The road back to the majority

The worst thing about being a Democrat these days is that fear that we will be in the minority for many years to come. Given the results of the last election it almost seems that no matter how dishonest the Bush administration is, no matter how poorly it runs the war in Iraq, no matter how rapidly it drives our economy into a ditch, no matter how large the deficit becomes, Americans will stick with the Republicans. Even worse, there is the fear that even if voters did turn on the Republicans there are too few congressional seats up for grabs for Democrats to regain the majority.

But there's hope yet. Democrats just need to hold their current seats and pick up 14 more. If we help out and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee does its job, the following members of Congress are ripe for the picking:

• Tom DeLay (TX)- The stench of corruption has overwhelmed Congress' prime architect of sleaze. 2004 vote percentage= 55%.
• Randy "Duke" Cunningham (CA)- Already under investigation by the FBI and likely to soon be investigated by the House Ethics Committee, Duke might need to call in Coach K to win his next race. 2004 vote percentage= 58%.
• Don Sherwood (PA)- Just sued by a 29-year-old woman who claims he abused her during their five-year affair, this 64-year-old husband and father surely won't be duplicating his 2004 numbers. 2004 vote percentage= 93%.
• Bob Ney (OH)- Nearly every story about Jack Abramoff mentions this guy. 2004 vote percentage= 66%.
• J.D. Hayworth (AZ)- Also associated with Abramoff, Hayworth is probably a long-shot to defeat, but the Abramoff-DeLay odor is hanging around him now. 2004 vote percentage= 60%.
• John Doolittle (CA)- The Dr.'s ties to Abramoff could mean trouble. 2004 vote percentage= 65%.

Answering Rove, Part II

The funny thing about Karl Rove's recent statement about the way liberals responded to the 9/11 attacks, aside from its laughable dishonesty, is that President Bush himself responded to the attacks in a moderate, restrained way.

While the loathsome Ann Coulter was proposing that we "invade [Muslim] countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity," President Bush was visiting a mosque in Washington, DC to show the world that we should not lash out against Muslims. President Bush even patiently waited 4 weeks to attack Afghanistan.

What would Al Gore have done? Well, he probably would have started bombing Afghanistan within hours of the attacks, in part to shut up wing nuts like Coulter and those on the Fox News Channel. He would have acted quickly to show the terrorists that he was not a weak-kneed liberal.

Oh, and one more thing, Karl, you can bet that Al Gore would have kept our soldiers in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan until he found bin Laden. That's where the real front in the War on Terror was before all the terrorists were lured to Iraq.

Tom DeLay's Washington

If you want to understand how Tom DeLay's Washington really works, read here and here.

Excerpts, from the NYT:

"One e-mail message from Mr. Abramoff directed his assistant to "pump up Scanlon," a reference to padding their billable hours for the Choctaws to meet an artificial $150,000 monthly target that the tribe testified it had never agreed to.

In 2001 alone, the Choctaws paid $7.7 million to Mr. Abramoff and Mr. Scanlon for lobbying work. But the pair spent just $1.2 million on the designated projects, keeping the remaining $6.5 million for "gimme five" - themselves - according to the e-mail and witnesses.

The tribe ultimately paid Mr. Scanlon as much as $15 million, and he gave Mr. Abramoff $5 million in kickbacks, said Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona and the chairman of the Senate committee."

And the WP:

"The number of registered lobbyists in Washington has more than doubled since 2000 to more than 34,750 while the amount that lobbyists charge their new clients has increased by as much as 100 percent. Only a few other businesses have enjoyed greater prosperity in an otherwise fitful economy."

F-bombs flying in Congress

Last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill to gut the United Nations calling the institution "corrupt" and an apologist for "tyranny and terror." Considering that many of the same people who voted for the "F#ck the United Nations Act of 2005" are embroiled in their own corruption scandals, it seems like they wouldn't want to be throwing around the c-word at this particular moment. But no, Majority Leader Tom DeLay even had the temerity to say:

"The U.N.'s corruption is so breathtaking in its scope as to be almost universal."

