The Trail Since 2006
It began with a spark of inspiration from a few kindred spirits scattered along the Appalachian ridges, mostly in North Carolina and Virginia. Back then, we were virtual friends who—for the most part—never shared a physical porch, but we built a digital one together. Some were writers, some were poets, and some were photographers, each of us finding our way through those early “virtual woods” on the internets.
What follows is a collection of my latest musings (and perhaps a bit of blathering), a trail of thoughts that winds all the way back to those first steps in 2006.
Or just meander through my past muses… Just hope the coffee isn’t stale!
Thanks George W
President Bush warns Democrats will raise taxes, yet under his own policies, millions earning $75,000 to $500,000 face scheduled tax hikes. Everyday deductions for dependents and property taxes get penalized under alternative tax rules, while…
Can we not say it? The President Lied…
Here is a 50-word excerpt:
Those forced to follow George W. Bush’s career knew it early on, but the press is only now catching up. Unwilling to fathom a leader consistently lying on the record, they…
The New Face of the GOP –
Facing predicted midterm losses, the GOP shifted from getting out the vote to scaring out the vote, relying on dire warnings about taxes and national security. While Republican strategists claim Democrats lack a lockstep message…
I think they learned the lesson…
Reflecting on Henry David Thoreau’s 1859 journal entry about John Brown’s raid and the dismissive reaction of cautious newspaper editors, it seems little has changed. It may have taken over a century, but today’s partisan…
And so begins the run-up to 2008
Here is a 50-word excerpt for the post:
Do you feel safer with your lawful rights in their hands? Following the new military tribunal law, habeas corpus has been suspended while partisan rhetoric escalates. If you’re…
The Culture Wars
The culture war crusades and political posturing from conservative leaders reveal an undeniable duplicity. While preaching moral values, policies consistently favor big business, repeal taxes for the wealthy, and ignore everyday workers. Accusing dissenters of…
Keith Olbermann Continues to Talk Tough To Power
Keith Olbermann once again speaks for a growing majority, directly challenging President Bush on the dishonesty inherent in his policies. Calling out what he sees as a blatant lie regarding opposition to constitutional overreach, Olbermann…
It depends on what the definition of “is” is…
It is getting old hearing that intelligence warnings were too vague to heed without an exact domestic location. Brushing off alarmist reports with semantic defenses is pure deflection. If leadership only acknowledges threats when convenient,…
The Leaders We Have
George W. Bush wonders why Iraq lacks leaders like Washington or Jefferson after the U.S. overthrew a sovereign nation where secular leaders were systematically executed for decades. To expect American Revolutionary figures to spontaneously arise…
Can Bush Save Bush?
The *Washington Post* suggests a new constitutional amendment ensuring no child of a president can ever become president, averting another George W. Bush. But before discussing new amendments, we should make sure the 22nd Amendment…
A Backlash Against Bickering
George W. Bush’s celebrated bipartisan reputation in Texas was merely a product of weak executive power against a Democratic legislature, not true statesmanship. Had he stayed longer, his executive shortcomings would have been exposed. Yet…
Torture and Terror, Un-American Activities
A quiet Saturday morning of reading blogs brought sharp clarity: this administration is steering us down a perilous slope. By sacrificing essential constitutional protections and normalizing torture, authority has abandoned the consent of the governed….
