"White House In Turmoil?"

Bush and Cheney... not talking!
Nora O'Donnell said so on TV.

OVERLOAD! National G.O.P. Corruption SCANDALS Galore.

I'm feeling a bit OVERLOADED. Need a break... Be back soon. You can get your NEWS & ANALYSIS via the News-links & banners, to the right. Later, Herb.

PS, What's the island of FIJI
like during the Holidays?
(Sorry Bill, "Hannukha?")
Discuss in comments...

Happy Birthday, JON!

Yeah that's right, yesterday - 11/28, Jon Stewart...
Happy Birthday!
Really, the best of journalism...
On the Comedy Channel, of course. Best, Herb.

A Moron... An Idiot, or A Nefarious Bastard!

You Can't Top This:
Buzzflash's link, to [THIS STORY (from AP)]

Colin Powell's former top aide says that Cheney must have known Iraq would turn into a terrorist haven, because otherwise he'd "have to declare him a moron, an idiot or a nefarious bastard."

Good story; better link... That's all, Herb.And a picture ("bongonews.com"?), for consistency Haha! He--hee-hee...

"The truth is -- I broke the law, concealed my conduct, and disgraced my high office."

There's so much CORRUPTION & LIES in D.C. these days it's nice to know someone has the COURAGE to face the music -- when it's clear THEY ARE GUILTY!

Re-READ THE TITLE OF THIS POST.

Those words are long-overdue, from many in Washingthon DC. It could be anyone. In this case, though it's neither Dick nor George. Not Don, Condi, Tom, Karl, Bill, Denny, or any of the others...
But Duke Cunningham, resigning from Congress today with a floor-speech that included these SIMPLE words, accepting RESPONSIBILTY:

I publicly declared my innocence because I was not strong enough to face the truth. So, I misled my family, staff, friends, colleagues, the public -- even myself. For all of this, I am deeply sorry.

The truth is -- I broke the law, concealed my conduct, and disgraced my high office. I know that I will forfeit my freedom, my reputation, my worldly possessions

I feel like Atrios, here, at Eshaton. A little sorry for the guy, but... remember: He's the one who sold his San Diego home to a Defense Contractor for ~$300,000 over market-value -- in exchange for pushing their Defense Appropriations thru his subcommittee (or something sleazy to that effect). This in addition, it appears, to other incidents of GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION, and war-profiteering, yacht-bribes...
Talkingpointsmemo.com has The-Best coverage on the "Duke-ster," California Republican Representative Duke Cunningham's GUILTY plea and RESIGNATION from the House. TPM-Main, link-right also. Workin', Herb.

UPDATE: Imus in-the-morning, didn't feel sorry: "-the guy steals $2.5-Million, and now he's crying." For what it's worth. Oh, and "Guilty," ...it's broadcast by msnbc at 4am and we's workin' late.

Oppression IS Freedom... Amen.

Check it out: [Rumsfeld-regress: Germany '33]
Or Spain 1939, Stalin's USSR, or... 1984?
"It's all Back-werds, how far ye' wanna go?" Seriously, Herb. (credit, to AMERICAblog)

LONDON CALLING! Bush Broadcaster-Bombing Brilliance UPDATE bbc

BBC, now seemingly a second-confirmation of that Daily Mirror scoop, says

The head of al-Jazeera is delivering a letter to Tony Blair demanding the facts on reports that President Bush suggested bombing the Arab TV station.

He wants a memo published which is alleged to show Tony Blair dissuaded President Bush from bombing its HQ.

"What WILL we tell the children?" How emabarrassing, Herb.

Bomb the cameras!!! We Bring You FREEDOM! "DUMB..."

Josh Marshall, here, says-it-well:

"This is an awfully weird story..."
"(NOV. 21) Britain's Daily Mirror ran a story claiming that a top secret British government document records a conversation in Washington between President Bush and Tony Blair in April 2004 in which President Bush discussed bombing the headquarters of Al Jazeera headquarters in Doha, Qatar."

