New Orleans honors BP with

How's that BP PR campaign working out for you Dudley?

A headline you wouldn't have seen under Bush

Iran FM says nuclear talks with West are possible.

As Iran was labeled one of the axis of evil by Bushco you know there would never be talks with Iran or N. Korea or any other boogyman the right would think up. But as most adults know some type of talks are required with any nation whether you believe in their ideology or not. We were the enemy to Russia since just after WWII and yet we managed to hammer out a nuclear agreement S.A.L.T. So I'm very glad McCain did not win the election because according to him "you don't even talk to such nations" (his words from the very last debate).

The 9/12ers are having a protest in the capital. These are the "tea baggers" of the last wingnut protest. What are they protesting now? I've heard anything from taxes to health care reform and not to forget the second amendment. Normally I'd be surprised at such ignorance but after watching Jaywalk Allstars a couple of times this doesn't surprise me. On taxes they don't seem to get it that Obama just lowered those the earlier part of this year for most people as well as business. Health care must be changed or it won't be there for most people in very short order. I don't see any bills before congress to repeal the 2nd amendment at present. As for the protest I don't think you'll see the likes of Warren Buffet there screaming that he pays too much in taxes. Quite the contrary he knows that the middle and lower classes pay more than their fair share and has said as much. So this leads me to believe that this is nothing more than a pep rally for ignorance. They're letting corporate America do their bidding by creating an astro turf protest. Remember many of the protesters work for these corporations. So there'll be screams and rants and speeches and in the end the outcome will be something like "We showed them didn't we?" But what did they accomplish? They showed us their ignorance and insecurity. And my greatest fear is that they'll start waving their guns around and somebody will get hurt but it usually isn't the ones their anger is directed towards. And the sad fact is that they are in the ever shrinking minority. So for a time in history they too can feel what indians, blacks, the Irish, the Germans, the jews and any other minority has felt at one time or another in American history. But the truly sad fact is that they are being used by corporate America by an even smaller group who hold the power and wealth and won't part with even a scrap of it.
So to me this is like a pep rally complete with bonfire for a game that will never be played. In the end nothing will become of it. Corporations will make their backroom deals after dumping stacks of cash on the senators desks. Taxes on the rich will go up although not quite as much as reported. A health care bill will pass but not quite what we expected. And life will go on. That is until the next side show is assembled and ready for your viewing pleasure.

One of the many reasons I hate republicans

A 61 year old librarian was removed and sighted for tresspasing from a PUBLIC McCain event in Colorado for having a McCain=Bush sign.

Freedom of Speech?

Yeah John you have to watch out for those youngins they could cause trouble.

Update

In looking into the trucker/fuel protest I came upon this comment from one Truckerdoug;

GUYS,THERES ONLY ONE WAY TO SHUT THESE RIGS DOWN,THINK ABOUT IT. SHUT THE FUEL TANKERS DOWN,IT WILL ONLY BE A MATTER OF MERE HOURS AND NOONE WILL BE MOVING.IF YOU WANT TO SEE SOME ATTENTION JUST WATCH WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN THE WALMART TRUCKS DONT GET THIER FUEL DROPS,OR DONNIE SCHNEIDER DOESNT GET HIS DROP,OR EVEN BETTER WHEN MR. CEO ANY MAJOR CORP CANT FUEL HIS SUBURBAN,THEN WERE GOING TO GET SOME ACTION,WANNA SEE GOVERNMENT WAKE UP? TANKER DRIVERS TAKE A COUPLE DAYS OFF FOR US BROTHERS PLEASE.HAVE A NATION WIDE SICK WEEK.I REALLY CANT PROMOTE VIOLENCE SUCH AS THE STRIKES OF PAST,WHEN BRICKS WERE DROPPED OFF OVERPASSES AND OTHER THINGS,THIS WOULD JUST SHOW OUR LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM .TANKERS PLEASE SHUT EM DOWN AND WE WILL GET SOME SERIOUS ATTENTION AND QUICK.
4/3/2008 10:37:34 PM

I think this is a great idea especially for you tanker drivers around the DC area.

May Day

On this fine May day as a protest for the war in Iraq that's costing us trillions as well as over 4000 U.S. soldiers, the longshore workers on the west coast shut down the ports affecting all ports on the west coast. I hope this is just the beginning of a protest that will continue into the future. We have elected officials who have ignored our pleas to end this war. Our hope was to change the status quo and put an end to this never ending war that is a drain on the U.S. economy as well as the human loss of our troops and Iraqi people. I hope this sends a clear message to those who voted to go to war that this nation no longer wants to be a part of a no win situation. It's time for Iraq to step up and take charge of their nation. This will be a bloody process that must proceed whether we like it or not. It is their country not ours.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/05/this-just-in-th.htm

I'll update this as soon as I check on the truckers and what they're planning. Until then PEACE!

