Bush Lawyers Broke The Law, Now They Pay The Price

I like the sound of this:

A Torture Report Could Spell Big Trouble For Bush Lawyers.

"According to two knowledgeable sources who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters, a draft of the report was submitted in the final weeks of the Bush administration. It sharply criticized the legal work of two former top officials—Jay Bybee and John Yoo—as well as that of Steven Bradbury, who was chief of the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) at the time the report was submitted, the sources said."

Imagine when the sunlight hits this mess.

Source: Newsweek

The GOP Are Boys In A Man's World

When George Bush gave away rebate checks, $300/$600 checks in 2001 and $600/$1200 checks in 2008, they were sent out with no plan. They just wanted stimulus.

When Bush signed $700 billion TARP in 2008, the original plan on 3 pieces of paper and the vanishing first $350 billion, were all indicative of Republicans who just throw money at problems.

Now that Obama has a plan, shows where the money goes, helps people get back to work, builds things, looks at the flawed banking system, addresses the needs of the lower and middle classes, now all of a sudden the Republicans are against spending in favor of tax cuts.

If I don't have a job, what does a tax cut do for me?

The GOP represent people and corporations with money. They work for people who inherited their wealth. Fair play to having the right genes. In turn, all they want to do is protect the money and wealth they already have through tax cuts. These "tax cut myths" are part of the failed trickle-down system the Republicans used that created the problem we are in, as well as, our historic income disparity. It doesn't work.

Remember when Bush and the Republicans sent pallets of freshly printed cash to Iraq to help grease the wheels over there? Or when they paid Afghans cash to bring in "terrorists" and they all ended up being just regular people turned in for the bounty?

The history of wasteful spending is indelible on the GOP. The faux outrage now over the stimulus is completely and morally bankrupt.

America needs help, they need a plan and they need it soon. It also takes hard work, something Bush and Republicans just don't know how to do. The Obama Administration has a plan and the will of the people. They are also upfront about the cost and commitment it will take.

So GOP stop obstructing and think up new fear tactics to scare your base. Sell them your nightmares and do your best to sucker punch the newfound hope America has, but step out of the way of this Administration. You seem to think the Government can't help out. Maybe you should get a new job.

The First Word To Pop Into Your Mind

Democrats are tireless advocates for _______. Their policies help _______.

Republicans are tireless advocates for ________. Their policies help _______.

Republican Dark Ages Are Near

The Republicans are voting "no" to set up a narrative for the 2010 elections. They stood up to Obama, even though the legislation and stimulus are what America needs to get though this recession, just to show their most deranged base they are united.

As Obama and the Democrats bring America up to speed in this tough time, just remember all the shallow Republican political ploys and let them drive themselves off the cliff.

Party first. Country always last. Welcome to today's Republicans.

It wasn't so long ago we were hearing the "Country First" BS from this hack.

The Dangerous Failed Minority Party

The failed minority party shows their true colors again.

via Washington Monthly:

After having asked to be considered for the cabinet, Judd Gregg withdrew from consideration. But note how the New Hampshire Republican chose to make his announcement: Gregg released a statement just as President Obama was poised to give a speech about the stimulus package.

A Democratic Hill staffer told David Kurtz, "The classy exit would have been to wait til tomorrow afternoon to quietly bow out. Basically Gregg decided not just to politely decline, but rather to blow shit up and burn the bridge behind him."

It's hardly surprising, then, that White House aides believe "it is now clear that Obama has not been rewarded for reaching across the aisle." You don't say. Obama acted in good faith, the GOP did not. Simple as that.

Joe Klein at Time adds:

"Obama should now understand that the Republicans are not reliable partners -- at least, not for the moment. Most are stuck in the contentious past, rutted in Reaganism, intent on taking a Hooverist course on the economy (although there remains cause for optimism on foreign policy). The President's default position, after the stimulus fight and the Gregg fiasco, should be to appoint Democrats to significant domestic policy positions -- the notion of making a public show of bipartisanship, by reaching across the aisle to someone like Senator Gregg, gives the opposition too much credibility and leverage.

