Does the Star-Spangled Banner Wave Over the Land of the Torturers?

UPDATE IX: Is Cheney lying about the effectiveness of torture? Read the CNN, Memos don't show what Cheney says they do, so says Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.


UPDATE VIII: A couple more articles about torture. Read The New York Times, When Israel Confronted and Rejected Torture and the Washington Post, Torture? No. Except . . .

Finally, who is to blame for the policy? We the citizen, who reelected Bush in 2004. Read the Washington Post, Where This Buck Stops.


UPDATE VII: A couple more must read articles about torture (should it be called the torture scandal?). Read The New York Times, Official Defends Signing Interrogation Memos, in which Judge Bybee's defends "the conclusions of legal memorandums he had signed as a Bush administration lawyer" and yet struggles to come to terms with his actions; and A Torturous Compromise, about the 100 or so detainees that have died in U.S. custody, and the decision to expose but not prosecute those responsible for torture.

At one point, as an attorney, I thought that the lawyers involved in providing 'legal justification' for torture should be disbarred. But now I think that if the lawyers would acknowledge violating their oath to uphold the rule of law, the ABA should simply reprimand them.

What do you think?


UPDATE VI: Did torture prevent terrorist attacks? Yes, in the Bush administration's alternate reality. From The New York Times Magazine, Faith, Certainty and the Presidency of George W. Bush:

"In the summer of 2002, after I had written an article in Esquire that the White House didn't like about Bush's former communications director, Karen Hughes, I had a meeting with a senior adviser to Bush. He expressed the White House's displeasure, and then he told me something that at the time I didn't fully comprehend -- but which I now believe gets to the very heart of the Bush presidency.

The aide said that guys like me were ''in what we call the reality-based community,'' which he defined as people who ''believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.'' I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. ''That's not the way the world really works anymore,'' he continued. ''We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.''"

Cheney has his own special reality for the torture program, code named 24. Now you can read the Congressional debriefing of Cheney to learn about all the terrorist attacks that Cheney and his torture program prevented in this newly declassified report in The New York Times, Vice's Secret Vice.


UPDATE V: A couple of must read articles about torture.

An article in The New York Times, The Banality of Bush White House Evil, gives a good historical synopsis of the torture debate.

Another in the Washington Post, If Everyone Knew, Who's to Blame? , discusses paradoxes of the torture scandal, including this:

"Republicans from Dick Cheney on down have been unflagging in their arguments that these "enhanced interrogation techniques . . . were absolutely crucial" to preventing "a major-casualty attack." This argument, still strongly supported by a great many Americans, is deeply pernicious, for it holds that it is impossible to protect the country without breaking the law. It says that the professed principles of the United States, if genuinely adhered to, doom the country to defeat. It reduces our ideals and laws to a national decoration, to be discarded at the first sign of danger." [Link to definition of pernicious added.]

UPDATE IV: Read the new Senate Armed Services Committee report, which includes testimony from an Army psychologist at Guantanamo Bay who described increasingly relentless pressure from Washington in the summer of 2002 to prove a link between Al Qaeda and Iraq:

"[T]his is my opinion, even though they were giving information and some of it was useful, while we were there a large part of the time we were focused on trying to establish a link between AI Qaeda and Iraq and we were not being successful in establishing a link between Al Qaeda and Iraq. The more frustrated people got in not being able to establish this link...there was more and more pressure to resort to measures that might produce more immediate results."

Sort of ironic if you think about it. American the land of liberty and freedom, abandoned its core values to torture prisoners, adopting "methods used by Communists in the Korean War, methods that had wrung false confessions from Americans," to get information to justify an war which turned out to be a debacle.

Sounds like a Shakespearean plot.

BTW, these recent revelations placing the conduct at Abu Ghraib in a new context. Maybe the soldiers, who Rumsfeld called "a few bad apples," were following orders of higher-ranking military officers or the CIA. Of course who cares? As the war showed, Republi-cons don't mind sacricing a few soldiers for political purposes. The convicted soldiers were just collateral damage necessary for Bush's reelection.

But the soldiers are starting to realize that they were just scapegoats. Read CNN, Abu Ghraib head finds vindication in newly released memos.

UPDATE III: Read the Red Cross report on the CIA's handling of fourteen 'high-value' detainees, which describes the brutal tactics used on detainees, and concludes that the treatment amounted to torture.


UPDATE II: Bush sold America's soul, the Constitution, to the devil, and for what -- lies -- or more accurately false leads procured by torture. Read the Washington Post, Detainee's Harsh Treatment Foiled No Plots.

Time to disbar Bush's lawyers, if the Spanish don't prosecute them first. Read The New York Times, Spanish Court Weighs Inquiry on Torture for 6 Bush-Era Officials.


UPDATE: Read Washington Post, Cleanup Task for a Shining City. For America is to remain that "shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere," there must be a public reckoning of the Bush administration's dark legacy.

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The final two lines of the first verse are: "O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave/O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

Read this article and tell me if you think that is still true: The New York Review of Books, US Torture: Voices from the Black Sites.

Makes ya wonder if OBL won.

Tape Replay Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Usually on Fridays you can listen to me, the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- no political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

But I can't make it today so tune in and enjoy a replay of last week's show. Until the next show, post a comment or two.

Unhappy Anniversary

For a good reminder about how the current economic mess began, read the Washington Post, An Unhappy Anniversary for the Financial Crisis.

As the old saying goes, may you live in interesting times.

It's a Republi-Con Cat Fight

UPDATE II: Darn, he gave them good advice. Read the Washington Post, Powell, Answering Critics, Urges GOP to 'Reach Out'.

The only thing a true Republi-con wants to do is reach out and chock ya if you don't agree.


