Here's this morning's talking head line-up — a few interesting names, and a few yawns. Read it and weep:
C-Span's Washington Journal: 7:45am – Susan Page, USA Today, Washington Bureau Chief; 8:30am – Babak Yektafar, Washington Prism, Editor; 9am – Rend Al-Rahim, Iraq Foundation, Executive Director; 9:30am – John Prendergast, International Crisis Group, Sr. Adviser | Washington Post Op-ed.
ABC's "This Week": Jordan's King Abdullah II; Sens. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; supermodel Maggie Rizer; George Will, Torie Clark, Donna Brazile and E.J. Dionne.
CBS' "Face the Nation": Sens.-elect Bob Corker, R-Tenn., Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.
NBC's "Meet the Press": California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; Reps. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and Ike Skelton, D-Mo., retired Gens. Wayne Downing and Barry McCaffrey.
CNN's "Late Edition": Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Jack Reed, D-R.I.; Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie; former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger; former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski; Maryland Republican Lt. Gov. Michael Steele; Democratic strategist Donna Brazile.
"Fox News Sunday": Reps. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., Barney Frank, D-Mass., and John Dingell, D-Mich.; Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss.; Joseph E. Robert Jr., chairman of Fight for Children.
This morning's photo is of a snowy egret. In case you are interested in more information on them, there's a lovely site from a preservation society for Assateague Island that you might enjoy. They are gorgeous birds. If you ever have an opportunity, take a little pause and watch one wade through the shallows fishing. Their patience and perseverence is both soothing and steadying…well, unless you are a little fish, I suppose…
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FITZ!
Christy!
What a cute egret.
Poor Mountaineers. They could use a birding break.
I love watching wading birds. Not to many egrets in my area but lots of great blue herons.
egregious @ 2
It’s got some snappy yellow shoes on!
My neighbor is not too fond of these guys since they regularly empty his fish pond of very expensive koi. I enjoy watching them though. Spending part of my childhood on the outer banks of NC I spent many an hour fishing and watching these birds outdo my efforts.
Mornin’ all.
Christy, is the Peanut learning her birds well?
you know what?
fox has more democrats then republicans.
this means corporate media is going to start the koolaid supply to the democrats now that they are in concroll
we CANNOT let that happen…I think one of the TOP priorities is getting private funding OUT of politicians bank account
the demmocrats can be just as bad as the republicans, absolute power corrupts…let’s make it clear we are keeping an eye on EVERYTHING they do
Be prepared to be amazed once again at the stupidity of Tennessee voters when ol’ Bobby Corker opens his yap. The man is as clueless as his idol, Commander Codpiece; anything he says will be a regurgitation of Bush talking points. Sad as it may be, he’s the only success of KKKarl Rove’s wonderful election plan — Racists R’ Us. About the best thing that can be said about him is that he’ll do his six years as a blank, ineffectual cipher, like his colleague Lamar Alexander, hewing to the company line, lining his pockets as best he can, then retire to his home in Chattanooga just before he gets indicted — oh, and he will get indicted — once a crook, always a crook. Alexander, incidently, will be involuntarily retiring in two years, when Tennesseans, always behind the curve, will get another chance to elect Harold Ford, and will do so overwhelmingly. Just wait.
Is it me or does Donna Brazille have less and less to say every week? Maybe she can do a Carville and self-implode. I am SO ready for new faces on these shows, like maybe Matt Stoller, Christy & Jane, our leader Markos, etc. someone from OUTSIDE the beltway.
King Abdullah warns of 3 civil wars– Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq…
Our govt is so out of touch with reality.
Nice picture– I’ve been making a collection of snowy egret pictures — this one is one of my favorites.
They’re wonderful to watch as they hunt– they do a neat little sideways dance.
A round of applause for Pow Wow @ Late-Nite 153,
Sorry for the rant and roll on my Libby
OBSESSION….
Here’s a repost…
Thanks for the Libby post…
Finally, someone has raised the issue on gray
mail…
Fitzy has taken on the press and now the
misuse of CIPA…
Hold your hats for the ruling…
This story is big time but folks have
forgotten the significance…
I hope Fitzy has a fall back position once the
ruling is issued.
The trial is about lying, perjury, and
obstruction and Libby’s lawyers are OBSTRUCTING
justice… (in my opinion, they are entitled to
their defense, but I’ve had enuf…)
Reggie’s 11 words…
Maybe I’m overreacting but which Judge
will hear the appeal…
From a month ago…
“Walton also suggested that, “if the government is still not satisfied that the classified information is adequately protected at the conclusion of these hearings, the government has the power to preclude entirely the introduction at trial of the classified information. While invocation of this option may require dismissal of this case.”
Jack
RevDeb @
10
Yeah, it’s frustrating that the Coprporate Media get to pick which “democrats” will represent our side of the argument. They rarely interview Al Franken or Michael Moore. I would like to see Jane, Christy, Taylor and Kos too.
George is challenging Brownback about his stupid hold on a judge who ATTENDED a gay marriage. Good on him.
Again, Dick Durban doing well.
Brownback has GOT to go. Is he in the next election cycle? Can we take him down?
I spent many hours and days fishing salt marshes for fluke and flounder in my youth, and these snowy egrets were always favorites of mine and my father’s.
Morning all — it was my sleep-in morning, so I’m just now getting up and drinking a little coffee. Mr. ReddHedd made cinnamon rolls for me this morning. Isn’t he a sweetie? It’s birdie central at the feeders this morning — am going to have to refill later today, they’ve been eating so much lately.
Ooooh, I have a beauty of a Carolina wren nibbling on the sunflower chips at the moment.
Pach,
you’ve got mail. Interesting things brewing in MA.
There is an island in the bay near our house, and there is a grove of trees with an egret rookerie in the grove. Looks funny to see those trees with white egrets all over it, like some kind of huge white flowers in the treetops.
Gak.
Brownback’s prolly gonna run. Announcements are coming soon after he and his wife finish praying on it.
On This Week.
Oh boy. Wouldn’t we love to see Brokeback Brownback running for prez. He want’s to run as a compassionate conservative! Double dare him.
oh, angie – I think Brownback would be the PERFECT ‘pug candidate! it would put such a point on the differences…
g’ morning, all… dawn is breaking here on the left coast…
angie @ 21
Good! It will draw the end-times whacko vote away from St. McCain!
angie @ 21
I’m praying on it too. Praying it takes him out of the Senate and back to Kansas where he will find fewer and fewer people drinking his kind of Kool Aid
Good Morning Firedogs,
nice try . . . really, nice try NYT, 3, count ‘em 3 pages of reporting on (new meme alert!) self financed Iraqi insurgency – and not a peep about the unaccounted billions distributed by Bremer/Senor along TRIBAL LINES !!!, well what the f’ would I know ?!, I’m just a dirty marxist hippie blogger engaging in wild speculation . . .
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11…..r=homepage
Oops sorry I didn’t reference pow-wow’s analysis
To wit…
What exactly is really going on here with Libby’s classified evidence graymail effort?
Special Counsel Fitzgerald, October 10, 2006, in a CIPA Section 6(a) filing:
…the defendant in this case proposes to introduce in support of his memory/preoccupation defense evidence that is so extraordinary both in breadth (i.e., the topics are wide-ranging) and in depth (i.e., the level of detail) that the evidence takes on a misleading aura, is confusing, and…
Special Counsel Fitzgerald, November 16, 2006 in a CIPA Section 6(c) filing, following the conclusion of seven closed-door 6(a) hearings held 9/27-11/2, and after the first two closed-door 6(c) hearings held 11/7 and 11/15:
…in fact, the government’s proposed statement admitting relevant facts and proposed substitutions are above and beyond what the framers of CIPA would have expected the government to propose for such sensitive national security details, particularly since those details are not even being offered to prove the truth of the charged false statements in the case…
…
An even more alarming assertion in defendant’s CIPA Memorandum – one that completely controverts the purpose of CIPA and reveals defendant’s true graymail motivation – is the assertion that Congress’ contemplation of an acceptable statement admitting relevant facts would only be satisfied in this case if the government admitted [a statement of supposition/conclusion]…
…
The drafters of CIPA contemplated that the “statement admitting relevant facts” would be a statement admitting relevant “facts,” not a statement of conclusions that the defense wants the jury to draw. The government has offered a statement admitting relevant facts that serves the purposes contemplated by CIPA, in addition to proposing detailed substitutions for all of the relevant classified exhibits…
…
If the court were not permitted to balance national security interests against a defendant’s right to make his defense, there would be no basis for the court to exclude relevant evidence at the Section 6(c) stage, as contemplated by the joint [Congressional] report. That does not mean that the defendant is to be deprived of a fair trial or “substantially the same ability” to make his defense…
…
…it is entirely appropriate for the Court to use that information to conduct the balancing necessary to determine the adequacy of the government’s proposed substitutions.
From defendant Libby’s CIPA Section 6(f) filing on November 21, 2006:
On August 15, 2006, the defense submitted its Consolidated CIPA Section 5 Notice listing the classified information that Mr. Libby reasonably expects to disclose at trial…
…
…much of the classified information will be presented through Mr. Libby’s own anticipated trial testimony…
…
…[on 11/15]…the Court held relevant much of the classified evidence on Mr. Libby’s Consolidated CIPA Section 5 Notice (as modified during the 6(a) hearing)…
From CIPA’s recent (tangential) legislative history, via the Senate Intelligence Committee’s “Senate Report 106-352 – THE COUNTERINTELLIGENCE REFORM ACT OF 2000″ (amending FISA), this excerpt:
The CIPA has proven to be a successful mechanism for enabling prosecutions that involve national security information to proceed in a manner that is both fair to the defendant and protective of classified information. Before the CIPA, the United States Government sometimes had to make the difficult choice between either dismissing a criminal case or proceeding in the face of the risk that classified information might be made public. Neither alternative was in the best interests of the intelligence or law enforcement agencies–or of the American people. The CIPA provided pre-trial procedures for the court to resolve in camera and ex parte these issues in a manner that protects both the national security and the defendant’s right to a fair trial. The government may take an immediate appeal of adverse rulings and, if the issues cannot be resolved in a manner that protects national security, may then make informed decisions on whether to dismiss some or all of the charges.
