The numbers of the Republican Base are presented to us most everyday in those polls of who is still with George and the war. It hovers around 33% of the American electorate. This means about one third of Americans are crazier than Lisa Nowak on acid.
I have to apologize for implying a few weeks ago that John McCain was in election trouble because he was so thirsty for more war in the Middle East. I was wrong, the Republican Base is full square for more war in the Middle East, including a new war with Iran. McCain drew the ire of the Republican Base on two issues. First that he is not on board for the mass roundup, incarceration and deportation of 12 million Hispanic men, women and children. And secondly, he has put his name to legislation decrying lobbies and corporations paying House and Senate members for their votes. Both issues anemia to what the Republican Base stands for. The wealthy writing the laws and our new American brand of ethnic cleansing.
Compared to the rest of the electorate, the Republican Base has a higher rate of voting, political activism and pulling the lever for straight GOP tickets. There is nothing that can be done about that, disregard it. The Base is made up of three fairly equal groups.
First are the Christian Fundamentalists – represented now again by Pat Robertson as Jerry Falwell has gone to Hell - who are locked into voting on only three issues: Giving the government control over women’s reproductive rights, pushing the government to deny Gay and Lesbians the same rights as anyone else and having the government help them force their religious beliefs upon the rest of us. All while screeching about getting the government out of our lives. They are obviously crazy, but not as crazy as the next group.
Here we have that gang of Gun Funsters best represented by Ted Nugent, the capital “L” libertarians, the NRA Life Members, the militias and the racist groups which when added up have become a powerful enough voting block to make or break many local elections. This group is much like watching the Jerry Springer Show. Whenever they come to our attention it’s a feel good day verifying that we are at least smarter than someone.
Lastly is the historic base of the Republican Party, the Unearned Income Crowd which is represented these days by Grover Norquist. They control our corporate board rooms, Wall Street, K Street and by spending billions in public relations have managed to put the other two groups of crazies in their back pocket.
So... Disregard this Republican Base of 33%, they are what they are and will not change. And from now on when seeing political poll numbers subtract 33% from whatever it may be. If you see Hillary with a negative to 49%, subtract that 33% who would not vote for a Hillary or any Democrat even if their own candidate was caught eating children with Boy George in an airprot Men’s Room. Hillary’s negatives are 16%.
Upbeat Bush hints at more troops for Iraq THE US President, George Bush, has given his strongest indication yet that he intends to continue with plans to increase troop numbers in Iraq after the September 15 report to Congress, when he delivered an upbeat assessment of military progress and a more positive view of the political outlook. He also warned that pulling out of Iraq would harm US interests in the Middle East for decades and expose America to the threat of increased terrorism and a nuclear arms race in the region by allowing al-Qaeda-backed Sunni extremists to flourish and Shiite extremism in Iran to spread.
Suspected chemical weapons found at U.N. office U.N. archivists for UNMOVIC, the U.N. chemical weapons agency, unexpectedly turned up samples of material from an Iraqi chemical weapons plant in old files on Friday, U.N. officials said. The samples were in weapons inspectors’ files dating back to the 1990s, but the substance is not believed to pose any immediate danger, the officials said.
US lawmakers’ plane under fire in Iraq A military cargo plane carrying three senators and a House member was forced to take evasive maneuvers and dispatch flares to avoid ground fire after taking off from Baghdad on Thursday night.
White House Preparing Strategy To ‘Water Down’ Pessimistic Reports From Iraq According to unnamed officials familiar with the White House’s strategy regarding the GAO report, “the administration is preparing a case to play down the findings, arguing that Congress ordered the GAO to use unfair, ‘all or nothing’ standards when compiling the document.”
Conservative Media Study Finds Bias Where None Exists Debunking a new Media Research Center study purporting that “since Democrats outnumbered Republicans in campaign segments on the morning shows of ABC, CBS and NBC, the three major networks are ‘actively promoting the Democrats’ liberal agenda.’” While former FAIR intern Volsky knows that “conservatives may tout the report as evidence of the media’s liberal bias” anyway, he finds that “its conclusion falls apart under scrutiny.”
Buchanan, Scarborough claimed that a military strike against Iran would be popular, but polls suggest otherwise
On MSNBC, Pat Buchanan claimed that a U.S. attack on Iran is “comin[g]” and went on to assert that a military strike against Iran would be “a very popular initial move.” Joe Scarborough agreed, stating that “a military strike against Iran initially would be extraordinarily popular with the American people.” But polling data show that most Americans say they would oppose an attack on Iran.
