Rush Limbaugh again proves himself unworthy of sharing America with others. You don't want this guy polluting your radio airwaves. From Media Matters...

During the September 26 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh called service members who advocate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq "phony soldiers." He made the comment while discussing with a caller a conversation he had with a previous caller, "Mike from Chicago," who said he "used to be military," and "believe[s] that we should pull out of Iraq." Limbaugh told the second caller, whom he identified as "Mike, this one from Olympia, Washington," that "[t]here's a lot" that people who favor U.S. withdrawal "don't understand" and that when asked why the United States should pull out, their only answer is, " 'Well, we just gotta bring the troops home.' ... 'Save the -- keeps the troops safe' or whatever," adding, "[I]t's not possible, intellectually, to follow these people." "Mike" from Olympia replied, "No, it's not, and what's really funny is, they never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media." Limbaugh interjected, "The phony soldiers." The caller, who had earlier said, "I am a serving American military, in the Army," agreed, replying, "The phony soldiers."

At the top of the post is a fantastic ad run by votevets, and anti-war group. In this, they're acting in an anti-hypocrite role. Some amazing stuff, but we never tire of Limbaugh's outrageous stupidity, and extreme hypocrisy.

America's very own Hez'b'allah (party of God, otherwise known as the GOP) continues on toward its imminent self-destruction with mind-numbing speed and power.

First, what the hell has the annointed-one, Mr. Fred Thompson, done since getting in? All the Reagan fans can go home now, the game is over for them. That means a large number of our local young GOPers who seemed to think Fred was Ronnie Raygun's second coming. Your poll numbers paint a different picture, putting Fred down near the Kucinich position in his party primary race.

Secondly, Newt has decided he doesn't really want to jump into that boiling pot with Hillary after all. You'll recall Newtie decided to ask his "supporters" to toss $30 million his way as their way of calling him to service. Now, Newtie says he can't run his non-profit organization and an exploratory committee at the same time. Phew! That's a relief for us, a let down for bus and airline companies everywhere expected to sell a large number of tickets to anywhere but inside the US should The Gingrich Who Stole Christmas manage to also steal the oval office.

Finally, and this is pretty sad, Sen. John McCain is an ass. We thought more of him in the past, at least while the "straight-talk express" actually rode the highways. The Senator has since become the biggest liar among the candidates, and has probably done the most damage to American foreign policy on the floor of the Senate since deciding to take another swing at the White House. It has something to do with selling his soul to evangelical voters. This time, in an interview with a religion website, JM said he considered America a "Christian" nation and proceeded to make a big mistake by trying to kiss the reporters ass with too much gusto. The reporter summed it up, saying that McCain was just saying what he thought evengelicals wanted to hear. Now, we're not among that demographic, but some reading has informed us that particular action may be as likely to get you booted from the hearts and minds of evangelicals and telling them you personally perform abortions and practice Wicca. They've already been sold a bill of goods by any number of past presidents, so the "talking-the-talk" action is something they really and truly detest. They've heard it before. So, was the blunder really a smart psychological warfare tactic? He could turn them off enough they'll stay home on election day?

Lord knows (he-he) they don't like Romney because of his religion, Guiliani because of his pro-choice ways and his many marriages, they don't like Ron Paul because Paul is just Kucinich in a halloween mask trying to mess things up, and they don't seem to know Brownback, Huckabee or anyone else. What's a conservative in this country to do. Hence, our assertion the Republican party is imploding. Don't worry, it happened to the Dems when Jesse Jackson and a handful of others managed to give Republicans a reason to label the party as the "party of special interests." Now, Dems can refer to the Republican Party as the "party of liars" and have a pretty good case for it at the same time.

Here's a selection from the article...

In the interview, the senator also said the "Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation." There is no mention of God, Jesus or Christ in that entirely secular document. The interview, which included the revelation that he's talking to his pastor about undergoing a full-immersion baptism after the campaign, sent Beliefnet's irreverent "God-o-meter" spinning. "How can the religious right hate this guy?" the site asked. Beliefnet columnist David Kuo said McCain was "pandering to what he thinks the Christian conservative community wants to hear" and predicted he "will have a lot of explaining to do about this interview." The remarks came as he was starting to show gains in the polls. McCain alienated evangelical voters in 2000 when he branded the Revs. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell "agents of intolerance."

Someone needs to call Rove back into service so he can again get rid of McCain in South Carolina. Hey, it doesn't make our hearts break to see the Party of God suck air like it is, but John McCain helping dig its grave is almost too much to deal with. Pitiful.

WARNING - This is a pretty nasty video, don't sit around eating anything when you watch.

