I Love That Man!

On Sunday, Bill Clinton appeared on the Signal Channel...I mean the Fox Network...and was interviewed by the serious shill/penis/Fox personality Chris Wallace. Evidently, Wallace has some weekly show that consists primarily of him lining up some pseudo-liberal tomato-can and berating them to show "The People" how tough he is. Or, conversely, he has some neo-Nazi...I mean Neo-Con...and lobs him or her softballs, cooing orgasmically, to prove to the stooges...I mean "The People"...that we're in good hands and if only we would kill or maim someone who thinks differently than us then everything will be OK.

I am sure Wallace is just making up for some childhood inadequacies, or he hates his father. His father, by the way, is the longtime CBS journalist Mike Wallace. He was a man who actually fought the "good fight" with the whole Murrow and Friendly gang. His reward for being inquisitive? To watch his own son grow up to become everything that they stood against and despised. Can you just imgaine Thanksgiving Dinner at Mike's house?

Chris: Dad, can you pass the yams?

Mike: (Taking a sip of Jameson's out of a translucent tumbler) Shut the fuck up you lousy shill !!!

He problably hates him with all his heart. Either that or he has absolutely no sense of moral dignity. How else can you explain the complete whore-job he pulls whenever he tells you the latest fart from the White House don't stink?

Well, Mr. Wallace found out that the former President was not one of his usual clowns that he pushes around. Here is a portion of the transcript from their heated exchange:

Fox News Sunday/Clinton Interview

Wallace: When we announced that you were going to be on FOX News Sunday, I got a lot of email from viewers, and I’ve got to say, I was surprised most of them wanted me to ask you this question: Why didn’t you do more to put Bin Laden and al Qaeda out of business when you were President? There’s a new book out which I suspect you’ve read called The Looming Tower. And it talks about how the fact that when you pulled troops out of Somalia in 1993, Bin Laden said, "I have seen the frailty and the weakness and the cowardice of US troops." Then there was the bombing of the embassies in Africa and the attack on the USS Cole

Clinton: Okay…

Wallace: …May I just finish the question, sir? And after the attack, the book says Bin Laden separated his leaders because he expected an attack and there was no response. I understand that hindsight is 20/20…

Clinton: No, let’s talk about…

Wallace: …but the question is why didn’t you do more? Connect the dots and put them out of business?

Clinton: Okay, let’s talk about it. I will answer all of those things on the merits, but I want to talk about the context (in) which this…arises. I’m being asked this on the FOX network…ABC just had a right-wing conservative on "The Path to 9/11" falsely claim that it was falsely based on the 911 Commission Report with three things asserted against me that are directly contradicted by the 9/11 Commission Report. I think it’s very interesting that all the conservative Republicans who now say that I didn’t do enough claimed (then) that I was obsessed with Bin Laden. All of President Bush’s neocons claimed that I was too obsessed with finding Bin Laden when they didn’t have a single meeting about Bin Laden for the nine months after I left office. All the right-wingers who now say that I didn’t do enough said (then) that I did too much. Same people. They were all trying to get me to withdraw from Somalia in 1993, the next day after we were involved in Black Hawk Down. And I refused to do it and stayed six months and had an orderly transfer to the UN. Okay, now let’s look at all the criticisms: Black Hawk Down, Somalia. There is not a living soul in the world who thought that Bin Laden had anything to do with Black Hawk Down or was paying any attention to it or even knew al Qaeda was a growing concern in October of 1993.

Wallace: I understand…

Clinton: No wait…no wait…don’t tell me. You asked me why I didn’t do more to Bin Laden. There was not a living soul…all the people who criticized me wanted to leave the next day. You brought this up, so you get an answer.

Wallace: I’m perfectly happy to. Bin Laden says…

Clinton: And secondly…

Wallace: Bin Laden says…

Clinton: Bin Laden may have said that…

Wallace: Bin Laden says it showed the weakness of the U.S. …

Clinton: It would have shown the weakness if we left right away, but he wasn’t involved in that. That’s just a bunch of bull. That was about Mohammed Adid, a Muslim warlord murdering…thousand Pakistani Muslim troops. We were all there on a humanitarian mission. We had not one mission - none - to establish a certain kind of Somali government or to keep anybody out. He was not a religious fanatic.

