God, Please Save These Troubled States

Unfortunately, I couldn't, for the life of me, find a way to embed the ThinkProgress video of the interview on my Buzznet page, so a link to the article will have to do.

Taken from thinkprogress.org:

Laura Bush was interviewed by C-SPAN and was asked about the recent controversy between Limbaugh and Michael J. Fox. After saying it was wrong to suggest that some cure might come from expanded stem cell research, she said the following:

Q: One of the issues that’s come up. Michael J. Fox. The whole issue of stem cell research. Your reaction to the events of the past week.

LAURA BUSH: Well, I don’t have any idea about any of those. I mean, I’ve watch on television just like you have. But the fact is President Bush is the only president that authorized funding for stem cell research. And, um, you know, it’s an issue that it’s easy to try to manipulate people’s feelings about and I understand that. My dad died of Alzheimer’s. You know, there’ s nothing I’d like more than to think there was a cure for Alzheimer’s. Especially before I get to be the age he is, but knowing also how he suffered. It’s always easy to manipulate people’s feelings, especially when you are talking about diseases that are so difficult.

Once again, I'm not truly surprised by this, but seriously, is this how you actually feel? That Michael J. Fox is manipulating reality and the opinions of others by exploiting his disease?

Gross. Go get a disease and see how you feel.

Originally from IMDB.com, but I found through What Would Tyler Durden Do?

The studio handpicked 27 teenage and child amputees from South African hospitals to appear as extras in the Leonardo DiCaprio film ["Blood Diamond"] and promised to provide prosthetic limbs as well as a small salary for their contribution. However, more than three months after filming wrapped, the kids are reportedly still waiting for their new limbs…

I'm not really surprised at the answer the WB rep gave to this:

"You will have to wait for December, when the movie comes out, so we can get some publicity out of it."


Thanks, Warner Bros. I'm glad to know that you're not even going to hide the fact that you are insanely self-serving assholes. It does us all a favor.

This has got to be the most baffling story of 2006.

From the article:

Police say 19-year-old Gary Helms, Jr., raped his 45-year-old mother this past weekend at Willow Terrace Trailer Park on Doyle Drive in Albertville.

It's a twisted crime that police say Helms admits.

"From what we understand the rape stemmed from an argument between him and his brother. And apparently they were arguing over a girlfriend. And the rape was some sort of retaliation towards his brother," said Sgt. Jamie Smith of the Albertville Police Department.

It was unusual retaliation on an unsuspecting victim.

Authorities say Helms' mother was apparently passed out drunk on the couch when the rape started.

"During the attack she did come to and recognize her attacker. (Reporter: As her son?) As her son," said Smith.

That's when, according to the police report, the mother "tried to get away, but he held her down until he was finished."

"It's totally sick is what it is," said Smith.

Helms was arrested and charged with the 1st degree rape of his own mother.

Smith says it's hard to wrap your mind around.

"Shocked, shocked would be more a better way to describe it. That somebody would dip to the lows to do something of this nature. It's just pretty much a shock to the conscience of the general public," said Smith.

Helms is being held in the Marshall County Jail on $100,000 bond.

I really don't get this. HOW DOES THIS CONSTITUTE REVENGE ON YOUR BROTHER??????????? Seriously, I'm at a loss for words.

Yep. You're looking at a children's pole dancing kit.

Read on:

Tesco has been forced to remove a pole-dancing kit from the toys and games section of its website after it was accused of "destroying children's innocence".

The Tesco Direct site advertises the kit with the words, "Unleash the sex kitten inside...simply extend the Peekaboo pole inside the tube, slip on the sexy tunes and away you go!

"Soon you'll be flaunting it to the world and earning a fortune in Peekaboo Dance Dollars".

The £49.97 kit comprises a chrome pole extendible to 8ft 6ins, a 'sexy dance garter' and a DVD demonstrating suggestive dance moves.

