RIP Benzair Bhutto

Rather than provide any sort of comment, I offer portions of an article from the Washington Post, located here. Do with it what you will.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for Bhutto's killing, Western leaders immediately pointed to the Islamic extremist groups operating with increasing intensity in Pakistan, including those with links to al-Qaeda.

Yelling "Musharraf is a dog," they blamed him for Bhutto's death.

Bush, whose administration played a key role in arranging Bhutto's return to the country Oct. 18, spoke by telephone with Musharraf hours after her death.

In the narrow corridor outside the operating room, supporters cried out: "Long live Bhutto!" and "Musharraf is a murderer!"

"This is the height of brutality. They have hanged her father. They have killed her brothers. The government has killed all the good people of Pakistan," said Sarfraz Khan. "Please pray for us. Pray for our poor country."

Fool Me Twice: The Hillary Clinton Nightmare--Part 2--Rupert and Hillary 4ever <3

I'll make this short and scary: Rupert Murdoch, the guy who brings you Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, is one of Senator Hillary Clinton's biggest supporters. Not only did he host a fundraiser for Hillary in 2006, but he has donated thousands of his personal funds. Moreover, he has led a bundling effort that has netted almost $100k for Senator Clinton's campaign from his fascist media concern, News Corp. This makes News Corp a top 20 supporter. Sen. Clinton has returned the favor by attending Fox News' 10th anniversary party.

Why would the head of Fox News support a leftist candidate? He wouldn't. Murdoch knows what all too many Americans ignore: Hillary Clinton is a right wing candidate. She is hawkish on every war that the NeoCons trot in front of Congress. She insists that someone making $96,000 a year is "middle class" (even though only 6% of America makes that.)

Hillary Clinton is someone who is once again responsive to only the needs of the rich and powerful. Murdoch's Fox News is the propaganda voice of the rich and powerful. This is not a mistake: the network that brought you Bush II is ready to bring you Hillary. Be afraid.

51 Seats Are Not Enough

So today I'd like to talk about the Senate, and Senatorial leadership, and a few showdowns that are coming up that people seem oddly unconcerned about. And I'd really like to talk about Mitch McConnell. Specifically, I'd like to talk about how much I hate him, and how much you should hate him, too.

As the NYTimes reported, the Senate is about to bail on staffing the F.E.C. with competent commissioners, just before the 2008 campaign season really gets ramped up.

This particular story starts with Dubya's deep-seated love for recess appointments, and good ol' Hans Spakovsky. His (and two other) recess appointments are up in January, and the Senate is deadlocked on who gets to fill the spots. What should happen next in any Senate with balls at all is that Majority Leader Harry Reid forces a floor fight with Mitch McConnell.

But he won't. Uh, he definitely won't.

He and McConnell have come to accomodations over FISA and retroactive immunity for telecom companies that cooperated with warrantless wiretapping and have agreed not to run out a 30-hour clock on the motion. Reid is taking the easy way out; there are Democrat senators who'd like to add amendments to strip out retroactive immunity. Reid seems far more concerned about a Republican filibuster lately than on doing the right thing.

The thing is, there's blood in the water and no one seems to be noticing it on the left. McConnell is facing some serious opposition at home. So far he's facing three Louisville millionaires, and a guy who lost the 2006 Dem primary.

Bob Novak said of McConnell on the Immigration Reform bill back in 2007:

"If this were a war, Sen. McConnell should be relieved of command for dereliction of duty." Not only did the minority leader end up voting against an immigration bill that he said was better than the 2006 version he supported, he abandoned his post, staying off the floor during final stages of the debate."

Speaking of abandoning his post, what's up with Republicans who dodge military service? From Wikipedia:

The exact circumstances surrounding the discharge remain unknown because McConnell has always refused to discuss them; however, in August 1967, a telegram was sent to the commanding general at Fort Knox (where McConnell was in boot camp) by former Senator John Sherman Cooper, for whom McConnell had previously worked as an intern. The telegram stated that O'Connell was "anxious to clear post in order to enroll NYU. Please advise when final action can be expected." However, no record exists of McConnell ever enrolling - or even applying for admission - into New York University.

Um. Yeah.

Then there's his support for now-indicted KY governor Ernie Fletcher. Even in the midst of the hullaballoo, McConnell felt confident enough to step in front of a television camera and say, "I've never met a finer man than Ernie Fletcher."

The fallout of that one was wide and far-reaching, and eventually compelled Fletcher to fire several of his own appointees to save his own ass.

