Boehner Reverts To Fearmongering

Perhaps this is what the "rebranding" effort is all about. Producing videos and making statements about how afraid we all should be now that Barack Obama is in charge. Boehner and the GOP will use whatever tactic, from fearmongering about terror to how bad it is that Obama wants to help the middle class take all the tax cuts away from the rich. The only problem with this is that there is no "rebranding" going on here, it's simply more of the same from a failed national regional party.

The Aftermath Of Mumbai

Sunday's political talk shows were all focused on what happened in Mumbai, who orchestrated the attacks and what to do about it:

Tasers On A Plane?

Snakes may have venom, but at least they are mere reptiles and not human beings that can press buttons to use a taser on a fellow man (or woman). Using tasers to fight terrorism seems like a silly idea unless you are making an arrest in a situation that involves direct conflict. Using tasers on an airplane to stop potential terrorists while in their seats is just plain insane.

From Wired:

A Canadian company called Lamperd Less Lethal is promoting the EMD Safety Bracelet. It's equipped with electro muscular disruption technology, which effectively short-circuits the central nervous system. Zap someone and they'll be completely immobile for several minutes.

The technology isn't new -- cops and security guards have been using it for years in tasers. What's new is the marketing approach. Lamperd is hawking the EMD bracelet as the ideal tool for fighting terrorists intent on taking over an airplane. [...]

Beyond preying on people's fears and insulting our intelligence, Lamperd is selling a product that's a horrible idea in the first place. Do you really want those bracelets on your flight? If hijackers get their hands the transmitter, they'll zap anyone standing in their way. Who's to say that in the chaos of an emergency a crew member will have time to identify the threat, activate the correct bracelet and fire the EMD pulse before the terrorist has control of the plane?

And then there's the possibility of random craziness. What if a flight attendant loses her cookies and zaps a passenger who wants to keep the whole can of CranApple juice? What about drunk passengers? Do you want the lush in 36D getting his hands on what is essentially a bracelet-mounted stun gun?

Flight attendants will and have thrown people off of planes for wearing t-shirts they don't like. How are we supposed to know that they won't use tasers on people that...gee, I don't know, are religious and pray?

If any, and I mean any airline gives this product more than a nanosecond of thought, then I am finished flying with a company that would jeopardize my safety in that way. It's bad enough that they jeopardize millions of passengers in others already.

The Politics Of Fear

How low can you go with a campaign ad? Just ask John McCain:

Scary Giuliani Supporters

I certainly do not want my Muslim friends going back to any caves. If there is anyone that should be buried in some deep underground chamber, it would be this guy along with his friend Rudy:

Rudy Connected To Terrorists? But I Thought....

Rudy is running on fighting terror. He's a tough, rootin, tootin son of a gun that's not taking names and strictly here to kick ass. "America's Mayor" they call him, a man that stood tough while NYC was in chaos after being attacked on 9/11. Thats what Rudy is about, or at least that's what he wants you to think. The truth is much, much different.

Keith had the Village Voice's Wayne Barrett on the show last night to talk about his bombshell article two days ago about Rudy's ties to terror. Now all you Rudy lovers wipe the shock (or denial) off your face and watch this interview, or go ahead and read the article linked in the first paragraph and tell me how you feel about this guy now.



Greed is an ugly thing, isn't it?

Ah, The Irony Of It All

If there is one thing you must applaud the Bush Administration for, its their chutzpah. The irony, sad and pathetic as it is, is quite funny when you look at their record and compare it to their actions. Take for example the crisis in Pakistan. The dictator that we have given a billion dollars a year to fight terrorism has now shut down any type of democracy that might have been progressing in that cataclysmic country. The White House has some advice for them (no, not this advice) and from it, you can hear the jokes burgeoning out of the statements.

