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Tom,
I don't believe it was "cautious" for the administration to at first come out blaming what happened in Benghazi on a demonstration that got out of control. I turned out that there was no demonstration at all in Benghazi. Cautious would have been to refrain from speculation until they had some facts.
I went to Hope high school in Hope, Arkansas, from 1969 to 1973. A couple of times, Mike Huckabee dropped by his old high school, there in Hope, and I remember sitting in his car with some friends. One of the guys in the car asked Huckabee why he always listened to political programs on his car radio instead of music. Huckabee then said, "I like to keep up with what's going on in politics and the country." Seemed to me that he liked politics for the game, rather than for serving the people.
These right wingers are nothing but gamers of the American system of politics, and for that, they bring this country much shame, conflict and hardship for all of its citizens. They use everything from religion to lie filled propaganda as their game tools, but many are sick and tired of their games and putting up with so many Americans that they brainwash and send out like zombies to attack the rights of anyone that objects to them. Miserable male domination freaks like Todd Akins are what I'm talking about, and what we seek is freedom from their type of tyranny over anyone that isn't a far right wing, corporation worshipping, theocratic Neo-Confederate throwback.
Unfortunately, the Democrats did not impeach Bush and Cheney in 2006 when they took the House, but I don't think it wasn't because they wanted to ruin their chances in the next election by being "divisive", as Thom has suggested. Shortly after that election, the Bush White House invited Pelosi (and perhaps a couple other high ranking Democrats) to a meeting to discuss how the two parties were going to "share power". She then came out and said that impeachment was "off the table". I have doubts as to the reason, although Thom has offered that the Democrats did this to better ensure their chances in 2008.
The real give-away, I think, was John Conyers. He had been so determined to impeach before the 2006 election and suddenly dropped the issue, avoided discussing it, gave lame excuses, and even looked like he was looking for an escape when he was asked on TV about his change of heart. MY guess is that in the aforementioned meeting, Cheney/Rove apparatus actually threatened the Democrats, and informed them that if they knew what was good for them, they were not to go forward with impeachment efforts. After all, Cheney threatened Mohammed al-Baradei and Hans Blix with the ruin of their careers if they did not find WMDs in Iraq ASAP, threatened the Spanish government over Judge Baltasar Garzon's investigation into whether Bush was a war criminal, and also threatened a few other countries' governments when their judicial systems were considering the same. Cheney also constantly applied pressure on the CIA to give him the "evidence" that the Iraqis had WMDs to justify the invasion of that country, worked in secret meetings for the indefinite-detention-of-Americans clause of the Defense Authorization Act, and is supected of all kinds of other manipulative actions. As Gore Vidal once put it, we do not have two political parties in this country, we have one political party and the Mafia. I would not doubt for a minute that the Republicans will try to find SOMETHING to get in the way of Obama getting anything done. At the very least they will use up a huge sum of taxpayer money doing all kinds of investigations to find something they can use against him. Making trouble is all they know how to do.
Is that dialect meant to be funny? Or just offensive? At least what you write connects admirably with your "views"--if anyone can figure out what you are trying to say..
Try not to be a racist jerk. When you feel that you are overcome with this desire to use unfunny racism (racism is NEVER funny), pull yourself together , breathe deeply, and discipline yourself. Tell that alter ego -- or whatever it is -- to shut up.
You are so right. Don't worry. In the unlikely event Romney is elected, all people who are knowledgeable and common sensical will be impeached. Don't forget all the scientists. And everyone who sees no reason same-sex couples shouldn't get married.
We'll all go, but I don't think it will make a big dent in the population.
Democrats will never come out with the real refutation of Republicans because the Democrats are playing the game of two-party hegemony over the political landscape where they are quite happy to have the whole political discussion be about the tug of war (WITH Republicans as their necessary partners) over social issues, while the Feudal Corporate Lords maintain their control over the financial and economic systems by controlling both parties. This is nowhere made clearer than the control of our presidential debates using the PRIVATE CORPORATION called the Commission on Presidential Debates that is wholly controlled by the Republicans and Democrats and used to prevent other political parties from having an even playing field for participating in our nation's single most important political debate. When are we the PEOPLE going to demand to have our presidential debates back in the public domain instead of under the control by a private corporation that dances to the tune of the two parties that control it?
http://occupythecpd.org/
As a radical progressive, I believe the president should be impeached, but not for this cockamamie reason of the Benghazi attacks. Obama should be impeached for all his unconstitutional activities such as not prosecuting the torturers, drone attacks on civilians, assassinations and kill lists as foreign policy, condoning breaches of civil liberties in the NDAA, etc.
