Collective Sigh

Resting in peace




John O'Neill

In August 2001, FBI Deputy Director John O'Neill resigned from his post over George W. Bush's policy on terrorism and Osama bin Laden. Specifically, O'Neill's department was told to "back off" their bin Laden and Al Queda investigations while the Bush administration negotiated with the Taliban. O'Neill became the security chief of the World Trade Center - where he died during the events of 9/11.

From The Counter-Terrorist (The New Yorker, Lawrence Wright, January 14, 2002)

The legend of John P. O'Neill, who lost his life at the World Trade Center on September 11th, begins with a story by Richard A. Clarke, the national coördinator for counter-terrorism in the White House from the first Bush Administration until last year. On a Sunday morning in February, 1995, Clarke went to his office to review intelligence cables that had come in over the weekend. One of the cables reported that Ramzi Yousef, the suspected mastermind behind the first World Trade Center bombing, two years earlier, had been spotted in Pakistan. Clarke immediately called the F.B.I. A man whose voice was unfamiliar to him answered the phone. "O'Neill," he growled.

"Who are you?" Clarke said.

"I'm John O'Neill," the man replied. "Who the hell are you?"

From this inauspicious beginning sprang the friendship of two comrades-in-arms against al Queda. From that day until his death at the World Trade Center, John O'Neill pursued al Queda relentlessly, working in close accord with Richard Clarke.

In Washington, O'Neill became part of a close-knit group of counter-terrorism experts which formed around Richard Clarke. In the web of federal agencies concerned with terrorism, Clarke was the spider. Everything that touched the web eventually came to his attention. The members of this inner circle, which was known as the Counter-terrorism Security Group (C.S.G.), were drawn mainly from the C.I.A., the National Security Council, and the upper tiers of the Defense Department, the Justice Department, and the State Department. They met every week in the White House Situation Room.

[...]

Clarke immediately spotted in O'Neill an obsessiveness about the dangers of terrorism which mirrored his own. "John had the same problems with the bureaucracy that I had," Clarke told me. "Prior to September 11th, a lot of people who were working full time on terrorism thought it was no more than a nuisance. They didn't understand that Al Qaeda was enormously powerful and insidious and that it was not going to stop until it really hurt us. John and some other senior officials knew that. The impatience really grew in us as we dealt with the dolts who didn't understand."

[...]

O'Neill never presumed that killing bin Laden alone would be sufficient. In speeches, he identified five tools to combat terrorism: diplomacy, military action, covert operations, economic sanctions, and law enforcement. So far, the tool that had worked most effectively against Al Qaeda was the last one—the slow, difficult work of gathering evidence, getting indictments, hunting down the perpetrators, and gaining convictions.

[...]

After the millennium roundup, O'Neill suspected that Al Qaeda had sleeper cells buried in America. "He started pulling the strings in Jordan and in Canada, and in the end they all led back to the United States," Clarke said. "There was a general disbelief in the F.B.I. that Al Qaeda had much of a presence here. It just hadn't sunk through to the organization, beyond O'Neill and Dale Watson"—the assistant director of the counter-terrorism division. Clarke's discussions with O'Neill and Watson over the next few months led to a strategic plan called the Millennium After-Action Review, which specified a number of policy changes designed to root out Al Qaeda cells in the United States. They included increasing the number of Joint Terrorism Task Forces around the country; assigning more agents from the Internal Revenue Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service to monitor the flow of money and personnel; and creating a streamlined process for analyzing information obtained from wiretaps.

[...]

In March, 2001, Richard Clarke asked the national-security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, for a job change; he wanted to concentrate on computer security. "I was told, 'You've got to recommend somebody similar to be your replacement,' " Clarke recalled. "I said, 'Well, there's only one person who would fit that bill.' " For months, Clarke tried to persuade O'Neill to become a candidate as his successor.

[...]

Meanwhile, intelligence had been streaming in concerning a likely Al Qaeda attack. "It all came together in the third week in June," Clarke said. "The C.I.A.'s view was that a major terrorist attack was coming in the next several weeks." On July 5th, Clarke summoned all the domestic security agencies—the Federal Aviation Administration, the Coast Guard, Customs, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the F.B.I.—and told them to increase their security in light of an impending attack.

Clarke's enemies are now hard at work, suggesting his recent revelations are the result of partisan politics, personal profit, or sour grapes.

Whatever his motive, Clarke's testimony before the 9/11 Commission was a fitting memorial to his friend and fellow warrior, John O'Neill.
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The best medical care in the world - if you can afford it

I recently had an outpatient bone marrow biopsy at the local hospital. Results negative; no big deal.

It involved one of the medical "procedures" I hate the most - fasting after midnight. Fortunately, I was scheduled very early; but setting me loose on the world without coffee is never a good idea.

The secret reason behind "fasting after midnight" is that the patient will be too groggy to object when the admissions office demands a huge chunk of money before proceeding.

At least the lady who did the interview and took the blood-money was quite nice. She related how another person - 60 years old, at high risk of colorectal cancer - sat in the admissions office the previous day, but left when told the hospital would need one thousand four hundred dollars up-front.

A little googling around suggests the average cost of a colonoscopy is $500-$1000. However, that's JUST the colonoscopy.

There's the doctor bill, the anesthesiologists bill, the pathologists bill, and I wouldn't be too surprised if there was some sort of long-distance telephone surtax involved.

Similar googling of "bone marrow biopsy cost" turned up $260 to $350. We paid the hospital $380 up front, and after all the various bills have come through, have spent just about $1000. That's after our health care insurance covered various bits and pieces.

Republicans are fond of bragging that the United States has the finest medical care in the world. I'm quite proud of that myself. But what good is it if only the wealthy can afford to take advantage of it? And the middle-class has to struggle to pay for it? And the working poor can't afford it all?

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Bush wants cheap high-speed Internet access for all by 2007

Not to mention a chicken in every pot, a car in every garage, a man on Mars, and no athletes on steroids.

President Bush on Friday urged that affordable high-speed Internet access known as broadband be available to all Americans by 2007.

"We ought to have universal, affordable access to broadband technology by the year 2007," Bush said in a speech focusing mostly on homeownership. "And then we ought to make sure that as soon as possible thereafter consumers have plenty of choices..."

We ought to have univeral, affordable healthcare by the year 2007, too; but - you know - that's so not Republican.

In the meantime, I'm not counting on this election year goodie. And I'm sure most of the Bush-backers in these parts are scratching their heads, as most of them don't know "broadband" from "waistband".

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I feel so much safer

Homeland Security suspends some hiring

The Department of Homeland Security has temporarily stopped hiring employees for two of its main divisions as it seeks to find out if it is facing a large budget shortfall or simply having problems reconciling the books after the largest government merger in history.

[...]

The hold applies to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which has about 40,000 employees, and to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has about 20,000.

Both of the organizations have a major presence along the borders and at airports and other ports of entry.

This probably calls for another round of tax cuts.

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Psychic tip prompts bomb search on plane

Today the Bush administration announced it's newest weapon in the War on Terror - the Central Registry of Advisor Psychics (CRAP).

Inside sources report Miss Cleo has been offered the new cabinet level position, pending resolution of various legal issues.

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Let the subpoenas fly!

His Almighty Arrogance Bill Frist -

"In his appearance before the 9-11 Commission, Mr. Clarke's theatrical apology on behalf of the nation was not his right, his privilege or his responsibility."

You're so right, Bill. Let's round up the bastards that ARE responsible and force them to testify under oath.

Not that testifying under oath would get the truth from this crowd.

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Scary positive thinking

Over at Bad Attitudes, Moe Blues asks an intriguing and scary question - "If Bush loses the election, how will his team handle the transition?"

If you need anything else to disturb your sleep, think about that one.

Given the ideologically-selective "intelligence" and skewed world view, perhaps the best service the Bush team could do to the country would be to give no transition briefings at all.

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More recent history lessons

Washington Post, March 13, 2003 -

Clarke's resignation

Clarke, 52, reached the peak of his influence under President Bill Clinton, after serving presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush as deputy assistant and assistant secretary of state. The present commander-in-chief is said to like Clarke -- he sent him a warm, handwritten note and invited him to the Oval Office on Feb. 19 for a goodbye chat -- but Clarke's bulldozing style did not fit as well with the quiet consensus that the White House looks for now.

{...}

Among friends, Clarke is skeptical that the coming war with Iraq is integral to the war on terrorism, as the White House maintains. He describes it as a diversion of scarce resources and a wedge between Washington and critical allies in destroying al Qaeda. Until late last year, he has said, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein would not have been among the top suspects should al Qaeda manage to acquire a weapon of mass destruction. Now, with Hussein's regime on the brink of falling, he will.

Fascinating article - a "must" read.


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The Big Dog

"They (the Bush crowd) remind me of teenagers that got their inheritance too soon and couldn’t wait to blow it.”

Nailing it, as usual.
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GOP Moves to Declassify Clarke Testimony

Leading congressional Republicans announced plans Friday to seek declassification of 2-year-old testimony from Richard Clarke, hoping to show discrepancies between his recent criticisms of the Bush administration's terrorism policies with flattering statements he made as a White House aide.

If it's that easy to declassify testimony, I see no reason Condi can't step up, raise her right hand, and let it rip.

But back to Clarke. Let's review modern history -

October 7, 2001 - US begins war in Afghanistan

December 6, 2001- Kandahar falls to opposition forces. The interim government was sworn in on December 21, 2001.

July 2002 - Clarke gives first testimony to the 9/11 Commission.

Sept. 12, 2002 - President Bush addressed the UN; challenges UN to strictly enforce resolutions, or USA will act on it's own.

January 2003 - Bush orders largest single ground deployment to the Gulf since the war in 1991.

January 2003 - Richard Clarke resigns.

March 19, 2003 - war begins in Iraq.

Given the time frame, it's easy to see the drumbeat for war in Iraq growing louder and louder after Clarke's 2002 testimony.

I may be forgetting something, but I don't remember Clarke having major problems with the war in Afghanistan or the immediate counter-terrorism steps taken after 9/11.

As the Bush administration relentlessly pursued war with Iraq, Clarke no doubt remembered all the bizarre attempts to connect Saddam with 9/11, and started connecting the dots.

Clarke splits the pre-9/11 blame between administrations. It's only after his 2002 testimony that the situation changes; the neo-con obsession with Iraq becomes reality, and the diversion of assets from Afghanistan to Iraq gets this man seriously, seriously pissed.

It's not in the least bit surprising that his first testimony might contradict the second.


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Common sense and saving money

At the moment, Mr. Andante is attempting to start the riding lawn mower; which, for the 25th year in a row, he has left out in the elements over the winter with only a tarp thrown over it and no preventative maintenance done before the non-mowing season.

And for the 25th year in a row, he has had to run to the local hardware store to buy new spark plugs, oil, a couple of new tools he just has to have, and shoot the bull for an hour with the store owner. Thus proving Tim Allen's "Home Improvement" legacy lives on.

Under this care & maintenance program, you might wonder why the mower is still chugging along after 25 years. It's not....this is the third one.

But for the 25th year in a row, I reminded him last November to clean the spark plugs, etc. etc. etc., clean out our little storage building, and shove the mower in it for the winter. Once again, I feel like a voice crying in the wilderness.

For the 25th year in a row, I've concluded men are not from Mars - they are from an alternate dimension altogether. But since I'm arguably the World's Greatest Procrastinator, I don't suppose I can complain. Much.

But when you see a problem....year after year....that can be avoided by a little bit of tweaking, advance planning, and general doing - it makes sense to head off trouble before it lands in your lap.

Don't you wish you had a dime for every time the "experts" (real and imagined) warn us that Medicare is in deep doo-doo and will run out of gas in the immediate future? Don't you wish you had a dime for every solution that is offered - and rejected on ideological grounds?

Krugman nails it -

Sometimes there's no magic in the free market — in fact, it can be a hindrance. Health insurance is one place where government agencies consistently do a better job than private companies. I'll have more to say about this when I write about the general issue of health care reform (soon, I promise!).

And I'll be looking forward to it.

HELLO, unbridled free-marketeers.....doesn't this make sense? Medicare doesn't give it's top executives huge salaries or bonuses and doesn't spend a fortune advertising how wonderful it is to do business with them. Lower overhead, passed on to consumers in lower costs.

Medicare is far from perfect, but try applying for a comparable policy from a private insurer.

(Breaking news.....he just got the mower started)

In the meantime, Bush is probably wondering what went wrong with his big plan to be the Medicare Reform Superhero.

(Mercury News)

The political mess that surrounds the Medicare reform bill is probably not what the president had in mind last summer when he made the bill the domestic centerpiece for his re-election campaign.

Republicans have only themselves to blame for the wreckage.

Every day the president and Congress wait to address the problem is another day that threatens to turn the issue into an even more expensive problem.

First, the president encouraged and Congress passed a bill that did not permit government agencies to buy prescription drugs in bulk, significantly increasing prescription drug costs to Americans.

Then they refused to consider reimportation as a partial solution to bringing down costs.

Finally, the Bush administration misled Congress and the American people about the true cost of the legislation and failed to provide a budget solution.

In essence, the Bush administration seems to have ignored every sensible fix, made it more expensive for taxpayers, and tossed the profits to private health care companies and Big Pharma.

This is a reelection plan? Add more denizens to the alternate universe.

(Breaking news - four flat tires on the mower)

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Forget terrorism; forget Iraq, forget Afghanistan

NY Daily News -

"This guy popped up at the wrong time for us," one Bush counselor complained. "We had [John] Kerry on the run, and now we have to deal with this distraction."

"This guy" was former White House counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke, whose charges disrupted Bush's momentum and put the President's handling of 9/11 onto the political table for the first time.

Clarke's accusations go to the core of Bush's main reelection message: that he is the wartime commander-in-chief doing everything he can to keep America safe from terrorists.

The Bushies didn't see it coming because the frosty-haired terror czar's testimony to the 9/11 commission was relatively benign. One aide said the White House was further blindsided because they never expected 9/11 to be politicized.

Say, WHAT? "Never expected 9/11 to be politicized"? These characters definitely live in a different universe.

So now, nothing else matters. The Bush White House is finally, at long last, at "Battle Stations".

At the White House, nailing Clarke is now Job 1.

"We're all on Clarke patrol," said a senior Bush political strategist.

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Taking to the air

I can't wait for Air America's first broadcast on March 31! I especially like the title chose for Al Franken's segment (Monday - Friday, noon - 3 p.m.) - The O'Franken Factor.

Lineup here; you can sign up for e-mail updates on the same page.

Link to Air America home page under "Listen Up" on the right.

Let the games begin!
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Through the looking glass

January, 2004 - Limbaugh - "Cheney in '08!" Nope. Try "Condi '08!"

The best solution for Republicans in '08, is Condi Rice. She's smart as hell, more than capable of doing the job, defuses the gender issue in the run against Hillary, and defuses the race issue in favor of the Right.

Bush/Rice'04.org - Ensuring American's Future

We invite you to read the informational pages on this site to see why, and decide for yourself. If you then, too, feel that Dr. Rice can help bring about Bush win in 2004, please sign our petition. When we feel the time is right, we will submit it to President Bush, but we will make him aware of it earlier.

...and you might consider buying something from their store.

February 2003 - Security adviser Rice weighs run for governor - Former Stanford provost rules out Senate bid against Boxer in '04

I'm sure she aspires to political office because all of her moves have really led her in that direction," said Barbara O'Connor, professor of political communications at California State University at Sacramento. "She's smart and she's got management experience, certainly as much as anybody who runs for governor. Being (Stanford) provost is like running a large corporation -- and she's been tested and vetted in high circles."

From October 2002 - New York Times columnist offers election, other insights

Listening to William Safire’s speech proved to be much like reading his column: humor and intelligence laced together.

“I’m a registered pundit, which means that I have answers and opinions about everything,” Safire, a renowned New York Times columnist told a Syracuse University audience at 7 p.m. Thursday in a full Hendricks Chapel, as the first lecture in the University Lecture Series. “And if I don’t have an answer or opinion, you’ll see one appear right before your very eyes.”

Safire’s role as a pundit was clear as he stated who he believes the candidates will be for the 2004 presidential election, including Senators Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.).

“Hillary (Clinton) won’t run,” Safire said decisively. “She will run in 2008, and her opponent will be Condi Rice. How do you like them apples?”

Safire’s pick for the 2004 election is Al Gore, because after “a successful war” from the Bush administration, a “sloppy economy” will ultimately be their demise.

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Tell us how "The Passion" changed YOUR life

The ever-amazing TBogg directs us to this site, which asks us to tell them how seeing Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" changed our lives.

We are in the very final stages of preparing a nationwide television special to air this Easter called, "Changed Lives: Miracles of The Passion." As the name suggests, we are telling the stories of people whom Jesus has forever changed as a result of seeing the film. These visual testimonies give witness to the life-altering power of Christ as presented through this incredible motion picture.

If YOU have a powerful testimony about something life changing that happened to you that would encourage others to see the film-- we need your story!

TBogg really has an excellent suggestion - after all, they DO ask for simple or extreme changes. But since I'm disqualified by gender, I'll try to come up with something else.

How about -

"After seeing "The Passion", I realized it would be blasphemy for me to appear before the 9/11 Commission and testify under oath, because nobody would believe me anyway." - Condi Rice

"After seeing "The Passion", I crawled back into my secure, undisclosed location hoping nobody asks a crowd whether I should live or die." - Dick Cheney

"After seeing "The Passion", I realized even more the godly importance of giving tax cuts to the wealthy so they can make more movies like this." - George Bush

"After seeing "The Passion", I realized the last several years of my life had been wasted by my association with lying lunatics, drunks, and thieves. Thanks to Mel Gibson, I found the courage to resign my position, write a tell-all book, and give sworn testimony before the 9/11 Commission." - Yours truly, Richard Clarke

And of course there's this one - "Brazilian pastor dies watching "Passion of Christ" . I believe that qualifies as an "extreme" change.

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The team of Kerry & Dean snagged a perfect "10" for their flawless performance at the United States Pairs Figure Skating Championships earlier today.

With tears of joy in his eyes, Kerry said "It all came together for us when I promised to handle more of the lifting."

Dean agreed, and added, "It also helps when your opponents stumble and run into each other."

The U.S. champs will take on the pair of Bush & Cheney in November, even though Kerry will most likely choose a new partner in the coming months.

The Bush/Cheney team has reportedly already offered numerous bribes to the judges, including more tax cuts, school prayer, eliminating abortion and gay marriages, and - to a select few - hunting trips and slumber parties in the White House.

Kerry remains upbeat. "If enough of our fans show up it will be difficult for the judges to pull a fast one like they did four years ago," he said.

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Supreme Court to consider Pledge

The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will decide whether the Pledge of Allegiance, which has been recited in public schools for decades, is an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion because it contains the phrase "under God."

I really don't have an opinion on this case. "Under God" doesn't offend me, nor does it thrill my soul.

Instead, I suppose we could ask "What Would God Do?"

I agree wholeheartedly with Tom Burka -

"I'd really rather not be bothered," God said. "I'm very busy, and, while I try, in my infinite omniscience, to listen to every girl and boy in America, the pledge is really just a mindless recitation that muddies up the Holy airwaves with empty, patriotic static."