The kit, condemned as 'extremely dangerous' by family campaigners yesterday, was discovered by mother of two Karen Gallimore who was searching for Christmas gifts for her two daughters, Laura 10, and Sarah, 11.

Mrs Gallimore, 33, of Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, said yesterday: "I'm no prude, but any children can go on there and see it. It's just not on."

Dr Adrian Rogers, of family campaigning group Family Focus said yesterday that the kit would "destroy children's lives".

He said: "Tesco is Britain's number one chain, this is extremely dangerous. It is an open invitation to turn the youngest children on to sexual behaviour.

"This will be sold to four, five and six-year olds. This is a most dangerous toy that will contribute towards destroying children's innocence."

He added: "Children are being encouraged to dance round a pole which is interpreted in the adult world as a phallic symbol.

"It ought to be stopped, it really requires the intervention of members of Parliament. This should only be available to the most depraved people who want to corrupt their children."

Tesco today agreed to remove the product from the Toy section of the site, but said it will remain on sale as a Fitness Accessory, despite the fact that the product description invites users to "unleash the sex kitten inside".

Also on sale on the Tesco website is a strip poker game, "Peekaboo Poker" which is illustrated by a picture of a reclining woman in underwear.

The card game is is described as a game that "risks the risque and brings a whole lot of naughtiness to the table.

"Played with a unique pack of Peekaboo Boy and Girl playing cards, the aim of the game is to win as many Peekaboo chips as possible and turn them into outrageously naughty fun."

The pole dance kit is the latest item to fuel allegations that major retailers increasingly sell products which "sexualise" young children such as T-shirts with suggestive messages.

In recent years Asda was forced to remove from sale pink and black lace lingerie, including a push-up bra to girls as young as nine.

Next had to remove t-shirts on sale for girls as young as six with the slogan "so many boys, so little time."

And BHS and others came under fire for selling padded bras embellished with a "Little Miss Naughty" logo and t-shirts with a Playboy-style bunny that said "I love boys...They are stupid."

Tesco last night denied the pole dancing kit was sexually oriented and said it was clearly marked for "adult use".

A spokesman added: "Pole dancing is an increasing exercise craze. This item is for people who want to improve their fitness and have fun at the same time."

Everything about this story is 100% hysterical. "Destroy children's lives"? "Sex kitten"? And who the fuck actually pole dances for exercise? The last time I went to the gym (this morning), there wasn't a pole dancing class on the schedule.

Thank you, Lord, for the best news story of 2006.

The judges of "Dancing With The Stars" are sexist -- atleast to contestant Monique Coleman.

Actress Monique Coleman, the last female contestant on the U.S. hit TV series "Dancing with the Stars," has alleged the show's judges are sexist.

The 25-year-old "High School Musical" actress, who has survived through the first six rounds of the ABC series, said the judges are definitely more lenient toward the reality series' male contestants, "Extra!" reported.

"I was pissed. I really was," Coleman said of the last episode, which saw the judges offering critical comments about her routine. "You have to split, bend over backward, touch our toe to our heads to get recognized. The men walk out there, sit down and have a woman dance around them and get higher scores."

"Extra!" said that while no contestants were sent home during this week's show, it remains to be seen if the allegedly sexist judges continue their ways when deciding who will make it into the series' final four.

I shall only make one point, Monique Coleman:

YOU ARE ON ONE OF THE SHITTIEST TELEVISION SHOWS TO EVER BE PRODUCED. THAT'S WHAT YOU GET.

Every time Elisabeth Hasselbeck opens her mouth, an angel loses its wings and descends to the fiery pits of hell.

Let's break down this wonderful tidbit of news, shall we?

There is a character on a recent episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. (Which, by the way, has always been a fantastic show.)

This character is not a real person. The actor is, but everything else about it is fictitious.

This character has a name. It is Elisabeth Hassenbeck.

This name is a letter away from Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

And because of this, Hasselbeck now "can't sit next to them [the actor's of the show, who didn't even choose the name] without feeling as though [she has] been disrespected and just put at risk."

