Feeyotz!

Welcome Home Chicken(hawk)s.

I spend a lot of time in the UK and Europe. Bush has been poisoning Blair’s pudding for years and it seems that now Blair is realizing it. It is very late in the game for Blair and my best judgement is that he stuck with Bush too long and he is toast.

I guess the “coalition of the willing” might be a lot smaller this time…

I see white people

If anyone has the stomach for it, Grover Norquist and his Merry Band are on C Span2 right now – banging the crap out of Federal Spending – including, horrors! fingerpointing the Rep. Congress

Bush and Blair could be in cahoots again. Bush has no troops, Blair won’t give him any troops — no option but to lob a nuke into the men’s room at the mosque!

It seems to me that the real story here is the sea change that has taken place at the Post that has become much more obvious over just the last month or so. From this piece to the not-so-thinly-veiled hit piece on the left-leaning blogosphere, to the Fred Hiatt editorial, to the execrable public editing of Deborah Howell, to the Ben Domanech debacle, to the increasingly right-leaning op-ed pages, it is becoming harder and harder to distinguish the Post from any of a number of right-leaning publications.

Something is definitely rotten in Denmark.

Just a nit pick or 2- Scotsman has one T, not 2 and the ‘graf starting with “The confusion is obvious…” seems to be missing something.
Verrry interesting lapdog behavior, Tony.

I think you’re right on the mark, fallenmonk.

Maybe we could get Thomas Frank to write a piece for NYT – What’s Wrong With the Post ?

If Bush chooses to use military action in Iran he will have the firm backing of the Coalition of the Shilling in the American press-corps.

How quickly these members of the media forget that two weeks ago Bush and Rove were willing to lay the blame for the Iraq War squarely on backs of the press.

Boy, Empires in decline sure are ugly places.

-GSD

Poor Tony Blair is the Neville Chamberlain of his time……he just doesn’t know it yet.

Plameologists, have at it.

http://www.nysun.com/article/31062

-GSD

Now I want a corresponding Post piece that interviews the average person in the US about their feelings for Bush. And if it’s more than 36% approval of his ass, then we might as well put them with the moonie times and Shill O’Liely.

While the WaPo’s shameless shilling for Bush is a good point to raise, I think that the more important point made in the pieceis hidden in that little sentence from The Scottsman:
“President Bush, who is believed to be considering an assault on Iran, Foreign Office sources revealed.”

I think that THIS is the little nugget that deserves further investigation and answers.

Don’t forget that Israel bombed Libya’s sites!

Plameologists, have at it.

http://www.nysun.com/article/31062

-GSD
———————————————————-
The headline says it all: “No Hint Seen in Memo that Plame’s Role Was Secret”.

Except, of course, that “Plame’s Role” was clearly marked “S” for “Secret”.

The spin from the article seems to be, “We didn’t know that Plame was a Secret CIA agent. We just knew that she was a CIA agent, and that everything we had been told about her was classified as Secret.” Good luck with this one.

Nice to see Gold Bars being quoted by name again.

As for the WaPo’s piece, I don’t see anything factually inaccurate about it. It may have been intended as a hit-piece, but the message I took away from it is that even Bush’s poodle doesn’t want to be seen with him anymore. I agree that it makes Bush’s poodle look bad, but it makes Bush look even worse: The man’s so unpopular that even his dog won’t stand by him.

I’m with Frank Probst. I don’t think that’ll play in Peoria.

More wisdom:

Steve Forbes: “When We Have The Confrontation†With Iran, “The Price of Oil Will Come Downâ€

Appearing on Fox News this weekend, Steve Forbes said the way to lower gas prices is to “have the confrontation with Iran.â€

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/…..il-prices/

Thanks GSD.

Shorter Luskin, from the Sun: “Almost everything in the report was marked classified, so my client assumed it was OK to talk to reporters about it.”

You probably think I’m being deliberately snarky. Read the story yourself…

GSD –

I think you are being very unkind to Neville Chamberlain, when you compare him to the likes of Tony Blair.

In 1938, Nazi Germany was ready for war — Britain and France were not. Although the paper waving “Peace in Our Time” speech on the tarmac was lamentable, it was made for public consumption. From that point forward, Britain went on a crash program to build fighter aircraft — which eventually won the Battle of Britain.

Without that one year delay in the start of the war, we’d all be speaking German — and George W Bush would be the hereditary Furher of America.

Well, one out of two isn’t bad . . .

GSD #12 & Frank #16:

Agree, in my amateur, pre-coffee haze, that it looks like Luskin’s working the no harm, no foul defense. It doesn’t address at all the “discrepancies” in Libby’s testimony that are the cause of his indictment.

