Bush Administration Rejects Record Number of Hurricane Related Loans for Recovery

Just 35% of hurricane-related loan applications are approved. Want to bet - and stats I've read elsewhere bear this out - that black applicants have an 87% rejection rate?

WASHINGTON - The White House has rejected hurricane disaster-recovery loans at a higher rate than any other administration in the last 15 years, according to a congressional study by Democrats.

The report, expected to be released Wednesday, said business and home loan approval rates averaged about 60 percent after Hurricane Andrew devastated much of south Florida in 1992. The trend continued through the rest of President George H.W. Bush's administration and into the Clinton administration, according to Democratic members of the House Small Business Committee.

After Hurricane Wilma surged ashore in south Florida last year, the approval rate for low-interest, taxpayer-guaranteed loans by the Small Business Administration had dropped to barely 15 percent. Overall, Democrats said, approval rates for home and business disaster loans since 2004 have averaged about 35 percent.

What a Surprise: GE/MSNBC Do Not Like to See Mr. Bush or His Wars Criticized At All

From Media Matters:

Summary: Keith Olbermann, appearing on C-SPAN, said: "There are people I know in the hierarchy of NBC, the company, and GE, the company, who do not like to see the current presidential administration criticized at all. ... There are people who I work for who would prefer, who would sleep much easier at night if this never happened. On the other hand, if they look at my ratings and my ratings are improved and there is criticism of the president of the United States, they're happy."

During a March 12 interview with C-SPAN president and chief executive officer Brian Lamb, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann said: "There are people I know in the hierarchy of NBC, the company, and GE [General Electric Co., NBC's parent corporation], the company, who do not like to see the current presidential administration criticized at all. ... There are people who I work for who would prefer, who would sleep much easier at night if this never happened." He added, "On the other hand, if they look at my ratings and my ratings are improved and there is criticism of the president of the United States, they're happy."

Olbermann also discussed his relationship to Fox News host Bill O'Reilly and claimed: "O'Reilly's agent calls the head of NBC week after week saying, you have got to get Olbermann to stop" criticizing O'Reilly.

O'Reilly can dish it out, but he sure can't take it, can he?

Military Air Strikes WAAAAAAYYYY Up in Iraq

By the way, it's the 1075th day SINCE President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq.

Bush: Our Greatest Threat

Now President Bush calls Iran our greatest threat.

Hmmmm.... where have we heard that before?

Could it be Afghanistan? Osama bin Forgotten Laden? Iraq?

How about this:

President George W. Bush is the greatest threat to America and the entire rest of the world!

'Nuff said.

Wonder Why Insurance Rates Are High?

These people may give you a clue... displaying as much chutzpah (well, not quite as much and CERTAINLY not as much industrial use of cosmetics as Florida Congresscreature Katherine Harris who says she's staying in the US Senate race In Fla after accepting oodles of highly questionable money):

LODI, Calif. (AP) -- When a dump truck backed into Curtis Gokey's car, he decided to sue the city for damages. Only thing is, he was the one driving the dump truck. But that minor detail didn't stop Gokey, a Lodi city employee, from filing a $3,600 claim for the December accident, even after admitting the crash was his fault.

After the city denied that claim because Gokey was, in essence, suing himself, he and his wife, Rhonda, decided to file a new claim under her name.

City Attorney Steve Schwabauer said this one also lacks merit because Rhonda Gokey can't sue her own husband.

"You can sue your spouse for divorce, but you can't sue your spouse for negligence," Schwabauer said. "They're a married couple under California law. They're one entity. It's damage to community property."

But Rhonda Gokey insisted she has "the right to sue the city because a city's vehicle damaged my private vehicle."

In fact, her claim, currently pending at Lodi City Hall, is for an even larger amount - $4,800.

Uh huh.

Despite Power-Hungry Bushies, Iraq More in the Dark Than Ever

According to this article in Newsday, the level of sustained electrical power in Iraq - never a problem before we invaded - has now dropped substantially. In other words, Baghdad and other places are often in the dark while we pay shitloads of money to Halliburton and other contractors to run what the evil dictator Saddam managed to supply with no problem.

Gee, why is that?

Spring in Bush's Afghanistan, and the Opium Poppies Have Never Bloomed in Such Record Numbers

Karlo at Swerveleft (hey, Karlo!) has lots of interesting material to ponder, including this:

The U.S. has been in Afghanistan now for years. And the accomplishments?

About 345,000 acres of poppies are believed to have been planted this year — an increase of up to 40 percent from 2005. The opium is refined into heroin before being smuggled out of the country to meet 90 percent of the world's supply.

In the same article, we find the following interesting comparison:

Afghanistan's drug traffickers have acted with virtual impunity since U.S.-led forces in 2001 ousted the Taliban, which in its last two years in power enforced a virtual ban on opium cultivation.

A ban? Why aren't the much more powerful U.S. forces banning the drug then?

"Incompetent" Now Used to Identify Bush by Americans

From Think Progress (and high time):

President Bush’s approval rating according to Pew Research. “Just 42% now approve of Bush’s job in handling terrorist threats, an 11-point drop since February.” Also: “Honesty had been the single trait most closely associated with Bush, but in the current survey ‘incompetent’ is the descriptor used most frequently.”

The honesty thing was always a crock of shit: from the lie about the carefully crafted Crawford Ranch (which, as predicted, Bush has spent a LOT less time at since he was re-selected) to the lies about his cocaine and alcohol abuse, to 9/11 and beyond, honest is a word that should never be used in connection with Dubya.

Under Bushies, Tax Delinquents Are Awarded Lucrative Contracts and Rewarded Rather Than Paying Up

From USA Today, with a nod to TPM Muckraker for pointing to the link:

The Government Accountability Office found more than 3,800 of those GSA contractors had tax debts that totaled about $1.4 billion. That figure may underestimate the amount owed, investigators said, because they did not examine contractors that failed to file tax returns or underreported their income.

The examination of GSA contracts is the third in the panel's series of hearings on contractors that owe federal taxes. The panel's staff said the hearings have identified $7.7 billion in taxes owed by government contractors.

A federal payment levy program that recoups unpaid taxes from delinquent contractors collected about $42 million last year. One contractor has been convicted for tax violations.

"One of the main problems here is that contractors are being allowed into the system in the first place and are being awarded contracts even though they owe taxes," said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

[snippy snip]

In one case, a communications equipment contractor got $100,000 in federal payments while owing nearly $900,000 in unpaid taxes. The owner had been convicted of money laundering.

In another, a security services company got $100,000 while owing more than $3 million, mostly in payroll taxes. The owner had several commercial properties and a yacht.

More Surveillance - Apparently Pacifists Are Now Terrorists, Too

Say hello to TPM Muckraker, which brings us stories like this one which barely hit a blip on the corporate media outlet radar today:

The ACLU has posted to the web FBI documents detailing its surveillance of a nonviolent peace group in Pittsburgh, PA. A representative sample, dated Nov. 29, 2002:

The Thomas Merton Center. . . is a left-wing organization advocating, among many political causes, pacifism.

TMC holds daily leaflet distribution activities in downtown Pittsburgh and is currently focused on its opposition to the potential war with Iraq.

The report is about as outrageous as any Communists-under-the-floorboards dispatch from the Hoover era. But the real outrage is that it was written just a year out from the 9/11 attacks. Remember, tips were still pouring in about possible terrorist activities from all sources. We were still heeding warnings of a shadowy enemy who could strike at any time.

Amid that climate of immediate fear, at least one FBI special agent was assigned to spending several hours surveilling a political group, taking notes, and typing up reports on what he or she saw.

With Washington's ops centers and situation rooms still reeling with the very real concern of another terrorist attack, how could someone assign an agent several hours of watching (and writing about) a nonviolent political group? How many leads could that agent have run down, if political surveillance was not the priority of his or her superiors?

How Will the Bushies Keep Us Safe from Mad Cow Disease? They'll Cut Testing, That's How

Unbleepingbelievable when we now HAVE a confirmed case of mad cow and we already test just a teensy fraction:

Despite the confirmation of a third case of mad cow disease in the U.S., the American government intends to scale back testing for the brain-wasting disorder blamed for the deaths of more than 150 people in Europe.

The U.S. Agriculture Department boosted its surveillance after finding the first case of mad cow disease in the U.S. in 2003.

About 1,000 tests are run daily, up from about 55 daily in 2003.

The testing program detected an infected cow in Alabama last week and further analysis confirmed Monday the animal had mad cow disease.

And I had to go to Canada to read this. In fact, I now increasingly have to go beyond this country's borders to find real news about this country.

Chris Matthews, Gas Bag and GOP Pocket-Lining Lobbyist Stooge for MSNBC

From the good folks at AmericaBlog and Think Progress (whose material is copied below):

ThinkProgress has learned that NBC anchor Chris Matthews has received tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for delivering speeches to corporate interest groups. Matthews’s speaking engagements appear to be in direct violation of NBC’s policy prohibiting its employees from accepting such fees.

Last week Dave Johnson of Seeing the Forest documented Matthews’s speaking engagements, but was unable to confirm whether he was paid.

In 2002, Howard Kurtz reported in the Washington Post:

I’ve been critical of journalistic buckraking since the mid-1990s, when I wrote about a $30,000 speech that Sam Donaldson had given to an insurance group…The issue began to fade as a number of news organizations, including ABC and NBC, banned the practice.
Three trade associations independently confirmed to ThinkProgress that Matthews spoke for hefty fees on several occasions, as recently as last year

Chris has these lovely "bipartisan" panels now that consist entirely of right-wing nutcases like Joe (there's a dead female worker in my office but let's not discuss that) Scarborough, Monica (Dick Nixon is the greatest American ever) Crowley, and Tucker (I'm such a shill) Carlson, sometimes balanced out by Pat (I'm a whore and proud of it) Buchanan. Bipartisan? Right.

How Wonderfully Convenient: Big Oil Reserves Found in Afghanistan

Story here:

Two geological basins in northern Afghanistan hold 18 times the oil and triple the natural gas resources previously thought, scientists said Tuesday as part of a U.S. assessment aimed at enticing energy development in the war-torn country.

Nearly 1.6 billion barrels of oil, mostly in the Afghan-Tajik Basin, and about 15.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, mainly in the Amu Darya Basin, could be tapped, said the U.S. Geological Survey and Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines and Industry.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai described the estimates as "very positive findings," particularly since the country now imports most of its energy, including electricity.

"Knowing more about our country's petroleum resources will enable us to take steps to develop our energy potential, which is crucial for our country's growth," said Karzai, whose government was created after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 and later won national elections.

Look at a map and see how Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran fall together. Do you really think it's just coincidence what countries the Bushies target? The Bushies, who all come from oil/energy corporations (including the two George Bush bankrupted, much as he's done to this nation).

And if you don't, would you like another glass of Koolaid? It's great for your teeth and, as I'm sure the Bushies will be quick to tell you, is quite refreshing during those moments when you might otherwise do something silly like think.

More Than 200K Signatures for Censure

While the right mounts a rather vicious campaign against Senator Russ Feingold, Moveon.org received more than 200,000 signatures supporting Censure proceedings against President Bush in just hours.

Censure is the absolute least of what needs to be done here.

If you believe it's time to send this president a loud NO!, go to Moveon and sign the petition.

This Gives the Term Getting Under Your Skin Whole New Meaning

This from the Washington Post on how idiots leap at the chance to have chips implanted for quick access to their medical records. I'm sure they also leap at the chance to shop at Wal-Mart where everything is tracked.

Have you read "Spy Chips" yet or visited the Web site? You should.

The War on Drugs is Being Lost Throughout the World

In the "No Shit, Sherlock" Department and led by a country where the president is a former coke head (we'll assume he's former but I don't know) and the creepy VP is a current drunk.

From Watching America:

Everywhere, the war against drugs is being lost. I refer at least to South America, Central America, Mexico, the United States and Canada - each country, each region, in its own particular way, with its own particular conditions. But not a single one escapes some of the impact of this crime.

The situation in Mexico is very hard to accurately describe, but if one were to indicate a source of Mexico's state of constant deterioration, the main culprit would be the Vicente Fox government, which has left an indelible mark in its last term. The security forces and their military "auxiliaries" have grown to levels never before seen, and yet the level of creativity, of reinforcements and even the ability sustain a fight seem exhausted.

In considering Mexico, it should be emphasized that based on the telling if tall-tales and denunciations, trust continues to be placed in the supposed effectiveness of "casual" operatives, and so the intelligence being garnered has failed to reach the promised level of accuracy. The National Institute for the War Against Drugs, created in 1993 to focus attention on the roots of this problem, was terminated by the Zedillo Administration [1994-2000].

The Center for Drug Control Planning (Cendro), created 15 years ago for the purpose of obtaining and implementing specialized intelligence exclusively about narco-trafficking, was dismantled by the Zedillo government, and converted into a hybrid organization charged with responding to all federal crimes.

Beware the Ides of the March...

Or any other day when Bush is your president and Cheney is allowed anywhere near anything.

Democratic Politicians Should All Just Resign

I'm serious. If their only reason for serving is to collect a big check, even nicer benefits and lobbyist perks, and bend over while they allow themselves - and us - to be sodomized by the Bush Administration, they should resign immediately. And the rest of these politicians should be indicted and tried.

John Kerry will NEVER receive another vote from me. Bernie Sanders is coming close to losing my support for his Senate race with his talk about impeachment being "impractical".

I am not just ashamed, I am appalled, embarrassed, and outraged.

From the UK Guardian:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats distanced themselves Monday from Wisconsin Sen. Russell Feingold's effort to censure President Bush over domestic spying, preventing a floor vote that could alienate swing voters.

``Some Democrats in Congress have decided the president is the enemy,'' Vice President Dick Cheney told a Republican audience in Feingold's home state.

Feingold, a potential presidential candidate, said on the Senate floor, ``The president has violated the law and Congress must respond.''

``A formal censure by Congress is an appropriate and responsible first step to assure the public that when the president thinks he can violate the law without consequences, Congress has the will to hold him accountable,'' Feingold said.

Even as he spoke, Democratic leaders held off the immediate vote that Majority Leader Bill Frist requested. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he didn't know if there ever would be one. Durbin said that Feingold had sought to use the censure resolution ``as a catalyst'' for thorough hearings and investigations.

The referral averted a debate and a vote that Democrats privately worried would alienate voters who could decide close elections.

Speaking of which, why isn't Bill Frist on trial RIGHT NOW for his unsavory and illegal actions regarding health care stuff that he owned stock in when he should not have?

Bodies, Bodies Everywhere

Imagine what would happen here if bodies of those summarily executed - men, women, and children- turned up through Manhattan or Boston or Slidell, Louisiana, or Austin Texas as they have in Baghdad the last few days.

This is horrific.

And can the blame really lie anywhere else but with this administration's handling of Iraq? Of course, we shouldn't fault DoD Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. After all, the poor many is too busy counting the $5.25 million he's made in recent months on royalty sales of TamiFlu from a deal he worked out when he was doing slick deals with pharmaceutical companies rather than destroying Muslim countries.

But wasn't it nice that the Bushies panicked everyone here about the bird flu so that sales of TamiFlu would go through the roof even where there is virtually no proof that TamiFlu would help much if avian flu strikes here?

America's Three Decades of Support for Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

Vermont Commons covers this issue, taken from the Muckraker Report. Go read.

Can You Guess?

Is our "recognized" per person share of the national debt currently at:

1. $399.45 per person?
2. $1,027.12 per person?
3. $28,000 per person?
4. $1.3 million per person?

Note that I said "recognized" because much of this stuff is hidden away from us.

Answer below. Don't peek! Only presidents cheat!

Correct answer: c: about $28K per person, of which we all owe about $7K each on Iraq and climbing daily. Make your checks payable to Doofus Incorporated.

Say Hello to

Vermonters First.

Vermont Public Radio, too, will host a discussion Wednesday (noonish?) about the Vermont Blogosphere, featuring Cathy Resmer of 802 Online and Philip Baruch of Vermont Daily Briefing. These are just two of a growing number of excellent blogs in the Green Mountain state where all the maple syrup is Grade A amber and only some of the women have as much facial hair as the men.

I, alas, am a poor Vermonter who owns little in the way of flannel and no long underwear (unless you count my thigh high stockings).

Impeachment and Censure

Odum at Green Mountain Daily posts the results of his impeachment poll (82% in favor) and Russ Feingold's move to bring Censure proceedings against President Bush.

History Burps Back on Itself

On this day in 1925, the great people of the state of Tennessee made it unlawful to teach evolution in schools.

Today, some in Kansas and other places would like to do the same.

Sigh.

Time to Say Goodbye to Joe Lieberman

Today's little ditty where Joe said that Bush's NSA spying is bad but the real problem isn't that he's shitting on the Constitution and instead that the law needs to be changed so Bush can spy on us all legally is another very strong reason why Connecticut needs to get rid of Bush's best Jewish friend, Joe Lieberman.

Right now, however, I think it's time we cleaned out Washington DC of almost all if not all elected officials currently there. We should not be paying the salaries of people who continually do us wrong.

Yes, there are some elected reps I do like. But I think it's time we seriously consider revising the entire system. To do so, none of these old suits can remain.

Will it happen? Nah. People would much rather watch basketball and American Idol than bother to even think about voting.

Milosevic

Milosevic's family is asking for a regal state funeral for this man responsible for the deaths of so many. My immediate question was why isn't his wife, an architect of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, on trial as well?

And why isn't the US on trial for their part in this? We placed Milosevic in power, and he was our great friend until we decided he was our great enemy, which should sound familiar. Think Noriega, Saddam Hussein, and a legion of others.

When do we stop ruining the rest of the world so billionaires here can get richer and richer and America becomes more and more hated throughout the world?

The latter is a rhetorical question, natch.

The Online Free Speech Act

Posted by Duncan at The Blog Herald:

Bloggers from both sides of politics have joined forces to push the Online Freedom of Speech Act (H.R. 1606) through the US Congress.

According to Human Events Online, a bipartisan letter urging members of Congress to vote in favor of passing the bill was sent off this morning. The letter was authored by Michael Krempasky of RedState.com and Markos Moulitsas Zúniga of DailyKos.com.

Part of the letter includes:

H.R. 1606 would preserve the status quo which governed the 2004 election cycle and beyond, one in which a vibrant blogosphere empowered millions of citizens to influence national politics, leveling the effect of wealth on the electoral process, and without any of the corruption which its opponents now fear. Its passage would send a strong message to the Federal Election Commission to tread lightly when it comes to the Internet, telling it that Congress does not wish to stifle online citizen participation in the political process.

Published reports indicate that, as of February 2006, there are over 14 million weblogs, with approximately 75,000 new blogs are created every day, about one every second. The blogosphere is over 60 times bigger than it was only 3 years ago. With the blogosphere continuing to double in size about every five-and-a-half months, it is simply not possible for any person or entity, no matter how wealthy they may be or how much money they can spend, to dominate or corrupt online political discourse.

Mind you, they cant count. 14 million blogs? Even Technorati managed to track 27 odd million.

How to Make Money Blogging: Kiss Up to Wal-Mart

Apparently, Wal-Mart is paying right wing bloggers to say all kinds of favorable things about them. And, being right-wing bloggers, many felt no need to mention they were - and ARE - being paid big bucks to say how wonderful $2.49/ream toilet paper is at Wal-Mart. Imagine that.

Olbermann on Bush, NSA Spying, and the Bushie Assault on the Press

From Crooks and Liars:

Keith: ...the Bush administration on the hunt for anyone who might have leaked word of the NSA domestic spying program to the media. Amid further word tonight that there may even be more secret spying going on than thought previously. Absent any hint of irony, the administration launching several investigations to nab any federal official who may have blown the whistle on its warrant-free surveillance programs, as well as its secret CIA prisons.

President Bush, you will recall, calling the NSA leak a, quote, "shameful act" that was, quote, "helping the enemy." Nevermind the members of his own senior staff who saw fit to leak the name of a covert CIA operative, mainly because her husband had said something critical about he White House..The "Washington Post" reported that dozens of employees at the CIA, NSA and other intelligence agencies have been interviewed by the FBI already. At the same time, the Justice Department warning reporters that they could be prosecuted under espionage laws. .read on"

Popular Story Today - Vermont Towns Vote to Impeach Bush

From the Associated Press (although I like it when Skippy says AssPress or in skippy... asspress - the ee cummings of blogtopia!):

NEWFANE, Vt. - In five Vermont communities, a centuries-old tradition of residents gathering in town halls to conduct local business became a vehicle to send a message to Washington: Impeach the president.

An impeachment article, approved by a paper ballot 121-29 in Newfane Tuesday, calls on Vermont’s lone member of the U.S. House, independent Rep. Bernie Sanders, to file articles of impeachment against President Bush, alleging he misled the nation into the Iraq war and engaged in illegal domestic spying.

“It absolutely affects us locally,” said Newfane select board member Dan DeWalt, who drafted the impeachment article. “It’s our sons and daughters, our mothers and fathers, who are dying” in the war in Iraq.

I love how the freepers and the rest of Clueless Dementiadom, those great patrons of "less government" are calling for black helicopters to land in Vermont and the entire population placed on the Terror Watch List.

Hell, I suspect the entire population is already on the Terror Watch List. But that's a story for another day. (cough)

Unfortunately, Bernie Sanders is balking, saying that talking about impeachment is impractical.

Bernie, dear: so is all that red money Rich Tarrant is taking into the Senate campaign. Impractical? Bernie, this isn't semen on the blue dress of a consulting adult. This is lying us into war, into deficit, into a wholesale destruction of the values this country says it holds dear. This is lying us into at least 2300 US soldiers dead, and who knows how many hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians in Iraq with more in Afghanistan. Where's Osama bin Laden?

Now tell me about practical, Bernie. This, I have to hear!

Also on Impeachment

From ImpeachBush.org:

Just last week:

• tens of thousands of people participated in the People’s Impeachment Lobby by sending letters to their Congressional Representatives.
• Last Thursday, New York City’s historic Town Hall Theatre in Times Square filled up with people supporting impeachment. The event was sponsored by Harper’s magazine. Many of those in attendance took the ImpeachBush.org/VoteToImpeach.org petitions home with them promising to collect signatures in the coming weeks.
• Radio personality Garrison Keillor has just released an article entitled "Impeach Bush." and actor Richard Dreyfuss called for impeachment, while speaking before the National Press Club in Washington.
• 28 members of US Congress have now signed on to H Res 635, including US Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), the original co-sponsor. The current 28 total co-sponsors are Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN), Rep. John Olver (D-MA), Rep. Major Owens (D-NY), Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ), Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), Rep. Martin Sabo (D-MN), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Fortney Pete Stark (D-CA), Rep. John Tierney (D-MA), Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).

Also, San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted 7:3 to seek impeachment against Mr. Bush.

Newfane, VT Votes 5:1 for Impeachment of the President

The last vote I heard was something like 126 yea/28 nay to request our sole rep in the House of Reprehensibles, Bernie Sanders, initiate a call for articles of impeachment against George W. Bush.

If anyone from Newfane is reading - and I've noticed a few of you in recent weeks - please feel free to provide your comments on the discussion, vote at today's Town Meeting Day.

The Trust Level with Bush and Iraq is Dropping a Tad Low

From Editor & Publisher:

A new Washington Post-ABC News polls shows that an overwhelming majority of adult Americans believe fighting between Sunni and Shiite Muslims will lead to civil war in Iraq. Confirming a finding in a Gallup survey last week, more than half say the U.S. should begin withdrawing its forces from that country.

More eight in 10 Democrats and political independents--and seven in 10 Republicans--believe civil war was likely.

Slightly more than half--52%--of those surveyed said the United States should begin withdrawing forces. One in six favors immediate withdrawal of all troops.

The poll found that 56% say the U.S. is not making significant progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq--a major surge in pessimism since December.

I was also reading that Bush's support in deeply Southern-identified states (the ones where the citizens perhaps cannot spell their state except as an abbreviation?) has dropped very low so that even in red only-locations, his unfavorable ratings on terrorism and Iraq are running higher than the favorables.

Not cool, Zeus!

Please Alert Me Next Time John McCain Gets Knocked Up

Because this horse's ass brags that HE would sign that South Dakota ban-all-abortions! bill that does not even take the health and welfare of the mother into account.

I guess old Johnny wasn't reading the U.S. Constitution and the words of our founding fathers while he was a PoW. But then, he lost all credibility when he began brown nosing Bush's ass which smells worse than Viet Cong ever would.

Another fat, privileged, old white man stands up to decide what a woman should do. Yawn.

Vermont Town Meeting Day

Today is the day when every Vermont town gets together and hashes out budgets, bad blood, and who made the best pot of coffee for lunch.

It's also today that Newfane - I'm not aware of any other town presenting it - votes on whether to demand our elected officials initiate impeachment proceedings against the accident-prone guy at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Oops, no, the other accident prone guy besides Duck! It's Dick! Cheney.

Hollywood

John at AmericaBlog pointed out the only redeeming moment during the Oscars ceremony on TV last night:

"And finally, I would say that, you know, we are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while. I think it's probably a good thing. We're the ones who talk about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular. And we, you know, we bring up subjects. This Academy, this group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters. I'm proud to be a part of this Academy. Proud to be part of this community, and proud to be out of touch."

George Clooney, at the Academy Awards

Uh...

Think I should have asked for a cross link? ;)

Correction: CentCom Does NOT Send Love Letters

I posted something last night about CentCom contacting some bloggers. And, being me - no, really, I can be sarcastic sometimes, honestly - I closed by mentioning that I had not been the recipient of any love letters from CentCom.

Well, it turns out, CentCom sent me a note today to clarify that CentCom does NOT send love letters (I was so relieved - imagine how the defense budget would soar if it did!).

----- Original Message -----
From: Flowers, SPC Claude W. (USA)
To: EdBlog
Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 7:19 PM
Subject: CENTCOM website

Hi, Katharine:

Sorry to disappoint, but CENTCOM doesn't send love letters.

