Beer barrel alert!

...And Kerry's Malicious Mentor

Meanwhile, another Boston America- basher, Ted Kennedy, seems to be bucking for a job on al-Jazeera television.

John Forbes Kerry's mentor went so far over the top on the Abu Ghraib affair this week that you've got to wonder whether his brains have - finally - fallen out:

"On March 19, 2004, President Bush asked, 'Who would prefer that Saddam's torture chambers still be open?' Shamefully, we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management - U.S. management."

Unfortunately, because such slanderous nonsense was uttered by a senator with the magic "Kennedy" name, it's impossible to ignore - even if it comes straight from Michael Moore's playbook.

If Ted Kennedy cannot tell the difference between the abuses at Abu Ghraib, disturbing as they are, and the systematic, decades-long litany of torture and torment inflicted on thousands of Iraqis by Saddam Hussein's henchmen, then he has no business sitting in the United States Senate.

The contemptible rumpot has no business sitting there in the first place. But where else can he get a "waitress sandwich"? Too bad Ted didn't save any snaps of that or his hijinks with now deceased staffers. He could have fit right in with the Abu Ghraib crowd.

But even more disturbing is that such hate-America rubbish comes from someone who occupies a senior place of influence with the Democratic Party's candidate for president, John Kerry.

Indeed, Kennedy's contemptuous libel is just as much a smear of America's troops as was Kerry's 1971 Senate testimony, in which he depicted the U.S. military as little more than a collection of child-murderers and war criminals.

What did Kerry have to say about his colleague's slander?

"I don't agree with the framing of that," Kerry said on Don Imus' radio show. "He's my friend, and I respect him enormously, but I don't agree with the framing of that."

Hardly a profile in courage now, is it?

And then Kerry added this: "But I know what he's saying - and so do you."

Yes, we know what Ted Kennedy is saying - but we're a lot less certain about where John Kerry stands.

In fact, it seems like Kerry is trying to play both sides of this issue and bolster his appeal to the Democrats' nutcase-left wing.

John Kerry is the nutcase left wing. But I like the ventriloquism act - ole Ted breaks wind and Lurch's lips move.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 8:57 AM -

 
C'mon Sugar Momma! 'Fess Up!

Kerry's patroness II

John Kerry's presidential campaign finally began releasing information about his wife's taxes this week. What drips were made available have raised more questions than they have answered. And it is clear that the senator's wife, who has ably served as his indispensable political sugar momma ever since he came within a whisker of being drubbed out of the Senate in 1996, is going to have to share a lot more information. Yes, we know that Teresa Heinz Kerry has received an extension until Oct. 15 for filing her tax return on 2003 income. So, releasing her return for 2002 income will be a good first step.

I don't think they're going to be pleased with that suggestion, since it's likely that the 2002 return wasn't "sanitized". And why does Kerry always dribble out heavily edited information? Tax returns, miltary records, the still missing medical records. One gets the feeling that he is a congenital spinner or he's got a lot to hide.

Anyhow, the thing that struck me from the available info is that ole Terry is getting a rather crappy return on her fortune:

Mrs. Heinz Kerry, whose net worth Forbes magazine estimated to be $550 million in 2002, reportedly earned $5.115 million last year in interest and dividend income. Now, that comes to less than 1 percent of her 2002 net worth. She paid $587,000 in estimated federal income taxes. That amounts to 11.5 percent of her reported income and one-tenth of 1 percent of her estimated net worth.

One reason her federal income tax bill was so low was due to the keen foresight she demonstrated by investing in tax-free state and local bonds. Those bonds generated $2.777 million in nontaxable interest income in 2003. Overall, state and local bonds yielded a tax-exempt 4.75 percent last year, a return that actually exceeded the 4 percent taxable yield on 10-year Treasuries. Thus, Mrs. Heinz Kerry's investment in state and local bonds approximated $60 million, leaving nearly $490 million of her net worth for other investments. The balance of her 2003 income — $2.338 million — was earned from dividends and taxable interest income. This would represent a return of less than half of a percentage point on the $490 million balance of her Forbes-estimated wealth. That is astonishingly low, and would get any portfolio manager the boot in a heartbeat.

