Rove Crossed The Line - Helen Thomas

Helen Thomas, in her usual straightforward style, took Karl Rove to the woodshed HERE President George W. Bush has said he wants to change the tone in Washington. Well, he can start right now by apologizing for the outrageous remarks to the Conservative Party of New York last week by Karl Rove, who implied that liberals -- meaning Democrats -- took a softer approach to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Washington and New York than did his fellow conservatives. [snip] Rove's remarks did not quite descend to the branding of liberals as "appeasers" but he certainly tried to convey the impression that "conservatives" were the real patriots in the aftermath of the national catastrophe. Rove -- who used to operate behind the scenes with his political innuendos -- has broken his own White House cover and gone public as a political hatchet man. It appears that he is tired of hiding his light under a bushel and wants the public recognition due him for his success in masterminding Bush's re-election campaign. You gotta love her. Here is a dyed-in-the-wool reporter who tells it like it is and be damned the consequences. Too damn bad the rest of those blow-dryed, egocentric jerks that make up the White House press corps don't follow her lead and start doing the same. MORE.....

Quote Of The Day

"Each man must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, which course is patriotic and which isn't. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide against your conviction is to be an unqualified and excusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country, let me label you as they may.".... Mark Twain

Bush Job Approval Unchanged by War Speech

Zogby Polling shows that King George's job approval did not get the bounce he was looking for by taking over the TV screens of the nation and subjecting the people to more platitudes and lies. In fact, he actually dropped a percentage point. It should also be noted that "Red Staters", voters living in the states that cast their ballots for the Bush-Cheney ticket in 2004—now rate his job performance unfavorably, with 50% holding a negative impression of the President’s handling of his duties, and 48% holding a favorable view. President Bush’s televised address to the nation produced no noticeable bounce in his approval numbers, with his job approval rating slipping a point from a week ago, to 43%, in the latest Zogby International poll. This is not at all surprising to the progressive, reality-based community. And I wouldn't be surprised if he continues to fall in the polls. A low job approval rating is the least of this scumbag's worries however. It looks like a good portion of the people polled also would approve of impeachment if it is found he did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq. A large majority of Democrats (59%) say they agree that the President should be impeached if he lied about Iraq, while just three-in-ten (30%) disagree. Among President Bush’s fellow Republicans, a full one-in-four (25%) indicate they would favor impeaching the President under these circumstances, while seven-in-ten (70%) do not. Independents are more closely divided, with 43% favoring impeachment and 49% opposed. While this is far from an overwhelming move towards impeachment, Bush had better start worrying if Democrats in congress get their way and conduct open hearings on the other leaks that are starting to make a move in the media. Perhaps this is why the Republican Congressional leaders are beginning to distance themselves from his highness, and are doing their very best to silence any move the Dems make to bring George's and their dirty little secrets out in the open. If the Demorcrats make significant gains in the next election round in '06 the whole lot of them had better start heading for cover.

Same-sex Legislation Passes In Canada

Supported by most members of the Liberals, the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP, the legislation passed easily, making Canada only the third country in the world, after the Netherlands and Belgium, to officially recognize same-sex unions. The legislation sailed through final reading in the House of Commons, with a vote of 158 for and 133 against, and should become the law of the land when as expected it passes the Canadian Senate in July. The "vote is about the Charter of Rights," said Prime Minister Paul Martin. "We're a nation of minorities and in a nation of minorities you don't cherry-pick rights." I hope eventually the passage of this law here in Canada will have a civilizing influence in the US. Of course it won't happen until the current right-wing thugs leave office or are turfed out on their collective backside be it by election or impeachment. MORE....

Quote Of The Day

"Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak; and that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws.".....John Adams

Poll Results On Speach Dreadful

In addition to the AOL poll I posted, here is the :CNN poll. At the Bottom right of page. Do you approve of President Bush’s handling of the Iraq war? Yes 26% 62563 votes No 74% 178297 votes Total: 240860 votes I tried to find one at Fox News and all they had was a poll about displaying the 10 commandments. Maybe they were afraid to see what the other polls are saying. Tough luck Georgie, tell the truth the next time!!!!!

Bush Must Alter Course In Iraq

Harry Reid's response to King George's statement. Here is the full text. (Washington, DC) “Tonight’s address offered the President an excellent opportunity to level with the American people about the current situation in Iraq, put forth a path for success, and provide the means to assess our progress. Unfortunately he fell short on all counts. “There is a growing feeling among the American people that the President’s Iraq policy is adrift, disconnected from the reality on the ground and in need of major mid-course corrections. “Staying the course,” as the President advocates, is neither sustainable nor likely to lead to the success we all seek. “The President’s numerous references to September 11th did not provide a way forward in Iraq, they only served to remind the American people that our most dangerous enemy, namely Osama bin Laden, is still on the loose and Al Qaeda remains capable of doing this nation great harm nearly four years after it attacked America. “Democrats stand united and committed to seeing that we achieve success in Iraq and provide our troops, their families, and our veterans everything they need and deserve for their sacrifices for our nation. The stakes are too high, and failure in Iraq cannot be an option. Success is only possible if the President significantly alters his current course. That requires the President to work with Congress and finally begin to speak openly and honestly with our troops and the American people about the difficult road ahead. “Our troops and their families deserve no less.” CNN's Paula Zahn had the best analysis I have seen so far......the American people are going to be upset and insulted by the references to 9/11. I hope she is right. I know I was. Surely to heaven the people are wise to that crap by now. Here is the AOL poll rating the speach: How would you rate Bush's speech? Poor 52% Excellent 29% Fair 11% Good 9% How concerned are you about the situation in Iraq? Very 75% Somewhat 18% Not at all 7% Total Votes: 51,794 Available HERE

Why Didn't You Get Zarqawi When You Had The Chance?

That is my question to King George. In a pre-released excerpt of his speach released HERE, chimpy says "The terrorists can kill the innocent - but they cannot stop the advance of freedom. The only way our enemies can succeed is if we forget the lessons of September 11 ... if we abandon the Iraqi people to men like Zarqawi ... and if we yield the future of the Middle East to men like Bin Laden." It is bad enough he is still connecting 9/11 to Iraq, but as you can see HERE he had the chance to get Zarqawi and didn't do it. With Tuesday's attacks, Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant with ties to al-Qaida, is now blamed for more than 700 terrorist killings in Iraq. But NBC News has learned that long before the war the Bush administration had several chances to wipe out his terrorist operation and perhaps kill Zarqawi himself -- but never pulled the trigger. [...] Military officials insist their case for attacking Zarqawi's operation was airtight, but the administration feared destroying the terrorist camp in Iraq could undercut its case for war against Saddam. How about it Georgie? Just why did that happen? I wish he would come clean with the American people and tell the truth just one damn time. Then again, as I said in a previous post, he wouldn't know the truth if it bit him in the ass. With this kind of crap still being spoon-fed to all within earshot, I doubt very much if his approval ratings will improve much. As well they shouldn't. His favorite saying is "it's hard work..snort snort" and obviously he still hasn't learned how to do any. Oh! I almost forgot Georgie! One more question for you......just how is that hunt for Osama Bin Forgotten going anyway?

Why The Continued Insurgency? Here Is One Explanation

If you believe what King George and the rest of the neocon wing-nuts are saying, US troops must stay in Iraq until they can control their security themselves, and democracy is stabilized. This article by Raymond Long from Information Clearing House does an excellent job at explaining exactly why the insurgency continues to grow in Iraq. Here is a snippet: Who is feeding the insurgency? We are! If we ignore the broken record rhetoric and diatribe from our so called "liberal media" and analyze what is really happening a different picture appears. The insurgency is strong and will remain so as long as we occupy Iraq. [snip] So who is feeding the insurgency? We are! We sustain the insurgency be simply being there. Furthermore, every house raided, man abducted, child maimed or orphaned, woman widowed adds to the insurgency. For every one we harm, we create 10 insurgents or sympathizers. We do this to avenge those who attack us, while those who attack us do so to avenge our attack on them, viscious cycle of violence. Our corporate controlled media shores up support at home by simply taking the Pentagon's spin on events and trends in most cases. How many Iraqis have they interviewed to discover their side of the story? How many indeed. While the MSM sits on its' collective ass and continues to give us the administration's latest talking point (as will be seen tonight) and call it a news report, the insurgency will continue to flourish. Will they question what King George says tonight? I sure wouldn't bet on it. Wake up everybody! This is an insurgency by people just like you and I who resent an occupation by a leader who lied before the war and continues to lie to this day using the "war on terror" and "bringing democracy to the area" meme. And to keep this justification up for the American people, they use the terror alerts to scare them into submission. If the chimp's ratings continue to fall look for a rise in the terror alert level. The danger and despicable use of this tactic is what if the next time is real. MORE.....