Which doesn't mean that Obama shouldn't remain as conciliatory, and open to constructive Republican ideas, as he has been. There are potential long-term benefits from such openness (and short-term benefit as well, since the public clearly believes that Obama has been more reasonable than the Republicans)."

The Republicans have pushed their Executive Unitary Theory for 8 years, now that it is no longer politically convenient, they have jettisoned it. The Taliban wing of the Republican party has made a political calculation that if they allow Democrats to do something the American people like, Republicans will lose.

Obama, take the gloves off for a bit.

Source: Washington Monthly

Let The Zombie Banks Fail

Arianna Huffington has an article, "Why is Obama Reluctant to Kill the Zombie Banks Threatening Our Economy?"

It's in the self-interest of the banks to stay alive:

"The battle lines over how to deal with the banking crisis have been drawn. On the one side are those who know what needs to be done. On the other are those who know what needs to be done -- but won't admit it."

The assets on the banks' books, if there is no market value, need to be recorded at 0. That means they will be insolvent and must be taken over. Don't let these toxic assets cause toxic thinking. As Martin Wolf of the Financial Times sums it up: "Admit reality, restructure banks and, above all, slay zombie institutions at once.

These banks have proven they do not know how to run and the people running them are not qualified. Why give money to the same people and management who ran the bank into the ground? It makes absolutely no sense. These historic failures are game-changers. We can't go back to what was because it did not work.

Arianna adds:

"This tough love for bankers is being promoted by everyone from Nouriel Roubini, Paul Krugman, and Ann Pettifor to Niall Ferguson, the Wall Street Journal, and Milton Friedman's old partner, Anna Schwartz, the co-author of his seminal work, A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960. "They should not be recapitalizing firms that should be shut down," says Schwartz. "Firms that made wrong decisions should fail."

A sports analogy would be: not that the Yankees had a bad season and finished last, but the unimaginable happened, the Yankees went out of business. They invested in risky players who never became Big Leaguers and they had so much debt, they failed to make it to the next season. When franchises don't do well, they change cities, they are sold. It happens all the time.

We have to end this denial in our society, let the banks fail, and let new ones take their place. That is free market economics at work.

Source: HuffPo

25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis

Time has an article, "25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis". Go there and vote. Among the top vote getters are Phil Gramm and Christopher Cox. See who else made the list.



Source: Time

Axelrod Is Cool

via Chris Cillizza at The Fix:

Some of the Bush Senior Advisors have had some weak parting comments as they've been voted off the island. Andy Card on wearing a suit in the Oval Office? Please. The new guys are just about to unload:

David Axelrod saved his strongest condemnation for the man who held his job in the Bush White House: Karl Rove. Of Rove's criticism of Obama's economic stimulus plan, Axelrod said: "The last thing that I think we are looking for at this juncture is advice on fiscal integrity or ethics from Karl Rove -- anyone who's read the newspapers for the last eight years would laugh at that."

Source: WaPo

Judd Gregg Said Fast Is Jugghead

Senator Judd Gregg [R-NH] steps down when his country needs him and I'm supposed to feel bad as a liberal Democrat that the Republicans are the worst modern political party ever.

I wonder if he saw this bailout coming? It's only been front page news for 8 months. Now all of a sudden he pulls out? Pressure from your party? Serving your party is better than serving your country. Good, let your Bush loyalism destroy you even after he's out of office.

And a history of undercutting minority rights? As chairman of the Senate panel overseeing the Census Bureau budget Gregg frequently sought to cut funding that led to an undercount of minorities. You are conservative after all. That will go down in history well. I'm New Hampshire is so proud of you.

Get your resume together, Judd. And wipe the Kool-aid off your lips.

Source: HuffPo

GOP Brag Bush Could Walk And Almost Chew Gum

The guys at Politico continue to give the conservatives a chance to defend the worst Presidency ever. Apparently we've "mischaracterized" the obvious failures:

Andy Card, the former chief of staff to President George W. Bush, said Thursday that the public was plagued by misconceptions about the former president, particularly in regards to his intelligence and openness to information.

