Archive for September, 2006


Reader mailbag – “But Lieberman IS ‘moderate!’ the Media says so!”


This is representative of the feedback to today’s cartoon about Joe Lieberman and the mainstream media:

By candor do you mean your opinion?—no humor?

Most people do not want a time table to pull out of Iraq.The people who are against privitization of SS don’t have an alternative solution.Most people don’t want to raise taxes to supprt universal health care.I’m sure the people you surround yourself with don’t think Lieberman is a moderate,but most Americans do,based on facts,not the”mass media”.–Is your comic ever humorous?–it so one sided.

-Steve N.

…And my response…

1. As recently as last month, 57 percent of Americans supported a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.
source

2. The people who are against privatization of Social Security DO have an alternative solution: it’s called Social Security. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. A plurality of the country believed in 2005 that the system wasn’t broken, and modest changes to the system, along the lines of the changes made in the ’80s, would keep it solvent for generations.
source

3. Most people do want universal health care, even if it meant raising taxes.
source

In short, you’re wrong on every count — which leads me to believe that your assessment of the humor in Candorville is probably equally faulty. Thanks for taking the time to write!


Reader mailbag – “But Lieberman IS ‘moderate!’ the Media says so!”

This is representative of the feedback to today’s cartoon about Joe Lieberman and the mainstream media:

By candor do you mean your opinion?—no humor? Most people do not want a time table to pull out of Iraq.The people who are against privitization of SS don’t have an alternative solution.Most people don’t want to raise taxes to supprt universal health care.I’m sure the people you surround yourself with don’t think Lieberman is a moderate,but most Americans do,based on facts,not the”mass media”.–Is your comic ever humorous?–it so one sided.-Steve N.

…And my response…

1. As recently as last month, 57 percent of Americans supported a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.-source2. The people who are against privatization of Social Security DO have an alternative solution: it’s called Social Security. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. A plurality of the country believed in 2005 that the system wasn’t broken, and modest changes to the system, along the lines of the changes made in the ’80s, would keep it solvent for generations.-source3. Most people do want universal health care, even if it meant raising taxes.-sourceIn short, you’re wrong on every count — which leads me to believe that your assessment of the humor in Candorville is probably equally faulty. Thanks for taking the time to write!


Fox News finally notices the Diebold voting machine scandal

Now that the Democratic Party seems poised to retake the House, Fox News gets concerned about the voting machines. Where were they in 2002 and 2004, when the polls were nearly dead-even and every single Diebold “error” miraculously ended up favoring the Republican Party?

…and, a 10 minute video summarizing the Princeton study (which is one of many studies & tests showing how our votes are being stolen):


Democrats on Bush on Osama

The Democrats have created yet another simple, effective advertisement. I wonder how long it’ll take them to apologize for it.


Islamists to Pope: Stop saying we’re violent or we’ll kill you.

So the Pope’s been taking quite a bit of heat for quoting a Medieval text that described Mohammed as “inhuman” and evil (according to the Koran itself, he was a brutal warrior and assassin). The Pope didn’t mention the brutality of the early Catholic Church. I guess he forgot about that. But what do we expect… he’s the Pope. Neglecting to mention the Church’s own brutal history is disappointing, but not exactly surprising.

Here’s what bugs me more:

Is it just me, or are killings, fire-bombing of churches and wanton destruction a piss-poor way of responding to someone who quotes a statement about your religion being violent?

Now, the man who tried to kill the last Pope warns of a potential assassination should Pope Benedict visit Turkey. From London’s Evening Standard:

Pope Benedict faces a growing chorus of demands to make an unequivocal apology for remarks seen as portraying Islam as a violent faith, despite attempts by Western leaders and churchmen to defuse the crisis.The calls came as it emerged papal hitman Mehmet Ali Agca, who is serving a life sentence for the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in May 1981, has written to Pope Benedict XVI from jail, warning him not to go to Turkey as planned in November in the light of his remarks.

Agca, a Turk gave his ominous warning in a letter to an Italian daily newspaper. For many Muslims, the Pope’s attempt to explain himself on Sunday did not go far enough and observers were waiting to see if he would speak about it again at his general audience at the Vatican.

The Pope enraged Muslims in a speech a week ago in Germany quoting 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, who said everything the Prophet Mohammad brought was evil “such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached”.

The leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics said on Sunday he was ‘deeply sorry’ for the reaction caused – but stopped short of apologising for his words or retracting them. In a telegram to the order of an Italian nun killed in Somalia who may be the crisis’ first victim…
Read the rest…

Most Muslims in the world haven’t responded to the Pope’s predictably one-sided comments by being total whack-jobs (and some have denounced the violence) — but as usual when it comes to organized religion, the few morons out there are doing everything they can to validate the negative stereotypes.


Islamists to Pope: Stop saying we’re violent or we’ll kill you.

