Rumsfeld's Bible Briefings

By GottaLaff

In my Frank Rich post, there was a link to the article discussed here, but here it is again, in case you missed it. Good lord (no pun):

A must-read GQ piece reveals never-before-seen cover sheets from former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's top-secret intelligence briefings, which feature Bible passages thematically selected to correspond with war events. Despite objections within the Pentagon to the cover sheets, these reports were distributed daily to a limited group, including the president.

Frank Rich: "They are seriously creepy."

Other key tidbits from the piece:
Rumsfeld played a significant role in delaying parts of the administration's response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster areas.

Rumsfeld was among a group within the administration who successfully fought a recommendation to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

President Bush was hesitant and slow to act on the dismissal of Rumsfeld even when counseled to do so by his close advisers.

Who wants to throw Rummy into a not-so-padded cell at Gitmo? Hands? It's unanimous.

NBC promotes latest Ann Coulter book despite previous condemnations

By GottaLaff

The Madam's Apple is back:

Dear Friend, As you know, Ann Coulter has a long history of making controversial statements. In media appearances and her syndicated column, Coulter has likened President-elect Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler repeatedly, called Al Gore a "total fag," and written that without affirmative action, African-American Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) couldn't get a job "that didn't involve wearing a paper hat." She has also repeatedly discussed potential acts of violence against people she doesn't like or with whom she disagrees, including saying of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens: "We need somebody to put rat poison in Justice Stevens' crème brulee." » Call NBC and ask why they are reportedly again helping Coulter promote her latest book despite past condemnations by NBC staff for her history of reprehensible comments. Despite this long and well-documented history of controversial statements, NBC has once again reportedly invited Coulter to promote her latest book on its airwaves. On Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, during a segment in which she called Obama an "atheist" and asked if "we could get all of his aliases before he's sworn in on the Quran," Coulter announced that she is scheduled to appear on the January 6, 2009, broadcast of NBC's Today. Enough is enough. Even NBC-affiliated hosts and anchors have expressed disgust over some of Coulter's more offensive rhetoric. Today co-host Meredith Vieira has acknowledged that the media are part of the problem, saying "we're perpetuating it." » Call NBC and ask why they are reportedly again helping Coulter promote her latest book despite past condemnations by NBC staff for her history of reprehensible comments. It is time to hold NBC accountable. In light of both her history and the numerous condemnations of her by NBC staff, the network should reconsider reportedly providing her with a platform from which to make these comments. Call NBC today and let them know what you think. Thank you for your continued support. Eric Burns President Media Matters for America P.S. Invite your friends, family, and co-workers to call NBC as well. Forward them this important message -- Click Here.

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Good ol' corporate network news.

Sarah Palin apologizes for church fire, but ignores Palin-induced death threats to Obama

By GottaLaff

Previously, I posted an Alaskan blogger's suggestion that Also Palin used the Wasilla Bible Church fire to her advantage by gratuitously grabbing the spotlight. Now we have another Alaskan blogger who takes it a step further.

Via Mudflats:

Never one to pass up the opportunity for national media attention, Sarah Palin called in to smitten Greta Van Susteren of Fox News, to talk about the arson committed at the Wasilla church she attends.

“I’ll leave it to the pastor to speak to,” Palin says in the FOX interview. “I apologized to the assistant pastor letting him know that if there’s anything that I’ve done to draw negative attention to the church.”

This was a dangerous fire, she notes.

She apologized to the pastor just in case anything that she said during her campaign had brought negative attention to the church. Just in case something she might have said, had stirred up some crazy person with that much hatred. Just on the off chance that some whacko got all riled up and did something violent. Her apology was also noted in the Anchorage Daily News. [...]

Now, mind you, she doesn’t know for sure that it was anything she said. But, she decided to apologize in CASE she had anything to do with it. [...]

The date is November 10, 2008, one long month ago.

Sarah Palin’s attacks on Barack Obama’s patriotism provoked a spike in death threats against the future president, Secret Service agents revealed during the final weeks of the campaign. The attacks provoked a near lynch mob atmosphere at her rallies, with supporters yelling “terrorist” and “kill him” until the McCain campaign ordered her to tone down the rhetoric.

But it has now emerged that her demagogic tone may have unintentionally encouraged white supremacists to go even further.

The Secret Service warned the Obama family in mid October that they had seen a dramatic increase in the number of threats against the Democratic candidate, coinciding with Mrs Palin’s attacks. [...]

So, here’s a situation where she KNOWS her behavior had a direct, causal relationship with death threats to the now future president. People threatened to assassinate Barack Obama because of Sarah Palin, and this information comes directly from the Secret Service. It’s not a question of IF she said something. She did. It’s not a question of “gee, just on the off chance I said anything I shouldn’t have”. She DID say something, and it DID cause bad things to happen.

And here for your reading enjoyment is Sarah Palin’s heartfelt apology to the Obama family:

::crickets::

Priorities.

Hm. Where's all that "genuine folksy" compassion now?

VIDEO: Rove Will ‘Help Lead’ GOP’s Fight Against Eric Holder For Attorney General

By GottaLaff

Chris Matthews' show: Washington Post reporter Ceci Connolly

How many more days until January 20, again?

On Friday, Senate Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy (D-VT) released a statement noting that the Republicans initially praised Holder, but now seem to be taking their marching orders from Rove:

LEAHY: In addition, Senator Grassley has acknowledged Mr. Holder’s impeccable credentials while reserving judgment. But of course since then, Karl Rove has appeared on the Today Show and signaled that Republicans ought to go after Mr. Holder. Right-wing talk radio took up the drum beat.

I believe it was Thom Hartmann (or not) who mentioned that Holder has said he'd be willing to investigate BushCo. There's your motive.

Here's a little something to put BushCo into perspective. When your sides start splitting, blame Kingsburyqc.

Memo lists Bush talking points sanitizing the past eight years

By GottaLaff

I opened up what's left of my L.A. Times (thank you Sam Zell), and surprise! I got to read all about Bush's effort to convince us all what a success the past eight years have been:

A two-page memo that has been sent to Cabinet members and other high-ranking officials offers a guide for discussing Bush's eight-year tenure during their public speeches. [...]

The document presents the Bush record as an unalloyed success.

It mentions none of the episodes that detractors say have marred his presidency: the collapse of the housing market and major financial services companies, the flawed intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war, the federal response to Hurricane Katrina or the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib.

Get your pencil and paper out, kiddies! It's note-taking time!

• In a section on the economy, speakers are invited to say that Bush cut taxes after 2001, setting the stage for years of job growth. [...] Bush "responded with bold measures to prevent an economic meltdown."
• "Above all, George W. Bush promised to uphold the honor and the dignity of his office. And through all the challenges and trials of his time in office, that is a charge that our president has kept."
• "He promised to raise standards and accountability in public schools -- and delivered the No Child Left Behind Act," the talking points read.
• Bush "kept the American people safe" after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
• He curbed AIDS in Africa

I hadn't realized what an accomplished, benevolent, humble man Bush is. All that somehow went right by me.

I know it'll be tough, but I fervently hope President-elect Obama can live up to his predecessor's standards.

The ugly Bush stain: Guns 'n' parks edition

By GottaLaff

The slimy, scummy, toxic Bush stain spreads to our pristine, quiet, formerly-safe national parks. Someone please explain why this was necessary, and please pass that info on to Nancy Reagan:

People will now be able to carry concealed firearms in some national parks and wildlife refuges.

An Interior Department rule issued Friday allows an individual to carry a loaded weapon in a park or wildlife refuge — but only if the person has a permit for a concealed weapon, and if the state where the park or refuge is located also allows loaded firearms in parks.

The rule overturns a Reagan-era regulation that has restricted loaded guns in parks and wildlife refuges. The previous regulations required that firearms be unloaded and placed somewhere that is not easily accessible, such as in a car trunk. [...]

The National Rifle Association hailed the rule change, which will take effect next month before President-elect Barack Obama takes office. [...]

A group representing park rangers, retirees and conservation organizations said the rule change will lead to confusion for visitors, rangers and other law enforcement agencies.

"Once again, political leaders in the Bush administration have ignored the preferences of the American public by succumbing to political pressure, in this case generated by the National Rifle Association," said Bill Wade, president of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees.