OK, so why this video? This site has always enjoyed good video, being something started by a television guy. We've posted some pretty nasty tape in our time, from beheadings to other unfortunate things, but this may take the cake.

The woman is a Swedish game show host, who claims menstrual pain made her puke live, on-air. We've never seen anything like this before, so thought it was worth putting here. We understand she was applauded for showing grace under pressure and finishing her show. The station even gave her a bouquet of flowers.

A truly "memorable moment" for any television personality!

In the interest of keeping tabs on our friends in Bentonville, we've decided to start keeping a little tally of what they're up to each day. Some days you don't hear much, other days you can't seem to keep away from word of what the Wal-Martians are doing to America, besides those low, low prices...always!

WALLY SUED IN MINNESOTA

Seems $7.25 an hour for a single mother, and no breaktime, including trips to answer the call of nature, have landed Wally in the hot seat in court in the Great White North. This case includes tapes...""We know we do some things we probably shouldn't do . . ." a human resources vice president can be heard saying on one of the tapes." read more.

WALLY SAYS "DON'T CALL US..."

The online big-box doesn't believe in customer service, so that little phone number for you to call if you suffer the screw-job while buying online will go away. They call it something like "customer contact reduction"...you can call it your own "Wal-Mart spending reduction." The article says, in part, "The retailer's move is reminiscent of Sprint's recent decision to "fire" more than a thousand of its customers for calling too frequently." And you thought shopping in the big box was already impersonal...

DAMNED IF YOU DO, ETC.

We applaud Wally for this one...but the rest of the nimrods who are too selfish to care about the world around all of us don't like it. Wally has started to go green, but..."The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) criticized the big-box store for pressuring its suppliers to combat the "unproven global warming threat" by asking them to report their carbon dioxide emissions. The center fears that Wal-Mart officials will give preferential treatment to suppliers who provide the statistics and ignore those that don't." Walter, don't listen to 'em. It's about time you used your big muscles for the common good, now you have to use them to do what you've done so well in the past...crush whining suppliers. Get to it!

Today's Score: 1 out of 3 smiley faces.

A quick note from Seligman: to DemGaz columnist Dana Kelley. Thanks for the tip...hey, sorry to have to come down on you so hard, but we like to call a fascist a fascist. However, we wouldn't have it any other way...just because we don't agree with anything you write doesn't mean we don't like reading it.

In fact, without your columns, we'd have less of a reason to read your paper. Keep up the good work annoying us, that's what makes a good column! Oh yes, we put your column link at the verytop of our list.

In case you didn't catch this, The Daily Show takes a few "pot shots" at The Rev. Gov. on the issue of gun control and hunting.

Seems ol' Mike takes his hunting seriously...maybe too seriously.

And yes, is heaven for us hell for ducks?

Mr. Stewart seems to think Huck is close to entering the "first tier" of Republican presidential candidates, but we're not sure why. He still doesn't have any money, and he hasn't lit the party afire with his lame rhetoric. However, it is fun watching the guy run. We always wonder what the hell he'll think of saying next.

Ah, spokesperson Alice Stewart must make a lot of money to keep an eye on this guy.

OK, click on this nifty button to get our blog delivered (or accessible) from your cell phone! We are in the process of ramping this thing up, including a redesign of the website (something we've tried several times, but will now be able to manage because of new software)...stick it to the man, get AT on your cell phone. You'll also notice the button on the side column as well.

Saw this on the Arkansas TV blog...we thought it was great. Seems you can anonymously post nasty stuff without putting we, the publishers, in danger of a frivolous suit...

Bloggers cannot be hit with libel suits on the basis of anonymous postings on their Web sites because federal law grants them immunity by explicitly stating that they cannot be treated as the "publisher" of such comments, a federal judge has ruled.

In his 22-page opinion in DiMeo v. Max, U.S. District Judge Stewart Dalzell held that the pre-emption clause of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act -- a provision that remains intact despite court rulings that struck down some of its key provisions -- effectively "overrides the traditional treatment of publishers under statutory and common law."

Comment away, my friends!

An interesting tidbit from the religious debate that happened in Florida a few days back. Huckster joined this one, though the front runners did not. You'd think a guy who's had problems with things like his "banana republic" comment might watch where he goes...this was a little dittie you can watch above. Here are the lyrics and some commentary, courtesy of Digby.

