Please do me a favor and click here to vote for my hometown’s drive-in theater, the Admiral Twin, to win a $20,000 prize for the “SMITHSONIAN Magazine/ Travelers Conservation Foundation(TCF) Sustainable Tourism Award”. Its only competition (and I swear I’m not making this up) is one of the bridges of Madison County. Isn’t it obvious which one of these deserves to be preserved?

It?s between some lame ass bridge that was in The Bridges of Madison County, and the Admiral Twin Drive-In, a classic Tulsa site featured in the movie The Outsiders, my dad?s high school hang out, the place where my parents took me to see Rocky in my pajamas in our old ?78 Chevy, and, more recently, the scene of my Hulk-and-red wine-induced colorblindedness that resulted in me telling off Jon?s father in London over the phone at 1 am, much to the delight of my friends, judging by how many times this story gets re-told.

As Josh said, ?I never watched Faces of Death I-IV or huffed nitrous at no bridge in fucking Iowa.?

So c’mon guys, go vote for the Admiral Twin. It’ll only take a second and doesn’t require registration or anything like that.

Why hasn’t Instapundit blogged about the Israel-Palestine truce yet? His failure to blog on a topic that interests me clearly validates any negative opinions I have of him and justifies any extreme conclusions that I may jump to. Maybe somebody should ask Glenn why he hates jews.

Harry Reid to the President : “Tell your friends to stop being meanie-heads.”

Democratic senate leader Harry Reid on Monday urged President Bush to stop the Republican National Committee from calling him an obstructionist and criticizing his senate record, a tactic the GOP used to help defeat Reid’s predecessor.

Bush repeatedly has said he wants work with Democrats, most recently during his State of the Union speech last week, Reid noted in a speech on the senate floor.

“Why didn’t he stand and tell the American people last Wednesday that one of the first items of business we were going to do in Washington is send out a hit piece on the senate leader?” Reid said.

The Republican committee plans to send a 13-page document to more than a million people ? including in Reid’s home state of Nevada ? analyzing and criticizing his votes and stances before he officially took over as senate senate leader in January.

Sen. Reid, I think you’ve done an incredible job so far as the minority leader of the senate, but there are better ways to fight this sorta thing without looking like a @$%&! crybaby. The Democratic party has money and a mailing list, why the hell aren’t they sending out these sorts of things? There are a million reasons to distrust Bush’s motives on Social Security, the budget, Iraq, etc. Put this information in print and get your ass to the post office. You may feel better taking the high road, but that road leads straight to LoserTown. At some point, we need to turn onto Asshole Blvd. and start fighting back.

Has our legal system’s use of the death penalty finally turned into an unconscious satire of itself?

Three years ago, in the case of a Virginia man named Daryl R. Atkins, the United States Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to execute the mentally retarded. But Mr. Atkins’s recent test scores could eliminate him from that group.

His scores have shot up, a defense expert said, thanks to the mental workout his participation in years of litigation gave him.

The Supreme Court, which did not decide whether Mr. Atkins was retarded, noted that he scored 59 on an I.Q. test in 1998. The cutoff for retardation in Virginia is 70.

A defense expert who retested Mr. Atkins last year found that his I.Q. was 74. In court here on Thursday, prosecutors said their expert’s latest test yielded 76.
. . .
Prosecutors say that Mr. Atkins has never been retarded and that the recent tests confirm it. “I don’t see how a 76 is exculpatory and evidence of mental retardation,” Eileen M. Addison, the commonwealth’s attorney here, said in court on Thursday. “It needs to be under 70.”

Ms. Addison has said that Mr. Atkins’s crime also proves that he is not retarded. In an interview last year, she said that his ability to load and work a gun, to recognize an A.T.M. card, to direct Mr. Nesbitt to withdraw money and to identify a remote area for the killing all proved that Mr. Atkins is not retarded.

On the merits, I agree with the prosecution here. It’s kinda hard to study your way out of retarded. On the other hand, is an IQ test really the best way to determine whether or not someone’s retarded? Aren’t there more scientific ways they can make that determination? Perhaps astrology or prayer.

More to the point, is our justice system so goddamned bloodthirsty that they’ll keep testing a convicted murderer over and over again until they get the magic I.Q. number that will let them fry the guy? When someone is a test score away from deserving death or deserving pity, there’s a serious problem that isn’t being addressed.

A few reasons I love the internet :

Much has been made of the fact that the budget released today by the White House raises medical costs for veterans, guts the food stamp program, makes it more difficult for poor kids to go to college, cuts environmental spending, provides less for first responders, slashes funding for health services, etc….but I haven’t seen anyone take a step back and see how this fits into the masterplan.