Weird indeed. The Daily Mirror can be,
**a-bit-Enquirerish, but a confirmation/update here from the more-reliable UK Guardian. "Rules(?), but? --Karl!"
Free-press? Yeah everything, that too! -HW

**

Ghost of ThanksGivings-Past (Yeah, right: Late than never.)

I thought this pic of ThanksGiving 2003, whenever(?), was quite appropriate this year... The more things change, the more they don't:

Here we are...
FAKE TURKEY,
FAKE photo-op President,
FAKE War, it seems,
Oh, the metaphors, Herb.

The Bush/Cheney PERPETUAL Occupation of Iraq

WHO, besides: 1) Iran, 2) Muslim-extremists, & 3) Ahmed Chalabi (of course!), BENEFITS from the ongoing U.S. military-occupation of Iraq? Think about it, Anyone?Why would Bush & Cheney insist we have to stay in Iraq forever? Huh, Herb.

DICK CHENEY: "Shameless, Corrupt, Dishonest & Reprehensible."

This AP article, is titled,"Cheney Slams War Critics, Praises Murtha." Dick "responded" to Iraq war critics, from the comfort of AEI, American Enterprise Institution -- a bunch of neocon (all-wrong) Nixon-era "crazies," just like Cheney. In the speech, Cheney lied about lying us into Iraq, smeared the Dems, tried to sound tough. I don't know... Same old stuff. But, remember, the AP title was:

"Cheney Slams War Critics, Praises Murtha"

Now, here's what the LINK to the same ARTICLE says, over at Buzzflash. (Gotta love Buzzflash.)

"Cheney's Erratic, Bizarre and Intolerable Accusations to Cover His Pathological Behavior Pose an Immediate Threat and Danger to America. Impeachment and Forced Psychiatric Hospitalization or Imprisonment are the Only Options Available to Save This Nation. He is a Desperate Cornered Rat Who Will Stop at Nothing."

Beautiful, I really like that Buzzflash writing-style. Later, Herb.

Wrong-Juncture - CORRECTION

We attached the wrong picture on the Thursday-post, titled, "Cheney Confesses..." The picture accompanying that post is NOT the Vice President's, but rather that of Representative Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio).

We regret the error, and appologize for any confusion. Normally, errors are caught and corrected before final-copy, by our dedicated Quality-Control manager, Pedro... Pedro's on vacation, Herb.

"Big Time" Dick Cheney: RESIGN, or BE ARRESTED!

From this Nation article on the "Cheney cabal" hijacking our Federal Government, I give you the following passage (the last-sentence was news to me)...

Bush can't fire Cheney, but increasing attention to the evidence of Cheney's "high crimes and misdemeanors" is likely to grow if he won't leave voluntarily. And unlike a President, a Vice President can be prosecuted while in office.

I've been thinking Congress would have to IMPEACH him... Whew! ...They're worthless. (Congress), Herb.

The Whole R-PARTY Is Quite Obviously COMPLETELY INSANE!

"Picture... a thousand-words," but you simply must see the whole video, here.
This lady OWED SOMEBODY... She's the most JUNIOR person with a chair in that room. She has ZERO-standing... And she slandered Jack Murtha, a respected Veteran and long-time Representative. That's why a couple-hundred people can be heard BOOING, and YELLING at HER to SIT DOWN, and "SHUT-UP!" (Hat-tip O'Reilley!) 'Twas all a-bit, House-Of-Commons-ish... She had to EAT HER WORDS IN THE END! See the (QuickTime)video-link (via Americablog). Thank God for all that Washington "Dignity," Herb.

Bob Woodward: Media-Whore & "President Cheney's Man?"

"All The Presidents Men," in-deed. Liar.
(Watch out, Judy.) -Speechless...
--Without speech, Herb.

LATER... Con-firmed: Bob & The Post put Judy & The Times to SHAME... Mediocre "media!"

LATER STILL -- Sunday UPDATE: More. Good analysis of Washington Post's ethical-dilema, from The Honorable Ambassador Joseph Wilson, over at Josh's Coffeeshop.

