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2010 Florida Republicans: Old, White, Male

Trish

That the Republicans are a party of old white men could be a headline from “Duh” magazine.* But when you see how that plays out in real life, as the Miami Herald showed with the 2010 Florida races, it’s pretty surprising stuff.

The Republican front-runners for statewide office include Gov. Charlie Crist for Senate, Attorney General Bill McCollum for governor, Senate President Jeff Atwater for chief financial officer and U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam for agriculture commissioner. Putnam is the only one of the GOP candidates under 50 years old…

In contrast, the Democratic front-runners for the top of the ticket are U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, a 42-year-old African American running for the U.S. Senate, and Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink for governor, who would be the state’s first female chief executive. A handful of Hispanic and Jewish Democrats are potentially in the mix for attorney general and chief financial officer.

This might be a bit of a simplification, since Crist’s rival in the Senate primary is former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American. And Crist himself falls into a couple of minority demographic groups. First, he’s widely believed to be in the closet but gay. Second, he’s not really white but more whatever that color that U.S. Rep. John Boehner is.

Still, you can stand around saying that you just don’t get it all day long. In Florida, the Republican party is putting its slate where its mouth is. We believe them, and commend their steadfast determination to cling to an outdated leadership model, no matter what. You go, moldy white guys! Really. Go.

* Thanks, Andy Borowitz

D.C. Insiders Doubt an Attack on Iran — Don’t Tell the Public

Buck Banks

In recent months the U.S. population has become more “hawkish” according to some polls. A recent Zogby poll found that 53 percent of those polled think the U.S. will mount strikes against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. I’m not so sure it’s due to increasing hawkishness or more an increasing realization that George W. Bush seems bent leaving a legacy of scorched earth — in healthcare, social services, education and war.

But today’s PollTrack from National Journal gives some insight into the topic from a different angle — Beltway insiders — and the breakdown of opinion between parties might surprise you:

Of the 41 Republican insiders surveyed, over half said a strike was ‘not very likely,’ and one in five called it ‘very unlikely.’

In National Journal’s latest survey of 84 congressional insiders, Republicans were much more skeptical than Democrats of the chances the administration would attack Iran, but few members of either party considered an attack to be “very likely.” Whether they were optimistic about the effectiveness of diplomatic pressure and sanctions or merely distracted by the growing foreign policy challenges in Pakistan, respondents were generally less concerned about Iran than is the public at large.

Of the 41 Republican insiders surveyed, over half said a strike was “not very likely,” and one in five called it “very unlikely.” Asked about the chances of attack, one GOP member dismissed the possibility, saying, “The administration swung its bat in Iraq…. They don’t have the energy, backing or resources to attack Iran.” Another Republican who said the U.S. was not very likely to launch a strike added, “Israel will, however.”

Democrats were more convinced that President Bush would attack Iran, with over half saying that attacks were likely. “They’re that crazy,” said one insider. While 14 percent of Democrats said attacks seemed probable, a 49-percent plurality were less sure, deeming military action only “somewhat likely.” “The administration may bomb or attack by air if Congress is in recess; but no invasion, because we lack the troops for that,” said a Democratic respondent.

What do they know that we don’t know? And why won’t they tell us, their constituents why they think it’s unlikely that Bush won’t attack Iran?

there’s the argument that we don’t have enough troops, but we certainly have enough planes and bombs. And what was that bit about Israel? Are these Republicans confident that the U.S. isn’t going to attack because they know there’s a plan to have Israel be the aggressor? And are the Dems less sure because they’re not in on the plan?

‘Clean Coal’ Movement Seeks to Cast Itself as ‘Green’

Buck Banks

I occasionally sign one of those form letters battling some big issue. I rarely edit the form letter and usually forget about it about a nanosecond after I hit the “send” button. But recently the recipients of these form letters have been responding. Here’s an e-mail I received out of the blue today from a guy named Vic Svec shilling for Peabody Energy, the world’s biggest producer of coal:

We appreciate the concern expressed by your recent form letter, and we wish to clear up some obvious misinformation. Peabody strongly supports new clean coal electricity generation to ease energy prices, improve energy security and provide affordable electricity to help people live better and longer. Coal use for electricity generation has more than tripled since 1970, even as emissions have been reduced by more than one-third and this trend will continue. Approximately 135 new coal-fueled plants have been announced around the United States to bring about needed energy. New, clean coal-fueled generating plants will continue to provide environmental improvements, toward an ultimate goal of near-zero emissions from coal. That’s the vision of projects like FutureGen, which enjoys enormous public support and represents a coal-fueled power plant that would capture carbon dioxide emissions and produce hydrogen. Coal use will also grow through Btu Conversion technologies that turn coal into natural gas and transportation fuels.

