Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Howard Stern to be Back On The Air in Clear Channel Markets
Plus others:
Stern said he will be returning to four markets -- Pittsburgh, San Diego, Orlando, Fla., and Rochester, N.Y. -- after having been pulled off stations owned by Clear Channel Communications. The new stations are owned by Infinity Broadcasting -- the Viacom Inc. unit that syndicates his show.
Stern said his show will also air in Houston and Austin, Texas, West Palm Beach and Tampa, Fla., and Fresno, Calif., bringing to 45 the number of stations that broadcast his morning show. Of those, 27 are Infinity-owned.
I don't listen to him only because I love my music too much, but anyone that spreads the word about "pruning the Shrub" is ok with me.
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Plus others:
Stern said he will be returning to four markets -- Pittsburgh, San Diego, Orlando, Fla., and Rochester, N.Y. -- after having been pulled off stations owned by Clear Channel Communications. The new stations are owned by Infinity Broadcasting -- the Viacom Inc. unit that syndicates his show.
Stern said his show will also air in Houston and Austin, Texas, West Palm Beach and Tampa, Fla., and Fresno, Calif., bringing to 45 the number of stations that broadcast his morning show. Of those, 27 are Infinity-owned.
I don't listen to him only because I love my music too much, but anyone that spreads the word about "pruning the Shrub" is ok with me.
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QOTD
"A magician pulls rabbits out of hats. An experimental psychologist pulls habits out of rats."
Anonymous
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"A magician pulls rabbits out of hats. An experimental psychologist pulls habits out of rats."
Anonymous
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I Didn't Know Yankee Fans Had It In Them
Vice President Dick Cheney was booed last night at Yankee Stadium during the playing of 'God Bless America' before the game against the Boston Red Sox. Cheney was a guest in George Steinbrenner's suite.
I'd like to think it had nothing to do with the VP's allegiance to the BoSox.
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Vice President Dick Cheney was booed last night at Yankee Stadium during the playing of 'God Bless America' before the game against the Boston Red Sox. Cheney was a guest in George Steinbrenner's suite.
I'd like to think it had nothing to do with the VP's allegiance to the BoSox.
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U.S. Alien Tort Claims Act
I'm usually aghast at how litigious our society has become, but in the case of Abu Ghraib (and maybe Gitmo) I think damages could be in order:
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that foreigners have only a limited right to use an obscure U.S. law to sue in America over alleged human rights abuses. However, that decision still left open the possibility of lawsuits over inmate mistreatment in Iraq and other claims.
(...)
But while the decision limits suits under that law, Paul Hoffman, the attorney for Alvarez, said: "The limit is not that much of a limit. The community of people who have been involved in bringing Alien Tort Claims Act cases are breaking out champagne bottles over this decision."...
CC: Baghdad Burning
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I'm usually aghast at how litigious our society has become, but in the case of Abu Ghraib (and maybe Gitmo) I think damages could be in order:
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that foreigners have only a limited right to use an obscure U.S. law to sue in America over alleged human rights abuses. However, that decision still left open the possibility of lawsuits over inmate mistreatment in Iraq and other claims.
(...)
But while the decision limits suits under that law, Paul Hoffman, the attorney for Alvarez, said: "The limit is not that much of a limit. The community of people who have been involved in bringing Alien Tort Claims Act cases are breaking out champagne bottles over this decision."...
CC: Baghdad Burning
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Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Disney's Response to 'F911'
Disney will release America's Heart and Soul on Friday in an attempt to counteract the overwhelming attention of Fahrenheit 911:
..."This unusual [Disney] film was inspirational," said Howard Kaloogian, chairman of Move America Forward, which has spearheaded a boycotting campaign of Fahrenheit 9/11 after attending a special screening of the film on Monday.
"It was an amazing set of vignettes of stories of different Americans and their pursuit of passion. Each individual was able to explore their passion because of the freedom this country has given us/"...
(...)
But Disney executives said that the release of the new film on Friday - a week after the release of Fahrenheit 9/11 - was simply co-incidental.
Coincidental my ass. The guy from Move America Forward (quoted above) was responsible for pressuring theatres not to show Michael Moore's film.
Disney Chief Michael Eisner is trying to save his job. Good luck toolbox!
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Disney will release America's Heart and Soul on Friday in an attempt to counteract the overwhelming attention of Fahrenheit 911:
..."This unusual [Disney] film was inspirational," said Howard Kaloogian, chairman of Move America Forward, which has spearheaded a boycotting campaign of Fahrenheit 9/11 after attending a special screening of the film on Monday.
"It was an amazing set of vignettes of stories of different Americans and their pursuit of passion. Each individual was able to explore their passion because of the freedom this country has given us/"...
(...)
But Disney executives said that the release of the new film on Friday - a week after the release of Fahrenheit 9/11 - was simply co-incidental.
Coincidental my ass. The guy from Move America Forward (quoted above) was responsible for pressuring theatres not to show Michael Moore's film.
Disney Chief Michael Eisner is trying to save his job. Good luck toolbox!
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Allawi May Not Be The 'Savior' He's Portrayed To Be
Interesting commentary on the new Iraqi PM's involvement with the CIA and what a Hussein trial might look like:
...According to one of the New York Times' sources, Allawi's group, the Iraqi National Accord, was the only exile group the CIA trusted to unleash violence inside Iraq under the agency's direction. In those days, car bombings in Baghdad were thought to be a good thing, according to one U.S. intelligence officer who worked with Allawi. "No one had any problem with sabotage in Baghdad back then," he said, adding, "I don't think anyone could have known how things could turn out today." Now, Allawi has made control over his old rival Hussein a loud demand of his appointed government, which sits in uneasy reliance on 135,000 U.S. troops and must answer to the world's largest American embassy in all important matters.
Such a plan must be tempting for the United States. A show trial under Allawi would be designed to get Hussein out of the way as quickly and quietly as possible, which might save the U.S. some embarrassment. After all, in an open, unbiased trial the old dictator, if he still has his wits about him, could talk about his cooperation with the Reagan and Bush administrations during the 1980s, when he committed many of the alleged crimes — including the use of poison gas — for which he will be brought to trial. He might even discuss his two visits back then with Donald H. Rumsfeld. But even though a fair public trial might prove uncomfortable for our government, Hussein is a prisoner of war captured by the United States, and Washington is responsible for his treatment under international standards. We have no right to turn him over to the tender mercies of a former CIA-financed archrival. That is simply an abdication of responsibility that violates international law.
There is no good argument for not trying Hussein under international law, as has been done with former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic. A fair public trial would reveal the crimes of Hussein as well as the machinations of those U.S. officials and agencies that aided him.
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Interesting commentary on the new Iraqi PM's involvement with the CIA and what a Hussein trial might look like:
...According to one of the New York Times' sources, Allawi's group, the Iraqi National Accord, was the only exile group the CIA trusted to unleash violence inside Iraq under the agency's direction. In those days, car bombings in Baghdad were thought to be a good thing, according to one U.S. intelligence officer who worked with Allawi. "No one had any problem with sabotage in Baghdad back then," he said, adding, "I don't think anyone could have known how things could turn out today." Now, Allawi has made control over his old rival Hussein a loud demand of his appointed government, which sits in uneasy reliance on 135,000 U.S. troops and must answer to the world's largest American embassy in all important matters.
Such a plan must be tempting for the United States. A show trial under Allawi would be designed to get Hussein out of the way as quickly and quietly as possible, which might save the U.S. some embarrassment. After all, in an open, unbiased trial the old dictator, if he still has his wits about him, could talk about his cooperation with the Reagan and Bush administrations during the 1980s, when he committed many of the alleged crimes — including the use of poison gas — for which he will be brought to trial. He might even discuss his two visits back then with Donald H. Rumsfeld. But even though a fair public trial might prove uncomfortable for our government, Hussein is a prisoner of war captured by the United States, and Washington is responsible for his treatment under international standards. We have no right to turn him over to the tender mercies of a former CIA-financed archrival. That is simply an abdication of responsibility that violates international law.
There is no good argument for not trying Hussein under international law, as has been done with former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic. A fair public trial would reveal the crimes of Hussein as well as the machinations of those U.S. officials and agencies that aided him.
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Bad First Day for New Iraqi Government
Nine killed on the first day of "sovereignty," including three U.S. Soldiers.
I wish there were an easy answer for extracting our troops.
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Nine killed on the first day of "sovereignty," including three U.S. Soldiers.
I wish there were an easy answer for extracting our troops.
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Last Call at the Whiskey Bar
For a variety of reasons detailed here, Billmon has decided to make his blog comment-free.
The post announcing this has already drawn over 450 comments.
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For a variety of reasons detailed here, Billmon has decided to make his blog comment-free.
The post announcing this has already drawn over 450 comments.
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Go "Cheney" Yourself!
Using "Cheney" instead of Cheney's favorite word:
Cheney you!
Cheney me!
I Cheneyed up
He was a lousy Cheney.
Hilarious.
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Using "Cheney" instead of Cheney's favorite word:
Cheney you!
Cheney me!
I Cheneyed up
He was a lousy Cheney.
Hilarious.
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QOTD
"If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can't be done."
Peter Ustinov
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"If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can't be done."
Peter Ustinov
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Monday, June 28, 2004
QOTD
Renewal of purpose installment
"Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics."
Fletcher Knebel
You'll notice at the top of this page is the description of this blog as a, "...Self Support Journal While I Try to Quit Smoking." That was written in late February and though I started strong I've faded since, falling off the wagon in spectacular style. So when my friend Tina asked why there were no recent updates about my nicotine-free state I decided it was time to climb back on the wagon. Another reason is my 13 month old son who gives me hope that I can conquer this wicked addiction.
I will be making a concerted effort to make it stick this time. I will be writing about it often and any encouragement you could offer me would be appreciated.
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Renewal of purpose installment
"Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics."
Fletcher Knebel
You'll notice at the top of this page is the description of this blog as a, "...Self Support Journal While I Try to Quit Smoking." That was written in late February and though I started strong I've faded since, falling off the wagon in spectacular style. So when my friend Tina asked why there were no recent updates about my nicotine-free state I decided it was time to climb back on the wagon. Another reason is my 13 month old son who gives me hope that I can conquer this wicked addiction.
I will be making a concerted effort to make it stick this time. I will be writing about it often and any encouragement you could offer me would be appreciated.
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Sunday, June 27, 2004
QOTD
"The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot."
Mark Twain
Light blogging today. A beautiful day in Delaware. Too nice to stay inside...
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"The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot."
Mark Twain
Light blogging today. A beautiful day in Delaware. Too nice to stay inside...
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Saturday, June 26, 2004
Fahrenheit 911 Reaction
At least for one viewer, the film had the desired effect:
...And in Pensacola, Fla., Monica Moody, a 20-year-old restaurant hostess who described herself as a conservative Republican, proved to be Mr. Moore's perfect target.