"First off, President Bush does know how to read."

The GOP have given Bush bonus points for wiping his own ass, too, even though it was with the US Constitution.

How low do you have to set the bar when you say your President at least knows how to read? Didn't he have to have his PDB [Presidential Daily Briefings] read to him? And they had to be one page long. How quickly the GOP revisionism has kicked in.

Source: Politico

For Canada, Slow And Steady Wins Races

Fareed Zakaria has a great article on how our neighbor to the North is not financially up Sh*ts Creek like we, and the rest of the world, are.

Yes the Canadians are boring folk, playing it safe. But it seems sounds banking regulations and lack of exaggerated leverage has put them atop the World Economic Forum's healthiest banks in the world. The US is #40 and Britain is #44.

"So what accounts for the genius of the Canadians? Common sense. Over the past 15 years, as the United States and Europe loosened regulations on their financial industries, the Canadians refused to follow suit, seeing the old rules as useful shock absorbers. Canadian banks are typically leveraged at 18 to 1—compared with U.S. banks at 26 to 1 and European banks at a frightening 61 to 1. Partly this reflects Canada's more risk-averse business culture, but it is also a product of old-fashioned rules on banking."

What about the "home ownership" mantra in the US where the interest on mortgages can be deducted to boost ownership. It costs $100 billion in taxes every year. No such deduction in Canada. Home ownership in the US is 68%. It's 68.4% in Canada. Seems the tax codes that induce massive incentive for overconsumption and produce bubbles are not the answer.

The article goes on to point put quite a few Canadian Initiatives that differ from the US and how they are better. From cheaper health care to longer life expectancy, to a government that has 12 years of budget surpluses, to reasonable immigration and increased corporate investment in their country, Canada is proving, over and over, some important lessons we can learn from.

You reduce the overt greed, military lust and religion from our approach and say our "o"s funny and we're almost Canadian.

Source: Fareed Zakaria

GOP Propaganda By Fox Surprises No One

The Senate Republican Communications Center sent Fox News a press release regarding the stimulus bill.

Fox News took the Republicans' materials and aired it, word for word. Including the same typos.

Fox gets called out for being a GOP propaganda machine.

Fox apologizes for typo.

Just another day at Fox. I would call them an unapologetic arm of the GOP propaganda machine but they did apologize for the typo.

"That's a bit like a thief getting caught in a jewelry store, and apologizing for leaving broken glass on the carpet."

Source: Washington Monthly

Taliban Sounds Like Alabam[a]. Now We Know Why

Interesting article at Gallup on the religiosity of the world. Like the rest of the world, America has its fundamental States and its secular States. Here is the percentages.



What's interesting is when you compare the most religious US States to the global populations with which they are similar in terms of religiosity.

Alabama and Tennessee are like Iran and Iraq in terms of how important religion is. Similarly, the more secular US states are like European and Asian countries.

The poll indicates that 8 of the 11 countries in which almost all residents (at least 98%) say religion is important in their daily lives are poorer nations in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the 10 least religious countries studied include several with the world's highest living standards, including Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Hong Kong, and Japan. (Several other countries on this list are former Soviet republics, places where the state suppressed religious expression for decades.)

Funny how Republicans, who tend to flaunt their Bibles, do so well in our poor States and how they love to attack poor countries in other regions. I guess theocracies fighting theocracies is great recruiting material for them. My god vs. your god rhetoric. Once you add "uneducated" to the "poor", you have a great base to stir up.

What this fundamentalism has to do with good governing only the GOP could explain. And only if you were pre-screened and signed an oath beforehand.

Being religious and Republican is not so bad in and of itself. It's the political platform built on taking care of the elite rich ruling class while subjugating the poor, free markets that exploit cheap labor, and so on, all while holding a holy book, that it gets scary.

