ThinkFast: April 2, 2008
ThinkFast: April 2, 2008
In 2003, the Justice Department issued a legal memo “asserting that federal laws prohibiting assault, maiming and other crimes did not apply to military interrogators who questioned al-Qaeda captives because the president’s ultimate authority as commander in chief overrode such statutes.” Former Justice Department lawyer Marty Lederman says the memo “effectively gave the Pentagon the green light to disregard statutory limits on torture” and “maltreatment.”
Approximately one-third of U.S. soldiers “in hard-to-reach outposts in Iraq and Afghanistan lack timely access to mental health care, according to Pentagon officials and a recent survey.” In Afghanistan, for example, “it can take an average of 40 hours for a psychologist to visit soldiers.”
A new BBC World Service poll finds that the U.S. image abroad “has begun to improve after worsening for years, but the United States is still viewed more negatively than the European Union, Brazil, China, India and Russia.” According to the new survey, 35 percent of the world believes the United States has a positive influence, but 47 percent still believe its influence is negative.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday, Army vice chief of staff Gen. Richard A. Cody said the 30,000-plus troop increase in Iraq and Afghanistan is “inflicting ‘incredible stress’ on soldiers and families” and posing “‘a significant risk’ to the nation’s all-volunteer military.”
After taking timid steps to help borrowers, the Bush administration is now “embracing” the “main tenets” of a housing bill from Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA). Senate Democrats and Republicans are edging closer to deal on a bipartisan housing bill.
Six months after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced phased withdrawal from Iraq, “his defense secretary announced on Tuesday that the reduction had been postponed” after recent violence in Basra. The U.K. will maintain about 4,000 troops outside Basra instead of 2,500.
“The Pentagon is expected to shut a controversial intelligence office,” known as the Counterintelligence Field Activity office, that has been described by critics as “part of an effort by the Defense Department to expand into domestic spying.” In 2005, it was revealed that the office managed a database “that included information about antiwar protests planned at churches, schools and Quaker meeting halls.”
Intelligence centers run by states called “fusion centers” have access “to personal information about millions of Americans, including unlisted cellphone numbers, insurance claims, driver’s license photographs and credit reports.” The centers were created after the 9/11 attacks.
Lawmakers urged Exxon Mobil yesterday to invest more in alternative energy, beyond its $100 million for research at Stanford University. “Does the oil fairy have to show up? … When are you going to put some real money into it?” said Jay Inslee (D-WA).
And finally: Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s telecommunications subcommittee held a hearing on “online virtual worlds.” The hearing was also broadcast online in Second Life, where several avatars — including a pink cat, winged grasshopper, and “a naked man floating through the air” — were allowed to participate. Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA) noted that his avatar — named EdMarkey Alter — looked “like he’s been working out.” The guest avatars also “kept up a virtual dialogue,” adding comments such as “smile,” “wave,” “hooo!” and “hahahaha.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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SHELL DENIES WAR PROFITS; REFUSES TO AID WAR VICTIMS
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April 2nd, 2008 at 9:02 amhttp://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/31880
For 7 long years Bush has always said he is above the law because of war time powers. And it’s sad to know he will never know justice.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:04 amIt’s an interesting argument: The President’s “ultimate authority” as commander in chief means that the President does not have to abide by his oath of office to see to it that the laws are faithfully enforced.
As interpreted by the Bush Presidency, the “ultimate authority” claimed is that of a dictator.
Meanwhile, Congress has abdicated its Constitutional duty to impeach.
And the public quietly acquiesces. Things haven’t gotten bad enough….yet.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:09 amn 2003, the Justice Department issued a legal memo “asserting that federal laws prohibiting assault, maiming and other crimes did not apply to military interrogators who questioned al-Qaeda captives because the president’s ultimate authority as commander in chief overrode such statutes.”
So, then, we could just as well say that “laws prohibiting murder did not apply….”
Can someone please tell me when George W. Bush was appointed God and by whom?
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:12 amAs Dick Cheney says, “So?”
Unless the military trains their guns on the Ruling Elite, the Bush Administration is free to order them to do whatever He wants.
Remember, the Democratic Congress could have put an end to all this by shutting down the funding.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:14 amAccording to the new survey, 35 percent of the world believes the United States has a positive influence, but 47 percent still believe its influence is negative.
And who do we think is best to heal the wounds to our nation? Our choices are an eloquent and calm president (Obama), a screechy finger pointing president (Hillary) or a senile old fool (John).
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:15 amTestifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday, Army vice chief of staff Gen. Richard A. Cody said the 30,000-plus troop increase in Iraq and Afghanistan is “inflicting ‘incredible stress’ on soldiers and families and posing “‘a significant risk’ to the nation’s all-volunteer military.”
So.
Don’t bother taking testimony on the problem if you aren’t going to do something about it. Everyone knows that our military is stretched to the breaking point. SO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:17 amIt would be prudent to assume that the duties delegated to this office will be transfered to some other office, one out of the public eye.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:17 amSix months after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced phased withdrawal from Iraq, “his defense secretary announced on Tuesday that the reduction had been postponed” after recent violence in Basra. The U.K. will maintain about 4,000 troops outside Basra instead of 2,500.
