Corked Bats

2006-10-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

Corked BatsBell knocks it out of the park!There is no doubt that Bell improved his chances tonight. He was flawless, he said all the right things and even nailed the stumper on the Alamo! Strayhorn was totally outclassed and she revealed her ineptitude in several responses. She actually looked like the chimp president on the President of Mexico. Kinky self-destructed but thanks for the

Corked Bats

2006-10-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

Corked Bats

They Thought They Were Free

2006-09-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

Sounds like deja vu all over again:From Milton Mayer: "They Thought They Were Free: The Germans 1933-1945"“What happened here was the gradual habituation of the people, little by little, to being governed by surprise; to receiving decisions deliberated in secret, to believing that the situation was so complicated that the government had to act on information which the people could not understand,

Reflections on America 9/11 +5

2006-09-13T13:19:00.001-07:00

Excuse the length of this tome - Excuse also using 9/11 to get attention - using it in any way is disturbing to me.I have been struggling with my feelings amid all therending of hair and gnashing of teeth that accompanied the 5th"anniversary" of the latest act of terrorism in America. (and for thosewho may be ignorant of history - there have been many such acts and actorsboth foreign and domestic

Rethinking Social Security and the Press

2006-05-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

I got the following email from a friend today and I thought it would interest the batters so I am pasting it in below, give it a read:This article has only one new piece of information-- that current projections forecast the depletion of the presently designed Social Security trust fund with the current funding schedule to occur in 2040 rather than in 2041 (as estimated last year). The article

Why I despise CNN

2006-04-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

It has become nationalized local news. Plus, they always try to bring you into a story with cheap tricks. Check this out from their website today:Now, when I see that headline, I think that late Who bassist John Entwistle has somehow, inexplicably, risen from the grave and slaughtered his wife and children. And, that is what they want you to think, too, so you click on that story. Except it

George and Me

2006-03-17T15:09:00.000-08:00

A hilarious blog I just found.

A Real Dick

2006-02-19T20:46:00.000-08:00

Cheney, moral coward.

Effing Funny

2006-02-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

Digby.

McCain and 2008 Outlook

2006-02-11T13:52:00.000-08:00

Chris started a good discussion about McCain, invincibility of. It is worth adding one more point: I would think that there are inherent risks to being a media darling for such a prolonged period before an election cycle ever begins (2008 would mark the 8th...8th...year of McCain's media darling status). Reporters just love to "challenge" conventional wisdom--even though they usually end up

Cindy has jumped the shark

2006-02-01T02:10:00.000-08:00

The Ump and I were talking over last weekend and he suggested that Sheehan had finally jumped the shark by visiting with Hugo Chavez. Since then she has hinted that she might run for Senate against Diane Feinstein and most recently she got arrested at the State of the Union in the gallery. It is painful to watch this because she did so much good this summer, but I have to admit, I think she is

How Long Must We Suffer Secretary Rice?

2006-01-30T11:10:00.000-08:00

If there was any doubt after 9/11 that Condoleezza Rice is utterly incompetent, that doubt should be gone now that the folks at Foggy Bottom admit that they never saw the Palestinian Vote coming. This is the second time that this incompetent pretender has been utterly surprised with obvious potential catatrophes. Back before the 9/11 Commission she admitted that even though she saw the

Hillary

2006-01-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

I love it when Chris and I agree. Gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling. The bottom line for me is that Hillary Clinton lacks the requisite charisma to prevent her from being molded by whatever the hell her detractors decide to make her. She will, in the end, be what they say she is and that is what voters will have with them when they go to make a decision.Kerry is likable when he is not

Alito Filibuster

2006-01-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

To answer Jonah's question, I read this analysis that seems right to me. Basically, if you think Roberts will behave as O'Conner, then you are just trading Rehnquist for Alito and saving the nuclear option throwdown for when one of the liberals retires.Sounds like fuzzy politics to me, though.

Too Cool

2006-01-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

This is cool. Eric, a friend from Emory, just left a comment about some research done in his lab. It shows that partisan reactions are almost completely emotional. I do have a question after reading this article. The research does seem to indicate that the tactical decision-making of a partisan about the issues of the day is heavily influenced by the desire to 1) be right and 2) protect his/

My New Favorite Blogger

2006-01-25T17:16:00.000-08:00

God, what a huge brain. Here's Dr. Biobrain on calling the Republicans bluff on their agenda. My feeble mind cannot come close to this level of reasoning.It sounds sarcastic, but I am just going with the theme of the doc's site.Anyway, you heard it from me first: he's the best kept secret in Texas blogging.