The quote marks are intended to show the boundaries of my shorter version, not a quote from Luskin. Just to clarify.

In other news, we still won’t free the non-enemy combatants at Gitmo:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..NlYwM3MTY-

But read it a little closer. What it says is that the SCOTUS refused to hear the appeal before the Appeals Court rules. We STILL can’t find anyone to take these guys off our hands. I don’t think the Germans will be terribly happy about receiving them, as the article hints.

Bottom line: The Bush Administration is desperately trying to unload these guys before their case gets to the Supremes. It’s one thing to try to argue for indefinite imprisonment for “enemy combatants”. It’s quite another to argue for indefinite imprisonment for people you mistook for “enemy combatants” but who turned out to be, um, “bystanders”.

Is there such a thing as a censure resolution in the U.N.?
Can we be kicked off the Security council? Or just a motion to that effect? Pretty sure the vote would be over 90% in faver.

wesgpc #19:

Reminds me of the first time I’d heard Forbes speak on some TV talking heads bash. I misheard him. Could’ve sworn he was advocating a fat tax, which would’ve placed me in serious financial difficulty. Now he’s making even less sense.

So Barbara Comstock can reach all the way in and have documents declassified now to polish Libby’s image? That’s pretty special. And we’re supposed to forgive all? DING DING DING, I THINK WE HAVE A WINNER! I’ve been looking for a new contest. How about “hypocritical Republican quotes about why Bill Clinton deserved to be impeached because he lied?”

BTW — Frank Probst, thanks. I’ll be reading it on the plane today.

Beginning to look as if Clusterfuck’s status with the public is way past the WP’s ability to manipulate. They can print whatever they want and he will continue to live in the crapper of his own device.

His dismal status is unsettling to many- not just goopers. It’s way too soon in his term to tank the way he has- makes people nervous- many of em advertisers.They are afraid that the country will become politically paralyzed- unable to either shit OR go blind. That’s only serious if we face some extreme emergencies where forceful and rapid reaction is required. We may have such crises brewing. The housing bubble is fixin ta burst. There could be a run on the dollar. Oil prices could run up to $100 per barrel. Iran and North Korea could explode- as could Afghanistan..

These are not good times to have a lame duck at the helm- but this duck shot himself in the foot way too many times- no wonder he can’t walk.

The Washington Post is a den of cowards and liars. I don’t read it anymore, so thanks for keeping up with their slime. We appreciate you doing the dirty work. And so well!

Blair hasn’t gone to the US since he got his medal of freedom precisely because he doesn’t want to be photographed beside Bush. Bush isn’t called “The Toxic Texan” for nothing. Remember that a majority in the UK were always opposed to the war.

Blair is currently deeply embroiled in:

1) A corruption scandal.
2) His foreign secretary is flat out refusing to countenance military action against Iran and has described the idea as nuts. – Blair is reportedly furious at this.
3) Blair is engaged in a struggle with his Chancellor of the Exchequer (minister for finance.)

The last thing he wants right nowis to be photographed beside a man who was always despised and is now actively hated.

In Islington, some people accuse Blair of abandoning his working class base, saying he did not fix up public schools as promised.

This bit is interesting. “Islington” is British political code for “trendy lefty” or the “smoked salmon socialist” wing of the party. That’s Blair’s base. He’s not popular in the working class constituencies who make up labour’s core vote and hasn’t been since the “honeymoon” period of his first government.

I think Luskin is working the identities act (name?) clause that requires showing that the perpertrator knew the CIA was actively trying to conceal her–which is a tiny bit different from knowing she was a CIA agent. As noted above, “We knew she was secret, just not that secret” is an awfully small fig leaf. An actual lawyer (i.e. not myself) can weigh in on whether it has any chance of being big enough.

It is interesting, though: Luskin is pretty much admitting Rove discussed Plame and learned she was a CIA agent from a document marked secret, and just didn’t know that CIA was taking countermeasures. That must mean they think they’re still under the gun for the identities act violation…and they think they’re in serious enough jeopardy that the best PR move is to admit they learned of her in a document marked secret. (And that, in turn, means their alternatives must have looked even worse.)

I love the smell of desparation in the morning :)

It doesn’t matter if it “plays in Peoria,” because it’s right on. As Frank points out, the article isn’t inaccurate, but nontheless is still a hit piece. That’s the point and it’s important, whether Peoria buys it or not, because many people have seen the shift at the Post and understand what’s going on.

Cluterfuck has studied his father’s term of office to death. He figures that dad fucked up by losing the right wing- by not finishing the job in Iraq, and by not “spending” the political capital he garnered from Gulf War 1.

