FOX's Shepard Smith Skips His Kool-Aid

Watch Shepard Smith lay into Bill Kristol and the Administration on Iraq:



Remember this is a FOX anchor we're watching here! Smith is waaay off the company line here. Some highlights:

Smith: Can't you say, beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt that what's happening in Iraq is not working as we had hoped...That the terrorism is getting worse...that [pounding desk]"stay the course" isn't working, any more than maybe "cut and run" would work!?

Yikes. At FOX, that stuff'll get you a pink slip. Or the overnight. Smith and Kristol then discuss that more troops are needed...

Smith: "If they really want to win it! But I think they're just playing lip service to all of it!"

To be clear her, Smith is referring to Bush and the Administration. This is nothing short of amazing. There is going to be some sort of severed head greeting him in bed tomorrow morning. Kristol tries lamely to defend Bush...

Kristol: "Well, I hope not, that really wouldn't be the right thing to do."

Ya think? Kristol then explains that Bush is hamstrung until after the election. Smith will have none of it...

Smith: It’s horrifying that you just said we can’t do anything until after the election. We’ve got men and women over there who are dying everyday and you just said that the man that you support (Bush) can’t do anything even though you believe he knows it’s wrong.—What is worse than that Bill Kristol?

Kristol: I think it’s hard to ask Bush to do something in the middle of this election season…

Smith: That’s a disgusting and repulsive reality Bill, you have to admit that.

[...] If I were the mother or father of a soldier who dies between now and the election, I would be raising holy hell..."

This isn't earthshattering stuff here except for the fact that this is unfolding between a FOX anchor and one of the "All Stars." Kristol must feel a bit like Chris Wallace after Clinton pounded on him. The other side is reeling here, Dems, keep swinging.

Or jus sit back like usual and let the Republicans get their footing back....

UPDATE: Here, Brit Hume faces a three-on-one as he tries to defend Mark Foley of all people...

[cross-posted at Kakistocrats.com]

A Necessary Reprieve

Need some cheering up today? What with the country careening over a cliff and all?

Here you go. "Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager" Episode 1:



Episode 2:

At a Loss for Words...

Don't take that to mean I am shocked or surprised. I'm not. I always expected this putrid piece of shit Torture Bill to pass. And I never realistically expected the Dems to rise to the most important challenge to the Constitution of our lifetimes and actually get off their asses and filibuster...

I'm at a loss for words because I actually cannot reconcile my feelings about this. I just don't know what to say.

For days, I've been unable to really put something together on this. It's too big, too important. This is truly a historical fuckup happening here. I've read some good stuff over the last couple days from people who could actually get a handle on this issue. Perhaps I'll throw some links down later. Right now, I'm going to bed with a gigantic knot in my stomach. Not because this thing passed—that was a foregone conclusion. It's the fact that thirteen Democrats and one fake Democrat (Lieberman) supported this. I'm going to need some time to reassess. An incredibly disappointing episode for the party from the start.

This I do know. Debbie Fucking Stabenow is dead to me. I cannot vote for her. Not this fall. Not ever.

Kerry Actually Brings Gun to Gunfight

Back when he was running for President, John Kerry seemed content to stay above the fray and at most show up with a knife. Perhaps he is more comfortable from the sidelines, I don't know, but Kerry is doing the right thing and coming out strongly for Ned Lamont, and throwing Joe Lieberman right under the bus. Democrats take notes. Your talking points are coming fast and furious. Olbermann, The Big Dog kicking ass on FOX and now Kerry...

Senator John Kerry on Connecticut's Iraq Debate

"Iraq has been a national security disaster and a terrible set-back in the war on terror. As Robert Kennedy said of Vietnam, there is enough blame to go around. We must all accept our responsibility to change course. We don't need misleading speeches. We don't need slogans. We need leaders who will tell it straight and stand up to this administration and say it's time to change course. Ned Lamont is providing that kind of leadership.

