During a Feb. 4 speech in Tampa, Florida, President George W. Bush pointed to a chart showing the Social Security system running out of money by 2042.
"What are you going to do about that chart?'' he urged the crowd to ask their senators and representatives.
What Bush didn't tell his audience was that if the forecast is correct, the U.S. will have its worst economic performance since the Great Depression.
He also didn't say that his own White House economists disagree with some of the basic assumptions of the chart, which was drawn up by the Social Security Administration.
26 April, 2006
media control by conservatives
Conservative control of the "media"
Like every other institution, the conservative dominated Fox News Channel, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, New York Post, National Review, Weekly Standard, American Spectator, Policy Review, Commentary, Human Events, the entire talk radio spectrum and most major cable television talk shows operate with conservative propaganda and control.
They include, but are not limited to, a near-universal shared conservative adherence to the belief that the Family Research Council, and the Christian Coalition are mainstream positions.
They include a belief that tax cuts aimed at the top 2 percent of earners solve the nation's problems; that tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy pay for themselves and are good ways to cut the deficit and slash social spending and don't have a negative effect on economic growth; and that emotional examples of suffering (provided by the Chamber of Commerce and major polluters) are good ways to illustrate economic statistic stories.
More systematically, the conservative media structure believes that ignoring most pressing social problems, like 35 million Americans in poverty and 45 million without basic health insurance, is better than attempting to explain and address these issues; that the White House line on the economy and Iraq is more interesting than the rising mountain of contrary facts; and that the president’s use of $10 million in taxpayer money to put ads on the air promoting his Medicare plan that was written by the Drug Companyies – produced by the same media consultant who made the PhRMA ads ripping Democrats for opposing the flawed prescription drug bill – seemed fair, somehow.
It does not accept the fact that President Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy provided almost no stimulus to the economy and are primarily responsible for massive budget deficits over the next decade.
It remains fixated on stories of economic recovery even though 2.3 million people have lost jobs since President Bush took office in 2001 and hundreds of thousands of Americans have stopped looking for work altogether.
Like every other institution, the conservative dominated Fox News Channel, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, New York Post, National Review, Weekly Standard, American Spectator, Policy Review, Commentary, Human Events, the entire talk radio spectrum and most major cable television talk shows operate with conservative propaganda and control.
They include, but are not limited to, a near-universal shared conservative adherence to the belief that the Family Research Council, and the Christian Coalition are mainstream positions.
They include a belief that tax cuts aimed at the top 2 percent of earners solve the nation's problems; that tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy pay for themselves and are good ways to cut the deficit and slash social spending and don't have a negative effect on economic growth; and that emotional examples of suffering (provided by the Chamber of Commerce and major polluters) are good ways to illustrate economic statistic stories.
More systematically, the conservative media structure believes that ignoring most pressing social problems, like 35 million Americans in poverty and 45 million without basic health insurance, is better than attempting to explain and address these issues; that the White House line on the economy and Iraq is more interesting than the rising mountain of contrary facts; and that the president’s use of $10 million in taxpayer money to put ads on the air promoting his Medicare plan that was written by the Drug Companyies – produced by the same media consultant who made the PhRMA ads ripping Democrats for opposing the flawed prescription drug bill – seemed fair, somehow.
It does not accept the fact that President Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy provided almost no stimulus to the economy and are primarily responsible for massive budget deficits over the next decade.
It remains fixated on stories of economic recovery even though 2.3 million people have lost jobs since President Bush took office in 2001 and hundreds of thousands of Americans have stopped looking for work altogether.
25 April, 2006
another Bush scam
Bush said the nation's strategic petroleum reserve had enough fuel to guard against any major supply disruption over the next few months. "So, by deferring deposits until the fall, we'll leave a little more oil on the market. Every little bit helps," he said
So Bush is doing what he should have been doing anyway and to quote, "Every little bit helps' Since his family and the Cheneys (Haliburton's no-bid contract in Iraq) are heavy in oil, you can expect the snow job that will make it appear that (1) he cares and (2) he is taking action.
So Bush is doing what he should have been doing anyway and to quote, "Every little bit helps' Since his family and the Cheneys (Haliburton's no-bid contract in Iraq) are heavy in oil, you can expect the snow job that will make it appear that (1) he cares and (2) he is taking action.
the Republicans are coming
HOUSE POISED TO GRANT ARREST POWERS TO CIA, NSA The House version of the 2007 intelligence authorization bill would grant CIA and NSA security personnel the authority to make arrests for "any felony" committed in their presence, no matter how remote from the foreign intelligence mission it might be, the Baltimore Sun reported today.
Section 423 of H.R. 5020 "appears...to grant to CIA security personnel powers that have little to do with the primary mission of 'executive protection,' and potentially creates a pretext for use or abuse of these powers for the purposes of general domestic law enforcement -- something no element of the CIA has ever been empowered to perform," wrote Danielle Brian of the Project on Government Oversight in a letter to members of the House Intelligence Committee opposing the provision.
Section 432 of the bill grants similar authority to NSA security personnel.
