Read My Lips

This video is now a little dated but we just ran across it and had to share.

I'm Ready For My Close-Up, Mr. De Mille

Unlike Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, Dubya's bad actors are not ready for their close-ups. See a few examples in this montage from Talking Points:

Is It Thanksgiving Time Yet?

The recent decision by Democrats in the Senate to prevent President "Lie for me, Scottie" Bush from making any recess appointments during the Thanksgiving holiday break may signal a turning point in what until now has been a one-sided struggle. The Democrats have admitted to themselves that this president cannot be trusted. No gentleman's agreement can be secured with someone who lies, cheats and starts wars on orders from god.

Yet simply stopping a handful of absurdly unqualified hacks from receiving political jobs is not enough. Senate Democrats must win their showdown with Republicans in the struggle to pass the House version of Iraq War funding. The House bill provides $50 billion in interim funding for the Pentagon on the condition that a troop withdrawal plan be developed, among other sensible requirements. Senate Republicans, doing Dubya's bidding, have blocked a vote on the House bill. As usual, the Republicans are saying that the Democrats are abandoning the troops, cutting off funding, blah, blah, blah.

Even if the Democrats discover a spine and hold the line in this fight it is only a first step in the right direction. Obviously, this president should not be allowed to make any more "recess appointments," period. Even more important is the need for Congress to reassert its constitutional authority on both the military budget and the question of whether America should go to war in the first place.

Former Presidential recess appointee John Bolton discusses bombing Iran on Meet The Press.

Mr. Whipple, R.I.P.

Dick Wilson, the actor best known for his portrayal of "Mr. Whipple" in the long-running Charmin toilet paper commercials, has passed away.

Get 'Em While They're Hot!

The ever-entertaining world of crazy libertarians has produced yet another knee-slapper. This time, a bunch of crooks, I mean "patriots," decided to sell "Ron Paul Dollars" as an alternative to untrustworthy US currency. Of course, this raises the question of what, exactly, did they accept as payment for each "Ron Paul"? Perhaps they can contemplate the irony from their prison cells.

A Ron Paul "Dollar"

Social Insecurity, Part II

The Washington Post just ran an editorial mindlessly repeating most of the misinformation criticized in the posting below. The basic points of the WaPo's wrong-headed argument are that (a) the Social Security system should subsidize the rest of government forever, and (b) a potential deficit in the distant future is more frightening than massive deficits today. After making multiple false (or at least questionable) assumptions, the WaPo estimates the Social Security "deficit" will be $4.7 trillion over the next 75 years.

Well, here are some facts that the Washington Post Editorial team will never mention while discussing the Social Security crisis they expect to destroy us all in 30 (or more) years:

• In 2006, the federal government paid over $400 billion in interest on the existing debt (which now tops $9 trillion).
• When Al Gore was running for president (and, technically, winning) against Dubya Bush only 7 years ago, both candidates agreed that the cumulative annual surpluses in the federal budget would total over $4.5 trillion by the year 2010.
  

In other words, the fiscal situation sucks today -- there is no need to project 50 years into the future to come up with a scary scenario.