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Friday, April 22, 2005

For the Record: Making Ann Coulter Right

   By Marion Delgado at 6:32 PM


Justice Thomas defends himself at his 1991 confirmation hearing
Photo: AP
For the record, I'll say that Clarence Thomas is a colored lawn jockey for conservative white interests. Moreover, he's a race-betraying black snake, a chicken-and-biscuit-eating Uncle Tom, a Benedict Arnold and Judas Iscariot who doesn't understand his status as a handkerchief-head house Negro.

Now, you Coulter haters can't say no one didn't make all these ad hominem statements in one place. And if I am not in fact, the NYT, I do have a pet (well, semi-tame) squirrel NAMED "The New York Times" so one of the controlling interests in the NYT has clearly stated these extremist things about Justice Thomas.


"The New York Times" eating an acorn covered with black tar heroin
If that reasoning is too squirrely for you, let me add that I expect to see Time or NEWSWEEK do a puff-piece cover story on Ward Churchill any day now. And then where will you be?

The Daily Howler: "COULTER (Slander; page 12): After Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote an opinion contrary to the clearly expressed position of the New York Times editorial page, the Times responded with an editorial on Thomas titled “The Youngest, Cruelest Justice.” That was actually the headline on a lead editorial in the Newspaper of Record. Thomas is not engaged on the substance of his judicial philosophy. He is called “a colored lawn jockey for conservative white interests,” “race traitor,” “black snake,” “chicken-and-biscuit-eating Uncle Tom,” [39] “house Negro” and “handkerchief head,” “Benedict Arnold” [40] and “Judas Iscariot.” [41]"

Why absolutely everyone should be disturbed by the death of Marla Ruzicka

   By Marion Delgado at 3:42 AM

If you're a journalist as I have been off and on, you should be disturbed because she was killed doing what should be your job. Working with both the US military and Iraqi officials and civilians, without being coopted by any of them, she was successfully obtaining the most vital information in Iraq and Afghanistan. Journalists were covering W and his fake turkey.

If you're someone who thinks that the insurgents are more the right side than the occupying troops, as I do, then it's surely disturbing that they killed off someone who was arguably rendering an irreplaceable service to the cause of Iraqi security and freedom. Now, thanks to the suicide bomber or bombers, the neocon warhawks can say whatever they want about the Iraqi casualty rates of their bombings and raids, and who's left on the ground to say them nay?

If you're a right-winger, it should disturb you that your compatriots at Free Republic cheered the death by "terrorists" of someone who was working every day with the US military and helping to determine something they have formally declared is part of their operational goal - getting a better estimate of Iraqi civilian casualties of military operations.

If you're someone who likes things black and white with neat corners, it should bother you that in a lot of ways the situation in Iraq is not a 2-player zero sum game. It's more amorphous than that, with it being possible for both the US military and the insurgents to lose or benefit and for third parties to ally and split off and even not know themselves which side they're on. Marla Ruzicka was helping the anti-war movement and the Iraqis who want the US to leave, but she was also helping the US military. She worked with officers and generals every day - that's one reason she was killed with a military convoy.

If you're someone who wants to do what you do in the US or the rest of the First World, and the worst consequences for you there as a journalist are losing your career and being blackballed, or perhaps jailed, and as a protester to be injured by rubber bullets or beanbags or CS gas or batons, but not usually in a permanently disfiguring or crippling way and almost never fatally - it's a reminder that in the Middle East and Latin America (at least) the sky's the limit. I believe American forces, at least "special" ones, are murdering journalists, and insurgents and rebels and terrorists and third world government hit squads certainly are - in the case of Al Qaeda, torturing and murdering, as they did to journalist Daniel Pearl. Protesters can end up like Laurie Berenson or like Rachel Corrie. Surely it's disturbing to realize that the stakes somewhere else are probably higher than you want to play for.

[ON EDIT] I should have said alongside or intermingled with the military convoy. As far as I can tell, it was the probable target of the attack and the suicide bomber mistook the vehicle for part of the convoy. The other two people killed were her translator, Faiz Ali Salim and a European security guard whose name has not been released. When I read that a guard had been killed I thought it was someone in the US military.