Maybe Lurch ought to sign up up for the Senate Credit Union - they're paying 0.8% in Christmas Club accounts.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 6:58 AM -

 
Huge Buzzing Cicada Alert!

Get your Weapons of Mass Cicada Destruction (WMCD) at Home Depot or buy your own cicada on eBay, but whatever you do, watch out for the biggest cicada of them all!

UPDATE: Pediatrician Warns Parents About Cicadas. Based on the article, the doc should be warning parents about stupid kids.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 1:23 PM -

 
Circling the bowl alert!

More bad news for Air America

Air America, the tottering monument to liberal hubris in the talk radio industry, may be about to change hands again, according to the Chicago Tribune. Its internal state of chaos is so great that employees, who had the cost of health insurance coverage deducted from their paychecks, were apparently never enrolled in a health insurance plan.

This must certainly be an oversight, rather than fraud. The devotion of liberals to health care coverage for all is so well-known that it is inconceivable that this could be deliberate. Incompetence, not criminality, must be at work.

Major hat-tip to Michael Nadler, who points out that while intent is critical to assessing criminality in a case like Air America's failure to pay for health insurance, if Air America also neglected to pay the I.R.S. the withholding taxes it deducted from employees' paychecks, as they did with health insurance, they would be "toast."
...
Strangely enough, the left-leaning press outlets like the New York Times, which devoted enormous attention to Air America when it was a pending venture, are curiously uninterested in the troubles being experienced in the actual operation of the business. Usually, liberal journalists take delight in business scandals. Imagine the headlines if an Enron or Halliburton pocketed employees' health insurance deductions without actually covering them with health insurance!

But it's good news for Al Franken - he finally did something funny!

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 12:50 PM -

 
Today's Hoot

Over at c|net, Charles Cooper waxes lyrical about the computer industry - The rebirth of high-tech gabathons:

I was recently invited to a Silicon Valley kaffeeklatsch billed as the gathering for folks who want to find out what will define the next phase of the computer industry.

The conference fee ranges from $1,695 to $2,790, depending on whether I select the "invitation price," the "standard price" or the "walk-in" price. Besides absorbing the received wisdom of the dot-com headliners who are the big draw, I'm entitled to a free book the organizers are throwing into the package because, hey, they are just great sports.

Expensive mini-conferences fell out of fashion during the bust, but now that the tech business is on the mend, they are back with a vengeance.

I suppose that's a promising harbinger for the greater technology business. In any case, these slick e-brochures are flooding my in-box. One promises that I'll walk away with deep insights into the next stage in the development of the Internet; another claims to be the only venue that brings together the real movers and shakers. And so on and so forth.

Whether these gabathons are truly worth the price of admission is another matter. The answer may depend on whether you find yourself in a swanky resort, an exotic locale or some burg with a reputation for exceedingly naughty entertainment. Des Moines in December? Make mine Cannes in June.

But before bugging your boss for permission to jet off to Big Thinker's 2004 in Cancun, ponder Cooper's Law of Bloviation--which posits an inverse relationship between the number of speechifying multimillionaires on display and the improbability of deriving any benefits from sitting in the audience (besides logging quality snooze time).

There's more (including a blogging reference) by following the link, including this gem:

...most tech confabs follow a predictably rigid routine. A procession of chubsters follow each other on stage to yammer on about this or that. "Hey, we're rich, so (presumably) we know." It is not long before at least half the attendees slip into the corridor, where the conversation is infinitely more interesting. Plus, there's coffee.
...
In the meantime, I think I'm about to get uninvited to that kaffeeklatsch.

Er, probably not if you ante up the conference fee.

And while I get a laugh out of this stuff, the best part is that, unlike most things I complain about, it's fundamentally harmless. No one is making anyone attend these bun fights and no taxpayer dollars were consumed to make them happen.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 9:29 AM -

 
Fourth Estate or Fifth Column?

