The Disenfranchised Voter

What a long strange trip it's been

2007-03-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

Well it sure has been a long ass time since I posted something. It's not that I haven't been paying attention to politics. I just haven't had the ambition to blog for quite a while.

But right now, I feel like posting a prediction:

Gonzales will eventually resign as a result of the firing of the federal prosecutors.

I'd put money on it. Bush may be stubborn, but he isn't retarded.

Then again...

Heh.

Mr. Colbert Goes To Washington...

2006-05-02T23:50:00.000-07:00

Stephen Colbert metapohrically bitch slapped both the Bush Administration and the enabling Press with one hand tied behind his back at the White House Correspondents Dinner this past Saturday, but you would never know it unless you watched C-SPAN or read the blogs.

Of course the press doesn’t want to report about this. He made them look just as incompetent at the Bush Administration. Why would they want to showcase their miserable failure these past 6 years?

Colbert was magnificient. He pulled off a real life version of the Emperor has no clothes and then went on to ridicule the press for being the weak-willed bastards that they have been for Bush.

I honestly haven't laughed so hard or felt so good as I did on Saturday night in a long, long time.

And for that--Thank you, Stephen Colbert

Muchos Huevos Grandes, Indeed...

Well, isn't that just great!

2005-12-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

So the DoJ is investigating who the ~~whisteblower~~ "leaker" was in revealing Bush’s illegal actions.

Odd…

I thought there were laws that protected whistleblowers--people who tell on officials that broke the law.

Bush broke the law (both FISA and more importantly the 4th Amendment) and instead of punishing him we are going to punish the person who did their civic duty and revealed this to the public?

Someone is going to be punished for being patriotic and letting the public know?

Wow, well I think it’s time to start taking bets on when we will become a fascist nation. Because really, it is no longer a question of if now, only a matter when.

*UPDATE*

"There are differences between felons and whistleblowers, and we ought to wait 'til the investigation occurs to decide what happened"

--Sen. Charles Schumer

Well said, Senator.

Cory Maye Updates

2005-12-13T16:41:00.000-08:00

You can find them HERE

The link is to the blog that first brought attention to this issue and the owner, Radley Balko, has been doing an excellent job on updating the case.

Check it out.

Save Tookie?? Uhh, what about this guy?!

2005-12-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

It is a sad day in America.

A large group of people are trying to save Tookie William's life--a man who is guilty of murdering four people--while at the same time they ignore that a Missisippi man will be executed for protecting himself and his daughter from an intruder.

That man is Cory Maye...

It was close to midnight on December 26th, 2001 in Prentiss, Mississippi and the Pearl River Basin Narcotics Task Force was about to go on a drug raid. The warrant they had was the result of information provided by Officer Ron Jones--the son of the chief of police in Prentiss, MS. Jones had recieved the tip from an anonymous informant. After recieving the tip, the task force asked Jones if he would like to participate in the raid. He agreed.

Donning paramilitary gear the task force commenced the raid. Some officers--Jones being one of them--decided to go around to a side door to find a larger stash of drugs. When one member of the SWAT team broke down the outside door, an unnarmed Jones charged in, and made his way into the bedroom.

A couple of seconds before this, Cory Maye and his 1 year-old daughter had been sleeping in his apartment. He awoke to the sound of the front door breaking in. Living in a dangerous neighborhood, Maye was the owner of a gun for his protection. He ran into the bedroom, grab his pistol and loaded it. He waited by the bed. Shortly after, his back door slammed open and an intruder charged into bedroom. Out of fear for his life and the safety of his daughter, Maye fired. He hit Jones in the abdomen, just below his bulletproof vest. Jones died a short time later.

That "side door" the officers had just entered was actually the door to someone else's apartment--The house was a duplex. The task force had been executing a warrant for Jaime Smith, who was alledgely selling drugs out of his apartment. Maye lived opposite of Smith.

Maye was not listed in the search warrant. On top of that, he had no criminal record whatsoever. This is just a side note--as Maye wasn't the subject of the warrant--but it shows the shady actions of the Prentiss Police Force in dealing with this case. You see, initial police reports concluded that no drugs were found on Maye's side of the duplex. Later on, they changed their tune and said they had found traces of marijuana and cocaine. Maye's lawyer says that the police found one smoked marijuana cigarette.

Drugs or no drugs, this was still a tragedy. A man had been killed.

Though, I think it is safe to say that Maye felt his life and his daughter's life were in danger. He merely acted in self defense. His actions were justifiable.

Unfortunately, a jury completely disagreed. Now, I could understand a manslaughter charge, but Maye was convicted of captial murder for shooting officer Jones in January 2004! He was sentenced to death by lethal injection; He is now on death row.

Now this is an injustice. How can we sit by when the state plans to kill this man for protecting himself? This cause is one that we can all get behind, regardless of one's political leanings.

I am both shocked and angry that there isn't more of an up-roar about this. Where is the outrage?!

Where are the celerities and activists on this matter?

This man deserves a pardon. Please follow this story and do what you can to help him.

You can follow the blogging of this story HERE

Please keep following this case.

This man needs your help.

Every Nominee Deserves an Up or Down Vote!--Except Harriet Miers

2005-10-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

Up or Down Vote, my ass. Hypocritical bastards.

Well I was not surprised by this announcement, and to be honest, in the end, I think the person who will be confirmed is someone in the mold of O'Conner, thankfully.