Section 423 of H.R. 5020 "appears...to grant to CIA security personnel powers that have little to do with the primary mission of 'executive protection,' and potentially creates a pretext for use or abuse of these powers for the purposes of general domestic law enforcement -- something no element of the CIA has ever been empowered to perform," wrote Danielle Brian of the Project on Government Oversight in a letter to members of the House Intelligence Committee opposing the provision.
Section 432 of the bill grants similar authority to NSA security personnel.
23 April, 2006
bush is scary
The Bush administration has scared a lot of Americans by saying it is going to follow its plan in Iraq despite the evidence that it isn't working. I think there'd be a lot more confidence in President Bush if he seemed to have the capacity to admit mistakes and move to correct them.
And Bush's supporters aren't helping him when they rush to attack the sanity, integrity and motives of anyone who criticizes his policies.
These critics include lifelong public servants such as former White House counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke and former ambassador Joseph Wilson, longtime republican elitists such as William F. Buckley and George Will, and now even American military generals, including those who actually led ground troops in Iraq as recently as 2004.
And Bush's supporters aren't helping him when they rush to attack the sanity, integrity and motives of anyone who criticizes his policies.
These critics include lifelong public servants such as former White House counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke and former ambassador Joseph Wilson, longtime republican elitists such as William F. Buckley and George Will, and now even American military generals, including those who actually led ground troops in Iraq as recently as 2004.
22 April, 2006
conservatives vs. liberals
Conservatives often claim that liberals love to divide us by economic class.
That's not true at all. The giving of a $400 million retirement package to an executive by Exxon/Mobil which netted $36 billion last year "divides us by economic class."
And that my friends is just the "tip of the iceberg." Have a nice day!
That's not true at all. The giving of a $400 million retirement package to an executive by Exxon/Mobil which netted $36 billion last year "divides us by economic class."
And that my friends is just the "tip of the iceberg." Have a nice day!
replace Bush, Republicans, or Rumsfeld?
I read this today: "Rumsfeld should go because he invaded Iraq without a decent plan for the aftermath. ... Rumsfeld should go because ... U.S. troops brought unimaginable shame to our nation by torturing terrorist suspects in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and at Guantanamo Bay. ... Rumsfeld should go because he sent U.S. soldiers to war without equipping them sufficiently.
And Rumsfeld should be replaced because of the atmosphere he has created in the Pentagon, a stifling one that mirrors the worst tendencies of the Bush administration."
Replace the name Rumsfeld with these 'current republicans' and we have the real solution to the problem
And Rumsfeld should be replaced because of the atmosphere he has created in the Pentagon, a stifling one that mirrors the worst tendencies of the Bush administration."
Replace the name Rumsfeld with these 'current republicans' and we have the real solution to the problem
21 April, 2006
facts of Iraq that are not heard
The number of U.S. Army soldiers who took their own lives increased last year to the highest total since 1993, despite a growing effort by the Army to detect and prevent suicides.
"These numbers should be a wake-up call on the mental health impact of this war," said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "One in three soldiers will come back with post traumatic stress disorder or comparable mental health issues, or depression and severe anxiety."
"You don't get much time to rest and with the increased insurgency, your chances of getting killed or wounded are growing," he said. "The Army is trying harder, but they've got an incredibly long way to go." He added that while there are more psychiatrists, the soldiers are still in a war zone, "so you're just putting your finger in the dam." ONE IN THREE, YOU DO THE MATH.
"These numbers should be a wake-up call on the mental health impact of this war," said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "One in three soldiers will come back with post traumatic stress disorder or comparable mental health issues, or depression and severe anxiety."
"You don't get much time to rest and with the increased insurgency, your chances of getting killed or wounded are growing," he said. "The Army is trying harder, but they've got an incredibly long way to go." He added that while there are more psychiatrists, the soldiers are still in a war zone, "so you're just putting your finger in the dam." ONE IN THREE, YOU DO THE MATH.
republicans in congress
For more than three years, Congress has given President Bush a rubber stamp on his Iraq plans. Even now, as a civil war explodes, the Republican leaders in Congress won't allow a debate on whether we should change course. The idea that Congressional leaders would refuse to even discuss the most important issue in the country is amazing
18 April, 2006
current Republican Inquisition
The word, inquisition, is not exclusive to Spain in the Middle Ages. It is a useful term for historians to characterize phases of history that are distinguished by religious intolerance, by Christian holy war and Islamic jihad, by racial profiling and xenophobia, by show trials, and by snooping of secret police.
Read today:---This country is seized with collective paranoia. President Bush knows, as Ferdinand, Isabella and Torquemada knew, that constant warnings about secret terrorists are a powerful deterrent to dissent and a useful tool for consolidating political power.
Bush, like his Spanish precursors, presses for a unity of faith and a credo of purification. His faith mixes the secular and the spiritual. Its hallmarks are Jeffersonian democracy for all the world, unquestioning patriotism and revitalized Christianity. Unbelievers in this holy trinity are to be ferreted out. Not to subscribe to the methods in the war on terrorism is not so much dissent as heresy.
