Lefty round-up

Occasionally I get a morbid curiosity about what's rattling the hippies. Happy reading.

Crooks and Liars

They're following the Libby trial as if it means anything at all. I can't imagine feeling less interested in a media story. Even Nataleeeee Holloway churns my butter more than this.

Also, MoveOn gets sainted because it "calls out Republican Senators." Hooray! Where's my sports horn?

I just saw it this morning and I'm so happy that the netroots are taking it upon themselves to create a "surge" of media shame against these Senate Republicans.

There's a post about Dodd and predatory lending. I agree there are some sharks out there, but puh-leeeeze:

This is a big one for me. I can't tell you how huge the foreclosure market is in California because of these kinds of practices, and the people being preyed upon are the ones in the worst shape. Great to see the Democratic majority addressing the needs of real people.

Ummm, I too live in California, and I can say that all the fry cooks and cab drivers who took out risky ARMs to the tune of $500k or more knew exactly what was going to happen. I wonder if the folks at Crooks and Liars realize that individuals have at least a modicum of responsibility for their own actions.

You have to take these hippies in context. They do believe, after all, that naked pyramids amount to Stalinesque torture. The horror!

Another post wonders, "Who is making more of a mockery of marriage: a gay couple wanting to have their relationship recognized or Republican would-be candidates like Gingrich or Guiliani both on their third marriages?"

Hey, there's nothing wrong with a man trading in a gal for someone younger and less bitchy. Plus, Gingrich and Guiliani aren't leaving women to drown in creeks.

Daily Kos

The 500-lb. gorilla of the far left has this "powerful" headline: "Moron Republicans whine they were denied vote on escalation." Wow. I can see why the hippies fawn all over themselves. The Daily Krotch is too clever by half.

Another post shows some excitement about Bill Richardson:

Given that the escalation is going to happen under already-authorized funding, I asked Gov. Richardson if he would be willing to support defunding the war. His reply: of course. He wants to see a "date certain" by which funds will be cut and troops redeployed, and would like to see those dates preceeded by a series of benchmarks. From a political standpoint, those benchmarks could be used to gain Congressional support across the aisle.

Brave Sir Robin ran away... The hippies can cancel the term "redeployment" because the "moron Republicans" realize it means "run away". During the 21 days it took to conquer Iraq, opinion polls showed a 69% approval rating. The Kos Kommies are advocating running the nation on opinion polls. Tsk, tsk.

America Blog

Nestled among posts causing involuntary yawns was this Bush derangement gem:

Yesterday a helicopter was shot down for the fifth time in just 18 days, indicating either profoundly bad strategy by U.S. leadership, increased tactical capabilities by insurgents, or some combination of both.

First, this is so obvious it's painful to read. Thanks, guys. I was scratching my head until I stumbled upon America Blog. Second, it's war, is it not? I was led to believe that military aircraft sometimes get shot down in these things. I'm going to write my high school history teacher and express my anger at the grave disservice he did me. That son of a bitch.

There's more:

The U.S. is now investigating the trend and apparently is altering regulations, but the broader point remains: the situation in Iraq is not at its nadir, not by a long shot, and the enemy can train and adapt faster than we can because of its familiarity with the territory and the flexibility granted by being decentralized rather than bureaucratic.

I'd like to nominate this lugnut as the new Secretary of Defense. He's got it all figured out, and with such je ne sais quoi.

Democratic Underground

Comments attached to a post about the Watada mistrial support cowardice:

Keep fighting, Watada, you are a real hero!

This has to be torture for him and his family....

Great news, thanks. It is so rare these days to hear of good things happening in regard to issues of importance.

oh wonderful..that makes me sooo happy!!

That last one must haven taken a break from the drum circle and helped himself to the community bong.

Pacific Views

This blog is the best of the big lefties. There are plenty of things to laugh at, but actual content can be found here, as opposed to anti-Americanism for raison d'etre.

TalkLeft

Libby, Libby, Libby. Yawn, yawn, yawn. There's something about Giuliani's speaking fees, and the military's new report about Guantanamo abuse, or lack thereof.

The Democratic Daily

Front and center:

John Kerry blasted the Bush Administration on Wednesday at a Senate hearing on Climate Research and Scientific Integrity, for their deliberate actions to hide information on climate change, their failure to produce a plan to reverse it and their efforts to alter scientific research...

I got the impression the writer was throwing confetti in the air.

And their opinion of the Watada mistrial: "Oh happy days. A judge who can find a legal technicality to bring this injustice to an end."

Firedoglake

A woman's perspective on the Astronut love-triangle:

I don't think this story is funny. I think it's ridiculous and tragic in a Flannery O'Connor kind of way, but I find it anything but funny. That woman completely lost her grip, and for what? Love? Great. A couple of sweaty fumbles with some cocky pilot, Mr. "More than a Working Relationship, but Less than a Love Relationship", who doubtless led her on, as is the way of men (and some women, to be fair) who want to screw someone and then bolt when it comes time to pay the emotional tab. Her circuits got fried.

1) It's freaking hilarious that an astronaut would put on an adult diaper and drive almost 1000 miles to throttle a love-rival.

This is the first story that won't cause me to turn off Fox News. Nobody fixates like Fox. Let's pry Greta Van Susteren away from Aruba long enough to paw through this chick's life. I think we should have a mud wrestling event between the Astronut and the Runaway Bride. If only Andy Kaufman could officiate.

2) Doubtless led her on? Fine, fine, we're all bad. I'll give her that. And -- get this -- it is possible to "screw someone" and have no "emotional tab". Ask Gavin Gotsome of San Francisco.

And there are the requisite, multiple posts dedicated to the Libby trial. Ding!

But given what we know about how Cheney's own talking points on Plame evolved between June 10 and July 14, it is almost impossible for Cheney to argue that he–like Libby–forgot Plame's ID and learned it as if it were new. Which of course makes it difficult for Libby to argue that he forgot. If his boss was actively remembering, what are the chances Libby was actively forgetting? Huh.

For their own emotional well being, they should let this go. They're not gonna stick it to Cheney over this trial. After all, these lefties have been telling us for years that Cheney, along with Rove, controls world leaders like marionettes. I doubt such a powerful and feared man would allow himself to be trapped by something so trivial. Besides, Cheney can always resort to shooting someone.

TPM Muckracker

The Guantanamo abuse report earned a slot here:

It's getting to be a familiar story. Soldier or Marine hears about detainee abuse; reports it up the chain of command; and the official investigation says no such abuse occurred.

I wonder if he knows that the last round of alleged abuses included promising a detainee peanut butter, then withholding the peanut butter? Probably not.

And here's something I missed in the media. See, you can learn something from hippies:

Is the White House politicizing United States Attorney offices across the country? The controversy continues to roil after the Senate hearing on the topic yesterday. But that may be only half the story: a new study shows that such federal investigations may have been politicized throughout the Bush administration.

Hey, if it's anti-Bush, it must be true.

Lastly, I found this, which seems downright pleased at the prospect of a U.S. failure in the Middle East because, of course, that would mean a Bush failure:

Ah, for the halcyon days of the Middle East in early 2005. Purple fingers were in the air in Iraq. Attractive Christian youth in Beirut's Firdos Square were driving the Syrians out of Lebanon. Autocrats throughout the region felt the need to at least pay lip service to the idea of democratic reform, to the point where Newsweek could run a piece explaining "Where Bush Was Right."

But that was then. These days, the Bush administration is quietly abandoning its grandiose talk of spreading democracy. And Iran has a lot to do with it.