Late Night Open Thread
I was just on the phone with a customer service rep trying to get a gadget to work properly. When I told the nice guy who was helping me where I worked he started telling me how he was fed up with the direction our country was headed in, and really wanted to see things go in a new direction.
I couldn't agree more.
If you are fed up too, do something! 100actions.com has a new idea every day!
Comments (92) «
i wrote this on last nights thread. but i wanna repost it:
armitage says he outed plame but didn't threaten to bomb pakistan back to the stone age. libby who thought the case was over was in court today saying if prosecuted he will have to give up state secrets. bush says the war in iraq has improved things re: terrorism, leaking the intel report is bad and then releases the intel documents that state that it made things worse. musharef says armitage threatened one of his staff with stone age retro and "read {read as in buy} my book" and that the iraq adventure has made things worse and he has cut a really cute deal with the talliban but keep in a secret. karzai says he loves bush and america and can he move his presidential compound to the missle silo bush hid out in after the attacks on the world trade center. our friends in iraq support hellbolah, rice has better shoes than hillary or the pope and where the hell is chalabi to straighten this all out?
Center for Public Integrity Sues FCC for Broadband Records
WASHINGTON, September 25, 2006 — The Center for Public Integrity today filed suit against the Federal Communications Commission for failure to provide a database of records requested under the Freedom of Information Act.
The lawsuit alleges that the FCC has failed to provide the Center with an electronic copy of a database about the companies that provide broadband within particular zip codes in the United States.
"We filed suit against the FCC to obtain the data that the public and policy-makers need in order to get a complete and accurate picture of the current state of broadband," said Drew Clark, who leads the Center's Telecommunications anrad Media Project.
bringing new meaning to the expression f_ _ _ ed up:
Cleric Said to Lose Reins Over Part of Iraqi Militia
By SABRINA TAVERNISE
Published: September 28, 2006
BAGHDAD, Sept. 27 — The radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr has lost control of portions of his Mahdi Army militia that are splintering off into freelance death squads and criminal gangs, a senior coalition intelligence official said Wednesday.
the entrepreneurial spirit is catching, isn't it. let's start our own army. we can kill the infidels and those pesky family feuds can be settled once and for all...
until the next generation avenges and so on
ah, let freedom ring...
Posted by gregg on September 27, 2006 at 11:21 PM
this is pure genius. have you considered writing for television? this is kind of Seinfeld meets Apocolypse Now
fade, you really have to move to new york. the place would fit your sensibilities nicely. i challenge you to match this scenerio and you can use any three states in the midwest you wish to find a better laugh:
U.S. Investigating Pirro’s Talk of Taping Spouse
By PATRICK HEALY
Published: September 28, 2006
Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating whether Jeanine F. Pirro, the Republican candidate for state attorney general, and Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, illegally taped conversations of Ms. Pirro’s husband last year to determine if he was having an affair.
yes that is correct fade, the republican candidate for attorney general ( who was the candidate for senate to run against hillary until the republicans told her to get a grip and then put the former mayor of yonkers who no one has ever met in the spot ) asked bernard kerick who is under investigation for being mobbed up, who was ripping off vending machines in the city prison system when he ran it, who also went to iraq to train their police instead of the 6,000 advisors recommended by the state department and left after three months of talking shit, who also used a apartment above the world trade site to boff his mistress after 9/11, who was almost the head of homeland security.....if she should bug her husband who has done time for income tax evasion...and who might have been having an affair....
new york republicans...priceless!
If there was any doubt in ANYONEs mind that Condomlisa Rice is a F___ing LIAR,
from the 9/11 report:
As the Clinton administration drew to a close, Clarke and his staff developed a policy paper of their own, the first such comprehensive effort since the Delenda plan of 1998.The resulting paper, entitled “Strategy for Eliminating the Threat from the Jihadist Networks of al Qida: Status and Prospects,” reviewed the threat and the record to date, incorporated the CIA’s new ideas from the Blue Sky memo, and posed several near-term policy options. Clarke and his staff proposed a goal to “roll back” al Qaeda over a period of three to five years. Over time, the policy should try to weaken and eliminate the network’s infrastructure in order to reduce it to a “rump group” like other formerly feared but now largely defunct terrorist organizations of the 1980s. “Continued anti-al Qida operations at the current level will prevent some attacks,” Clarke’s office wrote,“but will not seriously attrit their ability to plan and conduct attacks.” The paper backed covert aid to the Northern Alliance, covert aid to Uzbekistan, and renewed Predator flights in March 2001. A sentence called for military action to destroy al Qaeda command-andcontrol targets and infrastructure and Taliban military and command assets.The paper also expressed concern about the presence of al Qaeda operatives in the United States
oust Bob Ney, the freedom fry guy, and the next thing you know--they're using french words in national intel estimates...NO, you can't have it!
