Shoe Sales Skyrocket Following Assault On President

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound and Recording - blogment -
National News wire - The Infinite Echo

The answer: Model 271 Brogues, shoes for men. The question: What is the hot must-have item throughout Arab countries this holiday season?

According to reports, orders for the shoes have skyrocketed since Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi removed his from his feet during a recent press conference, and proceeded to hurl them at US president George W. Bush, along with a few choice epithets.

Al-Zaidi has paid dearly for his actions, suffering a broken tooth and apparent cigarette burns, caused by Iraqi authorities following his arrest. He has a court hearing scheduled for later this month. In the meantime, al-Zaidi cools his heels in an Iraqi jail.

For the maker of the shoes, however, the incident has led to a windfall in sales. Ramazan Baydan, Istanbul shoemaker has had to hire a hundred additional employees to meet market demand, with over 300,000 pair ordered in just under a week. Over 100,000 pair have been ordered in Iraq alone, and upstart shoe distribution companies have been opening throughout the region to help meet buyer demand.

Hurling shoes has long been considered an insult in Arab culture. President Bush was light on his toes however, and managed to dodge the incoming projectiles. The assailant, al-Zaidi was quickly dragged to the floor by security, but was able to unleash yet another traditional Arab insult before being hustled away. “A farewell kiss to a dog” he was heard to exclaim. Indeed, there are still many in Iraq who perceive George W. Bush, not as a liberator, but as an unwelcome invader. George Bush will end his term as the 43rd president of the United States on January 20th, 2009. He will be replaced by incoming president, Barack Obama, who will be sworn in the same day.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound and Recording - Sound Foundation - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo - Impeachment Now! - Skate the Razor -
Skate the Razor Blog - blogment

Inside the 911 Report

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

I've been reading through the 9/11 Commission Report, and it really doesn't do much to address some of the hard questions. It seems almost unconscionable to suggest the Bush administration could have been complicit in the events of 9/11, and yet, a great many Americans believe it to be true. Then again, one need not be a physicist to realize the official version of the story simply doesn't stack up.

Much like a house of cards, both towers tumbled to the ground in a matter of minutes, defying the laws of physics. The impact of the aircraft, and the subsequent explosion of jet fuel has been blamed for compromising the integrity of the structures, but leaves us with more question than answers. If indeed, the towers fell due to structural failure, why then would building seven also fail, as it was not struck by aircraft, nor was it built in the same manner as the towers. How does a building three blocks long collapse from a localized debris fire? Obviously, it doesn't.

Perhaps you are not familiar with the World Trade Center complex prior to 9/11. As such, it would be easy to overlook the obvious contradictions concerning the event. Throughout history, no other buildings have failed in a similar manner, and yet, we are expected to believe that this fluke of physics occurred not once, but three times, in a single location.

Could the Bush administration have somehow been involved in orchestrating these events? Frankly, the jury is out. We know for a fact, however, that the administration of Dwight Eisenhower drew up plans for similar attacks on US soil to bolster support for invasions of the USSR and Cuba. The covert operation, known as Operation Northwoods' was wholly rejected by subsequent administrations, but a precedent had been set. The US government had proven beyond doubt, a capability to kill innocent Americans.



Could 9/11 be another Operation Northwoods'? Unfortunately, it appears entirely possible. Just as the North tower was beginning to list to one side, a series of explosions occurred at street level, causing the building to buckle from beneath, bringing it straight down. These explosions could not have been the result of exploding fuel, as heat rises. Furthermore, we watched in terror as the jet fuel erupted into flames. What then, could have caused the explosions at street level?

We may never know the truth about 9/11, but we certainly know the official explanation is flawed and unacceptable. Could George W. Bush and his administration have knowingly murdered thousands of Americans? One can only wonder.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Is George Bush Losing it?

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

There has been much speculation as of late in regards to George W. Bush’s mental health. Questions began arising as far back as 2004, but in light of recent developments, it seems appropriate to address this very serious issue again. Let there be no mistake, George W. Bush has threatened to start World War III if he doesn’t get his way. Of course, he lays the blame at the feet of others, but the facts are clear. George Bush wants war.


