Thursday, August 17, 2006
I'm Planning A Vacation
Any caption I might write for this picture wouldn't be worth the effort. (Wikipedia photo)
I've long thought about touring Europe. I now know exactly where I'll start my tour.
I'm not making this up. Read about Fucking for yourself. Perhaps you'll want to buy a souvenir.
I'll bet that George Allen doesn't know the meaning of that word, either.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Blame His Mama
Let's be glad George Allen doesn't make umbrellas. They'd be full of holes, just like his explanations for the racist slur he used to describe one of his opponent's staffers. As this blog and other outlets reported yesterday, Allen called an Indian-American man "Macaca," a word used to describe monkeys and, in some quarters, people from northern Africa.
Allen has offered two justifications for his racism. First, he claimed to have made up the word and not known its meaning. Unfortunately for Allen, his mother is from Tunisia, a former French colony in North Africa. Mother Allen often taught her children her native tongue, as Allen himself has repeatedly noted in the past. It's easy to conclude that Allen knew exactly what "Macaca" meant when he said it.
Second, Allen has also claimed to be referring to his victim's haircut. He says the man had a Mohawk, and that's what he meant to say. Unfortunately (again) for Allen, his victim was wearing a mullet at the time. That would leave a lot more hair on his head than a Mohawk.
On a related note, some in the GOP have expressed anger that Allen's Democratic opponent would even have a staffer videotaping Allen's speeches. In this situation, however, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Allen has had his own staffers taping the opposition's speeches.
To make matters worse, when Dick Wadhams, Allen's campaign manager, was asked about the incident by the Washington Post, he dismissed the matter with some foul language of his own and said the senator has "nothing to apologize for." Perhaps Dick Wadhams was upset by humor regarding his own name.
Allen has offered two justifications for his racism. First, he claimed to have made up the word and not known its meaning. Unfortunately for Allen, his mother is from Tunisia, a former French colony in North Africa. Mother Allen often taught her children her native tongue, as Allen himself has repeatedly noted in the past. It's easy to conclude that Allen knew exactly what "Macaca" meant when he said it.
Second, Allen has also claimed to be referring to his victim's haircut. He says the man had a Mohawk, and that's what he meant to say. Unfortunately (again) for Allen, his victim was wearing a mullet at the time. That would leave a lot more hair on his head than a Mohawk.
On a related note, some in the GOP have expressed anger that Allen's Democratic opponent would even have a staffer videotaping Allen's speeches. In this situation, however, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Allen has had his own staffers taping the opposition's speeches.
To make matters worse, when Dick Wadhams, Allen's campaign manager, was asked about the incident by the Washington Post, he dismissed the matter with some foul language of his own and said the senator has "nothing to apologize for." Perhaps Dick Wadhams was upset by humor regarding his own name.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Somehow, I'm Not Surprised
There's shocking news from the campaign trail today. A white Republican senator from a southern state used a racial slur to address a brown-skinned person.
My attempt at sarcasm aside, Virginia Senator George Allen used the word "Macaca" to address S.R. Sidarth. Sidarth is a staffer for Jim Webb, Allen's Democratic challenger in the Senate race. Allen, a GOP hopeful for President in 2008, used the word twice toward Sidarth and finished his racist tirade by saying "welcome to America."
While Sidarth is of Indian descent, he was born and raised in Fairfax County, Virginia. That means he needs no "welcome to America" from anybody.
The word "Macaca" has a couple of known meanings. One refers to a species of monkey. Another is a slur for people from northern Africa...people that look like Sidarth. Allen has claimed that he didn't know what the word means and that he made it up. Allen has also claimed that he meant to comment on Sidarth's Mohawk haircut. Both excuses seem dubious to me.
As the Washington Post reports, Allen has offered a shallow apology. He's also trying to control the fallout. Fortunately for Allen, most of the people who would vote for him probably aren't bothered by racial slurs. The people who are would probably vote for his Democratic opponent anyway.
My attempt at sarcasm aside, Virginia Senator George Allen used the word "Macaca" to address S.R. Sidarth. Sidarth is a staffer for Jim Webb, Allen's Democratic challenger in the Senate race. Allen, a GOP hopeful for President in 2008, used the word twice toward Sidarth and finished his racist tirade by saying "welcome to America."
While Sidarth is of Indian descent, he was born and raised in Fairfax County, Virginia. That means he needs no "welcome to America" from anybody.
