Saturday, April 25, 2009

Fuzzy Torture Techniques

President Barack Obama has released part of the torture memos. Rep. John Shimkus (IL-19) has seen the memos just like everyone else by now. For him, the jury is still out. He still doesn't know if the techniques (i.e., waterboarding) are torture. For anyone else with a conscience (and a modicum of common sense and decency), the decision is quite simple.

These memos show that what happened at Abu Graib and what happened at Guantanamo were not some bad apples, these were decisions made at the highest levels of our government.
In an interview with WSIL TV, McLeansboro, Shimkus simply dismissed and clumsily justified the contents of the memos: Now the cats out of the bag, now we ought to see if this was helpful and again protecting us from further attack or with what people are talking about a second wave.

Shimkus wants Pres. Obama to release all the documents to be fair because his friend, Former Vice president Dick Cheney, says there are memos documenting the success of torture (the torture that Shimkus does not identify with). So Shimkus has a suggestion: Get Congress involved to weigh in on the issues: We have credible members of congress who've had limbs broken, hung upside down on meat hooks, you name it. They know what torture is, let them be part of this debate about whether enhanced interrogation is torture.

For a butter bar that spent his entire time as an XO in the Fulda Gap in the early 1980s, this thought process would make sense. It makes sense to those lacking in common sense.

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Tuesday, April 07, 2009

The Last Illinois Medal of Honor Recipient

Russell Dunham lived quietly in Jerseyville, Illinois. To look at this 89-year-old man, no one would ever realize that he had been injured in France during World War II. He received the highest congressional honor for those injuries in 1945.

According to the citation, Mr. Dunham spearheaded a successful diversionary attack against the Germans by throwing a grenade. Few people survive such experiences let alone live so long to die of heart failure in their own home.

Mr. Dunham passed away on April 06, 2009. He was the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient in Illinois.

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Saturday, April 04, 2009

Shameful Shimkus Notoriety

It has been several days (and not the first time) since the country heard Rep. John Shimkus (IL-19) spew foolish comments regarding natural science. The story just will not die.

On a more positive note. The Democratic Party could use Rep. Shimkus as an excellent justification for keeping science completely separate from political discourse.

Meanwhile, IL-19 voters have ANOTHER reason for keeping this man embarrassing man out of office. People outside of the state are more vocal with a question asked after every election:

What were you thinking?!
Update: And the hits just keep coming.

Thank you Bill Maher for
speaking so honestly. Also commenting in the video was Reihan Salam, an Atlantic associate editor and a conservative: Shimkus is a nut boot him off the committee.

No argument there.

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Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Illinois Folly

In response to Rep. John Shimkus (IL-19) pretending to understanding environmental science, Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann took note.

Maddow transcript

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN SHIMKUS (R-IL): Today, we have about 288 parts per million in the atmosphere. I think in the age of dinosaurs, where we had more flora and fauna, we were probably at 4,000 parts per million. There is a theological debate that this is a carbon star planet, not too much carbon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADDOW: In other words, we shouldn‘t bother trying to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere because the dinosaurs did just fine with the tons of carbon that God gave them for their atmosphere. Also, the dodo bird ate plenty of cholesterol. And the saber tooth tiger never, ever flossed. Stop worrying, people.

Keith Olbermann also named Shimkus last night's "Worst Person In The World" (the relevant section begans at the 3:15 mark):

[video]

Olbermann transcript

But our winner, Congressman John Shimkus, Republican of Illinois, with two fascinating and utterly contradictory statements. A, Congressman Shimkus on why there isn‘t global warming. “Today we have about 388 parts per million of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere. I think in the age of the dinosaurs, when we had most flora and fauna, we were probably at 4,000 parts per million. There‘s a theological debate that this is a carbon-starved planet, not too much carbon.”

Number one, Carbon and Carbon Dioxide are not the same thing. Number two, the only theological debate over how much carbon the plan needs would be taking place in the church of the Labrea Tar Pits. Number three, didn‘t the freaking dinosaurs go extinct? Or do they just have a bad public relations person?

But I‘m digressing. B, Congressman Shimkus on why it doesn‘t matter anyway. “The Earth will end only when God declares it‘s time to be over. A man will not destroy this Earth. This Earth will not be destroyed by a flood. I appreciate having panelists here who are men of faith, and we can get into the theological discourse of that position. But I do believe that God‘s word is infallible, unchanging, perfect.”

So a man pressing a button to start a nuclear war, that would be God‘s infallible word? Why do we bother trying to govern? Can‘t he do something about the budget deficit? By the way, as you hit me over the head with your Bible, Congressman, there ain‘t a word in it about those dinosaurs you mentioned earlier.

Congressman John Shimkus of Illinois, today‘s worst person in the world! Dinosaurs.

Naturally Progress Illinois as been keeping score on the infamous jester of IL-19. Yes. There he is. The perennial fool of IL compliments of a national network.

Are his constituents proud or what??

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