Dante News Wire: Jul 21, 2007

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Crooks and Liars » Back to stifling dissent

Crooks and Liars » Back to stifling dissent:

"The Pentagon told Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton
that her questions about how the U.S. plans to eventually withdraw from Iraq
boosts enemy propaganda.
In a stinging rebuke to a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman [said], “Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq, much as we are perceived to have done in Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia.”"

Here I go again. Free Speech is Free Speech, there is no reason to limit speech. The pentagon has a point, but there are more important things. There are a lot of things that would make the country stronger in the war against terror. They could send congress home (they aren't doing anything anyway), and rule by decree. They could force all men to enlist in the armed forces, and they could break all rules against torture.

The problem is that if we do this, we are no longer the country we love. We no longer represent the ideas that we are attempting to spread to the rest of the world. While it could be said that it makes our enemies stronger, I think it makes them weaker. The stronger our freedoms are, the more that people will resist terrorists and want to work with America and be like America. Free Speech is Free Speech, let people speak.

Damned Spot - Mitt Romney

Will the Progressive Majority Emerge?

Crooks and Liars » They need some stinkin’ badges

Crooks and Liars » They need some stinkin’ badges:

"In an apparent violation of the law, a controversial aide to ex-Gov. Mitt
Romney created phony law enforcement badges that he and other staffers used on
the campaign trail to strong-arm reporters, avoid paying tolls and trick
security guards into giving them immediate access to campaign venues, sources
told the Herald."

Is this how little respect that these people have for the law? If so then there is no chance that this group should be given power. The most important lesson from President Bush, is that we don't elect presidents and vice presidents. We elect a group of people with an ideology. If this is the ideology of Mitt Romney and his supporters, this is one that is not right for America.

The Daily Left

Crooks and Liars » Vitter’s precarious future

Crooks and Liars » Vitter’s precarious future:

"Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) probably thought he was in the clear, or at least
close to it. He was exposed as a hypocrite who hired prostitutes after running
on a family-values platform, he went into hiding for a week, and he returned to
the Senate as if nothing had happened. From what I hear, the rest of the Senate
Republican caucus welcomed him back with open arms (literally and figuratively).
Problem solved? Not so much. Leading far-right voices — including Sean
Hannity and Kathryn Jean Lopez — are now urging Vitter to resign."

This is good news, I thank Hannity and others for stepping up and taking the brave step of confronting someone on their own side. The sad truth of the times we live in is that far too often, we know what is right and wrong, but we choose to not attack someone who is on our side for fear of making the other side stronger. There is only one side though, that is the side of truth and justice.

Barack Obama Dinner Guest: Christina Cheatham

John Edwards - An Invitation

Crooks and Liars » Petraeus inappropriately talks to the Cowardly Lion

Crooks and Liars » Petraeus inappropriately talks to the Cowardly Lion:

"After Gen. Petraeus’ appearance on the Hugh Hewitt talk show, there is
simply no denying that the good General is a political puppet. Some of you may
not know why I call Hewitt “The Cowardly Lion.” It’s an unbelievable exchange he
had with CNN’s Michael Ware some time ago. (OK, make sure you rinse and spit
after reading that…)
Petraeus needs to worry about the war in Iraq and not
go on shows like HewittWorld. I didn’t know he had the kind of time to waste on
a propagandist, who cares little for the country itself. I think John Cole
should be honored that the Cowardly Lion named him in a post. Here’s some
propaganda for you"

Hackery on the left like this leads to hackery on the right, which leads to further hackery on the left, and back to the right. It is like a wave that grows more intense and violent every time it rebounds from one fringe to the other. Free Speech is Free Speech, let people say what they want, let them talk to who they want. If their ideas are weak, attack their ides, attacking the messenger is wrong. I find the segment made above, to be hateful and disrespectful not only of the Person of Hewitt, but of the nature of open discussion.

Iraq success story's ugly side

The Tonight Show: Congressman on the DC madam's list

Captain's Quarters

Captain's Quarters: Ted Kennedy And The Democrats Hate Free Speech

"Senate Democrats last night beat back a Republican attempt to attach an
anti-Fairness Doctrine bill as an amendment to education legislation.
The doctrine, a former requirement that broadcasters present opposing points of view
on political issues, was scrapped in 1987 by the Federal Communications
Commission, which said the policy restricted journalistic freedom. The bill by
Sen. Norm Coleman, Minnesota Republican, would prevent the FCC from reinstating
the doctrine."

Free Speech is Free Speech. That means you don't tell people what to say, and you don't tell them what not to say. You don't punish people for what they say, or for what they do not say. You don't punish people for supporting speech that you don't like, or for not supporting speech that you do like. Free Speech is Free Speech, that means allow people to say what they want to say and support messages that they want to support.

fox o'reilly report,natalee died of drug o.d.in aruba -a lie

JetBlue Retracts Sponsorship; Is This Victory?

