HERO: Scott Ritter
Was right about compromised Iraqi weapons inspections during Clinton, was right about there being no WMD before the Iraq War and was right about Bush Administration lies to get us into it. Is he right about a cooked Iraqi election and war plans for Iran? Why should he stop speaking the truth now? RAW STORY’s Larisa Alexandrovna has Part 1 of a 3-part interview with one helluva brave American patriot. UPDATE: Part 2 of the interview with Ritter on “Neo-con Brownshirts”, fear as a political tool, and the disintigration of the CIA is now online here.
HEROES: EV1 Rescuers
For four weeks now, a small group of American heroes have stood vigil night and day outside of a General Motors Facility in Burbank, CA, attempting to stop GM from sending the last remaining vehicles from their now-cancelled non-polluting all-electronic EV1 line of cars to be crushed, literally, in an Arizona scrap heap. The small band of great American patriots who give a damn about our environment — and who we haven’t noticed receiving much coverage on Fox “News” — have been braving torrential rains out here in their 24 hour-a-day attempt over the last months to get GM to allow them to buy the last of these cars before they’re destroyed. We’re certain these are just the type of folks willing to quietly make great sacrifices in their lives for the good of the world and their country, who cowardly chickenshit wingnuts who’ve never put their lives on the line for anything would label “America Haters”. Kudos patriots! Give us a call if you need some thermoses of hot chocolate! And thank you!
HEROES: U.S. House Democrats
Specifically, Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV) and the other House Dems on the Ethics Committee who are standing tough for a change against the Republican bullies and backslappers. Mollohan, with a reputation for bi-partisanship is disallowing work on the committee to continue until the Republicans undo bogus new rules put in place (without consulting Dems) which make it easier for their GOP buddies to avoid the trouble DeLay has recently found himself in. With increasing frequency of late, thugs like DeLay and Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) seem to regard themselves above The Rule of Law. Thanks to a few Dems with the courage to stand up for what’s right (’bout time!), perhaps the bad guys may actually be held accountable for once.
ZEROES: U.S. Senate Democrats
Specifically, Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) and the other Dems who voted in favor of ending debate on the bogus “Debt Slavery Act” — otherwise known as the Bankruptcy bill — from steamrolling through the Senate at the behest of their high-rolling funders from the Credit Card lobby. Biden’s vote is particularly disappointing as he had been, for us at least, one of the few remaining Dems in the Senate with any creds left. And this on top of refusing to sign onto a letter calling for an investigation in the Gannon/Guckert scandal after blowing smoke on Bill Maher’s Real Time the week prior claiming “The Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate should be investigating it, the House Judiciary Committee should be investigating it. And if it were the other party in charge, it would be investigated.” It seems you’re full of shit, Joe, and this week you’ve succeeded in losing at least one potential vote of support for your ’08 Prez bid. The other Senate Dems who, to quote Gannon/Guckert, “seem to have divorced themselves from reality” on this one, at least in regards to where their party is going with or without them: Byrd (D-WV), Carper (D-DE), Conrad (D-ND), Johnson (D-SD), Kohl (D-WI), Landrieu (D-LA), Lieberman (D-CT), Lincoln (D-AR), Nelson (D-FL), Nelson (D-NE), Pryor (D-AR), Salazar (D-CO) and Stabenow (D-MI). (BTW, see Talking Points Memo’s Special Bankruptcy Bill Blog for excellent coverage on the fine points.)
ZEROES: The Bush Administration
Specifically…well, the entire Bush Administration…But to zero in on the Zeroes of note this week, let’s focus on the jackasses responsible for bungling nearly every step of the post-War phase in Iraq and who managed to simply lose track of billions (with a “b”) of American Tax Payer dollars via their completely incompetent boondoggle. Part of which is highlighted in this current investigation of the post-war chaos and the nobodies who were given enormous million dollar security contracts to guard the Baghdad Airport. Just one of the perks of being a favored friend of this decidedly non-Conservative adminstration? Being handed $2 million worth of $100 bills, signed off with a handwritten receipt and no legal requirement to be accountable for any of it. Who re-elected these guys anyway? We’re certain you don’t want our answer to that right now.
