The Kids Are Alright!

Facing the realities of Iraq

connecticutman1 — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 13:38:43 EST

As you read the following excerpts from the WaPO just forget the dollar figure there. Ignore it. (Honestly, I mean that!)

The U.S. Air Force is asking the Pentagon's leadership for a staggering $50 billion in emergency funding for fiscal 2007 -- an amount equal to nearly half its annual budget, defense analyst Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute said on Tuesday.

...snip...

Another source familiar with the Air Force plans said the extra funds would help pay to transport growing numbers of U.S. soldiers being killed and wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It is not the the dollar figure, it is the thought that they have to ship back that many soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan that are dead and wounded. Think about that...

These are our children, America's future, being handed the misfortune of serving at the precise time that our government has completely failed them. This is the human cost that is a direct result of the GOP and Bush's failed policies. This will not stop until the Bush administration is forced to face up to the realities of what they have done.

Meandering thoughts BELOW:

Bush and Lieberman: Cutting and Running From "Stay the course!"

connecticutman1 — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:51:34 EDT

"Stay the course!"
That is all you will get from both Bush and Lieberman.

Despite President Bush's recent denials that "We've never been stay the course" and the NY Times' FALSE assertions to counter Ned Lamont's caqmpaign charges that Joe Lieberman has been a consistent cheerleader for Bush's failed "Stay the course!" policy, the fact remains that this is a bold face lie that exposes BOTH Bush and Lieberman's penchant for polticizing this war by telling people whatever they have to in order to cover their political asses and get more votes. It also doesn't say much about the researchers and writers at the "Post Judy Miller" NY Times.

In Bush's and Lieberman's own words BELOW:

For Justice - Day 8 - Old Boys Club

connecticutman1 — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 12:57:14 EST

For Justice - Day 8 - Old Boys Club
by Teacher Toni

Do you remember when you were a kid, and
members of the opposite sex had "cooties?" Some boys might have
even gone so far as to post a sign like this

on the door of their hang out.

Sadly, some boys never grow up and never want to let the girls (or
African-Americans, or Hispanics, etc.) in their club. This brings
us to today's installment to keep Alito off the Supreme Court.

Old Boys Club entry is below the fold

For Justice - Day 5 Roe V Wade

connecticutman1 — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 20:38:58 EST

So far in the 12 Days of Justice daily series you have learned that:

Judge Samuel Alito does not respect the primary role of the Legislative branch of our government.
By Tampopo
Judge Alito will threaten the fundamental rights and basic legal protections for working Americans of all ages.
By AP
Judge Alito has violated the laws and ethical codes that govern the conduct of federal judges and was a member of the radical and discriminatory group CAP.
By Steven D
Judge Alito's view of discrimination against persons with disability is so restrictive that "few if any...cases would survive summary judgment."
By susanhu

Todays diary for Day 5 will be a short and to the point explanation of Judge Alito's views concerning women and abortion rights. It will deal with his radical and demeaning views from the perspective of his positions revealed in certain abortion cases, memos, applications, and discussions of Roe v Wade.

Join me in the back alley below the fold.

12 Days of Justice

connecticutman1 — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 15:15:52 EST

There are many reasons to be wary of the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.

Over the next 12 days the Anti-Alito Brigade will be bringing you many of those reasons, and also some actions that you might consider to help stop this horrible nomination.

The main intention of this nomination is to try and tip the balance of power away from the legislative branch and towards the President.

Alito is an activist judge that will legislate from the bench on many of the issues that all progressives hold dear to their heart.

X-posted at dKos, My Left Wing, Booman Tribune , My Left Nutmeg, Political Cortex
And also Front Paged or posted by Cedwyn at: Dembloggers, ePluribus Media, MyDD, and TPM Cafe reader Blogs as well as by shermanesqe at Street Prophets and C&J

There's more below the fold, so plug your nose and dumpster dive into the rest of this post with me!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

connecticutman1 — Fri, 07 Oct 2005 00:43:04 EDT

If that is true than
THIS LINK SPEAKS VOLUMES!

Need I say more?

Rep. Nancy Johnson's Scandal Plagued Legislation

connecticutman1 — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 23:10:56 EDT

It seems that Connecticut Rep. Nancy Johnson's political career has a lot of junk in the trunk...