The American Inquisition began on Sept. 16, 2001, five days after the monstrous attack, when Bush proclaimed his "crusade." That was the defining moment for this era of U.S. history.
In the years since, Bush has demonstrated all the passion and single-mindedness of King Ferdinand. The American secret police force is not called the Holy Brotherhood as it was in 1492, for today's brotherhood is more electronic than human. On Capitol Hill, Cabinet members, past and present, call search warrants obsolete. Beware. We are all "mined" for our "data."
How different is this really from the spying that went on in the Spanish Inquisition? Suspect words or acts do not change that much with time. In Inquisitional Spain, neighbors were supposed to report a suspicious neighbor to the Holy Office. Now, symbolic words or actions are detected electronically.
In the past few months, Americans have been treated to the extraordinary spectacle of a U.S. president arguing for torture in the lofty staterooms of the U.S. government. Memos float around his Department of Defense, stressing that U.S. interrogators should cease their persecution if their victims come close to "organ failure."
The world wants to know what is going on in the star chambers of secret U.S. prisons around the world. The U.S. administration scoffs. The Geneva Conventions are called quaint, and the court in The Hague, Netherlands, cannot touch us. Standards for war crimes and crimes against humanity are for non-Americans.
For the historian, symbolic acts such as torture often define an era, and the American brand of torture has a particularly medieval quality.
"Waterboarding," as it is called (as if it were a sport like surfboarding or skateboarding), uses cellophane instead of gauze with water to subject the suspect to near drowning and suffocation. So today this is called an "enhanced" technique of interrogation. But the pitcher and gauze were just as effective in the 15th century. The intent is really no different from that of Torquemada's interrogators: to make the subject talk even though that talk might be drivel.
It is not surprising that a leader, who believes that his Christian God chose him to be president at this moment in history and that his Almighty speaks directly to him, should preside over this American Inquisition. Bush's messianic bent came to light vividly in June 2003, when he announced that his God had inspired him to go fight those terrorists and to end the tyranny in Iraq. What, one wonders, is his God telling him now about the chaos?
This supposed pipeline to heaven is, of course, not new for kings and potentates. On his deathbed in 1516, King Ferdinand told his minions that he could not die yet: God had told him that he would move on from the conquest of Granada to lead a great crusade that would recapture Jerusalem. The messianic impulse is commonplace in history.
Now, we are just a few years into the Iraq era. The situation is getting worse, and there is no end in sight. When this nightmare ends, years of self-examination are sure to follow as happened after the Vietnam disaster. The Iraq syndrome will be lengthy. In the meantime, American Inquisition takes root. It is more hard-edged and mean-spirited than the Vietnam crackdown ... for one reason.
Though Bush's explanations for his wayward adventure may constantly change, though the enterprise may show itself to be a military and moral catastrophe of historic proportions, this American leader and his circle of illuminati are utterly convinced of their righteousness.
Toward their detractors they misappropriate, like inquisitors before them, the verse of John 15:6: "If any abide not in me, he should be cast forth as a branch and shall wither, and they shall gather him up and cast him into the fire, and he shall burn."
Read today:---This country is seized with collective paranoia. President Bush knows, as Ferdinand, Isabella and Torquemada knew, that constant warnings about secret terrorists are a powerful deterrent to dissent and a useful tool for consolidating political power.
Bush, like his Spanish precursors, presses for a unity of faith and a credo of purification. His faith mixes the secular and the spiritual. Its hallmarks are Jeffersonian democracy for all the world, unquestioning patriotism and revitalized Christianity. Unbelievers in this holy trinity are to be ferreted out. Not to subscribe to the methods in the war on terrorism is not so much dissent as heresy.
The American Inquisition began on Sept. 16, 2001, five days after the monstrous attack, when Bush proclaimed his "crusade." That was the defining moment for this era of U.S. history.
In the years since, Bush has demonstrated all the passion and single-mindedness of King Ferdinand. The American secret police force is not called the Holy Brotherhood as it was in 1492, for today's brotherhood is more electronic than human. On Capitol Hill, Cabinet members, past and present, call search warrants obsolete. Beware. We are all "mined" for our "data."
How different is this really from the spying that went on in the Spanish Inquisition? Suspect words or acts do not change that much with time. In Inquisitional Spain, neighbors were supposed to report a suspicious neighbor to the Holy Office. Now, symbolic words or actions are detected electronically.
In the past few months, Americans have been treated to the extraordinary spectacle of a U.S. president arguing for torture in the lofty staterooms of the U.S. government. Memos float around his Department of Defense, stressing that U.S. interrogators should cease their persecution if their victims come close to "organ failure."
The world wants to know what is going on in the star chambers of secret U.S. prisons around the world. The U.S. administration scoffs. The Geneva Conventions are called quaint, and the court in The Hague, Netherlands, cannot touch us. Standards for war crimes and crimes against humanity are for non-Americans.
For the historian, symbolic acts such as torture often define an era, and the American brand of torture has a particularly medieval quality.
