From a Kos diary:

My mom heard me flipping out, and I tried to explain what the hell is going on in this country to her, and she denies it. My father admitted to me that he was no fan of Rumsfeld, but said nothing specific about Bush, after I called him the 'ultimate traitor' to this country, selling out everything for his own gain. After I got done venting and left for the gym, they then sat down to watch Flava Flav on VH1. Priorities.

Good Lord.  Paging Mr. Kafka.  The combination of Flava Flav and Rumsfeld gets 616 results on Google.

Al-Sadr, our "buddy," seizes Amarah in southern Iraq.  Its only going to get harder from here on out.

Charles Krauthammer in tomorrow’s Post:  Let Japan Have Nukes.  The classic neo-con solution—make things more dangerous, basically abandoning our influence in an area to appear to have done something about the problem.  These jokers don’t realize that the reason that everything they have done is bold because it discards reality in working out solutions to international problems.  This is really the dessert for the upcoming meal.  Since conservatives must apparently be utterly unvarying in their beliefs, the whole lot of them is going lemming-style, off a cliff.  From scandal to scandal, they never give up their message.  We’ve learned a lot about that consistency as an advantage—now we will see its major drawback.

 

The amazing Road-to-Damascus moments--Goldberg--I Was Wrong About Iraq--Bush--Iraq Not Working Time for Change--Coalition Military Spokesman--Baghdad Crackdown Failing--Rep. John Sweeney R NY--Don't Stay the Course.--Not exactly inspiring confidence in the conservative legions, is it?  They are acting beat. 

 

Please no "watch out Rove conspiracy" responses.

When RedState weirdos start coming to Daily Kos.

Redstate.com: You are not authorized to post comments.

by danarothrock

Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 08:10:53 PM PDT

Trent Lott (R,MS) - Traitor to the American Worker You are not authorized to post comments.

I posted this story here, too, but Redstate doesn't allow freedom of speech.  When I get around to posting the Demo traitors here, I wonder if I will lose my speech privilege altogether.

• danarothrock's diary :: ::

Here is my Senatorial Traitor List.  

Redstate are fools for their all-out troll banning behavior.  People will come to Kos and post and then read.  The diaries will sink to the bottom fast, but the reader will be reading Kos and perhaps learning a thing or two.  On Redstate people get all testosteroned up and say things like "enjoy your banning, Troll!"  Its like they are sort of living in an Arnold movie where they get a quip before they "defeat" their enemies. There victory is guarenteed--they just shut the opponent up.  Its what goes for tough on that side of the equation.

The gentleman above is looking for a theme that will echo with him.  May he find it on Daily Kos.

Keep writing about Russia and Eastern Europe.

Saying that China alone has the leverage to end the North Korean nuclear program is besides the point.  In fact, you may want to provide more information as to what incentives China has for really "putting the hurt on Pyongyang" because while I agree they're worried about a nuclear arms race (as opposed to the conventional one that's been going on for years) in East Asia, fear of fallout and Korean missiles isn't very compelling stuff. 

Right now, China's trying to triangulate between the U.S. and North Korea in order to protect its newly realized, less confrontational while economically lucrative relationship with the Americans yet avoiding anything that would precipitate the disorder of the Kim regime falling apart.  See they share a border with North Korea and fear the results of such a collapse would destabilize Northeastern China (historically a national achilles heel) so cutting off food and oil supplies or opening the border to hundreds of thousands of refugees is really the last thing they want to do right now regardless of how well it worked in Eastern Europe?  Trust me they've already told the North the PRC probably won't honor military alliances if they provoke a confrontation, but in general Chinese foreign policy doctrine also place a premium on non-aggression and respect for national integrity that means they really don't favor the more belligerent rhetoric coming from the likes of Ambassador Bolton either.  From what I've read I'm under the impression the Chinese hope that either the North Koreans are able to survive due to implementing needed economic and political reforms or that an orderly, negotiated reunification with the South in the near future will prevent chaos and lessen tensions in the region -- doing something that "turns off the light in Pyongyang" while impressive accomplishes neither.  Although they feel the need to be part of any ultimate solution, they're gonna dance for the time being. 

Also, while its comforting to say the U.S. government has nothing to offer and no leverage with the North that's really a dodge, Anne.  You've written books about totalitarian regimes so I shouldn't have to tell you that most totalitarian dictatorships have an overwhelming need for self-preservation and no matter what they might get into they'll look for a way out that ultimately maintains their hold on power.  North Korea's no different although if your argument is the Kim regime doesn't deserve to survive that's another matter.  Nevertheless, I'll bet you that when and if we decide to sit down with them we'll write something up that says,  "We want you to do this, this and this" and they'll look at it and say, "We like the part about you agreeing not to invade".  

People from the Upper Midwest often carry a special burden.  We fancy ourselves relatively unemotional, even stoic, tend to put everything in negative terms ("Could be worse" was high praise where I grew up in Minnesota) and we often discuss things in a more indirect or roundabout way.  In fact, I had a buddy who once suggested his boss was a real "rocket scientist" by saying he must be buying up all the local warehouse space to store the rockets he was building.  Well, just something to keep in mind, I guess?

