What he said...

Bob Herbert spreads the gospel in Thursday's New York Times:

"We have a finite number of troops," said Maj. Chris Kennedy of the Third Armored Cavalry Regiment. "But if you pull out of an area and don't leave security forces in it, all you're going to do is leave the door open for them to come back. This is what our lack of combat power has done to us throughout the country."

The latest fantasy out of Washington is that American-trained Iraqi forces will ultimately be able to do what the American forces have not: defeat the insurgency and pacify Iraq.

"We've learned that Iraqis are courageous and that they need additional skills," said Mr. Bush in his television address. "And that is why a major part of our mission is to train them so they can do the fighting, and then our troops can come home."

Don't hold your breath. This is another example of the administration's inability to distinguish between a strategy and a wish.

Exactly.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

What he said...

Bob Herbert spreads the gospel in Thursday's New York Times:

"We have a finite number of troops," said Maj. Chris Kennedy of the Third Armored Cavalry Regiment. "But if you pull out of an area and don't leave security forces in it, all you're going to do is leave the door open for them to come back. This is what our lack of combat power has done to us throughout the country."

The latest fantasy out of Washington is that American-trained Iraqi forces will ultimately be able to do what the American forces have not: defeat the insurgency and pacify Iraq.

"We've learned that Iraqis are courageous and that they need additional skills," said Mr. Bush in his television address. "And that is why a major part of our mission is to train them so they can do the fighting, and then our troops can come home."

Don't hold your breath. This is another example of the administration's inability to distinguish between a strategy and a wish.

Exactly.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

And now their suddenly BAD liars????

I just noticed this over at J-Walk Blog:

10,000 Hits Per Second?
From today's White House Press Briefing:

The President last night talked about the Department of Defense website, Americasupportsyou.mil, and this is a website where people can find out about ways they can support our troops in their local communities across the country.

After the President's speech last night, the website was experiencing more than 10,000 hits per second. Prior to the speech, it was about 103 hits per second.

That's very impressive. Let's add some perspective. Google, I believe, processes about 200 million search requests per day -- which works out to 2,315 per second.

What a bunch of idiots. Propaganda is difficult enterprise when one morning you're all suddenly stupid.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

And now their suddenly BAD liars????

I just noticed this over at J-Walk Blog:

10,000 Hits Per Second?
From today's White House Press Briefing:

The President last night talked about the Department of Defense website, Americasupportsyou.mil, and this is a website where people can find out about ways they can support our troops in their local communities across the country.

After the President's speech last night, the website was experiencing more than 10,000 hits per second. Prior to the speech, it was about 103 hits per second.

That's very impressive. Let's add some perspective. Google, I believe, processes about 200 million search requests per day -- which works out to 2,315 per second.

What a bunch of idiots. Propaganda is difficult enterprise when one morning you're all suddenly stupid.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Vladimir Putin: Kleptomaniac...

Some stories are so good that they make you all warm and fuzzy inside.

This is one of those stories:

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin walked off with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's diamond-encrusted 2005 Super Bowl ring, but was it a generous gift or a very expensive international misunderstanding?

Following a meeting of American business executives and Putin at Konstantinovsky Palace near St. Petersburg on Saturday, Kraft showed the ring to Putin -- who tried it on, put it in his pocket and left, according to Russian news reports.

It wasn't clear if Kraft, whose business interests include paper and packaging companies and venture capital investments, intended that Putin keep the ring.

See the rest here:

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Vladimir Putin: Kleptomaniac...

Some stories are so good that they make you all warm and fuzzy inside.

This is one of those stories:

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin walked off with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's diamond-encrusted 2005 Super Bowl ring, but was it a generous gift or a very expensive international misunderstanding?

Following a meeting of American business executives and Putin at Konstantinovsky Palace near St. Petersburg on Saturday, Kraft showed the ring to Putin -- who tried it on, put it in his pocket and left, according to Russian news reports.

It wasn't clear if Kraft, whose business interests include paper and packaging companies and venture capital investments, intended that Putin keep the ring.

See the rest here:

-The Oklahoma Hippy

One of the 3 Best Teachers I ever Had...

Everyone has one of those teachers. I had three. The man above is one of them. My gratitude knows no bounds.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

One of the 3 Best Teachers I ever Had...

Everyone has one of those teachers. I had three. The man above is one of them. My gratitude knows no bounds.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

From over at AmericaBlog...

Ground Control to Major Tom...

Thanks to John at AmericaBlog for this:

GOP vice chair of House Subcommittee on Terrorism outright lies about Saddam/Al Qaeda link to CNN

by John in DC - 6/29/2005 01:29:00 PM

This is a big deal. The man knows better, or he should resign. He's the vice chair of the TERRORISM subcomitte in the House. Good God. And he's this much of an idiot? Or is this how Bush and the Republicans plan to get support for the war - outright lie AGAIN to the American people? This is a perfect opportunity to call Bush and the GOP on their repeated lies - this congressman needs to step forward and admit that he's wrong. Kudos to CNN for catching this.

From CNN.com

A Republican congressman from North Carolina told CNN on Wednesday that the "evidence is clear" that Iraq was involved in the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001.

"Saddam Hussein and people like him were very much involved in 9/11," Rep. Robin Hayes said.

Told no investigation had ever found evidence to link Saddam and 9/11, Hayes responded, "I'm sorry, but you must have looked in the wrong places."

Hayes, the vice chairman of the House subcommittee on terrorism, said legislators have access to evidence others do not.

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said that Saddam was a dangerous man, but when asked about Hayes' statement, would not link the deposed Iraqi ruler to the terrorist attacks on New York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania.

"I haven't seen compelling evidence of that," McCain, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told CNN.

Will Bunch has the text of the interview, it's CHOICE! The CNN reporter totally calls the congressman on the lies. A snippet:

CONG. HAYES: I don't think it's changed at all. It's very clear that terrorists are connected to what Saddam Hussein was all about. And that again faces up to the most severe threat going forward...

CNN'S COSTELLO: But there is no...

HAYES: We have to do a good job explaining...

COSTELLO: ... evidence that Saddam Hussein was connected in any way to al Qaeda.

HAYES: Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you're mistaken. There's evidence everywhere. We get access to it, unfortunately others don't. But the evidence is very clear.

COSTELLO: What evidence is there?

HAYES: The connection between individuals who were connected to Saddam Hussein, folks who worked for him, we've seen it time and time again. But the issue is where are we now. Nobody disputes 9/11. They would do that again if not prevented. Preventing 9/11 wherever it might happen in America, winning the war overseas, not bringing it here to our shores, is the issue in that regard.

COSTELLO: Well, are you saying that Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9/11?

HAYES: I'm saying that Saddam Hussein -- and I think you're losing track of what we're trying to talk about here -- Saddam Hussein and people like him were very much involved in 9/11. Did he make the phone call and say...

The link to the post can be found here.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

From over at AmericaBlog...

Ground Control to Major Tom...

Thanks to John at AmericaBlog for this:

GOP vice chair of House Subcommittee on Terrorism outright lies about Saddam/Al Qaeda link to CNN

by John in DC - 6/29/2005 01:29:00 PM

This is a big deal. The man knows better, or he should resign. He's the vice chair of the TERRORISM subcomitte in the House. Good God. And he's this much of an idiot? Or is this how Bush and the Republicans plan to get support for the war - outright lie AGAIN to the American people? This is a perfect opportunity to call Bush and the GOP on their repeated lies - this congressman needs to step forward and admit that he's wrong. Kudos to CNN for catching this.

From CNN.com

A Republican congressman from North Carolina told CNN on Wednesday that the "evidence is clear" that Iraq was involved in the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001.

"Saddam Hussein and people like him were very much involved in 9/11," Rep. Robin Hayes said.

Told no investigation had ever found evidence to link Saddam and 9/11, Hayes responded, "I'm sorry, but you must have looked in the wrong places."

Hayes, the vice chairman of the House subcommittee on terrorism, said legislators have access to evidence others do not.

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said that Saddam was a dangerous man, but when asked about Hayes' statement, would not link the deposed Iraqi ruler to the terrorist attacks on New York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania.

"I haven't seen compelling evidence of that," McCain, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told CNN.

Will Bunch has the text of the interview, it's CHOICE! The CNN reporter totally calls the congressman on the lies. A snippet:

CONG. HAYES: I don't think it's changed at all. It's very clear that terrorists are connected to what Saddam Hussein was all about. And that again faces up to the most severe threat going forward...

CNN'S COSTELLO: But there is no...

HAYES: We have to do a good job explaining...

COSTELLO: ... evidence that Saddam Hussein was connected in any way to al Qaeda.

HAYES: Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you're mistaken. There's evidence everywhere. We get access to it, unfortunately others don't. But the evidence is very clear.

COSTELLO: What evidence is there?

HAYES: The connection between individuals who were connected to Saddam Hussein, folks who worked for him, we've seen it time and time again. But the issue is where are we now. Nobody disputes 9/11. They would do that again if not prevented. Preventing 9/11 wherever it might happen in America, winning the war overseas, not bringing it here to our shores, is the issue in that regard.

COSTELLO: Well, are you saying that Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9/11?

HAYES: I'm saying that Saddam Hussein -- and I think you're losing track of what we're trying to talk about here -- Saddam Hussein and people like him were very much involved in 9/11. Did he make the phone call and say...

The link to the post can be found here.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Props to Fyrebryhte for this link...

I found this on Fyrebryhte's Live Journal.



If you're a blogger, take the survey.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Props to Fyrebryhte for this link...

I found this on Fyrebryhte's Live Journal.



If you're a blogger, take the survey.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

The President's Address tonight...

First, before I give you a preview let's all collectively remember something.

1. A small group of terrorists were responsible for September 11th.

2. There were not associated with Iraq in anyway.

3. We diverted our attention away from those terrorists when we invaded Iraq.

4. We still don't have Osama Bin Laden.

5. We are not combating world wide terrorism in Iraq.

6. The President and his counselors wanted to go after Saddam long before September 11th.

Now that that's out of the way, let me provide you with a preview of what the President will have to say tonight about the ongoing quagmire in Iraq:

(September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq.

It's mostly Terrorists and Iraq, and September 11th just as above will be mostly parenthetical.

The question I still have is simple. How many people will have noticed tonight that the President has re-written history yet again?

Remember this post and think of me when the thought police come to take me away.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

The President's Address tonight...

First, before I give you a preview let's all collectively remember something.

1. A small group of terrorists were responsible for September 11th.

2. There were not associated with Iraq in anyway.

3. We diverted our attention away from those terrorists when we invaded Iraq.

4. We still don't have Osama Bin Laden.

5. We are not combating world wide terrorism in Iraq.

6. The President and his counselors wanted to go after Saddam long before September 11th.

Now that that's out of the way, let me provide you with a preview of what the President will have to say tonight about the ongoing quagmire in Iraq:

(September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq, (September 11th), Terrorists, Iraq.

It's mostly Terrorists and Iraq, and September 11th just as above will be mostly parenthetical.

The question I still have is simple. How many people will have noticed tonight that the President has re-written history yet again?

Remember this post and think of me when the thought police come to take me away.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Thanks to Hunter over at Daily Kos for this bit of hypocrisy...

Do people in the Bush Administration understand that normal people have instant access to information now, and if they say things that are demonstrably not true or make little sense that this will come out?

Perhaps they do understand this but simply do not care.

Pretty soon they'll hire a guy named Winston to work at The Memory Hole and this won't be a problem any longer.

Anyhow, check out this bit by Hunter over at DailyKos:

Zarqawi
by Hunter
Tue Jun 28th, 2005 at 14:52:36 PDT

From the prereleased excerpts of Bush's speech:

"The terrorists can kill the innocent - but they cannot stop the advance of freedom. The only way our enemies can succeed is if we forget the lessons of September 11 ... if we abandon the Iraqi people to men like Zarqawi ... and if we yield the future of the Middle East to men like Bin Laden."

Ahem.

With Tuesday's attacks, Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant with ties to al-Qaida, is now blamed for more than 700 terrorist killings in Iraq.

But NBC News has learned that long before the war the Bush administration had several chances to wipe out his terrorist operation and perhaps kill Zarqawi himself -- but never pulled the trigger. [...]

Military officials insist their case for attacking Zarqawi's operation was airtight, but the administration feared destroying the terrorist camp in Iraq could undercut its case for war against Saddam.

See also Media Matters.

You know what would really help us win the war on terror? Fighting the f---ing war on terror. Jackass.

If you would like to join in on the disccusion, click here.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Thanks to Hunter over at Daily Kos for this bit of hypocrisy...

Do people in the Bush Administration understand that normal people have instant access to information now, and if they say things that are demonstrably not true or make little sense that this will come out?

Perhaps they do understand this but simply do not care.

Pretty soon they'll hire a guy named Winston to work at The Memory Hole and this won't be a problem any longer.

Anyhow, check out this bit by Hunter over at DailyKos:

Zarqawi
by Hunter
Tue Jun 28th, 2005 at 14:52:36 PDT

From the prereleased excerpts of Bush's speech:

"The terrorists can kill the innocent - but they cannot stop the advance of freedom. The only way our enemies can succeed is if we forget the lessons of September 11 ... if we abandon the Iraqi people to men like Zarqawi ... and if we yield the future of the Middle East to men like Bin Laden."

Ahem.

With Tuesday's attacks, Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant with ties to al-Qaida, is now blamed for more than 700 terrorist killings in Iraq.

But NBC News has learned that long before the war the Bush administration had several chances to wipe out his terrorist operation and perhaps kill Zarqawi himself -- but never pulled the trigger. [...]

Military officials insist their case for attacking Zarqawi's operation was airtight, but the administration feared destroying the terrorist camp in Iraq could undercut its case for war against Saddam.

See also Media Matters.

You know what would really help us win the war on terror? Fighting the f---ing war on terror. Jackass.

If you would like to join in on the disccusion, click here.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

War of the Worlds...

I haven't seen anyone discussing this, so I just thought I would throw this out there for anyone paying attention.

The aliens in War of the Worlds are supposed to represent terrorism.

I really feel we give terrorists too much credit when it comes to their organization and capabilities.

The really sad thing, and it's what we haven't really addressed, is that the September 11th terrorist attacks were accomplished with really little more than a credit card and an online travel agent.

One day, when the hysteria is over, that is going to be put in perspective.

It's horrible. It's tragic. Our retribution in Afghanistan was justified and righteous. I was proud to call George W. Bush my President when those first boots hit the ground in Cabal. Fuck the Taliban. Fuck them in their stupid asses.

That being said, none of it means that the September 11th hijackers were criminal/terrorist geniuses.

Just food for thought.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

War of the Worlds...

I haven't seen anyone discussing this, so I just thought I would throw this out there for anyone paying attention.

The aliens in War of the Worlds are supposed to represent terrorism.

I really feel we give terrorists too much credit when it comes to their organization and capabilities.

The really sad thing, and it's what we haven't really addressed, is that the September 11th terrorist attacks were accomplished with really little more than a credit card and an online travel agent.

One day, when the hysteria is over, that is going to be put in perspective.

It's horrible. It's tragic. Our retribution in Afghanistan was justified and righteous. I was proud to call George W. Bush my President when those first boots hit the ground in Cabal. Fuck the Taliban. Fuck them in their stupid asses.

That being said, none of it means that the September 11th hijackers were criminal/terrorist geniuses.

Just food for thought.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Quote of the Day

Via Storment at OK GOP Chat.

Go ahead, James, feel free to rip me open, tell me what a facist I am, and blah, blah, liberal bull****, blah! I'll take being a facist any day of the week over being a non-contributor, liberal pansy, parasitic freedom leech such as yourself...I am done even reading your bull****.

I bet he would prefer to be a fascist rather than accept that someone that disagrees with him in any way.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Quote of the Day

Via Storment at OK GOP Chat.

Go ahead, James, feel free to rip me open, tell me what a facist I am, and blah, blah, liberal bull****, blah! I'll take being a facist any day of the week over being a non-contributor, liberal pansy, parasitic freedom leech such as yourself...I am done even reading your bull****.

I bet he would prefer to be a fascist rather than accept that someone that disagrees with him in any way.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

What are Oklahoma Republicans saying?

I think I might make this a regular feature. There's a lovely little site called OKGOPChat.com, and some of the conversations that go on there are hysterical.

So, I am going to highlight some of it here on occasion, just for fun. Think of it as a blog version of the Daily Show's Greeat Moments in Punditry as Read by Children.

Enjoy the first installment:

We drop in on a discussion about Flag Burning.

