An East Coast defector wants a one-way ticket to New Orleans

O.K., so we don't have snow drifts to shut us down, but it's cold and wet down here in New Orleans, and ask anyone from north of Louisiana about the difference between the cold up there and cold down here, and he or she will tell you that it's a dry cold up there, but here, the damp cold chills you to the bone.

I've been hearing sleet tapping against my windows, and I just read that Muses postponed til tomorrow night, and the Krewe of Chaos canceled altogether. Too bad. The latter is my favorite. They're a reincarnation of Momus.

But, hey, Mr. Kosek, come on down! You can always get crab cakes and jambalaya down here, but it's crawfish and raw oyster season now, and you can catch a few parades while you're at it. We might want to talk about that one-way ticket, though. We've got our own kind of crazy here. Things might be a little too slow down here for a manic East Coast weatherman.

A Procrastinator's New Year's Resolution

I don't usually make them. New Year's resolutions, I mean. Even a lapsed Catholic has enough to feel guilty about and enough masochistic tendencies without setting oneself up for failures. But to keep up my reputation for showing up late and being a world-class procrastinator, I'm making a resolution to blog more. Even every day, as is recommended by committed bloggers. Maybe a few times a day sometimes.

It's not as if I don't have something to say, things to share, to ask, to wonder about out loud....

Coincidentally this resolution came on the same day it's announced that Pope Benedict has issued a command to his clergy underlings to "go forth and blog."

Pope  Benny wears cool hats. That's a fact. I would wear that one shown here. But I have a few bones to pick with him, and the Church--how could any good consciencious Catholic not?--regarding women's role in the church, its constant interference with women's reproductive rights, and harboring pedophiliacs.
So, as I make this resolution to blog more, I hope other bloggers will take up PB's command as a challenge to blog about the Catholic Church, including its contributions to humanity and its great fallibilities.

I would like our emporer more if he wore hats. But it's a good thing he doesn't. Then we'd have to figure out if he doesn't take it off when he's indoors because 1) he thinks emporers, like popes, aren't obligated to, and/or 2) he has bad manners, and no class. He should at least have the decency to wear a crown, since he has, just as W did before him, crown himself as emporer of the world. And these wimpy Democratic-controlled congresses have allowed it.

David Vitter has a linkage problem: A curious "e-update"

I'm on Sen. David Vitter's mailing list, apparently because of the petitions I've signed and letters I've written to him. I usually don't read his messages. They're enough to give anyone heartburn who recognizes his blatant lies and disinformation that flow out of his mouth every time he opens it. I think he qualifies as a pathological liar. (Just as some things don't take a rocket scientist to know, others don't take a clinical psychologist.) For starters, a serial adulterer has to be a pathological liar.

Vitter's infidelities to Louisiana citizens, whose will he's supposed to represent, are innumerable. He blatantly represents the industries who fund his campaigns and keep him in office so he can do their bidding. He misrepresents the facts to his constituents, then extracts opinions from them based on those lies and represents them as their will rather than what they really are: the will of the oil and gas industry and the health insurance and pharmaceutical industry, meanwhile pretending that his constituents who disagree with him have never told him so. (Granted, many don't bother, knowing it won't make a difference in his positions.) Take for example his work on behalf of the oil industry, under the caption "PROMOTING OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT IN THE OCS." This has nothing to do with lowering prices the public pays at the gas pump or to the utility company, but with acquiring more leases for the oil and gas companies so they can sit on them until its most profitable for them to drill, just as they're doing now with the offshore leases they already have but aren't using. And, besides, once they decide to drill, estimates are that it could take as long as 10 years for oil to reach the gas pump. Oil and natural gas wells are routinely capped in order to control prices most beneficial to the lesees. This canard has been going on for some time now. Newt Gingrich has been propagandizing about it full throttle; and, of course, we've been treated to "Drill-Baby-Drill" Palin's lies as well.

