I Like Al Gore

There - I've said it.

I always have. I think it demonstrates the shallow cynicism of the mainstream meadia that, despite winning more votes for president than his oponnent, he's been portrayed as some unglued stark-raving madman who lies with reckless abandon. The press lazily transmits the right-wing noise machine's assertions that Al Gore claimed to have invented the internet (he didn't) or that he's a stiff, wodden and humorless freak (he's not), or that his critique of the Iraq war aligns him more closely with Hugo Chavez than with the average American (it doesn't). The Republican character assasination squad depends on Mark Twain's axiom that a lie can travel half way round the world while the truth is putting it's shoes on, but, while it may be far too late, at least it looks like the truth about Al Gore may at least be putting on it's bunny slippers.

So, despite a campaign funded by Exxon Mobil and others to discredit it, it's nice to see that his movie, An Inconvenient Truth, is getting some genuine praise.

My feeling is, and this is not an original insight, that Al Gore's campaign in 2000 was an example of how the Washington political establishment (especially on the democratic side) has completely overtaken political campaigns and convinced candidates to steer clear of anything controversial in a calculated attempt to "appeal to the middle". Gore certainly fell victim to this (as did Kerry), but it's nice to see him speaking up about important issues now.

So, go see his movie here or here when it opens on June 2nd. Let's hope this begins the redemption of a good man who was somehow turned into a political pariah. And, if he changes his mind about his 2008 plans, Blue Language will ensure that the internet will go from being a punch line at his expense to his greatest political asset.

Peas and Carrots

Ken Lay's conviction on all counts must be very hard on his BFF, George W. Bush.

Global Warming

Shorter George W. Bush: "Let's just stick our heads in the sand so I can continue to take campaign contributions from big oil":

New technologies will change how we live and how we drive our cars, which all will have the beneficial effect of improving the environment,” Bush said. “And in my judgment we need to set aside whether or not greenhouse gases have been caused by mankind or because of natural effects and focus on the technologies that will enable us to live better lives and at the same time protect the environment.

This is Brilliant

In response to this morning's inevitable New York Times piece on how the Clinton's marriage is a major cause for concern for Mrs. Clinton's presidential aspirations, atrios penned this faux news piece, which we can almost guarantee will never actually show up in one of our major newspapers:

Washington, DC, May 23 - Republicans say it is inevitable that some voters would be concerned and even distracted by the numerous personal indiscretions of the various candidates likely to seek the office of president, and express concern about whether they would be likely to repeat such behavior while in the White House.

While former New York mayor Rudi Giuliani's popularity increased after the events of September 11, pushing his personal issues into the background, Republicans worry he would bring to the White House the kind of activities which marred his tenure at Gracie Mansion.

Giuiliani's behavior led to a judge barring the presence of Judith Nathan, with whom he began having an affair during his last term as mayor, from the mayoral home. The judge's order also criticized Giuliani for the emotional harm he inflicted on his children.

Twice-married Virginia Senator George Allen faces questions over claimed sadistic treatment of his siblings and his fondness for confederate memorabilia despite his having grown up in California. While divorce alone may not disqualify him from the ballot in Republican voters' eyes - they overlooked it in 1980 when Ronald Reagan became the first, and only, divorced man to be elected president - it is still expected to impact his standing with conservative religious voters. Senator McCain of Arizona is in a similar position.

Thrice-married former Speaker of the House New Gingrich also concerns Republicans as he gears up for a potential presidential run. Gingrich, currently 62, began dating his geometry teacher, and future wife, while he was still in high school. He later served her divorce papers at her hospital bed where she was receiving treatment for cancer. He divorced his second wife after it was revealed that he had been having a long-running affair with a staffer 23 years younger than him during the Clinton impeachment saga.

Going in Circles

That's what happens when you have so many "turning points".

But Then Again, There's This:

Why is it, when only 35% of the people approve of President Bush, the Dixie Chicks are still being cast as "radical". Let's remember the quote: "we're ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas." Not exactly Hanoi Jane territory.