Why should God bless America?
She’s forgotten he exists
And has turned her back
On everything that made her what she is

Why should God stand beside her
Through the night with the light from his hand?
God have mercy on America
Forgive her sin and heal our land

The courts ruled prayer out of our schools
In June of ‘62
Told the children “you are your own God now
So you can make the rules”
O say can you see what that choice
Has cost us to this day
America, one nation under God, has gone astray

Why should God bless America?
Shes’s forgotten he exists
And has turned her back on everything
That made her what she is

Why should God stand beside her
Through the night with the light from his hand?
God have mercy on America
Forgive her sins and heal our land

In ‘73 the Courts said we
Could take the unborn lives
The choice is yours don’t worry now
It’s not a wrong, it’s your right

But just because they made it law
Does not change God’s command
The most that we can hope for is
God’s mercy on our land

Why should God bless America?
She’s forgotten he exists
And has turned her back on everything
That made her what she is

Why should God stand beside her
Through the night with the light from his hand?
God have mercy on America
Forgive her sins and heal our land

Wow, talk about some unpatriotic crap...and they screwed up a great song too! Hmmmmm...sounds like "domestic terrorists" at work to us! Here's more from Digby...

It's true that the front runners weren't at this event. However, all the Republican candidates will be on television often and if we made a big enough stink perhaps we could get the marionettes of the media to ask them all if they feel they should to condemn this degradation of the song "God Bless America" which says that the United States is so sinful that God has abandoned it.

Perhaps someone should submit a censure of the far right "Values Voter" organization to the Senate forcing all the Senators to support or censure this unpatriotic bastardization of the nation's most sacred song.

And for those of you thirsting for MSM coverage, here's a little on what happened from the local newspaper...

"Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, for example, said many Americans don't understand the threat from Islamic militants.

It's a theological war. It's not politically correct to say that. It's just the truth," he said. "We're fighting a people who will not be satisfied until every last one of us is dead."

A theological war? Isn't that something that happens in a seminary or bible college? If not, let's move it in there, and off the streets. The rest of us don't want to have anything to do with theologically warring parties. Let 'em slug it out in the desert somewhere. Scum...

Huck again proves why he's unfit to be president of a neighborhood association, much less the US of A.

We couldn't be more proud of this video. This was put together by Billy Vegas, who is a long-time friend of this blog and is a friend that goes back years before this blog.

We think he did a great job of using video to repeat what will be some of the most important accusations and unanswered questions of the past eight years. We know the answers really, we just don't know why everyone wants to pretend none of this happened. Like Billy points out in this, the problem is truth. That's what journalism is about, that's what most of your churches teach you about, that's what we lecture and hector our children about, that's what everyone swears to do when taking an oath, making a promise, saying a vow. You know how important it is, so why do we just go on our merry freakin' way when the things in this video have yet to be explained, paid for and 'fessed up to?

If being "patriotic" means ignoring all this (and it actually means the opposite) you need to think twice about whom you feel patriotic about.

Watch this, because it's about time we all did.

Been a couple of days since we last posted. In that short time, a lot has happened. The Bush-panzee (like the pic? courtesy of this site) has nominated a new AG, someone that everyone seems to like, except the wingnuts. Again, said primate-in-chief has managed to try to hoodwink the world screaming "Anbar! Anbar!" and addressing the nation in primetime. We still can't make heads nor tails of the little speech. So, did the surge work or not? He seemed to think it had by the very fact it failed.

Also, what has become of Thefiveforty.com? We went there and all we saw was some sort of placeholder page? That's one of our regular daily reads, and it po's us to know end that Greg has given up the ship. Who are we supposed to read now? The "Family Coalition" disappeared, Matt hasn't posted in forever and a day, and Warwick long ago gave up his job at the AT. Only Max posts now. Wherefore art thou Arkan-blogopshere-sas?

OK, to the business at hand...we firmly believe that Paul Green's Pulitzer should be retroactively revoked, and re-awarded this time to the Morning News' outstanding scribe, Doug Thompson. He probably doesn't need or want our approbrium, but he'll get it here anyway. This is what we wish we'd seen from others of his ilk ages ago...

Here's some more progress: The bad idea of giving blind faith to national leaders has just gone through the most effective debunking in my lifetime. Not even Vietnam taught this lesson so well. Vietnam crept up on us, an escalation that got out of control. The Iraq war was the administration's baby, abetted by members of Congress from both major parties who were either in lockstep or cowering.

All this whining about how America is losing its resolve if we leave Iraq is a bunch of, well, whining. You don't hear any demands about pulling out of Afghanistan. We've been there longer than Iraq. The country's even more ungovernable than Iraq is.

Oooh-rah! Go Doug, knock 'em dead! That's what we like. A little truth with our MSM, and here in the Natural State, no less. Will wonders never cease? First we get rid of Huck, avoid Hutchinson, and now this! There yet remains hope for humanity.