"This regulation will put visitors, employees and precious resources of the National Park System at risk. We will do everything possible to overturn it and return to a commonsense approach to guns in national parks that has been working for decades," Wade said.

The park rule will be published in the Federal Register next week and take effect 30 days later, well before Obama takes office Jan. 20. Overturning the rule could take months or even years, since it would require the new administration to restart the lengthy rule-making process.

I didn't realize those pesky squirrels and chipmunks were so threatening. I'll start packing a sidearm pronto.

Golly, I hope I don't shoot anyone in the face by accident. That would be so embarrassing.

Bush's New Rule: Abortion, artificial insemination, birth control subject to 'right of conscience'

By GottaLaff

We have fewer than 50 days left until Obama is sworn in, and the talking heads on the Tee Vee Machine have been wondering out loud what further damage Bush the Cretin could do. Here's a stupefyingly appalling, jaw-dropping example of another toxic power play:

The outgoing Bush administration is planning to announce a broad new "right of conscience" rule permitting medical facilities, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare workers to refuse to participate in any procedure they find morally objectionable, including abortion and possibly even artificial insemination and birth control.

For more than 30 years, federal law has dictated that doctors and nurses may refuse to perform abortions. The new rule would go further by making clear that healthcare workers also may refuse to provide information or advice to patients who might want an abortion.

It also seeks to cover more employees. For example, in addition to a surgeon and a nurse in an operating room, the rule would extend to "an employee whose task it is to clean the instruments," the draft rule said.

The "conscience" rule could set the stage for an abortion controversy in the early months of Barack Obama's administration.

There now. Isn't that a super duper special reminder of what the Chimpenfuhrer has up his sleeve?

While the rule could eventually be overturned by the new administration, the process might open a wound that could take months of wrangling to close again.

Health and Human Services Department officials said the rule would apply to "any entity" that receives federal funds. It estimated 584,000 entities could be covered, including 4,800 hospitals, 234,000 doctor's offices and 58,000 pharmacies.

Proponents, including the Christian Medical Assn. and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, say the rule is not limited to abortion. It will protect doctors who do not wish to prescribe birth control or to provide artificial insemination, said Dr. David Stevens, president of CMA.

"The real battle line is the morning-after pill," he said. "This prevents the embryo from implanting. This involves moral complicity. Doctors should not be required to dispense a medication they have a moral objection to."

Critics of the rule say it will sacrifice patients' health to the religious beliefs of providers.

Gee, ya think?

Judith Waxman, a lawyer for the National Women's Law Center, said Leavitt's office has extended the law far beyond what was understood. "This goes way beyond abortion," she said. It could reach disputes over contraception, sperm donations and end-of-life care.

"This kind of rule could wreak havoc in a hospital if any employee can declare they are not willing to do certain parts of their job," she said.

During his interview with Charles Gibson, Bush said:

"The president ends up carrying a lot of people's grief in his soul."

Au contraire. The grief is all ours.

VIDEO: Joe the Pitch Man

By GottaLaff

This stellar performance must have made quite a splash with his manager. Maybe he can add a chapter in his scintillating new book about being a TV pitch man:

Joe the Loser is trying to rip off grandmas by selling them this crap. Country music star? Nope. Helpful political face? Nope. Freeloader? Yup.

Wow. Time to put on my director's hat: What a horrendous spokesperson. He's utterly expressionless (not to mention, the very sight of him disgusts me).

When I took my first TV commercial acting class, the first thing I learned was to have, you know, enough energy to convince your viewers that you're not comatose. Oh, and-- what's that word again?-- personality.

As a director, I insist on "emotion, emotion, emotion" from my actors. This schmuck wouldn't know talent if he met it at a party, got it drunk, and spent the night with it.

Joe the Fraud couldn't sell free money.

Dear TPC readers: You are all invited...

By GottaLaff

Look what was in my Facebook inbox:

__________ invited you to "Bush's Last Day In Office" on Tuesday, January 20 at 11:55am.

Event: Bush's Last Day In Office
"Because we've all been awaiting this ever since he got "elected" the first time"
What: Goodbye Party
Host: The United States of America
Start Time: Tuesday, January 20 at 11:55am
End Time: Tuesday, January 20 at 12:05pm
Where: Everywhere in the world

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=15302368196

Thanks,
The Facebook Team