"...somebody named Cliff Schecter, an expert. Never heard of him."-Rush Limbaugh
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Giuliani on Bernard Kerik: "He brings a quality of leadership"
In light of Bernard Kerik facing potential felony counts that include including tax evasion, conspiracy to commit wiretapping and filing false information with the government, I thought some people may need to be reminded of this old story underlining how highly qualified Bernard Kerik was when Rudy Giuliani named him New York City's police commissioner in the year before 9/11.
But some critics have said that his lack of a college degree, a requirement for the rank of captain and higher in the department, sends the wrong message when the department is struggling to recruit qualified candidates.
Mr. Kerik is 24 credits short of a bachelor's degree in labor relations at Empire State College.
Now to a bit of business. A reader let us know that the site loads up much slower than other blogspot sights for him. Is anyone else having this problem? Let me know in the comments.
Light news day, so only a couple wee bits. (Man, he used to get really ticked when I called it that.) aherm.
BAGHDAD - The U.S. military death toll in March, the first full month of the security crackdown, was nearly twice that of the Iraqi army, which American and Iraqi officials say is taking the leading role in the latest attempt to curb violence in the capital, surrounding cities and Anbar province, according to figures compiled on Saturday.
ABC's "This Week"—Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; presidential counselor Dan Bartlett; former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson; Cal Ripken Jr., former Baltimore Orioles shortstop.
CBS' "Face the Nation"—Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa.; Bartlett.
NBC's "Meet the Press"—Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y.
CNN's "Late Edition"—Sens. Kit Bond, R-Mo., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; the Rev. Al Sharpton, civil rights activist; Richard Haass, Council on Foreign Relations president.
"Fox News Sunday"—Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Joe Biden, D-Del.; Kevin Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
************************Special Note********* Tonite, Saturday on Cspan 1 at 11p EST they will replay the White House Correspondents Dinner with the infamous "MC Rove" bit. You can watch from the beginning and catch Brian Williams being HYSTERICAL in a sketch with the "Whose Line Is It Anyway" guys, (what happened to Rich Little?) and right after that, if you have had your fill of bad white boy dancing, change the channel.
So Mathew Dowd, one of the Texas-turncoat Democratic consultants that went to work for Bush (like his pal Mark McKinnon, now working for McCain) in 1999, because he fell in love with Bush's well-toned glutes or some other idiotic reason, has now get this, repudiated Bush.
This asshole foisted a disaster on the American public,--and mind you we deserve much of the blame for voting for him (some of us less so than others :))--and then gleefully accepted a position as his "chief campaign strategist" in 2004.
Now he wants forgiveness.
Let me ponder my answer. Ok, here is it: GO TO HELL, Matthew.
What didn't you know in 2004? That he had busted our budget on tax cuts for Paris Hilton? Started an immoral war based upon lies? Ignored children's healthcare? Fell off a bicycle, twice?
Try all you want to distance yourself pal, and lament the "my way or the highway" politics that Bush employs until you're blue in the face (maybe from choking on a pretzel, perhaps?). I'm guessing you didn't notice any of that when you were working alongside that human bile-stain Rove though, huh?
Well, your place in hell is most assuredly already reserved, but you're not getting away with cutting and running from this miserable disaster of a president while still on this Earth.
To paraphrase another man who sold out to Bush, one Colin Powell: You broke him, you bought him.
Well sorta. I am in Cincy with family, waiting for everything I own besides this computer to arrive in Columbus on Monday. So the move is by no means over, but the worst part is (packing up everything you own for a long trip can be, well, ask Bob Ney or Randy Duke Cunningham).
Best conversation overheard so far: In a gas station driving here last night - "My skin got burnt straight through today by the sun, but there isn't any price not worth paying for the first day of fishing season."
Now I am sure for many of you, this is not out of the ordinary. But I am someone who has lived most of my life in New York, Philly or DC. I am so psyched to be moving somewhere at least somewhat culturally different (in fairness to Columbus, this occurred at a very un-Metropolitan stop in the highway, I will spend a future post singing Columbus' praises as it continually grows and becomes a really cool city).
On a different note, It seems I have missed many a story the past few days, but somehow I'll survive only having seen MC Rove once (right Paddy?). And btw, thanks for the Ohio facts, I even learned a few things.
Ok, so summary: I will do some blogging today and tomorrow, and then if the cable folk live up to their promise (50-50 at best, wouldn't you say?), and I get the cable modem up in the new pad on Monday, we're back to a normal schedule.
In the meantime I'll watch episodes of Law & Order so I can heartily laugh at the fact that the GOP is so desperate right now that they want that country-fried, George Allen-elitist-hiding-in-ordinary-guy's-clothing Fred Thompson to swoop in and save their pathetically corrupt gay prostitutin', child IMing party in 2008.
Howard Fineman: Rove May Not Be Able To Rescue McConnell
In his latest Newseek online column, Howard Fineman notes McConnell is taking direct orders from Karl Rove. Fineman, a former Kentucky resident and expert on the state's political scene says:
"With presidential approval ratings at historic lows, with voters supporting a timetable for withdrawal by a clear majority, with the GOP’s brand name melting faster than an Alaskan glacier, what could McConnell & Co. be thinking? Short answer: whatever Rove tells them to...
But even in Kentucky, there’s a limit to patience. The Screaming Eagles may not be able to rescue him."
"But now he's front and center--and Democrats and progressive groups intend to keep it that way. Their goal is to paint McConnell as lead obstructionist, blocking not only debate on theIraq war--as he did a few weeks back--but also on populist priorities such as energy independence, cheaper drugs and student debt relief."
By John Hoellwarth - Staff writer Posted : Friday Mar 30, 2007 16:49:07 EDT
The Corps on Friday was slated to wrap up an investigation into allegations that a corporal in the Individual Ready Reserve who appeared in gay porn films before enlisting solicited more than $12,000 from private organizations by asking them to fund a deployment to Iraq he never made, according to e-mails from the investigating officer forwarded to Marine Corps Times.
Reserve Col. Charles Jones, a staff judge advocate called to Marine Corps Mobilization Command in Kansas City, Mo., on temporary orders that expire Saturday, informed Reserve Cpl. Matt Sanchez of the allegations against him in a March 22 e-mail that advised Sanchez of his rights.
