FIVE WORST PEOPLE
IN THE WORLD

ELEVENTH EDITION

Tony Snow starts things off for us in Week Eleven. He spent the better part of this week basically making crap up out of whole cloth about Bush, like how he's the champion of stem cell research and the highest of high protectors of the environment. Luckily there's this little thing called the internets that allows ordinary people to do things like research in order to call BX on Snow-spin. Snow also made time to demand an apology from John Kerry hours after Kerry had already given an apology.

George W. Bush isn't even being subtle about it anymore. I'm referring of course to Bush now coming out and flat out saying that a vote for Democrats this Tuesday is a vote for terrorists. It reminds me of DICK Cheney's nonsense back in '04 as he tried (and apparently succeeded) in frightening the voting public by claiming that the "wrong choice" this November could lead to another 9/11. Bush has apparently now dropped all pretense about being above the partisan fray and is now basically calling anyone who would even contemplate voting for Dems a terrorist sympathizer.

The latest religious right hypocrite to come out is none other than Ted Haggard, a man who just two days ago, I had never heard of. Now, he's at the center of a whole load of shitstorms because he was the leader of a major religious organization that spent much time and energy railing against gays and such. So naturally the guy has been frequenting a gay prostitute for the past three years, obstensibly for "massages" and methanphetamines. As yet another religious zealot is exposed for the hypocrite he is, this will more than likely further depress GOP/conservative get-out-the-vote efforts. Oh, happy days...

Whatever you do, do not ask George Felix Allen Jr. anything that might offend him, for if you do, his goonsquad will assault you, throw you to the ground and forcibly remove you from Felix's presense. After all, that's what happened to one of his own constituents, who wanted to know about Felix's past problems with his wife. Inappropriate to ask? Perhaps, but I would tend to think in this day and age that anything is fair game. If you've got a skeleton in your closet, you'd best be prepared to defend it. Unless you're Felix; then you just have your thugs remove the offending party.

John Boehner spent much of the week felating Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. What with all the love from Boehner to Rummy, I would almost wonder if the Rum-man has a pic or two of Boehner in a compromising position. First Boehney claims that the Donald is the best thing to happen to the Pentagon in twenty-five years. Then later he claims that, though he is the freakin' Secretary of Defense and as such is in charge of the war in Iraq, Rumsfeld should not be blamed for all the problems in Iraq. As I noted earlier, he is sort of right in that Bush should shoulder most of the blame, but since we all know that that's not how this adminstration operates, the blame must instead fall somewhere else. And Boehner points the finger at the "generals on the ground". Because in this day and age, fault never falls at the leaders' feet; it stops a few levels down.

Here's the latest tally after ELEVEN weeks:
George W. Bush - 25 points
George Felix Allen Jr. - 16 points
Joe Lieberman - 15 points
Dick Cheney - 13 points
John McCain - 12 points
Donald Rumsfeld - 10 points
Denny Hastert - 9 points
Bill Frist - 8 points
Mark Foley - 8 points
John Boehner - 7 points
Tony Snow - 7 points
Tom Reynolds - 6 points
Rush Limbaugh - 5 points
Ben Stein - 5 points
Chris Wallace - 5 points
ABC - Path to 9/11 - 5 points
Sean Hannity - 4 points
Matt Drudge - 4 points
Geoff Davis - 4 points
Peter King - 3 points
Ted Haggard - 3 points
Matt Drudge - 3 points
Marilyn Musgrave - 3 points
Michelle Malkin - 3 points
Condoleeza Rice - 3 points
Ann Coulter - 3 points
Karl Rove - 2 points
JD Hayworth - 2 points
Michael Savage - 2 points
Neil Cavuto - 2 points
Frank Gaffney - 1 point
Hugh Hewitt - 1 point

(Points are awarded based on five points for a first place finish, four points for second and so on. Points will be carried over from week to week.)

HELLBOUND?