Check out John Cusack's interview at http://truth-out.org/news/item/11264-john-cusack-and-jonathan-turley-on-obama%E2%80%99s-constitution?tsk=adminpreview
Obama should be impeached for starting world war one, and no, it doesn't matter that world war one started before Obama was born, because he's responsible for it anyway. And he's also responsible for my first girlfriend leaving me, he should definitely be impeached for that. And the other day when I found out that my camcorder won't take a standard lavalier microphone? Obama is so responsible for that. And finally, he should be impeached for the fact that I am too short to play professional basketball.
Newt should be impeached for screwing around on all fifty of his wives. Or is it sixty? I don't know, I can't count that high. Boehner should be impeached for having the worst tan ever seen in the history of the republican party and for drinking wine that comes in boxes. John Huckabee should be impeached for naming himself after an insect. Mitt Romney should be pre-emptively impeached for wanting an elevator for his cars. Ann Romney should be impeached for saying, "... We love you women!" Paul Ryan should be impeached for bringing eternal shame to America with his unpatrioticly slow marathon time. George Bush should be post-emptively impeached for not being able to pronouce big words. Bill O-Reilly should be impeached for pretending that he's Irish, when clearly he is from China. Ann Coulter should be impeached for not eating enough nuclear waste to give her skin that nice, healthy, green glow. And all the rest of the republicans should be impeached for getting manicures.
Thom Hartmann should be impeached for having common sense- we should not tolerate common sense in political common taters. I should be impeached for writing this. And you should be impeached for reading it!
No! We should prossecute GWB for lieing to Congress to get them to authorize the Iraq war, ,illing about 4,000 men and women in our Armed forces and an unt9old number of human Iraqi. Someone did not autorize the special forces team in December 2001 at Tora Bora to go in and get Osama bin Laden. Talk about compo98cit with the Industrial Military Comples to get profits! Also the Bush administration aukthorized torture in violation of the Geneve Conventions and that is enough to send him before the World Court.
The "New Right of Paul Weyrich" must win this election to finish off Democracy once and for all. They will Amend our Constitution in ways we would never think of. They will privatize everything they can for their corporate membership. It took them 40 yrs to achieve victory and will take us a 100 to undo all the repressive, oppresive laws they have shoved down our throats. They will use the voting machines to "Steal our Votes" as they did with Bush's win - only BETTER! They've been cheating since the primaries (MI, McCotter, 2012). The machines have already been shipped out of Ohio to all swing states. They will NOT allow anyone to scrutinize the software. Romney owns Preferred Shares in Diebold. Scytl - another voting machine company is owned by Romney's old Bain boys. They need to get the polls to show a closer spread so that it will not "appear" that something is wrong when they use the machines. Check blackboxvoting.org - Walker didn't win that re-election and in spite of him trying to burn the ballots (Lost that one) - they will find fraud. This country MUST "cleanse" itself of this New Right takeover!!
It all depends on the election. I hope for some decisive majorities of either affirmation or rejection. We need direction, not a split system, bogged down in stalemate. Right now I can't vote as I can't predict what will be the tactics after the election -- possible the most important election of our times.
"NOTHING WOULD SUPRISE ME"
I hate to even say it but apparently one faction of US politics apparently has no regard for truth or civil propriety. And yes I'm very empathetic to my ("conservative") friends who live in what I consider a fantasy-reality, fabricated by the likes of Limberger and his Wanabees over several decades. They see me as unaware of what they consider "truth" -- just as I do them. It's a mess -- we can't both be right. Yet we must come to consensus to exist and move ahead.
I have no interest in 4-more years of this stalemate crap. They took down Clinton with a trumped-up impeachment -- yet Dems still haven't charged any of the Bush-kid's gang for two trumped-up wars. Yet Republicans are willing to sacrifice the country in big ways to simply obstruct. We have a dysfunctional situation becoming a national crisis. It's not fun any longer.
