President George W. Bush said on Wednesday "I don't feel abandoned" by fellow Republicans in Congress who are working with Democrats to protest his Iraq policy with a congressional resolution.
Wow! I work with a population who have a variety of mental illnesses and behavioral problems but I have rarely seen anybody who is this deeply delusional.
It is just so unbelievably frightening that this man is in control of so much of our lives.
If it were up to me I would not even let this moron back my car out of the damn driveway.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
What would you expect from an administration that so clearly does not respect science?
U.S. scientists were pressured to tailor their writings on global warming to fit the Bush administration's skepticism, in some cases at the behest of a former oil-industry lobbyist, a congressional committee heard on Tuesday.
"Our investigations found high-quality science struggling to get out," Francesca Grifo of the watchdog group Union of Concerned Scientists told members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
A survey by the group found that 150 climate scientists personally experienced political interference in the past five years, for a total of at least 435 incidents.
There is no end to the criminal activity that this administration has undertaken during its tenure in the White House. But perhaps keeping us from responding to this global threat may be the one that ultimately costs Americans and the rest of the world the most dearly.
Even our great grandchildren will find reason to despise George W. Bush and his cronies.
"Our investigations found high-quality science struggling to get out," Francesca Grifo of the watchdog group Union of Concerned Scientists told members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
A survey by the group found that 150 climate scientists personally experienced political interference in the past five years, for a total of at least 435 incidents.
There is no end to the criminal activity that this administration has undertaken during its tenure in the White House. But perhaps keeping us from responding to this global threat may be the one that ultimately costs Americans and the rest of the world the most dearly.
Even our great grandchildren will find reason to despise George W. Bush and his cronies.
Keith Olbermann's Special Comments from January 30th.
West Yorkshire in England has a new chief police constable.
Upon his appointment, Sir Norman Bettison made one of the strangest comments of the year:
“The threat of terrorism,” he says, “is lurking out there like ‘Jaws 2.’”
Sir Norman did not exactly mine the richest ore for his analogy of warning. A critic once said of the flopping sequel to the classic film: “You’re gonna need a better screenplay.”
But this obscure British police official has reminded us that terrorism is still being sold to the public in that country — and in this — as if it were a thrilling horror movie and we were the naughty teenagers about to be its victims.
And it underscores the fact that President Bush took this tack, exactly a week ago tonight, in his terror-related passage in the State of the Union.
A passage that was almost lost amid all the talk about Iraq and health care and bipartisanship and the fellow who saved the stranger from an oncoming subway train in New York City.
But a passage ludicrous and deceitful. Frightening in its hollow conviction.
Frightening, in that the president who spoke it tried for “Jaws” but got “Jaws 2.”
I am indebted to David Swanson, press secretary for Dennis Kucinich’s 2004 presidential campaign, who has blogged about the dubious 96 words in Mr. Bush’s address this year and who has concluded that of the four counter-terror claims the president made, he went 0-for-4.
“We cannot know the full extent of the attacks that we and our allies have prevented,” Mr. Bush noted, “but here is some of what we do know: We stopped an al-Qaida plot to fly a hijacked airplane into the tallest building on the West Coast.”
This would, of course, sir, be the purported plot to knock down the 73-story building in Los Angeles, the one once known as the Library Tower — the one you personally revealed so breathlessly a year ago next month.
It was embarrassing enough that you mistakenly referred to the structure as the “Liberty Tower.”
But within hours it was also revealed that authorities in Los Angeles had had no idea you were going to make any of the details — whether serious or fanciful — public.
Who terrorized Southern California that day, Mr. Bush?
A year ago next month, the Los Angeles Times quoted a source — identified only by the labyrinthine description “a U.S. official familiar with the operational aspects of the war on terrorism” — who insisted that the purported “Library Tower plot” was one of many al-Qaida operations that had not gotten very far past the conceptual stage.
The former staff director of counter-terrorism for the National Security Council — now a news analyst for NBC News and MSNBC — Roger Cressey, puts it a little more bluntly.
In our conversation, he put the “Library Tower story” into a category he called the “What-Ifs” — as in the old “Saturday Night Live sketches that tested the range of comic absurdity:
What if ... Superman had worked for the Nazis?
What if ... Spartacus had had a Piper Cub during the battle against the Romans in 70 B.C.?
More ominously, the L.A. Times source who debunked the Library Tower story said that those who could correctly measure the flimsiness of the scheme “feared political retaliation for providing a different characterization of the plan than that of the president.”
But Mr. Bush, you’re the decider.
And you decided that the Library Tower story should be scored as one for you.
And you continued with a second dubious claim of counter-terror success. “We broke up a Southeast Asian terror cell grooming operatives for attacks inside the United States,” you said.
Well, sir, you’ve apparently stumped the intelligence community completely with this one.
In his article, Mr. Swanson suggests that in the last week there has been no reporting even hinting at what exactly you were talking about.
He hypothesizes that either you were claiming credit for a ring broken up in 1995 or that this was just the Library Tower story “by another name.”
Another CIA source suggests to NBC News that since the Southeast Asian cell dreamed of a series of attacks on the same day, you declared the Library Tower one threat thwarted, and all their other ideas, a second threat thwarted.
Our colleague Mr. Cressey sums it up:
This “Southeast Asian cell” was indeed the tale of the Library Tower, simply repeated.
Repeated, Mr. Bush, in consecutive sentences in the State of the Union — in your constitutionally mandated status report on the condition and safety of the nation.
You showed us the same baby twice and claimed it was twins.
And then you said that was two for you.
Your third claim, sir, read thusly: “We uncovered an al-Qaida cell developing anthrax to be used in attacks against America.”
Again, the professionals in counter-intelligence were startled to hear about this.
Last fall, two Washington Post articles cited sources in the FBI and other governmental agencies who said that hopes by foreign terrorists to use anthrax in this country were fanciful at best, farcical at worst.
And every effort to link the 2001 anthrax mailings in this country to foreign sources has also struck out. The entire investigation is barely still active.
Mr. Cressey goes a little further. Anything that might even resemble an al-Qaida cell “developing anthrax,” he says, was in the “dreaming” stages.
He used as a parallel those pathetic arrests outside Miami last year in which a few men wound up getting charged as terrorists because they couldn’t tell the difference between an al-Qaida operative and an FBI informant.
Their “ringleader” seemed to be much more interested in getting his “terrorist masters” to buy him a new car than in actually terrorizing anybody.
That’s three for you, Mr. Bush.
“And just last August,” you concluded, “British authorities uncovered a plot to blow up passenger planes bound for America over the Atlantic Ocean.”
In a series of dramatic raids, 24 men were arrested.
Turned out, sir, a few of them actually had gone on the Internets to check out some flight schedules.
Turned out, sir, only a few of them actually had the passports needed to even get on the planes.
The plot to which President Bush referred was a plot without bombs.
It was a plot without any indication that the essence of the operation — the in-flight mixing of volatile chemicals carried on board in sports drink bottles — was even doable by amateurs or professional chemists.
It was a plot even without sufficient probable cause.
A third of the 24 arrested that day — exactly 90 days before the American midterm elections — have since been released.
The British had been watching those men for a year.
Before the week was out, their first statement, that the plot was “ready to go, in days,” had been rendered inoperative.
British officials told NBC News of the lack of passports and plans; told us that they had wanted to keep the suspects under surveillance for at least another week.
Even an American official confirmed to NBC’s investigative unit that there was “disagreement over the timing.”
The British then went further. Sources inside their government told the English newspaper the Guardian that the raids had occurred only because the Pakistanis had arrested a man named Rasheed Raouf.
That Raouf had been arrested by Pakistan only because we had threatened to do it for them.
That the British had acted only because our government was willing — to quote that newspaper, The Guardian — to “ride roughshod” over the plans of British intelligence.
Oh, by the way, Mr. Bush, an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan reduced the charges against Mr. Raouf to possession of bomb-making materials and being there without proper documents.
Still, sir — evidently, that’s close enough.
Score four for you!
Your totally black-and-white conclusions in the State of the Union were based on one gray area, and on three palettes on which the experts can’t even see smudge, let alone gray.
It would all be laughable, Mr. Bush, were you not the president of the United States.
It would all be political hyperbole, Mr. Bush, if you had not, on this kind of “intelligence,” taken us to war, now sought to escalate that war, and are threatening new war in Iran and maybe even elsewhere.
Nobody brings the President to task as well as Keith does.
I believe that everybody should question every single word that comes out of George Bush's mouth. He is like five year old with his hand in the cookie jar. You just know he is not going to be honest.
Upon his appointment, Sir Norman Bettison made one of the strangest comments of the year:
“The threat of terrorism,” he says, “is lurking out there like ‘Jaws 2.’”
Sir Norman did not exactly mine the richest ore for his analogy of warning. A critic once said of the flopping sequel to the classic film: “You’re gonna need a better screenplay.”
But this obscure British police official has reminded us that terrorism is still being sold to the public in that country — and in this — as if it were a thrilling horror movie and we were the naughty teenagers about to be its victims.
And it underscores the fact that President Bush took this tack, exactly a week ago tonight, in his terror-related passage in the State of the Union.
A passage that was almost lost amid all the talk about Iraq and health care and bipartisanship and the fellow who saved the stranger from an oncoming subway train in New York City.
But a passage ludicrous and deceitful. Frightening in its hollow conviction.
Frightening, in that the president who spoke it tried for “Jaws” but got “Jaws 2.”
I am indebted to David Swanson, press secretary for Dennis Kucinich’s 2004 presidential campaign, who has blogged about the dubious 96 words in Mr. Bush’s address this year and who has concluded that of the four counter-terror claims the president made, he went 0-for-4.
“We cannot know the full extent of the attacks that we and our allies have prevented,” Mr. Bush noted, “but here is some of what we do know: We stopped an al-Qaida plot to fly a hijacked airplane into the tallest building on the West Coast.”
This would, of course, sir, be the purported plot to knock down the 73-story building in Los Angeles, the one once known as the Library Tower — the one you personally revealed so breathlessly a year ago next month.
It was embarrassing enough that you mistakenly referred to the structure as the “Liberty Tower.”
But within hours it was also revealed that authorities in Los Angeles had had no idea you were going to make any of the details — whether serious or fanciful — public.
Who terrorized Southern California that day, Mr. Bush?
A year ago next month, the Los Angeles Times quoted a source — identified only by the labyrinthine description “a U.S. official familiar with the operational aspects of the war on terrorism” — who insisted that the purported “Library Tower plot” was one of many al-Qaida operations that had not gotten very far past the conceptual stage.
The former staff director of counter-terrorism for the National Security Council — now a news analyst for NBC News and MSNBC — Roger Cressey, puts it a little more bluntly.
In our conversation, he put the “Library Tower story” into a category he called the “What-Ifs” — as in the old “Saturday Night Live sketches that tested the range of comic absurdity:
What if ... Superman had worked for the Nazis?
What if ... Spartacus had had a Piper Cub during the battle against the Romans in 70 B.C.?
More ominously, the L.A. Times source who debunked the Library Tower story said that those who could correctly measure the flimsiness of the scheme “feared political retaliation for providing a different characterization of the plan than that of the president.”
But Mr. Bush, you’re the decider.
And you decided that the Library Tower story should be scored as one for you.
And you continued with a second dubious claim of counter-terror success. “We broke up a Southeast Asian terror cell grooming operatives for attacks inside the United States,” you said.
Well, sir, you’ve apparently stumped the intelligence community completely with this one.
In his article, Mr. Swanson suggests that in the last week there has been no reporting even hinting at what exactly you were talking about.
He hypothesizes that either you were claiming credit for a ring broken up in 1995 or that this was just the Library Tower story “by another name.”
Another CIA source suggests to NBC News that since the Southeast Asian cell dreamed of a series of attacks on the same day, you declared the Library Tower one threat thwarted, and all their other ideas, a second threat thwarted.
Our colleague Mr. Cressey sums it up:
This “Southeast Asian cell” was indeed the tale of the Library Tower, simply repeated.
Repeated, Mr. Bush, in consecutive sentences in the State of the Union — in your constitutionally mandated status report on the condition and safety of the nation.
You showed us the same baby twice and claimed it was twins.
And then you said that was two for you.
Your third claim, sir, read thusly: “We uncovered an al-Qaida cell developing anthrax to be used in attacks against America.”
Again, the professionals in counter-intelligence were startled to hear about this.
Last fall, two Washington Post articles cited sources in the FBI and other governmental agencies who said that hopes by foreign terrorists to use anthrax in this country were fanciful at best, farcical at worst.
And every effort to link the 2001 anthrax mailings in this country to foreign sources has also struck out. The entire investigation is barely still active.
Mr. Cressey goes a little further. Anything that might even resemble an al-Qaida cell “developing anthrax,” he says, was in the “dreaming” stages.
He used as a parallel those pathetic arrests outside Miami last year in which a few men wound up getting charged as terrorists because they couldn’t tell the difference between an al-Qaida operative and an FBI informant.
Their “ringleader” seemed to be much more interested in getting his “terrorist masters” to buy him a new car than in actually terrorizing anybody.
That’s three for you, Mr. Bush.
“And just last August,” you concluded, “British authorities uncovered a plot to blow up passenger planes bound for America over the Atlantic Ocean.”
In a series of dramatic raids, 24 men were arrested.
Turned out, sir, a few of them actually had gone on the Internets to check out some flight schedules.
Turned out, sir, only a few of them actually had the passports needed to even get on the planes.
The plot to which President Bush referred was a plot without bombs.
It was a plot without any indication that the essence of the operation — the in-flight mixing of volatile chemicals carried on board in sports drink bottles — was even doable by amateurs or professional chemists.
It was a plot even without sufficient probable cause.
A third of the 24 arrested that day — exactly 90 days before the American midterm elections — have since been released.
The British had been watching those men for a year.
Before the week was out, their first statement, that the plot was “ready to go, in days,” had been rendered inoperative.
British officials told NBC News of the lack of passports and plans; told us that they had wanted to keep the suspects under surveillance for at least another week.
Even an American official confirmed to NBC’s investigative unit that there was “disagreement over the timing.”
The British then went further. Sources inside their government told the English newspaper the Guardian that the raids had occurred only because the Pakistanis had arrested a man named Rasheed Raouf.
That Raouf had been arrested by Pakistan only because we had threatened to do it for them.
That the British had acted only because our government was willing — to quote that newspaper, The Guardian — to “ride roughshod” over the plans of British intelligence.
Oh, by the way, Mr. Bush, an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan reduced the charges against Mr. Raouf to possession of bomb-making materials and being there without proper documents.
Still, sir — evidently, that’s close enough.
Score four for you!
Your totally black-and-white conclusions in the State of the Union were based on one gray area, and on three palettes on which the experts can’t even see smudge, let alone gray.
It would all be laughable, Mr. Bush, were you not the president of the United States.
It would all be political hyperbole, Mr. Bush, if you had not, on this kind of “intelligence,” taken us to war, now sought to escalate that war, and are threatening new war in Iran and maybe even elsewhere.
Nobody brings the President to task as well as Keith does.
I believe that everybody should question every single word that comes out of George Bush's mouth. He is like five year old with his hand in the cookie jar. You just know he is not going to be honest.
The Republicans firmly held belief that all problems can be solved by throwing money at them does not translate well into Iraqi.
The U.S. government wasted tens of millions of dollars in Iraq reconstruction aid, including scores of unaccounted-for weapons and a never-used camp for housing police trainers with an Olympic-size swimming pool, investigators say.
The quarterly audit by Stuart Bowen Jr., the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, is the latest to paint a grim picture of waste, fraud and frustration in an Iraq war and reconstruction effort that has cost taxpayers more than $300 billion and left the region near civil war.
With the Bush administration asking for more money to send to Iraq for reconstruction, perhaps it is time to realize that these guys have no concept of how to manage money. I mean I hope that Laura handles the finances in the family because George just keeps throwing money at the thing that he wants and never seems to realize that the cost may be too much.
We should not give this administration one more dime! They have squandered billions of dollars that our children will have to pay for someday. I certainly do not want to increase their burden.
And by the way, the idea that the administration understands how to do this thing right now is just a huge load of horseshit! They have not learned a single damn thing! They simply want to keep on lining the pockets of their corporate buddies while pretending to help the Iraqis and asking us to be patient.
Well fuck that! We have been patient, and it has not done us one bit of good. Things just continue to deteriorate and the administration just continues asking for more money and time.
This thing is the Terry Schiavo of American wars and it is way past the time to pull the plug.
The quarterly audit by Stuart Bowen Jr., the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, is the latest to paint a grim picture of waste, fraud and frustration in an Iraq war and reconstruction effort that has cost taxpayers more than $300 billion and left the region near civil war.
With the Bush administration asking for more money to send to Iraq for reconstruction, perhaps it is time to realize that these guys have no concept of how to manage money. I mean I hope that Laura handles the finances in the family because George just keeps throwing money at the thing that he wants and never seems to realize that the cost may be too much.
We should not give this administration one more dime! They have squandered billions of dollars that our children will have to pay for someday. I certainly do not want to increase their burden.
And by the way, the idea that the administration understands how to do this thing right now is just a huge load of horseshit! They have not learned a single damn thing! They simply want to keep on lining the pockets of their corporate buddies while pretending to help the Iraqis and asking us to be patient.
Well fuck that! We have been patient, and it has not done us one bit of good. Things just continue to deteriorate and the administration just continues asking for more money and time.
This thing is the Terry Schiavo of American wars and it is way past the time to pull the plug.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Judy Miller is today's special guest witness for the Scooter Libby trial. You think she is still pissed about being sent to jail?
Reporter Judith Miller testified Tuesday that former vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby identified a CIA operative to her on two occasions on dates earlier than he has told investigators he first heard the name from another reporter.
Libby, then Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, told the FBI and a grand jury that he thought he was hearing Valerie Plame's CIA job for the first time from NBC's Tim Russert on July 10, 2003.
Five government officials, including ex-White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, also have testified that they discussed Plame and her CIA job with Libby before July 10.
Earlier Tuesday, the jury saw notes Libby took on or about June 12 that indicated Cheney himself told Libby then that the war critic's wife worked at the CIA.
No way Libby is taking the fall for this! I guaranteee when he gets his turn on the stand that he reaches out and drags Cheney and Rove right down through the rabbit hole with him. Their whole world is about to turn upside down.
"Arf with their 'eads!"
Sorry I had a momentary Lewis Carroll reality break there. I am back now.
Libby, then Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, told the FBI and a grand jury that he thought he was hearing Valerie Plame's CIA job for the first time from NBC's Tim Russert on July 10, 2003.
Five government officials, including ex-White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, also have testified that they discussed Plame and her CIA job with Libby before July 10.
Earlier Tuesday, the jury saw notes Libby took on or about June 12 that indicated Cheney himself told Libby then that the war critic's wife worked at the CIA.
No way Libby is taking the fall for this! I guaranteee when he gets his turn on the stand that he reaches out and drags Cheney and Rove right down through the rabbit hole with him. Their whole world is about to turn upside down.
"Arf with their 'eads!"
Sorry I had a momentary Lewis Carroll reality break there. I am back now.
The Satirical Political Report takes on the Obama education "controversy".
On the heels of its false accusation that Barack Obama attended an Islamist madrassa school as a youth, FOX News today asserted that Senator Obama is unfit to be President based on his radical education at … Harvard Law School.
As Sean Hannity stated, “it’s bad enough this guy took courses in constitutional law and ethics, but to do it in the hotbed of radicalism known as Cambridge, that just goes a little too far.”
When informed that such “conservative” Supreme Court Justices as Scalia and Roberts also attended Harvard Law, Hannity dismissed the comparison out-of-hand: “Those guys obviously didn’t go to class; instead, they listened to books-on-tape from The Federalist Society.”
Bill O’Reilly also jumped into the act, asserting in his No-Spin Zone that “terrorists are just licking their chops in anticipation of a President who understands the meaning of due process and habeas corpus.”
These guys did a great job in demonstrating the hypocrisy and uninformed personal attacks that the FOX network has been engaging in for years. They are almost beyond parody at this point.
As Sean Hannity stated, “it’s bad enough this guy took courses in constitutional law and ethics, but to do it in the hotbed of radicalism known as Cambridge, that just goes a little too far.”
When informed that such “conservative” Supreme Court Justices as Scalia and Roberts also attended Harvard Law, Hannity dismissed the comparison out-of-hand: “Those guys obviously didn’t go to class; instead, they listened to books-on-tape from The Federalist Society.”
Bill O’Reilly also jumped into the act, asserting in his No-Spin Zone that “terrorists are just licking their chops in anticipation of a President who understands the meaning of due process and habeas corpus.”
These guys did a great job in demonstrating the hypocrisy and uninformed personal attacks that the FOX network has been engaging in for years. They are almost beyond parody at this point.
Most Americans would like George Bush to stop being our President.
More than half the Americans, or 58 percent, say they wish the Bush presidency to be simply over,a sentiment that is almost unanimous among Democrats (86 percent),according to a latest Newsweek poll.
The poll, published on the Newsweek magazine's website Monday, also found U.S. President George W. Bush's approval ratings are at their lowest point in the poll's history -- 30 percent.
With Bush widely viewed as an ineffectual "lame duck" (by 71 percent), over half (53 percent) of the poll's respondents now say they believe history will see him as a below-average president, up three points from last May.
Sixty-seven percent say the president's decisions are influenced more by his personal beliefs.
I still find it amazing that 42 percent of Americans still want Bush to be their President. Why?
(Interesting that this link is to a Chinese newspaper. I don't think the Chinese like Bush very much either.)
The poll, published on the Newsweek magazine's website Monday, also found U.S. President George W. Bush's approval ratings are at their lowest point in the poll's history -- 30 percent.
With Bush widely viewed as an ineffectual "lame duck" (by 71 percent), over half (53 percent) of the poll's respondents now say they believe history will see him as a below-average president, up three points from last May.
Sixty-seven percent say the president's decisions are influenced more by his personal beliefs.
I still find it amazing that 42 percent of Americans still want Bush to be their President. Why?
(Interesting that this link is to a Chinese newspaper. I don't think the Chinese like Bush very much either.)
Monday, January 29, 2007
Another Libby trial update.
Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer told a jury today that Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff disclosed to him the identity of undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame a week before her name surfaced publicly in the press.
Fleischer said he never viewed the information he received about Plame as classified or secret, because the protocol in the White House was that press aides would be warned explicitly when information was classified and could not be used in discussions with reporters.
He testified that neither Libby nor Bartlett gave him any reason to believe that Plame's employment was classified.
"I never in my wildest dreams thought this information would be classified," he said.
Fleischer, who left the White House in mid-July 2003, said that in September, about 2 1/2 months after his conversation with the reporters, he saw a news account that the CIA had asked the Justice Department to investigate a possibly illegal leak of a covert CIA officer's identity.
"I was absolutely horrified to know I had played a role," Fleischer said. "I thought, 'Oh my God. Did I play a role in somehow outing a CIA officer. . . . Did I just do something that I could be in big trouble for.' "
He said that he hired lawyers and ultimately agreed to be interviewed by investigators after receiving immunity from prosecution.
So if Fleischer asked for immunity and received it then isn't that an admission of guilt, at least on his part? And if he is guilty of breaking some law then doesn't that mean that the people that he is working for are also likely guilty of breaking some law?
I mean maybe I am reading too much into this but Ari Fleischer appears terrified of incriminating himself. Innocent people do not usually fear that. It just seems to me that giving Fleischer immunity almost guarantees that Libby and probably others are going to find themselves making deals.
Fitzgerald made his reputation by getting small fish to turn on the bigger fish. That is how he brought down the Gambino crime family. I just cannot help feeling that Fitzgerald does not want Libby. He is using Libby to get to the people who are the "big fish".
Keep watching kids, I just know this is going to get very, very good.
Fleischer said he never viewed the information he received about Plame as classified or secret, because the protocol in the White House was that press aides would be warned explicitly when information was classified and could not be used in discussions with reporters.
He testified that neither Libby nor Bartlett gave him any reason to believe that Plame's employment was classified.
"I never in my wildest dreams thought this information would be classified," he said.
Fleischer, who left the White House in mid-July 2003, said that in September, about 2 1/2 months after his conversation with the reporters, he saw a news account that the CIA had asked the Justice Department to investigate a possibly illegal leak of a covert CIA officer's identity.
"I was absolutely horrified to know I had played a role," Fleischer said. "I thought, 'Oh my God. Did I play a role in somehow outing a CIA officer. . . . Did I just do something that I could be in big trouble for.' "
He said that he hired lawyers and ultimately agreed to be interviewed by investigators after receiving immunity from prosecution.
So if Fleischer asked for immunity and received it then isn't that an admission of guilt, at least on his part? And if he is guilty of breaking some law then doesn't that mean that the people that he is working for are also likely guilty of breaking some law?
I mean maybe I am reading too much into this but Ari Fleischer appears terrified of incriminating himself. Innocent people do not usually fear that. It just seems to me that giving Fleischer immunity almost guarantees that Libby and probably others are going to find themselves making deals.
Fitzgerald made his reputation by getting small fish to turn on the bigger fish. That is how he brought down the Gambino crime family. I just cannot help feeling that Fitzgerald does not want Libby. He is using Libby to get to the people who are the "big fish".
Keep watching kids, I just know this is going to get very, very good.
You other guys are losing your testosterone. Pussies!
Have human sperm counts men been declining over the last 50 plus years?
Yes
Have testosterone levels in American men been falling as well?
Yes.
According to this article there is evidence to suggest that men are losing testosterone at an alarming rate and that it is directly related to watching Oprah. Or something like that.
Of course this does not include me as I am simply reeking with testosterone. Or so I have been told, well at least about the reeking part.
Yes
Have testosterone levels in American men been falling as well?
Yes.
According to this article there is evidence to suggest that men are losing testosterone at an alarming rate and that it is directly related to watching Oprah. Or something like that.
Of course this does not include me as I am simply reeking with testosterone. Or so I have been told, well at least about the reeking part.
Gay lover of Ted Haggard is welcomed into his church with open arms. I am impressed.
Just about every person who offered him a handshake said the same thing: Welcome, thank you and God bless.
"A couple of ladies cried when they were touching me," Jones said. "I was thanked for exposing the church, for helping Ted Haggard. A couple of them said they hoped I get God into my life. And they all said 'God bless you,' every one of them."
I am not usually very sympathetic to these type of organizations, but I do feel for the people who place their trust in one of these hypocritical, holier then thou, assholes.
I just wish that people would not be so willing to trust somebody just because they claim to be a christian. I mean it is just ridiculous to assume that because somebody goes to church, or even preaches in a church, that they are any more moral then the guy that spends Sunday's watching football with his sons.
"A couple of ladies cried when they were touching me," Jones said. "I was thanked for exposing the church, for helping Ted Haggard. A couple of them said they hoped I get God into my life. And they all said 'God bless you,' every one of them."
I am not usually very sympathetic to these type of organizations, but I do feel for the people who place their trust in one of these hypocritical, holier then thou, assholes.
I just wish that people would not be so willing to trust somebody just because they claim to be a christian. I mean it is just ridiculous to assume that because somebody goes to church, or even preaches in a church, that they are any more moral then the guy that spends Sunday's watching football with his sons.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
The fighting in Iraq is intensifying.
U.S.-backed Iraqi troops on Sunday attacked insurgents allegedly plotting to kill pilgrims at a major Shiite Muslim religious festival, and Iraqi officials estimated some 250 militants died in the daylong battle near Najaf. A U.S. helicopter crashed during the fight, killing two American soldiers.
Mortar shells, meanwhile, hit the courtyard of a girls’ school in a mostly Sunni Arab neighborhood of Baghdad, killing five pupils and wounding 20. U.N. officials deplored the attack, calling the apparent targeting of children “an unforgivable crime.”
I just cannot imagine what the parents in this country must go through on a daily basis. I mean how do you know that when your son or daughter walks out that door that today will not be the day that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Mortar shells, meanwhile, hit the courtyard of a girls’ school in a mostly Sunni Arab neighborhood of Baghdad, killing five pupils and wounding 20. U.N. officials deplored the attack, calling the apparent targeting of children “an unforgivable crime.”
I just cannot imagine what the parents in this country must go through on a daily basis. I mean how do you know that when your son or daughter walks out that door that today will not be the day that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Nuh uh!
Putting it a little crudely, if the intensity of a woman's orgasm was played through a man's brain, there's a danger that the shock to his system would kill him.
Women always think that they are somehow tougher then men. But the fact made clear here is that men are just better lovers and that is why you ladies are seeing stars.
You're welcome.
Women always think that they are somehow tougher then men. But the fact made clear here is that men are just better lovers and that is why you ladies are seeing stars.
You're welcome.
I got this in an e-mail from a co-worker. Damn funny!
Letter from John Cleese to America
To the citizens of the United States of America
In light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USAand thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.
Her Sovereign Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories (except Kansas , which she does not fancy), as from Monday next.
Your new prime minister, Tony Blair, will appoint a governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium," and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.
2. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour', 'favour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut'without skipping half the letters, and the suffix "ize" will be replaced bythe suffix "ise."
3. You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra'; you may elect to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you find you simply can't cope with correct pronunciation.
4. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels (look up "vocabulary"). Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like"and "you know" is unacceptable and inefficient form of communication.
5. There is no such thing as " US English." We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize."
6. You will relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out Task #1 (see above).
7. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but to be celebrated only in England . It will be called "Come-Uppance Day."
8. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.
9. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
10. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and this is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.
11. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time,you will go metric immediately and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
12. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling "gasoline") - roughly $6/US gallon. Get used to it.
13. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps." Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with mayonnaise but with vinegar.
14. Waiters and waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.
15. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer," and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as "Lager." American brands will be referred to as "Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine," so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
16. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie MacDowell attempt English dialogue in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
17. You will cease playing American "football." There is only one kind of proper football; you call it "soccer". Those of you brave enough will, in time, will be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
18. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the "World Series" for a game which is not played outside of America . Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable.
19. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
20. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due backdated to 1776.
Thank you for your co-operation.
John Cleese
To the citizens of the United States of America
In light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USAand thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.
Her Sovereign Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories (except Kansas , which she does not fancy), as from Monday next.
Your new prime minister, Tony Blair, will appoint a governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium," and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.
2. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour', 'favour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut'without skipping half the letters, and the suffix "ize" will be replaced bythe suffix "ise."
3. You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra'; you may elect to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you find you simply can't cope with correct pronunciation.
4. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels (look up "vocabulary"). Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like"and "you know" is unacceptable and inefficient form of communication.
5. There is no such thing as " US English." We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize."
6. You will relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out Task #1 (see above).
7. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but to be celebrated only in England . It will be called "Come-Uppance Day."
8. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.
9. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
10. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and this is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.
11. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time,you will go metric immediately and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
12. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling "gasoline") - roughly $6/US gallon. Get used to it.
13. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps." Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with mayonnaise but with vinegar.
14. Waiters and waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.
15. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer," and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as "Lager." American brands will be referred to as "Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine," so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
16. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie MacDowell attempt English dialogue in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
17. You will cease playing American "football." There is only one kind of proper football; you call it "soccer". Those of you brave enough will, in time, will be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
18. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the "World Series" for a game which is not played outside of America . Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable.
19. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
20. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due backdated to 1776.
Thank you for your co-operation.
John Cleese
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Jesus Camp offers a glimpse of what Nazi Youth Camps must have looked like in Hitler's Germany. Horrifying movie!
I have dreaded having to sit through this thing, since I knew that it would bother me. I was right.
This film is simply put, a regimen of child abuse in the name of Jesus. The crap these poor kids are subjected to should ensure that every one of the people who run these camps, and the parents that send their children, are thrown in jail for mental cruelty to children. This is not education, this is indoctrination.
You know I went to Victory Bible Camp when I was a kid. We went canoeing, horseback riding, did arts and crafts, and prayed before all of our meals. The only time that we attended a church service was on Sunday.
If I had been subjected to the type of crazy shit the kids in the film were subjected to, I would have run screaming into the woods.
This film is simply put, a regimen of child abuse in the name of Jesus. The crap these poor kids are subjected to should ensure that every one of the people who run these camps, and the parents that send their children, are thrown in jail for mental cruelty to children. This is not education, this is indoctrination.
You know I went to Victory Bible Camp when I was a kid. We went canoeing, horseback riding, did arts and crafts, and prayed before all of our meals. The only time that we attended a church service was on Sunday.
If I had been subjected to the type of crazy shit the kids in the film were subjected to, I would have run screaming into the woods.
I went to sleep in 2007 and woke up in 1967.
Convinced this is their moment, tens of thousands marched Saturday in an anti-war demonstration linking military families, ordinary people and an icon of the Vietnam protest movement in a spirited call to get out of Iraq.
Look it even has Jane Fonda!
Marching with them was Jane Fonda, in what she said was her first anti-war demonstration in 34 years.
"Silence is no longer an option," Fonda said to cheers from the stage on the National Mall. The actress once derided as "Hanoi Jane" by conservatives for her stance on Vietnam said she had held back from activism so as not to be a distraction for the Iraq anti-war movement, but needed to speak out now.
Now we are talking!
Look it even has Jane Fonda!
Marching with them was Jane Fonda, in what she said was her first anti-war demonstration in 34 years.
"Silence is no longer an option," Fonda said to cheers from the stage on the National Mall. The actress once derided as "Hanoi Jane" by conservatives for her stance on Vietnam said she had held back from activism so as not to be a distraction for the Iraq anti-war movement, but needed to speak out now.
Now we are talking!
This teacher not only had sex with an underage student, she also pimped out teenage cheerleaders to National Guardsmen. The bar has been raised.
A South Carolina National Guardsman who recruited at a high school and a former cheerleading coach each are accused of having sex with students, and the principal is charged with hindering the investigation, authorities said.
Former Ware Shoals High School coach Jill Moore, 28, took cheerleaders to a motel, where they met guardsmen for sex, according to Greenwood County sheriff's reports released late Thursday.
Moore, a married mother of two, also is accused of having sex with a male student on a different occasion, according to the reports.
My usual question of what is wrong with these people just does not cover this type of behavior.
I am not usually someone who advocates litigation except in extreme situations, but I think that if I were a parent of one of these girls I would be suing the school, the teacher, and the National Guard. Somebody certainly needs to be held accountable.
Former Ware Shoals High School coach Jill Moore, 28, took cheerleaders to a motel, where they met guardsmen for sex, according to Greenwood County sheriff's reports released late Thursday.
Moore, a married mother of two, also is accused of having sex with a male student on a different occasion, according to the reports.
My usual question of what is wrong with these people just does not cover this type of behavior.
I am not usually someone who advocates litigation except in extreme situations, but I think that if I were a parent of one of these girls I would be suing the school, the teacher, and the National Guard. Somebody certainly needs to be held accountable.
The US military lied to us about how four of our American soldiers who were killed. Is this even news anymore?
The U.S. military confirmed a report earlier Friday by The Associated Press that three of the soldiers were dead and one was mortally wounded with a gunshot to the head when they were found in a neighboring province, about 25 miles from the compound where they were captured.
A fifth soldier was killed in the initial attack on the compound.
The new account contradicted a U.S. military statement on Jan. 20, the day of the raid on an Iraqi governor's office, that five soldiers were killed "repelling" the attack.
You know at a time that Americans are finding it harder and harder to trust their public officials and the Pentagon, perhaps it is past time that they started being honest with us.
Personally there is not much I dislike as much as having someone lie to me. It has cost me more then one relationship.
I quite literally do not believe a single thing that this White House says anymore. And I am not very trusting of our military anymore either.
A fifth soldier was killed in the initial attack on the compound.
The new account contradicted a U.S. military statement on Jan. 20, the day of the raid on an Iraqi governor's office, that five soldiers were killed "repelling" the attack.
You know at a time that Americans are finding it harder and harder to trust their public officials and the Pentagon, perhaps it is past time that they started being honest with us.
Personally there is not much I dislike as much as having someone lie to me. It has cost me more then one relationship.
I quite literally do not believe a single thing that this White House says anymore. And I am not very trusting of our military anymore either.
Fitzgerald subpoenas "Bush's brain" Karl Rove and White House counselor Dan Bartlett.
White House anxiety is mounting over the prospect that top officials—including deputy chief of staff Karl Rove and counselor Dan Bartlett-may be forced to provide potentially awkward testimony in the perjury and obstruction trial of Lewis (Scooter) Libby.
Both Rove and Bartlett have already received trial subpoenas from Libby’s defense lawyers, according to lawyers close to the case who asked not to be identified talking about sensitive matters. While that is no guarantee they will be called, the odds increased this week after Libby’s lawyer, Ted Wells, laid out a defense resting on the idea that his client, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, had been made a “scapegoat” to protect Rove. Cheney is expected to provide the most crucial testimony to back up Wells’s assertion, one of the lawyers close to the case said. The vice president personally penned an October 2003 note in which he wrote, “Not going to protect one staffer and sacrifice the other.” The note, read aloud in court by Wells, implied that Libby was the one being sacrificed in an effort to clear Rove of any role in leaking the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame, wife of Iraq war critic Joe Wilson. “Wow, for all the talk about this being a White House that prides itself on loyalty and discipline, you’re not seeing much of it,” the lawyer said.
You know I did not get much for Christmas this year but I do believe that this is going to make up for that and then some.
Wouldn't you just love to be in the White House right now and watch the sheer panic that must be running through the place? I know I would.
Both Rove and Bartlett have already received trial subpoenas from Libby’s defense lawyers, according to lawyers close to the case who asked not to be identified talking about sensitive matters. While that is no guarantee they will be called, the odds increased this week after Libby’s lawyer, Ted Wells, laid out a defense resting on the idea that his client, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, had been made a “scapegoat” to protect Rove. Cheney is expected to provide the most crucial testimony to back up Wells’s assertion, one of the lawyers close to the case said. The vice president personally penned an October 2003 note in which he wrote, “Not going to protect one staffer and sacrifice the other.” The note, read aloud in court by Wells, implied that Libby was the one being sacrificed in an effort to clear Rove of any role in leaking the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame, wife of Iraq war critic Joe Wilson. “Wow, for all the talk about this being a White House that prides itself on loyalty and discipline, you’re not seeing much of it,” the lawyer said.
You know I did not get much for Christmas this year but I do believe that this is going to make up for that and then some.
Wouldn't you just love to be in the White House right now and watch the sheer panic that must be running through the place? I know I would.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Did Dick Cheney make Tim Russert his ass monkey?
Memo to Tim Russert: Dick Cheney thinks he controls you.
This delicious morsel about the "Meet the Press" host and the vice president was part of the extensive dish Cathie Martin served up yesterday when the former Cheney communications director took the stand in the perjury trial of former Cheney chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
Flashed on the courtroom computer screens were her notes from 2004 about how Cheney could respond to allegations that the Bush administration had played fast and loose with evidence of Iraq's nuclear ambitions. Option 1: "MTP-VP," she wrote, then listed the pros and cons of a vice presidential appearance on the Sunday show. Under "pro," she wrote: "control message."
"I suggested we put the vice president on 'Meet the Press,' which was a tactic we often used," Martin testified. "It's our best format."
I wonder how this makes Mr. Russert feel? And if this will color how he interviews White House propoganda spewers in the future. It would certainly make me get nast with them.
By the way I "borrowed" this story from Americablog, and they really deserve the credit for the story. But I thought it was definitely something that my visitors would enjoy learning about.
This delicious morsel about the "Meet the Press" host and the vice president was part of the extensive dish Cathie Martin served up yesterday when the former Cheney communications director took the stand in the perjury trial of former Cheney chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
Flashed on the courtroom computer screens were her notes from 2004 about how Cheney could respond to allegations that the Bush administration had played fast and loose with evidence of Iraq's nuclear ambitions. Option 1: "MTP-VP," she wrote, then listed the pros and cons of a vice presidential appearance on the Sunday show. Under "pro," she wrote: "control message."
"I suggested we put the vice president on 'Meet the Press,' which was a tactic we often used," Martin testified. "It's our best format."
I wonder how this makes Mr. Russert feel? And if this will color how he interviews White House propoganda spewers in the future. It would certainly make me get nast with them.
By the way I "borrowed" this story from Americablog, and they really deserve the credit for the story. But I thought it was definitely something that my visitors would enjoy learning about.
Our country's plans to go to war against Iran are coming along nicely thank you.
U.S. contingency planning for military action against Iran's nuclear program goes beyond limited strikes and would effectively unleash a war against the country, a former U.S. intelligence analyst said on Friday.
"I've seen some of the planning ... You're not talking about a surgical strike," said Wayne White, who was a top Middle East analyst for the State Department's bureau of intelligence and research until March 2005.
"You're talking about a war against Iran" that likely would destabilise the Middle East for years, White told the Middle East Policy Council, a Washington think tank.
"We're not talking about just surgical strikes against an array of targets inside Iran. We're talking about clearing a path to the targets" by taking out much of the Iranian Air Force, Kilo submarines, anti-ship missiles that could target commerce or U.S. warships in the Gulf, and maybe even Iran's ballistic missile capability, White said.
It is like nothing changed with this administration. In their world there was no election where the Republicans lost control of the House and Senate. In their world Bush's approval ratings are still in the post "9-11" spectrum. In their world the Iraqi war is not a terrible mistake.
If we are going to stick a pin in "their world" we are going to have to do something drastic.
Like, oh I don't know, IMPEACHMENT!
Is there really any other choice?
"I've seen some of the planning ... You're not talking about a surgical strike," said Wayne White, who was a top Middle East analyst for the State Department's bureau of intelligence and research until March 2005.
"You're talking about a war against Iran" that likely would destabilise the Middle East for years, White told the Middle East Policy Council, a Washington think tank.
"We're not talking about just surgical strikes against an array of targets inside Iran. We're talking about clearing a path to the targets" by taking out much of the Iranian Air Force, Kilo submarines, anti-ship missiles that could target commerce or U.S. warships in the Gulf, and maybe even Iran's ballistic missile capability, White said.
It is like nothing changed with this administration. In their world there was no election where the Republicans lost control of the House and Senate. In their world Bush's approval ratings are still in the post "9-11" spectrum. In their world the Iraqi war is not a terrible mistake.
If we are going to stick a pin in "their world" we are going to have to do something drastic.
Like, oh I don't know, IMPEACHMENT!
Is there really any other choice?
Thursday, January 25, 2007
I knew I felt somebody watching me.
At least 186 antiwar protests in the United States have been monitored by the Pentagon's domestic surveillance program, according to documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which also found that the Defense Department collected more than 2,800 reports involving Americans in a single anti-terrorism database.
"It cannot be an accident or coincidence that nearly 200 antiwar protests ended up in a Pentagon threat database," Ann Beeson, associate legal director of the ACLU, said in a statement. "This unchecked surveillance is part of a broad pattern of the Bush administration using 'national security' as an excuse to run roughshod over the privacy and free speech rights of Americans."
And this boys and girls is why we must curtail these war powers that George Bush has laid claim to in the interest of national security. At this point it is a given that Bush is going to misuse this power. He has done so repeatedly and there is reams of documentation to prove it.
Bush is a child who was allowed to wear his daddy's shoes and he just does not have maturity to pull it off. It is time to smack his hand and take the dangerous things away from him before he does any further damage.
"It cannot be an accident or coincidence that nearly 200 antiwar protests ended up in a Pentagon threat database," Ann Beeson, associate legal director of the ACLU, said in a statement. "This unchecked surveillance is part of a broad pattern of the Bush administration using 'national security' as an excuse to run roughshod over the privacy and free speech rights of Americans."
And this boys and girls is why we must curtail these war powers that George Bush has laid claim to in the interest of national security. At this point it is a given that Bush is going to misuse this power. He has done so repeatedly and there is reams of documentation to prove it.
Bush is a child who was allowed to wear his daddy's shoes and he just does not have maturity to pull it off. It is time to smack his hand and take the dangerous things away from him before he does any further damage.
Another Libby trial update!
The spokeswoman for Vice President Dick Cheney told a jury Thursday that she informed Cheney and his chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby Jr., that the wife of a prominent critic of the invasion of Iraq worked for the CIA days before Libby contended he heard the information from a reporter.
Cathie Martin, who was Cheney's chief spokeswoman, was the fourth witness for the prosecution in the perjury and obstruction of justice trial of Libby, who is charged with lying during an investigation of who leaked the name of the CIA operative, Valerie Plame Wilson, and why. Unlike the previous three witnesses, who worked at the CIA and State Department, Martin provided an insider's perspective, one from directly inside the office of the vice president.
The perspective she laid out under questioning from a federal prosecutor was damaging to Libby. She testified that both Cheney and Libby were intensely interested in Wilson and her husband, Joseph Wilson, who had been sent on a mission to Africa to investigate reports that Saddam Hussein was trying to buy uranium from Niger for his nuclear weapons program.
Now that my friends is a real slam dunk!
Now none of this is a surprise to any of us who followed the Plame scandal with a rabid fascination. Which I did.
What is surprising is how fast that Libby, and his boss Dick Cheney, have been shown to be liars. There is no longer any doubt that they lied to the media, they lied to the American people, and they both probably lied to the investigators. And if Cheney lied to a federal prosecutor he is, what is the word for it, fucked!
