Rumsfeld Steps Down

[ramtower]

That is all.

[Brian Reed]

I...




Wow.

[Noodle]

It teh happiest day evar!

[mewelke]

It teh happiest day evar!

Today is definitely on the list:

* Kansas: Controversial Attorney General Phill Kline, who attempted to build a church-based political machine and vowed to imprison doctors who provide abortions, lost his reelection bid to Democrat Paul Morrison, 42 percent to 58 percent. Kline had appeared at the Family Research Council's "Values Voter Summit" in September, where he promised to press a Religious Right agenda if returned to office.
* Maryland: Republican Senate candidate Michael Steele, an opponent of legal abortion and stem-cell research, was defeated by Benjamin Cardin, 54 percent to 44 percent.
* Missouri: U.S. Sen. James Talent (R), a favorite of the Religious Right, was defeated by Claire McKaskill 49 to 47 percent. A ballot initiative to approve tax funding of stem-cell research won 51 percent to 49 percent.
* Florida: In the race for U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris (R), who based much of her candidacy on Religious Right appeals, lost badly to incumbent Senator Bill Nelson, 60 percent to 38 percent.
* Michigan: Dick DeVos, Republican candidate for governor, was easily defeated by incumbent Jennifer Granholm, 56 percent to 42 percent. DeVos helped found the Council for National Policy, a secretive Religious Right umbrella group, and has heavily funded the Family Research Council.
* Oklahoma: U.S. Rep. Ernest "Jim" Istook (R), a frequent backer of a constitutional amendment designed to weaken the separation of church and state, lost his bid for governor to incumbent Brad Henry. The race was not even close, with Henry at 66 percent and Istook 34.
* Indiana: U.S. Rep. John Hostettler, a frequent speaker at Religious Right gatherings and sponsor of a bill designed to make it harder for people to bring church-state cases into federal courts, was trounced by Democrat Brad Ellsworth, 61 percent to 39 percent.
* Kentucky: Anne Northup, a Republican who successfully used the promise of public grants through the "faith-based" initiative to woo religious voters in 2002 and 2004, lost to Democrat John Yarmuth, 51 percent to 48 percent.

[GelfXIII]

It is indeed a good day to be a dem. I only wish the Marriage Ammendment had been shot down here in VA. What do you want to bet the VA senators race comes down to a Dieblod issue? :x grrrrr....

Am I the only one who thinks Bush screwed the pooch on this Rumsfeld thing? Doing it the day after the election like this makes it look like a surrender. If he'd done it a week ago it would have been proactive, and might have helped his party. Now it just looks weak.

His own party is probably cursing his name today. :D

LOVE IT!

[Brian Reed]

It is indeed a good day to be a dem. I only wish the Marriage Ammendment had been shot down here in VA. What do you want to bet the VA senators race comes down to a Dieblod issue? :x grrrrr....

Am I the only one who thinks Bush screwed the pooch on this Rumsfeld thing? Doing it the day after the election like this makes it look like a surrender. If he'd done it a week ago it would have been proactive, and might have helped his party. Now it just looks weak.

His own party is probably cursing his name today. :D

LOVE IT!

Well, doing it last week, then winning, makes it look like admitting you're wrong.

Doing it today makes it look like you're willing to work with the new kids in town and maybe accomplish something, no matter how lame your duckitude.

[mewelke]

Doing it today makes it look like you're willing to work with the new kids in town and maybe accomplish something, no matter how lame your duckitude.

Depends on the guy they replace him with, which looks to be a former CIA guy. Someone here said something fairly bright I thought "a good President would use this to extend an olive branch and replace him with one of the generals who has been opposing the administrations policy."

[Brian Reed]

Depends on the guy they replace him with, which looks to be a former CIA guy. Someone here said something fairly bright I thought "a good President would use this to extend an olive branch and replace him with one of the generals who has been opposing the administrations policy."

Well, yes. But that would require a good President. And that person would likely not be in this situation to begin with.

