Christy!

Yet another Zero for the land downunder.

Good morning, Christy. I’m glad someone watches the talking heads so I don’t have to.

impales insects or other prey on barbed wire fences or twigs or other sharp spots, sometimes killing more than it can eat and using this method to store food for later when it might be scarcer.

Waxman, you readin’ this? Take note, buddy.
We expect and will stand for nothing less.

I was planning on having aged impaled insect for breakfast anyway, did the shrike leave a good recipe? ;)

(reposting here for new thread)

I know the ISG itself produced a relatively mild rejection of current Iraq policies. The report and the suggested remedies are not of an urgent nature, nothing drastic is recommended. BUT….

Has anyone else noticed how very rapidly the presidential stature is dwindling? The floodgates seem to have been thrown open, irreversibly, by the mild but open criticism of the ISG.

Even the “liberal media” is openly speaking of the horrific mess we are in, and who is at fault. Just in the past couple of days, talk of resignation and impeachment seems to be busting out all over. I was one of the ones voting for letting things take their course (congressional investigations, etc), but time itself seems to be speeding up.

Maybe just me, is anyone else sensing this?

Looks like Baker and Hamilton get the pimp(s) of the week award. What’s the matter Baker and Hamilton, you no likey ABC?

Imagine that, Brownback on Fox News

Thanks for the shrike pick, Christy; I guess I’ve never seen one, should watch for them.

Nuts, now I’ll have to go and get the bird books and the ornitho-freak child that I went all Festivus on last night to find the shrike’s migration path. [sigh]

Impeachement? Why stop with Dubbya? Get rid of every politician in charge — and yes I mean you, Hillary.

We should impale ALL the insects.

Oh yeah, posted downstairs, but reposting here for folks in Mountain and Pacific Time Zones (think it may be too late in Central, definitely too late in Eastern):

There is a most excellent astronomical event at 40 minutes before sunrise.

You’ll need to be able to see the region of the sky about 19 degrees above the horizon, between ESE and SE, and you’ll need binoculars.

Planets Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and star Beta Scorpii are only a degree or two apart (that’s nearly on top of each other); although difficult to see Mercury most of the time, this event makes it easier to see.

Already checked it out this morning with my son, standing on the front porch in the cold wind. I think it’s a good omen, a great way for me to start this natal year.

So…um…do you think they’ll be talking about the ISG Report today?

except on “This Week” where Lou Grant will discuss Media Relations with Joe Biden and Tony Blair

C-SPAN actually hasn’t pissed me off this morning. Except for Steve actually comparing what little progressive radio there is with the overwhelming size of wingnut hate radio.

David Ehrenstein @ 8

Impeachement? Why stop with Dubbya? Get rid of every politician in charge — and yes I mean you, Hillary.

What is hillary in charge of?

…and this is your bass player on drugs.

jeffreyw @ 14

…and this is your bass player on drugs.

dang, i was saving that link for friday’s ‘the spin i’m in’

Good morning all:

Anthony Shadid will be on cspan 2 @ 930– here’s a description of the program:

Anthony Shadid talked about Lebanon and described his visits to Southern Lebanon and his ancestral village. He also talked about his coverage of the recent Israeli invasion of Lebanon and Lebanon’s future within the broader framework of global and Middle Eastern politics. He also talked about his book, Night Draws Near: Iraq’s People in the Shadow of America’s War, published by Picador USA. Mr. Shadid won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 2004 for his coverage of the war in Iraq. He described his experiences in Iraq from just prior to the American invasion to the January 2005 Iraqi elections. After his presentation he responded to audience members’ questions.

http://inside.c-spanarchives.o…..hedule.csp

Slightly different take on the purpose of the ISG: that Poppy knows about Junior’s tin ear and stubborn refusal to admit mistakes and to take corrective action. So, he puts the emasculated ISG together to assure that the bipartisan emergency exit door is open, a graceful exit path is illuminated, and that a diplospeak life preserver frame has been reintroduced into the mainstream media. But the age old problem is that you can lead the horse to water, but you can’t make him drink (or take a bath).

GWB, in whatever mental state that he’s in, continues to be led on a short leash by Cheney and Rove. Poppy’s babysitters are impotent while Cheney is in office.

The world is a veritable hostage to the shadow presidency/dictatorship of Cheney/PNAC/Carlyle.
GWB will accede to Poppy only when his Vice vice is removed from the picture.

Notice that Congress, SCOTUS and citizens aren’t included in this scenario.

It’s all about enforcement. Cheney is the only one with enforcement power who is using it.

SCOTUS only rules; Congress only has the power of war appropriations and is loathe to use it lest military personnel suffer, and the citizens already used the power of the vote to enact its leadership mandate.

What’s left?

Investigations, accountability hearings, impeachment, conviction, removal from office.

Finally! Some frank and open discussions of Bush’s FAILURES

So has Hamlish written something to play while Baghdad burns? Or maybe the Middle East?

Wanted to tell whomever posted the rum ball recipie THANK YOU- easy to make, a big hit and one I will repeat for New Years party but I will vary rum with cognac with gran marinier etc.

I live among the 30% and am quietly listening for the sky to come falling down…..

Rayne @
7

Thanks for the shrike pick, Christy; I guess I’ve never seen one, should watch for them.

Nuts, now I’ll have to go and get the bird books and the ornitho-freak child that I went all Festivus on last night to find the shrike’s migration path. [sigh]

I sympathize! Sometimes that karma thingy just whips right back around at you…

For some reason, this didn’t post when I tried to upload a few minutes ago.

Frank Rich, smacking ‘em again:

The wizard behind it all was the public relations giant Edelman, which has lately been recruited by Wal-Mart to put down the populist insurgency threatening its bottom line. Edelman’s vice chairman is Michael Deaver, the imagineer extraordinaire of the Reagan presidency, and “The Way Forward” had a nostalgic dash of that old Morning-in-America vibe. In The Washington Post, David Broder gushingly quoted one member of the group, Alan Simpson, musing that “immigration, Social Security and all those other things that have been hung up for so long” might benefit from similar ex-officio bipartisanship. Only in Washington could an unelected panel of retirees pass for public-policy Viagra.

Mr. Simpson notwithstanding, the former senator who most comes to mind is Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York. In the early 1990’s he famously coined the phrase “defining deviancy down” to describe the erosion of civic standards for what constitutes criminal behavior. In 2006, our governmental ailment is defining reality down. “The Way Forward” is its apotheosis.

[md note: mrsmarks, the mention of certain little blue pills will get you into moderation, Judicious use of the asterix is recommended.]

ruffian @
19

So has Hamlish written something to play while Baghdad burns? Or maybe the Middle East?

Wanted to tell whomever posted the rum ball recipie THANK YOU- easy to make, a big hit and one I will repeat for New Years party but I will vary rum with cognac with gran marinier etc.

I live among the 30% and am quietly listening for the sky to come falling down…..

linky to the rum ball recipie? pretty please?

Jeebus. “Rusfeld Makes Surprise Farewell Visit to Iraq.” Wonder how much that cost us.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16121213/

jeffreyw @
14

…and this is your bass player on drugs.

Whoo! I needed that!

Now, did I get the hint correctly, and happy birthday, Rayne?

The shrike was the model for a character in a scifi book, I want to say Hyperion but haven’t had my coffee yet.

mrsmarks– lots.

