Drain the Swamp!

what a Howell

FITZ

What are polling numbers saying about Laesch’s chances?

Does he have a legitimate shot at winning or not?

bummer

Thurston for change.

-GSD

GSD @ 5

Thurston for change.

-GSD

tread Gingerly

Wow!!!! But, then again, Bush has stood behind Rumsfield all these years.

Great photo op – a chimp and a fat hop toad – two for the price of one.

He does now! Maybe he and Fredo can put on a public wrestling display. Singlets anyone?

Froomkin is up today — another good one. :)

Anne at 4 — I’ve been trying to find some polling on the district since the Foley mess hit the news, but haven’t come up with any public numbers as yet. (If anyone does, please let me know!) Laesch’s campaign says they have been getting a great response in the district for the last couple of weeks — he’s a fantastic candidate, really a genuine guy, and it would be great to see him do well. But I don’t have a recent hard poll number to cite for you at the moment — I’ll keep looking and will post something if I find it.

I thought Hastert had some political problems with an investment in a land deal that just happened to be located right near where some earmarked money was going to build a new (limited access?) road.

man overboard?

RIP Gilligan aka Maynard G Krebbs (yes the G is for Gilligan) whose name escapes me at the moment.

More Friday funnies: C&L has a Daily Show clip that is well worth a viewing today.

Old Sow @ 15

RIP Gilligan aka Maynard G Krebbs (yes the G is for Gilligan) whose name escapes me at the moment.

Bob Denver

punaise @
7

GSD @ 5

Thurston for change.

-GSD

tread Gingerly

Speaking of cast members from “G’s I,” I’m working on a project with a wonderful Scots poet with the improbable name of Tina Louise.

Here’s one of her poems:

Sleep Well
Hush now
There, there
Never worry never fear
Let me embrace your concerns
Still your trembling anxiety
Let me show you blue sky days
Feed your need for sanctuary
Give me your trust and
I will give you my protection
Give me your faith and
I will give you satisfaction
Safe walls to caress you
Safe passage where none can molest you
Safe haven for you to retreat to
Safe doors locked to keep you
Here in the homeland
Security wing
Safe, fearful, over-imagining
Free from freedoms wanderings
Just remember
And never forget
That fear is your friend
It shows you are wise
Fear is a fact never disguised
Unlike the terrorists who want to steal
Your freedom, your hope and free will
Just give all you hold sacred
To me
Your freedom will be guarded
Legislatively
I’ll hold the key and hide it away
You won’t know where it is
And there it will stay
And just to remind you
How grateful to be
I’ll rerun those images of horror on TV
The planes, the towers, the turbans the terrors
The pentagon, the voices
The fear an enema
But for now, hush and rest
Do as you’re told, I know best

Signed
Homeland Security
Your guarantee of *safety

*hurricanes, acts of god (not ours cause he’s perfect),criminal negligence, financial disaster brought on by government misappropriation, Halliburton daylight robbery, the death or maiming of your children in war and all circumstances other than terrorist (or expected/assumed/presumed terrorist) activity exempted and not included under the banner of protection. Other clauses apply and coverage may go up as well as down. For a copy of our Terms and Conditions, please note that these are secret under the provisions outlined by Homeland Security. Sleep well.

here’s Tina Louise’s site:

http://www.tinalouise.co.uk/poem.php?poemid=191

So, it’s starting to look like the GOPerv strajee is evolving into hunker down and amplify the blame-everyone-else schtick ad nauseum, ‘eh? With, of course, the side dish of the Dems-wanna-let-us-get-attacked-by-Islam-O-fascists-again mantra.
_

Old Sow at 15 — Bob Denver (a fellow West Virginian, I might add…)

For ET

SA 2568 to S 1042 Defense Appropriations Bill of 2006. Agreed to by unanimous consent 11/15/2005. This was also included apparently in the Defense Appropriations Bill of 2007 although I do not have the references.

The amendment’s text from Congressional Record S12865-66:

SA 2568. Mr. WARNER (for Mr. MCCONNELL) proposed an amendment to the bill S. 1042, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2006 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Forces, and for other purposes; as follows:

