morning

good

Hiya, PW!

Because the report is being held away from public scrutiny, it will probably/hopefully arouse more interest in what it actually says.
Big Dick is shown for what he is, a lying sack o’ s***.

Morning, everyone! I’m doing the laundry and making lasagna. And blogging. What’re y’all up to?

Just wanted to point out that the Bushes have a long tradition of “the commisar vanishes” stuff when it comes to reframing reality.

George Herbert Walker Bush had the Sandia Labs study — the one that debunked key tenets of the conservative anti-public-school tract “A Nation At Risk” — and it wasn’t allowed to see the light of day until Bill Clinton too office.

I didn’t know about this study, quick synopsis, what does it find?

Yup.

dmac - Thanks for the response at the end of the last thread.

Oops, lying bastards got caught and they just can’t come clean. What a bunch of chickenhawk chickenshits.

Why, if disappearing bad news is a hallmark of the Bush dynasty, why have they left W dangling out in the public sphere for this long?

Dugg?

Why, if disappearing bad news is a hallmark of the Bush dynasty, why have they left W dangling out in the public sphere for this long?

He’s there to draw attention away from the really bad news. Scary, isn’t it?

The Bush family has a very large overcrowded closet of ugly skeletons. Like porn star centerfold poses, it takes a lot of smoke, mirrors and airbrushing to get the image that just ain’t real. Too much incest produces those weird family traits so prevalent in shrub.

There’s a lot of stuff the family suppressed in Texas that has never seen the light of day. Neither have the authors and researchers who exposed records, which also happened to disappear from public record. Reminds me of the way Stalin ran things.

What about DickieBoy? Isn’t he a two time looser? Wasn’t he arrested in his youth a few times? That’s when he decided to go into politics and do all the same things and worse, only never be arrested for his crimes. You just can’t take the criminal out of his mind.

Try This

Go here, here, and here for starters.

The short version: In 1988, GHW Bush, a longtime foe of public education, commissioned Sandia Labs in New Mexico to do a study that he thought would confirm the bollocks of “A Nation At Risk” and show public schools as decidedly inferior to private ones. When the study failed to do either, he had it suppressed. It didn’t get officially released until Bill Clinton took office.

DING DING DING!

Remember, he wasn’t the one that was supposed to be the president out of his generation of Bushies — he was too stupid. Jeb was supposed to become president, but he’s so blatantly corrupt that even the RNC didn’t dare touch him.

The Spitzer brouhaha was unavoidable, but the racialization of the Presidential race initiated by the Clinton campaign, and exacerbated by the right wing noise machine are the real culprits for the bait and switch.

That the economy is in the tank is leaking out, but the root causes of it–voodoo economics–and a comprehensive 7 year look at it and realities of the Iraq war, rather than the phony baloney surge successes media sedative–we need I guess to just holler. As Ayotollah hopeful John Mc Cain just averred, the nation’s capitol is a “City of Satan.”

PW,
You can go here and request a copy of the study. I did so yesterday and received a confirmation email within minutes saying it would be mailed to me.

In regards to the massive explosion in Albania:

“The U.S. embassy in Tirana told Reuters it could not confirm the presence of U.S. military personnel at the site, on the outskirts of the capital Tirana.”

-G

amazing I did not know about the bush study, I could have used those links in quite a few discussions under contention

thanx pw

Ah yes! The white noise of lies, deceits, distortions, and manipulations of the Bush Regime! I’m tired of their insanity. Rational Americans knew there was no link between Saddam, 9/11, and Osama. Those who could see a link because they believed what they were being told by Bush and others are just as much to blame for the current illegal occupation of Iraq and the slaughtering of it’s leader. We had no right to go in there! I remember when the first bombs were being dropped on Iraqis and was broadcast all over the world. I felt shame, embarrassment, and I wept.

It is my understanding that you can submit a request to have this report sent to anyone who asks and it will be supplied in CD format.

Question:

Why doesn’t everyone here and other blogs request a copy of the study. Thousands and thousands of requests with CD’s going out all over the world… kind of hard to hide the info then.

Wow, no link between Al Queda and Saddam. What a huge surprise. Not!

See me @ #18

WRT the Bush family tree: they’ve also probably pruned the fact that its earliest known male is almost certainly illegitimate. (At least, they can’t find any records for his father, and the woman who seems to be his mother is on record being fined a couple of times for children without marriage.)

I remember when the first bombs were being dropped on Iraqis and was broadcast all over the world. I felt shame, embarrassment, and I wept.

and we knew with no doubt, our country would pay a price for generations

that price is even higher then I had ever imagined, even though every single person thought I was being an alarmist

Wuz just gonna say the same ‘zact thing. How long, I wonder, before someone gets the freakin CD and plonks it up on the ‘Net? I’d pay to see that, but I’m hoping to do so for freebies.