Did you see the picture of Rummy defacing the sign? I don’t know why it made me angry, but it did– guess they really do think we own Iraq…

http://www.why-war.com/files/rumsfeldssign.jpg

i’m suffering a bit this morning from buyer’s remorse. anyone read glenn this morning about our buddy (not) rahm?

i’ll get over it… but between that and reports of our dem congress gearing up to pass a massive funding bill for the iraq war/occupation ($160 billion – enough to fund it through 2008)…

ok, breathing deep…

here is a copy from original post:

Emeril Lagasse’s Rum Balls
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup dark rum
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup finely chopped, toasted walnuts

Into a large bowl, sift together 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, the cocoa powder and allspice. Stir in the rum and corn syrup. Stir in the vanilla wafers and walnuts, and mix well. Place in the refrigerator to firm up slightly, about 30 minutes. (The mixture may appear crumbly and dry; this is O.K.)
Place the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl or dish.
Using a tablespoon, scoop out portions of the chocolate mixture and press into 1-inch balls. Using your hands, roll the balls in the confectioners’ sugar, coating evenly.
Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, placing waxed paper between the layers to prevent sticking.
These are best if you give them an extra day to allow the rum to permeate every morsel. I added some extra cocoa powder to mine, to make them fudgy chocolate rum balls, and they were amazing.

I did not add extra cocoa to the batch I made and they were delish! Plus little cooking-toasted walnuts ahead of time then 10 min to mix, 20 in fridge and 10 to roll & put away.
Great taste:work ratio!!!

angie @ 25

mrsmarks– lots.

Did you see the picture of Rummy defacing the sign? I don’t know why it made me angry, but it did– guess they really do think we own Iraq…

http://www.why-war.com/files/rumsfeldssign.jpg

Yikes! Plus, the irony of him literally putting his name on it. Will l’il Georgie step up and follow suit?

Morning Firedogs,

. . .ah the lowly butcher bird – helped get me hooked on birding. it was the first small, non splashy bird identified for me, actually had some poor big grasshopper impaled on the barb wire – setting the wheels in motion

Rayne,

was enjoying your festivus comments – has your budding ornithologist dragged you out for this one yet ?

http://www.fws.gov/refuges/pro…..m?id=31513

reports of our dem congress gearing up to pass a massive funding bill for the iraq war/occupation ($160 billion – enough to fund it through 2008)…

oh, i just had a happy thought. – this funding bill isn’t supposed to show up in congress until march. we still have a few months to work on the public’s continuing rejection of the war… 2007 could still be the year we end the war.

ruffian – thank you!

Rayne @
10

Oh yeah, posted downstairs, but reposting here for folks in Mountain and Pacific Time Zones (think it may be too late in Central, definitely too late in Eastern):

There is a most excellent astronomical event at 40 minutes before sunrise.

You’ll need to be able to see the region of the sky about 19 degrees above the horizon, between ESE and SE, and you’ll need binoculars.

Planets Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and star Beta Scorpii are only a degree or two apart (that’s nearly on top of each other); although difficult to see Mercury most of the time, this event makes it easier to see.

Already checked it out this morning with my son, standing on the front porch in the cold wind. I think it’s a good omen, a great way for me to start this natal year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAYNE!!!

Frank Rich today:

“THE Iraq-Vietnam parallels at this juncture are striking. In January 1968, L.B.J. replaced his arrogant failed defense secretary, Robert McNamara, with a practiced Washington hand, Clark Clifford. The war’s violence boiled over soon after (Tet), prompting a downturn in American public opinion. Allies in our coalition of the willing — Thailand, the Philippines, Australia — had balked at tossing in new troops. Clifford commissioned a re-evaluation of American policy that churned up such ideas as a troop pullback, increased training of South Vietnamese forces and a warning to the South Vietnamese government that American assistance would depend on its performance. In March, a bipartisan group of wise men (from Dean Acheson to Omar Bradley) was summoned to the White House, where it seconded the notion of disengagement.

But there the stories of Vietnam and Iraq diverge. Those wise men, unlike the Iraq Study Group, were clear in their verdict. And that Texan president, unlike ours, paid more than lip service to changing course. He abruptly announced he would abjure re-election, restrict American bombing and entertain the idea of peace talks. But as Stanley Karnow recounts in “Vietnam: A History,” it was already too late, after some 20,000 casualties and three years of all-out war, for an easy escape: “The frustrating talks were to drag on for another five years. More Americans would be killed in Vietnam than had died there previously. And the United States itself would be torn apart by the worst internal upheavals in a century.”

The lesson in that is clear and sobering: As bad as things may seem now, they can yet become worse, and not just in Iraq. The longer we pretend that we have not lost there, the more we risk losing other wars we still may salvage, starting with Afghanistan.

The members of the Iraq Study Group are all good Americans of proven service to their country. But to the extent that their report forestalls reality and promotes pipe dreams of one last chance for success in this fiasco, it will be remembered as just one more delusional milestone in the tragedy of our age.”

Happy Birthday Rayne and thanks for the tip for stargazing. You did start your new year off right.

Oh goody, Rahm is a proven liar now… how delightful, selise.

I am seriously thinking that cutting off the obscene funding may be the right and only way to deal with the delusional chimp if he will not change course and soon. If presented correctly, soberly, and within this context, it will be seen as the Congress and the people reigning in an out of control executive and being a responsible and co equal branch of government.

“Of course we will take care of our troops, but…”

Happy Birthday Rayne! A Sagittarius!

Let us release battalions of Northern Shrikes on the White House.

http://www.seriouskidding.com

I’m with Jarota @ 5.. the tide is definitely changing re the shine on the Bush Agenda.

We have seen lots of the rats jump ship in advance of any investigations by the incoming congress. Although can, should and probably will be hauled in to testify under oath… going after them after they have quit seems mean soirited and backward looking… though it ain’t.

The things which seems to have stuck is the theme that things in Iraq are “officially” deteriorating. It’s no longer about no one reporting “good news” from war zone.

What the ISG revealed is that we need to grab the oil before we leave… which was why we went there in the first place. But they frame it as a partnership for economic purposes. Yea right!

The next period will be all about how to frame our “defeat” and major FUBAR over there. Who will be the first to declare we lost… aside from Frank Rich and the left press? Saying we are not winning is one thing. Declaring we lost… and on W’s GWOT main battlefield is going to hard to say for these bubbleheadds.. is another. Gonna take some time and lots of Kabuki to frame this up.

Winners: Halliburton et al, Military contractors, Private subcontractors, national security state, torture freaks
Losers: Iragi People, American taxpayers, US soldiers, US world reputation, Iraqi environment,human rights, a free press advocates.

Good Job Dubya… we needed that.

Anyone remember the surplus Clinton left?

SURGE!

Cokie says the results of the foley ethics report does not bode well for the DEMS.

steph: why the dems?

cokie: cause they signed on to it.

angie @ 16

Anthony Shadid will be on cspan 2 @ 930

thanks for the heads up angie – listening to shadid talk about lebanon is breaking my heart. i wish every single congress critter who refused to call for a cease-fire this summer could be made to watch this.

me too, selise.

;(

I keep hearing the story in the news about how DNA tests have proven that Princess Diana’s driver was drunk at the time of the crash. The footnote is always added at the end that the US just happened to be listening to Diana’s phone calls that night – as if that’s not a big deal.

angie @ 39

Cokie says the results of the foley ethics report does not bode well for the DEMS.

steph: why the dems?

cokie: cause they signed on to it.

