Going Deep Undercover

Well, after these many moons of trying to deal with the arrogance of the Rove deserves a medal crowd, I Dirk D. DeDurkheim have decided to go deep undercover into richman'sland. Now what I have done is under the guise of a family vacation, I have ventured into a richman'sland beach getaway.

I am here to discover why the GOP, far right-wingers and others are so ignorant of the facts, why they support their guys such as Bush and Cheney and Rove even after they have committed crimes, and try to figure out ways to stop their evil agenda for tomorrow.

As I figure, it is a lot easier than going to the Republican national convention where I had to deal with Crazy Ann Coulter or kill 'em all Michael Savage.

I will regularly report my activities and findings to all of you, dear readers of the Rising Hegemon, so that we can all understand the bizarre and unique thinking of the right-wing.

Wish me luck. Next report this afternoon.

Power Pop Influences

From the culure desk of the Rising Hegemon:

This is a must read my music loving friends! Several interesting if short commentaries about the most influential musicians and bands on some creative music makers from Magnet Magazine.

And I have few quibbles with some of the comments. You all know me and that I can be quite particular about music but I've long preached an expansive definition of power pop music... But Faith No More's "Epic"? Really? If Faith No More's "Epic" is power pop then so is "Enter Sandman" by Metallica.

Good going Todd Rundgren and NRBQ!

Did anyone out there in Rising Hegemon world go to see the Raspberries in New York this weekend? If so, please report back....

Strange

Why do I find the notion of a Rolling Stones tour repellent, yet I'd go see the Kinks or Who even today, quite willingly?

I mean the Who hasn't made a record in more than 20 years, and they all are pretty much as old as the members of the Stones. Is it because the Kinks were always a less pretentious band and the Who always are more serious, more pissed off one?

I dunno, all I know is that I have always found Ray Davies a most likeable chap; and no matter how long it has been since they've made something new Mssrs. Daltrey and Townsend still blow other acts away when it comes to intensity. Maybe it is just me.

Of course, I'm now a middle-aged fart too. DeDurkheim is the music guy, I've never been a audiophile.

So much for the window into my tastes...here's a picture of an asshole.

Had other priorities, but served by enjoying "Ballad of the Green Berets"

The slime bucket

Atrios noted the 12-Hour Gap that Frank Rich discusses in his column today, but this is also something that really struck me when Rich was discussing the events of two years ago:

That memo may have been the genesis of an orchestrated assault on the Wilsons. That the administration was then cocky enough and enraged enough to go after its presumed enemies so systematically can be found in a similar, now forgotten attack that was hatched on July 15, the day after the publication of Mr. Novak's column portraying Mr. Wilson as a girlie man dependent on his wife for employment.

On that evening's broadcast of ABC's "World News Tonight," American soldiers in Falluja spoke angrily of how their tour of duty had been extended yet again, only a week after Donald Rumsfeld told them they were going home. Soon the Drudge Report announced that ABC's correspondent, Jeffrey Kofman, was gay. Matt Drudge told Lloyd Grove of The Washington Post at the time that "someone from the White House communications shop" had given him that information.

Mr. McClellan denied White House involvement with any Kofman revelation, a denial now worth as much as his denials of White House involvement with the trashing of the Wilsons. Identifying someone as gay isn't a crime in any event, but the "outing" of Mr. Kofman (who turned out to be openly gay) almost simultaneously with the outing of Ms. Plame points to a pervasive culture of revenge in the White House and offers a clue as to who might be driving it. As Joshua Green reported in detail in The Atlantic Monthly last year, a recurring feature of Mr. Rove's political campaigns throughout his career has been the questioning of an "opponent's sexual orientation."

Again, what bastards this group really is.

The "Great Man (or Woman) Theory"

In Rick Atkinson's recent Pulitzer Prize winning book, "An Army At Dawn" there is a specific reference about Dwight Eisenhower that particularly seems to apply across the spectrum of American History:

"One of the fascinations of the war was to see how the Americans develop their great men so quickly"

There is no doubt that much of the "greatness" of individuals is a combination of depth of crisis and success in meeting it, with a liberal portion of fawning propoganda added to the mix. But a review of American History does reveal that in our history great crisis have produced great individuals, and we have been fortunate in their being chosen by and large, though not always.

Out of the Revolutionary War came the huge number of historical giants, some far too steeped in myth, some so awash in it that we lose the person to the myth and the examination goes to others. George Washington is built up to the point where most people find him positively dull, especially when compared to the deeply flawed, but brilliant Jefferson, and the poisoned-pen John Adams. Washington seems a marble bust waiting to happen, too perfect for us to even contemplate.

