Still no bailout check; contributions are gratefully accepted

The following is from whatsdrivingyoucrazy.com

Still no word from the Treasury about my bailout check. Sigh, I am beginning to feel unloved. You don’t think ol’ Boy George Bush, that man of the people kind of guy, would forget the little people, do you?

Yeah, right. I know.

Anyway, enough of that. What we desperately need here is a massive infusion of cash. I speak not of the nation, or its banks or industry. I speak of me, myself and this site.

How about a new twist on the “Support Our Troops” bumper sticker?
In the case of this design and all the rest shown in this post, if you click on the image, you will be taken to the appropriate store.

These stores include the What’s Driving You Crazy? Shop, Haricot Vert Expeditions Commissary, NO BAILOUT!, Pilot Gear, B-24 Liberator Shop, Culinary Cowboy Shop, 2C-Fry Pan Commissary and many more.

You can just drop a few coins in my cup if you click here.

(read more)

Another major Texas daily endorses Democrat Barack Obama; Fort Worth Star-Telegram switches sides

Rare is the moment when it’s clear that, regardless of the outcome of an election, you are living history.

Source: star-telegram.com

Thus begins the somewhat surprising endorsement of Barack Obama by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, deep in the red heart of North Central Texas. In 2004, the newspaper endorsed George W. Bush and it joins the more than 30 other major dailies which have switched support to the Democratic Party candidate after endorsing the GOP in the last election.
The endorsement says the elections of Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clintons were major times when the nation wanted a new direction and went to the polls for a major change of course.

Today, the American people aren’t just asking for change; they are demanding it.

The economic inequities are no longer tolerable. As remarkable as it is to say during a time when U.S. troops are actively engaged in wars on two fronts, Americans are looking for a visionary leader who will focus first on the daunting domestic financial crisis that has upended so many lives.

The nation has experienced the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression, an enormous stock-market plunge among the worst in history, record-high energy prices, and an ongoing war in Iraq that has exacted an agonizing cost in lives, dollars and international prestige.

Americans need new leadership.

Source: star-telegram.com

The Star-Telegram editorial says Obama’s intellect, eloquence and leadership of his campaign have shown him to be the prescriptiion for what ails the country.

Obama provides the prescription for America’s ills at this moment: a fine, inquisitive intellect, paired with an eloquence that allows him to articulate a message with clarity and substance; an ability to inspire people of all ages, races and ethnicities who never before were engaged in the political process; and an unflappable temperament that allows him to weather a barrage of withering personal attacks.

Under his leadership, the Obama campaign has been amazingly disciplined, efficient and effective. Those same talents will be essential for the difficult work ahead to rebuild the nation’s faltering economic institutions and restore citizen confidence.

Source: star-telegram.com

At the same time, the newspaper admits many of Sen. Obama’s plans, such as tax reform, could founder on the shoals of GOP opposition.
Vice presidential candidate picks may have been the deciding point.

Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama

 Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says he will vote for Sen. Barack Obama for president.

“I think he is a transformational figure, he is a new generation coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I’ll be voting for Sen. Barack Obama,” Powell said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Powell said he was concerned about what he characterized as a recent negative turn of Republican candidate Sen. John McCain’s campaign, such as the campaign’s attempts to tie Obama to former 1960s radical Bill Ayers.

“I think that’s inappropriate. I understand what politics is about — I know how you can go after one another, and that’s good. But I think this goes too far, and I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It’s not what the American people are looking for,” he said.

Source:  CNN

The retired, four-star general said the financial crisis, which he called “the final exam” for the presidency, showed him Sen. Obama can handle the job, while Sen. McCain failed.

“Obama displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge,” Powell said.

“He has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president,” he said.

Source: CNN

In a long and decorated Army career, President George W. Bush’s former secretary of state attained the rank of four-star general.  Gen. Powell first really came to the public eye as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Operation Desert Storm.

Gen. Powell said he is not voting for Sen. Obama because of race.

He said Sen. McCain’s judgment concerns him.

