Monday, December 31, 2007
The Politics Of Me
Bloomberg, willing to squander millions, ponders an independent run for Preznit to stop all the partizan bickering in DC.
Now, don't get me wrong but, how would an independent canditate be able to bring about reconcilliation between the two main parties? I'm still trying to figure it out, maybe someone could help me here.
If the Democratic party sweeps the election, and all signs point to increased majorities for the Dems in both houses, the roadblocks designed to create stagnation by the Repugs will crumble and our government may, once again, function as the preeminent deliberative body in the world which makes a Bloomberg/Independent run moot.
In fact we will be faced with a very similar situation to the one we have today, a meglomanical, sociopathic corporate enabler at odds with the progressive path America is starting to favor.
Having seen compassionate conservatism in action over the last seven years, the last thing I need to witness is indifferent independence over the next four.
And lastly, do you think America is ready for a gay, jewish president? Now, I might be, along with the rest of the 'coastal elites' but the remainder of the country... not too much!
Now, don't get me wrong but, how would an independent canditate be able to bring about reconcilliation between the two main parties? I'm still trying to figure it out, maybe someone could help me here.
If the Democratic party sweeps the election, and all signs point to increased majorities for the Dems in both houses, the roadblocks designed to create stagnation by the Repugs will crumble and our government may, once again, function as the preeminent deliberative body in the world which makes a Bloomberg/Independent run moot.
In fact we will be faced with a very similar situation to the one we have today, a meglomanical, sociopathic corporate enabler at odds with the progressive path America is starting to favor.
Having seen compassionate conservatism in action over the last seven years, the last thing I need to witness is indifferent independence over the next four.
And lastly, do you think America is ready for a gay, jewish president? Now, I might be, along with the rest of the 'coastal elites' but the remainder of the country... not too much!
Friday, December 28, 2007
Is It A Bird, Is It A Plane...?
No, it's a news report out of Pakistan, they already have solved the case of who killed Bhutto.
Amazing police work guys... a full thorough investigation in only 24 hours, Fox must be screeming for the script, forget the writers strike this stuff practically writes itself.
First she was shot, then killed by shrapnel, then it was a massive head injury from diving back into the car to avoid the bullets and the shrapnel. We don't know what killed her but we do know who, guess who? The Taliban and Al Qaeda did it, in the parlor with a candle stick.
We are seriously expected to believe this drivel, after all it is being reported on CNN.
Amazing police work guys... a full thorough investigation in only 24 hours, Fox must be screeming for the script, forget the writers strike this stuff practically writes itself.
First she was shot, then killed by shrapnel, then it was a massive head injury from diving back into the car to avoid the bullets and the shrapnel. We don't know what killed her but we do know who, guess who? The Taliban and Al Qaeda did it, in the parlor with a candle stick.
We are seriously expected to believe this drivel, after all it is being reported on CNN.
The Dimmer Twins II
Just a month or so ago Annapolis was the shining city on the hill where old differences could be set aside and the 'Road Map' could once again be taken out of the glove compartment and shown to those gathered around the proverbial fire.
The Israelites have other ideas... none of them have anything to do with road maps and the like.
We live at a moment in history when everything is just a clumsy photo-op.
The Israelites have other ideas... none of them have anything to do with road maps and the like.
We live at a moment in history when everything is just a clumsy photo-op.
The Dimmer Twins
Everything Cheney and Bush touch with their slippery, selfish fingers and profoundly questionable intellects turns to absolute crap within a year or so.
Pakistan is now the nuclear powered crucible of islamic extremism as the 'Dimmer Twins' policy of undermining, supporting, undermining and now ignoring Musharaff has succeeding in creating chaos where once there was hope.
Bin Laden was never really that bothered about Iraq, he saw it as an opportunity only after the US invaded and then gave only half hearted attention to it, never truly commiting his best people to the cause. The real prize, or rather his determination was to 1) stay alive, which meant complicity from the Pashtun tribes and Pakistans intelligence service, 2) rebuild the Taliban and Al Qaeda forces once the situation around him had stabilized and 3) wreak havoc in the most powerful muslim state in the region, Pakistan. Through intimidation, terror and ultimately US indifference he has managed to achieve all three.
He really is the big boogey man and through this administrations incompetence and arrogance has reestablished himself as such. We have given billions and billions of dollars to Pakistan, most of which remains undocumented, to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda forces entrenched in the Hindu Kush with what results? The Taliban has not gone away and if anything seems to be controlling large swathes of the country side and some major towns and cities and Al Qaeda, with Pakistani military help no doubt, can operate freely in Rawalpindi, of all places, and assassinate potential heads of state. It is mind blowing.
Pakistan is now the nuclear powered crucible of islamic extremism as the 'Dimmer Twins' policy of undermining, supporting, undermining and now ignoring Musharaff has succeeding in creating chaos where once there was hope.
Bin Laden was never really that bothered about Iraq, he saw it as an opportunity only after the US invaded and then gave only half hearted attention to it, never truly commiting his best people to the cause. The real prize, or rather his determination was to 1) stay alive, which meant complicity from the Pashtun tribes and Pakistans intelligence service, 2) rebuild the Taliban and Al Qaeda forces once the situation around him had stabilized and 3) wreak havoc in the most powerful muslim state in the region, Pakistan. Through intimidation, terror and ultimately US indifference he has managed to achieve all three.
He really is the big boogey man and through this administrations incompetence and arrogance has reestablished himself as such. We have given billions and billions of dollars to Pakistan, most of which remains undocumented, to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda forces entrenched in the Hindu Kush with what results? The Taliban has not gone away and if anything seems to be controlling large swathes of the country side and some major towns and cities and Al Qaeda, with Pakistani military help no doubt, can operate freely in Rawalpindi, of all places, and assassinate potential heads of state. It is mind blowing.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Big Trouble
If the early reports are accurate and that is not always the case, then the death of Bhutto could spell big trouble for Pakistan and Musharraf. He has kept the lid on as best he could for quite a while but this is the kind of trigger that could blow the whole powder keg that is a fracturing Pakistan.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
A Contrary State
As state sponsored killing loses it's luster in most civilized societies and US States for that matter, Texas keeps on killing its problems unabated.
There appears to be an awful lot of violent crime in Texas, seems the death penalty ain't much of a deterrent, so why keep killing people?
Closure! That old chestnut...
There appears to be an awful lot of violent crime in Texas, seems the death penalty ain't much of a deterrent, so why keep killing people?
Closure! That old chestnut...
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Yup... Back In The Saddle!
Sorry about that dear reader, got rather busy here for a while and had neither the time nor inclination to blog on the myriad and continued atrocities this administration has foisted upon this great nation of ours.
Today we have the news that high ranking White House officials debated the CIA torture tapes and what to do with them. Now it is not for me to say but if high ranking officials are debating the merits of destroying or keeping the tapes, wouldn't their masters be aware of said debate?
Let's look at the playa's... Gonzalez (Crikey! Can this man get in any more shit scrapes), Harriet 'Sweet Harriet' Miers, John Bellinger and David Addington (Darth's counsel). Now, you're telling me these guys and gals were acting independently?
Just one more question... when do we get our country back?
Today we have the news that high ranking White House officials debated the CIA torture tapes and what to do with them. Now it is not for me to say but if high ranking officials are debating the merits of destroying or keeping the tapes, wouldn't their masters be aware of said debate?
Let's look at the playa's... Gonzalez (Crikey! Can this man get in any more shit scrapes), Harriet 'Sweet Harriet' Miers, John Bellinger and David Addington (Darth's counsel). Now, you're telling me these guys and gals were acting independently?
Just one more question... when do we get our country back?
Friday, December 07, 2007
The Jeebus
The cat-fight over possession of the religious right continues unabated, this time in the form of Twitt Romney's pandering, factually inaccurate and terminally stupid 'JFK Moment' speech to the converted at Bush I's 'library'.
I think the Times sums it up objectively although other commentors have broached subjects the Times omits.
The republican nabobs are now stuck with a self imposed means test for their prospective election to high office, that, in and of itself, is as far removed from the Founding Father's vision of the evolution of the States as one can get and yet this defacto imbuing of the Founders with revisionist 'Christian' intent goes, mostly, unchallenged in the traditional media.
For me, Professor Cole nails it...
I think the Times sums it up objectively although other commentors have broached subjects the Times omits.
The republican nabobs are now stuck with a self imposed means test for their prospective election to high office, that, in and of itself, is as far removed from the Founding Father's vision of the evolution of the States as one can get and yet this defacto imbuing of the Founders with revisionist 'Christian' intent goes, mostly, unchallenged in the traditional media.
For me, Professor Cole nails it...
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Just Say... Oh! Alright
The Abstinance Only program, coined, contrived and consummated by this barmy administration, was always doomed to failure. It basically dumbed down a generation and attempted to turned back the clock to a time that never really existed, a Mayberry myth of mostly white, christian teenagers saving themselves for that perfect match. A prom king/queen political tool for bringing Protestant Christian values in to the classroom and into mainstream thinking. Policy as propaganda.
That we are seeing a reversal of the historical downward trend of teen pregnancy rates for the first time since 1991 is evidence enough that we are governed by clueless, incompetent idealogues who's first action is always to dismiss what works and replace it with something so intentionally unreasoned, untested and diabolically stupid that, given an incredible amount of luck and the blessings of the 24%, never, in all reality, had a hope in hell of succeeding.
The Times, in it's never ending attempt at balance, quotes Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation - that Temple of Reasoned Thought - who guillessly responds to the new data thusly;
Robert Rector, a senior research fellow with the Heritage Foundation, said that blaming abstinence-only programs was “stupid.”
He then goes on to blame the kids but, god forbid, not the program.
This country really needs to get the god and jesus thing under control, it's really beginning to define us as collectively... silly!
That we are seeing a reversal of the historical downward trend of teen pregnancy rates for the first time since 1991 is evidence enough that we are governed by clueless, incompetent idealogues who's first action is always to dismiss what works and replace it with something so intentionally unreasoned, untested and diabolically stupid that, given an incredible amount of luck and the blessings of the 24%, never, in all reality, had a hope in hell of succeeding.
The Times, in it's never ending attempt at balance, quotes Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation - that Temple of Reasoned Thought - who guillessly responds to the new data thusly;
Robert Rector, a senior research fellow with the Heritage Foundation, said that blaming abstinence-only programs was “stupid.”
He then goes on to blame the kids but, god forbid, not the program.
This country really needs to get the god and jesus thing under control, it's really beginning to define us as collectively... silly!
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Spin Drift...
Coming from the "We're not always right but, we're never wrong" school of obfuscation we have Hadley and Bolton quoted in this NYT piece on the political fall-out from the new NIE.
Why does the Times, and any other media 'institution' for that matter, continue to quote Bolton in any of their articles. The man is a serial liar who has been catastrophically wrong about almost everything he has ever predicted. He also maintains the tact of a car crash and the delivery of a psychopath.
That the Times balanced Bolton with Chuck Hagel is evidence, once more, that our supposed 'liberal' media is incapable of providing balance to or even understanding that which it most cravenly seeks as it's audience, the mythical center. Chuck may be a good old fashioned Republican and in the case of this administrations penchant for bombing the fuck out of any real or imagined foes, has put up a fairly decent rear-guard action and has been a check on the most xenophobic, militaristic tendencies of his own party. However, he is still a Republican and represents a state (Nebraska) that is as red as they come. Are his views on foreign policy moderation anywhere near a true anti-war advocate (visionary), like a Russ Feingold? Absolutely not...!
I still love the Times, it is the paper of record, it's editorial page is by far the best in the country but their reporting method has not caught up with the groundswell roiling the conventional wisdom and the populaces demands for honesty, openess and integrity in its branches of government and in its fourth estate.
Why does the Times, and any other media 'institution' for that matter, continue to quote Bolton in any of their articles. The man is a serial liar who has been catastrophically wrong about almost everything he has ever predicted. He also maintains the tact of a car crash and the delivery of a psychopath.
That the Times balanced Bolton with Chuck Hagel is evidence, once more, that our supposed 'liberal' media is incapable of providing balance to or even understanding that which it most cravenly seeks as it's audience, the mythical center. Chuck may be a good old fashioned Republican and in the case of this administrations penchant for bombing the fuck out of any real or imagined foes, has put up a fairly decent rear-guard action and has been a check on the most xenophobic, militaristic tendencies of his own party. However, he is still a Republican and represents a state (Nebraska) that is as red as they come. Are his views on foreign policy moderation anywhere near a true anti-war advocate (visionary), like a Russ Feingold? Absolutely not...!
I still love the Times, it is the paper of record, it's editorial page is by far the best in the country but their reporting method has not caught up with the groundswell roiling the conventional wisdom and the populaces demands for honesty, openess and integrity in its branches of government and in its fourth estate.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Oops Apocalypse
I think it likely that the intelligence community learned it's lesson from the Iraq debacle and got it's best people on to this one.
This has got to make the Republican front runners who have, for the most part, joined the Cheney 'dark-side' of just making shit up and then going out and bombing people , look pretty stupid.
But that is by no means a bad thing for Republican voters, they are an ilk that slavishly relies on misinformation, fearmongering and war at whatever cost. So Rudy and Mitt and McCains dogged, almost morbid, fascination with Americas military might will ultimately cost them nothing at the polls, no matter what the evidence suggests.
We were hearing, from this administration or it's proxy's, just a few months ago that Iran was perhaps only a few years away from the bomb and escalating the process, turns out, they suspended the project in 2003 when the UN was saying they were perhaps 10 years from getting the bomb.
So, who made up the 8 year difference and what was that based upon? Apparently our intelligence community was not involved in the expedited predictions. Which leads to one conclusion, not only did the 'stupidest person on the fucking planet' work in the White House but he was replaced by the 'second stupidest person on the fucking planet...'
Now, who is that masked man?
This has got to make the Republican front runners who have, for the most part, joined the Cheney 'dark-side' of just making shit up and then going out and bombing people , look pretty stupid.
But that is by no means a bad thing for Republican voters, they are an ilk that slavishly relies on misinformation, fearmongering and war at whatever cost. So Rudy and Mitt and McCains dogged, almost morbid, fascination with Americas military might will ultimately cost them nothing at the polls, no matter what the evidence suggests.
We were hearing, from this administration or it's proxy's, just a few months ago that Iran was perhaps only a few years away from the bomb and escalating the process, turns out, they suspended the project in 2003 when the UN was saying they were perhaps 10 years from getting the bomb.
So, who made up the 8 year difference and what was that based upon? Apparently our intelligence community was not involved in the expedited predictions. Which leads to one conclusion, not only did the 'stupidest person on the fucking planet' work in the White House but he was replaced by the 'second stupidest person on the fucking planet...'
Now, who is that masked man?
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Mah Gawd!
As mentioned by Atrios and Bill in Portland Maine this is truly histestacle. Is it morbid fascination, unhealthy curiosity or pereverse hypocricy? I'll let you be the judge dear reader...
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Tancredo, Tanschmedo!
He really is a paranoid, warmongering, blithering idiot. But you know, some people like that about him, it makes them feel safe that Mr. Tancredo is on the job, on the battlements, watching, waiting for the brown horde to finally show up at the gates of fortress america and demand our first born.
BillW sums it up best:
Pardon me for even entertaining the specious link he makes between illegal immigration and terrorism, but let’s walk down that crooked path just a little, ok? Not to say the threat of terrorism isn’t real or that we shouldn’t do anything about it, because of course we should, but we should have a rational, sensible policy based on the real threat, not an over-hyped perception of one. The fact is that even “if terrorists were able to pull off one attack per year on the scale of the 9/11 atrocity, … your risk of dying in a plausible terrorist attack is much lower than your risk of dying in a car accident, by walking across the street, by drowning, in a fire, by falling, or by being murdered.” Terrorists would have to pull off six 9/11s every year to equal the roughly 18,000 unnecessary deaths every year coming from the more than 40 million uninsured (pdf) in this country, and if there is a terrorist with the will and the capability to pull that off, there will never be a border fence that will stop them, and nothing could be more dangerous to this country than a paranoid politician whose brain is so ate up with Lou Dobb’s Disease that he’s willing to sell every other issue down the river in search of a cure.
Slap!
BillW sums it up best:
Pardon me for even entertaining the specious link he makes between illegal immigration and terrorism, but let’s walk down that crooked path just a little, ok? Not to say the threat of terrorism isn’t real or that we shouldn’t do anything about it, because of course we should, but we should have a rational, sensible policy based on the real threat, not an over-hyped perception of one. The fact is that even “if terrorists were able to pull off one attack per year on the scale of the 9/11 atrocity, … your risk of dying in a plausible terrorist attack is much lower than your risk of dying in a car accident, by walking across the street, by drowning, in a fire, by falling, or by being murdered.” Terrorists would have to pull off six 9/11s every year to equal the roughly 18,000 unnecessary deaths every year coming from the more than 40 million uninsured (pdf) in this country, and if there is a terrorist with the will and the capability to pull that off, there will never be a border fence that will stop them, and nothing could be more dangerous to this country than a paranoid politician whose brain is so ate up with Lou Dobb’s Disease that he’s willing to sell every other issue down the river in search of a cure.
Slap!
Huckmentum
Fundamentalist Right Wing Blowhard (Huckabee) is catching Cultist Right Wing Vascillator (Romney) in the new Iowa polls. Now, as Josh Marshall points out, this is a potential disaster for the Romney campaign what with the amount of money, time and effort he and his boys have put into Iowa and New Hampshire. If Romney struggles out of the gate in Iowa his momentum going into NH is basically shot and he will have to spend another boat load of his own money to right the teetering ship.
How does this play out for the other candidates? Rudy has all but given up on Iowa and New Hampshire, McCain may salvage something if only his pride with a third place finish and Hollywood Fred, well, quite frankly, is beyond help.
I don't see this as good news for Rudy though, he really doesn't need a real live fundamentalist nutjob gaining momentum going in to the states where Rudy really needs to win and win big, it will only highlight his rather dubious - I'm being kind - credentials when it comes to that score.
How does this play out for the other candidates? Rudy has all but given up on Iowa and New Hampshire, McCain may salvage something if only his pride with a third place finish and Hollywood Fred, well, quite frankly, is beyond help.
I don't see this as good news for Rudy though, he really doesn't need a real live fundamentalist nutjob gaining momentum going in to the states where Rudy really needs to win and win big, it will only highlight his rather dubious - I'm being kind - credentials when it comes to that score.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
The Kerik-Rudy imbroglio continues to ripen like French cheese and as with all the really best cheese, it stinks. Stinks like the toilet seat in a Minnesota airport bathroom. If Rudy thinks the MSM will avert its starry-eyed gaze this time, he is wrong. It has all the elements they love, sex, sleaze and power but especially sex.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Indicted
Kerik to be indicted by a grand jury today. Wonder if he will cop a plea and spill the beans? Probably, it's the only cache he has left.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Stranger Bedfellows
There must be some really weird cosmic allignment happening for these two buffoons to get into the political bed together.
Maybe it was the whole torture and sodomy of brown immigrants angle that appealed to Pat's gentle sensibilities. Rudy was just doing the work of the lord after all.
Now, what else happened to NYC on Rudy's watch?
Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell blamed 911 on the Gays.
Maybe it was the whole torture and sodomy of brown immigrants angle that appealed to Pat's gentle sensibilities. Rudy was just doing the work of the lord after all.
Now, what else happened to NYC on Rudy's watch?
Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell blamed 911 on the Gays.
Perspective
GM lost more in one quarter, $39Billion, than it would cost to provide health care to 10 million children for 5 years, $35Billion.
GM will continue to produce gas guzzling behemoths that no one wants while children die from under insurance.
Capitalism can be messy...
GM will continue to produce gas guzzling behemoths that no one wants while children die from under insurance.
Capitalism can be messy...
Old Saw
Fiscal Conservatism died during the Reagan administration, so why do they still cling to the idea that they control the purse strings better than democrats? There are only a few remnants left of what it used to mean to be a Republican, they have to hang their beaten fedoras on something, anything to maintain the 24% they hold so dear.
I wouldn't like to be Boehner or McConnell right now, the 'boy king' is not well known for being a good loser.
photo - majorvols via flickr
I wouldn't like to be Boehner or McConnell right now, the 'boy king' is not well known for being a good loser.
photo - majorvols via flickr
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Gorgeous George
Ladies and Gentlemen we are proud to present the most unpopular president of all time, the one and only, your unfavorite and mine George 'W is for winner' Bush.
Meanwhile, Bush reached an unwelcome record. By 64%-31%, Americans disapprove of the job he is doing. For the first time in the history of the Gallup Poll, 50% say they "strongly disapprove" of the president. Richard Nixon had reached the previous high, 48%, just before an impeachment inquiry was launched in 1974.
USA Today/Gallup, November 6, 2007
(h/t DKos)
Meanwhile, Bush reached an unwelcome record. By 64%-31%, Americans disapprove of the job he is doing. For the first time in the history of the Gallup Poll, 50% say they "strongly disapprove" of the president. Richard Nixon had reached the previous high, 48%, just before an impeachment inquiry was launched in 1974.
USA Today/Gallup, November 6, 2007
(h/t DKos)
Oh Crap!
What our media, government and military fail to tell us...
At least 852 American military personnel have died in Iraq so far this year -- the highest annual toll since the war began in March 2003, according to AP figures.
NY Times, November 6, 2007.
Of course, the 'Surge' has been a huge success, in terms of breaking records for the most US soldiers killed in one year since this effing debacle started.
It is only early November!
At least 852 American military personnel have died in Iraq so far this year -- the highest annual toll since the war began in March 2003, according to AP figures.
NY Times, November 6, 2007.
Of course, the 'Surge' has been a huge success, in terms of breaking records for the most US soldiers killed in one year since this effing debacle started.
It is only early November!
He Really Is Demented
So, as long as America can be defined as successful and, as far as I can gleen from Rudy, that includes bombing the middle east back to the stone age, continued torturing of suspected terrorists or anyone unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and exploiting 911 as a personal triumph regardless of the fact that he lies through his teeth about the part he played in the aftermath (this is the extent of his platform) it's OK if our elected or appointed officials inhabit a world of nepotism, organized crime, embezzelment, tax evasion and other nefarious and criminal activities.
It kind of blows you away really... this is a man of questionable, if not inflated, talents running for president, and willing, with apparently no cost to his campaign politically, to defend a crook like Kerik.
What does this say about Rudy's character? What does it say about the kind of presidency the country would be in store for if Rudy were elected.
We already have a president who's knowledge and respect for the rule of law, however much he masks it behind insincere and mostly mendacious platitudes, is tantamount to unconstitutional as far as a sitting president vested with protecting the rights of Americans and Americas historic birthright could be defined.
And now, we have Rudy, dissembling to protect a man so tainted with the stench of scandal it's practically farcical and for what? To protect the only legacy Rudy has, his own fantasy of what a popular and successful 'mayor' he was.
It kind of blows you away really... this is a man of questionable, if not inflated, talents running for president, and willing, with apparently no cost to his campaign politically, to defend a crook like Kerik.
What does this say about Rudy's character? What does it say about the kind of presidency the country would be in store for if Rudy were elected.
We already have a president who's knowledge and respect for the rule of law, however much he masks it behind insincere and mostly mendacious platitudes, is tantamount to unconstitutional as far as a sitting president vested with protecting the rights of Americans and Americas historic birthright could be defined.
And now, we have Rudy, dissembling to protect a man so tainted with the stench of scandal it's practically farcical and for what? To protect the only legacy Rudy has, his own fantasy of what a popular and successful 'mayor' he was.
MSNBC Lurches Left
I don't think Rosie was quite what the blogosphere was expecting, personally I thought they should give Schuster a crack at it. However, the mere acknowledgement that a very large audience exists out there that does not want administration stenographers supplying their daily news fare, is quite staggering.
Will the other cable news providers follow suit - not Faux News of course - with their own left leaning anchors and commentators, it would be refreshing to think that the herd mentality of both the cable and network news channels is fracturing but, all the providers are demonstrably and perhaps permanantly entrenched in the DC culture and conventional wisdom of right wing ascendancy.
Even the republican debacle of '06 was quickly papered over by most news outlets even spun in some places as a defeat for Democrats... teh confusin'
Will the other cable news providers follow suit - not Faux News of course - with their own left leaning anchors and commentators, it would be refreshing to think that the herd mentality of both the cable and network news channels is fracturing but, all the providers are demonstrably and perhaps permanantly entrenched in the DC culture and conventional wisdom of right wing ascendancy.
Even the republican debacle of '06 was quickly papered over by most news outlets even spun in some places as a defeat for Democrats... teh confusin'
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
More Culture Of Life Hypocracy...
As with 'torture' so it goes with the death penalty. We are not arguing the barbarity of such actions exacted on one human being by other human beings, merely the semanitics of what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. This country will continue to torture and execute both the guilty and the innocent as an example to the rest of the world of our justice and compassion. We shall remain consistent and steadfast in our pursuit and implementation of laws that completely contradict our self-styled civil society.
Why? Ask the most devolved man in America and he will tell you!
Why? Ask the most devolved man in America and he will tell you!
Flogging A Dead Horse
Karen Hughes finally realizes that even she is incapable of removing the stench and stain this administration has left upon the sphere of world opinion. There was just never going to be enough 'Mr. Clean'.
She will return to Texas to spend more time with her damaged reputation...
She will return to Texas to spend more time with her damaged reputation...
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Endangered Species?
I am so behind the times... They just got a big shout-out in the New Yorker, I 'tubed a lot but this is the most resonant, for me, right now.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Bush Speak... No One Listen
The 'urgent' need for a ballistic missile defence in Europe is well, not that urgent. Bush is making a mockery of himself in order to protect his legacy of having created a program that doesn't work... seems about par for the course.
Did I mention he's an idiot!
Did I mention he's an idiot!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Wankers Of The World Unite...Already!
Today is 'National Islamofascist Awareness Day.'
To celebrate such, I intend to smoke hashish from a hookah whilst quoting extended passages of Mein Kampf to my twelve and thirteen year old boys.
Now that's what I call, a quality education!
To celebrate such, I intend to smoke hashish from a hookah whilst quoting extended passages of Mein Kampf to my twelve and thirteen year old boys.
Now that's what I call, a quality education!
No One Could Have Predicted... Episode MMMCLXXI
So, a major drought creeps up on Georgia, the Governor sits on his hands, the entire populace goes about it's daily business as if the good times can never end and the long, hot summer rolls endlessly along.
Suddenly, there is no fricking water, it becomes a complete clusterfuck of recriminations and back-stabbing, the blame game erupts and still nothing is getting done to mitigate a disaster that is happening in 'ultra-slow motion.'
It's like New Orleans in reverse and once again everybody's favorite whipping boy is the Army Corps of Engineers... why?
October is 'Take A Shorter Shower Month'!!!! Gawd 'elp us!
Suddenly, there is no fricking water, it becomes a complete clusterfuck of recriminations and back-stabbing, the blame game erupts and still nothing is getting done to mitigate a disaster that is happening in 'ultra-slow motion.'
It's like New Orleans in reverse and once again everybody's favorite whipping boy is the Army Corps of Engineers... why?
October is 'Take A Shorter Shower Month'!!!! Gawd 'elp us!
More Missiles...? Maybe Later.
It appears that SecDef Gates has been managing a more pragmatic approach to the European Missile Shield (designed to intercept phantom Iranian missiles). In as much as he has decided, with Russia's apparent agreement, not to activate the system until definitive proof of Iran's capabilities is established... imagine such a sanguine strategy from this administration!
Who is Tomas Pojar and what is he talking about:
Earlier Tuesday, Tomas Pojar, deputy minister of foreign affairs, told U.S. reporters traveling with Gates that his government's support for the defense plan is based not only on a shared worry about future missile threats but also a ''moral, historical'' sense of appreciation for American support for Czech democracy.
What kind of mumbo jumbo is that? What 'moral and historical' support. Did we declare war on Germany when Hitler's tanks rolled into Prague, no. Did we declare war on Communist Russia as their tanks rolled into Prague a few years later, no. Has George W. Bush or any other member of his cabinet seen a Vaclav Havel play, no. Our historical indifference to former German and Soviet satellites is well documented, I'm sorry Mr. Pojar but you must be reading from the wrong history books.
Who is Tomas Pojar and what is he talking about:
Earlier Tuesday, Tomas Pojar, deputy minister of foreign affairs, told U.S. reporters traveling with Gates that his government's support for the defense plan is based not only on a shared worry about future missile threats but also a ''moral, historical'' sense of appreciation for American support for Czech democracy.
What kind of mumbo jumbo is that? What 'moral and historical' support. Did we declare war on Germany when Hitler's tanks rolled into Prague, no. Did we declare war on Communist Russia as their tanks rolled into Prague a few years later, no. Has George W. Bush or any other member of his cabinet seen a Vaclav Havel play, no. Our historical indifference to former German and Soviet satellites is well documented, I'm sorry Mr. Pojar but you must be reading from the wrong history books.
Dithering
The Times opinionators kind of pussyfoot around the Kurdish 'problem' as tensions escalate not only on the Turkish-Iraq border but also, as reported in their own newspaper, the Iraq-Iran border in the Kurdish Autonomous Region.
The Kurds already consider themselves freelancers in the 'great game', answerable only to their apparent singular objective which is probably true independence from the nascent Iraq federation.
This administration has shown a wanton lack of concern with regards to Kurdish posturing and, if anything, has turned a blind eye to the repeated attacks of the PKK on it's own NATO ally.
We can now see how this administration is being forced, by Cheney, to focus entirely on Iran at the expense of all other, now broiling, problems within the greater middle-east. It is this singular and determined disregard for conventional thinking and the repercussions of their reflexive actions that has become the hallmark for this administrations blundering foreign policy initiatives. Ignore reality, invent enemies, ignite hostilities and initiate ineptitude.
The Kurds already consider themselves freelancers in the 'great game', answerable only to their apparent singular objective which is probably true independence from the nascent Iraq federation.
This administration has shown a wanton lack of concern with regards to Kurdish posturing and, if anything, has turned a blind eye to the repeated attacks of the PKK on it's own NATO ally.
We can now see how this administration is being forced, by Cheney, to focus entirely on Iran at the expense of all other, now broiling, problems within the greater middle-east. It is this singular and determined disregard for conventional thinking and the repercussions of their reflexive actions that has become the hallmark for this administrations blundering foreign policy initiatives. Ignore reality, invent enemies, ignite hostilities and initiate ineptitude.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Hey Hey Hey... Goodbye
We hardly knew ye! And that could only be a good thing!
Brownback, that man of mystery and misery will retire from the Presidential race tomorrow.
Brownback, that man of mystery and misery will retire from the Presidential race tomorrow.
So Gonzo!
Murray Waas in the HuffPo outlines the story behind the story.
That Gonzales was a stooge was aways known, that he also acted as an internal check and firewall to the now known criminal activities of this administration was less well known by the American public. That is about to change and is the reason Gonzo lawyered up.
He clearly stated, on repeated occassions, that there was no internal disagreement on the illegal wiretapping of Americans, when clearly there was, to the extent that three, so far, higher ups in DoJ and the DG of the FBI have contradicted his statements and were willing to resign en mass if these activities were not brought within the rule of law.
It is now, also, apparent why the OPR investigation was terminated by Bush, Gonzo was reviewing the investigation and realized that the writing was on the wall, he should never have been allowed near that investigation for all the obvious reasons, most notably because he, like the good servant he was, would report whatever progress was being made to the people being investigated, this administration and ironically, himself.
That Gonzales was a stooge was aways known, that he also acted as an internal check and firewall to the now known criminal activities of this administration was less well known by the American public. That is about to change and is the reason Gonzo lawyered up.
He clearly stated, on repeated occassions, that there was no internal disagreement on the illegal wiretapping of Americans, when clearly there was, to the extent that three, so far, higher ups in DoJ and the DG of the FBI have contradicted his statements and were willing to resign en mass if these activities were not brought within the rule of law.
It is now, also, apparent why the OPR investigation was terminated by Bush, Gonzo was reviewing the investigation and realized that the writing was on the wall, he should never have been allowed near that investigation for all the obvious reasons, most notably because he, like the good servant he was, would report whatever progress was being made to the people being investigated, this administration and ironically, himself.
Truth To Power
As Ezra mentioned, Putin met with the real power in Iran in order to broker some movement and dissipate the ridiculously childish war of words perpetuated by Bush and Ahmadinejad.
Russia is a 'real' player in Tehran and Khameini the real power in Iran, Bush is a sideshow and let's be honest, a pretty poor sideshow at best, his latest World War III pronouncement was not only glib and inflamatory but risible.
There is no doubt we have significant and longstanding differences with Iran but, a pragmatic opposition to the mullahs exists even as part of that leadership and Khameini knows it, it is those factions that will decide the outcome in this fracas and this administraton has not even looked at that angle choosing, instead, to hurl insults at the regimes powerless front man.
This administration is always caught having to sustain untenable positions because of their initial misreading or ignorance of the situation at hand, they always shoot from the hip first instead of sitting down and actually figuring out a reasoned, adult approach to the problems facing them.
Russia is a 'real' player in Tehran and Khameini the real power in Iran, Bush is a sideshow and let's be honest, a pretty poor sideshow at best, his latest World War III pronouncement was not only glib and inflamatory but risible.
There is no doubt we have significant and longstanding differences with Iran but, a pragmatic opposition to the mullahs exists even as part of that leadership and Khameini knows it, it is those factions that will decide the outcome in this fracas and this administraton has not even looked at that angle choosing, instead, to hurl insults at the regimes powerless front man.
This administration is always caught having to sustain untenable positions because of their initial misreading or ignorance of the situation at hand, they always shoot from the hip first instead of sitting down and actually figuring out a reasoned, adult approach to the problems facing them.
Allez Le Bleu
Things are going real well for our new/old ally... Mr. & Mrs. Sarkozy are not so cozy anymore. And the natives are restless, par for the course in France but it will be interesting to see how Sarkozy handles the crisis. Interesting that they were going to split a year and a half ago but the process was paused and the information was kept from the public and Cecilia kept her mouth shut. Would he have won a presidential election if he was going through divorce proceedings? What kept Cecilia quiet?
It appears Republicans/Conservatives are the same the world over, incompetent, power corrupted hypocrites!
It appears Republicans/Conservatives are the same the world over, incompetent, power corrupted hypocrites!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Merde
Bush, not content with just Iraq and Iran as his personal salt licks, wants to involve the whole fricking planet in his wanton, lunatic crusade to be the most dangerous cowboy on the range.
Backed up by an equally obtuse and ironic ally, France, the Chimperor lays down the law to Putin and his Tehran pals, fortunately for the rest of the world, by the time Iran gets the bomb, probably never, Bush and his idiotic band of warmongering incompetents will have been out of office for quite some time.
Backed up by an equally obtuse and ironic ally, France, the Chimperor lays down the law to Putin and his Tehran pals, fortunately for the rest of the world, by the time Iran gets the bomb, probably never, Bush and his idiotic band of warmongering incompetents will have been out of office for quite some time.
Thompson The 'Tank' Engine
Mr. Thompson appears not to be the second coming of Ronnie 'Sugar' Reagan. Rudy will probably start to put a bit more daylight between himself and the rest of field now.
Yikes!!
Zogby has the Chimperor at 24%, it's getting practically Nixonian. Of course the hard core couldn't give a damn about approval ratings, except that is, when they apply to Democrats - Clinton at the same time in his Presidency, 59% and rising! The right is quick to point to Clinton when they've been caught with their pants around their ankles or their hands in the cookie jar but they never mention that he was one of the most popular and successful post war Presidents, it must really stick in their craws.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Getting Whipped Up
Mark Malamud at BoingBoing brings his 'A' game.
This should be spread across the intertubes for all to see... teh niiiice!
This should be spread across the intertubes for all to see... teh niiiice!
A Great American
Al Gore wins the Nobel Peace Prize and deservedly so...
A great American we can all be proud of.
The SCOTUS should be ashamed of themselves.
A great American we can all be proud of.
The SCOTUS should be ashamed of themselves.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Gonzo
Mr. Gonzalez ex DoJ, ex Oval Office, ex Governor of Texas Office, serial liar and most incompetent AG of all time lawyers up!
I feel quite sure, he is not the first nor will he be the last ex Bush administration lacky to do so.
Funny how this administration will rely so heavily on trial lawyers in the future.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Whah!
So, let me get this straight, these paid thugs weren't actually protecting anyone other than themselves?
Neither the convoy from the 16th of September, nor the one on Tuesday contained a single client. The Nissour Square psycho's were on 'traffic control' duty and the Kirada square convoy was en route, presumably to pick up their assignment.
So they used maximum force to... protect themselves? What a nice, stable bunch of lads.
Neither the convoy from the 16th of September, nor the one on Tuesday contained a single client. The Nissour Square psycho's were on 'traffic control' duty and the Kirada square convoy was en route, presumably to pick up their assignment.
So they used maximum force to... protect themselves? What a nice, stable bunch of lads.
Wingnuttia Unbridled
What Kos says...
That an unhinged, hysteric like Malkin is given any platform to spread her vile, toxic, ideologically driven filth is a damning indictment on how far wrong this country has gone.
She will continue to get richer from this...
That an unhinged, hysteric like Malkin is given any platform to spread her vile, toxic, ideologically driven filth is a damning indictment on how far wrong this country has gone.
She will continue to get richer from this...
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Local Boy Done Good
Imagine, this administration actually appointing someone qualified to fill the position they are about to hold... it's craaazy!
Anyhow, Rear Adm. Jonathan Bailey is a Buffalo native and as such, must be a solid bloke.
Congrats...
Anyhow, Rear Adm. Jonathan Bailey is a Buffalo native and as such, must be a solid bloke.
Congrats...
Monday, October 08, 2007
Christianist Dissonance
Nicole Belle at C&L posits a fine question... Why isn't the Christian Right sticking up for, what would appear to be, their ideo-religious, 'values' candidates - Brown and Huckerbee?
I would say the answer is manyfold however, one stands out as the obvious first best reason. Brown and Huckerbee are irrelevant, they fill out the numbers and keep the biases inherent within the republican party and those most attractive to 'values voters' at the forefront; gay marriage, American hegemony, female survitude, religious and ethnic intolerance etc., but are so marginalized on a national stage that they will never muster the money or primary votes necessary to mount a serious challenge to the hated front runner Rudy.
So the christianists, to remain relevant in the debate and indeed in this country's future must ingnore their own and flex a little muscle and petulantly threaten the republican party with a devastating vote extracting schism.
They really have no values, they merely want to remain a loud mouthed power bloc and maintain their caustic agenda at any cost, afterall, it's how the Perkins and the Dobsons of this world make their money.
The money quote is from George Will of all people:
Social conservatives should grow up. If they want to rally around somebody, why don’t try that? Huckabee needs support and money now. If the social conservatives are half as important as they think they are, they would rally around one of these people [..] And then decide what you care about. If you care about judges, then you’re gonna get satisfied by Giuliani, then get in line and play politics. But there’s a vanity in this group right now. They call themselves “values voters.” I’ve news for them: 100% of the American electorate are values voters; they vote their values…And this, this, kind of semantic imperialism that they have where they say “we vote values”. Everyone else votes what?
Teh Traitorous a few years back!
I would say the answer is manyfold however, one stands out as the obvious first best reason. Brown and Huckerbee are irrelevant, they fill out the numbers and keep the biases inherent within the republican party and those most attractive to 'values voters' at the forefront; gay marriage, American hegemony, female survitude, religious and ethnic intolerance etc., but are so marginalized on a national stage that they will never muster the money or primary votes necessary to mount a serious challenge to the hated front runner Rudy.
So the christianists, to remain relevant in the debate and indeed in this country's future must ingnore their own and flex a little muscle and petulantly threaten the republican party with a devastating vote extracting schism.
They really have no values, they merely want to remain a loud mouthed power bloc and maintain their caustic agenda at any cost, afterall, it's how the Perkins and the Dobsons of this world make their money.
The money quote is from George Will of all people:
Social conservatives should grow up. If they want to rally around somebody, why don’t try that? Huckabee needs support and money now. If the social conservatives are half as important as they think they are, they would rally around one of these people [..] And then decide what you care about. If you care about judges, then you’re gonna get satisfied by Giuliani, then get in line and play politics. But there’s a vanity in this group right now. They call themselves “values voters.” I’ve news for them: 100% of the American electorate are values voters; they vote their values…And this, this, kind of semantic imperialism that they have where they say “we vote values”. Everyone else votes what?
Teh Traitorous a few years back!
Friday, October 05, 2007
SCHIPS & Salsa II
Being a congressman is not all about fundraising, glad-handing, smart suits and DC Pied-a-ters, because sometimes, just sometimes you are actually held accountable for the terrible decisions you make on behalf of your leader, your party and your pernicious ideology by the people whom you supposedly represent.
Sleepy Amherst and Clarence residents are not happy as the Buffalo News reports.
Sleepy Amherst and Clarence residents are not happy as the Buffalo News reports.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Torture Incorporated
Be warned, this is a long article however, it is well worth the read and is damning in its clarity and depth.
Back in 2004, this administration was denying that it condoned any form of torture but was secretly paving the way for the CIA to engage in the types of 'Enhanced Interrogation Techniques' that once exposed were roundly condemned by everyone outside of Dick Cheney's loathsome cabal.
Cheney probably slept sound at night knowing that around the world evil terrorist thugs were getting what they deserved and plots, to destroy the very fabric of western civilization, foiled by our heroic 24 Houresque interventions. Some of that may be true, who knows. However, what we do know is that a lot of innocent people were swept up in the net, including children and others fingered in revenge for old scores, "Yeah! Old Mustaffah, never liked him - waterboard his ass."
How many more lies do we have to uncover before the people in this administration are finally hauled to the Hague to face their accusers...?
Back in 2004, this administration was denying that it condoned any form of torture but was secretly paving the way for the CIA to engage in the types of 'Enhanced Interrogation Techniques' that once exposed were roundly condemned by everyone outside of Dick Cheney's loathsome cabal.
Cheney probably slept sound at night knowing that around the world evil terrorist thugs were getting what they deserved and plots, to destroy the very fabric of western civilization, foiled by our heroic 24 Houresque interventions. Some of that may be true, who knows. However, what we do know is that a lot of innocent people were swept up in the net, including children and others fingered in revenge for old scores, "Yeah! Old Mustaffah, never liked him - waterboard his ass."
How many more lies do we have to uncover before the people in this administration are finally hauled to the Hague to face their accusers...?
Reynolds Update
Rep. Tom Reynolds stated objections to the SCHIP legislation came right out of John Boehners privately sponsored polling question on how to fight SCHIP in the house.
House Republicans quietly distributed a survey by David Winston, who is close to Boehner, that came to a different conclusion. It said critics of the legislation can win the public debate if they say they favor "covering uninsured children without expanding government coverage to adults, illegal immigrants and those who already have insurance...." A copy of the poll was obtained by The Associated Press.
Reynolds swallowed Boehners lies and regurgitated them almost verbatim and he claims he is not a lackey!
Source: AP via DKos
House Republicans quietly distributed a survey by David Winston, who is close to Boehner, that came to a different conclusion. It said critics of the legislation can win the public debate if they say they favor "covering uninsured children without expanding government coverage to adults, illegal immigrants and those who already have insurance...." A copy of the poll was obtained by The Associated Press.
Reynolds swallowed Boehners lies and regurgitated them almost verbatim and he claims he is not a lackey!
Source: AP via DKos
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Too Funny
Dr. Ron Paul, the anti Iraq war, libertarian, so called looney (by his fellow republicans) raises $5.1 million this quarter.
That darn 'looney left wing' of the republican party is starting to flex it's financial muscle.
There must be heads exploding all over the wingnutosphere right now, if you're weally, weally qwiet, you can almost hear the dull thuds as brain meets wall.
You go Ron...!
That darn 'looney left wing' of the republican party is starting to flex it's financial muscle.
There must be heads exploding all over the wingnutosphere right now, if you're weally, weally qwiet, you can almost hear the dull thuds as brain meets wall.
You go Ron...!
More Mister Nice Guy
McCain revises his political indoctrination speech, to be given to 7-12 graders at Camden Military Academy, about the evils of HRC.
Flip-flopper!
Flip-flopper!
Off Their Propoganda Game
Has this administration missed a golden opportunity to ram good news down the populations throat. The last missile test of the MDA (Missile Defense Agency) was a resounding success. A missile took off in Alaska and another missile launched in California hit the bloody thing. Huzzah!
It's not like Bush to not gloat over such a demonstration of American daring-do and all out cod-piece swelling magnificence, but nary a word?
What gives? Could it be that this whole missile defense shield has become a collosal waste of money and talent or has Bush just become bored by the whole thing because it just isn't shock and awey enough?
Or is it because the whole system relies upon our knowledge of when and where the dummy attack rocket is coming from and that it does everything it is told to do before we blow it out of the skies with our 'hit-to-kill' vehicle.
It's not like Bush to not gloat over such a demonstration of American daring-do and all out cod-piece swelling magnificence, but nary a word?
What gives? Could it be that this whole missile defense shield has become a collosal waste of money and talent or has Bush just become bored by the whole thing because it just isn't shock and awey enough?
Or is it because the whole system relies upon our knowledge of when and where the dummy attack rocket is coming from and that it does everything it is told to do before we blow it out of the skies with our 'hit-to-kill' vehicle.
Veto
Bush veto's SCHIP, behind closed doors, no big fanfare just a skulking, unconscious, unembarrased stroke of a pen. 'Compassionate Conservatism' in action.
A stranglehold on our nations collective, shared pursuit of happiness remains in place, implaccable and intractable. Once it has sqeezed every last cent out of us, it will drown us in a bathtub and turn its tornequette grip elsewhere.
A stranglehold on our nations collective, shared pursuit of happiness remains in place, implaccable and intractable. Once it has sqeezed every last cent out of us, it will drown us in a bathtub and turn its tornequette grip elsewhere.
Incompetance
With one swift blow we could have ridden ourselves of this global curse we call Al Qaida. If we had kept our focus on the rocky peaks of the Hindu Kush we could have expunged the Taliban from the lexicon of foreign policy nomenclature. With the cooperation of the entire world - or so it appeared at the time - we could have cleaned out the nests of Wahabi extremism and Shariah excess centered in Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan. The wind was at our backs and they were on the run, confused, decentralized, incommunicado, a rag-tag spent force seeking somewhere to hide or make a mortal last stand.
So what did the "stupidest f***ing people in the world" do? They diverted their attention and the military to 'target rich' Iraq. I can't think of a bigger target than Bin Laden or Mullah Omar, the true architects of 911 but, the addle brained neocon cabal infesting the White House thought Iraq the true front in the global war on terror.
Now, Al Qaida and the Taliban are back and chasing the Pakistani military out of the Autonomous Tribal Regions and reestablishing themselves as a credible fighting force and agent provocateurs for the counter attack on western culture by their demented bretheren.
This country has lost close to 4,000 men and women, spent close to $6 Billion, killed countless innocent Iraqi's, turned Baghdad into a close approximation of hell, installed a Shiite government with close ties to Iran, set up secret gulags around the world and rendered untold innocents into them, sanctioned torture, spied on it's own people, abandoned long lasting international treaties, mangled the Bill of Rights, ridden rough shod over the Constitution of the United States of America, brought our international standing to it's knees and for what?
Ask that simple question, for what?
We have not been attacked since 911! Our national outrage has been assuaged by the vengeance wrought upon a tin-pot dictator who dared to defy us and his own inadequate realities. We shocked and awed the world and hanged him. We have fought four long years since and look to be mired in this mess for many more. We have created a false front in the GWOT and our army continues to suffer the consequences of being trapped in a country that collectively supports their right to attack them.
We have demolished a tyrant and his country, who had absolutely nothing to do with the tradgedy of September 11th, 2001, whilst the real players have rebuilt, rearmed and reaffirmed their committment to our demise.
How different these last four years could have been for want of a true leader instead we had the swaggering bombast of the Crawford Cowpoke and his merry posse of blithering idiots.
I'm reeeeally pissed!
So what did the "stupidest f***ing people in the world" do? They diverted their attention and the military to 'target rich' Iraq. I can't think of a bigger target than Bin Laden or Mullah Omar, the true architects of 911 but, the addle brained neocon cabal infesting the White House thought Iraq the true front in the global war on terror.
Now, Al Qaida and the Taliban are back and chasing the Pakistani military out of the Autonomous Tribal Regions and reestablishing themselves as a credible fighting force and agent provocateurs for the counter attack on western culture by their demented bretheren.
This country has lost close to 4,000 men and women, spent close to $6 Billion, killed countless innocent Iraqi's, turned Baghdad into a close approximation of hell, installed a Shiite government with close ties to Iran, set up secret gulags around the world and rendered untold innocents into them, sanctioned torture, spied on it's own people, abandoned long lasting international treaties, mangled the Bill of Rights, ridden rough shod over the Constitution of the United States of America, brought our international standing to it's knees and for what?
Ask that simple question, for what?
We have not been attacked since 911! Our national outrage has been assuaged by the vengeance wrought upon a tin-pot dictator who dared to defy us and his own inadequate realities. We shocked and awed the world and hanged him. We have fought four long years since and look to be mired in this mess for many more. We have created a false front in the GWOT and our army continues to suffer the consequences of being trapped in a country that collectively supports their right to attack them.
We have demolished a tyrant and his country, who had absolutely nothing to do with the tradgedy of September 11th, 2001, whilst the real players have rebuilt, rearmed and reaffirmed their committment to our demise.
How different these last four years could have been for want of a true leader instead we had the swaggering bombast of the Crawford Cowpoke and his merry posse of blithering idiots.
I'm reeeeally pissed!
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Golly Gee Willikers!
If the republican party is losing it's 'core' business support, old time fiscal conservatives, then it truly is a remarkable turnaround Turd Blossom, Darth and the Chimperor engineered.
The 'Big Tent' permanent republican majority is morphing into a regional, white christianist 'Cabana'.
Image: Fotosearch
The 'Big Tent' permanent republican majority is morphing into a regional, white christianist 'Cabana'.
Image: Fotosearch
SCHIP's And Salsa
The Buffalo News opinion page sums up the SCHIP debate quite nicely and calls out the two repugs in our state who voted for a very marginalized Bush stance on the issue. The key graph:
Among those Republicans are Reps. Thomas M. Reynolds of Clarence and John R. “Randy” Kuhl of Hammondsport. Both voice concern that, in reducing the scandalous number of American children who are without health care coverage, an expanded SCHIP might offer collateral benefits to those who don’t deserve the financial assistance.
Reynolds, particularly, goes out of his way to deny that he is among the Republicans said to be toeing the White House line on SCHIP even though it threatens to cost them votes in 2008. Fair enough — but the concerns he and others raise about illegal aliens getting into the program or about the expected bleed-off of some privately insured children into SCHIP are awfully small gnats to strain on when the needs are so great.
Reynolds seems to have it in for children, he covered up the Foley page scandal for as long as he could get away with it, surrounded himself with children when he became deeply implicated in the investigation and now, like the true lackey that he is, votes against an expansion of a truly excellent, although modified, piece of bipartisan legislation.
Tom Reynolds, a true man of the people, his people that is, not yours!
Among those Republicans are Reps. Thomas M. Reynolds of Clarence and John R. “Randy” Kuhl of Hammondsport. Both voice concern that, in reducing the scandalous number of American children who are without health care coverage, an expanded SCHIP might offer collateral benefits to those who don’t deserve the financial assistance.
