fayfreethinkers.com

"When we have taken steps that have violated the Geneva Conventions we rightly have been criticized, so as we move forward I think it's important to again live our values, to live the agreements that we have made in the international justice arena and to practice those." --General Petraeus on Fox News.

General Ricardo Sanchez has calls for a truth commission to investigate the abuses and torture and stated, "during my time in Iraq there was not one instance of actionable intelligence that came out of these interrogation techniques."

"The bill allows the FDA to put stringent new limits on the manufacturing and marketing of tobacco products..."

"...tobacco use kills about 440,000 people a year in the United States due to cancer, heart disease, emphysema and other ailments, officials say."

"...tobacco companies opposed the plan, saying it would hamper their ability to bring new, safer products to market."

Link

Attack of the Zombie Republicans

"The GOP’s living dead won’t stop haunting their party, says lifelong Republican John Batchelor. Now Rush, Newt, and Dick are doing what zombies do best: laying waste to everyone’s brains." --Conservative commentator, John Bachelor.

Article

During an interview for CNBC at the White House on Tuesday, a fly intruded on Obama's conversation with correspondent John Harwood.

"Get out of here," the president told the pesky insect. When it didn't, he waited for the fly to settle, put his hand up and then smacked it dead.

"Now, where were we?" Obama asked Harwood. Then he added: "That was pretty impressive, wasn't it? I got the sucker."

Friedrich said that PETA was pleased with Obama's voting record in the Senate on behalf of animal rights and noted that he has been outspoken against animal abuses.

Still, "swatting a fly on TV indicates he's not perfect," Friedrich said, "and we're happy to say that we wish he hadn't."

LINK

PETA just seems to hurt their own cause anymore.

Darrel wrote:"Get out of here," the president told the pesky insect. When it didn't, he waited for the fly to settle, put his hand up and then smacked it dead.

"Yet during the campaign, you dirty liberals kept arguing that he wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"In a column for politico.com, our bipartisan friend Grassley recently wrote that should it be enacted, "as many as 119
million Americans would shift from private coverage to the government plan." That, in turn, would "put America on the
path toward a completely government run health care system. . . . Eventually, the government plan would overtake the entire market."

Translation: The public plan must be stopped because it would be too good; private insurance companies simply
couldn't compete. Really, could they be any sillier? One minute they're yelling that Medicare costs are busting the
budget; the next they're freaking out about how controlling costs will lead to rationing."

Gene Lyons article

Joe Klein
Time Magazine

I've been receiving a steady stream of favorable emails from Iranian-Americans regarding my appearance on Larry King last night. They're delighted that I made it clear that Iran is different from the other countries in the region--better educated, more sophisticated, with far greater rights for women (although not nearly enough). And they also appreciated the fact that when King asked me what John McCain should do right now, I said, "Be quiet."

The Washington Post has a piece today about the efforts of some Republicans to make hay out of the situation in Iran. McCain, who spent the entire 2008 election making misleading statements about the nature of the Iranian government (I wonder if he still thinks Ahmadinejad is more powerful than the Supreme Leader), has been at the forefront of this. It is very unseemly. I have yet to hear what possible good it would do for the President of the United States to encourage the protesters, except to give the Iranian regime a better excuse for killing more of them. McCain's bleatings are either for domestic political consumption or self-satisfaction, a form of hip-shooting onanism that demonstrates why he would have been a foreign policy disaster had he been elected.

Read the rest here.

"hip-shooting onanism" --Joe Klein

DAR
Now that's a good way to put it.

For those who don't know, google "onanism."

Darrel wrote:For those who don't know, google "onanism."

DOUG
Right. Make them do it themselves.

Comment from a Teabagger over at the Big Dog's site. Bold mine.

