Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) feels the magic
I'm sure this had something to do with fighting the terrorists over there so we don't have to fight them over here, or something equally compelling:
Investigations led by a Republican lawyer named Stuart W. Bowen Jr. in Iraq have sent American occupation officials to jail on bribery and conspiracy charges, exposed disastrously poor construction work by well-connected companies like Halliburton and Parsons, and discovered that the military did not properly track hundreds of thousands of weapons it shipped to Iraqi security forces.
Mr. Bowen’s office has inspected and audited taxpayer-financed projects like this prison in Nasiriya, Iraq. And tucked away in a huge military authorization bill that President Bush signed two weeks ago is what some of Mr. Bowen’s supporters believe is his reward for repeatedly embarrassing the administration: a pink slip.
The order comes in the form of an obscure provision that terminates his federal oversight agency, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, on Oct. 1, 2007. The clause was inserted by the Republican side of the House Armed Services Committee over the objections of Democratic counterparts during a closed-door conference, and it has generated surprise and some outrage among lawmakers who say they had no idea it was in the final legislation.
And — what's that? Ohmygod!! It's "unapologetic liberal of an older generation" Henry Waxman!!
While Senators Collins and Warner said they had nothing more than hunches on where the impetus for setting a termination date had originated, Congressional Democrats were less reserved.
“It appears to me that the administration wants to silence the messenger that is giving us information about waste and fraud in Iraq,” said Representative Henry A. Waxman, a California Democrat who is the ranking minority member of the House Committee on Government Reform.
“I just can’t see how one can look at this change without believing it’s political,” he said.
Save us, Ellen Tauscher!!! Save us from the attack of the "unapologetic liberals" in the House!!! We know that only you can!! After all, aren't you the Democrat who said:
“I think there’s tremendous agreement and awareness that getting the majority and running over the left cliff is what our Republican opponents would dearly love,” Ms. Tauscher said, adding that this was something “we’ve got to fight.”
Ah the smell of K Street money in the morning.
Related posts:
- Report Confirms Poor Electrical Work by KBR Endangers US Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
- Blue Dog Kabuki: Why Exactly Do They Need Protecting?
- Waxman: Blue Dogs Trying to “Eviscerate” Health Care
- Hey, Harry Reid, Stop Protecting Democrats Who Want to Filibuster the Public Option
- 53 House Progressives Won’t Vote for Blue Dog Compromise
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Jane!
FDL!
Me too Adie!
fitz
and GET OUT THE VOTE!!!!!
DEPU’d
Christy Hardin Smith @ 73
Better for a Rush thread don’t you think?
Is rwcole around?
No Leave for Iraq Military Officers
Friday November 3, 2006 10:16 PM
By STEVEN R. HURST
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) – Iraq canceled leave Friday for all military officers two days before an expected verdict – and possible death sentence – in the trial of Saddam Hussein. For the second time this week, a top Bush administration official huddled with the Iraqi prime minister.
Many of Saddam’s fellow Sunni Arabs, along with some Shiites and Kurds, are predicting a firestorm of violence if the court sentences the ex-president to death, as is widely expected. Bloodshed is already high, with police finding the bodies of 83 torture victims throughout the capital between 6 a.m. Thursday and 6 p.m. Friday.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl…..79,00.html
Pay attention…there will be a test…next Tuesday: http://sonyclassics.com/whywefight/
What’s he doing with his hand?
Jane!
(and for the GOP crooks: Jail!)
Twisted Martini @ 6
Petting?
Another good one, Jane.
I am so sick of talking heads twisting all this sort of stuff to justify spewing out endless comments indicating EVERYONE in power will necessarily be corrupt.
NO. They won’t.
But YES. We need safeguards just in case, & the thugs presently in power never cease to amaze in their ability to demonstrate why.
What a mess we have to clean up after this gang of thieves is tossed out!
Go Blue!
sorry for the repost- epu’d on the last thread.
a little OT but is this a joke?
Fark says he’s serious about the plan, because he’s never seen one.
Here’s a plan:
1. win congress
2. impeach bush/cheney
3. pull out 100% of troops ASAP, preferably before christmas.
