Another installment (in what has been my bad, of being too infrequent) of Around The Garlic Patch
Must Read - Glenn Greenwald's Scoop On The Politico's DNA
Let's get this off the chest, first and foremost.
Can we not have anymore more presidential candidate debates held and hosted at presidential libraries? In in particular, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
I didn't watch every minute of the coverage, but I suspect no one brought up the irony of having the debate in the hanger that housed the old Air Force One that Reagan (and other Presidents) traveled on.
The airplane of the union-busting President.
It was Reagan who broke up PATCO (Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization), two-days after they began a strike for better working conditions. Not only did he fire them, but he also banned them from federal employment.
Since Reagan is, quite erroneously, credited with bringing down the Soviet Union (more like it happened on his watch, the cumulative effect of previous administrations maintenance of the Cold War), perhaps PATCO was his test run (Can't you just hear him, practicing "Tear down that control tower" over and over?).
There. Feel better.
The main purpose of this post is to bring your attention to, and encourage you to read through it, the exceptional reporting/writing of Salon's Glenn Greenwald on the DNA of the spanking new media outlet, the on-line political magazine, The Politico.
They pulled in some big name journalists from The Washington Post, Time Magazine and other places and it was going to be a new day. There's also ties to Matt Sludge but that, more-or-less, is unofficial and not in their masthead.
"She [Nancy Reagan] was escorted out of the hall by Frederick J. Ryan Jr., chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation, and president and CEO of The Politico."
Not only is The Politico's DNA and money coming from a long-time Reaganite, but also from a long-time friend and supporter of Chilean Dictator and murderer, Augusto Pinochet. Friendship, plus business ties.
If the Kurdish Regional Government truly wants to establish itself as "The Other Iraq", then they will move heaven and earth to bring this young girl's killers to justice.
10. Good thing Fred Thompson hasn't entered the race yet ... Between the size of his ego, and Tommy's ears, we'll be lucky if the camera evens catches us in a panning shot
9. I heard, just to make his point, Duncan Hunter climbed over a fence to sneak in here tonight
4. Tancredo pulled a bullshit move ... He had his Lawn-Chair Militia out front, trying to intimidate the other candidates
3. Watch if things get heated ... Guiliani will blow his top and say he'd give his mother embryonic stem cells so she could get an abortion if it would get him elected
The Chief Decider, yesterday, gave an Al-Qaeda-laden speech (to the Associated General Contractors of America, at the Willard Hotel in Washington D.C.) that I'm surprised the crowd didn't stampede out to the street in panic.
"Success is not, no violence. There are parts of our own country that have got a certain level of violence to it. But success is a level of violence where the people feel comfortable about living their daily lives. And that's what we're trying to achieve."
Amazing.
There's the answer, the whole apple cart on why our lives may be out of order - We haven’t struck the right balance of the proper amount of violence in our lives to feel comfortable. Do we have too much? Too little?
Maybe the endorphins were racing around his head, giddy and punch-drunk after doing his "I'm the commander guy" thing and signing the veto on the Iraq War Spending Bill
So it's gone from finding the WMD's, to putting a stop to Iraq's nuclear program, to taking out Saddam Hussein, to establishing a free Democratic Iraq, to allowing the Iraq people to vote, to "when they stand-up, we stand-down", to an Iraq that can govern and defend itself and now, to a level of violence where the people feel comfortable about living their daily lives.
We should, probably, be strapping ourselves in, for it is entirely likely the Bush Grindhouse will be pumping out more fear rhetoric, as he fights to save his failed policy while the rest of his administration explodes.
So, in a nutshell, here's what the Chief Decider wants you to do.
Be afraid, remember who the commander guy is, get the right balance of violence in your life, watch the Military YouTube channel, don't read the soldier's blogs or emails that haven't been approved and, with whatever you do, maybe you'll succeed, or maybe you won't.
President Bush: "... And that's why I took this action, to win the broad, bipartisan support of Congress, so we can support our troops, save our civilization and win this war ... Senator Reid? ...."
The President takes a step back, smiling at both Reid and Pelosi. Reid, as he steps to the microphone, gives the President a collegial, affectionate tap on the arm.
Reid: "Thank You Mr. President ... This is a great day for America ... For our soldiers ... For the Iraqi people... It was an extraordinary gesture ... Check that - vision ... For the President to come up to the Hill today, say that he wants to avoid a veto fight, roll up his sleeves and say "Let's get this done, so the soldiers and the people are secure" ... The President was very persuasive ... He talked about what would happen if we didn't provided him the tools and resources to fight this war ... To support our troops ... He hit it home, talking about images of soldiers, on the battlefield, having to boil their shoes in order to have something to eat - all because some politicians here in Congress had their heads filled with crazy ideas ... (turning and nodding to the President) Thank you Mr. President ... Thank you for showing us the light ... "
The President nods back at Reid, and with a sweeping hand motion, ushering Speaker Pelosi to the microphone.
Pelosi: Another generation had a terrible war they had to win ... And their leader pulled himself up out of a wheelchair to lead them to victory ... It took this President marching up the Hill today to pull us all together ... This was our generation's moment today ... We have a similarly great leader - President Bush - who is stepping up to lead us to victory ..."
