g’morning attaturk!

here’s the question;

what would happen if after the primaries one of the two candidates became “incapacitated” here in the states just a day or a week before the election

would we still have that election on the scheduled day?

Not Specter again. Raises some interesting questions. So where is this report now?

I hope they didn’t consider Arlen Specter a “trusted American politician.”
If they did, it’s as good as buried. Hopefully they distributed it widely.

Aack!! turned on the teevee and the first face I see in 2008 – Candy Crowley. Boo!!

morning all.

Yes! about time we get some coverage on this story just how many Bhuttos can the Pakistani army kill? Bush can keep living in his bubble and pretend that the General is innocent but the People of Pakistan are not buying it.
America has to plan for a Pakistan without Musharraf. We need a plan that either keeps Pakistan stable although no longer a puppet of Bush’s or we need to take out their Nukes.
To bad we got Arlen the Waffle on the job.

equally a motive for cheney and friends.

what would happen if after the primaries one of the two candidates became “incapacitated” here in the states just a day or a week before the election

happened in Missouri for a Senate seat in 2000, I think

The Democratic candidate for the Senate died in a plane crash a month before the election, and still beat ashcroft

Bhutto had been due to meet U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., to hand over a report charging that the military Inter-Services Intelligence agency was planning to fix the polls in the favor of President Pervez Musharraf.

Didn’t I read somewhere that the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency is part of the Ministry of the Interior? As in, the Ministry that came up with “she bumped her head and now she’s dead”?

Good morning all and happy new year.

I really don’t understand the benefit of lying about the cause of Bhutto’s death.

Let’s see, a gunman was able to get within 5 feet of her car, raise a gun and fire three shots and then set off a bomb that riddled the car with scrapnel holes. But, none of the bullets or shrapnel killed her. Fortunately (the medical examiner’s word) it was the concussion which slammed her head into a sunroof knob. So, the security wasn’t that bad.

How was that argument worth advancing? I’m starting to think that most of us can’t understand the culture more than two states away from our own.

american style diplomacy and democracy by “ACME” just add blood…..

That was Mel Carnahan, succeeded by his wife Jean after posthumously beating Ashcroft.

Aack!! turned on the teevee and the first face I see in 2008 – Candy Crowley. Boo!!

morning all.

Hope that visual wasn’t coupled with a hangover….bad way to start a morning, less alone a new year. *g*

Good morning. In fact my first good morning of the new year, as SignifOther sleeps on. New is to have the Pups as my early-ish morning company.

So some OT good news. News of the FAA prohibition of extra cell and laptop batteries on planes starting today is greatly exaggerated.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/…..eck-again/

Sometimes the NYT is useful and the government makes sense.

Yikes, It’s .30 minutes into my first morning of hope, the year-of-our-liberation-and-their-incarceration (or indictment). And already a cynical thought.

Time for a Marion from Savannah-like breakfast. Back when the coffee had been drunk and the mood is better.
On the subject of breakfast.
Jane in Iowa, get yourself some good breakfast. We are counting for you and rooting for you.

What questions? I think the motive behind the death of Benazir Bhutto was this report. I think Arlen can be counted on though to cover up Bushes mess but… could Arlen have leaked the news of this report to a Bushie!
Benazir Bhutto’s people may have a mole or the leak may have come from our side in which case Arlen is the most likely leaker. After all this report would put in question the elections in Pakistan that Bush has been pushing.
The General controls Pakistan though if the leak came from a mole in Pakistan before American Congressmen heard about it, wouldn’t the General just raid Benazir’s headquarters and seize what ever proof Bhutto had?
But the General couldn’t do that once Congress found out, and I’m guessing Benazir would not play ball so she had to be killed before talking to the Congressmen.

This whole administration is cartoonish. Too bad real lives are at stake.