Business will solve our environmental problems because it’ll be profitable and government should be smaller and less intrusive and we can’t expect it to fix every little problem and the president knows what he’s doing.

Then Vic invited me to learn more at http://CoalCanDoThat.com. So I did. Here’s what I learned:

Peabody Energy is the world’s largest provider of coal to fuel 21st Century energy solutions. St. Louis-based Peabody Energy fuels more than 10 percent of U.S. electricity and 3 percent of the world’s electricity. Peabody ships 7 tons of coal every second of every day — more than 250 million tons per year — to customers in 16 countries on six continents.

Peabody Energy’s mission is to be a world-wide supplier of low-cost energy, which contributes to economic prosperity and a better quality of life. A Fortune 500 company, Peabody is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the appropriate ticker symbol Btu.

In addition to leading the world in safe, low-cost, environmentally friendly coal mining and marketing, Peabody is a forceful advocate of greater coal use to provide 21st Century energy solutions. Here at CoalCanDoThat.com, you will see that current technologies can transform coal into clean electricity, natural gas, transportation fuels and hydrogen. We call it “Btu Conversion”.

In addition to providing leadership in advancing the dialogue and public support for this project, Peabody has 9.6 billion tons of coal reserves to apply to existing and emerging markets. Our coal reserves alone are equivalent of more than 240 trillion cubic feet of natural gas — or more than 10 years worth of current U.S. natural gas demand.

The main problem with the proponents of “clean coal” technology is that they focus almost solely on the conversion of coal into energy part of the equation, which, through technological innovation is not quite as nasty as it used to be. They ignore (because they really have to) the coal extraction process. Peabody is able to extract that seven tons of coal per second because the Bush administration has lifted, undermined (as it were) or blocked any environmental regulation that would have slowed the demountainification of Ohio, West Virginia and parts of Appalachia (see photo above), while “enshrining” the practice of mountaintop mining.

In 2006, Peabody, which has been shucking coal in America since 1926, had sales in excess of $5.2 billion over net income of $600 million — a 13 percent increase for the year. That’s a lot of mountaintops.

But the big coal growth market is China, and U.S. firms are rushing to get in on the coal rush. Firms like Fidelity Investments, OppenheimerFunds, Merrill Lynch, even the Teachers Retirement System of Texas.

The Big Energy machine gins up support for its politics and practices through pseudo-policy groups like the Heartland Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute that pooh-pooh the idea that we’re facing catastrophic climate change — NOW.

They would have you believe that Al Gore is a quack and coal means jobs (it doesn’t as it’s largely automated) and we’ve got plenty of mountains anyway and business will solve our environmental problems because it’ll be profitable and government should be smaller and less intrusive and we can’t expect it to fix every little problem and the president knows what he’s doing and that’s why government scientists rewrite and redact scientific reports that don’t jibe with the Bush admin’s version of reality.

Yep, we’re all screwed.

Cheney Hunts at Club Flying Confederate Flag

Trish

The vice president of the United States of America is hunting at a private club that flies the Confederate flag, the symbol of a society built on the backs of enslaved people, the descendants of whom the vice president is supposed to represent.

But hey, Cheney’s minions are saying it doesn’t count because just like Texas lawyer Harry Whittington, who he shot in the face last year, Dick didn’t actually see the flag.

A Cheney spokesman said the vice president never saw the flag…

Deer hunter Bill Tryon, 48, who works on Clove Road, where Cheney’s motorcade sped by in the morning, said he had no problem with the veep taking aim at the local game.

“As long as he doesn’t shoot anyone in the ass,” Tryon said.