The Kids Deserved to be Killed?:

In perhaps the most distorted coverage of the brutal murder of a pregnant Israeli mother and her four young daughters, NPR’s Julie McCarthy blamed the victims for their own slaughter.

That's why the taxpayers fund NPR, I guess - to give us coverage we won't find anywhere else.

And on this morning's Today Show, perky Katie Couric was looking up her butt again - Couric to [Chris] Matthews: "It's a Question of Who is the Lesser of Two Evils" in Iraq [US or Al-Qaeda]"

And then there's our usual chums in big media - American's beheading old news for media elite:

The Washington Post, for example, ran two prison-abuse stories on the front page yesterday, plus three related stories elsewhere in the A-section. A single story on Mr. Berg was relegated to page A21.

The New York Times featured three prison-abuse stories on the front page, with a single story on Mr. Berg, which emphasized that "federal officials" failed to protect him. Three more prison-abuse stories ran elsewhere in the A-section.

That's a puzzlement, fer sure!

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 8:31 AM -

 
"Everything is going according to plan"




As expected, FEC Won't Limit Political Groups' Spending . Sorry Georgie, but not everyone is going to roll over for SPECTRE.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 4:06 PM -

 
I guess being a hard working "man of the people" has its rewards

From the New York Post - How Pols Bag Sex Interns:

ALBANY - The latest Assembly sex scandal is just the "tip of the iceberg" of a far wider system of aggressive exploitation of young women in the state Legislature's intern program, a former official has told The Post.

"The Assembly intern program is like a 'canned hunt' for these young women," said the ex-Assembly official.

"Office assignments for these interns isn't done at random, with interns just being sent to different offices by chance," added the former official, who has firsthand knowledge of the intern program.

"Assembly members make calls prior to the arrival of the interns in January, or send out scouts to look them over, and then they put in their 'orders' with the staff for the type that they want."

The source spoke in the wake of the claim by a 19-year-old college intern that Harlem Democratic Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV plied her with booze and, possibly, raped her last week.

"These young women, and in some cases young men, don't realize that they are nothing but fresh meat to these charismatic politicians, who bag them and then brag about it after the interns leave town in May," the source said.

"What you've been hearing about is only the tip of the iceberg."

The former official described an annual January ritual of sizing up the interns when they first arrive.

"Either the [Assembly] members or their aides do that annually, go on a scouting expedition," he said.

Another source said lawmakers regularly bet with one another on whether they can "bed" individual interns.

The New York State Assembly, controlled for eons by the Democrat party, is always a class act.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 7:48 AM -

 
Ahem! Who's been trolling the pr0n sites?

Boston Globe publishes bogus GI rape pictures :

Boston residents got more than they bargained for this morning when their copy of the Globe came complete with graphic photos depicting U.S. troops gang-raping Iraqi women.

Problem is the photos are fake. They were taken from pornographic websites and disseminated by anti-American propagandists, as first reported by WND a week ago.
...
WND contacted the Globe to question staff about the photos.

Asked whether the photos were the same as the porn photos WND already investigated, reporter Donovan Slack said, "I have no idea. I'm surprised the editor even decided we should write about it."

She added: "Oh my God, I'm scared to answer the phone today."

"It's insane," said Slack. "Can you imagine getting this with your cup of coffee in the morning? Somehow it got through all our checks. Our publisher's not having a very good day today."

Slack sent the photos to WND, which immediately confirmed they were the same porn photos reported on last week.
...
The photos accompanied an article about Boston city councilor Chuck Turner, who distributed the graphic photographs yesterday at a press conference with activist Sadiki Kambon.

More hilarity by following the link including the statements of the two wingnuts who apparently have a continuing role as village idiots in Boston. But here's where it gets interesting:

The Globe published the photos despite the fact a skeptical Slack had raised serious doubts about them and was not able to verify their authenticity. Slack was assigned to report on the press conference and did not approve of the photos being published. The photos were approved for publication by three Boston Globe editors.
...
A source with the Globe said the controversy already had reached the president of the New York Times, who reportedly is furious. The Boston Globe is owned by the New York Times Co.