From ThinkProgress:

During today’s White House press briefing, spokeswoman Dana Perino condemned Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s declaration of “emergency rule” in Pakistan. She said that the administration is “deeply disappointed” by the measure, which suspends the country’s constitution, and believes it is never “reasonable” to “restrict constitutional freedoms in the name of fighting terrorism”:

Q: Is it ever reasonable to restrict constitutional freedoms in the name of fighting terrorism?

MS. PERINO: In our opinion, no.

George Bush would never, never ever, never restrict our freedoms, right?

Edwards' Terrorism Policy Speech At Pace: It's A Group Thing

When I arrived at Pace University this morning, I was a little bummed to find myself at the end of a 250 person line, many students and locals waiting to get in to hear Edwards' major policy speech on global terrorism. In what seemed like divine inspiration, I turned to see Philip Anderson's press badge on a table behind the gates.

After a couple quick text messages to Philip and a little persuasiveness talking to the security guard and the girl behind the press desk, I skipped the line and got myself a nice, close-to-the-stage seat inside the auditorium. A guy named Adam with the campaign also helped out by handing out advanced copies of the speech. So I was all ready to go when John took to the stage.

First off, Kristin Breitweiser introduced the Presidential nominee. In case that name does not ring your bell, she is one of the Jersey Girls, a 9/11 widow who lost her husband in the attacks on that terrible day. She is friends with the Edwards family and believes in them as people who care and want to make a difference. She sees an Edwards presidency as one that will confront terrorism with a plan that is smart, creative and bold and not that is based on fear (as George Bush does so terribly well). Her presence was impressive to me because she is an ordinary citizen that took great initiative when presented with extraordinary circumstances.

Edwards talked about many different sub-topics that could never be condensed into a sound bite, but I did try with my title above. Basically, George Bush failed to act before September 11th even though he had intelligence that showed an attack by Al Qaeda was imminent. When our nation was mourning the tragedy almost six years ago, the world was ready to unite behind us to aid us in the fight against terror. Instead George went into Iraq, and the global goodwill disappeared shortly after.

We all know the history of the last few years, so the question is...what will John Edwards do as President to right the wrongs of the 43rd President and make our country and the world safer?

First of all he wants to create CITO. It stands for the Counterterrorism and Intelligence Treaty Organization. Far from being a weak bureaucratic shell, it will band nations together to fight terrorism by cooperating against terrorist organizations. Our go-it-alone policies of the past have only made groups like Al Qaeda stronger, a unified effort is what we need to make progress in this 21st century conflict.

Edwards admits this will not be a "panacea" but a first step that echoes the words of President Kennedy when he first began the fight to curb nuclear weapons. In addition to CITO, basic diplomacy is essential to bring the world together so that we all have a stake in making our society safer and reducing the hostile rhetoric that we have become accustomed to with George Bush.

Then he tied the subject into his broader campaign theme of fighting against poverty. Fighting poverty on a global scale is absolutely necessary to curb terrorism, because giving people from poor countries a step up will make a difference with the world's youth and their reasoning for joining such organizations like Al Qaeda. He gets that this is the root of the problem when it comes to terrorism. His leadership on this goes above and beyond the other Democrats' positions who are running for office.

Finally he addressed his other major theme in the campaign, that he alone cannot solve America's problems. Every one of us must do our part to achieve a better world in the present and for the subsequent generations. He told the audience "it is time to be patriotic about something other than war" and to do that by going out and working for NGOs that fight poverty, to talk to their representatives in Congress, to learn Arabic so that we can begin to break down the cultural divides as well as improving our nation's deteriorating intelligence capabilities. He also proposed the creation of the "Marshall Corps" that would resemble the military reserves but would deploy "to serve on reconstruction, stabilization and humanitarian missions."

Overall I thought it was a great speech, the only challenge is to turn those ideas into substantive action. That change from words on paper to actual reality will take a walk down a long road. Yet as Edwards evoked the words of Kennedy, "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." Perhaps this could be that step.

