tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61716962011-12-07T14:20:08.107-08:00Gloom And DoomerCritics of Ronald Reagan's theories of trickle down economics were called "Gloom and Doomers" - I proudly wear the label.Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.comBlogger1081100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-6548999357416783762007-09-12T16:45:00.000-07:002007-09-12T19:15:43.461-07:00Is It Worth It?The dead-enders who still support Bush's war in Iraq often say that we can't afford to leave now and have Iraq dissolve into chaos. Early on, advocates of the war often argued that if the US succeeds in planting the seeds of democracy in the Middle East the price will have been "worth it".The problem with these statements is that no one demands that they be supported by empirical Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1152298407701458042006-07-07T11:51:00.000-07:002006-07-07T11:53:27.716-07:00North Korea Follow UpHere's George boasting that he thinks we could have shot it down.Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1151111943114865442006-06-23T17:54:00.000-07:002006-07-07T07:48:16.286-07:00Conspiracy - R - UsIt is kind of a hobby of mine to come up with the most paranoid fantasy possible and then wait around for a week or so and watch the Bush administration prove that fact is stranger than fiction. Just the other day I introduced a "theory" to a co-worker knowing that his response would be a rolling of the eyes and a mental note to file me away under "Confirmed Loony" in his Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1146796150018359222006-05-04T19:18:00.000-07:002006-05-04T19:29:10.030-07:00The Emperor's New ClothesThink Emperor's New Clothes as you watch Rumsfeld actually being forced to answer questions that are not gentle softballs, nay shuttlecocks, aimlessly tossed in his general direction by an arch-liberal press hell bent on establishing an iron fisted Communist dictatorship in our beloved homeland!We are frustrated because we have seen the naked power grab by hapless thugs Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1141875726147975432006-03-08T19:39:00.000-08:002006-03-08T19:43:13.350-08:00General OdomRead this.Discuss among your neighbors and friends.Neighbors and friends. -- Sweet Sweet Sweet Sweet City Woman.Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1141357660605179012006-03-02T18:18:00.000-08:002006-05-09T19:47:40.646-07:00KatrinaNote: This post has been edited because on re-reading it I realized that I was even more spastic and frothing at the mouth than usual.I am moved to put words to my exasperation over the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Having watched the video tape that lay buried somewhere for months just begging to be seen, I am in a foul temper.This video needs to be seen by all citizens. It represents clearTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1135139035519291972005-12-20T20:16:00.000-08:002005-12-20T20:23:55.540-08:00I'm BackRecommended reading: Here's the nitty gritty:>> Look. We have a President here who is making a claim of unlimited power, for the duration of a war that may never end. Oh, he says it's limited by the country's laws, but they've got a crack legal team that reliably interprets the laws to say that the President gets to do whatever he wants. It amounts to the same thing. I am not Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1110567518599110792005-03-11T10:42:00.000-08:002005-03-11T10:58:38.600-08:00Strategic Alliance?They say politics often makes strange bedfellows. This article reveals a very welcome development. It's titled "Evangelical Leaders Swing Influence Behind Effort to Combat Global Warming". The money quote:These church leaders, scientists, writers and heads of international aid agencies argue that global warming is an urgent threat, a cause of poverty and a Christian issue Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1108149270339501342005-02-11T10:55:00.000-08:002005-02-11T11:16:49.746-08:00TortureCheck out this very disturbing piece by Frank Herbert. Condoners of torture generally frame the discussion in a way that assumes that the actual guilt of the suspect is a certainty. Their scenarios usually follow along the lines: suspect has direct knowledge of location of biological weapon that will kill 200,000 people if we don't torture him until he reveals where it is. Left wing Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1107384255081311192005-02-02T14:12:00.000-08:002005-02-02T14:46:05.743-08:00Another Reason to Oppose Privatization
Remember this guy. How do you get paid $150 million to run a non-profit corporation? From the Times article:
Richard A. Grasso, the former chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, received $144 million to $156 million in excess compensation during his time at the Big Board, taking deliberate steps to keep his high-profile board in the dark about his Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1105578140950633462005-01-12T16:52:00.000-08:002005-01-12T17:02:20.950-08:00Armstrong Williams Follow Up
Well that was fast. Through the Freedom Of Information Act I have already received a PDF file from the Department of Education on the Armstrong Williams matter. They "redacted" some information and only included documents specifically related to Williams interviews with former Secretary of Education Rod Paige, even though my request did not mention Paige at all. It Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1105400515944857032005-01-10T14:52:00.000-08:002005-01-10T15:45:08.446-08:00Every Child Left Behind
The conservative commentator Armstrong Williams was paid, under a Department of Education contract, $241,000 to promote the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Of course he did not reveal this to his readers and listeners as he promoted the President and his other policies. A very good article in The Nation explores the controversy.