What really gets my goat, though, is Vitter's bragging about his attacks against Acorn and President Obama's "czars," as if these are the "good works" Catholicism teaches rather than more grave sins he needs to confess, and this time do real penance. His behavior is that of the criminal who gets clean away with mischief and then brags about it, pretending his crimes were actually moral acts. David Vitter's hypocricy knows no bounds. You could say his conscience became unlinked from his actions. He's achieved the quest of Dr. Jeckyll through the magic potient of politics. He can lie to and steal from his constituents and the greater public all day, and do the same in his personal life, enabled by the morally bankrupt GOP and a stand-by-her-creep wife, because he's linked to his misrepresentations. They say that if you lie enough, you can convince yourslef of your own falsehoods.

But what irks me even more, and should everyone else, is Vitter's disengenous sympathy for the victims of Hurricane Rita. Anyone who sees through Vitter's obstruction of real health care reform and recognizes that he's doing exactly what the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries want him to do, even though it means that Louisianians will lose their own lives or those of their loved ones, and that more Louisianians, including victims of Hurricane Rita, losing their homes. Anyone who sees this knows that David Vitter has no humanity. He's unlinked from the basic honesty and empathy that allows one to imagine the needs of others.

David Vitter has had no qualms about being a "John" and cavorting with prostitutes, nor has he any about prostituting himself to the oil and gas and the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries. In fact, it appears that he'll perform for anyone peddling their influence, as long as they're willing to pay his price. He has a sizeable war chest, enough to launch a negative campaign agaist Rep. Charlie Melancon throughout the internet as soon as he got wind that he was likely to challenge him in 2010. In fact, that's how I received the welcomed news. Hardly a day had gone by that I didn't wonder who would run against him.

Yes, Vitter has a large war chest, thanks to those industries, to keep up his negativity throughout 2010, even after he's unseated. One thing no one has ever accused the malcontent David Vitter of having, though, is a sense of humor. Even so, his latest "e-update" isn't without humor, inadvertent as it might be. You see, the e-update is rather confused. Click on the heading of "REMEMBERING HURRICANE RITA," and you're taken to a rememberance of 9-11 victims. Click on "REIGNING IN THE PRESIDENT'S CZARS," and you're met with a whining video Vitter's whining response to President Obama's heath insurance reform, and so on. By the way, does anyone know why Vitter's face behaves like a ball of dough in the hands of a very unhappy baker? In all fairness, if you click on "here" in each section, you're treated to Vitter's pompous musings and "good works" on the respective topics. We might say these linking errors are virtual symptoms of his increasing moral unlinkage that we've been witnessed over the past few years.

By all means, though, explore Vitter's e-update and its erroneous and accurate links. Read them and get angry at the lies and hypocricy. Then read James Carville's letter of support for Rep. Charlie Melancon, who will hopefully defeat Vitter in 2010. Melancon may be a Blue Dog Democrat, but he'll have to do until a the real thing--aprogressive--comes along. He'll be a vast improvement over David Vitter.

We still have a few hours to help him meet his goal of $25,000 of grassroots support.

e-update

09.29.09

This month, we recognized the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Rita’s impact on Louisiana. I also made a move to reduce the power of the president’s “czars” and to increase our gas and energy exploration to help reduce costs and create new jobs.

Below you can read about these and other issues that I’m working on, such as ensuring that your tax dollars don’t go to ACORN.

P.S. – Please feel free to forward the newsletter to your friends, neighbors and business associates, and encourage them to sign up for their own copy by visiting my Web site at http://vitter.senate.gov/.

Photo Spotlight

Here I am pictured with representatives of the Louisiana Green Building Council when they came by my DC office to talk about the efforts and goals of their organization.

REMEMBERING HURRICANE RITA

This past week, we paused to remember the impact of Hurricane Rita on southwest Louisiana. Rita’s significant impact on our state is often overlooked by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina but this event affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of our friends and neighbors. On the fourth anniversary of Rita’s impact, I wanted to remember this event and recognize the spirit and determination of southwest Louisianians as they continue the recovery process even today. Read the text of my full statement here.

REINING IN THE PRESIDENT’S “CZARS”
This month, I filed an amendment that would limit the power of the president’s “czars” to make and implement policy. These advisors now number somewhere in the 20s, and they wield significant power over domestic programs and government agencies despite their not being approved by the Senate like members of the president’s cabinet. You can read more about this amendment here.

