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All-Purpose Politics Thread

Willets Point Oct 28 2005 03:10 PM

After weeks of hypothesising, the shit hit the fan today. Scooter was indicted and then Scooter resigned. What next?

Yancy Street Gang Oct 28 2005 03:12 PM

Al Franken was on Letterman last week, and he predicted that Libby and Rove would both be executed for treason.

Willets Point Oct 28 2005 03:29 PM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Al Franken was on Letterman last week, and he predicted that Libby and Rove would both be executed for treason. Not bloody likely. That's more like what Franken wants to happen.

metirish Oct 28 2005 03:30 PM

When you are a 50+ year old man and people still call you "scooter" you should be indicted,the guy that sits next to me is a staunch Republican and quite conservative, he's crying to me about "the liberal witch hunt", when I reminded him about the Clinton witch hunt he rightly said that was different, yes it was ,this IMO is worse...Clinton lied to the nation about a BJ, this goes deeper.....although it is complicated to say the least.

TheOldMole Oct 28 2005 03:32 PM

The Bushies never really thought they had to be answerable to anyone.

Yancy Street Gang Oct 28 2005 03:33 PM

Willets Point wrote: Not bloody likely. That's more like what Franken wants to happen. Of course it's not likely. When he said it, Franken was in "comedian mode."

metirish Oct 28 2005 03:40 PM

Yancy Street Gang Oct 28 2005 04:01 PM

Brian Williams on NBC News just reported that Scooter Libby gets his nickname from "Yankee great" Phil Rizzuto. If he had done nothing else, he deserves to be indicted for that.

Elster88 Oct 28 2005 04:27 PM

Nothing good can come from being named after a Yankee. The lesson, as always, if you support the Yankees you support the murder of puppies and small children and perjury.

KC Oct 28 2005 04:31 PM

POLITICIAN By Jack Bruce and Pete Brown Hey now baby, get into my big black car. Hey now baby, get into my big black car. I want to just show you what my politics are. I’m a political man and I practice what I preach. I’m a political man and I practice what I preach. So don’t deny me baby, not while you’re in my reach. I support the left, though I’m leaning, leaning to the right. I support the left, though I’m leaning to the right. But I’m just not there when it’s coming to a fight. Hey now baby, get into my big black car. Hey now baby, get into my big black car. I want to just show you what my politics are.

MFS62 Oct 28 2005 05:06 PM

Found on another baseball board. No indication as to who wrote it. ***************************************************************************** 'Twas the night before Fitzmas, and in the White House Every one was scared shitless, and Bush was quite soused. The indictments were hanging like Damocles' sword As verminous oxen prepared to be gored. The perps were all sleepless, curled fetal in bed, While visions of prison cells loomed in each head. And Dick in his jammies and George in his lap Were sweating and swearing and looking like crap. When out on the web there arose such a clatter, The blogs and the forums were buzzing with chatter. Away to the PC Rove ran like a flash; He booted his browser and cleared out his cache. The rumors that flew through the cold autumn air Made Dubya shiver with angry despair. When what to his horror-filled eyes did he spy? A bespectacled man with a brown suit and tie! With an impartial manner that gave Bush the shits, He knew in a moment it must be St. Fitz! With unwavering voice, his indictments they came. He cleared out his throat and he called them by name: Now Scooter, Now Libby, Now Blossoming Turd, Now Cheney, dear Cheney, Yes, you are the third. To the bench of the court, Up the steps, down the hall, Now come along, come along, Come along, all! He then became silent and went right to work. He filed the indictments and turned with a jerk And, pointing his finger at justice's scale, Said, "The people be served, and let fairness prevail." He then left the room, to his team gave a nod, And the sound could be heard of a crumbling facade. And we all did exclaim, as he faded from sight "Merry Fitzmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Willets Point Oct 28 2005 05:36 PM

Meanwhile, Vermont is discussing secession and creating and itty-bitty republic.