More on Bush & Cheney "PROJECTING" THEIR OWN SINS onto EVERYBODY Else

SUPPLEMENT to PREVIOUS-POST
Wikipedia, again, spells-it-out nicely:

"According to Freud, PROJECTION is a psychological DEFENSE MECHANISM whereby one "PROJECTS" ...UNDESIRABLE PARTS of ONESELF, onto SOMEONE ELSE...

Projection is related to DENIAL, the only other defense mechanism that is more primitive than projection. The principle of projection is well-established in psychology."

I've included a picture that, may help...They are, quite Bonkers! Diplomatically, Herb.
LATER ADD.: I feel better, on one level. It's pretty simple & kind-of-amusing. But on another level... it's pretty
F**KING SCARY! "'Tanks!"

BUSH: "PROJECTS" HIS FLAWS onto others, THEN CONDEMNS THEM!

Saw it on Headline News last night, and it bothered me! Just saw it again on CNN: George Bush, answering reporters' questions in Japan, ("PROJECTING"):

"...What bothers me is when people are IRRESPONSIBLY using their POSITIONS, and playing POLITICS...That's EXACTLY what is taking place in America..."
(Ed.note: Bush actually said this, referring to "dem'crats..."!)

Right, Mr. President. It's "...exactly what HAS BEEN taking place in America SINCE YOU WERE ELECTED."
OR: Just like YOU did, in 2002, when you USED YOUR POSITION to get an Iraq-war "blank check," and shamelessly PLAYED POLITICS with Congressional midterm elections! Even challenging the patriotism (Rove!) of decorated War Veteran Senator Max Cleland.

You're right George, "irresponsible," indeed!

"PROJECTION," is a clinical-term... and it's way beyond "Hypocrisy!"




It's a
whole
NEW -
LEVEL
of...
INSANITY! Comments--discuss, Herb.
(Mike has it, here... the quote, via AP, 'graf 5.)

Our Enron-Style "CEO PRESIDENT?" ...LUCKY Us!

Repeatedly deceive the public,
while you bankrupt The Beast...
Ken Lay, Enron-style "management".
And in DENIAL, Herb.

Cheney Confesses to White House DISHONESTY & BAD FAITH?

DICK Cheney (picture) said this, in his speech the other day, which can be read any number of ways...

"In Washington, you can ordinarily rely on some basic measure of truthfulness and good faith in the conduct of political debate," Cheney said. "But in the last several weeks, we have seen a wild departure from that tradition."

Amen, Dick! ...And good-day, Herb.

Congress SUCKS at THEIR JOBS more than Bush SUCKS at HIS?

CNN's Lou Dobbs - online-poll Tuesday, November 15th, Results as of 11pm Eastern.

"Do you believe it is time for the Repub-
lican-led Congress to assert leadership and oversight in U.S. foreign, economic and military policy?" (Edit, "Duh!")

Response YES.......93%
Response NO.........7%

Not so good; Have a nice day, Herb. Later:The poll had over 50,000 Respondents at post-time. Thanks!

White House Case on IRAQ-WMDs, In a Nutshell... (via atrios)

Atrios @ Eschaton, has whittled-down BUSH's recent argument(s) on "the history" of the Iraq War, to an easier, SHORTER VERSION:

Shorter Bush Administration:
"You fucked up - you trusted us!"

'Bout right, Herb.

Tomlinson "Wrecking" Public- Broadcasting Was ILLEGAL!

See this Times article here, excerpted below:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 - Investigators at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting concluded today that its former chairman (Ken Tomlinson) repeatedly broke federal law and its own regulations in a campaign to combat what he saw as liberal bias.**
A scathing report by the corporation's inspector general described a dysfunctional organization that violated the Public Broadcasting Act, which created the corporation and was written to insulate programming decisions from politics.
...
The report said that Tomlinson (pictured) violated federal law by promoting "The Journal Editorial Report" and said he had "admonished C.P.B. senior executive staff not to interfere with his deal to bring a balancing program" to public broadcasting. The board is prohibited from getting involved in programming decisions, but investigators found that Mr. Tomlinson had pushed hard for the program, even as some staff officials at the corporation raised concerns over its cost.