Our Commander in Chief?

George W. Bush has, and continues to threaten to bomb Iran for a weapons program it does not have. The bombing of course, would be done with real bombs the US does indeed have, rather than the make believe ones Iran has been accused of seeking.

We’ve been through this before, folks, and it’s nasty business. This is the exact same rhetoric Hitler used to justify the invasion of France. Then again, why should the excuses for World War III be any different than the excuses for World War II?

It is not unusual for world leaders to suffer from grandiose delusions, but this goes deep into the redline. Bush has his finger on the button, and he is just itching to push it before his term expires. If the president has mental health issues, it would be better to consider them now, rather than later. For instance:

“Aides report “In meetings with top aides and administration officials, the President goes from quoting the Bible in one breath to obscene tantrums against the media, Democrats and others that he classifies as "enemies of the state."



White House Aides paint a picture of an administration under siege, led by a man who declares his decisions to be "God's will" and then tells aides to "fuck over" anyone they consider to be an opponent of the administration."

“Senior aides describe Bush as increasingly “edgy” or “nervous” or “unfocused.” They say the President goes from apparent coherent thought one moment to aimless rambles about political enemies and those who are “out to get me.”

“It’s worse than the days when Ronald Reagan’s Alzheimer’s began setting in,” one longtime GOP operative told me privately this week. “You don’t know if he’s going to be coherent from one moment to the next. What scares me is if he lapses into one of those fogs during a public appearance.”

Aides say Bush, who has always had trouble focusing during times of stress, is increasingly distant during meetings, often staring off into space during discussions on the nation’s security and other issues.”

This represents only a fraction of the information I was able to find on the subject. If you are interested in learning more, simply type the criteria into your favorite search engine. I typed in “George W. Bush mental health” In the past, I have been accused of making this stuff up, but rest assured, I am neither that good, nor that vindictive. The president's mental stability is quickly becoming a real issue, one that we would all be best served if it just went away quietly.

…to a padded cell.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Pardon Me, Mr. President?

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

As is customary around the White House this time of year, president George W. Bush proved once again he is not one to be meddled with. This is a man who as governor of Texas executed more humans than all other forty-nine states combined during the same time period, but pardons the Thanksgiving turkey as a demonstration of his compassion. Only in America!

So in honor of the turkey that got away, let’s all celebrate with a little levity, and a few quotes by perhaps our most quotable president, none other than that decorated bush pilot, out fearless decider… our commander, oh to hell with it! Let’s bring it on!

"America better beware of a candidate who is willing to stretch reality in order to win points." —George W. Bush, aboard his campaign plane, Sept. 18, 2000

"We'll let our friends be the peacekeepers and the great country called America will be the pacemakers." —George W. Bush, Houston, Texas, Sept. 6, 2000

"I'm gonna talk about the ideal world, Chris. I've read — I understand reality. If you're asking me as the president, would I understand reality, I do." —George W. Bush on abortion, MSNBC's "Hardball," May 31, 2000

"Will the highways on the Internet become more few?" —George W. Bush, Concord, N.H., Jan. 29, 2000

"I am mindful of the difference between the executive branch and the legislative branch. I assured all four of these leaders that I know the difference, and that difference is they pass the laws and I execute them." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Dec. 20, 2000

"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." —Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2000

"If you don't stand for anything, you don't stand for anything! If you don't stand for something, you don't stand for anything!" —George W. Bush, Bellevue Community College, Nov. 2, 2000

"I'm not really the type to wander off and sit down and go through deep wrestling with my soul." —George W. Bush, as quoted in Vanity Fair, October 2000

"Never again in the halls of Washington, D.C., do I want to have to make explanations that I can't explain." —George W. Bush, Portland, Oregon, Oct. 31, 2000

"They said, 'You know, this issue doesn't seem to resignate with the people.' And I said, you know something? Whether it resignates or not doesn't matter to me, because I stand for doing what's the right thing, and what the right thing is hearing the voices of people who work." —George W. Bush, Portland, Ore., Oct. 31, 2000

Now then, wasn’t that fun?
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound Foundation Entertainment - blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo - Sound & Recording - Impeachment Now! - Skate the Razor - Skate the Razor Blog

Is the Party Over for the GOP?