Captain's Quarters: JetBlue Retracts Sponsorship; Is This Victory?

"After the discount airliner JetBlue sponsored the YearlyKos event, conservative
bloggers started campaigning to pressure the airline to end its association with
the Leftosphere event. Bill O'Reilly even had a Factor segment on his show this
week, challenging JetBlue management for its decision to help underwrite the
event. At first, JetBlue remained adamant that they would not succumb to the
pressure -- but that didn't last too long. According to Markos Moulitsas Zuniga
at Daily Kos, they have ended their association with his conference (via
Memeorandum)"

When ever a voice is silent, everyone loses. I think America lost in this whole mess. I think that JetBlue should have the right to support a conference of left leaning bloggers as much as they should have the right to support an equal party of right leaning bloggers. What is more important than the message, it that there is a discussion, ideas are being discussed and debated. If that is a debate that is going on inside the liberal movement or the conservative movement it serves to make America stronger. The strongest point that is lost here is that not all right wing bloggers march on line and nor do all left wing bloggers. Discussion moderates the tone of the debate because we understand that people may differ from us on some ideas, but agree with us on most ideas.

This is a sad moment for America.

Did Mitt make is mistake here?

There are a number of questions here? Like why the hell does this lady not know how to spell mama?

It is possible that Mitt wasn't aware of what the sign read when he posed with it. In crowds of people coming and getting pictures with you, it isn't always easy to control or monitor the message.

Second even if he did know what the sign said, what should have been his response. He could have dodged the sign and the person holding it, but that could have gotten him in trouble on the other side.

Third, it is a joke, a stupid joke made that much worse by the spelling and the poor handwriting.

At the end of the day I think that we know that Mitt doesn't think that Obama is a terrorist. The mistake here is in judgement, not acting quickly enough to get the sign down, or to prevent himself from being photographed with it. It is unclear if the second picture where he is holding it was taken second or first. In either case, he should not have taken the sign and held it up higher to show more people the bad spelling and handwriting. I think we are too fast to attack people, I don't see this as something that will harm him with his supporters.

Oh no. Harry Reid was mean to Arlen Specter. The Senate can't function while Specter has a bruised ego. - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

Oh no. Harry Reid was mean to Arlen Specter. The Senate can't function while Specter has a bruised ego. - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth:

"Arlen Specter is a senior United States senator who expects to be allowed
his say on the Senate floor. So he bristled when Senator Harry Reid, the
majority leader, brusquely cut him off at the end of the Iraq debate.

“The leadership is setting a dictatorial tone,” Mr. Specter, Republican
of Pennsylvania, said Thursday, still furious over his treatment the day before.
“Senators didn’t get here to be pushed around.”

It may seem small-minded to bicker over a few words at the end of a 24-hour debate. But the clash between the two veteran senators is evidence of a larger breakdown in relations in the Senate, a deterioration in cooperation that is hobbling the Senate’s ability to get things
done. The situation is not likely to improve with a presidential election on the
horizon."

Forget about bringing the troops home, I think we need to bring congress home. They are just wasting money at this point. Shut out the light in the capital, lock the doors, close all the offices in Washington and send them all home. Let them sit at home and think about the mistakes they are making by not working together.

jetBlue caves to O'Reilly and Malkin. Company doesn't want to be associated with crazy people like you. - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

jetBlue caves to O'Reilly and Malkin. Company doesn't want to be associated with crazy people like you. - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth:

"FOX News' Bill O'Reilly and right-wing blogger Michelle Malkin complained that
jetBlue was a corporate sponsor of the YearlyKos blogger conference and had
offered a few free tickets for conference attendees (not exactly a huge
commitment, and something companies do for conferences of all political
stripes). O'Reilly and Malkin claimed that this was akin to jetBlue supporting
people who endorse murder and assassination - he quite literally compared the
top blogs to the KKK and the nazis.

jetBlue, mind you, advertises on FOX (according to Markos), shows FOX News on its flights, and its CEO has given $2100 to far-right GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. But please just ignore all of that. Because jetBlue has now, finally, shown some attention to
the left as well, O'Reilly and Malkin decided that jetBlue must be destroyed."

I think people need to lay off JetBlue.

First of all you Mr. O'Reilly, do you think that all the sponsors of your show support your message? Do you think that they care about what you are talking about even. This is what the ad people see, a talking head on the screen blabbing about something, taking up time. Followed by ad space which they can use to reach an audience, they care about the number of you audience not who they are. The same thing I think it true of JetBlue, probably someone came to them and asked for a donation for a political conference. They thought that it couldn't hurt to get their name out there, get some good press maybe, if only with the people who attend the conference.

