REAL DEAL ALERT!!!!!!!!!!

Hey kids. This is going to be short, sweet and to the point. I've been working on something re: Gonzales and that mess, but think that this may just be a wee bit more important right now.

The crash that we have been talking about for the life of this blog may truly be upon us, any time now. No, I'm not saying that because the DOW dove yesterday and appears to be doing the same thing today. I'm saying that because of the one thread that has held this phony economy of ours together for so long, CREDIT, is about to be cut off. When that happens, it's Katie bar the door time. It will be time to hunker down and take care of yourself and those whom you care about. It WILL get wild. Can you imagine if the average American, who is already in debt up to their eyeballs, is not able to borrow 10 grand to maintain their current lifestyles? Can you predict how they will react when Bill, their next door neighbor and the head of the bank tells them "no" when they ask for that car loan? Or grocery loan? I can offer a guess, probably an accurate one, but I don't really want to think about it.

Why do I say this? The main reason, actually 2 reasons, is the falling apart of the sale of Chrysler, and the same with the largest drug company in Britain. These purchases could not be completed because the consortiums put together to purchase these companies COULD NOT BORROW THE BILLIONS that they offered to purchase the companies. And no, these are not your typical bust out guys like myself who would be tossed out the door immediately after asking for a $500,000 loan during boom times. Instead, these are people who put together deals such as the Chrysler deal together on a routine basis. And they have been told NO DEAL, NO LOAN. The credit industry is shutting the door, and when it inevitably closes on the American people, it will be 1929 all over again. Only this time it will be played out with Uzi's and assault rifles tossed into the mix.

So, hang on to your hats and keep your eye on the financial news over the next little while. Look for what does not happen (such as buyouts) as much as what does happen, and you will get an inkling of what to expect. The hedge funds are exploding quicker than the housing market, the derivatives market is and has been in shambles for quite some time, on and on and on. Most importantly, keep your eye on China and what they attempt to buy, or do buy in the near future. I've told you many times over that they own us, and we are soon to learn that they are the only country on earth with enough "money" to stay afloat.

I do wish that I was a good enough writer to coherently state exactly what is happening, but I am not. Finance is not really my bag, but I can smell a fire when one is burning. It just so happens that this is a huge wild fire, one that a moron like me cannot even miss. So, oil your weapons and lock your doors. The day of reckoning is likely near.

I will keep everyone updated as things evolve,

Cyclone

Oh, and please read everything you can find on this subject, written by people (unlike me) who can explain this crap a whole lot better. Especially about hedge funds, derivative markets, buyouts, credit, etc.

Cy

Another Cyclone Rant

I’m tired of it, all of it. What is Cyclone tired of, you might ask? Well, I’m gonna tell you. Just so you’ll know, the list might be kind of long. I don’t know yet because I’m working off the top of my head here. If I actually wrote it down, I’d probably blow my brains out before I finished. So, instead of leaving that mess for someone else to clean up, I’m just going for it.