UPDATE: Read the Washington Post, In TV Appearance, Powell Plans To Answer Right-Wing Critics. Here is a preview:

"The Republican Party is in deep trouble," Powell told corporate security executives at a conference in Washington this month, according to the National Journal. The party should realize that the country has changed, he said, adding: "Americans do want to pay taxes for services. Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less."

He said of Limbaugh, "I think what Rush does as an entertainer diminishes the party and intrudes or inserts into our public life a kind of nastiness that we would be better to do without."

Who's the real Republi-con?

Read CBSNews, After Criticism From Cheney And Limbaugh, Powell Returns Fire.

Class Friday at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line, courtesy of Cyber Smart Computers.

Topics:

Local and regional: why was a poor black kid prosecuted without any evidence, and why did the PNJ disable comments on the story, and are you having problems with the NoBullU website?; and

Nation and international: Cheney disses Bush not Obama, and China's threat to American sovereignty.

But I'll discuss anything. (Disclaimer: the host reserves the right to end any discussion and hang up on you.)

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth!

WARNING: You may not want to call in if you have veritasphobia, especially if you are a certain veritasphobic politician.

Why Was a Poor Black Kid Prosecuted Without Any Evidence?

The question answers itself.

The State knew there was inadequate evidence to prosecute Jamal Lee. Read comments made by the prosecutor just a few days ago at the Pensacola New Journal, Lee goes to trial.

So the Judge was forced to dismiss the case. Read the Pensacola News Journal, Jamal Lee goes free.

More telling is that the newspaper disabled comments by readers on the story. If you read comments on earlier stories, you'd know why.

UPDATE: For a full account of the trial, read the Pensacola News Journal, Judge acquits Lee of murder. Still no comment allowed.

UPDATE II: A comment from another blog: "I’m guessing the PNJ disabled the comments for that story because they knew it’d be like a KKK rally on there. All the racists that post on there would be up in arms, much like they were for the fights at the beach by the folks from Mobile this past weekend."

The Worst Slide Story

Really cute, especially if you are a fan of West Side Story:

Check out these other editorial cartoons by Pulitzer Prize winning and nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist Walt Handelsman, including Republicans Sing the Blues.

Who's Drinking the Kool-Aid Now

First "the well-trained Republican loyalists who danced like organ grinder monkeys every time their leadership played a new tune. But [you] hear that organ grinder warming up for the Democrats."

Read the Pensacola News Journal, Democrats should not drink the Kool-Aid.

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line, courtesy of Cyber Smart Computers.

Topics:

Local and regional: is it contempt of court, or contempt for God, with guest Matthew Cotton, founder of OK2Pray.org. and are you having problems with the NoBullU website?; and

Nation and international: the Republi-con family feud, with a poll, would you vote for Crist or Rubio in the 2010 Senate race, or just watch to see if the party implodes, and China's threat to American sovereignty.

But I'll discuss anything. (Disclaimer: the host reserves the right to end any discussion and hang up on you.)

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth!

WARNING: You may not want to call in if you have veritasphobia, especially if you are a certain veritasphobic politician.

Don't Confuse the Stimlus With Bailouts

Republi-consare now, as true hypocrites, criticizing any deficit spending. But they are only half right. Don't confuse government bailouts with stimulus spending. Bailouts are generally unnecessary, while spending designed to stimulate the economy is, thanks to the Republi-cons' war on the middle class, now necessary.

To understand why, read Time, If Consumers Won't Kick-Start the Economy, What Will?

Thriving Socialism

You hear it said everyday by the Republi-cons, socialism will bankrupt the country. But maybe it ain't true. Read The New York Times, Thriving Norway Provides an Economics Lesson, which points out an interesting fact:

"[I]n the midst of the worst global downturn since the Depression, Norway’s economy grew last year by just under 3 percent. The government enjoys a budget surplus of 11 percent and its ledger is entirely free of debt.

By comparison, the United States is expected to chalk up a fiscal deficit this year equal to 12.9 percent of its gross domestic product and push its total debt to $11 trillion, or 65 percent of the size of its economy."

Republi-Con Desperation, Delusion, and Hatred

First, I heard Open Mike talk about an Obama takeover of Cheerios. Apparently Obama is personally responsible for anything that the government does wrong (but not what it does right of course), like an unannounced Air Force flyover of New York City.

Then I heard about an article on Bush moving to Dallas in D Magazine, in which David Feherty wrote;

"From my own experience visiting the troops in the Middle East, I can tell you this, though: despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Osama bin Laden, there’s a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death."

The new Republi-con strategy is desperation, delusion, and hatred.

It won't be any more successful than fear, anger, and hatred.

Talking about the events above today, even Boortz realizes it is a loser strategy. He referred to an article at Salon.com, Radio rage.

It's almost as if the Republi-cons are determined to lose the next election. Don't believe me? Then read the Washington Post, A Driving Desire To Lose, written by Michael Gerson, a former Bushie.

At this rate, the Naive-crats won't even have to campaign.

Republi-Con Gun Control

No guns once the government designates you a suspected terrorist. See H.R. 2159, sponsored by four Republi-cons: Rep. Peter King [R, NY-3], Rep. Michael Castle [R, DE-0], Rep. Mark Kirk [R, IL-10], Rep. Christopher Smith [R, NJ-4].

And who is a 'suspected terrorist? Anyone the government says is a 'suspected' terrorist.

"In any case in which the Attorney General has denied the transfer of a firearm to a prospective transferee pursuant to section 922A or has made a determination regarding a firearm permit applicant pursuant to section 922B, an action challenging the determination may be brought against the United States. The petition must be filed not later than 60 days after the petitioner has received actual notice of the Attorney General’s determination made pursuant to section 922A or 922B. The court shall sustain the Attorney General’s determination on a showing by the United States by a preponderance of evidence that the Attorney General’s determination satisfied the requirements of section 922A or 922B. To make this showing, the United States may submit, and the court may rely on, summaries or redacted versions of documents containing information the disclosure of which the Attorney General has determined would likely compromise national security. On request of the petitioner or the court’s own motion, the court may review the full, undisclosed documents ex parte and in camera. The court shall determine whether the summaries or redacted versions, as the case may be, are fair and accurate representations of the underlying documents. The court shall not consider the full, undisclosed documents in deciding whether the Attorney General’s determination satisfies the requirements of section 922A or 922B.’."