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

The Republican party has taken a headlong dive into the bowels of bombast.

No longer representative of American conservatism, the republicans have betrayed their core beliefs, running the US federal deficit into untold territory.
There is no looking back, no slow recovery. It is not to be.


John McCain Breaks Out

Nor has the party been faithful to religious conservatives, without whom the cause would have been lost. Many voters went to the polls expecting the Bush administration to reverse Roe Vs. Wade, a promise made, but never kept. With so little time remaining on the clock, it is little wonder so many voters feel betrayed. They were.

Of course, the Republican party has long reveled in it’s lust for war, as conflict stokes the economy. There is nothing Republicans enjoy more than killing an innocent stranger in the name of commerce. It’s a party immersed in contradictions, a party on the wane.

Indeed, when elections roll around, we can expect more posturing and more absurd spending in the name of the conservative agenda. Some republicans will return to Washington, others will return from the swamp from whence they came. For others, both. Nothing outside of business as usual.

Forget weapons of mass destruction. Forget being greeted as liberators. Forget promises of war on the cheap. Blood is never cheap. Liberation does not come at the point of a gun.

On the other hand, words are often cheap, and promises worth even less.
What voters believe the GOP stands for, and the Republican Party’s real agenda are miles, if not light years apart. Another republican in the White House certainly will not bring about real change.

So as the Bush administration winds down, the Grand Old Party has very little to celebrate. The party is over, blood has spilt like wine, and somebody
has pilfered the pockets of the weary. It is time to clean up and carry the trash to the curb.

Will the last out the door please turn off the lights as you leave?

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

George W. Bush, Piltdown Man of La Mancha

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

George W. Bush would like us to believe history will remember him as a man who stood by his convictions. Much like Don Quixote, who rose up against a perceived evil, only to find he was chasing the unobtainable, Bush sees his cause as a noble one, even if it was all based in pure fantasy.


Left: George W. Bush. Right: Piltdown Man

In doing so, Bush the younger drew his sword and spilt the blood of thousands. His little game of shoot ‘em up has escalated into a full scale mash-up of Hell meets high-water. I don’t care for the word “quagmire”. The definition falls way short of describing how bad the situation in Iraq really is.

In truth, I doubt George W. Bush has ever ventured near La Mancha. Had he done so, he would have soon learned it was not inhabited by dragons. Still, I digress.

Lets move on to “Piltdown Man.” The reference may seem somewhat left field for those not familiar with the story, so here’s the set-up.

Until the invasion of Iraq, Piltdown Man represented perhaps the most extraordinary hoax in modern history. As the story goes, a pair of archaeologists claimed to find a human skull in a gravel pit near the town of Piltdown, purported to be the five hundred thousand year old missing link between man and monkey. The skull was in fact constructed from parts of several different skulls, including the jaw of an orangutan. Varnish was then applied to give the finished product a look of consistency. Amazingly, it took the scientific establishment forty years to catch on.

Does this scenario sound at all familiar? Indeed it does!

George W, Bush wants us to believe that in forty years or so, history will recall his presidency as strong and steadfast. He sees himself riding off into the sunset mounted upon his trusty steed, the White Knight, the enemy of evil.

I, however don’t see it happening that way. I suspect history will be far more accurate, and much less flattering. At best, George W. Bush will be regarded as the Don Quixote of presidents. Mission accomplished, the windmill is dead, Jim.

More likely, George W. Bush will be remembered as the reigning Piltdown Man, an unmitigated fraud that has pushed America back into the stone age.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Secret Torture Memo Bloodies Bush Administration

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Have you ever considered the source of the phrase ‘caught red handed’?