"Oh my goodness, I cried," Ms. Moody said. "I'm still trying to process everything. It really makes me question what I feel about the president. I'm still going to respect him as our president, but it makes me question his motives. Of course, I think that's the whole point of the film, to question his motives. But after watching it, I do question my loyalty to the president. And that's scary for me."
I saw the 10pm show last night and was very impressed. There were some points left out, but it was an excellent and persuasive piece of art.
Some of my favorite moments (SPOILER ALERT) in Moore's classic:
(READ NO FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT SPECIFIC DETAILS)
- I didn't realize the bedlam that occurred in Washington when W. was inaugurated. It looked like a full-blown riot, complete with egging of the President's limo. And it marked the first time a President hasn't walked up Pennsylvania Ave after being sworn in. That proved to be a good choice.
- The brief snippet of (lyric-less) music when discussing why W. missed his physical. The song? Cocaine by Eric Clapton.
- Wolfowitz deep-throating his comb before running it through his hair. What a creepy man.
There were others, but I want to see it again to be sure my facts are tight.
Go see it!
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At least for one viewer, the film had the desired effect:
...And in Pensacola, Fla., Monica Moody, a 20-year-old restaurant hostess who described herself as a conservative Republican, proved to be Mr. Moore's perfect target.
"Oh my goodness, I cried," Ms. Moody said. "I'm still trying to process everything. It really makes me question what I feel about the president. I'm still going to respect him as our president, but it makes me question his motives. Of course, I think that's the whole point of the film, to question his motives. But after watching it, I do question my loyalty to the president. And that's scary for me."
I saw the 10pm show last night and was very impressed. There were some points left out, but it was an excellent and persuasive piece of art.
Some of my favorite moments (SPOILER ALERT) in Moore's classic:
(READ NO FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT SPECIFIC DETAILS)
- I didn't realize the bedlam that occurred in Washington when W. was inaugurated. It looked like a full-blown riot, complete with egging of the President's limo. And it marked the first time a President hasn't walked up Pennsylvania Ave after being sworn in. That proved to be a good choice.
- The brief snippet of (lyric-less) music when discussing why W. missed his physical. The song? Cocaine by Eric Clapton.
- Wolfowitz deep-throating his comb before running it through his hair. What a creepy man.
There were others, but I want to see it again to be sure my facts are tight.
Go see it!
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QOTD
"It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a depression when you lose yours."
Harry S Truman
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"It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a depression when you lose yours."
Harry S Truman
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Friday, June 25, 2004
Patriots Oppose Bush
I'm not going to let this story die:
...The story in question is about an unprecedented event in American political history, and involves a group that calls itself the Diplomats & Military Commanders for Change. The story is about a unique bipartisan coalition of 27 career chiefs of mission and retired four-star military leaders who launched a nationwide campaign to effect a change in U.S. foreign and defense policy. The story is about their deep concern that the Bush Administration has caused irreparable damage to our national and international interests. But the story made hardly any news at all...
Neither should you.
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I'm not going to let this story die:
...The story in question is about an unprecedented event in American political history, and involves a group that calls itself the Diplomats & Military Commanders for Change. The story is about a unique bipartisan coalition of 27 career chiefs of mission and retired four-star military leaders who launched a nationwide campaign to effect a change in U.S. foreign and defense policy. The story is about their deep concern that the Bush Administration has caused irreparable damage to our national and international interests. But the story made hardly any news at all...
Neither should you.
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GOP Looking to "Sanitize" Media
In a great post about the Family Movie Act, BlondeSense questions whose responsibility it is to protect our children from questionable content. As a father of three I competely understand the absurdity of "Legislative Parenting." People need to take responsibility for the media habits of their kids.
BlondeSense has also been bloggrolled. Put her in your "heavy rotation."
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In a great post about the Family Movie Act, BlondeSense questions whose responsibility it is to protect our children from questionable content. As a father of three I competely understand the absurdity of "Legislative Parenting." People need to take responsibility for the media habits of their kids.
BlondeSense has also been bloggrolled. Put her in your "heavy rotation."
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GOP Group Urging FEC to Ban 'F911' Ads
Citizen's United is urging the FEC to ban advertising for Fahrenheit 911 saying it violates campaign finance laws. Extra attention has been given to this film because Michael Moore has been voccal in his hopes his film will put Bush out of work on election day. General counsel is hearing arguments about the case.
If CU is successful in their bid, the blogosphere should remember that the NRA wants its own TV network.
I'm sure they'll be the picture of non-partisan media, livingdown up to the example set by FOCKS News.
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Citizen's United is urging the FEC to ban advertising for Fahrenheit 911 saying it violates campaign finance laws. Extra attention has been given to this film because Michael Moore has been voccal in his hopes his film will put Bush out of work on election day. General counsel is hearing arguments about the case.
If CU is successful in their bid, the blogosphere should remember that the NRA wants its own TV network.
I'm sure they'll be the picture of non-partisan media, living
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QOTD
"Treat all disasters as if they were trivialities but never treat a triviality as if it were a disaster."
Quentin Crisp
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"Treat all disasters as if they were trivialities but never treat a triviality as if it were a disaster."
Quentin Crisp
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Thursday, June 24, 2004
Cheney Drops F Bomb
...On the Senate floor no less. Apparently, he didn't take kindly to Patrick Leahy's criticisms of Halliburton.
If Dick is going to make it in this business he needs to have thicker skin.
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...On the Senate floor no less. Apparently, he didn't take kindly to Patrick Leahy's criticisms of Halliburton.
If Dick is going to make it in this business he needs to have thicker skin.
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Bush Interviewed by Federal Prosector in Plame Investigation
In an effort to discover who leaked CIA Agent Valerie Plame's name to a newspaper columnist, George W. Bush was interviewed today by U.S. Attorney Peter Fitzgerald.
All of the cards have been played so we'll soon find out who's holding what. I'm betting the Bush Administartion has 'Jack high.'
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In an effort to discover who leaked CIA Agent Valerie Plame's name to a newspaper columnist, George W. Bush was interviewed today by U.S. Attorney Peter Fitzgerald.
All of the cards have been played so we'll soon find out who's holding what. I'm betting the Bush Administartion has 'Jack high.'
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QOTD
"Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule."
Friedrich Nietzsche
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"Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule."
Friedrich Nietzsche
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Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Questions
Did Ashcroft perjure himself in front of the 9/11 Commission in light of testimony by FBI Head of Counterterrorism, Dale Watson?
Does anyone else think the memos released yesterday about Abu Ghraib torture methods were fabricated?
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Did Ashcroft perjure himself in front of the 9/11 Commission in light of testimony by FBI Head of Counterterrorism, Dale Watson?
Does anyone else think the memos released yesterday about Abu Ghraib torture methods were fabricated?
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QOTD
"Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and formal education positively fortifies it."
Stephen Vizinczey
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"Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and formal education positively fortifies it."
Stephen Vizinczey
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Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Fahrenheit 911 Reviews
Apparently, the majority of critics love it.
I'm eager to see it.
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Apparently, the majority of critics love it.
I'm eager to see it.
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Tawdry Line of the Day
Wonkette has a little fun with this headline: Clinton Book Hype Reaches Climax
Her take? And we hadn't even gotten close to finishing. . .
You can count on Leno/Letterman/O'Brien's foil to be skewered much more as he begins his book tour.
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Wonkette has a little fun with this headline: Clinton Book Hype Reaches Climax
Her take? And we hadn't even gotten close to finishing. . .
You can count on Leno/Letterman/O'Brien's foil to be skewered much more as he begins his book tour.
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Outrageous
This is how the first base National Leaguepopularity contest All-Star balloting looks at this point:
1. Pujols 1,149,068
2. Bagwell 925,869
3. Casey 541,516
4. Thome 404,032
I see a problem. Thome leads the majors in home runs by four over his closest competitor. And he's batting .323 on the season yet remains 745,036 votes behind Pujols courtesy of theballot stuffing loyal Cardinal fans.
To undo this injustice please consider voting Jim Thome onto the All-Star team. He'll be picked as a reserve, but he deserves to be a starter.
So, as we say in Philadelphia...
Vote early. Vote often.
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This is how the first base National League
1. Pujols 1,149,068
2. Bagwell 925,869
3. Casey 541,516
4. Thome 404,032
I see a problem. Thome leads the majors in home runs by four over his closest competitor. And he's batting .323 on the season yet remains 745,036 votes behind Pujols courtesy of the
To undo this injustice please consider voting Jim Thome onto the All-Star team. He'll be picked as a reserve, but he deserves to be a starter.
So, as we say in Philadelphia...
Vote early. Vote often.
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Ever Hear of William Krar?
Nor have I.
In April 2003, John Ashcroft's Justice Department disrupted what appears to have been a horrifying terrorist plot. In the small town of Noonday, Tex., F.B.I. agents discovered a weapons cache containing fully automatic machine guns, remote-controlled explosive devices disguised as briefcases, 60 pipe bombs and a chemical weapon — a cyanide bomb — big enough to kill everyone in a 30,000-square-foot building.
Strangely, though, the attorney general didn't call a press conference to announce the discovery of the weapons cache, or the arrest of William Krar, its owner. He didn't even issue a press release. This was, to say the least, out of character. Jose Padilla, the accused "dirty bomber," didn't have any bomb-making material or even a plausible way to acquire such material, yet Mr. Ashcroft put him on front pages around the world. Mr. Krar was caught with an actual chemical bomb, yet Mr. Ashcroft acted as if nothing had happened.
Why?
Paul Krugman tells us.
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Nor have I.
In April 2003, John Ashcroft's Justice Department disrupted what appears to have been a horrifying terrorist plot. In the small town of Noonday, Tex., F.B.I. agents discovered a weapons cache containing fully automatic machine guns, remote-controlled explosive devices disguised as briefcases, 60 pipe bombs and a chemical weapon — a cyanide bomb — big enough to kill everyone in a 30,000-square-foot building.
Strangely, though, the attorney general didn't call a press conference to announce the discovery of the weapons cache, or the arrest of William Krar, its owner. He didn't even issue a press release. This was, to say the least, out of character. Jose Padilla, the accused "dirty bomber," didn't have any bomb-making material or even a plausible way to acquire such material, yet Mr. Ashcroft put him on front pages around the world. Mr. Krar was caught with an actual chemical bomb, yet Mr. Ashcroft acted as if nothing had happened.
Why?
Paul Krugman tells us.
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Bloggers To Get Convention Credentials
Kos gets quoted in this story about how the two parties are giving out credentials. There is still some question as to what kind of access bloggers will have. One woman says it best, "I get a sense they (Democratic Party) are making it up as they go along.."
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Kos gets quoted in this story about how the two parties are giving out credentials. There is still some question as to what kind of access bloggers will have. One woman says it best, "I get a sense they (Democratic Party) are making it up as they go along.."
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Monday, June 21, 2004
Abu Ghraib To Be Preserved as Crime Scene
So says a U.S. Army Judge.
Also:
A U.S. Army judge on Monday accepted a request by attorneys of soldiers accused of abusing detainees to question the military's top commander in Iraq and all his subordinates.
The order affectively compels Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top U.S. general in Iraq, and Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz, the second-ranking commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, and their subordinates to participate in a deposition with defense attorneys and Army prosecutors unless they invoke their rights against self-incrimination.
I think it's time for Rumsfeld to visit Baghdad again. I really hope they get their stories straight.
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So says a U.S. Army Judge.
Also:
A U.S. Army judge on Monday accepted a request by attorneys of soldiers accused of abusing detainees to question the military's top commander in Iraq and all his subordinates.
The order affectively compels Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top U.S. general in Iraq, and Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz, the second-ranking commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, and their subordinates to participate in a deposition with defense attorneys and Army prosecutors unless they invoke their rights against self-incrimination.
I think it's time for Rumsfeld to visit Baghdad again. I really hope they get their stories straight.
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QOTD
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning."
Rich Cook
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"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning."
Rich Cook
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Sunday, June 20, 2004
QOTD
Jesper Parnevik / Father's Day edition
"Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing."
Dave Barry
Happy Father's Day everyone.
Go Lefty!
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Jesper Parnevik / Father's Day edition
"Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing."
Dave Barry
Happy Father's Day everyone.
Go Lefty!
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Saturday, June 19, 2004
Plamegate: It's Gettin' Kinda Hectic
White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales testified on Friday in front of the federal grand jury investigaing the Plame affair.
I think the end of the investigation is near because they're running out of people to put in front of the grand jury. Only one to go. If Bush testifies then indictments will surely follow.
When that happens we'll be witness to Scott McClellan's most evasive hours.
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White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales testified on Friday in front of the federal grand jury investigaing the Plame affair.
I think the end of the investigation is near because they're running out of people to put in front of the grand jury. Only one to go. If Bush testifies then indictments will surely follow.
When that happens we'll be witness to Scott McClellan's most evasive hours.
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QOTD
"From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put."
Sir Winston Churchill
(Sounds a little like Yoda too.)
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"From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put."
Sir Winston Churchill
(Sounds a little like Yoda too.)
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Friday, June 18, 2004
Interesting VP Choice
The sleeper pick for the democratic VP slot has emerged.
Reasons why our man could be #2:
He has the voice of reason in an increasingly fractious society
His love for his country is only surpassed by his love for his sports teams
His posting frequency will only increase with his move to Washington
He has strong opinions as to why a Gephardt selection would be the death-knell of Kerry's chances
He won't back down from big media or big bloggers
He's not afraid to promote himself for positions of importance
He won't be afraid to take a sock full of nickels to "pacemaker boy" after the first debate
His fantasy baseball team is named after the species of Myron on the Brady Bunch
He's seen a lot of West Wing, so he has intimate political knowledge. (But won't be seeing season one on DVD anytime soon.)
And finally, his last name rhymes with the presumptive Democratic nominee's
That's right, were talking about the everyman:
Keith Berry!
Write your newspapers. Call Air America. Let's get this growing buzz raging at a fever pitch.
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The sleeper pick for the democratic VP slot has emerged.
Reasons why our man could be #2:
That's right, were talking about the everyman:
Keith Berry!
Write your newspapers. Call Air America. Let's get this growing buzz raging at a fever pitch.
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The Man at His Finest
I never weary of these:
"And so, in my State of the—my State of the Union—or state—my speech to the nation, whatever you want to call it, speech to the nation—I asked Americans to give 4,000 years—4,000 hours over the next—the rest of your life—of service to America. That's what I asked—4,000 hours."
—Bridgeport, Conn., April 9, 2002
"If a person doesn't have the capacity that we all want that person to have, I suspect hope is in the far distant future, if at all."
—Remarks to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Institute, Washington, D.C., May 22, 2001
"I am mindful of the difference between the executive branch and the legislative branch. I assured all four of these leaders that I know the difference, and that difference is they pass the laws and I execute them."
—Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2000
"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."
—Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 (Apologies to Pete Townsend)
It wouldn't suprise me at all to hear that our President is related to Yogi Berra.
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I never weary of these:
"And so, in my State of the—my State of the Union—or state—my speech to the nation, whatever you want to call it, speech to the nation—I asked Americans to give 4,000 years—4,000 hours over the next—the rest of your life—of service to America. That's what I asked—4,000 hours."
—Bridgeport, Conn., April 9, 2002
"If a person doesn't have the capacity that we all want that person to have, I suspect hope is in the far distant future, if at all."
—Remarks to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Institute, Washington, D.C., May 22, 2001
"I am mindful of the difference between the executive branch and the legislative branch. I assured all four of these leaders that I know the difference, and that difference is they pass the laws and I execute them."
—Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2000
"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."
—Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 (Apologies to Pete Townsend)
It wouldn't suprise me at all to hear that our President is related to Yogi Berra.
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Scott McClellan Doing the Bob 'n Weave
This is a sample of yesterday's White House Press Briefing. If you have the time, read the whole thing. The Rovian talking point of the day from Scotty was, "... let's look at the facts.*"
If only they would:
Q: Scott, the last poll on the subject found that most Americans, more than half, believe that Iraq had some hand in the planning and the execution of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Do you believe that the White House, the administration has done anything to contribute to that misimpression? Do you believe that you have, in any way, at any time, overstated the ties, the connections between al Qaeda and Iraq?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's why I said we said a long time ago that there was no evidence to suggest Saddam Hussein's regime was involved in the September 11th attacks. We made that very --
Q: After the war you said that.
Q: Overstated the relationship in any way?
MR. McCLELLAN: We made that very clear.
(...)
Q: I want to go back to Kathleen's question. Do you believe -- you're saying that the White House believes that administration officials bear no responsibility for this misperception of Iraq's role in 9/11 that polls indicate a good half of the American people have. Are you concerned about that? Two questions.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think you can go back and look at the facts. And I think the American people recognize that Saddam Hussein's regime was a brutal one. It was an oppressive one. It had a history involving terrorism, and so you have to look at that and have to take that into account when perceptions are formed. There are some facts there that point to the dangers and point to reasons why people might have those views.
In terms of this administration, we laid out the facts very clearly for the American people. And it's important to look at the facts as we outlined them. And it's important to look at it in the context of post-September 11th. September 11th taught us that we must confront these threats before it is too late. September 11th taught us that we are -- or showed us that we are at war on terrorism. This was a terrible tragedy that occurred on American soil, and it taught us that we must confront threats that we face in the 21st century. That's what this President is doing. And you have to look at all the facts that are involved here. But we made it very clear that there was no evidence to suggest that regime was involved in September 11th.
My emphasis.
*The Press Briefing began at 12:47 pm and ended at 1:20 pm. In that 33 minute span Scott McClellan used some permutation of a "facts" statement 30 times.
"You can't distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror."
- President George W. Bush, September 2002
UPDATE: Here's a more damning quote from Dick Cheney, "If we're successful in Iraq . . . then we will have struck a major blow right at the heart of the base, if you will, the geographic base of the terrorists who had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11..."
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This is a sample of yesterday's White House Press Briefing. If you have the time, read the whole thing. The Rovian talking point of the day from Scotty was, "... let's look at the facts.*"
If only they would:
Q: Scott, the last poll on the subject found that most Americans, more than half, believe that Iraq had some hand in the planning and the execution of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Do you believe that the White House, the administration has done anything to contribute to that misimpression? Do you believe that you have, in any way, at any time, overstated the ties, the connections between al Qaeda and Iraq?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's why I said we said a long time ago that there was no evidence to suggest Saddam Hussein's regime was involved in the September 11th attacks. We made that very --
Q: After the war you said that.
Q: Overstated the relationship in any way?
MR. McCLELLAN: We made that very clear.
(...)
Q: I want to go back to Kathleen's question. Do you believe -- you're saying that the White House believes that administration officials bear no responsibility for this misperception of Iraq's role in 9/11 that polls indicate a good half of the American people have. Are you concerned about that? Two questions.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think you can go back and look at the facts. And I think the American people recognize that Saddam Hussein's regime was a brutal one. It was an oppressive one. It had a history involving terrorism, and so you have to look at that and have to take that into account when perceptions are formed. There are some facts there that point to the dangers and point to reasons why people might have those views.
In terms of this administration, we laid out the facts very clearly for the American people. And it's important to look at the facts as we outlined them. And it's important to look at it in the context of post-September 11th. September 11th taught us that we must confront these threats before it is too late. September 11th taught us that we are -- or showed us that we are at war on terrorism. This was a terrible tragedy that occurred on American soil, and it taught us that we must confront threats that we face in the 21st century. That's what this President is doing. And you have to look at all the facts that are involved here. But we made it very clear that there was no evidence to suggest that regime was involved in September 11th.
My emphasis.
*The Press Briefing began at 12:47 pm and ended at 1:20 pm. In that 33 minute span Scott McClellan used some permutation of a "facts" statement 30 times.
"You can't distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror."
- President George W. Bush, September 2002
UPDATE: Here's a more damning quote from Dick Cheney, "If we're successful in Iraq . . . then we will have struck a major blow right at the heart of the base, if you will, the geographic base of the terrorists who had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11..."
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QOTD
"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die."
Mel Brooks
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"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die."
Mel Brooks
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Thursday, June 17, 2004
Irani Troops Massing at Iraq Border
Haven't seen this reported anywhere:
Iran reportedly is readying troops to move into Iraq if U.S. troops pull out, leaving a security vacuum.
The Saudi daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat, monitored in Beirut, reports Iran has massed four battalions at the border.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat quoted 'reliable Iraqi sources' as saying, 'Iran moved part of its regular military forces towards the Iraqi border in the southern sector at a time its military intelligence agents were operating inside Iraqi territory.'
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Haven't seen this reported anywhere:
Iran reportedly is readying troops to move into Iraq if U.S. troops pull out, leaving a security vacuum.
The Saudi daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat, monitored in Beirut, reports Iran has massed four battalions at the border.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat quoted 'reliable Iraqi sources' as saying, 'Iran moved part of its regular military forces towards the Iraqi border in the southern sector at a time its military intelligence agents were operating inside Iraqi territory.'
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QOTD
"I have noticed that the people who are late are often so much jollier than the people who have to wait for them."
E. V. Lucas
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"I have noticed that the people who are late are often so much jollier than the people who have to wait for them."