At the end of subtitle C of title III, add the following:
SEC. __. COMMEMORATION OF SUCCESS OF THE ARMED FORCES IN OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM AND OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.
(a) Finding.–Congress finds that it is both right and appropriate that, upon their return from Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq, all soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen in the Armed Forces who served in those operations be honored and recognized for their achievements, with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and awards commemorating their sacrifice and service to the United States and the cause of freedom in the Global War on Terrorism.
(b) Celebration Honoring Military Efforts in Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom.–The President may, at the sole discretion of the President–
(1) designate a day of celebration to honor the soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen of the Armed Forces who have served in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom and have returned to the United States; and
(2) issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
(c) Participation of Armed Forces in Celebration.–
(1) PARTICIPATION AUTHORIZED.–Members and units of the Armed Forces may participate in activities associated with the day of celebration designated under subsection (b) that are held in Washington, District of Columbia.
(2) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.–Subject to paragraph (4), amounts authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Defense may be used to cover costs associated with the participation of members and units of the Armed Forces in the activities described in paragraph (1).
(3) ACCEPTANCE OF PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS.–(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Defense may accept cash contributions from private individuals and entities for the purposes of covering the costs of the participation of members and units of the Armed Forces in the activities described in paragraph (1). Amounts so accepted shall be deposited in an account established for purposes of this paragraph.
(B) Amounts accepted under subparagraph (A) may be used for the purposes described in that subparagraph until expended.
(4) LIMITATION.–The total amount of funds described in paragraph (2) that are available for the purpose set forth in that paragraph may not exceed the amount equal to–
(A) $20,000,000, minus
(B) the amount of any cash contributions accepted by the Secretary under paragraph (3).
(d) Award of Recognition Items.–
(1) AUTHORITY TO AWARD.–Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, appropriate recognition items may be awarded to any individual who served honorably as a member of the Armed Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom during the Global War on Terrorism. The purpose of the award of such items is to recognize the contribution of such individuals to the success of the United States in those operations.
(2) RECOGNITION ITEMS DEFINED.–In this subsection, the term “recognition items” means recognition items authorized for presentation under section 2261 of title 10, United States Code (as amended by section 593(a) of this Act).

The amount was up to $20 million minus private contributions. Both success and sacrifice are mentioned although success is given greater prominence. When such a celebration would be appropriate is left up to the President. I guess that means whenever he wanted to declare victory or mission accomplished again or whenever he wanted to have himself a good time celebration, yeehaw!

punaise @ 7

GSD @ 5

Thurston for change.

-GSD

tread Gingerly

707

I nominate shrub for the role of Gilligan, he doesn’t have the brights to play skipper.

I received my signed thank you letter from John Laesch yesterday. He, unlike Cardinal Denny, is a man of honor.

Has Chimpy announced yet that Denny Hastert’s doing “a heckuva job?”

BC

via Kos, Lieberliar camp now claims:

Brown said that when Lieberman spoke to reporters Wednesday, he “never suggested” that calling for Hastert’s resignation was too partisan. She said he “simply urged both sides not to turn this awful incident into a partisan food-fight.”

omg !

Heather Wilson served on Page Board 2001-2004

virtual deadheat where Wilson needs Dem voters – from whom support has dropped 3% in last week alone

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe…..tags/nm_01

US lawmaker shot in Iraq. It is a State level legislator.

Also reports of an ITN reporter killed in Iraq today too.

I hope Condi is sitting on her helmut.

-GSD

Who is opposing Tom Feeney for the 24th District, FL (Orlando?) ? Is he (Feeney) still implicated in voting
machine rigging?

tax cuts for the Minnow class

The Bush outfit. What a sleazy bunch.

“No Bush Left Behind”

http://www.businessweek.com/ma…..005059.htm

“Duke Stir straight ahead!”

-GSD

Cranley, Wulsin want leader change

Democrats John Cranley and Victoria Wulsin will hold a joint press conference today at 11 a.m. to demand new leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives.

They say that a growing number of Republican leaders like Speaker Dennis and Majority Leader John Boehner continue to change their story on what they knew about former Rep. Mark Foley’s conduct in the congressional page scandal.

Wulsin and Cranley want a special prosecutor to conduct an independent investigation and if any House member knew about Foley’s actions and failed to act they should resign.

Cranley is running against Rep. Steve Chabot in the 1st Congressional District. Wulsin is challenging Jean Schmidt in the 2nd District.

White House press secretary Tony Snow will be in Cincinnati today to campaign for Schmidt and Chabot.

snoboysdrift @
29

Who is opposing Tom Feeney for the 24th District, FL (Orlando?) ? Is he (Feeney) still implicated in voting
machine rigging?

Clint Curtis

snoboysdrift @ 29

Who is opposing Tom Feeney for the 24th District, FL (Orlando?) ? Is he (Feeney) still implicated in voting
machine rigging?

BradBlog has been all over this story. Clint Curtis is Feeny’s opponent:

http://www.bradblog.com/

everyone sing along -

no rights, tapped phones, no hab-e-us,
Not a single lib-er-ty !
like Berlin in the 30’s,
it’s authoritarian as can be !

Windje and Christy, Abarka baake (many blessings and thanks!)

RIP Bob Denver, WV.

GSD @ 28

US lawmaker shot in Iraq. It is a State level legislator.

Also reports of an ITN reporter killed in Iraq today too.

I hope Condi is sitting on her helmut.

-GSD

“How come all you guys sit on your helmet?”

While you have your credit card out for Laesch, consider helping PATRICK MURPHY, one of the FIGHTING DEMS, Iraq veteran running for congress in PA 08, northern Philly suburbs.
Last poll I saw has him leading his first term Republican opponent. MURPHY can take this seat.

He is the “out of my state” Blue America Democrat I have decided to support.
PATRICK MURPHY stands with Murtha on Iraq.
PATRICK MURPHY supports federally funded stem cell research.

