DOES THE "GREAT WHORE" STILL LIVE?

Well, it looks like “veteran bigot” and McCain supporter extraordinaire John Hagee is apologizing to the Catholic League’s Bill Donohue.

Hagee, who has called Catholicism the “great whore” and the “apostate church,” now says he has “an improved understanding of the Catholic Church, its relation to the Jewish faith, and the history of anti-Catholicism.” He also recognizes now that the terms he used were a “rhetorical device” that are not “synonymous with the Catholic Church.” Here’s his letter.

While the McCain camp – and Hagee – deny McCain’s presidential bid had anything to do with Hagee’s new insights, common sense and political strategy says otherwise.

Specifically, we know that if Hagee’s history of ignorance and bigotry were pasted all over the media like Rev. Wright’s comments, there’s the chance that McCain’s candidacy could be derailed. If that happened how could Hagee and his followers get to Heaven? Someone has to start Armageddon.


And then there’s the issue of Hagee’s sudden change of heart going beyond his letter to Donohue and the Catholics.

For example, there’s no word on whether Hagee is apologizing to the gay community for saying that their parade (and lifestyle) brought Hurricane Katrina down on the city of New Orleans. And we also have no word on whether Hagee is apologizing to the Jewish community for suggesting they've brought persecution upon themselves.

I'm not sure, but it seems to me that Hagee's “great whore” still lives.

- Mark

EXPLAINING THE McCAIN VOTE, II

On Saturday we read a letter from a "Friend" who seems to dislike Barack Obama. Not because he's an African-American, mind you. Our Friend is so sophisticated that he's moved beyond race which, incredibly enough, makes him an authority on sniffing out trouble as it relates to race (I know, I know ... forget the logical inconsistency here for a moment; they do).

Believing that he has pulled back the curtain that reveals who Oz really is, our Friend believes he has also sniffed out Obama's secret positions - Obama doesn't like America and, apparently, hates himself.

From his correspondence to me, here's the beginnning of our Friend's "Obama's A Hater" logic ...

I was referred to your site by a friend ... I am sorry I went there. Your article "Time For A Loyalty Oath?" made me cringe. I think you are quite a pompous @%?-hole. It has been proven, in previous recordings of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons, that he is anti-white. And to say "God damn America", I can't think of anything worse. He is a racist, prejudiced bastard, and anyone who follows his beliefs does not deserve to be president ...

Our writer (who apparently doesn't like me either) then uses his insights on race in America to tell me this ...

To me, [attending Wright's church] makes Obama prejudiced as well because he follows someone who is. It has nothing to do with Black America. I would be equally angry if a white pastor of a white presidential candidate said, "God damn America." That person would lose my vote. That is no kind of attitude to have towards a country you want to lead.

So I was thinking. What would our letter writer say about President Bush after reading Bush's reported response to those who reminded him that certain provisions he wanted in the Patriot Act might violate the Constitution:

“I don’t give a goddamn,” Bush retorted. “I’m the President and the Commander-in-Chief. Do it my way.”

“Mr. President,” one aide in the meeting said. “There is a valid case that the provisions in this law undermine the Constitution.”

“Stop throwing the Constitution in my face,” Bush screamed back. “It’s just a goddamned piece of paper!”

It appears that President Bush, who had a history of ignoring the law (2 or 3 arrests? can't remember) and shirking his duties in the National Guard, is the type of person our letter writer would not have voted for - but I suspect that he did anyways. Then he probably voted for him again after President Bush lied to us about the reasons for war, and violated the Constitution while pursuing his Blundering Wars Project.

Barack Obama, however, doesn't have this kind of history. Yet, our Friend doesn't believe Obama is fit for the White House because of something he thinks (and wants to believe) Rev. Wright said.

So, here we have President Bush, who refused direct orders to take a drug test and all but told the National Guard to "Go to Hell" because he wanted to party in Alabama ... and Barack Obama, a man Conservatives want to tie to remarks made by another man that were taken out of context.

At the end of the day, it really shouldn't come as a surprise that this nation is where it's at under President Bush. His Enablers will simply invent and run with a fantasy world that make their beliefs come true (at least in their minds). They reside in a world where they believe if they click their Ruby Red Shoes enough times and repeat "It's true, it's really true ..." they can justify both their desparate positions, and the past incompetence of the Bush administration.

This, my friends, helps explain the McCain vote.

- Mark

P.S. Here's the link to my first "Explaining the McCain Vote."

YOO'S TORTURE MEMO ...

