Laura Bush is Out of Touch

Thanks to The Randi Rhodes Show for the idea for this post:

First Lady Laura Bush said the following in an interview with Larry King regarding the Iraq war:

“Many parts of Iraq are stable now. But, of course, what we see on television is the one bombing a day that discourages everybody.”

GOI: I'm sorry?? One bombing a day?!!! Try 185 a day according to a November 2006 report done by the Brookings Institute.

And "discourages??" A bombing that kills dozens of people is more then "discouraging." Most people are horrified, angry and sick when they hear and see about these bombings. Not simply "discouraged!!!" Discouraging is getting a flat tire!!!

I doubt that family members who lose a loved one in a bombing would describe their reaction as being "discouraged!!!" Wake up sister and get off the Valium or whatever you're taking to give you that spacey, out of touch, glazed over appearance.

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Record Numbers Fall into "Deep Poverty"

GOI: Sadly this isn't a surprise. Trickle down economics is more like "throw some scraps to the little people" but not enough to empower them. The other image that comes to mind when I think "trickle down economics" is that of a bunch of caged rats fighting each other for tiny drops of water from "the source."

AFP
Published: Saturday February 24, 2007

The gulf between rich and poor in the United States is yawning wider than ever, and the number of extremely impoverished is at a three-decade high, a report out Saturday found.

Based on the latest available US census data from 2005, the McClatchy Newspapers analysis found that almost 16 million Americans live in "deep or severe poverty" defined as a family of four with two children earning less than 9,903 dollars -- one half the federal poverty line figure.

The McClatchy analysis found that the number of severely poor Americans grew by 26 percent from 2000 to 2005," the US newspaper chain reported.

GOI: I don't think it's any coincidence that this happened during the Bush presidency and the Republican dominated Congress.

"That's 56 percent faster than the overall poverty population grew in the same period," it noted.

Worker productivity has increased dramatically since the brief recession of 2001, but wages and job growth have lagged behind. At the same time, the share of national income going to corporate profits has dwarfed the amount going to wages and salaries," the study found.

"That helps explain why the median household income for working-age families, adjusted for inflation, has fallen for five straight years.

We're not seeing as much moderate poverty as a proportion of the population. What we're seeing is a dramatic growth of severe poverty."

US social programs are minimal compared to those of western Europe and Canada. The United States has a population of 301 million, but more than 45 million US citizens have no health insurance.

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Cheney: Iraq a "Remarkable Achievement."

Quote of the week from Big Dick Cheney:

ROHAN SULLIVAN | AP | February 24, 2007 12:52 PM EST

His visit was meant to thank Australia and Japan for their support in Iraq. But a series of public appearances and media interviews, Cheney's tone was typically feisty.

Answering growing criticism in the U.S. and Australia, he defended the Iraq war as a "remarkable achievement" in one speech, and dismissed suggestions his influence in Washington is waning.

GOI: Brought to you by the same clown who said a long time ago that the insurgency in Iraq was in it's "last throes."

He flips everything around. Obviously Iraq is a stunning failure so instead of admitting to that he spins it to "remarkable achievement." I think he's referring to Halliburton's (and the other contractors) involvement in Iraq being a "remarkable achievement."

I like what Barack Obama said about Cheney yesterday:

"When Dick Cheney says it's a good thing, you know that you've probably got some big problems."

GOI: As usual Obama is spot on. Does anyone outside the "Jim Jones 30 percent crowd" believe or even listen to a word Cheney says anymore? Hold on a second. We assume he's a "man." He could very well be a Sith Lord.

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Apology

I have removed the middle-east cartoon/image.

I apologize to anyone who might have been offended by it. I thought that it was insinuating something different then it apparently was. My intent wasn't to offend.

Attacking Iran Would Be Disastrous

Attacking Iran is the worst thing that we could do. We don't have the military or political capital to engage another state in war. Not to mention such an attack would further radicalize the region (especially the moderate state). Hezoballah would flood into Iraq to attack our troops and the Sunni population as well as other terrorists would attack from Iran.