Senator Lieberman and I disagree deeply and profoundly on Iraq. No matter how much Senator Lieberman pretends otherwise, as we were debating a Senate resolution to change course on Iraq, our intelligence agencies were telling this Administration that America is less safe and more endangered by terrorists because of the failed stay-the-course policies in Iraq. There's just no excuse for continuing the old line that Iraq is the central front in the war on terror when in fact we know Iraq is a recruiting poster for terrorists while the real war on terror in Afghanistan spirals downwards.

The maxim that we'll stand down as Iraqis stand up is a myth. We need a deadline for the redeployment of American troops to force Iraqis to stand up for Iraq. Aimless talk of stay the course is making things worse. Every time the Administration says we'll stay as long as it takes is an excuse for Iraqis to take as long as they want. We are stuck in a growing civil war that sets us back in the war on terror. It does a disservice to our troops to stick with a broken policy over and over again and expect different results. We need leadership with the courage to change course."

Very good stuff. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

[via Kos. No original source cited. Crossposted at Kakistocrats]

UPDATE: Opening changed to incorporate link.

The Only "Compromise" Was That of Our Values

Depending where you look on the internet, the coverage varies about the supposed "compromise" on torture agreed to between the pretend "Conscience Republicans" (McCain, Graham and Warner) and the President.

The LA TImes would have you believe that Sir John McCain the Shining Knight stood up and defeated the President on the great issue of our times. Salvaging the reputation and good name of America...

Bush Bows to Senators on Detainees
The White House agrees to new rules banning the most controversial CIA tactics but allowing a secret interrogation program to continue.

WASHINGTON — President Bush acceded to dissident Senate Republicans on Thursday, agreeing to new rules for interrogating and prosecuting suspected terrorists that leave intact international treaty protections against torture...

Except that is hardly the case. See Glenn Greenwald, John Cole, Kevin Drum and Steve Benen to find out how this "compromise" is really a 99% capitulation to Bush.

While much of the outrage from the left is levelled at McCain and the knuckling under of the Republican Senators—and make no mistake, they deserve it, especially McCain, who after the last Torture legislation was gutted, should have known the score here—my ire is for my own Party for essentially sitting this one out. One quote runs through my head on this (well, another one about fiddling and Rome burning, too, but this one is better)...

“All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”

The fact that the Democrats have been content to stick their heads in the sand on this for purely political risk calculations is just as disgusting and discouraging. Had they actually come out with a strong position on this, they would able to call this “compromise” out for the bullshit that it is. Since they made a political decision to wait out the debate instead of doing what was right, they can kindly shut the fuck up about it.

The great Charlie Pierce says it better than I ever could [emphasis mine]:

The national Democratic Party is no longer worth the cement needed to sink it to the bottom of the sea. For an entire week, it allowed a debate on changing the soul of the country to be conducted intramurally between the Torture Porn and Useful Idiot wings of the Republican Party.

[...] And the Democratic Party was nowhere in this debate. It contributed nothing. On the question of whether or not the United States will reconfigure itself as a nation which tortures its purported enemies and then grants itself absolution through adjectives—“Aggressive interrogation techniques”—the Democratic Party had…no opinion.

[...] This was as tactically idiotic as it was morally blind. On the subject of what kind of a nation we are, and to what extent we will live up to the best of our ideals, the Democratic Party was as mute and neutral as a stone. Human rights no longer have a viable political constituency in the United States of America. Be enough of a coward, though, and cable news will fit you for a toga.

The Democrats were content to sit by as three Senators and one President sold out the nation. Nice job.

The Vote I Don't Want to Cast

My Democratic Senator is running for reelection this November. that's a no-brainer, right? Not so much. Debbie Stabenow does not deserve my vote, and I am not happy about casting it. Here's another reason why—an email I received today:

Thank you . . .

. . . for contacting me about legislation to prohibit the physical desecration of the American flag. I appreciate that you have taken the time to share your views with me. I understand the strong feelings that exist on both sides of this issue.

On June 22, 2005, the House of Representatives passed by a vote of 286-130 a constitutional amendment (H.J.Res.10) that would grant Congress the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the American flag. On April 14, 2005, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced the Senate version of this measure (S.J.Res.12), but it failed to pass the Senate by a vote of 66-34.

