ThinkFast: October 4, 2006
ThinkFast: October 4, 2006
“Tucked away in fine print in the military spending bill for this past year was a lump sum of $20 million to pay for a celebration in [Baghdad] ‘for commemoration of success’ in Iraq and Afghanistan,” the NYT reports. “Not surprisingly, the money was not spent.” But in the spending bill approved last week, conservatives rolled the $20 million over into 2007.
The Dow Jones Industrial average closed at 11,727.34 yesterday, besting the previous record in January 2000, though “[i]f inflation is taken into account, the Dow has to rise another 2,150 points before it will set an all-time high.”
“Members of the House ethics committee will return to Washington, D.C., on Thursday and are expected to approve an investigation” into the scandal involving Mark Foley.
“Congress has set a 2007 termination date for the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction,” Stuart Bowen, “at the behest of the Bush administration, removing the source of a series of audit reports that have emboldened critics of the president’s war polices. Bowen has said post-war reconstruction planning in Iraq was “insufficient in both scope and implementation.”
“Democrats are renewing their vow to impede the annual congressional pay raise until the minimum wage is increased,” The Hill reports, “but their options for a successful block during the lame-duck session likely depend on the outcome of the Nov. 7 midterm election.”
39 percent: President Bush’s approval rating, a drop of three points since September, according to a new NBC/WSJ poll.
“In the second month of a security crackdown” in Baghdad, U.S. military casualties appear to be rising,” according to military officials. “At least 17 troops have been killed in combat since Saturday, including eight U.S. soldiers who died in gunbattles and bomb blasts Monday in Baghdad – the most killed in a single day in the capital since July 2005.”
The Center for Constitutional Rights has filed the first challenge to legislation passed last week that stripped detainees of their centuries-old right to challenge their detention. CCR’s habeas petition was filed on behalf of a detainee held in “secret CIA detention for 3 1/2 years and subjected to ‘alternative interrogation methods’ that amount to torture.”
“Security weaknesses have left millions of elderly, disabled and poor Americans vulnerable to unauthorized disclosure of their medical and personal records,” according to a federal investigation of the computer system used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Extreme drought will affect about a third of the planet and spread across half of the earth’s land surface by 2100 because of global warming, according to new predictions from Britain’s leading climate scientists.
And finally: Students at Bush Elementary School in Stockton, CA, were surprised yesterday when President Bush stopped by for a visit, after initially sending his regrets. “I think the president was happy. He was smiling a lot,” said Brandom Zarate, 8. Richard Therman, 7, recalls that the President told him “You guys, read a lot.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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Sad isn’t it….
October 4th, 2006 at 9:01 amStill nothing on the miserable bill’s passed last week by the house and senate.. What’s the deal TP…..All of us have been asking, over and over….Well.?
October 4th, 2006 at 9:02 amDid you notice, ThinkProgress?
Did you notice FOX calling Foley a Democrat?
How many Democrats are lined up to go a whorin’ on FOX this election season? (aside from the usual traitorous suspects Alan Colmes and Juan Williams)
October 4th, 2006 at 9:03 am“Tucked away in fine print in the military spending bill for this past year was a lump sum of $20 million to pay for a celebration in [Baghdad] ‘for commemoration of success’ in Iraq and Afghanistan,†the NYT reports. “Not surprisingly, the money was not spent.†But in this year’s spending bill, conservatives have rolled the $20 million over into 2007.
If they invest this money wisely, they could gain interest on this and help pay for this debacle after they evacuate people from the US Embassy’s rooftops by helicopter.
October 4th, 2006 at 9:03 amWell, according to Jason M. Hendler, there’s no bad news on Iraq and the Republicans are riding high. It can only be assumed that Jason M. hendler doesn’t consider 17 dead troops to be “bad news”. How sad for him that he doesn’t value the sacrifices of our troops.
“Congress has set a 2007 termination date for the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, at the behest of the Bush administration,”
I guess in 2007, we just don’t care enough about the reconstruction in Iraq to actually investiage how well we’re (not) doing.
“39 percent: President Bush’s approval rating, a drop of three points since September, according to a new NBC/WSJ poll.”
October 4th, 2006 at 9:05 amI guess we will be invading Iran, so Pres. Bush can get a bounce in his approval polls. Of course, he doesn’t care about poll numbers. they’re just numbers. Like 2700+ dead troops, 250+ billion on the Iraq war, 8+ trillion in debt. They mean nothing to Pres. Bush.
#3 – They’ve got to spin this news somehow! What, you expect Republicans to take responnsibility for their actions?
Taking responsibility is what they tell other people to do, it’s not for them! “Do as I say, not as I do” is the new Republican mantra!
Well, that and “Boo hoo hoo” come November 8th and they have fewer seats in the House, Senate, Governorships, and State legislatures.
October 4th, 2006 at 9:08 amA school in Ca. named after Bush?
October 4th, 2006 at 9:16 amIs it a school to train clowns?
For the first time ever I caught the miserable O’lilie and coulter for a few minutes last night…Was flipping the remote looking for a program and caught these people in an interesting exchange…….Ready?..coulter thinks the dem’s are going to take control and in her own word’s said “it’s their turn”, she also mentioned that in doing they will hold the purse string’s and be able to stop much of the war and other spending……Will see……Blessings
October 4th, 2006 at 9:17 amTheir first party cost us 8 billion. Just think this one will be at walmart prices.
October 4th, 2006 at 9:20 amYou missed Katie Couric send her nite news viewers to the internet to discuss “the bad responces” the network had received for interviewing the evangelistic colorado man who blamed the Amish Tragedy on abortion and the teaching of Darwinism in the school system.
Never interrupt your opponents when they are self destructing.
Democrats need to talk about ideas for protecting families – affordable health care, making college affordable, better schools, building safe supportive communities, etc., and how investing in research toward clean alternative energy sources will reduce our need to plunder the rest of the world for oil and help make us good neighbors, while at the same time, respond to the problem of global warming.
Democrats need to talk about things that matter to people while the Republicans are busy playing CYA.
October 4th, 2006 at 9:21 am“You guys, read a lot.â€
“Did I mention the best book ever written? It’s called My Pet Goat. It’s so good, while I was readin’ it the country came under attack and I didn’t do nothing because the book was just too darn excitin’.”
October 4th, 2006 at 9:24 amI know every time reading and Bush is brougt up “my pet goat” is coming. Can’t help it, too funny.
Did you notice FOX calling Foley a Democrat?
Comment by Will OBGYN for Food — October 4, 2006 @ 9:03 am
i actually heard randi rhodes say the same thing monday… to explain:
October 4th, 2006 at 9:25 amshe was on florida radio for years, worked in his district, but lived in another… foley was on her show many times… she knew him personally… her comment was in reference to the fact that everybody there knew he was gay, it was never a problem, and that he ran for office as a DEM but couldn’t win so he switched parties…
she said his politics were basically democratic, now republican light…
.
I guess those school shooters…
…3 in the last how many weeks?
…didn’t get the White House talking points memo…
…”We’re fightin’ ‘em over there, so we don’t have t’ fight ‘em over here”…
…sick inbred idiots…(the shooters and the Bushites)…
October 4th, 2006 at 9:27 amSomeone at CenAmPro needs to get the audio of this:
Rush’s “new idea” for getting out of Iraq is the same Murtha idea that he labeled “Cut & Run”
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/10/03/rush-heres-an-idea-lets-cut-and-run/
October 4th, 2006 at 9:35 amSharon et al.
I’ve been going on the Whitehous.gov site daily and no news about Bush signing His Torture bill yet. I find that extremely odd, as he was really pushing Congress to pass the bill right away so he could put his prize “terrorists” on trial. And we know, from the Terry Shiavo case, just how quick Congress can pass legislation and Bush will sign it into law, if He wants to.
You can be sure the signing [statement] is already prepared and the timing is already well planned out to maximize its political value prior to November 7. My only guess is they don’t want enough time for a court challenge on its Constitutionality to be in the news prior to the election. But even there, should the court strike down the law, they can blame “activist” judges and further rally their base(less) supporters for a further takeover of the judicial branch.
The silence on this bill is puzzling, and, disconcerting.
October 4th, 2006 at 9:43 amremember the “comma”?
Bush’s ‘Comma’: Courtesy of Gracie Allen?
The mystery of what President Bush meant when he likened the Iraq war to “just a comma” may be solved. It seems to have been inspired by current Christian teaching –and a quote from batty comedienne Gracie Allen.
By Greg Mitchell
copy and past this into address window: mediainfo.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003157235
October 4th, 2006 at 9:52 am…evidently TP doesn’t like the link…
[...] (via Think Progress) [...]
October 4th, 2006 at 9:54 amThe silence on this bill is puzzling, and, disconcerting.
Comment by Briseadh na Faire
It’s giving me the creeps. Unka Karl has something up his sleeve, and it’s sure to be despicable.
I picture a huge fanfare about a week before the elections; flags, families of dead troops, injured troops on crutches, blond blue-eyed snowflake babies, well-scrubbed christian families, all looking on in admiration as the Boy King signs his favorite-est piece of god damned paper.
The Dems’ response: Who could have imagined…
October 4th, 2006 at 9:59 amThank’s for that info Briseadh na Faire…..In a night mare sanerio perhaps the bases will be loaded and I don’t mean baseball….The empty bases all over the country are awaiting for the marshall law and total take over….Knowing how this administration has acted in the past it would not suprise me if they become (reich wing) unhappy with their losses and go for the total control…We are a breath away and unless the country stand’s up together against this cancer we will loose it all…….We are at the turning point of Love versus Fear…How much do average Jo public realy love their country and will they fight tooth and toe nail against the evil fear factor. The evil with in………Blessings
October 4th, 2006 at 10:01 amYou want creepy? NPR just interviewed John Yoo.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:06 amJohn Yoo is a polite, articulate, intelligent sociopath.
No thanks, Will OBGYN, I’ve had enough creepy for a lifetime — John Yoo is already among the creepiness.
BTW, you change your name from time to time, and it’s always funny, but I always think of you as “Recreational OBGYN.” :)
October 4th, 2006 at 10:09 amI can’t do enough for my fellow out-of-work love-deprived OB/GYNs…
October 4th, 2006 at 10:14 amWho the hell is creepy John Yoo.?….Sorry, I realy want to know..Blessings…P.S. Zooey, colder and drizzles here…..Much tree hugging going on before the winter sleep….
October 4th, 2006 at 10:19 amI’m with Zooey # 18 on the Bushite pre-election eve Signing Celebration…
…some red meat to give the Bushite faithful…
…to show how tough Repulsivescum murderers and torturers are on terrorists…
…and conversely, how SOFT the Dems are…
…until there’s a take-back-over of the government…
…KKKarl and the Bushite al CrackKKers…
…have a captive audience…
October 4th, 2006 at 10:19 amYoo is Bush’s main legal consultant. He teaches in California. He very causally talks about how Habeas Corpus rights during wartime are too expensive and heavy a burden on the legal system.
More than 25% of the Senate Democrats agree with him.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:25 amSharon,
There are two stories on TP about John Yoo. TP won’t let me put up their own links apparently.
1. 12/16/05
2. 2/14/06
Hugs all around for trees and Sharon!
October 4th, 2006 at 10:31 amShit,
Now it shows up….
#25 for one of them, Sharon!
Have a great day!
October 4th, 2006 at 10:32 amAndrew Sullivan has a picture up of Bush standing between Brown and Foley. It’s classic.
http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/10/brutal.html
Can anyone say three’s company?
October 4th, 2006 at 10:35 amI watched 30something democrats a few weeks back… since the last minimum wage raise, congress has gotten almost a $30000 increase in pay per year!!
/Hates republican majorities.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:38 amWo, thank’s…Not good with some name’s, now I remember….And the Dem’s are going along with this crap.? Which one’s?…They need to go….Cleaning house is so necessary…..Especialy in the fall.
Off another topic, any one else having trouble posting again?…Was blocked out again yesterday afternoon and all night..Guess the traffic stop’s lot’s of us from even reading what’s posted….TP must not be fixed yet…..Blessings
October 4th, 2006 at 10:39 amSharon, John Yoo’s finest hour (google “John Yoo torture information clearing house” – thanks for nothing TP spam filter):
This part of the exchange during the debate with Doug Cassel, reveals the logic of Yoo’s theories, adopted by the Administration as bedrock principles, in the real world.
Cassel: If the President deems that he’s got to torture somebody, including by crushing the testicles of the person’s child, there is no law that can stop him?
Yoo: No treaty.
Cassel: Also no law by Congress. That is what you wrote in the August 2002 memo.
Yoo: I think it depends on why the President thinks he needs to do that.
For my part, anyone who writes law defining what torture and is not, should be forced to try it out first to be absolutely sure. John, step over here and sit right there…now hold still, this won’t hurt much, but I’m sure you’ll want to tell me why you wrote that memo, right?
October 4th, 2006 at 11:00 am#30 Sharon, TP is more than broken. They are AWOL on the Kentucky River decision and AWOL on the Suspension of Habeas Corpus at His Majesty’s Pleaseure or Act Of Enablement Bill. Right TP?
October 4th, 2006 at 11:02 am39%. Bush is a lame duck regardless. The real question is if his party will retain sufficient power to push through his agenda. That is the mission of the Democrats next month – get the party started.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:05 amLook for him to appoint extremists in federal judgeships; grant himself more executive power, give away more to the rich, cut more programs for Joe Average, and probably begin the course of no-return with a war in Iran.
OBL may yet turn up this month.
If you take into account the fact that the dollar has been devalued by 40%, then the dow is still down by as much (40%).
October 4th, 2006 at 11:06 amAnd finally: Faux News reports that during the visit to the California school DUHbya presented each student with a personally autographed edition of his favorite book: My Pet Goat. The presentation was delayed for awhile when the goat went on strike. The goat claimed his contract called for autographing only 300 books for the students and he wouldn’t sign the copies for DUHbya and Foley.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:11 amOuch, and a 45mil smear campaign gone horribly awry to boot.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:17 amanother case of questionable timing: is it a coincidence that gas is low and Dow is high in the run-up to the elections? has some group used their billions to manipulate the economy and then be able to brag about their governmental ability?
October 4th, 2006 at 11:26 amYah know, I have never looked at the Dow avg as a marker of Americas health, heart or soul. When one looks at cost of living, wage increases, outsourcing, increases of other goods,war costs, deficits, cronyism, the selling off of social infrastructure, selling off military infrastructure…it’s not a pretty picture no matter what DOW says.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:30 amIt’s those damn students of Sun Tzu according to JMH =)
October 4th, 2006 at 11:31 amPre-emptive Lawsuit Challenges Bush Plan
“Attorneys for 25 men being held in Afghanistan launched a pre-emptive strike Monday against President Bush’s plan to prosecute and interrogate terror suspects.”
So much for all that money we’ll save by not allowing habeas corpus petitions! (John Yoo said that it’s very expensive to give habeas corpus protection to non-citizens) That’s at least two legal challenges already and the bill hasn’t even been signed by Bush yet!
October 4th, 2006 at 11:37 am[listening to GOP radio]
[They are stuck on old trickle down theory of Andrew Mellon.[sec of treasury]
[The deficit is starting to worry the conservatives]
huh, the cost of living has increased even though taxes have been reduced to lower the cost of living.
Wunnerful!!
October 4th, 2006 at 11:41 amThe ethics committee was against ethics before they were for them
October 4th, 2006 at 11:44 amMeanwhile, did you see that last Friday Alberto Gonzales said that judges “should not substitute their personal views for the president’s judgments in wartime”?
Gonzales Cautions Judges on Interfering
October 4th, 2006 at 11:45 amAlberto Gonzales said at the same conference,
“the Constitution makes the president commander in chief and the Supreme Court has long recognized the president’s pre-eminent role in foreign affairs. “The Constitution, by contrast, provides the courts with relatively few tools to superintend military and foreign policy decisions, especially during wartime”
Let’s go Congress! Mr. Gonzales says that the Supreme Court needs more tools!
October 4th, 2006 at 11:51 amThank’s Terry and Onion, for another thought, here’s mine….Yep! the stock market and the gas prices are being manipulated….The stock market is predominately run by the money changer’s, more precisely the Israel money. We all know a lot of investers are prompted by the brokers, bla bla, bla…But when the power’s in charge want something accomplished they get the money changers to pump it up.. Then the administration uses that as showing how well they are doing….Well yah! they the (rich) are doing great while the rest of our country is bankrupt….
Next the oil bunch back this regime because it has handed them a free ride to drilling and pollution…The oil companies, like relegion are big business and they want the (reich) to look good, especialy just before the election…To say bull shit bush doesn’t have control over these things is like saying Foley and all the rest of this administration are innocent of all wrong’s commited against us and the world while they have been in office……Blessings
October 4th, 2006 at 11:54 am…never looked at the Dow avg as a marker of Americas health, heart or soul…
Comment by Dog+named+Boo — October 4, 2006 @ 11:30 am
this morning’s report on the today show about the DOWs “record high”, the lady said that this high does not mean it’s good for “small investers”… the mutual funds… that money has been withdrawn from the market…
(paraphrasing, to the best of my ability)
my own traslation to that was “sure they had to cash in to pay the bills”…
October 4th, 2006 at 12:00 pmThe impeding a pay raise thing is a great start. But what would REALLY impress me is if they took a pay CUT to put them at the same level they were at the last time the minimum wage was increased and then STILL NOT raise their salaries.
How many people get annual pay raises anymore?? I don’t! I have to go through a formal evaluation process and I only get a raise if I show I am performing at a certain high level.
I think there should be a constitutional amendment that says that all pay raises for representatives should be voted on at the BALLOT by the PEOPLE.
October 4th, 2006 at 12:01 pmParrotlover77, good post…It should be a vote only raise. Sadly this ” do nothing good congress” has gotten a $3,100.00 raise every year….I think that should be stoped and rolled back….But bull shit bush and his bunch are running the dog and pony show and not likely to happen….I don’t know about every one else here, but hell I can’t even afford the tickets to this crappy show..Blessings All
P.S……Still no info from T.P or a thread about the bill’s passed last week….
October 4th, 2006 at 12:22 pmParrotlover77 – “I think there should be a constitutional amendment that says that all pay raises for representatives should be voted on at the BALLOT by the PEOPLE.”
I think that’s a great idea!!
If a representative is up for re-election there could be a place on the ballot indicating whether or not the voter wants them to get a raise! There could be a starting salary basis for new reps and it goes up each election if they are judged to be representing their constituents like they’re supposed to!
Still doesn’t come close to matching the financial influence that lobbyists have but it’s a start.
October 4th, 2006 at 12:23 pmSome questions. Has Congress adjourned for the year? If so, has the president signed any of those controversial bills (including spending bills) before Congress adjourned? If not, wouldn’t that mean the bills were vetoed (pocket veto)? Perhaps I do not understand our constitutional government as well as I thought. If I’m wrong, then I apologize.
October 4th, 2006 at 12:53 pmSince the components of the DOW have changed, it’s not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison. The previous DOW components of 2000 made a new high awhile ago. Nevertheless, this economy is very strong and the Fed has engineered a soft landing. Oil prices are falling with no hurricanes or terror events, and the speculation (hot money) has moved into large cap stocks.
The election will be tricky for democrats because of gerrymandering and overstated poll results (since many respondents apparently don’t vote).
October 4th, 2006 at 12:55 pmWayne,
Target adjournment is Friday. And the President has 10 days to sign a bill when it reaches his desk.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:38 pm#52 Hi, Exley,
My understanding is that the president has ten days to sign a bill or it becomes law without his signature, unless the Congress adjourns before he signs it, in which case it becomes a “pocket veto.” Once this happens, he cannot sign it into law. It has to be passed again.
Then again, I could be wrong.
I can’t stay to chat. I’m leaving at 3 PM to head home to watch the Mets win!
October 4th, 2006 at 1:58 pmThanks for the info Exley – today Bush was to sign a bill that “could bring hundreds of miles of fencing to the busiest illegal entry” while he’s in Arizona.
This fence sounds expensive and well…….can’t people who want in just get taller ladders?
“That’s just a big waste of money,” said Vickers, a Texas Republican activist
October 4th, 2006 at 2:00 pmHey Wayne, I am bailing out of here at 4:00 to watch the Mets at the bar across the street. I have already arranged for all the TVs to turned on to the Mets game and the sound on the TVs up (I don’t want to hear ANY jukebox music)….I assume you hard about El Duque….OUCH!
October 4th, 2006 at 2:10 pmOH, and Wayne, you are correct about the pocket veto.
pocket veto - The Constitution grants the President 10 days to review a measure passed by the Congress. If the President has not signed the bill after 10 days, it becomes law without his signature. However, if Congress adjourns during the 10-day period, the bill does not become law.
senate.gov
October 4th, 2006 at 2:12 pmThanks for the confirmation, Exley. I was going by memory. I’ve read the Constitution enough times that I thought I remembered that part correctly. With Hastert complaining about this scandal coming out on their “last day in Congress” (something like that), I figured they had officially adjourned by now.
I really have to finish up some stuff before I head home. Enjoy the game. Don’t worry aout the pitching.
October 4th, 2006 at 2:23 pmDid anybody else catch Jon Stewart’s pathetic “interview” of the rat bastard Bushite comic Dennis Miller last night?
Miller blitzed Stewart with a bunch of bullsh*t jokes from the moment he walked out on stage…
…managed to get in a few Heil Bush’s and stating he’s putting Bushiva up there with the likes of Truman and Lincoln…
…and stewart was tied tongued and twisted in knots…
…letting that vile son of inbred morons get away without ONE hit…
…glad I’m a Keith Olbermann fan…
October 4th, 2006 at 2:36 pmbig papa,
In fairness, when Miller was starting to talk about Lincoln and Truman, Stewart warned him that if he was going to put Bush up there with them he would have to ask Miller to leave. Miller merely wanted to point out that both Lincoln and Truman were extremely unpopular war presidents, too. He wasn’t really putting “Bushiva up there with the likes of Truman and Lincoln…”
October 4th, 2006 at 2:43 pmWhat.????? A pocket veto..Did I see that right and does it mean they have to re vote on all those miserable bill.?….Time to get my constitution out and re-read…..Please tell me this is true and in a hurry, intend to start another email and phone campaign……
October 4th, 2006 at 2:57 pmWayne #59
…there was an undercurrent of Bushiva (someday in the eyes of historians) becoming AS GREAT as these two presidents (once the ME is transformed)…
…unspoken to be sure…
…but quite evident nonetheless…
…Miller’s quip “I’m going along for the ride”…
…sealed that subliminal message for me…
You’re right about Jon’s response…
…but I didn’t see his performance last night as being effective at all…
…Miller came out looking like the more assertive (or confident/vindicated in his position) of the two…
October 4th, 2006 at 2:58 pmSharon Cox,
Don’t get too excited yet! This was what I was asking about. I was hoping the extremely knowledgeable, wonderful and good-looking people at ThinkProgress could use their collective clout and resources to tell me if I am right. I may not be since, if I am, they would be saying so by now. That’s why I wanted to know if Congress officially adjourned for the year. If not, then I got you all excited for nothing and I apologize.
big papa,
Miller didn’t win me back, either. I think he’s just going to follow the money now and if Republicans pay better, then he’ll make them laugh.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:03 pmThank’s for the post Wayne. I was so hopeing……Blessings
October 4th, 2006 at 7:56 pm39%? are you freakin kidding me?
why doesn’t this chump have a 2% approval rating? Jesus H. Christ
October 4th, 2006 at 10:10 pmInvest Wisely
Interesting – because that is the same thing I found out last Thursday.
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