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Caution - Republicans turning the debate

It's pretty clear that both the Bush and Clinton administrations could have done more on the counterterrorism front. Whether or not it could have prevented 9/11 is debatable.

But that's what the White House is doing - turning the debate to strictly the events leading up to 9/11.

Democrats jumping into the debate might be advised to handle this one with kid gloves. They should continue to hold the Bush administration's feet to the fire over their misdirections, stonewalling and ass-covering.

However, it won't bring the 9/11 victims back. Mistakes were made, and we should learn what we can from them. Democrats can, and should, continue to crack the whip on an issue where they can prevent further deaths - Iraq.

The war in Iraq is an ongoing, current problem - how and why we got there is a crushing indictment of the Bush administration.

Richard Clarke, Paul O'Neill, David Kay, and Joe Wilson have provided ample evidence for the Bush administration's bizarre fixation on Saddam Hussein and the non-existent weapons of mass destruction.

Last night, George Bush made "missing WMD" jokes at the annual Radio & TV Correspondents Dinner. Apparently, he thinks the issue has escaped the spotlight.

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Hands off overtime pay

Good news for all those who work overtime and deserve to be paid for it.

Senate Democrats Hold Fast, Block Action On Corporate Tax Cuts

Senate Democrats today blocked a Republican effort to get rid of a pending overtime pay amendment to the stalled corporate tax cut bill, leaving the measure's future in doubt. By 51-47, the Senate failed to muster the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture on a motion to recommit the bill (S 1637) to the Finance Committee. Republican leaders wanted to send the measure back to committee in order to dump an amendment by Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, that would block the Labor Department from implementing changes in eligibility for overtime pay. Democrats say the change could strip as many as 8 million workers of their right to premium pay. Republican leaders may pull the tax measure from the floor later today. "This amendment will be offered again and again and again and again. . . . Make no mistake about it," said Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass. "This issue is going to come right back at them. They're going to be pulling a lot of bills."
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Attack pests, part 2 - a whistleblower strikes back

Barbara Comstock is another obnoxious face shilling for The Incompetent Ones recently.

When she's not making excuses for her masters, apparently she's threatening FBI employees -

(from Tom Flocco)

FBI translator, Sibel Edmonds, was offered a substantial raise and a full time job in order to not go public that she had been asked by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to retranslate and adjust the translations of [terrorist] subject intercepts that had been received before September 11, 2001 by the FBI and CIA.

Edmonds, a ten year U.S. citizen who has passed a polygraph examination, speaks fluent Farsi and Turkish and had been working part time with the FBI for six months-- commencing in December, 2001.

In a 50 reporter scrum in front of some 12 news cameras, Edmonds said "Attorney General John Ashcroft told me 'he was invoking State Secret Privilage and National Security' when I told the FBI I wanted to go public with what I had translated from the pre 9-11 intercepts".

"I appeared once on CBS 60 Minutes but I have been silenced by Mr. Ashcroft, the FBI follows me, and I was threatened with jail in 2002 if I went public." Edmonds told tomflocco.com.

When we asked her if it was really true that she had been bribed by the FBI and DOJ, Edmonds said "You can interpret it as that."

This writer personally asked Edmonds where the term "State Secret Privilage" was derived. "The term came from an October 18, 2002 DOJ memo to me from DOJ spokesman Barbara Comstock," said Edmonds.

Edmonds said "My translations of the pre 9-11 intercepts included [terrorist] money laundering, detailed and date specific information enough to alert the American people, and other issues dating back to 1999 which I won't go into right now."

Incredibly, Edmonds said "The senate Judiciary Committee, and the 911 Commission have heard me testify for lengthy periods of time time (3 hours) about very specific plots, dates, airplanes used as weopons, and specific idividuals and activities."

This explosive information has been kept under wraps by the White House, CIA, FBI, and DOJ since Edmond's 60 Minutes interview segment.

The former FBI translator told tomflocco.com that "translators before me had ongoing personal relationships with the subjects or targets of the FBI and DOJ pre 9-11 investigations linked to intercepts and other intelligence in June - July - August, just prior to the attacks."

"I also became aware of a [terrorist] ciminal investigation going on since 1998," said Edmonds.

Patty Casazza, one of the 9-11 "Jersey Girls," said "Sibel Edmonds told me that color coding terrorist threat alerts for the American people is reflective of the intercept translations received." Casazza and Edmonds gave no indication as to whether FBI translators had doctored or adjusted Homeland Security terrorist threat alerts for political reasons.

"This whole situation is outrageous and I am going public," said Edmonds, adding "I am currently being advised by counsel. Thank you."

9-11 family member, Jersey Girl, Kristen Breitweiser, arranged to have Ms. Edmonds address the gathered media right after the Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet testified.

For more, see The Memory Hole.



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Clarke: Bush didn't see terrorism as 'urgent'

Yeah, but......

I haven't read Clarke's book, but I get the impression what really deeply, deeply angers him is the misdirection of focus to Iraq and away from terrorism.

But wasn't it nice to listen to testimony from one of the REAL "grown ups" instead of excuses, buck-passing, and whining from the usual bunch?


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We're Fair and Balanced, too!

Clear Channel, rejecting Howard Stern's claims that he was canned for slamming President Bush, says its radio network does not have a political agenda.

Clear Channel execs donations to Bush - $42,200
Clear Channel execs donations to Kerry - $1,750

Whatever you say, guys.
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Thank you, Richard Clarke

For refusing to back down.

But most of all, for apologizing to the 9/11 families.
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Wagging the dog

From the testimony before the 9/11 Commission, one thing is becoming crystal clear; the Clinton administration WAS actively engaged in the "war on terror".

Criticism of the Clinton administration seems to be confined to "why didn't they do more?"

CRAP. That one's easy.

If the Republicans had been more concerned with the welfare and safety of their country and less concerned with witch-hunting the Clinton administration, destroying everything the Clintons ever did or said, and grabbing up the reins of power into Republican hands, perhaps more could have been done.

How soon we forget.
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Biblically-based buck-passing

And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Dubya and Condi hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

And the LORD God called unto Dubya, and said unto him, Where art thou?

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was stupid; and I hid myself.

And he said, Who told thee that thou wast stupid? Hast thou drunk of the KoolAde, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not drink?

And Dubya said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, Condi gave me of the KoolAde, and I did drink.

And the LORD God said unto Condi, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The Cheney/Wolfowitz/Perle/Rumsfeld/Woolsey serpent beguiled me, and I did drink.

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The "grown-ups" around the preznit

Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill
Former ambassador Joseph Wilson
David Kay, former top weapons inspector
Richard Foster, an actuary for the Department of Health and Human Services
Former counter-terrorism advisor Richard Clarke

Fools, every one! Don't believe a word they say! Political partisans! Only out for a buck!

Too bad our "MBA President" can't hire or keep good people.

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Osama bin Remembered

Hmmm...CNN's David Ensor just hinted at Big News in the hunt for Osama.

This would be a good time for Rummy to declare "we got him".

Or maybe "we found him hiding out at Richard Clarke's house".

Stay tuned......

Update - no big deal

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New pest rising

Warrior Tang pointed us to Jim Wilkinson, the Deputy National Security Advisor for Communications who has been popping up here and there on the tube to declare Richard Clarke the Antichrist, and Dubya the redeemer of mankind.

Josh Marshall does a good job of demolishing Wilkinson's nonsense here.

Wilkinson's White House bio -

Prior to joining the National Security Council staff, Mr. Wilkinson served as Director of Strategic Communications for General Tommy Franks at U.S. Central Command. At Central Command, Mr. Wilkinson coordinated the commands strategic communications activities throughout its 25-nation area of responsibility, including those related to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Mr. Wilkinson served as General Tommy R. Franks principal spokesman and managed the U.S. military's public affairs activities in the region.

From January 2001 through November 2002, Mr. Wilkinson served at the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications for Planning. Mr. Wilkinson also managed the White House Coalition Information Center for the war against terrorism. Prior to joining the White House, Mr. Wilkinson served as spokesman for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during the 2000 presidential transition. From 1992 through 2000, Mr. Wilkinson worked in Congress for U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey. Mr. Wilkinson received his B.B.A. in finance from the University of Texas at Arlington and his M.A. from The Johns Hopkins University.

Not included in his White House bio --

***Started the meme that Gore "invented the internet".

***Defender of the Republican storm-troopers who besieged the Miami vote counters.

"We find it interesting that when Jesse Jackson has thousands of protesters in the streets, it's O.K., but when a small number of Republicans exercise their First Amendment rights, the Democrats don't seem to like it," he told the Associated Press.

***Part of the PR team that stage-managed Dubya's visit to Ground Zero on September 14, 2001

***On the planning team for "embedding" reporters during the Iraqi offensive.

***Responsible for the glizty, looks-great-on-TV war room operation at Doha, and the total lack of any substantial information given to the assembled reporters.

It drew their ire as soon as the war began on March 19. Early in the morning of March 20, hundreds of reporters, producers and cameramen stood around the warehouse drinking coffee and watching the war on CNN, the BBC, Al-Jazeera and Fox. They then turned to Mr. Wilkinson and his team of public-affairs officers for background.

"They're showing the war starting, and we turned to our minders and we said, 'The war is starting, right?'" said Harvey Rice, a reporter for the Houston Chronicle. "They said, 'Sorry, we can't tell you--we don't want to endanger the lives of our troops.' But we're watching the war!"

***Managed the coverage on the rescue of Jessica Lynch.

***Currently tasked with director of communications for the upcoming Republican National Convention in New York,

"We seek to have reporters pass through a secure perimeter and then be in the complex and have the freedom to move the maximum amount possible," Mr. Wilkinson said. "Once they're in, they're in."

It's not Mr. Wilkinson's fault: Like Doha, both of next year's conventions have been federally designated National Security Events. At earlier conventions, reporters had to pass security checks between the convention and the media center. Not this time. The city's Host Committee lease for the building lays out plans to build a bridge over Eighth Avenue to connect the Garden with the vast Farley Post Office Building, which stretches from 32nd Street to 34th Street, featuring the city's largest loading dock and offering at least 250,000 square feet of media workspace.

It will be convenient and hermetic--and it means that reporters, once inside, would be ill-advised to leave the confines to slip out and meet the protesters.

If you ask me, this is one scary little sh*t; a spiritual descendant of Joseph Goebbels.

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Busy, busy, busy

It's gonna be one of those days.

Before I rush off, I have to tip my hat to Moe Blues over at Bad Attitudes for noting that the Vice President of the United States has twisted himself into one big, butt-ugly pretzel over Richard Clarke.

So Dick Cheney is making the rounds claiming that Clarke was “out of the loop” in the administration’s counter-terror efforts. Therefore, Clarke doesn’t know what he's talking about and anything he says should be instantly discounted.

It occurs to me that Richard Clarke WAS the loop.

Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rummy, etc. were just plain loopy.

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What does it take to be a BushCo NSA deputy director?

Not much, apparently.

Did you catch NSA deputy director Jim Wilkinson, trotted out by BushCo to defend them from the Big Bad Clarke?

NSA deputy director....hmmmm.

Look what Warrior Tang over at Live From the Nuke-Free Zone dug up on Jim.
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9/11 Commission testimony

Tuesday, March 22
CSPAN - Powell & Albright Testify Before 9/11 Commission (9am ET)
CSPAN3 - Rumsfeld & Cohen Testify Before 9/11 Commission (1:30pm ET)
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Shadow cabinet

I wish I had a dime for every person who has me they were voting for Bush because even though he seemed "a little inexperienced", he would have "good people" around him.

Fortunately, most of those people have told me they regret it. A few will vote "ABB" this time around; most won't vote at all. Suits me.

Now it's time for the Kerry campaign to come up with their own group of good people; respected, experienced folks who will hit the campaign trail and bring this thing home in November.

Reading through the comments over at Daily Kos, I really like some of the suggestions for a "shadow cabinet". Nothing needs to be official; just a strong hint that these would be the grownups finally in charge in their area of expertise.

Here's the gist, culled from comments. Feel free to add suggestions.

President - Kerry
Vice President - Edwards, Rendell, Warner
Sec. State - Holbrooke
Attorney General - Eliot Spitzer, Richard Blumenthal, Mary Jo White
National Security Advisor - Wesley Clark, Rand Beers
Sec Defense - Cleland, John McCain
UN - Mosely-Braun
Supreme Court - Gore :-)
Special Ambassador to the Middle East -- Bill Clinton, Dennis Ross
Agriculture - Jim Hightower
EPA - RFK, Jr.
CIA - Joe Wilson
Veterans Affairs - John McCain, Max Cleland
Energy - Richard Truly
Treasury - Robert Rubin, Krugman :-)
Homeland Security - Gary Hart, George Mitchell
Labor - Dick Gephardt
Sec. Interior - Steven J. McCormick
HUD - Jesse Jackson, Jr.
Secretary of Labor: Richard Gephardt
Chair of the FED: Robert Rubin
Press Secretary - Molly Ivins :)

Okay, some might be a little goofy. Joe Wilson hardly has the experience for CIA, for example.

It's good to have a nice long list of good people to choose from. The message now is - DO IT.

Get these folks on the road, on the television, in the town hall meetings, in the faces of the Bush attack dogs.

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FDA issues suicide caution for antidepressants

Thanks, FDA - I'm so glad you brought this up.

Now maybe you could explain why potentially harmful medications are not only quickly approved for general use, but the pharmaceutical companies are allowed to mount big advertising campaigns to shill their products?

Because here's what happens -

First, you market the disease... then you push the pills to treat it.

The modus operandi of GlaxoSmithKline - marketing a disease rather than selling a drug - is typical of the post-Prozac era.

"The strategy [companies] use - it's almost mechanised by now," says Dr Loren Mosher, a San Diego psychiatrist and former official at the national institute of mental health.

Typically, a corporate-sponsored "disease awareness" campaign focuses on a mild psychiatric condition with a large pool of potential sufferers.

Companies fund studies that prove the drug's efficacy in treating the affliction, a necessary step in obtaining FDA approval for a new use, or "indication".

Prominent doctors are enlisted to publicly affirm the malady's ubiquity, then public-relations firms launch campaigns to promote the new disease, using dramatic statistics from corporate-sponsored studies.

Finally, patient groups are recruited to serve as the "public face" for the condition, supplying quotes and compelling stories for the media; many of the groups are heavily subsidised by drugmakers, and some operate directly out of the offices of drug companies' PR firms.

The strategy has enabled the pharmaceutical industry to squeeze millions in additional revenue from the blockbuster drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a family of pharmaceuticals that includes Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and Luvox.

Originally approved solely as antidepressants, the SSRIs are now prescribed for a wide array of previously obscure afflictions - GAD, social anxiety disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and so on.

The proliferation of diagnoses has contributed to a dramatic rise in anti-depressant sales, which increased eightfold between 1990 and 2000.

Oh, brother - does this ring a bell with me.

In 1998-1999, my husband started experiencing repeated chest pain. I ran him to the emergency room, doctor's offices, and clinics on an average of 3-4 times a week. The usual tests showed nothing, and we were quickly going bankrupt.

His (former) doctor put him in the hospital for a week for a thorough check-up. All the usual cardiac tests were negative.

What to do? Well, the current disease-of-the-week was General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). It was decided the chest pains were due to GAD, and he was put on Xanax and Zoloft; both addictive (Xanax highly so).

He turned into a zombie. He couldn't work, and had to go on temporary disability leave. The chest pains didn't stop.

With the situation not getting any better, and his doctor refusing to see him about something that was "all in his head" - I finally threatened to leave him if he didn't change doctors. I wouldn't have, but it took a shock to make him do it.

His new (and current) doctor immediately put his finger on the problem, sent him to a specialist, and the chest pains were correctly diagnosed as a result of acid reflux.

But the addiction to Xanax and Zoloft remained. The new doctor referred him to a psychiatrist to monitor the dosages - which is supposed to be a part of any treatment with sedatives and anti-depressants in the first place. Those nice little commercials on TV don't tell you that.

And incidentally - our health insurance wouldn't pay for the psychiastrist; most plans don't.

Those cutesy little Zoloft commercials kept bouncing across the television screen, and Big Pharma raked in the dough.

Is it too much to ask that the Food and Drug Administration, which wouldn't exist if not for taxpayer dollars, would pay a little more attention to taxpayer's health, insist on independent research, and stop being pushed around by Big Pharma?

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The evidence unfolds

Richard Clarke is hardly the only one who thinks the Bush administration was preoccupied with Iraq, and had to be persuaded to focus on al Queda.

A shortlist of those other politically-motivated liars from the White House sh*tlist -

April 4, 2003 - Blair 'dissuaded Bush from attack after 9/11'

Tony Blair has frequently played a pivotal role in the infighting in the US administration over Iraq, according to the recently retired British ambassador to Washington, Sir Christopher Meyer.

Hawks in the Bush administration, mainly the deputy defence secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, pushed for an attack on Iraq rather than Afghanistan in the aftermath of September 11.

Sir Christopher, in an interview with the US public broadcasting system last night, said that the prime minister, arriving in Washington the week after an inconclusive discussion between George Bush and his key advisers at Camp David, swung in behind the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, who saw Afghanistan as the prime target.

In the documentary Blair's War, Sir Christopher, who returned to Britain last month, said that when Mr Blair met Mr Bush in the weeks after September 11, he urged him to deal first with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network and its protector - Afghanistan's Taliban government - before tackling Iraq.

"Tony Blair's view was, 'Whatever you're going to do about Iraq, you should concentrate on the job at hand'. And the job at hand was get al-Qaida, give the Taliban an ultimatum," the former British ambassador said.

Sir Christopher added that Mr Bush took Mr Blair aside and promised he would keep Iraq "for another day".

November 17, 2003 - General Clark's Battles

Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Clark said, he visited the Pentagon, where an old colleague, a three-star general, confided to him that the civilian authorities running the Pentagon—Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his team—planned to use the September 11th attacks as a pretext for going to war against Iraq.

“They made the decision to attack Iraq sometime soon after 9/11,” Clark said. “So, rather than searching for a solution to a problem, they had the solution, and their difficulty was to make it appear as though it were in response to a problem.”

Clark visited the Pentagon a couple of months later, and the same general told him that the Bush team, unable or unwilling to fight the actual terrorists responsible for the attacks, had devised a five-year plan to topple the regimes in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Iran, and Sudan.

January 11, 2004 - Paul O'Neill speaks out - Bush Sought ‘Way’ To Invade Iraq?

“From the very beginning, there was a conviction, that Saddam Hussein was a bad person and that he needed to go,” says O’Neill, who adds that going after Saddam was topic "A" 10 days after the inauguration - eight months before Sept. 11.

“From the very first instance, it was about Iraq. It was about what we can do to change this regime,” says Suskind. “Day one, these things were laid and sealed.”

As treasury secretary, O'Neill was a permanent member of the National Security Council. He says in the book he was surprised at the meeting that questions such as "Why Saddam?" and "Why now?" were never asked.