You see, since it was the Republicans who shot down Miers, the Democrats now have the upper-hand in the PR wars. They can now say, and already are, that Miers was shot down because of a the extreme right. This will either force Bush to nominate a moderate next, or if he chooses to nominate a more conservative person, the Democrats have every right to invoke the filibuster. The Republicans might go for the Nuclear option to end the filibuster, but I doubt it--I don't think they have the votes. Thus, starting the nomination process all over again.

So either way Bush will be pressured to nominate someone in the mold of O'Conner if he wants them to be confirmed. Whoever is working the Democrats' PR and political strategy right now rivals Karl Rove. They should take strategic advice from this person more often.

But that is just my theory...What is yours?

UPDATE:

Well I sure fucked up that theory. It turns out the Democrats put up a weak ass fight on Samuel Alito. Great, now we have a guy who believes the President can ignore the Constitution and Congress in the name of so-called "National Security" on the Supreme Court.

Not to mention the fact that Alito doesn't believe in the first amendment's religious establishment clause (seperation of church and state), he basically doesn't believe in one man, one vote, and he sides with big business and the government over individual citizens.

Yay for Amerika!

Rosa Parks Remembered

2005-10-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

Rosa Parks was a truly inspirational person. I wasn't alive during segragation, but it is easy to see that the impact Rosa's actions had was huge. The thing that I find most amazing about her story is how little of an action--choosing not to get up from her seat on the bus--helped to change so much. Even Rosa said she never imagined that her choice would help bring about so much change. It took courage, that is for sure, but the action itself was quite small, yet it helped change so much. Hopefully that thought will stick with us...

Just because you think your action will be insignificant, doesn't mean it actually will be.

Today, I heard a congressman on TV say this about Parks and I think it was an interesting way to put it:

"She taught us to stand up by sitting down."

If only there were more Rosa Parks in this world...

Rest in Peace Rosa. You will be missed.

A Great Article

2005-10-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

I really liked this article from the CATO institute. It sums up my thoughts on drug prohibition well. Enjoy...

Drug Prohibition has Failed

by David Boaz

On February 20, 1933, a new Congress acknowledged the failure of alcohol Prohibition and sent the Twenty-First Amendment to the states. Prohibition had begun in 1920 amid high hopes. Evangelist Billy Sunday proclaimed, "The reign of tears is over. The slums will soon be a memory. We will turn our prisons into factories and our jails into storehouses and corncribs. Men will walk upright now, women will smile and children will laugh. Hell will be forever for rent."

Alas, as historians of prohibitionist efforts could have predicted, Sunday was wrong. Congress recognized that Prohibition had failed to stop drinking and had increased prison populations and violent crime. By the end of 1933, national Prohibition was history, though many states continued to outlaw or severely restrict the sale of liquor.

Today another Congress confronts a similarly failed prohibition policy. Futile efforts to enforce prohibition have been pursued even more vigorously in the 1980s and 1990s than they were in the 1920s. Total federal expenditures for the first 10 years of Prohibition amounted to $88 million--about $733 million in 1993 dollars. Drug enforcement cost about $22 billion in the Reagan years and another $45 billion in the four years of the Bush administration, and costs about $15 billion a year now.

Those mind-boggling amounts have had some effect. Total drug arrests are now more than 1 million a year. Since 1989, more people have been incarcerated for drug offenses than for all violent crimes combined, and drug offenders account for 60 percent of the federal prison population.

Yet as was the case during Prohibition, all the arrests and incarcerations haven't stopped the use and abuse of drugs, or the drug trade, or the crime associated with black-market transactions. Cocaine and heroin supplies are up; the more our Customs agents interdict, the more smugglers import.

There are at least a dozen reasons that today's prohibition should be repealed.

1) Drug prohibition causes crime. By driving up the price of drugs, prohibition forces drug users to commit crimes to pay for a habit that would be easily affordable if it were legal. And the outlaw nature of the business means that rival drug sellers must resort to violence to settle disputes among themselves. The per capita murder and assault-by-firearm rate rose steadily while alcohol Prohibition was in effect (1920-33) and fell for 10 straight years after that. The murder rates generated by today's prohibition, of course, are much higher. Police officials have estimated that in many major cities as much as 50 percent of crime--including auto thefts, robberies and assaults, and burglaries--is committed by drug addicts to support their habits. It's not drug-related crime; it's prohibition-related crime. As conservatives say about guns, "If drugs are outlawed, only outlaws will sell drugs."

2) Drug prohibition corrupts law enforcement officials. The huge profits generated by prohibition are an irresistible temptation to Mexican drug czars, Colombian judges, American soldiers in Panama, police officers, agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and so on. When police officers and border guards arrest people carrying more cash than they'll make in a decade, it's hardly surprising that some of them are persuaded to look the other way.

3) Drug prohibition undermines respect for the law. When the government declares 25 million Americans criminals, and still can't enforce the drug laws, it chips away at the respect that underlies all law.

4) Drug prohibition weakens the family. What kind of family structure can be maintained when a 13-year-old boy is paying his mother's rent out of his drug earnings? It is illegal drugs, not legal products, that are sold on school playgrounds and neighborhood streets.

5) Drug prohibition destroys the community. When the most successful people in an inner-city neighborhood are outlaws, the natural order of the community is inverted. The enormous profits generated by prohibition make a mockery of the work ethic and parental authority. Honesty, respect for private property, and all the other hallmarks of a civilized society are casualties of prohibition.

6) Drug prohibition reflects a failure to learn from history. We repealed the prohibition of alcohol because it produced crime, corruption, and social chaos. Now we are making the same mistakes and suffering the same consequences.

7) Drug prohibition is a classic example of throwing money at a problem. We spend $15 billion a year on enforcement of the drug laws--20 times as much in real terms as we ever spent on alcohol prohibition--to no avail. Drug prohibition is the sort of thing Ronald Reagan had in mind when he said, "The nearest thing to eternal life on this earth is a government program." President Clinton's drug czar has now formally announced that the War on Drugs will be endless.

8) Drug prohibition centralizes power in Washington. The federal government has usurped the power of states and communities to determine their own policies, and the prosecution of the drug war has caused federal law enforcement agencies to grow at the expense of state and local police. Most recently, the Clinton administration refuses to accept the decision of the people of Arizona and California to allow the medical use of marijuana, and is threatening to arrest doctors who abide by state law. The U.S. government has always seized on wars and emergencies to expand its own powers at the expense of states, individuals, and the Constitution.

9) Drug prohibition does violence to civil liberties. There was a time in this country when the government was only allowed to punish someone after he was convicted in a court of law. It now appears that the drug authorities can punish an American citizen by seizing his car or his boat, not even after an indictment--much less a conviction--but after a mere allegation by a police officer. Whatever happened to the presumption of innocence? The demand to win this unwinnable war has led to wiretapping, entrapment, property seizures, and other abuses of Americans' traditional liberties.

10) Drug prohibition hurts our relations with our allies. When we pressure friendly Latin American governments to destroy their coca fields, we turn their citizens against them--and often into the arms of such leftist revolutionaries as Peru's Tupac Amaru--as well as stirring up their resentment of Yankee imperialism.

11) Drug prohibition does violence to the Constitution. The Tenth Amendment reserves to the states or the people all powers not granted to the federal government. At least the advocates of alcohol Prohibition had enough respect for the Constitution to seek a constitutional amendment to impose Prohibition, but Congress never asked the American people for the constitutional power to impose drug prohibition.

12) Drug prohibition violates individual rights. People have rights that governments may not violate. Thomas Jefferson defined them as the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I would say that people have the right to live their lives in any way they choose so long as they don't violate the equal rights of others. What right could be more basic, more inherent in human nature, than the right to choose what substances to put in one's own body? Whether we're talking about alcohol, tobacco, AZT, saturated fat, medical marijuana, or recreational cocaine, this is a decision that should be made by the adult individual, not the government. If government can tell us what we can put into our own bodies, what can it not tell us? What limits on government action are there?

As William F. Buckley, Jr., says, "It is the duty of conservatives to declaim against lost causes when the ancillary results of pursuing them are tens of thousands of innocent victims and a gradual corruption of the machinery of the state." He's not the only leading conservative who recognizes the futility of the drug war. Sociologist Ernest van den Haag, Hoover Institution scholar Thomas Sowell, former secretary of state George Shultz, and Nobel laureate Milton Friedman agree with Buckley.

The drug war is a futile, counterproductive, big-government program. It is time to return the effort to control drug abuse to families, churches, schools, mission houses, and the other elements of civil society.

Source Here

So what are your thoughts about drug prohibition?

Tom Delay Indicted...Again.

2005-10-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Talk about Karma...

Tom Delay Indicted?--About freakin' Time!

2005-09-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA!

The indictment documents

HELL YEAH!

2005-08-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most people have heard of the 9/11 "Freedom Walk" that is scheduled in Washington. The walk is said to be for "Remembering 9/11 and to Support the Troops". The Washington Post is co-sponsoring the event, but have claimed they will withdraw their support if the event turns partisan. Well considering that Clint Black's song, "I RAQ AND ROLL"--which will be performed at event--contains such non-partisan lyrics as:

"YOU CAN WAVE YOUR SIGNS IN PROTEST
AGAINST AMERICA TAKING STANDS
THE STANDS AMERICA'S TAKEN
ARE THE REASON THAT YOU CAN"

and

"WE HAVE THE RESOLUTION
THAT SHOULD PUT'EM ALL TO SHAME
BUT IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF DEADLINE
WHEN I'M CALLED IN THE GAME"

and

"I RAQ, I RACK'EM UP AND I ROLL
I'M BACK AND I'M A HIGH TECH GI JOE
I PRAY FOR PEACE, PREPARE FOR WAR
AND I NEVER WILL FORGET
THERE'S NO PRICE TOO HIGH FOR FREEDOM
SO BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU TREAD"

and this lovely line, which clearly is directed at opponents of the Iraq War..

"THEY CAN BE NO MORE THAN COWARDS
IF THEY WON'T SHOW US THEIR WEAPONS
WE MIGHT HAVE TO SHOW THEM OURS

IT MIGHT BE A SMART BOMB
THEY FIND STUPID PEOPLE TOO
AND IF YOU STAND WITH THE LIKES OF SADDAM
ONE JUST MIGHT FIND YOU"

I will be expecting the Washington Post to withdraw their support. This is clearly nothing more than a Pro-Iraq war propaganda rally.

I really thought that the Washington Post withdrawing their support was not going to happen but then I came across this article.

My response to reading this was as follows:

HELL FUCKING YES! THESE REPORTERS AT THE WASHINGTON POST FUCKING ROCK!

THANK YOU GUYS, THANK YOU FOR NOT ACCEPTING THIS BULLSHIT PROPAGANDA PARADE!

This is such great news! This has been such an awesome day!

Good Music

2005-08-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

Well, thankfully my favorite band, 311, is releasing a new album. I really need it right now. Their positive message always lifts me up when I'm down.

The album is called Don't Tread on Me, which is very appropriate given the times we live in.

I suggest giving it a listen. It is free to check out. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Click Here and enjoy.

Let me know what you think of it in the comments. Positive and negative comments welcome!

Constitution? We don't need no stinking Constitution!

2005-08-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

Well Bush decided to disregard the Constitution and appoint Bolton to the U.N.

This appointment isn't surprising but it is a blatant abuse of power.

First, let me start off by saying that ANY recess appointment, that is done to subvert the authority of Senate, is against the Constitution and is complete bullshit.

I don’t care who does it or what party that person belongs to. Recess appointments were intended for EMERGENCY appointments when Congress is not in session--not to stop the Senate from doing it’s fucking job.

I’m sick of these politicians shitting on our Constitution.

Here is the recess appointment clause:

Clause 3: The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

Read the first sentence carefully…"The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate."

The clause is clearly refering to vacancies that happen during the recess.

The clause was intended for emergency type circumstances; when it is urgent that the position be filled and the Senate was on recess.

It was not intended to be used the way it has been by both the Democrats and Republicans. They have both abused their power.

Face it, both parties are corrupt; but the current Republican party is just drunk with power. If you ask me, the time for vigliante justice is nearing. Our government become more and more authoritarian each and everyday. Slipping into a democratically disguised, totalitarian rule we are...

Jesus Christ, what is wrong with this judge?

2005-07-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

I'll let the article speak for itself:

Fla. Christian Theme Park Dodges Property Tax

POSTED: 1:40 pm EDT July 12, 2005

UPDATED: 1:49 pm EDT July 12, 2005

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Florida judge has ruled in favor of a Christian theme park seeking an exemption from property taxes.

The Holy Land Experience in Orlando is operated by a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian ministry called Zion's Hope, which is devoted to converting Jews to Christianity.

It had been granted only limited exemptions for administrative and education facilities.The Orange County Property Appraiser's office had denied the group's broader request in 2001, arguing the park was a tourist attraction rather than a church.

But Judge Cynthia MacKinnon said all of the park is tax-exempt. In her ruling, the judge said Zion's Hope is using The Holy Land Experience "to spread what it considers to be God's word." The park features scenes from ancient Jerusalem and biblical settings complete with costumed characters.The $16 million, 15-acre park opened in 2001.

source

Fucking Outrageous. Judge Cynthia MacKinnon should lose her job and be denied to work as a judge again. This is such a bullshit and biased ruling. Hopefully it is appealled.

And you think this is good news?!

2005-06-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

A new Zogby poll shows that Bush didn't get a bounce and some other interesting info.:

President Bush’s televised address to the nation produced no noticeable bounce in his approval numbers, with his job approval rating slipping a point from a week ago, to 43%, in the latest Zogby International poll. And, in a sign of continuing polarization, more than two-in-five voters (42%) say they would favor impeachment proceedings if it is found the President misled the nation about his reasons for going to war with Iraq.

I don't understand why ANYONE is happy with this news. The poll results are disturbing actually.

Think about it. The question was not "Do you think Bush should be impeached" the question was, "If Bush LIED, then would you favor impeachment."

If it was proven that Bush LIED then the fucking pecentage of Americans who favor impeachment should be 100%, or at least it should be a vast majority of Americans. The fact that a majority of the country does not think Bush should be impeached, if it was PROVEN that he LIED, is fucking insane and attrotious.

If it was proven that Bush LIED, and yet you still wouldn't support impeachment: you are a despicable, Un-American Piece of Shit!

IF YOU ARE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THEN GET THE FUCK OUT OF OUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW!!!

Karl Rove's Strategy

2005-06-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

This is just my theory, though it makes a hell of a lot of sense to me. It just hit me last night actually.

Think about it. Who has the Republican Party become associated with? Who does America think of when they think Republican Party? They think of the radical right. Even conservatives, such as John Cole, associate his party with the far right.

Now knowing this, Karl Rove's defense is to associate the Democrats with the "far left". This theory is backed up by the White House's response to the recent criticism. A White House Representative on the Today Show said "Karl Rove was talking about a specific group of liberals. What we don't understand is why certain Democrats, who stood with the President after 9/11, are defending them..."

What Rove is attempting to do is associate the Democratic Party with the far left, because the Republican Party has become associated with the far right. This creates an atmosphere of choosing between the lesser of two evils, i.e. "I think the Republicans are extreme but the Democrats are much more extreme, so I'll bit my tongue and vote Republican."

Unfortunately for Rove and thankfully for us, this idea isn't working. Everyone has friends that are liberals and we all know that everyone, regardless of political ideology supported the war in Afghanistan and want to persue Bin Laden. Their plan is back firing.

So Rove is smart, but not that smart since his shit is blowing up in his face.

That is just my take, let me know what you guys/gals think...

FUCK JAMES SENSENBRENNER

2005-06-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

...and the horse he rode in on! This guy is fucking outrageous, and his actions as of late are appalling!

First, the fat fuck has the balls to illegally end a hearing on the Patriot Act last Friday because he disagreed with some of the testimony he was hearing:

GOP House Judiciary Chair Uses Pinochet Tactics to Abruptly and Unilaterally Shut Down Hearing

This morning, House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI) unilaterally and arbitrarily shut down committee hearings on the reauthorization of the Patriot Act without comment or issuing a statement. Sensenbrenner gaveled the committee hearings in the middle of witnesses testifying about human and civil rights abuses at Guantanamo Bay, racial profiling of individuals of Middle Eastern descent, prolonged detentions of Americans after September 11th and other abuses.