We're about to start a new feature here at Iron Mouth.  Its called Interesting Sections of State Codes.  Today, we feature pertintent parts of the Illinois Code, Title 10.  Specifically section  of Chapter 7, Section 7-61(c), which reads:

Any vacancy in nomination occurring 15 days or less before the consolidated election or the general election shall not be filled. In this event, the certification of the original candidate shall stand and his name shall appear on the official ballot to be voted at the general election.

How does this section of code work?  Well it says that if there is a vacancy in a nomination 15 days before the general election, it cannot be filled by another party.  Let's put that hypothetical into action--if there was a vacancy in nomination in this election, a party could not fill the nomination after Monday, October 23, 2006.

This concludes this episode of Interesting Sections of State Codes. 

If there's one adage that was more true than never getting involved in a land war in Asia it would be never give credence to any conspiracy theory thought up by one Rep. Curt Weldon (R-CrazyTrain), yet here we are once again.

With a bullet: Illinois 11

So exciting, that there are none others to list.

Currently unconfirmable, but our D.C. sources are telling the Iron Mouth that a certain midwestern male congressman is at the center of the 16-year old female page allegations.  Supposedly will break no later than Monday.

Wow, looks like he left out "I know you are but what am I!"  Besides being a corrupt bastard with a penchant for putting his foot in his mouth, Conrad Burns also appears to have the debating skills of a kindergartener.   Okay, I take it back... I think my two year old has better debating skills.

The President continued his long standing policy of ignoring his enemies and talking exclusively with his friends when he recently hosted the self-appointed "Voices of Sanity" caucus (ie. right-wing radio hosts) at the White House.  Apparently after the more glaring ineptitude of the past year a few of its members were showing some signs of independent thought and needed to be brought back onto the conservative Republican reservation.  Although not entirely confirmed, one assumes scripts for the next couple weeks were handed out at the gathering.  Just one more thing you wouldn't have seen ten or even twenty years ago. 

Cute. They look so much more docile in the Oval Office in comparison to the snarling, contemptuous jerks they often play on TV.

GOP in panic mode:

"In this show, all of us combined, there's enough of you in this audience right here and now … that can confuse, and confound, and bewilder, and just absolutely send these guys into a tail spin.  On election night, when those results start coming in, if the media commentaries are smiling because Republicans are losing, if key senators and key congressmen, many of whom are conservative and have excellent records, go down in the defeat … let me tell you something, in the end you don't have as far as I'm concerned the liberal media to blame.  They will have played a part.  But ultimately it's you, yourself … you have to blame."

Sean Hannity, tonight.

[Q]uite frankly, if the most recent "sea of blue" polls are anything to go by, the Democrats are on the verge of taking over both Houses of Congress. Or at least taking over the House and closing the gap considerably in the Senate so the next nomination the President makes to the Supreme Court would have to be a Souter clone to have a prayer of not having to face a filibuster, thanks to "maverick" John McCain. . .

I think some alarm might be in order.

The fact is that the GOP may be vastly superior to the Democrats in turning out its voters and getting them to the polls, but we cannot continue to cede the fence-sitters in the last days to an election to the Democrats and their 527s in the Fourth Estate. We're losing "Independents" (the most ignorant and therefore the most susceptible to Press/Democrat manipulation) 70:30 in all the polls I've seen, and rather than try to win them over and rally our own voters, we're counting on them not to show up. What's worse is that we're losing them to the Democrats over "macaca" and Foley's IMs when we could be winning them over on serious issues like the economy and national security.

I don't care how good the GOP's GOTV operation is, We simply cannot ever afford to be so complacent. Most especially in an electoral environment like this.

We have to be honest with ourselves here; we'd much rather be them looking at the polling numbers than us right now. All this bravado about how fake the polls are, how slanted the 2004 exit polls were, and how we're going to shock the pundits on the 7th is beginning to ring false.

I have a recurring nightmare about Redstate in a meltdown three days to the election when it's too late to do anything about our collective decision to keep fooling ourselves. . .

It's a long shot.

Redstate.

 

Clinton meeting old buddy Curt Weldon:

Then: CNN, August 22, 1998:

Republicans say the criticism of Starr hurt the president more than it helped him.

"It was a little bit like a temper tantrum," said Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa. "If he had said he was sorry, that would have won him some support, but now he's caused the whole thing to be triggered to another level."

Weldon, who sits on the special committee investigating whether Clinton permitted the transfer of sensitive missile technology to China, said his colleagues were angered by Clinton's speech -- and predicted that Starr and Republicans may now be even more motivated to go after the president.

"Clinton's arrogance was shining through, and it's being picked up by members I've talked to," Weldon said.

Now:

“I will not make a single stop in this campaign season that means more to me than this one — not one,” Clinton told a crowd of nearly 900 at a rally for Joseph Sestak at Valley Forge Military Academy."

But Clinton wasn’t talking much about Weldon Thursday. He was talking about Sestak, who served as director for defense policy on his National Security Council and has the best chance of turning the 7th District Democratic since 1986.