But simply showing up at a hunting club that flies the battle flag is egregious, according to usually self-aggrandizing but in this case totally correct Rev. Al Sharpton.

The flag fiasco is especially upsetting because blacks have recently been subjected to an upsurge of racial threats, including nooses left in Jena, La., and Columbia University, he said.

“This is an outrage – he ought to leave immediately,” Sharpton told The News. “He ought to apologize to the American people for being there in the first place.”

You got that right, Al. And while he’s at it, Cheney should apologize to the birds who were the victims of his male potency fantasy.

Farm-bred pheasants were released on the preserve 24 hours before Cheney arrived, making them easy targets for the hunting party.

“The way they hunt, I’m not fond of,” said Linda Smith, 52, who runs a local preschool. “It’s not what I would call a real sportsmanlike activity.”

And in case you’re wondering, the scene of this rich, whites-only activity was…Union Vale in Upstate New York.

Krauthammer: Reagan Wasn’t All That Great

Jon Ponder

Rightwing big thinker Charles Krauthammer trashes Reagan’s 11th Commandment, “Thou shalt not speak ill of other Republicans,” by picking at the weakness of the GOP’s ’08 field — and then speaks ill of Reagan too, for good measure:

Major grumbling among conservatives about the Republican field. So many candidates, so many flaws. Rudy Giuliani, abortion apostate. Mitt Romney, flip-flopper. John McCain, Mr. Amnesty. Fred Thompson, lazy boy. Where is the paragon? Where is Ronald Reagan?

Well, what about Reagan? This president, renowned for his naps, granted amnesty to 3 million illegal immigrants in the 1986 Simpson-Mazzoli bill. As governor of California, he signed the most liberal abortion legalization bill in America, then flip-flopped and became an abortion opponent. What did he do about it as president? Gave us Sandra Day O’Connor and Anthony Kennedy, the two swing votes that upheld and enshrined Roe v. Wade for the past quarter-century.

Of course, Krauthammer then proceeds to proclaim the current crop of candidates to be an exceptional group of fellows, among whom is the party’s next great leader.

Still it’s nice that he reminded his readers what the rest of us remember all too well. Reagan wasn’t all that great. His illness was genuine cause for sympathy and the memory of his rough edges were smoothed over by the long years of suffering. Plus his image benefits from the fact that the current president is the worst one ever. Even Bush I looks better when compared to his son.

Was the Phony FEMA News Conference Illegal? Why Did One Participant Suddenly Depart to a Cushy Job at Another Agency?

Jon Ponder

In case you’re just tuning in to this story, last Tuesday, Oct. 23, as the wildfires raged in Southern California, FEMA held a news conference that was broadcast by the cable newsers. Within hours, however, it was revealed that the entire news conference was fake. That’s right — good ol’ gubmint propaganda:

The Bush administration was reprimanded in 2005 for using the taxpayers’ dime to tart up government spin as hard news.

[FEMA] had called the briefing with about 15 minutes notice as federal officials headed for southern California to oversee and assist in firefighting and rescue efforts. Reporters were also given a telephone number to listen in on but could not ask questions.

But with no reporters on hand and an agency video camera providing a feed carried live by some television networks, FEMA press employees posed the questions for Johnson that included: “Are you happy with FEMA’s response so far?”

According to Friday’s Post account, which Walker confirmed, Johnson replied that he was “very happy with FEMA’s response so far.”

He also said the agency had the benefit of “good leadership” and other factors, “none of which were present at Katrina.” Chertoff was head of the Homeland Security Department during Katrina.

FEMA’s administrator during Katrina, Michael Brown, resigned amid widespread criticism over his handling of the disaster, despite U.S. President George W. Bush’s initial declaration that he was doing a “heck of a job.”

Michael Chertoff, the Republican political operative who serves as Bush’s Secretary of the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS), seemed angry:

“I think it was one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things I’ve seen since I’ve been in government,” said Mr Chertoff.

“I have made unambiguously clear, in Anglo-Saxon prose, that it is not to ever happen again and there will be appropriate disciplinary action taken against those people who exhibited what I regard as extraordinarily poor judgment.”