While I understand and respect your concerns, I believe the American flag is a national treasure and represents the values, traditions, and history of our diverse country, and we should protect it from physical desecration.

Thank you again for taking time to share your concerns with me. As always, please don't hesitate to contact me in the future on issues of concern to you and your family.

Sincerely,
Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator

The only "hesitation" will be when I'm in the voting booth in November, Senator.

Last night while watching television, I gave Stabenow the finger during one of her ads. My wife wasked, "What's that for?" "She's sold out on several important votes," I explained. Most notably the horrendous Bankruptcy Bill. I'll be holding my nose when I pull that lever. This position on this completely bogus issue doesn't help. Thanks for throwing another log on the fire, Debbie. You suck.

"My other car is an elephant"

That's Joe Lieberman's car parked outside of a fundraiser last week. I guess being ethically challenged qualifies him?

This prick's sense of entitlement knows no bounds.

Get 'Em While They're Hot! Not!

UPDATE: Apparently they've sold out of the stickers. I was going to pull this, but let's change the thread... What would you like to see on a bumper sticker? What good stickers have you seen?

This is a good one:

I'm a BIG fan of this one, too:


I think I'll be using that to anchor all the upcoming Iran Drumbeat posts...

--

ORIGINAL POST Just got an email from MoveOn.org offering free bumper stickers to anyone who wants one. They read simply:


Just go here and order yours. I made a donation as well, so I'll be handing them out to friends and neighbors as well. Or, maybe I'll just plaster my car with all of them...

*if any of you regulars wants one of those MoveOn stickers let me know, I'll have 5 or 6 extras. Um, and that's about how many readers I have...

"But Keith Olbermann's a Sportscaster..."

The other night was the latest installment in Keith Olbermann's "Special Comment Gutshot" editorials aimed at President Bush. While this one nudges into the shrillzone, it is still great and needs to be seen. As usual, Crooks and Liars has the video and the transcript.

I was in a long-running argument with a commenter over at John Cole's Balloon Juice [link] about Olbermann's background. After KO's 9/11 Ground Zero broadcast, this commenter argued that KO's sports background rendered him unqualified to analyze the President, and his opinion worthless.

Yeah, a guy with a degree in Communications from Cornell must be a real idiot. Twenty-six years in journalsm, ACE and Murrow awards, but he needs to shut up because he once worked in sports?

Rush Limbaugh was a failed Top-40 DJ. He can shut the fuck up anytime now, I guess.

Steve Bergstein at Psychsound just articulated a great response to the bogus "Who the hell is Keith Olbermann" position:

The only news anchor today with the courage to stand up to this administration is Keith Olbermann, a former sportscaster. There's no irony here. Sports reporters cannot make things up or slant the truth. The games are broadcast for all to see, and there is no way that a sports journalist can shuck and jive the public. If a team's playing lousy, then the team's playing lousy. Sportwriters can also be the best writers at the newspaper. The have to weave poetry and keen observation skills in analyzing the game.

One caveat: Sportscasters and writers can clearly exhibit spin or bias—try watching a Yankees game and you'll see what I mean. Other than that Steve's right. Olbermann's clearly a gifted writer. He (and Craig Kilborn) set the high water mark at ESPN and no one else has ever come close. Mitch Albom and Bob Costas have also risen above and branched out succesfully from the ballpark to politics and other arenas (pun intended).

Olbermann's show can be campy and over the top at times, and I have long since lost interest in his fued with O'Reilly, but the three recent special commentaries he's used to skewer Bush have been powerful and important episodes, and worthy of all the attention and accolades they've garnered.

Olbermann is starting to do the work no one else seems capable or willing to do, and I have nothing but praise for anybody speaking truth to power.

Cross-posted at Kakistocrats.com

"Avast, me hearties!"

Arrggh! Bilge water! I forgot! I canna believe 'tis already been a voyage since Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Evil Jim Rackham be me name an' I be here t' tell ye that ye be havin' t' Talk Like a Buccanneer oince a year, an' today be th' tide.