Wellstone in Minnesota died in a plane crash too! I’m getting nervous about flying now.

oops. That was supposed to be counting on you. Counting for you is being done by the Big Board that you have so generously paid to see and live blog for us.
G’Morning Mr. Freepatriot (BTW, Mr. FreePatriot, there a football gem of an OT left for the trashtalkers by me on TNH’s Poland thread. A good feeling one for the new year, which I heartily wish you, as well to all.)

yes real lives…..

the sad reality, real lives for political ends..

Message for you @17.

Hope that visual wasn’t coupled with a hangover….bad way to start a morning, less alone a new year. *g*

Nope – no hangovers since last February. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed here (ouch, I think I pulled something patting myself on the back).

Its not a cultural difference the General is trying to make the best of a losing hand.

Read and observe. Don’t say you were not warned.

Good morning & happy New Year, y’all.

Juan Cole reports that docs who put out the concussion story were pressured to do so by the Pak military.

Are they still going to get the report or has the General scared the remaining members of the Bhutto family into keeping quiet?

If so, he may be more inept than our own leader. It makes Huckabees maneuver worthy of Machiavelli.

Such phrases as “post 9/11″ and “surge” have also outlived their usefulness, they said.

Geez, what are the Repub candidates gonna do at debates? Mime?

plays well on the radio for me ;-)

Don’t know, but that has proven to be a family that, for better or worse, doesn’t seem to scare easily…

*I’m* expecting to see the report sometime here soon, just like I was expecting that additional videos of the assassination would eventually surface, but who knows?

707!

Good on you! Pulled muscles are definitely allowed.

Geez, what are the Repub candidates gonna do at debates? Mime?

Well, that only leaves gouliani with two-word sentences.

“Me good. You weak”.

Maybe he can turn 9-11 into some kinda gang-like hand sign…

They all got use to brute force and cheating to win power, they never had to learn to play within the rules it was always with the rules, and now they find they can’t play within the rules for squat.
Bush vs Gore was a stacked deck of judges who never recused themselves because of potential bias. Which is an issue I think we can use to get Congress to impeach the Supremes who voted for Bush, assuming such a thing is possible.
Huckabee interfered with the Parole board and ordered them to let a rapists out early then he tried to deny it with the same skill Musharraf is doing right now in Pakistan.
These guys are all bad liars they never had to worry about being punished if they got caught I blame their permissive parents for their obviously lax moral fiber.
Everyone but a Saint lies sometimes only people who don’t care or don’t expect to be punished lie this bad.

Anyone have the link to Hugh’s list?

http://www.netrootsmass.net/Hugh/Bush_list.html

Well lets hope and pray that the Bhutto family has not given in to fear and will produce the report.

Hugh’s Scroll

Thanks & egregious too.

The Dead Country Scroll

“I saw a shooter on the knoll!” by Arlen Specter is now, “I saw and know nothing! Really! I mean it!”. *rolling eyes*

Photos of Hugh’s Scroll over at ET’s website

CNN guy reporting from “Buzzard Billy’s Flying Carp Cafe” in Des Moines.

I approve of this message.

Are Sociopaths bad liars because they don’t care about right and wrong but only themselves? Or what if the lie is boring to them do they then give it less effort?

Lashari, who formerly taught environmental economics at Britain’s Cranfield University, said the effort was directed at constituencies where the result was likely to be decided by a small margin, so it wouldn’t be obvious.

Huh… Sound familiar to anyone? Like maybe Florida 2000 or Ohio 2004 ?

Aack! It’s Candy Crowley again! Geez, she’s lookin’ especially gruesome this morning.

Dear CNN:

Stop. Just stop.

(reportedly, with wind-chill, below zero in Iowa – who benefits from low turnout?)

Who now has this “report” reported to exist, that wss to be given to Specter and Kennedy?

The guy who shot Bhutto looks very “CIA-ish” to me, you know, dark sunglasses, clean shaven, nicely dressed and a stand out in the crowd…

Or ISI-ish…

That’s why I keep the TV on the Weather Channel for the overnight. The visual is usually so much better.