E. V. Lucas
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Wednesday, June 16, 2004
"Rather Huge Bit of News"
It looks like the WMDs may have been found:
...The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission briefed the Security Council on new findings that could help trace the whereabouts of Saddam's missile and WMD program... My emphasis.
According to Bush's boy, CIA Chief Weapons Inspector David Kay there are no weapons. There are plans for "weapons related activity", but that's a joke for another time.
So I guess the best way to 'trace their whereabouts' is to go back to 1991. I could see Karl Rove as Doc Brown and Andrew Card as Marty McFly in Back to the Future: Remorseless Liars.
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It looks like the WMDs may have been found:
...The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission briefed the Security Council on new findings that could help trace the whereabouts of Saddam's missile and WMD program... My emphasis.
According to Bush's boy, CIA Chief Weapons Inspector David Kay there are no weapons. There are plans for "weapons related activity", but that's a joke for another time.
So I guess the best way to 'trace their whereabouts' is to go back to 1991. I could see Karl Rove as Doc Brown and Andrew Card as Marty McFly in Back to the Future: Remorseless Liars.
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Big Number
From March through April of 2004 John Kerry has raised $100 million for his Presidential campaign, for a total of over $140 million. This pales in comparison to the $216 million Bush has raised.
The beautiful part is that Bush is spending his money on attack ads. His approval numbers are so poor that's the only platform he has. Combining this with the myriad of just-below-the-surface controversies will make for a pleasurable summer.
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From March through April of 2004 John Kerry has raised $100 million for his Presidential campaign, for a total of over $140 million. This pales in comparison to the $216 million Bush has raised.
The beautiful part is that Bush is spending his money on attack ads. His approval numbers are so poor that's the only platform he has. Combining this with the myriad of just-below-the-surface controversies will make for a pleasurable summer.
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Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead
A huge congratulations to Pistons Coach Larry Brown for doing what he couldn't do in Philly.
Class act.
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A huge congratulations to Pistons Coach Larry Brown for doing what he couldn't do in Philly.
Class act.
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Quote of the Day
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
Abraham Lincoln
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"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
Abraham Lincoln
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Tuesday, June 15, 2004
My Last Reagan Post...
...until Bush opens up federal funding for stem-cell research.
From Greg Palast:
...In November 2001, with my BBC television and Guardian newspaper colleagues, I reported that, during the Reagan presidency, a US embassy official in Saudi Arabia was, in his own words, 'repeatedly ordered by high-level State Department officials to issue visas to unqualified applicants.'
Sounds icky but not too notable until you learn the identities of these 'applicants.' They claimed to be engineering students who, when queried as to what school they attended, answered they 'could not remember.' They didn't have to. The unlikely 'engineers' had little helpers in the Reagan Administration.
After investigation, the career diplomat, attorney Michael Springmann, learned they were, 'recruits, rounded up by Osama bin Laden, to [bring to] the United States for terrorist training by the CIA. They would then be returned to Afghanistan to fight against the then-Soviets.'
Uh, oh. They returned to Afghanistan all right. But terrorists are like homing pigeons -- they have a bad habit of coming home to roost. In spook-world, it's known as 'blow back.' The Reagan-bin Laden killer brigade, skilled in such crafts as skinning Russian prisoners alive, blew back with a sickening vengeance.
That story ran world wide at the top of the BBC nightly news -- except in the USA where it bounced off the electronic Berlin Wall. Our media was careful not to wake America from its nap, to hide the deeply disturbing truths behind Grandpa Gipper's grin...
Still boils the blood.
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...until Bush opens up federal funding for stem-cell research.
From Greg Palast:
...In November 2001, with my BBC television and Guardian newspaper colleagues, I reported that, during the Reagan presidency, a US embassy official in Saudi Arabia was, in his own words, 'repeatedly ordered by high-level State Department officials to issue visas to unqualified applicants.'
Sounds icky but not too notable until you learn the identities of these 'applicants.' They claimed to be engineering students who, when queried as to what school they attended, answered they 'could not remember.' They didn't have to. The unlikely 'engineers' had little helpers in the Reagan Administration.
After investigation, the career diplomat, attorney Michael Springmann, learned they were, 'recruits, rounded up by Osama bin Laden, to [bring to] the United States for terrorist training by the CIA. They would then be returned to Afghanistan to fight against the then-Soviets.'
Uh, oh. They returned to Afghanistan all right. But terrorists are like homing pigeons -- they have a bad habit of coming home to roost. In spook-world, it's known as 'blow back.' The Reagan-bin Laden killer brigade, skilled in such crafts as skinning Russian prisoners alive, blew back with a sickening vengeance.
That story ran world wide at the top of the BBC nightly news -- except in the USA where it bounced off the electronic Berlin Wall. Our media was careful not to wake America from its nap, to hide the deeply disturbing truths behind Grandpa Gipper's grin...
Still boils the blood.
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Cheney and Powell Contradict Each Other, Again
Do these two ever communicate?:
One one side...
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell conceded Thursday(6/10) that despite his assertions to the United Nations last year, he had no "smoking gun" proof of a link between the government of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and terrorists of Al Qaeda.
"I have not seen smoking-gun, concrete evidence about the connection," Mr. Powell said, in response to a question at a news conference. "But I think the possibility of such connections did exist, and it was prudent to consider them at the time that we did."
...and the other...
Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday(6/14) that Saddam Hussein had "long-established ties" with al Qaida, an assertion that has been repeatedly challenged by some policy experts and lawmakers.
The vice president offered no details backing up his claim of a link between Saddam and al Qaida.
"He was a patron of terrorism," Cheney said of Hussein during a speech before The James Madison Institute, a conservative think-tank based in Florida. "He had long established ties with al Qaida."
So which is it?
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Do these two ever communicate?:
One one side...
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell conceded Thursday(6/10) that despite his assertions to the United Nations last year, he had no "smoking gun" proof of a link between the government of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and terrorists of Al Qaeda.
"I have not seen smoking-gun, concrete evidence about the connection," Mr. Powell said, in response to a question at a news conference. "But I think the possibility of such connections did exist, and it was prudent to consider them at the time that we did."
...and the other...
Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday(6/14) that Saddam Hussein had "long-established ties" with al Qaida, an assertion that has been repeatedly challenged by some policy experts and lawmakers.
The vice president offered no details backing up his claim of a link between Saddam and al Qaida.
"He was a patron of terrorism," Cheney said of Hussein during a speech before The James Madison Institute, a conservative think-tank based in Florida. "He had long established ties with al Qaida."
So which is it?
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Quote of the Day
"When someone tells you something defies description, you can be pretty sure he's going to have a go at it anyway."
Clyde B. Aster
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"When someone tells you something defies description, you can be pretty sure he's going to have a go at it anyway."
Clyde B. Aster
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Monday, June 14, 2004
Long Live Zizou
For the uninitiated, French midfielder Zinedine Zidane is the greatest footballer in the world. Proven by his two goals in injury time to send England to defeat in the European Football Championships on Sunday.
Zidane does not crow. In victory, he shows only magnanimity. Rare acquaintance with reversals simply stirs him to more intense effort. This is a special, special footballer, the Real deal in every sense. Amid all the Birmingham disturbances and breast-beating over defeat to France, it needs acknowledging that England were slain by one of the greatest footballers ever.
Elegance has a name and his initials are Z.Z.
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For the uninitiated, French midfielder Zinedine Zidane is the greatest footballer in the world. Proven by his two goals in injury time to send England to defeat in the European Football Championships on Sunday.
Zidane does not crow. In victory, he shows only magnanimity. Rare acquaintance with reversals simply stirs him to more intense effort. This is a special, special footballer, the Real deal in every sense. Amid all the Birmingham disturbances and breast-beating over defeat to France, it needs acknowledging that England were slain by one of the greatest footballers ever.
Elegance has a name and his initials are Z.Z.
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Stop These People
This web site is urging people to email movie theatres to stop them from showing Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911. The site, called Move America Forward, lists emails of executives at movie theatre companies in hopes that people will be able to stop it.
Below, you will find all of the email addresses. All you need to do is paste them into your message and hit send. Tell them the movie is 100% factual and that people who don't want the truth known are trying to keep it from being shown.
Here you go:
brian_blatchley@loewscpx.com; michael_norris@loewscpx.com; kerry_moots@loewscpx.com; John_mccauley@loewscpx.com; john_walker@loewscpx.com; maura_Campbell@loewscpx.com; lorim@landmarktheatres.com; MattL@landmarktheatres.com; dianea@landmarktheatres.com; hughw@landmarktheatres.com; magnolia@landmarktheatres.com; comments@landmarktheatres.com; info@little-theatre.com; marketing@little-theatre.com; Skip@TheAvon.com; Cameranet@aol.com; info@rialtoarts.com; info@rialtocinemas.com; film@savoytheater.com; dgurin@regalcinemas.com; mcampbell@regalcinemas.com; amiles@regalcinemas.com; gdunn@regalcinemas.com; pbrandow@regalcinemas.com; barry.brown@regalcinemas.com; rwinograd@regalcinemedia.com; robbya@regalcinemas.com; kevink@regalcinemas.com; ddelaria@regalcinemas.com; gslayton@amctheatres.com; gthyer@amctheatres.com; vdaniels@amctheatres.com; mcook@amctheatres.com; Mmcdonald@amctheatres.com; Jmcdonald@amctheatres.com; Psingleton@amctheatres.com; Jbeynon@amctheatres.com; Kconnor@amctheatres.com; fred@carmike.com; philip@carmike.com; film@carmike.com; do07@carmike.com; do12@carmike.com; do14@carmike.com; Jacque_clark@centurytheatres.com; Chris_OKelley@CenturyTheatres.com; Nancy_Klasky@centurytheatres.com; David_shesgreen@centurytheatres.com; Victor_Castillo@centurytheatres.com; srodriguez@manntheatres.com; jhebert@manntheatres.com; info@manntheatres.com; comments@manntheatres.com; rjansson@manntheatres.com; jhanson@national-amusements.com; mdixon@national-amusements.com; operations@national-amusements.com; jwelman@crowntheatres.com; hcleveland@crowntheatres.com; cdugger@crowntheatres.com; zcole@crowntheatres.com; bmcmannis@gqti.com; mjohnson@gqti.com; Goodrich@gqti.com; dkerasotes@kerasotes.com; tjohnson@kerasotes.com; kjohnson@kerasotes.com; joanvoelzke@marcuscorp.com; stevemarcus@marcuscorp.com; bruceolson@marcuscorp.com; ghill@wallacetheaters.com; marketing@wallacetheaters.com; service@wallacetheaters.com; astone@consolidatedth.com; customerservice@consolidatedth.com; ctortolano@pacifictheatres.com; cdougher@clearcin.com; wsalisch@clearcin.com; dlewis1@clearcin.com
Update: Great idea from the comments:
I suggest using a crystal clear & short subject line - maybe something like:
---------
Subject: We support you! Thanks 4 showing Fahrenheit 911!