Think how many HOURS VOLUNTEERS have put in over the years and how much money people(MOSTLY ELDERLY) have DONATED -- to keep Public Broadcasting public and NON-POLITICAL. Then, this HACK-Tomlinson gets APPOINTED(yep!) by BUSH and tries to DESTROY it ALL in a few years. Name-calling is allowed, for this dude: "Incompetent, PIG-headed-HACK, moron!"
File under, You-paid-for-it, Herb.

**Remember, HIS IDEA of "liberal bias," is:
--[Too much facts / too many reality!]--
Give the Public what THEY want? Yeah!

DEBUT - New Juncture Series: Where Are all the Neocon Fools?

Mostly, they've been promoted. Feel safer?
Take, "Wildly-Off" Paul Wolfowitz:


WHERE IS HE NOW?


Oh, he's "working hard" at (ruining) the World Bank now. That's nice! Appointed, (yep) by the President, after being SO WRONG,
on everything Iraq...
[BUSH, generally, has the absolute WORST JUDGEMENT EVER(!) when filling positions.] Maybe the White House is forced to give these neo-con-artists cush appointment-jobs. To keep them from writing any "skeleton" books, at least for awhile? ...Maybe, Herb.

NOTE: This post/series is in direct response to monkey-mail/comments from at least one reader, Thanks for the feedback! All.

Presidential Approval SO LOW, Statisticians Fear They'll Soon Need NEW CHARTS For BUSH:

It's Not Just "The Democrats," CRITICAL Of BUSH's Black-Hole, IRAQ... IT'S EVERYBODY!

Families, Taxpayers, Veterans, Parents, Conservatives, Troops, Youth, Seniors... everybody! ATTENTION: They're trying to define their "critics," as "The Democrats." (Everyone has been CRITICAL of W.H. Iraq/war-policies lately... it's an obvious disaster.)

Exactly one-year out from Congressional elections! "Desparate?" I notice CNN,and especially CNN's "Elaine Quijano," has fallen hook-line-and-sinker, for this "MISLEADING" NOTION!
That's all, Herb. --"Can't... get fooled. Again!"

Example/UPDATE Sunday Nite:
AOL News, online-poll on Bush...
misleading public on Iraq weapons
As of Sunday, Nov. 13, 9pm EST...
AFTER Bush-reps denied any W.H.
misleading on the Sunday Talk-Shows:

Did President Bush deliberately
mislead the public on Iraq?
Yes......64%
No.......36%

"Democrats" all, I think not!

BUSH Shamelessly Hides BEHIND SOLDIERS on Veterans Day, and "Responds" to IRAQ WAR Critics

Bush gave an awkward 1001-Iraq-Excuses speech (again), read it here, if you must. It was the same old, same-old... Practically incoherent Bush nonsense: "Killers" (mean people) are the enemy, they hate LIBERTY, and they're gonna take your FREEDOMS if we don't stop the INSURGENT CIVIL-WAR he started in Iraq. (Mission, FUBAR.)
He basically USED the Soldier/Veteran-audience as human-shields: Hiding (from the critics) behind them... again! "Responding to critics," in a setting where the crowd is on-duty and has to respect the "Commander," (& can't heckle, or throw tomatoes) is hardly "responding"
to-critics, at all.
"ANOTHER tour? ...Thank you, Sir!"And, as if orange-juice-came-from-apples, he accused HIS CRITICS, of NOT SUPPORTING the TROOPS... again. He lied in the speech, several times, about welcoming criticism, apparently unaware of the criticism-bubble he lives in. Ask the Dixie-Chicks(pic), or Veteran Senator Max Cleland, or Ambassador Joe Wilson's CIA wife, how the war-critics were "welcomed"! The White House sent their surrogate Republican attack-machine after anyone who questioned their lies. Nevertheless, Bush had the GALL to say this today:

While it's perfectly legitimate to criticize my decisions or the conduct of the war,
(Ed. Note: Oh, really? No, it's NOT!)
...it is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how that war began.