In any case in which classified information is at issue, the so-called `victim agency’ that originated the information is the agency whose equities are most directly implicated. The head of that agency is responsible for protecting the information and, accordingly, will have a strong interest in the key decisions made by the prosecutors as the case develops. The Committee believes that, in the vast majority of cases, the lawyers from the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys Offices who are responsible for making the prosecutorial decisions consult on a regular basis with the agency head or his or her designee. While prosecutorial discretion ultimately rests with Department of Justice officials, it stands to reason that in cases designed to protect the national security–such as espionage and terrorism cases–prosecutors should ensure they do not make decisions that, in fact, end up harming the national security.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/?& sid=cp106JhViS&refer=&r_n=sr352.106&db_i d=106&item=&sel=TOC_1459&
[Emphases added.]
Thus: the “so extraordinary both in breadth…and in depth” classified evidence that defendant Libby wishes to reveal at trial, with “much of the classified information” to be “presented through Mr. Libby’s own anticipated trial testimony” – along with upwards of 300 proposed exhibits – was apparently in large part ruled relevant and admissible by Judge Walton in his (sealed) 11/15 written ruling (which reiterated the oral rulings he made as the seven 6(a) closed-door hearings proceeded). And Special Counsel Fitzgerald has now filed notice of an appeal of that major 11/15 CIPA Section 6(a) ruling.
What’s wrong with this picture? What is it telling us about the sealed [though possibly to be released in redacted form by 12/1] Section 6(a) ruling of Judge Walton that the government has been forced to appeal? And what about the yet-to-be-issued Section 6(c) ruling of Judge Walton regarding proposed government substitutions for that large quantity of sensitive classified evidence, none of which directly refutes in the least the actual charges made against Libby? [With another hearing in the 6(c) stage now scheduled for next Wednesday.]
One thing it should tell the Washington Post (and other media) is that its “Washington In Brief” brief mention of the CIPA 6(a) appeal filed in the Libby case on 11/22 does not come remotely close to covering this topic as it deserves to be covered. We have a major CIPA Section 6(c) vacated Opinion by the Judge and now a major CIPA Section 6(a) ruling appeal by the government, with a second [6(c)] ruling appeal possibly to follow. PLEASE, editors and journalists, start getting up to speed on this very important classified information graymail battle that is ongoing right under your noses.
Quote This Comment
RevDeb at 22
Love it, Brokeback Brownback. Like the book says, “What’s the Matter with Kansas?”
BTW, I was born in Kansas, but fortunately, my parents moved to the Bay Area when I was 8. We used to go back to the Old Country a couple of times a year, and that is when I decided I would not go back to Kansas even if they made me King of Kansas.
I can’t wait for the bitterness in the Republican primary. Maybe we’ll be treated to Brownback claiming to be the real Christian and accusing Romney of belonging to a cult that makes adults pantaloons.
-GSD
sofistic @ 28
Kathleen Sebelius has been doing a great job as Gov. of KS bringing a lot of sensible repigs to the Dem. side. KS is changing. They no longer all look and sound like Sam. Things change. Thank Goddess.
RevDeb @ 25
It will be fun to watch and GSD is right on at 29!
EJ Dionne sounds like he prefers Rush Holt for Intelligence Chair…
so do I.
angie @ 32
Yep. Holt would be the “intelligent” choice.
Stephy calling Brownback a “Ronald Reagan” Repug? What has be been smoking?
Stephy blames his delusions on Clinton.
angie @ 35
sure. why not? bleghhhhh
Those are some skinny get away sticks on that egret.
Good morning to all. Just a little off topic but I need to mark this day down for all of posterity – the cable guy came early this morning. I’ve never, never, never had a cable guy come to the house early.
RevDeb – you’ve must have eaten your Wheaties. You’re calling everyone out this morning.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 17
OK, two questions, Redd:
He made cinnamon rolls? I make ‘em at the bakery just down the hill with a Visa credit card, and Mr. Redd is makin’ ‘em from scratch? Are you trying to cause trouble in Profsville by posting this kind of stuff publicly?
Second, Mrs. Prof (she’s a real Prof) and I went looking for bird feeders yesterday because two that we bought recently (with little roofs and rather small areas for perching) have turned out to be singularly uninteresting to birds. They (junkos, fox sparrows, jays) love our two open glass dishes-on-chains that we suspend near our windows, perhaps because there’s lots of room to get away when another shows up and demands a seat at the table. So I suppose we have to give up on the cute hanging gazebos and go back to open plates.
Third (yeah, I know I said only two quetions, but a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds), we bought a beautiful glass globe hummingbird feeder, which drips, drips, drips sugar water on the porch, even when we start it out full. Why do these things leak?
And nice egret! Assateague Island is personally responsible for my birding obsession, some 30 years ago. Some birding relatives wanted to visit it, so I bought the Washington Post to take along and read while they were wasting their time looking at stupid birds. I never got past the front page. Now I have Peterson, Audubon (but pictures aren’t as good as drawings), National Geographic (love the range maps), Sibley (big), Smithsonian (very big), Sibley again (the small field guide), Birder’s Handbook — and that’s not counting the regional guides. Yay, Assateague!
