Evening. I won't say "good evening" and I'll go into that after Democracy Now!
Report: Cheney Withheld News of Whittington's Heart Condition
Cheney is again being accused of withholding information on Whittington's condition. Over the weekend, the White House waited at least 19 hours before announcing the shooting. Today, the New York Times is reporting Cheney was informed of Whittington's heart condition when he arrived at the White House Tuesday morning. But according to senior administration officials, Cheney did not pass the information on to President Bush's aides, including White House Press secretary Scott McLellan. At a press conference later in the day, McLellan did not mention Whittington’s heart problems and even joked he was wearing an orange tie so he could be clearly visible in front of Cheney.
Scott McLellan made a joke. Does that mean a Scold's going to tear into him? Nina said I should write "Scold May I have permission to write about this topic?" In case you missed it, a scold's launched an attack on the left for writing about Cheney's shooting the guy. And the Scold's attacked people who've made jokes. "These aren't important topics!" screams the Scold who goes on to write about Willie Nelson the next day. Aren't we all a little better for having the Scold to write about the important topics?
I think she took a crack at my buddy Wally. Nina thinks so too. I'm still too mad to write about it tonight but I may write about it tomorrow.
This is a story. When someone's shot, it's a story. Scold or no Scold, it's a story.
Check out this by Matt Curry:
If the man wounded by Dick Cheney dies, the vice president could -- in theory at least -- face criminal charges, even though the shooting was an accident.
Dallas defense attorney David Finn, who has been a state and a federal prosecutor, said Wednesday that a Texas grand jury could bring a charge of criminally negligent homicide if there is evidence the vice president knew or should have known "there was a substantial or unjustifiable risk that his actions would result in him shooting a fellow hunter."
And check out this from Democracy Now!, "As Cheney Victim Suffers Heart Attack, Questions Raised About Secrecy and Cronyism:"
AMY GOODMAN: So, what do you think will now happen? Of course, we don't know right now the condition of Harry Whittington. I mean, we understand that he had a heart attack yesterday, has birdshot in his heart.
ROBERT BRYCE: Well, and that's really -- I mean, you know, I'm very concerned. You know, Harry is, as I said, he's such a wonderful guy, a very decent man. You know, he's 78. You know, you don't want to be having heart attacks, nor do you want to be shot, when you're 78. So, I think a lot of people are very concerned about his health and what this could mean if he, you know, God save us, that he would die. But, yeah, I mean, this is something that I think is not going to go away. And there was a very good piece in the Austin American-Statesman yesterday by Mike Leggett, who's their hunting or outdoors reporter. And, I mean, he just went right after Cheney, and he ended his piece by saying to Cheney, he said, "Stand up. Take responsibility. Be a man. You shot a guy." And I think that that really cuts to the heart of the matter, that for Cheney not to publicly apologize, for him not to, you know, say, "I made a mistake. You know, I made the worst error a hunter can make," I think it's just indicative of the arrogance that this White House, and particularly this Vice President, shows.
So it's news. And if the scold wants to have at Wally or C.I., she might want to try actually having something to point to with pride. Or maybe she thinks her Willie Nelson post today spread freedom and democracy online? While she's jerking off, Wally's making funny comments that have something to say. While she's jerking off, C.I.'s covering real issues. C.I. didn't make a 'Cheney joke' once but you'll note that Big Chin has one and she still links to him. She writes how sick she is of the left and how she removed sites from her blog roll that were focused on Cheney. Big Chin's must be her exception to her non-rules.
If you think I'm furious, I am, but it's nothing compared to Nina's fury. (Nina just said "I'm enraged.") (Nina said if I'm putting that in put in that Elaine doesn't have to keep noting that me and her aren't a couple. Nina's my girlfriend but a lot of people seem to think me and Elaine are a couple. Elaine's cool and pretty but Nina's my girlfriend -- and she's cool and pretty too.)
Poor Elaine had to hear me scream on the phone tonight. I'm sure she had to be thinking, "All day long I have to deal with crazies and now I've got another one!" :D
Nina says to note that Elaine "inspired her" when we all got together in D.C. in September so she decided to become a psychologist too. Sounds like good news until you realize that ever since Nina declared her major she's been all over my ass to declare as well. :D I'm still sampling.
5 "Raging Grannies" Arrested at Anti-War Protest Near DC
And just outside of Washington, DC, five women with the anti-war group the Raging Grannies were arrested Tuesday at a protest outside a military recruitment office. The women were arrested after announcing they intended to enlist. They chanted: "if someone must die in Iraq, let it be the old.” They were later released without charge. The protest was one of several held across the country Tuesday, including in Florida, California, and New York.
Give it up for the Grannies! Elaine's first words tonight were, "We've got to include the Grannies." I agree and that's about the only thing that makes me happy tonight. Good for those Raging Grannies. They are brave. If you heard about this, you know that the recuriters were scared of the Grannies and locked the doors in one location. They had this recruiter on the radio going, "Well, we were afraid that other protesters might show up too" but you know they were running scared from the Raging Grannies. Give it up for the Grannies.
Check out Like Maria Said Paz for Elaine's thoughts (if she has any left, I think I gave her a big headache tonight -- sorry and thanks for listening). And always check out The Daily Jot and The Common Ills.
democracy now
dick cheney
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Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Shoot 'em up Cheney still raises questions -- fortunately they spend lots of money on spin
Good evening. Tomorrow's hump day so hang in there until the weekend. (Leigh Ann wrote, "Will this week ever end?") It can be a rough day if you don't have a honey. Let's get things going with Democracy Now!
Cheney Cited For Hunting Violation in Shooting Incident
The Bush administration is on the defensive over Vice President Dick Cheney’s accidental shooting of hunting companion and Republican fundraiser Harry Whittington at a Texas ranch Saturday. Whittington is reported to be in stable condition. It took the White House at least 19 hours to inform the public -- and only after a local Texas newspaper broke the story. Cheney is also coming under criticism for violating Texas game law. On Monday, state officials said Cheney had not purchased a stamp required for bird hunting.
So let's sketch this out. Whittington supposedly walked behind Cheney. How did he get shot in the face then? Cheney was hunting without the necessary papers. Cheney shot Whittington. Cheney didn't want the public to know and Cheney didn't want to talk to the cops. Was he drunk?
C.I. passed this on to me and Elaine, Juan Gonzalez's "Why Put Silencer on Story?":
Since when does the massive White House spin machine permit a little-known South Texas rancher to give vice presidential press briefings?
McClellan said yesterday he did not even learn the vice president had been the shooter until Sunday morning.
Even the normally docile Washington press corps wasn't buying that line. Angry reporters repeatedly demanded to know exactly when Bush learned about Cheney's errant shot.
Later in the day, the White House revealed that deputy chief of staff Karl Rove was the first to know. Rove spoke by phone with Armstrong on Saturday evening, then informed Bush around 8 p.m. of the vice president's role.
In other words, both Bush and Rove knew the essential details within hours of the incident, yet the White House kept things quiet until the next day.
At yesterday's briefing, McClellan repeatedly referred further questions to Cheney's office, and late in the day the information dribbled out that Cheney hadn't bothered to pay for the proper permit to go bird hunting in Texas.
Local sheriffs in Kenedy County reportedly complained that Secret Service agents prevented them from talking to the vice president immediately after the incident.
The Secret Service, on the other hand, says that it reported the shooting to the sheriff's office an hour after it happened, and that Cheney eventually did talk to local authorities.
The Cheney interview, like so much of this story, was delayed until Sunday morning.
Vice President shoots someone, it's news. Accident or not. C.I. noted the Pravda like coverage in the New York Times. Cheney's a sick man, we all know that or should. During the 2000 recount, they tried to act like he was fine but he had to go into the hospital. Are we supposed to believe that six years later, he's healthier than he was then? What if the Bully Boy bulge in the October 2004 debate wasn't a wire but some health related device? What if we've got two people in the charge who are both a lot sicker than the press has ever told you? Think about it.
GAO: Bush Admin. Spent Over $1.6B on PR
And finally, a new report from the Government Accountablity Office says the Bush administration has spent over $1.6 billion on advertising and public relations contracts in the last two years. Of this amount, the Pentagon has been the biggest spender, paying $1.1 billion for recruitment campaigns and other public relations efforts.
What can I tell you? Press whores cost money. They probably have a price they can quote you. Like Elisabeth Bumiller probably charges more for a press snowball (where she spits out -- in print -- every "fact" you gave her) than she does for fluffing. 1.6 billion dollars? A drop in the bucket compared to how much the wars are costing us but what if they took that money and gave it to the school systems? While they're starving off all the programs that are supposed to help people, they have a lot of money to toss out on spin. This administration spends so much Bully Boy must be so dizzy he passes out each night.
And?
That's it. Elaine and I both promised to be brief tonight. We both have dates for Valentine's Day. I hope you do too but if you don't, it's not the end of the world. Treat yourself to something fun and make it a good Valentine's Day regardless. Be sure to check out Like Maria Said Paz. And check out this by Kat on the need to use your voice.
democracy now
dick cheney
juan gonzalez
the common ills
kats korner
like maria said paz
mikey likes it
Cheney Cited For Hunting Violation in Shooting Incident
The Bush administration is on the defensive over Vice President Dick Cheney’s accidental shooting of hunting companion and Republican fundraiser Harry Whittington at a Texas ranch Saturday. Whittington is reported to be in stable condition. It took the White House at least 19 hours to inform the public -- and only after a local Texas newspaper broke the story. Cheney is also coming under criticism for violating Texas game law. On Monday, state officials said Cheney had not purchased a stamp required for bird hunting.
So let's sketch this out. Whittington supposedly walked behind Cheney. How did he get shot in the face then? Cheney was hunting without the necessary papers. Cheney shot Whittington. Cheney didn't want the public to know and Cheney didn't want to talk to the cops. Was he drunk?
C.I. passed this on to me and Elaine, Juan Gonzalez's "Why Put Silencer on Story?":
Since when does the massive White House spin machine permit a little-known South Texas rancher to give vice presidential press briefings?
McClellan said yesterday he did not even learn the vice president had been the shooter until Sunday morning.
Even the normally docile Washington press corps wasn't buying that line. Angry reporters repeatedly demanded to know exactly when Bush learned about Cheney's errant shot.
Later in the day, the White House revealed that deputy chief of staff Karl Rove was the first to know. Rove spoke by phone with Armstrong on Saturday evening, then informed Bush around 8 p.m. of the vice president's role.
In other words, both Bush and Rove knew the essential details within hours of the incident, yet the White House kept things quiet until the next day.
At yesterday's briefing, McClellan repeatedly referred further questions to Cheney's office, and late in the day the information dribbled out that Cheney hadn't bothered to pay for the proper permit to go bird hunting in Texas.
Local sheriffs in Kenedy County reportedly complained that Secret Service agents prevented them from talking to the vice president immediately after the incident.
The Secret Service, on the other hand, says that it reported the shooting to the sheriff's office an hour after it happened, and that Cheney eventually did talk to local authorities.
The Cheney interview, like so much of this story, was delayed until Sunday morning.
Vice President shoots someone, it's news. Accident or not. C.I. noted the Pravda like coverage in the New York Times. Cheney's a sick man, we all know that or should. During the 2000 recount, they tried to act like he was fine but he had to go into the hospital. Are we supposed to believe that six years later, he's healthier than he was then? What if the Bully Boy bulge in the October 2004 debate wasn't a wire but some health related device? What if we've got two people in the charge who are both a lot sicker than the press has ever told you? Think about it.
GAO: Bush Admin. Spent Over $1.6B on PR
And finally, a new report from the Government Accountablity Office says the Bush administration has spent over $1.6 billion on advertising and public relations contracts in the last two years. Of this amount, the Pentagon has been the biggest spender, paying $1.1 billion for recruitment campaigns and other public relations efforts.
What can I tell you? Press whores cost money. They probably have a price they can quote you. Like Elisabeth Bumiller probably charges more for a press snowball (where she spits out -- in print -- every "fact" you gave her) than she does for fluffing. 1.6 billion dollars? A drop in the bucket compared to how much the wars are costing us but what if they took that money and gave it to the school systems? While they're starving off all the programs that are supposed to help people, they have a lot of money to toss out on spin. This administration spends so much Bully Boy must be so dizzy he passes out each night.
And?
That's it. Elaine and I both promised to be brief tonight. We both have dates for Valentine's Day. I hope you do too but if you don't, it's not the end of the world. Treat yourself to something fun and make it a good Valentine's Day regardless. Be sure to check out Like Maria Said Paz. And check out this by Kat on the need to use your voice.
democracy now
dick cheney
juan gonzalez
the common ills
kats korner
like maria said paz
mikey likes it
Monday, February 13, 2006
Wally on Sportsman Cheney's fishing mishap, Guantanamo prisoners
Good evening. Hope everyone had a great weekend. Let's kick things off with Democracy Now!
Christian Peace Group Charged Over Gitmo Vigil
Meanwhile, the US government has served legal papers to seven members of a US Christian group that held a vigil outside the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The group, Witness Against Torture, held a five-day march to the prison in December. Around 500 prisoners are being held at Guantanamo, most without charge. The seven members each face up to 10 years in prison or a $250,000 dollar fine. Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights said: "I find it extremely hypocritical that Washington is investigating this group for the 'crime' of traveling to Cuba. The U.S. government is flagrantly violating even the most basic norms of human rights -- such as indefinite detention without charges, denial of fair trials and, most importantly, torture."
Seven brave Americans willing to put their bodies where there mouths were stand up for the rights of us all. They don't know the prisoners. They went down to protest on humanitarian grounds. And the payback? Having charges lodged against them. Do you care? You should. You do know that Guantanamo Bay is just a holding tank and that imprisonment there doesn't mean the people are guilty?
From "CCR Applauds Confirmation of Guantanamo Detainees' Innocence in First Statistical Analysis of Military Documents:"
On February 9, 2006, in New York, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) applauded the release of the Report on Guantanamo Detainees: A Profile of 517 Detainees Through Analysis of Department of Defense Data by Professor Mark Denbeaux of Seton Hall Law School and attorney Joshua Denbeaux.
Since February 2002, CCR has argued in the United States federal courts that the vast majority of prisoners at Guantánamo are innocent men who were kidnapped and turned over to the United States military for a bounty. The report found that "55 percent of the 517 detainees had no hostile act listed as the basis for detention" and a mere 5 percent were captured by U.S. forces, with the rest not picked up on the battlefield in Afghanistan but in Pakistan and handed to the U.S. by warlords and others for large bounties. According the report's careful analysis of the Defense Department records, 92% of the prisoners in Guantánamo were not characterized as Al Qaeda fighters. The men have been denied any fair hearing and detained in inhumane conditions for over four years, despite the Supreme Court ruling in CCR's case, Rasul v. Bush that they have the right to challenge the basis for their detention in U.S. court.
Said CCR attorney Gita Gutierrez, "Now, for the first time, the military's lies and misrepresentations about the prisoners in Guantánamo have been debunked through the military's own documents. Yet, these men remain in prison while at every turn the Executive seeks to avoid judicial scrutiny of its unlawful conduct."
That's from The Center for Constitutional Rights and if you go to that page, you can read a PDF format report. Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I. wrote "A Note to Our Readers" and I read that and thought, "Man, let me in on that!" Seriously, while we working on the F.U. edition of The Third Estate Sunday Review, we were talking about how serious stuff isn't being discussed. We don't mean people telling jokes. Like Wally, okay, The Daily Jot is supposed to make you laugh and hopefully think but it's humor. That's great. I love The Daily Jot. But there are a lot of "I'm so serious" types who aren't trying to make you laugh and they're being really lazy writing these jerk off columns and editorials about stuff like "Oprah had an author who lied!" and strutting around like they did something brave. If you're so serious, can you write about something that matters? Or is that asking too much? Too damn much is the way it looks. Flip through CJR magazine and see how serious they are or how pertinent to the world we're living in. They're a "journalism review" but they're not tackling any of the big issues. They're jerking off. (Read "Cowardly Journalism Review (Parody).") What's the point of that?
Report: US Aiding Construction of Morocoo Prison
In other news, the London Times is reporting the US is helping Morocco build a new prison for terror suspects near the capital of Rabat. The prison would be run by the Moroccan secret police, the Direction for Security of the Territory -- known as DST. Several human rights groups have accused the DST of torture. Morocco is thought to be one of the key partners in the CIA’s rendition of detainees.
What's the point of building more prisons for "terror suspects"? They've gotten away with it once, why not try again.
I'm swiping from C.I.:
James in Brighton notes Con Coughlin's "UN inquiry demands immediate closure of Guantanamo" (The Telegraph of London):
A United Nations inquiry has called for the immediate closure of America's Guantanamo Bay detention centre and the prosecution of officers and politicians "up to the highest level" who are accused of torturing detainees.The UN Human Rights Commission report, due to be published this week, concludes that Washington should put the 520 detainees on trial or release them.It calls for the United States to halt all "practices amounting to torture", including the force-feeding of inmates who go on hunger strike.The report wants the Bush administration to ensure that all allegations of torture are investigated by US criminal courts, and that "all perpetrators up to the highest level of military and political command are brought to justice".
That's from "And the war drags on" which is an entry focusing on reporting coming out of the United States mainstream media. C.I. does one of those (at least one) each Sunday. You read those entries and you get a different sense of the world then what our comfy, lazy press tells you (or doesn't tell you).
By the way, check out this from C.I. to read about outrage. We should all be feeling outraged by what's going on in what is supposed to be the land of the free.
And Ma's got a new recipe, this one requires no cooking and I can vouch for it, it's tasty. I hope everyone checks out Trina's Kitchen. And for some good belly laughs (nothing wrong with having a good laugh), check out Wally's "THIS JUST IN! DICK CHENEY HAS A FISHING MISHAP!" Here's the opening of that:
TODAY IN WASHINGTON, DC., THE WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMED THAT YESTERDAY VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY SLICED OFF A MAN'S FINGER.
THE EVENT, AS IS CURRENTLY KNOWN, TOOK PLACE ON A SUNDAY FISHING TRIP. VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY WAS SAID TO BE ATTEMPTING TO GUT A FISH AND MISTOOK BULLY BOY PIONEER AND ENRON HERO KENNETH LAY'S RIGHT HAND FOR A FISH.
I tagged Elaine's site before I published, I just forgot to mention. Be sure to check out Like Maria Said Paz because Elaine's had a lot to say on the Guantanamo prisoners when we were on the phone earlier.
democracy now
guantanamo
the common ills
the daily jot
mikey likes it
like maria said paz
trinas kitchen
dick cheney
Christian Peace Group Charged Over Gitmo Vigil
Meanwhile, the US government has served legal papers to seven members of a US Christian group that held a vigil outside the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The group, Witness Against Torture, held a five-day march to the prison in December. Around 500 prisoners are being held at Guantanamo, most without charge. The seven members each face up to 10 years in prison or a $250,000 dollar fine. Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights said: "I find it extremely hypocritical that Washington is investigating this group for the 'crime' of traveling to Cuba. The U.S. government is flagrantly violating even the most basic norms of human rights -- such as indefinite detention without charges, denial of fair trials and, most importantly, torture."
Seven brave Americans willing to put their bodies where there mouths were stand up for the rights of us all. They don't know the prisoners. They went down to protest on humanitarian grounds. And the payback? Having charges lodged against them. Do you care? You should. You do know that Guantanamo Bay is just a holding tank and that imprisonment there doesn't mean the people are guilty?
From "CCR Applauds Confirmation of Guantanamo Detainees' Innocence in First Statistical Analysis of Military Documents:"
On February 9, 2006, in New York, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) applauded the release of the Report on Guantanamo Detainees: A Profile of 517 Detainees Through Analysis of Department of Defense Data by Professor Mark Denbeaux of Seton Hall Law School and attorney Joshua Denbeaux.
Since February 2002, CCR has argued in the United States federal courts that the vast majority of prisoners at Guantánamo are innocent men who were kidnapped and turned over to the United States military for a bounty. The report found that "55 percent of the 517 detainees had no hostile act listed as the basis for detention" and a mere 5 percent were captured by U.S. forces, with the rest not picked up on the battlefield in Afghanistan but in Pakistan and handed to the U.S. by warlords and others for large bounties. According the report's careful analysis of the Defense Department records, 92% of the prisoners in Guantánamo were not characterized as Al Qaeda fighters. The men have been denied any fair hearing and detained in inhumane conditions for over four years, despite the Supreme Court ruling in CCR's case, Rasul v. Bush that they have the right to challenge the basis for their detention in U.S. court.
Said CCR attorney Gita Gutierrez, "Now, for the first time, the military's lies and misrepresentations about the prisoners in Guantánamo have been debunked through the military's own documents. Yet, these men remain in prison while at every turn the Executive seeks to avoid judicial scrutiny of its unlawful conduct."
That's from The Center for Constitutional Rights and if you go to that page, you can read a PDF format report. Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I. wrote "A Note to Our Readers" and I read that and thought, "Man, let me in on that!" Seriously, while we working on the F.U. edition of The Third Estate Sunday Review, we were talking about how serious stuff isn't being discussed. We don't mean people telling jokes. Like Wally, okay, The Daily Jot is supposed to make you laugh and hopefully think but it's humor. That's great. I love The Daily Jot. But there are a lot of "I'm so serious" types who aren't trying to make you laugh and they're being really lazy writing these jerk off columns and editorials about stuff like "Oprah had an author who lied!" and strutting around like they did something brave. If you're so serious, can you write about something that matters? Or is that asking too much? Too damn much is the way it looks. Flip through CJR magazine and see how serious they are or how pertinent to the world we're living in. They're a "journalism review" but they're not tackling any of the big issues. They're jerking off. (Read "Cowardly Journalism Review (Parody).") What's the point of that?
Report: US Aiding Construction of Morocoo Prison
In other news, the London Times is reporting the US is helping Morocco build a new prison for terror suspects near the capital of Rabat. The prison would be run by the Moroccan secret police, the Direction for Security of the Territory -- known as DST. Several human rights groups have accused the DST of torture. Morocco is thought to be one of the key partners in the CIA’s rendition of detainees.
What's the point of building more prisons for "terror suspects"? They've gotten away with it once, why not try again.
I'm swiping from C.I.:
James in Brighton notes Con Coughlin's "UN inquiry demands immediate closure of Guantanamo" (The Telegraph of London):
A United Nations inquiry has called for the immediate closure of America's Guantanamo Bay detention centre and the prosecution of officers and politicians "up to the highest level" who are accused of torturing detainees.The UN Human Rights Commission report, due to be published this week, concludes that Washington should put the 520 detainees on trial or release them.It calls for the United States to halt all "practices amounting to torture", including the force-feeding of inmates who go on hunger strike.The report wants the Bush administration to ensure that all allegations of torture are investigated by US criminal courts, and that "all perpetrators up to the highest level of military and political command are brought to justice".
That's from "And the war drags on" which is an entry focusing on reporting coming out of the United States mainstream media. C.I. does one of those (at least one) each Sunday. You read those entries and you get a different sense of the world then what our comfy, lazy press tells you (or doesn't tell you).
By the way, check out this from C.I. to read about outrage. We should all be feeling outraged by what's going on in what is supposed to be the land of the free.
And Ma's got a new recipe, this one requires no cooking and I can vouch for it, it's tasty. I hope everyone checks out Trina's Kitchen. And for some good belly laughs (nothing wrong with having a good laugh), check out Wally's "THIS JUST IN! DICK CHENEY HAS A FISHING MISHAP!" Here's the opening of that:
TODAY IN WASHINGTON, DC., THE WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMED THAT YESTERDAY VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY SLICED OFF A MAN'S FINGER.
THE EVENT, AS IS CURRENTLY KNOWN, TOOK PLACE ON A SUNDAY FISHING TRIP. VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY WAS SAID TO BE ATTEMPTING TO GUT A FISH AND MISTOOK BULLY BOY PIONEER AND ENRON HERO KENNETH LAY'S RIGHT HAND FOR A FISH.
I tagged Elaine's site before I published, I just forgot to mention. Be sure to check out Like Maria Said Paz because Elaine's had a lot to say on the Guantanamo prisoners when we were on the phone earlier.
democracy now
guantanamo
the common ills
the daily jot
mikey likes it
like maria said paz
trinas kitchen
dick cheney
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Isaiah on DiFi and Maria on the week's headlines
Saturday post, consider yourself lucky. As always C.I. had posts today but also check out Kat and Ma's site Trina's Kitchen. The comic above is Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts from last Sunday and it captures the reality of the last Monday's NSA hearings perfectly. Just finished my research paper and am grabbing some time before we start working on the latest edition of The Third Estate Sunday Review. So this isn't a "talkly post." In fact, that's about it for me.
Now here's a roundup of the week's news in Spanish and English, "Ex funcionario de CIA en Medio Oriente acusa a gobierno de Bush de seleccionar información sobre Irak en forma ventajosa:"
Maria: Buenos dias. De parte de "Democracy Now!" diez cosas que vale hacer notar este fin de semana. Paz.
Ex funcionario de CIA en Medio Oriente acusa a gobierno de Bush de seleccionar información sobre Irak en forma ventajosa
Mientras tanto, el ex funcionario nacional de inteligencia de la CIA para el Medio Oriente acusó al gobierno de Bush de seleccionar información en forma ventajosa para justificar la invasión a Irak. En un nuevo artículo de Asuntos Exteriores, Paul Pillar escribió: "Quedó claro que la información oficial no fue tenida en cuenta para tomar las decisiones más importantes en materia de seguridad nacional. La información fue mal utilizada públicamente para justificar decisiones ya tomadas…y el propio trabajo de la comunidad de inteligencia estaba politizado".
Veterano herido de Guerra de Irak obligado a pagar por armadura
En materia militar, "Charlestown Gazette" informa que un soldado de Virginia Occidental herido en un ataque con bomba al costado de una carretera en Irak, fue obligado a pagar por el armadura que le quitaron mientras recibía tratamiento. La semana pasada, el Primer Teniente William "Eddie" Rebrook IV, fue obligado a pagar 700 dólares luego de que le dijeron que el ejército no tenía registro de que le hubieran retirado la armadura. Rebrook dijo: "Si las cosas de un soldado son dañadas por fuego enemigo, el soldado no debería pagarlas...Hay una total falta de empatía de los oficiales superiores que no saben lo que es ser un soldado de combate en el terreno". Su madre, Beckie Drumheler, agregó: "Es atroz, ridículo y desmedido. Quería pararme en una esquina y gritar por un altavoz lo que sucedió".
Informe: Rove amenaza a miembros republicanos del Comité Judicial del Senado por programa de espionaje
Mientras tanto, la publicación conservadora "Insight on the News" informa que el subjefe de personal de la Casa Blanca, Karl Rove, está amenazando a cualquier miembro republicano del comité judicial del Senado que se enfrente a la Casa Blanca sobre el programa de supervisión interna. Según Insight, "fuentes dicen que la lista negra implicaría que la Casa Blanca suspendería todo apoyo político o financiero a los senadores que busquen la reelección en noviembre". Un colaborador republicano veterano dijo a la publicación: "Es un juego duro hasta el final".
Jimmy Carter: Espionaje telefónico es "vergonzoso e ilegal"
Surgió un nuevo crítico al programa de espionaje interno, el ex presidente Jimmy Carter. quien describió la decisión del gobierno de Bush de realizar espionaje a través de escuchas telefónicas como "vergonzosa e ilegal". Carter dijo que "nadie sabe la privacidad de cuántos estadounidenses inocentes fue violada a causa de esta ley secreta". Carter hizo el comentario en Nevada, en una actividad en la que su hijo, Jack, anunció que se presentaría como candidato al senado de Estados Unidos.
Funcionario de la NASA designado por Bush renuncia tras revelación de que había mentido en su curriculum
En otras noticias, un funcionario designado por el presidente en el departamento de asuntos públicos de la NASA renunció tras la revelación de que había inventado parte de su curriculum. George Deutsch, quien fue designado el año pasado luego de trabajar en la campaña de reelección y en la asunción del presidente Bush, afirmó erróneamente que se había graduado como periodista en la Universidad A & M de Texas. Deutsch es uno de los funcionarios de la NASA acusado por los científicos de la agencia de intentar silenciar sus advertencias sobre las amenazas del calentamiento global.
Informe: Gobierno de Bush fue informado de rotura de dique antes de que fuera anunciada
Volvemos a Estados Unidos, el "New York Times" informa que la Casa Blanca fue informada acerca de que el huracán Katrina había derribado un dique en Nueva Orleáns casi doce horas antes de que el gobierno de Bush lo anunciara. La Casa Blanca argumentó que se le informó de las roturas del dique la mañana del martes 30 de agosto de 2005. Pero documentos demuestran que el gobierno de Bush fue informado la medianoche anterior.
Bush propone gran aumento del gasto de defensa y reducción de programas socials
El presidente Bush presenta su propuesta de presupuesto de aproximadamente unos 2,8 billones de dólares para el año próximo, lo que implica importantes aumentos en el gasto de defensa, pero profundos recortes del programa de salud Medicare y otros programas sociales a nivel nacional. Según esta propuesta de presupuesto, el gasto de defensa aumentará a 440 mil millones de dólares, casi un 7 por ciento. De ser aprobado, el presupuesto del Pentágono aumentará 45 por ciento con respecto al presupuesto asignado cuando Bush asumió por primera vez hace cinco años. El gasto militar es mucho más alto porque esta propuesta no incluye el gasto de las guerras de Irak y Afganistán. Un reciente cálculo estimó el costo de la guerra de Irak en 100 mil dólares por minuto. Al mismo tiempo, el presidente propone que las reducciones de impuestos sean permanentes. Esto costará alrededor de 1,5 billones en la próxima década. El Secretario de Defensa Donald Rumsfeld habló el lunes sobre el presupuesto: "La solicitud de presupuesto del presidente para el Departamento de Defensa representa un aumento con respecto al año anterior. Refleja lo que creemos que deberían ser las prioridades de la seguridad nacional de nuestro país. Fundamentalmente para ayudar a defender a Estados Unidos de América y al pueblo estadounidense y sus intereses, para otorgar flexibilidad a los comandantes, para prepararnos tanto para la guerra convencional como para la no convencional o irregular, y, algo que es muy importante, para trabajar junto a naciones socias para ayudarlas a desarrollar las capacidades necesarias para vencer a los terroristas dentro de sus fronteras y para que cooperen con nosotros y con otros países con respecto a esta amenaza mundial".
Muchos programas sociales sufrirán recortes en virtud del nuevo presupuesto
Mientras el presupuesto del Pentágono aumenta sensiblemente, el Centro sobre Presupuesto y Prioridades Políticas advierte que el presidente Bush propone realizar recortes a cientos de programas nacionales. Los recortes afectan a programas de educación, protección ambiental, numerosos programas de asistencia a las familias de bajos ingresos, niños, ancianos y personas discapacitadas, así como recortes a la investigación del cáncer, afecciones cardíacas y otras enfermedades. En uno de los casos, el centro estima que 420.000 adultos mayores de bajos ingresos perderán asistencia alimentaria del Programa de Alimentación Complementaria. Legisladores demócratas, e incluso algunos republicanos, criticaron a Bush por proponer recortar el gasto de los programas sociales. El senador republicano Arlen Specter calificó de "escandalosos" a los recortes en educación y la salud propuestos por Bush, mientras que la senadora republicana Olympia Snowe dijo estar "decepcionada y hasta sorprendida" por el alcance de los recortes propuestos por el gobierno a los programas Medicaid y Medicare.
Se cumplen 30 años del arresto de Leonard Peltier
Hoy se cumplen 30 años del encarcelamiento del activista estadounidense de origen indígena Leonard Peltier. Se están realizando manifestaciones en todo el país para solicitar su liberación. Fue procesado por matar a dos agentes del FBI durante un tiroteo en la Reserva India de Pine Ridge en 1975. Pero Peltier ha sostenido su inocencia desde ese momento. Escuchamos parte de una entrevista realizada por Amy Goodman a Peltier en prisión en el año 2000. Publicaremos un archivo mp3 con la entrevista completa en nuestro sitio web: Democracynow.org En una reciente declaración a quienes lo apoyan, Peltier dijo: "Estamos preparados para presentar más apelaciones en base a nueva información que mi equipo jurídico halló mientras investigaba documentos ocultos. Quiero que sepan que seguiremos luchando por mi libertad".
Más de 10.000 personas asistieron al funeral de Coretta Scott King
En Georgia, se calcula que unas 10.000 personas acudieron a la Iglesia Bautista Misionaria del Renacimiento en Letonia, un barrio residencial de Atlanta, para el funeral de la pionera de los derechos civiles, Coretta Scott King. Los ex presidentes Jimmy Carter, George Herbert Walker Bush, Bill Clinton, y el actual presidente George W. Bush asistieron al funeral junto con 14 senadores estadounidenses, y otros personajes públicos como Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey y Stevie Wonder. King falleció el 30 de enero a los 78 años, cuando se encontraba en México, donde buscaba tratamiento contra el cáncer de ovarios. Durante el funeral del martes, tanto el ex presidente Jimmy Carter, como el ex director de la Conferencia de Liderazgo Cristiano del Sur, reverendo Joseph Lowery, realizaron duras críticas al presidente Bush. Hablaron de la guerra en Irak, las violaciones de las libertades civiles y acusaron al presidente de ignorar la terrible situación de los pobres de Estados Unidos.
Maria: Now in English, here are ten headlines from Democracy Now! Peace.
Ex-CIA Mideast Officer Accuses Bush Admin. Of "Cherry-Picking" Iraq Intel
Meanwhile, the CIA's former national intelligence officer for the Middle East has accused the Bush administration of "cherry-picking" intelligence to justify the Iraq invasion. In a new article in Foreign Affairs, Paul Pillar writes: "It has become clear that official intelligence was not relied on in making even the most significant national security decisions. Intelligence was misused publicly to justify decisions already made…and the intelligence community's own work was politicized."
Injured Iraq War Veteran Forced To Pay For Body Armor
In military news, the Charlestown Gazette is reporting a West Virginia soldier injured in a roadside bombing in Iraq has been forced to pay for the body armor that was removed from him while he was being treated. Last week, 1st Lt. William "Eddie" Rebrook IV was forced to pay $700 dollars after he was told the army had no record the armor was taken from him. Rebrook said: "If a soldier's stuff is hit by enemy fire, he shouldn't have to pay for it… There's a complete lack of empathy from senior officers who don’t know what it’s like to be a combat soldier on the ground." His mother, Beckie Drumheler, added: "It's outrageous, ridiculous and unconscionable. I wanted to stand on a street corner and yell through a megaphone about this."
Report: Rove Threatens GOP Senate Judiciary Members Over Spy Program
Meanwhile, the conservative publication Insight on the News is reporting White House deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove is threatening any Republican Senate Judiciary members who challenge the White House on the domestic surveillance program. According to Insight, "Sources said the blacklist would mean a halt in any White House political or financial support of senators running for re-election in November." A senior Republican aide told the publication: "It's hardball all the way."
Jimmy Carter: Warantless Spying is "Disgraceful and Illegal"
A new critic of the domestic spying program has emerged -- former President Jimmy Carter. He described the Bush administration's decision to go ahead with the warrantless spying as "disgraceful and illegal." Carter said, "No one knows how many innocent Americans have had their privacy violated under this secret act." Carter made the statement in Nevada at an event where his son, Jack, announced he is running for U.S. Senate.
Bush NASA Appointee Resigns Over Resume Fabrication
In other news, a presidential appointee at NASA's public affairs department has resigned following the disclosure he fabricated parts of his resumé. George Deutsch, who was appointed last year after working on President Bush's re-election campaign and inauguration, wrongly claimed he had graduated with a journalism degree from Texas A & M University. Deutsh is one of several NASA officials accused by agency scientists of attempting to silence their warnings over the threats posed by global warming.
Bush Administration Told of Levee Breach Earlier Than Claimed
Back in the United States, the New York Times is reporting the White House was told Hurricane Katrina had overrun a levee in New Orleans almost twelve hours earlier than the Bush administration has claimed. The White House has maintained it was first informed of the levee breaches the morning of Tuesday, August 30th 2005. But documents show the Bush administration was first informed at midnight the night before.
Bush Proposes Big Increase in Defense Spending, Cuts in Social Programs
In his proposed nearly $2.8 trillion budget President Bush is calling for major increases in defense spending but deep cuts in Medicare and other domestic social programs. Under the proposed budget, defense spending will increase nearly 7 percent to $440 billion. If approved the Pentagon’s budget will become 45 percent larger than when Bush took office five years ago. The military spending is actually far higher because the proposed budget does not include the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One recent estimate put the cost of the Iraq war at $100,000 every minute. At the same time, the president is proposing to make his tax cuts permanent. This would cost about $1.5 trillion over the next decade. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld discussed the budget on Monday: "The President's budget request for the Department of Defense represents an increase over last year. It reflects what we believe should be the country's national security priorities. Namely to help defend the United States of America and the American people and their interests, to give flexibility to commanders, to prepare for both conventional and unconventional or irregular warfare, and, importantly, to work closely with partner nations to help them develop the capabilities needed to defeat terrorists within their borders and to co-operate with us and other countries with respect to this global threat."
Wide Range of Social Programs To Face Cuts Under New Budget
While the Pentagon budget is soaring, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, warns that President Bush is proposing to make cuts in hundreds of domestic programs. This includes education programs, environmental protection programs, numerous programs to assist low-income families, children, and elderly and disabled people, and research related to cancer, heart disease, and other medical conditions. In one case, the Center estimates 420,000 low-income seniors will lose food assistance from the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. Democratic and even some Republican lawmakers have criticized Bush for proposing to slash spending on social programs. Republican Sen. Arlen Specter called Bush's proposed cuts in education and health "scandalous" while Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe said she was "disappointed and even surprised" at the extent of the administration's proposed cuts in Medicaid and Medicare.
Leonard Peltier Jailed 30 Years Ago Today
And today marks the 30th anniversary of the imprisonment of Native American activist Leonard Peltier. Rallies are being held across the country to call for his release. He was convicted of killing of killing two FBI agents during a shoot-out on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975. But Peltier has long maintained his innocence. This is from an interview in 2000 I did with him from jail. We will post an MP3 of the full interview on our website democracynow.org. In a recent statement to supporters, Peltier said "We are all geared up to file more appeals on new information my legal team has found while reviewing withheld documents. I want you to know that we will continue to fight for my freedom."
Over 10,000 Attend Funeral Service for Coretta Scott King
In Georgia Tuesday, an estimated 10,000 people filled the pews of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia, for the funeral of civil rights pioneer Coretta Scott King. Former presidents Jimmy Carter, George Herbert Walker Bush, Bill Clinton, and President George W. Bush attended the funeral along with 14 US senators and public figures including Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey and Stevie Wonder. King died January 30th at the age of 78 after seeking treatment in Mexico for ovarian cancer. She had just recently suffered a rehabilitating stroke and heart attack. At Tuesday’s service both former President Jimmy Carter and the former head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Reverend Joseph Lowery, made subtle criticism of President Bush. They cited the war in Iraq, civil liberties transgressions and accused the president of ignoring the plight of the US poor.
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Friday, February 10, 2006
Scooter fingers Dick
Good evening. Starting late tonight because Elaine and I were on the phone trying to figure if we had any energy left in us to do entries tonight. It's Friday evening and I think I can rally for one more lap around the field. Let's go to Democracy Now!
Libby Testifies "Superiors" Ordered Leak of Classified Information
New evidence has emerged linking Vice President Dick Cheney to the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame. Investigative journalist Murray Waas has revealed testimony from Lewis "Scooter" Libby -- Cheney's indicted former chief of staff -- before a federal grand jury. Libby testified he had been "authorized" by Cheney and other White House "superiors" to disclose classified information to journalists to defend the Bush administration's use of prewar intelligence in making the case to invade Iraq. Larry Johnson, a former intelligence official and colleague of Plame's said: "This was not some rogue operation, but was directed at the highest levels, and specifically by Dick Cheney. Libby was definitely a man with a mission, but a man who was given a mission."
What if Libby really did blow the whistle on Cheney? Would it make it into the coverage or would it be like Russ Feingold and Patrick Leahy forcing a vote on whether or not Alberto Gonzales should be sworn in for testimony which is something that pretty much got ignored when reporters wrote up their stories on Monday's NSA hearing?
How far up could it go? And is there a reason that Patrick Fitzgerald hasn't indicted Karl Rove?
I was really excited when the investigation was announced and then the press seemed to back down even more than before. By the time Libby was indicted, they really weren't trying to determine what had happened.
Is that a regular failure of the press, that when we need them to shine a light, they tell us "I get scared in the dark!"
If the press had gone after the story of the outing of Valerie Plame back in 2003, how different would things be today?
I have no respect or trust for Matthew Cooper. In 2003, he could have gone public. In 2004, before the election, he could have gone public and written about it. He did go public. So there's none of that "I was protecting a source" because if that's the case, you keep your mouth shut.
Cooper didn't. He kept his conversations with Karl Rove private.
Do you think that knowing the man who was running Bully Boy's campaign had been active in the outing of a CIA agent could have changed the 2004 presidential election? I think it could have. I consider Matthew Cooper a "Bush Pioneer" because, whether he gave money or not, he gave freely of his time to conceal what had happened.
If he'd gone to jail for his principle, I might feel differently. But when he turns yellow at the thought of jail time and starts singing, he can't use that as an excuse. Think about how different the 2004 election might have been if Matthew Cooper hadn't covered up for Karl Rove and the administration. And wonder about how much has been covered up that we've never heard about.
Ex-CIA Mideast Officer Accuses Bush Admin. Of "Cherry-Picking" Iraq Intel
Meanwhile, the CIA's former national intelligence officer for the Middle East has accused the Bush administration of "cherry-picking" intelligence to justify the Iraq invasion. In a new article in Foreign Affairs, Paul Pillar writes: "It has become clear that official intelligence was not relied on in making even the most significant national security decisions. Intelligence was misused publicly to justify decisions already made…and the intelligence community's own work was politicized."
Wonder if ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and all the papers will pick up on this? I don't think they can. I think they'll bury it because they are as a complicit in this war as the Bully Boy. Hope I'm wrong.
Hope you read the indymedia roundup C.I. did last night. Jeremy Hinzman's appeal is going through the courts in Canada. Will he be granted sanctuary or sent back here? It amazes that Canada once accepted resistors (during the Vietnam war) but now has a hard time making the call. Cherry picking intelligence, Bully Boy lying us into war, I don't see granting Hinzman sanctuary as a difficult decision.
Be sure to check out Elaine's site Like Maria Said Paz. And be sure to have a great weekend. I've got a paper due on Monday and I'm not sure how great my weekend will be but you better believe I'm going to try to make it a great one. You try too. If you're feeling down or just wiped out, read Betty's "Thomas Friedman plays the woman scorned" because it will make you laugh and lift your spirits.
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Libby Testifies "Superiors" Ordered Leak of Classified Information
New evidence has emerged linking Vice President Dick Cheney to the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame. Investigative journalist Murray Waas has revealed testimony from Lewis "Scooter" Libby -- Cheney's indicted former chief of staff -- before a federal grand jury. Libby testified he had been "authorized" by Cheney and other White House "superiors" to disclose classified information to journalists to defend the Bush administration's use of prewar intelligence in making the case to invade Iraq. Larry Johnson, a former intelligence official and colleague of Plame's said: "This was not some rogue operation, but was directed at the highest levels, and specifically by Dick Cheney. Libby was definitely a man with a mission, but a man who was given a mission."
What if Libby really did blow the whistle on Cheney? Would it make it into the coverage or would it be like Russ Feingold and Patrick Leahy forcing a vote on whether or not Alberto Gonzales should be sworn in for testimony which is something that pretty much got ignored when reporters wrote up their stories on Monday's NSA hearing?
How far up could it go? And is there a reason that Patrick Fitzgerald hasn't indicted Karl Rove?
I was really excited when the investigation was announced and then the press seemed to back down even more than before. By the time Libby was indicted, they really weren't trying to determine what had happened.
Is that a regular failure of the press, that when we need them to shine a light, they tell us "I get scared in the dark!"
If the press had gone after the story of the outing of Valerie Plame back in 2003, how different would things be today?
I have no respect or trust for Matthew Cooper. In 2003, he could have gone public. In 2004, before the election, he could have gone public and written about it. He did go public. So there's none of that "I was protecting a source" because if that's the case, you keep your mouth shut.
Cooper didn't. He kept his conversations with Karl Rove private.
Do you think that knowing the man who was running Bully Boy's campaign had been active in the outing of a CIA agent could have changed the 2004 presidential election? I think it could have. I consider Matthew Cooper a "Bush Pioneer" because, whether he gave money or not, he gave freely of his time to conceal what had happened.
If he'd gone to jail for his principle, I might feel differently. But when he turns yellow at the thought of jail time and starts singing, he can't use that as an excuse. Think about how different the 2004 election might have been if Matthew Cooper hadn't covered up for Karl Rove and the administration. And wonder about how much has been covered up that we've never heard about.
Ex-CIA Mideast Officer Accuses Bush Admin. Of "Cherry-Picking" Iraq Intel
Meanwhile, the CIA's former national intelligence officer for the Middle East has accused the Bush administration of "cherry-picking" intelligence to justify the Iraq invasion. In a new article in Foreign Affairs, Paul Pillar writes: "It has become clear that official intelligence was not relied on in making even the most significant national security decisions. Intelligence was misused publicly to justify decisions already made…and the intelligence community's own work was politicized."
Wonder if ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and all the papers will pick up on this? I don't think they can. I think they'll bury it because they are as a complicit in this war as the Bully Boy. Hope I'm wrong.
Hope you read the indymedia roundup C.I. did last night. Jeremy Hinzman's appeal is going through the courts in Canada. Will he be granted sanctuary or sent back here? It amazes that Canada once accepted resistors (during the Vietnam war) but now has a hard time making the call. Cherry picking intelligence, Bully Boy lying us into war, I don't see granting Hinzman sanctuary as a difficult decision.
Be sure to check out Elaine's site Like Maria Said Paz. And be sure to have a great weekend. I've got a paper due on Monday and I'm not sure how great my weekend will be but you better believe I'm going to try to make it a great one. You try too. If you're feeling down or just wiped out, read Betty's "Thomas Friedman plays the woman scorned" because it will make you laugh and lift your spirits.
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Thursday, February 09, 2006
Guantanamo, Who does the Bully Boy love and Dave Zirin
Starting later than usual tonight because I took Nina out to the place of her choice for dinner. Last night's post never would have made it up if she hadn't said, "Oh let me type the thing up!" (We made the last showing of the movie but missed the previews.) I hate typing, I'm a hunt and peck kind of guy. When she finished typing up the tape of Wally's interview, I asked her, "Did you put in that you typed it?" And she didn't. We had to hurry to make the film so I couldn't go in and add it last night. But I'll put it in here and say, "Isn't she great?" (She really is.) And let me thank C.I. too because Wally and me both got a ton of e-mails after C.I. gave a heads up to the interview today. I got nothing but praise but Wally told me he got a few asking where were the penis jokes? Apologies to those left hanging, we forgot to penis jokes. We'll do 'em next time. So I've done my thanks, let's get started with Democracy Now!
Less Than Half of Reviewed Gitmo Detainees Accused of Violence
The news comes as a new study based entirely on Pentagon data shows that of 500 Guantanamo detainees whose cases were reviewed, fewer than half of them have been accused of committing violent acts against the United States or its allies. The study, carried out by lawyers for two detainees, found that the government has identified only 8% of the detainees as al Qaeda fighters. Of the rest, the study found that 40% have no connection with al Qaeda at all and 18% are have no affiliation with either al Qaeda or the Taliban. Meanwhile, 60% of the 500 detainees have been detained "merely because they are 'associated with' a group or groups the US government asserts are terrorist organizations."
You ever know a kid who told a big lie and the more obvious it became, the more he would lie to try to get out of it? I think that kid is the Bully Boy. He's built his "strong man" image on lies and one of the lies was that he's locked away (in Guantanamo) all these dangerous types to protect us. Truth doesn't reflect that. So Bully Boy's lies get bigger and he's trotting out the lie about how much he is protecting us (again) to try to make people say, "Oh, then it's okay that you spy on us." It's not okay. He's a liar and some people have the hardest time facing that.
Injured Iraq War Veteran Forced To Pay For Body Armor
In military news, the Charlestown Gazette is reporting a West Virginia soldier injured in a roadside bombing in Iraq has been forced to pay for the body armor that was removed from him while he was being treated. Last week, 1st Lt. William "Eddie" Rebrook IV was forced to pay $700 dollars after he was told the army had no record the armor was taken from him. Rebrook said: "If a soldier's stuff is hit by enemy fire, he shouldn’t have to pay for it… There’s a complete lack of empathy from senior officers who don’t know what it’s like to be a combat soldier on the ground." His mother, Beckie Drumheler, added: "It's outrageous, ridiculous and unconscionable. I wanted to stand on a street corner and yell through a megaphone about this."
Tony told me today, "You gotta put this in, you gotta!" He said it's "proof" that Bully Boy doesn't support the troops. I say, "Tony, come on. Bully Boy supports the troops . . . as targets. That's why he said 'Bring it on!' That's why he didn't provide body armor, that's why he had no plan. He loves targets." That's all we are to Bully Boy, targets. Cannon fodder. Things to be dimissed and sold out. We aren't his "base." The CEO "president" doesn't care for the workers which makes him pretty much like all the other CEOs.
Let's note the one and only Dave Zirin's "The Value of A Number:"
When Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color line in 1947, baseball ceased to be just a game. In the dark years of McCarthyism, as his biographer Arnold Rampersad wrote, "only Jackie Robinson insisted day in and day out on challenging America on questions of race and justice." As Martin Luther King said of Robinson, "He was a sit-inner before sit-ins. A freedom rider before freedom rides." In 1997, on the fiftieth anniversary of Robinson's rookie season, MLB commissioner Bud Selig took the unprecedented step of retiring Robinson's number, 42, from the league.
Now a new push is taking place to honor another legend in a similar way. An appeal has been made by Hispanics Across America (HAA) to retire the number 21 of Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente. A native of Puerto Rico, Clemente was not the game's first Latino but its first breakout star. Clemente was a regular season and World Series MVP with 3,000 career hits, but he is especially revered for his efforts to support Latin American communities in the United States and abroad. Clemente's almost Bolivarian reputation was cemented when he perished in a 1972 plane crash taking medical, food and clothing supplies to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua.
But the effort to honor Clemente has met resistance from a surprising source: Jackie Robinson's daughter Sharon. In January, she said, "To my understanding, the purpose of retiring my father's number is that what he did changed all of baseball, not only for African-Americans but also for Latinos, so I think that purpose has been met. When you start retiring numbers across the board, for all different groups, you're kind of diluting the original purpose."
The place of blacks and Latinos in baseball is a highly sensitive one. Twenty years ago, African-Americans comprised 27 percent of the game's players; today they represent just 8.9 percent. In 2005 the Houston Astros became the first team since the days of Robinson to make the World Series without one African-American player. Latinos, according to 2005 rosters, represent 37 percent of players. Honoring Clemente, the HAA feels, is a way of honoring the role they play in today's game. HAA president Fernando Mateo responded to Sharon Robinson quite sharply, saying, "We as an organization and a community are surprised that Jackie Robinson's daughter would publicly address the retirement of Roberto Clemente's number or say it should not be retired. We believe it is self-serving of her to inject her personal views simply to keep her legendary father's number the only one in retirement."
Olympics are about to start. I said that to Tony today on campus and he shot back, "The Winter Olympics." Yeah, but it's Olympics. And remember, we got one more day to get through and then it's THE WEEKEND! Are you ready for it? If not, go read Rebecca's "dream journal" (stealing from C.I.).
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Less Than Half of Reviewed Gitmo Detainees Accused of Violence
The news comes as a new study based entirely on Pentagon data shows that of 500 Guantanamo detainees whose cases were reviewed, fewer than half of them have been accused of committing violent acts against the United States or its allies. The study, carried out by lawyers for two detainees, found that the government has identified only 8% of the detainees as al Qaeda fighters. Of the rest, the study found that 40% have no connection with al Qaeda at all and 18% are have no affiliation with either al Qaeda or the Taliban. Meanwhile, 60% of the 500 detainees have been detained "merely because they are 'associated with' a group or groups the US government asserts are terrorist organizations."
You ever know a kid who told a big lie and the more obvious it became, the more he would lie to try to get out of it? I think that kid is the Bully Boy. He's built his "strong man" image on lies and one of the lies was that he's locked away (in Guantanamo) all these dangerous types to protect us. Truth doesn't reflect that. So Bully Boy's lies get bigger and he's trotting out the lie about how much he is protecting us (again) to try to make people say, "Oh, then it's okay that you spy on us." It's not okay. He's a liar and some people have the hardest time facing that.
Injured Iraq War Veteran Forced To Pay For Body Armor
In military news, the Charlestown Gazette is reporting a West Virginia soldier injured in a roadside bombing in Iraq has been forced to pay for the body armor that was removed from him while he was being treated. Last week, 1st Lt. William "Eddie" Rebrook IV was forced to pay $700 dollars after he was told the army had no record the armor was taken from him. Rebrook said: "If a soldier's stuff is hit by enemy fire, he shouldn’t have to pay for it… There’s a complete lack of empathy from senior officers who don’t know what it’s like to be a combat soldier on the ground." His mother, Beckie Drumheler, added: "It's outrageous, ridiculous and unconscionable. I wanted to stand on a street corner and yell through a megaphone about this."
Tony told me today, "You gotta put this in, you gotta!" He said it's "proof" that Bully Boy doesn't support the troops. I say, "Tony, come on. Bully Boy supports the troops . . . as targets. That's why he said 'Bring it on!' That's why he didn't provide body armor, that's why he had no plan. He loves targets." That's all we are to Bully Boy, targets. Cannon fodder. Things to be dimissed and sold out. We aren't his "base." The CEO "president" doesn't care for the workers which makes him pretty much like all the other CEOs.
Let's note the one and only Dave Zirin's "The Value of A Number:"
When Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color line in 1947, baseball ceased to be just a game. In the dark years of McCarthyism, as his biographer Arnold Rampersad wrote, "only Jackie Robinson insisted day in and day out on challenging America on questions of race and justice." As Martin Luther King said of Robinson, "He was a sit-inner before sit-ins. A freedom rider before freedom rides." In 1997, on the fiftieth anniversary of Robinson's rookie season, MLB commissioner Bud Selig took the unprecedented step of retiring Robinson's number, 42, from the league.
Now a new push is taking place to honor another legend in a similar way. An appeal has been made by Hispanics Across America (HAA) to retire the number 21 of Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente. A native of Puerto Rico, Clemente was not the game's first Latino but its first breakout star. Clemente was a regular season and World Series MVP with 3,000 career hits, but he is especially revered for his efforts to support Latin American communities in the United States and abroad. Clemente's almost Bolivarian reputation was cemented when he perished in a 1972 plane crash taking medical, food and clothing supplies to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua.
But the effort to honor Clemente has met resistance from a surprising source: Jackie Robinson's daughter Sharon. In January, she said, "To my understanding, the purpose of retiring my father's number is that what he did changed all of baseball, not only for African-Americans but also for Latinos, so I think that purpose has been met. When you start retiring numbers across the board, for all different groups, you're kind of diluting the original purpose."
The place of blacks and Latinos in baseball is a highly sensitive one. Twenty years ago, African-Americans comprised 27 percent of the game's players; today they represent just 8.9 percent. In 2005 the Houston Astros became the first team since the days of Robinson to make the World Series without one African-American player. Latinos, according to 2005 rosters, represent 37 percent of players. Honoring Clemente, the HAA feels, is a way of honoring the role they play in today's game. HAA president Fernando Mateo responded to Sharon Robinson quite sharply, saying, "We as an organization and a community are surprised that Jackie Robinson's daughter would publicly address the retirement of Roberto Clemente's number or say it should not be retired. We believe it is self-serving of her to inject her personal views simply to keep her legendary father's number the only one in retirement."
Olympics are about to start. I said that to Tony today on campus and he shot back, "The Winter Olympics." Yeah, but it's Olympics. And remember, we got one more day to get through and then it's THE WEEKEND! Are you ready for it? If not, go read Rebecca's "dream journal" (stealing from C.I.).
democracy now
sex and politics and screeds and attitude
the daily jot
like maria said paz
mikey likes it
guantanamo
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Coretta Scott King's funeral, Rove runs the GOP and my interview with Wally
Good evening, let's kick things off with Democracy Now!
Over 10,000 Attend Funeral Service for Coretta Scott King
In Georgia Tuesday, an estimated 10,000 people filled the pews of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia, for the funeral of civil rights pioneer Coretta Scott King. Former presidents Jimmy Carter, George Herbert Walker Bush, Bill Clinton, and President George W. Bush attended the funeral along with 14 US senators and public figures including Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey and Stevie Wonder. King died January 30th at the age of 78 after seeking treatment in Mexico for ovarian cancer. She had just recently suffered a rehabilitating stroke and heart attack. At Tuesday’s service both former President Jimmy Carter and the former head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Reverend Joseph Lowery, made subtle criticism of President Bush. They cited the war in Iraq, civil liberties transgressions and accused the president of ignoring the plight of the US poor.
The people care about Coretta Scott King. The mainstream media ain't real concerned. The New York Times sure isn't. Check out this from C.I. on how the paper of no record ignored Coretta Scott King.
Report: Rove Threatens GOP Senate Judiciary Members Over Spy Program
Meanwhile, the conservative publication Insight on the News is reporting White House deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove is threatening any Republican Senate Judiciary members who challenge the White House on the domestic surveillance program. According to Insight, "Sources said the blacklist would mean a halt in any White House political or financial support of senators running for re-election in November.” A senior Republican aide told the publication: "It's hardball all the way."
What? You think Bully Boy knows how to play "hardball"? He knows how to cheer. He's grabbing his pom-poms and hopping around screaming "Beat 'em! Bust 'em! That's our custom!" While Karl plays hardball. Then he leaps in the air, kicks his legs real high and comes down in a split. The cheerleading Bully Boy. You know, I'd buy that doll -- just to laugh at it.
Now get over to Like Maria Said Paz today for Elaine's thought. I'm rushing tonight because I interviewed Wally an hour ago and I'm going to try to get that typed up and get this up at the regular time or close to it so Nina and me can head to the movies.
And speaking of laughs, ladies and gentleman, for the hour, Wally of The Daily Jot.
Wally: For the hour!
For the hour!
Wally: For the hour!
For the hour! How long do you think most readers would keep reading if we kept doing that?
Wally: I'm not sure and not sure we should push it. But what the heck, for the hour!
For the hour! That's our Larry King impression. We love doing that. We'll stop.
Wally: For now.
Okay, so let's kick this thing off. You do The Daily Jot. That's your site. Your blog. You started it back in October.
Wally: And you interviewed me before.
Right. October 20th.
Wally: By starting in October I missed the whole "Let's go to DC!" for the September protests.
Yeah and let me note who was there from the community:
The rallies are back. This time we all focus on D.C. Last time "we" included The Third Estate Sunday Review's Dona, Jess, Ty, Ava and Jim, Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude, Betty who was on the verge of starting Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man and C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review. This time we're joined by Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills), Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix, Mike of Mikey Likes It!, Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz, Ruth of Ruth's Morning Edition Report and her granddaughter Tracey.
Wally: And you all worked on "'Why Are You Here' and 'What's Changed'" which was all these voices from the protest.
And last weekend you went to DC with The Third Estate Sunday Review's Dona, Jess, Ty, Ava and Jim, C.I. of The Common Ills and Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills)?.
Wally: That was so cool. A lot of fun. I understand when you guys went before, you were focused and working like crazy. C.I. said at one point that maybe you got cheated out of some of the fun?
Cause it was my first time visiting? Yeah but we were there having fun. I think the thing was that in September there were tons of activites. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But we did get to have fun and look around.
Wally: You also had good weather on your trip. "Dreary" was D.C. while we were there. But yeah, we went out to eat, went clubbing, lots of fun.
And you needed some fun. That week, you started out really depressed.
Wally: Oh yeah. The spineless Democrats. "I'll vote but I won't filibuster so why are people mad?" Because you were cowards. I was so disgusted.
C.I. told everyone, "Back off and let Wally have some space."
Wally: I read that on your site. Yeah, C.I. said take some time and just do whatever. It was good advice because if I hadn't, I'd probably be doing this interview with you right now to announce the end of The Jot.
It was that bad?
Wally: It really was. I really thought the Democrats would finally pull together, work together and prove that they could stand up for us. Then they rolled over and confirmed Alito. It just blew away all my illusions that they had spines.
It was really disappointing.
Wally: Yep and then comes the news about Coretta Scott King and it was just like, "I can't take anymore bad news."
So what happened? What changed?