The Beltway Insiders, Talking Heads and tour groupies still show a disconnect from reality. It’s one thing to spin with a wink and a nod, and another to be uninformed as to what public opinion is. The people voted for change. The only viable option was named Democrat. If the people don’t see change, there will be a new option available by the next election.

Well, I’ll check in later guys. Gotta go do some work and, it appears, polish up my pitchfork. Sheesh! Seems like we just did this a month ago!

HotFlash @
32

Rayne @
10

Oh yeah, posted downstairs, but reposting here for folks in Mountain and Pacific Time Zones (think it may be too late in Central, definitely too late in Eastern):

There is a most excellent astronomical event at 40 minutes before sunrise.

You’ll need to be able to see the region of the sky about 19 degrees above the horizon, between ESE and SE, and you’ll need binoculars.

Planets Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and star Beta Scorpii are only a degree or two apart (that’s nearly on top of each other); although difficult to see Mercury most of the time, this event makes it easier to see.

Already checked it out this morning with my son, standing on the front porch in the cold wind. I think it’s a good omen, a great way for me to start this natal year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAYNE!!!

Great catch, HotFlash. Wow, “Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and star Beta Scorpii . . . and the shining Rayne” all clearly visible.

HotFlash — you caught it, yup, it’s my birthday [picture me doing the Mini-Me dance here].

Thanks, all, for the kind wishes. Best start to a birthday in years, seeing the conjunction this morning with my son just before dawn. It really feels like morning in America, in so many ways.

You can insert the smell of bacon here, too; the spouse cooked the otherwise forbidden substance this morning for my breakfast. Mmmm-mmm.

cbl — we’ve already been out looking for the Kirtland’s Warbler, but in a roundabout fashion. You see, one of the areas in which they are believed to be found has been purchased for a nickel sulfide mine. It’s also in the headwaters of a watershed, one which Jeff Daniels would surely know by heart. I may be spending quite a bit of time there this summer with my bird-freak, since finding the Kirtland’s may halt the mine’s progress.

And yes, angie, a Sagitt. Aim high and FIRE!!

A post by soccerdad over at The Left Coaster leaves one with the sense that, yes, it was all about the oil.

MargaretPOA @ 18

Finally! Some frank and open discussions of Bush’s FAILURES

And from the neocon architects of the invasion of Iraq comes “neo culpa”:

http://www.vanityfair.com/poli…..cons200701

good morning, all

coffee’s ready

By the way, did anybody catch the shuttle launch last night? It was EXCELLENT, picture perfect in so many ways. So fun to watch it curled up in bed with my tweenager on cable while watching feed from NASA.gov website at the same time. This is what we are supposed to be spending our money on; this is the kind of reality television we are supposed to watch, together.

jeffreyw — excellent post by soccerdad, thanks for the link.

And after reading it, ask yourself what the poisoning of Litvinenko was really all about…

Two things the ISG report has done. On today’s This Week with Stephanopolous, the panelies actually debated whether different strategies were “realistic.” We’ve stopped debating “stay the course” vs “cut and run.” Now it’s “what works”? and “who’s making sense?”

Second, the press is full of stories about a party being totally divided by the report — no, not the Dems, the Republicans.

Here’s the NYT: Report on Iraq Exposes Divide Within GOP

And same theme in WaPo/MSNBC: Hawks bolster skeptical President

Oh puh-leeze!

Andrew H. Card Jr., the president’s chief of staff until last spring, said that whatever Mr. Bush did in Iraq would probably fall short of many of the commission’s recommendations, and that he was likely to continue making decisions that he believed were right even if unpopular. Referring to Mr. Bush’s secret intelligence briefings, Mr. Card said, “The president by definition knows more than any of those people who are serving on these panels.”

“The president’s obligations sometimes require him to be very lonely,” he said.

(bold mine)

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12…..ref=slogin

Oh, and Mr. Talabani is seriously p.o. about the ISG report.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16134560/

My literary trivia for the day. In his book, Miss Lonelyhearts (about the writer of a lonely hearts column in a nondescript newspaper), Nathanael West named the editor Shrike.

West did so because he believed some varieties of shrike killed and ate other birds. And, of course, in the days in which that novel was written, the late `20s, editors didn’t metaphorically “spike” a story–they did so literally, impaling the story on a spindle mounted to a wooden base.

Gary Hart:

The ISG report, and others to follow, will do little to change the mind of a man who still thinks he was placed on earth for the evil hour of 9/11, who believes America is an Avenging Angel whose 21st century mission is to eradicate evil from the earth, and who, as Captain Ahab, willingly suspends the verities of the U.S. Constitution in the pursuit of his own White Whale.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..35694.html

OldCoastie 49

Oh Thank Goodness. I’m bleary-eyed ‘n late to the lake today. I’d luv-a-cup. Thanks.

Christy. Good boid. Impaling food or not (I think they kill it 1st, rummy, so stop taking notes) – at least shrikes plan ahead, eh?

Does this make a record? I never saw a single pair of “guests” make Spinday visits to so many talkies on one day. Reciting the guest-lists sounds like that awful headache commercial.

We’ve got a gorgeous big Cooper’s Hawk trying to snag a meal around our “two-tiered”, heh bird feeders this sunny morn. I think I’ll stick with watching her, and catch FDL wrap later. Hope that’s o.k.

Don’t know ’bout anyone else, but I’m suffering mightily from post-election syndrome. Weird. Happy as can be with most of the election results (!Dang Liarman!), but fretting till the “good guys” take over for real in January.

Don’t even care that jr’s apparently drinking again. Oh! WAIT! YES, I care! And come to think of it, where’d that faceshooter slither off to?! OMG, Jan. can’t come soon enough to suit me.

thanx for the coffee, but I’d better not have a refill….

Rumsfeld goes to Baghdad:

My goodness gracious, there is a bloodbath in my quagmire.

-GSd

GSD 57

for all those who’ve ‘mired the guy,
may he stay there forever….

Richard Kadrey:
‘Blind Shrike’
http://www.infinitematrix.net/…..hrike.html

I think it is available as a PDF download.
Rumored to be on a list for Newton MessagePad eBook too. (newtonusr?)

Doonesbury explains Santayana:

History lesson

Adie – I can put a pot of decaf on if it’ll help…

Having wasted a Saturday reading the ISG report (when I should have been out bird watching), the dark irony hit me when I saw the image of the Northern Shrike at the top.

The ISG essentially proposes to do everything and do nothing (except that an oil grab is codified as fait accompli). That means more “wanton killing” of civilians and soldiers alike.

The Northern Shrike has this weird behavior (a survival thing): The Northern Shrike…kills more prey…than it can immediately eat or feed to nestlings. Such behavior was characterized by early observers as “wanton killing.”

Was CH giving us a coded message? Duh!

angie @ 35

Oh goody, Rahm is a proven liar now… how delightful, selise.

For those who haven’t clicked, here is more detail:

From Glenn Greenwald: Did Rahm Emanuel lie about his knowledge of Mark Foley? Yes.

And this from CNN: Aide: Democrat leader heard of Foley e-mails in 2005

The aide’s acknowledgement differs from the flat “no” Emanuel gave in October when asked — during an interview on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” — if he or anyone on his staff knew of the e-mails before the scandal broke.