He was determined to spend his capital- and spend it he did. The social security abortion cleaned out the political capital treasury- and it’s been all downhill since.

This shows the shallowness of this man’s thinking about everything- even politics.

I kinda like this sentence: His cozy relationship with Bush, who is extremely unpopular here…..

Anyone know where Bush is popular? Bi-Polar

The drumbeat of war with Iran is definitely the news, but the way the Blair story is reported is designed to discredit Blair’s position – and that position is in opposition to a military engagement. Discrediting Blair should not, by extension, elevate Bush’s credibility, but what other purpose would it – and does it – serve?

Does the Post not realize that supporting one war does not mean it must support all wars? Does the Post not realize that the same incompetent and pathologically untruthful president, vice-president, and Defense Department that put the Iraq war together are the same architects of any plans for Iran, and that we have no reason to believe that they will be any less incompetent – or any less untruthful – in prosecuting an engagement with Iran?

Articles like this should be some kind of proof that the Post has learned nothing over the last three years, and that their response to the steady and mounting evidence that the administration lied and manipulated us into one war is that it should be ignored, or we should be distracted from that disaster by buying the same crap wrapped in a new package.

Rather than focusing on ways to discredit the leader of Britain, the Post would better serve both journalism and the country by honestly examining the credibility of those in power on this side of the pond, who have a dangerously cavalier attitude toward war.

Where is Bush popular? Utah!

The propaganda is catapulting so fast and furious these days I dare not believe what I read. Tsk. It is shameful that these mendacious morons are still in office and have so muddied the waters we may never know exactly what they’ve done.

We need a National Cry Shame Day, in which we take to the streets with Shame signs, each having a different reason we should be ashamed of our leaders and they should be ashamed of themselves.

Sharkebabe, I loved V and will go see it again. My husband insists we will pay for the DVD in cash…

I can never resist this one:

“I believe that this nation sits at a crossroads. One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law. Sometimes hard, sometimes unpleasant, this path relies on truth, justice and the rigorous application of the principle that no man is above the law.

Now, the other road is the path of least resistance. This is where we start making exceptions to our laws based on poll numbers and spin control. This is when we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits us, when we ignore the facts in order to cover up the truth.

Shall we follow the rule of law and do our constitutional duty no matter unpleasant, or shall we follow the path of least resistance, close our eyes to the potential lawbreaking, forgive and forget, move on and tear an unfixable hole in our legal system? No man is above the law, and no man is below the law. That’s the principle that we all hold very dear in this country.”

Tom DeLay
http://www.bluegrassreport.org…..tom_d.html

A few thoughts from an American in London

- given that Bush’s approval rating in the US is at %36, what do you think it is here (UK)? I’m guessing much lower. (Mind you, people here still are very fond of the US. They are clever enough to know that Bush=US is a false equation.)

- Blair’s dalliances with Bush and the Iraq war have transformed a very popular man into somebody widely viewed as a “poodle”. The left here cannot see him resign soon enough.

- given that the UK is certainly the most hawkish of Bush’s allies, Blair’s statement would seem to indicate any US action against Iran would be completely unilateral.

Blair has certainly revealed himself to have too many aristocratic tendencies for my tastes. But he’s much too smart to get himself completely dragged down by Bush.

“Plameologists, have at it.”

-GSD

What I object to is that the article in the NY Sun was complete spin. There is no attempt to report it’s one fact in an objective manner. Rather, it attempts to leave the impression that Plame’s status was not covert, as opposed to the fact that the memo in question did not explicitly indicate that she was covert. (There are probably numerous government documents that do not indicate that Plame’s status was covert. Professor Foland’s analysis is most apt… “Almost everything in the report was marked classified, so my client assumed it was OK to talk to reporters about it.†(LOL). Why does Luskin continue to act like such a dick?

Have mercy! Laughing this hard is bad for my asthma:

Appearing on Fox News this weekend, Steve Forbes said the way to lower gas prices is to “have the confrontation with Iran.â€

“Where is Bush popular?”

Several small compounds in Idaho, a large number of oil congolmerate boardrooms, the offices of AEI and FOX News and a multi-million dollar house in Kennebunk Maine.

And one Democractic Senators office in Connecticut.

-GSD

OT–
Sorry, but I just read Professor Cole this morning and he is asking for help with a very worthwhile cause, imho. The entire post is great, as usual, maybe some of us can help get the word out!

‘Americana in Arabic
A Challenge to Philadelphia

Long-time readers know that as a result of the September 11, 2001, attacks and subsequent events, I decided a couple of years ago that something had to be done about the woeful lack of understanding between the United States and the Muslim world. There will always be differences, but there need not be differences based on ignorance or fantasy. The Arab world alone has a population of 300 million and a combined economy of some 1 trillion dollars a year.

