WASHINGTON, DC—Departing from his usual hopeful rhetoric during a question-and-answer session with reporters in the White House Rose Garden, President Bush suggested Tuesday that the war in Iraq has not been successful because the nation’s armed forces are “just not very good.”
“When the decision was made to liberate Iraq, I was going on what my advisers were telling me and what everyone has said for nearly a century—that the U.S. military is the best in the world,” Bush said. “But if that were the case, and we did have the most powerful army, navy, marines, and air force on the globe, we would be winning, right?”
The president admitted that he’d been toying with the idea that a thorough lack of quality in personnel, from the top U.S. commander to the lowest-ranked private, is the only way to account for the colossal failure in Iraq, given that everything on the administrative side of the war has been carried out with the utmost care and precision.
“I know the folks on our end didn’t drop the ball,” Bush said. “The civilian oversight of this war and the plan of attack has been brilliant. There’s no doubt about that in my mind. Hate to say it, but maybe our men and women in uniform just aren’t what they’re cracked up to be.”
Since the failed car bomb plot was uncovered in London the cable news networks have gone wall to wall terror. “Hardball” host, Chris Matthews brought in DNC Communications Director, Karen Finney to discuss the politics of terror with her counterpart from the RNC. Finney makes quick work of the RNC hack, slapping down her talking points about the Iraq war the second they spewed from her mouth. This is exactly how you deal with right wing spin and lies — come armed with the truth and never back down.
Click Here for the rest of Logan’s post and to view the video clip.
The LATimes‘ H.G. Reza, reports today a story that demonstrates the true nature and beliefs and commitment of the Muslim community to oppose violence, and terrorism. Officials at the Islamic Center of Irvine reported to authorities the actions of a recent “convert”, Craig Monteilh, who talked about jihad and dropped oblique references to violence.
The LATimes reports:
Earlier this year, Monteilh began shifting religious discussions to jihad, or holy war, talking about “operations” against U.S. military targets, and suggested that he had access to weapons, said Ashruf Zied. No weapons were seen, Zied said in an interview.
“I said, ‘Dude, stop right there, What are you talking about?’ ” said Zied, a software engineer who said that he was born in Ohio and that his father worked for NATO. “I was trying to steer the guy in the right direction. He was talking about something that’s taboo.”
Zied, who testified at the court hearing, said that he was frightened by Monteilh’s rhetoric, and that it was the last discussion between the two.
Former Islamic Center president Asim Khan testified that several worshipers felt threatened by Monteilh and that he talked about getting involved “in a 9/11-type operation.”
Some stopped attending mosque because of him, Khan said.
“We’re members of the American community, and it’s our duty as Americans to make law enforcement aware of these activities,” he testified. (more…)
Not long ago, Rep. John Campbell opined in the OC Metro that the current Democratic Congress could boast of few accomplishments (leaving out the part where Republicans obstructed progress of course).
This announcement arrived in my email from the Speaker’s office. It’s worth a read:
PELOSI, REID DISCUSS SIX MONTHS OF DEMOCRATIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Washington, D.C.— Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and other Democratic leaders today reflected on the Democratic-led Congress’s accomplishments in the six months since assuming the majority and looked forward to continuing its progress in July. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and other Democratic leaders today reflected on the Democratic-led Congress’s accomplishments in the six months since assuming the majority and looked forward to continuing its progress in July.
Even with Republicans trying to block our efforts at every turn, this Democratic Congress is delivering on our promises to the American people as we continue to put working families first and make our nation more secure. Both the House and Senate have passed the bipartisan 9/11 Commission recommendations and tough ethics and lobbying reform, while also raising the minimum wage and balancing the budget. Yesterday Republicans once again objected to making our country safer and cleaning up Washington, blocking Democrats’ efforts to move the 9/11 Commission recommendations and ethics reform bills to conference.