The guy's nuts on voting, too. He's backed pretty much everything the President has said he should. And even the most cursory scan of his voting record shows exactly how far gone he is. That means anything to do with the rule of law gets the boot, and anything that furthers the role of the executive gets a hearty welcome, and maybe a little Pavlovian-conditioned salivation on the side. Abortion? Bad. Anything that makes the country actually safer? Bad. Anything that furthers fear and hostility and gives the Republicans more power? Good! Anything that punishes poor people, scares Joe Public, and rewards corporate interests? Even better! The one surprise is that he didn't support a constitutional ban on flag burning back in 1995. I guess he had to draw a line somewhere...or maybe he just couldn't read very well back then, who knows?
I'm wondering if I've made the case that McConnell sucks* forcefully enough.

I'll probably write a post on how McConnell runs rings around Reid anytime he feels like it next. That's the flipside of this dismal, ugly, corroded coin.


*His wife is about as evil as he is. It's tangential to mention, and yeah, it's irrelevant and probably unfair, but she really sucks, too. I suppose I say this to offer evidence that shitty people tend to find each other and help each other be even shittier than they could be on their own. Oh, and it loops back, too, since at least one of the mine disasters she presided over was plagued by allegations of corruption and bribery traced directly to her husband's relationship with the mine owner. Stephen Colbert sends this one up better than I ever could.

Blogging for America

You might have noticed some new voices around here, so I want to take a post and introduce everyone.

Meet Lando and Salil, who will be bringing you the same snark you've grown to love.

Also, keep any eye out because Snarff has moved from web content into full-fleged poster. Not to worry, he will keep bringing you audio and visuals.

Happy holidays from the crew at American Other. We've been drinking a bit too much eggnog (and I currently have three Christmas presents sitting on my head--and they aren't even hats!), so we'll be back in full force once our hangovers have cleared!

NORAD and Santa

So I'm watching Monday Night Football. And amid the traditional holiday crap (group shots of the MNF crew, Xmas bumper muzak, etc.) Mike Tirico sincerely announces that NORAD (whose primary function is to track incoming nukes) is "tracking Santa." Then I talked with Rani on the phone and she also had heard the NORAD tracking Santa announcement on another station. This is hardly surprising, TV and NORAD have been doing this since I was a kid (the Reagan years, of course.) But before tonight I never realized how emblematic of the sickness of American culture this is. It's like a 7-layer burrito of dysfunction.

Now call me Scrooge (a good tale of populism, btw), but I decided this year that if I were to have kids someday (due to some birth control malfunction no doubt) I wouldn't feed them the old Santa Claus bullshit. If I'm going to buy my kids the latest gaming system, I don't want them thanking an imaginary pedophile.

Instead of:"Be good kids, Santa can see you and then no toys."
It'll be: "Beer me, Junior, or I'm selling your PS9 on eBay."
Much Better.

Besides, when the polar ice caps melt, then what?

"Santa's gonna drown dad!"
"It's because you forgot to say your prayers, kids."

But in the meantime, as a single American who has yet to father any future National Guardsmen for World War V, I have to listen to TV tell me that NORAD is tracking Santa Claus every fucking year. Thoughts that come to mind:

1. I live in DC. How can Santa deliver toys to DC without violating the White House Airspace? Will there be another crater in Pennsylvania? The hero elves of Santa Sleigh 93 attacked and killed the bearded terrorist Santa Al Clauz. They beat him to death with Bratz dolls.

2. Why do we have to be reminded of impending Nuclear Annihilation every Xmas Eve?

3.Wouldn't this be the perfect time for North Korea to squeeze off an ICBM at us over the North Pole?

What kid knows what NORAD is anyway? Is this when every kid turns around to his 50s pipe-smoking dad and asks, "Hey dad, what the hell is NORAD, and why is it tracking Santa Claus?" That's when most of American dads say, "Shut up, I'm trying to watch the game." But those who actually know the answer to the question will probably be inspired in a Jingoistic Xmas frenzy to say, "Those are the good people who live in a mountain with all the keys to the Nukes. If two guys both turn some keys, we all die. Then we get to see Grandpa."

Thank you Military Industrial Complex for somehow creeping onto EVERY LIVE BROADCAST ON CHRISTMAS EVE to talk about the extinction of the human race. And if you're a poor kid, you wake up the next morning to some "Toys for Tots" Marines handing you a GI Joe action figure. Jesus would be psyched!

Good thing NORAD sounds about as believable to a kid as Santa Claus does. Kid:"Let me get this straight--there's some guys who live under a mountain who spend their time tracking a fictional character. Sounds like a Dungeons 'n' Dragons club."

Now THAT sounds scary.

"Merry XMas!"

Hi folks. I'm Salil.

This is my inaugural post. I actually had another one in the works that I'll polish up and release soon enough. But I'm home in Memphis, TN, visiting my family.

And I just wanted to share some true joy from the heart of America. I'm feeling a bit Grinch-like lately, thanks to a variety of inanity I've run across, and most of it is religious in nature. Well, 'tis the season to act holy, or at least more than thou, so I guess it's my turn!

