"OK, big boy, I’ll just vote to override your veto."
– Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) on Bush’s threat to veto any legislation related to the Dubai port deal.
Family Values: Utah Edition
If Utah legislators have their way, a father can rape his daughter, and by law, she will have to get his approval if she wants to abort the child.
I’m glad Amanda Marcotte wrote something about this, because I am speechless:
What I find interesting about anti-choice thinking is that while they adamantly deny that what’s in a woman’s body is hers to control, there’s apparently no problem with the idea that separate, sentient human beings exist for male disposal so long as those beings have vaginas, and the only issue now is figuring out what woman is the property of which man. Utah legislators demonstrated this Monday.
Incest is no exception to a father’s right to know what’s going on in his daughter’s life.
That was the message from Utah lawmakers who refused Monday to make an exception for incest victims in a proposed law that would require parental consent and notification before a girl’s abortion.
By god, you rape your daughter and she better stay raped! What’s state power for if not to help patriarchal asswipes get their rocks off raping and forcing pregnancy on their very own teenage girls? What the hell do you think god made daughters for if not extra concubines to rape for yourself or sell to your friends?
Bush Ignored Intelligence (Again)
The party line from the right is that faulty intelligence is what screwed things up in Iraq. And, no doubt, there were many incorrect intelligence assessments regarding Iraq prior to the war. (There were also, as neocons ignore, many intelligent assessments casting doubt about Saddam’s capabilities).
But that "faulty intelligence" argument presumes that the Bush Administration would have listened to intelligence assessments that contradicted their preconceived world view. Clearly, the Bush White House would not have. A clear example of the Bush Administration’s tone-deafness to sound intelligence shows itself in this Knight Ridder article:
Among the warnings, Knight Ridder has learned, was a major study, called a National Intelligence Estimate, completed in October 2003 that concluded that the insurgency was fueled by local conditions — not foreign terrorists — and drew strength from deep grievances, including the presence of U.S. troops.
…. Robert Hutchings, the chairman of the National Intelligence Council from 2003 to 2005, said the October 2003 study was part of a "steady stream" of dozens of intelligence reports warning Bush and his top lieutenants that the insurgency was intensifying and expanding.
"Frankly, senior officials simply weren’t ready to pay attention to analysis that didn’t conform to their own optimistic scenarios," Hutchings said in a telephone interview.
So, once again, the White House ignored intelligence that lacked the rosy-ness of their political fantasies.
Islamophobia-phobia Irony
I note, with extreme amusement, that conservative columnists Michelle Malkin and Tony Blankley are pissed off at the right wing for the "repulisive mentality" in automatically branding people opposed to the DPW deal as "Islamophobes".
I’m glad to see that they are beginning to understand what it’s like on the other end of an Administration (and its supporters) who reduce opposition arguments to mere knee-jerk labelling.
Can You Buy Them In Bulk?
The FDA approves the world’s first transdermal patch to treat depression:
The first skin patch to treat depression won federal approval Tuesday, providing a novel way to administer a drug already used by Parkinson’s disease patients but that belongs to a class of medicines that is rarely a first or second choice anti-depressant.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the selegiline transdermal patch, agency spokeswoman Susan Cruzan said. The drug will be marketed as Emsam, said Somerset Pharmaceuticals Inc., which developed the drug, and Bristol-Myers Squib Co., which will market it in three sizes as a once-a-day treatment for major depression.
"We believe Emsam will help physicians treat their patients living with this illness through a new and unique delivery system," said Peter Dolan, chief executive officer of Bristol-Myers Squibb.
What’s In A Name
Here are a list of murderers with the middle name "Wayne". An asterisk means they are dead.