Deroy Murdock on Medicare on National Review Online:
"This fiscal malpractice has not bought the White House even political dividends. An August 25-26, 2003 Gallup poll found 40 percent of adults approved of the president's handling of Medicare while 48 percent disapproved. After the benefit's adoption, a March 26-28, 2004 Gallup survey saw 35 percent approve of Bush on Medicare, while disapproval climbed to 55 percent. What a bargain: Each one-point drop in Bush's Medicare approval rating cost Americans $44.5 billion.

The GOP Congress should dump the drug benefit. They should spare taxpayers this absurdly expensive new project whose true costs were concealed by an administration that sacrificed integrity and fiscal responsibility on an altar of blind ambition.

Instead, Republicans should develop a modest plan for poor seniors who lack coverage, rather than any American over 65, including multimillionaires and those who already have drug insurance.

The Medicare drug benefit has metastasized from bad policy to bad politics and now to scandal and possible criminality. This law begs to be euthanized. The GOP should pulls its plug. As for the perpetrators of this colossal public fraud, the Justice Department should fit them for orange jumpsuits."

And this is the legislation she was was so proud of and pinning her re-election hopes on? Well now, If that ain't an elephant passing some serious gas on to the voters?

Careful now!
Never stand behind an elephant that is full of it...
You never know when it is going to take its next dump on YOU!

Hackett DOMINATES Schmidt in Ohio?

connecticutman1 — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:56:04 EDT

Conservatives get a behind the scenes view of what to expect from Schmidt if she wins...

Daily Kos :: Comments OH-2: The Commercial, The Poll, "Swift Boating" & the Pivot:

Yesterday, some of us who emailed the Schmidt campaign got mailbox full returns which pointed to campaign manager Joe Brauns real email address: deanofcorn@aol.com

Some of us did a google search on "deanofcorn" which returned 3 entries. The one in Canada is a mistype, it should have been "dean of com...merce", the M got spliced into a rn.

The only other 2 entries were for a "deanofcorn" user ID for the Scioto County, Ohio GOP and then this BDSM "deanofcorn" solicitation from Cincinnati "I am an experienced Dom seeking a sub for long term exploration and training."

Joe Braun (Schmidt's campaign manager) has the email address deanofcorn@aol.com, and the same deanofcorn user ID for the Cincinnati area GOP site. Its obvious that the BDSM deanofcorn in Cincinnati (the only other reference to deanofcorn on the net) is him. If any further evidence is needed, this article he authored in college puts him at the same age as the individual who likes to perform 'medical exams'.

by tomVA

Now the only thing left to see is if Braun and Schmidt will air some video of their backroom meetings where he "whips" her into shape for the election?

Is there little wonder that the republican party is bringing in another $750,000 from the national level to try and buy her out of this?

Yep... The GOP is a slave to their own hypocrisy!

Hackett is an honorable soldier that served his country. As a Vet, I can appreciate that.

Schmidt is just a subservient low-life that surrounds herself with SCUM.

And the GOP has the nerve to run another "swifty" campaign on Hackett?

Conservative voters of OHIO:

WAKE UP!

The Ohio GOP is as corrupt as any of the ones in Texas or DC. You know it, and the nation knows it.

I am an independent and even I would choose Hackett over that scumbucket Schmidt.

Something About Sharm El-Sheik?

connecticutman1 — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 00:59:07 EDT

You know what? I have read about 15 different stories from various papers in the USA and around the world BUT there is one part of the story that all of them seem to leave out of it. Something I have personal experience with concerning Sharm El-Sheik.

If you click on the link (don't forget to watch the 20 second video there!) you might get an idea what I am talking about.

MFO Southcamp

Don't you think this is a MAJOR EFFIN PART OF THE STORY?

MFO Southcamp
The smaller South Camp, near Sharm el Sheikh on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, is situated on a bluff overlooking the Red Sea.� The camp contains all facilities normally required to support a reinforced battalion sized military unit.

I knew as soon as I started scrolling through one story after another that you would not find any of this reported.

US Contingent
The United States Army provides the single largest contingent to the MFO based at both North and South Camp.
The different activities provided by Task Force HQ, Support Battalion and US Battalion are described in the links above.

Why would the MSM care that there are always American soldiers stationed in Sharm?

Is this a part of the story that might of interested you?

Do you really think that tourists were the "only" targets?

I know, I know... A lot of very wealthy Europpean, American, and Middle East OIL magnates go there often. It is a resort town for the extremely FILTHY RICH... But do any of you think that maybe, just maybe, Gambling Saudi princes and tourists were not the only targets?

