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Thursday’s Mini-Report

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Russians aren’t exactly rushing to go home: “Russian officials said Thursday that the Georgian government will not regain control over two breakaway provinces that are at the center of a week-long military conflict, as the Kremlin issued an uncompromising response to U.S. and Western threats over its military incursion deep into the territory of its tiny neighbor.”

* On a related note: “Georgia’s president said Thursday that a column of Russian tanks and other vehicles was moving toward the country’s second-largest city, and that Russian forces already control a third of Georgian territory.”

* McCain’s bluster notwithstanding, don’t expect U.S. troops in Georgia. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told reporters in a briefing this morning: “I don’t see any prospect for the use of military force by the United States in this situation. Is that clear enough?”
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/48242.html

* McCain has been blaming Russia for the conflict, but now he seems confused about who’s responsible.

* A change at the top in Pakistan: “Faced with desertions by his political supporters and the neutrality of the Pakistani military, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, an important ally of the United States, is expected to resign in the next few days rather than face impeachment charges, Pakistani politicians and Western diplomats said Thursday.”

* Inflation: “Consumer prices shot up in July at twice the expected rate, pushed higher by surging energy and food costs. The latest surge left inflation running at the fastest pace in 17 years.”

* More important than inflation: “The Labor Department also reported that workers’ average weekly earnings declined by 0.8% in July and 3.1% over the last year, even after adjusted for inflation.”

* More discouraging economic news: “U.S. foreclosure activity in July rose 55 percent from a year earlier as a slump in once-sizzling housing markets forced yet more borrowers to default on their mortgages, according to a monthly report.”

* Let’s not tell Lou Dobbs: “In a few decades, all Americans will be minorities.”

* Let’s all thank the president for not vetoing this: “President Bush on Thursday signed consumer-safety legislation that bans lead from children’s toys, imposing the toughest standard in the world. The new law prohibits lead, beyond minute levels, in products for children 12 or younger. Lead paint was a major factor in the recall of 45 million toys and children’s items last year

, many from China. Both houses of Congress approved the bill by overwhelming margins two weeks ago.”

* China tried to deal with its smog problem before the Olympics … so expect consumer goods to cost more for a while.

* Good: “The AFL-CIO and several union-friendly groups filed a formal complaint against Wal-Mart on Thursday, charging that the retail giant is pressuring employees to vote against Sen. Barack Obama. Citing a Wall Street Journal report, the complaint accuses Wal-Mart of pushing its workers to oppose Obama (D-Ill.), who supports a measure that would allow workers to form unions without a secret-ballot election. The complaint calls on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to investigate whether Wal-Mart has broken federal election laws.”

* After Sean Hannity argued on the air that those who are unfaithful to their spouses don’t deserve the public’s trust, Alan Colmes mentioned that John McCain is an admitted adulterer. First, this caused Hannity to go completely berserk. Second, good for Alan Colmes.

* Where do the Republicans find these clowns? “Wow, talk about taking right-wing attacks against Dems on Iraq to the next level. At a debate in New Mexico for the open GOP-held Second District late last week, Republican nominee Ed Tinsley accused his Dem opponent Harry Teague of wanting to cut the throats of American troops in Iraq.”

* Some right-wing voices are insisting that George Clooney has advised Obama on foreign affairs. In case you have a crazy uncle who emails you about this, please know that this nonsense has already been debunked.

* Happy Birthday, Social Security. Here’s hoping McCain doesn’t get the chance to privatize you.

* After all that we’ve learned lately, why would Jerome Corsi go on a “pro-White” right-wing radio show?

* Alan Greenspan, not a mensch.

* And finally, a right-wing member of Congress, Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho), apparently believes we can get oil from trees. And people wonder why we don’t take House Republicans seriously on policy issues.

Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.

Comments

  • doubtful

    says:

    Georgia’s president said Thursday…

    I just don’t trust Saakashvili. Anyone who has daily communication with McCain and Scheunemann is not to be trusted. I’ll wait for independent confirmation of anything he says.

    Frankly, Saakashvili needs to resign. Russia needs to pull out and then, in January, President Obama can go and sort this whole thing out.