Iubitul Oct 28 2005 05:43 PM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Brian Williams on NBC News just reported that Scooter Libby gets his nickname from "Yankee great" Phil Rizzuto. If he had done nothing else, he deserves to be indicted for that. This morning, Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America said that he got the nickname as a baby by the way he used to scoot across the floor...

ScarletKnight41 Oct 28 2005 06:40 PM

My father-in-law got the same nickname for the same reason.

Yancy Street Gang Oct 28 2005 06:51 PM

ScarletKnight41 wrote: My father-in-law got the same nickname for the same reason. Hopefully he too was a baby when he got the nickname.

ScarletKnight41 Oct 28 2005 07:15 PM

Yes. My husband's late grandmother always enjoyed telling stories about Scooter as a baby and a youngster.

metirish Oct 28 2005 09:07 PM

I just found out from watching a profile on Patrick Fitzgerald that he's from New York and was a die-hard Mets fan and when he moved to Chicago became a Cubs fan, still likes the Mets though, known in the field as America's toughest prosecutor, when he was a prosecuter for the NY Atorney's office he prosecuted the blind Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, indicted Osama Bin Laden and helped to bring down the Gambino family...

sharpie Oct 28 2005 10:15 PM

Patrick Fitzgerald (Mets fan, though somewhat suspect) vs. Scooter Libby (allegedly nicknamed after a Yankee). The choice is clear.

Willets Point Nov 29 2005 11:21 AM

CorrUPtion CorrDOWNtion. One of the things I like about a parliamentary form of government is that they can vote get rid of the government instead of going through all that trouble to make them want to quit.

Willets Point Dec 15 2005 02:06 PM

Interesting editorial about a movement in our AAA city.

MFS62 Dec 15 2005 02:26 PM

A Canadian friend of mine had lunch yesterday with a lawyer who told him that when you go to the American consulate in Toronto and ask for a visa into the US (for a non-canadian citizen), there is a question on the form that says: are you a terrorist? (check one) yes or no no kidding...wonder how often the yes block gets checked??? Later

Willets Point Dec 15 2005 02:27 PM

"No, I'm a freedom fighter." I don't think anyone ever thinks of themselves as terrorists.

MFS62 Dec 15 2005 02:40 PM

But since they're now asking the question, don't you feel a lot safer? EDIT: "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" I think I heard that in a movie recently, but can't place it. Can you help? Later

Yancy Street Gang Dec 15 2005 02:42 PM

Syriana?

Yancy Street Gang Dec 15 2005 02:54 PM

Willets Point wrote: "No, I'm a freedom fighter." I don't think anyone ever thinks of themselves as terrorists. Maybe there should be a checkbox on the form that says, "Does Allah condone the killing of godless infidel jackals who are part of an unjust society?" Or maybe they can get Jeff Foxworthy to do a study and come up with a bunch of "You Might Be A Terrorist If..." criteria. And then they could pattern the form after his findings.

MFS62 Dec 15 2005 02:56 PM

I like that second idea. Maybe I can give Jeff a hand. Let me think on it a while. Later

TheOldMole Dec 15 2005 03:46 PM

"Do you advocate the overthrow of the US government by force or violence?" "Hmmm...I'll take violence."

MFS62 Dec 15 2005 05:29 PM

"Death or Cake"? Later

MFS62 Dec 15 2005 07:15 PM

Hi folks, Jeff Foxworthy here. Someone told me that on the application for a visa to enter the United States, you’re asked, “Are you a terrorist? Yes or no?” Well, I know that some of you are undecided about how to answer, so here are a few questions to help you decide: If you just bought a jacket with lots of inside pockets and it was three sizes too large, You might be a terrorist If you like to get your news from Al Jezeera, You might be a terrorist If your closest friends are hiding out on the Pakistan/ Afghanistan border, You might be a terrorist If your favorite book is “How to hide explosives” You might be a terrorist If you have four different passports with four different names, You might be a terrorist If you stopped your flying lessons before you learned how to land, You might be a terrorist If you buy one-way airline tickets, with cash, You might be a terrorist If you have pictures of 72 virgins hanging up in your bedroom, You might be a terrorist And If the wallpaper on your PC monitor is a picture of Osama Bin Laden Well then, you might be a terrorist