"Just got back from our local, scheduled Tea Party on the 27th. It was a smaller turnout than the first one on April 15. There was some expression of outrage over yesterday’s debacle on Cap and Trade. But, mostly polite applause and puzzled looks as to ” why are we here?” But among the faithful, there is a beginning realization that it will take more
work and organization and getting one’s hands dirty.Seemingly, there are many organizations getting off the ground floor, but without direction, kinda’ stymied by confusion and purpose. I think that these groups will form the basis for a third party someday. But, I don’t know if it will occur in time to benefit us in coming elections short term. But, one thing I believe is that we had best do something and damn soon…for the Window is closing, folks, on our rapidly diminishing land and prosperity and freedom." --izzatso

"South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford called his Argentine mistress his "soul mate" Tuesday, but said that he would try to fall back in love with his wife. Admits to additional women in his past."

Link

He needs to buy a few more Promise Keeper bumper stickers and mugs this time so he won't forget that he loves his wife.

Only Bin Laden Can Save Us!


Michael Scheuer, Right-Wing Nut

Michael Scheuer was on Glenn Beck's show last night:

Scheuer: The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States. Because it's going to take a grass-roots, bottom-up pressure. Because these politicians prize their office, prize the praise of the media and the Europeans. It's an absurd situation again. Only Osama can execute an attack which will force Americans to demand that their government protect them effectively, consistently, and with as much violence as necessary.

Beck: Which is why, I was thinking this weekend, if I were him, that would be the last thing I would do right now.

See a clip here.

McCain tried the Palin "Hail Mary Pass" and that failed. Now they look to Bin Laden to help their party out? Talk about loving your ideology more than your country. Happy 4th.

I wonder if this cheer leading for Bin Laden to strike again might have anything to do with why people trust Obama so much better than the republicans on the issue of handling terrorism?

***
Who do you trust to do a better job handling the threat of terrorism — (Obama) or the (Republicans in Congress)?

Obama 55%

Republicans in Congress 34%

Washington Post/ABC News

And:

"[A] new Washington Post poll which asked respondents who they trust to handle health care, the economy, the budget deficit, and terrorism. On every issue, majorities of independents trust President Obama, while small minorities trust congressional Republicans.

* On health care, 51% of indys trust Obama, and 26% trust GOPers in Congress.
* On the economy, 51% of indys trust Obama, and 31% trust the GOP.
* On the budget deficit, 52% of indys trust Obama, and 30% trust the GOP.
* On terrorism, 53% of indys trust Obama, and 36% trust the GOP.

Wash. Post Poll

Their leader:


And they're having a sale!

"They’re not being punished. We’re allowing them to exist, and do what every
American can do. We’re just not rewarding them with any special designation."
-- Pa. State Sen. John Eichelberger (R) asked about gays LINK


Paul Begala on Palin:

"Her statement was incoherent, bizarre and juvenile. The text, as posted on Gov. Palin's official website (here), uses 2,549 words and 18 exclamation points. Lincoln freed the slaves with 719 words and nary an exclamation; Mr. Jefferson declared our independence in 1,322 words and, again, no exclamation points. Nixon resigned the presidency in 1,796 words -- still no exclamation points. Gov. Palin capitalized words at random - whole words, like "TO," "HELP," and "AND," and the first letter of "Troops."

Gov. Palin's official announcement that she is resigning as chief executive of the great state of Alaska had all the depth and gravitas of a 13-year-old's review of the Jonas Brothers' album on Facebook. She even quoted her parents' refrigerator magnet. She put her son's name in quotations marks. Why? Who knows. She writes, "I promised efficiencies and effectiveness!?" Was she exclaiming or questioning? I get it: both! And I don't even know what to make of a sentence that reads:

*((Gotta put First Things First))*

Link

"...When you drill down to the essence of what the free market conservatives are saying, it's that people who don't have the money to pay for good insurance deserve to die. It's really just an outgrowth of their belief in social Darwinism and Randian exceptionalism --- good people have money, bad people are parasites -- and those who can't afford to keep up are lacking in moral fiber and work ethic. It's how they see the world --- until they too are caught in the web, at which point they blame women and minorities." --http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/200 ... atism.html

Consumer wonders why neo-con trike doesn't work: