The Second Annual White House Christmas Special! Last year Skimbleland presented the first annual White House Christmas Special, a television spectacular available only on the lesser cable channels.

Before I break for my winter hibernation, I am pleased to present you with the exciting, all-new 2005 edition. Please feel free to sing along:

Fade up on the TV studio set of a snowy Washington DC: twinkling lights, a festively decorated Christmas tree, an all-Caucasian nativity scene, Laura Bush with a tumbler of vodka — the White House.

The back wall of the studio is a blue cyclorama of a repeated pattern that says: "Christmas under attack."

CEOs of the US defense and oil industries (not under oath) enter.

God Rest Ye Merry Neocons

Sung by the US defense and oil industries
to the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"

God rest ye merry, neocons,
Let nothing you dismay.
Remember Ahmed Chalabi
Has yet his hell to pay
For setting up America
Which Cheney led astray.
O tax cuts of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tax cuts of comfort and joy.

Enter Bush Senior and Scowcroft.

What Son Is This?

Sung by George H. W. Bush and Brent Scowcroft
to the tune of "What Child Is This?"

What son is this,
Who laid to rest
On Cheney’s lap is sleeping?
And who conspires
With anthems sweet
while Halliburton’s reaping?

This, this the New York Times
That justifies the White House crimes.
Waste, waste the blood of men
For Bush, the son of Nixon.

Enter readers of the New York Times.

New York Times

Sung by readers of the The New York Times
to the tune of "We Three Kings"

New York Times, this lady is gray,
Acting in the Pentagon’s play.
Cheney’s minting
Lies they’re printing.
What will you print today?

Oh,
Judy Miller lied to me.
Told us of the W-M-D.
Such misleading
Lies you’re feeding,
Guide us to your Chalabi.

Enter Seymour Hersh carrying a copy of The New Yorker.

O Abu Ghraib

A solo sung by Seymour Hersh
to the tune of "O Tannenbaum"
(i.e., "O Christmas Tree" for those who speak only Amurcan)

O Abu Ghraib,
O Abu Ghraib,
How Christian are your tortures?
O Abu Ghraib,
O Abu Ghraib,
How Christian are your tortures?

The sight of broken detainees
Reveals a neocon disease.
O Abu Ghraib,
O Abu Ghraib,
How Christian are your tortures?

Enter Harriet Miers with a big box of Kleenex.

Harriet Miers

Tearfully sung by Harriet Miers
to the tune of "Silent Night"

Harriet Miers,
Harriet Miers,
Lost among
Louts and liars.
Such a kissass sycophant,
So unqualified, wingnuts did rant.
Sleep forgotten in peace,
Sleep forgotten in peace.

Enter Jenna Bush with a vodka tonic and an enormous bong.

I’ll Be High in Crawford

Sung by Jenna Bush
to the tune of "I’ll Be Home for Christmas"

I’ll be high in Crawford,
You can count on me.
Things to smoke
And lines of coke
For our whole family.

Christmas Eve will find me
Drinking quarts of wine.
I’ll be high in Crawford
Until 2009!

Enter American television viewers.

Pundits We Have Heard on High

Sung by American television viewers
to the tune of "Angels We Have Heard on High"

Pundits we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the air.
Cable poohbahs wonder why
Pat Fitzgerald’s waiting there.

Mo - o - o - o - o - re of these
Indictments are coming.
Mo - o - o - o - o - re of these
Indictments are coming.

Enter a glaze-eyed Skimble, holding a television remote control.

O’Reilly Night

Sung by Skimble on the sofa
to the tune of "O Holy Night"

O’Reilly night,
His lips are brightly lying.
These are the lies that will lose minds and hearts.
Can’t find the truth
In spin and error frying,
So we rely on falafel and farts.

That background noise is whining wingnut voices,
A Yellow Terror threat is on the crawl…

Find your remotes!
Oh, hear O’Reilly lying!
Oh, Fox, it bites.
Oh, night when I was bored.
Oh, Fox, it bites.
Oh, Fox,
Oh, Fox, it bites.

Enter the brightly attired Secular Humanism Christmas Holiday Chorale.

Joy to the World: Evolution Edition

Sung by the Secular Humanism Christmas Holiday Chorale
to the tune of "Joy to the World"

Joy to the world,
This duck is lame.
Let Darwin do his thing!
Let every state
Know where to place the blame,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing!

Joy to the world,
The madness wanes.
Let Reason cheer as well!
While fields and floods,
Rocks, hills and plains
Let Kansas go to hell,
Let Kansas go to hell,
Let Kansas go to hell!

See you in 2006.

{ 11:26 AM }

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Ken Lay: "I'm a victim of terrorism." Oh, boo fucking hoo, you big baby. You sold while you told the world to buy Enron stock, and hid all the money you stole in bankruptcy-protected annuities and real estate. Now you're crying like a little girl all alone up against the big bad terrorists (Mary Flood, Houston Chronicle):

Ken Lay declared his innocence, demonized his accusers and asked ex-employee "truth sayers" to rally around him for his trial, in a Tuesday speech.

Just a month before his Jan. 17 federal trial on seven conspiracy and fraud charges, the former Enron chairman drew polite applause with his luncheon address titled "Guilty, until proven innocent," in part a call to arms to Enron employees to defend the honor of the company and Lay himself.

Lay quoted Winston Churchill, saying, "Truth is the great rock," and in his case, prosecutors have submerged it in a "wave of terror."

Is there no end to the whining and pretentious self-pity of Republicans in positions of power?

{ 9:04 AM }

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"I get paid to do this, isn't that wild?" While the Fort Worth company First Command Financial Planning sells young soldiers in Iraq overpriced life insurance, its employees get to work out during the workday at the on-site gym.

{ 10:44 AM }

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How does a 150% raise sound to you? Since Bush Junior took office, CEOs feel the love in ways employees can only imagine. Their median compensation is up almost 150% in the years 2001 to 2004 (WSJ):

{ 9:31 AM }

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