Excellent sea dog translation t'anks t' this place.

Find ou' yer pirate name here, here or wit' a horkin' quiz here.

Get started now, ye horn swogglin' scurvy cur — or taste me cold steel!

UPDATE: Arrr, twenty nine thin's t' say today at work Gar, Where can I find a bottle o'rum?

9/11: Postgame Report

You're probably all 9/11-ed out, but I came across something worth watching at the invaluable Crooks & Liars. It's a clip of Jon Stewart on the first Daily Show after the attacks. I never saw it before. Very powerful stuff. Check it out

If you've heard about the Olbermann speech, but haven't seen it, watch it here. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Keith Olbermann just rips the President and his ilk to shreds. A must-see.

"Path(ological lies) to 9/11"

Wow.

If that is an accurate description of the scene and its prominance in the movie, ABC is fucking nuts.

Stop ABC's 9/11 Crockumentary

If you've been anywhere on the internets over the last week, you are probably aware that on Sunday and Monday ABC is set to air a "docudrama" billed as "based on the 9/11 Commission Report" when it is, in fact, riddled with fabrications designed to blame 9/11 on the ineptitude of the Clinton Administration, and whitewashing the failures of Bush.

ABC is exploiting the fifth anniversary of the attacks with a free propaganda piece designed to set Republicans up for the Fall mid-term elections.

If ABC still airs their GOP campaign miniseries, you can't complain about it if you sat on your ass. Rumors abound that they might pull it off the air—time to keep the pressure on, not relax.

Petitions—click 'em and sign 'em:
True Majority
Working Assets/Act for Change
MoveOn.org
democrats.org

This post at DailyKos has phone numbers if you are so inclined.

ThinkProgress is your clearinghouse for the latest news on this scandal.

Joe Conason has a good piece up at salon.

[image lifted from atrios, who got it here.]

New Rule: Bad presidents happen to good people.

Mocking Bush is my patriotic duty
A comedian explains how cruel jokes about the president can stop terrorism.

By Bill Maher

Amid all the 9/11 anniversary talk about what will keep us safe, let me suggest that in a world turned hostile to America, the smartest message we can send to those beyond our shores is, "We're not with stupid." Therefore, I contend -- with all seriousness -- that ridiculing this president is now the most patriotic thing you can do. Let our allies and our enemies alike know that there's a whole swath of Americans desperate to distance themselves from Bush's foreign policies. And that's just Republicans running for reelection.

[...] Anyone who opposes the indefinite occupation of Iraq shouldn't be labeled an al-Qaida supporter. That's like saying that if I tell my exterminator that there are more efficient ways to rid the house of vermin than hitting them with a hammer, I'm "for the rats."

Read the whole thing.

The Miniscule Left-Wing Conspiracy

I have an announcement: I'm contributing at a new group blog.

Well, I helped start it, but it's a stretch to say I've contributed much as yet. My duties there have been even more neglected than this blog.

A few months back I was "recruited" by some of the commenters over at Balloon Juice to join their email list-serve. Last month, after a particularly dry spell at BJ and my inability to come up with a spoof character to contribute at the group's righty spoof site scrutator.net, I suggested starting a new left-wing group blog, played straight. Since the threads at Balloon Juice were often just the bunch of us conversing anyway, why shouldn't we call the shots and direct the site? Especially with the elections coming up.

Well, everybody was immediately receptive and we started hatching plans for world domination... I immediately tried to wedge my "Word of the Year" in somehow, and succeeded.

Witness the power of this fully armed and operational battle station — The Kakistocrats.com



After some hard work by "Perry Como" the site has been up and running for a few weeks now. I've only cross-posted my Olbermann piece as of now, but there are plenty of great posts by the rest of the gang, and many of them are far better writers than I am. A regular Furious commenter Pooh, has been the most prolific contributor thusfar.

So, be sure to bookmark The Kakistocrats.com and check it out regularly.

Mr. Furious will still be my primary venue, but I will cross-post all political stuff over at Kak in the hopes that the built-in audience of contributors there will result in some good discussions.

