ledge of liberty

Ledge of Liberty on Temporary Hiatus

First off, for those of you who have written, I'm sorry I didn't communicate that I wouldn't be posting for some time.  I'm in the midst of moving across the country for the second time this year and my blogging time is completely occupied with other various related details.  All should be settled in the coming weeks and blogging will resume at that time, so please no more hate mail or death threats. freeaviplayer.org is good at playing

There's a plethora of links here for your enjoyment and whole hours can be spent in blissful amusement searching the archives.  Keywords such as 'falafel' and 'freedom fries' certainly won't disappoint.

El Prestidente en Cognito

[Masked and Anonymous]

Let's see here... Silly hat?  Check.  Sunglasses?  Check.  Cowboy boots?  Check check.  Chewing tobacco??  Looks like it to me.  So, here's the question of the day -- is the disguise for want of not getting caught chewing tobacco in the Rose Garden or did junior just want to look cool for the press while chewing said tobacco? Motorroller

Bush Touts Fox Slogan: "Fair and Balanced"

Bush concluded the final day of his 2-day Economic Summit (TM) with 40 minutes of closing words babble.  Why anyone lets this man speak without handlers and cattle prods is completely beyond me.  Anyway, here's a few of my favorite remarks.

• 4 years and a $236 billion surplus turned $413 billion deficit, but now Bush is "ready to work".

BUSH:  I -- but I didn't come up here to Washington -- I know a lot of people I my Cabinet didn't agree to serve to pass problems on. I like to confront problems. I like to -- I like to work with people so that we can say we left behind a better America, after it's all said and done. And I don't have that much time here in Washington. So I'm going to --  So I'm ready to work.

• Bush used the Fox News slogan "Fair and Balanced" when talking about "frivolous lawsuits" cluttering up the court system.  "Fair and Balanced"?  What ever happened to "Fair and Just"?

BUSH:  We believe, and many of you have -- believe that that money can be better spent; that it's possible to have a justice system that is fair and balanced; that if you have a claim, you should be able to go to an uncluttered court to have your claim adjudicated.

Continue reading "Bush Touts Fox Slogan: "Fair and Balanced""

America the Infomercial

[George Bush has some 'Challanges' (sic) at the Economic Summit]

Signs, slogans, scripts, and sycophants -- it's not an "economic summit", it's an infomercial.  The only thing missing is the George Foreman grill.

Video: Clinton Curtis testifies before House Judiciary

[Click to Watch Video]

Here's a video showing partial testimony of Clinton Curtis, the Floridian NASA computer programmer turned election fraud whistle-blower.  His claim being that he was hired by Congressman Tom Feeney (R-FL) to develop vote rigging software.  Clinton, or 'Clint' as on his affidavit, armed with a new book, is now bringing to light his apparent involvement.

Continue reading "Video: Clinton Curtis testifies before House Judiciary"

Ohio: 92,000 Presidential ballots unexecuted

So 92,000 Ohioans showed up at the polls Election day, but chose not to vote for a Presidential candidate.  You know how it is; it's raining, you've been waiting in line 2 maybe 12 hours, you care about civic responsibilities -- but this Presidential candidate thing is so 20th century.

Kerry Lawyer Seeks Ohio Ballot Inspection  [AP]

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Democrat John Kerry is asking county elections officials to allow his witnesses to inspect the 92,000 ballots cast in Ohio in which no vote for president was recorded, a Kerry lawyer said Sunday night.

The request is one of 11 the Kerry campaign made in a letter sent over the weekend to Ohio's 88 county boards of election, which will begin recounting presidential ballots this week.

"We're trying to increase the transparency of the election process," said Donald McTigue, the lawyer handling the recount for the Kerry campaign. But he added that several requests — such as using independent experts to check election equipment, "are trying to push the edge of envelope."

Oddments: Third worldization edition

• Touchscreen voting machines aren't the only Venezuela/US bond these days.  A law just passed giving the Venezuelan government control over radio and television broadcasting.  [AP]
• The Canadian Supreme Court officially redefined marriage, approving a bill legalizing gay marriage.  [CP]
• Siting principles, Bush has flat-out refused an increase to payroll taxes -- an effort to save Social Security.  Bush nor Mcclellan have offered any answers as to where the trillions needed to save the program will come from.  [AP]
• Oh-my-God stop the f*cking presses -- Al Sharpton was paid by the Kerry camp!  Why is this news?  [AP]
• The House has approved the 9/11 intelligence bill.  This should get really interesting once we start reading through the 600 pages that weren't submitted until yesterday afternoon.  [WP]
• "I am an innocent man, convicted of a crime I did not commit... I have been persecuted for 12 years for a crime I did not commit", were the final words of Cameron Todd Willingham as he was tied down and executed in a Texas prison.  As it turns out -- he was telling the truth.  [Chicago Tribune]
  

Proclamation: Dress like the President Day

[Ambassador Jim Nicholson and President Bush]

Either I missed a memo or somebody's sharing a stylist.

Stalking Helen Thomas: Torture edition

Ledge of Liberty is officially stalking White House press correspondent, Helen Thomas.  We've always loved her, but there comes a point where love can become an obsession -- and this is that point.

Just days ago, the White House officially approved for use, intelligence attained through means of torture.  Now, we have White house Press Secretary,  Scott McClellan, delivering his usual sermon, high and mighty on the anti-terror platform.  The hypocrisy of which, only challenged by Helen's usual contumacy.

MR. McCLELLAN:  Helen, go ahead.

Q     Has the President given any orders to stop the ongoing brutalization of Iraqi prisoners?

MR. McCLELLAN:  Ongoing?  If you have something, you ought to let --

Q     Even after Abu Ghraib and the terrible shame that it brought to us, this still goes on.

Continue reading "Stalking Helen Thomas: Torture edition"

Incase You've Forgotten, it's 'George W. Bush, Commander in Chief'

[George Plays Dress Up]

This picture is a bit deceiving, as it gives the appearance of Bush swimming amongst a virtual sea of troops, when in fact, he's strutting down a fenced-in catwalk, yards from any troops.  But why shouldn't he strut?  Check out that new jacket!

Lost in a Masquerade [Maureen Dowd/NYT]