PoliticalSports: The Ultimate Game

February 10, 2012

It Makes You Scratch Your Head

Thanks to Bad Attitudes, one of my favorite blogs for this post, which came from Lauren Unger-Geoffroy:

After the long weekend of revolution participation here, I had to pay 13 Egyptian pounds--the equivalent of three U.S. dollars--to have an X-ray of my stress-fractured ankle. The hospital was part of a labyrinthine and crowded complex, and I had to ask directions repeatedly. But eventually a cast and a containment brace were put on my ankle, all for the cost of the equivalent of an additional 45 U.S. dollars. I tsk-tsked and said to the young doctor, "That is expensive! Much more than last year." He replied apologetically, "Yes, I know, I am sorry, but now we are using some American products."

I did not mention that these American products would cost at least 300 times more in the U.S. than they cost here, or that in America I would have to pay $600 to health insurance extortion every single month for life in order to afford medical treatment. As I limped back to the taxi, accompanied by the typical sympathy, offers of help and well-wishing of strangers, I reflected on the strange chasm of values, self-interest, the evils of capitalism, human decency, pragmatism, social unity, and the vacuum of understanding into which can rush ... anything.

Anything, like Rick Santorum, from HuffPost:

He said that the health care law passed under Romney in Massachusetts in 2006 was "the stepchild of ObamCare" and said that Romney "built the largest government run health care system in the United States."

Health care should be a defining issue for the election, a key contrast between the Republican nominee and the incumbent president, Santorum said. But Romney, Santorum said, "would simply give that issue away in the fall, give the issue away of government control of your health."

It doesn't register that our health care system is broken, and that 50 million people are without health care. Costs are rising much faster than inflation. Something needed to be done....but roll out the old "government is evil" card, even if it flies in the face of reality. What does it matter, really?

Posted by Chip Spear at 3:49 PM | Comments (0)

February 8, 2012

Let's Play a Game - You are Mitt Romney

You are Mitt and want to run for President. You were the Republican governor of what many Americans consider to be the most liberal state in the country. Your history strongly suggests you are a moderate Republican who was fairly well received during his term in Massachusetts. You are a Morman. You obviously want to run in the Republican party. Just as obvious is the fact that it is controlled to a large degree by what can graciously be described as a bunch of Looney Tunes who think that the earth is flat and the moon is made of green cheese.

So, how do you get the nomination? You are smart, accomplished, a successful businessman who has made something like $250 Million. You implemented a health plan that is surprisingly similar to Obama's. If you want some specifics of his term you can find it here:

You will find that you probably agree with some actions and not others. He seems like a moderate, reasonable Republican. I doubt that you get the nomination by saying you are going to do the same things for the country. The wacky doodles wouldn't stand for it. You don't talk much about your Massachusetts accomplishments, do you? And your religion? I think you don't bring that up either. Isn't the only way to get the nomination to move right, way right? What would you do differently? How would you be playing this game?

Posted by Chip Spear at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)

March 21, 2008

The Passport Breach

First we find out that a couple of state department contractors looked at Obama's passport records three times, all politically significant dates this year. Then we read today that someone looked at Hillary's passport records sometime last year. And now, there are indications that someone looked at John McCain's passport records. Are they related? Are they the same couple of people, or are they all from the same contracting firm? Who did they report to? What other work do they do? What are their histories? Why hasn't the State Department released their names yet?

Given the record of this administration, it is not surprising that this only came out because a reporter had some inside information and not from the State Department itself. It is also not surprising that the State Department has not released any names yet. There might be a good reason, but the record leads me to be suspicious of their motives. I expect the State Department will stonewall any investigation

Posted by Chip Spear at 10:52 PM | Comments (0)

March 11, 2008

O.I.L. (Our Illustrious Leader) Keeps Pounding for Yards

GW keeps pounding away at anyone who stands in his way as he continues his march to unrestricted Presidential power. He never backs down, he never doubts. His methods are consistent and have generally been very successful, haven't they? The Dems have been exceedingly ineffective to stop him from his torture requests or his recent moves to protect the telecom companies from prosecution for helping the Administration wiretap Americans without a warrant. (NYT)

"The flash point in the debate has been the question of whether to protect AT&T and other major phone companies from some 40 lawsuits pending in federal courts, which charge that the companies' participation in the eavesdropping program violated federal privacy laws and their responsibilities to their customers.

Mr. Bush says the companies acted out of patriotism in responding to what they believed was a lawful presidential order. He has said that the lawsuits are being pursued by money-driven class-action lawyers and that they should not be allowed to threaten the financial solvency of the phone companies."

Why change your strategy when it works?

Posted by Chip Spear at 1:32 PM

February 25, 2008

Campaign Uncertainty

Sitting in my very suburban environment, I read the newpapers, several magazines and blogs. Almost every one gives me a sense that Barack is on a roll and can't be stopped from getting the nomination except by some chicanery by the Clinton campaign. Yet, despite all that I just read several articles indicating she was still ahead in polling in Ohio. From most of the articles I read one would think that he had already won. (HuffPo) It is all so very interesting.

I feel that the media likes to have a conclusion. They must think that uncertainty indicates weakness. They seldom take a longer view that this turmoil might be good. It is part of the political game. It also ensures that different views and perspectives are injected into the political process. The longer this goes on the more likelihood that lots of ideas get into the campaign. We get to see what works and what doesn't. We get to think about viewpoints and issues in ways we might not if the campaign was over too quickly. In addition, we get to see more of the candidates, especially under stress, when their true nature emerges from behind the curtain.

