Never Mind the Bollocks,
Here Are the Fitz Pistols

Fitz!!!!!! NOW

Fitz!

My Vegas fantasy would to be able to go to Yearly Kos. Drat! I’m missing everything!

Fitz Forever!

I’ve got one FDL shirt—hope there will be FDL gear available at YKos.

Also, it would be great if we could make up some FDL logo stickers to put on the inevitable name tags that will look so Kos!
I don’t think it would be too hard to get a roll of them made up.

Jane/Christy, et. al:

WHY DO YOU CONTINUE IGNORE ELECTIONS BEING STOLEN UNDER YOUR EYES VIA THESE ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES?

HOW ARE DEMS GOING TO WIN ANY ELECTIONS WHEN THESE MACHINES ARE STEALING EVERY ONE? WILL YOU WAKE UP IN NOVEMBER AFTER THE RETHUGS “WIN†BIG BY STEALING ANOTHER ONE?

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002836.htm
BREAKING: HUNDREDS OF VOTING MACHINES BREAK DOWN IN PHILLY!
Train Wreck in Progress as Today’s Primary Elections in PA Run Into Big Trouble…
Paper Ballots Being Passed Out, ‘We’re Dead’ Says One Official … (Who could have forseen such problems?!)

Train Wreck in Progress as Today’s Primary Elections in PA Run Into Big Trouble…
Paper Ballots Being Passed Out, ‘We’re Dead’ Says One Official … (Who could have forseen such problems?!)

Pennsylvania is having their primary elections today and, as expected, the train wreck is underway. As reported by Philadelphia Daily News , hundreds of machines (in this case, those made…

Pennsylvania is having their primary elections today and, as expected, the train wreck is underway. As reported by Philadelphia Daily News, hundreds of machines (in this case, those made by Danaher Guardian) have failed…

BREAKING NEWS: 100 voting machines broken

More than 100 voting machines are reported to be broken across the city, the Daily News has learned.

Apparently, the machines were broken when polls opened this morning — they keep spitting out the paper tape that keeps the tally of the vote. It is the largest breakdown since we started using the new voting machines.

The broken machines were first reported in the weblog for TheNextMayor.com. Expect more on this story in tomorrow’s Daily News.

The local ABC affiliate has more details. Amongst them…

Josh Marshall is wailing tonight. Big break from the Baltimore Sun.

This is how rick santorum is going to win. How much you wanna bet that the machines are breaking down in the urban areas?

Vegas fantasies? Okay, a sane world? Past that? Champagne? Christopher Walken? Okay, Russell Crowe? Something involving horses? Music? Bono? Puccini? Uh, it starts to get a little muddy here. A little twirling and swirling and some magical abilities would cap it nicely.

Gotta sign off and get my “beauty” sleep so I can be perky and coherent at our Roots group meeting with Kerry’s Boston office director tomorrow.

Night all . . . dreaming of Fitz as our Atty. General. A girl can dream.

jane is wearing that! it’s nodoz and hand cream time for me.

tom — chicago: I have a really low tolerance for people telling us what we should and should not be covering. Brad Friedman does an excellent job. You’ll find brad blog in the blog roll.

Fitz!

and good brunching to all the fdl’ers.

i can’t go (wish i were free), but i’ll send good bagel energy on the day….

off to snooze … good night and good brunch :)

well if we’re gonna go down that road -

Ezra KLein, Peter Dauo, Thomas Frank, (in a rumpled professor kinda way)and numerous progressive playas to be named later

actually my only unrequited fantasy is being in Vegas with ALL of you – sniff sniff

there’s even a doggy t shirt in the Cheney collection !

Not going, can I be there in “real time?”

If I get to yKos, I will be wearing jeans (Levi-s). That should make it easy to find me. ;)

My Vegas fantasy is just to be at YK with you all. But I plan to listen to the audio on AAR when I’m at home. Unfortunately, Chicago doesn’t carry live AAR after noon on any day – except for Laura Flanders (I think). But my computer does connect to the internets.

I’ll have to look up the Dick Cheney armed and hammered collection.

Fine attire, but don’t forget the handcuffs! http://apoeticjustice.blogspot…..state.html

nothing.

I have a wonderful gold sequined jacket I can’t wear anywhere else but Vegas. So, if you see an tall old lady with a gold jacket please say hi!

I would love to be able to wear a t-shirt like in the picture but it’s been at least 20 years since I could leave the house in something like that. I would not subject any of you to that. LOL

Doesn’t anyone but me want to see Barry Manilow?

OMG! I’m so excited.

Oh shucks! Barry is going to be dark when we are there. Dang!

what happens in vegas… stays in the NSA database. For a few years, anyway.

my gosh what a lineup. A-list ticket of the year. Wish I could go. Would love to “attend” via live-blogging.

1. Getting stuck in an elevator with Fitz and Viggo Mortenson. For a really, really long time.

2. Watching Oprah lose $5 billion at the blackjack tables.

3. Dick Cheney, newest member of Cirque du Soleil, plunging 180 feet to his death.

4. Siegfried & Roy’s remaining tigers escape from their cages and munch David Addington and Brit Hume to death.

along #23, true, but what happens in your bathroom probably stays in the NSA database so what the hell. Let it all hang out!

Difference between democrats and republicans? Democrats aren’t afraid of the truth. They’re not always sure what it is.

I’ve signed up for the breakfast, but I don’t have a room yet, gah. Things do have ways of working out, right? If I can’t come, the $$ for the breakfast can go into the kitty.

Jane and Christy:

I paid for 1 for the breakfast, then a couple hours later I paid for a friend – in addition, the e-mail address I use for PayPal is different from the one I use for FDL – so you won’t know who I am.

I’m so sorry I’m so clueless here. Can somebody tell me if there’s someplace I register in addition to paying? I do have the PayPal receipts (2 of them) if that helps…

ok– as the resident dreamer and unrealistic person in my family, besides the wonderful giants appearing at YKos, methinks my life would be complete with (my immediate family too and) * ahem*, Arundhati Roy, Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, Jimmy Carter, Robert Fisk, Riverbend, Marc Herold, Philip Munger, Mohandas Ghandi, Vanessa Redgrave, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Fr. Desmond Tutu, Rachel Corrie, Dahr Jamail, forgive me for not mentioning the endless list of humanitarians; thanks to the stars and heavens, I may have forgotten some; I am sorry, but they will forgive! It is their nature!

Good grief you guys stay up late!

I am comment 107 on the FDL brunch thread; I’m guessing that I made it in under the midnight PDT wire. Whew! I’ve been a regular reader lo these many moons, although a silent one. I would hate to miss it, I hope I’m in, fingers crossed. But if not, please keep my registration fees for the community.

I can’t tell you how deeply I value the work you do and how much I treasure your insights. Well, I can’t tell you without getting a little maudlin so I’m off to bed. :-)

See you in Las Vegas.

Cheers,
P.S. LOVE that tee.

everhopeful — don’t worry, we’ll get it all worked out.

ps– there’s a couple of souls– rachel’s and teresa’s and ghandi’s– I am happy to deal with them! join the club.

I know it is a Rawstory banner, but:

JUDITH MILLER TO CLAIM SHE GOT TIP OFF OF 9/11 ATTACK

IS she that despicable?

-GSD

Or is she that scared?

-GSD

GSD– redemption for Ms. Judy is haard work. She is that scared. ptooey.

GSD- that has actually been mentioned before. What’s interesting is that she is trying to revive the story now.

The attire question has not received the full attention and analysis that is required. Thank you for bringing this issue to the front burner.

My first instinct was t-shirts and casual bottoms, but the Vegas mystique can play with your mind. Will I think deep progressive thoughts with like-minded individuals or will I party and puke on myself by midnite? It’s hard to know.

Currently I’m obsessing about sandals – little cute ones, comfy ones, professional ones – no decision yet.

The only thing that is mandatory is a $2000 designer purse.

I might have registered for the breakfast twice. Can I have two?

was it judy that caused that spike in aa put options?

Damn GSD
JUDITH MILLER TO CLAIM SHE GOT TIP OFF OF 9/11 ATTACK
http://www.rawstory.com/

Holy Frickin Shit! I wonder if Cheney or Scooter told her?

Oh, and I haven’t decided yet what to wear in Vegas. I was hoping to pick up a few hints here.
On a practical note, it’s quite a challenge to dress for the outside heat and the indoor a/c. Mostly, I want to look my very liberal Democrat best! So everyone knows that we come in all flavors, stripes and colors.

oops– forgot to speak of markfromireland and du and siun and dannyboy and koheleth and dru and all those that dip in the Lake and enjoy and engage!

The Miller story is linking to an alternet article.

The sounds you hear are the gnashing of teeth and the moans and sobs of those of us who must remain leashed to our posts while the blogging elite parties and plans in Vegas.

Jane #29 – thank you so much!

oops again– see the list is endless! So many issues, so little time! We are so lucky!

we have zennurse, kirk murphy, kirby.

mary, looseheadprop, xyz, emptywheel, etc.

egads, on and on, experts everywhere!

Jane and Christy and our Guest Posters!

thank you most sincerely!

click click boom. ugh.

Thats odd….I asked a question about Mr. Lamont….and now it’s gone? What’s going on?
Ghostman

sans-culotte – Raw just links to Alternet’s main page. It’s one of their “coming soon” scoops. I remember this story from some time ago. Really be something if the queen of all f*ing Iraq turned around and aided the downfall of yet another corrupt, dictatorial regime.

#38 sans-culotte says: May 17th, 2006 at 9:34 pm.

Oh my goodness! That better not be a false alarm. What it means, given Miller’s current credibility though, has to be an open question. When I read the story in the link the following possibilities ran through my mind:
1) First thought flashing through mind is, conspiracy theorists right all along! (I hope that is not true, though it would mean the end of the GOP as we know it)
2) Miller and her collaborators and enablers misremembering to justify their post9/11 lack of judgment or lack of journalistic integrity in pushing neocon agenda
3) Miller is finally working through her “issues” and going to fess up on what really happened (reticence to report story lead to being feeling really guilty and, as Digby would say, all skeeered about stuff and going batshit panicked and being used by nasty people)
4) finally revealing the depths of her incoherence?
5) bogus news alert about story that won’t happen or really say something else because of blogger fooled or Miller hype
I dunno, any other possibilities?

