ZED!

I think I’m just as surprised that the group was even allowed to speak with “Dear Leader” to begin with… he really is in a bubble these days.

Zed?

Some Thoughts on Censure:

http://freewayblogger.blogspot…..egory.html

A Tale from the Navajo.

Until the Repub Congresspersons and Senators publicly break with the White House, they’re all still rotten bastards.

Each and every one.

love it Teddy. thanks for that.

for clarity’s sake you might want to change the one line to “why is Karl Rove treating your caucus members like he treated Sheryl Crow?”

Karl Rove needs to meet up with Jim Webb in a dark alley ……

OT, but for a fun time check out the responses to Richard Perle’s drivel in today’s WaPo.

Your sides will hurt from laughter. Come to think of it, I’ll bet the article has side spitting humor as well- personally I can’t read their self serving tripe anymore.

scarlet p. @ 4

Some Thoughts on Censure:

http://freewayblogger.blogspot…..egory.html

A Tale from the Navajo.

i love this story, too, SP. you give good signage ……..

Greg Sargent has a list of the Gang of Eleven, and their minder Boehner. All voted against the 50/50 Supplemental. Is your Congresscritter on this list? If so, please ask the point of the meeting in the solarium: ending the war or surviving 11/08?

Charles W. Dent, Pennsylvania
Tom Davis, Virginia
Ray LaHood, Illinois
John Boehner, Ohio
Fred Upton, Michigan
Mark Kirk, Illinois
Jim Gerlach, Pennsylvania
James T. Walsh, New York
Jo Ann Emerson, Missouri
Jim Ramstad, Minnesota
Mike Castle, Delaware
Todd Platts, Pennsylvania

Anybody know who the other two or three are?

look at silly perris, I know what teh “FITZ” was about, but what is a “ZED”?

Too bad the Congresspeople weren’t United States Attorneys. Then Rove could just replace them with Bushie Cronies.

perris @ 10

look at silly perris, I know what teh “FITZ” was about, but what is a “ZED”?

A rather new tradition, based on a mis-understanding of ZERO as ZED, since the first commenter sees the number 0 in the graybar area, at least until a full f5 refresh. Sometimes, ZED commentary (and sulking, for those not-ZED) infects the thread over-much.

Oh good, TeddySanFran. It’s working again here at the lake.

Really good post, and that photo is enough to make me lose my lunch. Will nobody stand up to Karl Rove?

TeddySanFran @ 12

perris @ 10

look at silly perris, I know what teh “FITZ” was about, but what is a “ZED”?

A rather new tradition, based on a mis-understanding of ZERO as ZED, since the first commenter sees the number 0 in the graybar area, at least until a full f5 refresh. Sometimes, ZED commentary (and sulking, for those not-ZED) infects the thread over-much.

muchos grasiementado

From me to you, Mr. John B.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ORM-bqag1E

I’m glad nobody ever had the opportunity to take a picture of me looking like that.

Liberty Lover @ 11

Too bad the Congresspeople weren’t United States Attorneys. Then Rove could just replace them with Bushie Cronies.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see some Rove-generated primary opposition to these “moderates” who sniped at Dear Leader. Snow and others continue to try to downplay this meeting, saying that the President hears contrary opinions on the war “all the time.” I liked the shouted question to Snow yesterday from the CBS correspondent: “When’s the last time the President heard from Maxine Waters?” As if.

It’s not Hugh Scott and Barry Goldwater bringing the dire news to Nixon in August 1974, but this bubble-busting meeting will be remembered. I find two aspects striking: Boehner was there and Cheney was overseas. Betcha BigTime thinks twice before he leaves town again!

Perhaps this gang of 11 were just some boy scouts who needed a pep talk from the den mother?

So hoist up the John B’s sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the Captain it’s shore
Let me go home, let me go home
I wanna go home, let me go home
Why don’t you let me go home

Who knew there were so many opportunities for such a terrific tan, being from Ohio? Boehner’s a walking alligator bag.

TSF!

I’m delurking for this story. I know the Constitution doesn’t mean crap to the WH but if I were LaHood, I would remind Rove that Congress and the Executive are co-equal branches of the government Rove is a butt boy not the President. And tell him to shove his head up his ass.

I’ll go back to where I’ve come from now. Thanks for this article.

TeddySanFran @ 20

Who knew there were so many opportunities for such a terrific tan, being from Ohio? Boehner’s a walking alligator bag.

That explains why he’s been seen rolling his victims in the mud at the bottom of the Potomac.

do-si-do @ 18

Perhaps this gang of 11 were just some boy scouts who needed a pep talk from the den mother?

I think there was a bait-and-switch on the purpose of the meeting. I doubt Boehner would have let them go had he known what they’d planned to say. And I think they were pretty candid, from their own reports. Rove’s anger indicates the WH was unprepared — something Dear Leader hates.

On the other hand, the “moderates” can now claim daylight between themselves and Dear Leader — although is there daylight between Dear Leader and Leader Boehner? That’s the question I want asked.

Boehner’s been so very busy. He’s the one was getting cozy with HoJo on a Cspan discussion re “bipartisanship”…blech.

Bipartisanship is just french for continue to capitulate.

welcome gchaucer2!

hope you have a good day and a good knight!

gchaucer2 @ 22

I’m delurking for this story. I know the Constitution doesn’t mean crap to the WH but if I were LaHood, I would remind Rove that Congress and the Executive are co-equal branches of the government Rove is a butt boy not the President. And tell him to shove his head up his ass.

I’ll go back to where I’ve come from now. Thanks for this article.

You’re welcome! Once you’ve de-lurked, you can never really go back. Please don’t be a stranger; your voice is unique and welcome.

Leader Boehner, if the meeting was “very healthy,” why is Karl Rove treating your caucus members like Sheryl Crow?

Because Rove only knows one dance.. The lock-step.

do-si-do @ 18

Perhaps this gang of 11 were just some boy scouts who needed a pep talk from the den mother?

has the ring of truth to it. den mothers are for cub scouts though, and bonehead is their hall monitor…

Sadly it was only a mistake, but it was a GLORIOUS mistake…
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvn….._58889.asp

Jonathan Weisman: I mentioned that in my story this morning as well. Apparently, Karl Rove really chewed out Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who organized the get-together. I talked to one of the 11 who was really upset about it. Instead of the White House using the news to say, see, the president isn’t in a bubble, he can take criticism, they apparently tried to shut it down.

Teddy, Thanks for the correct number of Republicans attending the meeting in the solarium. Fourteen.

I like the fact that Tony Snow said that this is not a Nixon type moment.

Think they’re nervous or anything???????

TeddySanFran @ 24

do-si-do @ 18

Perhaps this gang of 11 were just some boy scouts who needed a pep talk from the den mother?

I think there was a bait-and-switch on the purpose of the meeting. I doubt Boehner would have let them go had he known what they’d planned to say. And I think they were pretty candid, from their own reports. Rove’s anger indicates the WH was unprepared — something Dear Leader hates.

On the other hand, the “moderates” can now claim daylight between themselves and Dear Leader — although is there daylight between Dear Leader and Leader Boehner? That’s the question I want asked.

Oh! Now that makes sense and explains a lot! thanks

TeddySanFran @ 27

gchaucer2 @ 22

I’m delurking for this story. I know the Constitution doesn’t mean crap to the WH but if I were LaHood, I would remind Rove that Congress and the Executive are co-equal branches of the government Rove is a butt boy not the President. And tell him to shove his head up his ass.

I’ll go back to where I’ve come from now. Thanks for this article.

You’re welcome! Once you’ve de-lurked, you can never really go back. Please don’t be a stranger; your voice is unique and welcome.

Especially if you’ve collected some more of those great stories since the 1390s.

Gawsh! That picture of Boehner always gives me the creeps.
LaHood was on C-Span this am. He sounded extremely defensive. The President Always listens to other people’s views, he said. Made me spew coffee.
He also said that the aides Did Not Go Off on him and the other guy (forget his name right now). Again, spew. Liar, liar. When asked about who leaked the info re the meeting, he was trying to hedge…well no one called any journalists. When pressed, he admited that Tim Russert had iniated the call. See How They Lie!

Nice post, TeddySF — I guess Rove only serves the people, and mod-Repubs aren’t people. How touching.

They called them moderates because they couldn’t say Bush was mugged by a gang of conservatives, even though (a) that’s what happened and (b) conservative Goopers are also endangered in 2008.

kirk murphy@26
teddySanFran@27

Thanks for the welcome. I’m here every day but usually too enraged to write a comment. It is easier when it is Republican on Republican.

And kirk — nice pun.

D. Moore @ 34

Gawsh! That picture of Boehner always gives me the creeps.
LaHood was on C-Span this am. He sounded extremely defensive. The President Always listens to other people’s views, he said. Made me spew coffee.
He also said that the aides Did Not Go Off on him and the other guy (forget his name right now). Again, spew. Liar, liar. When asked about who leaked the info re the meeting, he was trying to hedge…well no one called any journalists. When pressed, he admited that Tim Russert had iniated the call. See How They Lie!

Aha! My friend Tim does make calls!

D. Moore @ 34

Gawsh! That picture of Boehner always gives me the creeps.
LaHood was on C-Span this am. He sounded extremely defensive. The President Always listens to other people’s views, he said. Made me spew coffee.
He also said that the aides Did Not Go Off on him and the other guy (forget his name right now). Again, spew. Liar, liar. When asked about who leaked the info re the meeting, he was trying to hedge…well no one called any journalists. When pressed, he admited that Tim Russert had iniated the call. See How They Lie!

This has to be a LIE — we know Russert’s phone works for inbound calls only!

The fact that timmeh broke the story makes me feel…manipulated. It doesn’t matter if he made the call or the other way. He’s part of the machine.

TeddySanFran @ 24

do-si-do @ 18

Perhaps this gang of 11 were just some boy scouts who needed a pep talk from the den mother?

I think there was a bait-and-switch on the purpose of the meeting. I doubt Boehner would have let them go had he known what they’d planned to say. And I think they were pretty candid, from their own reports. Rove’s anger indicates the WH was unprepared — something Dear Leader hates.

On the other hand, the “moderates” can now claim daylight between themselves and Dear Leader — although is there daylight between Dear Leader and Leader Boehner? That’s the question I want asked.

on the other hand Boehner may have known how cantankerous they were getting and brought them in for a woodshedding by
Mr. Chubby.

AP – From an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, Vice President Dick Cheney warned Iran on Friday the U.S. and its allies will keep it from restricting sea traffic as well as from developing nuclear weapons.

Well, I guess now’s as good a time to remind ourselves of the wit and wisdom of Karl Rove:

“We will f**k him. Do you hear me? We will f**k him. We will ruin him. Like no one has ever f**ked him.”

EvilDrPuma @ 33

I’ve a ton of tales but difficult finding a decent Middle English translator these days.

Terry whatisname, the rw flick on CNN tells Wolf that if the Iraq parliament goes on vacation without meeting the benchmarks, that would be a serious problem for Republicans.

Where does one go on vacation in Iraq?

Oklahoma kiddo @ 42

AP – From an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, Vice President Dick Cheney warned Iran on Friday the U.S. and its allies will keep it from restricting sea traffic as well as from developing nuclear weapons.