PATRICK MURPHY will rally with BILL CLINTON in Bristol. PA 19007 on Wed. Oct. 11.

http://www.Murphy06.net Check it out!

ELECT DEMOCRATS TO CONGRESS

punaise @ 7

GSD @ 5

Thurston for change.

-GSD

tread Gingerly

Howell it play in Peoria?

Well, this will be a conundrum for politics-watchers! With a joint appearance, how will we judge whether Bush’s unpopularity is dragging Hastert down, or Hastert’s unpopularity is dragging Bush down?

Redshift @ 41

Well, this will be a conundrum for politics-watchers! With a joint appearance, how will we judge whether Bush’s unpopularity is dragging Hastert down, or Hastert’s unpopularity is dragging Bush down?

Maybe Cheney should campaign for Hastert too. Then we won’t really need to worry about it.

windje @ 40

punaise @ 7

GSD @ 5

Thurston for change.

-GSD

tread Gingerly

Howell it play in Peoria?

“Professor repent, Iowa an explaination….”

OT – CNN – dept. of justice has been evacuated

windje @ 40

punaise @ 7

GSD @ 5

Thurston for change.

-GSD

tread Gingerly

Howell it play in Peoria?

Not good; better Skipper it!

For Reynolds, no place to hide his folly

From the Buffalo News, 6 October 2006
by DONN ESMONDE

Tom Reynolds is finding it out the hard way. There is no place to hide and there is no one to hide behind.

The powerful Republican’s connection to the Mark Foley scandal lingers like a bad smell.

The congressman from Clarence cannot hide behind the children of his political supporters, whom he enlisted Monday night to stand with him in a news conference. He cannot hide behind Laura Bush, the first lady and America’s Sweetheart, who came to town Wednesday for a Reynolds fundraiser.

The children presumably were at Monday’s news conference to send a message about Reynolds’ family values. But trotting out children in the cause of providing political cover instead sent a message about political cynicism.

Reynolds is a power player in Washington. As head of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, he raises millions of dollars for candidates. He was told last spring about the “overly friendly” e-mails Foley, a Republican congressman from Florida, sent to a 16-year-old male former page. Foley asked the teenager how old he was, what he wanted for his birthday and to send a photo. The page thought the e-mails were “sick.” …..

twolf1 @ 44

OT – CNN – dept. of justice has been evacuated

I guess Rove wants to look at Foley’s computer.

twolf1 @ 44

OT – CNN – dept. of justice has been evacuated

Oh, well. They weren’t doing anything worthwhile over there anyway.

CHS – You’re spot on – as you can see below, here comes the spin.

Its the Gays

Its the Gays

This is a driveby and way off topic, but it was so damn funny, I thought maybe you guys could use a laugh.

Mr. Prop sent this to me in an email.

Several spew alerts!!

Subject: The real meaning of dot.com

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/…..inning.htm

From Buffalo Geek:
20%

That’s the percentage of people who live in the 26th Congressional District who approve of the job Rep. Tom Reynolds has done in handling the Foley issue. I think the entirety of that 20% were present at the Amherst Marriott yesterday afternoon.

surveyusa

These numbers should have the Davis campaign salivating.

I doubt that the resignation statement of Reynolds’ Chief of Staff, Kirk Fordham, did much to help these numbers…..

Another Bush Signing Statement

Remember President Bush signing the most recent bill on homeland security – all the fanfare about how he and the Republicans are protecting us? Well, what he didn’t say was that he didn’t mean it for about three dozen provisions in that bill.

Charlie Savage, the Boston Globe reporter who has exposed the Bush administration’s repeated use of signing statements to declare he isn’t bound to “faithfully execute the law” wondered if there would be another signing statement for this bill. He checked with the White House on the day the bill was signed, and the WH first said nothing; but then later, after the bill signing ceremony, the WH quietly posted the signing statement. The story is here:

Bush cites authority to bypass FEMA law
According to the Savage article,

To shield FEMA from cronyism, Congress established new job qualifications for the agency’s director in last week’s homeland security bill. The law says the president must nominate a candidate who has “a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management” and “not less than five years of executive leadership.”
Bush signed the homeland-security bill on Wednesday morning. Then, hours later, he issued a signing statement saying he could ignore the new restrictions. Bush maintains that under his interpretation of the Constitution, the FEMA provision interfered with his power to make personnel decisions.
The law, Bush wrote, “purports to limit the qualifications of the pool of persons from whom the president may select the appointee in a manner that rules out a large portion of those persons best qualified by experience and knowledge to fill the office.”

Another of the many provisions that will not be “faithfully executed” by Bush is one that would require closer Congressional oversight of FEMA management:

But Bush’s signing statement challenged at least three-dozen laws specified in the bill. Among those he targeted is a provision that empowers the FEMA director to tell Congress about the nation’s emergency management needs without White House permission. This law, Bush said, “purports . . . to limit supervision of an executive branch official in the provision of advice to the Congress.” Despite the law, he said, the FEMA director would be required to get clearance from the White House before telling lawmakers anything.

One wonders why we need a Congress at all.

OT – CNN – dept. of justice has been evacuatedabandoned

Well, he has already set sail on the USS DENY…DENY…DENY

windje @ 49

CHS – You’re spot on – as you can see below, here comes the spin.

Its the Gays

Its the Gays

Yawn. I call pointless diversionary tactic. Where’s that responsibility, eh, Denny?

1. Time is reporting Bush is back to a 36% JAR, down from the mid-forties in some polls 2-3 weeks ago. Guess paedophilia doesn’t read well in Peoria. Hahahahaha.

2. Shouldn’t somebody be calling for an FCC investigation into Faux News for repeatedly reporting that Foley (D-FL!) is a Dem and that there is an unspecified Dem conspiracy to protect him (which makes sense since he is, according to the Ministry of Truth, a Dem)?

Haven’t been reading for awhile, so I apologize in advance if I’m recycling here.

Windje at 49 — see also this article from the National Journal. SIGH

can you say Karmaggendon? or should it be karlgeddon.

“Leading Republican offers dismal view of Iraq.
Senate Armed Services chairman says ‘bold decisions’ may be needed”

It’s the gays, stupid.

Party Leaders to Hastert – “STFU”

via Josh -

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001740.php

suggesting the scandal had been orchestrated by ABC News, Democratic political operatives aligned with the Clinton White House and liberal activist George Soros were considered a serious misstep in national Republican circles, an official said. Senior Republican officials contacted Hastert’s office before his news conference Thursday to urge that he not repeat the charges,

Hartford Courant Editorial
The Speaker Cannot Stay

October 6, 2006

We join the growing chorus saying that House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert must step down.

The evidence is growing almost hourly against Mr. Hastert. He has belatedly apologized for the exploding scandal at the Capitol, but still insists on keeping his powerful job title….

Punaise –

via Kos, Lieberliar camp now claims:

Brown said that when Lieberman spoke to reporters Wednesday, he “never suggested” that calling for Hastert’s resignation was too partisan. She said he “simply urged both sides not to turn this awful incident into a partisan food-fight.”

So when do we get Lieberman’s criticism of Hastert for expressly blaming the scandal on Clinton, Soros and Democrats?

Oklahoma kiddo @ 59

“Leading Republican offers dismal view of Iraq.
Senate Armed Services chairman says ‘bold decisions’ may be needed”

Maybe he should have visited before he shoved the torture legislation through the raw and bloody gullet of this nation.

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) – Guards at Guantanamo Bay bragged about beating detainees and described it as common practice, a Marine sergeant said in a sworn statement obtained by The Associated Press.

http://apnews.myway.com//artic…..8E1G6.html

John Casper at 62 — gee, wonder if Holy Joe will now have to denounce the Hartford Courant for being so partisan. *G*

Another Bush Signing Statement…One wonders why we need a Congress at all.

_____

This is what sucks so bad about the Bush Torture Bill:

http://www.bgladd.com/King_Geo…..l_Bill.pdf

They can plead all they want about the provisions in it outlawing certain tactics, or the procedural protections accorded detainees, blah, blah, blah, but Bush will simply ignore those provisions and “interprete” the statute solely in accordance with the specs giving him final and total authority. The fact that the bill is shot through with internal inconsistencies and contradictions just enables this.
_

LA Times Editorial
Hastert Must Go

His leadership of the House was already bad enough before the Mark Foley scandal.
October 6, 2006

DENNIS HASTERT SHOULD RESIGN as speaker of the House of Representatives. Not necessarily because he failed to act quickly when shown evidence suggesting that Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) was abusing his power with teenagers — not all the details are known, though the ones that are don’t look good. No, the Illinois Republican should resign because he’s an unimaginative politician and an uninspired legislator. Unfortunately, these days that just makes him a typical congressional Republican…..

cbl @ 53

OT – CNN – dept. of justice has been evacuatedabandoned

Shouldn’t take long. There haven’t been any real attorneys there in years.

OT: Norwegian paleontologists have announced the discovery of the enormous skull of a fossil fish-like reptile. No current word on Denny Hastert’s whereabouts.

“Leading Republican offers dismal view of Iraq.
Senate Armed Services chairman says ‘bold decisions’ may be needed”

It’s the ‘bold decisions’ part, coming from Republicans which is ALWAYS worrisome for me.

Hastert -
” I Want a Good, Thorough Probe “

why are they so intent on putting professional comedy writers out of a job ?

Please don’t forget Boehner. He’s flying mostly under the radar. Hastert has been Boehner’s joy-stick.

This GOPerv crap making you crazy?

Call for psychiatric help.
_

“Bold decisions” will not include stating that we lost…it will include blaming the Iraqis for screwing up everything from “shock and awe” til now. More people dying every minute. Curfew just imposed in Kirkuk.