They have already started compiling the list -- 'militia' members, 'disgruntled' military veterans, and 'rightwing extremists' -- to name a few. See the Missouri Analysis and Information Center (MIAC) and Department of Homeland Security reports.

Collapse of the Republi-Con Ideology, and the Party

UPDATE VI: The 2010 Florida Senate race is shaping up to be Washington leadership v. grassroots, whether to moderate the political agenda or go all-in conservative hypocrisy, whether the campaign theme should be hope for the future or fear and loathing, whether the party can include people like "a four-star general who spent his life serving his country" or should be limited to those like a chickenhawk, "who had five deferments himself to get out of going to Vietnam, [and] a blowhard entertainer who has had three divorces and a drug problem (who also avoided Vietnam)."

Read the Washington Post, Fla. Governor's Senate Bid Renews Optimism of Some in GOP and The New York Times, Rogue Diva of Doom.

It should be an interesting campaign.


UPDATE V: The 2010 Florida Senate race will help divine the future of those wild and crazy Republi-cons. It is possible we may witness the implosion of the party. And those of us in NW Florida will have a ring-side seat.


UPDATE IV: This man thinks this man is the future of the Republi-con party. Also read The New York Times, G.O.P. Worries About Sounding a Negative Tone.

Of course, playing in the gutter won't help.

The future ain't lookin too bright for those Comrade Republi-cons.

Maybe they should read the Washington Post, An Anti-Obama Agenda for the GOP.


UPDATE III: Republi-cons are "starting to look like the Federalists of the early 19th century: an embittered, over-the-top, out-of-touch regional party en route to extinction, doubling down on dogma the electorate has already rejected."

Read Time, Republicans in the Wilderness: Is the Party Over?


UPDATE II: Republi-cons, the party of "phony-baloney, dime-store philosophies . . . that doesn’t seem to care about anything other than devotion to a set of so-called principles that never amounted to more than cult-like rhetoric." Couldn't have said it better myself.

Read The New York Times, Out of Touch.


UPDATE: It's extreme makeover, Republi-con edition. Read CNN, Republican Party plans comeback.

But if you listen to rabid right-wing radio, it doesn't seem that the 'fear, anger, hatred' group wants a makeover. Read The New York Times, G.O.P. Debate: A Broader Party or a Purer One?

I don't think it is an issue of purity, it is delusional rabid McCarthist ideology and forty years in the wilderness for the Republi-cons.

Just have faith in the market, while Republi-con policies undermine middle class America. But what happens when people quit believing and start questioning certain assumption? Read the Washington Post, Capitalism's Reality Check and The Financial Times, How libertarian dogma led the Fed astray.

With the collapse of the Republi-con ideology it looks like forty years in the wilderness for the Republi-cons.

Bankrupt America

UPDATE: The title says it all. Read The New York Times, Estimate of Budget Deficit Now Tops $1.84 Trillion.

Holy bankrupt America, bat-taxpayers, that's a lot of money! The government can't even figure out how to cut $100 million from the budget, "about 13 minutes of federal spending, and 0.0029 percent -- about a quarter of one-hundredth of 1 percent -- of $3.5 trillion."

The real question is not how much we want to tax, but how much we want to spend. Read The New York Times, The G.D.P. Question.

Tax reform won't work unless there is spending reform.

PSA for The Arc Santa Rosa

The Arc Santa Rosa, Inc. is inviting everyone in the community to attend the 3rd Annual "Spring Fling" on Saturday, May 9th, from 9:00 am until 2:00. This year's event will again include a PLANT SALE, ARTS AND CRAFTS along with a YARD SALE!

The Spring Fling will be held at the Arc's office and Garden Center in Milton, four miles South of NAS Whiting Field.

The Arc Santa Rosa, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing services that allow approximately 200 people with physical and developmental disabilities lead productive and independent lives. The Arc Santa Rosa, Inc. is located at 6225 Dixie Road in Milton. For more information about the Spring Fling, contact Debbie Goss at (850) 995-8806 or The Arc Santa Rosa, Inc. at (850) 623-9320.

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line, courtesy of Cyber Smart Computers.

Topics:

Local and state: TBD; and

Nation and international: greed, good or bad, with special guest Mom & Pop Tammy at 4:35 p.m. (BTW, there's talk of a sequel to the movie Wall Street. Remember this quote from the movie by Gordon Gekko: "The richest one percent of this country owns half our country's wealth, five trillion dollars. One third of that comes from hard work, two thirds comes from inheritance, interest on interest accumulating to widows and idiot sons and what I do, stock and real estate speculation. It's bullshit. You got ninety percent of the American public out there with little or no net worth. I create nothing. I own. We make the rules, pal. The news, war, peace, famine, upheaval, the price per paper clip. We pick that rabbit out of the hat while everybody sits out there wondering how the hell we did it. Now you're not naive enough to think we're living in a democracy, are you buddy? It's the free market. And you're a part of it. You've got that killer instinct. Stick around pal, I've still got a lot to teach you.")

But I'll discuss anything. (Disclaimer: the host reserves the right to end any discussion and hang up on you.)

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth!

WARNING: You may not want to call in if you have veritasphobia, especially if you are a certain veritasphobic politician.

Government Sachs

From the beginning I have said that the bailout of the financial institution was designed to save Goldman Sachs. "Former Goldman Sachs employees such as Henry Paulson and Robert Rubin have held high positions in the federal government, regardless of which party was in the White House." As a result, some call the company Government Sachs hereafter just GS.

