Dear Senators

Dear Senators
by georgia10
Sun Jan 29, 2006 at 09:26:53 AM PDT
Tomorrow, you will vote on whether to end debate on the nomination of Samuel Alito. In an atmosphere where too many mask their intentions in platitudes and coy terms, allow me to blunt. You dropped the ball. Before the hearings, you failed to establish a clear strategy approaching this nomination. At the hearings, you tried, but failed to convey to the American people how disastrous Alito's record really is. After the hearings, it became each member for himself. And finally, you let the media confirm this man without question.

You dropped the ball, and it would have been easy for us to heed the Republican call and give up. But when you dropped the ball, Senators, we picked it up. The second you approached us for help, we pounced into action. We leaped to action not because we were sure of victory. We are the reality-based community, after all. We know the numbers are against us. We know the chances of a successful filibuster are near zero. But we also know that if you don't stand up for your beliefs when so much is at stake, rhetoric of opposition rings painfully hollow.

PA-Sen: Ricky keeps on lying

PA-Sen: Ricky keeps on lying
by kos
Fri Jan 27, 2006 at 05:51:56 PM PDT
It's starting to sound pathological.



Today Santorum said this to the Pittsburg Post-Gazette:



"I had absolutely nothing to do--never met, never talked, never coordinated, never did anything -- with Grover Norquist and the -- quote -- K Street Project."





C&L has video of Ricky being introduced by Grover at an event 6/28/05:



"Thank you Grover, and I appreciate your help and support on this and many other issues..."



I mean, there's obfuscation, and then there are bald-faced lies that can easily be exposed. Weird. Ricky is cracking.

Anticipa-ay-tion ... It's Making Me Lie

Anticipa-ay-tion ... It's Making Me Lie
by SusanG
Mon Jan 23, 2006 at 07:23:02 PM PDT
Just to try and keep a few lies documented in one place, here are this evening's offerings, inspired by today's Newsday report cited in the first item below:

Katrina:


"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."
-- President Bush, September 1, 2005

WASHINGTON-- The Homeland Security Department was warned a day before Hurricane Katrina hit that the storm's surge could breach levees and leave New Orleans flooded for weeks or months, documents released Monday show.
-- Newsday, January 23, 2006


And who can forget the recent Monty Python "Spanish Inquisition" moment for Bremer:


Washington -- Paul Bremer, who led the U.S. civilian occupation authority in Iraq after the 2003 invasion, has admitted the United States did not anticipate the insurgency, NBC Television said yesterday.
-- Globe and Mail, January 7, 2006

Rebuilding Iraq will require a considerable commitment of American resources, but the longer U.S. presence is maintained, the more likely violent resistance will develop.
-- Army War College Report, February 2003


And, of course, the granddaddy of them all, that "plane flying into buildings" thing:


"I don't think anybody could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center, take another one and slam it into the Pentagon."
-- Condoleezza Rice, May 16, 2002

WASHINGTON -- In the two years before the Sept. 11 attacks, the North American Aerospace Defense Command conducted exercises simulating what the White House says was unimaginable at the time: hijacked airliners used as weapons to crash into targets and cause mass casualties.

One of the imagined targets was the World Trade Center. In another exercise, jets performed a mock shootdown over the Atlantic Ocean of a jet supposedly laden with chemical poisons headed toward a target in the United States. In a third scenario, the target was the Pentagon -- but that drill was not run after Defense officials said it was unrealistic, NORAD and Defense officials say.
-- USA Today, April 18, 2004


Feel free to add suggestions and links for ridiculous "nobody anticipated" moments in comments below. Perhaps we could work up a document to include in dkospedia.

Or ... you know ... just rant and vent, share your outrage and pain.

Mystery Skeleton

Does anyone have any idea what animal this is?

We found it while we were hiking today. It was inside the tunnel beside the skeleton of a deer.

We think maybe an oppossum or racoon?

Thanks for all your help.

First hike of the year

We were getting a serious case of cabin fever, so we decided to grab our packs, the dog and go for a hike when the kids got home from school today. Our friend Susan and her two little kids went with. It was a learning experience and we'll do better next time.

We chose to hike out to a near by train tunnel. Hadn't been there since the kids were born, so it was time. I had forgotten how far it really was. A total of eight miles round trip. A bit much for us after months of being couch potatoes, but we made it. Took us three hours to do the trip.

I need better boots before our next trip or at least better socks. My feet are aching. We have to go through our daughter's pack and empty it. I carried it for a bit on the way home and it weighs more than she does!

The dog had a blast. A whole new area for him to claim as his own.

The tunnel was neat. There were large ice formations from water leaking through the roof. We all enjoyed it and will definately go again. If the weather holds, we'll go again next week.

I hate cults who try to convert me to their false god

I was home alone this afternoon, just finishing up the dishes. The dogs start flipping out and I see two men on my enclosed porch. They had already opened the front door and were at my inside door.

I was on the phone with a friend and went running to see what was up. Figured it was the men in black coming to take me away. That would have been more pleasant than the two freak jobs trying to convert me to their cult.

I open the door, holding the phone in one and and trying to keep the dogs back with the other. Started yelling for them to get out of my house. They just smile and try to start their garbage speel. GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! (Among other choice words. Being married to a former Marine, I learned all sorts of "colorful language") When the male dog broke free, they finally got the point and moved out.

Had it been a little later and the phone not in my hand, they very well might have found a loaded Glock 9 mm in my hand.

Religious freedom does NOT give these cults the right to walk into my home and try to convince me their god is better than mine.

We Are PENN STATE!!!

Wow! That's all I can say about the game that ended with JoePa's Nittany Lions winning 26-23 over Bobby Bowden's Florida State. I'm trying really hard to break my nail biting habit and watching this game was pure torture!!!

Did anyone else see it? I scared the kids a few times yelling. They had gone to bed at 9 p.m. and the game was just warming up at that time. By midnight, I was getting more and more worried, but kept the faith and the Lions prooved why the sky is indeed painted "BLUE AND WHITE!"

Both teams made their share of mistakes and Florida shouldn't feel bad about losing the game. They played well, but Penn State just wanted it more.

Happy New Year!

Did everyone have a good night? We had friends over for a small party. Ringing in the new year with close friends and family is the only way to celebrate. We're not major party animals, so being in Times Square with thousands of strangers just isn't the thing for us.

Getting ready to go to my parents' house for pork and sauerkraut. Have to have it on New Years Day to ensure luck in this new year. Anyone else have traditions they follow every year?

Then we'll have the Steeler game to keep us going. They have to win today or won't make it to the next step towards the Stupidbowl.

Penn State has the Orange Bowl this week. We are PENN STATE!!!

Hoping everyone has a better 2006 than 2005.