NFL's Most Overrated Players

According to a poll of NFL players, the linked story provides the list. Urlacher is #2 on the list. Eli and Peyton made the list. It is just ridiculous. Sounds like jealousy to me.

Special Teams Love

Nice to see a shout out about Devin Hester - the Bears punt returner. He broke the 80-plus yard return against Arizona which won the game, and he has been the best returner in the game up to this point.

The Redskins have a good one in Randle el, but it cost them 6 years and $27M for his services. Hester signed a 4-year, $2.86M contract. That is the benefit of drafting players rather than signing free agents to ridiculously overpriced contracts. That $24 million goes toward other needs and other positions - unlike the Redskins who have to pay minimum salaries to many of their reserves.

Katherine Harris is MAD!

Once a Republican hero for stopping the vote counting in Florida which helped Bush take office, Katherine is now on the outs. Her failing U.S. Senate bid is a complete disaster, and she says she is going to write a tell-all book to explain how she is now a victim of the Republican Party.

I think Dems and Republicans can agree - just go away Katie.

Maliki Coddling Sadr

So, this morning we learn that Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki has ordered the removal of the security checkpoints in Sadr City. Apparently this happened without consultation with the U.S. It allows radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army to move about freely - they are the ones who make up the death squads in Iraq.

Anyone who thinks this good for U.S. policy in Iraq and our soldiers simply does not understand what this means.

George Allen in Real Trouble?

Who knows? But the latest Rasmussen poll has Webb up 5 points. Rasmussen is a conservative polling firm. If George Allen goes down, the Senate may very well turn over. That still does not seem likely to me, but the people will speak next week.

Day 1876!

Bloody October

The death count for American soldiers in Iraq went over 100 for the month. It is the bloodiest month for American soldiers in Iraq since January 2005 when 106 soldiers died.

All so that American soldiers can act as referees in the growing civil war. What a waste.

We also now find ourselves with 150,000 American troops on the ground in Iraq - the number has been quietly but steadily climbing.

Bears and Redskin Stats

Bears rolled over the 49ers and got back on track after the debacle in the Desert two weeks ago. Redskins are probably happy to be on a bye. Here are the updated stats:

DEFENSE:

Bears - #1 scoring defense (9.9 pts/game - up 1 slot), #1 defense in terms of yardage/game (246 yds/game - up 1 slot).

Redskins - 25th-ranked scoring defense (24 pts/game - up 1 slot), 26th-ranked defense in terms of yardage/game (350 yds/game - no change).

The Bears have allowed 1 rushing TD this year (tied for #2). The Redskins have allowed 3 rushing TDs (tied for #6).

OFFENSE:

Bears - #1-ranked scoring 0ffense (32 pts/game - no change), 11th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (336 yds/game - up 3 slots).

Redskins - 17th-ranked scoring offense (20 pts/game - up 1 slot), 12th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (326 yds/game - up 1 slot).

Day 1875!

Bears Roll

No surprise - the Bears got back to normal business of thrashing weak teams. Grossman looked like he was working against a JV squad (23-29, 252 yards, 3 TDs). Jones w/111 yards rushing on 23 carries and a TD - not bad for a serviceable back (JKD, I know it is the 49ers).

The interception by Urlacher was just a great play - watch it on Sportscenter.

Redskins Paying the Price . . .

of their free agency strategy, which has included many blunders.

Day 1874!

Thank You Very Little!

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki looks like his is trying to further distance himself from the U.S. This isn't surprising given that he is aligned with radical Shia clerics, including Muqtada al-Sadr. Bush has created a total mess in Iraq and the government that is emerging is a pro-Iranian religious theocracy.

Our 2800 plus soldiers who have died, and those who are dying every day, are doing so in order to create Western Iran.

The $340 billion we have spent and the $1.5 billion per week that we are spending certainly could be better spent.

Day 1873!

Michael J. Fox Video Response

Here is the video of him talking to Katie Couric about Rush's accusations that he was faking. You decide.

Halliburton B.S.

Dick's former firm overcharged taxpayers by more than $1 billion. This is taxpayer money that was slotted for troops, but instead went to a private corporation and their profits. That is why we need some real oversight out of Congress.

U.S. Inching Closer to Recession

The economy is certainly slowing. Today's GDP number for the 3rd quarter came it at only 1.6 percent growth - significantly lower than the 2.1 percent consensus average of economists.

The problem is that with the HUGE debt and HUGE deficit created by the Republicans any slowing is going to hit the economy hard. It is going to be harder and harder to pay for the deficit because it will become harder and harder to borrow from the Chinese and other foreign countries.

The National Debt has hit another all-time high at $8.57 trillion and foreigners increased their holding of U.S. Debt to another record of $2.15 trillion. Start studying Japanese and Chinese everyone because they will own this country. Konishiwa and xie xie!

