FT: Bubba Bush Gets a Taste of Free Speech -- In Oz

"President George W. Bush was heckled on Thursday in the Australian parliament and responded to his rare encounter with dissent by declaring: 'I love free speech.'

For a president who typically speaks to controlled crowds of Republican supporters at home and is shielded abroad from protesters who tend to be kept a safe distance from the motorcade, the two Green party members of parliament who stood up and barracked Mr Bush made for one of the president's very few head-on confrontations with public criticism."

The FT report gives a candid, and somewhat startling, image of a Bubba president entirely out of touch with world sentiment, going even so far as to suggest that Bubba Bush is shielded from domestic dissent. This suggestion is more than credible.

But one thing that is more ominous is the lack of comment in the US media on this subject. Some vague references in the mainstream press about political harangueing around the Patriot Act or Ashcroft's probe of the Plame lack, but nothing in the press that tells your average Bubba "Hey, Bubba, your government is destroying the Constitution." It's not clear that Bubbas give a hoot about the US Constitution, as long as gas prices stay down and they can drive their SUVs anywhere they want.

ABCNEWS.com : Conservatives Back General in 'Satan' War

"Religious conservatives in Congress are defending a Pentagon general who referred to the war on terror as a Christian fight against Satan.

In remarks many consider demeaning to Islam, Army Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin has told church audiences his mission is 'a battle with Satan.' The struggle, Boykin said, is 'because we're a Christian nation, because our foundation and our roots are Judeo-Christian ... and the enemy is a guy named Satan.'

[...]

Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, seemed to reproach the general Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

"The president's views on this are absolutely clear, and I think the president is very clear on what he means here," Rice said. "This is not a war between religions. No one should describe it as such."

In response to Bubba Condi, I would say without any racist implications that "you should call a spade a spade". There has always been an underlying "religious war" in the Iraq invasion by the US. It's by recognizing this underlying aspect and analyzing it that we can come to the truth about the Iraq war.

Consider this: In light of the facts (no WMDs, no ties to Al Quaeda, no imminent threat to the US) and the current situation (2 or more US servicemen and women killed by day) just what are we doing in Iraq? It's very much a crusade -- and it's the US economy that's being pillaged by the private-industry crusaders.

Boston.com | Warring with God

"I KNEW that my God was bigger than his,' Lieutenant General William G. Boykin said of his Muslim opponent. 'I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol.' That and other remarks derogatory of Islam caused a stir last week, especially because the general holds a key position in the war on terrorism. Awkward memories surfaced of President Bush's inadvertent use of the term 'crusade' to define that war, and fears broke into the open that the war was, despite disclaimers, a religious war after all."

Bubba Bush condemns Mahathir for a mild remark that Bubba considers "divisive". Yet his own Bubba generals mouth off with comments that are more than divisive -- they are downright racist!

CNN.com - Mahathir defends Jew speech - Oct. 21, 2003

"Mahathir -- who has been no stranger to controversy during his 22 year rule -- said the overall tone of his speech had been conciliatory but blamed the press for quoting it out of context.

'In my speech I condemned all violence, even the suicide bombings, and I told all Muslims it's about time we stopped all these things and paused to think and do something that is much more productive,' Mahathir told the Bangkok Post.

'That was the whole tone of my speech, but they picked up one sentence where I said the Jews control the world.'

Even as he tried to clarify the intent behind his speech, the Malaysian leader stopped short of contrition.

"The reaction of the world shows that they [Jews] do control the world," he told the Post."

Call it "divisive", as did Bubba Bush. Call it "Hitler-like" as does Andrew Boucher. These critiques have merit, although I don't recall any references to Hitler condemning violence.

However, who can call it fundamentally erroneous? Look at how the religious right in the United States has championed Israel's "right to defend itself" even when that defence includes inhumane occupation, attacks against civilian populations and the economic destitution of the Palestinians. Is this not indeed "by proxy"?

Is it bad to be "divisive"? I don't believe so. In fact, this 'blog is dedicated to dividing Bubbas from the naive comfort that they feel being Bubbas. Then, perhaps, instead of "yuk yuks" and "hee haws" we may have some semblance of political integrity in the US.