On Moral Cowardice – John Scalzi
I’m proud to be an American, but tired of being ashamed of our leadership. Somewhere along the line, we traded doing what is right for what is easy, backing corrupt regimes and abandoning our moral…
Gas Prices – Update
I never expected Big Oil to be this desperate to keep Republicans in charge, but you protect who lets you get away with murder. I predicted gas at $1.98 before the election; I was just…
Colin Powell in Houston
The words running through my head are “common good.” Providing for it built our roads, schools, and parks—principles this administration seems intent on demolishing through greed and incompetence. It’s time for the privileged elite to…
Election Season nonsense
You can always tell election season has arrived when Republicans start sounding the alarm on voter fraud. Amusingly, they cite their own past complaints as “evidence.” The only genuine fraud in recent elections has been…
Torture Is Torture
The real question about torture is moral: what kind of nation are we? Despite claims of righteous exceptionalism, this administration perverts the Golden Rule, hiding wiretaps, secret prisons, and abuses behind extreme secrecy. They dread…
Ann Richards
A great lady who preceded the mess of George W. Bush died last week, and Molly Ivins offered a classic memory of her at Scholz Garten: introducing Ann Richards to a racist East Texas judge,…
Get out of Jail Free Card
Mr. President, this is not a Monopoly game. You will be held accountable by history, if not the courts. Congress won’t hand you a “Get Out of Jail Free” card. You decided this war’s course;…
Bush’s Problem
Bush’s core flaw is offering simplistic responses to complex issues, leaving even his own party scratching their heads. Since when is executive lawbreaking the status quo? Warrantless wiretaps, torture, and secret prisons aren’t leadership—they are…
A License to Abuse
Watching Stephen Hadley on *Face the Nation* try to justify the administration’s “Torture Amendment” was pure misdirection. As the *Post* noted, this push isn’t about terror; it’s about shielding the administration from accountability. The self-styled…
To torture or not to torture…Is there a question here?
I’m tired of this administration lecturing on morality while pushing crony politics to new limits. It’s just the macho posturing of a scared bully. Mr. President, close the secret prisons and call off your attack…
Gas Prices
Election season is officially underway. After months of steep prices and record oil profits, gas is suddenly in free fall just two months before midterms. Watching local signs plummet from over $3.00 down to $2.24,…
Former Texas Governor, Activist Ann Richards, 73 – washingtonpost.com
Former Texas Governor Ann Richards, the sharp-witted Democrat who rose from homemaker to national celebrity, has died at 73 following a battle with cancer. A true breath of fresh air in Texas politics, she was…
The Path to 9-11
I avoided ABC’s dramatization of 9/11 until flipping it on after the president spoke. The historical spin was jarring—particularly placing Bush center stage in the immediate heroics when he was actually kept on the move….
With No Ideas, The GOP Seeks to Scare – washingtonpost.com
Harold Meyerson notes that with its flagship policies sinking under their own weight, the GOP has traded big ideas for scare tactics and opposition research. Karl Rove’s trademark hardball strategy is steering a troubled party…
Bloggermann: This hole in the ground – Bloggermann – MSNBC.com
History teaches that unanimous national support cannot be stolen by critics; it is squandered by leaders who exploit unity for political advantage. Instead of bipartisan healing or true protection, we were duped into war through…
Has Bin Laden Won?
Reading the morning columns, Richard Cohen’s argument that Bin Laden achieved his goals resonates deeply. Paired with Eugene Robinson’s critique of our newly labeled “homeland,” it underscores a troubling pattern: an administration masking policy rollbacks…
Sept. 11, 2006
Reflecting on the fifth anniversary of September 11, I find myself wrestling with how America responded. Beyond remembering the lives lost, fear has too often justified abandoning core ideals. Watching endless conflicts unfold, I wonder:…
Lie By Lie
When asked how officials stayed silent during the march to war in Iraq, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson blamed the vice president. Yet responsibility extends beyond Cheney, Bush, silent intelligence operatives, and an uncritical press like the…
Economic Hard Times
While politicians and pundits tout strong economic growth, the reality for everyday families tells a very different story. Census data reveals that median household income fell while poverty rates rose, leaving working Americans behind despite…
Whatever: Being Poor
Being poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs. It is hoping the toothache goes away, crying when you drop the mac and cheese on the floor, and knowing you work as hard as anyone,…
The Carpetbagger Report » Blog Archive » President Cheney
Robert Kuttner made a compelling case that Cheney really is running the country. You have a frontman running interference for a secretive string puller. No one feels they have any say in the way this…
A Climate Repair Manual — Global warming is a reality.