So the Pope’s been taking quite a bit of heat for quoting a Medieval text that described Mohammed as “inhuman” and evil (according to the Koran itself, he was a brutal warrior and assassin). The Pope didn’t mention the brutality of the early Catholic Church. I guess he forgot about that. But what do we expect… he’s the Pope. Neglecting to mention the Church’s own brutal history is disappointing, but not exactly surprising.Here’s what bugs me more:Is it just me, or are killings, fire-bombing of churches and wanton destruction a piss-poor way of responding to someone who quotes a statement about your religion being violent?Now, the man who tried to kill the last Pope warns of a potential assassination should Pope Benedict visit Turkey. From London’s Evening Standard:

Pope Benedict faces a growing chorus of demands to make an unequivocal apology for remarks seen as portraying Islam as a violent faith, despite attempts by Western leaders and churchmen to defuse the crisis.The calls came as it emerged papal hitman Mehmet Ali Agca, who is serving a life sentence for the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in May 1981, has written to Pope Benedict XVI from jail, warning him not to go to Turkey as planned in November in the light of his remarks. Agca, a Turk gave his ominous warning in a letter to an Italian daily newspaper. For many Muslims, the Pope’s attempt to explain himself on Sunday did not go far enough and observers were waiting to see if he would speak about it again at his general audience at the Vatican.The Pope enraged Muslims in a speech a week ago in Germany quoting 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, who said everything the Prophet Mohammad brought was evil “such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached”.The leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics said on Sunday he was ‘deeply sorry’ for the reaction caused – but stopped short of apologising for his words or retracting them. In a telegram to the order of an Italian nun killed in Somalia who may be the crisis’ first victim…Read the rest…

Most Muslims in the world haven’t responded to the Pope’s predictably one-sided comments by being total whack-jobs (and some have denounced the violence) — but as usual when it comes to organized religion, the few morons out there are doing everything they can to validate the negative stereotypes.

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What a surprise…

This is all over the conservative blogosphere. Can someone explain to me how a person can actually be nonchalant – if not downright proud – of using divisive wedge issues to drum up support they otherwise wouldn’t earn?

ROVE TIME
Staffers in the White House have been talking up the possibilities of an “October Surprise” or two leading into the mid-term elections. They say the President feels confident he can still play a role in the election, that he intends to campaign hard for Republicans, and that on the policy front, there are a couple of issues that can be used as wedges along the way.
-from the conservative mag, The American Spectator


What a surprise…

This is all over the conservative blogosphere. Can someone explain to me how a person can actually be nonchalant – if not downright proud – of using divisive wedge issues to drum up support they otherwise wouldn’t earn?

ROVE TIMEStaffers in the White House have been talking up the possibilities of an “October Surprise” or two leading into the mid-term elections. They say the President feels confident he can still play a role in the election, that he intends to campaign hard for Republicans, and that on the policy front, there are a couple of issues that can be used as wedges along the way.-from the conservative mag, The American Spectator 


Is the Boogeyman dead?


First the crocodiles are denied their chance to bring Steve Irwin to justice, and now this

The information purporting the death of the world’s most sought after terrorist is based on what the newspaper calls “a usually reliable source,” stating that Saudi intelligence sources “are convinced” of bin Laden’s death.

The French intelligence report goes on to say, still according to the French daily, that bin Laden died in Pakistan on August 23 after suffering “from a severe bout of typhoid fever,” and a bacterial infection provoked a paralysis of his lower body.

The Saudi intelligence report states that bin Laden’s geographic isolation “rendered all medical assistance impossible. Indeed, U.S. intelligence sources have long believed bin Laden was hiding in remote parts of Pakistan, close to the border with Afghanistan, areas where sophisticated medical help would be difficult to obtain.

The news of bin Laden’s death reached the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Sept. 4. If confirmed, that, in part, might explain the complete absence of Osama bin Laden from making any appearances on the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon just outside Washington, DC.

The U.S. is skeptical, of course, as this wouldn’t be the first time OBL has been reported to have gone to find his 72 virgins in the sky.


Is the Boogeyman dead?


First the crocodiles are denied their chance to bring Steve Irwin to justice, and now this

The information purporting the death of the world’s most sought after terrorist is based on what the newspaper calls “a usually reliable source,” stating that Saudi intelligence sources “are convinced” of bin Laden’s death.The French intelligence report goes on to say, still according to the French daily, that bin Laden died in Pakistan on August 23 after suffering “from a severe bout of typhoid fever,” and a bacterial infection provoked a paralysis of his lower body.

The Saudi intelligence report states that bin Laden’s geographic isolation “rendered all medical assistance impossible. Indeed, U.S. intelligence sources have long believed bin Laden was hiding in remote parts of Pakistan, close to the border with Afghanistan, areas where sophisticated medical help would be difficult to obtain.

The news of bin Laden’s death reached the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Sept. 4. If confirmed, that, in part, might explain the complete absence of Osama bin Laden from making any appearances on the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon just outside Washington, DC.

The U.S. is skeptical, of course, as this wouldn’t be the first time OBL has been reported to have gone to find his 72 virgins in the sky.