But, in the new McArthyism of the Bush administration, which the media so eagerly perpetuates, comments like this are portrayed as traitorous. So, until that changes, we'll continue to get cover stories like this, despite the fact that, according to the latest polls, 66% of us are out-there, radical whack-jobs when it comes to Iraq.

Sign of Hope

I think this is fascinating. Despite the fact that the mainstream media completely ignored Stephen Colbert at the Coorespondent's Dinner, it still became somewhat of a national phenomena.

People tend to overstate the impact of the internet, but it really does take away the power of the tradidional "deciders" of what's newsworthy: people who have a tendancy to selectively cover news that supports their positions, narratives and agendas. The Colbert phenomena grew organically, with no help from the Russerts and Matthews of the world. That is a good thing.

Qualifications

Bush has his children raised and his home cleaned by a legal Mexican immigrant, which enables him to empathize with the plight of immigrants.

When will the press stop felating Mr. 33%?

Remember Michael Dukakis in the Tank?

We Used to Make Fun of Countries Like Us

Remember when everybody chuckled at France's paranoia about people not speaking French? Remember when everybody thought the fence around East Germany was a symbol of a backwards society?

Well, welcome to George Bush's America, where no redneck goes unpandered to.

How To Manufacture a War

Principle #142: Make sure your contractor buddies cash in.

Dress Up and Play Leader

Anyone who doesn't see this "Troops at the Border" plan as simply another opportunity for Bush to sit astride his horse, codpiece between his legs, and conquer some fictional enemy, hasn't been paying attention to this gang's penchant for manufacturing wars for political gain.

Wake the cavlary...

Trying to keep at it..

I walked out of a hotel room in Washington DC last week and saw the USA Today staring up at me with the headline that the Bush administration knows who I'm talking to on the phone. My first urge was to crawl back into bed. We have a president who has forgotten what we're supposedly all about as a country, who's forgetten what we're supposedly fighting to give to the Iraqi people and who has no understanding of what 25,000 people died for in 1776: freedom to be secure that their possessions, beliefs and loved ones can't just be rifled through by a paranoid government looking to crack some skulls.

We have a president who professes a distaste for government, but expands it in ways that seem larger than any of us could imagine (every single phone call?).

We have a vice president who, when awake, believes that power, dominance and military muscle flexing are the ultimate objectives of our government, who's completely forgotten that those tools are only necessary to the extent that they're protecting the liberties that the revolution was waged for.

We have a HUD Secretary who believes that only people who support President Bush should get government contracts (isn't that how the Baath Party grew so large?).

What has happened to this country?

All of this - and this is just what's happened in the last few days - makes me wonder what is the point of even trying to speak out about anything is - hence the radio silence on Blue Language the past few weeks. But, this is all too important to ignore, and if 25,000 people can die trying to set up a country that embodies the best human ideals, the least I can do is type a few sarcastic words to try and preserve it. So, I'm going to try to keep at it - at least I know the NSA is paying attention....

And He's Ugly Too...

Bush is at 31 in the latest Gallup poll.

Mark My Words

Porter Goss did not "retire" from the CIA because of a "shake-up". Sudden resignation on a Friday with no replacement lined up? Methinks Mr. Goss got himself into some trouble...

Not to Beat a Dead Horse...

...but, to read much of the press (here, for example) it would seem that Bush was the sole entertainment at the White House Correspondent's Dinner. Even these days, when journalists seem more interested in being in the "in" crowd than they do in raising awkward truths, the complete media blackout of Stephen Colbert's biting critique of this president and press corp is stunning.

I'm not surprised that the media would find Colbert's take on the cozy relationship between the press and the President uncomfortable. The fact is, however, that judging by Bush's approval ratings, the message underlying Colbert's monologue resonates with far more people than does the typical "isn't Bush just a regular guy" whitewashing.

I know they'll say that they didn't find it funny, or that they found it disrespectful, but that is precisely because under this administration, it is almost unheard of that the President would come so close to anyone who disagrees with him. Add in the fact that the media itself was the target of Colbert's send-up, and one can begin to understand the discomfort in the room. I get that, but what I don't get is how the coverage could leave out the most fascinating dymanic of the evening: that someone actually stood beside this president and in front of the press corp and presented a take on their relationship that made both incredibly uneasy.