HOME-GROWN FASCISM
Robert Kennedy is only one of many mainstream figures who are starting to use the “F” word:
This week Kennedy declares war on this new “enemy within” — the term his father applied to the Mafia lords who were subverting American politics, business and labor — with a passionate, sweeping indictment of the Bush-sanctioned rape […]

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SUNDAY SHOWS: A PRIMER
Occasionally a reader wants to know why I don’t write about the Sunday talking heads.
Well, I don’t watch ‘em. (I will occasionally watch an exceptional clip over and Crooks & Liars, but I don’t otherwise.) I finally realized these shows aren’t for viewers - they’re for the same circle jerk of […]

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THOSE WHO CAN, DO
From President Unwarranted Self-Esteem, the proud papa of two drunken sluts:
Regarding the Florida [gay adoption] law, the president responded, “I don’t know this particular case.”
He continued by focusing on the “ideal in society” of children being raised by a man and a woman. “And I believe children can receive love from gay […]

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HISTORIC DAY FOR IRAQIS
Christopher Albritton, live from the Iraqi elections:
The polling stations were housed in schools, by and large, and several rooms were taken over for the balloting. In each, the cardboard screens were held together with red tape, and then the ballot was dropped in those plastic bins you see on television. The ones […]

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WHAT I’M LISTENING TO: “It Hasn’t Happened Yet,” Roseanne Cash, “Retrospective” (music & lyrics, John Hiatt):
You said that I would be sorry if you went awayYou said I wouldn’t be happy without hell to payYou said the teardrops would fallBetween the bedroom wallsYou said that I would regretWell it hasn’t happened yet
Your friends come […]

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MEMORY LANE
I was surfing the web and came across this. Boy, did it bring back memories of the Eighties. I got out to see a lot more music than seems possible, considering I had two little kids at the time.
I knew so many of the guys in these bands: Beru Revue, Kenn Kweder and the […]

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WHAT I’M LISTENING TO: “Melt“, Phil Roy, “Grouchyfriendly“:
I can’t touch you nowI’m paralyzedI’m like a childWith the saddest eyesYou won’t talk to meYou’re over meYou won’t take me backI need you backYou’re so aliveMakes me numbI could surviveBut I don’t want toYou’re the ruby and I’m the leadFeeling heavyAm I deadBut last night I had […]

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THE FAMILY TREE
It almost makes you wonder if the Bush family has something to hide:
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 - The Central Intelligence Agency is refusing to provide hundreds of thousands of pages of documents sought by a government working group under a 1998 law that requires full disclosure of classified records related to Nazi war criminals, […]

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STUFF HAPPENS
Why the children in Iraq make no sound when they fall.

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SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER
Shorter David Brooks:
Think happy thoughts and you can fly!

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JOKE OF THE DAY
Q. How many Bush Admin. officials does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: None. There is nothing wrong with the light bulb; its conditions are improving every day. Any reports of its lack of incandescence are a delusional spin from the liberal media. That light bulb has served honorably, […]

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LEFT ON THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR
Doug Ireland on the things about Howard Hughes they left out of the movie:
Hughes, a corporate despot, was also a notorious anti-Semite (one of the reasons that he surrounded himself with “pure” Mormons as his personal staff), as well as a briber of politicians–the infamous “Hughes loan” of $205,00 […]

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‘YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE HOW LITTLE I PAID FOR THESE’
Billmon on the “new form of capitalism” in China:
Each year, millions of Chinese citizens travel from impoverished inland villages to take their first industrial jobs in China’s export factories. Young and mostly female, they are sent by their parents in search of wages to supplement their families’ […]

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WHY HATE CRIMES ARE DIFFERENT
David Neiwart defines exactly why we need hate crime legislation. As is usual with Dave, it’s a lengthy and nuanced piece and this excerpt hardly does justice:
But this is only one aspect of how different hate crimes are from their parallel crimes. There are several more, and they are substantial. Bias […]

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RIGHTEOUS ANGER
Jeanne D’Arc points out Bush’s “humanitarian” track record:
Bush’s fakery makes it harder to get anyone to focus on the real problems. When he announces a billion dollar program to combat poverty, people legitimately wonder why so much money does so little to change anything.
It has to be repeated again and again: Not a […]

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A WOMAN AFTER MY OWN HEART

You know, I’ve always liked Sharon Stone; I believe I could hang with her. She’s a working class woman who remembers her roots.
So I wasn’t all that surprised to read this:
Just seen on BBC world news: Sharon Stone stood up today during a conference at Davos and offered $10000 […]

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APOCALYPSE NOW?
Stupid over at Altercation:
I’m not kidding when I say I’m afraid of a dollar collapse. It’s not just that the high deficits and unprecedented foreign control over the economy. It’s all these timebombs waiting to go off. Everyone knows about the baby boomers and Social Security/Medicare, but that’s not going to […]

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DEFENDING SEYMOUR
See? I’m not the only one who thinks Max “Lick My Master’s” Boot is a hack.

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FRIDAY FUN
I have to go to the bank now, so you kids behave and play with this. If you’re good, I’ll bring you back a snack.
Hey! HEY! What’d I tell you about jumping on the furniture? [head smack]

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THAT LIBERAL MEDIA
Well, I still haven’t found the Nightline transcript, but I did find this post at Daily Kos from someone who was there. Apparently it was heavily edited:
So, it went on this way, with the pro-war side taking precedence.
Then, during the third commercial break Rabbi [Arthur] Waskow stood up and loudly said, “I was […]

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STOP ME BEFORE I CLICK AGAIN
I can’t stop looking at these.

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HEY, ‘PERSONAL REASONS’ CAN INCLUDE INDICTMENTS
Professor Cole confirms my suspicions: Doug Feith resigned because of impending scandals, not because anyone in the White House repudiated his policies or tactics.
Just so we’re clear.

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SICK BAY UPDATE
Hey, 98.6It’s good to have you back again.
- Keith, “98.6″
Last night, my temperature was 98.6 for the first time in a week, and I planned to celebrate the news in this post. (Mostly, I like the song.) This morning, though, it’s back up to 99.3. Hmmm.
By the way, in the category of “More […]

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POVERTY’S THE ISSUE
Interesting E.J. Dionne piece on John Edwards:
But Edwards’s instincts tell him that tepid politics are exactly what the Democrats don’t need now. “I don’t think this is about moderate, conservative, liberal,” he says. “Americans are looking for strength, an idealistic strength. They want to know what we’d do on Day One if we […]

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MR. POPULAR
But see, the American people gave me a mandate, see?
It’s the ‘no interest like self-interest’ rule, and it’s every man for himself,” said an aide to a Senate Republican committee chairman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to maintain good relations with the White House. “He’s discovering the fine line between having a […]

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