Also, I should make it very clear that Ruzicka was a human rights crusader and the founder of an NGO,and not a journalist. My only point in bringing in journalism is that the facts she was after - the casualty count of US bombing - should have been the first thing journalists went looking for.

I'd also like to note that, with the notable dishonorable exception of the horrid faux-Libertarian Debbie Schlussel who showed her true colors as a fascist ghoul, the US press has been very respectful in its coverage of Ruzicka's death. That should not be overlooked or taken for granted.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

BartCop - No one's as definitive on the Clinton impeachment

   By Marion Delgado at 7:14 PM

BartCop's most recent rants - Political Humor and Commentary:

Subject: The Clintons


Bart,
Clinton wasn't impeached for having a girlfriend. He was impeached for holding a special primetime news conference to tell the country he did not have sexual relations with that woman and then later admitting he did.



  1. that's not a crime
  2. he had to hold that press conference because the GOP made that the only issue in America when we should have been focusing on things like Saudi students taking flight simulator lessons

  3. It's none of our business what goes on inside Clinton's pants

  4. compared to Bush lying 1560 soldiers into their graves, Clinton did nothing wrong

  5. According to the law, Clinton never had 'sexual relations' with Monica


I was appalled by this.


You were appalled that a powerful man had a girlfriend?
Trust me - they all have girlfriends. The difference is Clinton was so good at kicking the asses of Republican war heroes they decided to throw away the unwritten rule book and impeach him for doing something they were all doing. They had to cheat to beat him.


If he has a girlfriend well that isn't an impeachable offense- but the flat out lying about it to the whole country!

Dude, if lying at a press conference was a crime there'd be nobody left to run the government. If cheating on your wife made you ineligible to hold office, I'd be f-ing president.
Plus, nobody died when Clinton told a white lie about a private matter that wasn't our business. Why no outrage at the lies that killed 100,000 innocent Iraqis?.


I think it created a lot of anti-Clinton voters.

Gee, I don't know.
Gore won the popular vote, remember?


I think 'W' won against Gore because a lot of voters saw Gore as Clinton's replacement. Personally I was upset with all the Democrats who backed Clinton during the impeachment. After the truth came out I wanted him to resign.

Clinton is, without any doubt, the most investigated man in all of recorded h story and all they could find was a semi, sorta half-affair.
If 1,000 reporters and every TV network spent 10 years and $100M investigating you and threatening everyone you ever met with death in prison if you didn't talk- how would you do?


I don't think you can justify Clinton's actions by pointing out Republican shortcomings. Even after "W's" screwing the country/world Clinton's actions are no less dispicable.

Cheating on your wife is despicable. You'll never hear me say it's not.
Lying to get steal trillions of dollars while killing 1560 soldiers is also despicable.
Yet somehow, I think one is worse. I guess I'm guilty of moral relativism.

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Why We're All Gonna Die

   By buttersquash at 2:52 AM

This article in Rolling Stone, "The Long Emergency" by James Howard Kunstler, paints a grim picture of the inevitable results of shrinking oil production.

This is not merely ranting from an eco-fanatic. Even the Department of Energy is quoted as saying about the fact that we have reached peak oil production in 2005, and that from now on, each year will see less oil production: "the world has never faced a problem like this. Without massive mitigation more than a decade before the fact, the problem will be pervasive and will not be temporary."

Meanwhile, our moronic "leaders" keep pushing idiotic "solutions" in the way of illegally invading sovereign nations, thus enraging the very people we're going to have to depend on for a shrinking share of future oil resources, with China as a growing competitor.

Despite this, American idiots continue driving SUVs and guzzling oil like there's no tomorrow. Well, tomorrow is here.

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Holy Bat Squeeze! Ohio Recount and Media Censorship

   By Fancy Pants Elitist at 5:01 PM

I was listening today to a replay of Thom Hartmann, and he revealed a story that is ONLY at the Ohio Beacon in Acron Ohio, published on APRIL 9th! Seems that the state of Ohio has hired a Special Prosecutur to look into the recount in Cayahoga County. A SPECIAL PROSECUTER, and there's been absolutely no coverage in any other papers.... not the NY Times, not the Washington Post, no tv coverage, nada!

