It's The Pride, Stupid Republicans!

[BlogBox]

Bush plays the "I'm too stupid to be held accountable" card while his water-carriers continue to cover for him, desperate Republicans block blog access and make bogus WMD claims in an election year (of course), and Ann Coulter used to look human back in the day. Meanwhile some anti-BushCo blog topics refuse to die, and the list of embarrassing Republican actions is growing exponentially. Humiliation, thy name is Republican. America wants - and deserves - her pride back.

What Did Bush NOT Know And When Did He NOT Know It?

Don't you at least expect your very own darksided pResident to be kept in the loop on his own party's evildoer doings? Not George W. Bush. Ariellyn has a long list of links to humiliating examples of "Bush Didn't Know" events, including:

On paying Armstrong Williams to write pro-BushCo articles. Bush: "We didn't know about this in the White House."

On the Dubai ports deal. White House: "President Bush wasn't aware that shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports were being sold..."

On Haditha. Tony Snow: "Bush didn't know until Time magazine reported it."

'Tis a ponderous list, indeed, Ariellyn! Plausible deniability is no excuse, even for the Son Of Out-Of-The-Loop.

My Old Kentucky Homepage Censorship

No anti-Fletcher blog posts allowed. Bluegrass Report is keeping tabs on the ever-increasing number of blogs being blocked from state workers' view by Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher. In a right-wing nutshell, any blog with an unflattering Fletcher post is making the list.

BluegrassReport.org Being BLOCKED By State Government

(**Lots of updates throughout the day, so check below frequently**)

I've gotten a handful of e-mails this morning already that BluegrassReport.org has apparently been blocked to state computers by the Commonwealth Office of Technology. Readers in three different cabinets have e-mailed to tell me they get a "blocked" message when they try to access the site.

Nothing like a little censorship with your breakfast. Welcome to the People's Republic of Kentucky.

UPDATE: I'm getting flooded with e-mails and a couple of phone calls from readers in other cabinets -- and other elected constitutional offices -- that the site has been blocked. But what's interesting is there's no problem allowing state workers to access the Republican Party of Kentucky or Fox News or Drudge Report or at least one conservative Kentucky blog. Pathetic.

Enough is enough. We're all sick and tired of Republicans morphing into Judge Dredd with their "I Am The Law" crap. Bluegrass Report will continue to add updates as more banned blogs are added to the governor's list. Embarrassment overload means nothing to desperate Republicans. Truly heavy sigh.

More Great Moments In Bush Stupidity (Blog Topics That Just Won't Die)

Via Ice Station Tango, we have links to the video of Bush accidentally insulting a legally-blind reporter during his Rose Garden photo-op after his photo-op trip to Baghdad's photo-op-friendly Green Zone. Bush, the commander-in-training wheels, has a history of stupid interactions with blind people. Here's a blast from Bush's past (or should it be a flashback?): Too Stupid To Be President's top 11 reasons why Bush waved at Stevie Wonder.

Bush Water Carriers, Unite!

Ann Coulter

Bush water carrier Ann Coulter is a... well, let's let new blogger Fringe Space explain:

This is a letter of introduction, not that i expect anyone to read this blog. In the event you have happened upon this space, be forewarned you are hearing the unexpurgated raves and rants of a man with a very low tolerance for bullshit.

I've tried to be patient. I've tried to just be quiet. The time for that has come and gone.

Ann Coulter has spewed her latest blather across the screen of too many televisions on too many networks. Too many people have defended her venom. Her smile was a bit too bright with all the attention.

Ann has a taste for saying the unspeakable, for saying words beyond the pale. Her fans love that about her. She gives voice to the sentiments they lack the courage to say within the light of day.

It grieves me to say it, but Coulter is a barren harpy...

There's so much more at the link, and there's more on Ann Coulter's high school days (further down in this column). Give new blogger Fringe Space a click and some encouragement to keep up the good work. Those who support Ann Coulter's hatefulness destroy any hope of America regaining her lost pride. In an attempt to save Ann's immoral soul, Rhodian Attic has posted Henry Rollin's video "Letter to Ann Coulter." My favorite part: Henry thinks it would be good for Ann to memorize every line from Caddyshack.

