Bill O'Reilly Exclusive! Black People Go To Restaurants ... And They Eat!

The Loofah Man is at it again ...It's just too sublime

Media Matters: O'Reilly surprised "there was no difference" between Harlem restaurant and other New York restaurants

If this guy was anymore of a pinhead, he'd be set for life, covered by the Disabilities Act

Bonus Bill-O Links

Think Progress - STUDY: Bill O’Reilly Uses Derogatory Names ‘More Than Once Every Seven Seconds’

Bill O'Reilly - Amy Polumbo Lecherous Interview

Larisa Alexandrovna: Bill O'Reilly is in love with Matt Damon

Good Post Alert: How George Bush became the new Saddam

Perhaps, what the Bush Grindhouse has tried to pull off, something the White House Iraq Group (WHIG) overlooked, would have worked, but only if they controlled the entire world media.

Canadian Patrick Graham, writing for MacLeans, has, if it were a court case, some serious rebuttal to the PetraeusReportPalooza, in the cover story this week;

How George Bush became the new Saddam; COVER STORY: Its strategies shattered, a desperate Washington is reaching out to the late dictator's henchmen.

Trex, over at Firedoglake chips in on it;

Late Nite FDL: We Are the New Saddam

But, alas, rather than band together and work towards a sane, clear strategy for getting us out of Iraq, our Congress - the Senate, in particular - chooses to get lathered over a newspaper ad.

Bonus Links

Peter Baker: 9/11 Linked To Iraq, In Politics if Not in Fact

Sidney Blumenthal: Bush's stairway to paradise; Hoping that history will somehow vindicate him, the president has entered a phase of decadent perversity.

Okay Decider Guy, Play or Pass?

Edward Copeland, over on The Reaction, has a rather interesting proposal to lay on The Decider Guy, as well as the Congressional Republicans ...

Man-oh-man, would love to see that debate ...

Might be enough to make John Boehner cry...

Check it out!

Democrats, LISTEN TO ME PLEASE

Minced Garlic - New Keith Olbermann Special Comment: ‘Your hypocrisy is so vast’

Like Pike Bishop returning to the General's compound, demanding "We want Angel Back" in the Sam Peckinpah classic, "The Wild Bunch", we had MSNBC Countdown Anchor Keith Olbermann back at the helm, following a multi-day absence due to his appendix removal, firing with both guns at The Commander Guy, in his Special Comment, "Olbermann to Bush: ‘Your hypocrisy is so vast’.

Rather coincidentally, The Garlic, earlier in the evening, wrote on the same theme ("Hypocrites, The Bunch of Them!") as it was so egregious, the Smearmeisters attack on MoveOn.Org, for the "General Betrayus" ad.

And Olbermann, like Pike Bishop, hit a dead-on bullseye with his first shot;

"So the President, behaving a little bit more than usual, like we would all interrupt him while he was watching his favorite cartoons on the DVR, s ...

We did have endure, from the Press Conference this morning, The Commander Guy morphing into The Whining Guy, when he was served up a softball final question;

“I thought the ad was disgusting. I felt like the ad was an attack not only on General Petraeus, but on the U.S. Military.”

“And I was disappointed that not more leaders in the Democrat party spoke out strongly against that kind of ad.

“And that leads me to come to this conclusion: that most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like Moveon.org or more afraid of irritating them, than they are of irritating the United States military.”

“That was a sorry deal."

And the shooting began, with Olbermann in high, spirited form, spanking The Commander Guy with history, highlighting even more, his folly.

"Deliberately, premeditatedly, and virtually without precedent, you shanghaied a military man as your personal spokesman and now you’re complaining about the outcome, and then running away from the microphone?"

"But a shot at General Petraeus, about whom you conveniently ignore it, was you who reduced him from four-star hero to a political hack, merits this pissy juvenile blast at the Democrats on national television?"

"The line between the military and the civilian government is not to be crossed."

"But Mr. Bush, you have hidden behind the General’s skirts, and today you have hidden behind the skirts of ‘the planted last question’ at a news conference, to indicate once again that your presidency has been about the tilted playing field, about no rules for your party in terms of character assassination and changing the fabric of our nation, and no right for your opponents or critics to as much as respond."

"That is not only un-American but it is dictatorial."

