bustardblog

Isn't there A Cow Needing a Milking in Wisconsin??

I was concerned that Feingold's calling for Bush's censure, without consulting any of his Senatorial colleagues, was simply grandstanding on his part. It seemed to me that had he been in earnest, he would have had the courage and the leadership ability to both consult and convince some of his fellow Democrats. And of course censure is without legal meaning - it is merely an attempt to gain public attention. But if it actually increased public awareness and understanding of the scandal itself, and of the illegality of the administration's acts, it would be a great thing.

Based on today's hearings, it's pretty clear that it was just a ploy on Feingold's part to get attention for his nascent 2008 run for the Presidency. Shame.

Why else would he bring out John Dean, convicted felon? He's infamous, likely to get headlines, and utterly unbelievable. It's true that Dean was the White House Counsel to Richard Nixon.  True, he's the one who paid the hush money to E. Howard Hunt and the other burglars; he was so essential to the crimes involved that the FBI called him the "master manipulator."  When he thought Nixon was going to make him the scapegoat, he jumped ship and testified against him.  Just the kind of guy Americans trust.

He then "wrote" (a la Ben Domenech) his memoir, "Blind Ambition" except he forgot to tell people that he didn't really write all of it.  In a  later libel suit, he testified that he had not even read all of it.

Dean testified today that Bush is worse than Nixon. I would agree to this. My problem is why pick someone to elucidate a current scandal who has already reached the conclusion based on earlier evidence?  During "Monicagate" Rep. Bob Barr was one of the loudest screaming for Clinton's impeachment. The fact that he had been screaming for impeachment long before Clinton had ever met Ms Lewinsky, and for all kinds of different reasons, only diminished his credibility.

I would not trust John Dean enough to buy a used car from the guy.  Today, the possibility of my buying one from Feingold got a lot less likely.

The problem isn't just that he wanted some extra press attention and some early positioning on '08. He is a politician.

James Carville may not be so respected in Progressive circles these days, but there is not doubt in my mind that "It's the Economy Stupid" was the right way to go. He did not focus on G.H.W. Bush's ties to Iran/Contra which were of course criminal. It's the Economy.

The focus next week needs to be on Immigration and Iraq -  (Sen Sessions speaking today of the former issue: "Let the Prisoners pick the fruit!) Not on John Dean. Let the candidates for 2008 wait until after this fall's elections.

Bicycles in the Park

Please Double Click to Enlarge

Not a Great Photograph, but what you are seeing is a line of cops on scooters, making a left turn onto 14th Street from Fifth Avenue and heading East on 14th, towards Union Square. (Photo taken about 8:35 03-31-06)

The last Friday night of each month, a group of bicyclers gather in Union Square, and shortly after dark take off in a non-protest that the police call a protest. The size of the group changes a lot: normally I guess that there are around 250 - during the Republican convention in 2004, there were over 5,000 riders. The riders claim it is just a group of riders that happened to get together. The police want them to get permits and have a designated route.

There is no official organizer for the event, and the route is never announced. Riders gather in Union Square Park; and then they take off en masse on a route that has been pre-planned and communicated via cell.  It does stop traffic and create lots of noise and confusion. The riders hope that it draws attention to the need for Transportation Alternatives. The police want control.

Tonight however the police seem to be winning - so far. The line of cops photo'd above were lying in wait a bit more than a block away from the park. It looks like the police have adopted a zone defense tonight - establishing clusters of cops at locations spread around this part of the city in the hopes or preventing the bicyclers from even gathering in the park.

So far, it appears to be working. But it's only 9:00 P.M.

bustard flu

Mr. bbbustard regrets to announce that ongoing maintenance issues will probably require a few more days without any real posts. Those issues are not about maintaining the site, but about the bustard himself - who's a really sick puppy these days.

Not, please note, not - to be confused with avian flu.

Jump-Rope in the Square

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Union Square, 03-24-06

Glenn, Not Dick

In a letter to the editor published in today's Times,  Glenn Cheney wrote about the immigration bill that just passed the House. He noted that "We are on the brink of becoming a nation where torture is legal and helping the needy is not."  And no I don't think Glenn Cheney is any relation to our humble V.P.

Union Square Rally

Please Double Click to Enlarge.

Practitioners of Falun Gong rally against Communist rule in China.

For more pictures of yesterday in Union Square, Please go to album at left.

Bush vs. Carter

If you need further instruction on the difference between a Democrat and a Republican, please read this article in today's NY Times.

After serving as President for one term, President Carter started a foundation. One of its varied goals was the eradication of a horribly painful, disgusting, destructive disease - Guinea Worm. Carter used the fame and the connections he gained while President to fight it. In 1986 there were 3,000,000 cases. In 2005 there were 11,000- "thanks to a relentless 20 year campaign led by former President Jimmy Carter."