[Brian Reed]

Posted by Warren Ellis:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42293000/jpg/_42293328_rummy_310ap.jpg

[mewelke]

Posted by Warren Ellis:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42293000/jpg/_42293328_rummy_310ap.jpg

Anyone else hear the sad Peanuts music from Arrested Development when they look at that photo?

[GelfXIII]

Posted by Warren Ellis:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42293000/jpg/_42293328_rummy_310ap.jpg

That just puts a smile on my face. :D

[mewelke]

Most...post...must stop gut laughing at the words "Santorum concession speech" ...check out his fucked up looking family. Those kids have got to be fucked up.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/2006108rr_santorum_concedePJ_580.jpg

[Busman]

I... uh... holy cow!

[Brian Reed]

Most...post...must stop gut laughing at the words "Santorum concession speech" ...check out his fucked up looking family. Those kids have got to be fucked up.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/2006108rr_santorum_concedePJ_580.jpg

That photo may well be proof that there is a God and He loves us.

Or it might just be a really fucking funny picture.

Either way.

[mewelke]

Yeah I think the phrase "a picture speaks a thousand words" may be too conservative an estimate.

And speaking of "too conservative", Santorum lost! He lost!

[Brian Reed]

Anyone else hear the sad Peanuts music from Arrested Development when they look at that photo?

A little help if you need it.

http://www.savagebreakfast.com/images/charliebrown.mp3

[Brian Reed]

Most...post...must stop gut laughing at the words "Santorum concession speech" ...check out his fucked up looking family. Those kids have got to be fucked up.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/2006108rr_santorum_concedePJ_580.jpg

I just realized what this makes me think of: that scene in Fight Club where Tyler is explaining how he would splice a frame from a hardcore porn into a children's movie and we see the little girl in the audience bawling her eyes out. The whole Santorum family was just exposed to a single frame image of "santorum (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Santorum)".

[mewelke]

I just realized what this makes me think of: that scene in Fight Club where Tyler is explaining how he would splice a frame from a hardcore porn into a children's movie and we see the little girl in the audience bawling her eyes out. The whole Santorum family was just exposed to a single frame image of "santorum (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Santorum)".

I agree with a friend's statement that this looks like a snapshot of the sort of lives people would live in Santorum's vision of American...what that level of repression leads to. As he pointed out "you've got the girl dressed the same as the doll she's clutching, the son with the robot stare, the valiumed up wife, and the future goth porn star older daughter."

[Busman]

It looks fake, like something you see in mad magazine about a politician and his family being sad.

[Noodle]

I agree with a friend's statement that this looks like a snapshot of the sort of lives people would live in Santorum's vision of American...what that level of repression leads to. As he pointed out "you've got the girl dressed the same as the doll she's clutching, the son with the robot stare, the valiumed up wife, and the future goth porn star older daughter."


ahhh, now that is the new american dream. perscription drugs and repression ftw!

haha suck it bitches!!!!!

[Brian Reed]

Really, the only big negative yesterday was the backwards bullshit of banning gay marriage in some states. We're going to have grandkids asking us what the fuck that was all about, same as I asked my grandparents what that whole segregation nonsense was.

[mewelke]

Also Liebermen won. That is pretty annoying. At least my state rejected the Conservative Video Game hater McGavick.

[GelfXIII]

Most...post...must stop gut laughing at the words "Santorum concession speech" ...check out his fucked up looking family. Those kids have got to be fucked up.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/2006108rr_santorum_concedePJ_580.jpg

I watched that . I felt pretty bad for the little girl. Wouldn't you be upset if they made you wear the same dress as your dollie and then get up on stage on national TV? I'd be bawling my eyes out too! :D

Meanwhile, looking at this family...

Do we think Santorum and his wife are a little too closely related?