It’s no cryptic secret, of course. It means precisely what is implied…to be caught with blood on ones hands… caught in the act, so to speak.

That having been said, it is rather obvious the Bush administration has been caught red handed. Unfortunately, it doesn’t involve a cookie jar… it involves the degradation of humane principles upon which this once great nation of ours was founded. Contrary to law, and anything Dana Perino might have said otherwise, the Bush administration has gone to unimaginable lengths to circumvent laws prohibiting torture.

We have learned that in 2005, under the leadership of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the US Justice Department secretly authorized the “use of painful physical and psychological tactics against terror suspects, including simulated drownings and freezing temperatures“, according to Thursdays New York Times.

The Bush administration has adamantly denied allegations of torture in the past, but then, Bush and company are experienced liars. What’s a little nose-bleed among these bloody bastards? What’s that you say? They are all innocent human beings until proved otherwise in a court of law? You don’t say?

Well, Bush certainly doesn’t. He has repeatedly demonstrated a disregard for the sanctity of human life. George often speaks of his closeness to God, but he has never gone to any real lengths to describe to us precisely who that God might be. A Christian god that authorizes torture? Clean up… isle nine!

I could go on and on, but I’m afraid that would be torture in and of itself. Who wants to be reminded of all the dirty little secrets that keep popping up in this administration? Don’t worry though, it will all be over soon enough. Just lie back, close your eyes, and endure each and every unspeakable act committed upon you in the name of justice. After all… isn’t that what America is all about?

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Inside the 9/11 Report

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

I've been reading through the 9/11 Commission Report, and it really doesn't do much to address some of the hard questions. It seems almost unconscionable to suggest the Bush administration could have been complicit in the events of 9/11, and yet, a great many Americans believe it to be true. Then again, one need not be a physicist to realize the official version of the story simply doesn't stack up.

Much like a house of cards, both towers tumbled to the ground in a matter of minutes, defying the laws of physics. The impact of the aircraft, and the subsequent explosion of jet fuel has been blamed for compromising the integrity of the structures, but leaves us with more question than answers. If indeed, the towers fell due to structural failure, why then would building seven also fail, as it was not struck by aircraft, nor was it built in the same manner as the towers. How does a building three blocks long collapse from a localized debris fire? Obviously, it doesn't.

Perhaps you are not familiar with the World Trade Center complex prior to 9/11. As such, it would be easy to overlook the obvious contradictions concerning the event. Throughout history, no other buildings have failed in a similar manner, and yet, we are expected to believe that this fluke of physics occurred not once, but three times, in a single location.

Could the Bush administration have somehow been involved in orchestrating these events? Frankly, the jury is out. We know for a fact, however, that the administration of Dwight Eisenhower drew up plans for similar attacks on US soil to bolster support for invasions of the USSR and Cuba. The covert operation, known as Operation Northwoods' was wholly rejected by subsequent administrations, but a precedent had been set. The US government had proven beyond doubt, a capability to kill innocent Americans.



Could 9/11 be another Operation Northwoods'? Unfortunately, it appears entirely possible. Just as the North tower was beginning to list to one side, a series of explosions occurred at street level, causing the building to buckle from beneath, bringing it straight down. These explosions could not have been the result of exploding fuel, as heat rises. Furthermore, we watched in terror as the jet fuel erupted into flames. What then, could have caused the explosions at street level?

We may never know the truth about 9/11, but we certainly know the official explanation is flawed and unacceptable. Could George W. Bush and his administration have knowingly murdered thousands of Americans? One can only wonder.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Conservatives Gone Wild

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

It has been the season of conservatives behaving badly. Indeed, a long season at that. Every week, another outlandish story is breaking.

It all began with a cock-sure Washington lobbyist named Jack Abramson. Or was it Enron? At any rate, something set off a chain reaction within the republican community. Without any real warning, skeletons began emerging from closet after closet, until Sodom and Gomorrah began to resemble monks.