Someone named Crash Daily had the following to say:

There are limits and we choose where those limits should be. Protecting our symbols of our nation and the incredible sacrifices our young men and women have made to make this nation, to maintain this nation and to protect our freedoms is not some kind of slippery slope. Any self respecting nation shouldn't allow the burning of its' flag or constitution.

To which James Young replied:

Unsurprisingly, you continue to confuse the symbol with the practices of that which it symbolizes. Those young men and women died defending freedom, not the flag. Why even bother to defend something only to take it away? BTW, far too many young men and women died not even protecting freedom but merely making rich men richer, c.f. Vietnam, Iraq 2003-2005.

Not unreasonable I guess.

Ah, but then comes in Storment:

James, of course you would not understand that to soldiers the flag is more than a symbol of freedom, to soldiers the flag is a living, holy, reverant non-abstract physical object that transends politics, religion, socio-economic issues. I believe you only understand the deeper meaning of old glory, by defending it, by wearing it on your uniform, knowing that when the vast majority of peoples in foreign nations see it, you instantly gain their respect and admiration. Knowing that old glory on your shoulder, sometimes keeps you alive in hostile situations.

James, you are like most liberals I know...always willing to give your insight (exercise your free speech rights), always willing to be critical of the force it takes (our military might) to ensure our and hundreds of million of other peoples freedoms are defended, always willing to sacrifice funds to protect freedom (defense budgets) in favor instead of distributing those same funds to some minority (numbers...not race) issue you have championed; but never willing to toe the line, sign-up, ship out, turn the rivets, or God forbid, bleed or spill the blood of others in defense of our freedoms. James, you take, but do not give. You are a parasite of freedom. You latch on to freedom of speech and assembly and the rights of all men, but do absolutely NOTHING to support those freedoms. Sure you pay taxes, sure you vote, I'm sure you're probably a nice guy and a good citizen...but in my eyes, because you bitch about going to war (justly or not) that has developed into a crusade to free oppressed people, because you bitch about defense spending that have caused budget deficits, because you bitch about soldiers not having proper equipment (but don't lift a***** finger to go out an buy some trooper the body armor he needs, or become an activist to ensure the troops are well equiped)...your like a***** leech, James. I'm sick of liberals like yourself James, you have absolutely no***** rights to criticize anything this country does regarding freedoms or civil liberties...you've never contributed James. How sad it must be one day, when you look back on your life, and realize you've ridden the bench your entire***** life. Isn't it great to know James, that the young men and women who are fighting and dying in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Phillipines, Columbia, and other exotic locations all across the world are doing so for you James...someone who has held them (and the mission they BELIEVED IN and died for) in contempt and fought to undermine their very well being. You voice your free speach (a right they've given you) to undermine their safety and the very mission they are fighting for. James, liberals like yourself make my stomach turn. Everytime I am out in public and hear some pansy such as yourself go off on "Bush's Illegal War" or how the guards at Abu Ghraib and Quantanamo Bay are a bunch of thugs....I just want kick your ass! You don't understand a***** thing about freedoms...but then, my anger subsides, when I remind myself that it is our brave soldiers who have given you the right to free expression, and I'll be*****ed, if I would ever lift a hand to desecrate any sacrifice they have made for any citizen...even a pansy like yourself James.

Go ahead, James, feel free to rip me open, tell me what a facist I am, and blah, blah, liberal bull****, blah! I'll take being a facist any day of the week over being a non-contributor, liberal pansy, parasitic freedom leech such as yourself...I am done even reading your bull****.

For all the real American, non-parasites on the board, I am truly sorry if I offended you with my rant on Jimmy Boy...I'm fed up with his and the liberal pansies bull****. I'm too tired of getting news of friends being buried in the ground and draped by our flag to listen to his or any other liberals bull****, and will not allow them to spit on the graves of my friends and all other soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and all the thousands of iraqi and afghani citizens who have given their lives in pursuit of freedom.

You believe in voicing your freedoms of speech and expression so much James, go sign up...they'll take you. Of course, I doubt you have the intestinal fortitude (hell, I'll call it like I see it....I doubt you have the balls) James, to make it past week two of basic training.

My favorite part about Republican rhetoric of late and on this board specifically is how often the argument boils down to a form of "you're a pussy."

If you want to stare into the glass cage yourself, you can find the link to this thread here.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

What are Oklahoma Republicans saying?

I think I might make this a regular feature. There's a lovely little site called OKGOPChat.com, and some of the conversations that go on there are hysterical.

So, I am going to highlight some of it here on occasion, just for fun. Think of it as a blog version of the Daily Show's Greeat Moments in Punditry as Read by Children.

Enjoy the first installment:

We drop in on a discussion about Flag Burning.

Someone named Crash Daily had the following to say:

There are limits and we choose where those limits should be. Protecting our symbols of our nation and the incredible sacrifices our young men and women have made to make this nation, to maintain this nation and to protect our freedoms is not some kind of slippery slope. Any self respecting nation shouldn't allow the burning of its' flag or constitution.

To which James Young replied:

Unsurprisingly, you continue to confuse the symbol with the practices of that which it symbolizes. Those young men and women died defending freedom, not the flag. Why even bother to defend something only to take it away? BTW, far too many young men and women died not even protecting freedom but merely making rich men richer, c.f. Vietnam, Iraq 2003-2005.

Not unreasonable I guess.

Ah, but then comes in Storment:

James, of course you would not understand that to soldiers the flag is more than a symbol of freedom, to soldiers the flag is a living, holy, reverant non-abstract physical object that transends politics, religion, socio-economic issues. I believe you only understand the deeper meaning of old glory, by defending it, by wearing it on your uniform, knowing that when the vast majority of peoples in foreign nations see it, you instantly gain their respect and admiration. Knowing that old glory on your shoulder, sometimes keeps you alive in hostile situations.

James, you are like most liberals I know...always willing to give your insight (exercise your free speech rights), always willing to be critical of the force it takes (our military might) to ensure our and hundreds of million of other peoples freedoms are defended, always willing to sacrifice funds to protect freedom (defense budgets) in favor instead of distributing those same funds to some minority (numbers...not race) issue you have championed; but never willing to toe the line, sign-up, ship out, turn the rivets, or God forbid, bleed or spill the blood of others in defense of our freedoms. James, you take, but do not give. You are a parasite of freedom. You latch on to freedom of speech and assembly and the rights of all men, but do absolutely NOTHING to support those freedoms. Sure you pay taxes, sure you vote, I'm sure you're probably a nice guy and a good citizen...but in my eyes, because you bitch about going to war (justly or not) that has developed into a crusade to free oppressed people, because you bitch about defense spending that have caused budget deficits, because you bitch about soldiers not having proper equipment (but don't lift a***** finger to go out an buy some trooper the body armor he needs, or become an activist to ensure the troops are well equiped)...your like a***** leech, James. I'm sick of liberals like yourself James, you have absolutely no***** rights to criticize anything this country does regarding freedoms or civil liberties...you've never contributed James. How sad it must be one day, when you look back on your life, and realize you've ridden the bench your entire***** life. Isn't it great to know James, that the young men and women who are fighting and dying in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Phillipines, Columbia, and other exotic locations all across the world are doing so for you James...someone who has held them (and the mission they BELIEVED IN and died for) in contempt and fought to undermine their very well being. You voice your free speach (a right they've given you) to undermine their safety and the very mission they are fighting for. James, liberals like yourself make my stomach turn. Everytime I am out in public and hear some pansy such as yourself go off on "Bush's Illegal War" or how the guards at Abu Ghraib and Quantanamo Bay are a bunch of thugs....I just want kick your ass! You don't understand a***** thing about freedoms...but then, my anger subsides, when I remind myself that it is our brave soldiers who have given you the right to free expression, and I'll be*****ed, if I would ever lift a hand to desecrate any sacrifice they have made for any citizen...even a pansy like yourself James.

Go ahead, James, feel free to rip me open, tell me what a facist I am, and blah, blah, liberal bull****, blah! I'll take being a facist any day of the week over being a non-contributor, liberal pansy, parasitic freedom leech such as yourself...I am done even reading your bull****.

For all the real American, non-parasites on the board, I am truly sorry if I offended you with my rant on Jimmy Boy...I'm fed up with his and the liberal pansies bull****. I'm too tired of getting news of friends being buried in the ground and draped by our flag to listen to his or any other liberals bull****, and will not allow them to spit on the graves of my friends and all other soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and all the thousands of iraqi and afghani citizens who have given their lives in pursuit of freedom.