Next on the agenda, author and former Fed Chair Alan Greenspan is full of crap. He did too say that Bush lied, and he can't wiggle out of it, no matter what he tells NBC's Matt Lauer.

Enjoy the old prune's video.

However, we're not sure why he wants to claim the party and his leader as his own. This little story from Detroit is enough to make anyone think of Larry Craig as a pretty clean-cut and honest guy. Or at least less perverted than one federal prosecutor from Florida, caught in a sting operation looking for pedophiles. This moron got caught, and then made things three or four zillion times worse with this little tidbit...

In deposition, detectives said Atchison suggested the mother tell her daughter that "you found her a sweet boyfriend who will bring her presents."

The undercover detective expressed concern about physical injury to the 5-year-old girl as a result of the sexual activity. Detectives said Atchison responded, " I am always gentle and loving; not to worry, no damage ever, no rough stuff ever. I only like it soft and nice."

The undercover detective asked how Atchison can be certain of no injury. He responded, "Just gotta go slow and very easy. I've done it plenty," according to detectives.

Now, now...we know not all Repuglicans are this bad, just the ones that scream the loudest about morals and family values during election season. Seriously though folks, this is a real problem, isn't it? Makes it tough to campaign on hot-button issues while taking the moral high-ground.

However, one member of the GOP has decided he's had it.

PROVIDENCE — Lincoln D. Chafee, who lost his Senate seat in the wave of anti-Republican sentiment in last November’s election, said yesterday that he has left the party.

Chafee said he disaffiliated with the party he had helped lead, and his father had led before him, because the national Republican Party has gone too far away from his stance on too many critical issues, from war to economics to the environment.

“It’s not my party any more,” he said.

Senator, we understand. It's more the party of Craig, and Foley, and DeLay and Abramoff and Gonzales...well, you get our point. We salute you for coming to your senses, finally.

Now, if you can just get others to follow your good example, who knows what could happen to America?

Finally, as if all that wasn't enough to laugh about, we stumbled over this, and like it. Here goes...

“If you are sitting next to someone who irritates you on a plane or train follow these instructions:

May work when senior partners hover as well.

1. Quietly and calmly open up your laptop case.

2. Remove your laptop.

3. Start up

4. Make sure the guy who is annoying you, can see the screen.

5. Close your eyes and tilt your head up to the sky.

7. Then hit this link

Yep, you get the Al Qaeda screen of death.

One can sure smell the blood of the candidates on the wind. Filmmaker Robert Greenwald (Wal-Mart, Fox News Uncovered and other films...also once a guest on the old Arkansas Tonight program) has decided to go after Rudy G. of NYC. He's making a series of films about Rudy and putting them online. Interesting as always, and we've included the latest installment above. Here's some of the news release...

LOS ANGELES - Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films launched "The REAL Rudy Command Center" today, a short investigative report on Presidential Candidate Rudy Giuliani's decision to place New York City's Emergency Command Center in the World Trade Center, a site known to be the Nation's number one terror target. The video, the first in a YouTube series on-line at TheREALRudy.org, lays out how Rudy went against the recommendations of experts making a decision that cost precious lives.

Giuliani is often seen as running on his 9/11 record and "The REAL Rudy Command Center" calls into serious question the pledge the presidential hopeful made just this Tuesday to prepare every city in the US for a disaster. Family members and experts in "The REAL Rudy Command Center" explain Giuliani ignored evidence and wisdom and cost loved ones their lives.

Break out the poisoned popcorn, and let the film festival begin!

To wit, a review of the Fox Republican Debate, with name calling thrown in

We couldn’t watch anything else a couple of nights ago.

We had only one real choice to make. Should we, or should we not watch the Republican candidates debate on Fox? We wandered into it, and stayed to watch like a person mesmerized by a car wreck (which is what the debates have become.)

It was truly “theatre of the absurd.”

First of all, after almost 8 years of the Bush administration, a majority of Americans have told pollsters they want a change in Washington. If you believe any of those polls, you’ll see that a Republican has very little chance of winning, and listening to these guys (no women required here) is like listening to a group of people who all claim they’re Napoleon.

The party faithful don’t even know who they want, and haven’t shown any real support for any of the current candidates.

Fred Thompson made his underwhelming entry into the competition the same night…and promptly ended up in second place. Wow, the right sure has the candidate about the set the world on fire…if only he won’t die (and Thompson looks like he might.)