Scandals come and go. This current cycle of scandal, however, apparently attempted to outrun a freight train, and has been dragged beyond comprehension. Although devastated by repeated disasters, the carnage continues. Political suicide seems all the rage, with crazed republicans, like rats, leaping from a burning barge.

So should Larry Craig, latest poster child for Conservatives Gone Wild' resign? I would like to believe gays in Idaho deserve representation too! Unfortunately, I don't they can expect fair representation from Larry Craig.
Obviously, Craig has been less than forthcoming with America. I don't care about his particular sexual activities, but he has lost the confidence of his constituents. His words don't match his deeds.

Do you recall those silly playing cards the Bush administration passed around, featuring the faces of various bad guys? Well, the Bush administration has accumulated enough cards of their own to start a whole new deck... all jokers.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

The Troubled Presidency of George W. Bush

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

The troubled presidency of George W. Bush will expire in January of 2009. He will not be returning.

His legacy will be that of an ignorant and dangerously self centered warmonger who brought shame and disgrace upon this once great nation of ours. It will take decades to undo the damage. Only an absolute fool would continue to support or defend the transgressions of this administration. It is a terrible, terrible thing George W. Bush has done to America.

The next president, whether Democrat or Republican, male or female, black or white, will face the extraordinary task of salvaging our nation. The current administration began with a surplus, but has driven the federal government to the very brink of bankruptcy. Our military is on the verge of collapse. Our soldiers are languishing in a quagmire both at home and on the battle front.

The so called “surge” has proven to be nothing more than replacement troops for the ever shrinking “coalition of the willing”. Apparently, their ‘will’ to participate in an unjust war has vanished, leaving the US to go it virtually alone. Failure in Iraq is not an option… it’s a fact.

George W. Bush is akin to a malignant tumor that needs to be removed sooner rather than later, and impeachment is still an option. Unfortunately, like any cancer, the very real fear is that it may already be too late. The cancer that is the Bush administration may have already destroyed the host…
The United States of America

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Team Bush Falsified Iraq Evidence

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

It is now official, and officially documented.
George W. Bush and his cronies willfully manipulated evidence prior to the invasion of Iraq, with the intent of frightening Americans into supporting the invasion.

On Thursday, a 121 page report by the Pentagon’s acting Inspector General Thomas F. Gimble was released in full by Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who accompanied the release with a statement of his own, in part, stating: "It is important for the public to see why the Pentagon's Inspector General concluded that Secretary Feith's office 'developed, produced and then disseminated alternative intelligence assessments on the Iraq and al-Qaeda relationship,' which included 'conclusions that were inconsistent with the consensus of the Intelligence Community.' "

So much for plausible denial.

They knew damn well what they were up to. With most Americans still reeling from the September 11th attacks, the administration employed a few terror tactics of their own, frightening the US populace into submission. No
patriotic American would dare question the rhetoric. It just wouldn’t have been prudent.



Anyone who did so was demonized, ridiculed, marginalized, and cast aside.
The mantra was deafening, but dumb. We need to fight them there before they can bring it back here, etc. We can’t wait for the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.

Shoot now, let God sort ‘em out…
And indeed, we did just that.

The invasion went on as planned. No-one gave a damn that it was in clear violation of US and international law. Few acknowledged the glaring discrepancies. Bush wanted war at any cost.

At any cost.

Bush wanted war so bad he could taste it. He wanted war so bad he was willing to lie to about it, over and over again. He would not take no for an answer. Obviously, Mr. Bush got what he wanted.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Bush Backs Gonzales

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

George W. Bush says attorney general Alberto Gonzales is an honest man,
but he has yet to produce any evidence supporting his claims. After all, who is Bush to talk?

Let’s not be foolish with the facts. It just wouldn’t be prudent. This is the same George W. Bush who lied about wmd, yellowcake, mobile chem labs, etc. Only an absolute fool would believe he is now somehow compelled to tell the truth. Bush is not an honest man. Oh, and neither is that ambulance chaser he appointed attorney general. Birds of a feather, so to speak.

