We knew there had to be a good excuse:
In a statement to a committee of the bank's executive board on allegations that he violated bank rules by arranging a hefty five-year pay and promotion package for his girlfriend, Wolfowitz said he had followed the institution's rules as he understood them. He said the effort to oust him is part of a "conscious campaign" to undermine his reform efforts and "derail important programs . . . to aid the poor."
Come on, everyone say it together now….awwwww.
Participants in high level meetings to discuss intelligence on Iraq told me they were startled to hear the deputy secretary of defence invoke his girlfriend: "Shaha says …"
My digestive system found this detail a bit too challenging.
The game plan now seems to be "stall stall stall":
Although the board had expected to make a quick decision about Wolfowitz, it appeared yesterday that the process could continue for several days and perhaps into next week. "There isn't now any sense of a firm deadline," said a source close to one committee member, who agreed to discuss the deliberations on the condition of anonymity.
As of last weekend, a majority of board members favored ending Wolfowitz's tenure, but a number of governments would prefer that he resign so as to avoid a conflict with the Bush administration, which appointed him.
So nobody wants to move too hastily and piss off the boy king? I guess not:
Behind the scenes of the gladiatorial battle that will take place between Paul Wolfowitz and the World Bank Board today are efforts by his lawyer, Robert Bennett, and the Bank staff to negotiate terms of Wolfowitz's departure.
According to some insiders, Wolfowitz wants "some acknowledgment" of the Bank Board's complicity in the messy circumstances surrounding his and Shaha Riza's situation.
Secondly, allegedly on June 1st, Wolfowitz becomes eligible for some large financial bonus — for performance and time on the job. One estimate puts this figure at about $400,000. Wolfowitz wants to make sure those funds are credited to his private bank account before saying farewell to an institution that has come to despise him.
I guess they World Bank isn't exactly crazy about picking up the $5 million a year it costs for Wolfie's security detail.
If the Medal of Freedom only kept Tenet quiet through one election cycle, I say $400,000 is worth about what, a month and a half?
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Jane in effect!
first?
nah…
JANE!
Hello Jane:
Hope this meets you well.
time for Wolfie to comb in from the cold, lickety spit.
punaise @
5
I must be getting slow. Is that a pun or a typo, oh punmeister?
Jane, how dare you pick on Wolfie….he’s only trying to help the poor and disadvantaged.
I mean Gonzales is under attack and we know that he’s in it for the children.
Think of the poor and the children before you destroy these good, good men.
-GSD
Gnome de Plume @ 6
I’ll see if I can dig up the charming photo of him licking his comb.
punaise @ 8
Eeewwww! Must you?
(watch quotes we must -mod)
Go he will but where is the nefarious bastard going to land?
He has too much blood on his hands to fall off the radar.
Must. Stop. Nesting. Comments.
(yes ;-) -mod)
Looks like the chemo is having little effect on Jane’s sense of snark. :)
Great post! The whole world wants its bank back.
I know that Bob Bennett is doing his job, but I am sick and tired of his mouth.
When, oh when will he and his corpulent, degenerate gambler of a brother Dollar Bill just shut the fuck up?
-GSD
I’ll call it Payola or how about Hush money or just old fashioned theft? And what’s with Shaha’s salary being tax-free? How can we get these jobs?
Ah, I get it. I thought it might have to do with his hair. Slightly OT – does it look to anyone that Tenet has had a face lift or some kind of body intervention since he left the gov’t business? Or is he just well made up for his current teevee appearances?
GSD @ 14
From your keyboard to God’s ears.
Gnome de Plume @ 16
against my better judgment, here it is.
The Wolfie flap has crowded out some coverate of the Abu attorney scandal. Probably part of a Repub diversion plan.
punaise @
18
There’s oil in them thar bristles.
-GSD
why does anyone still care what Mr. 28% thinks
Tithonia @
12
Funny, I was just laughing and thinking how chemicals have maintained the fine edge on Jane’s wit.