Guys, you're supposed to make the spin look plausible!

Wizbang! has a scan of the article with the picture of the two buffoons holding their rather rumpled dirty pictures. I'm sure those had them stroking, er, their beards.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 7:32 PM -

 
Where are the usual suspects?

It must be tough. There you are, rollicking merrily along loudly proclaiming that some doofs that the US military is all over for arranging nude pyramids are somehow equivalent to Saddam's boys who liked dropping folks in shredders. Then your pet monkeys leave a huge steaming deposit in the front hall. What to do?

Well, if you are really delusional, you can claim the CIA did it. But what's appropriate for the liberal paladins of the blogosphere? Here's an idea, you can ignore it. Don't step in anything icky, kids!

Which brings us to the US media who are being really shy about Berg's beheading. If everything is so equivalent, why doesn't the snuff video rate equal time with the nudies? It must be that it's Sweeps Month and nude sells better than violence. Or something. But you can't help but notice that they haven't got much of a track record on documenting Islamic nutjob barbarity. I hope no one is still waiting for some snaps of Saddam's victims or even the people who jumped out of the WTC to avoid burning to death. I wonder why that is?

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 1:08 PM -

 
I may have to give up "pond scum"

How about Real Clear Politics' TED KENNEDY, OXYGEN THIEF:

Back in college, a good friend of mine had a name for people who were interminably stupid, annoying, arrogant, or otherwise insufferable. He called them "oxygen thieves."

The name always struck me as a wicked blend of humor and contempt, carrying with it the harsh implication that a person's very existence was not only wasting, but in fact robbing the rest of us of a valuable (though infinitely abundant) resource.

Needless to say, my friend didn't use the term often. It was always reserved for the worst of the worst, the sort of habitual offenders that made life unbearable.

The moniker came rushing back to me last night after hearing Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the floor of the United States Senate:

"On March 19, 2004, President Bush asked, 'Who would prefer that Saddam's torture chambers still be open?

"Shamefully, we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management: U.S. management."

What sort of dysfunctional moral compass must one have to make such a comparison?

For Teddy, torture is when the servants are tardy in freshening up his drink.

Follow the link for much more, and while you're there, check out today's post on the reaction of the dung flies to Senator James Inhofe giving them a well deserved spritz of DDT. The NY Times is all atwitter, probably because they were busy freshening Teddy's drinkie.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 11:42 AM -

 
Big Weird Al says he wants to have a "conversation"

Gore Warns of 'Climate Emergency' While Promoting Disaster Film:

Former Vice President Al Gore warned of a "climate emergency" on Tuesday as he joined forces with political activists from MoveOn.org to promote a Hollywood disaster film that shows global warming creating an ice age and causing massive destruction.

It's nice to know that Big Weird Al has a hobby! Tell us more!

The Day After Tomorrow , a 20th Century Fox production set for release on Memorial Day, stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid. The $125-million movie will offer "a rare opportunity to have a national conversation about what truly should be seen as a global climate emergency," Gore told reporters.

Hmmm, when I hear the phrase "national conversation," I reach for my holster because there's only one kind of varmint that makes that noise.

"I hope this movie will provide many opportunities for in-depth conversations about what this issue is really all about," Gore added. Others participating in Tuesday's teleconference are also planning to use the timing of the film's release to attack the Bush administration's environmental policies.

Many "in-depth conversations" yet. Is there some style sheet for wingnuts?

Emmerich's latest offering depicts global climate change wreaking havoc on the Earth by causing a rapid ice age in much of the world. Los Angeles is slammed by massive tornados, New York City receives depths of snow nearly as high as skyscrapers, New Delhi, India, is also consumed by snowstorms and Tokyo is pounded by giant hailstorms.

Giant locusts are cool too, but no word on them. And what about Godzilla?