Questions For The President

Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) has some questions for the President that need to be answered tonight when he speaks the nation: Blogged by JC on 06.28.05 @ 07:22 AM ET The President Addresses the Nation He Needs to Answer the Lingering Questions About His Pre-War Actions Cross Posted at DailyKos. This evening, the President of the United States will address the country on national television. His goal, we are told, is to reinvigorate support for a war that has grown increasingly unpopular as the American people learn more about it. I do not know if the President plans on answering the dozen senators, now 128 congressmen, and more than 560,000 citizens who have demanded a response to the Downing Street Minutes. But I am prepared to answer him. A few leads from yesterday and today's headlines suggest that he cannot afford to ignore us much longer. [snip] No matter what the President tells us tonight, we can be certain that his persistent but diminishing camp of Administration loyalists will single us out. They will accuse us of playing politics with an issue they claim to have settled long ago. I am prepared to respond, and I hope that you will join me: Head on over to Conyersblog to read this in its' entirety.

Bush's Words On Torture

Maybe I should use this quote from King George as my Quote Of The Day that I post every evening before I log off for the night: "Freedom from torture is an inalienable human right, and we are committed to building a world where human rights are respected and protected by the rule of law." Well perhaps I would, if it weren't for the fact that I only use quotes that are HONEST reflections of the individuals' mindset and you and I both know this liar wouldn't know the truth if it bit him on the butt.

Bush Is A Liar

As you view or listen to King George's usual BS address to the nation tonight (with US troops as a convient backdrop of course), keep in mind that George Bush never met a lie he didn't like. As an example, read the article from The Greenfield Recorder or listen to this talk given by Scott Ritter to Traprock Peace Org. Now I know some of you may not put much stock in what Ritter has to say, but remember this, he hasn't been proven wrong yet, and he was dead right regarding WMD's being hidden in Iraq. This talk titled Scott Ritter: US at War with Iran is quite compelling, and keeping in mind the neocons in this administration, it makes way to much sense. I would urge everyone to visit Traprock Peace Org. and decide for yourself.

Hypocrisy Knows No Borders

Although I usually try to target and highlite the hypocrites in the US political world, this story from CBC News proves that they are not just confined to the US, and the Conservative political world itself. Especially where it concerns civil rights for the gay and lesbian communities. Conservative Leader Stephen Harper says the government's same-sex legislation will make it through the House of Commons only because of support from the Bloc Quebcois, and that, says Harper, means the legislation "lacks legitimacy." [snip] "I think because this bill is only being passed with the support of the BQ, I think it will lack legitimacy with most Canadians. The truth is most federalist MPs will oppose this legislation." So we are to believe that because the BQ supports this particular legislation it "lacks legitimacy". How very interesting, particularly because Harper seemed to be of the mind that they are very "legitimate" when they back other legislation Harper likes. For example, less than a month ago, the leader of the Conservatives was working very hard to get the BQ to defeat the Liberal budget, in a move that would have brought down the government. Sound familiar? As the CBC pointed out, Justice Minister Irwin Cotlealsolo also found this to be hypocritical behavior and said so in this statement: "It was all right to seek their support for measures he wanted and suddenly they're illegitimate when it comes to Bill C-38. I find that surprising and even somewhat hypocritical." Despite the lobbying by the right-wing Conservative Christian movements from both here in Canada and yes, the US (they were sending flyers and pamphlets throughout Canada), the same-sex legislation will definitely pass following its' third and final reading in Parliament today. MORE....

Miller/Cooper Appeal Denied

The US Supreme Court has denied the appeal of their conviction over refusing to reveal their confidential sources to a grand jury. The Grand Jury is investigating the leak by government officials of a covert CIA operative's name to the news media. Reuters reports: Without any comment or recorded dissent, the justices let stand a U.S. appeals court's ruling that New York Times correspondent Judith Miller and Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper should be jailed and held in contempt for refusing to testify. The investigation centers around the leak of the name of former CIA operative Valerie Plame to columnist Bob Novak. Ms Plame's husband Joseph Wilson, a diplomat in the Clinton administration, has publicly accused the Whit House as being responsible for the leak. MORE.....

The Supreme Court has ruled Ten Commandments displays are not allowed in courthouses. Details when available... UPDATE...10:26 EST Via AP A split Supreme Court struck down Ten Commandments displays in courthouses Monday, ruling that two exhibits in Kentucky cross the line between separation of church and state because they promote a religious message. The 5-4 decision was the first of two seeking to mediate the bitter culture war over religion's place in public life. In it, the court declined to prohibit all displays in court buildings or on government property. Justices left legal wiggle room, saying that some displays -- like their own courtroom frieze -- would be permissible if they're portrayed neutrally in order to honor the nation's legal history. But framed copies in two Kentucky courthouses went too far in endorsing religion, the court held.

Quote Of The Day

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.".....Margaret Mead

If It Walks Like A Lame Duck And Quacks Like A Lame Duck...

.....It's A Lame Duck. First he screwed up all the goodwill he had from the world after 9/11. Now, after re-election to office, and the so-called "political capital" and goodwill he supposedly collected, King George is realizing only 6 months into his new term that the label "Lame Duck" is latching on to him and staying there. As chronicled in the UK's 'The Observer': At the centre of Bush's troubles is the Iraq war. Nightly images of mayhem in Baghdad have pushed the jubilant scenes of the Iraqi elections to the back of America's consciousness. For the first time, more now oppose than support the war. Even some Republicans are talking about withdrawal. [snip] But Bush's troubles go deeper. His relentless plans to sell social security reform to the public have floundered. His energy bill is mired in trouble. Democrats have blocked the nomination of the radical John Bolton as UN ambassador. Once disciplined Republican senators and congressmen snipe at the White House on everything from the environment to stem cell research. 'It's an old rule of thumb: the power of a second-term President peaks on the day after he wins the election. It's all downhill from there,' said Larry Haas, a former Clinton White House aide. Add to all this that even some in his own party are distancing themselves from him (most face election next year), and the fact even some members of his Administration can't get their talking points straight. This was obvious when Cheney declared that the insurgency was in its "last throes." then Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld distanced himself from the vice president's words. "I didn't use them, them, and I might not use them," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week. Rumsfeld said the insurgency could conceivably "go on for four, eight, 10, 12, 15 years, whatever…. We don't know. It is going to be a problem for the people of Iraq." She ain't singing yet, but the fat lady is getting closer every day. With his loss of support and the further erosion of his credibility due to the DSM and other leaks that have surfaced about how he lied the country into war, and IMO he is toast real soon. MORE.....

"To Everything .....(Turn, Turn, Turn)

There is a season (Turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose Under Heaven" 49% Say Bush Responsible for Provoking Iraq War 44% Say Hussein says a Rasmussen poll. Forty-nine percent (49%) of Americans say that President Bush is more responsible for starting the War with Iraq than Saddam Hussein. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 44% take the opposite view and believe Hussein shoulders most of the responsibility. In late 2002, months before the fighting began, most Americans thought that Hussein was the one provoking the War. Just one-in-four thought the President was doing the provoking at that time. Looks like the American people are now waking up to the fact that they were lied to by King George. Now I just wonder how long it will take to demand a formal independent inquiry and make those responsible pay for this crime that continues to be committed daily on both the American and Iraqi peoples.

Let's Make Deal - Starring Donald Dumbfeld

Well I guess it is alright now to make a deal with the enemy now that Dumbfeld gives his blessing. When asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" about the reports that there were secret meetings with the insurgent leaders in Iraq, Dumbfeld replied "Oh, I would doubt it. I think there have probably been many more than that." Of course he went on to make this wheeling and dealing seem ok because it was only being done to help the new Government in Iraq reach out to Sunni Arabs. Ya right and I got a bridge to sell you. What makes me suspicious about these "secret" meetings, is that this was also how the US propped up Sadaam for so many years until they decided they would rather have control of the region (along with the oil it brings), themselves. It's just a never ending circle with these guys. Prop 'em up and keep them around until they decide the have a better idea or they find a newer and better dictator to support. What a damn farce. MORE....

Great Progess Being Made In Iraq - King George Said So

King George, Condiliesalot and Sec. Dumsfeld would all have you believe everything is under control and we are making great progress in Iraq. If that is the case, why do we keep seeing reports like this from AP Suicide Bombings Kill at Least 33 in Iraq MOSUL, Iraq (AP) -- A suicide bomber with explosives hidden beneath watermelons in a pickup truck slammed into a police station near a market Sunday in Mosul, the first of three bombings that killed at least 33 people and wounded 19 in the northwestern city. Attacks elsewhere killed at least five other people in Iraq, including a roadside bomb that killed a U.S. soldier and wounded two others in central Baghdad. Yup everything is just peachy...........gosh darn keep up the good work Georgie. MORE....