Lockheed Martin Corporation

This new full-footer advertisement in the Wash Post from Lockheed Martin claims that technology companies like Lockheed will make the world safer. The arguments are in few words.

In one ad, the graphique shows "Market. Aparment Complex. Missile Launcher. Challenge: Engage the enemy with pinpoint precision. Solution: Net-Centric Systems. Force Application. Turning Data into Knowledge. And Knowledge into Action. Lockheed Maring. We never forget who (sic) we're working for."

That's right, Bubba Martin. Development of "pinpoint accuracy" provides precisely the pretext needed by the Bubba Bushes to claim "low civilian casualties" against all facts and figures. This kinda data is then turned into "action": warlike, garrolous, inhumane, Bubba-like action. And we can all feel good about it because it's so "accurate". We might feel bad about lobbing a big dumb bomb into a civilian area, but if we think that, after all, they are "smart bombs" then we can feel OK about it, right? Certainly, let's not talk about those "cluster bombs".

Clicking on the banner last night and this morning Paris time, you get this message:

"Site unavailable for maintenance
We're currently doing maintenance on our system.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and ask that you try the site again in a few hours.
If you are here for Open Enrollment click here.
© 2003 Lockheed Martin Corporation. All rights reserved."

At least we can feel good about how efficiently our tax money is being spent on civilian defense firms' marketing.

The clincher is the company slogan: "We never forget who we're working for." The marketing folks understand that they mostly work for Bubbas who don't know when to use the objective pronoun "whom".

CNN.com - Bubba Lieberman heckled at Arab American political conference - Oct. 17, 2003:

"He said they gathered Friday, 'Not as Muslims and Christians and Jews, or as people of Arab descent or European descent or African or Asian descent. We are proud to be all those things. But we are more than that. We are Americans. We are children of the same God and of the same father, Abraham. We are brothers and sisters.'

Lieberman blamed the lack of progress toward peace between Israelis and Palestinians on the failures of the Bush administration. He received applause for some of his comments, including his calls for tolerance and unity. "


Bubba Lieberman bashes Bubba Bush, sure, but doesn't offer anything whatsoever as to his proposals. This is understandable since, by and large, Bubba Lieberman's stance on the Middle East is identical to Bubba Bush's, perhaps even more pro-Israeli. Middle East Arabs have every reason to feel uncomfortable about a Lieberman in the white house.

When will we see a Democrat who supports peace and justice in the Middle East? At least Dean has taken the stance that the US cannot broker peace if it is constantly pro-Israeli.

And when we will see the Democrats tell the religous fanatics to take a hike? What about separation of church and state? For Bubba Loverman, we are children of the same God, but when will a candidate be a disciple of the US Constitution?

HoustonChronicle.com - Bronc-riding cowboy hails from the other Paris

"
[...] Jayne said his life in Texas has fulfilled a lifelong dream. Every time he gets atop a bucking bronc, it's almost as if the horse challenges him to show what he has, he said.

'Your brain explodes and your heart comes out of your chest and you see colors everywhere,' he said. 'Toward the end of the ride you start coming back to the real world, but for about five seconds you are really somewhere else.'

'He had potential here that he probably would not have had in France, both academically and through rodeo as well.' Rigby [, his host father, ] said.
"

Bubba Jayne shows that even people from France can become true Bubbas.

Now I'm wondering just what Rigby meant by "academic potential that he would not have had in France". If he was thinking the potential to be shot and killed while attending school or an increased chance of becoming obese, I would certainly have to agree. Also, he wouldn't have to take a course in Philosohpy in Texas, as Jayne would have in France.

I wonder what Jayne would think of my Government textbook from the '80s?

Boston.com / Ozzy keeps a low Boston profile: "Ozzy Osbourne was [in Boston] to consult with his physician, Dr. Allan Ropper, about the singer's incessant trembling.
Ropper [...] saw Osbourne off and on over the past three weeks [...] So how did Ozzy Osbourne escape our notice? 'Privacy's a very important thing,' [Ropper's spokeperson] said, 'whether you're Ozzy Osbourne or an averageperson like myself.'"