By the way, Cornell’s Birding Site seems like a super online resource. Just found it.
Mornin’ Lisa.
This is my one Sunday off for the month so I get to watch the idiocy this morning. Next time is New Years’ Eve.
Wonderin’ where everyone else is.
But off to shower before the rest of the bobbleheads (that assumes that I won’t need another one after watching some of the slimeballs coming up). Back in a while.
Love the wading birds. Around here there are lots of Little Blues and a few of their larger relatives.
We have a few ponds, and often scare off a Little Blue when we approach. Our goldfish ponds are close to the house and haven’t suffered from heron predation, although the same can’t be said of certain other hunters.
One morning my wife came in, all aflutter, and cried “There’s a snake in the fish pond! He has a fish in his mouth! He’s freaking out!”
An inspection of the scene revealed that it was the fish that was afreak, the snake seemed calm enough. We, er, removed the reptile but were unable to resuscitate the fish. Alas, poor Nemo.
Prof at 38 — well, to be completely fair to Profs everywhere, Mr. ReddHedd made the cinnamon rolls that come in the tube (the Pillsbury ones). I had grabbed a tube of them at the store the other day on a whim, thinking quick breakfast Thanksgiving morning while I made bread and side dishes to take to family dinner, and then promptly forgot they were in the fridge. He found them this morning and decided to make them — what a sweetie. I prefer homemade ones, but the occasional cheat never hurt anyone, I suppose. ;-)
28 million dead from AIDS? (on This Week)
What a waste of precious human life.
Thank you Bono and others for your work.
No thanks to dubya and his cadre of idiots that have no belief in science.
. . .from what little I could stomach off the box this morning, apparently none of them are going to “out-christian” one another – it’s gonna be a
Reagan-Off,
ready . . . begin
RevDeb @ 19
Hasn’t arrived yet, but I’ve suddenly got a leaky basement to contend with and water water water. I may be busy for a while.
It’s gonna be 60 degrees here in NYC today. The air smells of early autumn although the trees are mostly bare.
I remember a song from Grammar school called “Over the River and Through the Woods” that used to be popular during Thanksgiving. Point being that there used to be snow for Thanksgiving much of the time here. People used to sing sleigh songs about it.
Since 1988 when I moved to Staten Island there have been less than 5 real winters here when compared to my younger days.
Not much fur thickening on the local animals this year so far…
angie @ 42
In Memory of My Brother…
Birds are a refuge from the madness in the world. They live in different sectarian communities, sort themselves out, jostle each other at the bird feeder, but don’t kill one another (OK, except the bald eagles and a few other terrorists). Geese in a “V” winging south fly off the slipstreams of their neighbors just ahead, and take turns at the hard work of leading.
Observing them and their peaceful communities is a refuge from the mess that we created, which includes this.
He hugs his AK-47 more than his wife because he needs it to protect his wife and his children and a dozen other relatives from what is just outside his door.
But Sammaraie, although the last Sunni in a formerly mixed neighborhood, is not completely alone. His next-door neighbor, Zuheari, like everyone now in neighborhood, is a Shiite.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 41
Ahhhhhhhh. I feel much better. The ones with orange icing are particularly good.
Ya St. Ronny who could of done something about AIDS back when the total number of victims was under 1000 but homophobes win… and the world looses.
There is a diary over at kos about a humanitarian aid worker friend:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/26/42552/823
Thank you Subway Serenade for sharing that with me.
Your brother is beautifully remembered.
I am very glad that you are well now– your voice is important.
Prof,
reflecting on the same dispatch, TBogg writes -
money
Daryl Van Horne: Of course, I wouldn’t know a snowy egret if I were pissing on one. Lunch?
Alexandra Medford: I think it’s a little late in the season.
Daryl Van Horne: For lunch?
Alexandra Medford: No, for pissing on birds.
- from “The Witches of Eastwick”
Caucus is in 13 months and a couple of weeks. The religious overtones won’t show up until some of the initial weeding out has taken place. The parade of potential candidates isn’t very noticeable right now here. I suspect that will change right after New Years. MLK day will probably be a good starting point for many potential candidates.
Subway,
beautiful. Feast of Aunt Clara ?!?! your writing made me feel the tribe’s loss with your brother’s passing
stay well dahlin’
Seen Yesterday:
I Remember Another Quagmire
The thugs– Brownback and Lott– are talking about al- Maliki as though he is anathema.
Setting up the “purple fingered democratically elected” puppet for slaying.
nice work KKKarl.
Subway Serenade @ 46
Great tribute to Dan…
Thanks… I enjoyed reading it…
Jack
I hosted a screening last night of Iraq for Sale. It was a small gathering at my house. It’s a disgrace about the privitization of the war, and this film lays it all out. I highly recommend it.
It was great to watch a poltical film and have a discussion immediately afterwards in my living room. I’ll be doing this again after the new year with 9/11 Press for Truth.
katymine @ 49
I really don’t have the stomach to read Iraq war stories, or watch them on CNN. But from time to time I have to drag myself back to them.
