Month: September 2004

Burying the News.

The nation’s senior citizens got a dose of what they could expect from a second Bush term yesterday: a 17.5% hike in Medicare premiums. Nice of the Post to accentuate the screwy timing of the announcement: “As most Americans began the Labor Day holiday weekend, federal health officials held a late-afternoon briefing to announce that the 42 million disabled and elderly Medicare beneficiaries will be hit with the largest premium increase in 15 years.“

Agents of Empire.

“Democracy matters are frightening in our time precisely because the three dominant dogmas of free-market fundamentalism, aggressive militarism, and escalating authoritarianism are snuffing out the democratic impulses that are so vital for the deepening and spread of democracy in the world. In short, we are experiencing the sad American imperial devouring of American democracy.” By way of Rebecca’s Pocket and DangerousMeta, Princeton philosopher (and Matrix Elder) Cornel West weighs in on the dangers of Dubyaism.

The Waiting Game.

“‘We’re at the height of the Roman Empire for the Republican Party…[but i]f we continue to lose 90 percent of the African American vote — and I got 7 percent — if we continue to lose 65 percent of the Hispanic vote, we’re toast…Just look at the electoral map.'” With or without a second term for Dubya, Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Chuck Hagel see trouble ahead for the GOP. Notes Hagel: “The Republican Party has come loose of its moorings.“

Paranoid Eyes.

In the trailer bin, Robin Williams edits memories for a living in the sci-fi thriller The Final Cut, while you (a.k.a. Carl Johnson) build a criminal empire in a first look at the much-awaited Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (and specifically the peril-filled city of Los Santos.) If you’re a GTA enthusiast, the interactive map is worth playing with.

The Bush B.S. Bounce.

Are you sitting down? Time Magazine is reporting that Dubya’s now up 11 on Kerry, 52%-41%. Phew, that’s ugly…but we are post-convention now, and, various October surprises notwithstanding, I really can’t see how Dubya goes anywhere but down. Plus, we already know both Kerry and Edwards are solid closers. Still, the GOP and their corporate cronies have gotten away with misrepresenting John Kerry for far too long. For the sake of our republic, it’s time to push these lying bastards back. Update: A new Newsweek poll shows basically the same spread. Grr.

Firedster.

While tooling around on Friendster the other day, I noticed I’d somehow lost a handful of friends very recently. Now I know why…one of them was fired for blogging. (More here.) Hmmm…given the innocuous content of Troutgirl’s posts, this would be lame in most any circumstance. But since Friendster’s whole bag is “social software,” this seems particularly pathetic. (Found via Plasticbag.)

Fighting Mad.

“‘Let me tell you what I think makes someone unfit for duty,’ Kerry said. ‘Misleading our nation into war in Iraq makes you unfit to lead this nation. Doing nothing while this nation loses millions of jobs makes you unfit to lead this nation. Letting 45 million Americans go without health care makes you unfit to lead this nation. Letting the Saudi royal family control our energy costs makes you unfit to lead this nation. Handing out billions [in] government contracts without a bid to Halliburton while you’re still on their payroll makes you unfit.’” It’s about freakin’ time we got some push-back…now just wait until the Pleasure Boat Captains for Truth ads start airing.

(Daddy’s Little Rich) Boyz II Men.

“Only in an election year ruled by fiction could a sissy who used Daddy’s connections to escape Vietnam turn an actual war hero into a girlie-man.” A more irate-than-usual Frank Rich examines how Dubya’s minions have kept him a leg up in today’s testosterone-fueled election cycle, despite the fact that “nearly anyone is more manly than a president who didn’t have the guts to visit with the 9/11 commission unaccompanied by a chaperone.”