I can relate to this. My last name is sometimes confused for Cheerio. It was all the time when I was a kid. I remember my brother used to say, quite often, that he was going to "kill a bowl of Cheerios." My spine would shudder in fear. Could he mean me? Was this just his way of deflecting his rage to an inanimate object.

Poor, poor Elisabeth Hasselbeck. I'm truly sorry for the terrible "coincidence" and the risk it's put on your life! One can only hope that the SVU Killer (the serial killer who acts out SVU episodes, obviously) doesn't come after you, as it has against previous people with similar names.









Actually, what I meant to say was:

Shut the fuck up, Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

Do these type of charges ever actually stick? Everytime I hear that a script or idea has been "stolen," I don't recall hearing of a follow-up story in which the charges are true or false. Oh well.

Taken from the link above:

Brothers: FOX stole 'Prison Break' story

For four years in the 1960s, two brothers were on the run, fleeing authorities after a prison break at a juvenile facility. Robert Hughes, wrongfully incarcerated at 16, turned to older brother Donald, who helped him escape.

In a federal lawsuit, they say their agent sent Fox a manuscript in 2001 chronicling their experiences and the network wasn't interested in it. So they were surprised when, last fall, Fox began airing "Prison Break."

"It's a classic case of the rich trampling on the poor," Donald Hughes, 63, told The Associated Press.

Their copyright infringement case, filed last week in U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, seeks unspecified damages and other costs from Fox and the show's executive producer and creator, Paul Scheuring.

The men, still close and living in neighboring apartments in central Missouri, live on disability and Social Security.

Robert Hughes, 59, told the AP: "If we sold the manuscript at this point to a movie studio or network, they'd think we were copying `Prison Break.'"

Fox Broadcasting Co. spokesman Scott Grogin said the company had not seen the lawsuit and has no comment. Chris Alexander, spokesman for 20th Century Fox TV and Scheuring, said it's their policy not to comment on pending litigation.

In May 1964, 16-year-old Robert Hughes was wrongfully held in juvenile detention after his mentally ill mother, who suffered from paranoid delusions, told authorities he had threatened her with an ice pick during a family argument. She later recanted, but he was ordered to serve time until he was 21.

Donald Hughes, then 20, planned an escape and sprang his younger brother two months later. For the next four years, the brothers were fugitives, working jobs when they could and dodging authorities throughout the nation.

The two eventually were exonerated in 1968 after The Kansas City Star published a story detailing their ordeal.

"Prison Break," in its second season, is set in contemporary time. But the Hughes brothers say they've noted more than 30 places, names or events that are strikingly similar to those of their manuscript.

Taken from MediaMatters.org:

Rush Limbaugh accused actor Michael J. Fox, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, of "exaggerating the effects of the disease" in a recent campaign advertisement for Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill. Limbaugh added that "this is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting, one of the two."

On the October 23 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, Rush Limbaugh accused actor Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson's disease, of "exaggerating the effects of the disease" in a recent campaign advertisement for Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill. In the ad, Fox endorses McCaskill for supporting embryonic stem cell research, which her opponent, incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Talent, opposes. Noting that Fox is "moving all around and shaking" in the ad, Limbaugh declared: "And it's purely an act. This is the only time I have ever seen Michael J. Fox portray any of the symptoms of the disease he has." Limbaugh added that "this is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting, one of the two."

Later in the broadcast, Limbaugh stated that "I will bigly, hugely admit that I was wrong, and I will apologize to Michael J. Fox if I am wrong in characterizing his behavior on this commercial as an act, especially since people are telling me they have seen him this way on other interviews and in other television appearances." However, Limbaugh then returned to criticizing Fox, stating that "Michael J. Fox is using his illness as a way to mislead voters into thinking that their vote for a single United States senator has a direct impact on stem cell research in Missouri. It doesn't, and it won't."

According to Talkers magazine, The Rush Limbaugh Show reaches more than 13.5 million listeners each week, the largest talk-radio audience in the nation. Vice President Dick Cheney has made several appearances on the program, most recently on October 17.