Wally: Well, I guess I needed to wallow in despair. This was the first time I really thought we could make the party represent us and then when it was obvious that it wasn't happening, I just felt like, "What's the point?" When I said that to C.I., I was expecting a lecture like, "Well, it's a long fight and we just keep fighting" or something like that. And I honestly think I would've bagged it if that had happened, just quit blogging. But C.I. didn't say that, didn't give a lecture, just said to take time to relax and not worry or feel guilty about it.
And you did that.
Wally: And I did that and then I started having the itch to write something. But I didn't rush back. The Common Ills was all over the New York Times refusing to do an editorial or an op-ed about Coretta Scott King and I wanted to get in on that.
But you didn't.
Wally: Nope because that was one day. I could blog and then go back into my funk. So I took my time off and then Friday morning I called C.I. and said I was ready to fight again and that's when C.I. goes, "Do you want to go to DC? Kat and I are going for the World Can't Wait rally." And, yeah, did I! Absolutely. The only person more excited than me was my mom who thought it was a great thing and also was probably glad I wasn't in my dark mood. So, yeah, I went to DC. And I got to stay for the NSA hearing on Monday which was pretty cool.
And you've got a new direction at your blog that people are loving.
Wally: Yeah. It's "Bully Boy Press." I'm doing that right now. Just making fun of him. I don't know if that's from now on or just for right now. But it's a "jot" and that was one thing C.I. said to me: "You were going to jot and now you're doing all these heavy entries." That started with Florida. When Hurricane Wilma came through and no one seemed to care. So, I'm back to having fun with my site. I might change it up again, you never know. But I get to "Jot."
And you're not a first of the morning site now.
Wally: I never meant to be and kept saying that but it was like no one wanted to hear. Usually, I do it on campus when I've got a break between classes. I just e-mail it to my site and thanks to C.I. because we set that up when C.I. helped me set up my site back in October but it would never work. So while we were in DC we went in to my "dashboard" and "settings" together to figure out what was going on and we fixed it. So I'm usually posting at my site around two or three. Depending on if I bump into some friends or --
Scope out the ladies!
Wally: Scope out the ladies! You know it! Oops! You don't! You've got Nina!
That's right. No scoping for me. I never look. Never.
Wally: Dude, Nina is sooooo going to know you're being sarcastic.
It's cool. She'll notice other guys too.
Wally: Okay then.
So it's just really cool what you've done with your site and I wanted to talk to you about the new change and about how you were because you were pretty down.
Wally: Yep. I was really down. I bounced back. It was a blow, you know. Smart thing to do was to take time off.
You came back stronger.
Wally: Hope so.
Anything before we stop here because we put a time limit on this.
Wally: You hate typing!
I hate typing!
Wally: No. That's about all. Thanks to my old readers and everyone in the community for understanding I needed a break and sending lots of supportive e-mails.
I could say thank you but then you'd say you're welcome and we ain't going out like that. For the hour!
Wally: For the hour!
For the hour!
Wally: For the hour!
democracy now
the common ills
nsa
fisa
government snooping
government spying
snoopgate
cedrics big mix
thomas friedman is a great man
sex and politics and screeds and attitude
kats korner
the daily jot
the third estate sunday review
like maria said paz
ruths morning edition report
mikey likes it
Over 10,000 Attend Funeral Service for Coretta Scott King
In Georgia Tuesday, an estimated 10,000 people filled the pews of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia, for the funeral of civil rights pioneer Coretta Scott King. Former presidents Jimmy Carter, George Herbert Walker Bush, Bill Clinton, and President George W. Bush attended the funeral along with 14 US senators and public figures including Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey and Stevie Wonder. King died January 30th at the age of 78 after seeking treatment in Mexico for ovarian cancer. She had just recently suffered a rehabilitating stroke and heart attack. At Tuesday’s service both former President Jimmy Carter and the former head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Reverend Joseph Lowery, made subtle criticism of President Bush. They cited the war in Iraq, civil liberties transgressions and accused the president of ignoring the plight of the US poor.
The people care about Coretta Scott King. The mainstream media ain't real concerned. The New York Times sure isn't. Check out this from C.I. on how the paper of no record ignored Coretta Scott King.
Report: Rove Threatens GOP Senate Judiciary Members Over Spy Program
Meanwhile, the conservative publication Insight on the News is reporting White House deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove is threatening any Republican Senate Judiciary members who challenge the White House on the domestic surveillance program. According to Insight, "Sources said the blacklist would mean a halt in any White House political or financial support of senators running for re-election in November.” A senior Republican aide told the publication: "It's hardball all the way."
What? You think Bully Boy knows how to play "hardball"? He knows how to cheer. He's grabbing his pom-poms and hopping around screaming "Beat 'em! Bust 'em! That's our custom!" While Karl plays hardball. Then he leaps in the air, kicks his legs real high and comes down in a split. The cheerleading Bully Boy. You know, I'd buy that doll -- just to laugh at it.
Now get over to Like Maria Said Paz today for Elaine's thought. I'm rushing tonight because I interviewed Wally an hour ago and I'm going to try to get that typed up and get this up at the regular time or close to it so Nina and me can head to the movies.
And speaking of laughs, ladies and gentleman, for the hour, Wally of The Daily Jot.
Wally: For the hour!
For the hour!
Wally: For the hour!
For the hour! How long do you think most readers would keep reading if we kept doing that?
Wally: I'm not sure and not sure we should push it. But what the heck, for the hour!
For the hour! That's our Larry King impression. We love doing that. We'll stop.
Wally: For now.
Okay, so let's kick this thing off. You do The Daily Jot. That's your site. Your blog. You started it back in October.
Wally: And you interviewed me before.
Right. October 20th.
Wally: By starting in October I missed the whole "Let's go to DC!" for the September protests.
Yeah and let me note who was there from the community:
The rallies are back. This time we all focus on D.C. Last time "we" included The Third Estate Sunday Review's Dona, Jess, Ty, Ava and Jim, Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude, Betty who was on the verge of starting Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man and C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review. This time we're joined by Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills), Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix, Mike of Mikey Likes It!, Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz, Ruth of Ruth's Morning Edition Report and her granddaughter Tracey.
Wally: And you all worked on "'Why Are You Here' and 'What's Changed'" which was all these voices from the protest.
And last weekend you went to DC with The Third Estate Sunday Review's Dona, Jess, Ty, Ava and Jim, C.I. of The Common Ills and Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills)?.
Wally: That was so cool. A lot of fun. I understand when you guys went before, you were focused and working like crazy. C.I. said at one point that maybe you got cheated out of some of the fun?
Cause it was my first time visiting? Yeah but we were there having fun. I think the thing was that in September there were tons of activites. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But we did get to have fun and look around.
Wally: You also had good weather on your trip. "Dreary" was D.C. while we were there. But yeah, we went out to eat, went clubbing, lots of fun.
And you needed some fun. That week, you started out really depressed.
Wally: Oh yeah. The spineless Democrats. "I'll vote but I won't filibuster so why are people mad?" Because you were cowards. I was so disgusted.
C.I. told everyone, "Back off and let Wally have some space."
Wally: I read that on your site. Yeah, C.I. said take some time and just do whatever. It was good advice because if I hadn't, I'd probably be doing this interview with you right now to announce the end of The Jot.
It was that bad?
Wally: It really was. I really thought the Democrats would finally pull together, work together and prove that they could stand up for us. Then they rolled over and confirmed Alito. It just blew away all my illusions that they had spines.
It was really disappointing.
Wally: Yep and then comes the news about Coretta Scott King and it was just like, "I can't take anymore bad news."
So what happened? What changed?
Wally: Well, I guess I needed to wallow in despair. This was the first time I really thought we could make the party represent us and then when it was obvious that it wasn't happening, I just felt like, "What's the point?" When I said that to C.I., I was expecting a lecture like, "Well, it's a long fight and we just keep fighting" or something like that. And I honestly think I would've bagged it if that had happened, just quit blogging. But C.I. didn't say that, didn't give a lecture, just said to take time to relax and not worry or feel guilty about it.
And you did that.
Wally: And I did that and then I started having the itch to write something. But I didn't rush back. The Common Ills was all over the New York Times refusing to do an editorial or an op-ed about Coretta Scott King and I wanted to get in on that.
But you didn't.
Wally: Nope because that was one day. I could blog and then go back into my funk. So I took my time off and then Friday morning I called C.I. and said I was ready to fight again and that's when C.I. goes, "Do you want to go to DC? Kat and I are going for the World Can't Wait rally." And, yeah, did I! Absolutely. The only person more excited than me was my mom who thought it was a great thing and also was probably glad I wasn't in my dark mood. So, yeah, I went to DC. And I got to stay for the NSA hearing on Monday which was pretty cool.
And you've got a new direction at your blog that people are loving.
Wally: Yeah. It's "Bully Boy Press." I'm doing that right now. Just making fun of him. I don't know if that's from now on or just for right now. But it's a "jot" and that was one thing C.I. said to me: "You were going to jot and now you're doing all these heavy entries." That started with Florida. When Hurricane Wilma came through and no one seemed to care. So, I'm back to having fun with my site. I might change it up again, you never know. But I get to "Jot."
And you're not a first of the morning site now.
Wally: I never meant to be and kept saying that but it was like no one wanted to hear. Usually, I do it on campus when I've got a break between classes. I just e-mail it to my site and thanks to C.I. because we set that up when C.I. helped me set up my site back in October but it would never work. So while we were in DC we went in to my "dashboard" and "settings" together to figure out what was going on and we fixed it. So I'm usually posting at my site around two or three. Depending on if I bump into some friends or --
Scope out the ladies!
Wally: Scope out the ladies! You know it! Oops! You don't! You've got Nina!
That's right. No scoping for me. I never look. Never.
Wally: Dude, Nina is sooooo going to know you're being sarcastic.
It's cool. She'll notice other guys too.
Wally: Okay then.
So it's just really cool what you've done with your site and I wanted to talk to you about the new change and about how you were because you were pretty down.
Wally: Yep. I was really down. I bounced back. It was a blow, you know. Smart thing to do was to take time off.
You came back stronger.
Wally: Hope so.
Anything before we stop here because we put a time limit on this.
Wally: You hate typing!
I hate typing!
Wally: No. That's about all. Thanks to my old readers and everyone in the community for understanding I needed a break and sending lots of supportive e-mails.
I could say thank you but then you'd say you're welcome and we ain't going out like that. For the hour!
Wally: For the hour!
For the hour!
Wally: For the hour!
democracy now
the common ills
nsa
fisa
government snooping
government spying
snoopgate
cedrics big mix
thomas friedman is a great man
sex and politics and screeds and attitude
kats korner
the daily jot
the third estate sunday review
like maria said paz
ruths morning edition report
mikey likes it
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Bully Boy says no the people, Jimmy Carter says NSA illegal, and new plans for the convicted
Good evening let's kick things off with Democracy Now!
Bush Proposes Big Increase in Defense Spending, Cuts in Social Programs
In his proposed nearly $2.8 trillion budget President Bush is calling for major increases in defense spending but deep cuts in Medicare and other domestic social programs. Under the proposed budget, defense spending will increase nearly 7 percent to $440 billion. If approved the Pentagon’s budget will become 45 percent larger than when Bush took office five years ago. The military spending is actually far higher because the proposed budget does not include the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One recent estimate put the cost of the Iraq war at $100,000 every minute. At the same time, the president is proposing to make his tax cuts permanent. This would cost about $1.5 trillion over the next decade. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld discussed the budget on Monday: "The President's budget request for the Department of Defense represents an increase over last year. It reflects what we believe should be the country's national security priorities. Namely to help defend the United States of America and the American people and their interests, to give flexibility to commanders, to prepare for both conventional and unconventional or irregular warfare, and, importantly, to work closely with partner nations to help them develop the capabilities needed to defeat terrorists within their borders and to co-operate with us and other countries with respect to this global threat."
So with no jobs, no safety net, guess Bully Boy will have the troops for his never ending wars. As all the jobs drift overseas, we'll all be in the military marching under Bully Boy, then Jeb, then Jenna because the way things are going, the next thing Bully Boy's going to do is outlaw elections. They got the blood lust and they need troops to see it through.
Let me jump to Wally's "THIS JUST IN! CHENEY'S HIJINKS:"
BULLY BOY PRESS - DC.
THIS JUST IN.
MAINSTREAM PRESS COMPLETELY LOST ON WHAT TO WRITE OR SAY RE: DOMESTIC SPYING ON AMERICANS WITHOUT WARRANTS.
"WE ARE WINNING!" DECLARES VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY.
"NEXT YEAR, WE WILL DECLARE THE ENTIRE MAINLAND A BATTLE ZONE AND SITE AS PROOF THE GONZALES TESTIMONY IN THE SENATE YESTERDAY AND THE FACT THAT NO 1 OBJECTED IN THE SENATE TO OUR DEFINING THE PARIMETERS OF THE BATTLE FIELD. WE HAVE WON! WE HAVE WON!"
LIKE A GLEEFUL, YOUNG SCHOOL BOY, CHENEY WANTED A REWARD AND SO DECIDED TO ORDER ANOTHER AIR STRIKE ON NORTHERN IRAQ.
AUTHORIZING THE DROPPING OF TWO 500LB 'DEVICES' CHENEY BEGAN TO GIGGLE AND HOP FROM FOOT TO FOOT EXCLAIMING "WOO-HOO! IT SUCKS TO BE YOU!"
iraq
bully boy
and the war drags on
Jimmy Carter: Warantless Spying is "Disgraceful and Illegal"
A new critic of the domestic spying program has emerged -- former President Jimmy Carter. He described the Bush administration’s decision to go ahead with the warrantless spying as "disgraceful and illegal." Carter said, "No one knows how many innocent Americans have had their privacy violated under this secret act." Carter made the statement in Nevada at an event where his son, Jack, announced he is running for U.S. Senate.
Good for Jimmy Carter but let's ask the obvious, where is Bill Clinton? He can't say a word about the war, he can't say a word about the spying. When the country needs him, where is he? I'm sick of him. He's useless, his wife is useless. Bravery is speaking out and standing up. If he won't, he's either a coward, a sell out or he has something of his own to hide. Both Clinton's should stop boring America already.
I hope Jack Carter wins. My dad was talking about the whole arms for hostages deals and how the deal helped defeat Jimmy Carter's attempt for a second run. He said he thinks Jack and Amy Carter (that's Jimmy and Rosalyn's daughter) are both aware of how the Republicans work. I think he could make a difference. I think Amy could too. (Dad was saying she protested against the CIA in the 80s.) So maybe Amy Carter will run someday too.
But Jimmy Carter and Al Gore can speak out. They're not jerking off while democracy is at stake.
And C.I. wasn't in the mood for jerks jerking off this morning. Check out this entry:
What was the big moment at the hearings? It came fairly quick. But the Times can't tell you in any of the above articles. The moment was when Arlen Specter announced that Alberto Gonzales wouldn't be sworn in before testifying.
Reporters and "reporters" can't tell you that because they're too busy "seeing" and because they're operating under the Times guidelines which loves to act like reality didn't happen. The penalities for lying to Congress were briefly and superficially addressed by Specter (also not in the above articles). Of course we had lying to Congress by certain business heads not all that long ago (who weren't sworn in) and there was no effort to punish them. It's a different standard when they're not under oath. Specter damn well knows it, the Times should, but no one wants to talk about it. And New York Timid, always the handmaiden and never the power player (all scoops are supposed to come with built-in protection -- when the NSA spying support cratered, the Times lost interest in the story they broke -- they finally broke).
So instead of readers being told very basics things that happened in the hearings yesterday, the Times looks the other way (as it's done so well for so long). Who knows how NPR and their corporate sponsors will cover it, but if you were there or you listened or watched, you know what happened before the hearings could even start.
The Times isn't about to tell you. It's why they've reportedly scrubbed a story (removed it from the website) that was posted yesterday afternoon and available well into the evening. The story's nowhere to be found now but friends at the Times say it did address Specter's refusal to swear Gonzales in.
Now why go to all that trouble? Why remove a story from the website by a Times reporter? It's one thing not to print it, it's quite another to pull it from the website.
Doesn't the Times ever get sick of smelling its own ass? I know I get sick of smelling the paper's ass.
By the way, if there's time this week (ha ha ha), Wally told me he was cool with another interview. He's got a real sense of life going on at The Daily Jot these days, just all this new energy. And if we can find some time, we're going to talk about that. But that's how it will be with interviews from now on. I'm not asking anymore. That's not a dig at C.I. (I always knew that interview was "iffy"). But readers know I tried and tried on one and I just don't see the point in ever doing that again. If someone starts a site, I'm happy to do an interview with them. I'm just not going to make the offer and never get a reply. And make it again . . .
I started thinking, "Well, gee, is it me or my readers you don't want to talk to?" Because usually I'll toss in some questions that you guys come up with. I don't know. I know I'm probably not ever plugging that site again after all the crap I got for saying a movie review was going up there that never did (I was just going by what he wrote). But I never got so many e-mails from readers griping. So I'm just not interviewing him, to talking about him or to highlighting him. Good luck to him, hope he has lots of readers but I tried to do my part and I'm tired of trying. Wally and me have college and work too. We don't blow people off.
Betty's got a busy schedule and she made time for it when I asked her. I think people help each other out and, if they can't, they say, "Hey, no time, sorry." But if I'm going to be blown off, fine by me.
Don't forget to go to Like Maria Said Paz to check out Elaine's thoughts.
So where's Bully Boy going to get all the people for his wars between now and completely driving the economy into the ditch? How about from the convicted? From Salon by way of CoutnerRecruiter:
Facing an enlistment crisis, the Army is granting "waivers" to an increasingly high percentage of recruits with criminal records -- and trying to hide it...
Through the use of a little-known, but increasingly important, escape clause known as a waiver. Waivers, which are generally approved at the Pentagon, allow recruiters to sign up men and women who otherwise would be ineligible for service because of legal convictions, medical problems or other reasons preventing them from meeting minimum standards...
According to statistics provided to Salon by the office of the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, the Army said that 17 percent (21,880 new soldiers) of its 2005 recruits were admitted under waivers. Put another way, more soldiers than are in an entire infantry division entered the Army in 2005 without meeting normal standards. This use of waivers represents a 42 percent increase since the pre-Iraq year of 2000...
democracy now
the common ills
nsa
fisa
government snooping
government spying
snoopgate
the daily jot
like maria said paz
mikey likes it
thomas friedman is a great man
Bush Proposes Big Increase in Defense Spending, Cuts in Social Programs
In his proposed nearly $2.8 trillion budget President Bush is calling for major increases in defense spending but deep cuts in Medicare and other domestic social programs. Under the proposed budget, defense spending will increase nearly 7 percent to $440 billion. If approved the Pentagon’s budget will become 45 percent larger than when Bush took office five years ago. The military spending is actually far higher because the proposed budget does not include the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One recent estimate put the cost of the Iraq war at $100,000 every minute. At the same time, the president is proposing to make his tax cuts permanent. This would cost about $1.5 trillion over the next decade. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld discussed the budget on Monday: "The President's budget request for the Department of Defense represents an increase over last year. It reflects what we believe should be the country's national security priorities. Namely to help defend the United States of America and the American people and their interests, to give flexibility to commanders, to prepare for both conventional and unconventional or irregular warfare, and, importantly, to work closely with partner nations to help them develop the capabilities needed to defeat terrorists within their borders and to co-operate with us and other countries with respect to this global threat."
So with no jobs, no safety net, guess Bully Boy will have the troops for his never ending wars. As all the jobs drift overseas, we'll all be in the military marching under Bully Boy, then Jeb, then Jenna because the way things are going, the next thing Bully Boy's going to do is outlaw elections. They got the blood lust and they need troops to see it through.
Let me jump to Wally's "THIS JUST IN! CHENEY'S HIJINKS:"
BULLY BOY PRESS - DC.
THIS JUST IN.
MAINSTREAM PRESS COMPLETELY LOST ON WHAT TO WRITE OR SAY RE: DOMESTIC SPYING ON AMERICANS WITHOUT WARRANTS.
"WE ARE WINNING!" DECLARES VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY.
"NEXT YEAR, WE WILL DECLARE THE ENTIRE MAINLAND A BATTLE ZONE AND SITE AS PROOF THE GONZALES TESTIMONY IN THE SENATE YESTERDAY AND THE FACT THAT NO 1 OBJECTED IN THE SENATE TO OUR DEFINING THE PARIMETERS OF THE BATTLE FIELD. WE HAVE WON! WE HAVE WON!"
LIKE A GLEEFUL, YOUNG SCHOOL BOY, CHENEY WANTED A REWARD AND SO DECIDED TO ORDER ANOTHER AIR STRIKE ON NORTHERN IRAQ.
AUTHORIZING THE DROPPING OF TWO 500LB 'DEVICES' CHENEY BEGAN TO GIGGLE AND HOP FROM FOOT TO FOOT EXCLAIMING "WOO-HOO! IT SUCKS TO BE YOU!"
iraq
bully boy
and the war drags on
Jimmy Carter: Warantless Spying is "Disgraceful and Illegal"
A new critic of the domestic spying program has emerged -- former President Jimmy Carter. He described the Bush administration’s decision to go ahead with the warrantless spying as "disgraceful and illegal." Carter said, "No one knows how many innocent Americans have had their privacy violated under this secret act." Carter made the statement in Nevada at an event where his son, Jack, announced he is running for U.S. Senate.
Good for Jimmy Carter but let's ask the obvious, where is Bill Clinton? He can't say a word about the war, he can't say a word about the spying. When the country needs him, where is he? I'm sick of him. He's useless, his wife is useless. Bravery is speaking out and standing up. If he won't, he's either a coward, a sell out or he has something of his own to hide. Both Clinton's should stop boring America already.
I hope Jack Carter wins. My dad was talking about the whole arms for hostages deals and how the deal helped defeat Jimmy Carter's attempt for a second run. He said he thinks Jack and Amy Carter (that's Jimmy and Rosalyn's daughter) are both aware of how the Republicans work. I think he could make a difference. I think Amy could too. (Dad was saying she protested against the CIA in the 80s.) So maybe Amy Carter will run someday too.
But Jimmy Carter and Al Gore can speak out. They're not jerking off while democracy is at stake.
And C.I. wasn't in the mood for jerks jerking off this morning. Check out this entry:
What was the big moment at the hearings? It came fairly quick. But the Times can't tell you in any of the above articles. The moment was when Arlen Specter announced that Alberto Gonzales wouldn't be sworn in before testifying.
Reporters and "reporters" can't tell you that because they're too busy "seeing" and because they're operating under the Times guidelines which loves to act like reality didn't happen. The penalities for lying to Congress were briefly and superficially addressed by Specter (also not in the above articles). Of course we had lying to Congress by certain business heads not all that long ago (who weren't sworn in) and there was no effort to punish them. It's a different standard when they're not under oath. Specter damn well knows it, the Times should, but no one wants to talk about it. And New York Timid, always the handmaiden and never the power player (all scoops are supposed to come with built-in protection -- when the NSA spying support cratered, the Times lost interest in the story they broke -- they finally broke).
So instead of readers being told very basics things that happened in the hearings yesterday, the Times looks the other way (as it's done so well for so long). Who knows how NPR and their corporate sponsors will cover it, but if you were there or you listened or watched, you know what happened before the hearings could even start.
The Times isn't about to tell you. It's why they've reportedly scrubbed a story (removed it from the website) that was posted yesterday afternoon and available well into the evening. The story's nowhere to be found now but friends at the Times say it did address Specter's refusal to swear Gonzales in.
Now why go to all that trouble? Why remove a story from the website by a Times reporter? It's one thing not to print it, it's quite another to pull it from the website.
Doesn't the Times ever get sick of smelling its own ass? I know I get sick of smelling the paper's ass.
By the way, if there's time this week (ha ha ha), Wally told me he was cool with another interview. He's got a real sense of life going on at The Daily Jot these days, just all this new energy. And if we can find some time, we're going to talk about that. But that's how it will be with interviews from now on. I'm not asking anymore. That's not a dig at C.I. (I always knew that interview was "iffy"). But readers know I tried and tried on one and I just don't see the point in ever doing that again. If someone starts a site, I'm happy to do an interview with them. I'm just not going to make the offer and never get a reply. And make it again . . .
I started thinking, "Well, gee, is it me or my readers you don't want to talk to?" Because usually I'll toss in some questions that you guys come up with. I don't know. I know I'm probably not ever plugging that site again after all the crap I got for saying a movie review was going up there that never did (I was just going by what he wrote). But I never got so many e-mails from readers griping. So I'm just not interviewing him, to talking about him or to highlighting him. Good luck to him, hope he has lots of readers but I tried to do my part and I'm tired of trying. Wally and me have college and work too. We don't blow people off.