4. public hangings of those responsible for starting the war in the first place
EPU’d:
Valley Girl @
133
bogglesthemind @ 8
Heh, i’m practicin’ mah love…
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/…..y_id=10582
Army Times, Air Force Times, Navy Times and Marine Corps Times
closing tags
Other questions:
Who’s the woman, and is that a bingo score sheet on the table?
Impearch!
“It appears to me that the administration wants to silence the messenger that is giving us information about waste and fraud in Iraq….
The Gop= Apes of Math
Twisted Martini @ 6
Which hand? In that photo, either or both could be up to no good.
I like the groundwork you’re laying, Jane. To Mark Shields and other “Dem” panelist/talking heads?
impeach
word has a wonderful ring to it…
Valley Girl @
15
That is the fabulous Ellen Tauscher herself, who worked hard to defeat Jerry McNerney when he was running against Rahm’s big “who?” in the primary.
McNerney crushed him.
Twisted Martini 6
Perhaps it’s time ladies took to carrying huge hatpins in their purses again, the way they did in days of old…
Jane, thanks for the reminder that the election will be just the start of another day’s work.
(And my goodness what an incontinent lout!)
I didn’t know much about Pelosi before I saw her on 60 Minutes.
Boyo boy, she IS going to Drain The Swamp. No doubt in my mind!
scarecrow @ 19
Thanks, scarecrow. I think it’s dangerous to leave this one until after the election. They’re talking about tying the hands of the “liberal” committee chairs so that they can’t run us “over the left cliff.”
Jeff Skilling got what, 24 years? I’m sure all those Bechtel bastards are just sitting on their hands and aren’t trying to buy them any Democratic “protection” with all that K-Street money, now are they?
We worked too hard to get a Democratic house that could get subpoena power and start holding hearings into war profiteering and other Iraq disgraces. It hasn’t happened yet, but sitting back and watching Waxman et. al. get neutered before they even get the chance is just not a wise idea, and that narrative is already taking hold.
Good picture. The Gropinator and the Shill. It illustrates everything that is wrong with the Democratic Party and amazingly Lieberman is nowhere to be seen.
new Porno-publican ad campaign:
GOT METH?
Hugh @ 26
That’s because Lieberman isn’t a Democrat.
Completely agree.
McNearny in our House, has a nice ring to it.
scarecrow – Mark Shields was on fire and spittled all over the News Hour this evening. I think Brooks was a little scared. Sure wish I was in CT with all of you pups preparing for our next tea party!
OT…But I see RG Joe is going to be on Hannity the slimes show on Monday. Just in time to announce he will causcus with the ReTHUGS? Maybe he will finally let it out….What a pathetic goon…LOSER
http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/10/30/15733/063
Chris Bowers on Tauscher, link above. This is a great article. Intro here, then click above to read more. He really lays it out.
~~~For the past several years, the progressive movement had, supposedly, risen to power and influence in the Democratic ecosystem by fervently playing by the rules.
* We didn’t support third parties against Democrats we didn’t like. We kept it in the party, and used the primary system the party had in place.
* We didn’t sit on our hands when the candidate we backed in primaries lost. We always supported the winner just as fervently as we supported our candidate.
* We found thousands of new activists to serve as precinct captains at a time when the party infrastructure was dying.
* We channeled hundreds of millions of dollars into Democratic campaigns, significantly closing the fundraising gap with Republicans.
* We opposed Republicans at every turn, fought them tooth and nail on every issue, even when some sections of the Democratic Party did not want to fight. We were more partisan than most Democrats.
* We built huge media operations on a shoestring budget, without any official support whatsoever.~~~
gotta leave for tonight.
Everyone, please stay safe, and have a good weekend. This is a big one(!)
People around us (n.e. OH) act energized and determined.
I’ll take that as a good sign, with fingers crossed.
A couple of Boards of Election who had been feuding in the past APPEAR chastened enough(?) to work at settling their differences and trying to work smoothly this election.
We’ll see. They’re surely being watched closely, I hope I hope….
Everyone I meet is on edge….
Hugh – what’s your point?