Wallace: But Mr. President…

Clinton: There was no al Qaeda…

Wallace: …with respect, if I may, instead of going through ‘93…

Clinton: You asked, you. It (was) you (who) brought it up.

Wallace: May I ask a general question that you can answer? The 9/11 Commission, which you talk about–and this is what they did say–not what ABC pretended they said…

Clinton: Wait, wait…

Wallace: …They said about you and 43 and I quote, "The U.S. government took the threat seriously, not in the sense of mustering anything like that would be….to confront an enemy of the first, second or third rank"…

Clinton: That’s not true with us and Bin Laden…

Wallace: …the 9/11 Commission says…

Clinton: Let’s look at what Richard Clarke says. You think Richard Clarke had a vigorous attitude about Bin Laden?

Wallace: Yes, I do.

Clinton: You do?

Wallace: I think he has a variety of opinions and loyalties, but yes.

Clinton: He has a variety of opinion and loyalties now but let’s look at the facts. He worked for Ronald Reagan; he was loyal to him. He worked for George H.W. Bush and he was loyal to him. He worked for me and he was loyal to me. He worked for President Bush; he was loyal to him. They downgraded him and the terrorist operation. Now, look what he said. Read his book and read his factual assertions - not opinions–assertions. He said we took "vigorous action" after the African embassies. We probably nearly got Bin Laden.

Wallace: [inaudible]

Clinton: Now, wait a minute…

Wallace: …cruise missiles…

Clinton: I authorized the CIA to get groups together to try to kill him. The CIA was run by George Tenet, who President Bush gave the Medal of Freedom to and said he did a good job. The country never had a comprehensive anti-terror operation until I came to office. If you can criticize me for one thing, you can criticize me for this: after the Cole, I had battle plans drawn to go into Afghanistan, overthrow the Taliban, and launch a full scale attack/search for Bin Laden. But we needed basing rights in Uzbekistan, which we got (only) after 9/11. The CIA and the FBI refused to certify that Bin Laden was responsible while I was there. They refused to certify. So that meant I would have had to send a few hundred Special Forces in helicopters and refuel at night. Even the 9/11 Commission didn’t do (think we should have done) that. Now the 9/11 Commission was a political document, too? All I’m asking is if anybody wants to say I didn’t do enough, you read Richard Clarke’s book.

Wallace: Do you think you did enough, sir?

Clinton: No, because I didn’t get him.

Wallace: Right…

Clinton: But at least I tried. That’s the difference in me and some, including all the right-wingers who are attacking me now. They ridiculed me for trying. They had eight months to try and they didn’t. I tried. So I tried and failed. When I failed, I left a comprehensive anti-terror strategy and the best guy in the country: Dick Clarke. So you did FOX’s bidding on this show. You did you nice little conservative hit job on me. But what I want to know..

Wallace: Now wait a minute, sir…I asked a question. You don’t think that’s a legitimate question?

Clinton: It was a perfectly legitimate question. But I want to know how many
people in the Bush administration you’ve asked this question of. I want to know how many people in the Bush administration you asked ‘Why didn’t you do anything about the Cole?’ I want to know how many you asked ‘Why did you fire Dick Clarke?’ I want to know…

Wallace: We asked…Do you ever watch FOX News Sunday, sir?

Clinton: I don’t believe you ask them that.

Wallace: We ask plenty of questions of…

Clinton: You didn’t ask that, did you? Tell the truth.

Wallace: About the USS Cole?

Clinton: Tell the truth…

Wallace: I…with Iraq and Afghanistan, there’s plenty of stuff to ask.