Hezbollah A Role Model For Romney

You would think that all the Republican candidates would make empty rhetorical statements about fighting terrorists. Over there, draconian laws attacking our liberties here and instilling fear wherever they go. Yet Mitt Romney is bucking the trend. Not only is he looking outside the narrow Republican box, he's embracing Hezbollah.....yes, that Hezbollah.

From The Daily Gotham:

Missed this when it first came out at the beginning of August. But the National Jewish Democratic Council has brought it to my attention. Mitt Romney has criticized Democrats for being unable to "recognize evil." And yet Mitt Romney ALSO is calling for America to look to Hezbollah as a role model.

...in an article titled “Mitt Romney cited Hezbollah's social network as a model for U.S. diplomacy,” the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reported on recent comments by GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney that Hezbollah’s “kind of diplomacy is something that would help America become stronger around the world …”

I'm sorry Mitt, I like to think outside the box, but not in that direction, not even close here. Hezbollah is a group of terrorists that uses community aid to support their terrorist attacks on Israel and Lebanon. They put on an elaborate front, more so than you could ever dream of. Maybe its the "Party of God" thing that attracts you. Personally, they repulse me...and so do your statements about them.

Obama Flexes His Muscles, Hits Liberals In The Face

So if you haven't heard, Barack Obama made a major terrorism speech yesterday that was meant to show he can cower to the centrists and others farther right that he won't be a liberal crybaby, or whatever Republicans call us. Apparently looking big, mean and tough like the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania is appealing to the Illinois Democrat.

From The Huffington Post:

In his speech Obama sought to affirm his credentials as a prospective Commander in Chief who would not only end the war in Iraq, but who would also aggressively mount an offensive against Islamic terrorists.

His posture provoked immediate criticism from some quarters.

Chris Bowers, a blogger who writes on Open Left, argues that Obama is mistakenly trying to win the approval of the Washington establishment:

"No Democrat running for President tells the country that he will deploy more troops to Afghanistan and conduct military strikes in Pakistan without Pakistan's approval in order to appeal to the primary electorate."

Wanting to be a strong leader is one thing, being an abrasive bully before winning a single primary delegate is another. If Obama thinks this type of talk is going to win him votes on the left, he has another thing coming. Rock stars are great at attracting plenty of people at first, but go from political celebrity to Presidential material that appeals to the primary electorate is going to take more than ripping pages from George Bush's book.

Chertoff's Gut Denies NYC Anti-Terrorism Funding

Barely a week after Homeland Security boss Michael Chertoff and his gut had a feeling we are about to be attacked, he denied America's #1 target its fair share of funding to help prevent and deal with such attacks. Although he bestowed one whole half of a percent increase, New York remains #19 on the list of per-capita spending on anti-terrorism measures. Meanwhile other cities like San Diego saw their shares double. Chertoff needs to start using his brain instead of his gut when doling out money to fight terrorism.

From WCBS-TV:

"The fact remains that when you catch somebody who is a potential terrorist they've got a map or picture of New York," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

Just a week after warning of a heightened threat of terror attacks this summer, Chertoff handed out anti-terror grants that took care of cities all across the nation, but once again ignored New York City's position as one of the top targets.

"Secretary Chertoff said the preponderance of the threat is still in New York, yet we get 18 percent of the money," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said. "So, it just simply doesn't add up."

Thats right, it doesn't add up. Nothing makes sense when it comes to the Bush Administration and all of the miserable failures that serve him. Chertoff is a prime example of failing to do his duty to the American people. It seems to be a mantra for the President and his merry men and women.

Bush Still Won't Talk About The Saudis

The President loves to bash Syria and especially Iran for their actions regarding Iraq. Iran has been in the Administration's crosshairs for sometime now. Yet he doesn't even mention Saudi Arabia, not one little bit, not one example of their influence in Iraq and deadly attacks on civilians and U.S. troops. There was a lone, anonymous voice who did speak up recently and shed some light on the facts.