Timothy Wayne Adams (Texas)
Shannon Wayne Agofsky (Texas)
Thomas Wayne Akers (North Carolina)
Stephen Wayne Anderson (California)*
Joshua Wayne Andrews (Virginia)
David Wayne Arisman (California)
Timothy Wayne Barnett (Alabama)
Gerald Wayne Bivins (Indiana)
Scott Wayne Blystone (Pennsylvania)
Elvis Wayne Botley (California)
Steven Wayne Bowman (South Carolina)
Ricky Wayne Brown (Florida)
Michael Wayne Brown (Oklahoma)
Dennis Wayne Bryant (Virginia)
Edward Wayne Bryant (Oklahoma)
Estell Wayne Buck (Ohio)
Bradley Wayne Cagle (Texas)
Seth Wayne Campbell (Texas)
Darren Wayne Campbell (Oregon)
Mark Wayne Campmire (Connecticut)
Michael Wayne Carter (Indiana)
Rodger Wayne Chastain (California)*
Ronald Wayne Clark, Jr. (Florida)
Douglas Wayne Clark (Texas)
Darryl Wayne Claughton (Alberta)
Kevin Wayne Coffey (Texas)
Michael Wayne Cole (North Carolina)
Joseph Wayne Cook (North Carolina)
Billy Wayne Cope (South Carolina)
Alvin Wayne Crane (Texas)*
David Wayne Crews (Tennessee)
Donald Wayne Darling II (Alabama)
Christopher Wayne Davis (Louisiana)
Gary Wayne Davis (Kentucky)
Jerry Wayne Dean (Kentucky)
Aryan Wayne Duntley (California)
John Wayne Duvall (Oklahoma)*
Dennis Wayne Eaton (Virginia)*
Dale Wayne Eaton (Colorado)
Michael Wayne Eggers (Alabama)
Gary Wayne Etheridge (Texas)
Michael Wayne Farmer (Maryland)
Ellis Wayne Felker (Georgia)*
Matthew Wayne Ferman (Ohio)
Michael Wayne Fisher (Pennsylvania)
Terry Wayne Freeman (Illinois)
Percy Wayne Froman (Alabama)
Ronald Wayne Frye (North Carolina)*
Morris Wayne Givens (Alabama)
Richard Wayne Godwin (Oregon)
Arthur Wayne Goodman, Jr. (Texas)
Richard Wayne Gorrie (New Zealand)
Jeffrey Wayne Gorton (Michigan)
Keith Wayne Graham (California)
Coleman Wayne Gray (Virginia)*
Charles Wayne Green (Arkansas)
Christopher Wayne Gregory (Texas)
Kenneth Wayne Gregory (Florida)
Ralph Wayne Grimes (Kentucky)
Anthony Wayne Grimm (Illinois)
Randall Wayne Hafdahl (Texas)*
Conan Wayne Hale (Oregon)
Kenneth Wayne Hall Sr. (South Carolina)
Michael Wayne Hall (Texas)
Steven Wayne Hall (Alabama)
Jerald Wayne Harjo (Oklahoma)*
Robert Wayne Harris (Texas)
Jerald Wayne Harvel II (Oklahoma)
Mark Wayne Hauseur (California)
Carl Wayne Heath (Maine)
Brandon Wayne Hedrick (Virginia)
Michael Wayne Henry (Texas)
Rodney Wayne Henry (Kansas)
Donald Wayne Holt (Maryland)
Bryant Wayne Howard (Oregon)
Kenneth Wayne Jackson (Texas)
Allen Wayne Jenecka (Texas)*
Mark Wayne Jennings (Virginia)
Robert Wayne Jiles (New York)
Jason Wayne Johnson (Texas)
Terry Wayne Johnson (Florida)
Timothy Wayne Johnson (North Carolina)
Mark Wayne Jones (Ohio)
Bruce Wayne Koenig (Maryland)
Derrick Wayne Kualapai, Sr. (California)
Dudley Wayne Kyzer (Alabama)
Monty Wayne Lamb (Texas)
Robert Wayne Lambert (Oklahoma)
Jonathan Wayne Larrabee (South Dakota)
Jeffrey Wayne Leaf (Oklahoma)
Christopher Wayne Lippard (North Carolina)
Kenny Wayne Lockwood (Texas)*
Mark Wayne Lomax (Texas)
Shelly Wayne Martin (Maryland)
Donald Wayne Martin (Texas)*
Steven Wayne McBride (Minnesota)
George Wayne McBroom (Arizona)
David Wayne McCall (Texas)
Rocky Wayne McGowan (Kentucky)
Robert Wayne McMillion (Florida)
Jason Wayne McVean (Colorado)
David Wayne Mears (Michigan)
Wesley Wayne Miller (Texas)
Jimmy Wayne Miller (Texas)
John Wayne Moore, Jr. (Missouri)
John Wayne Moses (North Carolina)