I think of the criticisms of American democracy and its high degree of uncertainty and flux in comparison to controlled states like the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, or now Russia. There is a certain ease when you don't have to deal with the contention and messiness of multiple opinions. It is often less efficient, however when taken in the long run, I would suggest that it actually builds a better society.

I also think that the game is a lot more fun if you don't find out who wins until the last second. Blowouts are a drag.

Posted by Chip Spear at 1:58 PM

January 29, 2008

The Issue is No Longer Bush's Failed Play

We all know what a disaster Bush has been in far too many ways to bother itemizing. The issue now is with the response by the MSM to him and the Republican candidates. Given the disaster in Afghanistan, what is the Main Stream Media doing to adequately confront the President and the guys on the right running for his position? (AP)

Afghanistan risks sliding into a failed state and becoming the "forgotten war" because of deteriorating international support and a growing violent insurgency, according to an independent study.

The assessment, co-chaired by retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones and former U.N. Ambassador Thomas Pickering, serves as a warning to the Bush administration at a time military and congressional officials are debating how best to juggle stretched warfighting resources.

What is their strategy? What are they gaining by not seriously questioning them? Why do they continue to defer to the O.I.L.? Why do they still believe what he says? Are they gaining something here?

Posted by Chip Spear at 6:24 PM

June 19, 2007

Bloomberg Hits One Out of the Park

I could not say whether I would support Bloomberg as a Presidential candidate, but he sure hit a home run when he said the U.S. is in serious trouble. (NYT)

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, sounding every inch the presidential candidate he insists he is not, brought his message of pragmatic, nonpartisan leadership to California on Monday, telling a crowd of Google employees that the nation was "really in trouble."

In unusually stark terms, Mr. Bloomberg expressed his frustration with the state of the nation, touching on campaign-style issues like the war in Iraq, immigration, education, health care and crime before a crowd of more than 1,000 employees at the Google campus here.

"Whoever out of those 20 becomes president I think has to do something about a country that I think is really in trouble," Mr. Bloomberg said, referring to the current crop of candidates. "There’s the war, there is our relationships around the world."

"Our reputation has been hurt very badly in the last few years," he continued, criticizing what he called a "go-it-alone mentality" in an increasingly interconnected world.

Some of the Democratic candidates have said much the same thing, but today's statement was stark and right on the money.

Posted by Chip Spear at 7:59 PM

June 6, 2007

Oh Boy, Here We Go

The Iranians are playing around in Iraq and now we have the Turks crossing the northern border, chasing Kurdish rebels. (AP)

Several thousand Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq early Wednesday to chase Kurdish guerrillas who operate from bases there, Turkish security officials told The Associated Press.

Two senior security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said the raid was limited in scope and that it did not constitute the kind of large incursion that Turkish leaders have been discussing in recent weeks.

And they are discussing bigger moves. Oh boy, a regional war. Just what we all hoped for, isn't it?

Posted by Chip Spear at 11:44 AM

May 22, 2007

O.I.L Hits One "Outta Here"

O.I.L (Our Illustrious Leader) smacked a big one out the park when the Dems backed off the timetable withdrawals. More than 3 weeks ago Pat Buchanan said on Hardball that the Dems would cave, and guess what? THEY DID. Anyway you spin it, this is another win for the Pres to keep on, keepin' on. To say that they are going to tie funding to Iraq benchmarks is garbage. That is putting the onus on an external player that we do not control in any way. In fact that player is playing another game, in another stadium. Forget that. This game is between Congress and O.I.L., and the slimy one smacked it.

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:42 PM

May 16, 2007

The Huge Falwell Legacy

I listened to David Gregory interview Chris Matthews yesterday morning while driving into work. Chris described Falwell's political impact on national politics. Matthews said that Falwell was responsible for bringing a huge group of fundamentalists into the political arena by appealing to their concerns that liberal attitudes were destroying the country. Matthews said that almost 30 million of the 127 million who voted in the last election were right wing fundamentalists somehow related to the Falwell movement. Matthews suggested that most of these people would not have voted if it had not been for Falwell. Think about that, almost 25% of the last election. That is an astounding number. 25% of voters were followers of a guy who said that the reason the terrorists flew those planes into the World Trade Center was because of our liberal values. He blamed the gays, liberals and anyone who believed in a woman's right to choose. They were the ones to blame. Hmmmmm.

Posted by Chip Spear at 7:21 AM

May 4, 2007

Kim Keeps Playing

I am almost thinking that the whole North Korea thing is a joke. Have you been following it? The recent deadline, March 15th, for North Korea to start shutting down its nuclear reactors, came and went with no action. The North Koreans complained that they were still unable to get $25 million held in a Macau bank. The U.S. indicated that they had arranged to get all the funds released. According to the North Koreans that has still not happened and as a result, they refuse to shut down their nuclear program. Unbelievable, really. The U.S. is saying there are "technical difficulties". That is a joke. We are talking about $25 million, chump change in terms of the U.S. budget and the world economy. It is like holding up negotiations because of a nickel. It there were a real problem the U.S. would get on the phone, or the North Koreans would get on a phone, make a couple of calls and get this resolved. But that is clearly not happening. The North Koreans, as I have repeatedly suggested, have no intention of shutting down their program.

Hill [Christopher Hill, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs] was hopeful that illicit North Korean funds frozen in a Macau bank and scheduled to have been returned by March 15 under the nuclear accord would be freed up soon. The process was said to have been held up by "technical issues."

I have not found any major U.S. newspaper following this story.

Posted by Chip Spear at 7:49 PM

May 2, 2007

The Withdrawal Game

It is certainly no surprise that the Congress sent O.I.L. a bill calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. And it is certainly no surprise that O.I.L. vetoed the bill, his second veto in six years. (NYT) The real fun begins now. I am very curious to see how the two players, O.I.L. and the Democratic leadership, find a way to resolve the impasse so they both can claim victory. Can we assume that they will agree to Iraqi benchmarks? That seems to be the prevailing projected scenario. How boring that would be. I am hoping for a surprise here.

