Bent Corner

“I don’t believe my role is to replace the verdict of a jury with my own.”

George W. Bush explaining why he signed death warrants
for 152 inmates while governor of Texas.

Rudy Giuliani should have been spending less time flying around the country giving paid speeches on the 9-11 terror attacks and spent more time actually learning more about them. Including the reasons we were attacked.

This following is a partial transcript from the recent Republican South Carolina Presidential debate.

REP. PAUL: No. Non-intervention was a major contributing factor. Have you ever read the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because we’ve been over there; we’ve been bombing Iraq for 10 years. We’ve been in the Middle East — I think Reagan was right.

We don’t understand the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics. So right now we’re building an embassy in Iraq that’s bigger than the Vatican. We’re building 14 permanent bases. What would we say here if China was doing this in our country or in the Gulf of Mexico? We would be objecting. We need to look at what we do from the perspective of what would happen if somebody else did it to us. (Applause.)

MR. GOLER: Are you suggesting we invited the 9/11 attack, sir?

REP. PAUL: I’m suggesting that we listen to the people who attacked us and the reason they did it, and they are delighted that we’re over there because Osama bin Laden has said, “I am glad you’re over on our sand because we can target you so much easier.” They have already now since that time — (bell rings) — have killed 3,400 of our men, and I don’t think it was necessary.

MR. GIULIANI: Wendell, may I comment on that? That’s really an extraordinary statement. That’s an extraordinary statement, as someone who lived through the attack of September 11, that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq. I don’t think I’ve heard that before, and I’ve heard some pretty absurd explanations for September 11th. (Applause, cheers.)

And I would ask the congressman to withdraw that comment and tell us that he didn’t really mean that. (Applause.)

MR. GOLER: Congressman?

REP. PAUL: I believe very sincerely that the CIA is correct when they teach and talk about blowback. When we went into Iran in 1953 and installed the shah, yes, there was blowback. A reaction to that was the taking of our hostages and that persists. And if we ignore that, we ignore that at our own risk. If we think that we can do what we want around the world and not incite hatred, then we have a problem.

They don’t come here to attack us because we’re rich and we’re free. They come and they attack us because we’re over there. I mean, what would we think if we were — if other foreign countries were doing that to us?

Congressmen Ron Paul is correct. Bin Laden didn’t attack the United States because of our love of apple pie and baseball. He didn’t attack us because we love Jesus.

Rudy Giuliani has made a lot of money off of 9-11. You would think he would try to learn a thing or two about it. Instead he comes off looking like an idiot.

Congressman Ron Paul was right. The so-called “America’s Mayor” was wrong.

My elected representative Roscoe Bartlett has found something else to waste his time on. Evidently he believes that the already existing penalties for cockfighting and dogfighting are somehow not tough enough. Once again he is introducing a law that does nothing to benefit the people of his district. Unless he somehow believes that we are a bunch of blood thirsty cockfighting and dogfighting aficionados. That only tougher federal laws will reign in our desire to witness cock on cock or dog on dog combat.

He recently got a federal law passed that forbids home owner associations from banning the display of the American flag. Something that is already against the law here in Maryland.

Years ago he got a law passed that banned the sale of adult magazines on military bases. Both state-side and overseas. Because of Roscoe Bartlett, 20 year old kids in the military stationed in South Korea cannot buy the same nudie magazines sold in any 7-11 or Sheetz. This from a man that refused to serve in the military.

It’s not like we have a problem with cockfighting or dogfighting here in western Maryland. I’ve never heard of either activities taking place anywhere near here. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not an advocate of animal cruelty. I don’t have much patience for people that abuse animals. I just don’t see a big cockfighting or dogfighting problem here in western Maryland.

I would prefer it if Roscoe Bartlett concentrated on issues that actually pertained to the people he is representing.

Link

Barak Obama was speaking to a large crowd in Austin, Texas and spoke about British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s decision to withdraw 1,600 troops from Iraq. Obama pointed out that Blair recognizes the fact that Iraq’s problems can’t be solved militarily. As though we are only one epic tank battle away from bringing peace to Iraq.

