I know this site is supposed to be about sound politics, and I have a tendency to focus on national issues, but I have to say this today because my belly is full. Bush authorized leaks via Scooter Libby. Essentially (and we’ll have to see how this plays out) he is the man that authorized the leak of Valerie Plame. Bush said that he would fire anyone involved in the scandal, so I’m wondering if he’s going to fire Cheney before he resigns. The men in charge of our country have authorized treason, and one more day for them in office is another day that democracy rots in its grave. Today I can truly say that I am absolutely ashamed to call George Bush my president. The son of privilege, using his lies and his stupid smirk to sell his bogus programs, wars, and agenda. There’s no way to spin out of this, and I wait with baited breath to hear his talking heads try to do so. This is truly a black day for America.

Ding Dong, The Douchebag's Gone!

For some reason, I feel really good today. The sun is shining, the air is crisp, and the hammer has fallen.

I’m surprised at how dead the site is with so much going on lately. Is anyone else alive out there?

First, we have the wiretapping scandal, and the requisite spin put on it by the pundits. All the talking points say that the president needs to do what needs to be done to protect us. Yes, he does, but he also needs to follow the constitution. If it was an emergency, then he had up to 72 hours to get the subpoena after the info was gathered. He did not, and it reeks with its illegality. Remember that when your conservative blowhard uncle says that. Constitution followed by subpoena. 72 hours. Watch the smoke coming out of his ears trying to think of a response to that.

Next we have the Abramoff scandal. First off, who is this guy Abram who keeps getting jacked off? Such profanity doesn’t belong on TV! Oh, the guys name is Jack Abramoff? Oh, never mind. So I was watching c-span last night, it was a repeat of the hearings on the Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal. There were the managing partner of Greenberg Traurig, Abramoff’s last firm, the outside counsel of the Louisiana Coushatta Tribe, and one of the tribal council members of the tribe. You could just see the disgust on their faces for being associated with the scumbag Abramoff, and to hear what they had to say makes me hope that although he’s getting a plea deal that his penalty includes some time in federal “pound me in the ass” prison. I hope the same happens to Ralph “good Christian coalition” Reed, Grover “drown the government” Nordquist and Michael “fucking douche bag” Scanlon. They basically worked both sides of the Indian gambling industry, eventually having several tribes paying money to the Christian coalition to stop other tribes from opening casinos. I draw particular offense to this because I am part Choctaw, and to see my people be extorted by these right wing fucks really gets me by my velvet plum sack. I hope everyone involved in this scandal get theirs in a big way. Maybe we will get lucky and not have to vote out all the scumbags, they’ll do it all for themselves.

So after 4 votes of yes, and one vote of no Seattle has killed the monorail. The reasons for doing it I can't say, because I fully supported it as an alternative to the light rail line that will not serve the areas served by the green line. Now, there isn't an alternative, and guess what? You still have to pay for it. So you are paying extra for nothing. It's this bullshit that is going to keep Seattle a second class city, because we talk everything to death and never take action. You drank the kool aid put forth by the major developers like Martin Selig (the closest thing to a living Mr. Burns in this city). We have no one to blame but ourselves and our gullibility at the hands of big business blocking progress, the fear of paying up (which you will still have to do), and a revised line that was shortened by a few miles that was still proposed to be built in the future. For future generations we will be regretting this move wondering why we were so stupid as to hack off our noses to spite our faces.

So if you haven't heard, Sen Harry Reid ordered a closed session of the Senate to discuss the pre-war intelligence on Iraq. It would seem that sombody just grew a pair, and I'd like to see where this is going. Please see my poll and tell me what you think.

As we all know, an icon for the civil rights movement passed away yesterday. A brave lady who refused to give up her seat helped to spark a very controversial (at the time) movement that as of today is still struggling for equality. She showed the power of one person standing up could inspire hundreds of thousands of people to stand up as well. We are sad to see you go Rosa, but we are all grateful for the gift you gave to the American people. Tell Dr King that the dream is still alive, and someday soon it will be realized.

"What can I do today to get you into this '89 LeBaron?"

Priceless.

