Rush Limbaugh arrested on drug charges

Rush Limbaugh was arrested today on prescription drug charges. He turned himself in to authorities on a warrant issued by the Florida state attorney's office. The warrant was for fraud to conceal information to obtain a prescription.

Limbaugh was booked and released on $3,000 bail.

DARE to keep conservative talk-show hosts off drugs!

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?floc=ns-tos-news-h-02&idq=/ff/story/0001/20060428/1825487675.htm

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today

Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

Global warming is junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

You support states' rights, but the Attorney General can tell states what local voter initiatives they have the right to adopt.

What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

(Thanks to Michael Rauscher.)

Mick Jagger refuses to give up hotel room to George Bush

There's no room at the inn...for George W. Bush. That's because Mick Jagger booked it first - and refused to give it up when Bush asked for it.

Jagger had reserved several suites in the Imperial Hotel in Vienna, Austria, for June when the Stones are scheduled to play there. Bush's aides then tried to book the same suites to tie in with a summit meeting, but Jagger said no way.

A source close to Jagger said, "Bush's people seemed to be under the impression that they would just hand over the suites, but there was no way Mick was going to do that."

Jagger criticizes Bush and his Iraq War policy on the latest Stones album, "A Bigger Bang."

Kudos to Jagger for giving Bush no satisfaction.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006180696,00.html

Can a state legislature impeach Bush?

Illinois started it, and now California has joined them. Both states have introduced proposals to their legislatures to impeach President Bush. And California wants to impeach Cheney, too.

Can states do that?

Apparently, yes. The amendments for impeachment submitted by California Assemblyman Paul Koretz of Los Angeles reference Section 603 of Jefferson's Manual of the Rules of the United States House of Representatives, which allows federal impeachment proceedings to be initiated by joint resolution of a state legislature.

The resolution, according to Koretz's press release, "bases the call for impeachment upon the Bush Administration intentionally misleading the Congress and the American people regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify an unnecessary war that has cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives and casualties; exceeding constitutional authority to wage war by invading Iraq; exceeding constitutional authority by Federalizing the National Guard; conspiring to torture prisoners in violation of the 'Federal Torture Act' and indicating intent to continue such actions; spying on American citizens in violation of the 1978 Foreign Agency Surveillance Act; leaking and covering up the leak of the identity of Valerie Plame Wilson, and holding American citizens without charge or trial."

It sounds like a long shot, but it's a shorter shot than expecting a Republican-controlled Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings.

For more information, and a kit to help with promoting this resolution and passing others in your towns and cities, visit http://www.impeachpac.org/resolutions.

http://www.democrats.com/node/8696

(Thanks to Eric Dickey.)

Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom to deny others' freedom

In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said that a T-shirt that proclaimed "Be Ashamed, Our School Embraced What God Has Condemned'' on the front and "Homosexuality Is Shameful'' on the back was "injurious to gay and lesbian students and interfered with their right to learn.'' The court said that the shirt can be barred on a public high school campus without violating the 1st Amendment.

While we believe in freedom of speech and everything, sometimes we wish it could be limited only to those who have something intelligent to say. If there is a God, it is surely ashamed of the people who created and wore those shirts.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-042006tshirt_lat,0,3655114.story?coll=la-story-footer

I'm the Decider

A band called The Real Baby Jesus has put out a brilliant song parody skewering Bush's "I'm the decider" comment. It's based on the Beatles' "I Am the Walrus," and you can listen to it at http://decider.cf.huffingtonpost.com/.

Here are the lyrics.

I'm the Decider
by The Real Baby Jesus

I am me and Rummy's he, Iraq is free and we are all together
See the world run when Dick shoots his gun, see how I lie
I'm Lying...

Sitting on my own brain, waiting for the end of days
Corporation profits, bloody oil money
I'm above the law and I'll decide what's right or wrong

I am the egg head, I'm the Commander, I'm the Decider
Koo-Koo-Kachoo

Baghdad city policeman sitting pretty little targets in a row
See how they die when the shrapnel flies, see mothers cry
I'm Lying...I'm Ly-ing...I'm Lying...I'm Ly-ing

Yellow cake plutonium, imaginary WMD's
Declassifying facts, exposing secret agents
Tax cuts for the wealthy leaving all the poor behind

CHORUS

Sitting in the White house garden talking to the Lord
My thoughts would be busy busy hatching If I only had a brain

CHORUS

Best Rolling Stone cover ever

Coincidentally, the cover story is titled, "The Worst President in History?" (What is this, Rhetorical Question Week?) A sneak peek at the answer:

"...the Bush administration--in seeking to restore what Cheney, a Nixon administration veteran, has called "the legitimate authority of the presidency"--threatens to overturn the Framers' healthy tension in favor of presidential absolutism. Armed with legal findings by his attorney general (and personal lawyer) Alberto Gonzales, the Bush White House has declared that the president's powers as commander in chief in wartime are limitless. No previous wartime president has come close to making so grandiose a claim."

