B’Man’s Hypocrite Watch: Post Christmas Edition

I love Christmas. It is one day that I promise to put away all anger (best I can). I don’t do it for any religious reasons, but because I always believed those words that say, “Peace on Earth and Good Will Towards Man” (Luke 2:14). Yep. I took it from a Bible, but it is the sentiment that means something to me. The spirit of peace, based from love, is an important ingredient missing nowadays that my friend Kelso keeps insisting that Americans seem to have lost for each other. The loss of love causes loss of peace, for I cannot see how it is conceivably possible to love and war your enemy simultaneously. It is impossible to show “good will” towards someone you are warring against.

So, I kept my mouth shut yesterday.

Today is different. Today I want to point out some hypocrisy that should inflame your redneck hide because it simply proves that those whom many of you think are Patriots and respect as Mavericks and the new “Conservatives” are nothing but what they “say” they despise… Welfare Queens and Kings (by way of the Young Turks):

Disgusting, but not surprising.

And before you get all mad at me, Mr Southern Republican, I don’t care a rat’s ass for the other “side” you want to paint me as. You see, there are plenty of rocks to throw at the “other side”. Basically, you have the leader of our country caught, red-handed, in a blatant lie of expediency (which is his modus operandi) regarding healthcare and his desires (by way of AfterDowningStreet):

This is true of many of the “centrist” (gag) Democrats who have bought Medicare/Medicaid improvements for their states and other forms of pork:

This vote was also a political win. It was a big deal for politicians–like Barack Obama, Max Baucus, Rahm Emanuel, and Harry Reid–who cared more about putting up a “W” on the scoreboard than about the policy. It was also a big day for senators like Blanche Lincoln, Mary Landrieu, Ben Nelson, and Joe Lieberman. The incredibly broken rules of the Senate gave them an absurd amount of anti-constitutional power that allowed them to hold reform hostage for pork and industry favors.

It was loss for the country. Our broken health care system will remain broken and costs will continue to rise at an alarming rate. Things like drug re-importation and a robust public option, which would have helped bring down prices for millions of Americans, were stripped from the bill at the request of powerful industry lobbyists.

All-the-while these “moderate” congresspeople are insisting that coverage for all Americans (as in a Single Payer System) is un-American or Socialist or whatever boogey man scare tactic they can dream up. But, as I always point out here, follow my advice and follow the money to see how the Quid Pro Quo works (all from the current year contributionsbribes):

Sen Mary Landrieu

Sen Blanche Lincoln

Sen Ben Nelson

Joe LIEberman

The last numbers for Barack Obama are from 2008. You can see them here, if interested. It is overwhelming and simply shows that every one of these people are owned by the very industries that give the most and vote/manipulate the system to the dictate of their coffers.

In a poignant display of Christmas “peace” hypocrisy, understand that Karl Rove was born on Christmas Day, 1950. This fact, in and of itself, is reason enough to change the Holiday date.

The Short List is coming up short–

 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4af34942-65a1-11dd-a352-0000779fd18c,dwp_uuid=729ab242-9cb1-11db-8ec6-0000779e2340.html?nclick_check=1 

Lieberman ‘on McCain short-list’

By Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington

Joe Lieberman, the former Democratic vice-presidential nominee who has endorsed John McCain, is being vetted as a potential running mate for the Republican presidential hopeful, according to an adviser to Mr McCain’s ­campaign.

Mr Lieberman, who has campaigned for the Arizona senator, has long been ­considered an unconventional but plausible choice for Mr McCain.

Although Democrats have rejected Mr McCain’s image as a maverick politician, Mr Lieberman’s support for the presumptive Republican nominee has, much to the chagrin of his former ­colleagues, helped to boost Mr McCain’s reputation as a bi-partisan legislator with friends on both sides of the aisle. Mr Lieberman, a staunch supporter of Israel, could also help Mr McCain win over Jewish voters.

“[McCain] loves Lieberman. And he is on the [short-]list because Lieberman has never embarrassed anyone, never misspoken. The first rule is, don’t take someone who costs you votes,” said one McCain adviser.

But not everyone would be enthusiastic about Mr Lieberman being added to the ticket. While Mr Lieberman has staunchly defended Mr McCain’s support of the surge, the escalation of US troops in Iraq, and the lawmakers have teamed up on legislative proposals to ­combat global warming, the registered independent is aligned with Democrats on most other issues.

“Conservatives would be pissed as hell – I think you would have a revolt, but sometimes John does what John wants to do,” the McCain adviser said.

Another McCain adviser said that it was unlikely that the Republican candidate would base his decision on “tactical considerations”.