In the bleak National Intelligence Estimate, the government's top analysts concluded Iraq has become a "cause celebre" for jihadists, who are growing in number and geographic reach. If the trend continues, the analysts found, the risks to the U.S. interests at home and abroad will grow.
posted these on the other thread before realizing there was a new one- i believe these are the latest available versions of the bills before the house and senate
http://balkin.blogspot.com/Military.commissions.bill.925.pdf
gregg,
wow! republican reality...what an oxymoron
enjoy the pooch! if this blue state turns red, i'll be seein' you
i think it is getting late- trying again
http://balkin.blogspot.com/SASC%20Draft%20Version%203.pdf#search=%22military%20commissions%20act%20of%202006%22
From the 9/11 commission report:
In December, Bush met with Clinton for a two-hour, one-on-one discussion of national security and foreign policy challenges. Clinton recalled saying to Bush,“I think you will find that by far your biggest threat is Bin Ladin and the al Qaeda.” Clinton told us that he also said,“One of the great regrets of my presidency is that I didn’t get him [Bin Ladin] for you, because I tried to.”159 Bush told the Commission that he felt sure President Clinton had mentioned terrorism,but did not remember much being said about al Qaeda.
Gee, I guess somebody wasn't paying attention!!!!! What an idiot Bush is!
Who are the fools that voted for this idiot TWICE!
Posted by Chicago on September 27, 2006 at 11:35 PM
Richard Clark's book is truthful. he was a bureaucrat, not a political appointee.
they didn't listen to him because his information didn't fit their "project for a new american century" vision.
messy things, facts. not best ignored, however. they get in the way of many a theory.
jefro
nice job! the first link worked for me--how did you find that?
i saved it and will read over it tomorrow.
thanks
this article at findlaw- "gagging the detainees" has the house version- to be honest, i'm now not sure where i found the senate version- as i'm sure you know, it is hard to know for sure what you are looking at- if you go to the library of congress site, there are numerous drafts of bills on the same subject
For those who find prayer helpful,
Let us pray for peace.
We thank You, O Lord, for destroying the dividing wall of enmity and granting peace to those who seek Your mercy.
We pray, O Lord, for all those who suffer from acts of war.
We pray for your peace and your mercy in the midst of the great suffering that people are now inflicting on each other.
Help our leaders to realize we must protect our boys and girls and never surrender to the temptation to torture our enemies and detainees.
Grant us Your Peace.
Amen
dogs have great listening skills. they must go to communication workshops.
no moon at all and a super clear night in the hudson valley and the ambient light is not too profound so you can look right into the milky way...which we are of course in....anyway good nite friends.
boggles the mind...great diggin' jefro.
goodnight and good luck to Keith Olberman...he may be needing it.
From the 9/11 report:
Early Decisions Within the first few days after Bush’s inauguration, Clarke approached Rice in an effort to get her—and the new President—to give terrorism very high priority and to act on the agenda that he had pushed during the last few months of the previous administration. After Rice requested that all senior staff identify desirable major policy reviews or initiatives, Clarke submitted an elaborate memorandum on January 25, 2001. He attached to it his 1998 Delenda Plan and the December 2000 strategy paper.“We urgently need . . . a Principals level review on the al Qida network,” Clarke wrote.172 He wanted the Principals Committee to decide whether al Qaeda was “a first order threat” or a more modest worry being overblown by “chicken little” alarmists. Alluding to the transition briefing that he had prepared for Rice, Clarke wrote that al Qaeda “is not some narrow, little terrorist issue that needs to be included in broader regional policy.”Two key decisions that had been deferred, he noted, concerned covert aid to keep the Northern Alliance alive when fighting began again in Afghanistan in the spring, and covert aid to the Uzbeks. Clarke also suggested that decisions should be made soon on messages to the Taliban and Pakistan over the al Qaeda sanctuary in Afghanistan, on possible new money for CIA operations, and on “when and how . . . to respond to the attack on the USS Cole.”173 The national security advisor did not respond directly to Clarke’s memorandum. No Principals Committee meeting on al Qaeda was held until September 4, 2001 (although the Principals Committee met frequently on other subjects, such as the Middle East peace process, Russia, and the Persian Gulf ).