Ahmadinejhad is becoming very unpopular within Iran with rising inflation and other economic problems. In fact, his mentor the Ayatollah Khamenei is disappointed in his protege and has used his personal newspaper to chastise Ahmadinejhad and reign him in.

Then there is the younger population in Iran (who are the majority) who want change and are more interested in the modern, western culture and society. Leaving Iran alone and isolating them would continue to create unease and the unpopularity of the hard-line government and eventually led to internal revolution. Attacking Iran would only unite the country under their president and pretty much close up any rifts amongst the government and the population.

As usual the Bush maniacs haven't learned from Iraq that true, lasting Democracy can only come from within.

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British Troop Withdrawal from Iraq

America's closet ally in Iraq (Great Britain) has announced a major troop withdrawal. At least 1,500 to return home within the next few weeks. A total of 3,000 to leave by the end of 2007 if security goes well. And all British troops might be out by Iraq 2008. As it is, only 7,100 British troops are currently in Iraq.

Tony Blair has constantly said that he supports Bush's war in Iraq but he doesn't really believe that. He says he does but he doesn't. At least not anymore. Blair knows that the mission in Iraq is a failure. Otherwise he'd take his troops leaving the secure south and place them up into Baghdad to boost our "surge." Blair finally is admitting that the war has been lost and is wisely going home. That and concentrating their troops in Afghanistan where the real battle should be.

I'm sure we'll be seeing the terrorists follow them home to the shores of Great Britain. After all, that's what all these sure fire Republicans said would happen. The only thing is, that it's a civil war in Iraq between the Shia and Sunni. So I guess the Sunni and Shia are going sail thousands of ships over thousands of miles to England and fight their civil war there. Yeah that's the ticket!!

The Bush administration is actually saying that this is good news!! Despite all the claptrap from the White House about avoiding a "time line," "troop withdrawal," blah blah blah. This British time table and withdrawal is "good news" to the White House??? However, the Democrats wanting a "time table" and "troop withdrawal" is bad news and emboldening the terrorists?!!

There's quite a disconnect there.

More evidence that Bush's microwave doesn't warm up to full power.

Wow, the White House spin machine must be about to spin off the head of Tony Snow.

You know how the Army's new slogan is "Army of one??" Well now we have a coalition
of none!!!

Meanwhile Bush has us surging more troops into Iraq.

I guess we had to stand up so that the Brits could step down.

What's wrong with this picture?

The pride of one man getting in the way of saving American lives that's what.

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Tim Hardaway's Hate Speech: "I Hate Gay People"

"You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people," Hardaway said while a guest on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket in Miami. "I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."

The host asked Hardaway how he would interact with a gay teammate.

"First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that is right. I don't think he should be in the locker room while we are in the locker room."

If he did find out that a teammate was gay, Hardaway said he would ask for the player to be removed from the team.

"Something has to give," Hardaway said. "If you have 12 other ballplayers in your locker room that's upset and can't concentrate and always worried about him in the locker room or on the court or whatever, it's going to be hard for your teammates to win and accept him as a teammate."

See, being homosexual has become the new whipping post. It's the new "black." So it's kind of ironic that an African-American player would spew such hateful, bigoted speech. Now, let's look at his comments as if he were a white man speaking about a black basketball player in the 50's. My changes will be in bold within brackets:

"You know, I hate [black] people, so I let it be known. I don't like [black] people and I don't like to be around [black] people," Hardaway said while a guest on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket in Miami. "I'm [racist]. I don't like it. [They] shouldn't be in the world or in the United States." The host asked Hardaway how he would interact with a [black] teammate. "First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that is right. I don't think he should be in the locker room while we are in the locker room." If he did find out that a teammate was [black], Hardaway said he would ask for the player to be removed from the team. "Something has to give," Hardaway said. "If you have 12 other ballplayers in your locker room that's upset and can't concentrate and always worried about him in the locker room or on the court or whatever, it's going to be hard for your teammates to win and accept him as a teammate."

