One Way to Create Fair and Balanced

Is to pay off the other side!!!

Nationally syndicated columnists Maggie Gallagher and Michael McManus, who were exposed this week for accepting government payments to promote the Bush administration's marriage initiative, have both received support and funding from a network of advocacy organizations, foundations, and publishers known for advancing conservative causes.

Washington Post staff writer and media critic Howard Kurtz reported on January 26 that Gallagher, now president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy (IMPP), received $21,500 from the Department of Health and Human Services in 2002 to conduct a briefing and write brochures and a Crisis magazine article that promoted the Bush administration's $300 million marriage initiative. She received an additional $20,000 in 2002 and 2003 to write a report ("Can Government Strengthen Marriage?") for the National Fatherhood Initiative.

Salon.com senior writer Eric Boehlert reported January 27 that McManus -- president and co-chair of Marriage Savers, Inc., a company that purports to help men and women prepare for and strengthen their marriages -- was paid $10,000 to promote the Bush administration's Community Healthy Marriage Initiative in conference trainings and presentations. Both Gallagher and McManus promoted administration policies in several columns. Gallagher also discussed marriage in numerous TV appearances while the government was paying her to promote its marriage initiative; according to Nexis, she appeared on CBS, CNN, and MSNBC at least seven times in 2002 and 2003. McManus specifically promoted the administration's marriage policies in a 2004 appearance on CBS' The Early Show. Neither disclosed their contracts during any of these appearances.

Time to apply the "What if it was Bill Clinton" standard.

I Heart Jackasses

Like Ted Stevens.

I love it when Republicans from oh-so-threatened Alaska are telling us not-so-threatened types to make do with what we got.

Here's a Catchy Phrase

That all Congressional Democrats should say in every interview: We're not going to help President Bush end Social Security.

It's that easy.

Sorta Like When You Did It?

Bush and Co. are upset about this possibility:

American officials have also charged that Al Jazeera has shown up suspiciously quickly after bombing attacks in Iraq, and they have suggested that the network's correspondents may have been tipped off in advance. But the administration official said recently that there was no evidence for such a charge and that it was no longer repeated, though it had not been formally withdrawn.

Al Jazeera officials denied that there had ever been any such collusion, noting that they have not had crews in Iraq since August in any case. They also said they went out of their way to get American comment for stories and that they often broadcast briefings of Pentagon officials and Mr. Rumsfeld's news conferences.

I mean, I would be upset too, if it were true.

It reminds me of a time when Republicans tried this:

Senate Democrats have been hooting over an errant e-mail from Manuel Miranda, an aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), that was sent to all top Republican staff members.

Seems Miranda got a note from one "EK" -- Elizabeth Keys, senior communications adviser for the Senate Republican Conference -- talking about coverage of the Republican protest over Democrats' filibustering GOP judicial nominees. He forwarded her e-mail with a one-line note to other GOP staff members to get their bosses to Frist's offices on time.

From: Miranda, Manuel (Frist) Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 2:55 PM Subject: FW: Exact March In Time Importance: High IT IS IMPORTANT TO DOUBLE EFFORTS TO GET YOUR BOSS TO S 230 on TIME.....

FOX News Channel is really excited about this marathon and Brit Humeat 6 would love to open with all our 51 Senators walking onto the Floor -- the producer wants to know will we walk in exactly at 6:02 when the show starts so they get it live to open Brit Hume's show? or if not, can we give them an exact time for the walk-in start? -- EK

Takes one to know one?

The S.S. Bullshit

Here are some of the things Bush is doing to create a "crisis":

Specifically:

_The agency's communications plan directs workers to spread this message: "In order for Social Security to be there for future generations, necessary reforms must take place."

_Talking points distributed internally reflect Bush's political messages about Social Security and the need for personal accounts. It includes Bush's principles for overhauling the system, including that "modernization must include individually controlled, voluntary personal retirement accounts to augment Social Security."

_Mailings to Americans detailing the benefits they can expect to receive also warn that "the Social Security system is facing serious financial problems, and action is needed soon to make sure that the system is sound."