Clinton: Did you ever ask that? You set this meeting up because you were going to get a lot of criticism from your viewers because Rupert Murdoch is going to get a lot of criticism from your viewers for supporting my work on Climate Change. And you came here under false pretenses and said that you’d spend half the time talking about…

Wallace: [laughs]

Clinton: You said you’d spend half the time talking about what we did out there to raise $7 billion plus over three days from 215 different commitments. And you don’t care.

Wallace: But, President Clinton…We were going to ask half the [interview time] about it. I didn’t think this was going to set you off on such a tear.

Clinton: It set me off on such a tear because you didn’t formulate it in an honest way and you people ask me questions you don’t ask the other side.

Wallace: Sir, that is not true…

Clinton: …and Richard Clarke…

Wallace: That is not true…

Clinton: Richard Clarke made it clear in his testimony…

Wallace: Would you like to talk about the Clinton Global Initiative?

Clinton: No, I want to finish this.

Wallace: All right…

Clinton: All I’m saying is you falsely accuse me of giving aid and comfort to Bin Laden because of what happened in Somalia. No one knew al Qaeda existed then…

Wallace: Did they know in 1996, when he declared war on the U.S.? Did no one know in 1998…

Clinton: Absolutely, they did.

Wallace: …when they bombed the two embassies? Or in 2000, when they hit the Cole?

Clinton: What did I do? I worked hard to try and kill him. I authorized a finding for the CIA to kill him. We contracted with people to kill him. I got closer to killing him than anybody has gotten since. And if I were still President, we’d have more than 20,000 troops there trying to kill him. Now I never criticized President Bush, and I don’t think this is useful. But you know we do have a government that thinks Afghanistan is 1/7 as important as Iraq. And you ask me about terror and Al Qaeda with that sort of dismissive theme when all you have to do is read Richard Clarke’s book to look at what we did in a comprehensive, systematic way to try to protect the country against terror. And you’ve got that little smirk on your face. It looks like you’re so clever…

Wallace: [Laughs]

Clinton: I had responsibility for trying to protect this country. I tried and I failed to get Bin Laden. I regret it, but I did try. And I did everything I thought I responsibly could. The entire military was against sending Special Forces into Afghanistan and refueling by helicopter and no one thought we could do it otherwise. We could not get the CIA and the FBI to certify that al Qaeda was responsible while I was President. [Not] until I left office. And yet I get asked about this all the time and they had three times as much time to get him as I did and no one ever asks them about this. I think that’s strange.

Wallace: Can I ask you about the Clinton Global Initiative?

Clinton: You can.

Wallace: I always intended to, sir.

Clinton: No, you intended to move your bones by doing this first. But I don’t mind people asking me. I actually talked to the 9/11 Commission for four hours and I told them the mistakes I thought I made. And I urged them to make those mistakes public because I thought none of us had been perfect. But instead of anybody talking about those things. I always get these clever little political…where they ask me one-sided question. It always comes from one source. And so…And so…

Wallace: I just want to ask you about the Clinton Global Initiative, but what’s
the source? You seem upset…

Clinton: I am upset because…

Wallace: …and all I can say is, I’m asking you in good faith because it’s on people’s minds, sir. And I wasn’t…

Clinton: There’s a reason it’s on people’s minds. That’s the point I’m trying to make. There’s a reason it’s on people’s minds because they’ve done a serious disinformation campaign to create that impression. This country only has one person who has worked against terror…[since] under Reagan. Only one: Richard Clarke. And all I’d say [to] anybody who wonders whether we did wrong or right; anybody who wants to see what everybody else did, read his book. The people on my political right who say I didn’t do enough, spent the whole time I was president saying ‘Why is he so obsessed with Bin Laden?’ And that was ‘Wag the Dog’ when he tried to kill him. My Republican Secretary of Defense, - and I think I’m the only person since WWII to have a Secretary of Defense from the opposition party - Richard Clarke, and all the intelligence people said that I ordered a vigorous attempt to get Osama Bin Laden and came closer apparently than anybody has since.