WRT the Bush family tree: they’ve also probably pruned the fact that its earliest known male is almost certainly illegitimate. (At least, they can’t find any records for his father, and the woman who seems to be his mother is on record being fined a couple of times for children without marriage.)

information I did not know

but we do know grandfather bush was a nazi and hitler supporter, it is absolutely no coincident these are fascists in office

Duh….just got some coffee on board…..anyone want a cuppa?
Fresh ground French Roast … French press….

Morning PW, pups

I just finished breakfast for the brits and will be departing for the farmer’s market to see what goodies they have today. Also will be finishing the sketch of the garden (had to watch the sun pattern to see where my sunny/shady spots were) and order the rest of my seeds.

Thanks!

The deal here is similar to the press trick of “burying the lede”. Outright heavy-handed suppression would draw too attention, so instead they move to de-emphasize the info: Instead of officially posting it on their website with all their other reports, you have to know how to ask for it. That way they can still say “But the information is available” even though fewer people will actually see it this way.

I know. Remember the outrage of the “patriots” of our country who said WE HATED AMERICA, because we didn’t believe George Bush and his Band of Thugs? Still sickens me. George Bush, Dick Cheney, and the rest of the Regime are to blame for the divide in this country. Sick of all of them!

John Forde, newdealfarmgrrl and I had lunch at Sawatdee’s Friday in my Minneapolis neighborhood, Warehouse District, and all three of uswere speculating about who you were–the best-kept FDL frontpager in the Twin Cities area. We’re talking about a big 7-county metro area FDL meetup either at my loft in downtown Mpls or at John Forde’s house in St. Paul…

You will be invited (I have your e-address and so does John). Will you come?

I’ve gotta go to the farmer’s market myself. Back in a little bit!

i meant the best-kept secret FDL frontpager in the Twin Citiesareaa…

When is it? Will check with the spouse to see what’s going on. Gotta go right now — wanna hold down the fort here? I’ll be back shortly.

I’ll hold the fort until you get back…

OK, it’s my thread for the moment. You boys and girls better behave…*G*…

Point of info, been away for a long time — does FDL still do its “electronic community” on facebook or some other Web 2.0 site? Pls pardon offtopic here.

Your excellent idea notwithstanding, ABC posted a link to the report. And now, on to the next trumped up war… jeez these guys cant get enough.

6 Signs the U.S. May Be Headed for War in Iran
March 11, 2008 06:52 PM ET

1. Fallon’s resignation: With the Army fully engaged in Iraq, much of the contingency planning for possible military action has fallen to the Navy, which has looked at the use of carrier-based warplanes and sea-launched missiles as the weapons to destroy Iran’s air defenses and nuclear infrastructure. Centcom commands the U.S. naval forces in and near the Persian Gulf. In the aftermath of the problems with the Iraq war, there has been much discussion within the military that senior military officers should have resigned at the time when they disagreed with the White House.

2. Vice President Cheney’s peace trip: Cheney, who is seen as a leading hawk on Iran, is going on what is described as a Mideast trip to try to give a boost to stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. But he has also scheduled two other stops: One, Oman, is a key military ally and logistics hub for military operations in the Persian Gulf. It also faces Iran across the narrow, vital Strait of Hormuz, the vulnerable oil transit chokepoint into and out of the Persian Gulf that Iran has threatened to blockade in the event of war. Cheney is also going to Saudi Arabia, whose support would be sought before any military action given its ability to increase oil supplies if Iran’s oil is cut off. Back in March 2002, Cheney made a high-profile Mideast trip to Saudi Arabia and other nations that officials said at the time was about diplomacy toward Iraq and not war, which began a year later.

3. Israeli airstrike on Syria: Israel’s airstrike deep in Syria last October was reported to have targeted a nuclear-related facility, but details have remained sketchy and some experts have been skeptical that Syria had a covert nuclear program. An alternative scenario floating in Israel and Lebanon is that the real purpose of the strike was to force Syria to switch on the targeting electronics for newly received Russian anti-aircraft defenses. The location of the strike is seen as on a likely flight path to Iran (also crossing the friendly Kurdish-controlled Northern Iraq), and knowing the electronic signatures of the defensive systems is necessary to reduce the risks for warplanes heading to targets in Iran.