_The agency's Web site and customer service telephone lines push the need to "modernize and reform" the system, saying the future shortfall is "massive and growing."

Some which are illegal, of course. Legal, illegal, whatever, they're above the law.

Considering SS is an insurance program, and taking into account the fact that conservatives don't like government programs, why would anyone believe they are trying to make it better as opposed to ending it?

They see a program that uses federal dollars and they try to think of a way to divert it towards the private sector, regardless of whether, or not, it helps those it was intended to. This is the benefit Conservatives reap from it, or so they hope.

One night I was watching Father Hanity and Little Boy Colmes on FOX! FOX! FOX! News, and was laughing at how Hanity was claiming the Bush tax cuts would result in MORE money to the federal government in the long run (trickle down). This of course is nonsense coming from a one-time seminary student with no degree in economics. He'd be better suited to discuss "when and where to touch a child," but that's not the point.

Hanity is against government spending, as are all these folks guiding Bush, so when I hear them talk about tax cuts bringing in more dollars for more programs I know it's a lie. They don't want more programs, and they certainly don't want more dollars paying for it!

It's as ridiculous as Hanity saying, "We are cutting taxes, and using the surplus to do so, in order to pay down the deficit in the future." Of course, he wouldn't say that since it too is nonsense.

Same goes for Bush. He doesn't belive in government programs to help, rather, he belives people should "help themselves." Ironically, he has never had to help himself in his life, unless you include 12 step programs. So when Bush discusses SS, and his "reform" plans, as a way to make the plan better for retirees you should be QUITE skeptical. Not that you aren't already.

It'd be one thing if ANYTHING he predicted, or promised, actually happened, aside from those tax cuts, which are really lifting all ships...and so sails the S.S. Bullshit.

Brooks or Kiper?

I can't tell if this guy is serious!

1. Cedric Benson Sr. RB Texas
Four straight years with over 1,000 yards.

2. Dan Cody Sr. DE Oklahoma
A fiery, intense end who came on strong.

3. Alex Smith Jr. QB Utah
Intelligent QB with good athletic ability

4. Heath Miller Jr. TE Virginia
Great receiver, solid blocker.

5. Braylon Edwards Sr. WR Michigan
Has the size, speed and athleticism to dominate.

6. Aaron Rodgers Jr. QB California
A smart, accurate, athletic passer.

7. Ronnie Brown Sr. RB Auburn
A complete, explosive back who does it all.

8. Carnell Williams Sr. RB Auburn
Very creative and deceptively strong runner.

9. Mike Williams Jr. WR USC
Terrific combo of size and strength.

10. Adam Jones Jr. CB W. Va.
"Pac-Man" eats up receivers and ballcarriers.

11. Troy Williamson Jr. WR So. Car.
The fastest receiver in the draft.

12. Travis Johnson Sr. DT Fla. St.
Vastly improved and a dominant performer.

13. Derrick Johnson Sr. LB Texas
Strength, speed and a nose for the ball.

14. Shawne Merriman Jr. OLB Maryland
Workout warrior with a 41½-inch vertical.

15. Roddy White Sr. WR UAB
Elite size/speed combo at 6-1, 205 and 4.42

16. Erasmus James Sr. DE Wisconsin
Outstanding pass rusher who can play the run.

17. Antrel Rolle Sr. CB Miami
Great in coverage and a good tackler.

18. Shaun Cody Sr. DL USC
Vesrsatile performer at DT or DE.

19. Carlos Rogers Sr. DB Auburn
Auburn's best defensive player this season.

20. Alex Barron Sr. OT Fla. St.
6-6, 320 and an excellent pass blocker.

21. Jammal Brown Sr. OT Oklahoma
Equally adept at pass and run blocking.

22. Channing Crowder So. LB Florida
Ideal physical skills for a middle linebacker.

23. Thomas Davis Jr. LB Georgia
A pushinshing tackler.

24. Matt Roth Sr. DE Iowa
An outstanding natural pass rusher.

25. David Pollack Sr. DE Georgia
Incredible intensity and passion.

I posted the whole thing because you have to be a subscriber to view it. I'm sure Kiper's list will change 10 times before April, but as of now it's TERRIBLE!