Willets Point Jan 01 2006 01:11 PM

Peace on Earth.

metirish Jan 09 2006 10:04 AM

Talk about saying the wrong thing, this is causing quite a stir in Ireland today... ] O'Rourke sparks row over 'blacks' remarks Praise for workers lands her inhot water after election vote Eugene Moloney SEANAD leader Mary O'Rourke was last night in hot water after saying some of her campaign helpers had worked "like blacks". She used the phrase while thanking her campaign workers for getting her selected for the third spot on the Fianna Fail general election ticket for Longford-Westmeath. Her 'blacks' comment drew loud groans from the crowd. Asked afterwards what she meant, an obviously taken aback Mrs O'Rourke said: "I just meant that they worked very hard." Last night there was surprise at her comments given her excellent record on immigration issues. Even her sharpest critics conceded that she would not have intended any offence. They said she had most likely used a phrase which was in common usage in a different decade. Nonetheless, the Residents against Racism said they were deeply upset by the comments and found them "deeply offensive". Spokesperson Rosanna Flynn called on her to apologise. "I am really surprised at her. It is very offensive to a lot of people," she said. "It's a real gaffe." Peter O'Mahoney, chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council, said: "The use of such language is ill advised." But he added that Mrs O'Rourke was "one of a relatively small number of national politicians who are fairly brave on refugee issues". Fine Gael's Jim O'Keeffe said it was not a wise way to express herself in this day and age. Labour's Michael D Higgins said: "I don't think she had any insulting intention at all." But he added: "People have moved on and there is a language that we used before when people were not so well informed." Senator O'Rourke's nephew, Junior Foreign Affairs Minister Conor Lenihan, was in a storm of controversy last May after his infamous "kebab" gaffe. Mr Lenihan, a TD for Dublin South West, was forced to apologise for what was widely regarded as a jibe at Turkish workers during the course of a heated and hotly contested Dail debate. Mrs O'Rourke scraped through a tense selection convention by nine votes, defeating her sole opponent Cllr Kevin 'Boxer' Moran by 48 to 39. They had both conducted a high-intensity campaign for weeks as they fought a tough struggle for the vital deciding votes. The senator said after her victory that herself and Cllr Moran had conducted a "harmonious" campaign, adding: "Would you believe it!" There was loud laughter and shouts of 'no' from some of the delegates who also groaned when she spoke of the hardcore of her helpers in the campaign working "like blacks". In her victory speech, she spoke of Fianna Fail as "the Republican party", despite the claims of other parties in that regard. The party's National Constituencies Committee had decided in advance of the convention that sitting TDs Peter Kelly, in the Longford area, and Donie Cassidy, in the northern end of the Westmeath district, would be put on the ticket unopposed. This left the two Athlone candidates, Sen O'Rourke and Cllr Moran, in a straight contest to join them in the Dail race. Mrs O'Rourke (68) has been itching to get back into the Dail after her sensational defeat in the 2002 general election in what was then the Westmeath constituency. Mr Cassidy, himself then a senator, beat her for the second Fianna Fail seat after a bitter and bruising campaign which left a huge residue of anger in the O'Rourke camp. Mrs O'Rourke's victory sets the scene for a battle royal between O'Rourke and Cassidy.

Willets Point Jan 09 2006 10:46 AM

That was mighty white of her to say that.

Edgy DC Jan 09 2006 10:57 AM

I used to know Mary O'Rourke. I was at a Fianna Fail Christmas party when she busted her leg on the dance floor. Fianna Fail has been calling iteself the Republican Party for a way long time.

Willets Point Jan 17 2006 02:36 PM

Six years later, Al Gore grows a spine, speaks out against Bush Administration's illegal use of surveilance and torture.