Quote Of The Day

I wouldn't call it fascism exactly, but a political system nominally controlled by an irresponsible, dumbed down electorate who are manipulated by dishonest, cynical, controlled mass media that dispense the propaganda of a corrupt political establishment can hardly be described as democracy either.... Edward Zehr

Welcome To Jeb's Police State

After reading this today I am more convinced than ever the US is moving faster and faster towards a police state. Of course seeing that it took place in the "Land of Jeb", I guess it shouldn't surpise anyone. BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. -- A deputy Tasered an intoxicated 13-year-old girl who was kicking and scratching two hospital nurses, officials said. April Rene Burleson, who is 4-foot-9 and weighs 90 pounds, had a blood alcohol level of 0.175 percent and was under the influence of marijuana and the prescription drug Xanax, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office. This is ridiculous. A drunk 90 pound 13 year old? And it gets even better with the whining from a spokesman for the Sheriffs office. "You have to understand, she was lashing out, kicking and scratching," sheriff's spokeswoman Ileana LiMarzi. "She was acting like an adult who needed to be restrained. Just because she's 13 doesn't mean she can't harm somebody." I don't care if she was acting like an adult. You can't tell me that a sheriffs deputy couldn't find a more civilized way to restrain a girl who could be blown over in a stiff wind. Now mind you I am not condoning in anyway a drunken teenager, also on Xanax but give me a break. Certainly between the deputy and more hospital staff they could hold her long enough for restraints to be applied. MORE....

Elisabeth Bumiller - BuzzFlash GOP Hypocrite Of The Week

As usual, BuzzFlash has selected another perfect example of the week's GOP Hypocrite. If you ever wonder how a president so low in the polls can manage to survive, it's because of White House stenographers like Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times. Bumiller likes to inform readers of what is on Bush's I-Pod and what books he allegedly reads, but not of the confirmed fact that he is a chronic liar. Bumiller thinks it would be unseemly to call Bush a liar, as she recounted last year while on a media panel: "You can't just say the president is lying. You don't just say that...You can't say the president is lying -- that's a judgment call." [SNIP] The New York Times didn't have any compunction about wallowing in the pornographic details leaked to them by the merry elves of Ken Starr's inquisition. But if they see a president lying America into war, their White House correspondent believes it is disrespectful to let the American public in on the truth. Well now come on!! You know a BJ in the Oval Office is way more important than the loss of life in Iraq thanks to the lying slimeball that currently occupies the White House. Incidently, here is the latest news King George and his merry neocon henchmen and women DON'T want you to know: 1,735 U.S. Military Fatalities in Iraq (thru today) 12,855 U.S. Military Maimed in Iraq (Last DoD Update: 10-Jun-05) 25,499 Iraqis Reported Killed (thru today) I invite you read the entire article from BuzzFlash HERE

The Demagoguery Of Mediocrity

Although sometimes you need to shower immediately afterwards, today's sojourn into the conservative blogosphere was actually a pleasant surprise when I came across an honest post from what appears to be an honest conservative. Today over at RedState.org blogger trevino made this post concerning Coward Karl's remarks against Democrats regarding their actions after the 9/11 attacks. The remarkable thing about the excuse-making for Karl Rove is how intellectually dishonest so much of it is. So what was the purpose behind Rove's remark? The hypothesis is that it was calculated, canny, and well-thought-out, with consequences foreseen and prepared-for. But this is to give too much credit to a man whose effect on the party, in unmooring it from conservative principle in so many ways, has been a long-term negative. If we accept the President's public actions as indicative of Karl Rove's own convictions, then the latter has tenuous, at best situational claim to the conservative mantle; certainly not where wartime is concerned. He is a smart man, and even a political genius. But this does not impart those qualities to all he does. In this case, we can call his action what it was: the demagoguery of mediocrity. My take on the Coward Karl's remark is that it was done purposely. Remember, this is the usual way Rove and company act when King George's ratings start to tank. Change the subject by creating a diversion so the MSM focuses on the diversion rather than the President's ratings, and policies. If you wish to venture over there and read the entire post, there is more available HERE....

Enlist, Or Shut Up

David Sirota nails it again. Attention Chickenhawks: Enlist, or shut up. There are a lot of pathetic political hacks running around these days talking tough about fighting wars - and most of them have never fought in a war, avoided fighting when they had the chance, and have no family members fighting in our current war. When ultra-hawk Vice President Dick Cheney had the chance to fight in a war, he said he had "other priorities." When George W. Bush had the chance, he used his dad's name to get out of combat service. While Peter Beinart and the New Republic claim they truly believe in more hawkish policies, I don't see him or the magazine's writers lining up to enlist. And last I checked, the same Karl Rove who is attacking Democrats for questioning Bush's management of the Iraq War, is the Karl Rove who has never served in the military in his life. I would only add one thing to this. King George should also encourage Princess Jenna & Princess Barbara Bush to sign-up. Of course we certainly shouldn't hold our collective breath waiting for that to happen. After all, if daddy chickened out then why would we think it is at all possible things would have changed now. And then there is that other coward Ms Karla Rove.......But that's another story all by itself. MORE....

US Admits To Torture At Guantanamo

A member of the ten-person UN Committee against Torture, speaking on condition of anonymity, says Washington has for the first time, acknowledged to the United Nations that prisoners have been tortured at US detention centers in Guantanamo Bay, as well as Afghanistan and Iraq. Forbes.com is reporting UN sources said this is the first time the world body has received such a frank statement on torture from US authorities. The Committee, which monitors respect for the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, is gathering information from the US ahead of hearings in May 2006. The Committee member said "They they will have to explain themselves (to the Committee). Nothing should be kept in the dark". Something about this admission just doesn't pass the smell test to me. Could it be that they think by admitting to a little they can duck responsibility for a lot? Also, this report says nothing about giving the UN investigators direct access to the prisoners being held in detention. As I said, this just doesn't pass the smell test. Something just doesn't fit, and the way this administration and especially King George usually respond is to not admit to any mistake or misdeed. MORE....

Rove Not Necessarily A Political Genius

Glenn Smith of BOP News writes an outstanding analysis of Karl Rove and his filthy political tricks. Karl Rove's un-American attacks on those who disagree with him deserve the condemnation they're receiving. I've known him for 20 years, and I'm not surprised he said them. He's a socially inept but patient thug whose willingness to haunt the nation's dark political alleys for years, waiting for the right time and the right victims, is too often taken for unparalleled political intelligence. [snip] For years I've suspected that Rove is stuck in an adolescent rage, taking revenge upon the Civil Rights marchers (whose courage he couldn't match), the anti-war organizers (who beat him), and those who believe in and struggle for democracy (who drove off Nixon). I don't recommend therapy for Bin Laden. But Rove might give Dr. Laura a call. Personally I don't think even a dozen Dr. Laura's could help this pathological manipulator. Then again now that I think of it, her tactics and hypocrisy may just make them the perfect couple. They would certainly deserve each other. MORE....

U.N. Experts - Reliable Accounts of Torture at Guantanamo

Common Dreams News is reporting that UN human rights experts said Thursday they have reliable accounts of detainees being tortured at the U.S. base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The UN experts always release their findings, unlike the International committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who keep their findings confidential reporting only to the country being investigated, and is just the way King George likes it. The experts also said Washington had not responded to their latest request to check on the conditions of terror suspects at the facility in eastern Cuba. That request was made in April. The experts, who report to U.N. bodies on different human rights issues, said their request for a visit was "based on information, from reliable sources, of serious allegations of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees, arbitrary detention, violations of their right to health and their due process rights "Many of these allegations have come to light through declassified (U.S.) government documents," they said. Manfred Nowak, the U.N. special investigator on torture, said "We deeply regret that the government of the United States has still not invited us to visit those persons arrested, detained or tried on grounds of alleged terrorism or other violations". If this administration has nothing to hide, and the prisoners are being treated just fine as they tried to drum into everyone's head on the TV talk shows last weekend, why has the UN still not been allowed access? The UN human rights investigators have been trying to visit since 2002. This sure doesn't look like a cooperative and open attitude from King George and his lapdogs as they would have us believe. MORE....

Same Sex Marriage Bill Up Next In Canadian Parliament

The Canadian Parliament passed legislation Thursday evening to extend the sitting of this session. In return for support of the extension, the Bloc Quebecois Party demanded and received assurance in writing that the Same Sex Marriage legislation be included in this extended session of Parliament. With the support of the BQ, and NDP parties, the Conservatives will not have enough votes to stop the bill from passing. It is anticipated that the legislation will reach the third and final reading and become law on Monday June 27th.

Make America Safe, Not Divided

John Kerry gave the following statement on the Senate Floor this evening about Rove's slimy comments “Mr. President, none of us will ever forget the hours after September 11th, the calls to our families, the evacuations, the images on television -- and then the remarkable response of the American people as we came together as one to answer the attack against our homeland. “We drew strength when our firefighters ran up the stairs and risked their lives, so that others might live. When rescuers rushed into smoke and fire at the Pentagon. When the men and women of Flight 93 sacrificed themselves to save our nation’s Capitol. When flags were hanging from front porches all across America, and strangers became friends. It brought out the best in all of us. “That spirit of our country should never be reduced to a cheap and divisive political applause line from anyone who speaks for the President of the United States. I am proud that after September 11th all our people rallied to President Bush’s call for unity to meet the danger. There were no Democrats. There were no Republicans. There were only Americans. That’s why is hard to believe that last night the most senior advisor to the President of the United States is twisting those days of unity to divide us, that rather than focusing attention on finding Osama bin Laden and smashing al Qaeda, he is instead challenging the patriotism of Americans every bit as committed to fighting terror as he is. “For Karl Rove to equate Democratic policy on terror to ‘indictments’ and ‘therapy’ is an outrageous attempt to divide the nation at just the moment we must be unified. Just days after 9/11 the Senate voted 98-0 and the House voted 420-1 to authorize President Bush to use ‘all necessary and appropriate force’ against terror. After the bipartisan vote, President Bush said, I quote: ‘I am gratified that the Congress has united so powerfully by taking this action. It sends a clear message -- our people are together, and we will prevail.’ “Karl Rove also said last night, quote: ‘No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals.’ Well, I think a lot more needs to be said about Karl Rove’s motives, because they’re not the people’s motives, and if the President really believed his own words of unity, then he should fire Karl Rove. If the President of the United States knows the meaning of his own words, he should listen to the plea of Kristen Breitweiser, who lost her husband when the Twin Towers came crashing down: she said, ‘if you’re going to use 9/11, use it to make this nation safer than it was on 9/11. And that’s not being done. If you’re going to use 9/11, if you’re going to be impassioned about the lives lost on 9/11, then do so by making us safer.’ “Karl Rove doesn’t owe me an apology, he doesn’t owe Democrats an apology, he owes her an apology -- he owes an apology to every one of those families who paid the ultimate price on September 11th. “Millions of Americans across our country are questioning whether this Administration is making us safe. Kristen Breitweiser wants to tell her daughter that she’ll grow up in a country safer than on the day her father was taken from her. “Mothers and fathers spend sleepless nights worrying about sons and daughters in humvees in Iraq that aren’t protected. They’re asking Washington for honesty and results and leadership, not political division. “Before Karl Rove delivers another political assault, he needs to think about those families. The 9/11 Commission has given us a path to follow, endorsed by Democrats, Republicans, and the 9/11 families. Implement the recommendations of that commission. We shouldn’t be letting ninety-five percent of container ships come into our ports without ever being physically inspected. We shouldn’t be leaving our nuclear and chemical plants without enough protection. “Until they’ve done the work of making America safe, don’t dare question the patriotism of Americans who offer a better direction. Before wrapping themselves in the memory of September 11th, and shutting their eyes and ears to the truth, they should remember what America is really all about -- that leadership isn’t insult or intimidation, it’s the strength of making America safe -- they should remember what their responsibility is to every American -- and start to do the work of living up to it.” From Kerry Website

You Weren't There, Karl. I Was.

Via The Mahablog Words cannot express the contempt I feel for Karl Rove and for the chorus of brainless little yappers applauding his recent remarks on liberal reactions to 9/11. I'd like to ask Karl and his puppies to stand anywhere in the vincinity of Ground Zero and repeat Karl's fatuous, lying remarks to a crowd of New Yorkers. Whole lotta liberals in New York. Whole lotta those liberal New Yorkers lost someone in the towers. Whole lotta liberal New Yorkers who lost someone in the towers might want to break Karl's jaw today. Karl would be well advised to keep his sorry ass out of New York from now on. This New Yorker is outraged, and rightly so. The taste for the Rove Slime Machine does not sit too well with people who actually experienced the attack in their own backyard, let alone if because of that attack they lost a loved one. You have to go away from New York City, to places where people barely remember watching the towers collapse on television, to find people still willing to listen to the crap that spews out of Karl's mouth. All 9/11 means to them is an excuse to advance their hard right agenda and pound the stuffing out of Muslims. And any Muslims will do. MORE.....

Yes Karl We DO Want To Understand

Via Daily Kos "Liberals saw what happened to us and said we must understand our enemies." He's right. We want to understand. We want to understand why Osama Bin Laden hasn't been captured? Why did the administration take its eyes off Al Qaida to invade Iraq? I mean, Al Qaida is the enemy Rove himself said we had to defeat. But we haven't. Instead of defeating our enemies, we went to war against an impotent enemy -- Saddam. And yes, we want to understand. Like, why did they lie to go to war in Iraq? Why is that war still going, unabated? Why are we no closer to victory now, than we were in when Bush declared "mission accomplished"? Why don't our troops have proper ammo? Why aren't there enough boots on the ground in Iraq? Why are we still dying in Afghanistan? He's right. I want to understand. I don't understand why the administration hasn't called for sacrifice. Why won't war supporters enlist? Why won't they encourage their circle of influence to enlist? Why won't they level with the American people, and give an honest assessment of what's going on in Iraq and Afghanistan? I don't understand how our nation, always the good guys, is now perceived as the "bad guy" the world over. I don't understand how torture has become a commonplace occurance inside facilities that bear the stars and stripes. Enough said.

Hillary Corners Rummy Over Rove

Senator Hillary Clinton put Rumsfeld in a corner today during the Senate Armed Services hearing over Karl Rove's comments saying Democrats didn't understand the 9/11 attacks. Senator Clinton: .... I hope Mr. Secretary you would agree that Democrats and Republicans, people of every political belief and none at all, united after the 9/11 attacks on our nation and that has been especially evident here in this Senate Armed Services Committee, under the bipartisan leadership of Chairman Warner and Ranking Member Levin. Mr. Secretary, would you agree with that statement? Secretary Rumsfeld: Senator, there’s no question that the country and the Congress united after September 11th. Clinton: Mr. Secretary, I want to read you a quote from today’s newspaper: “Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers.” Mr. Secretary, do you agree with that statement by a senior member of this administration? Rumsfeld: I don’t know who made the statement or the context of it and I just got through saying that when one takes a single sentence or single comment out of a longer statement that may have context, I find frequently that it is harmful. I don’t know who said it or what the context was and obviously it’s not something I said. Clinton: I appreciate that. Well, it is a statement by Karl Rove. And it is the kind of statement that is particularly harmful and painful. It is the kind of statement that is unnecessary. It is the kind of statement that pits Americans of good faith, seeking to support the men and women in uniform, seeking to protect them, seeking to support you, despite the fact that we might have serious questions and even disagreements about strategy and tactics. And so it politicizes and turns into a partisan game. Something as serious as the attack on our nation on September 11th and something as deadly as the conflict in which we are currently engaged. So I would hope Mr. Secretary that you and other members of the Administration would immediately repudiate such an insulting comment from a high ranking official in the President’s inner circle. It is very disturbing to many of us, increasingly so, that we cannot have a national conversation about something as important as the conflict that we face, which I for one believe is a long-term challenge to our very existence. And it is certainly a challenge that you are attempting to deal with in the field and in the Pentagon. And, it is not just people on one side of the aisle who have raised these issues. A recent bipartisan group of members of Congress called for an end to the conflict - a withdrawal of the troops - something I don’t agree with, but I understand the frustration and the concern and anxiety that motivates such a statement and question. And I would not in any way question the resolve, the toughness, the patriotism of anybody who raises legitimate questions and has disagreements about how we are to pursue our objectives. And with do respect, I think it would be helpful if we would hear a little bit more of that tone from our President and from our Vice President and from our other high ranking officials in the Administration. I’m old enough to remember how deeply divided our country was in Vietnam. I never want to see that again. We may have disagreements about how to engage in this conflict and how to win it, but I never want to live through that again and I don’t think any of us do so I would respectfully suggest that perhaps we adopt a somewhat different tone and approach in discussing these very critical matters for the benefit of all of us and particularly, for the benefit of the young men and women who we’re so proud of and so grateful to for their sacrifice. Rumsfeld: Senator I certainly agree, I think you’ll find the tone in my remarks fit what you’re talking about. I think that it is unfortunate when things become so polarized or so politicized, and you’ve heard some of that here today. It isn’t helpful. In my remarks I pointed out that there are a number of questions that are raised by the public, by members of the house and the senate, and that’s a perfectly proper and legitimate thing to do. Our democracy permits that, we can live through it in a war time period if we do it in an orderly way, and a sensible way, and a civil way. Nice going Hillary, but of course good old Rummy evaded pinpointing his answer to Rove himself. As usual, this administration won't take any responsibility for comments or actions made by one of its' own. *EDIT* Thanks to reader Jami for this link, you can sign the petition demanding the firing of Karl Rove HERE