"Mr. President ... Mr. President ..."
A White House aid gently shakes the President's shoulder, and the President snaps his eyes open.
White House, To Counter Dems, Planning Own Elaborate Signing Ceremony VP Office May Issue Update "Last Throes" Declaration; Military Bands and Wounded Vets Expected To Attend
Looking to gain the upper hand in upcoming talks, the White House hastily announced plans to push back against the Democrat Majority with their own elaborate signing ceremony, that will see President Bush reject the Iraq War Spending Bill, as promised, penning his name under a large "Veto Accomplished" banner.
"It's not quite to the level of our past Bushapaloozas," an excited Dan Bartlett, White House Communications Director, exclaimed, "but it will be significant."
Plans for the Veto Signing include having military bands pounding out a medley of patriotic music, to an audience of wounded veterans bused over from the Walter Reed Medical Center out in the Rose Garden, with the President, surrounded by the Republican leadership, signing the veto under the "Veto Accomplished" banner.
"The President want to let these heroes know," offered Bartlett, wiping a tear from his eye, "that, even if the Democrats in Congress don't support the troops, the President does."
Bartlett indicated that it has not been decided if the President will be attired in his usual business suit, or if he will don the flighsuit for the signing. Sources have told The Garlic that there was a discussion of having the President, in flighsuit, parachute into the Rose Garden for the signing ceremony.
Privately, the White House was bristling, with the Democrats intentionally sending over the bill on the 4th Anniversary of President Bush's infamous "Mission Accomplished" debacle.
Vice President Dick Cheney is expected to be at the veto signing ceremony and may, The Garlic has been told, offer an update of his "Last Throes" declaration. No word from the White House, or the Vice President's office on who is now in their last throes.
Valenti was in the infamous Dallas motorcade on November 22nd, 1963 that saw the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and can be seen in the ubiquitous photograph of Vice President Johnson being sworn in as President aboard Air Force One following the shooting.
In 1966, Valenti left the world of politics to take over as President of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and, in 1968, instituted what became a controversial rating system of movies that has endured to this day.
At his wake, standing guard around the open casket were floral arrangements in the shape of his beloved rating system - "G", "R" and "X"
As a final tribute to the movie biz titan, the MPAA issued a special, one-time only "JV" rating for Valenti's funeral, saying that is was for conservative, prudish, Mature Audiences only.
And, in another tribute to Valenti's commitment to the commerce of the motion picture business, a Director's Cut DVD of the funeral will be released in approximately three-weeks.
There will be head-turning, whispers, and mumbling, as you walk into the restaurant ... When you're lining up to tee off at the country club ... Standing in line for your double, low-fat latte ...
But most of it will be about your World Bank stint and, invariably, the words "fucking up a free lunch" will be in the hushed conversations about you ... And directed at you ...
And it won't be just here, in the good, ole U.S. of A ...
No Wolfie, this will be reverberating all over Europe, Asia ... The entire world ...
The World Bank and "fucking up a free lunch" will be uttered over and over, in multiple languages ...
The World Bank, Wolfie ... The most taxing thing is just having to attend all those meetings ... Looking good in tux ... Doling out millions of dollars ...
To your credit, there is a small level or irony here, when you put the World Bank and ethics in same sentence.
Author and satirist Barry Crimmins offered "The World Bank of all places ... Ethics ... These are the guys that shakedown water drinkers in Africa ... "
You have your hearing today. Maybe you can pull it out with documents, and an impassioned plea ... Act innocent and use the standard training you got from the Bush Grindhouse, and accuse your accusers ... Perhaps you can even throw in the tried-and-true belief that you feel your girlfriend, with her generous raise in salary, would pay for herself ... You know the drill, just like you said about Iraq ...
But, to play it safe, start preparing your self for the whispers ... And getting used to hearing the "fucked up a free lunch" thing ...
And fear not Wolfie, the Garlic Poll voters are already scouting out a new gig for you ...
The Results - The Garlic's Weekly Poll April 15 - April 21, 2007
With the disastrous appearance and testimony of Crony General Alberto Gonzales last week, the White House, likely, has a short list of replacements for when Gonzales, either voluntarily, or is forced, resigns (assuming he isn't indicated beforehand)
1. Paul Wolfowitz (he needs someplace to land after the World Bank gives him the boot) Tally 40%
2. Condi Rice (allows Bush to move BlackBag Job Specialist John Negroponte up the ladder) Tally 22%
3. Bring Back John Ashcroft (but he's gotta leave the statues uncovered, and no singing) Tally 21%
4. Mike "Helluva A Job" Brown (between Brown, Gonzales, Miers and others, we know experience doesn't matter) Tally 17%
This week’s Poll- With all their dirty work and scandals bubbling to the surface, the Bush Administration surely must be wishing that former CIA Director George Tenent ...
Scroll up to the top right corner to place your vote
If he were alive and in business today, would Pinochet be a subscriber to The Politico?
If traveling to "The Other Iraq" beware of the water and bring your own rocks
It's not your father's Sunday School anymore