Nymr83 Jan 17 2006 03:20 PM

where was this on the campaign trail buddy? his monotone boredom while running for office did not serve him well.

sharpie Jan 17 2006 04:09 PM

I seem to remember him giving another excellent speech a year or two ago and thinking the same thing -- why wasn't he saying these things while running for President? Of course, he did manage to outpoll his opponent anyway.

metirish Jan 31 2006 09:14 PM

Cindy Sheehan was invited to the 'Sate of the Union' tonight by a Congress woman and given a front row seat, she was arrested and taken to a holding cell where she will be held untill after the speech, apparently she tried to take a banner in with her and was considered a security risk.

sharpie Feb 01 2006 10:12 AM

I heard it was an anti-war T-shirt, not a banner. Must've been a pretty threatening t-shirt to have the Feds jump all over you.

Willets Point Feb 01 2006 10:26 AM

I didn't watch the state of the union address last night but the headlines today read "Bush says 'America is addicted to oil.'" I was wondering what he said just after that. My guesses are "thanks!" or "Keep up the good work!"

metirish Feb 01 2006 10:32 AM

Yeah Willets it was ironic to hear him talk about that,basically last nights speech in my opinion was a rehashing of the previous SotU speeches since 9/11, except this one was low on stand out lines(none), he talked about freedom and sacrifice a lot, touched on energy, education, he wants to get kids better at math and science and so on, he looked like he was on auto-pilot last night.

Yancy Street Gang Feb 01 2006 10:41 AM

Science? I thought that science was "faulty."

metirish Feb 01 2006 10:43 AM

Yeah I wondered that very thing myself Yancy, he mentioned that in the next four years his proposal calls for seventy thousand teachers to teach math and science....what will they be teaching is the question.

MFS62 Feb 01 2006 10:44 AM

It sure took a long time (it was after the discussion of alternative fuel sources) for him to bring up the destruction of a Major American city. I'm sure the folks in New Orleans were thrilled about that. At least the ones who had homes from where they could hear the speech. Later

Johnny Dickshot Feb 01 2006 10:50 AM

Willets Point wrote: I didn't watch the state of the union address last night but the headlines today read "Bush says 'America is addicted to oil.'" I was wondering what he said just after that. My guesses are "thanks!" or "Keep up the good work!" LOL. I would guess he's planning gigantic grants to his buds at Exxon and Texaco they can use to be certain they remain good n' profitable. This'd all go down easier had he bothered to include even a token message of conservation. Overall, a speech where he was more broad than specific. One highlight was when the Dems all stood and cheered when he mentioned the failure to make advances on Social Security reform.

KC Feb 01 2006 10:51 AM

>>>he looked like he was on auto-pilot last night<<< It wasn't really him, it's a hollowgram. They've been doing that since the Reagan Administration and the technology has come a long way. Clinton never used them, too much of a ham. It's cool how they make the hollow- gram stammer, stutter, and repeat itself over and over again just the real president. That hollowgram they kept showing of Kerry listening and ges- turing didn't fool me one bit either. Hollowgram.

sharpie Feb 01 2006 10:56 AM

There was one good idea in the speech: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/44892

Edgy DC Feb 01 2006 10:59 AM

Depends on how token you'll accept, but there was a token message of conservation ]We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We'll also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn, but from wood chips and stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to make this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within six years. (Applause.) Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. (Applause.) By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment, move beyond a petroleum-based economy, and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past. (Applause.) My first act as president will be to say, "Please, don't ever feel a need to stand during a speech of mine."

soupcan Feb 01 2006 11:09 AM

]...and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past. (Applause.) Heeeeeeeey, now there's a good idea. How come nobody thought about that sooner? Man, probably could have avoided this whole Middle East situation that's been a real pain in the neck for quite some time now. That Bush guy - he's a keeper.