Progressives, Liberals and Democrats must hear the arguments (of excess spending, etc.) and either respond or refute them. They must call out obstructionism for what it is -- we can't continue as we are going. Ultimately if our reprepresentatives can't handle it -- the People must be held to account -- which may be the 2014 elections. We have to get through this and move-on.
This simply can not continue this way, considering the global problems we people must address, going ahead. We don't have the luxury of indulging in old tribalistic feuds. I shudder to think that humanity's only options are huge global-military-conflicts as ways to get us past these economic-social-cultural impasses -- (as in the past?)
Our youth are making great strides, at solving old diversity issues. Sciences are doing great (where properly funded). It just seems that our economic political systems are seriously broken. THAT is where the problems lie; and we need answers and solutions, soon.
uh, hmm...uh forgive my iggnance' but wudnit some video trailer that done got folks kilt o' dare dat dare desert place? hmmmm? you know d'em islamaphobe peepo's. i ain't al getha dare but i reads well enug to be abeo to unastan that somfin is sahairyusly wong in da unitetid stae of 'merica. i alsos no dat dat cat day caw mittens wouls be a t'o clamity fo' 'merica. i knows ima gets out and vote! peace all y'all!!!ROCK THE VOTE IN NOVEMEBER HELL TO THE YEAH!!!! oh by the way when will we ever get rid of these blow hole boobs rotting and brainwashing people anyway?
IF there were rampant cases of voter fraud (which there certainly do not appear to be), I could see the validity of efforts to correct this. However, the timing of this so close to the election, the fact that the efforts are preponderantly in states controlled by Republicans, the fact that all these new laws were drafted using the same language developed by ALEC, the fact that the EFFECT of the laws will be to disenfranchise racial minorities and the elderly, and the fact that some legislators have even come out to say that the passing of those laws will help ensure the Republican chances of winning this election clearly point out the strictly politically motivated purpose of these efforts.
Like it or not, Racism is still alive and well in the good old U.S. of A. The Republicans have clearly recognized that their chances of winning elections now and in the future is greatly diminished by the changing demographics of our country. White evangelicals, Joe lunchbuckets, and gun-totin' rednecks are no longer the majority in this country.
YES, there should be a federal law clearly defining voting registration and balloting procedures throughout the country. Voting is among the most precious of rights enjoyed by ALL citizens. Regulations should be such to ENCOURAGE MORE participation in elections, not less. It's what democracy is all about. It's what a lot of us put our lives on the line for fighting in wars(some more justified than others) throughout the country's history. This strategy seems rooted in the same old State's Rights bullshit used to justify resistance to civil rights, voting rights, and a lot of other things. Ever wonder whatever happened to all those "Southern Democrats"? Seems all those state have magically turned Republican since the 60's. Hmmmm.
If we really need such legislation, why not do so in such fashion to ensure that people are NOT disenfranchised(perhaps 'grandfathered" in some way), and that sufficient time is allowed, and standard procedures put in place to guarantee consistent, fair implementation.
Wendalore, you need to get informed about this sooner rather than later. If you are someone who follows Thom's ideals, you may find yourself the target of a challenge of your right to vote. They are targeting people who traditionally vote Dem, i.e. people of color, seniors, youth, any ethnicity. There are many sites that offer you a way to determine if you are able to vote, I list just one of them: http://www.canivote.org/
I keep hoping that the SCOTUS will step in on this. The right to vote in a Federal election should not be overridden by the states. It's insane.
RELAX GRINGO, I'm here legally!
Really, now, I've no objection to Voter ID cards. I'd prefer that the action is attached to the life of my 'pictured' state driver's license or state ID. And, that this requirement should have occurred at the start of a new polical administrative period rather than mid-stream into a presidential term where it was quite obivious that the fascist right was bent on making this presidency fail.
The problem and strife that occurred as a slap in the face was the ugly openness with which the action was started shortly after Arizona's sheriff, Arpaio, and governor couldn't contain themselves and went ballistically fascist (keep in mind the word 'fascism' includes the 'r' word) on all of us that are not of anglo-saxon origin. And, then the congressional republicans in unison joined the fray. Poor, poor, folk . . . they are having terrible growing pains . . . they've become the Ugly Americans . . . so-o-o-o UnAmerican . . . sad.