Nicely done, Jane. Brava.
Oh, and I was also wondering how many defense attorneys and paralegals $400K buys these days…hmm.
Jay @ 15
If you ask me, Shaha earned every cent. There’s NO WAY I would do what she apparently did to get that promotion.
Okay, now I’m gonna be sick.
Harris pollin away came up with this- JARs for various political people:
Reid 22%
Cheney 25%
Bush 28%
Pelosi 30%
Rice 45%
So Condo leads em all!!
I’m begging you regarding the comb jokes..I don’t want to splash my keyboard..
rwcole @ 24
What was the date?
About that $400,000. From the NYTimes today:
I find this man and anything he does despicable.
The World Bank is no justice-seeking force itself, but if its board allows itself to be bullied by the likes of this common pond scum, then they deserve what they get.
It’s all about living off others, isn’t it? It just must be the greatest source of hilarity for all these scuzebags to know that the American taxpayers in one form or another are paying for these assholes to ‘live.’ Security detail indeed.
punaise @ 5
Ewwwww.
OT – CNN – Chimpy to get War Funding Bill at 4PM eastern. He will veto it in private and make a statement at 6:10 PM eastern.
That does it. I’m gonna go close my World Bank account right now. That’ll show them.
Enjoy.
sonate @ 19
Maybe here, but not elsewhere in the world. Beyond the US, this is seen as yet another example of US arrogance. After Wolfowitz came to the bank full of lectures about transparency and cleaning up the act of the bank’s clients, this sure looks like a “fine for me but not for thee” scandal.
And Wolfie’s connections to the Iraq mess only make this more of an issue in the wider world.
the polling data is surprising…..and disappointing.
This may be too nasty but I cannot help myself.
Soon-
Bush will decompensate and be found sucking his thumb and playing with himself while curled in the fetal position in the master bath of the WH. Cheney will finally have the “Big One” while loading his gun for baby quail. Condi will be found wandering the shoe isles of the local Ross Dress for Less. Rove and Jeff Gannon will die together in a love suicide pact. Abu Gonzales will show up for work not knowing he has been out of a job for a week. Laura will try to run over herself with a car. Lynn will finally come out of the closet and try to date Rosie. Rosie will decline. Wolfie will be licking something besides his comb in Federal prison.
And Henry Waxman having spread the chicken feed will have a fine evening meal. Ha! The universe wins again.
MMM
Apparently you need a crowbar to pry them rightwing, neocon types fingers off of the levers of power.
War loser Ehud Olmert is hanging on like Wolfie.
-GSD
“Mr. Wolfowitz, line 1. It’s the World Bank board calling. You been tranferred to the West Bank.”
I love it: a “conscious campaign”. You don’t suppose it could possible to an “unconscious compaign”, do you?
Tex Bets
4/23/07
AZ Dawn @ 37
Did he mean a conscience campaign? */snort
punaise @ 5
LOL. And Jane never disappoints. Hehe.
Texas Betsy @
26
What Harris doesn’t say is how many people know who Reid and Pelosi are.
-GSD
Mary McCurnin – don’t hold back!
Mary McCurnin @ 34
Hope that’s not your real name. Someone please remove that for her.
Ewwww, Punaise, you ruined my day. He probably got tape worm from that lick. (Sorry, too many flea combs in my life.)
punaise @ 36
wicked funny
I’m getting confused. Was Paul’s girlfriend the one in charge of giving out $56 Mil in grants for two years, but hadn’t started yet?
Put him on the left bank- an make him WALK home.
Evidently, we weren’t polled.
Kick his ass to the curb and make him PAY back.
Comb-licking self is just as bad as a*ss-wiping someone else.
ccmask @ 46
From what I read, it was Shaha and a Cheney daughter. Don’t know what the scam is yet. But this is a scam for sure.
ccmask @ 48
No, we were just steered wrong.
We got a bum steer.