From the October 23 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: You need to see this. It's a spot running in St. Louis during World Series games, bought and paid for and approved by the Democrat [sic] Senate candidate, Claire McCaskill. Now, I want you to listen to this. This is Michael J. Fox, aired during a World Series game, and I will describe for you what he's doing in this commercial after you've heard it.

[begin audio clip]

FOX: As you might know, I care deeply about stem cell research. In Missouri, you can elect Claire McCaskill, who shares my hope for cures. Unfortunately, Senator Jim Talent opposes expanding stem cell research. Senator Talent even wanted to criminalize the science that gives us the chance for hope. They say all politics is local, but that's not always the case. What you do in Missouri matters to millions of Americans, Americans like me.

McCASKILL: I'm Claire McCaskill, and I approve this message.

[end audio clip]

LIMBAUGH: Now, this is Michael J. Fox. He's got Parkinson's disease. And in this commercial, he is exaggerating the effects of the disease. He is moving all around and shaking. And it's purely an act. This is the only time I have ever seen Michael J. Fox portray any of the symptoms of the disease he has. I know he's got it and he's raising money for it, but when I've seen him in public, I've never seen him betray any of the symptoms. But this commercial, he -- he's just all over the place. He can barely control himself. He can control himself enough to stay in the frame of the picture, and he can control himself enough to keep his eyes right on the lens, the teleprompter. But his head and shoulders are moving all over the place, and he is acting like his disease is deteriorating because Jim Talent opposes research that would help him, Michael J. Fox, get cured. Jim Talent does not oppose stem cell research, he opposes fetal stem cell research but not adult. But this is reminiscent, and I don't have time -- yes, I do. Here, listen to [then-Democratic vice presidential candidate] John Edwards, the Breck girl, on the campaign trail, October 11th, 2004:

EDWARDS [audio clip]: If we do the work that we can do in this country, the work that we will do when John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk -- get up out of that wheelchair and walk again.

LIMBAUGH: And I think, didn't he even say -- they said it at a debate. I don't know if he said it at a convention. So this is really shameless, folks, this is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting, one of the two.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: And we are back. El Rushbo, executing assigned host duties flawlessly -- zero mistakes here on the EIB Network.

All right. Now, people are telling me that they have seen Michael J. Fox in interviews and he does appear the same way in the interviews as he does in this commercial for Claire McCaskill. All right, then, I stand corrected. I have never seen -- I've seen him on Boston Legal, I've seen him on a number of stand-up appearances, I've never seen the evidence that he's got -- I know he's got it. It's pitiable that he has the disease. It's a debilitating disease, and I understand that fully. Now, just stick with me on this.

All I'm saying is that I've never seen him the way he appears in this commercial for Claire McCaskill. So I will bigly, hugely admit that I was wrong, and I will apologize to Michael J. Fox if I am wrong in characterizing his behavior on this commercial as an act, especially since people are telling me they have seen him this way on other interviews and in other television appearances.

But let me just say this about it. And the reason I went and grabbed the audio from John Edwards, where he said in 2004 on the campaign trail, quote, "If we can do the work we that can do in this country, the work we will do when [Sen.] John Kerry [D-MA] is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk -- get up out of that wheel chair and walk again." That was about stem cells, and that was a misleading statement, and it didn't work for the Breck girl -- implying that if it weren't for George W. Bush and his stubbornness on stem cells, that we've got a cure for spinal deterioration and injury, and we don't!

We do not have anywhere near a cure. We can't regenerate nerves yet, folks, and that's what has to happen to cure paralysis in the spine. And stem cells do not promise any such thing, nor do they for Parkinson's disease. So the reason that I went and got the Breck girl to compare it to the Michael J. Fox is because I think that the intent here is the same thing.