What we have been doing is reaching out to bloggers to let them know that we have a webpage (http://www.centcom.mil). Since so many sites (such as yours) are focusing on the Global War on Terrorism, we've been trying to tailor the content of our own site to make it one of the informational resources that folks can avail themselves of. We've been progressively expanding the scope of CENTCOM.mil over the past few months in an effort to make it better.

I don't know if you've paid the site a visit, but it features news, photos, audio and video from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, all of which you are free to use. There's also a weekly electronic newsletter and monthly Coalition Bulletin which I can sign you up for, if you want.

If you could add a link to CENTCOM on your blogroll, that would be terrific (It'd certainly help spread the word). In any event, hopefully it's got some stuff that's of interest.

SPC C. Flowers
CENTCOM Public Affairs

Anyhoo, yes, SPC Flowers, I would be happy to give CentCom a link. Perhaps I can learn something from you, and you perhaps can learn something from me.

As long as we don't discuss Mr. Rumsfeld, you will find I can be downright civil and I haven't bitten anyone since.. wow.. maybe kindergarten. But then, I hear not everyone at CentCom worships at the altar of The Donald either.

But we won't talk about that. ;>

Another Bush Plan to Bust Information and Truth

The depravity keeps getting worse...

From The Times on Saturday:

The White House has a sorry history of withholding information that the public and Congress need to make informed policy judgments. A proposal in President Bush's new budget would take that damaging tendency one step further by eliminating a government survey that captures the real-world impact of welfare reform, Medicaid, child-support enforcement and many other policies and programs.

Started by the Census Bureau in 1984, this study, called the Survey of Income and Program Participation, questions thousands of the same people every four months for two to four years and gathers details about their lives, including their use of government aid. It is particularly valuable for the way it uncovers the actual effects of government programs and the way people move in and out of them. Most other polls simply capture data at a given point in time.

Take welfare reform, for example. Rather than evaluating it simply by the number of people on welfare before and after, researchers using the survey have isolated the factors — social, economic and personal — that have allowed some men and women to successfully leave welfare for work and the factors that caused others to fall into deeper poverty. Such information is vital to build on what works, to amend what doesn't and to allocate scarce government resources accordingly.

Getting rid of the survey this year, as the new budget proposes, would make it very difficult to study the fallout from deep cuts in food stamps, child care, Medicaid and other programs for the poor that Congress passed and Mr. Bush signed last month. That would be great for politicians who don't want to be held accountable. But it would be a big loss for anyone who wants government to work well.

Senator BilL Frist: Not Just a Doctor But a Disease of Grave Moral Decay in His Own Right

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

From DailyKos:

Via Glenn Greenwald, we learn that once again, when Republicans can't follow the rules, they change them:

Frist specifically threatened that if the Committee holds NSA hearings, he will fundamentally change the 30-year-old structure and operation of the Senate Intelligence Committee so as to make it like every other Committee, i.e., controlled and dominated by Republicans to advance and rubber-stamp the White House's agenda rather than exercise meaningful and nonpartisan oversight.

He really needs to return to diagnosing comatose women by video.

Horse's ass (which really just insults the poor horse).

Greetings from CentCom

Oh dear. I know they visit here, but I certainly haven't gotten a love letter from CentCom.

Heck of a Job, Mr. President

Sorta like Brownie (ex FEMA director, Michael Brown, whom Bush and Homeland (In)security czar Michael Chertoff could not praise enough while black people in New Orleans washed away).

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (hurray!):

The Bush administration has a substantial credibility problem. Things it says turn out not to be true. Again and again.

Two troubling examples made the news last week, and they illustrate a serious problem rooted in a combination of political arrogance, incompetence and disdain for the audience. Often it seems the White House, or the president himself, offers the American public an incredulous shrug to punctuate the plea, "Who could have known?"

In Iraq, a virulent insurgency is killing civilians and American soldiers. Before the war, the Bush administration said the U.S. military would be greeted as liberators by a grateful public. Almost three years of mayhem and chaos later, the White House blames the insurgency on the residue of Saddam Hussein's supporters and foreign terrorists.

Who could have known?

In 2003, the White House was repeatedly warned the insurgency had deep local roots and could lead to civil war. Local conditions, not foreign terrorists, would fuel the flames. The information was prepared by a committee of senior intelligence analysts at the request of the U.S. military command.

As the insurgency gained strength, what did President George W. Bush have to say? "Bring 'em on."

[Snippy snip]

...Transcripts and a government video revealed the administration and the president were warned in advance about the perils of Hurricane Katrina, the vulnerability of levees and the potential for catastrophe.

The president is not directly responsible for making sure ice and cots are available, but he is accountable for the urgency of the response by his team.

Before the storm hit, he was told firsthand about the dangers. So, it is mystifying how he could stand before the American public four days later and declare no one could have anticipated the levees being breached.

Earlier, a room full of people he presumably leads told him exactly that.

President Bush is great at sales, but he cannot deliver a product — time after time.

Koufax Blogging Nominations

While I'm not much of a Koufax award follower, I know some of you participate regularly. For those interested, you can see the categories and vote for your favorites in said categories starting here.

Spike Lee to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice: "Stop Smoking That Crack!"

You heard him, Condi: lay down that crack pipe NOW!

From the NY Daily News:

Firebrand director Spike Lee has found an unlikely new target for his latest spray: the secretary of state.

Says Lee: "I dislike Condoleezza Rice more than [President] Bush. The thing about it is that she's gotten a free ride from black people."

Oh no, he didn't.

"People say, 'She's so successful' and 'Look at her position as a black woman.' She is a black woman who grew up in Birmingham, Ala., and said that she never experienced a day of racism in her life," Lee tells the April issue of Stuff magazine.

"Condi, stop smoking that crack!"

"I know you love your Ferragamo shoes, but come on. While people were drowning in New Orleans, she was going up and down Madison Ave. buying Ferragamo shoes. Then she went to see 'Spamalot.'"

You heard the man, Madame Secretary. Put down the crack pipe.

Another Reason to Avoid Florida

From CNN, although I've heard about this nutcase before:

NAPLES, Florida (AP) -- If Domino's Pizza founder Thomas S. Monaghan has his way, a new town being built in Florida will be governed according to strict Roman Catholic principles, with no place to get an abortion, pornography or birth control.

The pizza magnate is bankrolling the project with at least $250 million and calls it "God's will."

Civil libertarians say the plan is unconstitutional and are threatening to sue.

The town of Ave Maria is being constructed around Ave Maria University, the first Catholic university to be built in the United States in about 40 years. Both are set to open next year about 25 miles east of Naples in southwestern Florida.

Why is it I have no doubt whatsoever that Viagra, Cialis, liposuction, and really bad toupees and hair waves WILL be allowed?

What's that? Why do I think so? Because paternalistic societies love that shit and the double standards.

Oh yeah, and Domino's pizza sucks. No worse than Pizza Hut pizza, granted, but sucks is still sucks.

Civilians Take Brunt of All Violence in Iraq

We freed them all right. We freed them of their money, their oil, their jobs, their institutions, and their lives. Remember, too, as you read this, that we only report a fraction of the number of Iraqis who have died.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgency-related violence last year killed more than twice as many Iraqi civilians — 4,024 people — as Iraqi soldiers and police, according to government figures obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

And the civilian death count in the first two months of this year already stands at more than one-quarter of last year's total — due in part to sectarian violence triggered by the Feb. 22 bombing of a Shiite shrine and car bombings in Shiite neighborhoods around Baghdad.
The large number of civilian deaths — many in Baghdad, where 25 percent of the population lives — has created a climate of fear where parents are afraid to send their children to school, women spend their days huddled inside their homes, and husbands send wives and children abroad.

Figures compiled by the Health Ministry put the civilian death toll for 2005 at 4,024. The ministry's civilian death count for the first two months of this year is 1,093.

The Bushies: Stop Leaks the Old-Fashioned Way; Burn the Leakers and the Press

Unless the leaker is named Dick Cheney and the target is Joe Wilson and his former CIA operative wife, Valerie Plame.

From Saturday's WaPo:

The Bush administration, seeking to limit leaks of classified information, has launched initiatives targeting journalists and their possible government sources. The efforts include several FBI probes, a polygraph investigation inside the CIA and a warning from the Justice Department that reporters could be prosecuted under espionage laws.

In recent weeks, dozens of employees at the CIA, the National Security Agency and other intelligence agencies have been interviewed by agents from the FBI's Washington field office, who are investigating possible leaks that led to reports about secret CIA prisons and the NSA's warrantless domestic surveillance program, according to law enforcement and intelligence officials familiar with the two cases.

Numerous employees at the CIA, FBI, Justice Department and other agencies also have received letters from Justice prohibiting them from discussing even unclassified issues related to the NSA program, according to sources familiar with the notices. Some GOP lawmakers are also considering whether to approve tougher penalties for leaking.