Since these people are being swamped with emails lobbying them not to show Moore's film, & you don't want to get mistakenly lumped in with the wingers.
Thanks Stevelu!
| Permalink Here
This web site is urging people to email movie theatres to stop them from showing Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911. The site, called Move America Forward, lists emails of executives at movie theatre companies in hopes that people will be able to stop it.
Below, you will find all of the email addresses. All you need to do is paste them into your message and hit send. Tell them the movie is 100% factual and that people who don't want the truth known are trying to keep it from being shown.
Here you go:
brian_blatchley@loewscpx.com; michael_norris@loewscpx.com; kerry_moots@loewscpx.com; John_mccauley@loewscpx.com; john_walker@loewscpx.com; maura_Campbell@loewscpx.com; lorim@landmarktheatres.com; MattL@landmarktheatres.com; dianea@landmarktheatres.com; hughw@landmarktheatres.com; magnolia@landmarktheatres.com; comments@landmarktheatres.com; info@little-theatre.com; marketing@little-theatre.com; Skip@TheAvon.com; Cameranet@aol.com; info@rialtoarts.com; info@rialtocinemas.com; film@savoytheater.com; dgurin@regalcinemas.com; mcampbell@regalcinemas.com; amiles@regalcinemas.com; gdunn@regalcinemas.com; pbrandow@regalcinemas.com; barry.brown@regalcinemas.com; rwinograd@regalcinemedia.com; robbya@regalcinemas.com; kevink@regalcinemas.com; ddelaria@regalcinemas.com; gslayton@amctheatres.com; gthyer@amctheatres.com; vdaniels@amctheatres.com; mcook@amctheatres.com; Mmcdonald@amctheatres.com; Jmcdonald@amctheatres.com; Psingleton@amctheatres.com; Jbeynon@amctheatres.com; Kconnor@amctheatres.com; fred@carmike.com; philip@carmike.com; film@carmike.com; do07@carmike.com; do12@carmike.com; do14@carmike.com; Jacque_clark@centurytheatres.com; Chris_OKelley@CenturyTheatres.com; Nancy_Klasky@centurytheatres.com; David_shesgreen@centurytheatres.com; Victor_Castillo@centurytheatres.com; srodriguez@manntheatres.com; jhebert@manntheatres.com; info@manntheatres.com; comments@manntheatres.com; rjansson@manntheatres.com; jhanson@national-amusements.com; mdixon@national-amusements.com; operations@national-amusements.com; jwelman@crowntheatres.com; hcleveland@crowntheatres.com; cdugger@crowntheatres.com; zcole@crowntheatres.com; bmcmannis@gqti.com; mjohnson@gqti.com; Goodrich@gqti.com; dkerasotes@kerasotes.com; tjohnson@kerasotes.com; kjohnson@kerasotes.com; joanvoelzke@marcuscorp.com; stevemarcus@marcuscorp.com; bruceolson@marcuscorp.com; ghill@wallacetheaters.com; marketing@wallacetheaters.com; service@wallacetheaters.com; astone@consolidatedth.com; customerservice@consolidatedth.com; ctortolano@pacifictheatres.com; cdougher@clearcin.com; wsalisch@clearcin.com; dlewis1@clearcin.com
Update: Great idea from the comments:
I suggest using a crystal clear & short subject line - maybe something like:
---------
Subject: We support you! Thanks 4 showing Fahrenheit 911!
Since these people are being swamped with emails lobbying them not to show Moore's film, & you don't want to get mistakenly lumped in with the wingers.
Thanks Stevelu!
| Permalink Here
Quote of the Day
Installment XII
"If you can't annoy somebody, there's little point in writing."
Kinsgley Amis
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Installment XII
"If you can't annoy somebody, there's little point in writing."
Kinsgley Amis
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Sunday, June 13, 2004
Alcohol Abuse at Abu Ghraib
Haven't seen this previously:
Senior U.S. military officials tried to crack down on alcohol abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq weeks before investigators uncovered prisoner mistreatment there, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing soldiers.
Abuse was so prevalent that they had an Alcoholics Anonymous chapter at the prison.
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Haven't seen this previously:
Senior U.S. military officials tried to crack down on alcohol abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq weeks before investigators uncovered prisoner mistreatment there, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing soldiers.
Abuse was so prevalent that they had an Alcoholics Anonymous chapter at the prison.
| Permalink Here
Quote of the Day
Installment XI
"Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives."
John Stuart Mill
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Installment XI
"Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives."
John Stuart Mill
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Saturday, June 12, 2004
In Case You Hadn't Heard
Family values proponent Rush Limbaugh recently announced his third divorce.
How will the family's eight doctors be split up?
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Family values proponent Rush Limbaugh recently announced his third divorce.
How will the family's eight doctors be split up?
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Berry's World is Back in Business
After a hiatus from blogging, my friend and fellow blogger Keith is back blogging. During his time away he did some reading.
Welcome back, Keith. (Now about those Lakers...)
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After a hiatus from blogging, my friend and fellow blogger Keith is back blogging. During his time away he did some reading.
Welcome back, Keith. (Now about those Lakers...)
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Flash Friday
Yes, I know it's Saturday. But hey, the blogosphere is huge it sometimes takes me a day or two to find what we seek and sometimes to find what we don't. We were lucky to come across this.
This Flash presentation at Sadly, No! is amazing. Go take a look and be sure to check out the others; 'She Drives Me Crazy' and 'Chalabi Special.'
Oh, to be technologically savvy!
(So as not to miss any more quality content I've added Sadly, No! and The Dark Window, who aided in the creation of the aforementioned Flash presentation, to my blogroll. Check them out!)
Update: Somehow I managed to create the above post three times. I deleted the other two becasue I think this one is the best of the three.
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Yes, I know it's Saturday. But hey, the blogosphere is huge it sometimes takes me a day or two to find what we seek and sometimes to find what we don't. We were lucky to come across this.
This Flash presentation at Sadly, No! is amazing. Go take a look and be sure to check out the others; 'She Drives Me Crazy' and 'Chalabi Special.'
Oh, to be technologically savvy!
(So as not to miss any more quality content I've added Sadly, No! and The Dark Window, who aided in the creation of the aforementioned Flash presentation, to my blogroll. Check them out!)
Update: Somehow I managed to create the above post three times. I deleted the other two becasue I think this one is the best of the three.
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Quote of the Day
Installment X
"The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations."
David Friedman
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Installment X
"The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations."
David Friedman
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Friday, June 11, 2004
Terrorism Report Changed
When first released, the report said incidents of terror were down in 2003. And now Colin Powell is saying that isn't entirely accurate. The initial report left out several European and Asian terrorist attacks that claimed hundreds of lives. So, the new report has a conclusion that is the exact opposite of the original report.
Alas,political manipulation mistakes are bound to happen.
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When first released, the report said incidents of terror were down in 2003. And now Colin Powell is saying that isn't entirely accurate. The initial report left out several European and Asian terrorist attacks that claimed hundreds of lives. So, the new report has a conclusion that is the exact opposite of the original report.
Alas,
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Five Congressional Votes You Should Know About
Courtesy of the Republican majority. Link.
Pro-Defense: Facing increasing violence in Iraq, military commanders in Iraq asked Congress and the president to immediately fill shortages in protective body armor. Just four months after the president signed another massive tax cut for the wealthy, up to 51,000 troops were still not properly equipped for combat, with many begging friends and family at home to buy them makeshift armor. Responding to the crisis, Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) sponsored a bill to immediately plug the shortage. He was voted down (Senate vote #376, October 2, 2003), and the results have been catastrophic. As a recent study circulating in the Army notes, up to one in four casualties in Iraq was due to poor protective gear.
Compassionate: With U.S. troops struggling to secure Iraq last summer, Congress and the president repeatedly praised soldiers’ efforts and promised to provide them the best facilities possible. Yet, the White House budget that year proposed to cut $1.5 billion out of military housing. Representative David Obey (D-Wisc.) came up with a simple solution: Slightly reduce the proposed tax cuts on the 200,000 Americans making $1 million a year to fill the budget gap for the troops and their families. Instead of getting an $88,000 tax cut, millionaires would receive an ample $83,000 tax cut, and the troops’ housing would be maintained. Obey’s bill was voted down (House vote #324, June 26, 2003).
Tax Fairness: In 2002, the Bush administration terminated the tax on oil and chemical industry polluters that finances Superfund toxic cleanups. As the New York Times reported, the move effectively “shifted the bulk of [cleanup] costs from industry to taxpayers,” allowing the president’s corporate campaign donors to pollute without having to pay for it. Just two years later, the loss of tax revenues bankrupted Superfund, leaving it unable to maintain an adequate cleanup pace. In response, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) offered an amendment to reinstate the Superfund tax. He was voted down. (Senate vote #45, March 11, 2004), and now more and more communities are forced to wait as toxic sites fester in their midst.
Patrotism: As the recession reached new lows in December 2002, the U.S. House of Representatives considered whether to continue rewarding companies with taxpayer subsidies, even if those same companies use those subsidies to send U.S. jobs overseas. The question was simple: During a jobs and deficit crisis, should the U.S. government’s Export-Import Bank continue giving most of its $15 billion a year to subsidize a slew of Fortune 500 companies that are reducing their U.S. workforce? But when Representative Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) offered a measure to curb the government handouts to corporate job exporters, he was voted down (House vote #120, May 1, 2002).
Clean Government: Halliburton, the oil company Vice President Dick Cheney ran, continues to receive billions in no-bid government contracts for work in Iraq, even after it was cited for overcharging taxpayers and providing unsanitary facilities to U.S. troops. At the same time, Cheney is receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in deferred compensation from the company and holds roughly 400,000 Halliburton stock options. More troubling, internal memos now show that Cheney’s office was directly coordinating Halliburton contracts. When the Congressional Research Service ruled the situation represented a “potential conflict of interest,” the Senate considered legislation that would have forced the termination of the Cheney-Halliburton relationship. It was voted down (Senate vote #386, October 16, 2003).
Boils the blood.
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Courtesy of the Republican majority. Link.
Pro-Defense: Facing increasing violence in Iraq, military commanders in Iraq asked Congress and the president to immediately fill shortages in protective body armor. Just four months after the president signed another massive tax cut for the wealthy, up to 51,000 troops were still not properly equipped for combat, with many begging friends and family at home to buy them makeshift armor. Responding to the crisis, Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) sponsored a bill to immediately plug the shortage. He was voted down (Senate vote #376, October 2, 2003), and the results have been catastrophic. As a recent study circulating in the Army notes, up to one in four casualties in Iraq was due to poor protective gear.
