.

They play this game of distraction like its just another day.

else they can turn out to the public. The Rs are not going to give up easily.

This will become far worse as the year goes on and all we can do is put all our effort to stopping that from happening.
The stakes are way too high this time around.

Chilling thought isn't.
Guess fascist gov'ts don't really have elections.

More, GOP state legislators and even their elected federal office holders refuse (in the case of some GOP governors, to live in traditional governor mansions) and conduct public business at country clubs and private meetings.

This is to reduce the input and contact with the voters they don't think should have the right to vote. There are a long string of examples, such as the one in 2012 of the senior citzen with a dislocated shoulder being brutalized on video to the laughter of Ryan's cronies, for protesting Paul Ryan's plan to cut Social Security.

The security said and local law enforcement agreed, although a'public' meeting with voters had been announced, it was on private property and one had to pay and be invited.

To discuss policy that affected everyone, by a Senator paid by tax dollars, but their input was not wanted if they weren't a member of the club. There have been many examples of this of this, but people turn their heads at the holy words of 'private property' or 'business' and let them roll over them as the aristocrats of old did which is what they seek to be.

ALEC was set up to negate the democratic action of community organizations. During the Reagan administration and later in the Newt Gingrich majority, changes were made to Social Security behind locked doors at the stroke of midnight, literally, to strip benefits from Medicare and up the retirement age, with no time for the public to react or mobilize against it. No debates, just done.

This is what the GOP does with 'smaller government.' Yes, it's small. A small, exclusive set of people running the government, their cronies while he great unwashed are rudely kicked aside and run over.

This is the voters' payment for apathy, while they were busy being diverted instead of getting their hands dirty dealing with these crooks up close, the GOP was stealing the store. When a certain amount of discomfort is felt such voters pay attention at last and begin to squall. But wat the uninvolved will get is more of the same.

The Texas legislature (they are by no means unique) has for several years acted outrageously and illegally, but they make and enforce the laws there. They just passed the latest of their series of acts to dismantle government:

Texas House Republicans Strip Power Of Ethics Unit Which Investigates Politicians

http://freakoutnation.com/2015/04/texas-house-republicans-strip-power-of-ethics-unit-which-investigates-politicians/

There is so much to tell, and so little time to tell it all.

that Republicans are far, far more interested in gaining and maintaining power than they are in the welfare of this country.

both Democrats AND Republicans have been complicit in the Iraq War.

We are looking forward....per his directive. No war criminal prosecution, no investigations, nada.

The Benghazi Investigations have kept a lid on further depredations by the US in Libya....the NeoCons know they can't pull that kind of **** with such scrutiny.

Be grateful SOMEBODY is calling the Military/Industrial/Espionage/Economic Hitmen and Drone Boy on their little games of Empire, because the Democrats and the M$M sure as hell aren't.

Yep. Didn't Pelosi say we need to "move forward" when asked whether there would be investigations into the Iraq war? Our leaders rolled over and played dead when they should have demanded investigations. So many people died for a bogus, trumped up war. It's a disgrace.

Not a damned thing was done in the name of the million who were murdered. Nothing for the American citizens who joined the military when Bush sent out a call for Patriotism, and returned in a flag draped coffin. They were not told they would be acting as private mercenaries for Bush & Cheney.

And Bush & his exclusive team emerged from their 'war room' as billionaires.
Too atrocious to fathom.

why nothing was done - even when so many people were demanding investigations. There must have been something nefarious, some reason investigations weren't conducted.

I don't know how the loved ones of the dead and wounded endure it.

..as Bush beat the heroic drum of Patriotism.

I think of his parents often.
He just graduated high school. Just turned 18. Worked at the effin PretzleMaker stand in the Mall.

A happy, funny, genuine friend to all, had his first real girlfriend.
He was one of the first to be sent to Iraq.

3 months later his truck was blown up by an IED and he was dead.

