The cheese stands alone

Okay, Creepy Joe Lieberman isn't standing alone, exactly, he's standing with a bunch of cheesy Republicans.

If I hear, "the surge is working" one more time, I'm sure to puke. Haven't we learned the lesson - the more the administration, and its henchmen, repeat a phrase, the more likely it is to be untrue. Remember "weapons of mass destruction?" Remember "being greeted as liberators?" Remember "as they stand up we'll stand down?" Remember "they're the people who attacked us on 9/11?"

So, if you believe "the surge is working" then you're likely to believe that troops need to stay in Iraq, oh, another 10-15 years.

Creepy Joe Lieberman suggests that opponents of the war take their blinders off. I would suggest that the blind are now leading the blind, and that, to borrow Lieberman's analogy, he has no need to take blinders off, because at that end of the horse, there are no eyes.

By the way, Creepy Joe Lieberman is "independent?" Is that independent of reason?

The last refuge of a scoundrel

You might muster a little respect for Al Gonzales if he gave this speech in front of a mixed audience who might respond with something other than standing o's.

But the treasonous little coward did what every minion of the Bush/Cheney/Rove triad have recommended, spread your lies to audiences unwilling or unable to discern.

Gonzales laid out his disrespect for the Constitution in a speech filled with bravado and treason. I'm not sure why a criminal would admit to his crimes in a public forum, but the hunger for applause when you're about to fade into obscurity must have something to do with it. Is it front page/top story news? He didn't say anything he hasn't said before, so why wasn't it buried with the bra ads on page 17?

Okay cadets, rise and cheer....or else.

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose

The Freedom Concerts? Let's just call it the concert from hell.

I don't know exactly where Dante would place the event, or your seat at it, but I'm sure that being down front and close to the stage would be harrowing. It's like a night rally for the politically impaired.

That Creepy Joe Liebeman feels it's an appropriate place to appear is an indication that he doesn't give a flying fuck about his constituents.

Found this at myleftnutmeg and I've been gagging ever since.

Ever the frat boy

Bush arrives in Australia and announces that we're "kicking ass," in Iraq.

Now what's that mean? Not only is he delusional, his lack of gravity is disturbing.

I once heard Billy Bragg expound on the subject to a heckler in a concert in New London. He asked, does kicking ass mean we'll bomb and kill innocent people to reach our goals of spreading freedom.

Kicking ass. George Bush is afraid of Cindy Sheehan. Who's he kidding?

War is exhilarating

Ralph Peters, former Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, told chickenhawk war apologist Jim Vicevich on WTIC today that morale among the troops is high, particularly those who engage in front line combat operations, which they find "exciting, exhilarating." Peters also claims his main occupation is writing novels, and that his reportage is "public service." In either case he seems to be writing fiction.

Peters has been to Iraq more than once, and undoubtedly has found troops with high morale, but there's a flaw in the logic.

First, when a conservative columnist goes to Iraq to gauge troop morale, he's like to find what he's looking for. In fact, the military is likely to point him toward service men and women who will support his hypothesis (Peters has been a well-known supporter of the invasion of Iraq since day one).

Second, service men and women are probably savvy enough not to complain to someone who has the potential to do them harm simply because they complain. What enlisted man or woman is going to risk his or her life, or career complaining about the war, the President, their mission or their commanders?

Third, statistically speaking, a dozen men and women do not represent the thoughts of an entire army, no matter which perspective you are trying to portray. So when Vicevich says he's going to hang out at a pig roast with a bunch of soldiers who all support the mission, it's likely he's found a group who like each other's company because they agree with each other. Just imagine what it would be like to be a veteran at that pig roast who stands up and and calls the President a liar and a fraud, suggests the war is immoral, and says that the mission is futile. That guy is probably not going to be at the pig roast, not even going to be invited, and if he is, he will probably keep his mouth shut.

Vicevich says he'll change his position when the soldiers change theirs. Time to encourage some enlisted people who hate the war in Iraq to call Jim and make him eat his words.

Compared to what, Katie

Katie Couric has been reporting from Iraq and claims to see "real progress." That, of course, would assume that she had something to compare her observations against. Has it improved since the last time she was in Iraq - doesn't seem possible since this is her first trip (with custom-made body armor, no less). Has it improved according to her escorts - likely, since even Katie indicates that she's only seeing what her military guides are allowing her to see.

Couric, in an attempt to bolster her faltering ratings and reputation, is allowing herself to be used, to the point where she actually conducted a "surprise" interview with President Bush. Wow. Neither of them ever expected the "chance" meeting in Fallujah.

Couric is doing herself, and the American public, a disservice. Leave the reporting to real reporters, who are willing to travel, observe and report independently.

Woody on the wire

Thanks to Susan Forbes Hansen for cluing me into this.

I had read a bit about the discovery of the live Woody Guthrie recordings, but I hadn't heard about the Huntington's Disease benefit concert featuring Billy Bragg, Wilco, Steve Earle, Bright Eyes and others.

The new definition of "hypocrite"

For centuries there's been a serviceable definition of the word "hypocrite."

I was listening to self-proclaimed etymologists Jeff Jacoby, columnist for the Boston Globe, and WTIC conservative talk show host Jim Vicevich explain the tortured logic behind their contention that Larry Craig is not a hypocrite.

While Craig has been a longtime promoter of "family values" and an opponent of gay rights, he's got a reported, and hidden history of having casual, homosexual sex in public bathrooms. That would make him "a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings," and that, my friends, is Webster speaking. He might also be said to be "a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion," and that's Webster too.

According to Jacoby, "Hypocrisy isn't merely saying one thing but sometimes doing another. Nor is it simply having a double standard - lionizing Anita Hill, say, but trashing Paula Jones (or vice versa). Hypocrisy is worse than that. It's a form of duplicity. A hypocrite is one who doesn't believe the moral views he proclaims and violates them routinely in his own life."

An altogether new spin on an old word, but perhaps Jacoby is shy about quoting from the dictionary after having been suspended for four months from the Globe for plagiarism, in the recent past.

I think this conservative re-purposing of language charming - an attempt by conservative intellectual wannabes to keep English alive (thereby giving it a fighting chance to remain the official language of the U.S.).

Who else would have come up with bon mots like, collateral damage, the surge, no child left behind, the patriot act and homeland security.

I suggest liberal begin using language that matters in the same way. Let's replace:

leader of the free world with irresponsible former drunk liar
support the troops with shoddy equipment, longer tours of duty and lack of purpose
free market with cronyism, corruption and no bid contracts
spreading democracy with killing people with whom we don't agree
nuclear with boogie man
victory with failure
hypocrite with conservative pundits

Let's put language back to work.

Summer's over

The Rhythm and Roots festival ended last night with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys playing a packed tent. It was a tradtional end-of-festival jam with members of the Red Stick Ramblers, the Pine Leaf Boys, and Marty Stuart himself joining the raucous assembly.

Highlights of the festival for me included Marty Stuart's impromptu session with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, the Buddhahood horn section providing a boost for the Creole Cowboys, and a late night accordion jam with three young Creole and Cajun up-an-comers, Cedric Watson, Drew Miller and Corey Ledet.

Three days of R&R begins

The humidity was a dripping 70% but it didn't discourage the musicians or the dancers.

The Rhythm and Roots Festival at Ninigret Park in Charlestown RI kicked off with Ray Bonneville's undeniable groove and a dance tent full of revelers kicking up their heels to the Red Stick Ramblers. First timers, the Buddhahood played a stunningly varied set, and Racines, the Cajun super-group celebrated a first-time-outside of Lafayette gig.