"Truth" in advertising

via Hoffmania and The LA Times

The LA Times is doing a series on the political ads that are currently being run. They take on the newest Bush ad this week:

This 30-second television advertisement, unveiled Thursday, is expected to go on the air today on local broadcast stations in several states contested by both major parties. Among them is North Carolina. It is the first time President Bush has targeted the home state of expected Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. John Edwards.

Bush: "I'm George W. Bush and I approve this message."

Female voice: "Leadership means choosing priorities. While campaigning, John Kerry has missed over two-thirds of all votes. Missed a vote to lower healthcare costs by reducing frivolous lawsuits against doctors. Missed a vote to fund our troops in combat. Yet Kerry found time to vote against the Laci Peterson law that protects pregnant women from violence. Kerry has his priorities. Are they yours?"

Images: The spot opens with images of Bush campaigning and shifts to a white background with words. A multitude of pictures of Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry then fills the screen. The Capitol is shown. Then a picture of Kerry is juxtaposed with pictures of an elderly woman, soldiers in combat gear and young women.

Analysis: Bush resumes sharp attacks on his challenger with a portrayal of the Massachusetts senator as a delinquent lawmaker with a questionable voting record. The Kerry campaign does not dispute Republican calculations that he has missed about 70% of the Senate's roll call votes since January 2003. The roll calls Bush cites are a selective sample meant to put Kerry's record in the worst possible light. On healthcare, Republicans pushed a bill to limit medical malpractice liability that had little chance of passing the Senate. Kerry's absence did not affect the outcome, and he has proposed his own plans to cut healthcare costs.

Likewise, Kerry's absence was not decisive in the outcome of a measure to provide funding for troops. Though he has criticized certain weapons programs at times in his career, the Democrat has backed most military spending bills during his 19-plus years in the Senate. Kerry did vote against a law named for Peterson, a pregnant woman from Modesto whose husband has been charged with murder in the death of her and their unborn child. The legislation, which Bush signed in April, makes it a separate crime to harm or kill a fetus during an assault on a pregnant woman. Kerry and many other Democrats opposed it because of provisions they believed would undermine abortion rights. The Kerry campaign says the senator supported a tougher alternative to crack down on such crimes. Regardless of partisan interpretations, it is a stretch for Bush to imply this particular vote was a Kerry priority.

All emphasis mine

Pinko Commie Biznitch furthers the vast liberal conspiracy

As many of you know, I work at a large BookStore chain as my second paying-off-college-loans job. Located in a rather liberal part of Houston, it's usually a pretty safe place for a pinko commie like me, but sometimes, no.

When the Clinton book first came out, I got my share of grumbles and a few "that book is actually SELLING?!?!" exclamations. My favorite was this little gem: Huh. Huh. How come that book isn't in the fiction section? Huh. Huh.

*eye roll*

The other day, however, I had a wee run in with a man who should really learn to keep his big mouth shut. The book is still at the front of the store because it's currently the #1 non-fiction book and it is SELLING, which, you would think Republican freakos would appreciate, the pursuit of the mighty dollar, yes? Oh, but no. This gentleman was so very concerned with my poor feminine self.

I don't understand how you as a woman can walk by that book and not be appalled! Haven't you had complaints?!?!

Awww. Isn't that sweet? He cares about me as a woman and wants to make sure that I am not being offended. *snerk* I calmly explained to him that the cash register at BookStore was not the place to have a political discussion and then I told him to fork over the money and get the Cheney out of my face. Okay, maybe not that last part. I mean, COME ON! If you really gave a fuck about the rights of women, you wouldn't be running around bashing a guy who isn't even in office anymore. How about dealing with the misogynistic bastards currently in office? Don't use me as an excuse to bash a president you don't like, you ignorant blowhard.

Of course, we have our share of people who come in and complain that we have hidden all the conservative books in the back of the store where all the political science books are located as some sort of conspiracy. Again, moron, the liberal books are new and selling better, so they go to the front of the store. All hail the mighty dollar, yo! Don't you have to have that tattooed on your ass to be a Republican? Jeesh.

I had a guy just last night, who was coming in to buy Michael Moore Is A Big Fat Stupid White Man, so obviously he is a fair and balanced sort of dude. At my young and outspoken co-workers "WHAT?!?!" reaction to his request and his need to start a sentence with Don't tell me you listen to that..., I again had to be the cooler head and request that we not start a debate, but find the lovely tome he requested. As I led him to the back of the store where all the political science books are located, he began his rant about the liberal conspiracy blah blah blah, inviting another gentleman, looking for a book about how Kerry and other liberals really don't deserve the label hero for serving their country, more fair and balanced of course, to join in the fray. I walked away because I'd given him the damn book he wanted and I didn't want to get fired for punching him in the face.

And just for the record, there are 14 liberal books and 8 conservative books currently stocked in the front of my BookStore. Almost twice as many! *gasp* Whatever will we do?

How about welcome to my life for the last three years, asshole! It's not fun when the majority of the country thinks your opinions are shit, is it? Quit your bitching and take your turn, dude.

