Donald Rumsfeld Wants State Department Powers

From Military.com

Rumsfeld needs a way to get around pesky U.S. foreign policy, so he wants to circumvent the State Department altogether.

It seems Rummy has been pushing this for awhile now. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said HELL NO! Secretary Condoleezza Rice has called for congressional approval.

Are they fascist pigs or what?

Band of the Week: The Yuppie Pricks

Bush's people called me. He would like his favorite band, The Yuppie Pricks, to be band of the week. Since he is having such a bad go of it lately, I obliged. Georgie pop has decided the best way to escape all his problems is to ignore them. So he is throwing a Coke Party this weekend. All your favorite neo-cons will be there. He even got himself a new CIA-black humvee that will be parked in front of the White House. He told one confidential source, "Condi promised to give me a Hummer in My Hummer!" This should be quite a shindig, but I can't go. I'm a family man now.

You can see The Yuppie Pricks live Sunday, October 30th @ Room 710 - Austin, TX.

Bad Elephant!

No Noe no...

Ask the White House

This week on Ask the White House...Laura Bush.

The topic, helping America's Youth. She was kind enough to answer some scripted questions with scripted answers she most likely didn't type or even read. It reads like an old 1950's public health announcement, complete with cartoon characters.

So just what does she have new and exciting in mind to help America's youth. First, she wants to teach them to read. Here is a question from Cliff in Brimfield, Ohio...

Dear First Lady: Do you think the youth of today do more READING than the youth's of say 10 years ago did? I don't see as many kids in the Library as I did when I was growing up. Thank You.(Cliff conveniently capitalized READING)

Mrs. Bush Answers, "We all know that people who can read are at a huge advantage. " And adds, "Children who can read well are more likely to graduate from high school and go on to college." Brilliant Mrs. Bush! By the way, who are these kids getting into college who cant read well? Oh ya, the privileged...like your husband.

Second, Mrs. Bush points out that having a father at home would help. After Michael, from Powell, TN asked this question...

I heard you say on an interview one time that you are disappointed that fathers are not taking any responsibility for their children as one reason why boys are turning out wrong.

Mrs. Bush responds with some wisdom on bad boys. "Research shows us that boys are falling behind in many areas – fewer boys finish high school, fewer boys are going to college, fewer men are going on to graduate school, and as we all know more boys are likely to be involved in crime." So one reason we boys are turning out wrong is due to lack of a father figure, got it.

And finally, we need to get government out of the lives of our children. Jordan, from Butner, NC asked...

Do you believe the government is taking on too much of a parental role in the lives of our youth today, and if so, what steps do you believe are necessary to move in the right direction?

"This is a really good question, Jordan." Mrs. Bush replies. "Bla bla...parents, teachers, coaches, law enforcement officials, and faith-based and community organizations working together can positively impact children’s lives in their communities." OK, no more government help for kids, got it.

Notables:

Elizabeth, from Las Vegas, NV, requested a good book to read. Mrs. Bush informs her she just finished reading the fifth book of the Harry Potter series.

Morgan, from NewportNews, Va is 12. He asked...

hey this is morgan and i am 12 years old my qesution is is it hard to be a presidents wife?

An off the record answer to that question, Morgan, would be priceless. And there is no NewportNews, Va...oops.

Rest in Peace Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

Thank you Rosa. Your kind of courage is rare these days, but not fleeting. My children will know your story, as will my grandchildren. Thank you.

Where is the Oil from Iraq?

Earlier this month Ahmad Chalabi, the head of Iraq's energy council, said oil output was on course for a 20% rise in its export capabilities by the end of the year. And, of course, he backed the idea that US and UK oil firms should have priority in Iraq's oil sector.

As of today, all Iraq oil exports have been halted. Why? Insurgent attacks in the north and bad weather in the south. The article reports that "no less than 16 oil pipelines are on fire" and "will take at least four weeks to repair." When the weather clears in the south, expect more attacks there as well. The article talks of a "special force" created to guard the pipelines that is currently 15,000 strong...or, err...weak. Iraq Pipeline Watch reports that an attack on a major pipeline that links Kirkuk to Bayji occoured 24 hours after it was repaired and reopened.

Now for the cherry on top, Director of the supplies department in the Iraqi south oil company in Basra was abducted today. You have to have security before you can take the oil Mr. Bush.

Too busy to blog this week

I have mass quantities of responsibilities building up, due to procrastination, at work and at home to tend to this week. I won't have time to sleep much less blog. I'll be back next week in force though. Remember, if you can't be with the blog you love...love the blog your with!

Band of the Week: Hobble

For nearly ten years now Hobble has been rock'n Texas. They've toured all over the mid west and west coast but call Austin home. They are the craziest band in Austin, you are literlly exausted after a Hobble show. If you have the energy, you can see Hobble live tonight at The Ritz.

Meanwhile, have a listen to boxes, love slut, itty bitty man, and honky tonk man from their God's Work EP and akillin' and backwards dj from their Blackmassking EP. Here is Vernon County Outlaw from 2003. They have more songs to listen to at music.myspace.com/hobble

Have a good weekend everyone, rock on!

Blind Man's Bluff

What a speech. It turns out that the "Global Struggle Against Terror" is just like fighting communism.

"Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy is dismissive of free peoples, claiming that men and women who live in liberty are weak and decadent."

"And Islamic radicalism, like the ideology of communism, contains inherent contradictions that doom it to failure. By fearing freedom -- by distrusting human creativity, and punishing change, and limiting the contributions of half the population."

Bush is trying hard to change the "Iraq equals Vietnam" meme to "war in Iraq equals war against communism." Bush is determined, and, he can count to four...

First, we're determined to prevent the attacks of terrorist networks before they occur.

Second, we're determined to deny weapons of mass destruction to outlaw regimes, and to their terrorist allies who would use them without hesitation.

Third, we're determined to deny radical groups the support and sanctuary of outlaw regimes.

Fourth, we're determined to deny the militants control of any nation, which they would use as a home base and a launching pad for terror.

Now if he would just tell us what actions this determination will bring, that would be nice. All the action is in Iraq, and apparently we're supposed to forget we should have never started this war in the first place.

"Some observers also claim that America would be better off by cutting our losses and leaving Iraq now. This is a dangerous illusion, refuted with a simple question: Would the United States and other free nations be more safe, or less safe, with Zarqawi and bin Laden in control of Iraq, its people, and its resources?"

So Zarqawi and bin Laden will become communist leaders in Iraq if we leave? I'm scared. Not. Bush didn't need a long speech, this sentence at the end would have been enough...

We don't know the course of our own struggle -- the course our own struggle will take -- or the sacrifices that might lie ahead.

Harriet Miers Thinks Experience is Important

Ms. Miers was appointed to the Texas Lottery Commission by then Governor George W. Bush on May 4, 1995. On March 21, 2000, she resigned her appointed position with the agency. This was her reason...

Ms. Miers said, "I believe it will be best if the Lottery has an experienced commissioner on board, rather than someone whose term expires February 2001, a person who has the time to become educated about the Lottery and is prepared to help lead this agency into the future."

Would it not then "be best" for the country if an experienced judge got the nod as Supreme Court Justice? Ms. Miers, will it take you five years to realize experience is as important on the Supreme Court as it was in the Texas State Lottery?