Chip Griffin

Who's that? According to cybersoc.com, Griffin is the townhall.com (the notoriously conservative web portal) alum behind netvocates.com, a "blog intelligence and advocacy service."

And what does NetVocates do? They hire trolls to post pro-client comments on blogs, under the guise of "regular citizens" just voicing their opinions. Ahem.

"NetVocates then recruits activists and consumers who share the client's views in order to reinforce those key messages on targeted blogs -- and rebut misinformation when appropriate."

So they hire sockpuppets to go out and pretend to be "ordinary users" when they post stuff on blogs? ANYONE THINKING OF HIRING A COMPANY TO DO THIS needs to think very seriously about the backlash that's likely to happen if people find out. Don't believe me? Then see this post about a company that tried it and got caught.

Other bloggers who have found themselves visited by NetVocates include:

PSoTD
Make Chai, Not War
CracksInTheFacade
pandora's jar of mixed nuts

What does each of these have in common? Well, based on a very brief visit to each, I'd say they all discuss political issues at least some of the time.

Where's the pride in disguising your paid propagandists, NetVocates? Shame on you and shame on your clients.

Tony Snow

2500 (dead) is "just a number." Looks like Snow Job has been channeling Bart Simpson's chalkboard punishment (I will not celebrate meaningless milestones). DUer ticapnews takes Tony's statement to its natural conclusion with this post:

Tony Snow writes a letter to Mrs. 2498

Dear Mrs. Estrella 2498,

The Department of Defense regrets to inform you that your son number 2498 was killed subtracted on June 14 in Al Anbar province in Iraq. Your son Number 2498 performed admirably under very stressful conditions. It may bring you some solace to know that the other men numbers in his unit admired and respected your son number 2498 and looked to him it as a source of inspiration.

The sacrifice your son number 2498 made for this country will be remembered forever until {insert rank} 2499 is killed in Iraq on {insert date}.

Yours truly,

Tony Snow

Slamming stupid Tony Snow is still a hot blog topic this week, but Ava's new video, Not Just A Number, humanizes the "numbers" and makes people with any sense of decency hang their heads and wonder what's happened to America.

Privacy Schmivacy!

Republicans have labeled Senator Clinton everything from lesbian to murderer over the years, but her stance on privacy protection will most assuredly bring out the truly vicious Hillary haters this year. John in DC (AMERICAblog) has the skinny (and the video link) to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's proposed legislation to bring back privacy to all Americans, even the ones who hate the fact that it's a tried and true liberal idea.

For some reason, politicians from both parties seem to be loathe to enter the fray on the privacy issue. When in fact, privacy is a great issue to jump on. First off, it sounds good. Who isn't for privacy? Secondly, it's an issue that appeals to lots of folks on the left and the right (gun folks like privacy too). Third, it drives the religious right crazy - they think privacy leads to people having sex. So, you've got an issue that appeals to all Dems, moderate and even some middle-of-the-road Republicans, and even some conservative Republicans, while pissing off the religious right. How can you do better than that?

Anyway, here's the link to the video of Hillary's speech.

And here are some highlights, provided by the American Constitution Society:

- Senator Clinton's Privacy Bill will be known as the Privacy Rights and Oversight for Electronic and Commercial Transactions Act of 2006 (PROTECT Act)

- The PROTECT Act will protect consumer information by allowing credit card companies, banks and other financial service providers to share information only when customers "opt it." Current law requires consumers to opt out.

- It will protect cell phone numbers and call records against disclosure.

- It will allow victims of identity theft to immediately freeze their credit rating.

- It will allow consumers to sue financial service providers to sue directly in federal court for violations of their privacy.

- It will create a right to be notified immediately if you are a victim of identity theft, to know when your information is transmitted overseas, and to receive a free copy of your credit report each year.

- It will create a "privacy czar" within the Office of Management and Budget.

- It will expand HIPAA by adding additional sanctions to ensure violators are held accountable.

Funny, isn't it, how we used to take privacy rights for granted? I know that's a pre 9/11 attitude, but those 9/11 guys entered the country legally, lived completely on the grid, and some were even under suspicion by authorities. If the damned Patriot Act and its bastard child, Patriot Act II, don't solve the security gap problem of a pre 9/11 America, then why are we spending so much money and giving up so much personal privacy and so many lives?