It’s Madsen, so take it with a grain of salt, but this sounds entirely plausible to me: http://www.waynemadsenreport.com

#48, wesgpc: Ms. Miller, being that she’s very egotistical, will try to play this up in a vein of “how important she is”.
I think, if the story goes out, that the REAL story here is a documentation of WH INCOMPETENCE pre-911. It speaks to the incompetence of Hayden, and especially Condi, then director of NSC. In other words, the WH knew of high probability of impending attack on American soil, yet sat on their ass and did NOTHING.
Conspiracy? No. Incompetence? Yes.
Ghostman

Madsen says:

In the Scooter Libby case last October, after the Grand Jury decided to indict Libby on Friday, October 21 and the Attorney General personally heard the decision the same day at a meeting with the jury, the actual indictment was issued the following Friday, October 28.

Plausible?

I’m not very familiar with this guy, other than hearing words of caution. What’s the deal with Madsen?

To give slight credit where slight credit is due – Judy Miller did report on the July warnings of an imminent al Qaida attack, which were later corraberated in detail by Richard Clarke. There’s nothing new here…

But it also doesn’t change a damn thing about her WMD tales.

Lobster Girl, waay up @ 24

#’s 3 & 4

where the link for those tix ???
I’d sell a major organ for that show

Fitz stopping by the firm last Friday to inform Luskin he’s a subject in the investigation for a possible role in obstruction ?

I need to find a big salt shaker, quick. My fantasy capacitors for all this just melted.

Ghostman #50: after thinking about it, that is my hunch too. But this stuff gets so Byzantine that I wanted to tick off the possibles.

Madsen :

http://billmon.org/archives/002135.html

I have only had time to read about half the posts recently so, hope the following are not repeats:

Interesting stories from TPM:
national guard border plan really front for another private contractor boondoggle:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…..008499.php

An existing, better, more effective, safer and saner, and LEGAL NSA counter terror intel plan nixed by BushCo after Homeland security dept started because…. because…. ?
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…..008498.php

I really want to hear about this. If true, how on God’s green earth could this happen? Because incompetence is always just as prominent a feature of BushCo as their nastiness? Because it was developed in the 90s and therefore tainted with Clinton daemonic satanism? Couldn’t be converted into political spy ring? No way to funnel money to BushCo/DeLay slush fund?

I assume everyone has read Atrios post about OReilly ranting that the Democrats intend to throw “white Christians” out of power. In a “tide of multiculturalism” Damn it, damn it, damn it! I missed my chance. I’m gonna turn GOP to try to save my chance to RULE! OReilly is going insane, right? Or he has already?

Finally, wrt to one of Digby’s posts tonight, I wonder, (assuming that proper investigations can ever occur), whether one of the biggest scandals will be that big corporate media really did totally sell out to BushCo for FCC, and other regulatory and legislative favors. I wonder if one of reasons press is sounding alarm about investigations is that there are smoking guns, or many corporate weasels who would sing to save their asses if their bosses coldn’t help them no more. But if pubic attitudes continues recent developments, maybe press’ and GOP’s scare stories about investigations will help Dems.

jane, et. al:

this is what i’m going to be wearing at ykos, and i will be offering them for sale at a mere $20 apiece!

ps:

oh shucks! barry is going to be dark when we are there. dang!

but not reba mcentyre, who will be performing on the stage that barry usually works on.

mrs. skippy and i have stage left seats for weds. nite!

The comments section is open to discuss your Vegas fantasies.

My Vegas fantasy is that Bush will have already resigned and boarded Marine 1 for his Nixonesque departure, and all you genii will have nothing left to decipher.

I guess I never mentioned the whole “commando blogging” thing here

since the NSA wants to peek, and summer’s comming, I recommend that we all shed the PJs

blog in the nude

open that robe flap a little. Scare the hell out of the govt. spooks. show them that mole you got in the nether regions. (maybe Frist could sent you a diagnosis)

so what am I wearing to Yearly KOS in Las Vegas ???

SUNSCREEN

tom chicago –

Coloradoans for Voting Integrity is a local group that has been very involved in the touch screen voting/paper trail issue. They’ve worked with legislators, the SoS, County Registrars, and every nationwide group that is trying to make voting accurate and reliable.

They can probably direct you to Illinois groups that are doing the same thing — just because it’s not front and center here, does not mean the issue is being ignored.

http://www.cfvi.us/

I’d say a tiara is appropriate Vegas attire.

(and, voice of experience says bring a sweater ’cause it can be freezing inside most Vegas joints. god, this note reveals my age, doesn’t it?)

forgot to ask: for those of us who cannot attend will there be a record? Summaries, sound recording of sessions we can download? Pics would be nice too. The following idea might be pain in the butt,general party pooper, and not worth it if carried to far, but some limted live blogging for those who can’t attend?