Reynolds, particularly, goes out of his way to deny that he is among the Republicans said to be toeing the White House line on SCHIP even though it threatens to cost them votes in 2008. Fair enough — but the concerns he and others raise about illegal aliens getting into the program or about the expected bleed-off of some privately insured children into SCHIP are awfully small gnats to strain on when the needs are so great.
Reynolds seems to have it in for children, he covered up the Foley page scandal for as long as he could get away with it, surrounded himself with children when he became deeply implicated in the investigation and now, like the true lackey that he is, votes against an expansion of a truly excellent, although modified, piece of bipartisan legislation.
Tom Reynolds, a true man of the people, his people that is, not yours!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Lies... And The Lying Liars
McConnell tried to blame the FISA process in his testimony to the House, turns out it was DoJ's problem...
This administrations penchant for bending the truth (lying) is so systemic and trenchant it's ineffable.
This administrations penchant for bending the truth (lying) is so systemic and trenchant it's ineffable.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
All That Glitters...
We have turned Baghdad into a concrete maze of checkpoints and blast walls, the increasingly 'ethnically cleansed' neighborhoods are experiencing less dramatic devastation but the killings go on. The general population is tuning out both US and Iraqi government proclamations. The battle for hearts and minds languishes under the weight of trying to survive day to day.
This is what happens when you turn a country in to a battle field, this is what happens when we pronounce bombastically that we will fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them over here. The 'over there' realizes that they no longer have a say in the outcome or a stake in their future and all they can do is keep their heads down and hope they are not blown to bits or assassinated in a hospital, or internally exiled or shot for picking up a bright shiney object that, if worth something to somebody and sold, may feed them that day.
This is what happens when you turn a country in to a battle field, this is what happens when we pronounce bombastically that we will fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them over here. The 'over there' realizes that they no longer have a say in the outcome or a stake in their future and all they can do is keep their heads down and hope they are not blown to bits or assassinated in a hospital, or internally exiled or shot for picking up a bright shiney object that, if worth something to somebody and sold, may feed them that day.
'Democracy Tends To Be... Disease Ridden'
Juan Cole seems to be the only one with his eye on this ball. With the situation in Iraq tenuous at best, this could turn into a humanitarian crisis of biblical proportions.
I would assume our fighting men and women's water supply is adequately cleansed, I hope so!
I would assume our fighting men and women's water supply is adequately cleansed, I hope so!
Rudy Has Nuthin...
I can't imagine anyone thinking that this was a good idea...
Of course the disclaimers came flying in from both the fund raiser in question and the Rudy camp proper but, as I've said before, this is the same cynical tactic that the right is infamous for. They can be seen to be backing away but the message was sent. Rudy is 911, Rudy is 911, it's all he's got. If you listen to him speak, he actually has absolutely no grasp of any of the issues, he merely regurgitates the Bush mantra verbatim and throws in 911 whenever he thinks it appropriate, which for a republican presidential candidate is whenever possible.
It's fear mongering propaganda at it's most heinous and in Rudy's case, only to be expected.
I believe Rudy condemned the MoveOn.org ad...
Of course the disclaimers came flying in from both the fund raiser in question and the Rudy camp proper but, as I've said before, this is the same cynical tactic that the right is infamous for. They can be seen to be backing away but the message was sent. Rudy is 911, Rudy is 911, it's all he's got. If you listen to him speak, he actually has absolutely no grasp of any of the issues, he merely regurgitates the Bush mantra verbatim and throws in 911 whenever he thinks it appropriate, which for a republican presidential candidate is whenever possible.
It's fear mongering propaganda at it's most heinous and in Rudy's case, only to be expected.
I believe Rudy condemned the MoveOn.org ad...
Our Robust Economy III
I wondered at the time why the Fed cut the rate by 1/2% and not the 1/4% as most economists had forecast. It seemed a little excessive, almost a panic move. Wall Street, of course, responded with it's usual zeal to the cut and went on another speculative tear, pounding out 300 and 200 point gains like all was right with the world again but, these new durable goods numbers make it look like the Fed knew something deep and overarching was at play in the economy and that money supply was tightening beyond their control.
Interest rate cuts may temporarily assist the large institutions as they scramble to reparcel their portfolios but it will take months for that effect to ripple through to the end user i.e. the ubiquitous american families who over-extended themselves in a frantic quest for the american dream.
The way this economy is being managed exposes the fragility this Fed is well aware of, they may cut interest rates again, they may get to a point where it won't help.
Interest rate cuts may temporarily assist the large institutions as they scramble to reparcel their portfolios but it will take months for that effect to ripple through to the end user i.e. the ubiquitous american families who over-extended themselves in a frantic quest for the american dream.
The way this economy is being managed exposes the fragility this Fed is well aware of, they may cut interest rates again, they may get to a point where it won't help.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Magna Carta
Some someone will be willing to pony up $20-30 million for an Edward III era Magna Carta... Now we all remember the Magna Carta, the first document to frame the basic rules of law by which, in many ways, we are still governed. Habeas Corpus and all that, so to speak.
So someone will, according to a Sotheby's estimate, pay $20-30 million for this historic document whilst our Senate, that august deliberative body, sold habeas corpus down the river for the price of one man's vanity.
So someone will, according to a Sotheby's estimate, pay $20-30 million for this historic document whilst our Senate, that august deliberative body, sold habeas corpus down the river for the price of one man's vanity.
Doublespeak
Matt disseminates Brooks arguments well here but, I think, the more we buy into the right wing framing of the modern Democratic party the more danger we face of becoming, once again, unfairly marginalized and demonized by the traditional media conglomerates and their rightwing poobahs. That an idiot like Brooks can accuse the netroots of driving the party to the left without ever mentioning his own parties neocon/faith based slide to extremism is evidence of his slanted, smearlike premise. That the Democratic left is closer to a prevailing center in the country is lost on Brooks. America, as a whole, or at least as a plurality, wants an end to the Iraq debacle, wants to maintain Social Security, is open to the idea of a universal health alternative, believes in the rule of law, thought Libby was guilty, wanted nothing to do with Terry Schiaivo, wants Public Education and understands that something terrible may be happening to our environment and nobody in the Cheney administration is addressing that. These stances could easily define the left wing of the Democratic party but they are, for the most part, defining middle America and yet, the left wing is framed as being extreme and republicans, like Mr. Brooks, keep hammering us over the head with labels they alone devise, it's absurd.
So, let's take a close look at right wing extremism and take a stab at defining them and the small cadre of lunatics that set the stage for the expunging of traditional republicans from their party and their inexorable lurch toward a war mongering fundamentalist regional irrelevancy.
To be continued...
So, let's take a close look at right wing extremism and take a stab at defining them and the small cadre of lunatics that set the stage for the expunging of traditional republicans from their party and their inexorable lurch toward a war mongering fundamentalist regional irrelevancy.
To be continued...
Thursday, September 20, 2007
No One Could Have Predicted...
I kind of remember the Cholera outbreak sometime last summer, it didn't get much play in the media, I guess because so many people were dying from other 'ailments' like 'lead poisoning' or just lead flying around randomly and landing in their bodies. But I really had no idea that 25,000 or so cases were reported. Today we have the first reported case of Cholera in Baghdad, a city of seven million.
It's gonna be hard to blame the Iranians for this one, if it goes epidemic.
It's gonna be hard to blame the Iranians for this one, if it goes epidemic.
...more Rice with that?
Can nobody see the irony here? Since 2001, essentially, nothing has happened with the peace process. No roads taken, no maps read. Condi, meanwhile appears at a press conference urging Israeli and Palestinian leaders to agree on some kind of, as yet undefined, parameters to at least carry on a dialogue before the super huge, super important middle east summit that Abbas has already said he may not attend because of the unspecificity of the agenda.
It boggles the mind, and please, consider my mind irrefutably boggled.
It boggles the mind, and please, consider my mind irrefutably boggled.
Sows Ear... Meet, Silk Purse
Those craven idolaters at Focus On The Family have not fallen for Frederick of Hollywood's fatherly flavor. He remains an enigma to Garance also.
via HuffPo and Yglesias.
via HuffPo and Yglesias.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
My Heart Bleeds
Gosh... I just don't have $42 million to throw around anymore, times, I guess, are tough all over.
So the pressure begins to build, and eventually, said Andy Kessler, a former hedge fund manager, “you stop spending.” Why? Fear, mostly.
“You worry about redemptions,” Mr. Kessler said, “you worry about margin calls, and you worry about working for free. Down 7 percent may be no big deal, but when your investors say, ‘Get me out,’ you have to sell everything.”
After years of eye-popping returns, sudden losses can be wrenching. Aware of the psychological impact that high-pressure trading can have, several funds have retained psychologists to counsel stressed managers.
“It has been a very challenging period for these people,” said Jonathan F. Katz, a psychologist who works with large hedge funds. “I have seen people shaken, their confidence eroded. They are upset and depressed.”
Guess they'll just have to pick 'em selves up, dust 'em selves off and wait 'till next year for the 11-acre estate, with its 2 swimming pools, 21 bedrooms and sweeping view of Lake Agawam.
Oh! The humanity...
So the pressure begins to build, and eventually, said Andy Kessler, a former hedge fund manager, “you stop spending.” Why? Fear, mostly.
“You worry about redemptions,” Mr. Kessler said, “you worry about margin calls, and you worry about working for free. Down 7 percent may be no big deal, but when your investors say, ‘Get me out,’ you have to sell everything.”
After years of eye-popping returns, sudden losses can be wrenching. Aware of the psychological impact that high-pressure trading can have, several funds have retained psychologists to counsel stressed managers.
“It has been a very challenging period for these people,” said Jonathan F. Katz, a psychologist who works with large hedge funds. “I have seen people shaken, their confidence eroded. They are upset and depressed.”
Guess they'll just have to pick 'em selves up, dust 'em selves off and wait 'till next year for the 11-acre estate, with its 2 swimming pools, 21 bedrooms and sweeping view of Lake Agawam.
Oh! The humanity...
Israel
Israel plans to lay siege to Gaza and openly discusses the merits and legality of cutting off electricity to the strip. The US has already given it's tacit approval to another form of torture, this time collective torture, even as the always impeccably shod, bobble headed Sec. Rice arrives in town for 'Peace' talks.
How can the US, Israel and Fatah negotiate anything credible or lasting with this potential atrocity playing out in the shadows?
And, the international community will, once again, assume it's accustomed position as casual by-standers.
How can the US, Israel and Fatah negotiate anything credible or lasting with this potential atrocity playing out in the shadows?
And, the international community will, once again, assume it's accustomed position as casual by-standers.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Iran
Simon Tisdall (Guardian UK) lays down some salient points with regard to the Iran pot-boiler. I don't necessarily agree with his forecast for the future as, I think, too much is reliant upon the implied intransigence of the mullah's and the neocon hawks.
Too much of this mess has been created via the Cheney administrations meddling, through rhetorical slants, with the diplomatic process. It is hard enough to negotiate with the schitzophrenic leadership of Iran, but every time a step forward is taken the US nullifies it by opening it's sanctimonious maw and blithely trashing any progress and basically calling it's head of state, rightly or wrongly, a crazyman.
The neocons need to be taken off the world stage, their naive shoot first ask questions later policy stances are not helping the broader pragmatic approach that, in this instance, may provide for a greater platform toward progress.
I am not saying we should appease the Tehran government, we should utilize every tool in the draw to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion, but name calling and sabre rattling are really very unproductive and merely serve the purpose of stonewalling the process until, exasperated, Bush sees no other option than pulling the trigger on another preemptive action. And let's face it, Bush is and always has been in a constant state of near exasperation, it happens when you truly don't understand what all the adults in the room are actually talking about.
That he will be lead to that conclusion by Cheney and his feckless accomplices and by the ineptitude of his SecState is not yet inevitable. And, Iran must understand this, they too must come to the table as willing participants and give ground on key sticking points in the process.
With Europe, Russia and to some extent China engaged, the Arab world must finally grow up and become a component in this clash of idealogies. They are losing ground here and must be seen as being 'competent' regional participants, too many of their governments, historically, have hidden behind a western veil, unable to progress with one clear unadulterated voice, each playing off one another, scoring points in their internal and external games of insult and innuendo. The west has to allow the Arab world to rise or fall at it's own behest. We have policed the region for far too long and with only a modicum of success at the best of times, we cannot be the parent any longer. We must help in the transition, see Iraq, but we can not keep patting them on their heads and pulling up their socks. They need to grow as nations and experience those growing pains without the analgesic the west has so willingly and perhaps irresponsibly provided. As much as we are addicted to their oil, they have become addicted to our salves in the form of dollars, weapons and perceived protection.
If it is all about oil, and most now suspect it is, then the only guarantee we need is that the oil will flow unhindered, do we need to send in 160,000 troops, 185,000 mercenaries and a trillion dollars to ensure the 'black-stuffs' security (and we wonder why oil is so expensive)? No, it is in their interest to keep it flowing, it is, afterall, all they have now. Any 'serious' leader should be aware of that. The problem is serious leadership in the region and that is what we should be ensuring, I am not advocating regime change here, we just tried that with what could only be described as disasterous results, I am merely stating that if we want stability in the region we need to be assured that the players in the middle east are as committed to that outcome as we appear to be.