Keeping the unenlightened masses obsessed with Bronze Age myths and modern fabricated fears so governments can rule over them is nothing new we know.

I wonder if the extremes realize how much they have in common?

Source: Gallup

Worst. Lecture. Ever.

You can't make this up, Brownie gets paid for this?



How can a guy who oversaw the biggest fuck-up a government department could ever have, lose a city! and still have a lecture tour? His insights must be dazzling. Rule #1: do nothing. Rule #2: Lose and entire city and let civilians suffer. Rule #3: Have Bush say you're doing a heckuva job.

What's next? Investment advice from Bernie Madoff?

h/t Americablog

Quote Of The Day: Joe Scarborough

Aside from showcasing he is not too swift on a daily basis on TV, he makes this point:

"I don't really think it would be good to run in 2010 with a party that is actively associating itself with the Taliban,"

Joe Scarborough explaining his problems with being a Republican today.

Mike Huckabee: Wacked Out On Wafers

Former fat guy and Presidential nominee flunkee Mike Huckabee needs to fill his pie hole:

In an e-mail that was also posted on his blog ahead of the Senate's passage, Huckabee wrote: "The dust is settling on the 'bipartisan' stimulus bill and one thing is clear: It is anti-religious."

The former Republican presidential candidate pointed to a provision in both the House and Senate versions banning higher education funds in the bill from being used on a "school or department of divinity."

"You would think the ACLU drafted this bill," Huckabee said. "For all of the talk about bipartisanship, this Congress is blatantly liberal."

A few things:

• A blatantly conservative agenda got us here, dipshit.
• Church is separated from State. The fact that Bush didn't follow this does not make it correct. You can't use State money to build chapels.
  
• "Bearing false witness" ring a bell, Mike. Your deception is biblical.
  

Go back to Arkansas and figure out why all the buildings and jobs in your backwater State that are still there are all Federal. Aside from the Wal-Marts that you've made China so much money on.

Source: Politico

Obama's Grace Outshines GOPs Attempt To Save Face

Another sign we have an adult with a long term vision in charge: President Obama last night

"You know, when I made a series of overtures to the Republicans -- going over to meet with both Republican caucuses, you know, putting three Republicans in my Cabinet, something that is unprecedented, making sure that they were invited here to the White House, to talk about the economic recovery plan -- all those were not designed simply to get some short-term votes. They were designed to try to build up some trust over time.

And I think that, as I continue to make these overtures, over time, hopefully that will be reciprocated."

The effects Bush has had on our Nation is at times unbelievable. From the way he borrowed on our futures to fund his wars and let banks and Wall St play make-believe with derivatives and securitized mortgages, to how he invaded countries and attacked Americans through lawless surveillance, to how he tried to divide and conquer his own country through neo-con "us vs them", "good vs evil" terms and made propaganda [WMD] and deception [we do not torture, yellow cake, outing the CIA] his calling card, to how his Vice President and counsel shredded the Constitution while claiming patriotism and fostering torture and death of civilians around the world, we have to overcome a lot of denial and not just frame this as just a rough 8 years or the end of conservatism or Republican brand: this is the worst 8 years ever!

Like a fugitive from the law, or Bush running from the facts, when the Police say "step away from the car with your hands up", it's scary if you're in the wrong. Siding with the Bush and Cheney legacy is like stepping out with 2 guns in your belt, a line of coke up your nose, a shotgun and a knife in your hands, and a few warrants for your arrest in the system. We know how this movie ends, we've read the last chapter of this book: You may think you're a badass but your going to get killed and were only "liked" by people out of fear.

Republicans have to understand, they been asked to step away from the car, they don't have to pretend they are packing to protect Bush. They have their finger in their pocket pretending they have a gun and it's going to get them killed.

The more we see things from an Obama perspective, the more shocking the Bush Years and Bush Policies will become. We were sucker punched and exploited. I can accept that. But don't expect me to be cool with it if the Republicans cling to their revisionist pre-Bush "glory days", their Gingrich/DeLay/Rove fantasy BS and "I'm a Reagan fan" mythology.