"Erie County Prosecutor Kevin J. Baxter is investigating whether the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections broke the law in its recount of ballots from the November presidential election."

So we need to start spreading this information to all of the blogs we can. And we need to contact the AP, and other press outlets. Get on the Daily Kos, go to every blog you can think of, sign up and BLOG about this.

Holy Bat Squeeze our media is so controlled!

Warning, you have to register with the Akron Beacon for this article, but it's free.

James W reminds me of a creed that has stayed with me nearly all my life

   By Marion Delgado at 3:47 AM

James Wolcott: Sunday Sermonette:
"'I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.

'All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.

'I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise. They have the same right to their belief as I have to mine. But it is necessary to the happiness of man, that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving: it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.'

-- Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason --

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Open Letter to Mike Malloy

   By One Angry Patriot at 8:16 PM

I'm writing to apologize for offending you with my phone call last night. I understand that you are not responsible for the advertising on Air America, and it wasn't my intent to criticize you for something you're not responsible for. I have sent email to Air America regarding PSAs paid for by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. I have yet to receive a reply to this email, although it was sent over two weeks ago. I have also posted my concerns at [this blog] , an unofficial website and chat room for Air America listeners. Several people on the blog and in the chat room have expressed similar concerns about these PSAs, and I felt that these concerns should be discussed on the air.

As I'm sure you're aware, US drug policies are a dismal failure, and a waste of human life and taxpayer resources. Mandatory minimum sentencing laws have restricted judges from excercising discretion to allow the punishment to fit the severity of the crime. The Higher Education Act allows violent convicted criminals such as murderers and rapists to obtain tuition assistance from the federal government, yet non-violent convicted drug offenders are not allowed the same assistance.

The average marijuana arrest takes two police officers off the street for four hours, while violent criminals are free to run rampant. In many states, a very small amount of drugs can result in a felony conviction, which can result in the permanent loss of the right to vote. Regardless of your opinion on drug crime, I'm sure you can agree that blocking ex-offenders from political participation undermines the process of re-integrating them into society as productive, engaged citizens.

----------------------------------------
Editor's note: The Office of National Drug Control Policy has also engaged in a covert propaganda campaign, useing tax payer funds, featuring use of "fake news" reports in the form of video news releases."

What's at stake if we lie down on the "we have no values" meme:

   By Marion Delgado at 5:06 AM

This was a followup to Amy Sullivan and her boyfriend Noam Scheiber (get married, you two "anything goes" valueless Hollywood style hedonists, or keep your goddamn clothes on and your hands above the waist, 'kay? And is that his damn TOOTHBRUSH in your bathroom?) suggesting we jump on the GOP bandwagon and give struggling parents censorship help, given that it's impossible to keep them employed at a living wage anyway. That's so last millenium.

I personally am not a social liberal or libertarian on every issue, but spotting the GOP anything on their freakish ploys is just plain - well, evil. Immoral. Bad for kids, bad for parents.

This comment (to digby's comment on Scheiber's contribution) completely nails down everything that needs to be said, that won't be said.

HaloScan.com - Comments:

"Let's be clear on this: most of the great innovations of the 18th century (like the ideas of popular sovereignty, inalienable individual rights, due process, and separation of powers) were most forcefully advocated by rabid, violent anticlericals. Many of them were freemasons, most believed in some kind of God but also believed that organized religion was corrupt, evil, and an enemy of freedom and good government. Our founding fathers were, most of them, church haters. Yet Jefferson and Adams, Paine and Locke are among the people that the DLC types like Schieber would be embarrassed about today: 'too extreme,' 'not sufficiently respectful of people's faith,' etc. etc. Wake up and smell the coffee: we are no longer fighting to preserve the Great Society or even the New Deal. We are fighting to preserve the Age of Reason! (yes, postmodernist trash, I know that term is politically incorrect. ask me if I care.)

If we do need to reach out to people of faith, the only way we'll succeed is by driving a wedge between them and their self-appointed 'leaders,' not by meeting dangerous extremists halfway. Time to start by leading a campaign to strip tax-exempt status from churches proven to have distributed partisan literature in-house. And if that means our black churches also have to change their ways, so be it.
the exile "

Friday, April 08, 2005

NY Achievement in Radio Awards - Mike Malloy Wins!

