Art Pottery, Politics and Food
Saturday, January 21, 2006
 

Somehow Blanche duRove, frail and in a neurotic emotional state, escaped her squalid relationship with a swarthy muscleman long enough to speak on the Elysian Fields of southern gentility yesterday afternoon:

"I stayed and struggled…and tried to hold it together. Oh, I'm not meaning this in any reproachful way. But all the burdens descended on my shoulders...You were the one that abandoned Belle ‘Merica, not I. I stayed and fought for it, bled for it, almost died for it…I took the blows in my face and my body. All of those deaths. The long parade to the graveyard…Death is expensive…And I, on my pitiful salary…Where were you?"

Modified Image: New York Times, USOperaWeb.com, Washington Post
Apologies: Tennessee Williams
- posted by Sean @ 12:54 PM 2 comments
Friday, January 20, 2006
 


Hardball, January 18, 2006:

MATTHEWS: She said, “God wants New Orleans to be rebuilt.” How does she know? Why are people talking for a deity? We can argue whether there is a God, but then to be hearing voices. This is the Joan of Arc stuff.

ROGERS: There do appear to be a lot of people hearing divine calling right now. I haven't read what Mrs. Bush said, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

MATTHEWS: She said God wants us to rebuild New Orleans.

ROGERS: Well, maybe he does.

MATTHEWS: Well, sure. Maybe he hasn't give it any thought, I'm not sure. I just don't know, but I wouldn't presume.

ROGERS: I don't want to pick on Mrs. Bush. I don't know what she said. I give her the benefit of the doubt.

MATTHEWS: Well, I just told you what she said. But you can hide behind ignorance.

ROGERS: Ignorance is bliss.

MATTHEWS: I know.

Earlier that very day on MSNBC's Imus In the Morning, Matthews continued giving in to his bliss with a cheesy attempt to steal some of the controversy swirling around the film Brokeback Mountain:

MATTHEWS: Well, the wonderful Michael Savage…calls it [laughter]—what’s he call it?—he calls it Bare-back Mount-ing. That’s his name for the movie.

IMUS: Of course, Bernard calls it [deleted]pack Mountain...

Maybe Chris should ask Mrs. Bush what God calls the movie, huh?

Modified Image: MSNBC, Reuters, Bright Eyes
- posted by Sean @ 1:54 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
 
Jack-Jack Attack


White House Briefing , January 17, 2005:

Q Scott, what was the subject matter when Jack Abramoff met with staff here?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?

Q What was the subject --

MR. McCLELLAN: I just indicated earlier to Elisabeth's questions that we just don't get into discussing White House staff-level meetings. We never really have.

Q Can you say who Mr. Abramoff was representing when he came in here?

MR. McCLELLAN: No. Again, we don't get into discussing staff-level meetings. If you have something specific to bring to my attention, I'll be glad to try to look into that. But I'm not aware of anything specific that you have.

Q What got him in the door here? How did he qualify for meetings here?

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, I checked on this. What I was asked is to go and check on this, and I did. And there were only a couple of holiday receptions that he attended, and then a few staff-level meetings on top of that. And that's the way I would describe it.
Now, what I can't do is go and say with absolute certainty that he did not have any other visits. We did a check at your request and what I have learned from that request is exactly what I am telling you.

Q Was it senior staff, at that level?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?

Q Would you qualify it as senior staff that he
met with here?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm just saying staff-level meetings is the way I would describe it. And if you have anything specific, I'll be glad to take a look into it.

Q Well, we're counting on you for the specifics --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, if there's any reason for me to check into it, please bring it to my attention.

Q He's pled guilty to some serious charges.

MR. McCLELLAN: And so are you insinuating something?

Q We're just trying to find out the facts.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, if you've got something to bring to my attention, do so, and then I'll be glad to look into it.

Q Scott, that's not a fair burden to place on us. This is a guy who is a tainted lobbyist, and he has connections -- we want to know -- with whom in the White House. You shouldn't demand that we give you something specific to go check it out. I mean, this guy is radioactive in Washington. And he knows guys like Karl Rove. So did he meet with him or not?

MR. McCLELLAN: I know of nothing that --

Q Don't put it on us to bring something specific. It's a specific question about a specific individual.

Q Can you tell us if he met with Karl Rove?

MR. McCLELLAN: Because we don't discuss staff-level meetings --

Q Of course you do, whenever you want to discuss staff-level meetings. And if Karl Rove, who has ties to Ralph Reed, which he does, we want to know if he has ties to Jack Abramoff, and if they met --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I can answer that.

Q Oh, great. Well, before you said --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I mean, about if he knows -- yes, he knows -- he knows Mr. Abramoff. They are both former heads of the College Republicans. That's how they got to know each other way back, I think it was in the early '80s. And my understanding is that Karl would describe it as more of a casual relationship, than a business relationship. That's what he has said.
But if you've got specific matters that I need to look into, it's my point that I think it's your obligation to bring that to my attention and I'll be glad to take a look into it.

Q Well, I don't --

MR. McCLELLAN: There's been no --

Q -- no, no, but I don't think it's our obligation to do anything. If we want to know whether there was pending business that Abramoff represented to members of the staff here at the White House, what do we need --

MR. McCLELLAN: There's been no suggestion of anything like that out of this White House.

Q -- some kind of an affidavit to bring you to --

MR. McCLELLAN: There's been no suggestion of anything like this in this White House.

Q: I'm just asking. I'm not suggesting.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, you're insinuating.

Modified Image: NYT, Reuters
- posted by Sean @ 6:55 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
 

According to the Washington Post:

The Supreme Court upheld Oregon's...physician-assisted suicide law...rejecting a Bush administration attempt to punish doctors...on a 6-3 vote.

From SupremeCourtUS.gov:

KENNEDY, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which STEVENS, O’CONNOR, SOUTER, GINSBURG, and BREYER, JJ., joined. SCALIA, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which ROBERTS, C. J., and THOMAS, J., joined.
THOMAS, J., filed a dissenting opinion.

Modified Image: Google, Enzite.com
- posted by Sean @ 12:35 PM 0 comments
Monday, January 16, 2006
 
Render Unto Big Brother


According to yesterday's Washington Post:

Laura Bush said Sunday that the U.S. government is right to eavesdrop on Americans..."I think the American people expect the United States government and the president to do what they can."

Image: Reuters, TheLibraryLady.net
- posted by Sean @ 11:55 AM 0 comments

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