Jones wrote that Sanchez’s participation in porn films was part of the investigation, but that two of the three allegations against him involved lying “to various people, including but not limited to, representatives of the New York City United War Veterans Council and U-Haul Corporation” about deploying to Iraq at the commandant’s request.
Hey MATT!!! We accept you here, c'mon over any time. And I'm serious. If you want to drop some CPAC money in the donation button over there, it will really burn my sis.
Bud Cummins (one of the ousted proscecutors) writes an article for Salon. It is a must read.
A scathing op-ed from Terry Jones (yes, that Terry Jones) in the Guardian UK comparing the treatment of the 15 British soldiers by the Iranians and our treatment of detainees.
Cat provides the gorgeous pic again today. ***UPDATE ALERT****** As of now (1015a EST) Cspan 1 is replaying this hearing....
White House Power Point slides target 20 Democrats for 2008 defeat RAW STORY Published: Friday March 30, 2007
House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) is seeking information about slides targeting 20 Democratic-controlled Congressional districts for the 2008 Election. In January, the White House sent J. Scott Jennings, an aide to Karl Rove, to present a slide show to a group of employees of the General Services Administration.
Waxman believes the presentation, as well as subsequent remarks made by GSA Director Lurita Alexis Doan, may have violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from using their positions for political purposes. Doan is alleged to have suggested that she could use GSA contracts to help Republican members of Congress hold their seats in the House.
CBS News: "McConnell may find it difficult to avoid a tough re-election campaign in 2008"
In the PureHorserace roundup today, CBS News noted that McConnell may want to start spending less time as George W. Bush's strongest supporter repairing Kentucky's recently destroyed Republican Party and "start thinking about himself:"
"It's an atmosphere similar to one faced by a party leader for the Democrats in 2004. Running for re-election in a strong Republican state, then-Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle was defeated by former Rep. John Thune in a tight race that was heavily influenced by outside forces intent on picking off a high-profile national figure. Look for Democrats to keep McConnell high on their target list for 2008."
In honor of Cliff and familia that are currently wending their way to the great state of OhiO, I present....
All The Interesting Columbus OhiO Trivia Paddy Could Find On The Intertubes!!
"Hang On Sloopy" is the official state rock song.
The Y Bridge in Zanesville was first built in 1814 to span the confluence of the Licking and Muskingum Rivers. The current bridge is the fifth construction at the same location. "Ripley's Believe It or Not" proclaimed it the only bridge in the world which you can cross and still be on the same side of the river.
The American Federation of Labor was founded in Columbus.
Ohio is the leading producer of greenhouse and nursery plants.
Seven United States presidents were born in Ohio. They are: Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William H. Taft, and Warren G. Harding.
Some well-known personalities were born in Ohio. Among them Steven Spielberg, Paul Newman, Annie Oakley, Arsenio Hall and Clark Gable.(added from ohdave)Rob Lowe, the Sheens, Pete Rose, Le Bron James, Toni Morrison, James Thurber, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, John Glenn, Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, Woody Hayes, Roy Lichtenstein, George Bellows.(since I'm still on my West Wing Kick, is there anyone from TWW NOT from OhiO?)
The first full time automobile service station was opened in 1899 in Ohio.
In 1852 Ohio was the first state to enact laws protecting working women.
Ohio gave America its first hot dog in 1900. Harry M. Stevens created the popular dining dog.
50% of the United States population lives within a 500 mile radius of Columbus. (ed note- this is really interesting!)
Ohio's state flag is a pennant design. It is the only state flag of that design in the United States.
State symbols:
flower scarlet carnation (1904) tree buckeye (1953) bird cardinal (1933) insect ladybug (1975) gemstone flint (1965) song “Beautiful Ohio” (1969) beverage tomato juice (1965) fossil trilobite (1985) animal white-tailed deer (1988) wildflower large white trillium (1987)
Nickname: Buckeye State
Origin of name: From an Iroquoian word meaning “great river”
One last thing!! I know there are quite a few OH, IN, KY & IL people who stop by here, so if you have any good websites that are Columbus-centric, leave them in the comments so Cliff has some references when he needs them.
Much to the chagrin of the White House, House Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) wants to hear from Susan Ralston.
Jack Abramoff's former personal assistant, Ralston became Karl Rove's assistant in 2001, where she was his "implant" at the White House.
But after a report last October by Waxman's committee (then chaired by Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA)) showed that Ralston had accepted thousands of dollars in gifts from Abramoff without compensating him, she abruptly resigned.
On March 12, 2007, I sent you a letter renewing, as formal requests of the Committee, prior letter requests that I sent to you between 2003 and 2006. These requests sought information on the claim that Iraq sought uranium from Niger, White House treatment of classified information, the appointment of Ambassador Jones as “special coordinator” for Iraq, and other subjects. My March 12 letter is attached.
The March 12 letter requested a response by March 23 to several of the inquiries, but the Committee received no response from you.
I now request your appearance before the Committee at a hearing on Wednesday, April 18, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2154, Rayburn House Office Building. At this hearing, you will be asked to provide testimony and respond to questions on the subjects outlined in the March 12 letter and the original request letters. …
All Iran and Nukes All the time. 10 out of 12 of the top stories are about Iran or Nukes or a combination of the two. And any way you look at it, they are looking for a fight.
Newsmax tries to pretend they are a real news site, but then they go and put up shit as the top story "Obama Still Hiding White Grandma". Where? The Basement? Closet? Dammit, if you say he's hiding her, at least let us know where!!
This is just rich!! "Liberal Media Elite" awarded for their bias by real reporters.
Liberal Media Personalities 'Roasted' for Their Rants By Susan Jones
(CNSNews.com) - Before a mostly conservative audience of 1,000 people in Washington Thursday night, the Media Research Center -- the parent organization of CNSNews.com -- roasted the "most outrageously biased liberal reporters of 2006."
The MRC's 20th annual "Dishonors Awards" also presented Rush Limbaugh with the first annual "William F. Buckley Award for Media Excellence." (snip)
The MRC's "God, I Hate America Award," presented by Neal Boortz, went to New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. (snip)
The "Dan Rather Memorial Award for the Stupidest Analysis," presented by Neal Boortz, went to Katie Couric for her September "60 Minutes" interview with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Couric noted that Rice "rejects the notion that the U.S. is a bully, imposing its values on the world."(snip)
The "Tin Foil Hat Award for Crazy Conspiracy Theories," presented by Mary Matalin, went to CNN's Jack Cafferty, who suggested that the Bush administration might be coordinating with Osama bin Laden:
And I bet they just thought they were teh clever!!! Ooooh, "Dan Rather Memorial Award"!! That's a knee slapper.