“Democrats have made great progress in addressing America’s priorities and tackling problems this Administration and past Republican Congresses have ignored,” Reid said. “We have much to be proud of from the first half of the year, and we have even more to do as we enter the second. In the coming weeks, we will continue to force a change of course in Iraq until the President and Congressional Republicans finally heed the advice of military experts, respect the will of the American people, and join us in bringing the war to a successful and responsible end. Neither our troops nor the American people can afford to wait until September for a new strategy.”
There’s a post by Jon Fleschman over on Flash Report this morning again referencing what a great guy former Congressman Richard Pombo is, in Jon’s view, of course. Another, “oh trust me. I know him.” I almsot want to add, “he’s a GoodFella.” Where is Ray Liotta when you need him?
Jon writes: “I’ve known Richard Pombo since before he ever a Congressman. He’s a great guy, with a lot of integrity, and there isn’t a dishonest bone in his body. That said, by the time the onslaught against him was over in Congressional District 11 last November, Pombo was out of office because of a lot of accusatory voter communication that made it out like Richard was tainted by a rather iffy connection to the now-imprisoned Jack Abramoff. Pombo is a great example of how it is perception, not reality that often times matters the most in the arena of politics.”
Here, in the reality-based community, Former Rep. Pombo’s hands are not nearly as clean as Jon would like to think. Below, you’ll find an excellent post from the folks at Beyond Delay (http://www.beyonddelay.org) (more…)
For the past 28 years, the Orange County Democratic Party has been represented in the 4th of July Huntington Beach Parade. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Former Senator Joe Dunn, Senator Lou Correra have all been showcased in the parade along with our wonderful Young Democrats. The parade is a wonderful opportunity to show that the Democratic Party is alive and well in Orange County!
The parade begins at 10:00 A.M. and ends at 12:30 P.M. Democrats begin gathering at 7:30 A.M. to march. We will have shuttle cars to take you to the staging area or to the handicap cheering section.
Shuttle Starts: 7:00 A.M.
Last Shuttle: 9:00 A.M.
Please come early, the traffic gets very busy and we cannot transport everyone at the last minute
For parking and shuttling, drive to Seacliff Village, located at Goldenwest and Yorktown. Look for the Del Taco fast food restaurant. Then look for the signs saying “Democratic Parking.”
Parade Rules:
All entries should have a positive theme which respects diversity, are non-controversial and do not advocate any political candidate, proposition or position
No one under the age of 9 will be permitted to march
Bicycles, rollerblades, skates, skateboards, scooters, motorcycles, ATV’s, wagon, dogs or strollers will not be permitted to enter the parade or the parade route
All Marchers with the Democratic Party of Orange County entry must wear Red T-shirts or Polo-Shirts and Blue Jean or Dark/Navy Blue Shorts or Pants
To participate, simply show up!
If you have any questions, please contact Caren Bolinger at 310-293-8320 or email her at carenbolinger@yahoo.com.
Hillary Clinton called it a “vast right-wing conspiracy.” Conservatives call it “message discipline.” Others call it the “right-wing noise machine.” Here at TheLiberalOC.com we call it “crap.” And from time to time, we will bring their swill to you in our forum called…
Jon Fleischman over at the FLASHREPORT whines today about the governor signing a bill that every Republican in the state legislature voted against. The title of his post is a bit contradictory “Bipartisan, party of one.”
You would think that a Republican Governor signing legislation that was supported by Democrats would be the model of bi-partisanship. If we were to apply Jon’s standard, the only legislation the Governor would be able to sign would be bills that receive significant bi-partisan support in the legislature. With the current crop of right-wing-nut-jobs in the Senate and Assembly, that just isn’t going to happen.
Yesterday, Governor Schwarzenegger decided that he would ’stick it in the eye’ of legislative Republicans by signing a bill authored by liberal Democrat Carol Migden of San Francisco, SB 376.
We’ve spoken here before about Schwarzenegger’s “bi-partisan, party of one” and signing this bill is a great example — in the State Senate, EVERY Republican voted against is, and in the State Assembly EVERY Republican voted against is, as did one Democrat. That’s right, SB 376 arrived on Governor Schwarzenegger’s desk WITHOUT A SINGLE LEGISLATIVE REPUBLICAN VOTE.
