"Does God Have An Attorney?"

…Cartoonist David Horsey Answers

The U.S. Patent Office started issuing patents on chemical compositions based on human extractions 100 years or so ago. The first was for a chemical for adrenaline.

Now, in today’s world, mega-corporations are moving to corner the market on our very genetic code, the genes in our bodies. I think this is a very, very bad idea.

For instance, if they can prove a particular gene in our bodies belongs to them based on their secured patent rights to that gene, what’s to keep them from coming after those genes? In a sense, they would literally own us, own our very genetic composition. Shouldn’t the law, ethics and morals stand on our side? The law says we have nothing to fear from this patent process favoring corporations.

We all know how virtuous, ethical and trustworthy corporations are, right? Right?

Still Plagued By Bush Incompetence

…North Korea Steps Up To War

The epic diplomatic failure of the Bush faith-based lunatic administration continues to put America and much of the world in danger even after his criminal regime has left office.

North Korea is talking of war and they are wagering the U. S. will not act militarily against them. It is a horribly dangerous move. However, with the U. S. bogged down on the three war fronts of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, North Korea has weighed the pros and cons of saber-rattling with its neighbors and has decided the pros outweigh the cons. They have threatened to attack South Korea for participating in naval exercises with the U. S. and have said they will no longer honor the North-South armistice signed at the end of the Korean War.

Do they really mean it or is it just a move to garner national attention? Who knows? The North Korean leader Kim Jung-il has an ego the size of G. W. Bush’s and his irrational behavior is exceeded only by Bush’s inept and dangerous cowboy clown ‘bring it on’ governing.

Bush had eight years to continue the diplomacy and keep our agreements with North Korea but instead opted for the faith-based insanity of foreign policy based on fear mongering and threats, breaking our agreements with North Korea. He and his incompetent diplomatic minions fabricated an ‘axis of evil’ and put N. Korea on it. It was an epic diplomatic failure by an ethically challenged, to-hell-with-reality Republican administration. Now, President Obama and the rest of us are stuck with the consequences.

Under Bush’s eight years of epic diplomatic failure, North Korea resumed its nuclear and missile testing and began processing nuclear weapons-grade fuel. Now, because of Bush’s incompetence and outright stupidity on the world stage, we find ourselves yet again on the brink of possible war on the Korean Peninsula.

Illegal Wiretapping And Blackmail

…Obama, Pelosi, Reid Cower In Fear

I’m not one for conspiracy theories and I’m fresh out of tin foil for the hat but I think this has to be asked:

Is it blackmail that’s keeping Obama, Pelosi and Reid at bay, preventing them from doing the right thing, the legal thing by investigating and prosecuting the egregious criminal acts and war crimes committed and admitted to by the Bush administration?

If it isn’t criminal blackmail threatening to expose the dark skeletons buried in the pile of political dirt hidden in the proverbial closets of these politicians, give me the real reason because I can’t find one other legitimate, logical reason.

Bush and Cheney took office in 2000 and put the FBI, NSA and other spy agencies—in criminal partnership with AT&T and other civilian communications companies—in the business of illegal interception and storage of U.S. citizens’ private communications. Warrantless wiretaps in violation of the U. S. Constitution. A criminal act concocted, condoned and instigated by Bush and Cheney and for this alone they should be imprisoned for life.

I believe these wiretaps targeted the political opponents of the Republican administration. Eight years of criminality and outright lies from Bush, et al is proof enough they were fully capable. That, combined with the actions non-actions of these three Democrats concerning upholding the law and pressing for criminal investigations, it would appear the Bush and Cheney illegal data-mining hit pay-dirt, extracting some dark, embarrassing skeletons, a virtual political lucrative gold mine of dirt on key Democrats.

“I have said it before and I will say it again: Impeachment is off the table,” Pelosi said during a news conference November 8th, 2006. She later said if anyone could point to some specific criminal act Bush committed, she would support going after Bush. We now have ample evidence of criminality along with Cheney’s highly publicized admission that he and Bush both ordered torturing of prisoners in direct violation of our laws, international treaties and the international rules against war crimes. The recent ranting of Cheney and other Republicans about what Pelosi knew or didn’t know about torture wasn’t really about that at all. It was a deafening warning, a not so subtle and threatening reminder to Pelosi that if she comes after them, they will open her closet, release her skeletons. Think I’m wrong? Hear any calls for a special prosecutor by Pelosi to date? Me either. Is that a bone sticking out of the pile of dirt in your closet, Nancy?