Keep in mind that one of the goals of the Bush administration has been to, in the words of Grover Nordquist, “starve the beast”. As free market zealots, the more they can get the government to tighten its belt (and send that work to their buddies in the private sector), the closer they get to their utopian vision of capitalism completely free of government influence. If you think back to when Bush was elected though, there’s one little problem : the budget was balanced and we had a surplus. Needless to say, it’s hard to convince the public that we need to close the homeless shelters and let the environment fend for itself when we’ve got extra money.

What’s the best way for the Bushies to shrink the government? Use same sales pitch they’ve used for everything from Iraq to Social Security : scare the hell out of everyone with talk of a crisis. Of course the difference between the budget deficit and Social Security situations is clear. Unlike the privatization scheme, the budget deficit really is an impending crisis. One for which Bush is personally responsible. Four years ago, the budget was balanced and we were paying down the deficit, but the orgy of tax cuts, bloated spending, and the like have given an Orwellian flavor to Bush’s “responsibility era”.

Just like it’s hard to convince a healthy person to go on a diet, the Bushies were fully aware that simple math and common sense would make Americans averse to shrinking social services. So what do they do? They put the government on a four year spending binge. Tax cuts for the rich, handouts to religious groups, giveaways to the pharmaceutical industry, etc… Is it any wonder why Bush never vetoed any bills? The more they waste money, the quicker they can move onto their real goal.

Two years ago, the message was “deficits don’t matter”, but today it’s “Let’s worry about the deficit” (Yes, he really said that). Looking back at the last four years, it looks like everything is going according to plan. Now that the government has been turned into the bloated, irresponsible bureaucracy that matches their rhetoric, they’ve moved operation “starve the beast” into phase two.

Forget what I said earlier about Bush’s Social Security explanation. This quote is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read in my life (via Oliver) :

Speaking of doctors, physician-Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a new member of the senate Judiciary Committee, was at last week’s meeting on a bill restricting class-action suits. “You know,” he said, “I immediately thought about silicone breast implants and the legal wrangling and the class-action suits off that.

“And I thought I would just share with you what science says today about silicone breast implants. If you have them, you’re healthier than if you don’t. That is what the ultimate science shows. . . . In fact, there’s no science that shows that silicone breast implants are detrimental and, in fact, they make you healthier.”

They make you healthier. Seriously, you can’t make this shit up.

Since the President has finally graced us with his explanation for why Social Security privatization is awesome, I’ve made this helpful graphic for Bush supporters to place on their websites :

“There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those — if that growth is affected, it will help on the red.”

…and when I say dumbing things down, I mean reeeeaaalllllyyyy dumb (via Digby) :

Q : how is it the new plan is going to fix that problem?

THE PRESIDENT: Because the — all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There’s a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those — changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be — or closer delivered to what has been promised.

Does that make any sense to you? It’s kind of muddled. Look, there’s a series of things that cause the — like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate — the benefits will rise based upon inflation, as opposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those — if that growth is affected, it will help on the red.

Okay, better? I’ll keep working on it. (Laughter.)

The most powerful person in the world can’t describe his position on the issue that he’s made the centerpiece of his agenda? You’d think the realization that the great and powerful Oz is really just a meek little man would make people gasp with disbelief, but to Bush’s hand-picked audience, Bush’s self-deprecating quip just elicits laughter.

Since Social Security is all the rage, here’s a re-post of something I wrote after the election that really should be repeated :

Now I’m no fancy-pants economist or anything, but everytime I hear conservatives tout the benefits of their various privatization schemes, the one thing that keeps popping into my mind is that four years ago, many analysts would have advised investing in Enron. Granted, their recommendations would have likely been indirect (ie. investing in funds that include Enron rather than playing the market directly), the results would have been the same. Prior to its legendary implosion, Enron was seen as a sure thing investment-wise. Hell, even after it screwed its employees, gave its executives golden parachutes, and revealed itself to be the corporate equivalent of the Royal Flush Gang, it still moved up the list Forbes 500 companies. It was that big.

So, when Republicans try to convince everybody what a great idea it is to “allow” people to “invest” their money, I can’t help but wonder “How can we be sure we’re making a safe investment?” The answer here, of course, is “You can’t be sure, dummy.” The biggest difference between investing and gambling is that you don’t get free drinks for playing the stock market. If you make the wrong investment decision, then it’s no retirement for you.

