Author: Trish

Karen Thurman, Please Return from Lunch

Trish

Update: One reader was evidently confused about the letter in question so we drug it out of the trash, brushed off the coffee grounds, and posted it for his or her edification. On the back of the part you tear off and fill out with McCain-Feingold required disclosure info about yourself is the phrase, “Paid for the by the Democratic State Parties and the DNC as a joint fundraising program, www.democrats.org/victory fund. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.”

We were just standing around the virtual Pensito Review water cooler, chewing over one of our favorite subjects: How stupid is Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman?

I think she’s regular stupid, hovering somewhere between feather head and judgement-challenged. Buck thinks she’s too stupid to live, brush her teeth unassisted, or wipe her own backside. Jon, a California resident, agrees with both of us.

Well moments ago, from whom should I get a letter in the mail? It’s our very own K.T., and she’s got great news for me!

The response to our 2007 Annual Fund Drive has been so overwhelming that we have decided to extend the deadline for gifts to September 14, 2007.

There are so many things wrong with that opener that I hardly know where to begin. For starters, was she really going to cut off donations because they didn’t come in by some arbitrary deadline? “Sorry, your check arrived too late. We don’t want it now.”

And where do you go, in requesting urgent financial assistance, after you’ve just described the response so far as “overwhelming?” It doesn’t exactly make me look over my finances and decide I can pay the electric bill next week but right now I must help Karen! She needs me!

I’m beginning to see it Buck’s way. This woman really does need to find additional new employment, besides her job as a lobbyist in an agency headed by the former chair of the Florida Republican party. I hope the response by Democrats to extending Karen’s deadline at the helm of the party is not overwhelming.

Rove Left White House to Ensure Neocon Victory at Any Cost

Trish

We cheered when Karl Rove announced he was leaving the White House, but the nagging question is why? Here’s my theory: Rove needs total freedom to ensure that Republicans — and Republicans the neocons can continue to control — stay in power.

We are all looking forward to 01.20.09, Bush/Cheney’s last day in office assuming Pelosi continues to refuse to impeach. But they will be leaving behind a crime scene worthy of several teams of CSIs. The fingerprints, buried bodies, photographs, emails, and evidence of wrongdoing that you and I haven’t even thought of will be everywhere. They simply cannot let a Democrat win.

Bush/Cheney will be leaving behind a crime scene worthy of several teams of CSIs. They simply cannot let a Democrat win in 2008.

Rove knows this. And while in years past he obscured his partisan dirty work by using Republican National Committee computers, saving the presidency for neocons is too important to do it in half-measures. It will take massive election fraud to generate the numbers to carry a candidate who will most likely garner only about 25 to 30 percent of the vote, judging by current polls. Rove can’t do that from inside the White House.

Some people are wondering if he’s already setting a trap.

In this case, Rove’s weeklong broadside against Clinton…looks suspiciously like an exercise in reverse psychology that his team employed three years ago when it was preparing for President Bush’s reelection bid…

In the run-up to the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when it was not yet clear who Bush’s opponent would be that November, Rove and his aides had begun to fear that their most dangerous foe would be then-Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina…But instead of attacking Edwards, Rove’s team opened fire at Kerry.

Their thinking went like this, [former Rove ally Matthew] Dowd explained: Democrats, in a knee-jerk reaction to GOP attacks, would rally around Kerry, whom Rove considered a comparatively weak opponent, and make him the party’s nominee. Thus Bush would be spared from confronting Edwards, the candidate Republican strategists actually feared most…

If that sounds implausibly convoluted, consider Dowd’s own words:

“Whomever we attacked was going to be emboldened in Democratic primary voters’ minds.”

Rove knows us well, although he proved in the midterms that he’s not infallible. Still, the trick worked before.

Is Rove playing a similar game against Clinton? Is he trying to stampede Democrats into nominating her, having concluded that Obama, Edwards or someone else would pose a stiffer challenge to the Republican nominee?

…Conservative activist Grover Norquist said that he doubted conservatives were trying to meddle in the Democratic primaries and that nobody on his side thinks that party’s base would pay attention to Rove…

“I want to run against Hillary Clinton because I think she’s the easiest person to beat,” Norquist said. “But she’s by no means a pushover.”