Gee I wonder who else might have lied?
Cathie Martin, who was Cheney's chief spokeswoman, was the fourth witness for the prosecution in the perjury and obstruction of justice trial of Libby, who is charged with lying during an investigation of who leaked the name of the CIA operative, Valerie Plame Wilson, and why. Unlike the previous three witnesses, who worked at the CIA and State Department, Martin provided an insider's perspective, one from directly inside the office of the vice president.
The perspective she laid out under questioning from a federal prosecutor was damaging to Libby. She testified that both Cheney and Libby were intensely interested in Wilson and her husband, Joseph Wilson, who had been sent on a mission to Africa to investigate reports that Saddam Hussein was trying to buy uranium from Niger for his nuclear weapons program.
Now that my friends is a real slam dunk!
Now none of this is a surprise to any of us who followed the Plame scandal with a rabid fascination. Which I did.
What is surprising is how fast that Libby, and his boss Dick Cheney, have been shown to be liars. There is no longer any doubt that they lied to the media, they lied to the American people, and they both probably lied to the investigators. And if Cheney lied to a federal prosecutor he is, what is the word for it, fucked!
Gee I wonder who else might have lied?
CBS reporter Lara Logan needs our help. And I want desperately to help her.
One would assume that Ms. Logan, as CBS chief foreign correspondent, has a fair amount of influence as to what stories she gets to cover, and that most of her important stories, once produced and delivered, will be broadcast. But when the story comes out of the mean streets of Baghdad, and doesn’t fit the officially-sanctioned narrative of Iraqis and US soldiers working arm in arm to help protect thankful Iraqi citizens, even chief foreign correspondents sometimes need to ask for help in getting it seen.
The segment in question–”Battle for Haifa Street”–is a piece of first-rate journalism but one that only appears on the CBS News website–and has never been broadcast. It is a gritty, realistic look at life on the very mean streets of Baghdad, and includes interviews with civilians who complain that the US military presence is only making their lives worse and the situation more deadly.
“They told us they would bring democracy, they promised life would be better than it was under Saddam,” one told Logan.“But they brought us nothing but death and killing. They brought mass destruction to Baghdad.”
Several bodies are shown in the two- minute segment–”some with obvious signs of torture,” as Logan points out. She also notes that her crew had to flee for their lives when they we were warned of an impending attack. While fleeing, another civilian was killed before their eyes.
All of us who have been paying real attention to this conflict know that the news coming out of Iraq has often been sanitized, despite what the White House and FOX news would have you believe, and that we have been protected from seeing just how horrible conditions truly are in Iraq.
Now I am not one of those people who surfs the net looking for images or video of actual deaths or people getting hurt doing ridiculous pranks. But I am also someone who would rather be shown the truth about what is going on in Iraq in my name, and hte name of my country.
I firmly believe that if we were privy to the same images that the Iraqi people live with on a day to day basis, that we would have left that country over two years ago. We do not have the stomach to see the kind of carnage that is a daily part of these poor peoples lives. And it is clear to most of us by now that if we brought our troops home we could rapidly decrease the violence that makes life so impossible for this country.
So after reading this story perhaps you could post it to your blog, or contact CBS and let them know that this is an important story that Americans need to see.
If Lara Logan was brave enough to film the footage, then we should be brave enough to watch it.
The segment in question–”Battle for Haifa Street”–is a piece of first-rate journalism but one that only appears on the CBS News website–and has never been broadcast. It is a gritty, realistic look at life on the very mean streets of Baghdad, and includes interviews with civilians who complain that the US military presence is only making their lives worse and the situation more deadly.
“They told us they would bring democracy, they promised life would be better than it was under Saddam,” one told Logan.“But they brought us nothing but death and killing. They brought mass destruction to Baghdad.”
Several bodies are shown in the two- minute segment–”some with obvious signs of torture,” as Logan points out. She also notes that her crew had to flee for their lives when they we were warned of an impending attack. While fleeing, another civilian was killed before their eyes.
All of us who have been paying real attention to this conflict know that the news coming out of Iraq has often been sanitized, despite what the White House and FOX news would have you believe, and that we have been protected from seeing just how horrible conditions truly are in Iraq.
Now I am not one of those people who surfs the net looking for images or video of actual deaths or people getting hurt doing ridiculous pranks. But I am also someone who would rather be shown the truth about what is going on in Iraq in my name, and hte name of my country.
I firmly believe that if we were privy to the same images that the Iraqi people live with on a day to day basis, that we would have left that country over two years ago. We do not have the stomach to see the kind of carnage that is a daily part of these poor peoples lives. And it is clear to most of us by now that if we brought our troops home we could rapidly decrease the violence that makes life so impossible for this country.
So after reading this story perhaps you could post it to your blog, or contact CBS and let them know that this is an important story that Americans need to see.
If Lara Logan was brave enough to film the footage, then we should be brave enough to watch it.
We would like to request that somebody please turn off the damn snow!
Anchorage has been hit with more than 74 inches of snow this season, and according to the city, it's reaching a crisis level, with snow removal on the streets becoming a big problem.
I have lived here all of my life. I have never seen it this bad before.
Winter wonderland my ass!
I have lived here all of my life. I have never seen it this bad before.
Winter wonderland my ass!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Bush's war plan rejected. Wow that was fast!
The Democratic-controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee dismissed President Bush’s plans to increase troops strength in Iraq on Wednesday as “not in the national interest,” an unusual wartime repudiation of the commander in chief.
Well okay, we tried that, what else have you got Mr. President?
What? Nothing?
Well buddy you better start piecing something together, because you are not going to be able to bully your way through anymore!
God I love this new Senate!
Well okay, we tried that, what else have you got Mr. President?
What? Nothing?
Well buddy you better start piecing something together, because you are not going to be able to bully your way through anymore!
God I love this new Senate!
Did Bush's speech change anybody's opinion? Did it sound sadly familiar? Yeah me too.
At times, Mr. Bush sounded almost as if he’d gotten the message of the 2006 elections. “Our citizens don’t much care which side of the aisle we sit on — as long as we are willing to cross that aisle when there is work to be done,” he said.
But we’ve heard that from Mr. Bush before. In early 2001, he promised to bring Americans together and instead embarked on his irresponsible tax cuts, a divisive right-wing social agenda and a neo-conservative foreign policy that tore up international treaties and alienated even America’s closest allies. In the wake of 9/11, Mr. Bush had a second chance to rally the nation — and the world — only to squander it on a pointless, catastrophic war in Iraq. Mr. Bush promised bipartisanship after his re-election in 2004, and again after Hurricane Katrina. Always, he failed to deliver. He did not even mention New Orleans last night.
The problem with this administration, well one of the many problems, is that they believe that if they can just choose the right words, if they can just push the proper buttons, they can satisfy the American people.
Nothing changes. They just rearrange the words to try and fool us. But I have to say that they are really not very good at it. I mean what was new about this speech?
I heard we are going to do something about energy dependence. I have heard that before.
I heard that we are going to get serious about winning the war in Iraq. I have heard that before.
I heard that we are going to so somethng about social security. I have heard too much of that before.
Do you know what part was new? "Thank you Madam Speaker", now that part was new indeed.
But we’ve heard that from Mr. Bush before. In early 2001, he promised to bring Americans together and instead embarked on his irresponsible tax cuts, a divisive right-wing social agenda and a neo-conservative foreign policy that tore up international treaties and alienated even America’s closest allies. In the wake of 9/11, Mr. Bush had a second chance to rally the nation — and the world — only to squander it on a pointless, catastrophic war in Iraq. Mr. Bush promised bipartisanship after his re-election in 2004, and again after Hurricane Katrina. Always, he failed to deliver. He did not even mention New Orleans last night.
The problem with this administration, well one of the many problems, is that they believe that if they can just choose the right words, if they can just push the proper buttons, they can satisfy the American people.
Nothing changes. They just rearrange the words to try and fool us. But I have to say that they are really not very good at it. I mean what was new about this speech?
I heard we are going to do something about energy dependence. I have heard that before.
I heard that we are going to get serious about winning the war in Iraq. I have heard that before.
I heard that we are going to so somethng about social security. I have heard too much of that before.
Do you know what part was new? "Thank you Madam Speaker", now that part was new indeed.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Libby trial update! Libby trial update!
The former vice presidential aide charged with perjury was "set up" by the White House to protect political strategist Karl Rove during a CIA leak investigation, his lawyer said on Tuesday.
Lewis "Scooter" Libby was so worried that he would be blamed for blowing the cover of a CIA operative that he asked his boss, Vice President Dick Cheney, to intervene on his behalf, defense lawyer Theodore Wells told the jury at the beginning of Libby's perjury trial.
"He was concerned about being set up," Wells said. "He was concerned about being the scapegoat for this entire Valerie Wilson controversy."
Holy crap! Cheney and Rove both get mentioned as being part of the cover-up this early in the trial? This is going to be even better then I could have hoped!
And this is all coming out on the day of the President's State of the Union adress!
Does life get any better then this?
Lewis "Scooter" Libby was so worried that he would be blamed for blowing the cover of a CIA operative that he asked his boss, Vice President Dick Cheney, to intervene on his behalf, defense lawyer Theodore Wells told the jury at the beginning of Libby's perjury trial.
"He was concerned about being set up," Wells said. "He was concerned about being the scapegoat for this entire Valerie Wilson controversy."
Holy crap! Cheney and Rove both get mentioned as being part of the cover-up this early in the trial? This is going to be even better then I could have hoped!
And this is all coming out on the day of the President's State of the Union adress!
Does life get any better then this?
Well this is just embarrassing.
What mythical beast are you? |
 You're a pegasus. You're very calm and loving. Something about you makes others want to get close to you, whether or not you feel the same way about them. You don't bond to others easily, but when you do it's long-lasting. Your alignment is *good*, but not so much that you can't have fun. Take this quiz!  Quizilla Join Make A Quiz More Quizzes Grab Code |
Well great! Apparently I am a freaking flying horse!
I am much too manly to be a flying horse! I just assumed I would be identified as a Gryphon, like my name. But nooo! I am identified as a pony with feathers.
Stupid quiz.
Monday, January 22, 2007
This story has child porn and George Bush in the same sentence. You're going to be disappointed though.
Just another example of somebody pretending to be all holy when they are really a creepy pedophile.
Pastor Ted Haggard is in the news again!
This is from a documentary put together by Nancy Pelosi's daughter. She went to the evangelical community, before Haggard's scandal forced him to step down from leading his church, and asked questions about the lives of these evangelicals. Here is what Pastor Ted said to Ms.Pelosi:
"You know all the surveys say that evangelicals have the best sex life of any other group," he says.
Apparently he did not bother elaborating that this "best" sex was with a male prostitute. That might have made this documentary far more interesting!
But it does kind of drive home the point that many of these people seem to live terribly hypocritical lives. It just seems a very sad kind of life to live.
"You know all the surveys say that evangelicals have the best sex life of any other group," he says.
Apparently he did not bother elaborating that this "best" sex was with a male prostitute. That might have made this documentary far more interesting!
But it does kind of drive home the point that many of these people seem to live terribly hypocritical lives. It just seems a very sad kind of life to live.
CNN does its job and discovers that the charges that Obama attended a Muslim Madrassa were completely false. See we still need the MSM!
Allegations that Sen. Barack Obama was educated in a radical Muslim school known as a "madrassa" are not accurate, according to CNN reporting.
Insight Magazine, which is owned by the same company as The Washington Times, reported on its Web site last week that associates of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, had unearthed information the Illinois Democrat and likely presidential candidate attended a Muslim religious school known for teaching the most fundamentalist form of Islam.
Insight attributed the information in its article to an unnamed source, who said it was discovered by "researchers connected to Senator Clinton." A spokesman for Clinton, who is also weighing a White House bid, denied that the campaign was the source of the Obama claim.
He called the story "an obvious right-wing hit job."
You know I wish I could say I am surprised by this, but I am not. This is so clearly a clumsy attempt to invent a comflict between the Clinton and Obama camp by the right wing media that it might as well have "The FOX News network supports this message" stamped across it.
Anybody who knows ANYTHING about Hillary knows she would never be this clumsy. Never!
She is smart, and she knows that if she were to be accused of attacking ANY of her opponents this early in the race she would be finished! No, she is going to stay positive right up until she can debate her fellow presidential hopefuls. And then she is going to carefully de-construct their arguments while building her case to be President.
I predict that she will not go negative.
Insight Magazine, which is owned by the same company as The Washington Times, reported on its Web site last week that associates of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, had unearthed information the Illinois Democrat and likely presidential candidate attended a Muslim religious school known for teaching the most fundamentalist form of Islam.
Insight attributed the information in its article to an unnamed source, who said it was discovered by "researchers connected to Senator Clinton." A spokesman for Clinton, who is also weighing a White House bid, denied that the campaign was the source of the Obama claim.
He called the story "an obvious right-wing hit job."
You know I wish I could say I am surprised by this, but I am not. This is so clearly a clumsy attempt to invent a comflict between the Clinton and Obama camp by the right wing media that it might as well have "The FOX News network supports this message" stamped across it.
Anybody who knows ANYTHING about Hillary knows she would never be this clumsy. Never!
She is smart, and she knows that if she were to be accused of attacking ANY of her opponents this early in the race she would be finished! No, she is going to stay positive right up until she can debate her fellow presidential hopefuls. And then she is going to carefully de-construct their arguments while building her case to be President.
I predict that she will not go negative.
Against the Iraq surge? Join the crowd! Support the surge? Say goodbye to your political career!
Congressional Republicans pushed back Monday against President Bush's decision to increase troop strength in Iraq, some voicing opposition while others urged holding the administration and Iraqi government more accountable for the war effort.
How can there be anybody left who does see that this thing is dead in the water? I mean Bush can still do it, but he must know that he is doing virtually alone in this.
With the exception of Joe Lieberman and John McCain of course. Two individuals who will soon be looking for new careers.
How can there be anybody left who does see that this thing is dead in the water? I mean Bush can still do it, but he must know that he is doing virtually alone in this.
With the exception of Joe Lieberman and John McCain of course. Two individuals who will soon be looking for new careers.
It is the day before the President's State of the Union speech so cue the terror threats!
Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, recently testified that documents captured by coalition forces during a raid of a safe house believed to house Iraqi members of al Qaeda six months ago "revealed [AQI] was planning terrorist operations in the U.S."
Gee where have I heard this before? You know the sad thing is that they have no other ideas except this "scare Americans" plan that they have overused to the point of satire.
In the immortal words of George W. Bush, “You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.” Here is hoping that even these people are starting to understand that they are being manipulated by this ass clown.
Gee where have I heard this before? You know the sad thing is that they have no other ideas except this "scare Americans" plan that they have overused to the point of satire.
In the immortal words of George W. Bush, “You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.” Here is hoping that even these people are starting to understand that they are being manipulated by this ass clown.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
The worship of Greek Gods is coming back. You know what this means? Toga party!
After all these centuries, Zeus may have a few thunderbolts left. A tiny group of worshippers plans a rare ceremony Sunday to honor the ancient Greek gods, at Athens' 1,800-year-old Temple of Olympian Zeus. Greece's Culture Ministry has declared the central Athens site off-limits, but worshippers say they will defy the decision.
"These are our temples and they should be used by followers of our religion," said Doreta Peppa, head of the Athens-based Ellinais, a group campaigning to revive the ancient religion.
"Of course we will go ahead with the event ... we will enter the site legally," said Peppa, who calls herself a high priestess of the revived faith. "We will issue a call for peace, who can be opposed to that?"
How can this not be a superior religion to Christianity? I mean look how many Gods they have?
They have Zeus, the father of the Gods. Ares, the god of war. Apollo, the sun god. Poseidon, God of the sea. I mean they have a God for EVERYTHING!
And you don't have to worship all of them, you an choose the one that best fits your worshipping needs. It is like going to the Starbucks of godhood. Just look at the menu and pick the one that you feel like sacrificing a lamb to that day. Simple.
You watch, it is totally going to catch on!
"These are our temples and they should be used by followers of our religion," said Doreta Peppa, head of the Athens-based Ellinais, a group campaigning to revive the ancient religion.
"Of course we will go ahead with the event ... we will enter the site legally," said Peppa, who calls herself a high priestess of the revived faith. "We will issue a call for peace, who can be opposed to that?"
How can this not be a superior religion to Christianity? I mean look how many Gods they have?
They have Zeus, the father of the Gods. Ares, the god of war. Apollo, the sun god. Poseidon, God of the sea. I mean they have a God for EVERYTHING!
And you don't have to worship all of them, you an choose the one that best fits your worshipping needs. It is like going to the Starbucks of godhood. Just look at the menu and pick the one that you feel like sacrificing a lamb to that day. Simple.
You watch, it is totally going to catch on!
Maliki did everything he could to convince Bush to withdrawal troops from Baghdad, to no avail. Even a Powerpoint presentation failed to convince.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had a surprise for President Bush when they sat down with their aides in the Four Seasons Hotel in Amman, Jordan. Firing up a PowerPoint presentation, Maliki and his national security adviser proposed that U.S. troops withdraw to the outskirts of Baghdad and let Iraqis take over security in the strife-torn capital. Maliki said he did not want any more U.S. troops at all, just more authority.
The president listened intently to the unexpected proposal at their Nov. 30 meeting, according to accounts from several administration officials. Bush seemed impressed that Maliki had taken the initiative, but it did not take him long to reject the idea.
Our generals don't want us to increase troops, the Iraqi's don't want more troops, and the Americna people do not want more troops. And none of that makes any difference to the man elected to do the people's will, George Bush.
What other choice do we have?
If impeachment is not an option, then what is?
The president listened intently to the unexpected proposal at their Nov. 30 meeting, according to accounts from several administration officials. Bush seemed impressed that Maliki had taken the initiative, but it did not take him long to reject the idea.
Our generals don't want us to increase troops, the Iraqi's don't want more troops, and the Americna people do not want more troops. And none of that makes any difference to the man elected to do the people's will, George Bush.
What other choice do we have?
If impeachment is not an option, then what is?
Is Senator Brownback more Bush then Bush?
Mr. Brownback, an evangelical Protestant turned Roman Catholic and a former Kansas agriculture secretary, said he would focus on reviving faith and families in America; combating abortion, poverty and wasteful government spending; opposing same-sex marriage; and revamping Social Security and the federal tax system.
Doesn't all of the above sound vaguely familiar? These are the same things that George Bush ran on and some he even tried to implement. Of course they all failed.
So here comes crazy, right-wing, bible thumping, evangelical Sam Brownback! Now he says that he is the real deal. Which means that the right wing evangelical vote is all locked up.
However I believe that Senator Brownback will find that actively courting this extremist group is going to marginalize him and keep him from having any real shot at getting the Republican nomination.
Though if he does manage to get the Republican nomination, if the evangelicals are really that influential, then he will be easy for any Democrat to beat in the general election. I think that it is clear that the majority of Americans will never allow a religious extremist back into the White House.
We may be slow, but we are not that damn slow!
Doesn't all of the above sound vaguely familiar? These are the same things that George Bush ran on and some he even tried to implement. Of course they all failed.
So here comes crazy, right-wing, bible thumping, evangelical Sam Brownback! Now he says that he is the real deal. Which means that the right wing evangelical vote is all locked up.
However I believe that Senator Brownback will find that actively courting this extremist group is going to marginalize him and keep him from having any real shot at getting the Republican nomination.
Though if he does manage to get the Republican nomination, if the evangelicals are really that influential, then he will be easy for any Democrat to beat in the general election. I think that it is clear that the majority of Americans will never allow a religious extremist back into the White House.
We may be slow, but we are not that damn slow!
Saturday, January 20, 2007
For any of my visitors who have been through a divorce, here is a story to remind us that it could always have been worse.
Like two Cold War adversaries, Chana and Simon Taub are separated by a wall — one that was built straight down the middle of their home to keep the bickering spouses apart.
Neither one wanted to move out of their beloved Brooklyn house, and so, in one of the strangest divorce battles the city has ever seen, a white drywall partition was erected a few weeks ago on orders from a judge.
I am here to tell you that this will not make things easier between these two.
To get pass the disappointment and sense of betrayal that results from divorce you really just need to move on and forget the other person even exists.
They are the past and your future is now bright and exciting.
Neither one wanted to move out of their beloved Brooklyn house, and so, in one of the strangest divorce battles the city has ever seen, a white drywall partition was erected a few weeks ago on orders from a judge.
I am here to tell you that this will not make things easier between these two.
To get pass the disappointment and sense of betrayal that results from divorce you really just need to move on and forget the other person even exists.
They are the past and your future is now bright and exciting.
Hillary jumps into the race.
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., has announced that she is forming an exploratory committee for president, thereby launching a bid to become the first female chief executive of the United States.
"I'm in," she said on a Web site, hillaryclinton.com. "And I'm in to win.
This announcement is all over the cable news stations and the "internets".
I watched Hillary's announcement and it really did not blow me away. Of course neither did John Edwards. I actually thought that Barack Obama did the best job of announcing his intention to run, or "exploratory committee", or whatever.
The news media is caught in this trap of comparing Hillary and Obama, as if they are the only two Democrats running for office, which leaves Edwards, Vilsack, Richardson, Biden, Dodd, and Kucinich out in the cold. Which may be a very good thing for them.
I think that letting the media pick Obama and Clinton apart only serves to make the other candidates appear stronger in the eyes of the public.
My personal advice for my man John Edwards is to say that Obama would make a great President, and that Hillary would make a great President, and that he would make a great President. The field of Democratic candidates is a stellar and gifted group of individuals that the Democrats can all be proud of.
Say nothing negative about any other candidate. Stay positive at all times. Tell voters that they cannot go wrong voting for any Democrat for President. But then add they you sincerely hope that they will listen to what you stand for and find that that is what they are looking for in the next leader of this great nation. The time for sniping and negativitiy is over and it is time for cohesion and cooperation.
The Democrats need to remind the American people that all of the problems that we are facing right now are the result of the other parties mistakes and that the Democrats are offering a postive change. No matter which Democrat we choose.
"I'm in," she said on a Web site, hillaryclinton.com. "And I'm in to win.
This announcement is all over the cable news stations and the "internets".
I watched Hillary's announcement and it really did not blow me away. Of course neither did John Edwards. I actually thought that Barack Obama did the best job of announcing his intention to run, or "exploratory committee", or whatever.
The news media is caught in this trap of comparing Hillary and Obama, as if they are the only two Democrats running for office, which leaves Edwards, Vilsack, Richardson, Biden, Dodd, and Kucinich out in the cold. Which may be a very good thing for them.
I think that letting the media pick Obama and Clinton apart only serves to make the other candidates appear stronger in the eyes of the public.
My personal advice for my man John Edwards is to say that Obama would make a great President, and that Hillary would make a great President, and that he would make a great President. The field of Democratic candidates is a stellar and gifted group of individuals that the Democrats can all be proud of.
Say nothing negative about any other candidate. Stay positive at all times. Tell voters that they cannot go wrong voting for any Democrat for President. But then add they you sincerely hope that they will listen to what you stand for and find that that is what they are looking for in the next leader of this great nation. The time for sniping and negativitiy is over and it is time for cohesion and cooperation.
The Democrats need to remind the American people that all of the problems that we are facing right now are the result of the other parties mistakes and that the Democrats are offering a postive change. No matter which Democrat we choose.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Media finally finds something negative to print about John Edwards! He sold his house to a couple who may or may not have done something wrong. What?
When former North Carolina senator and Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards finally succeeded last month in selling his imposing Georgetown mansion for $5.2 million after it had languished on the market, the names of the buyers were not publicly disclosed.
In reality, the buyers were Paul and Terry Klaassen, according to several sources and confirmed by Edwards's spokeswoman yesterday.
The wealthy founders of the nation's largest assisted-living housing chain for seniors, the Klaassens are currently cooperating with a government inquiry in connection with accounting practices and stock options exercised by them and other company insiders. They are also the focus of legal complaints by some of the same labor unions whose support Edwards has been assiduously courting for his presidential bid.
So let us get this straight. Edwards has been having some trouble selling this very expensive home, he gets an offer and makes the deal, but he is a bad guy for not doing a background check on the buyers? How many of you would have investigated the buyers of your house?
I wouldn't! I would be so damn thrilled to get out from under the taxes that I would be much to happy to wonder if they may have some shady business dealings in their portfolio.
This is not the responsibility of the seller of a house! If they can afford the property that is pretty much all any of us would care about.
This is a pathetic attempt to find some dirt on John Edwards. If this is all they can come up with he should have no problem being elected President.
In reality, the buyers were Paul and Terry Klaassen, according to several sources and confirmed by Edwards's spokeswoman yesterday.
The wealthy founders of the nation's largest assisted-living housing chain for seniors, the Klaassens are currently cooperating with a government inquiry in connection with accounting practices and stock options exercised by them and other company insiders. They are also the focus of legal complaints by some of the same labor unions whose support Edwards has been assiduously courting for his presidential bid.
So let us get this straight. Edwards has been having some trouble selling this very expensive home, he gets an offer and makes the deal, but he is a bad guy for not doing a background check on the buyers? How many of you would have investigated the buyers of your house?
I wouldn't! I would be so damn thrilled to get out from under the taxes that I would be much to happy to wonder if they may have some shady business dealings in their portfolio.
This is not the responsibility of the seller of a house! If they can afford the property that is pretty much all any of us would care about.
This is a pathetic attempt to find some dirt on John Edwards. If this is all they can come up with he should have no problem being elected President.
Colbert vs O'Reilly on the Colbert Report last night.
Did you notice when O'Reilly suddenly realized that he was outmatched?
And if you can stomach it here is Colbert's appearance on The Factor. (This is courtesy of the great website One Good Move) Stephen owns Bill in this one too.
And if you can stomach it here is Colbert's appearance on The Factor. (This is courtesy of the great website One Good Move) Stephen owns Bill in this one too.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
I visited the Dark Side today.
I actually forced myself to watch FOX news today so that I could see Stephen make Bill O'Reilly his ass monkey on "The Factor".
I had to endure O'Reilly defending his attack on that poor kid who was held for four years by that pedophile and I had to watch as a variety of ass kissers kow towed to him like he actually made some important contribution in the world.
But when Colbert was on he did his usual amazing job of appearing like he was on the conservative side while delivering kidney punches to O'Reilly's humorless carcass.
It seemed as if O'Reilly truly believed that he was giving as good as he ws getting which only further illustrates how detached from reality he truly has become.
Okay I am going to watch the Colbert Report next so that I can observe Stephen deliver the coup de grace. And then, hopefully, I will never have to endure Bill O'Reilly again.
I had to endure O'Reilly defending his attack on that poor kid who was held for four years by that pedophile and I had to watch as a variety of ass kissers kow towed to him like he actually made some important contribution in the world.
But when Colbert was on he did his usual amazing job of appearing like he was on the conservative side while delivering kidney punches to O'Reilly's humorless carcass.
It seemed as if O'Reilly truly believed that he was giving as good as he ws getting which only further illustrates how detached from reality he truly has become.
Okay I am going to watch the Colbert Report next so that I can observe Stephen deliver the coup de grace. And then, hopefully, I will never have to endure Bill O'Reilly again.
The greatest excuse EVER, for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs!
This guy claims that he accidentally ingested banned substances while going down on his hot model girlfriends coochie.
There has never been an excuse as good as this one in the history of excuses.
There has never been an excuse as good as this one in the history of excuses.
McCain's pro-war stance is killing his presidential aspirations. No kidding dumbass!
“John McCain is tanking,” says ARG president Dick Bennett. “That’s the big thing [we’re finding]. In New Hampshire a year ago he got 49 percent among independent voters. That number’s way down, to 29 percent now.”
Bennett says ARG is finding a similar trend in other states polled, including early primary battlegrounds like Iowa and Nevada. “We’re finding this everywhere,” he says.
The main reason isn’t hard to find: His hawkish stance on the Iraq war, which is tying him ever more closely to an unpopular president. “Independent support for McCain is evaporating because they view him as tied to Bush,” says Bennett.
You would have to have your head shoved way the hell up your ass not to realize that this country is done with this war and that anybody who is still supporting it might as well hang up any hope of being elected President.
Hear that Hillary?
Bennett says ARG is finding a similar trend in other states polled, including early primary battlegrounds like Iowa and Nevada. “We’re finding this everywhere,” he says.
The main reason isn’t hard to find: His hawkish stance on the Iraq war, which is tying him ever more closely to an unpopular president. “Independent support for McCain is evaporating because they view him as tied to Bush,” says Bennett.
You would have to have your head shoved way the hell up your ass not to realize that this country is done with this war and that anybody who is still supporting it might as well hang up any hope of being elected President.
Hear that Hillary?
Democrats are doing exactly what they promised to do. Republicans are confused by this odd approach.
Five down, one more on tap as House Democrats sprint through their list of promises, not even in sight of the 100 hours set aside for that goal.
The items passed so far would:
_make the government negotiate for lower Medicare prescription drug prices. It passed last Friday.
_expand federally funded stem cell research. It passed Jan. 11.
_raise the federal minimum wage. It passed Jan. 10.
_seek to bolster terrorism-fighting efforts. It passed Jan. 9.
_change rules governing ethics, lobbying and the budget. These changes were passed on Jan. 4-5.
Now once they impeach Bush we can all sit back and finally let out our breath. I have been holding mine since 2001.
The items passed so far would:
_make the government negotiate for lower Medicare prescription drug prices. It passed last Friday.
_expand federally funded stem cell research. It passed Jan. 11.
_raise the federal minimum wage. It passed Jan. 10.
_seek to bolster terrorism-fighting efforts. It passed Jan. 9.
_change rules governing ethics, lobbying and the budget. These changes were passed on Jan. 4-5.
Now once they impeach Bush we can all sit back and finally let out our breath. I have been holding mine since 2001.
Is the Administration charge that Iran is supplying weapons to Iraqi insurgents accurate? Of course not!
For 18 months now, the George W. Bush administration has periodically raised the charge that Iran is supplying anti-coalition forces in Iraq with arms.