My response has been to found, with some colleagues, the Global Americana Institute, which aims, initially, at getting central works of American thought and history into Arabic. I think we also have to try to endow a chair at an Arabic-speaking university, but more on that later. It has taken a long time to get all the state and Federal permissions, but we are finally done. The Global Americana Institute is a fully recognized 501(c)3 charity, and donations are tax deductible. I am coming to the public with a plea to support us. We will, of course, also be approaching foundations and other funders, but I am hoping that this project is something that can garner grassroots support.’

http://www.juancole.com/

Steve Forbes said the way to lower gas prices is to “have the confrontation with Iran.â€

Egregious: I wonder if he said that about Iraq too?

American oil companies are the oldest terrorists on the planet.

Do you think maybe Blair knows that Bush will attack Iran, so he is distancing himself in advance of what is sure to be a world-shaker?

Anne #36: There was a commenter here who linked to a piece a few thredd back that essentially said that the WaPo sold out to BushCo for money. Claimed that corporation running WaPo made its profit from educational testing and instructional materials (Kaplan I think?) that are in demand because of No Child Left Behind legislation. So WaPo owners out to kiss BushCo ass to protect that investment. Not sure it makes sense, since I am not sure feds would have that much control over whose test materials are used all over country. But, also said WaPo news runs at a loss. So may be frightened reflexive corporate bootlicking going on over $. I’ve worked in private industry enough to see things like that happen. Interesting to follow up on that story. Anyone know?

Anne 36, hope you are faxing that in to the Post this morning, an outstanding letter to the editor. If they won’t take it try other newspapers.

cool, mommybrain! One of my favorite touches was V having his own logo when he commandeererd the TV channel. “And the truth is, there is something very wrong with this country, isn’t there?”

Holy crap, that Steve Forbes link is – is – god, words just fail me

In their race to the bottom, congress has opened-up a commanding lead over president Bush:
From Gallup, the poll that breaks Bush’s way:According to an April 10-13, 2006, Gallup Poll, 23% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, while 70% disapprove.

wesgpc @ 47
Link to an article re wapoo and Kaplan

http://www.thecommondenominato…..date1.html

Per egregious iin 48, you can also paste it into online chats with the WaPoo’s Peter Baker right now
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..00985.html
and with Howard Kurtz at noon EST.
OT: It appears from the WaPoo’s online discussion that Debbie Howell was able to convince the news people that the “ombudsman” does not check “facts” in Post editorials:
“Dunn Loring, Va.: Does Macy’s tell Gimbel’s? Does The Post read the Times? I ask because I was wondering if there’s any buzz in the editorial department today regarding the NYT’s piece, “A Bad Leak” which seems to be a direct shot at your misguided and less-than-factual “A Good Leak” editorial of a week ago.”

Peter Baker: I’m sure there may be some buzz in the editorial department, but I don’t work there, I’m on the news side. We keep a pretty strict wall of separation between the two. And as I see a number of questions on this topic, let me just say right now that I haven’t read either editorial. If you’d like to discuss editorials, you may want to take it up with the editorial department.

Well, I’ll start off with these quotes:

Clinton lied. A man might forget where he parks or where he lives, but he never forgets oral sex, no matter how bad it is.–BARBARA BUSH

[There is] no question that an admission of making false statements to government officials and interfering with the FBI and the CIA is an impeachable offense.” — BILL CLINTON on Richard Nixon in 1974

No man is above the law, and no man is below the law. That’s the principle that we all hold very dear in this country.”–TOM DELAY

“What is on trial here is the truth and the rule of law. Our failure to bring President Clinton to account for his lying under oath and preventing the courts from administering equal justice under law, will cause a cancer to be present in our society for generations. I want those parents who ask me the questions, to be able to tell their children that even if you are president of the United States, if you lie when sworn “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” you will face the consequences of that action, even when you don’t accept the responsibility for them.”–JAMES SESENBRENNER

But after stripping away the underbrush of legal technicalities and nuance, I find that the President abused his sacred power by lying and obstructing justice. How can parents instill values and morality in their children? How can educators teach our children? How can the rule of law for every American be applied equally if we have two standards of justice in America–one for the powerful and the other for the rest of us?”–CHUCK HAGEL

“I will have no part in the creation of a constitutional double-standard to benefit the President. He is not above the law. If an ordinary citizen committed these crimes, he would go to jail.” BILL FRIST (THE CAT)

angie, thanks very much for your 44.

kharma # 46,

that was pretty much the husband’s assessment when we heard Blair’s statement

Republican Dilemma 101:

As the Republican Party tries to maintain their lead in politics they face a tough fight. Many moderates see the party being pushed so far to the right-wing that they are getting skittish.