That’s why we’ve got social security locked up in low-yield government bonds, because they’re low-risk too. While the prospect of “flexibility” and “choice” may be appealing to voters, the question Democrats should be posing is “Do you really want to put your future in a state in which a stock market ‘correction’ could decide whether you spend your golden years lounging at the beach or working the drive-thru at Taco Bell?” Don’t let a bunch of greedy politicians with dollar signs in their eyes convince you that your retirement is worth gambling away.

One of my favorite things about America is the vast cultural diversity. This is especially true in Los Angeles where it’s common to see families at the supermarked that don’t speak a word of English or drive through blocks in which every sign is written in a language you don’t even recognize.

Having lived in the Glendale/Burbank area for a few years now, I’ve grown accustomed to the sights and sounds of Armenian weddings. Even though I’ve never attended one, the music that accompanies these celebrations reverberates through the neighborhood is instantly recognizable.

When I woke up this morning, that familiar sound of drums filled the air. As the music got louder and louder, I decided to peek through the window and see a bunch of well-dressed Armenians dancing in the front lawn. Instead, I saw a white stretch humvee.

Ugghhhh….

Josh Marshall has been all over the President’s “Bamboozlepalooza Tour”. For those who aren’t up-to-speed, following the State of the Union address, Bush is making a five city trip to sell his Social Security destruction privatization personalization plan. What the choice of stops makes clear is that the real purpose of his trip isn’t to convince the American people that this is a good idea, but to scare the hell out of legislators who might easily flip sides to keep their constituents happy. Putting aside for a moment that we’re probably footing the bill of George’s partisan safari, I’m of a mind that one good piece of political theater deserves another. So here’s my idea :

Wouldn’t it be great if one of the legislators in question called the President’s bluff? Rather than stay in the shadows and wait for Air Force One leave the state, they should show up at one of the President’s functions with media in tow under the auspices of welcoming the opportunity to discuss “saving” Social Security. Once safely “inside”, loudly and publicly challenge the President to an impromptu debate. If Bush is so convinced that his plan is the best, surely he can defend his plan based its merits, right?

The NY Times has a great editorial that sums up why I’m so pissed off about the six senate defectors (via DailyKos) :

The confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general yesterday was depressing. The president deserves a great deal of leeway in choosing his own cabinet. But beyond his other failings, Mr. Gonzales has come to represent the administration’s role in paving the way for the abuse and torture of prisoners by American soldiers and intelligence agents. Giving him the nation’s top legal post is a terrible signal to send the rest of the world, and to American citizens concerned with human rights.
[. . .]
It was Mr. Gonzales who asked for the original legal advice from the Justice Department on the treatment of prisoners in the “war on terror.” There was no need to go through that exercise; the rules were clear. But Mr. Gonzales gave the president the flexibility he wanted, first in the Justice Department memo outlining ways to make torture seem legal, and then by offering the Orwellian argument that the president can declare himself above the law and can order illegal actions like detaining prisoners without a hearing and authorizing torture.

Republican senators made much of the fact that the White House repudiated the original memo on torture – after it became public. But this is not just a matter of historical interest. Mr. Gonzales testified that he agreed with the substance of the original torture memo, and he still takes the view that the president can declare himself to be above the law. In written responses to senators’ questions, Mr. Gonzales argued that intelligence agents could “abuse” prisoners as long as they did it to foreigners outside the United States.

I’ve defended Joe Lieberman plenty of times in the past. Despite everything, I still reject the idea that any of the sinister six represent “Democrats in name only”. Each of these six has a voting record that I would gladly take over a “moderate” Republican like John McCain, but even then, this is much more about politics than ideology.

Perhaps I’m being too generous here, but I also should probably take a half-step away from my earlier comment that the six are “pro-torture”. While torture was one of the central issues in the Gonzales confirmation, since the issue at hand wasn’t explicitly in regards to the use of torture as an interrogation tactic, it’s a bit of a slander to say that a vote for Gonzales represents a vote for torture. A more precise way to put it would be that the sinister six (and their GOP buddies) aren’t anti-torture enough. I’ll admit that this is a legalistic way of viewing things and that normal rhetorical sloppiness generally allows statements to be turned around, I’m annoyed with how frequently people make logical fallacies and jump to conclusions that the evidence doesn’t support.¹ In this case, however, six of one / half a dozen of the other right?