"It was all about finding a way to do it. That was the tone of it. The president saying ‘Go find me a way to do this,’" says O’Neill. “For me, the notion of pre-emption, that the U.S. has the unilateral right to do whatever we decide to do, is a really huge leap.”

And that came up at this first meeting, says O’Neill, who adds that the discussion of Iraq continued at the next National Security Council meeting two days later.

He got briefing materials under this cover sheet. “There are memos. One of them marked, secret, says, ‘Plan for post-Saddam Iraq,’" adds Suskind, who says that they discussed an occupation of Iraq in January and February of 2001.

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Condi's photo album



This photo was on the CNN website.

Isn't it nice?

Isn't it nice imagining she's behind bars?

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My 9/11 question

Help me out here. Am I sinking into the conspiracy swamp, or is this a legitmate question?

Ever since I took a look at the very important questions the Family Steering Committee wants answered by the 9/11 Commission, there is one unasked question that has been niggling at the back of my mind.

If it's been satisfactorily answered, I'd love to hear it.

Before the president makes an appearance anywhere in the world, the Secret Service sends an advance team to take a look at evacuation routes, the location of hospitals, a survey of first responder capabilities, etc. Immediately before a presidential appearance, a very sophisticated communications center is set up.

We've all seen film footage of the Secret Service whisking away a president from potential danger. If you blink, you miss it. They don't stop for photo ops, slow down for speed limits, or let anyone get in the way.

At the September 7, 2001 press briefing, Ari Fleischer announced the president would be visiting Jacksonville and Sarasota Florida.

It would hardly take a genius to discover the president would be at Emma T. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 at approximately 9:00 a.m.

At 9:03 a.m., the second WTC tower was struck; at that time it became apparent to anyone over the age of three that the United States was under coordinated attack.

The Memory Hole asks the questions that should be answered by this administration -

What did the Commander in Chief do? Nothing. He sat there. He sat for well over 5 minutes, doing nothing while 3,000 people were dying and the attacks were still in progress.

Not only did the leader of the free world sit as his country was attacked, the Secret Service also did nothing. Bush was appearing in public at a previously announced photo-op. He was a sitting duck. The attacks were ongoing at that point (planes had yet to hit the Pentagon or the field in Pennsylvania), and nobody knew how much more destruction was going to happen. Were there two, three, four, eight more planes hijacked and on their way to crash into prominent buildings? Was one headed for the school, where anyone who checked the President's public itinerary would know he was located? Were other terrorists planning to detonate dirty nukes? Were they going to release anthrax or smallpox or sarin? Was an assassination squad going to burst into the school and get Bush? Was a suicide bomber going to ram a truck full of explosives into that classroom?

During the midst of the attacks, any of these things could've happened. Yet there sits Bush, seemingly unconcerned. His Chief of Staff likewise doesn't think that America in flames warrants the President's immediate attention. And the Secret Service utterly fails to do its job by grabbing the President of the United States and getting him to safety. It's truly inexplicable.

You can download the clip, or view the still images at The Memory Hole

From Fighting Back: The War on Terrorism - From Inside the Bush White House, by Bill Sammon, 10/02, p. 90 - a conservative, highly-complimentary account -

Bush is described as smiling and chatting with the children "as if he didn't have a care in the world" and "in the most relaxed manner imaginable." White House aide Gordon Johndroe, then came in as he usually does at the end of press conferences, and said, "Thank you, press. If you could step out the door we came in, please." A reporter then asked, "Mr. President, are you aware of the reports of the plane crash in New York? Is there anything...", But Bush interrupted, and no doubt recalling his order, "DON'T SAY ANYTHING YET," Bush responded, "I'll talk about it later." But still the president did not leave. "He stepped forward and shook hands with [classroom teacher] Daniels, slipping his left hand behind her in another photo-op pose. He was taking his good old time. ... Bush lingered until the press was gone."

Supposedly Andrew Card whispered to Bush "A second plane has hit the World Trade Center. America is under attack." at 9:05 a.m.

According to 911 Timeline.net, it was 9:23 a.m. by the time Bush spoke with Cheney, his National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, the head of the FBI, Robert Mueller and Governor George Pataki of New York.

It's perfectly understandable (and commendable) that Bush didn't immediately jump up and run screaming from the classroom. But there surely isn't a person in the country who would fault him for a little tactful interruption, a simple explanation to the children about something important to do, and leaving the school within several minutes.This was a national emergency.

But when you think about it, the actions of not only George Bush, but his travelling staff and the Secret Service are worth questioning.

Why didn't the Secret Service immediately whisk Bush away? This is perhaps the most puzzling question in my mind.

Why is it that the Secret Service, surely knowing the country was under attack, did not take immediate action to remove the president from possible danger? And why did they leave the "sitting duck" in a school full of children, potentially exposing them to harm?

Was the Secret Service somehow told that this was a "limited" attack - that the president (and the children) were in no danger?

Maybe my tinfoil hat is fixed too securely, but I'm afraid that's the only explanation I can come up with. If someone can offer a better one, I'd be happy to hear it.

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The Clarke interview

I'm typing this as I watch the 60 Minutes interview with Richard Clarke, which I taped earlier. You can see excerpts of it here.

My gut feeling is that Clarke is not lying. This is much more damning than I thought from reading the preview, and infinitely more sickening.

Taken along with statements by Paul O'Neill, Wesley Clark, and others; a pattern of deceit and misdirection is emerging.

"Shoulda" and "coulda" won't bring the 9/11 victims back, but nobody - repeat, nobody - has been held accountable for their neglect of the obvious warning signs.

The only way any heads will roll is by voting the bastards out of office in November.

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Preznit gives radio

The view from the Oval Office window -

"The liberation of Iraq was good for the Iraqi people, good for America, and good for the world The fall of the Iraqi dictator has removed a source of violence, aggression, and instability from the Middle East. The worst regime in the region was given way to what will soon be among the best. The demands of the United Nations were enforced, not ignored with impunity. Years of illicit weapons development by the dictator have come to an end. The Iraqi people are now receiving aid, instead of suffering under sanctions. And men and women across the Middle East, looking to Iraq, are getting a glimpse of what life in a free country can be like.

I'm sure men and women across the Middle East, looking at Iraq, would probably embrace the nearest theocratic dictator.

So what does Riverbend see from her window in Baghdad?

A year later and our electricity is intermittent, at best, there constantly seems to be a fuel shortage and the streets aren't safe. When we walk down those streets, on rare occasions, the faces are haggard and creased with concern… concern over family members under detention, homes raided by Americans, hungry mouths to feed, and family members to keep safe from abduction, rape and death.

And where are we now, a year from the war? Sure- we own satellite dishes and the more prosperous own mobile phones… but where are we *really*? Where are the majority?

We're trying to fight against the extremism that seems to be upon us like a black wave; we're wondering, on an hourly basis, how long it will take for some semblance of normality to creep back into our lives; we're hoping and praying against civil war…

We're watching with disbelief as American troops roam the streets of our towns and cities and break violently into our homes... we're watching with anger as the completely useless Puppet Council sits giving out fat contracts to foreigners and getting richer by the day- the same people who cared so little for their country, that they begged Bush and his cronies to wage a war that cost thousands of lives and is certain to cost thousands more.

We're watching sardonically as an Iranian cleric in the south turns a once secular country into America's worst nightmare- a carbon copy of Iran. We're watching as the lies unravel slowly in front of the world- the WMD farce and the Al-Qaeda mockery.

And where are we now? Well, our governmental facilities have been burned to the ground by a combination of 'liberators' and 'Free Iraqi Fighters'; 50% of the working population is jobless and hungry; summer is looming close and our electrical situation is a joke; the streets are dirty and overflowing with sewage; our jails are fuller than ever with thousands of innocent people; we've seen more explosions, tanks, fighter planes and troops in the last year than almost a decade of war with Iran brought; our homes are being raided and our cars are stopped in the streets for inspections… journalists are being killed 'accidentally' and the seeds of a civil war are being sown by those who find it most useful; the hospitals overflow with patients but are short on just about everything else- medical supplies, medicine and doctors; and all the while, the oil is flowing.

But we've learned a lot. We've learned that terrorism isn't actually the act of creating terror. It isn't the act of killing innocent people and frightening others… no, you see, that's called a 'liberation'. It doesn't matter what you burn or who you kill- if you wear khaki, ride a tank or Apache or fighter plane and drop missiles and bombs, then you're not a terrorist- you're a liberator.

The war on terror is a joke… Madrid was proof of that last week… Iraq is proof of that everyday.

Significantly, the man who claims such care for the innocent men, women, and children of Iraq has only seen fit to make a quick, photo-op stop surrounded by supporting American troops.

How can anyone be so disconnected from reality?

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Preserved in amber

CBS has posted a preview of the Richard A. Clarke interview here. After reading it, I feel genuinely sick on my stomach.

We've seen this quote from the interview before -

After the president returned to the White House on Sept. 11, he and his top advisers, including Clarke, began holding meetings about how to respond and retaliate. As Clarke writes in his book, he expected the administration to focus its military response on Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. He says he was surprised that the talk quickly turned to Iraq.

"Rumsfeld was saying that we needed to bomb Iraq," Clarke said to Stahl. "And we all said ... no, no. Al-Qaeda is in Afghanistan. We need to bomb Afghanistan. And Rumsfeld said there aren't any good targets in Afghanistan. And there are lots of good targets in Iraq. I said, 'Well, there are lots of good targets in lots of places, but Iraq had nothing to do with it.

Think about it....while people were dying in the ruins, thousands were evacuating, and a choking cloud of toxic dust was clogging the air - Donald Rusfeld was salivating over the chance to finally get revenge on Saddam Hussein.

And while desperate people were searching the hospitals and clinics and tacking "have you seen this person?" posters all over New York City -

"The president dragged me into a room with a couple of other people, shut the door, and said, 'I want you to find whether Iraq did this.' Now he never said, 'Make it up.' But the entire conversation left me in absolutely no doubt that George Bush wanted me to come back with a report that said Iraq did this.

"I said, 'Mr. President. We've done this before. We have been looking at this. We looked at it with an open mind. There's no connection.'

"He came back at me and said, "Iraq! Saddam! Find out if there's a connection.' And in a very intimidating way. I mean that we should come back with that answer."

It's possible the ruins of the World Trade Center were still burning at the time of that meeting.

But one small quote buried near the bottom of the article caught my eye -

"I blame the entire Bush leadership for continuing to work on Cold War issues when they back in power in 2001. It was as though they were preserved in amber from when they left office eight years earlier. They came back. They wanted to work on the same issues right away: Iraq, Star Wars. Not new issues, the new threats that had developed over the preceding eight years."

Bingo.

Ancient organisms, trapped in amber (a form of tree resin), are frozen in time. The crowd whose aims were thwarted by Clinton's victory in 1992 was likewise frozen in time.

They planned so carefully for so many years to regain power, but never bothered to adjust their agenda to reflect current realities - focusing like a laser beam on how to take over the government of the United States and wrench the country to their will and vengeance

They found their puppet-president in the person of the son who made no secret that, "After all, this is the guy who tried to kill my dad."

Throw in the demand for tax cuts to please conservatives; some evangelical "good vs. evil" rhetoric to appease the religious right - and there you have it; a clear road for neo-con retribution.

They do not trust the democratic process - witness the savage treatment given the recent Spanish election - but are not above manipulating the process to their own ends.

Adding national insult to national injury and secure in the "righteousness" of their cause, they have blocked every attempt to peal back the layers of their deceptions.

John Edwards was right, in more ways than one. There are two Americas; the America that cooperates with it's neighbors and friends and values it's citizens; and the neo-con America that reins in civil liberties, deliberately antagonizes other countries, and craves world domination.

Another four years is unthinkable.

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Heckling from the balcony



Julia Baird, writing for the Sidney Morning Herald, commemorates the first year of the Iraq war -

On january 22, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd poked fun at US President George Bush's State of the Union address, claiming it was a "steroid-infused performance", delivered with an in-your-face smirk.

She wrote: "Can you believe President Bush is still pushing the cockamamie claim that we went to war in Iraq with a real coalition rather than a gaggle of poodles and lackeys? His State of the Union address took his swaggering sheriff routine to new heights."

Poodles and lackeys, eh? Might be news to Britain - and Spain - this week.

[...]

We are not just poodles. We are big, fat targets. But, as the outgoing Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar has discovered, a global dissonance between several "lackey" governments and their people has been made starkly evident by the war in Iraq. And it's payback time.

Remember the millions of people who clustered in 600 towns and cities across the world a year ago, waving placards, burning effigies? The cities that drew the fattest crowds were in Britain, Italy and Spain - where the governments were supporting the US attack on Iraq.

It was with a feeling of impotence that despite all the protests, uncertainty and questions, many watched their troops go to war. And with the failure of public protest, many shuttled into cyberspace for some fierce political debate.

This week, as 11 million Spaniards returned to the streets - this time to mourn - and voted in a socialist government, pundits started wrestling over whether, by voting out the politicians who had led them to war, the Spanish were kowtowing to terrorists.

Conservative American blogger Andrew Sullivan interpreted it as a victory for al-Qaeda, writing "the trend in Europe is now either appeasement of terror or active alliance with it". The New York Times' David Brooks also implied it was a gutless act of appeasement.

On National Review Online, former Bush speechwriter David Frum wrote: "Sometimes [people] convince themselves that if only they give the Cyclops what he wants, they will be eaten last. And this is what seems to have happened in Spain."

But wasn't democracy one of the things we were fighting for? And wasn't it what we wanted for Iraq?

As the Guardian's Jonathan Freedland argued, it is wrong to conflate the war on Iraq with al-Qaeda. It is possible to oppose both bombing Iraq, and terrorism.

As the more measured newspaper columnists have volleyed arguments and insults about the war across continents, bloggers have increasingly become the Statlers and Waldorfs of political debate - Jim Henson's Muppets who heckle from the balcony - unedited, uninhibited and often unbalanced. But usually entertaining.

The internet has played a vital role as a site of dissent and anti-spin during a year when it seemed protests counted for little.

[...]

Bloggers are anarchic. In their mad jumble of jarring opinions, they symbolise the growing cynicism towards journalists, politicians, one another and any symbols of authority known to warp the truth. In Dowd's case it was a lazy insult. In others, it has been a more corrupt distortion of intelligence.

Going to Iraq was clearly a calculated risk.

Today, a year on, as we face the consequences of war, Australians will be on the streets again (in Sydney, it is in Hyde Park at noon). We have a right to be angry. Iraq is a mess, the use of intelligence was dishonest (at best inept), many of the justifications for war have proved thin, and we need accountability. As Owen Harries has argued, it's time to take a less "compliant and ingratiating posture within the alliance" and focus on how to protect Australians from terrorism.

What changes things now, of course, for Bush, Blair, Howard and leaders of other countries dismissed as poodles is the threat of repercussions at the polls, where protests can't be sniffed at as a terrorist tea party, and the power of democracy comes back to bite those who foolishly dismiss people as gullible and compliant.

Just ask Statler and Waldorf, whose most famous quote was: "Get off the stage, you bum!"

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Preparing for the golden years

Cocaine found hidden in 96-year-old's wheelchair

Here in North Carolina, we're on the cutting edge of elder care, particularly those programs that allow the elderly to be cared for in their own homes.

Some, however, take it just a little too far -

Kings Mountain, North Carolina: A 96-year-old woman has said she does not know how crack cocaine got into her wheelchair.

Julia Roberts was charged with possessing crack with intent to sell and deliver, and with possessing a crack pipe. She was freed pending a hearing on March 30.

"I've never seen [the drugs] in my life," she told The Charlotte Observer. "I don't know how they could get there [into her wheelchair]."

A search warrant for the arrest said it was the third time Cleveland County deputies had seized crack at the mobile home Roberts shared with her son at Kings Mountain.

Harold Roberts, 61, was charged with possessing stolen goods. His brother, James Roberts, 58, who lived nearby, was charged with possessing moonshine. A neighbour, Donald Eugene Bridges, 56, was charged with possessing stolen property.

A Cleveland County sheriff's officer, Bobby Steen, said Roberts and the three men traded crack for stolen goods, mostly jewellery and guns.

The affidavit said an informant told deputies that Julia Roberts hid crack in her prosthetic leg during a previous search.

Begging your pardon, ma'am - but maybe the stuff got in your wheelchair when you ran out of room in your prosthetic leg?
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Thinking positively

Thinking ahead to November, I foresee either 1) a landslide victory for John Kerry, making it impossible for Republicans to swipe this election, or 2) a close victory for Kerry, which Republicans try to steal but are thwarted by enraged, wiser Democrats and a Supreme Court that wouldn't dare try that sh*t again.

Therefore, it's pleasant to contemplate the creation of the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

Googling "George W. Bush Presidential Library" doesn't come up with any plans to build one; presumably, Those Who Do Such Things are feeling pretty confident they don't need to start construction until about 2007.

The closest a brief google got me was the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, which held an exhibit from March 11- July 31, 2002 called "Fathers and Sons: Two Families, Four Presidents".

And, of course, the obligatory "Remembering September 11th" exhibit, consisting of artwork given to former President Bush-the-Elder, including this fine specimen -



After observing that 1) the artist forgot the halo, and 2) once again, Dubya is coasting on his father's coattails, we'll move right along to Jesus' General, and his fine proposal for the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

The library will be at least five stories high, one floor for each of Our Leader's terms of office. More stories will be added if Our Leader's steady hand is still needed after the War on Terror enters its third decade.

Because, as we all know, you shouldn't trade horses midstream, and this stream just happens to be a never-ending "Lazy River" ride.

I'm also particularly impressed by the soaring, central Rotunda of Blame.

We all know how tough Our Leader's first term has been. We also know that it wasn't his fault. He's told us so many times. Every problem we've faced can be blamed on someone else.

...which would include a nice "colorfully sectioned circle and spinable arrow on the floor". Sections are labelled "Clinton", "Democrats", "French", etc., allowing the player to point the blame at the usual assortment of scoundrels.

It's much like the old "Twister" game; spin the arrow, then try to figure out how to re-position yourself to prevent a humiliating crash onto the floor, bringing down anyone else in the vicinity.

The General promises to provide more insight into his plans on the American Street, and hopefully will let us know where and how we can donate to this very worthwhile project.

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StopFCC.com

(Faithful reader Greg sends along this link - thanks!)

(message about StopFCC.Com from Scott)

I started StopFCC.com because I'm tired of politicians standing up and talking about "Protecting our Freedom" one day, and then the next day they are pushing the FCC to fine a broadcaster millions of dollars over words that offend a few campaign contributors. A few large media companies and politicians get to decide what I can watch, read and listen to? I guess in this election year "Freedom" only means "Fighting Terrorism" and does not include the First Amendment.

Now the FCC is talking about trying to regulate cable and satellite? When did this country turn Communist? We need to tell the Government that this is NOT acceptable, and the only thing they seem to want to listen to is votes and money- especially in an election year.

The whole idea here is to collect a LOT of legitimate names, not like some of these other petitions that you see on the net that are more about advertising than making a difference. This is for real, we verify email addresses, and we ask for an "e-signature" (Made possible by legislation passed by President Clinton). When you sign this petition it's like signing a legal document. This is the real deal.