It was another big f-bomb from the American right-wing toward that institution that it reviles with such fervor. This week the Senate revived its own f-bomb to the UN, the nomination of John Bolton, despite recent reports that the world is safer now that the mustachioed monster has left the State Department.

During debate over Bolton's nomination, f-bombs directed at the UN and at the minority party in Congress continued to swirl around until Senate Democrats finally said, "Shut up, you right-wing nuts. This nomination is dead."

F-bombs are flying at this building

Unfortunately, President Bush has one more opportunity to hurl an f-bomb. He can install Bolton as Ambassador to the United Nations through a recess appointment, sending a clear message to the UN, to Democrats, and to the world- F#ck you all, I run this planet.

A rather cunning scam

That awful sewer smell is emanating once again from the House of Representatives, but this time it's coming from the office of San Diego Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Duke has weaved himself a web of self-enrichment that would make Jack Abramoff proud.

Apparently, Rep. not-so-Cunningham sold his house to a defense contractor buddy for $1.7 million. The defense contractor then sold the house for about $1 million. Another pal of Duke's, Elizabeth Todd, a realtor and donor to his campaigns, arranged both sales. The defense contractor lost $700,000, but has gained over $25 million in government contracts in recent years, partly due to the assistance of Rep. Cunningscam.

For more sordid details read here, but basically it's a case of you scratch my back, I'll scratch your back, and let's both scratch hers while we're at it. To make matters worse, Duke picked the wrong spokesman to vouch for him.

The back scratcher

The incredible shrinking presidency

To slow down the bad momentum in his disastrous second term, Bush is dusting off some of the old lies that served him well in his dishonest first term.

"We went to war (in Iraq) because we were attacked, and we are at war today because there are still people out there who want to harm our country and hurt our citizens," Bush said Saturday in his weekly radio address.

Jesus, save me from your followers

DC clipmonkey continues to scratch his head (that's what clipmonkeys do) over how right-wing Christians are so successful at convincing other Christians that a party that eagerly supports war, the death penalty, and tax cuts for the rich represents Christianity better than a party that avoids war, generally opposes the death penalty, and seeks to redistribute wealth (didn't Jesus say something about that?).

That's why he's especially perplexed that the Family Research Council (FRC), a group that "champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization, the seedbed of virtue, and the wellspring of society," would issue the following statement about Sen. Dick Durbin's comments on the interrogation tactics used at Gitmo.

From the FRC's website:

Tony Perkins, a veteran of the Marine Corps and President of Family Research Council released the following statement:

"Senator Durbin seems to be more concerned about the welfare and comfort of terrorists than the well being of our men and women in uniform and the citizens of this country.

"Senator Durbin owes America an apology. His comments do nothing to help the morale of our hard working and dedicated troops. These men and women are doing their best and many work every day in conditions that most Americans, including Senator Durbin would have a hard time understanding.

"My time in the United States Marine Corps has taught me that life is tough and often unfair but Durbin's comments are a harsh and over the top criticism of people he does not know and of a situation he has not personally experienced.

"Senator Durbin may not agree with the efforts our troops are putting forth in Guantanamo Bay but to demean them and their efforts in such a way to liken them to Nazis and Soviet gulags is a grossly unfair and hurtful remark."

Sen. Durbin's comments are not the wisest way to call attention to the problems at Gitmo, Abu Ghraib, Bagram, and other prisons, but what does his statement, or Perkins' for that matter, have to do with marriage or family? Why is Perkins even talking about it? Should the Sierra Club put out a statement about teaching creationism in the schools?

Perkins' statement demonstrates once again that these right-wing Christians are not Christians in any sense. They are merely Republican flaks who feel greater patriotism to their own political party than any notion of morality or Christian values. Where is the statement condemning torture? Where is the statement expressing concern for all of the innocent victims of the Iraq war? Where are the statements about poverty in America and around the world?