Now for you Mr. Kos, back off your attack dogs - hey you have the same breed of attack dog as Bill. JetBlue didn't drop the conference because they don't care about your ideas. They dropped it because the worst thing for any business right now is to get dragged into the middle of a political fight. If you take one side, all those on the other side start talking about doing business with someone else. JetBlue of all business runs on a small profit margin and cannot afford the loss of business for political reasons.

Who loses in this? We do, it was wrong of Bill to attack JetBlue for supporting a conference. Bill when did you stop believing in democracy, the mere fact that they supported the conference just means that they believed that supporting political dialogue was good. To live in a world where a company will only support the ideas it agrees with is a scary world indeed. I think the same goes to the Dialy Kos, it is shameful to suggest that JetBlue should not runs ads on Fox News, just because you don't like what they are saying. This reeks of the growing attempts on both sides to limit free speech. Free speech means that Bill O'Reilly has the right to have his show. Supporting Fox News with ads is just supporting the stations and the reports first amendment right.

Charlotte Observer | 07/20/2007 | Official accused
of paying for sex

Charlotte Observer 07/20/2007 Official accused of paying for sex:

"KANNAPOLIS --Coy Privette, a retired Baptist pastor, conservative lawmaker
and outspoken advocate for Christian groups, was charged Thursday with paying a
prostitute for sex acts.
The 74-year-old Cabarrus County commissioner was arrested at his home in Kannapolis early Thursday. He appeared before a Rowan County magistrate on six misdemeanor charges and was released on a promise to appear in court Aug. 22. He did not return e-mails or calls to his cell and home phones, and no one answered the door at his Kannapolis home."

Ok, it is one thing to be of weak flesh and to give in to temptation. These kinds of crimes are a totally different level. I would expect any honest and decent leader to step down from their position after the first offense. If you think what you are doing is wrong, you should seek help before it comes to this point. By living in sin, and preaching at the same time the message against your sin, you undermine your message. While it is clear that it undermines it for those outside the faith, I think it also undermines the message for people inside the faith as well.

Adam on The Daily Show

Michael Giltz: Why Harry Potter Won't be a Bestseller - Entertainment on The Huffington Post

Michael Giltz: Why Harry Potter Won't be a Bestseller - Entertainment on The Huffington Post:

"Wanna make some easy money? Tell your friends you don't think Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hallows will debut at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller List.
Heck, you don't think it will even make the Top Ten! Then give them ten to one
odds.

Huh? The book that will probably set a single day and one week
sales record, the book hundreds of thousands will line up for at midnight won't
be the Number One book on The New York Times Bestseller list? That's right
because Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a children's book and those
books don't count."

While I can understand that you would want a separate list for children's books and adult books (not that kind of adult book), Harry Potter really is more than a children's book. The real problem seems to be that three book in the series has camped out on the list. A better idea might be to limit only one book in a series on the list at any time. Leave the highest selling book on the list and take the others off the list.

Jon loves Harry...

Stephen dumps McCain

A New Low For Bush | Air America Radio

A New Low For Bush Air America Radio:

"In a new Wisconsin poll by the firm Strategic Vision, 19% of those surveyed
approved President Bush’s job performance. According to this article, the
Wisconsin polled 800 probable voters and found “some 19% approved and 73%
disapproved of Bush's overall performance. Only 17% approved (and 77%
disapproved) of Bush's handling of the Iraq war - the worst numbers on Iraq that
Bush has received in this poll. The president got far higher marks for his
handling of the war on terror, with 46% approving and 43% disapproving.”"

While it is true that Wisconsin is a very blue state, this reflects the general mood of the country in that Bush and his war on growing more and more unpopular. The funny thing is that I think that as much as the war is hurting him in the polls, I think that he is hurting the war. The way he acts, makes people think that he is handling everything poorly, the war included.

Fitzgerald Would Make A Great Attorney General | Air America Radio

Fitzgerald Would Make A Great Attorney General Air America Radio:

"Former Deputy U.S. Attorney General James Comey said that he believes U.S
Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald “would make a spectacular attorney general,'' and
that ``he certainly is one of the very best federal prosecutors in
America.''"

This is a great point, he seems to have a concern for justice that is more important than party gain. All parties seem to agree that the way he handled the leak case was excellent.

You be the judge...

Is That Frances Bean?

Jill Emery (in the back)

FRANCES BEAN COBAIN

O'Malkin stops guest from defending her view - again

Paula Abdul Has a Bratz Meltdown

Guess Who? | POPSUGAR - Celebrity Gossip & News.

Guess Who? POPSUGAR - Celebrity Gossip & News.

