Bill Hobbs - a denialist, slime shoveling COWARD who runs from the light like a cockroach

Cowardly Bill Hobbs called out on Obama smear, earns reprimand from RNC Chair. Nice spokesman you have there, TN GOP.

On this post - Barack Obama: Naive about al Qaeda in Iraq , Hobbs couldn't handle the truth so he deleted my comment (the post he linked to didn't accept comments - of course):

1) The Bush Administration has vastly overstated the number of foreign fighters in Iraq according to a report from the Washington-based Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS).

2) The Conservative CATO Inst reports:
"foreign fighters make up a relatively small component of the Sunni insurgency against the U.S. and British occupation forces. It strains credulity to imagine 1,300 fighters (and foreigners at that) dominating a country of 26 million people."

The article goes on to say how al Qaeda is nearly universally hated by Shiites, Kurds, and most Sunnis.

3) In speech after speech, Bush insists that "this is a war in which, if we were to leave before the job is done, the enemy would follow us here."

But is it true?

Military and diplomatic analysts say it isn't. They accuse Bush of exaggerating the threat that enemy forces in Iraq pose to the U.S. mainland.

"The president is using a primitive, inarticulate argument that leaves him open to criticism and caricature," said James Jay Carafano, a homeland security and counterterrorism expert for the Heritage Foundation

This is one of the stupidist lines ever fed by an Administration with a big shovel trying to save face for what the vast majority of Americans see as a total incompetent screw-up. Spending $333 million a day supposedly fighting al Qaeda - a rag tag group of shadowy bomb builders that offer no threat to the US - although the GOP would like you to think so, fear is their controlling mechanism.

Obama has mentioned many time about going after the real stronghold of al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, now that it is reported today by the AP that the Afghan government has no control over 70% of the nation.

So, I gave Bill Hobbs a second chance. That didn't work, he closed comments on that post after my submission. He complained that liberals were attacking him and using foul language. You see any foul language in my comment? None, no excuse Bill.

So, I gave Bill a third and final chance on a different post on the similar fear mongering topic: Hey Obama, al Qaeda is not just in Iraq, they're in America too.

Nope, he deleted for a third time, although he did allow a "yes man" comment 12 hrs after I submitted mine. This is how conservatives operate. Authoritarians don't know how to handle facts that refute their position of fear mongering and swiftboating. Amazing, this level of unprofessionalism since he represents the GOP in TN, you wingnuts sure have a problem. Let me add one more word to his description: hypocrite.... and after these deletions, Hobbs has the balls to say:

"The left always finds something to pick at other than to describe the issues; we're not surprised at all."

If you've ever visited this political blog - Loose TN Canon, you'll know that I encourage debate, NEVER delete comments - which is one of the main tenets of my site. I deal with facts. Anyone who has debated with me knows my regard for citing facts and making fact based arguments. But facts don't fit into the world of Bill Hobbs.

Speaking of Hobb's unprofessionalism, he was reprimanded by national GOP party chairman Mike Duncan in a statement sent unsolicited to Politico: “The RNC rejects these kinds of campaign tactics. We believe this election needs to be about the critical issues confronting our nation.”

Yet Hobbs proves he doesn't want debate about critical issues, he doesn't want to talk about facts, just a soapbox from which to shovel his slime about Barack Hussein Obama - including this vile statement:

"Obama has pledged to hold a Muslim Summit to determine Middle East policy with the very leaders that have as their goal to remove Israel from the map, referenced Jews to be “dogs” and “pigs,” among other vile references."

Hobbs has had his "reprimand story" on CNN, MSNBC, and some of the leading political blogs. This is not about Barack's middle name, this is about implying he is a Muslim who would make Israel unsafe, in league with anti-Semites.

The biggest threat to American democratic sovereignty

American Democratic sovereignty is held by the citizenry - "government for and by the people." The biggest threat to American democratic sovereignty comes from within - the eroding of our Constitution, separation of powers, and rule of law.

Question:

How does America find itself in our present position - being ruled in an authoritarian manner by an extremely unpopular president with consistently low approval ratings who has abused power and ignored legislative oversight?

Answer:

By the failure of Congress to impeach Bush/Cheney for their multiple constitutional violations. The danger is that these abuses could be taken as precedent by future presidents.

The careful balance between legislative, executive and the judiciary created by the Framers has been undone, and the executive has triumphed as the paramount power - unchallenged and unchecked in seizing the right to subvert laws through excessive signing statements, ignoring oversight, checks & balances provided by Freedom of Information Act, Presidential Records Act, Congressional subpoenas, etc...

Indeed, failure to use impeachment may have its consequences. Such abuse of power is now set as precedent and will be possible for the next administration - likely to be Democrats with majorities in both houses.

Ned Williams: poster boy apologist - denialist of the Bush Administration's Constitutional violations

And he's a lawyer! If you've ever wondered how GW Bush can get away with so many Constitutional violations in this day and age, I present to you a case study: Ned Williams.