The "Torture Memo" that supposedly gave the Bush administration legal cover to torture detainees is now coming back to haunt its author, John Yoo, who has returned to UC Berkeley to teach law. There are several faculty members who want a discussion on the legal arguments Yoo made while he served the president. They also want to know whether Yoo's writings violated professional standards and/or threaten the academic integrity of UC Berkeley.

Among their concerns are that Yoo ...

1. Gave more than an "opinion" and was a conspirator in pushing torture.

2. Didn't properly inform "his client" (the President) of precedent and law.

3. Committed "violations of the rules of argument" by deliberately ommitting information that he knew existed (specifically the Youngstown case).

There's more, but the crux of the argument is that Yoo was blinded by his proximity to power and failed to uphold standards of the profession. For those of you who have the time, the issues presented to the UC Berkeley faculty by Economics Professor Brad De Long are here.

- Mark

HEY, WHERE'S YOUR FLAG PIN?

With all the carping about patriotism and wearing flag pins, you would think the media - or the Republican Party - would have it in them to call attention to the fact that Americans are NOT patriotic enough to enlist and fight in Iraq or Afghanistan - Wars with ends the Bush administration has tried hard to compare to World War II, the Civil War, and just about anything else that allows them to hype and sell their Blundering Wars Project.

Once again, because the Republican Party thinks draping their rhetoric in the flag makes them men (and absolves them from enlisting), the U.S. Army has to involuntary extend the enlistment terms of our soldiers to prevent them from leaving the military. Unfortunately - and this may come as news to the False Patriots - flag pins can't be taught to fire guns.

While Conservative Chickenhawks continue to call for more war, while cowering behind their flag pins, there appears to be some grumbling about extending tours of duty.

... many soldiers subjected to the stop-loss policy consider it a backdoor draft. Critics argue that once soldiers have completed the enlistment period they agreed to, they should be allowed to return home. The involuntary retention program is so unpopular that it helped inspire a recent movie called "Stop-Loss" ...

This report has the details about stop-loss damage.

You would think that forcing others to "Stand and Die" for the political blunders of the Bush administration might compel President Bush, or John McCain, to support something like the GI Bill working its way through Congress. Think again.

Both Bush and McCain understand if our fighting men and women had more options (like leaving to get an education after serving their country) the "stop-loss" numbers would be far worse than this ...

The number of soldiers held in the Army under the stop-loss program reached a high in March 2005 of 15,758. That number steadily declined through May 2007, when it hit 8,540. But since then, the number of soldiers subjected to stop-loss orders began to increase again, reaching 12,235 in March 2008.

At the end of the day, this is what happens when you combine incompetence, moral cowardice, and false patriotism. And republicans want four more years of this?

Hail Caligula.

- Mark

EXPLAINING LOOPHOLES & POTHOLES

Have you ever wondered why the gap between Middle America and the wealthy keeps on growing? We could chalk it up to hard work. But the person working 2-3 jobs also works hard, but without fabulous reward. We could point to simple greed. But the object of the greedy does have its limits (e.g. you can only stiff so many people).

The reality is our government representatives in Washington write favorable legislation that allows certain people to pay fewer taxes, dump debt on others, and undercut the local tax base. How does this happen? Check out this video. It's just one of many examples that explain how government creates the conditions for wealth creation for a few, while leaving Middle America holding the bag. It also helps explain why our infrastructure and local tax base gets undercut.



- Mark

THE ROOTS OF MARKET & WEALTH

I finally sent the first manuscript for my book, The Roots of Markets & Wealth, to the publisher. I'm expecting at least 6 weeks (if not longer) before I get the first request for revisions. The photo here is Bush the Elder with Prince "Bandar Bush" - the tutor, diplomat extraordinaire, and Saudi family friend that President Bush thanked for for keeping the price of oil low before the 2004 elections. Below is an excerpt from my book on the U.S.-Saudi relationship ...

Saudi Prince Bandar al Sultan, aka "Bandar Bush" and President George H.W. Bush

____________________________________________________

... In Sleeping With the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude, former CIA operative Robert Baer tells the story of returning from Langley, Virginia. Coming from the direction of the Potomoc River was a convoy led by a Chevy Suburban with flashing lights. He suspected it was the President because “he’s the only official in Washington who gets that kind of protection.” When the convoy turned into an estate, he recognized the enormous iron gates.