Jay @
15
If it involves doing Wolfie, count me out.
Solai @ 51
The LIZ daughter.
Solai @ 51
we need to make DC a scam-free zone
So if the WB opened offices in Iraq, maybe the board should just assign him permanently to that office. With his role in starting the war, making him live there (or he could refuse orders and leave without his $400K ‘bonus’)might be fitting. That and reassigning his duties and authority to senior competent (as in not appointed by him) people at the WB.
Texas Betsy @ 26
Post polls have different results.
It’s an older poll by a couple of weeks, but I’d guess those weeks didn’t make that big a difference (53% JAR for Pelosi).
“Seven foot alligator on Texas freeway ties up traffic and bites a car bumper”
Right near a spot where GW sowed his wild oats. A progeny!
Elliott @ 56
(no more quote nesting on this comment please -mod)
From the UK’s Financial Times:
Pay raises beyond the maximum allowed.
Guaranteed future pay raises.
Promises of multiple promotions.
Veto authority over your overseers.
No disclosure given to the board in charge.
That’s just business as usual for BushCo Industries.
rwcole @ 59
Probably a refugee from Katrina.
On 3/27/03, Wolfowitz, one of the architects of the Iraq war, told a Congressional panel that oil would pay for Iraq’s reconstruction…
And this guys “was” head of the World Bank?
Look, mistakes were made–and will be made by the entire Bush Administration until January 2009. We need a deux ex machina.
Raw Story headline: New doc shows greater White House role in firings: Soon…
Could this be in addition to what Murray Waas disclosed yesterday?
I meant deus ex machina.
BushCo =
Compassionate ConservativesCorrupt CroniesI hope they at least pro-rate his “performance bonus!” Think of how much poverty the World Bank could alleviate with $400,000.
What a joke!
Wordsmith @
28
According to an FT reporter (sorry, I forget his name) who was on TV the other day, the WB board is composed of mid-level bureaucrats who follow their government’s orders. So there must be quite a bit going on behind the scenes.
Biodun @ 64
Sorry, Biodun: machines were broken.
You know how it goes: parts were backordered, emailed invoices were lost, memories were fuzzy . . .
Forgive me Jane for going OT but am desperate to know if any firepups have nexus/lexus access privileges & can access a recent Pebble Beach Company annual corporate report & help me verify the names of recent board members in advance of the May California Coastal Commission meeting?
Heartfelt tanks.
Zee @ 54
In what country was Shaha living when she was drawing her salary?
Jay @
15
Just need to “know” the right people, clearly!
couldn’t someone less creepy looking be involved in a “girlfriend” scandal? please?
It seems that Republicans have complained for a number of years about the sense of “entitlement” that the poor have developed. The truth is that lots of high-ranking Republicans have that sense of entitlement, too. Wolfowitz has circumvented and abused the rules, and he should suffer the consequences just as a rank and file worker would. Fire the SOB and get it over with! Stand up to Bush!
As we know, sex adds juice to a scandal. What the Gonzo scandal needs is sex, sex, sex, then it will gain some legs (so to speak) and Gonzo will be gone just like that. As things stand (so to speak), Wolfie will be gone first.
Waiting around for the golden handshake.
Biodun @ 76
The mind boggles.
Biodun @ 76
Right, but Gonzo also stays as protection. He knows too much.
Biodun @ 76
Maybe his interest in helping the children should be looked into more closely.
rwcole @ 24
Dick Cheney owns Timmeh Harris Polling!
Or maybe they only asked four people – one of whom was Dick Cheney….
TMB @ 75
Absolutely and their welfare entitlement includes private plane trips and five figure annual salaries and bonuses.
