Blog Box

February 3, 2006
Compiled and written by Delilah Boyd

Groundhog Edition

This week gives us two major annual events: Bush's 2006 State of the Union speech and Groundhog Day. One event involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a rat-like creature of little intelligence for prognostication. The other involves a groundhog.

SOTU "Fear Your Shadow" Redux

The critics agree: nice speech from Planet Oh-Right-Sure. But here on the third rock, the reality was more in what the president didn't say in his annual speech to congress than in what he did say.

For example, Major Robert L. Hanafin (conservative libertarian) at Veterans For Common Sense writes that our troops and their families needed to hear that Bush would end the military's overextension problem by the end of 2006, that the president would give our troops basic guidelines to gauge their progress on a tangible course to success, that our troops would never again be sent to war without proper equipment, and that our nation's veterans would be a priority.

Alas, like every other issue crucial to America's future life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, veterans' affairs were not addressed even remotely adequately in Bush's "nice" speech.

Sidebar: in an email forwarded to me by Blog Box reader Tom Farley, Hanafin wrote: "If we have to embrace the Democrats to bring down a potentially FASCIST regime so be it." Hanafin also wrote:

Second, YOU don't know what you are talking about regarding Murtha's call for a gradual withdrawal from Iraq. In fact it differs little from Republican Congressman Walter Jones of North Carolina's House Resolution 55 submitted only six months prior.

Sorry, Major. The crickets were chirping too loudly for our corporate-owned media to cover that Republican bill. Rest assured though that our Pentagon brass are fighting the important war... against cartoons, namely this one by Tom Toles.

Too bad the Pentagon didn't see the following toon before the SOTU speech (but I don't think they have anyone smart enough to understand it, anyway. After all, it takes an 8th grade understanding of American geography):

We sure needed the National Guard here at home last year, didn't we? Alas, the only thing Bush's Pentagon seems capable of doing with any success is lying to Congress. Who needs bombs when you've got General Hayden?

General Michael Hayden is capable of destroying an entire country (ours) with words instead of bombs. Want to watch him lie to the US Congress? BradBlog has the video.

Couldn't stomach the live SOTU "Fear Your Shadow" spectacle? Hesitant to drop your IP address on the White House.gov website? Read the transcript at either AmericaBlog or on my blog, Delilah Boyd.

But wait! Before you read the BCLB (Bush Child Left Behind) SOTU transcript, read the reality-based one, delivered by John Edwards. The speech is posted at Tom Paine.com. Here's the conclusion:

The State Of Our Future America risks losing our position as a global leader and our reputation for being the land of opportunity if we continue on the course that President Bush has set for us. We are fortunate, however, that our forefathers established a democracy that lets the people decide the ultimate fate of the nation. I know we can create a country that works for all of us. We must focus on important goals that bring America together, such as fighting the battle against poverty, rewarding work and preparing our country for the challenges ahead. If we are all truly equal in the eyes of the Lord and the Law; if we believe that there is dignity in hard work, then poverty has no place in America — the greatest, wealthiest nation on earth. God bless America, especially for our finest goals, and for our determination to meet the challenges that have been laid before us.

Think Progress has the real SOTU facts and links (all of them, point by point); if you were expecting any rational commentary either before or after the speech, TVNewser explains why you didn't find any; and Tom Tomorrow leads the blogging pack in asking the healthcare question of the evening: "In his world, it makes perfect sense for Americans to save up for something they can't afford. Hell, he's never had to worry about money, why should we?"

SOTU Guest Relations Rumble

One T-shirt, several bruises, four hours and two jails later, Cindy Sheehan pens her 2006 SOTU arrest experience for Buzzflash.com.

As of this writing, the bogus charges against Mrs. Sheehan have been dropped, and no-one (repeat: no-one) has posted a photo of the "Support Our Troops" woman, who supposedly was asked to leave the gallery.

Hate TV news coverage in general? Don't despair. Turn off CNN. Turn off MSNBC. Politics TV is here! Click on over and check out DTV (Dem TV) for reality-based SOTU commentary and analysis. Pssst. The Blog Channel is coming soon!

Speaking of must-see TV, have you met The Young Turks? They kept the Alito fight alive long enough last week to teach Senate Dems a thing or two about abusing their base (us).

And, for those of you still recovering from SOTU Bingo/Drinking Game alcohol poisoning, here are those buzzwords that brought on your bodacious buzz (thanks to DUer DeepModem Mom for posting the New York Times graphic):

A perfect complement to the above graphic is Dubyaspeak.com's latest Fresh Dubya, which includes the 17 SOTU references to "freedom" in paragraph form.

Chris Matthews is an Idiot, Hannity's a Moron, and Russert's a Playa?