  • Mag7

    says:

    The Russians aren’t going to go home either. Because the USA has no teeth and no friends willing to stand with us anymore. At least they’re tired of being lied to -I wish the voters in this country would stop watching reality TV long enough to see the reality around the world.

    George Bush again dared play chess against Putin. Czars 7, Chimps 0

  • Lance

    says:

    “After Sean Hannity argued on the air that those who are unfaithful to their spouses don’t deserve the public’s trust, Alan Colmes mentioned that John McCain is an admitted adulterer. First, this caused Hannity to go completely berserk. Second, good for Alan Colmes.”

    Only if you define adultery very legally. JSMcCunt wants to claim his ‘affair’ with Cindy didn’t start until he had seperated with Cathy, though it did start before they were divorced. Hell, John Sidney got a marriage license with Cindy before he was divorced from Cathy. Which I why I think a McCunt/Romney ticket should be identified as:

    McCain/Romney 2008
    A Polygamist…
    … and a Mormon

  • Mark Crayon

    says:

    oooh oooh – look what all the important people say! Oh my goodness, such brain power and all the solutions to the worlds problems.

    All within a little circle-jerk – amazing.

  • Aaron

    says:

    Mark Crayon, you’re an idiot

    Saakashvili seems to be listening to the people who are telling him what he wants to hear, which is a very dangerous thing.

    I agree, good for Colmes. There is no way that John & Cindy had nothing going on before he was separated. If you believe that, I have a subprime-mortgage backed security I can sell you for a great price.

    On mortgages: I know that some (many?) lenders were probably less than forthright, but many, many people made the assumption that housing values could only ever go up, and borrowed money that they had a pretty good idea they couldn’t pay back. What share of the blame do the borrowers have in this? They aren’t ALL victims here.

  • Keori

    says:

    Ironic that I read about Corsi’s hate radio appearance at the same moment that a coworker was declaring his intention to buy a “book that exposes Democrats for what they really are.” I emailed him the Media Matters report and asked him if he really wanted to buy a lie-filled book written by someone whose intended audience is white supremacists. No response yet.

    Thanks for keeping up this blog, Steve! One stop shopping for those of us trying to fight the lies.

  • TCG

    says:

    McCain has been blaming Russia for the conflict,

    No kidding. A Man Armed only with a Sharp Stick should not Poke a Hungry Bear but that is what Georgia seemed to.

    And it was really, really stupid.

    But that is not stopping some neocons from proposing we boycott the 2014 Olympics or arm Islamic Militants within Russia to show Putin his place. These guys never fail to amaze.

  • TCG

    says:

    If you are a Republican and are planning to travel to GOP convention via the St. Paul airport, you will want to read this post. I’m talking to you Mark Crayon and to you Chad.

    If by chance your name is Larry Craig and you are reading this post, you do not need to click on the link. You already familiar with these details.

  • doubtful

    says:

    A Man Armed only with a Sharp Stick should not Poke a Hungry Bear but that is what Georgia seemed to. -TCG

    Especially when the man was fooled into thinking the sharp stick was a powerful magic wand by his friends in a faraway land.

  • KRK

    says:

    Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told reporters in a briefing this morning: “I don’t see any prospect for the use of military force by the United States in this situation. Is that clear enough?”

    I was wondering when the Pentagon was going to get around to bursting McCain’s bubble. Quite a quandary for the neocons. Normally the next step would be to accuse the Defense Department of being appeasers, of failing to put country first. Who will go there first?

  • mjm

    says:

    Here’s a sad story on the relationship between Lisa “Rielle Hunter” Druck and a show horse insurance scandal from 20 years ago. Lisa’s dad was pretty scummy, too.

    If you love horses, beware. This is a disgusting story.

  • neilt

    says:

    Know what I often wonder? How the Hannitys, Limbaughs, O’Reillys and Coulters of the world actually sleep at night. How do they live with themselves? I HAVE to believe that they actually are smarter than they let on and that they know the filth they spew is garbage. They must be playacting – nobody can be that stupid and vicious can they??

    Honestly, how do they look at themselves in the mirror?

