talk still cheap | Hardball Mix

talk still cheap | MoveOn Mix

The US House of Representatives didn't censure Vice President Cheney when he falsely connected Al Qaeda to Saddam Hussein.

They didn't hold Colin Powell responsible for the misleading testimony he gave the United Nations about WMD in Iraq.

They didn't exercise their constitutionally mandated obligation to check President Bush when he went outside the law to begin warrantless (and therefore legally unwarranted) eavesdropping on American citizens.

They didn't condemn the Republicans when they attacked Sen. John Kerry's war record and questioned his patriotism.

They didn't disavow the dispicable actions of Senator Saxby Chambliss when he ran ads comparing triple-amputee and war hero Max Cleland to Osama bin Laden.

They still haven't done the hard work necessary to shift the course of US policy on Iraq.

But this afternoon, the US House of Representatives joined the US Senate in condemning a MoveOn.org newspaper ad that cast doubt on the trustworthiness of General David Petraeus as a spokesman for Administration policy in Iraq.

I'm one of three million MoveOn.org members. I was unhappy with the ad's headline because I thought it was undisciplined. But the substance of the ad demands a considered response from the US Congress and the American people.

I figure we're all included somewhere in that short list.

What's Your News IQ?

What's Your News IQ?

The Pew Research Center poses a 12 question multiple choice (my 7th grade science teacher called it multiple guess) quiz about prominent people and major events in the news -- to compare your basic news awareness with 1,005 randomly sampled adults asked the same questions in a recent national survey.

You'll also be able to compare your News IQ with the average scores of men and women; with college graduates as well as those who didn't attend college; with people who are your age as well as with younger and older Americans. Take the News Quiz.

talk still cheap

I believe it's time for US Senators and Members of Congress to stop saying they support US troops until such time as they are ready to assure that troops are properly trained, equipped, cared-for and brought home.

Anything less is just a lie.

those kids and their electric toys

Daniel King is having fun with Adobe Creative Suite.

You can find the real thing here.

the business of war | free enterprise at its worst

What the hell is wrong with us? Seriously.

ANARCHY IN THE (former) U.K. (colony)

So I go into the washroom at Tim Horton's in Vicotria, B.C. and take a seat (if that's not too much information — just taking care of business). Anyway, I notice an anarchist has despoiled the metal door of the enclosure with a silver Sharpie. He's drawn the stylized A in a circle and above it — brace yourself; this is graphic — the words have a nice poo.

Have a nice poo? No wonder we always feel so comfortable here — even anarchists wish us well. I'm sorry, but British Columbians are nicer than the rest of us.

the buck stops here

"When these soldiers, sailors and airmen are buried, they're not buried as Republicans or Democrats. I care a hell of a lot more about them than I do about partisan politics."

— Congressman John Tanner, The Washington Post, September 13, 2007

Supply Side Jesus

If I'm not the last to see this, I suppose you are. Cringe. Enjoy. Share.

number one with a bullet

Just arrived in British Columbia where this 60 second spot carries particular significance because about 800 Canadians died from gunshot wounds in 2003 — the most recent year for which figures are complete.

In the US there were just over 30,000 deaths by gunshot in 2003.

Take that Canada. We're Number One! We're Number One!...

Katrina | two years on

In three minutes and 54 seconds you'll see something you can do that's very simple and direct — that should have been done already. Better now than never.