This one, from today’s Washington Post is not about war and civil war at the big scale, or at the CNN scale. It is about individual people. It is heartbreaking.
Bay Area Birders -
in about 2 – 2 1/2 months – marshland on east side of 101, south of SFO will be loaded up with egrets like the one posted above, all resplendent in “nuptial plummage”
a fun daytrip late winter/early spring
Audubon Canyon Ranch (Marin County)
http://www.egret.org/
Judy, Judy, Judy. What is with Judies? First Judy Miller and now Judy Regan.
Publishing: No More Free Rein For Regan
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15…../newsweek/
Nasty Rupert is the real problimo. The Judy Miller’s and Judy Regan’s are just the egg suckers. Murdoch is the egg layer.
Have I mentioned how much Duncan Hunter’s lying bullshit ticks me off, lately?
angie @
50
cbl @ 54
A few weeks before Dan went into the hospital for the last time, we were walking down Third Avenue and came upon a performance by The Ninth Street Stompers.
Suddenly my brother and I were doing the Lindy to swing tunes in front of about 100 people gathered around.
A dance with my brother before he danced on…
Changin’ how Christmas is done in this country.
The Globe’s Charlie Savage has an excellent
story on Cheney and his quest for executive
power… some may call it defiance…
http://www.boston.com/news/glo…..the_chief/
Christy Hardin Smith @
18
Those are wonderful birds. I was lucky enough to get one on the feeders while I had my camera set up this summer: here’s the picture
Prof @ 48
Oooh, we just had those yesterday. They are goood! Sorry about the ‘Neers Christy, I guess I won’t be buying you a martini in Pasadena!
Not on the talking head roll call but CBS’ Sunday Morning had a good/honest piece on how Clusterfcuk is truly despised just about every where else in the world (’cept Red America).
Julie at 65 — Oooooh, what a fantastic photo. Would you mind if I use that for a Talking Head thread some morning, if I credit you with a link? Wonderful stuff!
Shill Kristol just said that the conservatives are blaming al- Maliki and the Iraqis for the all of the problems…
He labels Cheney’s and dubya’s “efforts” in Saudi Arabia and Jordan as “desperation”.
Twisted at 66 — it is at about this point in the season where we either stay standing or collapse. Usually we collapse. We’ll likely beat Rutgers next week, and then head out to the Gator Bowl, I suppose, where we’ll play…Notre Dame, maybe? Alas, the Rose Bowl is not to be for us this year, I’m afraid.
Speaking of Cluster… what the hell is he
doing at Camp David… I SHUTTER to think
about his next move…
Did Cheney outbrief him yet on his jaunt
to Saudi Arabia?
Jack
Julie Waters,
yes, yes, great photos – and I am chartreuse with envy over that Snowy Owl (someday jeebus puhleeze !)
Kristol has as much blood on his hands resultant of Iraq and Gaza and Lebanon, etc. as does Bush and Cheney. I dislike that man.
Morning everyone. Late to the lake today, but enjoying the comments, AND the plumed white beauty in lovely slippers at the top(!)
Christy, your Mr. Redd is a honey! no matter how he got those muffins to you. Wow! I hope you, he, and Peanut are doing well today.
Snowy Egrets! So handsome and graceful. We’ve seen lots, and I never get tired of them.
Don’t laugh at those yellow slippers. They’ve saved many rabid birders from coming to blows, since immature Little Blue Herons are also white and about the same size as snowies, but lack the fancy slippers. Semi-seriously,there’s nothing much funnier than coming upon a group of birders in full-blown argument, all binocs riveted to a group of innocent little egrets standing in the water, waiting for them to fly and show the tell-tale yellow slippers – or – NOT! And to make it more fun, the egrets don’t mind eachother’s company, so often appear together. Ahhh these blood sports! Be careful out there in the wild places. *g*
Oklahoma kiddo @ 73
Me too and his pa is no peach either.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kristol
Yes, let’s see a huge brouhaha in the religious right on who are the “real” Christians. A candidate for the Christian Coalition head dropped out because the group still insists anti-abortion & gay rights are more important priorities than helping the poor & hungry (ahem, food insecure).
The Brownbacks who decide to run are going to have a tough time with most americans on defining “values”. If they run on a platform against abortion rights, gay unions, stem cell research & other divisive agendas over jobs, affordable health care for all, fiscal responsibility, education & so many other issues that are crucial to the well-being of americans & this country, I can only think they will have a difficult 2 years trying to justify it. At least I hope most americans have woken up & smelled the bs. I know I am fed up with those trying to shove their “values” down my throat. The extreme right “values” agenda has not done a damn thing to improve anyone’s life, just the opposite.
fallenmonk @
6
Ahhh we dream of the day an egret eats outta our pond…it will mean we have arrived and are part of the ecosystem….sigh…for now we have to content ourselves with a lone self-generated crawdad, who while amusing, is not quite as pretty.
By the way, birders all and Christy especially, have you ever participated in Cornell’s bird count? Its going now thru the winter and its a fun way to contribute to bird population info by simply looking out your window. More info here: project feederwatch
‘Morning, FirePups! Nice pic, Christy; my birding-freak son will love it.