Even to this day, the quivering, spineless Harry Reid continues to say “torture has been committed, but that the top priority should be delaying, and that certain people just shouldn't be prosecuted, even if that means failing to follow the law.” Expect this epic failure of a human, man, leader, coward to step forward and do the right legal thing? Not in this lifetime. What’s in your closet, Harry? Could be your backbone, you certainly aren’t using it. What dirty secret do they have on you?

As an Obama supporter, here’s the biggest disappointment of all. President Obama has no interest in prosecuting the high crimes of Bush, Cheney and others in the Bush administration even though there is a law that says we must investigate those criminal acts. He’s already looked the other way by excusing the crimes of torture committed or allowed by the CIA, saying agents won’t be prosecuted. According to our laws—if I have it right—it isn’t his option to let them or anyone else off the hook unless he issues pardons. Have you seen any pardons? Neither have I but I am starting to sense a lurking skeleton or two.

It can’t be that the President is squeamish about war crimes. His administration called on the international community to investigate possible war crimes in Gaza this year but Obama is hypocrisy itself on the entire war crimes and other Bush criminality issues in this country. On the one hand—like Reid—Obama acknowledges there were crimes committed but that he wants to look forward not backwards (translated: it’s ok to look the other way and do nothing if crimes were committed before the Presidential inauguration). This is clearly a dishonest position, a failure on the President’s part to ensure our laws are followed and the integrity of our justice system is maintained. It is an indefensible legal position for anyone, much less for a schooled legal scholar such as Obama. What’s keeping him from following the law? It certainly isn’t the law itself. There is something foul here, more foul than just ordinary politics. I hear the rattling of bones.

There is no legal, moral, ethical, sound, logical, valid or defensible position preventing our government from immediately moving forward with full and complete investigation of the war crimes and other criminality of the Bush administration. Our laws demand it. So why aren’t we there yet? Why all this foot-dragging, waffling, positioning, inaction, obstruction, lying and hypocrisy from Obama, Pelosi and Reid? You tell me.

The first best answer I have is the stench of political criminal dirt, the decaying corpse of embarrassing shame, the bone-chilling screams of political suicide, and the threat of skeletal revelations called blackmail.

Newt Gingrich, Failed Speaker Of The House

…Spews Republican Talking Points

Is the Republican human brain wired in such a way that it keeps it from being able to perform rational thinking? Is there a predominate gene which predisposes people of the regressive ilk to be dishonest? I’ve pondered these questions for years. Newt adds fuel to my theory that the answers to both questions might be yes.

The old, tired, bereft of positive ideas Newt Gingrich was on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night. He was—as is the Republican way—railing against Obama, the Democrats, nationalized health care and government and pretending that he was speaking truth to the American public. He wasn’t. Basically, Newt said he didn’t think the Federal Government was capable of managing anything, much less health care.

Jon, whose brain is wired for thinking, followed up Newt’s position by reminding Newt that we trust our government to administer our national security, our military and our wars so why not health care?

Excellent point, Jon.

But a brief note to both Jon and Newt about our government and health care might be in order to remind them the government is already managing health care. Unless I’m wrong, both Medicare and Tricare are managed by the government. You’d think Newt would know that. He wasn’t being dishonest on purpose, was he?

Newt was following the Republican talking points supporting the corporate multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical, health insurance and health care industries by stating falsehoods about our government in order to sabotage President Obama’s heath care plan. He called the Obama administration the most socialist ever. It’s a lie but, ignoring facts, he said it anyway. Newt’s points are designed to turn voters against the President’s attempt to revamp of our health care system. Newt is pro-corporation, anti-citizen. That makes his position on these issues less than honest. He isn’t to be trusted with truth or honesty. But that doesn’t surprise me. The mind of the regressive and the dishonest are genetically wired differently than the rest of us.

What Pelosi Knew Or Didn't Know About Torture

…Is Totally Irrelevant To Bush-Cheney War Crimes

Much noise is being made by Republicans and their apologists about what Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi knew or didn’t know about the war crimes of torture committed by the Bush-Cheney regime.

But it is just noise. A lame smoke screen. A bleating attempt to distract from the crimes of Bush, Cheney and their immoral faith-based crew. Truth is it doesn’t matter about Pelosi.

Did the CIA lie or mislead Pelosi and Congress? My guess is they did. Considering the fact that Bush and Cheney packed the CIA with their own hand-picked faith-based criminals, replacing career CIA personnel with Republican operatives, it is conceivable telling lies likely became standard procedure in the intelligence community, thus mirroring the Bush administration. Many of the Bush-Cheney operatives are still embedded in the CIA today.