Gregg Easterbrook, a senior editor at New Republic Online and one who believes that human-caused climate change is real, said Gore is doing a disservice to the environmental cause by affiliating himself with a Hollywood disaster film.

"Once Gore was a serious thinker on environmental issues and diligently sought out top-notch advice ... Now Gore appears ready to affiliate his reputation with a cheapo, third-rate disaster movie that makes Fantastic Voyage seem like a peer-reviewed technical paper," Easterbrook wrote.

Easterbrook assailed the movie's "imbecile-caliber" science: "By presenting global warming in a laughably unrealistic way, the movie will only succeed in making audiences think that climate change is a big joke, when in fact the real science case for greenhouse-gas reform gets stronger all the time."

Can't you just feel the angst? Of course, there's comedy value in picturing Gore as a "serious thinker."

Easterbrook also criticized Gore for his close affiliation with MoveOn.org, the liberal group propped up by huge donations from billionaire financier George Soros for the express purpose of defeating President Bush.

"It's easy to see why MoveOn.org wants the reflection of the new movie's limelight; wild exaggeration is a good fundraising tool. But if Gore associates himself with this mindless film, he will have completed his descent from serious thinker and national leader to MoveOn.org's sock puppet," Easterbrook wrote.

Maybe Big Weird Al is bucking for Number 2 in Spectre?

Gore acknowledged that the movie contained fictional elements, but he charged that the Bush administration's climate policy was even more fictional.

"There are two works of fiction that we have to deal with. One is the movie and the other is the Bush administration's presentation of global warming," Gore told reporters. He said he has read the script but not yet seen the film.

Gore explained that the movie's timeline of events is fictional; but he said it's "accurate in giving the impression that the consequences can be extremely serious.

That's a novel one. How about a 50 megaton atomic blast going off in Big Weird Al's nether region to demonstrate the point that hanging around with idiots is a bad plan?

"The Bush administration is in some ways even more fictional than the movie -- in trying to convince people that there is no real problem, that there is no real degree of certainty on the part of scientists about the issue and sort of accepting the big polluters' argument that nothing should be done to change the current practices of dumping pollution in an unrestrained way into the atmosphere," he added.

"This is the kind of dishonest behavior that can lead to an unhealthy debate in our democracy not dissimilar from the kind of misleading impressions that were created in the run up to the Iraq war," he added.

I get it - it's a "conversation" where only one view is permitted and everything else is "unhealthy." That sounds way too familiar.

There's much more whining from the usual suspects by following the link, including an infestation of tofu eaters to celebrate the flick's opening day, but here's a closing quote:

David Rothbard, president of the Washington, D.C.-based free market group, Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), rejects what he sees as climate change alarmism.

"Since Al Gore had such success peddling science fiction as reality in his book Earth in the Balance, it's no surprise he's all ozoned-up about a global warming movie with similar fantasy-as-fact foundations," Rothbard told CNSNews.com.
...
"Indeed, I expect many Americans, much to the environmentalists' chagrin, to be watching this movie at the drive-in with their SUV engines running and their trans-fatty buttered popcorn being washed down by a nice 32 ounce cola in a Styrofoam cup"

And hopefully they won't get to see Big Weird Al and Tipper steaming up the windows in the next car.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 7:57 AM -

 
What a surprise!

'Oily' French Bank Taps Ex-Bubba Atty:

The French bank at the center of the United Nations' Iraq oil-for-food program has hired President Clinton's lawyer in the Paula Jones sex-harassment case to help it deal with numerous investigations into the financial scandal, The Post has learned.

Super-lawyer Bob Bennett has joined a politically influential legal and lobbying team being assembled by the French bank BNP Paribas, which is facing intensifying scrutiny on Capitol Hill and elsewhere over its handling of the bulk of the $100 billion worth of oil-for-food transactions, officials close to the giant financial institution said last night.

Bobby better get cracking - more of those pesky coverup letters keep turning up!

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 12:20 AM -

 
Teh-Ray-Za and Lurch Alert!