Cheney’s a big man when he has a carrier group backing him up. Let’s see him go to Tehran and say that.

Did anyone see the James Spader/Boston Law clip on C&L? Guantanamo by the Bay. It was quite an uplifting TGIF moment for me.

An especial welcome for you, gchaucer2! :)

gchaucer2 @ 37

kirk murphy@26
teddySanFran@27

Thanks for the welcome. I’m here every day but usually too enraged to write a comment. It is easier when it is Republican on Republican.

And kirk — nice pun.

Don’t get too enraged. They make you a poster.

Maybe Cheney called Russert after he heard about the meeting?

Dick Cheney controls Tim Russert.

This has to be a LIE — we know Russert’s phone works for inbound calls only!

Har har. Maybe he was shamed by the Bill Moyers interview. Saw how real journalists seek out information.

Nah! I think you’re right. It was a LIE.

gchaucer2 @ 44

EvilDrPuma @ 33

I’ve a ton of tales but difficult finding a decent Middle English translator these days.

That’s the beauty of it. Just write ‘em down and let the English Lit grad students sort ‘em out.

Scarecrow @ 45

Terry whatisname, the rw flick on CNN tells Wolf that if the Iraq parliament goes on vacation without meeting the benchmarks, that would be a serious problem for Republicans.

Where does on go on vacation in Iraq?

Dubai, Paris, London

Scarecrow @ 45

Terry whatisname, the rw flick on CNN tells Wolf that if the Iraq parliament goes on vacation without meeting the benchmarks, that would be a serious problem for Republicans.

Where does on go on vacation in Iraq?

Iran. Of course.

From CSPAN Washington Journal this AM Lahood took the dance lesson well. Two-stepped right to neocon warmonger with a sweet dispostion.

“See. The President listens to all kinds of advice.” was prominent in his reversion to ‘nothing to see here…move along’ rhetoric.

Oh. And he sure wasn’t a ‘moderate’ when with the majority:
(This may be in the links Teddy cites…)
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/…..suspended/

>LaHood Admits He Was ‘Playing Politics’ When He Asked For Intel Staffer To Be Suspended

This week, on the request of Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL), Intelligence Chairman Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) suspended a Democratic staffer’s access to classified information. Hoekstra said the suspension would remain in place pending a review to determine if that staffer leaked a classified National Intelligence Estimate to the New York Times.

Today on Fox News, LaHood said, “I’ll tell you why I did it. The reason I did it was because Jane Harman released the Duke Cunningham — who sat on our Intelligence committee — report.” That report, which detailed the misconduct of Cunningham, who is now serving a jail term, was not classified.

A Fox anchor asked, “So, it’s payback?” LaHood responded, “There are some of us on the other side who can equally play politics, and I’m not afraid to do it.”

——
Good job, Teddy. Especially getting in the WaPo chat. I haven’t even gotten to read the buggers yet.

edit: Lahood is not on the current House Intell Committee roster. Wonder why?

gchaucer2 @ 37

kirk murphy@26
teddySanFran@27

Thanks for the welcome. I’m here every day but usually too enraged to write a comment. It is easier when it is Republican on Republican.

And kirk — nice pun.

and a good wife in your bath ….

I know I’m late but

TSF, you hit this one out of the park! great post

fahrender @ 55

and a good wife in your bath ….

Varlet!

Scarecrow @ 45

Where does one go on vacation in Iraq?

Well, the parlimentary folks may stay at home, having some pressing home improvements projects nagging?

Scarecrow @ 45

Terry whatisname, the rw flick on CNN tells Wolf that if the Iraq parliament goes on vacation without meeting the benchmarks, that would be a serious problem for Republicans.

Where does one go on vacation in Iraq?

This whole Iraq parliament story has got my interests perked, big time. Always looking for that Ticket to bring GWB down. If the Security Council of the UN approved, and the caveat was that the US would have to leave if the Iraquis wanted (US) to, and we were part of that approval, wouldn’t that mean SOMETHING?
Isn’t Dubai near Iraq? I hear that’s quite the resort spot.

Thanks, Teddy – the “solarium” setting paints a picture… And thanks to Jonathan Weisman for enlightening us with some straight goods this time.

Speaking of enlightening, this May 10 press release from Dennis Kucinich about the state of affairs in Iraq has very valuable detail, and an important overview of the mostly-hidden driving force behind the Bush “surge”:

“There has been a broad deception about the content of the hydrocarbon law, a deception which has taken in members of Congress and the media. Misdescribed tactically as a revenue sharing plan, it is in fact a radical plan to privatize Iraq’s oil.

“The law before the Iraq Parliament contains 3 vague lines about revenue sharing and 33 solid pages of a complex legal restructuring, facilitating the privatization of Iraq’s oil resources. The sharing will not be 1/3 of 100%. The sharing is more likely to be 1/3 of 20% at most, after private oil interests take their cut. The stage is being set for theft on a historic scale.

“Iraq may have as much as 300 billion barrels of oil to be tapped. At a market value of $70 a barrel, the value of its oil may approach $21 trillion.

“In the past twenty four hours the Vice President made an extraordinary trip to Baghdad to urge the Iraqi Parliament to stay in session to pass a “hydrocarbon law” which provides for “revenue sharing.” Today, President Bush explicitly mentioned that he could come to an agreement if it included a benchmark for “sharing oil reserves.” This is the tone of the legislation which the House passed tonight.

“The legislative debate between the Congressional Democrats and the Republicans misses the point of the key issue regarding the invasion, occupation and long term US presence in Iraq – - oil.

“The attempted theft of the oil assets of Iraq under the guise of a plan to end the war will keep the war going long into the future.

“This is the time to be taking steps to end the U.S. occupation, stabilize Iraq, and give Iraqis full control of their oil assets.”

http://kucinich.house.gov/News…..ntID=64901

Boston1775 @ 38

D. Moore @ 34

Gawsh! That picture of Boehner always gives me the creeps.
LaHood was on C-Span this am. He sounded extremely defensive. The President Always listens to other people’s views, he said. Made me spew coffee.
He also said that the aides Did Not Go Off on him and the other guy (forget his name right now). Again, spew. Liar, liar. When asked about who leaked the info re the meeting, he was trying to hedge…well no one called any journalists. When pressed, he admited that Tim Russert had iniated the call. See How They Lie!

Aha! My friend Tim does make calls!

I’m thinkin that LaHood is not quite at the bottom of the list of my past and/or present congress critters but he’s awful close. Hard to be worse than the current one though (Lamah Smith). Can’t recall the name of the feller in Montgomery, Al but he’s right there at the bottom as well.

Scarecrow @ 45

Terry whatisname, the rw flick on CNN tells Wolf that if the Iraq parliament goes on vacation without meeting the benchmarks, that would be a serious problem for Republicans.

Where does one go on vacation in Iraq?

Last I read anything about them, most didn’t even live in Iraq.

EvilDrPuma @ 57

fahrender @ 55

and a good wife in your bath ….

Varlet!

i didn’t say whose bath …….

Thanks for the welcome here. Now off to read the posts that are sure to enrage me — surely there’s a Gonzo piece here somewhere.

or whose wife …..

More, from politico.com’s Casa Blanca blog (casa blanca, get it? jeez, those guys really aren’t funny)

A person who loves the president added: “Something needed to happen.”

BUT, and there’s always a “but” to stories that fit people’s preconceptions too neatly: Please note that there were no senators, and although House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ill.) attended, the talking was done by a group that one person familiar with the meeting called “cranky-pants moderates” who has long been nervous about the war.

GOP leadership aides in the House and Senate say there is no credible talk of abandoning the president.

So, when there ARE Senators, we can ask if it’s a Nixon moment.

pow wow — thanks for the Kucinich piece. We linked to the Alternet article in a post earlier today. Haven’t seen any of the MSM pick up on this perspective, even to dismiss it. You’d think with all the focus on benchmarks and the oil “revenue sharing” law, they’d look at the actual provisions. Nope.

Lemme see! With Cheney gone they needed two chapertones, Boehner AND Rove to chaperone the “Bubble Boy” and make sure he wasn’t infected with some real knowledge that might make his head explode!

http://bagnewsnotes.typepad.co…..bble-2.jpg

I wonder if he even understood that Virginia Congressman’s statement that his internal polling showed that Bush’s support level had dropped to 5% in part of his district!

Maybe that explains the massive attendance at the “Prayer Breakfast” given by Guckert-Gannon?

Or why Bush can’t engender a crowd unless it’s military officers or cadets ORDERED to attend. And that Captains are leaving the military so rapidly that they can’t replace them by promotions!

TeddySanFran @ 66

More, from politico.com’s Casa Blanca blog (casa blanca, get it? jeez, those guys really aren’t funny)

A person who loves the president added: “Something needed to happen.”

BUT, and there’s always a “but” to stories that fit people’s preconceptions too neatly: Please note that there were no senators, and although House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ill.) attended, the talking was done by a group that one person familiar with the meeting called “cranky-pants moderates” who has long been nervous about the war.

GOP leadership aides in the House and Senate say there is no credible talk of abandoning the president.

So, when there ARE Senators, we can ask if it’s a Nixon moment.

It was obvious from the Redubyacans on the HJC yesterday that abandoning the preznit is the last thing on the minds of these (fill in the blank with your favorite perjorative) from the House.

pow pow @60

Dang it, I was just about to go get enraged at another post and you’ve enraged me here. I’m glad Kucinich finally said something public about what everyone has known since the start of the war. I’m glad he had the numbers. Thanks for the enragement.

And the rest of you stop making jokes about my wife and my tub.

TeddySanFran @ 66

More, from politico.com’s Casa Blanca blog (casa blanca, get it? jeez, those guys really aren’t funny)

A person who loves the president added: “Something needed to happen.”

BUT, and there’s always a “but” to stories that fit people’s preconceptions too neatly: Please note that there were no senators, and although House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ill.) attended, the talking was done by a group that one person familiar with the meeting called “cranky-pants moderates” who has long been nervous about the war.

GOP leadership aides in the House and Senate say there is no credible talk of abandoning the president.

So, when there ARE Senators, we can ask if it’s a Nixon moment.

Never.

This is Berlin, February 1945.

Benchmarks? Benchmarks? The MSM won’t even talk about the benchmarks the Iraqi government and military has missed since January, why would they cover any future benchmarks?

btw, Froomkin’s up.

Democrats insist that the Iraqis face consequences if those benchmarks are not met, while Bush has been opposed to anything that smacks of timetables. Yet White House officials, offered the chance yesterday to expand on Bush’s comments, notably declined.

Vice President Cheney, in a Fox News interview, was skeptical of the whole notion of “consequences.”

“Well, we’re interested in having benchmarks that we want to see the Iraqis meet,” he said. “The president has talked about this previously. That’s not a new concept or anything that one of the Democrats came up with. It’s also not – I’m always a little puzzled when we talk about consequences. . . .

Great Post!!

Funny how they all ran over to the WH, the very minute Cheeeenneeey left town, and then Cheeeeneeeey put the war accountability right on Bush, all while Cheeeeeneeeey was drumming up war with Iran. What a loooosssseeerrrr.