After reading the article at The Nation Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1104966758405050162005-01-05T14:32:00.000-08:002005-01-05T15:15:57.276-08:00Divine Intervention
Idea for a short film:
Scene: Near midfield shortly after the conclusion of a professional football game. Stands are still packed with cheering fans, some just beginning to head for the exits. TV cameras and sportscasters surround several players and both head coaches.
Sportscaster: JT, let me get you over here for a minute. What a game, you had a personal best 140 yards Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1103656816990766332004-12-21T10:41:00.000-08:002004-12-21T13:19:59.946-08:00Quagmire
Terrible news from Iraq this morning.
A lunchtime attack on a U.S. military mess hall in northern Iraq on Tuesday killed 24 people, including Americans and Iraqis, said Lt. Col. Paul Hastings at Camp Marez.
I argued before this disastrous war started that it was a huge mistake. I was convinced that not only would the war lead to the deaths of thousands of innocents but that we would Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1103395661659636592004-12-18T10:46:00.000-08:002004-12-18T10:47:41.660-08:00Kerik Withdraws From Consideration
This is obscene, but very funny.
Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1103238176646214392004-12-16T13:22:00.000-08:002004-12-17T15:44:23.953-08:00Ouch
I have not written in a while due to a pretty serious ankle injury. Two weeks ago while playing my regular Wednesday night full court basketball game with a group of guys that have been playing together for about 5 years I went down hard. I jumped up for a rebound and came down on my left foot which landed on someone's shoe. My ankle immediately rolled over and hit the floor. I knew Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1101843731925090592004-11-30T11:05:00.000-08:002004-12-16T13:22:18.046-08:00Torture R Us
For many years the International committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has walked a fine line. In exchange for keeping its mouth shut all sorts of governments, evil and benign, have agreed to allow the Red Cross to visit prisoners, refugees in crowded camps and other detainees. The ICRC has certainly heard countless grisly stories relating to genocide, torture, organized rape and other Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1101760193811542902004-11-30T10:52:00.000-08:002004-11-30T10:54:55.463-08:00Federal Vs. State
For much of American history the cry of "States Rights" was used to mask arguments for the continuation of slavery and more recently, racial segregation. Many on the left, especially those that remember first hand the struggles of the civil rights era, worked to strengthen the power of the Federal government to combat the ugly stain of legally sanctioned racism. As a result we Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1101232463830044262004-11-23T09:26:00.000-08:002004-11-23T09:57:46.460-08:00Gloom, Doom
Well it looks like we gloom and doomers, alarmists and naysayers have more and more respectable company these days. The chief economist at Morgan Stanley, Stephen Roach believes that we are heading for economic "Armageddon". Not in some remote distant future but right about ..... NOW!
"Roach marshaled alarming facts to support his argument. To finance its current account deficit Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1101103658799940352004-11-21T21:32:00.000-08:002004-11-21T22:07:38.800-08:00It Was Just A Mistake
It's funny how sometimes when a new bill containing lots and lots of words is written somehow, without any malicious intent, words are sometimes randomly placed in a sequence that could give the impression that something very fishy is going on. Nothing could be further from the truth. So when a long and complicated appropriations bill is written and buried deep inside the Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1100887203332855842004-11-19T08:19:00.000-08:002004-11-19T10:00:03.333-08:00Vioxx
I have too much time on my hands. Being currently unemployed I spend way too much time following the news. The more I follow the news, the more curmudgeonly I become, and the less employable. I'll keep struggling with that.
Case in point; yesterday I watched the Senate Finance Committee hearings on Vioxx on CSPAN (really I did, it was riveting). The drug's maker, Merck, recently pulled Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1100366140095142262004-11-13T08:58:00.000-08:002004-11-13T09:25:20.813-08:00"We're Making Progress"
George tells us things are going well in Iraq. We're making progress in Falluja. Spend some time at this website and click on some of the faces you see there. Read how they were killed, where they were from, and look at their ages. Look not just at the youth of many of these men and women but at the astonishing number of people in the guard and reserves who left wives Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1099894063042152282004-11-07T21:51:00.000-08:002004-11-07T22:07:43.043-08:00Falluja
It's begun. First step taken in the assault on Falluja; seize a hospital because it "is a center of propaganda". Yesterday we flattened Falluja's newest hospital. The NY Times shows hospital doctors kneeling at the feet of marines. This time we won't allow them to report on how many people they are treating as a result of our bombs and bullets, this is a fight for hearts and minds we Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1099764047009738802004-11-06T09:40:00.000-08:002004-11-06T12:24:08.336-08:00Catastrophe
Well, what can I say? We got beat. We were robbed. The media is at fault. Wah, Wah, Wah.
The bottom line is that we are facing 4 more years of Bush and it feels like I have been kicked in the nuts and thrown down a flight of stairs - by roughly half the country.
