Open Thread
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Good Morning and Afternoon to All,
I've been reading an article in The Washington Post this morning.
"Unpaid bills, royal infighting proceeds Saudi envoy's exit, by Robin Wright, The Washington Post"
This article and many others like it points to one continuous disturbing trend, VP Cheney jumps every time the Saudi's or any Middle Eastern Prince call.
He sure is not behaving like he has USA interest at heart or as a priority. His trip to the Middle East last year almost netted the sales of our ports to a Middle Eastern country and with presidential support.
Question:
Is VP Cheney an errand boy for the Saudi Princes and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?
Concerned
James Brown Going Back To The Apollo
NEW YORK - The body of soul singer James Brown will be returned Thursday to the site of his debut — the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem — so the public that saw and heard him leave a lasting impression on music can see him one last time, the Rev. Al Sharpton said Tuesday.Brown's body will rest on the stage of the Apollo from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., and thousands of people will be permitted one more look at a man who steered modern music toward the rhythm-and-blues, funk, hip-hop, disco and rap beats popular today, said Sharpton, a close friend of Brown for decades.
John Edwards to announce soon!
Great post from Kos that covers alot of informataion, covers issues, what he had been doing since 2004, and announcement tour
"John Edwards Announcement Tour: People Get Ready"
What with our insatiable thirst for oil, our errand boys had BETTER make it thier business to ingratiate themselves to our suppliers....any kid with an addicted parent knows this...I dont like Cheney but you slam him for doing our bidding.
"That Gerald Ford. He can't fart and chew gum at the same time." - LBJ
Spike Lee To Make James Brown Movie
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Maverick director Spike Lee has reportedly signed a deal to make a film charting the life of 'Godfather of Soul' James Brown, who died earlier this week.Lee, famed for his racially themed movies such as "Malcolm X", "Do the Right Thing" and "Jungle Fever", will team up with legendary Hollywood producer Brian Grazer for the biopic, movie trade journal Variety reported.
Blue, one of the Ford stories on the front page of our paper this morning.
Often the target of jokes, Ford laughed right along
Gerald Ford claimed he became an authority on American humor after being skewered by those who used it for a living.
From one APPOINTED President to another:
"We mourn the loss of such a leader, and our 38th President will always have a special place in our nation's memory." - Prince George
George, you will have a special place in our nation's memory too....
Blue and Kristen,
I remembered Ford was constantly falling before the camara. At ski events, before his speeches and in fact SNL Chevy Chase's skits of someone falling all the time was a satire based on then President Ford. He did have a good sense of humor about him.
On the dark side he also engineered the careers of Rummy and Cheney.
Yes, I remember, Hybrid. It suprises me that Prince George hasn't taken a page from Ford in telling American's to wear WIN buttons to end the war in Iraq.
"Whip Iraq Now".
Ooooh, I bet the F-Word Channel will pick up on that...
Hi Blue,
That reminds me of the time President Ford attempted to give a speech telling the reporters he was upset with his characterization as someone bubbling and falling all the time ...just then he fell for the cameras at the ski resort. President Ford laughed with all the reporters. After that day he just laughed with the reporters and they gave him some breathing room.
During this same time period he granted amnesty to all the young Americans who left the country to avoid getting drafted into the Vietnam War. The parents of all these young men and women were grateful for his actions, but he became the target or veteran who felt this action was a disgrace. President Fort, more than anyone else engineered the exit of American solders from Vietnam. (We should review what he did and how we can better prepare ourselves for exiting the war. How to honor our solders when they return? How to reintegrate the solders back into our society? There are many case studies for lots of policy makers to review. There were great lessons to be learned from all those that sacrificed for the Vietnam effort. We should not let all those lessons of history go to waste. The best way to honor the solders and veteran will be to learn from history and do better.)
Overall, I feel he was the right man at the right time, because he did his job as the President of USA with humility to heal and unite this country that was greatly divided by the actions and policies of the Nixon administration. His policies lead to better checks and balance of power within our government. America did not allow any single party to control the government policies for the next 20+ years. America was admired, feared and respected around the world.
Concerned
Back in Vietnam, I recall, by 1965, it was "a new war" because Hanoi was sending regular troops in whole units of battalion size to "exterminate" South Vietnam's defenders. So we went in to prevent aggression. But in Iraq, today-- four years into the war-- we are still fighting and dying by the same killing tool: the "IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE" made,
planted and exploded by hands of the same "dead
enders" Iraqi insurgents as in 2003. As a loyal
Republican and organizer of Republicans for a Democrat Congress in 2006-- one who boosted an old Republican acquittance from the Reagan Administration, Jim Webb-- I am glad for the Democrat victory in Congress this Fall. But, as I did in seeking to make up for my colossal mistake of supporting GW Bush in 2000, I will
work against the Democrats elected to Congress just as hard as I worked for Webb, if they abrogate their pledge to get us out of what a fellow Republican Senator called: our "criminal" putting of our children in harm's way senselessly. I insist that we can't call
ourselves Americans lest we see all volunteer in the Armed Forces as OUR children and would not allow to be done to them what we would not allow to be done with our own biologic children. We died enough, we killed enough. There is no alternative for us nor for the Iraqis than the setting of a date for total withdrawal. Only under such fulfillment of Iraq's mass
majority wish can we motivate Iraqis to get together and save their country.
Happy New Year!
Daniel E. Teodoru
Back in Vietnam, I recall, by 1965, it was "a new war" because Hanoi was sending regular troops in whole units of battalion size to "exterminate" South Vietnam's defenders. So we went in to prevent aggression. But in Iraq, today-- four years into the war-- we are still fighting and dying by the same killing tool: the "IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE" made,
planted and exploded by hands of the same "dead
enders" Iraqi insurgents as in 2003. As a loyal
Republican and organizer of Republicans for a Democrat Congress in 2006-- one who boosted an old Republican acquittance from the Reagan Administration, Jim Webb-- I am glad for the Democrat victory in Congress this Fall. But, as I did in seeking to make up for my colossal mistake of supporting GW Bush in 2000, I will
work against the Democrats elected to Congress just as hard as I worked for Webb, if they abrogate their pledge to get us out of what a fellow Republican Senator called: our "criminal" putting of our children in harm's way senselessly. I insist that we can't call
ourselves Americans lest we see all volunteer in the Armed Forces as OUR children and would not allow to be done to them what we would not allow to be done with our own biologic children. We died enough, we killed enough. There is no alternative for us nor for the Iraqis than the setting of a date for total withdrawal. Only under such fulfillment of Iraq's mass
majority wish can we motivate Iraqis to get together and save their country.
Happy New Year!
Daniel E. Teodoru
In Many Villages, Alaskans Face Physical and Cultural Erosion
The last time chronic flooding forced this tiny Alaska village to relocate, sled dogs pulled the old church to its new home three miles away, far from the raging Ninglick River.
That was in 1950 and life was simpler in Newtok, mostly a collection of traditional sod dwellings. Modern structures gradually took over the new site as the river again crept to the edge of the Yupik Eskimo community. Persistent erosion has eaten an average of 70 feet of bank a year and now melting permafrost is subsiding, further subjecting the village to severe flooding from intensifying storms.
"This place is sinking,"said Joseph Tommy, 48, who was born in Newtok.
"If the erosion keeps on coming, we will be in a grave situation."
My apologies for my typo and not manually checking my spelling.
Concerned
I totally disagree with you Hybrid. The "amnesty" he granted to those that fled the draft came with strings and very few opted for it. And, his "engineering" of the evacuation was disasterous at best. Mostly, he stumbled around both figuratively and literally, and accomplished next to nothing.
The only good thing he did in his appointment as President was appoint John Paul Stevens to the Court.
Posted by Kristen on December 27, 2006 at 03:50 PM
Kristen, I believe we have a huge James Brown fan in the house...
Quotations: The Words of Gerald Ford
“The state of the union is not good.”
— State of the Union speech, January 1975.
“The Constitution is the bedrock of all our freedoms. Guard and cherish it, keep honor and order in your own house, and the republic will endure.”
— Last State of the Union address, January 1977.
pee-wee has lost his short term memory. Put the bong down! ;p
A car bomb has killed eight people and injured another 10 in the east of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, police said.
All of the dead were civilians, police and security officials said.
Full Story:
The GOP's $3 Billion Propaganda Organ
By Robert Parry (A Special Report)
Consortium News
Daniel,
The problems we ran into in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan are very much the same. We lost our moral high ground. We forgot who the enemy was and how to define our mission and goals. In Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan we are getting stuck in localized disjointed gorilla actions. The Russians go stuck with these same issues.
Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam in the end required the conquest of the people’s heart and minds. You must stop thinking of the war in terms of Napoleonic era lines, rolls, columns of solders and equipment. Destruction of equipment and buildings do not constitute winning a war. You win a war when the people you have conquered allow themselves to become your subjects willingly. If one loses the moral and ethical high ground you cannot win the heart and minds of the people. The alternative to winning a war with high ethics and morals is to become what we despise,”Totalitarians!”
Concerned,
Polar bears are facing threats from global warming and environmental contamination and need federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, Washington is expected to propose Wednesday.
Read the full story:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061227/polar_bears_061227/20061227?hub=TopStories
States think big on health reform
Massachusetts has accomplished the improbable: It got Democrats and Republicans to agree on how to provide nearly every resident with health insurance. And it did so without boosting taxes or pushing aside private health plans.
Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, and Cranberry Sauce.....Wooooooh!
"It shook me up," said rock legend Richard "Little Richard" Penniman, who knew Brown when both were teenagers living in Pleasant Hill in Macon. "I heard about (his death Monday) night. I couldn't believe that. ... It shook my mind. It was too early. God bless him."Penniman said he and Brown were friends "through the years."
"He was a great songwriter and hard-working entertainer, even before he had any fame," Penniman said.
INDEPTH: CLIMATE CHANGE
Global warming
CBC News Online
Pee Wee, any interest in the fact that we have not lost more soldiers in Iraq than the number of people killed on 9/11?
Bring the Peace Mandate to D.C. on January 27-29, 2007. Reminder: On Election Day the voters delivered a dramatic, unmistakable mandate for peace. Now it's time for action. Join CODEPINK and many others in a national march to D.C. on January 27-29, to send a strong, clear message to Congress and the Bush Administration: The people of this country want the war and occupation in Iraq to end and we want the troops home now! Click on link below for complete details. Start planning your action today!
http://www.codepink4peace.org/article.php?list=type&type=185
video game industry? am I the only one bothered that they now market the war as a video game?
Here's a tidbit that plays with my warped mind.
Private Funds Prepare To Lobby
Some top private-equity funds have joined to form a lobbying organization to head off potential regulation.
The funds have become some of the most active purchasers of U.S. corporations, pooling money from private investors and companies and augmenting those sums with loads of debt. More than 28 percent of the dollar value of acquisitions announced in the United States this year involved private-equity firms, up from 3 percent five years ago, according to Dealogic.
The new organization, the Private Equity Council, is backed by such leaders in the burgeoning business of company buyouts as Blackstone Group, Carlyle Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. Douglas Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association, which represents the U.S. video game industry, will head the trade association.
Posted by Esmeralda on December 27, 2006 at 04:34 PM
Es, with the way things are going and Bush's "stay the course" mantra I'm sure they see this as an extended training module. Get those young men and women ready to face the real thing.
And to answer your question, yes it bothers me. But I personally hate all war/killing games.
Posted by Kristen on December 27, 2006 at 04:32 PM
Were you trying to say that military deaths in Iraq have exceeded those from 911? I thought it was: Iraq 2970; 9/11 2973...
Response: King George will get his.
Legend Dies On Christmas Day!
Good afternoon
I posted this last night because of what James Brown has given to the entertainment field. thought it couldn't hurt today.
To continue memories of James Brown, hey the man was truly the Godfather of Soul.
I can remember dancing those teenage years along with the young adult twenties to his hits. He has influenced so many in the music industry. It is my prayer and hope that much of his music he obtained the publishing rights because this is where the true money lies and this man had many Top 10 hits.
James Brown started reaching his pinnacle to cross over into mainstream charts just as the Civil rights era was getting crunk good and he made us feel good and proud of ourselves. He made us feel it was alright to be black because we had "soul". With his music we could hold our heads high and proudly show our color and at that time our Afros. To dance and show other areas of our culture was a part of our "soul" and not something to be ridiculed.
He gave us an opening to show and express our culture while holding our heads high.
Godfather, take your rest. You deserve it.
why doesn't the leadership of the political parties and in particular the democratic party, realize it is way to early to get the " who is the candidate? " hype to the level they are pushing it to. i already feel flooded with this crap and frankly could give a shit what edwards, hillary, obama, biden, etc. have to say about why they should get the golden key. i would prefer the details of what is going to be done in the next congress to utilize the power we have just attained ? in detail.
Daniel,
With all the hoopla of the Bush Administration regarding increasing the troop presence and winning, this administration still failed to define it’s mission and goal for being in Iraq.
Here is a very simple question:
Why are we in Iraq?
What are we trying to accomplish?
What is our mission?
What is our end goal?
The first thing the War Collage teach any of the officers is to have an end plan, to have a stated mission and goal before entering a conflict.
Failed!!
Concerned,
Good evening fellow Democrats. I would like to express my condolences to President Ford's family and friends. I thank President Ford for his service to this country. Some things must transcend partisan politics. May he rest in peace.
Have a good afternoon - too all,
I'm getting too frustrated and have lost control of my language skills. I need to go cool off.
Concerned,
Posted by Kristen on December 27, 2006 at 04:50 PM
Geez, when will it be enough??? Why isn't there the anguish and anger that there was after 911? Are these deaths not as important to America?
HOW MANY WILL IT TAKE??!
i would prefer the details of what is going to be done in the next congress to utilize the power we have just attained ? in detail.
Posted by gregg on December 27, 2006 at 04:44 PM
Gregg! Asking for DETAIL from politicians? Ok, now you of all people should definitely know better than that! Do you want all of those wonderful Dems to turn funny colors and blow up?
gregl, i know it is unreasonable but i can't help but think we just elected/hired a bunch of people to work for us and there are specific tasks to accomplish ( investigate, national health care, the war, stem cell research, veterans benefits, pension reform, global warming, investigate, etc...) that i would like one solid year of production before we even begin the whole " big show " for 08.
Blue, as of Christmas night the death toll for soldiers in Iraq was 2978. When I stop and think about the visit some those soldier's families received on Christmas it just seems to make the passing of both James Brown (a convicted felon) and Ford (a never elected President) less important.
I'm sorry for that might be offended but I personally think each of those soldiers lives was worth more attention than either of the above mentioned men.
Posted by PaulSHooson on December 27, 2006 at 05:09 PM
Paul, where is the link to the actual news story on Intel? A friend of mine works for Intel up here and while they are changing their focus a bit it is quite clear the Hillsboro plant and office will continue to thrive.
Posted by gregg on December 27, 2006 at 05:06 PM
The newly elected have already started fundraising for 2008. They better walk the chalk, or the brass that is "leadership" will boot their asses. (I mean, not contibute to their campaigns)
Well BlueMoon, we didn't turn around and attack Australia after Pearl Harbor.
The number of people that have died in Iraq never should have been there to begin with.
Posted by Kristen on December 27, 2006 at 05:07 PM
Hear, Hear!
Here's To Our Only Unelected President
Legend Dies On Christmas Day!
Bluemoon we aren't free to bomb civilians and children just because we feel like it, especially given the fact that there was no link between Iraq and 9/11 and your President has admitted such.
Posted by Kristen on December 27, 2006 at 06:04 PM
If that person does not know this already, they are lost. Don't bother.
Posted by BlueinIdaho on December 27, 2006 at 06:13 PM
Oh, I know that...I just like saying 'there was no link' every couple weeks. It helps me remember why I think GWB should be tried for war crimes.
Just about time to head home for the day, have a great night everyone!
Legend Dies On Christmas Day!
Give him your robe, King George. You obviously don't deserve your's.
Good evening, all.
I want to express my condolences to the Ford family. It's difficult to stand by and watch a love one slowly slip away.
I will always be grateful that he had the courage to finally end the Vietnam War. It's a shame that those with the power in Washington today can't face the same ugly truth in Iraq.
The passing of President Ford yesterday is sort of a metaphor of our times. There are no longer any moderates left in the GOP. What you see in the White House and in the DeLay/Foley Congress is what you get if you vote Republican.
peewee, don't forget that DINO MARTINO Also died on Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
Must be dinner time...what else could clear this place out so quietly? and quickly
More people died in the war against Japan than were killed at Pearl Harbor and so it goes in the war on terror. Posted by BlueMoon
Iraq is NOT part of the "War on Terror". It's part of the "Bush cronies stealing all the oil they can get their hands" opperation. Bush doesn't care about Osama and the people who attacked us on 9/11 and doesn't "spend that much time on them". He's more interested in making his family and cronies rich than fighting the "War on terror".
Bastard
Gerald Ford's Veto Of The Freedom Of Information Act
The original version of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) of 1966 was a controversial document that prevailed despite some bitter debates and opposition by President Johnson. As Johnson's press secretary, Bill Moyers, describes it:
"LBJ had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the signing ceremony. He hated the very idea of the Freedom of Information Act; hated the thought of journalists rummaging in government closets; hated them challenging the official view of reality. He dug in his heels and even threatened to pocket veto the bill after it reached the White House."
This was not an uncommon point of view for presidents, who are generally protective of their executive privileges. Nonetheless, Johnson signed the bill, but its form at the time made it nearly impotent.
Congress endeavored to shore up FOIA and produced legislation to amend it in 1974. The bill was dumped in Ford's lap at the commencement of his promotion to the White House. Ford's position on the new bill was that it was negative on its merits but could be problematic to veto in the wake of his ascension to the presidency. He had promised open and honest government, and vetoing a Freedom of Information Act might not be viewed as consistent with either openness or honesty.
Ford eventually was persuaded to veto the bill with the help of a trio of advisors: his Chief of Staff, Donald Rumsfeld; his deputy Chief of Staff, Dick Cheney; and the head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, Antonin Scalia. An ominous early assemblage of an evil cabal we know only too well today.
The veto was overridden by Congress and the amendments became law. In the intervening years it has proven to be an invaluable tool to rein in the kind of government arrogance and abuse that is exemplified so well by the Nixon era that preceded its passage.
It's just too bad that the people responsible for the veto could not also have been overridden so that today we would not have to be suffering still from their destructive, self-serving, and hostile policies.
Gerald Ford was originally named "Rudoplh King", and his adpotive parents changed his name to Gerald Rudolph Ford. Posted by DPD on December 27, 2006 at 12:55 AM
Close DPD, but no cigar. I do give you points for knowing his last name was "King" and that he was adpoted though.
Gerald Rudolph Ford was born Leslie King Jr. in Omaha, Neb., on July 14, 1913, the only child of Leslie and Dorothy Gardner King. His parents were divorced.
Inside TV News: We Were Silenced by the Drums of War
By Jeff Cohen
t r u t h o u t | Guest Contributor
Ford eventually was persuaded to veto the bill with the help of a trio of advisors: his Chief of Staff, Donald Rumsfeld; his deputy Chief of Staff, Dick Cheney; and the head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, Antonin Scalia. An ominous early assemblage of an evil cabal we know only too well today.
Posted by Domingo on December 27, 2006 at 08:31 PM
Seems that there are some names that continuously crop up through the decades and presidential administrations: Rumsfeld, Cheney, Antonin Scalia.
Hmm......... like Satan's name throughout the Bible.
President Ford was wrong to pardon Nixon. I may have just been a little kid back in the 70's but Nixon was a disgrace! I also remember when Nixon was president how the fake gas shortage was done to double the prices of gasoline!
By 2040, Greenhouse Gases Could Lead to an Open Arctic Sea in Summers
By Andrew C. Revkin
Iraqis fear more violence after Saddam hanging
http://euronews.net/create_html.php?page=detail_info&article=398107&lng=1
Iran Is Seeking More Influence in Afghanistan
By DAVID ROHDE
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/27/world/asia/27afghan.ready.html?ref=world
Seems that there are some names that continuously crop up through the decades and presidential administrations: Rumsfeld, Cheney, Antonin Scalia. hmm......... like Satan's name throughout the Bible. Posted by J on December 27, 2006 at 09:15 PM
Yes J, we can't get rid of these crooks. Here's a Post about that I put on this blog three years ago.