The suppression of free speech and testimony in the congressional committee in charge of protecting our civil liberties shows the Republican’s power grab has no limits and no decency. The irony was not lost on anyone.

http://www.buzzflash.com/index.php?story=Story3

If you want to see video of this blatant abuse of power go here

Now if that alone wasn't outrageous enough for you, now you have this...

Judiciary GOP pulls the plug on Conyers 'forums'

If the Financial Services Committee is the best in the House when it comes to bipartisan comity, then the Judiciary Committee may well be the worst.

In December, ranking Democrat John Conyers (Mich.) began holding “forums” — gatherings with all the trappings of official hearings — after Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) refused to hold hearings on topics Conyers requested. The forums have been held in smaller committee rooms, often with C-SPAN coverage and formal witness lists.

In a sign of how far relationships on the committee have soured, majority staff recently announced a new policy to deny any request from a committee Democrat for the use of a committee hearing room.

http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/UndertheDome/061405.html

I just got off the phone with his office and I let them know how I feel. I told them that this is America, not Communist China. We have an open-society, and I don't know who the hell Sensenbrenner thinks he is, and that his actions are outrageous.

I ask the question, just how far are we from Fascism? How far?

Mark Felt IS an American Hero, period.

2005-05-31T15:54:00.000-07:00

The man who was "Deep Throat" has finally come out. It was Mark Felt, 2nd in command at the FBI all those years ago. Mark Felt is an American Hero. End of story people. I am disgusted with these peices of shit who are getting on TV, such as G. Gordon Liddy, Monica Corwley, Bob Novak, and others who are claiming that Mark Felt is a traitor, or a coward. FUCK YOU GUYS! I truly wish there was a hell so you bastards could rot in it.

The man is a hero, he not only deserves our respect but he deserves our thanks.

Thank you Mark Felt, the majority of Americans appreciate what you did. You are indeed a true American Hero.

Star Wars Episode III Semi-Review (WARNING: contains spoilers)

2005-05-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

Just got home from seeing the movie and overall I enjoyed it. It is probably my favorite movie out of all the Star Wars; including the original trilogy.

I only had a few complaints about the Episode III and I will list them here:

1) Not enough background on Gen. Grievous, I knew little about him.

2) No way in hell should have Obi-Wan kicked Gen. Grievous's ass so fast. The dude had four fucking arms, each with a light saber. He's obviously KILLED other Jedi, so how in the fuck does Obi-Wan own him so easily? This is probably my major complaint.

3) No black suit Vader action? What the fuck. All I have is his "duels" with Ben and Luke? Fucking lame. The jump from episode III to episode IV is too big. Episode III should have lasted a little longer in years; to see how Vader reaks havok on the galaxy.

Other than that I throughly enjoyed the movie. It seemed to start out slow (the very beginning where they are flying peacefully) but then BOOM you were launched right into the middle of a huge battle. I was surprised to see Count Dooku die so soon but I think it was an interesting choice. It got the story rolling fast. The dialogue throughout the middle could have been better but no biggy, Lucas isn't known for his amazing dialogue.

I would probably pay the 9 bucks to see this movie again if I wasn't broke.

So, those are my thoughts, but what did you guys think? Feel free to comment.

Surprise, surprise! Bush and his administration have lied again.

2005-05-08T14:38:00.000-07:00

Recently, it has been reported that we have captured Al Qeada's third in command. This was presented as a "a critical victory in the war on terror" by Bush himself. Well, it turns out that Abu Faraj al-Libbi was not the third in command. That position belongs to Anas al-Liby, and he is still on the loose. According to the Times Online:

"Bush called him a “top general” and “a major facilitator and chief planner for the Al- Qaeda network”. Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, said he was “a very important figure”. Yet the backslapping in Washington and Islamabad has astonished European terrorism experts, who point out that [Abu Faraj al-Libbi] was neither on the FBI’s most wanted list, nor on that of the State Department “rewards for justice” programme. Another Libyan is on the FBI list — Anas al-Liby, who is wanted over the 1998 East African embassy bombings — and some believe the Americans may have initially confused the two. When The Sunday Times contacted a senior FBI counter-terrorism official for information about the importance of the detained man, he sent material on al-Liby, the wrong man. "

So who is al-Libbi?

"'Al-Libbi is just a 'middle-level' leader,' said Jean-Charles Brisard, a French intelligence investigator and leading expert on terrorism finance. 'Pakistan and US authorities have completely overestimated his role and importance. He was never more than a regional facilitator between Al-Qaeda and local Pakistani Islamic groups.'"

Well, well, well. More lies from a corrupt Administration! I wonder if the MSM will pick this up? Oh who the hell am I kidding?--That won't happen.

The article can be found Here

FINALLY!

2005-05-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

I am geniunely happy that I can finally post about something GOOD the Bush administration has done. I just noticed this headline: "Bush demotes officer in charge of Abu Ghraib". Here, Here! Thank you. I was surprise that this actually happened, and I think it is a very good move. Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski needed to be demoted for her blatant dereliction of duty. She allowed us to be disgraced as a nation, and thankfully she has been punished for that. I still think that this torture issue goes higher up in the chain and I hope more action is taken. However, I am glad this step has been taken. Thankfully, the Bush administration has finally made a good move in dealing with this attrocity.