But in the past, high administration officials have always admitted that they have no real evidence to support it. Now, they are going further. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters on her current Middle Eastern trip, "I think there is plenty of evidence that there is Iranian involvement with these networks that are making high-explosive IEDs [improvised explosive devices] and that are endangering our troops, and that's going to be dealt with."
However, Rice failed to provide any evidence of official Iranian involvement.
The origins of the theme of Iranian complicity strongly suggest that it was a propaganda line aimed at reducing the Bush administration's acute embarrassment at its inability to stop the growing death toll of U.S. troops from shaped charges fired at armoured vehicles by Sunni insurgents.
The Bush administration is playing the same old song and expecting us to all get up and dance to it again like we did in 2001. But this time we have a Democrat led Congress and Americans who are pissed off about being lied to about Iraq. There is no way that we are going to allow this group of idiots to justify an attack on Iran.
Not this time Chimpy!
But in the past, high administration officials have always admitted that they have no real evidence to support it. Now, they are going further. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters on her current Middle Eastern trip, "I think there is plenty of evidence that there is Iranian involvement with these networks that are making high-explosive IEDs [improvised explosive devices] and that are endangering our troops, and that's going to be dealt with."
However, Rice failed to provide any evidence of official Iranian involvement.
The origins of the theme of Iranian complicity strongly suggest that it was a propaganda line aimed at reducing the Bush administration's acute embarrassment at its inability to stop the growing death toll of U.S. troops from shaped charges fired at armoured vehicles by Sunni insurgents.
The Bush administration is playing the same old song and expecting us to all get up and dance to it again like we did in 2001. But this time we have a Democrat led Congress and Americans who are pissed off about being lied to about Iraq. There is no way that we are going to allow this group of idiots to justify an attack on Iran.
Not this time Chimpy!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
If you have any questions about female masturbation this page has the answer. Link is NSFW.
Why do girls masturbate less than boys?
Because it is a biological necessity for males to eliminate the sexual fluids their bodies produce. It is also believed that masturbation keeps a male's sperm in better condition for reproduction. But females only do it because it's fun. So it makes sense that more males masturbate, and that they are more likely to make a daily habit of it. Masturbation has been observed in every species of mammal, but there is no species where the females masturbate more often than the males. There is also no society on earth where the women masturbate more than the men.
I consider this a public service announcement. You are welcome.
Because it is a biological necessity for males to eliminate the sexual fluids their bodies produce. It is also believed that masturbation keeps a male's sperm in better condition for reproduction. But females only do it because it's fun. So it makes sense that more males masturbate, and that they are more likely to make a daily habit of it. Masturbation has been observed in every species of mammal, but there is no species where the females masturbate more often than the males. There is also no society on earth where the women masturbate more than the men.
I consider this a public service announcement. You are welcome.
Step aside teachers, the school librarian would like a shot at the students for a change.
Superintendent Ron Duerring plans to recommend the board fire Jennifer Kristin Carte-Priestley, a librarian at Hayes Middle School in St. Albans. She was hired there in November 2002, according to county records.
School investigators began looking into Carte-Priestley's actions last school year after a parent complained about language she used while communicating with middle school students on the social networking site MySpace.com.
According to site records, Carte-Priestley posted pictures of herself and claimed to be a 14-year-old to hide the page. Anyone who lists their age as older than 18 would have to have been her "friend" to communicate and read the page, according to the site's regulations.
When a second parent complained about that practice in fall 2006, Carte-Priestley was suspended with pay. An investigation revealed a more elaborate relationship with two male students, which included alleged drug use and in-home visits, the memo said.
One particular student repeatedly skipped his other classes to visit the library, and the librarian allegedly gave him an anti-anxiety drug called Xanax while he was at the school. She also drove the boy and another male student to Taco Bell and returned to her house, where the group allegedly smoked marijuana, according to the termination recommendation.
I simply cannot figure out what the hell is wrong with these women! Maybe somebody should check the water. Maybe there is some additive being put in the water supply which makes women, who are exposed to pre-pubescent boys, go out of their damn minds!
I just do not get this.
School investigators began looking into Carte-Priestley's actions last school year after a parent complained about language she used while communicating with middle school students on the social networking site MySpace.com.
According to site records, Carte-Priestley posted pictures of herself and claimed to be a 14-year-old to hide the page. Anyone who lists their age as older than 18 would have to have been her "friend" to communicate and read the page, according to the site's regulations.
When a second parent complained about that practice in fall 2006, Carte-Priestley was suspended with pay. An investigation revealed a more elaborate relationship with two male students, which included alleged drug use and in-home visits, the memo said.
One particular student repeatedly skipped his other classes to visit the library, and the librarian allegedly gave him an anti-anxiety drug called Xanax while he was at the school. She also drove the boy and another male student to Taco Bell and returned to her house, where the group allegedly smoked marijuana, according to the termination recommendation.
I simply cannot figure out what the hell is wrong with these women! Maybe somebody should check the water. Maybe there is some additive being put in the water supply which makes women, who are exposed to pre-pubescent boys, go out of their damn minds!
I just do not get this.
The Senators are starting to put the squeeze on Bush.
A second Republican signed onto a Senate resolution on Wednesday opposing President Bush's 21,500-troop buildup in Iraq, setting a marker for a major clash between the White House and Congress over the unpopular war.
Sen. Olympia Snowe, a moderate from Maine, said she would support a nonbinding resolution that would put the Senate on record as saying the U.S. commitment in Iraq can be sustained only with support from the American public and Congress.
Snowe's decision to join the effort came as the White House and GOP leaders struggled to keep Republicans from endorsing the resolution, and raised questions about how many more defections there might be.
Putting the President's testicles in a vise sounds like a rollicking good time to me!
Sen. Olympia Snowe, a moderate from Maine, said she would support a nonbinding resolution that would put the Senate on record as saying the U.S. commitment in Iraq can be sustained only with support from the American public and Congress.
Snowe's decision to join the effort came as the White House and GOP leaders struggled to keep Republicans from endorsing the resolution, and raised questions about how many more defections there might be.
Putting the President's testicles in a vise sounds like a rollicking good time to me!
More Bush White House overeaching. Now they are trying to stack the prosecution deck in their favor.
During a floor speech on the topic moments ago, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said the White House has told her it was replacing from five to 10 Senate-confirmed U.S. attorneys with its own interim appointees.
San Francisco - 1/16/07 - Kevin V. Ryan
Nevada - 1/15/07 - Daniel Bogden
San Diego - 1/12/07 - Carole Lam
New Mexico - 12/19/06 - David Igleslias
Arizona - 12/19/06 - Paul K. Charlton
Seattle - 12/15/06 - John McKay
Little Rock (Ark.) - 12/15/06 - Bud Cummins
With no oversite this administration is completely uncontrollable.
This is getting ridiculous!
San Francisco - 1/16/07 - Kevin V. Ryan
Nevada - 1/15/07 - Daniel Bogden
San Diego - 1/12/07 - Carole Lam
New Mexico - 12/19/06 - David Igleslias
Arizona - 12/19/06 - Paul K. Charlton
Seattle - 12/15/06 - John McKay
Little Rock (Ark.) - 12/15/06 - Bud Cummins
With no oversite this administration is completely uncontrollable.
This is getting ridiculous!
Is FOX's conservative bias evident on "American Idol"?
Two auditions invoked the "American Idol" Military Immunity Clause -- show up in uniform and you're guaranteed to be sent to the next round.
Jarrod Fowler is a 27-year-old intelligence specialist on the USS Ronald Reagan. Fowler says he won the "Reagan Idol" competition on the Reagan. Fowler says it brings him a sense of pride knowing he represents all "these people who are actually defending our freedom."
"I think people will like you," Simon coos. The other judges meekly follow suit.
"This is for the Reagan," Fowler says outside the audition room.
Rachel Jackson meanwhile, works in Dad's body shop and her husband is in Baghdad now. She joined the Army Reserve.
"You guys are sooooo cute!" she tells the judges. Her song starts okay, but she inadvertently switches keys at least once.
Even so, her fatigues camouflage her lack of talent. Simon notes she started off well and "fell apart" toward the end. Which under other conditions would be the lead-in line to getting the hook. But instead he says while she was "not one of the best," "I think people would like you." The other judges agree glassy-eyed, and Jackson, too, is on her way to Hollywood.
Now I did not watch the show so I cannot express my opinion on the singing talents of either of these two individuals, and I have no problem with anybody supporting our troops, but I am just posting this as a further observation that FOX may be working as an outlet for the White House's conservative agenda.
It is one thing if the news programs take sides in the current debate in this country (which by the way we really should not be okay with), but when all of their programming is designed to make a political point that is pushing things way too far!
I think if the show favored blacks over whites, or men over women, that we would see viewer outrage. However I have to say that letting these people go on to the next round despite their questionable talent does not anger or upset me in any way. I think that our servicemen and women deserve as much support as possible. But if the show is just about talent, then it should be just about talent. Not whether or not you have a uniform on or not.
Jarrod Fowler is a 27-year-old intelligence specialist on the USS Ronald Reagan. Fowler says he won the "Reagan Idol" competition on the Reagan. Fowler says it brings him a sense of pride knowing he represents all "these people who are actually defending our freedom."
"I think people will like you," Simon coos. The other judges meekly follow suit.
"This is for the Reagan," Fowler says outside the audition room.
Rachel Jackson meanwhile, works in Dad's body shop and her husband is in Baghdad now. She joined the Army Reserve.
"You guys are sooooo cute!" she tells the judges. Her song starts okay, but she inadvertently switches keys at least once.
Even so, her fatigues camouflage her lack of talent. Simon notes she started off well and "fell apart" toward the end. Which under other conditions would be the lead-in line to getting the hook. But instead he says while she was "not one of the best," "I think people would like you." The other judges agree glassy-eyed, and Jackson, too, is on her way to Hollywood.
Now I did not watch the show so I cannot express my opinion on the singing talents of either of these two individuals, and I have no problem with anybody supporting our troops, but I am just posting this as a further observation that FOX may be working as an outlet for the White House's conservative agenda.
It is one thing if the news programs take sides in the current debate in this country (which by the way we really should not be okay with), but when all of their programming is designed to make a political point that is pushing things way too far!
I think if the show favored blacks over whites, or men over women, that we would see viewer outrage. However I have to say that letting these people go on to the next round despite their questionable talent does not anger or upset me in any way. I think that our servicemen and women deserve as much support as possible. But if the show is just about talent, then it should be just about talent. Not whether or not you have a uniform on or not.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The Fox network is using the runaway hit "24" to scare its audience into supporting the President's agenda.
The show is much more successful than the White House at making the case for torture. Its ratings have gone steadily up over the last five years, while Bush's ratings have gone steadily down.In "24," Sutherland plays special agent Jack Bauer, head of the Counter Terrorism Unit. He fights some of his biggest battles not with the dark-skinned enemies trying to nuke L.A., but rather with the light-skinned do-gooders who think the head of the Counter Terrorism Unit should follow the rules.
Back in season four, for example, the bumbling bureaucrats released a captured terrorist before he could be tortured, because a lawyer for "Amnesty Global" showed up whining about the Geneva Conventions. Jack had to quit the Counter Terrorist Unit and become a private citizen in order to break the suspect's fingers.
I have to hand it to Fox, this is really tricky. It is also devious and very underhanded. These guys have absolutely no shame.
What is next? Will "American Idol" have an episode where only patriotic songs are sung by the contestants? Will Bart Simpson join al-Quaeda only to be waterboarded by Lisa until he rejoins the family? Will they send the nanny's from "Nanny 911" over to run Gitmo and get those unruly detainees to start talking?
This is just getting ridiculous.
America allows Iran to buy its extra weapons. Iran may be returning them to American soldiers in the near future. Well just the ammunition actually.
The U.S. military has sold forbidden equipment at least a half-dozen times to middlemen for countries — including Iran and China — who exploited security flaws in the Defense Department's surplus auctions. The sales include fighter jet parts and missile components.
In that instance, a Pakistani arms broker convicted of exporting U.S. missile parts to Iran resumed business after his release from prison. He purchased Chinook helicopter engine parts for Iran from a U.S. company that had bought them in a Pentagon surplus sale. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, speaking on condition of anonymity, say those parts made it to Iran.
The surplus sales can operate like a supermarket for arms dealers.
"Right Item, Right Time, Right Place, Right Price, Every Time. Best Value Solutions for America's Warfighters," the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service says on its website, calling itself "the place to obtain original U.S. Government surplus property."
Have you ever seen the old gunfighter movies where the good guy says he is unarmed and the bad guy gives him a gun to make it "fair"? You ever notice that the bad guy always gets shot to death?
I wonder if it makes any difference to the families of fallen Americans it that their loved ones were killed with weapons purchased from America? It would certainly make me angry.
In that instance, a Pakistani arms broker convicted of exporting U.S. missile parts to Iran resumed business after his release from prison. He purchased Chinook helicopter engine parts for Iran from a U.S. company that had bought them in a Pentagon surplus sale. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, speaking on condition of anonymity, say those parts made it to Iran.
The surplus sales can operate like a supermarket for arms dealers.
"Right Item, Right Time, Right Place, Right Price, Every Time. Best Value Solutions for America's Warfighters," the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service says on its website, calling itself "the place to obtain original U.S. Government surplus property."
Have you ever seen the old gunfighter movies where the good guy says he is unarmed and the bad guy gives him a gun to make it "fair"? You ever notice that the bad guy always gets shot to death?
I wonder if it makes any difference to the families of fallen Americans it that their loved ones were killed with weapons purchased from America? It would certainly make me angry.
Libby jurors quizzed about Bush.
Potential jurors expressed mixed emotions about the Bush administration and the Iraq war as jury selection began Tuesday in the perjury and obstruction trial against former White House aide "Scooter" Libby.
"Do any of you have feelings or opinions about the Bush administration or any of its policies or actions, whether positive or negative, that might affect your ability to give a former member of the Bush administration a fair trial?" U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton asked a panel of about 60 potential jurors.
"Do any of you have any feelings or opinions about Vice President Cheney, whether positive or negative, that might affect your ability to be fair in this case or that might affect your ability to fairly judge Vice President Cheney's believability?" Walton asked.
This is going to be the most entertaining trial in recent history. I am going to read every single word written about the goings on and the behind the scenes.
And when Cheney takes the stand I may even stay home from work.
"Do any of you have feelings or opinions about the Bush administration or any of its policies or actions, whether positive or negative, that might affect your ability to give a former member of the Bush administration a fair trial?" U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton asked a panel of about 60 potential jurors.
"Do any of you have any feelings or opinions about Vice President Cheney, whether positive or negative, that might affect your ability to be fair in this case or that might affect your ability to fairly judge Vice President Cheney's believability?" Walton asked.
This is going to be the most entertaining trial in recent history. I am going to read every single word written about the goings on and the behind the scenes.
And when Cheney takes the stand I may even stay home from work.
Sex may be going high tech a little too fast for my liking. This link is NSFW.
The devices at this site apparently can be hooked up to your computer and then you and your partner can have virtual sex with each other.
Oookay.
I have a feeling that this will not help to increase marital fidelity in the world.
(Have you noticed that all of the weirdest sexual instruments and information comes from Japan? Man those people are twisted!)