  • mjm

    says:

    Honestly, how do they look at themselves in the mirror?

    I seem to remember Limbaugh saying that he never looked in the mirror, even while shaving. I’m not joking, but it was a long time ago when I would have heard it.

    I do know how they sleep at night, though. On top of piles and plies of money that they “earned” spouting lies.

  • Dennis-SGMM

    says:

    neilt said:
    …Honestly, how do they look at themselves in the mirror?

    When the mirror is on a yacht, or in a mansion, or in front of 1000 caps of Oxycontin, it can be done.

  • thorin-1

    says:

    McCain genuinely wants us to return to the Cold War. And that scares the hell out of me. I grew up in the 70s and the 80s under the MAD doctrine. I remember not being able to fall asleep some nights because I was afraid the world would blow up. And now I hear McCain spouting off about how Russia must ‘pay’ and talking about ‘isolating’ Russia from the West. Putting the wals back up. Never once acknowledging the incompetent foreign policies of Bush (which he endorses) are largely responsible for this mess.

    Do they actually want to start a shooting war with a country that has enough nuclear weapons to end all life on this planet?

    Do these people REALLY understand what they are risking?

    I don’t think the MSN or most of the country knows just what is at stake.

  • mjm

    says:

    McCain and the RNC are being sued by Jackson Browne for copyright infringement and false endorsement. Excellent.

    Just another example of the utter stupidity of the McCain campaign. Don’t they have any lawyers over there?

  • ROTFLMLiberalAO

    says:

    McCain has been blaming Russia for the conflict, but now he seems confused about who’s responsible.

    Suggestion:

    Crayons for Grampa… not rope or matches or anything sharp.

  • Prup (aka Jim Benton)

    says:

    You could have mentioned that the crowd booed “Throatcutter” Tinsley into silence — and Keith gave him a WPitWorld award. New Mexicans aren’t that crazy.

    And nobody takes Sali seriously. When he was in the Idaho Legislature, the Speaker threatened to throw him out his window — and several people complained, because the Speaker’s office was on the 3rd Floor, they had offices on the 4th. (He’s my own candidate for the top bracket in the Bachmann-King sweepstakes.)

    I second Dennis-SGMM’s praise. That one should be fun. I always liked that song, and Jackson Browne.

    TCG, as someone whose own favorite cruising spots were subway mensrooms, when they were all open (and very active) cleanliness isn’t a major consideration compared to the clientele. (Interestingly, each one had developed its own group of regulars and ‘tone’ so much so that when i was out of the city for three years and returned for a weekend, and visited an old spot, i recognized at least one face from before.)

    On the other hand, airport cruising may be different, the way department store stops were — geesh, the fashion queens who used to look down on my own sloppy self at Bloomingdale’s

  • libra

    says:

    * Inflation: “Consumer prices shot up in July at twice the expected rate, pushed higher by surging energy and food costs. The latest surge left inflation running at the fastest pace in 17 years.” — CB

    And right here you have the explanation for Benen’s superhuman output and his missed lunch breaks: he cannot afford to have lunch on what we pay him (please note the discreet “donate” options hidden among other left-hand content).
    ________________________________

    * Let’s all thank the president for not vetoing this: “President Bush on Thursday signed consumer-safety legislation that bans lead from children’s toys, imposing the toughest standard in the world. — CB

    It’s a sad thing that we’re now supposed to be thankful when our president acts *sanely* and responsibly (for a change)… Though I admit I was both: pleasantly surprised and a little bit puzzled by this behaviour; what on earth was he thinking? But I think I’ve solved the puzzle… someone clever had whispered the magic words into Bush’s pink conch: “toughest in the world, Mr President” and got himself a deal.
    __________________________________

    * And finally, a right-wing member of Congress, Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho), apparently believes we can get oil from trees. — CB

    Isn’t methyl alcohol made from wood pulp (among other things)? And isn’t methanol just one step from ethanol (and, sometimes, added to ethanol to discourage you from drinking it. I take pride in the fact that, on Wikipedia, the first photo of denatured alcohol is that of a *Polish* bottle of same. Not that it discouraged anyone back home from drinking the purple stuff)? And isn’t ethanol something we’re supposed to pour into to the cars to make them go? Just like oil?