In a little-noticed case in California, FBI agents from Los Angeles have already contacted reporters at the Sacramento Bee about stories published in July that were based on sealed court documents related to a terrorism case in Lodi, according to the newspaper.

Some media watchers, lawyers and editors say that, taken together, the incidents represent perhaps the most extensive and overt campaign against leaks in a generation, and that they have worsened the already-tense relationship between mainstream news organizations and the White House.

"There's a tone of gleeful relish in the way they talk about dragging reporters before grand juries, their appetite for withholding information, and the hints that reporters who look too hard into the public's business risk being branded traitors," said New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller, in a statement responding to questions from The Washington Post. "I don't know how far action will follow rhetoric, but some days it sounds like the administration is declaring war at home on the values it professes to be promoting abroad."

President Bush has called the NSA leak "a shameful act" that was "helping the enemy," and said in December that he was hopeful the Justice Department would conduct a full investigation into the disclosure.

Finally, an Official Inquiry into Pat Tillman's Death and Its Coverup

Tillman, as you may recall, left a lucrative sports career to join Bush's call for heroes to bring down Osama bin Forgotten. Tillman was not only killed, his death was covered up to hide friendly fire being a facotr.

"Dubai and Dubya in Desperate Dash for Lifeboats"

From the NY Daily News, which seems to be tipping to sanity right now, please note how Halliburton may get its greedy fingers in the deal (do we really want to trust national security to Duck! It's Dick! Cheney?

WASHINGTON - The White House is quietly pushing a Dubai company to "significantly restructure" and partner up with a U.S. outfit to keep the port deal from sinking, sources told the Daily News yesterday.

"It's in the hands of the company now. ... They're going to have to significantly restructure," said a Republican source familiar with White House expectations...

[snippy snip]

One snag to such a deal may be that sources say the U.S. company best equipped to partner with DP World is Halliburton, once headed by Vice President Cheney.

After undergoing so much scrutiny for its no-bid Iraq contract and the handling of some of its duties there, Halliburton may not be able to help DP World land the deal, a source admitted.
According to the source close to the White House, Team Bush believes that in addition to clearing an extended 45-day review, DP World will have to come up with a deal that will pass muster with Rep. Peter King (R-L.I.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

King is seen as a key lawmaker because he broke with the White House over the Dubai deal despite his strong relationship with President Bush and top aides like Karl Rove.

CNN: Bush's "So-Called War on Terror"

As the good folks at Buzzflash point out, someone at CNN got a clue today. Under a picture from the love-fest tryst going on between Pakistan PM Pervez Musharrif and Mr. Bush, CNN called it Mr. Bush's so-called War on Terror.

Finally. Yes, I agree with Buzzflash, the poor truthteller will probably lose his or her job. But it was nice to see someone finally acknowledge the truth.

U.S. Cites Terror Exception

Like nuclear weapons, torture is fine for us to do it and fine for Israel to hide it while being a strong supporter of the policies, but not for Iran or North Korea or Syria. Uh huh.

From WaPo:

Bush administration lawyers, fighting a claim of torture by a Guantanamo Bay detainee, yesterday argued that the new law that bans cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of detainees in U.S. custody does not apply to people held at the military prison.
In federal court yesterday and in legal filings, Justice Department lawyers contended that a detainee at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, cannot use legislation drafted by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to challenge treatment that the detainee's lawyers described as "systematic torture."

Government lawyers have argued that another portion of that same law, the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, removes general access to U.S. courts for all Guantanamo Bay captives. Therefore, they said, Mohammed Bawazir, a Yemeni national held since May 2002, cannot claim protection under the anti-torture provisions.

Bawazir's attorneys contend that "extremely painful" new tactics used by the government to force-feed him and end his hunger strike amount to torture.

U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler said in a hearing yesterday that she found allegations of aggressive U.S. military tactics used to break the detainee hunger strike "extremely disturbing" and possibly against U.S. and international law. But Justice Department lawyers argued that even if the tactics were considered in violation of McCain's language, detainees at Guantanamo would have no recourse to challenge them in court.

Charles "McCarthy" Krauthammer: Anti-Americanism

I see Charlie the Tuna is resorting to McCarthy tactics by denouncing the creators of the film, "Syriana" as anti-American. Nothing says American patriot better, after all, than a spent psychiatrist profiting from war and fear while spinning nothing but lies.

No Shit, Sherlock: Senate Says No to Lobbyist Reforms

No way are the good whores men of Washington going to do without all the fancy meals, lavish trips, and other niceties supplied to them by the very interests which go against the needs and desires of the populace.

Bush's Afghanistan Isn't Doing Well Either

And this, from WaPo and Walter Pincus, is just the tip of the iceberg since Afghanistan actually got much worse after Bushies invaded:

Appearing with Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte, Maples said attacks within Afghanistan were up 20 percent between 2004 and 2005, suicide bombings increased "almost fourfold" and use of makeshift bombs, similar to those used in Iraq, had "more than doubled."

The director of the Defense Intelligence Agency told Congress yesterday that the insurgency in Afghanistan is growing and will increase this spring, presenting a greater threat to the central government's expansion of authority "than at any point since late 2001."

"Despite significant progress on the political front, the Taliban-dominated insurgency remains a capable and resilient threat," Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples said in a statement presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee at its annual hearing on national security threats.

Elsewhere, in the Mardi Gras Known as Bush-Occupied Iraq...

More than one in three soldiers and Marines who have served in Iraq have sought help for mental health problems, Army experts say.

AND

Explusion of Shiites from Sunni-dominated towns is on the rise amid rampant sectarian violence. They are being told to leave or die.

More Rumors About VP Duck! It's Dick! Cheney's Imminent Departure

From The Carpetbagger Report (and like them, I don't think Cheney's going anywhere - I do suspect they have balls enough to try to fly him - and his 18% approval rating - as Prez in 2008):

As part of my ongoing fascination with the oddly anti-Bush articles appearing in Insight magazine, an off-shoot of Sun Myung Moon's far-right Washington Times, the latest issue suggests that we won't have Dick Cheney to kick around much longer.

Senior GOP sources envision the retirement of Mr. Cheney in 2007, months after the congressional elections. The sources said Mr. Cheney would be persuaded to step down as he becomes an increasing political liability to President Bush.

The sources reported a growing rift between the president and vice president as well as their staffs. They cited Mr. Cheney's failure to immediately tell the president of the accidental shooting of the vice president's hunting colleague earlier this month. The White House didn't learn of the incident until 18 hours later. […]

"Nothing will happen until after the congressional elections," a GOP source said. "After that, there will be significant changes in the administration and Cheney will probably be part of that."

The opportunities for baseless speculation abound. Indeed, the article dovetails nicely with the Peggy Noonan-inspired boomlet about Cheney's pending departure from a couple of weeks ago. (For the record, I still don't believe Cheney is going anywhere. Bush is loathe to admit mistakes — and this would be a gigantic admission.)

In the "Finally, Someone Else Questions the Whole Iraq Mosque Debacle Story" Department

Finally. I've been biting my tongue but there is something that really stinks about the story of Al Qaeda blowing up the great Mosque last week. This seemed FAR more like an operation somebody (like us) might perpetrate than one al Qaeda would pull.

Now I see James Wolcott smells something as well:

Here's what I don't get about the Golden Dome mosque bombing. That, once overtaken, the guards were tied up.

That eats up the clock when you're in a hurry and it spares lives, not exactly the M.O. of Al Qaeda, which tends to be more throat-cuttingly swift and savage. Al Qaeda and its affiliates are also not shy about claiming bragging rights for their crimes and atrocities, yet no one so far has taken awful credit for this desecration. Most odd, and no wonder the timing and execution of this event has given rise to dark speculation.

Each oil drop of dark speculation deepens the pool of paranoia that has become the mirror of our post 9/11 lives, which brings us to a certain movie that's about to be released that makes the sign of the V. And on that cryptic note...

The Times Sues Bushies for Documents Related to NSA Wiretaps

Good for them. It still doesn't forgive them their disastrous issues like the Select subscription wall and paying John Tierney and David Brooks and Tom Friedman money for their crap but it's a start in the right direction.

Bush Aides With Financial Ties to UAE/Dubai U.S. Ports Deal

What a surprise (NOT)!

From the NY Daily News (of all places):

The Dubai firm that won Bush administration backing to run six U.S. ports has at least two ties to the White House.

One is Treasury Secretary John Snow, whose agency heads the federal panel that signed off on the $6.8 billion sale of an English company to government-owned Dubai Ports World - giving it control of Manhattan's cruise ship terminal and Newark's container port.

Snow was chairman of the CSX rail firm that sold its own international port operations to DP World for $1.15 billion in 2004, the year after Snow left for President Bush's cabinet.

