give blood.

Ralph Reed is on my television. Would now be the appropriate time to vomit blood?

the party of the big hypocrisy tent.

Everybody on the right is doing a good job of keeping the tradition of lying and character assassination alive with their treatment of John Kerry. You know John Kerry -- the man who ACTUALLY WENT TO WAR AS A SOLDIER!

Where was Dubya during the war? I don't know. Let's ask him. Or maybe he was too busy "doing other things" like below:

filmmaker moore cashes in on free advertisement, thanks the GOP.

Michael Moore is the focal point of most Bush-backers' ire, but Moore himself has decidedly toned down the invective in his first op-ed piece about the convention. He did, of course, not forget to bring the condescension in his USA Today piece:

The GOP doesn't reflect America.

Of course, Moore has become quite a story at this convention. I'm not so sure that's a good move for the GOP to make the most liberal of liberals their target. It helps Kerry more than it does Bush, if you ask me. Conservatives are still smarting over the fact that Ann Coulter lost her job as the "behind enemy lines" columnist at the Democratic Convention a month ago and Moore will more than likely be allowed to continue in his contrarian role for the Gannett newspaper.

I'm not a big fan of either, but at least Michael Moore is occasionally funny. Ann Coulter is too busy devouring babies and kicking puppies to be funny.

What's with them far-righties being so mean?

wake me when it's november 3rd.

I have watched a total of zero hours of the Republican National Convention. Not because I have already declared I'll be voting for John Kerry; but because, as mentioned, party circle jerks don't do it for me.

I did catch a bit of radio coverage before John McCain spoke, though, where I heard a Republican delegate refer to Dubya as a "moderate conservative."

I nearly choked on my sandwich.

Moderate conservative? Are you fucking kidding me???? Bush is, unlike any other recent president, in the back pocket of hardline Christian Coalitioners.

It is because of this unholy alliance that the top issues in this election are: stem cell research, gay marriage, abortion.

Oh wait. I would be happy if more people were talking about that. Instead, they're too busy tonguing Bush, calling him a "strong leader" for his war in Iraq. I suppose picking a fight with the weakling of the Arab world makes you a strong leader. I suppose Bush is a "strong leader" for declaring MISSION ACCOMPLISHED long before the fucking mission was accomplished.

I guess, as it is with the Swift Boat Liars, if you tell a lie long enough and often enough it becomes the truth.

The smartest thing I've heard so far in the coverage was from radio host Kim Serafin, who hopes for a Guiliani-McCain ticket (flip that around, in my opinion) in 2008.

What so many neocons and uber-righties don't get is that the vast majority of us in the middle will vote for Republicans AND Democrats (bipartisanship is the way to go, contrary to what ubers to the left and right would like to believe). Those of us who have declared support for Kerry have done so because we, bluntly put, do not like this president.

Many Republicans are dumbfounded by the out and out hatred toward Bush. Personally, I find that to be duplicitous and disingenuous stance, considering how much shit they threw at Clinton for eight solid years in the name of Democracy. I have never understood why Bush supporters treat him as though he's made of glass and his hands-off. I digress.

Nobody is saying Kerry is going to be the ultimate answer. The reason we're voting for Kerry has as much to do with him as much as it does not wanting four more years of a myopic, non-visionary administration.

The reason the chasm has gotten so wide between the two sides can be traced right back to the last presidential election. This nation needed an olive branch from the newly-elected Bush to the left. And the left needed to join in with both hands on patching it up. That never happened.

It's time for him to go.

Sidenote: I'm watching some clips of the convention and the speakers are spending time raising their deflector shields. So far, they've been defensive. Interesting.

I'll be so glad when November 3rd is here.

the road to november 2nd.

The Republican National Convention begins today. Like the Democratic version, this convention will be nothing more than a group hug. I only caught a smattering of speeches from the DNC and probably won't really dial into the GOP convention until Dubya speaks.

