Jane Fonda Gets Intimate With Stephen Colbert

When I heard Jane Fonda was going on the Colbert show, I was expecting some sort of grilling by Colbert over her past anti-war actions. Yet I ended up watching this in disbelief, as I am sure Stephen's wife did as well:

Tempers Flare Between House Repubs And White House

My, my, how the tables have turned. It wasn't but a few years ago when Democrats would bicker while the mighty Republican rubber stamp machine ran wild. Now that Republican legislative priorities have shown they don't work and the war is increasingly draining our treasury and the blood of our brave soldiers, things are rapidly changing. Democrats are becoming more united against the war by the day and the Republicans keep showing signs of fracture. Today's event was quite the crack between House Republicans and the White House.

From The Hill:

Reps. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) attracted the ire of White House officials for allegedly speaking to reporters about a Tuesday meeting between Bush and centrist Republicans on the Iraq war. Details of the contentious meeting first emerged Wednesday evening and attracted Page 1 headlines yesterday.

Sources said that Dan Meyer, Bush’s liaison to the House, confronted LaHood while White House political strategist Karl Rove rebuked Kirk. It is unclear if LaHood or Kirk were the originial sources for the stories, but LaHood was quoted in one of the articles.

Regardless, LaHood and Meyer got into a shouting match as emotions ran high and voices were raised yesterday morning in the White House while lawmakers were waiting to meet with first lady Laura Bush, according to two legislators who witnessed the exchange.

That must have been some sight to see. Lockstep Republicans are officially a thing of the past. While Bush is staying the course, oblivious to the 2008 elections coming up quick, House Republicans who wish to keep their jobs into the 111th session are starting to speak up. Apparently the White House does not like to see their Congressional brethren declaring a bit of independence from their glorious leader. Expect much more of this peculiar behavior from Republicans as the next election looms larger on the horizon as does the strengthening Democratic majority.

The Fox Effect On The News Biz

Robert Greenwald and his Brave New Films show how Fox News has changed cable news across the board, as others try to copy the propaganda network for ratings and profits, while the fourth estate and the nation suffer for their efforts:

Powell's Chief Of Staff Calls For Impeachment

The case for impeaching the President and Dick Cheney is as clear as crystal. The high crimes and misdemeanors could fill a novel (well maybe not that long, perhaps a good size essay though). For far too long, only those on the left have had the courage to speak up about it. They were called traitors, commies, unpatriotic and crazy for telling the truth about the Bush Administration.

Now times, they are a changing. Four in ten Americans believe that impeachment is necessary to stop the abuses of power committed by Dick and Bush. And out of those four, not all are necessarily on the left. Lawrence Wilkerson is an advocate for impeaching and he happens to be the former Chief of Staff for Secretary of State Colin Powell. Hardly a candidate to be accused of being a commie liberal.

From AfterDowningStreet:

Wilkerson is a Retired Army Colonel, the former Chief of Staff at the State Department from 2002 to 2005 under then Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Vietnam War veteran, the former Acting Director of the Marine Corps War College at Quantico, and currently a teacher of national security at William and Mary College.

The program, On Point, was hosted by Tom Ashbrook, who focused the discussion on a need for greater public accountability for the Iraq War, but who maintained that the public was not outraged or interested. (Ashbrook should read some polls and invite on organizers of the impeachment movement.)

Also on the program was Ken Adelman, who promoted the war and said it would be "a cakewalk". Adelman argued a case for not holding public officials accountable.

Wilkerson said in early comments on the show: "This administration doesn't know how to effect accountability in my opinion." But he did not raise the possibility of impeachment until after a member of the audience had phoned in.

Ashbrook is right and wrong at the same time. There is a segment of the population that is actively engaged in getting the Prez and VP out by an act of Congress. Yet many people are more interested in other things (Have you seen the Spiderman 3 hype?) other than politics.

Thankfully we have people out there like Wilkerson who realizes the damage the Administration has done and what it would take to stop the madness. I've been a fan of impeachment for some time now and it is good to see the crowd getting larger and more diverse. Of course seeing it through is highly unlikely with the makeup of the current Congress, but unless we keeping pushing, we'll never get anywhere.