The difference I see is that there are democrats who are corrupt, but this administration (not all republicans) is corrupt in a different and more sinister way. They are organized corruption. Like the difference between petty crimes and the Mafia. Posted by Darwin :: 12/13/03 01:11 PM
Darwin, the Republican Party is an organized crime syndicate just like the Mafia. They are all the same people since the days of the Nixon administration. They keep committing crimes and getting convicted for them. But they just keep giving each other pardons and bringing each other back every time they win or steal an election. If an honest judge finds them guilty, a crooked republican judge will overturn their conviction. They talk a good game about strong law inforcement toward everyone else, but they have contempt for and believe to be above the law themselves. Posted by Domingo::12/13/03
More people died in the war against Japan than were killed at Pearl Harbor and so it goes in the war on terror.
Posted by BlueMoon
Comparing the Iraq occupation to WWII is ridiculous. Iraq didn't attack us. This is a war of choice...a real bad choice. Comparing the deaths from the two is even more ridiculous.
Our troops were on the offensive and had a clear mission in WWII. In Iraq the stated reasons for being there are as shifting as the sands.
Soliders lives and limbs are being sacrificed in Iraq to the whims of a bunch of nitwits. We are not fighting a war...only holding down the fort for the oil companies and Bush finally admitted it before Thanksgiving. It's outrageous that this is being allowed to continue.
Any war against the terrorists should be waged in Pakistan where al Queada is held up and being protected. But the chickenhawks have no stomach for fighting those with nukes, so they threaten and invade others. No wonder every other country in the region now has announced they are going to develop a bomb, too,...just as soon as Pakistan shares the intel and materials.
You expect your troops to die in a real war, but never as part of a publicity stunt. And that's exactly what I've decided this occupation is.
Seems that there are some names that continuously crop up through the decades and presidential administrations: Rumsfeld, Cheney, Antonin Scalia. hmm......... like Satan's name throughout the Bible.
Posted by J on December 27, 2006 at 09:15 PM
J,
Did you get a load of those old newsclips of the Boys From Brazil back in the Ford era. What a slick group of operators...greezers all. And the GOP had enough nerve to call Clinton a Slick Willy.
Not to disparge the dead, but Gerald Ford WAS wrong to pardon Richard Nixon. As I said this morning, the pardon helped the country stop our fanatical viewing of the Watergte mess and start moving forward. But in the long run we all knew that Ford saved Nixon from further prosecution as a private citizen. The pardon also closed the book on the case - no further prosecution, no further digging.
J,
Did you get a load of those old newsclips of the Boys From Brazil back in the Ford era. What a slick group of operators...greezers all. And the GOP had enough nerve to call Clinton a Slick Willy.
Posted by SandyH on December 27, 2006 at 09:34 PM
Oh yeah SandyH, I saw them! Oh they called Bill "Slick Willy" because these folks know that Clinton is basically cut from the same cloth politically, BUT he does everything with taste and class, something these folks have not a clue to. See bill had "raisin" or what we call "hometraining". That pack of Rove, Cheney, etc. act like they were raised by wolves.
The GOP and that gaggle of wingnuts wanted so desperately to say that Monica Lewinsky was raped and that the sex wasn't consentual. Ha! Any woman white or black is gonna take a second look at Slick Willy. He ain't exactly grated cheese there.
And now he's got that salt n'pepper hair? Damn!
That pack of Rove, Cheney, etc. act like they were raised by wolves.
J,
Wolves are actually shy and gentle creatures. These guys act more like they were raised by fire ants...or piss ants if you prefer.
Nixon should have been impeached; but when the Democratic Congress let him resign, I didn't see anything wrong with Ford granting him a pardon. The public disgrace and being ostercized by society was more in keeping with the way the ancient Greeks handled these kinds of corruption situations. It was very civilized.
Nowdays, none of the crooks have the good grace to resign...they all go into rehab to emerge Born Again Christians...yeah, as if any of them have an ounce of Christian charity in their make up.
Or they brazen it out like nothing untowards really happened. I don't want impeachment for Bush and Cheney...I want their hides. They don't deserve civilized.
Woodward's latest in WaPo ...
Former president Gerald R. Ford said in an embargoed interview in July 2004 that the Iraq war was not justified. "I don't think I would have gone to war," he said a little more than a year after President Bush had launched the invasion advocated and carried out by prominent veterans of Ford's own administration.
In a four-hour conversation at his house in Beaver Creek, Colo., Ford "very strongly" disagreed with the current president's justifications for invading Iraq and said he would have pushed alternatives, such as sanctions, much more vigorously. In the tape-recorded interview, Ford was critical not only of Bush but also of Vice President Cheney -- Ford's White House chief of staff -- and then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who served as Ford's chief of staff and then his Pentagon chief.
"Rumsfeld and Cheney and the president made a big mistake in justifying going into the war in Iraq. They put the emphasis on weapons of mass destruction," Ford said. "And now, I've never publicly said I thought they made a mistake, but I felt very strongly it was an error in how they should justify what they were going to do."
In a conversation that veered between the current realities of a war in the Middle East and the old complexities of the war in Vietnam whose bitter end he presided over as president, Ford took issue with the notion of the United States entering a conflict in service of the idea of spreading democracy.
The interview was embargoed until after Ford's death.
-- Josh Marshall
There will be a bit of discussion about how best to honor Ford. But, in truth, the best way to honor this former President is to close the Constitutional loophole that allowed him to become President. The presidency is already too regal to permit chief executives to annoint their successors--and, perhaps, to extract the promise of a full presidential pardon or some other favor, as critics suggested Nixon did with Ford.
It would be better to return to the old, pre-25th Amendment, practice of allowing an abandoned vice presidential office to remain vacant and allowing the Speaker of the House to assume the presidency in an emergency situation. It would be better still to set up a healthier procedure--perhaps even a special national election, along the lines regularly employed in other countries--to choose a new vice president.
Whatever the solution, the fact remains that something should be done.
There is a great deal of talk these days about how best to cure what ails American democracy. There are plenty of issues to address. But if Americans ever get serious about restoring the battered infrastructure of democracy, they will want to close the loopholes that allow someone who has never faced the great mass of American voters--and, theoretically, who has not faced any voters--to become President.
don't miss this Parry article on Moonies and Money
then wash your brain
Posted by fade2bluz on December 27, 2006 at 10:28 PM
I'm not the least bit surprised. Only Laura Bush still supports this fiasco. Ford was only stating the obvious. I'm glad he allowed Woodward to tape the conversation.
It sounds like Ford didn't like any of Bush's stated reasons for invading. They are after all a pack of lies. It was one big publicity stunt, so Bush could run as a war president...and apparently even Ford knew it.
How much do you want to bet that the White House doesn't release the hanging of Saddam as a video news release...and as a Scholastic supplement for school kids to color?
Posted by fade2bluz on December 27, 2006 at 10:40 PM
fade,
We should have exposed the Moonie link with the GOP to the fundies years ago.
If they think the Mormons are a cult, they will positively swoon when they find out about the self-proclaimed Korean Messiah...golden crown and all.
How much do you want to bet that the White House doesn't release the hanging of Saddam as a video news release...and as a Scholastic supplement for school kids to color?
Posted by SandyH on December 27, 2006 at 10:41 PM
hi Sandy,
i'm so glad i checked back to find this! LMAO
the Parry information is not new, but then--who knows but we the wingnuts?
arghhhhhhh you can't make this stuff up.
have a good evening, gf. see you in the morning
these sacks of shit are going to document the destruction of the planet but are not going to advance any analysis of the situation nor any solution. they just want to count the bodies as they float by and go tsk, tsk:
Agency Proposes to List Polar Bears as Threatened
By FELICITY BARRINGER and ANDREW C. REVKIN
Published: December 28, 2006
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 — The Interior Department proposed Wednesday to designate polar bears as a threatened species, saying that the accelerating loss of the Arctic ice that is the bears’ hunting platform has led biologists to believe that bear populations will decline, perhaps sharply, in the coming decades.
The Interior Department proposed designating polar bears as a threatened species. The bears’ population is 20,000 to 25,000.
Many experts on the Arctic say that global warming is causing the ice to melt and that the warming is at least partly the result of the atmospheric buildup of heat-trapping gases from tailpipes and smokestacks. The plight of the polar bear has been held up by environmentalists as a symbol of global warming caused by humans.
But in a conference call with reporters, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said that although his decision to seek protection for polar bears acknowledged the melting of the Arctic ice, his department was not taking a position on why the ice was melting or what to do about it.
just went back and read some of the november seven and eight threads. goddam that was some night.
see you in the morning.
Good Night Everyone who just settled in for the night.
I will be reading some back posts and checking out the Party Builder. I'll be here if anyone wants to chat.
:)
A MYSTERIOUS teenage boy believed by some to be a reincarnation of Lord Buddha has reappeared in eastern Nepal after vanishing for nine months.
Sixteen-year-old Ram Bahadur Bamjon was spotted on Sunday by villagers in the remote and dense forests near Piluwa village in Bara district, 150km east of Kathmandu, said local journalist Raju Shrestha, who visited the boy.
Bamjon disappeared in March from the forests in nearby Ratanpuri village where he had reportedly been meditating without food or water for almost 10 months.
"I have been wandering in the forests since then," Shrestha quoted Bamjon as telling him.
"I am engaged in devotion which will continue for six years," the boy told Shrestha.
Hundreds of curious onlookers, including many Buddhists, thronged the site to see the boy, sitting in a meditating position.
A local TV station showed people pressing their palms together and lowering their heads in devotion in front of him.
"I don't think he is a Buddha. But he has some sort of extra strength to meditate. He eats herbs," Shrestha said.
Before his disappearance, an estimated 100,000 people from Hindu-majority Nepal and neighbouring India flocked to see him meditate. They were not allowed to get closer than 50m.
www.news.com.au/story/0%2C23599%2C20974789-1702%2C00.html
A boddisattva would be a welcome addition right about now. The world perhaps can not wait six years.
G'night
Okay, this one's for GregL.
I will try to keep this short and to the point.
1. I have not, nor have I ever been a SNOB! So don't you ever call me that again!
2. It's impossible for me to be anti-intellectual because I have such an utter and complete disdain for IDIOTS.
3. I have no problem with anyone from Yale University or any other University for that matter.I just have a problem with people who think they deserve a free platform because of where they went to school. I only made one comment about Ms. Ebonyna with regards to Yale and you are the one who went off.(What's really going on?)
4. As far as the Washington Posts political leaning debate goes. It's easy to argue that they are "neutral" when the whole nation hates their Republican President and his Republican Congress, hell even Fox News has leaned a little to the center in the wake of their pathetic Loser in Chief and his Congressional Cronies , but watch what hapenes as soon as we get the 2008 Election going. Wait till after everyone has thrown in their ticket to run and then, we'll talk about the bias WaPo has in favor of the Republicans. I'll bet you today. the Republican candidates will become their GODs!
That's all. Have a nice day.
:)
There is no debate about the Washington Posts political leanings. They are liberal just like the NY times. Why would you even argue such a point?Posted by BlueMoon on December 28, 2006 at 02:37 AM
"Yawn" It's not gonna work this TIME.
:)
Have a great night.
TELL CONGRESS TO STOP FUNDING THE WAR.
SIGN THIS PETITION!( Scroll Down )
It's Time For We the People to Demand a Defund of This War and stop allowing our Tax Dollars to be used to kill and maim our OWN TROOPS!
Click on the words (Sign This Petition) on the previous link.
Or click on my name to tell your member of Congress to stop funding this war. We should, at the very least, do this so that they can officially go on record as to where they stand on this. If they don't respond, let us all know so we can flood their offices with petitions and phonecalls. We need to get a statement from all of them so they can all be held accountable.
They told us on the Campaign trail that "Together We Can Do Betterem>!"
Well, let's remind our Democratic Leadership that we can't do better Sittin on our Butts.
Something's funky with this link. I apologize about that. Let's try again.
Click here >>>>>>> End Funds Petition
OMG!,
I'm getting annoyed. I'll do it the old fashioned way. If it does'nt work this time, go to the website Democrats.Orq
www.democrats.com
I'm done with that one.
Good Day, ALL!
I just got an e-mail from John Edwards. Here's how it starts out:
I'm writing to you from New Orleans, where tomorrow I will announce that I am a candidate for president of the United States.
I'm announcing here because no place better demonstrates the two Americas I've talked about for a long time. But even more important, no place better demonstrates the power people have when they -- not Washington -- take responsibility and take action to build the America we believe in.
You can go to JohnEdwards.com to see the video of what he's going to say.
Posted by DPD on December 28, 2006 at 04:02 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for posting that. It was very hard for me to decide between Barack Obama and John Edwards. I have been very careful not to say anything negative about him because he very well may be the one who I actively Campaign for in the Primaries should Barack Obama decided not to run.
I proudly voted for John Edwards in the 2004 Primary and I would be just as enthusiastic about doing so in the future.................................
................If barack Obama decides not to run of course.
;p
QUESTION:
When we do win in 2008, are the trolls still going to be annoying us with their silly little non-issue posts?
Just wondering.
' p
*Still Remembering President Ford*Posted by pee-wee on December 27, 2006 at 02:25 PM
OMG! Okay, when you look at this clip of James Brown, this time, don't watch him. Look at the PEOPLE around him. It's halarious! I almost hit the floor laughing. Oh my, oh my. I can't believe they would even want to be seen on camera dancing like that.That's so funny. Check it out. They are all up in their own world too. (ROFLMAO)
It's what they are paid to do. You can't "cure" stupid.Posted by DPD on December 28, 2006 at 04:26 AM
I suppose. (sign). Hey, check out my last post.
One of those guys dancing literally looks likes he's waving in an airplane for landing. I kid you not.
OMG. My stomache hurts now.
Hi Folks....just killing a few minutes before "de Boss" gets up to go to work....how about Edwards/Obama?
FOS, that was a REAL dance, called "The Frug". (Pronounced, "froog"). It's what the former hep-cats were doing back then. At least it wasn't full of white guys with Afros, like the late '70's.
Hi Folks....just killing a few minutes before "de Boss" gets up to go to work....how about Edwards/Obama?Posted by goodfoe on December 28, 2006 at 04:50 AM
I like it. Looks like a slam dunk winning ticket to me. Plus, we won't have to deal with any racial tensions because Edwards just loves the heck out of Black folks (even when the cameras are off which can't be said about many others) and Obama is half White so you know he's going to treat Edwards like a brutha.
' p
FOS, that was a REAL dance, called "The Frug". (Pronounced, "froog"). It's what the former hep-cats were doing back then. At least it wasn't full of white guys with Afros, like the late '70's.Posted by DPD on December 28, 2006 at 04:59 AM
Awwww Ha Ha Ha ! OMG.
The Fruuuuuug huh?
Okay. Did you check out the dude with the sweatervest waving in airplanes? (LOL) How about the chick with the bandana? She looked like she was performing a sayance (sp)
Oh, my. It reminds me of the High School dances where those of us who knew how to dance would take a short break and watch others who had no rhythm at all. Funny thing. They just stood there waving their arms too and doing something funny with their heads like they were looking for something. The only difference was it was side to side as opposed to up and down.(LOL)
The 1980"s ...... We all sucked !
If Obama is on the head of the ticket, he's going to be smeared big time by the Rat Party, "Not enough experience", and so forth, if he is in the no 2 spot, he has 4-8 years to gain more exp. and so on....I would like to see him on the top of the ticket now but fear that McCain would win on the experience issue. I sent Obama a copy of our book a while back, got a nice letter back from him. slick on my screen name if you would like to see our book, it's about health care.
Posted by goodfoe on December 28, 2006 at 05:12 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh ,So that's your actual book ? Oh. I saw that cover before somewhere else I can't recall when or where, but that's pretty cool. Right On!
:)
Screw McVane. Between the 4 top contenders for the Pugs, (Romney, McVane, Gingrich, and Guillianni) they have, what, 11 wives?
On the real though about John Edwards. I'm actually looking forward to his speech because we need to hear some uplifting words. There's been so much stress with HORRIBLE direction that this nation is headed and with everyone dropping dead on us, we just need some hope and some patriotic exhortation.I'm so looking forward to hearing his speech.
Will it be in the morning?
Posted by DPD on December 28, 2006 at 05:19 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Warren Jeffs wing of the Republican Party, I believe.
LOL.
I don't know when Edward's announcement will be, but I'm glad that it will interrupt that orgy for the corpse that the MSM has been wallowing in for the past few days. Ford didn't get this much press when he was stinking up the joint for 30 years in DC, and it took him dying for anybody to think of anything notable that he did, that was beneficial to the Country.
At least the golf courses are safe from errant balls now.
HEY DPD!
The next time some troll attacks you and accuses you of having issues with hate and anger, I want you to tell them;
"Oh, perhalps I should have a much softer gentler demeaner like this guy."
After all. He's soft spoken and has a soft gentle peaceful voice too.
ROFLMAO!
I got an email from Edwards...seems that an aid posted his presidential webb site a day early....he's makimg the anouncement today from New Orleans...He's a good persom....got smeared last time because he was a trial lawyer....that caca won't work this time...if the Rats try that again, it will backfire big time!
Screw the trolls. I haven't got a mean bone in my body. The trolls are just projecting THEIR OWN hate and anger because they are expecting (and FEARING) the worst for them, and the Best for the Country...DEMOCRATS DOING OVERSIGHT!
They spent 30 years telling lies about Dems, and now the chickens are scared s***less about being held accountable for THEIR actions.
Posted by DPD on December 28, 2006 at 05:29 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh,DPD. That's rough dude. C'Mon now. Let's try to muster up something for the "position" or the "office" even though we have not a drop of respect for the man.
I went back and looked at Sen. Edwards email..it does not say what time he is making his ann. in New Orleans. It does say that later he will be in Des Moins and have a live town hall meeting that you can participate in by clicking on JohnEdwards.com...looks like a very busy day for the young man! At 6PM est
Oh No.
That video doesn't look too smart. You got a White Southerner talking about being President with a bunch of Black Children tilling the ground in New Orleans where the very first African Slaves were brought.
Someone could totally take that the wrong way.
Dang it!
:(
Is it me , people ? Or do you not see the "Plantationishness" in this video?
Please,tell me it's just me. It's the first thing I thought of when I saw the video.I know he's not like that, but I can't help what popped into my head.
Look at it and tell me if it's just me.
It's just YOU! He stated up front that he was in the 9th Ward, and those were kids "rebuilding houses". Gee, who do you think used to LIVE in the 9th Ward, fat lazy white Republicans??
Sometimes you read too much veiled racism into things.
J,
When you come in, please look at that video clip and tell me if I'm making a big deal out of nothing. Please tell me I'm just being hypersensitive. please tell me the Republicans are NOT gonna be able to use THAT clip to make John Edwards look bad.
Please.
He was doing so well too."Why Johnny? Why? "
Sometimes you read too much veiled racism into things.Posted by DPD on December 28, 2006 at 06:12 AM
Oh. Okay. Thank you. I needed that. Snap me back, DPD. I can always count on you for that.
Whew!
Thanks, because I was strait trippin for a seconed there.
;)
How on Earth can Edwards volunteering to work with a bunch of locals be considered anything other than volunteering to work with a bunch of locals?
If it was W, he'd be volunteering to cut a few lines of coke for the PUG WASP's while they snort coke off the ass of some male hooker, then he'd say 'Whew!, That was hard work".
Posted by DPD on December 28, 2006 at 06:21 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You're right. No. You're right. I'm okay. Really. I mean, I can see if it were George Allen, then , yes but this is John Edwards we're talking about. What was I thinking? This guy LOVES Black people when the cameras are off so, yeah. I just lost my mind for a split second. I'm cool. I'm strait. It's all good. Whew!
Thanks.
Do you remember when Little Prince Georgie was pretending to help build a house in NOLA?
Oh, BTW, after the alcoholic crack-head left, the wall he "helped" build had to be taken apart and rebuilt so that it was safe.
The Rats will try anyway they can to smear all Dem's.......it's not going to work!!!!And Edwards is aok working with a bunch of black kids in New Orleans....that's a hell of a lot more than W did who just went there for photo ops and left...
Have you ever watched Bush try to drive a nail with a hammer?....really pathetic....it's no wonder the wall had to be rebuilt...he can't even drive a nail straight, muchless manage this government correctly...