Betty's got a busy schedule and she made time for it when I asked her. I think people help each other out and, if they can't, they say, "Hey, no time, sorry." But if I'm going to be blown off, fine by me.
Don't forget to go to Like Maria Said Paz to check out Elaine's thoughts.
So where's Bully Boy going to get all the people for his wars between now and completely driving the economy into the ditch? How about from the convicted? From Salon by way of CoutnerRecruiter:
Facing an enlistment crisis, the Army is granting "waivers" to an increasingly high percentage of recruits with criminal records -- and trying to hide it...
Through the use of a little-known, but increasingly important, escape clause known as a waiver. Waivers, which are generally approved at the Pentagon, allow recruiters to sign up men and women who otherwise would be ineligible for service because of legal convictions, medical problems or other reasons preventing them from meeting minimum standards...
According to statistics provided to Salon by the office of the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, the Army said that 17 percent (21,880 new soldiers) of its 2005 recruits were admitted under waivers. Put another way, more soldiers than are in an entire infantry division entered the Army in 2005 without meeting normal standards. This use of waivers represents a 42 percent increase since the pre-Iraq year of 2000...
democracy now
the common ills
nsa
fisa
government snooping
government spying
snoopgate
the daily jot
like maria said paz
mikey likes it
thomas friedman is a great man
Monday, February 06, 2006
Gonzales snows Senate while New York Times continues to play "Coretta who?"
Good evening. Let's kick things off with Democracy Now!
AG Gonzales to Testify Before Senate Over Domestic Spying
On Capitol Hill, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is testifying today before the Senate over the Bush administration's domestic spying program. While Gonzales is expected to claim the Bush administration can legally carry out the warrantless spying, Senate Judiciary Committee Arlen Specter has admitted the administration's legal reasoning does not hold up. He appeared on Tim Russert's program Meet the Press on Sunday. Meanwhile a new article in the Washington Post raises questions over the effectiveness of the domestic spy program.. Intelligence officers who took part in the eavesdropping on thousands of Americans say they dismissed nearly all of them as potential suspects after hearing nothing pertinent to a terrorist threat. According to the Post, fewer than 10 U.S. citizens or residents a year have aroused enough suspicion during warrantless eavesdropping to justify interception of their domestic calls.
Wally had the funniest joke about Alberto Gonzales, saying he'd won a lookalike contest. The hearings. Russ Feinstein and Patrick Leahy showed life. Otherwise? Were they just going through the motions? Do they not get how important it is to fight for checks and balances? I'm pretty much disappointed. They don't just need a summit for strategy, they need to learn how to speak. And how to question.
Or maybe they just don't care? I'm disgusted with just about all of them. Gonzales either says he doesn't know or he twists the words (like the Court case of Hamdi) and when there is accountability, it's delivered in a weak manner or not at all. Gonzales says the White House is willing to listen to Congressional "suggestions" on legislation and everyone's too scared to say, "We don't suggest, we make the laws." Bunch of cowards.
Here's C.I. on Dianne Feinstein:
DiFi, why do you ask questions? Or why do you ask your meandering questions?
Do you want answers?
If so, why say the following when Albie refuses to answer your questions:
Fair enough, let's move along.
Okay, that's fine.
I just want to ask some others [questions], you don't have to answer if you don't want to.
If that's it, if that's the best you can do, quit wasting everyone's time.
She was useless in the Alito hearings and she's useless so far today.
Why doesn't she get called on this nonsense?
I'll call her, Feinstein you came to life slightly for about 10 seconds in your second round of questioning. Then you went back to DiFi mode, completely useless. Get it together or get off the committee and take Herbert Kohl with you. I wish Leahy had told Kohl to speak into the mike the way he told Gonzales (twice) that he couldn't hear him.
40,000 Pay Tribute to Coretta Scott King
In Georgia, over 40,000 mourners paid their respects to civil rights pioneer Coretta Scott King by filing past her open casket in the state Capitol's rotunda. She became the first woman and the first African-American person to lie in honor there. She died last Monday at the age of 78. Today's Coretta Scott King's body will lie in honor at the original Ebenezer Baptist Church where her late husband, Martin Luther King, once preached.
First, Betty's post is up at her site and it's called "The Pig Is Racism, The Pig Is The New York Times." Go read it if you haven't already. Cedric's been covering it at his site with "About the New York Times's racist silence on Coretta Scott King" and C.I.'s been all over it daily at The Common Ills, plus there's The Third Estate Sunday Review's "Editorial: Does The New York Times editorial board not know that Coretta Scott King died or do they just not care?" which we all worked on.
So here's the thing, why won't the New York Times devote an editorial or an op-ed to Coretta Scott King? What's going on? They don't think she's important? What's up with that? The editorial page editor's friend gets an editorial and massive coverage. With Coretta Scott King, the paper's basically going "Ho-hum, nothing big."
It stinks. They need to be called on it.
Now go to Elaine's blog to get her thoughts Like Maria Said Paz on that and much more.
Wally, you bastard! :D The Daily Jot is back and you got to get there. Click, people, for the love of God, click here! Now! :D Wally and C.I. are both reporting from D.C. and I hope I'm not blowing anything there. The plan was to keep that on the down low and play it like they were leaving and had left DC but I guess it's obvious now. So Wally's done two posts and I'm going to highlight his thing called "THIS JUST IN! 'GET MRS. GONZALES HERE PRONTO!'" because it's on the hearings:
BULLY BOY PRESS -- DC.
THIS JUST IN.
OFFERING THE 'RULES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING RULES!' DEFENSE
ALBERTO GONZALES.
ALBERTO GONZALES, WHO RECENTLY WAS AWARDED 1ST PRIZE IN A BILLIE JEAN KING LOOKALIKE CONTEST, ATTEMPTS TO WARD OFF QUESTIONS WITH THE FOLLOWING:
"I DON'T RECALL."
"I HAVE NO PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE."
THE STRATEGY IS TO PLAY DUMB AND VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY IS CONVINCED GONZALES IS PERFECT FOR THE JOB.
PROBLEMS SURFACING.
IN REPLY TO GONZALES EVASIONS, SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY SAID, "OF COURSE, I'M SORRY MISTER ATTORNEY GENERAL, I FORGOT, YOU CAN'T ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THIS INQUIRY."
SENATOR ORRIN HATCH WAS HEARD TO HISS TO BOY TOY SENATOR JOHN CORNYN, "GET MRS. GONZALES HERE PRONTO!"
SENATOR JOHN CORNYN RESPONDED, "PRONTO? ORRIN, YOU KNOW I DON'T SPEAK SPANISH!"
Wally, you the man! :D For the hour! And if I didn't note this Friday, let me steer you to it now, C.I.'s "On the Dangers of an Unchecked Bully Boy" which is the best thing from last week, you gotta check it out.
democracy now
the common ills
coretta scott king
thomas friedman is a great man
the daily jot
the third estate sunday review
like maria said paz
alberto gonzales
dianne feinstein
mikey likes it
AG Gonzales to Testify Before Senate Over Domestic Spying
On Capitol Hill, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is testifying today before the Senate over the Bush administration's domestic spying program. While Gonzales is expected to claim the Bush administration can legally carry out the warrantless spying, Senate Judiciary Committee Arlen Specter has admitted the administration's legal reasoning does not hold up. He appeared on Tim Russert's program Meet the Press on Sunday. Meanwhile a new article in the Washington Post raises questions over the effectiveness of the domestic spy program.. Intelligence officers who took part in the eavesdropping on thousands of Americans say they dismissed nearly all of them as potential suspects after hearing nothing pertinent to a terrorist threat. According to the Post, fewer than 10 U.S. citizens or residents a year have aroused enough suspicion during warrantless eavesdropping to justify interception of their domestic calls.
Wally had the funniest joke about Alberto Gonzales, saying he'd won a lookalike contest. The hearings. Russ Feinstein and Patrick Leahy showed life. Otherwise? Were they just going through the motions? Do they not get how important it is to fight for checks and balances? I'm pretty much disappointed. They don't just need a summit for strategy, they need to learn how to speak. And how to question.
Or maybe they just don't care? I'm disgusted with just about all of them. Gonzales either says he doesn't know or he twists the words (like the Court case of Hamdi) and when there is accountability, it's delivered in a weak manner or not at all. Gonzales says the White House is willing to listen to Congressional "suggestions" on legislation and everyone's too scared to say, "We don't suggest, we make the laws." Bunch of cowards.
Here's C.I. on Dianne Feinstein:
DiFi, why do you ask questions? Or why do you ask your meandering questions?
Do you want answers?
If so, why say the following when Albie refuses to answer your questions:
Fair enough, let's move along.
Okay, that's fine.
I just want to ask some others [questions], you don't have to answer if you don't want to.
If that's it, if that's the best you can do, quit wasting everyone's time.
She was useless in the Alito hearings and she's useless so far today.
Why doesn't she get called on this nonsense?
I'll call her, Feinstein you came to life slightly for about 10 seconds in your second round of questioning. Then you went back to DiFi mode, completely useless. Get it together or get off the committee and take Herbert Kohl with you. I wish Leahy had told Kohl to speak into the mike the way he told Gonzales (twice) that he couldn't hear him.
40,000 Pay Tribute to Coretta Scott King
In Georgia, over 40,000 mourners paid their respects to civil rights pioneer Coretta Scott King by filing past her open casket in the state Capitol's rotunda. She became the first woman and the first African-American person to lie in honor there. She died last Monday at the age of 78. Today's Coretta Scott King's body will lie in honor at the original Ebenezer Baptist Church where her late husband, Martin Luther King, once preached.
First, Betty's post is up at her site and it's called "The Pig Is Racism, The Pig Is The New York Times." Go read it if you haven't already. Cedric's been covering it at his site with "About the New York Times's racist silence on Coretta Scott King" and C.I.'s been all over it daily at The Common Ills, plus there's The Third Estate Sunday Review's "Editorial: Does The New York Times editorial board not know that Coretta Scott King died or do they just not care?" which we all worked on.
So here's the thing, why won't the New York Times devote an editorial or an op-ed to Coretta Scott King? What's going on? They don't think she's important? What's up with that? The editorial page editor's friend gets an editorial and massive coverage. With Coretta Scott King, the paper's basically going "Ho-hum, nothing big."
It stinks. They need to be called on it.
Now go to Elaine's blog to get her thoughts Like Maria Said Paz on that and much more.
Wally, you bastard! :D The Daily Jot is back and you got to get there. Click, people, for the love of God, click here! Now! :D Wally and C.I. are both reporting from D.C. and I hope I'm not blowing anything there. The plan was to keep that on the down low and play it like they were leaving and had left DC but I guess it's obvious now. So Wally's done two posts and I'm going to highlight his thing called "THIS JUST IN! 'GET MRS. GONZALES HERE PRONTO!'" because it's on the hearings:
BULLY BOY PRESS -- DC.
THIS JUST IN.
OFFERING THE 'RULES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING RULES!' DEFENSE
ALBERTO GONZALES.
ALBERTO GONZALES, WHO RECENTLY WAS AWARDED 1ST PRIZE IN A BILLIE JEAN KING LOOKALIKE CONTEST, ATTEMPTS TO WARD OFF QUESTIONS WITH THE FOLLOWING:
"I DON'T RECALL."
"I HAVE NO PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE."
THE STRATEGY IS TO PLAY DUMB AND VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY IS CONVINCED GONZALES IS PERFECT FOR THE JOB.
PROBLEMS SURFACING.
IN REPLY TO GONZALES EVASIONS, SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY SAID, "OF COURSE, I'M SORRY MISTER ATTORNEY GENERAL, I FORGOT, YOU CAN'T ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THIS INQUIRY."
SENATOR ORRIN HATCH WAS HEARD TO HISS TO BOY TOY SENATOR JOHN CORNYN, "GET MRS. GONZALES HERE PRONTO!"
SENATOR JOHN CORNYN RESPONDED, "PRONTO? ORRIN, YOU KNOW I DON'T SPEAK SPANISH!"
Wally, you the man! :D For the hour! And if I didn't note this Friday, let me steer you to it now, C.I.'s "On the Dangers of an Unchecked Bully Boy" which is the best thing from last week, you gotta check it out.
democracy now
the common ills
coretta scott king
thomas friedman is a great man
the daily jot
the third estate sunday review
like maria said paz
alberto gonzales
dianne feinstein
mikey likes it
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