The word "Macaca" has a couple of known meanings. One refers to a species of monkey. Another is a slur for people from northern Africa...people that look like Sidarth. Allen has claimed that he didn't know what the word means and that he made it up. Allen has also claimed that he meant to comment on Sidarth's Mohawk haircut. Both excuses seem dubious to me.
As the Washington Post reports, Allen has offered a shallow apology. He's also trying to control the fallout. Fortunately for Allen, most of the people who would vote for him probably aren't bothered by racial slurs. The people who are would probably vote for his Democratic opponent anyway.
Haste Makes Waste
This blog posted a link to an NBC report yesterday. That report says that Bush Administration officials pushed British authorities to arrest the folks behind last week's alleged airplane terror plot sooner than British investigators wanted to.
NBC is reporting today that as a result of the early arrests, British authorities are saying they don't have the evidence to successfully prosecute the suspects. The British had wanted to delay their arrests long enough to gather that evidence.
So, the Bushies eagerness to toss another political football has led to a criminal justice fumble. Let's hear it for the home team!
Meanwhile, the TSA is using the logic of bait-and-switch to defend their ability to protect us. As NBC is also reporting, "a Homeland Security report on aviation screening obtained by The Associated Press [said] the machines don't help screeners find a specific liquid or gel that can be used as a bomb."
Rather than address those concerns, the TSA is stuffing balloons in sneakers, taking X-ray pictures of those sneakers, and presenting those pictures as proof of their bomb-detecting proficiency.
Don't you just feel so much safer?
NBC is reporting today that as a result of the early arrests, British authorities are saying they don't have the evidence to successfully prosecute the suspects. The British had wanted to delay their arrests long enough to gather that evidence.
So, the Bushies eagerness to toss another political football has led to a criminal justice fumble. Let's hear it for the home team!
Meanwhile, the TSA is using the logic of bait-and-switch to defend their ability to protect us. As NBC is also reporting, "a Homeland Security report on aviation screening obtained by The Associated Press [said] the machines don't help screeners find a specific liquid or gel that can be used as a bomb."
Rather than address those concerns, the TSA is stuffing balloons in sneakers, taking X-ray pictures of those sneakers, and presenting those pictures as proof of their bomb-detecting proficiency.
Don't you just feel so much safer?
Monday, August 14, 2006
Handicapping November
The Washington Post is attempting to hadicap the November Congressional elections. If it's nothing else, it's certainly an interesting read.
Another Post article suggests that Democrats may regain some ground in the South by using one of our historically strong selling points: economic populism.
Give them a look. You might learn something.
Another Post article suggests that Democrats may regain some ground in the South by using one of our historically strong selling points: economic populism.
Give them a look. You might learn something.
Our Safety Is A GOP Game
This comes as no surprise to those of us paying attention, but the GOP continues to play games with our safety. Last week's foiled terror plot in London only reveals another round of the game.
First, it seems that the attack we were told was imminent Thursday really wasn't. NBC News is reporting the new revelations. In the report, British authorities say that some of the suspects had no passports and none has purchased plane tickets. In other words, it was going to be a while before this thing went down. The Brits wanted to continue to build a case against the suspects, but the Bush administration, most likely looking for a bounce and a political football after the Lieberman loss, pushed for Thursday's action.
Second, a columnist for the New York Times is offering further evidence of how important our safety really is to the Bushies. According to Paul Krugman, "we learn that terrorism experts have known about the threat of liquid explosives for years, but that the Bush administration did nothing about that threat until now, and tried to divert funds from programs that might have helped protect us.'As the British terror plot was unfolding,' reports The Associated Press, 'the Bush administration quietly tried to take away $6 million that was supposed to be spent this year developing new explosives detection technology.'"
Meanwhile, Vice President Dick Cheney has been all over the media comparing Democratic voters in Connecticut to "Al Qaeda types," while White House Spokesman Tony Snow has blamed those same voters for causing future terrorist attacks. All of this smacks of desperation, if not outright hysteria, especially in the wake of polls showing more Americans trust Democrats to handle terrorism than in years past.
Let me boil this down for you. If you're willing to vote for anyone who sees your safety as a game, then you deserve what you get.