On Wednesday after Kerry conceded and the full scale of the loss was apparent I wandered into downtown Portland to Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1098899495105383722004-10-27T10:51:00.000-07:002004-10-27T11:45:58.690-07:00
Mohammed Jalil/European Pressphoto Agency Inside Falluja, an Iraqi boy inspected rubble on Tuesday after an overnight American airstrike. (From today's NY Times)
Falluja
Brace yourself, people of Falluja, the yanks are coming to save you.
"If we're told to go, it'll be decisive," Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, the commander of nearly 40,000 marines and soldiers in western and south-central Iraq, Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1098751776730017212004-10-25T17:21:00.000-07:002004-10-25T17:49:36.730-07:00One More Week
The stakes of this election have never been higher. I am preparing myself for the nastiest final week of a presidential campaign in my lifetime. The news from Baghdad has gone from terrible to catastrophic. The economic picture is no better. Oil futures are at an all time high just as thermometers are starting to go down. Logic would seem to dictate a slam dunk for the challenger Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1097977693833354142004-10-16T18:41:00.000-07:002004-10-16T18:48:13.833-07:00John Kerry For President
The New York Times has endorsed John Kerry for president in an absolutely scorching editorial rebuke of the Bush junta. It's about time the "gray lady" woke up to the reality of this administration from hell. Good reading. I only wish the Times had questioned the build up to the Iraq war instead of acting as cheerleader for the administration when the airing of opposing Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1097900910567215802004-10-15T21:05:00.000-07:002004-10-15T21:28:30.566-07:00Vote
Today, thanks to Vote By Mail in Oregon, I finally did what I have been itching to do for 2 and 1/2 years. I received my ballot in the mail today and I voted to fire George Bush, and it felt grrrreat! Only 16 days until the rest of the country can join me. I will spend much of that time convincing as many people as possible to do the same. I spoke to my Democratic House District Leader the Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1097876783526740802004-10-15T14:29:00.000-07:002004-10-15T14:59:24.403-07:00Naomi Klein Explains It All
Here is another highly recommended article that appeared in Harper's last month. I have long leaned toward the opinion that all military conflicts have some underlying economic basis. Nation states like corporations act in their own self-interest, or at least try to. Countries do not really go to war for altruistic reasons. In order to get people to actually fight andTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1097817792400098722004-10-14T22:08:00.000-07:002004-10-14T22:23:12.400-07:00Why Bush is Not a Conservative
I just read a very good article in The New Republic Online. The article is available free but you will have to register with them (relatively painless) in order to read it. It is written by a conservative, Robert George, who explains very eloquently why he cannot vote for Bush and why real "conservatives" should not vote for him. It really is one of the best Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1097640206331280082004-10-12T20:55:00.000-07:002004-10-12T21:14:09.040-07:00Bastards!
Read this. Is nothing sacred? It seems the other side has been ripping up voter registration cards of democrats in Nevada. Who would think anyone would do something this sleazy in Nevada?!
We need to get these stories out. Republicans across the country have taken drastic measures to rig our elections. It is no longer a few isolated stories but a clear pattern of abuse, they know thatTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1097356788026943752004-10-09T14:18:00.000-07:002004-10-09T14:19:48.026-07:00The Day After
As terrible as Bush has been I am seeing a silver lining in his horrible administration. Apathy seems to be dying, tens of thousands of people have registered to vote and record numbers are volunteering their time and energy to get this jerk kicked out of office.
I believe we will win, but then what? To me we need to focus this massive energy unleashed by Bush's horrendous Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1097173817831222642004-10-07T10:11:00.000-07:002004-10-07T11:30:17.830-07:00Orwell Spins In His Grave
Up is down, right is left, war is peace. As Cheney would say, "It's hard to know where to begin," in refuting the crazed Vice President's statements justifying Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Although the report says Saddam's weapons program had deteriorated since the 1991 Gulf War and did not pose a threat to the world in 2003, it also says Saddam's main goal was the removalTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1097038856239910722004-10-05T21:59:00.000-07:002004-10-05T22:00:56.240-07:00Support Our Troops
Read these letters from our troops.
Read 'em and weep.
Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1096925739838703612004-10-04T14:07:00.000-07:002004-10-04T14:45:32.393-07:00I Don't Know, I Don't Know .....
Actually I do know where I'm a gonna go when the volcano blows.
Council Crest Park in Portland is the highest point in the city and has a spectacular view, on a clear day like today, of Mt Saint Helens, Mt Ranier, Mt Adams and Mt Hood. I took some time this afternoon to wander up there and watch the mountain for an hour and a half. There were fewer people up Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1096616332795106302004-09-30T23:33:00.000-07:002004-10-02T11:13:45.086-07:00"So We Don't Have to Face Them At Home"
I keep hearing this same line from President Bush over and over again. The line goes something like, "We are taking the battle to the enemy overseas, so we don't have to face them on our own soil" or "we have to defeat them on foreign lands, so we don't have to face them at home." This is probably taken by many people as meaning that the best defense is a Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1096611341860017352004-09-30T22:56:00.000-07:002004-09-30T23:15:41.860-07:00WE WIN
To me it was pretty clear that John Kerry "won" the debate this evening. Apparently I am not alone in this judgement:
REVIEWS KEEP COMING IN: CNN / GALLUP POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE Kerry: 53
Bush: 37 CBS POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE: Kerry: 44
Bush: 26
Tie: 30 ABC POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE: Kerry: 45
Bush 36:
Tie: 17 It will be fun to dissect all of the Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1096574303063325732004-09-30T13:29:00.000-07:002004-09-30T12:58:23.063-07:00Ohio
Everyone is obsessed with Ohio this year and for good reason. No Republican has ever reached the White House without winning it and only two Democrats, FDR and Kennedy, have done so in the last century. Ohio being such a key swing state has attracted throngs of volunteers who have devoted much of their Summer to getting out the vote. Republicans are running scared now because it seems Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1096572453186639912004-09-30T13:25:00.000-07:002004-09-30T12:29:28.886-07:00Imagine
My apologies to John Lennon and Lou Reed but this is priceless. Give it a listen - Real Player format.
Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1096357189836966402004-09-27T23:54:00.000-07:002004-09-28T00:39:49.836-07:00Protect Us From the Gay Menace!
Remember this cute little story from a little while back?
Nine Army linguists, including six trained to speak Arabic, have been dismissed from the military because they are gay. The soldiers' dismissals come at a time when the military is facing a critical shortage of translators and interpreters for the war on terrorism.
Now it seems we have a Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1095533774984680622004-09-18T11:42:00.000-07:002004-09-18T11:56:14.983-07:00Our Enemies Want Kerry to Win?
Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State, is the latest to weigh in on who our enemies want to win in November. Apparently it is not just Osama who is a Kerry supporter, the Iraqi insurgents want Kerry to win also. This explains why 200 Iraqi's have been killed since last weekend.
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage alleged Friday that insurgents have Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1095453588180173452004-09-17T13:10:00.000-07:002004-09-17T13:39:48.180-07:00No Child Left Behind
Isn't the free market wonderful? Who needs Public Schools when we have the robust American Free Enterprise system? It's just common sense that if you only have one hamburger joint in town service and quality are bound to not be as good as when it is forced to compete with hamburger joint 2, right? I actually heard Bill Sizemore, an infamous local anti-tax activist, seriouslyTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1095096848389322872004-09-17T13:07:00.000-07:002004-09-17T13:08:41.320-07:00Kerry Voted for Higher Taxes ..
Isn't it odd that the above statement is a politically effective grave insult no matter what the circumstances. Amazing. What the other side is saying is that increasing revenue to actually pay the exhorbitant bills you are running up is a heinous act. Currently we are running a $400,000,000,000 annual deficit. Bush seems to be saying that if we re-elect him we'llTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1095353934048866512004-09-16T09:37:00.000-07:002004-09-16T09:58:54.046-07:00My Sentiments Exactly
This is a pretty apt description of the downright scariness of our ho-hum reaction to the willful targeting of civilians by our own nation. Aren't we in violation of a few UN Resolutions? Resolutions that we eagerly signed and embraced, regarding minimum acceptable "universal rights" for all of humanity?
I guess we just don't believe that hopeful, optimistic garbage Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1094925303615688302004-09-11T10:18:00.000-07:002004-09-11T10:55:03.616-07:00Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill the Poor
Here is a lovely little story from the magical land of Texas, where all of America's future can be seen if Bush and his thugs get their way.
In a new rate-setting tactic for electric utilities, the unit of Dallas-based TXU Corp. plans bigger rate increases for customers with low "credit scores," which are numeric rankings that take into account customer Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1094862672348639382004-09-10T17:31:00.000-07:002004-09-10T17:31:12.346-07:00Jesus vs. Bush Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1094715776835339772004-09-08T22:53:00.000-07:002004-09-09T01:01:16.766-07:00Aristocracy
I was watching the Republican convention last week and was struck by the horrible performance of the Bush daughters, Barbara and Jenna. The pair came across as incredibly childish, shallow and apathetic. They confessed to being "not political" which to me is an almost unforgiveable thing for a college educated person to say at a time like this. They giggled and spoke of clothes and Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1094709121480116852004-09-08T22:39:00.000-07:002004-09-08T22:52:01.480-07:00DISGRACEFUL!
It's finally happened. The so called Liberal Media has finally objected in strong language about Dick Cheney's behavior. I am still waiting for them to call him a liar, which he quite clearly is, but I'll take whatever I can get at this point. This criticism is way overdue. I swear I think Cheney's job is too scare the daylights out of people. He reminds me of the creepy old man whoTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1094416135833104902004-09-05T13:35:00.000-07:002004-09-05T13:39:22.290-07:00$87 Billion Flip Flop?
