ThinkFast: March 20, 2007
ThinkFast: March 20, 2007
McCain backslides on immigration. Despite previously favoring legislation that would allow most illegal immigrants to become citizens without leaving the country, he now says he is “open to legislation that would require people who came to the U.S. illegally to return home before applying for citizenship.”
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald “was ranked among prosecutors who had ‘not distinguished themselves’ on a Justice Department chart sent to the White House in March 2005, when he was in the midst of leading the CIA leak investigation.” The chart “was the first step in an effort to identify U.S. attorneys who should be removed.”
1,525: Number of roadside bomb attacks in Afghanistan last year. Suicide “attacks rose by six times — from 25 two years ago to 150 in 2006.”
Large crowds are expected at Al Gore’s testimony today tomorrow before the House and Senate environment committees. Last night, Drudge posted questions “which are circulating behind-the-scenes” that would supposedly leave “Gore scrambling for answers.” Climate Progress’ Joseph Romm takes the Drudge challenge and makes quick work of the questions.
At a hearing on the Bush administration’s suppression of global warming science, congressional Democrats revealed a paper trail illustrating “how officials with no scientific training shaped the administration’s climate change message and edited global warming reports.” Defending the administration, Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) explained, “Free speech is not a simple thing and is subject to and directed by policy.”
Because of a “computer glitch,” the Department of Education has “overcharged millions of Americans with student loans during the past decade despite repeated warnings that it was breaking the law, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday.”
“Pentagon officials worry that among the just over 20 Army brigades left in the United States or at Army bases in Europe and Asia, none has enough equipment and manpower to be sent quickly into combat, except for an armored unit stationed permanently in South Korea.”
The world’s major rivers are reaching a “crisis point because of dams, shipping, pollution and climate change,” according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). “The world is facing a massive freshwater crisis, which has the potential to be every bit as devastating as climate change,” said WWF’s Dr. David Tickner.
Defense spending has reached the highest levels since World War II. “Even with past spending adjusted upward for inflation, the $630 billion provided for the military this year exceeds the highest annual amounts during the Reagan-era defense buildup, the Vietnam War and the Korean War.”
And finally: Tom DeLay still refuses to admit any impropriety in his dealings with fallen lobbyist Jack Abramoff. “So yes, I took a trip to Scotland. Yes, I played golf. Yes, it was privately funded. And yes, it was both legal and informative. If I had the opportunity, I would do it again.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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can you imagine the holy uproar if fitz had been dismissed…? as it is, this revelation is going to reverberate loudly in the investigation – as it should…
And, yes, I DO take it personally
March 20th, 2007 at 9:11 amThe movement should start this morning – here and now – the only Republican candidate for attorney general that the American people will accept is Patrick Fitzgerald. Period – end of story. Gonzo goes – Fitz steps up – that’s the only way to restore confidence in the DOJ. If Bush cares at all about the confidence of the American people, he’ll nominate Fitz … if Bush has nothing to hide, he’ll nominate Fitz … If the firings weren’t just a cover-up for killing investigations, he’ll nominate Fitz ….. (your talking/pressure point here)
BTW – Fitz, of course, reluctantly takes the job, but with some conditions about his independence and access.
Patrick Fitzgerald as AG is the only way for Bush and the Republickers to restore the confidence of the American people…Patrick Fitzgerald as AG is the only way for Bush and the Republickers to restore the confidence of the American people…Patrick Fitzgerald as AG is the only way for Bush and the Republickers to restore the confidence of the American people…Patrick Fitzgerald as AG is the only way for Bush and the Republickers to restore the confidence of the American people…
March 20th, 2007 at 9:11 amA computer glitch apparently caused more than 3 million student loan borrowers to be billed hundreds of millions of dollars more than they owed
Hmmmm, a computer glitch, you say? Diebold, p’haps??
March 20th, 2007 at 9:22 amFurther proof that we need a definitive paper trail in the upcoming presidential election.
Chris Cannon is wrong. If a scientist, regardless of his employ, does the necessary research and reaches a conclusion, it is his right to bring the truth of his conclusions to the people. His right to free speech, as a public citizen, is unchallenged. If, if fact, he is corporate employee and speaking on corporate time, then they might have the ability to muzzle him if they so desire.
However, since this is a government OF THE PEOPLE – and we, the people, are essentially his rightful “employer”, then he, as a member of that employer group, also has every right, as a tax-paying citizen, to speaking his truth.
I believe these government officials have totally forgotten for whom they really work. The Federal Government exists at the “privilege of the people” and their salaries are paid by us. They seem to refer to the Government as an self-sustaining, self-supporting agency which is bogus.