What does the bill do? In essence it would give the authority to the City Attorney of the County and City of San Francisco to file “unfair competition actions” and “pursue recovery of a civil penalty therefor without authorization from the district attorney.”
Given that particular city’s unique ability to elect total left wing nuts to office, why would we want to give more power to a City Attorney, power that could be used to harass those few businesses still brave enough to operate there?
So Jon, let me get this straight. You oppose the right of voters in San Fransisco to elect who they want as their City Attorney because there are a majority of progressive and liberal minded prople in San Francisco.
Wow, I’ve got to remember that for the next time you and the rest of the right-wing-nuts bring up the will of the voters on such things as Marriage Equality. Apparently the will of the majority is only okay with you if you concur.
It must be Good To Be The King.
You can read the rest of Jon’s drivel HERE, however please FLUSH before you leave:
I caught a bit by Lewis Black on the Daily Show and part of it dealt with a new online encyclopedia set up by conservatives called, Conservapedia.com. I guess Wikipedia, edited by millions, is just too liberal for this crowd.
I started research definitions defined by this site. It’ll either make you laugh or cry. But I wonder if this site provides true insight into the hearts and minds of conservatives.
Here are some definitions, and I swear, I’m not making any of this up: (more…)
The Public Policy Insititute of California has issued results of a poll measuring the attitudes of Californians on a variety of state and national issues. And what a surprise, it skews way to the left on most things. Here’s the summary but Frank Russo.
The Public Policy Institute of California has just released a 44 page survey of Californians’ attitudes on a variety of state and national issues, candidates, officeholders, and the ability of Californians to identify key elected leaders.
We’ll give you the Readers’ Digest overview here and will have additional analysis of individual components of this massive poll, and recommend that you take at least a peak at it on line using the link above. The PPIC released the poll with a catchy headline: “State Has Immigration Jitters and Post-Partisan Depression,” if you need your appetite whetted with a shorter first taste. The subheading states: “Little Faith That Bush, Congress Or Governor, Legislature Can Work Together; Republicans Almost As Negative As Democrats About Bush’s Job On Immigration.”
Here are the main points:
Health care: The voters and the public as a whole want major change. About three in four residents see the number of people without health insurance as a big problem in California today and believe that California’s health care system is in need of major changes. Two-thirds (66%) of California’s residents think the U.S. government should provide a national health insurance program even if it means higher taxes. Even more (73%) support such a program for children under the age of 18. Residents (72%) and likely voters (65%) strongly support the outline of shared responsibility in Governor Schwarzenegger’s health insurance proposal.
There was no polling here asking about the Democratic plans, both the one advanced by the leaders of both the State Assembly and State Senate in AB 8, which contain a different configuration of elements of the Governor’s plan. There also is no comparable question, other than perhaps the question about national health insurance, that pertains to the single payer plan being advanced by Senator Sheila Kuehl. The Governor’s plan was not mentioned by name–the operative question being;” Would you favor or oppose a plan requiring all Californians to have health insurance, with costs shared by employers, health care providers, and individuals.
Immigration: Identified once again as the biggest issue facing the state, a position it has had since 2006. A majority of Californians (74%) say illegal immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for more than two years should have a chance to keep their jobs and apply for legal status. Bill Cavala has written a more detailed description of the oll’s many findings as to immigration. (more…)
So the weekend isn’t here just yet. But there are some things you can check out, even if you leave the office a little late, and will get you home at a decent hour. See what’s going on in your area.
7 P.M.-9P.M. Huntington Beach: Coastal Convergence Society Film Nite
They will be featuring Fast Food Nation, a dramatic film based on material from the incendiary book by Eric Schlosser. It is a no-holds-barred exploration of the fast food industry that ultimately reveals the dark side of the “All American Meal” with a powerful expose of exploited immigrants and a nation adrift without a soul. Check it out at Roundtable Pizza (next to Mother’s Market) located at 19750 Beach Blvd.