Chris Matthews thinks Latinos are "natural Republicans?" Of course, that explains why they (Republicans) want to close our borders and deport all illegal immigrants. Logic is not your strong point, Tweety. Anyway, Crooks and Liars has the video.

Hannity is a moron. Of course, you already knew that, but have you visited hannityisamoron.com yet? Don't forget to punch Sean Hannity while you're there! (Scroll down the page for the javascript mouseover face-punching fun.) Good times. Good times.

Arianna Huffington says Scooter Libby's trial will demonstrate how much of a Plamegate "player" NBC's Tim Russert really is, but Justoneminute stuffs the entire Scooter Libby defense strategy into a nutshell for us and writes: "My Not So Bold Prediction - this trial will mark a watershed in the history of the media in America." Expect to hear much, much more in the near future about how Libby's trial lawyers plan to pull back the sheets and expose BushCo's media shills.

Speaking of trials, pre-trial hearings, and other culture of corruption issues, Jack Abramoff will be sentenced for his nefarious Sun Cruz dealings on March 16th. The trial date of the three men accused of killing Gus Boulis will be announced on March 23rd. Adam Kidan (Abramoff's Sun Cruz associate) will be sentenced on March 1st. How do I know these dates? I found them at The Grand Ole Docket, a new feature of Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo blog conglomerate, er... blogomerate... er, whatever. And then there's Enron's Lay and Skilling trial...

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Enron-Bush connection: Truthdig (the new home of Robert Scheer) has the links.

The Liberal Media Strikes Again

Our favorite Gun Guys tell the sad, yet somehow hilarious tale of VA State Rep. Jack Reid's inability to clean a gun in his office without it going off, and asks the burning question: "If Reid's carrying a gun around the General Assembly, who isn't?"

My question: what kind of asshat thinks the "it went off by itself" defense actually works? Fortunately Reid's personal bullet-proof vest was hanging across the room and took a bullet for the state representative. Could've been worse.

Wait a minute. Why wasn't "State Rep. Has Time to Clean His Gun at Work" the headline? Oh yeah, I forgot - the dreaded liberal media.

Ready for more "liberal" media mayhem? Good Bush, Bad Bush. Intelligence Squad posts a round up of recent reputable data, and I have to wonder: if the numbers are all this bad, why are there many more good Bush stories than bad ones on my TV? Oops, I forgot the dreaded liberal media again, didn't I? Duh.

Frist: Then and Now

Some nerve, Frist. Of course, the kitty killer praises Coretta Scott King today, but he had no problem voting against a motion for a roll call vote condemning lynching last June. Hughes for America has the details.

Blast Blog Post from the Past

Rhodian Attic knows why BushCo indictments probably won't drive the Republican criminal element from power. Prescott Bush was indicted, yet here he is - years later - with another famous "I am not a crook" Republican...

Fired for Blogging, Or Fired for Dumbassedness?

You decide. Here's a snippet from blogger/reporter Matt Donegan's MySpace blog post about being fired by his employer, The Dover Post, for blogging:

Foul language? You bet your fucking ass there is foul language. But racial slurs? Bashing the handicapped? Come on, people. It's sickening to think that you can't so much as joke about someone different than you nowadays without someone pinning a KKK hat on your head and calling you "Massa." Seriously, lighten the hell up already. Political correctness is killing society, slowly but surely. And did I really threaten members of the local community with violence? My so-called "death list" that I recently added to after an annoying customer pushed me over the edge also includes Mitch Williams, every driver who goes under the speed limit in the left lane, whoever made Mars Attacks and, as a courtesy to my kin, my brother's ex-wife, "that frosty bitch."

Some of Matt's more memorable blog quips:

(Complaining about his loud neighbors): "I bet James Earl Ray was woken up by black people yelling pointlessly in the streets the night before he killed your civil rights leader." "Happy New Year, one and all. Head out to the after-Mummer's Parade on 2nd Street in Philly between 4 p.m. and 2 a.m. Jan. 1. It's (no shit) like Mardi Gras, without all the smell of dead Katrina victims washing through the streets." "Are these the sentiments of a flaming Nazi mongrel? I think not. They're the beliefs of a man who is fed up with people who don't know how to call a black man 'black,' a white man 'white,' and a Mexican man 'lazy.'"

The blog comment that probably lead to Matt's Dover Post canning: "I hate my job."

Carnival of the Liberals

Carnival of the Liberals #5 is up at Neural Gourmet. Ten of the best recent liberal blog posts are chosen for each carnival, so click on over and check them out. And if you'd like to host a future carnival on your blog, contact Neural or email me, and I'll forward your message.

The groundhog saw his shadow this year and was frightened enough to hide for six more weeks. The burning SOTU question: did Bush frighten Americans enough to hide from their own shadows until the day after the mid-term elections in November? Remains to be seen, but I predict more fearmongering than ever before as we approach election day. Don't let Bush win!

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