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Dish: Bushism of the Day

Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Dish: Bushism of the Day:

"'This morning my administration released the budget numbers for fiscal 2006. These budget numbers are not just estimates; these are the actual results for the fiscal year that ended February the 30th,' - George W. Bush. You couldn't make this up."

A special comment about lying - Countdown with Keith Olbermann - MSNBC.com

A special comment about lying - Countdown with Keith Olbermann - MSNBC.com:

"The president of the United States — unbowed, undeterred and unconnected to reality — has continued his extraordinary trek through our country rooting out the enemies of freedom: the Democrats.

Yesterday at a fundraiser for an Arizona congressman, Mr. Bush claimed, quote, “177 of the opposition party said, ‘You know, we don’t think we ought to be listening to the conversations of terrorists.’”

The hell they did.

One hundred seventy-seven Democrats opposed the president’s seizure of another part of the Constitution.

Not even the White House press office could actually name a single Democrat who had ever said the government shouldn’t be listening to the conversations of terrorists.

President Bush hears what he wants.

Tuesday, at another fundraiser in California, he had said, “Democrats take a law enforcement approach to terrorism. That means America will wait until we’re attacked again before we respond.”

Mr. Bush fabricated that, too."

Obermann gave his special comment last night. Click the link above to read the transcript, click here to see the video. Obermann, in his special comments feature, continues to hit the president where it counts through a national forum. He goes where very few of the national media will go. His message is a bit long, but is never tedious, and worth the watch.

The Washington Note

The Washington Note:

"Vice President Cheney's disregard for America's system of checks and balances and his huff-and-puff advocacy of unilateral military responses to complex national security challenges has really harmed America's portfolio of interests.

He should be challenged every time and every where he speaks. He should get no easy passes, and Americans should stop giving him laudatory back-drops and applause when he deigns to walk in public view -- like he did recently in Denver.

According to this report, a man walking his young son walked over to Cheney who was glad-handing and said, 'I think your policies in Iraq are reprehensible.' He walked on. Ten minutes later, he was handcuffed and arrested under orders from the Secret Service.

Hmmm.....OK, no more inappropriate analogies with official, well-dressed thugs in nations leading up to World War II. Let's just settle for a lighter, more cuddly version of the KGB."

I guess you won't read much about this in the papers, except maybe here.

Drinking Liberally Tonight

Drinking Liberally Tonight, Hope to see you there! Go here for more information

AlterNet: Putting Party Before Predators: Why Didn't GOP Leaders Stop Foley?

AlterNet: Putting Party Before Predators: Why Didn't GOP Leaders Stop Foley?:

"Is there anything these Republicans won't cover up? Duke Cunningham took millions of dollars in bribes. The people who were buying him off bought him a yacht called the Duke-Stir. He had a bribe menu on Congressional letter head. How many ethics investigations? Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Bob Ney took gifts and favors from Jack Abramoff.

He has confessed and is about to go to prison. How many ethics investigations? Zero. None. Not one.

Then there is Hastert's shady land deal. Bill Frist's insider trading. Tom DeLay's money laundering. The list goes on and on. Every one of them had their ass covered by the rest of their Republican colleagues, crooks, whatever you want to call them.

When Joel Hefley, a conservative Republican from Colorado, had the temerity to actually do an ethics investigation of Tom DeLay -- he was removed. Can't have it. You can't have any ethics investigations in a place with no ethics. The house will fall in.

Well, now it has. Because they've gone too far. This time they covered for a sexual predator. Mark Foley, Republican of Florida, was caught sending very explicit sexual messages to 16 and 17 year old boys who worked as pages for Congress.

Actually, he was caught by a fellow Republican, Rodney Alexander, because one of the pages worked for Rep. Alexander and turned Foley in. So, what did the Republicans do about it? Absolutely nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

They covered it up. Because it's what they do."

This guy was the chair of the "Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus." That didn't matter. The House Leadership knew about this as early as last spring. That didn't matter. THe Republic Party Leadership may have known. That didn't matter.

So what matters? an FBI investigation matters. The resignation of the entire house leadership a month before the election matters.

President blasts Democrats as 'cut and run' in fight on terror - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington

President blasts Democrats as 'cut and run' in fight on terror - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington:

"'Five years after 9/11, the worst attack on the American homeland in our history, Democrats offer nothing but criticism and obstruction and endless second-guessing,' Bush said at a GOP fundraiser."

If this doesn't get your blood boiling, I don't know what will!