ZEROES: ABC Television Network Execs
The good ol’ boys at the top of the corporate media structure were apparently just looking out for their own this week when they axed references to Fox “News” and Bill O’Reilly from a Boston Legal episode which highlighted a school principal who blocked the Propaganda Net from the school’s televisions because he felt it to be biased hate speech. All references to Fox “News” and O’Reilly were removed at the request of the ABC censors who, apparently, were too cowardly to face the predictable wrath of Rupert Murdoch’s marching band of brownshirts. No doubt they’d have unleashed their fake outrage upon any American network to dare suggest that the Masters at Propaganda Central may not have quite as much of the American Spirit as they pretend. Thanks to ABC, the lock-stepping ditto-heads can focus their “American” hatred elsewhere this week.
AMEN!
Here’s another zero. Blair being grilled by women voters. Where are the men?
And here’s a hero. Way to go Kerry; you’re a very brave girl!
I’d add Congressman Conyers and Senator Boxer to the ‘hero’ list — and place them at the top of the stack.
I’d add you and Brett, for not only starting VR, but for all you have done to create and sustain, D4D.
Peace.
I agree with all your findings but I suddenly noticing, words like Chickenshit, shit, brownshirts, etc. I agree with the sentimiment but is is name-calling really going to help increase our legitimacy here? I can just hear this being quoted byt the wingnuts (which I think a GREAT name for the opposition) and millions of people pidgenholing us as potty-mouths who call names instead or rely on the truth, (which so abundantly favors the progressive cause). Or have we given up?
Yes to Senator Boxer, Congressman Conyers, Congresswoman Tubbs-Jones, Scott Ritter, Mohamed Al-Baradei, Teresa Heinz-Kerry, Rachel Corrie R.I.P., and my personal hero, my Mom, Marie Zwicker, my mentor in Peace.
Dang…….Almost forgot (sorry) our hero and little potty mouth #@&?!+%!!!, Brad! Thanks for all your fine efforts Mr. Friedman.
Davek –
I was in a bad mood. Sue me 😉
And yes…I consider the propoganda/intimidation tactics of the right to be quite frequently more than worthy of the name brownshirt.
Guess I’m still in a bad mood. So you can still sue me 😉
(I’ll try to get some rest…but I make no promises…we call ’em like we see ’em)
Well I, for one, love language of all sorts, and I hardly believe I should say things in a way to please wingnuts. I am amazed my language (and the people here know something about it) isn’t worse considering the completely fucked up government I am laboring under.
And the chickenshit Brownshirt assholes running it!!
Teresa #9 & 10
Very well put, I agree. Hey, we haven’t told the vice president to go fuck his self yet. Yet.
Hey you guys,
Who is this guy? Is he a hero, a zero or a loony tune?
Here’s another zero, and he may be finally about to get what’s coming to him.
Czaragorn #11 –
Of course they did. But in that crazy mess, no one would even notice the sleight of hand.
Study shows press 3 times more negative towards Bush than Kerry during campaign. Yet the majority of people flouted the coverage, lied during the exit polls and re-elected the dictator Bush. He must really be making life in the US a LOT better.
More heroes. The *Eyes Wide Open* exhibit organisers. When are enough senseless deaths enough?
I watched the Boston Legal episode last night. Even without specific references to Faux or their messengers, the message still came across loud and clear. It would have been better if they had been named, but it was obvious to anyone with half a brain that the storyline was about Faux. James Spader’s character had a great line towards the end of the episode, "Some networks are even censoring their scripted dramas". Got that little shot in. It was good.
I saw that Boston Legal episode too. And until I read that news link, I could have sworn they mentioned FOX by name. They did a great job conveying that without saying it.
Brad,
I think you’re being too generous when you state that they "lost track of" billions o’ bucks. I think they know perfectly where that money is, I think they just out and out stole it.
Brad #8
A small amendment might be in order:
To "…we call’em as we see’em."
Add "….and we call’em as we smell’em!"
and suddenly the-shits works just fine.