Let’s clear away a couple of things that stuck in our collective craw after watching the scrum. First of all, yes, Sen. John McCain is both old, and insane. He had the temerity (or he suffers from dementia, a la Reagan) to insist that “the surge is working” on the same day reports from the GAO and others say the “surge isn’t working” and that the Maliki government has failed to meet 11 or 18 benchmarks for requiring the continued presense of American Troops. Someone needs to hit him on the noggin with a football, wake the old man up. It’s called magical thinking, Johnnie boy, and you’ve become a victim of it. Again and again we kept hearing that magical word, “Anbar.”

To anyone who picked up a copy of the New York Times Magazine this past weekend, you’ll know a little bit about the “success” in Anbar, and what kind of doom it spells for the military effort in Iraq. Sunni tribesman, previously fighting the US have now joined the US. Of course, the Shi’a government wants nothing to do with this, and the Shi’a are a pretty big majority in a so-called democratic new Iraqi government. How the hell is that supposed to translate into “the surge is working?” Maybe Senator McCain was high during the debate.

Also, we have to send some arrows out to Pastor Huckabee. What a sanctimonious boob. First he tries to kiss McCain’s ass (can anyone say “VP?”) by talking about “honor this and honor schmiss” – we know what McCain went through in the Hanoi Hilton, in fact, his campaign has no intention of ever letting us forget. They’ll use archival video and film of McCain’s stay in the notorious North Vietnamese prison as part of the image campaign for their candidate. Anyway, the Huckster got into it with Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. We still believe Paul doesn’t exist, except in the imaginations of both libertarians and members of the Faux-News set. Either that or he’s really Rep. Dennis Kucinich in disguise/drag. However, he actually spoke some truth…Republicans will lose in 2008 based on foreign policy and some other simpler matters. He also has something about the constitution being either broken or twisted. When he tried to make the point that the surge hasn’t worked, Huckster took him to task. Huckster used the uncomfortable “if you break It you buy it” metaphor more aptly used by Colin Powell before the war started. Paul wondered just how many men and women would have to die before the nation was satisfied and brought them home from war. Huck thinks ‘we the people’ declared war, and doesn’t think mistakes should be corrected on the the floor of Congress. He also thinks “honor” is something more important than the waste of American lives. How can you have that “honor” if you have a war that was either started because of a bald-faced lie or a very, very big mistake by a group of imcompetents?

We ran across an interesting website the other day, just in case you wondered. It was a military website, and has a poll…a way of finding out who is most suited to your political views among the candidates. Most of those who voted chose either a) Sen. Mike Gravel or b) Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Mitt Romney and Sen. Edwards found themselves at the bottom of the heap. Funny thing is that it’s really fun and feels fantastic to talk about “honor” and “patriotism” if you aren’t facing guns and the nasty, brutish reality of war. It works well in debates and in picking up women in bars. It works well when you’re wearing your uniform and the hometown folks have all come by to pat you on the back. The story is a different one when you are with your unit and on duty. People don’t talk that trash when things heat up, and deep down they remember that reality when it comes time to vote and when it comes time to re-enlist. It’s easy to be brave when you’re a Baptist Preacher from Hope and you’re on national TV screwing around with a video camera after the debate and shucking and jiving with Shaun Hannity and that dipshit Colmes. It’s another when your Humvee is blown to bits, or when you look at the human beings who are now damaged for life, with pieces blown out of their brains and ruined limbs and nothing but years and years of physical pain ahead, and for what…an honorable lie?

We’re not sure if Romney is a bigger idiot or Huckabee. We think Huckabee wins this round in the fake-chickenhawk sweepstakes. If Gov. Mike served in Vietnam, we’ll take this back…to date we don’t know that he served in uniform. We just know he talks a big game in defense of lies and talks a big game when someone else’s life is on the line. He’s the guy that would get fragged in the jungle back in ’71.

Again, we’re not fans of Ron Paul…c’mon, he’s creepy. But we’re astounded at how Mike “heretofore semi-human” Huckabee could come away from this ridiculous debate feeling good about himself. Sorry Mike, you may think we’re playing politics, but we’re not. You’ve never been that bad a governor, or that bad a guy. This little televised outburst has us thinking twice, maybe three times about who you really are.

We’ll finish with this gem from the aforementioned Rep. Paul…

"What do we have to do to save face? It's all we're doing is saving face, and it's time we came home,"

What do we do when the weirdos start understanding it and not the even-keeled guys?

(note: as you can tell, a veteran did contribute to this column, so semper fidelis, OK? That contributor adds, “you lost Vietnam once, wasn’t that enough for you? Why the hell do you want to go back and change history? Just shows you never learned the lessons it teaches. Even an old fart like me can learn…”)