Couple of Interesing Redskin Notes

The Washington Times had two interesting pieces this week.

The age and talent issues on the Redskins may be an indicator that the worst is yet to come. (Which I agree with.)

A piece on LaVar and how much he genuinely loved being in Washington, unlike a lot of guys who are just here in Washington for the money. It is funny because it references LaVar's work in the cheesy Eastern Motors commercials.

Bears Pick for the Week

10-3 on the year.

Redskins are on a bye - good time for it - so it is just the Bears this week.

Bears get San Francisco at home this week. Coming off the bye and after the near debacle in the desert two weeks ago, the Bears will roll. The defense will re-assert itself and it should be interesting to see how they play without Mike Brown. I expect to see a heavy dose of Jones and Benson and the Bears running game. Bears 24-0.

Miami visits the Windy City next week and then it is off to the Meadowlands to play the Giants. That should be a huge game and it just got moved to the Sunday night game.

Michael J. Fox Responds to Rush

He was interviewed by Katie Couric and addressed Rush's bone-headed criticisms.

Iraqi Milestone

More death in Iraq. October is now the deadliest month of the year for our troops. With more than 2800 now killed, what do we hope to accomplish and when will it end?

The mission in Iraq is now to prevent all out civil war. So American soldiers are dying so that Iraqis don't kill each other - like it or not, that is our mission.

Day 1872!

Rush on Michael J. Fox

Here is the video of Rush's attack. Of course, Rush had no problem when Fox supported Republican Arlen Specter.

More On Bush's "Stay the Course" B.S.

Presidential Spokesman Tony Snow lying again. Snow claimed that the White House could only find 8 times that Bush had ever used the term "stay the course" about Iraq. No surprise - he was lying.

Troops Fed Up With Iraq

There is a small, but growing group of active military that have joined an unusual protest calling for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The number of signees is at 219. Yesterday it was reported to be 100. We will have to see how many soldiers sign up.

Kevin Tillman's commentary is particularly powerful. Kevin is the brother of Pat Tillman. They served in the Army Rangers in Afghanistan and Iraq together.

Day 1871!

Limbaugh's Hatred

Limbaugh is so desperate for Republicans to win that he mocked Michael J. Fox for his appearance in an ad that is running in support of Democratic candidates who support stem cell research. He accused Fox of acting or being off his meds so that Fox could look more sick from his Parkinson's disease. Fox may be sick, but Limbaugh is even more sick.

Iraq Mess

For literally years, Bushie has been saying we need to "Stay the Course" in Iraq. Then on Sunday he claimed he never said that.

Yesterday at a news conference, General Casey, our top general in Iraq, and Zalmay Khalilzad said Iraqi forces should be able to take control of security in the next 12 to 18 months with minimal American support. It was a purely political gesture - I mean really, how many times have we heard this same B.S.?

There are some signs that we are going to be withdrawing troops - with the timetable discussed by Casey and Khalilizad. If that happens it will have to wait until after the election. But, then we hear that we may be sending more troops.

To complicate matters, Iraq's prime minister complained that radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al Sadr's stronghold was raided without his approval. He also disavowed any knowledge of Casey's comments and slammed the top U.S. military and diplomatic representatives in Iraq for saying Iraq needed to set a timetable to curb violence ravaging the country.

What the f**k is going on? Does Bushie have any clue? It certainly does not look like it.

Iraq War Casualties . . .

now stand at over 2800 American soldiers killed. We are in the midst of the bloodiest and deadliest month of the year in the war.

Day 1870!

Redskins Reality

JKD, you asked me about the stupid penalties against the Colts. Here is a summary. Portis was on WTEM and you can listen to his frustration. He clearly feels like the offensive line is a problem and questions the coaching. He explicitly said losing guys like Robert Royal and Ryan Clark who were leaders in the locker room, and bringing in Fauria and Archuleta really hurt the team.

The season is over and the bottom line is this - it looks to me like Gibbs is in real danger of losing his team. The Redskins have been bad the last three games and there are no signs that things are going to get better. The bye week is coming at a good time where the Redskin players and coaches can take some time off and then decide what kink of team they want to be.

I hope Gibbs can turn it around - really I do. But, we will just have to see. The last 9 games are all against teams with realistic playoff expectations. It would be an accomplishment to win 5 of those games, but they may very well end up with only 2 or 3 given the way they are currently playing. Dallas looks to be the easiest game of the bunch right after the bye. Good luck.

NFL Rankings

Yahoo! Sports - Bears #1, Redskins "muddled middle."

CBS Sportsline - Bears #1, Redskins #23.

ESPN - Bears #1, Redskins #24.

G-Men are rolling

Looks like the Giants are now rolling, although injuries may play a factor for them. The Eagles have three losses that must make their fans sick to their stomachs.