[St Omo]

Most...post...must stop gut laughing at the words "Santorum concession speech" ...check out his fucked up looking family. Those kids have got to be fucked up.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/2006108rr_santorum_concedePJ_580.jpg

Yeah, I helped vote that blithering recockulous anti-gay fuck out of office.

Who wants to kiss me? :D

[Brian Reed]

Yeah, I helped vote that blithering recockulous anti-gay fuck out of office.

Who wants to kiss me? :D

Watch out. Ian's been known to get a little tongue happy.

[St Omo]

I agree with a friend's statement that this looks like a snapshot of the sort of lives people would live in Santorum's vision of American...what that level of repression leads to. As he pointed out "you've got the girl dressed the same as the doll she's clutching, the son with the robot stare, the valiumed up wife, and the future goth porn star older daughter."

I think there's also a son on the left who is mostly blocked out by Rickety there. He looks like a carbon copy of the other one: a well-dressed, emotionally stunted date rapist.

[St Omo]

Watch out. Ian's been known to get a little tongue happy.

Bring it. :twisted:

[GelfXIII]

I'll pass on the kiss (a manly barechested hug, on the other hand...:grope: ), but I will gladly extend a hardy THANK YOU!! for helping get that bum outa here.

I wish we here in VA will prove to have done as well. Unfortunately my pet cause was volunteering to make calls to help defeat the Marriage amendment, which I am sadly disapointed in my fellow Virginians for their amazingly barbaric and bigoted decision. FUCK THEM RIGHT UP THEIR UPTIGHT LITTLE ASSES!:surrend:


I've been wanting to shout that all day :lol:

[St Omo]

I'll pass on the kiss (a manly barechested hug, on the other hand...:grope: ), but I will gladly extend a hardy THANK YOU!! for helping get that bum outa here.

I wish we here in VA will prove to have done as well. Unfortunately my pet cause was volunteering to make calls to help defeat the Marriage amendment, which I am sadly disapointed in my fellow Virginians for their amazingly barbaric and bigoted decision. FUCK THEM RIGHT UP THEIR UPTIGHT LITTLE ASSES!:surrend:


I've been wanting to shout that all day :lol:

That stinks a bigoted and fear-minded piece of legislation like that would pass, but it's completely awesome you made an effort, above and beyond voting, to stop it.

For that, you win the day. :D

[mewelke]

Bring it. :twisted:

SLURP.

[St Omo]

SLURP.

That so made voting worth it.

[ramtower]

Let's flip for who gets which half of his torso!

[mewelke]

That so made voting worth it.

Santorum no more...I had to show my appreciation someway.

[St Omo]

Santorum no more...I had to show my appreciation someway.

Between that and keeping Ed Rendell as governor, I feel pretty good about the experience as a whole.

I, however, didn't realize it would net me groupies. :lol:

[Brian Reed]

Between that and keeping Ed Rendell as governor, I feel pretty good about the experience as a whole.

I, however, didn't realize it would net me groupies. :lol:

Actually, it netted you gropies, Colin. It's something else entirely.

[St Omo]

Actually, it netted you gropies, Colin. It's something else entirely.

With groupies comes gropies.

[ramtower]

Did Fox REALLY announce that the terror threat level was High today because of the election?

I just checked, and it IS High, but I don't know how long it's been there.

(I just checked elsewhere and found it was merely Elevated a few days ago.)

[ramtower]

Oh, and
http://www.thetalentshow.org/images/worstweekever.jpg

[Taxman]

Why was I thinking it said "Ramtower Steps Down"?

[ramtower]

Nah, it's Ramtower, Steppin' Out, like in that Jackson Browne song.

[Taxman]

Nah, it's Ramtower, Steppin' Out, like in that Jackson Browne song.Joe Jackson

[ramtower]

I feel strangely proud that I screwed that up.

...Was Jackson Browne "Lawyers in Love"? I hated that song.

[Taxman]

I feel strangely proud that I screwed that up.