JERRY FALWELL


If you've been watching even a little bit of news today you know that it's all Ted Haggard all the time. As such, the righties are in various stages of spin mode, the most egregious of which is coming from Jerry Falwell, the toad of a man who says lovely things like gays , the ACLU and "abortionists" were to blame for 9/11 because we as a nation were being punished by God.

Anyway, now that the Haggard scandal is in full bloom, Falwell is going out of his way to distance himself from that sinner Haggard, even going so far as to outright lie (I know, huge shocker). Falwell claims to not knowing Haggard and having never even met the guy, which is a big fib since they were both in attendance as Bush signed the Partial Birth Abortion Act of 2003. Haggard bragged about being able to spend almost an hour with Bush in the Oval Office along with Falwell and other religious right luminaries. Having watched The West Wing religously for years I know that the Oval Office, while spacious, is not a room where nine people can't not happen to meet. What, was Falwell hiding behind a sofa or in the fireplace?

Next, Falwell claims that the Haggard's influence in the evangelical movement was negligible at best. As Silent Patriot at Crooks and Liars notes,

Although Haggard may not be a household name like Falwell, Dobson or Robertson, there's no doubt that he is a hugely influential figure in the religous right movement. It's laughable for Falwell to play down his influence when he was President of the largest evangelical organizaion in the America representing more than 30 million members.

For being such a God-fearing man, Falwell certainly does have a penchant for bearing false witness. Utlimately, Falwell is a dispicable human being who has long since abandoned the core tenets of Christianity. Much like Bush and his Republican ilk, his sole god is the acquisition of power. Any word to the contrary is the smokescreen of a sinner.

THE SAGA OF

STEPHANIE MILLER

AND HER ARCHNEMESIS,

SOCK

For those not in the know, Stephanie Miller is a liberal radio talk show host. I personally have heard her only rarely as she is not broadcasting during the time when I'm usually listening to the radio, but from what I understand she's talented and entertaining and really knows her stuff. She has made numerous television appearances on various talking head shows on the cable news networks. One such appearance on Hannity & Colmes program earned her this delightful missive from a viewer. I transcribe it in its entirety (warts and all) from Bradblog:


Dear Stephanie:

As with Cindy Sheehan the best thing that could happen to you would be seeing some WONDERFUL activist sticking an AK-47 up your Glory Holes and sending you to eternity. But this is not a threat as I am a paci-fist preferring to confront dumb fucks like you two cunts with words rather than violence. But I would gather my 1st amendment rights permit me to HOPE (!) and PRAY (!) that someone decides you're better off as statistics. Honestly, should I hear of either you leaving this earth prematurely I would initiate a personal celebration that would make Animal House appear to be just another quiet Sunday in church.

However, again an exercise of my individual rights even a liberal Supreme Court can't take away. I will be mailing copies of your appearnace on yesterday's Hannity & Colmes to some WONDERFUL people. Without including a cover letter and without a return address we will be mailing copies of your anti-America rhetoric together with any personal information we can cull off the Net to the following recipients. Receivers will be families and friends of others lost in Iraq but who believe their sons/daughters died nobly, others with a SPECIAL fervor and fire-in-their-belly for this country and who totally and completely despise renegades as yourself and, too, several others whose "credentials" I will keep to myself but assuredly shall we say devoted people to this country's future. As the phrase goes we must identify this nation's enemies and though we keep friends close, we MUST keep our enemies even closer and your two vile bitches are just that, Benedict Arnolds to the country who gives you the freedom to embarrass yourselves and make as ass of yourselves also, and simultaneously.

Therefore, I trust the both of you mother fuckers will continue to show yourselves on TV shows, exposure to more and more people, as GUARANTEED your words will someday possibly accelerate your demise again not on my hand but by someone who believes in such finalizing action. So, PLEASE, don't stop, even expand your words of HATE for America and this Presidency because the more you talk the better my hopes and prayers are fulfilled. Would love to celebrate and would for days on end as I always wyould and will when still another America HATER meets his/her maker.