OldCoastie @ 61

Adie – I can put a pot of decaf on if it’ll help…

please. that’d be lovely.

i can’t move this a.m., and i’m afraid i might try.

house is badly needing attention.
maybe i can find something specific to scrub clean.
that would help. ;->

And a bit more from Glenn Greenwald:

In fact, Emanuel emphasized how inappropriate it was for Republican House Leadership to allow Foley, in 2005, to become the Chair of the Missing and Abused Children Caucus despite what Emanuel called the “warning signs” about Foley’s behavior. But Emanuel was aware of at least some of these same “warning signs” in 2005, and he said nothing about them at the time. He was guilty of doing exactly what he was piously and indignantly accusing the GOP House Leaders of doing — namely, knowing about the Foley e-mails to pages and taking no action.

and

Emanuel was guilty of exactly what he was accusing the GOP House Leadership of.

and the coup de grace from Glenn:

It’s possible that the Democratic takeover of Congress can result in genuine and meaningful — and desperately-needed — change for our country. But it’s also possible that it could result in nothing notable, that it will produce only the most marginal and politically risk-free actions, all justified by the need not to do anything too “extreme” due to a fear of harming their 2008 electoral prospects.

Which course Democrats take will be determined by whether they are guided by political figures committed to genuine change due to a conviction that such change is needed (even if that means incurring some political risks), or whether they are driven by cynical, exclusively political and dishonest Beltway operatives like Rahm Emanuel.

To compete with Republicans, Democrats need not only political idealists, but also calculating strategists who are devoted to winning. That’s fair enough. But they also need to enforce some (at least) minimal ethical standards if they are to avoid becoming indistinguishable from the rotted and corrupt GOP tyrants who were just so deservedly tossed out of power. Rahm Emanuel seems to fall well below even those most minimal standards.

Prof @
63

angie @ 35

Oh goody, Rahm is a proven liar now… how delightful, selise.

For those who haven’t clicked, here is more detail:

From Glenn Greenwald: Did Rahm Emanuel lie about his knowledge of Mark Foley? Yes.

And this from CNN: Aide: Democrat leader heard of Foley e-mails in 2005

The aide’s acknowledgement differs from the flat “no” Emanuel gave in October when asked — during an interview on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” — if he or anyone on his staff knew of the e-mails before the scandal broke.

The story’s on CNN right now… never mind, over now

Prof @ 65
and more from glenn in comments:

there are two battles being fought at the moment, one between Republicans and Democrats for power. The other is being fought between the grass roots and the Beltway over which matters more, votes or campaign contributions.

Exactly. There is and always has been (at least since as long as I’ve been watching) a two-pronged war being waged by the blogosphere and related forces — (1) against the Bush movement and (2) against the principle-free, soul-less status-quo-perpetuators who run the Democratic Party.

Prong (2) was subordinated to prong (1) over the last few months out of necessity — bringing some balance to the government and imposing some limits on the administration was a crisis priority with which nothing else competed in importance. But now that that’s done, prong (2) will re-emerge strongly again, as it should — otherwise, victory with prong (1) is impossible in any real sense.

I would think it’s now time for Rahm to be marginalized– let Van Hollen or somebody else have it.

We don’t need liars in leadership positions.

A sign of the times. Bill Kristol on Fox explaining that more troops will allow us to succeed, and Chris Wallace finally says, “But, but Bill, . . . ” haven’t we already tried that? Even Wallace can’t swallow the nonsense anymore.

angie — more importantly, I think it’s time to have a chat with Christine Cegelis about running in Rahm’s district in the primary.

Jane, you out there? How ’bout putting this action item on the BlueAmerica To-Do list? ;-)

yep, Rayne– long term planning to defeat him should begin.

Was it a mistake to go into Iraq? Fox panelists now debate that. Brit trying to suppress this debate, in his most condescending way. Now he smirks at Juan Williams.

Rayne @ 70

angie — more importantly, I think it’s time to have a chat with Christine Cegelis about running in Rahm’s district in the primary.

Jane, you out there? How ’bout putting this action item on the BlueAmerica To-Do list? ;-)

The appropriate thing to do right now is to yank him out of the DCCC. Separate him from control of the money and all he’s got left is his, um, charm and veracity.

Prof at 63

so he’s a liar too. hmmm.
can anything be done to such folk? shouldn’t they be liable for their misdeeds/lack-of-deeds??

speakering of which – is anyone besides me infuriated by some comments made right after foley’s misdeeds were publically revealed, pointing out that most of the pages technically were not children – as if the predatory abuse by foley & his ilk therefore didn’t count, somehow…
technicalities of the law aside, i suggest their parents might have another view on the matter….

in the absence of courage elsewhere in the universe of D.C., I’m hoping that a certain dainty-but-tough lil’ grandmommy can whip that gang into shape. bet she’s one rip-snorter of a tough-love babysitter(!), with plenty experience applicable to the situation…

at least that’s how it goes in my better dreams…
just gotta wait till January, groan….

i hate hass. here’s how he tries to justify a “surge” in usa troop numbers in iraq (on MTP):

more people must die so that america’s failure in iraq will be seen as the fault of the iraqis.

my paraphrase.

montag @ 73

The appropriate thing to do right now is to yank him out of the DCCC. Separate him from control of the money and all he’s got left is his, um, charm and veracity.

Uhhh. No, he has something else left:

His new position as Chair of the Democratic Caucus, the 4th-highest ranking Democrat in the House.

Howie Klein comes in from the wilds to weigh in on the Rahm Emanuel revelations:

http://downwithtyranny.blogspo…..-from.html

And while tallking heads talk in their safe control rooms, and William Kristol admonishes others for being “squishy” and “pathetic” to be impatient over this, Iraqis continue to slaughter each other:

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Gunmen killed nine members of two Shi’ite families in Baghdad on Sunday a day after militias raided a mixed neighborhood and forced dozens of Sunni families to flee in a serious escalation of sectarian violence.

Officials and relatives of the victims said about 30 gunmen stormed a home in a mostly Sunni area in southwestern Baghdad and killed five brothers from one family after separating them from the women. A father and three sons from another family, all of them policemen, were also killed.

Gunmen kill Shi’ite families in Baghdad after raids

Prof @ 76

montag @ 73

The appropriate thing to do right now is to yank him out of the DCCC. Separate him from control of the money and all he’s got left is his, um, charm and veracity.

Uhhh. No, he has something else left:

His new position as Chair of the Democratic Caucus, the 4th-highest ranking Democrat in the House.

My mistake. I thought the two jobs were tied together.

On edit: hell, yank him from everything.

scarecrow at 72

last year, one of our kids gave me a cute little “tv-OFF” gadget that just fits in a pocket.
even tried it in one-a those annoying tv-in-every-corner restaurants, & an office with constantly-blaring-tv in the waiting room – amazing! heh

-ere…. give it a try… *g*

selise @ 75

i hate hass. here’s how he tries to justify a “surge” in usa troop numbers in iraq (on MTP):

more people must die so that america’s failure in iraq will be seen as the fault of the iraqis.

my paraphrase.

I heard that too. Is he the one who would send troops to eliminate an excuse for blame later? These aren’t tin soldiers. These are living breathing dying humans.