But at roughly the same time that Chertoff was declaring that “appropriate disciplinary action” would be taken, one of the participants was being transferred to another high-profile agency and, apparently, promoted:
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Rumsfeld Said to Have Fled France to Avoid Torture Arrest

Jon Ponder

On Friday, while former Defense Sec. Donald Rumsfeld was visiting France, human rights groups based there and in the United States filed complaints against him, charging him with approving torture:

Rumsfeld is accused of authorizing torture at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

The French complaint accuses Mr. Rumsfeld of authorizing torture at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and says it violated the Convention Against Torture, which came into force in 1987.

As part of their complaint, the groups submitted 11 pages of written testimony from Janis Karpinski, the highest-ranking officer to be punished in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. She was demoted to colonel from brigadier general and lost command of her military police unit. She contended that the abuses at the prison had started after the appearance of Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who was sent by Mr. Rumsfeld to assist military intelligence interrogators.

French prosecutors were said to have the power to pursue the case while Rumsfeld was in the country.

One source cites unconfirmed reports that Rumsfeld was abruptly whisked away from a breakfast meeting on Friday in order to avoid his arrest:

U.S. embassy officials whisked Rumsfeld away yesterday from a breakfast meeting in Paris organized by the Foreign Policy magazine after human rights groups filed a criminal complaint against the man who spearheaded President George W. Bush’s “war on terror” for six years.

Under international law, authorities in France are obliged to open an investigation when a complaint is made while the alleged torturer is on French soil.

The report said Rumsfeld fled to Germany because similar charges were dismissed against him there in the spring.The German court ruled that Rumsfeld’s criminality was an internal matter for the United States.

Is Bush’s Penchant for Torture Tied to a Secret Sado-Masochistic Past?

Jon Ponder

In her book, “Lustful Utterances: Cohn to Bush 1981-1986,” Leola McConnell, a retired “muscle dominatrice,” claims to have participated in BDSM sex with George W. Bush back in the day when he was just a superannuated fratboy and son of the vice president. Here’s a quote from the book’s online promotional material:

Through “Lustful Utterances,” the reader can take a safe journey into the world of BDSM and into the very disturbed psyche of Alfred Bloomingdale, Roy Cohn and George Bush. Through Leola’s keen observations regarding BDSM, readers will look into the twisted psyche of these three men from a vantage point never before revealed by a dominatrice.

Her lean muscular, but feminine physique established her in the 1980’s as the go-to dominatrice for those in need of the real thing when severe punishment of the flesh was required.

While their professions differed, all three men were (and one still is) men of power that liked taking and/or giving pain in sexual scenarios involving domination and submission.

Both Bloomingdale and Cohn were very influential players in the New York/Washington D.C political scenes throughout their lives, while in 1984, George Bush was [then] the simple minded bisexual son of the seated Vice President of the United States, George H W. Bush.

[The description of Bush as “bisexual” refers at least in part to unsubstantiated gossip that Bush had an affair many years ago with Victor Ashe, a Tennessee Republican.]

Leola exposes them to the light of day, while explaining scientifically their psychological need for punishment, what it is rooted in and how the end result of those needs did and would result in a pathological predisposition for poor political polices, both in the US and abroad.

“Lustful Utterances” will leave many readers with knots in their stomachs but will provide clarity as to why the homoerotic-sado-masochism of Abu Ghraib prison could only have manifested itself on George Bush’s tenure as leader of the free world.

McConnell’s allegations against Bloomingdale, the husband of Nancy Reagan’s BFF and a member of Reagan’s kitchen cabinet, and Roy Cohn, the prototype self-hating Republican gay man, are in line with what is known about these fellows’ sex lives. But it’s hard to square kink with Bush’s history of fratboy loutishness and the absence of evidence that he possesses a functioning imagination. On the other hand, you never know. (See update below.)

What is evident is that McConnell has no hard copy evidence that she whipped the future president and called him bad names. Proof of this: She is not fabulously wealthy, nor is she dead.

All kidding aside, Bush may be into rough sex but the real reason he approved torturing prisoners is serious. He has a sociopathic indifference to the suffering of others.

Update: Interesting note from Mark at BuzzFlash, recalling a 2004 Associated Press article about “Doonesbury” cartoonist Gary Trudeau:

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