Finally the conflict of interest became too much for even the Wall Street Journal to ignore. Stephen Friedman was chairman of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, but also sat on the Board of Directors of GS and had a large holding in GS stock. As a federal reserve official, Friedman helped GS receive speedy approval to become a bank holding company in September and a $10 billion capital injection soon after. Then in December and January he purchased more GS stock.

This is illegal. See 18 U.S.C. 208.

There should be some arrests.

Republi-Cons Have No Shame

UPDATE II: A new email, a new low. From an email titled A mother's love:

"A little boy said to his mother , "Mommy, how come I'm black and you're white?"

His mother replied, "Don't even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you're lucky you don't bark!""

First nude pictures, now this!

Republi-cons need counseling. I am serious, their hatred for Democrats has warped their judgment (and their intelligence).


UPDATE: Snopes.com lists the claim as undermined. However, WikiAnswers.com reports that the "photos are misleadingly attributed to Ann Dunhum."

[EDITOR'S NOTE: I have not included the photo of Stanley Ann Dunham. Are they relevant to the discussion? If you think that the photos are relevant, I will post edited copies only.]

The term "McCarthyism" was coined in 1950s in reference to Senator Joseph McCarthy, a Republican from the state of Wisconsin, who engaged in demagogic, reckless, and unsubstantiated accusations, as well as public attacks, on the character or patriotism of political opponents.

I am reminded of the term after receiving the following email:

"Is Barack Obama's Momma In Nude Porn Pictures?

Some photos have been making their rounds on the internet that claim to be nude shots of Barack Obama's mom. Those photos are attached.

One photo is of the Obama family. Look closely at is his mom so you can compare her face to the face in the porn photos.

It's amazing what can be done these days with PhotoShop. So these may very well be fakes. But the sites I have been to to research this allegation claim the photos are authentic, and that it really is Obama's momma (Stanley Ann Dunham). Snopes lists it as "undetermined."

I seek only the truth. Sooner or later a listener will call me on the air and bring this up. I'd like to respond with a well-documented, or at least well-researched, answer.

Do you have any information on this that I can use to prove or disprove the allegations that Obama's momma posed for nudie shots that are now circulating on the web?"

The writer, a proud member of the right-wing media, later stated that he was only "seeking information to DISPROVE the allegation that those titties belong to Obama's momma. "

I would think that something like this is below even Republi-con low standards for newsworthiness. But I guess if you are a Republi-con, you can have no shame for the sake of the party.

This email proves that there is no limit to shameless Republi-con hatred.

What do you think?

Republi-Cons Have No Shame, Still

UPDATE: And Republi-cons have no intelligence:



Never heard of the "Hoot-Smalley Act." Maybe she was referring to the disastrous Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, signed by Hoover, not FDR.

Trying to blame FDR. the Hoot-Smalley Act, and the New Deal for the depression, just Republi-con revisionist history and delusion, like democracy in Iraq.

So little time, so many stupid and delusional Republi-cons.

As I said before, the term "McCarthyism" was coined in 1950s in reference to Senator Joseph McCarthy, a Republican from the state of Wisconsin, who engaged in demagogic, reckless, and unsubstantiated accusations, as well as public attacks, on the character or patriotism of political opponents.

I am reminded of the term after reading that Rep. Michelle Bachmann, Republican of Minnesota, who said that the outbreak of swine flu in 1976 took place “under another Democrat [sic] President, Jimmy Carter — and I’m not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it’s an interesting coincidence.” Watch it:



She is both shameless and STUPID. Carter was sworn in as President until January 20, 1977.

I guess if you are a Republi-con, you can have no shame for the sake of the party.

This proves yet again that there is no limit to shameless Republi-con hatred.

What do you think?

Let's Start a BOTM Club

UPDATE: Looks like BO and Joe started a BOTM Club. Read the Washington Post, Say Cheese: Obama Lunch Turns Juicy Eat-and-Greet.

Now here is a group I'd like to join, the Burger of the Month Club. Read The New York Times, Turkey Burgers Don’t Count.

If you live in the NW Florida area, and you'd like to start a club, let me know.

Umpire or an Empathizer?

Should the judge be an umpire or an empathizer? Read the Washington Post, Behind Justice's Blindfold.

Who Will Be the Republi-Con's Clinton?

More about those phony-baloney, cult-like Republi-cons.

Read The New York Times, Jack Kemp’s Futile Quest, A Hole in the Center, and/or The Long Voyage Home.

Poor, poor Republi-cons, it is looking like forty years in the wilderness for the Republi-cons.

Bush, the Hypocrite-in-Chief

On June 26, 2003, then President Bush issued a proclamation to mark the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. In it Bush said that the United States is "committed to the worldwide elimination of torture and we are leading this fight by example" and vowed to prosecute torture and to prevent "other cruel and unusual punishment."

Not surprisingly, the statement upset members of the CIA, who Bush had authorized to use brutal tactics on members of Al Qaeda.

Read The New York Times, Interrogation Debate Sharply Divided Bush White House.

Can you say hypocrite.

Is Christianity a Religion Anymore?

UPDATE II: Secular Christianity? "A recent Supreme Court decision reveals the strange reasoning that "saves" religion by emptying it of its content." Read The New York Times, When Is a Cross a Cross?, which notes:

"It is one of the ironies of the sequence of cases dealing with religious symbols on public land that those who argue for their lawful presence must first deny them the significance that provokes the desire to put them there in the first place.

It has become a formula: if you want to secure a role for religious symbols in the public sphere, you must de-religionize them, either by claiming for them a non-religious meaning as Kennedy does here, or, in the case of multiple symbols in a park or in front of a courthouse, by declaring that the fact of many of them means that no one of them is to be taken seriously; they don’t stand for anything sectarian; they stand for diversity. So you save the symbols by leeching the life out of them. The operation is successful, but the patient is dead."