7 P.M.-9 P.M. Irvine: Amnesty International Group #178
Monthly Meeting at Irvine United Congregational Church (Plumer Hall) located at 4915 Alton Parkway. For more information about the group, contact Glen Nielsen at nielsenelectric@cox.net
7 P.M.-9 P.M. Santa Ana: OC Green Drinks
Meet up, have a drink, and make friends with other Green-minded people from around the county at The Road Less Traveled store, 2202 1/2 N Main St, Santa Ana. Food and drink will be provided! Go to ocgreendrinks.blogspot.com or www.greendrinks.org for more info, or contact Rachel Hulan at ocgreendrinks@path-design.net
7 P.M. Fountain Valley: Let’s Help America June Meetup
At Moonlight Pizza and Chicken, 9895 Warner Ave, Fountain Valley. RSVP for this event at democrat.meetup.com/147/calendar/5839363
Doing my morning read of the OC blogsphere when I came across this ad at Red County.
So I clicked and since the page won’t cut and paste for me, here’s the link.
The tag line is killer” “We continue our efforts to engage our peers and our community with conservative values….”
It’s a conservative value to pose for cheesecake shots?
Since there’s a show on called the Real Housewives of Orange County, perhaps we at the LiberalOCcan come up with “The Real Republicans of Orange County” calendar. I can leave this to our photoshop gurus here, but imagine if you will:
Jon Fleischman in a Speedo
Matt Cunningham in trendy surfwear.
Chuck DeVore in board shorts (made of hemp of course)
Today AP reports (in the OCRegister) that the President, or is it King, has deciderd that he does not have to answer to the United States Congress.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush, moving toward a constitutional showdown with Congress, asserted executive privilege Thursday and rejected lawmakers’ demands for documents that could shed light on the firings of federal prosecutors.
Bush’s attorney told Congress the White House would not turn over subpoenaed documents for former presidential counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor.
In reaction, Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy accused the administration of shifting “into Nixonian stonewalling” and revealing “disdain for our system of checks and balances.”
“With respect, it is with much regret that we are forced down this unfortunate path which we sought to avoid by finding grounds for mutual accommodation,” White House counsel Fred Fielding said in a letter to Leahy and the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “We had hoped this matter could conclude with your committees receiving information in lieu of having to invoke executive privilege. Instead, we are at this conclusion.”
I recall another President who held that opinion. As I recall the precedent set by the Supreme Court, I don’t think the executive privilege he is claiming will hold up. Unless of course, Chief Justice Roberts and Associate Justice Alito, lied to the Senate when thy assured us that they believed the Court should not revisit settled questions of law. Read the complete story
Below you will find the RSS Feeds from some of our favorite sites. Most of these are Orange County political blogs, but some have a state and national perspective.
This is just too hilarious not to read: 
Since the failed car bomb plot was uncovered in London the cable news networks have gone wall to wall terror. “Hardball” host, Chris Matthews brought in DNC Communications Director, Karen Finney to discuss the politics of terror with her counterpart from the RNC. Finney makes quick work of the RNC hack, slapping down her talking points about the Iraq war the second they spewed from her mouth. This is exactly how you deal with right wing spin and lies — come armed with the truth and never back down.
For the past 28 years, the Orange County Democratic Party has been represented in the 4th of July Huntington Beach Parade. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Former Senator Joe Dunn, Senator Lou Correra have all been showcased in the parade along with our wonderful Young Democrats. The parade is a wonderful opportunity to show that the Democratic Party is alive and well in Orange County! 
Today 
I recall another President who held that opinion. As I recall the precedent set by the Supreme Court, I don’t think the executive privilege he is claiming will hold up. Unless of course, Chief Justice Roberts and Associate Justice Alito, lied to the Senate when thy assured us that they believed the Court should not revisit settled questions of law. 
