Thursday, September 29, 2005

a golden opportunity

Everyone interested in political strategy must read the lastest post by the Moose (www.mooseblog.org)

He recommends the Democrats quickly present an alternative to the cronyist corrupted Republican Party of Bush.

As I've said before, americans are sick of the corruption and partisanship on display on cable news, talk radio and within editorial pages.

They want leadership, they want an active though restrained government, they want a positive vision for the future, a way gradually out of Iraq, an end to cronyism and political favors and most importantly a distinct message free of contradiction (I'm talking to you John Kerry).

Americanlogic predicts the next few months will get worse, more deaths in Iraq, more corrupted public officials, more pork, more reckless tax cuts (estate tax), and more talk from the credit card president about the need to stay on his failed path in Iraq.

The call is out for a democrat with guts and vision.

Talk to McCain.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

on a much less political note

We here at americanlogic would like to endorse two television shows.

The first is "Dirty Jobs" on the discovery channel. Hosted by the suprisingly witty Mike Rowe, the show features truly dirty jobs. An example: Septic tank inspector. If it sounds horrendous, that's because it is. Rowe goes deep into what he calls "the bowels of hell," literally.

Next up is "Dog the bounty hunter" on A&E. This guy should be running the CIA, FBI, Defense Department, heck even the Oval Office. This show is gripping and reinforces the obvious: its all about family and tradition. The man has a passion for what he does and will have you shouting with satisfaction with each capture.

sick and tired

Talking points.

Sanctimonius politicians.

Lunatic Pundits.

Here are the facts: A Republican majority leader has been accused of corruption. That's it. This is not about how many Democrats or Republicans Earle (gasp!, a Democrat) convicted or failed to convict. It's not about revenge. It's not about partisanship. It's about whether or not a public official broke the law. Period. If I have to listen to Ann Coulter short circuit being an apologist for a man who has a history of dirty tricks and ethical problems, all my future blogs will consist of this: AHHHHHHHH!

If Delay is convicted, I want to see the Coulter's, the Hannity's, the Blunt's, the very people who have poisoned the Republican party, get on their respective soap boxes and admonish Delay.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are in hiding.

Bush/Delay 2005

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the president still considers DeLay a friend and effective leader in Congress.

“Congressman DeLay is a good ally, a leader who we have worked closely with to get things done for the American people,” McClellan said. “I think the president’s view is that we need to let the legal process work.”

Shameful. Another wasted opportunity for the president to distance himself from the cronyist GOP, wait a minute.. he epitomizes the cronyism of the current GOP.

the hammer falls

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9507677/

hysteria

Once again, the folks at National Review have been handed their talking points.

They, in particular Jonah Goldberg, are pushing the Brownie defense of a "hysterical media"as the culprit in the days after Katrina.

Now, it must be said the cable news networks can go overboard (Miles O'Brien and his search for a displaced dog). However, I don't think american bodies floating beside freeways packed with refugees can be attributed to the "hysterical" media.

Goldberg's view is directly related to the reports of the exaggeration of deaths in the Superdome following the storm. We'll give him that, but to use Brownie's talking points speaks volumes about how desperate the conservative base is to resurrect Bush.

www.nationalreview.com

you think?

Last week on "Realtime with Bill Maher" NBC correspondent Andrea Mitchell made the following admission:

MITCHELL: Well, I think you can. It doesn't always happen. I've been looking back at all of this -- it's one of the reasons I wrote the book -- and I think there has been self-censorship. And that since 9-11, or after 9-11, there was sort of a rallying around -- and understandable sort of patriotic effect -- and I think reporters were less challenging. (courtesy HBO.com)

Yes Andrea there was a "rallying" around effect. However, we needed the media to ask the important questions when it came to premptively declaring war on another country.

Americanlogic feels this was a dark moment in journalism.

Mike, John and Cindy

The prevailing thought throughout the MSM (I haven't really got a sense of the blogosphere's reaction) is that Michael Brown presented himself as an arrogant, miserable excuse of a human being. And after seeing some of the tesimony, I couldn't agree more.

People or entities who are to blame for the hurricane response: the hysterical media, Governor Blanco, the state of Louisiana, Ray Nagin, the Superdome, the people inside the Superdome, Department of Homeland Security.

Person or persons who escaped blame: President Bush, Michael Chertoff and Michael Brown.

A sickening, revolting display of buck passing that is sure to become legend.

-John McCain once again proved his presidential mettle by meeting with Cindy Sheehan on Thursday for a discussion of the war in Iraq. His honesty and candor were not suprising, however Sheehan's description of McCain to the Associated Press as a warmonger is silly and proves she's in bed with the crazed sect of the american left. We can't begrudge her for demanding answers for a premptive war but we can say her position is significantly weakened.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

my sense

From what i've gathered from several news sources is that Michael Brown aka "Brownie" has taken a big chug of the Rovian Kool Aid, i.e blame the locals.

He regrets not sitting down with the Governor of LA and mayor of NO and stressing the need to work together. He also claims it was fatigue that prevented him from the knowledge that people were stranded in the NO Superdome, which he said shouldn't have been used as a shelter. Brown also stressed to whoever was listening that they should not expect a rapid response from FEMA, stating we should not expect more than the government can deliver.

I want to expound on that last point. What really are we to expect from our government in times of crisis? Wrangling? Indecision? Partisanship?

Or perhaps, quick and decisive action is needed. Another question: why does Michael Brown, a man who clearly has a distaste for bold action, have a position at FEMA?

To their credit, the congressional committee certainly did not sit back and listen to the talking points:

"I'm happy you left" said Christopher Shays

"I don't know how you sleep at night. You lost the battle," said Kay Granger of Texas.

All Brown could do was offer up a sad reminder of the incompetence of this administration.

he says five years, I say longer

www.andrewsullivan.com

Real winners of the Bush era

Of all the parties that will be sad to see the end of the Bush term it will be big business:


CHRIS MATTHEWS: Eighty percent of the $1.5 billion that's been let out in contracts for recovery efforts down in the Gulf has gone to no-bid contracts. It's a deal with one company, no competition; $60 million has gone to a Halliburton subsidiary represented in the lobbying world by Joseph Allbaugh, the former FEMA director for President Bush; $100 million has gone to Bechtel, which is still in a controversial situation for perhaps unsubstantiated charges in the Big Dig up in Boston. (courtesy Hardball with Chris Matthews 09/26/05)

Americanlogic despises cronyism.

national address

It's time for a national address from the president.

subject: Iraq

Past presidents have used the national address from the Oval office as a platform for resurrecting their standing amongst the american public. Some of these have worked (Reagan, Iran Contra "I don't remember, but if I did I'm sorry"), some haven't (Carter's malaise speech).
If Bush simply states the reasons why its important that we stay in Iraq, the public will go along with him if they are provided with an exit strategy.

Invoking September 11th doesn't cut it anymore. Bush needs to admit failure on several fronts: planning, listening to advice, reason. Follow that up with a plan of action. How soon can the Iraqi police force be fully trained? More importantly, when are troops coming home?

Bush's chosen legacy is Iraq. Give us a timetable Mr. President.

Brownie

"“FEMA is a coordinating agency, we are not a law enforcement agency,” he said.

“It is inherently impractical, totally impractical, for the federal government to respond to every disaster of whatever size in every community across the country,” Brown said

MSNBC.com

This guy still works for FEMA.

essential reading

whatever you think about him, Christopher Hitchens tells it like it is:

http://slate.msn.com/

worth noting

at least we know someone is doing their job:

The second-in-command of Al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Azzam, was shot and killed by U.S.-led forces in Baghdad on Sunday, the U.S. military confirmed on Tuesday.

Azzam, a financier and religious aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was shot and killed while hiding out in a high-rise apartment building in the capital, the military said.

-Reuters

this kind of news should come from the president himself.

Monday, September 26, 2005

god I hate this

"I would like to say to Cindy Sheehan and her supporters, 'don't be a group of unthinking lemmings.' It's not pretty," said Mitzy Kenny of Ridgeley, W.Va., whose husband died in Iraq last year. The anti-war demonstrations "can effect the war in a really negative way. It gives the enemy hope." (courtesy MSNBC.com)

No, having Rumsfield on the job gives them hope. It's this kind of mentality that drives people to the Left. On the other side of the coin, its the Left's squelching of any dissent amongst its ranks that drives people to the Right. The debate is then reduced to a "who's crowd was bigger" argument.

Come on people.

where's that other party?

Americanlogic is waiting for someone, anyone in the Democratic Party to offer a vision to the american public.

God knows they are thirsty for a government that is competent, sensible and more importantly, respectful of american tradition of dignity and respect.

During the Roberts confirmation, we have seen several Democrats free themselves from the bondage of interest groups to actually think for themselves! Hillary Clinton not being one of these people. Neither is John Kerry.

These democrats are slaves to a system that gave us the credit card president. Teachers unions and the family research council are one and the same to us.

it's time for one of the parties to embrace individual thinking. Democrats, look to Russ Feingold and Patrick Leahy for inspiration.

Sunday, September 25, 2005

if only that 51% knew

"Military officials told President Bush on Sunday that the United States needs a national plan to coordinate search-and-rescue efforts following natural disasters or terrorist attacks." courtesy MSNBC.com

"It's a choice between an America that leads the world with strength and confidence, or an America that is uncertain in the face of danger" President Bush, campaign speech February 2004

Saturday, September 24, 2005

time to leave

We here at americanlogic, like most americans, are sick of Iraq.

Don't get us wrong, seeing that thug Saddam Hussein in his underwear was not only disturbing, but quite satisfying. It's always good to see brutal thugs demeaned in this way.

However we must look at the situation we face in this now terrorist haven.

Before we do that, let's us review the reasons we have been given for declaring premptive war on this once former ally.

WMD - we saw the presentation by Colin Powell to the UN and must say we were concerned. Now we know those concerns were unwarranted. The smoking gun was a peashooter. Endless amounts of information are available to readers interested in the biggest scam perpetrated on the american public ever, so we won't get into it.

okay, WMD was really the only reason the country supported this war initially, the prospect of nuclear holocaust doesn't sit very well with most people.

So, were are we now? Daily casualties, growing insurgency, fumbling towards an Iraqi constitution that is bound to fail with so much at play here. But really, after seeing the shame that was Katrina, do we really care about a Iraqi constitution when americans are left to rot on freeway's?

The credit card president thinks we should. He also thinks that pulling out will send a signal to the terrorists that they've acheived victory. Problem is, this isn't a big ten footbal game. It's a nightmare of incompetence, brutality and source for endless pessimism about our future.

Get the Iraqi police force trained. Let them spill blood for their country and their constitution. We should withdraw.

Let's remember, this war was not thrust upon us. There was no middle of the night sneak attack by Hussein's republican guard. This was a war of choice sold to us by idealists who are more concerned about Iraqi womans choices than our own.

time for realism.

Mr President, fire Rumsfield now!

Staggering: (tip andrewsullivan.com)

www.hrw.org/reports/2005/us0905

If you too sickened to read the rest of this report, i'll sum it up for you:

Since the invasion of Iraq America has been torturing prisoners on a fairly routine basis. Remember my post from yesterday about Abu Ghraib? You might as well spit in the face of every veteran. Men were blown up on beachheads so we could have this?

And the credit card president is culpable.

Friday, September 23, 2005

lame duck

Once the dust settles and Rita passes this country will be left with a lame duck presidency. Thank God.

Several issues are on the horizon that pose problems for the nations first credit card president.

CIA leak - further confirmation for America that politics comes first with this crew, even at the expense of national security

stem-cell legislation - don't we want to save lives for a change?

Abu Gharib - the nasty smell in the corner. more damaging pictures are bound to surface.

Iraq- americans will demand withdrawl and this president still wont make a case (not that there is any to make, more on that later) .

So, in short this president will finish out his term as the most unpopular of all time. this can't help his confidence either:

In a sign of just how severe the damage to the President’s standing caused by Katrina is, the Zogby America survey finds that, despite his re-election last fall, President Bush would lose to every modern president since Jimmy Carter, the one-term Democrat who left office amid record unpopularity and a presidency rated, at the time, dismally. He would also lose to his own father, who left office amid an economic recession triggered, in part, by a devastating hurricane. (Zogby)

Yikes.

priorities

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

just remember one thing: this could have been prevented.

wouldn't put it past this president

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/40762

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Iraq cont.

President Bush gave another reason for his failed policy in Iraq today at a briefing at the Pentagon.

from the los angeles times:

he cited as examples the the US response to the hostage crisis in Iran during the Carter Administration, the lebanon bombing under Reagan, and four crisis that occurred during the Clinton Administration: the first World Trade Center attack, the killing of American soldiers in Somalia, the bombings of two U.S embassies in Africa, and the attack on the Cole.

Bush went on to say our failure to respond the way he would have responded prompted the terrorists to conclude we were weak.

As far as I understand, through my reading and knowledge of history Jimmy Carter didn't sleep for 48 hours in several (one failed) attempts to free the hostages in Iran. Ultimately, they were freed, on the day of Reagan's inauguration.

Without knowing more about the lebanon bombing, I will not comment on its events.

On to the favorite target: Clinton. It was 1996 that Osama Bin Laden declared his "fatwa" against the United States. It is well documented that the terrorists involved in the first Twin Tower attack were prosecuted and jailed. I guess because they weren't attacked by dogs while in the Jesus Christ pose we can call this a failure. Somalia was a failed humanitarian mission by a inexperienced president.