It’s tragic, really. How many times have we caught these scumbags lying about one thing or another? On the other hand, how many times have we caught either of them telling the truth? Do the math, you shouldn’t need a calculator for this one.

The answer is obvious. Only an absolute fool would continue to support George Bush at this juncture. He and his cronies have done more damage to this formerly great country of ours than bin Laden and Saddam Hussein combined. The US is morally and financially bankrupt. Our glory days are behind us.

Are you ready to impeach the son of a bitch? You better be…
Unless you are looking forward to another twenty-one months of downward spiral. If you think things are bad now, just keep doing nothing about it. Trust me on this one. If we don’t act soon, the situation will get far worse, and that, I’m afraid, is the honest to God truth.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

An Open Letter to president George W. Bush

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Mr. Bush,

With each passing day it becomes increasingly obvious your administration lied to the world about key evidence leading up to the invasion of Iraq. The invasion was in clear violation of US and international law, including the Geneva Accord, and has resulted in the destruction of Baghdad and the deaths of nearly a half a million Iraqis.

As president of the United States, you and you alone shoulder the ultimate responsibility
for crimes committed by members of your administration, including war crimes. Under your command, bombs were dropped on mosques and hospitals, civilians were murdered in cold blood while they slept, and innocent people were repeatedly tortured and beaten.

Saddam Hussein was hung by the neck for similar crimes, but in fact, the invasion has already resulted in a greater number of deaths. Why then should not yourself and other members of your administration face similar charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity?

Should you in fact find yourself charged with such crimes, will you voluntarily co-operate with the international criminal courts, or will you become a fugitive of justice? Furthermore, in the event that you are found guilty of these crimes, a very real possibility, will you accept the authority of the courts? And what if you are sentenced to death?

Do you really believe you are above the law? Do you really think you deserve to get away with what you have done?

I don’t.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

George W. Bush, King of Cowards

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Face the facts folks; if you’re a Bush supporter, you’re probably a coward.

It’s true, you know. I’ve never met a Bush supporter who wasn’t.
Denial changes nothing.

As Patrick Henry proclaimed, “Give me liberty, or give me death” He was right of course. Life without liberty is no bonanza.

Take the Patriot Act, for instance.

The Patriot Act is salve for the weak of spirit. As Ben Franklin stated “All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse”.

Oh, you mean like the Patriot Act?

It was also Franklin who stated: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Yep… that would most certainly include the Patriot Act. In fact, The Patriot Act is anything but the work of patriots. It is indeed, the folly of fools and cowards. You won’t find a quote by a brave man who disagrees, which brings us full circle…
If you are a Bush supporter, you’re probably a coward.

Indeed, I have met my share of Bush supporters and all have been cowards to the man. Not one brave soul amongst them. It is neither noble nor patriotic to guard the door while the fox raids the henhouse. Anyone who would allow another man to fight and die rather than speak up against a bad war is indeed a coward.

You’ll know a man by his deeds, as Christ stated, and he was against war. It’s amazing how many Americans claim to be Christians, but ignore the teachings of Christ outright. How Christianly.

So listen up, Bush supporters,
Drink the cool-aid and go to hell! You can run but you can’t hide. The truth will indeed be your longest shadow. Here’s the deal, and I know Patrick Henry would agree. You can shoot me dead with your little guns and I will die with my boots on. You, on the other hand, will still be a coward.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Richard Cheney Strikes Out

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

There's an old saying that if one should throw a rock over a high fence into a yard full of dogs, one can safely asume the dog that yelps is the dog you struck with the rock.

I received a rather odd and blatantly inappropriate e-mail a few days back.
What makes the unsolicited correspondence newsworthy is the source of the e-mail, none other than that fowl mouthed, self serving war profiteer, vice president Richard Cheney.

I have repeatedly pressed the White House for a reasonable explanation, but none has been forthcoming. Therefore, I see no reason why I shouldn’t share the correspondence with my readers, as you certainly have a right to know how the vice president reacts when his behavior is subject to scrutiny.