I would grow old rapidly if I were his parents.
This story repeats itself throughout our country and it is such tragedy knowing now, about just how these sons & daughters were fooled by their own gov't into becoming mercenaries for billionaires.

And no one held accountable for the lie that killed your child or loved one.
It just makes me ill.

If they did, we wouldn't have gone into Iraq in the first place

And any fool could see it was bogus. How do they live with themselves? I used to drive around this very red state with a bumper sticker that said "Bush Lied - Soldiers Lied". Not one person took issue with that. I got a lot of honks and thumbs up, but no one told me I was wrong, that I wasn't supporting the troops, or even showed the slightest bit of annoyance. There were lots of flags on front porches supporting the troops, but not much support of the war.

we can back track and do what needs to be done to make the evil bastards pay up and return the nation to the people.

democratic paradise that had thrown off its shackles with our help, and that any stories of civil war or ethnic butchery was merely us libtards falling for GOP LIES PUT OUT TO BOLSTER BENGHAZI

now they're gonna have to erase Libya altogether, since "we came, we saw, he DIED" hardly serves as red meat for "swing voters" (wasn't that always the excuse for Dem wars? to make sure we win enough votes that the REAL warmongers don't get in? how'd that work out for Qadima, BTW?)

By what metric us tge graphic true?

Wouldn't surprise me if true - but curious what numbers were used.

It's the FNC ginned up scandal that they try to keep a hand on after their audience became insatiable.

k&r...

Our team doesn't even seem to realize you can't trust these bastards!

They let that abortion language slip through in the human trafficking bill and it almost went all the way. WTF were they thinking? That they could TRUST these bastards? They haven't learned ANYTHING on our team??? They haven't learned ANYTHING????? Still wearing those rose-colored GULLIBILITY glasses? Still think the GOP wants to play fair? SERIOUSLY????

but they are out for power for the very, very few.

that the GOOPERS want to vote on an Iran treaty,

but won't even discuss Obama's ISIS War resolution,

which has been on the table since February 15th.

ENOUGH already. There used to be Republicans whom I admired, but they are long gone.

Dems never stepped up to hold bush accountable for his crimes. Republicans never cease in their efforts to destroy dems, even if it destroys the nation.

and Republicans in power waste time.

for creating this non issue for political gain.

For doing something that used to be verboten.

Plenty should be charged as accessories most after the fact for aiding and abetting the vile cover up but as well as helping to push the initial effort.

I do recall Democrats voting yes on the IWR. And I do recall someone saying "Impeachments off the table". On torture I recall hearing someone saying 'We Tortured Some Folks' but hey, the people doing that were patriots. But I don't recall the Democrats in charge ever calling for hearings on that stuff. But I may have missed it.

Since congress (both parties) were supportive and complicit, why would should we expect them to investigate themselves?

... but more than that, it's a matter of who sets the priorities.

Take a lot more work than real issues.

Address to the Nation on the Invasion of Iraq (January 16, 1991)



George H. W. Bush


Just 2 hours ago, allied air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait. These attacks continue as I speak. Ground forces are not engaged.

This conflict started August 2d when the dictator of Iraq invaded a small and helpless neighbor. Kuwait—a member of the Arab League and a member of the United Nations—was crushed; its people, brutalized. Five months ago, Saddam Hussein started this cruel war against Kuwait. Tonight, the battle has been joined.

transcript: President Clinton explains Iraq strike

CLINTON: Good evening.

Earlier today, I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors.

10:16 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: My fellow citizens, at this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.


On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein's ability to wage war. These are opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign. More than 35 countries are giving crucial support -- from the use of naval and air bases, to help with intelligence and logistics, to the deployment of combat units. Every nation in this coalition has chosen to bear the duty and share the honor of serving in our common defense.

Same shit, different day.

I hate that Bush Cheney won't be prosecuted

they failed to investigate. Republicans tend to investigate Democrats, not Republicans. Therefore, if anyone was to investigate the Iraq War, it would have been Democrats.