A note abou the way Parcells handled the loss last night to the Giants. He ripped into his team last night after the game. It was quite a contrast to the way Gibbsy handled his team after this week's loss. They both lost 36-22 in their respective games, but the coaches are very different in how they handled the losses. To some degree, we will see which approach is better in coming weeks.

More Bush Lies

He claimed on ABC's This Week that he has never been "Stay the Course" about Iraq. You decide.

Another great Special Comment by Keith - his take on lying. Here is the video.

Kevin Tillman's Thoughts

Pat Tillman's brother, Kevin, has a very simple, but very moving and powerful piece that is published online regarding his thoughts on the Iraq war and our current leadership. I highly encourage everyone to read it and pass it along to friends.

Day 1869!

Bears and Redskins Stats

Bears on a bye. Redskins beaten soundly. Here are the updated stats:

DEFENSE:

Bears - Number 2 scoring defense (9.8 pts/game - no change), 2nd-ranked defense in terms of yardage/game (243 yds/game - no change).

Redskins - 26th-ranked scoring defense (24 pts/game - down 2 slots), 26th-ranked defense in terms of yardage/game (350 yds/game - down 4 slots).

The Bears have allowed 1 rushing TD this year (tied for #2). The Redskins have allowed 3 rushing TDs (tied for #6).

OFFENSE:

Bears - #1-ranked scoring 0ffense (30 pts/game - up 1 slot), 14th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (325 yds/game - down 1 slot).

Redskins - 18th-ranked scoring offense (20 pts/game - down 3 slots), 13th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (326 yds/game - down 2 slots).

Day 1868!

Redskin Thoughts

No surprise - 'Skins were dominated and defeated by a far superior team. Brunell ended up with 226 yards and 2 TDs, but 70 yards came during trash time on the Redskins' final drive with the game far out of reach. Basically he padded his stats with some screens and short passes.

Gibbs' post-game news conference was odd in that it seemed like he was supporting Brunell. Look, at 2-5 the Redskins still have a chance because they have divisional games and are only 2 games out. But realistically, this is a team that is not going anywhere. They may as well see if Jason Campbell can play.

Why We Have Lost Iraq

Bush is more interested in slogans ("stay the course," "cut and run," "freedom is on the march," etc.), than he is in having a real plan.

It is obvious that Iraq is a disaster and there is no longer a good solution.

60 Minutes reported a story that was initially reported several years ago - but they did a good job filling in details. Bush's incompetence allowed more than $500 million that was earmarked to fight the insurgency in Iraq to be stolen by the folks he put in charge.

To make matters worse, Bush does not want to investigate or hold anyone reponsible. So, our soldiers suffer and die, while the taxpayers got f**ked.

Day 1867!

Sean Taylor . . .

is Bad to the Bone.

Don't ever say I didn't do anything for you Redskin fans.

Here is the Chicago Bears highlight film for this year or you can watch the 1985 Bears.

Redskins Game Pick

9-3 on the year with my picks. Again the Redskins messed me up.

Bears are on a bye, so it is just the Redskins this week.

They will be blown away by Indy. Indy is coming off a bye and traded for McFarland to shore up their run defense. The Redskins D will have trouble as usual, and the offense will try to go to Portis early and often, but it won't work. This will be the day that the Jason Campbell era was ushered into Redskin nation. 31-10 Indy.

You want to see what a good organization that wants to win does - look at what Indy did to get McFarland. The Redskins needed D-line help desperately and did nothing.

Bush's Iraqi Adventure is Done

Bush has botched it so badly that it is just a matter of time now. We are in the midst of the bloodiest month in some time. Former Secretary of State under Bush Sr., James Baker, was visibly upset after visiting Iraq and called it "one helluva mess."

The civil war in Iraq is no place for our soldiers. It is now reported that al-Sadr's militia now controls Amarah, and you can bet that American forces are not about to leave Baghdad given the violence that is erupting there.

It is clear that a new strategy is coming, which will include a timetable for withdrawal.

Bush's Desperation

If you want to see how desperate Bush and the Republicans are to try to maintain control of Congress you couldn't get a better example than what happened yesterday.

Bush was in Pennsylvania stumping for incumbant Republican House member Don Sherwood. Sherwood has a 20 percent approval rating and should lose in November. The reason is simple. Sherwood's adulterous affair was exposed when his mistress called 911 to report that she was being choked and assaulted by Sherwood. He denies the charges and has settled with his mistress, but the damage is done.

So Bush - the standardbearer for God's Party of "family values" - is raising money for this piece of _____ (you fill in the blank). GOP desperation and politics at its best.

Day 1865!

Danny Boy Bashing

Good piece in the Post Metro section today by John Kelly about why the Redskins are losing. Quoting from the article:

What goes around comes around.

And what exactly has gone around?