After serving as President for one term, President George H.W. Bush joined the Carlyle Group. Bush used the fame and connections he gained while President to, amongst other extremely remunerative activities, sell arms to the Saudis. On September 10, 2001, the former President was doing business with a brother of Osama Bin Laden.

One uses power to do good, one to further enrich himself.

The Demise of a Wunderkind

The freakish devotees at Red State still adore their Ben "Augustine" Domenech. He writes another thoroughly dishonest apology, and all they can do is admire his "guts" and express their love for him. "God Bless you who I am proud to call my Red State Brother", one guy wrote.

"I also want to apologize to my previous editors and writers whose work I used inappropriately and without attribution. There is no excuse for this - nor is there an excuse for any obfuscation in my earlier statement."

"For ANY obfuscation in my earlier statement!" The guy has the chutzpah to obfuscate about obfuscating. There was obfuscation in his earlier explanations, as well as outright lies. He apologizes to previous editors - yet earlier in the week he blamed them for his own plagiarism! He apologizes to authors whose words he stole  - but who he said earlier this week had given him  permission to steal!

And still the Wing Nuts love him. It's especially galling to see those who talk so much of values and religion steal another's work, and then lie, and then lie about their lies. The guy must stop using the name Augustine. Or at least he must imitate St Augustine in becoming celibate. This country does not need another Ben Domenech.

P.S. An added bonus of visiting the site is to see them attack Michelle Malkin. It's like what this fellow at The Daily Kos said.

Dick Cheney: Ice Man

In today's Times, Maureen Dowd comments on Dick Cheney's travel requirements, as well as the popularity of college psych courses that try to teach people to be happier.  People can be happier if they "escape the culture of victimology... as well as drugs." She notes the work of some researchers who found that money can in fact buy happiness, and wonders "how much it will cost us to get rid of Cheney and end his trillion dollar war, because that would buy us happiness?"

Sadly, I think Cheney is a problem that no Harvard psychologist could cure.  He is constantly depressed, in spite of having taken more money than he probably could have dreamed of. His paranoid system of victimhood appears boundless. And although he may not do drugs, there's lots of evidence of alcohol, and I'm not only referring to a shooting incident in Texas. One of Mr Cheney's travel requirements is that every hotel room where he will spend the night be equipped with a full bucket of ice.

Answers to the Quiz

These are the answers to the quiz on March 23. Each statement is followed by it’s author.

Scroll down if you want to test your knowledge of what those who know Bush best, his fellow conservatives, think of his administration. (Links are provided to the source, exccept when it was the NY Times, due to timesselect)

 

A: On the lack of serious analysis in the administration, he described the development of policy initiatives as "born from a kind of immaculate conception, with no mother or father to claim parentage."

6. Bruce Bartlett, Author, Served in the Treasury Department of Regan and Bush I  (Quote from the N.Y. Times Book Review of Bartlett's Impostor)

 

B: The invasion of Iraq was "the greatest strategic blunder in 40 years."

10.Pat Buchanan, Editor "The American Conservative," TV-Pundit (Quote from NY Times review of his book, Where the Right went Wrong)

 

C: "One can't doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed."

2. William F. Buckley, Jr.,Columnist, Founder of The National Review

 

D: "Bureaucratic tribalism... rose to poisonous levels in Bush's first term. Team loyalty trumped open-minded discussion."

5. Francis Fukuyama, a neo-con, Teaches at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University (NY Times Feb 19)

E: We handed over sovereignty and since then the death of U.S.troops is up by a

third. In February production of electricity hit a three year low. "This is not working."

4. George F. Will, Op-Ed Columnist, The Washington Post. (Appearance on Stephanopolus March 12,2006)

 

F: In Bush's White House "I heard many, many staff discussions, but not three meaningful, substantive policy discussions."

7. John DiIulio, Former Director of Faith Based Initiatives for George W. Bush

 

G: "we have the most powerful vice president in American history ... someone full of venom for critics and anyone who does not support his warmongering."

11. James Bovard, Pundit, Neo-Con, Writer at The American Conservative

 

H:  "it's a fundamentalist church with some huge bribes for business interests on the side, leveraged by massive debts. So all criticism is disloyalty; and disloyalty is heresy. The facts don't matter. Obey the pastor. Or be damned."

3. Andrew Sullivan,Conservative Blogger with Time Magazine (His post of 3/19)

I: "I think our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East. And the longer we stay there, I think the further destabilization will occur."

8. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE)

 

J: In meetings, Bush "was like a blind man in a roomful of deaf people. There is no discernible connection."

1. . Paul O'Neil, Former Secretary of the Treasury, under George H. Bush

K: "we have not had a serious three-year effort to fight a war in Iraq."

9. Bill Kristol, Editor of The Weekly Standard, Fox News Commentator, (Quote from his appearance on Fox News Sunday, March 19)