Man I remember when we were free in America, those were the days. Bush has just screwed everything that was good about America. So I guess the whole innocent until proven guilty was so pre-9/11.

After reading the story I learned that if you are going to do something other than sleep on a plane, buy a round trip ticket and order the pork sandwich…

From the AP (bolds are Mine)

Without notifying the public, federal agents for the past four years have assigned millions of international travelers, including Americans, computer-generated scores rating the risk they pose of being terrorists or criminals.

The travelers are not allowed to see or directly challenge these risk assessments, which the government intends to keep on file for 40 years.

The scores are assigned to people entering and leaving the United States after computers assess their travel records, including where they are from, how they paid for tickets, their motor vehicle records, past one-way travel, seating preference and what kind of meal they ordered.

The program's existence was quietly disclosed earlier in November when the government put an announcement detailing the Automated Targeting System, or ATS, for the first time in the Federal Register, a fine-print compendium of federal rules. Privacy and civil liberties lawyers, congressional aides and even law enforcement officers said they thought this system had been applied only to cargo.

You may or may not know but the Prime Minister of Iraq stood Bush up on his date. Even the person we installed in Iraq wants nothing to do with the �President�. What is more ridiculous is the lame ass excuse given by the White House.

Q So the scheduled trilateral is scrapped.

MR. BARTLETT: Right.

Q But the dinner — all three of them are still going to be at the dinner?

MR. BARTLETT: No.

Q Okay so Maliki is not doing anything?

MR. BARTLETT: The President will see Prime Minister Maliki in the morning.

Q In the morning, okay.

Q So there's no three-way forum.

MR. BARTLETT: Correct.

Q I came in late. Where is Maliki?

MR. BARTLETT: I assume he's at his hotel — he's having dinner with somebody else tonight.

Q Why didn't he come here?

MR. BARTLETT: I just said that he had a meeting — he had a bilateral earlier today with the King; they had a very good conversation, and afterwards they felt, well, since we had good conversations, we addressed issues, there was not an agenda for the three for a trilateral that they felt was necessary.

The truth is the King and Maliki said to each other, "Look why the hell would we meet with this idiot, all he is going to do is drink and tell us that we should kiss his ass. I say we snub him." or something to that effect. Using the White House logic, there is no need for me to go home for the Holidays, you see, I saw a friend of mine over Thanksgiving, and she called me and said she saw my mother, and said "Hi", so I guess there is no need to go home for Christmas. It is like a White House game of 6 degrees from Kevin Bacon.

Well it looks like for the first time in a long time, the right-wing nut bags were told to go screw off, and forced to pay for their transgressions.

The New York Times

Last week, a couple were threatened with fines of $25 a day by their homeowners� association unless they removed a four-foot wreath shaped like a peace symbol from the front of their house.

The fines have been dropped, and the three-member board of the association has resigned, according to an e-mail message sent to residents on Monday.

Two board members have disconnected their telephones, apparently to escape the waves of callers asking what the board could have been thinking, residents said. The third board member, with a working phone, did not return a call for comment.

In its original letter to the couple, Lisa Jensen and Bill Trimarco, the association said some neighbors had found the peace symbol politically �divisive.�

Texas, my birthplace, use to be a Democratic oasis, not always the most progressive Democrats, but it was good for a lit of blue on the map. Well about 10 years ago, the great Republican Southern Strategy (Pitting the races against each other) swept in and the Republican have a strangle hold on that state.

Well to prove that the Republicans know nothing more than corruption, pay-offs, and bribes, the Texas Ethics Commission said that describing a gift as �Currency� or �A Check� satisfies the law. So if a lobbyist walks up and gives a Texas politician a bag of money, the politician would have to report that he received some currency and a bag. If the oil industry gave a Texas politician a wheelbarrow of $100 bills stacked 5 feet high, the political would have to report that he received a wheelbarrow and some currency. If the Governor of Texas, Rick �Closeted� Perry a Mack Truck full of $4 Billion in cash, and on the seat of the Mack truck there was a check for another $4 Billion, Rick would have to report that he got a Truck, some currency, and a piece of paper described as �A check� would be fine by them.

For some reason, some in Texas are pissed at this, From the Houston Chronicle, bolds are mine.

A Texas official who receives any sum of cash as a gift can satisfy state disclosure laws by reporting the money simply as "currency," without specifying the amount, the Texas Ethics Commission reiterated Monday.

 

The 5-3 decision outraged watchdog groups and some officials who unabashedly accused the commission of failing to enforce state campaign finance laws.

"What the Ethics Commission has done is legalize bribery in the state of Texas. We call on the commission to resign en masse," said Tom "Smitty" Smith, who heads Texas Citizen, an Austin-based group that advocates for campaign finance reform.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, said the "currency" interpretation would render it "perfectly legal to report the gift of 'a wheelbarrow' without reporting that the wheelbarrow was filled with cash."

In a letter to the commissioners dated Monday, Earle called such an analysis "absurd and out of step with both the law and current public attitudes and concerns about corruption in government."

Monday's ruling was preceded by little discussion, other than calls from several members of the commission for the Legislature to revise the gift giving statute.