Once we get a lot of names, we plan on sending letters to politicians that say things like "Dear Senator ABC, based on the statistics from the petition at StopFCC.com, there are 12,345 people in your district that have pledged support for free speech and against further censorship. We urge you to reconsider the recent actions of the FCC and pledge your support for free speech. Show the voters you are serious about their first amendment rights." --- We have already had people from different government servers looking at the petition- the more people that sign the petition the more attention we will get.

Help support the campaign. Sign the Petition and then tell as many people as you can about what we are trying to do.

Thank you for your support!

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Clinton Aides Plan to Tell Panel of Warning Bush Team on Qaeda

Senior Clinton administration officials called to testify next week before the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks say they are prepared to detail how they repeatedly warned their Bush administration counterparts in late 2000 that Al Qaeda posed the worst security threat facing the nation — and how the new administration was slow to act.

Testimony is scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, and will involve Richard Clarke (who will also appear on 60 Minutes Sunday), former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, former Defense Secretary William S. Cohen and Samuel R. Berger, Mr. Clinton's national security adviser.

Better fasten your seat belts. Though much of their testimony - confirming the incoming Bush administration was throroughly briefed on the al Queda threat - is already part of the public record - this is an election year. Bush/Cheney has only begun to fight, and will be spinning the testimony for all they're worth.

While Clinton officials have offered similar accounts in the past, a new public review of how they warned Mr. Bush's aides about the need to deal quickly with the Qaeda threat could prove awkward to the White House, especially in the midst of a presidential campaign. But given the witnesses' prominence in the Clinton administration, supporters of Mr. Bush may see political motives in the testimony of some of them.

Do ya think?

A White House that would deliberately "out" a CIA agent to mask their incompetence won't hesitate to annihilate Clarke, Albright, Cohen, and Berger.

I have no problem believing the White House pooh-poohed warnings given them. After all, this is the "anti-Clinton" administration, and multiple sources have confirmed the Bush obsession with getting Saddam to the point of neglecting Osama.

Expect the Clinton administration's record on fighting terrorism to be thoroughly shredded, history to be revised, and continued celebration of Iraqi Freedom "successes".

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Ancient Indians made 'rock music'

Archaeologists have rediscovered a huge rock art site in southern India where ancient people used boulders to make musical sounds in rituals.

Just can't help myself; another news item reminds me of a movie.....


What's Up, Doc?

Best car chase scene. Ever.

Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal, and the incomparable Madeline Kahn.


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Dayton, Tennessee once again a vacation haven for gays

After revealing himself to the world as a bigoted jackass -

Commissioner J.C. Fugate, who initiated the Tuesday motion, also made the motion to rescind it Thursday. In a discussion about gays and same-sex marriage at the earlier meeting, Fugate had asked the county attorney to find a way to "keep them out of here."

Because, like - the decision would have been illegal.

(County attorney Gary) Fritts said he advised the commissioners that they could not ban homosexuals or make them subject to criminal charges. The U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) last year struck down laws on homosexual sodomy as a violation of adults' privacy.

Damned activist judges.

Anyway, what does that do to the GAYDAR contract? Anonymous sources tell me that the good commissioner Fugate is in secret negotiations with Saudi Arabia.

In the meantime, you might want to try driving the Religious Heritage Trail, which goes through Rhea County and includes the Dayton Courthouse, scene of the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial.

The region also has "beautiful little country churches that speak to the faith of a lot of different generations," said Carolyn Brackett, a researcher for the National Trust for Historic Preservation Heritage Tourism Program.

"As far as we know, this is going to be the only religious history trail of its kind," said Melissa Alley, vice president for the Convention and Visitors Bureau at the Cleveland-Bradley Chamber of Commerce.

The Religious Heritage Trail includes:

RHEA COUNTY COURTHOUSE: 1475 Market St., downtown Dayton. A national historic landmark. The Scopes monkey trial was held on the second floor; it contains the original judge's bench, four tables, railing, jury chairs and spectator seats.

WHITWELL HOLOCAUST EXHIBIT: German railcar used by the Nazis to transport Jews. Located at Whitwell Middle School, 1130 Main St., Whitwell, 45 minutes northwest of Chattanooga.

OUR LADY OF THE POOR SHRINE: Catholic shrine in New Hope, west of Chattanooga.

BETH SALEM: Historic African American church and cemetery. From Interstate 75, take exit 49 at Athens, Tenn.; follow Tenn. 30 East through Athens toward Etowah. About 5 miles out of Athens, turn right onto County Road 602. Church is a quarter-mile on the left.

BRAINERD MISSION: Site where Cherokee Indians were converted to Christianity. Marker located at 5600 Brainerd Road, Chattanooga.

CHURCH OF GOD EXHIBIT: The Beauty of Holiness Exhibit tells the story of the Holiness movement, back to John Wesley, and the early history of the Church of God. Pentecostal Research Center.

Very nice. But while you're driving through, just don't do or say anything that might indicate gayness.

Something tells me all those "beautiful little country churches that speak to the faith of a lot of different generations" had better speak louder.....some folks aren't listening.

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So, how are you observing the "anniversary"?

President Bush in Washington and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in Baghdad marked Friday's one-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq by praising the coalition's progress.

Bush told a White House audience that included diplomats of countries that participated in the war that the United States and its allies "have pledged before the world: We will never bow to the danger of the few."

In Baghdad on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States was committed to giving the Iraqis a country of which they can be proud.

How are "celebrations" going throughout the world?

Explosions from what coalition sources said may have been three mortar shells were heard in Baghdad Friday night at about 8:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. ET). Sirens could be heard in the Green Zone, where the coalition is headquartered. There was no initial word on injuries or damage.

Britain's top envoy in Iraq, former U.N. Ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock, said Iraqis will have "unbelievably bad days" as the violence continues in the months ahead.

South Korea has canceled plans to send troops to the northern Iraq city of Kirkuk, citing U.S. pressure to participate in "offensive operations" that are contrary to Seoul's mission of peaceful reconstruction, the Defense Ministry said Friday.

Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski said Thursday that although he does not think Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, it would be a mistake to withdraw Poland's troops from Iraq now, a Polish government spokeswoman said.

Some Iraqis marked the occasion by protesting about poor security and unemployment.

Me? I think Charles2 has it right -

To call this an anniversary while, on average, more than a soldier a day is being killed by insurgents, is obscene. When these same insurgents are making sure, by killing civilians - Iraqi and foreign - to put the lie to the statement that the Iraqis are better off now than while Hussein was still in power; that is no time to celebrate. We have a long way to go to clean up the mess that our stuffed flightsuit has made in the Middle East.

Perhaps it's best to call today The One Year Memorial.

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Thank you Osama and Saddam

Interesting how all the conservative talking heads consider the Spanish government-switch "appeasement". Shame on those Spanish voters, participating in a democratic election, letting the terrorists influence their vote!

Clearly, it's not the case - given the poll results taken just the day before the election which showed the Socialist party ahead by a slight margin.

Obviously, GOPers are hoping for a November 2002 redux -

President George Bush wrapped himself in the American flag and won a major victory last week as U.S. voters gave control of both houses of Congress to the Republican party. In mid-term elections, the party in power almost always fares badly, but this year an electorate, gripped by fear of terrorism, and whipped into war fever by high-voltage propaganda, voted Republican. Thank you Osama and Saddam.

(Published on Sunday, November 10, 2002 by the Toronto Sun
After Iraq, Bush Will Attack His Real Target by Eric Margolis)

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The War Room

This main rapid response team comes in at 6:30 AM and can stay past midnight on any given day, but at night they get a bit of relief from Chris Jackson and Peter Dauo, two young staffers who make the Kerry campaign a 24-hour operation. Jackson, aided by a group of volunteers round the country who watch local news programs in key swing states like Ohio, puts together a 30-page memo to top aides of both what's in the morning papers and what people are seeing on television about the campaign. Dauo reads the blogs, tracking what people are saying about Kerry on the Web. (emphasis mine)

One word - ammunition.

Scour the news, scour the archives, and blog, blog, blog. Who knows - whatever little bit of ammo you turn up may be helpful.

Dauo may not read it on your blog or comments, but someone will pick up on it, then someone else, and someone else - and soon it becomes known 'net-wide.

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Job creation - but where?

Ford layoffs, plant closings won't affect Claycomo (January 11, 2002)
Ford Motor Co's announcement of "significant" layoffs at 11 North American plants will not affect Kansas City's Claycomo plant, a company spokesman said.

By the middle of the decade, Ford (NYSE: F) also will close five other plants and discontinue four low-margin vehicles, company officials said. They gave no timetable for the layoffs.

Ford said in a prepared statement that about 35,000 employees have been or will be affected by worldwide restructuring since January 2001, including 21,500 in North America.

Thousands more US layoffs in wake of Ford job-slashing 17 January 2002
Last week’s announcement by Ford Motor Company that it would eliminate 35,000 jobs, including 22,000 in North America, was the sharpest expression of a job-cutting trend that has continued unabated in the US in the new year. Two million jobs were shed by US corporations in 2001, and the first two weeks of 2002 have seen further layoffs carried out in all segments of the economy—from retail to manufacturing to finance.

Task Force Looks To Soften Effect of Ford Layoffs (January 26, 2004)
The Ford Hazelwood Task Force is working on plans to diversify the region's job base and soften the effect of the loss of a production shift this year at Ford Motor Co.'s plant in Hazelwood.

Ford layoffs will hit area businesses (01/29/2004)
Nickie Murphy, bartender at Hazelwood Bowl, has a sick feeling as she ponders the impact of 1,000 lost jobs at the nearby Ford Motor Co. plant.

"If they're not making money, they're not coming in," Murphy said. "I'm going to lose all my business."

Indeed, a similar refrain could be heard Thursday from small retailers along Lindbergh Boulevard in Hazelwood, following Ford's announcement that it will cut one shift at the assembly plant.

Those shop owners and their employees are the hidden losers in a massive job loss for the St. Louis region, said Patrick McKeehan, project director of the Ford Hazelwood Task Force.

Russian subsidiary of Ford works three shifts a day

Ford Motor Company plant in Russia was opened in July 2002, $150 million was invested in this project. The plant produces three modifications of Ford Focus: sedan, hatchback and universal. This is the first plant in Russia which is owned and operated by foreign company. The sales of the vehicles started in October 2002. After seeing the vehicles success in Russian market, Ford CEOs introduced the second shift at the plant in May 2003.

Russian motorists appreciated the advantages of Ford Focus, 15,876 of vehicles were sold in 2003.

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From the "I'm not making this up" file

Movie about Christ starts violent domestic fight
The Associated Press - Statesboro, Ga.

A couple got in such a heated argument after seeing "The Passion of the Christ" that they were arrested for fighting.

The two left the theater debating whether God the Father in the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit was in human form or spiritual.

When police arrived at their home, the wife had ripped her husband's shirt, and he had punched a hole in the sheet rock near the stairs.

"It was the dumbest thing we've ever done," said 34-year-old Melissa Davidson.

She and her husband, 33-year-old Sean Davidson, were charged with simple battery March 11.

A police report said Melissa Davidson suffered injuries on her left arm and face, while Sean Davidson had a scissor stab on his hand and his shirt was ripped off.

Melissa Davidson acknowledged she had a scratch but said there was no scissor injury.

"We both called the law on each other," she said. "It was one of those stupid things. We were arguing over a point of religion."

The couple has been married for 10 years and had never been in an argument like that before, she said.

"We're each other's best friends. Sometimes people get stupid," she said.

So much for that "peace on earth, good will toward men" stuff.

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Rhea County, Tenn. Announces Space, Missile, and Gay Defense Initiative

DAYTON, Tenn. - J.C. Fugate, Rhea County Commissioner, announced today that negotiations have been initiated with the Department of Defense for a GAYDAR (Gay Alert; Ya'll Are Rejected) from Acme Technology, Inc. for the Space, Missile, and Gay Defense Initiative and Support (SMGDIS) Contract.

This is a 5-year contract with Acme Technology including options and valued at approximately $20.7 Million. Commissioner Fugate announced that the contract would be subsidized by confiscation of property from known gays, tax cuts for heterosexual Christians, and eliminating educational pork such as lunches, library book purchases, and hot water.

Wiley Chiote of Acme states, "This contract further enhances our capabilities in the space, missile, and gay defense area and we are proud to be a part of the GAYDAR team.

/satire, I think

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Today's assignment

Compare and contrast:

Tenn. County Wants to Charge Homosexuals

DAYTON, Tenn. - The county that was the site of the Scopes "Monkey Trial" over the teaching of evolution is asking lawmakers to amend state law so the county can charge homosexuals with crimes against nature.

The Rhea County commissioners approved the request 8-0 Tuesday

Commissioner J.C. Fugate, who introduced the measure, also asked the county attorney to find a way to enact an ordinance banning homosexuals from living in the county.

"We need to keep them out of here," Fugate said.

AND....

Overview of the Salem Witch Trials

The Salem witchcraft events began in late February 1692 and lasted through April, 1693. All told, at least twenty-five people died: nineteen were executed by hanging, one was tortured to death, and at least five died in jail due to harsh conditions. Over 160 people were accused of witchcraft, most were jailed, and many deprived of property and legal rights.

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I TOLD you I was in the Axis of Good

Thanks to Houston, we now have confirmation.

You're the United Nations!

Most people think you're ineffective, but you are trying to
completely save the world from itself, so there's always going to be a long way to go.  You're always the one trying to get friends to talk to each other, enemies to talk to each other, anyone who can to just talk instead of beating each other about the head and torso.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, and you get very schizophrenic as a result.  But your heart is in the right place, and sometimes also in New York.

Take the Country Quiz at the Blue Pyramid
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Didn't I already see this movie?

St. Patrick's Day parade crash injures 8

SAVANNAH, Georgia (AP) -- A convertible sped through an intersection during the city's St. Patrick's Day parade Wednesday, slamming into three members of a marching band and spectators who lined the parade route. Eight people were injured.

Was the guy driving the convertible dressed like a pirate? Or did he have french fries up his nose?







Actually, I think it was a conspiracy -

The parade watchers included two members of a G8 Summit planning team who were monitoring security measures at the event. Nearby Sea Island is the site of this year's meeting of leaders from the G8 member nations, which will be held in June.

Seriously, I'm glad nobody was killed.

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Polygamist Charged With Fresno Murders

The defense plans to use the "Gay Marriages Drove Me To It Defense".
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Feeding the aggregator

...which sounds vaguely alarming, but really isn't.

If you know what I'm talking about, look to the side bar on the right; you'll see a modest little "Site Feed" entry. Click on that, and subscribe to my site feed for up-to-date, moment-by-moment reports on whatever nonsense I write.

And if you know what I'm talking about, you probably don't want to read the following:

If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't feel bad; you're not by yourself. Most of us are just now catching on to this great little goodie.

First, you need the ominous-sounding aggregator. There are many; I use Bloglines. It's free and super-easy to download to your hard drive and install.

Now you need to subscribe to some blogs. Look for "Site Feed" (like you see on my sidebar), or "XML" or "RSS Feed".

Click on that link, and a new window will pop up with a lot of very utilitarian-looking text. Copy the URL.

Now go to your aggregator program, and paste that URL in the "subscription" area.

If you have Bloglines, you can also download their Notifier. The Notifier puts a little "B" icon in your taskbar.

Here's what happens.....every hour on the hour, Bloglines searches the blogs to which you have subscribed. If any have updated, a little red dot will appear on that "B" icon in your taskbar.

Believe me, if I can do it, anyone can. It's free, simple, and a great way to keep in touch with all your favorite blogs.

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Stop the presses, there's been a security leak

Bush administration officials are seriously pissed after the release of a CIA surveillance aircraft video that is thought to show Osama bin Laden in 2000.

Releasing the video might even remind voters that President Clinton ordered cruise missile strikes on suspected terrorist training camps in eastern in Afghanistan where intelligence suggested bin Laden might be in 1998.

Never mind the technology; every man, woman, and child on the face of the earth thinks the United States can read your driver's license or I.D. papers (in your wallet, in your pants pocket) from a zillion miles in space.

The pissing-off part is that the video confirms - gulp - the Clinton administration - was on bin Laden's tail years before George Bush even figured out how to pronounce the al Queda leader's name.

I think we can depend on the Department of Justice to jump on this one immediately, with no advance warning and no mercy.

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Collective Sigh Reading Recommendation

For an enjoyable morning of leisurely reading, may I recommend the Law of Administration for the State of Iraq for the Transitional Period?

I've always hoped Iraq would become a strong, free democratic country. After briefly perusing the constitution for the transitional period, I almost wish they would one day become strong enough to liberate the citizens of the United States.

Because, dang - I want some of that stuff.

A brief sampling, with some items from my wish-list in bold -

Chapter One - Fundamental Principles

Article 3 ......Likewise, no amendment may be made that could abridge in any way the rights of the Iraqi people cited in Chapter Two

Article 6 The Iraqi Transitional Government shall take effective steps to end the vestiges of the oppressive acts of the previous regime arising from forced displacement, deprivation of citizenship, expropriation of financial assets and property, and dismissal from government employment for political, racial, or sectarian reasons.

Chapter Two - Fundamental Rights

Article 12. All Iraqis are equal in their rights without regard to gender, sect, opinion, belief, nationality, religion, or origin, and they are equal before the law. Discrimination against an Iraqi citizen on the basis of his gender, nationality, religion, or origin is prohibited. Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the security of his person. No one may be deprived of his life or liberty, except in accordance with legal procedures. All are equal before the courts.

Article 14. The individual has the right to security, education, health care, and social security. The Iraqi State and its governmental units, including the federal government, the regions, governorates, municipalities, and local administrations, within the limits of their resources and with due regard to other vital needs, shall strive to provide prosperity and employment opportunities to the people.

Article 15.

(B) Police, investigators, or other governmental authorities may not violate the sanctity of private residences, whether these authorities belong to the federal or regional governments, governorates, municipalities, or local administrations, unless a judge or investigating magistrate has issued a search warrant in accordance with applicable law on the basis of information provided by a sworn individual who knew that bearing false witness would render him liable to punishment.

(C) No one may be unlawfully arrested or detained, and no one may be detained by reason of political or religious beliefs.

(E) The accused is innocent until proven guilty pursuant to law, and he likewise has the right to engage independent and competent counsel, to remain silent in response to questions addressed to him with no compulsion to testify for any reason, to participate in preparing his defense, and to summon and examine witnesses or to ask the judge to do so. At the time a person is arrested, he must be notified of these rights.

(I) Civilians may not be tried before a military tribunal. Special or exceptional courts may not be established.

Article 17. It shall not be permitted to possess, bear, buy, or sell arms except on licensure issued in accordance with the law.
Article 20.

(A) Every Iraqi who fulfills the conditions stipulated in the electoral law has the right to stand for election and cast his ballot secretly in free, open, fair, competitive, and periodic elections.

(B) No Iraqi may be discriminated against for purposes of voting in elections on the basis of gender, religion, sect, race, belief, ethnic origin, language, wealth, or literacy.

Article 24.