Pics would be nice. I think I was in the dog house here for awhile after mistaking a picture of the Absolutely Fabulous stars for Jane and Christy. A little while later, I read commenters who said Jane looked like Carole Lomabard. That got me curious so I did an image search for Jane on Yahoo and I got a bunch of real up close pictures of Karl Rove wearing a nasty leering snarl. Turned out to be one of those post illustrations FDL always has, but I took it as a very serious omen and turned off computer immediately.

wesgpc @57 – The way I read that TPM post on nixing the safer/saner NSA program was that the safer/saner program contained, well, safer/saner provisions to protect the identity of innocents. I would guess they stripped the program of anything that would hinder the collection of vast amounts of raw data.

For your fashion consideration…!

freepatriot — you will no doubt be with Mrs TBogg by the pool then.

And for your further fashion consideration…

This is probably more appropriate, actually!

If I was able to go to YKos, I would take my best jeans and t’s and bikini. Pack very light, cause the thoughts and ideas are mighty heavy!

I’d expect there will be a raft of teeshirts and hats that would never be allowed inside our President’s bubble, hehe.

So excited about YearlyKos, heard all about the plans last summer when I met Markos & Jerome at DemocracyFest in Austin Tx. Gina who is one the organizers has done a great job lining up panelists. She needs to be given a big hand for all the hard work and the other organizers over the last year.

The one thing I want to do is spend about 4 hrs at the MGM day spa…. It is really great, they have great deals on spa packages.

trust me about the sunscreen

from what I’ve heard, some of you east coast types ain’t seen the sun in a month (and there are people in Seattle who have never seen the sun)

once you run out of money they kick you out of the Casinos (lousy bastards), so there’s a good chance that most of you will be in the sunshine for a good long time

vegas has brutal sunshine, and summer hit out here in a big way

so remember the sunscreen

and don’t call me for bail money (unless you’ve ever bailed me out before)

Hmmm….very interesting….
http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/

why does my comment say Frepatriot says your comment is awaiting moderation ???

Uhmmmm, I didn’t say that

and if you’re looking to me for moderation, forget it, ain’t gonna happen

freepatriot 74 — I believe you used one of the words that triggers our spam filters. Most spam comes from porn, drugs, online gambling and things like that, so words that are commonly mentioned in such spam usually throws a comment into moderation. Other than having registration-only commenting, it’s the only way we can keep the next 84 comments from being about teenage sluts and viagra.

I plan to look sharp in Vegas.

The Cheney Collection looks awesome. I’ll have to pick up a shirt.

By the way Jane, I got my FDL t-shirt in the mail. I will proudly sport it in June.

it’s the only way we can keep the next 84 comments from being about teenage sluts and viagra.

I was wondering why you hardly ever posted about Duke Cunningham.

Swopa 77 — not that there’s anything wrong with teenage sluts and viagra…

Ohh snap, Swopa just walloped The Duke upside the head.

Jane #78

“No, not at all.”

It has been over 100 most of May so expect June to be 100-105 most days.

Bring Sunglasses, that is the one thing that really is needed. It is hard to explain but with the wide open spaces and everything being shades of tan, beige & apricot colors.

Remember to drink lots of water. The humidity level will be around 15-25%, lip balm & lotion. I usually buy it by the 55 gal drum until the monsoon season hits. Bottled water, the water is not as nasty as LA & Phoenix but it still is off the Colorado river water system. Water tastes dusty. If you order in a restaurant, always ask for lemon with your water, then you don’t taste it as much.

Jane, can you imagine that every strip mall in Phoenix has Ice & Water stores. Drag 8-10 gallon jugs to the place weekly to get RO water. It was the hardest thing to get used to, missed the GREAT Oregon water.

I used to live in California until I moved out to Tucson for school. After a while, I got used to the much higher temperatures here in the desert and now, when I go home, if it gets below 75 degrees back home, I start to shiver and ask “How do you people not freeze!!”

Did a road trip for last December up through CA, Oregon and up to Seattle to see my son & grandaughters. Damn near froze. Have a picture of me in the snow, all hunched over waiting for the dog to do her thing but she was shivering so much she could not do her thing….

Silly dog favorite place is to lay out streached out on the diving board sun bathing. Thankfully she does not get in the pool.

You can always tell the snowbirds. You have two groups waiting for a table at a restaurant, the group in Tshirts and shorts in January and the natives in coats and sweaters when it is 60 degrees.

Planning for Las Vegas….
If you have an extra day you may want to consider a day trip to Zion National Park. An absolutely awesome place!

I’d be wearing my Duke Cunningham “Smoove Operator (Se)deuce’s Wild & Crazy Guy” (r) outfit: plaid pajama bottoms and a turtleneck sweater, offering champagne to the ladies and entertaining them by the light of my favorite lava lamp.

Perfectly suitable for the Vegas weather, no?

(please: not a word about this to mrs. punaise)

punaise — you are one smooth devil.

wesgpc @ 10:39 pm (#57) – I’m unsure whether I’m more shocked than apalled or the other way round. That Bush and the NSA had this tool available, which I’m pretty sure wouldn’t have worked any worse than the system they now have in place, and decided to break the law anyway is beyond the pale, even for these clowns.

Thanks for the link.

heh…suave heard

So is everybody planning or have reserved rooms at the Riviera?

Since my girlfriend is not going, she told me I cannot have any fun in Vegas.