I’m tired of “the Decider” claiming to decide things for me when in reality he is only deciding not to change anything he’s already decided. I’m tired of having a stubborn moron with an IQ of 80 deciding that I have to read about one more kid dying or getting his legs blown off in Iraq, in MY NAME, because some fool doesn’t know when to fold ‘em. Don’t fret, it’s in your name too because we won’t do anything about it, nor will we elect anyone who will. I'm tired of the Decider saying he' s listening to the general's on the ground when he has to shop for new ones every few months to find some who will agree with him. I’m especially tired of it when this “war” is being fought over oil, and last week I paid $2.46 for a gallon of gas and this week I’m paying $3.24, for no good reason. They bought the stuff in the last fiscal quarter, so unless their tank ran dry last Friday I’m being taken to the cleaners. I’m tired of the answer to that crisis being the invention of something called NOPEC, which some group of phony nimrods in the good old boys club is claiming will hold accountable all those Arabs who are screwing us. I’d feel better if they called it BPPEC or MOBILPEC or something. I'm tired of the Democrats not having the balls to de-fund this debacle in the desert, because the Decider says that the history books will show that we "lost" this war; they all know that we "lost" much more than a war the day we went in. I'm tired of the White House leaking a report saying that Al Qaeda is as strong or stronger than they were in 2001, a position agreed to by all intelligence experts, only to have the Decider say in a speech the next day that it is all a bunch of BS, that they are NOT stronger. I’m tired of the Vampire Dick Cheney, and maybe at least as much his wife. The odds of two people that evil meeting and falling in love at an early age have to be astronomical. I should have won the lottery or have been struck by lightening at least a dozen times before that's allowed to happen. I’m tired of having a Director of Homeland Security who tells me to be vigilant because he has a “gut feeling” that something “might happen this summer,” but no hard intelligence mind you. How about at least some “soft intelligence?” Now if something does happen, I’m going to have no choice but to wonder whether he, the Decider or the Vampire and his wife had something to do with it. I’m tired of having an entire Justice Department run by a guy who thinks he’s STILL the personal lawyer of the Decider, and refusing to represent ME, his true client. I’m tired of paying out the butt for health insurance and then receiving bills in the mail for stuff they don’t cover, usually a pretty hefty amount. I’m also tired of hearing about 40+ million people who are a helluva lot worse off than I am, those who have no insurance when we will have spent over a TRILLION dollars in Iraq before it’s all said and done. That’s a lot of zero’s, and could have paid for a lot of Doctor's visits. I’m tired of being told that the economy is great when the DOW keeps setting records while I have less money no matter how hard I work. I'm tired of being told in the next breath that I probably won't get the Social Security that I'm entitled to because we're broke. I'm tired of it taking 6 months to get a passport when they have only known the date that the rules were changing for 3 years and can't figure out how to do it right. I'm tired of corporations telling me what to buy, when to buy it, and what I can and cannot do. I’m tired of having a Constitution, which has served us pretty well for a couple of hundred years being stomped on and ignored by the above mentioned folks. I’m tired of a Supreme Court dead set on re-writing the damned thing. I’m tired of being told that everything that is imported from China might just kill me or my dog, when two thirds of everything I see has “Made in China” stamped all over it. I’m tired of an education system that does everything BUT educate, it’s more like a large group of “think they are adults” day care centers. I’m tired of hearing about how we are creating jobs when I see qualified people drawing unemployment because they make more than they would if they accepted the jobs that are being created. Good people too, not a bunch of lazy welfare mom’s. I’m tired of houses costing more than anyone can ever pay for them, and now can't sell them when they have to. I’m tired of the banks stealing them back from these same people. I’m tired of spending a minimum of $50 every time I walk out of the house. I’m tired of judges who think they are God. I’m tired of Democrats making promises that they refuse to keep, and I’m tired of them STILL blaming it on the Republicans. I’m tired of hearing about how bad “benchmarks” are, when they are really the only thing that we ever really see that helps us. I'm tired of the death penalty, where we spend $6 million dollars killing someone 20+ years after a crime when we could have locked them up for the rest of their lives for $1 million. I’m tired of Sara Taylor answering every fifth question asked by Congress, and everybody else answering with, "I don't recall" like they are a bunch of FBI agents or something. I’m tired of the Harriet Miers' of the world deciding they won’t show up when they are handed a subpoena by the Congress of MY COUNTRY, because the Decider tells her not to, when you and I would go directly to jail without passing go for doing the same thing. And YES, mr. Decider, this is MY COUNTRY too. I'm tired of the Scooter Libby's of the world walking away scot free because they are willing to sell their souls to the devil and lie for and protect the criminals who lead him. I'm tired of hearing about an election that is over a year and a half away, when I've already heard about it nonstop for four months. I'm tired of the Media swallowing this crap hook, line and sinker and making me hear about it 24/7. I'm tired of having a Commander in Chief that is so mentally unstable that one MUST wonder if he is actually a human being or some alien creature. I'm REALLY tired of hearing the name Karl Rove. I'm tired of the overall, utter incompetence in EVERY area. But, I’m mostly tired of the American people sitting back and taking this crap, while forcing the rest of the world to watch it.

And, I’m tired of the pothole a block and a half from my house that has become the size of a golf green. I pay taxes, so fix the damned thing before I lose my car in it.

Cyclone

Plamegate's Final Chapter, Maybe?