You can find the article Here

Holy Shit! The World has offically gone crazy!

2005-04-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

How in the world could the conclave actually elect a pope, who is an ex-Nazi? I cannot believe that Ratzinger is the new pope. To elect a pope that is an ex-Nazi is a slap in the face to the Jews and a slap in the face of John Paul II; who strove to reach out to the Jewish community. Shame on the Catholic Church.

Not only is Ratzinger a former member of the Hitler Youth, he is reportedly the man who was behind the vatican memo that said cardinals can deny communion to any politician supporting abortion:

"Ratzinger is also said to be the author of the leaked memorandum last year which laid out the principles under which a bishop or other minister could deny the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Communion) to any politician supporting abortion - namely John Kerry. Here’s an online copy of the Memorandum."

http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2005/04/09/cardinal-ratzinger-next-pope-nazi/

Wooo Hooo

2005-03-15T12:41:00.000-08:00

I'm on spring break this week. I'll probably be hitting up the casinos in Atlantic City; wish me luck.

Here's a few interesting articles:

Tom Delay unethical?! Nooo...

and

When will the White House learn to stop producing fake news reports?

RIP: Hunter S. Thompson

2005-02-21T18:22:00.000-08:00

Our country lost a great man yesterday. Hunter S. Thompson, the pioneer of 'gonzo journalism' killed himself Sunday at his compound in Colorado. He was 67 years old. Dr. Thompson is most known for his novels, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas--which was made into a movie--and Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72.

I have never read much of Thompson but I know he fervently opposed the Bush Administration and was a friend of John Kerry. Hunter once compared another four years of Bush to four more years of having syphilis; this alone makes him a good man in my book.

I made a promise to myself, and to him, that the next book I read will be one of his.

Rest in Peace, and thank you friend.

MSNBC Article on his death

Here is an article in which people leave tributes to Hunter

Wow...

2005-02-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

Watching Countdown on MSNBC right now. Turns out the 9/11 Commission report was censored by the White House. And what did they leave out? They left out intelligence that indicates the FAA had many warnings in 2001 that a terrorist group was planning on using hijackers as suicide bombers to create catastrophic consequences. The intelligence also indicated that the attack would occur on the domestic front more than likely.

August 6th memo what? That memo has nothing on this.

Here is the article from the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/10/politics/10terror.html

As an aside, Olbermann just said "Do you report under a different name? Do you work for a fake news organization? Then you too, can be a White House correspondent." Apparently Jeff Gannon is the number 4 story on Countdown tonight.

Olbermann is god--Thank you Keith!

Gannon-Gate

2005-02-09T19:34:00.000-08:00

Oh the irony of my life! It was a few weeks ago, and I remember hearing a comment from President Bush's recent press conference in which a reporter asked Dubya how can he possibly work together with the Democrats when the Democrats are so "out-of-touch with reality"--they think the economy is bad and claim Social Security isn't in a crisis. Here is the full quote:

"Thank you. Senate Democratic leaders have painted a very bleak picture of the U.S. economy. [Senate Minority Leader] Harry Reid [D-NV] was talking about soup lines. And [Senator] Hillary Clinton [D-NY] was talking about the economy being on the verge of collapse. Yet in the same breath they say that Social Security is rock solid and there's no crisis there. How are you going to work -- you've said you are going to reach out to these people -- how are you going to work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality?"

After hearing this I had to laugh a little on the inside about how much of a total moron the guy who said this was. I eventually told the story to my dad when we were discussing politics and the media. I said to him that I wondered how in the hell he could even get away with making such a ridiculous statement at a press conference. I apparently did not need to wonder for very long...

As my dad and I were watching Countdown today, we happened to see a story about Talonnews.com "reporter" "Jeff Gannon". It turns out that Jeff Gannon isn't really a journalist at all--nor is his name Jeff Gannon--but somehow he had White House press credentials. The story continues and they started to show questions (really propaganda) by Jeff Gannon. The very first "question" they showed was the comment from Bush's press conference that I had heard earlier. I laughed and said that is the guy I was talking about dad, and quickly it all made sense how Jeff got away with it.

They showed many other clips of Mr. G and his ridiculous statements/questions and I think it is fairly obvious that Scott McCellan called on Jeff when Scott wanted to change the subject because the Bush Administration were starting to venture into "hot water". If you don't believe me you can see read some of the scenarios for yourself over at MediaMatters.org.

Also--as a guest on Countdown pointed out--Scott McCellan KNEW that Jeff Gannon wasn't the man's real name. In order to get a press pass you must tell them your real name. I sincerely believe that Jeff Gannon is a "plant" by the Bush Administration. Hopefully the media will pick up on this story because of the blogs just like they did with Memo-Gate.

And so, let the unraveling begin! Onward Gannon-Gate!

Are you fucking kidding me?!

2005-01-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

That phrase has been repeating over and over in my mind.

I am outraged, and really fucking angry. Is anyone else completely outraged that the Bush Administration and the Mainstream Media are attempting to act as if the Iraq War was all about "spreading freedom and democracy"? This is such bullshit. The war was about fucking WMD's, not spreading freedom.

Many conservative commentators are pointing to some speech Bush said before the Iraq war about spreading freedom. Well thats one fucking speech. How about the 500 other speeches filled with lies about WMD's, fuckers?

And if this war was all about spreading freedom then why the fuck was Colin Powell's speech to the UN all about WMD's? Fuck this shit. How can we continue to eat this propaganda bullshit?

New Complete Update Soon!