And the final shot, a zinger;

"It is a line which history shows is always the first one crossed when a democratic government in some other country has started down the long, slippery, suicidal slope towards a Military Junta."

Hats off to you, Mr. Olbermann.

Good to have you back.

Watch Keith Olbermann's Special Comment: Bush’s hypocrisy for condemning Petraeus ad

Read Keith Olbermann's Special Comment


Bonus Links

Matt Stoller: Wes Clark Interview, Part One: The Petraeus Ad

Chris Cillizza: Bush vs MoveOn

Paul Begala: Democrats Should Attack Bush, Not MoveOn

Hypocrites, The Bunch of Them!

Actually had some other posts planned for today, however, upon opening my eyes early this morning, I soon descried what the day would be - An absolute, merciless hammering, like a Blackwater USA security detail in the a heart of Baghdad, of allergies.

So, instead, I rant.

Why-O-Why do the Democrats, after all the twisted spin, outright lies, hurtful smears, keep buying into the Republican/Rightwing/Freak Show straw-man, talking point hissy fits?

General Betrayus!

How could the Senate Democrats possibly join in with the Rubber-Stamp Republicans, to the tune of a 75-25 vote, to approve a resolution condemning MoveOn.Org for their "General Betrayus" advertisement, the day the PetraeusReportPalooza kicked off.

While The Commander Guy, and the rest of the blathering pinheads wipe away the foam and spittle from their mouths, over this "outrageous insult to our troops", where was your rage when the "Betrayus" line was first used - or, at least uttered before the MoveOn.Org ad?

It occurred on a TimesOnLine (UK) article from 19 August 2007, titled "Americans doubt ‘General Betraeus’ over troop surge".

Here's the money shot;

"AFTER being hailed as King David, the potential saviour of Iraq, the US commander General David Petraeus is facing a backlash in advance of his report to Congress in September on the progress of America’s troop surge.

Critics, including one recently retired general, are privately calling him “General Betraeus” on the grounds that he is too ambitious to deliver a balanced report on the war."

Seems that the the title "General Betraeus" was coined by military people, the same people that The Commander Guy, the Republicans, and more-than-a-handful of Democrats are accusing MoveOn.Org slandering.

I don't have access to Lexus-Nexus to verify when it was first used, but, by way of the above-quoted article, it was used, at least once, prior to MoveOn.Org.

I mean, wake the fuck up!

It wouldn't take a fifth-grade (including one from that Fox show) class clown all that much to figure out the rhyme potential of "Petraeus" and 'Betrayus".

But no, the Harry "Just-Don't-Hurt-Me-When-You-Walk-All-Over-Me" Reid-led Senate Democratic Majority folds like a beer-barrel-song accordion every time.

The Golden Boy General chose to make himself the water carrier for the Bush Grindhouse and it shouldn't be incumbent on the Senate, or anyone else, to try to hid him behind his uniform, free of criticism. He's playing politics just like everyone else, he lobbied, wine-and-dined the dog-and-pony shows in selling this, and because he has a lot of scrambled eggs on his chest, that doesn't give him any free passes.

The Senate Republicans are a very partisan, even meaner Lucy, and the Senate Democrats seem all-to-content to comply to their Charlie Brown role, but even more gullible, kicking at that football that isn't there.

But Wait, There's More

And in case you have any thoughts of this is part of Reid's grand strategy, or they're fighting the battles they can, get a glove, get in the game

We had a vision yesterday, a sneak preview, rated "N" for nauseating, on how the next year-and-a-half is going to play out.

Better, I guess, to have 130,000 tired, burned-out, over-extended soldiers stationed in Iraq, than, say, 65,000 well-rested and refreshed.

Pretty amazing, with the mantra of the Republicans the past few years, of beating the Democrats over the head with false charges and lies about not wanting to support the troops, "Defeatocrats" and the like ...

Given the opportunity to do something that would truly aid and assist our military troops, the Republicans all raced to shove their heads up The Commander Guys' ass.