Have You No Sense of Decency, Sir?

Olbermann unloads both barrels on Bush and his disgraceful speech. Go. Now.

UPDATE: The Rude Pundit also rips the speech in his own, special, way.

Insult to Multiple Injuries

Anibal Sanchez of the Florida Marlins pitched the first no-hitter in two and a half years tonite. Anibal Sanchez*...where have I heard that name? Oh yeah, the Red Sox traded him away this off-season.

Just what Sox fans wanted to see after a massive collapse of a season.

Nothing personal, but here's hoping Anibal Sanchez is Venezuelan for Bud Smith.

* That rotoworld link gets the extra salt in the wound by picturing him in his Boston hat...

E-Racer

I have a whole slew of topics "saved as drafts" waiting for when I have more time to properly rant. In the meantime, here's a little thing that I stumbled across that just made me stop, smile, and remember simpler times...

I couldn't tell you which states were in the first 13 colonies. The Mississippi is a long river, but I have no idea how long. George Washington was the first President and Jefferson was the third, but I don't know who the second was. I can say pencil in French, but have no idea how to say pen. These embarrassing gaps in knowledge are the direct result of daydreaming while racing Pink Pearl eraser Can-Am racecars at my grade school desk. [link]

Text-messaging? Bah, All the fun and distraction I ever needed was right in the pencil box... Who among us late-30s guys didn't grow up doing this stuff. I'd even break out the thumb tacks and take my "cars" to the next level...

[via jalopnik.com]

Good Night, and Good Luck

If you, like me, have been wondering where the media's balls are, I've just located them. Keith Olbermann's been hoarding them under the Countdown desk.

Go watch this epic and brilliant editorial on the politics of fear inspired by the despicable remarks by Donald Rumsfeld.

Seriously, watch it now.

--

Is there an Emmy category for "Fucking Badass"? There should be, and Olbermann has it locked up.

Keith Olbermann deserves to be doing the news in an era where he would be one of three guys on television, not marooned on a second-rate cable network.

Olbermann humbly quotes Edward R. Murrow at the end of that piece, and claims not to be worthy of the words. He's wrong. He is worthy. And he's the closest thing to a modern-day Murrow we've got.

Bloggerman has the transcript.

[h/t Otto Man, cross-posted at Kakistocrats.com]

Baseball: Theo's Overrated, The Boss and the Future

The long-held wisdom in baseball has been that the Yankees buy Championships by having a gigantic payroll and trading away all of their prospects. In recent Red Sox history, Theo Epstein has been credited with savvy analysis and gutsy trades, winning the Sox their 2004 rings and setting the team up for the future...

There is plenty of truth and plenty of myth in both of those statements. Let's look at the Yankees first...

I pulled this from somewhere last week, and unfortunately did not save the link:

In other news, there are reports that the Yankees will send their top draft pick in 2005–20-year-old shrotstop C.J. Henry–along with a reliever to the Phillies in return for Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle. From the Red Sox’s perspective, this wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. [Mr. F: This was obviously written before the Massacre during which Abreu was on base at a .630 clip and Lidle threw six shutout innings of 3-hit ball to complete the 5-game sweep—all but eliminating the Red Sox] The Yankees’ four World Series titles between 1996 and 2000 were won on the backs of players who came up through the Yankees’ farm system during between 1990 and 1993, the time during which George “Instant Gratification” Steinbrenner was banned from baseball... (Posada, Rivera, Pettitte, Williams and Jeter—all are still with the team) ...It seems unlikely all these players would have been in New York had Steinbrenner, who always wants to win right now and worry about tomorrow when it comes, been in control of the team. Abreu and Lidle would definitely make the Yankees better in the immediate short-term. But, Abreu–like Randy Johnson and Jason Giambi and Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon and Carl Pavano–would cost a boatload of money and decrease New York’s flexibility going forward. And the loss of cheap, young talent could very well burn the Yankees in the future.

