Friday night open thread

Some tidbits to chew on:

* Bin Laden urges Americans to convert. Sounds like an "ex-gay" boot camp suggestion.

* Bush sub-prime economy is kicking ass: Troubled subprime mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp. plans to slash as many as 12,000 jobs over the next three months, according to company statement released late Friday.

* Bonus points:

Wall Street plunged while bonds surged higher Friday after the government reported payrolls in August fell for the first time in four years rather than rising as had been expected. The Dow Jones industrial average fell nearly 250 points.

* Mitt blasts on Rudy after the latter's "illegal immigration is not a [federal] crime" remark on winger Glenn Beck's show. Did Rudy forget his copy of The Brown Menace GOP Handbook^TM? And Mitt's should talk...

* Should the Tool McCain think about throwing in the towel yet -- Thompson Outperforms McCain in Arizona.

* And in this case, I have no idea of the political persuasion of these folks, but this isn't exactly what you expect to be transpiring on the taxpayers' dime.

A former prosecutor faces up to a three-year suspension of her law license after admitting to having sex at the Douglas County courthouse with a judge before whom she prosecuted at least two cases.

...[Laurie] Hurst, previously known as Laurie Steinman, was fired on Dec. 22. Grafton M. Biddle, 57, resigned his position after Hurst was fired.

A complaint filed in April said the affair began in the spring of 2006. Both admit to having sex in the judge's chambers and "on a number of occasions Judge Biddle would `sneak' into the women's shower facilities in the courthouse early in the morning," the complaint said.

Argh. There was more than toe-tapping going on there... Read the rest of this post...

Joe Murray: The 'Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Of The GOP'

Joe left the homophobic World of the Wildmons after working as staff attorney for the Tupelo, Mississippi-based American Family Association. He also penned (IMHO) hilarious anti-gay columns for its news organ AgapePress (known these days as OneNewsNow), has a stinging rebuke of the hypocritical cut-and-run of the GOP when it came to their toe-tapping conservative friend Larry Craig.

Murray, who's definitely on the conservative side of the political spectrum, did a couple of interviews with me earlier this year (here and here) on his evolution about LGBT rights, and his decision to speak out against the homophobia and hypocrisy -- and the anti-gay fundraising tactics of the religious right.

Murray is now in Las Vegas and writes for the Philly-based conservative paper  The Evening Bulletin. 

The Craig conundrum has exposed an Achilles heel that has long been present in the GOP - conservative organizations, such as the American Family Association, have removed the human element from homosexuality and replaced it with a man-made element driven by fear of the "homosexual agenda." Homosexuals, therefore, are not just average citizens; they are threats to the moral order and must be opposed at all costs.

To some of the leadership of the Christian right, the homosexual agenda is a zero-sum game where Christians lose if gays win. There is no middle ground; there is no room for compromise.

Homosexuality, thus, has become the ultimate of sins that can be committed against the GOP establishment, and its punishment must be quick and severe, lest one is seen giving aid to the enemy. When it is unearthed that a homosexual is within the ranks of GOP leadership, they must be shown the exit immediately.

The fact that the alleged homosexual may be a God-fearing Christian struggling with his sexual identity is irrelevant. Christian compassion stops at the Castro District.

If you are caught fraternizing with the D.C. Madame, we got your back. Plead no contest to a DUI charge? Don't sweat it; we're all human. Have a home raided on charges of corruption? We've all been there. But get caught in a Minneapolis men's room sting, and you receive a one-way ticket to the gallows.

There is, however, a bit of irony. In their zeal to portray homosexuals as public enemy No. 1, some right-wing activists have created a catch-22 that leaves no room for error. As demonstrated in the past, not many people can live up to such a standard.

The far right religious crowd has set the "values" bar so high that it makes the GOP look foolish when it continuously waffles, weaves and frets when faced with its same-sex trolling scandals. Read the rest of this post...

More on Bush "kicking ass"

Joe posted last night about the president's ridiculous statement that the U.S. is "kicking ass" in Iraq. Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey of Workers' World wasn't subtle in his commentary:

If "kicking ass" is creating a scenario whereby billions and billions of dollars (and Congress is today being presented with requests for more) of the US citizens' hard-earned wages are poured into a black hole of corruption (the Iraqi govenment, which dares not to venture beyond the refines of the Green Zone in Baghdad), if "kicking ass" is targeting civilian structures with military hardware, then George Bush proves that he indeed reunites the worst qualities of the cowboy clown-statesman the world feared back in 2000.