Britney Spears OK! Magazine Tell-All Interview August 2007 | Pop Crunch

Britney Spears OK! Magazine Tell-All Interview August 2007 Pop Crunch:

"Celebrity informants report that possibly pregnant Britney Spears
will cover next week’s issue of OK! Magazine after teaming up with the celeb
weekly for a full-length interview."

Oh please what is there left to tell... Oh well I will probably buy it anyway.

Kirsten Dunst: How to Lose Friends & Alienate People | Kirsten Dunst : Just Jared

Kirsten Dunst: How to Lose Friends & Alienate People Kirsten Dunst : Just Jared:

"Kirsten Dunst playfully hides from photographers behind her Ambassade suitcase
by French luxury Goyard as she readies to depart London at the City Airport on
Friday.
The snaggle-toothed actress has been filming How to Lose Friends & Alienate People in England but production has supposedly moved to New York City. "

Yeah a new Kiki movie....

Democracy Now Headlines- Fri. July 20, 2007

Who Is She Calling A Fat Fuck?! | Dlisted

Who Is She Calling A Fat Fuck?! Dlisted:

"'Hey baby when are you going to go on a diet? Have you ever tried Weight
Watchers you fat fuck!? Why don't you run?! You need to fucking jog you pussy.
Yeah run, run bitch!'"

Looks like Britney is headed for another break down. She needs to get help for her problem, if she doesn't do it soon she is going to lose her kids. I know a lot of people are critical of Britney, and I will say that she has made her mistakes. It should be noted that she is under a lot of stress. If you watch the video you will see the mess.

What she needs to do is get some help, get back on her game and get back to work.

Click here to see the video.

Celeb Warship - Taking aim at everyone. Orlando Bloom Hooks It Up at

Celeb Warship - Taking aim at everyone. Orlando Bloom Hooks It Up at:

"The pair reportedly became close on the set of Pirates Of The Caribbean and
Naomie, 30, was a shoulder to cry on when Orlando, also 30, split from longterm
girlfriend Kate Bosworth last year.
A source says: “She scored points with Orlando by being his friend first. He admitted recently that he’s interested in more than a friendship with Naomie.”
And she feels the same as she gushed: “Orlando–I love him! He was really sweet, and I was like, ‘Yeah, you’re the
hottest one’.”"

While Orlando has been looking kind of funny lately with that little mustache of his it doesn't seem to be getting in the way with the ladies. Bloom is said to have developed a relationship with a co-star from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. She was his rock during his break up with Kate.

Kirsten Dunst To Direct Short Film

I’m Not Obsessed: Kirsten Dunst To Direct Short Film

"Kirsten Dunst was chosen by Glamour magazine, along with Kate Hudson and Rita
Wilson, to shoot a short film as part of a series based on a true story submitted by Glamour readers.
She will have a $500,000 budget. Jennifer Aniston was asked to direct a film for the project last year."

This sounds like a fun project, it will be good to see the results. I bet that Kiki's will be interesting, she has a very funny dorky side to her, and if she lets it come out in the film it will be great.

Jennifer Love Hewitt at CBS Fall TCA

I’m Not Obsessed Jennifer Love Hewitt at CBS Fall TCA

Demi Moore's Sister-In-Law Is A Bitch! | Dlisted

Demi Moore's Sister-In-Law Is A Bitch! Dlisted:

"Lesley said, 'I think Demi is getting too old to have kids with Ashton. They
have been trying to have children together for years. Demi had a miscarriage two
years ago. Now she is trying to get her hands on my kids. I think there is some
kind of co-dependency. Demi has been bankrolling Morgan so that she can stay
involved with all his offspring and keep all of her little flock close. She's a
piece of work.'"

I try and be careful with the words I use and how I use them. In this case I feel like calling her a bitch is the best that could be said about her. In fact I think it might be giving her too much credit. A bitch after all is a term for a female dog that is protecting her young. I think this womyn is a hateful fame whore that cares no more about her children than she does Demi Moore. She is using both as a means of attacking her soon to be es-husband.

Even Famewhore Socialite Hotel Heiresses On Their Way To Jail Have Feelings Dept. - Defamer

Even Famewhore Socialite Hotel Heiresses On Their Way To Jail Have Feelings Dept. - Defamer:

"Sarah Silverman expresses remorse over hurting Paris Hilton's feelings at the
MTV Movie Awards, where Hilton was just innocently sneaking in one more chance
at free camera time before heading off to jail: 'I thought, 'She's got to know
there's going to be a joke about her,' so I went for it. But then I looked down
and saw a man in her face with a camera. I was there to be funny and I was, but
that doesn't mean I can't feel bad about it.' "

A couple things here, while there were rumors at the time that Paris was very upset about what had been said, I think that she is strong enough not to let it get to her. On the other hand it is comforting in some way to know that a top comic would have concern for the object of their joke. I think it will all blow over.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

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