Evil Shrieking Viper Woman is going on about the Chocolate Jesus (I'm not sure if she wants more coverage or less), pissing about the "bloggers" Bush quoted getting dissed by the MSM and something about Diane Fieinstein being a "smoking gun" in the attorney firings. (For whatever reason the wingers insist that Carol Lam was useless because of Diane Feinstein.... huh?)
Honestly, you can't spend much time on these sites before you really have to wonder about their sanity.
*Spelling of Ms Feinsteins name corrected thanks to precode pointing it out. Mental intertubes not up to speed today.
I promise I do still exist here folks. I have had a really really bad cough, and at the same time have been moving the past few days. Oh boy, that's as much fun as being Karl Rove's jock strap.
So I apologize for radio silence. But how about these new bloggers we got?
I thank all you guys for taking them in. They're a talented bunch. I am excited about where this blog is going.
Now remember one more thing: FUNDRAISER (go to the button on the right hand side to donate). Please give whatever you can so Paddy can get that DSL and pay the mortgage and BC can feed that second child, so she can grow up to be as much of a wise ass as her father.
The Justice Department is far from the only government agency troubled by politicization under the Bush administration. All you have to do is spin the wheel.
So today, it's the Fish and Wildlife Service! And at the center of it is one Julie A. MacDonald, appointed by Bush to be the deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks at the Interior Department. The very ugly details of her malfeasance have been exposed by an inspector general report. (Update: MacDonald, by the way, has a degree is in civil engineering and has no formal educational background in natural sciences.)
Ms. MacDonald, whose job is to oversee policy decisions on endangered species and other wildlife, sent internal agency documents to industry lobbyists (e.g. she twice sent "internal Environmental Protection Agency documents — one involving water quality management — to individuals whose e-mail addresses ended in 'chevrontexaco.com,") and generally ran roughshod over agency scientists.
They laid the groundwork for this b.s. with Cheneys "Secret Energy Task Force" 6 freaking years ago and the Supremes let them get away with it. I'm guessing people whose email addys end in "chevrontexaco.com" were in on Cheneys secret meetings. And they are trying to destroy our country.
“The distinction between ‘political’ and ‘performance-related’ reasons for removing a United States attorney is, in my view, largely artificial,” - Kyle Sampson, during Thrusday's hearing.
Please look at that statement. That personifies the Bush/Rove mindset. The way they measured US Attorney's was political. Not whether they put folks behind bars, or carried out investigations in a proper manner. No, the way they measured these prosecutors was whether or not they were "loyal Bushies." It's sad, but at least he's honest.
A couple things then I'll go to bed and stop bothering you people.
1. Do I have to see that f*****g "MC Rove" b.s. EVERYWHERE?
2. I saw this on Yahoo, "How do I make a polish last?" and immediately thought, "Keep filling his beer!!". Oops, wrong polish.
3. Over at Guardian UK, they have a "Video Montage, The Falklands 25 years on Watch the soldiers who were there relive their experiences and follow the war as it unfolded". Question. How long is the video montage of a two month war?
4. And finally, via Think Progress we find out that not only was John Boehner booed by construction workers at a speech (when he talked about the war), disdained for repeatedly mispronouncing Tuskegee consistently at the ceremony today (it's in his state), he also "accidentally" voted for the budget bill. Heh.
Oddly enough, recent moves by the House and Senate to set a timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq have given W and company more liberty to play the blame game. He and Cheney are accusing Dems of cutting and running (again). Perhaps, this just might be the opportunity he's been waiting for to push the biggest foreign policy blunder in recent US history onto someone else, namely Dems. Will it stick this time? Doubtful.
That was the same argument Nixon supporters liked to use for failures in Vietnam, that "meddling by Congress," "the Johnson White House" and "weak Democrats" kept the "generals on the ground" from doing their job.
Is this the same General Patraeus who, when posted to Northern Iraq in 2003, dished out more dough to shady Iraqis and questionable contractors than the number of assists at a Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird game circa 1985?
Generals don't make policy decisions. Their bosses do.
Ahem, let's see what is going on in the blogospherio today.....
Incredible blow by blow live blogging of the Sampson hearing at FireDogLake, Daily Kos and TPMmuckraker. If you'd like me to boil it down for you (and I know you would) I would say the gist of it is.... GONZALES IS A FREAKING LIAR AND THEY ARE ALL HIDING SOMETHING. double ahem.
And I double dog DARE Rush Limbaugh to call me a liberal anti-Hispanic racist. 'Cause if he does, I'll sic my More-Latina-Than-Latinas sister and Argentinian Aunts and Cousins after his ponderously voluminous needle pocked ass. But then again, he was "Vacationing with V" not too long ago, so he just might like being chased down a dark alley by Hispanics.
Anyone who has been coming around here since Cliff left the door open and I slunk in knows that I had really high hopes for Politico. I've been consistently underwhelmed and apparently so has everyone else. Media Matters lays out Politicos umbilical cord and it leads right to Drudge. No wonder I've been disappointed.
The CBC eats the crap and agrees to two Faux sponsored debates. Wonder if Obama will still boycott Faux?
{paddy dances about the house with a pic of Henry Waxman clutched to her bosom...."Mrs Hank Waxman, Paddy Waxman, Ms Waxman-****"} Oh yeah, Henry Waxman is just teh bomb, no two ways about it. I love when official government request letters begin with "Dear Mr Rove...." Many many questions soon to be many subpoenas.
I hope someday to have two cents to rub together, and in that hope I hereby SWEAR to do everything in my power to see that Joe Lieberman is not re-elected next time. I want to make the words "Joe Lieberman" and "asshat" synonymous.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Connecticut, told CNN Thursday he thinks the president's changed policy in Iraq has successfully decreased the violence in Baghdad and increased the confidence of U.S. forces there.
HE IS NOT A D!!! NOT A DEMOCRAT!!! NOT OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!!! STOP IT!!