I’m getting more pissed off the more I hear pro-war enablers jumping on the report’s proof that these problems have been developing all along…early mistakes…poor training…all of the subjects that have been discussed in the nontraditional media and blogs AS THEY HAPPENED.

That blood will never wash off.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has a blog. There are no comments on the blog.

I don’t know whether registration is automated, or requires a human intervention. It does require that you register with some sort of e-mail address.

I suppose I could go to Yahoo and create a new e-mail address, and then try to register on the DCCC blog, and then start asking questions about Rahm Emmanuel.

But I guess I’ll leave it to someone else in the FDL community to try it out.

http://www.dccc.org/stakeholder_ac/register

Pach 77

freudian?

in form = inform? vs in from?

just wondering, as i sit ‘ere doin’ nuttin’ but enjoying the lake. ;->

*takes ‘nother sip of Starb.BOLD*

Just thinking out loud?

Pat Buchanan has had much too much face time
at MSNBC…
Tony the Snowjob said at Friday’s presser that
we WON the Cold War? When was that date?
I can’t watch Prez’s pre-Christmas day bullshit-side talk….

“Whatever you can do or imagine begin it; boldness has beauty, magic, and power in it.”
Goethe

Jack

Fox: Juan Williams: “Sometimes I just want to scream!” “You guys continue to put down Dean and Pelosi and others who told us this was a mistake . . .” and when are you guys going to acknowledge that [they were right and] we have a problem? Brit Hume’s head about to explode. Cognitive dissonance is breaking out on the right.

Chris Wallace then asks this as a serious question:
“Why not allow the Iraqi’s to just kill each other while we just fight al-Qaeda?”

Is that an argument for withdrawal from Iraq?

Adie @ 80

scarecrow at 72

last year, one of our kids gave me a cute little “tv-OFF” gadget that just fits in a pocket.
even tried it in one-a those annoying tv-in-every-corner restaurants, & an office with constantly-blaring-tv in the waiting room – amazing! heh

-ere…. give it a try… *g*

That would be the sane thing to do. Watching Fox is a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it . . .”

scarecrow @ 85

Brit Hume’s head about to explode.

i should have watched fox news….

The Iraq Study Group prides itself on rejecting the lessons of history by saying that it doesn’t look back but forward. To me this is a clear indication that they need to return to their studies.

scarecrow @ 85

Fox: Juan Williams: “Sometimes I just want to scream!” “You guys continue to put down Dean and Pelosi and others who told us this was a mistake . . .” and when are you guys going to acknowledge that [they were right and] we have a problem? Brit Hume’s head about to explode. Cognitive dissonance is breaking out on the right.

Chris Wallace then asks this as a serious question:
“Why not allow the Iraqi’s to just kill each other while we just fight al-Qaeda?”

Is that an argument for withdrawal from Iraq?

Nice counterpoint to all the nerf balls Williams has been throwing Cheney and Rice in interviews on NPR the last few years….

Pachacutec @ 77

Howie Klein comes in from the wilds to weigh in on the Rahm Emanuel revelations:

http://downwithtyranny.blogspo…..-from.html

Howie is supposed to be unplugged for a few days, off in the wilds. He said so on his Around-the-World blog.

Sigh. He comes back to rescue us. Howie, Howie, Howie — take some time off!

But . . . . THANKS, Howie! Here is Howie’s take on how Rahm Emmanuel sat on the information so that he could help get one of his quasi-D’s elected in Foley’s district, as opposed to a true, progressive D. I guess that Howie’s CAPS key is stuck. But his wit has survived the wilds of Paraguay:

RAHM EMANUEL SHOULD RESIGN FROM CONGRESS IMMEDIATELY AND GO BACK TO BEING A CROOKED STOCKBROKER OR BALLERINA

Emanuel, already aware that he could force Foley to resign, convinced Mahoney to switch party registration– although not values and principles; I mean there is a difference between Democratic values and Republican values… right?– and voila! all Emanuel and his stooges, like Steny Hoyer and Ellen Tauscher, had to do was drive the real Democrat out of the primary and clear the way for Mahoney. This he did, employing all the dirty tricks he used during the election cycle to attack the campaigns of true Democrats like Jerry McNerney, Christine Cegelis, Carol Shea-Porter, Larry Kissell, Paul Hackett, John Hall and dozens of others all over the country.

Adie @ 80

scarecrow at 72

last year, one of our kids gave me a cute little “tv-OFF” gadget that just fits in a pocket.
even tried it in one-a those annoying tv-in-every-corner restaurants, & an office with constantly-blaring-tv in the waiting room – amazing! heh

-ere…. give it a try… *g*

is there really such a thing?

scarecrow @ 85

Fox: Juan Williams: “Sometimes I just want to scream!” “You guys continue to put down Dean and Pelosi and others who told us this was a mistake . . .” and when are you guys going to acknowledge that [they were right and] we have a problem? Brit Hume’s head about to explode. Cognitive dissonance is breaking out on the right.

Chris Wallace then asks this as a serious question:
“Why not allow the Iraqi’s to just kill each other while we just fight al-Qaeda?”

Is that an argument for withdrawal from Iraq?

When I watch Fox, I hurl obscenities at the
TV… Fair and Balanced, what TV station needs
to remind themselves every waking moment?

Jack

Jack

Shrikes are also known as “butcher birds.” Remember the “butcher of Baghdad?”

Bush trying that on for size. . .

scarecrow 85

i stand corrected(!)

thank you for watching that stuff so we don’t have to.

seriously, it’s important to keep track, and to counter the spin.

so Juan Wms is tuning up to a higher pitch? Good for him.

the thot of brithume head exploding – priceless!

i still can’t watch the stuff – doing that sorta thing too much over the past 7(!) yrs is part-a my problem now…

but I DO sincerely thank you for letting me peek over your shoulder. somehow puts it into better perspective so my head doesn’t explode ;->

Everythingseemssoneat @ 89 You are so right here. As I read the report yesterday I was floored by the lack of scholarly work forwarded by the ISG. I felt like I was reading a long (marginally written) term paper. Then I remembered it was written for a guy who never attended classes at Yale.

Everythingseemssoneat @ 89

The Iraq Study Group prides itself on rejecting the lessons of history by saying that it doesn’t look back but forward. To me this is a clear indication that they need to return to their studies.

Grousefinder @ 95

Everythingseemssoneat @ 89 You are so right here. As I read the report yesterday I was floored by the lack of scholarly work forwarded by the ISG. I felt like I was reading a long (marginally written) term paper. Then I remembered it was written for a guy who never attended classes at Yale.

Everythingseemssoneat @ 89

The Iraq Study Group prides itself on rejecting the lessons of history by saying that it doesn’t look back but forward. To me this is a clear indication that they need to return to their studies.

Yeah, I believe we should live in the present moment but this is ridiculous…

Jack

egregious @ 25

The shrike was the model for a character in a scifi book, I want to say Hyperion but haven’t had my coffee yet.

egregious-

True. The Shrike was in the Dan Simmons Hyperion books. Mean SOB if I remember. Impaled folks on a spiked crystal tree which would vibrate at certain frequencies and cause agonizing pain.

Grousefinder-Yes, the president doesn’t care for reading.

Agh. I had a phonecall in the middle of CBS coverage with Levin, didn’t catch it.

Now watching The Chris Matthews’ Show, thankfully covered by David Gregory in Matthews’ absence.