They Said What?

connecticutman1 — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 15:34:36 EDT

In homage to her political roots developed in her formative years in Russia Coulter not only dates herself as a really old fart, but offers up this interesting opinion of Roberts:

Welcome to AnnCoulter.com:
"Since the announcement, court-watchers have been like the old Kremlinologists from Soviet days looking for clues as to what kind of justice Roberts will be. "

Coulter went on to discuss the possibility that Roberts would have to:

"perform an abortion during his confirmation hearing, live, on camera, and preferably a partial-birth one."

In my quest to carry a more balanced view of political pundits from the vast GOP spectrum of RED I would be remiss to skip over Rush's view on the candidate:

Rush transcript:
"The Democrats are having a tough time, and they are going to have an impossible time, to oppose the man on anything having to do with any kind of substance."

While we question Oxy-Rush about issues of substance we had no idea that this is an issue we should take up with Roberts?

"But I think what they are going to do, as I said last night, what they are going to do is try to derail the guy at the hearings on the basis of, "He won't answer our questions,""

Well Rush... Does he do drugs like you?

"We don't have much on record of Judge Roberts."

So Rush finally admits that Roberts has a record. OK.... At least we no longer need to clear that up.

Hannity, not wanting to be outdone by his RED friends in demonstrating that "up is down and black is white", had this comment about Roberts on "Hannity and Colmes":

Hannity Transcript:
"Liberals seem convinced that Roberts abortion — seems anti- abortion to them"

My only questions here are:
Was he on drugs when the abortion occured and does his wife know about this particular abortion? If she does not know, than: How much drugs was she on when the abortion happened?

Oh yeah... And how is Roberts abortion ever going to be considered anti-abortion?

President Reagan Haunts Wingnut Traitors From the Grave

connecticutman1 — Wed, 20 Jul 2005 21:38:53 EDT

Here is an interesting twist coming from the Think Progress Blog...

Leakers
For those who have tried so hard to downplay the importance of Valerie Plame’s outing; for those who say the leak wasn’t important because Plame worked at Langley; for those who say what Rove and Libby and others did wasn’t a blow to our intelligence services, we suggest you read President Ronald Reagan’s remarks at CIA headquarters upon signing the Intelligence Identities Protection Act (which the Plame leakers may have violated):

"Whether you work in Langley or a faraway nation, whether your tasks are in operations or analysis sections, it is upon your intellect and integrity, your wit and intuition that the fate of freedom rests for millions of your countrymen and for many millions more all around the globe. …

Like those who are part of any silent service, your sacrifices are sometimes unappreciated; your work is sometimes misunderstood. Because you’re professionals, you understand and accept this. But because you’re human and because you deal daily in the dangers that confront this nation, you must sometimes question whether some of your countrymen appreciate the value of your accomplishments, the sacrifices you make, the dangers you confront, the importance of the warnings that you issue.

And that’s why I have come here today; first, to sign an important piece of legislation that bears directly on your work, an act of Congress whose overwhelming passage by the representatives of the American people is a symbol of their support for the job that you do every day. But even more than this, I’ve come here today to say to you what the vast majority of Americans would say if they had this opportunity to stand here before you. We’re grateful to you. We thank you. We’re proud of you.

Taken from:
Think Progress

Ronnie Raygun coming back from the grave to haunt right wingnut traitors. If you go to the source of the speech you will find an even better quote in my opinion. Here you go:

The Congress has carefully drafted this bill so that it focuses only on those who would transgress the bounds of decency; not those who would exercise their legitimate right of dissent. This carefully drawn act recognizes that the revelation of the names of secret agents adds nothing to legitimate public debate over intelligence policy. It is also a signal to the world that while we in this democratic nation remain tolerant and flexible, we also retain our good sense and our resolve to protect our own security and that of the brave men and women who serve us in difficult and dangerous intelligence assignments.

During the debate over this bill, some have suggested that our focus should be not on protecting our own intelligence agencies, but on the real or imagined abuses of the past. Well, I'm glad that counsel was rejected, for the days of such abuses are behind us. The Congress now shares the responsibility of guarding against any transgression, and I have named a new Intelligence Oversight Board and Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board to assist me in ensuring that the rule of law is maintained in areas which must remain secret and out of the normal realm of public scrutiny.