Oh my God. I am sickened by the fact that I have not read the 9/11 Commission Report until tonight. It took Bill Clinton to wake me up. I am ashamed of myself. I have counted on the media to feed me the information. I did not realize there was SO much damning information on the Bush administration in this report. It is all there for us all to see. There can be little doubt that 9/11 was a Bush/Rice failure.
olbermann had what i thought was some of the best journalism on the months leading up to the events of september of '01 that i have yet seen tonight- he had a grainy video of a speech that sandy berger gave in early '01 talking about the importance of continuing the work on al quaeda- there were some other things that were very revealing and one that i had not heard of before, and don't you know my memory has failed me- kos has the video- hope to see the transcript soon
anyone else get a chance to see this?
Hey Paul "Amen"
Chigago,
I read the 911 report a while ago.It's quite long,but yes, Bill Clinton was far more aggressive at trying to find Bin Ladin then people are giving him credit for and George Bush deserves far more blame than he's getting (or not).
Hey,
I have to get some sleep. May God bless the Democratic party and may He instill in them the strength to stand up for what is right. To hell with political maneuvering. Right is right and torture is wrong.
G'nite all.
Good Night, Chigago.
Jefro,
I did'nt get to see Keith tonight.I was a sleep. (grvd) what was he talking about tonight and why are people talking about him being in danger of getting removed from MSNBC?
remember paul bremer?- keith included a quotation from him tonight that i had not seen before- the statement was made about the present regime by bremer on february 26, 2001: "What they will do is stagger along until there's another major incident and then suddenly say, 'oh, my god, shouldn't we be organized to deal with this?'"
well, i would imagine that his hard-hitting commentaries against this administration might be one reason people could be suggesting the corporation is thinking of having him removed- he was also the victim of a terror threat overnight- somone sent him an envelope that contained white powder, and i believe i heard there was some sort of threatening letter with it- he was understandably frightened and had to call emt's- then, after the fbi requested that no press release this information for his own continued safety, the new york post ran with the story in what has been described as a sick piece of journalism that almost celebrates the fact that someone did this to him (partly by suggesting that he had overreacted to the incident)- keith noted that he is on cipro (antibiotic) in the event that there was anthrax or something else in the envelope
the piece tonight was what i hope is only an opening salvo in the kind of journalism that does the work of connecting the dots on the failure of this administration in the months leading up to that fateful day
i've got to head out as it is getting late- let's hope that keith olbermann is able to continue doing what he is doing, and let us hope that other journalists find their own way to tell the true story of the last five years so that this propaganda machine can be silenced once and for all- who knows, i'm still betting that if congress can be won, this party in power may not be recognizable after all is said and done- i think they must know that it could come to that- we can bet that they know that these are the stakes if this country finally knows even half of the truth as to what they have been up to just prior to and after september of '01- a date that will live in infamy if it finally destroys a political party who has used it for their own sick ends
Nice link,the supreme court will throw this right in the trash.It is impossible to write law retroactively, it's garbage.As for denying aliens due process, again the supreme court has set precedent.It'll just take long enough for these commissions to execute all the guys that have any info that leads back to the neo-cons.Definitely makes it easier to prove war crimes against bush,he's going to the Hague.His buddies though, they might be able to use this to eliminate witnesses.I'd like to see this blocked.
It is so glaring that all the right wing nut pundits are saying the exact same words verbotem when refering to President Clinton defending himself for a change on (faux) Fox with the weasely faced Wallace. I swear they must all be robots that give AI a bad name.
Once again Clinton rises on my hero list! God I admire a man that thinks and can actually get a point accross intelligently! Such a nice change from the current dumbo lot!
Jefro,
Sorry,I had something to do.I think Keith will be just fine.Dan Abrams runs MSNBC and I don't think he's an idiot.Besides,if they tried to remove him,they'd have to deal with us.Most of us who watch Keith are advid CNN viewers,so they don't want to piss us off.
Good Night and ...........
Good Luck!
:)
Someone emailed me a link to a liberal blog and I thought I would share the link for those that might be interested.
