Date

The Lonely Stars of Texas

susan — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:52:14 -0600

The Texas Observer has put up a great memorial site to Molly.
by susan
Long before there were blogs, Molly Ivins wrote like the best of the bloggers, tempering her seering observations with irreverence, verve and humor, never allowing her anger to spill over into a rant. In the days when the op-ed pages were as colorful as the ink in which they're printed, Molly stood out with her vivid portrayals of the Texas "lege" and the "bidness" men there who pretty much ran the "gubmint". "The bidness of Texas is bidness," she used to say.

Celebrating the sheer joy of a good fight---yet another Molly Ivins post

lynnell — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:32:29 -0600

By Lynnell Mickelsen
The fact that so many people are writing and mourning Molly Ivins is a tribute to a life well-lived, well-fought and of course, well-written.
One thing that made her such a good writer----better and funnier than Maureen Dowd"was that she had a great wit AND she actually believed in stuff.
Cynicism about people in power is fine. But relentless cynicism is the easy way out. Molly was never one of the Kewl Kids. Didnt belong to the Beltway crowd. Didnt spend a whole lot of time being hipper than thou. And she honestly loved people. She knew how to rip people a new one without ever losing her deep affection for humanity.

So this duck walks into a diner and.......

lynnell — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 15:18:15 -0600

by Lynnell Mickelsen
Looks like things kept going downhill for W. after the whole Frat-Boy-In-Chief-tries-to-run-people-down-with-giant tractor story on Tuesday.
From Newsweek.
"Jan. 31, 2007 - On Tuesday, President Bush popped in for a surprise visit to the Sterling Family Restaurant, a homey diner in Peoria, Ill. Its a scene that has been played out many times before by this White House and others: a president mingling among regular Americans, who, no matter what they might think of his policies, are usually humbled and shocked to see the leader of the free world standing 10 feet in front of them.

Happy Groundhog Day everyone!

barbara — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 08:52:21 -0600

by barbara
Groundhog Day. The day when Norm Coleman crawls out of his burrow, sees the shadows of Democrats everywhere, and knows in his wee opportunistic heart that there are just two more years remaining in his Senate career. Yessss!!
Your take on Groundhog Day is . . . ? (Click on add new comment below.)

Reading between the lies

barbara — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 14:18:22 -0600

by barbara
This from the Associated Press via HuffPost. Text is APs. Parenthetical comments are mine.
BUSH ADMINISTRATION SEEKS $245B FOR WARS
By Andrew Taylor
The Bush administration will ask for another $100 billion for military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan this year and seek $145 billion for 2008, a senior administration official said Friday. (Believe me, there's more. Click here.)

Barbara and Susan bring you "Breakfast with George and Barbara Bush"

barbara — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 11:38:18 -0600

George and Barbara Bush are seated at either end of the banquet table in their Kennebunkport dining wing, where they have just finished their toast and soft-boiled eggs.
"George, you know I don't allow the Gameboy at the breakfast table."
"Mmmm. Just a sec. Ak-ak-ak-ak, hooboy, got 'em! Sayonara, amigos!"
"George, Im worried. It's 43 again."
"Which one, which one? Where is he?"

Speaking of Iran

susan — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 12:54:37 -0600

by susan lenfestey
My friend, doc film maker Michael Anderson, sent me this short view of Teheran by Lucas Grey.
I think many Americans have a tendency to picture all those in the mideast living in remote barren villages or urban slums, crushed by brutal war lords and mullah-driven militias, or out in the streets spewing rageful slogans towards, ohmigosh, us.