Olympic games

This is a rather difficult situation. Yes we support the athletes that are going to the games but not the country playing games with people's human rights. Maybe it's time for a boycott of products from China. Let's see how that plays to their political ideology. I was going to list the sponsors to the games but I think that would be unfair. The sponsors are there to back the athletes.

Iraq Blogstorm

I've been thinking about what I could add to the disent of the current occupation of the White House by one George W. Bush. A president (in name only) who has taken this nation in a direction that goes against every principle that every day Americans hold dear. Where to even start. From his stealing of the elections in 2000 and 2004 to his current approval of waterboarding never has there been such an assult and disreguard on the constitution of this country. And not only has this administration preverted the electorial process it has gone one step further by eating it's own if you recall Katherine Harris.

September 11 occurs and after routing the talaban to the edges of Afganistan and realizing that there were no more good targets, our wonderful administration even after finding no evidence of links to Al Quida or WMDs goes after Saddam Hussaen a dictator supported by Reagan and Rumsfeld. And we know that there was evidence that attacks (911) were planned against this country by a presidential briefing presented to George W. in August. Then there was the Downing Street Memos that gave an indication that Boy George was going to go after Sadam even if there wasn't evidence. So we have "Mission Accomplished" but somehow three years later and a few thousand American lives later the mission isn't accomplished. In fact if you ask any of the military there what their mission is at the present they'd be hard pressed for an answer. My guess is that the mission now is to stay alive and try to make it through the numberous stop losses and hope you'll come out of this mess with half your sanity and all of your limbs intact. The book Catch 22 keeps comming back to mind when I hear troops having to go back for yet another tour.

So what has America gained by going after the wrong criminal? Has there been some magical change to democracy in the countries in that part of the world? Obviously not. Did Americans get lower gas prices having secured a country with large oil fields? No. Did America really make conditions better for Iraqis? Only in a few limited areas of the country. And you must remember that over one million Iraqis left the country because they could see no bright future as George had predicted. And then there's the death toll. Reaching nearly 4000 U.S. soldiers killed since the start of this war. And now are we even told of who these brave people were? No. There are no images of flag drapped coffins. Only a name or two might make the local news. The ultimate sacrifice has been reduced to numbers. Isn't that a wonderful way to honor the troops. You've been reduced to mere numbers. And don't try and shoot me for saying all of these things I'm only giving you the truth. The hypocrites in the White House yes your commander in chief and his minions have talked a great game of "Support the Troops" while at the same time stabbed you in the back. Ask your injured commrads how they are being treated when you get back to the states. Ask them if they got the full disability they deserved for having their lives permenantly changed. Are they getting the treatment they need or are they having to fight for it. Nothing says Support your Troops like having a soldier fight two wars back to back. The first in combat and the second in beurocracy stateside. At least in ground fighting you have your buddies to watch your back. Then there was the promises of education and other benefits when you got out. Sorry it was just that, a promise. This administration would rather spend a half a million dollars on an outhouse in some godforsaken place half the way around the world than give even the scrapes to our troops. And again don't blame me I'm as pissed about all this as you who may be reading this.
Collateral damage- ah yes we are totally shielded from any truth here. It's usually a quick blurb at the very end of the nightly national news. X number of Iraqis killed by a car bomb in a market on whatever day. Sometimes they'll mention that they were civilians. Sometimes you don't know if any soldiers were killed or injured until days later. And the casualty figures of Iraqis. Estimates have it somewhere between 600,000 and 1,000,000. It's not broken down by any stats of male female child.
So what will be gained by staying in Iraq. Not much that I can see. Would you want a permenant occupyer in this country? Will the next leader of Iraq be any better than some of the past tinhorn dictators that we've supported? And the real tragedy in all of this is not just the lives lost and the injuries suffered but the monetary cost to the U.S. With the amount of money spent (wasted) we could have easily rebuilt Americas' infrastructure, provided healthcare to every American, and increased benefits to military families and our troops in the field. Soldiers comming home could look forward to having a job rather than the unemployment line and homelessness.

So to whomever takes over the White House next January... It's time to get out of Iraq. The men and women of the U.S. armed forces have done their job and then some. Let's bring them home now.

(Note: sorry for the typos and spelling I'm not going to proof read this just post it)