You would think a lawyer would have some reverence or respect for leading law experts and those that specialize in areas of Constitutional and International law. But no, the authoritarian streak runs too deep. This is compounded and strengthened by a seriously dogmatic fundamentalist Christian mindset.

What you have a psychological profile that combines:

1. Complete submission to authority
2. Abject denial
3. Suspension of professional logic and ethics where the world is filtered through a political/religious perception where the reality is: "either you're for us or you're against us."
4. A high degree of self righteousness
5. Rationalization and absolution from any and all failings of himself or his leaders gained in part through religious conviction (and his association with Bush to Christianity)
   

There are no shades of gray with such religious authoritarians and you might as well forget about ethics too. Ned could make a case for why Jesus would torture, spy, kill, or violate justice. Yet he's the first one to place his vote based on a Christian agenda of "protecting the zygote" but support his Christian hero president's war that has resulted in destabilizing a region resulting in mass suffering and mass murder. Stay the course because it is paramount to save face at any cost.

Can you imagine anyone in any profession denying, summarily refuting, and tossing off opinions of leading experts in their own field as invalid because they're a "bunch of Liberal(s)" ... with "a serious case of BDS."?

Case study:

I mentioned the irregularities of Bush signing statements that have reserved the right to subvert over 1100 federal laws. (In the previous 20 years before Bush there were only 327 such statements issued).

You would think Ned would have some respect for the American Bar Association - the world's largest association of legal professionals, the body that accredits the very law school that granted him his law degree.

By a unanimous vote of the American Bar Association Board of Governors, a Blue Ribbon Task Force was formed with a cast of legal all-stars from BOTH political parties to investigate the Bush abuse of powers. This ABA task force described the Bush use of signing statements to modify the meaning of duly enacted laws as:

"contrary to the rule of law and our constitutional system of separation of powers".

When confronted with these findings that Bush had used signing statements to subvert laws such as the ban on torturing detainees, oversight provisions in the USA Patriot Act, "whistle-blower" protections for federal employees, and safeguards against political interference in taxpayer-funded research (... to name just a few), and when put in perspective that Bush has attempted to subvert more laws than all previous presidents combined, how does a true-blue right wing religious authoritarian lawyer Ned Williams respond:

"What is the mental disorder that sees an impeachable offense behind every tree?"

and

"...you ought to realize that lining up a bunch of Liberal attorneys on a given legal position doesn't prove much of anything--except perhaps a serious case of BDS. "

Further, I cited the HARVARD INTERNATIONAL LAW JOURNAL on Bush's use of torture and detention:

"There are too many crimes and blunders to choose among. I will focus here on one central disaster, the use made of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, and one egregious constitutional violation, the abrogation of habeas corpus."

-- Gerald L. Neuman, J. Sinclair Armstrong Professor of International, Foreign, and Comparative Law at Harvard Law School.

This is just one of many impeachable offenses of the Bush Administration, but none of these expert legal opinions are valid to a true Bushie authoritarian - even to a guy like Ned, smart enough to know.

So, if you ask, how is Bush able to get away with so many violations to law and the Constitution? Now you know the mindset that has made it possible - the type of mindset that remains oblivious to the potential consequences of the erosion of American democratic sovereignty.

Not alot of wisdom or deep thinking among authoritarians. They will either: deny, refuse to admit, blame someone else, or say 'they did it too'. That's about as deep as it goes. But, as we all know, the gig is up.

You've heard about political prisoners in Cuba and China, well the Bush Administration has one in Alabama

60 Minutes exposes another disgusting chapter in the Republican Culture of Corruption

A case that is so replete with good ole boy southern Republican corruption that many Republicans are speaking out against their fellow GOP operatives. 52 former states’ attorneys general from both political parties petitioned Congress to investigate the conviction of former AL Governor Don Siegelman, resulting in hearings held last fall. However, nothing could be accomplished because the Bush administration refused to hand over hundreds of requested documents vital to the investigation and Karl Rove and others refused to show up when subpoenaed. The first indictment against Siegelman was thrown out on the first day. So, when Siegelman decided to run for Governor again, Republicans appaerntly felt they couldn't beat the highly successful Siegelman, so they conspired to convict him on bullshit charges. This level of injustice and typical Republican corruption makes me sick.

(CBS)

"I haven’t seen a case with this many red flags on it that pointed towards a real injustice being done," Grant Woods, the former Republican attorney general of Arizona and one of those who petitioned Congress, tells [60 Minutes] Pelley. "I personally believe that what happened here is that they targeted Don Siegelman because they could not beat him fair and square." Woods says the case should never have gone to trial. “The prosecutor's gotta look at it and say, ‘Hey, is this the sort of thing that we're really talking about when we're talking about bribery?’ Because what the public needs to know here is there is no allegation that Don Siegelman ever put one penny in his pocket."

A Republican operative in Alabama says Karl Rove asked her to try to prove the state’s Democratic governor was unfaithful to his wife in an effort to thwart the highly successful politician’s re-election. After tailing Siegelman relentlessly, she was unsuccessful and couldn't find anything on him.