I was down at Belltown Billiards on Friday night, doing what I do best (drinking beer), when I had a very rare opportunity. I was waiting on some friends, and I didn’t want to be the guy sitting alone at the bar, so when I heard a guy talking about his dad being in the Marines I told him that I was also in the Corps. This fellow was very excited to talk to me, telling me all about his family being in and how he wished he could go in, but they wouldn’t let him because of some skin problem that he had. He told me how he was going to make his kids join, to which I chimed in I would talk to my children about joining and try to discourage them because being in isn’t really all that great. Oh boy. Can open, worms everywhere. This guy asked me why the hell I got out, I told him I did my four years, it wasn’t for me, and when my contract was up I went. He started going off on me about how I had dropped out, and that I was a disgrace to America and that I had no patriotism. To that I replied that I’m not a violent person, but if he said that again I was going to kick him in his ever-loving ass. At this point the bartender intervened, and told the gentleman that if he kept it up he would be asked to leave. Of course, you put alcohol in an asshole I and it’s bound to bloviate. He asked me about what happened on 9/11, and I stated that 14 Saudis, a couple of Egyptians and a Lebanese hijacked planes and flew them into buildings, and I stated the nationalities of the men who did it to make a point; what did anything with 9/11 have to do with Iraq? Of course, this guy is that 30% who still believes that it was all Iraqis on those flights, and that’s why. To that, I called him fucking retarded, and he was asked to leave the bar, to which he did all the way yelling that he was a small business owner.

I was wondering why people who support the gas tax recall are so up in arms about an eventual 9 cent increase over the next three years. You would think that Governor Gregoire had come into their house, raped the dog, shot the wife, and plundered the kids. They foam at the mouth about the fleecing of the citizens of the state, and now that prices are the highest ever we should immediately strike down the gas tax. To them I say this

Mind you, the profit is not annual, it is not bi-annual, it is quarterly. In three months this one company made ten billion dollars of profit. PROFIT! I suggest you read the article, memorize it, and pass all of that knowledge on to your conservative mouth breathing friends who so vehemently have their heads explode at the notion of an additional nine cents added to each gallon of gas.

From the wire:

Bush Declares War on Natural Disasters

New Orleans (JK)- President George W Bush made a statement today declaring a global war on natural disasters. In a speech to the national convention of the American Legion, Bush said, "We meet today in a time of war for our country, a war we did not start yet one that we will win.”

Invoking the words of Ronald Reagan, President Bush on Wednesday compared the war in the Gulf States and the fight against hurricanes to World War II and the battle against communism.

"We believe in Ronald Reagan's words that 'the future belongs to the umbrellas.' In some ways, this struggle we're in is unique," Bush told the graduates. "In other ways, it resembles the great clashes of the last century between those who put their trust in meteorologists and those who put their trust in liberty.”

“Our goal -- the goal of this generation -- is the same. We will secure our nation and defend the clouds through the forward march of silver nitrate."

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina we find ourselves in a serious bind. This is a massive ecological and human disaster, and seeing the coverage of the aftermath tears the heart. Of course, some people have tried to politicize even this tragedy in the framing of the horrible tsunami that devastated the countries surrounding the Indian Ocean. I've read and heard the words, "who is going to send us aid?" A statement that is asinine in itself, our nation being the richest in the world. We don't need aid like third world countries do, and to assume that there should be some type of reciprocity because we chipped in 10 million dollars is not only selfish, but absolutely ridiculous. That being said, I would also like to add that to those asshats who would say it, with much joy and smugness I would like to say yes, someone has volunteered.

Hugo Chavez, the recently targeted leader of Venezuela, a man who is openly critical of US policy, a man who received no help from the US in an attempted coup (rumors point to the matter that the US actually encouraged the coup, but that’s basically telling tales out of school) has offered food, water and even fuel to the US. Maybe it is political posturing, but as offers go, this is quite generous especially from a “strong-arm dictator” (thanks for the term, PR!) such as Chavez.

So I was watching the news this morning, and it appears that the political season is upon us. Early sniping has begun in the great northwest, and the well lubed repuglican part has fired the first salvo. The ad starts off innocuous enough: You're born, you do the right thing, you pay your taxes, and when you die, you have to pay taxes again! Up to 55% of your estate! Oh my goodness, I have to pay a death tax? Whatever should I do? Well, the Club for Growth (http://www.clubforgrowth.org/) tells us we should call Sen. Cantwell and tell her to strike it down! Hmmm, I wonder why they didn't ask us to call Patty Murray? Maybe they just forgot.

In regards to the "death Tax", I had a nice sit down conversation with my father one night about it, because just as it happens he's an attorney who does estate planning. He's been doing it going on 30 years now, so I figure that he would have some insight on the whole matter. Just as it turns out, he does, and you know what? The only people affected by the death tax are the children of the ultra wealthy who did not hire a good estate planner. No family farms have been closed. No one was ever put into the poor house because of the "death tax". If you work your whole life, and you pay taxes, and you die and your estate is less than 3 million, guess what? You don't pay it. Two percent of the population is affected by this, so why is the club for growth so up in arms about it, and what's the importance of calling Sen. Cantwell about it?

