BANKRUPT CHRISTIANS

As Chris in Paris first reported, the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon filed for Chapter 11 today to try and put a temporary halt on court cases that would expose the corrupt actions of Church leaders who repeatedly protected child molesters and hid them in new parishes where they would rape again and again. Apparently, some dioceses would rather have their finances exposed than their dirty deeds. Buried in the story was a particularly upsetting quote from Archbishop Vlazny, who said, "The pot of gold is pretty much empty right now." So as he sees it, the victims are greedy people trying to cash in, rather than human beings who have had their faith and their life shattered by the Church's abuse of trust. Talk about bankrupt. Read More......

Michael Moore's new letter - it's good :-)

My First Wild Week with "Fahrenheit 9/11"... By Michael Moore:

....Surfing through the dial I landed on the Fox broadcasting network which was airing the NASCAR race live last Sunday to an audience of millions of Americans -- and suddenly the announcers were talking about how NASCAR champ Dale Earnhardt, Jr. took his crew to see 'Fahrenheit 9/11' the night before. FOX sportscaster Chris Myers delivered Earnhardt's review straight out of his mouth and into the heartland of America: 'He said hey, it'll be a good bonding experience no matter what your political belief. It's a good thing as an American to go see.' Whoa! NASCAR fans - you can't go deeper into George Bush territory than that! White House moving vans - START YOUR ENGINES!

....Bush spokesman Dan Bartlett had told the White House press corps that the movie was "outrageously false" -- even though he said he hadn't seen the movie. He later told CNN that "This is a film that doesn't require us to actually view it to know that it's filled with factual inaccuracies." At least they're consistent. They never needed to see a single weapon of mass destruction before sending our kids off to die....

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AIDS Pandemic Worse Than Ever

Here's some cheery news: The UN reports 4.8 million new cases of HIV worldwide -- the highest total EVER since HIV was identified in the early '80s. More than 20 million people have already died and anywhere from 34 million to 43 million people are HIV positive. Asia is at a tipping point where numbers could start to explode. And according to the New York Times, "health workers have less than half of the $12 billion that is needed for treatment and prevention by the end of 2005." In other words, a measly $7 billion today could have a huge impact on saving millions of lives and saving entire countries from disaster. This isn't just a humanitarian good -- it's a pragmatic, reasonable step that would serve our country's economic and security needs. Meanwhile, Bush continues to politicize world AIDS funding, isolating and ignoring groups that dare to mention condoms, and insisting on name brand drugs when generics could save three times as many people for the same cost. Read More......

LETTERMAN: Top Ten George W. Bush Complaints About "Fahrenheit 9/11"

CBS | Late Show Top Ten Archive: June 29, 2004: "Top Ten George W. Bush Complaints About 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

10. That actor who played the President was totally unconvincing
9. It oversimplified the way I stole the election
8. Too many of them fancy college-boy words
7. If Michael Moore had waited a few months, he could have included the part where I get him deported
6. Didn't have one of them hilarious monkeys who smoke cigarettes and gives people the finger
5. Of all Michael Moore's accusations, only 97% are true
4. Not sure - - I passed out after a piece of popcorn lodged in my windpipe
3. Where the hell was Spider-man?
2. Couldn't hear most of the movie over Cheney's foul mouth
1. I thought this was supposed to be about Dodgeball Read More......

Republican panic

From Andrew Sullivan, and he's right:

"Finally, a conservative objects to the fact that social liberals are all going to be given the prime speaking spots at the Republican convention. Kate O'Beirne wants to know where the real leaders of today's GOP are: Rick Santorum, Tom DeLay, Bill Frist. She's right. If it's a sign of weakness that Kerry picked Edwards, why is it not a sign of panic that Republicans are showcasing people who have opposed much of Bush's domestic agenda at their convention?"

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McCain: Always a Bridesmaid

From Wonkette:

CHRIS MATTHEWS: You know who John McCain's second choice for president is?
MATTHEW DOWD [GOP strategist]: Who's that?
MATTHEWS: George Bush.

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Visit HRC's action center re the Federal Marriage Amendment

Make sure you read and click on the HRC ad in the right-hand column of this blog. They've set up an online action center about the marriage amendment. It's an important issue, and we always like to help our sponsors :-)

Thanks, JOHN Read More......

Bush not as hated as Hitler, but just barely

Sounds like a catchy campaign slogan to me...

Reuters:

The survey of 34,000 [Hungarian] students, aged 16-18, from 655 high schools showed Adolf Hitler was the most disliked foreign personality with 25 percent of the vote, followed by Bush with 23 percent and Bin Laden with 16 percent.

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D'Amato Suggests Bush Dump Cheney

AP:

Alfonse D'Amato said Bush should consider putting Secretary of State Colin Powell or Sen. John McCain of Arizona on the GOP ticket.

As for Colin Powell, well that'd be fun - we could launch another DearMary.com site, this time for his daughter. Seriously though, I can't imagine either Powell or McCain taking the VP job.

Powell won't accept because his wife, allegedly, has always said she doesn't want him to run for president, and his wife holds the veto power. Not to mention, Powell has already learned how crooked this bunch is - that's why he's reportedly leaving next year - what would possess him to stay, this time even MORE closely tethered to Bush? He made that mistake once - when he became Sec of State - and look what it got him. He started with approvals near 80% or something and now he ain't doing so well, marked forever as the guy who lied to the UN. Four more years of Bush, and Powell can kiss his legacy goodbye. (Think: George Tenet.)