President Bush exploited 9/11 to mislead us into war with Iraq. Now Republicans are trying to exploit 9/11 to win re-election. MoveOn.org has a new, hard-hitting TV ad to remind Americans that Republicans have a record of failure when it comes to making us safe. Watch the ad:
"Fed up with the direction the county's going "
Absolutley true.
Millions of us are.
This is no time to be soft -spoken about it.
We need to speak up LOUDLY .
Long past time for us to rally together and
send the message that we are sick of the
arrogant warlover and his cronies in charge
of taking this country over a cliff.
Howdy,
Not even 11 here, yet slumbers quietly.
On the anticipated withdrawal from Iraq, let dems press for an Iraqi election on it.
We've helped to set up the excellent voting machinery and democratic principles. Why not let them have at it? It's their country after all, why not obey their wishes?
Republicans would have a difficult time refuting this proposition. And also trouble hiding their military bases.
About the election to withdraw. Why Iraq, why not vote on it here? It would pass but dont expect the warmonger to let anyone vote on this.
Fed up is the nice way of saying it. I can be the Blackberry go-to guy for the DNC perhaps.
Keith is moving over CNBC along with Mathews,, MSNBC is going to run all those prison documentaries over and over again. When Keith moves to CNBC even more people will not watch his show - or even fewer will. I always watch Keith when I am around because he is an idiot and I enjoy his kind of stupidity.
Olbermanwatch.com now gets more hits than Keiths own bloggerman site does.
Senator James Inhoff sums up the witchcraft of global warming better than anyone I've seen. This nonsense goes back to 1870 when it was global cooling and we are all gonna die. And it has alternated between cooling and warming ever since.
Now I know you will all say that James Inhoff is a poopoo head and we cannot pay hin no mind. I suggest you read his speach before you all turn all goofey like.
SENATOR JAMES INHOFE CHAIRMAN, SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
“Hot & Cold Media Spin: A Challenge To Journalists Who Cover Global Warming”
RADICAL RIGHTWINGERS ARE AFRAID OF KEITH OLBERMANN:
Threatening letter no joke
Keith Olbermann responds to the New York Post's report
COMMENTARY By Keith Olbermann Anchor, 'Countdown' MSNBC Updated: 7:58 p.m. CT Sept 27, 2006The Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper, The New York Post, may have just impeded an FBI investigation into terroristic threats.
I know this because I was a recipient
The Bureau asked us not to report any of the details so that the person or persons responsible would not know any of the threats had been received by any of the targets -- and we of course complied
For those wh find prayer helpful
Posted by Paul on September 28, 2006 at 12:00 AM
We thank You, O Lord, for building the double wall of security and granting peace to those Mexicans who turn around and go home after seeing how formidable it is.
We pray, O Lord, for all those who suffer from acts of war accept for those terrorist who cause war and for those we pray for destruction.
We pray for your peace and your mercy in the midst of the great suffering that terrorists are now inflicting on others.
Help our leaders to realize we must protect our boys and girls and never surrender to the temptation by Democrats to surrender. Give us the strength to torture our enemies and detainees as necessary to obtain information vital to our national security.
Grant us Your Peace.
Amen
Can you believe Dems in the house voted for the torture bill?
Hope they know it can be a death warrant.
Nuremburg must of slipped their minds.
Combine this bill with the patriot act and this country is becoming more and more like Nazi Germany.
The excuses their lawmakers and judges tried at Nuremburg failed.
With Iraq behind us they can be tried with almost all the charges made at Nuremburg.
A textbook definition of cowardice
Keith Olbermann comments on Bill Clinton's Fox News interview
SPECIAL COMMENT By Keith Olbermann Anchor, 'Countdown' MSNBC Updated: 8:01 a.m. CT Sept 26, 2006The headlines about them are, of course, entirely wrong.
It is not essential that a past president, bullied and sandbagged by a monkey posing as a newscaster, finally lashed back.
It is not important that the current President’s portable public chorus has described his predecessor’s tone as “crazed.”
Our tone should be crazed. The nation’s freedoms are under assault by an administration whose policies can do us as much damage as al Qaida; the nation’s marketplace of ideas is being poisoned by a propaganda company so blatant that Tokyo Rose would’ve quit.
Nonetheless. The headline is this:
Bill Clinton did what almost none of us have done in five years.