In the middle, the writer points out that the foundation of the most recent Yankee dynasty and it's continued regular season dominance is from a core group of players that Steinbrenner, if given the chance, would have traded away for a bunch of Ken Phelps(s). This is probably true. But the Yankees do not get enough credit for winning with a core of homegrown talent, many of whom are still valuable contributors. Yes, they augmented that group with an ever-evolving cast of top-dollar free agents and trades, but with the exception of Alfonso Soriano, I cannot think of anybody traded in the Cashman era that has gone on to do anything significant. And they got value for Soriano.

Look at the Abreu/Lidle trade. Many were skeptical of trading for Abreu, but I wasn't—not for the Yankees anyway—I did NOT want the Sox to trade for him. The only part of me that looks back on that differently now, is that the Yanks got those two guys SO cheaply and they both address critical needs for the Sox—a good No. 5 hitter and an innings-eating starter. If the Sox could have given up one prospect for those guys I would have done it.

The frustration for me with the Yankees is that they seem to get away with lopsided deals like that, when they really should be over a barrel. Then, without getting too Shaugnessian, anyone who pulls on the pinstripes seems to turn into Roy Hobbs.

The Yankees team that just shredded the Sox over five games featured three new homegrown, solid players: Robinson Cano (who seems like the real deal), Wang and Melky Cabrera, along with the now veteran core of Jeter, Rivera, Bernie and Dumbo. That's 5-6 of the nine players on the field being Yankee pipeline talent. Sure the other 3-4 guys and whoever's on the mound are mercenaries and make a combined $100 million, but the myth of the Yanks being only free agents is simply not true. They won four Championships with home-grown talent, and are still a dominant team and poised to remain that way for the next few years with an infusion of new young talent. The true advantage of their payroll is that they can afford to make mistakes like Pavano, fill holes with the best free agents and build a bench of other team's All-Stars.

While it's true they haven't won the World Series, they have won the Division every year since 2001. Somebody please point me to the prospect that the Yanks have traded away over the last five years that has proven to be anthing other than hype.

On the other hand let's look at Theo's track record. Over the last couple years he has traded away two middle infielders, one of whom has 40 steals and is hitting .275 and the other is leading the NL in hitting. Get back to me when C.J. Henry is doing that for the Phils.

Theo gets credit for the gutsy Nomar/Cabrera trade, but he followed that up letting Cabrera walk and had his own Steinbrenner moment with Edgar Rentaria, a brutal free-agent signing and the Sox are now paying him to be an All-Star for the Braves.

I am not going to secondguess Theo's two biggest moves of the year, Arroyo for Wily Mo, and getting Coco Crisp over keeping Damon. I understood those trades, agreed with them at the time, and think in the long run they will prove correct, though this year they are killing us.

It's the "fringe" deals where Epstein has blown it. Before the season the Sox traded Doug Mirabelli to San Diego for Loretta (good), but then, five Wakefield starts later, traded two players to get him back. This seemed unimportant at the time, backup catchers and obscure relievers... But, with the injury to Varitek, we are now treated everyday to the two-headed Mendoza monster that is Mirabelli and Javy Lopez, while the Josh Bard, 28, (switch!)-hits .325 in a pitcher's park, and the throw-in player is a 24 year-old reliever" currently sporting an ERA of 1.05. That guy might have come in handy last weekend...

Standing pat at the trade deadline has proven disastrous as well. This is not Oakland, this is Boston, and the Red Sox were a first place club charging the highest prices in the sport that had some serious weakspots. They had a 4-game lead on July 1, by the deadline it was down to 1 game, and now they trail by 6 1/2. And there are two teams ahead of them for the Wild Card.

Greg Maddux would have been nice, and the Cubs got a no-hit, Tommy John-recovering shortstop for him. Colorado was apparently interested in Tavarez and/or Seanez. I would have taken a case of Big League Chew to get those arsonists out of the bullpen. Relying on 40-year-old Mike Timlin after letting him pitch in the WBC was a mistake. And how you can possibly expect to compete in the AL East without a left-handed reliever defies explanation.