Well, if you're talking about Redskins owner Dan Snyder -- and I am -- that list would have to include:

Hiking ticket prices, building seats behind pillars at FedEx Field, replacing one strong radio signal with three crummy ones, renting Tom Cruise and basically trying to extract every last nickel from Redskins fans until they're left gasping like fish on a beach, too poor to slake their burning thirst with an overpriced beer.

Lose to the 0-5 Tennessee Titans? It's karma, man.

Keith is Dead On Again

Olbermann's Special Comment on the "Beginning of the End of America."

Here is a video of "the day King George was crowned."

Day 1864!

Problem for Bears D

Pro-Bowl safety Mike Brown suffered ligament damage in his foot and will be out indefinitely. In the past this has been a major problem for the Bears and their defense. Injuries are part of the game and the Bears drafted and traded for defensive secondary help. We'll see what happens.

NFL Power Rankings

CBS Sportsline. Bears #1, Redskins #20

ESPN. Bears #1, Redskins #21

Fox Sports. Bears #1, Redskins #21

The End of American Justice and Moral Authority

Bush signed into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006 yesterday. It essentially gives Bush the power to do away with the writ of habeas corpus, and thus gives him dictatorial power without any checks and balances. Keith explains why the death of habeas corpus - which forms the core basis for American freedom and democracy - is such a bad thing.

People can spin it any way they want, but if you actually read the law, it allows the President - at his sole discretion - to name unlawful enemy combatants. He can then hold them without charge indefinitely and without any due process rights to challenge their detention. They can face aggressive interrogation techniques and if a judge allows, the testimony can be used in a secret trial against the defendent.

I don't see anything American about holding prisoners without charge for as long as the President likes, using aggressive interrogation techniques to obtain confessions, putting them on trial in secret military tribunals, and then sentencing them (possibly to death).

Just as the WWII Japanese detention camps authorized by Roosevelt are a stain on this country, so to will be the case with this badly-written law. History will not be kind.

Iraqi Freedom Marching On!

The Pentagon reported the deaths of 10 more American soldiers yesterday. That means that at least 68 soldiers have died this month so far. It looks like this is shaping up to be the bloodiest month in Iraq since January 2005, when 106 soldiers were killed.

At least we have a clear mission and clear objectives for the Iraqi conflict. Yeah right!

Day 1863!

Bears and Redskins Stats

Bears struggle and survive. Redskins struggle and lose. That is the difference between good teams and bad teams. Here are the updated stats:

DEFENSE:

Bears - Number 2 scoring defense (9.8 pts/game - down 1 slot), 2nd-ranked defense in terms of yardage/game (243 yds/game - up one slot).

Redskins - 24th-ranked scoring defense (23 pts/game - down 2 slots), 22nd-ranked defense in terms of yardage/game (333 yds/game - down 1 slot).

The Bears have allowed 1 rushing TD this year (tied for #2). The Redskins have allowed 3 rushing TDs (tied for #8).

OFFENSE:

Bears - #2-ranked scoring 0ffense (30 pts/game - down 1 slot), 13th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (325 yds/game - down 9 slots).

Redskins - 15th-ranked scoring offense (20 pts/game - up 1 slot), 11th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (326 yds/game - up 1 slot).

DA BEARS!

Unbelievable. Grossman threw 4 interceptions and fumbled twice. The Bears did not score an offensive TD. They were down 23-3 late in the third quarter. Yet they win. Urlacher and the Bears D dominated the last 20 minutes of the game and Devin Hester delivered an 83-yard punt return for a TD.

Grossman sucked and simply would not take the underneath stuff. He forced the ball but it did not matter in the end. The Bears won.

Day 1852!

Piniella to Manage Cubs

What has been expected for a few days looks like it will be officially announced tomorrow. The Cubs will be managed by Lou Piniella. I like the move, but don't think it will make much of a difference if the Cubs don't get another bat and some more arms.

Day 1861!

U.S. Budget Deficit

Many Americans do not understand the National Debt versus the Budget Deficit. The National Debt is the total amount of debt the U.S. has at any given time. The Budget Deficit is the shortfall the U.S. Government has in any given year. If there is a deficit it means that the government spent more money than it took in.

Think about it like this. If you have a $500,000 mortgage, your total debt would be $500,000. But in a given year, you only have to pay for that year's payments. If you could not make all of the payments that year, you would have a deficit in your household budget.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports real economic figures. If you look at Table 1 of the CBO link, in the column that is second from the right, you can see the total annual budget deficits (and surpluses) of the U.S. Government. Here are the figures:

1992: -$290.3 billion (deficit)
2000: $236.2 billion (surplus)
2005: -$318.3 billion (deficit)

It has been reported that the 2006 budget deficit was $248 billion. But it is still a huge deficit.