The argument could handily be made that Hanson, as a tax paying citizen, is both the “employer” and the “employee”. This is fact.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:24 amNo surprise that the Bushites…
…didn’t think Fitzgerald “distinguished” himself…
…in THIS criminal cabal…
…if one does ones job WELL…
…one is considered a failure…
…such is the credo…
…of TREASONOUS right wing un American ideologues who advocate…
…”starving the beast”…
March 20th, 2007 at 9:28 amThe world is facing a massive freshwater crisis:
Bush purchased 98,000 acres of land in Paraguay. It has been reported that the president’s daughter, Jenna Bush, is involved with the purchase and may be the owner of the land.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:29 amThe land purchase is near the triple border between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, and stands over one of the largest reserves of fresh water on the planet, a gigantic aquifer that lies under parts of Brazil, Urugay, Paraguay and Argentina, and is larger than Texas and California put together
Free speech IS a simple thing, much to the chagrin of chagrin of Chris Cannon. Cannon and his ilk would love to convince the american people that it is far too complicated for the average american to understand. This is where he underestimates the intelligence of the average american.
The Rethugs are trying to confuse the issue regarding Hanson’s right to speak out about his global warming conclusions by saying that he works for the government and cannot speak against it’s policies. And where does that leave this country IF/WHEN the policies of the government are so closed minded as to ignore all of the scientific evidence produced by experienced scientists? It leaves individuals with a baseline (mailorder?) college education or less to interpret science through their ignorant filters. It makes science a political football. If we continue to keep our head in the sand, scientifically, we WILL be eclipsed by every other nation on the planet (and it is happening in these 6 years of ignorance and political agenda).
If a scientist is paid by tax dollars (works for the people and not for the Bush administration technically) then, as a citizen he has every right to free speech guaranteed by our constitution. In Hanson’s case, it becomes doubly dicey because he not only is paid by the people, but it’s his own pocketbook which is helping to pay his salary.
Essentially Hanson is both his own employer as well as being an employee. Let’s see Canon and his Repukes try to get around that material fact.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:33 amCannon (R-UT) explained, “Free speech is not a simple thing and is subject to and directed by policy.â€
but TRUTH is free, and simple…
March 20th, 2007 at 9:33 am#6 No doubt this purchase was accomplished through the theft of the people’s money via big oil, Haliburton kick backs, etc. I find it interesting that he feels to need to secure a “hide-out”. I’d suggest plastic surgery as well because I don’t think he’s going to feel too comfortable as “john Q citizen” once his nightmare of a term is over. Bush will disappear into the Bush – from which he came.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:35 amIf I had the opportunity, I would do it again.†-Tom Delay
And if we had the opportunity, we would get rid of your lying ass again.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:35 amAny questions?
Fitz would be a person we could trust, and sadly trust is becoming the primary issue. There are probably others more suited for the work, but not for restoring the image.
If Bush cares at all about the confidence of the American people
That’s the problem – he doesn’t. He’s more arrogant than the job can afford, and treats poor polling with increased stubbornness.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:36 amveritas sez:
In this particular case, I would contend that it the scientists’ obligation to bring the truth to the people.
The administration has repeatedly demonstrated its intent to place short-term monetary gain ahead of the long-term welfare of the planet and its residents (us, among others). Since the government is deliberately betraying the very people it was formed to protect, going against the will of the government to bring this information to the people is a humanitarian and patriotic act.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:39 am“Suicide attacks rose by six times” in Afghanistan.
-Sorry these are not all outsiders or Taliban. The multinational forces break into avg. Afghani homes, destroy belongings, arrest all fighting males, & humiliate them in various ways, all to intimidate. These #’s tell the story, it has the opposite effect.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:39 amThe 2008 version of John McCain’s bus should be called the “Double Talk Express”.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:40 amBesides, if the conclusions of the scientific community is shown to be “fact”, then it can be accepted as “truth” so why would any government who is working in the best interest of the people whom they serve want to squelch the truth? We know the sad answer to that – FOR PROFIT! That’s why truth would be squelched by these crooks. So they do not have to face their corporate sponsors and tell them that they will be fined for polluting the environment, that’s why. If they do this, they will no longer get their all-important perks and kickbacks for the corporations.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM IS A MUST! This will render the corporations running the country as impotent and will force them back into the business of producing products & services once again. This is why this country is tubing right now….we product almost “nothing” any longer, have raped our natural resources, and are not SOL….$hit out of luck.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:40 amRe: Gonzo’s replacement?? Americans can trust no one in this government of chicanery. Whom will they half-trust to stand on the side of justice and honor? Perhaps Fitzgerald but why did he allow Cheney off the hook and go after Libby when it was clear to all of us that Cheney was the real culprit in the Plame affair? For this, I only half-trust him.