(C) No official or employee of the Iraqi Transitional Government shall enjoy immunity for criminal acts committed while in office.

Article 27

(E) The Iraqi Transitional Government shall respect and implement IraqÕs international obligations regarding the non-proliferation, non-development, non-production, and non-use of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, and associated equipment, materiel, technologies, and delivery systems for use in the development, manufacture, production, and use of such weapons.

Article 33.

(E) The Iraqi Armed Forces may not be dispatched outside Iraq even for the purpose of defending against foreign aggression except with the approval of the National Assembly and upon the request of the Presidency Council.

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When you're rich & healthy, the world is your oyster

Bush promotes health-care plan, saying it will `empower consumers'

"The debate is whether or not the marketplace ought to have a function in determining the cost of health care, or whether or not the federal government ought to make all the decisions," Bush said during a conversation on health care hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "I've made my stand. I believe that the best health-care policy is one that empowers consumers, and one that understands the market."

"Empower consumers", my butt.

Shorter Bush:

I believe my big donors who run the health care system and pharmaceutical companies should be able to charge whatever they want.

So, how does our "consumer empowered" system deliver?

#27 in hospital beds (3.6 per thousand people)

#52 in infant mortality (6.69 deaths per 1000 live births)

#42 in life expectancy (77.4 years, total population)

#22 in maternal mortality (8 per 100,000)

#69 in measles immunization (92% children, one year old)

But hey - WE'RE NUMBER ONE !! - In spending ($4,271 per person, 1999)

Isn't there something wrong with this picture?
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I'm hearing voices

John Kerry said -

"I've met more leaders who can't go out and say this publicly, but boy, they look at you and say, 'You got to win this. You got to beat this guy."

George Bush said -

"I think if you're gonna make an accusation in the course of a presidential campaign, you ought to back it up with facts,"

John Kerry should say -

"Willingly. As soon as George Bush names the world leaders who support his re-election."

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Democracy wins

Very few issues are black and white, the way Bush & Friends characterize them. The Toronto Star puts it in words simple enough that even the most committed good/evil, black/white, night/day pundit can understand -

Spanish voters were not bowing to terrorists when they threw out the ruling conservative Popular Party on Sunday. Instead, they were punishing a government they believed was trying to mislead them. They also were rejecting a government that joined the United States in backing the Iraq war, against the wishes of the vast majority of Spaniards.

(snip)

For too long, the world has been sidetracked from the war on terror. The blame for that lies squarely with Bush and his obsession with Iraq. Instead of spending vast resources fighting Saddam Hussein and hunting in vain for non-existent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Bush forgot that the real war should have been on terror.

Our precious human resources have been wasted, and our treasure squandered, the naked emperor struts the world stage and calls himself a warrior - and the world laughs at him.

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Going for that younger, more macho look?

As beastofsound remarked in comments to an earlier post -

"What I find interesting about the drugs developed to treat follicle and erectile dysfunction is that no man I know will admit they use them. Yet someone's buying them."

At least now we know who uses Grecian Formula.

(from New Yorkish)


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Desperation in Afghanistan

Desperate Afghan Makes an Ass Out of Himself

I am far too genteel, tasteful, and damned ladylike to comment.

Calliing Rick Santorum......
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How loud can you scream?

Start practicing.

From Time, via Pandagon -

Administration sources tell TIME that employees at the Department of Homeland Security have been asked to keep their eyes open for opportunities to pose the President in settings that might highlight the Administration's efforts to make the nation safer. The goal, they are being told, is to provide Bush with one homeland-security photo-op a month.

Got a blog? Post it.

No blog? Leave comments everywhere about it.

Got a newspaper? Write a letter to the editor.

Got friends? Tell them about it.

This really, really stinks. Not only is it a stupic, crass political exploitation of the War on Terra, but it draws first responders from their busy schedule.

My suggestion for ways to "pose the President in settings that might highlight the Administration's efforts to make the nation safer"?

How about posing him on the front porch at the ranch, holding a "will work for food" sign?

And didn't Aznar just get his party's ass kicked out of office for this kind of thing?

Hmmm....maybe Bush should try it.......

(corrections, 10:57 p.m., 3/15/2004)


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Take a very deep breath....

....put down any sharp objects, strap yourself into your chair, and remove any containers of liquid away from your computer.

Now, go here.....
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Payday!

It's the fifteenth of the month, which means payday in this household.

And payday means another donation to the Kerry campaign!

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Monday dog blog

Woo-hoo! State champs!



Trinity High School Bulldogs (my daughter's "alma mater") - North Carolina 3A Boys Basketball Champs!
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Getting tough

The Gadflyer begins it's series today on "Getting Tough".

Must. Read.

Monday - "Getting Tough With the Right"

Laying the foundation for future victories will require money, energy, thought and patience. But if they want to help make our nation a truer reflection of the noble ideals on which it was founded, progressives will have to strap on the chain mail, jump on their horses, and ride into battle. If they do it right, the first years of the 21st century may be remembered as the end of the age of the wimpy liberal – and the beginning of the age of the progressive warrior.

Tuesday - "Getting Tough with the Media"

Wednesday - "Getting Tough with Progressive Constituencies"

Thursday - "Getting Tough on the Campaign Trail"

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The faith-based Medicare law

It's bad enough the Bush administration is using our tax money to trumpet it's ghastly new Medicare law, but seniors who fall for the propaganda will find themselves in a virtual landmine of rising prices and red tape.

Today's Seniors details the pitfalls -

Nasty Surprise #1 ... "inflation increases"

The $250 deductible, $35 monthly premium and other coverage amounts described above apply only to 2006. Those amounts will be adjusted for inflation in 2007 and later years. However, the copayment amounts for people eligible for low-income assistance will not be adjusted for inflation.

Nasty Surprise #2 ... "separate enrollment"

You must enroll separately for the new Plan D prescription drug benefit if you wish to participate, even if you are already enrolled in Medicare Part A and B (the government loves paperwork!).

Nasty Surprise #3 ... "freedom of choice"

Medicare's new Part D prescription drug plan is voluntary ... you don't have to enroll. For many seniors, it might cost more than you could expect to receive in benefits, especially if you are healthy. Or, you might put off enrolling because you simply can't afford it.

But, if you delay enrolling for more than 2 months after first becoming eligible, you will be penalized for the rest of your life! The penalty will permanently increase your premium 1% for every month you delay. For example, if you delay 10 months, you will pay 10% more than almost everyone else. If you delay 2 years, your premium will be about 25% more than other people pay.

Nasty Surprise #4 ... "no supplemental insurance allowed"

When you enroll in Part D, you will not be allowed to keep a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy that includes a benefit for prescription drugs. As a result, if you now have a Medicare Supplement insurance policy that does include a prescription drugs benefit (Plan H, I or J), you must make a choice no later than March 4, 2006 (or 63 days after you enroll in Part D, if that is a later date).

Obviously, it will take a leap of faith for seniors to sign on; faith that you will remain healthy, faith that your retirement income will increase along with inflation, and great faith that you (or some bureaucrat) won't screw up the paperwork.

That's a pretty big leap of faith for anyone, and almost certainly a leap off the health care cliff for most seniors.

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Spanish elections - a win for al Queda?

Many opinions have been expressed regarding the terrorist attacks in Spain and their effect on the election.

Most seem to feel that the attacks were a direct slap to the right-of-center Aznar government. Depending on which side of the fence they're sitting, the Socialist Party victory is seen as a repudiation of conservative handling of terrorism or evidence that al-Queda is winning.

I'm not so sure about either idea. Ninety-four percent of Spain's citizenry oppose the war in Iraq and providing Spanish troops to the effort. One of the Socialist Party's promises is to disentangle from Spain's alliance with the Bush administration's war policy and bring Spanish troops home.

Had the Socialist Party been in power the last several years, formed an unconditional alliance with the United States, and sent troops into Iraq - would they have been re-elected?

It's apparently not the party label voters rejected, but an anti-war protest in it's most potent form.

It was not a general anti-war, pacifist protest; it was a repudiation of the Iraq war. Spain has provided invaluable expertise in the war in Afghanistan - from engineers to bomb disposal to helicopter support and beyond. Whether or not Zapatero will pull Spanish troops from Afghanistan remains to be seen; far fewer Spaniards oppose the war in Afghanistan than the war in Iraq.

Is al Queda "winning" by influencing elections? I suppose it could be spun that way, but al Queda wasn't on the ballot, nor were their demands for the United States to pull troops from Saudi Arabia or for Israel to disappear.

Spain has a long history of vigorously fighting terrorism, both domestic and foreign, and cooperation with other countries in the effort. Like every other nation in the world, their record is a mixed story of successes and failures. There is no reason to think a change in government will suddenly imperil their intelligence gathering apparatus, police work, or military. Nor is it reasonable to believe the voters desired less vigilance.

The voters certainly did not embrace al Queda or cave to it's demands - they rejected Aznar's alliance with George Bush and the war in Iraq and Aznar's apparently politically motivated attempts to pin the blame for the latest terrorist attack on ETA.

Perhaps the message of the Spanish election is not a win for al Queda or a repudiation of the right-center policies, but a rejection of politicians who don the triumphalist armor, and attempt to manipulate events in their own favor.

(cross-posted on ETalkinghead)

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U.S. Unloading WMD in Iraq

The Tehran Times isn't exactly known for "fair and balanced" news, nevertheless the headline certainly catches the eye.

Over the past few days, in the wake of the bombings in Karbala and the ideological disputes that delayed the signing of Iraq’s interim constitution, there have been reports that U.S. forces have unloaded a large cargo of parts for constructing long-range missiles and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the southern ports of Iraq.

Who knows? But it's a measure of the world's distrust that such a report would be printed - and believed.

Heck, I'd believe it. In fact, I'd be quite willing to believe this cache would be discovered sometime near election day.

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Researchers: Stem Cells May Cure Baldness



In a stunning turn of events, the Bush administration announced it's full support for stem cell research. (/satire)

Too bad there aren't more bald GOP'er legislators; researchers would be working overtime with full federal funding.

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Back in Iraq

Sometimes, I feel physically sick with grief and shame when I read Riverbend -

One example of an arbitrary detention we heard about the other day was of a man who was arrested in Tikrit. They raided his home and gathered the 25-year-old man, two brothers and an elderly uncle. They got the usual treatment: a bag on the head, and hands behind their backs. They were taken to a place outside of Tikrit and thrown into a barn-like area with bags on their heads- still tied up. For 3 days, they were kicked and cursed by the troops. In between the kicking and cursing, a hefty soldier would scream questions at them and an interpreter would translate, "Are you part of Al-Qaeda?! Do you know Osama bin Laden?!" On the third day, one of the young men struck up a deal with who he gathered was their 'head'- the man who gave all the orders. They agreed that one of the soldiers would accompany the man back to the city and wait while he came up with $300/detainee. The rest of the men would be freed a couple of days later.

And it worked. Two days later, his three relatives came walking home after being dropped off on the side of the road. Basically, they paid a ransom for their freedom. Just one of the many stories about life in the 'New Iraq'- no wonder Chalabi was so jubilant while signing the Transitional Law document. The country is currently like an unguarded bank- especially for those who bear arms.

(snip)

These last few days have brought back memories of the same dates, last year. What were we doing in early March? We were preparing for the war… digging wells, taping up windows, stocking up on candles, matches, kerosene, rice, flour, bandages, and medicine… and what are we doing now? Using them.

Civil war, by June 30th. If not before.

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Pointed Questions on Missile Defense System

As early as July, silos in Alaska could be filled with three-stage interceptors meant to destroy incoming ballistic missiles with the help of ground- and space-based sensors. It would be the first time the nation has had a system for destroying warheads aimed at American soil since the short-lived Safeguard program in the 1970's.

Congress has it's own set of questions, but just in case they need some more, I suggest utilizing the University of Florida's May 2003 edition of Consumer Highlights, with it's feature titled "Five Questions To Ask Before Buying Anything Over $20" (PDF warning):

1) Do I really have a need or compelling use for this?

2) Could I just as well borrow or rent it, for less?

3) If I really do need it and borrowing it is not feasible, can I afford to pay for it with cash?

4) If I can, do I already own something that would serve just as well?

5) If I don't have anything that will do the job, do I know for a fact that I have found the best value? Have I really checked around enough to know?

If your prospective purchase passes each of the above checkpoints, still WAIT 24 HOURS before making the purchase (unless it's an emergency, of course). With this system, you will save money on many items that you would buy largely on impulse, without sufficient thought.

I'll go out on a limb and say the proposed missile defense system doesn't pass our purchase test - especially since it doesn't work.

In an interview Thursday, Mr. Christie's predecessor at the Pentagon, Philip E. Coyle, expressed far more doubt about the tests.

"Ever since the president made his decision, the priority of the program has been on deployment, not on understanding whether the system works," said Mr. Coyle, now a senior adviser at the Center for Defense Information, a private research group. "Most people don't appreciate how complicated this system is, nor how much all of the tests so far have been artificially scripted to be successful."

One of these days, I will take my final breath, pass over to the other side, and all will be revealed.

Presumably, one of the questions that will be answered is - "Will these bozos ever give up their 'Star Wars' dreams?"

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WMD - Weapon of Medicare Destruction

Medicare Nominee Agrees to Senator's Demand

Remember Scottie McClellan's brother Mark? Dubya's choice as Weapon of Medicare Destruction?

The amiable Dr. Mark said Monday -

he won't answer senators' questions about his opposition to importing prescription drugs from Canada before he takes over the government health program.

Which strikes me as very much like refusing to share intelligence with allies, but bullying them into supporting a war.

But bless him, Mark has had a change of heart.

The U.S. nominee to run Medicare, with his confirmation stuck on hold, bowed on Wednesday to demands he testify about his opposition to the importation of lower-priced medicines.

Mark McClellan, currently commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites), will appear before the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday.

The spin?

"Mark believes he needs to be the bigger man and step forward and reverse the trend that puts politics in front of public health," said Peter Pitts, the FDA's associate commissioner for external relations.

(ed. note - /sarcasm)

How about reversing the trend that puts pharmaceutical profits in front of public health? Or reversing the trend to put politics before the public good?

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Politics of global warming; meet Hollywood

Never trust me for movie reviews or recommendations.

I've been known to enjoy wonderful, critically-acclaimed movies as well as the critically-panned. In fact, I've probably enjoyed more "thumbs-down" flicks than otherwise.

For what it's worth, I enjoyed Independence Day (1996). The pairing of Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum tickled my weird sense of humor, and the "primary weapon" destruction scenes were pretty awesome. It was fun; I enjoyed it, it got a lot of publicity and made a lot of money.

So I'm kind of looking forward to The Day After Tomorrow, from the same director (Roland Emmerich), which will be released on May 28th.

Especially considering the Pentagon's concern about the sudden effects of global warming -

The threat that has riveted their attention is this: Global warming, rather than causing gradual, centuries-spanning change, may be pushing the climate to a tipping point. Growing evidence suggests the ocean-atmosphere system that controls the world's climate can lurch from one state to another in less than a decade—like a canoe that's gradually tilted until suddenly it flips over. Scientists don't know how close the system is to a critical threshold. But abrupt climate change may well occur in the not-too-distant future. If it does, the need to rapidly adapt may overwhelm many societies—thereby upsetting the geopolitical balance of power.

Though triggered by warming, such change would probably cause cooling in the Northern Hemisphere, leading to longer, harsher winters in much of the U.S. and Europe. Worse, it would cause massive droughts, turning farmland to dust bowls and forests to ashes. Picture last fall's California wildfires as a regular thing. Or imagine similar disasters destabilizing nuclear powers such as Pakistan or Russia—it's easy to see why the Pentagon has become interested in abrupt climate change.

Now check out the synopsis of The Day After Tomorrow -

In Independence Day Roland Emmerich brought you the near destruction of earth by aliens, Now, in Day After Tomorrow the enemy is an even more devastating force: nature itself. Tornadoes rip Los Angeles; a massive snow storm pounds New Delhi; hail the size of grapefruit batters Tokyo; and in New York City, the temperature swings from sweltering to freezing in one day. In this special-effects packed, highly anticipated event motion picture, an abrupt climate change has cataclysmic consequences for the entire planet.

It's pretty safe to assume Bush never bothered to read the Pentagon report.

But if the movie is even halfway decent, gets a big box office, and lots of publicity - maybe it will catch Dubya's attention?

The U.K. Guardian has it's own take - Hollywood disaster film set to turn heat on Bush .

I'm not sure I'd go that far, but movies have had a big effect on politics in the recent past.

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It loses something in translation

With a gazillion dollars to spend and an ample supply of eager-beaver investigators, you'd think the Bush administration could get a few things right.

But as we all know, in the Bush universe black is white, up is down, and apparently male is female.

Bush praises man in speech on women's rights

"Earlier today, the Libyan government released Fathi Jahmi. She's a local government official who was imprisoned in 2002 for advocating free speech and democracy," the president said in a speech at the White House on Friday.

The Libyan government did release Fathi Jahmi. Jahmi was imprisoned in 2002 for advocating free speech and democracy. Hurray for accuracy!

But, um.....Jahmi is a man

All told, the president made references to more than a dozen other women ranging from his wife, first lady Laura Bush, to last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi of Iran. He also mentioned four men including Secretary of State Colin Powell and Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who were both present.

"The advance of women's rights and the advance of liberty are ultimately inseparable," the president said. "We stand with courageous reformers."

In Bush-Speak, I guess that means -

"Curtailing women's rights and stomping democratic principles goes hand-in-hand. We stand with theocratic, totalitarian dictators worldwide.

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Earth to Bush backers

Missteps on Economy Worry Bush Supporters

In recent weeks, the White House has had to endure its chief economist's positive comments about job "outsourcing," or sending work overseas; controversial passages in the annual Economic Report of the President; questions over the legitimacy of Bush's 2005 budget; a California swing in which Bush bragged about the possible addition of two or three jobs to a 14-person business in Bakersfield and a flap over a job-creation forecast that not even the president could stand by.

Those aren't "missteps"; just "failures to frame the issue in a positive manner". In this administration, governing by "misstep" is just Standard Operating Procedure.

"Clearly, the machinery's not working very well," said Bruce Bartlett, an economist with the conservative National Center for Policy Analysis, who noted that this White House has been known for its discipline on message.

Clearly, the propaganda machinery needs a major overhaul, and any vestiges of "truth", "honesty" and "responsibility" must be vigorously nipped at the bud. Preferably, well before the election.

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March Madness

It's March Madness time here in Basketball Heaven, otherwise known as North Carolina.

N.C. State beat Florida State, Duke beat Virginia, and Georgia Tech swiped a victory from my beloved UNC Tarheels,

Now that the Tarheels have been beat, the most interesting event of the evening for me was when a plainclothes security man, seated just behind the scorer's table, had a slight accident when his sidearm apparently decided to fire itself.

Shot himself in the butt.

Let the Madness continue!

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I (heart) Houston

No, not the city, though it's a mighty fine place, but R. Houston Bridges.

Not only does he provide great pictures and commentary from the pro-gay marriage demonstrations in San Francisco, but he has given me the best present I could wish for on Weblog Appreciation Day.