And here is, essentially, what the Republicans continue to support, without question or oversight, from Sidney Blumenthal today over at Salon;

"One week after Petraeus flashed his metrics, a whole new set of facts on the ground suddenly emerged: an admission (previously denied) by Petraeus that the United States was arming the Sunnis, who might use those weapons in the next phase of Iraq's civil war; the release of a Pentagon report that there is "an increase in intra-Shi'a violence throughout the South" (a report conveniently withheld as Petraeus was testifying); the Iraqi government's expulsion of Blackwater, a private security firm with close ties to the administration, after a band of its guards gunned down Iraqi civilians; the restriction of all nonmilitary U.S. personnel in Iraq to the Green Zone; a report by the Iraqi Red Crescent that about 1 million people are internal refugees as a result of ethnic cleansing (apart from the more than 2 million refugees who have fled the country); and the announcement by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of an investigation into the State Department's inspector general for quashing scrutiny and embarrassing studies of fraud in the construction of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, among other projects.

As these events played out, Petraeus was detailed as Bush's Willy Loman to preside over the cooling of the special relationship with America's most important ally in the coalition of the willing. The general traveled to London to meet with Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the policy from which he is rapidly disengaging, already having withdrawn British forces in Basra to its airport before final evacuation. Such is the face of victory 10 days after Petraeus' march through Capitol Hill. "

Apparently, since they like to rig voting counts, they want to apply the same policy to death counts, and will continue to blindly support the failed policies of a failed president.

Not a big fan of Chris Matthews, but he did have a good point yesterday (apply the "even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in awhile" here), noting the Republican actions in not supporting the Webb Bill, by saying "but we now realize that we stay in this war six more months, do the multiplication. Six times 90; 550 some people are going to be dead ..."

Time, sadly, once again, to cue up Que Sera Sera...

More To Wade Through Links

Digby: Make Em Talk

Joan Walsh: When winning is still losing

Glenn Greenwald: Limitless wrongness

Good Post Alert - Launching Brand Petraeus

The PetraeusReportpalooza ... Ready For Your Close-Up, General?

New Garlic Song: Everything's Coming Up Iraq!

He still has some tough sledding, selling this Iraq thing.

And he pulled out all the stops last week ... The PetraeusReportPalooza... The prime-time, 36-country, extravaganza ...

He got the headlines he wanted, but it still ain't flying off the shelves.

The Garlic, as we so often have, knows exactly what to do.

The Commander Guy needs music!

High School Musical 2 is sweeping the country ... Senators are tapping their toes ...

He should have given the speech from the rotunda ... Tails and top hat, the military orchestra tucked off to the side, floor waxed and shining like a Presidential Medal of Freedom Award...

It's a classic ... Think Ethel Merman... Rosalind Russell... Belt it out!

Everything's Coming Up Iraq!

The Commander Guy
[Speaking] Finish? We're just beginning and there's no one to stop me at this time!
I had a dream, a dream about you, Petraeus
It's gonna come true, Petraeus
They think that we're through, but Petraeus,

I'll be swell! I'll be great!
Gonna have the whole Congress on the plate!
Starting here, Ending never,
Petraeus, everything's coming up Iraq!

Clear the decks! Clear the tracks!
I've got nothing to do but relax.
Blow a benchmark. Take a bow.
Petraeus, everything's coming up Iraq!

Now's my inning. Stand the Congress on it's ear!
Set it spinning! That'll be just the beginning!
Curtain up! Light the lights!
I've got nothing to hit but the heights!
I'll be swell! I'll be great!
I can tell. Just you wait.
That Freedom Institute I talk about is due!
Petraeus, everything's coming up Iraq for me and for you!

I can do it, all I need is some spin.
I can do it, Petraeus is gonna see to it!
Curtain up! Light the lights!
I got nothing to hit but the heights!
I can tell, wait and see.
There's the Neocons! Follow me!
And nothing's gonna stop us 'til we're through!
Petraeus, everything's coming up Iraq and daffodils!
Everything's coming up sunshine and Iraq!
Everything's gonna be bright lights and Iraq!
Everything's coming up Iraq for me and for you!

Listen to a clip of Rosalind Russell singing 'Everything's Coming Up Roses'

Top Ten Cloves: Ways The Iraqi Government Can Get Blackwater USA Out of The Country

News Item: Iraqis Order Blackwater out of Iraq -- But Will It Leave?