"Waterboarding," as it is called (as if it were a sport like surfboarding or skateboarding), uses cellophane instead of gauze with water to subject the suspect to near drowning and suffocation. So today this is called an "enhanced" technique of interrogation. But the pitcher and gauze were just as effective in the 15th century. The intent is really no different from that of Torquemada's interrogators: to make the subject talk even though that talk might be drivel.
It is not surprising that a leader, who believes that his Christian God chose him to be president at this moment in history and that his Almighty speaks directly to him, should preside over this American Inquisition. Bush's messianic bent came to light vividly in June 2003, when he announced that his God had inspired him to go fight those terrorists and to end the tyranny in Iraq. What, one wonders, is his God telling him now about the chaos?
This supposed pipeline to heaven is, of course, not new for kings and potentates. On his deathbed in 1516, King Ferdinand told his minions that he could not die yet: God had told him that he would move on from the conquest of Granada to lead a great crusade that would recapture Jerusalem. The messianic impulse is commonplace in history.
Now, we are just a few years into the Iraq era. The situation is getting worse, and there is no end in sight. When this nightmare ends, years of self-examination are sure to follow as happened after the Vietnam disaster. The Iraq syndrome will be lengthy. In the meantime, American Inquisition takes root. It is more hard-edged and mean-spirited than the Vietnam crackdown ... for one reason.
Though Bush's explanations for his wayward adventure may constantly change, though the enterprise may show itself to be a military and moral catastrophe of historic proportions, this American leader and his circle of illuminati are utterly convinced of their righteousness.
Toward their detractors they misappropriate, like inquisitors before them, the verse of John 15:6: "If any abide not in me, he should be cast forth as a branch and shall wither, and they shall gather him up and cast him into the fire, and he shall burn."
16 April, 2006
Republican lies about Iraqi Army
Most armies threaten imprisonment or fines for soldiers who abruptly leave their units, but the Iraqi army does not require its soldiers to sign contracts. That means they can quit anytime and casually treat enlistments as temporary jobs. Soldiers can even pick up their belongings and leave during missions — and often do without facing punishment.
The commander said a shortage of troops is the unit's biggest problem — and pinned the blame on both the policy and unmotivated soldiers.
"Under the military agreement, they can leave anytime," said Col. Alaa Kata al-Kafage, while his troops waited for a roadside bomb to be detonated. "After (soldiers) get paid and save a little bit of money, they leave."
"All the soldiers now, they don't care about the country. They care about the money," al-Kafage said. "It's too easy for them to quit. If someone punishes them, they can throw down their uniform and say, 'Have a nice day.'"
Iraqi officials, however, say they have no choice but to allow the policy, or they may gain virtually no volunteers.
The currentRepublicans continue to claim they are making progress in training Iraqi soldiers. B... S...
The commander said a shortage of troops is the unit's biggest problem — and pinned the blame on both the policy and unmotivated soldiers.
"Under the military agreement, they can leave anytime," said Col. Alaa Kata al-Kafage, while his troops waited for a roadside bomb to be detonated. "After (soldiers) get paid and save a little bit of money, they leave."
"All the soldiers now, they don't care about the country. They care about the money," al-Kafage said. "It's too easy for them to quit. If someone punishes them, they can throw down their uniform and say, 'Have a nice day.'"
Iraqi officials, however, say they have no choice but to allow the policy, or they may gain virtually no volunteers.
The currentRepublicans continue to claim they are making progress in training Iraqi soldiers. B... S...
cheney, halliburton, no-bid Iraq contract
I read the following today:
"The Cheneys' 2005 income included the vice president's $205,031 government salary and $211,465 in deferred compensation from Halliburton, the Dallas-based energy services firm he headed until Aug. 16, 2000.
Halliburton received the largest NO-BID contract and continues to operate in Iraq."
"The Cheneys' 2005 income included the vice president's $205,031 government salary and $211,465 in deferred compensation from Halliburton, the Dallas-based energy services firm he headed until Aug. 16, 2000.
Halliburton received the largest NO-BID contract and continues to operate in Iraq."
14 April, 2006
Rumsfeld the next scape goat?
A sixth former general joined the criticism of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday, saying Rumsfeld should resign for mishandling the war in Iraq."We need a new secretary of Defense," retired major general Charles Swannack, former commander of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, said on CNN.
He said Rumsfeld had micromanaged the war.Retired major general John Batiste, who commanded the Army's 1st Infantry Division in Iraq in 2003 and 2004 agreed. He told USA TODAY on Thursday that Rumsfeld should step down because he ignored sound military advice about how to secure Iraq after Baghdad fell.
Batiste first criticized Rumsfeld in a speech last week."Sadly, we started something we weren't prepared to finish," Batiste said Thursday, adding that many senior officers shared his feelings on Rumsfeld.White House spokesman
Scott McClellan said that President Bush still "believes Secretary Rumsfeld is doing a very fine job." Remember when he said “you’re doing a heck of a job Brownie”
Swannack and Batiste are the latest additions to the retired generals who have criticized Rumsfeld. They include:• Marine lieutenant general Greg Newbold, the former Pentagon top operations officer, who called Iraq an "unnecessary war" in a Time magazine column this week.