The other connection is David Sanborn, who runs DP World's European and Latin American operations and was tapped by Bush last month to head the U.S. Maritime Administration.

The ties raised more concerns about the decision to give port control to a company owned by a nation linked to the 9/11 hijackers.

"The more you look at this deal, the more the deal is called into question," said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who said the deal was rubber-stamped in advance - even before DP World formally agreed to buy London's P&O port company.

Boy, the Bushies all have hands in every cookie jar. I suspect that Bush himself, at least through family ties, stands to prosper from this deal as will VP Duck! It's Dick! Cheney.

Monitor Group Sues for White House Logs to Show How Often Lobbyist Abramoff Visited the Bushies

Of course, the Bushies don't know Jack Abramoff, never heard of Jack Abramoff, and didn't even notice his name on all the big checks they cashed.

From the wires:

A public-interest group has sued the Secret Service for access to White House visitor logs that the group says would show how often lobbyist Jack Abramoff met with President Bush and his staff.

Judicial Watch filed suit in U.S. District Court in Washington under the federal Freedom of Information Act, claiming that the Secret Service failed to meet a Feb. 21 deadline for releasing the records or indicating how much more time it would need.

[snippy snippy snip]

The White House has refused to say how many times Abramoff, who raised $100,000 for Bush's re-election, has been to see the president or his aides. Bush's spokesman has said Abramoff was admitted to the White House complex for "a few staff-level meetings" and Hanukkah receptions in 2001 and 2002.

The president has said he does not know Abramoff personally.

The White House logs would answer a basic question about the extent of Abramoff's ties to the White House, Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said. The records "may show 30 visits by Jack Abramoff to the White House, or they may show three visits."

Uh huh.

Universal Agreement: Terror Threat Increased After Bush and Blair's Excellent Iraq Adventure

Why the fuck wouldn't the terror threat be MUCH higher is a better question for the Coulters, Limbaughs, and Michelle Malkins of the world.

From the wires:

Most people in 33 out of 35 countries worldwide believe that the US-led war in Iraq has increased the threat of terrorism, a survey for BBC World Service radio suggested.

An average of 60 percent in the 33 nations agreed that the March 2003 invasion had increased the likelihood of terrorist attacks, with just 12 percent believing the opposite. A further 15 percent thought it had no effect.

The survey of 41,856 people by Canadian pollsters GlobeScan and the US Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) also claimed there was overall support in 20 countries for US forces to withdraw in the next few months.

Bush Wears His Cute Bike Uniform to Church?

Rush & Molloy: Some pool correspondents believe Bush
wears his bike uniform under his suit when he goes to church; there is a mysterious “bulkiness.” [NYDN]

Hey, we know it's not balls nor brain.

Karl Rove Certainly Is An Authority on Nasty and Vicious

So we defer to his expertise, as detailed by Wonkette:

Karl Rove on blogs:

"There is so much ugliness and viciousness and fundamental untruths that the blogosphere transmits. It also is a vehicle for ugly rumors, for scurrilous personal attacks, an avenue for the creation of urban legends which are deeply corrosive of the political system and of people’s faith in it."

Well, gee, I guess the fat, 7-chinned lady has now sung.

Talking Points Memo: IRS Is Being Used to Pursue Vendettas

Well, it's not exactly the first time this has happened. Since I got outspoken, I've had the tax men pouring over every paper clip I deduct and charging me penalties for things they never, ever, ever explain.

But here's the scoop from Josh:

The Washington Post ran a story yesterday suggesting that the IRS bowed to political pressure by investigating a Texas public interest group that crossed swords with Tom DeLay. The investigation came at the request of DeLay's crony, Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX), who himself was put up to making the request by a lawyer tied to DeLay's fundraising schemes.

But we think there's more to the story. In fact, there are indications that established rules to prevent political abuse of the IRS may not have been followed.

According to IRS rules, a request like Johnson's must be reviewed by a three-member panel set up to ensure that investigations are conducted for fair, nonpartisan purposes. But there doesn't appear to be any evidence that such a review ever took place.

Under the rules, the committee must keep a record of each of its decisions. As the Post reported yesterday, Texans for Public Justice Director Craig L. McDonald asked for all documents relating to his group’s case. McDonald shared those documents with us -- and they contain no record the IRS committee had reviewed Johnson’s letter or referred it for investigation.

Yet Again, President George Bush Shows His Appreciation to the "Heroes in Uniform": Veteran Health Care Cuts to Pay for His Tax Cuts to Billionaires

What a guy! It's really quite amazing that even just 34% of Americans don't want to kick his ass off the planet.

From the wires:

At least tens of thousands of veterans with non-critical medical issues could suffer delayed or even denied care in coming years to enable President Bush to meet his promise of cutting the deficit in half — if the White House is serious about its proposed budget.

After an increase for next year, the Bush budget would turn current trends on their head. Even though the cost of providing medical care to veterans has been growing by leaps and bounds, White House budget documents assume a cutback in 2008 and further cuts thereafter.

In fact, the proposed cuts are so draconian that it seems to some that the White House is simply making them up to make its long-term deficit figures look better. More realistic numbers, however, would raise doubts as to whether Bush can keep his promise to wrestle the deficit under control by the time he leaves office.

Only in Bush's world would the only sacrifices come from the poor, like those who served risking life and limb at less than minimum wage in fictitious wars Bush won't contribute his own kids to fight.

Enabling is what people have been doing for Bush his entire, privileged life. It's time we say NO to Georgie Porgie.

Time to Impeach? Today and Tomorrow Are Action Days

From ImpeachBush.org:

Join the People's Impeachment Lobby taking place today and tomorrow, February 28 - March 1 and demand that the representative from your district support H.Res.635 calling for a Congressional inquiry to investigate the grounds for impeachment.

There are now 27 members of the House of Representatives, including John Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee who are supporting a bill, H. Res 635, calling for "a select committee to investigate the Administration's intent to go to war before Congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing torture, retaliating against critics, and to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment." Tell your representative today that you want him or her to co-sponsor this important measure.

1) Click here, or go to ImpeachBush.org, where we have set up another easy-to-use mechanism so that impeachment campaign members and supporters can quickly send a message directly to your representative insisting they support H.Res.635. We have a sample message that you can use and customize before you send it.

2) Tell your friends and family and urge them to also send a message to Congress. You can forward this e-mail simply by clicking the email-this-page button above. After you have sent a message you will also be given a link that lets you send a message to your friends and family encouraging them to participate in the People's Impeachment Lobby.

3) Donate to help the impeachment campaign and to place the next major impeachment newspaper ad by clicking here. The full-page New York Times ad brought tens of thousands of new people into the impeachment movement and brought the crimes of this administration into public view in no uncertain terms. We want to place the next full page ad in the San Francisco Chronicle within the next ten days -- prior to the March 18 mass anti-war demonstration in San Francisco that will include a large impeachment contingent. Let's keep the pressure going and spread the word. Click here to help place this ad.

Apropos of Very Little: Salmon Portland Chase

I happened to find this Wikipedia entry for my ancestor, Supreme Court Chief Justice Salmon Portland Chase today. That I am named Kate as was his daughter is not family destiny but pure accident although we do seem to share a certain impudence of facial expression.

In the "Sins of the Father" Department

Reading the book "Joseph McCarthy and the Press" last night (good so far - very insightful), I kept coming across the name Van Susteren from Wisconsin.

Now, Van Susteren is not a common name, even in immigrant sections of Wisconsin, and it made me think about one-time Faux News darling Greta, who got a face lift to join their vapid crew.

Sure enough, Greta is the daughter of Joe McCarthy's campaign manager and staunchest defender, short of Roy Cohn whom I had the displeasure to meet before he died, Judge Urban Van Susteren. In fact, Joseph McCarthy was best man at the wedding of Greta's mom and dad. Urban had an interesting slant: a wealthy industrialist who was ALSO a judge. Hmmm. Not a combination everyone would be comfortable with - certainly not me.

Here's a snippet from online about Greta, the Scientologist, and her dad.

Holy Shiite, Batman: Death Toll in Iraq Much Higher for Past Few Days Than Reported

Try more than 1,300 in just a few days. And then consider that this is probably just some since it takes ages to determine how many died in anything (note Katrina) and how hard the Bushies work to hide numbers they don't like.

From WaPo:

Grisly attacks and other sectarian violence unleashed by last week's bombing of a Shiite shrine have killed more than 1,300 Iraqis, making the past few days the deadliest of the war outside of major U.S. offensives, according to Baghdad's main morgue. The toll was more than three times higher than the figure previously reported by the U.S. military and the news media.