Those are his rankings. Here are his predictions:

1. San Francisco - Alex Smith, QB, Utah
2. Miami - Cedric Benson, RB, Texas
3. Cleveland - Aaron Rodgers, QB, Cal
4. Chicago - Ronnie Brown, RB, Auburn
5. Tampa Bay - Carnell Williams, RB, Auburn
6. Tennessee - Adam Jones, CB, West Va
7. Oakland - Dan Cody, DE, Oklahoma
8. Arizona - Travis Johnson, DT, Florida St
9. Washington - Braylon Edwards, WR, Michigan
10. Detroit - Heath Miller, TE, Virginia

I'm going to stop at 10 since it's pointless to go on.


First off, it sucks to be the 49ers. If I was Bill Walsh I'd be trading out of the #1 spot in a flash, but who in the world would possibly want to trade up? To get Alex Smith of Utah? No chance. It looks as if they're in the worst possible situation.

Down here in Florida the radio guys talk about trading down because Alex Smith isn't a legit top tier QB. I agree, but who would want that pick?

Mike Williams will be the talk of the town come draft day, and my bet is he doesn't go below #3.

Second, this draft is loaded with players, but it's not loaded with "sure things." There's no reason in my mind to make me think Alex Smith is better than Aaron Rodgers of Cal, Andrew Walter of Arizona State, Kyle Orton of Purdue, or even Dan Orlovsky from UConn and Charlie Frye from Akron! In fact, I think both Walter and Rodgers will be better. The best place to be in this draft is 6, or lower because that's where the talent is.

Third, Braylon Edwards is currently the top WR on the board, according to Mel. If Edwards had come out last year he might have been a first round draft pick. However, Mike Williams, the ineligible WR from USC, would have been the #1 WR taken LAST YEAR, and yet Kiper has him #2. Is there any chance in the world Al Davis is going to let the local USC kid slide past him at #6 when he's arguably the best player in the draft, period? He's 6'5", 240 lbs, and he's a child!

Fourth, why would the Bears sign Ronnie Brown when they just signed up Thomas Jones, who was VERY EFFECTIVE? If the Bears wanted a RB they could draft TA Mclendon of NC State or Frank Gore of Miami, who have both been injured the same way Willis McGahee of Buffalo was. These two backs may be the best two backs in the draft, and yet they will slide. Anthony Davis of Wisconsin is also a tremendous talent, and if the Bears have a starter, Davis can easily be a third down back who learns the game.

The Bears need a WR BIGTIME, and I'd be shocked if Mike Williams falls past them. Again, being in the Top 5 is not such a great thing. However, Ronnie Brown does have the goods, and that should make TAMPA BAY very happy.

I think the stock of Brown and Carnell Williams, both of Auburn, is improved dramatically since the two of them were always fresh.

The one player accurately slotted, it seems, is Heath Miller, TE from Virginia, since he's CLEARLY the best player at his position. Where he goes nobody knows.

Mike Nugent, the first Buckeye that will be drafted, will end up in the second round. He's that good.

--------------

This was written last week, and Kiper has already changed his picks.

He didn't have Antaj Hawthorne, DT, Wisconsin, going in the First Round. There's no chance this guy escapes the first round. He's a load, and he's awesome. There's a reason Wisconsin's D-Line was so good, and he's that reason.

What should happen in the draft:

Mike Williams should go first, but he won't.

No idea who will be the top pick.

The Packers should trade their first round this year, and next if they have to, to the Chargers for Philip Rivers. The Chargers already have two first round picks this season, and this would leave them with three.

The Chargers should then move up to the Top of the board, since signing three first rounders would be impossible for a team that could hardly sign one last season, and they should draft Williams #1, which would leave them with Tomlinson, Brees, and Williams.

Being that the draft is one of my favorite things you'll be hearing a lot more about this.

