Holy shit. You’re not going to believe this. The Vermont Press Bureau is reporting that Rep. Peter Welch “said Thursday that his ongoing trip through Iraq reinforces his belief that American troops should be withdrawn from the country as soon as possible.”
Boy, what a fucking surprise. And if you can remember back a few days, here’s what your snarky friend predicted Welch would say upon his return: “I was moved by what I saw. And I’m convinced more than ever that our timetable is the right decision.”
Close enough. And how much did this trip cost? Or, better yet, how many carbon offsets did the good congressman have to buy to relieve his pollution guilt?
But the real question remains: How long is Welch going to get away with his rhetorical gamesmanship about wanting to bring the troops home “as soon as possible”? Because the Vermont media just keeps lapping it up like Welch either believes it or is actually voting that way. And he does not and is not.
Members of Congress have a very clear and definite manner in which to truly bring the troops home “as soon as possible.” It’s called de-funding the war. Not tomorrow, not in eighteen months, not when Bush leaves office – but today. They could simply propose a bill that says every dollar for the fiasco in Iraq can now go to two and only two things: The cost of safely removing the U.S. troops and the reparations money necessary to allow the Iraqis to move forward.
But Welch won’t do it. Instead, he’s going to keep digging his own political grave by hemming and hawing, dodging and weaving and making this war his war by shoveling more and more money into the war furnace.
Poor little Dem, he’s lost his way.
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And you wanna know why elected Dems keep getting away with this crap? The Dem grassroots are nothing but a nest of ninnies. Where’s their outrage over getting yet another pile of crap heaped on their heads? There is none. Instead, they’re all off in fucking la-la land about who’s the best candidate for the president and governor in ’08. Yo, fucktards, how about using some of that “insider” influence you like to brag about to put some heat on the elected Dems of today to do something today? I know, I know, it might make your next little cocktail gathering a little uncomfortable – bringing up “issues” and all – but isn’t that what politics is all about? Come on, boys and girls, it’s got to be time for your graduation to the 1st grade of politics, no?
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Oh wait, this just in from the wires: Green Mountain Daily is announcing that the tooth fairy may not actually exist…stay tuned. Oh wait, now that discussion has begun, it looks like the tooth fairy may exist after all. But it’s not clear if it’s in the form of Obama, Hillary or Edwards. Stay tuned….
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And while we’re poking fun at the sleepy little Vermont blogging community, let’s have a big poke at JD over at “five before timidity – er, make that, chaos,” for his quick little jump on the bandwagon of those who are celebrating the firing of Imus. Yo, this is nothing to celebrate. Yes, Imus is an ass, but this should be about the First Amendment. And none of us who believe in the freedom of expression should be celebrating the hypocritical nonsense that the I-man was pulled through over the last week. Because believing in the First Amendment means believing that total fucking wingnuts are also free to say what they want. And when it starts making you feel all warm and fuzzy about wrapping the duct tape around anyone’s mouth, just think how fast the tide can turn and that gray sticky substance will be wrapped around your own mouthpiece. In other words, it’s a slippery slope. There is nothing – repeat NOTHING – to celebrate over someone losing their job over the words they uttered.
For some perspective on this matter, I would strongly recommend these two links: Sam Smith and Jason Whitlock.
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Anyone seen the mainstream peace movement lately? I’m getting worried. It seems like every time things start to heat up with regard to real activism on the war the folks like Joe Gainza and the other candle-burners totally disappear.
So here’s your latest Snarky Boy challenge: Write to me and tell me what – if anything – you’re seeing from the peace folk. And, please, the vigilers at the post offices don’t count.
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Tomorrow’s the big day for the eco-crowd in Montpelier. They’re all gathering to chat and march about global warming. If you want to act like a fart at their dinner party, chime in to ask this question: When will you start to talk about the pollution of snowmobiles in Vermont? Watch ‘em squirm. Because they hate to actually get into “real” issues. They mostly want to pose and shed all the public crocodile tears they can muster. But when it comes to demanding change, they’ll run for cover faster than the VNRC’s Elizabeth Courtney can find her next SUV-driving donor.
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Speaking of the eco-crowd, anyone hear anything from VPIRG lately? With a budget of nearly a million bucks a year and a super-majority of Dems in the Statehouse, you’d think they would be making some noise and getting things done. No such luck, apparently. I guess it takes a lot of time to put salve on those footsy-playing-feet, huh?
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Speaking of Dems, they failed again today in the Statehouse. This time they bailed on their plans to move forward on a bill that would allow “instant run-off voting.” I seemed to have lost track, but this has got to be about strike number 103 for these folks, no?
If you drink the Dem Kool-Aid, please email me with ONE significant accomplishment or reason to be excited about this “super-majority” session so for. I’m waiting….
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Finally, in case you missed it, here’s a fun link for you: Free Speech Trial Set to Begin. Imagine that, Negroponte being summoned to Vermont to explain his warmongering past. Cool.
Thanks for playing. TGIF, my friends. And not a snowy moment too soon.
Remember, you can reach me via email at: VtSnarkyBoy@yahoo.com.