Yesterday the CNN reporter from Baghdad said the government was falling apart…

ours or theirs???

Time to cut and run jest before the elections!

Maybe the chimp, laura and barney will save Iraq all by their own selves.

BobbyG @ 73

This GOPerv crap making you crazy?

Call for psychiatric help.
_

SPEW ALERT! FOTFLMAO -

Comments that Hastert made in a Tribune interview suggesting the scandal had been orchestrated by ABC News, Democratic political operatives aligned with the Clinton White House and liberal activist George Soros were considered a serious misstep in national Republican circles, an official said. Senior Republican officials contacted Hastert’s office before his news conference Thursday to urge that he not repeat the charges, and he backed away from them in his news conference.

“The Chicago Tribune interview last night–the George Soros defense–was viewed as incredibly inept,” a national Republican official said. “It could have been written by [comedian] Jon Stewart.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/…..;cset=true

windje @ 49

CHS – You’re spot on – as you can see below, here comes the spin.

Its the Gays

Its the Gays

That last link was an interesting article. If you connect today’s dots, Foley was “outed” by a member of the “Velvet Mafia”, hmmmm, could that be the openly gay Kirk Fordham?

From NYT:

“LONDON (AP) — A meeting of world powers Friday on whether to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program was disrupted when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s flight was delayed, giving leaders little time to reach a consensus and making it unlikely.”

Worst Secretary of State Ever.

November 7th can’t get here soon enough.

Please don’t forget Boehner. He’s flying mostly under the radar. Hastert has been Boehner’s joy-stick.

doncha worry Oklahoma – that mobbed up SOB has Foley slime all over himself

overheard by DC cabdriver sometime this week - can’t . . .stop. . .laughing

Boehner: . . .what do I get? A one-way ticket to Palooka-ville! You was my brother, Karl, you shoulda looked out for me a little bit. You shoulda taken care of me just a little bit so I wouldn’t have to take them dives for the short-end money.

Rove: Oh I had some bets down for you. You saw some money.

Boehner: You don’t understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let’s face it. It was you, Karl.

To Dennis Hastert: Have you no sense of substance, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of substance?

punaise @
26

via Kos, Lieberliar camp now claims:

Brown said that when Lieberman spoke to reporters Wednesday, he “never suggested” that calling for Hastert’s resignation was too partisan. She said he “simply urged both sides not to turn this awful incident into a partisan food-fight.”

If their’s a partisan food-fight, my money’s on Denny.

mc (78), the world powers were more likely to reach a consensus without Goofy Two Shoes. “Too bad, you were late, we’ve decided.”

Oklahoma kiddo @
72

Please don’t forget Boehner. He’s flying mostly under the radar. Hastert has been Boehner’s joy-stick.

I agree. From what I can tell, the Ohio media has not yet gotten after Boehner, as aggressively as they have against Hastert and Reynolds.

cbl @
71

Hastert -
” I Want a Good, Thorough Probe “

why are they so intent on putting professional comedy writers out of a job ?

You’re killing me cbl.
I loved the lines from ON THE WATERFRONT.

twolf1 @ 44

OT – CNN – dept. of justice has been evacuated

quick, up the threat color!

time to shift the teevee coverage

look – shiny objects!

You gotta see this blast from the past…

scroll down to the caddy in the parking lot…

http://www.allhatnocattle.net/…..uuters.htm

Oklahoma kiddo @
72

Please don’t forget Boehner. He’s flying mostly under the radar. Hastert has been Boehner’s joy-stick.

Freud said, “Sometimes a joy-stick is just a joy-stick.”

angie @ 74

“Bold decisions” will not include stating that we lost…it will include blaming the Iraqis for screwing up everything from “shock and awe” til now. More people dying every minute. Curfew just imposed in Kirkuk.

Yesterday the CNN reporter from Baghdad said the government was falling apart…

ours or theirs???

Time to cut and run jest before the elections!

Maybe the chimp, laura and barney will save Iraq all by their own selves.

Yes. Oh, and please, please, don’t press my Laura button.

orangejumpsuit @
87

Oklahoma kiddo @
72

Please don’t forget Boehner. He’s flying mostly under the radar. Hastert has been Boehner’s joy-stick.

Freud said, “Sometimes a joy-stick is just a joy-stick.”

and then maybe boehner is hastert’s joystick. or is a boehner just a boehner……?

m’kay OK…

Prof. Cole’s column is quite the read today:

62 Dead, Dozens Wounded as Rice Visits;
Warner: Iraq going Sideways;
Mahdi Army makes Hospitals Bases

Senator John Warner says that Iraq is “drifting sideways” and that many communities do not have potable water. He is one of the few American politicians I have heard talking about the lack of services in much of the country, which has provoked numerous demonstrations that are seldom reported in the US press.

But with all due respect, the direction in which Iraq is going is “south,” not “sideways.”