Well, it didn’t take long for Bush to whip Brown into shape, did it. That is not going to go over well with the people of the UK. I wonder what’s in it for Brown for him to risk going against the wishes of the people.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:18 amWhat did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
What I wouldn’t mind missing- another looonnng day watching the mainstream media massage St. John McCain’s image & cleaning up or hiding his gaffes.
TV news (Olbermann excepted) is doing everything they can to elect McBush the next President.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:19 am“asserting that federal laws prohibiting assault, maiming and other crimes did not apply to military interrogators who questioned al-Qaeda captives because the president’s ultimate authority as commander in chief overrode such statutes.”
___________________________________________
Following this logic, if the President has “ultimate authority” as commander in chief, wouldn’t he be permitted to override ANY law? And if this is the case, why do we even need a legislative branch or a judicial branch if what we have is a dictator?
Oh wait … this IS kinda how it’s unfolded, isn’t it?
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:24 amIntelligence centers run by states called “fusion centers” have access “to personal information about millions of Americans, including unlisted cellphone numbers, insurance claims, driver’s license photographs and credit reports.” The centers were created after the 9/11 attacks.
Big brother is watching over us to keep us safe. Right….
Hopefully all this can be undone. Unfortunately I fear it can’t.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:24 amLawmakers urged Exxon Mobil yesterday to invest more in alternative energy, beyond its $100 million for research at Stanford University. “Does the oil fairy have to show up? … When are you going to put some real money into it?” said Jay Inslee (D-WA).
When they stop making obscene profits off of gouging us on gasoline prices? When they realize that oil is a finite resource and we are on the downside of peak oil? When it is required that they do it in order to do business in this country?
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:25 amI saw a woman on the news last night saying she would vote for Mcsame because nobody could understand war like him. Really? What was her excuse for voting for Bush, Cheney, and Dumsfeld? It’s not like McCain was in the infantry. He simply obliverated people from 20,000 feet up.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:28 amIn 2003, the Justice Department issued a legal memo “asserting that federal laws prohibiting assault, maiming and other crimes did not apply to military interrogators who questioned al-Qaeda captives because the president’s ultimate authority as commander in chief overrode such statutes.” Former Justice Department lawyer Marty Lederman says the memo “effectively gave the Pentagon the green light to disregard statutory limits on torture” and “maltreatment.”
looks like WE THE PEOPLE are gonna have to find pitchforks at wholesale and take OUR country back from the war criminals & traitors….
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:28 am“Does the oil fairy have to show up? … When are you going to put some real money into it?” said Jay Inslee (D-WA).
__________________________________________
Congressman Inslee knows what the rest of us do — the “oil fairy” will only show up after the last drop of oil is consumed and there is no more money to be made off of it. Then and only then will SERIOUS efforts be made to develop alternative sources of energy. And it won’t be done off oil profits, it will be done with federal grants funded by taxpayers.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:31 am>the Justice Department issued a legal memo
>“asserting that
>federal laws prohibiting assault,
> maiming..do not apply
what do you expect from the hipocrites who tell us how terrible saddam was, yet assert that they could do anything
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 amhe did as long as they claim they are doing it to “fight terror”? i’ll say it again like i’ve said it before, these people claim the president has the right to sexually mutilate children at whim…i dont think it gets any more scewed up than that..
Defenders of the so-called “self-regulating free market” want to explain why it is not working to keep prices down?
Please also explain why the free market competition is not keeping medical expenses down…..frivilous lawsuits will not be accepted as an excuse….that lie has been debunked repeatedly on TP.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 am“asserting that federal laws prohibiting assault, maiming and other crimes did not apply to military interrogators who questioned al-Qaeda captives because the president’s ultimate authority as commander in chief overrode such statutes.”
Oh. Okay then.
All hail Genghis Chimp.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:33 amFred,
didn’t you know: frivilous lawsuits are why the war in Iraq is so expensive!!!
/snark
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:33 am> And if this is the case, why do
> we even need a legislative branch
> or a judicial branch if what we
> have is a dictator?
Well, according to these people’s logic, he’s not a dictator per se, he only has his magic dictator powers when he beleives its necessary because we’re at “war” with “something”…
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:35 am(chuckle..) big difference, right?
I mean, yeah, like, a dictator is a dictator all the time, not just when he wants to be,..
‘Bad Voodoo’ on PBS last night was well worth the time to watch.
A film maker gave a Calif. National Guard unit small, adaptable video cameras to mount on their vehicle.
The Sgt. heading up the squad was on his FIFTH tour of duty. He admitted to having PTSD, & wasn’t very excited about going back to Iraq, leading night convoys over dangerous terrain.
One event found the vehicle ahead of them hit by an IED. They had to call KBR for a ‘tow’! After waiting nearly 8 hours in the nigh desert, they pieced together some parts themselves and moved on.
KBR never showed up.
I got the sense that our military, Guards particularly, are the ones moving supplies & KBR & Blackwater are ‘the protectors’. That sounds backwards, but with the mindless Bush cabal in charge, that probably sounds about right.
Stop this Invasion before the next one starts!
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:35 amHave we come to this point, that patriotism, valor, and life and death are openly made the pawns of Wall Street’s politicians, to be moved about as suits the greater profits of Wall Street’s master spirits?”
- Fighting Bob La Follette, the pioneer of the Progressive movement and founder Progressive Magazine, 1911
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:35 amLuck Of The Admiral’s Son Not For “Grunts”
By Ted Sampley
U.S. Veteran Dispatch
October 1999
When two U.S. Army enlisted men were captured by the Viet Cong in 1963, they were plunged into an ordeal that would prove to be a relentless trial of body and spirit by torture. Once they were finally freed, however, their trials began all over again, when their statements critical of the U. S. Vietnam policy landed them in a military court facing a capital offense for violating the military Code of Conduct by “aiding the enemy.”
But, if your name is John McCain and your father and grandfather were famous admirals, violating the Code of Conduct by “aiding the enemy” translates into fodder for a political career, book deals, and adulation bordering on sainthood.
Read more here.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:38 amIntelligence centers run by states called “fusion centers” have access “to personal information about millions of Americans, including unlisted cellphone numbers, insurance claims, driver’s license photographs and credit reports.” The centers were created after the 9/11 attacks.
How many of these states, do you want to bet, are nosey red states? End of story: The job of fighting terrorism rests with the federal government. But unfortunately the staters see this as a kewl chance to glance at sensitive personal information.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:38 am>didn’t you know: frivilous lawsuits are why the war in Iraq >is so expensive!!!
yeah, those gosh darn trial lawyers, you know, im reasonably sure that both america and iraq would be utopian paradises
if it wernt for these guys…
(or maaaybe it has something to do with the fact that trial lawyers and unions are the only big money players that are sympathetic to “the little guy” democratic causes..as opposed to say, allmost all other big business, which would rather have a little oversight and accoutability as possible, thus they support republicans)
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:39 ambuzzbomb Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:28 am
I saw a woman on the news last night saying she would vote for Mcsame because nobody could understand war like him.
______________________________________________
Even IF McBush “understood war” (and that’s a big if), these days he has abandoned his knowledge of war and everything else to focus on understanding political survival. And it hasn’t been a pretty sight.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:40 amDid McCain really crash as many planes as Cheney had deferrments?
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:41 amDelivery of 32,000 Cosignatures to FEC Complaint Against McCain
Joe Sudbay of AmericaBlog and Reverend Lennox Yearwood delivered 32,000 signatures to the FEC, cosigning the complaint filed last Thursday against John McCain and his campaign. It took three reams of paper and 1,400 pages to print it all out. This morning at a McCain event in Alexandria, McCain was introduced as a “hero” because of his work in campaign finance reform. Right. The guy who helped to write the law now doesn’t want to obey it, just because there’s nobody around to enforce it…
Campaign Reform, they use it as a punchline to get peoples attention. Then they don’t follow their own rules..is anyone surprised?
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:41 amTo these cushy loons, the longer the masses are scared and the War on Terra fails to get to the point, the easier it will be to push their extremist agenda: More spying, overstating states’ rights, and profiteering.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:42 amPost 2 reads:
#2 Guido the Loving OBGYN Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:04 am
For 7 long years Bush has always said he is above the law because of war time powers. And it’s sad to know he will never know justice.
Add Karma Recommend (1) | Report Abuse
So, because of war time powers imposed illegally, the name of the game is to keep the war going at all costs in order to continue the charade.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:42 amBriseadh na Faire Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:33 am
Fred,
didn’t you know: frivilous lawsuits are why the war in Iraq is so expensive!!!
/snark
______________________________
And here I thought it was NEA grants. Or needle exchange programs. Or those pesky people who won’t allow teacher-led prayer in public schools. The war would be a lot cheaper if people were allowed to pray, you know.
/snark
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:43 ami always read my local daily paper the next morning, with coffee, mostly for the comics… this morning i read this headline:
Governor’s office sought favorable vote for hire
and included this sentence:
The note offers a new look at hiring in the Blagojevich administration, which is under federal investigation for possibly violating laws that prohibit hiring based on politics and require military veterans be given first chance at jobs.
can you IMAGINE?!?! under fed investigation??? for hiring based on politics???
i sure hope his lawyers have been paying attention…
btw, pronounce the j as a y… yes, he is the REelected democratic illinois gov…
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:44 am…
McCain’s said he’s not running as Bush, he’s running as himself. [[[sic]]]
Since his campaign doesn’t have much money, expect him to push that falsehood more often.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:47 amThis is something that Congress needs to follow up on. They need to subpoena Mukasey and make him elaborate. Either he’s lying or he just admitted that the Bushies really dropped the ball before 911.
http://rawstory.com/ news/ 2008/ Mukasey_US_had_attack_evidence_before_0401.html
The problem that he is missing here is that they already had that ability under the old FISA law.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:51 amgee, wonder whatever happened to that “database “that included information about antiwar protests…”…
destroyed, no doubt…
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 amhow ’bout this:
Environmental Laws to Be Waived for Fence
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:53 amWashington Post - 8 hours ago
By Juliet Eilperin The Bush administration will waive more than 30 environmental and land-management laws in order to finish building 470 miles of border fence in the Southwest by the end of the year, officials said yesterday.
Deep South Texans hold firm against border fence Houston Chronicle
Border fence will skirt laws Chicago Tribune
mornin’, Katy. Do you personally approve of Blagojevich? I am only vaguely familiar of him, but does his reported stubbornness make him a poor Governor? Does that even matter as long as he’s fulfilling a progressive agenda for the state?
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:55 amseems like the study BEFORE the sales would’ve been better…
Study Finds Home Defibrillator Is No Help
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:57 amNew York Times - 8 hours ago
By BARNABY J. FEDER Consumers are unlikely to benefit from buying household versions of emergency equipment meant to revive victims of sudden heart seizures, according to long-awaited results from a clinical trial announced Tuesday.
Costly defibrillators may not help Chicago Sun-Times
Few lives saved in homes through use of defibrillators Boston Globe
katy Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:53 am
Wow, a fence. What an incredible waste of money. And it’s a futile effort, too, since it’s much cheaper and a bigger bang for the buck to just amend. the. trade. agreement(s).
Couldn’t we just add more border agents? Couldn’t we just administer a guest worker program with wage protection in shortage areas?
We have too many symbolic, superficial minds in this country.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:00 amWow, they’re using the interwebs, how hip, cool, and ‘with-it’ these guys are!
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:00 amhonestly, mcwars, i haven’t paid much attention to it… there is ALWAYS drama
with illinois politics, especially gov office… the last one is in prison…
blago is not real popular with the “downstaters”, as he is from chicago (and even lives there - not the gov mansion in springfield - as he has young(ish) kids, i guess) but mostly because he is a democrat…
the only thing that makes illinois a “blue state” is CHICAGO… and so that would
shed some light on why the feds would want to take this guy down… they’ve been trying to turn illinois red for a long time… but, to my memory, the worst
governors were the repugs… like i said, the last one, ryan, is in prison…
i’ve been so engrossed in the fed politics, because if THAT fails, state and
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:08 amlocal govs are irrelevant… my opinion…
my congressman is shimkus, so it’s useless to try to work with him…
my senators are DURBIN and OBAMA… yay!
…
McWars Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:00 am
Couldn’t we just add more border agents? Couldn’t we just administer a guest worker program with wage protection in shortage areas?
We have too many symbolic, superficial minds in this country.
Guest workers? Border agents? Pah! Those make for crappy photo-ops. We need a fence so we can take pictures of the fence and give people a false sense of security!
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:09 am“What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.”
McDermott to pay Boehner $1 million in legal fees
By Walter Alarkon
The Hill
4/1/2008
A federal judge has ruled that Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) can collect more than $1 million in legal fees in a lawsuit against Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) over a taped phone call, the Associated Press reports.
Boehner had sued McDermott for leaking a tape of a 1996 call featuring Republican congressmen discussing an ethics case against then-Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.).
McDermott told The Hill that he is raising money to pay the penalty through a legal defense fund.
“I’ve been raising money the last few years,” McDermott said. “We’re a little bit short but we’ll get there.”
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:11 amaw jeez…
Bomb explodes near top Iraq generals in Basra
Reuters - 4 hours ago
BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - A roadside bomb exploded near a convoy carrying Iraqi generals in a Shi’ite militia stronghold in the southern city of Basra on Wednesday, but the officials were unhurt, one of the officers said.
Sadr loyalists warn of end to cease-fire Los Angeles Times
Iraqi Deaths Are on the Rise Again During Clashes With Militias New York Times
or is that “old news”?
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:12 amYou folks won’t believe this one.. I can’t stop laughing…LOL
(compliments of the Huffington Post)
“Should the City and County of San Francisco rename the Oceanside Wastewater Treatment Facility the George W. Bush Sewage Plant?”
This is going on the November 2008 Ballot in San Francisco. I thought I would give everyone a little humor this morning.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:14 amcrap…
AIDS drug nearly doubles heart attack risk
USA Today - 14 hours ago
LONDON (AP) - A drug commonly used to fight AIDS appears to nearly double the risk of a heart attack, researchers said Tuesday. In a study published online in The Lancet medical journal, European researchers said that the anti-retroviral abacavir, …
2 AIDS drugs found to raise coronary risk Arizona Daily Star
Glaxo’s HIV Drug May Be Linked To Heart Attack Risk -Study CNNMoney.com
WE NEED A REAL F D A !
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:16 amgood to know…
Heart group urges “hands-only” CPR in emergencies
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:17 amReuters - Mar 31, 2008
By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bystanders who see someone suddenly collapse should quickly give the person chest compressions even if they are not trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the American Heart Association said on Monday.
Revised CPR method saves more lives Wisconsin Radio Network
Hold breath, start chest compressions The Free Lance-Star
Zimzone Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:35 am
One event found the vehicle ahead of them hit by an IED. They had to call KBR for a ‘tow’! After waiting nearly 8 hours in the nigh desert, they pieced together some parts themselves and moved on.
KBR never showed up.
Of course not. Caring for the troops is unpatriotic!
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:18 amAll hail the God-King George W Bush! Praise be unto Him!
What is he, Xerxes? Calgon, take me away!!
Is it just me or will Europe see our president as leading the world’s largest terrorist organization pretty soon? We’re authorized to invade, cause collateral damage, torture, sponsor rogue and unchecked private militias like Blackwater…
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:19 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:51 am
Good morning Bilbo-
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:22 amI feel that this story is the heart of what’s been going on over the course of this Administration. Does anyone actually think that THIS Administration, if they actually cared about preventing a terrorist attack, would not have traced this call? The law was on their side and the tools needed were clearly in place. I wouldn’t doubt that they actually traced the call and simply chose to be complacent. It’s well documented that this WH hoped for a new “Pearl Harbor” to help implement their agenda. They have been spending the last eight years trying to hide this fact. Telecom immunity is directly related to this as is the reluctance of Pelosi(as a member of the Intelligence Commitee had knowledge of this and the use of torture) as well as Rockefeller’s dogged attempts at gaining immunity for telecoms (also on the Intelligence Commitee AND in the know). It’s all a gigantic CYA ploy on both sides of the aisle. It is becoming clearer that the hierarcy in the Dem party’s reluctance to go for impeachment is due to their attempts at hiding what they may also have known.
I think they already do, singe_101.
They already do…
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:23 am>McCain’s said he’s not running as Bush, he’s running as >himself.
waiting for someone in the press to crawl out of mccain’s buttocks and ask him one simple question: how will your presidencey differ from that of george bush? that one simple question would sink his campaign, as he would be forced to try and pander to both the radical nutballs who think bush is too liberal and also to everyone else, who is sick of bush and everything about him..
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:24 am#46, Freedom Rebel
“Should the City and County of San Francisco rename the Oceanside Wastewater Treatment Facility the George W. Bush Sewage Plant?”
That depends, can it go on vacation 40% of the time?
Plus the workers staffed there will break any and all guidelines in a “War on Sludge.”
They won’t care about the environment or serving the public. The water will come out dirtier than it came in, like the Oval Office.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:24 amIf you go to the San Francisco Presidential Memorial Commission website this is what they have to say:
As we near the end of George W Bush’s presidency, we think it is important to select a fitting monument to this president’s work. On matters ranging from foreign relations to fiscal and environmental stewardship, no other president in American history has accomplished so much in such a short time. To honor George W Bush for his eight years of honorable public service, the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco is sponsoring a ballot initiative this November in San Francisco.
I think it is a befitting monument to our President. To name a Waste Treatment Facility after him, I can’t think of a better idea to sum up his whole Presidency.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:27 amhussein toasterhead
I love toasted snark in the morning.
katy
That was a very lively account katy, thank you. I’d sure rather have an arrogant democratic governor who works for the betterment of a state, than a Republican governor with the same arrogance with a deteriorating agenda. Ryan did some real bad things. I tend to feel bad for anyone who loses a $197,000 pension, but why would one corrupt the public trust in the first place. You have to satisfy the public, or else you can’t retire off of them.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:27 amI thought that was Perino’s name! Or is she just the spigot?
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:28 amMust read:
America’s Silent Killing Fields
America’s silent killers are deadly, and do not discriminate. They target babies, the elderly, teenagers, young adults, middle-age housewives, and businessmen alike. They poison livestock, pets, and wildlife, and the people behind them deny complicity in the carnage. Who or what are these silent, deadly killers? They are the beautiful, green, uniform, and seemingly beneficial, killing fields of genetically modified (GMO) crops. The people behind them are the U.S. government, the Rockefellers, Monsanto, Dow, DuPont, and Syngenta.
How it Began
Eugenics is a dirty word, yet particularly applicable to America’s killing fields and their inception:
Henry Kissinger drafted the controversial NSSM-200 in 1974, called “the foundational document on population control issued by the United States government.” According to NSSM-200, elements of the implementation of population control programs could include: the legalization of abortion; financial incentives for countries to increase their abortion, sterilization and contraception-use rates; indoctrination of children; mandatory population control, and coercion of other forms, such as withholding disaster and food aid unless an LDC implements population control programs.
NSSM-200 also specifically declared that the United States was to cover up its population control activities and avoid charges of imperialism by inducing the United Nations and various non-governmental organizations to do its dirty work.
http://www.opednews.com/ articles/ life_a_barbara__080401_america_s_silent_kil.htm
Sorry - moving slowly this morning. This is beyond bad.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:31 amHT:Calibleu
Countdown: Mukasey’s FISA Fables - Lies or Admissions?