But he said McCain’s choices in the last few weeks — especially his selection of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his vice presidential running mate — had raised questions in his mind about McCain’s judgment.
“I don’t believe [Palin] is ready to be president of the United States,” Powell said flatly. By contrast, Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, “is ready to be president on day one.”

Powell also said he was “troubled” by Republican personal attacks on Obama, especially false intimations that Obama was Muslim and Republicans’ recent focus on Obama’s alleged connections to William Ayers, the founder of the radical ’60 Weather Underground.

Stressing that Obama was a lifelong Christian, Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.

“The really right answer is what if he is?” Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.

“I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me,” Powell said. “Over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower.”

Source:  MSNBC

On Fox News, Sen. McCain said the endorsement came as no surprise.

“I’m also very pleased to have the endorsement of four former secretaries of state — Secretaries [Henry] Kissinger, [James] Baker, [Lawrence] Eagleburger, and [Alexander] Haig — and I’m proud to have the endorsement of well over 200 retired Army generals and admirals,” McCain said.
Source:  CNN

Gen. Powell says he has no plans to campaign for Sen. Obama.

Conservative paper raps Palin, Palin raps supporters and Ayers prosecutor raps McCain

What week and it’s only the second day.

Today, at the breakfast table, I was surprised to find this editorial from the stately. conservative Dallas Morning News – Palin’s Troopergate actions disturbing. Keep in mind, this is a newspaper more than likely to endorse McCain/Palin short of some cataclysmic campaign meltdown scandal. It sets out the case plainly. Palin is lying, although the language is not quite that blunt.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin claims the Troopergate investigation clears her of wrongdoing in the firing of her public safety commissioner, which it does not.
source: The Dallas Morning News

DMN editorial writers chastise the Alaska governor. Her “spin” – as they so politely put it – isn’t fooling anyone. In fact, it raises questions both about her candidacy and McCain’s choosing her.

Ms. Palin would be wise to quit trying to spin her way out of this mess. It would be far more plausible if she admitted error but said she and her husband acted out of fear – perhaps misplaced – for the family’s safety. But to claim vindication when the report is actually fairly damning should give even McCain-Palin supporters pause.
source: The Dallas Morning News

DMN writers try to compare “Troopergate” with Hillary Clinton’s “Travelgate”.

Her behind-the-scenes machinations against the White House Travel Office – engineering the dismissal of career employees, apparently for the benefit of the Clintons’ Arkansas cronies– were legal but unethical.
source: The Dallas Morning News

DMN writers forget that it was the Palins’ “behind-the-scene machinations” which exactly were the illegal acts outlined in the report. However, the comparison is fair enough based on using public power for private purposes.

Finally, the DMN reminds Gov. Palin of something of which she should not have to be reminded, as it quotes the report.

Compliance with the code of ethics is not optional.

source: Branchflower Report to the Legisltive Council (aka Troopergate report)

I just love the next item, as The Sarah gets snarky with her own supporters.

Palin’s Halloween message and more at the WDYC Shop: “Where’s MY bailout?” stickers, Obamadillo gear too!

Have the scariest costume around this Halloween – Sarah Palin! There’s a great assortment of The Sarah gear now at the WDYC Shop.

You can find t-shirts, caps, bumper stickers and more with this featured artwork, as well as many, many more, at the What’s driving you crazy? Shop!

You’ll find many more designs, such as the Where is MY bailout? design,

“Jesus was a community organizer. Pilate was a governor” t-shirt and other items,
as well as the official Obamadillo gear!All of this (and MORE) at the What’s driving you crazy? Shop!

Where is MY bailout? Bailout bumper stickers, t-shirts and caps now available!

More designs

Find these designs and more at the WDYC Shop!

Had enough? Tired of seeing the high rollers getting all the bailouts?

Let Washington know it is YOUR turn. After all, it’s your tax dollars that are funding these bailouts (taking place with no rhyme or reason behind them).

No one is accountable. No one is in charge. All the executives are lined up for their bonuses. It stinks!

Now we know what happens when the government lets business do as it wants without regulation.

Heckuva job, Bush!

Heckuva job, McCain!

Oh, geez, Palin, just shut up and go shoot a moose.