10. Have them reassigned to Britney Spears

9. Let them stay, but downgrade them to details of just the dog-and-pony, Congressional delegation, shows

8. Announce new mandatory screening of all security personnel for prostrate cancer

7. It might cost a little extra, but see if the sheiks and clerics from Anbar are up for another task

6. President Bush, to save face, can get them to leave by just giving them all really nice, embossed Return On Success certificates

5. Charge that they were in the hotel room with O.J. Simpson

4. The one, sure way; Lobby President Bush to tell Blackwater that they're doing "A heckuva job"

3. Bring accusation that all Blackwater people were tapping there feet and waving their hands under stalls in latrines

2. Take a page from Operation Just Cause and start blasting the same music that drove Noriega out of Panama

1. Call in the University of Florida Campus Police


Bonus Blackwater USA Links

TruthOut: Blackwater Heavies Sue Families of Slain Employees for $10 Million in Brutal Attempt to Suppress Their Story

The Nation/Jeremy Scahill: Bush's Shadow Army

TruthOut: Phantom Army

Media Lobbies Vegas Court To Delay OJ Proceedings Until November Sweeps

Amicus Brief Filed; Media Caught "Flat-Footed", Need Time To Ramp Up For Doc Blocs and Cooper's Emotions

In an unprecedented amicus brief to the Clark County, Nevada court, and coming down on the side of the court, a conglomeration of media - primarily cable television, print and on-line tabloids, are asking that legal proceedings against O.J. Simpson be delayed until November.

Citing "the public's right to know", the brief states that, with the new television season premiering next week, the start of the NFL football season and Major League Baseballs pennant races, playoffs and world series, and Britney Spear's legal matters, will "dilute resources" and "not serve the public's interest in this matter".

The amicus brief also stated that "by moving these proceedings to November, we, the media, will be in better position to present and promote said proceedings for the consumption of the public interest."

Attachments to the brief included reams of Nielsen ratings from both of Simpson's murder trials, and past November Sweeps results, as well as a DVD collection of MSNBC 'Doc-Blocs" that featured, or mentioned Simpson.

"We got caught flat-footed", offered one cable news executive.

Simpson, 60, was arrested Sunday and charged with multiple felonies, after allegedly breaking into a Las Vegas hotel room, with accomplices and robbing, at gun point, a memorabilia dealer of items that Simpson claimed were his own.

The civil-court-convicted murderer and former pro football star is being held without bail, and, if convicted, faces anywhere from 2 - 60-years in prison.

Ironically, just last week, the controversial Simpson murder book "If I Did It" was released.

"This is tough timing," admitted MSNBC General Manager Dan Abrams, who also hosts the program "MSNBC Live with Dan Abrams."

"We're just getting back into the groove after the summer ... Labor Day and - bang - this drops in." added Abrams, who quickly hustled out to Las Vegas to broadcast his program from Sin City last evening.

"If we can get this into the November Sweeps," said a wistful Abrams, "man, it will be through-the-roof ratings."

"We can get a whole winter's worth of Doc Blocs out of this", said Abrams

CNN, who also joined in the brief, stated that its' star anchor, Anderson Cooper, is just returning from Iraq.

In the brief, CNN offered that "a November time period would allow for Mr. Copper to gather the proper amount of emotions in which to cover these proceedings."

Various news companies, both part of the amicus brief, and not involved in the brief, indicated they have already been receiving complaints from their viewers and readers.

An independent survey of those complaints made by The Garlic show that a large percentage of them lament the demise of 'The World Weekly News' and are asking these media outlets if "Bat Boy" or "Big Foot" were involved or accomplices of Simpson.

Bonus Links

ABC News: Apparent Tape Released of O.J. in Vegas; Apparent Audiotape Released of Sports Memorabilia Dispute Involving O.J. Simpson in Las Vegas

Breaking News! Fox Bounces The Juice and Brings In The Scooter; OJ Out, Libby In, As Fox Looks To Make Lemonade Out Of Their Lemons; Reagan Snares Cheney Aide For “If I Leaked ...” Special; No Hush Money But Donation Made To Defense Fund

Top Ten Cloves: Uses For The cancelled O.J. Book On Thanksgiving Day

OJ, Vatican Said To Sign Deal, Merge Hunts


Were Batboy, and Big Foot, accomplices of Simpson in his alleged armed robbery?