Thankfully, Christians on the left (Rev. Jim Wallis) and the center (former Republican Senator John Danforth) are calling B.S.

Back to business

As President Bush's approval ratings continue to plummet, the administration has only ramped up its effort to hand the levers of power in this country over to big business. In recent days, it has:

• Spared tobacco companies $120 billion in damages for misleading smokers about the dangers of tobacco;
• Canned William Donaldson, the head of the Securities & Exchange Commission, who had pursued an aggressive corporate reform agenda in lieu of a more business-friendly director;
• Called for quick enactment of an energy bill that does little to promote conservation, but encourages drilling in everyone's backyard; and,
• Continued to mislead the world about global warming.

This administration may take Social Security over a cliff, drive our economy into a ditch, send the federal deficit rocketing into the atmosphere, but it won't ever stop gratifying Wall Street, the oil companies, the drug companies, and the other industries that brought it to power.

Bush vs. Blair on the Downing Street Memo

From a June 7 news conference with President Bush and Prime Minister Blair-

REPORTER: On Iraq, the so-called Downing Street Memo from July 2002 says, "Intelligence and facts remain fixed around the policy of removing Saddam through military action." Is this an accurate reflection of what happened? Could both of you respond?

TONY BLAIR: Well, I can respond to that very easily. No, the facts were not being fixed in any shape or form at all. And let me remind you that that memorandum was written before we then went to the United Nations. Now, no one knows more intimately the discussions that we were conducting as two countries at the time than me.

And the fact is, we decided to go to the United Nations and went through that process, which resulted in the November 2002 United Nations resolution to give a final chance to Saddam Hussein to comply with international law. He didn't do so. And that was the reason why we had to take military action. But, you know, all the way through that period of time, we were trying to look for a way of managing to resolve this without conflict.
As it happened, we weren't able to do that because, as I think was very clear, there was no way that Saddam Hussein was ever going to change the way that he worked or the way that he acted.

GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, I, you know, I read kind of the characterizations of the memo, particularly when they dropped it out in the middle of his race. I'm not sure who they dropped it out is, but I'm not suggesting you all dropped it out there. And somebody said, well, you know, we had made up our mind to go to use military force to deal with Saddam. There is nothing farther from the truth. My conversations with the Prime Minister was how can we do this peacefully, what could we do, and this meeting, you know, evidently that took place in London happened before we even went to the United Nations or I went to the United Nations, and so it's - look, both of us didn't want to use our military. Nobody wants to commit military into combat. It's the last option.

DC CLIPMONKEY: How did this guy become president?

Playing the religion card

Republicans used to hate it when liberals would yank out the race card. So it's particularly galling that identity politics has become the next big thing in the Republican Party. For Republicans, religion is the new race. They have cultivated a victimhood mentality in their legions of supporters and conned them into believing that there is a huge conspiracy by liberals to oppress Christians and undermine their way of life.

The current fracas over judicial nominees has provided the Republicans with ample opportunities to play the religion card. William Pryor, a "Christian", has been portrayed by the right wing as a man of faith being attacked merely for his "deeply held views." Want to know some of those deeply held views? According to Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy:

"Judge Pryor has also vigorously opposed an exemption for persons with mental retardation from receiving the death penalty, exhibiting more certainty than understanding or sober reflection. He authored an amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court arguing that the Court should not declare that executing mentally retarded persons violated the Eighth Amendment. After losing on that issue, Judge Pryor made an unsuccessful argument to the Eleventh Circuit that an Alabama death-row defendant is not mentally retarded."

Pryor, who is Catholic, supports the death penalty for the mentally retarded? I wonder what JP2 would have thought of that. Unfortunately for America, Pryor was confirmed last week.

Ah, who cares about a few 'tards?

