Twofer! I was on C-SPAN and Honsberger Live

I managed to get a call in this morning to both C-SPAN's Wahington Journal and PCNC's Honsberger Live show regarding the Iraq/Vietnam election parallel mentioned below.

The gist of my calls was:

"I'd like to read a headline from the NY Times:

'U.S. Encouraged by Vote: Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Terror'

Now I've left two words out of that headline, it actually reads:

'U.S. Encouraged by Vietnam Vote: Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Vietcong Terror'

...and it's from 1967, just four months before the Tet Offensive.

If I'm permitted, I'd like to read two short sentences from the article itself as it has some parallels to yesterday's vote:

'United States officials were surprised and heartened today at the size of turnout in South Vietnam's presidential election despite a Vietcong terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting.'

...and further down in the article:

'A successful election has long been seen as the keystone in President Johnson's policy of encouraging the growth of constitutional processes in South Vietnam.'

I certainly hope that history does not repeat itself this time."

I recounted my morning's 'work' at Daily KOS HERE.

U.S. Encouraged by Vietnam Vote (NYT 9/4/1967)

Patachon at Daily KOS has pointed out an article from 1967 with eerie parallels to today. As the original article appeared just four months before the Tet Offensive, one has to hope that history does not repeat itself too closely.

Please note that this ia an actual New York Times article. It has not been altered in any way. This is not a parody:

U.S. Encouraged by Vietnam Vote :
Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Vietcong Terror

by Peter Grose, Special to the New York Times (9/4/1967: p. 2)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3-- United States officials were surprised and heartened today at the size of turnout in South Vietnam's presidential election despite a Vietcong terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting.

According to reports from Saigon, 83 per cent of the 5.85 million registered voters cast their ballots yesterday. Many of them risked reprisals threatened by the Vietcong.

The size of the popular vote and the inability of the Vietcong to destroy the election machinery were the two salient facts in a preliminary assessment of the nation election based on the incomplete returns reaching here.

Pending more detailed reports, neither the State Department nor the White House would comment on the balloting or the victory of the military candidates, Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu, who was running for president, and Premier Nguyen Cao Ky, the candidate for vice president.

A successful election has long been seen as the keystone in President Johnson's policy of encouraging the growth of constitutional processes in South Vietnam. The election was the culmination of a constitutional development that began in January, 1966, to which President Johnson gave his personal commitment when he met Premier Ky and General Thieu, the chief of state, in Honolulu in February.

The purpose of the voting was to give legitimacy to the Saigon Government, which has been founded only on coups and power plays since November, 1963, when President Ngo Dinh Deim was overthrown by a military junta.

Few members of that junta are still around, most having been ousted or exiled in subsequent shifts of power.

Significance Not Diminished

The fact that the backing of the electorate has gone to the generals who have been ruling South Vietnam for the last two years does not, in the Administration's view, diminish the significance of the constitutional step that has been taken.

The hope here is that the new government will be able to maneuver with a confidence and legitimacy long lacking in South Vietnamese politics. That hope could have been dashed either by a small turnout, indicating widespread scorn or a lack of interest in constitutional development, or by the Vietcong's disruption of the balloting.

American officials had hoped for an 80 per cent turnout. That was the figure in the election in September for the Constituent Assembly. Seventy-eight per cent of the registered voters went to the polls in elections for local officials last spring.

Before the results of the presidential election started to come in, the American officials warned that the turnout might be less than 80 per cent because the polling place would be open for two or three hours less than in the election a year ago. The turnout of 83 per cent was a welcome surprise. The turnout in the 1964 United States Presidential election was 62 per cent.

Captured documents and interrogations indicated in the last week a serious concern among Vietcong leaders that a major effort would be required to render the election meaningless. This effort has not succeeded, judging from the reports from Saigon.

NYT. 9/4/1967: p. 2.

Unacceptable

Unacceptable

It is simply unacceptable for the United States of America to have the prime legal architect for the policy of torture adopted by the Bush Dynasty as the Attorney General of this country. A country founded on the rights of the individual cannot sanctify a person to be the Attorney General of these United States who sanctified torture as long as it wasn't "equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death." The US Attorney General's job is to function as the chief law enforcement officer of the Federal Government. In that capacity the US Attorney General provides assistance and guidance to the heads of executive departments of the Government. We already know that Alberto R. Gonzales advised the President that the United States Constitution does not apply to his actions as Commander in Chief, and thus the President could declare the Geneva Conventions (which Gonzales views as "quaint") inoperative.

We know that Alberto R. Gonzales believes that the President has the power to ignore the Constitution, laws duly enacted by Congress and International treaties duly ratified by the United States.

These views are unacceptable in a US Attorney General.

For these reasons, the 2 Political Junkies blog opposes the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General of the United States, and we urge the Senate to reject him.

We also stand with the Daily KOS blog in asking all bloggers of good conscience to oppose his nomination.