BTW, is it pronounced Boner, Beener, or Bayner?

cinnamonape @ 68

Don’t forget that the VA congress critter they were “listening” to is Gomer Davis who hasn’t impressed either side of the aisle with his intelligence. Not listening to him is probably the norm in the house caucus and the casa blanca.

BTW, is it pronounced Boner, Beener, or Bayner?

Yes, it is.

Jonathan E. Kaplan reports this on the meeting with the Preznit:

Reps. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) attracted the ire of White House officials for allegedly speaking to reporters about a Tuesday meeting between Bush and centrist Republicans on the Iraq war. Details of the contentious meeting first emerged Wednesday evening and attracted Page 1 headlines yesterday.

Sources said that Dan Meyer, Bush’s liaison to the House, confronted LaHood while White House political strategist Karl Rove rebuked Kirk. It is unclear if LaHood or Kirk were the originial sources for the stories, but LaHood was quoted in one of the articles.

Regardless, LaHood and Meyer got into a shouting match as emotions ran high and voices were raised yesterday morning in the White House while lawmakers were waiting to meet with first lady Laura Bush, according to two legislators who witnessed the exchange.

The Hill

BTW, I “spit” in the general direction of anyone who uses the words “the Homeland” instead of the United States of America. It really gets my goat.

Dragged down by the reality of Iraq, I check the news headlines to find Cheney threatening Iran. The nonsense must end. The bullying, threatening, fear-inducing nonsense must end.

TeddySanFran @ 72

Benchmarks? Benchmarks? The MSM won’t even talk about the benchmarks the Iraqi government and military has missed since January, why would they cover any future benchmarks?

btw, Froomkin’s up.

Democrats insist that the Iraqis face consequences if those benchmarks are not met, while Bush has been opposed to anything that smacks of timetables. Yet White House officials, offered the chance yesterday to expand on Bush’s comments, notably declined.

Vice President Cheney, in a Fox News interview, was skeptical of the whole notion of “consequences.”

“Well, we’re interested in having benchmarks that we want to see the Iraqis meet,” he said. “The president has talked about this previously. That’s not a new concept or anything that one of the Democrats came up with. It’s also not – I’m always a little puzzled when we talk about consequences. . . .

The whole consequences thing is pretty funny in a way – If Iraqis meet the benchmarks, they will be rewarded by having the Amercans leave. If they fail to achieve the benchmarks, they will be punished by having the Americans leave.

Looks like win-win for the Iraqis to me.

ooooh, miz Laura, she don’t like the shouting too much.

more X*n*x, please!

I’m sorry, Teddy at 66,

I thought you quoted a person who “loves the president” as describing moderate Republicans as “cranky-pants”…

I see, that’s accurate.

They’re about to lose an election and they’re at the White House expressing their views on the war and someone who loves the president called them “cranky-pants”.

Sounds like a child of Pat Robertson U.

LS @ 73

Great Post!!

Funny how they all ran over to the WH, the very minute Cheeeenneeey left town, and then Cheeeeneeeey put the war accountability right on Bush, all while Cheeeeeneeeey was drumming up war with Iran. What a loooosssseeerrrr.

BTW, is it pronounced Boner, Beener, or Bayner?

he’s such a d*ck, it must be pronounced boner

LS @ 77

BTW, I “spit” in the general direction of anyone who uses the words “the Homeland” instead of the United States of America. It really gets my goat.

Rather along the lines of “the Fatherland” (WWII Germany) or “The Motherland” (USSR) iirc. Same line of reasoning and word usage.

Scarecrow – Thanks! – I noticed that link, and especially appreciated the closing paragraph of your deception-piercing morning post today.

Elliott @ 82

LS @ 73

Great Post!!

Funny how they all ran over to the WH, the very minute Cheeeenneeey left town, and then Cheeeeneeeey put the war accountability right on Bush, all while Cheeeeeneeeey was drumming up war with Iran. What a loooosssseeerrrr.

BTW, is it pronounced Boner, Beener, or Bayner?

he’s such a d*ck, it must be pronounced boner

Sounds right to me :P

Anyone listening to Randi Rhodes?

The prevailing impression here is that it’s just about time to bomb Iran.

dakine01 @ 83

LS @ 77

BTW, I “spit” in the general direction of anyone who uses the words “the Homeland” instead of the United States of America. It really gets my goat.

Rather along the lines of “the Fatherland” (WWII Germany) or “The Motherland” (USSR) iirc. Same line of reasoning and word usage.

Yup.

LS @ 77

BTW, I “spit” in the general direction of anyone who uses the words “the Homeland” instead of the United States of America. It really gets my goat.

that just creeps me out! So I, too, “spit” in their general directions.

Homeland Security?! what was wrong with good ole Civil Defense?

Oklahoma kiddo @ 87

The prevailing impression here is that it’s just about time to bomb Iran.

April showers bring May daisy cutters.

Hi Teddy excellent post as usual. Kkkarl is getting cranky. Judiciary is nipping at his heals won’t be long

Oklahoma kiddo @ 87

The prevailing impression here is that it’s just about time to bomb Iran.

Except that the only bomb that would really do anything is a big one which would kinda defeat the purposes of freeing up their earl from the Eye-yah-tol-ya-sos. /s

Elliott @ 89

LS @ 77

BTW, I “spit” in the general direction of anyone who uses the words “the Homeland” instead of the United States of America. It really gets my goat.

that just creeps me out! So I, too, “spit” in their general directions.

Homeland Security?! what was wrong with good ole Civil Defense?

Maybe it was too AMERICAN..HCHHHH…SPIT.

Scarecrow @ 75

BTW, is it pronounced Boner, Beener, or Bayner?

Yes, it is.

707!

Elliott @ 89

LS @ 77

BTW, I “spit” in the general direction of anyone who uses the words “the Homeland” instead of the United States of America. It really gets my goat.

that just creeps me out! So I, too, “spit” in their general directions.

Homeland Security?! what was wrong with good ole Civil Defense?

too fifties. Even though that’s the fantasy decade for most of the wing-nuts before all them blacks and wimmens and dirty eff’in’ hippies came along…

Has the political dialog been so corrupted by the MSM that 11 or 14 right-wing thugs are called “moderate”?

When Cheney leaves a benchmark, you know it’s going to hurt everyone.

Steve @ 96

Has the political dialog been so corrupted by the MSM that 11 or 14 right-wing thugs are called “moderate”?

They wish. They are more likely “moderate” neocons.

Steve @ 96

Has the political dialog been so corrupted by the MSM that 11 or 14 right-wing thugs are called “moderate”?

Yes.

Another edition of simple answers for simple questions. :})

LS @ 73

Great Post!!

Funny how they all ran over to the WH, the very minute Cheeeenneeey left town, and then Cheeeeneeeey put the war accountability right on Bush, all while Cheeeeeneeeey was drumming up war with Iran. What a loooosssseeerrrr.

BTW, is it pronounced Boner, Beener, or Bayner?

Stephanie Miller has a SChhol House Rocks clip (I think) explaining why it’s Bomer – when 2 vowels go walking the first one does the talking…

Steve @ 96

Has the political dialog been so corrupted by the MSM that 11 or 14 right-wing thugs are called “moderate”?

Yes.

Thanks for this round of “simple answers…”

Steve @ 96

Has the political dialog been so corrupted by the MSM that 11 or 14 right-wing thugs are called “moderate”?

Correction: cranky-pants

Not one of those “moderates” voted with the Dems yesterday on the funding bill.
And it’s Bayner.
I won’t be bothered if you call him Boner, though.

Wil @ 100

LS @ 73

Great Post!!

Funny how they all ran over to the WH, the very minute Cheeeenneeey left town, and then Cheeeeneeeey put the war accountability right on Bush, all while Cheeeeeneeeey was drumming up war with Iran. What a loooosssseeerrrr.

BTW, is it pronounced Boner, Beener, or Bayner?

Stephanie Miller has a SChhol House Rocks clip (I think) explaining why it’s Bomer – when 2 vowels go walking the first one does the talking…

LOL..or Bummer.

yellowdogD @ 103

Not one of those “moderates” voted with the Dems yesterday on the funding bill.
And it’s Bayner.
I won’t be bothered if you call him Boner, though.

The idiot minority leader of the house from Ohio works for me.

IrishJim @ 94

Scarecrow @ 75

BTW, is it pronounced Boner, Beener, or Bayner?

Yes, it is.

707!

Sorry, it’s Friday. I think it’s Bayner?

gchaucer2 @ 44

EvilDrPuma @ 33

I’ve a ton of tales but difficult finding a decent Middle English translator these days.

Try Teresa over at Making Light!

lolo @ 91

Hi Teddy excellent post as usual. Kkkarl is getting cranky. Judiciary is nipping at his heals won’t be long

I love the image of him rumplestilskin-mad, hoping up and down in impotent rage, fists clenched, spittle foaming at the corners of his mouth.

he is losing control and he only knows control

I want out of Iraq now. I don’t want my government to nuke Iran. And I want a Palestinian homeland.

I knew Boner, and he’s no boner. (sorry :P)

GREAT POST TEDDY

how was that a ‘meeting’ when to all reports the prez never SAID ANYTHING?????????? that’s not a meeting, that’s being before the protestant pope…….nods and waves a hand……..

and condi and rove were there? cardinal. rasputin.

boehner? pr, all pr. not a shred of substance to the man. i wish someone would finally take him out with a slam dunk. totally dishonest man.

bush thinks he’s the protestant pope……..surprised you all haven’t picked up on that one, that’s what i call him……..

boehner? came from nowhere, all of the sudden, out of nowhere, was on the ballot and BOOM he was in…….had his own money……republicans like that, they like it when somene else buys a round, their new best buddy, but never buy a round themselves.

people from his district were saying, who?, noone knew who he was, but he was republican, so they voted for him……when he became leader, i was dumbfounded by it.

he is from where i used to live, where my family and friends reside…..and they all shake their heads…..very republican area, they aren’t and are WAY outnumbered…..just waiting for the tide to turn a little….

and there are a LOT of young adults serving in the military in that area, so boehner has probably gotten a few letters about that. imagine he will be getting a few more.

dakine01 @ 95

Elliott @ 89

LS @ 77

BTW, I “spit” in the general direction of anyone who uses the words “the Homeland” instead of the United States of America. It really gets my goat.

that just creeps me out! So I, too, “spit” in their general directions.

Homeland Security?! what was wrong with good ole Civil Defense?

too fifties. Even though that’s the fantasy decade for most of the wing-nuts before all them blacks and wimmens and dirty eff’in’ hippies came along…

but just having the term CIVIL in there sets the stage for if-ever-it-be-needed

Is the -e-h- silent?

Gunga Djinn @ 113

Is the -e-h- silent?

eh?

Elliott @ 76

Jonathan E. Kaplan reports this on the meeting with the Preznit:

Reps. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) attracted the ire of White House officials for allegedly speaking to reporters about a Tuesday meeting between Bush and centrist Republicans on the Iraq war. Details of the contentious meeting first emerged Wednesday evening and attracted Page 1 headlines yesterday.