I’ve had it. I’ve had it with a well known Christian man who thinks he has the right to use his pulpit to make terrorist comments and not expect any repercussions. Today Pat Robertson has made another comment equally despicable as his “Nuke Foggy Bottom” comment back in 2003 in his call for the assassination of Hugo Chavez, the leader of Venezuela. How many more comments is this monster going to be allowed to say before anything is done besides someone chastising him? This man has given birth to the Eric Rudolphs of the world, the fringe right religious whackos. Is he protected because he is a good “Christian”? I thought making terrorist statements was a crime, but I guess that doesn’t apply if you are rich, white, and Christian. BTW, I’m not down on Christianity, I just don’t like people who make a profit off of it tax free like the whore of Babylon Robertson. I’d like to see him in a jail cell before someone actually takes him seriously and does something he suggests.

Okay, I’ve had it. Let me give you my perspective to those of you who wish to put the smoking ban through. You see, I smoke. I like to smoke. I know that the chances are that I am going to die because of some smoking related illness is likely. I’m comfortable with that. I don’t want someone else to suffer because of my addiction, which is why whenever possible I smoke outside. That is one thing that I do out of courtesy. One exception I hold to that is for my favorite smoky dive bars. I love coming out of those places stinking of high heaven of smoke. I think the reason why is because when I was a kid my dad (who is a staunch anti-smoker) would come home at night from a bar, give me a big hug, and I would breathe in the smell of bar smoke. It was comforting to me. I’m getting off subject here, so I’ll get back. I don’t want some namby pamby do-gooder taking away my ability to enjoy one of my few pleasures, drinking cheap shitty beer and smoking cigarette after cigarette in a loud, smelly smoky bar.

I was reading the paper this morning, and in the front section there was a story about the federal crackdown of medical marijuana providers in Northern California. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled on the side of the feds, they have released the foxes into the chicken coops. While doing the raid, the fed seized patient medical records, a step too far in my eyes. Why would they need that information? What will it be used for? Are we going to see sick people in jail soon on trumped up drug charges? It makes me sick to my stomach, that the federal government has nothing better to do than go after people for their choice of medication, that a doctor can shoot you up with morphine to treat pain and it’s perfectly legal, and yet if you smoke marijuana to relieve pain you are a criminal? All of this in the front section, then tucked neatly away in the lifestyle section there is a report about a “marijuana-like” chemical produced by the brain that suppresses pain and helps people keep going after sustaining a serious injury.

If you have a chance, go to the seattle times web page. Under the Nation?world section, take a close look at the headlines. first:

U.S. poised to rank No. 1 for mental illness, study suggests

and then:

Politics, religion do mix, say many Americans

Am I seeing some sort of correlation there?

Just wondering.

Dick Cheney is at the Grand Hyatt downtown. If you can come down and be a pain in his ass it would be greatly appreciated.

What a sad day. The Supreme Court has ruled that people who have been prescribed medical marijuana for legitimate medical reasons are not protected under federal law. Why is that? Why does the federal government feel the need to punish those with MS, migraines, AIDS, glaucoma and cancer because of a legal prescription? I shudder to think that there are people out there right now who are taking dangerous highly addictive pharmaceutical drugs like vicodin, paxil, even cough syrup for chrissakes, and they are exempt from prosecution. All of these above listed drugs can kill you, yet there has not been one single death from marijuana. Not one. This is just another backwards bizzarro world step in the war on cannabis.

Another thing I can’t understand is how the republicans, the party of states rights and reduced government feels the need to usurp voter approved initiatives that approved medical marijuana in individual states. Oh, that’s right- they care about states rights when it comes to things they agree with. But when it comes to things like federal funding of schools, social programs, and the drug war they drive the federal tank right over you.

I waited, got rained on, and watched the 11:59 showing of Star Wars last night. Yes I am a geek, shut up. So as I watch the movie, I am reminded of our current political culture here in the US, and I'm not sure whether George Lucas had intended it or it was just coincidental, but it was very apparent. I put down a poll for you guys, please respond with who you think Emperor Palpatine is most like in the Bush Administration.

Che

So mistakes were made. Newsweek reported that the Koran was being abused as a tactic to get Guantanamo detainees to talk. The Muslim world became inflamed. Anti-US riots broke out in Afghanistan. Now the Muslim world hates that US, and according to Scott McClellan it’s all Newsweek’s fault. It seems that the government does not want any one encroaching on their monopoly of pissed off Muslims. Good job, Newsweek. Everyone in the Middle East loved us before you had to go and muck it up.

A quick followup: The White House is now demanding a retraction from Newsweek. In the spirit of the administration, all they need to do is break out the checkbook and it'll be done.