Read the whole article:
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/profile/story/9961300/the_worst_
president_in_history?rnd=1145468541266&has-player=true&version=
6.0.8.1024

(Thanks to Eric Dickey.)

McClellan resigns; Bush anticipates talking about "the good old days"

White House flak Scott McClellan resigned yesterday, telling Bush, "I have given it my all sir and I have given you my all sir, and I will continue to do so as we transition to a new press secretary."

We have no doubt he gave his all. Just look at him. Can you believe he's only 38?

Bush thanked McClellan for "a job well done" (aka "a heckuva job") and said, "One of these days, he and I are going to be rocking in chairs in Texas and talking about the good old days."

The good old days? When did those happen?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/19/AR2006041900897.html

What's on Dick Cheney's tax return?

Well, for one thing, Cheney and his wife donated a pile of money to charities:

$2.7 million to the Cardiothoracic Institute of George Washington University Medical Center (where Cheney has been treated for heart problems)

$1.3 million to Capital Partners for Education (a Georgetown-based scholarship fund that helps finance education at private schools for area teenagers)

$2.7 million to the University of Wyoming (where Cheney graduated in 1965 and his wife taught English)

That all adds up to $6.7 million in charitable donations. In one year. Which begs two rhetorical questions:

1. Where did Cheney get all that money?

2. Where did Cheney get all that guilt?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/17/AR2006041701351.html

Your tax dollars hard at work - killing people

This chart shows how our federal tax dollars were divvied up last year. You can't call us unpatriotic; we ponied up $1,184.18 to support the military. Of course, the contribution was involuntary, but we still did our part for Operation Iraqi Devastation.

Don't worry, we also supported education. A whopping $170.36 of our tax money went toward Leaving No Child Behind...By More Than a Few Years.

Here's how the rest of the pie got sliced:

$839.31 went to health care
$776.99 went to pay the interest on the debt
$274.23 went to income security
$153.73 went to benefits for veterans
$112.19 went to nutrition spending
$83.10 went to housing
$58.17 went to environmental protection
$12.47 went to job training
$481.98 went to all other expenses

Need a break from working on your 1040? Make your own pie chart: http://www.nationalpriorities.org/auxiliary/interactivetaxchart/taxchart.html

Cowardly Central chickens out again on South Park episode

Cowardly Central has gone flaccid again, this time banning an image of Muhammad from an episode of "South Park." The reason? "Recent world events."

Just last month, Cowardly Central yanked an episode that satirized Scientology, due to "Events of earlier this week."

The Muhammad episode wasn't yanked; it was just modified to avoid offending Muslims. At the point at which viewers should have seen Muhammad handing a football helmet to a "Family Guy" character, the screen went black and this message appeared: "Comedy Central has refused to broadcast an image of Muhammad on their network."

Ironically, the episode includes a South Park character defending free speech:

"Freedom of speech is at stake here, don't you all see? If anything, we should all make cartoons of Muhammad and show the terrorists and the extremists that we are all united in the belief that every person has a right to say what they want.

"Look, people, it's been really easy for us to stand up for free speech lately. For the past few decades, we haven't had to risk anything to defend it. One of those times is right now. And if we aren't willing to risk what we have now, then we just believe in free speech, but won't defend it."

Cowardly Central, are you listening?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/13/AR2006041302212.html

Bush caught in yet another lie

May 27, 2003: a Pentagon-sponsored fact-finding mission issues a "field report" stating that two trailers found in Iraq had nothing to do with biological weapons.

May 29, 2003: Bush ignores the field report and declares, "We have found the weapons of mass destruction."

April 12, 2006 (morning): The Washington Post publishes this information, citing government officials and weapons experts who participated in the secret mission or had direct knowledge of it.

April 12, 2006 (afternoon): White House spokesman Scott McClellan calls the Washington Post's account "reckless reporting" and says it's "nothing more than rehashing an old issue that was resolved long ago."

McClellan is right about one thing: Bush's lying is an old issue. But it has yet to be resolved. We hope the Washington Post continues its reckless reporting until the situation IS resolved.