Sources said that Dan Meyer, Bush’s liaison to the House, confronted LaHood while White House political strategist Karl Rove rebuked Kirk. It is unclear if LaHood or Kirk were the originial sources for the stories, but LaHood was quoted in one of the articles.

Regardless, LaHood and Meyer got into a shouting match as emotions ran high and voices were raised yesterday morning in the White House while lawmakers were waiting to meet with first lady Laura Bush, according to two legislators who witnessed the exchange.

The Hill

“FUCK ME, FUCK ME?! NO, FUCK YOU!!”

Oh dear, methinks the Republics are stressing just a tad.

“Homeland Security”.

Fascism came to America that day.

Gunga Djinn @ 113

Is the -e-h- silent?

bon-yur

Two of the best tv moments for me this week:
Boston Legal-Gitmo Rant
Countdown-Gonzales April/May testimony in stereo.

I want my tax dollars and U.S. weapons to cease being sent to the government of Israel. I do not want any more Israeli or Arab military personnel to be trained in our country. Kick them all out.

OT
tonight on Now on PBS, is a show about an oil company whistleblower……

last week was a must-see, just watched it. was a REALLY well done show…….was a keeper…….about iraq, an american arts writer turned reporter, the muslim woman who worked as his translator and lack of iraqi visas to come to us……am going to email siun about it…….

I hope somebody posts on Mothers’ Day that the original reason for Mothers’ Day was an ANTI-WAR PROTEST BY MOTHERS!

That should stick in the craw of the Bushevic mothers whose children don’t have to go to war, but whose husbands make policy that send everyone else’s children to war.

So now the idea is to ‘catch’ the Iranians holding up the sea lanes?

Oklahoma kiddo @ 109

I want out of Iraq now. I don’t want my government to nuke Iran. And I want a Palestinian homeland.

may all your wishes come true!

LS @ 121

I hope somebody posts on Mothers’ Day that the original reason for Mothers’ Day was an ANTI-WAR PROTEST BY MOTHERS!

That should stick in the craw of the Bushevic mothers whose children don’t have to go to war, but whose husbands make policy that send everyone else’s children to war.

Naw, that would presuppose that these people have empathy. It wouldn’t penetrate their self-satisfied life of leisure. After all, just like paying taxes, only the little people go into the military and of to war.

i think the rover’s gone a
little-extra-pit-bull on his
own ppl because he knew that the
easy-view image file of the actual order(!),
and points and authoriites of DC federal
district court judge thomas hogan, granting
ms. goodling’s immunity was going to be
signed this afternoon. . . and we do
now know for certain that chairman john
conyers has karl rove square in his sights,
after yesterday. conyers is holding test-
imony that directly asserts rove was behind
iglesias’-firing-for-failure-to speed-up-a-
bogus-democratic-corruption-case-in NM. . .

ms. goodling’s testimony will fill-in the
detail on all karl rove said, and did. . . imo.

whew.

that is all.

’tis good to see the public fascade of the
hard-right-republicans crumbling day by day. . .

[Link fixed by mod]

There is one R senator who would take that stroll already. I’d say Hagel is ready.

Didn’t two R’s crossover on that last vote? The one that got vetoed and leaves us where we are today?

I forget…

TeddySanFran @ 72

Benchmarks? Benchmarks? The MSM won’t even talk about the benchmarks the Iraqi government and military has missed since January, why would they cover any future benchmarks?

Bingo , Teddy!

This from Bush’s January speech:

“Only Iraqis can end the sectarian violence and secure their people. And their government has put forward an aggressive plan to do it.
…Now let me explain the main elements of this effort: The Iraqi government will appoint a military commander and two deputy commanders for their capital. The Iraqi government will deploy Iraqi Army and National Police brigades across Baghdad’s nine districts. When these forces are fully deployed, there will be 18 Iraqi Army and National Police brigades committed to this effort, along with local police. These Iraqi forces will operate from local police stations — conducting patrols and setting up checkpoints, and going door-to-door to gain the trust of Baghdad residents.”

Yeah…I wonder how many elements of this plan has even come close to occurring.

” I’ve committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. The vast majority of them — five brigades — will be deployed to Baghdad.”

Ummmm! NOOO! There have been far more US troops sent in and with more coming….as well as an increase in the tours of those already there.

“These troops will work alongside Iraqi units and be embedded in their formations.”

Almost no embedding has occurred, and where it has the US casualtiues increased exponentially.

” Our troops will have a well-defined mission: to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that Baghdad needs.”

Left behind? What areas have been “secured” after we have withdrawn?

Why have car bombings have increased and body counts are increasing outside Baghdad. And now people in the green zone must wear protective gear, avoid being outdoors, etc.

“In earlier operations, Iraqi and American forces cleared many neighborhoods of terrorists and insurgents, but when our forces moved on to other targets, the killers returned. This time, we’ll have the force levels we need to hold the areas that have been cleared.”

It’s just the same as before.

” Prime Minister Maliki has pledged that political or sectarian interference will not be tolerated.”

Of course, there is that Secret assassination squad associated with the Interior Ministers office.

“I’ve made it clear to the Prime Minister and Iraq’s other leaders that America’s commitment is not open-ended. If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people — and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people.”

Well Bush was right for once…but he didn’t say that HE WOULD STOP SUPPORTING THEM. Just the American and the Iraqi people!

Now is the time to act. The Prime Minister understands this. Here is what he told his people just last week: “The Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation.”

“A successful strategy for Iraq goes beyond military operations. Ordinary Iraqi citizens must see that military operations are accompanied by visible improvements in their neighborhoods and communities. So America WILL HOLD the Iraqi government to the BENCHMARKS it has announced.

To establish its authority, the Iraqi government plans to take responsibility for security in all of Iraq’s provinces by November.”

Wait a second…weren’t all but four of the Provinces “secure” back in 2003? Nearly four years later and the Iraqi’s haven’t secured any of those provinces and may others are filled with unrest?

“To give every Iraqi citizen a stake in the country’s economy, Iraq will pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis.”

This is the privatization bill…which actually does the opposite.

” To show that it is committed to delivering a better life, the Iraqi government will spend $10 billion of its own money on reconstruction and infrastructure projects that will create new jobs. ” Shouldn’t all reconstruction and infrastructure projects be using Iraqi money if this shows a “committment to a better life”?

“To empower local leaders, Iraqis plan to hold provincial elections later this year.” PLAN?

Again…none of this suggests any tangible schedules until November. Bush simply wants to avoid requiring the Iraqis to do anything at all that might come under real scruttiny.

” And to allow more Iraqis to re-enter their nation’s political life, the government will reform de-Baathification laws, and establish a fair process for considering amendments to Iraq’s constitution.”

Like, for example, when a majority of the Parliament wants the US out they can get at least a hearing on that Bill…rather than an immediate NO! from the Bush regime that actually tells Maliki when to jump.

“America will change our approach to help the Iraqi government as it works to meet these benchmarks.”

What Benchmarks were those again? November? Maybe?

” In keeping with the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, we will increase the embedding of American advisers in Iraqi Army units, and partner a coalition brigade with every Iraqi Army division.”

Bet THAT hasn’t happened!

“We will help the Iraqis build a larger and better-equipped army, and we will accelerate the training of Iraqi forces, which remains the essential U.S. security mission in Iraq.” Accelerate? Wasn’t the army almost done with training before the elections over a year and a half ago? They would have been trained by now if that wasn’t a lie. Oh, wait, Bush made the same claim back in 2004 and late 2003!

“We will give our commanders and civilians greater flexibility to spend funds for economic assistance. We will double the number of provincial reconstruction teams.” Wait…I thought the IRAQIS were supposed to be committing for their OWN RECONSTRUCTION? NOT the US spending MORE MONEY!!!

What bulldada!

Comic Relief Act of 2007:

Jon Stewart on the definition of “success” in Iraq.

dmac @ 120

OT
tonight on Now on PBS, is a show about an oil company whistleblower……

last week was a must-see, just watched it. was a REALLY well done show…….was a keeper…….about iraq, an american arts writer turned reporter, the muslim woman who worked as his translator and lack of iraqi visas to come to us……am going to email siun about it…….

thanks for the heads up

Wonder how Cindy Sheehan will feel day after tomorrow?

Blank Kludge @ 126

There is one R senator who would take that stroll already. I’d say Hagel is ready.

Didn’t two R’s crossover on that last vote? The one that got vetoed and leaves us where we are today?

I forget…

Two R’s did cross over but it’s the same two who voted for the veto’d bill. Jones of NC is one (he coined the “Freedom Fries” nonsense but then woke up) Not sure who the other was. Paul maybe?

OT – One gets the feeling the dam is bulging a bit…

Monica got immunity today – http://news.bostonherald.com/p…..id=1000700

“Monica Goodling may not refuse to testify,” Hogan began his brief order, which said that Goodling could not be prosecuted for anything other than perjury in connection with her testimony.

(snip)

Goodling’s lawyer has said that, with an immunity seal, she would cooperate and testify honestly.

—

Let us pray for rain – because All She Wants To Do Is Dance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6cwsWPPPyQ

Wonder how Rachel Corrie’s Mom will feel this Sunday? I remember you Rachel.

Good afternoon all. Or evening. As the case may be.

I find myself completely uninterested in repub politics, except to wonder how the MSM will report them and how the public will react.

dakine01 @ 95

Elliott @ 89

Homeland Security?! what was wrong with good ole Civil Defense?

too fifties. Even though that’s the fantasy decade for most of the wing-nuts before all them blacks and wimmens and dirty eff’in’ hippies came along…

Yeah. I guess it tended to hearken back to those crazy irrational days of bomb-shelters in the backyard, “Duck and Cover”, aliens being “spies”, and half the population being “pinko” collaborators with “the enemy”.

Oh wait, maybe we SHOULD call it CIVIL DEFENSE!

dakine01 @ 131

Blank Kludge @ 126

There is one R senator who would take that stroll already. I’d say Hagel is ready.

Didn’t two R’s crossover on that last vote? The one that got vetoed and leaves us where we are today?

I forget…

Two R’s did cross over but it’s the same two who voted for the veto’d bill. Jones of NC is one (he coined the “Freedom Fries” nonsense but then woke up) Not sure who the other was. Paul maybe?

Right. Thanks.

I wasn’t specific…I meant two R senators crossing over (which took the I-Conn out; McCain was raising $$ and missed it.)

—–
About Goodling:

Who gets her the benefit of her immunity-blessed wisdom? Leahy or Conyers or Waxman? I mean, she’s possibly sought by all, but like Lou Costello would say, “Who’s on first’? As in, first to swear her in. Articles I’ve seen just say ‘COngress’ investigations

How about this? They had this meeting, didn’t actually say anything except, we love you Mr President, and then put the spin out there that they are standing up to the President. Then they get to have their cake and eat it too. If the Republicans really have to tiptoe around the Iraq “issue” then what hope does any sane person have of penetrating the thick skull?

crap-tacular — i dropped the
link — here it is, corrected:

. . .easy-view image file of the actual order(!),
and points and authoriites of DC federal
district court judge thomas hogan, granting
ms. goodling’s immunity was going to be
signed this afternoon. . .

sheesh.

[Mod: link has been repaired.]