GOP no-shows prompt cancellation of debate
Univisión’s Republican presidential debate has been called off after only one contender agreed to participate, though the network hopes to reschedule. The debate for Democrats is still on for Sept. 9.
This is another update in the continuing saga of how Texas is succeeding in dealing with having the lowest high school graduation rate in America. Of course off the table is doing anything regarding paying teachers, reducing class size or increasing funding, rather we do what counts so any Texan can grow up to be a shooter and a brush cutter. This Summer Texas passed not only a law to force “IN GOD” into the Texas pledge of Allegiance, but also one to allow even grade school students to proselytize to each other. Betty Lou's parents can now load her up with Watchtowers everyday to distribute throughout the school. And not to forget our Back to School Tax Free Weekend which does not include books, notebooks, binders, paper, pencils and pens. As the subject of this piece would say, here we go again.
Dumbass, Texas – The Harris County Department of Education, though not having the power as the school districts, does have $100 million dollars to spread around Houston each year. Houston students are predominantly Black and Brown. One of the seven board members, Michael Wolfe, suggested they rename their department building after Ronald Reagan. Though Wolfe says he is not partisan, he did show reporters a picture of Reagan he carried in his wallet. The motion passed the board in a non partisan 5 to 2 vote.
Defending the vote was another non partisan, Patrice Henderson from the Ronald Reagan Republican Women’s Club who said of Reagan, “He was such a great Christian and man. From everything I’ve read, and I ‘ve read a lot of books about Ronald Ragan, he was the educational President.”
Governor Reagan slashed funding of California schools leaving them much worse than how he found them. Campaigning for President he said he would eliminate the Department of Education and assigned Billy “Jackboot” Bennett, who also wanted to eliminate the Department of Education, as its department head. Ronald Reagan and Bill Bennett left the White House having made American education worse than when they found it. To top it off, there is no President more disliked by African Americans or Hispanics than Ronald Reagan.
Here in Dumbass non of that matters, we know that only God and Reagan can improve education.
As official spokeswoman for the National Democratic Inclusion Headquarters, I would like to be the first to officially extend a warm invitation for you to join our ranks. As the party of inclusion, rather than exclusion, where you are presently, we welcome those of various races, religious beliefs, non beliefs, and of course sexual preferences. Our policy is that part of your life is your own business, as long as children or animals are not involved). Even those with questionable taste in music are welcome, as are those whose mothers dressed them funny, and have yet to recover.
We do know that you are a deeply religious man. This could be the turning point in becoming closer to your Creator. How wonderful it would be for you to face the day as who you truly are, as you were intended you to be! No more living a sinful and hypocritical sham of an existence. I know that becoming the man “HE” intended is the most important thing, above politics, or the opinion of your small minded community. We’ve heard and read your beliefs enough to interpret that is the case, and feel that you would be going against HIS will if you did not take this opportunity to join with your brothers and sisters of all stripes, but more importantly as yourself, (past Senator Craig) Gay and proud!
We realize that as a politician, you required the standard issue wife and children, but is it truly fair to hide behind her skirts so that you will not appear openly “gay”, but on the down low? Our Gay Democrats welcome you to step out of the closet.
While I cannot speak for everyone, I’d venture that most Democrats of both sexes would welcome you once you’ve come to terms with who you are, and are no longer using your family as human shields. They too, of course are welcome. The convention would be a wonderful place for your wife to find another partner.
Somewhere in the Hypocritical part of your brain, it must have throbbed and flashed red, showing in your eyes, and blaring like ship’s klaxon when you signed numerous anti gay laws I won’t list them all, just two which may well impact you soon.
You voted no twice to expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation, and once to prohibit job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. These issues may well have great meaning for you soon unless you’re prepared to jet out of Idaho immediately!
P.S. They aren’t buying your denials, you might want to book that flight and consider a party and career change ASAP. We are here to help.
Come on pal! You pleaded guilty and took the hit for lewd behavior! And now you say it's all the fault of The Idaho Statesman and some rouge cop? Come on pal, face it, yer toast! Hey, I hear there's a dude down in West Texas looking for help cutting brush!
"Dog fighting is a terrible thing and I did reject it. Through this situation I found Jesus, and asked him for forgiveness and turned my life over to God." Michael Vick Playing the Jesus Card.
With the guilty plea and the plea bargain submitted, the sentencing – expect a couple years in prison - will now have to wait until December. Hopefully December will be cold enough in Atlanta to deter rioting. Thanks to O J Simpson we now have a name for this dynamic, the Simpson Syndrome. Which can be easily confused with the other Simpson Syndrome, DUH!