Guests: Mrs. Greenspan and Woodenhead Woodward with useless Katty Kay and some young guy I don’t recognize as yet…Mark somebody? Oh, Mark Mazzetti-NYT.

Agreed…”Be Here Now” only applies to meditation, tripping, backpacking, and commuting. It does not work when the toilet is plugged up and you gotta go!

Bay State Librul @ 97

Grousefinder @ 95

Everythingseemssoneat @ 89 You are so right here. As I read the report yesterday I was floored by the lack of scholarly work forwarded by the ISG. I felt like I was reading a long (marginally written) term paper. Then I remembered it was written for a guy who never attended classes at Yale.

Everythingseemssoneat @ 89

The Iraq Study Group prides itself on rejecting the lessons of history by saying that it doesn’t look back but forward. To me this is a clear indication that they need to return to their studies.

Yeah, I believe we should live in the present moment but this is ridiculous…

Jack

twolf1 @
15

jeffreyw @ 14

…and this is your bass player on drugs.

dang, i was saving that link for friday’s ‘the spin i’m in’

LOL! All that energy and I still couldn’t hear the bass for the marimbas!

O/T, but thought I’d share, from today’s Observer;
“US bugged Diana’s phone on night of death crash”
“The American secret service was bugging Princess Diana’s telephone conversations without the approval of the British security services on the night she died, according to the most comprehensive report on her death, to be published this week….
In a move that raises fresh questions over transatlantic agreements on intelligence-sharing, the surveillance arm of the US has admitted listening to her conversations as she stayed at the Ritz hotel, but failed to notify MI6….
Scotland Yard’s inquiry, published this Thursday, also throws up further intelligence links with the Princess of Wales on the night she died. The driver of the Mercedes, Henri Paul, was in the pay of the French equivalent of M15. Stevens traced 100,000 he had amassed in 14 French bank accounts though no payments have been linked to Diana’s death….”

http://observer.guardian.co.uk…..mp;feed=11

Other than that, nothing to see here, move along now.

Mrs. Greenspan says StateDept — Condi — is pushing back on ISG calls for greater diplomatic effort.

While I think Condi is a useless bag of flesh in shoes worth more than her chemical composition, there’s an element of purpose in the pushback, based on the very points that generally useless Katty Kay makes — who does the StateDept engage? these are militias, not a national entity that are running the country. I don’t think the current crop of yes-men in StateDept have the chops to do this.

selise @ 91

Adie @ 80

scarecrow at 72

last year, one of our kids gave me a cute little “tv-OFF” gadget that just fits in a pocket.
even tried it in one-a those annoying tv-in-every-corner restaurants, & an office with constantly-blaring-tv in the waiting room – amazing! heh

-ere…. give it a try… *g*

is there really such a thing?

YES INDEEDY! Fits flat in yer palm. Takes 3 #2016 lithium batteries. Check in techie-gadget stores & websites, or…

http://www.tvbgone.com
or
info@tvbgone.com

It was a surprise from Santa last year & it’s been so much fun ever since, I just had to change the batteries ;->

p.s., beware innocent-looking white-haired ladies in the local pub, heh.

Newsweek article on how WH invited “critics” in to make it appear Bush listens:

Newsweek: The point of no return

On same page is a “live poll” you can take on the question: “Should the Bush Administration set a firm date for withdrawal?” So far, over 70% say “yes.”

H A P P Y
B I R T H D A Y
R A Y N E !!!

your youtube birthday greeting – representative of all you have inspired in me here at the lake

thanks for the wake up call – many happy returns !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfwetkZVQFc

Mark Mazzetti-NYT earlier made the case that the troops can’t be withdrawn inside 15 months, it’s not possible based on other data, experience…

What f*cking bullsh*t.

We have now been in Iraq longer than WWII. How long did it take us to withdrawn GLOBALLY, apart from Germany and Japan (special cases for actual nation building), after the cessation of hostilities?

to make it appear he listens:

not so much

Durbin said he challenged Bush’s analogy, reminding him that Truman had the NATO alliance behind him and negotiated with his enemies at the United Nations. Durbin said that’s what the Iraq Study Group is recommending that Bush do now — work more with allies and negotiate with adversaries on Iraq

Bush, Durbin said, “reacted very strongly. He got very animated in his response” and emphasized that he was Commander in Chief

http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2006/12/wow.html

cbl — THANK YOU!! Way cool, Rage Against the Machine!! I’m playing it load enough to drown out Woodenhead and Mrs. Greenspan — they look like they are making empty gestures just like Giuliani in the vid. Woohoo!

ummm I don’t understand why Baker is wearing a red tie on Meet The Press and a green tie on Fox .. ?

Hamilton kept the same red tie through both morning programs.

Rayne @
104

Mrs. Greenspan says StateDept — Condi — is pushing back on ISG calls for greater diplomatic effort.

While I think Condi is a useless bag of flesh in shoes worth more than her chemical composition, there’s an element of purpose in the pushback, based on the very points that generally useless Katty Kay makes — who does the StateDept engage? these are militias, not a national entity that are running the country. I don’t think the current crop of yes-men in StateDept have the chops to do this.

That’s why we have to engage Iraq’s neighbors– we have lost credibility and the current admin is not able, but there are envoys and others in the region that do have cred., I think.

What a utter fiasco.

montag @ 90

scarecrow @ 85

Fox: Juan Williams: “Sometimes I just want to scream!” “You guys continue to put down Dean and Pelosi and others who told us this was a mistake . . .” and when are you guys going to acknowledge that [they were right and] we have a problem? Brit Hume’s head about to explode. Cognitive dissonance is breaking out on the right.

Chris Wallace then asks this as a serious question:
“Why not allow the Iraqi’s to just kill each other while we just fight al-Qaeda?”

Is that an argument for withdrawal from Iraq?

Nice counterpoint to all the nerf balls Williams has been throwing Cheney and Rice in interviews on NPR the last few years….

When Wan Williams was on Talk of the Nation I e-mailed NPR at least twice to complain about him. I got mealy mouthed answers from their ombudsman. But Wan is no different from the majority of the yakkers in the MSM. Good to see him show some backbone. Took him long enough.

What do “dirty liberal hippies” do on Sunday mornings?

They watch Face the Nation, Meet the Press, CNN, Fox News, CSPAN, This Week with Georgie, MSNBC/Matthews, and exchange news articles from the Reuters, NYT and WaPo, mixed in with a little DownWithTyranny, and Gilliard.

Radicals.

The new U.S. embassy in Iraq (roughly the size of Vatican City) and the 14 new U.S. military bases were not mentioned even once in the ISG. Not even a passing comment. Let’s face it…we aren’t going anywhere until GW is out of the WH.

It’s all cover for the oil grab. Privitization of Iraq’s oil reserves is actually in the document (albeit in coded language).

angie — funny you should say that. Mrs. Greenspan describes how the inadequate prosecution of this war did not live up to that which neighboring countries expected; in doing such a low-budget, half-assed job, the rift between Shi’a and Sunni across the entire Middle East has been exposed, increasing frictions between each of these countries. No kidding.

Rayne @ 107

Mark Mazzetti-NYT earlier made the case that the troops can’t be withdrawn inside 15 months, it’s not possible based on other data, experience…

What f*cking bullsh*t.

We have now been in Iraq longer than WWII. How long did it take us to withdrawn GLOBALLY, apart from Germany and Japan (special cases for actual nation building), after the cessation of hostilities?

Demobilization continued into 1946. But, we’re talking bringing back people from all over the globe–and there were 12 million people in uniform at the end of WWII. Much of the delay was simply to avoid throwing that many people into the job market at once.

None of those considerations are applicable today. If they wanted to leave the existing equipment for the Iraqis, I would guess they could have them all out in three weeks to a month.

scarecrow @ 114

What do “dirty liberal hippies” do on Sunday mornings?

They watch Face the Nation, Meet the Press, CNN, Fox News, CSPAN, This Week with Georgie, MSNBC/Matthews, and exchange news articles from the Reuters, NYT and WaPo, mixed in with a little DownWithTyranny, and Gilliard.

Radicals.

heh THANKS!
i hope i still qualify, one step removed from actually watching at the moment…but I’m here;->

scarecrow — yeah, how dangerous and subversive to the well-being of this nation, watching mainstream media’s navel gazing while eating bacon and English muffins and scanning the Help Wanted ads…dirty f*cking hippies.

Cripes, I didn’t realize as a kid that DFHs’ had such cellulite, gray hair and a predilection for expensive coffee.

Rayne @ 108

Mark Mazzetti-NYT earlier made the case that the troops can’t be withdrawn inside 15 months, it’s not possible based on other data, experience…

What f*cking bullsh*t.

We have now been in Iraq longer than WWII. How long did it take us to withdrawn GLOBALLY, apart from Germany and Japan (special cases for actual nation building), after the cessation of hostilities?

Saw, him on Chris Mathews, awfully young to be a retired US force commander and to have this great job with NYT. So, where does he get his wisdom – at the water cooler?

Art 120 — Maybe from the same places that Judy Miller did? It crossed my mind he’s an “embed”…

Morning gang — I slept WAY in this morning and am running behind. Eeep. Folks didn’t leave our party last night until way after 11, and Mr. ReddHedd got up with The Peanut today so that I could sleep. New post forthcoming soon as I can chug some coffee…

cbl @
109

to make it appear he listens:

not so much

Durbin said he challenged Bush’s analogy, reminding him that Truman had the NATO alliance behind him and negotiated with his enemies at the United Nations. Durbin said that’s what the Iraq Study Group is recommending that Bush do now — work more with allies and negotiate with adversaries on Iraq

Bush, Durbin said, “reacted very strongly. He got very animated in his response” and emphasized that he was Commander in Chief

http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2006/12/wow.html

Umm, that sounds like very diplomatic language for “came unglued.”

I’ll bet Durbin left that meeting muttering, “WTF?”

Thanks for sharing this link. Excellent.

jeffreyw @
48

A post by soccerdad over at The Left Coaster leaves one with the sense that, yes, it was all about the oil.

Good Morining all from beautiful Topanga Canyon CA,

Christy thanks for the Shriek pic.

This is slightly OT but I heard Greg Palast on our local Air America Station yesterday. He was talking about some as yet undiscussed stuff like the fact that Cheney was ORDERED to Saudi Arabia on Thankgiving for a dressing down by KIng Abdullah and that Baker et al only ask for half the troops to be withdrawn and the embedding is in the Shia milita to keep them controlled for the Saudis. Always thought that the Bushies were in the thrall of the Saudis but I didn’t realise they were running our foreign policy. His Blog is quite stunning – Thought I would pass it on – gregpalast.com/the-baker-boys-stay-half-the-course#more-1549

I’ll bet Durbin left that meeting muttering, “Where’s a Nurse Ratched when you need one?”

Way OT, but this did make me giggle:

FBI, CIA, ATF, etc.

150 years ago President Lincoln found it necessary to hire a private investigator, Alan Pinkerton, for protection. That was the beginning of the Secret Service. Since that time the federal government has spawned a large number of multi-letter agencies such as FBI, CIA, INS, IRS, DEA, BATF, etc.

Now we have the “Federal Air Transportation Airport Security Service.” Can’t you just see them now, these “highly trained” men and women in their black outfits with jackets and caps emblazoned with “F.A.T.A.S.S.?”

The FATASSs are, of course, supervised by a special section of Homeland Security known as “Airport Security Service Home Office Logistics Enhancement Section,” or the A.S.S.H.O.L.E.S.

I feel safer already.

Rayne @
119

Cripes, I didn’t realize as a kid that DFHs’ had such cellulite, gray hair and a predilection for expensive coffee.

heh heh yeah. Happy Birthday Rayne!

it helps when yer kid works at Starb.(!)

ironranger @ 126

I’ll bet Durbin left that meeting muttering, “Where’s a Nurse Ratched when you need one?”

Wonder if Dubya can ride his bike while on thorazine?

Maybe we’ll get the chance to find out….

Good morning firepups -

Happy Birthday Mrs. Rayne : )

Thought the letter from a soldier, who is an interrogator as well, would be far superior to the ISG report for discussion on the sunday head shows.

Found in EPU land…
A Soldier’s Story
by MAJOR BILL EDMONDS

With regard to the shrike, the other reason it kills and impales more than it can eat is to attract mates, demonstrating that its the best hunter on the block. It’s as much ornament as it is survival strategy..

montag @ 129

ironranger @ 126

I’ll bet Durbin left that meeting muttering, “Where’s a Nurse Ratched when you need one?”

Wonder if Dubya can ride his bike while on thorazine?

Maybe we’ll get the chance to find out….

throw in a bagga pretzels & yer on…

not usually a bettin’ gal but…
maybe just this once …

…all falling under the command of Strategic & Tactical Uniformed Patrol Intelligence Division people.

As I read the attacks on the Iraq study group- from both the right and the left- but mostly from the right- I find myself hoping against hope that congress won’t put itself into the business of trying to find a “solution” to Iraq..

Congress has the job of oversight of what the administration is doing- and saying “yes” or “no”..their constitutional power is in the purse..

They need to devote themselves to a candid review of how Clusterfuck is doing on his war- and then decide whether to stop him, praise him, or give him a warning and a little more rope- that’s their job- not talking about their own pet plan for victory…

Of course the 08 candidates have an obligation to tell the US what they will do if elected- but they’d be better off staying flexible for as long as possible- the worst mistake is to outline something that will be a non-starter in six months—

So everyone- SHUT THE FUCK UP- and make CLUSTERFUCK prove that HE has a plan that will work..The ball is in his court- and the worst mistake the dems can make is to take it back into theirs.

NEWS ANALYSIS
Iran looks like the winner of the Iraq war
The Islamic Republic’s clout in the region, confirmed by the Iraq Study Group, could cost the United States.
By Alissa J. Rubin, Times Staff Writer
December 10, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/na…..ines-world

I’m not sure where this metaphor fits, but since we’re in a bird-watching frame this morning, I thought I’d add this:

Our deck (in beautiful SW Portland, OR) overlooks a valley. The raptors in the area perch at the top of the 70 foot tall Douglas Firs and wait. If a crow happens to notice them, it will sound the alarm and within two minutes the raptor will be surrounded with a cloud of cawing, black irritants. The hunter will be driven from the valley and the crows will follow it.

Can somebody more awake than me tie this into politics?