Rice made a surprise visit to Baghdad on Thursday. (They all have to be surprise visits because otherwise she would be killed while there. As it was, her landing was delayed by mortar fire at the airport). She kept to the new State Department line that the problem in Iraq is the indecision of the Iraqi government. Uh, the US abolished their army and destroyed all their tanks and won’t give them new ones. So how is that the fault of the Iraqi government?

http://www.juancole.com/

Hey gang, just an FYI unrelated to topic –

Rumor has it that Google is in talks to buy YouTube. Personally, I’m okay with this; there could be far worse outcomes.

But if this deal came to pass, they’d need time to unwind YouTube off its current architecture and onto Google’s; they would probably institute a freeze on new accounts for a period of time until the architecture was migrated.

If you don’t have an account and you think you might want one — either to track favorite videos, comment on videos, or to upload your own — you should open an account right now.

/public_service_announcment

mc @ 78

From NYT:

“LONDON (AP) — A meeting of world powers Friday on whether to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program was disrupted when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s flight was delayed, giving leaders little time to reach a consensus and making it unlikely.”

Worst Secretary of State Ever.

November 7th can’t get here soon enough.

Condi’s “delay” is in returning from Baghdad. Condi’s suprise trip to Baghdad was made via a military cargo plane, armed with missile seeking protection equipment, to which she had transferred as the safest means to approach the airport in Baghdad. But the approach was delayed because the airport was under mortar/rocket attack. After arriving, and wearing flack jackets, etc, she pronounced that the government was making progress when it stood down the 800 member police unit that had earlier stood up long enough to be complicit in sectarian kidnappings/killings, and then she left. These things take time.

from the previous thread

Rayne, if you’re still around, Charles Pierce writes for The American Prospect’s blog, TAPped. For the piece he did today about real Christian values, scroll down to “The Hard Part.”

In the comments to his piece, was this link to another amazing article about the Amish girls.

here’s another thoughtful piece on the Amish:

…

And the President of the United States is still actively seeking authority to torture and abuse alleged terrorists, whom he consistently dehumanizes as rats to be “smoked from their holes”, even without evidence of their guilt.

Our patterns of punishment and revenge are fundamentally at odds with the deeper values of common humanity that the tragic experience of the Amish are helping to reveal. Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done in life. Someone who cheats is not only a cheater. Someone who steals something is not only a thief. And someone who commits a murder is not only a murderer. The same is true of Charles Carl Roberts. We don’t yet know the details of the episode in his past for which, in his suicide note, he said he was seeking revenge. It may be a sad and sympathetic tale. It may not. Either way, there’s no excusing his actions. Whatever happened to Roberts in the past, taking the lives of others is never justified. But nothing Roberts has done changes the fact that he was a human being, like all of us. We all make mistakes. Roberts’ were considerably and egregiously larger than most. But the Amish in Nickel Mines seem to have been able to see past Roberts’ actions and recognize his humanity, sympathize with his family for their loss, and move forward with compassion not vengeful hate.

We’ve come to think that “an eye for an eye” is a natural, human reaction to violence. The Amish, who live a truly natural life apart from the influences of our violence-infused culture, are proving otherwise. If, as Gandhi said, “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind,” then the Amish are providing the rest of us with an eye-opening lesson.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1006-33.htm

MSNBC reports that President Bush will be doing a public campaign event with Denny Hastert next week in Illinois.

I’m sure the White House is pushing this story, but the odds on this Hastert-Bush event actually happening are pretty close to zero. My guess is the White House will make Hastert hold on as Speaker to serve as a Foley scandal shit-magnet until they’re ready to launch a subject-changing pre-election stunt, at which point they’ll flush him down the toilet and hope he takes as much of the Foley scandal with him as possible.

My guess is that the stunt is going to be a Showdown With Nuclear Iran to Stand With Israel against Hezbollah and Pave the Way for Lasting Peace in the Middle East, which I bet they’ll roll out early next week. On that schedule, Hastert probably gets thrown overboard by Monday.

The White House and leaders in the GOP are staring into the abyss right now: getting creamed at the polls in November and facing aggressive investigations on multiple fronts by a Democratic majority in the House armed with the power to issue subpoenas.

These guys are depraved,cynical and ruthless, and they don’t make any distinction at all between domestic politics and foreign policy, even (especially?) in matters of war. In all seriousness, my bet is the country is on Red Alert by the end of next week.

OT — re pre-9/11 warnings to Condi et al:

9/11 widows blast Bush, Rice over Tenet meetings

Christy Hardin Smith @ 65

John Casper at 62 — gee, wonder if Holy Joe will now have to denounce the Hartford Courant for being so partisan. *G*

This is encouraging. The Courant,a Republican paper, has been writing some nauseatingly pro-Lieberman articles the past two months. Perhaps all those letters to the editor have helped.

By the way, FDL folks might want to check out the Lamont blog. There were some interesting conversations about the campaign, recent polls, tactics, etc on various threads.

Personally, I’m feeling much better about the possibility of flushing Joey out of office.