So instead of admitting any mistakes or wrong choices made, this president chooses to lay at the feet of three presidents blame for Iraq becoming a terrorist controlled nightmare.

No new course of action, no timetable. Great. Once again I quote the Moose:

"America yearns for adult leadership"

Operation Offset

How do we pay for Katrina you ask?

postpone further tax cutting? Nope.

reduce the amount of spending in occupied Iraq? Not a chance.

Perhaps, you might shelve the idea of repealing the estate tax? Again, no.

What should be cut? Medicare.

Now, "Operation Offset" does hit the mark when it comes to the saturated transportation bill and eliminating pork projects, but haven't people on a fixed income (the elderly) suffered enough in the past eight years of this pro-business class administration?

a national hangover is over

Based on the recent polls, the American people have finally awoken from their slumber. We here at americanlogic will not say we told you so, although its really hard.

Back in 2000, most people who truly paid attention to these things knew that George W. Bush was incompetent. However, the mainstream media was desperate for the anti-Clinton.

Al Gore was an effective legislator and an effective Vice President of the United States, yet most people only knew Gore as someone who sighed alot. Who's fault is that? Ours.

What i'm getting at is this: we need to take 2008 seriously.

Whoever is presented before us by the two parties must be examined thoroughly and these questions asked:

"What are your thoughts on premptive war?"

"Are you a believer in pay as you go fiscal policy?"

"Business class or working class?"

"Are you interested in restoring America's credibility?"

We cannot afford, both financially and emotionally to have an encore of the past eight years.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Clinton envy

When are the right going to get over William Jefferson Clinton?

Last night on "the situation with Tucker Carlson" the conservative morphed back into his usual self while describing his tendency to vomit whenever the former president makes an appearance: (courtesy msnbc.com)

"Almost aesthetic level, aren’t you repulsed by Clinton’s never ending self-righteousness? The other day, over the weekend, he says essentially, I would have done a better job responding to Katrina because I am a better person, great guy, look at me, great administration. Doesn’t the constant bragging make you want to throw up? "

His guest, Bill Maher replied the only way he can:

"You know what makes me want to throw up, seeing dead bodies floating in New Orleans, that makes me want to throw up."

Maher went on to state the obvious:

"That kind of stuff that would not have happened under Bill Clinton. You can’t tell me that you think that FEMA would have not been a completely different agency and that Clinton would have been all over this situation from minute one like white on rice. You don’t think that’s who Bill Clinton is? He would not have slept from the moment this hurricane started to hit until we could do the best we could with the situation. "

That's the difference between our current commander in chief and his predecessor: competence.

the right call

Just read on MSNBC.com that Vermont Senator Pat Leahy intends to vote "yes" for SCOTUS nominee John Roberts.

I point to my new favorite blog for backup:

"The Moose knew of Judges Bork, Thomas and Scalia, although he was not their friend. And John Roberts is no Bork, Thomas or Scalia. Roberts has shown that he is no originalist extremist. He is apparently respectful of precedent. He has a modestly expansionist view of the commerce clause - he does not view the welfare state as unconstitutional. And he acknowledges a right to privacy. In sum, Roberts is a conventional conservative not a right wing revolutionary jurist"

www.mooseblog.org

the key phrase for me is "Roberts has shown that he is no originalist extremist" - that's good enough for me. We don't need another Scalia.

you've got to be kidding

Several blogs I have read today point to FEMA sending ice to......

MAINE

wait, hold on, just confirmed on Countdown with Keith Olbermann this is the case.Not only do we get cronyism we get sheer and utter stupidity.

I second the moose (mooseblog.com): "the country is yearning for adult leadership"

On the entertainment front, for anyone interested in a view of the true working class "Dirty Jobs" on the discovery network is essential viewing. Prepared to be revolted and entertained. www.discovery.com

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

my plug

http://www.andrewsullivan.com/

the most pragmatic, sane voice in conservative thinking.

Monday, September 19, 2005

ahh yes "Blame Clinton" is back!!!

"unfortunately, you know, we had a tremendous amount of burden that was handed to us by the Clinton Administration with the growth of the government scandals"

-former representative Bob Livingston on msnbc today-

growth of the government scandals to mean every move he made you had an investigation? and why did you have to resign Mr. Livingston?

Germany

Seems familiar enough.

two politicians jostling over who won an election..... anyone in Germany, please send me your feelings about Election 2005... it helps to talk.....

what?

"President Bush issued an executive order on Thursday allowing federal contractors rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to pay below the prevailing wage"

-Reuters

this president is always looking out for the business class first.

Gore's fault?

If you really want to get technical, it's all Al Gore's fault....