MoveOn Say Salvation Is In Your Hands
by Nicole Powers
Arnold Schwarzenegger may have moved over to the dark side when he came out as a Republican and decided to take California, but MoveOn.org is fighting back with a little help from The Terminator. In the organization’s latest interweb broadcast, Olivia Wilde (House) travels back in time Sarah Connor-style to rally resistance against the G.O.P machine and the omnipresent Faux News Network that supports it.
The Terminator parody, which offers a chilling vision of a future where Sarah Palin is President, is written by Michael Pielocick of The Onion and MoveOn’s Creative Director, Laura Dawn. The team wrote the screenplay with Wilde in mind for the lead. “I just thought she had the exact right mix of intelligence and beauty, a la Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2,” says Dawn. “She looks like she could drop-kick some Blackwater Clonebots and she’s smart as hell. I sent her the script and she said yes immediately, so we were super thrilled to have her!”
The viewer serves as Wilde’s co-star in the state-of-the-art interactive short thanks to MoveOn’s smart use of Facebook’s Connect utility. Normally I’d be wary of allowing third parties to access my Facebook info, but MoveOn promise not to share it with the likes of Skynet. And since the resistance is fighting against RupubliCorp’s seemingly unstoppable cyborgs, it’s really worth it in this case since – come November 2nd – the future of the free world is in your hands…
Democrats Embrace Corruption Like An Old Friend
Seems like it was only eight months ago that the Democrats were running on a platform to clean up Congress. The Republicans had controlled the Hill since 1994 and the corruption was astounding. Combine their shocking activities with the Iraq war and it was a recipe for a massive Democratic Congressional victory. And now its time to clean up Congress and tighten those lobbying rules, right? Wrong.
Democrats are suddenly backing off their promises to curb big campaign donations, stop expensive parties thrown by lobbyists and to force lawmakers (themselves) to wait an extra year to land high paying lobbyist jobs. Hell, it was the Republicans who couldnt handle that shit; the Democrats have more self-control. Shouldnt be a problem.
The House Judiciary Committee is supposed to take up the long-awaited legislation this week but desire to pass the bill is fading with time. The Senate passed their version of the bill in January, way back when Congress had scruples. Now House members are mumbling and grumbling about losing their perks
The issues are in danger of being dropped from the House version, a Democratic member close to the negotiations said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because sensitive discussions were continuing.
The Senate bill forces lawmakers to wait two years before they can lobby Congress. They can get a job as a lobbyist after one year but arent allowed to start working over their old buddies on the hill. Currently they can immediately become a lobbyist but cannot have contact with Congress for one year. The House would prefer the cooling off period stay the same.
House members also dont want to kill off the kick-ass parties thrown by lobbyists at conventions. There is a lot of booze that wouldnt find a home in their tummy and that is flat out wrong.
The big issue is bundling.
It involves lobbyists soliciting and collecting campaign donations from other people and then presenting them in one package to the targeted candidate.
Under current law, each individual check-writer must report his or her donation. But the lobbyist-bundlers, who use the practice to ingratiate themselves to politicians, often go undetected.
The new law would require disclosure of bundling, which means the filthy little bugs that live under the rock would be exposed. But Democrats are now considering dropping the bundling provision from the bill and possibly allowing it at a later date as separate legislation.
I cant believe the Democrats arent going to change the rules that lead to blatant corruption. My whole word is collapsing. What is there left to believe in?
Bush's Bluff Called: House Passes Troop Withdrawl Legislation
In an effort to force feed the president and show him what his country actually wants the house has sent a bill calling for troop withdrawals to congress. The 218-208 victory came as the top US commander in Iraq told lawmakers that that despite people killing and bombing each other all over the country things are improving. I am paraphrasing by the way.
The bill which the president said he would veto will be on his desk within a couple weeks. And by politician time that more then likely means he will see it next year.
"Our troops are mired in a civil war with no clear enemy and no clear strategy for success," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Democrat.
Republicans promised to stand squarely behind the president in rejecting what they called a "surrender date" handed to the enemy.
"Al-Qaida will view this as the day the House of Representatives threw in the towel," said Rep. Jerry Lewis, ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee.
The $124 million dollar bill continues to fund the war but requires troops to begin withdrawals by October 1st of this year.
The bill sets a nonbinding goal of completing the troop pull out by April 1, 2008, allowing for forces conducting certain noncombat missions, such as attacking terrorist networks or training Iraqi forces, to remain.
Non combat missions such as attacking terrorists? Huh. Moving on.