Taking into account all the lies told to us and the world by the Bush regime, it is no stretch what-so-ever to believe that their CIA operatives also lied to cover up illegal and foul deeds. In fact, they’ve already admitted as such. Remember the CIA interrogation tapes of torture? CIA destroyed them to avoid prosecution; if the tapes showed nothing wrong, the CIA would have kept them as proof of their innocence. But they destroyed them. That speaks volumes to their guilt.

Here’s the bottom line. Torture is a war crime. Bush and Cheney ordered war crimes to be committed. They are the ones responsible. Torture violates our laws and international treaties. It is immoral, illegal, reprehensible and wrong. Torture doesn’t work. But Bush and Cheney ordered it anyway. Cheney has admitted to it and stated that Bush was the one who authorized it. They are war criminals. Some still think they aren’t. I say, let’s find out for sure.

Let’s have a special prosecutor with all the resources they need to uncover the truth and let’s also back an international War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. If Pelosi, the CIA, contractors or anyone else inside or outside the Bush-Cheney regime is complicit, they also need to be held accountable to both the U.S. and International courts of law.

Hypocrisy Highlights

…Make Me Smile

While the Edwards, Spitzer and Craig references in this rendering are fictitious (albeit hilarious), the Bristol Palin one is real. She actually is a real spokesperson for a real organization promoting abstinence (insert gut-busting laughter here).

Cartoon Essay

Who said, "A picture is worth a thousand words."? In this case the cartoonists have captured an almost complete essay on the travesty of justice, missing ethics and gross criminality involved in the looting of the U.S. Treasury by the greedy and evil. Who ultimately pays? We all do, of course.

Guess Who Is Coming To Dinner?

…A War Criminal, Of Course

If the Washington Post has it right, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has been invited to attend the White House correspondent’s dinner this coming Saturday.

My first thought was, “Who the hell invited this (expletive deleted) to the dinner and why?” The Houston Chronicle evidently gave him the invite. If anyone knows why, please let me know.

President Obama will be at the podium for some comments and comedienne Wanda Sykes will do her thing. My only hope is that Gonzales is there as the main entertainment act of the evening. How, you ask? By being water boarded 200 times throughout the dinner. It would be for entertainment purposes only you understand.

“Excuse me, Alberto, would you like some freedom fries to go with your water boarding?”

Abstinence Only Program

…Notes Of Interest

The Abstinence Only Program (AOP) has never made any sense because it refuses to present other options as possibilities thus cutting off important, relevant and factual information to those who need it. Most importantly it ignores the inherent power of human sexuality. This failed program has a new ‘spokesperson’ in the form of one who has failed miserably as an ‘abstinence only’ practitioner.

As pointed out here, “Bristol Palin is the last person on earth anyone would want as a poster girl for "abstinence education" for several reasons besides the obvious one. For one thing, her pregnancy was the most glaring proof that the moral agenda her mother was so hell bent to impose on everyone else's family didn't even work in her own family.”

Then again, she just might be the perfect representative for the non-reality-based supporters of the AOP. After all, as Micheal Rowe points out, “Bristol Palin can see unicorns from her house.”

Humor aside, the people and organizations that support the AOP are short on factual, reality-based thinking—taking the ‘head-in-the-sand’ approach and have always failed to recognize the inevitable failure of the program because they refuse to accept the humanity of sexuality as the norm rather than the exception. The AOP and their new spokesperson are glaring examples.

If Ben Smith is right, as posted here, President Obama’s budget eliminates funding for community-based abstinence only education, the mandatory Title V Abstinence Education program, the Compassion Capital Fund, and Rural Community Facilities. In effect, the new budget will “cut off streams of funding to religiously oriented groups allied with the Bush White House.”

Finally.

Bloggers Are Destroying America

…Our Country Is Doomed!

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC): “If we’re going to let the bloggers run the country, then the country’s best days are behind us.”

Lindsey Graham’s hair is on fire, his mind is melting. Predictable. Typical reaction by a Republican these days when confronted with the truth. Lindsey’s comment came in a discussion of Jeff Sessions and the upcoming SCOTUS fight. He is upset over comments on blogs reminding us of Jeff Session’s less-than-sensitive past. Read about it here.

But his comment made me think. He’s telling Democrats and others not to listen to bloggers? Who are bloggers? We are voters, we are citizens, we are constituents and we have a voice.