There was also a CNN article posted about Bush's mind-blowing statement, but the best part were the comments on that page. Who's the horse's ass now?

If "kicking ass" means thousands of innocent people are dying because of his greed, then we must be kicking ass.
Posted By Ace, Orange Count California : September 6, 2007 5:38 pm

I'm glad to hear that the President is so down to earth and can tell it like it is.
Posted By Jarred, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma : September 6, 2007 5:38 pm

He's the president of the most powerful nation on Earth and he says, "We're kicking ass," like he's talking about a Texas high school football team.
Posted By Logan, Huntington, WV : September 6, 2007 5:38 pm

Another crude comment from a fool cowboy who causes other people to die, but who can't even prove he served his time in the military!
Posted By Ross, Manlius, NY : September 6, 2007 5:38 pm

Really? How many Troops have died in this senseless war again?
Posted By Becky, Euless, TX : September 6, 2007 5:41 pm

Whose ass? The American peoples'?
Posted By bvt, Elko, Nevada : September 6, 2007 5:41 pm

"We're kicking ass,", "Fantastic Freedom Institute" and "replenish ol' coffers". Can he get any more adolescent?
Posted By Arkay, Detrot, MI : September 6, 2007 5:41 pm

and people wonder why the US is not taken seriously in the world, when our 'leader' is making statements that sound like something out of a bad action movie. He's not the brightest guy.
Posted By John, Green Bay Wisconsin : September 6, 2007 5:44 pm

Very classy, Mr. President. We need less tough talking cowboy hyperbole and more reason and logic in your approach to this mess you have created.
Posted By Mark, Holmen, Wisconsin : September 6, 2007 5:45 pm

No, Mr. President. We are not "kicking ass" in Iraq. Only a moron would make a comment like this. I rest my point.
Posted By Josh Maloney, Oakland, CA : September 6, 2007 5:51 pm

Did we hear that right, George? "Kicking ass?"
Our men and women certainly have had successes, but your deceitful and toxic policies are to blame for the thousands of dead and wounded that were sent their because of your lies. And let's not forgot what you have done to Iraq and its citizens–hundreds of thousands dead and wounded, millions displaced, sectarian violence that is reminiscent of the Middle Ages. Childhoods robbed and lives forever altered because you like to "Kick Ass."

Kicking ass, indeed! What a misguided simpleton we have as president. My fingers won't allow me to even spell president (this one anyway) with a capital p. W, you are disgraceful.

Jim Arnold
Posted By Jim Arnold, Germantown, TN : September 6, 2007 5:51 pm

There's that cowboy we all love so much.

Kicking who's ass, exactly? The American taxpayer's ass?
Posted By Kris, Toronto : September 6, 2007 5:52 pm

Would like to say I am surprised … but I am not. This has to be the most foolish president in the history of the United States.
Posted By Hank, Palm Springs, CA : September 6, 2007 5:52 pm

woohoo Go Army, Airforce, Navy & Marines!
Posted By Badonkadonk, Houston, Texas : September 6, 2007 6:00 pm

President Bush is out of control and continues to be completely oblivious to the facts, i.e., the NIE report, the GAO report, reporters on the ground in Iraq, etc. At some point, he needs to be held accountable for his continued incompetence and refusal to be truthful with himself and the American people. His behavior is unacceptable.
Posted By john p breen, freeport, new york : September 6, 2007 6:09 pm

Well it looks like we won't have to wait for Gen. Petraeus' report since Bush has already announced "we're kicking ass".
Posted By Farrell, Houston, Tx : September 6, 2007 6:09 pm

Another completely insensitive, inappropriate and inaccurate comment from our incompetent and insane leader.

Were we kicking ass when some of our people shot up a bunch of Iraqi women, and children? Are we kicking ass when we torture prisoners? Are we kicking ass when the government we set up is half gone?

Someone should kick Bush's ass. If given the opportunity, I would be first in line.
Posted By Clint, Menlo Park, CA : September 6, 2007 6:10 pm

An aside -- it looks like Bush's economy is kicking ass as well: US housing woes deepen as delinquencies, foreclosures rise.

The Mortgage Bankers Association, which represents banks and other firms in real estate finance, said delinquencies rose in the second quarter to 5.12 percent of loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties, up from 4.84 percent in the prior quarter. 