Posted by Chip Spear at 7:55 AM

April 18, 2007

Surge Strategy Thrown for a Loss

Six bombings, 170 dead, 193 wounded today. Seems like the whole surge strategy thing is having a few problems. (CNN)

Posted by Chip Spear at 11:35 AM

April 8, 2007

Hmmmmm, this is a shock

The AP writes:

"The corroded and corrupt state of Saddam was replaced by the corroded, inefficient, incompetent and corrupt state of the new order," Ali A. Allawi concludes in "The Occupation of
Iraq," newly published by Yale University Press.

Allawi writes with authority as a member of that "new order," having served as Iraq's trade, defense and finance minister at various times since 2003. As a former academic, at Oxford University before the U.S.-British invasion of Iraq, he also writes with unusual detachment.

The U.S.- and British-educated engineer and financier is the first senior Iraqi official to look back at book length on his country's four-year ordeal. It's an unsparing look at failures both American and Iraqi, an account in which the word "ignorance" crops up repeatedly.

First came the "monumental ignorance" of those in Washington pushing for war in 2002 without "the faintest idea" of Iraq's realities. "More perceptive people knew instinctively that the invasion of Iraq would open up the great fissures in Iraqi society," he writes.

Follow the link, there is much more of interest.

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:36 PM

The Strategy and Soul of O.I.L.

One should no longer be surprised by much that occurs by way of scandals with regard to O.I.L. How can one really be taken off-guard? Everything is part of the same strategy, the same tactics which get the identical results. Throughout this Presidency, O.I.L has shown total contempt for the country, the people, and the notion of the government as a useful tool to help address problems and prepare for the future. He has loaded department after department with political cronies, large campaign contributors, incompetent administrators and people whose sole mission is to further a political agenda rather than do an excellent job. Let’s start down the list. Energy policy? Hello big oil. And how about the DOD and the Pentagon? Those troops sure are well supplied aren’t they? Hello Halliburton? And how goes the war? What about our intelligence community? 9/11? Katrina? Alberto Gonzales and the DOJ? Then there is the attitude that fosters Duke Cunningham, Jack Abramhoff and Abu Ghraib. And what about the good old Constitution and our Civil Rights? Search and seizure? How are we doing overseas? Are we held in high esteem? Do people around the world still think of us as a beacon of hope and justice? Not a chance. Global Warming? Taxes and the budget? I would contend that anyone who supports this guy either had a massive brain fart, is incapable of analytical thinking, or has directly benefited from his policies either though government contracts or tax cuts.

Posted by Chip Spear at 4:50 PM

April 7, 2007

The Iranians and O.I.L (Our Illustrious Leader)

Doesn't the recent incident with the Iranians remind you of George? The British were clearly in Iraqi waters. How do I know? Well, I wasn't there actually, and I don't have a GPS even if I was, but the Iranians changed there story regarding the coordinates shortly after they found out the first location they gave for the British capture was in Iraqi waters. Enough said. But what do they do? They lie, repeat the lie continually, get many within Iran to believe them, and act as if everyone else is at fault, using their lie for political purposes. Did you see the pictures on the news of the huge demonstrations? Looked like a huge number of brainwashed people to me. Does this sound familiar? It sure does to me.

Posted by Chip Spear at 7:43 AM

April 4, 2007

Johnny McCain Throws the Old Change-Up

John McCain is having problems raising cash. Remember he was the man who was one of two sponsors of the McCain-Feingold Campaign finance law. He was the man who strongly condemned the influence of big money and large campaign contributions. So, what does the man who criticized G.W. for his fund raising methods do? Why adopt his fund raising methods of course. Johnny is throwing the old change up, saying one thing and doing something else. (NYT)

Lagging in fund-raising and under fire for his support of the Iraq war, Senator John McCain is overhauling his campaign finance operation and delaying the official announcement of his candidacy, his aides said Tuesday.

They said he would adopt the kind of big-donor fund-raising program pioneered by President Bush and give a speech explaining his support for the administration’s troop buildup in Iraq.

The maneuvers come at a time of sharp anxiety in Mr. McCain's camp, especially over his fund-raising, which is trailing all the major Republican and Democratic presidential candidates.

The concern grew after his visit to Iraq over the weekend, when he asserted that conditions there were improving.

Mr. McCain's aides said that to deal with his fund-raising problems, he would adopt what had been a centerpiece of Mr. Bush's fund-raising technique, and one that has been embraced by most major presidential candidates:" creating an honorary campaign designation to reward the campaign’s top money raisers.

I can't make this stuff up. It is beyond my level of creativity.

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:24 AM

April 3, 2007

McCain Swings and Misses

John McCain traveled to Baghdad, walked around a market, and attempted to convince America that the media was wrong, the city was actually much safer than reported. "See," he seemed to say as he walked around the marketplace, "it is safe, no one is shooting at me, I am not getting blown to bits."

Do you think it worked? Were you convinced? Did the fact that over 100 soldiers accompanied him alter your thinking? What about helicopter gunship hovering overhead? I bet everyone travels that way everyday in Baghdad. (NYT)

The delegation arrived at the market, which is called Shorja, on Sunday with more than 100 soldiers in armored Humvees - the equivalent of an entire company - and attack helicopters circled overhead, a senior American military official in Baghdad said. The soldiers redirected traffic from the area and restricted access to the Americans, witnesses said, and sharpshooters were posted on the roofs. The congressmen wore bulletproof vests throughout their hourlong visit.