Forget the fact that Washington was quite imperfect, a slave owner who detested slavery far more than Jefferson ever did; an average tactician of a general who was nonetheless a very sound strategist; and an extremely ambitious man who repeatedly hid his ambition in the cloak of being above being ambitious. Few were ever more accomplished and more complicated, and had more of their humanity drained out of them by immortalization.

The Civil War gave us Lincoln, the depressive; Grant the alcoholic; and even on the losing side, Robert E. Lee, who lost, but lost with grace. Americans love a good loser, especially if he is a vessel into which the foolishness of their cause can be excused.

And it goes on and on and on.

Which brings us to today.

I know I'm a liberal and a democrat, but I still think I have the capability to distinguish great times from non-great times. Further, in our history there have been great "Conservatives" as well as "Liberals", Washington, Hamilton, Adams, Eisenhower all great men in a conservative's garment.

And what do we have today?

I may have seen a "great historical" moment in September 11, 2001, but it takes petty and small people to turn huge moments in history into what we have today. I certainly am willing to call Bush's Administration many things, as are Conservatives, but it takes a first-rate disillusionment, nay a serious psychological disorder, to call George W. Bush "great". Naive, sure; a martinet, you bet; an empty suit, uh-huh. That would be tolerable if he was supported by decent individuals, but alas, we have Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld and Condi Rice. The "four horsemen of the fuckupolypse".

All we are getting is the propaganda.

EXHIBIT A

EXHIBIT B

EXHIBIT C

An innocent man

It is telling that the insection of Bloodlust Street & War Mongering Avenue prattles on about a poll on the feelings of British Muslims, yet says nothing about the fact that the man killed, aparently in cold blood, on Friday was not Middle Eastern, not a terrorist, but was killed because, as a Brazilian there were communication problems.

People cannot seem to fathom that while those who practice terror are bloodthirsty murderers, sometimes we are as well. BOTH societies have fundamental problems, if we were more honest about ours, perhaps we would be in a better position to demand accountability from other cultures.

I haven't been watching the Cable News today...

But surely the fact that more than 80 people died in Egyptian bombings has been getting the same wall-to-wall coverage and reports about what American authorities are doing respectively in this country, right?

Right?

...

Right?

Working Overtime

Rush's second best little buddy (after these) is certainly using his spot in the New York Times to try excuse Rush for on a doctor shopping charge. That is two consecutive microscopically-thin veiled columns that excuse Rush Limbaugh.

One would think the "Gray Lady" would not be so enthusiastic about using their paper to do favors for your friends.

But then they do employ Judith Miller.

Just a cursory look

Atrios and others have been more on top of the Ohio Coin scandal involving one Thomas Noe.

For myself I made a joke or two about it.

But here are some donations of interest for the Noe's of Ohio.

How much of that money was "Coin" money?

Ask Dr. Attaturk July 23, 2005

Question No. 1:

Dear Doc A:

I'm an adult may in late middle ages. It appears that there is a possibility of some incarceration time for me in the near future. Do you think I can survive prison?

Thanks,

Scooter

Dear Scooter,

With a nickname like Scooter, I imagine you will like prison just fine. Who would ever think of making a guy with that nickname a prison biatch? Now, if you had a nickname like 'Turdblossom' I don't think things would be so rosy for you. If I were you, I'd memorize this phrase.

"I beg your pardon."


Question No. 2:

Dear Dr. A.J. Turkblossom:

I never said her name, all I said was that she was that guy's wife. He could have been an old fashioned mormon?

Thanks Buddy,

Unca Karl

Now Karl, you know that things don't always work that way. For example, if I said I was talking about "Satan's Stick Bitch" we'd all know I was talking about Ann Coulter. Although Beelzebub himself might file a well-merited defamation suit.

My Own Gravy

Like much of the nation, Attaturk is suffering through a heatwave. 100 degrees today, with a heat index of 115, same tomorrow.

I'm sure many of you are also suffering.

Let's not have sex for a few days, okay?

Thanks.

This is just crushingly depressing

Yesterday we linked to articles about Karen Hughes and her recollections on the outing of Valerie Plame and the fact that she seemed to have some knowledge of the matter. It was also reported that she had testified before the Grand Jury.

Further, here was the ultimate Bush insider being appointed to an Ambassador level post to deal with the Islamic World (in which I think it is safe to say, she is no scholar). Seems like an good reason to explore the Bush Administration's policy as well as further expose the mendacity of the Bush Administration. Some of us may have been expecting a Democrat or two to be there to thoroughly examine Ms. Hughes.