After Bush veto's the bill the Democrats and the two republicans that voted yes will have to convince two thirds of the house in order to veto his veto and to tell Bush to stick it where the sun doesn't shine.
On the same day as the House vote, the president dispatched his Iraq commander, Gen. David Petraeus, and other senior defense officials to Congress to make his case: Additional forces recently sent to Iraq are yielding mixed results and the strategy needs more time to work.
But "the ability of al-Qaida to conduct horrific, sensational attacks obviously has represented a setback and is an area in which we're focusing considerable attention," Petraeus said.
You mean we in war we win some battles and loose others?? No way.
In response to talk of the bill the president had this to say.
"That means our commanders in the middle of a combat zone would have to take fighting directions from legislators 6,000 miles away on Capitol Hill," Bush said this week. "The result would be a marked advantage for our enemies and a greater danger for our troops."
Because an army that is actually controlled by its people would be just a horrible idea right? Why again did anyone vote for this guy?
Blaze Destroys Johnny Cash's Home
In what appears a heartbreaking instance of life imitating art, the Hendersonville fire department announced that Johnny Cash's lakeside Tennessee home burnt down today, leaving only its stone chimneys to commemorate where the late legend and wife June Carter Cash lived from 1968 until their deaths in 2003. Current owner Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, who snatched up the property in 2006 for a not-so-modest $2.3 million, was renovating the three-story house. Reports say Gibb is, saddened and devastated by the news," while Cash is probably turning in his grave.
The Hendersonville fire chief, Jamie Steele, did not know the cause of the fire, but confirmed that a flammable wood preservative applied to the outside of the house during refurbishment helped spread the flames.
The fire began at lunch time and although fire engines were on the scene within five minutes they were unable to quell the flames.
Marty Stuart, Cash's former son in law, lives on the neighboring property and had this to say:
"So many prominent things and prominent people in American history took place in that house - everyone from Billy Graham to Bob Dylan went into that house."
In addition to being the watering hole for other legendary artists, the home was also used for Cash's music video for his final recording, a cover of NIN's "Hurt."
Let the "Ring of Fire" jokes commence....
'House' is Where the Heart is: Co-stars Announce Engagement
Jesse Spencer and Jennifer Morrison, who respectively play doctors Chase and Cameron on the FOX TV show House, became engaged in Paris.
The public initially reacted with excitement until they realized that neither of them were Hugh Laurie and then promptly ignored them. Because, seriously, marriage doesn't mean shit if neither member plays the title character.
'Nightmare on Elm Street' Fixer-Upper for Sale
If you are searching for a house near Sunset Strip and want tourists to stand on the lawn to take pictures at all hours of the day, I may have the perfect place for you. Realtors listed the house used in Nightmare on Elm Street for sale at just over $1 million.
Nightmare on Elm Street house with basement for Freddie Kruger. Spaulding Square fixer opportunity screaming Buy Me, Buy Me! With some work this could be your Family Dream Home, backyard with pool 4 entertaining, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bath & office. Terrific living room with fireplace, formal dining room and bar set up.
With some work, this $1 million dollar home could your Family Dream Home.
Rats Jumping Ship
Less Americans are now calling themselves Republicans while more are calling themselves Democrats, according to a new Rasmussen Poll. Only 31.9% claim they are affiliated with the GOP, down from 37.2% in October 2004. Meanwhile, the Democrats are blowing up! In January 36.1% said they were affiliated with the Democrats but now that number has swelled to a massive 37.3%. Overall Democrats have gained five percentage points on Republicans since January 2004.
But the number of Americans who are declaring themselves independent is also growing. According to the poll, the number of unaffiliated Americans has increased to 30.8%. Rasmussen only began collecting this data in January 2004 and that is the highest percentage yet.
Not surprisingly the Democrats are gaining momentum to capture the House in November. They only need take 15 seats to control the House and currently of the 39 most competitive races, Republicans hold 35.
The Democrats need to gain 6 seats in the Senate but Republicans are holding them off. The Democrats have to win at least two races where Republicans are now favored. But several Republican Senators are in trouble.
Among likely voters, Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is trailing Democrat Bob Casey by 18 percentage points, Ohio Senator Mike DeWine is behind Democrat Sherrod Brown by 6 points and Montana Senator Conrad Burns trails Democrat John Tester by 3 points. Missouri Senator Jim Talent is tied with his Democratic opponent among registered voters.
Currently the Republicans are likely to walk away from the November election with 50 Senate seats, while the Democrats look to hold 47. 3 are considered toss-ups. Those will probably be stolen.