If privacy is so important to Bubba Ozzy, just why is he being followed around in his home by cameras as part of a "reality" TV show?

Newsday.com - Bush & Co. Use the Orwell Sales Strategy

"Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) had just returned home from a government-sponsored tour of Iraq when she appeared on Fox News to comment on Sunday's car bombing in Baghdad. Proving she's a good listener, she insisted that the suicide attack was actually good news. How's that? [...] [S]he explained, 'As it's working, there are more incidents like this, from people who don't want it to work.' By that inverted logic, of course, it would be bad news if there were fewer bombings."

Bubba Granger gives us bubbalogic on Fox news, the official Bubba channel.

This article, also posted in Orwell-a-day, is mostly about how today's news and political presentations so closely match the mechanisms from Orwell's novel 1984. But even old George (Orwell) would never have imagined how much the American people love their Big Brother, Bubba Bush!

FT.com Home US

"The United States has vetoed a Palestinian-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution seeking to bar Israel from extending a security fence deep into the West Bank.

The measure, which also would have denounced plans to build 600 new homes in Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories, won the support of 10 of the council's 15 members while four others abstained -- Britain, Germany, Bulgaria and Cameroon.
But the 'No' vote from Washington, one of the council's five permanent members with veto power, was enough to kill the resolution. Voting in favour were Angola, Chile, China, France, Guinea, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia, Spain and Syria.

The veto on Tuesday follows by less than a month the U.S. veto of an earlier Palestinian resolution demanding that Israel back away from a threat to 'remove' Palestinian President Yasser Arafat."

Bubba Bush has one again missed an opportunity to give a counterexample to the ever-growing body of evidence that he is a complete jerk. The consequences on world opinion, especially the Arab world, will once again be disastrous.

The war on terrorism starts in your own politics, Bubba Wubya!

BTW: No mention in the NYTimes online. The veto will be largely reviled worldwide, but the US readers will be oblivious to its extreme impact on world opinion.

PHOBIA CLINIC: Overcome Fear Of France Fast. 24-hour Fear Of France Program.

"Fear Of France? The Phobia Clinic's 24-hour Francophobia, Galiophobia, Gallophobia, Fear of France, Fear of French People, and Fear of French Culture program offers guaranteed relief.

Is it worth just 24 hours of your time to
learn to live without the fear forever? "

You can sign up the entire Bubba population of the United States. And put the Clear Channel board of directors in as well.

FOXNews.com - The O'Reilly Factor - An NPR Ambush Interview:

"O'REILLY: I am. I mean, I'm evaluating this interview very closely. Obviously you are. Now we've spent now, all right, 50 minutes of me being -- defending defamation against me in every possible way, while you gave Al Franken a complete pass on his defamatory book. And if you think that's fair, Terry, then you need to get in another business. I'll tell you that right now. And I'll tell your listeners, if you have the courage to put this on the air, this is basically an unfair interview designed to try to trap me into saying something that Harpers magazine can use. And you know it. And you should be ashamed of yourself. And that is the end of this interview. "

Imagine that! Bill O'Reilly complains bitterly about getting an "unfair interview" by the remarkably soft-voiced Terry Gross on Fresh Air! He tirades and then walks off the air. Can't take the heat, Bubba Billy?

FOXNews.com - The O'Reilly Factor - Interview with Bubba Condi

"O'REILLY: Jacques Chirac and France have hurt this country and put our servicemen in jeopardy. Am I wrong?

RICE: Well, I think that the French position is not one that we would have taken. We think that...

O'REILLY: But they put our service people in jeopardy.

RICE: And we think, Bill -- and I think this is what Americans are reacting to -- after all that was done to liberate France in World War II that we could have expected better cooperation. But that's behind us now.

O'REILLY: If Jacques Chirac would cooperate in the post-war, our people would be safer.

RICE: I think the French will cooperate in the post-war. "

Now if you want to blame someone for putting American servicemen and women in danger, you need go no further than Bush, who chose an elective war against the wishes of the international community. But of course the Bush administration and ORF cannot say this, and since it has to be someone's fault, it must be that ungrateful Chirac's.