He has spoken the truth about 9/11, and the current presidential administration.
September 27, 2006 -- MSNBC loudmouth Keith Olbermann flipped out when he opened his home mail yesterday. The acerbic host of "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" was terrified when he opened a suspicious-looking letter with a California postmark and a batch of white powder poured out. A note inside warned Olbermann, who's a frequent critic of President Bush's policies, that it was payback for some of his on-air shtick. The caustic commentator panicked and frantically called 911 at about 12:30 a.m., sources told The Post's Philip Messing. An NYPD HazMat unit rushed to Olbermann's pad on Central Park South, but preliminary tests indicated the substance was harmless soap powder. However, that wasn't enough to satisfy Olbermann, who insisted on a checkup. He asked to be taken to St. Luke's Hospital, where doctors looked him over and sent him home. Whether they gave him a lollipop on the way out isn't known. Olbermann had no comment.
Dan Abrams runs MSNBC because it is done being a serious contender as a cable news network - Fox took care of that. All of their evening shows, Hairball, Olberman and Scarborough are sucking hind titty so they are giving it up. Those shows will move over to CNBC where no one will ever see them.
It is not essential that a past president, bullied and sandbagged by a monkey posing as a newscaster, finally lashed back...
Posted by FreedomOfSpeechForProgressiveMajority on September 28, 2006 at 04:09 AM
Those kind of anti Semitic remarks will probably do Olberman in if moving to CNBC doesn't fo it.
Hitler was the last prominent person to refer to Jews as sub human monkies.
Those Dems who voted against the so called "torture act" are gonna have an uphill struggle in the coming election. Unless they are fron leftwing nutball districts of course.
Well. it's time to club some baby seals - I've got skinners coming in the morning.
bye
Well, one thing still bothers me and maybe you all can help. One thing still bothers me about the Clinton administration. Monica reported to Judje Starr that when she was leaving the oval office after one of their encounters she observed The President of the United States jerking off into the sink. My question is this, with Monica still there, why was the President of the United States jerking off into the sink? Why didn't he consider Monica to be an acceptable receptacle?
That aspect of his Presidency puzzles me, I suspect that historians will sort it out though.
FOX NEWS RATINGS HAVE PLUMMETED,WHILE CNN AND MSNBC HAVE SYROCKETED!
Suck it troll.Suck it!
Fox News' Ratings Take a Nosedive TVNewser | Posted Tuesday August 29, 2006 at 05:12 PMSomewhere, Keith Olbermann is sticking pins in a Bill O'Reilly voodoo doll: Fox News' ratings, TVNewser reports, are down since August of last year. Like, way down. Like down 28 percent in primetime among all viewers, down 20 percent in primetime in the "money demo" (viewers aged 25-54) and down 7 percent in daytime viewership overall. In fact, the only place Fox is up is during the day, when they managed a ratings increase of just 2 percent, and even then only in the money demo.
And lest you think this is an industry-wide trend, consider this: over the same time period, CNN and MSNBC are up. CNN's up 35 percent during the day -- 46 percent in the money demo -- and up 21 percent in primetime overall, 25 percent in the money demo. MSNBC's ratings increases aren't quite as impressive -- up 6 percent in primetime overall, 8 percent in the money demo, and up 36 percent in the money demo during the day, 26 percent overall.
We, of course, are Fair and Balanced here, so there won't be any celebrating later tonight. Certainly we will not be opening any champagne. That would be wrong.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
AP: Carter, U.S. in more danger of terrorismFALLON, Nev. - Former President Jimmy Carter said Wednesday major policy changes are needed because the Iraq war has divided the nation "almost as much as Vietnam."
"So there's no doubt that our country is in much more danger now from terrorism than it would have been if we would have done what we should have done and stayed in Afghanistan," he said on the campaign trail with his son, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Jack Carter.
The former president said the Bush administration made a "terrible mistake" by invading Iraq and diverting troops from Afghanistan.
Jack Carter criticized his opponent, Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., for supporting the Iraq war. Both Carters also said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should go.
"I think he's one of the worst secretaries of defense we've ever had," the former president said of Rumsfeld. "Almost every decision he has made has aggravated his military subordinates and has also proved to be a mistake."
For those of who who STILL contend that the YOUTH mean nothing when it comes down to voting in this nations Elections,please read this.
Thank You and (smak my donky)
Morning, Freedom! You sure give me a dose of reality upon awaking. I love it!
