John Cole started Balloon Juice early in 2002. Those who have followed along know that this has been quite the journey.
Happy B-Day, Oliver
Go wish Oliver Happy B-day. He is 26, although I don’t know what that is in dog years (you will understand my comment if you click the link).
They Did It Again
Those bastards did it again! Another poll-driven PR stunt at the expense of the taxpayers! This time the Secretary of Defense, instead of the Commander in Chief, went and visited the troops in an unannounced visit. Have they no shame! How dare they visit the troops! Will they do anything to get elected? Will they do anything for a photo-op!?!?
Be the first to find the following idiotic statements from the lunatic fringe:
1.) Some variation of ‘This just show the situation is so bad that Rumsfeld had to go unannounced.’
2.) Some variation of ‘This just shows what a coward Bush is, since Rumsfeld stayed so much longer.’
3.) Rumsfeld just went to upstage Hillary Clinton’s remarks.
4.) Sure, he will go to Iraq, but will Rumsfeld go to any funerals?
5.) He is just there to get his pal Chalabi in line.
6.) This is a sign of desperation- our policy and lack of plan is failing so bad that these stunts are just being done to distract from the miserable failure.
7.) This is just an attempt to distract people about our failure in Afghanistan.
I am sure there will be more. Who knows how these twisted minds work.
Good Reads
Mike at Cold Fury has been blogging up a storm. Just start at the top and work your way down.
All Together Now
Michael Jackson is not being investigated because he is Michael Jackson.
O.J. was not prosecuted because he was O.J.
Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were not prosecuted because of who they are (although it probably would not have bothered me in this case).
Mike Tyson was not prosecuted because he is Mike Tyson (although there probably should be a law on the books about that one).
And so forth:
Earlier Friday, Limbaugh’s attorney, Roy Black, accused the Palm Beach state attorney of investigating Limbaugh only for political reasons. Black said Limbaugh was not a target of State Attorney Barry Krischer’s investigation until October when the National Enquirer quoted Limbaugh’s maid as saying she had unlawfully sold Limbaugh such medications.
“Suddenly an elected public official could not ignore the name Rush Limbaugh,” Black said on NBC’s “Today” show. Black is also a paid NBC commentator. “They are looking to publicly embarrass him and affect his radio program….Why is Rush Limbaugh the only person treated like this in America?”
Dear Rush,
If they prosecute you, I am rather confident it is not because you are Rush Limbaugh.
BDS
This was a pretty amusing column on Bush hate by the Hammer. I expect the usual suspects will be out there asserting that he really thinks Dean is actually insane, which will be even funnier.
Go Vote
Make sure you go vote for the Weblog Awards.
Predictably, I am getting my ass handed to me.
For some reason, I am not even on the Playful Primates ballot. Weird.