In three years of Iraq speeches, resolutions, press-conferences, constantly-changing excuses, rationales, and lies about WHY we had to ATTACK IRAQ -- from the lead-up, thru deterioration into quagmire -- Bush has never explained it the same way! ~~Nukes, WMDs, Qeda/911-links, dictator-brutality, freedom for somebody, US-bases, oil prices(?), Israel, region-stabilization(hahaha!), etc.~~ Elitist-liar! The Bush Administration has been "rewriting the history of how that war began," since about September 12, 2001! Before it began! And he lectures us about "REWRITING HISTORY?" Damn... Okay, Herb.

UPDATE, 11/12: This Washington Post article, seems to concur. Excerpt:

Bush, in his speech Friday, said that "it is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how that war began." But in trying to set the record straight, he asserted: "When I made the decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power, Congress approved it with strong bipartisan support."

The October 2002 joint resolution authorized the use of force in Iraq, but it did not directly mention the removal of Hussein from power.

...Ah-hah! That's exactly the kind of CRAP they've been pulling all along, intentionally confusing issues, misleading the public!

*************************
NOTE: The Juncture salutes our Veterans and the sacrifices they have made for Country.
...Thank You!*************************

Tom DELAY, Village IDIOT, Eats his SOCKS, and Admits GUILT!

This Washington Post story, basically says: Tom Delay, while trying to PLEA DOWN to a misdemeanor (So he could retain his House leadership-position), inadvertently CONFESSED to a bunch of felonies! So, the Prosecutor said, "No thanks," to the plea-deal.

Editorial embellishment: ...Mr. Delay surprised everyone at the meeting, when he cursed Ronnie Earle, then quickly ran out of the room... Later, he was found UNDER a vending machine in the hallway, eating crumbs out of an old "Twinkie" wrapper...

You decide! I report, sort of.
Well okay... "You decide," Herb.

When the going GETS TOUGH, Dubya GETS... DRUNK?

So they say.

(Or, he calls
his Daddy,
who calls
Jim Baker.)
Karl Rove is "otherwise-
preoccupied" these days. 'Nuff said, Herb. (Pic-thanx: allhatnocattle)

"Judy, Judy, Judy," Judy Miller, on Larry King Live... & Prozac!

Judy Miller was all-smiles on CNN's, Larry King Live Thursday night (pic). Larry should've asked her if she has begun appologizing (for all the lies) to the families of the Soldiers who died saving-the-world from, & looking for her fake-WMD's? She should get started on that...
TV-Nite? Guilty, Herb.

"Mary!" Pat Buchanan calls Bush: "A TYPHOID MARY!"

Pat Buchanan tonight, on msnbc's "Countdown," discussing Republicans' reluctance to be seen campaigning with the FAILED Bush White House, said
President Bush, is:
"...A TYPHOID MARY!"
Now that's funny!

Wikipedia clarifies for us the contemporary-use of the "toxic" term:

Today, a "Typhoid Mary" is a term for a carrier of a dangerous disease who is a danger to the public because they refuse to take appropriate precautions or cooperate with the authorities to minimize the risk.

"Danger to the public," CHECK!
"Refuses to cooperate," CHECK!
Buchanan, seems ABOUT RIGHT(!), Herb.

Heresy? Or, ...yawn "Just another hijacking?"

They did this "sublimidable" SHIT
on purpose. Ironic? Don't -- Ask!

I think future generations of "religious" AMERICANS who see how Rove (for a block of votes,) painted Bush as Godly, if not The Messiah-His-Self, will see it as COMPLETELY INSULTING. Used like kleenex! HIJACKED? Cynical, manipulative, callous... Some might say, "evil," or "blasphemous." Exploit, much? (Let us Photoshop some cloven-hooves, with a tail & horns, and send that to the AP.)
Sheesh, Herb.
PS, Jesus (of Nazareth) was a selfish, wasteful, pro-war,
tax-the-poor, pro-torture,
lying Machivellian cynic...
Right? "F-ck the meek?"
W-W-WAIT...

Judy Miller Fired From New York Times For Lying To Everybody?

I guess they did the diplomatic-thing, letting her "retire." Judy-judy. Judy! Bahah, whatever... Good Riddance!

The Juncture, is very happy for:
Maureen, Paul, Frank, and Bob;
And Peter, in the Mail-room...
Congratulations, all! 'Best, Herb.