We need to turn off the idiotic rhetorical spiggott, put the sabres back in the scabbards and engage these people. Where would that leave Bin Laden and his murderous band of thugs... dangling in the wind, I would imagine!
Too much of this mess has been created via the Cheney administrations meddling, through rhetorical slants, with the diplomatic process. It is hard enough to negotiate with the schitzophrenic leadership of Iran, but every time a step forward is taken the US nullifies it by opening it's sanctimonious maw and blithely trashing any progress and basically calling it's head of state, rightly or wrongly, a crazyman.
The neocons need to be taken off the world stage, their naive shoot first ask questions later policy stances are not helping the broader pragmatic approach that, in this instance, may provide for a greater platform toward progress.
I am not saying we should appease the Tehran government, we should utilize every tool in the draw to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion, but name calling and sabre rattling are really very unproductive and merely serve the purpose of stonewalling the process until, exasperated, Bush sees no other option than pulling the trigger on another preemptive action. And let's face it, Bush is and always has been in a constant state of near exasperation, it happens when you truly don't understand what all the adults in the room are actually talking about.
That he will be lead to that conclusion by Cheney and his feckless accomplices and by the ineptitude of his SecState is not yet inevitable. And, Iran must understand this, they too must come to the table as willing participants and give ground on key sticking points in the process.
With Europe, Russia and to some extent China engaged, the Arab world must finally grow up and become a component in this clash of idealogies. They are losing ground here and must be seen as being 'competent' regional participants, too many of their governments, historically, have hidden behind a western veil, unable to progress with one clear unadulterated voice, each playing off one another, scoring points in their internal and external games of insult and innuendo. The west has to allow the Arab world to rise or fall at it's own behest. We have policed the region for far too long and with only a modicum of success at the best of times, we cannot be the parent any longer. We must help in the transition, see Iraq, but we can not keep patting them on their heads and pulling up their socks. They need to grow as nations and experience those growing pains without the analgesic the west has so willingly and perhaps irresponsibly provided. As much as we are addicted to their oil, they have become addicted to our salves in the form of dollars, weapons and perceived protection.
If it is all about oil, and most now suspect it is, then the only guarantee we need is that the oil will flow unhindered, do we need to send in 160,000 troops, 185,000 mercenaries and a trillion dollars to ensure the 'black-stuffs' security (and we wonder why oil is so expensive)? No, it is in their interest to keep it flowing, it is, afterall, all they have now. Any 'serious' leader should be aware of that. The problem is serious leadership in the region and that is what we should be ensuring, I am not advocating regime change here, we just tried that with what could only be described as disasterous results, I am merely stating that if we want stability in the region we need to be assured that the players in the middle east are as committed to that outcome as we appear to be.
We need to turn off the idiotic rhetorical spiggott, put the sabres back in the scabbards and engage these people. Where would that leave Bin Laden and his murderous band of thugs... dangling in the wind, I would imagine!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Greenspin
Because no one could have predicted that once a, once willing, lackey departs from the inner sanctum of Bush idolatry, they write tell tale books slamming the administration in a desperate attempt to rehabilitate their sullied reputations and legacies and, of course, increase their fees on the after dinner speaking circuit/gravy train.
Quite 'predictably' the right wing smear machine is on message and in da house.
Spokesman Tony Fratto told ABC News he would try to restrain himself. But he still took a pretty good shot at Greenspan: "That sounds like Georgetown cocktail party analysis. The reasons we went to Iraq are well understood and had to do with wmd (weapons of mass destruction), enforcing UN sanctions.
Mr. Fratto sharpens some old saws and comes across as... well, shrill! Hey Tony, have a martini and chill out or something.
Quite 'predictably' the right wing smear machine is on message and in da house.
Spokesman Tony Fratto told ABC News he would try to restrain himself. But he still took a pretty good shot at Greenspan: "That sounds like Georgetown cocktail party analysis. The reasons we went to Iraq are well understood and had to do with wmd (weapons of mass destruction), enforcing UN sanctions.
Mr. Fratto sharpens some old saws and comes across as... well, shrill! Hey Tony, have a martini and chill out or something.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Perception
Most Americans don't give a rats ass about how they and our country is perceived abroad, after all, they could only be jealous of our fantastic wealth, technology and superior bulging muscularity... right? Riiight!
Your Liberal Media
Eric Alterman took this piece from Media Matters and posted it on his site:
Sixty percent of the nation's daily newspapers print more conservative syndicated columnists every week than progressive syndicated columnists. Only 20 percent run more progressives than conservatives, while the remaining 20 percent are evenly balanced.
In a given week, nationally syndicated progressive columnists are published in newspapers with a combined total circulation of 125 million. Conservative columnists, on the other hand, are published in newspapers with a combined total circulation of more than 152 million.
The top 10 columnists as ranked by the number of papers in which they are carried include five conservatives, two centrists, and only three progressives.
The top 10 columnists as ranked by the total circulation of the papers in which they are published also include five conservatives, two centrists, and only three progressives.
In 38 states, the conservative voice is greater than the progressive voice -- in other words, conservative columns reach more readers in total than progressive columns. In only 12 states is the progressive voice greater than the conservative voice.
In three out of the four broad regions of the country -- the West, the South, and the Midwest -- conservative syndicated columnists reach more readers than progressive syndicated columnists. Only in the Northeast do progressives reach more readers, and only by a margin of 2 percent.
In eight of the nine divisions into which the U.S. Census Bureau divides the country, conservative syndicated columnists reach more readers than progressive syndicated columnists in any given week. Only in the Middle Atlantic division do progressive columnists reach more readers each week.
I'm shocked, shocked I tell you! They cater to their readership which is aging and disappearing.
Sixty percent of the nation's daily newspapers print more conservative syndicated columnists every week than progressive syndicated columnists. Only 20 percent run more progressives than conservatives, while the remaining 20 percent are evenly balanced.
In a given week, nationally syndicated progressive columnists are published in newspapers with a combined total circulation of 125 million. Conservative columnists, on the other hand, are published in newspapers with a combined total circulation of more than 152 million.
The top 10 columnists as ranked by the number of papers in which they are carried include five conservatives, two centrists, and only three progressives.
The top 10 columnists as ranked by the total circulation of the papers in which they are published also include five conservatives, two centrists, and only three progressives.
In 38 states, the conservative voice is greater than the progressive voice -- in other words, conservative columns reach more readers in total than progressive columns. In only 12 states is the progressive voice greater than the conservative voice.
In three out of the four broad regions of the country -- the West, the South, and the Midwest -- conservative syndicated columnists reach more readers than progressive syndicated columnists. Only in the Northeast do progressives reach more readers, and only by a margin of 2 percent.
In eight of the nine divisions into which the U.S. Census Bureau divides the country, conservative syndicated columnists reach more readers than progressive syndicated columnists in any given week. Only in the Middle Atlantic division do progressive columnists reach more readers each week.
I'm shocked, shocked I tell you! They cater to their readership which is aging and disappearing.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
MoveOn Ad Hominem Attacks
Glen Greenwald sums up the absurd and mendacious nature of the right wings, oh so shocked, reaction to the MoveOn.org Petreaus shennanigans.
It begs the question; is the right wing noise machine, along with their cohorts in the so called liberal media, aware that their words and misdeeds are on record?
Or are yesterdays just erased from the collective memory of these small time neocon wannabees?
Glen barely touches the surface of the organised republican slander machine's attacks on any one, yes any one who opposes their twisted vision for 'muricas future.
It begs the question; is the right wing noise machine, along with their cohorts in the so called liberal media, aware that their words and misdeeds are on record?
Or are yesterdays just erased from the collective memory of these small time neocon wannabees?
Glen barely touches the surface of the organised republican slander machine's attacks on any one, yes any one who opposes their twisted vision for 'muricas future.
Learned Men
The search for the next lick-spittle, god-fearin', bush-lovin', repug-crony AG narrows and Ted Olson (pictured) seems to be the front runner. The man has been a republican operator for quite a while and seems to have the requisite Clinton-Hating gene necessary to be a fall-up success in this, infamous for it, administration.
The Times gives a brief synopsis of the race and the lack-luster field.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
The Argument
The rightwingnutosophere is up in arms over MoveOn.org's potrayal of The General as a 'traitor' and the smearing of his good name. I understand that he was confirmed in an 81-0 vote in the Senate and that both Democrats and Republicans never questioned his integrity, we all wanted some form of success in Iraq and Petraeus appeared to be the best person to acheive that aim however either side defined success.
Betrayal can be defined in many ways and to make the leap to him being a traitor is a bit much, his betrayal is to the truth which, as with all Bush lackeys, he has buried under the murk of propoganda and manipulated figures. That is not treason, afterall, he has the full support of the White House here so how could it be construed as a crime against the state, which is how treason has always been defined.
No, The General is not a traitor, he has merely allowed himself to become a conduit for administration spin and obfuscation, he is therefore, a good soldier, in the mould of a Colin Powell or Westmoreland, a man more concerned with perpetuating and preserving his own legacy than serving the American people and their Constitution.
The press - for the most part - and the right wing have given him a free pass on the self-serving rubbish he presented to the House yesterday but some have looked deeper at the numbers - McClatchy for instance;
A chart displayed by Army Gen. David Petraeus that purported to show the decline in sectarian violence in Baghdad between December and August made no effort to show that the ethnic character of many of the neighborhoods had changed in that same period from majority Sunni Muslim or mixed to majority Shiite Muslim.
Neither Petraeus nor U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker talked about the fact that since the troop surge began the pace by which Iraqis were abandoning their homes in search of safety had increased. They didn’t mention that 86 percent of Iraqis who’ve fled their homes said they’d been targeted because of their sect, according to the International Organization for Migration.
While Petraeus stressed that civilian casualties were down over the last five weeks, he drew no connection between that statement and a chart he displayed that showed that the number of attacks rose during at least one of those weeks.
Petraeus also didn’t highlight the fact that his charts showed that “ethno-sectarian” deaths in August, down from July, were still higher than in June, and he didn’t explain why the greatest drop in such deaths, which peaked in December, occurred between January and February, before the surge began.
And while both officials said that the Iraqi security forces were improving, neither talked about how those forces had been infiltrated by militias, though Petraeus acknowledged that during 2006 some Iraqi security forces had participated in the ethnic violence. (C&L)
We just want the truth, we're adults, we can take it. If it is a godawful mess then tell us so... what this whole Iraq fiasco has taught us is that if we are to lead the world we better have the leadership capable of doing that. The Bush administration has proven itself woefully lacking in that department and, for the most part, the people they chose to take the flack for their incompetence have, incomprehensibly, done so willingly, so Petraeus has no one to blame but himself.
That the Right defends their man from name-calling and smears is understandable, they have nothing left but their irrational cults of personality. However, when the General stood in the bright white light of accountability he was exposed for what he is... a good man caught in a terrible dilema and incapable of telling a terrible truth.
Betrayal can be defined in many ways and to make the leap to him being a traitor is a bit much, his betrayal is to the truth which, as with all Bush lackeys, he has buried under the murk of propoganda and manipulated figures. That is not treason, afterall, he has the full support of the White House here so how could it be construed as a crime against the state, which is how treason has always been defined.
No, The General is not a traitor, he has merely allowed himself to become a conduit for administration spin and obfuscation, he is therefore, a good soldier, in the mould of a Colin Powell or Westmoreland, a man more concerned with perpetuating and preserving his own legacy than serving the American people and their Constitution.
The press - for the most part - and the right wing have given him a free pass on the self-serving rubbish he presented to the House yesterday but some have looked deeper at the numbers - McClatchy for instance;
A chart displayed by Army Gen. David Petraeus that purported to show the decline in sectarian violence in Baghdad between December and August made no effort to show that the ethnic character of many of the neighborhoods had changed in that same period from majority Sunni Muslim or mixed to majority Shiite Muslim.
Neither Petraeus nor U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker talked about the fact that since the troop surge began the pace by which Iraqis were abandoning their homes in search of safety had increased. They didn’t mention that 86 percent of Iraqis who’ve fled their homes said they’d been targeted because of their sect, according to the International Organization for Migration.
While Petraeus stressed that civilian casualties were down over the last five weeks, he drew no connection between that statement and a chart he displayed that showed that the number of attacks rose during at least one of those weeks.
Petraeus also didn’t highlight the fact that his charts showed that “ethno-sectarian” deaths in August, down from July, were still higher than in June, and he didn’t explain why the greatest drop in such deaths, which peaked in December, occurred between January and February, before the surge began.
And while both officials said that the Iraqi security forces were improving, neither talked about how those forces had been infiltrated by militias, though Petraeus acknowledged that during 2006 some Iraqi security forces had participated in the ethnic violence. (C&L)
We just want the truth, we're adults, we can take it. If it is a godawful mess then tell us so... what this whole Iraq fiasco has taught us is that if we are to lead the world we better have the leadership capable of doing that. The Bush administration has proven itself woefully lacking in that department and, for the most part, the people they chose to take the flack for their incompetence have, incomprehensibly, done so willingly, so Petraeus has no one to blame but himself.