From The Hill via TPM Muckraker:
House oversight panel may look past Rice, Tenet in inquiry into uranium
Jane !
btw – somewhere in left blogistan I was reminded he is a married man – separated but still married
now I could give a crap about such things but it sure dovetails with the whole values thingy
PeterK,
as pointed out earlier, they’re holding on to him
1. b/c they don’t want the sunlight that would come with confirmation hearings for his replacement
and 2.
gives goopers ‘distance’ from the Chimp, something they can disagree with him on
newspaperbrat @ 71
newspaperbrat – I got a bite on Hoover’s Company. Looks like maybe a parent company
hmmm – that didn’t work. Timmeh was supposed to be
Timmeh.preview used to be my friend.
I don’t want to pay for his security detail, that’s for sure. He thinks he can concoct a war and then get security from taxpayers? One word, Paraguay.
JF @ 85
Thanks – will see if might pan out. ;~)
newspaperbrat @ 71
I found a list of the executives. Does that help?
Liz (and Dick) Cheney and Shaha Riza are linked through “Reconstruction of Iraq”. This “reconstruction” has been just mostly theft and corruption. Also, when did Wolfie get his divorce (and what about his ex)? Not very family valued. Also note the expensive security to protect this war-monger. From two years ago,
I hope the Board of the World Bank will do the right thing and send Wolfowitz packing. We taxpayers should not be supporting a corrupt scumbag. He’s been feeding at the public trough for too long.
Wolfowitz’s girlfriend, Riza, was born in Tripoli, Libya, to a Libyan father and Syrian-Saudi mother. She grew up in Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. She is a British citizen.
Wolfowitz used to be US Ambassador to Indonesia.
He is currently head of the World Bank.
His father, Jacob Wolfowitz, was a Polish national of Jewish descent whose parents fled to the United States in 1920.
Wolfowitz has always been a global kinda guy.
Bush thinks Wolfowitz made the World Bank realize poverty was a problem. or something equally ridiculous and mouth-opening outrageous
I’ve been looking for the exact quote and the venue, and can’t find it, yet, but I heard it when I heard Bush say Wolfowitz was doing a good job.
Does he really believe himself or does he have peas for brains?
Is the “poor” in the “aid to the poor” Wolfowitz is referring to his girlfriend?
But what does the law say? Is it legal to put your girlfried in position that pays more than secretary of state with a contract we all would die for? Is it legal? If it is, he comes from a position of being able to bargain. Seems to me that if it is illegal, he should go now without his bonus.
PeterK @ 79 – so you’re saying Gonzo is Bush’s condom ?
RawStory is reporting another doc-dump.
And, Bush to address nation tonight.
I think American anger is going to boil over soon.
“Peas for brains”
Pretty insulting thing to say about an otherwise agreeable vegetable.
Elliott:
Bush made those poverty remarks early Monday. Check the NYTimes.com.
Newpaperbrat @ 71
http://www.pebblebeach.com/pag…..nior_Staff
whole list of execs here? good luck.
OT – on c-span3 now:
the senate intelligence committee has a hearing on, “Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Modernization“
from c-span:
cbl, this morning, had some good background here. sounds like it could be important.
Solai @ 97
What does he possibly have to say that we want to hear?
America’s gonna be pissed if he interrupts American Idol!!!
Solai — Bush wants to be impeached so he can tell himself he didn’t “Cut and Run.”
PeterK @ 73
right on target, the typo notwithstanding
Diane @ 96
707!
Rocket Scientist @ 104
Is your name a reflection of your job?
Loo Hoo @ 87
Is that paraguay ranch gonna be a Dubai development in the jungle, Sanctuary Acres?
Biodun @ 99
Oh thank you!
Understand that the University of Paraguay is down at the ranch planting brush.
Rocket Scientist @ 104
No typo–it’s right there in the Good Book :-)
(no further nesting please -mod)
senator jay rockefeller giving his opening statement…
ripping the administration for not providing (even yet) info on the nsa spying (he doesn’t call it that) on americans program.
this bill, from the administration, before us now will prevent us citizens from taking legal actions against the administration charging improper surveillance.
selise @ 111
thanks for the heads up
Biodun @
76
Given how repressed the Regent University crowd is, it would not surprise me if this other shoe drops.