UPDATE: In Italy, the cross is "a national symbol of culture, history, identity, tolerance and secularism." Read The New York Times, European Court: No Crucifixes in Italian Schools.

BTW, secularism means "indifference to or rejection or exclusion of religion and religious considerations." So as I understand it, the cross is a symbol of indifference to or rejection of religion.

Can anybody explain that to me?

Christmas is just a big shopping holiday, the Ten Commandments is just another historical document, and prayer is just an old habit. So is the cross just some kind of nonsecular universal symbol of death?

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - Symbol-Minded
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What do you think?

WWJT (Who Would Jesus Torture)

"The more often you go to church, the more you approve of torture." Read the Washington Post, Why the Faithful Approve of Torture.

Some people are ChINOs (Christians in name only).

The YDKB Challenge Friday at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line, courtesy of Cyber Smart Computers.

Topics:

Local and state: after all the pissing and moaning following the last show, it is time for the You Don't Know Bert challenge, you name the topic and give a brief description where you stand on the issue and I respond, one topic only per call; and

Nation and international: Fear, Anger, Hatred + Talk Radio & FOX News = Violence.

But I'll discuss anything. (Disclaimer: the host reserves the right to end any discussion and hang up on you.)

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth!

WARNING: You may not want to call in if you have veritasphobia, especially if you are a certain veritasphobic politician.

Our VP, the Stupid Politician Tautology

It is hard to believe that this man is only a heartbeat away from the presidency:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Obama should sent him to Mexico, on an airplane, in coach, and tell to ride the subway for an hour; or start looking for a new VP.

Who is Your Real Friend?

Here is the test: Lock your partner and your dog in the trunk of the car for an hour.

When you open the trunk, who is really happy to see you?

Bush's Legacy

UPDATE II: As I have said before, while Clinton was a great Republican president, in the sense that he united and strengthened the Republi-con party, Bush was a great Democratic president.

The Republi-cons "overreached in interpreting the results of the presidential election of 2004 as a mandate for the party. This resulted in the disastrous elections of 2006 and 2008, which combined for a total loss of 51 Republicans in the House and 13 in the Senate — with a corresponding shift of the Congressional majority and the White House to the Democrats." So says one of the few remaining moderate Republicans. Read The New York Times, We Didn’t Have to Lose Arlen Specter.

Then read the Washington Post, Arlen Specter's Switch for first thoughts by politicians, strategists and political observers. With the exception of Gingrich, the consensus is that the switch does not bode well for Republi-cons.

All hail Bush, God's chosen one to destroy the evil Republi-con party and savior of the Naive-crats.

UPDATE II: From the Washington Post, Arlen Specter's Switch and GOP's Identity Crisis:

"Specter's move is about his own political survival. . .

But there is also something to Specter's public explanation of his decision: "Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."

Moderates like Specter have been run out of what, as November's election showed, has become a niche regional party in thrall to its far right wing. Just take a look at this map that illustrates how votes shifted between the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections."

If you were a contrarian, you might argue that this is good news for the Republi-cons. Read the Washington Post, Good News for Republicans! Maybe it is good news for the Republi-cons, maybe they are delusional, only time will tell.

One Republi-con has had enough, rumor has it that Senator Arlen Specter will change party affiliation to Democrat AKA Naive-crat. Thanks to Bush the Republi-cons are most a party of angery, old, white guys in the South.

Cheney for President

It is too bad Cheney didn't run for president in 2008, it would have put a stake through the heart of the Republi-con ideology. Read The New York Times, Cheney for President, which notes that:

"At the very least, a Cheney-Obama contest would have clarified conservatism’s present political predicament. In the wake of two straight drubbings at the polls, much of the American right has comforted itself with the idea that conservatives lost the country primarily because the Bush-era Republican Party spent too much money on social programs. And John McCain’s defeat has been taken as the vindication of this premise.

We tried running the maverick reformer, the argument goes, and look what it got us. What Americans want is real conservatism, not some crypto-liberal imitation."

Maybe Cheney will run in 2012! Imagine, Palin/Cheney, wouldn't that be a dream ticket, for the Naive-crats that is.

Kiss a Sick Person Today, It Might Save Your Life Tomorrow

You may want to get the flu now, while it is mild, because you'll have immunity if a deadlier form develops. Read The New York Times, Where Will the Swine Flu Go Next? As the article notes, past well-known flu pandemics seem to have come in waves, the second wave generally being the deadliest.

Of course, you can wait and hope an effective vaccine is developed.

:-x

Fear, Anger, Hatred + Talk Radio & FOX News = Violence

Two deputies were shot on Saturday in Fort Walton Beach. (I actually saw a bit of the response. I was driving to a local soccer tournament when a patrol car came around the corner with lights flashing and siren blaring, nearly out of control. It was about 1 p.m. and he was likely responding to the shooting.) The wife of the man who shot the deputies said that "her husband believed that the US Government was conspiring against him. She said he had been severely disturbed that Barack Obama had been elected President."

The local paper, the Northwest Florida Daily News, wrote an article titled 'None of it makes sense'. But the shooting does make sense, and you can thank your local Republi-cons.

The Republi-cons have a great election strategy, FEAR, ANGER and HATRED, although as Bush showed, it has proven to be a less than successful governing strategy. It has proven to lead to violence.

This is one example.

And only one county over a man shot five Chilean students, killing two. A neighbor of the shooter recalls him (the shooter) asking "if I was ready for the revolution to begin and if I had any immigrants in my house to get them out." Thanks again Republi-cons.

The local affiliate for the Republi-con fear, anger and hatred, NewTalk 1260 WFTW, with the regulars promoters of the same: Rusty, Sheepish, and Stupid (respectively Rush, Hannity, and Savage).

The area votes overwhelmingly Republi-con.

There has also been an Obama sign war brewing in the county, before the last election someone burned Obama signs, and since the local paper thinks it newsworthy to report on every anti-Obama sign.