“He can be pragmatic, but on the biggest decisions he tends to favour his instinct for the bigger picture,” the adviser said.

Mr Lieberman’s office declined to comment. But when the senator was asked recently whether he would decline a request by Mr McCain he said: “It’s not going to happen”.

Mr Lieberman has left open the possibility that he would speak at the Republican National Convention, a move that would probably ensure that Democrats would strip him of his chairmanship of the committee on homeland security. Democratic leaders allowed Mr Lieberman to caucus with them in the Senate even after he left the party to become an independent, because it gave the party control of the Senate. ­However, most analysts agree that if, as expected, Democrats win more seats in this year’s election, Mr Lieberman will be forced out of his coveted role on the ­committee.

Speculation surrounding Mr McCain’s short-list of potential nominees has so far focused on Republicans, including Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and his rival for the Republican nomination, Tim Pawlenty, the governor of Minnesota, and Rob Portman, the former Ohio ­congressman.

The McCain campaign declined to comment

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008

 

 

Al Qaeda’s Navy

Yep. The people who hide out in caves in the mountains apparently have a navy… perhaps one of those new fangled sand-navies.

Our government (in the sand-navy case, led by that beloved CT IndependentDemocraticReTHUGlican Senator LIEberman) wants to spend $81 BILLION on a submarine intent on fighting Al Qaeda’s Navy. You haven’t heard about that from the MSM because I suspect even they know it is absurd. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true or that Sen LIEberman isn’t pushing for the absurd.

The GAO (Government Accountability Office) issued a report last week that mimics the previous 5 annual reports in that it points out huge waste in each and every major advanced weapon systems program it has ongoing. They take OUR money and waste it while WE could be using it for our own needs.

But even worse is the unchecked military spending on systems originally designed for the Cold War, all in the guise of protecting us from terrorists that have no real forces. Just like that sub, which may have been needed for the Cold War, now is not needed, but does that stop them from appropriating money for it? Nah. Just change the reason to something insane and the American public will buy it.

We continue to build and fund major technologically advanced systems, spending untold TRILLIONS of dollars, to attack cave dwelling navies who attack us using box cutters and our own airplanes.

Rednecks, while you watch your job go to China, the Military Industrial Complex is thriving and making huge profits. Rivaling even the oil companies. Do you consider it just a coincidence that the neocon cabal are all deeply connected to oil and military manufacturers and contractors?

Look at this quote from the audit:

“Since 2000, the Department of Defense (DOD) has roughly doubled its planned investment in new systems from $790 billion to $1.6 trillion in 2007, but acquisition outcomes in terms of cost and schedule have not improved.”

In lieu of the fact that Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11 or bin Laden, we are having this radical spending justified anyway. We are being lied to at every turn, trying to perpetuate the Iraq and Afghan wars, and apparently chomping at the bit to start another one.

To me, whether or not these fools believe what they are doing is good for this country, the evidence is that it is the worst thing that ever happened to this country. We do not need to wait till next year to change this. We need someone to step up and stop this now.

But look at this:

“Of the 72 programs GAO assessed this year, none of them had proceeded through system development meeting the best-practice standards for mature technologies, stable design, or mature production processes by critical junctures of the program, each of which are essential for achieving planned cost, schedule, and performance outcomes.”

They aren’t even concerned if these projects work or are completed on time. One doesn’t necessarily have to be dropping bombs 100% of the time. They can just waste money on bogus shit and get more whenever they ask for it. All the while, every other thing that we should be spending money on is being cut or ignored (health care, education, general economy, veteran care, alternative fuels, the environment, etc).

Think of that. of 72 programs, they all are behind schedule, which means over cost. High tech advanced weapons programs intent on killing cave dwellers and Iraqis/Iranians. They can’t even get protective equipment to our troops. Seems like 81 BILLION could buy a lot of gear.

This nation’s priorities are 100% reversed and we just go along, as if nothing matters…

CT People: WTF Is Wrong With You?

From Ali at Think Progress:

In a Friday interview with the Stamford Advocate, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) — one of Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) foreign policy advisers — said he would attend the Republican National Convention this summer:

Friday, Lieberman said he will attend the Republican National Convention this summer, “if Senator McCain thinks it will be helpful to be there in some capacity.” […]

“I am not going to attend the Democratic Convention for obvious reasons,” Lieberman said.

Lieberman, whose Democratic superdelegate status was stripped earlier this year, also added that he’d likely support Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) against his Democratic challenger. “I am going to wait and see, but let me just say Chris Shays is a great congressman,” Lieberman said.