I think, and if I may be blatantly honest, brazenly so, I think this is much more offensive than Hillary [Rodham Clinton]'s Senate opponent implying that she is ugly. Michael J. Fox is allowing his illness to be exploited, and in the process is shilling for a Democrat [sic] politician. And in the process of doing that, creating an impression, like John Edwards tried to do, that is not reality. Michael J. Fox is using his illness as a way to mislead voters into thinking that their vote for a single United States senator has a direct impact on stem cell research in Missouri. It doesn't, and it won't.

So Mr. Fox is using his illness as another tactic to try to secure the election of a Democrat [sic] senator by implying that with her election, that we'll be on the road to stem cell research her opponent opposes, and people who suffer from Parkinson's disease, as he does, will have a cure. Now, I just -- you know, it's a negative ad.   -B.F.

Which comes as a surprise to me.

I'm not a fan of war movies because they depress me to no end. (Plus, I usually can't stomach any rah-rah nationalism bullshit that's found in most war movies, especially American ones.)

However, my interest has now been piqued by reports that critics are upset by Clint Eastwood's new movie, Flags of Our Fathers.

Here's what I find so ludicrous about this all: The main complaint about the movie, which is truthfully based on Ira Hayes' life, is that it has a "liberal bias."

A question for you, Scott Holleran and William Bemister: Should Eastwood have ignored the fact that Ira Hayes was not allowed to participate in the public tours following the war because he was a Pima Indian? Should he have simply neutralized an already charged history?

Fine, fine. You can hold the opinion that American history and our war "legacy" shouldn't be tarnished. (That's not good for the troops, right?) But the actions taken against Ira Hayes happened after the war was over. Is the injustice he experienced not worth our time?

History repeats itself when people like Holleran and Bemister wish we'd ignored it.

I also don't read TMZ.com, but that's where I found this article.

So. Ok. First of all. I hate the word "faggot." HATEHATEHATEHATEHATE. Yep. I used all caps. Yes, I ignored proper spacing. It's the only way I can show my disdain for such a word. For that alone, Isaiah Washington deserves a boot to the face. I'd give it to him, but I'm a pacifist wuss and all the pictures of him I've seen make him look huge.

Atleast I'm honest.

This entire...debacle....is still blowing a lot of steam and I'm sure fans of the show are most likely freaking out. Apparently, his character is such a nice guy and Washington's actions seem to blatantly contradict this. Do you think the show will give him the boot? Even if they do, how do you replace him? As far as I can tell, he's a main character. That would make things even more interesting.

Oh well. I hope his gets flamed for his use of deragatory words and I hope that people learn that it's just unecessary to use in conversation. Grow up, Isaiah Washington. It wasn't cool to say "faggot" in 4th grade and it still isn't today.

Clicky clicky to read.

It's really so mind-boggling, arrogant, and absurd that I am left speechless. Or typeless, I guess.

Yeah. Go USA?

And guess what, Mark Foley? I'm going to suck this one dry. It really is far too funny.

Head on over to Blue Collar Distro, who have wonderfully parodied this whole mess:



Click the image to buy the shirt! You'll get one of three specialized phrases at the bottom. Where do these phrases come from? Why, the actual transcript of the IM conversation!

Haven't read it? Check it out here and laugh and cringe just like I did.

My two favorite parts:

Maf54 (7:53:39 PM): really
Maf54 (7:53:54 PM): do you really do it face down
Xxxxxxxxx (7:54:03 PM): ya
Maf54 (7:54:13 PM): kneeling
Xxxxxxxxx (7:54:31 PM): well i dont use my hand…i use the bed itself
Maf54 (7:54:31 PM): where do you unload it
Xxxxxxxxx (7:54:36 PM): towel
Maf54 (7:54:43 PM): really
Maf54 (7:55:02 PM): completely naked?
Xxxxxxxxx (7:55:12 PM): well ya
Maf54 (7:55:21 PM): very nice
Xxxxxxxxx (7:55:24 PM): lol
Maf54 (7:55:51 PM): cute butt bouncing in the air
Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:00 PM): haha
Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:05 PM): well ive never watched myslef
Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:08 PM): but ya i guess