PROMOTING OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT IN THE OCS

Last year, the prohibitions on OCS drilling expired, allowing us to move ahead with a more sensible approach to gas and energy exploration that would allow us to greatly reduce costs on American families. But now we are seeing delays from the Obama Administration that would stall that progress we made. That’s why I filed an amendment to the Interior-Environment appropriations bill that would prevent funds from being used to delay the implementation of an expanding drilling program that would boost our economy and increase our gas and energy supplies. You can learn more about the amendment here at my website.

ENSURING THAT YOUR TAX DOLLARS DON’T GO TO ACORN

Over the past year, we’ve all seen stories about the voter fraud and other allegations against the activist group ACORN. Last week the U.S. Senate voted to block future taxpayer dollars from being awarded to ACORN. But this month, it came to my attention that ACORN had been awarded a $1 million grant from a program that was designed to assist firefighters and fire departments. This is simply unacceptable, and I wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asking her to rescind this grant and see that this money goes to those fire departments in the need of most assistance. To learn more about this situation, click here.


** To unsubscribe please visit my web site here. " Please do not reply to this email.

For any other questions or concerns visit my Web site at: http://www.vitter.senate.gov/.


v-update (one Vitter would prefer you not see):

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Was Congressman Joe Wilson inadvertently framed?

In Washington, things are rarely what they seem. Was Congressman Joe Wilson inadvertently framed by fellow Republicans, thereby becoming the ass of an abandoned conspiracy, the butt of endless jokes and the target of numerous satires? SNL presents what really happened. (It’s their job to tell the underlying truth.)

It’s a shame Rep. Charles Boustany wasn’t in on the scheme. Had he been, he might have read the president’s speech, or at least the part that says, “If you misrepresent what’s in this plan, we will call you out.” Had he done so, he wouldn’t have become the second lying fool since Obama’s speech who needed to be called out, the “officer and gentleman,” as his foremost apologists called Rep. Wilson, being the first.

In SNL’s “Weekend Update,” Louisiana’s “James Carville” comments on the September 12 rally in Washington, sponsored by the right-wing FreedomWorks Foundation, and the “eyes-wide-shut” treatment he recommends for people like Rep. Wilson. Remember, it was Carville, an ardent fan of his alma mater’s football team, the LSU Tigers, who coined the adage that has redefined politics as being more, or rather less, than Webster’s art and science of government: “Politics is a contact sport.”

Seth Meyers:  Last week thousands of protesters from the conservative Tea Party Movement converged on Washington, voicing their concerns about Obama’s health-care plan and increased government spending. Here to comment is Democratic political consultant James Carville.

“James Carville”:  Thank you, Seth Meyers

SM:  So, um, James, what do you think of these protesters?

JC:  Oh, did you see these people out there protestin’? Grown men dressed up as jokers and goblins and Hitlers? I mean, these people are first-class crazy. And I should know, Seth, because I’m as crazy as they come. I mean, look at me! I see this in the mirror every morning and I think, “Yep, that’s a good look!” Come on, I look like a skel-e-tor.

SM:  Well, surely they’re not all crazy. I mean, what do you make of the argument that there are moderate conservatives in the crowd?

JC: No, Seth, there ain’t no moderates in the Tea Party. They only seem moderate ’cause they’re surrounded by the super-crazies. It’s like when a midget stands next to a Smart Car: “You ain’t tall, midget, you just clever!”

SM:  When do uh... When exactly do little people stand next to Smart Cars?

JC:  Oh, you come on down to Louisiana, you’ll get an eyeful of clever little people.

SM:  So, how do you think the White House should respond to these demonstrators?

JC:  Ignore ’em! I mean, when a crazy drifter comes up to you on the street and says, “Hey, Snake Face, you the Devil!” You don’t stop and engage with him. You just keep walkin’. I mean, I don’t know why we entertain these backwater knockaloops. I mean, in the middle of a school assembly, no one says, “Hey, hey! Let’s hear from the creepy janitor who fought in Vietnam. I bet he has a good suggestion for prom themes!” Dont go near ’em, Seth, ’cause you’re goin’ to a nightmare prom!