Krangle

2006-01-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

A link for you if you are reading.Everyone else should still read it. Great article. Very "Travels with Charley".

Gee, thanks party!

2006-01-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

I love it.From AP:"Democrats are working to get a large opposition vote to make their points against President Bush."A large opposition vote with no possibility of a filibuster. Uh huh. That is like picking a physical fight over the internet--lots of bravado with no possibility of actually having balls.Just what, exactly, would the American people be upset about were we hypothetically to keep a

If Not Now, When?

2006-01-22T00:11:00.000-08:00

I couldn't agree with the Ump and Molly Ivans more! It is time for we Democrats to just be Democrats! Stop running from what we really know to be the truth. My whole adult life I have been going into voting booths and holding my nose as I accepted some compromise candidate who was supposed to take voter strength away from the center and outmanuever the republican clown that was posed against him.

Good Golly

2006-01-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

What she says.

That Jumpsuit

2006-01-20T15:57:00.000-08:00

Dr. Biobrain on how George Bush is the Art Vandalay of presidents. I've always wanted to pretend to be president, too.

I Have a Dream

2006-01-16T15:51:00.000-08:00

It is worth reading it again. I just did.

Resources vs. Appearances

2006-01-14T22:57:00.000-08:00

One of Digby's guest bloggers is so eloquent in this piece that I don't want to spoil it. Just read it. What I will add is this: I sense that liberals are divided in this country between those who have had the rude awakening over the course of Bush's presidency that none of the progress that Progressivism won during the last century is in any sense permanent, secure or settled--and those who

You Heard It Here First

2006-01-10T18:57:00.000-08:00

I'll go ahead and coin this one: "jumping the median." Defined as: to add injury to declining poll numbers.

First things first

2006-01-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

The recent excitement in Washington over the Abramoff indictment and apparent cooperation with the prosecution is all well and good, but before we all get too far downfield on this, it is important to go back to the root causes of this kind of corruption. In a word it all comes back to money, specifically campaign money. We now see that big corporations seeking favor with Congress and elsewhere

Chalabi named interim Oil Minister

2006-01-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

This is the ultimate insult after polling a dismal 2-3% in the recent national elections, Bush ubercrony, Ahmad Chalabi has been named interim Oil Minister. Un-be-leivable. This is the guy that keeps turning up like a bad penny and who was denied as, "someone I met on a couple of ropelines" by the Liar in-Chief himself when it turned out that he (Chalabi) was the one who convinced the supremely

Bush plumbers go after leakers

2005-12-30T15:52:00.000-08:00

This is really unbelievable, Bush's jackboots at the Department of Justice are going after the sources who leaked his illegal phone taps to the NY Times instead of dealing with the obvious need to revise the policy that is allowing the invasion of privacy of American citizens! Talk about getting it wrong! These idiots don't see that the impeachable behavior of flat-out ignoring a clear

Damon is dead to me!

2005-12-25T15:46:00.000-08:00

As Stephen Colbert would say, Judas Damon is "dead to me now!" Where once I thought he was great to flip caught flys in the Texas Rangers outfield to the kids... now I will think, "what a showboat, I hope he breaks his leg" or anything else that could threaten to shorten his career. He is gonna end up just like sampson when he gets shorn for the corporate Stinkee look. I recognize there are

Cheney enters Iraq illegally!

2005-12-20T00:17:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine sent me the following, I thought it was pretty interesting... Dick Cheney's quick little visit to Iraq on Sunday was interesting not because of the timing (in the immediate aftermath of elections), and not because of any significance in the Vice President dropping in to show U.S. support for a nascent democracy. It was interesting because the Prime Minister of Iraq, Ibrahim

Activist Judges-Bad; Activist Presidents-Not so much.

2005-12-17T16:50:00.000-08:00

In the endless stream of hypocrisy that we have to endure with this pretend-president we now get word that in an interview with Fox News anchor Brit Hume, Bush declared that Tom Delay is innocent. The same crowd that ties itself in knots trying to make the case that the Supreme Court and the Federal Bench are inappropriately imposing their will on the prerogatives of the Legislative Branch ( a

Death Penalty is bad fiscal deal!