2005-01-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

I've been really busy with the holidays and my 21st birthday was Jan. 4th, so I'll be updating soon but for now...

More unethical actions by the Bush Administration

Updates are going to be few and far between for the next week or so.

2004-12-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

I'm quite busy, so I won't have time to post. Happy Holidays to everyone.

Finally! Something good about Bush being elected in 2004. Well...maybe.

2004-12-17T11:52:00.000-08:00

As you can guess, I was very upset at the result of this past election. I disagree with the Bush Administration on just about every single issue. However, I think something good just might come out of Bush being elected over Kerry.

As I was watching Chris Matthews' show, Hardball, I noticed that he has been very critical of the Bush Administration lately and has been using the term "Neo-Con" quite often. He is hitting them on the deficit, interest rates, and their social security plan. Mathews is pretty down the middle usually--so down the middle that he is afraid of even appearing biased--but it appears he has decided to be more critical of this Administration (long overdue in my opinion). I was wondering if this is going to be a trend now--not just for Matthews, but for most journalists.

Another thing that leads me to believe the mainstream media is finally getting some balls is the recent unraveling of Bernard Kerik's past. The paper that first broke the story on Kerik was the New York Post. This paper is considered to lean conservative by many, but apprently that didn't stop them from running the story. The rest of the media followed and they seem to really be hammering this story because it is newsworthy, more than likely.

I am still skeptical of my theory that the mainstream media is going to start doing its job, and begin to search for the truth again. I think a good indication of whether they will or won't will be the confirmation hearings of both Rice and Gonzalez; moreso Gonzalez's then Rice's. Gonzalez is on record calling the Geneva Conventions "obsolete" and "quaint". For that reason alone he should not be confirmed. Those statements are appalling. Now, if the press is hard on Gonzalez--which they damn well should be--then I will have a good feeling the media is heading in the right direction.

Now as for Rice, if the press is hard on her--for her incompetence concerning 9/11 and for being so wrong about the threat Saddam posed--then I will know the media is on the right track. We will just have to wait and see...

But the Bush Administration really believed Saddam had WMD!

2004-12-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

Am I the only one who sick of hearing this bullshit statement? I doubt it, so I think I need to demonstrate--once and for all--that the Bush Administration deliberately lied to get us to goto war in Iraq.

Let me start off by stating that I actually agreed with the Iraq War, at first. I believed in what the Administration said and I also believed that we should have never propped up Saddam in the first place. I even spoke badly about the protestors and said they were only protesting because they didn't like Bush. I later realized this was not the case.

Once I found out that the Bush Administration lied to get us to goto war I was completely against the war in Iraq. Never, EVER, should the President lie to the population in order to gather support for a war. It is inexcusable.

Bush and Company knew that the only way to gather enough support to goto war with Iraq would be to claim that Iraq was an imminent threat to us. So they decided to use fake documents, imply falsehoods, and outright lie. Of course this worked in the short run, but as anyone can now see the support for the war has greatly fallen.

On top of all this, there is irrefutable proof that key figures in the Bush Administration KNEW that Saddam wasn't even a threat to his neighbors, let alone the US.

Colin Powell - February 2001

"[Saddam] has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbours."

Condoleezza Rice - July 2001

"We are able to keep arms from [Saddam]. His military forces have not been rebuilt."

Clearly these two knew that Saddam didn't have WMD and that he wasn't a threat. I find it hard to believe that neither Powell, nor Rice expressed these opinions to the other members.

I just really don't understand how anyone can actually think that the Administration really believed Saddam had WMD.

Even my brother-in-law, who is an independent voter and Bush supporter, admits that he thinks the Administration deliberately lied to get us to goto war with Iraq.

It is about time that the rest of you stopped living in denial.

They obviously lied to get the needed support for their ideological agenda.

Sorry for the hiatus

2004-12-13T20:28:00.000-08:00

I've been really drained lately. I promise I'll start posting again tomorrow.

For now, here is a link to an interesting blog post that I came across:

http://www.onlisareinsradar.com/archives/002336.php

Taking a break

2004-11-26T19:41:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a break for thanksgiving.

I wish you all a great one. I'll return sometime next week.

What the hell do you mean there is no Seperation of Church and State?

2004-11-23T16:50:00.000-08:00

I was just watching Hardball and some dumb bitch claimed there is no seperation of church and state. Both Chris Matthews and the other guest then claimed there was, so the dumb bitch said "I'll give you 1 million dollars if you can find the words seperation of church and state in the constitution". Of course she said this knowing that the EXACT phrase of "Seperation of Church and State" isn't in the Constitution but what she obviously doesn't know is that it is CLEARLY implied. Anyone who actually READS the first amendment can see that there is a COMPLETE seperation of Church and State.

The first amendment reads...

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Notice the FIRST WORDS on this amendment. It states : "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." That means there shouldn't be ANY law that respects ANY establishment of religion. Many argue that this means only that there should be no state religion, unfortunately for them, they are wrong.

If that is what the founding fathers meant then they would have wrote "no law respecting THE establishment of A religion." It does not say that however, and thus clearly the word "establishment" is synonomous with the word "institution". Therefore the amendment means: "Congress shall make no law respecting an institution of religion" That means, not one single law that derives from a religious institution.

Democrats and Republicans both suck

2004-11-22T20:51:00.000-08:00

I'm so sick of all this bullshit. Fuck the Democrats, fuck the republicans, FuCK all you. I am so angry right now. Both parties FUCKING SUCK. Any one who belongs to either party is a mindless fucking sheep.