Georgesimian @ 137

How about this? They had this meeting, didn’t actually say anything except, we love you Mr President, and then put the spin out there that they are standing up to the President. Then they get to have their cake and eat it too. If the Republicans really have to tiptoe around the Iraq “issue” then what hope does any sane person have of penetrating the thick skull?

A conspiracy theory in the making?

Scarecrow @ 75

BTW, is it pronounced Boner, Beener, or Bayner?

Yes, it is.

Bay-ner…as in Wolfs BANE!

OT
news

Purdue, oxycontin company, whom Guiliani’s law firm represents, pled guilty to misrepresenting how addicive it is…..misdemeanor counts….fine of 630 million in fines……..guess his firm didn’t represent them so well……..and remember, they were fudgin’ with the FDA.

from lehrer report. FDA fudgin’ from news article, don’t have link.

bush is gonna get plenty of heat from blair’s replacement

this is his diplmatic statement, imagine when he gets into office

Mr Brown, who backed the 2003 Iraq invasion, said he had since learned that only so much could be achieved against terrorists and religious fanatics by brute military force, intelligence, security work and policing. In terms that will appeal to many Labour supporters but anger Mr Blair — and some in Washington — he said the fight to stop “extremist terrorist activities” would only be won after world leaders triumphed in a peaceful battle for “hearts and minds

soon to read;

“I backed the attack before I found out the data I used to agree with the attack was manufactured”

/can’t wait

TexBetsy @ 134

Good afternoon all. Or evening. As the case may be.

I find myself completely uninterested in repub politics, except to wonder how the MSM will report them and how the public will react.

Sent you a little message last post back. #55 I think. If you care to look. ;0)

out of the roots of aspens:

By JUDITH MILLER
May 11, 2007

How could the nation’s intelligence agencies, with their multibilliondollar secret budgets, their thousands of employees in over 100 countries across the globe, their vast networks of all-seeing eyes and ears in the skies, and clusters of informants below, have failed to anticipate and prevent the attacks of September 11, 2001, or find that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction?

The unforgivable flaw in George Tenet’s alternatively fascinating, infuriating, important, and self-serving book is his failure to explain in any depth, as only he could have, these two colossal failures that occurred during his tenure as director of Central Intelligence.

Judy does Tenet

more Judy:

This is an angry book, written after the White House blamed him for the mess it created. Mr. Tenet portrays himself as the latest in a series of “fall guys.” But where was he when those policies were being adopted and implemented? Why did he do and say so little at the time? And why, if he could not bring himself to criticize the president he served, did he not quietly resign? He contemplated resigning earlier, he now says, but the president asked him to stay. Only those who remain silently loyal, or at least avoid a ruckus when they go, receive Medals of Freedom.

Ms. Miller, a former New York Times reporter, writes on national security issues.

dmac @ 141

OT
news

Purdue, oxycontin company, whom Guiliani’s law firm represents, pled guilty to misrepresenting how addicive it is…..misdemeanor counts….fine of 630 million in fines……..guess his firm didn’t represent them so well……..and remember, they were fudgin’ with the FDA.

from lehrer report. FDA fudgin’ from news article, don’t have link.

why aren’t those pushers in prison?

Oklahoma kiddo @ 143

TexBetsy @ 134

Good afternoon all. Or evening. As the case may be.

I find myself completely uninterested in repub politics, except to wonder how the MSM will report them and how the public will react.

Sent you a little message last post back. #55 I think. If you care to look. ;0)

Thanks OKK

Elliott @ 145

more Judy:

This is an angry book, written after the White House blamed him for the mess it created. Mr. Tenet portrays himself as the latest in a series of “fall guys.” But where was he when those policies were being adopted and implemented? Why did he do and say so little at the time? And why, if he could not bring himself to criticize the president he served, did he not quietly resign? He contemplated resigning earlier, he now says, but the president asked him to stay. Only those who remain silently loyal, or at least avoid a ruckus when they go, receive Medals of Freedom.

Ms. Miller, a former New York Times reporter, writes on national security issues.

Ya know, it strikes me that she must have been looking right in the mirror when she wrote that.

Fern @ 79:

The whole consequences thing is pretty funny in a way – If Iraqis meet the benchmarks, they will be rewarded by having the Amercans leave. If they fail to achieve the benchmarks, they will be punished by having the Americans leave.

Looks like win-win for the Iraqis to me.

With one exception, Fern: If one of the “benchmarks” the Iraqis meet is to pass the currently pending Iraq-oil-forfeiting bill, the nation of Iraq and the Iraqi people will be suffering the consequences for decades to come, even if the U.S. occupation is effectively at an end later this year. That’s why the details are so critical, though so overlooked by the media, as Scarecrow points out. “A broad deception” is a good description for it.

Since it appears that it’s actually about the Iraqi nationalists (in Parliament) vs. the Iraqi oil privatizers (in Executive office) in Iraq, it depends which side of the struggle we are trying to hold to any “benchmarks.” Right now, the U.S. is solidly in the anti-Parliament, pro-Maliki Executives, pro-Iranian Shiite camp, and vice versa. The corrupted national security forces of Iraq are aligned with that side as well, so the nationalists in Parliament can’t trust the Iraqi police and military (or the Americans and British) who are charged with ’safeguarding’ the people. And these nationalists are the ones who want the U.S. out, and to keep control of their own oil. We need to start to understand and to differentiate between the true players in this conflict – which is not the simplistic (and age-old) Sunni vs. Shiite conflict that the media and Congress are describing to us.

http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/51624

Mmmmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm. Shrimp boil for dinner..Yeah!

All moms should be happy this Sunday. Many will not. Thank you George W. Bush

Blank Kludge @ 136
dakine01 @ 131
Blank Kludge @ 126

Right. Thanks.

I wasn’t specific…I meant two R senators crossing over (which took the I-Conn out; McCain was raising $$ and missed it.)

—–
About Goodling:

Who gets her the benefit of her immunity-blessed wisdom? Leahy or Conyers or Waxman? I mean, she’s possibly sought by all, but like Lou Costello would say, “Who’s on first’? As in, first to swear her in. Articles I’ve seen just say ‘COngress’ investigations

Sigh. House Judiciary. Same ones who did so well yesterday.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 151

All moms should be happy this Sunday. Many will not. Thank you George W. Bush

We are having mother’s day this evening. My son will be at his dad’s house Sunday.

LS @ 148

Ya know, it strikes me that she must have been looking right in the mirror when she wrote that.

she had to be!
In fifty years when the history channel does shows looking back on BushCo and the aftermath, she’s gonna rate her own show.

kirk murphy @ 152

Blank Kludge @ 136
dakine01 @ 131
Blank Kludge @ 126

Right. Thanks.

I wasn’t specific…I meant two R senators crossing over (which took the I-Conn out; McCain was raising $$ and missed it.)

—–
About Goodling:

Who gets her the benefit of her immunity-blessed wisdom? Leahy or Conyers or Waxman? I mean, she’s possibly sought by all, but like Lou Costello would say, “Who’s on first’? As in, first to swear her in. Articles I’ve seen just say ‘COngress’ investigations

Sigh. House Judiciary. Same ones who did so well yesterday.

Don’t tell me that! Doesn’t the Senate get a crack at her?

perris at 142

keep in mind that Mr. Brown spent time in MA, and one of his best friends is GREENSPAN……….but, he does not believe in internationalism, so having England’s fingers in other parts of the world is not on his agenda.

georgesimian, Steve Soto at The Left Coaster has a post up that posits that very point, that the whole thing was a ruse designed to make republicans look less lickspittle, while allowing Bush to appear magnanimous.

I suggested in the comments there that I wasn’t sure that Rove was THAT good an actor, and was slapped down pretty hard. Who knows. Maybe it’s all just an elaborate kabuki.

Thanks, pow wow – I know the situation is complicated way beyond my ability to comprehend.

Well Pups, I’m off to work, ‘night

Hey, I think I have a theory…

“Moderate Republicans” are the ones who haven’t successfully been bought and/or stayed bought by Rove.

They’re the ones who also don’t understand that the rest of the party has been bought and paid for by Rove, so they naively think they can talk with the POTUS without incurring the wrath of the owner.

But Rover knows that these freeloaders just got a chunk of valuable time out of his bestest whore, costing the party a mint of money because these moderates aren’t certain to toe the party line nor are they certain to make up the fundraising gap they just cost by using up the whore’s, I mean, Bush’s valuable time. Some of these folk are also going to be holding their hands out, too, without reciprocation — like Fred Upton, whose seat is on the line in ‘08 — but they have to take this shot at the POTUS anyhow or risk the equal wrath of constituents.

Now…how do we move these folks to a point where they tell Rove to piss off and die?

As if the Iranians could shut the sea lanes down.

STTP in Ohio @ 7

OT, but for a fun time check out the responses to Richard Perle’s drivel in today’s WaPo.

Your sides will hurt from laughter. Come to think of it, I’ll bet the article has side spitting humor as well- personally I can’t read their self serving tripe anymore.

I especially appreciated this one:

dan3 wrote:
Lukid agent Perle has some chutzpah to project ANY opinion given he has been 100 percent WRONG. Lets review some of his nuggets of wisdom. Citing Iraq as a glowing example of an obvious need for direct intervention, Perle admitted that he had long advocated military solutions for regime change in that theatre. In his talk, he reminded us that President Bush had launched the invasion on the basis of several triggering factors including Nigerian yellow cake, WMDs, terrorist connections, democracy-building and humanitarian issues. Thus, Perle was finally reduced to justifying the Iraq War as a humanitarian crusade – a theme that struck hollow in the midst of reports of civil war, torture and US war crimes against innocent civilians in Haditha.
Also directly involved in the A*P*C spy scandal. the Israeli spy scandal that shook his own office at the Pentagon, when Larry Franklin was discovered to be the conduit between the Office of Special Plans and two Israeli officials who were later identified as espionage agents assigned to the embassy. Neither was he questioned about the incident that took place in 1970, when an FBI wiretap revealed that Perle discussed classified intelligence with an official at the Israeli embassy. Washington insiders have long considered Perle to be “an Israeli agent of influence.”

Another fact fuels these suspicions swirling around Perle, since he serves as a director of Hollinger International, which owns the Jerusalem Post. Perle has been paid millions for his “work” for Hollinger even though he is the only ‘outside’ director on the Executive Committee. Perle’s complicated business dealings have brought him under suspicion for conflicts of interest and the charge that he is attempting to profit from wars that he was strenuously working to create and implement through his official capacity in the Department of Defense. In 2004, Perle’s conflicts of interest resulted in his resignation from the Defense Policy Board. PERLE IS A TRAITOR!

Edited * and released by Mod

Blank Kludge @ 136

That was Hagel of NE and Smith of OR that voted with dems on the bill.

Moderate Dems and moderate Republicans? Definition?

Oklahoma kiddo @ 133

Wonder how Rachel Corrie’s Mom will feel this Sunday? I remember you Rachel.

Amen.

Is for example, is Senator Clinton a moderate Democrat. If not, what? And if so, what does this mean?

Oklahoma kiddo @ 164

Moderate Dems and moderate Republicans? Definition?