2005-12-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about the recent excecution in California and it reminded me of some research I did this summer on the matter. Frequently, the Texas bloodlusters cite the terrible burden of cost associated with keeping convicts incarcerated for life. As if it was possible to morally end a person's life because they become too expensive. Hmmn, Terri Schiavo...don't go down that path Poppy. Well

War on Christmas is just good manners

2005-12-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

Liberals all just laugh about the supposed war on Christmas because it is so completely out of our experience to deny someone the freedom to enjoy their beliefs in any way they see fit. When you think about a majority religion, one that completely dominates a culture for over a month, as being under siege; well... it just seems laughable. It is funny how, the Right has an uncanny way of

Give back the medal, Tenet

2005-12-14T17:49:00.000-08:00

With today's admission that he was acting on faulty intelligence in the run-up to war, Bush inadvertantly reminded the American people that he gave the freedom medal to George Tenet. So what did he earn the medal for? Seems to me that if he gave the Prez bum intelligence and it had the disasterous consequences that it has had, he wouldn't have been given a medal! Bush would have been better

Tell me again how we are going to "win"?

2005-12-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

With Bush finishing up his pathetic defense of his Iraq Policy speeches today maybe we can get back to realistically discussing the issue. The simplest question has to be what the heck IS victory? In WWII It was unconditional surrender (except we did accept the condition of keeping the emperor alive, but I digress) in Korea there was no victory, the Cold War---they quit, Vietnam, eh--- we lost.

Say it Ain't So

2005-12-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

Fox Sports has it that the Stinkees are considering putting Nomah on first. Boggs, Clemens, Ruth, Bellhorn, now this...Hey! I got yer Nomar right here...Lets hope that Mia Hamm can keep him in Austin/Houston Texas.

Corked Bats

2005-12-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

I can't seem to let this one go! Yesterday Bush was out in front of some gathering of dunderheads in Philly where he once again recanted his litny of pathetic half-truths and distortions on Iraq. He has insulted us all so long with this drivel that I have come to accept it as part of the background noise of the electoral radio dial. What took my breath away was his invocation of the Katrina

What kind of rescuer points a gun at you?

2005-12-07T00:23:00.000-08:00

I was watching C-span this evening and one witness on a panel that was assembled for the feeble Congressional Investigation of the Katrina failure brought back all my anger from the days following the hurricane in August. Her name was Dyan French Cole and she is a local activist in NOLA. She was commenting on the final efforts to save lives and she rhetorically asked, "Who comes rescuing with

Happy Anniversary

2005-11-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

Ya'll forgot to send me flowers.

O.J. Simpson is Not a Murderer

2005-10-30T11:50:00.000-08:00

He was acquitted. But, we have made up our minds nonetheless about whether he is a good guy and, let's just put it this way, he will never be in another Naked Gun movie playing the lovable Nordberg.And as much as the Bush administration wishes to stear the conversation away from ethics and morality in government and towards the technical aspects of Plamegate--like the fact that the "underlying

"Oh NO! Beta."

2005-10-30T09:42:00.000-08:00

Sorry, it is all I can think when I see this.Ten points if you get the reference.

If there is one thing we DON'T do at the Bat...

2005-10-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

...it is gush over the supposed brilliance of Karl Rove. Because having no ethical compass when you are in government is not "brilliance." It is "unethical," "opportunistic," "undemocratic" and "shameless." Any of those modifiers will do. I can't prove it, but MSNBC was in great form this morning (this article is less obnoxious, but you get the point)--they had one of their "senior political

Discussion Question: Is impeachment on the horizon?

2005-10-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

There is a growing possibility that the Democrats will be successful in 2006. If they are wildly successful and take back the House, do you think they will move to impeach President Bush (or possibly Darth Cheney)? Should they?

Blast from the past...

