Where’s the Outrage?

The following Senators clearly hate the troops.

Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Thune (R-SD)
Voinovich (R-OH)

McCain continues to floor me. Maverick?!?! Straight talk? Partisan Bush lapdog is a better way of describing him. My Senators Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr are completely useless. They will not get up an answer a ringing telephone unless President Bush says its okay.

Now, Reid needs to prove that he is serious. Nothing else gets done until this amendment passes. Make these guys filibuster. Make them filibuster for days.

———–

From NYT:

Senate Democrats fell short late this afternoon in what was seen as their best chance to shift the course of the war in Iraq, in a vote on a measure to require that troops get as much time at home as they spend overseas before being redeployed.The vote on the measure, offered by Senator Jim Webb, Democrat of Virginia, was 56 to 44 in favor — four less than the supporters needed to prevent a filibuster. The outcome was almost the same as that in a vote on the measure in July, when 56 senators voted in favor and 41 against. (more…)

Tags: Bush Administration, Iraq, Senate by ecthompson
Comments Off

As we all knew there was more to the story. Blackwater says they fired only after they had been fired upon. Eyewitnesses say that Blackwater simply opened fire and no one was firing at them. Without the video or inspecting the Blackwater helpcopters, there is no way to know who is telling the truth. They both (the Iraqis and Blackwater) have motivation to lie.

—–

From CNN.com:

Iraqi officials have expressed outrage at eyewitness accounts that Blackwater contractors “initiated random and indiscriminate shooting at civilians” Sunday in Baghdad’s Mansour area, according to an Interior Ministry spokesman, Brig. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf.

The ministry said Wednesday at least 10 Iraqis were killed and 10 wounded — all civilians except for a traffic policeman killed while rushing to the aid of a family caught in the crossfire.

Blackwater has denied the Iraqi government’s account of events, saying its contractors “acted lawfully and appropriately in response to a hostile attack.”

The North Carolina-based company added that “the ‘civilians’ reportedly fired upon by Blackwater professionals were in fact armed enemies, and Blackwater personnel returned defensive fire.” (more…)

 

 CNN - Blackwater [2:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Iraq by ecthompson
3 Comments »

I’m sure that everyone has heard this story by now. Sally Field won an Emmy (and let me say that she is really looking very good). She had the nerve to say, “the would be no God Damned wars if the mothers were in charge.” Fox censored the comment. Considering what we hear everyday, it wasn’t that bad, in my opinion. See the previous post for more on Free Speech.

 

 Emmys - Sally Field censored [1:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Civil Liberty by ecthompson
3 Comments »

I remember in high school and in college getting into these huge debates on free speech. As a rule, we are able to speech freely in this society but there are problems. Not only yelling, FIRE in a crowded movie theater but how about yelling, Nigger or Honky. What about just saying George Carlin’s seven dirty words? What about that student in Florida, who stood up to ask John Kerry a question, then went into a diatribe, do the rest of the people in the room have the right for that guy to shut up?

Now, before you think that we can look to our founding brothers for answers, I’ll warn you that they didn’t agree on this either. John Adams who was one of the greatest of the founders. He was a deep thinker. He signed the Alien and Sedation Acts which clearly limited speech and the press.

Back to modern times, what about that student in Alaska, with that sign, “Bong hits 4 Jesus“. All of this came up because the Flying Nun, Norma Rae, Sally Field got censored on the Emmy’s. She was speaking out against the war and said God Damned. Now, the Emmy’s were broadcast on Fox. Was she censored because of her words or her anti-war stance?

 

 Free Speech [2:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Civil Liberty, Media by ecthompson
4 Comments »

Okay, somebody tell why this might not be a good thing. It seems if I have a ton of money and do something foolish and greedy like lend the money to people who I know have a high chance of default, bailing me out removes any risk doesn’t it? Without risk then why won’t I do the same thing again?

At the same time as the Fed is lowing interest rates, oil prices are going up into record territory.  A barrel of light sweet crude is over $82 per barrel.  I’m starting to get a headache trying to figure out what’s happening.  It appears to me that the rich are getting richer.

—————-

From WaPo:

The Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate yesterday in an aggressive attempt to keep turmoil in financial markets from damaging the overall U.S. economy.

The central bank’s policymaking committee cut the federal funds rate, which determines what banks pay to borrow money from each other overnight, by half a percentage point, to 4.75 percent. The rate cut, the first in four years, will eventually lead to lower borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, making it cheaper to take out a car loan or home mortgage or to invest in a business. (more…)

 

 Feds cut rate - Wall Street goes nuts [2:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Economy by ecthompson
Comments Off