When you put it in that context it really makes you think doesn't it? Or at least it should.

Hardaway later apologized for the remarks during a telephone interview with Fox affiliate WSVN in Miami. "Yes, I regret it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I hate gay people or anything like that," he said. "That was my mistake." Hardaway has reportedly been removed from further league-related appearances." It is inappropriate for him to be representing us given the disparity between his views and ours," NBA commissioner David Stern said.

GOI: Sure I'm glad that he apologized but he had to. He had no choice. It doesn't change his comments and the strong emotion behind them in using the word "hate." That's a strong, strong word. There is no way that he over-came his homophobia and bigoted views over night and that this apology takes all that venom back as if it never happened.

I would like to see a similar out cry and reaction to his bigoted, hateful tirade as there was for Michael Richard's racist, hateful speech about African-Americans. I'd like to see him address the gay community just as Richards addressed the African-American community and announce that he has a problem and will educate himself.

Hate is hate regardless of race, sexual orientation, religion, etc.

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U.S. Russian Relations Suffer Under Bushies

Remember when President Bush has said this of Russian President Vladamir Putin? "I looked the man the eye (nevermind the fact that he has TWO eyes)"

Yeah and Putin looked into Bush's eyes and saw an empty warehouse beyond those eyes with a "for rent" sign in it.

Well, we don't seem to have such a great relationship now with Russia. I guess his magic eight ball eye failed him. What a surprise?!! Who could have foreseen that making foreign policy decisions based on "psychic powers" wouldn't work so well?!!! I mean, who needs a State Department when you've got voices speaking to you in your head (that you call "God") and a Ouija board?!!

And yet despite President "Oracle's" arrogant, Karnack like assumptions, relations between Russia and the United States have steadily soured during the Bush era.

The divide increasing despite having a Secretary of Defense who is supposedly a "Russian expert!!" Condileeza Rice's "Russian expertise" hasn't done much to keep Russian democracy from eroding around the edges. And our foreign policy failure in Iraq hasn't given us any ground or credibility to challenge Putin on his controlling policies. Remember this exchange?:

Bush said that, during two hours of discussions, 'I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world like Iraq where there's a free press and free religion. I told [Putin] a lot of people in our country ... would hope that Russia would do the same thing. I fully understand, however, that there will be a Russian style of democracy.' Putin replied, smiling: 'I'll be honest with you: we, of course, would not want to have a democracy like in Iraq.'

And does this kind of comment give you much confidence in our "Russian expert??":

Putin has recently said that the United States is making the world a more dangerous place by pursuing policies aimed at making it "one single master."

What is our State Department doing??? They won't talk to Iran, they won't talk to Syria, barely talking to North Korea, doing next to nothing on Darfur or Somalia and seem to be talking past Russia. And they refuse to put any pressure on their masters--the Saudi government.

Rice has emasculated the State Department choosing instead to be Bush's Consigliere and thus the only source of "diplomatic intelligence." This is the kind of "policy" that comes out of a government that believes in the "unity executive" and in an incestuous circle of a small cabal of sycophants speaking in the echo chamber that is Bush's cranium.

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Racist Comments from Glenn Beck Regarding Barack Obama

On the February 12 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Glenn Beck featured Philadelphia-based conservative radio host Dom Giordano, who claimed that "the mainstream media has dubbed [Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)] to be African-American" and said, "If you start to, you know, delve around the edges, say, 'Wait a minute, isn't he mixed race? Weren't we told that last year?' Or whatever, biracial. Not allowed to say that anymore." Beck responded by saying "he's very white in many ways," adding, "Gee, can I even say that? Can I even say that without somebody else starting a campaign saying, 'What does he mean, "He's very white?" ' He is. He's very white."