2005-10-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, I was thinking about coming here to the old stomping grounds and signing off while I work on the Bell campaign (mostly because I am just so busy these days). But hero has kept it going and you all still seem to be here, dutifully checking--day in and day out--waiting, hoping for more constant posting.Well, that is enough to keep this blog going for a while. I appreciate you all

Telling it like it was - from the inside

2005-10-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Is it piling on? Night of the long knives? Or simply chickens home to roost? (OK, OK, I'll stop with the clichés).Whatever you call it, the most honest assessment yet of the Bushite junta was issued by Colonel Larry Wilkerson, Colin Powell's right hand man at the State Department. Addressing scholars, journalists and others at the New America Foundation, Wilkerson emptied both barrels, reloaded

Things that made me go "Hmmmmm"

2005-10-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

I was watching the network news last night - for snaity's sake it's something I limit to no more than once a week.There were several things "reported" (whatever happened to journalism?) that made me go "Hmmmmm"1. We can expect the fourth straight year of energy price increases this winter. Hmmmmmm, how long has the oil cartel's junta been in power? Could there be a little cause and effect?2.

Quick, fun and good for the grins

2005-10-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent me this link.It could be the runaway bestseller this Holiday season.Check it out.Backwards DUHbya

It's about being stupid - stupid!

2005-10-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

A note to readers: - Umpire and BigPoppy are engaged on other fronts of the good fight. They've allowed me to carry the Corked Bats torch. They will be back as soon as they can.Typically I read some columns from the other side of the fence, just to see what the bobble heads are saying. One of the columnists I enjoy is George Will. But his latest column deriding the nomination of Harriet Miers is

"God doesn't require you to be stupid"

2005-10-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

I have to admit to shying away from the current debate on Intelligent Design (it's not intelligent and it's not design - not if you really understand the meaning of those two terms). But I was taken up short by an article I read in the New York Times about the Grand Canyon. Reporters accompanied two different groups - one, a group of scientists and the other a group looking for justification of

The Walls Are Closing In - where is the opposition?

2005-10-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation of "Step on their necks!" It would seem the walls are closing in on DUHbya and his cronies. But in his time honored response to any and every challenge, DUHbya returned to message - "I am the war president" - meaning, shut up, sit down, you're unpatriotic if you disagree with me on anything. Last week he announced plans to use the US Military as cops - so the next disaster

Step on their necks!

2005-10-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

It's baseball playoff time again and I am reminded of the friendly ribbing Big Poppy and I give each other about our respective favorite teams. BigPoppy loves the Boston Red Sox (it's genetic, what can you do?) - but one thing he constantly says - especially when the Bo-Sox are playing the hated Yankees - is "Step on their necks!", "Don't let 'em up!"I think that sentiment is appropriate to

CNN

2005-09-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

This is the stupidest thing I have ever seen:Being blown by the wind on TV : reporters :: donuts : cops. Couldn't even wait for the real hurricane...OK, second stupidest.In any event, watch that video. It's a doooozy.

Adding insult to injury for fun and profit

2005-09-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought this Twilight Zone episode that is the USA in the 21st century couldn't get any stranger, the heartless bastards raise the standard for avarice and greed.Yesterday DUHbya announced that as a mattter of national security he's suspending the 1931 Davis Bacon Act. For those of you not up on your Depression Era labor law, this act was passed to protect workers laboring on

A little levity (very little)

2005-09-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

Q: What is DUHbya's position on Roe vs. Wade? A: He really doesn't care how people get out of New Orleans.

What's Up with Darth Vader?

2005-09-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

I was riding my bike last night and listening to right wing talk radio (it helps to elevate my heart rate) and I heard that Darth Cheney was having surgery for an anurysm in his leg. This got me thinking. Suppose the evil one dies? What would Georgy-Porgey do? Then I thought, "Naw, only the good die young (---need proof?; Bobby Kennedy vs Ronnie Reagan---nuf said?) but then it dawned on me

I think I need some Kool-Aid

2005-09-15T05:38:00.000-07:00

I'm a little dizzy this morning. I feel like I've got whiplash from the head-turning, mind spinning hypocrisy of this morning's news. As Rod Serling used to say...."Consider, if you will..."1. DUHbya went to the UN to lecture the rest of the world on the need to reduce poverty. DUHbya at UNGee I'm sure the hundreds of thousands of victims of his "Compassionate Conservatism" in New Orleans and

Time to Make 'Em Run

2005-09-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

The Bush administration has no clothes. Time to welcome the referundum, Democrats. Make them run away from him--because, for God's sake man, with a record like this:Bybee MemoTaguba ReportPDB: Bin Laden Determined to Strike in USBenedict RoveFeeding Tube Frenzyand finally,Heckuva Job.One heck of a job, indeed.His party was practically worshipping him last year. Time for our party to question

Kinda

2005-09-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

1Bush kinda sorta fires Brown.