The outing of Valerie Plame began Cyclone’s Real Deal and I feel like I have to visit the Scooter Libby saga one more time.

George W. Boosh has finally pissed off EVERYONE with his commutation of the Libby jail sentence. The left is pissed because the revenge they seek will not be exacted by Bubba in a jail cell. The right is pissed because Libby did not receive the full pardon that he “deserves,” and people in the middle are pissed just because everyone else is. Breaking down what actually happened and the repercussions of this action is what we will do today.


Boosh the Genius or Just Dumb Luck?

By commuting Libby’s jail sentence rather than issuing a full pardon for now, Boosh is playing to both sides. I cannot imagine why, unless someone actually thought it out. Since preplanning things is not a Boosh strongsuit, and he claims he didn't discuss this with the justice department beforehand, (or even if he did) I'm not sure this is a planned result. But, he did what he did, and depending upon one’s perspective it was either a stroke of genius or dumb luck that put him, the Vamp, and Libby in the best possible position. I’m betting on the latter, dumb luck, unless Karl Rove did the actual orchestration of this debacle. Here’s what I mean.

First, Boosh claimed that Libby was still paying a “high price” for his crimes. He had to pay a $250,000 fine, and serve probation for a couple of years, and couldn't practice law anymore. Well, the quarter of a million was no big deal as Fred Thompson’s “Libby Defense Fund” had a hell of a lot more money in it than that, and it is unlikely that Libby will ever actually be on probation. For one to be on probation, they have to serve some jail time first. Since Libby was never booked into the system, it is likely illegal for him to be placed on probation. As for his law license, he won't lose that before his appeal is over and he will be pardoned before then anyway. So, maybe buying Libby's silence is cheaper than Boosh claims.

Secondly, and most importantly, (listen up you dumbassed right wingers) Libby still has an appeal pending. Because of that, which incidentally would have removed the appeal if he were given a full pardon, Libby cannot be forced to testify before Congress. He will, if called, merely claim his 5th amendment privilege in order to not answer the questions that could get us to the heart of this matter, under the guise of “protecting” his appeal. An appeal, by the way, that two Republican judges said had no chance of success in the opinion issued on his appeal of going to jail immediately. And, an appeal that will last longer than Booshco is in office. So, it’s win-win for Libby and the ignorant right who can’t recognize a gift horse when they are handed one, and lose-lose for those of us who want to see what Cheney and Boosh’s roles in all of this really were. Granted, deep in our souls we already know what their roles were, but it needs to be opened up in Congressional hearings for the average American who gets their weekly news from the Sunday paper headlines. So, once again, the truth is thwarted by Booshco, either intentionally or by total accident.

What Will Happen Next


From Day One of this investigation, I told you that the ultimate target of this whole thing was the Vampire Cheney. Nothing has changed along those lines, and if there is a way to get there Fitz will do it. He will be called to testify before Congress, and will immediately dispel the right wing talking points that there was no underlying crime and that Libby should never have been prosecuted in the first place. The White House and the conservatives want you to believe that because Richard Armitage was the initial “leaker,” and that Fitzgerald knew that long before Scooter entered the picture, that there was no underlying crime and that this was a runaway prosecution that just wanted to get “poor somebody” to justify the money and time spent on this investigation. While it is true that Armitage was the “leaker,” and that Fitz did know that prior to Libby’s involvement, it entirely misses the point, which is this.

Did the Vice President or the President order the outing of Valerie Plame as revenge for Joseph Wilson’s stating that the reasons for going to war with Iraq were bogus? That is THE QUESTION, and unfortunately, the only way to get the answer is through Scooter Libby. I think it is clear that this is exactly what happened, and no non-partisan look at the evidence can bring one to any other conclusion. The point of all of this was summed up in one line by Patrick Fitzgerald, when he said, “Libby threw sand in the face of the umpire.” You see, when Libby refused to tell the truth and chose to protect his boss and his bosses’ boss, the investigation ground to a halt. With no where else to turn, Fitzgerald did the only thing he could by prosecuting Libby for obstruction of justice and perjury. His hope was, that assuming he could get a conviction, at some point either right before or shortly after Libby heard the jail door slam shut behind him he would break and tell the truth. It was all he could do at the time, and then hope that the stars aligned and that jail would bring Libby to his senses. Of course, he also knew that a pardon or commutation was likely, so this was a long shot at best.