4. Warships off Lebanon: Two U.S. warships took up positions off Lebanon earlier this month, replacing the USS Cole. The deployment was said to signal U.S. concern over the political stalemate in Lebanon and the influence of Syria in that country. But the United States also would want its warships in the eastern Mediterranean in the event of military action against Iran to keep Iranian ally Syria in check and to help provide air cover to Israel against Iranian missile reprisals. One of the newly deployed ships, the USS Ross, is an Aegis guided missile destroyer, a top system for defense against air attacks.

5. Israeli comments: Israeli President Shimon Peres said earlier this month that Israel will not consider unilateral action to stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. In the past, though, Israeli officials have quite consistently said they were prepared to act alone — if that becomes necessary — to ensure that Iran does not cross a nuclear weapons threshold. Was Peres speaking for himself, or has President Bush given the Israelis an assurance that they won’t have to act alone?

6.Israel’s war with Hezbollah: While this seems a bit old, Israel’s July 2006 war in Lebanon against Iranian-backed Hezbollah forces was seen at the time as a step that Israel would want to take if it anticipated a clash with Iran. The radical Shiite group is seen not only as a threat on it own but also as a possible Iranian surrogate force in the event of war with Iran. So it was important for Israel to push Hezbollah forces back from their positions on Lebanon’s border with Israel and to do enough damage to Hezbollah’s Iranian-supplied arsenals to reduce its capabilities. Since then, Hezbollah has been able to rearm, though a United Nations force polices a border area buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

Dyin for a weather report from the HotLanta? Another round of storms on the way. The SEC tourney got moved from the Dome to GA Tech and is being played in a nearly empty facility!

Yes…
you can see the “f” next to many of our screen names.

Albania. US Embassy hasn’t reported much about Americans involvement in dismantling ammunition.

All Headline News reports:
According to the local authorities, the blasts occurred while dismantling ammunition by the military experts. They were being helped by employees of an American company contacted by NATO to help the local army eliminate the shells at the time of the first explosion, according to AFP news agency.

Guardian UK reports:

160 feared dead from explosion, many of them Americans. Surrounding villages evacuating area
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/15/nato

For folks who like to read the entire 94 page report, via TPMMuckraker from ABC News, here it is.

kayln, you have to read this

they’ve lied us into confrontation before and it was known they would do it, the very same principles, rumsfeld, cheney and their fake cia

a must must read

See my comment to you @ end of last thread — re Carlton.

on Facebook, yes…

Scott Ritter was here in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago to speak about his book - “Target: IRAN”

He was asked about the impending war with Iran…. he states the war plans were signed off last year…. that the only firewall to the Iran war was Adm. Fallon….. well with that firewall gone….. the day that Fallon resigned IS the first day of the Iran War.

I thought all abc had was a synopsis

see my 38…meant for you…*g*…

I think the Pentagon didn’t like the suggested title: How we were caught with our pants around our ankles.

On the same topic, there was also this report:

312. In the summer of 2005, the RAND Corporation, the think tank to the military-industrial complex submitted a report entitled “Rebuilding Iraq” commissioned by the Army. It was critical of both civilian and military leadership and planning following the initial combat phase in Iraq. As was usual with such reports an unclassified version was prepared but, unlike other reports, was not released to the public. Apparently the Army brass did not want to piss off the redoubtable and vengeful then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld whose nuanced views of post-war Iraq planning were encapsulated in the dictums “Stuff happens!” and “freedom’s untidy”. Or as a Pentagon spokesman responded to why the report still had not been released by early 2008, “analysts had in some cases taken a broader perspective on the early planning and operational phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom than desired or chartered by the Army.” Translation: the report’s authors had committed the twin sins of (1) anchoring their findings in the context of the other foul-ups happening at the time and thereby (2) telling the Army (and this Administration) what they didn’t want to hear. And if they didn’t want to hear it, you better believe they weren’t going to let us hear it either.

or this one

313. A report from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry detailing public health concerns in the Great Lakes region due to industrial pollution has been suppressed since the summer of 2007. Its principal author Chris de Rosa director of the ATSDR’s division of toxicology and environmental medicine since 1992 was subsequently demoted and re-assigned to a non-supervisory “special assistant” position. As often happens in these cases, unnamed higher ups had “significant questions” about the work product. Translation: The report was politically embarrassing.

or this one

314. In April 2007, a report into the extent to which American intelligence has been outsourced to private contractors was buried because its contents were deemed too explosive. The US intelligence budget (the 16 spy agencies overseen by the DNI, including the NSA, CIA, FBI, DIA, etc.) is classified but in 2007 was generally considered to be around $44 billion. At least half of this went directly to private contractors.
The privatizing of intelligence began under the Clinton Administration but really took off under Bush. Some of the largest intelligence contractors are Booz Allen, SAIC, CACI International, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. The current DNI Mike McConnell used to work at Booz Allen (see item 12). This one outfit alone has 10,000+ employees with TS/SCI (Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmentalized Intelligence) the highest kind. Waste, cronyism, conflicts of interest, the revolving door abound (see item 217), and, like so many things associated with the Bush Presidency, you have to wonder if this is healthy for, or compatible with, a democracy.