As for McCain, there are a few things. 1. He reportedly loathes Bush, and his staff loathes the Bush staff, and vice-versa. 2. Same argument as Powell - McCain is flying high, he doesn't need George Bush to get him into the White House. On the contrary, tying himself too closely to Bush would probably pull McCain into the mud just like it did Cheney and Powell and Tenet. What possible reason could McCain have to become VP, other than to help Bush win so Kerry doesn't. But McCain likes Kerry and hates Bush, so again, why become VP? It would give him a lot of power - maybe. Or he could become the ornament that most VP's become.

And finally, it currently looks like Bush is going to lose. Do either of these guys want to go down in flames along with Bush, and very likely be blamed for it?

Now, a much WISER strategy would be for Bush to dump Bush... Read More......

EXCLUSIVE: Secret GOP convention strategy will use gay protesters to scare Christian vote

I just heard from a senior inside-the-beltway source that the Republicans are planning to gaybait at their upcoming convention in NYC. According to my source, the Republicans have already rented mobile TV vans which they plan to use to film gays and lesbians protesting the Republican convention. The Republicans are hoping that some of the gay protesters will be dressed outlandishly in drag, etc. The on-site media vans will then film the protesters and beam the video to key election states like Missouri via various "Christian" TV networks. I was also told that the most outlandish protesters just might "coincidentally" be given the best access nearest the convention site, expressly so the media will see them.

Ah yes, it's 12 years later, but there's still a bit of Pat Buchanan left in the 'ole GOP. Read More......

The father of "outing" weighs in on anti-gay gays working on the Hill

One note - after Signorile wrote this article Mikulski came out (no, not THAT "came out") and stated categorically that she will vote against the anti-gay constitutional amendment. Read More......

Presidential win may bring power to appoint 4 Sup. Ct. justices

Be afraid. Be very afraid:

Few believe the present court can hold together for another four years, pointing to seats held by two liberals, a conservative, and a frequent swing voter. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 71, has battled cancer since 1999. Justice John Paul Stevens is 84. Chief Justice William Rehnquist, 79, and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, 74, are said to have eyed retirement for several years....

"All these constitutional issues are being decided by 5-4 and 6-3 decisions," Neas said. "Sometimes we're pleased, sometimes Sean is pleased, but they're all closely decided. Our analysis shows that more than 100 Supreme Court precedents would be overturned with one or two more right-wing justices like Thomas and Scalia."

Thanks to Buzzflash for finding this article. Read More......

Dick Cheney IS president, you dufus

Gee, pot calling the kettle black, anyone?:

President Bush on Wednesday curtly dismissed Democratic Sen. John Edwards' political skills and experience as a rival to his vice president, telling reporters 'Dick Cheney can be president.'

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Vatican Budget in Red

Apparently, pedophilia is not profitable. Read More......

From the Daily Show with Jon Stewart

The G.O.P.'s official Web site posted a news release asking, 'Who is John Edwards? A disingenuous, unaccomplished liberal and friend to personal injury trial lawyers.' You've really got to hand it to the Bush-Cheney team; they're the only campaign that could turn the word 'friend' into an insult.

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Does Senator George Allen (R-VA) have a senior gay staffer?

With Allen coming out and supporting the anti-gay constitutional amendment last Friday, wouldn't THAT be the height of hypocrisy for both Allen and the senior staffer... Read More......

HIV rates rising rapidly in Asia

The new UN report on HIV is disturbing, to say the least. The epidemic is on the edge of spiraling out of control in Asia, as we see in many parts of Africa. As horrible as it sounds, my sense is that some governments take a view that this is population control and just leave it alone. I have personally heard that explanation in some of the worst hit countries but that argument could not be further from the truth. In southern Africa, where the numbers are beyond comprehension, the health care systems are overwhelmed with dying patients, children are made homeless because their parents are dead or dying and productivity of the countries has been slashed because so many workers die, thus turnover is high. Maybe it's time for some of the borderline countries to visit Africa and witness the results of ignoring the problem. They can also look at how the Bushies are funding AIDS programs and learn from those countless mistakes as well. Read More......

Bush appointed judge throws out wrongful dismissal case without hearing evidence

Evidence? We don't need no stinkin' evidence. As you may recall, Sibel Edmonds is the former FBI translator who blew the whistle about FBI translations.

"U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said he was satisfied with claims by Attorney General John Ashcroft and a senior FBI official that the civil lawsuit by Sibel Edmonds could expose intelligence-gathering methods and disrupt diplomatic relations with foreign governments.

The judge said he couldn't explain further because his explanation itself would expose sensitive secrets.

Edmonds said the judge dismissed her lawsuit without hearing evidence from her lawyers, although the government's lawyers met with Walton at least twice privately. She noted that Walton, the judge, was appointed by President Bush."

"This shows how the separation of power has basically disappeared," Edmonds said in a telephone interview. "The judge ruled on this case without actually this ever being a case."

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Stupid dog tricks

It's so cute to watch the little poodle jump around and try and show some independence. Give it up Tony, you have received almost nothing in return for being Bush's lapdog. Don't even try and suggest that the Bushies accept science because they do not. If it's not in their bible studies class, it's not on their agenda. Just what does Blair think he's getting in return for selling out to Bush?

"I do not think we should give up on the dialogue with the United States," the prime minister said. "I think they accept the science. The question is what do you do about it? That is in itself a significant change that we need to build upon."

Blair has said global warming will be a key issue when Britain chairs the Group of Eight summit next year."

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