Compassionate: With U.S. troops struggling to secure Iraq last summer, Congress and the president repeatedly praised soldiers’ efforts and promised to provide them the best facilities possible. Yet, the White House budget that year proposed to cut $1.5 billion out of military housing. Representative David Obey (D-Wisc.) came up with a simple solution: Slightly reduce the proposed tax cuts on the 200,000 Americans making $1 million a year to fill the budget gap for the troops and their families. Instead of getting an $88,000 tax cut, millionaires would receive an ample $83,000 tax cut, and the troops’ housing would be maintained. Obey’s bill was voted down (House vote #324, June 26, 2003).
Tax Fairness: In 2002, the Bush administration terminated the tax on oil and chemical industry polluters that finances Superfund toxic cleanups. As the New York Times reported, the move effectively “shifted the bulk of [cleanup] costs from industry to taxpayers,” allowing the president’s corporate campaign donors to pollute without having to pay for it. Just two years later, the loss of tax revenues bankrupted Superfund, leaving it unable to maintain an adequate cleanup pace. In response, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) offered an amendment to reinstate the Superfund tax. He was voted down. (Senate vote #45, March 11, 2004), and now more and more communities are forced to wait as toxic sites fester in their midst.
Patrotism: As the recession reached new lows in December 2002, the U.S. House of Representatives considered whether to continue rewarding companies with taxpayer subsidies, even if those same companies use those subsidies to send U.S. jobs overseas. The question was simple: During a jobs and deficit crisis, should the U.S. government’s Export-Import Bank continue giving most of its $15 billion a year to subsidize a slew of Fortune 500 companies that are reducing their U.S. workforce? But when Representative Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) offered a measure to curb the government handouts to corporate job exporters, he was voted down (House vote #120, May 1, 2002).
Clean Government: Halliburton, the oil company Vice President Dick Cheney ran, continues to receive billions in no-bid government contracts for work in Iraq, even after it was cited for overcharging taxpayers and providing unsanitary facilities to U.S. troops. At the same time, Cheney is receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in deferred compensation from the company and holds roughly 400,000 Halliburton stock options. More troubling, internal memos now show that Cheney’s office was directly coordinating Halliburton contracts. When the Congressional Research Service ruled the situation represented a “potential conflict of interest,” the Senate considered legislation that would have forced the termination of the Cheney-Halliburton relationship. It was voted down (Senate vote #386, October 16, 2003).
Boils the blood.
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More Reagan
This is a transcript of a press conference by WH press secretary Larry Speakes on October 15, 1982. It speaks for itself:
Q: Larry, does the President have any reaction to the announcement from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, that AIDS is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases?
MR. SPEAKES: What's AIDS?
Q: Over a third of them have died. It's known as 'gay plague.' (Laughter.) No, it is. I mean it's a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wondered if the President is aware of it?
MR. SPEAKES: I don't have it. Do you? (Laughter.)
Q: No, I don't.
MR. SPEAKES: You didn't answer my question.
Q: Well, I just wondered, does the President ...
MR. SPEAKES: How do you know? (Laughter.)
Q: In other words, the White House looks on this as a great joke?
MR. SPEAKES: No, I don't know anything about it, Lester.
Q: Does the President, does anyone in the White House know about this epidemic, Larry?
MR. SPEAKES: I don't think so. I don't think there's been any ...
Q: Nobody knows?
MR. SPEAKES: There has been no personal experience here, Lester.
Q: No, I mean, I thought you were keeping ...
MR. SPEAKES: I checked thoroughly with Dr. Ruge this morning and he's had no - (laughter) - no patients suffering from AIDS or whatever it is.
Q: The President doesn't have gay plague, is that what you're saying or what
MR. SPEAKES: No, I didn't say that.
Q: Didn't say that?
MR. SPEAKES: I thought I heard you on the State Department over there. Why didn't you stay there? (Laughter.)
Q: Because I love you Larry, that's why (Laughter.)
MR. SPEAKES: Oh I see. Just don't put it in those terms, Lester. (Laughter.)
Q: Oh, I retract that.
MR. SPEAKES: I hope so.
Q: It's too late.
You won't see this on the GWB Web site.
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This is a transcript of a press conference by WH press secretary Larry Speakes on October 15, 1982. It speaks for itself:
Q: Larry, does the President have any reaction to the announcement from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, that AIDS is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases?
MR. SPEAKES: What's AIDS?
Q: Over a third of them have died. It's known as 'gay plague.' (Laughter.) No, it is. I mean it's a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wondered if the President is aware of it?
MR. SPEAKES: I don't have it. Do you? (Laughter.)
Q: No, I don't.
MR. SPEAKES: You didn't answer my question.
Q: Well, I just wondered, does the President ...
MR. SPEAKES: How do you know? (Laughter.)
Q: In other words, the White House looks on this as a great joke?
MR. SPEAKES: No, I don't know anything about it, Lester.
Q: Does the President, does anyone in the White House know about this epidemic, Larry?
MR. SPEAKES: I don't think so. I don't think there's been any ...
Q: Nobody knows?
MR. SPEAKES: There has been no personal experience here, Lester.
Q: No, I mean, I thought you were keeping ...
MR. SPEAKES: I checked thoroughly with Dr. Ruge this morning and he's had no - (laughter) - no patients suffering from AIDS or whatever it is.
Q: The President doesn't have gay plague, is that what you're saying or what
MR. SPEAKES: No, I didn't say that.
Q: Didn't say that?
MR. SPEAKES: I thought I heard you on the State Department over there. Why didn't you stay there? (Laughter.)
Q: Because I love you Larry, that's why (Laughter.)
MR. SPEAKES: Oh I see. Just don't put it in those terms, Lester. (Laughter.)
Q: Oh, I retract that.
MR. SPEAKES: I hope so.
Q: It's too late.
You won't see this on the GWB Web site.
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Eject Bush
Hilarious web site. Be sure to play the 'guess the quote' game. The answer is either George W. Bush or Ralph Wiggum (Chief Wiggum's son from the Simpsons.)
Classic.
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Hilarious web site. Be sure to play the 'guess the quote' game. The answer is either George W. Bush or Ralph Wiggum (Chief Wiggum's son from the Simpsons.)
Classic.
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Quote of the Day
Installment IX
"You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing."
Michael Pritchard
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Installment IX
"You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing."
Michael Pritchard
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Thursday, June 10, 2004
Ronald Reagan in Philadelphia, Mississippi
From the transcript of the 6/7 edition of NewsHour on PBS. The quote is from Roger Wilkins:
Well, Reagan was an incredible combination of a person who was very optimistic, upbeat, but underneath there were some really ugly parts of his politics.
He was, I said once before on this program, he capitalized on anti-black populism by going to Philadelphia and Mississippi , for example, in the beginning of his campaign in 1980.
Nobody had ever heard of Philadelphia and Mississippi outside of Mississippi , except as the place where three civil rights workers had been lynched – in 1964 – he said I believe in states rights.
Everybody knew what that meant. He went to Stone Mountain , Georgia , where the Ku Klux Klan used to burn its crosses, and he said Jefferson Davis is a hero of mine.
The event Wilkins speaks of is Reagan's first major campaign stop after declaring his candidacy for President in 1979. And who urged him to go to this former bastion of racism? Trent Lott.
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From the transcript of the 6/7 edition of NewsHour on PBS. The quote is from Roger Wilkins:
Well, Reagan was an incredible combination of a person who was very optimistic, upbeat, but underneath there were some really ugly parts of his politics.
He was, I said once before on this program, he capitalized on anti-black populism by going to Philadelphia and Mississippi , for example, in the beginning of his campaign in 1980.
Nobody had ever heard of Philadelphia and Mississippi outside of Mississippi , except as the place where three civil rights workers had been lynched – in 1964 – he said I believe in states rights.
Everybody knew what that meant. He went to Stone Mountain , Georgia , where the Ku Klux Klan used to burn its crosses, and he said Jefferson Davis is a hero of mine.
The event Wilkins speaks of is Reagan's first major campaign stop after declaring his candidacy for President in 1979. And who urged him to go to this former bastion of racism? Trent Lott.
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Quote of the Day
Installment VIII
"Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory."
John Kenneth Galbraith
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Installment VIII
"Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory."
John Kenneth Galbraith
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Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Apparently Bush DOES Wear An Earpiece
From today's Media Channel blog.
Ever see the movie Broadcast News? Exactly.
Thinking of the Supreme Commander GWB, I am reminded of an incident last Saturday when he was praising French President Chirac. I was watching CNN when all of a sudden, I heard another voice speaking Bush's pre-scripted lines before he did. That's right---the other voice would be heard BEFORE Bush's voice. What was that?
I thought at the time that that may have been done to give translators a head start on the President's words. Later, I had a call from a reader in Germany who told me she heard the same thing on CNN International including that same voice telling Bush what journalists to call on before he did. We have never heard that before. She asked: "Is someone controlling the president like a ventriloquist"?
It reminded me of a trick that some TV correspondents use for their on camera standups. They pre-record their standups for playback in their ears, and then turn to the camera in a way that you can't see the ear plug. They then play the tape and mouth their own words a long a few seconds later. It takes practice to be able to repeat the words but it makes for a smoother delivery without having to read. If I am right this means that this technique is used by the President to give his speeches the appearance of spontaneity, especially if he can't remember his own words. In this case, CNN picked up this audio track, perhaps because it was on a radio mic.
Fox News this morning reported uncritically on speculation that Dick Cheney may be replaced on the Republican ticket by "America's Mayor" Rudy Giuliani, a move they saw as perfect as an attention getting device in the upcoming speculation. Their related rumor is that Cheney will go to the CIA to replace George Tenet.
Interesting part at the end about Cheney being done and moving to Tenet's post. I still think the October surprise will be the "discovery" of WMDs in Iraq. Planted, of course.
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From today's Media Channel blog.
Ever see the movie Broadcast News? Exactly.
Thinking of the Supreme Commander GWB, I am reminded of an incident last Saturday when he was praising French President Chirac. I was watching CNN when all of a sudden, I heard another voice speaking Bush's pre-scripted lines before he did. That's right---the other voice would be heard BEFORE Bush's voice. What was that?
I thought at the time that that may have been done to give translators a head start on the President's words. Later, I had a call from a reader in Germany who told me she heard the same thing on CNN International including that same voice telling Bush what journalists to call on before he did. We have never heard that before. She asked: "Is someone controlling the president like a ventriloquist"?
It reminded me of a trick that some TV correspondents use for their on camera standups. They pre-record their standups for playback in their ears, and then turn to the camera in a way that you can't see the ear plug. They then play the tape and mouth their own words a long a few seconds later. It takes practice to be able to repeat the words but it makes for a smoother delivery without having to read. If I am right this means that this technique is used by the President to give his speeches the appearance of spontaneity, especially if he can't remember his own words. In this case, CNN picked up this audio track, perhaps because it was on a radio mic.