While I pride myself on being an informed citizen, I find the conventions to be a bit too circle-jerky for my tastes. Oh sure, I'll read a lot of the news coverage on the Web and catch sound bites of speeches; but conventions serve one purpose: rally the base. I suppose the sub-text is to inform the public of their platforms and they do provide that, but they're still meant to get the troops frothed up for the upcoming November elections.

If I mute the sound on the Republican convention, I'm sure it will look hauntingly similar to the Democratic convention. Of course, there will be massive protests (or attempts at such) going on in and around Manhattan. I wonder how much of that will be discussed on the news.

The one thing I'm really looking forward to: Michael Moore's dispatches from the convention. No, I'm not a big fan of Moore; but I'll be curious to see how he's received and how skewed his views will be.

This convention serves only one purpose, if you ask me: it's the last rev of the parties before they both really hit the road to November 2.

My only hope is this convention comes off free of incident.

what the fuck?

This is a photo of a toy that was packaged in bags and distributed in and around Orlando:



I think we all know what that looks like, no?

Here's the whole story.

time to stay in crawford.

From the AP:

Bush Acknowledges Iraq 'Miscalculation'

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush said for the first time on Thursday he made a "miscalculation of what the conditions would be" after U.S. troops went to Iraq, The New York Times reported. The insurgency, he maintained, was the unintended result of a "swift victory" that led to Iraqi troops disappearing into the cities and mounting a rebellion.

Bush also told the newspaper he did not believe his Democratic opponent had lied about his time in Vietnam. The group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has aired advertisements challenging John Kerry's account of his service, and claiming Kerry lied about circumstances surrounding his war medals. Kerry has accused Bush of using the group as a front to run a smear campaign.

"I think Senator Kerry should be proud of his record," Bush said. "No, I don't think he lied."

Public opinion initially favored Bush's decision to go to war but, after months of casualties and chaos, the public is evenly divided on the subject now.

In a separate interview with USA Today, Bush said Thursday that he believes he made the right decision to invade Iraq and thinks voters will not deny him a second term even if they disagree with the war.
---------------------------------------------------
THAT word -- miscalculation -- is precisely the reason why I want him out of office. Every president makes mistakes, sure. But when bodies are stacking up and the best you can say is it was a 'miscalculation'? Hell, I could've told him it was going to be a bad situation once Baghdad was toppled! And I don't have access to the scores of resources he does.

This is not a case of looking back with 20/20 hindsight and critiquing the event due to negative outcomes. I just hope people begin to recognize how this president and this administration suffer from a complete and utter lack of vision. Their myopia is causing people to die and put the U.S. in further peril.

It's time for you to stay in Crawford, Mr. President.

sometimes a donut is just a donut.

From the AP:

Earnings Not So Sweet for Krispy Kreme

By Ellis Mnyandu

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (KKD) on Thursday said its quarterly profit tumbled by more than half and slashed its sales growth outlook for the rest of the year, wiping 17 percent off the value of its stock.

The 67-year-old company said it will cut new store openings for the year ending in January, refrain from projecting third-quarter results, and withdrew its full-year profit outlook.

-----------------------------

Here's my response to that report: IT'S JUST A FUCKING GLAZED DONUT!

No damn wonder sales fell! It's a damn donut! Am I the only person who sees that?????

it's all greek to me.

With the Swift Boat Thugs and Liars still leaving Kerry supporters smarting and Bushies gloating (over the effectiveness of lies and smear), it takes a Greek woman to snap us back to what matters.

Arianna Huffington's column today hits the nail on the head:

Focusing On Undecided Voters: Not A Very Swift Idea

I've decided: I've had enough of the undecideds.

Thanks to a tidal wave of polls, focus groups, Powerpoint presentations, slideshows, studies and laboratory dissections, we now know more about undecided voters than we do about almost anyone else involved in the 2004 campaign - including the candidates themselves.