McCain is in a tough spot. He has been in the forefront of the push for more troops to regain the offensive in Iraq. Unfortunately for him, and his Presidential bid, the facts speak a different story. Despite the influx of troops, days are not safer for Iraqis. The plan is not working. McCain has hooked his wagon to a shaky strategy. If it fails, as it appears to be doing now, his candidacy is in serious trouble.

Posted by Chip Spear at 11:03 AM

March 24, 2007

Cheney says House Dems don't support the troops

So, our Illustrious Vice Pres. says because the Dems don't support the disastrous implementation os the Iraq War that they are against the troops. This tactic is not unexpected. Given the state of Congress, being controlled by the Dems, and the actions of the White House, it is not surprising that the Democrats are against administrations policies. I am not sure how that translates into "not supporting the troops", but I am certain that the White House figures that it can still get some traction out of the charge in the "red" states and shore up flagging poll numbers. They probably assume that the tactic they have been using for the past few years still has some life it it. We shall see, now won't we? (AP)

Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday accused the Democrat-led House of not supporting troops in Iraq and of sending a message to terrorists that America will retreat in the face danger.

"They're not supporting the troops. They're undermining them," Cheney told a gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition at the oceanside Ritz-Carlton hotel in Manalapan, Fla., about 60 miles north of Miami.

On Friday, the House voted to clamp a cutoff deadline on the Iraq war, agreeing by a thin margin to pull combat troops out by next year.

Do people actually believe this crap anymore?

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:53 PM

March 21, 2007

Showdown Looms in Attorney Firings

Ha, ha, ha. I have to laugh. This is sooooo ridiculous. What did you expect, really? For the past 6 years the President has treated the entire country, and especially the Democrats with comtempt. The Democrats have taken it on the chin. Now the Dems have some power. They are not about to back down to the Pres on this one. To expect otherwise is silly. (AP)

On the flip side, the President is not going to suddenly roll over to the Democratic leadership in Congress. He is going to continue with the gameplan...Attack! Put the Dems on the defensive anyway he can. He proposes a compromise solution. Of course it is his rules and conditions; no press, no oath, behind closed doors, no record, no nothing. My own guess is no truth either, but who knows.

How do you beat this?

Posted by Chip Spear at 8:32 PM

March 17, 2007

Only the Numbers Matter

Truth doesn't matter. Common sense doesn't matter. Doing the right thing doesn't matter. The only thing that matters are the numbers, scoring. In this case John McCain ignored the obvious answers to pander to the religious right. (NYT)

Reporter: "Should U.S. taxpayer money go to places like Africa to fund contraception to prevent AIDS?"

Mr. McCain: "Well I think it's a combination. The guy I really respect on this is Dr. Coburn. He believes - and I was just reading the thing he wrote- that you should do what you can to encourage abstinence where there is going to be sexual activity. Where that doesn't succeed, than he thinks that we should employ contraceptives as well. But I agree with him that the first priority is on abstinence. I look to people like Dr. Coburn. I'm not very wise on it."

(Mr. McCain turns to take a question on Iraq, but a moment later looks back to the reporter who asked him about AIDS.)

Mr. McCain: "I haven't thought about it. Before I give you an answer, let me think about. Let me think about it a little bit because I never got a question about it before. I don’t know if I would use taxpayers’ money for it."

Q: "What about grants for sex education in the United States? Should they include instructions about using contraceptives? Or should it be Bush’s policy, which is just abstinence?"

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) "Ahhh. I think I support the president's policy."

Q: "So no contraception, no counseling on contraception. Just abstinence. Do you think contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV?"

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) "You’ve stumped me."

Q: "I mean, I think you'd probably agree it probably does help stop it?"

Mr. McCain: (Laughs) "Are we on the Straight Talk express? I'm not informed enough on it. Let me find out. You know, I'm sure I've taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was. Brian, would you find out what my position is on contraception - I'm sure I'm opposed to government spending on it, I'm sure I support the president's policies on it."

Q: "But you would agree that condoms do stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Would you say: 'No, we're not going to distribute them,' knowing that?"

Mr. McCain: (Twelve-second pause) "Get me Coburn's thing, ask Weaver to get me Coburn's paper that he just gave me in the last couple of days. I've never gotten into these issues before."

It would be a wonderful world if everyone did as they should, like not have sex before marriage, or not kill anyone, or treat people with respect. But life is not like that, is it? It is dirty, messy, filled with contradictions, and not easy. People do have sex before marriage, and outside of marriage. And people get AIDS because of it. Abstinence is one method of dealing with the problem, but people are people, they are going to have sex whether someone else says it is wrong or not. That is reality. This is another example of someone putting their head in the sand and pandering to idiocy. Being forced to rely on stupidity for votes seems to work just fine, but it sure seems dangerous to me.

Posted by Chip Spear at 1:54 PM

May 29, 2006

Bush wants to honor war dead

Our OIL wants to honor the war dead. That is a joke, right?b (B.C)

President Bush, delivering a Memorial Day message surrounded by the graves of thousands of military dead, said Monday that the United States must continue fighting the war on terror in the name of those have already given their life in the cause.

"The best way to pay respect is to value why a sacrifice was made," Bush said, quoting from a letter that Lt. Mark Dooley wrote to his parents before being killed last September in the Iraqi city of Ramadi.

Here is a guy who refuses to go to the funerals of war dead, or allow the press to publish photos. I get it.