Kind of like they did with Watergate.

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?idq=/ff/story/0002%2F20060412%2F1210774207.htm

Just a reminder

U.S. soldiers are still dying in Iraq.

Thirty-two so far this month.

The current total: 2,364.

Wounded: 17,469.

Iraqis killed so far: at least 34,030.

http://icasualties.org/oif/
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/

Best Uranus joke since junior high

And it has a positive message!

(Totally stolen from Crallspace, http://dancrall.blogspot.com/)

Cheney gets booed throwing out first pitch

At the home opener of the Washington Nationals baseball game today, Cheney threw out the ceremonial first pitch and was loudly booed by the crowd of 25,000. Fortunately, Cheney's pitch hit the dirt instead of someone's face...

Watch (and hear) the video: http://images1.americanprogress.org/il80web20037/
ThinkProgress/2006/cheneypitch.320.240.mov

Bush confesses, then lies some more

Bush confessed today that he did, in fact, order the declassification of parts of a prewar intelligence report on Iraq to respond to critics who alleged that he manipulated intelligence to justify the war.

He confessed, and then he lied. "I wanted people to see what some of those statements were based on," he said. "I wanted people to see the truth. I thought it made sense for people to see the truth. That's why I declassified the document."

Okay, so when do we get to see the truth, Mr. Bush? And when are you going to fire the person who leaked the classified information - which was you?

Bill Frist puts gay "hanky code" on invitation

Bill Frist has sent out invitation cards announcing, on a blue-jeaned cowboy's belt buckle, the "5th Annual VOLPAC '06 Weekend" in Nashville on April 21-23. Recipients have to unbuckle the cowboy's pants and look inside to see what it's all about. (Seem a bit "Brokeback Mountain"?)

The back of the card shows the cowboy from behind, with a red flowered handkerchief sticking out of his right pocket.

According to GayCityUSA.com, a red hanky in the right pocket means "fist fuckee."

Our new nickname for the good senator: Dr. Fist.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/06/AR2006040601943_pf.html

The end is near

For Bush, that is. The White House has declined to challenge assertions that Bush authorized leaking intelligence information to counter critics of his decision to invade Iraq.

Even Bush spokesman Scott McClellan parried the question. "The president would never authorize disclosure of information that could compromise our nation's security."

Let's parse that statement: "would never" implies "would not, from this point forward" (now that he knows how much trouble it can cause him); "authorize" means "give written permission" (it was verbal); and "compromise" means "worsen" (our nation's security is already as bad as it can get).

Say bye-bye, Bushie boy!

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/us.jsp?floc=ns-tos-news-h-03&feature=newz_0406leak_claim

Yeah!

Bush has been talking to real audiences lately (not hand-picked cheerleaders), and today a man in one of those audiences in Charlotte, North Carolina, took Bush to the woodshed. The man, who identified himself as Harry Taylor, told Bush that he's never felt more ashamed of the leadership of his country since Bush has been tapping phones without a warrant, arresting people and holding them without charges, and revoking a woman's right to an abortion, among other things. "I feel like despite your rhetoric, that compassion and common sense have been left far behind during your administration,'' Taylor said, "and I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and grace to be ashamed of yourself."

[Yeah! You go, Mr. Taylor! If that's even your real name...if you aren't just another hand-picked shill, designed to make Bush detractors feel like they finally have a voice...after all, the article from which this info was lifted was written by right-wing apologist Nedra Pickler, whose face can be seen in this sign someone recently held up during American Idol...]

Anyway, Bush's reply: "You said would I apologize for that? The answer is absolutely not."

Was the man even LISTENING to Mr. Taylor?

Do we ever tire of asking RHETORICAL QUESTIONS?

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?idq=/ff/story/0001/20060406/1304020422.htm

UPDATE: MoveOn.org just sent us the entire text of Taylor's remarks to Bush:

HARRY TAYLOR: You never stop talking about freedom, and I appreciate that. But while I listen to you talk about freedom, I see you assert your right to tap my telephone, to arrest me and hold me without charges, to try to preclude me from breathing clean air and drinking clean water and eating safe food. If I were a woman, you'd like to restrict my opportunity to make a choice and decision about whether I can abort a pregnancy on my own behalf. You are -

PRESIDENT BUSH: I'm not your favorite guy. Go ahead. (Laughter and applause.) Go on, what's your question?

HARRY TAYLOR: Okay, I don't have a question. What I wanted to say to you is that I - in my lifetime, I have never felt more ashamed of, nor more frightened by my leadership in Washington, including the presidency, by the Senate, and -

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Booo!