SM:  OK, I get it. So, your advice is to ignore the pretesters out in the street. But what do you do with elected officials like Joe Wilson? Were you pleased that the congress voted to rebuke him?

JC:  Rebuke? Seth, no. Rebuke? Gimme a break. You gotta handle things Old School. I mean, you break into Joe Wilson’s house in the middle of the night. You throw a garbage bag over his head and you drag him to some mansion in the woods—OK?—there there’s a circle of eyes-wide-shut fellows in tuxedos and them weird Venetian masks, what, with them big noses, what—beak masks!—and you rip the bag off, and you just stare at him ’til he cries. Next mornin’, he wakes up, he doesn’t know...“Was that a dream?” What was that?” Well, what you do is you leave a little mask on his pillow. Like, “Wuh-oh! That coulda been real!”

SM:  Wow! That uh, that sounds really illegal.

JC:  Illegal! You’re a cute kid, Seth Meyers.

Watch it:*

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

*By the way, we native Louisianians do tend to get shorter and shorter the farther south we are.

Daniel Ellsberg: "Telling the truth ... can make the difference"

In 1969 one man made the difference between continued escalation of a perpetual war and ending it. To make that difference, he told the truth at great personal cost and risk. Telling the truth was in the form of leaking 7,000 pages of the secret history of the Vietnam War, which he smuggled from his office in the Pentagon, where he worked as a top military analyst for the Rand Corporation. That act led to the fall of the Nixon administration and ultimately to the end of the war.

The man who made the difference is, of course, Daniel Ellsberg, whose whistleblowing story is the subject of a documentary film released this year, the fortieth anniversary of that leak that changed the course of U.S. and world history. The film of his gripping story —The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers — opens today at New York's Film Forum. It was none other than Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State in the Nixon administration, who called Ellsberg "the most dangerous man in America." What was a perceived as a danger to one of the world's most infamous unindicted war criminals is a man of conscience whose courage will hopefully be emulated in the coming months and years.

Here's the trailer:

trailer: The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and The Pentagon Papers
produced and directed by Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith

Daniel Ellsberg, his wife of more than forty years, Patricia Ellsberg, and the film's co-director Judith Ehrlich were guests this morning on Democracy Now! to discuss the film with Amy Goodman. At the end of the interview, interspersed with segments of the trailer, Goodman asked Ellsberg what, in light of his experience, he thinks should be done today.

Ellsberg: I look at this film and I watch the bombs falling and all I can see in my mind  are the bombs—the same bombs falling over Afghanistan or Vietnamistan, and Iraq right now. And we're really facing at this moment a crisis, a decision that's just like the crisis in this film, which I failed at the time,  where the president is doing something that I feel will be a disaster, and I kept my mouth shut about it: the change from 70,000 men in the spring of 65 to an open-ended commitent, starting with another 50,00, which I knew was on the way to hundreds of thousands. I didn't tell about that, and nor did anyone else. There was a lot of dissent in the administration about that,  but we were overruled we saluted Clark Clifford, Vice President Humphrey.

Again we have a vice president who is apparently against the application, another parallel. James Jones, a military man, who can see what I can see, what anyone can see who has memories of Vietnam. There is no success at the end of this tunnel. There's only a statemate, which could persist indefinitely.

Goodman: Do you think we'll see a new "Dan Ellsberg"?

Ellsberg: We need people to put out, to tell the truth, and to do it not the way I did--not after the escalation, not after the bombs are falling--but right now, right now; and for the congress to hold the hearings that will entertain those people.

Goodman: The film The Most Dangerous Man opens today at the Film Forum, and then it will be in

Santa Monica, which is right across from the Rand Corporation, significantly, on the fortieth anniversary of the leak of the Pentagon Papers.

Ellsberg: I wish it were in D.C. this month We're gonna do everything we can to get it there. Because I think this film actually, by showing that actions by an individual telling the truth at great cost or risk, can make the difference. And that's the critical thing that keeps people's mouths shut: it won't make any difference.

“The Most Dangerous Man in America”: New Documentary Chronicles Story of Daniel Ellsberg, Whose Leak of the Pentagon Papers Helped End Vietnam War

(see link for full transcript)