We also congratulate the Democratic members of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary who all voted against the nomination of Gonzales:

Patrick J. Leahy
RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER, VERMONT

Edward M. Kennedy
MASSACHUSETTS

Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
DELAWARE

Herbert Kohl
WISCONSIN

Dianne Feinstein
CALIFORNIA

Russell D. Feingold
WISCONSIN

Charles E. Schumer
NEW YORK

Richard J. Durbin
ILLINOIS

A Gem

Here's a real gem of a statement from Chris Chiames (US Airways senior vice president of corporate affairs) commenting on Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato's righteous anger at US Air's betrayal of Pittsburgh:

Onorato's comments yesterday were not "constructive," Chiames said. "If those are the charges he wants to make about the company and about me personally, I guess he is free to make them," but it is "not conducive to a working relationship."

"Working relationship?" What working relationship?!?

It's 830 Pennsylvanians who will soon not be working for US Air In PA.

Who in their right mind at this point would believe a single thing said by an executitve at US Air???

Deadliest Day For U.S. In Iraq War So Far

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Thirty-one Marines were killed in a helicopter crash near Iraq's border with Jordan, bringing the number of U.S. troops killed Wednesday to 37 -- the deadliest day for U.S. forces since the start of the war in Iraq.

Four U.S. Marines were killed during combat in Iraq's Al-Anbar province, and two U.S. soldiers were killed in attacks in the Baghdad area, according to the U.S. military.

Full story HERE

Thank you Bush Dynasty!

Getting it RIGHT

Ask Your Legislator to Send Your Chastity Belt Today!

Times have changed, but the Pennsylvania State Legislature has not. In 1999, the Pennsylvania State Legislature attempted to address the challenge of unintended pregnancy in our state. Did they promote comprehensive sex education, insurance coverage for birth control, or emergency contraception for rape survivors? No. They created "Chastity Awareness Week." If our lawmakers want to make chastity our only option, shouldn't they give us the right accessories? Order your chastity belt from the Pennsylvania State Legislature TODAY! Then, ask for more than a chastity belt this year - ask them for real choices.

Chastity Belt: the way to not do it
In vogue in the Middle Ages, chastity belts are making a come back in PA! Get one today from the Pennsylvania State Legislature.

List Price: Priceless
Your Price: Compliments of the Pennsylvania State Legislature
You Save: Your chastity

Availability: made available through the Pennsylvania State Legislature since 1999.

Want it delivered Tomorrow? Don't let your chastity go one more day without protection. Order your belt TODAY HERE!

The Bush Dynasty wouldn't dream of loosening Jenna at an Inaugural Ball without one!

not over it

Here's a marvelous overview of OH voting irregularities:

The Strange Death of American Democracy:
Endgame in Ohio

It is the most comprehensive examination of that vote that I've seen.

Boxer Rebellion

Saturday Night Live lampooned the Rice hearings this weekend. While they did skewer Rice, they also made Barbara Boxer look flighty as all hell. Of course, Fox And Friends this morning is only picking up on the Boxer is CRAZY meme.

This all is leading to another shamless plug for my store:

Many more style available HERE.
(Boxer boxer shorts to be added soon, as well as DfA Pittsburgh gear.)

And just in case you haven't gotten around to getting a 2005 calendar, here's one that can reflect your Anti-Bush stance 24/7, 365 days a year:

Fresh Horses

A Daily Kos diary recounts a recent breakfast meeting of the California Democratic Club. It was attended by several DNC representatives who will later vote for the new chairman of the DNC. A full hour of the meeting was devoted to 90-second speeches by regular folks in support of their candidate for DNC chair. According to the piece: "100% -- every single one -- of the endorsements from the folks who came out to Sacramento at their own expense and effort, just to speak for 90 seconds to the decision makers, went to Howard Dean." One of the endorsements summed it up particularly well: "Some of you in the DNC may see us as barbarians at the gate. Some of us see ourselves as the cavalry. The truth is, we are fresh horses." Full story HERE

News about John McIntire

For those of you who haven't heard yet, John McIntire is returning to the Pittsburgh airwaves!

Lynn Cullen is taking some time off to recharge her batteries and so Johnny Mac is filling in two days (Thursdays and Fridays) a week for the next MONTH.

Cat Blogging

As I mentioned in this post, my cat was recently hospitalized for six days. Pip is back home now:



(Her forearms were shaved at the hospital for the IVs which
makes her look like she's wearing shorts and booties. )



(I still have to continue her fluids at home -- we were both pincushions the first couple of days)


And, just so she doesn't get jealous, here's a "beauty shot" of Clio:


(She's posing in a prop bassinet that I made for a baby shower)

Remind me again why I live in this city?

New Orleans mourned a new Bush Adminstration in their own unique way yesterday by having a
"Jazz Funeral for Democracy (A Wake for Peace)"

Their website is HERE

Here are some photos from the wake:

Illegitimi non carborundum

All photos taken from my teevee:

Shortly before he was re-crowned
(not sure why my camera seemed to malfunction,
but I cleaned the lense after this picture):




Some (not) HAPPY :-) people:





CNN said it was PA's own State Troopers
helping to keep Bush safe from for democracy:



The Secret Service decide to make a run
for it past the (not) HAPPY :-) people:

Hope Springs Eternal

President Harrison died of pneumonia one month after taking the oath of office after giving his inaugural address in the severe cold of Washington, D.C.