Read everything, of course - it's all good - but scroll down to Thursday, March 11th ("The March") and the first picture.

Thanks, darlin' !! I am very honored, very proud, and very touched.

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Bring on the immigrants!

No wonder Bush would like to give amnesty to illegal immigrants - "He nice."

From Newsday (via Atrios) we learn a bit about one of Bush's latest photo ops -

It is the not-so-secret secret of every presidential campaign that most crowds at most campaign stops are so much stage prop. They are there to make a certain amount of noise, to look like a constituency the candidate hopes to win the votes of -- in the Bay Shore factory, Hispanic voters -- and to be as unsurprising and well-behaved as security arrangements can make them.

So he speaks at a factory where the work force is made up largely of low-paid, non-English speaking immigrants. People who 1) can't understand what he's saying, and 2) aren't likely to create a disturbance.

From Bush's point-of-view, that's a photo op "perfect storm".

Security people kept reporters from interviewing the workers at U.S.A. until the president was on the way to his next stop.

But when workers were finally interviewed -- these people who made up the bulk of the president's cheering audience in New York -- Bush's performance turned out to be, if anything, even more impressive.

"No speak English," said the first worker, smiling apologetically.

"No speak English," said the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth workers way-laid in the crowd.

But you think the tax cuts should be made permanent, as he says?

"Sorry, no English," said another.

(snip)

I understand him a little bit English," said Nubia Guzman, a packer who said she earns $7.50 an hour after four years on a job that Bush had described in his speech as evidence of the success of his tax cutting economic policies. She has no health coverage.

What did you like about him? she was asked.

"He nice," she said.

No, Nubia - he not nice.

He just want smile and clap.

He no care sh*t about you.

When he's got his photo op, he'll move on, leaving you with a lousy salary, no benefits, and no possibility of improving your life.

Then he'll make a campaign commercial with a dark-skinned person as the villain, and rail against you when the audience wants to hear it.

It's just another plastic turkey moment from the all hat, no cattle preznit.

Él no es agradable

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Is this mike on?

The best comment of the day, as usual, comes from that priceless news source - The Daily show.

As anchorman Jon Stewart observes, it's what Dubya says when he KNOWS the microphones are on that should concern us. Such as -

The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.

And in answer to the great issue of the day - Should 14 year olds be allowed to vote?

Instead of giving the vote to more savvy kids, why don't we give it to fewer stupid grownups?

Now, there's an interesting concept.
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Weak leadership in a time of chaos

As Dubya and the GOP continue to trumpet "steady leadership", "wartime president" and "blah-blah-blah", it might be useful to revisit the set of questions the Family Steering Committee would like the 9/11 Commission to ask our preznit.

Keeping in mind, of course, that he has yet to answer them and has been too busy raising campaign funds to do so.

We begin with their statement -

The Family Steering Committee believes that President Bush should provide sworn public testimony to the full ten-member panel of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States . Collectively, the Commissioners are responsible for fulfilling the Congressional mandate. Therefore, each Commissioner must have full access to the testimony of all individuals and the critical information that will enable informed decisions and recommendations.

Before an audience of the American people, the Commission must ask President Bush in sworn testimony, the following questions:

1. As Commander-in-Chief on the morning of 9/11, why didn’t you return immediately to Washington, D.C. or the National Military Command Center once you became aware that America was under attack? At specifically what time did you become aware that America was under attack? Who informed you of this fact?

2. On the morning of 9/11, who was in charge of our country while you were away from the National Military Command Center? Were you informed or consulted about all decisions made in your absence?

3. What defensive action did you personally order to protect our nation during the crisis on September 11th? What time were these orders given, and to whom? What orders were carried out? What was the result of such orders? Were any such orders not carried out?

4. In your opinion, why was our nation so utterly unprepared for an attack on our own soil?

5. U.S. Navy Captain Deborah Loewer, the Director of the White House Situation Room, informed you of the first airliner hitting Tower One of the World Trade Center before you entered the Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida. Please explain the reason why you decided to continue with the scheduled classroom visit, fifteen minutes after learning the first hijacked airliner had hit the World Trade Center.

6. Is it normal procedure for the Director of the White House Situation Room to travel with you? If so, please cite any prior examples of when this occurred. If not normal procedure, please explain the circumstances that led to the Director of the White House Situation Room being asked to accompany you to Florida during the week of September 11th.

7. What plan of action caused you to remain seated after Andrew Card informed you that a second airliner had hit the second tower of the World Trade Center and America was clearly under attack? Approximately how long did you remain in the classroom after Card’s message?

8. At what time were you made aware that other planes were hijacked in addition to Flight 11 and Flight 175? Who notified you? What was your course of action as Commander-in-Chief of the United States?

9. Beginning with the transition period between the Clinton administration and your own, and ending on 9/11/01, specifically what information (either verbal or written) about terrorists, possible attacks and targets, did you receive from any source?

***

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. As our Attorney General would no doubt claim, if a person is innocent, they have nothing to fear.

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The best friends money can buy

From the Guardian -

Most Pakistanis claim to despise Mr Bush for what they consider America's unjustified attack on Iraq. But regime change in the White House is probably the last thing President Pervez Musharraf would really want. "The government would like Bush to win," said Tahir Mirza, editor of the Dawn, a leading daily paper. "We've always been pro-Republican - we think the Republicans are much more sympathetic to Pakistan. And, in the present case, they've given us a lot of money."

Do you get the feeling this is the way Dubya has always acquired "friends".
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Cool!

Via beastofsound and blogosfear, we hear that tomorrow is Weblog Appreciation Day!

In anticipation of all those thousands hundreds couple of folks that might like to show me their appreciation, I hereby post my WISH LIST.

(Well, maybe my mother will see it)

In no particular order -

John Kerry for President

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

MoveOn.org

Eyes on the prize, no apologies, no mercy!!

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Cracking the code

I think I've finally cracked the secret code of "how to be a wingnut". It's really very simple - "Never learn a lesson from past mistakes".

Just a small, random sample -

***Don't burgle the opposition.

***Don't depend on freep-able, online polls

***Don't mess with the CIA

***Don't try to fool widows and orphans

***Never get involved in a land war in Asia.

***When you're a pot , don't call the kettle black.

**Don't do phoney photo-ops (no giv plastick turkee!)

(feel free to add to the list)
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I'm no journalist, but I know crooks when I smell them

Via Calpundit and TNR -

From a Bush campaign press release:

"In My First Hundred Days In The White House, I Will Roll Back George Bush's Tax Cut..." (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks In Manchester, N.H., 12/27/03)

From Kerry's actual remarks:

"In my first hundred days in the White House, I will roll back George Bush's tax cut for the wealthiest so that we can invest in education and health care."

I've used the same technique to cut to the point myself; who hasn't?

Had the quote read "In my first hundred days in the White House," said Kerry, the husband of wealthy heiress Teresa Heinz Kerry. "blah-blah-blah" - I would have cut out the "husband of wealthy heiress" part as being irrelevent.

But I don't cut out critical parts of a passage to suit my particular set of beliefs. It doesn't take an ethics or journalism or whatever degree to know the difference between distortion and fact.

John Kerry is right - the GOP consists of some of the most lying, crooked political operatives on the face of the earh, and there is no need for him to apologize for speaking the truth.

No apology, no mercy, no quarter.

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Senate Warns Baseball on Steroids Testing

Senators grill baseball commissioner, union head over steroid problems

Now...have some fun imagining how this would have turned out if our preznit had become baseball commisioner.
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Now they tell me

Scientists find a way to beat the menopause

Their research raises the prospect of extending childbearing years and offers a more natural alternative to HRT to offset ageing and maintain youthful vigour.

I wish severe hot flashes on every scientist who wants to make women fertile and vigorous long past the time for genteel little-old-ladyness.

Pregnancy is tough enough on the young and strong, which leads me to believe the researchers had to be either male or non-childbearing females.

We can't afford the child we have, and I earned every one of these gray hairs and wrinkles, thank you.

However, the study was done on mice and a leading figure in the field, Prof Roger Gosden, was cautious.

He welcomed the research, but said: "Reproductive biology is very variable between species and, as yet, there is no evidence in humans contrary to the old dogma that egg production ceases before birth.

I'll skip the obvious "man on mouse" Santorum analogies, and just offer my deepest sympathies to all those elderly, pregnant mice. At least they won't have to worry about "No Child Left Behind" and other assorted BushCo atrocities.

But I'm sure Ashcroft will find some way to worm his way into mice childbearing issues.

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An earnest plea for fiscal sanity

Yeah, yeah, yeah - the United States economy is in the tank, but the big economic news that caught my eye (and stomach) is -

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (KKD) on Wednesday posted higher quarterly earnings on new store openings, but its stock fell 4.7 percent with an analyst citing an unexpected drop in profit margin.

For the sake of doughnut gourmands everywhere, I am down on my knees, begging the Krispy Kreme management to rein in their expansionist instincts and greed.

J.P. Morgan analyst John Ivankoe wrote in a research note that Krispy Kreme's company-store gross margin declined for the first time in three years and called it a "major surprise."

He said that lower average weekly sales in Krispy's company stores was discouraging as the company has aggressive store expansion plan for fiscal 2005. Ivankoe rates the company's shares "underweight."

Concentrate on making those yummy doughnuts in the stores you already have, and keeping your biggest fans overweight!

(But opening a new store on my street would be welcome)

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Bush Fund-Raisers Among Overnight Guests

President Bush opened the White House and Camp David to dozens of overnight guests last year, including foreign dignitaries, family friends and at least nine of his biggest campaign fund-raisers, documents show. (emphasis mine)

I'm going to agree with George W. Bush about something, so pay attention....it doesn't happen often.

In a debate with Vice President Al Gore in October 2000, Bush said: "I believe they've moved that sign, `The buck stops here,' from the Oval Office desk to `The buck stops here' on the Lincoln Bedroom. And that's not good for the country."

Of course, with Bush that "Buck Stops Here" sign isn't anywhere in his field of vision or life experience.


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More Medicare decimation

Could we please hold the general election today?

NTodd , via AP alerts us to the latest BushCo attempt at dismantling the social safety net.

Mark McClellan, President Bush's choice to run Medicare, said Monday he won't answer senators' questions about his opposition to importing prescription drugs from Canada before he takes over the government health program.

Actually, McClellan has good reason to avoid answering questions. He'd have to admit he's a liar and a tool of big pharmaceutical companies.

From Knight-Ridder, Nov. 26, 2003 -

FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan, in a speech last week in Canada before a group of drug information experts, said the agency had found "thousands of examples of unapproved and potentially unsafe medicines" coming into the United States from "many countries, including from Canada.

I'm still shaking my head over this one; the man had the nerve to stand up and say this in front of a group of drug information experts....in Canada. Every one of his audience must have known McClellan was nuts.

But maybe they realized he came by it honestly - he and his brother, Scottie of White House press conference infamy - share the "gall" gene.

Although they've been warning Americans about the dangers of prescription drugs from Canada for nearly a year, U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials can't name a single American who's been injured or killed by drugs bought from licensed Canadian pharmacies.

"We don't have that," said Tom McGinnis, the FDA's director of pharmacy affairs. "I can't think of one thing off the top of my head where somebody died or somebody got put in the hospital because of these medications. I just don't know if there's anything like that."

Neither does Canada.

Health Canada, which regulates Canada's prescription industry, "does not have any information that would indicate that any Americans have become ill or have died as a result of taking prescription medications purchased from Canada," said Jirina Vlk, a spokeswoman for Health Canada.

I find myself wondering if Tom McGinnis still has a job.

Concern that the FDA may be misleading consumers has hurt its credibility among some Capitol Hill lawmakers, who say the agency is carrying water for the powerful drug industry.

"There's no question in my mind that the (FDA) is too dependent on the pharmaceutical industry for their attitudes and decision-making," said Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., who chairs a House subcommittee that's studied the Canadian drug issue. "I had four hearings and I asked (FDA Associate Commissioner William Hubbard) to give me examples where people have been damaged by Canadian pharmaceuticals and re-importation, and he couldn't even give me one, not one."

In response to Burton, Hubbard cited examples of people who got the wrong drugs from Canadian pharmacies. While that's a danger, U.S. pharmacists make similar errors. Hubbard also told Burton that the FDA thinks many people don't report adverse incidents that result from Canadian drugs.

When Dan Burton sees through you, you might as well check into the nearest sanitorium.

Mark McClelland's biography sounds impressive - Associate Professor of Economics at Stanford University, Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford Medical School, a practicing internist, and Director of the Program on Health Outcomes Research at Stanford University. He was also a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research and a ....

Uh, oh - here's where the boy went wrong - a visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Predictably, the Biotechnology Industry Association is lamenting the (presumed) loss of McClellan from the FDA -

Industry lamented the loss of McClellan, a longtime Bush ally, a former White House economist, and a medical doctor.

“Commissioner McClellan wasted no time in setting a new course for the FDA, one that is committed to new drug innovation by removing unnecessary regulatory barriers,” said Biotechnology Industry Association president Carl Feldbaum, in a statement. “The result has been a substantial number of approvals for a host of new medicines that will benefit millions of patients across the country.”

And coincidentally fill Big Pharma's pocket's with gold.

With friends like these, seniors might as well start lobbying for elective euthanasia.

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Visitor #6000 stumbles onto Collective Sigh

According to Sitemeter, NTodd, of Dohiyi Mir - YOU were visitor number #6000 at Collective Sigh.

But you're not half as clever as you think.....I had 1,140 visits before installing Sitemeter. No soup for you, NTodd!

Nevertheless, it's a landmark of sorts, and I'm glad it was my Liberal Coaltion Fearless Leader who did it.
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Oops! He did it again

Scalia Addressed Advocacy Group Before Key Decision

WASHINGTON — As the Supreme Court was weighing a landmark gay rights case last year, Justice Antonin Scalia gave a keynote dinner speech in Philadelphia for an advocacy group waging a legal battle against gay rights.

Scalia addressed the $150-a-plate dinner hosted by the Urban Family Council two months after hearing oral arguments in a challenge to a Texas law that made gay sex a crime. A month after the dinner, he sharply dissented from the high court's decision overturning the Texas law.

A little review of Scalia's blasts from the past -

The Los Angeles Times reported that Scalia flew in January on Air Force Two with Vice President Dick Cheney to go duck hunting in Louisiana, shortly after the high court decided to hear a legal challenge to Cheney's intent to keep information about his energy policy task force secret.

The Times also found that in November 2001, Scalia was a guest speaker at the University of Kansas Law School at a time when the school's dean was spearheading two cases before the court, and that the justice went pheasant hunting with the Kansas governor and the former state Senate president.

The man has no shame, no concept of judicial ethics, no respect for the American people, no respect for the highest court of the land.

Antonin Scalia - just another gift to America from Ronald Reagan.
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Laying claim to 9/11

In today's Washington Post, Richard Cohen argues that Bush can, indeed, lay claim to 9/11 - IF he will own up to what went before....intelligence failures, lack of defensive action, etc.

The president is entitled to use Sept. 11, since it happened on his watch and he performed admirably. But for the same reason -- his watch -- he ought to cease playing hard-to-get with the commission looking into how the terrorist attacks happened in the first place. If he wants to own Sept. 11, he's entitled. But it does not come alone. Sept. 10 is his, too.

If George Bush wants to claim 9/11, I challenge the "performed admirably" bit, and I'd further add that he must also own up to the aftermath.

I've mentioned in comments to an earlier post that one of my most vivid impressions on 9/11 was thinking "where is the president?"

And who will ever forget the number of off-duty first responders - police, port authority, fire fighters, EMT's - who dropped whatever they were doing and rushed to the scene?

They were off duty; they weren't paid for their voluntary response. Some of them died for their devotion.

And as Bryan quite reasonably commented -

"I have nothing against people who don't want to run towards trouble, just so they don't claim that they did."

If I were president....

(you can stop laughing any time now)

...there is no power on heaven or earth or within the Secret Service that could have kept me away from the nation's capitol and off the airwaves to reassure the frightened citizens of the country. It's what leaders do.

Carrying on the fantasy - if I were president, I would have made a quick, graceful-as-possible exit from that classroom, spoken quietly with my aides to get as much information as possible, taken a few moments to calm myself, and then spoken to the nation through the assembled gaggle of reporters.

I would then explore the possibilities of returning to Washington, D.C. immediately. If my vice president advised me to stay away from Washington, D.C., as Cheney did, I'd make some colorful suggestions as to what he could do with his advice, and resolve never to listen to him again.

As president of the United States, travel options aren't completely limited. If it was considered unsafe to fly aboard Air Force One, with a fighter escort, I could have taken an alternate, secret flight and sent Air Force One on as a decoy.

Upon arriving at Andrews Air Force base, I'd make my way to the White House in the safest manner possible, and then broadcast a serious, reassuring, informative speech from the Oval Office.

Does this sound like an unreasonable scenario for a President of the United States, in response to a terrorist attack on American soil?

If it sounds unreasonable to anyone, raise your hand.



It became evident to anyone with a TV, radio, the internet, or through office gossip that the United States was under coordinated attack when the second tower was struck at 9:02:54 a.m.

So, just what did our Steady Leader do on 9/11 that gives him the right to "claim" it?

He took to the air, went hundreds of miles away from the White House, neglected to address the nation (making only some brief "we'll get 'em" remarks) until many hours later, and has yet to cooperate fully with the full investigation he himself promised on that day.

Twenty seven minutes later, at 9:30 a.m., Bush gave one of those few, brief "we'll get 'em" statement to the stunned nation.

During the remarks, Bush promised a full investigation into the attack.

Fifty-six minutes later -at 9:59 a.m.: Air Force One departed Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport for Andrews Air Force base, with no extra military protection, even though 2 of the 7 military air stations we had on full alert to protect the continental United States that day were based in Florida. Homestead Air Station in Homestead is 185 miles and the Tyndall Air Station in Panama City is 235 miles from Sarasota.

One hour and thirty-eight minutes later -10:41 a.m.: Air Force One was still en route to Washington when Cheney called; he urged Bush not to return. "There's still a threat to Washington." Rice agreed, and had told Bush the same thing.

There was little debate or discussion. Cheney was worried the terrorists might be trying to decapitate the government, to kill its leaders. Bush agreed.

One hour and forty minutes later -10:43 a.m.: Air Force One banked suddenly and sharply to the left, its course now westerly toward Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

Two hours and thirty-seven minutes later - 11:40 a.m.: Air Force One arrived at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana

Two hours and forty-two minutes later -11:45 a.m.: From Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, Bush made a brief and informal initial statement to the effect that terrorism on U.S. soil would not be tolerated, stating that "freedom itself has been attacked and freedom will be protected."

Three hours and thirty-three minutes later -12:36 p.m.: Bush finally appeared on television from the Barksdale Air Force Base conference room, it was not a reassuring picture.

He spoke haltingly, mispronouncing several words as he looked down at his notes. He says that all appropriate security measures are being taken, including putting the United States military on high alert worldwide. He asks for prayers for those killed or wounded in the attacks and says: "Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts."

When he got to the last sentence, he seemed to gain strength. "The resolve of our great nation is being tested," he said in even tones. "But make no mistake: We will show the world that we will pass this test."