Over and over and over again John Kerry has been accused of flip flopping on supporting the troops in Iraq. Kerry's unfortunate statement, "I voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it," has led to all sorts of gleeful disingenuous attacks from his critics. Republicans have said Kerry has voted against body armor for our troops and for reinforcing armor for Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1094067435657326642004-09-01T12:27:00.000-07:002004-09-01T12:37:15.656-07:00Twins
I just watched the Bush twins embarrassing performance at the Republican National Convention. I cannot believe that the Republicans were foolish enough to let them deliver such a horrible speech.
A couple of highlights:
Jenna endorses premarital sex as hip (When she said the word "sex" in front of all those uptight delegates it got uncomfortably quiet in a hurry)
The twins tell their Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1093978973512270552004-08-31T11:37:00.000-07:002004-08-31T12:02:53.513-07:00Juxtaposition
I watched some of the first day of the Republican Convention yesterday and was struck by the speeches guaranteeing that we will, if we re-elect George Bush, win the war on terror. Whatever that means.
Here are two frontpage stories from the NY Times on-line at this moment that appear next to each other:
Twin Bus Bombings in Israel Kill
at Least 15 and Wound Dozens
After CitingTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1093368287644965902004-08-24T10:18:00.000-07:002004-08-24T10:24:47.643-07:00Nixon Targets Kerry
A few posts back I pasted Kerry's 1971 speech before Congress. I posted remarks indicating my opinion that there is a special rage that results from whistle blowers like Kerry, especially from someone like Nixon.
Check out these Nixon tape transcripts discussing discrediting Kerry. Nixon even meets with John O'Neil, a leading member of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. So this Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1093307957180814932004-08-23T17:13:00.000-07:002004-08-23T17:39:17.180-07:00What's Cookin On the Threat Board. Nothin???
I hope that it is just my paranoia getting the better of me but this little gem from an article about North Korea in the NY Times this morning gave me a start:
North Korean nervousness is expected to reach a higher pitch in late October, when warships of the United States Navy, the Japanese Coast Guard and other allied nations are to conduct joint Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1093111262820268762004-08-21T10:41:00.000-07:002004-08-21T11:01:02.820-07:00The Young John Kerry
Thanks to Atrios for posting this speech in its entirety today.
John Kerry, April 1971
Thank you very much, Senator Fulbright, Senator Javits, Senator Symington and Senator Pell.
I would like to say for the record, and also for the men sitting behind me who are also wearing the uniforms and their medals, that my sitting here is really symbolic. I am not here as John Kerry.Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1093058188963418552004-08-20T19:47:00.000-07:002004-08-20T20:18:01.746-07:00Kerry Rally
This is where I spent my birthday on Friday the 13th along with 50,000 other Oregonians. We scored a spot under the tree to Kerry's right, out of the range of this picture, so we didn't get burnt to a crisp like most of the crowd.
The interesting thing was that Bush was making an 2 appearance in Portland at the same time. Only he would not tell the newspapers or broadcast media Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1092898043111333512004-08-18T23:46:00.000-07:002004-08-18T23:47:23.110-07:00Comments
If you have any comments let me know. I am curious if anyone is actually reading these rants.
Thanks.
Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1092897817286219052004-08-18T23:05:00.000-07:002004-08-18T23:53:35.756-07:00OIL
How concerned are you about oil supplies? Ford and GM, among others, have recently been granted permission to begin offering car loans in China. Can the world produce the oil needed to fuel an explosion (no pun intended) of demand for new gas guzzling vehicle for the Chinese market? Earlier this year domestic steel prices went through the roof due in large part to the booming Chinese economyTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1091040808719576272004-07-28T11:26:00.000-07:002004-07-28T14:29:23.470-07:00How's It Hanging, Chad?
The best, most auditable voting technology seems to be punch cards or fill in the circle cards. The technology is simple, easily understood and subject to manual audit. I am very suspicious that the whole "hanging chad" controversy was a big smokescreen intended to create a demand for touch screen voting.
The real controversy in Florida was the disenfranchisement of Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1090345829826019652004-07-20T10:45:00.000-07:002004-07-20T10:50:29.826-07:00China
Wow. Think torture works? Write your thought report every night after torture. Rumsfeld could learn a thing or two from these guys or the other way around.
Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1089991323220270122004-07-16T07:56:00.000-07:002004-07-16T08:22:03.220-07:00Our Gift of Freedom
This story from the NY Times relates the scenes at recently opened passport offices in Iraq:
At one point, Iraqi policemen charged at the crowd, wielding batons. A couple of shots were fired in the air. The line, if it can be called that, disintegrated and the crowd retreated toward a barbed wire fence before lunging forward again.
Jobless, rattled, fed up, Iraqis areTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1089916051116096342004-07-15T11:11:00.000-07:002004-07-15T11:27:31.116-07:00Bush: The Buck Stops Over There
Great summary of Bush laziness and incompetence here.