Beyond this, I have full confidence that you'll do your job vigorously and imaginatively while making sure that your activity is lawful, constitutional, and in keeping with the traditions of our way of life. And while you're at your job and while I'm President and while these Congressmen stand at watch, we'll work together to see to it that this powerful tool of government is used to advance, not abuse, the rights of free people.

Taken from:
http://foi.missouri.edu/iipa/remarks.html

I bet this makes those wingnuts squirm!

Turdblossom is Wilting

connecticutman1 — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 18:28:02 EDT

Why is that mean man scowling? Maybe he just saw the latest post over at Escahaton by Atrios... Looks like turdblossom has willted in America's eyes, and while Atrios got the scoop, well, all bush has left is a heaping pile of poop:

ABC NEWS POLL: THE CIA LEAK INVESTIGATION – 7/17/05 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, July 18, 2005 Many Doubt White House CooperationWith Federal Investigation of CIA LeakJust a quarter of Americans think the White House is fully cooperating in the federal investigation of the leak of a CIA operative's identity, a number that's declined sharply since the investigation began. And three-quarters say that if presidential adviser Karl Rove was responsible for leaking classified information, it should cost him his job.

Careful what you step in as you follow the treason of rove Atrios... You don't want to come out of it smelling like the Benedict Arnold administration in the White House right now... (If your cats are anything like my dog... There is always the chance of finding a bush turd on the living room floor the hard way! lol)

Young Republicans Following in the Footsteps of the Crooks in Power

connecticutman1 — Sun, 17 Jul 2005 19:53:00 EDT

Crooks and Liars has a great story on republicans passing the torch of crime on to their youth:

Crooks and Liars: "OYE ALERT: Young Republicans Chairman 'Nathan Taylor' in Hot Water

I kid you not. YR's should have accepted the ad I tried to place. They could have used the extra cash, even if it came from a Frenchman.

Nevada's chapter of the Young Republicans has basically imploded, leaving its chairman with up to $25,000 in personal debt and allegations that he mishandled money. All but three people have resigned from the statewide group, but the fallout could prove increasingly embarrassing to the entire state Republican Party. Today, the chairman of the group, Reno resident Nathan Taylor, plans to hold a press conference attacking three of the state's party leaders -- Sen. John Ensign, Rep. Jim Gibbons and Rep. Jon Porter.

'I've got bills at the hotel I can't pay,' said Taylor, a 29-year-old political science senior at UNR who said he had to quit his food service job and drop classes to plan the convention....read on

Nathan's just doing a job worthy of the CBO. Taylor will probably double his efforts with extra bake sales and some double secret super duper rants. If he enlists, I'm sure he will be able to pay of the bills he ran up with all the extra incentives the Army is offering now. What say you Nathan? Your country needs you.

Also in trouble is a Steve Damion New Jersey College Republicans. Looks like he's out of a job too. "

These criminal republicans are just cut from the same cloth as their national leaders. I agree that they should enlist in the military, if not to support the stupid policies they have screwed up the nation with so much, than at least to teach them a little bit about responsibilities and good citizenship.

Maybe after they get out of jail? (snicker)

Read it... Learn it... Pass it on!

connecticutman1 — Sat, 16 Jul 2005 00:29:25 EDT

Here is the text... Read it all... There is no exception for disclosing classified info even if you only confirm a previous source. It is illegal! And they are "trained" to know this before they to get any security clearance.

They are so detailed in this training that even confirming classified info to a news source is a part of that training, and it is definately a no-no.

REP. HENRY A. WAXMAN
RANKING MINORITY MEMBER
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 15, 2005

Fact Sheet
Karl Rove’s Nondisclosure Agreement

Today, news reports revealed that Karl Rove, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff and the President’s top political advisor, confirmed the identity of covert CIA official Valerie Plame Wilson with Robert Novak on July 8, 2003, six days before Mr. Novak published the information in a nationally syndicated column. These new disclosures have obvious relevance to the criminal investigation of Patrick Fitzgerald, the Special Counsel who is investigating whether Mr. Rove violated a criminal statute by revealing Ms. Wilson’s identity as a covert CIA official.

Independent of the relevance these new disclosures have to Mr. Fitzgerald’s investigation, they also have significant implications for: (1) whether Mr. Rove violated his obligations under his "Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement" and (2) whether the White House violated its obligations under Executive Order 12958. Under the nondisclosure agreement and the executive order, Mr. Rove would be subject to the loss of his security clearance or dismissal even for "negligently" disclosing Ms. Wilson’s identity.