FWIW, CNN online is reporting that the Pakistan Interior Ministry is backing off the “Sunroof” claims.

And in regards to the report Bhutto was going to provide to Spector and Kennedy, the fact that knowledge of that report is out in public now, it will be much more difficult to suppress it.

Happy New Year
Got coffee and I hope America is angry enough to elect Edwards.
Finished the Shock Doctrine and am horrified at whats been done in our name.

On a lighter note…or not (g)
http://comunidad.ciudad.com.ar…..gorey.html

That’s why I keep the TV on the Weather Channel for the overnight. The visual is usually so much better.

Careful there, you’re traversing awful close to a Simon & Garfunkle ear worm

Oh, The Ghashlycrumb Tinies!!! I love Gorey! Thanks!

Which is an issue I think we can use to get Congress to impeach the Supremes who voted for Bush, assuming such a thing is possible.

Yes it is possible, although people say it would be difficult. Of course our current batch of Sheepocrats in Congress can’t even impeach Darth Cheney!

Assuming we had real Democrats in Congress, here are the top three priorities I would like to see addressed in 2008:

1) Impeach Cheney and Bush.

2) Impeach Thomas and Scalia (Thomas for lying during his confirmation process and Scalia for not recusing himself from a case involving Cheney after going on a hunting trip with him.)

3) Rename the airport and aircraft carrier that were named after the traitor “Benedict Ronald” Reagan, who sold hawk and tow missiles to the terrorists.

Those are my wishes for the new year.

Happy New Year ((((those who just got up ))))

This just awesome…:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8

He’s definitely “ishy” if you ask me!

The obvious question is why the heck would she trust Specter?

The other question, less obvious, is, why Patrick Kennedy? Wouldn’t Ted Kennedy have been the more likely candidate? I’m wondering if Ted couldn’t go and sent his son in his stead. I also wonder if Specter tagged along because someone insisted a Republican go along.

All of this is total speculation. But what a weird, weird story.

Im an addict of Stumbleupon.com

Faux news has all the ron paul supporters in high p*ssed-off mode….it *is* rather a lot of fun to watch thugs chew their feet off. :-)

http://www.crooksandliars.com/…..this-time/

Hmmm. Still, the mafia, which doesn’t care, wouldn’t bother with inventing far fetched excuses; i.e., A rare, very deep, low pressure center developed within the frame mold of an overpass abuttment and sucked Jimmy Hoffa in just as eighteen tons of concrete were being poured.

Okay, no more on this dead horse.

I felt a little discouraged at Obama’s “surge” yesterday. But read about the caucus process in this Kos diary. Who will the Kucinich give their votes to?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/…..506/428678

And her car came to a stop and she stood up with her head and shoulders outside the bulletproof car exactly at the spot where the assassin(s) awaited. Hmmmmmmmmm.

How could there not be suspicions raised concerning Musharef’s role in the assassination. But does any real evidence exist?

I’m with CrossTimbers way up at 9. This is a story, certainly. but would it really be news to learn that Musharraff and the ISS are murderous pricks. People gotta keep diggin’ an’ all but what happens next is more important.

Motive and means is a good start.

As someone pointed out yesterday, it’s quite likely that there were multiple potential participants in the assassination stationed along the route of the car.

How can they think the world would believe a lie when we all saw what happened? Is it Bushworld?

Thank you.

“Free and fair democratic elections” the mantra from this honestly elected administration has certainly worked, world wide, for the last seven years except, of course, in Palestine.

Thanks for that – so refreshing
The one voice I have truly missed this season gave us:

Deck the halls with Boston Charley
Nora’s left us on the trolly
…
Walla, Walla Wash
and Kalamazoo

and IIRC there was discussion at the time wether “it is us” or “they was us” was the correct usage

We have met the enemy and it is us

Which is an issue I think we can use to get Congress to impeach the Supremes who voted for Bush, assuming such a thing is possible.

