Have a non offensive Turkey Day

So how festive can we really feel this holiday season? We still live in a bitterly divided country where smear tactics and political hate infect the very fabric of our people. We are one messed up country folks. While people lined up for days to get their hands on the new X-Box 360 game console from Microsoft the debate in the House of Representatives was reaching its boiling point. The White House sent Dick Cheney up to the plate to basically call all who oppose the war in Iraq as unpatriotic, anti American and against our troops. Cheney's comments were insulting to say the least.

On the House floor in Washington Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) called for the immediate redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq and immediately generated heated debate and retaliation from the right. Murtha, a decorated Vietnam Vet and former POW said "The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion. The American public is way ahead of us. The United States and coalition troops have done all they can in Iraq, but it is time for a change in direction. Our military is suffering. The future of our country is at risk. We can not continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military action in Iraq is not in the best interest of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf Region."

His plan called for:

To immediately redeploy U.S. troops consistent with the safety of U.S. forces.
To create a quick reaction force in the region.
To create an over- the- horizon presence of Marines.
To diplomatically pursue security and stability in Iraq

The Republicans fumed. They sent out Cheney to bark back:

"What is not legitimate -- and what I will again say is dishonest and reprehensible -- is the suggestion by some U. S. Senators that the President of the United States or any member of his administration purposely misled the American people on pre-war intelligence. Some of the most irresponsible comments have come from politicians who actually voted in favor of authorizing the use of force against Saddam Hussein. These are elected officials who had access to the intelligence materials. They are known to have a high opinion of their own analytical capabilities."

Notice that Cheney included "misled by The President OR any member of his administration".
He should have just included the President. Anyone with half a brain knows that the intelligence was bent and molded to fit what the administration fed us as "Overwheming evidence". Remember Colin Powell at the UN and all the cool photos of fuel rods and Mobile chemical weapon labs???
And who can forget this ditty-"Saddam Hussein is harboring terrorists and the instruments of terror, the instruments of mass death and destruction. And he cannot be trusted. The risk is simply too great that he will use them, or provide them to a terror network," President Bush said in Cincinatti in 2002

The Republicans right wing radio mouthpieces gleefully joined the Republican hate parade calling Murtha "an opportunist" and "the useful idiot of the moment"

Cheney was a bit late in trying to mend the administrations disaster in Iraq. Opinion polls show that 55 to 57 percent of Americans believe the Bush administration was intentionally misleading in the run up to war. That kind of mistrust is why the question of the administration's integrity has become a part of American politics. Whether or not Democrats voted to go or not just shows that they believed the same hogwash most of the country believed when over 66% agreed to go after Hussein. So why cant a Congressman changed his mind?

Rather than address any of the allegations against the administration, however, Cheney used a handful of regurgitated arguments and age old assertions to make his points. And he took no questions.

So the Republicans introduced their own measure calling for the "immediate withdrawal of all troops" with no viable timetable attached unlike Murtha's measure. Murtha's resolution, which cited polling data, the cost of the war, and the rising American death toll, called for the redeployment of U.S. forces "at the earliest practicable date," the maintaining of strategic military presence in the region, and continued diplomatic efforts in Iraq.

The Republicans resolution contained a single line: "Resolved, [t]hat it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately."

The Republicans measure was soundly voted down just as they had planned. The right wing media machine jumped on this at once claiming that it was Murtha's measure that was voted down. It wasn't. The Republican version was voted down and of course it was significantly different than Murtha's. This of course did not stop Fox News Sean Hannity and John Gibson to report on Fox that Murtha's measure was "voted down". Murtha's was never even voted on. Fair and balanced indeed.

Of course how could a political beef be complete without Fox News Right Wing Whore Bill O'Reilly spewing more shit smelling vile from deep inside his spitefull belly O' hate. This time though I agree somewhat with Bill's argument. Well sort of.

He has been going off on retailers that have changed their Holiday greeting policy. Major retailers such as KB Toys and FAO Schwarz will now use the greeting "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" so they wont offend people of other faiths who do not celebrate Christmas. I find this pretty stupid myself. The vast majority of Americans celebrate Christmas. Though Christmas is a "religious" holiday, if you asked 90% of American kids today what Christmas represents they will say "presents!" Either way retailers that feel the need to offend Christians in order to not offend the minority so they can save sales is idiotic. I am not a practicing "Christian" and even I find this silly. I am not going to get my panties in a bunch over it though. If it truly offended me I would shop elsewhere. That's my choice and its KB Toys choice however skewed it may be.

Well, Bill O'Reilly will have none of this. Listen to Bill swill the hate on Fox News: Bill O'Reilly claimed that "it's all part of the secular progressive agenda ... to get Christianity and spirituality and Judaism out of the public square." He then added: "because if you look at what happened in Western Europe and Canada, if you can get religion out, then you can pass secular progressive programs, like legalization of narcotics, euthanasia, abortion at will, gay marriage, because the objection to those things is religious-based, usually."
This guy is out in left field. He is truly a warped individual. I am sure FAO Shwartz will have an abortion booth and a gay marriage chapel added soon. Bill needs to lay off the coffee. Bill believes that the retailers "understand the anger that's going to be engendered by millions of Americans who believe that their cherished holiday is being denigrated, disrespected."

I haven't yet run into many of the "millions of Americans" yet who are going to take to the streets this holiday to put the "Christmas" back in "Merry" but once I see them I will report it here. One thing is for sure if some parent can get their greedy hands on an Xbox 360 for Junior you can bet they will buy it from "Habeebs house of Satanic Fist Fucking" if they have too!. Happy Chanuka!!

Enjoy your Turkey Day and be sure not to insult any poultry in the process.

Being Merry,
J