For instance, it turns out these irresolute souls are more likely to be white than black, female than male, married than single, and live in the suburbs rather than large cities. They are less likely to think that politics is relevant to their lives. They are likely to be younger and less educated than the general electorate - but older and more affluent than those who have committed to a candidate. Most will not make their decision until the week before the election. . . . keep reading


it's all greek to me: arianna huffington sets us straight.
----------------------------
The fact that this Swift Boat horse shit continues to float like a resilient turd goes to show the utter stupidity of the American voters, if you ask me.

It amazes me that the guy who actually went to Vietnam is getting a beatdown on behalf of Dubya supporters. Just ask Bush where he was during his service in the Guard. It sure as hell wasn't the Mekong Delta!

Either way, score one for Karl Rove's campaign of smear and lies. They got one over on Kerry because he took the bait and directed time and resources to The Story That Never Was.

I just hope he gets smarter and realizes his ammo box is full of REAL issues: tax cuts, War in Iraq, stem cell research, War in Iraq, government over-spending, War in Iraq . . . are we noticing a trend here?

Sen. Kerry, keep your eye on the ball.

too little, too late, president smirky.

From the AP this afternoon:

Bush Criticizes Anti-Kerry Television Ad

By DAVID ESPO

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Monday criticized a commercial that accused John Kerry of inflating his own Vietnam War record, more than a week after the ad stopped running, and said broadcast attacks by outside groups have no place in the race for the White House.

"I think they're bad for the system," added Bush, who had ignored calls to condemn the ad while it was on the air.


President Smirky gives a speech....and you can't even see Evil Dick Cheney's lips move anymore. These guys are getting good!

"Too little, too late," added Democratic party chairman Terry McAuliffe.
-------------------------------------
I couldn't agree more....with McAuliffe.

When MoveOn.org ran a harsh piece about Bush's fuzzy military past, Kerry was the first to jump forward and denounce it as a smear.

How long did the Fundraiser-in-Chief wait? A week? Ten days? I forget. He waited long enough for the impact of the Swift Boat Vets smear tactic to grow legs and run down Kerry.

Sorry, Mr. President, but your sudden calls for condemnation are akin to closing the barn door after the cow got loose. Your silence on this matter was your tacit approval of this dirty trick.

I can't tell you how utterly ironic I find it that Republicans -- who so profess to love the military -- are so quick to rally around a president whose military records are murky, at best; yet they are at the ready with Louisville Sluggers in hand to beat on John Kerry, who actually SERVED IN VIET FUCKING NAM!

This is why I am so much against this latest incarnation of the Republican party. It's their smug hypocrisy that sickens me.

If this is the game, it's time for Kerry to take off the kid gloves and go after this president. No, not for his military past. How about the litany of fuck-ups?
* Foreign policy
* War in Iraq
* Tax cuts for the rich
* Stem cell research

For once, I'd love to see the Democratic party not get sucked into the neocon reindeer games and come out swinging on their own.

Although I'd be willing to bet all the Republicans are trying to do is make the Kerry camp spend all its money as soon as possible, considering Dubya has a war chest built up the size of Texas itself.

the shiite's hitting the fan.

From the AP:

Cleric Rejects Iraq Ultimatum, Aide Says

By ABDUL HUSSEIN AL-OBEIDI

NAJAF, Iraq (AP) - Shiite militants bombarded a Najaf police station with mortars Thursday, killing seven policemen and wounding 31 people after a Cabinet minister issued an ultimatum to the militants to disarm immediately or face a massive offensive by Iraqi forces. Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, however, rejected the government's demands, according to an aide.

-----------------
Let me get this straight: last night, when I went to bed there was a peaceful resolution reached between Muqtada and Iraqi governing officials. And now the deal's off and he wants to kill or be killed.

I'm not sure which is more frustrating, the fact that I'm not surprised or the fact that it seems Dubya didn't see this coming.