Fox News this morning reported uncritically on speculation that Dick Cheney may be replaced on the Republican ticket by "America's Mayor" Rudy Giuliani, a move they saw as perfect as an attention getting device in the upcoming speculation. Their related rumor is that Cheney will go to the CIA to replace George Tenet.
Interesting part at the end about Cheney being done and moving to Tenet's post. I still think the October surprise will be the "discovery" of WMDs in Iraq. Planted, of course.
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Quote of the Day
Installment VII
"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."
Bertrand Russell
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Installment VII
"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."
Bertrand Russell
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Tuesday, June 08, 2004
GOP Deifying Reagan
A wonderful post from Billmon at the Whiskey Bar about the GOP and their accomplices in the media trying to spin Reagan's death to shed Bush in a new, better light. It will take more than that for sure.
We'll let President President Reagan's son Ron Jr. have the last word...
"My father was a man - that's the difference between him and Bush. To paraphrase Jack Palance, my father crapped bigger ones than George Bush."
Eloquent. I can't wait to see if they shake hands on Friday when Bush speaks at Reagan's funeral.
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A wonderful post from Billmon at the Whiskey Bar about the GOP and their accomplices in the media trying to spin Reagan's death to shed Bush in a new, better light. It will take more than that for sure.
We'll let President President Reagan's son Ron Jr. have the last word...
"My father was a man - that's the difference between him and Bush. To paraphrase Jack Palance, my father crapped bigger ones than George Bush."
Eloquent. I can't wait to see if they shake hands on Friday when Bush speaks at Reagan's funeral.
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BIG Mistake From the Tampa Tribune
The paper accidentally ran an editorial saying the Lightning had lost the Stanley Cup, when, in fact, they won game seven the previous evening.
Editorial Page Editor Rosemary Goudreau sums it up best:
"We took a puck in the gut this morning."
I should say.
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The paper accidentally ran an editorial saying the Lightning had lost the Stanley Cup, when, in fact, they won game seven the previous evening.
Editorial Page Editor Rosemary Goudreau sums it up best:
"We took a puck in the gut this morning."
I should say.
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Majority of Senators Call for Looser Stem Cell Rules
As I guessed a couple of days ago, the Senate is putting pressure on the President to allow more stem-cell research:
...The letter was signed by 43 Democrats, the Senate's one independent and 14 Republicans, among them conservatives who oppose abortion. In April, 206 House members sent a similar letter to Bush...
This is sounding almost...get ready...surely, it can't be...bi-partisan!
So Bush has proven he can unite Iraqis (against us) who've fought for thousands of years and now, at least partially, the Congress. Wow.
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As I guessed a couple of days ago, the Senate is putting pressure on the President to allow more stem-cell research:
...The letter was signed by 43 Democrats, the Senate's one independent and 14 Republicans, among them conservatives who oppose abortion. In April, 206 House members sent a similar letter to Bush...
This is sounding almost...get ready...surely, it can't be...bi-partisan!
So Bush has proven he can unite Iraqis (against us) who've fought for thousands of years and now, at least partially, the Congress. Wow.
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Housekeeping
Blogging will be light for the next couple of days due to the incredible amount of things I need to get done. I may be able to post some stuff tonight.
As of last night, I won't need to be at a computer to post to my blog. Blogger has introduced a free Audioblogger service that can be accessed by just calling a phone number. So, while I'm enjoying one of my hour-and-a-half commutes I can wax poetic about the beautiful Schuylkill Expressway.
Or something.
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Blogging will be light for the next couple of days due to the incredible amount of things I need to get done. I may be able to post some stuff tonight.
As of last night, I won't need to be at a computer to post to my blog. Blogger has introduced a free Audioblogger service that can be accessed by just calling a phone number. So, while I'm enjoying one of my hour-and-a-half commutes I can wax poetic about the beautiful Schuylkill Expressway.
Or something.
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Quote of the Day
Installment VI
"Why does the Air Force need expensive new bombers? Have the people we've been bombing over the years been complaining?"
George Wallace
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Installment VI
"Why does the Air Force need expensive new bombers? Have the people we've been bombing over the years been complaining?"
George Wallace
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Monday, June 07, 2004
Quote of the Day
Installment V
"Humans are the only animals that have children on purpose with the exception of guppies, who like to eat theirs."
P.J. O'Rourke
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Installment V
"Humans are the only animals that have children on purpose with the exception of guppies, who like to eat theirs."
P.J. O'Rourke
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Sunday, June 06, 2004
United Nations: Ten stories
A new initiative:
To shine a spotlight on some of the important international issues and developments that often do not get sufficient media attention, the United Nations Department of Public Information presents a new initiative - "Ten Stories the World Should Hear More About."
This list includes a number of humanitarian emergencies, as well as conflict or post-conflict situations and spans other matters of concern to the United Nations, although it is far from embracing all of the many issues before the Organization.
A few examples:
Uganda: Child soldiers at centre of mounting humanitarian crisis
AIDS orphans in sub-Saharan Africa: a looming threat to future generations
Women as peacemakers: from victims to re-builders of society
Persons with disabilities: a treaty seeks to break new ground in ensuring equality
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A new initiative:
To shine a spotlight on some of the important international issues and developments that often do not get sufficient media attention, the United Nations Department of Public Information presents a new initiative - "Ten Stories the World Should Hear More About."
This list includes a number of humanitarian emergencies, as well as conflict or post-conflict situations and spans other matters of concern to the United Nations, although it is far from embracing all of the many issues before the Organization.
A few examples:
Uganda: Child soldiers at centre of mounting humanitarian crisis
AIDS orphans in sub-Saharan Africa: a looming threat to future generations
Women as peacemakers: from victims to re-builders of society
Persons with disabilities: a treaty seeks to break new ground in ensuring equality
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Iraqi Judge Issues Arrest Warrant for Chalabi's American Aide
Link:
An arrest warrant has been issued for Ahmed Chalabi's right-hand man in Baghdad, the American consultant Francis Brooke, who tried to stop the recent raid on the politician's headquarters in the Iraqi capital.
In the latest in a series of damaging blows for Mr Chalabi, an Iraqi judge said that Mr Brooke had obstructed the Iraqi police. He is believed to have returned to Washington, leaving his former master to tackle claims that his Iraqi National Congress passed American secrets to Iran...
It looks as though the training wheels are off, at least from a jurisprudence perspective. I wonder if this could set an extradition precedent? Doubtful, but it will be interesting to see it play out in theAmerican foreign press.
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Link:
An arrest warrant has been issued for Ahmed Chalabi's right-hand man in Baghdad, the American consultant Francis Brooke, who tried to stop the recent raid on the politician's headquarters in the Iraqi capital.
In the latest in a series of damaging blows for Mr Chalabi, an Iraqi judge said that Mr Brooke had obstructed the Iraqi police. He is believed to have returned to Washington, leaving his former master to tackle claims that his Iraqi National Congress passed American secrets to Iran...
It looks as though the training wheels are off, at least from a jurisprudence perspective. I wonder if this could set an extradition precedent? Doubtful, but it will be interesting to see it play out in the
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Quote of the Day
Installment IV
"Would those of you in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewelry."
John Lennon
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Installment IV
"Would those of you in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewelry."
John Lennon
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Saturday, June 05, 2004
Cheney & Rumsfeld as Witnesses at Torture Trial?
A brilliant move by defense attorneys for U.S. Army Pfc. Lynndie England. England was featured prominently in two notorious photgraphs taken at Abu Ghraib prison:
...England's lawyer Rose Mary Zapor told a news conference that Cheney and Rumsfeld were on a list of more than 130 people that the defense would like to call as witnesses.
Zapor said England's defense that she was only following orders could be bolstered by evidence from Rumsfeld and Cheney. The vice president would have knowledge of 'intelligence tactics' due to his service as secretary of defense in the presidency of Bush's father, she said...
Imagine the media circus surrounding this trial in the unlikely event one of these Hawks testifies.
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A brilliant move by defense attorneys for U.S. Army Pfc. Lynndie England. England was featured prominently in two notorious photgraphs taken at Abu Ghraib prison:
...England's lawyer Rose Mary Zapor told a news conference that Cheney and Rumsfeld were on a list of more than 130 people that the defense would like to call as witnesses.
Zapor said England's defense that she was only following orders could be bolstered by evidence from Rumsfeld and Cheney. The vice president would have knowledge of 'intelligence tactics' due to his service as secretary of defense in the presidency of Bush's father, she said...
Imagine the media circus surrounding this trial in the unlikely event one of these Hawks testifies.
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Ronald Reagan
Dead at 93.
I didn't agree with a lot of his policies but he did work with Gorbachev to help end Communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall. One of the most endearing images of the 80s.
Hopefully, there will be some good that will come from the passing of the 40th President of the United States. First, Reagan's passing should signal a renewed interest in Alzheimer's disease that could give more research and resources for the fight to end this horrible disease. Second, Reagan's widow, Nancy, has been an advocate of stem-cell research something the Bush Administration has only partially embraced. This research is something that can help to find out more about Alzheimer's and other debilitating diseases.
RIP President Reagan.
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Dead at 93.
I didn't agree with a lot of his policies but he did work with Gorbachev to help end Communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall. One of the most endearing images of the 80s.
Hopefully, there will be some good that will come from the passing of the 40th President of the United States. First, Reagan's passing should signal a renewed interest in Alzheimer's disease that could give more research and resources for the fight to end this horrible disease. Second, Reagan's widow, Nancy, has been an advocate of stem-cell research something the Bush Administration has only partially embraced. This research is something that can help to find out more about Alzheimer's and other debilitating diseases.
RIP President Reagan.
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Quote of the Day
Installment III (Smarty Jones edition)
"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people."
W C Fields
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Installment III (Smarty Jones edition)
"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people."
W C Fields
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Friday, June 04, 2004
Why Would Bush Consult a non-White House Attorney?
A good article by John Dean at FindLaw.com about what Bush's motives might be as they pertain to the Plame investigation:
...It is possible that Bush is consulting (James E.) Sharp only out of an excess of caution - despite the fact that he knows nothing of the leak, or of any possible coverup of the leak. But that's not likely.
On this subject, I spoke with an experienced former federal prosecutor who works in Washington, specializing in white collar criminal defense (but who does not know Sharp). That attorney told me that he is baffled by Bush's move - unless Bush has knowledge of the leak. "It would not seem that the President needs to consult personal counsel, thereby preserving the attorney-client privilege, if he has no knowledge about the leak," he told me.
What advice might Bush get from a private defense counsel? The lawyer I consulted opined that, "If he does have knowledge about the leak and does not plan to disclose it, the only good legaladvice would be to take the Fifth, rather than lie. The political fallout is a separate issue."