Wallace: All right…

Clinton: And you guys try to create the opposite impression when all you have to do is read Richard Clarke’s findings and you know it’s not true. It’s just not true. And all this business about Somalia – the same people who criticized me about Somalia were demanding I leave the next day. Same exact crowd.

Wallace: One of the…

Clinton: So if you’re going to do this, for God’s sake, follow the same standards for everybody.

from Crooks and Liars.com

Did you notice that the reporting of this exchange was categorized as "ranting" by the "Liberal Media" after it aired? I didn't see ranting at all. I saw it as Bill laying down some truth. I think the President deserves congratulations for just walking into that cesspit of feces because it was about time these jerks had someone stand up to them.

After reading this transcript and putting it into the context of the past six years, a time period filled with all those blunders, all those fuck-ups, all that pain and sufferring, all performed in front of a backdrop constituted of fear, loathing and contempt for the intelligence of the American citizen, I drew one conclussion. I decided that the proper response to anyone who still supports this absurd administration, or their policies, can only be one thing.

"You got it kid...
...you got it!"

I don't have a hard head...
...so I can't keep knocking it against a wall.

Larry

Two Peas in a Pod

9/20/06


In preparation to the upcoming Fall Classic, I want to report on the sports world. I want to thank the New York Post in advance for supplying me with the second hand quotes that follow. They were originally printed in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated.

New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi, an overpaid jerk, decided to make some disparaging comments about his teammate, Alex Rodriguez, another mega-millionaire player who has not had the best of years as far as baseball goes. Evidently Mr. Giambi (The Giambino) was a tad disappointed at Rodriguez's (A-Rod) less than clutch performance at Home Plate. Here are some nuggets from the article:

"He's guessing, and he's doing a bad job of it, which is inevitable when you guess as often as he guesses. He's squeezing the freaking sawdust out of the bat."


"I told (Joe) Torre, 'Tell him like you did to me. 'This is what we want, this is what we expect, this is what we need,' instead of going, 'Oh, you're going to be OK.' Especially when you're struggling like that."

Even if you agree with what Master J.G. is saying...and I do...it is a major faux pas in the Major Leagues to go to a media outlet and totally rag on your teammate. They are suppose to be in it together etc. Public comments such as these can only cause division and strife within the clubhouse. The other players will most likely be forced to take a side. Energy will have to be wasted in an attempt to achieve unity again. They're the kind of statements that tear a group apart.

That applies to any workplace really.

The rift seems to have started during the Red Sox series when the Yankees swept a five game series with their arch-rivals. Rodriguez's performance was less than stellar and Mr. Giambi started to feel some concern for the well being of the $25,000,000 man. Giambi confronted him in the clubhouse:

J.G.:"We're all rooting for you and we're behind you 100 percent, but you've got to get the big hit."

ROD:"What do you mean? I've had five hits in Boston."

J.G.:"You freaking call those hits!?! You had two freaking dinkers to rightfield and a ball that bounced over the third baseman! Look at how many pitches you missed."

TELL IT LIKE IT IS SISTER!

But Mr. Rodriguez was not going to take this, in his mind, unwarranted criticism lying down. He had some things to say too and, of course, he decided that a national media outlet was the proper place to air his grievances. Here are a couple of gems from the A-Rod Book of Humility:

"I can't help that I'm a bright person, I know that's not a great quote to give, but I can't pretend to play dumb and stupid."

"Reggie (Jackson) hit .230 one year. That's awful. He struck out 170-something times in a year. I don't care who you are, extremes are just part of the game. I was awful (in Anaheim), but (Derek) Jeter was 0 for 32 [in 2004], Mo (Rivera) blew three games in one week. Everybody goes through it."

"(Mike) Mussina doesn't get hammered at all. He's making a boatload of money. Giambi's making $20.4 million, which is fine and dandy, but it seems those guys get a pass. When people write (bad things) about me, I don't know if it's (because) I'm good-looking, I'm bi-racial, I make the most money, I play on the most popular team ... "

Yeah. That must be it.