• Major general Paul Eaton, who was in charge of training Iraqi troops in 2003 and 2004, wrote last month in The New York Times that Rumsfeld is "incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically."Army major general John Riggs, who told The Washington Post that his former colleagues in the military believe Rumsfeld and his close aides "should be cleared out."
Marine general Anthony Zinni, the former command of U.S. Central Command and a longtime critic, said Rumsfeld should retire.
Despite Bush's support, such criticism could be enough to help force out Rumsfeld, said Loren Thompson, a military expert at the Lexington Institute, a Virginia think tank.
"It is so uncommon for senior military officers in the United States to criticize civilian leaders that it has to make an impression on the White House"Thompson said.
However, Kurt Campbell at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said he doesn't "see any sign that the secretary is contemplating stepping down." and I wouldn't bet the farm on it.
He said Rumsfeld had micromanaged the war.Retired major general John Batiste, who commanded the Army's 1st Infantry Division in Iraq in 2003 and 2004 agreed. He told USA TODAY on Thursday that Rumsfeld should step down because he ignored sound military advice about how to secure Iraq after Baghdad fell.
Batiste first criticized Rumsfeld in a speech last week."Sadly, we started something we weren't prepared to finish," Batiste said Thursday, adding that many senior officers shared his feelings on Rumsfeld.White House spokesman
Scott McClellan said that President Bush still "believes Secretary Rumsfeld is doing a very fine job." Remember when he said “you’re doing a heck of a job Brownie”
Swannack and Batiste are the latest additions to the retired generals who have criticized Rumsfeld. They include:• Marine lieutenant general Greg Newbold, the former Pentagon top operations officer, who called Iraq an "unnecessary war" in a Time magazine column this week.
• Major general Paul Eaton, who was in charge of training Iraqi troops in 2003 and 2004, wrote last month in The New York Times that Rumsfeld is "incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically."Army major general John Riggs, who told The Washington Post that his former colleagues in the military believe Rumsfeld and his close aides "should be cleared out."
Marine general Anthony Zinni, the former command of U.S. Central Command and a longtime critic, said Rumsfeld should retire.
Despite Bush's support, such criticism could be enough to help force out Rumsfeld, said Loren Thompson, a military expert at the Lexington Institute, a Virginia think tank.
"It is so uncommon for senior military officers in the United States to criticize civilian leaders that it has to make an impression on the White House"Thompson said.
However, Kurt Campbell at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said he doesn't "see any sign that the secretary is contemplating stepping down." and I wouldn't bet the farm on it.
11 April, 2006
"the zealots rationale for war
Retired Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold said he was outspoken in his criticism before the war, saying the "zealots' rationale for war made no sense." From 2000 until October 2002, Newbold served as director of operations for the Joint Chiefs. The U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003.
At least two other retired generals have raised similar concerns in recent weeks about the administration's war policies, including Gen. Anthony Zinni, former U.S. Mideast commander.Overall there are about 132,000 U.S. forces in Iraq.
At least two other retired generals have raised similar concerns in recent weeks about the administration's war policies, including Gen. Anthony Zinni, former U.S. Mideast commander.Overall there are about 132,000 U.S. forces in Iraq.
10 April, 2006
It was Bush all along
President Bush's quest to muzzle leakers in his administration has always looked a bit odd. In the most charitable interpretation, it's a naïve waste of time and resources. Leaks are part of every administration, and Bush's claims that national security has been undermined appear dubious at best.
It is a Nixonesque attempt to intimidate anyone who dares interfere with administration policy by disclosing facts that it is hiding. Among the leaks that angered Bush most have been disclosures that the administration was engaging in wiretaps without court approval and that someone in the administration leaked the identity of a CIA operative. After two unproductive years, the federal investigation into the 2003 leak of the operative's identity has finally come full circle to wound the instigator of the probe himself — the president. Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Cheney's top aide, testified that in the summer of 2003, Cheney told him that Bush had personally approved disclosing parts of the classified National Intelligence Estimate — though not the operative's name — to bolster one of the administration's key claims for going to war — Iraq was trying to buy uranium to produce nuclear weapons. That, like the administration's other rationales for war, proved false.
Presidents can and do declassify such data and that's precisely what Bush did, 10 DAYS AFTER Libby's disclosure, giving the public information it had a right to know. But first, the White House cherry-picked pieces to prop up its case and leaked them to a favored reporter. It's no wonder that the public does not trust these Republicans.
It is a Nixonesque attempt to intimidate anyone who dares interfere with administration policy by disclosing facts that it is hiding. Among the leaks that angered Bush most have been disclosures that the administration was engaging in wiretaps without court approval and that someone in the administration leaked the identity of a CIA operative. After two unproductive years, the federal investigation into the 2003 leak of the operative's identity has finally come full circle to wound the instigator of the probe himself — the president. Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Cheney's top aide, testified that in the summer of 2003, Cheney told him that Bush had personally approved disclosing parts of the classified National Intelligence Estimate — though not the operative's name — to bolster one of the administration's key claims for going to war — Iraq was trying to buy uranium to produce nuclear weapons. That, like the administration's other rationales for war, proved false.