You believe in voicing your freedoms of speech and expression so much James, go sign up...they'll take you. Of course, I doubt you have the intestinal fortitude (hell, I'll call it like I see it....I doubt you have the balls) James, to make it past week two of basic training.

My favorite part about Republican rhetoric of late and on this board specifically is how often the argument boils down to a form of "you're a pussy."

If you want to stare into the glass cage yourself, you can find the link to this thread here.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Troops as Props?

Can anyone explain why it's acceptable for The President of the United States to use the troops at Fort Bragg, NC as props when he addresses the nation in Prime Time tomorrow?

Unless something completely unbelievable happens, the President is going to take over the airwaves, try to feed us the same tired-ass talking points he's been using for 2 years, and not offer anything new.

There are some things that the president could do to make tomorrow's address newsworthy.

First, acknowledge the disconnect that exists between the view the White House has held up until this point that the insurgency is getting weaker, and the reality as being reported by the boots on the ground. General Abazaid said only last week that he does not share in the White House view that the insurgency is getting weaker.

Second, he needs to address in a realistic manner the problems that are being faced by are military due to recruiting shortages.

Our military is situation is functioning precisely as planned when the military was re-worked after Viet Nam. Our forces were set up in such a way that we could not fight a prolonged war as a country without using a huge amount of reservists. This was intentionally done, as a way of putting a check on the ability of politicians to lead us into war. Using so many reservists, as the reasoning went, would make the public much more tuned into the reasons behind a war and give the public leverage against policy makers who insisted in fighting unpopular wars.

So, the President should be talking about the seriousness of our recruiting issues and acknowledging that it is due to the unpopularity of this war. He should also lay out a plan. If it's a draft, then say so. If a draft isn't the solution, then call on people who support the war to enlist in the armed forces.

Third, the President needs to lay out some metrics that are absolute and will not change. We need to know that when we have accomplished X, Y, and Z, then our soldiers can start coming home. This doesn't need to be an absolute time table, but rather a list of goals that we can accomplish as a nation.

Fourth, since he is talking about the war situation, and standing in front to the soldiers who have to fight the war, the President should be expected to address the $1,000,000,000 shortfall in the VA budget. I would like him to tell us how we plan on taking care of those who have been injured and have fought this war once they return home.

Tomorrow's address isn't just for vanity. We should hold the President accountable for giving the country real answers to real problems.

Lastly, if the President engages in this shameful exercise that we have witness over the last week of painting anyone who is against the war as some sort of traitor, then we need to step back and assess as a nation if President Bush truly shares our values and if it is prudent for him to continue as Commander-in-Chief of the United States military and President of the Country.

Look, there are liberals in the military. There are liberals in this country. We love our nation and we support our troops. For anyone to pretend that not being in support of an ongoing war in Iraq is equivalent to wishing harm upon our troops is shameful. To malign half of this country because they don't support what in our estimation is a misguided and dangerous foreign policy is much closer to treason than disagreeing with the President of the United States.

So, we will be looking for answers. People who support the President will be looking for answers. Let's hope we get them.

If it’s just the same stay-the-course-everything’s-fine-freedom-is-on-the-march bullshit, then the President ought to ask forgiveness for using the troops as props in such a shameful exercise and offer his resignation.

I’m not holding my breath though.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Troops as Props?

Can anyone explain why it's acceptable for The President of the United States to use the troops at Fort Bragg, NC as props when he addresses the nation in Prime Time tomorrow?

Unless something completely unbelievable happens, the President is going to take over the airwaves, try to feed us the same tired-ass talking points he's been using for 2 years, and not offer anything new.

There are some things that the president could do to make tomorrow's address newsworthy.

First, acknowledge the disconnect that exists between the view the White House has held up until this point that the insurgency is getting weaker, and the reality as being reported by the boots on the ground. General Abazaid said only last week that he does not share in the White House view that the insurgency is getting weaker.

Second, he needs to address in a realistic manner the problems that are being faced by are military due to recruiting shortages.

Our military is situation is functioning precisely as planned when the military was re-worked after Viet Nam. Our forces were set up in such a way that we could not fight a prolonged war as a country without using a huge amount of reservists. This was intentionally done, as a way of putting a check on the ability of politicians to lead us into war. Using so many reservists, as the reasoning went, would make the public much more tuned into the reasons behind a war and give the public leverage against policy makers who insisted in fighting unpopular wars.

So, the President should be talking about the seriousness of our recruiting issues and acknowledging that it is due to the unpopularity of this war. He should also lay out a plan. If it's a draft, then say so. If a draft isn't the solution, then call on people who support the war to enlist in the armed forces.

Third, the President needs to lay out some metrics that are absolute and will not change. We need to know that when we have accomplished X, Y, and Z, then our soldiers can start coming home. This doesn't need to be an absolute time table, but rather a list of goals that we can accomplish as a nation.

Fourth, since he is talking about the war situation, and standing in front to the soldiers who have to fight the war, the President should be expected to address the $1,000,000,000 shortfall in the VA budget. I would like him to tell us how we plan on taking care of those who have been injured and have fought this war once they return home.

Tomorrow's address isn't just for vanity. We should hold the President accountable for giving the country real answers to real problems.

Lastly, if the President engages in this shameful exercise that we have witness over the last week of painting anyone who is against the war as some sort of traitor, then we need to step back and assess as a nation if President Bush truly shares our values and if it is prudent for him to continue as Commander-in-Chief of the United States military and President of the Country.

Look, there are liberals in the military. There are liberals in this country. We love our nation and we support our troops. For anyone to pretend that not being in support of an ongoing war in Iraq is equivalent to wishing harm upon our troops is shameful. To malign half of this country because they don't support what in our estimation is a misguided and dangerous foreign policy is much closer to treason than disagreeing with the President of the United States.

So, we will be looking for answers. People who support the President will be looking for answers. Let's hope we get them.

If it’s just the same stay-the-course-everything’s-fine-freedom-is-on-the-march bullshit, then the President ought to ask forgiveness for using the troops as props in such a shameful exercise and offer his resignation.

I’m not holding my breath though.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Think about this...

Forty-nine percent (49%) of Americans say that President Bush is more responsible for starting the War with Iraq than Saddam Hussein. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 44% take the opposite view and believe Hussein shoulders most of the responsibility.

More people believe George Bush is responsible for the war than Saddam Hussein.

Kos has more, including a link to the poll.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Think about this...

Forty-nine percent (49%) of Americans say that President Bush is more responsible for starting the War with Iraq than Saddam Hussein. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 44% take the opposite view and believe Hussein shoulders most of the responsibility.

More people believe George Bush is responsible for the war than Saddam Hussein.

Kos has more, including a link to the poll.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

From Sunday's New York Times.

Finally, somewhere in the media, someone is trying to start the right conversation.

Three Things About Iraq

To have the sober conversation about the war in Iraq that America badly needs, it is vital to acknowledge three facts:

The war has nothing to do with Sept. 11. Saddam Hussein was a sworn enemy of Washington, but there was no Iraq-Qaeda axis, no connection between Saddam Hussein and the terrorist attacks on the United States. Yet the president and his supporters continue to duck behind 9/11 whenever they feel pressure about what is happening in Iraq. The most cynical recent example was Karl Rove's absurd and offensive declaration this week that conservatives and liberals had different reactions to 9/11. Let's be clear: Americans of every political stripe were united in their outrage and grief, united in their determination to punish those who plotted the mass murder and united behind the war in Afghanistan, which was an assault on terrorists. Trying to pretend otherwise is the surest recipe for turning political dialogue into meaningless squabbling.

The war has not made the world, or this nation, safer from terrorism. The breeding grounds for terrorists used to be Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia; now Iraq has become one. Of all the justifications for invading Iraq that the administration juggled in the beginning, the only one that has held up over time is the desire to create a democratic nation that could help stabilize the Middle East. Any sensible discussion of what to do next has to begin by acknowledging that. The surest way to make sure that conversation does not happen is for the administration to continue pasting the "soft on terror" label on those who want to talk about the war.

If the war is going according to plan, someone needs to rethink the plan. Progress has been measurable on the political front. But even staunch supporters of the war, like the Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, told Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at a hearing this week that President Bush was losing public support because the military effort was not keeping pace. A top general said this week that the insurgency was growing. The frequency of attacks is steady, or rising a bit, while the repulsive tactic of suicide bombings has made them more deadly.