The next day he learned the convoy was escorting Prince Bandar, the Saudi Ambassador to the United States – who “alone of all ambassadors got official State Department protection.” And why not? Granted the title of “Bandar Bush,” for his long and cozy relationship with the Bush family, Prince Bandar is dean of the Washington diplomatic corps – its brightest star, with a constellation of resources and political contacts that give him both access and power. But perhaps his greatest trump card is how he uses money and oil to move U.S.-Saudi relations.

After the oil price hikes of 1973 the U.S. convinced the Saudis to use their “petrodollars” to help underwrite U.S. budget deficits. Later, a combination of geo-politics and personal greed helped turn a simple funder-borrower relationship into a hydro-headed monster that thrives on national security imbalances and narrow self-interest.

Indeed, Baer writes things have gotten so cozy between Riyadh and former high level Washington officials that granting Prince Bandar the same protection afforded the President is only a small part of a larger story. For those fortunate enough to brush shoulders with Prince Bandar and his circle of friends, Saudi Arabia has become “Washington’s 401(k) Plan.”

Former cabinet secretaries, taking advantage of the Saudi Cash Cow, now work with the “good” bin Ladens, while the U.S. government works to keep Saudi regime safe, and its oil flowing. The financial cooperation the U.S. received from the Saudis after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait border is illustrative. Success in the first Gulf War, in Washington’s eyes, guaranteed that a grateful and friendly “House of Sa’ud would remain the world’s banker of oil.”


Perhaps more importantly, by keeping the Saudis in business, the global status quo was maintained, which meant (and perhaps more importantly) the sources that help fund the American Kingdom would continue. Interestingly, there appear to be historical parallels to this relationship.

In many ways the U.S. - Saudi relationship follows a pattern similar to the protection racket that existed between prosperous merchants in medieval Europe and their royal protectors. And just like their aristocratic predecessors, when they’re not busy tending to their economic interests, or bestowing politically powerful “titles” on their friends, American elites have become consumed with war.

But there is another, more ominous parallel. Much like the medieval period when Europe’s monarchs tried to keep rogue states and marauding nobles at bay, America’s aristocrats have been slow to recognize that the American Kingdom increasingly depends on the Good Will of others and no longer controls its own fate – a point the well protected “Bandar Bush” seems to understand quite well ...

- Mark

AM I RUINING AMERICA?

I've been meaning to post this from one of the e-mails I received a couple of days ago.

... People like you are the reason I quit attending college and went to a trade school. I can't stand the liberal bullshit being shoved down my throat. College is supposed to be about education and finding out who you are, but the whole system is biased due to people like you. You are ruining America.

The actual e-mail is much longer, and full of good talking points. Without mentioning names (unless he calls in) I'll read the entire post this Saturday. The commentary promises to be fun.

- Mark

JOHN HAGEE: GREATEST HITS

- Mark

"NATION HAPPY, LOVES BUSH ..."

Well, this is the headline FOX News would probably like to run with, except even they know they would be seen as a bigger news joke than they already are. But before we get to FOX News, as a point of reference, I thought we could take a look at this first ...

With China cracking down on protest movements in Tibet, China's state run media is letting the country know what's happening in Tibet and how good they have it.



If only we could have this kind happiness ... Wait, it looks like we can. As it turns out things are much better on the Iraqi front than we thought. We just have to watch FOX News.




Wow. It kind of makes you wish we could have some state-led crackdowns so we could be even more happy, right? Fortunately for us, if we do go down the state-led crackdown route, FOX News will be there to tell us how good we have it.




I have to run, but I know there's an Orwellian quote here somewhere ...

- Mark

A NATION THAT SETTLES ...

One of the results of putting our country in the hands of Failing Mediocrity (i.e. the Bush administration) is that the bar for success has been lowered.

Worse, our sycophantic press seems content to chronicle it all by reporting on banalities that only P.T. Barnum could love. Record gas prices? Hey, look at what Rev. Jeremiah said ... Record personal and national debt? Did Hillary really see sniper fire? ... Stagnant and declining wages? Let's watch Bush dance in Africa ... A collapsing dollar? Is middle-America really "bitter"? ... Lost prestige and respect abroad? Let's watch Bush dance in Africa (again) ...

As if suffering through these national embarrassments weren't enough, when it comes to the war in Iraq we now have the bastard child of mediocrity and incompetence: A nation that "settles."

Nothing says "A Nation that Settles" like a country that goes from "Mission Accomplished," to "Stay the Course," to pushing "they have a budget" as a sign of progress, to thinking "make it 100 Years" is OK ...



- Mark