KARL ROVE’S NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

Executive Order 12958 governs how federal employees are awarded security clearances in order to obtain access to classified information. It was last updated by President George W. Bush on March 25, 2003, although it has existed in some form since the Truman era. The executive order applies to any entity within the executive branch that comes into possession of classified information, including the White House. It requires employees to undergo a criminal background check, obtain training on how to protect classified information, and sign a "Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement," also known as a SF-312, promising not to reveal classified information.1

The nondisclosure agreement signed by White House officials such as Mr. Rove states: "I will never divulge classified information to anyone" who is not authorized to receive it.2

THE PROHIBITION AGAINST "CONFIRMING" CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

Mr. Rove, through his attorney, has raised the implication that there is a distinction between classified information to someone not authorized to receive it and confirming classified information from someone not authorized to have it. In fact, there is no such distinction under the nondisclosure agreement Mr. Rove signed.
One of the most basic rules of safeguarding classified information is that an official who has signed a nondisclosure agreement cannot confirm classified information obtained by a reporter.

In fact, this obligation is highlighted in the "briefing booklet" that new security clearance recipients receive when they sign their nondisclosure agreements: Before … confirming the accuracy of what appears in the public source, the signer of the SF 312 must confirm through an authorized official that the information has, in fact, been declassified. If it has not, … confirmation of its accuracy is also an unauthorized disclosure.3

THE INDEPENDENT DUTY TO VERIFY THE CLASSIFIED STATUS OF INFORMATION

Mr. Rove’s attorney has implied that if Mr. Rove learned Ms. Wilson’s identity and occupation from a reporter, this somehow makes a difference in what he can say about the information. This is inaccurate.

The executive order states: "Classified information shall not be declassified automatically as a result of any unauthorized disclosure of identical or similar information."4

Mr. Rove was not at liberty to repeat classified information he may have learned from a reporter Instead, he had an affirmative obligation to determine whether the information had been declassified before repeating it. The briefing booklet is explicit on this point: "before disseminating the information elsewhere … the signer of the SF 312 must confirm through an authorized official that the information has, in fact, been declassified."5

"NEGLIGENT" DISCLOSURE OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

Mr. Rove’s attorney has also implied that Mr. Rove’s conduct should be at issue only if he intentionally or knowingly disclosed Ms. Wilson’s covert status. In fact, the nondisclosure agreement and the executive order require sanctions against security clearance holders who "knowingly, willfully, or negligently" disclose classified information.6 The sanctions for such a breach include "reprimand, suspension without pay, removal, termination of classification authority, loss or denial of access to classified information, or other sanctions."7

THE WHITE HOUSE OBLIGATIONS UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 12958

Under the executive order, the White House has an affirmative obligation to investigate and take remedial action separate and apart from any ongoing criminal investigation. The executive order specifically provides that when a breach occurs, each agency must "take appropriate and prompt corrective action."8

This includes a determination of whether individual employees improperly disseminated or obtained access to classified information The executive order further provides that sanctions for violations are not optional.

The executive order expressly provides: "Officers and employees of the United States Government … shall be subject to appropriate sanctions if they knowingly, willfully, or negligently … disclose to unauthorized persons information properly classified."9

There is no evidence that the White House complied with these requirements.

ENDNOTES

1 Executive Order No. 12958, Classified National Security Information (as amended), sec. 4.1(a) (Mar.

28, 2003) (online at www.archives.gov/isoo/policy_documents/executive_order_

12958_amendment.html).

2 Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement, Standard Form 312 (Prescribed by NARA/ISOO) (32

C.F.R. 2003, E.O. 12958) (online at http://contacts.gsa.gov/webforms.nsf/

0/03A78F16A522716785256A69004E23F6/$file/SF312.pdf).

3 Information Security Oversight Office, National Archives and Records Administration, Briefing

Booklet: Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement (Standard Form 312), at 73 (emphasis added)

(online at www.archives.gov/isoo/training/standard_form_312.pdf).

4 Executive Order No. 12958, sec. 1.1(b).

5 Briefing Booklet, supra note 3, at 73.

6 Executive Order No. 12958, sec. 5.5(b) (emphasis added).

7 Id. at 5.5(c).

8 Id. at 5.5(e)(1).

9 Id. at 5.5(b).

Keeping Up Appearances

connecticutman1 — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 12:41:31 EDT

Oh, you can be darn certain that all of Britain will take note of this and not be too happy about it at all. What message does this send to our allies?