Let’s not forget the architect of this collapse – former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX). You know, the McCain adviser who says we only are in a “mental recession” and we are just “a nation of whiners”? He shares the stage with Texas senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn (who is running for reelection), and – of course – Bush’s best boyfriend Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX).

Back to top.

Find these designs and more at the WDYC Shop!

Palin got gas, not experience, in Ireland (another Palin lie).

Sarah Palin’s foreign policy “experience” just went down another notch.

Palin has also visited one fewer country than originally stated by her Alaska office. Earlier in the week, the governor’s Alaska spokeswoman was quoted as saying Palin had traveled to Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, and Ireland, in addition to Canada. McCain campaign spokeswoman Maria Comella acknowledged yesterday that Ireland was only a refueling stop on a trip in July 2007 to visit Alaskan National Guard troops in Kuwait and Iraq.

Comella said yesterday that the 2007 trip was her only foreign travel apart from visits to Canada.

Boston Globe Website

The problem the McCain-Bush/Palin-Stevens campaign must be having is keeping pace with attacks to come up with to cover those lies.

Sarah spews out another lie. Pretty soon, someone notices it. When something is said about it, that person is attacked. So far, McCain-Bush/Palin-Stevens has played the preggers card, the gender card and the lipstick card (that’s not including all it mock outrage).

Somehow, we, the voting public, are to take everything that pours out of her mouth as gospel. If we have a problem with it, we should keep quiet.

I guess you could say it’s the Emperor New Clothes card.

By the way, have you EVER seen the GOP and its lackeys so concerned about political correctness, women’s rights and respecting a female candidate?

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For any of the items shown above (plus lots more),

go to the What’s Driving You Crazy Shop.

John McCain’s ads are LIES. Here’s the video proof.

Michael Moore’s Open Letter to God

Michael Moore got some GOPer’s panties in a wad with comments about God and hurricanes and proof of one thing or another.

Apparently, from the whining in the elephant gallery, God and the weather are the exclusive domain of right wing. It seems some (perhaps those who developed the GOP education platform) think you can’t spell GOD without GOP.

You know, it seems God only speaks to right-wing, fundamentalist Christians to let them know what God wants. No wait, fundamentalist, jihad Muslims claim the same thing. Is there a connection?

Anyway, Moore is fighting back. The following is qouted in full, as it is sure to be picked apart and distorted. You also can find a note of reference to GOP and Katrina here.

Sunday, August 31st, 2008
An Open Letter to God, from Michael Moore

Dear God,

The other night, the Rev. James Dobson’s ministry asked all believers to pray for a storm on Thursday night so that the Obama acceptance speech outdoors in Denver would have to be canceled.

I see that You have answered Rev. Dobson’s prayers — except the storm You have sent to earth is not over Denver, but on its way to New Orleans! In fact, You have scheduled it to hit Louisiana at exactly the moment that George W. Bush is to deliver his speech at the Republican National Convention.

Now, heavenly Father, we all know You have a great sense of humor and impeccable timing. To send a hurricane on the third anniversary of the Katrina disaster AND right at the beginning of the Republican Convention was, at first blush, a stroke of divine irony. I don’t blame You, I know You’re angry that the Republicans tried to blame YOU for Katrina by calling it an “Act of God” — when the truth was that the hurricane itself caused few casualties in New Orleans. Over a thousand people died because of the mistakes and neglect caused by humans, not You.

Some of us tried to help after Katrina hit, while Bush ate cake with McCain and twiddled his thumbs. I closed my office in New York and sent my entire staff down to New Orleans to help. I asked people on my website to contribute to the relief effort I organized — and I ended up sending over two million dollars in donations, food, water, and supplies (collected from thousands of fans) to New Orleans while Bush’s FEMA ice trucks were still driving around Maine three weeks later.

But this past Thursday night, the Washington Post reported that the Republicans had begun making plans to possibly postpone the convention. The AP had reported that there were no shelters set up in New Orleans for this storm, and that the levee repairs have not been adequate. In other words, as the great Ronald Reagan would say, “There you go again!”