Posted by DPD on December 28, 2006 at 06:34 AM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I remember. You're right. I know. It was temperary insanity that's all. Sorry .
Posted by goodfoe on December 28, 2006 at 06:37 AM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's true. That's so true. George Bush literally had to grab a Black man and make him hug him. I remember that. You're right.
It's snowing right now here in Green Bay.
It's the pretty fluffy white stuff too.
Hi J,
Hey, Go back to to my earlier post. Look at the people dancing around James Brown. It's halarious girl.
Good Morning, J.
I'm getting ready to head out to Lake Geneva for a day or so. I hope FOS keeps the snow up there.
FOS
I will take my time later to look at the clip and assess...... I know I have been accused of viewing the entire world through a race prism and that accusation has at times had a little merit.
BUT and I say BUT again, people MUST understand that when one deal with race on a daily/hourly basis it is extremely difficult to do otherwise. I mean my racial antennae stay up at all times. And many times I don't perceive anything or if there is something racial, the intent wasn't purposeful, just some insensitivity on the part the other party. BUT I can also read purposeful intent in a heartbeat.
Doing fine this AM goodfoe
DPD, where is Lake Geneva? Have fun and take care.
I'm getting ready to head out to Lake Geneva for a day or so. I hope FOS keeps the snow up there.Posted by DPD on December 28, 2006 at 06:56 AM
Hey. I love the snow. I haven't been here long enough to hate it yet. I think, it's beatiful.
I'm gonna go home, have my cup of tea and just enjoy the beauty.
:)
Oh girl what are talking about?? I probably was one them out there shakin' it up and shakin' it down. :)
Godfather had it goin' on!
Oh FOS that snow is beautiful I know, so lovely, so far away and I in Florida so far away from it.
It's 36 degrees here and without the snow that's enough for us. :)
Godfather had it goin' on!Posted by J on December 28, 2006 at 07:02 AM
No.Did you LOOK at the people dancing? It's halarious.
FOS
See you addressed the Ebonya Washington issue. I took the scientific route and stated flatly that the study was flawed and why using research anaylsis.
And this woman graduated from Yale?
No.Did you LOOK at the people dancing? It's halarious.
Posted by FreedomOfSpeechForBarackObama2008 on December 28, 2006 at 07:08 AM
Oh yeah, those were the dances of that time. when I look back, I have to laugh too.
Lake Geneva is a resort town in Wisconsin, about 90 miles north of me. It's pretty cool (expensive as all get out, especially in Summer), where the Wrigley family has about a gazillion estates. It's where the idle rich from Chicago hang their hats whenever the mood hits. Sorta like the Hamptons of the MidWest.
Morning, Dems. I really like Edwards. We shall see how this all plays out, but I could vote for him.
Oh yeah, those were the dances of that time. when I look back, I have to laugh too.Posted by J on December 28, 2006 at 07:16 AM
Halarious. The girl in the bandana and the dude flinging his arms.
Oh, my.
Hi CYN
:)
Posted by DPD on December 28, 2006 at 07:16 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There ya go. keep talking us up.
Cha Ching!
:)
listen to DPD people. he knows what he's talking about. Look at the snow sculptures. They are awesome. Come. Come to Wisconsin. Come.
;p
DPD
Rubbin' elbows with the Wrigley's, huh. You go DPD. Have fun, hope you enjoy.
Everything about society can be explained by economics. While the naive and the romantic might believe in the influence of other factors such as religion, politics, emotions and values, these work for individuals rather than for societies. It follows that social ills can only be fixed by an overhaul of the underlying economics
Long, but interesting and worth a bookmark to read when you have time.
Something I came across very interesting about US citizens going to med school in Cuba and getting a free education. The training is rigorous and more hands on designed than techno since there is very little of testing equipment.
Hmm......... something to think about.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/americas/16325116.htm?source=rss&channel=miamiherald_americas
Good morning, everyone.
A repeated site, but so what. It's the thought that counts. I like the quotes.
"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast"-Oscar Wilde
"The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself."-- Proverbs 11:25
Oh FOS, I'd like to see Wisconsin, but not i the winter. I bet it is gorgeous in the summer and has nice temps too. Not like that 98 degree stuff we have from May to October with humidity that can drown you.
J,
Wisconsin is actually, quite beautiful all year around. I always go on scenic drives to Door County in the summer. The fall is just breathtaking with all the foleage and the Spring is crisp and fresh.
I really love that about Wisconsin. It's pretty peaceful all over the state. Even if you live in the "Urban" parts, you are still surrounded by the beauty of the trees and grass. The natural beauty is just awesome.
"Come to Wiscoooooooonnnnsinnnnnnnnn!"
;p
Okay, Have a great Day everyone.
:)
BYE!
Oh I know those Autumns are breath taking. Your invitation is to come something very beautiful.
What can I say about Florida? other than be prepared to unload tons of money to visit.
Drug Plan Companies Failed to Tell of Changes
Some prescription drug plans did not inform Medicare beneficiaries of impending changes in their costs and benefits, as they were required to do, Bush administration officials and Congressional aides said Tuesday.
Guess I'd better checkout too so I can get some things done.
See ya later. Take care
FOS, keep the faith
Peace \/ :)
Edwards is supposed to make his announcement today (within the hour) on the "Today" show on NBC.
The last time he announced, it was on the "Daily Show".
Although the Pentagon estimates that no more than 80 of the 400 or so terrorism detainees here will ever be tried, it is moving forward with plans for a $125-million legal complex.
Remember this? Motorists complaining at the pump as the price of gasoline rises. Airlines bumping up airfares to cover expensive jet fuel. And delivery services tacking on surcharges, reflecting a record price for a barrel of oil.
Just had to come back with this one.
Gerald Ford - Former President of the United States to lie in state at the Capital Rotunda
James Brown - The Godfather of Soul to lie in state at the Apollo Theater
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061228/ap_en_mu/james_brown_funeral
good morning, truthseekers
Long, but interesting and worth a bookmark to read when you have time.
Posted by Cyn_NY on December 28, 2006 at 07:31 AM
Asia Times is a good source of perspective other than our own. Thanks for this informative and enlightening piece. I'm an economist by trade, so there is nothing more important to me than the money, honey.
The L.A. Times piece is infuriating! The Democrats need to stop funding their madness and be aware that we are watching. I'm so ready for them to prove they meant what they said...
CYN....125 million for a court house at Gitmo? These people at DOD are nuts! This is taxpayer money they are blowing! If anything, that money should have have been spent for better equiptment for the troos..a long time ago....I don't understand this, don't they know they have to go back to a now Democratic Congress for more money. Are they stupid or what???Just saw Edwards on TV...He did a good job...
Good morning Fade...hmmmm...my undergrad degree is in economics....I'm getting my "rock pile" started.....
Shooting the messenger is a war crime
More than 120 reporters and other media workers have been killed in Iraq since the invasion. In August 2003, Reuters cameraman Mazen Dana was filming outside Abu Ghraib prison when a machine-gun bullet tore through his chest. The Pentagon said the soldiers had "engaged a cameraman."
Government watchdogs under attack from bosses
The inspectors general entrusted to unearth waste, fraud and abuse in federal agencies are increasingly under attack, as the top government officials they scrutinize attempt to erode the watchdogs' independence and authority.
During 2006, several inspectors general felt the wrath of government bosses or their supporters in Congress after investigations cited agencies for poor performance, excessive spending or wasted money.
For instance:
Kristen...thx for the link...I did not know....it is a very sad reflection on our war in Iraq..or should I say a reflection on "Bush's Folly"?????
GOP corporate allies in Congress's cross hairs
When Republicans expanded their majority in 2004, their first target was the trial lawyers, virtual ATM dispensers for Democratic candidates. A new law curbing class-action lawsuits was on the president's desk by mid-February.
Now, Democrats are targeting some of the GOP's strongest corporate allies - Big Oil, big pharmaceutical companies, and, in all likelihood, defense contractors.
Good morning Esmeralda....I hope everything is well with you today!
Euro notes cash in to overtake dollar
The US dollar bill’s standing as the world’s favourite form of cash is being usurped by the five-year-old euro.
The value of euro notes in circulation is this month likely to exceed the value of circulating dollar notes, according to calculations by the Financial Times. Converted at Wednesday’s exchange rates, the euro took the lead in October.
The figures highlight the remarkable growth in euro notes since their launch on January 1 2002, three years after the start of Europe’s monetary union, which in January welcomes its 13th member – Slovenia, the former Yugoslav republic
hiya, goodfoe. Life is so-so. Hope you are doing alright.
Esmeralda....I'm hangin'...doing ok...on the euro, we have some severe economic problems to face and the 1/2 trillion dollars we will have spent on "Bush's Folly" is going to make solving these problems a lot harder...
G.O.P. Senator in Spotlight After a Critical Iraq Speech
At the close of the Senate’s lame-duck session, in between formulaic tributes to senators departing voluntarily or otherwise, a Republican backbencher suddenly rose to give one of the most passionate and surprising speeches about the war in Iraq yet delivered in Congress.
Skip to next paragraph For a solid Republican who had originally voted for the war, the words spoken by the senator, Gordon H. Smith of Oregon, on the evening of Dec. 7 were incendiary and marked a stunning break with the president.
“I, for one, am at the end of my rope when it comes to supporting a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs day after day,” Mr. Smith said. “That is absurd. It may even be criminal.”
1. I have not, nor have I ever been a SNOB! So don't you ever call me that again!
Posted by FreedomOfSpeechForBarackObama2008 on December 28, 2006 at 01:24 AM
Whatever you say, dear. I apologize for letting my emotions get the better of me while trying to defend someone who probably has no idea her paper ended up the object of such intense debate all because of some reporter at the Washington Post and a Repug trolling the DNC blog. It's not like she pushed her paper into the Post.
And personally, I don't really care about the leanings of any news organization, since they ALL rolled over for Bush.
Btw, would you compromise and go Edwards/Obama in '08? Although I guess we could go Obama/Edwards, since they both have about the same political experience in the national arena
my undergrad degree is in economics....I'm getting my "rock pile" started.....
Posted by goodfoe on December 28, 2006 at 08:31 AM
Always admired those who had a strong grasp on econ. Me? I was bored to tears with every class I ever took and therefore paved myself a difficult path to grasp basic concepts.
So Edwards is throwing his hat in the ring, not that it wasn't obvious over the last year he was planning to do it.
I could definitely go for an Edwards/Obama ticket :)
Posted by J on December 28, 2006 at 10:01 AM
Really? And here I thought you must have a doctorate in it. hehehe
Edwards/Obama would have a lot going for it...The Rat Party would go nuts,...Oh, I forgot, they allready are...
Edwards and Obama have pretty much overshadowed Hillary which I suspect has been the objective all along. I mean why pitch someone that is not going to be a realistic candidate.
BUT then I have been saying that Hillary's true aim is to walk into Harry Reid's position - Majority Leader in which she would be soooo influential in.
My greatest fear is that Bush really is insane and may prevoke a war with Iran and Syria and then run off to safety in Paraguay.I really do believe he is quite insane and capable of anything, much like Hitler during Hitler's last days when Germany was falling.....
Dealing with the "ifs" - Hillary as Majority Leader eventually? Talk about avenging the slap down Newt and Gang gave her universal healthcare package when she was First Lady in Clinton's first administration.
The woman could really "strut her stuff" and say "Look at Me Now!"
My greatest fear is that Bush really is insane
Posted by goodfoe on December 28, 2006 at 10:23 AM
Oh goodfoe you don't have to worry about that. George W is an idiot, but not insane. He has not a clue as to WHAT to do BECAUSE someone has always told him what and/how to do. And right now his little guiding posse is busy trying to figure out how to position themselves with this 110th Congress plus probably shreading anything remotely like paper because they all know there are going to be investigations.
Really? And here I thought you must have a doctorate in it. hehehe
Posted by GregL on December 28, 2006 at 10:17 AM
Evidently you haven't read any of my posts closely because I don't comment on economic issues in any depth. I'm the public administration/public policy and political science commenter. Completing the doctorate in these fields. :)
J...Hillary may well be asking herself if she gets the Dem nomination, can she win the general election? The Senate Majority Leadership would give her a great deal of power to determine what gets done. It may well be a fallback position if she decides to step aside and let someone else get the nomination. Hillary knows better than anyone else that she will really be smeared by the Rat Party if she runs. It's impossible to say what is going to happen now,. If she did step aside it would open up for other canidates such as Biden, etc...hope you are having a good day...
John Edwards is back!!!!! Please consider his campaign. He is a wonderful human being and public servant. If you join his campaign you won't be sorry. I worked on his campaign from 2002-2004 and had the time of my life!
www.johnedwards.com
J...Doctorate...Boy, I'm impressed...then we can call you "Doctor J"...just playing around, don't get upset...a docrorate is a great achievement...when do you finish up?
If you visit the website and decide to join our team we have some great materials to get you started locally called "Citizens' Launch". If you've never campaigned before these help give you the experience you need to canvass in bigger more high profile places like NH and IA. The reseidents there know they're vital to campaigns and really challenge you to be on your game. It's great fun and you'll meet & greet lots of politicians. What's going to be so insane this time around is that both parties are going to be crammed into these smaller states and courting the same voters!
A Boise Republican speaks from his throne:
With his two young children and about 100 colleagues sitting behind him, Ada County sheriff's Deputy Justin Wright told Ada County commissioners they were about to make his job more dangerous, because he may hesitate to make critical decisions for fear of getting fired.
Wednesday afternoon, the commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance making all Ada County employees, including sheriff's deputies, at-will employees. That means employees can be fired without cause.
Sheriff Gary Raney and other employees questioned the timing of the ordinance change. "It was slapped together by risk managers and lawyers at the request of a public official who won't be accountable in the next few days," said Jaimie Baker, president of the Ada County Sheriff Employees Association.
Commissioner Fred Tilman denied that characterization and demanded the group quit making accusations. "I demand you respect this body," Tilman said.
Good morning, everyone.
Posted by goodfoe on December 28, 2006 at 10:18 AM
goodfoe,
Remember how the youthful Clinton/Gore ticket grabbed the imagination of the country and took it by storm? Their pragmatic acceptance of Ross Perot's stand that the national debt had to be paid down gave them a second term (and the nation unprecidented prosperity). We could do a lot worse than a Edwards/Obama ticket.
Posted by J on December 28, 2006 at 10:24 AM
J,
Whether it's deserved or not, Hillary may be tapped to be the Teddy Kennedy of the baby boomer generation. She's always going to be influential put is flawed as a viable presidential candidate. The Majority Leader position might be a good fit; and yes, I'd love the irony of her sheparding through a universal health care bill.
Posted by GregL on December 28, 2006 at 09:58 AM
Can you think of a winning GOP ticket at this time?
Will she be sitting on Prince George's lap again?
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Joseph Biden, the incoming chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said he has invited Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to testify during three weeks of hearings in January about the Iraq war.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/26/biden.iraq/index.html
Posted by BlueinIdaho on December 28, 2006 at 11:13 AM
Blue,
Boy, these conservatives are really frightened of democracy. Makes you wonder why they insist that our troops die for it...for Iraqis who don't even want it.
Will she be sitting on Prince George's lap again?
Posted by BlueinIdaho on December 28, 2006 at 11:19 AM
Maybe she thought he was Santa Claus?
Oh goodfoe you don't have to worry about that. George W is an idiot, but not insane.
I wouldn't be too sure about that. He seems to have a more that passing interest in torture and controlling others so he can watch them suffer.
Posted by SandyH on December 28, 2006 at 11:21 AM
Such is the way of Idaho politics. The sheeple here get angry when they do not abide by the desires of their constituents....and then elect them again. The almighty (R) controls them.
The Republican Crime Spree continues...
(AP) - LAS VEGAS-Nevada Gov.-elect Jim Gibbons will not be prosecuted on allegations that he assaulted a cocktail waitress in a parking garage three weeks before the election, authorities said Wednesday.
Chrissy Mazzeo, 32, had accused Gibbons of pushing her against a wall and propositioning her near a restaurant where the two had been drinking with friends Oct. 13, less than a month before Gibbons was elected.
An apparently distraught and disoriented Mazzeo made three 911 calls that night, saying she had been assaulted by the congressman.
Gibbons, 61, has said he merely caught Mazzeo when she tripped in the parking garage.
Gibbons, a married five-term Republican congressman, beat Democrat Dina Titus in the Nov. 7 election. He is to be sworn in Monday.
http://news.findlaw.com/ap/o/632/12-28-2006/6d1f000fe9b171e0.html
Posted by Cyn_NY on December 28, 2006 at 08:06 AM
Most Americans can't wait till Castro dies and we can all start taking vacations there. A new Bush gulag on the island would make for an interesting tourist attraction.
Have you all heard that the US government has two Iranian insurgents in custody and have found out that Iran has been supplying Shiites with sophisticated hardware, that they have in turn been using on US troops. Boy, I'm sure glad we went in there to help them out! Bush and co. has fouled this thing up so severly, maybe it's time to start talking impeachment! This is war is so aggrieved on multiple levels, I'm not sure our nation can wait two more years!
Posted by J on December 28, 2006 at 08:15 AM
I hope they televise the Brown funeral as well. I hear the Rev. Al Sharpton is going to officiate and the music is going to be glorious. I bet Gerald Ford would have liked to have attended.
Gotta run. later.
Posted by John_Fan on December 28, 2006 at 11:37 AM
Makes you wonder about all the Saudi Arabians they haven't caught who have been supplying the Sunnis with the same for the same purpose.
Will she be sitting on Prince George's lap again?
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Joseph Biden, the incoming chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said he has invited Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to testify during three weeks of hearings in January about the Iraq war.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/26/biden.iraq/index.html
Posted by BlueinIdaho on December 28, 2006 at 11:19 AM
They're going to rake her ass over the coals again, you can rest assure of that.
Sandy I agree the whole thing is a complete disaster!!! Bush and co. never had a clue what the hell they were getting us all into! They still don't have one or a plan to go with it!!! This is so criminal it defies imagination!
Gibbons, 61, has said he merely caught Mazzeo when she tripped in the parking garage.
That sounds like a Foley defense to me. Apparently, it one defense that always works for the GOP and their rank and file.
I mean were the hell is the so called "liberal media" on this? Bush went to Crawford the other day to hammer out a plan for Iraq! Are you serious? We have lost many Americans in this fiasco and thousands of Iraqis. Why is the nation sitting back and putting up with this crap?
J...Doctorate...Boy, I'm impressed...then we can call you "Doctor J"...just playing around, don't get upset...a docrorate is a great achievement...when do you finish up?
Posted by goodfoe on December 28, 2006 at 10:46 AM
Just started class requirement last year. Still have about 3 to go. Haven't even got to publishing yet.
Oh don't be impressed you have it over me with an understanding of economics! I scrapped through undergrad with "C"s in Macro and Micro.
For all those like me that are wondering: Just what did the Bushes purchase all that acreage in Paraguay for???
Everybody throw out a thought.
J
There's probaly oil there and some poor group of people they can exploit!
I mean were the hell is the so called "liberal media" on this? Bush went to Crawford the other day to hammer out a plan for Iraq!
Posted by John_Fan on December 28, 2006 at 11:46 AM
No JohnFan, he went to "rethink" the strategy on Iraq. As I said the other day: don't you need a brain for that?
I guess he took his "brain" with him - Rove.
Posted by GregL on December 28, 2006 at 09:58 AM
Can you think of a winning GOP ticket at this time?
Posted by SandyH on December 28, 2006 at 11:18 AM
Haven't really thought much about it. I'm more interested in making sure OUR message is better than THEIRS...scratch that, in making sure OUR message is received by the public better than THEIRS....ummm, what is our message again? I get so confused, not belonging to an organized political party. :)
J,
Water supply. If you can't control the oil, get a necessity.
JohnFan
So far I like some poor group of folk they can exploit.
Anyone else? A thought as to why the Bushes bought that ton of acreage in Paraguay.
J
There never was a plan or strategy other than $$$. That's the criminal element! Bush never had two brain cells to rub together. Cheney, Rummy, & Rove were the real masterminds. Now what? Where does that leave us? Additionally, the execution of Hussein should ignite and inflame the situation even more. We are so screwed over there!
Posted by GregL on December 28, 2006 at 11:53 AM
Can't think of one can you?