Yeah, nobody on their team would pay attention to Rove. My ass.

The good news is Rove has left the building. The bad news is now we have no way to know what he’s up to.

Government Set to Contract Out Spying on You

Trish

Imagine the government watching you, listening to your conservations, reading your mail, and — someday probably — your thoughts as well.

Bad, right?

Now imagine the government farming out these repugnant tasks to private companies. Turns out you don’t have to imagine. It’s a done deal.

The proposed contracts reflect a continuing expansion of the Defense Department’s intelligence-related work and fit a well-established pattern of Bush administration transfers of government work to private contractors.

The Defense Intelligence Agency is preparing to pay private contractors up to $1 billion to conduct core intelligence tasks of analysis and collection over the next five years, an amount that would set a new record in the outsourcing of such functions by the Pentagon’s top spying agency.

The proposed contracts, outlined in a recent early notice of the DIA’s plans, reflect a continuing expansion of the Defense Department’s intelligence-related work and fit a well-established pattern of Bush administration transfers of government work to private contractors.

That’s right. Contractors like Diebold with corporate agendas of supporting rightwing initiatives and candidates, or Haliburton, with monetary and ideological ties to the Bush Administration, or even ChoicePoint, which bungled and leaked hundreds of thousands of consumer records online, will be in charge of collecting and maintaining “intelligence” on you. And — yikes! — me.

The DIA did not specify exactly what it wants the contractors to do but said it is seeking teams to fulfill “operational and mission requirements” that include intelligence “Gathering and Collection, Analysis, Utilization, and Strategy and Support.” It holds out the possibility that five or more contractors may be hired and promised more details on Aug. 27.

We’ll be waiting for those details. So will one congressperson.

“Mind-blowing,” was the reaction of Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, when she learned of the DIA proposal.

You said it sister.

Was Rudy’s Luxury Command Center Built at WTC So It Could be His Lovenest?

Trish

Lovebirds Rudy and Judi at the recent Pepsi 400 in Daytona

Palm Beach Post writer Frank Cerabino contrasted the sexploits of two politicians and found the one involving Rudolph Guiliani not getting nearly enough play.

Palm Beach Post: Was tragic placement of New York City’s emergency command center at ground zero because of its convenience as a cozy private love nest for a mayor-turned- presidential candidate and his mistress-turned- third-wife?

Florida State Rep. Bob Allen (R-Merritt Island) continues to dig deeper holes for himself — now requiring some of that mining equipment going unused in Utah and China. First he demonstrated that getting arrested in a public bathroom for offering $20 for homosexual sex isn’t the worse mistake a politician make. One of Allen’s many defenses for the bust was that he was afraid of the undercover officer he solicited because the man was black.

Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio piled on, criticizing Allen for injecting “a very disturbing element to an already troubling incident.” Rubio stripped him of his legislative committee posts.

Allen promptly put his foot in his mouth again by likening the actions of Rubio, who is the first Cuban-American leader of the House, to Fidel Castro’s.

“That’s a Cuba thing, something Fidel Castro does,” Allen said, before claiming to be greatly misunderstood.

I’m not sure if you have to live in Florida to understand how egregious it is to compare any Cuban-American politician with Castro. If so, then just take my word that it’s a) never been done and b) very, very bad.

But the sex story that actually matters, Cerabino says, is Rudy’s.

Wayne Barrett of The Village Voice has written about the lavish emergency command center that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani fashioned in one of the former World Trade Center buildings.

“Giuliani’s office had a humidor for cigars and mementos from City Hall, including a fire horn, police hats and fair hats, as well as monogrammed towels in his bathroom. His suite was bulletproofed and he visited it often, even on weekends, bringing his girlfriend Judi Nathan there long before the relationship surfaced,” Barrett wrote. “He had his own elevator.”

After the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993, some officials had suggested that the city’s emergency command center be built in Brooklyn. But Giuliani wanted it within walking distance of city hall in Manhattan. The World Trade Center command center, which was destroyed in the Sept. 11 attacks, has since been constructed at the Brooklyn site Giuliani rejected.

