MR. Tentacle's Squid-o-Rama

The Grand DRILLusion

Mr Tentacle — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 11:43:56 GMT

The oil lobby and their Republican lapdogs want us to "Drill Here, Drill Now", even though no oil would be produced for 7-10 years and any oil would simply be sold on the global market, but lets take them at their word.

If they are so interested in drilling, there are plenty of existing oil leases where they can do it. There are 68 million acres of federal land currently leased or oil exploration, 40 million in the lower 48 states alone. Are they drilling on it? No. Exploring it? They won't say.

Setting the Record Straight: Barack Obama's Tax Relief Plan

Mr Tentacle — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 16:16:08 GMT

Brian Deese, a campaign policy advisor, refutes the various deceptions that John McCain is using to attack Barack Obama's tax relief plan.

Fact Checks always available at Factcheck.BarackObama.Com .

h/t Muzikal203 at DailyKos

McCain and Republicans: Ignorant and Proud of It (updated)

Mr Tentacle — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:12:22 GMT

John McCain and his GOP surrogates have been having a grand old time making fun of the idea that people can help reduce dependence on oil by properly inflating their tires and keeping their cars in tune.

If everyone did this we'd reduce our oil consumption by 3% to 4%, freeing an amount of oil greater than any could be found by drilling offshore (or anywhere else, for that matter). Moreover, that 3% to 4% savings will happen immediately, not in 7 to 10 years, and is there for the taking, unlike oil that may or may not be in the ground.

No environmental risks, no expensive "dry holes", no 10 year wait for results. Yeah, that's funny.

Update: ABC News has a fact check covering gains from proper maintenance of your car.

John McCain's miserable record on Veterans' Issues

Mr Tentacle — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:00:01 GMT

Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow discuss the difference between BEING a veteran and SUPPORTING veterans.

h/t/ Jed via AmericaBlog

Oh Yes, Iraq is now an earthly paradise...

Mr Tentacle — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:14:58 GMT

For the past week we have been treated to an apparenbtly endless parade of talking heads and other McCain apologists braying about the "success" of "the surge", informing all of us that violence is down, and Iraq is now a far, far safer place for all.

Well, not so much.

John McCain's Neverending War

Mr Tentacle — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:37:06 GMT

John McCain has expressed unwavering support for the Bush-Cheney war of choice in Iraq since 2002. Here he is, in his own words:

h/t Jed Lewiston

Iraqi Spokesman reiterates support for Obama's withdrawal plans

Mr Tentacle — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:22:51 GMT

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh made the statement following Obama's meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

h/t Joe Sudbay at AmericaBlog

Maliki Endorses Obama Iraq Withdrawal Plan

Mr Tentacle — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 09:33:33 GMT

From Yahoo News:

BERLIN - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says U.S. troops should leave Iraq "as soon as possible," according to a magazine report, and he called presidential candidate Barack Obama's suggestion of 16 months "the right timeframe for a withdrawal."

In an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel magazine released Saturday, al-Maliki said he was not seeking to endorse Obama. The Illinois senator and likely Democratic nominee has pledged to withdraw combat troops from Iraq within 16 months if he is elected.

"That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes," al-Maliki was quoted as saying. "Those who operate on the premise of short time periods in Iraq today are being more realistic. Artificially prolonging the tenure of U.S. troops in Iraq would cause problems."

This poses a problem for Bush and John McCain, who can't seem to agree on how, when, or whether to withdraw from Iraq. Bush's recent policy reversal calls for establishing a "time horizon" for withdrawal while McCain has changed his position so many times its impossible to say what his current stance is.

McCain and the "Broken Social Security" Meme

Mr Tentacle — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:56:16 GMT

John McCain on Social Security:

"...They are paying into a system that they won’t receive benefits from on the present track that it’s on – that’s the point. I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think it’s fair and I think it’s terrible to ask people to pay into a system that they won’t receive benefits from and that’s why we have to fix it."

This is the mantra of the privatizers; Bush cited this over and over when he was trying to destroy the most successful New Deal program.

In point of fact even the most conservative estimates show social security having no issues until 2042, and they only address cash flow (current income - current obligations), where the income is the payroll tax. This completely ignores the fact that SS has been putting its surplus into Treasuries since the last reforms, in the mid 80's, and should the income prove insufficient the obligations will be paid from the accumulated surplus and interest.

If this were not enough, simply raising the income cap on the current FICA tax to collect on higher incomes will increase the current income and guarantee solvency into the far future.

Paul Krugman had a good op-ed on the subject earlier this year.

...and now for something completely different!

