Where’s the Outrage?

To give you a sense of how Republican Idaho is, the Senate seat to be given up tomorrow by Larry Craig has been held by a Democrat for a total of just under 8 years since Idaho Statehood in 1890. The last time was in 1946.

Don’t despair though—Idaho did elect for it’s other Senate seat the great liberal Frank Church between 1957 and 1981. Senator Church was a great champion of Civil Rights. He lost his seat in the 1980 Reagan landslide which cost Democrats the Senate.

Senator Church was the last Democrat to represent Idaho in the U.S.Senate.

The above picture is of a public toilet back in ancient Rome days. It looks quite open in terms of making a covert solicitation.

Tags: Party Politics, Senate, Senator Larry Craig by Texas Liberal
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Never too busy to stop for Hammer Time.

 

 MC Hammer - U Can't touch this [4:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Movies by ecthompson
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Yep, you’re a all-star.  I’m playing this vid in acknowledgment of Nickleback’s 3 week run at the top of the charts with the song Rock Star.

There’s a ton going on in the world.  I’ve been overwhelmed at work the last several days.  So, I haven’t been able to post as much as I want.  John Warner, powerful Republican, from Virginia is stepping down.   The Department of Justice is investigating Alberto Gonzales‘ testimony before Congress.   Gay Blogger who outed Larry Craig appeared on the Ed Schultz Show today.  The White House told Congress to buzz off and that they were not going to tell Congress what company was responsible for “losing” those e-mails.

 

 Smash Mouth - All Star [3:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Music by ecthompson
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His story was not believable. He should resign. Not for being gay and not for engaging in homosexual activities. He should resign for lying and being a hypocrite.

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From MSNBC.com:

Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig will announce Saturday he will resign from the Senate amid a furor over his arrest and guilty plea in a police sex sting in an airport men’s room, Republican officials said Friday.

Craig will hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. MT and say that he will resign effective Sept. 30, three state GOP officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The announcement follows by just five days the disclosure that he had pleaded guilty Aug. 1 to a reduced misdemeanor charge arising out of his arrest June 11 at the Minneapolis airport. (more…)

Tags: Senate, Senator Larry Craig by ecthompson
2 Comments »

It’s Labor Day Weekend. The wife and I are going to drive 50 miles south to Galveston on the beautiful Texas coast. It should be a nice day-trip. Maybe we’ll see a Bottlenose Dolphin.

That said, holidays are a time for reading. All days are a time for reading.

Here is a Labor Day Reading List—-

I just purchased the novel The American by Henry James. (Photo above) Published in 1877, The American is about a millionaire who goes to Europe looking for a wife. In Europe, this wealthy American is seen as crude and vulgar by the old established families.

This will be my second Henry James novel. I’ve read Washington Square. That was about a father who would not let his daughter marry a man he saw as a phony and without prospects. The father was cold and cutting and I enjoyed the book. [Read more →]

Tags: Books by Texas Liberal
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Umm.  Yep, they found the chemical weapons that the Right has been hollerin’ about for the past 4 - 6 years.  Unfortunately, they found them in New York.

Tags: Iraq, WMD by ecthompson
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What would you have to do for $600 million/yr? In my opinion, there is nothing that a single person can do to earn that kind of moolah. Now, if you own a company and things go well then Bingo! You have hit the jackpot. That’s great and congratulations. On the other hand, I’m sorry Hedge-fund managers DO NOT deserve $657 million per year. No one does. If you can sweat gold or make diamonds come out of an orifice then maybe otherwise you are a CROOK!

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From USA Today:

To say the pay gap between Wall Street’s top titans and average Americans is widening would be an understatement.

One statistic sums up why: Last year, the top 20 hedge-fund and private-equity-fund managers earned more in 10 minutes than U.S. workers made the entire year, according to a report released Wednesday by two research groups.

Those top fund managers pocketed an average $657.5 million in 2006, or 22,255 times the $29,544 average annual pay of U.S. workers, said the study issued by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) and United for a Fair Economy. That dwarfs the discrepancy between CEOs and workers: Corporate chieftains, on average, earn about 365 times the pay of U.S. workers. (more…)

Tags: Domestic Issues, Economy by ecthompson
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Talking Points Memo has put together the 10 greatest Alberto moments.

 

 TPM - Alberto's 10 greatest [8:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: US Attorneys by ecthompson
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Prank on Rove.

 

 Rove's Car Wrapped [1:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Fun by ecthompson
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It is hard to watch a man shoot himself in the foot with his own gun then turn around and point the finger at some guy who is the assailant. I’m sure that this could be a Saturday Night Live sketch if we weren’t talking about a US Senator at a time when basic rights are being debated.