Stop inventing and hyping fears, start representing your constituents and stop taking the easy road greased with corporate and lobbyist dollars.

Put away these childish games and extend a hand. Grow up, be a man.

The World Almost Ended At 2pm On September 18, 2008

An electronic run on the banks and how we almost joined Iceland back in September. Makes McCain's then statements about economic fundamentals seem that much more out of touch.

via PoliticalWire:

On C-Span, Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA) explained how the Federal Reserve told members of Congress about an electronic run on the banks "to the tune of $550 billion dollars" within "an hour or two" last fall.

According to Kanjorski, on September 18, 2008 the Fed tried to "stem the tide" by pumping money into the financial system but it didn't work and decided instead to announce an immediate increase in deposit insurance to $250,000 per account to stop the panic.

Said Kanjorski: "If they had not done that, their estimation is that by 2 p.m. that afternoon, $5.5 trillion would have been drawn out of the money market system of the U.S., would have collapsed the entire economy of the U.S., and within 24 hours the world economy would have collapsed. It would have been the end of our economic system and our political system as we know it."

At 2:10 it starts [classic last line, "we don't know"]:



Source: Political Wire

Sea Change In Media Dynamic

A sea-change in the media dynamic from last night:

During last night's White House press conference, the president fielded 13 questions. The first two went to wire services (AP and Reuters). Then came the networks (CBS, NBC, Bloomberg, ABC, CNN and Fox News), and print (New York Times, Washington Post, and Hearst). NPR got the last question, but between Helen Thomas and Mara Liasson, Obama raised a few eyebrows when he said, "Sam Stein, Huffington Post."

Although not the first blogger to ask a question at a Presidential press conference, that honor goes to George Bush asking planted male prostitute Jeff Gannon aka James Guckert in 2005.

Source: Washington Monthly

First Real Press Conference In 8 Years

Obama has the first real Presidential press conference in 8 years. The first President to use the English language in 8 years, too.

It's going to take a while to catch up to this smart, sophisticated discourse. A President who can talk. The bumbling age of Bush mediocrity is so over. How we settled for it amazes me.



Some great lines from Barack on bipartisanship and GOP revisionism:

"When it comes to how we approach the issue of fiscal responsibility, again, it's a little hard for me to take criticism from folks about this recovery package after they've presided over a doubling of the national debt. I'm not sure they have a lot of credibility when it comes to fiscal responsibility."

Obama Leads, GOP Obstructs, MSM Calls It A Tie

If you follow the MSM, you might have missed this:

"President Obama has been in office for 20 days. He's signed the Lily Ledbetter measure into law over Republican objections. He's signed S-CHIP expansion into law over Republican objections. He's signed several executive orders on key national and internal policies over Republican objections, and he's secured agreement from both the House and Senate on an ambitious stimulus package over Republican objections."

Obama leads, the GOP obstructs, and the media reports it like a 50-50 tie. As if Obama needs to be partisan to sap up all the Republican ideas.

Debating with the GOP is like talking to a flat Earth believer. You may believe it, but you're dead wrong. America is waking up though and they can see the GOP is all style and no substance. They can see through their political stunts.

A reader notes:

"For six years, a Republican President and Republican congress presided over expanded government, expanded spending, massively expanded deficits and contracted personal liberties. The time for the Republican Party to show it was prepared to stand up for its so-called principles was under Bush, not a President of the opposing party. As it is, there's no reason at all to think the Republicans are arguing -- for a change -- in good faith, nor to trust them to retain their self-proclaimed fiscal prudence if they're returned to power.

No, what this is, is that the Republicans have once again put the Democrats in the position of having to clean up a GOP mess, and they Reptiles are determined to make the most of the difficult situation they themselves created."

Source: Washington Monthly

Sully's "What If" Moments

60 Minutes did a piece on Flight 1549 and its pilot Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and crew. They even reunited them with the 150 surviving passengers. Very moving piece.