The bottom line is that at this stage, Republicans should consider themselves lucky if their net losses stay in the 20-25 range in the House, four or five seats in the Senate, and between five and eight governorships. It would be a tough election, losing their majorities in the House and governorships, but it would fall short of the devastating losses that are possible. But the chances of this thing going bigger — far bigger — still exist, and there are quite a few veteran Republican strategists, people who have done tons of races in all kinds of states and districts for many years, who are bracing themselves for that distinct possibility.
(Charlie Cook)
I just moved into CA-10, and Ellen Tauscher is my representative? Oh, crap.
How dare you basterdize a kwote from a grate Merkin like Robert Doovall. My little soldier stood at tension when he said “someday, this war is gonna end”, while all the other wusses wuz dukkin an’ hiden frum the enema’s flotsam and jetsum. He wuz sittn’ tall, an’ we new whut he ment.
(Tryin’ out my new “MERKIN PATRIOT” homage style.
(oh shit, did I just use a french werd?)
Jane Hamsher @ 25
I agree. I’ve been watching also for similar stories that might affect the vigor with which the Dems go after the integrity of the Dept of Justice and how the “discretion” they use to pursue prosecutions. We need a strong stick to go after that cess pool; even the threat of investigations might make them behave better.
The feeling here is that Pelosi might just keep Bush, Cheney and Rove fit to be tied. There are one or two things I wish Nancy had done differently, but I think this woman will be correctly focused on accountability and helping to repair the damage done by Bush and the rest. I have a whole lot more confidence in Pelosi than I do a few other Demos.
OFG…do you know what a MERKIN is?
LMAO
Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech …
Tonight I was with some campaign volunteers at a local High School football playoff game. Our intention was to stand there and only hand out literature to anyone that asked. To our surprise security came over and said would could not hand out any literature since we had not cleared our activities with the central office. They had asked two other campaigns earlier to leave. We were allow to stay, but could not distribute literature, nor place them on cars.
We were standing on public property funded with tax payer dollars. The excuse was that the literature would become a litter problem. However, inside the stadium all visitors were handed out game rosters, which posed the same litter problem. According to an attorney contacted by the campaign, so long as all campaigns were treated the same, they could do this.
I find this outrageous. We were not handing out advertising for a local pizza joint, but exercising a fundamental right. We were not on private property like a shopping mall, where I could understand this infringement.
Our township enacted a tough sign ordinance a few years ago to crack down on lawn signs. Signs would be confiscated after 72 hours if a permit sticker had not been purchased at the town hall. The ordinance was challenged on constitutional grounds and an exception was required for political advertising, so long as those signs respected the road right of way and are 15 feet from the curb.
So for those constitutional scholars out there, can they really restrict political speech at public gatherings on public property, or require such hoops such as getting permission first? Obviously we want our guy elected, so we were not about to be obnoxious nor offend attendees, so who or what are they protecting.
dab from CT @ 34
I think his point is that Joe is not part of the Democratic party.
Apologies if this was already posted:
rwcole @ 35
Wouldn’t it be funny IF…
The GOP GOTV machine backfires and once in the voting booth, their voters pull the Dem trigger ; )
An editorial scheduled to appear on Monday in Army Times, Air Force Times, Navy Times and Marine Corps Times, calls for the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
The papers are sold to American servicemen and women. They are published by the Military Times Media Group, which is a subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc.
Link to editorial:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/…..y_id=10582
dab from CT @ 34
The picture reminded me of the one of Bush and Angela Merkel. It also goes to show that Lieberman is not the only DINO in the herd.
Valley Girl @ 42
And that with Tauscher there, the picture did not need Lieberman to illustrate the concept, which he illustrates so well, of a Demo in name only enabling Bush.
http://today.reuters.com/news/…..ticsNews-1
~~~Cheney: Dem victory would embolden militants
Fri Nov 3, 2006 9:40pm ET30
[] “I think when they (militant groups) see something happen such as happened in Connecticut this year with the Democratic party in effect (having) purged Joe Lieberman, primarily over his support for the president and the war, that says to them that their strategy is working,” Cheney said on ABC’s “This Week.”~~~
Is that pronounced “tosser”?