First, a letter to the editor in my hometown rag, the Commercial Appeal. This is it, unedited, in its entirety (12/24/2007):

"Recently my grandson was cleaning his gun and accidentally shot himself. He was transported to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis. Since his condition was not critical, I waited until the next morning before I came to see him.

"Being from out of town and unfamiliar with the location, I could not find handicapped parking, but I did find a space across the street. Just entering the hospital from the parking space [sic] I was approached several times by different pandhandlers who requested money. They were rude and frightening when I refused to donate. Several police cars were patrolling the area, but none seemed to notice the situation.

"Isn't there something that can be done about this?

"Barbara Greenlee - Corinth, Mississippi."

I feel like that one is almost Zen-like in its ability to sum up everything that is wrong with the South. Clearly, someone has forgotten that Jesus is the Reason for the Season. But I really wish I could reply to her plaintive "isn't there something that can be done about this?" Such an easy retort!

"Yes, Barbara. We could take you out behind your trailer and let your grandson clean his gun again right next to you. Odds are that next time the situation will work out better for the whole planet."

This is immediately followed by a series of letters to the editor about whether the X as it's sometimes used in "XMas" is offensive or not. I cannot make this shit up. Seriously. But apparently quite a few fine upstanding Southern folk out there think that it is. Allow me to quote from another reader of this newspaper, a Mr. Dalton Cooper of Memphis, TN:

"The use of X is just another attempt by the small group of atheists to malign a belief of the vast majority of the American public: a belief in God and Christ."

An imperial presidency; an America characterized by xenophobic fear of the other that is fast losing its technological and intellectual edge in every economic sector you can shake a stick at; the environmental movement in tatters; the Constitution reduced to an inconvenient afterthought...and it's using an "X" in XMas that's offensive. Gotcha, Dalton. Glad to see you have your priorities straight.

Next up, an article in the same newspaper that my sister forwarded to me. I'll keep the commentary to a minimum. Read on, fellow teeth-gnashers.

"What happens here is funded entirely by Bellevue Baptist, a 30,000-member church in Memphis, the nation's second-largest Southern Baptist congregation. Every year, Bellevue shells out $5.5 million -- one-fourth of its $22 million annual budget -- for missionary work around the world. At any given time, Bellevue is supporting missionaries in more than two dozen countries, and annually sends its Memphis congregants on international mission trips to Central America, South America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

"India is particularly important for the congregation. The country is at the center of what Bellevue and other evangelical churches refer to as the '10/40 window' -- the area 10degrees to 40degrees north of the equator, from North Africa to Japan, where 95percent of the people are 'unevangelized' and where only 8percent of evangelical missionary dollars are spent.

"It's really called 'The Last Frontier,' says Steve Marcum, Bellevue's minister of missions."

The comments on this one are particularly finely wrought. You've got the most xenophobic racist evangelicals proclaiming their superiority over the heathens and their God-given obligation to bring their beautiful faith to the barbarians, since they just don't know any better. You've also got angry uncles proclaiming that India is really pretty swell, and you've got the BJP taking political advantage of the whole thing, too. It's like a perfect holiday three-ring circus, except the clowns are waaaay too scary for kids.

Okay, I think I'll end with that for now.

So when you're praying to whoever it is you pray to about the things you think are important, try and remember that there is no God, and even if there were, he's not listening to you, because you're retarded. Then visit the Betty Bowers website, and enjoy what the holidays are really for: getting away from your idiotic coworkers, and getting drunk in a bar after spending too much time with your family.

So many questions.

In an effort to prove to the West that they are really the narcissistic attention-seeking terrorists we all know they are, Al Qaeda is opening up to questions from journalists. I have a feeling that some heads could roll (figuratively and literally) after this episode concludes. Fox News & Friends (read: the Administration and anyone who unconditionally loves America) will pillory any journalist for even thinking of asking questions. The associative logic displayed by these people sickens me but, alas, that's for another post. I'm also a little worried for Al-Qaeda's PR man. If he lets the wrong questions in, especially with the translation factor, we could see an internet video of him being fired. And by fired, I mean being decapitated. I am posting my questions below. I am also asking you, the loyal reader, to post as many questions as you want to ask Number 2.

9. How long did it take your beard to grow to its current length? Was it pre- or post- Lord of the Rings?

8. Has anyone ever referred to you as the Gandalf of Arabia, or do you feel more like Gimli since you live in a cave?

7. What is your biggest pet peeve about living with Osama Bin Laden? (He strikes me as the kind of guy without the common courtesy to replace the cap on the toothpaste).

6. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? 10 years?

5. What is on your iPod right now?

4. If you were a car, what brand, make, and model would you be? (My guess is a Yugo.)

3. What parenting advice can you offer to Jamie Lynn Spears?

2. (Sung to the theme from Carmen Sandiego) Where in the world is Osama bin Laden?

