GOPers. In A Corner. With A Heap Of Twisted Knickers.

[BlogBox]

How about a nice game of Clue? Remember that board game, where you had to deduce the perpetrator, the location, and the weapon? This week on the blogs, you could find all the evidence you need to make the tightie righties either whine like babies or run for cover and/or the (retirement) hills. Also, DUers Stephanie and Old Crusoe tell it like it is. The game's afoot! Enjoy!

Wexler. In Petraeus' Face. With A Westmorland Comparison.

Leave it to Crooks and Liars to get this gem from Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) posted asap.

Wexler: I am skeptical General, more importantly the American people are skeptical because four years ago very credible people while in uniform and not in uniform came before this Congress and sold us a bill of goods that turned out to be false. And that's why we went to war based on false pretense to begin with.

This testimony today is eerily similar to the testimony the American people heard on April twenty eighth nineteen sixty seven from General William Westmoreland, when he told the American people - America was making progress in Vietnam.

Crooks and Liars also has a rough transcript of the entire exchange, as well as the video. Definitely bookmark-worthy.

Bloggers. In Real-Time Petraeus/Crocker Mode. With Keyboards.

When you're stuck in a cubicle, or otherwise unable to watch congressional hearings, usually parked way up the TV dial on C-SPAN 3, you can always turn to the live bloggers. This week's best of the best live blogging (with honors, sir) of the Petraeus/Crocker "report" (trans. not under oath) comes from MoJo Blog. Here's a snippet:

12:35: The hearing just started, with some members of the audience being escorted out immediately. Of course. Ike Skelton asked "Are they gone?" before continuing.
12:36: Mr. Skelton reminds us that this is one of the "most important hearings" of the year. That's the kind of hard-hitting analysis we're looking forward to today.
12:39: Mr. Skelton is already within a few seconds of breaking the "5-minute rule" he called for just 5 minutes ago. Because we've been waiting six months for the Skelton report.

(snip)

1:16: Brian Williams on MSNBC said that the Commander of U.S. forces in Iraq is powerless in the face of a broken microphone.
1:17: Another person is removed for "making a disturbance." "Is it fixed?"
1:18: Where's Petraeus' statement? Is it with the Weapons of Mass Destruction?
1:19: Skelton can't find Burton. Burton recommends being very firm in getting them out of here. "i still see them out there. "Who's speaking?" "This is a very important hearing!"
1:20: "That really pisses me off, dammit." Skelton doesn't know that we can hear him cursing.

And so it begins. Don't forget to click on part two to continue the play-by-play. As for the major networks and the Iraq quagmire...

The Media. Not In Iraq. With A 4-Percent Solution.

Katie Couric had to go to Iraq to find the news on the war that's lasted longer than WWII? Eric Boehlert at Media Matters knows why:

What's telling is that during the month of July, much of the mainstream media effectively boycotted news from Iraq. Despite sky-high interest among news consumers, stories about the situation in Iraq represented just four percent of the mainstream media's reporting for the month, according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism's News Coverage Index.

And what did the perky Ms. Couric find in Iraq (that a producer in her ear didn't tell her to say)? Also from Media Matters, this classic Couric quote: "It's still a mess. Look at this building." Hmm. Maybe that's why Couric's ratings fell even further after her little Iraq visit.

Read the rest to learn what Couric ignored in her Iraq reports. Yikes! While we're on the subject of stupid media stunts...

CNN. In A Snit. Without A Reuters Link.

Remember hearing last week that CNN had severed its 27-year relationship with Reuters wire service and would henceforth rely on the Associated Press for its breaking news feed? Well, Jossip notes this week that CNN lagged 30 minutes behind MSNBC and FNC when Reuters obtained exclusive footage of the latest videotape released by Osama bin Laden. Pity. All that beard dye down the CNN bad timing drain. In other cable snooze news...

Scarborough's Panties. In A Wad. With Love Handles.

BigHeadDC isn't one to mince words, especially when it comes to paunchy politi-celeb Joe "What Dead Intern?" Scarborough, who called Britney Spears fat:

Britney Spear's paunch isn't the only bit of fleshy lard being gossiped about today.

This morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski, apparently fed up with Joe Scarborough's frequent comments about her appearance, called him "doughy," bloated," and "in need of more exercise."

"Your mother is going to appreciate I brought this up," Mika said. "She probably feels the same way about your health as I do."