Iraqis all over that country hated Saddam, no doubt; but the lack of vision on the part of Bush and Rumsfeld fails to grasp that the Middle East doesn't necessarily prescribe to our view of foreign affairs (the enemy of my enemy is my friend). In the land where religion is a weapon, their foreign policy is simple: the enemy is America, no matter what.


Holy Shiite! Muqtada al-Sadr hates America and wants to kill you...who's surprised?

Is that changing? Sort of, but not enough.

I'm not about to buy into the horse shit notion that "American Imperialism" is to blame. Rather, bald-faced racism. Let's finally call it what it is: racism and anti-Semitism. They hate Americans and they hate Jews. Period.

You can't negotiate with that.

pressing the shiny, red button; the jolly, candy-like button.

Here's a quick riff I posted to a very lively message board from my hometown. It's the Town Talk Forum of the Bay City Times. The topic was gay marriage...that's not a hot-button issue, is it? :-p

marriage vs. civil union

The problem, as I see it, is there's a great deal of melding between the "sanctity" of marriage and all the legal ramifications. I haven't done a great deal of research into the legal differences between 'marriage' and 'civil union', but would be very curious to see what and if there are differences between the two.

In some states you're considered married if you buy property together. Many states, like my current home state of Indiana, have provisions for civil unions for gay couples.

DrPlato hinted at the spousal rights inherently granted in a marriage. I think those and the financial aspects are part of why gay couples would choose marriage; but I also leave a great deal of room to allow that the couple loves one another.

Personally speaking, I don't mind if a gay couple gets married. It doesn't matter to me. I don't feel it treads upon anybody else's right if they marry. Do I find it weird? Well, sure I do; and I do understand why many people are opposed to it.

I think I'm not offended by it because I view the religious ceremony as one version of marriage.

keep your eye on the ball.

From the AP this morning:

Alleged Missile Plot Uncovered in N.Y.

By CURT ANDERSON

WASHINGTON (AP) - Two leaders of a mosque in Albany, N.Y., were arrested on charges stemming from an alleged plot to help a man they thought was a terrorist purchase a shoulder-fired missile, federal authorities said Thursday.

The men have ties to a group called Ansar al-Islam, which has been linked to the al-Qaida terror network, according to two federal law enforcement authorities speaking on condition of anonymity.

U.S. officials have said that Ansar's members are thought to be linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian militant whose network is blamed for attacks on U.S. forces and their allies in Iraq.
------------------------------------------
This goes to show that the War on Terror is going to be protracted and difficult to fight. Why it takes a bipartisan commission three years after 9/11 to get the president to snap to action is beyond me. Then again, the president had to be taken kicking and screaming to that commission.

No matter who's running the country, this goes to show we can't afford for politics and infighting to go on within Intel agencies. They better keep their eyes on the ball.

the boss & co. vs. dubya, coming to your city soon.

I just read about the anti-Dubya fundraising tour that will take place in about two months. The "Vote for Change" tour will play 34 shows in 28 cities from October 1-8.

The artists, touring under the "Vote for Change" banner, will play 34 shows in 28 cities between Oct. 1-8. The tour will gather the music industry's liberal heavyweights, with Bruce Springsteen being the heaviest of them all. The Dixie Chicks, REM, Dave Matthews, Pearl Jam and John Mellencamp are among the many performers.

Their goal is clear and direct: defeat George W. Bush. In my lifetime I can't recall a time when so many popular, mainstream musicians joined together to make a strident political statement.


Music for the Blue States. The Vote for Change Tour is coming to the battleground states.

While I've always known the politics of most of these performers were left-leaning, I was surprised that Springsteen has, for the first time, taken such a strident stance. Until recently, he had supressed his views. The first inkling that Bruce was going to speak out was after the Dixie Chicks hullabaloo. He spoke out in their defense.

The tour will do big business, no doubt. What I wonder, though, is if it'll alienate the artists' fan bases. After all, when Mellencamp released his protest song, "To Washington," the backlash here in his home state of Indiana was very strong.