...Was Jackson Browne "Lawyers in Love"? I hated that song.Yes. I saw him in concert once. I don't remember much, but he did not play Lawyers in Love.

[Brian Reed]

Did Fox REALLY announce that the terror threat level was High today because of the election?

I just checked, and it IS High, but I don't know how long it's been there.

(I just checked elsewhere and found it was merely Elevated a few days ago.)

I may be wrong, but I want to say that this has been standard operating proceedure since the '02 elections. Nowadays it's ignored. Back then it was seen as crass Republican commercialism.

[Taxman]

I may be wrong, but I want to say that this has been standard operating proceedure since the '02 elections. Nowadays it's ignored. Back then it was seen as crass Republican commercialism.Here's what Wikipedia says:

Although the system consists of five levels, the threat level has never been lowered on a nationwide basis to Guarded (Blue) or Low (Green), although the state of Hawaii lowered it to Guarded for several months in 2003.[19] The threat level has stood at Elevated (Yellow) for most of its existence. In New York City it has stayed at High (Orange) since the start of the system, and is intended to remain so.

[edit] Severe (Red)

The Homeland Security Advisory System has been raised to Severe only once, which applied only to flights coming from the United Kingdom:

* August 10, 2006 - August 14, 2006, in response to British law enforcement announcing it had disrupted a major terror plot to blow up aircraft, the Department of Homeland Security raised the threat level for commercial flights from the United Kingdom to the United States to Severe.[20]

[edit] High (Orange)

On a blanket, nationwide level, it has been raised to High five times:

* September 10 - September 24, 2002, around the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001.
* February 7 - February 27, 2003, near the end of the Muslim religious holiday Hajj. Intelligence reports suggested the possibility of terrorist attacks against "apartment buildings, hotels, and other soft or lightly secured targets."
* March 17 - April 16, 2003, around the beginning of U.S. and Coalition military action in Iraq.
* May 20 - May 30, 2003, after the Riyadh compound bombings and the Casablanca bombings. According to Tom Ridge: "The U.S. Intelligence Community believes that Al Qaeda has entered an operational period worldwide, and this may include terrorist attacks in the United States."
* December 21, 2003 - January 9, 2004, citing intelligence information suggesting large-scale attacks around the holiday season.

In addition, the alert has been raised to High on a select or partial basis three times:

* August 1 - November 10, 2004, for specific financial institutions in northern New Jersey, New York, and Washington, D.C., citing intelligence pointing to the possibility of a car or truck bomb attack, naming specific buildings as possible targets.[21][22]
* July 7, 2005 - August 12, 2005, for mass transit systems only. The DHS secretary announced the level after the 7 July 2005 London bombings despite the absence of "specific, credible information suggesting imminent attack" in the United States.[23]
* August 10, 2006 - Present, for all domestic airline flights and all international flights to or from the United States, with the exception of flights from the United Kindom to the United States. Flights from the United Kingdom to the United States had been under a severe alert, but were downgraded to a high alert on August 14, 2006.[20]

[Brian Reed]

I sit corrected.

[ramtower]

Well, there is this:
* August 1 - November 10, 2004, for specific financial institutions in northern New Jersey, New York, and Washington, D.C., citing intelligence pointing to the possibility of a car or truck bomb attack, naming specific buildings as possible targets.[21][22]

Started early in campaigning and ended shortly after the 2004 elections.

[mewelke]

Now that the election's over I suspect oil prices will start creeping back up.

[Taxman]

Now that the election's over I suspect oil prices will start creeping back up.Gas went up five cents a gallon in miy neighborhood since Monday.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/glima/Net%20Photos/CasablancaRenaultRick-thumb.jpg


Started early in campaigning and ended shortly after the 2004 elections.I don't really remember going to Orange since then. I guess we must have during that fluid ban.

[Brian Reed]

We had a ten cent increase Monday as well.

[Taxman]

We had a ten cent increase Monday as well.10?

10?

They don
t even try to hide their attempts at manipulating public opinion.