Next up: Iran

barbara — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 11:20:23 -0600

by barbara
Iraq. The land of mission accomplished. The place where grateful citizens scatter flower petals in the path of their saviors--the U.S. military. Where civil war is but a liberal-dominated-media-manufactured concept. Oh, frabjous day, we are victorious!
How, then, to explain the uncharitable and negative spin of the New York Times, (h/t to LeftyMN) to wit:

Take That, Cokie and Tom!

susan — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 10:37:28 -0600

Older sister slams Susan.
I commented on a recent post by Lynnell that I didn't think Tom Friedman was the enemy, or at least not as much as the lethal creeps who came up with this war scheme. And I opined that the exchange between a blogger named Brenden and Friedman was, sniff, childish. Well, Paul Miller took me to task, and I lamely defended myself, but now my older, smarter sister from NYC weighs in and sets me straight. Thanks, I needed it. (Read on.)

Incoming!

barbara — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:27:55 -0600

by barbara
CNN just posted a piece that I assume was spoon-fed by the Bush administration. The headline blares: Unarmed ICBM blasts through 105-ton door in test. This little adventure even has a name. Put up your puke shields. Its called Glory Trip-193. God help us. If we cant have a real president, could we at least have a new and improved person-who-names-wars-and-military-might-tests? Read on.

Iraq: Sobering?

susan — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 22:39:08 -0600

"It's sobering." "A sobering report." "The options are sobering."
by susan lenfestey
Last Sunday I watched the morning yak shows, and also some news later in the day. Hey, it's 90 degrees below zero here and we need to huddle inside next to greenhouse gas-producing and brain-warping appliances to stay warm. And okay, I wanted to see Prince at Super Bowl half-time. He's our own little weirdo and you grab your civic pride wherever you can when you live within spitting distance of the Arctic Circle. So yeah, I saw The Game, parts of it, and Indianapolis won and the owner and the coach said it was thanks to God. Funny that he has time for football given some other areas that could use his attention. (Read on)

This just in: Anna Nicole Smith still dead

barbara — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 10:34:55 -0600

by barbara
UPDATE: Google News reveals 2,159 "news articles" on the death of Anna Nicole Smith. See ABOVE-THE-FOLD HEADLINES:
-- Autopsy begins on Anna Nicole Smith
-- Anna Nicole Smith leaves behind legal battles
-- Anna Nicoles happily ever after
-- Did drugs kill Anna Nicole?
-- Anna Nicoles mother blames drugs
-- DNA test of Anna Nicole rejected
-- Anna Nicole Smith timeline

It's Obama Time

susan — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 12:16:56 -0600

by susan
Yessss! He's in. He's presumptious, he's audacious, he's presidential.
As a feminist, I support Hillary. As an aging Boomer, I support Hillary. As an unabashed fan of Bill Clinton, I support Hillary. As a play-fair-it's-her-turn kind of person, I support Hillary.
But as an American who grieves for what has become of my country, I support Barack Obama.
By quirks of fate, his time has arrived and Hillary's has passed. I can see that cabinet post just waiting for her, Health and Human Services perhaps? Read on.

Don't kill the messenger

barbara — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 12:44:22 -0600

by barbara
I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul . . . .
George Bush speaking about Russias Vladimir Putin, June 2001
Theres been a lot of ink, virtual and otherwise, about Vladimir Putins remarks on Saturday at the NATO defense ministers meeting. It seems that among other things, Putin took aim at the United States for what he described as overstepping use of military might, which he said has made the world a more dangerous place than it was during the Cold War.

National Quail Day

susan — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 13:37:29 -0600

It was on this day in 2006 that the nation's Carbuncle-in-Chief went quail hunting, where his judgment in identifying and shooting down little birds turned out to be as sound as it was in identifying and shooting down al-Qaeda. Appropriate timing for the Pentagon inspector general to rap Cheney's (former) first toady, Doug Feith, for adjusting the CIA's intel to suit the will of his trigger-happy boss. And creepy fun to watch the weaselly Feith make the talk-show rounds on this historic day, saying that everyone knows the intel can't be trusted and needs oversight. Even Fox's sycophant Chris Wallace was incredulous.