The statement I won’t back away from, however, is that the sinister six are a bunch of cowards. Some might try to defend these Senators by pointing out that they represent conservative states and/or that they’re up for reelection soon in an “unsafe” seat, but that just proves my point. If you’re more concerned with job security than any of the issues outlined in the article quoted above, then you’re a gutless cur who doesn’t deserve the honor of being a member of our most cherished legislative body.

Once again, in the interests of being honest here, I have to admit that my motives are political as well. The Democratic party is slowly coming back to life after more than a decade in hibernation. Harry Reid in particular has done a great job uniting the senate members of the senate, which makes the defection of these six even more disappointing. It’s not as if they were being asked to stand alone against the President and the GOP majority, they had their entire party backing them. The whole point of a political party is that there’s strength in numbers, but this evidently wasn’t enough to keep the sinister six from stabbing their fellow Democrats in the back.

So what now? Well, I’d still prefer a turncoat Democrat over a Republican, but I do think there should be a political price paid for their disloyalty. Since I left my previous post intentionally vague, here’s some specific actions I’d like to see taken against the party traitors :

Embarrass these chickenshits at home. Contact the local media and write a letter to the editor of the local newspapers explaining why the senate confirmation of Alberto Gonzales was a mistake and point out the Senator’s role in making it happen.

If the Democrats regain control of the senate in 2006 (doubtful, but we can dream can’t we?), none of these six get to lead a committee. Regardless of seniority, these guys deserve the caucus equivalent of a court martial.

Where safe, mount primary challenges. I lashed out at Kos last week for his posts suggesting this very thing for Lieberman in response to the Rice confirmation, but this has really hit a nerve with me. I’m on board now. Joementum’s gotta go. If Florida or Nebraska are deemed safe enough, then the Nelsons need to be taken down as well.

Once the new leadership settles at the DNC, warn these six that any stray from the party line on an issue this big again will mean that their next election will have to be fought without a single dime from the national party.

This may seem petty and vindictive, but I don’t care. The Republicans pull this kinda stuff all the time and that’s why they win elections. If we want to have a similar level of success, we need to start drawing some lines in the sand and stand tough against our allies who cross them.

^{1 : I made a similar argument a while back in arguing that Bush’s appearance at Bob Jones university didn’t make him a racist, but rather showed that he wasn’t anti-racist. That said, my opinion on whether or not the President is racist has changed a bit. I’ll explain more in an upcoming post.}

The following senate Senators are immoral wimps who would rather kiss the President’s ass than take a pricipled stand with their party to rebuke one of the mastermind’s of the Bush Administration’s use of torture.

Senator Ken Salazar
	State : Colorado Up For Re-election : 2010 Office : 202-224-5852, 303-455-7600 Fax : 202-228-5036, 303-455-8851 Email : n/a Click Here To Contact Local Media
Senator Mary Landrieu
	State : Louisiana Up For Re-election : 2008 Office : 202-224-5824, 504-589-2427 Fax : 202-224-9735, 504-589-4023 Email : senator@landrieu.senate.gov Click Here To Contact Local Media
Senator Bill Nelson
	State : Florida Up For Re-election : 2006 Office : 202-224-5274, 407-872-7161 Fax : 202-228-2183, 407-872-7165 Email : senator@billnelson.senate.gov Click Here To Contact Local Media
Senator Joe Lieberman
	State : Connecticut Up For Re-election : 2006 Office : 860-524-9571, 202-224-4041 Fax : 202-224-9750 Email : senate “contact” page Click Here To Contact Local Media
Senator Ben Nelson
	State : Nebraska Up For Re-election : 2006 Office : 202-224-6551, 402-391-3411 Fax : 202-228-0012 Email : senator@bennelson.senate.gov Click Here To Contact Local Media
Senator Mark Pryor
	State : Arkansas Up For Re-election : 2008 Office : (202) 224-2353, (501) 324-6336 Fax : (202) 228-0908, (501) 324-5320 Email : mark.pryor@pryor.senate.gov Click Here To Contact Local Media

These turncoats sided with the Republican party and the Bush administration in favor of using torture as an interrogation tactic. I don’t care why they did it or how much they vow to side with the party in the future, as far as I’m concerned we need to purge these appeasers from the party as soon as possible.

For those of you demanding refunds from the Democratic party, I strongly recommend reading this article in The New Republic about the campaign to find the next head of the DNC. As you probably already know, Howard Dean is the presumptive winner of the race, but reading how he got there is enough to cheer up even Nader supporters. Call me jaded, but I love reading about establishment candidates going down in flames. With the grassroots set to take over the party, now’s probably not a good time to run away in a huff.