From the right 'Right,

"Sock" Sokolowski


Kinda messed up, huh? Yet, Steph is made of sterner stuff than I as she actually gave the nutbag a call on her radio show. See, the guy put his phone number in the letter. Not missing an opportunity to question someone of obviously questionable mental faculties, Miller gave him a call (full audio is available at Miller's website).

When confronted by Miller (in a really friendly manner considering Sock would like her dead) he continually denied wishing death upon her. Go back and read the letter I painstakingly transcribed. I would tend to think putting AK-47s in "certain places" and sending them to eternity is some sort of code for death, but perhaps I'm mistaken. He started by denying he said he wanted Miller (and Sheehan) dead, then denied hoping that others would take up the cause of sending Miller "to eternity". Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but that whole second paragraph seemed to spell out in detail how it was going to go down. It's odd because he's not denying that he wrote the letter; what we're apparently dealing with here is an argument over semantics, I suppose. He goes on to say that his letter was not a threat; rather it was just how he feels about people like Miller, which is to say, anyone who disagrees with whatever it is Sock believes in at that point in time.

Sock takes a shot at Michael J. Fox (which is apparently the "in" thing to do on the right these days), claiming that he overmedicated in order to make himself more animated. He claims doctors advised him that overmedicating on "Parkinsons medicine" has the same effect as not taking the medicine at all. Of course, this tells me that he never talked to a doctor at all since if overmedicating led to an effect of not taking the medicine at all, it would have decreased Fox's ability to move, not increase, since Parkinson's renders its victims less mobile, not more mobile. See, he sort of contradicts himself there, but then again, one should never go to a man named Sock for sound medical advice.

Anyway, getting back to Sock himself, Miller tells him that she didn't care to receive a death threat like the one she received from Sock, and he once again entered denial mode. He tells her to go back and read it. I took his advice and did so. If that isn't a death threat, then I'd hate to see what he writes for those. He claims that the people he hopes will answer his prayers and do away with scum like Miller are actually patriots and not the cold blooded murderers they actually would be. When Miller stated that Sock was essentially hoping for her and Sheehan's death, he again flat out claimed that he wasn't. "No, I'm not. Not at all," being Sock's exact words. When Miller again points out that, yeah, he sort of did, what with the AK-47 in the glory hole line, Sock finally shuts down. He decides that he no longer wants to continue the conversation and ends it.

This is what we as liberals are up against - (aside from people who vociferously defend free speech, except when you say something they disagree with; then they want you dead)individuals who will alter their perception of reality in order to fit whatever point they hope to make at a given moment. When faced with their own words, they'll tell you to your face that while they did say that, they didn't really say that. We've obviously already seen this on a larger scale with Bush and his "stay the course" rhetoric. And now we see it from a guy named Sock. Here is a guy who readily admits to writing all manner of disturbing thoughts yet refuses to understand that they are in fact disturbing or that the essence of what makes the disturbing doesn't register to him as something that anyone would find remotely disturbing. He hopes and prays for their deaths, yet doesn't; except he does.

Certain rightwingers revel in coming up with clever names to describe the left, like looney or unhinged, yet it appears to be the sole purview of those on the right to wish all manner of death and mutilation on any who disagree with their particular worldviews. Sock is simply another example. Granted, his targets aren't as grandiose as someone like Ann Coulter, who desires to see a certain Supreme Court justice injest rat poison or her considerations on the assasination of a sitting president, but it is no less important to document sick people like Sock. Free speech means free for everyone, Sock, not just for psychotic "patriots" like yourself who would see harm be done on those you disagree with.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH

TED HAGGARD


More rightwing hypocrisy to report, this time not coming from the ranks of Congress, which is something of a shock. This time, one of the most powerful and influencial men in the religious right movement has apparently found his hand in the cookie jar. Today's subject is a Mr. Ted Haggard, the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, representing 30 million conservative Christians. He is also the founder and senior pastor of the 14,000(!) member New Life Church.
So, what's the hypocrisy, you ask?
Well, a male prostitute has stepped forward and has alleged a three-year relationship with Haggard.
So, yet another religious nut is apparently doing the nastiest of nasties. Who cares? Happens all the time, right? Well, Haggard is a bit of a different nut. From Salon.com via Americablog:

We asked for an explanation from Salon's Lauren Sandler, the author of "Righteous: Dispatches From the Evangelical Youth Movement." Here's what she tells us:

"Ted Haggard may not just be the most important evangelical you've never heard of, but the most important evangelical, period...."

Which is why it matters so that Haggard seems to have fallen. The Mark Foley scandal inspired plenty of people to question their devotion to the Republican Party. But Foley is a politician; most evangelicals would already suspect him of thinly cloaking his identity in a three-piece, pinstriped superego. Haggard, on the other hand, has always represented the real deal. He's the one John Wayne would have tapped for his posse. He's the one who represents most how deeply political this evangelical population can be, while always disdaining the notion of politics, always cleaving toward the ranch rather than the Hill."

If that makes it sound like Haggard and Bush are peas in a pod, well, they are. Haggard participates -- or at least he did -- in weekly White House conference calls, and he and the president like to joke that the only thing they disagree on is what truck to drive."

Haggard has been preaching against homosexuality with his typical charismatic fire-and-brimstone fervor ever since he founded New Life Church in Colorado Springs. Probably even before then. And if he's right that there is a special place in hell for gay fornicators and drug abusers -- not to mention for liars and charlatans -- I guess he knows where he's headed."

So, a man who vociferously preaches about the evils of homosexuality and has the ear of George Bush on a weekly basis has been accused of what I would think is the very worst kind of smear and what does he do? Does he fight tooth and nail defending himself against these baseless accusations? Um, no. He resigns from his position as president of the aforementioned National Association of Evangelicals as well as his position within his megachurch.

Now, I do not mean to imply that this is necessarily the actions of a guilty man, but they certainly do not appear to be the actions of a man who has been wrongly accused of a sin he spends so much time railing against. Time and various internal investigations may ultimately reveal the truth, but in the court of public opinion (or at least my opinion) is actions do not appear to indicate a wrongly accused man.

UPDATE - So, I guess he did do it, or at least, "some" of the claims. From KKTV (via Americablog):

A sudden about-face in the scandal facing New Life Church's pastor.


After Pastor Ted Haggard went public Wednesday night denying allegations of a homosexual affair, senior church officials told KKTV 11News Thursday evening, Pastor Ted Haggard has admitted to some of the claims made by a former male escort. The church's Acting Senior Pastor, Ross Parsley, tells KKTV 11 News that Pastor Haggard has admitted to some of the indiscretions claimed by Mike Jones, but not all of them.

More conservative hypocrisy, ladies and gents.

A FEW BITS

Awww, Paul likes my sweetheart and future husband, Keith, too. How sweet. Betcha I like him more!

Hi, gang. Sorry my my sorry amount of posts lately. I've been feeling puny, like my granny used to say. What little energy I've had I've spent on my ravings at over Demokat. I do go on over there and didn't want to hog up all of Paul's space and suck up all the air at AML. I do feel some obligation to post some actual factual information here because I think Paul has established a very reputable and informative site and I don't want to foul it up. I do have a few cross-posts Paul wants here. I'll toss 'em up tomorrow. Here are a few shorties:

First up, I guess y'all have heard about the...uh, "right" Rev. Ted Haggard, leader of the 30 million member National Association of Evangelicals, who has stepped down since he has allegedly been paying for gay sex for years. I'm know Paul will have more to say about him. I was highly amused watching Jerry Falwell on CNN's Situation Room doing The Twist while attempting to convince anyone willing to listen (and, of course, Paula Zahn was) that Rev. Ted was just some obscure nobody that had nuthin' to do with nuthin'.