As if this Administration's complete disdain for the civil service wasn't bad enough... On Wednesday, Lurita Doan, administrator of the General Services Administration, was asked by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform why she allowed a White House aide to brief her managers on the Republican Party's prospects for 2008.
While I'm sure that a large contingent of the Kentucky Republican Party is not too happy with Mitch McConnell enticing Anne Northup to challenge Governor Ernie Fletcher in a primary, I can't imagine they will be excited about wasting money to plan this May 26th "unity rally," when it is far from certain that they will not be in the middle of a run-off.
After voting today against funding our troops and against a goal for withdrawing troops by March 31, 2008, it is no wonder why Mitch McConnell remains under 50 percent in Kentucky:
Yeah, that’s what I expected to hear when I went to a Federalist Society’s event that featured Myron Ebell of the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Well, that’s not what he said. I’m not really sure what he said, actually. And I think that’s the point.
Hysterical. That these wingers continue to convince people of their pablum is just incredible. Every theory has Holland Tunnel sized holes in them. How Mike & Cliff can stand to even be in the same room with some of these felonious liars is beyond me, I'd end up bitch slapping every single one of them.
At one point, Schlafly also contended that married women cannot be sexually assaulted by their husbands.
"By getting married, the woman has consented to sex, and I don't think you can call it rape," she said.
This is stunning. The woman is 81 years old and this kind of dreck has been leaking out of her for better than 40 years. I'm not sure about the whole heaven/hell thing, but if we really are judged by our acts at the end, this woman is seriously screwed.
But in the Duke exchange, any viewer who knew anything about Marsden, whom Fox is clearly grooming for brand-name pundit stardom, might have felt a fleeting moment of sympathy for her.
That's because the 31-year-old columnist is already well known in her native Canada as an oft-accused and once-admitted stalker who made questionable rape charges of her own 10 years ago, in a case that eventually cut short the career of a university president and changed the tenor of harassment cases all over Canada. In 1999, a professor at the same university went to the police with charges Marsden was stalking him, and in 2004 she pleaded guilty to criminally harassing a former Vancouver radio host.
She is also a regular contributor to The O'Lielly Factor. Hmmmm......
Instead of Frick and Frack, we ought to just call Romney and Giuliani Flip and Flop. Hey Lynn Sweet, Hey Politico, Hey MSM, these are gaffes, not Obama's inability to name a magazine he read in 1970.
We have the NY Times piece showing that Rove helped pick US Attorneys and judges. We have video of a hearing where Democrats prove that Karl Rove's Deputy, Scott Jennings, was giving political briefings to government employees (a huge no no). Taken individually, these two scandals show the White House's, and Rove's, disdain for the rule of law.
Taken together, they show how Karl Rove uses his position in the White House to politicize everything - the judiciary, prosecutions, government employees. To Rove, everything is an opportunity to use any method to give the GOP an advantage. He has no policy goals, no ethics, all he craves is power. It is the ultimate justice that his methods, and this Presidency, gave power back to the Democrats.
The Courier-Journal had a major story on the Americans United for Change ad that is on the air in Kentucky to urge McConnell to change direction on Iraq. The ad is garnering buzz in the state in the aftermath of McConnell's approval rating falling under 50 percent this month.
Like most readers, I had trouble understanding how the KY Governor candidate Bruce Lunsford could make this claim with a straight face: "I supported one Republican governor in my life. I will never support another one."
Once again, someone should hand Lunsford an old newspaper to refresh his memory. From an October 7, 1995 Lexington Herald Leader story:
" The Republican National Committee expects to pour $200,000 to $300,000 into efforts to elect Larry Forgy and his running mates, the party chairman said yesterday...Republicans yesterday released a list of major campaign contributors to the state party and dared Paul Patton and Democrats to do the same... The Republican list released yesterday included 82 people and 11 political action committees that have contributed between $1,000 and the $2,500 maximum to the state party. The list did not include exact contribution amounts or occupations of the givers.
But many of the names were familiar, including W. BruceLunsford, president of Louisville health-care giant Vencor."
So Lunsford expects us to believe that by donating the maximum amount to the Kentucky Republican Party during Larry Forgy's race for Governor, he was somehow not supporting him?
RIYADH, March 28 — The king of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah, condemned the presence of American forces in Iraq as an "illegitimate foreign occupation" in a speech today, and said the withholding of aid to Palestinians should end. The king’s speech, at the opening of the Arab League summit here, appeared to distance his country’s position from that of the United States. Saudi Arabia has been a powerful Arab ally to the United States in the Persian Gulf region.
This is the country whose Prince Bandar was GWBs BFF. Remember he took off in a huff 2 years ago?
This is a complex and disturbing article, but you should go read it.
Sorry for my lack of posting, although it seems with all the new talent we've acquired, I have become redundant.
Seriously, I love the new posters, and what they add to the synergy of the site, and hope you do too. I have been traveling the past few days, and suffering from a really nasty cough. And on Friday I move, and our home internet access has already been pulled. So it seems like a good time for a bit of a break. I will check in, but for the next few days, I will only be around on and off.
One more thing - we have surpassed one third of our goal of $1,500 and have raised $500 already in our ongoing fundraiser. Let's keep it going. Paddy's got some bills to pay. BC found out his sexual organs have not withered and had another child.
So please, any amount is helpful folks. If you like this blog and enjoy having independent media, please do give (h/t to the great Jesus General and the fantastic Steve Benen for sending folks this way to give).
Just to remind everyone that we have newbies, KY Colonel (I think it stands for Kentucky, not that other thing) and A Lincoln Democrat.
Stop by their posts and say hello, drop in an amen or a critique.
We have new ads- click and check them out.
From The Left has some neat t-shirts, the Ditch Mitch site has some great writing and the Think Progress ad has video highlights of last weekends Healthcare Debate. All Lefty Approved of course!!
Don't forget about the RSS feed, digg it, delicious and spotlight. All there for YOU, not us.
Any questions, ask in the comments and I'll try and help.