Top Ten Cloves: Possible Problems With Suing God

News Item: State Sen. Ernie Chambers Sues God

10. Good luck serving the subpoena

9. He can tie you up in motions for centuries

8. Wake up one morning to find your house and lawn covered with locusts

7. He'll cite the mitigating factor of abuse by the Romans to get the suit dropped.

6. He files for "change of venue"; Wants trial to take place in Ave Marie, Florida

5. Out-of-sight costs to have translators in court that can handle the "speaking in tongues" thing

4. Have to find a courthouse that has a lightening rod

3. Next time you go to confession, for a penance, priest tells you to drop the suit

2. Bury you in paperwork ... His witness list: Allah, Buddha, and a whole boatload of Greek, Egyptian, Chinese, and Tibetan Gods...

1. Will make the Book of Revelation look like a kindergarten primer if He has to come down and take the stand


Bonus God Links

CHRIST SLEPT HERE: A TALE OF EASTER

New, Hi-Tech Confessional Booths Possible; Catholic Church To Follow IRS Lead; Will Begin To Sell Confessions; Move Forecasted To Be Boon For On-Line Porn, Gambling, and Divorce Industries

Top Ten Cloves: Things The Vatican Has Done To Make Good Friday Even Better

Would Fox Have Cut Her Off If She Started Talking About Loofahs?

Regrettably, I didn't catch the Emmy's last evening.

After the day I had, just anchored the sofa down, fighting off falling asleep to view Tom Brady, and the rest of the embattled New England Patriots utterly crush the San Diego Chargers in much-hyped rematch of last season's playoff contest.

And, judging by the news this morning, there were a small bit of fireworks during the broadcast.

After winning another Emmy, Sally Field, in paying tribute to mothers, had her speech cut off.

Seems that Fox just wants to give Cenk Uyger more ammunition for labeling them "opinion media".

Think Progress has the juicy details;

Fox censors Sally Field’s anti-war speech at Emmy’s.


And here's the video;

Fox Cuts Off Sally Field's Anti-War Speech At Emmys




Bonus Fox Links

Keith Olbermann: Has Fox News Gone Too Far?

Salon: Inside the Bill O'Reilly sexual harassment lawsuit.

Breaking News! Fox Bounces The Juice and Brings In The Scooter; OJ Out, Libby In, As Fox Looks To Make Lemonade Out Of Their Lemons; Reagan Snares Cheney Aide For “If I Leaked ...” Special; No Hush Money But Donation Made To Defense Fund

Okay Conspiracy Theorists, Break Out The Tinfoil Hats - Nuke Solider Found Dead

This one should start - if it already hasn't - churning big-time out there in conspiracy world.

And, it could be argued, that this may be a candidate for one of those "Degrees of Separation" things ...

The Garlic indulged in the news at the beginning of the month, when it was reported the Air Force, in error, flew five (and by some reports, six) nuclear warheads from North Dakota to the Barksdale Air Force base in Louisiana (see Top Ten Cloves: Reasons How Air Force Mistakenly Flew 5 Nuclear Warheads Across Country)

Soon thereafter, former CIA Intelligence Officer Larry Johnson posted on his blog - Staging Nukes for Iran?

And there was a nice, little caveat in it;

Barksdale Air Force Base is being used as a jumping off point for Middle East operations. Gee, why would we want cruise missile nukes at Barksdale Air Force Base. Can’t imagine we would need to use them in Iraq. Why would we want to preposition nuclear weapons at a base conducting Middle East operations?

Then, this morning, surfing around, The Garlic espied this story;

Airman that supplied security for the 6 missing nukes dead

And this linked to a bare-bones report: Minot Airman dies while on leave

As the old saying goes, just because you're paranoid, doesn't necessarily mean that aren't after you ...

Stock Tip-of-the-Week: Reynolds Wrap


Bonus And-Speaking-of-Conspiracy-Theory Links

Bill Maher: 9/11 Truthers need professional help, not publicity

Editor's Note

Good Morning Garlic Fans

Hope you enjoyed - at least, those of you in the Northeast - the autumn-like weekend.

Minor mea culpa for the goose-egg in posting yesterday ... A bit of trouble in the non-blog home front impacted us and it may be a bit unsettled, for the next day, or two.

So, in the event posting is low, there's lots of others, as well as some great links, to wade through

Once again, a thousand thanks for visiting and reading The Garlic

Peace
JTD