And even better:

Xxxxxxxxx (8:00:32 PM): so you have a fetich
Maf54 (8:00:32 PM): hey what
Xxxxxxxxx (8:00:40 PM): fetish**
Maf54 (8:00:43 PM): like
Maf54 (8:00:53 PM): i like steamroom
Maf54 (8:01:04 PM): whats yours
Xxxxxxxxx (8:01:09 PM): its kinda weird
Xxxxxxxxx (8:01:14 PM): lol
Maf54 (8:01:21 PM): i am hard as a rock..so tell me when your reaches rock
Xxxxxxxxx (8:01:23 PM): i have a cast fetish
Maf54 (8:01:27 PM): well tell me
Maf54 (8:01:32 PM): cast
Xxxxxxxxx (8:01:44 PM): ya like…plaster cast
Maf54 (8:01:49 PM): ok..so what happens
Maf54 (8:01:58 PM): how does that turn you in
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:02 PM): i dont know
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:04 PM): it just does
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:08 PM): ive never had one
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:16 PM): but people that have them turn me on
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:27 PM): and if i had one it would probably turn me on
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:29 PM): beats me
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:32 PM): its kinda weird

Yes, Xxxxxxxxx, it is kind of weird.

And I'm going to completely milk it dry.

Blue Collar Distro has made, perhaps, the best parody of any news story ever. Check out their version of Mark Foley:



Click the picture to take you to their website to buy the shirt for yourself. Oh, and to even make it better, when you buy the shirt, you'll get surprised with one of three possible IM phrases underneath the image:

• (7:57:05 PM) i always use lotion and the hand
• (7:79:48 PM) is your little guy limp...or growing
• (8:08:31 PM) get a ruler and measure it for me

If you haven't had the chance, please do read the transcript of the main IM conversation being used against him. It's good times.

Here are some rather hilarious highlights:

Maf54 (7:53:39 PM): really
Maf54 (7:53:54 PM): do you really do it face down
Xxxxxxxxx (7:54:03 PM): ya
Maf54 (7:54:13 PM): kneeling
Xxxxxxxxx (7:54:31 PM): well i dont use my hand…i use the bed itself
Maf54 (7:54:31 PM): where do you unload it
Xxxxxxxxx (7:54:36 PM): towel
Maf54 (7:54:43 PM): really
Maf54 (7:55:02 PM): completely naked?
Xxxxxxxxx (7:55:12 PM): well ya
Maf54 (7:55:21 PM): very nice
Xxxxxxxxx (7:55:24 PM): lol
Maf54 (7:55:51 PM): cute butt bouncing in the air
Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:00 PM): haha
Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:05 PM): well ive never watched myslef
Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:08 PM): but ya i guess


Nice to know he likes a "cute butt bouncing in the air."


Xxxxxxxxx (8:00:32 PM): so you have a fetich
Maf54 (8:00:32 PM): hey what
Xxxxxxxxx (8:00:40 PM): fetish**
Maf54 (8:00:43 PM): like
Maf54 (8:00:53 PM): i like steamroom
Maf54 (8:01:04 PM): whats yours
Xxxxxxxxx (8:01:09 PM): its kinda weird
Xxxxxxxxx (8:01:14 PM): lol
Maf54 (8:01:21 PM): i am hard as a rock..so tell me when your reaches rock
Xxxxxxxxx (8:01:23 PM): i have a cast fetish
Maf54 (8:01:27 PM): well tell me
Maf54 (8:01:32 PM): cast
Xxxxxxxxx (8:01:44 PM): ya like…plaster cast
Maf54 (8:01:49 PM): ok..so what happens
Maf54 (8:01:58 PM): how does that turn you in
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:02 PM): i dont know
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:04 PM): it just does
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:08 PM): ive never had one
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:16 PM): but people that have them turn me on
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:27 PM): and if i had one it would probably turn me on
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:29 PM): beats me
Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:32 PM): its kinda weird

Easily more significant than the entire scandal against the dude. WTF? A cast fetish??