This is nuts (here is the transcript of the arrest interview). Larry Craig pleaded guilty. He plead guilty to a crime in which he was accused of lewd behavior. Now, there isn’t a heterosexual man in America who would admit to being Gay if he wasn’t. It just doesn’t happen. It is like a White guy walking around saying that he is Black. That doesn’t happen. (Except in that stupid Hollywood Movie Soul Man)

What’s up with him getting arrested and not telling his wife? If Craig truly thought that he was wronged wouldn’t his wife be the first person that we would tell? The only way that I don’t tell my wife is if I’m trying to hide something from her. Something like being accused of propositioning a police officer in a public bathroom when you have been plagued by rumors of homosexual activity for over 25 years!!

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From MSNBC.com:

… “You are sitting here lying to a police officer,” Karsnia (the arresting police officer) responded. “People vote for you. Unbelievable.”

…Craig pleaded guilty on Aug. 1 to a charge of disorderly conduct, but the case didn’t come to public light until Tuesday. Craig held a news conference then and said that despite his guilty plea, he had done nothing wrong and had hired an attorney.

He has received little public support from Republicans, however. Several GOP lawmakers have suggested he resign, some citing the fact that he pleaded guilty in the case.

 

 Audio of Craig's Arrest [8:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Craig audio [2:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Congressman Mark Foley, Senate, Senator Larry Craig by ecthompson
3 Comments »

Many of the guys that I grew up with will put in 8, 9 or 10 hour days. Some times I wish a long day was only 9 or 10 hours. Anyway, no political blogging tonight. I’ll hopefully be able to some blogging tomorrow.

C&L have a nice post on Bush’s really terrible week.

One of my favorite blogs is The Carpetbagger’s Report. Steve has a great post on the Idaho Values Alliance. First, what a stupid name. Anyway, check out his post.

Jeff (frequent reader of Where’s the Outrage?) sent me his take on the Senator Larry Craig flap. This is sung to the Tony Orlando and Dawn tune - Knock 3 times.

The Ballad of Senator Craig

Hey man, what’s that panting I hear
From over there on your side of the divider?
I visualize your big [BLEEP] swaying,
And with it I want to be playing!
Just one seat from me, oh that’s so crummy, I love you….

(Refrain)
Knock three times on the stall wall if you want me!
Or flash your badge if I’m under arrest!
Knock, knock, knock means you’ll [BLEEP] me in the men’s room.
Or that damn badge means I’m going to jail.

When I peek thru the crack in the door
He looks so cute all my judgment goes right out the window….
I don’t care if I get busted,
Politicians can’t be trusted,
But hey, we promise we’ll obey the law come tomorrow….

(Refrain)
Knock three times on the stall wall if you want me!
Or flash your badge if I’m under arrest!
Knock, knock, knock means you’ll [BLEEP] me in the men’s room.
Or that damn badge means I’m going to jail.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Senate, Senator Larry Craig by ecthompson
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It’s simple enough—If you eat out on Labor Day, which is next Monday, tip your server the same time-and-a-half you would expect for working a holiday. A 15% tip would be 22.5%.

You can use the calculator in your cell phone to figure it out or you can just round it up to 25%.

I normally tip at around 20%. So if I eat out on Labor day I’m going to tip 30%. If you want services on a holiday you should be willing to pay the fair rate.

If you go to the convenience store, buy the clerk a scratch-off ticket and thank him or her for working the holiday.

Whoever helps you on a holiday, most especially a holiday for working people, should get at least a thank you.

Here is a link to the Service Employees International Union.

Here is a link to the history of Labor Day.

Tags: Domestic Issues by Texas Liberal
2 Comments »

Keith Olbermann does a great job in outlining what we now know. Senator Larry Craig has fatally fumbled this whole incident. I really don’t understand this. Craig has been in trouble before. He knows how Washington works but he chose to handle this matter by himself? Vitter is a great example of Republican hypocrisy but the R’s support him because he kept them in the loop the whole way. Craig, who has been in Washington for over 30 years, left the Republican leadership out in the cold. They now seem to be throwing him under the bus.

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From WaPo:

… In a highly unusual move, the entire Senate Republican leadership team issued a statement minutes before Craig’s press conference complaining that none of them were told of Craig’s legal troubles until yesterday. Craig issued a statement Monday confirming his arrest and guilty plea, which were first reported in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call. The GOP senators asked the Ethics Committee to investigate the matter, vowing to consider other punitive sanctions.

“This is a serious matter,” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and three other elected GOP leaders said in their joint statement. “Due to the reported and disputed circumstances, and the legal resolution of this serious case, we will recommend that Senator Craig’s incident be reported to the Senate Ethics Committee for its review. In the meantime, leadership is examining other aspects of the case to determine if additional action is required.” (more…)

 

 Countdown - Craig Meltdown [9:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Congressman Mark Foley, Countdown, Senate, Senator Larry Craig by ecthompson
2 Comments »

This is a funny installment of Red State Update. Dunlap and Jackie discuss the candidates kids.