“Now if Tony Blair can understand that, than why can’t George Bush and Dick Cheney understand that?” Obama asked thousands of supporters who gathered in the rain to hear him. “In fact, Dick Cheney said this is all part of the plan (and) it was a good thing that Tony Blair was withdrawing, even as the administration is preparing to put 20,000 more of our young men and women in.

“Now, keep in mind, this is the same guy that said we’d be greeted as liberators, the same guy that said that we’re in the last throes. I’m sure he forecast sun today,” Obama said to laughter from supporters holding campaign signs over the heads to keep dry. “When Dick Cheney says it’s a good thing, you know that you’ve probably got some big problems.”

A spokeswoman for Cheney, traveling with him in Australia, said they had no comment on Obama’s remarks.

Obama points out something very important about Cheney. The man is always wrong. He is never right. Some people like to concentrate on the fact that he is an extreme asshole. That’s true, but that wouldn’t matter if he was ever right about something.

Take Donald Rumsfeld’s “farewell ceremony”. Cheney spoke about Rumsfeld in a way that seemed down right kooky. Even for Cheney:

“In his regard for our people in uniform, in his unwavering strength through unprecedented challenges, in his example of leadership and patriotic service, I believe the record speaks for itself: Don Rumsfeld is the finest Secretary of Defense this nation has ever had.”

Don Rumsfeld was an awful Secretary of Defense. That’s precisely why he was fired. Most of the problems now in Iraq are the direct result of Rumsfeld’s incompetence and mismanagement. Only Cheney would praise a man being forced out of a job because he was bad at it. If he is (was) the finest Secretary of Defense this nation has ever had, why isn’t he still Secretary of Defense? We are involved in two wars. It seems to me that now is not the time to fire your finest Secretary of Defense.

Cheney is always wrong.

Democrat John Edwards talks a lot about his humble beginnings. He likes to talk about there being two Americas. One that’s rich and one that is not. The above is a aerial photo of John Edward’s home. Guess which America he is in?

His recreation building contains a basketball court, a squash court, two stages, a bedroom, kitchen, bathrooms, swimming pool, a four-story tower, and a room called “John’s Lounge.” Maybe instead of announcing his candidacy for President from the ninth ward in New Orleans, he should have made it from John’s Lounge. That at least would have been honest.

The guy is a fake. He’s a hypocrite. It’s not even as though he actually built his wealth with the sweat of his own brow. It’s not like he invented something innovative or spectacular. He didn’t build anything. He didn’t create anything. He didn’t even amass his wealth the old fashioned way by being born into it. No, he made his millions being a personal injury trial attorney. Two things had to happen for Edwards to make money. A doctor had to make a mistake and a patient had to suffer because of it.

The Edwards empire was built on the misfortune and misery of others.

Now he wants to use the economic misfortune of others to propel his presidential aspirations. Not that this is new. He used this same tactic the last time he tried to be President.

I don’t think some guy with his own personal squash court has any business lecturing anyone that there are two Americas.

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It looks as though John Murtha wont be Majority Leader after all. Good.

Democratic Rep. Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland has been selected by the Democratic caucus to serve as Majority Leader in the 110th Congress, easily defeating Rep. John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania — who had been backed by incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California — on a 149-86 vote.

I’m only sorry that Murtha actually got 86 votes. He deserved to get none.

Why his constituents constantly reelect him to Congress is their business. I have no say in that. I don’t understand why they would constantly reelect him every two years, but it’s really of no concern to me. I just know how I feel about him. When I listen to the FBI tapes from 1980 where he is offered a bribe and technically refuses to accept it, yet still leaves the door open for a future time leaves me massively unimpressed. I guess he technically didn’t break any law. He sure didn’t come off looking ethical.

Ethics are important.

Maybe the Democratic leadership misunderstood the American people this past election day. It wasn’t just Republican unethical behavior Americans were unhappy with. It was all unethical behavior that we didn’t like or want.