BBC NEWS | UK | US forces lift London travel ban:
RAF Lakenheath
RAF Lakenheath was one of the bases affected
The US military has rescinded an order to its personnel to avoid London in the aftermath of the bombings.

Personnel, most of them from US Air Force units at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, in Suffolk, were told last week not to go within the M25 motorway.

But there was criticism that it sent out the wrong signals at a time when the emphasis was on 'business as usual' in London after the attacks.

The US embassy said the order had been reviewed and had now been lifted."

Yep... They see clearly through the BS of bush policies. At crucial times in history it is always important to send strong clear messages to your enemies and your allies.

The message the US has sent under the incompetent bush regime?

"We will stand by you... Until it becomes dangerous! Then we will cut and run."

Would it have been dangerous for the US to be seen "keeping up appearances" in London with the ongoing threat of bombings? Yes! Clearly it would have been dangerous. But it is more dangerous to send this clear message to the Brits that we are selfish chickens that will will desert our allies and hide from disaster.

Another clear sign from the White House that echoes the actions of a chickenhawk preznit that flew off to hide in a bunker when the US needed a leader in the White House.

The Brittish people noticed this. You can bet the entire world will take notice of this. There is no longer even the slightest appearance of integrity coming out of the White House when it comes to their support of covert operatives AND allies.

My Blog to Nobody

connecticutman1 — Thu, 07 Jul 2005 16:22:59 EDT

I am just gonna write a few sentences in a very long paragraph that is nearly unreadable and focuses on what appears to the casual reader as more like a republican style attack on a person than it does in actually dealing with the issues brought up by anyone else. This may seem like a pointless excercize to some readers, but I am betting that a few might actually get the point even if they didn't get this far along in reading something that is seemingly pointless, juvenile and downright impossible to read because of the excessive use of this one single paragraph. Eventually I will give up this ranting and raving paragraph, but only to move on to another very long, nearly unreadable paragraph that is as annoying as heck to look at as it is to try and digest the material (or lack there-of) covered in this very long paragraph. I know that many people like to write long essays on these blogs and I fully endorse them doing that even when they are immidiately limiting themselves to the very few readers that actually have the time to get this far along in a blog and will never reach the masses with these kinds of messages since the average American got bored pretty well right after the title and never got this far along to get to one of my other points. but that was only a secondary point and so I will return to the original point without ever actually changing this paragraph because I really want to demonstrate how annoying and unreadable a blog can truely become if anyone puts the least amount of effort into it as they want and don't stop to think about how what they write and how they present it will certainly determine how, and if, people will recieve it and whether they will chose to continue to read their ideas through or just skip on every single time they view particualr names that come up as authors of materials and never even take the time to consider anything they have to say for fear of suffering eye damage.
Now, finally, I will get to the second paragraph , but it will be near impossible to tell except for a minor indentation (If you are lucky?) and the fact that it starts on the next line. I will not fill this with any personal attacks either and, in fact, I will actually fill this paragraph with even less useful information to refute any nay-sayers about the points I was trying to make, but I am guessing that many of you have already rated this about as low as you can and are looking at this as something that a troll would write in order to do nothing more than stir things up, but it will be recognized instantly for what kind of post it is by some smart cookies and I can already imagine what great recipes people will come up with to post in the comments section. At this point I feel I have wasted more space on a server than any particular Blogger should ever have the right to use considering the seemingly mean-spirited appearance of everything I have written and given the fact that this is honestly and truely DAMN NEAR UNREADABLE and I provide very little evidence to prove what I am saying except for the fact that "I say so!" Well... That and the fact that this is DAMN NEAR UNREADABLE! I will end with a quick apology to anyone that may have actualy damaged their eyes (or peed their pants laughing) because they put in a lot of effort to get this far along reading and have now completely wasted more than the minute and a half I usually allow myself to intrude in their lives on a daily basis, unless of course they are speed-readers, and than I have wasted less of their time, but I am still certain that they have suffered a certain amount of eye strain considering it is hurting my eyes (and my brain) trying to re-read this DAMN NEAR UNREADABLE Blog for spelling errors and at this point you may have realized not only that I may be blind to certain realities, but I am certainly becoming more and more brain-damaged. BUT that is another story for another Blog. Don't make me write that one too!