First, it seems that the attack we were told was imminent Thursday really wasn't. NBC News is reporting the new revelations. In the report, British authorities say that some of the suspects had no passports and none has purchased plane tickets. In other words, it was going to be a while before this thing went down. The Brits wanted to continue to build a case against the suspects, but the Bush administration, most likely looking for a bounce and a political football after the Lieberman loss, pushed for Thursday's action.
Second, a columnist for the New York Times is offering further evidence of how important our safety really is to the Bushies. According to Paul Krugman, "we learn that terrorism experts have known about the threat of liquid explosives for years, but that the Bush administration did nothing about that threat until now, and tried to divert funds from programs that might have helped protect us.'As the British terror plot was unfolding,' reports The Associated Press, 'the Bush administration quietly tried to take away $6 million that was supposed to be spent this year developing new explosives detection technology.'"
Meanwhile, Vice President Dick Cheney has been all over the media comparing Democratic voters in Connecticut to "Al Qaeda types," while White House Spokesman Tony Snow has blamed those same voters for causing future terrorist attacks. All of this smacks of desperation, if not outright hysteria, especially in the wake of polls showing more Americans trust Democrats to handle terrorism than in years past.
Let me boil this down for you. If you're willing to vote for anyone who sees your safety as a game, then you deserve what you get.
The View from Fox
Speaking of conservative idiots, the folks over at Fox News are in a real rough patch.
First, a Catholic priest-turned-pundit for Fox News lied his way into a mosque following last week's revelations about a terrorist plot in London. When confronted about his trickery, he bolted. Now he's denying that he did anything wrong.
Second, another Bush lackey is on the payroll at Fox News and several other media outlets. As the Washington Post reports, "Labor Department deputy assistant secretary Karen Czarnecki [is] appearing on Fox News as a 'conservative strategist.' She's also a regular 'conservative analyst' on the PBS show 'To the Contrary' and, according to her department biography, has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, Canadian Public Broadcasting and C-SPAN."
According to the Post, "laws restrict income that certain political appointees can earn on the side, and the Hatch Act bars political activity while on duty or in a federal building, or using your official title or position," but the ethics watchdogs at the Labor Department have cleared her activities. It poses a problem for me, but I guess political hacks will protect each other.
Finally, and on a far more serious note, two Fox News staffers have been kidnapped in Gaza. Regardless of their ideology and bias, I'm hoping for their safe and speedy return.
First, a Catholic priest-turned-pundit for Fox News lied his way into a mosque following last week's revelations about a terrorist plot in London. When confronted about his trickery, he bolted. Now he's denying that he did anything wrong.
Second, another Bush lackey is on the payroll at Fox News and several other media outlets. As the Washington Post reports, "Labor Department deputy assistant secretary Karen Czarnecki [is] appearing on Fox News as a 'conservative strategist.' She's also a regular 'conservative analyst' on the PBS show 'To the Contrary' and, according to her department biography, has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, Canadian Public Broadcasting and C-SPAN."
According to the Post, "laws restrict income that certain political appointees can earn on the side, and the Hatch Act bars political activity while on duty or in a federal building, or using your official title or position," but the ethics watchdogs at the Labor Department have cleared her activities. It poses a problem for me, but I guess political hacks will protect each other.
Finally, and on a far more serious note, two Fox News staffers have been kidnapped in Gaza. Regardless of their ideology and bias, I'm hoping for their safe and speedy return.
Who's Counting?
So...another month with no blogging. That just plain sucks. Oh well, it's Monday, so it's a good day to kick start this thing again.
I can attribute this latest absence to the usual suspects. The first is work. The second is my ever increasing political activity, including new responsibilities to the Texas Young Democrats Blue Star State Blog.
Since I'm back in the saddle, let's bring back one of our semi-regular features. Let's have a look at this week's Top Ten Conservative Idiots.
The folks at Democratic Underground spend some time poking fun at Joe Lieberman this week. I'm not sure I agree with all of it, and I was on the fence before the primary, but the votes are in and it's time to rally around Ned Lamont.
Enjoy!
I can attribute this latest absence to the usual suspects. The first is work. The second is my ever increasing political activity, including new responsibilities to the Texas Young Democrats Blue Star State Blog.
Since I'm back in the saddle, let's bring back one of our semi-regular features. Let's have a look at this week's Top Ten Conservative Idiots.
The folks at Democratic Underground spend some time poking fun at Joe Lieberman this week. I'm not sure I agree with all of it, and I was on the fence before the primary, but the votes are in and it's time to rally around Ned Lamont.
Enjoy!