    I haven’t read the source article but, I’ll bet anything that that’s how the line of reasoning went. The guy just telescoped the logic of it.
    ___________________________________

    And, finally…

    I much, *much*, preferred our own dear “Mark Pencil” to the excreta @#4. A crayon, by its nature, can only draw a crude line, smudgy and shorn of any nuance. Doubtless, that’s the reason it’s preferred, as means of expression, by the “under 10” crowd.

  • tomj

    says:

    Anyone catch Bush as he left the CIA? He looked downright spooked. His one statement about the Georga situation was delivered as he turned to leave.

    I guess it is off to Crawford.

  • TCG

    says:

    And finally, a right-wing member of Congress, Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho), apparently believes we can get oil from trees. And people wonder why we don’t take House Republicans seriously on policy issues.

    No actually there is a rumor that Bush is planning to get oil from OUTER SPACE…..!

    It is true.

  • zeitgeist

    says:

    thorin-1 asks

    Do they actually want to start a shooting war with a country that has enough nuclear weapons to end all life on this planet?

    yes. think end times, armageddon, the rapture.

  • Steve

    says:

    Honestly, how do they look at themselves in the mirror?

    They’re vampires with lots of sunscreen under that makeup—gallons and gallons of sunscreen, refined from crude oil (which is why we “had” to invade Iraq). They can’t see themselves in the mirror if they don’t have a reflection.

    And the makeup is spray-on fire retardant….

  • ROTFLMLiberalAO

    says:

    The rise of slime

    http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/worlds-oceans-doomed-report-17140.html

    He cites the synergistic effects of habitat destruction, overfishing, ocean warming, increased acidification and massive nutrient runoff as culprits in a grand transformation of once complex ocean ecosystems. Areas that had featured intricate marine food webs with large animals are being converted into simplistic ecosystems dominated by microbes, toxic algal blooms, jellyfish and disease.

    Jackson, director of the Scripps Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, has tagged the ongoing transformation as “the rise of slime.” The new paper, “Ecological extinction and evolution in the brave new ocean,” is a result of Jackson’s presentation last December at a biodiversity and extinction colloquium convened by the National Academy of Sciences.

  • AK Liberal

    says:

    And finally, a right-wing member of Congress, Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho), apparently believes we can get oil from trees.

    As an earnest wannabe back-to-the-lander during our last energy crisis, I was enthused to discover that wood is a “practical” fuel option for internal combustion engines. I think it was the Swedes that pioneered this during WWII when fuel was in short supply. It was only practical in the sense that it was possible and in the absence of other fuels, it might have beat walking.

    Somehow, I doubt that this is what Sali had in mind. But, maybe there’s a market for a vehicle with a wood burner the size of a home furnace in the back. Otherwise, what the heck is he talking about?

  • Franklin

    says:

    Also, between Hannity saying adulterers should not be trusted by the public, and McCain saying that countries don’t invade other countries in the 21st century, my irony meter has actually broken.

  • Dee Loralei

    says:

    Anne@#18 good catch.

    In the same vein, did anyone catch the clip of the “low road express” entering a townhall in York, PA the other day? McCain, Leiberman and Tom Ridge were looking out the front window. Anyway, the song blaring was ” Right Now” (which may not be the title) but it sounded to me like a Sammy Hagar era Van Halen song. Does anyone know if they got permission for that also? I think this was the same day Dana C smacked McCain down for the Wayne’s World thievery.

    And are you our old Anne who left us for awhile? If yes, welcome back, you’ve been missed. If not, well welcome to our special corner of the world 🙂

  • libra

    says:

    […] as someone whose own favorite cruising spots were subway mensrooms, when they were all open (and very active) cleanliness isn’t a major consideration compared to the clientele. — Prup, @24

    As someone who’d lost a dear friend (and one of my son’s two godfathers) to (DC) mensroom cruising (also known as AIDS-incubator), I’d have to agree; cleanliness of the room is far from being the major consideration.