So, I decided this year at Virginia's primaries to test the opposition that was going to ask me to show my voter registration card along with the state's pictured driver's (DL) / ID card. I wanted to test the powers that be regarding what gives the 'volunteer staff' the empowerment to make such a judgement on us citizens. So, here's how it went . . .
I walked up to the registry tables and the first woman asked to see both my voter registration and state issued pictured DL / ID card. I said, "Before I do such, I'd like to see your state issued pictured DL / ID card as well as the Commonwealth of Virginia's legal document that gives you the authority to review my 'private personal information' that is protected by the U.S. government's Privacy Act.
Poor lady was going to pee her pants. She call over the volunteer staff manager who then called the security guard to deal with this. I requested the same from him, he stalls, and suggests to them they should be prepared to show such legal tender as well when asked. Since, they could not provide a notorized doc with the state's seal, I was allowed to go through and vote without showing my cards and only pointing to my name on their ledger roster.
On my way out, the security guard followed me out the door and asked if what I had said was for real. I looked at him, and said, "You're black, wouldn't you have tried the same thing just to see them squirm? . . . Remember, the Native American's were here when we all arrived to this country, make sure you're looking over the staffs' shoulders so that they are demanding equal requirements from our anglo-saxon citizens . . . and, remember your dad and my mom who had to pay a poll tax to vote . . . the white man didn't?"
As ctizen of USA , I expect proper invistigation form such activity. We want clear and pure work from the organization. So the goverment should coprate free and proper clairfy from the event with take the proper justice for our nation.
http://www.virginiasinjurylawyers.com/Personal-Injury.aspx
The Twain Report
All The News That Mark Twain Says He Would Report If He Was Alive Today
9-27-2012
In a break from their usual lame-stream liberal media approach, today The View television show allowed renouned nuclear waste expert Ann Coulter, whose recent discovery of a new form of deadly nuclear radiation known as republiconium-666 rocked the scientific community and rocketed her to international fame.
Ms. Coulter brought to The View a long-overdue grace, compassion, wisdom, and total authority over everything and everyone.
But Woopie Goldberg selfishly refused to allow Ms. Coulter to offer expert commentary on race relations, thus depriving Whoopie and other black people of all knowledge of what it is like to be black in America today.
We can only hope that black people who want to know what it is like to be black in America today, will read Ann Coulter's books and watch her fox news commentaries.
Why do rich republicans constantly whine about, "Give me a trillion dollar bailout so I can raise interest rates on poor people and fraudulently cheat them out of their houses."
Why do rich republicans constantly whine about, "Start this war for my business interests, start that war for my business interests, and give my corporation tax refunds even though it doesn't pay any taxes."
Why do rich republicans constantly whine about, "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps while I steal your money, or I will call you a socialist."
Guess who counts our votes?....Spain!!! LOL, I'm voting for Dr. Jill Stein, Green Party! a 3rd party could change history, we need a woman! men have made a big mess of the planet for profits...how evil does it get before we women roll up our selves and fix it...enough is enough. We can make big changes overnight if we unite.
I live in Arkansas, and in Arkansas it is a Red States all the way
1) if you have a jobs in Arkansas, they will come up to you and tell you if you want more hour ?
if you says yes, then tehey will tell you who to VOTE for that is the Truth
When I mention Thom's name in response, I guess I should be addressing it to Louise?
Thom overlooked one thing on Social Security statements when he suggested that they shouldn't be sent out. That might be applicable to showing estimated benefits; but people still need to verify the earnings posted. I don't know if it has changed but it used to be that you had 3 years to correct any errors, after 3 years errors are not corrected, even if Social Security made a mistake. That means if some of your wages are omitted or less than they should be, if you don't correct within 3 years, too bad.
Dan
That is a great idea. Problem with that idea is it would cost so damn much, most states would not be able to afford the cost. Here in California I show up at the polling place noted on my booklet (is sent to my address) that explains the issues and my name and address is on the roll call. Since you have to register before you vote this works out fine for me. I am not sure whether I had to show an I.D. when I registered, but I think not since I registered by mail! It appears the people complaining the most are the Republicans because they need a sure way to stop the Dem.s from voting this election. Does not say much for their confidence in Romney!
NOTE TO THE PEOPLE WHO HANDLE THIS WEB SITE: YOUR SITE WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE FOR MOST OF THE DAY ON THUR.