…if there’s even a smidgen of consideration in the tragic placement of New York City’s emergency command center at ground zero because of its convenience as a cozy private love nest for a mayor-turned-presidential candidate and his mistress-turned-third-wife, then I think it deserves far more attention than the amusing fate of an inconsequential Florida legislator.

Time Magazine Makes Billy Graham Horny

Trish

Hey, what’s with the horns on Billy Graham? If you’re a wingnut, you’ll find it’s the liberal press sending a subliminal message.

“Well, the left media continues its crusade of soft propaganda,” wrote conservative blogger John Ruskin.

“This time, the target is Rev. Billy Graham. Yeah, tell me that was an innocent mistake.”

O.K. “Hey John Ruskin, that was an innocent mistake.”

Actually, it wasn’t even a mistake, it was a layout.

Besides, everyone knows Rev. Graham wears his horns the other way, facing front, not to the side.

Excuse me but I have to go now. I just heard there was a tortilla with Elvis on it across town that I need to see.

Powell Backing McCain

Trish

No one ever accused Gen. Colin Powell, head of the joint chiefs under Bush 41 and secretary of state under Bush 43, of picking the right horse. So why start now? Houston Chronicle:

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has time for any presidential candidate who wants to chat about foreign policy. He has money, though, only for John McCain.

Powell has shared his expertise in meetings with Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Rudy Giuliani, his spokeswoman, Peggy Cifrino, said Tuesday. But when it comes to sharing his money, Powell chose McCain, the Republican senator from Arizona. Powell’s $2,300 contribution last week gave a bit of needed cachet to McCain’s struggling campaign.

McCain and Powell share several bonds, not the least of which is they both actually fought on the front lines for their country, making them anomalies among the chickenhawks of their party. They also have both been willing, far too often, to serve as apologists for the Iraq invasion and occupation.

Republican Florida Lawmaker Bob “Blow Job” Allen Being Squeezed Out by GOP

Trish

For Florida State Rep. Bob Allen (R-Merritt Island), denial is not just a river in Egypt. Allen is out on bail on charges that he offered a male undercover officer $20 for oral sex. He has spent this time offering explanations for his behavior as varied as “just checking the bathroom three times because I helped secure funding for the park” to “I was afraid of the guy because he’s black and everyone knows black people are dangerous.”

Well, poor Bob has come up with another totally ridiculous explanation, this one for why he is being stripped of all his committee assignments in the upcoming legislative session.

…because [House Speaker Marco] Rubio wants to give younger lawmakers the chance at leadership positions.

Allen…said he was told that House leaders “wouldn’t do anything to hurt my defense.” “I know the Speaker has talked about giving other younger legislators a chance,” Allen said. “It’s tough to gain experience in the eight years before term limits, and some senior members might serve in another position.”

Riiiight. But others in the Republican wing of the Florida State House wish Allen would not only show up missing from committees, but go away altogether.

Meanwhile, [GOP Chairman Jim] Greer told reporters Tuesday that Allen should consider the best interests of the GOP, as well as his family and constituents, in deciding whether to resign.

“I’m not going to say what’s in the best interest of the party or ask him to step down or resign,” Greer said. “I’m just asking him, as of today, to consider the best interest of the party.”

So far Allen hasn’t considered the best interests of anyone but himself in obtaining homosexual sex, so why would the GOP expect him to consider the best interests of his party? Not only is Allen not leaving quietly, he’s attempting to call in a few political IOUs. After all, one thing all Republicans have on another in abundance is dirt.

When told of Greer’s comments, Allen said he stood by Greer during the “innuendos and nasty politics” hurled during Greer’s campaign for the party chairmanship. “I know Jim appreciated that and I hope he hasn’t lost that memory,” Allen said…

“I intend to show up at the session as a man who is free of this charge and all of this ridiculous politics and be able to get back to what they want me doing during the session,” Allen said. “I don’t think I’ll be bogged down with this during the session.”

We presume that none of those Nile River crocodiles will be shedding any of their famous tears if it doesn’t work out quite that way.