PREVIEW THE ALBUM!!!

Holy.
Shit.
Hardcore/metal album of 2006.
Easily.

Jesus, I can't wait to hear it completely.

I caught portions of it while I was at the gym last night. (You can't even escape the television when you want to work out.) My attention was nabbed once Larry King asked Woodward to reconcile his past approval of President Bush with his newest book, <u>State of Denial</u>.

Overall, the interview was ok. I'm glad someone of his stature is saying something, but I was angered that he said "There are no crimes alleged here." Bullshit, dude. Someone is fucking up and it's a crime.

Read for yourself.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003190239

Woodward Tells King: Book Could Have Been Called 'Crisis'

By E&P Staff

NEW YORK Appearing with Larry King on his CNN show Monday night, Bob Woodward repeated much of what has already come out from his new book “State of Denial,” but also added new information and commentary.

Highlighting why he feels so strongly about the book, he said the alternate title for it was, “Crisis.” He explained: “This is a big war. Henry Kissinger said this is more important that Vietnam.” Woodward said of the war: “It’s going south.”

He also revealed that Donald Rumsfeld had told him that he had seen a copy of the speech Bush was to deliver on the aircraft carrier in May 2003 —with the Mission Accomplished banner behind him – and that the speech originally contained “mission accomplished” in the text. Rumsfeld said he got that deleted but the banner stayed. This shoots down, Woodward suggested, the claim that the Navy independently put up the banner.

Asked about the timing of the book so close to the election, Woodward revealed that the publication date for the book was originally late-October – but he pushed Simon & Schuster to get it out so it wasn’t quite so close to the voting: “It’s a miracle what Simon & Schuster did to get it out as soon as possible.” Earlier today on TV, Woodward had said that he always intended to get it published before the election, feeling that people should have the information before then, and then make up their own minds.

Speaking in a more impassioned way than usual, Woodward, when asked what Bush should do about the war now, said, “President Bush is going to have to call in the Democrats and not have a one-hour meeting but one of those Clinton all-night-in-the-dorm meetings….and tell them we need a bipartisan plan that will take this out of the political arena.” Woodward said he had heard that, in fact, “soundings” are being taken about this idea to follow the election. He then cited the famous expression of Bush’s father: We’re in “deep doo-doo.”

Woodward said he talked to a CIA man who recently came back from Iraq who said, "It's like Mad Max over there now."

Asked by the host to compare his current reporting to Watergate, he replied, “There are no crimes alleged here,” though some would take exception to that. He added: “But this is a war…and the stakes could not be higher…It pains me to see the approach they decided on from the beginning was denial,” hoping “maybe we’ll get a break.”

Asked if the administration should be charged with deviousness or incompetence, Woodward answered: “Inattentiveness.” Was Bush manipulated into the war by Cheney and Rumsfeld? No, “it was Bush’s decision, clearly.”

NICKEL MINES, Pa. - A "number" of people were killed in a shooting at a one-room Amish schoolhouse Monday, state police said.

"There are a number of people dead. ... The exact number I do not know yet," state police Cpl. Ralph Striebig said.

The person who fired the shots was among those killed, Striebig said. There are also a number of casualties, he said.

Police surrounded the one-room school in southeastern Lancaster County late Monday morning. The Lancaster County 911 Web site reported that dozens of emergency units were dispatched to a "medical emergency" at 10:45 a.m. Monday.

Officials at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center confirmed that victims were being admitted there. A spokeswoman said the hospital anticipated treating more than one patient, but did not know how many.

About three dozen Amish people were seen standing behind a police line, and at least two ambulances had left the scene. Television news helicopters also showed a person being taken away on a stretcher to a waiting medical helicopter.

The last news reports I heard said that there were 10 shot and atleast 6 confirmed dead. In addition, the shooter, who is also dead, was targeting only women.

Fucked up to think that violence of this degree can affect such an idyllic community. Sucks.