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:04 PM | Comments (2)

May 21, 2006

U.S. Mismanages Iraqi Police Training

In another NY Times piece, the paper reports that the U.S. badly mismanaged the training of Iraqi police. This is news? We didn't know this? Or is it the specifics that is new and interesting? It is widely known that the U.S. had far too few troops and support personnel in Iraq to deal with the aftermath of the fall of Saddam. Cobra II, the excellent book by Michael Gordon and Bernard Trainor describe in some detail how the Administration thought they could invade, conquer and leave without dealing with the aftermath. Granted they did not go into explicit detail about the police force, but they did explain the administration's tactics and strategy, which has been a disaster. Others have reiterated the same conclusion. (NYT)

Arrogance is such an "interesting" state of mind.

Posted by Chip Spear at 10:22 AM | Comments (0)

May 19, 2006

Byrd Slams Bush On Immigration Dough

Sen. Robert Byrd hit the President hard yesterday in response to the President's funding requests for border control. (AP)

Bush asked Congress for $1.9 billion Thursday to pay for 1,000 Border Patrol agents and the temporary deployment of up to 6,000 National Guard troops to states along the Mexican border.

His request was not warmly welcomed by some key senators.

Sen. Judd Gregg (news, bio, voting record), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, delayed a vote on Bush's promotion of U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman (news, bio, voting record) to White House budget director to show his displeasure. He said Bush's request calls for using money for proposed for border security equipment to pay for operational exercises.

Sen. Robert Byrd (news, bio, voting record), the Senate Appropriations Committee's top Democrat, complained that he had offered amendments providing for border security nine times since 2002, only to have the Bush administration reject them as extraneous spending or expanding the size of government.

"If we had spent that money beginning in 2002, we would not be calling on the National Guard today," Byrd said.

I wonder why this is such a big deal now, as opposed to a few months ago, of last year, or a couple of years ago? All of a sudden immigration becomes a huge deal.

Posted by Chip Spear at 10:02 AM | Comments (1)

May 18, 2006

McIntyre Apologizes for Supporting Bush

Doug McIntyre, conservative radio talk show host from KABC, apologizes for supporting and voting for G.W. Bush. (KABC) He says, among many things about Iraq, WMD, etc.:

Katrina, Harriet Myers, The Dubai Port Deal, skyrocketing gas prices, shrinking wages for working people, staggering debt, astronomical foreign debt, outsourcing, open borders, contempt for the opinion of the American people, the war on science, media manipulation, faith based initives, a cavalier attitude toward fundamental freedoms-- this President has run the most arrogant and out-of-touch administration in my lifetime, perhaps, in any American's lifetime.

Read it and let me know your thoughts.

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:35 PM | Comments (1)

May 17, 2006

NSA, Phone Records and Fox Press Secretaries

Crooks and Liars has a hilarious clip of Jon Stewart commenting on the NSA phone mining controversy. It is worth a listen. (C&L)

I read that the NSA is actually tapping only land lines, no cell phones. That means that they are missing almost all calls of folks under 60, except for businesses. Gee, I wonder how smart that is? Al Qaeda never would use cell phones, would they?

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:23 PM | Comments (0)

May 15, 2006

There is No Sports Metaphor that Fits This Disaster

I want to give these guys the benefit of the doubt once in a while. I want to believe in the Government, the President, Congress, and everyone else for that matter, but I am reaching the point of no return. The wiretaps, the lies, the incompetence continue to become bigger and bigger parts of our world. It is very disturbing. Last week John Negroponte insisted that the NSA was not tapping domestic calls. (WaPo)

When he was asked about the National Security Agency's controversial domestic surveillance program last Monday, U.S. intelligence chief John D. Negroponte objected to the question and said the government was "absolutely not" monitoring domestic calls without warrants.

"I wouldn't call it domestic spying," he told reporters. "This is about international terrorism and telephone calls between people thought to be working for international terrorism and people here in the United States."

Three days later USA Today reported that the NSA was tracking domestic phone calls.

Three days later, USA Today divulged details of the NSA's effort to log a majority of the telephone calls made within the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks -- amassing the domestic call records of tens of millions of U.S. households and businesses in an attempt to sift them for clues about terrorist threats.

To many lawmakers and civil liberties advocates, the revelation seemed to fly in the face of months of public statements and assurances from President Bush and his aides, who repeatedly sought to characterize the NSA's effort as a narrowly tailored "terrorist surveillance program" that had little impact on regular Americans.

So much for believing anything he says.

Now ABC News reports that the government is tracking reporter's calls to find government leakers. (ABC)

A senior federal law enforcement official tells ABC News the government is tracking the phone numbers we (Brian Ross and Richard Esposito) call in an effort to root out confidential sources.....

Other sources have told us that phone calls and contacts by reporters for ABC News, along with the New York Times and the Washington Post, are being examined as part of a widespread CIA leak investigation.

Tracking phone numbers might not be illegal, I don't know, but it surely is part of an increasingly disturbing pattern of secrey and paranoia permeating the White House..

Posted by Chip Spear at 1:45 PM | Comments (2)

May 12, 2006

Random Thoughts

So, the Justice Department attempts to investigate the NSA. The NSA says you don't have the proper security clearance to investigate us. The Justice Department says, okay, oh well, and walks away. Wow! Does something smell fishy about this? The NSA could be doing something very illegal, very dictatorial or something. They tell the Justice Dept., who is supposed to have the authority to investigate anything and everything like this, to take a hike and the Justice Dept. gives up. I hope that bothers you as much as me.

Congress, more specifically Republicans, passed a Bush backed bill to extend his tax cuts another two years. Most all of those cuts help the wealthy and hurt the middle class. Nothing new here, it is just more of the same play they have been running for the past 5 years. Perhaps this is one of the reasons his poll numbers are so anemic. Maybe one day he will start doing something that actually helps most people in the country instead of his major campaign contributors and friends.