Security Stones Ever since President Bush began pushing for the invasion of Iraq, he has been using the word “security” not to unify America in order to defeat Al Qaeda, but as stones to hurl on the heads of Democrats and others who dissented from his policies. Bully Bush saw that these security stones worked so he hurled them constantly. Imagine his unhappy surprise when recently the Democrats picked up the security stones and hurled them back at Bush!These security stones were politically powerful. They helped get Bush reelected. They helped Republicans become the champions of security and thus to maintain complete control of government. They helped denigrate Democrats as soft on security, not willing to confront Al Qaeda, and even as traitors.
I am practicing my linking ability, so if this doesn't work, click my name.
Posted by Cyn_NY on September 28, 2006 at 07:08 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morning,
The link worked fine.I'm glad we are starting to fight back.It's about time.We have what,39 days to go before we vote? I've picked all my candidates.I have all my little bumper stickers.I'm ready.Let's roll!(LOL)
;p
Imus this morning just blasted the Democratic Party for getting rid of Lieberman. He was really really ugly with the comments.
If anyone has a link to his show - let's tell him why Leiberman was fired by the Democrats.
Gish - some aholes just don't get it.
Me, too, Freedom. It IS about time. I was getting sick and tired of the Dems sitting back and taking whatever was dished out by these thieves. It seemed they never could get organized enough or they were afraid what they said would be twisted by Rove. Well, to hell with him. The Swiftboaters will always be on the attack, but we have nothing to lose by shouting the truth from the trees. Clinton did a good job the other night and I think this gives Dem candidates a boost of confidence.
JUDAS IS GAINING. WE HAVE TO STOP HIM!
Lieberman staying ahead of Lamont in Conn.Poll shows three-term incumbent with 10-point lead over DemocratWASHINGTON - Democrat Ned Lamont continues to struggle to find support among Republican and unaffiliated voters in his attempt to defeat three-term incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman in November's Connecticut Senate election, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.
Lieberman maintains a 10-point advantage among likely voters in the poll, leading Lamont 49 percent to 39 percent in a three-way race. Republican Alan Schlesinger trails with 5 percent.
The race has tightened slightly since an Aug. 17 poll that showed Lieberman leading 53 percent to 41 percent.
Dag Nammit! Someone contact somebody in Connecticut.Do something.This Uncle Tomberg cant win.He cannot win!Someone in Connecticut has to stop him!
This torture bill isn't worth the paper it's written on.It has no chance of surviving court review and personally after reading it I'm relieved that the brain trust over there is so stupid that they would write legislation that will convict bush.Are they really trying to send bush up the river or could they be that stupid?The fact that hunter represents california,the state that recently tried to legislate away their statute of limitations on pedophilia (good idea anyway)in order to pursue priests' past crimes and failed,makes me wonder if hunter's intent was to send bush to the hague.I hope not because the lack of intellect displayed by this garbage bill is just so gratifying!
Posted by Cyn_NY on September 28, 2006 at 07:21 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yep.It's getting way to close to the Election .We gotta get creative and I mean like,yesterday.We gotta get our people to the polls and discourage repubs from going.At this point,they won't switch parties.We have a better chance if they just stay home.
;p
Dumbed-down intelligence
The significance of the leaked US National Intelligence Estimate is not that it
contains any earth-shattering information, but that it underscores a well-known fact that President George W Bush refuses to acknowledge - that Iraq has become the "cause celebre" of global jihadis. Now the report is submerged in a cacophony of political point-scoring, none of which is going to save Iraq or make the US safer
Here is one conclusion of the NIE: "We assess that the Iraq jihad is shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders and operatives; perceived jihadist success there would inspire more fighters to continue the struggle elsewhere. The Iraq conflict has become the cause celebre for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of US involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement."
The trouble with that professional judgment is that it contradicts Bush's belief, which appears not to be based on fact. Making an appearance with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Bush said it was a mistake to think that the Iraq war had increased the terrorism threat.
The troubling part of the entire controversy involving the NIE is that its sobering observations are being submerged in the cacophony of partisan bickering that is steadily growing in Washington and in the country at large.
GUESS WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR OUR RIGHT TO HAVE OUR VOTES COUNTED AND PROTECTED........