The thing that really matters

barbara — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 08:40:48 -0600

by barbara
It's Monday and Baghdad is burning. Libbygate is closing in on Darth Cheney. Barack Obama (we could bag the whole "is he black enough?" argument by renaming him Barach O'Bama) is running for president. Glaciers are melting. Iran either is or is not developing nuclear weapons. Friends, does any of that really matter in the grand scheme of things?
You say you havent had your fill of Anna Nicole Smith? You say youre bothered that her story has slipped below the fold? Do not despair! The Clothesline feels your pain. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to sate your obsession. Pass this on to your Anna Nicole fan club friends. No need to thank us. Its what were here for (it is that for which we are here).

Cupid, Hold Back Your Bow

susan — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:18:39 -0600

Kisses we'd like to forget. Click here for more.
They did it for luv . . .

Just fooling around

barbara — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:49:29 -0600

by barbara
I used to be in a relationship with a guy who was a serial-philanderer. He wasnt all that good at hiding his tracks. Didnt much matter, though. I lived in a state of heightened denial for a long, long time. But once I acknowledged his deceitful nature to myself, I got a little flinchy. Lost my capacity for trusting, and what had been my pretty optimistic nature until then totally tanked. One day, whilst in the midst of his most malodorous dalliance, he sat me down for a little chat and said this to me: "You know, Im getting a strong message that you dont trust me. And I want to know what your problem is."

My Dinner with Al

susan — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:26:24 -0600

by susan
Caution: Name dropping alert!
Last night I had dinner with Al and Franni. Yeah, Franken. A bunch of folks were invited to their house to "hear his ideas" on the eve of his announcement that he's running for the US Senate, for the seat once occupied by Paul Wellstone and currently occupied by the oily keister of Norm "I'm-a-99-percent- improvement-over-Paul-Wellstone" Coleman.

Why We Won't Invade Iran

susan — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 15:29:37 -0600

by susan
We're out of people. We can't. The Army has announced it's lowering its standards for admission to its ranks due to a diminishing pool of recruits. They've already given waivers to high school dropouts, lowered the the scoring bar on aptitude tests, and loosened weight and age restrictions. Now they're giving a record number of "moral waivers", meaning if you have a criminal record for charges including aggravated assault, burglary, robbery and vehicular homicide, you can still tote a weapon in the name of democracy. However, rest assured, no moral waivers for gays and lesbians.

Pick a letter, any letter

barbara — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 17:03:52 -0600

by barbara
LeftyMN steered me to a piece in what is an obscure publication by U.S. standards (the Gulf Daily News out of Bahrain). They report that sophisticated Austrian rifles supplied to Iran are now showing up in Iraq. It has not been widely-publicized that Austria is an Axis of Evil wannabe.
I bring this up because it is only a matter of time before Bushs Eye of Sauron homes in on Austria. And the next thing you know, the hills will be alive with sound of Black Hawks.

FOB designs a great poster!

barbara — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 10:25:24 -0600

Activist artist Mattie Weiss (a Minnesota treasure) designed a poster that is being featured by the Northland Poster Collective, which bills itself as the Mall of the Other America. Its a stunning piece displayed at a very interesting site.Check it out.

Ground Truth, part one

barbara — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:48:56 -0600

by barbara
Last night, I attended a MoveOn event, one of more than a thousand nationwide. It was hosted in a private home in south Minneapolis. Our principal agenda was to view the film, "The Ground Truth." The movie focused briefly on the recruiting, training and deploying of U.S. military troops to Iraq. It did not shy away from deaths"ours, theirs, calculated, accidental. However, the films main focus was on women and men who physically survive the Iraq War, with or without all of their limbs, facial features and internal organs intact.

Turkey Not Fake; My Bad

susan — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 12:57:17 -0600

The Mail Room
by susan
The piece I posted here about my dinner with Al has picked up some steam and is making the rounds on the blogosphere. And alert readers from as far away as Australia have written to correct me on a critical fact. When I wrote that Al Franken actually sits down and eats his meals with the troops when he tours Iraq, as opposed to President Bush who only serves them a photo-op plastic turkey, I was wrong. It turns out that it was a real turkey (on the platter that is) and my intel -- corroborated by the New York Times no less -- was wrong.

