ThinkFast: August 6, 2008
ThinkFast: August 6, 2008
Former Olympic gold medalist speedskater Joey Cheek had his visa revoked by Chinese authorities, just hours before “he was set to travel to Beijing to promote his effort urging China to help make peace in the war-torn Darfur section of Sudan.” In 2006, Cheek contributed his $25,000 gold medal award to help refugees from Darfur.
Six conservative senators are skipping the GOP convention. “Sens. Ted Stevens of Alaska, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine all face tough re-election campaigns. Two others, Wayne Allard of Colorado and Larry Craig of Idaho, are retiring.”
Today, President Bush “said North Korea could leave the ‘axis of evil’ and shed its pariah state status if dictator Kim Jong Il came clean on his country’s nuclear weapons programs and ended human rights abuses. “It’s his choice to make,” Bush said, adding, “My hope is that the ‘Axis of Evil’ list no longer exists. That’s my hope, for the sake of peace. And it’s my hope for the sake of our children.”
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “appeared to back down” yesterday from his disingenuous tire gauge attack against Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). In a telephone townhall, McCain told voters in Pennsylvania, “Obama said a couple of days ago says we all should inflate our tires. I don’t disagree with that. The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it.”
On the trail today: Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will hold an energy town hall with Sen. Evan Bayh in Elkhart, IN to discuss his New Energy for America plan. McCain will meet with Marshall University’s football team in West Virginia today before traveling on to Ohio.
A bipartisan group of four senators plans to “announce a proposal to reset the charitable mileage deduction to 70 percent of the corporate deduction.” Currently, “the deduction for use of a personal car while performing volunteer services for charities” is “14 cents a mile,” compared to “58.5 cents a mile for corporate employees who use their cars for business purposes.”
In a new poll from the National Women’s Law Center, “59 percent of women said they were ‘worried and concerned about achieving [their] economic and financial goals over the next five years,’ compared with just 33 percent who called themselves ‘hopeful and confident.’”
Freddie Mac reported a loss of $821 million in the second quarter, following a $151 million loss in the first quarter and bringing its cumulative loss over the last four quarters to more than $4.6 billion. “To help preserve capital, Freddie said it would slash its quarterly dividend” by 80 percent, to 5 cents a share.
And finally: Bob Novak wishes the AP had a copy editor. On Monday, the Associated Press made a “deplorable error” when writing about columnist Novak’s decision to retire and his diagnosis of a brain tumor. The Washington Post’s Al Kammen points out the AP’s “terrible gaffe.” “Novak has been a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for decades,” the AP wrote. “He announced late last month he has a brain.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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The FBI’s Emerging, Leaking Case Against Ivins
It’s certainly possible that once the FBI closes its investigation and then formally unveils its evidence a very convincing case will be made that Bruce Ivins perpetrated the anthrax attacks and did so alone. But what has been revealed thus far — leaks which the establishment media, with some exceptions, just mindlessly re-prints no matter how frivolous — is creating the opposite impression.
Given everything that has happened over the last seven years — not just with the anthrax attacks but with countless episodes of Government deceit and corruption — it’s astonishing (and more than a little disturbing) how many people are willing, even eager, to assume that the Government’s accusations against Ivins are accurate even without seeing a shred of evidence to support those claims.
When you add on to that the magnitude of this case and the ample reasons for error and deceit — it’s the first lethal bioterrorism attack on the U.S., one which, originated at a U.S. Government facility, perpetrated by a U.S. Army scientist, that was then used by numerous factions inside the Government and out to ratchet up fear levels and falsely blame Iraq and/or Al Qaeda for the attacks and, thereafter, was blamed on someone who appears to have been completely innocent — what minimally rational person would be willing to assume that the Government’s uncorroborated, unexamined, untested claims are accurate?
Just to illustrate how utterly unreliable and often frivolous the Government-media leaking ritual has been, look at what happened yesterday. Within less than 24 hours, we went from “a New Jersey mailbox used to send the anthrax was less than 100 yards away from a sorority for which Ivins harbored an intense life-long obsession” to “the mailbox was near a storage closet used by a sorority that Ivins used to frequent 27 years ago and by a specific chapter that Ivins appeared to have absolutely nothing to do with.” And then leaking of scurrilous information about Ivins, including the fact that he had “a history of alcohol abuse, had for years maintained a post office box under an assumed name that he used to receive pornographic pictures of blindfolded women.” Leaving aside the fact that alcohol abuse and pornography consumption aren’t exactly clues marking someone as the anthrax killer, how bad could his “alcohol abuse” have been if he continued to maintain Government clearance to work at a U.S. Army facility with the nation’s most dangerous pathogens?
No matter what the FBI says over the next week a full-scale investigation is required here. Bruce Ivins may very well be the anthrax killer, having acted alone, but there is no rational basis for believing right now that he is.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/05/10827/
I truly believe that he is the fall guy, if he committed suicide it was because of FBI Hatfill-like harassment. He was the convenient patsy like Lee Harvey Oswald. With all the smoke and mirrors (frivolous government leaks and distortions) there has been no real evidence to prove that Ivins concocted this scheme. Just like “The White House ordered the CIA to forge a hand-written letter from the head of Iraqi intelligence” it was all part of their grand plan, all the puzzle pieces are now starting to fall into place. Dupe the American people into believing there is an “Axis of Evil” that is threatening their lives. The only true Terrorists are the ones in the White House that stole the last two elections, committed genocide on over 1.2 million Iraqi’s, and have cost us 4,133 soldiers’ lives.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:01 amAlaskans for Obama: A Rare Democratic Push in the Last Frontier
In what might be the fullest realization of Barack Obama's pledge to run hard in parts of the country largely untouched by presidential campaigning, the Democrat's Alaska operation is making plans for organizers to hopscotch the state's vast and sparsely populated interior by bush plane, knocking on doors in remote outposts for their candidate.
"Go around, put up signs, shake some hands, see some of the important people in the village," said state representative and professional pilot Woodie Salmon (D), describing his own campaign tactics in a legislative district that includes 94 villages, 70 of which can be reached only by air. "Get things stirred up and leave again."
Conservative and quirky, Alaska last went for a Democratic presidential candidate 44 years ago. No nominee from either party has even visited since Richard Nixon's journey to glad-hand in Anchorage on the last weekend of the 1960 campaign, a stop that some argue cost him the razor-thin election. But his vibrant campaign operation here is stoking expectations and mounting the most prodigious presidential effort Alaska has seen.
With only three electoral votes, Alaska may seem a low-stakes prize. But by pouring time and money into traditionally Republican Western states such as Montana and Colorado, the Obama campaign is trying to make good on its vow to redraw the electoral map and force the McCain campaign to watch its flanks -- all the while reinforcing Obama's overarching claim of nurturing a politics of inclusion. "It's a tough state to move, but we're making a play," Giertz said. "If there's any year where a Democrat can win Alaska, this is the year."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/04/AR2008080402000_pf.html
Obama's campaign office opened in Alaska on July 8. In paying for two new staffers, Dean had, virtually overnight, doubled the size of Alaska’s beleaguered state party, which used to consist of only an executive director and a part-time fund-raiser. Obama’s and Dean’s 50 state plan is noteworthy; they will have McCain scrambling in all the “Red States”.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:05 amBob Novak wishes the AP had a copy editor. On Monday, the Associated Press made a “deplorable error” when writing about columnist Novak’s decision to retire and his diagnosis of a brain tumor. The Washington Post’s Al Kammen points out the AP’s “terrible gaffe.” “Novak has been a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for decades,” the AP wrote. “He announced late last month he has a brain.”
Where's the error...? I'm not spotting it. ;)
August 6th, 2008 at 9:07 amToday, President Bush “said North Korea could leave the ‘axis of evil’ and shed its pariah state status if dictator Kim Jong Il came clean on his country’s nuclear weapons programs and ended human rights abuses. “It’s his choice to make,” Bush said, adding, “My hope is that the ‘Axis of Evil’ list no longer exists. That’s my hope, for the sake of peace. And it’s my hope for the sake of our children.”
What a joke -- the US is the Axis of Evil.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:10 amSix conservative senators are skipping the GOP convention. “Sens. Ted Stevens of Alaska, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine all face tough re-election campaigns. Two others, Wayne Allard of Colorado and Larry Craig of Idaho, are retiring.”
Poor Daryll.... looks like he will not achieve his dream of meeting Craig at the GOP convention as he hoped.
Cheer up Daryll, I am sure there will be more toe tappers eager to see you there with a "wide stance".
/snicker
August 6th, 2008 at 9:12 am#3 Zooey Says:
the AP wrote. “He announced late last month he has a brain.”
Where’s the error…? I’m not spotting it. ;)
Good Morning Zooey:) Missed you...
LOL, It probably took an MRI scan to detect that he had one...
August 6th, 2008 at 9:12 amThe tire guage story seems to have no ending.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:13 amMcCain claims he keeps a guage in his pocket to check inflation.
With that McCain claims now he knows something about the economy.
Six conservative senators are skipping the GOP convention. “Sens. Ted Stevens of Alaska, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine all face tough re-election campaigns. Two others, Wayne Allard of Colorado and Larry Craig of Idaho, are retiring.”
Larry doesn't want to re-visit his old toe-tapping grounds? :-D
August 6th, 2008 at 9:13 amGood morning, Freb. It's nice to be around again. You're doing great work, as always. :)
I better get my son on the bus to Portland. See ya later.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:15 amSix conservative senators are skipping the GOP convention. “Sens. Ted Stevens of Alaska, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine all face tough re-election campaigns. Two others, Wayne Allard of Colorado and Larry Craig of Idaho, are retiring.”
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Hmmm...I wonder why that would be? Elizabeth Dole is running in my state, and her Democratic challenger, Kay Hagan, is giving her a real race.
I figure it's one of two reasons. First, she could figure that the convention would be wasted time (especially since the convention isn't exactly a big draw for the American audience like it once was) -- time she could use for more effective campaigning.
Or second -- she could rightly see that her biggest negatives are her connection to the Republican Party. She herself has been fairly popular here since she was first elected six years ago, but there's a sizable groundswell of support for kicking as many Republicans out as possible. She may just be fighting to keep from being swept out with the tide.
She would probably have a better time of it if she hadn't voted in lockstep with the Bushbots so often...
August 6th, 2008 at 9:15 amFreedom Rebel Says: August 6th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Since this story broke, I have never doubted for a minute that Ivins is the fall guy. Hatfill wouldn't cave; he was strong and fought back. Since that didn't work, the next tactic is to find someone who is weak and won't fight back.
The one thing I have learned in these last 8 years is you NEVER trust anything the government tells you.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:19 amLMAO. TP, you missed this one.
McCain entered Cindy into the Sturgis "Miss Buffalo Chip" contest.
'I told her with a little luck she could be the only lady to serve as first lady and Miss Buffalo Chip,' he said with a broad grin."
Why this is so funny is the bike rally's "beauty" contest is topless.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/08/cindy-mccain-as.html
August 6th, 2008 at 9:20 amBush said, adding, “My hope is that the ‘Axis of Evil’ list no longer exists.
____________________________________________________________
Um...it never did. The only political application of the word "axis" (prior to Bush) refers to the military alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan during WWII. Bush's "Axis of Evil" was never any kind of military alliance -- Iraq and Iran aren't allies by any stretch of the imagination, and North Korea has no connection with either one of them.
The "Axis of Evil" was merely a marketing ploy by Bushco to exaggerate the threat of these countries by conflating them with our WWII enemies. In other words, pure BS.
So, George -- you can rest easy. It no longer exists, because it never did.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:23 am“Novak has been a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for decades,” the AP wrote. “He announced late last month he has a brain.”
Hahahahahaha.
Thats funny as hell.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:25 amWhat did we miss? An AP headline earlier today - Bush: China must end detentions, ensure freedoms
Just like Bush and Company do here and around the world?
August 6th, 2008 at 9:26 amWayne Says
August 6th, 2008 at 9:20 am
McCain entered Cindy into the Sturgis “Miss Buffalo Chip” contest. ‘I told her with a little luck she could be the only lady to serve as first lady and Miss Buffalo Chip,’ he said with a broad grin.”
Why this is so funny is the bike rally’s “beauty” contest is topless.
____________________________________________________________
McCain never disappoints, does he? It seems the one issue he never flip-flops on is how he views women -- particularly his wives. He probably still figures his wife is nothing but a "trollopy c*nt" would wouldn't mind entering a topless contest to get him a few votes.
Why Cindy stays with this guy is beyond me. Nobody could want to be First Lady that bad.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:27 amSix conservative senators are skipping the GOP convention. “Sens. Ted Stevens of Alaska, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine all face tough re-election campaigns. Two others, Wayne Allard of Colorado and Larry Craig of Idaho, are retiring.”
I'm sure that Daryll had a stall at the airport all ready for his 'meeting' with Craig
August 6th, 2008 at 9:29 amIn a new poll from the National Women’s Law Center, “59 percent of women said they were ‘worried and concerned about achieving [their] economic and financial goals over the next five years,’ compared with just 33 percent who called themselves ‘hopeful and confident.’”
_____________________________________________________
I realize that the National Women's Law Center was polling only women, but I imagine this concern transcends gender lines. Everybody is feeling pinched, many people are having to raid their retirement funds (and having to pay hefty penalties for doing so) just to pay off medical bills and other debts. Many people see themselves working until they drop because their retirement funds have eroded, have had to be used for other things, or their budgets are so strapped they can't save anything.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:32 amSome really good videos on you tube. chickenhawk collection.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAqUwYHnec&feature=related.
I hope the link works.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:33 amMcC*nt is putting his trophy wife in a topless competition?
At Sturgis?
And Paris & Brittainy are 'bimbos'?
John, my friend, you're blessed with the ability to look stupid. Daily.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:34 amAnd finally: Bob Novak wishes the AP had a copy editor. On Monday, the Associated Press made a “deplorable error” when writing about columnist Novak’s decision to retire and his diagnosis of a brain tumor. The Washington Post’s Al Kammen points out the AP’s “terrible gaffe.” “Novak has been a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for decades,” the AP wrote. “He announced late last month he has a brain.”
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"Deplorable error"? "Terrible gaffe"? Oh, c'mon, lighten up. I doubt this has caused irreparable harm to Novak's career -- most readers could see this was an error, even though it's hilarious.
Yes, they should have proofed the copy more carefully. But this error embarrasses AP more than Novak.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:37 amIs Bob Novak really the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz?
Does he really have a brain?
Dorothy? Toto?
August 6th, 2008 at 9:37 amBush said, adding, “My hope is that the ‘Axis of Evil’ list no longer exists.”
It will no longer exist in five months and two weeks...
August 6th, 2008 at 9:41 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
“Deplorable error”? “Terrible gaffe”? Oh, c’mon, lighten up. I doubt this has caused irreparable harm to Novak’s career — most readers could see this was an error, even though it’s hilarious.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:37 am
_______
Yeah. The fact that Novak has a brain has never been in doubt.
On the other hand, if the AP announced that he had a heart, it'd be newsworthy.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:41 amWhat does it say about McCain (again) when he makes a joke about his wife participating in Miss Buffalo Chip -- a frequently topless beauty contest?
August 6th, 2008 at 9:48 amWe already know he has berated her in public, using particularly coarse language; we already know that he left his first wife (a former beauty queen) when she was no longer "beautiful;" I think we know a lot about the disrespect McCain has for women, his views of them, their issues and concerns.
There are so many characteristics of John McCain which should preclude any thoughtful American (particularly women) from electing a man of such low character to the White House -- we've had enough of that haven't we?
#11 calibleu Says:
Freedom Rebel Says: August 6th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Since this story broke, I have never doubted for a minute that Ivins is the fall guy. Hatfill wouldn’t cave; he was strong and fought back. Since that didn’t work, the next tactic is to find someone who is weak and won’t fight back.
The one thing I have learned in these last 8 years is you NEVER trust anything the government tells you.
Good Morning:) I agree, he fit their profile. I read an article yesterday also that had interviewed neighbors, collegues that he worked with and family. None of them believe for a second he is guilty.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:50 amCheeky China! Joey should have caught a lift on Air Force One as many in the Opening Ceremony Presidential delegation cheered him on in Turin.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:54 amFreedom Rebel Says:
Good Morning:) I agree, he fit their profile. I read an article yesterday also that had interviewed neighbors, collegues that he worked with and family. None of them believe for a second he is guilty.
This is what disturbs the me most. From an article on MSNBC:
"In the current case, Ivins complained privately that FBI agents had offered his son, Andy, $2.5 million, plus “the sports car of his choice” late last year if he would turn over evidence implicating his father in the anthrax attacks, according to a former U.S. scientist who described himself as a friend of Ivins."
"Ivins also said the FBI confronted Ivins’ daughter, Amanda, with photographs of victims of the anthrax attacks and told her, “This is what your father did,” according to the scientist, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because their conversation was confidential."
Ivins daughter was hospitalized when they did that to her.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:56 amEnron Setbacks Could Hurt Other White-Collar Prosecutions
Almost seven years after the energy giant Enron collapsed, a series of court decisions has opened the door to new trials for some of the convicted corporate executives and threatened to hobble the Justice Department’s efforts to pursue future corporate-fraud cases.
In the wake of the scandal, prosecutors pursued executives for covering up the company’s financial bleeding and unloading millions of dollars in stock. The Bush administration was under pressure to hold the company’s executives accountable for what at the time represented the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history. More than 4,000 Enron employees lost their jobs, and investors lost billions.
However, legal experts said the government’s recent setbacks in court raised troubling questions about how federal prosecutors handled the high-profile cases and suggested that the Justice Department could face serious obstacles in other white-collar investigations:
• In one defeat for the Enron prosecutors, the usually divided Supreme Court in 2005 unanimously overturned the conviction of Enron accounting firm Arthur Andersen after the justices found that the trial judge had instructed the jury improperly.
• In another case, four former executives from Enron’s Internet subsidiary, Enron Broadband Services, are getting another trial after a federal jury acquitted them on some charges and deadlocked on the rest. The group was accused of exaggerating the firm’s technology capabilities in order to inflate stock prices and cash out. One former executive was acquitted in the original trial.
• Three Merrill Lynch executives are being retried after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed most of their convictions. They’re accused of helping to inflate Enron’s earnings by arranging a fraudulent sale to their company of three electricity-generating barges off the coast of Nigeria. A jury acquitted a fourth executive, and the conviction of a fifth was thrown out because of a lack of evidence.
• Finally, prosecutors are under fire in the conviction of former Enron Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Skilling because of allegations that they withheld evidence that could have cleared him. A federal appeals court also tossed out a legal approach that the prosecutors used, giving Skilling and future defendants new ammunition to challenge their convictions.
Prosecutors secured 18 guilty pleas, but the legacy of the entire Enron investigation is at stake in Skilling’s appeal and the 5th Circuit’s ruling in the Merrill Lynch case gives Skilling a realistic shot at overturning at least part of his conviction, experts said.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/05/10820/
The fact that Skillings’ has a shot of overturning part of his conviction shows how malfunctioning our legal system is. It proves that if you are rich enough you can buy your way out of a conviction, or appeal your conviction for years and possibly get a reduced sentence or an overturned conviction.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:57 amFreddie Mac reported a loss of $821 million in the second quarter, following a $151 million loss in the first quarter and bringing its cumulative loss over the last four quarters to more than $4.6 billion. “To help preserve capital, Freddie said it would slash its quarterly dividend” by 80 percent, to 5 cents a share.
How is it they can declare a dividend when they're losing money? I thought dividends were meant to distribute profits to shareholders.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:01 am“My hope is that the ‘Axis of Evil’ list no longer exists. That’s my hope, for the sake of peace. And it’s my hope for the sake of our children.”
The only place the "axis of evil" list ever existed was in the mind of a seriously demented man who happens to be the President of the United States.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:03 amSen. John McCain (R-AZ) “appeared to back down” yesterday from his disingenuous tire gauge attack against Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL).
That is because it wasn't working and it was making him to look out like a total fool. McCain is making Hillary's "kitchen sink" strategy look like child's play.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:04 amSix conservative senators are skipping the GOP convention. “Sens. Ted Stevens of Alaska, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine all face tough re-election campaigns. Two others, Wayne Allard of Colorado and Larry Craig of Idaho, are retiring.”
Gordon Smith is running away from his party and the Bushies as fast as his little feet will carry him. He's run ads linking himself to Obama and Kerry, but not GWB, and he's making the thoroughly-ridiculous claim that he's a bipartisan kind of guy. Uh, no, Gordo, you should look at your voting record. 95%+ Bush/GOP.
Smith knows his situation is very precarious in this state and has his fingers crossed, hoping that the young voters who turn out to vote for Obama in record numbers will just skip over the "Senator" section. If they don't, he'll be packing his frozen peas and heading home to eastern Oregon in January.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:06 amAxis of Evil = Cheney, Bush & Rove.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:06 amMarie Says:
What does it say about McCain (again) when he makes a joke about his wife participating in Miss Buffalo Chip — a frequently topless beauty contest?
I've been to that rally before and it is always topless, not frequently. ;)
McCain has never been there before and probably didn't know it involved nudity when he signed her up and opened his big mouth on stage.
I can't wait to see this on the Daily Show, heh
August 6th, 2008 at 10:07 amText:“My hope is that the ‘Axis of Evil’ list [which I pulled out of my ass] no longer exists."
Subtext: But then since I Decided who was on the list, or whether there is a list, and since I'm the Decider, I can Decide what happens to the list. It's just a god****ed piece of paper, you know, like the Constitution.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:07 amcalibleu Says:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is what disturbs the me most. From an article on MSNBC:
“In the current case, Ivins complained privately that FBI agents had offered his son, Andy, $2.5 million, plus “the sports car of his choice” late last year if he would turn over evidence implicating his father in the anthrax attacks, according to a former U.S. scientist who described himself as a friend of Ivins.”
“Ivins also said the FBI confronted Ivins’ daughter, Amanda, with photographs of victims of the anthrax attacks and told her, “This is what your father did,” according to the scientist, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because their conversation was confidential.”
Ivins daughter was hospitalized when they did that to her.
**OMG I hadn't heard he even had children and then to hear that the FBI was intimidating them too is way over the top. BTW, the FBI is meeting with anthrax victims families as we speak. I am sure they are getting the full, unbiased story! /snark off
August 6th, 2008 at 10:09 amI should also say, on the record, that Bilbobaggins was right and I was wrong. He was convinced that the Democrats would have Gordo on the ropes this fall and I was equally convinced that the lack of a well-recognized name willing to run against Smith would doom their efforts. This race is much much tighter than I thought it could be, and there is a very real possibility that Smith will soon be history.
Knock wood.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:09 amMcC*nt also thinks Buffalo chips are edible. (They're feces.)
I'm picturing 'ol Johnny Boy, munching on Buffalo chips while watching Cindy wow the bikers with her sexy moves.
Sorry...that was 'tasteless'.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:10 am#28 calibleu Says:
Freedom Rebel Says:
Good Morning:) I agree, he fit their profile. I read an article yesterday also that had interviewed neighbors, collegues that he worked with and family. None of them believe for a second he is guilty.
This is what disturbs the me most. From an article on MSNBC:
“In the current case, Ivins complained privately that FBI agents had offered his son, Andy, $2.5 million, plus “the sports car of his choice” late last year if he would turn over evidence implicating his father in the anthrax attacks, according to a former U.S. scientist who described himself as a friend of Ivins.”
“Ivins also said the FBI confronted Ivins’ daughter, Amanda, with photographs of victims of the anthrax attacks and told her, “This is what your father did,” according to the scientist, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because their conversation was confidential.”
Ivins daughter was hospitalized when they did that to her.
I read that also and was horrified at the lengthes they will go to pursue a wrongful prosecution. They persecuted this man like they did with Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney from Earth First. The smear campaign of their character is exactly the same. In that case 4 FBI agents were found guilty and so were 3 Oakland Policemen and they were awarded $4.4 million dollars. But unfortnately Judi died of Breast Cancer before she was vindicated in a court of law.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:11 am#gummitch Says:
I should also say, on the record, that Bilbobaggins was right and I was wrong. He was convinced that the Democrats would have Gordo on the ropes this fall and I was equally convinced that the lack of a well-recognized name willing to run against Smith would doom their efforts. This race is much much tighter than I thought it could be, and there is a very real possibility that Smith will soon be history.
I sure do hope I was right. At the present time some polls actually have Merkely ahead of Smith. And I find that amazing because I haven't seen many Merkely ads on TV or elsewhere. I think that Obama needs to come here and do a couple of campaign stops with Merkely. That would pretty much be the icing on the cake.
This race has been fun to watch since Smith's whole campaign seems to be about Obama. He has practically endorsed Obama. That's really running scared.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:16 amMiss Buffalo Chip = Miss Dried Piece of Bovine Dung.
What an endearment!
August 6th, 2008 at 10:16 amDana Milbank quits Olbermann over disputed Obama quote
snip
As Olbermann explained, first at Daily Kos and then on Monday's Countdown, Milbank "notified us today that after four years appearing with us, he had accepted another television offer. This saved your crack Countdown staff an increasingly difficult decision."
"For nearly a week we'd been waiting for him to offer a correction or an explanation for his column from last week in which he apparently reported an Obama quote without the full context that turned the meaning of the quote inside-out," Olbermann continued. "We had decided not to have Dana on this news hour again until this was cleared up, and sadly, after some very happy years, he's apparently chosen to make that cloud permanent."
The Politico reports that Milbank has already begun his new job with CNN, where he "appeared on Campbell's Brown 'CNN Election Center' last night, which happens to be the same time as Keith Olbermann's "'Countdown.'"
Olbermann's actions have so far received mixed reviews. One poster at Americablog wrote approvingly, "It's practically a first: A reporter is suffering the consequences for bad behavior. ... The way this town goes, however, there's always CNN or FOX for Milbank."
And a diarist at Daily Kos addressed Olbermann directly, saying, "I write to thank you for your Obamaesque send off of Dana Milbank. You did indeed set the record straight."
However, a poster at No Quarter, which is known for its frequent criticism of Obama, indignantly described Olbermann as both a communist and a Nazi, writing, "The arrogance. The perfidy. The cock of the walk puffed up rooster-ness of it all! On The Big Orange, Commissar Keith Olbermann decided to whet the appetites of his rabid, but dwindling, fan base by offering 'a little preview of an item on tonight’s Countdown' by ordering an EXECUTION. ... Dana finally woke up from his koolaid-induced stupor and called it like he saw it. And for this, the punishment was to be swift and sure from Herr Olbermann."
snip
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Dana_Milbank_quits_Olbermann_over_disputed_0805_af.html
**You mean Larry Johnson's No Quarter site? The same Larry Johnson that edited the Randi Rhodes video clip that became the center piece of her battle with Air America? I happen to agree with the Daily Kos diarist. It is refreshing to see a reporter held accountable for making news not reporting news. Campell Brown at CNN is also known for her "unbiased" reporting so I am sure it will be a good fit for both!
August 6th, 2008 at 10:19 amMarie Says:
What does it say about McCain (again) when he makes a joke about his wife participating in Miss Buffalo Chip...
It totally infuriates me that the press has ignored this. As far as I can tell by a google search, it was mentioned three times in the MSM (LA times, CBS and a surprise, ABC). Can you imagine what would have happened if Obama had done the same thing.
McCain keeps complaining about the press not covering him as much as Obama. I think he should be thanking his lucky stars because if the press really started covering his "gaffes" and flips on major issues, he would be toast.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:22 amCNN = Fox Lite
August 6th, 2008 at 10:25 am1. Freedom Rebel - Jay Leno said it the best about Ivins.
Something along the lines of hes a stalker, his therapist files a restraining order against him, he wants to kill people: And this is who the Govt puts in charge of the Anthrax ???????????
August 6th, 2008 at 10:25 am#25 Marie Says:
There are so many characteristics of John McCain which should preclude any thoughtful American (particularly women) from electing a man of such low character to the White House — we’ve had enough of that haven’t we?
Good Morning Marie :) I couldn't agree more. Plus there are so many issues he has voted against concerning women also.
McCain Opposed Equal Pay Bill for Women, Said They ‘Need Education and Training’ Instead. McCain skipped a vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that would ensure women have the opportunity to recover back pay for discrimination once they discover it.
(Another vote he didn't bother to show up for, gee what a surprise)
McCain Voted to Gut the Family and Medical Leave Act. In 1993, before finally voting for the Family and Medical Leave Act, McCain voted to jeopardize leave for millions of workers by gutting the bill.
McCain opposed spending $100 million to prevent unintended and teen pregnancies. In 2005, McCain voted NO to allocate $100 million to expand access to preventive health care services that reduce the numbers of unintended and teen pregnancies and reduce the number of abortions.
McCain opposed Title X, the nation's family planning program.
McCain opposed requiring insurance coverage of prescription birth control.
McCain supports overturning Roe v. Wade.
After just part of the list it makes you wonder why any woman would vote for McCain at all. You are right Marie, the women of this country have had enough setbacks. We can't afford McCain's added to it.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:25 am44. Bilbo - Somehow, if Obama made a joke like that (and frankly, he seems too classy a person to do so), not only would the media have a frenzy, but I imagine Mrs. Obama would make a public display of humbrage that would be legendary.
And McCain's wife (even though she is from a money family): crickets chirping.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:27 amFreedom Rebel Says:
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However, legal experts said the government’s recent setbacks in court raised troubling questions about how federal prosecutors handled the high-profile cases and suggested that the Justice Department could face serious obstacles in other white-collar investigations:
**Good morning FR!:D Fabulous job on your post selections as usual. I have been following Glen Greenwald and the other incredible investigative reporters' stories on the anthrax investigations as well. The selection from the Enron post just proves that this current administration could screw up a free lunch. The are just so good at being incompetent that I think it is now part of their job descriptions. The Enron prosecutions should have been a slam-dunk.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:28 amAnd the beat goes on Says: The Enron prosecutions should have been a slam-dunk.
This is what happens when politicians are appointed to jobs requiring trained Justice Dept. lawyers.
The Bush Cancer has spread it's tentacles throughout a myriad of government layers. Name a Federal agency and I'll show you a host of politicos embedded in the decision making apparatus.
The Justice Dept. is the most visible, perhaps, but these NeoClowns are far more numerous than most Americans can fathom.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:36 am#46 MapleStreet Says:
1. Freedom Rebel - Jay Leno said it the best about Ivins.
Something along the lines of hes a stalker, his therapist files a restraining order against him, he wants to kill people: And this is who the Govt puts in charge of the Anthrax ???????????
Good Morning MapleStreet :) Kudos to Jay Leno. It's pretty bad when the comedians credit the public with more common sense than the media does.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:39 amCan anyone provide information or a source site to check the Olympic attendance numbers? I've heard, but haven't read anywhere, that attendance at this Olympics is anything but olympic. Thanks.
August 6th, 2008 at 10:45 am#49 And the beat goes on Says:
Freedom Rebel Says:
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However, legal experts said the government’s recent setbacks in court raised troubling questions about how federal prosecutors handled the high-profile cases and suggested that the Justice Department could face serious obstacles in other white-collar investigations:
**Good morning FR!:D Fabulous job on your post selections as usual. I have been following Glen Greenwald and the other incredible investigative reporters’ stories on the anthrax investigations as well. The selection from the Enron post just proves that this current administration could screw up a free lunch. The are just so good at being incompetent that I think it is now part of their job descriptions. The Enron prosecutions should have been a slam-dunk.
Good Morning and the beat goes on:) Thank you. This should have been a no-brainer, I agree. When I read that the Arthur Andersen conviction had been overturned on a technicality, give me a break. Those guys had received pay-offs to look the other way. What a complete mess.
With the Enron Executives there is 3,500 potentially fraudulent financial transactions, how hard could this be. Their problem they say is that it would take them a decade with a team of 6 to go through. My point then is, get a bigger team of lawyers. Just make sure the convictions stick.
August 6th, 2008 at 11:00 amFreedom Rebel Says:
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The FBI’s Emerging, Leaking Case Against Ivins
MapleStreet Says:
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1. Freedom Rebel - Jay Leno said it the best about Ivins.
I read Glen Greenwald's article this morning on this right after I had read the article in Slate about Suskind's new book and the accusation that the CIA forged the letter linking Saddam and alQaida.
I'm really getting a sinking feeling in the pit of my gut.
When you juxtapose those two pieces and then throw in a little outing of a Covert operative for some flavor, you've made yourself quite a sickening stew of just how far we have sunk and just how important it will be for Congress to launch a full blown investigation and Impeachment.
It's all beyond disturbing!
August 6th, 2008 at 11:07 amPelosi is an enabler and an "agent of goldstein", she helped trash our right to privacy with the help of the telecoms. Help Cindy in order to send Pelosi home to dig up weeds, where she belongs...
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=1026
August 6th, 2008 at 11:25 amSix conservative senators are skipping the GOP convention....Two others, Wayne Allard of Colorado and Larry Craig of Idaho, are retiring.”
Doesn't Craig know Darlyy's coming just to sit in the stall next to him and admire his tapping and handunderstall technique?
August 6th, 2008 at 11:30 amTheRadicalRightisRadicallyWrong Says:
Freedom Rebel Says:
——————————————————————————–
The FBI’s Emerging, Leaking Case Against Ivins
MapleStreet Says:
——————————————————————————–
1. Freedom Rebel - Jay Leno said it the best about Ivins.
I read Glen Greenwald’s article this morning on this right after I had read the article in Slate about Suskind’s new book and the accusation that the CIA forged the letter linking Saddam and alQaida.
I’m really getting a sinking feeling in the pit of my gut.
When you juxtapose those two pieces and then throw in a little outing of a Covert operative for some flavor, you’ve made yourself quite a sickening stew of just how far we have sunk and just how important it will be for Congress to launch a full blown investigation and Impeachment.
It’s all beyond disturbing!
Good Morning TheRadicalRightisRadicallyWrong :) Even more disturbing is that how much further down the rabbit til we hit bottom. I'm sure there is even more that we don't know about because of Cheney's refusal to any oversight. Plus throw into the mix the fact that this administration IMHO has done more in secret than any previous administration.
In will probably be years before we know the full extent of how far Bush & Cheney dragged our country into the gutter. It was just like a magic act, keep everyone busy looking over here (terrorists) and with a slight of hand no one will notice what we did over there (torturing detainees at Gitmo and secret prison ships). Too many secret meetings and no oversight by our Congress; this is the debacle we are left with. It makes you sick to think that some of this could have been avoided if our representatives in Congress would have had a spine to stand up to them.
Have a good day, good to see you as always.....
August 6th, 2008 at 11:35 amProof positive that the QAxis of Evil was a sham.
Saddam Hussein, having lost two wars, crippled by sanctions, no WMD's:
Beat the drums, invade, occupy, hang him.
Kim Jong Il, with WMD's, missiles for delivery:
the President ASKS him. His choice.
This is who we've become: not just a bully, but a coward.
If it looks like the guy might put up a fight, negotiate politely.
But he guy on crutches? Beat him up, knock him down.
And take his lunch money.
All you wingers hooting about the global war on Terror? Take a look at how the Korean Front is being fought!
August 6th, 2008 at 11:37 amFrom Garrison Kiellor:
August 6th, 2008 at 11:37 amAnd it's an amazing country where an Arizona multimillionaire can attack a Chicago South Sider as an elitist and hope to make it stick. The Chicagoan was brought up by a single mom who had big ambitions for him, and he got scholarshipped into Harvard Law and was made president of the law review, all of it on his own hook, whereas the Arizonan is the son of an admiral and was ushered into Annapolis though an indifferent student, much like the Current Occupant, both of them men who are very lucky that their fathers were born before they were. The Chicagoan, who grew up without a father, wrote a book on his own, using a computer. The Arizonan hired people to write his for him. But because the Chicagoan can say what he thinks and make sense and the Arizonan cannot do that for more than 30 seconds at a time, the old guy is hoping to portray the skinny guy as arrogant.
Gotta Love Garrison Keillor!
And it's an amazing country where an Arizona multimillionaire can attack a Chicago South Sider as an elitist and hope to make it stick. The Chicagoan was brought up by a single mom who had big ambitions for him, and he got scholarshipped into Harvard Law and was made president of the law review, all of it on his own hook, whereas the Arizonan is the son of an admiral and was ushered into Annapolis though an indifferent student, much like the Current Occupant, both of them men who are very lucky that their fathers were born before they were. The Chicagoan, who grew up without a father, wrote a book on his own, using a computer. The Arizonan hired people to write his for him. But because the Chicagoan can say what he thinks and make sense and the Arizonan cannot do that for more than 30 seconds at a time, the old guy is hoping to portray the skinny guy as arrogant.
Good luck with that, sir.
Meanwhile, the casual revelation last month that Mr. McCain has never figured out how to use a computer and has never sent e-mail or Googled is rather startling. It's like admitting that you've never clipped your own toenails or that you didn't know that toothpaste comes out of a tube because your valet always did that for you. It's like being amazed at the sight of a supermarket scanner. What world does Mr. McCain live in? Where does he keep his sense of curiosity? My 94-year-old mother has sent e-mail. Does somebody plan to show him how it's done and will they explain to him what "LOL" means?
(Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" can be heard Saturday nights on public radio stations across the country.)
August 6th, 2008 at 11:39 am[Our Eedjit-In-Chief Dubya]: “My hope is that the ‘Axis of Evil’ list no longer exists."
"Hope is not a plan." But when you are the one making up the list, it's easy enough to rewrite the list when you feel like it and "declare victory". Guess that answers the burning of question about Dubya's time at Hahvahd Business Scool, "Is our future preznits learning?"
Cheers,
August 6th, 2008 at 11:41 amFreedom Rebel Says:
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Good Morning TheRadicalRightisRadicallyWrong :) Even more disturbing is that how much further down the rabbit til we hit bottom. I’m sure there is even more that we don’t know about because of Cheney’s refusal to any oversight. Plus throw into the mix the fact that this administration IMHO has done more in secret than any previous administration.
In will probably be years before we know the full extent of how far Bush & Cheney dragged our country into the gutter. It was just like a magic act, keep everyone busy looking over here (terrorists) and with a slight of hand no one will notice what we did over there (torturing detainees at Gitmo and secret prison ships). Too many secret meetings and no oversight by our Congress; this is the debacle we are left with. It makes you sick to think that some of this could have been avoided if our representatives in Congress would have had a spine to stand up to them.
Have a good day, good to see you as always…..
And Good Morning to you! I could not agree with you more.
I have a sneaking suspicion, that we are only seeing the tip of this iceberg. If this congress doesn't begin immediate investigations,we may never know what lies beneth the surface.
I'm really starting to get worn out railling against the machine. I want some GODDAMNED JUSTICE and I want it NOW!
Is that too much to ask for?
August 6th, 2008 at 11:45 amSen. John McCain (R-AZ) “appeared to back down” yesterday from his disingenuous tire gauge attack against Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). In a telephone townhall, McCain told voters in Pennsylvania, “Obama said a couple of days ago says we all should inflate our tires. I don’t disagree with that. The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it.”
But that doesn't mean that his surrogates like Sean Hannity and the other RW foamers will stop their eedjitcy and their waving around "Obama tire pressure gauges". Nothing derails a good "sound bite" for the moron audience, not facts, not disavowal by their champeen.
Cheers,
August 6th, 2008 at 11:45 amWow, Marie! Great Minds do think alike! ;) Your's is not only great, but fast too!
August 6th, 2008 at 11:46 amPlease, read this article, I find it really funny:
Paris Hilton issues tart rebuttal to McCain ad
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attention, America: Paris has spoken. Paris Hilton, the blonde, doe-eyed celebrity thrust into the presidential campaign in an ad by Republican candidate John McCain, issued a tart rebuttal Tuesday, albeit in a scantily clad, tongue-in-cheek kind of way.
...
"Hey America, I'm Paris Hilton and I'm a celebrity, too. Only I'm not from the olden days and I'm not promising change like that other guy. I'm just hot," Hilton said, speaking as she reclined in a pool chair in a revealing bathing suit and a pair of pumps. "But then that wrinkly, white-haired guy used me in his campaign ad, which I guess means I'm running for president. So thanks for the endorsement white-haired dude."
...
Hilton's mother, who with her husband donated $4,600 to McCain's campaign earlier in the year, has said McCain's ad is "a complete waste of the country's time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs."
An announcer calls him "the oldest celebrity in the world, like super-old, old enough to remember when dancing was a sin and beer was served in a bucket," and asks, "but is he ready to lead?" Hilton's spoof also intersperses images of McCain and Yoda from Star Wars and the cast of television's "The Golden Girls."
August 6th, 2008 at 11:52 am"My hope is that the ‘Axis of Evil’ list no longer exists."
All he has to do is DECLARE it no longer existing. George's losing his touch.
A war crimes indictment hanging over your head will do that. A penny-ante dictator can be excused for having a case of the nerves.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:49 pmTheRadicalRightIsRadicallyWrong:
"I’m really starting to get worn out railling against the machine. I want some GODDAMNED JUSTICE and I want it NOW!
Is that too much to ask for?"
I think we all know the answer to that one, assuming it's not rhetorical. But we all know exactly how you feel.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:51 pmBush's IRS gives more welfare to corporate tax cheats:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/business/07tax.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1218046461-seJt2knt3HCmF+0tA74GqQ
August 6th, 2008 at 2:31 pm