NSA phone taps and Gen. Hayden to lead the CIA - the path to dictatorship by a thousand tiny steps......

Karl Rove & Bush's poll numbers - A Harris survey reports that OIL's poll numbers are currently tracking at 29%. If Rove is indicted OIL's poll numbers could drop to 26%. From a strategic standpoint, I have no clue how he can reverse this. Attacking Iran would seriously inflame the country. The economy, despite government numbers is not raising all boats. And then there is the ever expanding corruption disease. Every day brings new charges and new investigations throughout the Republican arena. The team has some serious problems. It actually reminds me of what is happening to the NY Knicks. Dolan, the owner, and Isaah Thomas insist that they are doing the right thing while the team self-destructs.

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:36 PM | Comments (2)

May 11, 2006

Truth, Trust and The American Way Strike Out

How could this possibly be a surprise? USA Today reports that the NSA has been monitoring tens of millions of Americans phone calls. Bush defended the program (USAT)

President Bush today said everthing the National Security Agency has done is legal, protects the privacy of Americans and helps guard the nation against terrorist attacks.

"We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans," he said. Instead, the NSA's efforts "strictly target al-Qaeda and their known affiliates."

Bush - without expressly confirming or denying the USA TODAY report - indirectly addressed the potential impact of the story. "Every time sensitive intelligence is leaked," he said, "it hurts our ability to defeat this enemy."

USA TODAY reported in today's editions that AT&T Corp., Verizon Communications Inc., and BellSouth Corp. telephone companies have turned over records of tens of millions of their customers' phone calls to the NSA since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The newspaper cited anonymous sources it said had direct knowledge of the arrangement.

Given the actions of the White House over the past few years it should certainly surprise no one that this is happening. Why should one trust the White House to do the right thing and be honest with the American people? Or if they felt that something like this was necessary to fight Islamic fundmentalism, why didn't they go to Congress to get authorization?

Posted by Chip Spear at 1:39 PM | Comments (2)

May 5, 2006

A Clever Graphic on Iraq War Dead

Follow the link for a very powerful graphic depicting Iraq war dead. (Link)

Posted by Chip Spear at 7:11 PM | Comments (3)

Fox Cuts Back Across the Field

Earlier this week, the Mexican Congress passed a law that would have made Mexico one of the most permissive drug countries in the world. Yesterday Vincente Fox reversed direction, said he would not sign the bill and sent it back for revision. (AP)

Mexican President Vicente Fox backed off signing a drug decriminalization bill that the United States warned could result in "drug tourism" and increased availability of narcotics in American border communities.

Fox reversed course Wednesday and said he was sending the bill back to Congress for changes, just one day after his office had said he would sign it into law. The measure would have dropped criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs.

I wish I could get the phone logs of White House calls over the past couple of days. I would be content to see the ones to Mexico and specifically to Fox and his administration. I am sure George put incredible pressure on the Mexicans to reverse their decisions. The administration would hate to see Mexico change its policies. I think they are terrified that another approach to solving drug problems might work. One can only speculate why.

Posted by Chip Spear at 8:26 AM | Comments (2)

May 4, 2006

MSM Suffers Big Loss in "Lapdogs"

Eric Boehlert's new book "Lapdogs" annihilates the Main Stream Media for completely rolling over for Bush in the Swift Boat affair preceding the 2004 election. (Huff).

for instance, the Washington Post published 13 page-one Swift Boat stories in 12 days, most of which failed to address the key fact that the Swift boat allegations -- that Kerry lied about his Vietnam War record -- were riddled with errors and compounded by the veterans' fanciful, ever-changing stories. Despite the lack of evidence to substantiate their claims, which were floated 35 years after the fact and bankrolled by partisan Republicans, the press refused, in real time, to call out the Swift Boat allegations as a dirty trick.

"Lapdogs," in bookstores next week, charges that the press, spooked by allegations of liberal bias, has been "afraid of the facts and the consequences of reporting them" during the Bush years.....

As Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting suggested in 2004, what if the situation had been reversed and the shoddy Vietnam-ear attacks targeted Bush's war service? What if all the available documents showed that George Bush had fully completed his obligation in the Air National Guard with flying colors? What if virtually every member of his unit said he had been there the whole time, and had done a great job? And then suppose a group of fiercely partisan Democrats who never actually served in Bush's Guard unit came forward to claim for the first time--and 35 years after the fact--that Guard documents and the first-hand accounts were wrong, and that Bush really hadn't been present for his Guard service. Would the MSM really have had a hard time figuring out who was telling the truth, and would the MSM really have showered the accusers with weeks worth of free media coverage?

The press was mored concerned about access to power than actually reporting the truth.

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:06 PM | Comments (0)

Priorities

Read this article then think about the priorities established by the White House. Why are we going to have our largest embassy in the world in Iraq? And 104 acres?

THE question puzzles and enrages a city: how is it that the Americans cannot keep the electricity running in Baghdad for more than a couple of hours a day, yet still manage to build themselves the biggest embassy on Earth?

Irritation grows as residents deprived of air-conditioning and running water three years after the US-led invasion watch the massive US Embassy they call “George W’s palace” rising from the banks of the Tigris.

In the pavement cafés, people moan that the structure is bigger than anything Saddam Hussein built. They are not impressed by the architects’ claims that the diplomatic outpost will be visible from space and cover an area that is larger than the Vatican city and big enough to accommodate four Millennium Domes. They are more interested in knowing whether the US State Department paid for the prime real estate or simply took it.

Bigger than the Vatican? Wow! I would guess that implies something about our long term plans for the country, doesn't it? And what about the big military bases we are building there?