Mr Tentacle — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:09:13 GMT

Hexateuthis, an autonomous walking robot I have been working on since early this year:

McCain Campaign Manager: another Terrorist Attack "would be a big advantage" to McCain

Mr Tentacle — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:07:14 GMT

Is there no depth to which Charlie Black will not sink? Apparently not.

In an interview with Fortune Magazine:

"The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December was an "unfortunate event," says Black. "But his knowledge and ability to talk about it reemphasized that this is the guy who's ready to be Commander-in-Chief. And it helped us." As would, Black concedes with startling candor after we raise the issue, another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. "Certainly it would be a big advantage to him," says Black."

Black has since stated he "regrets" making the statement. That he said it at all is outrageous; naturally the traditional media will give both Black and John McCain a pass on this.

h/t Joe Sudbay at AmericaBlog

John McCain's Glass House

Mr Tentacle — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:03:13 GMT

h/t JedReport on DailyKos

John McCain debates himself, and loses

Mr Tentacle — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:06:41 GMT

h/t John Arovosis, AmericaBlog

John McCain: Bringing Troops home "not that important"

Mr Tentacle — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:53:05 GMT

In his own words:

No-one can argue that reducing casualties isn't important, but the most reliable way to reduce American casualties is to get our soldiers out of Iraq. John McCain's repeated statements show he has no intention of leaving Iraq, now or in the future. Continuing to pour billions and billions of dollars and thousands of lives, American and Iraqi, into this black hole is hardly responsible behavior, but its what McCain promises to deliver.

John McCain needs to fire Charlie Black

Mr Tentacle — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:14:18 GMT

John McCain's chief adviser, lobbyist Charlie Black, worked for some of the world's worst dictators -- mass murderers, terrorists, and tyrants. McCain should fire Charlie Black.

h/t moveon.org

McCain: the more you know, the worse he looks

Mr Tentacle — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:06:34 GMT

So far John McCain's "platform" is

stay in Iraq forever
continue the ruinous policies of George W. Bush
stack the Supreme Court with radical right-wing judges
ban all abortions
~~regulate~~ censor the internet

What's next? Well, consider another hatemongering televangelist whose endorsement McCain actively sought and received - Rod Parsely.

You may have heard of Rev. John Hagee, the McCain supporter who said God created Hurricane Katrina to punish New Orleans for its homosexual "sins." Well now meet Rev. Rod Parsley, the televangelist megachurch pastor from Ohio who hates Islam. According to David Corn of Mother Jones, Parsley has called on Christians to wage war against Islam, which he considers to be a "false religion." In the past, Parsley has also railed against the separation of church and state, homosexuals, and abortion rights, comparing Planned Parenthood to Nazis.

h/t BraveNewFilms.Org

God CURSES, Dooms AMERICA Says McCain Backer Pastor Hagee

Mr Tentacle — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:10:03 GMT

Seems McCain has a whacked-out pastor problem of his own:

h/t Troutfishing at DailyKOS:

Although Senator McCain recently told George Stephanopoulos in an interview that his seeking of Hagee's endorsement was "probably" a mistake, he then doubled back to affirm his approval of Hagee's endorsement, stating, "I'm glad to have it."...

If McCain did not know of Hagee's belief that God is against America, he should have: Hagee's pronouncement of God's "curse" and "doom" on our nation was not a passing comment. It was a major theme of Hagee's book, Day of Deception (1997). In fact, Hagee devotes a whole chapter to it. Here's the curse and doom quote in context:

In "America Under a Curse," a seventeen page chapter in Day of Deception, John Hagee wrote, "As a nation, America is under the curse of God, even now. Look at the scriptures and see for yourself. The stand we have taken on abortion, the stand we have taken against God in our classrooms, just may have sealed or doom."

In Hagee's telling there's a whole taxonomy of divine curses that afflict Americans and all of Homo Sapiens - curses on individuals, curses on families, curses on nations and curses on mankind. "The Curse on America" is neatly organized into subsections for different types of divine curses sapping and damaging America and its people, its culture and economic well-being: God's curses on individuals; God's `curse on America'; "The Curse on The Home"; "The Curse against People" (Americans generally); "The Curses of The Cities"; "The Economic Curse"; "The Curse of The Plagues"; "The Curse of Servitude". (...)

The RNC doesn't want you to see this ad.

Mr Tentacle — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:12:52 GMT

In his own words:

Obama an "Elitist"? Not quite...

Mr Tentacle — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:47:46 GMT

Video from a campaign stop in Indiana. Barack takes on the "elitist" label and skewers the media for their silly (and as it turns out wrong) bowling stories.

So just HOW old is John McCain, anyway?

Mr Tentacle — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 11:03:58 GMT

Old.