If things are going to be turned around, there has to be an honest discussion about what is happening. But Mr. Rumsfeld was not interested. Sneering at his Democratic questioners, he insisted everything was on track and claimed "dozens of trained battalions are capable of conducting anti-insurgent operations" with American support. That would be great news if it were true. Gen. George Casey, the commander in Iraq, was more honest, saying he hoped there would be "a good number of units" capable of doing that "before the end of this year."

Americans cannot judge for themselves because the administration has decided to make the information secret. Senator John McCain spoke for us when he expressed his disbelief at this news. "I think the American people need to know," he said. "They are the ones who are paying for this conflict."

Amen.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

From Sunday's New York Times.

Finally, somewhere in the media, someone is trying to start the right conversation.

Three Things About Iraq

To have the sober conversation about the war in Iraq that America badly needs, it is vital to acknowledge three facts:

The war has nothing to do with Sept. 11. Saddam Hussein was a sworn enemy of Washington, but there was no Iraq-Qaeda axis, no connection between Saddam Hussein and the terrorist attacks on the United States. Yet the president and his supporters continue to duck behind 9/11 whenever they feel pressure about what is happening in Iraq. The most cynical recent example was Karl Rove's absurd and offensive declaration this week that conservatives and liberals had different reactions to 9/11. Let's be clear: Americans of every political stripe were united in their outrage and grief, united in their determination to punish those who plotted the mass murder and united behind the war in Afghanistan, which was an assault on terrorists. Trying to pretend otherwise is the surest recipe for turning political dialogue into meaningless squabbling.

The war has not made the world, or this nation, safer from terrorism. The breeding grounds for terrorists used to be Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia; now Iraq has become one. Of all the justifications for invading Iraq that the administration juggled in the beginning, the only one that has held up over time is the desire to create a democratic nation that could help stabilize the Middle East. Any sensible discussion of what to do next has to begin by acknowledging that. The surest way to make sure that conversation does not happen is for the administration to continue pasting the "soft on terror" label on those who want to talk about the war.

If the war is going according to plan, someone needs to rethink the plan. Progress has been measurable on the political front. But even staunch supporters of the war, like the Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, told Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at a hearing this week that President Bush was losing public support because the military effort was not keeping pace. A top general said this week that the insurgency was growing. The frequency of attacks is steady, or rising a bit, while the repulsive tactic of suicide bombings has made them more deadly.

If things are going to be turned around, there has to be an honest discussion about what is happening. But Mr. Rumsfeld was not interested. Sneering at his Democratic questioners, he insisted everything was on track and claimed "dozens of trained battalions are capable of conducting anti-insurgent operations" with American support. That would be great news if it were true. Gen. George Casey, the commander in Iraq, was more honest, saying he hoped there would be "a good number of units" capable of doing that "before the end of this year."

Americans cannot judge for themselves because the administration has decided to make the information secret. Senator John McCain spoke for us when he expressed his disbelief at this news. "I think the American people need to know," he said. "They are the ones who are paying for this conflict."

Amen.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Liberals in the Military...

Yes, there are liberals in the military. They are proud people working just as hard as anyone else to fight Bush's war. And they don't appreciate being maligned by Karl Rove.

So, they're taking the fight to him. Good for them.

God bless The Fighting Liberals. Do everything you can to support them. They're our troops too.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Liberals in the Military...

Yes, there are liberals in the military. They are proud people working just as hard as anyone else to fight Bush's war. And they don't appreciate being maligned by Karl Rove.

So, they're taking the fight to him. Good for them.

God bless The Fighting Liberals. Do everything you can to support them. They're our troops too.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

I was Touched by his Noodly Appendage...

So, an East German spy managed to get me notice of this open letter to the Kansas Board of Education. I share with you two grafs:

It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith.

Some find that hard to believe, so it may be helpful to tell you a little more about our beliefs. We have evidence that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe. None of us, of course, were around to see it, but we have written accounts of it. We have several lengthy volumes explaining all details of His power. Also, you may be surprised to hear that there are over 10 million of us, and growing. We tend to be very secretive, as many people claim our beliefs are not substantiated by observable evidence. What these people don’t understand is that He built the world to make us think the earth is older than it really is. For example, a scientist may perform a carbon-dating process on an artifact. He finds that approximately 75% of the Carbon-14 has decayed by electron emission to Nitrogen-14, and infers that this artifact is approximately 10,000 years old, as the half-life of Carbon-14 appears to be 5,730 years. But what our scientist does not realize is that every time he makes a measurement, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is there changing the results with His Noodly Appendage. We have numerous texts that describe in detail how this can be possible and the reasons why He does this. He is of course invisible and can pass through normal matter with ease.

Click here. Laugh your ass off. Have a sandwich. Repeat.

Arrrrrg!

-Legless Ezekiel Straw, Ye Oklahoma Pirate

I was Touched by his Noodly Appendage...

So, an East German spy managed to get me notice of this open letter to the Kansas Board of Education. I share with you two grafs:

It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith.

Some find that hard to believe, so it may be helpful to tell you a little more about our beliefs. We have evidence that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe. None of us, of course, were around to see it, but we have written accounts of it. We have several lengthy volumes explaining all details of His power. Also, you may be surprised to hear that there are over 10 million of us, and growing. We tend to be very secretive, as many people claim our beliefs are not substantiated by observable evidence. What these people don’t understand is that He built the world to make us think the earth is older than it really is. For example, a scientist may perform a carbon-dating process on an artifact. He finds that approximately 75% of the Carbon-14 has decayed by electron emission to Nitrogen-14, and infers that this artifact is approximately 10,000 years old, as the half-life of Carbon-14 appears to be 5,730 years. But what our scientist does not realize is that every time he makes a measurement, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is there changing the results with His Noodly Appendage. We have numerous texts that describe in detail how this can be possible and the reasons why He does this. He is of course invisible and can pass through normal matter with ease.

Click here. Laugh your ass off. Have a sandwich. Repeat.

Arrrrrg!

-Legless Ezekiel Straw, Ye Oklahoma Pirate

Red State Fever

America Blog catches the following Letter to the Editor in a Louisiana paper:

In reference to Mack Calhoun's statement, where he used the word "jew'' in discussing the purchase price of an item, I have waited for people in his district to come out in his defense. I have known Calhoun for many years. I know he is a fine Christian man. He would never do or say anything to offend anyone.

The word "jew'' in negotiation prices has been used in our family since I can remember. It is hard for me not to say it in normal conversation. The full definition of "jew'' from the dictionary is as follows: 1. To persuade to take a low price by haggling: with down. 2. To get a better of a bargain.

We need more public servants like Calhoun to stand up for what is right.

J.O. Antley
West Monroe

Click over to Americablog if you want the original link.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Red State Fever

America Blog catches the following Letter to the Editor in a Louisiana paper:

In reference to Mack Calhoun's statement, where he used the word "jew'' in discussing the purchase price of an item, I have waited for people in his district to come out in his defense. I have known Calhoun for many years. I know he is a fine Christian man. He would never do or say anything to offend anyone.

The word "jew'' in negotiation prices has been used in our family since I can remember. It is hard for me not to say it in normal conversation. The full definition of "jew'' from the dictionary is as follows: 1. To persuade to take a low price by haggling: with down. 2. To get a better of a bargain.

We need more public servants like Calhoun to stand up for what is right.

J.O. Antley
West Monroe

Click over to Americablog if you want the original link.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Hmmmmm...

I think we need to call the EPA. I think we need to know what is in the water in Ft. Collins, Colorado.

1 Comments:
RokemSokemRumsfeld said...
Oh, you're concerned all of a sudden?

Liberals pray that the Veep will die, and yet fight so hard to keep guilty murderers from getting death penalty.

Hypocrites.

1:05 PM

Ok, so what we know for sure is that this isn't the Logic Monkey...

We know it isn't anyone I know here in Oklahoma.

We know they're likely in Fort Collins, CO.

I doubt they work in the fashion industry.

He's RokemSokemRumsfeld by the numbers:

Domain Name (Unknown)
IP Address 65.77.28.38
Language English (United States)en-us
Operating System Microsoft Win2000
Browser Internet Explorer 5.01
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.01; Windows NT 5.0)
Monitor Resolution 1024 x 768
Time of Visit Jun 25 2005 12:55:45 pm
Last Page View Jun 25 2005 1:19:46 pm
Visit Length 24 minutes and 1 second
Page Views 10
Williams Communications, Incorporated WCG-BLK-3 (NET-65-77-0-0-1)
65.77.0.0 - 65.77.255.255
AARO Broadband Wireless Communications WLCO-TWC938769-AARO (NET-65-77-28-0-1)
65.77.28.0 - 65.77.29.255

This IP address was at least at one time associated with someone named Mike Duncan.