Clinton predicted that Sestak would pick up some votes from Republicans disillusioned with the performance of President Bush and Congress.

“It isn’t conservative to add $3 trillion to the national debt,” Clinton said, criticizing the “radical, right-wing ideology” he said led to the Iraq war and the concentration of wealth and power in America.

“If you have an ideology, you know the answer already, so the evidence becomes irrelevant,” he said. “That’s why they govern and campaign by attack — assertion and attack — because evidence and argument are the enemies of ideology. And there are serious consequences to this, and you see them in Iraq, you see them in Afghanistan, you see them on stem-cell research.”

Weldon spokesman Michael Puppio said Clinton’s visit is evidence that Sestak was sent to the district as part of a Democratic scheme to unseat the Congressman.

Any other news from the race? 

FBI is said to be probing Weldon over his influence

Weldon, apparently had not even been informed of the investigation.  Prosecutor doesn't like you much, does he Curt?  He's trying to strip you of your number one asset before he tries you.

Our day cometh.

Q:  What's more discouraging than watching Congressional Democrats hang their hopes on John McCain standing against the recent detainee bill? 

A:  Expecting China to support and implement a tougher sanction regime against North Korea.

Well, to be fair to the Chinese, they do have their own interests in regards to North Korea, not all of which coincide with our own.  Although the Chinese have carried a lot of water for us the last few years in the multi-lateral talks over ending the North Korean nuclear program, its hard to escape the fact that much of what the North Koreans are doing is directed not at Japan, Russia or China but (brace yourself)...the United States.  Just remember the Chinese aren't worried about being hit with North Korean nukes, we are.  Nor are the North Koreans worried about the Chinese bombing them back to the stone age.  Ironically, while we're hung up on not rewarding bad behavior, North Korea seems to think that's the only way we'll take notice.  I recommend Heather Hurlbutt's two cents on the matter over at Democracy Arsenal.

Not looking good for the GOP.

My first thought when I read articles like this is can't the President, who after all has a couple more years in office, veto any piece of legislation he doesn't like, including tax increases proposed by a Democratic Congress?  Right?  That is a power given the office by the Constitution and has been used to great effect by past Presidents-- even he himself used it once in six years.  In some ways its similar Mr. Bush's oft spoken pledge to make his tax cuts permanent; sounds good as a soundbite and you know where he stands on the issue but the fact remains that in a democratic republic any piece of legislation can be overturned by the actions of future Congresses.  Frankly despite the fact he rarely follows the intent of the bills he signs into law, the challenges of working with a Democratic Congress might be just what Mr. Bush needs to remind himself how the government actually is suppose to work, and best of all remind him of the extent and limits of his own duties as President.... or so we can hope?

How can you have hours of discussion at a government-sponsored conference on school safety that wouldn't have happened without a number of recent high profile, often deadly, school shootings-- the most recent a 13 year old firing an AK47 at a Joplin, MO middle school-- and no one save a few questioners is willing to directly broach the subject of gun violence in schools?  Evidently its pretty easy.  For example, according to Dana Milbank, the President, his Education Secretary and the Attorney General made it through several hours of panel discussion without once saying the word "guns".

Then in 2002, the Bush administration discovered the existence of a covert program in uranium, evidently an attempt to evade the Agreed Framework. This program, while potentially serious, would have led to a bomb at a very slow rate, compared with the more mature plutonium program. Nevertheless, the administration unwisely stopped compliance with the Agreed Framework. In response the North Koreans sent the inspectors home and announced their intention to reprocess. The administration deplored the action but set no "red line." North Korea made the plutonium.

Bill Perry, Republican.

Okay, since today we'll be working off a theme developed in my last post lets look at a few blunt words from the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations:

"This is the way North Korea typically negotiates, by threat and intimidation," he said. "It's worked for them before. It's not going to work this time."

Yes, John Bolton, the man who spent most of his time as Undersecretary for Arms Control at the State Department disrupting ongoing third party negotiations with allies over Iran, threatening the UN if it didn't get rid of IAEA chief Mohammad El-Baradei , purging longtime State Department weapons and arms treaty experts and pushing a new Bush administration policy that placed US interests in developing new generations of nuclear weapons over adhering to previously ratified international agreements like the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (and all its addendums) is out doing what he does best-- talking tough.  

Okay, let's sum up our current position vis-a vis North Korea: "Most of the people making decisions about arms control blew it and our options (isolating the most isolated regime on the planet)may be limited, but they're bad guys and since we didn't deal directly with them a few years ago, we're definitely not gonna do so now."  Not very inspiring but typical.

..... the failure of our policies demonstrates the need to adhere to our policies more rigidly.

I think this brief thought offered by Matt Yglesias on the failure of the Bush foreign policy team in respects to North Korea, and nuclear non-proliferation in general, pretty much sums up for me what's wrong with just about everything the Bush people do.  Between pursuing either ideologically rigid, poorly thought out and implemented "policies" and/or just reactively making things up on the fly, the response is always, "Don't blame us, the approach was sound and far from failing it validates everything we've said about the problem and necessitates a redoubling of our efforts!"