LindyH @ 43
Oh, well, that’s okay, then.
Twisted Martini @ 49
It is now.
Franco @
40
um, it’s the little furry bit at the top of Gabrielle’s staff in Xena: Warrior Princess?
(I know what it really is, but that is what we used to call that bit on Gabby’s staff, anyway)
This make sense, October 1, 2007, is the date the President plans to pull out of Iraq. This is the secret plan Conrad Burns has been talking about.
Thanx for the toss in ccmask, I saw it.
LindyH @ 43
It looks like he threw the drugs away more than once ; )
“Hi Mike, this is Art,” one call began, according to the report. “Hey, I was just calling to see if we could get any more. Either $100 or $200 supply.”
http://cbs4denver.com/topstori…..34631.html
OT – well, I just scared pedestrians in the crosswalk… West Coast time for Rachel Maddow and all of a sudden, THERE WAS TOMMY YUM! “Woo-hoo! Tommy!” I bellowed far too loudly with the window down…
sorry, I just had to share…
Hey Ellen,
We’re on to you. Check out these guys the next time you’re up for election. You’re welcome in advance…
http://mcclainmovers.com/home.nxg
Just got my “assistant election inspector” assingment for election day. Touchscreen precinct. If the fuckers are gonna steal an election- they’ll have ta do it right under my nose.
BTW, CTBob had up a great video, where he asks Lieberman if he can have a campaign button for the “Lieberman for CT” party, and Joe says= …..
http://ctbob.blogspot.com/2006…..ities.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..#038;eurl=
Cozumel @ 55
If the relationship lasted 3 years, how often did he not have sex?
Jane!
Henry A. Waxman!
(arriving late to the thread)
Pectopah @ 41
When the LA Auto Show had activists passing out documents at the (public) show on private property arrested, the activists ultimately won civil damages against the Auto Show,
Sure sounds like a potentially illegal abridgement of your 1st Amendement rights to this protest observer.
I hope some citizen (and their pro bono counsel) will make a test case of the little commissars.
Valley Girl @ 59
Goddamn. CTBob is the shizzle!
Valley Girl @ 11
Rahm sends a million dollars to defeat Shays, and untold millions into other races, but cannot spare the requested $5,000 to help Diane Benson get her TV ads on the air, to defeat another Pombo-Doolittle criminal?
Rahm: we ARE paying attention, we DO vote, we DO have money that–unbelievably, you do not control, and we have very long memories. You will pay for supporting people like Lieberman and ignoring people like Lamont and Benson.
November 8: WHO’S NEXT?
I am Scottish. We have grudges that last for a very, very long time. Beware. You want to use the power of our government for a middle eastern country, for them to use our military for their purposes, our money, our international prestige or what’s left of it, to defeat terrorists that are a threat to you but not to the U.S., until we invade them like Iraq and make them hate and attack us; and guess what some of us patriotic Americans are going to stand in your way. You are on notice. And I am not alone. I am too late to keep American children from losing their lives, their arms, their legs, and their minds to save you from your enemy Iraq but I just hope to God I am not too late for your plan to use human sacrifices–American children–to attack Iran. I hope YOU feel safer because we sure don’t.
most excellent rant, eg!
Brother Ted apparently got positively addicted to buyin meth and throwin it away- what a high!
On the other hand- the phone calls make it sound as if the male prostitute was supplyin the shit- contrary to what he said. No wonder he flunked the lie detector test- he figured out that he could be nailed for dealin. All in all- pretty shitty liars. Guess that’s a positive for both?
oh, the punchline is: there is no such thing.
Hi Suzanne- I am worn out, and hoping I can make to TRex’s late nite post!
Valley Girl @ 68
We’ll all miss some sleep if he doesn’t wake from his nap soon.
oh vg, you know you can do it. hell’s bells, after today in CT, late nite is gonna be especially good.
egregious @ 64
With you Egregious.
Here’s a progressive strategy – start fund raising Wed for the Blue candidates who will oppose Rahm in the ‘08 primaries.
No surrender, no retreat.
Enough of sacrifing American troops for the Israel’s racial and religious war against Palestinians or the board of Exxon.
Kirk- might be interesting IF Blue America could set up an entry for “the best progressive candidate to defeat Rahm E in 2008″… right away!
CTRex is up, and we are all alone upstairs….
Kirk- did you really get the equine cat brush, or was that a sweet story to get me off your back?
Valley Girl @ 72
Hey VG – that would be fun. Nothing like ‘re-framing’ the cost of Rahm’s corporate protection racket.
Oilfieldguy @
37
OFG, left you a note at end of prev thread.
Valley Girl @ 74
VG – I really did, and they absolutely loved them. Brush #1 is still MIA – carried somewhere by an adorinng new fan (they’re strictly indoor kitties…). Brush # 2 is stilll visible and a big hit hence the perch on a high shelf).
The blue color is nifty, too!
Thanks from the bottoms of my purrs…(and their tops and sides and fronts…)
PS – If the oster people make brushes for humans, do they need a field rep. Anything that makes my kitties wriggle like this has a big future here in SF….
Pectopah @
53
Someone should tell these folks what the word ’secret’ means.
kirk murphy @ 8:10 pm (#71)
I’d suggest looking up Christine Cegelis, who ran in the IL-06 in 2004 with little support from the DCCC or DNC, and lost by less than any other opponent of Henry Hyde’s, and who was then screwed by Rahm Emanuel, who ran Tammy Duckworth against her this year (whom he heavily supported) in the primary. She can run in Rahm’s district, I’m told, because residing in the district isn’t required. Apparently, a candidate just has to live in the state.
Christine was a DownWithTyranny candidate before that list was merged into BlueAmerica. Here’s what Howie wrote about her back in February:
http://downwithtyranny.blogspo…..er-to.html
Cujo -
I would so love to see Rahm lose the primary to Cegelis. I hope she’ll run and progressive dems fund her victory.
kirk murphy @ 8:51 pm (#80)
I supported her last time via ActBlue, and would again. I’m sorry it’s been so hard to get her elected.
Reminds me of the bid-rigging for contracts going on in Japan…excpet no one dies from that…ouch.
EvilDrPuma @ 18
And since he isn’t looking at either hand, he can claim he wasn’t aware of what they were doing at the time the photo was taken.
I keep hoping that “let bygones be bygones” bullshit is nothing more than an attempt to keep from scaring off voters who are squeamish about the investigations that we all know need to take place, if this country is ever going to get back on track. I know better; still, I keep hoping.
Oh for fuck’s sake!
Josh at TPM: Swiftboaters against Jon Tester in MT put Tester’s home phone number on their TV ad smearing him!
Is this even LEGAL?
Bowen was on CSPAN yesterday and I caught a bit of it. He was the good soldier but it’s absolutely true that his office is a bureaucratic orphan which was founded on non permanence. They are going to pass off the investigations to DOD, and State I think, when the end comes.
That said they have made 4 indictments and got two convictions so far. There are high two digit investigations ongoing. It’s almost certain that this dead of night cut off is meant to impede those investigations but with enough light and heat it probably won’t be totally successfull.
The most interesting aspect of the story is the mystery of how it got into the bill. Such mysteries are par for the course. A bigger and more important mystery is how the Military Commisions act that Bush signed was different than the one passed in regard to the word “aliens”. McCain and the Senate supposedly went to the mat on this so American citizens were not exposed to the spying and arrest carte blanch given in the bill. Well you can forget about that. Between the Hill and the White House the bill changed, by magic, and so now everyone can be taken as an enemy combatent.
Cozumel @ 44
Hmmm. The fact that this hasn’t happened yet ought to be a huge clue. “Mistakes” always go to the repubs. How coincidental can you get? Short answer: It’ll never happen.
Sorry about this repost. This just hits a nerve. The crisis today is open and honest elections. The cooked-up republican voting machines would be just another computer a joke if the stakes were not so serious. Investigations into the corruption of our electorial process (diebold, gerrymandering, locking out voters, etc.) should be right up there with war profiteering (which used to be considered treason).