The one thing that struck me was Sully's grief days after the successful water landing. He said he was sleepless, going through "what if" scenarios. This, after what is considered a heroic event, with millions-to-one odds. I thought, what a real professional guy. Always trying to improve.

Then I though of the neo-cons and their massive failures in promoting their false myths and corrupt agendas over the past 30 years. They were 100% wrong in most cases, losing thousands of lives.

Did they ever have sleepless nights?



Source: CBS

Leahy: Investigate Bush NOW

I love the sound of this, let the sun shine in:

"Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy insisted on Monday in firm and passionate terms that a comprehensive investigation be launched into the conduct of the Bush administration, saying anything less would prevent the country from moving forward."

"Many Americans feel we need to get to the bottom of what went wrong," said Leahy. "I agree. We need to be able to read the page before we turn the page."

"Rather than vengeance, we need a fair-minded pursuit of what actually happened," he said.

No retro-active immunity for these evil-doers. Forget being nice about it. They broke the laws, they pay the price.

Source: HuffPo

The GOP. Done And Dusted

When Politico is writing articles like this, you know we're past the tipping point.

"What many strategists fail to realize is that GOP poll numbers today are actually much worse than in the post-Watergate mid-1970s, long considered the party’s low point. The sad reality for Republicans is that Richard Nixon was actually more popular than George W. Bush when he left office. To a political scientist, Bush created a level of disapproval that was almost statistically impossible. Groups that usually hate each other were somehow united in their opposition to him."

The article is about how the current GOP has no values and no direction. Welcome to reality. They never did.

Source: Politico

GOP Habits Die Hard

Rush Limbaugh declares war on Obama, Dick Cheney declares torture legal, Dick Morris declares treason on his own party. Just another day for the GOP.

"Old habits die hard. The deal on the stimulus bill, if enacted, would be a major victory for President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and above all the American people, who are devastated by the economy made disastrous by the policies of George Bush and Dick Cheney. Dick Morris's charge of "treason" against the handful of centrist Republicans who remain proves the misjudgment of mindset of a party that is run by hardcore partisans, right-wing talk show hosts and Herbert Hoover economists.

Perhaps Morris's charge of treason will induce Republican centrists to join the Democratic Party. No doubt his advice, if followed, would lead to 63 Democratic senators after 2010, or maybe 65. The Republican "alternative" to the Obama stimulus would have meant virtually no stimulus at all, cutting the overall program in half, and of the paltry portions that remained in the Republican "alternative" most of the money would have gone to tax cuts. This is a formula for depression for the nation and more disaster for Republicans."

Like their neo-con patriarch Leo Strauss, Rush, Dick and Dick are fighting make-believe threats, attacking people's natural desire for liberalism, all the while spreading fanciful nightmares for political gain.

Source: The Hill

When Never Being Wrong Is Wrong

When Papal infallibility goes wrong, the followers pay the price. [Or they just wise up and stop following]

For Pope Benedict, a Holocaust denier like Bishop Richard Williamson is welcome back but ecclesiastical outliers like gay folks, women who seek equal rights, people who believe the expression of sexuality should not be restricted to marriage and procreation, those who embrace ecumenical dialogue, and people who believe in the primacy of conscience (a hallmark of post-Vatican II Catholic moral theology) are not, you have to question the bigotry of his loyal flock.

Benedict is a tyrant of the orthodox minority: so out of touch and reaching out to all the wrong people. He wants to broaden the shrinking church by welcoming back excommunicated Holocaust deniers? An ex-Nazi youth like Benedict who still dislikes Jews, hard to imagine?

His ability to charm is foreshadowed, though. His homeland Germany has the lowest church attendance percentage in the world. It makes sense with guys like him in charge. Just what the Catholic church needs in these tough times.

The American Catholic Church should just set up its own authority and leave the Vatican out of it. They clearly haven't a clue.

Source: Religious Dispatches

Really!?! With Seth

Why is SNL synonymous with "barely funny"? Seth Myers bucked the trend on Saturday with a new segment called, "Really!?! With Seth".