Mummified Body Found in Front of Blaring TV

susan — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 22:23:24 -0600

70-year-old man not seen since 2005.
Kids, don't say we didn't warn you.

Time for Americans to surge

barbara — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:55:08 -0600

by barbara
U.S. military women and men stationed in Iraq are, for all practical purposes, prisoners of war. They have become pawns in the neocon game. Theyve been sold a bill of goods and are being asked to lay their lives on the line, defending the indefensible. Theyve been fed huge chunks of malarkey about noble purpose and greater good. God bless em, every one. How I wish those things were true.

How Do We Measure This Tragedy?

susan — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:03:41 -0600

by susan
If you want to start a blog frenzy, just write about the number of Iraqi civilians who have been killed as a result of the US invasion.
First, you will hear from those who lambast you for not writing about the number of Iraqi civilians killed by Saddam Hussein. Yes, terrible tyrant, gassed his own people, as they always seem to add, (actually, seeing as they were Kurds, not really) but not the point at the moment.

The Cheese Stands Alone

susan — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:41:58 -0600

Hi-ho the derry-o.
Tony Blair will announce on Wednesday a timetable for withdrawing British troops from Iraq, with the first 1,500 to start coming home in a few weeks. A pox on his empire of deserters! Well, we've still got -- Tonga.

We have been remiss

barbara — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:08:41 -0600

by barbara
You say youre tired of mundane news? Things like Britain, Denmark and possibly Lithuania pulling troops out of Iraq? The Scooter/Shooter trial? Bald Britney in re-rehab? Courage, friends, courage. I bring you the latest on Anna Nicole Smith. With deep apologies for dropping the ball in keeping you updated.
It seems that even embalming is not enough to preserve Smiths, ummm, legacy. While folks are queuing up for assorted court battles about where she is to be buried, who is the father of her child, and disposition of her assets, it seems her body is succumbing to nature. Let me speak clearly. She is decomposing at a pretty good clip and my guess is that she doesnt look terrific.

Stupid Human Tricks

susan — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:59:44 -0600

by susan
Let's see, which linen to air today? Seeing as Babs scooped me with the decomposing body of Anna Nicole, that only leaves rape in Iraq, Libby's defense lawyer ending his closing arguments with a sob (who, sniffle sniffle, can remember details when there's a war against terror taking up all that RAM?) and a Jet Blue CEO more remorseful for stranding people on a runway than our national CEO is for stranding our troops in Iraq.

Oh, yes, hes the great pretender

barbara — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 01:11:57 -0600

by barbara
Huzzah! Its Georges birthday. No, not that George. The real George. He used to have his own holiday just ten days after Abraham Lincoln's, remember? Then someone got the bright idea to lump 'em together.
On this year's weekend-extender, aka Presidents Day (or is it Presidents Day?), current-time George took a helicopter to Mount Vernon for yet another photo op. And he was moved to set aside his "Im just like Harry Truman" obsession in order to draw improbable parallels between his indomitable will and that of George Washington. Im thinking Junior needs to move on in his search for a historical soulmate. Millard Fillmore comes to mind. Frankly, there is nothing"repeat--nothing even remotely the same about the George of the peoples American Revolution and the George of Bushs War on Iraq.

The things that truly matter

barbara — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 12:09:04 -0600

Fave Things UPDATE:
~ Britney Spears, who has been IN, then OUT, then back IN, and back OUT of rehab over the past few days is reportedly back IN today. Spears is still bald.
~ Anna Nicole Smiths lover reports that she did drugs while pregnant. Smith is still dead.
~ Nominations are now due for the coveted celebrity Mother of the Year Award.
Oh, and as a wee aside? Iran has failed to comply with the U.N. Security Council deadline for suspending uranium enrichment. So, dude, is that like, uh, Botox?