****** Added Note ********
Radio & Television Correspondents Dinner (9pm) LIVE on Cspan 2 Tonite
DOJ's Monica Goodling, who refuses to testify before Congress tomorrow for fear of self-incrimination, went to the Regent University School of Law--an evangelical institution. What was she supposed to take away from her years at a Christian law school where:
The nurture and encouragement of other law students, practicing lawyers, judges, legislators, government officials, educators and others to recognize and seek the biblical foundations of law, to recognize questions of righteousness in the operation of law; and to pursue true justice. (emphasis added)
I guess Monica missed the classes and lessons that focused on pursuing true justice and the righteousness of the law. For those focused on pursuing true justice would want to be truthful about the roles they play in serving our government, which I recall is "under God" according to the pledge of allegiance. Or maybe my definition of true justice is different from hers (and her lawyers).
Regent University's student handbook should have also taught Monica some other lessons about proper Christian behavior. In the Student Code of Conduct, it states that "Indeed, the Bible contains numerous admonitions against false witness, dishonesty, and cheating." In the section explaining that lying is prohibited, the definition of lying includes "any deliberate attempt to mislead or intentionally misrepresent class attendance or falsifying attendance reports." (emphasis added)
So let's just say that Monica claims No Mas (AG Gonzales for those who did not read my prior posts) or Karl Rove did not attend a meeting that he attended, then she would would be falsifying a class attendance report. And even though she is no longer a law student at Regent, she apparently keeps this policy close to her heart because the only way to avoid a misrepresentation (or spill the beans) is to stay quiet.
(ed: this is like the age old question about gas. If you denied it, then you supplied it. And if you smelt it, then you dealt it. Thus, if asked whether you farted or smell the fart, the only way around admitting your guilt is to stay silent. This, of course, gives the appearance of a cover up but at least it is not an admission of guilt!)
Likewise, the Code prohibits the misuse of computers, including unauthorized use of computers to change the contents of files and intimidating/offensive/lying use of the computers. Hopefully, this section of the Code of Conduct has also stuck with Monica, even if the actual legal requirements have not.
So Monica, what exactly did you learn at Regent law school?
Swift Boat Vet For Truth funder Sam Foxyanked erm "withdrawn" from consideration as Ambassador to Belgium.
And here's one for the tall girls...
As my mother used to say, "It's just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor man."
So Mr Bao Xishun, you couldn't have even TRIED TO DATE TALLER WOMEN? I mean, really, you could have gone for one at leat 5'9 or so, and that isn't even very tall in the modern world. (spoken as a 6' woman)
The MSM is right--Obama is such a neophyte. He is using this thing called "Yahoo" to ask the American public a question: How can we engage more people in the democratic process?
Only someone with no experience would think of asking the American people over the Internets questions like this. Like Hillary Clinton and John McCain
Salon editor Joan Walsh agrees with my criticism of The Politico hit piece on Obama. Nut graph
The Drudge controversy aside, I found Allen's piece "Rookie Mistakes Plague Obama" shallow and unconvincing. And I found it, literally, not via Drudge's prominent link (which used the same headline), but in an e-mail from the Republican National Committee, headlined simply "The Rookie." The RNC hit piece on Obama leads with Richard Cohen's nasty column in the Washington Post today, but follows up with several quotes from Allen's story, as well as the Chicago Tribune piece on Obama's background that both Allen and Cohen quote liberally. It's when you read the RNC talking points that you understand the rage of the liberal blogosphere against the so-called MSM: It is as if Cohen, Allen, the Tribune reporters and the RNC all got on a conference call and said, "Here's how we're hitting Obama this week."
AG Gonzales was here in Chicago yesterday (here) but after only three questions from the press, he pled "no mas)" like Roberto Duran. In fact, the analogy is particularly choice because later in life Duran claimed he never said "no mas." (here)
My new nickname for the AG is now "No Mas" because he says things everyone else can here but him.
When "No Mas" did speak, he offered more lip service such as:
"I look forward to working with Congress. I believe in keeping accountability..."; and
"I'm not going to comment on the decision by an employee of the department to exercise her constitutional rights..."
Rhetorically, we are all asking No Mas:
How can you keep accountability if it never existed?;
How can you not comment on a very senior person in your department fearing self-incrimination from telling the truth to Congress?;
What does all of this say about your managerial skills--shouldn't you resign in shame even if what you are saying is true; and
Why can't you stand behind Ms. Goodling like the way President Bush has stood behind you--do you not have the same confidence in your top advisors?
There is an interesting story by Tim Dickinson in Rolling Stone eviscerating Democratic consultants. He makes some powerful points that Democrats really ought to think about. Right now, Democratic media consultants get paid by a percentage of the buy for ads, so there is an inherent conflict for them - the more ads they run, the more money they make. And Dickinson goes on to make some other smart points.
The problem with the article is that it is so poorly thought out and riddled with errors of omission that it loses credibility with anyone in the know.
His makes some pretty glaring factual errors. He mentions that Hillary has the only consultants to ever win a Presidential election on her staff, Mark Penn and Mandy Grunwald (who both worked for Bill Clinton). But he's wrong. He mocks Stan Greenberg as a former Gore staffer, but Greenberg worked for the first Clinton campaign in '92. If you're going to portray someone as a loser, you should make sure that they, in fact, have always lost.
This article is about two years too late (as TNR points out, it was written two and four years ago, in much better form). Last year, Democrats recaptured the House and Senate majorities. The same people Dickinson is cutting up just helped lead the Democrats out of the wilderness.
He slams Sen. Obama's media consultant, David Axelrod, for getting "his start helping the last presidential candidate from Illinois -- Sen. Paul Simon -- lose to Mike Dukakis in 1988." Later, he talks about the success of James Carville in helping Bill Clinton win. But Carville had a far worse start than Axelrod. Carville by his own admission lost most of his races early in his career. Since losing in 1988, Axelrod has built a name for himself winning a ton of races, is well respected in the industry, and most importantly, stayed away from the Gore and Kerry debacles. To try to saddle him as loser because he worked on Paul Simon's longshot bid in 1988 is gratuitous, and takes away from the central point of the article - the exhorbitant fees made by consultants.
Ultimately, there are some good points within the article. Its just a shame they were buried under so much crap.
Americans United for Change will air a statewide ad tomorrow in Kentucky asking Mitch McConnell to change course on Iraq.
The AP reports that the $200,000 ad buy will be part of a larger campaign by Americans United for Change to brand McConnell as an obstacle to the Democratic Party agenda.