The Right-wing–especially the Christian fundamentalist wing–sees that there is a reluctance of the party to fully embrace their agenda.

How to keep both factions is the dilemma.

Read about a Republican defector in Washington State. Seems the local party leaders are trying to sell the line that todays Republican Party is much less beholden to the relgious right. Wonder how that makes the relgious right feel?

Good luck with that battle folks.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/…..from=thead

-GSD

Professor Foland #32:

As always, I appreciate your take on events. Just trying to connect some dots, if the desired outcome for the WH is to cut their losses, has the game become a musical-chairs version of who gets shoved under the bus(ses)?

Somehow I have a vision of one of Rove’s minions (with more data points than we have) running simulations of sacrificial victims and potential outcomes. Or maybe they’ve outsorced this task to one of their think tanks? ;-)

Morning.
1. Ms. Hamsher: she touched upon something of interest to me. Who declassified this document, why, when, and what process was followed to declassify.
2. Professor Foland: yes, Luskin is the subject of this story? He’s ROVE’S lawyer, and getting quoted on a document involving Libby?? Hmmm. Interesting. I think the professor is on to something.
3. Ms. Taylor: now, her article is (I think) looking at Blair’s retreat and this funny/odd slant of the newspaper to STILL try to shore up Bush. Major “hmmm”. You guys (Hamsher, Smith, Marsh, etc) have done major work on documenting the slant of this paper.
But why is this paper still so pro-war, or pro-Bush? I’m beyond convinced that the bias exists…the above-named ladies have brought to us a mountain of evidence. But….why? A once venerable paper…now still seeming to tread against strong winds….why?
Ghostman

OT, and I haven’t had any time to read comments, sorry — but I just got an email from Amazon telling me that, as a reader of James Risen’s “State of War,” that I’d really be interested in books by Joe Klein.
Fat chance.

Ghostman:

$$$$$’s and fear.

Harry Potter finally tricked Bush into giving Tony a piece of clothing.

Valerie Plame was a NOC. For crissakes, when will these educated(?) assholes realize a NOC isn’t recognized as even working for the CIA let alone listed as “undercover.” For life! One day the results of her outing will be exposed and the damage to the network she was controling to discover what other countries were doing about WMD will be disclosed. What is so difficult to understand what a NOC is?

as far as “carrot and stick” diplomacy:

really, nuclear energy is the most expensive energy on the planet, it should be very simple to provide the supposed energy needs with programs that satisfy the alleged energy deficiency of Iran.

I have such mixed feelings about what’s going on in Iran and to be fair, if this happened before Iraq happened I probably would have supported some kind of military option

however the president squandered our stand wen it comes to military aggression.

this is a conundrum to be sure

Isn’t it already most painfully clear that the MSM is about maintaining power structure and self preservation? Corporate owned journalists, Hewitt, Wolf, Matthews, too many to mention, couldn’t care less about the truth. Cushy, cashy jobs are hard to come by. They’re not going to come ’round to seeing the truth, if it means risking their lifestyle ‘n legacy just to help the country out. Hell no.

Do we really believe that lack of knowledge (oh, if they only KNEW!) is the reason we on the left are left out of the discussion (at best) or maligned (at worst) and oh so much would be gained by the education of Wolf and his ilk?

Get this: they KNOW. Can this be any clearer? They’re in way to deep to give a shit about you and me. Kicking them in the nether region feels good and all, but while they’re doubled over, let’s steal their wallets.
They can’t survive if people stop watching or reading. TV ratings and newspaper circulation are already spiralling downward and corporate media bosses are nervous. That’s a good thing.
Providing alternative sources – FDL, and others, our own media networks – those are even better things.
I guess I’m saying – Fight when it feels good – but if we artfully maneuver around these clowns and we’ll beat them at this game.

As a musical accompaniment to this post, please view:

I’m With Stupid

and listen as Tony’s love of George grows and then slowly sours.

(Good song, Pet Shop Boys)

A little freeping might be helpful

http://www.indystar.com/

Poll questions: Do you agree with the Indiana Court of Appeals decision allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt?

Currently 53% No – 47% Yes
But only 7340 votes cast as of now.

Sometimes I really hate it here.

