Joe Blew it

I'm not really going to get into this, other than to say that Lieberman is a self-centered, droopy bum. A droopy bum sans "conscience," as he put it:


"If the public option plan is in there, as a matter of conscience, I will not allow this bill to come to a final vote because I believe debt can break America and send us into a recession that’s worse than the one we’re fighting our way out of today."

Truly a man of great conscience.



Here's an excerpt of Wikipedia's page for Lieberman's wife:

"Hadassah has also worked for the lobbying company, APCO Associates, that had many pharmaceutical and healthcare corporations among its clients, as well as four major drug companies such as Pfizer. In March 2005, Hadassah was hired by Hill & Knowlton as "senior counselor" in the firm's "health care and pharmaceuticals practice." Hadassah's close relationship with pharmaceutical and healthcare corporations while her husband introduced legislation benefiting these exact companies has raised questions about improprieties and conflict of interest."

The Crux of the Question

It seems apparent now that broadly speaking there are two schools of thought on the Afghanistan War. The first group believes that American military power can ultimately triumph over extremist movements in asymmetrical warfare, provided there is sufficient economic and governmental development alongside. The second group believes that American military power is generally an inflammatory element that sows anti-American sentiments wherever it is seen as an occupying force.

As far as I can tell, the efficacy of conventional armed forces in Afghanistan remains an unresolved question. Comparisons of America's war in Afghanistan to Soviet, British, and Greek (give me a break!) military excursions are irrelevant.

What are the consequences to projecting American military power abroad? Has it resulted in an increase or a decrease in domestic and international terrorism?



On December 10, Robert Wright and Christopher Hitchens engaged in an interesting debate on BloggingHeads.tv (which I have embedded below) on this very subject.

Thank you, Department of Defense

I never thought I'd have a reason to draw Tricky Dick. But the Defense Department was kind enough to his blunders and provide me the opportunity!

Thank you, DoD, for allowing me to follow in the footsteps of my cartoonist heroes and draw this oft-caricatured president.




I'd also like to mention that I'm lamenting the loss of the public option in the Senate version of the healthcare bill.

Toons, toons, toons!

Here are five new 'toons I've recently drawn up. The conflict in Afghanistan and its spread into Pakistan have been featured prominently in the media as a result of President Obama's decision to send in 30,000 more troops. I've been noodling it quite a bit as well.

Developments in Iran continue to be quite distressing. The same goes for that good old domestic punching bag of healthcare reform.

Otherwise, I'll let the cartoons speak for themselves.

Enjoy!

Oh (French and German) brother, where art thou?

ACK! It's been a whole SIX days since my last posting and there've been SIX cartoons on those days!

Here's the most recent one:



And I'll just throw down some links to the others here:

December 1 - "Swiss Miss"
http://www.cavcomics.com/raskol/?id=26

November 30 - "Peaceful Nukes for Iran"
http://www.cavcomics.com/raskol/?id=25

November 29 - "Republican Red Scare"
http://www.cavcomics.com/raskol/?id=24

November 28 - "A Concerning Diagnosis for Uncle Sam"
http://www.cavcomics.com/raskol/?id=23

November 27 - "Under the Vatican's Rugs"
http://www.cavcomics.com/raskol/?id=22

A different kind of turmoil in the mideast

... spreading to the West faster than any religious, ethnic, or political conflict.

Say it ain't so, Joe!

Lieberman is threatening to block the Healthcare Reform Bill from coming to a vote in the Senate. He'd pay with his Chairmainship of the Homeland Security Committee if he did so (so it ain't bloody likely), but nonetheless he seems to be savoring the moment.



Lou Dobbs worked at CNN, the original 24-hour cable news network (aha- CNN!). Until he was booted with an $8 million severence package, that is. He claimed recently that "neutrality is not part of my being" as he clanked around with his ridiculous policy recommendations.

It's Alive!

Just hitch your wagon to that horse and then switch candidates at the last minute, I say!

Laundry Day and Ho-Ho Healthcare

Two new comics from Raskol this weekend.

The Senate is bringing the healthcare bill to the floor for debate. Harry Reid is hoping for results in the near future.


The question remains as to whether Blackwater will answer for crimes in Iraq.

Though I do favor a civilian court trial...

Attorney General Holder certainly has an uphill battle on his hands. We've got a long way to go in terms of rehabilitating our battered justice system.

The lone superpower

These climate change summits are really just a pipe dream anyway. What's the Uncle Sam to do?

Tight cufflinks

President Obama's "historic" tour of Asia is underway. One wonders what will come of it... Chinese human rights activists haven't been too keen on the Obama administration thus far, and China's odd remarks on Tibet have demonstrated an ongoing cultural gap between the world's most populous nation and the world's most powerful one.

A frightening prophecy

As Homer so eloquently stated, "What's everyone so worked up about? So there's a comet. Big deal. It'll burn up in atmosphere and whatever's left will be no bigger than a Chihuahua's head."

One can only hope.

How Christian of you

God knows that if gays are entitled to equal rights under the law, the Catholic church surely has to abandon such places.

See no evil

Two reasons to celebrate: a new Raskol comic and the launch of Digestive Comics thrice weekly jam! John and I will be putting these together on roughly the same schedule as our own comics. So head on over to Digestive Comics and enjoy!

Digestive Comics

A brand new Raskol comic is on its way tomorrow to tickle your prefrontal cortex, but also the launch of a collaborative project between two Washingtonians that we all know and love: Yours truly, Ted Raskol, and John McNamee of Pie Comics fame.

This new creation will be a refined jam comic entitled "Digestive Comics." It will be a 4-panel comic published three times a week. John and I will alternate panels to create entirely improvisational strips. We hope you enjoy it when the page launches tomorrow.

The Emperor's New Conceptual Art

This comic was in no small part inspired by Robert Hughes' reflections on the contemporary art market. Watch "The Mona Lisa Curse" (part 1 embedded below)

They say the topography is rather treacherous

...and there is, unfortunately, no middle ground.

I can feel it burnin' in me

My life at work has become sufficiently pedestrian and somewhat less tolerable. That's about the only reason I can give for why this website and blog are now back in business.

In celebration, I'll leave you, Dear Reader, with this:




Growin' up
You don't see the writin' on the wall
Passin' by
Movin' straight ahead you knew it all
But maybe sometime if you feel the pain
You'll find you're all alone
Everything has changed

Play the game
You know you can't quit until it's won
Soldier on
Only you can do what must be done
You know in some way
You're a lot like me
You're just a prisoner
And you're tryin' to break free

CHORUS:

I can see a new horizon
Underneath the blazin' sky
I'll be where the eagle's
Flyin' higher and higher
Gonna be your man in motion
All I need is a pair of wheels
Take me where my future's lyin'
St. Elmo's Fire

Oooh...

Burnin' up
Don't know just how far that I can go
(Just how far I go)
Soon be home
Only just a few miles down the road
I can make it
I know I can
You broke the boy in me
But you won't break the man

(CHORUS)

I can climb the highest mountain
Cross the wildest sea
I can feel St. Elmo's Fire burnin' in me
Burnin' in me

Just once in his life
A man has his time
And my time is now
And I'm comin' alive

I can hear the music playin'
I can see the banners fly
Feel like you're back again
And hope ridin' high
Gonna be your man in motion
All I need is a pair of wheels
Take me where my future's lyin'
St. Elmo's Fire

(CHORUS)

I can climb the highest mountain
Cross the wildest sea
I can feel St. Elmo's Fire burnin' in me

Burnin'
Burnin' in me
I can feel it burnin'
Oooh, burnin' inside of me