From The Los Angeles Times:

About 45% of all foreign militants targeting U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians and security forces are from Saudi Arabia; 15% are from Syria and Lebanon; and 10% are from North Africa, according to official U.S. military figures made available to The Times by the senior officer. Nearly half of the 135 foreigners in U.S. detention facilities in Iraq are Saudis, he said.

Fighters from Saudi Arabia are thought to have carried out more suicide bombings than those of any other nationality, said the senior U.S. officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the subject's sensitivity. It is apparently the first time a U.S. official has given such a breakdown on the role played by Saudi nationals in Iraq's Sunni Arab insurgency.

He said 50% of all Saudi fighters in Iraq come here as suicide bombers. In the last six months, such bombings have killed or injured 4,000 Iraqis.

With such terrible statistics, you might have thought Bush would want to rush in their and destroy their country too. It should have happened almost six years ago since 15 of the 19 terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 were Saudis as well. The desert nation has had the most prolific amount terrorists spawned out of any country in the world. Yet, except for a military base or two that we occupy on the Arabian Peninsula, the Saudis remain untouched.

Of course the main reason that we don't do anything is because of their oil and the relationships that have been fostered between the Bush family and the Saudi royalty. Imagine what would happen to crude oil prices if we shock and awed them. Prices would skyrocket so high that we might actually have to take action on relieving ourselves of foreign oil dependence. How terrible!

Fighting Terrorism With Your Gut

I think the color coded terror alert system is still in effect, but we'll have to add Michael Chertoff's gut to wondering whether the terrorists will attack us tomorrow. Olbermann rips him to shreds and exposes what the Homeland Security Department is all about.

Giuliani Attacks NYC Firefighters Union

A respectful and honorable person would apologize for his mistakes on the horrific day of September 11th, but not Rudolph Giuliani. He would not own up to not providing communication systems that could have saved dozens if not hundreds of firefighters in the burning towers. Instead Rudy had his campaign attack the firefighters that are speaking out against him.

From The New York Post:

"I don't believe that a few disgruntled union members can diminish the many years of respect Rudy has shown them," Carbonetti added.

The comments came amid a fresh round of criticism aimed at Giuliani from Uniformed Firefighters Association President Steve Cassidy, who said he will rally his members against the ex-mayor - who's currently the GOP front-runner for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.

Cassidy, whose parent union has already vowed to try to damage Giuliani's candidacy by not inviting him to speak at a candidates' forum in Washington, faulted the former mayor's performance in office - including his handling of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He also blasted Giuliani on the issue of terrorism, insisting he is not an "expert."

Rudy certainly tries to use his tenure as mayor to show he knows terror first hand. Yet that does not mean he knows how to deal with it on the international stage. He has zero foreign policy experience and declined to learn more about it with the Iraq Study Group because he would rather focus on enriching himself and his Presidential campaign.

Rudy's man Carbonetti fought hard against the protesting firefighters in order to win a PR campaign that could be fatal for "Hitler on the Hudson." In his quest for power, it is essential that the masses think of him as "America's Mayor" and not what he really is, a greedy, power-hungry Republican that only cares about winning, not about fighting terrorism effectively. NYC firefighters already know this, so should the rest of us.

Man On Dog Santorum Goes Hollywood

The buzz around Pittsburgh is that former Senator Rick Santorum wants to make a movie. Not about man on dog sex thankfully, but almost as bad. Now that he can't spread fear of terrorism as an elected official, the next realm for it will be on the big screen. Working with a former Mel Gibson associate, Rick wants to film a movie about an Iranian terrorist.

From The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Rumors have been buzzing throughout Harrisburg that Santorum was connecting with McEveety, who produced Mel Gibson blockbusters such as "Braveheart," "The Passion of the Christ" and "We Were Soldiers," on a project.

(snip)

The story follows three Iranian brothers who take disparate paths in their lives, including one who becomes a terrorist.