Soft on Terror? Think Again.

susan — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:54:41 -0600

How did the Dems who fought in the wars and oversaw WW2 come to be seen as incapable of defense? (With an off-point lead on the Marine Corp.)
by susan
Last night I set out to make a pot of soup to get us through the blizzard forecast for this weekend. While I chopped and shredded, I flicked on the telly to watch PBS News Hour, pausing as I always do when the names and the photos of the American troops most recently killed in Iraq silently appear, then fade from the screen. I try to look at each face, notice the age and home town, and imagine what it would be like to dig out a photo of one of my children for this heartbreaking moment of acknowledgement. And I find myself saying aloud to each one, "I'm so sorry."

Jet Blue's Blues

susan — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 18:42:13 -0600

Flying on the Cheap Takes a Toll, So Does Cheap Gubmint
by susan
The parallel was so obvious I almost didn't write about it, sure that everyone else would pounce. When only one letter to the editor of the NYTimes finally got around to it today, I decided I'd weigh in.
I speak of Jet Blue and its low-budget, stripped down, blues.
As everyone knows, a recent patch of bad weather stranded hundreds of Jet Blue passengers on the tarmac at JFK airport for six hours or longer, and severely inconvenienced thousands more with delays and cancellations. Read on

A "War" on Terror?

susan — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 00:30:48 -0600

Unc. Sam, war on terror
Quick Hit
by susan
A commondreams.org reader wrote to set me straight about the term, war on terror, (Are Dems Soft on Terror?) and he has a good point.

Really, really retro

barbara — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 12:52:40 -0600

by barbara
Were snowed in. Big dump overnight and it hasnt stopped yet. We have two non-working snowblowers in the garage, which means the human snowthrowers in this house need to get out there and wrestle with the mounds of snow. So while I sit here in my jammies, trying to psych myself up for snow duty, Ive been entertaining myself with an old Minneapolis Daily Tribune we found among Davids mothers belongings. Very old. Saturday, May 25, 1867. It was lining a box filled with her belongings, which were just now getting around to digging through.

Dutch uncle? No, a Canadian cousin tells it like it is.

barbara — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:56:18 -0600

by barbara with a little help from Margaret Atwood
I'm doing something a bit irregular here. One of the comments farther down references an April 2003 open letter to the U.S., penned by one of my favorite authors.
Margaret Atwood is a Canadian. One of her most brilliant novels is "The Handmaid's Tale," wherein she paints a chilling picture of a future world in the throes of rigid, rampant theocracy. I re-read it not long ago and commend it to you. But that's not what this is about.

Seymour Hersh on Iran

susan — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 17:11:54 -0600

Just when you thought we were all about snow storms and soup.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Despite the Bush administration's insistence it has no plans to go to war with Iran, a Pentagon panel has been created to plan a bombing attack that could be implemented within 24 hours of getting the go-ahead from President George W. Bush, The New Yorker magazine reported in its latest issue.

Oscar, Al and Shooter

barbara — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 09:20:30 -0600

by barbara
Last night, I numbed my buns watching the Academy Awards for upwards of four interminable hours. I think the last time I watched this extravaganza, Bob Hope was the emcee.
I watched mostly to see if my man, Al Gore, would do the unthinkable thing that was rumored, i.e., announce his presidential run with Oscar peering over his shoulder. He didnt. I should have known. The man has class. Now his life work has been deemed Oscar-worthy. But dont hold that against him. The Oscar may be mitigated by an award from the Nobel folks. I hope so. He richly deserves it.

Is there a diplomat in the house?

barbara — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 07:56:17 -0600

Condiby barbara
Definition: diplomacy Function: noun
1: the art and practice of conducting negotiations between nations; 2: skill in handling affairs without arousing hostility; tact