World O' Crap has a lovely book club entry today, discussing two books that we carry and I have to sell with a straight face. I also noticed we have Ben Shapiro's pile of crap and Bozell's newest liberal media conspiracy rant at the front of the store.

If I have to sell that shit, customers can at least give me the courtesy of shutting the fuck up about the Clinton book, no?

Bush declines NAACP invitation

Bush spoke at the 2000 NAACP convention in Baltimore when he was running for president.

NAACP spokesman John White said Wednesday that Bush has declined invitations in each year of his presidency -- becoming the first president since Herbert Hoover not to attend an NAACP convention.

That's so Cheneying classy, I can hardly stand it, y'all.

Speaking of classy, I cannot wait to see footage of Bush walking out of his press conference because of the Lay questions. If I didn't dislike him so much, I might feel sorry for him. It must really suck when all you friends are money-grubbing asshole crooks, eh?

Several of my favorite blogs are discussing The New Republic's article: PAKISTAN FOR BUSH July Surprise.

This spring, the administration significantly increased its pressure on Pakistan to kill or capture Osama bin Laden, his deputy, Ayman Al Zawahiri, or the Taliban's Mullah Mohammed Omar, all of whom are believed to be hiding in the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan. . .

This public pressure would be appropriate, even laudable, had it not been accompanied by an unseemly private insistence that the Pakistanis deliver these high-value targets (HVTs) before Americans go to the polls in November. The Bush administration denies it has geared the war on terrorism to the electoral calendar. "Our attitude and actions have been the same since September 11 in terms of getting high-value targets off the street, and that doesn't change because of an election," says National Security Council spokesman Sean McCormack. But The New Republic has learned that Pakistani security officials have been told they must produce HVTs by the election. According to one source in Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), "The Pakistani government is really desperate and wants to flush out bin Laden and his associates after the latest pressures from the U.S. administration to deliver before the [upcoming] U.S. elections." Introducing target dates for Al Qaeda captures is a new twist in U.S.-Pakistani counterterrorism relations--according to a recently departed intelligence official, "no timetable[s]" were discussed in 2002 or 2003--but the November election is apparently bringing a new deadline pressure to the hunt.

...the Pakistanis "have been told at every level that apprehension or killing of HVTs before [the] election is [an] absolute must." What's more, this source claims that Bush administration officials have told their Pakistani counterparts they have a date in mind for announcing this achievement: "The last ten days of July deadline has been given repeatedly by visitors to Islamabad and during [ul-Haq's] meetings in Washington." Says McCormack: "I'm aware of no such comment." But according to this ISI official, a White House aide told ul-Haq last spring that "it would be best if the arrest or killing of [any] HVT were announced on twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July"--the first three days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

You know, I am not suprised about this in the least. Every time something goes negative for Bush, there is a new terror alert or a newflash about supposed WMDs findings. Each time, the facts cannot be found to back them up, and each time, the press only reports the first announcement and ignores when the truth comes out. It's getting a little better, though, with the press and Americans becoming a little more cynical.

I have been saying for months that either an attack or a big arrest will come right before the election. It's so obvious, it's sad. Hopefully, other media outlets will pick up on this story and start talking about it now, so if/when it does happen, the I-told-you-so's will be louder than the actual news.

You are so funny with the fiction!

The Mating Habits of the Pharma Blowhardius

You know, if WoC didn't post links to transcripts, I would seriously think this shit was made up. Why is that man still on the radio? WHY?!?! And people listen. I just. Wow.

Flint is in the hizzzzzouse!

Lila Lipscomb's Antiwar Plea

You go, Lila! She is even travelling to London for the premire there. I think she is the most powerful part of the film. Go see it for her story, if for nothing else. Also, check out Moore's new blog. I have so much love for him right now, I can't even stand it. I know, he is a big freak and I don't agree with everything he believe, but DAMN the man is getting the word out, yo.

The cover of Time, y'all. $60 million! It's been been quiet a week for the man from Flint. I got a letter from my grandma the other day, telling me the "your grandfather almost married his mother" story, which I just love, because it makes me laugh.

Now, lemme give a little YAY shout-out to the man of the hour, John Edwards! Woo! Hey John? You might want to take off the "Edwards for President" stuff or people will start thinking you have another plan. *g* I think he is the best choice out of those who were running. He's youthful and he's got a great energy about him. I hope he can bring in some of the south like people are saying.

And just a reminder about why we need to vote Bush and his religious nutbag cronies out of office NOW:

Access Denied: growing numbers of doctors and pharmacists across the US are refusing to prescribe or dispense birth control pills

Don't even get me started on this, okay?

Oh say can you see

I wrote something last year about patriotism, so I thought I would repost it to celebrate the holiday. It's sad that all of the issues I wrote about 16 months ago still hold court over this country. Things are getting better, however, and I have faith that in November, America will be on its way to being the country I know it can be.

Anyway, I have issues with my writing, so much so that I rarely do it, because it freaks me out so much. But this piece is something I am very proud of and I'd like to share it on the birthday of my favorite country in the whole wide world.

Special thanks to Chrissy of The Muses Bitch dot net for giving me a safe place to put my thoughts. She's one damn fine Canadian.

The Land of the Free Speech