Note: One funny think Mel Kiper Jr. did write was: Craphonso Thorpe - Needs to work on catching everything.

Is There One Person

That reads this page that believes Iraq is going to pan out?

If so, I'd love to hear how that's going to happen.

If not, I'd love to know who I'm supposed to blame.

Next Question for the Preznit

Uhh, I think I'll call myself:

I think two of the great ironies of history will be that there will be a Palestinian state and a democratic Iraq showing the way forward for people who desperately want to be free.

And I believe there will be a Palestinian state. I'm surprised you haven't asked me the question about it, so I'll ask myself: How are things going? They are going fine. Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] - he's got the will of the people with him, and that inspires leaders. That gives a leader a sense of - an extra sense of purpose.

And Abu Mazen has shown strength in the early phases of his administration. And he is consolidating security forces in Gaza. He is sending assurances that he will put a 100-percent effort into protecting the people on both sides of the issue from terrorists. And to me, that's an impressive start.

He really is comedy.

This is great too:

On the Florida law that bars gay men and women from adopting children:

The ideal in society is to raise children with a man and a woman. Private adoption firms can make whatever choice they choose to do. As president, I will always be aiming for the ideal. I don't know this particular case. ...

I just said the ideal is where a child be raised by a man and a woman. That's the ideal world. A married man and a woman. And as governor and as president - when I was governor of Texas my position was that this is the ideal.

And I believe children can receive love from gay couples, but the ideal is - and studies have shown that the ideal is where a child is raised in a married family with a man and a woman.

In other words, I don't have an opinion on one of the two things I campaigned on.

Puhhhlease

I'm really tired of this:

For two tumultuous years, former New Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman led the Environmental Protection Agency under President George Bush.

But in May 2003, Whitman decided to quit when she concluded that the administration would push for relaxed rules on power-plant pollution that she could not agree with.

"I didn't want to be in a position where I would have to sign those regulations," she said in an interview Wednesday. "I couldn't in good conscience."

watching this biznitch on tv, touting her book that criticizes the President and the Conservatives.

You probably should have opened your mouth when it mattered.

Just like a republican: no balls.

What a Dick

That's the Cheney I've come to know:

At yesterday's gathering of world leaders in southern Poland to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the United States was represented by Vice President Cheney. The ceremony at the Nazi death camp was outdoors, so those in attendance, such as French President Jacques Chirac and Russian President Vladimir Putin, were wearing dark, formal overcoats and dress shoes or boots. Because it was cold and snowing, they were also wearing gentlemen's hats. In short, they were dressed for the inclement weather as well as the sobriety and dignity of the event.

The vice president, however, was dressed in the kind of attire one typically wears to operate a snow blower.

Maybe because he blows?

New Fave!

While I still do love the Modern Love column in the Sunday Times my new favorite is "The Ethicist" by Randy Cohen which appears weekly in the magazine.

My daughter is a senior in high school applying to colleges. In her sophomore year, she and five others exchanged answers on a test and were caught and suspended. Because they each had an exemplary junior year and it was their first and last offense, the school expunged the suspension from their records. If my daughter is asked on her college applications, must she admit cheating? Anonymous

Suspending a first offender is a dreadful policy: such a draconian punishment is disproportionate to the crime. These are children; they will do stupid things. The high school's task is not to crush them but to teach them the importance of academic integrity. And yet, the high school's imprudence does not justify your daughter's deceit. If a college asks a question, she must give an honest answer. The high school may have purged its records of her offense, but it cannot alter the facts of the matter.

This is a tough situation: a single youthful transgression should not be a brand on her cheek that blights the rest of her life. And knowing that the high school no longer has any record of this incident might make the temptation to conceal it nearly overwhelming: there's little chance your daughter would be caught in a lie. But she should not yield to that temptation.

I hope college admissions offices will show a real understanding of youthful fallibility and the possibility of reform, regarding this misstep not as the defining moment of your daughter's life but as an anomaly. With luck, colleges will admire her integrity for owning up to her misdeed.