Nite nite to you all…. see ya on the flip …
And punaise… even Msss Bush agrees… what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas….

non-attendee’s lament: darn it, this is gonna feel like being one of the Jewish kids watch all the other kids rip open tons of presents on Xmas…..

If you guys want to eat on the cheap, the Riviera had a $1.00 restaurant in the back. $1.00 hot dogs. $1.00 margaritas. $1.00 fries, etc. All really good, too.

SF Chronicle “headlines”:

Apologetic AT&T Now Offering ‘Spy-Waiting’ Option to Angry Customers

Cheney Monitors Media Phone Calls to Trace Leaker; Catches Cheney

Poppinng in just for a moment before I leave for work and very off topic for which my sincere apologies. If anyone sees Angie would they please tell her that she responded to a notorious troll who tried to take advantage of her kind heart – and that I’m really sorry about that. I’ve trexed him and turned moderation back on.

Thanks and really sorry this is so o/t but I don’t have Angie’s email addy.

mfi

hey there, mark
will mention it to angie domani

thx punaise *poof*

(NOTE: Registration for the breakfast is now closed.)

stragglers will have to resort to Crashing the Plate

keep the home fries burning…

to jane at 75:

which word ???

(you can trust me)

I’m guessing Casinos or bail

ding ding ding ding

we have a winnah

(and I guess you couldn’t trust me on that one after all)

….and the winner is….?

THE DRY CLEANER FROM DES MOINES

words by Joni Mitchell
music by Charles Mingus

I’m down to a roll of dimes
I’m stalking the slot that’s hot
I keep hearing bells all around me
Jingling in the lucky jackpots
They keep you tantalized
They keep you reaching for your wallet
Here in fools’ paradise!
I talked to a cat from Des Moines
He said he ran a cleaning plant
That cat was clanking with coin
Well, he must have had a genie in a lamp
‘Cause every time–I dropped a dime–I blew it
He kept ringing bells
Nothing to it!
He got three oranges
Three lemons
Three cherries
Three plums
I’m losing my taste for fruit
Watching the dry cleaner do it
Like Midas in a polyester suit
It’s all luck!
It’s just luck!
You get a little lucky and you make a little money!
I followed him down the strip
He picked out a booth at Circus Circus
Where the cowgirls fill the room
With their big balloons
The Cleaner was pitching with purpose!
He had Dinos and Pooh Bears
And lions–pink and blue there
He couldn’t lose there!
Des Moines was stacking the chips
Raking off the tables
Ringing the bandit’s bells
This is a story that’s a drag to tell
(In some ways)
Since I lost every dime
I laid on the line
But the cleaner from Des Moines
Could put a coin
In the door of a John
And get twenty for one
It’s just luck!

(thrill of a song, btw)

Terribly OfT and I hope I don’t spoil the fun but here’s an excellent primer to understanding the likely upcoming $US meltdown –

American “Dollar” Imperialism

“Imagine this: you are deep in debt but every day you write cheques for millions of dollars you don’t have — another luxury car, a holiday home at the beach, the world trip of a lifetime. Your cheques should be worthless but they keep buying stuff because those cheques you write never reach the bank! You have an agreement with the owners of one thing everyone wants, call it petrol/gas, that they will accept only your cheques as payment. This means everyone must hoard your cheques so they can buy petrol/gas. Since they have to keep a stock of your cheques, they use them to buy other stuff too. You write a cheque to buy a TV, the TV shop owner swaps your cheque for petrol/gas, that seller buys some vegetables at the fruit shop, the fruiterer passes it on to buy bread, the baker buys some flour with it, and on it goes, round and round — but never back to the bank. You have a debt on your books, but so long as your cheque never reaches the bank, you don’t have to pay. In effect, you have received your TV free. This is the position the USA has enjoyed for 30 years.”

For more and the history behind this -
http://www.informationclearing…..e13089.htm

pun
bad reporter rocks! between him and morford…

and i’m out here for a while, lmao as usual. and crying at the delectable snark -but knowing that those tears are for all the hideous things and wrong things too. and as i am keeping up i am on the side digging, digging, to try and find some overlooked proof of negroponte’s vile crimes in central america- or anything i can that reveals negrop. and hayden for the slimy tools of neocon agenda they are.

Aahh… Joni Joni Joni!

Suzanne (Loma Prieta?) – yeah, coupla bay area treats. morford was tame today, however.

Wahoo, Bay Area people!

^^B.A. Native^^

“… Negroponte was in charge of the U.S. Embassy when, according to a 1995 four-part series in the Baltimore Sun, hundreds of Hondurans were kidnapped, tortured and killed by Battalion 316, a secret army intelligence unit trained and supported by the Central Intelligence Agency. As Gary Cohn and Ginger Thompson wrote in the series, Battalion 316 used “shock and suffocation devices in interrogations. Prisoners often were kept naked and, when no longer useful, killed and buried in unmarked graves.” Members of Battalion 316 were trained in surveillance and interrogation at a secret location in the United States and by the CIA at bases in Honduras. Gen. Gustavo Alvarez Martinez, the chief of the Honduran armed forces who personally directed Battalion 316, also trained in the United States at the School of the Americas …” link

nobody’s gonna sleep in las vegas

Griffon – also from her breakthrough jazz album: “Goodbye, Pork-Pie Hat”… (music by Mingus, lyrics Joni: an ode to Lester Young and his travails of discrimination w/ white spouse).

(Joni’s Hejira is one of my 5 desert island albums.)

yo Matt O, all hail

casinos ???

bail

is joni going to be in las vegas?

apparently you can blog nude and beg for bail money

but try an shill for a corporate game of chance operator AND THEY DOCK YA

brkily

Yeah, I’m not planning on it. My room is strictly for storage. You will catch me passed out at the Texas Hold ‘em Table as the dealer is just taking blinds.

A revealing look inside the fine mind of Richard Cohen.

Jesus Christ, it’s like he just discovered websurfing. It’s 1995 all over again at the Washington Post.

If I were going to Vegas I’d wear an orange and baloney-green jumpsuit.

Can’t wait to see all the WHIG members in it.

I’m sorry I can’t go. Sounds like a great time, and I hope everyone is bringing a laptop to live blog the events?

If you have some free time in Vegas(is that oxymoronic or what?) several side trips are well worth the time. Zion NP to the east about 150 miles, going North from LV about 75 miles and turning west brings you to Death Valley NP, you can then head south through the Park and get back to LV. Nice trip, make sure your AC works. Just west of Vegas is Red Rocks Recreation area. 15 minutes from the Strip. Spectacular rock formations. Drive the loop in 30 minutes and be back in time for 2nd brunch. 30 miles south is Hoover Dam. Spectacular what a govenment can do when it wants to help.
Also make sure to visit Fremont Street at night in Downtown LV. Pretty neat and sooo Las Vegas.

good morning!

interesting op ed by George Will dissing the religious right and the pandering media:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..01874.html

*heavy sigh*

wish I could go.

Re: Yearly Kos — if there are 100 seats at breakfast and many of the regulars (like me) have announced their sad and frustrating inability to go to Vegas, who are all these folks with reservations?

Man, FDL is a Big effin’ deal….

Jane, Christy, Pach etc.: you are the most ut.

pun, Boulder Creek.

I wish I could go but will have to be content with all the stories from those who do. And pictures. Don’t forget pictures, please. I am counting on pictures.

I keep hearing about “it stays in Vegas” but have pity on those of us who can’t go. I gotta attend vicariously through all of you who are going.

I’m sorry I can’t go. Sounds like a great time, and I hope everyone is bringing a laptop to live blog the events?

Unfortunately, no. I do not own a laptop. I know, I know, 21st century, always on the go…

It’s hard out here for a pimp broke-ass guy like me.

Just woke up from a horrible nightmare, can’t go back to sleep…wander over to the FDL late nite…

Matt @115 — Ever play Hold’em at Artichoke Joe’s? I dealt there for 18 years…

Punaise @ 110 –5 long-plays on a desert island? Original releases? 5 and 5 only?

That’s a tough one.

Rubber Soul (The Beatles), Raw Power (Iggy & The Stooges), Underwater Moonlight (The Soft Boys), Bleach (Nirvana), Get It (Dave Edmunds)

Here’s my nightmare — Jeb Bush runs as the sitting President in 2008.

May 19, 2006: Karl Rove indicted on 4 counts of lying to investigators, perjury, obstruction of justice. In the indictment Cheney is fingered as Individual A, Bush also implicated according to legal analysts. Fitz says investigation is on-going, that the underlying crime has yet to be adjudicated.

Bush cuts a deal with the Republican Senate: Cheney resigns, Jeb is nominated and confirmed Veep, then Dubya resigns, Jeb pardons him soon after the mid-terms.

Anybody else have this nightmare?

immanentize #121 the people with reservations are the lurkers that don’t say much but fully appreciate FDL.

I’m just sorry I won’t be meeting all the fine folks that post here all the time. Please start saving for next year.

Vegas sounds so nice, especially since it’s so damp in the Northeast. Can’t go though. :( The only time I saw Vegas was a stopover in the airport. My friend and I got caught in the “fever” and lost beaucoup de coins/bucks. It’s such a great playground. A little sad with the people that lose stuff.

Cliff V

I have variations of that nightmare, but with McCain and/or Rice in place of Jeb. Gives me shrudders just typing it.

Cliff Varnell (124), If this helps, my dream expert tells me the Chinese way to look at dreams is to look at them not as prophetic always, but sometimes the opposite of the suggested outcome. Esepcially the scary ones. Or something. Need more coffee.

Ever since they closed Al’s Donuts over on Maryland Parkway across from UNLV, Las Vegas just hasn’t been the same.

And that renovation of the Crazy Horse Too! It was much more enticing as a dumpy stripper bar. Why does everything tend toward excess in Sin City?

immanentize, sun is making an appearance in CT, but the damp is still in the bones. Hope Mass. is getting better.

It’s a little worrisome that you’re joining the C&L server empire, when the C&L home page is currently redirecting to their webhost’s home page. At least you’re still up and running.

mui (128)

President Jeb Bush is a scary thought, no doubt.