I honestly wonder what would happen if a group of musicians chose to hold a pro-Bush fundraising tour. Would liberal fans abandon them as well? My hope is no. Just as I hope conservative-minded fans of Pearl Jam, Bruce, Mellencamp, et al, respectfully disagree with the views of the artists. I have no problem if a person chooses to not see their favorite artist on this tour because they disagree with the politics behind it; but leave the protest at that.

Here's how I look at it: I've always liked Ah-nold long before he became the Governator of California. I've always liked Tim Allen. I've always liked Bruce Willis. And each of them is widely known for being conservatives. If they choose to support the Republican party with their money and their public voices, fine by me. I have the ability to disagree with their personal politics but enjoy their movies and such.

I wonder if conservatives will respectfully disagree with the folks on the Vote for Change tour, or make the same stupid, bullshit gestures they made against the Dixie Chicks. The intolerance of opposing views these days is sad. The first person that busts out the neocon talking points -- sedition, treason, aid and comfort to the enemy -- is going to get a six-pack of WhoopAss.

On that same token, liberals need to be tolerant of conservative viewpoints out there. So when the crackback comes -- and it will -- don't take the bait.

greed - 1; the common man - 0.

From the Indianapolis Star:

Web address's price too steep for buyers

By Tim Evans

An Internet auction for the Web site www.kerryedwards.com failed to attract the $150,000 minimum bid sought by the Indianapolis man who owns it.

The site became a hot property after Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry named John Edwards as his running mate.

It has belonged to 34-year-old Kerry Edwards since March 2002, when he registered the name to post family photographs.

After Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, named Sen. Edwards, of North Carolina, as his vice presidential pick, Kerry Edwards decided to try to sell the prophetic Web address through the online auction company Sedo.com. The sale was set to conclude at midnight Saturday.

But Keith Watson, who handles public relations for the firm that specializes in selling Internet domain names, said Sunday that no sale had transpired. Watson said he knew no other details.

Edwards, a local bail bondsman, did not return calls Sunday. In a previous interview with The Indianapolis Star, he said the site got 51,000 hits the day Kerry named Edwards as his running mate and that he had been offered $30,000 for the site.
----------------------------------------
Let this be a lesson in greed, boys and girls. If you have a chance to make a 15,000% return on an investment, DON'T HOLD OUT FOR A 75,000% RETURN!!!!

Ol' Kerry Edwards had a chance to make a pretty penny, but greed got the better of him. *tsk tsk*

cheney blames democrats for gas prices.

From the AP:

Cheney Blames Democrats for Gas Prices

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) - Vice President Dick Cheney said Tuesday that rising consumption and decreasing domestic production have led to high gasoline prices but also blamed his Democratic opponents and their opposition to the Bush administration's energy policies.

The Bush-Cheney campaign accuses Senate Democrats of blocking a Bush energy plan that would increase petroleum drilling and energy conservation and provide new tax breaks and other incentives to spur exploration and production.

"John Kerry and John Edwards voted no," Cheney said. "It's another area where I think there is a significant difference."

Cheney advocated increasing domestic oil production in wildlife areas in Alaska and other regions that are off-limits to development.

"We have put ourselves into a box. The only thing I can think of to do is to keep pushing for a comprehensive energy policy," he said. "We are at the mercy of those international oil prices.
-------------------------
No, Mr. Vice President, it is not the fault of the Democrats that gas prices are so high. Your boss, the Fundraiser in Chief, wants to go drilling holes in Alaska to get oil and that's hardly the answer.

Half the reason I voted for Al Gore in 2000 was because at least he called for rapidly exploring alternative energy solutions in this country. Dubya and this administration lack the vision and forethought to arrive at that conclusion.

Perhaps if SOMEBODY in government would be visionary enough to push for advanced public transportation in high-population cities as well as encouraging regional rail travel we might be able to conserve energy.

