More Inaguration Day Madness

Mike Carlton shares an Australian's perspective, entitled "The Empire of Vulgarity".

The National Catholic Reporter reveals What the Rest of the World Watched on Inauguration Day. It's not pretty. The pictures she mentions are here.

If you need a smile after that, read Andy Borowitz's three-word Revised Inaugural Address.

Conservatives Who Criticize the War

Columnist Paul Craig Roberts was Asst.
Secretary of the Treasury under Reagan, a member of several prominent
conservative groups, the Hoover Institution, Cato Institute, a former editor
of the Wall Street Journal, and a staunch Republican.

He recently wrote:

"America has blundered into a needless and dangerous war, and fully half of the country's population is enthusiastic. Many Christians think that war in the Middle East signals "end times" and that they are about to be wafted up to heaven. Many patriots think that, finally, America is standing up for itself and demonstrating its righteous might. Conservatives are taking out their Vietnam frustrations on Iraqis. Karl Rove is wrapping Bush in the protective cloak of war leader. The military-industrial complex is drooling over the profits of war. And neoconservatives are laying the groundwork for Israeli territorial expansion"

"Conservatives have been won around to the old liberal view that as long as government power is in their hands, there is no
reason to fear it or to limit it. Thus, the PATRIOT Act, which permits government to suspend a person's civil liberties by calling him a terrorist with or without proof. Thus, preemptive war, which permits the president to invade other countries based on unverified assertions."

"There is nothing conservative about these positions."

Whoa! Is the tide turning?

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) delivered a speech entitled "What If It Was All a Big Mistake? to the House of Representatives. Some quotes:

"Policing the world, spreading democracy by force, nation building, and frequent bombing of countries that pose no threat to us - while leaving the homeland and our borders unprotected - result from a foreign policy that is contradictory and not in our self interest."

"The arrogance of some politicians, regulators, and diplomats actually causes them to become even more aggressive and more determined to prove themselves right, to prove their power is not to be messed with by never admitting a mistake. Truly, power corrupts! "

Add these guys to the incredible list of prominent Republicans who supported Kerry, and we just might see Bush&Co's "mandate" disappear from beneath them before we know it.

Heard this one yet?

Q: How many Bush Administration officials does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: None. There is nothing wrong with the light bulb; it's conditions are  improving every day. Any reports of it's lack of incandescence are a delusional spin from the liberal media. That light bulb has served honorably, and anything you say undermines the lighting effect. Why do you hate freedom?

Inaguration Day

"Today we witnessed more than the coronation of some privileged little munchkin of mendacity. It is the triumphal re-occupation of our nation by nitwits who think Ollie North's a hero not a conman, who can't name their congressman, who believe that Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were going steady, who can't tell Afghanistan from Souvlaki-stan."
-- read the rest of "Oaf Of Office" by Greg Palast

Or like Al Franken said the other day, "Bush's speech would have been inspiring if you didn't know the man's history." All that talk about Freedom and Liberty (the former beat the latter in his address 27 mentions to 15, according to the Daily Show :) while people on the street expressing those ideas get pepper sprayed (this link has an incredible gallery of images from around the world that you probably won't see on TV, thanks to blogger Brad Frieman).

Just so things are "fair and balanced", here's some Fox News coverage. Wait, is that woman actually telling an uncomfortable truth?!? You will have to see this to believe it.

Protecting our Right to Vote

Senator Boxer has just stood up to co-sign Rep. Tubbs-Jones bill to protest the voting irregularities and disenfranchisement in Ohio. Not that this will change the outcome this time, but it's so important that the myriad of problems are fixed so that we can have confidence in the results next time!

Here's part of her statement: "As we are shedding the blood of our military to this end, we must realize that we lose so much credibility when our own electoral system needs so much improvement."

The Average Man just sent her a thank-you for her courage and integrity here.

What a great day.