Galveston 1900

2005-09-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

One-hundred and five years ago yesterday, Galveston was destroyed by a Category 4 hurricane. Six-thousand people died--a sixth of the city. I wrote about that, Katrina and the governor's race in Texas, here.

The Buses

2005-09-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

Shutup, Freepers.The photo verification part of this item is simple enough: The image of school buses in a flooded parking lot displayed above was taken in New Orleans on 1 September 2005 by photographer Phil Coale and distributed by the Associated Press (AP); it was published by a variety of news outlets, including Yahoo! News.Whether this photograph truly represents a lost opportunity to have

What Katrina Means

2005-09-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

It hasn't been a good week for George W. Bush. His inept handling of Katrina has been well documented just about everywhere. Democrats, emboldened by already weak approval ratings, have been on the attack.But this should not just be about Bush or this administration.The Ump noted after Katrina that Democrats should use the Tsunami disaster as a metaphor, as a narrative for why progressive

Nothing up my sleeve

2005-09-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

DUHbya, in an effort to divert attention away from his failureof leadership dealing with Katrina and the debacle of New Orleans, pulled a rabbit out of his hat(?) or was that his a**?Claiming it was his intention all along, and backed by that highly credible Republonazi spin machine, DUHbya held a quickly called press conference to announce he was appointing John Roberts for Chief of the Supremes

This is not a Local or State failure

2005-09-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

Before the Noise Machine spins its magic and manages to unload all the blame on the Democrats in Local and State Government, I want to drive a couple of stakes in the ground. I want to establish this in our minds as clearly as I can because I will want to come back to this in the coming months when the initial crisis is over and the spin has become the pseudo-reality. We have to remember:Bush

Their True Colors Are Showing

2005-09-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

I have to admit being affected by the dizzying, swirling, sickening, vertiginous events of the past week. I now know what “shock and awe” means. While my heart goes out to all the people of the Gulf Coast affected by Hurricane Katrina, my feelings of motion sickness are caused by the bald heartlessness of the Republonazis.Big Poppy did a great job detailing some of the reasons why this

I want to know...

2005-09-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

If I were a Democratic polling firm I would do some public opinion research to see if we might possibly have a mandate to impeach the President should we wrestle back control of the House of Representatives. And if, by some slim chance, they find that the Democrats do, they should find a way to run on it. Kinda like the recall.

So Now There Is Action!

2005-09-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

Now that after the people of New Orleans have been appropriately punished for being blue in the blood red South the Federal Government delivering the exact same relief that sould have been delivered on Wednesday. The activity we are now seeing is what we expected to see as soon as the storm passed. It is impossible to tell how many poor souls are dead in their attics because there was no

Mr. Bush, You Are Not a Victim, You Are the President

2005-09-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

You did not hit the "trifecta." You do not see an unanticipated disaster. You are not doing the best you can to deal with an un-imaginable situation. Your presence does not help people on the ground. The American people wanted results before Katrina blew ashore--whatever you do now is too little, too late. Your administration can do one thing only--react to crises inadequately and far too

Shocking Failure is the essence of politics

2005-09-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

In it's most basic definition politics is "who gets what; when?" The defenders of the President, the Sean Hannitys and Rush dittoheads are chastising the "Left Whackos" for their kneejerk "Bush bashing" and they decry our politicization of this tragic natural disaster. Well there is a simple set of facts at play here. Whatever the cost, the US Government had a duty and responsibility to save

FEMA has totally failed

2005-09-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Ump, Is it just me or has FEMA utterly and totally failed? I am sorry but the excuses that we are currently hearing from Michael Brown do not wash. This catastrophe is three days in as I write this and still there is little National Guard presence visible on the streets of the Big Easy! One wonders what the response would have been if it had been a terrorist-caused breach in the levee not

Harvey Jackson: Katrina's Iconic Moment

2005-08-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

Twenty four hour news often has a way of turning even the most newsworthy events into something of a circus. But some stories aren't overblown--if anything they are the opposite. And when that happens--when lie is given to the assumption that news tends to over-cover rather than under-cover important events, I find that buried somewhere in the coverage is an iconic report that illustrates so