You are all worthless, nothing but tools! Blind fucking tools.

I'm so sick and tired of it ALLLLLLLLLLL...

Slipknot - Eyeless

Insane - Am I the only motherfucker with a brain?
I'm hearing voices but all they do is complain
How many times have you wanted to kill
Everything and everyone - Say you'll do it but never will

You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes
You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes
You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes

I am my Father's son
cuz he's a phantom, a mystery and that leaves me
Nothing!
How many times have you wanted to die?
It's too late for me, all you have to do is get rid of me!

You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes
You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes
You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes

It's all in your head
It's all in my head
It's all in your head

I tried - You lied to me for so long
Everywhere I go, there's a sense of it
Freak on my antics and give me a choice
Doesn't matter if I give a shit
It's shit that you gave me

You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes
You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes
You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes

It's all in your head
It's all in my head
It's all in your head

Do you wanna feel pain?
Taking my name in vain; caring never felt so lame inside
Anybody else got pride? Do you wanna take my life?
Maybe I'll reverse my ride
Who the hell are you? Fuck you!
Better suck it up cause you bled through
Better get away from me
Stay the fuck away from me!

I feel safe - Seems your saved

Look me in my brand new eye

Mother Fucker

Look me in my brand new eye

Look me in my brand new

Mr. Pot, meet Mr. Delay

2004-11-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

Well it is no surprise to me that my first story is about the Republican Party's ethics and their subsequent hypocrisy. That is not to say that hypocrisy is a stranger to the Democrats, because I know it isn't. However, the hypocrisy of the Republican Party is becoming quite rampant these days to say the least. Hell, the hypocrisy and ethics of the Republican Party are what make me hate the Republicans and only dislike the Democrats.

Let me start of by saying I can't stand House Majority Leader, Tom Delay (R-Texas). He is quite possibily the politician I hate the most (yes, even more than Asscroft). He is extremely unethical and a religious extremist. However I don't let my biased influence my objectivity, so here goes...

Apparently, after aftering being admonished three different times in one week--back in October--Delay is now being indicted for a felony.

And apparently there is rule within the Republican Party which states that any top party leader must step aside when he or she is indicted for a felony. The Republican party made this rule, back in 1993, when they were the minority party trying to end 4 decades of a Democrat controlled House. The Republicans claimed that they held themselves to higher standards than prominent Democrats, such the then-Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski, who eventually pleaded guilty to mail fraud and was sentenced to prison.

Now take a wild guess at what the Republican Party wants to do? They want to change the rule, so that Delay won't have to step down. Why am I not surprised?

It seems the Republicans only want to be held to "higher standards" when they don't break those standards anyways.

Of course Delay and the Republican Party call the indictment "politically motivated", thus that is why they need to change the rule. Now, in Delay's defense (ugh it disturbs me to even say that), he and the Republicans might have a point. The attorney who has charge Delay is named Ronnie Earle. Ronnie Earle, an elected Democrat, brought charges against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison ten years ago, but then quickly dropped them before they went to court. So these charges might be politically motivated.

However, I wouldn't take Delay and the Republican Party's word for it. Afterall, Delay and his party claimed that all of his admonishments back in October were also politically motivated by the Democrats. The thing is, the committee that admonished Delay those 3 times was bipartisan. The committee consisted of 5 Democrats AND 5 Republicans. The vote was unanimous to admonish Delay all 3 times. So Delay and the Republican's reasoning on his admonishments is clearly bullshit. If anything Delay probably got off easy since the ruling had to be a majority and the committee consisted of half of his party members. This leaves Delay and the Republicans with little crediblity on this matter.

Oh and by the way, the 3 colleagues of Delay that were indicted with these charges have all been recently convicted.

One can only hope Delay suffers the same fate.

Me: "Hey Everybody!" -- You: "Hi, Dr. Disenfranchised Voter!"

2004-11-16T15:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm not really a doctor, but I felt it was a nice touch.

Welcome to my blog. My name is not important, as I plan on speaking for more than just myself. I will tell you a little bit about myself though.

I am a 20 year old college student. I am an ex-christian and am now agnostic. I consider myself mostly a libertarian, but I am more liberal than most libertarians I know. I am a registered independent voter since I find it silly to basically pledge yourself to a specific party since people change and parties change. A perfect example would how the Neo-Cons have hijacked the Republican Party. Anyways, I have no job (at the moment) and I'm still pissed off about the past election. I think the best way to sum my feelings about the election would be the Daily Mirror's headline: "How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?".

The sad thing is, I know why they can be so dumb. Bush's campaign was nothing but a terrorist campaign.

Now bear with me and let me explain what I mean since I've probably already turned off some readers with that comment.

Bush ran on nothing but fear. The main theme of the campaing was 9/11, 9/11, 9/11. His campaign also said many ridiculous things such as, that if John Kerry was elected were would be attack by the terrorists, that if John Kerry was elected the bible would be banned (which might not actually be that bad of an idea in retrospect, heh jk), and that Kerry would legalize gay marriage.

The dictionary defines a terrorist as someone who uses terror for political or financial gain. I think it is pretty clear to see that Bush used terror for both political and financial gain.

One thing this election has taught me is this, "If you vote for the lesser of two evils, you are still voting for evil". I voted for John Kerry and I don't regret it. However I don't think I'll be voting for the lesser of two evils again.

Anyhoo, welcome to The Disenfranchised Voter. Enjoy your stay.