With regard to Wofie, if he is as concerned about the poor as he claims to be, he won’t mind foregoing the $400,000.
Otherwise, STFU.
JF @
102
When are we going to write mountains of letters?
senate intelligence committee hearing -
i won’t be able to live blog, but so far it sounds like it will be very important… so, i’ll try to post the audio later…
i’m so hoping that feingold is there today.
Loo Hoo @
87
Paraguay: Historically, where out-of-power fascists go to retire.
If there’s a sex scandal among the Regency crowd- it’ll be strange—involving holy water, hymnals, and statutes of the saints.
OT – from CNN
IRT NSA- I read long ago that the Clinton Adm. was working on some program that would record all phone calls (numbers) but would have them encrypted to protect privacy. Then if a warrant were issued, the info would be there. They were working on a way to retain info WITHIN the law. But I haven’t heard anything lately. Anyone else?
Sure, Wolfie gives his girlfriend a fat tax-free payraise and an unmonitored $56M fund at State…
As always, just like Randy ToBuyAss, when it comes scandals involving sex the Rupublicans have to pay for it.
JF @ 118
Wonder where that idea came from!!??!!
“people with no power want to have power”
Well that makes sense- the hungry wanna eat too!
JF @
118
Shadowy Iraq office accused of sectarian agenda
kdh22 @ 121
Sounds like the Office of Special Plans on Steroids.
New Video To Be Played After Bush Vetos
Link
Solai @
119
WITHIN the law…so 20th Century
found it!
[my bold]
Voice of America
CSpan 3 has Hearing on updating FISA with
Jay Rockefeller Kit Bond and Michael McConnell
ah … so they just noticed the involvement of SCIRI in the IRaqi government? Gosh, George could have told them since he had the SCIRI head over to the WH for a little face time …
Latest FaBlog — “Mission Accomplished”: The Musical
And, Bush to address nation tonight.
Maybe Rupert should just turn over one of his TV netweorks to the Idiot-in-Chief. He could broadcast 24 hours per day, like that preacher from Pasadena (?).
Think of the money that could be saved. No more of those espensive trips on AF1 – they could just hire a cast of shiny-faced people to stand behind him and smile and clap.
Wardrobe costs – low. Just give ‘em the uniforms of the various branches of the military to change into and rotate them between prezzy speeches…
Wolfowitz puts the face to a cootie
do-si-do @
100
Thanks but PBC wouldn’t dream of having any staff – including executive staff on their Board – not enough power or wealth and Republican enough unlike Peter Uberoff and Eastwood – and well connected CEO types, i.e. members of the Fortune 500 who are all Republicans or best friends with Govenator Ahnold.
What is laughable about the alleged demands for $400,000 as payola to leave the Bank is that if Wolfowitz regards his presence at the Bank so highly, why is he willing to settle for so little money?
Ferchrissake, a good hedge fund manager makes that kind of money between his Starbucks breakfast and Four Seasons lunch.
From the Banks point of view of course, this is nothing more than greenmail, and I would not give him an effing cent.
Just on principle, were on the governing board, I would argue for canning the bastard with just enough money to get out of town.
Pelosi and Reid live on CNN…
signing war funding bill
Oh I see. After all, Shaha was born in a Palestinian slum in southern Lebanon. And Wolfie will soon be homeless too, doncha know, if he doesn’t get that $400K payout.
That Chimp cleared it all up.
twolf1 @ 135
THANKS – our miserable cable company is marring the sound feed – but Reid is coming thru loud and clear….ooops – spoke too soon.
NPB @ 133
Oh sorry! I only got as far as Ueberroth at Coca Cola and then found the staff…my bad. Interesting that this isn’t so easily found on the toobz.
re: propsed changes to FISa
McConnell: “There were Gaps…” in the communication.