The delinquency rate does not count another 1.4 percent of loans in the foreclosure process in the April-June period, also up from the first quarter.

Moreover, an additional 0.65 percent of loans entered the foreclosure process, the highest in the history of the survey.

Read the rest of this post...

Iraq parliament back to work . . . er, "work"

That's right, our favorite legislative body is meeting again, garnering an anemic 154 (out of 275) members present on Tuesday for the opening of the fall session.

Did all that time off create the possibility for compromise? Perhaps some movement on vital issues? Ah, no. The LA Times reports:

[T]he 154 Iraqi lawmakers who reconvened Tuesday for a fall session showed few signs of urgency to tackle legislation that could help determine the future of the U.S. troop presence in their country. ... none of the bills seen as crucial to driving national reconciliation came up for discussion.

Seriously, I'm just going to start recycling my posts from a year ago. Everything is the same . . . except the number of deaths. Read the rest of this post...

Petraeus refusing to provide congress with written progress report on Iraq as promised

Petraeus is a liar. And liars don't like paper trails.

It's amazing the games this administration continues to play. They think it's still 2004, where they can lie with impunity, cast off all accountability, and no one will ever hold them responsible. But in a year we have a presidential and congressional elections, and it's going to be a bloodbath for Republicans, as it looks so far, and the Bush administration is doing all it can to tick the public off even more. There was no accountability four years ago, and it led Bush and the Republicans to act like arrogant jerks. But now, even though we can't hold Bush accountable, won't hold Bush accountable, his arrogance is going to drive the Republican party into the ground.

I'm actually enjoying this. Read the rest of this post...

GOP front runner or Buffy villain? You decide.

Not exactly the face that launched a thousand ships. Read the rest of this post...

Get The Lead Out, More Free trade!

One thing that always surprises/impresses/horrifies me about the Republicans is their ability to repeat the same message, regardless of the current circumstances.

Exhibit A is this morning's Washington Post article on President Bush's trip to Sydney. Yesterday, Bush urged Asian leaders to continue to join with America in free trade agreements.

President Bush on Friday called on Pacific Rim leaders to support efforts to expand free trade, saying that open markets are a crucial element in strengthening the "forces of freedom and prosperity."

Speaking to business leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum at the famed Sydney Opera House, Bush said free trade is the only route to long-term freedom and growth, despite the short-term pain it often causes in industrialized nations in terms of lost jobs and stagnant wages.

"The surest road to stagnation and instability is the path of isolation and protectionism," Bush said. "And the only road to enduring prosperity and stability is through open markets and open trade."

I find Bush's efforts on behalf of free trade with Asia breathtaking. Look, it's not that I would expect him to suddenly change his views on free trade, but given what we know about our trading arrangements with China, a sane person would at least have some reservations about asking for more.

Over the past few months, the Chinese have poisoned our animals and our children. We've had several recalls. And, by the way, the trade deficit with China approached a quarter of a trillion dollars last year (that's trillion with a t). Given that China is making so much more money out of this trade deal and in return giving the United States poisonous products, wouldn't it make sense for the President to at least revise our current strategy towards free trade in Asia? I'm not saying go all Smoot-Hawley on their asses, but shouldn't we at least do a cost-benefit analysis of these deals before asking for more? Read the rest of this post...

The REAL Rudy goes viral

The title of the first part of the hard-hitting documentary series by Robert Greenwald and the Brave New Films team on Rudy Giuliani is called "The Real Rudy Command Center." It chronicles the myth of the hero of 9/11 -- with interviews about the failures of planning (placing the emergency command center in the WTC), and horrid lack of emergency preparedness.

"It's just not possible."

That was the sentence we heard over and over from families who had firefighter sons, brothers, husbands and fathers killed on 9/11, from experts on emergency response, and from investigative journalists. It was just not possible that Rudy could so distort what happened on 9/11 and his role on that terrible day.

These experts, these grieving and furious family members, were united only by the fact that this story had to be told. Republicans, Independents, and Democrats could agree on just one thing: the cold hard facts about Rudy's terrible handling of 9/11 and the aftermath.

Pass the word and stay tuned for the next installment of myth busting. It's already caught the attention of the MSM, and the Giuliani campaign is hot under the collar about this film.