1. If the result of having sex with a man named Mohammad was the conversion or death of every non-Muslim in the world, would you complete that task?

Fool Me Twice: The Hillary Clinton Nightmare--Part 1--Endless War

Snarff here. Rani is doing the Xmas thing. I'm part of Bill-O's war on Christmas, so I'm going to throw some posts your way.

Our experience should have shown us the danger in trusting this Administration as it marched to war. That is why I and many of my colleagues -- at least many of those who bothered to vote -- opposed the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment. Unfortunately, Senator Clinton instead chose to lend credence to the Administration's position...It's easy to say 'fool me once, shame on George Bush,' but when she's been fooled twice, shame on her.
--Senator Christopher Dodd



As courageous as Chris Dodd has been these days (except for funding the war again), I have to disagree with him. Senator Hillary Clinton is the one trying to fool America twice, which is why any Democrat (and perhaps even the anti-war *gag* Repub Ron Paul) would be a decidedly better president.

While Senator Clinton mounts racist attacks against Senator Obama, (that drug dealer thing that would make George H.W. proud) she claims to be a helpless woman being attacked by misogynists.

Clinton touts her "experience" in her husband's administration, but asks us to forget her failure in her signature project (with a Democratic Congress no less)--Health Care reform. Oh, and then the Clintons helped to lose congress for 12 years and keep Rush flush with Oxycontin. Don't forget NAFTA--we all hear the "giant sucking sound" now. (Ross Perot had those great big ears so he heard it first.)

Progressives look forward to another Clinton administration like they look forward to open-heart surgery.

This first post will focus on perhaps the most dangerous aspect of Clinton's candidacy: her thirst for war.

I take responsibility for my vote. It was a sincere vote based on the facts and assurances we had at the time. Obviously, I would not vote that way again if we knew then what we know now.
Sen. Clinton on 2002 Iraq War authorization.

Except she did. Clinton voted for the Kyl-Lieberman amendment to "...designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a foreign terrorist organization." What exactly is the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps? Is it a rag tag band of terrorists doing the hand-over -hand bars at an Al Qaeda "camp?" No it's actually the largest branch of the Iranian Army, currently over 400,000 strong. This is more than double the number of US troops in Iraq. In time of war, the IRGC reportedly can swell to 11 million. So it's no wonder that Senator Jim Webb called the bill "Dick Cheney's fondest pipe dream" and "...tantamount to a declaration of war." Senator Clinton is all too comfortable with war.

Not only does Hillary refuse to apologize for her vote to attack Iran, she believes the NIE "vindicates" her approval of the Iran war. Sound familiar? This is the same patented up-is-down doublespeak the Bush administration trotted out after the NIE. Here's what Hillary was saying about Iran in September: "The Revolutionary Guards are deeply involved in Iran’s nuclear program." Doesn't sound like vindication to me. But it does sound like Hillary circa 2003: "It is clear ... that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons." Hillary Clinton: a mouthpiece for NeoCons everywhere.

Hillary is also committed to being in Iraq indefinitely. Even with nearly 4,000 dead US Soldiers and an Iraqi death toll tantamount to genocide, Sen. Clinton wants a permanent presence in Iraq. Apparently Big Oil money isn't red or blue, it's green like the rest of Hillary's special interest cash. Sen. Clinton shows the same callous disregard for human life that W has. As the remainder of the Democratic field promises to be out of Iraq in a year, Hillary Clinton betrays America yet again.

Should Hillary be elected she would be the first woman president. She may also be the first woman President to be tried for war crimes.

We need to use every tool at our disposal, including...the threat and use of military force.
Sen. Clinton "talking tough" about Iran at AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) dinner; 1/31/07

Iowa Knows What's Up: Edwards Leads

Polls are stupid, but one here suggests that Edwards is making a strong showing in Iowa.

Clearly, there are some fine-thinking Iowans who know how to pick a candidate. One of them even reads this blog!

Turkey Attacks Iraq, Lil' Condi Does Standup

You may have heard about Turkey's attack on northern Iraq. Say it with me, kids: Kurds!

I heard this news on the Ed Schultz show on Air America yesterday, and it featured Condoleeza Rice stating that the U.S. is very concerned about loss of innocent civilian lives. What, is she vying for a spot on Whose Line is it Anyway? I didn't realize that the Bush Administration cares about innocent civilian lives. In fact, I'm still not convinced they do.

The Detroit Free Press offers this story, in which Iraqis allege that there is no way Turkey would have attacked Iraq without U.S. sanction. Compelling argument. Kind of like the way the Japanese wouldn't have bombed Pearl Harbor if we hadn't left the boats out for them to bomb. That was a DBQ subject on my AP US History exam back in the day. I read some of those documents. I totally believe Roosevelt was looking for a way to get us into WWII. Just like 9/11.... hmm... but I digress.