T. Boone Pickens Refuses to Pay

Proof positive that the whole "Swift Boat Vets for the Truth" bullshit was a lie financed by well-heeled businessmen who should now be held responsible for the devastating debacle that is the Bush Administration:

A Vegas gambling expert counts himself among those questioning Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens' refusal to pay $1 million to Swift boat veterans who claim they won Pickens' challenge to disprove political claims he made in 2004.

Some Vietnam veterans are claiming that Texan businessman T. Boone Pickens is going back on his word to pay $1 million to anyone who can find inaccuracies in claims made by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth during the 2004 presidential election. Agreeing with the veterans, oddsmaker Ben Eckstein says that failing to deliver on a bet is "sacrilegious." "In the world of betting and gambling, your word is your bond," said Eckstein, president of America's Line, a sports and entertainment oddsmaking business. "Whether it's a $7 bet or a $500,000 bet, once it's made and once you shake on it, it should be done."

Pickens' wager originated when he offered $1 million to anyone who could find falsities in the claims made by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group he had financially supported during the 2004 presidential election. He issued the challenge during a November 2007 dinner for the American Spectator magazine.

Essentially, it boils down to this: Pickens has been proven wrong, the ads were full of fabrications, and it just goes to show that you can't trust these people. That's why we have to fight them and turn the tables on them. That's why we can't trust them to be good Americans--that goes out the window when being a "good American" might separate these bastards from a nickel. They lie, cheat and steal and do whatever it takes to win. Unless we hit these people in the mouth, put them on the ground, and show them we mean business, they're going to continue to sneer at the "high-mindedness" of liberals and continue getting their way.

And, no, Pickens didn't serve in Korea--he was 22 years old in 1950. Another classic example of the wingnut in repose: finance the effort to smear a Veteran and hope no one notices the fact that, during the Korean War, Pickens was not in uniform, no where to be seen, and safe at home. Pickens could have served as an officer--he could have volunteered. He could have put his life on the line and done something to defend this country. He chose to make money instead.

--WS

EXPOSED AS PHONIES!!!!!

A few months back, the "Missouri" Political News Service attempted to pick a fight with yours truly. I had looked at their sad little site, and chose to ignore them, but somehow I got on their mailing list, and in spite of "unsubscribing" the spam kept coming, so I marked it as such and continued ignoring them. Although I did notice the website indicated they were located in Texas, but moved on to more important things, you know, things that MATTER, with a bemused air about that bit. phonies

Well! The jackasses I rolled my eyes and dismissed out of hand are not so innocuous!

In fact they are tools of the Swift Boat Liars for Perfidy! ("Tools" is the operative word here.)

I'll let Blog CCP explain, but I want to take a moment to give major, major props to the KC Blue Blog for ripping the band-aid off this festering sore on the Missouri body politic!

TX Republicans Beating up Missouri Democrats

Don't mess with Texas!! The Swift Boat Captains in Texas aren't satisfied with just messing with John Kerry, they are quickly coming to the aid of Matt Blunt, too.

Congrats to KC Blue Blog for taking the time to track down these crazy Texans. They started a group called Missouri Political News. The clear intent of Missouri Political News Service is to be a neutral looking front for Texas right wing attacks on Missouri Democrats, like Claire McCaskill and Jay Nixon. The only ad running on the site is for the Adam Smith Foundation. The Adam Smith Foundation is a right wing group attacking Missouri judges. These same folks took out Judge Brown in Cole County. Jeff Roe admits to taking out Judge Brown to just prove he could do it and Jeff Roe promised to do it again. Well, looks like his Adam Smith Foundation and Missouri Political News are attempting to fulfill that promise.


How do we know these Texans are Swift Boat Captains and attempting to influence Missouri politics through excessive donations to Matt Blunt and Jeff Roe? Who is Bob Perry? Check out the Wikipedia entry on his donations, including swift boat contributions and being the largest donor to the Texas Republican Party. KC Blue Blog did a great job of tracking Bob Perry's connections to Missouri Political News and Matt Blunt. It is really sad when Tom Delay and Karl Rove get donors to give to Roy Blunt and Matt Blunt. Go back to Texas. Leave us alone!

Of course, they are not going to. They will be a thorn in our side and a pain in our collective ass until inauguration day 2009. They are craven and crass and cowardly, but they are not going to go away, and we have to marshal all of our might to fight their spin and Texas propensity for lying with honesty and facts. Missourians demanding to be shown evidence are supposed to be the antidote for Texans and liars, after all.

A healthy dose of disdain, mockery and derision is called for, too. Start with the fact that the front-fool behind it calls himself "Scooter."

Dodd Questions Legality of Fox Appointment

Senator Christopher Dodd (D, CT) has indicated he will seek a legal opinion on the recess appointment of Sam “Swift Boat Liar” Fox to be Ambassador to Belgium.

Fox would serve in a voluntary capacity, without pay, but there are legal questions about the interpretation of the law the way the Bush White House reads it.

In the White House interpretation of the law, Fox could serve as ambassador voluntarily, so long as he agreed not to sue the government later for not being compensated for his services.

But there is a catch…

Under federal law, “voluntary service” is prohibited when the position in question has a fixed rate of pay – and ambassadorships have a fixed pay rate. The salary is a “statutory entitlement” and therefore unwaivable. That is how the Government Accountability Office, an arm of Congress, interprets the law.

Look for this to be a major issue when an angry congress returns to session next week.

This appears to be far from over.

Talk about Defiance!

On Wednesday, the President blatantly defied congress and appointed Sam "Swift Boat" Fox to be Ambassador to Belgium.

You might remember Fox - he is the nominee whose name was withdrawn last month after his sponsorship of the Swift Boat Liars for Perfidy during the 2004 election turned out to be an issue for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. You remember the cloying jackass Fox - he is the feckless, simpering liar who looked the man he helped to slander in the 2004 presidential election by saying he didn't deserve his war commendations in the eye - and said he considers him a hero.

Bush used his power to make recess appointments to put Fox in his position just like he used it to plant John Bolton at the U.N. when it became obvious that he would not be confirmed to the ambassadorship. Fox will enjoy his appointment until the end of the current session of Congress - which will coincide with the scheduled end of the Bush presidency.

He also used recess appointments to put a couple of other unconfirmable lackeys in key positions at the Office of Management and Budget and the Social Security Administration.

Congress will be back next week, and this is certain to be a bee in their bonnet. I get really angry when I think about his thought-processes. It's all a big game to him - who can screw who hardest, fastest and first? "I'll show them sumbitches. They don't get to tell me 'No!' 'cuz I'm George Bush! I'll show 'em!"

Does he realize that nothing is in a single compartment, everything is interconnected when examined closely?

How will this play out?

Is he thinking he can shift public opinion by pissing Congress off to the point they will deny his every last wish? Is he trying to use this to get Congress to cut off war funding and then he will try to blame congress?

Does he think this is just brinksmanship?

Or when I ask 'Does he think...?' am I being far too generous?

(Hat tip to And, yes, I DO take it personally. I firmly believe that it's better to learn infuriating news from a friend.)