Will be doing canvassing Saturday morning and phone calls in the afternoon. Can’t wait to hear about Ned’s two rallies today with General Wesley Clark.

The Happy Couple!

(heh)

BobbyG @ 73

This GOPerv crap making you crazy?

Call for psychiatric help.
_

Wonderful! I needed that laugh

I’ve passed it along to a slew of people

angie at 94: The Amish community’s response to a “terrorist” calamity stands in stark contrast to our own government’s response to 9/11. And their insistence on forgiving their terrorist and diverting contributions to his family makes it more difficult for the Christian community to endorse without shame the Bush view that we should start preemptive wars, kidnap and torture suspected terrorists. The Amish girl said, “shoot me first.” Cheney said, “I had other priorities.” All of the hypocrisy is now in plain view.

nj progressive #93, angie #94 — thanks very much for those, appreciate them greatly.

On a related note, one of the things that has bothered me immensely about the right is not only their inability to forgive, but their inability to grasp the concept of mercy.

Not in torture, in the case of Teri Schiavo, not in the matter of abortion, not in the case of teenaged pages preyed upon — nowhere is there mercy from these worshippers of authoritarian power.

Agreed, scarecrow and I said something similar last nite…

I just got back from reading this at Democracy Now!– this weekend marks our 5th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan and the start of bushco’s revenge. The whole article is worth a read, imho.

AMY GOODMAN: It’s great to have you with us. And, of course, Sonali is also the host of the popular Pacifica Radio program Uprising on KPFK in Los Angeles. Sonali, let’s begin with you. Let’s go back five years. What has happened since that time, and the reasons that were given for the attack on Afghanistan?

SONALI KOLHATKAR: Yes, Amy. The reasons, of course, were that 9/11 had just happened. It was less than a month after September 11th, 2001 that the United States launched its attack, its so-called Operation Enduring Freedom, on Afghanistan, dropping bombs and basically going in, saying that they were going to liberate the people and particularly liberate the women of Afghanistan. You know, thousands of people were killed in the bombings alone. Untold numbers were killed, probably due to starvation. And the Taliban was defeated.

(snip)

AMY GOODMAN: Sonali Kolhatkar, the issue of the Provincial Women’s Affairs minister, who was recently killed in Afghanistan, can you talk more about what is happening to women there? I mean, I think about Laura Bush, giving the first First Lady radio address Saturday, a year or two ago, talking about how women are gaining their rights in Afghanistan.

SONALI KOLHATKAR: Yeah, you know, we write about this in our book. We have a chapter in our book that really goes into the kind of liberation rhetoric that was used after 9/11. You know, after 9/11, the Bush administration suddenly became a feminist administration. You know, it was bizarre to see George W. Bush and Laura Bush, which, of course, compared to the Taliban, ultra-Republicans and conservatives, do appear feminist, right? But it was really bizarre to see them jump on this bandwagon to liberate Afghan women. And it was a deliberate ploy. It was a way to get well-meaning Americans on the side of this war, to justify, you know: not only are we going to get revenge for 9/11, we’re going to free the women.

http://www.democracynow.org/ar…..06/1350253

Rayne @ 101

nj progressive #93, angie #94 — thanks very much for those, appreciate them greatly.

On a related note, one of the things that has bothered me immensely about the right is not only their inability to forgive, but their inability to grasp the concept of mercy.

Not in torture, in the case of Teri Schiavo, not in the matter of abortion, not in the case of teenaged pages preyed upon — nowhere is there mercy from these worshippers of authoritarian power.

Rayne — I went searching for the “beatitudes” and discovered that “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy,” is in Matthew, but not Luke. From Wikipedia on Beatitudes

The beatitudes present in both Matthew and Luke are:

The poor (Matthew alters this to poor in spirit). The text says that theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mourners (Luke has those who are weeping). The text says that they will be comforted (Luke has will laugh).
The hungry (Matthew alters this to hunger and thirst after righteousness). The text says that they will be filled (Luke has be satisfied).
Those persecuted for being righteous (rather than righteous, Luke has followers of the Son of Man). The text says that theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The beatitudes only present in Matthew are:

The meek. The text says that they will inherit the earth.
The merciful. The text says that they will obtain mercy.
The pure of heart. The text says that they will see God.
The peacemakers. The text says that they will be called the children of God.

Wondering if anyone may be able to help me out. I am interested in reading the final signed version of the detainee bill (also interested in signing statements). Where online might I find this por favor? Would it still be named S.3036?
Thanks for any help I will be checking back all afternoon.

scarecrow @ 100

angie at 94: The Amish community’s response to a “terrorist” calamity stands in stark contrast to our own government’s response to 9/11. And their insistence on forgiving their terrorist and diverting contributions to his family makes it more difficult for the Christian community to endorse without shame the Bush view that we should start preemptive wars, kidnap and torture suspected terrorists. The Amish girl said, “shoot me first.” Cheney said, “I had other priorities.” All of the hypocrisy is now in plain view.