New Rule: Stop Acknowleging Stuff We Already Know as an excuse.
do-si-do @ 138
Bless you for your kind efforts. For the whole sordid history of Dirty Harry’s determination to destory the last old growth Monterey Pine forest still standing on the Pacific coast google Concerned Citizens of Pebble Beach and Monterey County.
Ugh…I wandered over to Faux news and some “reporter” is saying “word on the Hill” is that Dems would back down and agree to benchmarks without deadlines, but the Dems right now are being “driven by the antiwar left”…but when the Dems compromise, “this loggerhead which has been going on for weeks now, will be over.”
BARF
I know this is a big moment in changing the war tide. But am a bit sad because of the use of “change the course” by Leader Reid does not in any way mean an end to this nightmare.
Bush is a fool for vetoing this bill..its far more of an extension of the occupation than anything else, imo.
Hugh! If you are out there I sure would like to hear your thoughts on this bill.
“Participants in high level meetings to discuss intelligence on Iraq told me they were startled to hear the deputy secretary of defence invoke his girlfriend: “Shaha says …”
I wasn’t aware of this. It shows that Wolfie regularly engaged in conversations on classified materials with a person whom did not have a security clearance.
This is a massive breach of security protocol, as well as a violation of several Federal laws.
Ghostman
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/arbitn.fin.htm
“To recapitulate, one who occupies a position of employment within the federal government that carries significant authority pursuant to the laws of the United States is required to be an officer of the United States, and therefore to be appointed pursuant to the Appointments Clause.”
Goodling/Sampson?????
do-si-do @ 141
[my bold]
the latest meme by the Repubs in a lame attempt to neutralize the voices of the reasonables.
do-si-do @ 141
The “anti-war left” 60-some percent of the country.
Ghostman @
143
The Shaha’s hit the fan … (channeling punaise)
do-si-do @ 141
Yeah, I saw that, too. Turned it off & put radio on- Air America helps heal the microscopic beginnings of brain rot that even a couple mins. of FoxOpinion channel causes…
I was too late to post this below, but it isn’t too ot (applies to wolfie, too)
NYT editorial on Law Day:
“As long as there was a national consensus about the importance of the rule of law, Law Day felt superfluous, like celebrating gravity. But for six years now, the rule of law has been under attack. An array of doctrines has emerged to undermine it, like the enemy combatant doctrine, which says people can be held indefinitely without trial, and the unitary executive doctrine, which insists that a president can do as he wants in many areas, no matter what Congress says.
I suggest they pay Wolfie the $400K, and deposit in a bank in Baghdad about 15 miles from the gate to the Green Zone. He has to walk to the bank and pick the money up himself – no wire transfers. No body armor, no personal weapon. He has to leave the Green Zone without his $5 million per year security detail. But every time an Iraqi greets him on the street with a bouquet of flowers, he can use his cell phone to add a person to his security detail. Oh yeah – Chalabi with flowers doesn’t count.
Ed*ard Teller @ 150
Nice one ET
And all his pay should be in Iraqi currency.
Elliott @ 145
i’m all for calling for OUT NOW! – then we in the “anti-war left” make the dems in congress look like they’re taking the center position – which they are.
Ed*ard Teller @ 150
ET–you have a genius for making the punishment fit the crime! Love it.
rwcole @ 117
Well I didn’t know saints had statutes but when I first read this my guess was for vibrating statues. ;o)
Biodun @ 76
Wolfie will be gone first because the bank board can fire him. In Gonzo’s case, it has to get past Bush’s stubbornness, which is even stronger than his political self-interest. Showing up in the Pamela Martin black book (illegal sex) might be enough to push Gonzo out, but mere unethical behavior with a girlfriend wouldn’t be enough.
just got back, don’t know if this is posted yet but man it looks like reid frequents the lake and uses what we post.
I could have posted the following, the only differance is I was hoping the first feamle president, (pelosi) would deliver it;
Mr. President, last Thursday a bipartisan majority of the Senate passed H.R. 1591, the Fiscal Year 2007 Emergency Supplemental Funding conference report.
This bill will be sent to the President’s desk tomorrow. I strongly encourage him to set aside his veto threats and sign this bill.
Our conference report honors and provides for our courageous men and women in uniform.
It addresses the emergencies Americans face at home while the war in Iraq rages.
And it makes our country more secure by charting a new course in Iraq so that we can return our focus to the global challenges that lie ahead.
This is a good and responsible bill. It will begin the long process of leading us out of a war that has cost us so many American lives and so much treasure.
It not only represents the will of Congress — but also the will of the American people who call for a new course – and the expertise of military experts who tell us this war can only be won politically, not militarily.
Regrettably, President Bush declared he would veto this bill even before Congress had completed action on it. As conditions on the ground continue to deteriorate, that position has become increasingly isolated.
In the face of this continued deterioration, this Congress stands with firm resolve. We ask the President to listen to Congress – to the American people – and to his own military experts.
President Bush requested $91.5 billion for continued military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. We provided every penny of that request and more.
We provided funds for emergencies here at home — such as rebuilding the Gulf Coast, recovering from agricultural disasters, repairing gaps in homeland security, and keeping children healthy and insured.
And most importantly, we provided a way forward to end the war in Iraq responsibly.
This way forward is consistent with what our military leaders are telling us, including General Petraeus — who repeated again last week that this war can only be won politically, not militarily. Our plan:
Immediately transitions the U.S. mission away from policing a civil war
Begins the phased redeployment of our troops no later than October 1, 2007 with a goal of removing all combat forces by April 1, 2008
Imposes tangible, measurable and achievable benchmarks on the Iraqi government;
Launches the kind of diplomatic, economic and political offensive that the president’s strategy lacks;
And rebuilds our overburdened military.
Today we renew our call to President Bush:
There is still time to listen.
There is still time to come to grips with the facts on the streets of Baghdad and throughout Iraq.
There is still time to sign this bill and change course in Iraq.
In just the four days since we passed the conference report, new facts have come to light that make our call for a new direction even more urgent:
This weekend the U.S. death toll in Iraq passed 100 for April — making it the deadliest month of the year and one of the deadliest of the entire war.
That bears repeating: despite the President’s claims of progress – this has been one of the deadliest months of this four year war.
Also this weekend, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction released his quarterly report that paints a dispiriting picture of our $20 billion rebuilding efforts.
The report concludes that our rebuilding efforts are falling far short of their targets. As a result, after more than fours years of these efforts, Iraq is – quote — “plagued by power outages, inadequate oil production, and shortages of clean water and health care.”
The report tells us that despite spending more than three quarters of our allocated funds to increase electricity production, Iraq’s power grid now produces less electricity than before the invasion -
– With Baghdad averaging just 6.5 hours of electricity per day, down from almost 24 hours before the war.
The report tells us that despite spending nearly 2 billion American dollars, our efforts to provide Iraqis with clean drinking water are falling miserably short.
And the report tells us that oil production – a critical component of any future stable Iraq economy – is still off target levels as well.
President Bush continues to ask for our patience and continues to boast of progress. But this report gives us no reason to believe that conditions for the Iraqi people are improving any more than they are for our troops.
This morning the Washington Post reported that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is behind the removal and disruption of duty of some of the Iraqi army and police force’s top law enforcement officials -
– And the apparent reason for their dismissal — they were doing too good a job of combating violent Shiite militias.
This has – quote – “angered U.S. and Iraqi leaders who say the Shiite-led government is sabotaging the military to achieve sectarian goals –”
And it is yet another reason for us to seriously question whether the Iraqi government has the ability or even desire to make the political compromises that are so essential to ending this conflict.
Finally this weekend, the Portland, Maine Press Herald published an editorial.