His remarks were fed by the media pool to the networks, causing a short delay before the nation could see them. The entire statement consisted of just 219 words, and Bush took no questions from reporters.

Four hours and forty-five minutes later - 1:48 p.m.: President Bush left Barksdale in Louisiana aboard Air Force One and flew to an undisclosed location. He flew to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) bunker at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska where there were secure facilities that would allow the president to conduct a meeting of his National Security Council in Washington over a video link.

Five hours and forty-seven minutes later - 2:50 p.m.: Before leaving Air Force One, Bush repeated to his lead Secret Service agent, "We need to get back to Washington. We don't need some tinhorn terrorist to scare us off. The American people want to know where their president is."

Indeed they did; a "steady leader" would have known it instantly and fought for it vigorously from the get-go.

Six hours and three minutes later - 3:06 p.m.: Air Force One landed at U.S. Strategic Air Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

Six hours and fifty-two minutes later - 3:55 p.m.: Karen Hughes, a White House counselor, said the pResident was at an undisclosed location, later revealed to be an Air Force base in Nebraska, and was conducting a National Security Council meeting by phone. Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice were in the underground bunker at the White House. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was at the Pentagon.

Seven hours and thirty-three minutes later - 4:36 p.m.: The president left Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska aboard Air Force One to return to Washington D.C.

Nine hours and thirty-one minutes later - 6:34 p.m.: Air Force One landed at Andrews AFB. On his way back to the White House, his Marine One helicopter flew over the Pentagon to give him a first-hand look at the damage.

Nine hours and fifty-one minutes later - 6:54 p.m.: Bush arrived back at the White House aboard Marine One and was scheduled to address the nation at 8:30 p.m.

Eleven hours and twenty-seven minutes later - 8:30 p.m.: Bush finally addressed the nation, saying, "Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil" and asked for prayers for the families and friends of Tuesday's victims. "These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve," he said. The pResident said the U.S. government would make no distinction between the terrorists who committed the acts and those who harbor them.

Excerpted from 911Timeline.net (all emphases mine)

Two years, five months, and twenty-six days later - March 9, 2004 -

The White House said on Tuesday it was possible U.S. President George W. Bush could be questioned longer than an hour he agreed to by a commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, an apparent concession that came after criticism from Democrat John Kerry. (Reuters)

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Sniper Muhammad sentenced to death

My liberal, progressive, namby-pamby, whatever side is having a hard time with this.

I don't believe we, as individuals or a society, have a right to take another human life.

And yet - my family lives within a stone's-throw of Seven Corners, where one of the shootings took place. It was several hours before I could confirm the victim was not one of my loved ones.

I was terrified, my family was terrorized, and John Allen Mohammad was a true terrorist. If anyone deserves capital punishment, Mohammad does.

I've gotta think long and hard about this one.
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From Field & Stream

Drilling the Wild
A voracious energy policy afflicts our public lands.

Rod and gun in hand, and backing the Second Amendment right to own firearms, President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have won the hearts of America’s sportsmen. Yet the two men have failed to protect outdoor sports on the nation’s public lands. With deep ties to the oil and gas industry, Bush and Cheney have unleashed a national energy plan that has begun to destroy hunting and fishing on millions of federal acres throughout the West, setting back effective wildlife management for decades to come. (more)

Drip, drip, drip.

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From the folks who brought us the $640 toilet seats

Well, here's some reassuring news....

Pentagon to oversee U.S. spending in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- After a power struggle with the U.S. State Department, the Pentagon has won control over most of an $18.4 billion aid package for Iraq, and rebuilding delayed for a month will start this week, U.S. officials in Baghdad said Sunday.

Much of the enormous aid package -- funded by U.S. taxpayers -- will go toward 2,300 construction projects over the next four years. Of these, the State Department will oversee as little as 10 percent. But $4 billion of the aid package has been set aside, and spending authority for those funds is still in discussion.

Congress approved the aid in November, but the bickering delayed contracts expected to be approved Feb. 2. The State Department had pushed for control because it will become the top U.S. agency here after Iraqis are handed sovereignty June 30.

Starting this week, about $5 billion worth of contracts are to be awarded to 17 companies for projects in seven various sectors, said Steven Susens, a spokesman for the Program Management Office, which is overseeing the funds for the Pentagon-run U.S.-led coalition authority.

My gut feeling is that Iraq will erupt into civil war, sooner rather than later, and those $435 hammers and $640 toilet seats will probably end up in the hands of looters.

Our tax dollars at work, folks.

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March roars in like a lion

A few days late, but true to the old saw - March has roared in like a lion here in central North Carolina.

After several balmy, beautiful 70-80 degree days, a cold front blasted us last evening with cold, biting 60 mph winds and gusts of rain.

Those 60 mph wind gusts did a number on my mother's house, ripping off about 1/3 of the shingles.

The shingles were about due to be replaced anyway, but it's still an unexpected expense and hassle.

Why not call the homeowners insurance company? Because they're running a scam just as insidious as health insurance companies.

In the last several years, we've experienced a couple of tropical storms and a really devastating ice storm. Predictably, homeowner claims skyrocketed as trees crashed through roofs and electricity was off for days (weeks, in some cases).

People who had faithfully paid premiums for many years discovered that upon filing ONE claim, their premiums were raised drastically or policies cancelled altogether.

And North Carolina is hardly the only state being scammed. From Screwed By Insurance.Com -

At the end of 2000, there were two severe 'ice storms' to hit the state of Arkansas. Each time we filed claims because we were covered by Allstate. Our claims were honored and we were relieved of the burden of restoring our home and food losses for each event. The total amounted to $4652.00. This year, our garage door did not go all the way up when we were backing out to leave. The damages covered after the deductible was paid cost Allstate $97.08. As a result of this history of claims filed, Allstate will not renew our policy. Of course, after reading so many of the "SCREWED" stories, it is easy to see that this is a common practice which will probably never change unless some legislative remedy is achieved. We must all do what we can to hold the industry accountable to it's poor practice of penalizing policy holders for filing claims.

From Florida -

Well, Happy Thanksgiving to me. After having been a customer of State Farm Insurance for 20 years - homeowners, auto, rental - I get a letter from them stating they're not renewing my homeowners when it expires due to claims activity. This, according to them, does not include "acts of God". Of course, this is occurring just months after I had an "Act of God" damage my home. And, since I live in Florida, I carry homeowners with additional hurricane and flood insurance, as well as a personal liability rider ... just to be safe. Before I filed this claim, I specifically asked if it would be held against me or cause me to lose my coverage. They said absolutely not! A couple of weeks ago some "re-adjuster" called and wanted to check up on the adjuster that had come out and inspected the damage and handled my claim. He said they performed random reviews of the properties their adjusters worked and he asked me a ton of questions about the adjuster that handled my claim. I told him she was wonderful; that I really appreciated how nice and helpful she was, etc. Then I get this letter. What a bunch of thieving crooks! I can only wonder if they're doing this because they're only here to collect premiums and no actually pay claims...or maybe it's because, I've now had my auto insurance with them so long, in January I'll be in the "no cancel" status. Maybe they just don't want to carry anyone they can't cancel...

Besides paying a few claims here and there, paying their executives outrageous salaries, and sinking our premiums in risky investments - what do these companies do with our money?

Oh, yeah - they make contributions to political campaigns.

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Bush/Cheney04 - We're Cheap and Quick!

Taking it's cue from corporations looking for "quick and cheap" overseas labor, I suppose it's no big surprise to hear the firefighters in the Bush/Cheney04 "9/11" ad were not firefighters at all, but actors.

Another less-publicized aspect of the ad flap: the use of paid actors—including two playing firefighters with fire hats and uniforms in what looks like a fire station.

After all, American jobs are being shipped overseas at a record pace by corporations that pretend to be American while avoiding U.S. labor standards, avoid paying U.S. taxes, and cheered on by politicians who pretend to represent U.S. citizens

"There's many reasons not to use real firemen," retorted one Bush media adviser. "Mainly, its cheaper and quicker."

This Bush media advisor has a good point. After all, real firefighters are busy doing real things, like fighting fires, rescuing people from dangerous situations, and training to get better at it.

Which is becoming increasingly difficult, given the Bush administration's plan to slash hundreds of millions in funds from the First Responder and Assistance to Firefighters Grant programs.

However, I suppose we should cut them some slack on this one. Apparently, the search for firefighters willing to participate in a Bush/Cheney04 ad wouldn't be quick, and even that $100-plus million war chest didn't hold enough to persuade a real one.

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Florida early birds

Anyone down there in Florida willing to take a morning off work?

Kerry events -

Monday, March 8

Hollywood, Florida - 8:00am.
John Kerry will host a Town Hall Meeting with South Florida Democrats at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Center at 2400 Charleston Street at 8:00am.

West Palm Beach, Florida - 11:00am.
John Kerry will host a Rally with Palm Beach Democrats at the WPB Public Library on 100 Clematis Street. Join us at 11:00am.

Tampa, Florida - Doors open at 5:30 pm.
John Kerry will host a Rally with Tampa Democrats at Centro Ybor's Open Air Market Plaza on 8th Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets inTampa, FL.


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The great question of our time

201K asks -

"What, exactly, did George Bush do on 9/11 that was so great?

What did he do--before, during, or after--that was so great?

Seriously--what?

Any clues?

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Kicking a guy when he's down

And it couldn't happen to a better guy.

The Attorney General lies in ICU, presumably under the influence of some of the most powerful painkillers known to man. I can sympathize with him on that score, and I'm having a high old time imagining him screaming "Gimme more DRUGS!". Been there, done that.

But it's hard to work up much sympathy for an Attorney General who "raised more than $100,000 last year in order to pay a fine and legal costs for violating campaign finance laws, according to Federal Election Commission records".

The Spirit of America PAC in 1999 and 2000 earned $165,000 from renting its mailing list to outside groups and transferred $112,000 of that money to the Ashcroft 2000 campaign committee. Election laws, the FEC ruled, permitted the Ashcroft PAC to donate only $5,000 for the primary and $5,000 for the general election to his Senate campaign committee, which it already had done.

During the two-year FEC inquiry, Ashcroft committee lawyers described the then-senator as owner of the PAC mailing list, which would have exempted the fund transfers from any limitations. However, the FEC last year rejected that assertion because Ashcroft did not disclose his ownership or the rental income in his 1998 and 1999 Senate financial disclosures. He has also not listed the mailing list as an asset in his required filings as attorney general.

Ashcroft, who lost his reelection campaign before being tapped by President Bush as attorney general, has avoided any direct involvement with his fundraising committees' legal problems, even though he was the founder and major figure in both of them. To make their case, committee lawyers instead used documents he signed, including one that they said established his ownership of the mailing list, but the attorney general was never interviewed during the FEC inquiry.

That same PAC raised $36, 893 during 2003 - most of that from the mailing list rental.

After receiving no response to a January 15, 2004 letter, the National Voting Rights Institute, which filed the original FEC complaint against Ashcroft, and four other non-profit groups have requested that the Department of Justice's inspector general appoint a special counsel to look into the matter.

They have yet to receive a response.

(source - Washington Post, March 7, 2004)



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One wonders what they're thinking

Imagine yourself as an Indian or Mexican worker, proud of your new job at a call center, manning a customer help line -

Hundreds of thousands of phone calls each month from struggling New Yorkers who have questions about their food stamp benefits are being routed to call centers in India and Mexico, Newsday has learned.

In a taxpayer-funded twist on the issue of outsourcing U.S. jobs, the state uses J.P. Morgan Electronic Financial Services for the food stamp program and the bank in turn has relied on a call-center company with facilities outside the United States to handle queries. The foreign- based help desks answer questions from New York and more than 30 other states.

I am truly very happy these workers have a better job and can go about building a better life.

In the meantime, I hope J.P. Morgan Electronic Financial Services is putting a nice, fat portion of their profit back into the United States economy.

Curiosity regarding this fine corporate citizen brought me to The Cheating Culture -

While not nearly as embroiled in the Enron scandal as Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan Chase has been feeling the wrath of betrayed investors and an angry public. The company recently paid out $135 million in fines to the SEC, though no guilt was conceded, in relation to the agency's allegation that J.P. Morgan aided Enron executives in perpetrating massive fraud.

Latest Scandal: J.P. Morgan Chase, one of the largest banks in the world, loaned money to Enron and helped disguise the money as profits from operating activities. Additionally, it recommended to banks to loan money to Enron, which resulted in a repayment of outstanding loans by J.P. Morgan

I'm not sure I count that as contributing to the U.S. economy.

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Ashcroft still in hospital, awaiting test results

I am hoping the results will indicate "life-threatening pregnancy".

I'd give a full year off my lifespan for that one.
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(from Bag News, via The Agonist)
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Challenge of the week

Lines you would rather not hear from your neighbour

One of my favorites -

"Welcome back. We checked your house a couple of times and answered some of your e-mails for you." (Sherman Brooker, Halifax)

All are hilarious! (from the Globe and Mail)

This week's challenge -

This week's challenge: A variation on an old favourite. Suggest uncharacteristic utterances of famous people, living or dead. E.g. Jean Chrétien: "Of course I'll take the rap for Gagliano." Samuel Beckett: "Let's head down to Vegas and party through the weekend!" Thanks to John O'Byrne for the idea and examples.

Entries to: The Globe Challenge, Editorial Department, The Globe and Mail, 444 Front St. W., Toronto, Ont., M5V 2S9; 416-585-5085 by fax; challenge@globeandmail.ca by e-mail. Please include name and address. Deadline: noon (Toronto time) March 16. Prize: The Canadian Oxford Paperback Thesaurus.

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Missed another anniversary

While I lost a day out of my life messing with two cranky computers, Big Things were happening in the War on Terra.

I missed the Nine Hundred Day Anniversary of "Wanted - Dead or Alive", and many thanks to Voice of a Veteran for reminding me.

Who can ever forget those immortal words, spoken by the Gunslinger- in-Chief in remarks at the Pentagon on 9/17/2001?

"I want justice," Bush said. "And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.'"

Not only did I miss the anniversary, but I missed the Official Celebration - High-tech snooping for bin Laden.

It's believed that the constant surveillance of the border region and the "squeeze play" by U.S. and Pakistani forces surrounding the mountainous frontier will present the best chance ever to net the world's most-wanted terrorist.

Which brings me to another idea - let's make September 17th "Dead or Alive Day"; the day when, in 2001, we should have put every asset, every effort into catching bin Laden but instead diverted needed resources to a snipe hunt in Iraq.

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Tightwads unite

While I respect those who give up something for the Lenten season, it's not part of my particular set of spiritual beliefs.

Instead, I'm pondering giving up something for Kerry, and using the money saved to send to his campaign.

I've just given $25 to the Kerry campaign. It's not much, but hopefully there will be more $25 or $25+ donations in the months to come.

Especially since there are so many little things I could give up....like the Fritos or Cheetos or Doritos I munch on while I'm at the computer. Or the gasoline I waste going to the local convenience store up the block.

I'm doing it through NTodd's "Kerry Core" link. Send Kerry some badly needed ammunition, and at the same time thank NTodd for all the good work he does at Dohiyi Mir.

I challenge every member, contributor and friend of the Liberal Coalition of bloggers to do the same or better!

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World starting back up

My on-line world, anyway. Computer problems solved - actually, it was TWO computers. I had to reformat my hard drive, and do some deep-digging and fiddling with my daughter's computer's registry. Yuck.

And now that I'm back, my mind spins with all the bloggable stories. Where to begin?

Florida kids get Bush-whacked

Let's start with some more Bush smoke-and-mirrors; this time, Brother Jeb.

Is your state embarrassed by a mile-long waiting list of low-income sick kids, waiting to get into the children's health insurance program? Quick - cover most of the kids on the current list, and then eliminate the waiting list altogether!

So here's the good news: The Legislature is expected to approve a measure that would end up providing coverage to about 90,000 of the 100,000 or so youngsters on the waiting list at the end of January.

The rest of the news is not good. Republican leaders in the Florida House and Senate have crafted the new legislation in ways that will radically limit future access to KidCare and prevent the press and the public from getting information about the number of kids who are frozen out.

Wasn't that easy? If Brother George could figure out a way to eliminate unemployment benefits - voila' ! No more embarrassing unemployment figures!

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Doctors vs. patients

In Texas, physicians are fighting back. Overburdened by grossly inflated malpractice premiums and leery of lawsuits, they can now check out their potential patients before deciding to honor their Hippocratic Oath, a part of which inconveniently says "I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm."

For months, an obscure Texas company run by doctors has been operating a Web site, DoctorsKnow Us.com, that compiles and posts the names of plaintiffs, their lawyers and expert witnesses in malpractice lawsuits in Texas and beyond, regardless of the merit of the claim.

The problem here is that "regardless of the merit of the claim" business.

The sponsors draw no distinctions among cases in what they say is the first effort to use public sources to compile a list of litigants in "predatory lawsuits" that are causing a medical crisis. One couple was put on the list after winning $40.9 million over a botched operation by a drug-dependent surgeon.

(emphasis mine)

Doctors DO screw up; it's inevitable. But if they do it intentionally or negligently - drug-dependence being a fine example - they should pay and pay handsomely.

But neither should good physicians be burdened by high malpractice premiums; certainly not to the extent that they refuse to take on litigious patients.

Single-payer insurance would solve the problem to a large extent. With the patient already covered for any lifetime medical care, wouldn't that take those malpractice premiums down a notch or three?

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Respect Ashcroft's medical privacy!

While we're talking about the Hippocratic Oath, let's look at this section -

I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.

A quick look at the headlines told me all I need or want to know about Ashcroft's gallstones and pancreas. Though I disagree with probably every word he's ever uttered, I wish him a speedy recovery and a speedy exit from the office.

And while he's lying in intensive care, presumably tied down by I.V. lines and such, this might be a good time to remind him of those words from the Hippocratic Oath.

He didn't have to take that oath, but the words speak to all.

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World ending

Sort of, almost. I've got nasty computer problems, and will be back as soon as I fix what's ailing it or reformat the hard drive.

Hold a good thought for me, please......
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Setting the nation's priorities

9/11 Panel Rejects White House Limits on Interviews

The independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks is refusing to accept strict conditions from the White House for interviews with President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney and is renewing its request that Mr. Bush's national security adviser testify in public, commission members said Tuesday.

The panel members, interviewed after a private meeting on Tuesday, said the commission had decided for now to reject a White House request that the interview with Mr. Bush be limited to one hour and that the questioners be only the panel's chairman and vice chairman.

It's incomprehensible to me that our wartime president can't spend more than one hour discussing the "war" over which he's presiding.

Bush hits road for campaign fund raising

In six days away from the White House, President Bush is the star attraction at five events aimed at pulling in cash to help get him re-elected and put other Republicans in office as well.

Indeed.

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A new toy (for me, anyway)

I now have the Firefox browser, thanks to the link & tip from P.Z. Myers at Pharyngula.

WOW....faster, smarter, and even this blog looks less crappy. Firefox is old news to some, I'm sure, but if you haven't tried it, I heartily recommend it.
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"Honorable" vs. Honorable

Haven't heard much on the George Does National Guard Duty issue lately; I hope it's not dead. If character will be an issue in the presidential race, it's as good an indicator as any.