Long story short, Brian Cashman and Steinbrenner addressed their team's need, and in my opinion didn't "give up the future" to do it. Theo, while admirably keeping an eye to the future, did NOTHING for the present, and the Red Sox will need a miraculous collapse by one (or more) of the three teams ahead of them to make the post-season.

From the "No Shit" Department

NPR link on my homepage...

Ancient Bones Found to be Pygmies, not 'Hobbits'

Boston Massacre 2: Electric Boogaloo

I am going to have to spit some serious venom on the Sox/Yanks series, but since these bastards made me stay up 'til 1:30 to lose, it will have to wait until tomorrow... It's like Donald Rumsfeld was managing the team tonite.

Grrrrrr.

Mel Morph

I swear, I had legitimate Art Director duties bringing me to the US Weekly website...Seriously, I did.

Anyway, click here to watch hunky Mel Gibson of yesteryear turn into the raving drunk of today. Watch for the moment where he briefly becomes Saddam Hussein.



UPDATE: I cannnot believe I posted this, AND that I let it lead off the front page for several days. What was I thinking?

Stuff Caught in the Internet Tubes...

Getting slammed this week at work, plus freelance at night. Since I'm going to pressed for time, here are some quick links of some stuff I've been meaning to write about...

Must-Read Post of the Week: Responding to the hysteria after the London Terror Bust, Kung Fu Monkey absolutely nails it.

Don't Believe the Hype Olbermann lays out the Administration's history of using terror alerts for political purposes.

NASA records 'Survivor' over lunar landing tapes. Well, not really. But they can't seem to find the original recording of the first moon landing, including astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Anybody want to come over and catch a little "Capricorn One"? [h/t Pierce]

Slate: "Tigers Burning Kind of Bright" Feature on my adopted team, the Tigers. Includes the quote of the week: "That's when the team with the majors' best record started falling apart like a Buick built on the first day of deer season."

Slate: What Happened to Lieberman Is Not a Trend Tomasky explains how the Dems are not really purging anybody but Holy Joe.

Safe to Fantasize! MLB's evil, greedy plan to prevent fantasy leagues from using player names and stats strikes out in court.

Mel Gibson, Evil, and Art The best thing I read on l'affaire Crazyheart.

John Mark Karr? Let's see... Lee Harvey Oswald, John Wilkes Booth, John Wayne Gacy, Henry Lee Lucas, Mark David Chapman…Three names slams the door for me. Guilty.

Estate Sale

So who besides Paris Hilton benefits from repealing the Estate Tax anyway?

Spending millions to Save Billions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – [link] The multimillion-dollar lobbying effort to repeal the federal estate tax has been aggressively led by 18 super-wealthy families, according to a report released today (ed: April 25) by Public Citizen and United for a Fair Economy at a press conference in Washington, D.C. The report details for the first time the vast money, influence and deceptive marketing techniques behind the rhetoric in the campaign to repeal the tax.

It reveals how 18 families worth a total of $185.5 billion have financed and coordinated a 10-year effort to repeal the estate tax, a move that would collectively net them a windfall of $71.6 billion.

The report profiles the families and their businesses, which include the families behind Wal-Mart, Gallo wine, Campbell’s soup, and Mars Inc., maker of M&Ms. Collectively, the list includes the first- and third-largest privately held companies in the United States, the richest family in Alabama and the world’s largest retailer.

In a massive public relations campaign, the families have also misled the country by giving the mistaken impression that the estate tax affects most Americans. In particular, they have used small businesses and family farms as poster children for repeal, saying that the estate tax destroys both of these groups. But just more than one-fourth of one percent of all estates will owe any estate taxes in 2006. And the American Farm Bureau, a member of the anti-estate tax coalition, was unable when asked by The New York Times to cite a single example of a family being forced to sell its farm because of estate tax liability.

It's been well-documented in places nobody pays attention to, that the Estate Tax is only for richest of the rich—so who benefits is hardly a surprise—but it is interesting to see the kind of money at stake for the people pushing for this. I'd venture even the Republican politicians voting for this don't qualify, but it sure seems like these donors have a lot riding on it, and that's why the GOP won't shut up about it.