  • beep52

    says:

    Here we go…

    US and Poland agree to missile defence deal

    Poland and the United States struck a deal that will see a missile defence battery in the ex-communist state and deepen military ties, a plan that has infuriated Moscow and sparked fears in Europe of a new arms race.

    The US has also reached an agreement with the Czech government to place the radar component of the shield in that country. That deal still needs approval from Czech parliament.

  • libra

    says:

    beep52,@39

    We must have been writing at the same time (me, @38)… But to change the subject (and I *promise* I’ll stop “Swanning” after this, no matter what fascinating tidbit I come across) here’s a truly great anti-McCain ad. One which does not have the imprimatur of any of the recognised campaigns (alas; it probably means no money for national TV dissemination). Sometimes, it pays to read comments on sites other than this one… :
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBfngOsvmA0

  • MsJoanne

    says:

    The terror that would be President McCain. If this doesn’t scare the crap out of you, nothing will.


    What YOU can do to become an ambassador to your country in the upcoming election.     Every one of you knows someone who is thinking of voting for McCain. Click this link and find out what you can do. One tiny thing from every one who knows someone leaning towards McCain can change so much. Click this link and do one small thing.

    This is a repost so may be familiar to some. If it’s not, click away!!

  • The Answer is Orange

    says:

    First, this caused Hannity to go completely berserk.

    How could you tell?

    And:

    Some right-wing voices are insisting that George Clooney has advised Obama on foreign affairs.

    Dear fReichtards: We know you feel ugly and inadequate but … well, you are. However, constant sniping at the cute guys won’t undo the effects of persistent in-breeding. Shut up, drop the pork rinds and do a few sit ups.

    And:

    After all that we’ve learned lately, why would Jerome Corsi go on a “pro-White” right-wing radio show?

    Two words: Attention. Whore.

    And:

    The only thing Runnin’ on Empty is The Str8Talk Xpress.

    And:

    The TSA’s screening program still sucks and figuring out why isn’t a priority.

    This isn’t blog whoring because I haven’t written the post yet ;-p

  • chrenson

    says:

    apparently believes we can get oil from trees

    True story: In a conversation about Global Warming with a Republican shithook the other day, I was told that:

    1] “We will never run out of oil because oil is being created constantly underground by the same forces that have always created it. Namely: God.”

    2] “The oceans aren’t going to rise because rich people own houses on shorelines. Rich people are rich because they are smart. Smart people wouldn’t build expensive houses on the oceanfront if there was any chance of the oceans rising.”

  • Steve

    says:

    Chrenson, just tell the Republican that (1) oil comes from liquefied dinosaur remains and squished-up cave-people, (2) God stopped making those things a really, really long time ago, and (3) the rich smart people living on the shorelines haven’t developed an after-market substitute for liquefied dinosaur remains and squished-up cave people.

    So we’re going to run out of oil.

  • Bose

    says:

    Oil-producing trees recently covered by CNN

    Farmer turns to fruit tree to power tractors

    Bryan Beer and his family have grown citrus for 40 years. He says farmers need alternatives to diesel.

    He is planting a jatropha tree, a plant that can produce diesel fuel and could one day power a 747. His plans are a little less ambitious; he just wants to plant enough to run his tractors…

    Jatropha means “doctor food.” It originated in South America, where it was once used for medicinal purposes. There are three seeds within the golf-ball-sized fruit. When pressed, its oil can be used as fuel in any standard diesel engine with zero processing, experts say.

    Sound like a pipe dream? It’s not.

    It’s being taken very seriously by companies all over the world, including the Chrysler motor company and Air New Zealand. The airline is planning a test flight in November in Auckland in which jatropha biodiesel will be mixed with diesel fuel…

  • Diogenes

    says:

    Not relevant to much of the above, but the web comic XKCD has a great strip regarding Diebold’s “Anti-Virus” explaination of their Ohio voting machines’ problems.

  • toowearyforoutrage

    says:

    * After all that we’ve learned lately, why would Jerome Corsi go on a “pro-White” right-wing radio show?

    * Let’s not tell Lou Dobbs: “In a few decades, all Americans will be minorities.”

    Just curious…

    Does that radio show have a back-up plan?