And what party that I’ve never heard of would control that congress?

“Free and fair democratic elections” the mantra from this honestly elected administration has certainly worked, world wide, for the last seven years except, of course, in Palestine.

And the really close election in Mexico, look at that, the Bush allies won by a hair. And France and don’t get me started. We’ve got a problem and not only here.

It’s absolutely gorgeous here in the mid-Hudson. Fourth snowstorm of the season, falling like crazy, though forecast called for light snow. No traffic on the normally busy road right in front of my house. I think the plow hasn’t even gone thru yet. I’m going out for a walk as soon as I do my stretches.

What about Kenya?

Evidence? Like Arlen’s ’single bullet theory’? Or global warming theory? These spookes are very good at disappearing evidence. But logic must rule somewhere. If one hears a gun shot, and there is a man bleeding, I assume that there was a shooter and a gun somewhere. Even if my eyes haven’t seen them. Logic must, at some point, win out over having the murder on film.

Was there vote stealilng in every election since 2000 and possibly before? I wholeheartedly believe it. And there is proof if one cares to put the small bits of evidence and logic in the same room together.

I am a grouch this morning, although no party for me last night. So please excuse my sharpness.

Just this week alone we have two administration allies. Pakistan and Kenya, rigging those damn elections.

Wow
They really are afraid of Edwards…and us
http://fortunepowerplay.wordpr…..d-in-iowa/

Impeaching Supremes, very difficult, even constitutionally. Happened once:

From Encara

Justices serve lifetime appointments. Under the Constitution they can be removed from the Court only by first being impeached (accused) by a majority vote of the U.S. House of Representatives and then convicted by a two-thirds vote of the Senate. There is no precise standard for determining whether a justice has committed an impeachable offense, though the consensus is that removal should be for criminal or ethical lapses, not for partisan political reasons. No justice has ever been removed through this process, and only one justice of the Supreme Court has ever been impeached.

Watchout what you wish for, however:

In 1805 Justice Samuel Chase was impeached in the House by his political enemies, but the Senate failed to convict when it became apparent that Chase’s opponents were after him not because he had committed any wrongdoing but because they disagreed with his decisions. The possibility of impeachment may have been a factor in the resignation of Justice Abe Fortas, who left the Court in 1969 after allegations surfaced that he had accepted a questionable fee from a private foundation. Some conservative groups rallied for the removal of Chief Justice Earl Warren in the 1960s, but their efforts failed.

That would be drawing the ultimate short straw, when the car stops in front of you.

well sure looks like my intuition(well researched) is panning out….ROGUE GOVERNMENT we got here

Must make elections so overwhelming there’s no way to rig ‘em. And snowbird, poo on Rothenberg. Democrats need a strong long plan for 2008, that starts on Thursday.

Prairie’s food for thought today: If you can keep it is all about what I think that long plan should be.

I read last night that the key will be the question of who gets Biden’s votes: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..79004.html

The Republican screams of “class warfare” really get me. Things like the vote and collective bargaining are efforts to preclude real class warfare, as in the Peasant’s Revolt, the French Revolution, the Revolutions of 1848, the Russian Revolution, and a hundred others.

There is your laundry list:
1. Blair/Brown in UK
2. Sarkozi in France
3. Merkel in Germany
4. Putin in Russia
5. Bush in US
6. ??? in China
7. ??? in Japan

Just how much of the world’s economic production is under the political control of “conservative” corporatists and their camp followers.

Thanks for that link, snowbird, I read the piece and came away with a coupla key phrases:

Edwards’ appeal to economic grievance runs deep.

Edwards has hit on a national trend that especially resonates on the populist Midwest campaign trail: More and more Americans see the nation divided into “have’s” and “have-nots”

And this whiny last:

If Edwards’ message is victorious in an economy as strong as Iowa, it’ll find plenty of avenues beyond—and business leaders will pay the price.