Interesting Stuff.

The funny part is that they keep coming back for a few seconds to see if they have succeeded in making anyone angry with their nonsense comments.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Hmmmmm...

I think we need to call the EPA. I think we need to know what is in the water in Ft. Collins, Colorado.

1 Comments:
RokemSokemRumsfeld said...
Oh, you're concerned all of a sudden?

Liberals pray that the Veep will die, and yet fight so hard to keep guilty murderers from getting death penalty.

Hypocrites.

1:05 PM

Ok, so what we know for sure is that this isn't the Logic Monkey...

We know it isn't anyone I know here in Oklahoma.

We know they're likely in Fort Collins, CO.

I doubt they work in the fashion industry.

He's RokemSokemRumsfeld by the numbers:

Domain Name (Unknown)
IP Address 65.77.28.38
Language English (United States)en-us
Operating System Microsoft Win2000
Browser Internet Explorer 5.01
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.01; Windows NT 5.0)
Monitor Resolution 1024 x 768
Time of Visit Jun 25 2005 12:55:45 pm
Last Page View Jun 25 2005 1:19:46 pm
Visit Length 24 minutes and 1 second
Page Views 10
Williams Communications, Incorporated WCG-BLK-3 (NET-65-77-0-0-1)
65.77.0.0 - 65.77.255.255
AARO Broadband Wireless Communications WLCO-TWC938769-AARO (NET-65-77-28-0-1)
65.77.28.0 - 65.77.29.255

This IP address was at least at one time associated with someone named Mike Duncan.

Interesting Stuff.

The funny part is that they keep coming back for a few seconds to see if they have succeeded in making anyone angry with their nonsense comments.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Did Cheney have a heart attack?

I just came across the following post on Americablog:

Cheney checks into Vail hospital, White House may be lying about what happened

by John in DC - 6/25/2005 01:05:00 PM

I had received this tip last night, but as I couldn't confirm it, I didn't want to post it. Arianna has apparently confirmed it, as she was there!

Arianna seems to have found the White House lying about what's wrong with Cheney. Evidence points to his heart having issues, and the White House appears to be lying about it. Welcome to the Soviet Politburo. We now no longer have the right to know about the serious health problems of our leaders.

The fact that lying has become a reflex to this administration is telling. Cheney is the VP. He has no constitutional obligations in the executive brach. A "no comment" would do if they didn't want to say why he checked into the hospital.

The above reference to "Arriana confirming this situation" is Arriana Huffington. She just happened to be in Vail when it was going on. She went to the hospital to see what she could find out.

From her blog:

UPDATE: Cheney’s Health: What is the White House Hiding?

VAIL -- Why is the White House still insisting that the only health issue Vice President Cheney dealt with today is an old football injury to his knee, visiting renowned orthopedist Dr. Richard Steadman? At the Vail Valley Institute dinner tonight, I kept asking what those in the know here knew. Little by little, here is the story I pieced together: After the Secret Service secured the Vail Valley Medical Center, including the parking lot, the Vice President arrived under his own power and checked in at the orthopedic center under the name “Dr. Hoffman”. He was immediately whisked to the adjacent cardiac unit, suffering from what was described to me as “an angina attack”. The security was so high that a Secret Service agent wouldn’t let an ER nurse out of the bathroom that she had gone into just before the Veep arrived. “Get back in there,” the agent told her. Confounded, she called her husband on her cell phone, telling him “something big” was going on. And indeed it was… but you wouldn’t know it from the White House. It appears that not only doesn’t the public deserve to know what is really going on in Iraq (“last throes”?) we don’t deserve to know what is going on with our Vice President’s health.

The Link that Arriana provides takes us to SFGate.com:

(06-24) 18:21 PDT Vail, Colo. (AP) --

Vice President Dick Cheney visited a renowned orthopedist Friday while in town for a forum held by a conservative think tank, his spokeswoman said.

Cheney met with Dr. Richard Steadman to evaluate an old football injury to his knee, Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride said.

Steadman focuses primarily on sports medicine, and his Steadman Hawkins Clinic has treated a number of famous athletes. In 2003, Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant was in Vail for knee surgery at the clinic when he was accused of raping a hotel worker.

Cheney was scheduled to attend the American Enterprise Institute World Forum, which was started in 1982 by former President Gerald Ford.

What the hell is going on?

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Did Cheney have a heart attack?

I just came across the following post on Americablog:

Cheney checks into Vail hospital, White House may be lying about what happened

by John in DC - 6/25/2005 01:05:00 PM

I had received this tip last night, but as I couldn't confirm it, I didn't want to post it. Arianna has apparently confirmed it, as she was there!

Arianna seems to have found the White House lying about what's wrong with Cheney. Evidence points to his heart having issues, and the White House appears to be lying about it. Welcome to the Soviet Politburo. We now no longer have the right to know about the serious health problems of our leaders.

The fact that lying has become a reflex to this administration is telling. Cheney is the VP. He has no constitutional obligations in the executive brach. A "no comment" would do if they didn't want to say why he checked into the hospital.

The above reference to "Arriana confirming this situation" is Arriana Huffington. She just happened to be in Vail when it was going on. She went to the hospital to see what she could find out.

From her blog:

UPDATE: Cheney’s Health: What is the White House Hiding?

VAIL -- Why is the White House still insisting that the only health issue Vice President Cheney dealt with today is an old football injury to his knee, visiting renowned orthopedist Dr. Richard Steadman? At the Vail Valley Institute dinner tonight, I kept asking what those in the know here knew. Little by little, here is the story I pieced together: After the Secret Service secured the Vail Valley Medical Center, including the parking lot, the Vice President arrived under his own power and checked in at the orthopedic center under the name “Dr. Hoffman”. He was immediately whisked to the adjacent cardiac unit, suffering from what was described to me as “an angina attack”. The security was so high that a Secret Service agent wouldn’t let an ER nurse out of the bathroom that she had gone into just before the Veep arrived. “Get back in there,” the agent told her. Confounded, she called her husband on her cell phone, telling him “something big” was going on. And indeed it was… but you wouldn’t know it from the White House. It appears that not only doesn’t the public deserve to know what is really going on in Iraq (“last throes”?) we don’t deserve to know what is going on with our Vice President’s health.

The Link that Arriana provides takes us to SFGate.com:

(06-24) 18:21 PDT Vail, Colo. (AP) --

Vice President Dick Cheney visited a renowned orthopedist Friday while in town for a forum held by a conservative think tank, his spokeswoman said.

Cheney met with Dr. Richard Steadman to evaluate an old football injury to his knee, Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride said.

Steadman focuses primarily on sports medicine, and his Steadman Hawkins Clinic has treated a number of famous athletes. In 2003, Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant was in Vail for knee surgery at the clinic when he was accused of raping a hotel worker.

Cheney was scheduled to attend the American Enterprise Institute World Forum, which was started in 1982 by former President Gerald Ford.

What the hell is going on?

-The Oklahoma Hippy

QUACK!

The president is hemorrhaging support.

Check out this latest and most convincing sign of Lame-duckness:

The Bush numbers in the ARG Economy poll out show that his slump continues to downgrade into longterm lameduckness:

Among Republicans (36% of adults registered to vote in the survey), 84% approve of the way Bush is handling his job and 12% disapprove. Among Democrats (38% of adults registered to vote in the survey), 18% approve and 77% disapprove of the way Bush is handling his job. Among Independents (26% of adults registered to vote in the survey), 17% approve and 75% disapprove of the way Bush is handling his job as president.

It's the number among the Independents that's gone way off the Bush reservation. Look at the spread:

Approve Disapprove
Republicans 84 12
Independents 17 75
Democrats 18 77


Bush job approval Approve Disapprove Undecided
Jun 2005 42% 53% 5%
May 2005 43% 51% 6%
Apr 2005 44% 50% 6%
Mar 2005 47% 48% 5%

There's more. See the full post by Jerome Armstrong over at MyDD. You can find the link here.

So, to the Bush cabal of manipulation and power, I would like to say the following:

So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, good night,
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight.
So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, adieu,
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

QUACK!

