Rock Art or Smoke Signals? ...

A new post up at Rillito River Park Photos: Rock Art or Smoke Signals? ...

Another failure by corporate-owned and character-deficient Democrats ...

Working to get Democrats a majority was an absolute waste of time and money.

Democrats have retreated from adding new privacy protections to the primary U.S counterterrorism law ...

Rockefeller, smuckafeller ...

In other words, Rockefeller was willing to be a righteous champion for the public option as long as it had no chance of passing (sadly, we just can't do it, because although it has 50 votes in favor, it doesn't have 60). But now that Democrats are strongly considering the reconciliation process -- which will allow passage with only 50 rather than 60 votes and thus enable them to enact a public option -- Rockefeller is suddenly "inclined to oppose it" because he doesn't "think the timing of it is very good" and it's "too partisan." What strange excuses for someone to make with regard to a provision that he claimed, a mere five months ago (when he knew it couldn't pass), was such a moral and policy imperative that he "would not relent" in ensuring its enactment.

Except for, maybe Grijalva, 99.9% of those who have supported the Public Option appear to have been deliberately deceiving their supporters. I wish I believed these people would get their just desserts like getting soundly trounced in an election; having their entire constituency calling up and telling them to start doing their job instead of being a paid corporate pasty; or some other miraculous intervention to turn these turds into decent people instead of public paid conmen.

The goal of journalists ...

... the prime function of establishment journalism in the U.S.: to uncritically amplify the views of those who wield political power. And it is also perfectly consistent with their first mandate: the U.S. is incapable of acts of evil (and certainly incapable of "Terrorism"), which is reserved only for those foreigners who dislike and "protest" the United States.

I wonder, is this mind set taught in journalism class?

In my opinion, journalists as government, or ruling class, propagandists is not limited to the US. I listen to BBC News podcasts and most follow the same style of putting words into their subjects mouths and unquestioningly or deliberately accepting mostly propaganda from those they interview. The BBC and other foreign news organizations may report on topics that American news deliberately ignores but that does not mean that they are any more open minded, logical, thorough or inquisitive than their American counterparts.

"Did Obama just kill the public option?" ...

Well, why not? It was obvious that he was lying every time he sorta, maybe, perhaps supported the Public Option:

Curious

I have to agree that Marshmallow Man Obama is not as bad as Bush The Lesser, but that is so far from a compliment or recommendation that it is embarrassing.

Today's quote ...

Jon Walker, firedoglake.com: “What a strange ‘Democracy’ we live in that an idea is too popular for any to stand against yet it might bring down the whole party and health care reform because many so deeply hate their supporters.”

Information, and more, about Mesothelioma ...

There are an untold number of people who have been exposed to asbestos in varying degrees.

For information about the disease caused by asbestos inhalation visit

Mesothelioma Cancer

NOTE: Linked changed.

Obama, the Marshmallow Man ...

Clueless

While I wasn't looking ...

Took a day away from computer and news and what does Obama do?

President Obama Flogs Republicans with a Smile

And the Thugs --and FOX noise-- are sorry the camera were running.

Russert: Republicans Say It Was a Mistake Cameras Were Allowed to Roll During President's Appearance at Retreat

Poor babies.

Obama's performance has been described as good theatre. Hopefully there's more to it than that. We'll just have to wait and see what Obama actually does ... or does not. Obama is good at words. It's action on his promises we want. If this theatre helps us get there then good. If it's just an end in itself then, well, that would be more of the same ... so we wait again for Obama action.

The summing up of Obama ...

... Obama not only refuses to point out that progressives have better ideas about health care reform, but he pretends that these progressive ideas don’t even exist at all. ...

Something to be hopeful about? ...

... the President [not Bush the Lesser but Obama the Hopeless] claims the power to order U.S. citizens killed anywhere in the world, while engaged even in the most benign activities carried out far away from any actual battlefield, based solely on his say-so and with no judicial oversight or other checks. ...

Saving us from Conservatism, yea!

So we're in Afghanistan to teach them about democracy, the rule of law, and basic precepts of Western justice. Meanwhile, Afghan officials vehemently object to the lawless, due-process-free assassination "hit list" of their citizens based on the unchecked say-so of the U.S. Government, and have to lecture us on the rule of law and Constitutional constraints. By stark contrast, our own Government, our media and our citizenry appear to find nothing wrong whatsoever with lawless assassinations aimed at our own citizens. And the most glaring question for those who critized Bush/Cheney detention policies but want to defend this: how could anyone possibly object to imprisoning foreign nationals without charges or due process at Guantanamo while approving of the assassination of U.S. citizens without any charges or due process?

Worth thinking about ...

Reagan may have proved that deficits don't matter politically, but Clinton proved that fixing deficits doesn't matter politically either. They impeached the man over unauthorized fellatio and then ran on tax cuts, stole the election and immediately put the country into debt all over again. The idea that Democrats will get some political benefit from a lot of sharp talk about deficits and "freezes" is a pipe dream. Obama will be hurt by the bad economy and benefit from its revival. But unlike Reagan, he's tied his own hands on policy leaving him little room to maneuver if the economy stays bad. And when (if) the economy rebounds he will not seen as someone who was courageous for "staying the course" and validating his own liberal beliefs --- he will be seen as having acquiesced to the conservative agenda, which will get all the credit. And conversely, liberalism will be discredited even though it did all the heavy lifting. Awesome.

... should, that is, the Obama team consider using their collective thinking apparatuses (something they seemed to know how to do during the campaign but put aside once elected).

Live and Learn. John Amato thinks ...

that

"... President Obama's first year has been for the most part to try and save the country from conservatism and then try to pass health care. We might terribly dislike the approach he's taken towards these problems, but that's it in the nutshell."

Saving the country from conservatism is what Obama is trying to do? That is what John Amato thinks Obama is trying to do?

Surprised speechless am I.

Words and games ...

Shades of 1937? Obama to Announce Three-Year Spending Freeze in State of the Union

Wonder what Obama will actually say in his speech ...
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I tend to think that Greenwald is right in who Obama intends to betray:

The clear fact is that, no matter how severe are our budgetary constraints, military spending and all so-called "security-related programs" are off-limits for any freezes, let alone decreases. Moreover, the modest spending freeze to be announced by Obama tomorrow is just the start; the Washington consensus has solidified and is clearly gearing up for major cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, with the dirty work to be done by an independent "deficit commission." It's time for "everyone" to sacrifice and suffer some more -- as long as "everyone" excludes our vast military industry, the permanent power factions inside the Pentagon and intelligence community, our Surveillance and National Security State, and the imperial policies of perpetual war which feed them while further draining the lifeblood out of the country.

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Isn't Obama just so smart? And destructive?

The Obama Chill: In 2012 Obama Will Run Against Democratic Congress

And mind you, I spoke of Obama’s “perceived self-interest” above, because no matter how you look at it this policy simply makes no sense. Voters in 2010 are going to be voting on their pocketbook. Voters in 2012 are going to be voting on their pocketbook. They don’t really care about deficits. Rather, they care about a working economy. And this little PR stunt will only make it harder for Obama to do what he needs to do to get the economy working again.