Probably too early yet to see a discernible pattern in any of this.

Tnx. Is it active, useful? Where’s the intro and FAQ pls? TIA.

See my comment to you @ end of last thread — re Carlton.

Biodun, that was meant for YOU. Somehow the “reply” feature didn’t work!!

Sheeeeeeeeeet

I don’t think they know what they’re doing.

I thought all abc had was a synopsis

It is still a “redacted” version with all the US classified stuff missing, but it is indeed the 94 page report. The link that PW used has only a 9 page summary.

Scott Ritter was here in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago to speak about his book - “Target: IRAN”

every single person must read “the true story of teh bilderberger group”

Delving into a world once shrouded in complete mystery and impenetrable security, this investigative report provides a fascinating account of the annual meetings of the world’s most powerful people—the Bilderberg Group. Since its inception in 1954 at the Bilderberg Hotel in the small Dutch town of Oosterbeek, the Bilderberg Group has been comprised of European prime ministers, American presidents, and the wealthiest CEOs of the world, all coming together to discuss the economic and political future of humanity.

The press has never been allowed to attend, nor have statements ever been released on the attendees’ conclusions or discussions, which have ramifications on the citizens of the world. Using methods that resemble the spy tactics of the Cold War—and in several instances putting his own life on the line—the author did what no one else has managed to achieve: he learned what was being said behind the closed doors of the opulent hotels and has made it available to the public for the first time.

Daniel Estulin is an award-winning investigative journalist and has been researching the Bilderberg Group for more than 14 years. He is the host of two radio shows in Spain

we are in tons of trouble

check your inbox…

Probably too early yet to see a discernible pattern in any of this.

Yup, way to early. *g*

Yeah, and my ‘Cats are gonna have to play two games within approx eight hours and maybe three within 26 hours.

If my dawgs keep whippin their asses like the are now you won’t have to worry about it.

go to Facebook.com, register, then look for Firedoglake in Facebook groups, then join group, etc etc…

We were told by the Joint Forces Command that our copy was mailed today. But ABC News has already got its copy and posted it for all to see. So here you go (pdf). Behold! “This study found no ’smoking gun’ (i.e. direct connection) between Saddam’s Iraq and al Qaeda.”

no smoking gun?

in fact they were enemies, they were on the oposite side of the fence

I went googling for the title of the Kitty Kelley book and found this, a series of excerpts posted on Slate: http://www.slate.com/id/2106773/, which just confirms what I’ve said of them before: They are redneck trailer trash with money.

Aside from all the lies and general horror of the last seven years, we should all be profoundly embarrassed that any of our countrymen were stupid and ill-informed enough to vote for any of these #$^*!ers.

The audio is available at Scott Ritter Video

When I saw Ritter in the past I tried to take notes but he is so fast and so full of info that it is hard. He laid out a case, what was in place, all the plans and how it was going to go down. He said that any event now…. like the speed boats flirting around the battle group could ignite it.

THEN oil will be running around $500/barrel IF you can find it. The whole middle east will be shut down.

Tnx Biodun. Would you (or anyone) say it’s “active and useful?” Again pls pardon offtopic :)

We’re all gonna die
We’re all gonna die

I’m never on topic except when their is a guest, don’t sweat it!

good stuff, here’s a snippet;

At Andover, George W. Bush writes a morose essay about his sister’s death. Searching for a synonym for “tears,” he consults a thesaurus and writes, “And the lacerates ran down my cheeks.” A teacher labels the paper “disgraceful.”

what a bunch of morons

… two mentally retarded family members….

They missed one.

Suck it up fella, the apocalypse is gonna be verrry romantic.

-G

Oh yes, for decades now Rummy & Cheney have wanted to make the Executive branch all powerful and had ideas/projects they wanted to infiltrate.

I remember there was a time when Tweety was talking about the PNAC of the 1990’s on our televisions during 2001. He stopped asking and pointing out the obvious. Americans have been duped because the media allowed us to be duped. Had the media from January 2001 to the present day actually done their jobs, I believe the Iraq invasion and occupation never would have happened.

It’s so sick to me that ANY individual or individuals in our government could conspire behind the backs of Americans and get away with it. It happens way too often unfortunately, though.

LOL!