   By Marion Delgado at 12:01 AM

NY Achievement in Radio Awards

Best Talk Show

Air America
Al Franken
Air America
Mike Malloy **WINNER**
Air America
Randi Rhodes
WABC
Curtis Sliwa and Ron Kuby
WOR
Joan Hamburg
WWRL
Karen Hunter & Steve Malzberg

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Air America Radio brought to you by the War on Drugs

   By One Angry Patriot at 12:41 AM

Every 20 seconds in America, someone is arrested for a drug offense. Every second the US government spends over $600 on drug enforcement. Every second, the governments of the 50 states combined spend over $1,000 on drug enforcement. Almost a half million people have been arrested for drug offenses since the beginning of this year. So far this year, state and federal spending on drug enforcement exceeds $13.5 billion.

Our nation's drug policies are destroying lives and wasting money at an enormous rate. The Higher Education Act prevents potential students from receiving federal financial aid for college tuition if they have a drug offense on their criminal record, but not if they've been convicted of a more serious offense like rape or murder. In many states, felons are banned from voting for life, after they've already paid their debt to society. Violent criminals are able to run rampant, while police are occupied with small time non-violent drug dealers and users. The average marijuana arrest takes two police officers off the street for four hours.

Air America Radio receives advertising money from the principal agencies involved in the War on Drugs. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and the Ad Council are using Air America Radio to propagate drug war propaganda. While these "public service announcements" sound innocuous, exhorting parents to keep tabs on their children, they are propaganda nonetheless. I personally find such advertising practices by a self-proclaimed progressive talk radio network to be reprehensible and hypocritical.

Saturday, April 02, 2005

Tsunami, Iraq, Schiavo by the numbers

   By Marion Delgado at 3:58 AM

Currency Exchange on the Life Markets for April 2005:



  • 1 dead Terri Schiavo: 15,000 mentions on TV

  • 300,000 dead Tsunami victims (2 weeks following): 9,000 mentions on TV

  • 100,000+ dead Iraq War victims (during 2 weeks of Schiavo coverage) 2,900 mentions on TV


1 brain-dead white American woman = 450,000 South Asians or 500,000 Iraqis.

And I have news for our fundamentalist Christian friends. Hitler, long before he was in a position to do "mercy killing," was pandering to Christian conservatives in Germany and promising to clean up their decadent, Jew-controlled media, and vowing military retribution against everyone who had attacked the homeland. Mussolini was off distracting the populace with imperialist ventures in Ethiopia, where he was spreading the values of the West and toppling the dictator Hailie Selassie.

Salon.com News | A tale told by an idiot:
What is telling about the excessive coverage is how right-wing activists, with heavy-hitter help from Washington, were able to lead the press around, as if on a leash, for nearly two weeks as they pumped up what had been a long-simmering (seven years) family legal dispute and turned it into the most-covered story since a tsunami in Asia three months ago left approximately 300,000 people dead or missing. In the past two weeks the cable outlets and networks have mentioned 'Schiavo' more than 15,000 times. By comparison, during the two weeks following the Asian humanitarian crisis, those same outlets mentioned 'tsunami' approximately 9,000 times, according to TVEyes, the digital monitoring service. (As for television's long-forgotten Iraq war, it garnered just 2,900 TV mentions over the two weeks that Schiavo mania ran rampant.)

Friday, April 01, 2005

Unfiltered Blog : Rachel Maddow Show 5-6 AM EST on Air America

   By Marion Delgado at 11:16 AM

The death by a thousand cuts continues?

Unfiltered Blog:
"Fear not, faithful listeners! Dr. Rachel Maddow is in the midst of creating the most important, attitudinal, well-informed, edgiest news hour you've ever heard in your life. The Rachel Maddow Show (working title) will be the kick-start you need in the morning to stay informed, win at the water cooler and annoy your Republican relatives. Rachel's show will air from 5am to 6am (Eastern Standard Time), Monday through Friday on the Air America Radio Network. Jerry Springer will replace Unfiltered beginning Friday April 1st, 2005."

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