My assistant and I were researching a lead for a possible article on Bohemian Grove, sight of an annual conclave attended by various power brokers, including George Bush and Richard Cheney, when suddenly, and without provocation, the following e-mail appeared in my box:

Since your so damn curious about our meetings, So here.

Inside Bohemian Grove

When Dirk Mathison, San Francisco bureau chief for People
magazine, infiltrated the exclusive Bohemian Grove retreat
this summer, he got a view into the U.S. elite that very
few reporters have glimpsed. Unfortunately, that elite
includes the management of Time Warner, the owner of
People, which prevented Mathison from telling his story.

Bohemian Grove, a secluded campground in California's
Sonoma County, is the site of an annual two-week
gathering of a highly select, all-male club, whose
members have included every Republican president since
Calvin Coolidge. Current participants include George
Bush, Henry Kissinger, James Baker and David Rockefeller
-- a virtual who's who of the most powerful men in
business and government.

Few journalists have gotten into the Grove and been
allowed to tell the tale (one exception is Philip Weiss,
whose November 1989 Spy piece provides the most detailed
inside account), and members maintain that the goings-on
there are not newsworthy events, merely private fun. In
fact, official business is conducted there: Policy
speeches are regularly made by members and guests, and
the club privately boasts that the Manhattan Project was
conceived on its grounds.



Thanks Dick, I’ll spread the word.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Slander Becomes Us

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Previously Posted At:
http://theinfiniteecho.blogspot.com

Do you recall back in the day,
When every country station in the USA,
Spent the better part of every radio hour,
Deriding anyone and everyone with the good sense,
To appose a bad war?

Americans are truly a pathetic lot. Slander becomes us.
Quick to demonize others, we stubbornly resist accountability for our own transgressions.
When the Bush administration was selling its case for invading Iraq, most Americans never questioned the glaring inconsistencies, choosing instead to embrace nationalist jingoism, demonizing anyone and everyone who expressed opposition. At best, it was profoundly foolish. Unfortunately, it was also criminal.

The Bush administration never possessed compelling evidence about Saddam’s wmd capacity. In fact, international weapons inspectors repeatedly warned the Bush administration about their rush to judgment, only to get the bums rush themselves. Bush wasn’t interested in truth or accuracy. He wanted war and he got what he wanted.

Apparently, Bush and his cronies believed the larger the lynch mob, the more difficult it would be to hold anyone accountable down the road. Countries who refused to participate in the lynch mob found themselves ridiculed and marginalized. French Fries became Freedom Fries; the United Nations was characterized as corrupt and cowardly and much of Europe soon found themselves referred to by Bush cronies as “Old Europe”, out of touch and out of the loop.

Home grown dissenters fared no better. I’m sure you all remember what happened to the Dixie Chicks. Well, I’ve got news for you… The Dixie Chicks were right.

And so was John Kerry when he warned our young men and women about the perils of getting “stuck in Iraq”. Denial won’t make it less so. No matter how insulted you may have been by Kerry’s remarks, his words were sincere, and accurate. Face the facts; Iraq is no place for a good man to die.

How often have you heard the story about a judge who gives some kid a choice between going to jail or joining the army? The obvious implication being the judge in his infinite wisdom has determined the kid is unsuitable for society, but is somehow suitable for the armed services, where he’ll be given a loaded gun, and encouraged to embrace the consequences.

So go ahead, demonize John Kerry for telling the truth. Denial changes nothing. Iraq remains a quagmire and our soldiers continue to die. Oh, and be sure to trash the Dixie Chicks while your at it. After all, that’s what Americans do.

So go now, be offended. Failure in Iraq is not an option, it’s a fact. Victory is out of the question. The longer we stay, the worse the situation will become.

John Kerry’s only mistake was in backing down from his statement. I on the other hand, will do no such thing. In fact, I will wrap this up with a piece of advice:

Bring it on!

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo