ThinkFast: June 21, 2007
ThinkFast: June 21, 2007
Revealing further details about the efforts of then acting Assistant Attorney General Bradley Schlozman to politicize the Justice Department’s civil rights division, the Washington Post reports Schlozman “asked a supervisor if a career lawyer who had voted for Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a onetime political rival of President Bush, could still be trusted.”
Former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger will testify today before the Senate Indian Affairs committee in Washington, “where he has become embroiled” in the scandal over the attorney firings. Reports suggest Heffelfinger may have been targeted for removal by the Justice Department because of his role in protecting the rights of Native American voters.
1 in 8: Number of U.S. veterans under the age of 65 who “lack even basic health insurance or access to care at Veterans Affairs hospitals. … The ranks of uninsured veterans have increased by 290,000 since 2000.”
Congress yesterday “moved to block President George W. Bush from developing a new generation of atomic warheads,” because “the administration had not developed an adequate post-Cold War nuclear strategy.” Bush has promised to veto the bill, which denies him the $89 billion he requested for the program.
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani yesterday said that joining the Iraq Study Group was a “mistake.” “I thought it would work, but then after a month or two I realized the idea that I was possibly going to run for president would be inconsistent with that,” he said, failing to mention that he initially missed several of the group’s meetings in order to attend fundraising events.
“Many parts of New Orleans struck hardest by Hurricane Katrina remain vulnerable to flooding despite nearly two years of attempts to protect them, a study published Wednesday by the Army Corps of Engineers found.” But the report also shows that the vulnerable areas are much smaller than they were before Hurricane Katrina due to levee upgrades.
“Federal environmental officials misled Lower Manhattan residents about the extent of contamination in their condominiums and apartments after the collapse of the World Trade Center,” according to a new Government Accountability Report.
Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Paul McNulty will testify at noon today before a House Judiciary subcommittee. He is expected to “defend his past statements about the firings of U.S. attorneys, rebutting allegations from other Bush administration officials that he misled Congress by suggesting there was no substantial White House role in the dismissals.”
The Senate education committee joined the House education panel in approving legislation “that would cut federal subsidies to lending companies by as much as $19 billion, channel most of those savings to student aid and ease repayment rules for borrowers.”
And finally: No more Blackberries for the French. The Blackberry is now banned in the French presidential palace and government ministries because the U.S. National Security Agency might be “snooping on ministerial messages.” But government employees aren’t happy. “Just when we thought France was entering the modern age of technology, the government bureaucrats snatched it away and sent us back to passing handwritten notes,” noted one worker.
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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FBI knowingly allowed Osama to charter plane after 9/11
Submitted by Canada IFP on Wed, 2007-06-20 18:35.Americas
FBI were aware that Osama bin Laden may have chartered one of the flights that took members of the bin Laden family out of the United States immediate after the 9/11 attacks, yet allowed the planes to depart, new Agency documents reveal.
The formerly confidential documents obtained by Judicial Watch through Freedom of Information Act and ongoing litigation states:
ON 9/19/01, A 727 PLANE LEFT LAX, RYAN FLT #441 TO ORLANDO, FL W/ETA (estimated time of arrival) OF 4-5PM. THE PLANE WAS CHARTERED EITHER BY THE SAUDI ARABIAN ROYAL FAMILY OR OSAMA BIN LADEN…THE LA FBI SEARCHED THE PLANE [REDACTED] LUGGAGE, OF WHICH NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS FOUND.
Traffic control reports show that the plane was allowed to depart the United States after making four stops to pick up passengers, ultimately landing in Paris where all passengers disembarked on 9/20/01, according to the document.
…FBI did not consider a single Saudi national nor any of the bin Laden family members as possessing any information of investigative value.
“Eight days after the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history, Osama bin Laden possibly charters a flight to whisk his family out of the country, and it’s not worth more than a luggage search and a few brief interviews?†asked Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Clearly these documents prove the FBI conducted a slapdash investigation of these Saudi flights. We’ll never know how many investigative leads were lost due to the FBI’s lack of diligence.â€
June 21st, 2007 at 9:15 amCongress yesterday “moved to block President George W. Bush from developing a new generation of atomic warheads,†because “the administration had not developed an adequate post-Cold War nuclear strategy.†Bush has promised to veto the bill, which denies him the $89 billion he requested for the program.
WTF??? Where’s the money coming for this???