"Beck claimed that Obama "is colorless," adding that "as a white guy ... [y]ou don't notice that he is black. So he might as well be white, you know what I mean?" In addition, Beck said: "I guarantee you, there will be blogs today that will have me being a racist because I say that."

GOI: You're damn right I'm going to be talking about this Glenn!! "Colorless??" What the hell does THAT even mean?!! If he's "colorless" then why was Beck even talking about his race if he wasn't being racist??? So if he's "colorless" then is he "clear colored??" I'm confused. Hey, Beck!! You might as well be a Klansman!!!

The very fact that he is saying this insinuates that there is a distinct, definable, architype of what it means to be "white" vs. "black" vs. "mixed" is segregating people into different camps and fueling stereotypes. Why not concetrate on his positions?? What are the chances that he would same of a white guy??? "You know as a "white guy" I don't "notice" that he's white."

Does Beck have a check list of what it means to be "white" vs. "black" vs. "mixed race"? Like if you score 51% or higher on the "test" then you are labeled "white" or "black" or "mixed"??? Like a list of "symptoms" or something?? You know, like for those drug commercials? If you do these things or act this way then you might be "white" or "black" or whatever??

Obama could be green for all I care. I like his positions, intelligence, charisma, statesman like character and strong but relaxed, honest presence.

Remember Beck is the same guy that said the following of Rep. Keith Ellison:

"I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' " Beck added: "I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way."

As Media Matters for America has noted, Beck previously warned that if "Muslims and Arabs" don't "act now" by "step[ping] to the plate" to condemn terrorism, they "will be looking through a razor wire fence at the West" and declared that "Muslims who have sat on your frickin' hands the whole time" rather than "lining up to shoot the bad Muslims in the head" will face dire consequences.

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Barack Obama vs. President of Australia John Howard

GOI: Obama shows that he can play hardball with the best (or should I say worst) of them:

Obama: 1.
Howard: ZERO

CANBERRA, Australia (CNN) -- Australia's conservative Prime Minister John Howard said Sunday that victory for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and his party in next year's presidential election would be a boon for terrorists.

Australia has more than 1,000 troops in and around Iraq, many in non-combat roles.

Obama, campaigning in Iowa, told reporters Sunday he's flattered that one of Bush's allies "started attacking me the day after I announced (his presidential run) -- I take that as a compliment."

The Democratic presidential hopeful said if the Australian prime minister was "ginned up to fight the good fight in Iraq," he needs to send another 20,000 Australians to the war.

"Otherwise, it's just a bunch of empty rhetoric," Obama said.

GOI: I say Obama didn't go far ENOUGH!! He should have said, "Well if you've got it all figured our Mr. Howard then we'll be happy to hand it all over to you in Iraq and leave!!" Good luck!!

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The News Has Been Cancelled Yet Again

THIS JUST IN!!! GOI has learned that Anna Nicole Smith died. I bet I'm the first one to tell you because it's hard to find on the news. I had to dig around to find this story (I hope you notice the sarcasm here because I'm laying it on pretty thick).

The death of at least 14 service members in the past 3 days in Iraq isn't as important as the death of a "B" list celebrity!! Come on people!!! Where are your sense of priorities? The Smith story requires wall to wall coverage. We need to know when the principles in this case have a bowel movement damn it!!

Besides!!! The Iraq war is sooo 2006!!

However, I will dip a toe into this cesspool for a second but only to crack a joke:

I guess everyone is now saying that they are the father of her baby. The latest being Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband. I wonder if Teddy Bear Haggard will say he's the father to try and prove that he's now on the "straight and narrow."

Sure her death is tragic but it should have been a 2 minute story and run on the lower screen ticker after that.

By the way, this is my 1,001st post. Pretty lame and disappointing post to mark this occasion huh? But then again, what do you expect when the news is canceled??

