Saturday, October 08, 2005
Down the well
Thanks to the good folks over at Crooks and Liars for posting this video from the vote on refining capacity from the other day. As you can see there is some mention of this in the MSM (1, 2, 3)
Now, as i have brought up before with such story like the Gannon\Guckert thing, if you were to invert party affiliation in this, and many other cases, you would end up with one of the biggest scandels you have ever seen taking up all 24 hours of broadcast time on all news channels. But because it was the Republicans up to the shinnanigans, we get a passing mention of their impropriety, and everything gets swept under the rug.
The fella with the gavel, when questioned as to why the vote was still open, answered that it was open to allow everyone to vote. Well, Guess what? Everyone had voted. Everyone who was in that room had cast their vote. Now, lets ask ourselves, why was the vote left open? It was left open as long as it was, just as in the Medicare vote last year, so the GOP could get their way. Everyone voted, and they did not win, so they cajole, they beg, they threaten, and they keep the clock running to squeeze others into voting for their position.
I submit that if the Democrats had done this that there would be hell to pay, just as a democratic president would have been hung in a public square if there was a gay prostitute in the press room lobbing softball questions amidst a politically charged atmosphere, or if aids to a democratic president were under suspicion in leaking a covert operative's name in political retaliation against a percieved enemy.
Again we witness to this great double standard that stands between the GOP and reality.
More telling perhaps is Delay being at the front of the arm twisting, while new GOP leader Blunt sits back and lets Tom work his magic. We see that the GOP cares nothing even for their own rules, just in results that work for them.
And in the end, what does this do for the American people? This bill solves nothing in the long term, and only serves as another example of corporate welfare that shoves aside considerations for the environment, the economy and even global political stability. These people, the GOP and the folks in the energy industry are little more that drug dealers, and OIL is the drug. Their concern for the energy crisis stops at their wallets, and even in that instance, they are very shortsighted. Working on new means of energy production could have a long lasting positive impact for America not only in terms of new jobs, economic growth, and preserving the environment, but can help ease tensions with the rest of the world at the same time by keeping us out of fabricated wars with places like Iraq, and soon Iran, and i will bet you one day, Venezuela.
All we can do now, is hope that these people are brought crashing down, and shown for what they are. And when they are out of power, we need to change the rules to prevent these abuses in the future. I would even go so far as to say that there needs to be IQ tests to qualify someone for president, and that all forms of lobbying be made illegal upon penalty of 25 years in prison.
Have a good weekend all,
tomkitty.
Now, as i have brought up before with such story like the Gannon\Guckert thing, if you were to invert party affiliation in this, and many other cases, you would end up with one of the biggest scandels you have ever seen taking up all 24 hours of broadcast time on all news channels. But because it was the Republicans up to the shinnanigans, we get a passing mention of their impropriety, and everything gets swept under the rug.
The fella with the gavel, when questioned as to why the vote was still open, answered that it was open to allow everyone to vote. Well, Guess what? Everyone had voted. Everyone who was in that room had cast their vote. Now, lets ask ourselves, why was the vote left open? It was left open as long as it was, just as in the Medicare vote last year, so the GOP could get their way. Everyone voted, and they did not win, so they cajole, they beg, they threaten, and they keep the clock running to squeeze others into voting for their position.
I submit that if the Democrats had done this that there would be hell to pay, just as a democratic president would have been hung in a public square if there was a gay prostitute in the press room lobbing softball questions amidst a politically charged atmosphere, or if aids to a democratic president were under suspicion in leaking a covert operative's name in political retaliation against a percieved enemy.
Again we witness to this great double standard that stands between the GOP and reality.
More telling perhaps is Delay being at the front of the arm twisting, while new GOP leader Blunt sits back and lets Tom work his magic. We see that the GOP cares nothing even for their own rules, just in results that work for them.
And in the end, what does this do for the American people? This bill solves nothing in the long term, and only serves as another example of corporate welfare that shoves aside considerations for the environment, the economy and even global political stability. These people, the GOP and the folks in the energy industry are little more that drug dealers, and OIL is the drug. Their concern for the energy crisis stops at their wallets, and even in that instance, they are very shortsighted. Working on new means of energy production could have a long lasting positive impact for America not only in terms of new jobs, economic growth, and preserving the environment, but can help ease tensions with the rest of the world at the same time by keeping us out of fabricated wars with places like Iraq, and soon Iran, and i will bet you one day, Venezuela.
All we can do now, is hope that these people are brought crashing down, and shown for what they are. And when they are out of power, we need to change the rules to prevent these abuses in the future. I would even go so far as to say that there needs to be IQ tests to qualify someone for president, and that all forms of lobbying be made illegal upon penalty of 25 years in prison.
Have a good weekend all,
tomkitty.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Interesting times
It has been some time since I have sat down and blogged. What can I say? I think I have been on overload for the past few weeks. Yes, my work is always an issue, and is quite draining, but my real problem is what exactly do I comment on?
Bill Frist being investigated for insider trading?
Tom Delay being indicted and stepping down as majority leader?
Cronyism in the federal government?
Ongoing troubles in Iraq?
Judy Miller finally spilling her guts in the Plame leak investigation?
Bush's damaged popularity, and declining support for his foolish war?
What on earth should I devote my attention too? These days I'm like a kid in a candy shop. Its like the perfect political storm for our neo-con friends, 5 years in the making. It's been a hell of a ride, but everything you do will come back to you in the end, isn't that right Tom?
As such, I am a little too busy at the moment to go into anything too deeply at the moment, but I will make this stray comment, and you can take it for what its worth.
If you hear anyone use the terms 9/11, September the 11th, the World Trade Center attack, or anything in that vein, to justify the current economy (debt and deficit included), the invasion of Iraq, the state of the federal government, than you have every right, if not the obligation, to spit in said person's face. I have had enough with republicans, as recently as this morning on Meet the Press with Tim Russert, defending blatant and obvious ills in America by taking in vain the name of a tragedy that cost 3000 American lives. It is sick, and has to stop.
Well, I'm off now. In closing, I will send a personal check for 50 dollars to anyone who takes and publishes pictures on the internet of Tom Delay being finger-printed and photographed. I'm serious, so get snappin!
Have a good weekend all
tomkitty
Bill Frist being investigated for insider trading?
Tom Delay being indicted and stepping down as majority leader?
Cronyism in the federal government?
Ongoing troubles in Iraq?
Judy Miller finally spilling her guts in the Plame leak investigation?
Bush's damaged popularity, and declining support for his foolish war?
What on earth should I devote my attention too? These days I'm like a kid in a candy shop. Its like the perfect political storm for our neo-con friends, 5 years in the making. It's been a hell of a ride, but everything you do will come back to you in the end, isn't that right Tom?
As such, I am a little too busy at the moment to go into anything too deeply at the moment, but I will make this stray comment, and you can take it for what its worth.
If you hear anyone use the terms 9/11, September the 11th, the World Trade Center attack, or anything in that vein, to justify the current economy (debt and deficit included), the invasion of Iraq, the state of the federal government, than you have every right, if not the obligation, to spit in said person's face. I have had enough with republicans, as recently as this morning on Meet the Press with Tim Russert, defending blatant and obvious ills in America by taking in vain the name of a tragedy that cost 3000 American lives. It is sick, and has to stop.
Well, I'm off now. In closing, I will send a personal check for 50 dollars to anyone who takes and publishes pictures on the internet of Tom Delay being finger-printed and photographed. I'm serious, so get snappin!
Have a good weekend all
tomkitty