Moderate Democrats: Irredeemable assholes. You know–Lieberman, Emanuel, that ilk.

Moderate Republicans: Assholes we can pretend are redeemeble.

Fern @ 158

Thanks, pow wow – I know the situation is complicated way beyond my ability to comprehend.

I doubt that, Fern, but that belief is what Congress (presumably) and Bush and the media (definitely) are counting on, and are doing their best to make us believe by keeping us all in the dark. That deliberate withholding of accurate information is itself despicable behavior by our federal government and alleged “free press.” I think if any effort at all was being made to describe reality to us in Iraq truthfully, the situation would quickly become quite clear to us, despite our general lack of knowledge of the region and its history and people.

http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/51624

Oklahoma kiddo @ 166

Is for example, is Senator Clinton a moderate Democrat. If not, what? And if so, what does this mean?

I’d say Clinton tries hard not to have any classifiable political identity. Finger in the wind, finger in the wind…

Elliott @ 145

more Judy:

This is an angry book, written after the White House blamed him for the mess it created. Mr. Tenet portrays himself as the latest in a series of “fall guys.” But where was he when those policies were being adopted and implemented? Why did he do and say so little at the time? And why, if he could not bring himself to criticize the president he served, did he not quietly resign? He contemplated resigning earlier, he now says, but the president asked him to stay. Only those who remain silently loyal, or at least avoid a ruckus when they go, receive Medals of Freedom.

Ms. Miller, a former New York Times reporter, writes on national security issues.

As opposed to:

Ms. Miller has occasionally been known to extrude unfactcheckable dreck
onto the front page of New York Times.
She spent 85 days in the slammer, hiding behind the First Amendment
in an unsuccessful attempt to save Scooter Libby’s a**.

What exactly is a moderate? Please don’t refer me to a dictionary.

The times are a-changin’

Presidential visit polarizing tiny St. Vincent College in Pa. Some delighted; others say Iraq policy at odds with Catholic school’s values

P.S. Thanks, Mod, for fixing my earlier post

TGIF everybody!

Here’s The Hill’s take on Rove in this:

http://thehill.com/leading-the…..05-10.html

There ain’t any dissension among the Repugs. This is all part of the show. Come Sept they’ll be asking for another Friedman because there base thinks another six months will solve something.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 166

Is for example, is Senator Clinton a moderate Democrat. If not, what? And if so, what does this mean?

Way back when, I felt that you had the lib dem on the left and the con Rep on the right with the moderate Rep overlapping the con Dem and the lib Rep overlapping the mod Dem.

Now? Who the f*ck knows anymore.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 161

As if the Iranians could shut the sea lanes down.

brownandserve @ 171

The times are a-changin’

Presidential visit polarizing tiny St. Vincent College in Pa. Some delighted; others say Iraq policy at odds with Catholic school’s values

P.S. Thanks, Mod, for fixing my earlier post

Did you happen to see the debate the students had about this? It was great, all the kids I saw were good decent kids, thoughtful amd sincere in their opinions, and respectful of those with whom they differed. And there were those wholly opposed to the Bush Administration urging fellow students to be respectful of the office and the senior class. I was impressed with those students.

Loo Hoo @ 172

TGIF everybody!

Here’s The Hill’s take on Rove in this:

http://thehill.com/leading-the…..05-10.html

Loo Hoo!

ok kiddo whom i love at 151

All moms should be happy this Sunday. Many will not. Thank you George W. Bush

lost my brother to the army in 1981, in Germany, my mother never really got an explanation of why………she never mentioned him for years, was taboo……..every Mother’s Day I make sure she is taken care of…..as does my younger sister….do her flower beds, whatever…….I can’t imagine what it is like to have a holiday that every single fg year you are reminded of what is lost to you…….and then there’s Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day……..oh my, the loss in incalculable…..but I show up at M Day and V Day parades, telling noone, all by myself, to honor him every year. He was one righteous dude, I’m tellin’ ya. I was nineteen when he died.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 171

What exactly is a moderate? Please don’t refer me to a dictionary.

A moderate Republican is a politician who would like to appear to challenge an unpopular Republican President in order to save his seat in Congress. A moderate Democrat would whole heartedley support a terrible decision to go to war by a Republican President. Then there are the “Mugwumps.” Mugwumps sit on the fence with their mugs on one side and their wumps on the other.

dakine01 @ 174

Oklahoma kiddo @ 166

Is for example, is Senator Clinton a moderate Democrat. If not, what? And if so, what does this mean?

Way back when, I felt that you had the lib dem on the left and the con Rep on the right with the moderate Rep overlapping the con Dem and the lib Rep overlapping the mod Dem.

Now? Who the f*ck knows anymore.

I think it’s more on the lines of the space time continuum

Elliott @ 176

Did you happen to see the debate the students had about this? It was great, all the kids I saw were good decent kids, thoughtful amd sincere in their opinions, and respectful of those with whom they differed. And there were those wholly opposed to the Bush Administration urging fellow students to be respectful of the office and the senior class. I was impressed with those students.

I didn’t see the debate but I hope to find it on c-span.

TexBetsy @ 153

Oklahoma kiddo @ 151

All moms should be happy this Sunday. Many will not. Thank you George W. Bush

We are having mother’s day this evening. My son will be at his dad’s house Sunday.

Well, that’s gotta be sucky. It’s never fun to have to Share, but I thought everyone wrote in with Dad on Dad’s day, and with mom on Mother’s Day? Well, anyway, we mom’s have learned to be Very Flexible, right? Have a great time with your son.

dmac @ 178

ok kiddo whom i love at 151

All moms should be happy this Sunday. Many will not. Thank you George W. Bush

lost my brother to the army in 1981, in Germany, my mother never really got an explanation of why………she never mentioned him for years, was taboo……..every Mother’s Day I make sure she is taken care of…..as does my younger sister….do her flower beds, whatever…….I can’t imagine what it is like to have a holiday that every single fg year you are reminded of what is lost to you…….and then there’s Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day……..oh my, the loss in incalculable…..but I show up at M Day and V Day parades, telling noone, all by myself, to honor him every year. He was one righteous dude, I’m tellin’ ya. I was nineteen when he died.

Good for you dmac. That is so sad.

Elliott @ 180

dakine01 @ 174

Oklahoma kiddo @ 166

Is for example, is Senator Clinton a moderate Democrat. If not, what? And if so, what does this mean?

Way back when, I felt that you had the lib dem on the left and the con Rep on the right with the moderate Rep overlapping the con Dem and the lib Rep overlapping the mod Dem.

Now? Who the f*ck knows anymore.

I think it’s more on the lines of the space time continuum

Sorry if this offends anyone, but Hillary Clinton is a very ambitious politician. Yes, if she get the nomination i will probably vote for her just to make sure Maryland goes for the Democrat (not taking any chances this time). But i would much prefer Gore at this point. The last thing our country needs is ambitious politians. Another thing we do not need is:

Bush
Clinton
Clinton
Bush
Bush
Clinton

I’m pouring a Francis Coppola Claret: Here’s to the edgy writers and no crap-taking mods. Here’s to health and friends. I’m pouring…..

brownandserve @ 180

I didn’t see the debate but I hope to find it on c-span.

here it is:
St. Vincent College Town Hall Meeting

I don’t see how any ‘hydrocarbon act’ passed by a government under Occupation will be worth the paper it’s written on. It’s not as though they are free agents, and when the dust of civil war finally settles, the winners will pick up the pieces and keep the oil for themselves. No oil company in its right mind would risk a plugged nickle on that mare’s nest. It’s as much a dream world as the original invasion that brought us to where we are now.

Boston1775 @ 185

I’m pouring a Francis Coppola Claret: Here’s to the edgy writers and no crap-taking mods. Here’s to health and friends. I’m pouring…..

Skaal!!

TeddySanFran @ 17

[zig snip]

. . . I find two aspects striking: Boehner was there and Cheney was overseas. Betcha BigTime thinks twice before he leaves town again!

Good point. And Rummy was in exile in the basement at the Pentagon.

I think maybe Rove is beginning to lose his luster, and that he’s going to start getting push-back that he’s not used to. In fact, if he gets impeached or indicted, he may find he doesn’t have as many “friends” as he thought he had.

Bob in HI

merciless @ 157

georgesimian, Steve Soto at The Left Coaster has a post up that posits that very point, that the whole thing was a ruse designed to make republicans look less lickspittle, while allowing Bush to appear magnanimous.

I suggested in the comments there that I wasn’t sure that Rove was THAT good an actor, and was slapped down pretty hard. Who knows. Maybe it’s all just an elaborate kabuki.

Maybe the Republicans were trying to look less lickspittle, and Bush appeared magnanimous and there was no design. I guess it doesn’t really matter. They still looked like lapdogs and Bush still looked like he’d rather be cutting shrub.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 171

What exactly is a moderate? Please don’t refer me to a dictionary.

I suspect that in today’s usage, “moderate” means “able to watch the shredding of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights without blinking an eye.”

Lieberman is a moderate Democrat. We all love him, don’t we.

Bob Schacht @ 188

TeddySanFran @ 17

[zig snip]

. . . I find two aspects striking: Boehner was there and Cheney was overseas. Betcha BigTime thinks twice before he leaves town again!

Good point. And Rummy was in exile in the basement at the Pentagon.

I think maybe Rove is beginning to lose his luster, and that he’s going to start getting push-back that he’s not used to. In fact, if he gets impeached or indicted, he may find he doesn’t have as many “friends” as he thought he had.

Bob in HI

is Rummy still down in the basement over there? We aren’t rid of him yet?

loo hoo at 173 from the article you posted-

Several lawmakers who attended one or both meetings did not fault Bush, but blamed his aides for overreacting.

“They can have such thick skin,” said Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), who attended the meeting on Tuesday. “[President Bush] ought to embrace this and be seen as getting input from everyone.”

The meeting with Laura Bush ended with a 20-minute tour of the White House residence, which is off-limits to almost everyone except the First Family.

LaHood drew a crowd of more than a dozen reporters yesterday in the Speaker’s Lobby off of the House floor to elaborate on the meeting on Tuesday.

LaHood, who was passed over to lead the Intelligence Committee in 2004, is not shy about expressing his views.

During the 109th Congress, the 7th-term lawmaker publicly criticized then Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) as well as then House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.).

A GOP rank-and-file lawmaker said that LaHood’s recent comments were a “nuisance” and made some members “pretty upset.”

“He’s his own man,” said a former senior GOP aide. “A lot of the members and members of leadership say that Ray talks too much.”

Still, some top GOP aides said LaHood’s candidness was not unusual and did not cause a flap within the conference.

“Ray’s been here a long time,” Hastert said. “He’s a stand up guy and he says what he thinks.”

who the hell is La Hood? and loo hoo are you terry olson?

Georgesimian @ 192

Lieberman is a moderate Democrat. We all love him, don’t we.

And Lindsay Graham is a moderate Republican. We love him just as much.

Elliott @ 193
Bob Schacht @ 188
TeddySanFran @ 17

[zig snip]

. . . I find two aspects striking: Boehner was there and Cheney was overseas. Betcha BigTime thinks twice before he leaves town again!