We [and TP] brought you Attorney General, Michael Mukasey’s tearful remarks about 9/11 and the ongoing FISA battle in Congress last week and on Tuesday’s Countdown, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow dig deeper into what was either a series of lies from the AG or an admission of gross negligence on the part of the Bush Administration leading up to that tragic day.
[…]
Maddow:”…Oh please, just let him have just been lying, because if he was telling the truth here, if there really was a call from a known al Qaeda safe house in Afghanistan to the United States before 9/11 which the Bush Administration did not tap and trace? That is huge news and we ought to get some answers about why we were left so unprotected and surprised on 9/11. Let’s hope that he was just making that up.”
http://www.crooksandliars.com/ 2008/ 04/ 01/ countdown-mukaseys-fisa-fables-lies-or-admissions/
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:33 am.
Since it’s acceptable, according to John Yoo, for the US to torture people, obviously it is acceptable for the enemy to torture any of our folks.
so why is there such outrage from Americans when our soldiers are tortured?
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:34 am>McDermott to pay Boehner $1 million in legal fees
welcome to Exleys parade of “things that have nothing to do with the surge that im suddenly not talking about anymore”
all this shows is weeper Boner is a hipocrtical assh@t like Bork… who got Boner this money? a trial lawyer.. who does
Boner and other republiscum regularly rail against and tell lies about? trial lawyers…
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,301632,00.html
“And because they did voluntarily, I believe that they deserve immunity from lawsuits out there from typical trial lawyers trying to find a way to get into the pockets of the American companies. ” (note..this is a lie…almost all the telecom lawsuits are coming from civil liberties groups and are being taken pro bono)
so thanks Exlexlia, for reminding us that walking piles of hipocroitcal excrement like Boehner suddenly dont think trial lawers are all bad when they sue someone THEY think needs sued!!
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:36 amIf the wingers go on a naming spree after Bush leaves office, I think we should name all the superfund toxic waste sites after him. Like the George Bush Tire Fire in Ohio, and the George Bush Freedom Pit in New Mexico, were we’re storing radioactive waste.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 amps. Exley, nice to see you FINALLY getting your panties in a wad about illegal snooping, even if it takes a democrat doing it to make you care…
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 am#57Ranting Tommy
Shes the Spigot! I can’t believe those people could write all of those things about Georgie Boy with a straight face and mean it. I’m thinking it took alot of practice and anger management classes.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 amAt least corn, flour, and corn syrup aren’t in everything… oh, wait. Stop eating? Corn is a choice?
I have a gluten allergy friend so I look at labels and many things have flour for whatever reason… I think Corn Pops and Corn Flakes did, it was crazy.
And high fructose corn syrup, ubiquitous.
Well if we’re in this campaign, can they have the same objections to stem cells (though much different)?
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:41 amexlax is a cowardly republican, trained by right wing radio to hate and fear anything they tell him to.
he traded in his critical thinking capabilities for the phony security blanket that the criminal bush admin provides for him.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:43 amArmy vice chief of staff Gen. Richard A. Cody said the 30,000-plus troop increase in Iraq and Afghanistan is “inflicting ‘incredible stress’ on soldiers and families”
And he finished his statement with an acknowledgement that his military career is now in the shitter for making such traitorous comments.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:45 amI stand corrected, not anger management classes. I forgot people still sniff glue to get high. That’s what it is.
Either that or Merck is giving away free pharmacueticals in San Francisco.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:45 amOnce More for Gore?
Gore will run for president as independent, sources tell Grist
Posted at 12:25 AM on 01 Apr 2008
[UPDATE: This news item is a joke. Happy April Fools’ Day!]
You might want to sit down for this:
Al Gore will announce his candidacy for president this week, knowledgeable sources tell Grist. There’s an inconvenient truth for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Gore believes the two Democrats and Republican John McCain aren’t giving climate change the urgent attention it deserves, so he’s decided to go for the job himself, say Gore advisors who requested anonymity as they aren’t authorized to speak to the press. A lifelong Democrat, Gore will run as an independent this time around, aiming to show the American people that climate change is not a partisan issue. He is expected to tap New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, also an independent, as his running mate. On Monday of this week, Gore’s nonpartisan Alliance for Climate Protection launched a new public education campaign aimed at convincing Americans that climate change is both urgent and solvable. We’re guessing that will be the thrust of Gore’s presidential campaign as well.
http://www.grist.org/ news/ 2008/ 04/ 01/ gore_prez/ index.html
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:58 amInevitablility sets in: Bernanke warns of possible recession
http://news.yahoo.com/ s/ ap/ 20080402/ ap_on_bi_ge/ bernanke_congress
For these deniers to use the r word tells me we are in real trouble……..Since they have no one to blame except other republicans I’m sure they don’t like to admit this.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:59 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:51 am
Thanks Bilbo! I asked about this yesterday on the telecom immunity thread but didn’t get a response.
This is OUTRAGEOUS! Olbermann has covered it two nights in a row and I hope that he keeps hammering on it until it’s got the same impact as the WalMart thing!
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:02 amA very detailed expose’ of Bush’s decision to allow “enhanced” interrogation techniques:
http://www.vanityfair.com/ politics/ features/ 2008/ 05/ guantanamo200805
It also posits that anyone who took part in these interrogations may be prosecuted for war crimes, and as such, will not be able to leave American jurisdiction, for fear of arrest.
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:02 amIn 2003, the Justice Department issued a legal memo …
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:10 amBush&Co have determinedly and systematically worked toward destroying the Constitution and our form of government. They have increasingly given unilateral power to the executive branch at the expense of the other equal branches.
Yet, there is no serious call for impeachment — Bush&Co are traitors to America and all it stands for, yet, they will apparently go scot-free into the future, accepting speaking engagements, living a good life and enjoying freedom which they have denied and deprived to others.
Fred Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:59 am
Inevitablility sets in: Bernanke warns of possible recession
http://news.yahoo.com/ s/ ap/ 20080402/ ap_on_bi_ge/ bernanke_congress
Amazing, isn’t it, Fred, that very nearly EIGHTY PERCENT of Americans knew that already…?
And all those supposed Big Brains like Mr. Bernanke are so far behind the curve as to be rendered pretty much irrelevant…heh. Our tax dollars at work paying this fool.
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:18 am#38 McWars
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:21 amI agree entirely with Katy when she speaks of Illinois politics.
I have been disappointed in Blago as governor, but I take Ill. politics with a grain of salt. His powerful f-in-law doesn’t like him and that gave Blago a poor start. His wife didn’t want to live in Springfield, so that alienated further the conservative downstaters. The newspapers don’t like him because of they are all very republican; they endorsed Obama for nomination, but we all know in November they will endorse McCain. His wife is in real estate and her every transaction is dissected, as is every move by the gov.
The news media creates a far worse portrait of this flawed governor — politics plays a role in hiring? What else is new?
They have done so many things that they will now try to distance themselves from.
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:25 amBush has discovered us! He now sees the need to provide some form of relief for the commoners. What a shithead. So, let me get this straight, the military paid for by the citizens of the U.S., can violate the spirit of our legal system and do criminal things? Our basic philosophy of government is not applicable to all government departments? What sense does that make IF we are the greatest “democracy” in the world? Not to mention the U.S. murder of the Geneva Conventions (I carried my conventions card in my wallet while in Vietnam with the hope it would afford me some protection) which the greatest democracy in the world rejected after decades of affording some degree of sanity to the war process! This government is NOT us!!
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:26 amBNF @ 9:38 thanks for the link. I had long forgotten that story.
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:29 amFrom the linked article, this details how the decision to “maximize the intelligence production” was reached, and enacted:
Succinctly, Dunlavey described the mission Rumsfeld had given him. “He wanted me to ‘maximize the intelligence production.’ No one ever said to me, ‘The gloves are off.’ But I didn’t need to talk about the Geneva Conventions. It was clear that they didn’t apply.” Rumsfeld told Dunlavey to report directly to him. To the suggestion that Dunlavey report to SouthCom, Dunlavey heard Rumsfeld say, “I don’t care who he is under. He works for me.”
He arrived at Guantánamo at the beginning of March. Planeloads of detainees were being delivered on a daily basis, though Dunlavey soon concluded that half of them had no intelligence value. He reported this to Rumsfeld, who referred the matter to Feith. Feith, Dunlavey said, resisted the idea of repatriating any detainees whatsoever. (Feith says he made a series of interagency proposals to repatriate detainees.)
Dunlavey described Feith to me as one of his main points of contact. Feith, for his part, had told me that he knew nothing about any specific interrogation issues until the Haynes Memo suddenly landed on his desk. But that couldn’t be right—in the memo itself Haynes had written, “I have discussed this with the Deputy, Doug Feith and General Myers.” I read the sentence aloud. Feith looked at me. His only response was to tell me that I had mispronounced his name. “It’s Fythe,” he said. “Not Faith.”
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:40 amIntelligence centers run by states called “fusion centers” have access “to personal information about millions of Americans, including unlisted cellphone numbers, insurance claims, driver’s license photographs and credit reports.” The centers were created after the 9/11 attacks.
Hah, what a euphemism for data mining. It’s all about amassing data in a single database and dig for “suspicious” behavior. Let’s say you travel a lot to NY by plane… well, your name was in one of these “fusion center” in the screen of someone, altogheter with your credit rating, your driving card, your SS number, your medical bills and all your accounts and shares and real property, with other assorted data.
Fusion center… heh.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:22 pmassault, maiming and other crimes did not apply to military interrogators who questioned al-Qaeda captives because the president’s ultimate authority as commander in chief….
And yet another admission to Bush being a WAR CRIMINAL.
And he is still in office, we have become what we hate.
IMPEACH BUSH CHENEY
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:35 pmHague Trials ‘09
Intelligence centers run by states called “fusion centers” have access “to personal information about millions of Americans, including unlisted cellphone numbers, insurance claims, driver’s license photographs and credit reports.” The centers were created after the 9/11 attacks.
Here, you widdle wepubwikans, we’w keep yew safe and warm and fuzzy. Aw it wiw cost yew is yerw biww of wights.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:38 pmassault, maiming and other crimes did not apply to military interrogators who questioned al-Qaeda captives because the president’s ultimate authority as commander in chief….
In the Hague, that means nothing. They will be held to higher, international law standards - or they can enjoy a well-earned isolation in the US, as the pariahs they are.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:41 pmAnd that goes doubly for the medical personnel who abetted this horror. Any doctor who served this perpose at Gitmo should be hounded out of the profession - by picketing their offices, and letting their patient know just what kind of hypocratic hypocrits they truly are.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:44 pm# Marie Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:21 am
Marie,
Sorry for the late response. Before you and katy posted, I thought of Ill. as an overwhelmingly democratic state. In my mind, I was probably confused by the fact that Chicago has such a strong national democratic presence, that the entire state was democratic. Not that the state isn’t an interesting one (a microcosm of America, is it called?). It must be a scenario where influence outweighs raw numbers, if there are more republicans than democrats in your state.
Good, on a regular basis, seems to face an uphill battle against those hungry for power and dominance. Couldn’t they pile on in some red states forever bound to be red?
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:57 pmWohoo! The surge is working!
So?
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:25 pmThe White House
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:44 pmThe Green Light
As the first anniversary of 9/11 approached, and a prized Guantánamo detainee wouldn’t talk, the Bush administration’s highest-ranking lawyers argued for extreme interrogation techniques, circumventing international law, the Geneva Conventions, and the army’s own Field Manual. The attorneys would even fly to Guantánamo to ratchet up the pressure—then blame abuses on the military. Philippe Sands follows the torture trail, and holds out the possibility of war-crimes charges.
by Phillippe Sands May 2008
http://www.vanityfair.com/ politics/ features/ 2008/ 05/ guantanamo200805
Also from the article:
In my efforts to get to the heart of this story, and its possible consequences, I visited a judge and a prosecutor in a major European city, and guided them through all the materials pertaining to the Guantánamo case. The judge and prosecutor were particularly struck by the immunity from prosecution provided by the Military Commissions Act. “That is very stupid,” said the prosecutor, explaining that it would make it much easier for investigators outside the United States to argue that possible war crimes would never be addressed by the justice system in the home country—one of the trip wires enabling foreign courts to intervene. For some of those involved in the Guantánamo decisions, prudence may well dictate a more cautious approach to international travel. And for some the future may hold a tap on the shoulder.
Or the bums’-rush into a waiting police car…
The underlings, like Diane Beaver, Bybee, Feith, and Gonzo, will eventually be held accountable in an international court of law, although building the case will take a while before it works it’s way up the political foodchain to Rummy, and ultimately Bush.
There’s Bush’s legacy, to join the ranks of other national leaders who became war criminals, like Pinochet - although it will most likely occur after his death.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:46 pmAnd McCain, on searching for a running mate…
McCain told reporters his search for a running mate would take weeks if not months. At the prompting of aides, he said it was at an “embryonic stage” and added, “it’s every name imaginable,” about 20 in all.
I’d be quite surprised if it isn’t Lindsay Graham.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:49 pmFlashback: McCain voted against MLK Day in 1983 (April 2nd)
In a Feb. 9 “Hardball” interview with Chris Matthews, McCain compared his evolution to that of one of his political heroes, former Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater. “I believe that Barry Goldwater, to start with, regretted his vote on the 1964 Civil Rights Act,” McCain said. “I think that Barry grew, like all of us grow and evolve. In 1983, when I was brand-new in the Congress, I voted against the recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King. That was a mistake, OK? And later I had the chance to … help fight for … the recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King as a holiday in my state.”
In 1983, McCain voted against passing a bill to designate the third Monday of every January as a federal holiday in honor of King. Four years later, then-Arizona Governor Evan Mecham rescinded Martin Luther King Day as a state holiday, saying it had been established through an illegal executive order by his Democratic predecessor.
McCain said he thought Mecham was correct in his decision.
Two years after that, McCain’s viewpoint began to change, but only gradually. In 1989, he urged lawmakers to make Martin Luther King Jr. day a state holiday, but said he was “still opposed to another federal holiday.”
Wow, I can’t believe he voted against the Holiday to begin with. I never watch Hardball so I missed this.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:59 pmRUCerious:
I’d be quite surprised if it isn’t Lindsay Graham.
And through the night, a low chorus could be heard across the swamp:
“Joe…”
[ribbit, ribbit…]
“Joe…“
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:05 pmTomorrow’s headline - Cody submitted his resignation, today. “Voluntarily” of course.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:17 pm