Las Vegas attire? Bling Bling Bling ALL the stuff you just love but can’t wear anywhere else because it’s, well, just too bling. LOL As one who prefers more time to more money, I stay home a lot. I’m looking forward to the whole thing secondhand.

As of 6:30 a.m. CDT the Crooks and Liars website isn’t working. You may want to rethink using the same server.

Suzanne —

I think McCain is the likeliest choice for the GOP establishment politically, in this scenario — which really isn’t a nightmare for me (I’s kid’n about that part) since I’d win the FDL “indictment pool.”

McCain would be a step up from Dubya. Jeb would be an unspeakable nightmare for the world — replacing an incompetent fascist for a competent one…

I’m betting Condi has legal problems.

Hah hah Jane.

I had dinner with Atrios in Philly last week… and with his wife. She’s lovely.

I’m gonna dress low key, in homage to Columbo, to whom Jane was compared by Church Lady Brady, ostensibly as an epithet.

I must… resist… handsome… young… men. Committed relationship… must not flirt… no flirting… must resist… old… thrill… of the… hunt. No more catch, tag and release.

Pach:

Fearless Leader forgot the tag part in his speech Mon night.

HOLY CROW!!!

IF THIS DOESN’T GET AN IMPEACHMENT WHAT WILL;

In AN ALTERNET EXCLUSIVE THURSDAY, former New York Times reporter Judy Miller tells Rory O’Connor and William Scott Malone about the story she’ll regret for the rest of her life — the fact that an anonymous White House source told her in July 2001 that an NSA intelligence report predicted a large al Qaeda attack, possibly on the continental United States, RAW STORY has learned.

“I think everybody knew that an attack was coming — everyone who followed this. But you know you can only ‘cry wolf’ within a newspaper… before people start saying there he goes — or there she goes — again!” Miller says in an interview.

credit where it’s do, that story curtesy of raw story

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2….._0518.html

Pachacutec says:
May 18th, 2006 at 4:40 am

Hah hah Jane.

I had dinner with Atrios in Philly last week… and with his wife. She’s lovely.

Harumph!

He shot me in the face!

I saw this tidbit about Viveca Novak in this morning’s WaPo.

New Job for Time Magazine’s Novak

Viveca Novak , a former Time magazine reporter who got caught up in the CIA leak case, will be landing at Annenberg Political Fact Check. She will start in June as deputy director of the nonpartisan organization that monitors the accuracy of political ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.

Brooks Jackson , a former CNN investigative reporter, is the director. The organization says on its Web site ( http://www.factcheck.org ) that it “accepts no funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.”

Novak did not initially tell her editors at Time that she may have alerted Karl Rove’s lawyer in 2004 that the senior aide to President Bush had leaked information to a magazine colleague about CIA operative Valerie Plame.

She and her editors agreed that she would take a leave of absence, and earlier this year Novak took a buyout from Time.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..6051701884

G’ morning, all… wouldn’t it be nice if Fitz would surprise us TODAY?

I think I’m getting impatient!

nobody’s interested in judy throwing libby under the bus from my link?

me to me (138)

I think the key to understanding the events of 9/11 is finding out what Dick Cheney was doing that morning.

http://tinyurl.com/6j88g

If what Ruppert reports is true, Dick Cheney is either the world’s most criminal incompetent, or he’s America’s greatest traitor.

I plump for the latter.

Good morning everybody! Could this be the day? Might be fun tryin’.

Does anybody think Saint Judy the Obsure is even more of a total ass now? What’s next? Is she also hiding Pickles’ BBQ sauce recipe?

MattO – yeah Bay Area Homey!!

hey, I can’t get onto crooks and liars

anyone else getting redirected to some tech site?

me to me – yes, something is very strange at C&L…

ugh. I’m still at the airport. Flight delayed 1.5 hours. Treo blogging.

Wayne Madsen has Fitz news:

http://waynemadsenreport.com/

He says indictment Friday.

cathy – I think indictment now is anybody’s guess…

Pach – not much to do at this hour of the morning in the airport (too early for beers anyway)

Regarding that article that Viveca Novak is getting a new job at the Annenberg Political Fact Check, THIS DOES NOT bode well for truely analyzing ads. I expect that Swift Boat type ads will all get the go ahead. One thing about the republicans, they reward those that do their bidding. Ugh

Great catch Patricia Morlan, thanks.

Where the hell is crooks and liars right now?

Annenburg Political Hack Check? She should fit right in.

-GSD

Hi All,

Jeez, how do you all stay up so late.

Old Sow, I Epu’d at the Murray Waas celebration post that I think Jane will give up our emails if we ask her to. It would be fun to get together. I had to sign off last night to put my kids to bed and then had some work to do.

We could wear gold lame to the Riverside Cafe in honor of all FDLers in Vegas.

Does the Crooks and Liars re-routing thing maybe have to do with FDL changing servers? Is C&L changing servers too??

good morning everyone,

Pachacutec, if you and treo are still out there -
your comment #138
you could look upon all that denial in Vegas as delay in some tantric exercise – could be a helluva homecoming.

have a great day

If you guys absolutely HAVE to gamble, please do next year’s YKOS at Foxwoods, OK? I hear they got a few gaming tables there.

Plus, we can have an FDL cruise on my sailboat!