The president is hemorrhaging support.

Check out this latest and most convincing sign of Lame-duckness:

The Bush numbers in the ARG Economy poll out show that his slump continues to downgrade into longterm lameduckness:

Among Republicans (36% of adults registered to vote in the survey), 84% approve of the way Bush is handling his job and 12% disapprove. Among Democrats (38% of adults registered to vote in the survey), 18% approve and 77% disapprove of the way Bush is handling his job. Among Independents (26% of adults registered to vote in the survey), 17% approve and 75% disapprove of the way Bush is handling his job as president.

It's the number among the Independents that's gone way off the Bush reservation. Look at the spread:

Approve Disapprove
Republicans 84 12
Independents 17 75
Democrats 18 77


Bush job approval Approve Disapprove Undecided
Jun 2005 42% 53% 5%
May 2005 43% 51% 6%
Apr 2005 44% 50% 6%
Mar 2005 47% 48% 5%

There's more. See the full post by Jerome Armstrong over at MyDD. You can find the link here.

So, to the Bush cabal of manipulation and power, I would like to say the following:

So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, good night,
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight.
So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, adieu,
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Is Tom DeLay drinking ?

First, this little tidbit from Atrios:

Little birdies have told me that Tom DeLay has fallen off the wagon so much that he keeps, well, falling down. This video seems to confirm that idea.

Be sure and give Dembloggers.com some love for the video.

From Wikipedia:

DeLay was born on April 8, 1948 in Laredo, Texas, and lived part of his childhood in Venezuela due to his father's work in the oil and gas industry. DeLay received a biology degree from the University of Houston in 1970, though he had previously been expelled from Baylor University for drinking. Though a strong student, DeLay gained a reputation as a playboy, earning him the nickname, "Hot Tub Tom." [1] DeLay also had a successful career as an exterminator.

He was elected to the Texas State House in 1978 where he continued his party antics. By his own admission, DeLay was drinking "8, 10, 12 martinis a night at receptions and fundraisers." [2] He then was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1984, representing the Texas 22nd Congressional District of Sugar Land (map), and became a born-again Christian in 1985.

DeLay and his wife, Christine, have a daughter, Danielle. After Christine DeLay began volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in foster care, they also became foster parents. DeLay has declined to comment on a report in the New Yorker that he is estranged from much of his family, including his mother and one of his brothers. [3]

So, what should we send him for his birthday? A bottle of Vermouth?

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Is Tom DeLay drinking ?

First, this little tidbit from Atrios:

Little birdies have told me that Tom DeLay has fallen off the wagon so much that he keeps, well, falling down. This video seems to confirm that idea.

Be sure and give Dembloggers.com some love for the video.

From Wikipedia:

DeLay was born on April 8, 1948 in Laredo, Texas, and lived part of his childhood in Venezuela due to his father's work in the oil and gas industry. DeLay received a biology degree from the University of Houston in 1970, though he had previously been expelled from Baylor University for drinking. Though a strong student, DeLay gained a reputation as a playboy, earning him the nickname, "Hot Tub Tom." [1] DeLay also had a successful career as an exterminator.

He was elected to the Texas State House in 1978 where he continued his party antics. By his own admission, DeLay was drinking "8, 10, 12 martinis a night at receptions and fundraisers." [2] He then was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1984, representing the Texas 22nd Congressional District of Sugar Land (map), and became a born-again Christian in 1985.

DeLay and his wife, Christine, have a daughter, Danielle. After Christine DeLay began volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in foster care, they also became foster parents. DeLay has declined to comment on a report in the New Yorker that he is estranged from much of his family, including his mother and one of his brothers. [3]

So, what should we send him for his birthday? A bottle of Vermouth?

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Bask in the Glory

Bask in the Glory

My thinking has altered...

I am not convinced that RokemSokemRumsfeld is Logic Monkey.

So, who is it?

Josh, Jeff, or Jeff?

The truth will eventually be revealed.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

My thinking has altered...

I am not convinced that RokemSokemRumsfeld is Logic Monkey.

So, who is it?

Josh, Jeff, or Jeff?

The truth will eventually be revealed.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Logic Monkey's been here...

By the way, I've seen this enought to know exactly who it is. How many Mac users on that domain are going to make their way here?

Domain Name genuity.net ? (Network)
IP Address 4.16.252.130 ? (Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc.)
Language English
en
Operating System Macintosh MacPPC
Browser Internet Explorer 5.17
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.17; Mac_PowerPC)
Time of Visit Jun 23 2005 5:03:19 pm
Last Page View Jun 23 2005 5:19:56 pm
Visit Length 16 minutes and 37 seconds
Page Views 6
Referring URL http://www.google.co...9-1&q=oklahoma+hippy
Search Engine: google.com
Search Words: oklahoma hippy

Visit Entry Page http://oklahomahippy.blogspot.com/
Visit Exit Page http://oklahomahippy...-calls.html#comments
Time Zone UTC-5:00
EST - Eastern Standard
EDT - Eastern Daylight Saving Time
Visitor's Time Jun 23 2005 6:03:19 pm
Visit Number 5,044

I notice he didn't have any of his usual snappy commentary to add.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Logic Monkey's been here...

By the way, I've seen this enought to know exactly who it is. How many Mac users on that domain are going to make their way here?

Domain Name genuity.net ? (Network)
IP Address 4.16.252.130 ? (Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc.)
Language English
en
Operating System Macintosh MacPPC
Browser Internet Explorer 5.17
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.17; Mac_PowerPC)
Time of Visit Jun 23 2005 5:03:19 pm
Last Page View Jun 23 2005 5:19:56 pm
Visit Length 16 minutes and 37 seconds
Page Views 6
Referring URL http://www.google.co...9-1&q=oklahoma+hippy
Search Engine: google.com
Search Words: oklahoma hippy

Visit Entry Page http://oklahomahippy.blogspot.com/
Visit Exit Page http://oklahomahippy...-calls.html#comments
Time Zone UTC-5:00
EST - Eastern Standard
EDT - Eastern Daylight Saving Time
Visitor's Time Jun 23 2005 6:03:19 pm
Visit Number 5,044

I notice he didn't have any of his usual snappy commentary to add.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Adios, MoFo...

No, despite how it sounds this isn't more digging at Logic Monkey.

These words are from Governor Rick Perry of Texas...

His poll numbers haven't been too hot of late, and he really didn't help himself with this little remark.


Click here to see what happened.

LOL!

Adios, Mofos.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Adios, MoFo...

No, despite how it sounds this isn't more digging at Logic Monkey.

These words are from Governor Rick Perry of Texas...

His poll numbers haven't been too hot of late, and he really didn't help himself with this little remark.


Click here to see what happened.

LOL!

Adios, Mofos.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Karl Rove and the Silence of my Congressmen...

So, Karl Rove said the following on Wednesday.

Via Blogoland:

Karl Rove was in Manhattan the other day, and here are some of the delightful things he had to say:

Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers.

Not red meat enough for you? Wait, there's more!

Mr. Rove also said American armed forces overseas were in more jeopardy as a result of remarks last week by Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, who compared American mistreatment of detainees to the acts of "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime - Pol Pot or others."

"Has there ever been a more revealing moment this year?" Mr. Rove asked. "Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals."

So there you go. Liberals: their only intent is getting our troops killed.

Well, I called to find out if my Congressmen felt that Karl Rove was speaking for them.

Essentially, my questions was, “Karl Rove says the motive of liberals to make sure more American Soldiers die. Does the Senator/Congressman agree with this statement? If they do not, do they plan on publicly calling for Karl Rove to apologize or resign?”


Sen. Inhofe’s office: He’s been in meetings all day and hasn’t had an opportunity to express an opinion.

Sen. Coburn’s office: Our media guy is out for the day, would you like to leave him a voicemail?

Rep. Istook’s office: Uh, I have no idea. Can I take you’re name and address and have someone contact you? (I insisted they take my phone number as well.)

I'm still waiting for answer from ANYONE.

I'll let you know if they come out of hiding.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Karl Rove and the Silence of my Congressmen...

So, Karl Rove said the following on Wednesday.

Via Blogoland:

Karl Rove was in Manhattan the other day, and here are some of the delightful things he had to say:

Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers.

Not red meat enough for you? Wait, there's more!

Mr. Rove also said American armed forces overseas were in more jeopardy as a result of remarks last week by Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, who compared American mistreatment of detainees to the acts of "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime - Pol Pot or others."