Posted by Chip Spear at 8:53 AM | Comments (2)

May 2, 2006

Big Hits and Strike-outs

Iraqi recruits won't leave home. (WaPo)

Did the immigrant rally get a hit, or did they strike out? I can't tell. (CNA)

Afghan President Karzai swore in 20 new cabinet ministers (CNA)

Brand new New Orleans disaster plan ---- Get out of town! (CNN)

Some good clean fun trys to raise its average. (CNN)

Posted by Chip Spear at 3:11 PM | Comments (1)

April 20, 2006

The White House Shuffle

Ah, so many changes, I just can't keep it all straight, or is it a case of the more things change, the more they remain the same. I don't intend to add too much more to the already endless discussion about the meaning of these changes. A couple of things strike me though. I don't see any of these changes as being particularly substantive. They are more like window dressing. No major player is gone. No infusion of new blood.

Imagine you are coaching a team. It isn't doing well. The playoffs are looming, the fans are screaming, the team keeps losing. What do you do? Do you pull a couple of players off the bench, give them more minutes on the floor, have them run the same offense and defense and expect more wins? I doubt it. You make a trade, you get new blood. You look in the mirror, take a good look at yourself, get some respected advice, try a new offense, new plays, something. Is that happening? I don't think so.

So why not? Why hasn't Bush made any big changes? I would contend that one only changes when you admit that you are screwing up. You need to admit failure to change. Bush should know this sort of thinking from AA, if he went to AA. We get a sponser to help us, a guide. In this case the guide probably should not be Dick Cheney. However, I don't think he feels that things are wrong. One doesn't get the sense that he feels he is failing. Until that happens I doubt he will relegate his leading players to the bench.

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:27 PM | Comments (0)

April 2, 2006

A Few Good Men

I was channel surfing last night and stumbled onto the last 15 minutes of "A Few Good Men". Tom Cruise's scene with Jack Nicholson brought up some interesting parallels to our present situation. Check out the video.

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:18 PM | Comments (1)

April 1, 2006

April Fools

It is late on Saturday night, April 1st, April Fools Day. So yesterday, in my video I said to stop by and I would let you know my April Fools joke for this year. Do you know? Well, we have been fooled, most all of us. The joke, unfortunately is on us. And who pulled off one of the biggest jokes on the world? Our Illustrious Leader (OIL), G. W. Bush. Oh, how partisan you say, so left wing. Perhaps, but consider; a war based on lies costing at least a trillion dollars, thousands of deaths, tens of thousands of injuries that are not properly cared for because of budget cuts, absolutely huge budget deficits, increasing income disparaties between the rich and poor, mismanagement throughout the government, a joke of a Department of Homeland Security, the New Orleans disaster, a mounting energy crisis that the administration refuses to adequately address, serious education issues related to "No child left behind", a medicare prescription drug program that helps only the drug companies and no one understands, global warming that "needs more study" as the ice caps melt, Osama bin Laden still running around Afghanistan, Islamic fundamentalism growing throughout the Middle East, Iran and North Korea developing nuclear weapons and supporting terrorists, the country becoming increasingly politically and culturally polarized, lobbyists controlling our government, a President ignoring laws on whim, illegal wiretaps, leaking the name of CIA agents.....I could go on, but you get the idea. America voted him into office. The joke is on his supporters and unfortunately the rest of us, who failed to defeat him....twice.

Posted by Chip Spear at 10:29 PM | Comments (2)

March 30, 2006

Immigration Game Update

We are still early in the first quarter of this game, but the play is hot, fun-filled and furious. Check out the video.

Posted by Chip Spear at 12:20 PM | Comments (1)

March 20, 2006

Who Are We?

I get up everyday and read the NY Times. Occasionally I finish reading the front page, editorials and op-eds and feel sick. I think how horrible the country is or how disgusted I am with the government. I get discouraged by the thought that we have to endure almost three more years of this administration.

Congressional Republicans support a President who allows torture and misled the country into a war costing hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of dollars. Thousands of American soldiers are killed and injured while VA funding, especially medical services, is cut. Rendition, torture, deception, wiretaps, secret prisons, prisoners dying from torture, wars based on lies, threatening the courts, interpreting laws to suit personal needs, appointing friends and supporters to high positions of power, acting outside the law, suspending habeas corpus, tax cuts for the wealthy and the largest budget deficits in history all occur and yet there are millions of supporters who think this is more than fine. I read today that Bush's Budget proposal cuts cancer prevention programs. The upper 2% in our country get richer while the lower 98% get comparatively poorer.

Internationally, our war inflames anti-American passions around the world. We systematically break international agreements. Global warming might as well be a Disney fantasy film. We accuse three countries of being the "Axis of Evil", invade one of them and then are outraged when the other two refuse to give up their nuclear ambitions. One wonders if they might want to protect themselves. For the most part we have completely ignored Darfur, where thousands die at the hand of government backed genocidal militias.

Last week on a TV show called Boston Legal James Spader's character ran down a litany of occurences, some of which I mentioned above, the lying about war, the torture, the threat to civil rights, etc. and asked, "Where was the outrage? Where were the protests?" Yes, there are a few small ones, and some of us care; we read blogs, post comments (many of which are rather inflammatory) and support organizations like MoveOn.org, which is a good start and certainly better than nothing. Some of us work for candidates or participate in our communities. But for the most part the country does little. Bush’s poll numbers drop, but folks generally go to work and spend their nights watching television or playing with the latest tech toys.

Too many of us blindly follow our teams; Republicans, Democrats, Green Party, Christians, Jews, Muslims, environmentalists, oil industry, whatever. We suspend our analytical thinking and refuse to question our own decisions. We see too much of the "my team, right or wrong" attitude. How else to explain the thinking of 50,000 people turning out to mourn someone like Slobodan Milosevic, a known torturer and political, murderous thug? The same thing happens here. We are not who we say we are. We do not respect other points of view. We act arrogantly. We do not respect civil or human rights. We are not honest with ourselves, let alone others.