That the Right defends their man from name-calling and smears is understandable, they have nothing left but their irrational cults of personality. However, when the General stood in the bright white light of accountability he was exposed for what he is... a good man caught in a terrible dilema and incapable of telling a terrible truth.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Wow... Massive Progress In Iraq
General Betrayus speaketh, and the world listeneth:
Overall Assessment: “The military objectives of the surge are in large measure being met.” Most Important Development: The rejection of Al Qaeda by Sunni tribes in Anbar province. Other areas are following suit, he adds.
End of Surge: The troop levels in Iraq can return to pre-surge levels by the Summer of 2008, he said. “However, in my professional judgment, it would be premature to make recommendations on the pace of such reductions at this time,” he added.
Troop Cuts This Year: He said a Marine unit was set to leave this month, and a combat brigade of 4,000 troops could leave in December, as was reported this morning in The Times.
Violence: A slew of charts reports that violence is dropping in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq. The general says the number of attacks and deaths would be lower without Al Qaeda in Iraq’s attacks. One chart shows that two provinces have seen increasing violence during the surge.
Al Qaeda in Iraq: The deals with Sunnis in Anbar province and operations against leaders of Al Qaeda in Iraq have left the group “off balance,” but not defeated, he asserted.
Iran: The general said there is evidence that the Iranian government is using its Al Quds force to help spur the insurgency in Iraq, a charge that the U.S. military has leveled before. The aim, he said, was to create a friendly organization in Iraq as Iran has in Lebanon with Hezbollah. The general closed his statement, which lasted about 30 minutes, by buttering up lawmakers.
Filched from the Lede (NY Times)
Not for nothing but, most of this is complete rubbish. And, when it isn't complete rubbish it's just made up stuff for the sake of a cheap sound bite-talking point.
It really is sad that this is the best this shower could come up with. Stale ideas, shabby reporting, propositions a five year old could conjure, it looks as if they really did not take this whole thing very seriously and threw something together the night before. Kinda like their entire Iraq strategy, so why did I expect more.
Overall Assessment: “The military objectives of the surge are in large measure being met.” Most Important Development: The rejection of Al Qaeda by Sunni tribes in Anbar province. Other areas are following suit, he adds.
End of Surge: The troop levels in Iraq can return to pre-surge levels by the Summer of 2008, he said. “However, in my professional judgment, it would be premature to make recommendations on the pace of such reductions at this time,” he added.
Troop Cuts This Year: He said a Marine unit was set to leave this month, and a combat brigade of 4,000 troops could leave in December, as was reported this morning in The Times.
Violence: A slew of charts reports that violence is dropping in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq. The general says the number of attacks and deaths would be lower without Al Qaeda in Iraq’s attacks. One chart shows that two provinces have seen increasing violence during the surge.
Al Qaeda in Iraq: The deals with Sunnis in Anbar province and operations against leaders of Al Qaeda in Iraq have left the group “off balance,” but not defeated, he asserted.
Iran: The general said there is evidence that the Iranian government is using its Al Quds force to help spur the insurgency in Iraq, a charge that the U.S. military has leveled before. The aim, he said, was to create a friendly organization in Iraq as Iran has in Lebanon with Hezbollah. The general closed his statement, which lasted about 30 minutes, by buttering up lawmakers.
Filched from the Lede (NY Times)
Not for nothing but, most of this is complete rubbish. And, when it isn't complete rubbish it's just made up stuff for the sake of a cheap sound bite-talking point.
It really is sad that this is the best this shower could come up with. Stale ideas, shabby reporting, propositions a five year old could conjure, it looks as if they really did not take this whole thing very seriously and threw something together the night before. Kinda like their entire Iraq strategy, so why did I expect more.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Crisis, What Crisis?
Buried deep inside the 'Newspaper of Record' are the latest foreclosure figures.
They are sobering, but ya gotta love da spin:
“What continues to drive the national numbers,” Mr. Duncan said, “is what is happening in the states of California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona.”
Home buyers in those four states relied on the low introductory costs of adjustable-rate mortgages. Payments on many of those loans are expected to climb over the next year or so.
The national foreclosure rate excluding those four states actually declined in the quarter, Mr. Duncan said.
If you take out those four states over the last six years, there would not have been a housing boom that, when times were real bad in this economy, was the only good news and driving force we had out of Bush's first recession.
It's preposterous to even make a statement like that. Let's just eliminate the foreclosure numbers from the four most prosperous states in the last decade and gee-whiz, we don't have a mortgage crisis at all.
They are sobering, but ya gotta love da spin:
“What continues to drive the national numbers,” Mr. Duncan said, “is what is happening in the states of California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona.”
Home buyers in those four states relied on the low introductory costs of adjustable-rate mortgages. Payments on many of those loans are expected to climb over the next year or so.
The national foreclosure rate excluding those four states actually declined in the quarter, Mr. Duncan said.
If you take out those four states over the last six years, there would not have been a housing boom that, when times were real bad in this economy, was the only good news and driving force we had out of Bush's first recession.
It's preposterous to even make a statement like that. Let's just eliminate the foreclosure numbers from the four most prosperous states in the last decade and gee-whiz, we don't have a mortgage crisis at all.
Our Robust Economy II
Continuing signs of contraction and fall-out from the mortgage crisis.
The only, only reason the Fed tinkers with the interest rate is to head off a recession. Wall Street is practically begging the Fed to cut interest rates. Now, there are some very smart economists paid a gazzillion dollars to predict fluctuations in the economy and to 'lobby' the Fed to save their asses when all their predictions of continued strength and dynamism in the market proves groundless. Right now, those 'super' lobbyists are on bended knee. They see the future and they are worried.
The only, only reason the Fed tinkers with the interest rate is to head off a recession. Wall Street is practically begging the Fed to cut interest rates. Now, there are some very smart economists paid a gazzillion dollars to predict fluctuations in the economy and to 'lobby' the Fed to save their asses when all their predictions of continued strength and dynamism in the market proves groundless. Right now, those 'super' lobbyists are on bended knee. They see the future and they are worried.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
The Bad News
This is too funny...
JIM LEHRER: Yes, yes. Much has been made that the people who could give President Bush bad news, who knew him well enough over many years to look at him straight in the eye and say, "Hey, this isn't working" or whatever, with candor, those people are now gone. Is that true? Can you give the president bad news?
JOSHUA BOLTEN: Sure. I do every day. And I view it as an important part of my job and an important part of everybody serving the president to give him the story straight as we see it. And he accepts that. He accepts that very well.
In fact, on some of the rare occasions in which I've seen him angry are situations in which people have failed to give him their honest counsel or failed to give him the bad news out of fear that it's just unpopular to deliver bad news sometimes. So I don't see that as a problem at this White House, certainly not with this president.
Joshua Bolten is delivering bad news on a daily basis to the preznit who, in turn, delivers daily, good news to the American people. A disconnect? And, just what is that bad news arriving daily at the White House?
Joshua Bolten is a sycophant of the highest order. I watched the whole interview on PBS and during those brief moments where I wasn't being violently and copiously sick, I was crying on god's shoulder.
JIM LEHRER: Yes, yes. Much has been made that the people who could give President Bush bad news, who knew him well enough over many years to look at him straight in the eye and say, "Hey, this isn't working" or whatever, with candor, those people are now gone. Is that true? Can you give the president bad news?
JOSHUA BOLTEN: Sure. I do every day. And I view it as an important part of my job and an important part of everybody serving the president to give him the story straight as we see it. And he accepts that. He accepts that very well.
In fact, on some of the rare occasions in which I've seen him angry are situations in which people have failed to give him their honest counsel or failed to give him the bad news out of fear that it's just unpopular to deliver bad news sometimes. So I don't see that as a problem at this White House, certainly not with this president.
Joshua Bolten is delivering bad news on a daily basis to the preznit who, in turn, delivers daily, good news to the American people. A disconnect? And, just what is that bad news arriving daily at the White House?
Joshua Bolten is a sycophant of the highest order. I watched the whole interview on PBS and during those brief moments where I wasn't being violently and copiously sick, I was crying on god's shoulder.
DeBremerfication
Let's not bicker and argue about who lied to who...
Bremer III defends the 'process' whilst hyping the outcome.
Is he so far out of touch that he really wrote this:
Moreover, we were right to build a new Iraqi Army. Despite all the difficulties encountered, Iraq’s new professional soldiers are the country’s most effective and trusted security force. By contrast, the Baathist-era police force, which we did recall to duty, has proven unreliable and is mistrusted by the very Iraqi people it is supposed to protect.
Whilst in the same newspaper we read this.
It has been noted on numerous occassions that the Iraqi police force is but an extension of the Badr Corps and acts in concert with said militia as a kind of state sponsored death squad. Don't get me wrong but the Badr Corps are shi-ites and the Baathists secular Sunnis.
It would appear to me that the Interior Ministry, which controls the police force, underwent it's very own special kind of DeBaathification process without much help from Mr. Bremer or subsequent Viceroys and nabobs and is only mistrusted by the Baathists and Sunnis expunged from and unable to reinfiltrate it's unreliable and bloodthirsty ranks.
By the way, the Baathists and Sunnis are now our friends and allies battling with us against the 950 strong AQI. Confusing aint it.
Bremer III defends the 'process' whilst hyping the outcome.
Is he so far out of touch that he really wrote this:
Moreover, we were right to build a new Iraqi Army. Despite all the difficulties encountered, Iraq’s new professional soldiers are the country’s most effective and trusted security force. By contrast, the Baathist-era police force, which we did recall to duty, has proven unreliable and is mistrusted by the very Iraqi people it is supposed to protect.
Whilst in the same newspaper we read this.
It has been noted on numerous occassions that the Iraqi police force is but an extension of the Badr Corps and acts in concert with said militia as a kind of state sponsored death squad. Don't get me wrong but the Badr Corps are shi-ites and the Baathists secular Sunnis.
It would appear to me that the Interior Ministry, which controls the police force, underwent it's very own special kind of DeBaathification process without much help from Mr. Bremer or subsequent Viceroys and nabobs and is only mistrusted by the Baathists and Sunnis expunged from and unable to reinfiltrate it's unreliable and bloodthirsty ranks.
By the way, the Baathists and Sunnis are now our friends and allies battling with us against the 950 strong AQI. Confusing aint it.
Childhood - Part the Deux
This is the shortest 'piece' I could find...
The divine Mrs. B insists he was great, she may have seen him more than once but swears it was all drug induced and therefore groovy!
Still haven't ascertained which drug she was using but I'd imagine it would have to have been one of the stronger ones.
Fredrick of Hollywood
Where else would a 'serious' presidential candidate unofficially officially announce his intent to run but on the Jay Leno show.
Fred Thompson - practically a legend in his own make-up!
Fred Thompson - practically a legend in his own make-up!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Childhood...
So the divine Mrs. Buffletucky and I were discussing pre-punk-most-mainstream-street-cred-destroying gigs we ever attended.
The best I could come up with, having been blessed with a nose for preposterous, posturing, pre-punk pomposity;
Sheffield City Hall, 1978 (I think) 'A Farewell To Kings' Tour.
Pretty loud three-piece though!
Mrs. Buffletucky's tomorrow... teh fun!
Our Robust Economy
Every time the Preznit mentions the US economy he uses words like vital, robust, dynamic well, as with all our dear leaders political speechifying whether it be Katrina, Iraq, Traditional Marriage, Family Values etc, etc it is pungent with the odor of sanctimony and incompetence. Far from the boom of his rhetoric, lays the potential carnage of an American economy on the verge of implosion.
For me, this is not a 'bubble' economy, fraught with those inherent and well documented dangers, this is something more significant, more entrenched and therefore more virulent.
This administration has encouraged i) the 'Ownership Society' based on home ownership providing equity to the masses, the premise being 'the more you borrow, the more you can borrow.' ii) the 'Ownership Society' based on accumulation of wealth by the ownership of stocks and shares, which with the huge cash infusion from the little guy could only go up, but, unlike a huge institutional investor or a rich bastard just trying to get richer, the little guy can't take repeated hits when his 'portfolio' under-performs. He/She will, reluctantly (because it is the only piece of the pie they actually have any vested interest in) pull their savings from the market and put them in a safer place, perhaps a modest interest bearing account at their local bank.
Now their local bank may be carrying a little bit of debt from the mortgage crisis, nothing to worry about right? How many local banks are independently owned and operated anymore?
So our 'growth' is based upon squeezing as much cash as we can out of the people who can least afford to lose it.
The signs of a contracting economy are everywhere, look here, here, here and here.
For me, this is not a 'bubble' economy, fraught with those inherent and well documented dangers, this is something more significant, more entrenched and therefore more virulent.
This administration has encouraged i) the 'Ownership Society' based on home ownership providing equity to the masses, the premise being 'the more you borrow, the more you can borrow.' ii) the 'Ownership Society' based on accumulation of wealth by the ownership of stocks and shares, which with the huge cash infusion from the little guy could only go up, but, unlike a huge institutional investor or a rich bastard just trying to get richer, the little guy can't take repeated hits when his 'portfolio' under-performs. He/She will, reluctantly (because it is the only piece of the pie they actually have any vested interest in) pull their savings from the market and put them in a safer place, perhaps a modest interest bearing account at their local bank.