Rove’s attempt to smear Don Siegelman was part of a Republican campaign to ruin him that finally succeeded in imprisoning him, says the operative, Jill Simpson.

Of course, Rove was too cowardly to speak to 60 Minutes or respond to a Congressional investigation.

This dialog I found especially revealing:

60 Minutes Scott Pelly:

“Help me understand something. You're blaming the Republican administration for this prosecution. You're saying it was a political prosecution. You are a Republican. How do I reconcile that?"

Grant Woods, the former Republican attorney general:

“We're Americans first. And you got to call it as you see it. And you got to stand up for what's right in this country”

Don Siegelman has six years and eight months to go on his sentence.

In case you missed it, watch/read the story.

UPDATE:

60 Minutes story on Siegelman was blacked out in 'Soviet Alabama. ' Roves associates have been trying to swiftboat CBS. Also, interesting to note that during Seigelman's trial, his house was broken into twice as was his attorney's office. These thugs will stop at nothing.

The impossible situation in Afghanistan

An eye opening story from the front lines in Afghanistan in the Sunday Times Magazine from reporter Elizabeth Rubin who spent much of the fall in the Korengal Valley and elsewhere in Kunar province alongside soldiers who were making life-and-death decisions almost every day — decisions that led to the deaths of soldiers and of civilians.

The article speaks about how it has been impossible to wage war against the Taliban without killing civilians. Civilians play to both sides but now are mostly aiding the Taliban:

The insurgents regularly use civilians as shields, children as spotters and women as food suppliers. NATO killing civilians is great propaganda for the Taliban. At the same time, to Afghans with little technological sophistication, the scale and impersonality make the accidents seem intentional. Many are convinced the Americans are deliberately bombing them and even deliberately aiding a Taliban comeback.

The story also comments on US soldiers heavy use of psychiatric prescription medication like Prozac to deal with PTSD and extremely long tours of duty with very little time off, being pushed to their physical and psychological limits:

The soldiers were on a 15-month tour that included just 18 days off. Many of them were “stop-lossed,” meaning their contracts were extended because the army is stretched so thin. You are not allowed to refuse these extensions. ... Capt. Dan Kearney told his dad, “My boys are gonna go crazy out here.” The army sent a shrink...“I’ve got too many geeking out, wanting to go off the deep end and kill people,” he said. One of his lieutenants wanted to shoot every Afghan in the face. Kearney shook his head. He wished he could buy 20 goats and let the boys beat and burn them and let loose their rage. “I’m balancing plates on my goddamn nose is what I’m doing,” he said. “All it’s gonna take is for one of these guys to snap.”

Worst of all, with all the incredible amounts of money being spent, our soldiers still have to scrounge for supplies:

They felt eclipsed by Iraq. As Sgt. Erick Gallardo put it: “We don’t get supplies, assets. We scrounge for everything and live a lot more rugged. But we know the war is here. ”

If only we kept our eye on the ball - Afghanistan, instead of an incredibly draining venture into Iraq, we could have defeated the Taliban. Now, the Taliban is stronger than it has ever been and thanks to the incompetence of the Bush administration, our military is stretched to the breaking point.

McCain’s response to the NYT - Newsweek catches him in a LIE

Newsweek:

A sworn deposition that Sen. John McCain gave in a lawsuit more than five years ago appears to contradict one part of a sweeping denial that his campaign issued this week to rebut a New York Times story about his ties to a Washington lobbyist.

On Wednesday night the Times published a story suggesting that McCain might have done legislative favors for the clients of the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, who worked for the firm of Alcalde & Fay.

The lie:

The McCain campaign issued a point-by-point response that ... insisted that McCain had never even spoken with anybody from Paxson or Alcalde & Fay about the matter.

The lie confirmed by McCain himself:

"I was contacted by Mr. Paxson on this issue," McCain said in the Sept. 25, 2002, deposition obtained by NEWSWEEK:

Transcript where McCain confirms the lie:

ABRAMS: Do you know were they got the information?

MCCAIN: No, but I would add, I was contacted by Mr. Paxson on this issue. […]

ABRAMS: Did you speak to the company’s lobbyist about these matters?

MCCAIN: I don’t recall if it was Mr. Paxson or the company’s lobbyist or both.

ABRAMS: But you did speak to him?

MCCAIN: I’m sure I spoke with him, yes.

more GAME OVER for the GOP

Another page in the GOP culture of corruption - another Republican Congressman indicted

Rick Renzi (R-AZ) has been indicted for extortion, wire fraud, money laundering and more.

Another page in the thick book of the GOP Culture of Corruption.

Now we know why Arizona attorney Paul Charlton was one of the nine U.S. attorneys fired last year. He lost his job because of his active investigation of Renzi. That's how the Bush administration does business - they protect the criminals when justice is sought. We've seen this over and over... from the ignored subpoenas to the telecom immunity sham.

Renzi is member of Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) National Leadership Team as well as a co-chair of his Arizona Leadership Team.