FOXNews.com - The O'Reilly Factor - Sex-Ed in Western Europe vs. the U.S.:

"O'REILLY: There's a lot of fractured families over there, and there are a lot of libertine families. There are guys running around in France. I mean, if you don't have a mistress, you're a wuss. I mean come on. You know what the deal is over there.

But we have a myriad of social problems here that they don't have over there because they have socialism and we have capitalism. That means that our poverty class is more of a problem than theirs is because they get entitlements. So you can't apply their techniques.

But I'm more interested in the children than the ideology, and I am struggling with the fact...

... that, no matter what we do in America, it seems that most of the children are still getting this warped view of sex way before they should be getting it."

It's pretty easy to understand how Bubbas end up with their ridiculous ideas when they sustain a regular diet of this sort of baloney.

Now if Bill wants to find out how American kids are getting their warped views on sex, he only needs to turn on the TV and watch any police show, any commercial, Buffy, or just about anything. If he spent two minutes analyzing the caricatures of adults or kids that are presented on these shows, he'd see that they are basically jerks and bimbos. These role models are to kids what O'Reilly is to Bubbas: a daily dose of decadence:

New York Post Online Edition: news:
"Form letters claiming to be from U.S. troops in Iraq and hailing the Army's accomplishments there have cropped up in newspapers across the country - although some of the troops say they either didn't sign them or were forced to by a superior.

One of the soldiers, Nick Deaconson, said he didn't know about the letter - which appeared with his signature in his local hometown paper in Beckley, W.Va. - until his dad spotted it in the paper and praised him for writing it."

Good enough for Bubbas but unmasked by Google!

Remarks by the Bubba Cheney to the Bubba Heritage Foundation

"Twelve years of diplomacy, more than a dozen Security Council resolutions, hundreds of U.N. weapons inspectors, thousands of flights to enforce the no-fly zones, and even strikes against military targets in Iraq -- all of these measures were tried to compel Saddam Hussein's compliance with the terms of the 1991 Gulf War cease-fire. All of these measures failed. Last October, the United States Congress voted overwhelmingly to authorize the use of force in Iraq. Last November, the U.N. Security Council passed a unanimous resolution finding Iraq in material breach of its obligations, and vowing serious consequences in the event Saddam Hussein did not fully and immediately comply. When Saddam Hussein failed even then to comply, our coalition acted to deliver those serious consequences. In that effort, the American military acted with speed and precision and skill. Once again, our men and women in uniform have served with honor, reflecting great credit on themselves and on the United States of America. (Applause.)"

Cheney's blatant revisionism continues. Anyone in his right mind, and that by definition excludes most Bubbas, now knows that Hussein complied with UN Resolutions to disarm. After 6 months of occupation of Iraq by US "coalition collusion" forces, no WMDs have been found and none were used by Iraqi forces to stop the invastion.

Furthermore, no Hussein/Al Quaeda ties have been shown.

The "collusion coalition" cannot speak for the UN and cannot claim that it was "enforcing" a UN Security Council resolution.

Bubba Cheney is a lying liar's liar.

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Pentagon offers 'bioterror kit' online:

"The news is particularly embarrassing, coming only days after the CIA-led Iraq Survey Group claimed the discovery of similar equipment in Iraq was evidence that the Saddam Hussein regime had a covert weapons programme.

'The cheap, virtually unregulated availability of low-cost biological laboratory equipment poses a risk to national security,' said Christopher Shays, the Republican congressman chairing the inquiry. 'The department of defence should not be a discount shopping outlet for would-be bioterrorists.' "

A colleague sent this around last Friday but without sources being cited. Now it's printed in "The Guardian" so I'm blogging it.

How many Bubbas will hear about the online sale of bioterror material by the Pentagon? Probably none. Regardless, Bubbas are not very good at connecting the dots and making critical analysis behind this.