A quick look at the CBO figures shows that every year under Clinton saw the deficit shrink, until the last three years when we had growing budget surpluses (the government spent less than it took in - a good thing). Clinton's economic record shows an improvement from the $290 billion deficit he inherited to a $236 billion surplus ($536 billion positive turnaround). However, Bush took the $236 billion surplus and has turned it into a $248 billion deficit ($484 billion negative turnaround).

These are facts my friends - not spin.

U.S. GDP Growth

Let's look at the real growth of GDP under Clinton and Bush. This is the best measure of the growth of the U.S. economy.

The actual figures are available at the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Here are the GDP figures:

End of 1992 - $6.48 trillion
End of 2000 - $9.95 trillion
2nd Quarter of 2006 (latest available) - $13.2 trillion.

So under Clinton, GDP grew by $3.47 trillion and under Bush in 6 years it has grown by $3.25 trillion.

However, the percentage growth shows that GDP growth was much faster under Clinton. The economy grew by 53.5 percent [(9.95-6.48)/6.48] under Clinton versus 32.7 percent [(13.2-9.95)/9.95] under Bush.

We will have to see what the final numbers are, but the rate of economic growth is slowing quite rapidly.

Redskins Thoughts

Disappointing game for 'Skins fans. I watched the first half and napped through the second half. I have spoken to JKD, read through summaries of the game, watched the highlights/post-game show, and looked over the numbers. Aside from the final score, here are the key numbers - (1) 178 yards rushing by Travis Henry (Travis Henry?!), (2) 2 Redskin turnovers, 0 Titan turnovers, (3) Frost - 38 yard punt in the fourth quarter with the Redskins at their 19 yard line and the game tied.

Any team that allows a RB to rush for 178 yards against them is likely going to lose. Turnovers are obvious. The short punt had no hang time and was returned 14 yards to the Redskin 43. That just isn't cutting it. It made it easy for the Titans to score the game winning field goal.

The Redskins offense was adequate/solid, but couldn't do anything when it counted in the 4th quarter. The special teams were weak. The defense clearly stinks and has some work to do.

On the other hand, I love Vince and think he is going to be a real star. I would love to see the Redskins lose a couple of more and then start playing Jason Campbell. I am not a fan, but I would love to see what he can do.

U.S. Government Spending

There are a number of great myths that many Republicans have about Clinton's economic performance versus George W. Bush. I have already talked about debt accumulation, but when we look at growth in government spending - Bush wins hands down.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports real economic figures.

If you look at Table 1 of the CBO link, you can see the actual outlays (spending) of the U.S. Government. Here are the outlays:

1992 - $1.38 trillion
2000 - $1.79 trillion
2005 - $2.47 trillion.

The President's FY 2007 budget proposes outlays of $2.77 trillion. After Congress porks up the spending and we add in supplemental spending in Iraq, it will go well over $2.8 trillion by the end of the year. But let's just go with Bush's number.

Using these figures, we can see that government spending under Clinton grew from $1.38 trillion to $1.79 trillion. This comes out to $410 billion more per year than the last year of Bush Sr. But, by the end of this year, George W. Bush will have added about $1 trillion in new annual government spending.

As a percerntage, Clinton grew annual government spending by 29.7 percent [(1.79-1.38)/1.38].
Bush has grown annual government spending by 54.7 percent [(2.77-1.79)/1.79].

U.S. Debt Owed to Foreigners

Because we have to finance our huge National Debt, the annual budget deficits, and our current account deficit, we have to borrow heavily from foreign governments and foreign central banks. The money we get to finance the Debt and deficits is raised through the sale of U.S. Treasury Securities (i.e., government bonds and government notes).

Currently, foreigners hold $2.1 trillion in U.S. Treasury Securities.

Back in 2000 (when George W. Bush took office), foreigners held $1.1 trillion in U.S. Treasury Securities.

Thus, based on the figures provided by the U.S. Treasury Department, over the last six years we have seen sold an additional $1 trillion in U.S. Government Securities. Of particular note, in 2000 China held $71.4 billion in U.S. Treasury Securities and OPEC (which includes Iran) held $43.6 billion. Today, China now holds $332.7 billion and OPEC now holds $103.1 billion.

I have my opinion about the risks and benefits of giving foreigners more control of our debt and thus more control of our economic independence. You can look at the numbers and decide for yourself if you think it is wise.

U.S. National Debt

I have been having a discussion over at MDCons site about U.S. fiscal policy. I now realize that many people simply do not know what the facts are about our economy. For anyone who is interested in facts and is willing to look at actual numbers, here are the National Debt figures provided by the U.S. Treasury Department.

10/12/06 - $8.55 trillion
9/30/05 - $7.93 trillion
9/30/04 - $7.38 trillion
9/30/03 - $6.78 trillion
9/30/02 - $6.23 trillion
9/28/01 - $5.81 trillion
9/28/00 - $5.67 trillion
9/30/92 - $4.06 trillion

Look it up for yourself at the U.S. Treasury Dept.