So the last thing John McCain and the Republicans needed was to have a split-screen on TVs across America: one side with Bush and McCain partying in St. Paul, and on the other side of the screen, live footage of their Republican administration screwing up once again while New Orleans drowns.

So, yes, You have scared the Jesus, Mary and Joseph out of them, and more than a few million of your followers tip their hats to You.

But now it appears that You haven’t been having just a little fun with Bush & Co. It appears that Hurricane Gustav is truly heading to New Orleans and the Gulf coast. We hear You, O Lord, loud and clear, just as we did when Rev. Falwell said You made 9/11 happen because of all those gays and abortions. We beseech You, O Merciful One, not to punish us again as Pat Robertson said You did by giving us Katrina because of America’s “wholesale slaughter of unborn children.” His sentiments were echoed by other Republicans in 2005.

So this is my plea to you: Don’t do this to Louisiana again. The Republicans got your message. They are scrambling and doing the best they can to get planes, trains and buses to New Orleans so that everyone can get out. They haven’t sent the entire Louisiana National Guard to Iraq this time — they are already patrolling the city streets. And, in a nod to I don’t know what, Bush’s head of FEMA has named a man to help manage the federal government’s response. His name is W. Michael Moore. I kid you not, heavenly Father. They have sent a man with both my name AND W’s to help save the Gulf Coast.

So please God, let the storm die out at sea. It’s done enough damage already. If you do this one favor for me, I promise not to invoke your name again. I’ll leave that to the followers of Rev. Dobson and to those gathering this week in St. Paul.

Your faithful servant and former seminarian,

Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com

P.S. To all of God’s fellow children who are reading this, the city of New Orleans has not yet recovered from Katrina. Please click here for a list of things you can do to help our brothers and sisters on the Gulf Coast. And, if you do live along the Gulf Coast, please take all necessary safety precautions immediately.

Let’s hope Dobson asks his flock to join those of us praying for the best as we face this storm. Since I am a not a fundamentalist Christian or Muslim, I guess I will just have to stick with my mainstream Protestant faith, rather claiming unknown and unseen knowledge.

Musharraf says he will resign Pakistan presidency (CNN) Sad that Bush is not being pressed into the same action.

(CNN) — Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation Monday after weeks of pressure to relinquish power.

Pakistan’s Pervez Musharraf has until now stubbornly resisted pressure to quit.

Musharraf told the nation in a televised address that he would step down — nearly nine years after he seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999.

“I don’t want the people of Pakistan to slide deeper and deeper into uncertainty,” Musharraf said.

“For the interest of the nation, I have decided to resign as president,” he said. “I am not asking for anything. I will let the people of Pakistan decide my future.” Watch Musharraf resign »

He was expected to turn in his resignation to parliament Monday. Musharraf quit as the ruling coalition was taking steps to impeach him.

Local media reports said he had been granted “safe passage” out of the country.

Musharraf has been a keen ally of the West in the fight on terror, receiving billions in military aid from the U.S. and launching attacks on militant groups near the country’s border with Afghanistan. Watch more on Musharraf’s departure »

In a statement released by U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe, President George W. Bush said it was committed to a “strong Pakistan that continues its efforts to strengthen democracy and fight terror.”

“President Bush appreciates President Musharraf’s efforts in the democratic transition of Pakistan as well as his commitment to fighting Al Qaeda and extremist groups,” the statement said.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said he had been a “friend to the United States” and one of the “most committed partners in the war against terrorism and extremism.”

read more of original article

One of the most committed partners in the war against terrorism and extremism?

I have yet to figure out if Condi is clueless or just a very bad liar (not a popular trait in the Boy George administration where lying is a key people skill).

For Pete’s sake, the guy was put in place by an army coup. That’s not “extremism”? Musharraf ruled by terror and extremism and good riddance. He was dealing with the Taliban and possibly al Qaeda for a truce; that was his war on terror.

Good riddance!

The real shame here is that Pakistan’s parliament is showing up the U.S. Congress in spades on how to deal with abuse of power and illegal activities by an executive power. Maybe we someday will embrace democracy here as Pakistan has now embraced it.

I hope somebody counts the silverware before Boy George leaves the White House.