Robertson’s backing will surely give Giuliani a leg up among voters who believe that God sends natural disasters to punish Americans whose school board members believe in the theory of evolution, or who have the bad luck to live near an inclusive amusement park.

(He warned Orlando that when Disney World welcomed gay patrons it was letting them in for terrorist attacks, “earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor.”)

Yesterday, Robertson said that America’s Mayor had won him over because “to me, the overriding issue before the American people is the defense of our population from the bloodlust of Islamic terrorists.” (So much for judicial activism.)   more »

We have to stop those crazy abstinence programs

wrought by the neocon Right and aimed

to force-feed teenagers bogus evidence

that sex is deadly and icky and fraught

and poisonous and should be avoided completely

if not somehow surgically eradicated

   more »

Keywords: teenage, abstinence, sex, lust

The United States already wages two wasting wars that make no sense.

It will never, itself, dominate the disintegrative forces in Iraq today.

In Afghanistan it will never succeed in defeating a Taliban radicalism that represents a real if obscurantist national affirmation by a 40-million strong Pathan ethnic community that has always been the dominant force in its historical homeland.

The consequence of America's wars may well be meltdown in Pakistan, and the possibility of pro-Taliban politicians being in charge of a government that has an actual, tested and working nuclear capability.

Who will be on watch in Washington and London when this comes about?   more »

"The Office" has shut down for good. Around 2:00 pm Tuesday. The crew has been asked back Wednesday to strike the location, but there will be no more shooting.

This is thanks to a complete staff picket from 4:15 am to 3:00 Monday (when they called the day) and 6:45 am Tuesday until they shut it down. It is also thanks to a number of WGAmembers/actors making principled stands and not reporting to work.

Additionally, I've been told that Steve Carell informed NBC he is unable to report to work because he is suffering from “enlarged balls.”

Not just enlarged, I'd say, but brass ones. The source on this one adds, "We wish him a happy, slow recovery."   more »

French President Nicolas Sarkozy assured a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday that his country would stand by Washington in the fight against nuclear proliferation in Iran and terrorism in Afghanistan.

"America can count on France," Sarkozy said in a speech that underscored his desire for warmer ties with Washington and was filled with effusive praise for American values.

"Together we must fight to defend and promote the values and ideals of freedom and democracy that men such as Washington and Lafayette invented together," he said, referring to the French military officer who fought along side George Washington in the American war of independence.

Sarko is Pavlov's dog, salivating "freedom and democracy" when Bush rings the bell.   more »