The debate on global warming is over, with carbon dioxide levels higher than anytime in 650,000 years. Yet federal leadership remains beholden to fossil fuel interests. The American ideal once called us to be a…
Bush Team Casts Foes as Defeatist
While critics often label the Bush administration incompetent for attacking opponents instead of offering real solutions, the results tell a different story. With corporate profits soaring, privatization surging, and lucrative no-bid contracts at record highs,…
Happy Birthday Molly!
The Writer’s Almanac from American Public Media, Aug 30, 2006: “It’s the birthday of political humorist Molly Ivins, born in Monterey, California (1944).” Have a great birthday Molly…And many more. Your humor is appreciated and…
Rep. Harris Condemns Separation of Church, State
Rep. Katherine Harris claimed that church-state separation is a “lie,” arguing that electing non-Christians inevitably legislates sin. Yet her narrow rhetoric never explains where other believers stand in her vision of America, especially considering the…
Cheers and Jeers: Rum and Coke FRIDAY!
Living in 1970s Germany taught me that terrorism could be dealt with without panic or politicization—life simply went on. Comparing that resilience to America’s fearful, post-9/11 ‘Chicken Little’ response is embarrassing. Bruce Schneier’s perspective hits…
IX. Inherent Power
There is no phrase more crucial than this: America has no hereditary kings. Yet, for an administration claiming to spread democracy worldwide, the relentless misuse of power suggests otherwise. It is high time someone in…
The War Bush Isn’t Fighting
The War Bush Isn’t Fighting: When unsmiling agents at the airport take away your contact lens solution, your toothpaste, and your cologne or after-shave, remember Osama bin Laden. Remember the real war on terrorism that…
Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Dish
Critics complain the liberal blogosphere avoids serious debate on radical jihadism, accusing them of ignoring critical foreign policy. But it’s rich when opponents demand engagement after shutting everyone out. I won’t bother armchair-quarterbacking the Middle…
Press Briefing by Tony Snow
Critics complain the liberal blogosphere avoids serious debate on radical jihadism, accusing them of ignoring critical foreign policy. But it’s rich when opponents demand engagement after shutting everyone out. I won’t bother armchair-quarterbacking the Middle…
War Crimes Act Changes Would Reduce Threat Of Prosecution
Whatever happened to the moral high road in America? Once, we simply did what was right—backed by Grandmother’s swift willow switch. Today, the morally dysfunctional seem to write the laws. I long for those principled…
BUSH’S BACKFIRE
Jim Hightower rightly observes that Bush’s neoconservative foreign policy backfired entirely, becoming a blueprint for extremist recruitment rather than regional democracy. Instead of securing peace, these reckless actions drown America’s credibility in a worsening quagmire….
HoustonChronicle.com – Court rules GOP can’t replace DeLay on ballot
A federal appeals court ruled Republicans cannot replace Tom DeLay on the November ballot after his resignation. Having spent years watching his antics as my representative, I never thought I’d be glad to see his…
Bill Moyers for President
Molly Ivins – Creators.com – Creators Syndicate: “The poor man who is currently our president has reached such a point of befuddlement that he thinks stem cell research is the same as taking human lives,…
It’s Disproportionate. . .
It’s Disproportionate. . .: “I felt better when I thought the Decider didn’t have a worldview, just a set of instincts about freedom and democracy. But even if you set aside the president’s embarrassing open-mike…
I.R.S. To Cut Tax Auditors – New York Times
I.R.S. to Cut Tax Auditors – New York Times: “The federal government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit tax returns of some…
“I was for the law I signed before I was again it”
Bush’s Tactic of Refusing Laws Is Probed: ‘The President’s constitutional duty is to enforce laws he has signed into being unless and until they are held unconstitutional by the Supreme Court or a subordinate tribunal,’…
The People’s Business
The People’s Business: “On Tuesday it (the House) took up the gay-marriage amendment. This was a meaningless exercise, except in terms of amassing political ammunition: The Senate had already defeated the amendment. Nonetheless, some members…