Drilling a hole in Alaska is, like your beloved school voucher program, a short-term band-aid for a bullet hole.

time for change: a letter from the editor.

Welcome back to The Fourth Estate. As you can see, the place has changed. Before, it was just a one-voice megaphone -- a bully pulpit, if you will. While I've never been bashful at expressing my views on society, culture and politics, I have always appreciated dialogue. The old site was too limiting. I felt like a dog on a very short leash.

Enter: BloggerNation

I have been keeping a personal blog page for a couple years now. I guess it finally hit me that this is the best and most appropriate format for The Fourth Estate. Perhaps I was spurred on by the attention bloggers received at the Democratic National Convention. Perhaps I was jealous. Smart money's on the latter.

Either way, The Fourth Estate is now a wide open space for my views, your views, their views. I'll remain the sole writer for now (mostly because nobody else is here to contribute), but I'll always entertain contributions.

The mission of this site is to be an open dialogue about the world around us. The war, the election, the movies, the music, the sex, the drugs, the rock-and-roll.

It's still my place, but I want to hear from you.

Welcome, and please keep your feet off the furniture.

Love,

kevvy

reclaiming liberal.

I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere over the past 10-20 years the word 'liberal' was co-opted by right wing politicos for their own personal gain. 'Liberal' has taken on a whole new connotation in the realm of AM radio talk shows and 24-hour cable news networks. No longer is it just a term to describe one's political leanings, to be called liberal is akin to being branded with a scarlet 'A'.

"Bleeding heart liberal."

"Wacko liberal."

"Liberal media bias."

"Liberal agenda."

If you read your daily newspaper's letters to the editor (or Ann Coulter's column), you'll find sneers like this and worse.

But I don't blame conservatives or Republicans for this. Credit them for being savvy in the political realm. I blame Democrats and liberals for conceding on this seemingly small point and retreating to the 'moderate' higher ground. The lefties were getting called out for a fight and they balked.

Enough is enough.

It's time to reclaim 'liberal'.

For years I've claimed to be a moderate, which is not untrue. But to be moderate is to not be conservative. Being conservative isn't bad, mind you; unless you take it to the extreme and live to only knock down and defeat political ideologies different than yours.

Calling out a liberal has become a rallying cry of right-wingers these days. It seems a pointless sport, if you ask me; but it's one that's bearing teeth.

The National Rifle Association has a list of anti-gun and gun-control advocates published on its Web site.

Fox News filed and later dropped a lawsuit against Al Franken.

In the days following the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the Bush administration went public in its distaste with Bill Maher's remarks and warned that "people need to watch what they say."

The righties are coming, and they want a pound of liberal flesh. And for too long, too many were willing to give it up.

Enough is enough.

Today, I shed my moderate skin and proudly tell you that yes, I am a liberal.

I am liberal-minded in my views. By saying that, it means that I weigh each issue separately from the others. It means I don't jump up and scream just because your views are different than mine. It doesn't make me wrong. It doesn't make me right. It doesn't make me a Democrat. It doesn't make me anti-Republican. I will never, ever, ever pull the lever for one party and one party alone. I will never look to Michael Moore or Phil Donahue as my bread and butter for news.

It also means that I will listen to those whose views differ from mine. I've always found more comfort in speaking with people from different ideologies rather than attending an anti-Dubya circle jerk.

My favorite analogy is this: there are several types of doctors in this world; each is skilled and educated. But I'm not going to go to a podiatrist if I have chest pains.

In a perfect world, we could agree that there are conservatives in this world; and there are liberals in this world. We could agree that neither ideology has all the answers but, through discussion - NOT DEBATE - we may arrive at some level of consensus in effectively deal with an issue.

In a perfect world.

Instead, we have too many people believe every word that falls out of the extremists' mouths.

I am a liberal and proud of it. I am not bound by the chains of confining ideologies; nothing could make me feel freer.