WASHINGTON Mar 27, 2007 (AP)— The Democratic-controlled Senate narrowly signaled support Tuesday for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by next March, triggering an instant veto threat from the White House in a deepening dispute between Congress and commander in chief.
After weeks of setbacks on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid said the moment was at hand to "send a message to President Bush that the time has come to find a new way forward in this intractable war."
"It is a choice between staying the course in Iraq or changing the course in Iraq," he said.
Fine Mr President. Veto this bill.
Your support has crumpled, and all anyone wants at this point is to get as far away from you as possible.
Don't watch this if you're home alone. It is a YouTube of a Dan Rather report on the Nixon campaign from 1972, and guess which undercover agent-outing, atorney purging, Iraq war cheering, slimeball shows up looking like Skippy from Family Ties.
If you didn't guess by now, it rhymes with stove. As in the place where he should avoid for a week before they need two seats for him to join discussions in the Oval Office. (h/t Matt Stoller)
WASHINGTON Mar 26, 2007 (AP)— Teams assigned to make sure foreigners ordered out of the United States actually leave are grappling with a backlog of more than 600,000 cases and can't accurately account for the fugitives' whereabouts, the government reported Monday. (snip)
Even though more than $204 million was allocated for 52 fugitive operations teams since 2003, a backlog of 623,292 cases existed as of August of 2006, the report said.
How ANYONE ANYWHERE could think this bunch of Keystone Cops could enforce any sort of sane security programs is unimaginable.
They are too busy infiltrating and monitoring Peace Protesters before the RNC convention with so called “R.N.C. Intelligence Squads” WITHIN THE NYPD NO FREAKING LESS!!
It speaks libraries of volumes about this administration that they spare no expense, manpower and efficiency to stick their noses in the dirty fucking hippies peacenik activities, but let 600K FUGITIVES FROM JUSTICE languish at the mall for all we know.
Looks like the press is starting to turn on Sen. Obama, but they haven't quite figured what to harp on.
The Associated Press wrote a piece today claiming that Obama lacks substance, that he hasn't really talked policy yet. But as Greg Sargent points out over at TPM, they seem to ignore almost every policy speech he's given. I guess if the AP wants to claim Sen. Obama has no substance, it helps to ignore all his substantive speeches.
And everyone's favorite bird cage liner, which doubles as a newspaper, The Politico, writes a story about Sen. Obama being plagued with rookie mistakes. The crux of their argument is that most of his bumps are coming from his book. Money quote
"But in Obama's case, the presidential campaign hazing is complicated by 442 pages of words from his own pen. "Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" was written in 1995, when Obama was giving little thought to the political implications of his life story. The words sat barely noticed for almost a decade, then blossomed into a best-seller after Obama's masterly 2004 speech to the Democratic National Convention."
Interesting that the "rookie mistakes" being made by Obama come from a book written 12 years ago. But "Rookie Mistakes" was the meme that The Politico wanted to go with, and why let the facts get in the way.
The Hartford Courant just reported that Senator Dodd will "strongly oppose" the nomination of Sam Fox to become the ambassador of Belgium. (here) Sam Fox gave mucho money to the Swift Boat Vets in 2004 whose lies so severely hurt the Kerry campaign. But when questioned before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about who asked him to contribute the money, Fox could not recall. After all, Fox had said Kerry was a hero--what more do people want? The truth?
Dodd and Kerry (here) are finally getting a modicum of retribution although much too late.
On the other hand, Senator Joe thinks Sammy boy is just great. (here) I guess Senator Lieberman has grown so accustomed to GOP lies that the Swift Boat attacks are trivial.
“Democratic” KY Gov Candidate Organized Republican Party Tribute to President Bush
Bruce Lunsford, who is now masquerading as a Democrat in Kentucky’s Gubernatorial race, recently claimed, “"I've lived my life as a Democrat. I have 40 some years living as a Democrat."
Really?
Maybe someone should remind Lunsford that the Kentucky Post archives date back well past those 40 years….from a 9/26/95 article:
“The Republican Party of Kentucky will hold a Salute to President George Bush on Oct. 13 at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
The event is a major fund-raiser for the party and the GOP state ticket.
There will be a dinner chairman's reception with Bush from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., a general reception at 6:30 and dinner at 7.
Northern Kentucky builder Ralph Drees is a co-chairman of the dinner.
Members of the dinner committee include Bill Butler, Jerry Carroll, Mary Fisher, BruceLunsford and Kevin Murphy.”
Has anyone seen the RNC document retention policy? Did it surface in the Tobin case in NH? Or in other litigation?
Regardless, I expect that an Arthur Andersen-like attempt to "comply" with the policy has been in place over the last couple of months. I am sure that the RNC has not liberally construed the policy; rather, it has strictly construed the policy narrowly to ensure nothing has been lost.
Please let this post also serve as a friendly reminder to our friends at Halliburton on your move to Dubai: please carefully catalogue and save all of your employees’ notes, e-mails, and documents. Just because you are moving does not mean you can “unintentionally lose”, “accidentally destroy”, “mistakenly delete”, or “inadvertently misfile” those documents that Chairman Waxman and the American public want to see.
Chris Bowers had a great piece almost a week ago on "preaching to the choir" and how important it is. I especially liked it, as I am often accused of just this with the tactics I employ on tv and in my writing.
The one thing I would add, is not only is it a necessary part of a movement infrastructure, but you don't just end up preacing to the choir, because people respect those who stand up for their beliefs without apology (Bush has proven that, until he got so crazy it was impossible for it to work anymore).
FUNDRAISER - We are still in the midst of our first weekly FUNDRAISER. Remember, folks, how much Paddy does around here. She is on dial up. She has a mortgage to pay. BC just had a second little tyke.
A lot of generous people gave our first day and we hit $185. That's pretty good. But our goal is $1,500. So please give. I noticed that the people who gave the first day all gave between $15 and $50. Which was very kind. But even if you don't have the means to give that much, $5 or $10 does a lot. It all adds up. So go over to our friendly "make a donation" button on the right side of the screen up top, and do your best.
NEW BLOGGERS - You guys may have noticed posts by KY Colonel and A Lincoln Democrat. They are good friends, smart inviduals, and will add much to the blog. We will also be adding one more blogger. I have to get down to writing my book virtually 24/7, as my deadline is in June. So I will still be around here often, but can't be putting up 7 long posts a day. They will do more than make up for my occasional absence.