Good point. And Rummy was in exile in the basement at the Pentagon.

I think maybe Rove is beginning to lose his luster, and that he’s going to start getting push-back that he’s not used to. In fact, if he gets impeached or indicted, he may find he doesn’t have as many “friends” as he thought he had.

Bob in HI

is Rummy still down in the basement over there? We aren’t rid of him yet?

No, he is a “consultant” for the Department of Defense.” He resigned under the Top Secret “Smoke and Mirrors” program.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 171

What exactly is a moderate? Please don’t refer me to a dictionary.

It means to me: For the purposes of the 08 election, I’m not with the Bush agenda, but if I’m re-elected, business as usual.

I’m always so late I’m practically OT… sorry! But I did want to share my take on this.
When I heard Russert “broke” this news I immediately assumed it was theatre. Rove is writing scripts and the congressmen and press are acting them out.
However, I am taking heart in the thought that these are not the scripts he WANTS to be writing!

My 2 sense.

xoites defends Constitution @ 196
Elliott @ 193
Bob Schacht @ 188
TeddySanFran @ 17

[zig snip]

. . . I find two aspects striking: Boehner was there and Cheney was overseas. Betcha BigTime thinks twice before he leaves town again!

Good point. And Rummy was in exile in the basement at the Pentagon.

I think maybe Rove is beginning to lose his luster, and that he’s going to start getting push-back that he’s not used to. In fact, if he gets impeached or indicted, he may find he doesn’t have as many “friends” as he thought he had.

Bob in HI

is Rummy still down in the basement over there? We aren’t rid of him yet?

No, he is a “consultant” for the Department of Defense.” He resigned under the Top Secret “Smoke and Mirrors” program.

No. Rummy is starting next week as a Washington Post columnist.

[Mod: just shoot me.]

Mod Note: grrr

Scarecrow @ 45

Terry whatisname, the rw flick on CNN tells Wolf that if the Iraq parliament goes on vacation without meeting the benchmarks, that would be a serious problem for Republicans.

Where does one go on vacation in Iraq?

Kurdistan.

Bob in HI

Tee hee!

Go take a look at the chyron put up for 12 seconds on CNN International — it’s all of our dreams come true!

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvn….._58889.asp

I like to think they were running a practice session for the real thing! Or maybe it’s just that everyone’s subconscious desire (bucking up against the duties of the job) WILL OUT!!!

great post, TSF

coming late to this discussion, but this morning I awoke to the righteous indigation of my congresscrawler, Tom Davis, one of so-called “moderates” on the Bush-whacking team, emanating forth from the radio. He told us how STERN they were with the president.

So just IMAGINE my surprise when I learned how he voted yesterday….! Man of your word much, Mr. Davis??

And yes, I shall demand an explanation.

LS @ 188

Boston1775 @ 185

I’m pouring a Francis Coppola Claret: Here’s to the edgy writers and no crap-taking mods. Here’s to health and friends. I’m pouring…..

Skaal!!

Enjoy. We’re about to start cooking here. Have a wonderful evening.

dmac @ 194 asks:

who the hell is La Hood? and loo hoo are you terry olson?

LaHood represents the Springfield, IL area. He was my critter when I lived there from 1/01-12/02.

And I believe Loo Hoo is she who was once known as Terry Olson.

oddmommy @ 203

coming late to this discussion, but this morning I awoke to the righteous indigation of my congresscrawler, Tom Davis, one of so-called “moderates” on the Bush-whacking team, emanating forth from the radio. He told us how STERN they were with the president.

So just IMAGINE my surprise when I learned how he voted yesterday….! Man of your word much, Mr. Davis??

And yes, I shall demand an explanation.

Sounds like a media stunt to me. They pretend to smack W down, then senior WH aides pretend to smack the Repub 14 down. Just political silliness to pretend they are distancing themselves.

toolpusher @ 197

I’m always so late I’m practically OT… sorry! But I did want to share my take on this.
When I heard Russert “broke” this news I immediately assumed it was theatre. Rove is writing scripts and the congressmen and press are acting them out.
However, I am taking heart in the thought that these are not the scripts he WANTS to be writing!

My 2 sense.

It’s pretty grim theater. Especially if you’re a Repug.

And it’s sick that what they are really saying is, “the real reason to get out of this war is because Democrats might win in 2008.” As opposed to, “this war isn’t working out, and we have no reason to be there, so why don’t we just leave.”

[Mod: just shoot me.]

Please be nice to our moderators and watch for too many nested quotes, otherwise they might start drinking heavily and trash the joint.

*G*

nolo @ 138

crap-tacular — i dropped the
link — here it is, corrected:

. . .easy-view image file of the actual order(!),
and points and authoriites of DC federal
district court judge thomas hogan, granting
ms. goodling’s immunity was going to be
signed this afternoon. . .

sheesh.

[Mod: link has been repaired.]

i lovez me some mods!

he he!

thanks for the able
assist/clean-up. . .

Boston1775 @ 185

I’m pouring a Francis Coppola Claret: Here’s to the edgy writers and no crap-taking mods. Here’s to health and friends. I’m pouring…..

I’ve had that! Yummmmm. I’m at work. Where are you?

Here is a roll-calllist of the vote on todays HR2204 Supplemental….with some interesting graphics.

http://www.govtrack.us/congres…..=h2007-333

nolo @ 125

… conyers is holding test-
imony that directly asserts rove was behind
iglesias’-firing-for-failure-to speed-up-a-
bogus-democratic-corruption-case-in NM. . .

ummm, not a bogus corruption case… seems a dirty Dem was caught up in controversy, and may be found guilty…

might have made the repubs super mad because here was a “real” case against Dems and not prosecuted fast enough to come up before the election

D. Moore @ 210

Boston1775 @ 185

I’m pouring a Francis Coppola Claret: Here’s to the edgy writers and no crap-taking mods. Here’s to health and friends. I’m pouring…..

I’ve had that! Yummmmm. I’m at work. Where are you?

Home on the east coast. Ready for downtime on the weekend. Join me soon.

LS at 183
thanks, there’s a lot of us out there….lost sons and daughters to the military….you dream and move on and pay your respects, but the loss that is happening in families who have lost someone in this war is never replaced and never far from their minds when they move on and choose to live. There is an intangible bond with so many things AMERICAN that it comes up all the time in everyday life. It so disgusts me that it is happening all over America right now. What my Mother had to live through, what she does every day, is happening NOW to Mothers all over our country. The sibling thing doesn’t even come close to what they suffer.

And it’s sick that what they are really saying is, “the real reason to get out of this war is because Democrats might win in 2008.” As opposed to, “this war isn’t working out, and we have no reason to be there, so why don’t we just leave.”

that is very true….and that is certainly what mr. “moderate” davis was saying earlier.

However, the good news is that mr. oddmommy and our little boy came in ahead of him in a recent 5K race that he ran as part of his never-ending voter schmoozfest in this area.

Perhaps this man is what a real moderate Republican is. I like this guy:

Aye MD-1 Gilchrest, Wayne [R]

http://www.govtrack.us/congres…..?id=400149

Bob Schacht @ 199

Scarecrow @ 45

Terry whatisname, the rw flick on CNN tells Wolf that if the Iraq parliament goes on vacation without meeting the benchmarks, that would be a serious problem for Republicans.

Where does one go on vacation in Iraq?

Kurdistan.

Bob in HI

My guess is that the Iraqi parliament is taking off so they don’t have to pass the oil bill. Also, I suspect a lot of them are stuck in the Green Zone without their families.

njr @ 212

nolo @ 125

… conyers is holding test-
imony that directly asserts rove was behind
iglesias’-firing-for-failure-to speed-up-a-
bogus-democratic-corruption-case-in NM. . .

ummm, not a bogus corruption case… seems a dirty Dem was caught up in controversy, and may be found guilty…

might have made the repubs super mad because here was a “real” case against Dems and not prosecuted fast enough to come up before the election

Yes, I remember those details now. Seems that the real outrage about the push to prosecute quickly is that they were willing to trash a legitimate case — having it fall apart at the seams because it wasn’t ready to go yet — for the sake of manipulating public reaction and votes (saving Heather Wilson’s skanky hide).

I don’t know the folks involved, the target(s) of the investigation, but I seem to remember that this was TPM’s take on it.

Rep Boehner recently said that “if we leave Iraq there will be genocide and chaos”

What the hell does he think is going on now?

Cheney wants Iran
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/….._0511.html

He may get it on a silver platter the way our media handed the Bush administration Iraq. Not much in the way of challenging going on in our media about the claims being repeated about Iran, Chris Matthews is the exception here, he has been playing hardball with the neo-cons so has General Zinni! The “lobby” is trying to take out Zinni in the Rosen/ Weismann espionage trial.

Talk of the Nations Neil Conans interview with John Bolton several weeks ago was the most recent example of “roll over” to the ‘cakewalk in Iraq” zealots claims about Iran. Although Diane Rehm has allowed several people to repeat these unsubstantiated claims about Iran the last several weeks also.

oddmommy @ 215

And it’s sick that what they are really saying is, “the real reason to get out of this war is because Democrats might win in 2008.” As opposed to, “this war isn’t working out, and we have no reason to be there, so why don’t we just leave.”

that is very true….and that is certainly what mr. “moderate” davis was saying earlier.

However, the good news is that mr. oddmommy and our little boy came in ahead of him in a recent 5K race that he ran as part of his never-ending voter schmoozfest in this area.

Woo Hoo!!!

Congrats to the Oddmommy Clan!

radiofreewill @ 132

OT – One gets the feeling the dam is bulging a bit…

Monica got immunity today – http://news.bostonherald.com/p…..id=1000700

“Monica Goodling may not refuse to testify,” Hogan began his brief order, which said that Goodling could not be prosecuted for anything other than perjury in connection with her testimony.

(snip)

Goodling’s lawyer has said that, with an immunity seal, she would cooperate and testify honestly. . . .

—

Do you mean, she will actually remember stuff and talk about it?

Bob in HI

FYI, Jane has a new thread

Oklahoma kiddo @ 133

Wonder how Rachel Corrie’s Mom will feel this Sunday? I remember you Rachel.

Amen to that! Do you have any idea where one could send a card to her Mom? She deserves all the cards and letters we can send.

Bob in HI

Bob Schacht @ 220

radiofreewill @ 132

OT – One gets the feeling the dam is bulging a bit…

Monica got immunity today – http://news.bostonherald.com/p…..id=1000700

“Monica Goodling may not refuse to testify,” Hogan began his brief order, which said that Goodling could not be prosecuted for anything other than perjury in connection with her testimony.

(snip)

Goodling’s lawyer has said that, with an immunity seal, she would cooperate and testify honestly. . . .

—

Do you mean, she will actually remember stuff and talk about it?

Bob in HI

Will she be interviewed privately or publicly? Because this I would pay to see.

Bustednuckles @ 208

[Mod: just shoot me.]

otherwise they might start drinking heavily and trash the joint.

*G*

“…trash the joint” ? Hmmm.

You’re not David Broder, testing the waters, are you?

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

Hicks’ marine lawyer overlooked for promotion

DAVID Hicks’ US military lawyer, Major Michael Mori, has been passed over for promotion and knocked back as a trainee judge in what appears to be payback for his work on behalf of the Guantanamo Bay detainee.