Of course the influence of talk radio reaches beyond NW FL. In Pittsburgh, a man shot three police officers. He "had been upset about losing his job and feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns." Another right-wing media myth perpetuated by talk radio with help from FOXNews, and the NRA.

Another example, in Tennessee a man went on a fatal shotgun rampage in a church "prompted by a hatred of liberalism and Democratic leaders who have hamstrung the nation's war on terror."

As the Rwandan Genocide showed, the news media can incite and fuel violence.

So thanks to the Republi-cons, it all makes sense. The equation is Fear, Anger, Hatred + Talk Radio & FOXNews = Violence.

Don't Judge a Person By Her Appearance

UPDATE II: Snap judgments can be wrong, but scientists say they're only natural. Read The New York Times, Yes, Looks Do Matter.

UPDATE: Should Boyle get a makeover and cash-in? Read the Washington Post, Susan Boyle Makeover Would Add Grace Notes.

"Don't judge a book by its cover" is a metaphorical phrase which means don't determine the worth of something based on its appearance.

But conservative columnist George Will, thinks you should judge a person who wears denim as shabby. Read the Washington Post, Denim Demon, in which he writes:

"Denim is the infantile uniform of a nation in which entertainment frequently features childlike adults ('Seinfeld,' 'Two and a Half Men') and cartoons for adults ('King of the Hill'). Seventy-five percent of American 'gamers' -- people who play video games -- are older than 18 and nevertheless are allowed to vote."

Wills goes on to say that he thinks we should all dress like Fred Astaire, except the womenfolk, of course, who should dress like Grace Kelly. I suppose he would endorse a dress code for the voting booth.

But forgive Will, he is just picking up where Daniel Akst left off in his opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal, Down With Denim, in which he writes:

"Although a powerful force for evil, denim has achieved a status that will come as no surprise to fashion historians. Like camouflage fabric, aviator sunglasses and work boots, blue jeans were probably destined for ubiquity thanks to an iron-clad rule of attire adoption. "The sort of garments that become fashionable most rapidly and most completely," Alison Lurie reminds us in "The Language of Clothes," "are those which were originally designed for warfare, dangerous work or strenuous sports.""

Sounds like these two conservatives don't like being seen in the company of fellow shabby Republi-cons, who generally wear denim, camouflage fabric, aviator sunglasses and/or work boots.

Juxtapose those opinions endorsing the idea to judge people by their appearance with Susan Boyle. When

"the frizzy-haired, squarely built Boyle walked onto the stage of "Britain's Got Talent" to barely suppressed snickers from the audience and skeptical eye rolls from Cowell, the unfailingly caustic judge on both "American Idol" and the British TV show.

The audience laughed mercilessly as Boyle did a saucy hip wiggle and said she'd like a chance to prove she could be as good as Elaine Paige, a legendary singer often called the first lady of British musical theater.

Those present were clearly prepared to howl.

Then Boyle opened her mouth."

You might say that "all that is gold does not glitter." Close your eyes and listen.

So the next time you hear a hypocritical Republi-con spew forth fear, anger, and hatred, tell him to read Matthews 7:1, "Judge not, that ye be not judged."

P.S.

You might also reference:

Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.

Luke 6:41 "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Romans 14:10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this-- not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line, courtesy of Cyber Smart Computers.

Topics:

Local and state: 'Pensacola Jeff' will be a guest at 4:35 p.m.; and

Nation and international: is it EIT (enhanced interrogation tehniques) or just torture by another name; the New York bankers' coup d'état; and judge not.

But I'll discuss anything. (Disclaimer: the host reserves the right to end any discussion and hang up on you.)

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth!

WARNING: You may not want to call in if you have veritasphobia, especially if you are a certain veritasphobic politician.

Not All Republi-Cons are Delusional

Many Republi-cons seem delusional nowadays, but not all. Read the Washington Post, True Confessions From the Trail.

Obama Thinks You are Stupid

UPDATE II: Did you know that Bush funded an "education policy attaché" based in Paris, whose annual salary, housing allowance and business expenses exceed $630,000? It will be one of the 'symbolic' budget cuts. Read the Washington Post, President's Critics See a Dull Knife.

UPDATE: Conservative columnist George Will notes that $100 million is "about 13 minutes of federal spending, and 0.0029 percent -- about a quarter of one-hundredth of 1 percent -- of $3.5 trillion. The title of his column in the Washington Post sums it up well, Obama's Budget Follies.

In a worthless gesture you might expect from a Republi-con, Obama has given his Cabinet 90 days to cut $100 million from the federal budget. Read AP, Obama's latest budget-tightening effort hardly makes a dime's worth of difference.

$100 million just ain't what it used to be.

To Bow or to Kiss, What Should a President Do?

Everyone is upset that Obama bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia:



But personally, I prefer that to holding hands and kissing the King:



Of course, maybe Bush and the King had a bromance.

So what should a President do, bow or kiss?

PS

I vote none of the above.

Who Needs the Truth When You Have Right-Wing Media

UPDATE: 'Pensacola Jeff' will be a guest tomorrow at 4:35 p.m. at NoBullU on WEBY.

BTW, a bit of triva, 'Pensacola Jeff' is a trivia master. He was a 2007 Jeopardy Tournament of Champions wildcard semifinalist. So get those answers ready, and lets see if he know the questions.

A couple of blurbs about right-wing media, and the truth:

From RicksBlog.biz:

"The Virginian-Pilot reports that retired Rear Adm. Lou Sarosdy denies that he wrote a wide-circulated email that criticizes President Barack Obama for not authorizing the military to act more aggressively during the stand-off, which ended with snipers killing three Somali pirates. The e-mail claims that Obama rejected two proposed rescue plans and that Phillips was saved only after naval officers at the scene decided on their own to proceed."