Hundreds of unclaimed dead lay at the morgue at midday Monday -- blood-caked men who had been shot, knifed, garroted or apparently suffocated by the plastic bags still over their heads. Many of the bodies were sprawled with their hands still bound -- and many of them had wound up at the morgue after what their families said was their abduction by the Mahdi Army, the Shiite militia of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

Good Night and Good Luck, Redux

I'm going to bed with "Joe McCarthy and the American Press" by Edwin R. Bayley, a relatively old book now that I've been meaning to read for years. It was in my bookcase when I bought the house and on the night I've decided to sell it (the house, not the book), it seems like high time.

I'll let you know how it is.

In The "Gee, This Isn't Torture" Department

Posted at Crooks and Liars (and sheesh to the max):

FDL:
Knight Ridder reports (via Kevin Drum) that:

Military interrogators posing as FBI agents at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, wrapped terrorism suspects in an Israeli flag and forced them to watch homosexual pornography under strobe lights during interrogation sessions that lasted as long as 18 hours, according to one of a batch of FBI memos released Thursday.

ReddHedd goes on to give us more information, but this is sickening.

As Larry Johnson notes, what movies are these guys watching? He thinks "Man on Fire."

Andrew Young - When He Sells Out, He Sells Out BIG

Attaturk at Rising Hegemon points out - quite sadly - that Andrew Young, former Carter Admin man and (I believe) the second black mayor of mostly black Atlanta, has not only defended Bush's fool performance at Coretta Scott King's funeral, Young is ALSO outfront as a defender of Wal-Mart against its critics.

When the mighty fall, they fall very hard, very loud, and all too often, in the direction of the closest large checkbook. Sigh!

Andy? Karma's going to get you.

Just look at me. I'm convinced I must have been Evita Peron in one life and Eva Braun in another to deserve my current run of luck.

Karma: Die Now, Pay Later

Jill Carroll

Definitely one to put in the aw shit category:

The U.S. Ambassador to Iraq says he has it on good intelligence Jill Carroll is still alive and OK.

Remember all the "good intelligence" we got cooked up by the White House test lie kitchens? Things like:

• Saddam was about to launch missiles at the West Coast which could strike us in just 45 minutes?
• Saddam had a huge nuclear program?
• Saddam had WMD everywhere?
• Iraq would fucking pay for itself? Would be a cakewalk? Our soldiers would have flowers - rather than road bombs - tossed at their feet? We'd be in and out of there in 3-6 months?

IOW, hearing the US Ambassador toady to Bushies say Christian Science Monitor journalist Jill Carroll, now captured many weeks ago, is still alive is tantamount to ... well... it's ain't good, boys and girls.

Our National Symbol: Let's Forego the Eagle In Favor of the Owl

You know, when men like Ben Franklin, John Adams, and Tom Jefferson were helping found this country, an eagle seemed like a really appropriate national symbol which is probably why the eagle beat out the turkey for that honor.

Think eagle, and you think wide wing span, fierce, cranky, independent, and assuredly aggressive when needed. That's to some degree who we needed to be to survive.

But perhaps the time of the eagle has long since passed. Oh, not that we aren't still cranky, aggressive, and eager to flex our wings right in somebody else's face - just look at our little bantamweight rooster of a president and he does it daily (and twice on Sunday when he naps instead of attends prayer).

I ask with no mock seriousness: why not replace the eagle with the owl?

Yes, the owl has in some mythologies been seen as a purveyor or overseer of death and destruction (but then, so has the U.S.). Yet the owl is also rooted in a concept of wisdom, of smarts that come from watching, and - er, yeah - of being able to swoop down and murder a kitten in record time. You know, sorta like the United States.

But my thought behind the owl as a new national symbol is that:

1. it's harder to take with the same two-dimensional egotestical (a word I coined for my first male editor who stood towering over me as he raged, "If you don't register as a Republican, you aren't worth anything! It's like kissing your vote goodbye!") fervor that some like Ollie North pray to the eagle
2. it would symbolize the American citizen's need and RESPONSIBILITY to watch over the action of its leaders and both the treatment of and treatment by its soldiers
3. it stands more for smarts than for brawn and after six years of Psycho Cowboy from Crawford, we can all stand a bit more intelligence - even
   most of Texas
4. the owl looks less like Donald Rumsfeld

What say ye?

And no, stop looking at me askance. I haven't consumed alcohol in like years.

GOP Governors Worried About Bush

Like the rest of us aren't?

From the Conservative Nut Network (CNN):

Republican governors are openly worrying that the Bush administration's latest stumbles -- from the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina to those of its own making on prescription drugs and ports security -- are taking an election-year toll on the party back home.

The GOP governors reluctantly acknowledge that the series of gaffes threatens to undermine public confidence in President Bush's ability to provide security, which has long been his greatest strength among voters.

"You've got solid conservatives coming up speaking like they haven't before, it's likely that something's going on at the grass roots," said Republican Mark Sanford of South Carolina. "Whether it's temporary or not remains to be seen."

The unease was clear in interviews with more than a dozen governors over the weekend, including nearly half of the Republicans attending the winter meeting of the National Governors Association. The annual conference was taking place in a capital enthralled by the political firestorm over government plans to approve takeover of operations at some terminals at six U.S. ports by a company owned by the United Arab Emirates government.

Apparently Not Everyone Forgot About Bush's Spying OR the Probable Cause Clause in the Fourth Amendment

CNN is asking:

Should a special counsel be appointed to investigate the legality of the Bush administration's eavesdropping program?

Right now, 71% of nearly 130K respondents say YES.

Go vote.

That's go vote, not how to vote. :) Not being a Republican, I don't feel obligated to tell you what to do and, perhaps not being a Republican yourself, you aren't waiting to see what Karl Rove tells you to say. ;)

Bush Administration: Corporate Interests Always Prevail Over National Security

David Sirota is on this like a cheap suit on the 80s Ralph Nader:

A little-noticed Wall Street Journal story confirms what I've written about the UAE port scandal: that it has everything to do with Big Money's efforts to prioritize the free trade agenda over national security concerns. And now, the second Bush administration security official is admitting as much.

Here is the excerpt from the print edition (some of the excerpt is only in print and not online):

"Behind the scenes, business lobbyists are pushing for a compromise to resolve the Duvai deal without reopening the legislation that governs foreign takeovers at a moment when the issue is so hot politically...

A number of lawmakers, among them Senate Banking Chairman Richard Shelby (R., Ala.), have called for the committee [that approves such deals] to operate with more transparency, and some have urged that the law be changed to allow Congress to override any deal.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business interests, backed by the administration, oppose such changes, arguing they could harm the climate for foreign investment in the U.S. and disrupt U.S. companies' ability to invest overseas."

Luckily, Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has already released details of legislation that he is going to be introducing that would force national security concerns to take precedent in trade and commerce negotiations. Incredibly, though, even the Bush administration's top national secuirty officials are toeing the corporate line. Here's White House National Secuirty Adviser Stephen Hadley quoted in the Wall Street Journal piece:

"What the Congress and the companies are able to work out, we'll support and cooperate with so long as it does not involve a summary decision by the Congress that blocks this transaction."

This is the second Bush security official to publicly prioritize the corporate agenda over national security (the first one being Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff). And their message is disgusting:

The supposedly "tough on terrorism" White House will only support Congressional national security legislation as long as it doesn't mess with the administration's corporate agenda.

Emphasis mine after I tossed my cookies listening to Hadley on "Face the Nation" yesterday morning. And no, this is not a euphemism, except I had a slice of toast rather than cookies for breakfast.

Iraq in Civil War

CBS News tonight says that if it's not already in outright civil war, it is hard on the brink.

Seven soldiers killed just on Wednesday and more than 200 Iraqis since.

What does Bush do? He calls for an end to violence.

Too bad the president doesn't take his own advice.

Good Night and Good Luck, Jill Carroll

Another deadline passed tonight and nothing has been heard from Christian Science reporter Jill Carroll in more than two weeks. Considering the violence in Iraq, I wonder if she is alive. I hope so. But I don't know for how much longer.

Indict. Impeach. Imprison.

I like this motto (Indict. Impeach. Imprison.), seen on a t-shirt at Blah3.

More on Impeachment

From Carl Sheeler, the RI senatorial candidate trying to spearhead impeachment (whose phone number I omitted because some nut cases don't need help:

February 24, 2006
Honorable Members of the RI General Assembly,

Approximately ten days ago, I called upon the Democratic Members of the RI General Assembly to support an impeachment initiative to prepare a resolution to be forwarded to the US House of Representatives.

This occurred after no response form Congressmen Langevin and Kennedy to join Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) in his efforts. I sent each of you a letter making this request as well as a draft of articles outlining the reasons for impeachment. I also called on my US Senate opponents Shedon Whitehouse and Matt Brown to join me in this effort.

There has also been no response.This most recent effort was covered by the local media, Fox News and the Associated Press as well as dozens, if not hundreds of blogsites.