Howard Dean for US Senate

Although I must admit Howard Dean's line urging Tom DeLay to head back to Houston to serve jail time was warmly received by this clipmonkey, Dean has proven himself to be a poor spokesman both as a presidential candidate and now as the head of the Democratic Party. He is not the type to regurgitate talking points or stay on message. It's just not in his plain-spoken nature.

So what would be a good job for Howard Dean? US Senator. He would be the perfect person to fill the void left by Paul Wellstone. He could fire up the diehard libs, piss off conservatives, and ensure that Jim Jeffords' seat ends up in the hands of a real Democrat. Bernie Sanders has long been an intriguing figure on the left, but he's a little too reminiscent of another rumpled figure who once served in the House of Representatives- beam me up, Scotty.

Is Tom DeLay pro-abortion?

Tom DeLay fancies himself a good Christian. So it's a bit surprising to hear that he was once quite fond of the labor policies governing the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands- a place where female sweatshop workers were once (and may still be) forced to have abortions so that they can keep punching the clock.

Considering that the corrupt Christian pulled the plug on his dad in 1988, I guess we should have known. The "culture of life" blather is merely a ruse to gain power and pursue humanity-destroying economic policies.

The American Prospect lays out another important aspect of the DeLay scandal- much of the Hammer's sleazy behavior was perfectly legal.

Holding repressive regimes accountable, finally!

For decades, U.S. presidential administrations have given the Saudis a free pass on its horrendous human rights policies in the interest of maintaining our pipeline of cheap oil. But to the Bush Administration's credit, the U.S. government is finally being honest about what goes on in Saudi Arabia.

A report released last Friday listed Saudi Arabia and three other Middle Eastern "allies" (Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates) as having some of the world's worst records when it comes to human trafficking. The State Dept. reported that roughly 800,000 people, mostly women and children, were trafficked across international boundaries last year. Many arrive in new countries only to end up forced into prostitution or left to beg for food.

And just as the Saudis are coming under increased scrutiny, so too are the Uzbeks, known for massacring civilians and boiling opponents. Way to go, President Bush (seriously)!

Left-wing idiocy watch

It's rare that I agree with President Bush, but he was right in saying the recent statement by Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan calling Gitmo “the gulag of our times” was absurd. DC clipmonkey is a committed left-winger himself, but Khan’s remark was untrue and ultimately obscures the larger issue, namely, that torture is bad.

Sadly, The Nation and other elements of the vast left-wing echo chamber are defending Khan. Khan's statement and the defense of it make those of us on the left not only seem unpatriotic, but also not very bright. Fortunately, an important voice on the left, that of E.J. Dionne, has it right.

Go away, Bill Frist, go away

Bill Frist has been feverishly pandering to Republican constituencies in recent weeks laying the groundwork for his failed bid for the presidency in 2008. After smooching the behind of the religious right on "Justice Sunday" and during the filibuster showdown, last weekend he went for the NASCAR fans, serving as the honorary starter at the Coca Cola 600.

At first glance, it would appear that Frist is a formidable presidential candidate. He has many of the same qualities as the current occupant of the White House- he's a (real) southerner, an Ivy Leaguer, and is from a wealthy family known for some sleazy dealings. On top of that, he's a doctor.

Unfortunately for him, he has one insurmountable skeleton in his closet- he likes to kill cats.

Paving the way for Hillary in '08?

Danica Patrick's 4th place finish at the Indy 500 Sunday was another step forward for women in America. Although she is the 4th woman to race at Indy, she did better than any of her predecessors and had a solid shot at winning the whole thing.

Meanwhile, an attempt by House Republicans to prevent women from serving in combat- a perplexing move considering that 35 women troops have died in Iraq thus far- failed last week.

These two moves may not mean much in the long run, especially with knuckle-scraping "Christians" running the country these days, but they give this clipmonkey hope that America is nearly ready for a woman president.