Thursday's Weather Forecast for Washington DC:
OVERNIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A FEW FLURRIES LATE THIS EVENING...THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE LOWER 20S. WESTWINDS AROUND 10 MPH. .THURSDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE MID 30S. NORTHWEST WINDS10 TO 15 MPH. .THURSDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING...THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF FLURRIES. LOWS AROUND 20. NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 10 MPH.

Every once in a great while the media "gets it"

Looks like I'm not the only one to notice that the terror warnings have dropped since the election.

The Scandal Sheet

Salon.com presents 34 scandals from the first four years of George W. Bush's presidency -- every one of them worse than Whitewater.

The full article is a definite must read (and must save and must share).

I've reprinted the scandal names here to whet your appetite (and added explanations in parentheses when needed):

1. Memogate: The Senate Computer Theft
2. Doctor Detroit: The DOJ's Bungled Terrorism Case
3. Dark Matter: The Energy Task Force
4. The Indian Gaming Scandal
5. Halliburton's No-Bid Bonanza
6. Halliburton: Pumping Up Prices
7. Halliburton's Vanishing Iraq Money
8. The Halliburton Bribe-apalooza
9. Halliburton: One Fine Company (misleading investors)
10. Halliburton's Iran End Run
11. Money Order: Afghanistan's Missing $700 Million Turns Up in Iraq
12. Iraq: More Loose Change (Coalition Provisional Authority assets missing)
13. The Pentagon-Israel Spy Case
14. Gone to Taiwan (State Dept. spy case)
15. Wiretapping the United Nations
16. The Boeing Boondoggle
17. The Medicare Bribe Scandal
18. Tom DeLay's PAC Problems
19. Tom DeLay's FAA: Following Americans Anywhere (Texas legislator)
20. In the Rough: Tom DeLay's Golf Fundraiser
21. Busy, Busy, Busy in New Hampshire (Repugs jam Dem phone banks)
22. The Medicare Money Scandal (lies & threats about the real cost)
23. The Bogus Medicare "Video News Release"
24. Pundits on the Payroll: The Armstrong Williams Case
25. Ground Zero's Unsafe Air
26. John Ashcroft's Illegal Campaign Contributions
27. Intel Inside ... The White House (Rove's conflicts of interest)
28. Duck! Antonin Scalia's Legal Conflicts
29. AWOL (Bush's National Guard years)
30. Iraq: The Case for War
31. Niger Forgeries: Whodunit?
32. In Plame Sight
33. Abu Ghraib
34. Guantánamo Bay Torture?

Dr. King on Iraq...err...Vietnam

Excerpted from a speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr., on April 4, 1967, at a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned at Riverside Church in New York City:

"Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now. I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor of Vietnam. I speak for those whose land is being laid waste, whose homes are being destroyed, whose culture is being subverted. I speak for the poor of America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption in Vietnam. I speak as a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands aghast at the path we have taken. I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours.''

Full article HERE.

I'm averting my eyes, oh Lord.

According to Scripps Howard News Service here's some of the instructions for parade performers for King George the W's coronation:

"Parade performers will have security escorts to the bathroom, and they've been ordered not to look directly at President Bush or make any sudden movements while passing the reviewing stand."

Hmm...me thinks we can expect the coronation -- like those miserable Psalms -- to be so depressing.

Now knock it off!

A Case for Casey?

Daily KOS has a piece on a recent poll showing Bob Casey Jr. well ahead of Lil Ricky "Man on Dog Action" Santorum:

Casey Jr. top candidate for PA Senate race; roundup
by kos
Thu Jan 13th, 2005 at 11:17:27 PST

A poll (DSCC, probably) pitting various Democrats against Rick Santorum has generated some buzz in DC political circles. The exact numbers are hazy, but hover in the 52-38 range. The candidates? Bob Casey Jr. at 52 percent, and Santorum at 38. In fact, according to the poll, Casey would beat Rendell in a primary battle. Thankfully, that won't happen as Rendell is firmly focused on reelection to a second term as governor.

Santorum is quite obviously Democratic target numero uno, and there's no doubt that Santorum is far too conservative for Pennsylvania. He belongs more in Oklahoma with Wacky Tom Coburn than in moderate PA.

On the same topic, a recent article in "The Philadelphia Inquirer" featured a nifty map that shows where Casey won county by county -- proving him popular in both blue and red PA:


My problem with Casey? Waaay too "pro life" for my liking.

Would I vote for him over Santorum? In a heartbeat.

Would I actively campaign for him over Santorum? All things considered -- you betcha!

Would I campaign for him over a viable pro choice candidate in the Dem primaries? Not likely.