 

 Red Stae Update - Candidate's Kids [3:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008, Fun by ecthompson
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Now, I know that some Democrats have called Texas Senator John Cornyn dumber than a box of rocks. I don’t know if he is stupid. I do know that he has followed the Bush bandwagon wherever it has gone. So, it is no surprise that Cornyn pointed to the partisan atmosphere that poisoned Alerto Gonzales and caused him to resign. Cornyn has predicted a partisan fight over the nomination of the next Attorney General. My question to Senator Partisan is if the Democrats are so dead set on a fight why did they let Defense Secretary Gates breeze thru without any problem?

 

 Cornyn - Neocon cheerleader [4:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Senate by ecthompson
6 Comments »

When you read everything that is out there about Senator Larry Craig a pattern begins to emerge. First, of all, it is clear that Larry Craig plead guilty to lewd conduct in a male public bathroom. Secondly, he thought that everything would blow over if he just paid the fine and didn’t make a fuss. Thirdly, there have been allegations of homosexual activity in the past. (see earlier post)

I find it interesting how the Republicans jumped on the resign bandwagon. Remember they really never came out and denounced Rep. Foley. They helped Denis Hastert badly fumble what should have been a cut and dry case of immoral behavior.

Check out Senator Craig’s statement (see vid below). He plead guilty with out telling anyone. Either he is dumber than dirt or he is lying. Then way he should never be elected to any post high than dog catcher.

Again, Glenn Greenwald has a great take on this. He points out the right wing hypocrisy.

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From MSNBC.com:

Under fire from leaders of his own party, Idaho Sen. Larry Craig on Tuesday said the only thing he had done wrong was to plead guilty after a complaint of lewd conduct in a men’s room. He declared, “I am not gay. I never have been gay.”

“I did nothing wrong at the Minneapolis airport,” he said at a news conference with his wife, Suzanne, at his side.

Craig also lashed out at the Idaho Statesman newspaper, which reported Monday that, according to an anonymous source, Craig had a homosexual encounter in a Washington train station. Craig accused the paper of waging a witch hunt against him. (more…)

 

 Senator Craig's Statement [4:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Congressman Mark Foley, Senate, Senator Larry Craig by ecthompson
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Collateral Unfiltered News is a cool thoughtful way to present a specific topic. They brought the information on the Jena 6. I have been looking for a video that explained what happened in the markets these last couple of weeks. But everything was too over the top or way too calm.  These present the real scoop.  They show us the bottom line.   Knuckleheads made retardedly risky investments and now we are going to be asked to pay for it.

 

 Econ 101 [3:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Economy by ecthompson
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As Where’s the Outrage? readers are quite cultured, please allow me to offer a small political poem I’ve written. The poem comes with a picture—So it’s something of a multi-media exhibition.

Promise

Where no rainfall

Had ever been recorded

People supported

Whoever promised

The largest gardens

Tags: General by Texas Liberal
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No one has been able to get me a good explanation of why Alberto Gonzales has resigned.  Why did Bush accept it?

 

 Gonzo out [3:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, US Attorneys by ecthompson
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So, Bob Allen of Fla propositions a cop in a bathroom just a couple of months ago. His explanation for what happened as racist at best. Now, we have Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. It appears that there was some lewd conduct in a men’s restroom. Of course, Craig is trying to spin this.

Update: It appears that Craig was a big supporter of Mitt Romney. They even had a commercial together. Now, that commercial has been pulled by Romney campaign. I can’t find a copy of it on the web anywhere.

Update II: Well, well, well. It appears that Larry Craig has a little history of homosexual behavior. At least he was accused of the behavior. Check out this video from 1982! Wait for the last 60 seconds of the video. (BTW, look at Lisa Myers!!! OMG!!!) Oh, if you look and look, you can find just about anything on the web. LiveLeak had a copy of this Craig’s pitch for Romney.

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From MSNBC.com:

Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho pleaded guilty this month to misdemeanor disorderly conduct after being arrested at the Minneapolis airport.

A Hennepin County court docket showed Craig pleading guilty to the disorderly conduct charge Aug. 8, with the court dismissing a charge of gross misdemeanor interference to privacy.

The court docket said the Republican senator was fined $1,000, plus $575 in fees. He was put on unsupervised probation for a year. A sentence of 10 days in the county workhouse was stayed. (more…)

 

 Larry Craig in 1982 [2:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Craig - Romney Ad [1:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Congressman Mark Foley, Party Politics, Senator Larry Craig by ecthompson
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