Given that 3 were identified at Ground Zero only today, some of you might be interested in supporting the families by helping to stop construction at the site by signing the petition at Put It Above Ground. Personally, I think the whole place ought to be made into a memorial park. I've been working on a post on the subject. The thought of making money or conducting business upon the ashes of the dead disgusts me.

Given that some ballots cast early have already been lost, such as those in Volusia County, in...you've got it...Florida, a predominately minority and poor county, 'natch, you might want to check to make sure you are registered, at the very least. Maybe even take your video recorder with you to the polling place. Just clear your calendar for Tuesday. I stood in line from 4 p.m to 10:30 p.m in the predominately minority precinct in Columbia, SC where I had to cast a provisional ballot in '04. Now, back in the Republican upstate SC, I betcha I'm in and out in 20 minutes, as usual. I'll let ya know.

A REAL STAND-UP GUY

DON SHERWOOD


This guy's story just gets more and more fun. I'm of course referring to the saga of soon-to-be ex-Representative Don Sherwood (R-PA). Let's see, where to start? Sherwood, a husband and father of three, likes to think of himself as one of those "family values" conservatives. And if by "family values" he means, cheating on his wife of many years with a woman almost 40 years his junior, then yes, he would most definitely qualify for the label of family values conservative.

Anyway, this woman, named Cynthia Ore, remains his mistress for about five years, but as with all good things, they inevitably come to an end and they decide to part company. And by decide I mean that Sherwood allegedly choked (I've heard throttled in some instances) the woman. From the AP:

According to a police report, Ore called 911 on her cell phone from the bathroom of Sherwood's Capitol Hill apartment in 2004 and reported that Sherwood had choked her while giving her a back rub.

Needless to say, and as these things usually do, Ore sued the family values conservative to the tune of 5.5 million dollars, which is definitely not bad work if one can get it. The case was eventually settled under a confidentiality agreement for about one tenth of that figure, which is still pretty good scratch though probably not as much as the woman deserved for sleeping with a slug like Sherwood for five years.

But wait, there's more. In an effort not to hurt his reelection chances as a family values conservative who cheats on his wife and family for many years and then throttles the mistress in question, the settlement is to be paid in installments. And half of the half a million was not to be paid until after the elections in four days, lest Ms. Ore lose a substantial portion if she were to speak of their tryst before the final payout (and presumably afterwards).

So, here we have yet another example of the hypocrisy of the conservative Republican universe. And the best part is, your buddy and mine, George Bush, campaigned for the adulterer/choker just a couple of weeks ago. Funny, but I haven't heard of any journalist asking Bush is he still supports Sherwood's candidacy for the House. What's not funny is I'm certain that Bush still does.

HYPOCRISY, THY NAME BE BUSH

GEORGE W. BUSH


This is one of those head-shaking ones that come up from time to time from Mr. Bush. See, Bush is sad. Why, you may ask? He's sad because the tone in Washington has gotten ugly. In fact, it's the worst thing about being president.

Um, excuse me for a second while my irony meter explodes.

Bush saying crap like this is like having the school bully beat the hell out of someone, then have the bully remark that the person in question was much more attractive before all the bruises and black eyes. The fact that he can actually say this sort of stuff with a straight face (or as straight a face as the eternally smirking one can manage) means he is either pathologically deluded or he might have a career as a poker player after his presidency ends.

He goes on to say that it's important for a president to stay above all the partisan bickering, noting, “I really don’t think it’s fitting for the president to drag the presidency into that kind of a mudslinging.” Of course he said this just a day or so removed from calling out anyone who supports a Democratic victory terrorist supporters. If this is his idea of being above the fray, I shudder to think what it would be like in the world of politics if he really decided to get down and dirty. Of course, anyone with half a brain knows that he's been down and dirty long before he became president (or governor of Texas for that matter). Luckily, it seems the American people have finally woken up and are no longer buying this schtick. His "uniter, not a divider" bit doesn't hold water anymore, not that it ever really did.

