Who's The Victim Here?
02/17/2006 19:08
As we all know by now, Vice President Cheney became the second US VP to shoot a man while in office (the first being Aaron Burr), when on a hunting expedition last week, he peppered a friend with birdshot, claiming the man had not announced his position, and that it was a simple hunting accident. In the days afterward, we learned that the news had been delayed a full day before reaching the press, and when it was announced, it was through a small local paper, through a private citizen, and not through government channels. It was also learned that Cheney had consumed alcohol earlier in the day, despite his comments that none in the hunting party were drinking while shooting. During the week, the victim even suffered a "mild" heart attack, due to irritation from the birdshot that was lodged in his heart. Quite a week for anyone, let alone a 78-year-old.So, today, he was released from the hospital, having largely recovered from the injuries. What did he do? Threaten to sue? Lambast Cheney for his poor aim and public drunkenness? No. Surprisingly, he apologized for all the pain and suffering that Cheney and has family had undergone in questioning about the incident. Maybe it's really not that big of a surprise, after all, he did contribute $1,000 and $2,000 respectively to Bush's presidential campaigns in both 2000 and 2004. But just imagine the hoopla that would have occurred if say... Hillary Clinton were to have accidentally shot a member of her hunting party. Or Ted Kennedy. Wait - bad example. I think Hillary would have been hung from the gallows by a rabid right-wing contingent eager to see her go down. But if Cheney isn't caught on film performing the torture at Abu Ghraib, or hadn't shot the man in the head and causing his death, he could get away with murder. In fact, he got to cry and whine about how terrible his situation was to a very charitable Fox News.
What a crock. They called Ronald Reagan the Teflon President, but this administration is plenty slippery and has managed to have little stick to it, considering their range of ridiculous antics.
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VP Dick Cheney Shoots Friend
02/12/2006 18:20
It's one of those headlines you can't believe is really true, and to start on the road of mocking the accident seems crass, but wholly obvious. You take a powerful political figure who is universally unloved by the American people, in a political party that has championed the availability of guns ever since they could spell NRA, and it just so happens he fills his friend full of birdshot on a hunting expedition.Idiot.
Dick Cheney turned around to shoot quail during a weekend hunting trip in Texas, and nailed the lawyer (can't make this up) with birdshot, claiming he didn't know the guy was there. (See: Cheney Accidentally Shoots Hunting Companion)
In mock amusement, James Brady and his wife, who have long fought for increased gun control, were quoted as saying, "Now I understand why Dick Cheney keeps asking me to go hunting with him."
Just think... these guys have the finger on "the button". Not good.
Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton
02/09/2006 07:21
An article in the New York Times this morning highlights the closeness between former president Bill Clinton and both current and former presidents Bush. The two-somes or three-somes can be seen at public events or enjoying one another privately. In fact, in a recent TV interview, W postulated that if Hillary were to run in 2008 and win, the presidents in order would read "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton".In fact, when asked about her chances, W called her "formidable".
I read Bill Clinton's "My Life" biography over the last few months (off and on - it's not that I read slow), and through the book, gained more admiration of Hillary, her background and strengths. Surely, it's a husband discussing his wife, or a sly political move, but I came away with significant respect of her roots and ambitions. Hillary is a very intelligent, focused individual with high expectations for herself. If she doesn't get smeared and slammed by a right-wing PR machine, it'd be very interesting to see if she gives 2008 a shot.
And... go buy the book. I really enjoyed it.
Haven't We Seen this Before?
01/21/2006 23:47
Courtesy: Tom Tomorrow, This Modern World. Buy the Sticker
Three More Years
01/20/2006 20:58
It's January 20th - inauguration day. Well, if it wasn't 2006 anyway. We've got three more full years of Bush as our president, barring any unforeseen changes. With the elimination of civil liberties and usurping of power, the Constitution may be amended to allow third terms. Who knows? Just a thought - not a pleasant one.To Be Right, Think Left
01/17/2006 23:09
When I was MUCH younger, I was a died-in-the-wool Republican. I wrote Ronald Reagan when I was a few days short of my 10th birthday, telling him he was doing a wonderful job, that he should wish George Shultz well in the Mid-East peace process, and I openly rooted for Jesse Jackson to win the Democratic nomination against Dukakis, as in my immortal words, "he didn't stand a chance against Bush." Of course, given that I ended my two-page letter by begging the jelly bean bearing septuagenerian for his massive horde of canceled stamps to increase my own collection, my focuses weren't exactly grounded in sound politics.As I grew older, I was an on the fence political player, voting for the best candidates, regardless of party. It seemed often the Republicans would have interesting options, and at other times, the Democrats stood for those things I was looking for. But by 1992, things had irrevocably changed. The Republican party was not the party of common sense at all, but grounded in right-wing fundamentalism, religious warfare and cronyism. Clinton did some fantastic things while holding office, but didn't have the benefit of a Democratic congress for long, and was stymied through real and faux scandals like no other president in our history.
As we know, his foibles helped aid George Jr's ascendancy to the top step, and for the last six years, we've had to be overwhelmingly embarrassed, frightened and offended by what's gone on in Washington. The idea that such a shady cast of characters could single-handedly more than roll back decades of good will both domestically and around the globe is astounding. The clear ignorance of consequence and knowledge of history is dumbfounding, and scary to behold as we see things go more and more off-track - with very real allegations of lies and deceit coming from every direction, whether it be a made-up costly war under false pretense and wacky ideology, or a silent war against our own citizens through wire-tapping, artificial no-fly lists, and infiltration of private groups. I fear that even if the Democrats were to take over both houses of Congress and elect a presidential candidate, it will take decades to undo the damage, and we may never recover. The unabashed excesses of violence we have inflicted in the Arab states has surely created more hatred against America than ever existed before it, and we may be forever defending ourselves against new enemies at overwhelming personal and financial cost.
We need change. We need it now, and I don't think we can wait until 2008 to take a chance in trusting the foolish American electorate again.