But NOT ONE showed up.

Not one fucking question from a Democrat, let alone a critic of the Administration!

We'd be a hell of a fuckin' Party if our most of our elected officials gave a shit. Naturally Joe Biden was involved. Was he too busy helping the credit card industry?

You People don't need to know nothin'!

The Bush Administration, hiding embarassing truths at least since January 2001.

On July 22, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) denounced the latest efforts of the Bush Administration to block the release of the Darby photos and videos depicting torture at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison facility. On June 2, 2004, CCR, along with the ACLU, Physicians for Human Rights, Veterans for Common Sense, and Veterans for Peace filed papers with the U.S. District Court, charging the Department of Defense and other government agencies with illegally withholding records concerning the abuse of detainees in American military custody. Since then, the organizations have been repeatedly rebuffed in their efforts to investigate what happened at the prison.

In June, the government requested and received an extension from the judge stating that they needed time in order to redact the faces of the men, women and children believed to be shown in the photographs and videos. They were given until today to produce the images, but at the eleventh hour filed a motion to oppose the release of the photos and videos, based on an entirely new argument: they are now requesting a 7(F) exemption from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act to withhold law enforcement-related information in order to protect the physical safety of individuals. Today’s move is the latest in a series of attempts by the government to keep the images from being made public and to cover up the torture of detainees in U.S. custody around the world.

Joseph Darby was the U.S reservist who turned over the photos and videos to U.S. Army officials and touched off the Abu Ghraib scandal in April 2004.

“This is absolutely unacceptable,” stated Michael Ratner, President of the Center for Constitutional Rights. “We can not move forward from this scandal until we have a full public accounting and independent investigation into what happened at Abu Ghraib. The government cannot continue to hide evidence of torture. The time to release these photos and videos was a long time ago.”

Expectations are that the FOIA request will release more than 100 photos and 4 videos, all believed to document deplorable human rights violations by U.S. military personnel against Iraqi civilians.

From the Magazine that

Proudly proclaimed "WE'RE WINNING" comes this solid dose of bigotry.

Charles Schumer, you cannot trust him because...


He's extra Jewish!


Hmmmm.

With a CHAIR!!

From today's Democrat sponsored hearings on the Plame Matter and why a Republican is coming to testify:

I submit this statement to the Congress in an effort to correct a malicious and disingenuous smear campaign that has been executed against a friend and former colleague, Valerie (Plame) Wilson. Neither Valerie, nor her husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson has asked me to do anything on their behalf. I am speaking up because I was raised to stop bullies. In the case of Valerie Plame she is facing a gang of bullies that is being directed by the Republican National Committee.

Bullies?



Bullies?


Gee, it seems so inapplicable.

Judy?

Has Manhands delivered a clue?

Could someone ask her today?

In her book "10 Minutes from Normal...and 4 Hours of your life you will NEVER get Back" Karen Hughes wrote the following:

"But regardless of the source, the leak compromised the confidential identity of a longtime public servant, which was wrong, and unfair to her and those who worked with her. Whoever did it should come forward and not hide behind journalistic ethics for his or her self-protection."

"I was off the FUCKING record"

See a moron spin, spin moron spin!

The irrepressible, very resistable, J-Pod.

Okay, this is getting complicated in exactly the way that attempting to study a tempest in a teapot is complicated -- because it's so small. Scooter Libby says he learned of Valerie Plame's identity from Tim Russert. Evidently, Russert told the special prosecutor he did not reveal Valerie Plame's name to Scooter Libby

Is somebody lying? Maybe -- but on the other hand maybe there's a lot of weaseling going on here and some of it is Tim Russert's.

Oh, how I shall enjoy looking at the Corner in the next few months if indictments come down.

Frankly, I enjoy it everyday. Some people ask how I can bear it?

It's material people, it's material!

The Bush Court, circa January 19, 2009

Back L to R: Justices E.D. Hill, G. Norquist, C. Thomas; S. Doocy
Front L to R: A. Scalia, A. Coulter, Chief Justice B. Kilmeade, J. Roberts, and um, R. Kove

The White House Erotic Art Expo Opens

Oh, Baby!


Ooo, la la


I need to play some Texas hold 'em, if you know what I mean.

Friday Miscellaneous Lifeform Blogging

How much must it suck to look just like the biggest animal in the world, only to end up being 4 times smaller?

A lot if you are a Minke Whale and some Orcas are nearby.

But hey, at least some middling progressive blogger saluted you...


The Minke Whale