When Fitzgerald testifies before Congress, you will hear the Republicans blast away at him about continuing an investigation without an “underlying crime” being committed, and about continuing the investigation when he already knew who the “leaker” was. I suggest that all of you listen closely to his answers, and you will see that Libby was merely a means to an end. The truth will come out, though not in the way we all hoped (with Cheney in belly chains) but through the voice of Patrick Fitzgerald. He will tell the story we all want to hear, and that will have to satisfy us as justice.

In one of the first pieces I did at the very beginning of Cyclone’s Real Deal, I did something about Jail for Libby, who cares? I meant that then, and I still do. Whether or not Scooter Libby ever spends a day in jail, and now he won’t, didn’t matter in the least. What matters, and has always mattered, is how the Vampire Cheney and probably Boosh (if he was even consulted) chose to out the identity of a CIA agent. By doing so, they put the lives of countless CIA operatives who ever had any contact with Ms. Plame in dire jeopardy; we will never know the true fallout of this choice made simply for revenge against her husband. We will never know how many people in the Plame network have been killed, had their careers ended, or what it has done to our national security. We will never know the fallout of people from other countries thinking twice about becoming double agents and acting on our behalf for fear of being outed themselves. It takes many years to set up an operation such as the one that Plame was involved in, and it was washed away with a simple phone call to a reporter. And in the end, once justice is quashed for good, Boosh will give Libby the full pardon that the right believes he deserves.

This administration, which claims that the security of the American people is their top priority, has proven over and over that the opposite is true. They have their own secret agenda, and you and I and the rest of the typical American people are not even a passing thought in that agenda. These pathetic bastards don’t care one iota about us, never have and never will. They can’t even build a damn fence. The saddest part about it all is it is too late to matter now. It doesn't matter because,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Not Sure How I Got Here, I Just Can't Help Myself

Forget Scooter Libby, forget Valerie Plame, forget border security, forget the economy, and forget Iraq just for a second. If you recall, I told you a long time ago that aside from the 2000 election the 2004 election was the most important one of my lifetime. For the next 50 or so years, assuming we survive that long, we will live what I was talking about. You that think there is no difference in the Republicans and Democrats are for the most part correct. But where you are not correct is the one place that the most damage can be done, and the one place that people think of the least. The single most important reason that a Democrat HAD to win the 2004 election was to prevent George W. Boosh and the Republican Congress from stacking the Supreme Court with conservatives, something that they have now managed to do. Young conservatives at that. So, we will now pay the price, giving up our liberties a chunk at a time as decisions come down that allow the corporations take over what little they don’t already control. If you thought we were a corporatocracy before, just wait a little longer. You haven’t seen anything yet.

Cyclone

Cyclone Saves the Republican Party (Gag)

The Republican Party is in deep shit, and is likely too far down to make a comeback in my lifetime. One can only hope so, anyway. But, there are a couple of ways they can play this to try to salvage something from the mess that they have created for themselves. Both options, of course, revolve around the Boosh administration, specifically, the Vampire Dick Cheney. Here we go.

Option 1:

Maintain the insane status quo and write off being a viable political force as a party for the next several decades. The current crop of Senators and members of Congress don’t like this option one bit, but thus far they have shown no ability to sway the immovable policies of Booshco. They did themselves no favors in defying the Moron in Chief on the recent immigration issue, which incidentally was the right thing to do in my opinion. But, it might not have mattered anyway. As we know, Boosh has thus far been immune to any outside pressures no matter how reasoned they may seem.

When Richard Lugar, of all people, says that the gig is up in Iraq and that is brushed off by the White House, there is likely little chance that Boosh can be moved prior to next year. The administrations response to Lugar’s brilliant dialogue was laughable. For those that don’t know, they simply said that his views had been known for some time in the White House and this was nothing new. No biggie, just one Republican Senator caving to the polls. But, to put this in proper perspective, we should probably back up and take a look at just who Lugar is and what this really means, regardless of the spin the White House chooses to put on this event.