At their last meeting, commissioners said they would welcome more precise reporting, but were powerless to require it.

I am nto sure why the White House would allow Bush out of the basement. This is a real toast given by the President of Estonia and Bush's comeback. It is like watching a movie of the retard going to old Europe

From the WhiteHouse website.

PRESIDENT ILVES: (As translated.) The support of the United States for existence of the country of Estonia, through the seemingly endless years, when we thought we, indeed, had been forgotten by everyone, gives us the conviction to support the restoration or establishment of democracy in those parts of the world where it, too, seems but a dream.

Our own past spurs us now to act as a country that is able to and wants to help others to create liberty. Our presence shows the doubters how far a people can go if you only give them freedom.

I shall raise my glass, in the name of the vision based on our shared values, that liberty can become reality in every corner of the world, and that our story of hope, support and effort will inspire those who today can only dream of freedom.

(A toast is offered.) (Applause.)

PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, thank you very much, and, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you, as well, for your gracious hospitality. I'm really thrilled to be here in Estonia. I love being in a country that values liberty and freedom. I appreciate being in a country that understands there are duties and obligations beyond her border to help others realize the benefits of liberty and freedom. I'm very proud of your military, and I'm pleased to be in the presence of those who wear the uniform of Estonia. I know our military has great respect for the Estonian soldiers.

I am amazed to be in a country that has been able to effect a flat tax in such a positive way. I am impressed by the e-governance that you have here in Estonia.

All in all, this has been a very worthwhile and exciting visit for me, and I thank you for your warm hospitality. And I'd like to raise my glass to the leadership of this important country, to our friendship, and most importantly, to the people of Estonia.

(A toast is offered.) (Applause.)

The words of a true President, followed by the drunked wails of our tard in chief.

You may not know Rich Lowry, he writes for the National Review, an uber-right-wing publication that used the bulk of its paper to defend the failed Republican agenda. Rich himself has been a staunch defender in the war in Iraq, but like most Republicans, he is to cowardest to go and fight (He is only 26 years old, fit, and good to go), but the times they are a changin�.

Now his new story has a lot of ducking and weaving, because face it, they have been on the wrong side of this argument for a long time, and it is hard to just admit you were wrong and move to the just and right side, but the last two paragraphs are very telling…

Bush simply has failed to run his war. Historian Eliot Cohen describes how, in contrast, the best American wartime president conducted himself: �Lincoln had not merely to select his generals, but to educate, train and guide them. To this end he believed that he had to master the details of war, from the technology to the organization and movement of armies, if only to enable himself to make informed judgments about general officers.�

Bush has taken the opposite approach and � for all his swagger and protectiveness of executive prerogatives � is becoming a disturbing study in lassitude in the executive branch.

 

No I am not kidding, Newt Gingrich, the once Speaker of the House, and current Republican talking head wants to shit on the Freedom of Speech. Now he claims that is has something to do with the war on terror, but we all know the truth, the Republicans hate the freedom of speech, because it allows people to speak truth to power.

CNN has the this (bolds are mine)…

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich yesterday said the country will be forced to reexamine freedom of speech to meet the threat of terrorism.

Gingrich, speaking at a Manchester awards banquet, said a "different set of rules" may be needed to reduce terrorists' ability to use the Internet and free speech to recruit and get out their message.

"We need to get ahead of the curve before we actually lose a city, which I think could happen in the next decade," said Gingrich, a Republican who helped engineer the GOP's takeover of Congress in 1994.

Gingrich spoke to about 400 state and local power brokers last night at the annual Nackey S. Loeb First Amendment award dinner, which fetes people and organizations that stand up for freedom of speech.

You can read the whole story from the Union Leader

As you know Americans sent many Republican home. The Democratic tsunami washed away more than the Republican majority, it also washed away the bank account. This is the email that is going around, if you are on one of the right-wing mailing lists, it may be in your inbox as we speak�

From: "Senator Elizabeth Dole" <news@gopsenators.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:02:24
To:
Subject: Recovering from our Post-election debt

Help us Retire our Debt!

You have already done so much these past two years to help us protect our Republican Senate Majority - Thank you!

But right now, the NRSC is being buried under an avalanche of post-campaign debt… We need to address this problem at once in order to wipe-out our debt and make sure we have the funds to start 2007 with the maximum strength possible.

Please make an online donation right now to help the NRSC retire our 2006 campaign debt and set the stage for a GOP comeback over the next two years.

Dear Republican Friend,

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generous support of our efforts to elect Republicans to the United States Senate this year.

I just wish I could say I'm writing today to celebrate a Republican victory — but as you know, we were beaten by the Democrats in a very difficult election year for Republicans nationwide.

But even though we were unable to retain our Senate Majority, I believe we can still walk away from this election with our heads held high…

…Despite the odds against us, we fought hard in all our U.S. Senate races and still managed to keep the Senate extremely close!

You can read the whole thing, DailyKOS as it posted.