I raised the issue of whether the President might be able to invoke executive privilege as to this information. But the attorney I consulted - who is well versed in this area of law -- opined that "Neither 'outing' Plame, nor covering for the perpetrators would seem to fall within the scope of any executive privilege that I am aware of."...
It's kind of a long article, but very informative from a legal perspective.
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A good article by John Dean at FindLaw.com about what Bush's motives might be as they pertain to the Plame investigation:
...It is possible that Bush is consulting (James E.) Sharp only out of an excess of caution - despite the fact that he knows nothing of the leak, or of any possible coverup of the leak. But that's not likely.
On this subject, I spoke with an experienced former federal prosecutor who works in Washington, specializing in white collar criminal defense (but who does not know Sharp). That attorney told me that he is baffled by Bush's move - unless Bush has knowledge of the leak. "It would not seem that the President needs to consult personal counsel, thereby preserving the attorney-client privilege, if he has no knowledge about the leak," he told me.
What advice might Bush get from a private defense counsel? The lawyer I consulted opined that, "If he does have knowledge about the leak and does not plan to disclose it, the only good legaladvice would be to take the Fifth, rather than lie. The political fallout is a separate issue."
I raised the issue of whether the President might be able to invoke executive privilege as to this information. But the attorney I consulted - who is well versed in this area of law -- opined that "Neither 'outing' Plame, nor covering for the perpetrators would seem to fall within the scope of any executive privilege that I am aware of."...
It's kind of a long article, but very informative from a legal perspective.
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They Aren't FOX News, But Who Is?
From Capitol Hill Blue:
President George W. Bush's increasingly erratic behavior and wide mood swings has the halls of the West Wing buzzing lately as aides privately express growing concern over their leader's state of mind.
In meetings with top aides and administration officials, the President goes from quoting the Bible in one breath to obscene tantrums against the media, Democrats and others that he classifies as enemies of the state...
So who's got the nuclear football?
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From Capitol Hill Blue:
President George W. Bush's increasingly erratic behavior and wide mood swings has the halls of the West Wing buzzing lately as aides privately express growing concern over their leader's state of mind.
In meetings with top aides and administration officials, the President goes from quoting the Bible in one breath to obscene tantrums against the media, Democrats and others that he classifies as enemies of the state...
So who's got the nuclear football?
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More U.S. Soldiers Die in Iraq
So sad:
Four US soldiers have been killed and five wounded in an attack on a convoy near Baghdad's main Shia Muslim district, the US military reports.
Reports say the convoy came under bomb and grenade fire on the edge of Sadr City, a slum in the east of the city.
A grenade strike halted the convoy, which was then hit by a roadside bomb, witnesses told AFP news agency.
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So sad:
Four US soldiers have been killed and five wounded in an attack on a convoy near Baghdad's main Shia Muslim district, the US military reports.
Reports say the convoy came under bomb and grenade fire on the edge of Sadr City, a slum in the east of the city.
A grenade strike halted the convoy, which was then hit by a roadside bomb, witnesses told AFP news agency.
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Quote of the Day
Installment II
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything."
Mark Twain
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Installment II
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything."
Mark Twain
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Thursday, June 03, 2004
Feds Begin Using Polygraph in Chalabi Probe
Heh Heh Heh:
Polygraph tests of civilian Pentagon employees have begun in search of who leaked classified information to exiled Iraqi leader Ahmad Chalabi.
The FBI is conducting the tests on a small number of employees who had access to the intelligence on Iran's spy communication system, the New York Times said Thursday.
U.S. intelligence officials have said Chalabi informed Iran the United States had broken the secret codes used by Iranian intelligence to transmit confidential messages to posts around the world.
Wednesday, Chalabi's lawyers made public a letter they sent to Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller repeating Chalabi's denials and demanding the Justice Department investigate the disclosure of the accusations against him...
It seems as though Plamegate and Chalabi-gate could be on a collision course. Intersecting at the oval office.
Mmmm....blood in the water.
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Heh Heh Heh:
Polygraph tests of civilian Pentagon employees have begun in search of who leaked classified information to exiled Iraqi leader Ahmad Chalabi.
The FBI is conducting the tests on a small number of employees who had access to the intelligence on Iran's spy communication system, the New York Times said Thursday.
U.S. intelligence officials have said Chalabi informed Iran the United States had broken the secret codes used by Iranian intelligence to transmit confidential messages to posts around the world.
Wednesday, Chalabi's lawyers made public a letter they sent to Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller repeating Chalabi's denials and demanding the Justice Department investigate the disclosure of the accusations against him...
It seems as though Plamegate and Chalabi-gate could be on a collision course. Intersecting at the oval office.
Mmmm....blood in the water.
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New Idea
For some readers who might not be quite as into politics as I am (which is to say, very) I'm going to start a daily feature cleverly called, Quote of the Day.
The first installment:
"I'm so old I remember Preparation A"
Jack McKeon, 73-year-old Florida Marlins manager, on his longevity
Thanks to Sports Illustrated for the quote and the idea to make it a regular feature on good Uncle Horns.
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For some readers who might not be quite as into politics as I am (which is to say, very) I'm going to start a daily feature cleverly called, Quote of the Day.
The first installment:
"I'm so old I remember Preparation A"
Jack McKeon, 73-year-old Florida Marlins manager, on his longevity
Thanks to Sports Illustrated for the quote and the idea to make it a regular feature on good Uncle Horns.
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Tenet's Resignation: Upon further review
This is from Knut Wicksell in the comments section on The Daily Kos:
I think it's the Plame Grand Jury that is driving this, though there are lots of valid reasons why Tenet would want to leave and why other people in the administration would want to see him out. A plausible scenario is that under oath Tenet told the Grand Jury who the leaker was -- he ought to know -- it's his agent who was outed. That name is high enough to implicate Bush -- it could be the Presnit himself or someone close enough to make his knowing plausible. If he knew, he is indictable under the current law. Tenet would have told the President what he told the Grand Jury. Pres hires lawyer. Tenet gets out of town before the roof falls in. This seems to me to be a parsimonious conjecture.
This makes sense, particularly after Bush sought legal counsel yesterday.
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This is from Knut Wicksell in the comments section on The Daily Kos:
I think it's the Plame Grand Jury that is driving this, though there are lots of valid reasons why Tenet would want to leave and why other people in the administration would want to see him out. A plausible scenario is that under oath Tenet told the Grand Jury who the leaker was -- he ought to know -- it's his agent who was outed. That name is high enough to implicate Bush -- it could be the Presnit himself or someone close enough to make his knowing plausible. If he knew, he is indictable under the current law. Tenet would have told the President what he told the Grand Jury. Pres hires lawyer. Tenet gets out of town before the roof falls in. This seems to me to be a parsimonious conjecture.
This makes sense, particularly after Bush sought legal counsel yesterday.
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CIA Director Tenet Resigns
For personal reasons. Sounds likely if "personal reasons" means channeling state secrets to Iran or his agents were torturing innocent Iraqi civilians.
Let's hope this is only the first domino.
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For personal reasons. Sounds likely if "personal reasons" means channeling state secrets to Iran or his agents were torturing innocent Iraqi civilians.
Let's hope this is only the first domino.
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That Felt Good
A full day without a blog entry. Imagine that. Since opening for business on February 27th I've posted 381 times with just over 50,700 words. I've enjoyed every minute of it and will continue to keep it up as my schedule allows. I'd like to thank my readers (both of them) for their feedback, yes, even you Hoges. I hope you like reading this blog as much as I like writing it.
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A full day without a blog entry. Imagine that. Since opening for business on February 27th I've posted 381 times with just over 50,700 words. I've enjoyed every minute of it and will continue to keep it up as my schedule allows. I'd like to thank my readers (both of them) for their feedback, yes, even you Hoges. I hope you like reading this blog as much as I like writing it.
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Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Bad Air Causes Heart Disease...
...according to the American Heart Association.
I'm sure current residents of Manhattan will concur, in about 15 or 20 years.
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...according to the American Heart Association.
I'm sure current residents of Manhattan will concur, in about 15 or 20 years.
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Florida Motel Discriminated Against Blacks
Link.
...The Southern Inn in Perry had separate rooms for black customers that were "markedly less desirable, more poorly maintained and more unattractive" than rooms reserved for white customers, the lawsuit claims...
And I thought it was just Jebbie and the keeper of the voter rolls.
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Link.
...The Southern Inn in Perry had separate rooms for black customers that were "markedly less desirable, more poorly maintained and more unattractive" than rooms reserved for white customers, the lawsuit claims...
And I thought it was just Jebbie and the keeper of the voter rolls.
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So Who Is Lying Now?
Joel over at the blog Aimlessmind has a terrific deconstruction of the RNC's response to the WaPo's article on the negative campaign ads that Bush has been running.
It's amazing that the administration can try to pawn this crap off on us.
SOP for Team Prevarication.
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Joel over at the blog Aimlessmind has a terrific deconstruction of the RNC's response to the WaPo's article on the negative campaign ads that Bush has been running.
It's amazing that the administration can try to pawn this crap off on us.
SOP for Team Prevarication.
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Judge: Bush Abortion Ban Unconstitutional
To twist the knife a little more; the Judge is a Clinton appointee too:
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge Tuesday declared the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act unconstitutional, saying the measure infringes on a woman's right to choose.
The ruling applies to the nation's 900 or so Planned Parenthood clinics and their doctors, who perform roughly half of all abortions in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton's ruling came in one of three lawsuits challenging the legislation President Bush signed last year.
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To twist the knife a little more; the Judge is a Clinton appointee too:
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge Tuesday declared the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act unconstitutional, saying the measure infringes on a woman's right to choose.
The ruling applies to the nation's 900 or so Planned Parenthood clinics and their doctors, who perform roughly half of all abortions in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton's ruling came in one of three lawsuits challenging the legislation President Bush signed last year.
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Disgusting Sensationalism
'CSI'-like Peterson Trial To Start
That is the headline in the Tucson Citizen ahead of the trial for Scott Peterson, the man accused of killing his pregnant wife.
It's only going to get worse from here. Live remotes, wall-to-wall coverage, Roger Kossack ranting and other talking heads with diaharretic musings.
It's definitely a tragedy. But is it worth all of this? We're fighting at least two wars, we're nation building and gas is over $2.00 a gallon.
How about some perspective.
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'CSI'-like Peterson Trial To Start
That is the headline in the Tucson Citizen ahead of the trial for Scott Peterson, the man accused of killing his pregnant wife.
It's only going to get worse from here. Live remotes, wall-to-wall coverage, Roger Kossack ranting and other talking heads with diaharretic musings.
It's definitely a tragedy. But is it worth all of this? We're fighting at least two wars, we're nation building and gas is over $2.00 a gallon.
How about some perspective.
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