HAIL TO THE KEITH

KEITH OLBERMANN

In a tirade with far too many lines to quote, Keith Olbermann again laid claim to the mantle of Time's Person of the Year award as he is one of far too few voices on the airwaves to stand up to the bully occupying the White House. As always, Crooks and Liars is on the case and has not only the video, but a full transcript as well.
I give you a few brief passages that I found especially poignant:

There is tonight no political division in this country that he and his party will not exploit, nor have not exploited; no anxiety that he and his party will not inflame.

There is no line this President has not crossed — nor will not cross — to keep one political party, in power.

He has spread any and every fear among us, in a desperate effort to avoid that which he most fears — some check, some balance against what has become not an imperial, but a unilateral presidency.

...

A brief reminder, Mr. Bush - you are not the United States of America. You are merely a politician whose entire legacy will have been a willingness to make anything political.

Thanks again, Keith.

WELL, HE'S SORTA RIGHT

JOHN BOEHNER


So, the majority leader in the House of Representatives shared an interesting insight on CNN yesterday. During a discussion on the Situation Room, John Boehner revealed that Donald Rumsfeld shouldn't be blamed for what's happening in Iraq. That would be the same Donald Rumsefeld who is the Secretary of Defense of the United States. He sort of runs the Pentagon. And the Pentagon sort of runs of the military. The military that's currently bogged down in Iraq. Here's the actual exchange, courtesy of Americablog:

GOP HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER JOHN BOEHNER: Let's not blame what's happening in Iraq on Rumsfeld.

WOLF BLITZER: But he's in charge of the military.

BOEHNER: But the fact is, the generals on the ground are in charge, and he works closely with them and the president.

So, is Boehner actually saying that the buck stops somewhere well short of the boss? I know, I know, it's nothing short of shocking that a Republican would seek to place blame somewhere other than where it firmly belongs, but alas another case has arisen.
Disregarding for a moment that Boehner is apparently seeking to impugn the "generals on the ground" and, by extension, the very troops who have shed their blood defending this nation, what I actually find curious is that Boehner may actually have a point, at least as far as his first remark goes. While a sizable majority of the blame should fall squarely on the shoulders of Rumsfeld, the ultimate culpability should lie with his boss, one George Bush. Of course, Bush threw out Harry Truman's truism of accountability the second he moved into the Oval Office, but that will never absolve the decider of his accountability in this egregious debacle.

DEMS = TERRORISTS

GEORGE W. BUSH


I had to do a double-take after reading this one, but it is apparently true - George Bush believes that a win this coming Tuesday by Democrats will be a victory for the terrorists. As I've noted before, Bush usually leaves this sort of flame throwing for a lower level surrogate, but there it is, as plain as day in the Washington Post: "However they put it, the Democrat approach in Iraq comes down to this: The terrorists win and America loses."

Apparently Bush believes that the the 60+% of people who disagree with Bush's handling of Iraq are pulling for a terrorist victory. Apparently the millions of people who will go to the polls this coming Tuesday and pull a lever for the Democratic candidate are secretly supporters of al Qaeda. Apparently Bush has completely lost his mind and is willing to say and do anything in order to stave off his coming lame duck status.

BUSY DAY

TONY SNOW


More catchup on my part, this time focusing on a very busy Tony Snow. Let's see, John Kerry (who is running for no elected office this year) apparently said something that offended people. Tony Snow used the White House press room as his bully pulpit to chastise Kerry and demand an apology. Except Kerry apologized hours before. Nice research, Tony. Either that, or you're trying to continue to beat a horse that Kerry smartly shot already. See, that's how most controversies go away, by having the offending party issue an apology - not a qualified one with "ifs" sprinkled throughout, just a mea culpa. It deflates the enemy. It's a lesson that the GOP hasn't embraced yet.
Next up, Snow recently attempted to pass his boss off as a pioneer in the world of stem cell research. Snow's three claims include:

1. “Any stem cell research that takes place in the United States today is a result of a decision the president made in 2001.”
2. “No president who has stepped up and made possible more research and encouraged more research than George W. Bush.”
3. Snow, added that “adult and blood cord stem cells” have “demonstrated far more promise” than embryonic stem cells.