Bush's defenders say "he was honorably discharged - end of story".

As if.

There's "honorable" discharges and there's honorable discharges.

My father received an honorable discharge, as most vets do. Some coast by, some serve with distinction - all are entitled to the honorable discharge.

As far as I know, the "worst" thing my Dad ever did during service was stripping some metal off a downed Japanese Zero in New Guinea and making a rather cool watch band.

Then there's the "honorable" discharge.

Like John Allen Mohammed, the D.C. sniper -

In his 17-year military career, he was formally disciplined twice while serving with the Louisiana National Guard's 769th Engineer Battalion.

In the more serious of the two summary courts-martial, Muhammad was convicted in April 1983 of violating the Louisiana Code of Military Justice for striking a noncommissioned officer in the head while on duty in August 1982. He was fined $100 and sentenced to seven days confinement, although the confinement was suspended.

In an August 1982 summary court-martial, he pleaded guilty to willfully disobeying a lawful order of a noncommissioned officer by failing to appear on time for post police duty. He was fined $100 and demoted from the rank of sergeant to specialist 4.

Yet, according to an anonymous senior defense official, he received an honorable discharge in 1994.

(emphasis mine, and thanks to Bryan for the link)

Or consider this honorably discharged specimen -

There's a murderer sitting on Georgia's death row who in a rather eloquent way demonstrates that George Bush is a liar, not that the matter is much in dispute.

This prisoner was, prior to his incarceration, an officer in the Army Reserve. Jail didn't deter his military career. While killing time awaiting execution, he was promoted from lieutenant to captain. He got credit for his Reserve service, and he received an honorable discharge. All while sitting in a cell.

(snip)

Guard and Reserve records are notoriously sloppy. If a killer can get credit for Reserve service while in jail, a privileged and insouciant playboy can certainly be a no-show at drills and still collect pay. (That would, of course, put Bush among one of the Republicans' favorite hate targets, welfare cheats, who suck up tax dollars based on fraudulent claims.)

There you go. With characters like these floating around, I don't think we'll hear too much about Bush's "honorable" service.

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Statistics, Facts, Props, and The Big Dog

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, with the sun shining brightly and temperatures forecast to rise to 70 degrees.

Our 18-inch snowfall has turned to lots of mud, and my Chihuahua herd can once again charge outside to bark insanely at every little thing and leave their poop outside instead of on their papers.

Taking full advantage of the sunshine and balmy temperatures - I sit in front of the computer and cruise around all my favorite blogs and websites. I'll take that walk later.

In the "Why Didn't I Think Of This?" category (via Pandagon) -

NationMaster.Com

The idea for NationMaster arose as I was surfing around the CIA World Factbook. It's a great read but I felt the individual figures (like number of TV's, or kilometres of coastline) didn't mean much on their own. They'd be more illuminating if they were placed alongside other countries and shown relative to population.

So I decided to put together a website that allowed users to generate graphs based on numerical data extracted from the Factbook. The next (rather obvious) realisation was that there's no reason I couldn't take in data from other sources. Why shouldn't the net have a central location that allows you to compare countries on any statistic you like?

What a great idea! Would you like to know where the United States stands in relation to other countries on crime, taxes, mortality, or a host of other issues? It's just a few clicks away at NationMaster. I'll put a link in the sidebar soon.

Congratulations to John Kerry, who apparently wrapped up the Democratic presidential nomination yesterday with impressive wins in 8 states, a win in Georgia, and 2nd in Vermont.

So without further ado, enjoy the UK Guardian's profile of the next President of the United States Iron John Kerry.

True to his word, ThatColoredFella begins his series on "accurate, fact-based research on wide ranging subjects dealing with the gay lifestyles". Here's the first installment, 'Gay Marriage Debate: Truth & Lies Vol 1'

In the "How to Drive Wingnuts Crazy" category, the Houston Chronicle gives us Bill Clinton could be just the ticket for Kerry

The Big Dog is too young, too politically savvy, and too daggone good to be left on the sidelines forever. Sure, he's done some stupid things....but I for one would love to see him set loose on the international scene, repairing our fractured relations with the rest of the world.

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Preserving the sanctity of marriage

The effort to ban gay marriage has stalled in Georgia, and it's not yet known when or if it will be revived.

Maybe it has something to do with this -

...at least one prominent state senator who supported the anti-gay amendment has been accused in court of an affair.

Sen. Joey Brush, R-Martinez, is alleged to have had extramarital affairs during the last decade with two women -- one of whom, under oath in a 1997 Columbia County divorce case, identified Brush as a sexual partner.

"That had nothing to do with the vote yesterday," he said. "The vote yesterday was about same-sex marriages. That's all it was about, and that's what the people of my district want to do, vote on it."

Asked if he'd find it hypocritical to legislate morality if he didn't abide by his own wedding vows, Brush -- the Senate Education Committee chairman -- retorted, "Well, I find you pretty hypocritical." He then trotted away.

While he didn't care to discuss his own marital issues, Brush was outspoken before Monday's vote in his support for the amendment.

"Our society is slipping on a downward slope of morality," he wrote Feb. 10 to a constituent in Grovetown. "Some would say that because traditionally marriages are failing at a greater rate that the concept is not worth saving. I believe the obvious effect of those failures on our children only makes it more obvious that traditional marriage is more important for our children. ... "

Both of Brush's alleged affairs were with married mothers.

He also voted Monday against two amendments that would have added a ban on adultery to the resolution. Those amendments failed by one vote.

(snip)

Brush, who represents suburban Augusta, moved out of the family home just after his 2002 election to a fourth term, and now is legally separated from his wife of 26 years. They have four children together.

According to two sources close to Brush, who spoke to Creative Loafing on condition of anonymity, the senator has had affairs dating back to at least 1997, but has consistently denied the allegations.

In an April 23, 1998, Columbia County hearing over the divorce of another couple, the wife in that case took the stand to answer claims of infidelity brought by her then-husband.

Attorney Douglas J. Flanagan asked the mother of two: "Who else have you had sexual relations with in the last three years, besides your husband and [a second man]?"

Answer: "You want names?"

"Yes, ma'am," Flanagan said.

She balked at the question before the judge advised her that she had to answer.

"My question was, in the last three years, how many other people, other than [a second man] and your husband have you had sexual relations with?" Flanagan asked.

Answer: "Five or six."

Question: "Could you give me the names of the five or six individuals you've had sexual relations with in the last three years?"

Answer: "Joey Brush."

A source close to Brush confirmed that the "Joey Brush" described in that trial was the state senator. Sen. Joey Brush is the only person with that name listed in Georgia phone records accessed through the Internet.

A second woman contacted Brush's wife last year and allegedly confessed to an affair. When contacted by CL, the Appling woman and mother of three at first denied she had an affair with the senator. Asked how she would answer the question of whether she had had an affair with Brush if she were on the stand, the woman declined to answer. "Well, I'm not on the stand," she said, and hung up.

In a separate tape recording, a woman who appeared to have the same voice described details of the alleged affair.

CL has chosen not to publish the names of the women with whom Brush is alleged to have had relationships or of Brush's wife, because they aren't public servants who have held themselves out as defenders of the institution of marriage.

Brush joins a long list of politicians -- including former Georgia Attorney General Mike Bowers, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr -- who publicly preached about sexual morality until they faced marriage issues of their own.

(from Creative Loafing)

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Will Cheney be replaced on the ballot?

Tom Burka has your answer here.
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Enjoy your dinner blogging



EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Fear of mad cow disease hasn't kept customers from eating the deep-fried cow brain sandwiches at the Hilltop Inn in Evansville, Ind. The delicacy is traced back to a time when southern Indiana newcomers from Germany and Holland wasted little. Some families have their own recipes passed down over the generations. (01/13/04 AP photo)

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Senate Narrowly Passes Assault Weapons Ban

In a rare victory for gun control advocates, the Senate on Tuesday voted 52-47 to extend the 1994 ban on the sale of assault weapons, which had been set to expire in September.

Moments later the Senate, by a similar 53-46 vote, backed closing the so-called "gun show loophole," requiring people who buy firearms to undergo the same criminal background checks at gun shows as they would have to at a licensed gun store.

Good.

Look - I won't have a gun in my house. I wish they'd all magically disappear from the face of the earth.

But that's not going to happen, and there is a legitimate place for weapons with those who truly need protection, responsible sportsmen, and collectors.

There's also a legitimate place for assault weapons - in law enforcement and the military.

It's a world gone made when Mad Dog Bubba Joe can beat his wife, go on a drunk, then stagger down the street to purchase an assault weapon.

Besides, which is more scary - requiring a license for a weapon, or giving licenses for same-sex marriages?

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Ashoura

On Sunday, Feb. 29th, Riverbend gave us some interesting history regarding Ashoura, a time when Muslims commemorate a tragic time in their history. She adds -

Ashoura, or the tenth day of Muharam, is in a couple of days and everyone is really worried about what might happen on this day.

She had good reason to worry - Deadly attacks rock Baghdad, Karbala - More than 140 people killed, officials say

That may be "140 and climbing", as the carnage and destruction is cleared away.

So much for the "everything's coming up roses" meme. I hope she, her family and loved ones are safe. Let her know she is in your thoughts and prayers.

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Happy "Read Across America Day"

and

Happy Seussentennial!

Started in 1998 as a way to get kids excited about reading, NEA's Read Across America has become the nation's largest reading event. The year-round program culminates each year on or near Dr. Seuss's birthday (March 2).

Let's all hope the "terrorists" are winning this one.

Update - a tip of the hat to Steve Bates, The Yellow Doggerel Democrat for this tribute:

I celebrate good Dr. Seuss!
Who'd speak against him? what's the ueuss?
So anyone who's sage and wise 'll
Sing the praise of old Ted Geisel!

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Just call me an eggplant


DAN RATHER: Very well. The next question is to you, Senator Kerry. It's about a woman's right to vote. Do you believe women should be able to be voters?

SEN. KERRY: It's about rights, Dan, not terminology. I believe women should have the right to cast a ballot in the Presidential election just like a man can. I believe they should be able to choose their preferred candidate, and have that selection counted toward the determination of who wins the election. But if you're asking me if we should call them voters, well, on that point I have to disagree. It's about rights, not terminology.

DAN RATHER: Senator Edwards?

SEN. EDWARDS: I believe I'm in full agreement with Senator Kerry on this one, but let me just add that I think it's a state issue. If a state wants to call its women who cast ballots "voters," then that's great; if they want to call them "eggplant," that's fine too.

For your belly-laugh of the day, click on over to A Democratic Debate Parody

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Fifty-cent psychiatry triumphs again



You are Schroeder!


Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

I'm quite sure there's some crabby, bossy Lucy and probably some "what the hell?" Pigpen mixed in. But maybe that's just one of my neuroses talking.

(Thanks to NTodd (aka Charlie Brown) for the link)
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Who's doin' the hoo-doo this time?

I used to tell my child "Don't exaggerate or lie if you want people to believe you".

My dear, elderly mother tends to exaggerate or make up ailments when she wants more attention. As I keep telling her - how will I know when something is really wrong?

So - what do we make of this....

Bush Administration Denies Forcing Aristide's Retreat

.....in light of these?

Exclusive breaking news: President Aristide says 'I was kidnapped', 'Tell the world it is a coup'.

Aristide's Lawyer Claims He Has Word President Was Forcefully Removed; Lawyers Account Differs From Administration's Story

Aristide Tells U.S. Contacts He Was Abducted

Aristide Flees After a Shove From the U.S.

U.S. denies Aristide kidnapped; Activist attributes claim to former president

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We're all in this together

The last time I checked, women outnumbered men on the planet. That puts me in a majority. I certainly have no complaints there, given women's higher life expectancy.

But the governing body of my state and my country is composed mainly of men - which makes me a minority.

I never fuss about that too much, even though I think more women in the House, Senate, White House and judicial branch would be A Good Thing. With our tendency to live longer and follow directions, it might lead to more balanced government policy.

But then someone makes the smart-alecky suggestion that I run for office, which is something I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole....right back into the majority I go.

I'll stick to being a conscientious voter. Sure enough, that puts me back into the minority again.

And now, the Pew Internet and American Life Project has released it's study of American blogging habits.

somewhere between 2 percent and 7 percent of adult Internet users in the United States actually keep their own blogs.

Of those, only about 10 percent update them daily, the majority doing so only once a week or less often.

Since I have a blog, and update probably far more than I should....you guessed it; I'm a minority again.

But, hold!

Among other findings: 21 percent of Internet users have posted photos on Web sites, and 20 percent say they have allowed others to download video or music files from their computers. Seven percent have webcams that let others see live pictures of them over the Net.

As a blogger that has only posted a few actual photos, never made video or music available for download (I'll have to check into that one) - back I go into the majority.

A webcam? Maybe I should take a poll on that one. Anyone interesting in watching the dust collect around my house, let me know. I wouldn't even charge much for it.

If you want to get nit-picky, everybody is part of a minority group in some form or another. Conversely, everyone is also part of a majority.

Which is a very long-winded way of saying before any rights are abridged, denied, diminished, or otherwise tinkered-with - perhaps the "majority" should consider in what positive ways it might affect them.

One of my favorite old sayings is "a rising tide lifts all boats". Extending rights to minorities is very much the same thing - everyone tends to benefit.

""All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated. God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God’s hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another. As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

(John Donne (1572-1631), from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII.)

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It's all about sex

The fine folks at Concerned Women for America have given me the quote for the day:

“Concerned Women for America is grateful to President Bush for speaking out in favor of the integrity of marriage. But we regret that we cannot support the defective remedy he has chosen.”

Well, damn all, as some of us say when our jaws drop.

Michael Schwartz, vice president for government relations for CWA made the announcement, which maybe should be another concern for CWA - why do they have a man as their veep for government relations?

However, we assume he shares their womanly concerns, as he continues -

“But if that amendment authorizes state legislatures to confer the entire legal substance of marriage (without the name of marriage) upon persons who are not married, then it takes away with one hand what it gives with the other.”

Shorter version - if an unmarried couple gets all the legal goodies, it's not fair.

Well - of course not. The people who get all those legal goodies should be in a legally authorized, licensed, committed relationship.

Somehow, I doubt all the legal goodies - like health care insurance, Social Security survivor benefits, etc. - are the root of CWA's problem with same-sex marriages.

Senator Rick Santorum warns -

""[T]he consequence is very clear. Marriage loses its significance. People will stop getting married. Homosexuals will not get married; heterosexuals will stop getting married. And that to me is the real threat to the American family and to the culture generally."

Actually, health care insurance strikes me as a pretty good reason to get married, and a rather powerful incentive to stay together.

In fact, using the Santorum Marriage Theory, I suppose we could say universal health insurance is a bigger threat to marriage than same-sex marriages.

As long as human beings long for companionship, love, intimacy, and sharing their lives with another, there will be a longing for the commitment of marriage. I think we can dump Santorum's Marriage Theory into the trash bin, along with some of his other looney ideas.

Jan LaRue, the lady whose view of San Francisco was ruined when she envisioned it as “Baghdad by the Bay”, continues -

"What makes anybody think that activist courts or renegade mayors will respect a state's choice to not provide marriage benefits to civil unions?” said Jan LaRue, CWA's chief counsel. “Any state law, including a state constitutional amendment, can be trumped by a federal equal protection ruling by an activist judge.”

If Jan ever visited the real Baghdad, she might find out pretty quickly what it's like to be denied equal rights because of her sex.

And if she traveled around Iraq, she'd find that her rights in one place might be far different from her rights in another. She might just find herself longing for an activist federal judge to lay down the law to the state judges.

So let's cut to the chase. Those who howl the loudest about same-sex marriages are generally those who claim to "hate the sin, but love the sinner".

It's about sex.

Would same-sex marriages be okay if the couples swore off any sexual intimacy?

If a man and woman get married, and resolve to have a celibate relationship - are they still married? Are they entitled to the legal goodies?

If a heterosexual couple, after 50+ years of marriage and/or numerous health problems is unable to have sex, are they still married?

Whose business is it, anyway?

Would the anti-gay marriage crowd have us all believe that marriage is a Romper Room full of wild sex and wonderful legal benefits?

Those of us who have been there know better, and welcome those who want to share the good times and bad, the sickness and health, the riches and the poverty, until death do they part.
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Mo comes up for air

I’m certainly glad Maureen Dowd is in one of her sane periods, as evidenced by her column in today’s NY Times.

Point number one – Mo points out that despite all the misleading, misinterpreted, and just plain false intelligence that allowed the Bush administration to get us into the Iraq pickle – not a soul has been fired, held accountable, or otherwise accepted responsibility.

Republicans have grown fond of quoting Harry Truman, but the Bush administration is certainly reluctant to adopt his "The Buck Stops Here" motto.

It is a triumph of chutzpah for Mr. Bush to thwart the investigation into 9/11 at the same time he seeks re-election by promoting his handling of 9/11 and scaring us with the specter of more terrorism. He's even using 9/11 memorials as the backdrop for his convention in New York.

But then she hits on Point Number Two - one of my pet peeves. How do you fight a “War on Terrorism”?

Bob Kerrey, former senator and member of the 9/11 commision says -

"To declare war on terrorism, it seems to me to have the target wrong," he said. "It would be like after the 7th of December, 1941, declaring war on Japanese planes. We declared war on Japan. We didn't declare war on their tactic. . . . Terrorism is a tactic."

A Bush 41 official agreed: "You can't fight terrorism conventionally like a war. Any 16-year-old kid can strap on dynamite and take down any building. It must be fought clandestinely, dealing with the underlying causes and taking security measures in our own country."

So, here we are, in a conventional war against unconventional tactics, using weak intelligence to deal with it , doing virtually nothing to deal with the underlying cause, stone-walling attempts to find out what went wrong, and making half-hearted, half-funded efforts to increase security in our own country.

There’s not a pin’s worth of difference between John Kerry & John Edwards on homeland security – strengthen and fully fund first responders, beef up credible intelligence methods, tighten border security, etc. Common-sense stuff, which should strike anyone in a sincere "War on Terror" as more important than giving tax breaks to the already-wealthy.

If we’re serious about tracking down terrorists on foreign soil, we’ll need a much more sensible foreign policy which gains us the full cooperation of our allies; intelligence sharing and their willingness to arrest and prosecute terrorists.

Any war against a shadowy "tactic" calls for restructuring or re-tooling the military. Tanks, battalions, “Star Wars” weapons, and smart bombs aren’t going to cut it.

Smaller, highly trained forces that can move fast, think on their feet, carry their own supplies, and collect and act on intelligence will be crucial.

After 9/11, someone had the idea of brain-picking Hollywood screenwriters for potential terrorist attack scenarios. It probably wasn’t a bad idea, especially if the Powers That Be are ready to fully fund, train, and deploy an “A-Team”-type force.

Finding out what went so catastrophically wrong pre-9/11 is the first step. For stalling and hem-hawing the 9/11 commission, one of those terrorist teachers needs to take the Bush administration over their knee and give them a few well-placed whacks.

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