Speechifyin'

So apparently George made a speech. One in which he announced, to the resigned dismay of anyone with even the faintest glimmering of a fucking clue, that he was going to feed another 20,000 or so young Americans to his imperialist ambitions in Iraq. This time, however, there appears to be a bit of a backlash against the appalling stupidity of the American president. So, what now? Well, Molly Ivins has an answer, and I draw your attention to the last paragraph of her column:

We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. Raise hell. Think of something to make the ridiculous look ridiculous. Make our troops know we're for them and trying to get them out of there. Hit the streets to protest Bush's proposed surge. If you can, go to the peace march in Washington on Jan. 27. We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, "Stop it, now!"

Good stuff. Particularly as it is becoming clear that the coming months are going to be somewhat of a watershed for our friends to the south, particularly as regards their political system. Essentially, the man who once famously said "If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier - just so long I'm the dictator" seems to have decided to go beyond mere wishful thinking. How else can you explain Bush's deliberate snub of the advice of his top generals and the committee which had been struck for the sole purpose of giving him advice on Iraq? The level of petulance speaks of a man who is deeply emotionally invested in getting his own way.

Well Done, Folks

Rumsfeld gone. Santorum gone. Allen politically crippled, probably. A solid Democratic majority in Congress. Even if the Dems don't end up holding the Senate majority, it's still a pretty good result, as long as they use their Congressional majority to put the brakes on King George in a big way. Screw bipartisanship, and bring on the subpoenas! So, well done to our friends to the south for finally, finally, hitting back against those assholes, and let the good work continue!

More gloating as events warrant...

On Haircuts, The Classification Of

Via Sadly, No!, we have a link to a Kathleen Parker article on the whole Republican-candidate-calling-a-brown-person-a-"macaca" affair. While Parker's article is actually vaguely reasonable for a Townhall columnist, there was one passage which caught my attention:

According to one version, Allen was trying to say ``mohawk,'' referring to Sidarth's hairstyle, which is also the subject of much debate. Is it a mohawk, or is it a mullet?

I think we may be able to help, here:


MULLET!


MOHAWK!


MULLET!!


MOHAWK!!


MULLET!!!


MOHAWK!!!


Neither.

Sorry righties, if you're going to get your boy off the hook, you're going to have to do better than that.

UPDATE: Wow! I'm honoured!!

Fuck, Mackay, Grow A Spine!!

Better blogs than this one have already commented on this piece of appalling sycophancy, but I thought I'd get my two cents' worth in as well.

Fri, April 14, 2006
Pete makes nice with Condi Rice
By CP

WASHINGTON -- Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Mac-Kay was so appreciative after his first visit yesterday with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice he nearly ran out of superlatives.

I had thought that I was past being surprised at the depths to which the Conservatives would stoop, but I must confess that I was wrong. Fuck me, what a gang of whimpering little quislings they are.

"I'm delighted to be here. I've always been a fan of yours," he told Rice at a news conference.

In hindsight, I am amazed he didn't ask for her autograph.

"And much of our discussion today confirmed what I already knew about you from having followed your career.

"We're very grateful and I personally extend my thanks to you for your generous and very kind invitation to be with you."

Mackay afterwards wrote a 3,000-word LiveJournal post in leet speak about how Rice totally roxx0rs.

Rice smiled politely.

Hoping, no doubt, that Mackay would not actually wet his pants.

Anyway, perhaps I'm being a little hard on ol' Pete here. Perhaps his gushing praise of Rice is based on sincere professional respect, and the sure knowledge that the current points of contention between Canada and the U.S. can now be worked out to the benefit of all. Let's find out!

United States Hails Decision on Canadian Softwood Lumber Imports
World Trade Organization Appellate Body says imports threaten U.S. lumber industry

The United States has hailed an April 13 report by the World Trade Organization’s Appellate Body that says dumped and subsidized softwood lumber imports from Canada threaten the U.S. lumber industry with “material injury.”

Ok, so not so much on the softwood lumber dispute. What about the whole border ID thing?

U.S. says border passport a must
By BETH GORHAM

WASHINGTON (CP) - There'll be no wiggle room on new U.S. security requirements for travellers when Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay meets Thursday with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, American officials say.

Hmmm. So Mackay's just going to let us take it up the ass on this one, too? Jesus Christ, man, what are we paying you for? In other Canada-US related news, there's this:

Canada's Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day has a meeting scheduled with Michael Chertoff, the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary for late Tuesday, but there is no word on whether they will discuss the new rules.

Is it legal to have that much incompetence in one room at the same time?

I'm Just Going To Let This One Stand On Its Own

Dick Cheney misses bird, hits fellow hunter
Last Updated Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:01:38 EST
CBC News

U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney has shot and wounded a 78-year-old fellow hunter during a Texas quail shoot.

'Pologies for the Paucity of Posting

But things are very busy this week. I'm trying to actually get something publishable done, and a bunch of marking, etc. etc. However, I do need to say mention two quick things:

First of all, via a mention at Hairy Fish Nuts, fare-thee-well to Conservative Shambling Zombies.

And,

Fuck.

This Reminds Me of Something...

Ok, this is old news by now:

Alito's Wife Leaves In Tears After 'Bigot' Question
POSTED: 7:19 am EST January 12, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Martha-Ann Bomgardner left her husband's confirmation hearings in tears, returning not long after. The episode elicited sympathy for her from senators of both parties -- and instant finger-pointing.

However, it had been niggling away in the back of my mind, because it sure as hell reminded me of something I'd read. And then I remembered what that something was...



Perhaps there may be someone who is offended at me, when he calls to mind how he himself, on a similar or even a less serious occasion, had recourse to prayers and supplications with many tears, and how he produced his children in court, which was a moving spectacle, together with a posse of his relations and friends; whereas I, who am probably in danger of my life, will do none of these things.

Wow. Socrates was on trial for his life, and even he didn't stoop so low as to make a spectacle out of his family.

Mildly Good News, Everybody!

This bit actually came as a complete surprise to me; I was under the impression that drilling in the ANWR had, in fact, already begun.

U.S. House drops Alaska oil drilling plan
Last Updated Thu, 10 Nov 2005 13:15:58 EST
CBC News

Environmentalists have won a temporary victory after Republican moderates forced leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives to abandon a controversial plan to open up an Alaskan wildlife refuge to oil drilling.


Note absence of oil derricks.


Now, this isn't over yet - there's still a chance that Bush and friends will get to indulge their mad obsession with raping this particular bit of the environment - but it's a good sign all in all.

United States Senate takes Georgie's toy away

Bush will veto anti-torture law after Senate revolt
By Francis Harris in Washington
(Filed: 07/10/2005)

The Bush administration pledged yesterday to veto legislation banning the torture of prisoners by US troops after an overwhelming and almost unprecedented revolt by loyalist congressmen.

Well this is all very fun. It seems that Arizona Senator John McCain, who has actual experience of being, you know, tortured, decided that enough was enough, and that his country didn't really need any more of this. So, he attached this amendment to an appropriations bill designed to pull together some money for the armed forces. The amendment passed, easily, and so did the bill itself. This put George in a bit of a quandary, since vetoing it would mean saying "no" to whole pot of cash that the military apparently needs really badly. So, what to do? Does George keep his right to have dark-skinned foreigners tortured? Or does he take steps to see that the soldiers fighting and dying for their country are better protected? Hmmm. Torture brown people, or save American lives? Well, go back and read the first paragraph again, and you'll see which way Shrub went. Somehow, we're not surprised.

It was a real bad day for George in other ways, as well.