George @ 60

This is bigger than Bush. Every U.S. president, at least since Richard Nixon, has seen U.S.-Saudi ties as crucial to Middle East stability. But the United States has paid a price for this. It was not until 9/11 that many realized that Whabbism — a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam — was breeding terrorists eager to war against the West. …

As you say the relationship with SA was long-standing, so some knowledge of their Wahabbism should’ve existed.

Also, way back in the ’80s Oliver North told Congress the most dangerous man in the world was Osama bin Laden. If they didn’t learn about Wahabbism soon after that, then they really weren’t doing their job very well.

No, I think most in the Senate knew and plans were made accordingly.

The North-bin Laden claim is an Urban Legend, widely spread by right-wing talk radio.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blnorth.htm

Marc @ 108

The other report I want to see released is the one done by the House Intelligence Committee, which had an independent counsel look at how Cunningham used the Intel Committee staff to handle the intel earmarks. …

I was reminded of that when I read the book. I wonder whether that was part of the goal of removing Harman–to make sure the black program info never got exposed.

Cunningham – pilot in Nam
Black programs – earmarks run amok?
San Diego — temp home to 2 9/11 guys
Dusty Foggo — CIA connection?

Any FBI connection to all this? The 9/11 guys stayed with an FBI informant.

Are there any private CIA-like firms in America? in the San Diego area?

Oklahoma kiddo @ 54

Most of the 9-11 terrorists, as we know, came from Saudia Arabia. …

This is bigger than Bush. Every U.S. president, at least since Richard Nixon, has seen U.S.-Saudi ties as crucial to Middle East stability. But the United States has paid a price for this. It was not until 9/11 that many realized that Whabbism — a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam — was breeding terrorists eager to war against the West. …

As you say the relationship with SA was long-standing, so some knowledge of their Wahabbism should’ve existed.

Also, way back in the ’80s Oliver North told Congress the most dangerous man in the world was Osama bin Laden. If they didn’t learn about Wahabbism soon after that, then they really weren’t doing their job very well.

No, I think most in the Senate knew and plans were made accordingly.

And “earmarks” are just a snapshot within the photo album of the “vast right-wing conspiracy” and their stated goal of establishing and maintaining a permanent Republican majority in our country.

Think of the United States as the “turf” being fought over by rival gangs in a “turf war.”

The Republican gang suffered a major setback in this “turf war” during the Nixon years, which was actually the low-point in Republican aspirations since they’d suffered setback after setback since the FDR years.

Following Nixon’s disgrace, certain Young Republicans plotted their next scheme for winning the “turf wars” with the goal completely dominating and subjugating America.

Since liberal Democratic Party policies, especially since FDR, tended to put more money into the pockets of everyday U.S. citizens, then the Republican Party strategy would be to line the pockets of “loyal” conservative Republicans, and even some “loyal” conservative Democrats, redirecting taxpayer money “earmarked” to help a vast majority of U.S. citizens into “earmarks” for only helping “the few, the proud, the greedy.”

Which is where America stands now. Which is a summation of every policy, both domestic and foreign, of the Bush and Cheney administration, and the “culture of corruption” Republicans in Congress and even on the Supreme Court. Which is why Bush must veto the legislative expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, because unless this taxpayer money is going to their crony Republican pals, those in their inner-circle of “the few, the proud, the greedy,” then in their strange (and very un-American) way of thinking, this is a total waste of taxpayer money. Which is also why Bush and Cheney, and “culture of corruption” Republicans, keep calling for permanent tax breaks and tax cuts for “the few, the proud, the greedy” at the top economic levels of our society.

It is all part and parcel of the same Republican scheme hatched several decades ago, after Nixon, by certain Republican gangsters who have a “win at any cost” attitude in what they consider to be a “turf war” for who controls America.

ccmask @ 131

With regards to the anthrax scare, why was it always assumed that anthrax tainted mail had come into the Congress mail system, instead of anthrax laced mail had gone out of Congress mail system?

Well, they inspected the mail system and found traces of anthrax before those came, I thought. I always wondered if anthrax laced letters had gone out, instead of in. I mean, we know there are some pretty bad characters inside.

Weren’t there 2 anthrax letters sent TO Leahy and Daschle?

With regards to the anthrax scare, why was it always assumed that anthrax tainted mail had come into the Congress mail system, instead of anthrax laced mail had gone out of Congress mail system?

Weren’t there 2 anthrax letters sent TO Leahy and Daschle?