The News Network Bush will Hate!

connecticutman1 — Sat, 25 Jun 2005 13:14:19 EDT

This needs to be blasted into the Blogosphere!

IWT news
I don't really care if you want to miss out on the chance for truely independent news.

NO corporate backing, NO government funding, and NO commercials.

Just independent WORLD news, supported ONLY by the people.

http://www.iwtnews.com/

Watch the VIDEO, do the SURVEY, then you decide if they merit your support!

Now Click on the link and freep this survey! They desperately want Progressives input (and yes, they wouldn't mind your donation...)

http://www.iwtnews.com/survey

Independent World Television is building the world's first global independent news network. Online and on TV, IWTnews will deliver independent news and real debate from professional and citizen journalists -- without funding from governments, corporations or commercial advertising. Using the web to organize and raise funds across borders, IWTnews is building an international movement for democracy.

Sounds pretty fucking noble, huh?

A message from Jeff Cohen:

"Friends,
This is a project I've been working on since the election -- an effort to build the world's first indepedent global news channel...
independent of corporations and government... Sponsored only by its viewers...an alternative to Fox News and CNN.

Check out the new website
http://www.iwtnews.com/ and new video. Spread the word to your lists.
Let me know what you think.

-- jeff cohen, founder of FAIR"

Do yourself a favor... If you do anything today pass this link along on your Blog, in an email, on a message board. Anywhere!

If Progressives don't believe in this then everything else they have been doing is a complete fucking waste of time!

You know I am right...

minor UPDATE: One day (perhaps right here and right now?) a formerly-ignorant-person will thank you for this...

I thank you! ;)

Spread the REAL NEWS!

The Duke of Hurl

connecticutman1 — Fri, 24 Jun 2005 17:20:30 EDT

We have all read the ongoing fish story (it keeps getting bigger and bigger!) of Republican Randy "The Duke" Cunningham getting a nice profit of $700,000 from Mitchell J. Wade, "the defense contractor whose firm, MZM Inc., saw its number of government contracts soar in the months immediately after the home sale."

Cunningham, obviously feeling a little seasick from the accusations, has hurled noxious reasoning at the situation in claiming that he is the most ethical human on the face of the earth:

signonsandiego.com
"My whole life I've lived aboveboard," Cunningham said. "I've never even smoked a marijuana cigarette. I don't cheat. If a contractor buys me lunch and we meet a second time, I buy the lunch. My whole life has been aboveboard and so this doesn't worry me."

Sure you buy them lunch, just like I am buying your story. Now the sharks are circling in a feeding frenzy around a deal that involves the "rental" of a 42 foot yacht, "The Duke-Stir", owned by Wade.

nctimes.com
Cunningham since April 2004 has been living on Wade's yacht in Washington. The congressman said that in lieu of rent, he paid more than $8,000 in dock fees and $5,000 for upkeep on Wade's boat.

We can set aside the dock fees, because Cunningham rented space for his own boat at the Potomac River marina for years before he moved into Wade's boat. According to Cunningham's accounting, that $5,000 over the last 14 months amounts to $357 a month.

Unless we are missing something, this looks like a sweetheart deal, with Cunningham paying far less than market rent, to say nothing of the true maintenance and depreciation costs of a fancy boat.

$357 dollars per month for a luxurious yacht? "Sweetheart deal"? You have got to be kidding right? Why even bother charging at that price? Around here that will get you a cardboard box in a park to live in. Now, I am in a pretty generous mood today, so I will be nice enough to allow Cunningham the luxury of claiming the docking fees as a "legitimate" part of his rental fee. That would make $13,000 for 14 months of living on the "Duke-Stir". Being in a generous mood I will say that is about $930 per month. ($928.57 per month, to be precise)

Considering my wife and I pay about 2 grand per month on our mortgage that $930 per month seems a little bit skewerd for a luxury yacht charter?

Heck! My friends and I are looking at paying about a grand to charter a fishing boat for a day. It's a nice fishing boat, but it is not a yacht... So my mortgage really seems WAY too generous a comparison.

I found a nice charter service running out of Annapolis, Maryland, to try and do an honest comparison of how much a yacht would typically cost to charter. I chose only the yachts on the list that were within a few feet of the 42 foot Duke-Stir's length.