THICK ENVELOPE UPDATE: The daughter was asked about cheating, she replied honestly and she was accepted by her early-decision college. It is gratifying to see integrity rewarded and an admissions office display such savvy and humanity.

Twelve years ago my brother and I inherited a vacation cabin. Its value has escalated, and he wants us either to sell it or for me to buy out his half at current market value. He refuses to negotiate, because he ''wants to give his children an inheritance.'' Back then, I could have afforded to buy his half, but he refused. Now we're both retired and living on fixed incomes. Must I be forced either to pay him or to sell a property that has been in our family for almost 100 years? L.T., Texas

Conservatives should avoid this column unless they know how to speak/read another language, since ethics to them is just that.

It's Not Funny

The AP's story, "Rice Takes Over As Top U.S. Diplomat."

That's right, she is the top dog around the world! It's really absurd. Then again, what isn't these days?

Stickers

I've already gone over the magnet/ribbon thing, but now I have to say something about stickers.

Keep your Kerry/Edwards, Edwards, Dean, and whatever other stickers you have on your cars on your cars. Let it be a reminder to the nation's 50 million plus morons who voted for Bush that ANY alternative was a better one.

Funnyish

But not entirely accurate.

I can think of a few who should be on there, not on there, and higher up for sure, like #50.

Unreal

After dismantling Andre Agassi in three straight sets the other night, Roger Federer moves on to the semi-finals of the Australian Open.

In his last 24 matches versus Top 10 opponents he is a ridiculous 24 and Zero. That's right, not a typo. It's easily as impressive as Tiger Woods's run from 1999-2001 in golf, if not more so.

This guy is 23 years of age, in his prime, and really the best player since McEnroe was on the top of his game.

If you haven't caught his act I suggest doing so.

Bush Budget

Ok, so once again they are close to $100 Billion off the mark, but who's counting? Actually, a lot of people, but they're ignored by the Republicans.

It's not so much that deficits are terrible, but it's the fact that this putz is going to pursue more tax cuts (not budgeted), and social security privatization, which according to their estimates range between $1-2 trillion over the decade.

It's all about a guy, and a party, who says one thing, and does something totally different. Yet during the campaign it was always "Bush the straight talker" versus "Kerry the flip-flopper." Bush ran as a conservative, bent on cutting spending. He blatantly goes against everything he runs on!

Remarkable we live in a country that prefers to be lied to rather than face reality. If Bush lies the country can always vote the other way, some other time, and pass the blame onto the leaders, all the while never looking into their collective mirrors and noticing who was responsible for putting them in these leadership roles to begin with.

More and more I understand why these people don't mind fighting wars overseas, and having much of the nation's poor/hungry doing it: At the rate we're going the only chance we have of coming out on top is being the bully, and exerting authority. Bullies don't listen, they fight, and bullies are usually wrong.

Is it all because gay people want to get married? Women they don't know want abortions? President Clinton getting a rimmer in the oval office? Janet's nipple? Are these the reasons we are voting for disaster?

We're bullying our way through the world, and the bully never wins in the end.

"Deficits Don't Matter" Still

Those are the words of Dick Cheney, the man so many voted for to coach young George:

President George W. Bush on Tuesday asked for more than $80 billion in new funding for military operations this year in Iraq and Afghanistan, shattering initial cost estimates and pushing the total for both conflicts to nearly $300 billion so far.

The money, announced after insurgents declared all-out war on the Iraqi elections, will be used to upgrade equipment for U.S. troops, and accelerate efforts to train and equip Iraqi forces, Bush said.

The $80 billion request will push funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to a record $105 billion for fiscal year 2005 alone, including $25 billion in emergency spending already approved. The new money will supplement the Pentagon budget, which already totals more than $400 billion.

Military operation in Iraq alone already cost more than $1 billion a week.

The White House is fond of deficits caused by increases in the military since it's unpatriotic to say anything against the military, or the money we spend on it. When someone asks the President about the deficit the first words he will utter are, "Well, you can't ask a president in the time of war to not give his troops all they need!"