They wrote – quote – “It is time to bring our troops home from Iraq. This stand represents a shift in the newspaper’s editorial position. Until now, we have supported the military mission in Iraq, though at time we have been harshly critical of President Bush in his role as commander in chief. Now, it is our opinion that major U.S. military operations should cease…”
Mr. President, it seems as though every day new facts emerge that give us ever greater insight into the astonishing disaster unfolding in Iraq.
In just four days since the Senate passed the supplemental conference report, the four grim new facts I just mentioned have emerged – and this is only the latest.
If the President wonders why the American people have lost patience, it is because the news out of Iraq grows worse by the day.
When we send the supplemental conference report to President Bush tomorrow, we ask that he take some time to reflect on that somber fact.
We ask him again to listen to the American people and his own military experts.
We ask that he finally summon the courage to admit his mistakes and take the steps we propose to begin to heal the grave wounds he has caused.
This bill gives him a path forward. We ask him to follow it.
Oversight Committee hearing:
Kenneth Waistein, Ass’t Attn General just say
paraphrasing
I can’t tell you because it would tip off our advisaries to what we are doing.
I swear, that’s what I heard him say.
Anyone seen the 8.8 Billion?
Anyone?
Cash, too, wasn’t it?
do-si-do @ 141
The more often they want to repeat that anyone who’s against the war belongs not only in the Democratic Party, but on the far side of the Democratic Party, the better!
STTP in Ohio @ 158
Yep. Is there any other time outside of an action movie that the phrase “pallets of cash” has been used?
STTP in Ohio @
158
That’s how much the flowers cost for the victory party. Oh, wait. They canceled the victory party. Or was it postponed?
FYI, new thread
I’m just saying…don’t these people realize that these old hippie-left nutwing people are Listening? We can (and are) reading the doc dumps. We are listening to these hearings. Why? Because we can. And because we care.
rwcole @
117
Holy hymen, batman.
Solai @ 23
My thoughts exactly. ewwwwww
sofistic @ 164
707!
This “stall” seems well orchestrated, what are they waiting on, the next 9-11? Do they think there’s a new disaster impending that will save their political arses like the last time?
Watch out for SOMETHING soon, and don’t be surprised if Iran takes the blame, the White House house of cards is falling down all around them, and they grow more desperate with every new scandal.
Whatever form it takes, they no doubt already have all the new cards dealt to all the old players, just waiting for that refreshing disaster to make us all fearful and compliant once again.
dmoore @ 157
expect that a lot more often as Bush’s Pandora’s Box gets jacked open…
Diane @ 96
I guess–but I don’t quite know who would be wearing him (it) (took a while to answer this one…)
Wordsmith @ 28
thunder downunder @ 170
Let’s not discount another possibility realted to the 400K – severance. Under many CEO-level contracts, a CEO can be terminated “with cause” for engagimng in “conflict of interest” or similar behaviour. It may be as simple as Wolfowitz gets his severance if he resigns without the conflict charges becoming “official.”
At this stage, he may understand the gig is up, but he’s furiously trying to protect his 400K and severance.
Something to consider…
heavy into EPU territory but after reading that post, I just want to scream-
AND THEY CLAIM THEY HOLD FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE~ They can’t control their own urges, their own greed and they can’t own up to mistakes of any kind~wants the Board to shoulder some blame indeed.
I want grown ups not spoiled brats in charge~
sigh
end rant
Jay @
15
All Bank and Fund employees get paid tax free. I was a contractor at IMF and we all were trying to get hire as “permanent members” so we could get paid tax free, amongst other perks.
yuh, these people have no sense of decency, the dude gets caught padding his mistress’ bank acct and he wants some kind of slap on the wrist: no, no….bad boy.
oh the pox on him! The wolfowitzes of the Bush Admin. just don’t want to rules of propriety to be applied to them, nevermind the rule of law.
I liked how the bank wouldn’t let his attorney speak for him, hahahaha….. He was trying to again bully his way around a situation, is that why the bank’s people loathe him, yeah maybe.