Party of Fiscal Responsibility, my ass…
Also, do we really need any more nukes? Even if we do, we sure as hell don’t need any more here and now, with the Middle East in flames and a psychotic chimpanzee throwing his own feces at the big red button…
June 21st, 2007 at 9:16 amBreaking news, 14 soldiers have died and many have been seriously wounded because of multiple roadside bombs. Please pray for our soldiers’ families.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:16 amComment by Larry from C — June 21, 2007 @ 9:15 am
The OCT (Official Conspiracy Theory) is so full of holes it looks like screen netting. But we’re the “moonbats”. Right…
June 21st, 2007 at 9:17 amDaryll sez:
You go ahead and keep praying for them. I’ll keep working to get them the hell out of harm’s way and back home where they belong.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:19 amI go on ThinkProgress every morning. I am in one of my sad moods today. When I think of the past 6.5 years with Chimpy and his Cohorts in Crime I get really depressed. But then I came across this, so I thought I’d share this :
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/062007A.shtml
This made me feel a little hopeful today.
And yes, 9/11 was an inside job.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:22 amCongress yesterday “moved to block President George W. Bush from developing a new generation of atomic warheads,†because “the administration had not developed an adequate post-Cold War nuclear strategy.†Bush has promised to veto the bill, which denies him the $89 billion he requested for the program.
Bush is always ready and willing to spend federal money on death: war and bombs. But God forbid money be spent in the service of cures for devastating diseases. Hence, he vetoes the stem-cell bill, and threatens to veto a bill that trys to PREVENT death and destruction. That’s evil in my book. Not just ignorant or arrogant…EVIL!!
June 21st, 2007 at 9:23 amHi Mom & Dad,
Boy, I’m sure having fun here at RNC Summer Camp!
Last night, our Counselor introduced us to a nice man who served in Congress. His name is Mark. Mark went around to everyone of us boy’s bed and tucked us in. Mr. Foley sure is a nice guy.
Earlier, we went to the Chapel and heard a very powerful sermon by Reverend Haggard. He explained to us all that God likes boys best.
Some guy named Daryll passed around the collection plate and then left with Rev. Haggard.
I’m so excited! Tomorrow we get to go swimming with Mr. Foley. He told us he knows of a secret swimming hole near here. I can’t wait!
Talk to you soon,
June 21st, 2007 at 9:23 amWilly
Breaking News, the death toll has grown to 16 casualties and many in critical condition.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:25 amfrom Amy Goodman at commondreams.org:
Michael Moore doesn’t like health insurance companies: “They’re the Halliburtons of the health industry. I mean, they really—they get away with murder. They charge whatever they want. There’s no government control. And frankly, we will not really fix our system until we remove these private insurance companies. I mean, they literally have to be eliminated. They cannot be allowed to exist in this country.â€
In “SiCKO†Michael Moore shows how Hillary Clinton tried to reform the healthcare system as first lady. “She was destroyed as a result of it. I mean, they put out I think well over $100 million to fight her. But to jump ahead here with Hillary, in last year’s Congress, she was the second-largest recipient of health industry money. She may be No. 1 at this point, for all I know. It’s very sad to see … they’re into her pocket, and she’s into their pocket.â€
Moore continued: “By the time of the election, by the primaries, I’m sure all the Democrats are going to be using that word: ‘universal’ coverage. Their plans are going to take our tax dollars and put them into the pockets of these insurance companies. We need to cut out the middleman here. The government can run this program.†This is called a single-payer system.
***Um, excuse me Michael, there’s one candidate proposing a Single Payer System…the guy the corporate networks dare not mention…Dennis Kucinich.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:25 am#4 Trip Master…I don’t accept criticism from those who deny FACTS.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:29 amRudi: “I thought it would work, but then after a month or two I realized the idea that I was possibly going to run for president would be inconsistent with thatâ€
Bulldust. Jim Baker told you to turn up or p*ss off. He realized it was mistake to have you on the committee. Not you.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:30 amHere’s some news you missed….
Congress approval rating at all time low
14% approval rating.
Lowest in the 30 years they’ve been polling it.
We get updates here every time Bush moves 1% which is inside the margin of error. Here we’ve got another branch of government having their approval rating massacred to half what Bush’s is.
Reckon we’re gonna hear a peep about it on the front page of the web’s foremost poll-quoters ?
June 21st, 2007 at 9:30 am14 soldiers dead in one day.
Yeah, the surge is working so friggin’ well!
I ABSOLUTELY HATE THIS F’ING OCCUPATION!!!
14 families will never see their sons/daughters or fathers/mothers again. Nice Bush, real frickin’ nice
Oh, and St.Daryll, I will be praying for the soldiers, as well as for the families of the deceased. But I will also be praying for the safe return of all our soldiers. I will also continue to contact my congressmen to withdrawal ASAP.
See, little one, I am against this war, and I will do what I am able to, to bring these brave men and women home.
You, you’re for the war (because your cult says so), yet I don’t see your sorry arse over in Iraq, combating the supposed “enemy”
See the hypocritcal difference?
ITMFA!!!
June 21st, 2007 at 9:32 amI am going to ignore all the Trolls today. I’m just going to say what my
Dear Grandmother used to say to me :
“Honey, it will always come out in the wash”
Good Will Win. Love Will Prevail.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:33 amThe Blackberry is now banned in the French presidential palace and government ministries because the U.S. National Security Agency might be “snooping on ministerial messages.â€
Smart people, the French.
KKKarl! You can put the Blackberry down now. The French turned their’s off.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:35 am———————–
#13 … EXACTLY!
TP we’re calling on your to hold Congress accountable!
———————–
June 21st, 2007 at 9:35 amBush has promised to veto the bill, which denies him the $89 billion he requested for the program.
Make it mandatory to put a cryogenic capsule of stem cells on every bomb trigger!
June 21st, 2007 at 9:36 amEnd of story!
In light of the effort to conserve energy I would suggest that the Congress take action to reduce the amount of energy expended by King George the Dumb in vetoing all the new bills. Instead of presenting the bills to KGtD for veto Congress should just veto KGtD.
IMPEACH NOW!
June 21st, 2007 at 9:36 amAnd finally: No more Blackberries for the French. The Blackberry is now banned in the French presidential palace and government ministries because the U.S. National Security Agency might be “snooping on ministerial messages.†But government employees aren’t happy. “Just when we thought France was entering the modern age of technology, the government bureaucrats snatched it away and sent us back to passing handwritten notes,†noted one worker.
Considering that the USA bugged the offices of a number of nations in the UN before the Iraq War, I see it as just common sense.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:39 amThis is really one of the most depressing sites.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:40 amIt’s a gathering of Iranian Intelligence agents.
Caption:
June 21st, 2007 at 9:44 am‘Yes, I may have lied, but I was able to protect KKKarl.’
This is really one of the most depressing sites.
It’s a gathering of Iranian Intelligence agents.
Comment by The Joker — June 21, 2007 @ 9:40 am
Don’t forget the progressive posters.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:44 amEvil,
June 21st, 2007 at 9:48 amThis site is run by Iranian Operatives John Podesta and Faiz.
Miseries of the war:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/18/eveningnews/main2946007.shtml
June 21st, 2007 at 9:48 am#24 Evil,
This site is run by Iranian Operatives John Podesta and Faiz.
Comment by The Joker — June 21, 2007 @ 9:48 am
Don’t forget the aliens from the dark side of the Moon, Mulder.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:49 amThe top 2 paragraphs tell of a darkening cloud I haven’t considered before: the fallout from the widening USAtty scandal could result in further litigation in federal cases that were prosecuted improperly by attys under scrutiny. The lasting impression of this administration will be how much the Republicans have cost us, in blood and treasure in Iraq, and the loss of freedom at home and prestige abroad, and now disingration of our Judicial Sytem– is far too much.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:51 amGood morning campers, rise and whine!
OK, we’ve got some catching up to do on rules and regulations!
First, everyone stays in the cabin, and in their assigned bunk!
I understand you and jonny have the exact same sleeping bags, timmy, but you may not zip them together and sleep outside.
There was also a lot of commotion and I heard the name “venus” called out numerous times, I don’t know what this is all about, but rest assured, I will get to the bottom of this.
And RamboTroll, you can’t sleep with your trolling motor, you must put it on the floor under your bunk. I’ve also had complaints of you taking batteries out of the other campers flashlights to run your motor, any basis for this claim? I sure don’t want to have to search your tackle box.
OK, after breakfast….. what’s that?
Yes, pork sausage again, get used to it, this is the REPUBLICAN summer camp.
Our first activity this morning will be text messaging, and the instructor is none other than Master Rove, and his expert assistant Congr…. I mean Counselor Foley, whom you may have met last night.
Oh, and one other thing, it appears we have a leaker amongst us, and measures will be taken to censor all outgoing mail.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:58 amCharlotte,
June 21st, 2007 at 10:00 amHow youre personal situation doing?
It’s a gathering of Iranian Intelligence agents.
Comment by The Joker — June 21, 2007 @ 9:40 am
عملیات بایدÙسخ بایستی شده باشد
پنهانمان سازش شده است
پایان ناگهانی !
پایان ناگهانی
June 21st, 2007 at 10:07 amYES For Universal Healthcare & NO To Health Insurance Industry!
Thursday 21st of June 2007
by Jay Randal
Michael Moore’s new documentary on “Sicko” health care, in the United States, premieres in movie theaters nationwide at the end of this month, so might replace Iraq war as the number one issue for American voters.
Except for Third World nations the US has the worst health care, in the entire world, so ranks at the bottom for industrialized countries and millions of Americans have no access to basic medical care for their families.
The health insurance industry has turned health care into profit-driven enterprise that benefits nobody, but the wealthy, and screws over average working people who cannot afford the high cost of insurance coverage.
Most Americans want a Canadian type health system, NOT a forced to buy insurance scam, so presidential candidates who advocate propping up the insurance industry are committing suicide, so are not elect-able.
It’s time for the health-scam industry to be shut down!
(Jay Randal, political activist and writer in Georgia, USA.)
PS: Contact your Reps and Senators in DC to demand that health insurance industry is shut down and Universal Healthcare for all.
June 21st, 2007 at 10:07 amHonest to Christ, what do people expect Congress to do with a bare majority? One vote majority doesn’t give them much room to actually DO anything.
We expect miracles when the republicans vote straight up and down in a partisan way. We are no longer a country who is represented by people who actually give a $hit about us. When you are either with the president or not with them, WTF is Congress supposed to do?
It’s a shame more people don’t realize that.
It’s a shame that we are scared into accepting torture as de rigeur. (Think Nazi’s and Germany and how regular citizens came to accept what the Nazi’s did.)
It’s a shame people don’t see the problem with politicizing the DoJ and all other agencies which are supposed to look out for US: The People.
It’s a shame more people don’t see the problem with habeus corpus being virtually suspended.
It’s a shame more people don’t understand our Constitution, the importance of it, and how badly it’s being undermined.
It’s a shame we are collectively so fu*king stupid.
June 21st, 2007 at 10:39 amAnyone else having mondo trouble commenting?
TP, shut down the comments on the stupid talk radio thread, before it crashes your site like the 9/11 movie threads did.
June 21st, 2007 at 10:39 amwhew, glad it’s not just me… I was startin’ ta jones…
June 21st, 2007 at 10:55 amCongress yesterday “moved to block President George W. Bush from developing a new generation of atomic warheads,†because “the administration had not developed an adequate post-Cold War nuclear strategy.†Bush has promised to veto the bill, which denies him the $89 billion he requested for the program.
No funding for nukes for the Numbskull King.
We don’t have enough trouble….?
June 21st, 2007 at 11:00 amFormer New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani yesterday said that joining the Iraq Study Group was a “mistake.†“I thought it would work, but then after a month or two I realized the idea that I was possibly going to run for president would be inconsistent with that,†he said, failing to mention that he initially missed several of the group’s meetings in order to attend fundraising events.
Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, please don’t pretend that you’re concerned about an appearance of a conflict of interest — not at this point. You’re embarassing yourself.
June 21st, 2007 at 11:02 amFederal environmental officials misled Lower Manhattan residents about the extent of contamination in their condominiums and apartments after the collapse of the World Trade Center,†according to a new Government Accountability Report.
Use the proper word, TP.
The Feds didn’t “mislead,” they LIED.
June 21st, 2007 at 11:03 amwhew, glad it’s not just me… I was startin’ ta jones…
Comment by heyzeus
Looks like it’s working now! :)
June 21st, 2007 at 11:04 amComment by Kilo — June 21, 2007 @ 9:30 am
Most of the disapproval towards congress is because they continue to fund the Iraq occupation. If they pulled funding their approval rating would skyrocket.
June 21st, 2007 at 11:06 am“Bush has promised to veto the bill, which denies him the $89 billion he requested for the program”
June 21st, 2007 at 11:11 amThat’s OK, he’ll find some child care or single family support system to rob to pay for this, and it’ll only be found in some obscure signing statement.
Thanks Dick & Karl.
RawStory is reporting an oil-sharing deal in Iraq with Kurdistan
June 21st, 2007 at 11:15 amRather, an oil revenue sharing deal with Kurdistan
June 21st, 2007 at 11:20 amThat’s a great story in Raw, buried down in the middle of the world news section, but realize that the central government represents the Shiite majority, and this does nothing to address any Sunni sharing, just between the Kurds and the Shiite central government.
June 21st, 2007 at 11:26 am“…using that word: ‘universal’ coverage. Their plans are going to take our tax dollars and put them into the pockets of these insurance companies. We need to cut out the middleman here. The government can run this program.†This is called a single-payer system.
Comment by Larry from C — June 21, 2007 @ 9:25 am
huh… well, thanks for clearing THAT up…
June 21st, 2007 at 11:26 ami’ve combined the two terms before and thought that was correct…
no more “universal”… ok… now i know!
.
RUCerious, it’s a good step. It should make negotiations elsewhere easier.
June 21st, 2007 at 11:30 amThe linked article says $89 Million, not Billion
June 21st, 2007 at 11:39 amCaption Contest:
“I don’t recall jack sh*t, Congressman – but look up there! Paris Hilton feasting on the corpse of Anna Nicole!”
June 21st, 2007 at 12:11 pmCongress yesterday “moved to block President George W. Bush from developing a new generation of atomic warheads,†because “the administration had not developed an adequate post-Cold War nuclear strategy.†Bush has promised to veto the bill, which denies him the $89 billion he requested for the program.
What happened to vetoing a ‘return to tax-and-spend’ bills? Oh this one was just spend $89b on a WMD that Cheney and Rumsfeld (or their PNAC sucessors) think they could use someday on someone.
June 21st, 2007 at 12:13 pm$89m? not $89b. Thanks Adspar.
Forget post #48, TP – fix your error.
June 21st, 2007 at 12:15 pmThis is really one of the most depressing sites.
It’s a gathering of Iranian Intelligence agents.
Comment by The Joker — June 21, 2007 @ 9:40 am
What’s the pay like?
June 21st, 2007 at 12:16 pmLOL. Yeah right on the ball those Frenchies.
What’s that like a 10 year turnaround ?
That’s like Sweden saying “We are going to stop using Windows 3.11 because of the security problems that have been known for a decade”. Smart people those Swedes.
June 21st, 2007 at 12:18 pmBreaking news Daryll, after giving it much thought, I have determined that YOU are COMPLICIT in the deaths of not just these 14 troops, but all 3,545 dead American soldiers.
June 21st, 2007 at 12:18 pmThey are dead because of your unwavering obedience and blind acceptance of this administration.
Congratulations, Daryll, you’re a murderer.
Larry from C, you are full it. That news source doesn’t say the “FBI knowingly allowed Osama to charter plane after 9/11″ rather it suggests they had questions after the fact. Your ilk just twists everything to fit your anti-american views.
June 21st, 2007 at 12:21 pmFormer U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger will testify today before the Senate Indian Affairs committee in Washington…
No doubt they’ll be investigating possible copyright infringements by his range of mens products.
June 21st, 2007 at 12:23 pmDemocrats cutting our military budget yet again!
Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy must be rolling in their graves.
June 21st, 2007 at 1:03 pmGovernment run plans are garbage, and put a tremendous strain on the medical system.
My doctor doesn’t even accept Medicaid, because they compensate so frugally and the a$$hole Medicaid patients don’t keep half their appointments!
June 21st, 2007 at 1:06 pmSo if a doctor doesn’t accept medicaid patients, how could they be no shows for appointments they aren’t allowed to make?
June 21st, 2007 at 1:20 pmGeez, what a load o’ crap.
m12
My doctor doesn’t even accept Medicaid
In NY, and at least several other states, that’s illegal, so I’m gonna go ahead and call BS on that one.
June 21st, 2007 at 1:55 pmIn NY, and at least several other states, that’s illegal, so I’m gonna go ahead and call BS on that one.
It isn’t in my state. Clearly you know nothing!
June 21st, 2007 at 4:17 pmSo if a doctor doesn’t accept medicaid patients, how could they be no shows for appointments they aren’t allowed to make?
Geez, what a load o’ crap.
He used to accept them a couple years back. But they were a huge burden on the office.
June 21st, 2007 at 4:18 pmIf anything, the maps printed by NYT are a bit too encouraging. When you study the maps printed by the New Orleans Times-Picayune, things are a bit grimmer.
http://blog.nola.com/graphics/2007/06/the_risk_of_hurricane_flooding.html
Lakeview, Old Metairie and parts of Lower St. Bernard are better off, but the rest of Metairie, Gentilly, the Lower Ninth Ward, Upper St. Bernard and all of NO East have been changed very little or not at all.
A 1% (1/100) risk is still too high. According to the ASCE Report: “What Happened and Why” we should be considering much higher levels of protection. Dams are built on the order of 0.001% or 0.0001% (1/100,000 or 1/1,000,000) risk, why shouldn’t levees be as sturdy as dams?
It’s a good thing that residents have finally been advised of the risks of living in NOLA, but as is demonstrated by the NYT maps, it’s still possible to paint a too rosy picture.
June 21st, 2007 at 4:25 pm