Jack Wayne Napier (Kentucky)
Danny Wayne Owens (Alabama)
Bryan Wayne Padd (Arizona)
David Wayne Pallister (England)
Jeffrey Wayne Paschall (Utah)
Michael Wayne Perry (Tennessee)
Jason Wayne Petershagen (Texas)
Curtis Wayne Pope (Texas)
Donald Wayne Rainey (Mexico)
Randy Wayne Richards (Canada)
Barry Wayne Riley (British Columbia)
Robert Wayne Rotramel (Oklahoma)
David Wayne Satterfield (Texas)
Christopher Wayne Scarber (Kentucky)
Michael Wayne Sears (Virginia)
Kenith Wayne Sherrill (Washington)
Dallas Wayne Shults (Tennessee)
Mark Wayne Silvers (South Carolina)
David Wayne Smith (Virginia)
Daryl Wayne Smith (West Virginia)
Richard Wayne Smith (Texas)*
Richard Wayne Snell (Arkansas)*
Richard Wayne Spicknall (Alabama)
Randall Wayne Stevens (Illinois)
John Wayne Stockdall (Missouri)
Michael Wayne Summers (Missouri)
Gary Wayne Sutton (Tennessee)
Bobby Wayne Swisher (Virginia)*
Michael Wayne Thompson (Indiana)
Andrew Wayne Toler (Texas)
Robert Wayne Vickers (Arizona)*
Billy Wayne Waldrop (Alabama)*
Anthony Wayne Walker (Ohio)
Jerry Wayne Walker (Kentucky)
Jessie Wayne Walker (North Carolina)
Chadwick Wayne Wallace (Illinois)
Daniel Wayne Warfield (Virginia)
John Wayne Warrener (Colorado)
Alexander Wayne Watson Jr. (Maryland)
Louis Wayne Watters, Jr. (Texas)
Coy Wayne Wesbrook (Texas)
Larry Wayne White (Texas)*
Michael Wayne Williams (Virginia)
Richard Wayne Willoughby (Maryland)
Kenneth Wayne Woodfin (Virginia)
Bobby Wayne Woods (Texas)
Darrell Wayne Wright (Texas)
Jerry Wayne Wright (Tennessee)
William Wayne Wright (Texas)
Idol Update
I had to mostly agree with the judges on the ten remaining women. A lot of bad song choices, and some lackluster performances overall.
Lisa Tucker and Paris Bennett had a slightly off-week, but they still are my favorites.
I (like everyone else) was charmed by North Carolina’s Kellie Pickler — pictured right — who, in retrospect, I sold short last week. It was clearly her night to shine. I think her nerves will, in the end, be her undoing, but I think (I hope) she’ll be around a while.
Mandisa clearly has some pipes, but she just doesn’t do anything for me performance-wise. The same for Katharine McPhee. Something’s not quite reaching me with either one.
And Ayla Brown is by far the most interesting. The judges — especially Simon — pegged her exactly right. Not a natural, but if she wins, it’s because she works hard and is successful at everything she does. And if Idol doesn’t pan out for her, she should run for political office. Or enter the Olympics. Or something. There’s nothing she can’t do.
Tinkerbell Is Dying
… but Bush is still clapping as hard as he can:
Bush told ABC News he had spoken to leaders of all Iraqi sects after last week’s bombing of a major Shi’ite mosque and "I heard loud and clear that they understand that they’re going to choose unification, and we’re going to help them do so."
AP:
A series of suicide attacks, car bombs and mortar barrages rocked Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 66 people and wounding scores as Iraq teetered on the brink of sectarian civil war.
Like Running Through Molassas
The journalists over at the conservative Moonie-owned Washington Times have come really late to the party, informing its readers today that the Bush Administration lacked a comprehensive plan for rebuilding Iraq.