BUSINESS WIRE: SunnComm says report a felony

"SunnComm Technologies Inc. (OTC: STEH), [...] intends to take legal action against the writer of a critical report titled: 'Analysis of the MediaMax CD3 Copy-Prevention System.' According to Peter Jacobs, SunnComm's CEO, 'The conclusions contained in the Princeton University grad student's report issued last Monday were derived from incorrect assumptions by its author. The author did not ask for, or receive, SunnComm's MediaMax 'white paper' documentation available on the technology prior to concluding that 'MediaMax and similar copy-prevention systems are irreparably flawed ...''

SunnComm believes that by making erroneous assumptions in putting together his critical review of the MediaMax CD-3 technology, Halderman came to false conclusions concerning the robustness and efficacy of SunnComm's MediaMax technology. Based on several of these incorrect assumptions, Halderman and Princeton University have significantly damaged SunnComm's reputation and caused the market value of SunnComm to drop by more than $10 million.

In addition, SunnComm believes that Halderman has violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by disclosing unpublished MediaMax management files placed on a user's computer after user approval is granted. Once the file is found and deleted according to the instructions given in the Princeton grad student's report, the MediaMax copy management system can be bypassed resulting in the copyright protected music being converted or misappropriated for potentially unauthorized and/or illegal use. SunnComm intends to refer this possible felony to authorities."

Bubba Jacobs of SunnComm is a true BubbaCrat. Here is his argument:

-- Haldermann (the author of the report criticizing the copy protection method) can not criticize the technology because he did not have inside information about the product. (Hmm, now that's an idea: You can't criticize us because you are not us! Sounds like an O'Reilly argument!)

-- Haldermann's exposé cost us money.

-- By showing people how incredibly easy our system is to break and just how stupid we are, Halderemann has broken the (controversial) DMCA law.

Nowhere does the SunnComm announcement indicate which of Haldermann's "assumptions" where "erroneous".

The crux of the matter is: it's a copyprotection technology that installs itself on your PC when you put the CD in the PC's drive and the drive launches autorun. But, under Windows, if you hold the SHIFT key down while installing a CD in a PC, the autorun doesn't run. Haldermann showed how the morons at SunnComm thought that they could bluff the entire industry into buying their stupidity, that's the upshot. Lucky thing for Bubba Jacobs that being a complete idiot isn't a crime!

4 Senators Criticize Leak Probe (washingtonpost.com): "Their objections include the decision of White House counsel Alberto R. Gonzales to screen documents White House employees submitted to his office in response to a Justice Department order."

This is a very short and good article about a national shame and a legal sham. Since when does the White House get to screen potentially damaging documents before handing them over to the Justice department? Since when does conflict of interest become "professional and by the book" as Bubba Corallo states?

Four legs good, two legs better!

Group says Canuck soldier serving time for refusing West Bank duties: "
JERUSALEM -- A Canadian-born Israeli reserve soldier has been sentenced to 28 days in a military prison for refusing to serve in the West Bank, a spokesman for a group of conscientious objectors said yesterday. "

Those Bubbas, like Joseph Liebermann and the Texas UberBubba Tom DeLay, should consider the reasons for which soldiers such as this one from Canada refuse to serve in the West Bank. The US media chooses to keep from Americans the text and tone of the critiques, within Israel itself, of Sharon's murderous government.

HoustonChronicle.com - Bush touts success stories in Iraq
"Much of [Bush's] speech sought to refocus Americans on what he said is the continuing danger of terrorism. [..] 'The terrorists continue to plot and plan against our country, and our people,' Bush said. 'America must not forget the lessons of Sept. 11.'

[...] Bush was saluting members of the New Hampshire Air National Guard, Army National Guard and reservists in Portsmouth, N.H. During the Vietnam era, Bush flew with the Texas Air National Guard. "

The Houston Chronicle exemplifies Bubba-ism in this article. First off, the headline reads "Bush touts success stories" yet the article mentions none of them, leaving an astute (i.e. non-Bubba) reader to wonder "Just what stories could Bush have told about success in Iraq?"

Then Bubba Bush continues the big lie, equating Iraq to 9/11.

Further on, Bush strokes the reservists and stokes their patriotism: "Of course, we know that you guys are ready to eat depleted uranium for your country and you won't make a fuss about veteran's benefits! You're real Uhmericans!"