The former GOP Congressman became obviously defensive, mentioning the dis frequently throughout his 3-hour program - in the midst of taking frequent jabs at Spears, even once calling her a "pork chop."

There's only one way to make that kind of talk stop, Joe. Get on the treadmill! Maybe you and Brit can become workout buddies?

Ah, the media does it again. And again. And...

The Media Again. In The Mainstream. With The Same 9/11 Myth To Sell.

Who else could possibly be to blame for the sorry fact that 1 in 3 Americans still believes that Saddam Hussein was responsible for the 9/11 attacks? Editor & Publisher http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003638490&imw=Ywww.mercurynews.com/search/ci_6859681?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com&nclick_check=1">has the story:

Hit and Myth: Poll Shows 1 in 3 Americans Still Believe Saddam Involved in 9/11

Six years after the 9/11 terror attacks on the U.S., it seems the media still have some educational work to do. A new CBS/New York Times poll reveals that even today, 1 in 3 Americans believe that "Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon."

This notion was thoroughly debunked by official sources, including those in the White House, years ago, but the myth endures. Polls have shown that belief in this untruth was a prime component in support for the attack on Iraq.

Four in 10 Republicans still hold this view, compared with 32% of Independents and 27% of Democrats.

27% of Democrats? It's a world gone mad. While we're on the subject of selling myths...

Judy Miller. With A Petrified Aspen Root. In The Garden Of Evil.

Why did Alberto Gonzales resign a week or so earlier than his planned departure? looseheadprop at Firedoglake has a theory: Namely, that intrepid investigator Patrick Fitzgerald was about to link Gonzo, Judith Miller and The Holy Land Foundation (alleged terrorist support group). Naturally, the White House now has to smear Fitzgerald:

Well I don't know, but something pretty strange is going on because in the American Spectator article an unnamed White House source who claims that Pat "the silent one" Fitzgerald has leaked, LEAKED I tell you, information about Gonzales' connection to the Muslim charities and it had embarrassed AGAG and he was afraid of being caught out again.

And why was there concern about these stories? Because the U.S. Attorney handling the Holy Land case is none other than Patrick Fitzgerald, of Scooter Libby fame. Fitzgerald is believed by some inside the White House to have been the source of the earlier Muslim leak that embarrassed Gonzales.

OK, repeat after me: what is the first rule of White House spin? If they are accusing you of doing it, it doesn't mean you are doing it, it means they are doing it.

Read the rest. Meanwhile, back at home...

A Black Man. With A Police-Induced Broken Ankle. Outside A Congressional Hearing.

Widely reported, yet only thoroughly discussed on the blogs, this sad episode is just the latest in a long line of DC Capitol Police un-democratic behavior. From edgery at Daily Kos:

Rev. Yearwood Arrested at Petreaus hearing

This will be a short diary, mostly because I'm absolutely shaking with fury about this. I just learned that Rev. Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus was arrested for standing in line to enter the Petreaus hearing.

Rev. Lennox Yearwood was in line with many others today waiting to get into the Petreaus hearing before the House Armed Services Committee. When the line started moving shortly before the scheduled hearing time of 12:30 pm, Capitol Police stopped him from entering while let others in behind him. They told him they were only letting 7 "peace people" in and that there was no more room for him.

Understandably and correctly, Rev. Yearwood argued with the Capitol Police that he had as much right to be in the hearing room as any of the others in line. They refused to let him enter, and began moving him away from the hearing room door - at which point, all hell broke loose.

The YouTube video is also posted at the link, as well as over 400 comments. Heavy sigh.

Another Gay Hypocrisy Scandal. In The GOP, Of Course. With A Slice Of Murder-Suicide?

It's not the sexual orientation; it's the hypocrisy, damn it. Everyone in the know seems to know all about the lovers quarrel angle in the Orlando GOP murder-suicide case, but the newspaper report "somehow" ended up scrubbed. From AmericaBlog:

The Orlando Sheriff's deputies have not released a timeline or official motive -- the bodies that were discovered had been dead for several days. Some articles at the time mentioned a gay love triangle, which caught the eye of several blogs. As Andy at Towleroad noted, Florida Today originally ran the story with the "Lovers' fight may have sparked three deaths."

The newspaper later scrubbed all references to the "lovers' quarrel"from the report without comment.

The fact that it gets even more GOP-scandalous - it also ties into a male escort service/prostitution ring - shows it is begging for additional investigation by the MSM, but no one seems to want to touch it.

