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Maybe Gadhaffi will return it to the Nobel Committee

Friday, March 25, 2011


© Mike Luckovich

While I support the intervention in Libya, and I particularly approve of the fact that it is authorized by the UN and the Arab League, I still think Obama did a full flop on it.

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A Leak by Any Other Name

Friday, March 25, 2011

Glenn Greenwald hits the ironic nail on the head when he points out that the US Justice Department has a double standard for dealing with leaks of classified information. On one hand there is Bradley Manning, rotting in solitary confinement, and Julian Assange of WikiLeaks, who some US politicians say should be assassinated.

On the other hand, a senior US defense official revealed the contents of an intelligence report about Libya on condition of anonymity because it was classified secret. As Greenwald points out, where’s the urgent leak investigation?

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Getting High is Solution for Global Warming

Friday, March 25, 2011

The new president of the Marshall Islands has a problem on his hands. The rising global temperature is causing sea levels to rise, which threatens to obliterate his country. Which is a real downer.

His solution is unorthodox. By executive order, he has legalized the use of cocaine, “the real thing, uncut and pure, the best you can get.” Not only that, but he will be introducing a no-visa unrestricted entry program for tourists from any country.

The revenue from cocaine sales can be used to build defenses against the sea, or if all else fails, buy up more elevated islands in other parts of the Pacific. The Marshall Islands consist of five islands and 29 atolls, in the middle of the Pacific. Selling cocaine just might help the islanders to get high enough to escape the rising waters.

Also known because it was the site of the first tests of atomic bombs, the Marshall Islands seems to be an unwilling victim of Western Technology. But now they are turning the tide, and perhaps tourists will start calling this new destination, “the bomb”.

UPDATE: This story is satire.

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Regime Change Starts at Home

Thursday, March 24, 2011


© Lee Judge

Of course, we only attack countries that have oil.

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Flippin’ the Newt

Thursday, March 24, 2011

You might know the term “Flippin’ the bird”, but I want to call this “Flippin’ the Newt”:

Newt Gingrich on March 7, on what he would do in Libya:

Exercise a no-fly zone this evening, communicate to the Libyan military that Gadhafi was gone and that the sooner they switch sides, the more like they were to survive, provided help to the rebels to replace him. I mean, the idea that we’re confused about a man who has been an anti-American dictator since 1969 just tells you how inept this administration is.

Newt Gingrich yesterday (two weeks later), after Obama did pretty much what Gingrich said he himself would do:

Let me draw the distinction. I would not have intervened. I think there were a lot of other ways to affect Qaddafi. I think there are a lot of other allies in the region we could have worked with. I would not have used American and European forces.

Political commentator Taegan Goddard calls this “An Epic Flip Flop“. What’s really frustrating is that Matt Lauer, who was interviewing him yesterday, let him get away with it.

Not only that, but Gingrich criticized the Libyan intervention, saying “This is about as badly run as any foreign operation we’ve seen in our lifetime.” Perhaps he was born yesterday, or else he just conveniently forgot about the Iraq War, which Gingrich helped plan. What a jerk.

UPDATE: PolitiFact gives Gingrich a “Full Flop” on this one.

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I Do Declare!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011


© Matt Wuerker

Isn’t Congress supposed to declare war? Why did this stop happening?

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Those who forget history are doomed to be John McCain

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Yesterday, John McCain appeared on the CBS morning show and called for arming the rebels in Libya who are fighting against Moammar Gadhafi.

But what he really did was dish up a triple helping of hypocrisy and irony.

McCain twice called for the ouster of Gadhafi because the Libyan dictator has “American blood on his hands” — referring to the Lockerbie bombing that was carried out by a Libyan agent 1988. There’s just one problem. Just two years ago, McCain led a contingent of US Senators to Libya to discuss the delivery of defensive military equipment to Gadhafi. In fact, up until a few weeks ago, Republicans considered Gadhafi a reformed man. Bush removed Libya from the list of terrorist sponsors in 2006, and in 2008 signed a settlement that had Libya compensate the families of the Lockerbie bombing victims.

So which is it? Did Gadhafi have American blood on his hands in 2009, when McCain held a friendly visit with him? Or didn’t he?

But the real whopper happened when the CBS interviewer asked McCain this question: If the US arms the Libyan rebels, how confident are we that these same rebels are not part of some terrorist organization that could later turn on the US?

McCain: Well, what we know of them so far obviously are that the former justice minister and others — and a government has been formed, part of that government. But Gadhafi is a proven quantity. The blood of Americans is on his hands because he was responsible for the bombing of Pan Am 103. He has been involved in other acts of terror. And by the way it does take time, as it did during the period of the Russian occupation of Afghanistan. But we were able to provide them with some weapons and wherewithal to cause the Russians to leave Afghanistan. So we can do it.

Is McCain serious? Has he completely forgotten that those rebels that we armed in Afghanistan included Osama bin Laden and the Taliban? Holy blowback!

Of course, we don’t have any reason to believe that the same thing could happen in Libya. Or do we? Just because some of the now Libyan rebels recently fought against us in Iraq, why would McCain worry about that?

And I thought that Sarah Palin was the idiot. I am so glad he is not our president.

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Late Night Political Humor

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

“They said the radioactive plume came here today. Just be happy that something traveled 5,000 miles across the Pacific and for once it wasn’t your job.” – Bill Maher

“President Obama told Americans not to worry about the radiation from Japan — as he left for South America.” – Jay Leno

“We will always find a way to make this about us. Even though there’s really no chance of anybody getting any negligible amount of radiation, Americans on the West Coast are desperately buying up and hoarding iodine pills. Isn’t it great that in a land that is divided between conservative morons and liberal pussies, somehow we have managed to find a way to pull together and behave like moronic pussies.” – Bill Maher

“The head of Tokyo Electric today broke down in tears during his news conference. But to keep that in perspective, he’s known around the office over there as John Boehner-san.” – Bill Maher

“They’re using high-pressure water cannons and helicopters dropping seawater to try to cool down the reactor. And they say if that works, they’re going to try that here on Charlie Sheen.” – Bill Maher

“Sarah Palin finally heard what happened in Japan, and she’s demanding that we invade tsuanmi. She said these tsunamians will not get away with this.” – Bill Maher

“Sarah Palin is going to Israel next week on a fact-finding tour. She wants to find out things like where is it and who’s their king. She says she’s very excited to visit the Wailing Wall, because whaling is illegal in Alaska.” – Jay Leno

“Julianne Moore has signed on to play Sarah Palin in a TV movie. Remember how Robert De Niro had to gain 60 pounds to play the boxer Jake LaMotta? Julianne has to drop 125 IQ points to play Sarah Palin.” – Jay Leno

“Julianne Moore will play Sarah Palin in an upcoming movie. They got an unknown to play Levi Johnston. It’s Levi Johnston.” – Jay Leno

“A New Jersey school named after President Obama is closing because of low enrollment. That explains the school’s new education plan, ‘No Child Left …'” – Jimmy Fallon

“President Obama is facing criticism for going on ESPN to pick his NCAA brackets when there are more important issues on his agenda. When he heard this, Obama said, ‘Wait . . . Was today my fantasy baseball draft?'” – Jimmy Fallon

“They said on the news today 10,000 to 15,000 people each day are coming across the border from Libya into Egypt. Or as we call it in California, a ‘trickle.'” – Jay Leno

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When Crime Does Pay

Tuesday, March 22, 2011


© Ruben Bolling

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The Attack of the Health Care Bunnies

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The way Republicans talk about it, you’d think health care reform was the black plague.


© Tom Toles

I’m noticing a new tactic, however. Instead of trying to repeal health care reform outright, they instead are trying to eliminate the individual mandate. What they don’t tell you is that without universal health insurance, costs will really skyrocket. And once that happens, they can then get rid of health care reform entirely.

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We Have Met the Evil Empire, and it is US

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

When did we stop being the good guys? This is the kind of thing we used to denounce communist dictatorships for doing.

Abe Mashal is a 31-year-old man who lives in a suburb of Chicago. He’s a veteran — an honorably discharged ex-Marine. Married, with kids. Owns his own business. Fairly normal in most respects except for one — he is Muslim. Last time I checked, that is not a crime in America, but you can’t be sure.

Mashal’s wife is Christian, and over a year ago he sent an email to a Muslim cleric asking for advice about raising children in a mixed-religion household. What he didn’t know is that this particular cleric was being monitored by the FBI.

At that point, his previously normal life became complicated, but he didn’t find out about it until he tried to fly to Spokane, WA, for a job. He had been placed on the no-fly list. He was questioned by the FBI, first at the airport, then at his home. His friends and family were questioned. Even though he hadn’t done anything even remotely illegal, the FBI refused to take him off the no-fly list. His business suffered, since he was not allowed to fly.

Now here’s the weird part. Mashal says that agents offered to get him off the no-fly list, but on one condition — that he would become an undercover informant at mosques. He refused, saying “I feel like I’m living in communist Russia, not the United States of America”.

Mashal is now one of 17 plantiffs in a lawsuit filed in June by the ACLU over abuse of the no-fly list.

UPDATE: A Muslim organization says that they have received “dozens” of complaints about people who have been pressured to become informants. Also, there is video of Mashal telling his story here.

UPDATE 2: Mashal himself has made some comments on this post.

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The Revenge of the Social Conservatives

Monday, March 21, 2011

Right now, the biggest issue for voters is the economy, and recent polls have shown that voters are becoming increasingly in favor of allowing gays to marry.

But that doesn’t matter in Iowa, which seems to have gotten stuck in the politics of the last century. The Iowa caucuses are the first test of the presidential primary season, and social and religious conservatives are going all out to drive the debate away from economic issues and toward social issues like gay rights and abortion. Indeed, in 2008, the surprise winner of the Republican caucuses was minister Mike Huckabee.

So, somewhat ironically, Republican presidential candidates who will have any chance against Obama will probably have no chance to win in Iowa. The situation is so bad that Indiana governor and presidential candidate Mitch Daniels suggested that the party call a truce so they can stop fighting over social issues while the economy is in such trouble. But social conservatives in Iowa reacted with disdain. “Anybody who calls a truce when the abortion clinics are running 24/7 is not a true pro-lifer” says the head of the Iowa Family Policy Center.

Even more ironically, conservative activist Ralph Reed said to a cheering crowd “If you turn your backs on the pro-family, pro-life constituency you will be consigned to permanent minority status.” Is he really saying that in order to avoid being consigned to permanent minority status, you have to completely focus on the views of a group that is not only a minority, but one that is decreasing in numbers, and ignore the biggest concerns of the majority of voters?

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Bad News and Good News

Monday, March 21, 2011


© Stuart Carlson

As John Steinbeck is purported to have said, Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat, but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires. That’s the only reason I can see why people in the US continue to vote against their own interests.

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Giving Us the Big Bird

Sunday, March 20, 2011


© Drew Sheneman

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The Cost of the War in Iraq

Sunday, March 20, 2011

We just passed the eighth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq, and here is how much money we thrown down the drain on it:

The Cost of the War in Iraq

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