Presidents can and do declassify such data and that's precisely what Bush did, 10 DAYS AFTER Libby's disclosure, giving the public information it had a right to know. But first, the White House cherry-picked pieces to prop up its case and leaked them to a favored reporter. It's no wonder that the public does not trust these Republicans.
09 April, 2006
Bush the leaker-in-chief
The president, whose popularity is slumping, is on the defensive because of a prosecutor's disclosure that Bush authorized a former top official, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, to share intelligence data on Iraq in 2003 with a reporter to defend his decision to invade Iraq.
Sen. Arlen Specter said Sunday that "there's been enough of a showing here with what's been filed of record in court that the president of the United States owes a specific explanation to the American people.
The president has criticized the Congress for leaking and now we find out the the White House has leaked. For once the President needs to tell the truth as to why he leaked the information aimed at countering criticism of his reasons for taking America to war in Iraq.
That's my boy "Scooter" Don't let them make you the fall guy. Remember "Brownie"!
Sen. Arlen Specter said Sunday that "there's been enough of a showing here with what's been filed of record in court that the president of the United States owes a specific explanation to the American people.
The president has criticized the Congress for leaking and now we find out the the White House has leaked. For once the President needs to tell the truth as to why he leaked the information aimed at countering criticism of his reasons for taking America to war in Iraq.
That's my boy "Scooter" Don't let them make you the fall guy. Remember "Brownie"!
Bush's love for Delay
Living in and following Texas politics for over 50 years, redistricting was conducted every ten years after the census to reflect voter population changes.When the Republicans took over, they changed it right in the middle of the ten year period(and not for population changes but to secure and increase Republican winners) by Delay's getting campaign money to those in the Texas legislature who voted for the changes.
That is why Delay is Bush's hero.Take a look at a map of Delay's district before and after redistricting (it now looks like the snake he is) and you will understand the problem. That is not what he was indicted for, however.
That is why Delay is Bush's hero.Take a look at a map of Delay's district before and after redistricting (it now looks like the snake he is) and you will understand the problem. That is not what he was indicted for, however.
Bush lies again
Immigration legislation fell victim Friday to internal disputes in both parties. But Bush — echoing earlier complaints from Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. — sought to lay all the fault with Reid, D-Nev."I call on the Senate minority leader to end his blocking tactics and allow the Senate to do its work and pass a fair, effective immigration reform bill," Bush said in his weekly radio address. He lied again.
Reid shot back that Bush and Frist "are flat-out wrong about what happened to the immigration bill," saying Democrats proved their commitment to a comprehensive, bipartisan measure by voting twice in favor of it.
"It was President Bush and Republicans in Congress who lacked the backbone to stand up to the extreme right wing of their party, filibustered reform twice in two days, and put partisan politics ahead of border security and immigration reform," Reid said.
Reid shot back that Bush and Frist "are flat-out wrong about what happened to the immigration bill," saying Democrats proved their commitment to a comprehensive, bipartisan measure by voting twice in favor of it.
"It was President Bush and Republicans in Congress who lacked the backbone to stand up to the extreme right wing of their party, filibustered reform twice in two days, and put partisan politics ahead of border security and immigration reform," Reid said.
08 April, 2006
are they going to get away with it AGAIN?
aIt is not a good time to be a Republican right now – unless Tom DeLay helped gerrymander your district to your Republican rule for life, of course. The GOP’s approval rating is now 30%, and 49% of the public wants to see the Demos take back Congress. For political junkies like me, it is going to be fascinating to see how the GOP plans to pull this one off without resorting to election-fixing or martial law. Whatever they come up with, it had better be good.
As GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio said, "The good news is Democrats don't have much of a plan. The bad news is they may not need one."The shrill jabbering from the Fox News pundits is not a good sign. The best they seem to be able to come up with so far is: (1) the tried and true Fear card (“If you vote Demo, they’ll lynch the President, and al Qaeda will win!”), and (2) the Everyone’s A Sinner defense (“The Democrats are just as corrupt as we are!”)
Which is probably true, but not much of a vote generator. Besides, the only credible Demo scandal competing for air time right now is Cynthia McKinney clocking a cop with a mobile phone. The American People see worse behavior on daytime talk shows.
Still, it’s a long ways yet. We’re still in Iraq, and we may be in Iran by then, and I wouldn’t put it beyond the Bush Posse to invade Iran just so the GOP can say in October 2008, “Who would you rather hand the reins over to now, huh?”
And it could backfire in spectacular fashion. I’m hesitant to call a Democratic(yes I said democratic) victory in 2008, but so far it looks like the only thing the GOP will be able to do to stop it (short of an executive order from Junior Bush declaring himself Supreme Chancellor) is to pull another Florida/Ohio. And what are the odds of them getting away with that three times in a row?
As GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio said, "The good news is Democrats don't have much of a plan. The bad news is they may not need one."The shrill jabbering from the Fox News pundits is not a good sign. The best they seem to be able to come up with so far is: (1) the tried and true Fear card (“If you vote Demo, they’ll lynch the President, and al Qaeda will win!”), and (2) the Everyone’s A Sinner defense (“The Democrats are just as corrupt as we are!”)
Which is probably true, but not much of a vote generator. Besides, the only credible Demo scandal competing for air time right now is Cynthia McKinney clocking a cop with a mobile phone. The American People see worse behavior on daytime talk shows.
Still, it’s a long ways yet. We’re still in Iraq, and we may be in Iran by then, and I wouldn’t put it beyond the Bush Posse to invade Iran just so the GOP can say in October 2008, “Who would you rather hand the reins over to now, huh?”
And it could backfire in spectacular fashion. I’m hesitant to call a Democratic(yes I said democratic) victory in 2008, but so far it looks like the only thing the GOP will be able to do to stop it (short of an executive order from Junior Bush declaring himself Supreme Chancellor) is to pull another Florida/Ohio. And what are the odds of them getting away with that three times in a row?
Republicans lack secuity action
Ports, chemical and nuclear plants and mass transit systems are still vulnerable nearly five years after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The nation also has NOT implemented all of the recommendations of the bipartisan Sept. 11 commission, which recently gave the administration and Congress a report card "filled with Fs, Ds and incompletes. Too often, the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress have failed to back up their rhetoric with robust action.
The American people want and deserve a change of direction. President Bush has cut money in his budget for the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program while the nation is more dependent than ever on foreign oil.
Anti-Americanism is growing, and President Bush has refused to hold civilian leaders in his administration accountable for their incompetence and miscalculations on Iraq.
The nation can no longer ignore the dangerous deficits and exploding national debt, which has grown by $3 trillion over the last five years. Fiscal responsibility is a foundation for our national security,And we cannot continue to borrow hundreds of billions of dollars every year from foreign countries such as China and Saudi Arabia."
The nation also has NOT implemented all of the recommendations of the bipartisan Sept. 11 commission, which recently gave the administration and Congress a report card "filled with Fs, Ds and incompletes. Too often, the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress have failed to back up their rhetoric with robust action.
The American people want and deserve a change of direction. President Bush has cut money in his budget for the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program while the nation is more dependent than ever on foreign oil.
Anti-Americanism is growing, and President Bush has refused to hold civilian leaders in his administration accountable for their incompetence and miscalculations on Iraq.
The nation can no longer ignore the dangerous deficits and exploding national debt, which has grown by $3 trillion over the last five years. Fiscal responsibility is a foundation for our national security,And we cannot continue to borrow hundreds of billions of dollars every year from foreign countries such as China and Saudi Arabia."
Impeachment-a solution?
Read today: This administration is the most corrupt (leagally and morally) in the history of this country. Yet, there they sit with smuggness oozing from every pore.
This administration makes Nixon look like a Boy Scout. All his administration did was break and enter and steal political strategy documents from the Democrats and then try to cover it up.
They didn't leak intelligence information to justify decimating a country for its oil or to get even because Big Daddy Bush couldn't win a war there. They didn't illegally tap the phones of American citizens. They didn't do their best to "burn" the Bill of Rights, etc., etc. Yet, look what happened to Nixon.
Then there was Bill Clinton who was impeached for lying about getting a BJ from Monica. For cripes sake! What is going on in this country? IMPEACH THIS WHOLE LOUSY CROOKED ADMINISTRATION! (a thought for elections in the fall of 2006)
This administration makes Nixon look like a Boy Scout. All his administration did was break and enter and steal political strategy documents from the Democrats and then try to cover it up.
They didn't leak intelligence information to justify decimating a country for its oil or to get even because Big Daddy Bush couldn't win a war there. They didn't illegally tap the phones of American citizens. They didn't do their best to "burn" the Bill of Rights, etc., etc. Yet, look what happened to Nixon.
Then there was Bill Clinton who was impeached for lying about getting a BJ from Monica. For cripes sake! What is going on in this country? IMPEACH THIS WHOLE LOUSY CROOKED ADMINISTRATION! (a thought for elections in the fall of 2006)
polls-people finally waking up
As bad as Bush's numbers may be, Congress' are worse. Just 30% of the public approves of the GOP-led Congress' job performance, and Republicans seem to be shouldering the blame, as they contol everything.
By a 49-33 margin, the public favors Democrats over Republicans when asked which party should control Congress.
By a 49-33 margin, the public favors Democrats over Republicans when asked which party should control Congress.