Unless you believe the U.S. Treasury Dept is lying, you can see the dramatic increase under George W. Bush.

Under Clinton, the National Debt rose from $4.06 trillion to $5.67 trillion. Thus, it rose by a total of $1.61 trillion. This represents a 39.7% increase over Clinton's eight years in office [($5.67 - $4.06)/$4.06].

Under Bush, the National Debt has risen from $5.67 trillion to $8.55 trillion, for a total of $2.88 trillion. This represents a 50.8% increase over the last six years [($8.55 - $5.67)/$5.67]. It is important to note that Bush still has two more years.

Bears and Redskins Picks

8 and 2 this year.

Bears - shouldn't have problems with the Cardinals on Monday night. Larry Fitzgerald is out, the Cardinals O-line is weak and they have a rookie QB. I smell shutout. Bears 27-0.

Redskins. The frustration from last week will be taken out on Vince and Company. I think Vince will make some plays against a porous defense, but the 'Skins shouldn't have any trouble at home this week. I expect a heavy dose of Portis and the running game. Redskins 24-10.

Canadians Battle 10-Foot Marijuana Plants

Troops in Afghanistan struggled to take out huge marijuana plants.

They tried to burn down the plants and quoting from the story:

A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those [forests] did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effects and decided that was probably not the right course of action," Hiller said dryly.

What the story didn't say is that the troops got the munchies, ordered Chinese food and gave up.

Britain Leaving Iraq?

Another piece of good news for our mission in Iraq - the top British Army general is calling for a complete withdrawal from Iraq.

I guess Bushie will accuse the Brits of "cutting and running."

Day 1858!

Redskins and Bears

Well, it looks like we have achieved detente on the Redskins. It sure feels good to have hashed out our opinions and come to a good stopping point . . . until next week.

I saw on CBS Sportsline someone saying the Bears are going to go 16-0. As much of a Bears fan as I am, as good a team as I think they have, and as much as I would love to see that happen, I doubt that will happen. I do think championships are won with defense, but if the Colts could not do it last year it is hard to imagine any team being able to do it.

U.S. Response to North Korea

Basically, Bushie doesn't have any idea what to do. He wants U.N. sactions but there is no reason to believe they will do anything. North Korea's people are starving and they have nothing to lose from conducting their test. Bushie stopped oil/energy shipments in 2002 that were negotiated by the Clinton Administration in 1994. NK immediately kicked out the IAEA inspectors, removed the U.N. seals on their nuclear facilities, turned off the 24-hour suveillance cameras, and began work on their nuclear program. That was in 2002 and Bushie did nothing.

Now Bushie wants to further punish NK, but we are reduced to begging China to do something about NK. They don't look like they will support sanctions. We are in a pathetically weak negotiating position - there is nothing for us to withhold, and no reason for NK to listen to us.

I did hear one of the most idiotic suggestions from Sean Hannity. He said we should threaten to withhold the Olympics if China didn't solve the problem. First of all, the U.S. does not "own" the Olympics. We could choose to not send athletes. Second, even if we "owned" the Olympics, what difference would it make? Yeah, China we aren't going to send you pommel horses and track hurdles. Oh, Hannity you and your foreign policy suggestions.

Another Record Trade Deficit

August saw the U.S. set another record monthly trade deficit - $69.9 billion. More American wealth leaving our shores - nice job Bushie! The good news is that with oil prices declining we should see the deficit shrink somewhat.

Day 1857!

Bushie's War on American Freedom

The Death of Habeas Corpus is yet another Bushie "accomplishment." Nice job by Keith Olbermann describing the impact on American rights and freedoms.

Day 1856!

Republican Brokeback Mountain?

Republican Rep. Jim Kolbe took two 17-year old male pages with him on a three day camping into the Grand Canyon in 1996.

Kolbe is the only openly gay Republican Representative and probably nothing happened. Apparently there were others on the trip, but given the Foley scandal anything with pages is going to face extra scrutiny.

Redskin Discussion

OK, we have been back and forth about the 'Skins for a couple of weeks.

I contend that there is a significant difference in talent between the Bears and Redskins and that the Redskins simply do not have the talent to win. The mostly-overpaid talent that has been brought in is weak and/or does not seem to fit their schemes - that is why I argue the organization is bad.

I want to ask one question. Who is responsible for the Redskins poor play thus far in the season?

Let's try to keep the responses short and to the point. And Deepie, quit with the name calling - it is getting old.

Power Rankings

CBS Sportsline. Bears #1, Redskins #17

ESPN. Bears #1, Redskins at about #20

Yahoo! Sports. Bears #1, Redskins in the "Muddled Middle"

North Korea - Another Bushie Blunder

Apparently NK tested a nuclear device this past weekend. In the past, Bushie has called NK part of the "Axis of Evil" and said that he would not "tolerate" NK having a nuclear bomb.