And everyone else in the know seems to know all about the alleged secret gay hypocritical lives of four long-serving GOPers. Everyone except their voting constituents, that is. From Pensito Review:

Four More Top GOP Outings Could Be in the Offing


In the wake of closeted Sen. Larry Craig's self-outing in an airport men's room this summer, word comes from Washington that more revelations are coming about the secret sexual identities of two leading GOP senators, while two allegedly gay Republican congressmen are making headlines and drawing unwelcome attention to themselves, the timing of which could not be worse.

Hmm. Could these allegations be fueling some of the GOP attacks on bloggers and encouraging GOP attempts to control the internet? Is the pope Austrian?

Net Neutrality. In Cyberspace. With Cartoon Internet People.

Yes, we all want to save the internet from the proposed two-tiered payment plan. And yes, there's a lot of crap out there in cyberspace; however, Best Week Ever's post (and video) on "Internet People" is a keeper.

Go ahead. Watch the silly video. You know you want to.

Dubya. In Austria Australia. With OPEC APEC Speech & Another Wrong Exit.

George Doofus Bush had another one of those really bad days last Friday at the APEC conference in Australia, reminiscent of that locked Chinese door escapade. The Huffington Post has the details and my favorite reader comments:

Bush had a bad day? Because he can't speak English and is an idiot? Because he was caught on camera showing everyone what a mindless fool he is? What makes that different from any other day?

How many people (yes, people, not just American troops) were killed or maimed in Iraq today? Now that's a bad day.

Never thought I'd be ashamed to be an American, but then I never thought I'd see a president worse than Reagan in my lifetime.

Never say never...

PEACE

And...

PUT ANOTHER SCHMUCK ON THE BARBIE

Truly heavy sigh. Thanks, commenters. And now, time out for...

Thank A DUer!

Thanks a million to Stephanie for telling it like it is:

I Predict Old Man Thompson Backs Out Before the End of the Month

Unless they make Campaign Cialis, he will be out before October. Just look at this guy! He's about to drop and he's only been campaigning for a few days. This is their rock star, their glamour candidate?

Read the rest. There's so much more, including more telling photos of the Bill Pullman/Martin Sheen wannabe.

And thanks to Old Crusoe for this Fred Thompson assessment:

I catch a glimpse or two of Fred Thompson lately, expecting to see a reasonably prepared presidential candidate, but to date that candidate is not evident.

He looks and sounds like someone who inadvertently wandered off the set of HEE-HAW and can't find his way back.

Thanks, DUers! While we're on the subject of candidates and predictions, I went out on a short limb this week and predicted on my blog (Delilah Boyd) that Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) could very well be the next Republican to announce his retirement. Six full terms in the senate (since 1972) plus now facing an ethics probe of his involvement in the US Attorney firings equals a good time to exit stage right. Time will tell if I'm onto something.

As GOPers continue to deny that their entire Contract On America/PNAC Empire-Building/Eternal Right-wing Majority scheme has failed as miserably as their Republican't (cough) titular (cough) headcase, George W. Bush, now is the time to take our collective grievances to the White House in person. See you there this Saturday... where, I'm sure, the corporate-owned media will report that "thousands" marched to end the war in Iraq. Forget the corporate-owned media. Look for truth on the blogs and at sites like Democratic Underground.com. That's where the real info is these days, along with all the evidence (and links) you need to solve those BushCo crimes.

-- Delilah Boyd

[JeffR]

1. Yes!

:toast:

[opihimoimoi]

2. Me too.....

:kick:

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. yes

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. K&R...

:kick:

[unhappycamper]

5. Off to the greatest page.

k&r

[flyarm]

6. Thank you to all our "GREAT" DU'ers..who are better than any journo we supposedly have!!

Here at Du...people never cease to amaze me..and a Kuddo's to all for the great research and committment to taking our country back..and giving us all some sanity!!

Thank You all!!!:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

you are all incredible Patriots!!:patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

I am so glad to share space with you all!!

fly

[Rottenmac]

7. That old Nazi Pope is German...

Bavarian to be precise, but your point still holds.

[roguevalley]

8. Fred Thompson looks terrible. my dad died of complications from

battling lymphoma. All partisonship aside, I hope he quits for that alone. Such an ill looking man.

[Lugnut]

9. K&R n/t

[LaStrega]

10. Ray McGovern ... ?

"12:35: The hearing just started, with some members of the audience being escorted out immediately. Of course. Ike Skelton asked "Are they gone?" before continuing."

see: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/091107K.shtml