Maybe the business leaders should have considered that when they were pillaging pension plans, firing workers and outsourcing jobs. Enough tax subsidies to the “haves.” That’s the real class warfare. And their thinly veiled contempt for America’s middle/working class has caught up with them.

Please tell me it ain’t so:

“If Iowa Democrats choose Edwards,” Rothenberg writes, “they are choosing anger, confrontation, and class warfare.”

Perish the thought.

who’s she?

Definitely a strange story.

A few things to remember about Pakistani politics.

- Presidents have typically have been profoundly corrupt.
- Politics in Pakistan is a blood sport.
- Very little is what it seems.
- Family political dynasties are not generally a good thing.

And what I’m picking up on my trip to the midwest, is there are a lot of people who used to think of themselves as “haves,” who realize they have been abandoned by this administration. They are not happy.

Foreclosures have more than doubled here in the last couple years. School bond levy failed twice: no sports, no extracurriculars, no AP classes. Health deductibles just went up 20% and drug prices tripled for the local corporation’s pensioners. Not too many Republicans left here.

Rothenberg’s a dick schmuck. Happy New Year. Not a drink last night but I still feel crummy. Constipated. Wonder why.

Last week’s elections in Kenya were stolen by the incumbent, after it initially looked like the challenger would win. Very familiary scenario.

soma………

If the people are hurting who will listen and tell the truth “the people are hurting”. Isnt it time to end this disaster that is the US under Bush and not with more of same.

I’ve seen this happen before — where people see that ol’ Red, White & Blue and go and vote against their bests interests. Dumb. Republicans have mastered this. They push the 3 F’s–flag, family values and fear. People fall for it.

Well, it’s time to resurrect the battle cry — “It’s the economy, stupid.”

Rothenberg want the Democrats to sing Kumbaaya, and is afraid they won’t.

“Republicans have mastered this.”

Bhutto’s assassination was a masterful chess move now dothcha think!

make no mistake….we are in a class WAR…will we win …OUR SIDE 90%ers vs 10 % Oligarchs?it is a war for SURVIVAL of the middle class

People need to be persuaded to vote reality not fear, not fantasy. Vote their wallets, not their wishful thinking.

Even small businesses around here are realizing that they are on the have-not path. It’s the mega-corps that are Bush’s base, not “bidness.”

dammit – burned the bagels. First Candy Crowley assaults my sleepy eyes, a pain-in-the-ass, non-pretty snow outside, and now this.

Shoulda stood in bed…

universal single payer healthcare can rescue small biz

media is spinning like dervishes trying to divert the publics attention

exactly so. Can also free employees who are now trapped by their health care bennies. I know of older workers who virtually work for free so that they can get a healthcare benefit–indentured servitude returns.

“..so that they can get a healthcare benefit–indentured servitude returns.”

now in the state in Massachusetts………

Take it Back in 2008!

Nancy Pelosi is standing in the way of a full investigation into the crimes of the Bush/Cheney administration. She will not allow impeachment hearing to take place.

Please sign the petition to replace Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. It is Constitutional and can be done during session. In fact the rule was written for just such an occasion; the removal of a complicit Speaker to advance the impeachment of a rogue administration.

http://www.petitiononline.com/…..ition.html

Great Post. The Corporate Controlled TeeVee and Washington Post, are concealing a great deal regarding Bhutto and Pakistan. The Bushies do not want the identities of three suspects Bhutto named, made public. They do not want her allegation that Bin Laden is dead, made public. Who has been making all these Bin Laden videos?

Busharaff murdered Bhutto, with the help of Condosleeza.

Also, a bit of fantastic greed: “When I’ve made my millions, I don’t want the damn government taxing it all away, so I better vote for low taxes on the wealthy now.”

They’ve somehow gotten the have-nots to identify with the wealthy rather than their own.

Christy has a new political roundup post upstairs.

