A Great Time For Partisanship
There are often times when a bipartisan effort is called for, when the right and left come together somewhere in the middle. We haven't seen many bipartisan efforts over the last 6 years for good reason - the polarization is Washington has been greater than at any time in recent memory. The current Israeli crisis is not a time for bipartisanship.
When Bush was ramping up to the Iraq invasion, the Democratic faction on Capital Hill dropped the ball miserably and by and large fell in line with the right-wing without question. If ever there was a time to question the administration that was it. Many of us on the left were calling for someone to step up and, unfortunately, not many did.
Now, as Israel faces violence from the north and south, the left needs to stand strong on calling for restraint. With our military already involved in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and our so-called diplomatic corps working overtime on the situations in North Korea and Iran, we need to be very cautious in committing forces to another battlefront.
I hope our Democratic representation will be a voice of reason and caution - for the fist time in a long while. If not we risk destabalizing the entire middle-east, bankrupting our nation and (worst of all) putting even more of our young men and women in a no-win situation.
Posted by: BearSox on 7/14/2006 at 11:41 AM | Comments (4) | Permalink
Logic Stew for July 12th, 2006 - Geneva Schmeeva, Expensive Lessons & Level Battlefields
I've got to laugh to keep from crying...
- After 6 Years Bush Decides Laws Might Apply To Him Too
In a rather remarkable turn of events, the Bush administration has bowed to the recent Supreme Court ruling that the Geneva Conventions apply to all U.S. prisoners of war. While this may have seemed obvious to everybody outside the administration, it comes as something of a surprise to the Bush cabinet which, up until now, has viewed itself as well above the law.
In other news Webster's Dictionary will once again be allowed to use the words "Human" and "Rights" in the same sentence. - Stupid Job, Great Salary
The White House has a Director of Lessons Learned (that's the actual title) and the position pays an annual salary of $100,000. It also employs a Director of Fact Checking and two Ethics Advisors. Have these positions been vacant for the last 6 years?
Seriously - one quick post on Monster.com and I'm sure we could get somebody in there who might help this administration get a clue. As Rahm Emanual said on the House Floor yesterday "Maybe the White House could consolidate these positions into a Director of Irony." - Halliburton Loses Monopoly
Air America News is reporting that the Army has decided to end its exclusive relationship with defense contractor Halliburton, bringing to a close a controversial deal that awarded Dick Cheneyﾒs former company billions of dollars worth of logistics contracts on a no-bid basis. Apart from the obvious impropriety created by Cheneyﾒs close ties to the contractor, Halliburton has been accused of double-billing, racking up more than $1 billion in suspicious costs, and knowingly supplying troops with contaminated water.
P.S. Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Posted by: BearSox on 7/12/2006 at 12:26 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink
Eyes Wide Open
The Eyes Wide Open National Guard Memorial will be in Fargo on July 8th and 9th, 2006. It will be on display in the Nativity School Gym. Saturday morning the exibit an opening prayer ceremony at the Nativity School Peace Pole (adjacent to school gym) at 10:00 AM.
Eyes Wide Open, the American Friends Service Committeeﾒs
widely-acclaimed exhibition on the human cost of the Iraq War, features
a pair of boots honoring each U.S. military casualty, a field of shoes
and a Wall of Remembrance to memorialize the Iraqis killed in the
conflict, and a multimedia display exploring the history, cost and
consequences of the war.
Where:No matter your opinion of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and their respective ongoing occupations, I would encourage you to attend to honor those who have fallen. Only those who are brave enough to seek knowledge of this war can hope to understand it.
Nativity School
1825 11th St. South
Fargo, ND [MAP].
When:
Saturday July 8th - 10 am to 7 pm
Sunday July 9th - 10 am to 5 pm
Posted by: BearSox on 7/06/2006 at 3:52 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Twenty
Please take a moment to watch this video by The Robert Cray Band for the song "Twenty".
http://www.afsc.org/iraq/cray-video.htm
"Standing out here in the desert, trying to protect and oil line.
I'd really like to do my job, but this ain't the country that I had in mind.
They call this a war on terror. I see a lot of civilians dying.
Mothers, sons, fathers and daughters. Not to mention some friends of mine."
Posted by: BearSox on 7/06/2006 at 3:27 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Logic Stew for July 5th, 2006 - CIA loses interest in Bin Laden, Lieberman may run as Independent, Bush spends 4th with his dwindling base
It's Independence Day and I'm
looking back 230 years and forward 230. Where will this great country be when
it's twice as old? I hope for our sake, and that of the world, that we stop
repeating our mistakes and take our place as a true leader seeking peace and
prosperity for the world.
Here's today's Logic Stew:
- Unfortunately, I predict
that, before getting booted out of
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, establish offshore covert Justice, insure domestic Servitude, provide for the common pre-emptive attack, promote the general dissolution of the Welfare system, and secure the conservative Blessings of Liberty to ourselves (unless you're gay) and permanent tax cuts and loopholes in order to insure wealth for future generations of the Republican Regents (and our less fortunate millionaire friends - the TEAM 100 and Republican eagles) , do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." - Daily
- According to
Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post, Senator Joe Lieberman might decide
to run as an Independent in
- Instead of
spending the 4th being pelted with egg salad, Resident Bush chose to hang
out with a group of solid supporters - 3,500 troops and their relatives at
Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Bush vowed not to "allow the sacrifice of
2,527 troops who have died in
To me this is like the butcher showing up at the farm to let the cattle know the shop will be open again tomorrow and that beef sales are brisk. Of course our American troops are a loyal bunch and they gave the Commander in Chief a nice reception. - Ken Lay, who
drove Enron up to Wall Street glory and back down to SEC hell, died this
morning in
That's it for now. God bless the whole world... no exceptions!
Posted by: BearSox on 7/05/2006 at 2:05 PM | Comments (11) | Permalink