But the Chron really stoops on the last point. Sure, Bush flew with the Texas Air Guard a few times in order to escape the Vietnam draft, but he was AWOL for most of his stint. No big deal when your dad is Commander-In-Chief, you've got a built-in "Get out of military obligations, free" card, but it's revisionist history when the Chron repeats the lie. One could say that the idolatry steeped upon the "Great leader" Kim Jong Il has found its newpaper in the Texas.

United Press International: Mystery blood clots felling U.S. troops: "Mystery blood clots felling U.S. troops "

For all of those Bubbas who think that "Support the troops" is supposed to be a morale-booster ...

How 'bout "Support our troops by not making them anthrax guinea-pigs!"

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Vatican: condoms don't stop Aids: "The Catholic Church is telling people in countries stricken by Aids not to use condoms because they have tiny holes in them through which the HIV virus can pass - potentially exposing thousands of people to risk.

The church is making the claims across four continents despite a widespread scientific consensus that condoms are impermeable to the HIV virus.

A senior Vatican spokesman backs the claims about permeable condoms, despite assurances by the World Health Organisation that they are untrue. "

Yes, Father Bubba!

Spending On Iraq Sets Off Gold Rush (washingtonpost.com)

"Of the $4 billion a month already being spent in Iraq, as much as a third is going to the private contractors who have flooded into the country, said Deborah D. Avant, a political scientist at George Washington University and an expert in the new breed of private military companies. The flow of money will increase greatly if Congress approves Bush's request [ for US$87 billion in spending increase ].

Many of the services being sought -- including police training, crimes-against-humanity investigations and prison-construction expertise -- are highly specialized. Conditions are dangerous. Experts say American taxpayers can expect to pay a hefty premium to contractors in a classic seller's market.

[...]

"All I can say is it's mind-boggling," James Lyons, a former military subcontractor in Bosnia, said of the opportunities for private contractors. "People must be drooling."

The real advantage, for Bubba Bush, in invading Iraq may not be the oil as much as the incredible opportunities for cronyism in the name of "nation building". Dyncorp and Halliburtion stand to make out like bandits! (Patriotic bandits, of course).

How much longer before pre-emptive wars are entirely conducted by private enterprises? Does the word "mercenary" have any meaning in such a context?

Two Professors, Collaborators in Econometrics, Win the Nobel: "In a telephone interview yesterday from a house he owns in eastern France, Professor Engle, 60 years old, said: 'I'm in the town of Annecy, France, and it's late afternoon, and it's a beautiful day. How they tracked me down here, I'm not sure. It's pretty far from the big financial centers.'

'I kind of thought I had a chance,' Professor Granger, 69, said, 'but I wasn't expecting it.'

[...]

Yesterday afternoon in France, Professor Engle joined his wife at a cafe, where he ate a grilled sandwich of ham, chevre and Reblochon cheese, before running a short errand, he said. He returned home to hear his wife tell him the prize committee had called.

"The prize money will be nice," he said. Still, he added, "I plan on pretty much doing what I'm doing."


Let's see: Nobel prize, world famous, real smart guy. Q: Where do you enjoy spending your time? A: In a cafe in France having grilled cheese sandwiches. I couldn't agree more!

AP Wire | 10/08/2003 | Bush Adviser Rice: Saddam Never Disarmed: "National security adviser Condoleezza Rice defended President Bush's Iraq policy Wednesday, asking Americans to be patient with rebuilding efforts in the region and with the hunt for weapons of mass destruction.

Rice said a team led by chief U.S. weapons hunter David Kay has found proof that Iraq's deposed president, Saddam Hussein, had the ambition and ability to use weapons of mass destruction, even though no weapons have been found."

Bubba Condi chooses famous Bubba tactics: ignore the evidence, revise history, show a gallant front to a blatant lie (the bigger the better), just be a good ol' boy and everyone will agree with you!

What is the most amazing is the call for patience, since this is exactly the call made by the Security Council to the US. "Why war now?" was the question. So now that the war is done, Iraq is a mess, the US economy is being dragged into the mud in part because of the war, the US armed forces are taxed to the point of being a security hazard, now Bubba Condi says "Be patient! We'll find something to justify our mistakes, just wait a little longer."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Austria hails Arnie victory: "Praise of Mr Schwarzenegger also came from the country's top politicians.
'Austria congratulates you on this brilliant victory,' said Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel.
[...]
Styria governor Waltraud Klasnic said Austria could only benefit from American interest in Mr Schwarzenegger's roots."

I hope that the BBC will find time to check back with Bubba Klasnic in 6 to 12 months.

Iraq Shake-up Skipped Rumsfeld (washingtonpost.com): "Rumsfeld said in an interview with the Financial Times and three European news organizations that he did not learn of the new Iraq Stabilization Group until he received a classified memo about it from national security adviser Condoleezza Rice on Thursday."

Bubba Bush's cabinet members mention their internal communications problems to the international press. Smells like team spirit to me!

HoustonChronicle.com - DeLay says redistricting deal close: "'The press should cover redistricting like a crime instead of a sporting event, because the participants are not players, they're perpetrators of a historic and blatant abuse of power that has never been seen before in the halls of this Capitol,' said state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston.

Through three special legislative sessions, the fight will have cost taxpayers almost $4.2 million.

The fight in West Texas focuses on Craddick's desire to create a congressional district for his hometown of Midland.

Richter said the dispute is over which congressional district should contain Eastland and Deaf Smith counties, which have a combined population of about 36,800. Craddick is trying to build a congressional district that will guarantee that someone from Midland will win the Republican congressional primary. "

Hats off to the Chron for effectively covering the crime, even if it failed to note this in the headlines. Bubba Craddick's cronyism is exposed.

Miami Herald: "[...] Maryland's first lady [...] spoke at a domestic violence prevention conference of shooting pop singer Britney Spears.

[...] as part of a program called, 'Men and Women: Partners in the Fight Against Domestic Violence.'
She talked about the need for 'educating our women to get as much schooling as possible, to not become dependent on anyone else.'

'[...] You know, really, if I had an opportunity to shoot Britney Spears, I think I would,' Mrs. Ehrlich said, laughing. "

Violence is so deeply embedded into the American way of life that we can unconsciously and casually advocate killing someone while laughing. So much for discourse and the principles held by the founding fathers. Instead, we have Bubbas and their Bubba wives.

Bush Tells Israel It Has the Right to Defend Itself: "I made it very clear to the prime minister, like I have consistently done, that Israel's got a right to defend herself, that Israel must not feel constrained in defending the homeland,' [Bush] said at the White House in response to a reporter's question."

Yep, that's right Bubba Bush. When you have de facto moral superiority, you can do anything that you want and it's still good! And of course you have the right to do it, even if it's against international law.

Lumps of Labor: "Sure enough, the lump-of-labor fallacy has resurfaced in the United States — but with a twist. Traditionally, it is a fallacy of the economically naïve left — for example, four years ago France's Socialist government tried to create more jobs by reducing the length of the workweek. "

Even Krugman stoops to Bubba-isms sometimes. As usual, it's very easy in the US press to criticize France using a specious argument. One of the great social advances in France, the 35-hour work week, may appear to be based solely on "naïve" economics, but it really addressed a large number of points. Let's face the facts: an employer who wants to limit the number of salaried employees can require them to work longer and longer hours unless limited by the law. Somewhere there must be a limit, but don't expect laissez-faire capitalism to self-impose this limit.

FT.com Home US: "For voters, Mr Schwarzenegger is running literally as a strong man - a pre-verbal, pre-Guttenberg candidate whose only claim to lead is the charisma of his physical prowess. He is probably intelligent enough to seek the governor's office by making his points in debate, but has decided not to bother. He and his handlers reckon we are entering an age in which non-rational appeals reach voters more effectively than rational arguments. Next Tuesday, they stand a good chance of being proved right."

Like 9/11, Bubba Ahnold may be providing us a new landmark in time. This may be the end of the political diliberation process as we know it, flawed though it may be. The new political landscape will feature action heroes elected by joystick-wielding constituants with little time to consider policies, economies or results.

Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/04/2003 | Resolved, that U.S. needs lively debates: "'This is the kind of debate that's really long overdue,' said Tom Donnelly, a scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. 'Having a debate amongst Americans about what kind of world we want to make is really quite timely.'"

When Americans speak about the world, especially Uhmericans from the AEI, they are usually only thinking about themselves. As usually, the rest of the world, including Canada, can go to hell. "God bless America" is an exclusionary clause!

statesman.com | Austinite directing repairs says Iraq seeing real progress: "'There's just an incredible amount of productive stuff going on over there, with a lot of Iraqi participation,' he said. 'To come here and see it portrayed as a failure in the making -- it's very superficial and inaccurate.'

It's Lucke's job to get the lights on, the water clean and running, the phones working, the trash picked up, roads and bridges repaired, and schools and hospitals fully operating. He has a staff of 90 in a second-floor office in the Baghdad Convention Center, 500 independent contractors such as Save the Children spread around the country, and a preliminary budget of more than $1 billion. "

Hmm, Bubba Lucke hasn't read this article by riverbend about how one reconstruction contract for a bridge in Iraq was given to an American company at $50,000,000 instead of to an Iraqi company at $300,000. That's about 150 times more expensive.

Anyway, with that much money to throw around and so little oversight, I understand how Bubba Lucke feels so good about his job!

HoustonChronicle.com - U.S. says Saddam, N. Korea had ties: "Kay said Iraq's top nuclear scientist, Khalid Ibrahim Sa'id, had been killed during the war when his driver ignored a warning to move away from a Marine roadblock in Baghdad. Another Iraqi scientist frequently questioned by the U.S. team was fatally shot in the back of the head. A second scientist cooperating with the Americans was shot six times but survived. "

Let's see: First France sold missiles to Iraq in 2003 (oops that's an error!). Now Hussein had ties with North Korea. And finally, the Iraqi scientists are all getting killed off.

HoustonChronicle.com - Poland apologizes: French missile story wrong: "France long had close ties to Iraq that included lucrative weapons deals. Paris supplied arms, in exchange for oil, during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war. "

Yeah France had ties with Iraq, but the US had much closer ties, especially military and chemical weapons. The US ties were especially prevalent during the period of "kurd gassings". And let's not forget that Saddam Hussein was put into power following a CIA-sponsored coup d'etat.

HoustonChronicle.com - Schwarzenegger: Don't recall pro-Hitler remarks

Here you have it, folks! Bubba Ahnold says "Don't recall".

HoustonChronicle.com - Moussaoui ruling boosts odds of holding military trial: "The trial judge's ruling heightened the chances that President Bush would designate Moussaoui a wartime enemy combatant and transfer him to Pentagon custody for trial by a military tribunal with fewer legal protections for the accused."

Once again, Bush against constitutional rights. Oh, but of course, Moussaoui is a foreigner, French even, so nobody cares that he receive a fair trail.

Democrats Want Ashcroft Out of Inquiry: "[Bubba] McClellan said any decision about Mr. Ashcroft recusing himself rested with the Justice Department. But he signaled again that Mr. Bush is not pressing for any changes in the investigation."

No, Bush is not pressing for a change, but the American People are.

"Oct. 1— Eight in 10 Americans say the alleged White House leak of a CIA operative's identity is a serious matter, and nearly seven in 10 say it should be investigated by a special counsel, not by the administration's own Justice Department."

HoustonChronicle.com - Band's Nazi number strikes wrong chord: "A high school band director has apologized for a halftime performance that included Adolf Hitler's anthem Deutschland Uber Alles and a student running across the field with a Nazi flag."

"[...] The show also included the flags and music of France, Britain, Japan and the United States."

It's perhaps funny to see that this is the Paris High School band.

It's good to see that even Bubbas can get upset about seeing the Swastika bandied about. I'm still waiting for their recognition that the current wave of US ultranationalism, especially shown through Bush's "God Bless America" signoff, is tantamount to "Deutschland Uber Alles".