Well now they have one and Bushie cannot figure out how to respond. He talked tough and now is painted into a corner. We are not going to launch a nuclear strike or a bombing campaign into NK. China doesn't want the refugees and Seoul is near the border so nuclear fallout would impact millions of South Koreans.

I heard the right-wingers blaming Clinton for the NK mess. When Clinton left office NK had no nukes and we had UN cameras working in their nuclear facilities. In late 2002, NK turned off UN surveillance cameras and did not allow IAEA inspectors to inspect their plutonium producing facilities. That was the time for Bushie to do something, but he didn't. Now we have a rogue state that is producing nukes and all the Bushies can do is cry about how Clinton didn't solve the problem.

Chalk up another major security blunder on the Bush Administration.

Day 1855!

Bears and Redskins Stats

Bears roll. Defense was awesome and the running game is starting to go. Redskins were man-handled by the Giants. Here are the updated stats (I am cutting down the stats to the team numbers):

DEFENSE:

Bears - Number 1 scoring defense (7.2 pts/game - no change), 3rd-ranked defense in terms of yardage/game (235 yds/game - up one slot).

Redskins - 22nd-ranked scoring defense (22 pts/game - up 2 slots), 21st-ranked defense in terms of yardage/game (331 yds/game - down 6 slots).

The Bears have allowed 1 rushing TD this year (tied for #2). The Redskins have allowed 2 rushing TD (tied for #8).

OFFENSE:

Bears - #1-ranked scoring 0ffense (31 pts/game - up 2 slots), 4th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (356 yds/game - up 2 slots).

Redskins - 16th-ranked scoring offense (19 pts/game - down 6 slots), 12th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (330 yds/game - down 9 slots).

Bears and Redskins

There can be little question about the dominance of the Bears. They scored on their first 5 possessions and rolled 40-7. I don't care who you are playing, to get points on 5 straight possessions is just solid football. The only negative - if you could call it that - was that the shutout was lost in the final minute of the game.

The Redskins are a highly-flawed football team and it showed against the Giants. They were soundly beaten by what appeared to be a far superior team. The Redskins defense was porous as it has been all year. Brunell looked old and tired and the offense really couldn't get anything going. LaVar didn't do much, but he didn't need to. At least the Redskins get to take out their frustration on Tennessee next week.

Day 1853!

Evil Empire Thoughts

No, I am not referring to the Redskins.

The Yankees are down 2 games to 1 against the Tigers. The Yankee pitching is letting them down, and yet again, A-Rod is blowing it. The Tigers have two shots to win out and knock off the Yanks. Let's see what happens.

Day 1852!

Bears and Redskins predictions

6 and 2 on the year.

Bears - Chicago won't have any trouble against the Bills at home. Bears 24 - Bills 3

Redskins - The Giants D is going to have to play better than it has been. But I expect that they will put pressure on Brunell and make him look old. Of course there is the interesting Arrington subplot. If the game were at RFK, I would go Redskins, but the Giants will do enough to win at home. Giants 24 - Redskins 14.

Bizarre Courtroom Behavior

This dude actually apologized for spreading his feces around a courtroom. WTF?

Keith is Dead On Again

Great Special Comment by Keith Olbermann on Bushie's lies.

Frankly, I am tired of Bushie and the Republicans saying that Dems and half the American public coddle terrorists. It is ridiculous on its face, but is meant to whip up anger from his base and divide the country in an effort to hold power.

Here is the video of Keith's Commentary.

Day 1851!

Dr. Z's Rankings

Bears #1. The Redskins #10. You Redskin fans are probably having a wet dream right now.

The FBI Knew About Foley in July

The Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) sent the Dept. of Justice a letter asking that Foley be investigated by the FBI. This was back on July 21. Apparently, our Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was too busy thinking up new ways to justify torture to be bothered with investigating a pedophile in the House of Representatives.

Now CREW is asking why the FBI did not act. The American people have a right to know.

Day 1849!

CBS Sportsline Rankings

CBS Sportsline. Bears #2, Redskins #15

Yahoo! Sports. Bears #1, Redskins at about #13 - you Redskin fans will love this ranking.

More Condoliar Rice B.S.

Turns out that Rice's spokesman did confirm that the CIA informed Rice two months before 9/11 that something was about to happen. Tenet said she just blew him off (figuratively). She maintains that she does not recall that meeting (right!).

However, former Attorney General John Ashcroft said he was disappointed that he was not notified of any such domestic threat. So Condoliar totally blew it. Nothing new - just more evidence of negligent incompetence.

Rep. Foley Engaged in Internet Sex . . .

while waiting on the House floor to vote on a bill. Man, the guy couldn't wait until he was in private. Given that he is now blaming alcohol, I wonder if he was also drunk on the House floor.