Now on Prancer, on Vixen, on Cheney on Matt Sanchez...well not literally.
You may know that a Webb staffer was arrested because he forgot he was carrying a legally purchased and owned gun belonging to his boss.
I am not a huge gun guy. Don't choose to own one. But his gun is legal, and yet Brit Hume has had a stiffy all afternoon reporting on this, while he thinks Scooter Libby should get a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
I had a joke come to mind about this that I sent out to some friends in an email, which I was going to just let go. But as my friend Sean-Paul of the Agonist already quoted me and Kagro X of Daily Kos paraphrased, what the hell:
Yeah, our guy gets arrested with a gun. Rush gets arrested with penis pills and Jeb's wife with undeclared thousands of dollars worth of clothing bought in Paris.
That might provide some insight into the current makeup of our respective parties.
Mitch McConnell does not believe in global warming: Block’s Al Gore Charity Concert
While McConnell did not go quite as far as his good friend Senator James Inhofe, who has called global warming “a hoax,” the Kentucky senator (don’t worry, he won’t have that title too much longer) refused to admit global warming exists. After saying “there is not a consensus among climate change issues” and that “the (Bush) administration has taken steps in the right direction,” McConnell was then thoughtful enough to block one of Al Gore’s benefit concerts planned for the Capitol Hill law.
Maybe this has something to do with why The Politico reports that Mitch McConnell will be the latest target of the Netroots.
Late last year, the Sunlight Foundation enlisted it's member investigators to review the websites of our senators and congressmen for transparency in a selected number of categories. The results are now in, and nobody is doing an acceptable job.
Wow, it is alot worse that I would have guessed.
Go here for results for your elected officials. (thanks to fellow Bloosier John)
Just in digging around, it is very disapointing. Here in Indiana, Bayh has a 24% transparency and Lugar 32%. California looks good for these kind of numbers, with the only 48%'s I've seen so far. (Go figure- Daryl Issa & Henry Waxman) Don Young of Alaska? 8%!!! Jane HARMAN 8%?!
Could New York have three presidential candidates? It is possible. Bloomberg, the Democrat-turned-Republican has dropped hints. Personally, I don't see him doing it, and let's face it, the divorced, socially liberal New York mayor slot seems to be taken.
But who the hells knows?
Maybe we can get Donald Trump into this thing for an Enlarged Ego Quartet of candidates. He could lend some of his rug to Rudy.
A quick thought on Monica Goodling. Several conservatives, especially those at the National Review, have been arguing that the US Attorney scandal is all about incompetence, but not illegal activity. Now that a DOJ employee is pleading the fifth, can we all just agree there is at least some underlining criminal activity?
One last quick aside - what is it with DC scandals and women named Monica?
Liberal Mexican Catholic group announces support for legalized abortion From the Associated Press 4:06 PM PDT, March 26, 2007
A liberal Latin American Roman Catholic group published a paid ad defending abortion in national Mexican newspapers today,(snip)
"The decision to interrupt a pregnancy is a serious ethical dilemma," the non-governmental organization, Catholics for the Right to Choose, wrote in the ad. "Women who resort to this option don't do it with joy in their hearts; they do it as a last resort after considering all of the consequences, and they make the decision responsibly, according to their conscience."
"We promote the rights of women, especially those having to do with sexuality and human reproduction," the statement asserts.
Conservative Jewish Seminary to Allow Gays and Lesbians to Apply
NEW YORK Mar 26, 2007 (AP)— The seminary considered the flagship institution of Conservative Judaism said Monday it will start accepting gay and lesbian applicants, after scholars who guide the movement lifted the ban on gay ordination.
I am reading the statement sent out by Monica Goodling's lawyers. (I wonder what she is currently doing "on leave." More creative writing? Ass saving?) She is currently being represented by Akin Gump, who I am sure is giving her a nice discount on the oodles of dollars they charge for a first year associate to answer a simple e-mail, let alone a Congressional investigation. And in fact, she is being represented by John Dowd--the man who brought down Pete Rose.
Now before I continue, aren't we all a little bit curious about how she is paying for her legal fees? Has a legal fund been established, like the one that has been and presumably continues to pay for Scooter's legal fees until the case remains unresolved post-November 2008? (All together now: pardon!) Otherwise, I don't know how she is paying for her legal fees unless (1) someone in her family has some serious coin; or (2) Akin Gump is providing a serious discount or performing the case pro bono. Anf if (2) is the case, I am sure Akin Gump's acts are purely out of the goodness of its partners' collective heart.
So what has Ms. Goodling gotten from Dowd's hard work? The visible work product is Dowd's letter to Senator Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Comittee, detailing the reasons why she will be invoking the Fifth Amendment.
Here are the reasons. First, "certain members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have reached conclusions about the matter under investigation and the veracity of the testimony provided by the Justice Department to date." Translation: we all know she is screwed, so why be further embarrased? The Senators know that they have received false testimony and stated that fact. Even worse, they said something would be done because apparently this Congressional oversight thing is effective.
The next two reasons deal with Senator Spector's claims that the hearings are for political purposes and may lack objectivity. Translation: if Goodling had invested in Whitewater or had oral sex with the president (Clinton, of course--it would be OK if it was Bush), then that would be a worthwhile investigation. But concerns about good government and truthtelling, now that is political.
Fourth, one senior DOJ official privately informed Senator Schumer that he and allegedly others were not entirely truthful (by telling either lies of omission or commission--parentetical is mine). And this could lead to being indicted like David Safavian, Ollie North, and others have been. Translation: I am begging you for immunity. Sweet immunity you taste like ambrosia.
Well, let me say that I stand unimpressed by Akin Gump. If I knew better, I would think that all they were doing is mimicing White House talking points........
Ok my friends, we have been going strong for a good two months now, and have not asked for any donations. But as you probably know, blogging takes time, time we could be using to do things that like, pay.
Instead we are here, providing an independent media voice, so you don't live in a world where what FoxNews and the Politico say must be true, because there is nothing out there refuting it.
For this first one, think of Paddy. She has completely redone this layout of this site, kept me organized (no small task, I promise) and contributes posts.