We have allowed Bush to become a leader who does not embody long standing American values. And the fault is ours, as individuals. We must do more, even those who have always opposed the administration. To those who write here, or act in other ways, get more friends involved. Today, do a little more than yesterday. It is our job to continue to seek better means of communication in the hope that somehow we will find a way to get people to listen. We cannot stop trying to find the key, for as James Spader says at the end of Boston Legal , "We have become a very mean country."

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:23 PM | Comments (1)

Thousands of Fan Show Support for UnDead Milosevic

Tens of thousands of mourners demonstrated their support for the recently dead Slobodan Milosevic, former head of Serbia. He died of a heart attack while held in custody for war crimes at the Hague. Here is a man considered to be one of the most ruthless, evil leaders in recent memory, killing rivals and non-Serbians almost at will. Yet there are still thousands of people who view him as a great man. He had others killed and tortured because of their nationality and religion. How do supporters justify their support for such a leader? Unreflective acceptance is a dangerous trait. Rendition, torture, deception, wiretaps, secret prisons, prisoners dying from torture, wars based on lies, threatening the courts, interpreting laws to suit personal needs, appointing friends and supporters to high positions of power, acting outside the law, suspending habeas corpus, and yet there are millions of supporters who think this is more than fine. They are fans until when?

Posted by Chip Spear at 11:13 AM | Comments (2)

March 13, 2006

What Really Happened to United Flight 93?

Ted Rall attacks pervailing opinion that Flight 93 was brought down by a passenger revolt. He thinks a military jet shot down the airliner. After reading the account, it makes a certain amount of sense. Follow the link.

Posted by Chip Spear at 10:58 AM | Comments (2)

March 8, 2006

Molly Hits it Long and Straight

Molly Ivins hit the Democrats good and hard, as she loves to do, here She is not hesitant to call them spineless, money-grubbing snakes, little better than the Republicans.

I can't see a damn soul in D.C. except Russ Feingold who is even worth considering for President. The rest of them seem to me so poisonously in hock to this system of legalized bribery they can't even see straight.

Look at their reaction to this Abramoff scandal. They're talking about "a lobby reform package." We don't need a lobby reform package, you dimwits, we need full public financing of campaigns, and every single one of you who spends half your time whoring after special interest contributions knows it. The Abramoff scandal is a once in a lifetime gift - a perfect lesson on what's wrong with the system being laid out for people to see. Run with it, don't mess around with little patches, and fix the system.

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:13 PM | Comments (0)

February 28, 2006

When Does It Become a Civil War in Iraq?

More than a few news sources are suggesting that Iraq is on the brink of Civil War. (AP) I would like to know how they define that point? What has to happen and when, before one concludes that it is in fact a civil war? I really don't know. Wikipedia states:

A civil war is a war in which the parties within the same country or empire struggle for national control of state power. As in any war, the conflict may be over other matters such as religion, ethnicity, or distribution of wealth. Some civil wars are also categorized as revolutions when major societal restructuring is a possible outcome of the conflict. An insurgency, whether successful or not, is likely to be classified as a civil war by some historians if, and only if, organized armies fight conventional battles. Other historians state the criteria for a civil war is that there must be prolonged violence between organized factions or defined regions of a country (conventionally fought or not).

Posted by Chip Spear at 6:42 PM | Comments (3)

February 20, 2006

Fabulous Fumble of the Week - Feb. 20th - Michael Chertoff

This week's winner was a hard one to decide, really. There was the actual sports fumble, when Lindsey Jacobellis lost a gold medal making a hot dog move in the Snowboard Cross event. And Bryant Gumble amused us with his politically incorrect statement on his show Real Sports with Bryant Gumble on HBO:

"Finally, tonight, the Winter Games. Count me among those who don't like them and won't watch them ... Because they're so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. Like, try not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention. Try not to point out that something's not really a sport if a pseudo-athlete waits in what's called a kiss-and-cry area, while some panel of subjective judges decides who won... So if only to hasten the arrival of the day they're done, when we can move on to March Madness - for God's sake, let the games begin."

Nothing like a little politically incorrect comment to spice up the award race.

Then we had a decision by District Court Judge David Trager dismissing a lawsuit by Maher Arar, a completely innocent Canadian citizen seized at JFK airport, flown to Syria, tortured, and held in a prison for almost a year. The judge said it did not matter how badly he had been treated or how the government behaved. He might have been killed and it would not matter. The government was not accountable because of the need for secrecy in the war on terror. Gee, good thing it wasn't you or me that was grabbed. And it makes me wonder if kidnapping and torture are fine, what isn't?

However, we had something even bigger and better to consider. This week's award, after much thought, analysis and plan old gut feelings goes to whoever made the brilliant decision to turn security of 6 of the country's biggest ports, including NYC, over to a company based in the United Arab Emirates. No one knows the direct relationships here, but the U.A.E. was the base for at least a couple of the 9/11 hijackers. The U.A.E. also has known connections to Al Qaeda. That doesn't make the company complicit in anything, but it sure looks terrible. One would think that the U.S. would protect its own ports, instead of turning them over to a Muslim company. Just think of the fallout if by some chance any of these ports are attacked by Al Qaeda and we find a connection within the company. Talk about looking more than stupid. I could not have made up something more ridiculous than this. After all of Bush's talk about terrorism, this is amazing. So the winner this week is the head of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff. Have you ever heard of him before?

Posted by Chip Spear at 11:11 AM | Comments (1)