I hope you agree leadership is not achieved by entering political office, but by applying the simple principal of doing the right thing on behalf of the public and the citizens of Rhode Island. This places public interest before personal and political agendas.

I believe Rhode Island and our nation deserve nothing less. It is not a partisan issue.

Let me call your attention to Daily Kos, the largest political website in the United States, and the conservative Magazine Harpers - March 2006 edition.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/2/19/1730/42036

I have not yet heard from any member from the State Senate or House. This is disappointing. It would be embarrasing if either another state precedes us or impeachment proceedings occur in Congress due to US Representative Conyer's efforts. It is a reasonable to state your reasons for not supporting this request in writing in the next 10 working days, if your unable to concur with this patriotic effort.

With Respect,

Carl L. Sheeler
Sheeler for US Senate http://www.carlsheeler.com

For equal time, a Vermont REPUBLICAN (yes, you read the color correctly) candidate is also trying to get 100 like-minded people together to launch an impeachment effort against Smirk Truly (Bush - I can't call him a chimp because a chimp knows what to do with his opposable thumbs AND can probably, if trained, pronounce nuclear correctly). If you're interested, I'll dig up the candidate's name.

South Dakota Works Overtime to Turn Back Time, Make Women Third Class Citizens Again (Men First, Unborn Cells Second)

Apparently South Dakota - which makes no real provision for the health of the mother since, their legislators say, would mean that if a woman sniffed, she could "kill" the baby - not only wants to give the Kansas School Board a run for its devolution money, but they want to test what good players new Supremes John (my wife is against abortion) Roberts and Sam (my wife CRIES strategically!) Alito are for the Bushie nutcases.

Feel Good Story: Autistic Teen's Hoop Dreams Come True

Sent by Barb (aka Goddess with the Electric Cattle Prodess):

Senior Jason McElwain had been the manager of the varsity basketball team of Greece Athena High School in Rochester, N.Y.

McElwain, who's autistic, was added to the roster by coach Jim Johnson so he could be given a jersey and get to sit on the bench in the team's last game of the year. Johnson hoped the situation would even enable him to get McElwain onto the floor a little playing time.

He got the chance, with Greece Athena up by double-digits with four minutes go to. And, in his first action of the year, McElwain missed his first two shots, but then sank six three-pointers and another shot (video), for a total of 20 points in three minutes.

Selective Scrutiny: Venezuelan Crude Oil and the Bushies

Anyone else finding it just incredibly convenient - not to mention brashly, really quite brazenly - that Condi Rice came out today to say we need to scrutinize Venezuelan oil imports and Citgo?

Condi, who has a major oil tanker named for her because of the "great assistance" she gave oil bigwigs during the Bush I administration, is amazingly selective in her scrutiny.

Do I think Hugo Chavez is some angel? No. But with what I know of the Bushies, I'm very suspicious of the efforts to eliminate him as a player, given what the Bushies tell us.

It was Chavez - albeit it with a big finger aimed at the Bushies - who came through for many of the poor this winter with budget oil, not Exxon, not the Texans, not the other pieces of manure that pass for America's energy companies and drive up prices like crazy.

And one more thing. Before you blame the new spike in prices just on the attack on the world's largest oil refinery (we're told al Qaeda is claiming responsibility but who knows?), consider that the price jumped right after Condi's big announcement of an investigation into Venezuelan fuel imports.

The stink you smell comes from those two Texas oil men in the White House. Impeach 'em.

So What's Your Take on Iraq?

Are they finally in a civil war (with help from the Bushies) or were they two years ago, when our (cough) intrepid media began mentioning the term?

"Corruption Comes at a Cost"

From Jesse at DCCC:

Corruption Has a CostFebruary 24, 2006
• Corruption Comes at a Cost• The Pombo Whirlwind Continues - With Your Help• The Republican Pre-9/11 Mindset• News From the Blog
Corruption Comes at a Cost
A new report released this week from Democrats on the House Rules Committee, led by Rep. Louise Slaughter, hits the nail on the head.

Entitled "America for Sale: The Cost of Republican Corruption," examines the real world implications of the Republican scandals unfolding every day. The report documents the ways in which Republican corruption has infiltrated a multitude of political arenas ranging from healthcare to education to national security.

Republican members of Congress are reaping the benefits that their special-interest friends have to offer while simultaneously putting the American people at a loss. Rather than representing their constituents, they are instead representing the "highest bidder."

Despite billions of dollars that have thus far been spent on Homeland Security, the 9/11 Commission repeatedly questions the utility of these funds. Airport security is deemed insufficient, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction has not been stymied, and the United States government has been given a failing grade for its overall security by the Commission. As the report documents, the Republicans seem to have been cherry picking national defense contractors with one standard - will this contractor support the Republican Party?

The Government Accountability Office has questioned whether the 250 billion dollars for the Iraq war has been put to its best use. Despite this astronomical amount, there is a lack of sufficient, safe supplies. Among other problems, military Humvees do not offer adequate means of transportation, and the drinking water delivered to the soldiers is grossly contaminated

Another pressing issue is America's source of energy. The rising energy costs are putting a great amount of stress on American families across the nation, but energy companies have racked up excessive profits. And we're to believe that the millions of dollars in campaign contributions given to Republicans are a mere coincidence.

There are other salient issues that are affecting Americans on a day-to-day basis. Millions of Americans have essentially been left to fend for themselves after the passage of Medicare Part D. By intertwining private insurance companies with red tape, the federal government has once again chosen its own best interest - political support from large private insurance companies - over the basic needs of its citizens.

Lastly, the circumstance surrounding America's higher education is dismal. It too is entangled with the Republican's special interests. The Republicans are vehemently fighting against direct loans because it eliminates the need for financial institutions that offer a great amount of political support from this organization. Overall, if the Republicans are able to continue their pay-to-play gambit, the constituents' interests will be represented less and less. More and more, only lobbyists and wealthy special interest groups are being represented in what is supposed to be "the People's House." As long as the Republican culture of corruption continues, the remedies to the problems facing American families.

The American Chronicle published the key specific findings of the report...

No, I am not a Democrat. ;)

The Dubai and US Ports Debacle

Just to be clear, I'm not unilaterally opposed to the operation of certain US ports by the UAE just because Arabs are part of the UAE. These days, I suspect I'd be much happier to allow moderate Muslims to operate something than any of our nutso fascist Christian idealogues.

In fact, I wasn't opposed to the whole ports thing at all until President (man, it still hurts to type his name six-plus years later) Bush told us we WERE going to have UAE control of U.S. ports NO MATTER WHAT.

His reticence to hear any dissenting opinions on this - no surprise from this administration - bothers the hell out of me. Which makes me wonder who the fuck is behind all this.

27 Members of the House Support This: Impeach the Bum (Bush)

From Impeach.org:

There are now 27 members of the House of Representatives, including John Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee who are supporting a bill, H. Res 635, calling for "a select committee to investigate the Administration's intent to go to war before Congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing torture, retaliating against critics, and to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment."

"Our principles are enshrined in our Constitution and a system of duly enacted laws, and in a government where all are accountable and no one is above the law," stated Rep. Barbara Lee of California, one of the co-sponsors of the impeachment inquiry. "Our Constitution gives us a system of checks and balances and divided power because our founders were bitterly familiar with dealing with an unaccountable executive and were determined that our nation should not have a king," said Congresswoman Lee.

At the same time the Congressional inquiry moves forward, recent polls reveal that the majority of the country now favors impeachment if the President either lied about the reasons for going to war or broke federal law with his illegal wire-tapping program. This is a clear-cut sign that the impeachment movement is becoming a decisive factor in U.S. politics.

Help place the next major impeachment ad by clicking here.

We have exciting new opportunities for the impeachment movement to grow to new heights. It would be a monumental mistake to sit back and assume that Congressional representatives or other politicians will proceed with the impeachment campaign without grassroots pressure and community support. Impeachment will only become a reality if the people lead this movement.

Of course, with our luck, we'd get President Denny Hastert. Urm.

The President, the Arabs, and the Port Security Debacle

You know, considering how completely unprotected our ports ARE under Bush and in the wake of 9/11, it's very hard to entitle this post "port security". But just as I was about to post to ask WHY Mr. Bush - besides his great financial ties to the bin Ladens and the Saud Royal Family - would boldly promise to veto any attempts to quash the deal, comes this from David Sirota at Working for Change:

Politicians and the media are loudly decrying the Bush administration's proposal to turn over port security to a firm owned by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - a country with ties to terrorists. They are talking tough about national security - but almost no one is talking about what may have fueled the administration's decision to push forward with this deal: the desire to move forward Big Money's "free" trade agenda. That's not conspiracy theory - the administration is pushing this deal at the very same time it is trying to finalize a corporate-written "free" trade agreement with the UAE.