Name-------------Length---7 Days---14 Days
Llyric--------------------39------2532-----4561
Ray Sea Lady-------39------2745-----4886
Shenandoah----------41------2379-----4235
Engram-----------------43------3111-----5538
Wind Walker---------43------2196-----3909
Carolina----------------43------3111-----5538

To make this comparison as fair as possible I have also chosen the least expensive yacht on this list of comparable yachts, the Wind Walker, to base some (not so) fun calculations on.

At $3909 for a 2 week charter you would have to figure that it would come in at $7818 for 28 days... But continuing to be in a generous mood I will call that the full monthly charter cost. (Man! Am I ever generous today, huh?)

That means that to charter a yacht like the "Duke-Stir" it would cost $109,452 for 14 months, at the minimum by my more-than-generous calculations. Subtract the generous $13,000 that Cunningham claims to have paid in "rent" and you are looking at what is an extremely generous gift to Cunningham from Wade of...

$96,452

Keep in mind that this generously low calculation of of Wades "Duke-Stir" gift is just tip of the iceberg compared to the titanic $700,000 house warming gift that will sink Cunningham.

Kind of makes you want to hurl when Cunningham says, "My whole life I've lived aboveboard," eh? It is time to throw this ethically challenged Republican overboard. Feed him to the circling sharks. I am certainly being more than generous in that thought than he deserves...

Watch the GOP eat their own alive!

connecticutman1 — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 17:55:50 EDT

Don't you just love it when the GOP eats it's own children?

If you had any doubts whatsoever about whether or not the GOP is interested in any kind of bi-partisan efforts look no further than the actions of their party when it comes to bi-partisan efforts.

NFRA: Arizona Republican Assembly Votes Unanimously to Censure Senator McCain: "The resolution reads as follows:

WHEREAS, Senator John McCain is presently co-sponsoring, together with his Democrat soul-mate, Senator Teddy Kennedy, a Bill to Reform the Immigration Policy of the United States promoting amnesty for illegal aliens and for their U.S. employers, thus ignoring the opinions of his constituents expressed in numerous polls and personal pleas; and

OMG! The horror! He is doing pretty much what bush has been doing and wanted to do all along... Did you think those little cards bush wanted to give illegal immigrants would have led to anything else?

WHEREAS, Senator McCain deserted the ranks of the Republican Party and the Leadership of the U.S. Senate on the issue of limiting the filibuster of judicial nominations, some of which have been on-hold for several years, thus stalling the President’s agenda for judicial reform; and

OMG! It's unthinkable! Can you believe that he supported a bi-partisan effort to keep the fillibuster in place when most Americans agree with the use of the fillibuster? Maybe most Americans really are not happy with the GOP, huh?

WHEREAS, Senator McCain led the Democrat Party in “reforming” campaign finance, providing for a clear usurpation of 1 st Amendment free speech rights during the last 60 days of an election campaign, and leading to an orgy of spending in the 2004 elections;

OMG! The unspeakable! 60 more days of swift boat lies... Ok, maybe they are right there. lol

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Arizona Republican Assembly (ARA) officially and publicly censures Senator John McCain for dereliction of his duties and responsibilities as a representative of the citizens of Arizona; and "

Yep! The hypocritical GOP... The party that cries about a lack of bi-partisan effort from everyone else, but CENSURES their own members in a cannibalistic manner when they don't like the results of bi-partisan efforts!

Hey GOP! YOU are all a bunch of corrupt, lying, sleazy, pornographic, two-faced pieces of CRAP!

CRAP
(Christian Racist Armed Party)

(AKA: The GOP)

Thanks EFF!

connecticutman1 — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 08:37:56 EDT

Not sure if what you are doing is legal? Not certain if you could get harrassed by the long arm of the law for excersizing your right to freedom of speech? Confusled about how all of the new laws may effect you and your Blogging activities?

Have I got a link for you!

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has put together some primo information for you to peruse when you aren't too busy blogging.

EFF: Legal Guide for Bloggers:
"EFF Announces its New Legal Guide for Bloggers
We are pleased to release a document that informs bloggers of their legal rights. EFF's 'Legal Guide for Bloggers' is a collection of frequently asked questions (FAQs) designed to educate bloggers about their legal rights in a number of areas, including libel law, copyright law, and political advocacy.
Full story, Legal Guide for Bloggers, More on Blogging
June 13, 2005"

Are you a political Blogger? They have a section just for your Blog, and how the laws will effect you! EFF has been nice enough to put together some simple straight forward answers to many questions that you may have concerning most types of Blogs.

Thanks EFF!