Major Mori, 41, whose zealous defence of Hicks since November 2003 was admired by many Australians and instrumental in Hicks’ lenient deal, has an uncertain future with the military and could potentially be assigned to non-legal work.

While it was expected he would be reassigned once his defence of Hicks was complete, it is believed Major Mori has been offered remote postings, including Guam and Chile, with only limited options for remaining on the US mainland.

The Age also believes Major Mori has recently been rejected for promotion from major to lieutenant-colonel and refused an application to attend a military judge’s course at Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) School, which would have qualified him as a military magistrate.
…

However, his commanding officer, Colonel Dwight Sullivan, who is chief counsel for the Guantanamo Bay detainees, confirmed that four of the six military defence counsel who have been considered for promotion had been passed over.

Boston1775 @ 185

I’m pouring a Francis Coppola Claret: Here’s to the edgy writers and no crap-taking mods. Here’s to health and friends. I’m pouring…..

Cheers!

Rove must be hooked up with Comverse Insofy and Amdocs (the Israeli communication systems that have access to almost all U.S. phone records in the U.S.)
http://www.informationclearing…..le7545.htm

He has to have something on folks. Why not throw Rove over, they would all look better for it!

Elliott @ 144

out of the roots of aspens:

By JUDITH MILLER
May 11, 2007

How could the nation’s intelligence agencies, with their multibilliondollar secret budgets, their thousands of employees in over 100 countries across the globe, their vast networks of all-seeing eyes and ears in the skies, and clusters of informants below, have failed to anticipate and prevent the attacks of September 11, 2001, or find that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction?

The unforgivable flaw in George Tenet’s alternatively fascinating, infuriating, important, and self-serving book is his failure to explain in any depth, as only he could have, these two colossal failures that occurred during his tenure as director of Central Intelligence.

Judy does Tenet

She’s still marching to Dicky’s drum.

Bob in HI

You’re not David Broder, testing the waters, are you?

Busted.

dmac, yes I am Terry Olson. Why?

1,512 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..

Citizen oklahoma kiddo and the Firepup Patriots:

“…is Senator Clinton a moderate Democrate?”
Answer:
Mrs. Clinton is Joe Lieberman in drag.
Mrs. Clinton is Joe Lieberman with a brain.
Mrs. Clinton is a corporatist Republican from the Everret Dirksen mold.
Mrs. Clinton is worse than a wingnut.
Mrs. Clinton does not represent my party or the politics of the women in my family.

KEEP THE FAITH AND KNOW WHO THE ENEMY IS!!

Boston1775 @ 213
D. Moore @ 210
Boston1775 @ 185
I’m pouring a Francis Coppola Claret: Here’s to the edgy writers and no crap-taking mods. Here’s to health and friends. I’m pouring…..

I’ve had that! Yummmmm. I’m at work. Where are you?

Home on the east coast. Ready for downtime on the weekend. Join me soon.

Oh, baby. I don’t get work for another hour from Technicolor in Burbank, CA. But, sure wish I could! Maybe I’ll stop at the Wine Store on the way home and join you vicariously.
(oooh, big word for a blonde:))

LaHood is the guy Rove suspects of leaking to the press about the meeting with Bush.

Scarecrow @ 45

Terry whatisname, the rw flick on CNN tells Wolf that if the Iraq parliament goes on vacation without meeting the benchmarks, that would be a serious problem for Republicans.

Where does one go on vacation in Iraq?

Evening folks. I’ll just say hi until I can see if Suzanne will teach me how she makes those scrumptious dives.

Vacationing by Iraqis is done out of Iraq.

cinnape
thanks for the link, didn’t have that one.

LS @ 206,
Do you think this is a way of distancing themselves from Bush?

loo hoo

dmac, yes I am Terry Olson. Why?

just saw a while while back when you posted an email to someone, and it said terry……..we exchanged comments when i first came to the lake and felt an affinity, just wanted to know if it was really you!

I f*****g love the part about the leak to the media that Rove is pissed about the leak to the media.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 161

As if the Iranians could shut the sea lanes down.

They could. At the Eastern end of the Gulf (Strait of Hormuz) you can see from shore to shore (21 miles), and land-based mortars could probably take a ship out. Sink a few in the narrow main shipping channel, which is only a mile wide, and traffic would dry up.

Bob in HI

LS @ 77

BTW, I “spit” in the general direction of anyone who uses the words “the Homeland” instead of the United States of America. It really gets my goat.

It has filled me with dread since the first moment I heard it.

dakine01 @ 114 says: eh?

No, not eh, -e-h-.

Is the -e-h- in Boehner silent?

(nevermind, it was a fresh joke when I started typing it around #20, and an old joke by the time it appeared around #113)

:)

Fern @ 79

TeddySanFran @ 72

Benchmarks? Benchmarks? The MSM won’t even talk about the benchmarks the Iraqi government and military has missed since January, why would they cover any future benchmarks?

btw, Froomkin’s up.

Democrats insist that the Iraqis face consequences if those benchmarks are not met, while Bush has been opposed to anything that smacks of timetables. Yet White House officials, offered the chance yesterday to expand on Bush’s comments, notably declined.

Vice President Cheney, in a Fox News interview, was skeptical of the whole notion of “consequences.”

“Well, we’re interested in having benchmarks that we want to see the Iraqis meet,” he said. “The president has talked about this previously. That’s not a new concept or anything that one of the Democrats came up with. It’s also not – I’m always a little puzzled when we talk about consequences. . . .

The whole consequences thing is pretty funny in a way – If Iraqis meet the benchmarks, they will be rewarded by having the Amercans leave. If they fail to achieve the benchmarks, they will be punished by having the Americans leave.

Looks like win-win for the Iraqis to me.

Except that the Americans aren’t planning on leaving either way. Witness the permanent bases for protecting the oil once the oil agreement is signed.

Steve @ 96

Has the political dialog been so corrupted by the MSM that 11 or 14 right-wing thugs are called “moderate”?

Yes.

Elliott @ 117 says: bon-yur

No sprechen zie French

xoites defends Constitution @ 216

Perhaps this man is what a real moderate Republican is. I like this guy:

Aye MD-1 Gilchrest, Wayne [R]

http://www.govtrack.us/congres…..?id=400149

He represents my district and while I wouldn’t call him a progressive, he did vote against the military commissions act and in favor of the budget with timetables that Bush vetoed so I owe him another thank you note.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 166

Is for example, is Senator Clinton a moderate Democrat. If not, what? And if so, what does this mean?

A “moderate” Democrat is supposed to follow the Democratic Leadership Council, of which the Clintons are charter members. They are the War party among the Democrats– the party of Scoop Jackson of a generation ago. They often claim to be Kennedy Democrats, but they’re thinking of early Kennedy who campaigned on the “missle gap” and sent the first troops into Vietnam and the Bay of Pigs.

Bob in HI

dakine01

Thanks for the two R sen votes. Stepped away for a bit.

D. Moore @ 34

Gawsh! That picture of Boehner always gives me the creeps.
LaHood was on C-Span this am. He sounded extremely defensive. The President Always listens to other people’s views, he said. Made me spew coffee.
He also said that the aides Did Not Go Off on him and the other guy (forget his name right now). Again, spew. Liar, liar. When asked about who leaked the info re the meeting, he was trying to hedge…well no one called any journalists. When pressed, he admited that Tim Russert had iniated the call. See How They Lie!

But, if Russert is to be believed anything said would have been off the record unless THEY specifically asked for it to be on the record.

Lyin’ liars who tell lies.

Elliott @ 144

out of the roots of aspens:

By JUDITH MILLER
May 11, 2007

How could the nation’s intelligence agencies, with their multibilliondollar secret budgets, their thousands of employees in over 100 countries across the globe, their vast networks of all-seeing eyes and ears in the skies, and clusters of informants below, have failed to anticipate and prevent the attacks of September 11, 2001, or find that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction?

The unforgivable flaw in George Tenet’s alternatively fascinating, infuriating, important, and self-serving book is his failure to explain in any depth, as only he could have, these two colossal failures that occurred during his tenure as director of Central Intelligence.

Judy does Tenet

Now THAT is the repulsive’s repulsive.

dmac @ 156

perris at 142

keep in mind that Mr. Brown spent time in MA, and one of his best friends is GREENSPAN……….but, he does not believe in internationalism, so having England’s fingers in other parts of the world is not on his agenda.

Being as he’s Scottish (like me) he probably doesn’t care what England does. Now Britain….

Great show (Boston Legal)! At least the writers on that show have some leeway. The West Wing had a good run too. But, the funniest thing about Boston Legal is the way Ms. Bergen keeps at the center of the fictional political storm. First it was Murphy Brown and now Shirley Schmit (sp).

dmac @ 178

ok kiddo whom i love at 151

All moms should be happy this Sunday. Many will not. Thank you George W. Bush

lost my brother to the army in 1981, in Germany, my mother never really got an explanation of why………she never mentioned him for years, was taboo……..every Mother’s Day I make sure she is taken care of…..as does my younger sister….do her flower beds, whatever…….I can’t imagine what it is like to have a holiday that every single fg year you are reminded of what is lost to you…….and then there’s Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day……..oh my, the loss in incalculable…..but I show up at M Day and V Day parades, telling noone, all by myself, to honor him every year. He was one righteous dude, I’m tellin’ ya. I was nineteen when he died.

That hits me right in the heart. Thanks for letting us know. Mercy for you, your mom and your brother.

chetnolian-
i didn’t know that he was scottish-that makes sense, thanks.

allan_in_upstate @ 170

Elliott @ 145

more Judy:

As opposed to:

Ms. Miller … spent 85 days in the slammer, hiding behind the First Amendment in an unsuccessful attempt to save Scooter Libby’s a**.

trying to save his asspen? :-)

How to is “Boehner” spoken? Apparently when Boehner is in the White House it’s entirely silent. Wish it/he would remain that way.

Gunga Djinn @ 245

Elliott @ 117 says: bon-yur

No sprechen zie French

Umm, I think it’s bay-ner. Perhaps Elliott is thinking of David Bonior? Dem from MI, used to be my congressman, now managing John Edwards’ campaign.

I was on Adam Schiff’s (R)California website today. He had a poll asking if his constituents supported the ’surge in Iraq’, 75% said no.

I read several blogs a day and the ones I frequent seem to think this whole rebellion was a case of Rove saying “Let’s Put On A Show!”. As noted elsewhere, these “moderates” voted with the White House and against the benchmark-related funding bill. Some moderates.

I love the photo you are using. The Ghost of Denny hovering the background.

Not enough attention is being paid to the real money quote in this story: “My district is prepared for defeat.”
That’s a quote from a Republican congressman – he’s saying the people who elected him are ready to admit the obvious.
Bush-Cheney have been saying all along that we must not accept defeat. It looks like the American people are ahead of them – and most Democrats – on this one too.
Accepting defeat is not “defeatism” if in fact you can’t win. It’s realism. The occupation has alienated too many Iraqis for us ever to win – and every day we stay, we alienate more of them. Even the Republicans in this congressman’s district know it.