Now their local bank may be carrying a little bit of debt from the mortgage crisis, nothing to worry about right? How many local banks are independently owned and operated anymore?
So our 'growth' is based upon squeezing as much cash as we can out of the people who can least afford to lose it.
The signs of a contracting economy are everywhere, look here, here, here and here.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Stupid Iranian Tricks
Michael Gordon has been transcribing this kind of stuff for this administration for quite a while now and, never seems to tire of it. You'd think after several failed attempts to get this story some traction you'd move on to something that could be independently verified or researched or real. Apparently Mr. Gordon has problems writing his own reports and relies entirely on unidentified WH or DoD sources to write his 'stories' for him. It's telling that Mr. Gordon's reports start on the main banner of the times first thing in the morning, slide to a small headline by lunchtime and require a search engine by tea.
The real question here is, can we, yes we, allow this administration, an administration that has shown itself to be completely incompetent in running just one war, to start another with a nation that has shown itself to be far more structurally, militarilly and politically capable than the tin-pot dictatorship of Saddam Hussein?
Or, are we in the 'mood' for a much larger bloodbath than the one we are in now?
As for me and the rest of August, much like our dearly beloved leader and the not so dearly beloved Iraqi parliament, I'm taking the rest of the month off.
Toodle-Pip
The real question here is, can we, yes we, allow this administration, an administration that has shown itself to be completely incompetent in running just one war, to start another with a nation that has shown itself to be far more structurally, militarilly and politically capable than the tin-pot dictatorship of Saddam Hussein?
Or, are we in the 'mood' for a much larger bloodbath than the one we are in now?
As for me and the rest of August, much like our dearly beloved leader and the not so dearly beloved Iraqi parliament, I'm taking the rest of the month off.
Toodle-Pip
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Cup - Half Full
Parsing the recent meeting between Bush and Brown can be a difficult execise. I watched Alastair Campbell (reknowned Spinmeister) on PBS and he was of the opinion that it was business as usual and that Brown and Blair were cut from the same cloth, two peas in a pod, co-joined political partners, nothing to see here, move along. I would expect that from Mr. Campbell, he has a vested interest in not sullying the, or rather, rehabilitating the Blair legacy as he was so closely associated with the rise and ultimate fall. Where the US commentator saw possible division and divergence Campbell saw only agreement and parallel goals. Now the dust has settled somewhat and the narrative digested we begin to see the first signs of policy manouvering by Brown and perhaps, a growing realization from the administration that they will, shortly, be on their own.
And why is that? Maybe it is because that whenever this administration attempts to spin the news out of Iraq, they get caught in a tragic, preposterous lie.
On July 26, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the second-ranking American commander in Iraq, said that the lower death toll was a “positive sign” but that it was too early to say whether the reduction was a “true trend.”
New York Times
2007 saw the deadliest July for US troops since the Iraq War began. It also saw a 23% rise in Iraqi deaths over June. July is like a blast furnace in Iraq, with temperatures approaching 120 degrees F. in the shade. Guerrillas typically lie low in this unfavorable environment, compared to other seasons, and so the casualty rates go down. Instead, this year the killing season has gone on as if it were spring.
Number of US troops killed in Iraq, July, 2007: 74
The Truth - Courtesy of Juan Cole (Read him every day, gentle reader)
But it is not just the military situation that continues to wear a grim face. The political situation is out of hand. Before the Iraqi parliament recessed, the turmoil continued.
Al Maliki's government is in chaos, the Kurds are threatening civil war against the Sunni's, the Shi'a militia's are as strong as ever and appear to control large areas of Iraq including most of Southern Iraq where the British are stationed which probably accounts for the relative stability of that region. The British have pretty much ceded security to the Badr Corps and the Mahdi Army, therefore making their presence irrelevant. It will be interesting to see what happens in Basra and it's environs once the British hand over control to the 'Iraqi Army.'
The escallation was supposed to allow the Iraqi government time to regroup under a less perilous security situation. The violence would subside in Baghdad and unity and reconciliation would break out all over. Early indicators (after six months of this continued stupidity) would suggest that the 'surge' has succeeded, moderately, in providing the Republican members of Congress breathing room, as for Iraq - not so much.
And why is that? Maybe it is because that whenever this administration attempts to spin the news out of Iraq, they get caught in a tragic, preposterous lie.
On July 26, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the second-ranking American commander in Iraq, said that the lower death toll was a “positive sign” but that it was too early to say whether the reduction was a “true trend.”
New York Times
2007 saw the deadliest July for US troops since the Iraq War began. It also saw a 23% rise in Iraqi deaths over June. July is like a blast furnace in Iraq, with temperatures approaching 120 degrees F. in the shade. Guerrillas typically lie low in this unfavorable environment, compared to other seasons, and so the casualty rates go down. Instead, this year the killing season has gone on as if it were spring.
Number of US troops killed in Iraq, July, 2007: 74
The Truth - Courtesy of Juan Cole (Read him every day, gentle reader)
But it is not just the military situation that continues to wear a grim face. The political situation is out of hand. Before the Iraqi parliament recessed, the turmoil continued.
Al Maliki's government is in chaos, the Kurds are threatening civil war against the Sunni's, the Shi'a militia's are as strong as ever and appear to control large areas of Iraq including most of Southern Iraq where the British are stationed which probably accounts for the relative stability of that region. The British have pretty much ceded security to the Badr Corps and the Mahdi Army, therefore making their presence irrelevant. It will be interesting to see what happens in Basra and it's environs once the British hand over control to the 'Iraqi Army.'
The escallation was supposed to allow the Iraqi government time to regroup under a less perilous security situation. The violence would subside in Baghdad and unity and reconciliation would break out all over. Early indicators (after six months of this continued stupidity) would suggest that the 'surge' has succeeded, moderately, in providing the Republican members of Congress breathing room, as for Iraq - not so much.
Friday, July 27, 2007
So Gonzo...
Abu must be feeling the heat... Meuller completely contradicts the AG's testimony. Now, remember Gonzalez is the highest law official in the land, he presides over our Justice system, he is a liar. What does that say about this country, what does this project to the world, what does this say about our administration?
TPM-Muckraker has the definitive breakdown/timeline for this escallating scandal.
I suggest you read it, gentle reader, before the spin begins and Tony Snow equates it to a storm in a tea cup or some such other trifling.
TPM-Muckraker has the definitive breakdown/timeline for this escallating scandal.
I suggest you read it, gentle reader, before the spin begins and Tony Snow equates it to a storm in a tea cup or some such other trifling.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Friedo...
Gonzalez has become practically synonomous with lying, so why should his most recent visit to the Hill have been anything different. The difference this time is that documentation exists that immediately refutes his sworn testimony of this week and poses some other interesting dilemas for this most abject of figures.
If, as he has stated for the record and under oath, he was not there to 'discuss' the TSP (Terrorist Surveillance Program) but some other intelligence program, what was that 'other' program. That the evidence suggests he was there to extend the life of the program then he clearly lied. If he was, indeed, there to discuss another program, would that be the same program Ashcroft, Comey and Meuller were willing to resign over because of its inherent illegality?
We know of two programs, the TSP and this other program that the highest law enforcement officials in the land had, under advisement, determined was so illegal that they were willing to resign en-mass before giving countenance to its use.
There may have been a third program or a fourth or fifth, who knows but we are aware, at this time, of only two. One which the FBI and DOJ were still uncomfortable with and the other one that they had deemed completely illegal.
Were Card and Gonzales at Ashcrofts bedside to argue the merits of extending the TSP or were they there to argue the legallity of spying on Americans communicating within the US, without warrants and without just cause.
I can't believe it was the latter... Fredo, you're fried!
If, as he has stated for the record and under oath, he was not there to 'discuss' the TSP (Terrorist Surveillance Program) but some other intelligence program, what was that 'other' program. That the evidence suggests he was there to extend the life of the program then he clearly lied. If he was, indeed, there to discuss another program, would that be the same program Ashcroft, Comey and Meuller were willing to resign over because of its inherent illegality?
We know of two programs, the TSP and this other program that the highest law enforcement officials in the land had, under advisement, determined was so illegal that they were willing to resign en-mass before giving countenance to its use.
There may have been a third program or a fourth or fifth, who knows but we are aware, at this time, of only two. One which the FBI and DOJ were still uncomfortable with and the other one that they had deemed completely illegal.
Were Card and Gonzales at Ashcrofts bedside to argue the merits of extending the TSP or were they there to argue the legallity of spying on Americans communicating within the US, without warrants and without just cause.
I can't believe it was the latter... Fredo, you're fried!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Friends Of Our Enemies
Musharaf has made such a pigs ear of his personal War on Terror, it makes you wonder if he got his graduate degree in Military Fiascos from Bush U or maybe Cheney Poly or The Rumsfeld Institute or sumpin'.
There are so many key phrases in the article that I urge you, dear reader, to read the whole thing, my personal favorite:
...Musharraf insisted yesterday that the vote would go ahead and dismissed speculation he would declare a state of emergency. He also claimed that al-Qa'ida was on the run.
By their own admission, al qaida controls large swathes of the border states nestled between Pakistan and Afghanistan, they are in an all out fight with a Pakistani Army that actually refuses to go into certain areas for fear of mass slaughter, there have been continual suicide attacks, bombings and assassinations over the past few weeks that have killed up to 241 persons. Seems to me al qaida is making it almost impossible for Musharaf to exert any conventional government pressure on these states and yet we are to believe that al qaida is on the run.
Maybe Musharaf got his HS Diploma from the Lieberman School for The Criminally Imbecilic.
Has to be something like that...
There are so many key phrases in the article that I urge you, dear reader, to read the whole thing, my personal favorite:
...Musharraf insisted yesterday that the vote would go ahead and dismissed speculation he would declare a state of emergency. He also claimed that al-Qa'ida was on the run.
By their own admission, al qaida controls large swathes of the border states nestled between Pakistan and Afghanistan, they are in an all out fight with a Pakistani Army that actually refuses to go into certain areas for fear of mass slaughter, there have been continual suicide attacks, bombings and assassinations over the past few weeks that have killed up to 241 persons. Seems to me al qaida is making it almost impossible for Musharaf to exert any conventional government pressure on these states and yet we are to believe that al qaida is on the run.
Maybe Musharaf got his HS Diploma from the Lieberman School for The Criminally Imbecilic.
Has to be something like that...
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Let's Talk...
Mr. Bush announces a major Middle East peace conference and the response is somewhat underwhelming, all right I'm being polite, the response is laughable. Israel will not discuss, borders, Jerusalem or refugees (Palestinians). Hamas will not be invited which, considering they already declined the offer, is obfuscation of a high order. Syria may or may not come depending on the agenda and Egypt is fence-sitting as usual. That would leave Condi, Fatah and a low level Israeli delegation left to discuss what exactly, the weather?
Tony Snow, who is becoming more obtuse and deceitful with each passing second, provides the matrix necessary to understand our administrations intentions and goals with regards to this 'conference':
The White House moved to douse expectations. "I think a lot of people are inclined to try to treat this as a big peace conference. It's not," Tony Snow, the White House's press secretary, told reporters.
So what is it? It's a distraction is what it is... from this, this and this.
Tony Snow, who is becoming more obtuse and deceitful with each passing second, provides the matrix necessary to understand our administrations intentions and goals with regards to this 'conference':
The White House moved to douse expectations. "I think a lot of people are inclined to try to treat this as a big peace conference. It's not," Tony Snow, the White House's press secretary, told reporters.
So what is it? It's a distraction is what it is... from this, this and this.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Plus Ca Sea Change...
In this rather depressing summation of the events in Iraq over the last few days is the quote by Gen. Peter Pace about the 'sea change' in the security situation over the last few weeks... it is followed by a litany of explosions, executions, double crosses and mortar infractions into the Green Zone.
That the piece itself is headlined by the news that al Sadr's bloc has returned to parliament seems insignificant and trivial given the content and contradictions of the rest of the article however, al Sadr bloc returning to parliament is a big deal, they are returning for two reasons, i) make al Maliki's life even more miserable than it already is and ii) to block passage of the much vaunted and Bush favorite, oil legislation. The parliament needs a quorum, al Sadr is determined to give them one.
Upon defeat of pretty much all pending legislation al Sadr will return to the weeds laughing his turban off the whole way.
This administration has been so played.
That the piece itself is headlined by the news that al Sadr's bloc has returned to parliament seems insignificant and trivial given the content and contradictions of the rest of the article however, al Sadr bloc returning to parliament is a big deal, they are returning for two reasons, i) make al Maliki's life even more miserable than it already is and ii) to block passage of the much vaunted and Bush favorite, oil legislation. The parliament needs a quorum, al Sadr is determined to give them one.
Upon defeat of pretty much all pending legislation al Sadr will return to the weeds laughing his turban off the whole way.
This administration has been so played.
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