Watching Faze the Nation right now…is it just me, or does anybody else think that that Claire McCaskill is going to need a few, um, lessons on being a Democratic Senator?
Oh pleeeeze, Timmeh just said the Iraqi deaths are at least 50,000.
really?
Just switched to Press the Meat…and I note an enormous number of ad buys on BOTH NBC and CBS by Merck, featuring their CEO, Richard Clark. He’s trying very hard to persuade us how much work Merck is putting into research, and how they put patients first.
Yah. Anybody find this sudden concern amusing?
angie @ 79
Amazing isn’t it?
Oklahoma kiddo @
73
killing machine kristol smirks more than Clusterfcuk, he actually smiles and laughs through all the venom he spews. Sickfcuk.
Pach @ 44
I resent. Get to it when you can. No rush.
McCaffrey now talking about another 4 Friedmans.
RevDeb @ 84
He’s a sour idiot.
Yo, 43– give that man a Medal of Freedom!
ironranger @
76
I’d like to hope all that whole messy side-show is seriously dampening their gunpowder. No better bunch to lose the punch in their poofle, in my book, not that there’s anything wrong with that….
Christy Hardin Smith @
62
No, but it sure helped me to hear you say it.
Duncan Hunter translation: “Let’s ‘throw good money after bad’ and kill more US Troops so I don’t have to admit that I screwed up”.
I suspect all these guys know, the real negotiations are with Iran and Sryia. They just don’t want to admit to that kind of transparency, because it confirms that they are negotiating with “dirty terrorists,” to save their worthless bacon. My real fear is Bush/Cheney are “negotiating” to save their
fucking appropriately namedGreen Zone. It’s become the “Bastille” of Iraq.angie @ 85
Ya think if he got a medal, he’d go away? Dare we hope? Pompous nit.
OMFG. Did you folks see this diary at DKos?
FBI infiltrates DailyKos(a true story)
-gUlp- It’s one thing to speculate about it, but another to actually read they’ve been monitoring our discussions. Fortunately this particular situation worked out as it should, but jeepers, gives me the heebie-jeebies anyhow.
McCaffrey still defending “taking out” Saddam.
I don’t know Adie @ 88– but Franks, Bremer and Tenet have not appeared on the shows since they got “decorated for their deeds”.
There just may be somethin’ to it.
From a WaPo article by Robin Wright, discussing the workings of the Iraq Study Group and the views of the 40 or so “experts” developing recommendations. This was posted earlier:
Iraq group a study in secrecy, centrism
A while back I posted a list of the 31 House Dems who had voted in favor of both the bankruptcy bill and the Military Commissions Act. Well this morning I looked up the votes on the Terry Schiavo act and discovered that while nine of them did not vote on the Schiavo act, at all but one of the remaining 22 voted in favor of the Schaivo act. Congressman Spratt (SC-5th) was the lone exception. You can view the list here.
OT: At TomDispatch.com, Mark Danner has an outstanding two-part article on how we got where we are in Iraq. Salon has picked it up the first part, and the whole article will be published in the Dec. 21 issue of New York Review of Books.
Julie Waters @
65
Julie THANKS for sharing! I just took a peek at your site, and immediately bookmarked it for later enjoyment. Gonna take a lotta beautiful featherpix to get thru the next few years, sigh!
Rayne @
80
They’ve had commercials around here for eons. It’s getting old. Maybe if they stated how much money they give to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for research, they might get a little more sympathy around here. But, not likely. Speaking of UIHC, they should be announcing soon, if not already, to the medical community that they may have a potential cure for prostrate cancer. Their first testing had around a 60% success rate, or well enough that they’re going to have a second testing and think that they should have it down within 10 years. The method….. gene therapy disseminated through the common cold.
I am watching Meet the Press right now, with Skelton, Hunter, McCaffrey, Downing. We are in big trouble. Every single one of them is living in a fantasy world. They keep talking about getting Maliki to do something, or for the Iraqi army to “stand up.” If these people don’t understand, at this point, that there is no Iraqi government and that there is no Iraqi military under the control of that fictional Iraqi government, their heads are so far up their asses, they can see their own tonsils.
angie @ 90
heh heh. That’s kinda what brought it to mind. *g*
Link to WaPo article on ISG recommendations, which I failed to provide in #91 above
So the F.B.I. is monitoring this blog. Well they do have a habit of collecting info on persons who speak common sense. I am sure they would consider me a “radical”. We are the ones who live behind an iron curtain now.
Hey scarecrow!
Are you back home yet?
so the shooter’s back from his lawrence-of-a gig?
can’t quite picture him at rancho brushpile, “I did whut ya said boss. Now whut?”
the world holds its breath….
Oklahoma kiddo @ 98
What’s funny is that anyone who thinks you need to monitor blogs like this for threats to national security is about as clueless as you can get. They wouldn’t get the irony, the snark. Glenn Greenwald’s writing style, for example, frequently uses sentences as though he is speaking for the object of his parody — so if read literally, you’d conclude Glenn is a pro-war, anti-constitutional right wing nut job. So the “monitors” probably think he’s one of them.
Kissinger and Sbig going at it on Lite Edition.
Why do they keep digging these people out of their graves where they belong?
Do potential presidential candidates monitor us? Do you think?
RevDeb @ 99
I’m back in MA. Haven’t been “home” in about 20 years, but I’m working on it.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 98
i’ve assumed this since I started on line in last presidential primary period…..truth tellers are always at risk but the mor of us there are, the safer we all are
scarecrow @ 104
Oh no. Don’t leave us. Things are just about to get interesting.
I dislike Heinz Alfred Kissinger. I like Zbig.
Any news on the upcoming meeting between Clusterfuck and the Iraqi Prime Minister?
Shaping up as a watershed moment. If the PM shows up- his govt. may fail- if he doesn’t show up- Clusterfuck may have him assassinated.. What ta do?
Good time ta get a little sick I’d say!!
Oklahoma kiddo @ 103
I’m counting on it. That’s one of the things that gives me hope! No foolin.
I very much respect Zbig.
Kissinger belongs in jail.
angie @ 110
YES!
RevDeb @
15
Brownback/Musgrave 2008: TheoGOP Ticket
speaking of charges, whatever is going on with the chgs brought in Germany agnst rummy?
rwcole @ 108
On CNN interview with Wolf, the Iraqi Security Adviser dismissed the threat that anyone would leave the government if al-Maliki went to Jordan to meet Bush. We’ll see.
Now: Zig brings a moment of realism, explaining that it’s not just Iraq; Bush policy is failing in every country in the ME.
Henry K now says he’s always questioned our ability to create democracy, but that’s not the problem. the problem in Lebanon, he says is that Hezbollah is better armed and trained than then the Lebanese army. Guess that implies that the Badr Brigade is better armed/trained than the Iraqi army. Maybe we should ask Badr to train the Iraqis.
Though Zbig deserves mucho brickbats for his fostering of the Afghani wingnut insurgency in the early days.
Thanks for the Bin Laden starter kit Zbig.
-GSD
Adie @ 111
I like it.
He makes me feel Zbig, Zbig, Zbig.
-GSD
Iraq meeting with Iran and Syria another watershed moment…
Iraq faces several forks in the road. One fork is labeled- “Kick the US out”–No telling how Clusterfuck would respond to that one. It would likely leave an Iraq that is tightly connected to it’s shiite neighbor Iran- and intensify the conflict with the sunni led insurgency..
In the end- it’s the sunnis who may be the natural US allies..
I’ve got it- put Saddam back in power!!
GSD @ 115
He and Carter are not perfect, but…
They are both much, much smarter than anyone round DC today.
It is my understanding there are countries that Kissinger cannot (must not) visit. The same is not true for Zbig.
I have been saying that into my pillow for what seems like eons now.
I never liked him, but jeebus!
Oklahoma kiddo @ 120
again, back to my question at 113… anyone?
New thread, all. Thought you could use some fresh digs. Not a cheery one, though, I’m afraid…
Angie,
I like Zbig and love Jimmy also, but I gotta call em as I see em.
Kissinger should be warming a seat next to the Milosevic’s corpse in the Hague.
Also, Silvio Scumbaglisconi gets the vapors in Italy.
It must be because he’s getting investigated for trying to steal the last election.
Maybe he can get on Jeb Bush’s staff.
-GSD
new thread
iowa christine @
53
It’s great to know we have a scout who’ll keep us informed as to their comings and goings — but I do feel sorry for (and jealous of) anyone whose Presidential viewing season begins in six weeks! Wow.
Trent Lott said this a.m. that if we didn’t have the terrorists “tied down” in Iraq and Afghanistan, we’d have to fight them here.
Oh.
Huffpo Link to Lott on Fox News
angie @ 110
Zbigniew Brzezinski is solely responsible for the plan which put Osama bin Laden in the driver’s seat. It was his plan to start a proxy war in Afghanistan, drawing the USSR into the conflict, by using the CIA to disrupt the country’s government, thus setting off decades of war in that country.
Brzezinski is just another cold-warrior convinced of the United States’ exceptionalism.
GSD @ 124
You are someone that I respect very much for your ability to see things accurately. :)
Adie, here’s somethin’ wrt your 113:
http://rawstory.com/showarticl…..07_pf.html
Good morning friends. I caught a little of This Week but I wanted to catch Barney, Dingell and Rangel on Fox (which I never do, as I am loathe to contributing to their ratings). Barney Frank was incredible–he put Wallace in his place and basically told him to stop twisting and putting words in peoples mouths. To be fair to all on FDL, I live in Massachusetts and worked in the Congress for 16 years and I am a friend of Barney’s I was very proud of him. Wallace was taken aback by it.
I am so sick and tired of the same tired faces every Sunday that today, I decided it was more important to get up and hit Starbucks and come home to settle in with the papers.
Imagine my dismay, no Frank Rich in the Times this week as he is on vacation. I just adore him and he is an excellent writer. Also, I put on Tweeties show–his hair gets yellower with each passing week–sort of a jaundiced shade, I’d say. He had Moron O’Donnell, Patrick Healey of The NYT, someone I should remember from Time and a woman from NPR. I had to shut it off before my head exploded.