The issue itself is about as low as humans can sink. All arguments defending this crap are off. Whether it’s the NAACP and Flacon Fans claiming racism or Black commentators defending it because it’s not as bad as this or that. But Deion Sanders kicked the issue through the goal posts when he said it only expresses the reality of Black culture. Bingo. Sub culture, Hip Hop.
I have defended Hip Hop and Rap as the poetry of The Hood for a generation, but as a biased dog lover, I have now had it up to HERE with this crap. This issue is not about third world chicken fights or Matadors facing death in a bullring. This is about man’s best friend being used to fight to the death (with the losers killed) not only for money, but more importantly, for the joy of watching something suffer for the macho fun of it. There is no redeeming social value involved. So now Dog Killing has been added to what the Hip Hop culture has come to most represent and promote: Revenge, violence, gangs, guns, prisons, pimping and murder. These are the heroes for a generation of Inner City Black kids. It has gone over the top.
To their benefit Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Bill Cosby, James Brown and a few others over the years have called this culture out for what it is to little or no fanfare and even less avail.
"I want you to tell people to love one another. I want you to fight to lift the standards back. What happened to us that we are now celebrating from being down? What happened we went from saying I'm black and I'm proud to calling each other niggers and ho's and bitches. I sung people up and now they're singing people down, and we need to change the music. Lift the music back to where children and their grand mommas can sit and listen to the music together." Al Sharpton in his eulogy as to what James Brown told him just weeks before he died.
Rap is not even music, it is culture. There is little if any musical talent involved. Ask a Rapper what instrument he plays or listen to him belt out a melody. What little music there is has likely been stolen and remixed. It’s the Disco of yesteryear with the bass turned up, replacing mindless dance music with angry dance music. Even the accompanying Hip Hop fashion is based on excessive clownish jewelry, loose clothing to better conceal large weapons, and face and neck tattoos to imply unemployable criminality. And of course that foul unintelligible dialect that demeans everything including themselves. But it is the glorification of revenge, guns, violence and murder that is Hip Hops’ central contribution to the low road of humanity. So there!
I just read about a guy who paid $2.6 million for a house full of shit! In New Jersey! The place was auctioned off because the people that lived there couldn’t keep up mortgage, and the bank foreclosed.
Times are getting tougher. Used to be you could get a decent house full of shit for thirty, forty thousand dollars. Of course that was back when my Dad was paying the bills.
The guy that bought the house said he thought it was inhabitable, that he knew people had been living there, because he saw them coming and going.
But, it turned out the people collected abandoned animals. When the guy went in to inspect the place, he found the rooms filled with dog and cat feces, and the 3-car garage floor covered with dead cats and dogs and animal feces.
They say the owners fell on hard times. So Mr. Opportunist put in a bid and got the place. Capitalizing on other’s misfortune, it’s the American way. But sometimes you get a fistful of shit, to boot. I think there is a card game called shit on your neighbor. This guy lost.
Senators Lott, Craig and Ashcroft sing eagle and flag songs as the infamous Senate White Boys Trio.
Larry Craig, Conservative Republican Senator from Idaho pleaded guilty today for soliciting sex from an undercover male in the Minneapolis Airport last June. This is yet another story far more about Conservative hypocrisy than sexual orientation. Here is Craig’s voting record on the subject:
• Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)
• Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
• Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)
• Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
• Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)
A few gay activists have outed Larry in the past but denials were swift, harsh and believed. No more. His Senate seat is now up for grabs this coming term. Will Idaho, the state of Helen Chenoweth , Randy Weaver, the Aryan Nations, bad cop retirement communities and more NRA Life Members than Texas allow the seat to fall to Democrats? Is there at least one well armed Democrat in Idaho whiter than a Klan meeting in Iceland.
Though only a charter member of the “Lady’s International Bathroom Flock Society” myself, I’m certain I’ll have a comeback for the next man and there’s always one, who comments that women in public “always” go to the restroom in flocks - (or herds, depending upon the quality and tact of your escorts).One lady announces she needs to powder her nose, and each in turn states that she too will come along. In some places, it’s self protection, in other cases, Where else are we going to talk about you?
I can tell you one thing I’ve never witnessed in many a flock meeting, the name Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) comes to mind. Somehow those in the know were aware that the Minneapolis-St. Paul international Airport was THE happenin’ place to go for some senatorial action. Craig discovered it quite a bit after the plainclothes police did. By this time of his arrival on June 11, they’d had a bit of practice recognizing the signals, and arresting some unmarried and married men “on the down low”. Senator Craig would fit into the married segment, or was at the time.