Reid Tells Rove Apologize Or Resign

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has issued a statement telling Karl Rove he should appologize or resign. Here is Reid's statement “I am deeply disturbed and disappointed that the Bush White House would continue to use the national tragedy of September 11th to try and divide the country. The lesson our country learned on that terrible morning is that we are strongest when we unite together, that America’s power is in its common spirit of democracy and freedom. “Karl Rove should immediately and fully apologize for his remarks or he should resign. The lesson of September 11th is not different for conservatives, liberals or moderates. It is equally shared and was repeatedly demonstrated in the weeks and months following this tragedy as Americans of all backgrounds and their elected representatives rallied behind the victims and their families, united in our common determination to bring to justice those responsible for these terrible attacks. “It is time to stop using September 11th as a political wedge issue. Dividing our country for political gain is an insult to all Americans and to the common memory we all carry with us from that day. When it comes to standing up to terrorists, there are no Republicans or Democrats, only Americans. The Administration should be focused on uniting Americans behind our troops and providing them a strategy for success in the war on terror and the conflict in Iraq. I hope the president will join me in repudiating these remarks and urge Mr. Rove to take appropriate action to right this terrible wrong.” The Associated Press is reporting other Dems are also weighing in on Rove's remarks "The one thing New York has had since Sept. 11 is unity," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "To inject politics into this and to defame a large number of people" is outrageous, he said. "It's not what New York and America is all about." MORE.....

Crew Files FOIA On Cunningham And MZM

For Immediate Release June 20, 2005 Contact: Naomi Seligman, 202-588-5565 CREW FILES FOIA ON CUNNINGHAM AND MZM WITH DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Washington, DC – Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request today with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and with the Department of Defense to garner any communications between Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA) and Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) regarding MZM, Inc. Or Mitchell Wade, from January 1, 2001, to the present. “By filing these FOIAs, we hope to learn if Representatives Cunningham or Goode used their positions to help win lucrative defense contracts for Mr. Wade and MZM.,” Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW said today. Congressman Cunningham has come under intense scrutiny for his latest actions. First, it was discovered that Cunningham sold his house at a vastly inflated value to Wade. Next came the revelation that, in Washington, Cunningham is living aboard a 42-foot yacht, named the “Duke Stir,” owned by Wade. This was followed by news reports that Cunningham has supported Wade and MZM in efforts to win Pentagon contracts, that MZM and Wade have donated at least $20,000 to political action committees associated with Cunningham, and that Cunningham is involved with charities that have ties to MZM. There are news reports of both FBI and federal grand jury investigations into Cunningham’s relationship with MZM and Wade. As of today, no Member of Congress has filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee requesting an investigation into Rep. Cunningham’s relationship with MZM and Wade. Without a complaint filed against Cunningham, the Ethics Committee is under no obligation to conduct an investigation. CREW would file such a complaint, but the House prohibits anyone other than a Member of the House from doing so. Cunningham can now be added to the growing list of Members – i.e. Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) and Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) – whose egregious conduct has failed to elicit either an ethics complaint or an ethics investigation. “We ask House Members to root out corruption in the House and file a complaint against Representative Cunningham in order to trigger an investigation by the ethics committee,” Sloan said today. (CREW) Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a non-profit, progressive legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions.

Where Were The Doctors At Abu Ghraib?

When Dr. Steven Miles first saw the news photos of American guards abusing Iraqi prisoners last year, he couldn't help wondering one thing: Where were the doctors? Via Information Clearinghouse Miles argues that health professionals turned a blind eye, or worse, to the torture and deaths of some of their patients. "These health professionals could have protested," he said. Instead, "the medical system here became one of the professional arms of a torturing society." His allegations -- first published in a medical journal last summer -- have infuriated the Pentagon. "We have no evidence that military medical personnel collaborated with interrogators or guards accused or suspected of detainee abuse, or condoned abusive behavior," said James Turner, a spokesman for the Defense Department in Washington. Miles, though, says the evidence tells another story. Last month, he opened a lecture to hospital employees in St. Paul with a notorious photo: the picture of two U.S. guards, a man and woman, grinning behind a pile of naked men at Abu Ghraib prison. Miles let the image sink in. "The question for today is, how does the image of this picture change when we know that there's a health professional in this room?" he asked. According to witness reports, Miles said, a "nurse medic" was called into the room to examine a prisoner who was having trouble breathing. The medic determined he was having an anxiety attack, and "simply walked off and made no further note of it," Miles said. MORE.....

Quote Of The Day

"If those in charge of our society - politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television - can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves.".....Howard Zinn, historian and author.

U.S. Has Things To Hide - Iraqi Justice Minister Says

Why does this not surprise me. Not only has King George been proven a liar by the DSM and the related documents that have been released, but now the Iraqi Justice Minister Abdel Hussein Shandal is saying he suspects the US is limiting access to the questioning of Saddam because U.S. officials have their own secrets to protect, including funnelling money and support to Iraqi leader during his rule. "It seems there are lots of secrets they want to hide," Shandal said. "There should be transparency and there should be frankness, but there are secrets that if revealed, won't be in the interest of many countries," he said. "Who was helping Saddam all those years?" It is a widely held belief that the US (and other countries) provided support during the Iran/Iraq war, but it is not known if this is what he is referring to or not. Whatever he means by the alledged accusation, it should be brought out in the open and let the chips fall where they may. Be it Reagan, Bush 1, Clinton or the current bunch, the support of a dictator of Saddam's ilk is unconscionable. There are too many secret deals by too many companies that are tied to the US government and it has to stop. My suspicion is, if the truth does finally come out it will lead right back to the oil interests of the current administration, their families and their coziness with big business now in the region. This could very well be the reason for the limiting the questioning of Saddam if true. More on this is available at Common Dreams.

Families Want The Truth From Bush

From Record Online Families of dead soldiers demand truth from Bush By Beth Quinn Times Herald-Record The one reservation I had last week when I wrote about the Downing Street Memo was this: How will the loved ones of the soldiers who've died in Iraq feel when they read this? How much more pain will it cause them to know we now have strong evidence that George Bush knew all along there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? That he made the "facts" fit his personal plan for war? How does your mind accept what surely breaks your heart? And how much harder to know that your child, your spouse, your parent died in a war that a growing number of Americans are questioning? Since that column ran, the loved ones of two soldiers, dead in Iraq, have told me. Their words are far more meaningful than anything I could say, so I will turn this column over to them. There is nothing for me to comment on here, I would ask you to simply read the heartbreak yourself HERE.....

Major Power Failure Narrowly Averted

Parts of the eastern United States and all of the Province of Ontario in Canada were apparently seconds away from another major blackout on May 27th., similar to what happened in the August 2003 blackout that left 50 million people in Ontario and the eastern U.S. without electricity, according to a spokesman for The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers said Tuesday. Of course the management of Hydro One, admits there was a "system blip", but says it didn't come close to causing a large blackout, said a report in the Toronto Star Wednesday. Of course both sides issuing statements have a personal axe to grind in this situation since the Union represents 80,000 workers, including more than 1,000 Ontario engineers who walked off the job at Hydro One four weeks ago. Even the Ontario Government who denies the story has a personal interest here. In a letter to the US Senate, the union stated: "The principal factor of the May 27th event leading to the loss of 2,300 megawatts of power and voltage collapse was the result of the failure of two separate computerized protection systems that had been installed to prevent this very event." However, considering that the power companies are in the pocket of politicians on both sides of the border here, and the way the companies and politicians did nothing but point fingers and refused to that the blame in 2003, I will take the word of the Union in this matter. MORE....

The Press Grows A Spine

Via Daily Kos Q Is the President concerned about the recruitment being down in his home country, he can't get -- you know, some day you may give a war and no one will come? And, also, the second part of the question, is there any member of the Bush clan who is in the military service now, that you know of? MR. McCLELLAN: I'd have to go check; that's a pretty large clan, as you -- Q Would you do that? MR. McCLELLAN: -- as you referred to. In terms of -- and certainly there are members of the family that have served and served very admirably in the Armed Forces. Q I'm not talking about the past, I'm talking about now. Kudos to this reporter. Nice to see them finally really quetioning Scottie instead of just printing the party line from the Administration. Now let's just hope they stay on this and follow-up. MORE.....

Quote Of The Day

"Actions are held to be good or bad, not on their own merits, but according to who does them. There is almost no kind of outrage-----torture, imprisonment without trial, assassination, the bombing of civilians-----which does not change its moral color when it is committed by 'our' side. . The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them."......George Orwell

OK John. Where The Hell Are You??

Back on June 2, John Kerry pledged to make an issue of the Downing Street Memo and help bring it to the forefront. "When I go back (to Washington) on Monday, I am going to raise the issue. I think it's a stunning, unbelievably simple and understandable statement of the truth and a profoundly important document that raises stunning issues here at home, and it's amazing to me the way it escaped major media discussion. It's not being missed on the Internet, I can tell you that." Well John, it is now June 21st, 19 days later. Where is this big announcement you promised? The fact is Senator Kerry there has been no effort on your behalf to "raise the issue". What's your plan John? Are you going to deal with this the same way you dealt with adversity during your loosing bid for the Presidency by staying silent? It looks to me like you are letting everyone else carry the load just as you did in your failed campaign. If it wasn't for Rep. John Conyers Jr., Progressive Bloggers like the members of Big Brass Alliance or organizations like AfterDowningStreet.org the media, and you wouldn't have a clue about this. You know what John? If your strategy is to let everyone else do the heavy lifting for you,and then step in after all the hard work has been done and attempt the grab the headlines and the credit, FORGET IT. Just stay the hell out of it! This is an important cause Senator, that involves the abuse of power by a corrupt President and his administration. We don't need a headline grabbing loser on the team!!!

Take Action to Save PBS!

An Action Alert from People For the American Way (PFAW) The right wing campaign to destroy the impartiality of PBS is gaining steam and this week the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the appropriations bill that will slash the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's budget for next year by $100 million, eliminate another $23 million used to pay for shows such as Sesame Street, and cut a combined $79 million for needed technology upgrades for local stations. At the same time, Chairman of the CPB's Board of Directors, Kenneth Tomlinson, continues to seek ways to make PBS better reflect the Republican mandate by spending $15,000 on two Republican lobbyists but not disclosing it to the corporation's board, one of whom recently resigned from his position as a top aide to Senator Mel Martinez of Florida, after writing a memorandum describing how to exploit the Terri Schiavo case for political gain. Tomlinson also secretly paid a consultant $10,000 to monitor broadcasts of "Now with Bill Moyers" for "anti-Bush," "anti-business" and "anti-Tom DeLay" remarks. And today, Tomlinson and the CPB board are holding a closed meeting as they attempt to quickly appoint a former co-chairman of the Republican National Committee to be the CPB's president and chief executive, despite the fact that she has no experience with public broadcasting! And the Right Wing loves it! The right wing media watchdog group Accuracy in Media called the House's efforts to de-fund PBS "a step in the right direction" and urged Congress to go further and "completely de-fund public TV and radio. All $400 million a year should be terminated." Tim Graham, head of the Media Research Center, another Right Wing media watchdog group, praised Tomlinson's actions and also called on "Congress to go ahead and zero out its federal funding and let the people who can't live without it pay the bills for a change." The Right Wing must not be allowed to force its ideology upon public broadcasting and we must stand up to their attempts to silence PBS! Contact your representatives today and urge them to protect the future and independence of public broadcasting! Click HERE to take action .

Quote Of The Day

"Every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources, these are not assertions. What we’re giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence. There can be no doubt that Saddam Hussein has biological weapons and the capability to rapidly produce more- many more- and he has the ability to dispense these lethal poisons and diseases in ways that can cause massive death and destruction. Most of the launchers and warheads have been hidden in large groves of palm trees.... This is evidence, not conjecture. This is true- this is all well documented." ...... Colin Powell

The Democrats Hold Together

The Senate Democrats held together tonight and again stopped Bush's nomination of John Bolton to be the new UN Ambassador. The final vote was 54-38 in favor of ending the delays, leaving the Republicans six votes short of sending the nomination to the full Senate. He now has two choices open to him. He can either withdraw the nomination and send up someone new, or we will see further abuse of executive power from King George, and he will use the "recess appointment" option and send him to the UN during the Senate's upcoming July 4 recess without Senate approval. Submitting a new name is something I do not expect from this bully so look for Bolton to be installed as Ambassador until the new Senate is sworn in come January 2007. The Republicans are sure to cry "obstructionist Democrats" with regard to this loss, but Bolton is not the main issue here (although he is the far from being qualified), the main point as I see it is the separation of powers. The Senate has a right under US Constitution to request and be given any and all documents they require in order to advise and consent. Of course why should an insignificant document like the Constitution mean anything to King George, when all he can possibly wrap his pea-brain around is a copy of "My Pet Goat". His attitude about anything he wants is to be heavy-handed and lie, delay and lie some more until he can find another avenue to get his way. His Administration and Bolton are a disgrace to the United States.

BOLTON CLOTURE VOTE FAILS AGAIN Once again cloture on the nomination of John Bolton to be the UN Ambassador has failed thereby stopping it from reaching the Senate floor for a full vote. Details when available............

WMD Claim Was Fake Says UK Intel. Officer

In a special report from The Guardian we have more proof that Bush lied and the WMD story was false. A key Foreign Office diplomat responsible for liaising with UN inspectors says today that claims the government made about Iraq's weapons programme were "totally implausible". He tells the Guardian: "I'd read the intelligence on WMD for four and a half years, and there's no way that it could sustain the case that the government was presenting. All of my colleagues knew that, too". Now I know the right wingnuts are all off on their little tangent that the DSM is untrue, and they are trying to do the same to the Downing Steet Memo story that they did to CBS and Dan Rather, but that boat won't float fellas. There is more than enough overwhelming factual information available to substantiate the DSM. So I say to them GET OVER IT. Your leader lied the Country into an illegal war. It had nothing to do with 9/11 and everything to do with gaining a strategic bas in the Mid-East, and grabbing Iraq's oil. Gotta make himself and his oil buddies rich and happy. Why would he care that over 1700 U.S. soldiers killed and nearly 13,000 wounded in Iraq? After all being President "is hard work". Especially when you spend all your time thinking up more creative ways to lie to the American people and the US Congress....Oh and not to mention the time it takes to get through all those pictures in "My Pet Goat". After Laura reads it to him of course. MORE.....

Update On Bolton - 6 PM Vote

Well it looks like we are close to a "recess appointment" by King George as I posted earlier. According to The Washington Note, the vote is scheduled for 6 pm today. Available on CSPAN2 Today, the second attempt to secure cloture on the John Bolton nomination as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations will occur at 6 p.m.The White House has yielded on nothing. Nothing. It's remarkable -- and heavy-handed. Senator Mark Pryor plans to defect from those supporting cloture and will stand with those Democrats who believe that there is a larger principle at stake regarding the Senate's right to expect the Executive Branch to comply with legitimate document and information requests when considering political appointments subject to Senate confirmation. John Bolton's nomination will fail yet again today. So it looks as if King George's hard-headed actions will go along unabated, and he will continue to abuse power by forcing Bolton into the UN Ambassador position despite the well respected rules and procedures of Congress. These thugs have give absolutely NO credence to the separation of powers clause of the Constitution which gives Congress the power to do its' Constitutional duty. MORE....

It's Bolton Whether You Like It Or Not!!!

The hypocrisy continues with this thug Administration. After howling far and wide, day after day, that they want an up or down vote on the Bolton appointment for UN Ambassador, it looks like they know they don't have the votes to get him out of committee. Therefore we get this report by Reuters The White House on Monday did not rule out the possibility of sidestepping the Senate by naming John Bolton as U.N. ambassador in a recess appointment, as it urged an for an up-or-down Senate vote on the nomination. "It is critical that we get him in place," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said of Bush's controversial nominee Of course 'critical' to Condiliesalot Rice means a "recess appointment" by King George as she stated in her usual coy, non-answer way yesterday on Faux News "We'll see what happens this week," There is a procedural vote scheduled for today to try to break the deadlock, but Democrats still maintain they have the votes to stall the nomination. According to Reuters, Bush could go around the Senate, and use the recess appointment option during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday recess or during Congress' monthlong August break. A recess appointment for Bolton would allow him to serve as ambassador through January 2007. My guess? Count on it if the Dems successfully block the nomination today. This thug will force the nomination through the same way he forces everything else he and his neocon creeps want done. They will lie, cheat, and do everything except what the American people want. Even his own damn Party questions this nomination but as usual he just steam-rolls along, does what he wants, and screw you if you don't like it! MORE....

Quote Of The Day

The evils of government are directly proportional to the tolerance of the people............Frank Kent

Start A War, Tell The Congress And The People Later

The DSM continues to finally get the coverage it deserves via SF Chronicle: It's bad enough that the Bush administration had so little international support for the Iraqi war that its "coalition of the willing" meant the United States, Britain, and the equivalent of a child's imaginary friends. It's even worse that, as the British Downing Street memo confirms, the administration had so little evidence of real threats that officials knew from the start that they were going to have to manufacture excuses to go to war. What's more damning still is that they effectively began this war even before the congressional vote. MORE....