Frankly, I can’t come up with the name of anyone in Washington these days who is honest & trustworthy and that’s the unfortunate truth of life in this country today.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:42 amTripMaster: Bingo! It’s his right AND obligation!! They’re trying to muddy the water by saying that scientific findings need to be cleared through some 23 year old fool with no scientific background before being “permitted” to appear on NPR….Now that’s a total joke. How did a 23 year old, inexperienced buffoon get into such a position of power. We know why: Because they knew that he was too ignorant to realize that he was being a patsy, that’s why.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:44 amDon’t forget that Fitzgerald’s other big hit was on Conrad Black and the Hollinger Board. Black is close friend of, among other people, Richard Perle, and I dare say his lack of “distinguished” service had something to do with this… which included doing a deal with a former business partner of Black and have him testify against him in court.
Here’s a helpful timeline (take note of Richard Breeden, a GHWB friend who nearly nailed Junior for his Harken shenanigans), which concludes with this Fitz quote: “Insiders at Hollinger — all the way to the top of the corporate ladder — whose job it was to safeguard the shareholders, made it their job to steal and conceal.”
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=611ac313-8a0a-41c7-a8de-169cc97f71d4&k=85370
March 20th, 2007 at 9:45 amRegarding the freshwater crises:
Here is a good article to read:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/features/water/
March 20th, 2007 at 9:47 amI think some of the answers to much of the confusion about connecting the dots before us have to do with digging up the past. Thanks for the reminder about Harken and Bush. It was BLD’s brother, Mafouz, who was Bush’s first corporate partner and then he bailed Dubya out of his Harken energy stock later on. Mafouz went on to be one of the 5 top money men in AQ…..what webs we weave, eh? Connections like this are significant and perhaps one of the reasons why this administration chose to ignore the 35 warnings they’d received prior to nine eleven. It’s time to indulge in some ancient history for the answers we so need to solve the riddle of nine eleven which will segue into the patriot act….the illegal spying on citizens….the trampling of our constitution….etc. These items make the term “high crimes & misdemeanors” almost obsolete. These are the highest crimes this country has EVER seen.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:50 am#18 DF
March 20th, 2007 at 9:52 amVer-r-y interesting. And the Black trial began yesterday in Chicago.
In other news:
Former vice president under Saddam Hussein hanged
Fortunately for Bush and Cheney, they are insulated from such an ignomious end. Thanks to the Military Commissions Act, they cannot be tried for war crimes. And an international tribunal cannot impose the death penalty.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:53 amDumb_Fox: Thanks for the url. Very fascinating history on Lord Black, indeed!
As I mull over Chris Cannon’s cryptic statement, it’s now clear that he only presented l/2 of the truism in the hearings yesterday – What he meant to say was: Free speech is not a simple thing WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MUZZLE THE TRUTH! Now that’s what he really meant to say.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:55 amU.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald “was ranked among prosecutors who had ‘not prostituted themselves’ on a Justice Department chart sent to the White House in March 2005,
March 20th, 2007 at 9:57 ambut TRUTH is free, and simple…
Comment by katy
Except when there’s profit to be made….
March 20th, 2007 at 9:57 amYes, it was privately funded. And yes, it was both legal and informative. If I had the opportunity, I would do it again.â€
I hope the voters of Texas have the good common sense not to allow this to happen again.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:58 amRichard Breedon should have nailed Jr.’s butt to the wall in all of this and we wouldn’t be having him destroy our country right now.
So, from the Hollinger escapades, we now know Bush’s “theme” for his administrion – STEAL AND CONCEAL.
The only thing he and his cadre of crooks did wrong was to fix the second election in 2004 because this theme of “Steal and Conceal” may not be outed in 4 years and, by then, all of the crooks, like cockroaches have taken cover. But, two terms (8 years) affords plenty of time for the house of cards to come crashing in….card by card….bit by ugly bit….which is precisely what’s happening to Bush right now.
His all important legacy will, undoubtedly, be “An administration of Steal and Conceal and The most Abominably Corrupt Administration Ever in the History of this Country”.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:59 amMilitary commissions act can be reversed to disallow the exemption for Bush & Cheney, don’t believe that it can’t. And, if things continue on their present course, it probably will be – just like the Dems are trying to do with Habeas Corpus. If they do, it’s curtains for Bush and Cheney. As for the military tribunal, they do have power as well and Germany has already filed charges against Donald Rumsfeld and probably has them “in the works” for Bush and Cheney for the moment when they step out of office.
March 20th, 2007 at 10:01 amBesides, it can be said that the institution of the “military commissions act” was, as it turns out, created as a tool for “obstruction of justice”.
March 20th, 2007 at 10:02 amAren’t the Gore hearings TOMORROW?
March 20th, 2007 at 10:03 amveritas sez:
Indeed. The reasons posited for the administration ignoring the warnings are varied:
– Some people believe the administration ignored the warnings because they engineered the entire attack themselves.
– Some people believe the administration ignored the warnings because they already knew the attacks were coming, and had already made a conscious decision to allow them to be successful.
– And some people believe the administration ignored the warnings out of sheer, utter incompetence.
As for which explanation is the correct one, that’s a topic for a different conversation. However, my point is that no matter which explanation you espouse, every single one of these possible explanations is ample reason for removal of this administration from power. No matter which way you slice it, there’s no excuse for 9/11 to have happened.
March 20th, 2007 at 10:05 amah what a tangled pile of poo they weave…
March 20th, 2007 at 10:06 ami hear ya, zooey…
but then the truth is corrupted and so not the truth anymore…
it may be hard, at times, to TELL the truth, but it’s much faster and easier than living that lie… as evidenced by the news…
“just desserts”…
March 20th, 2007 at 10:08 amTom DeLay still refuses to admit any impropriety in his dealings with fallen lobbyist Jack Abramoff. “So yes, I took a trip to Scotland. Yes, I played golf. Yes, it was privately funded. And yes, it was both legal and informative. If I had the opportunity, I would do it again.â€
Of course you would, Bug Man, because you’re a slimey corrupt creep.
Keep talking….
March 20th, 2007 at 10:09 amAddington for AG. Why choose the lesser evil?
March 20th, 2007 at 10:15 ambut then the truth is corrupted and so not the truth anymore…
it may be hard, at times, to TELL the truth, but it’s much faster and easier than living that lie… as evidenced by the news…
“just dessertsâ€â€¦
Comment by katy
Ack!! Sunday school!
**runs screaming from the room**
:-D
March 20th, 2007 at 10:16 amAlvord at #30
Yes, the Gore testimony is tomorrow.
March 20th, 2007 at 10:21 amMore than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s diseasemust be among the 30% ers
March 20th, 2007 at 10:23 am“Free speech is not a simple thing and is subject to and directed by policyâ€
– What a moron. Free speech is actually subject first to the U.S. Constitution. Policy only comes into play when you don’t like the truth behind the message.
March 20th, 2007 at 10:31 amoops! so sorry… hey, it was not my intention to preach!
March 20th, 2007 at 10:34 amhaving never been to “sunday school”, i’m not familiar with that reaction…
must be the daily catechism class for 10 years…
again, sorry…
:-)
Scott Zorn has the follwing in today’s Chicago Tribune. It’s a little lengthy but worth the read. By the way Wheaton is in the middle of DuPage County which is a very republican area. Billy Graham went to college there…
Soldier’s dad tells Bush, `This war is wrong’
The two-page letter is signed from the “proud father of a fallen soldier.â€
A little more than six weeks ago, his soul a cauldron of grief and rage, Richard Landeck, 56, of Wheaton addressed and mailed it to President Bush.
And since he’s yet to receive an acknowledgment or reply, he asked me if I’d help get his message out.
“My voice, and that of many other frustrated Americans is not being heard,†he said.
It’s the least I can do, I replied.
“My son was killed in Iraq on February 2, 2007,†says the letter. “His name is Captain Kevin Landeck….
“He was killed while riding in a Humvee by a roadside bomb just south of Baghdad. He has a loving mother, a loving father and loving sister. You took him away from us.â€
The letter adds that Kevin Landeck (pictured here in a recent family photo), 26, a Wheaton Warrenville South High School and Purdue University graduate, had been married for 17 months and was very proud to be serving his country.
But “the message he continued to send to me was that of incompetence,†Landeck’s letter says. “Incompetence by you, (Vice President Richard) Cheney and (former defense secretary Donald) Rumsfeld. Incompetence by some of his commanders as well as the overall strategy of your decisions.
“When I asked him about what he thought about your decision to `surge’ more troops to Baghdad, he told me, `until the Iraqis pick up the ball we are going to get cut to shreds. It doesn’t matter how many troops Bush sends, nothing has been addressed to solve the problem he started,’†says Landeck’s letter (full text below) .
This is a reasonably close paraphrase of an e-mail Kevin Landeck sent to his parents on Jan. 19, a short note signed “live from the (excrement) show†that referred to the war strategy as “senseless.â€
â€Answer me this,†Richard Landeck’s letter demands of Bush. “How in the world can you justify invading Iraq when the problem began and continues to lie in Afghanistan? I don’t want your idiotic standard answer about keeping America safe. What did Sadaam Hussein have to do with 9/11?â€
The letter says, “You have succeeded in taking down over 3,100 of our best young men, my son being one of them. Kevin told me many times we are not fighting terrorism in Iraq and they could not do their jobs as soldiers. He said they are trained to be on the offensive and to fight, but all they are doing is acting like policemen….
“He asked permission to take some of his men out at night with their night-vision glasses — because as he said `we own the night’ — and watch for the people who are setting roadside bombs and `take them out.’ He said, `I want them to be the ones that are scared.’ He was denied permission. Why?â€
Richard Landeck and his wife Vicki have never been active in politics, they told me as I sat with them around their kitchen table Sunday night in the Stonehedge subdivision in the heart of DuPage County. He’s a sales rep. She’s a dental hygienist. Their other child, Jennifer, 23, is an actress (pictured below with her late brother) who also works part-time at the nearby golf course.
As the war in Iraq enters its 5th year, look for families like the Landecks to become the face of the anti-war movement: Archtypal middle Americans who can no longer respond with platitudinous faith in our leaders to the persistent waste –– a word Richard Landeck does not shy from –- of the lives of our young men and women in Iraq.
Saturday, they went to nearby Bloomingdale to join in a peace rally, their first.
“This war is wrong,†says the last paragraph of Landeck’s letter to the president. “Because of your ineptness … I have lost my son, my pride and joy, my hero! (You) will never understand what the families of soldiers are going through and don’t try to tell me you do. My wife, my daughter and I cannot believe we have lost our only son and brother to a ridiculous political war.â€
—-
Kevin C. Landeck’s guest book at Legacy.com
Here is the complete text of Richard Landeck’s letter to President Bush:
Feb 4, 2007
Dear Mr. Bush:
This will be the only time I will refer to you with any type of respect.
My son was killed in Iraq on February 2, 2007. His name is Captain Kevin Landeck.
He served with the Tenth Mountain Division. He was killed while riding in a Humvee by a roadside bomb just south of Baghdad. He has a loving mother, a loving father and loving sister.
You took him away from us. He celebrated his 26th birthday January 30th and was married for 17 months. He graduated from Purdue University and went through the ROTC program. That is where he met his future wife. He was proud to be a part of the military and took exceptional pride in becoming a leader of men. He accepted his role as a platoon leader with exceptional enthusiasm and was proud to serve his country.
I had many conversations with Kevin before he left to serve as well as during his deployment. The message he continued to send to me was that of incompetence. Incompetence by you, (Vice President Richard) Cheney and (former Secretary of Defense Donald) Rumsfeld. Incompetence by some of his commanders as well as the overall strategy of your decisions.
When I asked him about what he thought about your decision to “surge†more troops to Baghdad, he told me, “until the Iraqis pick up the ball, we are going to get cut to shreds. It doesn’t matter how many troops Bush sends, nothing has been addressed to solve the problem he started.â€
Answer me this: How in the world can you justify invading Iraq when the problem began and continues to lie in Afghanistan? I don’t want your idiotic standard answer about keeping America safe. What did Sadaam Hussein have to do with 9/11? We all know it had to do with the first Iraq war where your father failed to take Sadaam down.
Well George, you have succeeded in taking down over 3,100 of our best young men, my son being one of them. Kevin told me many times we are not fighting terrorism in Iraq and they could not do their jobs as soldiers. He said they are trained to be on the offensive and to fight but all they are doing is acting like policemen.
Well George, you or some “genius†like you who have never fought in a war but enjoy all the perks your positions afford you are making life and death decisions. In the case of my son, you made a death decision.
Let me explain a few other points he and I discussed. He said when he and his men were riding down the road in their Humvees, roadside bombs would explode and they would hear bullets bouncing off their vehicle. He said they were scared. He thought “why should we be the ones who are scared?†He asked permission to take some of his men out at night with their night vision glasses because as he said “we own the night†and watch for the people who are setting roadside bombs and “take them out.†He said, “I want them to be the ones that are scared.†He was denied permission. Why? It made perfect sense to me and other people who I told about this.
When he was at a checkpoint he was told that if a vehicle was coming at them even at a high rate of speed he could not arbitrarily use his weapon. He had to wave his arms and, if the vehicle did not stop, he could fire a warning shot over the vehicle. If the vehicle did not stop then, he could shoot at the tires. If the vehicle did not yet stop he could take a shot at the driver. Who in their right mind made that kind of decision?
How would you like to be at a check point with a vehicle coming at you that won’t stop and go through all those motions? You will never know!
You or Cheney or Rumsfeld will never know the anguish, the worry, the sleepless nights, the waiting for the loved one who may never return. If the soldiers were able to do their jobs and the ego’s of politicians like you, your “cronies†and some commanders had their heads on straight, we would be out of this mess which we should not be involved with in the first place.
My family and I deserve and explanation directly from you……not some assistant who will likely read this and toss it. This war is wrong.
I want you to look me and my wife and daughter directly in the eye and tell me why my son died. We should not be there, but because of your ineptness and lack of correct information I have lost my son, my pride and joy, my hero!
Again, you, Cheney and Rumsfeld will never understand what the families of soldiers are going through and don’t try to tell me you do. My wife, my daughter and I cannot believe we have lost our only son and brother to a ridiculous political war that you seem to want to maintain. I hope you and Cheney and Rumsfeld and all the other people on your band wagon sleep well at night….we certainly don’t.
Richard Landeck
Proud father of a fallen soldier
March 20th, 2007 at 10:35 amTwo wrongs make a right.
Comment by RNC Spokesman Jake
March 20th, 2007 at 10:37 amOkay Jake, I made your comment of the day for you like I promised. So take the day off. Please.
March 20th, 2007 at 10:39 amIs Gore flying to his testimony in a corporate jet and then taken to the Capitol in a gas guzzling limo?
March 20th, 2007 at 10:40 amagain, sorry…
:-)
Comment by katy
Totally joking, katy. Heh. I just had a flashback, that’s all. :-)
Off to class, have a great day all!
Absolutely no playing nicely!!
March 20th, 2007 at 10:40 amMistress Z ~ Yes, no more nice.
March 20th, 2007 at 10:43 amHave a scholarly day.
I know this ain’t germaine, but I’d hate to be stuck on an elevator with the ever-so-retro-reporter-lookin’ Matt Drudge – there’s a lot of gas comin’ from that dude.
March 20th, 2007 at 10:50 amThe 2008 version of John McCain’s bus should be called the “Double Talk Expressâ€.
Comment by lw
Actually, I don’t think “Straight” refers to “honest”, since he hasn’t been. It probably refers to “heterosexual”. So, he can keep the bus’ name. :)
March 20th, 2007 at 10:54 amComment by Mark — March 20, 2007 @ 10:35 am
http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/
Thank you Mark.
March 20th, 2007 at 10:58 amhey, zooey… sorry about that…
March 20th, 2007 at 11:08 amnot my intention to sound like “sunday school”… how could i?…
i’ve never been to sunday school…
now, 10 years of daily in-school catechism classes… may be at fault…
again, sorry…
:-)
well, crap… sorry about the double post… it wasn’t there a second ago…
March 20th, 2007 at 11:09 amRep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) explained, “Free speech is not a simple thing and is subject to and directed by policy.â€
THAT is treason.
March 20th, 2007 at 11:09 amYou know…some a**holes always try toice skate uphill!!! Even “if’ he was, is that any different from BUSH, CHENEY, HASTERT, etc.
Al Gore talks the talk and walks the walk! At least, he doesn’t talk and then jump into a gas guzzling SUV!!!
IDIOT!
March 20th, 2007 at 11:14 amNope! THAT is UTAH!!! They elected him, they can claim him!
I have NEVER heard of such a thing as the limitation of Freedom of Speech in relations to science, which is supposed to be unbias of anything except for factual data supporting theoretical conclusions!
But leave it to BUSH and REPUBLICANS to attempt to re-write that part of history too!
March 20th, 2007 at 11:16 amComment by veritas — March 20, 2007 @ 10:01 am
Actually, that question would likely end up before the Supreme Court. Can a person, once exempted from criminal liability, have that exemption removed?
Would the exemption be treated the same as a pardon?
I don’t know the answers, and right now, I don’t have the time to research the applicable decisions. It may even be a case of first impression.
One thing is certain, any crimes committed during the efffective period of the statute would be unprosecutable, and that cannot be changed without becoming an ex post facto law. And ex post facto laws are prohibited by the Constitution.
March 20th, 2007 at 11:42 amI have NEVER heard of such a thing as the limitation of Freedom of Speech in relations to science, which is supposed to be unbias of anything except for factual data supporting theoretical conclusions!
But leave it to BUSH and REPUBLICANS to attempt to re-write that part of history too!
Comment by IraqVet — March 20, 2007 @ 11:16 am
Part of their strategy is any truth which happens to coincide with what the democrats say is accused of being part of the democrat agenda, and therefore suspect, since democrat = evil…. and of course anything that is NOT part of the republican agenda is part of the democrat agenda which is, of course, evil.. so by their logic, everything NOT republican is evil, by definition. Much of the time, they don’t even bother to explain it further. Anything a democrat (or anyone else for that matter) says that doesn’t support the republican agenda is automatically motivated by the desire to see the republicans fail, instead of trying to get to the truth.
That is usually how I get accused of being a democrat too :)
March 20th, 2007 at 11:49 amIt’s nice to see McCains wife looks so ‘comfortable’,as usual.
March 20th, 2007 at 12:22 pmMcCain’s an incorrigible dipshit.
March 20th, 2007 at 12:45 pmWho’ “straight talk”bus is that in the background?
March 20th, 2007 at 12:50 pmWar Bill Includes Tempting Projects
Democrats’ Tactic Poses Dilemma for Some Lawmakers
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 20, 2007; Page A01
House Democratic leaders are offering billions in federal funds for lawmakers’ pet projects large and small to secure enough votes this week to pass an Iraq funding bill that would end the war next year.
So far, the projects — which range from the reconstruction of New Orleans levees to the building of peanut storehouses in Georgia — have had little impact on the tally. For a funding bill that establishes tough new readiness standards for deploying combat forces and sets an Aug. 31, 2008, deadline to bring the troops home, votes do not come cheap.
March 20th, 2007 at 12:55 pmIraq before the invasion and occupation was much better than today under the occupation. Close to 1 million Iraqis have been killed, 15 million have been displaced/refugees, the entire infrastructure has been bombed, there is no electricty, water, food, medicine, jobs, no security, no schools/colleges, no adminsitration, only oil looters and a coalition of thieves. Torture, rape, murder is the order of the day. As long as there is foreign occupation, these unfortunate things will continue, so all foreign troops with their death squads should go out of Iraq. They have done enough of terrorism on Iraqis, now please leave Iraq. I hope better sense will prevail on all of us. Let peace prevail in Iraq.
March 20th, 2007 at 12:59 pm#56 Briseadh na Faire
Military commissions act can be reversed to disallow the exemption for Bush & Cheney, don’t believe that it can’t.
Comment by veritas — March 20, 2007 @ 10:01 am
Actually, that question would likely end up before the Supreme Court. Can a person, once exempted from criminal liability, have that exemption removed?
Would the exemption be treated the same as a pardon?
I don’t know the answers, and right now, I don’t have the time to research the applicable decisions. It may even be a case of first impression.
One thing is certain, any crimes committed during the efffective period of the statute would be unprosecutable, and that cannot be changed without becoming an ex post facto law. And ex post facto laws are prohibited by the Constitution.
Not quite so sure about that. Here’s a twist that might make it interesting: If the “law” that supposedly enables the behavour (or exempts it from prosecution) is determined to be unconstitutional, isn’t the standard thinking that the “law” never in fact existed? If so, then if the MCA falls to constitutional challenge, then Dubya and cohort may find they’re in the hot seat. They may have an out under certain fact situations and against certain charges by claiming they were relying on the legality of the law, but I’m not sure that would apply to all possible prosecutions. Kind of like the Nuremberg defence; orders from on high are no excuse, nor are “orders” from Congress if found to be flawed.
Cheers,
March 20th, 2007 at 1:11 pmGood – let the country see how pathetic Gore has become. No wonder Tipper is so into mental health.
Will Gore agree to a global warming debate?
March 20th, 2007 at 1:21 pmJust reported that Cheney went to the hospital complaining of pain in the leg that had the blood clot last week.
Seems the leg was trying to gnaw itself free of the beast.
March 20th, 2007 at 1:48 pmSeems the leg was trying to gnaw itself free of the beast.
Comment by RUCerious
My friend Thorg has a Saber Tooth Tiger who’ll get the job done quick.
March 20th, 2007 at 1:56 pmAl Gore talks the talk and walks the walk! At least, he doesn’t talk and then jump into a gas guzzling SUV!!!
Comment by IraqVet — March 20, 2007 @ 11:14 am
While I agree that Patty is an idiot, please explain how Gore walks the walk driving around in that Cadillac in “An Inconvenient Truth”, or why he finally switched one of his homes to “green power” only after it was announced in December that he had never been using “green power”. Or the stocks in Oxy Petrol. Or the zinc mine…
Gore talks the talk, but walks with a VERY noticeable limp
March 20th, 2007 at 2:12 pmWhat does any of this have to do with the Iraq war supplement? What happened not the “No Pork” promise?
March 20th, 2007 at 2:16 pm3223
You have to Forgive people like Jake that think an American troop killed every 8 hours in iraq is worth it
March 20th, 2007 at 4:18 pmThank You, McPAIN, for ONCE AGAIN SHOWING EVERYONE YOUR TRUE COLOURS–YELLOW THROUGH AND THROUGH TO MATCH THE YELLOW STRIPE RUNNING DOWN YA BACK and BILIOUS GREEN TO MATCH YA SICK SOUL and YA PASTY-WHITE FLIP-FLOPPING SCHIZOID PSYCHO FACE!!!!!
March 20th, 2007 at 10:20 pmPatrick Fitzgerald REMOVED? Oh, That’s Right! Bushland Uber Allies REGARD PROSECUTORS WHO “DO THEIR JOBS THE WAY THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO” BY GOING AFTER ILLEGAL ACTIVITY AS “ANATHEMA” TO THEM MUCH AS WOLFSBANE IS ANATHEMA TO VAMPIRES AND SILVER IS ANATHEMA TO WEREWOLVES. “GET BACK…I HAVE THE PROSECUTOR’S HANDBOOK….YA ARE POWERLESS, Bush!!!!!”
Yes, WHEN THE ENEMY IS PREPARED TO DIE FOR THEIR FANATICISM, THERE IS LITTLE EVEN THE FINEST FIGHTING FORCE IN THE WORLD, aka THE U.S. ARMED FORCES, CAN DO TO STOP THEM!!!! TIME CHIMPya Bush and his “Toy-Soldier” Generals UNDERSTOOD THIS INDISPUTABLE FACT AND STOPPED WASTING OUR MILITARY MANPOWER, SQUANDERING OUR AMERICAN LIVES, AND BROUGHT OUR SOLDIERS HOME OR DEPLOYED THEM EFFECTIVELY WITHOUT TIRING THEM OUT THROUGH ENDLESS REPEATED TOURS OF DUTY, NICHT WAHR??????
Drudge IS A DRUDGE AND A STUPID PIECE OF HYENA-SHIT. WHY THIS MISERABLE CRETIN IS EVEN BOTHERED WITH ESCAPES ME—-HE IS SO BENEATH THE CONTEMPT OF THE AVERAGE AMERICAN WITH COMMON SENSE WHO REGARD HIS JINGOISTIC DEMAGOGUERY AS THE CHATTERINGS OF AN APE, AND A DUMB APE AT THAT—-EVEN A CROSS-EYED BABOON HAS MORE CREDIBILITY THAN Drudge, AND IS PRETTIER, TOO!!!!!
“Suppression of global warming science”–THAT ALONE AND IN ITSELF IS A JUSTIFIABLE REASON FOR IMPEACHMENT—-JUST TOSS IT ON THE HEAP OF INDICTMENTS AND BUILDING SUBPOENAS ON THAT LARGE MOUNTAIN BUILDING UP, BOYS—-THE SHEER WEIGHT OF ALL THIS EVIDENCE WOULD SINK MANY TITANICS AND FILL MANY TITANIC STADIUMS WITH ITS SHEER NUMBER!!!!!
Ah Yes, “A COMPUTER GLITCH” SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO “F*CK-OVER” AS MANY STUDENTS AS IN-HUMANLY POSSIBLE!!!!!
‘Lil Kim Jong MENTALLY-ILL’s “Secret” Phone Call to Ahmadinejad: “President Ahmadinejad–I’ll Keep the CHIMPster Busy When I Invade South Korea–Now’s Your Chance to Raise HOLY TERROR in Iraq and Elsewhere–We’ll Meet Later And Discuss How This Works Out!” Ahmadinejad: “O.K., Kim…Sounds Good To Me!!!!!”
CRY ME A RIVER, Baby!!!!!
TOO MUCH TAXPAYER MONEY IS BEING DIVERTED TOWARDS THE MILITARY–THEIR SHARE MUST BE CUT DRASTICALLY AND USED MORE EFFECTIVELY–STARTING BY IMPEACHING CHIMPya/Cheney AND GETTING RID OF Bushland Uber Allies AND THEIR PARASITICAL UMBILICAL ATTACHMENT TO “The Military Industrial Complex” and BIG BUSINESS and OIL WHILE SUCKING MONIES FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE—-AMONG “OTHER” THINGS!!!!!
JUST AS A LEOPARD NEVER CHANGES ITS SPOTS OR RATHER, IN DeLay’s CASE, A LAMPREY/HAGFISH NEVER QUITS BEING A PARASITE UPON ITS HOST, IN DeLay’s CASE, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, DeLay IS ONE PARASITE THAT SHOULD BE MERCILESSLY KILLED, DESTROYED, WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH FOR THE GOOD OF ALL!!!!!
oilwell supply
Man i love reading your blog, interesting posts !
March 21st, 2008 at 4:41 am