MFS62 Feb 01 2006 11:12 AM

Another name for switch grass is "panic grass". Insert your own joke here. Later

cooby Feb 01 2006 11:17 AM

His speech reminds me of those little 1960's space age "look into the future" clips. "Meals will be cooked at the press of a button and served to you! Everyone in the family can have their favorite with no effort by Mom!" "Dad will ride his own space conveyence to the office! Bye, honey, I'll have the pot roast!" "Laundry will be no work at all for Mom. Take off your clothes, put them in the hamper. The next day they will be clean, pressed, and back in your closet!" Yeah, that all happened. But I love those old clips

MFS62 Feb 01 2006 11:36 AM

Coob, that stuff was right out of the GE "Better Living" pavillion atthe New York World's Fair (1964). And the appliance lines are probably in the GE pavillion at Epcot. (I forget what its called) Later

Johnny Dickshot Feb 01 2006 11:39 AM

I'd have liked him to have added, "in the meantime I've replaced the presidential Lincoln Town car with a Kia."

cooby Feb 01 2006 11:45 AM

MFS62 wrote: Coob, that stuff was right out of the GE "Better Living" pavillion atthe New York World's Fair (1964). Later I was there! I was so little (maybe 4?) but I remember it like it was yesterday, I got this really cool coloring book.

sharpie Feb 01 2006 11:47 AM

I was there, too. For some reason my mother was all excited about going to the Belgian pavillion. I think we had to cut short something I wanted to do to go there and I can't remember what the hell it contained. Waffles, maybe.

KC Feb 01 2006 12:39 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 01 2006 12:44 PM

My Mother said I attended, but I always wondered how could someone bring a toddler to the freakin' worlds fair and not have any pictures to pro- duce as evidence. We had a cheesy worlds fair ash tray that always seemed to be floating around on some flat surface of furniture over the years and there were a couple of collector spoons in the junk drawer but no freakin' pictures. Uh, sorry, I forgot I was typing out loud ... one of my childhood peeves.

Vic Sage Feb 01 2006 12:43 PM

with an interventionist foreign policy agenda that requires the exportation of democracy to blighted, enslaved parts of the world (like Wilson, FDR, Truman, Kennedy and Johnson), and with a domestic agenda that focuses on education, energy, healthcare, and social security issues, with unprecented spending and deficits and growth of the federal govt... maybe Bush is running for a senate seat as a Democrat? ... i mean, except for all those messy civil liberties issues; and except for crippling tax cuts that make the domestic agenda and interventionist foreign policy fiscally impossible; and except for packing the Supreme Court with judges who indicated a willingness to abdicate the court's essential role in the checks and balances system, deferring to both the legislative and executive branches at every conceivable turn.

Methead Feb 01 2006 12:49 PM

"By applying the talent and technology of America" Yeah, OK. How about applying the talent and technology of Toyota? I mean, there are plenty of other countries studying this stuff... we don't have to start from scratch here.

sharpie Feb 01 2006 03:41 PM

But the US never acknowledges that anything done anywhere else might be better than what is done here.

Edgy DC Feb 01 2006 04:30 PM

On behalf of the US, I acknowledge that something done somewhere else might be better than what is done here.

metirish Feb 01 2006 04:37 PM

] Keeping America competitive requires us to open more markets for all that Americans make and grow. One out of every five factory jobs in America is related to global trade, and we want people everywhere to buy American. With open markets and a level playing field, no one can out-produce or out-compete the American worker. http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/31/sotu.transcript/index.html

Willets Point Feb 01 2006 05:05 PM

Unless the American workers' jobs are out-sourced.

Methead Feb 01 2006 06:10 PM

"no one can out-produce or out-compete the American worker" Ha! I consult for a company that has an association with a separate company in China. The yearly price for 50 workers there is still less than my salary alone. And they work in three eight-hour shifts a day. One set of guys leaves, and another set is on their way in the door. And we're not talking about manufacturing here... this is CAD modeling and such. And most shocking of all... no one is allowed to use the internet while working. Now THAT'S productivity!