Oookay.
I have a feeling that this will not help to increase marital fidelity in the world.
(Have you noticed that all of the weirdest sexual instruments and information comes from Japan? Man those people are twisted!)
Look! The media is finally asking the question that they should have been asking all along! Are Americans getting truth on Iraq?
"They blew up one of the holiest shrines in Shia Islam - the Golden Mosque of Samarra - in a calculated effort to provoke Iraq's Shia population to retaliate," Bush said. "Their strategy worked. Radical Shia elements, some supported by Iran, formed death squads. And the result was a vicious cycle of sectarian violence that continues today."
But the president's account understates by at least 15 months when Shiite death squads began targeting Sunni politicians and clerics. It also ignores the role that Iranian-backed Shiite groups had in death squad activities prior to the Samarra bombing.
Blaming the start of sectarian violence in Iraq on the Golden Dome bombing risks policy errors because it underestimates the depth of sectarian hatred in Iraq and overlooks the conflict's root causes. The Bush account also fails to acknowledge that Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite groups stoked the conflict.
Bush's national security adviser Stephen Hadley used the same version of events in an appearance Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
I don't usually target the MSM for being lazy or inaccurate like some other bloggers make a habit of doing, but come on! Being this late to identify that the Bush administration has been shaping the intelligence to justify their actions is as old as the first argument they made to go to war in the first place.
This is what this administration does! If anything defines them, it is this constant need to lie to the American people. They do not trust us with the truth. Which has to make you wonder why they fear the truth.
Actually I am pretty sure that we all know why.
But the president's account understates by at least 15 months when Shiite death squads began targeting Sunni politicians and clerics. It also ignores the role that Iranian-backed Shiite groups had in death squad activities prior to the Samarra bombing.
Blaming the start of sectarian violence in Iraq on the Golden Dome bombing risks policy errors because it underestimates the depth of sectarian hatred in Iraq and overlooks the conflict's root causes. The Bush account also fails to acknowledge that Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite groups stoked the conflict.
Bush's national security adviser Stephen Hadley used the same version of events in an appearance Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
I don't usually target the MSM for being lazy or inaccurate like some other bloggers make a habit of doing, but come on! Being this late to identify that the Bush administration has been shaping the intelligence to justify their actions is as old as the first argument they made to go to war in the first place.
This is what this administration does! If anything defines them, it is this constant need to lie to the American people. They do not trust us with the truth. Which has to make you wonder why they fear the truth.
Actually I am pretty sure that we all know why.
John Edwards future running mate launches his presidential exploratory committee.
Obama is going to make a great VP!
Monday, January 15, 2007
Our good friends the Saudis may excise the letter "X" from their alphabet. Because it looks like the Christian cross.
But their experts who examined the English word "explorer" were struck by how suspicious that "X" appeared. In a kingdom where Friday preachers routinely refer to Christians as pigs and infidel crusaders, even a twisted cross ranks as an abomination.
You know what I always say, you can't go wrong making a decision based on religious intolerance.
Did anybody else know that our buddies the Arabs hated our most prominent religion so much? Cause I sure didn't.
And why pick on the letter "X"? I mean the letter "T" looks waaay more like a cross to me.
You know what I always say, you can't go wrong making a decision based on religious intolerance.
Did anybody else know that our buddies the Arabs hated our most prominent religion so much? Cause I sure didn't.
And why pick on the letter "X"? I mean the letter "T" looks waaay more like a cross to me.
Keith Olbermann may be driving Bill O'Reilly crazy. I am sorry, crazier.
Scarborough says O'Reilly is being driven by animosity toward Keith Olbermann, whose MSNBC show "Countdown" has been gaining in the ratings. "He's allowed his anger toward Keith Olbermann to damage his credibility," Scarborough says.Olbermann, who faces off with O'Reilly at 8 p.m., has been denouncing his rival for years. He positions his program as an increasingly liberal alternative to the "O'Reilly Factor" and frequently bestows on "Bill-O" his "Worst Person in the World" award. "Countdown" was up 60 percent in the fourth quarter over a year earlier, to 656,000 viewers. But "Factor," despite a 21 percent decline during the same period, still dwarfs the competition with 2.049 million viewers.
Several times over the last year, according to three sources who asked not to be identified because they were describing private conversations, O'Reilly's agent called Jeff Zucker, chief executive of NBC's television group, urging him to tell his MSNBC commentators to back off. O'Reilly also posted an online petition demanding that NBC dump Olbermann.
Olbermann's fearless attitude toward taking Bill and his FOX News comrades down a few notches has been thrilling to watch. It is so satisfying watching somebody taking them on concerning their accuracy, their politics, and their journalistic credentials.
These guys have bullied the main stream media into running away with their tail between their legs. Only Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert dared to call the FOX guys on their bullshit, using comedy to provide them cover.
But Keith just wades into the fray with his chest puffed up and dares them to challenge his assertions that they are White House lapdogs who are doing our country a disservice by giving their audiences administration talking points and calling it news.
It is brilliant, it is entertaining, and it is about damn time!
Clear your calendar kids, the Libby trial starts tomorrow!
I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's case will put on display the secret strategizing of an administration that cherry-picked information to justify war in Iraq and reporters who traded freely in gossip and protected their own interests as they worked on one of the big Washington stories of 2003.
The estimated six-week trial will pit current and former Bush administration officials against one another and, if Cheney is called as expected, will mark the first time that a sitting vice president has testified in a criminal case. It also will force the media into painful territory, with as many as 10 journalists called to testify for or against an official who was, for some of them, a confidential source.
Besides Cheney, the trial is likely to feature government and media luminaries including NBC's Tim Russert, former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, columnist Robert D. Novak and Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward.
God I hope this thing finally exposes the lies that led to our invasion of Iraq!
I have been waiting a long time to finally get to the bottom of who knew what, and when. This, plus the congressional investigations, should finally satisfy my need to know.
The estimated six-week trial will pit current and former Bush administration officials against one another and, if Cheney is called as expected, will mark the first time that a sitting vice president has testified in a criminal case. It also will force the media into painful territory, with as many as 10 journalists called to testify for or against an official who was, for some of them, a confidential source.
Besides Cheney, the trial is likely to feature government and media luminaries including NBC's Tim Russert, former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, columnist Robert D. Novak and Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward.
God I hope this thing finally exposes the lies that led to our invasion of Iraq!
I have been waiting a long time to finally get to the bottom of who knew what, and when. This, plus the congressional investigations, should finally satisfy my need to know.
A 27 million dollar museum dedicated to the denial of scientific discovery. "Hurry Martha, load up the kids, we are going to go and get dumber!"
Ken Ham's sprawling creation museum isn't even open yet, but an expansion is already underway in the state-of-the art lobby, where grunting dinosaurs and animatronic humans coexist in a Biblical paradise.
The $27 million project, which also includes a planetarium, a special-effects theater, nature trails and a small lake, is privately funded by people who believe the Bible's first book, Genesis, is literally true.
For them, a museum showing Christian schoolchildren and skeptics alike how the earth, animals, dinosaurs and humans were created in a six-day period about 6,000 years ago -- not over millions of years, as evolutionary science says -- is long overdue.
While foreign media and science critics have mostly come to snigger at exhibits explaining how baby dinosaurs fit on Noah's Ark and Cain married his sister to people the earth, museum spokesman and vice-president Mark Looy said the coverage has done nothing but drum up more interest.
"Mocking publicity is free publicity," Looy said. Besides, U.S. media have been more respectful, mindful perhaps of a 2006 Gallup Poll showing almost half of Americans believe that humans did not evolve, but were created by God in their present form within the last 10,000 years.
These must be the same people who find a way to support the President. No matter how much evidence is introduced into their world, nothing can shake their need to believe the fables of their youth.
It is just the saddest thing ever.
The $27 million project, which also includes a planetarium, a special-effects theater, nature trails and a small lake, is privately funded by people who believe the Bible's first book, Genesis, is literally true.
For them, a museum showing Christian schoolchildren and skeptics alike how the earth, animals, dinosaurs and humans were created in a six-day period about 6,000 years ago -- not over millions of years, as evolutionary science says -- is long overdue.
While foreign media and science critics have mostly come to snigger at exhibits explaining how baby dinosaurs fit on Noah's Ark and Cain married his sister to people the earth, museum spokesman and vice-president Mark Looy said the coverage has done nothing but drum up more interest.
"Mocking publicity is free publicity," Looy said. Besides, U.S. media have been more respectful, mindful perhaps of a 2006 Gallup Poll showing almost half of Americans believe that humans did not evolve, but were created by God in their present form within the last 10,000 years.
These must be the same people who find a way to support the President. No matter how much evidence is introduced into their world, nothing can shake their need to believe the fables of their youth.
It is just the saddest thing ever.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Miss Nevada, who was stripped of her title for being naughty, is hosting a female orgasm contest. Now that is naughty!
Katie was stripped of her title in December after racy photos of her appeared on the Internet. But that hasn't muffled the enthusiasm of the bold beauty.Katie has now signed a $2 million contract to co-host a female orgasm contest, with regular emcee Pete Giovine.
Isn't America wonderful? Where else can a girl be punished for lewd and lascivious behavior that occurred before she was semi-famous, and then get a chance to regain her self respect by being lewd and lascivious now that everybody knows who she is?
Actually female orgasms are a hobby of mine. That and stamp collecting.
Not satisfied that Iraq's Sunnis and Shiites are killing each other, Bush decides to invite the Kurds to the party as well.
The impending deployment has raised fears among Kurds, most of whom live in a well-protected autonomous enclave, that they are being dragged more directly into Iraq's bloody and complex civil war.
Most of the fighting in Iraq takes place between Sunnis and Shiites, but Kurds fear that could change if they are seen as players in the country's main struggle.
"I don't think it's wise," said Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish lawmaker in Baghdad. "This is a Sunni-Shiite conflict."
Kurdish troops are not acquainted with Baghdad, many speak neither Arabic nor English, and their participation could create an even deeper conflict between Kurds and Arabs, Othman said.
Okay I have said it before with my tongue touching my cheek, but now I am convinced that Bush is trying to completely destroy Iraq!
What other excuse is there for putting the Kurds, who are not currenlty involved in this civil war, into the middle of the conflict? The only possible reason is that Bush wants to ensure that every Iraqi will be fighting and dying in the war that will rage after the Americans leave Iraq.
He wants them to destroy each other so that America can take over the oilfields unopposed.
Is there any lingering doubt that George Bush is insane?
Most of the fighting in Iraq takes place between Sunnis and Shiites, but Kurds fear that could change if they are seen as players in the country's main struggle.
"I don't think it's wise," said Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish lawmaker in Baghdad. "This is a Sunni-Shiite conflict."
Kurdish troops are not acquainted with Baghdad, many speak neither Arabic nor English, and their participation could create an even deeper conflict between Kurds and Arabs, Othman said.
Okay I have said it before with my tongue touching my cheek, but now I am convinced that Bush is trying to completely destroy Iraq!
What other excuse is there for putting the Kurds, who are not currenlty involved in this civil war, into the middle of the conflict? The only possible reason is that Bush wants to ensure that every Iraqi will be fighting and dying in the war that will rage after the Americans leave Iraq.
He wants them to destroy each other so that America can take over the oilfields unopposed.
Is there any lingering doubt that George Bush is insane?
Woman drinks herself to death! Not news? She drank herself to death with water! How is that for news?
A 28-year-old woman died of water intoxication after taking part in a radio station's water drinking contest to win a Nintendo Wii video game system, the coroner's office said.
Assistant Sacramento County Coroner Ed Smith said Saturday a preliminary investigation found evidence "consistent with a water intoxication death."
Well I am not sure that this radio station can be held responsible for this poor woman's death but they should certainly dedicate a substantial amount of air time to educating people about the risks of over indulgence of anything, including water. I mean too much of almost anything can have devastating effects on the human body.
Water seems so harmless and usually the only way that it can harm somebody is if they drown in it. But as this story illustrates even water can cause injury or even death if it is consumed to large quantities.
So sad. Don't let anybody put you at risk by daring you, or challenging you, to do anything risky. This is your life and you need to nurture it and take pains to ensure that it will be a long and happy life.
As far as I can tell this is our only shot, don't waste it.
Assistant Sacramento County Coroner Ed Smith said Saturday a preliminary investigation found evidence "consistent with a water intoxication death."
Well I am not sure that this radio station can be held responsible for this poor woman's death but they should certainly dedicate a substantial amount of air time to educating people about the risks of over indulgence of anything, including water. I mean too much of almost anything can have devastating effects on the human body.
Water seems so harmless and usually the only way that it can harm somebody is if they drown in it. But as this story illustrates even water can cause injury or even death if it is consumed to large quantities.
So sad. Don't let anybody put you at risk by daring you, or challenging you, to do anything risky. This is your life and you need to nurture it and take pains to ensure that it will be a long and happy life.
As far as I can tell this is our only shot, don't waste it.
Did Bush admit that his mistakes made Iraq worse?
Pressed on whether actions by his administration had created further instability in Iraq, Bush said, "Well, no question, decisions have made things unstable."
But he added, "My decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the correct decision in my judgment."
So the reasoning is that "even though our bullets killed many thousands of innocent people, they also ultimately hit the one bad guy we were after. So everything worked out great!"
It is this kind of "ends justifies the means" thinking that truly pisses me off! Nothing that Saddam could have done to our country even comes close to excusing the unbelievable devastation that we visited upon that country and its people.
There is just no room to make this seem necessary or right.
You do not fight evil with more evil.
But he added, "My decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the correct decision in my judgment."
So the reasoning is that "even though our bullets killed many thousands of innocent people, they also ultimately hit the one bad guy we were after. So everything worked out great!"
It is this kind of "ends justifies the means" thinking that truly pisses me off! Nothing that Saddam could have done to our country even comes close to excusing the unbelievable devastation that we visited upon that country and its people.
There is just no room to make this seem necessary or right.
You do not fight evil with more evil.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Let's take an Immoral minute and look at the ten things that men masturbate to. Only ten things?
This is my favorite.
5. Things You Want To Do With The Person You Are Currently Dating
Its easier to deny to your significant other that you pleasure yourself, then having to explain why this ritual has nothing to do with them, a ritual that began long before they arrived, and who's hallowed and practiced motions will continue until well after they have left. While you may occupy yourself with other imaginings, this is sometimes used as a staging area for you to wrathfully project your will onto the version of your girlfriend who would be willing to "try" that. And hell sometimes you never know, your just too lazy to ask if she'll do that.
If I could just get some woman to do the things that I imagine doing with them I would never touch my dinkus again. Unless it had an itch or something. Or to pee. Oh let's face it I am never going to stop touching it.
5. Things You Want To Do With The Person You Are Currently Dating
Its easier to deny to your significant other that you pleasure yourself, then having to explain why this ritual has nothing to do with them, a ritual that began long before they arrived, and who's hallowed and practiced motions will continue until well after they have left. While you may occupy yourself with other imaginings, this is sometimes used as a staging area for you to wrathfully project your will onto the version of your girlfriend who would be willing to "try" that. And hell sometimes you never know, your just too lazy to ask if she'll do that.