Hitler Kitties And Ann Coulter

WWARD? What would a Republican do? Could a Republican love a cat who looks like Hitler? Hitler Cats is a blog devoted to - you guessed it - cats that look like Hitler.


Hitler Cats were born that way, but what's Ann Coulter's excuse? From Gawker:

Classmate Provides Evidence That Ann Coulter Was Once Food-Consuming Organism

We've yet to see any conclusive proof on the all-important question of Ann Coulter's plagiarism, but we've got a deeper query: Where does all the anger come from? Is Ann manufacturing her outrage, or is there something within her that actually generates this anger? Could it spring from a love of country that has become so twisted by the perversions of liberalism that it has no choice but to lash out with high-decibel hatred? Is its origin an issue with society and its marginalization of voices which dissent against the prevailing orthodoxies of the day? Or maybe it's just having looked like a chubbier, dark-haired version of Drew Barrymore in high school (26 years ago). One for the psychiatrists to figure out, we guess.

By the way, if you know way too much about the content of Coulter columns, chances are you'd score at the top of The Satirical Political Report's Top 10 Signs You're A Liberal Political Junkie. (Note: I scored 9 out of 10. If I ever take the time to figure out my TV's picture-in-a-picture capability, I'll be 10 for 10).

Bilbray's Babes, Pierce Bush, And Even Tom DeLay Are Doing It Online

Silly me. I thought underage drinking parties in family homes and on campus were still crimes. Guess not... At least for the Bilbray kids. Wonkette writes:

We hereby retroactively endorse Brian Bilbray for the seat he already won. It'll take a big man to fill the shoes of Duke Cunningham, entertainment-wise, but Bilbray may be up to the challenge. His kids certainly are, as can be seen on their oh-so-public MySpace and Photobucket accounts.

Here's an excerpt:




Also caught partying online (this time on Facebook) by Wonkette is George W. Bush's remedial-level nephew, Pierce (Son of Not-So-Bright Neil).



Gee, that smirk-off looks familiar...


Hey, Republicans invented the "Fair Game" game. It's just Wonkette's turn to play, y'all. We all need a little comic relief now and then. Speaking of comic relief…

Tom DeLay Does MySpace

Not really. Actually, the URL is from The Huffington Post, but Tom's MySpace page is priceless.


I wouldn't put it past DeLay to try something as desperate as a MySpace page, would you? After all, he's had a lot of experience humiliating America already.

America used to hold her head high, confident that her reputation for good works and decency among nations would light the way to a more humane world. How much more humiliation can we take? How many more must suffer for the shameful behavior of America's party of Nixon, McCarthy, and the Bush family?

America wants her pride back, and there's no better time to fight for it than this election year. Refuse to give in, and continue to fight the right-wing slandering of America the beautiful.

[Warpy]

1. I had a Hitler kitty

a bedraggled stray I insisted on bringing home when I was four and pitched enough of a fit over that my parents, who were having a minor mouse plague, decided to keep. I wanted to call her "Whiskers," (I was only FOUR), but the day after she took up residence, the gas men came by and saw her in the front yard, "Hey, Joe! Lookit Adolf Hitler up in the tree!" So Hitler she became.

After she deposited two kittens and weaned them, she went off in search of another mouse plagued house. I think it's because of that name.

[slestak]

2. Great work, Delilah

I read the Blog Box every Friday, and think it's terrific. Just wanted to say thanks!

[geardaddy]

3. Ugh, Miller High Life

Who can drink that swill?

And what's with the thonged satyr figure in the Pierce Bush (baaaad choice to name your kid) photo?

[FantasticFlan]

4. The geek in me has to point out...

The Empire Strikes Back was actually episode 5.

[Canuckistanian]

5. Thoroughly entertaining!

Thanks for this, Delilah. And I'm proud to say that I've left the first blog comment on Fringe Sapce.

K&R.

[katinmn]

6. OMG! Bush Frat Boy Redux

:thumbsdown:
The Bushes only seem to excel at one thing.