Looting Walmart : the unpardonable sin in the Fox world

2005-08-31T00:09:00.000-07:00

Ump:I was flipping through the three 24-hour news channels trying to get a good understanding of what was happening in the Big Easy when I noticed that Fox had found their cause when they started airing the looting of a WalMart. Now I am not condoning looting, but in the circumstances that this is occurring, I think it is pretty unimportant! There is going to be so much damage and insurance

Crawford: Take Two

2005-08-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

Well as promised we went to Crawford on Saturday and stood on line and demanded that our President answer a simple question; what is the "Noble Cause" he keeps referring to when he talks to the parents and families of our fallen servicemen and women? It is incredible that this pretend-president cannot come up with a formulation that he is willing to communicate face to face with someone who does

Where the Ump went...

2005-08-26T22:22:00.000-07:00

Well By now you all have probably noticed that the Ump has gone AWOL from the league. He has good reason, he did exactly what he threatened to do and went and joined the circus. Actually he has joined Chris Bell's Campaign in Houston and he is away from Internet access and missing you all immensely. Things down there are still pretty primative at the HQ and he (the Ump) is living like Kato

To Continue the Debate

2005-08-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

But on the front page--partially because I'm egotistical, and partially just because I can.Bush v. Reagan v. NixonThey're all awful--no doubt.But think about this. Half of the problems mentioned with both Reagan and Nixon were products of what happenned AFTER they left office. Nixon has had thirty years for us to see the full effects of his programs. Reagan has had nearly twenty. And Bush?

Corked Bats

2005-08-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hey ump, I am posting a note that Hero sent me earlier today when we were debating who was worst, Nixon, Reagan or Bush? This is a debate that will have historians arguing for the next century. They still are working on Hoover, Coolidge, and Harding so that probably explains why they haven't gotten down on the real debate. I weighed in on Nixon. My hatred for him is visceral and stems from

BREAKING NEWS!!!

2005-08-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

From a reliable news source:Evangelical Scientists Refute Gravity with New 'Intelligent Falling' TheoryThings fall not because they are acted upon by some gravitational force, but because a higher intelligence, 'God' if you will, is pushing them down," said Gabriel Burdett, who holds degrees in education, applied Scripture, and physics from Oral Roberts University...According to the ECFR paper

This Just in From the Opponents of Moral Relativism: Cross Desecration A-okay

2005-08-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

Light em up, drive a truck on em, whatever. As long as you hate liberals, anything goes! Do what you feel.

Has Anybody Bothered to Ask...

2005-08-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

Why the liberal armed insurgency against America has not yet produced a single armed engagement even though we apparently love the enemies of America no matter who they are? I mean, years of America-hating and all we get is a couple of Nazi references from Dick Durbin and Robert Byrd?At least the anti-American right has bombed abortion clinics, federal buildings, professors' offices and probably

Hey AP, It Isn't a Theory

2005-08-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

They just can't get it right. The latest:Evolution is a fundamental scientific theory that species evolved over millions of years. It has been standard in most public school science texts for decades but recently re-emerged in the spotlight as communities and some states debated whether school children should also be taught about creationism or intelligent design.The theory of intelligent design

Blogging Set to Decrease Markedly

2005-08-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

Yeah. Basically the nightly lineup in Dallas has become: Seinfeld, Arrested Development, Blind Date, Cheaters.Bed.

More from Crawford

2005-08-13T00:40:00.000-07:00

A new blog with pictures and interviews.

This from Crawford...

2005-08-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

Hey Ump, I had the opportunity to ride down to Crawford and Cindy Sheehan's Camp Casey today and I wanted to give you a few impressions. First, there are a lot of really nice people from the Crawford Peace House helping and supporting her as she makes her point. They are doing this without being obnoxious or confrontation and they are showing respect for the local authorities and the folks who

Despicable Talk from Georgia

2005-08-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

Shudder.This Cindy Sheehan thing really burns me up. Look, I live my life in politics. I see horrific and disgusting things every day in this business. I watch Republicans advocate policies that would effectively destroy the middle class, turn back the clock on the Voting Rights Act, and strip millions of individuals of their basic rights.But to watch them turn a grieving mother into little

The Strike Zone Sold Its First T-Shirt!

2005-08-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

To a good friend...And we have a new T-shirt: Also available on a hat:The Strike Zone.By the way, if I get any significant amount, I am thinking of donating it to a good cause. Have not yet decided. Suggestions welcome.

