Verrry interesting

A Sunni cleric declares Jihad against American soldiers, calling on his followers to drive them out of Iraq.

Does Allawi, the interim PM, concur in the US troops taking action against the cleric? Would he do so, since the cleric is the same religion, a Sunni, as the PM. Or does he allow the cleric's fiat to stand? If so, what does Rummi do when one of his troops is killed?

Correction: Allawi is a Shiite, which may explain why he's so agreeable to repeated US attacks on Fallujah, a Sunni-dominated city. The latest attack killed 14 persons, injured scores, and was described by the US authorities as being a targeted strike on insurgent forces, while the Sunni mayor of Fallujah said it killed only policemen who'd been trained by the US to take over security in the city after the US marines withdrew in May.

What a nightmare.

Rumors abounding?

This report by a reputable Australian daily, complete with names and dates, sure sounds like more than a "rumor," as the US ambassador to Iraq has called it. And if it's true, it confirms that our puppet PM in Iraq is a cold-blooded murderer.

The last gimmick

It looks like the Bush "economic recovery" is over. The last gimmick, the supposed tax rebate (actually, just tax-refund checks that are more than overborne by increases in other family expenses) has dissipated; the debt-inducing low interest rates on home refinances are sliding upward; and personal credit-card indebtedness is maxed out and also subject to increasing rates. Bush has therefore run out of the unreality-based economic gadgets and is now left with this reality: He's spending money on arms and on security like there's no tomorrow (pun intended); he's cut taxes on corporations and on individuals to the bone; he's chopped all he can from federal programs; and guess what: The US is broke and can't get foreign governments to lend us the trillions we need any more.

So, with 100 days left before the election, Bush is left with only this prayer: Oh please don't let the bubble burst as soon as it's likely to.

Michael Moore

I'm watching CNN's analysis of the effect of Fahrenheit 911 on the presidential race and I forgot this statistic. While only 8% of likely voters, says a CNN poll, have so far seen the movie in a theater, and these are apparently mostly "the faithful," there's another large percent who plan to see it soon and an even larger percent who plan to rent it when it goes to DVD, which will happen in about six weeks, just in time for the Republican convention. According to CNN, the total of these percentages is 56%, which happens to nearly total the non-Bush-base of voters.

Good timing, Michael.

Bush defends war

Bush said:, "Because the Libyan government saw the seriousness of the civilized world, and correctly judged its own interests, the American people are safer."

Now he's saying that war in Iraq was good, because it showed other countries that we're serious. He is exactly the kind of bully we've been saying he is, all along. Unbelievable.

Here's a new one

Erik has addressed the possibilities of an October Surprise and that Bush may replace Cheney on the ticket. I suppose there are any number of ways that they could throw some shit in the game, so to speak. But here's one I've never considered. According to the BBC, the cabal is looking at the possibility of postponing the election altogether, if we're attacked. In other words, does this mean another Al-Queda attack would be politically convenient for the incumbants?

The plot thickens, huh?

Yeah, I'm a whore

My concurence with this piece in the LA Times, added to my confession in a previous post (John-John vs. Bush-Dick, July 7), completes my abdication (for limited purposes) of my rad/lib credentials. I fear/despise Bush/Cheney so much that I don't care what Kerry/Edwards do or say between now and November 2. They've got my support and my activism as fervently as do Bush/Cheney retain the support of true conservatives, who, despite their misgivings about the administration's neocon madness are, like me, going to "hold their noses while voting."

How Kerry/Edwards can win in a landslide

Soros and Ted Turner pool some serious money to stage a massive Nascar event during the entire day of Tuesday, 11/2/04, perhaps calling it the Election Day Special> Sponsor: Budweiser, of course. The telecast of the event ends at 5:30 and is followed immediately by a second telecast entitled, "World Series of Female Mudwrestling," or something, that lasts until the polls are closed in all states except those in the Pacific Time Zone (which, I think, are Democratic "safe" states).

Seriously, in my months of marching and demonstrating, I've noted nothing remarkable about the demographics of fervent Bush/Cheney supporters, but I've noted how remarkably solid they are, almost absolute: Thirty-plus to forty-plus white males driving powerful, large vehicles.

So, we liberals merely spend the few millions required to immobilize these men on election day. And the grand immobilizer? TV, of course. And the fodder on the tube? Nascar and mudwrestling.

I'm open to refinement, of course. But I really think I'm on to something here.