The name "Paraguay" is derived from the Guaraní word pararaguay meaning "from a great river". The "great river" is the Paraná River, which produces the greatest amount of hydroelectric power in the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraguay
There never was a plan or strategy other than $$$.
Posted by John_Fan on December 28, 2006 at 11:58 AM
The others will tell you that I've been preaching that sermon for 2 years now, the War for Profit. There were never any WMD, freedom for the Iraqui people, protect oil reserves, yada yada yada.
Money, pure and simple.
To all:
The GOP doesn't appear to have much, YET. That's the opperative word, "yet." If Rudy and McCain are the front runners, that's better for us. McCain will fizzle out like last time and hopefully the media will highlight his recent love session will the Evangelicals. Rudy - too much seediness there. I live in NY and he's a liability!
The name "Paraguay" is derived from the Guaraní word pararaguay meaning "from a great river". The "great river" is the Paraná River, which produces the greatest amount of hydroelectric power in the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraguay
Posted by BlueinIdaho on December 28, 2006 at 12:01 PM
Well Blue you hit the nail on the head. How about this: sell electrical power to the poor of South America (which is virtually the continent).
Still entertaining thoughts folks. Whatever the Bushes bought all that acreage for in Paraguay, it wasn't to admire the natural beauty or have their own hunting preserve.
j,
wormwood
Revelation 8:11
the name of the star is Wormwood.[a] A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
J
You got that right - the war for oil. I'm not gettin' the hydro thing. Why would they want to invest in that? It's all about the oil "hook-ups" with the Bushes.
GregL: I forgot about Pataki. Could be something there. Fmr NY State Gov. Has a clean record and hasn't really pissed people off. Could be dangerous. He's the dark horse I'll bet!
Mornin' {{Y'all}}
Es -- one of the reasons I made sure to find a property with plentiful flowing water ;-) If we have to hole up and do for ourselves when the Bush drizzling-sh*ts economy finally implodes, we'll be able to do for ourselves.
J -- first thing that hit my mind, lo those weeks or months back when the news first came out that the Bushkids were in Paraguay was that they're going to run from prosecution just like the Nazis did after WWII. They and their corporate cronies have already taken damnear every dollar there is offshore where we'll never see them again.
When (not if) the economy implodes and all the criminals are out of our reach, then what. I doubt a soul in the world will help us after how BushCo have crapped all over them. Left rudderless, I expect the neonazis and separatists who've been using our military as a training ground for their "race wars" (with Bush and Cheney's blessing!) will probably make their move. They'd bett' pack a lunch because it'll be a long, cold day in hell before the majority will stand for it. But I firmly believe it will get a lot uglier before it gets any better -- UNLESS -- this next Congress does something substantive instead of just letting it go like they've been doing.
The notion of impeachment being "off the table" just makes my teeth itch. I still haven't forgiven Gerald Ford (may he rest in peace) for pardoning the Nixon gang -- because it's exactly the same mafioso gang who are tearing America up now. If we'd've fixed that criminality then and there, the pugs wouldn't feel so free to get away with everything they're getting away with.
Just what I see from here...
I think Es and Blue are in the right church and probably getting ready to sit in the hallowed pew because I suspect all of this has to do with water.
Water - a necessity (As Es says) that can be used to exploit some poor group of folk.
J
I don't know, why not keep Latin America dependent on oil?
JohnFan, I guess Venezuala doesn't have enough to cover the continent?
I love HillWill's idea about escape from criminal prosecution! That made me laugh. Thanks! Just the thought of Geo. Laura, and girls fleeing brings a smile to my face!
One thing I can say is that the Bush family didn't have that kind of cash to purchase hundreds of thousands of acres.
War for Profit paid for that land in Paraguay.
J,
Not only will the Bushes be selling that hydroelectric power to the poor of Paraguay, but also to the new poor of America. They know that the Middle East will eventually control America through our thirst for oil. They just want a piece of that action and they know that hydro power is a neverending source of power---especially with all the ice caps melting!
J
True, but I wonder what geologists would find in Paraguay. They're certainly up to something and I'm trying not to sound like a conspiracy theorist!
At a class on leadership, a professor at Northwestern University's business school here asks his students to ponder a landmark on the Chicago skyline 10 miles south.
"Walk along the lake, and look downtown. You see the Sears Tower," Ranjay Gulati says. "Sears Roebuck & Co. owned retailing. They defined retailing."
That they no longer do, he says, shows "what happens when the world changes around you … and you don't."
Prosecution! Now HillW that's another valid thought.
Do we have an extradition treaty with Paraguay?
Posted by HillWilliam on December 28, 2006 at 12:08 PM
I also have not forgiven Ford for manipulating and changing the facts regarding the Kennedy assasination. He was probably one of the best republican presidents of our time, but that is not saying much.
Blue
The Mid-East will be in constant turmoil for some time, thanks to the US destablization efforts in Iraq. I think China will exploit this and take advange of the situation and will ultimately own most of the US through foreign ownership of our banks!
Blue,
Yup... that's why we're going off-grid ASAP. Already have plans in the works, starting right after closing. For now, NC has some great programs (grants and loans) for going green-power and we're going to take advantage while it lasts.
HilWill:
Come down with Impeachment, only one elected president has been impeached
So far the stocks are down...that means you're losing money.
Maybe his Blackberry is upside down?
Posted by Obamahussein on December 28, 2006 at 12:18 PM
No one summoned you. Go back from hench thee came.
We need leadership change!!!! Not that that is news to anyone here, but every so often I have to plug for my boy JE:
www.johnedwards.com
try later because the site is very busy right now
How can you Impeach the president over Iraq when the Congress approved it?
IIRC, the other president facing impeachment CUT and RAN.
Yawn....another troll.
Esmeralda:
Just trying to bring some reality to this fanatsy world
Obamahussein,
It's really not that complicated: They were lied to!
Carlyle Group portfolio in 2001 was $12B. 2006 is $44B. Profits thanks to the military industrial folks. Wonder how much of that is going to the Paraguay deal?
John:
So you want to Impeach Clinton again? He said they had WMD's. Twice impeached
J,
Extradition Treaty with Paraguay
There is, but enforceability would really rest with the Paraguayan goverment. If they chose not to hand over criminals with whom they are doing a massive amount of business, the treaty wouldn't be worth bum-paper. We couldn't even go out and hire help to bring them to justice, since the criminals have made sure that this country is chin-deep in Chinese debt.
Unless there are some strong, capable Dems willing to work in the next Congress, we are so screwed.
Obamahussein,
Fantasy? Here's the reality:
1. American troop deaths exceed the death toll on 9/11 (your favorite crutch)
2. This "war" has outlasted WWII (and so far accomplished nothing)
3. Billions of $$$ earmarked for "reconstruction" have been stolen by contractors hired by the Bush administration and Haliburton
4. Iraqis don't want the US notion of freedom!!! Read my earlier blog about the two Iranian insurgents the government managed to capture.
5. NO WMD's, but loved the Colin Powell picture board display at the UN in 2003!
The list goes on and on ......
You're out of your league here my friend!!!
HillW
Gotcha about the treaty. Hey if the government of Paraguay is raking it in courtesy of the Bushes they ain't about to hand them over to the US.
Obamahussein,
You guys have to get some new material. The "golden oldies" aren't cuttin' it anymore. We are so beyond Bill Clinton thanks to your boy Bush! I think we have enough to worry about with him. If you want to re-hash 6 years ago you'll have to do it alone. Your man Geo. has fouled this nation and the world up so good. I almost feel sorry for the next President Dem. or Rep.
The Bushes are oil people who know how to sniff out a dollar. If I had the money I would invest in the land bordering the Great River myself.
Okay, there is an intelligent conversation going on and of course a troll couldn't take it.
An exchange of ideas, thoughts and concepts - enemies of the trolls.
Think we were hitting close to home with those Bushes.
J & HillWill,
It would be great wouldn't it, but unfortunately I think our nation will look the other way when he's out and he'll be down in TX plotting some other devious moneymaking scheme. In addition, there are more Bushes with future aspirations on the White Hse!
Blue
Those folks could sniff a dollar for anything.
Worship at the Altar of the Almighty Dollar (or whatever the currency of the day is)
Did anyone catch the Biography on the Rockefellers & Vanderbilts? It reminded me so much of the Bush clan. The crooked and criminal way they averted the laws and exploited the lack thereof for their own personal gain. How classic the Bushes are.
Jeb says he has no plans once he leaves office.
Well why should he. His family has amassed a fortune thanks to a designed war for profit. He can walk away from a state that he's leaving in shreads.
Bottom line: Why does he need a future?
Posted by GregL on December 28, 2006 at 11:53 AM
Can't think of one can you?
Posted by SandyH on December 28, 2006 at 11:59 AM
Darlin', why would I WANT to think of one?
JohnFan
Rockefellers/Vanderbilts - old money with class and breeding
Bushes - new money, trash with cash
All the families "stole" their fortunes.
J
There's that other Bush, I can't remember his name I'm going to have to look it up. I think he is 1/2 hispanic and young.
J
See now I thought the Bushes were somewhat established. Gotta do more homework on them.
J
According to wikipedia they dated back to the 18th c. in America.
In addition, there are more Bushes with future aspirations on the White Hse!
Posted by John_Fan on December 28, 2006 at 12:39 PM
As for Jeb's political aspirations? Unless some miraculous feature comes along and brainwashes the nation, Jeb has none, thanks to his idiot brother.
Why do you think Daddy Bush was crying here in FL at an event with son Jeb about 2 weeks ago. Oh he said it was because he was proud of Jeb, BUT the old man knows that his son Jr., the village idiot has wiped out Jeb's chances. The DEM sweep in the Nov. elections told the story.
J
It's definatley not Jeb! I'm reading wikipedia and I can't figure it out. I remember hearing about this up and comer though.
Every time one of us uses the term "More troops have died than 9-11" that person gives credence to the lie that there is a connection between 9-11 and the Iraq War.
It is one of those subtle usages of a phrase that intimates a connection to the two issues, when in fact there is no connection to the Iraq War and 9-11.
The other Bush JohnFan is the brother Neil. Neil likes to get involved in ripoff schemes or for lack of a better word - steal.
He was tied very deeply in the Savings & Loan ripoff about 2 decades ago and should have served prison time, but...... as you know money talks and all that other stuff walks another way.
It came to light a few months back that Neil either owned or was involved in an educational software that the State of Florida was purchasing to use with the No child Left Behind Program.
So lets do some basic math here: Neil/educational software + No Child Left Behind/Jeb-governor of Florida + purchase of software = Another Bush exploitation
is that sack of shit sally back? boy talk about someone not being missed!
JohnFan
Another Bush? Can't be Jeb's son. He's been charged and convicted twice with stalking women. Has some personality disorder.
Gotta run myself. Enjoyed everyone with the throwing in the thought on the Bushes big Paraguay purchase.
One for GiG:
Voting machine firm hires ex-elections director
The former head of elections for Georgia is going to work for the company that supplied the state's $75 million electronic voting machine system.
to welcome back sallyhussein we have an oldie but goody from the prediction archives:
"The Republicans will hold a 4 seat advantage in both the House and the Senate.
That prediction may change again but one thing is certain - it will not be a blowout year for either side.
Posted by FrostyPumpkins on November 2, 2006 at 03:21 AM"
George HW and Babs gave $20K to a charity with the stipulation that it be spent for "education" aids purchased from son Neil.
Has some personality disorder.
Posted by J on December 28, 2006 at 01:18 PM
In other words, a poster child for the Republican party!
Really neat, huh. GHW and Babs write off $20grand and Neil chalks up $20 big ones. Who pays?...me and you
It is one of those subtle usages of a phrase that intimates a connection to the two issues, when in fact there is no connection to the Iraq War and 9-11.
Posted by Robert_Burnsey_Koenig on December 28, 2006 at 01:16 PM
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
Posted by Robert_Burnsey_Koenig on December 28, 2006 at 01:16 PM
I get your point, but the fact remains that the thirty percent among us that are still bloodthirsty for revenge for 9/11 believe that Iraq and al Quaida are one in the same in the "global war on terror". For them, it may be a plea that they understand when they are told that more people have died for their "battle" then died by bin Laden's hand.
Has anyone seen the TV ad about the pharms giving $5B away in free meds to folks who can't afford their prescriptions? Montel does the scene.
It would be interesting to know: 1) is the amount given figured the outrageous retail price? 2) Do the pharms write off the expense based on that. 3) What is the actual costs to the pharms of the meds given away. 4) Do the pharms have any actual out of pocket costs after the write off? Again, who pays? You and me.
Hey Gang
I'm back, just to respond to Robert_Burnsey_Koenig
I'm sorry I don't agree with you at all. By pointing out that under this administration there has been almost 6000 American lives lost from 9/11 to present, does not imply any connection between 9/11 & Iraq. It's a statistical fact and nothing more. I think it does highlight how completely pathetic Bush is at protect his citizens!
Bush is finally beginning to clue into Gobal Warming issues, i.e, Polar Bears. What a tool! I'm always amazed when the media reports a GW light bulb moment. It's like the nation is watching a 3 year old learn to count.
I just had a big fight with my Republican boss...
I said that I'll be so glad to get rid of a Bush running this country. And he didn't understand. I said, we've had a Bush in power inthis country for over 20 years! He said I was lying.
Ok - we've had Sr at the CIA/Vice-President/President and now Jr as President (sort of). If you total up all the years... it's over 20!
No wonder this country is so screwed up... I hope we can bury these bastards once and for all!
Posted by John_Fan on December 28, 2006 at 01:39 PM
Don't be sorry to disagree. It is still my opinion, and just an opinion, that comparring the number of American deaths in the Iraq War with the number of deaths related to 9-11 is in fact a way that the media and others conflate the issues as a single issue.
I just don't think the comparrison does anything other than tie the two issues together as one issue, when in fact they are not. Your post at 1:39 clearly shows that one can point out the number of deaths due to this administration, without any type of inferred connection between the two issues.
We had been arguing and fighting about the Administration trying to tie the two issues to each other for the last four years, so, In my own opinon, I don't understand the need to tie the two together at this point in time.
tomatoe tomato.
I understand the point that blueinidaho made about it being the only way to get some of the supporters to understand the number and the futility of the losses, but still believe it continues the Iraq/9-11 connection.
RBK
You're a cool cat! Listen I think you make good points, however they are related events and will always be so, in that Bush is a complete failure and has yet to capture the real perpetrator of 9/11. He based the entire Iraq war on this ridiculous correlation and it's blown up in his face. I don't have the figures but I'm pretty sure most Americans have figured out that Bush & Co. lied to everyone. I think most people have figured out Iraq had no involvement financial or otherwise with 9/11.
My latest JE plug:
Check out youtube and John Edwards. Great stuff. I love his "Episodes" because you really get to see him for who he really is. You'll be hard pressed to get such a bird's eye view of the other candidates.
Love him!
Posted by John_Fan on December 28, 2006 at 01:44 PM
Good article in the Times Online (U.K) about the conundrum this creates for the Bush Administration. In calling for the Polar Bear to be placed on the Endangered Species List, it legally obligates the U.S. Government to do everything in it's power to stop the deaths. That means combatting Global Warmming and Pollution by large companies.
The Bush Administration conceded yesterday that global warming is threatening the polar bear with extinction, the first time that it has singled out climate change as a grave threat to the Arctic and its most iconic inhabitant. In a move that will have profound consequences not only for the polar bear but potentially for America’s polluting industries, the Administration declared last night that the polar bear should be added to its endangered species list because of the drastic melting of its habitat. The move would trigger mandatory legal safeguards that could potentially force US industries to cut their carbon dioxide output....By placing the polar bear under the protection of the Endangered Species Act, the US Government must prevent any activity that could further jeopardise the animal or its habitat. Environmentalists hope that the move will therefore compel the Administration to force US industries into cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
I'm not sure how the right wing will react to this, since they don't think Global Warmming is an issue, but it certainly puts them in a tight spot.
RBK
First, of all in addition to pollution cause by big business it's also going to require legislation against greenhouse gases and public fuel consuption by these monster vehicles, home heating needs, etc... Second, of couse there will be a wave of new scientists in the GOP's pocket to once again try to discredit and downplay the polar bear crisis.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Americans should ring in the new year without undue worry about a terrorist attack, the White House homeland security adviser said Thursday.“People ought to come, have a good time, they ought to feel confident,” Frances Fragos Townsend said in a nationally broadcast television interview.
Townsend said that while the Bush administration takes every threat seriously, it has heard of no plot or plan that should cause alarm as the nation celebrates New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16379144/
So Ms. Townsend, Osama Bin Laden has been captured? N. Korea and Iran have decided not to continue or pursue nuclear weapons? Syria isn't conspiring with Hamas and Hezbollah to attack Israel again in 2007? The whole Arab world respects us again? Hardly! These are dangerous times made more dangerous by the incompetence by the residents of the west wing. To state that everything is safe for New Year in New York, or anywhere else, is nieve at best and is one of the reasons why this administration failed to protect this nation's citizens on 11SEP01.
Posted by John_Fan on December 28, 2006 at 02:23 PM
In my posting at 2:14, I see I neglected to start it out with the intended openning of "I don't think Bush realized he was stepping in it." Meaning I don't think he understood the implications of saying the Polar Bears were endangered, raather than what Canada does to get around the issue, they call them an animal of concern, rather than threatened or endangered.
It's the tomatoe tomato day I suppose.
About the water in Parguary...from memory as best I can...The land in Paraguay that the Bush's are said to have bought sits above the largest untapped aqufer of good drinking water left anywhere. Many parts of the world includiny the southern US are going to run into serious water supply problems in the short term.
Extraction of water could be a lot less than for oil. One of the things that makes Iraqi oil so attractive is that before we screwed everything up, Iraqi oil could be extracted for as little as $5 per barrel vrs. $ 20 per barrel elsewhere. I saw a topo (map) of the area, it was quite a large chunk of Paraguay. I believe at least 160,000 acres. I'm not sure of that, it could have been much more. One of the officials in Parguary was quoted as saying he was not happy with the Bush's purchase because, "Trouble will follow them" Thw Bush's are globalists, they are merely trying to corner the market on freah drinking water. Anyone happy with the thought of paying them $50 per barrel for water?
Posted by BobVADemHawk-Gore-Obama2008 on December 28, 2006 at 02:24 PM
Do your duty and go shopping. The terrorists will never find you under all that debt. :)
Bob,
“People ought to come, have a good time, they ought to feel confident"
Oh I feel so much better now, really warm and fuzzy particularly since it looks like Saddam will get executed before the end of the year. Oh yeah it's lookin' real good for us. No one will be mad about that right and have cause to harm us?
goodfoe,
Good answer, I'll bet you hit the nail on the head!
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) -- President Bush said Thursday he was making "good progress" in coming up with a fresh strategy on Iraq, as he met with top advisers at his Texas ranch.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/28/bush.iraq.reut/index.html
Top advisers? Oh yes, "adviser" Jack Daniels told Bush to cut up his pretzels into small bites for a "winning strategy, and "adviser" Jim Beam told Bush, "Beer before Liquor, never sicker...".
Posted by BlueinIdaho on December 28, 2006 at 02:40 PM
Yeah, who wants to kill the person who owes you money when you can still get 30 years of labor out of them.
Blue
LOL:)
Latest JE plug:
Please take a few minutes and watch John Edwards Episode 3: Plight of Uganda on youtube.com It's really heartwrenching.
BobVaDem....Not to mention that Mr. Bush has "his" attack fleet off the coast of Iran, trying to prevoke them so that he can claim justification in "counter attacking" them.....Yea, everything is good, we're safe.....
Posted by John_Fan on December 28, 2006 at 02:54 PM
So how will John respond to the smear campaign against him in 08? As I recall, they labeled him a moneygrubbing trial lawyer to put the fear in the minds of Americans.
What will he do differently this time?
goodfoe,
I really don't think he could get away with that. He's used up his war options at this point. Besides who the hell do you send?
back from lunch and errands...
GAWD {{{Burnsey}}} it's good to see you back!
GregL... did you attend a Jesuit school? Curious, because post hoc ergo propter hoc is a very Jebbie phrase :-)
US Government pressurises banks to stop dealing with Iran
Dozens of banks have stopped or scaled back their businesses with Iran and other "rogue states" after informal pressure from the US government aimed at sidestepping the need for international sanctions.
The Goldman Sachs banker-turned-Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson, has been making presentations on Wall Street that might normally be expected more in the halls of the United Nations, setting out the links between financial institutions operating in rogue states and organised crime or terrorism.
Blue,
What smear? I worked on the campaign back then there wasn't much talk like that regarding John. I think anyone would have a hard time making that allegation stick. He is a self-made millionaire. True he is a trial attorney who championed the little guy against big business. Read Four Trials - excellent book! He may be a millionaire now, but he didn't start out that way and at the end of the day he's a good old fashioned populist.
Blue
I really don't understand what you mean here:
"moneygrubbing trial lawyer to put the fear in the minds of Americans"
What's Bush and they re-elected him. What fear would be caused?
Posted by John_Fan on December 28, 2006 at 03:11 PM
The smears I recall hearing are that he was never a champion for the little guy until he decided to run for office. That he took high profile cases that made him a millionaire without doing any pro bono work. That he would be against big business because he was a plaintiff's attorney against them. And, yes, that he is a populist---but only after he started running for office.
I'm not sure what state you live in, but in the red states (and Idaho is crimson) we hear an earful about every dem candidate. The Limbaughs, O'Reilly's, Hannity's and Savages will spread the smears far and wide.
John Fan ...Had an ans. for you but computer went nuts and I lost it. Grands time now. Will try to get back with you later...
And John, I like Edwards, but the smear campaign has begun already...as sure as the campaign against Obama. And, as you know, the truth doesn't matter, only that the public will look at the candidate differently, with skepticism.
Edwards must create a lasting image in America's mind before the swiftboaters do it for him.
Blue
This is what wikipedia wrote re: Four Trials
"Four Trials is a book by former U.S. Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and his co-writer, John Auchard. The book was published by Simon & Schuster in December 2003, before Edwards unsuccessfully ran for President and, later, vice president on the Democratic Party ticket with fellow Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts in the 2004 presidential election.
The book is autobiographical in nature and relates the story of four different civil trials where Edwards acted as an attorney for people seeking damages (petitioners) against large institutions and insurance companies (respondents). Interspersing the stories of each trial are remembrances from Edward's childhood, time in law school, and meeting his wife Elizabeth Edwards. Edwards also writes about his children (including Wade, his teenage son who died in a freak car accident).
The "Four Trials" in the book are four different trials covered in four chapters: "E.G." (an alcoholic who was treated by an aggressive aversion therapy that caused coma and brain damage), "Jennifer" (a women whose child had serious injuries because her obstetrician didn't perform a Cesarean section), "Josh" (a young child whose parents were killed in a car crash by a speeding truck driver who was paid by the number of miles he drove), and "Valerie" (a girl who got seriously injured by a swimming pool drain due to faulty design).
The book was notable because it is one of the few political books to credit a co-writer. In its hardcover edition it runs 256 pages."
I don't about what you take away from that but that doesn't sound like a greedy opportunist to me. Thanks to John's work on "Valerie's" case a great deal of public attention and awarness has arisen towards pools, pool saftey and especially a very serious pool drain issue. I think it's apparent that he selected cases that involved really helping these people. If he was so callous why not be a defense attorney or a corporate attorney. I mean if you're in it only for the $$$ isn't that what you'd do with your credentials. Additionally, why not run to keep his Senate seat? He has openly admitted how much he hates the corrupt and powerful lobbying machine that influences the Senate and had no stomach for it. I don't listen to the far right spin machine and therefore pay them no credence.
Blue
Unlike John Kerry, I believe John Edwards will respond immediately to lies. He is a sharp shooter and a quick thinker. He is an amazing public speaker and I only hope you have the opportunity to meet him. It's really impactful because he is so genuine. Please do me a favor take a few minutes and wtch some of the short videos on youtube.com
Just type in John Edwards webisodes
I think you might get a better sense of who he is and what he'll bring to not only the campaign but to America.
Posted by John_Fan on December 28, 2006 at 03:33 PM
With regard to lawyers, I have nothing against them and in fact, I am a "corporate lawyer". However, the public has a dim view of all lawyers regardless of their practice.
I don't need a lesson in all things Edwards, I will likely vote for him. My question to you was in regards to his response to criticism and framing.
If you ignore those smears and refuse to listen, be aware that you may be the only one not listening.
Back
Edwards - he has had my attention since 2004 when he set up a school at his alma mater whose focus is dedicated to the poverty in this country. This is also a part of his campaign platform (poverty).
GregL... did you attend a Jesuit school? Curious, because post hoc ergo propter hoc is a very Jebbie phrase :-)
Posted by HillWilliam on December 28, 2006 at 02:59 PM
Went to Catholic high school, Seton (or is that Satan?) Hall Prep in NJ, but I never took any Latin. However, isn't Wikipedia wonderful? hehehe
With regard to lawyers, I have nothing against them and in fact, I am a "corporate lawyer". However, the public has a dim view of all lawyers regardless of their practice.
Posted by BlueinIdaho on December 28, 2006 at 03:47 PM
One of the few that DOESN'T harbor a skewed view of lawyers. Wear your "badge" with pride.
I have absolutely no qualms about the use of an attorney and they're worth every penny. Just ask FEMA and my home owner insurer.
I for one hope Edwards kicks some serious booty. I got to see him at the A&T campus when he came to the Triad. His wife is a wonderful speaker, too and I think she'd be a First Lady to be reckoned with. They're both smart, genuine, personable, gracious, educated and have an inner morality I don't see in anyone else throwing their hats into the ring.
And ya f'durn sure wouldn't hear any of the drunken whoring, stalking or fake-prescription-writing going on with the Edwards' kids like you do with the JennaTonic twins or Jeb's evil spawn. Pugs talk an almighty game about morality but none of them have any acquaintance with it. The Edwards's have true morality by the trainload by comparison (as in the real Jesus-sense, like helping the poor and speaking up for those who can't speak for themselves). Their kids show it, too and that speaks volumes about how well they were brought up... wholly unlike any Bush (like J said perfectly, "trash with cash").
I can certainly get behind a fellow Tarheel a second time.
Blue
You are so right about responding quickly to negative publicity. By the time the media spins a story or issue to death the public is brain-dull and just accepts what is spinning rather than using a little thought to see through the hype.
Blue
"If you ignore those smears and refuse to listen, be aware that you may be the only one not listening."
I do listen to credible & fair critics, but I'm never going to entertain Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity! I don't think they are mainstream. I think they're fringe and appeal to a smaller amount of conservative voters. None of my GOP friends like them. O'Reilly is a different character all together.
Again as I remember it in 2004 everyone including most Independents liked JE, but felt he lacked politcal experience. I'm glad to hear you'll probaly vote for him. Why not go a step further and join One Corps. Start you own chapter in Idaho. We need you!!!
Love you all - gotta go take my hubby out to dinner for his birthday!
A few parting thoughts:
A. There probably aren't any skeletons in JE's closet because the GOP machine would have found it in 2004.
B. JE is a good chance for us to take back the White House. If your the GOP right now you're nervous.
C. One of the major criticisms with Kerry's campaign is he didn't utilize JE better.
D. Hillary (love her) will get constantly lambasted!
E. Obama will probably suffer JE's fate the first time out= "not enough expperience"
F. Biden who has "thrown his hat into the ring" has that little plagerism problem, so it will be interesting to see how he handles that.
John Fan...The first thing that you have to understand is that Bush is stubborn and his ego is all rapped up in "his" war. He can not admit his mistakes. As for where he would get the troops, that question could be asked of the troop surge he wants to do in Iraq. He will extend tours and bring in more national guard troops who are not even trained for what they will be asked to do. It will be a slaughter. But Bush does not care, it's his ego, he has to prove he was right, he has to win. With Iran, here again, he has to prove he is "right" He will attemp to prevoke Iran into attacking our attack fleet that is off the coast of Iran and Bush's counterattack will be by air from the two attack carriors he has there. In and out before anyone can stop him. Have you noticed that he finished moving "his" attack fleet into place while Congress is in recess?It won't matter that he won't have ground forces to follow up with..Bush does not think military strategy very far out into the future. Just look at the occupation plan for Iraq...NONE...This man is one of the most dangerous men to ever hold the future of the world in his hands. I just hope someone in there restrains him. And what will he accomplish? Most of Iran is under 30 and likes the west and does not like their government. We should be negotiating with them. If we bomb thier neclear facilities we will not only lose the chance of good will with the Iranian people, we will futher piss of an other 1.6 billion Moslems world wide. Iran is a state nation and has just as much a right to neclear energy as do Pakistan and India. We don't have the right to start a war with Iran, that's what the U.N. is for. As to the argument that Iran wants to develope nukes, the other side of that story may well be that Iran is running out of oil and does need neclear power for peaceful purposes. Bush lied to us about wmd to scare us into going to war with Iraq and now he's lying about Iran to save his presidency. The man is not to be trusted.
I do listen to credible & fair critics, but I'm never going to entertain Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity! I don't think they are mainstream. I think they're fringe and appeal to a smaller amount of conservative voters. None of my GOP friends like them. O'Reilly is a different character all together.
Posted by John_Fan on December 28, 2006 at 04:05 PM
Whether you believe them to be mainstream or not is completely beside the point that Blue is trying to make. Insanity & Colmes and O'Liely are two of the top rated "news" programs on television. People listen to what is said on their programs. When they smear, people hear. It is NECESSARY to respond to them, whether we like it or not.
John,
You will never hear me defending Limbaugh or Hannity, but you have to be kidding when you say that they appeal to a small amount of conservative voters.
This link tells a different story:
http://www.talkers.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=34
With all the coverage of Gerald Ford, I starting regretting that I did not vote for him, but instead voted for Jimmy Carter. But then I thought, was Ford on the Warren Commission? I googled it, and sure enough he was. I simply cannot trust a single person who was on that Commission - it was a pack of lies and a precursor to the Watergate cover-up, and all the cover-ups that have followed for the past 40 years. Sorry, Jerry, but there was blood on your hands.
Posted by Ruth on December 28, 2006 at 04:37 PM
Isn't it funny that when these presidents die people forget their follies, foibles and falsehoods. I practically caught whiplash yesterday when someone said that Ford was the most honorable president in the last 50 years. He had a personal hand in rearranging the facts of Kennedy's assassination. How is that "honorable"? If you believe that, you might also believe that Raygun single handedly brought down the USSR. That whole debaucle in Afghanistan that cost the USSR their entire economy was just a hiccup, I guess.
Blue,
And not to forget! How "honorable" is it to pardon known criminals and allow them to continue in criminal enterprises? The same crowd that brought us Watergate is exactly the same crowd who brought us Iraq.
No one can make a mess like a determined criminal pug.
Posted by BlueinIdaho on December 28, 2006 at 04:33 PM
Thanks, Blue. I was looking for that link earlier but couldn't find it.
Thursday, December 28, 2006Speaker Hastert Announces Page Program Tip Line Number
(Washington, D.C.) House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert today announced the official Page tip line number. Following is his statement:
“As the Speaker I take responsibility for everything in the building. The buck stops here. The safety and security of the students in the Page program is imperative.
“That is why I directed the Clerk of the House to establish a hotline for reporting any information concerning Pages or the Page program. As of this morning, the Clerk of the House has activated the tip-line. It is for anyone with information regarding the Foley matter. This number can also be used to report any other concerns regarding the Page program.
“The Page program tip line is 866-348-0481.”
Mr. Speaker, you're a little late with this aren't you? Don't worry about though, Mr. Speaker, we Democrats will take care of this, and many other, investigations next week. Mr. Speaker, please step away from the paper shredder...
Posted by HillWilliam on December 28, 2006 at 04:49 PM
Yes! That is why one of John Dean's recent articles hit home with me. In that article, he advocates impeaching the lower officers under Prince George so that they do not rise into higher offices to do greater damage in the future. This would be an easier task for Congress and would not give rise to a huge debate in the public arena.
Good afternoon, all. Since Ford's death is still in the news, some interesting tidbits from his recently-released interview:
In an interview embargoed until after the former president's death, Gerald Ford told journalist Bob Woodward that President Bush and his top advisers made a "big mistake" in their justification for invading Iraq.In a four-hour tape-recorded interview in 2004 and released yesterday, Ford was quoted as saying he understood the theory of "wanting to free people".
But he insisted: "I just don't think we should go hellfire damnation around the globe freeing people, unless it is directly related to our own national security."
Too bad that kind of decency and common sense no longer exists, apparently, in today's Republican Party.
I was also glad to see Edwards announce his candidacy today.
The latest threat to high paying American union manufacturing jobs may come from talks between Ford and Toyota. For now, these talks seem more limited to mutual technology transfers, but merger or affiliation talks may eventually result. With a 51% share in Ford, Toyota could effectively eliminate the union workforce at Ford plants. Some Ford UAW workers can earn over $60 an hour, plus retirement and health care benefits. Toyota could hire nonunion workers at around $15 an hour and eliminate most retirement or health care benefits.
Ford is already in talks with some Chinese automobile makers to purchase closed or closing plants owned by Ford, opening the path to small fuel efficient automobiles such as the Chinese subcompact, the Cherry, within a few years.
Good afternoon, everyone.
Just herard this on Hardball....even Tweety had the good sense to slap this witch down for spitting on a dead man's memory:
"No one was asking President Ford for his opinion." (regarding invading Iraq)
Karen Hanretty, Republican Strategist
And this is how the the kingmakers in the GOP honor the memory of one of their own?
Yes, nobody in this White House or the Tom DeLay Congress ever asked Gerald Ford for his opinion....they drummed him and all other moderates right out of their party.
Too bad that kind of decency and common sense no longer exists, apparently, in today's Republican Party.
I was also glad to see Edwards announce his candidacy today.
Posted by Terry on December 28, 2006 at 05:30 PM
Terry,
Catch Karen Hanretty's remark (see above) on the repeat of Hardball tonight. These people were inded raised by wolves or piss ants.
Mr. Speaker, you're a little late with this aren't you? Don't worry about though, Mr. Speaker, we Democrats will take care of this, and many other, investigations next week. Mr. Speaker, please step away from the paper shredder...
Posted by BobVADemHawk-Gore-Obama2008 on December 28, 2006 at 05:04 PM
Bob,
I have a tip for Hassert and the rest of the morally and graft-ridden Republican party:
Decency suggests that you had a responsibility to do something when Foley's activities were brought to your attention. You preferred to protect Foley's house seat instead of the pages.
Posted by BlueinIdaho on December 28, 2006 at 05:05 PM
Blue,
Who could we impeach White House officials at the lower levels? They aren't judge. I'm confused. Do you have the links to the Dean articles?
Posted by BlueinIdaho on December 28, 2006 at 05:05 PM
Blue,
How could we impeach White House officials at the lower levels? They aren't judges. I'm confused. Do you have the links to the Dean articles?
Sandy:
Refocusing the Impeachment Movement on Administration Officials Below the President and Vice-President:
Why Not Have A Realistic Debate, with Charges that Could Actually Result in Convictions?
...
The Constitution's Impeachment Clause applies to all "civil officers of the United States" - not to mention the president, vice president and federal judges. It is not clear who, precisely, is among those considered "civil officers," but the group certainly includes a president's cabinet and sub-cabinet, as well as the senior department officials and the White House staff (those who are issued commissions by the president and serve the President and Vice President).
I liked the way Edwards announced his candidacy. He sent out e-mails first to those who had kept in touch and were interested in the same issues. He was more concerned about communicating with people rather than generating the media hype.
Showing up in New Orleans without the balloons and hoopla was good sense (especially with the death and the official mourning for of a former president taking place). New Orleans is a national symbol that acknowledges the frustration we all feel with the way our government has been performing in the times of crisis these past six years.
I hope Edwards continues to defy the wisdom of the political/propaganda strategists and works at his own pace and in his own way. We're all sick of all the hype and insincerity in recent campaigns. Even the evangelicals want a change in emphasis in issues and tone.
I felt a sense of dignity and humility in Edwards' approach that has been completely lacking in Washington for such a long time. It was comforting.
Posted by BlueinIdaho on December 28, 2006 at 06:29 PM
Thanks, Blue.
Posted by Ruth on December 28, 2006 at 04:37 PM
It's been reported that Ford and Carter became good friends as former presidents and had a great deal of respect for one another.
Good Evening Dem's.....I hope all of you have had a great day!
Here's some interesting Gerald Ford trivia: In 1974 Ford became the first ever sitting American president to attend an NBA basketball game.
The bad news is that it was the Portland Trailblazers. They naturally lost to New York.
Even worse, Ford was the guest of sex offender senator, Bob Packwood.
There was a meeting on the weekend of December 9-10 in Cochabamba in Bolivia of major South American leaders. It was a very important meeting. One index of its importance is that it was unreported, virtually unreported apart from the wire services. So every editor knew about it. Since I suspect you didn't read that wire service report, I'll read a few things from it to indicate why it was so important.
U.S. Special Forces began arriving this past summer at Paraguay's Mariscasl Estigarriba air base, a sprawling complex built in 1982 during the reign of dictator Alfredo Strosserr. Argentinean journalists who got a peek at the place say the airfield can handle B-52 bombers and Galaxy C-5 cargo planes. It also has a huge radar system, vast hangers, and can house up to 16,000 troops. The air base is larger than the international airport at the capital city, Asuncion.
Some 500 special forces arrived July 1 for a three- month counterterrorism training exercise code named Operation Commando Force 6.
Paraguayan denials that Mariscasl Estigarriba is now a U.S. base have met with considerable skepticism by Brazil and Argentina. There is a disturbing similarity between U.S. denials about Mariscasl Estigarriba, and similar disclaimers made by the Pentagon about Eloy Alfaro airbase in Manta, Ecuador. The U.S. claimed the Manta base was a 'dirt strip' used for weather surveillance. When local journalists revealed its size, however, the U.S. admitted the base harbored thousands of mercenaries and hundreds of U.S. troops, and Washington had signed a 10-year basing agreement with Ecuador.
The Eloy Alfaro base is used to rotate U.S. troops in and out of Columbia, and to house an immense network of private corporations who do most of the military's dirty work in Columbia. According to the Miami Herald, U.S. mercenaries armed with M-16s have gotten into fire fights with guerrillas in southern Columbia, and American civilians working for Air Scan International of Florida called in air strikes that killed 19 civilians and wounded 25 others in the town of Santo Domingo.
The base is crawling with U.S. civilians-many of them retired military-working for Military Professional Resources Inc., Virginia Electronics, DynCorp, Lockheed Martin (the world's largest arms maker), Northrop Grumman, TRW, and dozens of others.
the base in Paraguay
this is the ICC, Paraguay has granted immunity from prosecution
here's a google gaggle of countries that won't
the water is just one piece in this scary puzzle.
we were fascinated with the runaway bride when the base was established there, last year. yawn.
iraq is about money, but it's most definitely about oil.
now essie, i know you like that ther bible to make your predictions. okay by me. i prefer to use the brains i have while they still work, and realize that it's going to be very complicated.
anyone that tells me it's simple, or that one thing caused another...well, i just don't buy it. it's multi-causation and this is no exception, the Paraguay Puzzle
one thing is certain, i get the chills when i read this stuff.
shoot your t.v.-- plug in your brain...
BlueMoon
do you reach over and pull this stuff out of your blue butt?
do you really think anyone would find you a credible source for what Nixon thought, for gosh's sakes?
you don't know a damned thing about anyone's thoughts butt your own...
Fade...Those are great links...just finished reading them all. thx alot. How does this fit in with the land that Bush is supposed to be buying in Paraguay? I think I saw 160,000 acres in one report and 360,000 acres in another. Was this a direct purchase by the Bush's or through Carlyle? I don't know how you keep coming up with all this good info, but thx alot!
cute photo...and a few more details...fresh water, guns and drug running...
About a year and a half ago (here and here), I referred to Sun Myung Moon's purchase of 600,000 hectares of Paraguay's Chaco for the stated intention of erecting an "ecological paradise." Moon's land sits atop the Guarani Aquifer, the Earth's largest resource of fresh drinking water, and also happens to be an "enormously strategic point in both the narcotics and arms trades," according to Paraguay's drug czar from 1976-89. "The available intelligence clearly shows that the Moon sect is involved in both these enterprises."
john,
it's a land trust set up for Bush...reportedly Bush the elder, but originally thought to be bush the lesser.
either way, the mercenaries, guns and drugs add up to the bad old days...and it's one of the few countries not actively fighting School of the Americas, too...
the modern version of the Boys in Brazil
the political climate in that region has been one of unparalleled solidarity, also. my money would be on plenty of disruptive "covert action" to agitate against peace, harmony and unity.
o how i hate these criminals!
Unlike John Kerry, I believe John Edwards will respond immediately to lies.
Posted by John_Fan on December 28, 2006 at 03:38 PM
You could also tell at the concession speech/press event in 2004 that he didn't want to give up in Ohio. You get the feeling the man isn't a quitter or anybody’s fool.
Posted by fade2bluz on December 28, 2006 at 08:08 PM
The Rev. Moon and the Bush franchise...what a perfect union of greed, graft, and lunacy. I guess South America is their final frontier.
Hey Gang
I'm back - good dinner! Blue great link. Scary. I wonder though how many of those listeners have TVs. For instance I know a rural couple who only listen to talk radio shows because the refuse to pay for cable on the one TV they have. What are the stats regarding viewership of Fox News v. MSNBC or CNN? Have the numbers altered at all just prior to and post this last election?
Sorry
A lot of "blue"s tonight. I was addressing Bluein Idaho
Fade...my river spanish is "no wano pa caca" but what I got from one of those links(in spanish) is that Rev. Moon bgt. 600,000 hectares and the Bush's land trust is for 40 mil hectares....Both over the Guarani Aquifer....My thinking is that Rev. Moon better watch his ass if he gets in the way of Bush's dealings down there. Those merc's arn't particular about who they take out. It's all in a day's work. I knew a guy(he has since disapeared) who worked down there for awhile as a merc. He got tired of being in the bush, hugh bugs, snakes, etc. He got shot up on one patrol and when he got out of the hospital, he retired from that line of work...and he just disappeared one day...rather suddenly....Do you think the Bush's are trying to corner the fresh water supply? What a strangle hold that would be...
The year in review by Drum Major Institute...pdfhttp://drummajorinstitute.org/yearinreview/
o great, yeah...if nixon wrote it down, it must be historical fact.
no...john. that's the KA blog of the day conspiracy theory ...maybe fresh water has something to do with it. most likely, it has a lot more to do with the fact that the International Criminal Court won't be upheld in Paraguay when the Bush crime family is prosecuted...so they can hide. they have some of the same players that were involved in the filthy evil they perpetuated throughout the world now settling in there in their new Diggs. Moon and Bush the sperm donor for Satan's span are very close friends, Neil the special ed software peddler just traveled around the country with the new savior and in short, they are the same team.
they learned quite a big from Jim Jones adventures in Kool Aid...did we?
Hi Sandy,
Parry has an excellent chronology on Moon at Consortium. nothing is really secret. people are dull.
they just don't pay attention to the important things. bread and circuses...
Thx Fade...good info....I don't know what to think about all this caca....About the kool aid, I don't think we learned soon enough...maybe you did but most of the American public has not a clue...I'm going to have to chew on all this for a while....thx a lot.....John Boy
The Rev. Moon and the Bush franchise...what a perfect union of greed, graft, and lunacy. I guess South America is their final frontier. Posted by SandyH on December 28, 2006 at 08:20 PM
Bingo! You hit it right on the nose, Sandy. In this month's National Geographic it says a "land grab" is going on down in some countries of South American where dictators are stealing native land and selling it for a song to wealthy Americans. After the way Bush Jr got ahold of his "ball-park" land, it stands to reason a crook like him would be one of the ones to jump on this additional opportunity to steal even somebody else's land.
The market forces of globalization are invading the Amazon. In the past three decades, hundreds of people have died in wars, countless others endure fear and uncertainty, their lives threatened by those who profit from the theft of timber and land. In this Wild West frontier of guns, chainsaws, and bulldozers, government are often corrupt and ineffective. Now, industrial scale soybean producers are joining loggers and cattle ranchers in the land grab, speeding up destruction of the great Amazonian wilderness.
That's our Bush. Sounds like paradise for an evil and corrupt guy like him.
Hello,
I liked some of these money matters predictions for 2007:
The shape of things to come
By Guy de Jonquieres
- a light-hearted scenario of imaginary events in Asia in the year ahead.
September. Washington: rumours that Asian central banks are considering diversifying their foreign exchange reserves into cowrie shells spark panic selling of the US dollar. The US Treasury requests emergency IMF assistance but is directed to a telephone number in Beijing.
*****
November. Washington: the US asks China to purchase more dollars to prop up the sinking currency and offers the Seventh Fleet as collateral. Beijing declines, saying it already owns the US Navy because it was paid for with borrowed Chinese money in the first place.
The dollar falls further, reaching $3 to the euro. Congress debates a change in the inscription on dollar bills from "In God we trust" to "I hope that my redeemer liveth".
this report on the crash came out last month...not much fanfare--it was the flight crew's failure...
I guess when you can't steal Indian land in the U.S. anymore, you have to go someplace else where they still let you do that sort of thing. The Amazon basin is one such place. Have your pappy put some evil dictator in charge down there, and that greatful dictator will let you steal all the native land your heart desires.
Domingo,
the International Criminal Court isn't supported by the "president" of Paraguay.
i think it's a getaway for the future, when the accountability gets too scary
War Games Canceled Over Rape Case
Associated Press | December 22, 2006
MANILA, Philippines - The United States canceled a joint military exercise with the Philippines scheduled for next year because of a dispute over the custody of a U.S. Marine appealing his rape conviction, officials said Friday.
*****
The Philippine Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected a petition by Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith to be transferred immediately from a Manila jail to the custody of the U.S. Embassy while he appeals his conviction.
Smith, 21, of St. Louis, earlier sought a temporary restraining order against the decision by Judge Benjamin Pozon to detain him at the suburban Makati city jail during his appeal. He was convicted Dec. 4 of rape and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Three other Marines were acquitted in the case. All four were in U.S. Embassy custody during the trial that stirred anti-American feelings in this former U.S. colony.
Lussenhop said the cancellation of the Balikatan field exercises was announced by Adm. William Fallon, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command.
Smith's lawyers, the U.S. Embassy and the Philippine departments of justice and foreign affairs have agreed that his current detention violates the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement. A provision in it states that any accused U.S. serviceman shall remain in U.S. custody until all judicial proceedings are exhausted.
Pozon said the provision applies only during "the judicial proceedings in the trial court" and expires upon a defendant's conviction, regardless of a pending appeal.
U.S. officials disagree with the decision and say canceling the military exercises is a must until the issue is resolved.
www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,121145,00.html
Good thing there is no legal authority in the US's colony Iraq. But how are they executing Hussein?
Hi
I'm posting from Tokyo
If it possible pls someone introduce me
popular political/deplomatic Forum in US
In Japan
If you can read Japanese
2ch http://www2.2ch.net/2ch.html
English Forum
4ch http://4-ch.net/4ch.html
JapanToday http://www.japantoday.com/
Marine....have not heard from you for awhile...hope that everything is ok with you....
kimutak1
hi, try this link to Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the Democratic Party
nice to see you
john,
i was thinking the same thing.
i also miss rjsnj--
hope you're enjoying Malloy
they're going to kill Saddam by martyrdom...however he dies. hanging is what i suspect. then major fireworks.
hanging, with video
um, a little disagreement about the dates. don't count on seeing the flick any time soon.
DUBLIN, Ireland -- President John F. Kennedy was the subject of three separate death threats during his visit to Ireland in 1963, according to newly declassified police documents released Friday.
The documents released by the Irish Justice Department said police received two anonymous telephoned warnings in the weeks before the arrival of the United States' first Irish Catholic president. A third threat went to the newsroom of the Irish Independent newspaper.
Kennedy's June 26-29 visit went ahead trouble free as he was greeted by adoring crowds in Dublin, Cork, Galway and at his family homestead in County Wexford, in southeast Ireland.
He was assassinated in Dallas five months later.
One threat claimed a sniper would target Kennedy as his motorcade traveled from Dublin Airport to the residence of the Irish president at the start of his visit.
"We are hoping 2007 will be the year of supplies,"
he [Lt. Gen. Nasier Abadi, deputy chief of staff for the Iraqi army]said.
jeez Domingo,
how many cops did they have in the basement of the Dallas County Courthouse?
Malloy is back on here in the big valley and was saying earlier in the week that Hussein should be questioned by congress. Just who were his war crimes patrons?
Fade...I miss rj too...I just hope Marine has not had a serious medical setback...it's not like him not to get into some of this stuff...I read that you are working as an economist...may I ask what field of feconomics you are in? ...My degree is in economics (not spelling as you may have already figured out)......
Where's that great "U.S. growth" Junior keeps lying about? Oh, it must be hiding with Saddam's WMDs.
UAE To Sell Dollars For Euros
ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates plans to convert 8 percent of its foreign-exchange reserves to euros from dollars before September, the latest sign of growing global disaffection with the weakening U.S. currency.
The U.A.E. has started, "in a limited way," to sell part of its dollar reserves, the governor of the country's central bank, Sultan Bin Nasser al-Suwaidi, said in an interview. "We will accumulate euros each time the market appears to dip" as part of a plan to expand the country's holding of euros to 10 percent of the total from the current 2 percent.
The Gulf state is among oil producers, including Iran, Venezuela and Indonesia, looking to shift their currency reserves into euros or sell their oil, which is now priced in dollars, for euros. The total value of the reserves held by the U.A.E. is $24.9 billion, Suwaidi said.
The dollar has fallen more than 10 percent this year against the euro.
Part of the reason for the decline is the outlook for slower U.S. growth, which makes the dollar a less attractive investment.
Gulf Arab states ride the petrodollar boom
The past year will be remembered in the Middle East for Iraq's tragic slide into sectarian conflict and Israel's misguided war in Lebanon. Less noticed, though no less dramatic, has been the oil-fuelled economic boom in the Gulf, a surge in financial liquidity that has the potential to transform the face of the region.
Even more impressive than the oil bonanza of the 1970s and 1980s, a consequence of the four-year rise in oil prices has been to boost the economic power of Gulf Arabs, even as their political authority wanes and their regional security is violently shaken.
The urge to translate oil wealth into political advantage on the world stage is inevitable. Most important, however, is for Gulf states to deploy their petrodollars wisely, at home and abroad, and create more robust economies that can sustain themselves through periods of low oil prices.
The challenges are particularly pronounced in Saudi Arabia, where high population growth, unemployment of more than 15 per cent among young males and a dysfunctional education system create an explosive political and social mix. It is vital that Saudi leaders combine prudent spending with economic and social reforms to spread the wealth and set the world's oil producer on a more stable political course.
*****
In a notoriously secretive region, where the lines between the royal family's privy purse and state finance are blurred, it is hard to track the surplus. Most of the extra oil revenue goes into government investment arms, rather than into central bank reserves, making the trail all the more difficult to follow.
It is clear, however, that there is a significant departure from the past when a large share of the petrodollars were deposited in international banks. New Arab financial institutions, many of them based in Dubai, are doing much of the recycling themselves and government investment arms are diversifying across asset classes and regions. Europe has been a frequent target of investment and, increasingly, government investment arms are looking at opportunities in Asia, particularly China and India.
-from today's Financial Times
Malloy is back on here in the big valley and was saying earlier in the week that Hussein should be questioned by congress. Just who were his war crimes patrons? Posted by TomN
I'll bet that's why Junior is in a hurry to kill him before the Democrats take over and get subpoena power.
Jailed for Blogging
In a cramped jail cell in Alexandria, Egypt, sits a soft-spoken 22- year-old student. Kareem Amer was sent to prison for over a month for allegedly "defaming the president of Egypt" and "highlighting inappropriate aspects that harm the reputation of Egypt." Where did Amer commit these supposed felonies? On his weblog.
If the Alexandria prosecutors' standards of censorship were applied in the United States or Europe, thousands upon thousands of bloggers would be behind bars.
Junior's going to fix it so all the oil countries of the world sell their oil in Euros instead of Dollars. Then after he puts our country's economy in a new "Great Depression", he can move down to Paraguay and laugh his ass off at all us suckers struggling back here at home.
Oh yea, Tom Hanks new movie, should be for 2007:
Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
Poster Not Submitted Directed by
Mike Nichols
Writing credits
George Crile (book)
Aaron Sorkin (screenplay)
www.imdb.com/title/tt0472062/
Posted by TomN on December 28, 2006 at 10:07 PM
wow, excellent! have you read the book?
In this month's National Geographic it says a "land grab" is going on down in some countries of South American where dictators are stealing native land and selling it for a song to wealthy Americans.
Posted by Domingo on December 28, 2006 at 08:57 PM
Will,
After all these years of trying to sell us on Poppy being Wyatt Erp and Junior being Matt Dillion, we now find out that the Bush familiy was just a bunch of cattle rustlers after all?
goodnightfoe,
No, fade haven't read it yet. Will soon though. Probably will be on the bestseller lists soon enough too.
You're right about the music and movies as the non-boring means of getting ideas out to the non-reading peoples.
So what's the deal?
Is Bush sacrificing the future economic growth of the United States to Mexico and China in exchange for no interference in setting up a Jim Jones compound in Paraguay?
Do Robertson, Falwell, and Franklin Graham know about the Bush family's plans to horn in on their economic missionary work in the Papist colonies in South America? I see a split developing between the Christian coalition and the GOP....along financial lines. Who is going to get the biggest share of the exploitation?
It appears the fake cowboys now want to pretend they are Conquistadors...since the Christian Crusader imagery has now failed so miserably in the Middle East.
Under the circumstances, "Apocalypto" is a masterpiece of symbolism and prophesy. Mel Gibson might be a drunken bigot, but he sure has the Bush crime family pegged. Spunky could care less about offering blood sacrifices of our troops...on any continent.
"Brazil sure is big." "Want some wood...rainforest variety?"
Congress passes a law for retroactive immunity for torturers and kidnappers. Congress can pass another law undoing this monkeybusiness.
------
US tries to assure allies that extraordinary renditions are over
By Guy Dinmore in Washington
The US is telling its overseas allies that it has stopped "extraordinary renditions" and needs their help to empty Guantánamo's prison cells. But human rights groups dispute this assertion and a question mark hangs over 200 "war on terror" detainees who could be held indefinitely without trial.
European diplomats say Washington is reacting to pressure from parliamentary investigations, lawsuits from former prisoners, and calls by friendly governments, including the UK, to close Guantánamo, the prison camp at a US naval base in Cuba.
******
John Sifton, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, strongly disputes the assertion that extraordinary renditions stopped in 2003. He said there had been people arrested in 2006 who were still unaccounted for, and others transported by the US from Pakistan, outside all judicial process, to the Middle East.
Human rights groups believe there are large numbers of prisoners in US custody who are unaccounted for and were not included in the 14 transferred to Guantánamo when President George W. Bush acknowledged for the first time in September the existence of secret CIA detention facilities, which he then ordered to be closed.
The US had also crafted a concept of "constructive custody" or "proxy detention", Mr Sifton said. This involved allies, such as Pakistan, Jordan and Morocco, holding detainees at the request of the US and allowing the US free access to them.
Andrew Tyrie, a British opposition MP who recently visited Washington, said the Bush administration was engaged in a fierce debate over the impact of more controversial US practices in the wake of the September 2001 attacks by al-Qaeda. "It is vital we send a message to moderate Muslims that these practices are no longer in our armoury against terrorism," he said, adding the US was also keen to revive the strong transatlantic bonds that existed before the invasion of Iraq.
Do you think Saddam will visit the Cheney household like Marley's Ghost every night after they execute him? Along with Pol Pot and the Turkman dictator that just died?
US tries to assure allies that extraordinary renditions are over
TomN,
Do you think that the White House really thinks it can fool all of the people all of the time? They've burned their bridges with the civilized world for good.
I'd look for a good place to hide in South America, too, if I thought the relatives of all these tortured individuals were going to come after me and mine. It worked for what was left of the Nazis after WWII, but the world wasn't as small as it is today. That fresh water in Paraguay could be polluted real easy with plutonium poison...or Michael Criton's clonned dinosaurs would migrate inland.
Speaking of clonning, did you hear that the FDA now says it's safe for Americans to eat clonned meat...even though the GOP says we can't do that kind of research in our country for moral/ethical reasons. Something apparently was not communicated along to the good people over at the Argriculture Department. James Dobson will straighten them out no doubt.
At least 17 people have been killed in a number of explosions in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, police say. Full Story:
Ford believed Iraq war was not justified
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061228/ger_ford_061228/20061228?hub=World
Even if the F.D.A.’s assessment is formally approved in a few months, though, it is unlikely that consumers will see steaks or pork chops from cloned animals at the local supermarket with any regularity. Industry officials estimate there are now only about 500 or 600 cloned cows in the United States, out of roughly 44 million beef and dairy cows. There are roughly 200 cloned pigs.
Those 200 cloned pigs...let me guess. They all reside in the Beltway. Ha. ha.
Andy Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter are the swineherders.
Prince Harry off to Iraq
December 29, 2006 12:00
Article from: The Daily Telegraph
PRINCE Harry is going to Iraq, reportedly heading there with his unit in May.
Harry will be stationed near the southern port city of Basra and will likely be assigned to patrol the border with Iran.
London's Daily Telegraph said Harry, 22, is determined to go, despite reports of resistance from many in the military who fear he would be a fat prize for terrorists.
They're also worried he would attract attention and put his fellow soldiers in greater danger.
The Telegraph said officials are trying to figure out how to minimise the danger without giving Harry special treatment.
As a second lieutenant, he will have command of 11 men and four light tanks.
Meanwhile, the Prince has joined girlfriend Chelsy Davy, 21, and her family on Bazaruto Island, off Mozambique, for the third year running for a holiday courtesy of safari operator Charles Davy.
Sounds like this royal has some real guts. Why didn't Prince George serve in Vietnam?
SandyH,
Safe cloned food? You could get me started on food and the government and health and it would go on till you yawned and yawned.
Let me say the government opinion, or position, is generally pseudo-scientific and influenced or written by some business interests to put something over on the consumer.
Cloning cows or pigs doesn't make much economic sense unless you can make an exact size animal to be slaughtered by machine, as is possible with chickens.
Cloned animals would be ok to eat, if they weren't so full of drugs and chemicals, which are the well-hidden timebombs in the diet.
Ancient ice shelf snaps and breaks free from the Canadian ArcticDec 28 6:41 PM US/Eastern
STEVE LILLEBUEN (CP)A giant ice shelf the size of 11,000 football fields has snapped free from Canada's Arctic, leaving a trail of icy boulders floating in its wake.
The mass of ice broke clear from the coast of Ellesmere Island, about 800 kilometres south of the North Pole. Warwick Vincent of Laval University, who studies Arctic conditions, travelled to the newly formed ice island and couldn't believe what he saw. "It was extraordinary," Vincent said Thursday, adding that in 10 years of working in the region he has never seen such a dramatic loss of sea ice.
"This is a piece of Canadian geography that no longer exists."
The collapse was so powerful that earthquake monitors 250 kilometres away picked up tremors from it.
Scientists say it is the largest event of its kind in 30 years and point their fingers at climate change as a major contributing factor.
"We think this incident is consistent with global climate change," Vincent said, adding that the remaining ice shelves are 90 per cent smaller than when they were first discovered in 1906...
"We're seeing the tragic loss of unique features of the Canadian landscape," he said.
"There are microscopic organisms and entire ecosystems associated with this ice, so we're losing a part of Canada's natural richness."
Meanwhile, the spring thaw may bring another concern as the warming temperatures could release the ice shelf from its Arctic grip.
Prevailing winds could then send the ice island southwards, deep into the Beaufort Sea.
"Over the next few years this ice island could drift into populated shipping routes," Weir said.
Cloning cows or pigs doesn't make much economic sense unless you can make an exact size animal to be slaughtered by machine, as is possible with chickens.
Posted by TomN on December 29, 2006 at 12:10 AM
That would seem to be where this is going. Why else are they starting a publicity campaign now?
Sorry I'm not so attentative. This is for the ghost haunting Cheney: can't get the imaginary blood off his hands, no matter which soap he uses:
Throw the Bums Out and Change Direction
By Jim Hightower, Hightower Lowdown. Posted December 28, 2006.
At an October fundraiser in Topeka, the Republican faithful lined up to shake hands with the headliner, Dick Cheney. But before getting to the Veep, they had to get past the wife of the local Congress critter. She was standing adjacent to Cheney, holding a big bottle of Purell, a hand sanitizer that claims to kill "99.99% of most common germs." Each person waiting to get their grip-and-grin with the honoree first had to accept a squirt of the goop from this lady to purify their hands! After the meet-and-greet was over, Cheney ducked backstage and rubbed a generous dollop of the antiseptic onto his own hands, cleansing him of the human contact he had just endured.
The publicity stuff is so they don't get torpedoed by the "frankenpig" barbs to the ignorant and superstitious buyers.
I've been told stories about the chicken killing machines and it is dehumanizing. When we can have machines do all our animal killing, then it is just the next step to be insulated enough to have them kill people too. Apathetic numbness, inhuman.
Posted by TomN on December 29, 2006 at 12:17 AM
TomN,
That is down right creepy. You don't think Cheney thinks he's Adraian Monk of USA Channel fame?
Didn't King Louis IX take public baths that all the peasants could come and gaze upon? It was a way to stay close to the people. Cheney want to be close to their checkbooks. Do launder the money, too?
And have you read Cordwainer Smith's stories of the underpeople? His stories are at critical points in the human future and he postulates human-animal hybrid underpeople.
It may be illegal to do this cloning in some countries, but how about Paraguay? Smith had underpeople as mercenaries/slaves that fought way better than human.
I think China is not so constrained by such rules either.
Posted by TomN on December 29, 2006 at 12:24 AM
It really is dehumanizing. Nobody gets their hands dirty.
Isn't it sickening to think mercenary work aka military contractors is the only way many veterans can now make a "middle class" salary?
They do oppose cloning of people though. But, I don't think anyone is planning on cloning people for meat. There just aren't enough cannibals to make it profitable.
Posted by BlueMoon on December 29, 2006 at 12:23 AM
I wouldn't be too sure about that. Want some solvent green, dude?
It's a brave new world alright.
If they are going to clone animals to increase the milk supply, why can't we do stem cell research that will allow our own bodies to fight cancers and disease? I guess that might hurt the pharmacuetical industry.
Something doesn't jibe with the ethics or the reasoning. One of our friends who had a mechancial heart valve replacement about ten years ago, said his brother just had a pig heart valve surgery. I don't know if that is a step forward or backward.
Posted by TomN on December 29, 2006 at 12:32 AM
TomH,
I'm not familar with those books and I'm not sure I want to read them.
Bush/Cheney already are treating the lower 95% of us like underpeople. I think there is going to be enough of us underemployed soon that they won't need to go to that drastic of a step.
I think it stumbled upon me: they're cloning a super race of the Bush twins in Paraguay. HA HA ...
I'd better say goodnight.
I'm going to take my leave for the night. I hope I don't have nightmares.
Good night, all. Don't let the bed bugs bite.
Posted by TomN on December 29, 2006 at 12:47 AM
The Girls From Paraguay? I guess that would be etter than cloning the Bush Brothers.
Good night, Tom.
SandyH,
The Smith stories are amongst the best in science fiction, you would like them, I'm pretty sure.
I guess you haven't heard of investigations of putting an individual's genes into a pig, to prevent rejection, and then growing the pig for body parts to replace defective ones? Pigs because the are of similar size to humans. How tasty would that be?
Peace
Btw, would you compromise and go Edwards/Obama in '08? Although I guess we could go Obama/Edwards, since they both have about the same political experience in the national arenaPosted by GregL on December 28, 2006 at 09:58 AM
Hi GregL,
I think the American people as a whole are ready to embrace Edwards/Obama or Obama/Edwards. It's not a matter of which one is better. It's rather, a matter of which one wins the hearts of the American people for that lead postion first. They are Politically, twins and they each have an equal opportunity to be the President of the United States. The atmosphere is ripe for these two and they are aware of that. I believe they are also aware of the fact that they both may be the only two in that category considering no Republican out there can get the attention of the most moderate of Democratic voters, but these two have been able to reach the most conservative of Republican voters.
P.S. We're cool.
;p
It's Not The New John Edwards: It's The REAL John Edwards.
I Watched John Edwards this morning on C Span and I was encouraged. What struck me was how he urged the American people to actually start doing something now with regards to helping out our fellow American as opposed to waiting till after the 2008 Election. His honesty about not expecting the government to solve all problems, while stunning and blunt, was quite refreshing to hear even for this left-wing progressive. I felt as if he were already leading. I also like the fact that he's not so "Wet behind the ears" anymore. He looks like a grown man now who knows what needs to be done with respect to governing this great nation. He looks like a man who's been somewhere and actually learned something while he was away. He looks like a man who's in tune with the day and age we are living in now and knows that we are facing more than just one big issue. He looks like a man who understands the complexity of our times and has the desire, will, patience, and humility necessary to tackle these issues. He looks like a man who's resolved within himself that he can use the office of the Presidency to actually do something good for our nations future as opposed to perpetuate the havoc that has been wreaked upon us since 2000. He looks like a man who means what he says and says what he means.
In 2004, John Edwards indeed, already had this reputation, but for many, it appeared that he did not live up to it. Instead of taking the opposition full on like we all knew this former lawyer was capable of doing, he played it nice, sweet, and safe. He was courteous to those who showed no courtesy. He spoke kindly to those who were brutal and insulting towards him. He remained honest in the face of those who told blatant lies. He refused to attack those who had aggressively and feverously planned his destruction. It was because of that, many saw him as weak and were disappointed. The great news is that the John Edwards of 2004, the one that the Media introduced us to, was never the real John Edwards. The real John Edwards is the man we saw today and in recent months. The real John Edwards is the man who does not think he's too beautiful to grab a shovel and dig up dirt and reconstruct homes. He's not the gorgeous, blue eyed Multi-Millionaire who was always concerned with how fine he looks, like the Media portrayed him as. The real John Edwards is not afraid to humbly and openly acknowledge his mistakes about Iraq which is why the American people were quick to forgive and will treat him as if he was against the war from the beginning.
This is the real John Edwards and I really am looking forward to an Edwards/Obama or Obama/Edwards ticket in 2008. I see no other option for the American people. I am purposely using the words American people as opposed to the Democratic Party because I believe that the Republican Party Leadership has effectively detached itself from the American people as a whole and has abandoned their Republican constituents. I believe something bad and wicked has entered the Republican Leadership and I hope their constituents have the discernment and strength to call it out and rebuke it. In the meantime, I think it's only fair that the Democratic Party step in and choose candidates that the ENTIRE country as a whole, can embrace and I see the required qualifications to bring that about in both Obama and Edwards. I can honestly say that I am confident of a Democratic victory in 2008. I don't believe the American people have a desire to embrace the foul corruption of the Republican Party Leadership or any of its candidates. They have nothing fresh, new or honest. They are all connected and tangled in a thick sticky web of corruption and the American people have no desire to wade through the muck and mire to find one worthy of their vote. Democrats must reach out to their fellow Americans and show them what being an American really is by giving them a President that will unite all, respect all, embrace all and govern all.
Republican Party Leadership has effectively detached itself from the American people as a whole and has abandoned their Republican constituents. I believe something bad and wicked has entered the Republican Leadership and I hope their constituents have the discernment and strength to call it out and rebuke it.
Sort of like a disruptive troll who's filled with a malicious unclean spirit.
'p
Do you think Saddam will visit the Cheney household like Marley's Ghost every night after they execute him?
Posted by SandyH on December 28, 2006 at 11:29 PM
I'll be sick if the American people cheer when Saddam is dead. I think that is arrogant. Let his own people be of good cheer, not ours. His followers will be sure to give the hell that is to pay.
Posted by fade2bluz on December 28, 2006 at 07:53 PM
;)
FDA research on food safety stalled
Recurring outbreaks of food-borne illness from contaminated produce are "unacceptable" in today's society, the government says. But the Food and Drug Administration hasn't done much of the basic research that would let it write regulations to fix the problem.
Six years after the FDA first issued general guidance to the produce industry on how it might prevent contamination from microbes such as E. coli 0157:H7, experts say federal regulators still can't answer key questions.
For example, does water used for irrigating crops have to be clean enough for people to drink? And since cow manure is a common source of E. coli, how far from a cow pasture does a spinach patch have to be? Across the road? A quarter-mile away? A mile?
U.S. sees ICC in more benevolent light
"An international kangaroo court," thundered Sen. Jesse Helms. "A shady amalgam of every bad idea ever cooked up for world government," said Rep. Tom DeLay. The wrath of the two former conservative legislators was directed at the International Criminal Court around the time of its founding in 2002. As the comments suggest, the U.N.-mandated court presented a fat target for many in Congress - and the administration.
The concern was that American servicemen hunting down terrorists abroad might not be safe from politically motivated prosecutions. That concern remains, but the Bush administration is indicating a somewhat more benevolent overall view these days.
Morphine-free poppy suggested to counter Afghan heroin boom
After a year of escalating Afghan heroin production, calls are mounting for a shift in U.S. policy aimed at turning Afghanistan's poppy into an economic asset by using it to produce medicinal painkillers.
Backers of the proposal include leading scientists and economists, as well as some in Congress. The Bush administration is skeptical.
Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., plans to use his recently acquired seat on the House International Relations Committee to bring the matter up when lawmakers convene next month.
"You can't just cut off the poppies because that's the livelihood of the people who live there," Carnahan said Thursday. "But providing them with alternative legal markets for pain-relief medication is a way to help cut back on that heroin supply."
FOs....Essi...Good morning...FOS that was a great post you did on Edwards! I have to go back and read the rest bb
Esmeralda...good posts...I hope everything is going well for you this morning
Good morning J...hope everything is ok with you this am....
If you know you're going to need a mouthpiece better start early lining one up.
The Bush administration is filling key slots in the White House with attorneys in anticipation of all the "flying supoenas".
goodfoe, doing okay. Started reading an article posted by fade last night and it answered the question we were throwing around of the Bush purchase of all that acreage in Paraguay.
I'll explain later, You're not going to like it. Greed as usual.
Good Friday Morning, Dems. Maybe it's just me, but these very long threads make me think it's just "hard work" to put up a new thread for us when the powers that be are on "holiday". I'm not familiar about the process, but can't it be done from anywhere? HillWilliam?
Or, maybe it's just because I haven't had any coffee yet.
Enough can never be said of New Orleans and it's attempt to regain itself after Katrina. There are tons of articles, publications, clips, quips or whatever written and filmed of this beautiful city that nature took a cruel turn to. There is all the talk of the city's spirit and how it has resiliency as it is holding on to eventually rebuild back or as someone said, "hope floats".
Bottom line here: Yeah hope floats, but eventually it sags too without the one thing that this capitalistic society is based on: MONEY. This city needs money and tons of it. YES, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS AN OBLIGATION TO THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND IT'S RESIDENTS, THE ONES WITHIN THE CITY AND THE ONES FLUNG LIKE SEEDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
Nice link J...of course they left out the part about the tractor trailer load of paper shreders they bought....bbl
PERFECT EXAMPLE OF RIGHT-WING BULL CRAP!
Green (RED) Bay Press Gazzette has some nerve. They want to trip off a stupid $ 300.00 fine against Democratic Governor Jim Doyle over some stupid Packer Tickets, yet, they did'nt they say jack smak about Republican Rep. Mark Green who owes $468,000.00 and for illegal fundraising.Why did I have to go all the way to Madison Wisconsin to hear about that one? I hate this local news paper. They are full of it!
Note: GregL Don't even think about it! I know it's a WaPo link.
;p
Good morning Cyn. No, I don't think it's a real problem and yes they can be done from anywhere. But read the little statement with this thread saying that we could go to PartyBuilder. Think that was a hint that there weren't going to be fresh threads every day during the holiday. :)
Nice link J...of course they left out the part about the tractor trailer load of paper shreders they bought....bbl
Posted by goodfoe on December 29, 2006 at 07:12 AM
Oh I know. Those folks in the White House been shreading everything remotely like paper since Nov. 8.
Oh, Good morning J and Cyn and Essie.
:)
J....Fade did post a good deal of material on the land deal...I read all of it last night including the links.She thinks it is mostly about safe haven from criminal prosecution...That's part of it. But I still feel there is more to this water deal than we know at this time
CYN....Good morning....the coffee will help...bbl
J, partybuilder is fine, but it's not the blog. Sometimes I feel like they treat the bloggers like kindergarteners. Sigh...
Morning, Freedom, Goodfoe, Esme.
I am reading Fade's posts from last night about the Bushies and Moonies and Guns and Drugs in Paraguay. Fascinating stuff and a huge thanks to {{{Fade}}} for digging it up.
So FOS, what about Edwards throwing his hat in the ring? See you gave an EXCELLENT write up earlier.
J, partybuilder is fine, but it's not the blog. Sometimes I feel like they treat the bloggers like kindergarteners. Sigh...
Morning, Freedom, Goodfoe, Esme.
I am reading Fade's posts from last night about the Bushies and Moonies and Guns and Drugs in Paraguay. Fascinating stuff and a huge thanks to {{{Fade}}} for digging it up.
Posted by Cyn_NY on December 29, 2006 at 07:31 AM
Kindergardeners? They need to come off of that. If they actually READ some of the comments they would see that there are some top notch minds that post on this site, unlike some others I get on.
Going back up to complete reading an article that fade posted last night that answered the question of the huge land purchase in Paraguay by the Bush family.
bbl
Gotta say thanks to fade for digging. I do enough research and I'm tired.
So FOS, what about Edwards throwing his hat in the ring? See you gave an EXCELLENT write up earlier.Posted by J on December 29, 2006 at 07:33 AM
Well, as soon as I hear from Barack Obama, I will be able to make a decision as to whether or not I adjust the second half of my username. If Obama runs, it will be Obama/Edwards 2008. If Obama doesn't run, it will be Edwards 2008. I have no third choices. If Obama doesn't run and Edwards doesn't get the Dem. Presidential Nomination , I will not be active. I will concentrate on Wisconsin Races only.
I refuse to back Clinton or anyone else. The only action from me would be November 2008 on Election Day.I would then, grudgingly , vote Democratic.
Posted by Esmeralda on December 29, 2006 at 05:44 AM
back atcha ;)
bottled water, in those cute little environmentally cruel plastic bottles, is priced higher than gasoline...
there is the whole laundry list as to why they're in Paraguay...the base is a major part of it, and there are the "military contractors" thrown into the mix, as well
anti-savior Moon is reputed to make his fortunes from, among other things, drug and weapons traffic...illegal unless you're in the bush crime family...
J hit it on the head when she called it greed.
those vile School of the Americas operations will be (are) conducted until the region is unstable. Poppy Bush still reads the CIA briefings every morning, the only former president to do so.
many of the links that were included last night have been "removed"...this is a hot story
I gotta go.
Have a great weekend. See ya'll on Sunday (second shift) You will have me for the rest of the year.
(LOL)
Peace Out!
good morning kids. has anyone not broken all their toys yet? i remember when i was about 8 or 9 years old i got a telescope and the first thing i did was unscrew the front and all the lenses fell out. my dad got his money back from santa.
ok i was in the twilight zone there for a minute.
speaking of breaking things:
TORONTO, Ontario (AP) -- A giant ice shelf the size of 11,000 football fields has snapped free from Canada's Arctic, scientists said.
The mass of ice broke clear 16 months ago from the coast of Ellesmere Island, about 800 kilometers (497 miles) south of the North Pole, but no one was present to see it in Canada's remote north.
Scientists using satellite images later noticed that it became a newly formed ice island in just an hour and left a trail of icy boulders floating in its wake. (Watch the satellite images that clued in ice watchers)
Warwick Vincent of Laval University, who studies Arctic conditions, traveled to the newly formed ice island and could not believe what he saw.
"This is a dramatic and disturbing event. It shows that we are losing remarkable features of the Canadian North that have been in place for many thousands of years. We are crossing climate thresholds, and these may signal the onset of accelerated change ahead," Vincent said Thursday.
TORONTO, Ontario (AP) -- A giant ice shelf the size of 11,000 football fields has snapped free from Canada's Arctic, scientists said.
The mass of ice broke clear 16 months ago from the coast of Ellesmere Island, about 800 kilometers (497 miles) south of the North Pole, but no one was present to see it in Canada's remote north.
Scientists using satellite images later noticed that it became a newly formed ice island in just an hour and left a trail of icy boulders floating in its wake. (Watch the satellite images that clued in ice watchers)
Warwick Vincent of Laval University, who studies Arctic conditions, traveled to the newly formed ice island and could not believe what he saw.
"This is a dramatic and disturbing event. It shows that we are losing remarkable features of the Canadian North that have been in place for many thousands of years. We are crossing climate thresholds, and these may signal the onset of accelerated change ahead," Vincent said Thursday.
Morning, Gregg. You must be a lot like my younger sister - she got a Shirley Temple doll for Christmas when she was about 6 and proceeded to take her into the bathroom and washed her hair. My mother was beside herself.
Fade....thx for posting all that last nite....glad i got to read it before it vanishes....just goes to show that this blogg may be monitered by the "spooks"...who knows...it would not be the first time...John Boy..
Well I think I'm going to digest these links that fade put up last night and come back with and answer no one is going to like. There is more to this land purchase than meets the eye. I can smell it or vibe it out.
Check everyone later
Peace \/ :)
TORONTO, Ontario (AP) -- A giant ice shelf the size of 11,000 football fields has snapped free from Canada's Arctic, scientists said.
Posted by gregg on December 29, 2006 at 08:00 AM
Oh yeah gregg I saw that article this morning but didn't read! Reminded me of that movie, Day after Tomorrow. Think that's happening?
Posted by Cyn_NY on December 29, 2006 at 07:05 AM
Damn it, woman! Have you not tried party builder? Go chat there.
ok, so I'm sick and in a pissy mood. (not at Cyn, just in general)
Office only open til noon & I'm the only one running the joint. Gotta run!
awwww essie, sorry that you're feeling punk. it's hilarious to see you say "damn", though. ummmmmm
hope you feel better!
gregg, thanx for the nyc tip sheet. i copied it onto a document and the kids have it in their pockets. they really loved your suggestions. i got a call from them at 1 a.m. to let me know they were safe and sound, in a coffee shop uptown. whatever that means.
J-can't wait to see what you sniff out...there is a whole lotta shakin' goin' on--the TruthOut piece on New Orleans was really good. did you see they want to "unname" the Billy McKinney highway? those fools...
Cyn, i think we're misunderappreciated here on the open threads. No one made the major announcement that it is fried-ay...party on...
Esme, hope you feel better soon! :-)
And,I served with the KA Blog, I knew the KA Blog, the KA Blog was a friend of mine. Tracy, partybuilder is no KA Blog....
Call me Lloyd Bentsen
See ya'll later. Have a great day!
Lloyd Bentsen, have a spectacular day!
well said, sistah
j, i don't know if we are in that movie yet but we need leadership that will take the possibilities seriously and deal with them as needed. i think we took a big step foward in that direction in november and we need to keep on keepin on in that effort so future generations will have a chance to enjoy this beautiful planet and will be less likely to piss on our graves.
fade, i expect a full report on their adventures and if they don't ride the staten island ferry they can't get an "a" uptown could mean anything from washington heights to central park depending on what you consider downtown....
cyn, actually i got a shirely temple doll myself this year and am glad you warned me i was just about to take her in the shower with me...
esmeralda, feel better...
goodfoe, keep the camp fire going i will be out today.
from TPM Muckraker:
Last year, for instance, California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein secured a $1 million earmark in a Senate funding bill to establish a Western Center for Food Safety and Defense at UC-Davis. It would have been the first FDA-affiliated center of its kind on the West Coast.
"(It) will play an important role in identifying potential threats and finding solutions to ensure the security of our food supply," Feinstein said at the time.
But when congressional negotiators met to craft a final spending bill, according to sources familiar with the sessions, the proposed UC-Davis food safety center lacked the support of Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif., a conservative member of the House GOP leadership. The money was dropped.
A spokesperson for Doolittle's office could not be reached to comment.
It's not that Doolittle hates earmarks. After all, he used them to help steer $37 million to an accused felon, and another $400,000 to the Abramoff-friendly government of the Marianas Islands. (One or both of those favors likely drew the attention of the Feds, who now have Doolittle under investigation.)
Oh -- are you wondering the real cost of lax food regulation? "Overall, 76 million U.S. residents become sick annually from food-borne illness, more than 325,000 people are hospitalized and 5,000 people die," McClatchy reported.
[eat'em up, y'all...it's so close to the weekend that i can taste it--happy day, everyone!]
gregg...they are definitely riding the ferry. that was something he's never done and was looking forward to. i can't wait for the photos!
thanx again~
yikes, good morning, john
i'm almost finished with your book! it's really an eye opener-well i'm going to be late if i don't get rolling here...
read you later
Gregg...have a great day...I wish I could visit New York City one more time but I don't think that is in the cards...but I have some great memories...Central Park...the old Roxie Theather, Yankee Stadium....The Polo Grounds...the baseball Giants still played there then...
so goodfoe you must be an old fogey like me if you remember the giants at the polo grounds.
Fade...have a great day...I'm pleased that you like our book. Glad you have it. You are a fighter and don't back up...I hope the book will motivate you even more to carry on the fight for quality health care for all Americans...Love and Peace to you...
Gregg...old?...me old....I remember Whitey Lockman hitting those 250 ft chip shots right down the right fielf foul line off the facade of the second deck.....I remember when Willy hit one off Herb Score in an exabition game against the Indians. It hit the score board in deep center field.....I workrd in the Old Roxyt over one Easter vacation...what an education that was..I attened Mt St Michael Prep in the 1oth grade in 1951...Me old...Naw!!!
Posted by FreedomOfSpeechForBarackObama2008 on December 29, 2006 at 07:15 AM
LMAO!
goodfoe, thanks you made me feel young!
i'll be in new joisey today and while it ain't nyc it's close so i'll give your regards to broadway and remember you to herald square....
Gregg...you're welcome!...when I was up there, some of those Jersey girls were fine as were some of the college girls up in Dobbs Ferry...like I said,...some good memories...
goodfoe, ...the east coast girls are hip i really dig those styles they were....
morning all,
daughter flew back out last night, so life back to normal. Got my granddaughter's cold, so not feeling up to par.
Gotta clean out the refrig today of all the leftovers, and take down the tree, then I am through!
Hope you all had a terrific holiday. I did.
Will be back in later to discuss what's going on in the world (as soon as I find out what it is!) Haven't had the TV on in days.
Oh, and ignore the troll who is pretending to be a Democrat! I will take book that is the old man from MN using his old tactic of trying to pretend he is a Dem so he can pop up later and say "fooled you" ! Part of his narcissism.
BBL...........
Bush Considers Economic Package for Iraq
Tex., Dec. 28 -- As he puts the finishing touches on his revised Iraq plan, President Bush is considering new economic initiatives to go along with a possible increase in troops to help stabilize the country, according to officials familiar with the administration's review.
Among the steps being considered are short-term jobs and loan programs aimed at winning back the waning local support for the U.S. presence in Iraq, the officials said. They described the ideas as part of a classic effort to quell an insurgency through a combination of economic, political and military means.
"The president is looking at a variety of ways to work with the Iraq government to provide new economic opportunities for Iraqis, which will be essential to sustaining security gains and draining the influence of extremists," said Gordon Johndroe, the spokesman for the National Security Council.
Reyes: U.S. Intelligence 'Manipulated'
Incoming House Intelligence Chairman Silvestre Reyes says he'd rather figure out how to stabilize Iraq and bring the troops home than get bogged down investigating what went wrong.
Despite that pledge, he does plan to revisit one bit of history: What he sees as the government's improper classification of a letter he wrote during the congressional debate on the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.
In the letter, he questioned the intelligence used to take the country to war and specifically the "epiphany in the intelligence community" that al-Qaida and the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein were linked, Reyes says. Based on the answers to questions he'd asked since Sept. 11, 2001, he said that assessment was "a complete turnaround" for U.S. analysts.
"We now know that the intelligence was cherry-picked and manipulated," Reyes said in a recent interview. "I thought it was real petty to get (the letter) classified."
Reyes is taking over the House Intelligence Committee at a pivotal time, as the Democrats try to shape the U.S. course on Iraq and Afghanistan, government surveillance programs and other national security questions. The retired Border Patrol agent hasn't seen his party in control of the House since 1994.
I don't think Edwards is going to go anywhere
Posted by BlueMoon on December 29, 2006 at 03:02 AM
When one speaks bad of something that is purely good you know the speaker is evil.
Esmeralda....Thanks for the link at 9:50 re Bush's "Economic Package" for Iraq, it's 4 years too late. Bush had no viable plan for the occupation. He has thrown away hundreds of millions of dollars in Iraq with no accountability. So, he has lost all credibility on this. I want the troops btought home and the expense of "Bush's Folly" stopped NOW!!!!!
Good Morning salutetheDems......Edwards is running smart...he'll do just great!
Posted by Esmeralda on December 29, 2006 at 09:56 AM
Ya know, this is some of the reason I get pissed at the Dem leadership alot.
"Incoming House Intelligence Chairman Silvestre Reyes says he'd rather figure out how to stabilize Iraq and bring the troops home than get bogged down investigating what went wrong."
There are HUNDREDS of you, you can do BOTH at the same time, you friggin weenie! Forgive and forget is all well and good when the offending party admits their mistakes and tries to make amends, but these stubborn jackasses will just try to turn everything they did wrong back around and make it the Dems fault somehow. Meanwhile the Dems will start crying because the Repugs threw the flowers on the ground and pissed all over them. Make those jerks own up and PAY UP!
/rant off
G'morning {{Y'all}} from Central NC
Salute, I'm very stoked over JRE's candidacy. He does have a good heart and doesn't mind getting out there and rolling up his sleeves, either. Shrub may roll up his sleeves, but he's never done a lick of honest work in his entire sorry life. JRE has put his money and effort where his mouth is. He may just be the healing our nation needs. Oh! here's hoping! You know the trolls will be thick, but that's alright. The thicker they get, the better we know we're doing.
Tee-minus 17 days til closing. Got a bid on fixing the pressure tank for the well, so we're on track. Can't wait to get settled a-way-out in the country again.
HillWilliam...good to hear that you are on track and set to go!!
just a quick question, folks.
Is there ANYONE who actually believes that Saddam put a notice on some website, for Iraqis NOT to hate Americans, and to get along???????
I have heard a lot of propoganda, and spin before, but this one takes the cake!!!
In my nyquil induced stupor, I recall hearing this on Scarborough last night.
Bush tops in poll for both villain, hero of year
He beat out Satan & Jesus on both lists!
Corporations are sitting on piles of cash
Imagine the dilemma of having so much cash in your bank account that you didn't know what to do with it.
This is of course a pipe dream for the average American, but is now reality for the country's biggest corporations. The industrial companies that make up the Standard & Poor's 500 index -- which excludes financial, transportation and utility companies -- have a staggering $643 billion in cash and equivalents.
Posted by goodfoe on December 29, 2006 at 10:10 AM
You are welcome!
Pam,
By now none of us is (or should be!) surprised at what the GOP spin machine will stoop to. Personally, I never cared much about Sodamn Insane, one way or the other. He was well contained and that's a stone fact. No links to any terrorist organization (too much of an egotist), no WMD (anyone with two brain cells in the same orbit could tell that Shrub was running up a scare campaign, too eager to throw the inspectors out of Iraq before they could report what we already knew).
Now Shrub has boxed the US firmly in a "damned if ya do and damned if ya don't" corner. While Saddam deserves to die for his atrocities, it isn't our place to ensure that's what happens. If anyone has the right to hasten his death, it's the Kurds, not us. I don't give a damn what Shrub preaches from his bully-pulpit... nobody died and left him to be god. If anything, martrying Saddam (in the eyes of his followers) would have exactly the same effect as martyring Shrub to his followers.
No good could possibly come of either. My gut says that offing Saddam would just stir up the Islamist nutcases which would only serve to stir up the wackogelical nutcases. A lovely feedback loop enabling BushCo to continue their documented century and a half long family business: selling arms to both sides. How convenient. I don't see how they sleep at night.
When all Shrub has for followers are pre-programmed moonies, it's pretty darn sad. But those are the only people left who refuse to see how nekkid and shrimpy (wups!!) their chimperor is. There's a special hell for Moon for manipulating people, especially at the behest of the GOP. Like my daddy used to say: there's a place for everyone in this world. Moon's just hasn't been dug yet. Like it or not, Saddams's will be soon.
{{Es}}, hope that cold gets better soon! It's not much fun getting your New Year's kiss through a mask (been there done that! Sucks! LOL). Rest and liquids, Dear One, and don't forget the zinc supplements.
{{{Bill}}}
I'll get that kiss no matter what! We're having a "come & go" open house Jan. 1st. My Pretty Bird is the guest of honor, seeing how will be her 22nd BD.
Bold,
I think it's a spin to keep up comfy in our beds and thoughtless in our heads.
Good morning, all.
Essie,
Zicam and Sucrets Defense are the only way to go. I'm not into pill popping, but this stopped my head cold in its tracks and so far has kept my husband's chest cold away.
I suggest watching old television shows. My kids gave us a collection of old Rod Sterling "Twilight Zones"...creepy and conducive to falling asleep in a dark room. "Monk" shows will make you laugh and realize that your symptoms will go away but not his.
BREAKING NEWS:
Reuters: Saddam lawyer told by U.S. ex-leader now in Iraqi custody.
MSNBC.com
Thanks, Sandy. Monk has some of the cleaning symptoms I have. ;)
Well, the line has been drawn. The Conservative Right are out touting their new "alternative" stem cell bill proposal to reverse the one the voters passed in November. They obviously think they can make this a rallying stance for the fundies.
I've seen several stories in the suburban journals and the local media about the "leadership" and their crusade. The state GOP reps must feel really threatened by a Democratic "surge" in the coming 2008 campaigns.
I'm personally glad they want to force the issue and try to reverse the will of the people. These people never seem to learn. Our state animal is a mule with good reason. Missouri voters don't take well to those that try to advance their own careers by pushing us around.
My recent column "Where Are the Christians?" drew a bundle of answers in emails from Truthout readers. That piece was about the bigoted remarks of Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) attacking newly-elected Congressman Keith Ellis, a Muslim, for taking his unofficial oath of office with his hand on the Quran - and mindlessly predicting that this would somehow lead to a vast increase in illegal Muslim immigration (unless, of course, we close our borders).
Bob,
So Bush will sit back and enjoy watching the Iraqis Sunnis and Shiites killing each other during a religious holiday that forbids executing anyone at that time.
As usual the neocons have found a way to infuriate the Muslim world...and have no sense of decency when it comes to other peoples' cultures and customs.
If this is Bush's change in strategy in Iraq, we better batten down the hatches because the fight for Iraqi freedom and war on terror is about to come to our shores for certain with this outrage.
What a bunch of incompetent, barbaric idiots.
If anything, martrying Saddam (in the eyes of his followers) would have exactly the same effect as martyring Shrub to his followers.
WillBill,
What Shrub followers? His poll numbers are down in the 20's and fast approaching Cheney's 13% favorable. The only person still following him is Mark Foley with his pardon papers outstretched with a pen to sign them.
Sandy,
One thing is for certain. With shrinking gasoline supplies, shrinking economies, shrinking pocketbooks and a shrinking possibility of a peaceful America, the only thing we're sure never to run out of is right-wing nutjobs.
When people were asked to name the candidate for villain that first came to mind, Bush far outdistanced even Osama bin Laden, and former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
The president was picked as hero of the year by a much smaller margin. In the poll, 13 percent named him as their favorite while 6 percent cited the troops in Iraq.
Ha, I told you he had only a 13% following. Darth Cheney must be down to about 5%.
Couldn't the Shiite government wait until after the holiday? This is such a stupid political decision with all the religous implication involved.
There seems to be a rush to judgement here that will only make the world believe that it was Bush behind the scenes manipulting this execution as a publicity stunt and a diversion from his own troubles at home.
And don't you just know they would be right. This Iraqi government is in big trouble. They appear to be puppets of both the US and al Sadr. If there was any support by the Sunnis in the region, it's gone now.
And just how angry will the Saudis be about another Bush/Cheney fiasco? Fill your gas tanks now. The price of oil is going to skyrocket in the new year. It will drive our already faltering economy into a nose dive...along with the value of our dollar.
WillBill, George Bush is the incredible shrinking man.
Gotta go. later.
There will be a live cast from the NH Edwards Town hall meeting if anyone is interested in hearing it live:
12:30 PM Eastern time.
And for that final, perfectly controversial Karen Hughes touch, I wouldn't be surprised it they don't crusify Saddam instead of hang him.
Arctic ice shelf collapse poses risk: expert
An ice shelf the size of 11,000 football fields that broke off Ellesmere Island could be dangerous when it starts to drift, a scientist says. Full Story:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2006/12/28/tech-ellesmereiceshelfcollapse-20061228.html
Senator Biden appeared on NPR's Morning Edition this week to discuss the idea of sending more troops to Iraq. Click below to listen to the interview.
http://www.npr.org/templates/dmg/dmg.php?prgCode=ME&showDate=27-Dec-2006&segNum=3&NPRMediaPref=WM&getAd=1
Posted by SandyH on December 29, 2006 at 11:59 AM
While you and I have disagreed about tactics in the past concerning Iraq, on the point of the incompetence displayed by the current administration, there can be no arguement. And where is the State Department in all of this? Surely Secretary Rice, and/or her staff, know that you shouldn't execute anyone during the Hajj. And who is in charge of cultural relations at State to avoid situations of this nature? For what it's worth, I am against the death penalty 99.99% of the time. Saddam Hussein is in the .01% club with Hitler, Pol Pot, Mussolini, Stalin, etc... .
Posted by DemocratKickingAss on December 29, 2006 at 12:54 PM
I have always appreciated Sen. Biden's perspective on the Iraq war. I had been advocating the "final push", add 40K+ troops, type campaign ending with a 75% withdrawal by the end of 2007 and complete disengagment by Inaguration Day 2009. Sen. Biden's logic and arguement has made me reconsider that position.
Also, I'm beginning to think that Sen. Biden's "three state solution" may be the most viable at this juncture.
Just a checkin. I've been with those links that fade posted last night. I am only about one half completed reading, but so far I had to come up for some gag room. I'll say this: The Bush administrtion/Bush family have set out to take the continent of South America.
Will post a better explanation if they ever decide to give us a new thread or if not on my PartyBulder blog.
Back to the reading grind.
The vaccine to prevent every strain of flu by FIONA MacRAE Last updated at 09:08am on 29th December 2006British scientists are on the verge of producing a revolutionary flu vaccine that works against all major types of the disease.
Described as the 'holy grail' of flu vaccines, it would protect against all strains of influenza A - the virus behind both bird flu and the nastiest outbreaks of winter flu.
Just a couple of injections could give long-lasting immunity - unlike the current vaccine which has to be given every year.
The brainchild of scientists at Cambridge biotech firm Acambis, working with Belgian researchers, the vaccine will be tested on humans for the first time in the next few months.
A similar universal flu vaccine, being developed by Swiss vaccine firm Cytos Biotechnology, could also be tested on people in 2007 - and the vaccines on the market in around five years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=425227&in_page_id=1774
At last! Some good news! This is what investing in R & D can do for you as opposed to giving dividend money to fat-cat investors. I wish the best of luck to all involved in this noble venture.
I can't believe ANYONE could come up with something this stupid....
WH: bin Laden Capture "A Success That Hasn't Occured Yet"
By Justin Rood - December 29, 2006, 8:25 AM
Five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Osama bin Laden is still at large -- but that's not a failure of White House policy, says Frances Fragos Townsend. As she explained to CNN's White House correspondent Ed Henry last night:
HENRY: You know, going back to September 2001, the president said, dead or alive, we're going to get him. Still don't have him. I know you are saying there's successes on the war on terror, and there have been. That's a failure.
TOWNSEND: Well, I'm not sure -- it's a success that hasn't occurred yet. I don't know that I view that as a failure.
Unbelievable....a success that hasn't occured yet....The bush Administration must "believe" that American citizens are total morons if they expect anyone to swallow this line of BS!
Wanted dead or alive...bring em on just a success that hasn't happened yet yet.
Katrina recovery...just a success that hasn't happened yet.
Good Grief I won the lottery it just hasn't happened yet!!!!
What assh...s.
Posted by wldj on December 29, 2006 at 02:13 PM
Yet 59 million, or so, voted for the President in the 2004 election. and if he could run again, he would get at least 35 million of those same votes. I'm like you, it's awfully scary that so many people can be so bloody gullible.
N.C. Bar Files Charges Against Duke D.A. Dec 28, 10:50 PM (ET) By AARON BEARD RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The North Carolina bar filed ethics charges Thursday against the prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case, accusing him of saying misleading and inflammatory things to the media about the athletes under suspicion.The punishment for ethics violations can range from admonishment to disbarment. The complaint could also force District Attorney Mike Nifong off the case by creating a conflict of interest.
"He's got this hanging over his head," said Thomas Metzloff, a Duke law professor and member of the bar's ethics committee for the past 10 years. "It relates so much to his underlying conduct in the case."
Among the four rules of professional conduct that Nifong was accused of violating was a prohibition against making comments "that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused."
In a statement, the bar said it opened a case against Nifong on March 30, a little more than two weeks after a 28-year-old woman hired to perform as a stripper at a lacrosse team party said she was gang-raped.
The ethics charges will be heard by an independent body called the Disciplinary Hearing Commission, made up of both lawyers and non-lawyers. A date for the hearing has not been set.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061229/D8MA91I80.html
This is yet another case of abuse of power and gross incompetence. Disbarment may not be good enough. I would hope that the NC or Federal prosecutors charge the D.A. for malicious prosecution and the so-called victim for perjury. This "victim" has lied her way through this entire process probably in an attempt to get paid off from the rich kids.
This Townsend woman has some high profile job, either in the State Dept. or Defense I"m not sure which, and she is as totally clueless as the rest of the Administration. Where did our "Decider" find these idiots who either can't or won't do the job they are being paid for? Then to say something so stupid is just mind numbing to me.
Bob I don't know about you but anyone who can still honestly support the criminal bush Administration must be either deaf and dumb or profiting from all the corruption bush has allowed to occur. The only problem with this is that most of the fools who support bush aren't rich just uninformed or too scared of all the spin bush has spewed about the horrible threat some ignorant terrorist will inflict on them.
Posted by Esmeralda on December 29, 2006 at 11:53 AM
I was looking for the percentage of Christians that believe America is a Christian nation and ended up on Wikipedia's entry on the Pledge of Allegiance...and read about the whole "under God" thing. This is a part of what Eisenhower said when he signed the bill into law:
These words [“under God”] will remind Americans that despite our great physical strength we must remain humble.
Yeah, Dwight, real friggin good job there...this nation is just EVER so humble. Seems to me having these words in our pledge has given a WHOLE lot of people the idea that we are God's chosen people and the rest of the world needs to bow down before us.
Btw, all you who believe this is a Christian nation and not a nation of Christians, just remember, it doesn't say "under Christ". The word "God" means different things to different people.
Posted by wldj on December 29, 2006 at 02:40 PM
Ms. Townsend is the spokesperson for Homeland Defense, if memory serves.
The terrorist threat is real. If current estimates are correct and 5% of Islam has been radicalized, that means there at least 20 million people in world who want to duplicate the vents of 11SEP01. And it has been compounded by the lack of diplomacy from our State Department, the lack of competence from the west wing, and the gross mismanagement of Congress by the RNC.
Well if we ever get a new thread everyone will come back and post. I'm beginning to wonder if they intend to give us a fresh one for the weekend.
Terrorism may be a threat but nowhere near as much as the Decider has claimed. Because of Bush millions more may hate us but attacking us or following through on the hatred is a whole other thing. I'm not going to spend the rest of my life worried about or looking over my shoulder for the evil boogyman terrorist. Let the fundies hide under their beds and beg their god for protection I plan on living my life not hiding from life and it's dangers. Being strong doesn't mean being violent.
peace
Posted by J on December 29, 2006 at 03:10 PM
With well over 500 posts on this thread, I concur. One more thread should get us through the holiday.
President Ford's service is currently being run on CBS. Mr. President, I didn't agree with most of your political stances but I thank you for your service to this great nation of ours. Rest in peace.
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