Hepkitty's Litter Box

Are They Losing It?by MAUREEN DOWD

["This week, it's not just Democrats who are questioning whether Vice is losing it. Now, even some in the White House are saying it's bizarre that he chose a class photo-op on the Senate floor to suggest that Senator Patrick Leahy do something that you won't even find described in Bill Clinton's "My Life."

While Democratic lawmakers delayed final passage of a defense spending bill so they could mingle with Michael Moore, the once sweat-free Bushies were acting jangly.

First Vice chewed out The Times for accurately reporting that the 9/11 commission said there was no collaborative relationship between Saddam and Al Qaeda. Then Paul Wolfowitz called the reporters risking their lives in Iraq craven rumormongers. Then came Mr. Cheney's F-word. (Not Fox, the other one.)

Finally, President Bush got agitated when an Irish TV interviewer said most of the Irish found the world more dangerous now than before the Iraq invasion. "First of all, most of Europe supported the decision in Iraq," Mr. Bush declared. (It's all in how you define "Europe.")

Even as Tom Daschle proposed bipartisan family retreats to heal the harsh mood, even as the Senate passed the "Defense of Decency Act," Mr. Cheney profanely laced into Mr. Leahy for criticizing Halliburton's getting no-bid contracts.

"I felt better afterwards," he told Neil Cavuto during a no-bid interview with Fox News. Hey, if it feels good, Dick, do it."]

CNN.com - Cheney curses senator over Halliburton criticism - Jun 24, 2004
"The story, which was recounted by several sources, goes like this:

Cheney, who as president of the Senate was present for the picture day, turned to Leahy and scolded the senator over his recent criticism of the vice president for Halliburton's alleged war profiteering.
In response to Cheney, Leahy reminded Cheney that the vice president had once accused him of being a bad Catholic, to which Cheney replied either "f--- off" or "go f--- yourself."

tsk tsk-you suck up to special interests with that mouth?

Bush's Erratic Behavior Worries White House Aides:
excerpt-["President George W. Bush’s increasingly erratic behavior and wide mood swings has the halls of the West Wing buzzing lately as aides privately express growing concern over their leader’s state of mind.
In meetings with top aides and administration officials, the President goes from quoting the Bible in one breath to obscene tantrums against the media, Democrats and others that he classifies as “enemies of the state.”
"It reminds me of the Nixon days,” says a longtime GOP political consultant with contacts in the White House. “Everybody is an enemy; everybody is out to get him. That’s the mood over there.”]

Supreme Court Dismisses Pledge Case on Technicality (washingtonpost.com)

As a child in public school, I said the pledge (with the words "under God" in it) every day for years. But even at a young age, after I had learned of the separation of church and state, I knew it was iffy to be saying those words in a public school. I was raised by one parent who was raised strict Catholic, and one who was raised strict Baptist. They, in turn, raised me as strict non denominational, with the right to choose my own religion when I found a spiritual path to follow. Now, if two people can give that choice to their two kids, why can't a government give that choice to a nation of millions? Oh wait, they did. I'll admit that when this action first hit the press, even as a member of the ACLU I got a bit sentimental about changing a pledge I said for years. But in reading I discovered that the phrase "under God" was added relatively recently, and is not part of the pledge as it was originally concieved. It is important for Americans to hold sacred the history and traditions of our country. It was founded on a proud tradition and it's history is one to swell the heart of every patriot. To pledge allegience to our flag is an honor for me and many others who know how lucky we are to live under what it stands for. But in a time where Americans are more divided by our beliefs than at any time in recent memory, isn't it more important that we let the pledge stand for our secular America, a country founded on ideals of inclusion, rather than nit pick and find further reason to argue and divide, by alienating those citizens who love America, but may not believe in God? America was colonized by a group of people seeking freedom from religious persecution. They did not brave the journey to found this nation, only to have the religion of some alienating yet another group of people with differing beliefs.

Retired Officials Say Bush Must Go
The 26 ex-diplomats and military leaders say his foreign policy has harmed national security. Several served under Republicans.

The New York Times > Washington > U.S. Wrongly Reported Drop in World Terrorism in 2003: "WASHINGTON, June 10 (AP) - The State Department acknowledged Thursday that it was wrong in reporting that terrorism declined worldwide last year, a finding the Bush administration had pointed to as evidence of its success in countering terror.
Instead, the number of incidents and the toll in victims increased sharply, the department said. Statements by senior administration officials claiming success were based 'on the facts as we had them at the time; the facts that we had were wrong,' Richard A. Boucher, the State Department spokesman, said."]

Anyone who is shocked to hear that the administration manipulated data to make them look good politically at this point, congratulations on surviving being trapped under that rock for the last three and a half years. (clap clap) As for the report itself I just found it a)hilarious, and b) chin strokingly interesting since his apparent success in fighting terror is the main reason most republicans i know are still clinging desperately to their support of the fearless leader. Bush has been trying to paint himself as an action hero for years, now he actually looks like one. Except that when Ahnold is hanging from the landing gear of a flying helicopter, there's usually not someone greasing it up.

The New York Times > International > Army Now Says G.I. Was Beaten in Role: "LOUISVILLE, Ky., June 8 � Reversing itself, the Army said Tuesday that a G.I. was discharged partly because of a head injury he suffered while posing as an uncooperative detainee during a training exercise at Guant�namo Bay, Cuba.
The Army had previously said Specialist Sean Baker's medical discharge in April was unrelated to the injury he received last year at the detention center, where the United States holds suspected terrorists.
Mr. Baker, 37, a former member of the 438th Military Police Company, said he played the role of an uncooperative prisoner and was beaten so badly by four American soldiers that he suffered a traumatic brain injury and seizures. He said the soldiers only stopped beating him when they realized he might be American."

Hi kids! Just a quick update since I've been away so long. I owe my two readers that much at least. I'll be busier than usual since I finally got another job. Thanx to the wonderful Bush economy I am now working 40+ hours a week making about half of what I used to make. The recovery kicks ass! There's been almost too much in the news to even begin blogging about right now so I'll pick one topic which none of us can escape-the death of Ronald Reagan. What can I say about the Gipper that hasn't been said all day on the news? For starters that he was a suck president. I didn't spend my whole childhood during the eighties praying every night that there wouldn't be a nuclear war because he was "the great communicator". In fact, even as a child his witticisms scared the crap out of me because I didn't understand how anyone with his finger on the button could breathe let alone have a sense of humor about it. Plus he's the man who inexorably tied the reverend Jerry Falwel to my government which pisses me off. He ignored AIDS until it was found it effected more people than just homosexuals, and taught Dick Cheney to believe that "deficits don't matter". Tell that to anyone who thought they were going to lose their house to inflation and "Reaganomics". Now they want to put him on the ten dollar bill. If we're going to be accurate historians here we should put him on the -10 dollar bill or the forclosure notice. In any case, I could go on but I digress. Suffice it to say, so long president Reagan. This week TGIF will have new meaning as it will mean I no longer have to listen to a 24 hour a day love fest to the man who made my growing up a scary memory of ever present doom and expensive toys my parents couldn't afford.