It’s been argued that the reason Murtha deserved the position of Majority Leader was because he had become such an outspoken critic of the Iraq war. Really? Isn’t that his job? Like all elected officials, it is his duty to speak up about when he sees that things are going wrong in Iraq. That the war was a mistake. That it’s being managed very badly. The fact that he now thinks the Iraq war is going badly gets him no points from me. It just shows that he is aware of the obvious.

We just got back from voting. Tonight was by far the least busiest election night I have see since voting in Maryland. It was raining. I don’t know if that contributed to the low turn out. Maybe it was because we live in a very Republican part of Maryland and most Republicans don’t have an awful lot to be happy about right now.

I know if I was a Republican, I wouldn’t be too happy right now.

Whatever the reason, there were more poll workers then voters. Something I don’t think I have ever seen before.

Speaking of seeing something I have never seen before. Yesterday I saw my first Rick Santorum yard sign. Three of them in fact. Though I live in Maryland, I work across the Mason-Dixon line in Pennsylvania. I don’t think I had seen a Rick Santorum yard sign until yesterday. What was funny about these Rick Santorum signs is that they weren’t in anyone’s yard. They were along side the very busy Interstate 81. That means that whoever placed them had to stop along side the interstate and get out of their car to place the signs. They then had to get back in their car and somehow get back into traffic without causing a huge accident. Something that would be fairly hard to do. That is precisely why it’s illegal to stop on the interstate unless it’s an emergency.

I don’t think Santorum’s sliding poll numbers count as an emergency.

It felt good to cast my vote for Andrew Duck for Congress. Normally I simply vote against Roscoe Bartlett. Tonight I actually was voting for the person I wanted to represent me instead of voting against the person I didn’t want representing me. It felt good.

This is a letter to the editor that was published today in the local newspaper, The Herald-Mail.   I'm fairly certain that it's technically considered plagiarism when you republish something from a newspaper on the Internet. My only defense to this example of reckless plagiarism of my local newspaper is that I actually wrote this.  

To the editor:

I was disappointed to see The Herald-Mail chose to endorse Rep. Roscoe Bartlett for another term as the Maryland 6th District's congressional representative. We deserve better. 

Instead of endorsing Bartlett because of the car he drives or because he believes we should all just get used to high gasoline prices, look at his congressional record. He has done little in the last 14 years to benefit the people he is supposed to represent.

For example, Bartlett recently authored a bill that was passed into law that prohibits private homeowner associations from enforcing rules that ban displaying the American flag. Though on the surface this bill seems good and even patriotic, it does not actually benefit the people of the 6th District, or anyone in Maryland.

Our flag-flying rights were already well protected under existing Maryland state law when Bartlett authored his federal bill. I contacted Bartlett's office soon after his bill was signed into law. I asked specifically how this new law actually benefited the citizens of the 6th District. I have yet to receive an answer to my question.

Bartlett avoided serving in the military during a time of war by claiming he wanted to pursue a life in the ministry - a pursuit he abandoned when our country no longer needed him in the military.

Democratic challenger Andrew Duck, who your newspaper failed to endorse, honorably served more than 20 years in the military.

His military career included combat tours in Iraq and Bosnia. I believe that Duck represents what we Marylanders do when it comes to the defense of our great nation.

It was George Washington who gave our state the nickname "The Old Line State" because of the steadfast way Maryland troops conducted themselves.

It was because Maryland troops could always be counted on to hold the line. It was not because we lined up to become members of the clergy instead of going into military service in wartime.

Bartlett voted to authorize President Bush to use military force in Iraq. If Bartlett is once again re-elected, he may again be called upon to make a similar vote. I would rather have someone representing us who has experience with such things. Someone who knows exactly what it means to send American armed forces into harm's way.

Andrew Duck has that experience. Who better to represent us during this time of war than an actual warrior?

John Kerry quickly responded to the right-wing smear machine.

“If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they’re crazy. This is the classic G.O.P. playbook. I’m sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did.

I’m not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq . It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.

The people who owe our troops an apology are George W. Bush and Dick Cheney who misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it. These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.

Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they’re afraid to debate real men. And this time it won’t work because we’re going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq .”

My favorite part was where he said, “doughy Rush Limbaugh”. Rush is off the drugs and is getting fat again. That’s funny.