Ghostman – RagingGurrl gets it right. Media consolidation and the fight for $$$ at newspapers really has the Post and others in a crunch. I would also say that their investment in their original Iraq war stance has their newspaper ego in a twist. But traditional media is really under the gun financially, which squeezes the corporations. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but all of a sudden leading Republicans have started saying “Washington Post” a whole lot lately. Coverage of Bush, from organizations like the Post, is now being led around by the bottom line. After all, Bush is still in power, as are the Republicans. Access is all.

OMG. Rasmussen has Bush at 39% for Sunday—first time under 40, and a 3 pt drop from Saturday. Each number is a 3 day average, so Bush may be really tanking.

I forgot – the “Cyber Survey” is about 1/3 of the way down the main page (couldn’t specifically link, sorry) on the right side.
Thanks.

me to me, you wrote:
“I have such mixed feelings about what’s going on in Iran and to be fair, if this happened before Iraq happened I probably would have supported some kind of military option.”
Iran doesn’t have any nuclear capability nor are they anywhere near it. From Juan Cole:
“Kiriyenko: Iran’s Method “Unfeasible” for Fissionable Material”
“Here is what a nuclear official who has no interest in getting up a war on Iran says about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claims earlier this week to have slightly enriched a small quantity of uranium:
‘ MOSCOW (AP): Russia’s nuclear chief on Thursday said Iran is far from being capable of industrial-scale uranium enrichment, the Interfax news agency reported. Russian Federal Nuclear Energy Agency chief Sergei Kiriyenko said the enrichment facility in the Iranian city of Natanz, equipped with 164 gas centrifuges, could not produce any significant amount of enriched uranium, which can be used to fuel power plants or produce atomic weapons. “These centrifuges allow Iran to conduct laboratory uranium enrichment to a low level in insignificant amounts,” Kiriyenko was quoted as saying. “The acquisition of highly enriched uranium is unfeasible today using this method.”
“How refreshing, a high government official who isn’t LWB (lying while breathing).”
posted by Juan @ 4/14/2006 06:15:00 AM 1 comments
http://www.juancole.com/
This is just Rove’s latest to distract Americans. There was a lot of good discussion about this (that Iran is no nuclear threat) last Wednesday, April 12th, 2006 at 6:32 am “No Room for Errors” By Christy Hardin Smith in Christy’s post and the comments.
Interested in your comment about the expense of nuclear, do you have a link?

MK – Mr. Klein’s book is due out on the 26th I believe. The Amazon review section is not available yet but their new “community discussion” option is functional and already has 2 comments on Klein’s …well…skills. Given my comment* on the HuffPo Klein piece, I am eagerly awaiting the opening of Kleinarama at Amazon and hope other FDL friends are too! I thought a great way to help customers decide whether to buy his book would be to remind those potential readers of his earlier insights and writings – FDL does, after all, have a wonderful archive of Klein’s major works over on the old site…

*my comment read:

and we should care about your petty linguistic anguish? precisely why?
worried that we might not like you Mr. Klein? or want to play new media with the Huff Post crowd? Time not giving you enough column inches?

oh wait – I’ve got it! Mr. Klein is afraid we might review his book on Amazon!

By: siun on April 14, 2006 at 05:02pm

as MFI reminded me, it’s not good to make idle threats ;->

Here is the latest pitch to win (by squeezing) the hearts and minds, i.e. the wallets of the people who really matter:

link to thinkprogress

High oil prices are based on uncertainty. The solution: invade Iraq, and the marketeers will let the prices come down. Every day of delay means more money in the pockets of oil companies and the supply manipulators.

Remember how oil prices went up right before the 2000 election. It did not get into our papers but foreign analysts stated clearly that the problem was not supply but people playing games.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch …

The Fear Factor
By Bob Herbert

It is time for the American people to wise up. From the very beginning, the so-called war on terror was viewed by the Bush crowd as a magical smoke screen, a political gift from the gods that could be endlessly manipulated to justify all kinds of policies and behavior — including the senseless war in Iraq — that otherwise would never have been tolerated by the American people.
The tapes of people trapped in the World Trade Center, and the cockpit recording of the panic and final struggles from United Airlines Flight 93, which was also played at Moussaoui’s sentencing trial last week, are chilling reminders that the fear of terror attacks inside the U.S. is based very much on reality.
That fear, and the patriotism felt by so many millions of Americans, have been systematically exploited by the administration. The invasion of Iraq was not about terror. It was about oil and schoolboy fantasies of empire and whatever weird oedipal dynamics were at work in the Bush family.
The war has been a disaster. At the same time, the administration’s unscrupulous exploitation of fear and patriotism has opened the door to such gruesome and morally indefensible activities as torture, warrantless spying on Americans and the wholesale incarceration of foreigners — perhaps for life — who have no real chance to confront their accusers or answer the charges against them.
All of this should be kept in mind as we consider the fact that the administration that once had its hostile eye on Iraq now has it trained like a laser on Iran.

http://select.nytimes.com/2006…..rbert.html

me to me : the mixed feelings you’re having are widespread. I have them, too. A nuclear-armed Iran is bad. Unfortunately, it seems that in our present situation (with a nod to Mr. Churchill), it’s the worst possible outcome, except for all the others.