Another favorite winged activity is watching the bats come out at dusk. Since our presence attracts bugs, the bats will literally fly right in front of your nose. Way cool. Nature, go figure.

Bush wants to compare himself to Harry Truman- who lost the Korean War- but escaped part of the blame cause the surrender didn’t happen on his watch–that, boys and girls, is EXACTLY what this asshead is tryin to accomplish..

Can somebody more awake than me tie this into politics?

See any recent story about the Brits in Afghanistan…

t seems that instead of attacking Iraq, the interests of the United States people, but probably not the neo-liberal economic structure, would have been better served by the US adapting to the changing situation and trying to lock up oil contracts like the Chinese have.

The relevance of the US in the world order decreases by the minute. What do we have that the rest of the world can not live without? We have become a bully trying to maintain their dominance by force, having nothing to offer but threats. We are becoming beggars, needing foreign countries to prop up our lifestyle by financing our debt. But with the rising economies of the East, our last reason to be taken seriously, i.e. we buy more crap than anyone else on the planet, no longer holds as much influence as larger consumer populations start to exert their influence.

The fall from the top will be long, hard and painful. Maybe things would have been different if we had tried to be part of the world order instead of trying to control the world. Other than our nuclear arsenal, what leverage do we really have?

This is another reason why pissing away a trillion dollars on war is so stupid – this money could have funded an energy independence Manhatton Project

rwcole @ 137

Bush wants to compare himself to Harry Truman- who lost the Korean War- but escaped part of the blame cause the surrender didn’t happen on his watch–that, boys and girls, is EXACTLY what this asshead is tryin to accomplish..

We lost Korea as well. How many troops are in Korea today on a permanent base, 65K?

ceci @
49

MargaretPOA @ 18

Finally! Some frank and open discussions of Bush’s FAILURES

And from the neocon architects of the invasion of Iraq comes “neo culpa”:

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007
/01/neocons200701

ceci, I followed your link and read the VF story. It’s a mite depressing. It leaves me with the impression that the only way anything might be successfully resolved is to get a group of citizens from each country to sit down together and hash it out, cuz the “experts” are f’ing clueless. I mean clueless.

Do they all live together in the same bubble?

Thanks, Adie, Eureka Springs! Balmy day in Michigan, usually get snow for my birthday; it’s more like early March today, clear windy skies and 40-plus degrees. Nice if unusual present!

Topanga-lib — I think that Palast misses the other undertow going on with the perceived bias towards Saudi family in this respect. Cheney has been drifting towards siding with the Shi’a majority, Sunni minority be damned. But Saudia Arabia is Sunni — as is Osama bin Laden. The current composition of al Qaeda is a mix based on a uniform anti-American sentiment, but if the bloodshed becomes a genocidal bloodbath with Sunni receiving the most casualties, any of the Sunni leadership in al Qaeda may focus on the root cause of the violence (U.S. occupation of Iraq and its support for Saudi royals).

This is going to get ugly, and uglier.

New thread, all. (Sorry for the delay this morning. Guess I really needed the sleep…)

Happy birthday, Rayne! :)

OfT:

One-quarter of the world’s gorillas have died of Ebola fever in the past 12 years. Combined with commercial hunting, this may be an irrecoverable extinction slope.

EXCERPT:

The virus is spreading from one group of the already endangered animals to another, the international team of experts report in this week’s issue of the journal Science. And it appears to be spreading faster than it is among humans.

“The Zaire strain of Ebola virus killed about 5,000 gorillas in our study area alone,” primatologist Magdalena Bermejo of the University of Barcelona in Spain and at the Programme for Conservation and Rational Utilization of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa and colleagues wrote.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is one of the most virulent viruses ever seen, killing between 50 percent and 90 percent of victims. The World Health Organization says that it killed 1,200 people infected between its discovery in 1976 and 2004.

rizbiz – re bats – have you ever played frisbee with bats? at dusk, when they are coming out, throw a frisbee straight up into the air and watch them swoop around investigaing it.

Thanks, Christy!! Hope you got plenty of sleep after all that cooking yesterday!

Happy birthday Rayne. I thought about you last night when we had our first rainfall since, oh, about March. It’s a beautiful thing, is Rayne.y.

Enjoy your day.

Kathryn in MA @ 139

t seems that instead of attacking Iraq, the interests of the United States people, but probably not the neo-liberal economic structure, would have been better served by the US adapting to the changing situation and trying to lock up oil contracts like the Chinese have.

EPU,d atlast. What you said
The relevance of the US in the world order decreases by the minute. What do we have that the rest of the world can not live without? We have become a bully trying to maintain their dominance by force, having nothing to offer but threats. We are becoming beggars, needing foreign countries to prop up our lifestyle by financing our debt. But with the rising economies of the East, our last reason to be taken seriously, i.e. we buy more crap than anyone else on the planet, no longer holds as much influence as larger consumer populations start to exert their influence.

The fall from the top will be long, hard and painful. Maybe things would have been different if we had tried to be part of the world order instead of trying to control the world. Other than our nuclear arsenal, what leverage do we really have?

This is another reason why pissing away a trillion dollars on war is so stupid – this money could have funded an energy independence Manhatton Project

I meant to put epu nota at end aplogis

Kathryn in MA @ 146

rizbiz – re bats – have you ever played frisbee with bats? at dusk, when they are coming out, throw a frisbee straight up into the air and watch them swoop around investigaing it.

When we’re watching bats, its usually in a slightly impaired state, so I don’t think I could throw, then actually catch the frisbee.

All-encompassing advice for the ages from Adie:

p.s., beware innocent-looking white-haired ladies in the local pub, heh.

Hey Mommybrain! Thanks much, and glad to hear you got a little rayne-fall. Heh.

Rayne @ 142

Thanks, Adie, Eureka Springs! Balmy day in Michigan, usually get snow for my birthday; it’s more like early March today, clear windy skies and 40-plus degrees. Nice if unusual present!

Topanga-lib — I think that Palast misses the other undertow going on with the perceived bias towards Saudi family in this respect. Cheney has been drifting towards siding with the Shi’a majority, Sunni minority be damned. But Saudia Arabia is Sunni — as is Osama bin Laden. The current composition of al Qaeda is a mix based on a uniform anti-American sentiment, but if the bloodshed becomes a genocidal bloodbath with Sunni receiving the most casualties, any of the Sunni leadership in al Qaeda may focus on the root cause of the violence (U.S. occupation of Iraq and its support for Saudi royals).

This is going to get ugly, and uglier.

Thanks for the insight – Ugly isn’t the word for it. But then again, Bush wants the second coming.

Didn’t mean to go all Wild Kingdom on you.

I am still chuckling. See, I can’t tolerate the talking heads on television. Thank you all for filling me in so I don’t have to watch.

This morning I found a wonderful marathon on the Discovery Times channel called, Going Tribal. Wonderfully humble Brit. who literally places his life in another curlture’s hands by living with some family in a tribe. Right now he is in Mongolia. Really fascinating. Quite moving in that this is the exact opposite of the ethnocentric blindness, deafness of the current dominionist administration.

scarecrow @
106

Newsweek article on how WH invited “critics” in to make it appear Bush listens:

Newsweek: The point of no return

On same page is a “live poll” you can take on the question: “Should the Bush Administration set a firm date for withdrawal?” So far, over 70% say “yes.”

BTW just voted a few min. ago. Fun. Try it guys ;->