Well, I think the word “war” has been badly over used and most of us have lost the sense of its really dire meaning. I don’t think we really have a “war on terrorism”, much less class warfare.

when peeps start starving to death/freezing to death,dying of no healthcare…i call them casualties of WAR ,but thats just my imo

Removing Pelosi as speaker is step #1. There will be no standing up to Bush until that happpens.

sadlyyes — Have you heard from your friend? Are things okay?

and yes i advocate a full frontal assault on these fronts…

They’re in. Beerfart’s picks. Print ‘em. Run, don’t walk to your friendly bookie or Las Vegas.

1)Outback Bowl
Wisconsin-Tenn
Vols. overrated, as usual. Badgers win outright. Save Big Ten from another shameful bowl showing.

2)Cotton or something
Ark.-Mizzou
Mizzou

3) Don’t know which one
Tex. Tech-Virginny
Couldn’t Care Less

4)Crapitol One Citrtus Bowl
Michigan-Florida
Big Ten = Loser Conference. Gators in a rout
(For whatever it’s worth the weather is and has been crappy in O-town and the field will be a mess)

5)Rose Bowl
Illinois – USC
See 4 above. Another rout.

6) Sugar Bowl
Hawaii – Geoegia
Warriors scare piss outta Bulldogs. Take the points.

Tomorrow:
7)Fiesta Bowl (I can remember when this was a minor bowl. I’m old.)
West Virginia – Oklahoma
Mountaineers uphold honor of the B’east.

8) National Championship Game:
LSU – Ohio State.
See 5 above.

that’s the wishful thinking instead of the reality “wallet”–or during this admin, wallop!

no ,unfortunately…can you imagine,this is happening to a college grad,VERY competent woman with tons of energy….i cant help but think about,the less fortunate than herself…arghhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Do you really think Steny Hoyer would be any better as Speaker?

Wow
They really are afraid of Edwards…and us
http://fortunepowerplay.wordpr…..d-in-iowa/
reply

Iowa and IIRC NH are odd in that they allow “Independents” to switch to either party on election day and then back to Ind. the day after. This gives them anonymity for all of the year except election days. It also allows Republicans to switch over and vote in Democratic caucuses to screw them up.

This year the Republicans are fractured as never before. Perhaps in a year when there was one candidate like Dubya then the Repubs could switch over and vote in a Dem caucus. What will they choose to do this year?

If a Repub/Independent wants a particular Repub candidate to win, then they’ll have to caucus for that candidate. That would leave the Dem caucus to Dems alone and in that race I think Edwards or Hillary wins.

If a Repub/Independent doesn’t care so much which Repub candidate should win or feels their favorite is likely to win withot extra help, then they might switch to vote in the Dem caucus.

How would that particular brand of “Independent” affect the Dem caucus this year?

If their intent is to produce the worst candidate, so a Repub can win the general election, then they have a problem. All the Dem candidates would whoop up on any Repub nominee. Still, they’re more likely I think to pick Obama or Hillary.

If their intent is to actually help get a better Dem candidate whom they expect to become president, then they’ll likely avoid Hillary and pick Obama or Edwards.

It’s not clear yet what is going on in Iowa and the Des Moines poll which was heavily based on Independent voters might just be garbage. Only time will tell — and there’s darn little of that left before caucus day (Thursday).

It’s probable that if Iowa and NH didn’t have this sort of open primary that we’d be selecting more Progressive Dems more often. It’s disappointing that our earliest primary states aren’t closed to just Dems. But, at least this year we ought to have a strong turnout. That’s about all I can add at this point.

Edwards for President — Leadership to solve big problems for America!

My take is that it was a joint effort: Musharraf knew that there were lots of fundamentalist elements eager to kill Bhutto, so he helped them by making sure
she had no security protection.

And she was shot as well as bombed; suicide bombers usually aren’t so thorough.
It might have been two separate attacks, just to make sure.