The videos attack Giuliani by saying he failed to prepare New York City for a major disaster, he ignored sick ground zero workers after the terrorist attack and he profited financially from his association with the tragedy after leaving office in 2001.

...The Giuliani campaign questioned Greenwald's motivation and timing. "It's unfortunate that a conspiracy theorist so disconnected from reality would launch a politically motivated hit video to coincide with the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks," said Mike McKeon, a Giuliani spokesman.

Read the rest of this post...

U.S. lost jobs in August

Heading in wrong direction on job growth. Bad economic news:

Employers cut 4,000 jobs in August, the first time in four years that monthly hiring contracted, the government said on Friday in a report certain to boost pressure on Federal Reserve policy makers to cut interest rates.

The surprisingly bleak August jobs report was sharply contrary to expectations that hiring would keep rising and comes even before the worst of the credit-market turmoil has begun to have an impact on the economy. Many financial services firms hit by subprime mortgage problems already have begun to announce layoffs.

The last time the economy shed jobs was in August 2003, when 42,000 jobs were cut.

Read the rest of this post...

Bin Laden tape is a stark reminder that Bush failed to capture or kill the mastermind of the attack on America

George Bush loves to invoke September 11th. So does Osama Bin Laden. The fact that Bin Laden is still alive and able to make these tapes mocking America is a testament to Bush's failed leadership. Of course, the Bush administration hopes we're all suitably frightened by the Bin Laden tape:

The White House said that any new video message from bin Laden would only underscore the threat the United States and other nations face from extremists.

Actually the Bin Laden underscores the fact that Bush has failed to capture or kill the guy who masterminded the attack on America on 9/11. If we still face a threat from Bin Laden six years later, it's Bush fault.

Wasn't Bush gonna get him "dead or alive"?:

The president, in an Oval Office meeting with Thailand's prime minister, would not predict the timing of bin Laden's capture but said he doesn't care how the suspect is brought to justice. "I don't care, dead or alive — either way," Bush said. "It doesn't matter to me."

Clearly, bringing Bin Laden to justice hasn't really mattered for six years. Read the rest of this post...

Friday Morning Open Thread

Good morning. Read the rest of this post...

John Howard, Bush's best friend in the war on terror

Howard and his crack team can't even stop comedians, so who knows how they would manage to stop real terrorists. The fake motorcade was 10 meters away (about 30 feet) from Bush's hotel in Sydney. Looks like a bumpy ride ahead for Bush's faithful friend down under. Besides the two videos on the link, check out other episodes of The Chasers, an Aussie comedy program that tackles some favorites such as Fox News and the religious right. Read the rest of this post...

Greenspan rolls out the CYA strategy

Oh Alan, it's all so clear today and yes, what could you have done to see what many others saw as you scoffed at talk about a bubble and economic woes, thought slashing taxes during a war made great sense and had nothing to saw about the now tanking GOP economy? Yes, it could have happened to anyone as you point to other historical crashes in the market. Too bad there's actually a record of your muddled words as well as your actions and inactions. Too bad you never hesitated when the GOP thought easy money was the wave of the future and you never hesitated to introduce common sense lending and economics. No, what could you have done as one of the highest ranking economic specialist in the federal government? What could be done with such power? Gosh, I just can't imagine but keep thinking about it and maybe a little, itty bitty light bulb might go off.

Bubbles can't be defused through incremental adjustments in interest rates, he suggested, the paper reported. The Fed doubled interest rates in 1994-95, and "stopped the nascent stock-market boom," but when stopped, stocks took off again. "We tried to do it again in 1997," when the Fed raised rates a quarter of a percentage point, and "the same phenomenon occurred."

No wonder Alan worked so well with Bush because neither could ever see anything wrong with their plans, no matter how much reality shoves it back into their face. Ahhh, ignorance is bliss. Read the rest of this post...

"The Afghan war is indeed winnable"

You mean we didn't win? I thought Afghanistan was the cornerstone of Bush's success in the never-ending war on terror. Republicans bragged about this success story and have always been so sensitive to criticism of that other failing venture. So tell me again where Bush actually has had success in this supposed war? Heck, tell me where he has succeeded with anything, foreign or domestic. Just as he used to brag about our victory in Afghanistan, he used to brag about US home ownership standing at record highs, thanks in no small part to his brilliant team so I guess we should expect to hear him accept some responsibility for that Hindenburg-like catastrophe as well, right? Read the rest of this post...