And 'Pensacola Jeff': One brave soul speaks the truth, and is greeted by boos, at teabagging party in Pensacola, FL.

Is 'Pensacola Jeff' the new Joe the Plumber? Watch the MSNBC video where he preaches the truth to the disbelieving Republi-cons:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Pensacola Jeff has a blog.

I'll try to get him as a guest for the next show.

How to Tell the Sex of a Fly

From an email:

A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Hunting flies" he responded.

"Oh! Killing any?" she asked.

"Yep, 3 males, 2 females,' he replied.

Intrigued, she asked "How can you tell them apart?"

He responded, "3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone."

Too cute.

An Impressive Weapon in the War Against the Middle Class

Want to know why most stuff is manufactured in China? There are over 1.3 billion people who want your job, and they are willing to work for a fraction of the average American wage.

And how are those goods transported to America? The Emma Maersk.






Some stats:

Country of origin - Denmark
Length - 1,302 ft
Width - 207 ft
First Trip - Sept. 08, 2006
Construction cost - US $145,000,000+
Engine - 14 in-line cylinders diesel engine (110,000 BHP)
Cruise Speed - 31 knots
Crew - 13 people
Typical Pacific transit time - 4 days
Net cargo - 123,200 tons, approx. 15,000 containers

Silicone painting applied to the ship bottom reduces water resistance and saves 317,000 gallons of diesel per year.

This is how Wal-Mart gets all its stuff from China.

According to an email I received "almost all of these containers are shipped back to China EMPTY! You heard that right. We send nothing back on most of these ships. What does that tell you about the current financial state of this country!"

As I said before, this decade may prove to be America's zenith. I predict that the economic mess will be the event leading to the emergence of Chinese economic and military dominance.

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line, courtesy of Cyber Smart Computers.

Topics:

Local and state: Sansom indicted, now he should resign from office; and

Nation and international: told ya so, Navy Seals to the rescue, taxes; is it EIT (enhanced interrogation tehniques) or just torture by another name; the New York bankers' coup d'état; and judge not.

But I'll discuss anything. (Disclaimer: the host reserves the right to end any discussion and hang up on you.)

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth!

WARNING: You may not want to call in if you have veritasphobia, especially if you are a certain veritasphobic politician.

Mike & Bert's Coming Out

UPDATE: Maybe Mike & I just have a bromance. Watch this and you'll know what I mean:




NOTE: The audio segment from Friday's show will be ready and posted soon. Check back later if you missed it -- it was hilarious.

The emails, in chronological order:

Mike wrote:

"Is Barack Obama's Momma In Nude Porn Pictures?

Some photos have been making their rounds on the internet that claim to be nude shots of Barack Obama's mom. Those photos are attached.

One photo is of the Obama family. Look closely at is his mom so you can compare her face to the face in the porn photos.

It's amazing what can be done these days with PhotoShop. So these may very well be fakes. But the sites I have been to to research this allegation claim the photos are authentic, and that it really is Obama's momma (Stanley Ann Dunham). Snopes lists it as "undetermined."

I seek only the truth. Sooner or later a listener will call me on the air and bring this up. I'd like to respond with a well-documented, or at least well-researched, answer.

Do you have any information on this that I can use to prove or disprove the allegations that Obama's momma posed for nudie shots that are now circulating on the web?

Thanks,
Mike"

[EDITOR'S NOTE: I have not included the photo of Stanley Ann Dunham. Are they relevant to the discussion?]

Bert wrote:

"I would think that something like this is below even Republi-con low standards for newsworthiness. But I guess there is no shame for the sake of the party."

Mike wrote:

"I seek only the truth.

And if you read it through to the end (if you could keep your eyes off Obama's momma long enough to read my entire text), you would notice that I am seeking information to DISPROVE the allegation that those titties belong to Obama's momma."

Bert wrote:

"And on my next show I will seek information to DISPROVE the allegation that you are a homosexual wife beater."

Mike wrote:

"That would be understandable if photos existed showing me engaged in homosexual behavior or wife-beating.

This is not made of whole cloth. In fact, if you look closely, it appears that "Obama's momma" is not wearing any cloth at all!"

The photo showing Mike engaged in homosexual behavior, with me (!?!), and disclosed to me during the final segment of the show Friday:

On Taxes

Taxes, everyone hates them, but wants something from the government.

After you have prepared your tax return and finished with your local AstroTurf tax protest, sponsored no doubt by your local Republi-con party, read these articles:

The New York Times, Taxing, a Ritual to Save the Species,

The New York Times, Tax Revolts: Some Succeed, Most Don’t, and

The New York Times, Gorging the Beast, in which the writer argues that Obama seems to be trying to do too much at once, spending too much money without making the tough decisions about how to pay for it all. She also includes An Ode to Taxes:

Oh, little tax return form
No longer are you sad and lorn.
Fly away with your friends in a crowd
And try to make your filers proud.
Maybe you’ll fix a road or a park
Just please don’t turn into another earmark.

The Fashion Police

Already more than one in 100 American adults is behind bars. Why should you care? Because it costs a lot of money to lock someone up.

In some places you can even be arrested for failing to be fashionable. Read The New York Times, Ban on Drooping Drawers Faces Legal Challenge.

What do you think, should drooping drawers = jail?

Those Crazy Republi-Cons

A great article about those crazy Republi-cons and their AstroTurf tax parties. Read The New York Times, Tea Parties Forever.

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

I'm back after a four week absence.

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line, courtesy of Cyber Smart Computers.

Topics:

Local and state: TBD, and

Nation and international: TBD.

But I'll discuss anything. (Disclaimer: the host reserves the right to end any discussion and hang up on you.)

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth!

WARNING: You may not want to call in if you have veritasphobia, especially if you are a certain veritasphobic politician.

A Couple of Good Obama-toons

Obama should lose the teleprompter crutch:



BTW, the Obama teleprompter has a blog.