Given that the leading cause of death is birth, I’d say you are correct in that statement

The only smoking gun in the Bush administration aresenal was used to shoot an 80 year old lawyer in the face.

-G

But I’m soooooo scared of the republicans, boogie boogie

It’s so sick to me that ANY individual or individuals in our government could conspire behind the backs of Americans and get away with it. It happens way too often unfortunately, though.
reply

Behind the backs? Ha, if only.

I find it strange that there was a massive explosion at a military base in Albania, with possible US casualties and the media isn’t screaming terra, terra, terra.

-G

active and useful for me…

Timmeh and Doris Kearns Goodwin (LBJ’s erstwhile girlfriend) drooling on and on about presidents…and FDR…

oh oh Timmeh just mentioned Aristotle…WTF does he know about that Greek guy?

He likes his restaurant?

Good morning all.
Rachel Maddow said that in yesterday’s coverage of this story the NYT stuck it on A10 and the WaPo had it on A12.

Timmeh thinks he lives next door to Zorba.

Good morning all.
Rachel Maddow said that in yesterday’s coverage of this story the NYT stuck it on A10 and the WaPo had it on A12.

The MSM: catapulting the propaganda since January 2001.

McCain chatting with Sean Hannitool says he ‘relishes the combat’ of the election.

Sounds romantic.

-G

P.S. So, is this explosion in Albania one of the spectacular attacks McCain was worrying about a day ago?

McCain was worrying about……

The media is waiting for Dick Cheney to call to tell them what to say about it. I’m sure it will be something like this, “We believe Iranians did this using American bombs”. See?

McCain chatting with Sean Hannitool says he ‘relishes the combat’ of the election.

McCain is always down for a losing fight.

It is being reported as an explosion caused during efforts to disable existing ammunition stores.

US contractors were reportedly assisting the Albanian military.

-G

Doris Kearns Goodwin: McCain has secret recipe for barbeque ribs…

Oh yeah? Thanks but no thanks…don’t want any heart problems…

US contractors were reportedly assisting the Albanian military.

only surprise here is that they admit it!

Doris Kearns Goodwin: McCain has secret recipe for barbeque ribs…

Oh yeah? Thanks but no thanks…don’t want any heart problems…

McCain doesn’t have to worry about that the way we do.

The report-that-would-only-be-mailed is in fact 230 pages long.

Here’s a link- http://www.crooksandliars.com/.....on-report/
scroll down to the update at the bottom of the post.

Timmeh and Doris are done…till MTP tomorrow for Timmeh…

Or you may be able to use this link, if I did this right.
Iraq Report.

Today is the observance of My Lei, lest we forget - March 1968, forty years ago, the US ground forces attacked the small village killing, men, women, children and the elderly. It was more than opening fire on these villagers, it was a hideous massacre. Sy Hersh broke the story and exposed the cover-up over a year later in November, 1969.

Hope Rises from Ashes of My Lai
A group of Quakers from Madison, Wisconsin are in My Lei to heal and mend the terrible memories and wounds of the people there. They recorded the accounts of adults, then children, who witnessed the slaughter of their parents, siblings and friends. They still suffer from the horror of that experience.

The devastation of My Lei has reached far into their future as they continue to this day to recover and move forward. It takes but a moment to destroy but many decades to slowly repair and rebuild. This small group of Quakers raised enough money to build an elementary school in My Lei, provide seed money for small businesses and are building a Peace Park.

It is wiser to prevent the tragedy of war than to react to it, afterwards.

http://www.voanews.com/english.....-voa47.cfm

Thanks Quakergirl

Or you may be able to use this link, if I did this right.
Iraq Report.

Pardon me for jumping in, but here’s the correct link.

Your link was “almost” correct but it used a lower-case “r” for the leading letter in “Report”. If you capitalize it, then your link worked fine.

The report-that-would-only-be-mailed is in fact 230 pages long.

However the ABC story says they will mail out a CD of it. Isn’t it odd how this was handled. A report stating an obvious and embarrassing fact know for years would quickly disappear but one that the Pentagon tried to hide in such a clumsy way will persist as a story for much longer. Sort of the worst of both possible worlds. You have to wonder if the guys who decided this also were in on the planning of the Iraq war itself. I see similarities.

That’s all it was? One lower case letter? Dang. Thanks, MadDog.

Probably got their advice from Doug Feith.

kay at 78 says in part-”The media is waiting for Dick Cheney to call to tell them what to say about it.”

yeah, i’ve wondered about that, for a long time. but in a different way-did anyone else notice that when cheney is overseas, the talking points are kinda scattered and bush screws up his pressers and bush’s speeches are way different for his speaking engagements?

T