Sick With No Time To Have An Idea Of My Own

From XQUZYPHYR & Overboard Online:

"The American Prospect's weblog Tapped had a great post the other day about the recent story of apparently no significance to anyone in the media- that 450 economists (10 of whom won the Nobel Prize) issued a statement condemning Bush's latest tax plan. The White House has responded with, as you'll see here, their statement entitled "250 Economists Endorse President Bush's Jobs and Growth Plan."

As Tapped pointed out, though, there's just on small problem with the numbers inflation: apparently anyone who endorses Bush's tax plan is now allowed to be called an economist. The list of 250 economists endorsing the plan include:

* Horace Brock of Strategic Economic Decisions, Inc. - holds no doctorate in economics
* Grover Norquist - head of the right-wing Americans for Tax Reform, holds no degree in economics
* Jackson Brown - member of the American Dental Association - holds no degree in economics
* Donald L. Luskin of Trend Macrolytics, LLC - never even graduated from college
* Kevin Hassett - actually is an economist, used his economic prowess to write a book concluding that the Dow Jones Industrial Average would top 36,000 by the year 2000
* Ben Stein - B-list celebrity, sounds smart and stuff
There's more that just Tapped pointed out, and I'm sure you'd find more if you scrutinized the list. But Tapped summarized it the best themselves:


Now, one needn't be a credentialed economist to have an opinion on the Bush budget. But traditionally, you don't get to call yourself an economist without that sheepskin. If the White House wants to play a credentialing game to even out the P.R. battle, it won't do to pad out their list of "economists" with assorted businessmen, investment bankers, high-rolling GOP donors, Wall Street analysts, political hacks, policy entrepeneurs and at least one resume-inflating comedian.

And I'm sure those Nobel Prize winners wouldn't object to being compared to such equal epochs of the study of economics, either. I mean, doctoral thesis... cable game show... same thing."

"Democracy Is A Beautiful Thing"

-George Bush last week, in reaction to the world-wide protests.

Well, maybe he should see what democracy looks like.

They're not focus groups on world opinion -they ARE world opinion. Read the fucking signs, Shrub!

Rocket Science

From the Los Angeles Times

"February 24, 2003
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is proposing to exempt the Pentagon's controversial missile defense system from operational testing legally required of every new weapons system in order to deploy it by 2004.

Buried in President Bush's 2004 budget, in dry, bureaucratic language, is a request to rewrite a law designed to prevent the production and fielding of weapons systems that don't work.

If the provision is enacted, it would be the first time a major weapons system was formally exempted from the testing requirement.

The proposal follows administration moves to bypass congressional reporting and oversight requirements in order to accelerate development of a national missile defense system."

Do you feel safer now? Sure, why don't we just hand over a blank check for an untested (yet clearly proven unworkable) defense system and not let it endure the inconvenience of any oversight whatsoever?!!!

If someone sold you a smoke detector that turned out to just be some broken clock radio that looked like a smoke detector, you'd be kind of mad when your house burnt down with no warning, wouldn't you. You'd be even madder when you found out that you couldn't press charges against the bastard that sold you the smoke detector, wouldn't you? Hey, it's your tax money...is the illusion of safety worth this bullshit?

More Adventures With Our Elected Rascists

Representative Howard Coble was speaking on a talk radio show when a listener suggested we intern Arab Americans to prevent terrorism, repeating one of the darkest hours in our history: the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. While Coble disagreed with the listener, he expressed his approval of the WWII-era internment, saying, "some [Japanese Americans] probably were intent on doing harm to us."

"We were at war. They were an endangered species. For many of these Japanese Americans, it wasn't safe for them to be on the street... Some probably were intent on doing harm to us, just as some of these Arab Americans are probably intent on doing harm to us."

Representative Sue Myrick was speaking in front of the right-wing Heritage Foundation think tank when she expressed concern at the possibility that the nation's Muslim convenience store owners represent a threat to the American people. She said that her husband and she have been concerned for years that there are Muslims running convenience stores in "every little town you go into."

"You know, and this can be misconstrued, but honest to goodness (my husband) Ed and I for years, for 20 years, have been saying, 'You know, look at who runs all the convenience stores across the country.' Every little town you go into, you know?"

And this on Myric from a local Editor, found at This Modern World:

“We've been reporting on her goofy, backward ideas and borderline insanity for years. Just for your entertainment, you might want to know a bit more about her. She was mayor of Charlotte in the late 80s. She claimed that she and her husband (the Ed mentioned in your cartoon) had agonized over whether she should run, and so they did what any normal couple would do: they made an altar in a sand dune at the beach and prayed and apparently got the go-ahead from God then and there. But later she still had doubts about running and, I shit you not, claimed she heard a voice telling her to run coming out of her coffeemaker.

According to John, she also ran a re-election campaign claiming to be the "morally superior" candidate, at least until Creative Loafing pulled court records proving that she had helped to break up Ed's first marriage in the usual fashion. She still won.”

So, what’s in the water in North Carolina? Whatever it is, it has been there for a long time and slapping Trent Lott on the wrists seems to have done little to alleviate it. As shocking as it might seem, racists in government might still be an issue in this country!

Oh Ye Of Little Faith

A fast for George W:

Oh Ye Of Little Faith

“Recently I have felt the Lord speak to me (remember, I’m a conservative Presbyterian, I rarely use those words) that our President needs someone fasting for him every day in the office for his holiness. This will not only cover him through our prayers and fasting, but also give him encouragement (and accountability) knowing that there is someone (and hopefully multitudes) fasting for him each day.

snip

If you are willing to fast at least one day a month
primarily for George W. Bush's holiness (and other areas, such as bipartisan work among the Democrats and Republicans, Wisdom in his work, wisdom for his cabinet, healing for our nation, etc. ...but primarily holiness) then we encourage you to sign up and join us.

Our goal is to have 1,000 people fasting for the President each day. That will greatly encourage him and keep him accountable when the Evil One seeks to sidetrack him from his commitment to the Lord.

The first 1,000 people had signed up to fast within the first week. By March 1st, 5,000 had signed up, and on May 4th, 10,000 had signed up.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting hungry...

The Love Song Of G. W. Proofrock

Dan sends Batman.is >> Fráveran >>this one along. It's well worth your time!