Slightly OfT: One more level of irony, the ONLY “rap” against Saddam that was true was his “support” for terrorism. This support was his gift of $20K to the families of suicide bombers whose homes had been bulldozed in Gaza and the West Bank (Saudia Arabian govt does the same). Could it be Saddam’s actions were slightly closer to the Amish response here, than ours in Guantanemo and the IDF’s?

This picture is good for a grin; it needs to be spread around more:
http://thismodernworld.com/3215

randi rhodes is doing herself some KEITH loving . . . replaying the SPECIAL COMMENT from last night.

That man is a real PATRIOT, a shining light.

((((i love my XM radio))))

But I didn’t want to be taken on this tour! I didn’t vote for it the first time, why would I travel with them again? Frankly, we’ve spent too much time lost at sea already.

Laura Bush, you’re no Ginger.

kemo @
105

scarecrow @ 100

angie at 94: The Amish community’s response to a “terrorist” calamity stands in stark contrast to our own government’s response to 9/11. And their insistence on forgiving their terrorist and diverting contributions to his family makes it more difficult for the Christian community to endorse without shame the Bush view that we should start preemptive wars, kidnap and torture suspected terrorists. The Amish girl said, “shoot me first.” Cheney said, “I had other priorities.” All of the hypocrisy is now in plain view.

Slightly OfT: One more level of irony, the ONLY “rap” against Saddam that was true was his “support” for terrorism. This support was his gift of $20K to the families of suicide bombers whose homes had been bulldozed in Gaza and the West Bank (Saudia Arabian govt does the same). Could it be Saddam’s actions were slightly closer to the Amish response here, than ours in Guantanemo and the IDF’s?

you might be onto something… he never paid them to go out and cause destruction and loss of life… we pay compensation also when we bomb wedding parties, etc.

what a mess. I cannot imagine how justice is ever going to be done.

Eureka Springs, AR

The Military Commissions bill is S 3930. There is not a direct way to access it through Thomas but you can still get to it easily enough. First, click on this link:

http://www.senate.gov/legislat….._109_2.htm

It will take you to a list of Senate roll call votes. Look down to vote 259 and click on S 3930. This will take you to a Thomas page where you will see various subject headings about the bill. Click on Text of Legislation and another screen will come up with the various versions of the bill. You want Number 3. The Enrolled Version is the final version which is sent to the White House for signing. (The Engrossed Version btw is the version passed by the Senate since the House passed this form of the bill it should be the same as the enrolled one in this case.) You will have to click sequentially through the Table of Contents to get through the whole bill. Note there may be some overlap between the entries and Thomas has a tendency to time out so you may have to go back to the original link and re-enter. Hope this answers your question.

Hugh, Thanks, I guess we don’t have access to an online final version with signing statements?

Kos is reporting Susan Ralston has resigned.

USA Today’s Susan Page is reporting Ottawa will protest U.S. treatment of Canadian sent to Syria for torture. With any luck, this will be the first of many such protests.

Ed*ard Teller @ 18

punaise @
7

GSD @ 5

Thurston for change.

-GSD

tread Gingerly

Speaking of cast members from “G’s I,” I’m working on a project with a wonderful Scots poet with the improbable name of Tina Louise.

Here’s one of her poems:

Sleep Well
Hush now
There, there
Never worry never fear
Let me embrace your concerns
Still your trembling anxiety
Let me show you blue sky days
Feed your need for sanctuary
Give me your trust and
I will give you my protection
Give me your faith and
I will give you satisfaction
Safe walls to caress you
Safe passage where none can molest you
Safe haven for you to retreat to
Safe doors locked to keep you
Here in the homeland
Security wing
Safe, fearful, over-imagining
Free from freedoms wanderings
Just remember
And never forget
That fear is your friend
It shows you are wise
Fear is a fact never disguised
Unlike the terrorists who want to steal
Your freedom, your hope and free will
Just give all you hold sacred
To me
Your freedom will be guarded
Legislatively
I’ll hold the key and hide it away
You won’t know where it is
And there it will stay
And just to remind you
How grateful to be
I’ll rerun those images of horror on TV
The planes, the towers, the turbans the terrors
The pentagon, the voices
The fear an enema
But for now, hush and rest
Do as you’re told, I know best

Signed
Homeland Security
Your guarantee of *safety

*hurricanes, acts of god (not ours cause he’s perfect),criminal negligence, financial disaster brought on by government misappropriation, Halliburton daylight robbery, the death or maiming of your children in war and all circumstances other than terrorist (or expected/assumed/presumed terrorist) activity exempted and not included under the banner of protection. Other clauses apply and coverage may go up as well as down. For a copy of our Terms and Conditions, please note that these are secret under the provisions outlined by Homeland Security. Sleep well.

here’s Tina Louise’s site:

http://www.tinalouise.co.uk/poem.php?poemid=191

hi,
please tell me what project you are working on with this poet?
i have become a recent fan of her work and would like to know what her latest work is.
by the way as far as i know she hails from the uk.?!!!
many thanks