This is totally off-topic. But this actually made me start to think that actual violence is what’s called for against the Fred Phelps Westboro Homophobia Church. I mean, what is the point of moral conscience in the face of this?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/17/us/17picket.html

just received in email – hope everyone will join this campaign in some way this week:

A Week of Action for Victims of War

On the road from Baghdad Airport one year ago yesterday, Marla Ruzicka and her colleague Faiz Ali Salim were killed by a suicide bomber while advocating on behalf of victims of war. Today we reflect on their powerful voices for compassion and remember all civilians killed or injured in conflict.

To mark this anniversary, we are launching a new website as well as a week-long advocacy campaign to raise awareness about the human cost of war.

CIVIC continues to be a voice for civilians caught in the crossfire and we need your help. Starting today and continuing for four days, you will receive emails announcing the ‘daily action.’ Each action is created to inform, energize and expand support for this critical issue.

Please help us make this week a success by participating in whatever way makes sense to you and helping us spread the word.

Click http://www.civicworldwide.org/ to find or host an event in your area.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of CIVIC.

I’ve signed on to the Chicago effort – and will circulate this to our state group. Hope others here will do the same!

More Middle East tragedy….along the lines of the “old men sending the young to die”..

Amazingly, one never sees any 60 year old Palestinian businessmen doing the suicide vest attacks.

There is a picture of the 16 year old suicide bomber in Israel. Fucking tragic. No words on Hamas’ response or the Israeli Gov’ts response.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/S…..2FShowFull

The whole world has gone batshit loony.

-GSD

although bush may well be popular in utah, a respected professor of physics at brigham young university says that wtc 7 fell so fast that pre-positioned explosives must have played a role — he feels the same way about the twin towers but it’s wtc 7 where he’s so far encountered no resistance from our government’s physicists who’ve been studying the matter

In the long run, Iran can obtain a nuclear weapon, and there’s nothing short of invasion we can do to stop it if they decide to do so. I quite agree that it is years until they could do so. I quite agree there’s no crisis today.

But as I’ve said before, I’m a little more nervous about assuming it will necessarily take ten years, and nervous about assuming Iran won’t ever make a weapon.

The statement in Cole’s article is correct as far as it goes: if you stop at 164 centrifuges, you will not build a weapon in any practical time. The method itself, though, is probably not completely infeasible–it’s just a matter of building more centrifuges. I say “probably” because there are some unsolved technical difficulties with a contaminant in the specific ore that Iran uses. (Which off the cuff I don’t think is in fact very crucial, but I just can’t judge for sure.)

I know there’s a new thread, but I want to respond to john casper’s response to me

john, I know Iran is ten years from becoming a nuclear threat, but that doesn’t matter, there is no reason they need a uranium program,

all things concidered nuclear energy is the most expensive energy on the planet and there are plenty of alternative options.

there really is only one reason for this country to exploring uranium, and while agree, there is no good military option, if the is president hadn’t squandered our position militarily, there would be more persuasive military threats then what we are left with

The contaminant is Molybdenum.

Look, to all the people upset that Iran may get the bomb, I say look at the bigger picture. Bush has obliterated decades of non-proliferation work. Forget about Iran—in the next 20 years expect to see 5-10 new nuclear countries.
Saudi Arabia is a good bet. What about countries in S. America? You think Venezuela might see the virtue of having nukes now?
The genie is almost completely out of the bottle now.
The ONLY solution to our foreign relations problems is to remove Bush from office, and then prosecute him for war crimes, and even then we are still screwed.

me to me – I don’t agree. From a civilian perspective they’re looking ahead 20-25 years to when the oil nmd more importantly the natural gas runs out. They want energy independence. I’ll agree with you in another way which is that they could for example get processed fuel from Russia, but again they want energy independence. They’ve been at this since the Shah’s time so it’s not exactly a new aspiration.

Democracy Now! did a segment about how the was in Iran has ALREADY begun.

It is alleged that we have men in there, may have shot down a few planes and some have been arrested there and admitted as much.