Sam Brownback is going to go nowhere. Romney is an 18 karat fraud who has done more damage here in Massachusetts than anyone before him. He has been running around the country for the past 2 years ginning up his base for ‘08 yet trashing the place that elected him. Talk about a flip-flopper–he gives new meaning to the term. He was pro abortion when he ran the first time. Run Mitt, Run. The sooner you leave the better.
Thank you FDL for letting me rail!!
Adie:
I would hope there would be focus (with some real reporting & questions) from our ace msm on candidates who believe it’s their “God given right” to interfere with any family’s personal Shaivo decision, birth control & abortion access & all those other-none-of-your-damn-business areas that most of us don’t want tampered with. I probably shouldn’t hold my breath.
Adie @ 122
From the Boston Globe today:
Ex-general at Abu Ghraib says Rumsfeld OK’d abuse
By Reuters | November 26, 2000
http://www.boston.com/news/wor…..okd_abuse/
I believe the case against Rumsfeld in Germany is moving forward. Though I am not sure.
War Crimes Prosecution
On 14 November 2006 human rights advocate Wolfgang Kaleck brought charges at the German Federal Attorney General (Generalbundesanwalt) against Rumsfeld, former CIA Director George Tenet, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez and a number of other high officials for their involvement in human rights violations in Abu Ghraib in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. Kaleck acts as an advocate for more than 30 human rights organisations as well as 11 former prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. According to a spokesmen of the agency Federal Public Prosecutor Monika Harms will examine the statement of claim now. [40][41]
A similar charge brought by Kaleck in 2004 had been rejected by German Federal Public Prosecutor Kay Nehm with the explanation that criminal prosecution in the nations of the accused and the victims should be given priority.[
angie 129
thanks!
Off Topic: Does anyone on FDL do the Sunday, New York Times crossword puzzle? I’m a bit stuck and need a push. Thanks.
ironranger @ 131
I couldn’t agree more! So…. we keep watching them closely while they watch FDL, eh? Ain’t that fundamental? Works for me, I think. Just have to stay tuned, I guess. I continue to think FDL, hands down, has the best brainpower trust available (anywhere I’ve looked, anyway). I’m awed by the people who populate this place… Again and again, they give me reason to hope.
Can we all agree? Jr. has accomplished one thing. He has painted the whole world into a corner with his disasterous Iraq policy. That will be his only legacy anyone will ever remember.
Adie:
I can’t help but think that the poking into people’s personal lives is finally getting to more “conservatives” & they’re saying whoa, this is going too far, I didn’t sign up for this.
’sconset at 134 — I do, but haven’t gotten to it yet. What are you looking for? Clue? Number of letters? Any fill-in?
Thank you to Pow wow @ LN #153 for an excellent post and to State Librul for bringing it over.
I’ve also seen a subtle ‘compassion disconnect’ when looking at Judge Walton’s other recent rulings. It somehow seems either out of character for his career or the disparity of regard to human suffering seem to lack continuity in thinking.
Hey,…I don’t go looking for conspiracy theories… :-)
’sconset @
134
Just finished. How may I help?
Chirstie or Jeff–Thank you for coming to my assistance. 10 down and 25 across is the Follies Bergere (sp) also 21 across. What is the formula to solving this puzzle today? Usually I get it straight away but today I am so slowww and I have no excuses!! Thanks for the help.
’sconset @ 141
As is often their wont, the editors are using one letter to represent a syllable or word. Today it’s a syllable, using a first letter and adding two more as in x(er) or y(er). The letters in () are implied, not actually used. It’s Folies (one L).
Jeff–I have Folies B—- for 25 across and for 118 across I have Edgar B -en. What is 33 down? If you would be kind enough to type it out for me as it should look, I’ll be on my way. I hate when this happens as I do this puzzle everyday — I’ve been doing it for 30 years so I should know better. Thanks for your patience.
’sconset @ 143
C
L
(er)
G
Y
ERROR!
“As is often their wont, the editors are using one letter to represent a syllable or word. Today it’s a syllable, using a first letter and adding two more as in x(er) or y(er). The letters in () are implied, not actually used. It’s Folies (one L).”
Should read: (er)x, where x equals g :)
RevDeb @
10
Maybe Markos is YOUR leader….. to me he is simply a leftwing gatekeeper….. 9/11 was an inside job. Dems are simply the other side of the wooden nickel…… Let’s see if they actually repeal the Military Commissions Act or Warner’s elimination of posse commitatus, or the atrocious Patriot Act…. or the equally hideou ‘Fatherland’….. excuse me, Homeland Security Gestapo…. Are the Dems ever going to question the false ‘war on terrah’ meme….. Ah, I thought not…..
Or if they do anything against the republican ‘lite’ DLC and their neolibs…. The Dems also buy into the WMD lookalike ‘Iranian Nukes’ meme….. So how many innocent Iranian women and kids are the Dems going to authorize to murder?
Whattawaste of time…..
Christy Hardin Smith @
68
I would be honored :)
–julie
Aj, Christy, I love egrets. We have a park in town with a small lake/marsh. I use to hike a little to a spot, so I could watch their little dramas from the opposite bank and try to spot the not-full grown egrets with their little long necks. *cute*. They’re super shy birds.