Conyers Takes Milbank To The Woodshed

Via Conyer's Post at Daily Kos June 17, 2005 Mr. Michael Abramowitz, National Editor Mr. Michael Getler, Ombudsman Mr. Dana Milbank The Washington Post 1150 15th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20071 Dear Sirs: I write to express my profound disappointment with Dana Milbank's June 17 report, "Democrats Play House to Rally Against the War," which purports to describe a Democratic hearing I chaired in the Capitol yesterday. In sum, the piece cherry-picks some facts, manufactures others out of whole cloth, and does a disservice to some 30 members of Congress who persevered under difficult circumstances, not of our own making, to examine a very serious subject: whether the American people were deliberately misled in the lead up to war. The fact that this was the Post's only coverage of this event makes the journalistic shortcomings in this piece even more egregious. In an inaccurate piece of reporting that typifies the article, Milbank implies that one of the obstacles the Members in the meeting have is that "only one" member has mentioned the Downing Street Minutes on the floor of either the House or Senate. This is not only incorrect but misleading. In fact, just yesterday, the Senate Democratic Leader, Harry Reid, mentioned it on the Senate floor. Senator Boxer talked at some length about it at the recent confirmation hearing for the Ambassador to Iraq. The House Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi, recently signed on to my letter, along with 121 other Democrats asking for answers about the memo. This information is not difficult to find either. For example, the Reid speech was the subject of an AP wire service report posted on the Washington Post website with the headline "Democrats Cite Downing Street Memo in Bolton Fight". Other similar mistakes, mischaracterizations and cheap shots are littered throughout the article. The article begins with an especially mean and nasty tone, claiming that House Democrats "pretended" a small conference was the Judiciary Committee hearing room and deriding the decor of the room. Milbank fails to share with his readers one essential fact: the reason the hearing was held in that room, an important piece of context. Despite the fact that a number of other suitable rooms were available in the Capitol and House office buildings, Republicans declined my request for each and every one of them. Milbank could have written about the perseverance of many of my colleagues in the face of such adverse circumstances, but declined to do so. Milbank also ignores the critical fact picked up by the AP, CNN and other newsletters that at the very moment the hearing was scheduled to begin, the Republican Leadership scheduled an almost unprecedented number of 11 consecutive floor votes, making it next to impossible for most Members to participate in the first hour and one half of the hearing. In what can only be described as a deliberate effort to discredit the entire hearing, Milbank quotes one of the witnesses as making an anti-semitic assertion and further describes anti-semitic literature that was being handed out in the overflow room for the event. First, let me be clear: I consider myself to be friend and supporter of Israel and there were a number of other staunchly pro-Israel members who were in attendance at the hearing. I do not agree with, support, or condone any comments asserting Israeli control over U.S. policy, and I find any allegation that Israel is trying to dominate the world or had anything to do with the September 11 tragedy disgusting and offensive. That said, to give such emphasis to 100 seconds of a 3 hour and five minute hearing that included the powerful and sad testimony (hardly mentioned by Milbank) of a woman who lost her son in the Iraq war and now feels lied to as a result of the Downing Street Minutes, is incredibly misleading. Many, many different pamphlets were being passed out at the overflow room, including pamphlets about getting out of the Iraq war and anti-Central American Free Trade Agreement, and it is puzzling why Milbank saw fit to only mention the one he did. In a typically derisive and uninformed passage, Milbank makes much of other lawmakers calling me "Mr. Chairman" and says I liked it so much that I used "chairmanly phrases." Milbank may not know that I was the Chairman of the House Government Operations Committee from 1988 to 1994. By protocol and tradition in the House, once you have been a Chairman you are always referred to as such. Thus, there was nothing unusual about my being referred to as Mr. Chairman. To administer his coup-de-grace, Milbank literally makes up another cheap shot that I "was having so much fun that [I] ignored aides' entreaties to end the session." This did not occur. None of my aides offered entreaties to end the session and I have no idea where Milbank gets that information. The hearing certainly ran longer than expected, but that was because so many Members of Congress persevered under very difficult circumstances to attend, and I thought - given that - the least I could do was allow them to say their piece. That is called courtesy, not "fun." By the way, the "Downing Street Memo" is actually the minutes of a British cabinet meeting. In the meeting, British officials - having just met with their American counterparts - describe their discussions with such counterparts. I mention this because that basic piece of context, a simple description of the memo, is found nowhere in Milbank's article. The fact that I and my fellow Democrats had to stuff a hearing into a room the size of a large closet to hold a hearing on an important issue shouldn't make us the object of ridicule. In my opinion, the ridicule should be placed in two places: first, at the feet of Republicans who are so afraid to discuss ideas and facts that they try to sabotage our efforts to do so; and second, on Dana Milbank and the Washington Post, who do not feel the need to give serious coverage on a serious hearing about a serious matter-whether more than 1700 Americans have died because of a deliberate lie. Milbank may disagree, but the Post certainly owed its readers some coverage of that viewpoint. Sincerely, John Conyers, Jr. At one time the Washington Post was the best investigative newspaper there was. But that time has long past. Now instead of holding the Administration's feet to the fire, they act more like paid schills. It is disgusting that people like Dana Milbank can write this trash while US troops continue to die because of King George's lies.

Bush "Disconnected From Reality" - Hagel

Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel is angry. He's upset about the more than 1,700 U.S. soldiers killed and nearly 13,000 wounded in Iraq. He's also aggravated by the continued string of sunny assessments from the Bush administration, such as Vice President Dick Cheney's recent remark that the insurgency is in its "last throes." "Things aren't getting better; they're getting worse. The White House is completely disconnected from reality," Hagel tells U.S. News. "It's like they're just making it up as they go along. The reality is that we're losing in Iraq." It is good to see that at least ONE member of the Republican party has the balls to speak up. Unlike Media Whore John McCain in his lame appearance on Meet The Press, Hagel is refreshingly candid although the term "disconnected from reality" is a mild description of King George IMO. MORE....

McCain AGAIN Stabs A Senate Collegue In The Back

I am so damn sick and tired of the self-aggrandizing blowhard I could scream!!! This asshole should just STFU if he can't tell the truth. Today on NBC's Meet The Press, McCain chastised his Senate colleague Dick Durbin regarding his remarks comparing the actions of Americans at Guantanamo to Nazis, Soviet Gulags and Pol Pot. Here was his response when questioned by Tim Russert: MR. RUSSERT: Your Democratic colleague Dick Durbin of Illinois set off a firestorm when he compared the actions of Americans at Guantanamo to Nazis, Soviet Gulags and Pol Pot. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that Senator Durbin should be censured by the Senate for those comments. SEN. McCAIN: Well, I think that Senator Durbin owes not only the Senate an apology?I don't know if censure would be in order--but an apology because it does a great disservice to men and women who suffered in the gulag and in Pol Pot's killing fields. Dick Durbin should be required to read Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's "Gulag Archipelago" and I think that he would--may have a better understanding that there's no comparison whatsoever. And it does a great disservice to the majority of men and women who are serving in Guantanamo who are doing the job that they're told to do and they're doing it in a humane fashion. To tar the American servicemen and women with a brush that applies to the gulag or the killing fields is a great disservice to the men and women in the military who are serving honorably down there. MR. RUSSERT: Should he formally apologize? SEN. McCAIN: Well, I don't know what a formal--but he should certainly apologize. Come on now Media Whore Joe. Apologize? Are you serious? I'll be damned if he should apologize for telling the truth. Just because you have presidential ambitions, and spend most of your time kissing King George's ass (even though he raked your own name thru the mud with his lies) doesn't mean HONEST DEMOCRATS in the House and Senate shouldn't speak up when torture tactics are being committed in the name of the US. When is Media Whore John going to appologize for these torture tactics? And YES prisoners being chained to a floor and forced to defecate on themselves, is torture, and he should know that after being a POW himself. How in the name of all that is humane and decent can this man of all men condone this kind of treatment by not questioning and condemning it? You can read the entire transcript HERE and you will see for yourself that he does nothing but skirt the questions and when he does answer, it is to either be evasive, outright lie and/or advance his own self-image. Even his answers about another run for the Presidency are coy. Why? Because he knows damn well even his Senate seat is in danger how the hell will the mainstream of the American people support him for President. What a jerk!!!

Latest BuzzFlash Hypocrite Pick - Sensenbrenner

From BuzzFlash "You can't get much more hypocritical than abruptly and unilaterally ending a Congressional hearing about abuses of civil liberties. But then again, if you're a Republican like James Sensenbrenner, Jr, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, there's always room to increase your threshold of hypocrisy." I find their pick this week to be an excellent example of the worst kind of scum currently residing among the Republican Leadership. This man and his actions compare significantly to Hitler and his fascists, by using the perfect way to dismantle democracy by shutting down the voices of the opposition. I invite all to visit BuzzFlash to read or listen to more about this weeks "BuzzFlash GOP Hypocrite Of The Week".