My Parents Went to Crawford Today, Details Forthcoming...

2005-08-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

They will report on their time with Cindy Sheehan later. I will relay one tidbit. The right wing loonies are starting to use talk radio to mobilize a counter-protest. The local radio talk show host Darrell Ankarlo from 570 KLIF in D/FW has organized a "Pro America Rally" and these folks were down in Crawford today. My parents will report more on what they saw. But my father relayed a pretty

Bush is an Amish Imperialist

2005-08-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

Or so I have heard from this article by Bob McHenry. Basically, Bush had a bad science education and now we get to suffer for it. The key grafs:Science -- from the loftiest of theorizing (like that of Einstein or, oh, Darwin) through the conducting of painstakingly difficult experiments to the application of new knowledge to the improvement of human life -- science, I say, is the chief engine

Come and Take It--Enough is Enough

2005-08-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

Two big changes:1) I want a blogger in every Texas county reporting to Come and Take It.2) The rabid right will begin funding its own electoral defeat.Enjoy.

Cindy Sheehan T-Shirt

2005-08-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

Buy it at the Strike Zone.Wear your support for her courageous request to meet with the President and ask him a simple question.

Anyone else noticed...

2005-08-09T22:15:00.000-07:00

That the whole "framing" explosion is basically that we find it necessary to learn a new way to communicate that sounds like lying to rational folks because that is the only style that gets through to the lie-saturated American public?I was just thinking about it today. That sucks.

New Ideas for Come and Take It

2005-08-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

I have let Come and Take It chug along. It is so satisfying to see that we have a community of great bloggers over there keeping an eye on the radical Texas right wing. It is time, however, to give folks a real purpose to visit the site and contribute. I am looking into ways that I can include a link on every post to donate money to the Democrats in Texas. This is my attempt to put my "help

Cindy Sheehan T-Shirt

2005-08-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

I have already created the text and I will launch it tonight. Here is the message:"If I were the President..I would meet with Cindy Sheehan."

About Time

2005-08-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

I would rather "major surgery" but I will take this as a good sign.

Help Fred Phelps Raise Money for Democrats

2005-08-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

Yup. I fully support donating money to the Democrats in direct response to nuttery. If they get on our list, maybe they'll think twice.

The Latest Cindy Sheehan News

2005-08-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Crawford, TX paper that endorsed Kerry is liveblogging Cindy's stand here.New T-shirt coming soon......for those of you not buying them (which is all 6 of you).

Hackett Goes After Morbidly Obese Drug Addict Rush Limbaugh

2005-08-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

And it is sweet.Rush, why didn't you take calls while you were attacking Hackett?

American Taliban--Condensed Version

2005-08-09T00:32:00.000-07:00

Enjoy.

Six Degrees of Chris Bell

2005-08-08T20:53:00.000-07:00

Second guest post about selecting Chris Bell's campaign song is up...here.

Pottery Barnin': Outside Report Argues with the Ump

2005-08-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

Chris fires back. It is one of the things I love about this medium.As always, it is a thought-provoking read. But I do want to clarify one thing. I think the Democrats should take a leadership role on this issue. That does not mean--for me anyway--that their position has to be immediate pullout. I do think they have very little reason not to apologize for their initial votes on the Iraq War.

Lieutenant General William Odom: Pullout is Sensible. BTW, Where are the Democrats?

2005-08-07T12:52:00.000-07:00

Read it now.Odom is dead on right here, if not for his advocacy of pulling out (which I do agree with) then definitely for his bewilderment about the Democrats yet again ignoring the war issue. Here:Most surprising to me is that no American political leader today has tried to unmask the absurdity of the administration's case that to question the strategic wisdom of the war is unpatriotic and a

It's the Lying

2005-08-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

Here.Palmiero's finger-pointing really gets 'em upset. Boy, oh boy. You guys are so lame.

Where is George Bush?

2005-08-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

Cindy Sheehan, a grieving mother who lost her son in Iraq, is in Crawford right now asking to meet with President Bush. But, he's on vacation so...ya know.Here's a little tidbit that is getting lost in this story. The Washington Post reports that Bush sent some top advisors to go meet with Cindy Sheehan. Apparently, one of them said this:White House spokesman Trent Duffy said response that