Hypocrisy Alert: DeLay To Head Ethics Seminar

I kid you not, this is for real. Tom DeLay was asked to speak about campaign ethics by the Campaigns and Elections Seminar. I'm sure he'll be talking about his "No Retreat, No Surrender" book and how he is really the victim because others want to hold him accountable for his 'alleged' criminal actions as Majority Leader. Tom continues to stay in the news with stunts like this, enabling him to push his book and of course with a possible trial to hold him accountable for his actions.

More on the seminar from WaPo:

DeLay, a.k.a. "the Hammer," is set to kick off a May 31 Campaigns & Elections seminar, where he will hawk his book, "No Retreat, No Surrender," and talk political strategy ... and, who knows, maybe even ethics. (After all, Michael Scanlon, a former top DeLay aide who pleaded guilty in the Abramoff lobbying investigation, delivered his graduate thesis on congressional ethics last year; so why shouldn't the Hammer be able to join in the absurdity of it all?)

A witty, lampoony e-mail invitation from Campaigns & Elections reads: "Due to strong language (e.g. going negative, oppo, scandal) and adult situations (e.g. networking, politics, education) the Campaigns & Elections political training seminar is not intended for everyone. Some programming will include former Congressman and DCCC Chairman Vic Fazio, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, political strategist Joe Trippi and gratuitous depictions of successful campaigns, explicit discussions of ethics and an extreme passion for politics."

The invitation warns: "Attend at your own risk!"

At least they see some humor in their conference. Still, giving a platform to the schmuck is like feeding the animals at the zoo. The sign says not to, but people still throw scraps in the cage to get a personal show from the lion, tiger or bear. DeLay needs to be released into the wild, you know, like the general population at a Federal prison.

Iraqi Parliament Wants U.S. Out

It is official, the parliament in Baghdad voted to get the United States Armed Forces out of their country. Bush said that if they want us out, we'll leave. Well, what are you waiting for Mr. President? The Congress and the majority of the American people are asking the same question....and demanding action.

The Young Turks talked about the subject this morning:

Where Have All The (Bees For The) Flowers Gone?

This isn't about an anti-war song from the 60s, it is an important issue that is beginning to seriously affect the agriculture industry from the small farmers all the way up to the big corporations. The fact is, most of our produce comes from flowering plants that need bees to pollinate them in order for everything to work out so we can keep munching and the same goes for the diets of livestock. The problem is, the bees are starting to disappear all over the country, even here in New York City.

From The New York Daily News:

Scientists are baffled by a mysterious plague called Colony Collapse Disorder that has been blamed for wiping out beehives across the country, and now it's stinging some city beekeepers.

"I'm waiting for bees to come through the mail. I've lost quite a few hives," said David Graves, a 57-year-old beekeeper from Massachusetts who keeps hives on the roofs of buildings in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Ninety percent of his hives were wiped out last year, forcing Graves to raise the price of his boutique brand NYC Rooftop Honey he sells at the Union Square Greenmarket from $12 to $15 per half pound.

That rooftop honey is some good stuff and the rising price of local honey products is the least of our problems. Many beekeepers are reporting losses ranging from 30 to 90 percent of their hives. Commercial beekeepers livelihoods depend on being able to pollinate huge swaths of farmland all over the country and if they don't have the bees, there is no business to be had.

The causes for the epidemic are purely speculative at this point. Experts believe that pesticides are the most probable suspect, but no one knows for sure. No matter what the reason, the problem has become a huge cause for beekeepers, farmers and sooner or later more and more consumers will start to feel the effect at their local grocery store.

Food Stamp Awareness Hits Queens

The Governor of Oregon made the news recently when he pledged to live on $20 dollars a week for food last month. Now to continue the awareness campaign, local Queens Councilman Eric Gioia has sought to live on the New York state allotment of $28 dollars a week. Doing that in New York City where blueberries can be over $5 for a small package, makes it a rough go around.

From The New York Daily News:

Budgeting $1.30 a meal, Gioia plans to load up his cart with peanut butter, beans and "the cheapest bread I can find" at the local supermarket, Food Dynasty, he said.

"Often the cheapest food isn't the healthiest," he warned.

A Daily News intern who purchased $28.73 worth of groceries for a week at Food Dynasty yesterday bought a lot of canned goods, pasta and breakfast bars on sale. More than a million New Yorkers currently collect food stamps, which average $113 a month for an individual and $200 for a family.

In the nation's first "food stamp challenge," anti-poverty advocates, politicians and clergy feed themselves for a week on the federal amount given to needy people for food. They are calling on Congress to pump about $20 billion more into the federal food stamp program over five years.

It would be nice to see members of Congress take the challenge as well. The Capitol Grille for lunch can be over $100 with the blink of an eye, a far cry from the reality that impoverished Americans know. Not only does Congress need to add $20 billion to the program to keep up with rising food costs, there should be incentives as well for organic products to be made easily affordable. The facts are that in the United States, saving money at the grocery store translates into lower quality and heavily processed foods.

So why not let Congress know. Call up your local Representative and let them know this problem needs to be addressed. The return of the Democratic majority does not only mean fighting the President on the war (although it is extremely important). It is time for government to heed it's true calling, to serve the people that elect them.

Maxine Waters Wipes The Floor With Alberto

I love the fire in this woman. Her passion for exposing corruption is something every elected official should aspire for.

Rudy To Be Excommunicated?

In case you didn't know, Rudy Giuliani is a practicing Catholic who just happens to be running for President. Scary, isn't it? The former "Mussolini of Manhattan" ruled New York with a strong hand and even nastier temper when confronted with the press. But what will he do when the Pope threatens to excommunicated him? Pope Benedict XVI has threatened to excommunicate any politician in favor of abortion and withhold communion. Yet the former mayor has another problem, he's living in sin.

From WCBS-TV:

But even without the abortion issue, Giuliani can't take communion anyway. It seems he never got a church annulment of his second marriage to Donna Hanover. Church sources said that means he's living in sin with third wife, Judith.

Will that affect the race?

"It may affect, it may not," political guru Henk Sheinkopf said. "For those Catholics who listen to the pope they won't vote for him."

A spokesman for the New York Archdiocese refused to comment on Giuliani's status in the church, saying that would involve a private communication between Cardinal Edward Egan and the former mayor in Manhattan.

Of course this is a private matter. Who cares if he is "living in sin," what matters for deciding on the next leader of the free world is if he or she can govern our nation effectively. Idealistically speaking that is. Some Catholics will vote whatever way the Pope tells them and others will not. That is just plain common sense.

However, it is just another piece of 'questionable ethics' to add to his already considerable ethics problem. Being a Republican in New York City tends to be a tough sell in middle America. Not being from middle America, I wonder just how much flak he can get over not getting the church to annul the marriage....and why the hell he let that one slip in the first place.

Tony Blair Resigns, Takes Iraq Legacy With Him

Tony Blair announced today that he will be resigning as Prime Minister effective June 27th. The Labour Party, Britain and most of the world is truly grateful to see him go. Although his domestic policies have fared well, he will be most remembered for being Bush's faithful dog, following recklessly into the chaos that is Iraq. This move may indeed save the Labour Party in their upcoming elections, but we will see if it can get the U.K. out of the war any faster.

From the AP:

Blair announced his departure date two days after the formation of Northern Ireland's full power-sharing administration, a goal he spent much of his premiership striving to achieve.

But despite his accomplishments, Blair's legacy looks to be dominated by Iraq.

His decision to stand should-to-shoulder with President Bush by committing troops for the invasion divided his party and the country. Blair said he was content for history to judge him, but four years on and with almost 150 British troops dead in Iraq, the war is more unpopular than ever.

Blair got a decent farewell from party supporters , due to his leadership on the domestic front. Blair did a great many things for the less fortunate of Britons and of course that cannot be forgotten. However, with most politicians, they are generally remembered for one memorable policy in addition to their tact and character. Along with his famous grin, he will go down as a stooge of the Bush Administration, enabling the deaths of 150 British soldiers and giving Bush a solid ally for the occupation of Iraq for which Bush could lean on when he touted international support.

Congress Doesn't Want To See This

From Brave New Films:

On May 10th, 2007, this video was banned in Congress

Robert Greenwald, the director of IRAQ FOR SALE, was invited to testify before Congress by Rep. Jim Moran. He prepared four minutes from the documentary to show.

Republicans insisted this not be shown.