In future editions, the Washington Times will "break" such news stories like "August 2001 PDB Warned Bush Of Possible Bin Laden Strike On U.S." and — dare we say it? — "WMD Not Found In Iraq".
Nothing ever gets by these guys.
Eventually.
Where Did You Get YOUR Degree?
Can I just rant for a second?
Polls like this drive me nuts. Here’s are the questions asked of respondents by Survey USA:
"Based on what you know about the government wiretapping of certain phone calls …Is it clear that President Bush obeyed the law? … Is it clear that President Bush broke the law? Is it not clear? … Or, are you unfamiliar with the matter?"
Look, jerks. This is irrelevant. How can people opine whether Bush "broke the law" if they don’t know what the law is?
I went to law school. And I can tell you this without fear of contradiction: the law is not what people think it is. The law is what the law is.
What’s next? Are we going to start diagnosing patients based on public opinion?
Dumb Lawsuit Of The Week
Nine female fans of American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken are suing Aiken’s record company. The cause of action? They were supposedly duped by the record company’s advertising and promotions into thinking that Clay was straight, when he is in reality, well, not . . . apparently.
The angry ladies go on to state, "This is tantamount to a manufacturer concealing information about a defective product. Therefore these actions were both unfair and deceptive to consumers."
A spokeswoman for the group says, "As consumers, we feel ripped off. It is obvious now that the private Clay is very different from the manufactured packaged public Clay that was marketed to us."
Okay. Where to begin?
(1) "Clay"? Are you ladies on first name basis with him?
(2) You ladies need to get your gay-dar fixed.
(3) What exactly did the record company do to promote Aiken’s ersatz heterosexuality? What should they have done instead? Have CD covers with Aiken in chaps?
(4) How exactly were you ladies injured? It’s not like you ever stood a chance scoring with Aiken anyway, even if he was straight. And buying his records didn’t increase your chances either. So what makes his products "defective"?
(5) Good luck trying to prove in court that Aiken is gay.
Next week: My grandmother sues the estate of Liberace on the grounds that she was deceived into thinking he was a macho stud.
Other Poll News
A first-ever survey of U.S. troops on the ground fighting a war overseas has revealed surprising findings, not the least of which is that 72% of American troops in Iraq think the U.S. should exit the country within the next year.
Gadflyer Paul Waldman comments:
Man, our troops really don’t support our troops. How can our troops be expected to be out there fighting for freedom when they’re being undermined by our troops? Our troops really owe it to our troops to support our troops.
Further, a new Le Moyne College/Zogby International survey shows that more than one in four (29%) thought the U.S. should pull its troops immediately.
The poll, conducted in conjunction with Le Moyne College’s Center for Peace and Global Studies, also showed that another 22% of the respondents, serving in various branches of the armed forces, said the U.S. should leave Iraq in the next six months. One in every five troops – 21% – said troops should be out between six and 12 months. Nearly a quarter – 23% – said they should stay "as long as they are needed."
The wide-ranging poll also shows that 58% of those serving in country say the U.S. mission in Iraq is clear in their minds, while 42% said it is either somewhat or very unclear to them, that they have no understanding of it at all, or are unsure. Nearly nine of every 10 – 85% – said the U.S. mission is "to retaliate for Saddam’s role in the 9-11 attacks," while 77% said they believe the main or a major reason for the war was "to stop Saddam from protecting al Qaeda in Iraq."
Ninety-three percent said that removing weapons of mass destruction is not a reason for U.S. troops being there. Instead, that initial rationale went by the wayside and, in the minds of 68% of the troops, the real mission became to remove Saddam Hussein.
Just 24% said that "establishing a democracy that can be a model for the Arab World" was the main or a major reason for the war. Only small percentages see the mission there as securing oil supplies (11%) or to provide long-term bases for US troops in the region (6%).
I May Throw Up
Chris Matthews compared Bush favorably to Atticus Finch because of Bush’s stand on the Dubai Ports World deal.
I can’t even begin to articulate how inappropriate and misguided the comparison is.