Yes, believe it or not, our friend Paddy is using dial up, because she cannot afford a DSL. She also has a mortgage to pay. So our goal for this first fundraiser is modest, $1,500. We will use it for Paddy's costs first, and then whatever extra we have will go to loyal writers like BC or site upgrades. I will not take a penny.
Please my friends, if you can give $100, do so, if you can give $50 do so. If you can give a smaller amount, any amount, it all adds up.
We all have bills to pay, I told you about Paddy's, and BC just had his second child. So please click on the "make a donation" button on the right, and, well, make a donation.
Oh yeah, for every donation you give Karl Rove gets one caining at Abu Ghraib.
Chuck Norris, a right-wing, hairy-chested uber-male of the 80s "we got Vietnam back in the movies at least" variety, is always, like, really funny when he tries to talk about things way over his head.
Yes, I know that Bob Novak leaves the stench of brimstone wherever he goes. And yes, I know exactly what Jon Stewart thinks of Novak. But I do enjoy reading his columns, because he often takes Republicans to task.
His morning column really hits the nail on the head. For years, Republican rhetoric has beaten Democratic rhetoric. But now they have a huge problem, because Republican performance has been pathetic (to put it kindly). The GOP has proven to be incompetent, and no amount of rhetoric can get around it. Money quote
The I-word (incompetence) is also used by Republicans in describing the Bush administration generally. Several of them I talked to cited a trifecta of incompetence: the Walter Reed hospital scandal, the FBI's misuse of the USA Patriot Act and the U.S. attorneys firing fiasco. "We always have claimed that we were the party of better management," one House leader told me. "How can we claim that anymore?"
That quote doesn't even mention the planning for Iraq or Katrina. Right now, before a GOP candidate utters a word, they have to overcome the poor performance of the past few years. This gives the Democratic nominee in 2008 a huge boost.
Administration Oversight Committee Directs RNC to Preserve White House Emails
Citing evidence that senior White House officials are using RNC and other political email accounts to avoid leaving a record of official communications, Chairman Waxman directs the Republican National Committee and the Bush-Cheney ’04 Campaign to preserve the emails of White House officials and to meet with Committee staff to explain how the accounts are managed and what steps are being taken to protect the emails from destruction and tampering.
I think it is about time that the Netroots call out pollsters Mark Penn and Doug Schoen on their work for yet another Republican candidate.This time the candidate is Bruce Lunsford, who ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky in 2003, only to drop out and stab the Democratic Party in the back by endorsing then Republican Congressman-now Governor Ernie Fletcher over the Democratic nominee Ben Chandler.
We’ll have some more soon on Penn and Schoen’s tactics to undermine Democrats in Kentucky as well as some of their other races, but feel free to post any other examples below.If anyone is in the petition-making mood, don’t you think Lunsford should either drop out of the Democratic primary again or decide to hire Democratic consultants for his “Campaign for Change”?
First Glenn Greenwald takes on the "Left Wing Media" (ha!) giggle fest on the Chris Matthews show this past weekend over the Prosecutor Purge...
Here are several of our media elites from our nation's most influential journalistic outlets -- including from Time, U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times, and NBC News -- all sitting around on the Chris Matthew Show giggling for three and a half minutes straight about the silly U.S. attorneys scandal. The whole thing is just a fun game for them, and it's ludicrous to them that anyone could take things like this seriously.
And what is most notable is that they express outrage at one part, and one part only, in this story -- namely, they are furious over the fact that the foolish, unfair Democrats would even dare to try to force Karl Rove to testify.
Then Smokin' Tim Dickinson puts the hurt on the entrenched "Democratic Consultants" of the Beltway......
Working behind the scenes, these top-tier operatives humiliated Mike Dukakis in a tank, muzzled Al Gore on the environment and portrayed John Kerry -- a lifelong crusader for gun control -- as a rifle-toting Rambo. Year after year they have made sure that the Democratic message comes across as little more than a fuzzy, focus-grouped drone about child tax credits, prescription-drug plans and the "fight for working families."
Maybe 'cause Cliff isn't feeling well, or just because I can, I'll tell the major reason I admire Cliff- Authenticity. Yeah, he can sling a mean metaphor and he's pretty good at being fiesty yet keeping his cool, but you can tell if you were having the discussion with him at a bar, he'd be the same. You can't fake authenticity (i.e. H Clintons' "chat" announcement) and you can't supress authenticity (Kerry not responding to the swift boaters) to anyones advantage.
Except, it seems, the advantage of Beltway Democratic Consultants pockets.
Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams today agreed a date for the return of power sharing in Northern Ireland during historic talks at Stormont. Following their first ever face-to-face discussions, the leaders of the Democratic Unionist party and Sinn Féin announced a target date of May 8 for the restoration of devolved government.
"After a long and difficult time in our province, I believe that enormous opportunities lie ahead for our province," Mr Paisley told reporters, as he sat at a conference table next to Mr Adams.
The agreement "marks the beginning of a new era of politics on this island", the Sinn Féin leader agreed, but added that he found it "disappointing" that Northern Ireland's political institution could not be restored immediately.
Can we get Paisley & Adams on the next flight to Iraq for a little "consultation" please? (Now that they've figured it out, hopefully it wouldn't take as long this time!)
What will Iran do with the 15 British sailors they are currently holding? Let's hope it doesn't lead to war, so Iran can use weapons against us that we illegaly provided during Reagan's presidency. And then there was Cheney doing business with them during his time at Halliburton.
Damn kid is gonna screw up the whole series!! ARGH!!! Guardian UK
Potter star refuses to sign up for final films
Harry Potter star Emma Watson has reportedly refused to sign up for the last two instalments in the series, despite being offered £2m per film to reprise her role as Hermione Granger.
The 16-year-old is said to be tired of her playing Harry Potter's know-it-all pal and wants to try new projects. Matters were not helped last week when a stalker followed her into school and managed to talk to her before being warned off campus. Watson has since been assigned a private bodyguard.
(Rupert Grint (Ron) says), "Emma doesn't want to do it any more. She's tired of being known as, 'that girl from Harry Potter.'"
Who does this young lady think she is? Dammit, I want my Harry Potter! (C'mon Emma, think of all those tweens who will be "ultra, like totally confused!!")