Bushie is Hilarious

He says that Democrats shouldn't be trusted to run Congress.

Yeah, let's leave it to the pedophile protectors who serve in the House Republican leadership - they are more trustworthy.

NFL Rankings

I see that JKD and Deepie already started the discussion. Here are the latest power rankings:

ESPN. Bears #1, Redskins #17

I will have to put up Dr. Z and CBS Sportsline rankings tomorrow when they are updated. However, it is clear that the consensus pick for #1 seems to be the Bears.

Speaker Hastert on Pedophile Foley

The Speaker of the House says that he and his leadership did nothing wrong. They knew about "friendly" emails that Foley was sending to underage pages, but chose to ignore them. What a bunch of B.S.

Quoting from a Yahoo! story, "Hastert said he does not recall being told last spring by Rep. Tom Reynolds, the House GOP campaign chairman, about the questionable e-mail, but he doesn't dispute Reynolds' account."

Republicans have seen warning signs about Foley for 5 YEARS! They have been warning pages about Foley since 2001. Yet they did nothing.

That is why the conservative Washington Times calls for Hastert to step down.

If you are curious about what the sick bastard was writing to underage pages, here are some transcripts.

Day 1848!

Colin Powell Book

More trouble for the President. The tell-all book confirms that Bushie fired Powell and never actually asked him for his opinion about Iraq - even though he was a general who had been Joint Chiefs Chair during the first Gulf War.

Mark Foley Video

What a freaking hypocrite. Here he is with O'Reilly.

Here is the ABC News video about the scandal.

Bears the Best in the NFC

Get used to that pose. The Bears made a statement last night as they destroyed the Seahawks. The praise is going to be coming in this week in the form of the power rankings.

The Bears are clearly the best in the NFC and now are in the driver seat for home field in the playoffs.

Pedophile Excuse

Republican Mark Foley, who resigned because he was discovered to be a pedophile, is now making excuses. In a written statement he writes:

"I strongly believe that I am an alcoholic and have accepted the need for immediate treatment for alcoholism and related behavioral problems."

That is just setting up an excuse - "I am sorry, I didn't know what I was doing because I had too much beer." If he wants to really come clean, why not just say "I am a sick pedophile who liked to chase young boys."

Condoliar Rice Cannot Remember . . .

being told by the CIA of an impending al Qaeda attack. What a joke.

Day 1847!

Bears and Redskins Stats

Bears made a statement, Redskins survive. The games were good wins in their own ways to each team. Here are the updated stats:

DEFENSE:

Bears - Number 1 scoring defense (7.3 pts/game - up 3 slots), 4th-ranked defense in terms of yardage/game (257 yds/game - no change).

Redskins - 24th-ranked scoring defense (23 pts/game - down 4 slots), 15th-ranked defense in terms of yardage/game (311 yds/game - no change).

The Bears have allowed 1 rushing TD this year (tied for #3). The Redskins have allowed 2 rushing TD (tied for #8).

OFFENSE:

Bears - 3th-ranked scoring 0ffense (29 pts/game - up 4 slots), 8th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (358 yds/game - down 1 slot).

Redskins - 10th-ranked scoring offense (23 pts/game - up 5 slots), 3rd-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (372 yds/game - up 9 slots).

QB COMPARISON:

Rex Grossman ranked 5th (100.8 QB rating, 62% completion percentage, 1061 yds, 8 TD, 3 Int). Mark Brunell ranked 10th (94.2 QB rating, 65% completion percentage, 950 yds, 4 TD, 2 Int.

RB COMPARISON:

Thomas Jones ranked 12th (279 yards, 2 TDs, 0 fumbles, 7 receptions for 22 yds). Clinton Portis ranked 22nd (237 yards, 4 TDs, 0 fumbles, 6 receptions for 117 yds).

RED ZONE:

The Bears have been in the RZ 9 times and come away with 2 TDs and 6 field goals (22% TD conversion rate). They have allowed teams into the RZ 4 times on defense and given up 1 TD and 2 field goals. Redskins have been in the RZ 8 times and come away with 3 TD and 3 field goals (38% TD conversion rate). They have allowed 7 RZ drives by opponents yielding 5 TDs and 2 field goals.

Bears and Redskins

Bears were simply dominating. Showed why they are a favorite to win the NFC.

Redskins. Obviously a good offensive day but the defense continues its struggles. Middle of the pack team, but they are rising.

For Republicans its Politics over Safety

Turns out that Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and other Republican leaders knew that Representative Foley was a pedophile months ago but did nothing. Rather than rooting out the sick bastard, Hastert and his crew were complicit in covering it up so that "God's Party" wouldn't look bad.

Clearly having a pedophile hunting down children who are serving as congressional pages is not problem for this corrupt gang.

Day 1846!