If I could just get some woman to do the things that I imagine doing with them I would never touch my dinkus again. Unless it had an itch or something. Or to pee. Oh let's face it I am never going to stop touching it.
Hey we're number one!
Alaska: The number of earthquakes is under reported, even though Alaska already accounts for more than 50 percent of all US earthquakes! Events in the magnitude range of 3.5 to 4.0 in the Aleutian Islands are not recorded on enough seismograph stations to be located.
I just know all of the other states are jealous!
I just know all of the other states are jealous!
Uh oh! This can't be good.
The keepers of the "Doomsday Clock" plan to move its hands forward next Wednesday to reflect what they call worsening nuclear and climate threats to the world.
The symbolic clock, maintained by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, currently is set at seven minutes to midnight, with midnight marking global catastrophe.
The group did not say in which direction the hands would move. But in a news release previewing an event next Wednesday, they said the change was based on "worsening nuclear, climate threats" to the world.
The Democrats better get their shit together and stop him before Bush launches a nuclear holocaust or global warming destroys the planet.
But hey, no pressure.
The symbolic clock, maintained by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, currently is set at seven minutes to midnight, with midnight marking global catastrophe.
The group did not say in which direction the hands would move. But in a news release previewing an event next Wednesday, they said the change was based on "worsening nuclear, climate threats" to the world.
The Democrats better get their shit together and stop him before Bush launches a nuclear holocaust or global warming destroys the planet.
But hey, no pressure.
I knew this!
Going to college is a no-brainer for those who can afford it, but higher education actually tends to speed up mental decline when it comes to fumbling for words later in life.
Participants in a new study, all more than 70 years old, were tested up to four times between 1993 and 2000 on their ability to recall 10 common words read aloud to them. Those with more education were found to have a steeper decline over the years in their ability to remember the list, according to a new study detailed in the current issue of the journal Research on Aging.
See kids it isn't the peyote that you inhaled during college, it's college that is making you dumber!
And this is why I dropped out. I was trying to preserve my brain cells.
It is just too bad that all of that peyote I ingested stomped the crap out of them.
Participants in a new study, all more than 70 years old, were tested up to four times between 1993 and 2000 on their ability to recall 10 common words read aloud to them. Those with more education were found to have a steeper decline over the years in their ability to remember the list, according to a new study detailed in the current issue of the journal Research on Aging.
See kids it isn't the peyote that you inhaled during college, it's college that is making you dumber!
And this is why I dropped out. I was trying to preserve my brain cells.
It is just too bad that all of that peyote I ingested stomped the crap out of them.
Joe Biden tells Bush he cannot invade Iran. So there!
The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee warned the Bush administration that it does not have congressional authority to attack Iran.
"That will generate a constitutional confrontation in the Senate, I predict to you," Sen. Joseph Biden, D- Del., told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Thursday.
Those of us in the know (like me), have known for quite some time that Bush ultimately wants to invade Iran.
However we have also hoped that somebody would stand up to this fruitloop and put a stop to his plans for world domination.
It is good to see that such a thing is finally happening.
"That will generate a constitutional confrontation in the Senate, I predict to you," Sen. Joseph Biden, D- Del., told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Thursday.
Those of us in the know (like me), have known for quite some time that Bush ultimately wants to invade Iran.
However we have also hoped that somebody would stand up to this fruitloop and put a stop to his plans for world domination.
It is good to see that such a thing is finally happening.
Friday, January 12, 2007
School board blocks Al Gores global warming video because it is full of reputable scientific research. Yeah that has no place at school.
After a parent who supports the teaching of creationism and opposes sex education complained about the film, the Federal Way School Board on Tuesday placed what it labeled a moratorium on showing the film. The movie consists largely of a computer presentation by former Vice President Al Gore recounting scientists' findings.
"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who also said that he believes the Earth is 14,000 years old. "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. ... The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."
Hardison's e-mail to the School Board prompted board member David Larson to propose the moratorium Tuesday night.
Okay my question is this;
Is it a civil right for somebody to be allowed to remain ignorant if the information to educate them may damage their belief system?
I mean are our beliefs important enough that they should be preserved even if every single fact that is known disputes them?
I think I just blew my own mind.
"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who also said that he believes the Earth is 14,000 years old. "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. ... The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."
Hardison's e-mail to the School Board prompted board member David Larson to propose the moratorium Tuesday night.
Okay my question is this;
Is it a civil right for somebody to be allowed to remain ignorant if the information to educate them may damage their belief system?
I mean are our beliefs important enough that they should be preserved even if every single fact that is known disputes them?
I think I just blew my own mind.
Christian group is pissed at Conan O'Brien. Join the club buddy.
Life Decisions International (LDI), a Washington DC-based group that has attempted to organize boycotts against companies that contribute to Planned Parenthood, has lashed out at the broadcast networks for allowing "programming that blatantly mocks Christianity." The group wasted no time denouncing Wednesday night/Thursday morning's episode of Late Night With Conan O'Brien, in which the host introduced a new character, "the homophobic country-western singer," who sang: "Oh I love you Jesus / But only as a friend. / You touched my heart but I hope / That's where the touchin' ends. / You're always lookin' over me / When I need a higher power. / But you better look at somethin' else / When I'm in the shower." In a statement, LDI President Douglas R. Scott, Jr. said, "The idea that anyone would think about the Son of God in this way is simply appalling. The inferences that permeate the song are utterly disgusting."
You know I think this sounds kind of funny.
Yeah I know, it is just one of the many reasons I am going straight to hell. I'll save you a seat.
You know I think this sounds kind of funny.
Yeah I know, it is just one of the many reasons I am going straight to hell. I'll save you a seat.
Hot teacher Pamela Rogers just cannot get enough of the young stuff.
Former school teacher Pamela Rogers has been handed an additional two years for sending nude photos of herself to a boy she was convicted of having sex with. Rogers was on probation at the time.Wednesday morning in McMinnville, the 29-year-old Rogers entered a plea agreement, pleading guilty to two counts of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor.
This woman needs some serious counseling. I just have no idea what compels these people to act out their sexual fantasies on children.
I have to worry about the thirteen year old as well. Not just because he has been introduced to sexuality much too young to develop a normal sexual appetite. But also because this may be the hottest woman he will ever have sex with, and he already had her. He literally has nothing better to look forward to
God I am a pig.
Hah, beat you to it!
Keith Olbermann's Special Comments from yesterday were amazing!
Only this president, only in this time, only with this dangerous, even messianic certitude, could answer a country demanding an exit strategy from Iraq, by offering an entrance strategy for Iran.
Only this president could look out over a vista of 3,008 dead and 22,834 wounded in Iraq, and finally say, “Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me” — only to follow that by proposing to repeat the identical mistake ... in Iran.
Only this president could extol the “thoughtful recommendations of the Iraq Study Group,” and then take its most far-sighted recommendation — “engage Syria and Iran” — and transform it into “threaten Syria and Iran” — when al-Qaida would like nothing better than for us to threaten Syria, and when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would like nothing better than to be threatened by us.
This is diplomacy by skimming; it is internationalism by drawing pictures of Superman in the margins of the text books; it is a presidency of Cliff Notes.
And to Iran and Syria — and, yes, also to the insurgents in Iraq — we must look like a country run by the equivalent of the drunken pest who gets battered to the floor of the saloon by one punch, then staggers to his feet, and shouts at the other guy’s friends, “Ok, which one of you is next?”
Mr. Bush, the question is no longer “what are you thinking?,” but rather “are you thinking at all?”
I am resisting the urge to put the whole thing here in the interest of space, but I encourage you to read the whole thing at the link above. It is brilliant!
I have noticed that Keith was chosen to anchor the discussion on MSNBC after the President's speech. He seems to be elbowing Chris Matthews out of the way and taking the forefront in these political discussions.
That pleases me greatly. I think many of us have been disappointed in Matthews obvious idolatry of the Republicans hard charging political blitzkrieg. He has admitted voting for Bush which places his competence in question, and it is clear that he has lost his perspective.
However Keith has just the right perspective, mine.
Only this president could look out over a vista of 3,008 dead and 22,834 wounded in Iraq, and finally say, “Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me” — only to follow that by proposing to repeat the identical mistake ... in Iran.
Only this president could extol the “thoughtful recommendations of the Iraq Study Group,” and then take its most far-sighted recommendation — “engage Syria and Iran” — and transform it into “threaten Syria and Iran” — when al-Qaida would like nothing better than for us to threaten Syria, and when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would like nothing better than to be threatened by us.
This is diplomacy by skimming; it is internationalism by drawing pictures of Superman in the margins of the text books; it is a presidency of Cliff Notes.
And to Iran and Syria — and, yes, also to the insurgents in Iraq — we must look like a country run by the equivalent of the drunken pest who gets battered to the floor of the saloon by one punch, then staggers to his feet, and shouts at the other guy’s friends, “Ok, which one of you is next?”
Mr. Bush, the question is no longer “what are you thinking?,” but rather “are you thinking at all?”
I am resisting the urge to put the whole thing here in the interest of space, but I encourage you to read the whole thing at the link above. It is brilliant!
I have noticed that Keith was chosen to anchor the discussion on MSNBC after the President's speech. He seems to be elbowing Chris Matthews out of the way and taking the forefront in these political discussions.
That pleases me greatly. I think many of us have been disappointed in Matthews obvious idolatry of the Republicans hard charging political blitzkrieg. He has admitted voting for Bush which places his competence in question, and it is clear that he has lost his perspective.
However Keith has just the right perspective, mine.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
This very same thing happened to my brother.
Even though a paternity test ruled out Anthony L. Parker as the father of a child in a child-support dispute, he still has to pay support owed the mother before he took the test, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
My brother is still paying child support for a woman who is now over twenty years old and who a paternity test proved was not my brother's child.
True story.
My brother is still paying child support for a woman who is now over twenty years old and who a paternity test proved was not my brother's child.
True story.
Are you in the military? Do you want to avoid going to Iraq? Well first you need to be a hot woman, and then you need to pose for Playboy!
An Air Force staff sergeant who posed nude for Playboy magazine has been relieved of her duties while the military investigates, officials said Thursday.
In February's issue, hitting newsstands this week, Michelle Manhart is photographed in uniform yelling and holding weapons under the headline "Tough Love." The following pages show her partially clothed, wearing her dog tags while working out, as well as completely nude.
Okay so this won't work for most of our brave serviceman. But they do get to see this sergeant naked. That must count for something.
I find it really bizarre that the military will take people who have not finished school, are mentally impaired, and are psychotic. But they will not take gays or women who pose nude.
It kind of makes you wonder doesn't it?
In February's issue, hitting newsstands this week, Michelle Manhart is photographed in uniform yelling and holding weapons under the headline "Tough Love." The following pages show her partially clothed, wearing her dog tags while working out, as well as completely nude.
Okay so this won't work for most of our brave serviceman. But they do get to see this sergeant naked. That must count for something.
I find it really bizarre that the military will take people who have not finished school, are mentally impaired, and are psychotic. But they will not take gays or women who pose nude.
It kind of makes you wonder doesn't it?
The Pentagon will not let the National Guard out of Iraq.
The Pentagon has abandoned its limit on the time a citizen-soldier can be required to serve on active duty, officials said Thursday, a major change that reflects an Army stretched thin by longer-than-expected combat in Iraq.
Until now, the Pentagon's policy on the Guard or Reserve was that members' cumulative time on active duty for the Iraq or Afghan wars could not exceed 24 months. That cumulative limit is now lifted; the remaining limit is on the length of any single mobilization, which may not exceed 24 consecutive months, Pace said.
Another straw is added to the camel's back. How close do you think it is to breaking?
I cannot imagine the number of years it will take to repair our military when we finally get them all home from this national embarrassment.
Until now, the Pentagon's policy on the Guard or Reserve was that members' cumulative time on active duty for the Iraq or Afghan wars could not exceed 24 months. That cumulative limit is now lifted; the remaining limit is on the length of any single mobilization, which may not exceed 24 consecutive months, Pace said.
Another straw is added to the camel's back. How close do you think it is to breaking?
I cannot imagine the number of years it will take to repair our military when we finally get them all home from this national embarrassment.
Do you know who else does not want a surge in forces sent to Iraq? Iraq does not want a surge in forces sent to Iraq, that's who!
Haidar al-Abadi, a member of Parliament who is a close associate of Maliki's, said: "The government believes there is no need for extra troops from the American side. The existing troops can do the job."
That opinion is broadly held throughout the ranks of the Shiite political elite, which after two years in power is stretching its wings and trying to stamp its authority on a chaotic capital. A long-oppressed majority, they are acting out of a deep-seated fear that power could be taken away at any moment.
"You can't solve the problem by adding more troops," said Redha Jawad Tahi, a Shiite member of Parliament. "The security should be in the hands of the Iraqis. The U.S. should be in a supporting role."
Now if we could just get Barney and Laura Bush to say they do not support a surge in troops we might actually be able to change Bush's damn mind!
That opinion is broadly held throughout the ranks of the Shiite political elite, which after two years in power is stretching its wings and trying to stamp its authority on a chaotic capital. A long-oppressed majority, they are acting out of a deep-seated fear that power could be taken away at any moment.
"You can't solve the problem by adding more troops," said Redha Jawad Tahi, a Shiite member of Parliament. "The security should be in the hands of the Iraqis. The U.S. should be in a supporting role."
Now if we could just get Barney and Laura Bush to say they do not support a surge in troops we might actually be able to change Bush's damn mind!
Condi Rice finds no love during Senate hearings.
In a heated exchange with Hagel, a potential presidential candidate in 2008, Rice disputed his characterization of Bush’s buildup as an “escalation.”
“Putting in 22,000 more troops is not an escalation?” Hagel, a Vietnam veteran and longtime critic of Bush’s Iraq policy, asked. “Would you call it a decrease?”
“I would call it, senator, an augmentation that allows the Iraqis to deal with this very serious problem that they have in Baghdad,” she said.
Hagel told Rice, “Madame secretary, Iraqis are killing Iraqis. We are in a civil war. This is sectarian violence out of control.”
She disputed that Iraq was in the throes of a civil war. To that, Hagel said, “To sit there and say that, that’s just not true.”
And that is from a Republican!
If you could see me now you could not help but notice how erect my nipples are with excitement. (Maybe it is best that you cannot see me.)
I have been dreaming of this kind of confrontation to come from the Senate since Bush first invaded Iraq. It is totally making my fucking day!
And I believe that this is just the beginning.
“Putting in 22,000 more troops is not an escalation?” Hagel, a Vietnam veteran and longtime critic of Bush’s Iraq policy, asked. “Would you call it a decrease?”
“I would call it, senator, an augmentation that allows the Iraqis to deal with this very serious problem that they have in Baghdad,” she said.
Hagel told Rice, “Madame secretary, Iraqis are killing Iraqis. We are in a civil war. This is sectarian violence out of control.”
She disputed that Iraq was in the throes of a civil war. To that, Hagel said, “To sit there and say that, that’s just not true.”
And that is from a Republican!
If you could see me now you could not help but notice how erect my nipples are with excitement. (Maybe it is best that you cannot see me.)
I have been dreaming of this kind of confrontation to come from the Senate since Bush first invaded Iraq. It is totally making my fucking day!
And I believe that this is just the beginning.
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