At this point, Santorum's project doesn't have a title, and no decision has been made on where it will be filmed and whether it could end up giving the Pittsburgh area's film industry a boost.

Even for someone that would stoop to film the Passion of the Christ should have nothing to do with a politician that has constantly decried Hollywood for its moral depravity. It isn't surprising to see a Republican that bashed Hollywood for socially conservative votes to turn around and use the movies for his own gain. Nor is it hard to fathom that such movie would center around terrorism coming from all places, Iran.

Who in their right mind is going to finance this flick?

Big Brother Coming Closer To NYC

What once was the science fiction of George Orwell is quickly becoming the reality of today. There are so many high-tech gadgets that are meant to provide surveillance that it is scary and wondrous at the same time. Some of these tools look good, others seem to be right out of "1984."

From WCBS-TV:

(CBS/AP) NEW YORK An array of high-tech gadgets -- including a helicopter equipped with infrared cameras and a backpack designed to detect dirty bombs -- will help secure the city against terrorism, the police commissioner said Wednesday.

In the future, the New York Police Department even hopes to deploy "a system of stationary airborne devices" to help officers conduct surveillance and respond to emergencies in a bustling, target-rich setting, Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

"There is no environment across the nation that compares to New York City," Kelly said at a Manhattan forum hosted by the firm CIT Aerospace. "We have the highest number of critical assets in the smallest amount of physical space."

That is true, there are plenty of spots in the City that are targets and they need to be protected. Another thing we need to protect are our liberties, and those are the people's responsibility to stay vigilant for. Although WCBS reports on these specific devices, there are far more intrusive instruments across the pond that are in use today. The Brits are even closer to living under Big Brother than we are. Try and imagine surveillance cameras that talk back to you if it thinks you are misbehaving. Now that is frightening.

"Get A Life"

Are you a Republican that constantly worries about terrorism? When a truck hurtles down the street and rocks a manhole cover, do you scurry for a spot to keep you safe? Well the Mayor has some advice for you, "Get A Life." Paralyzing fear over events out of your control are ridiculous to worry over. Finding yourself watching Fox News for hours on end may be attributable to such conditions, as well as listening to George Bush for too long.

From WCBS-TV:

"There are lots of threats to you in the world. There's the threat of a heart attack for genetic reasons. You can't sit there and worry about everything. Get a life," he said.

That "What, me worry?" attitude pretty much sums up Bloomberg's advice to New Yorkers on the terror plot. As far as he was concerned, the professionals were on it, so New Yorkers shouldn't let it tax their brains.

"You have a much greater danger of being hit by lightning than being struck by a terrorist," he added.

Kudos to Mayor Bloomberg for the sound advice. Some people really need to chill when news stories such as the JFK "terror" plot make the news. In addition to relaxing and not worrying about imminent death caused by all the people that hate America, why not look deeper into the story and get yourself some good old-fashioned knowledge. George Bush may not approve of this, since he wants you to get all of your information from him and Fox News, but that is just too bad.

For instance, consider the hypothesis that the President and his buddies utilize fear of terrorism in order to gain popularity and continue the status quo of shredding the constitution and bleeding our treasury dry while our troops are senselessly killed. Does this sound outrageous? Not if you exercise a little common sense and become aware to what is going on with military contractors such as Halliburton, the NSA wiretapping scandal, and many other realities that our country sadly faces. So get on Google or your favorite search engine and start gathering information that you might not know about.

Rudy Confirms He Lives On A Different Planet

I always suspected something was amiss when it came to Rudy talking about relevant issues concerning us. Well Giuliani confirmed my some of my thoughts on him when he let out an advertising blitz in early primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. He claims that Democrats like Hillary don't get it when it comes to terrorism and the current realities that we face. However, the 'realities' that he sees are obviously in some parallel dimension.

From The NY Post:

June 5, 2007 -- Rudy Giuliani yesterday charged that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and the other Democratic presidential candidates are living in a "different world" when it comes to understanding the threat of terrorism.