07 April, 2006
Harry Taylor and Bush
President Bush often holds "town hall" events where he takes questions from a hand picked crowd of "real people." Yesterday one of the people was, well, real, a small business owner named Harry Taylor
Harry Taylor stood up and said to the President of the United States:
"You never stop talking about freedom, and I appreciate that. But while I listen to you talk about freedom, I see you assert your right to tap my telephone, to arrest me and hold me without charges, to try to preclude me from breathing clean air and drinking clean water and eating safe food. If I were a woman, you'd like to restrict my opportunity to make a choice and decision about whether I can abort a pregnancy on my own behalf. You are—
I don't have a question. What I wanted to say to you is that I—in my lifetime, I have never felt more ashamed of, nor more frightened by my leadership in Washington, including the presidency, by the Senate, and I would hope—I feel like despite your rhetoric, that compassion and common sense have been left far behind during your administration.
I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and the grace to be ashamed of yourself, inside yourself. And I also want to say I really appreciate the courtesy of allowing me to speak what I'm saying to you right now. That is part of what this country is about."
Harry Taylor stood up and said to the President of the United States:
"You never stop talking about freedom, and I appreciate that. But while I listen to you talk about freedom, I see you assert your right to tap my telephone, to arrest me and hold me without charges, to try to preclude me from breathing clean air and drinking clean water and eating safe food. If I were a woman, you'd like to restrict my opportunity to make a choice and decision about whether I can abort a pregnancy on my own behalf. You are—
I don't have a question. What I wanted to say to you is that I—in my lifetime, I have never felt more ashamed of, nor more frightened by my leadership in Washington, including the presidency, by the Senate, and I would hope—I feel like despite your rhetoric, that compassion and common sense have been left far behind during your administration.
I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and the grace to be ashamed of yourself, inside yourself. And I also want to say I really appreciate the courtesy of allowing me to speak what I'm saying to you right now. That is part of what this country is about."
06 April, 2006
commander-in-chief or leaker-in-chief
Whatever its significance for the Libby case, the latest filing helps to resolve a lingering question that arose last February regarding the Vice President's role in authorizing the disclosure of classified information (Secrecy News, 02/16/06).
It appears that the Vice President did not direct disclosure on his own authority but on that of the President. "Defendant [Libby] testified that the Vice President later advised him that the President had authorized defendant to disclose the relevant portions of the NIE.
Defendant testified that he also spoke to David Addington, then Counsel to the Vice President, whom defendant considered to be an expert in national security law, and Mr. Addington opined that Presidential authorization to publicly disclose a document amounted to a declassification of the document," the government filing said
It appears that the Vice President did not direct disclosure on his own authority but on that of the President. "Defendant [Libby] testified that the Vice President later advised him that the President had authorized defendant to disclose the relevant portions of the NIE.
Defendant testified that he also spoke to David Addington, then Counsel to the Vice President, whom defendant considered to be an expert in national security law, and Mr. Addington opined that Presidential authorization to publicly disclose a document amounted to a declassification of the document," the government filing said
05 April, 2006
the new Republican budget
The new reverse Robin Hood budget proposal would: cut $167 billion dollars over 5 years from vital domestic services, including health care, education, and family services, give away $228 billion dollars in tax breaks, mostly to the very rich ,and drive up the federal deficit by another $254 billion dollars
04 April, 2006
Republicans, Delay and the money
With accusations of political corruption, former Majority Leader Tom Delay said Tuesday he is resigning from Congress in the face of a tough re-election race, closing out a career that blended unflinching conservatism with a bare-knuckled attack, attack, smear, smear political style. (the chickens are finally coming home to roost.)
"I think I could have won this seat but it would have been nasty.(Bull, Republicans revel in "nasty") It would have cost a fortune to do it," said the Texas Republican, first elected in 1984.
He secured lots of money to legislators in Texas who voted to gerrymander voting districts in Texas so Republicans could win in Texas and in the Congress. No wonder Bush continues to praise him. Down the line they will get Delay his own talk show or something.
That is typical Republican speak, its not about what is good for the country, its only about the money to them . They have most of the money coming in from the folks at the top, and the Republicans are giving it back to them 10-fold in tax breaks, a neat political trick.
"I think I could have won this seat but it would have been nasty.(Bull, Republicans revel in "nasty") It would have cost a fortune to do it," said the Texas Republican, first elected in 1984.
He secured lots of money to legislators in Texas who voted to gerrymander voting districts in Texas so Republicans could win in Texas and in the Congress. No wonder Bush continues to praise him. Down the line they will get Delay his own talk show or something.
That is typical Republican speak, its not about what is good for the country, its only about the money to them . They have most of the money coming in from the folks at the top, and the Republicans are giving it back to them 10-fold in tax breaks, a neat political trick.
03 April, 2006
Republicans on immigration laws
Do you know that Republicans ignored enforcement of existing immigrant labor laws until they are now forced by public opinion to act concerned. Do you want to make criminals out of 12-20 million people and their children who by and large just walked across open fields and came to work in this country, not take jobs to India, China or Mexico, Why not make criminals out of those who hire them???
They are not about to arrest employers as Republicans are for the owners who are mostly Republicans.. Do you think it would be feasible to deport 12-20 million people out of this country? Have a nice day.
They are not about to arrest employers as Republicans are for the owners who are mostly Republicans.. Do you think it would be feasible to deport 12-20 million people out of this country? Have a nice day.
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