PRESIDENT BUSH: No, wait a sec - let him speak.

HARRY TAYLOR: And I would hope - I feel like despite your rhetoric, that compassion and common sense have been left far behind during your administration, and I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and the grace to be ashamed of yourself inside yourself. And I also want to say I really appreciate the courtesy of allowing me to speak what I'm saying to you right now. That is part of what this country is about.

Can you even believe that the crowd BOOED this courageous and righteous man? Well, okay, it WAS in Charlotte...

Tom DeLay walks with God

But according to this church sign, that's not all he does.

For the complete story, visit Ms. Lori at http://onewhippedmother.blogspot.com/.

Sex, sex, and more sex

Have you noticed the increasing frequency of sex crimes being reported in the news, particularly sex crimes by public officials? You know, public officials - the people who are supposed to be protecting us from things like sex crimes?

This morning alone, there were three such stories in the news - one local, one state, and one national - all three of them involving public officials:

Local: Corvallis police officer Ryan Thayer resigned amid allegations that he had a sexual relationship with an Oregon State University student while he was supposed to be on patrol. Thayer, 25, was accused of having sex with the woman while he was on duty, lying to supervisors about his whereabouts and activities, disobeying orders, and using a department cell phone to talk with the woman. And by the way, he's married and has children.

State: Portland Police Chief Derrick Foxworth is facing a city investigation after allegations of "sexual impropriety" were made against him. His accuser: Angela Oswalt, 46, a desk clerk at the St. John's precinct.

National: Brian J. Doyle, 55, deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was charged with using a computer to seduce a child (actually an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old girl). He is the fourth-ranking official in the department's public affairs office.

What is it about these men - and perhaps men in general - that makes them think 1) illicit sex is normal, 2) they're not hurting anyone, 3) no one will find out, and 4) it's okay to use their positions of power to exploit women?

Ohio election fraud, continued

The truth about what happened in Ohio keeps trickling out, and it smells an awful lot like rotten fish entrails.

Ohio's Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, a Republican, admitted yesterday that he "accidentally" bought stock in Diebold Inc., a voting machine maker that benefited from decisions made by his office - and gave Bush the presidency.

Blackwell, a gubernatorial hopeful, revealed in a required filing with the Ohio Ethics Commission that his hefty portfolio included 178 shares of Diebold stock - which he has, of course, sold to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

Too late, Ken.

Stealing a line from Bill Frist, Blackwell said, "While I was unaware of this stock in my portfolio, its mere presence may be viewed as a conflict."

Why are Republicans so frequently "unaware"?

A spokesman for Ohio's attorney general said Blackwell "has a pretty unique history with this company...This should be investigated."

But Blackwell spokesman Carlo LoParo called the request for an investigation "absurd" and said that county boards of election - not the secretary of state - determine which voting machines to use. However, Blackwell's staff had narrowed down the list of companies eligible to replace old voting equipment, and Diebold made the cut.

In other words, counties could choose whichever machines they wanted - as long as they were Diebold.

Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, LoParo maintains that Diebold's machines are safe and reliable, and he described Blackwell's Diebold holdings as an honest mistake.

Why do Republicans so frequently make "honest mistakes"?

As the spokesman for Ohio's Democratic Party said, "If Ken Blackwell didn't know how his own money was being spent, why would the people of Ohio think he would be a good steward of their checkbook?"

Indeed. And further, why would the people of Ohio think Diebold is a good steward of their votes - and our presidency?

Ohio, unless you want to see this country go completely to hell, we suggest you make both Blackwell and Diebold live up to their names.

Opposed to terrorism? Don't pay your federal taxes!

The newly revised Patriot Act makes it illegal to provide money to organizations that practice terrorism. Since terrorism is defined as "the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion," the U.S. is arguably an organization that practices terrorism. Therefore, in order to comply with the Patriot Act and protect national security, we must refuse to pay our federal taxes.

Because it's unlikely that the IRS or a federal court would agree with that conclusion, you might have to get creative to avoid paying federal taxes. For example, you can choose to live below the taxable income level or find tax-free employment and become uncollectable. Or you can become a full-fledged tax resistor and simply refuse to pay any federal taxes - which probably will result in your having to pay even more tax in the form of penalties and interest.

Becoming any kind of tax resistor is risky, but so is continuing to support a deadly, costly, and foolish war.

For resources and counseling on tax resistance for reasons of conscientious objection to military spending, contact the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee at 1-800-269-7464, or www.nwtrcc.org.