Yes, It's Twofer Wednesday!

Missed Twofer Tuesday entirely, I did. 'Twofer' means the old advertese of "Two For The Price of One." I've been posting over on The Democratic Daily for the past few weeks by kind invitation of TDD's proprietor, the indefatigable Pamela Leavey, and, in attempting to maintain a proper decorum, there's a bit of schizophrenia in remembering to write in a more dignified, bloggerly manner.

Shorter, lotsa cites; a slightly more Wolcottish Coquettery. Vox bloguli, Vox Dei. (I could'a been a contendah ... )

(stay tuned immediately after the first blog for the special bonus TWOFER blog on the occupation ... "war".)

Domestic Terrorist Press Quippings

NOT a terrorist, according to the mainstream press, even though he's a religious fanatic bomber:

Liberty student arrested on bomb charges

By SUE LINDSEY
Associated Press Writer

A Liberty University student who told a family member he had made bombs and planned to attend the funeral of the Rev. Jerry Falwell was apparently upset about an anti-gay fringe group that protested at the funeral, authorities said....

Google News searches:

terrorist = 54,360

falwell bombs funeral = 1,064

falwell bombs funeral terrorist = 4

Meantime:

Top Hillary Campaign Contributor has Terrorist Connection
Accuracy In Media (= David Horowitz group)

By Tom Fitton | May 23, 2007

Hillary Clinton recently crowned Palestinian lobbyist Hani Masri, as one of her coveted "Hillraisers," for bringing more than $100,000 into her presidential campaign in the first quarter alone. Marsi [sic], who also hosted a secret $50,000 fundraiser at his Washington, D.C. home for Hillary's Senate 2000 campaign, was a close associate of the late Palestinian terrorist leader Yassar Arafat. Arafat was responsible for the murder of Americans and thousands of other innocents, including children.

... When questioned on the Masri connection, the Clinton campaign was unapologetic.

(How's that for "fair and balanced"?)

But, the SAME mainstream press that doesn't find anything 'terrorist' in a Falwell follower planning to bomb anyone protesting Falwell's funeral DOES report THIS (via the San Diego Union and its "header"):

War on Terror
Federal government seeks terrorist label for 10 arsonists facing sentencing in Oregon

By Jeff Barnard
ASSOCIATED PRESS

6:25 a.m. May 15, 2007

EUGENE, Ore. – Their guilt isn't in question. The six men and four women already admitted being involved in a series of arson fires that did $40 million in damage to research facilities, a ski resort and other businesses in the West...

Google news search 'terrorist Oregon' = 479

And, one notes, that the pipe bomb found outside the abortion clinic in Austin Texas last month was not characterized as "terrorism" in the mainstream press. From MSNBC:

Bomb found in Texas abortion clinic parking lot
Police safely detonate explosive device; area providers urged to be vigilant

Updated: 12:03 a.m. PT April 27, 2007

AUSTIN, Texas - A bomb was left in a duffel bag in the parking lot of a clinic where abortions are performed, but a bomb squad safely detonated it.

(See? Nothing to see here. Move along. Move along. How positively odd from a press corps[e] that becomes utterly ecstatic at puffing up the slightest fear into a boogie man of colossal proportions.)

Google search (not news):

austin texas abortion bomb = 361,000

austin texas abortion bomb terrorist = 144,000*

"Terrorist" -- in the press was almost universally mentioned ONLY as in:

"A team of local and federal police agencies, working under the Joint Terrorism Task Force, is investigating the incident." Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Here is the (peripheral) mention in the vast majority of all MSM stories, the only mention of "terror" or "terrorism" in nearly all cases (emphasis added):

Carter said the device was in a "carry-all type bag", but Austin police and the FBI would not provide more details on the device and its makeup. The Joint Terrorism Task Force was investigating, Carter said.(CNN)

And

The Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force -- made up of federal, state and local law enforcement authorities -- arrested Paul Ross Evans, who authorities said was on parole for an unspecified crime. (Reuters)

(And ONLY in the AP photo caption??!?):

Evans was arrested by the Terrorism Task Force, made up of state, local and federal law enforcement officers, including the FBI and is in federal custody according to the Austin Police Department.(AP)

(The majority of actual "terrorist" citations are blogs, naturally. And mostly asking HOW COME THIS WASN'T CALLED 'TERRORISM'?)

Usage of the term "terrorist" seems analogous to the manner in which Faux Nooz has trademarked "Fair and Balanced"-- a sales slogan, not a rational description.

Courage.

(Special BONUS BLOG! Collect the whole series!)

Troops Being Quietly Doubled in Iraq

I received this link from a friend whose son is about to be re-deployed to Iraq. My son is already there, I'm fairly certain.

They hide the troops going over. They hide the coffins coming back. What's worse is that it no longer surprises us.

It seems so very, very far away from that stolen election in 2000 and Nader's cry that there wasn't any difference between the two parties.

Second Iraq Troop Surge Starts
By Stewart M. Powell
Hearst Newspapers

Monday 21 May 2007

US quietly doubling combat troop numbers.

Washington - The Bush administration is quietly on track to nearly double the number of combat troops in Iraq this year, an analysis of Pentagon deployment orders showed Monday.

This "second surge" of troops in Iraq, which is being executed by extending tours for brigades already there and by deploying more units, could boost the number of combat troops to as many as 98,000 by the end of this year. When support troops are included, the total number of U.S. troops in Iraq could increase from 162,000 now to more than 200,000 - the most ever - by the end of the year.

The efforts to reinforce U.S. troops in Iraq are being carried out without the fanfare that accompanied President Bush's initial troop surge in January.

Retired Army Maj. Gen. William Nash, the U.S. commander who led NATO troops into Bosnia in late 1995, when asked to comment on the analysis of deployment orders, said: "It doesn't surprise me that they're not talking about it. I think they would be very happy not to have any more attention paid to this." (more)

And it's only about salving the ego of the mad "commander guy," and his complicit cronies.

(It's too bad that Greek tragedies can't be confined to the stage; to watch them played out in real life is just too damned sad to comment on.)

Courage.