Let this be a lesson. Craig’s downfall could educate others, as Sgt.Dave Karsnia who was the plainclothes officer on that fateful day, has shared some of the signals to watch for. In fact, Karsnia was sitting in a stall when Craig entered, and selected his stall (of all others) to stand in front of, lingering, fidgeting, and repeatedly trying to look through the cracks. Craig then entered the next stall and placed his roller bag against the front of the stall door, which undercover police say is one giveaway signal to block outside view. From this point, there seems to be a proscribed ritual as an invitation to lewd conduct, involving foot tapping, which Craig commenced with the officer. Eventually moving his foot closer to the officer’s, the officer then tapped his foot up and down slowly. Is anyone else having flashes of WildKingdom mating rituals? The bathroom was busy, but didn’t deter Craig, as he sidled his foot over so it touched the officer’s. The moment of revelation approaches. Craig swept his hand under the divider several times, to which the officer responded with holding his police ID down on the floor so Craig could see it.
After the inevitable “No!” a couple of times, Craig was arrested and taken to the AirportPoliceOperationsCenter to be interviewed. According to the police report. At one point during the interview, Craig handed the plainclothes sergeant who arrested him a business card that identified him as a U.S. Senator and said,“What do you think about that?” Sadly, the report did not volunteer what they thought of that, though I have a few thoughts. Amnesia is rampant in politics this year, and in the recorded interview after his arrest, Craig “either disagreed with me or “didn’t recall” the events as they happened said Karsnia.He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, and informed the Spokane Spokesman Review that the charge as completely ridiculous saying the allegations had “no basis in fact.” Methinks he protests too much, but he does have our good old fashioned family values to protect. .click here for more details Rollcall.com
Pictured are marchers in London from the Million Marijuana March .
Dateline: Drug Central, Betty’s Yard, Guilford County, North Carolina.
Here is but one typical story, which made the news this week. There are no action scenes. You won’t read of a Scar face-like character diving into a mountain of cocaine. Meet 71 year old Betty Holt Walker, the desperado grandmother who was arrested and faces charges of manufacturing marijuana and felony possession of marijuana.The long arm of the law in the form of a sheriff’s deputy saw the plant as he drove past her home earlier in the month.
The single plant was chest-high. Betty said she’d found the first plant in her garden and repotted it. She stated it was a special plant to keep animals out of her yard. I get the impression she wasn’t trying to hide it, unless the lawn in her front yard is chest high. This warranted an investigation. It was found that there were five smaller plants behind a shed, as well as marijuana stems and seeds, and a water bong made from a soda bottle inside of the house. What to you bet that Betty Walker spends more time in jail than Lindsay Lohan’s 82 hours, and in a federal prison at that? Oh - It was added that a daughter who lives in the home was unaware of the plants and not charged. Make what you will of that. To read more of Betty's story click here AP News 8/23/08
For a good read, see what former detectives and police who spent countless years trying to enforce this fruitless and expensive war have to say about it on the LEAP website. Here is but a snippet of the tone of their feelings concerning this idiocy.
COPS SAY LEGALIZE DRUGS! Ask us why!
After nearly four decades of fueling the U.S. policy of a war on drugs with over a trillion tax dollars and 37 million arrests for nonviolent drug offenses, our confined population has quadrupled making building prisons the fastest growing industry in the United States. More than 2.2 million of our citizens are currently incarcerated and every year we arrest an additional 1.9 million more guaranteeing those prisons will be bursting at their seams. Every year we choose to continue this war will cost U.S. taxpayers another 69 billion dollars. Despite all the lives we have destroyed and all the money so ill spent, today illicit drugs are cheaper, more potent, and far easier to get than they were 35 years ago at the beginning of the war on drugs. Meanwhile, people continue dying in our streets while drug barons and terrorists continue to grow richer than ever before. We would suggest that this scenario must be the very definition of a failed public policy. This madness must cease! To Read LEAP
Though only a charter member of the “Lady’s International Bathroom Flock Society” myself, I’m certain I’ll have a comeback for the next man and there’s always one, who comments that women in public “always” go to the restroom in flocks - (or herds, depending upon the quality and tact of your escorts).One lady announces she needs to powder her nose, and each in turn states that she too will come along. In some places, it’s self protection, in other cases, Where else are we going to talk about you? 
Pictured are marchers in London from the Million Marijuana March .