And here is another great editorial cartoon:

The Republi-Con Fear, Anger, and Hatred Machine

For an interesting perspective on the right-wing media, read the Washington Post, The News From Planet Hannity.

With due respect to FDR, the only thing we have to fear is (Republi-con) fear, anger, and hatred.

No Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Usually on Fridays you can listen to me, the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- no political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

But I can't make it today so Ken or Mike will substitute. Until the next show, post a comment or two.

Bailout Scorecard

How much money has been allocated and spent, for what and and when? See CNN Money, Economy rescue: Adding up the dollars to keep score.

Republi-Con Fear Mongering

UPDATE: More on the old and unimproved right-wing fear-mongering media strategy for Obama. Read The New York Times, Fox News’s Mad, Apocalyptic, Tearful Rising Star.

And remember . . .

Be afraid, be very, very afraid, while the robber investment banks and financial institutions loot the treasury and buy FoxNews ads:

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Glenn Beck's War Room

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Political Humor

Rap Battle
Joke of the Day

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Doom Bunker - Jack Jacobs and Stephen Moore

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Political Humor

Rap Battle
Joke of the Day

The purpose of terrorism is to terrify the target public.

Thanks to the Republi-cons and FoxNews, OBL has won.

How Do You Feel About the Economy?

The New York Times wants to know. You can enter the word that best describes your current mood.

I said I was disgusted.

Why, although you are not asked to explain your feeling, I'm disgusted because the banks (and other financial institutions) are robbing our future.

What did you say? And why?

What is Your Congressman's ROR?

UPDATE III: An update from my initial post in February. Congressman with ties to the PMA Group, AKA Murtha Men, may want to start worrying. The lobbying firm, one of the 10 biggest in Washington, and started by Paul Magliocchetti, a protégé of Representative John Murtha, is closing after prosecutors raided Magliocchetti's office and home last week. See The New York Times, Star Lobbyist Closes Shop Amid F.B.I. Inquiry.

UPDATE II: See The Seattle Times, The Favor Factory 2008, for a database of lawmakers, earmarks, and campaign giving.

It seems that our local Congressman's overall ROR was only 9,050% over five years. In 2008, Miller's total defense earmarks were $7,400,000 and his 2003-08 campaign contributions from earmark recipients was $81,750. However, his PMA ROR remains unchanged.

Is your Congressman a Murtha Man?

Read Congressional Quarterly, Firm with Murtha Ties Got Earmarks From Nearly One-Fourth of House.

Or read The New York Times, 104 Will Get You $300 Million:

"A lobbying powerhouse recently raided by federal agents has hurriedly gone out of business, but not before leaving a detailed blueprint of how the political money churn works in Congress. It was already clear that the PMA Group had heavy clout through Representative John Murtha and his powerful clique of defense appropriators. They, in turn, netted hefty campaign donations from PMA’s grateful roster of defense contractors.

But now, just as the firm implodes in the face of a growing scandal, new Congressional disclosure regulations are revealing the breathtaking breadth of PMA’s influence. The lobbying group — a revolving-door boîte created and run by staff alumni of the Murtha appropriations team — scored a singular coup last year. It convinced 104 different House members to add separate earmarks into the defense appropriations bill worth $300 million to PMA Group clients.

These same lawmakers who looked out for the PMA Group have received $1.8 million in campaign donations from the lobbying firm since 2001, according to an analysis of new disclosure filings by Congressional Quarterly and Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group.

Quid pro quo is the hardest of Congressional crimes to prove. But the new disclosure requirements — created by Democrats after the Republicans’ Jack Abramoff scandal — reveal the shameless back-scratching of lobbyist and lawmaker, tracking the flow of taxpayers’ funds to contractors and back as booty to lawmakers.

The raid on the PMA Group was part of an investigation into possible illicit campaign donations. Fast as PMA quit town, members of Congress have begun donating the lobbyists’ money to charity. Investigators should show the same diligence and enthusiasm following the full PMA money trail."

Then check to see if your congressman is on the list at Congressional Quarterly, Lobbying Firm's Capitol Hill Connections.

Our local Congressman, Jeff Miller, was one of the 104. He secured $3,800,000 in earmarks for clients of The PMA Group in the fiscal 2008 defense appropriations law, which was enacted in 2007. He has received $7,000 from PMA Group's political action committee or its employees since 2001. That is a rate of return (ROR) of over 54,285% over 6 years. Not bad for PMA.

(The actual ROR is probably much higher because there were likely earmarks made in other years. But why quibble whether it was a ROR of 54,000% or 55,000% or more, it is an great ROR for PMA in any case.)

But makes ya wonder why Congressman are so cheap.

UPDATE: It appears that my Senator, Bill Nelson, sold out to the Stanforn Financial Group for $45,000. As The New York Times reported "the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Robert Allen Stanford, the firm’s chief, of conducting 'a massive ongoing fraud' in the sale of about $8 billion of high-yielding certificates of deposit held in the firm’s bank in Antigua."

Is there no shame in Congress.

An Outrage to Liberty and Freedom

UPDATE: Thanks to those who took time to express their concern and outrage. As a result, Missouri scraped MIAC report.

Chuck Baldwin is the pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida, and was the presidential nominee of the Constitution Party for the 2008 U.S. Presidential election.

Baldwin alleges that there is a a secret Missouri state police report that categorized supporters of Congressman Ron Paul, Bob Barr, and himself as "'militia' influenced terrorists" and that the report "instructs the Missouri police to be on the lookout for supporters displaying bumper stickers and other paraphernalia associated with the Constitutional, Campaign for Liberty, and Libertarian parties."

See his letter.

If this is true, it would be an outrage to liberty and freedom and someone should be fired and prosecuted.

Write Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and demand an explanation.

No Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Usually on Fridays you can listen to me, the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- no political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

But I can't make it today so Ken or Mike will substitute. Until the next show, post a comment or two.