They also indicated that this “agression” is not sanction under the War Powers Act, nor the AMUF… and they said it was completely illegal and needs some daylight to get this stopped… if it is possible. Seems like they will be shooting first and not answering questions after.

scottie’s on C-SPAN 2

markfromireland–I know the contaminent; I just don’t know how big a problem it really is. I’ve never actually had the moly problem, that’s why I say I can’t judge how big a problem it is. (I can guess the first few things they’d do to get rid of it, and all of them seem tedious and time-consuming (months, not years) but not show-stopping.)

wesgpc – Some more info about Kaplan. Kaplan is also heavily involved in post-secondary distance learning, i.e. classes over the internet. Until 2006 Federal Student Loans could not be used to fund 100% of a four year degree over the internet. The student had to take at least the last 36 hours in residence at the college/university that was awarding the degree. This has now been changed. The baccalaurate student may now use Federal Grants and Loans for 100% of a distance learning undergraduate degree and never has to step foot on the college campus.

This change has been described as a huge boon for Kaplan, which is a great moneymaker for the Post. Enough to influence the editorial policy of the newspaper? You be the judge.

And right on cue we have a bombing in Tel Aviv…who is stirring up this pot…they need to be stopped

MK 59 – ROFL

Oh, man. It sounds like Blair is looking to average down UK costs on a Mid East “package.” Look for Blair to be aggressively lobbying France and Germany to sign on to impossibly strict UN mandates for Iran. They won’t bite, but it will broadcast Blair’s hand. To make these statements is to say, “I regret Iraq.”

Fitz has let us down completely:

http://www.house.gov/hinchey/F…..inchey.pdf
One page pdf linked at Rep. Hinchey’s site. Why did it take Fitz SIX MONTHS to offer his REFUSAL TO INVESTIGATE THE NIGER FORGERIES as requested by Rep. Hinchey and 39 other Democrats?

Ccmask at #53, you made up that comment by Barbara Bush, didn’t you? If not, then she’s talking about Republican males, obviously, who can recall with bell-like clarity, their single oral sex encounter. I mean, really, what woman wants to, …, you know, with a Republican. Think Grover Norquist (whoops, he’s a libertarian). Tom DeLay?

Now, Democratic males have had so many encounters…..

Anyway, thanks for the giggle.

Barbara did say that

I read this putative GOP hatchet job and I don’t know what you’re talking about. It explicitly attributes Blair’s problems to Iraq and to his asshole-buddy Bush. Why should I not read this as the continuing saga of Bush allies paying for their toady ways, in Spain and now in Italy, and maybe soon, a PM in UK? ⊂⊃ [emoticon indicating maybe we should stop a minute & sniff a fuckin ammonia ampule]. The Post is servile & mediocre, but sometimes by accident they do report reality.

Wapo just won 4 pulitzers Jane must be ill!

SqueakyRat #74 – That Fred Phelps creature needs to be tied down and given a BJ. How hate-filled do you have to be to be a member of that Church? I know, they’re all his relatives, but still. If my dad had ever talked like that I’d have wondered about his sanity.

ccmask #53 – makes my blood boil to read the hypocracy. By the way, is it today, the alternate April 15th, that something will happen?

Any simpleton that’s seen ‘ Mission impossible 1′ knows that the NOC lists are the crown jewels of CIA intelligence and are kept in special rooms at Langley and they are never, NEVER to be allowed to get into the open.
Rove’s limited hang-out just went all the way – he is not Phillip Agee or John Young at Cryptome. He must be fired immediately and frogmarched out the front door. Virginia farm boys in five minutes! COME ON!
It’s Fitzpeachment time – yesterday. 25th ammedment time – extraordinary election time.
Mutual aid or end-of-day’s? Your choice America.

You know, I appreciate all the comments here.

But, I resent the the link to the Huff post.
I make a comment on theblogs, the most recent a blog by Carl Berstein in Vanity Fair as posted on the Huff Post.

I sense there is becoming a cult re the blogging and am becoming more skeptic as to the purpose of the blogs–I am becomiing less and less inclined to stand beside this venue.

Someone need to alert Arianna Huffington as to her policies re the comments on the blogs. They are delayed and sometimes never posted. It has been almost an hour since I posted a commment to Carl Bernstein’s blog there.
Who is more important? Why have comments when they are being screened and censored but the tabloid and sensationalism continues. It is beginning to look as if the Huff post is nothing more than a tabloid dedicated to sensationalsim with Arriana posts the vehicle to fame and fortune.

Umm, I would suggest that this is nothing more that a way to fame and fortune for Arriana.

I think that that commentators deserve more respect than that.

Wana have a blog on the Huff post,-then expect comments. Wanna keep those comments out of your blog then censor them. That oughta do it.

Here have some cheese with that…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/food…..15;193.jpg