I am so tired of hearing that the supposed mountain of pre-war intelligence indicated that Saddam was a huge threat. Everything known now was known then. For example, within days of Colin Powell's humiliating performance at the UN, when hawks were comparing his performance to the "smoking gun" revelations byTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1089479282003474422004-07-10T10:01:00.000-07:002004-07-10T10:09:38.596-07:00When the Truth is Found to Beeee Lies
Here is a good illustration of how hard it is to get to the truth.
The Truth?
You can't handle the truth!
What would you bet that we won't hear or read a full accounting of the prisoner "abuse" (TORTURE) of Iraqi detainees before the election? It's not even right to call them prisoners since most of them were found to have not committed any crime.Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1088907029964244322004-07-03T19:10:00.000-07:002004-07-03T19:10:29.963-07:00Big Time Rant
Imagine you are a 20 year old American soldier in Iraq. You have been told that your mission is to stop a madman, the worst since Hitler, possessor and willing user of weapons of mass destruction, even against his own people. He is a man capable of ruthless acts and, should America blink, within 45 minutes he could unleash a living hell on your loved ones back home that would Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1088732679314102522004-07-01T18:23:00.000-07:002004-07-02T15:20:38.320-07:00Michael Moore
Moore is obviously not a great "documentary" film maker. His bias is clear and his many critics do a good job in pointing this fact out. His movie "Bowling For Columbine" was pack full of errors, deception and downright meanness in its treatment of the Alzheimers afflicted Charlton Heston, yet much of the movie posed very good questions that needed to be asked. In the next few Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1088364190129080392004-06-27T11:27:00.000-07:002004-06-27T12:23:10.130-07:00Fahrenheit 9/11
Saw the Michael Moore movie last night. We bought tickets on-line Friday for a Saturday night showing since the movie was selling out quickly. The movie was playing on two screens simultaneously and the crowd was lining up an hour in advance of the film to get good seats.
This movie is devastating. There is lots of humor, especially in the first half of the film, but as Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1087593677118371582004-06-18T14:17:00.000-07:002004-06-18T14:33:00.450-07:009/11 Confusion
This is the best article I have seen on 9/11 in a long time. I wonder how long it will take for the public to learn what the airlines and FAA knew and when they knew it that day. Apparently the FBI is keeping a lot of information from the public in order for it to be used as evidence in the so called 20th highjacker trial of Zacarias Moussaoui. Victims families were allowed to Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1087260432495146502004-06-14T17:42:00.000-07:002004-06-14T17:47:12.496-07:00Barack Obama
Interesting. A leading candidate for a US Senate seat for Illinois challenges his opponent to a series of six debates, reminiscent of the famous Lincoln, Douglas debates.
This guy is apparently not afraid to defend his point of view.Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1086884668793387662004-06-10T09:04:00.000-07:002004-06-10T09:44:17.443-07:00Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi
Sunday:
"I express my deep regret because Reagan died before facing justice for his ugly crime that he committed in 1986 against the Libyan children," Qaddafi was quoted as saying by Libya's official news agency Jana. Qaddafi's daughter and 36 other people were killed in the raid.
Thursday:
While the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, was renouncing terrorism and Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1086725390446396922004-06-08T12:30:00.000-07:002004-06-08T13:09:50.446-07:00The Emperor's New Clothes
One day there was an emperor who surrounded himself with a bunch of big idea type tailors who told him that they could make him an invincible suit that would keep him the emperor forever. It was called the Pre-Emptive Suit.
The suit didn't look quite right but the fashion critics said that it was a bold suit so it seemed rude to most to complain about it. There is noTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1086628763513659392004-06-07T10:18:00.000-07:002004-06-07T10:19:23.513-07:00Read This
Lee, what do you think?Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1086622710682090172004-06-07T08:35:00.000-07:002004-06-07T09:15:37.283-07:00Bush Speaks
Bush being interviewed by Tom Brokaw at Normandy on 6/6/04:
Bush: “It's not easy work to take a country from tyranny to a free society. And we'd been there a little over a year. And it's-- you might recall if you're looking for parallels in World War II, it took about four years to get an active reconstruction effort going.
Wow when this guy started this war under what have now Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1086545316871834952004-06-06T11:06:00.000-07:002004-06-06T11:08:36.870-07:00Reagan
Most candidates for President open their campaigns in historically significant places - Liberty Hall in Philadelphia, the site of the Boston Massacre, Monticello etc.
Ronald Reagan opened his campaign in 1980 in Philadelphia, Miss. The theme of his remarks that day was State's rights.
What is the significance of Philadelphia, Miss?
Civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, Michael Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1086124393888284972004-06-01T14:02:00.000-07:002004-06-01T14:24:10.396-07:00A Policy of Dominance
Its good to know the enemy. The Project for a New American Century wrote the referenced report back in Sept. 2000. Read the whole 80 pages if you can stand it. Here is a gem from page 51 of their report:
Control of space and cyberspace. Much as control of the high seas – and the protection of international commerce – defined global powers in the past, so will control ofTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1086045634576765532004-05-31T16:19:00.000-07:002004-05-31T16:20:34.576-07:00Memorial Day Salute
"Dulce et Decorum Est"
by Wilfred Owen, October, 1917
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks
Knock kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the hunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf evenTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1086044600962669862004-05-31T15:47:00.000-07:002004-05-31T16:07:11.776-07:00Our Prisons
Bob Herbert in the NY Times does a good job explaining that the prison abuse at Abu Ghraib is "who we are".
I was pleased that Gore made reference to the often brutal US penal system in his terrific speech. Although the Clinton Administration made things worse by signing The Prison Litigation Reform Act in 1996 that Herbert references.
Most Americans were shocked by the Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1085983191963732202004-05-30T22:50:00.000-07:002004-05-30T23:00:25.716-07:00Balance
I have been told that someone reading this blog could be concerned that I had come unhinged. Maybe I have lost perspective and am focusing too much on the bad news that is Iraq. Guilty as charged.
So to change the subject - this year's Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, OR over the 4th of July weekend is gonna be the bomb. There is an unbelievable lineup of talent for the 4 day Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1085674159188727482004-05-27T09:02:00.000-07:002004-05-27T09:09:19.190-07:00Gore's Speech
Al Gore's speech before the MoveOn.PAC at NYU was one of the best speeches that I have ever seen/heard in my life. It has to be seen to be fully appreciated. Currently it is the number one most requested clip on CSPAN's website. The speech was delivered 5/26/04. The speech runs for 69 minutes. If you're short on time skip over the introductions in the first 5 minutes of the Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1085607550875068502004-05-26T14:34:00.000-07:002004-05-26T14:39:10.876-07:00Case In Point
After my post below I checked my e-mail and got this little gem from a conservative friend from work named Jeff:
Subject: POLITICALLY CORRECT!!!
POLITICALLY CORRECT!!!
We have been informed that the Arabs do not like to be called "towel heads."
The item they wear on their heads is actually a small sheet.
Effective immediately, please call them "little sheet heads."
Thank Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1085605963526237422004-05-26T13:48:00.000-07:002004-05-26T14:12:43.526-07:00Depression
I have to confess to being very depressed lately about the support that Bush seems to still enjoy. Many Bush detractors have been celebrating his decline in the polls of late. To me the fact that he has any measurable support after the horrendous flood of damning news since the bloody month of April is astonishing. I expect that those devoted to overturning Roe v. Wade would stay Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1085604451672461482004-05-26T13:45:00.000-07:002004-05-26T13:47:31.673-07:00I'm Impressed!
Honestly I did not think Al Gore had it in him. He managed in his remarks to hit on just about every complaint that I have with the present regime in Washington.
This is a must read.Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1085255555188994482004-05-22T12:43:00.000-07:002004-05-22T12:54:56.306-07:00NEWSFLASH: Iran Finally Wins Iran-Iraq War
Bush played for chimp. Richard Perle chokes on his own puke. Advocates of Iraq invasion disgraced. Iranians avenge the 1954 US sponsored coup installing the Shah after 50 years of patience interrupted by savage chemical weapons attacks from US sponsored Saddam.
The word: Chalabied becomes verb meaning to be made a complete ass of with the added Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1085175822857186102004-05-21T14:41:00.000-07:002004-05-21T14:43:42.856-07:00The NYTimes And Chalabi
Now that Chalabi is going down in flames what does Judith Miller's future look like at the newspaper of record?Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1085174957157773632004-05-21T14:23:00.000-07:002004-05-21T14:30:22.323-07:00Chalabi - Post Script
Yesterday's rant regarding Chalabi was probably premature. The allegations making news today of involvement in passing secrets to the Iranians appear pretty serious. This disgusting weasel of a man may not have a bright future ahead of him after all. The CIA by now has got to be in a pretty foul mood, I would think those folks could be pretty vindictive. The neo-cons Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1085173164090643112004-05-21T13:57:00.000-07:002004-05-21T14:08:16.033-07:00Is Bush Stupid?
Mark Morford is my new favorite Bush attacker. This guy writes with such incredible venom, and humor, he is a real joy to read. Great righteous spleen venting.
This one is even better.Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1085087011890911242004-05-20T13:59:00.001-07:002004-05-20T14:23:19.986-07:00Chalabi
Check out this article in the NY Times.
No perceived friend of the US has a chance of gaining Iraqi acceptance as a ruler. Therefore - first Chalabi starts attacking the US - after we delivered him a country to rule over and paid his group $27 million for lies to justify the invasion. Now the circle is completed by Bremer appearing to attack Chalabi. Notice that Chalabi is now Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1085075214079378602004-05-20T10:17:00.000-07:002004-05-20T14:26:40.700-07:00It's Been a While
I have not bothered to write in quite a while. I don't understand where the many talented prolific bloggers out there find the time. Part of the reason that I have not contributed here is that I was busy posting comments elsewhere. Still it is time to get a few thoughts down.
