Can we please dispense with that pandering, political, "the American voters are too smart for _____________ [fill in the blank]" crap now? Cuz we're not. We are not too smart at all.
Only 2 in 5 voters can name the three branches of the federal government.
Only 1 in 7 can find Iraq on a map.
Only 1 in 5 know that there are 100 federal senators.
Nearly half (49%) of Americans think the President has the authority to suspend the Constitution.
There is this weird disconnect with reality where people believe that Republicans are strong on supporting our troops.
They are strong on starting unnecessary wars. But that's not the same thing as supporting the troops.
And yet, we have Republican Rep. Mike Turner (OH):
"That is why I was proud to support recently passed legislation that expanded the Montgomery GI bill to provide more funding for veterans to receive a college education."
...
"I was proud to support recent legislation that dramatically expanded the scope and scale of the educational benefits available to our veterans. "
...
"I am proud to have supported legislation that will directly provide this benefit for military families and look forward to further working on their behalf in the future."
The problem is, Turner was one of 159 House Republicans who actually voted against the bill.
Of course, the Republican confusion is understandable when you realize that George W. Bush, who didn't like the bill, actually praised Republican John McCain for helping pass this same bill even though McCain had spoken out against the bill and didn't even bother to show up for the Senate vote on it.
What the hell?
It's interesting how when The Bush Administration and their big oil allies win, so does Osama bin Laden.
Anne Korin, the co-director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee in May:
[A]bout ten years ago, Osama bin Laden stated that his target price for oil is $144 a barrel and that the American people, who allegedly robbed the Muslim people of their oil, owe each Muslim man, woman, and child $30,000 in back payments. At the time, $144 a barrel seemed farfetched to most. […]
Neela Banerjee warned in The New York Times a month after 9/11:
“If bin Laden takes over and becomes king of Saudi Arabia, he’d turn off the tap,” said Roger Diwan, a managing director of the Petroleum Finance Company, a consulting firm in Washington. “He said at one point that he wants oil to be $144 a barrel” — about six times what it sells for now.
So let's see, bin Laden wanted to set the price of oil at $144 per barrel as a punitive measure to the American people.
The price of oil hit $145 per barrel going into the July 4th holiday.
Who's winning this war again?
According to George Bush's Dept. of Agriculture, the production of biofuels has only accounted for 3% of the increases in worldwide food prices (as crops that were once grown for food have been switched over to more profitable biofuel yields).
A leaked report from the World Bank, however, shows that biofuels are responsible for nearly 75% of increases in food prices.
It is believed, say the story's sources, that the report has been complete since April 2008, though not published so as to avoid embarrassing President George W. Bush.
When George W. Bush went to his first G-8 Summit in 2001, the strong US Dollar was on a record setting streak.
On the eve of Bush's last appearance as US President at the G-8 Summit, the US Dollar's value has dropped 41% against the Euro.
That's right, in 8 years of Bush economic policies, the value of the dollar has dropped 41% compared to the Euro.
Recently, New York Times reporters Jacques Steinberg and Steve Radcliffe wrote an article about FOX News' ratings troubles.
So how did FOX respond to the article? By discussing the points brought up in the article? No.
Fox responds by taking ridiculously photoshopped images of the two reporters and showing them on Fox & Friends with the label of "attack dog".
At this point, FOX News is little more than a cartoon of a cable news network - mixed with the quality of journalism that say The New York Post or The Washington Times is known for.
I wonder why their ratings are falling.
Thursday, July 3__________________________
TUCKER MAYER, RED SAMMY, ABBY MOTT
7PM. $5. St. John's Church/2640 Space. Charles Village.
2640 St. Paul Street
JAY REATARD, VINCENT BLACK SHADOW
Sonar. Downtown, Baltimore.
407 E. Saratoga St.
Friday, July 4__________________________
WYE OAK, ARBOURETUM, PONTIAK, BOW & ARROW, CRAZY DREAMS BAND
Some cabin in Warrenton, VA.
PONYTAIL, DOUBLE DAGGER, THE APES, INDIAN JEWELRY, POWER DOUGLAS, MARNIE STERN
1:00PM. The Yard. Brooklyn, NY
388-400 Carroll St.
This is exactly how I want to spend the 4th of July. Why's it gotta be in Brooklyn?
Sunday, July 6__________________________
LITTLE HOWLIN WOLF, CRAZY DREAMS BAND
The Bank. Baltimore.
THE GREAT WHITE JENKINS
10:30 PM. The Golden West Cafe. Hampden, Baltimore.
1105 W 36th St
Monday, July 7__________________________
FLEET FOXES
$10. 9PM. The Black Cat. Washington, D.C.
1811 14th St.
Wednesday, July 9__________________________
NO AGE, HIGH PLACES, ABE VIGODA
Floristree. Baltimore.
Friday, July 11__________________________
4TH WALL PHOTO SHOW OPENING
The Wind-Up Space. Station North, Baltimore.
10 W. North Ave.
Turning their lenses on the musicians who inspire us, these photographers produce iconic art that reflects the energy of the moment. Commercial photography, in both the form of portraiture and performance, is often unrecognized as the remarkable work that it is.
Reflecting on these stills out of the context of their original presentation gives the viewer the opportunity to appreciate them for the artwork that they are.
This manifestation of these visions allows us to gaze through the fourth wall for as long as desired. Rich representations of artists in the midst of making art are so irresistible, they make voyeurs of us all.
Featured photographers: Eldon Baldwin, J. M. Giordano, Frank Hamilton, Sam Holden, Jim Lucio (Defekto), Robert Macy, Rob Perry, Josh Sisk.
YUKON
10:30 PM. The Golden West Cafe. Hampden, Baltimore.
1105 W 36th St
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY opens
------------------------------------------------------------------------
To see more upcoming shows, visit THE SKAG section of the Shank.
ABC New's John Stossel (who is also a global warming denier), went on Larry King to... to... well, to call oil companies heroes.
"I think these oil companies are heroes. Think what it takes to bring this stuff to us, across an ocean, refine it into three types of gasoline, put it in trucks that cost 100,000 dollars each, ship that to gasoline stations that have to have this expensive equipment so we don’t blow ourselves up pumping our own gas."
Yes, and they certainly do it for altruistic reasons, not at all for profit.
Their efforts at achieving record breaking profits, destroying of our economy and fleecing of the American public I guess could be described as "heroic."
If you're a dick.
What exactly can be done with someone arguing from Stossel's mindframe? His rhetoric is clearly not rooted in any sort of reality.
And are those who give idiots like this access to our airwaves complicit in the helping spread the stupidity?
But Stossel's poor-man's-Geraldo 'stache, that IS heroic.
Self-described as "the most comprehensive compendium of Republican hubris, fuckups and misfortunes you will find anywhere, ever."
So very true.
Check out Swing State's THE MODERN REPUBLICAN PARTY: A COMPENDIUM OF CATASTROPHE.
And "compendium" is not hyperbolic.