Oh, well, have fun….

151: The two stories on Madsen’s site immediately below the Fitz post imply that 9/11 was an “inside job” by forces inside the US government and drug runners. Enough said. Capital Hill Blue looks like a reliable source by comparison.

Morning, will anyone be blogging the Hayden conf. hearing today?

cujo359 (87), wesgpc (57) — the avoidance of such an alternative program happened pre-9/11, under a Republican majority, which can mean only one thing: the project didn’t offer enough kickbacks or campaign contributions or other slush to merit attention. And it didn’t offer the opportunity to monitor the media and political opponents.

Cynical? Yes. Well-earned.

Bob Adams (160) — dude, that better be one ginormous sailboat…heh.

I am so depressed about not making yKos this year. First week kids are out of school, family reunions booked over a year ago and all that jazz. I surely do hope there will be folks covering this — and not just for my own selfish reasons.

I want to see the internet WALLPAPERED with happy, smiling progressives creating new relationships and forging permanent bonds, want to hear that not everything stayed in LV…

And I want it to be IN THEIR FACES. Because you all know they are watching.

[Matt O., you better find a camera phone if you don’t have laptop and at least phoneblog. Find a way to write it off as a business expense. That’ll piss ‘em off even more.]

I am very curious about where C&L is too. I hope John knows, and I hope its just a temporary thing with a server. We wanna know!!

pretty please? :)

Thanks,
MissM

Rick (161) — I remain agnostic, thank you. Until we have subpoena power and start a REAL investigation instead of the political fakery that was passed off as investigation, I will remain so.

I have never had a satisfactory response to many “whys”, including:
– Why was George Tenet running around, hair on fire, along with Richard Clarke, while the White House and OVP were so blase, even after (4) FAA warnings during the spring/summer of 2001? Gross incompetence or…?
– Why did Condi warn off SanFrancisco Mayor Willie Brown, but not warn the American public?

There will be those who say I need to adjust my tinfoil. An administration spying on all American citizens, including the media; a White House and presidential campaign that cynically posted terror alerts to prop up JAR’s before a presidential election; a government that shut down all kinds of aid and assistance, including communications, to a disaster-affected area of the U.S….tinfoil that, I say. There just isn’t enough tinfoil to deflect the truth.

Rick at 161, I agree.

new thread: “Hayden Hearings”

I fantasize about blogging with Christy and Taylor Marsh — at once! :-) Don’t tell my wife.

Do you think Cafe Press would do the Cheney TShirts in bright orange for hunting season? I have to dress my 3 dogs every October in bright colored TShirts and they would just seem so appropriate?

HAHAHAHA Bob — Oh, man. That’s hilarious. Perhaps Taylor and I can work that out for you…after all, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. ;-)

Not endorsing the Wayne Madson report or anything. I am a professional sceptic on this.

However, at least his details sound more consistetn with SOP. But only just a little bit.

I don’t remember any report of Gonzales meeting w/the GJ before the return of the Libby indictment. I never saw the AG meet with a GJ I was involved with, nor even my local US attorney. There is no reason. Before you take the indictment in for the “true bill” vote, it has to be signed off by the US Attorney.
Since Fitz stands in the shoes of the AG, he does not need a sign off (though if he did not feel the Abu had a conflict, he might run it past him as a courtesy)

Abu showing up sounds weird, but maybe it was at Abu’s own request. Abu has done other weird things.

Had it not been for the confirmed sighting of PJF at the President’s lawyer’s law firm right before the Libby indictment, I would be scoffing outright at the idea that he showed up at Patton Boggs.

The EAGLE DOES NOT FLY. Defense lawyers come to visit the government, not the other way around.

The tidbit about Luskin becoming a target, intrests me. That has some possibilites that stir the imagination.

It is also consistent with and would explain something I heard from the foley square rumor mill a while ago, but didn’t understand at the time, and would explain why Luskin became so quiet as of late.

I have not made a secret of my scepticism regarding the Leapold report. While I am miles and miles away from buying into the Madsen thing, I must admit, it has me intrigued.

Cliff Varnell 216

…that is a scary nightmare.

_____

there are about 10 albums on my 5 album desert island list. (so sue me. :~)
one of the Late Nites we should launch a general call out for folks to chime in with theirs.

Susan, EPU’d at Waas was answered there, and MaryJane from Belfast emailed me at the address I left there. She’ll drive up and join us in Ellsworth when we can set a date. FLD Breakfast Downeast Maine, anyone else interested?

Or lunch…….

What heppend to the HAyde thread? I just came back here and the got this thread at the home page. Waddup?

Arggggh! Do you have room for one more at the breakfast? This is one of the main reasons I registered and was travling overseas without e-mail access when you announced the deadline for registering. Can I please sign up? Pretty please?

Please e-mail me and let me know!

Thanks!

Rayne
I guess I am just S.O.L. I will, however, have a digital camera.

Bob
That was pretty good.

I’ll be the guy with the open-necked rayon shirt, lots of gold chains, and a pinky ring. You can’t miss me in a crowd.

BTW, my PayPal registration for the breakfast bonanza sez e-mktg assocs, but my real name is RubDMC. Glad I jumped on that one.

yup