"Has there ever been a more revealing moment this year?" Mr. Rove asked. "Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals."

So there you go. Liberals: their only intent is getting our troops killed.

Well, I called to find out if my Congressmen felt that Karl Rove was speaking for them.

Essentially, my questions was, “Karl Rove says the motive of liberals to make sure more American Soldiers die. Does the Senator/Congressman agree with this statement? If they do not, do they plan on publicly calling for Karl Rove to apologize or resign?”


Sen. Inhofe’s office: He’s been in meetings all day and hasn’t had an opportunity to express an opinion.

Sen. Coburn’s office: Our media guy is out for the day, would you like to leave him a voicemail?

Rep. Istook’s office: Uh, I have no idea. Can I take you’re name and address and have someone contact you? (I insisted they take my phone number as well.)

I'm still waiting for answer from ANYONE.

I'll let you know if they come out of hiding.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Flag Burning Amendment passes US House...

A couple of quick thoughts.

Forget whatever the people behind this want to sell you. This is a very simple issue.

This is a partial repeal of the 1st amendment right to Freedom of Speech as afforded to us by the Constitution of the United States of America.

This is coming from the same people who claim that we should not be able to limit the amount of money that corporations give to political campaigns because that would be an infringement of the very same right.

In the US Code regulating the Flag of our country, it says that the only way to retire a flag is to respectfully burn it.

So, we now have a distinction between burning a flag as a means of retiring it from service under the regulation of federal law and burning a flag as a means of making an ideological statement.

The difference here is motive.

The same people pushing this amendment oppose hate crime legislation because it stiffens penalties based upon what a person's motive was.

Yet they are in favor of the Flag Burning Amendment.

This is a cheap ploy to create an issue to divide the country in time for the mid-term elections.

People will see through it. People will not stand for it.

The very idea that we would repeal the first amendment to gain some short term political ground is simply disgusting.

We have real problems in this country. We have real problems abroad. And the leadership of the Republican Party feels the need to waste their time, energy, and resources on this? This can be counted among THE LEAST PRESSING ISSUES in the history of the Senate.

And do you know why?

Because, despite what some will have you believe, there is no epidemic of flag burning going on.

And those of you out there who want to prove a point by showing these fascists that they can't tell you what to do, listen up.

The moment you burn one flag to just to show you can, they win.

Shout and Scream. Protest in the Street. Don't you burn a flag. The media will never stop playing the tape, and then the amendment will pass the state legislatures because of local politicians’ collective fear of paying a political price in the short term.

Don't be fooled. If this passes, the federal government will use it as evidence that political speech can be limited. Any form of speech the party in control wants to deem as anti-American and inflammatory will become a crime, pointing to the Flag Burning Amendment as the rational.

Don't let anyone get away with calling it anything other than a repeal of the first amendment.

Don't start burning flags to prove points.

Don't let anyone call you un-American for not supporting this.

This is "Gay Marriage" for the 2006 election cycle. Shut it down now.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Flag Burning Amendment passes US House...

A couple of quick thoughts.

Forget whatever the people behind this want to sell you. This is a very simple issue.

This is a partial repeal of the 1st amendment right to Freedom of Speech as afforded to us by the Constitution of the United States of America.

This is coming from the same people who claim that we should not be able to limit the amount of money that corporations give to political campaigns because that would be an infringement of the very same right.

In the US Code regulating the Flag of our country, it says that the only way to retire a flag is to respectfully burn it.

So, we now have a distinction between burning a flag as a means of retiring it from service under the regulation of federal law and burning a flag as a means of making an ideological statement.

The difference here is motive.

The same people pushing this amendment oppose hate crime legislation because it stiffens penalties based upon what a person's motive was.

Yet they are in favor of the Flag Burning Amendment.

This is a cheap ploy to create an issue to divide the country in time for the mid-term elections.

People will see through it. People will not stand for it.

The very idea that we would repeal the first amendment to gain some short term political ground is simply disgusting.

We have real problems in this country. We have real problems abroad. And the leadership of the Republican Party feels the need to waste their time, energy, and resources on this? This can be counted among THE LEAST PRESSING ISSUES in the history of the Senate.

And do you know why?

Because, despite what some will have you believe, there is no epidemic of flag burning going on.

And those of you out there who want to prove a point by showing these fascists that they can't tell you what to do, listen up.

The moment you burn one flag to just to show you can, they win.

Shout and Scream. Protest in the Street. Don't you burn a flag. The media will never stop playing the tape, and then the amendment will pass the state legislatures because of local politicians’ collective fear of paying a political price in the short term.

Don't be fooled. If this passes, the federal government will use it as evidence that political speech can be limited. Any form of speech the party in control wants to deem as anti-American and inflammatory will become a crime, pointing to the Flag Burning Amendment as the rational.

Don't let anyone get away with calling it anything other than a repeal of the first amendment.

Don't start burning flags to prove points.

Don't let anyone call you un-American for not supporting this.

This is "Gay Marriage" for the 2006 election cycle. Shut it down now.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Dear War Supporters...

You have ignored the call to enlist and actually fight the war you think is so noble.

That's fine.

So, on that thought I would like to share with you the wisdom imparted to us by Steve Gillard today:

This will be brief.

We need to be honest here: Iraq is not worth one more dead American.

People on the right and left want some deus ex machina to save Iraq, but we have., collectively, come to a simple conclusion:

Iraq is not worth dying for. Not for the warmongers on the right or the liberal hawks on the left.

It's bad the soldiers are trapped there, but we have made it their problem, No one is willingly going to join them, and 5,000 have deserted so far.

When you ask liberal hawks to enlist, they are offended by the question.

When you ask conservatives to enlist, they are offended by the question.

And America's parents are NOT sending their kids to die in Iraq if they can, at all, help it. No one blows up IED's at Wal Mart.

We have a volunteer army with fewer and fewer volunteers, and people reenlisting only to save their friends. There is a time limit to their ability to be in combat. They cannot serve forever. They will have to be replaced. And fewer and fewer are willing to replace them,

What I want people to do is be honest.

If you will not serve in Iraq, and no one you know will serve, stop expecting someone else to do what you will not.

Therefore, it is time to stop calling for more troops, or the US to make Iraq safe. We cannot do this and even Americans are refusing to join the fight. It is time to look at your actions and realize, that despite your ideals, you oppose continuing this war. In practical terms, you have decided that this war is not worth your life or anyone you know. And million of Americans have joined you in this decision.

So, with this fact evident, it is time to call for US troops to withdraw from Iraq. Not save it, not add more boots on the ground. You have already voted by your actions. It is time that you match it with your words.

Amen. Click his link. Share a comment and some love.

-The Oklahoma Hippy

Dear War Supporters...

You have ignored the call to enlist and actually fight the war you think is so noble.

That's fine.

So, on that thought I would like to share with you the wisdom imparted to us by Steve Gillard today:

This will be brief.

We need to be honest here: Iraq is not worth one more dead American.

People on the right and left want some deus ex machina to save Iraq, but we have., collectively, come to a simple conclusion:

Iraq is not worth dying for. Not for the warmongers on the right or the liberal hawks on the left.

It's bad the soldiers are trapped there, but we have made it their problem, No one is willingly going to join them, and 5,000 have deserted so far.

When you ask liberal hawks to enlist, they are offended by the question.

When you ask conservatives to enlist, they are offended by the question.

And America's parents are NOT sending their kids to die in Iraq if they can, at all, help it. No one blows up IED's at Wal Mart.

We have a volunteer army with fewer and fewer volunteers, and people reenlisting only to save their friends. There is a time limit to their ability to be in combat. They cannot serve forever. They will have to be replaced. And fewer and fewer are willing to replace them,

What I want people to do is be honest.

If you will not serve in Iraq, and no one you know will serve, stop expecting someone else to do what you will not.

Therefore, it is time to stop calling for more troops, or the US to make Iraq safe. We cannot do this and even Americans are refusing to join the fight. It is time to look at your actions and realize, that despite your ideals, you oppose continuing this war. In practical terms, you have decided that this war is not worth your life or anyone you know. And million of Americans have joined you in this decision.

So, with this fact evident, it is time to call for US troops to withdraw from Iraq. Not save it, not add more boots on the ground. You have already voted by your actions. It is time that you match it with your words.

Amen. Click his link. Share a comment and some love.

-The Oklahoma Hippy