FEINGOLD,KERRY INTRODUCE RESOLUTION URGING BACK-UP PLANS FOR VOTING MACHINES
Difficulties with Recent Primary Elections Highlight Need for Back-Up Systems Like Paper Ballots
Snip:September 27, 2006
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John Kerry (D-MA) have introduced a resolution calling on state and local governments to have back-up systems in place on election day to ensure that every eligible voter who wants to vote is able to. The Senators’ Sense of the Senate resolution notes the difficulties that voters in many states have experienced with new voting technology and urges states to do whatever is necessary to ensure that voters are actually able to cast a vote on November 7, 2006, including providing emergency paper ballots in the event of a voting machine failure.
“We cannot allow the American people to lose faith in the most fundamental aspect of our democratic system – the right to vote,” Feingold said. “Some of the problems we saw this year, like voters in Maryland being told to come back later because the machines weren’t working, are simply unacceptable. A back-up plan as simple as having emergency paper ballots on hand is essential to preventing election day disasters.”
YOU GO! BOY, ....BOYS!
;P
Morning FOS, Cyn-NY and ER
Beautiful gale going on here; however, the skies appears to be clear.
Our pet troll is demented. He is a typical repug, i.e. repugnant.
It appears the Senate is going to sneak through this torture bill after midnight then the dunce will sign it. Hitler is dancing with glee, in Hell.
I thought the Democrats were going to delay adjournment for some of their bills to receive consideration. What happened. The silence from the MSN is deafening.
Two words. Good grief.
If this doesn't prove that religion is big business, nothing does.
At Church, an `ATM for Jesus' Pastor Marty Baker's `Giving Kiosks' are catching on. Members say they use credit cards for everything else -- why not tithing? By Richard Fausset, Times Staff Writer September 28, 2006AUGUSTA, Ga. — Pastor Marty Baker preaches that the Bible is the eternal and inviolate word of God. On other church matters, he's willing to change with the times.
Jeans are welcome at Stevens Creek Community Church, the 1,100-member evangelical congregation Baker founded 19 years ago. Sermons are available as podcasts, and the electric house band has been known to cover Aerosmith's "Dream On." A recent men's fellowship breakfast was devoted to discussing the spiritual wages of lunching at Hooters
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-holyatm28sep28,0,7916395.story?coll=la-home-headlines
It appears as if they are sneaking through the ID bill which would disenfranchise large numbers of elderly and poor voters. This is criminal.
I have said the following constantly, and I will say it again. dunce and the vice dunce need to be frog-marched to the Hague and tried for crimes against humanity.
WHEN WILL SOMEONE LISTEN.
JOHN,
I've been looking forever all last night for a list of Dems who voted in favor of that mess.i want to post it so we all know who doesn't have BALLS!
;l
Morning, Johnedwrd. A lovely warm morning here. Not too much sun, though.
I am going to be watching that Senate vote VERY closely to see who votes what. And, acting accordingly. Hitler is indeed dancing. Sickens me to think America has been hijacked by the bushites.
A recent men's fellowship breakfast was devoted to discussing the spiritual wages of lunching at Hooters
Ewwwww! Is this what they mean by
"This is a Christian Nation"?
First off Let me say, I am a very unhappy ex-republican. The truth is I have always been a little outside the republican tent and more of a libertarian. Anyway, Why have the Democrats suffered so amny losses lately. It's easy really; your party uses rock stars, wacky celebrities and MTV to "rock the vote". The truth is those are probably the least likely groups to ever see a voting machine. "Cool people" usually don't vote. In fact the groups of likely voters are turned off by the marketing of DNC to these groups. "We" may still play Springsteen on our eight track but we want a "responsible" guy holding the purse strings. In this election the Democrats should absolutely "Kick Ass" as long as they don't shoot themselves in the hoof.
Talking points should be simple (i.e. We're tired of being lied to.) This election IS about Iraq. This should be stated everytime a candidate stands up. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Why are the dems a better choice than the gop? Answer; because the gop has lied so much that they can't be trusted to hold office. It's time for a big change and accountability. Rumsfeld must go and the republican good ol boys won't do it.
Republicans are also vulnerable on support of the Veterans Adminstration. It should be brought up that it is the REPUBLICANS are the ones to block legislation to put the VA as an on budget item.
I am not a democrat but at this point I really really want the republicans OUT!
Good Luck and I WILL be voting democratc for the first time this year.