The Iraq war, as predicted by most thoughtful people from the beginning, is going badly. This is aTom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1085073251483647092004-05-20T10:13:00.000-07:002004-05-20T10:14:11.483-07:00Oh My God!
Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1082221247047375022004-04-17T09:54:00.000-07:002004-04-17T10:23:14.936-07:00Mad Cow
Here is an excellent posting regarding testing of cows.
The author explains why he thinks the US Dept of Agriculture is stopping the small company's efforts to test all of its cattle for Mad Cow. His premise is that the main rationale is anti-competitive. My feeling is that he is partially correct but the main reason is that the Bush Admin has allowed industry; in this case the beef Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1076956617709735712004-02-16T10:36:00.001-08:002004-02-16T10:39:34.606-08:00Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1076956597148207042004-02-16T10:36:00.000-08:002004-02-16T10:39:14.060-08:00Afghanistan - A shining example of democracy
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 — The Bush administration has begun suggesting that Afghanistan's elections scheduled for June may have to be postponed because of security problems and the failure to register enough voters.
Administration officials said in recent days that security conditions remained dangerous or at least uncertain in a third of the country, Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1076876466859621062004-02-15T12:19:00.000-08:002004-02-15T12:23:42.640-08:00Friedman's Nuts!
Looks like Thomas Friedman's completely lost his mind.Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1074361188627038852004-01-17T09:33:00.000-08:002004-01-17T09:44:18.810-08:00What the ...?
Why does it seem like the most vocal homophobes always have secret issues.
I guess it is not really fair to say that Bush has been "most vocal" but he has definitely sought the approval of those who fear the gay menace including indicating tepid support for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
The whole "defense of marriage" business is quite confusing to me. How Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1074043489726606872004-01-13T16:21:00.001-08:002004-01-13T17:28:10.670-08:00Thoughts on Pensions / Social Security
Here comes another bailout. This time for private Pensions.
I was talking with one of my co-workers today about Social Security and he said that it was a joke anyway. I said it may be a joke to you now but for 20 million people retiring in 2010 it will be their only source of income because they have no savings, 401k's or Pensions. The government has Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1074039798974334832004-01-13T16:21:00.000-08:002004-01-13T16:26:31.873-08:00Pensions
This is a subject that has been kind of an obsession for me over the past year. There are plenty of reasons to worry about the state of pensions in this country. Take a look at this bit of news - more to follow.Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1073962561286503302004-01-12T18:56:00.000-08:002004-01-12T18:56:22.693-08:00How Can You Kill Women and Children?
Easy, you don't lead them as much. - "Full Metal Jacket"Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1073942230592195702004-01-12T13:17:00.000-08:002004-01-17T09:52:26.543-08:00Paul O'Neill
The predictable slam of Paul O'Neill for betraying his old boss has begun. This article is particularly ridiculous.
The author slams the former Secretary of the Treasury but does not refute a single thing that he actually said.
Surprised?Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1073768296037380562004-01-10T12:58:00.000-08:002004-01-10T13:05:35.610-08:00From Baghdad
Again this article is kind of dated but for anyone who has not read Riverbend's web log you are missing a very interesting inside account of an Iraqi perspective on the occupation. Click on this and scroll down to the 8/28/03 entry. Clearly I have not figured out how to link to a specific line on a web page so I send the reader to the top of the page and make you work from there.Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1073767175950295822004-01-10T12:39:00.000-08:002004-01-10T12:40:16.770-08:00Political Correctness
This is a little dated but I liked this quote from ESPN sports writer Ralph Wiley in a piece on the Rush Limbaugh vs Donovan McNabb story. Sorry I lost the link.
Being correct has gotten a bad name, because all somebody has to do is shout "political!" in front of your correctness, and suddenly it's a bad thing.Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1073766333015480022004-01-10T12:25:00.000-08:002004-01-10T13:04:48.690-08:00From Bernard Chazelle
Thanks to Atrios (atrios.blogspot.com) I read an interesting piece from Bernard Chazelle (a Princeton Computer Science professor) entitled "Bush's Desolate Imperium" where I gleaned this little gem.
------- The war had one positive consequence—removing Saddam from power—and will have countless adverse ones. But the case against it is not in the numbers. It lies in Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171696.post-1073765954696844982004-01-10T12:19:00.000-08:002004-01-10T12:19:35.193-08:00The Worst President Ever
I started this web log partly with the intention of keeping track of the horrors of the Bush Junta. I quickly realized that this would be a full time job and alas I already have one. It is so difficult to know where to start in describing what an abomination this guy has been. If someone were to ask me why I don't like Bush I would probably just sputter and smoke Tom Bucknoreply@blogger.com0