Rove/Bush Timeline, THE Math, and Fond Memories

Trish

The Chicago Tribune put together this handy timeline of the golden years of Karl Rove with the Bushes.

Rover two weeks before the 2006 midterms: “I add up to a Republican Senate and Republican House. You may end up with a different math but you are entitled to your math and I’m entitled to THE math.”
  • 1973 — Rove became chairman of the College Republicans. During his time in Washington, D.C., he became a special assistant to Republican National Committee Chairman George H.W. Bush and met George W. Bush.
  • 1977 — Worked for a political action committee dedicated to making the elder Bush president in 1980.
  • 1978 — Advised younger Bush during his unsuccessful Texas congressional campaign.
  • 1980 — Assisted George H.W. Bush’s unsuccessful presidential campaign.
  • 1994 — Adviser for George W. Bush’s successful Texas gubernatorial campaign.
  • 1998 — Adviser for Gov. Bush’s successful re-election campaign.
  • 2000 — Chief strategist for Bush’s presidential campaign.
  • 2004 — Chief strategist for re-election campaign.
  • 2005 — Currently assistant to the president, deputy chief of staff and senior adviser to President George W. Bush.

Individual dates are missing here, such as the dates Rove called Judy Miller with bogus Iraq weapons of mass destruction intelligence, and when he called Bob Novak, Tim Russert, and whoever else with Valerie Plame’s identity, as well as the date he dissed Sheryl Crow over global warming. My favorite is the date Bush got snitty about Turd Blossom after the disastrous 2006 midterm elections.

“I obviously was working harder in the campaign than he was,” said Bush.

Good times.

But Bush couldn’t be blamed for being pissed at Rover, whose inability to tell which way the wind was blowing led directly to the “good thumpin'” Bush had to take.

Two weeks before the election, Rove showed the world how he reacts when someone disagrees with his interpretation of the facts, and why he is so detested by nice people everywhere. His interview with the polite Robert Seigel on NPR, when it was really looking good for the Democrats, said it all.

SIEGEL: We are in the home stretch though and many would consider you on the optimistic end of realism about…

ROVE: Not that you would exhibit a bias, you just making a comment.

SIEGEL: I’m looking at all the same polls that you are looking at.

ROVE: No, you are not. I’m looking at 68 polls a week for candidates for the US House and US Senate, and Governor and you may be looking at 4-5 public polls a week that talk attitudes nationally.

SIEGEL: I don’t want to have you to call races…

ROVE: I’m looking at all of these Robert and adding them up. I add up to a Republican Senate and Republican House. You may end up with a different math but you are entitled to your math and I’m entitled to THE math.

SIEGEL: I don’t know if we’re entitled to a different math but your…

ROVE: I said THE math.

What an asswipe.

Chicken Dance Time! Rove is Leaving

Trish

As Karl Rove leaves the White House to spend more time with his family and work on his memoir, we can’t help but say, “We knew it!”

The timing is suspect, coming just as the Democrats in Congress are really digging in to how the White House has been run, possibly even finally getting at those deleted emails.

The line that was deleted in later versions: “He’s been talking with the president for a long time, about a year, regarding when might be good to go,” Perino said.

This is the quote you’re seeing in all the stories concerning the “why now” aspect of Rove’s departure:

“I just think it’s time,” Rove told the Wall Street Journal. “There’s always something that can keep you here, and as much as I’d like to be here, I’ve got to do this for the sake of my family.”

But look at how the earlier versions quoted White House deputy spokestool Dana Perino when she made the happy announcement.

“He’s been talking with the president for a long time, about a year, regarding when might be good to go,” Perino said. “But there’s always a big project to work on, and his strategic abilities, and our need for his support, kept him here. He said there’s never a good time to leave, just the ‘right’ time.”

He’s been talking to the president for about a year? My bet is he’s been talking to president about it since last November, when Rove proved dead wrong on the midterm elections. I think he was a hair away from following Donald Rumsfeld out the door back then and has been on thin ice ever since, as Scooter Libby was convicted and as the Alberto Gonzalez scandal continues to grow.

Of course, no matter when Rove leaves, we’re just thanking God and Greyhound that he’s going.