Bush was for �Stay the Course� before he was against it, well he is for it again. Today while on his second overseas trip in less than 2 weeks our beloved Retard in Chief rolled out the tired, well worn speech. You have heard it before, in face I am sure many that follow politics can recite it by heart, that America will stay in Iraq until it is stable no matter how long it takes. In short, Stay the Course. Bush stammered out, "There's one thing I'm not going to do, I'm not going to pull our troops off the battlefield before the mission is complete" so that begs the question, what is the mission.

He went on to say, "We can accept nothing less than victory for our children and our grandchildren," this to begs the question, how do we afford this cluster f*ck you got us into?

Regardless of what FOX NEWS says, Iraq is in the middle of an American induced civil war. So what side do we want to win Mr. Bush, Sunnis or Shiites, just tell us so our boys and girls can back them, destroy the other side and come the hell home.

What is the Mission Mr. Bush?

In what I can only describe as a �I could not make this shit up if I tried� moment I would like you to read this. A community in Colorado is threatened by a wreath made into a peace sign.

From the AP, Via Yahoo News

A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado has threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removes a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti-Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan.

Some residents who have complained have children serving in Iraq, said Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs. He said some residents have also believed it was a symbol of Satan. Three or four residents complained, he said.

"Somebody could put up signs that say drop bombs on Iraq. If you let one go up you have to let them all go up," he said in a telephone interview Sunday.

Lisa Jensen said she wasn't thinking of the war when she hung the wreath. She said, "Peace is way bigger than not being at war. This is a spiritual thing."

Jensen, a past association president, calculates the fines will cost her about $1,000, and doubts they will be able to make her pay. But she said she's not going to take it down until after Christmas.

"Now that it has come to this I feel I can't get bullied," she said. "What if they don't like my Santa Claus."

Golden State Fence Co, of California is under investigation for hiring undocumented aliens, ei illegal immigrants to build the fence.

The San Diego Times

A California company under investigation on suspicion of hiring undocumented workers won a contract in the late 1990s to help build the San Diego border fence with Mexico to thwart illegal immigration, federal records show.

Federal authorities said there is no indication that the company, Golden State Fence Co., which has an office in Oceanside, hired undocumented workers on the fence project.

Over the past year, Golden State has been the focus of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security for allegedly hiring undocumented workers on several projects, including those at military bases. No charges have been filed.

In 1997, Golden State received a contract worth more than $590,000 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work on a portion of the 14-mile barrier separating San Diego from Tijuana.

As authorities continue their investigation, they acknowledged in recent interviews and public documents that Golden State had worked on a portion of the fence project.

We all know Bush spent the first half of his life drunk and/or stoned out of his mind, we also know the Bush girls are quickly following in their father�s footsteps. Well Wonkette has a great post about the Bush twins being kicked out of Argentina, where they were celebrating their 25th Birthday. Go read and prepare yourself for what we all know is coming. It will include nude photos, girl on girl kissing, and/or a secret abortion.

A week or so ago I told you that the new Republican strategy is to reclaim the mantel as the party of Racists. For a while they were trying to shed that image. The gay ring leader of the Republican party, Ken Mehlman was openly apologizing for the �Southern Strategy� the Republicans use of race to turn the south red. They quickly walked away from Trent Lott when he made is little Pro-segregation remarks at Strome�s birthday party a few years ago, and they were for the 2000 � 2006 election cycles openly tiring to woo the black vote.

It is my belief that two truths became clear in the wake of the 2006 election. Truth one, the campaign to woo the blacks to the Republican Party is not working. Votes for Republicans by black voters was worst than in 2004. The second and more damaging truth is that the tragedy of 9/11 along with the disaster in Iraq has made the �The terrorists are hiding in your basement� argument a little less effective. This has placed the Republicans in a bad spot, you see the Republicans can only win by dividing us up, and for a while we had those Muslims to do it, but as this argument wore thing, so did the Republican Party. So.. back to the unadulterated racism!

Want some more proof, Check this out�

Student group offers scholarship for whites only

BOSTON, Massachusetts (Reuters) — A Boston University student group is offering a scholarship for white students to protest financial aid programs in the United States that select by ethnic background, university officials said on Tuesday.

The group, Boston University College Republicans, told campus publications the $250 Caucasian Achievement and Recognition Scholarship was intended as a statement and they had raised funds privately for the award, which does not have the backing of the university.

Today in the rain soaked rose garden Bush said, "I am granting a full presidential pardon so they can live out their lives as safe as can be"

This is the nices thing Bush has ever done for anyone or anything, and the Washington Wire has this to tell…

President Bush today will pardon the White House Thanksgiving turkey, a ceremony repeated each year since the late 1940s. The reprieve likely will be a brief one. The birds, bred for their meaty breasts, quickly grow too heavy to move themselves around, and usually die before the next Thanksgiving. Last year�s winner and its understudy, also pardoned by Bush, were no exception. Billed as the �Happiest Turkey on Earth� at last year�s Disneyland Thanksgiving Day Parade, where it was honorary grand marshal, both �Marshmallow� and its sidekick �Yam� already have passed away, of natural causes, according to a spokeswoman for Disneyland.

Go read more, it is a real bring down…

Enjoy your turkey…

Attack on Baghdad Shiite Slum Kills 161