Newspapers are dead or near-death, legal protesters voicing their opinions in the streets are being arrested, lobbyists are buying (bribing) a booming voice in government, and multi-mega corporations are controlling the so-called main stream news media content. Don’t listen to bloggers? Wrong, Lindsey. Your comment is anti-1st Amendment. Makes me wonder why you hate freedom of the press, freedom of information and freedom to express opinions openly? Oh, I forgot. You’re a Republican.

Note to all politicians: Blogging is the 24/7/365 venue for the voice of the people; a voice in a format that allows us to share our thoughts, comments, opinions and information. It is the modern version of the town hall meeting, the community fire-side chat, the gathering place of ideas; the opposite of Lindsey’s vision of doom.

Instead of railing against blogs, try reading more of them. You’ll be better informed.

When Are Lobbyist's Contributions Bribes?

…Answer: Always

By definition, a bribe is an illegal payment in exchange for favors, influence or special treatment; and/or a payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt their judgment.

The Senate is about to hold hearings on the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights this week. To hold fair and complete hearings the Senate has agreed to hear from which of the following:

1. Members of the public
2. Credit card holders
3. American Bankers Association (ABA) Representative, Ken Clayton.

If you picked number 3, you got it right. Now you may ask yourself, how did ol’ Ken get the nod from the Senate and not the others?

Hint: “The ABA PAC gave $520,000 in political contributions in 1Q 2009, much of it to members of the House Financial Services and Senate Banking Committee, so it's little surprise they get to have their say in Committee hearings about what should and shouldn't be done with regard to credit cards.” As this post points out, “those hefty political contributions apparently give banks the right to determine who the Committee will and will not hear from, and under what conditions they can testify.”

May not be illegal, but it should be. It certainly isn’t right.

Arlen Takes A Seat

…In The Caboose

Senator Arlen Specter’s brilliant plans to slink over to the Democrats and maintain his power on Senate Committees got derailed (thankfully) by Dems who weren’t too happy about the things Arlen’s been yapping about since his train pulled back into the Democratic station.

From Capitol Briefing : “ In a unanimous voice vote, the Senate approved a resolution that added Specter to the Democratic side of the dais on the five committees on which he serves, an expected move that gives Democrats larger margins on key panels such as Judiciary and Appropriations. But Democrats placed Specter in one of the two most junior slots on each of the five committees for the remainder of this Congress, which goes through December 2010. Democrats have suggested that they will consider revisiting Specter's seniority claim at the committee level only after the midterm elections next year.”

Hey, Arlen! Guess you should have been a little more circumspect about your intended lack of support for the President’s initiatives and that whole, “I want Coleman to win in Minnesota” thing you were spouting. Kinda exploded in your face, didn’t it?

The Ed Show

…Republican Healthcare Plan

MSNBC’s The Ed Show, May 5, 2009: Republican from Georgia, Rep. Tom Price said the Republican’s primary concern and why they are opposed to President Obama’s healthcare plan, is that it puts the government between a patient and their healthcare providers.

Price, misrepresenting the Obama plan and failing to see the enormous hypocrisy of his argument, says the healthcare plan the Republicans are working on will make certain there will be no government interference in the private affairs of doctor and patient.

I’m wondering where all this “non-governmental interference in a patient’s medical choices” malarkey and concocted-tears-of-concern is hiding on the part of the Republicans when it comes to the abortion issue?

Contessa Brewer

…Better Suited For Fox Noise Channel

Serving as anchor for MSNBC, Contessa’s less-than-professional, offensive, fluffy, narcissistic narrative covers all the important news. You know, like prom dresses, newest popular names for babies and wild bears in a dumpster. Nice if you’re into that sort of thing. I don’t believe she has ever been able to follow an important train of thought for more than a minute. Get her off script, she’s lost. Her show—full of giggly sorority silliness, women’s bathroom gossip and cleavage jokes has all the appeal of The View but without the intellect. At least the ladies on the View don’t pretend to be journalists—except for Barbara Walters, that is.

Egypt Slaughters Pigs

…To Avoid Swine Flu

This is what happens when superstitious, ill-informed people are in charge of governments.

Even though the current and potential pandemic of swine flu cannot be contracted by humans from pigs, the knee-jerk, non-science based government of Egypt pressed on like they had good sense.

We hear the Egyptian government is frantically trying to eliminate all the ‘H’s, ‘N’s, and the number ‘1’ in the country now that the viral disease has been re-labeled as the H1N1. For an extra dose of precautionary good measure they have also declared war on the number 11. Just in case.