"They're in denial about the Islamic [terrorist] threat," the GOP front-runner said. "It's an issue of war and peace. It's an issue that involves whether or not America is going to be safe."

(snip)

"In the debate . . . there was this great nostalgia about returning to the diplomacy of the 1990s," Giuliani said. "It was in the 1990s that we didn't retaliate for the attack on the USS Cole . . . the 1993 World Trade Center, Khobar Towers, Kenya, Tanzania, significant numbers of attacks by Islamic terrorists against us."

Wait a sec, didn't the attack on the U.S.S. Cole happen in 2000? Well its close enough to the 1990s I assume. Still, Rudy does not get it nor even attempt to understand geopolitics. Like many New Yorkers (myself included) he believes that the world revolves around the Isle of Manhattan but many (typically on the left) know better.

Instead of debating the issues on Planet Earth, Rudy lives in the world of black and white, where one is either a coward or a bully instead of approaching situations with a tool that I like to call logic. Of course Rudy and others like him (Bush included) like to play on the politics of fear in order to manipulate anyone willing to buy his crap.

Arkansas GOP Leader: Bring On Next 9/11

Dennis Milligan may not have uttered George Bush's words verbatim, but what he did say came through clear enough. Republicans like him are under the demented delusion that another terrorist attack on the United States would be a good thing for his beleaguered party both in and out of Arkansas.

From The Arkansas Democrat Gazette:

He said he’s “150 percent” behind Bush on the war in Iraq.

“At the end of the day, I believe fully the president is doing the right thing, and I think all we need is some attacks on American soil like we had on [Sept. 11, 2001 ], and the naysayers will come around very quickly to appreciate not only the commitment for President Bush, but the sacrifice that has been made by men and women to protect this country,” Milligan said.

Mr. Milligan that day never came because George Bush has never done the right thing. Losing men and money in Iraq (not to mention the goodwill of the global community) has not done anything in the war against terror. The only thing you could argue is that it has created more terror around the world.

The Arkansas GOP has been going down the toilet now for a while. The Democratic Governor Mike Beebe is immensely popular as is his state legislature and Sen. Mike Pryor(D-AR) is doing well.Even Sen. Jeff Sessions(R-AR) might face a tough challenge in his re-election bid next year. With comments like these from the man charged with leading the GOP's resurgence in the "Natural State", things are looking great for the state's Democrats.

The Terrorists In Your Living Room

We usually think of terrorists as those that want to create terror through their actions. Although the word is usually applied to rogue groups such as Al-Qaeda, the I.R.A. and Hezbollah, nation-states can also be terrorizing when they shock and awe cities with their warplanes and missiles. In Alabama, if you have a cause you are fighting for you might be a terrorist. From abortion opponents to gay rights activists, these groups are being tracked by the Alabama Department of Homeland Security.

From The Washington Post:

The site included the groups under a description of what it called "single-issue" terrorists. That group includes people who feel they are trying to create a better world, the Web site said. It said that in some communities, law enforcement officers consider certain single issue groups to be a threat.

"Single-issue extremists often focus on issues that are important to all of us. However, they have no problem crossing the line between legal protest and ... illegal acts, to include even murder, to succeed in their goals," it read.

Walker said the site had been up since spring 2004, and had gotten a relatively small number of hits until it recently became the subject of blogs, he said.

Birmingham attorney Eric Johnston, president of the Alabama Pro Life Coalition, said he was concerned about any list that described people doing social justice work as terrorists.

The website that displayed this information is now down, but who knows if it still exists on their intra-website. Like the NYPD who tracked GOP Convention protesters, this is another example of state security that borders on the obscene.

What will the government do with information on people that want a clean environment or equality the GLBT community? Will the Bush Administration set up a group of Brownshirts and SS guards next to combat these people that like to practice the First Amendment? Toss them in jail and throw away the key to prevent them from speaking truth?