Deficits are now an excuse for them, so they don't mind. It allows them to move on to the next question without answering all the reasons for the deficit, namely Bush's first, second, and if they have their way, THIRD tax cut.

When someone asks, "Hey, do you ever goto Banana Republic?" you should say, "Go there?!?! Heck, I fucking live there!!!"

Waaaay Back...

...as we go a little something like this:

On July 21, 2003, The Post published a wrenching front-page story about a 41-year-old Iraqi woman, Jumana Michael Hanna, who said that during the mid-1990s she had endured torture and rape inside the prison cells of Saddam Hussein's "police academy." The headline over the 2,800-word story by correspondent Peter Finn read, "A Lone Woman Testifies to Iraq's Order of Terror."

The story was very detailed, with lots of quotes from Hanna, her mother and others. Human rights officials said hundreds and possibly thousands of women had been tortured or sexually assaulted by Hussein's agents. But survivors left much unsaid. Hanna spoke out and became the face of this horror. After the Post story appeared, Hanna was taken into protective custody and honored by the Coalition Provisional Authority, then taken to the United States with her family. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz told a Senate committee about her courage in providing "what is very likely credible information."

The problem, however, as The Post and Peter Finn reported Thursday in a follow-up article, is that her claims were false. But the only reason we now know this is because of an even lengthier article in the January edition of Esquire magazine by Sara Solovitch, who had contracted to do a book about Hanna and who, in the course of interviewing her, uncovered what first seemed like exaggerations, then crippling doubts and then untruths in her story.

Waaay back as in 20 pages deep in the Washington Post. Notice how the false story was FRONT AND CENTER. Perfect for the Bush team to get what it needed from our super duper press corps.

It's like admitting that you're gay in the closet.

God Shed His Grace on Theeeee...

And crown thy good

Pentagon documents released Monday disclosed that Iraqi prisoners had lodged dozens of abuse complaints against U.S. and Iraqi personnel who guarded them at a little-known palace in Baghdad converted to a U.S. prison. Among the allegations was that guards had sodomized a disabled man and killed his brother, whose dying body was tossed into a cell, atop his sister.

This will be ignored since the Pentagon and Bush White House spent months denying that it happened, then claiming it was a rare occassion, next blaming the troops, and finally promoting the man who agreed with the legality of it all to position of Attorney General.

Nice nation.

Don't forget to blame the ACLU before you leave!

Too Funny

The rarely told story of how racist Senator Strom Thurmond fathered a child out of wedlock with a black woman.

People claim that privately he really did like blacks!!! I wonder if slept with any Jews or Muslims? Men?

Mr. Gutless

Of course it's not directly, and of course it's by phone:

Speaking by telephone as the protesters gathered in the biting cold for their annual antiabortion march from the Ellipse to the Supreme Court, Bush said that although outlawing abortion remains a distant goal, it is one that seems to be moving slowly into view. "The America of our dreams, where every child is welcomed . . . in life and protected in law, may still be some ways away," Bush said. "But even from the far side of the river . . . we can see its glimmerings."

Although banning abortion is a top priority of the Christian conservatives who make up the core of his electoral base, Bush chose to make his remarks by telephone from the presidential retreat at Camp David rather than address the protesters in person, and he spoke only indirectly about the goal of outlawing abortion. Similarly, in his inaugural address last week, the president did not use the word "abortion," though he made what many abortion foes regarded as a reference to the issue by saying "even the unwanted have worth."

"The America of our dreams..." and when he says "our" he means only the people who voted for him since he's a 'uniter' not a 'divider.'

I wonder how many abortions Jenna has had since she cannot possibly be using condoms that don't work.

The S.S. Bullshit

Josh Marshall continues to follow this ship as it sails the seas.

What the Hell!?!?!

Brown rice is better for you than white, so we may as well just move on.

Besides, it has nothing to do with her ability to be statesman-like, but everything to do with the decisions made by Bush and Co. Afterall, she's only delivering a message. She's a puppet, so what's the difference?

Why Lose One...

When you can lose TWO WARS!

Where are the libertarian Republicans who believe in less government, and actually favor legalization of all drugs?