Ted Haggard "Cured" and "Completely Heterosexual"

By Eric Gorski
Denver Post Staff Writer
Denver Post

The Rev. Ted Haggard emerged from three weeks of intensive counseling convinced he is "completely heterosexual" and told an oversight board that his sexual contact with men was limited to his accuser.

That is according to one of the disgraced pastor's overseers, who on Monday revealed new details about where Haggard has been and where he is headed.

The Rev. Tim Ralph of Larkspur also said the four-man oversight board strongly urged Haggard to go into secular work instead of Christian ministry if Haggard and his wife follow through on plans to earn master's degrees in psychology.

GOI: Does he get some kind of certificate now to show everyone that he passed the brain washing course?? Obviously they "cured" him!! There is NO WAY that they would go through their "program" and then say, "Well we failed. Jesus wasn't up to the task and he is incurably gay." Of course their "program" succeeded and it's a "miracle." What a bunch of hocus-pocus non-sense.

Would you want a repressed paster in denial working as your psychologist or psychiatrist?? How ironic that a repressed individual in denial wants to become involved in psychology to helps others with their denial and repression issues, etc!! This guy just sinks deeper and deeper into the bog of dysfunction and identity crisis. There is a part of me that really feels compassion and sympathy for this man. Talk about stress!! To "cure himself" he now has to live an even bigger lie then he was living before. I'm sorry but you don't just have a gay love affair and then claim later that you are "cured" from having those thoughts and urges ever again!!

My favorite comments on The Huffington Post about this story:

"I'm glad that's behind him. Now he can get back to condeming gays to hell."
-Jim

"I realize faith-based science doesn't actually NEED proof but I wonder, how exactly did they test him to make sure he was straight again?"
-MikeDu

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Combat Troops Battle Doubt in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Army 1st Lt. Antonio Hardy took a slow look around the east Baghdad neighborhood that he and his men were patrolling. He grimaced at the sound of gunshots in the distance. A machine gunner on top of a Humvee scanned the rooftops for snipers. Some of Hardy's men wondered aloud whether they'd get hit by a roadside bomb on the way back to their base. ''To be honest, it's going to be like this for a long time to come, no matter what we do,'' said Hardy, 25, of Atlanta. ''I think some people in America don't want to know about all this violence, about all the killings. The people back home are shielded from it. They get it sugar-coated.'' While senior military officials and the Bush administration say the president's decision to send more American troops to pacify Baghdad will succeed, many of the soldiers who're already there say it's a lost cause.

''What is victory supposed to look like? Every time we turn around and go in a new area there's somebody new waiting to kill us,'' said Sgt. 1st Class Herbert Gill, 29, of Pulaski, Tenn., as his Humvee rumbled down a dark Baghdad highway one evening last week. ''Sunnis and Shiites have been fighting for thousands of years, and we're not going to change that overnight.''

Soldiers interviewed across east Baghdad, home to more than half the city's 8 million people, said violence is so out of control that while a surge of 21,500 more American troops may momentarily suppress it, the notion that U.S. forces can bring lasting security to Iraq is misguided. 'We can go get into a firefight and empty out ammo, but it doesn't accomplish much,'' said Pvt. 1st Class Zach Clouser, 19, of York, Pa. ''This isn't our war - we're just in the middle.'' Almost every foot soldier interviewed during a week of patrols on the streets and alleys of east Baghdad said that Bush's plan would halt the bloodshed only temporarily. The soldiers cited a variety of reasons, including incompetence or corruption among Iraqi troops, the complexities of Iraq's sectarian violence and the lack of Iraqi public support, a cornerstone of counterinsurgency warfare.

''They can keep sending more and more troops over here, but until the people here start working with us, it's not going to change,'' said Sgt. Chance Oswalt, 22, of Tulsa, Okla.

