Hilarious, Cheney-Style Maneuver

So, let's say you're a Secret Service agent serving as part of the vice president's security detail during a trip to Beaver Creek, Colorado. And a man approaches the vice president and lets him know that the Iraq War is a disaster, etc. And there's allegedly some contact -- a pat on the shoulder, according to most witnesses. And 10 minutes later, the Secret Service decides to arrest the man. But the local police refuse to prosecute, and the stories of all the Secret Service agents don't jibe, and there's talk of a cover-up when the protestor files a lawsuit.

What happens to the Secret Service agent who had been tasked with making the arrest? He literally gets transferred to GUAM. (That laugh-out-loud tidbit is in the seventh paragraph. Enjoy!)

Bill O'Reilly Comes to My Town

Even calling this "War on Christmas" idiocy "cartoonish" has become cartoonish. The best way to save electricity -- and fight global warming -- during the holidays? Turn this clown off for an hour.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ubeaytLIURs

New Project Launching Soon...

Details to follow, but you'll get the idea:

Bill Shein's 50-State Electoral College Tour
http://www.electoralcollegetour.com/

The fun starts next month, democracy nerds!

Interested in hosting/sponsoring a stop of the Electoral College Tour at your college? Your high school? Civic group? Local activist meeting? In your living room? Contact information can be found on the Electoral College Tour site. Lots of great content, tour information, reform ideas, and more coming soon to electoralcollegetour.com.

Onward,
Bill

Yeeouch

From a summary of Dan Rather's lawsuit against CBS:

Rather charges CBS News and Viacom with fraud, and with violating obligations of contract, good faith, and fiduciary duty. He asks for $70 million to offset damages to his "earned and enjoyed" reputation "for journalistic excellence and independence" (Page 5). For its part, CBS has removed archival video and tributes to Rather from its Web site and replaced them with promotional ads and 30-second spots featuring Gwen Stefani.

It's Just Business, Right?

Check out the language used to market today's mercenaries and war -- filled with lots of great buzzwords! It's like it's got nothin' to do with killin' and maimin' for profit.

http://www.blackwaterusa.com/

[From the home page]

Blackwater Worldwide efficiently and effectively integrates a wide range of resources and core competencies to provide unique and timely solutions that exceed our customer's stated need and expectations. [THIS IS F'ING TERRIFIYING/HILARIOUS.]

We are guided by integrity, innovation, and a desire for a safer world. Blackwater Worldwide professionals leverage state-of-the-art training facilities, professional program management teams, and innovative manufacturing and production capabilities to deliver world class customer driven solutions. [BUT DON'T BE AN IRAQI DRIVER! HA. HA. HA.]

Our leadership and dedicated family of exceptional employees adhere to an essential system of core corporate values chief among them are integrity, innovation, excellence, respect, accountability, and teamwork. ["CORPORATE VALUES" ARE PRECISELY THE PROBLEM]

. . .

Oh, and this is from the "About Us" page:

"We are not simply a 'private security company.' We are a professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability operations firm who provides turnkey solutions. We assist with the development of national and global security policies and military transformation plans."

Your tax dollars at work, folks.

Lying to the Bitter End

Hilarious/pathetic/sad but appropriate final weekend for our awful attorney general:

Mr. Gonzales, who had rebuffed calls for his resignation, submitted his to President Bush by telephone on Friday, the official said. His decision was not immediately announced, the official added, until after the president invited him and his wife to lunch at his ranch near here.

[...] As recently as Sunday afternoon, Mr. Gonzales was denying through his press spokesman, Brian Roehrkasse, that he intended to leave.

Mr. Roehrkasse said Sunday afternoon that he had telephoned Mr. Gonzales about the reports circulating in Washington that a resignation was imminent, “and he said it wasn’t true, so I don’t know what more I can say.”

What more can you say? Nothing, my man. Nothing.

Really Important "Breaking News" !!!

And I quote: "DEVELOPING STORY: Chief Justice John Roberts is expected to leave the hospital within the next few minutes, CNN has learned."

Way to go, CNN!

Simple Question

How many fawning articles will the New York Times publish about Barack Obama? You know, before even they get sick of them? My favorite exercise in absurdity was the one that analyzed his style in pick-up basketball games and compared it to his work in politics.

I say, enough!

My 'New Age' Town

We have our own currency here in Berkshire County, with the goal of keeping more of our financial resources local. And slowly but surely, BerkShares are making news:

GREAT BARRINGTON, Massachusetts (Reuters) - A walk down Main Street in this New England town calls to mind the pictures of Norman Rockwell, who lived nearby and chronicled small-town American life in the mid-20th Century.

So it is fitting that the artist's face adorns the 50 BerkShares note, one of five denominations in a currency adopted by towns in western Massachusetts to support locally owned businesses over national chains. [Full Story]

Mmmmm! Taste Some Fact-Free Spin, America!

Nice.

President Bush had a nearly hour-long secure video teleconference with Iraqi leaders on Monday and came away impressed and reassured by the progress they're making on political, security and economic reforms, the White House said.

Then, a few paragraphs later in the same story:

A Pentagon report released last week concluded that violence in Iraq edged higher during a four-month period between February and May — despite the U.S.-led security push in Baghdad. The report also raised questions about Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's ability to fulfill a pledge made in January to prohibit political interference in security operations and to allow no safe havens for sectarian militias.

It's all public relations and spin for this White House. Tragic.

This Week in American Justice

$$ Revolving-Door-o-Rama! $$

Bush Names Gillespie As New Counselor

WASHINGTON -- Ed Gillespie, a high-dollar Washington lobbyist and long-time go-to guy for President Bush and the Republican Party, is replacing Dan Bartlett as White House counselor in the president's inner circle.

[...] Gillespie was listed as lobbyist last year for dozens of clients, including such corporate giants as Microsoft, Verizon Wireless, AT&T, pharmaceutical manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb, Tyson Foods, the Safeway grocery store chain, the Entergy energy company, the Bank of America, the Diageo liquor company and NBC Universal, lobbying reports on file with the Senate show.