I guess when "moral values" is all you have you really cannot afford to run against the entire party platform. That would take guts, something few of them have.

C'mon Ground...

It's not 'common ground' since Conservatives don't have the room in their minds for 'common ground'.

"We can all recognize that abortion in many ways represents a sad, even tragic choice to many, many women," Mrs. Clinton told the annual conference of the Family Planning Advocates of New York State. "The fact is that the best way to reduce the number of abortions is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in the first place."

Leading anti-abortion campaigners, in both New York and nationwide, pounced on Mrs. Clinton as a suspect spokeswoman for compromise and common ground.

"I think she's trying to adopt a values-oriented language, but it lacks substance, at least if you compare it to her record," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council in Washington. "If you look at Senator Clinton's voting record on this issue, it's like Planned Parenthood's condoms - it's defective."

If you read the article, and you're normal, it's quite obvious what Senator Clinton is saying, but not so to conservatives who view the idea of 'common ground' and compromise as against the interests of America.

There are many normal people in this country on both sides of the issue who support a compromise since issues like abortion divide the country in ways not necessary. Conservative Republicans don't want this issue off the table. It's a "values" issue, and if you remove it they have less to run on since the "values" issue is really all they have. They have no issue in compromise, and are led around by the noses by the Family Research Council and other backward thinking groups.

Only in America does this issue completely divide a nation, and it keeps the conservatives in office. Why would they ever want to compromise? Why would they ever want to be bipartisan?

Here we have a leading female senator offering her view on abortion, one that has more to do with her body than that of any man. Then we have a man from a "values" group saying she's disingenuous because of her past. Of course he doesn't see it as a woman who is willing to compromise her own rights in order to move the country forward, regardless if it actually hurts her more than it does the man. He's more genuine than she is.

Amazing.

Shocking News!

Can you believe the rich have figured it out, again?

Investors, entrepreneurs and landlords annually avoid paying at least $29 billion in taxes by overstating the price of stocks, businesses and real estate, two professors say in an article being published today in Tax Notes, an influential tax policy journal.

Claiming to have paid more than the actual price for a stock, business, apartment building or piece of art results in a smaller profit being reported when the asset is sold, and a lower tax on that profit.

"An unpublicized problem of crisis proportions is plaguing" the tax system, one that will cost the government at least $250 billion in the coming decade, the professors wrote.

The potential for abusive reporting in this area, particularly for stocks, "is virtually unlimited," according to the authors, who outline five ways that the law encourages cheating. They added that opportunities to cheat also abound in investment real estate, "where tax-free, like-kind exchanges are increasingly common."

Congress has cut overall financing for audits except for the Earned Income Tax credit for the working poor, which critics have said is rife with fraud. But the estimated $29 billion that is lost because of cheating on capital gains is more than four times the highest estimate cited by Congressional lawmakers for losses in the Earned Income Tax credit, most of which the National Taxpayer Advocate has shown is not related to cheating. Math errors and disputes between estranged parents over who may claim a child for the credit account for most of the disputes, and most of those who challenge denials eventually receive the credit.

Since 1997, Congress has given the I.R.S. additional funds to audit the working poor even as it has cut money for other audits. As a result, according to I.R.S. data, the working poor are about eight times more likely to be audited than investment partnerships.

I'm beside myself, and damn I look good!

How Do You Spell Douche Bag?

That way, or 'Michael Powell'

When one member of the commission voted against the chairman after they failed to reach a compromise, Mr. Powell eliminated the commissioner's budget for international travel, officials said. And throughout his tenure, the agency's two Democrats repeatedly said that if they had been included in the process, deals would have been reached on regulations that would have been able to withstand court challenges.

How did the son become such a partisan hack when the dad isn't?

Actually, I guess I've been asking that question for almost 5 years...

Busy

Between bachelor parties, snow storms, birthday celebrations, finding gigs, and other garb, I've had no time to post.

I resume tomorrow.

Feel free to send me interesting stories!

Ftr, WCTC's ratings have tanked!

VINDICATION, BITCHES!!!