Bush Lies To U. K. Napalm-Type Weapons WERE Used In Iraq

Even more damning information is surfacing about the dirty little secrets of King George and his lying bunch of creeps in the Administration concerning the Iraq invasion. The Independent is reporting: American officials lied to British ministers over the use of "internationally reviled" napalm-type firebombs in Iraq. Now before all the wingnuts on the right start accusing the Brits and the Progessive Blogosphere of misleading everyone, let's make it perfectly clear we DID NOT say they used napalm. What WAS USED were bombs known as as MK-77s, and they are napalm canister munitions. They evolved from the napalm bombs which we associate with the Korean and Vietnam wars. British Defense Minister Adam Ingram stated in a private letter obtained by The Independent that he had inadvertently misled Parliament because he had been misinformed by the US. "The US confirmed to my officials that they had not used MK77s in Iraq at any time and this was the basis of my response to you," he told Mr Cohen. "I regret to say that I have since discovered that this is not the case and must now correct the position." Mr Ingram said 30 MK77 firebombs were used by the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in the invasion of Iraq between 31 March and 2 April 2003. They were used against military targets "away from civilian targets", he said. This avoids breaching the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), which permits their use only against military targets. Britain, which has no stockpiles of the weapons, ratified the convention, but the US did not. How convenient. Another convention the US didn't ratify. This lying bunch of bastards in the White House need to be impeached. Between this report and the leaked memos that have been reported on, there is more than enough evidence of "high crimes and misdemeanors" committed by this bunch. Not only did they lie and deceive their closest ally, but more importantly, they lied and deceived the American people and the entire Congress of the United States. The atrocities committed in the "War on Terror" as King George loves to call it are disgusting and if "We the people" and the US Congress don't stand up to this monster there is absolutely no hope for the country itself. MORE....

Stuttering And Stamering From Media

This media alert from FAIR explains all too well the bullshit the media is giving for not covering the memo story: Media Advisory Justifying the Silence on Downing Street Memos 6/17/05 One of the features of the newfound media interest in the Downing Street Memo is a profound defensiveness, as reporters scramble to explain why it received so little attention in the U.S. press. But the most familiar line--the memo wasn't news because it contained no "new" information--only raises troubling questions about what journalists were doing when they should have been reporting on the gulf between official White House pronouncements and actual White House intentions. There are two important points in the Downing Street Memo, and media apologists have marshaled slightly different--though equally unconvincing--arguments as to why each did not deserve coverage. The first point is that the White House was intent on going to war long before it announced the decision to invade Iraq; "It seemed clear that Bush had made up his mind to take military action," the memo states, citing British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. The Washington Post editorialized (6/15/05): "The memos add not a single fact to what was previously known about the administration's prewar deliberations. Not only that: They add nothing to what was publicly known in July 2002." The New York Times reported (6/14/05) that "the documents are not quite so shocking. Three years ago, the near-unanimous conventional wisdom in Washington held that Mr. Bush was determined to topple Saddam Hussein by any means necessary." NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell similarly remarked on June 14 (Media Matters, 6/15/05) that you had to be "brain dead not to know" what the White House was doing. But if everyone knew it was a lie when Bush and the White House repeatedly denied that they had decided to go to war (as with Bush's March 6, 2003 statement, "I have not made up our mind about military action"), why were reporters not exposing this bad faith at every turn? On March 16, 2003, for example, Andrea Mitchell referred to negotiations at the United Nations as part of "the diplomatic campaign to avoid war." If war was a foregone conclusion, why were such talks reported as if they mattered? And how should reporters treat recent comments by George W. Bush that war was a last resort? "Both of us [Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair] didn't want to use our military," he said at a June 7 press conference. "Nobody wants to commit military into combat. It's the last option." If this is known to be a lie, why isn't it identified as such in news reports? If there's some doubt about whether he's lying, isn't the Downing Street Memo important evidence as to what the truth is? The second issue raised by the Downing Street Memo regards the fixing of intelligence. On this question, media responses differ somewhat: The memo is inconclusive, some say, or investigations into intelligence tampering have shown that such claims are without merit. The June 15 Washington Post editorial claimed that "the memos provide no information that would alter the conclusions of multiple independent investigations on both sides of the Atlantic, which were that U.S. and British intelligence agencies genuinely believed Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and that they were not led to that judgment by the Bush administration." The investigations the Post is alluding to are irrelevant, since they did not specifically address the question of how the White House handled intelligence reports on Iraq. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence investigation was limited in scope; as the Washington Post reported (7/10/04), the panel "[made] no judgment on whether the administration distorted the intelligence it was given." A more recent review of intelligence practices was similarly limited--a fact also reported by the Washington Post (4/1/05): "The panel that Bush appointed under pressure in February 2004 said it was 'not authorized' to explore the question of how the commander in chief used the faulty information to make perhaps the most critical decision of his presidency." More important, however, is the fact that the Downing Street Memo does suggest that the British government did not believe the evidence of Iraq's WMD programs was strong. As the memo states, "the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran." The case for the politicization of intelligence is not difficult to make--it merely involves citing evidence the media ignored at the time. In its March 3, 2003 issue, Newsweek reported what should have been a bombshell: The star defector who supplied some of the most significant information about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction had told investigators that those weapons no longer existed. Iraq defector Hussein Kamel--Saddam Hussein's son-in-law, who ran Iraq's unconventional weapons programs--was debriefed in 1995 about the status of those programs. Some of what Kamel said to the weapons inspectors would become very familiar: 30,000 liters of anthrax had been produced by the Iraqi regime, for example, and four tons of the VX nerve agent. These specific quantities were cited repeatedly by White House officials to make the case for war, and were staples of media coverage in the run-up to war. But Kamel told the inspectors something else: that Iraq had destroyed these stockpiles soon after the Gulf War. "All weapons-- biological, chemical, missile, nuclear-- were destroyed," Kamel told the inspectors. At the time, FAIR pointed out (2/27/03) that White House officials were misleading the public by selectively citing the Kamel interview: "Their repeated citations of his testimony--without revealing that he also said the weapons no longer exist--suggests that the administration might be withholding critical evidence." Despite their obvious importance, the Kamel revelations were barely mentioned in the mainstream media. This fact is worth remembering when journalists claim that pre-war media coverage was remarkably prescient about the White House's intentions. The truth is that the Downing Street Memo is a reminder of how poorly the media served the public before the war-- which might explain their reluctance to take it seriously. It looks to me like the media has the same problem as King George...........can't admit a mistake and when your caught in a lie dodge it by rambling on and on about everything but the mistake.

U. S. Press Finally Waking Up

It's too damn bad they were asleep at the switch previously, but finally the MSM is giving the Downing Street Memo, and the the memos that have been leaked since, the attention they deserved. I guess they finally got tired of being scooped by the British Press. I have to say though that today's story from AP really is an in-depth look at the entire mess. For example: When Prime Minister Tony Blair's chief foreign policy adviser dined with Condoleezza Rice six months after Sept. 11, the then-U.S. national security adviser didn't want to discuss Osama bin Laden or al-Qaida. She wanted to talk about "regime change" in Iraq, setting the stage for the U.S.-led invasion more than a year later. and Details from Rice's dinner conversation also are included in one of the secret memos from 2002, which reveal British concerns about both the invasion and poor postwar planning by the Bush administration, which critics say has allowed the Iraqi insurgency to rage. The eight memos,— all labeled "secret" or "confidential",— were first obtained by British reporter Michael Smith, who has written about them in The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times. The Associated Press also reports that a British official examined the memos, and (speaking anonymously only) verified their authenticity. What bothers me the most about all this attention now however, is the fact that the U.S. press should have done their jobs BEFORE the invasion of Iraq instead of being a "mouthpiece" for King George's administration. Instead of questioning Administration officials and demanding truthful answers they just blindly followed. For example, when Bush made his "axis of evil" comment and included Iraq in this so-called axis, instead of demanding proof they immediately started reporting about the possibility of war with Iraq. Now someone please explain this to me. There were THREE countries named. Why did the press immediately jump on the Iraq angle of the story? I'll tell you why, because it was fed to them, and rather than investigate they went along with liars like Dickhead Cheney and Condiliesalot Rice, for the simple reason that by this time the administration had them afraid of losing their precious spot in the White House press corps, and being ignored at press conferences. Gee, then the poor babies wouldn't be shown on TV or have an article for the front page......and their enlarged egos couldn't take that!!! Even now, the only reason they are all over this story like a wet blanket, is because of people like Congressman John Conyers, organizations like AfterDowningStree.org and the member blogs of The Big Brass Alliance who pushed and wouldn't let up until the press finally woke up and decided to cover the story.