Teresa: Bush Enviro Record 'a Sin Against Humankind'

Would-be first lady Teresa Heinz Kerry blasted President Bush's environmental record over the weekend, calling it "a sin against humankind."

Speaking before the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network in Manhattan, Heinz Kerry said the administration's efforts to alter the clean air and water acts were "inexcusable and unforgivable."

The $700 million ketchup heiress, who jets around in a gas-guzzling Gulfstream V and owns several SUVs, then went even further, describing the Bush record as "a sin against humankind, period."

That Teresa is a weenie is no surprise, but who knew that Rev. Al was an Ecoweenie?

But you better be careful what you say about Lurch's Sugar Momma - Kerry Warns Opponents Not to Attack His Wife:

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) warned his political opponents on Monday against attacking his outspoken wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, saying, "They're going to have to go through me."

The Massachusetts senator also sought to dispel the notion he was aloof, asking one television interviewer: "Have you had a beer with me yet? I like to have fun as much as the next person, and go out and hack around and have a good time."

Sing it everyone! "Macho, macho, macho man!"

And speaking of macho, it's a little hard to identify with someone who arranges for bogus home war movies, presumably in case he ever ran for office (hat tip: Henry Hanks):

The newest $25 million John Kerry advertising buy includes film of a young Kerry, rifle in hand, strutting through a Vietnamese jungle village in full field regalia. Boston journalists who have seen it are guffawing. When Kerry has shown them this footage over the years he described it as a "re-enactment" staged by Kerry with a Super-8 home-movie camera. Others say the original shots may have been part of his defense for an anticipated court martial.

Lurch's web site used to have a frame from the Super 8 available as desktop wallpaper, but it looks like it went down the memory hole. Too bad, it's just what I wanted - a snap of a bozo in fancy dress.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 7:27 AM -

 
Here's a shock!

Immigration found to cut U.S. workers' pay:

Two decades' growth in the supply of immigrant workers cost native-born American men an average $1,700 in annual wages by the year 2000, a top economist has concluded.

Hispanic and black Americans were hurt most by the influx of foreign-born workers, says a new report by Harvard University's George J. Borjas, considered a leading authority on the impact of immigration.

In further news, the sun rises in the east!

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 6:54 AM -

 
Bad News for Kerry's Billionaire Boys Club!

Buffet's Dollar Bet Goes Bad

Warren "The Oracle of Omaha" Buffett may have a crack in his crystal ball.

The legendary investor bungled an $18 billion bet on a weaker U.S. dollar last quarter, and lost as much as $600 million in five weeks.

The results weakened Buffett's two high-powered stocks - Berkshire Hathaway/Class A and Berkshire Hathaway/Class B - wiping out a total $6.8 billion of shareholder value yesterday.

I wonder how John Kerry's other billionaire, currency-trading pal, George "Blofeld" Soros made out?

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 6:29 AM -

 
There's always a silver lining!

Uganda tries nude dancing as tourist draw

With its gorilla-watching industry in a severe slump, Uganda is going to try to generate tourist revenue through the licensing of nude dancers.

They're such a rare commodity! That'll get the tourists thronging the place. But what happened to the gorilla watching?

Uganda's tourist industry had relied heavily on gorilla-watching tours in the forest along the country's western border. But, the industry was dealt a severe blow in 1999 when eight foreign tourists and a park ranger were killed by Rwandan rebels from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

That'll do it every time.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 11:47 PM -

 
Yessir, no illegal coordination around here!

From a email to me from George Soros' dung flies at MoveOn.org:

Dear MoveOn member,

In the wake of revelations of torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners, John Kerry has launched an important petition calling for President Bush to fire Donald Rumsfeld. Getting rid of Secretary Rumsfeld would be a huge step forward for all of us who oppose the Bush war policy, and Kerry needs to hear our support. To sign on to the petition, go to:

http://www.johnkerry.com/petition/rumsfeld.php

Senator Kerry's full message to his email list is copied below.