Leaning against a pile of sandbags last week, 1st Lt. Tim Evers took a drag from his Marlboro cigarette. He said that while sending more troops sounded good, Sunni and Shiite fighters would only move out of Baghdad, fight elsewhere and wait until they can re-enter the capital. The problem, many soldiers say, is that as long as the majority of Iraqis oppose the presence of American troops, a trend that's only accelerated since the 2003 invasion, no amount of bullets or bodies will solve the problem.
GOI: My questions is why aren't we listening to our troops if we really "support them???" The article went on to say that their officers were more optimistic but that seems to be because that they have to say that--as actually do most foot soldiers. They really aren't at liberty to speak out very much and so to see these soldiers so willing to express their frustrations shows just how exasperated they are with this mess and just how far they are willing to go to get their views out to us so that they can finally come home.

The Bush war-mongering sycophants have some pretty amazing selective hearing. Blinded by their dripping patriotism and prideful egos they are more then willing to throw more and more bodies into the blender that is Iraq until they can find a way to dump this whole mess onto someone else and declare victory. Then again we all know that they really don't give a damn what our troops think. They just expect them to support their commanders and president no matter what and do their dirty work. It's nauseating.

Of course the soldiers don't want to fail but that is because they don't want to fail their buddies--not because they really believe in the mission at this point anymore.

So many of us over here just assume that they are all gung-ho to be there and fully support the mission. However, that is not the case as Lt. Hardy said. Many Americans are sugar-coating the violence and situation over there. Unfortunately most people won't hear about these opinions as this story was pretty much lost in the ocean of mass media fluff.

I just want our guys and gals over there to know that I heard them and I am doing my damndest to bring them back and provide for their recovery both physically AND mentally when they come home.

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Bush and Low Expectations

GOI: This explains it all

U.S. President George Bush told the NHL champion Carolina Hurricanes Friday he likes to be "around people that keep expectations low," "I like to be around people that keep expectations low," Bush said. "Instead of listening to the prognosticators, this team had a 112-point season. They had 52 wins. They win the Stanley Cup. They're here at the White House. Congratulations to you."

GOI: Offffff COURSE ya do. After all, you like those "half-glass full kind of guys!!" (wink). Well don't worry. We certainly have low expectations with you sir!! Lower then snake hips in fact. Indeed, I think I have higher expectations of a prostitute that I do of our Clown-in-Chief.

For him turning the tee vee on is a a major triumph.

The fact that he's our president makes me feel like I'm living in a bad Animal House rip off where the stupid jock becomes Dean of the university. "Only in the movies" people always said.

That was until Jo-jo the Idiot Boy came along.

This ranks up there with him saying his greatest moment as president was catching a big fish.

He's proof that there is no "God."

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Sec. of Defense Gates on the New NIE

(Whats so funny Mr. Gates? Not much to laugh about for Iraqis is there??)

The US intelligence services yesterday admitted for the first time that the violence in Iraq constituted a "civil war".

In a joint report, the 16 services said the term was an accurate description of the sectarian strife that kills hundreds every month. But the White House continued to resist the tag, arguing that the violence does not merit the term and that the causes of the conflict are multi-faceted.

GOI: O.k., so it's a multi-faceted civil war.

President George Bush was briefed about the report on Thursday. Robert Gates, the defence secretary, yesterday said "civil war" was an oversimplification.
GOI: So things are WORSE then an a civil war??? Oh, yeah, right. A multi-faceted civil war. So not only did they NOT convince me that there WASN'T a civil war going on in Iraq but in doing so they've admitted that yes indeed it is a multi-faceted one.

Soooo, this is the latest compost coming out of the White House (or as I am now calling it through the end of the Bush presidency, "The Shit House"). The bad news is that there is a multi-faceted civil war in Iraq but the good news is that at least it's not a civil war!!! Huh?!!

Like the kick-ass, no non-sense Jack Cafferty on CNN said today, "The bad news is that there is no good news."

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