Nice try, dingleberry, but the facts speak for themselves (via Think Progress):

1. Bush’s decision did not begin embryonic stem cell research in the U.S. Embryonic stem cell research funded by the Geron Corporation began in the late 1990s at the University of Wisconson and Johns Hopkins University. [Congressional Research Service, pg. 3]

2. President Clinton proposed broader federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Bush suspended the Clinton rules and replaced them with his own that restrict federal funding to lines derived prior to August 2001. Clinton did not propose federal funding for embryonic stem cell research earlier because it didn’t exist. [Congressional Research Service, pgs. 5-6]

3. Adult and umbilical cord stem cells do not show “more promise” than embryonic stem cells. An article in the New England Journal of Medicine called the White House source for this claim “patently false” and “pure hokum.” [9/21/06]

And finally, Snow again attempts to paint Bush as a trailblazer, this time in the field of climate change. Again, from the fine folks at Think Progress:

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow stated that “contrary to stereotype,” President Bush has been “actively engaged in trying to fight climate change.” He also took issue with a reporter’s comment that the United States has been absent from a global emissions and cap trade program, arguing that the Bush administration has “actually taken the lead on those kinds of innovations.”

President Bush has taken very little real action to fight climate change and even refuses to admit that it is manmade. He broke his promise to cap carbon emissions and insists that global warming can be fought through individual “voluntary” programs.

Despite being the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, the United States has refused to participate in the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement that assigns mandatory targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases. Between 1990 and 2004, emissions of all industrialized countries decreased by 3.3 percent, but in U.S. emissions grew by almost 16 percent in that same period and now accounts for
approximately two-fifths of the industrialized world’s greenhouse gases.

I tell ya, it's like we're living in opposite world, where Bush does one thing, then takes credit for the exact opposite. His very first (and only) presidential veto banned federal funding for stem cell research, but his mouthpiece claims Bush to be the one true vanguard for stem cell research. Bush refuses to participate in the Kyoto Protocol knowing it might potentially hurt some of his biggest contributors in the oil industry, yet now he's a champion of the environment. He was against the 9/11 Commission but then played it up as if he was 100% behind it from the start. These are strange times we live in.

S#!T HAPPENS

GEORGE FELIX ALLEN JR.


Man, I go away for a couple of days and I miss all kinds of good stuff. Let's see if I can't get some quick hits knocked out.
The first one that caught my eye was the assault on a liberal blogger as he attempted to ask Felix a question in regards to some issues involving his first wife. Apparently there's been some controversy as far as Felix's first marriage went as the marriage and subsequent split was less than amicable. Felix has been less than forthcoming about addressing his past, though in all honesty, I question whether any of this is even remotely relevant to this campaign season. (That being said, anything that makes Felix look bad puts a smile on my face.)
Getting back to the blogger, Mike Stark of Calling All Wingnuts attempted to ask Felix about a certain spitting incident and he was instantly tackled and forcibly removed from the premises by several Felix goons (Think Progress has some video).

What gets Felix the special mention today is his comment about the entire incident: "Things like that happen." Um, no they do not, Felix. Well, actually they do, as evidenced by what happened here, but this shouldn't be the way it goes down. Felix shouldn't be shielded from uncomfortable questions by stormtrooper goons who assault an innocent man. If you don't want to answer questions about spitting on your then-wife then perhaps you should avoid spitting on your then-wife in the first place. It's a rule I try to live by, but that's just me.