As priceless as those quotes are, and a beautiful example of just how fucked up our values are, the comment that really caught my eye was from Giambi. The writer used it as a dramatic ending to an already blistering he said/she said report:

"Alex doesn't know who he is. We're going to find out who he is in the next couple of months."

Heavy shit, man. Heavy shit.

Unfortunately, we won't have to wait as long to find out who you are...

We already know.

Have another one...on me.

Can't you imagine Jeter crying in his beer right now?

Larry

Out of the Mouths of Babes

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

Matthew 11:25
(KJV)

9/11/2006

This is a true anecdote.

I live with my mentally challenged sister. She is 32 years old. She can take care of herself, for the most part, but comprehension is not her strong suit. Simple thoughts and ideas that we take for granted, become complex problems in her mind. It is not that she is "stupid" it is just that she has a different way of processing information.

A perfect example of this would be her ability to tell you what day of the week you were born on if you give her your birthday or know exactly what day and date it was when she went to the dentist to get her wisdom teeth pulled...ten years ago. She equates everything with time. Measurable, finite, exact time. She is constantly looking at her watch for the hour to change. All the clocks in the house...VCRs, coffee makers, cable boxes, radios, etc... have to be synchronized. At times, this behavior can be disturbing. But there are other times, when she is telling me that she, "... went with daddy to see 'Stanley and Iris' with Robert DeNiro and Jane Fonda, on Sunday, February 11, 1990," it can be truly amazing.

But she also says things like:

"Mel Torme. Do you know a person by the name of Mel Torme? Is that a male or a female?"

"I got two BigMacs, a 20 piece Chicken McNuggets and a Super Sized Fries. That's it."

"Do you know Rudolph Giuliani? Was he Governor or President?"

"I don't mind you buying me dinner but..."

By reporting these statements, I am NOT trying to make fun of her. That is the last thing I want to do. There is nothing funny at all about my sister's lot in life. She was dealt a really shitty hand and she is playing it the best way she knows how. The only thing that keeps this a notch above tragedy is the fact that she is trying to understand. Her mantra is, "I'm just like everybody else."

No. The reason why I mention these quotes is preface.

Anyway, most of our "conversations" consist of her rambling and me nodding. These ramblings are an interesting mix of a stream of consciousness yet completely focussed on one specific subject. This subject is usually about some obscure incident that happened in school or some other social interaction either at the store or in our building. Rarely does it involve anything current. And rarer still if it is about anything that is universal or relatable. I would say 80 percent of the time these speeches are about places and events that happened at least 10 years ago.

Being that yesterday was the eve of the fifth anniversary of September 11th…and again she is uncanny with dates…she came into my room in the middle of the afternoon because she wanted to talk. What follows is close to verbatim, to the best of my memory.

"Do you know what tomorrow is? It is the fifth anniversary of the Twin Towers! Do you know what happened at the Twin Towers? That's right. You know. You were there right? That's how we found out. You called us and told Mommy. You called and told her...

(She started what she calls "a role play")

Mommy, Lawrence is on the phone SOMETHING HAPPENED AT THE TWIN TOWERS!'

What? - Hello… Oh, oh my Goodness.

(Then back to me)

They blew the Twin Towers up to start a war and all that, right? There still is a war now, right? In Iraq, right?

(She started talking to the cats, which she often does)

But don't worry guys. Where's Manny? Where's Meng? Oh there you are!

(She picked up Manny, the younger of the two, who sauntered out from under the bed)

Don't worry. I'm not trying to scare you. The war is in Iraq. We will be OK.

(Manny immediately meowed)

Oh OK. I'll put you down now.

(After a long pause, she started to talk to me again.)

You know, I'm curious about something. I have a question for you and maybe you could answer it. This may sound stupid but they blew up the Twin Towers because they wanted to start a war right? What do blowing up the Twin Towers have to do with Iraq anyway?"

Absolutely nothing.

Don't ever forget…
The pain...
The suffering...
The death...

…and whose watch it was on.
Larry