USA, welcome aboard! I have heard many others in your party say the same thing. Hopefully, together, we can make a difference.
Well,everyone,It's time to go.Watch out for the trolls,(...and you know who I'm talking about)
ROFLMAO!
Okay,Bye!
:)
The intellectuals should vote for this bill! It sends bush up the river! I know it sounds crazy but this bill cannot give bush immunity and has the effect of proving war crimes against him.The morons that have advised this action must be really stupid or traitors to bush. It's like hitting someone with your car,ditching the body, and trying to claim that you didn't know you hit someone.I hope the ACLU can get a stay to prevent these "enemy combatants" from being executed so the public can find out what's so damaging about what they know about this war on terror.I bet the trail from osama to bush is right there in their cases.
Good morning everyone
{{{Cyn}} {{{FOS}}} {{{John Edward}}}
Welcome, USA
mornin' gregg
do you ever get kids on the phone when you're polling? i ask them when they will be voting. some don't know at what age it's possible, but they know when they hand off the phone.
and i tell them that i'll be calling them back then.
my son recruited thirty young people to campaign for Kerry. he was in college and so i told them i'd supply the bumper stickers, pins and t-shirts.
those kids will ALL be voting again, and again, and again. they own this process--
i love Tom N.'s idea that we provide a referendum for the Iraqi's to VOTE on our occupation...a splendid idea!
Good morning, ER
your expertise far exceeds my abilities, so i'll have to take your word for it. i hope you're correct.
gregg
the shoe Queen herself is interviewed by the New York Times
i find it incredible and disturbing that these leaks do not lead to more outrage in the community.
the disinformation and psychological operations have been highly successful. cult tactics are employed on a routine basis in the 'so called' churches, and Rupert Murdoch's filthy tabloid has a story the moment it happens...they have it WRONG, of course. how nice of them to encourage more of that anthrax scare stuff...although it was theirs from the beginning, wasn't it?
domestic terrorist plot and all...never solved that one...which is, by the way, the one that had regular people more terrified than 911...every time the mail came it was renewed...
never forget!
you know fade if by kids you mean little kids i rarely get them on the phone. i am always dialing between six and eight pm so maybe that is why?
House roll call for detainee bill here:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll491.xml
The House voted today to pass the President's interrogation and detention bill. The roll call vote is here. Democrats voted against the bill by a vote of 160-34. Republicans voted in favor of the bill by a vote of 219-7. Of the 34 Democrats voting in favor of the bill, two are currently in close races for the Senate: Rep. Harold Ford in Tennessee and Sherrod Brown in Ohio.House Democrats acquitted themselves reasonably well on this issue. Several House members gave very stirring and passionate speeches about defending core American values. It remains to been seen whether Democratic opposition to the bill in the Senate will be anywhere near as overwhelming.
Courtesy of Glenn Greenwald
wiretapping bill unlikely to pass?
have a glorious day, y'all
{{{Kristen}}} thanx for the Horsey!
Typical spineless Democrats.
Nothing at dnc.org about the Torture bill.
Someone needs to start a party that will stand up to the Republicans.
CUT and RUN ON FREEDOM: GOP’S NEW PLAN
I was upset, fearful and angry reading the recent National Intelligence Estimate about increasing terrorism and the sad state of our international relations when I burst out laughing.
Jumping to mind was the neocon's perverted sales' pitch: "The terrorists hate us because they hate freedom."
What if that was true?
Being fearful, the GOP now advocates legislating the end of our enduring freedoms to meet the terrorists demands.
Game, set match, no more freedom, nothing to hate, terrorism vanquished.
The GOP leadership we presently enjoy promotes secrecy, dishonesty, suspension of habeas corpus and other fundamental juridical rights; they promote wholesale wiretapping without warrants and suspending historical "Rules of War" agreements so that America can, on its whim, perform inhumane and degrading acts of torture on whomsoever we may choose to incarcerate.
One or two more stolen elections plus a new gaggle of lies from Dick, Condi et al and poof, our freedoms will be gone and the terrorists, seeing that their main reason to hate us has vanished, well. They’ll just go back to berating womenfolk for racy clothing.
It's a plan, you'all. It's a plan.
(( I hope the angry resentful retired Generals and their brothers in arms have our back in these troubling days.))
If they can't get tax breaks for America's wealthiest families, Republicans in Congress are prepared to raise taxes on millions of America's middle-class families.
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