Richard Lugar is a Senator from my home state, Indiana, and is about as staunchly conservative as they come. He is also one of the most respected foreign policy experts in the Senate. It is true that he has privately been telling politicians both in the White House and on Capitol Hill that we need to start pulling back in Iraq for some time, but has never said so publicly. Why? Because he is a true Republican, and believes that overall they have the right vision for America. But, though I disagree with nearly everything Dick Lugar stands for and represents, he has finally had enough with the fiasco in Iraq. For him to make the speech that he made on the floor of the Senate is no small thing, despite Booshco’s attempt to downplay it. Lugar will be a Senator from Indiana for as long as he wants to be. He generally garners 70-80% of the vote regardless of who runs against him. No truly credible Democrat even bothers to run against him in any election because they don’t have a prayer, and they know it going in. So, why waste the money and a possible viable candidate merely to be thrashed come election day? Lugar could probably gun someone down in the middle of an Indiana street at lunch time and still carry 65% the following election, so polls don’t matter in his case. He has warned Boosh over and over in private that they had better make some changes in Iraq, changes similar to those Jack Murtha has been touting for a long time. After being ignored for so long, he finally became fed up with it and went public. For that, he has to be admired, and you will soon see many more Republicans jumping on his bandwagon in an attempt to save their Party and their jobs.
So, that’s what Option 1 boils down to; get Boosh to move on Iraq and they might be able to resurrect some glimmer of hope for the next election cycle. It’s really all about Iraq and the Mid East, and they know it.

Option 2:

This requires some drastic action, and is not as unfeasible as you might initially think. So before you go off thinking that Cyclone has gone mad, hear me out because this revolves around the Vampire and really could happen.

As anyone who has read this blog for a long time knows, I said long ago that Cheney and Boosh would not finish their terms in office. I would currently amend that to say that Boosh will likely finish his term, which shows just how pathetic a nation we have become. But, if the Republicans are to be saved, Cheney will not. Were I running the Republican show, the Vampire’s heart would suddenly start beating a little irregularly and he would need to resign for “health reasons,” and here’s why.

There is no Republican currently in the Presidential race that can defeat whoever the Democratic nominee happens to be. That’s not just me talking, that is also the Republican strategists talking. Guliani has no chance, McCain has become a joke and is taking on water faster than the Titanic, and Romney is simply unelectable. Those are your Republican top three at the moment, and they are desperately looking for a new candidate to enter the fray. For that to happen, and for a Republican to have a sniff of a chance to win, a couple of things have to happen.

First, Dicky the Vampire must resign. Second, he must be replaced by none other than Fred Thompson, the current darling “outsider” of the Republican Party. Actually, despite his acting career, he is an outsider in the fictional world of D.C. only. He has owned a lobbying firm since he left the Senate. But that is merely a small detail that the Right is more than willing to overlook. He would then be running as a sitting Vice President and would win the nomination by default, avoiding the scrutiny that he would undoubtedly face should he announce his candidacy in the normal fashion. Should these two things occur, AND Boosh take Lugar’s advice and make a drastic change in Iraq, the odds greatly increase for the Republican’s holding the White House for a few more years. But, it must happen soon, before Thompson officially announces his candidacy.

Think about it. The Repubs are seeking the man on the white horse to save them, and the polls show that they believe Thompson to be the man. He would not be properly vetted until the general election, where all of the insults would be coming from the Democratic Party rather than through Republican infighting during the nomination process. He would be credited for giving some proper direction to the White House and Boosh administration by changing direction in Iraq, something that would return the majority of their base to the “right” side and bring them back into the fold.

So, it boils down to this. Is Dick the Vamp willing to sacrifice himself, ego and power for the good of the party? I’m betting no, but never underestimate Karl Rove’s ability to get done what is good for the Repubs. If Cheney chooses to take the high road for the first time in his life, ’08 could become a viable option again, perhaps creating another election close enough to be stolen. If not, may the Republican Party Rest in Peace.

Cyclone



****This post was written before Boosh finished the GOP for good by giving Scooter Libby a get out of jail free card. But, I'm going to run with it anyway. Now that Scooter is free, the viability of the above decreases dramatically, though I doubt that it is seen that way from Boosh World. I will comment on the Libby farce in the very near future.

Cyclone