Sincerely,
--Eli Pariser
MoveOn PAC
May 7th, 2004


Message from Mary Beth Cahill, Kerry Campaign Manager:


Dear Friend,

Yadda, yadda

Help us show that America supports John Kerry in calling for Rumsfeld to resign. If 50,000 people sign this petition, that is a strong statement that will be recognized in the media -- and by the Bush-Cheney campaign.

Further bloviations from ole Mary Beth elided. Can we see the list of signers online? I know the folks in Kerry's campaign wouldn't throw other people's email addresses over the fence, but I'm a tad curious as to how many times Screw You and Bite Me signed up.

And tell us again how MoveOn is a purely independent organization that isn't covered by the swell new campaign finance restrictions.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 9:56 PM -

 
That's just sad!

It's kind of like an over-the-hill rock group playing the lounge at the local Holiday Inn. I hope Jesse has been stashing away some of his ill-gotten gains.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 7:16 PM -

 
Who's the most disgusting wingnut?

I know it's tough, but I always wax nostalgic over punk loudmouth Congressman Fortney Stark (D - Rubber Room).





What brings the boy to mind is Stark voice mail on Iraq vote winds up on Limbaugh, Net:

Dow faxed Stark a letter Thursday afternoon saying he was "appalled" by Stark's vote against the resolution, noting many of Stark's constituents are serving in the military with pride and distinction. Dow wrote that Stark's vote shows he doesn't support troops selflessly serving their nation, and "is a disgrace to the people of this district who have elected you."
...
Stark soon left Dow a phone message saying that Dow didn't know what he was talking about, and that Stark believed someone had put Dow up to writing the letter, perhaps even writing it for him: "I doubt if you could spell half the words in your letter."

"But I'll call you back later and let you tell me more about why you think you're such a great, goddamn hero, and why you think that this general and the defense department who forced these poor enlisted guys to do what they did shouldn't be held to account -- that's the issue," Stark said.

At least Fortney didn't call him a fruitcake.

Dow gave Stark's taped message to KSFO 560 AM, which aired and discussed it Friday. The station also posted it on the Internet and sent it to Limbaugh, who played it nationwide later Friday. Limbaugh said Stark spoke "typically as a liberal would to an upstart, peasant, dare-to-speak-to-a-congressman citizen."

Listen to the pond scum here. For an odious old fart, ole Fortney's sure a macho guy.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 9:32 AM -

 
So much to blog, so little time

John Kerry says, "Send in the Peace Corps!" No word on whether his speech writers made him say it.

And speaking of Lurch, Despite rap, word is Kerry can be fun. I think it's supposed to be about how Lurch really is a swell guy, but it seems to be a new list of Lurch stories and bloopers. My favorite is the late Congressman Joe Moakley:

Kerry was a tough sell for Moakley, who campaigned dutifully if not passionately for the incumbent. Kerry had a knack for leaving people cold and a reputation as someone easier to admire than embrace.

"Jeez, you just have to vote for Kerry," Moakley would tell union members. "I'm not asking you to have a beer with the guy."

Meanwhile the NY Times has some theories about Teresa's tax return. Hey let's face it - $500M dollars attracts tax lawyers like a feedlot attracts flies. I'm sure the campaign staff has a real hankering for the little folks to see a textbook on tax avoidance. But that's OK - let us press our noses to the glass!

Meanwhile, Obesity Becoming Major Global Problem. If it's not one thing, it's another, I guess. We'll still see Sally Struthers on the tube, but she'll be with fat 3rd world kids. Or maybe just by herself.

But not to worry, out in Fruit and Nut Land, Bill To Lower Voting Age To 14 Passes Senate Committee. Best indicator of the liberal tinkerer mindset:

The proposed constitutional amendment would give 14- and 15-year-olds 1/4 of a full vote, while 16- and 17-year-olds would get 1/2 a full vote.

No word on when the authors would get a clue.

posted by Cracker Barrel Philosopher at 8:18 AM -