McClatchy reports that Obama changed his position on the release of detainee abuse photos after Maliki protested his countrymen would explode and demand an earlier US withdrawal. The question for us is, why isn't that the correct response?

We're only halfway through the weekend as I write this, but the RNC has a new phony scandal bogosity it that and its TradMed friends are shoving down our throats. Once the RNC figured out that Obama, like almost every other prominent Democrat, could be mau-maued into apologizing over an issue that didn't rate an apology, they figure that they can get him to apologize over this, too. Meanwhile, Michael Steele sez that the Republicans are "through apologizing". Except, of course, to Rush Limbaugh.

There's a number of impressions I get from the DOD "report" on the number of Gitmo detainees who have joined terrorists groups, including al Qaeda, since being released. First, while it appears to be what ABC billed it as--the report showing 14% of the people freed from Gitmo purportedly returning to the fight, the one that was used to scare the Senate into refuse funding for Gitmo--it looks fairly laughable.

The Pentagon sure is worried about the potential release of more -- and worse -- abuse photos. Sadly, Obama seems to be siding with those handing out CYA medals rather than looking to shine more light on this mess.

Americans freak out over 'stranger danger' when 86% of all killings and 70% to 90% of all sexual molestations of children are done by persons known to the victims. We're being told to fear locking up Gitmo detainees in supermax facilities and to shrug our shoulders when women are killed by their stalkers and abusers, or when guns kill 30,000 of us a year. When will we learn to fear the right things?

Hasn't Mullen heard? They hate us because we're free. Just ask Dick Cheney and Mitt Romney.

Today four Northern California animal rights activists await Federal criminal trial for ghastly crimes including passing out leaflets, chalking slogans on pavement, and chanting. Oh, and using the internet to locate the indivduals they were protesting. Yes, the world's only superpower can't be bothered to defend us against banksters' ursury or death from want of health care, but when it comes to leaflets, chalked slogans, and Google searches, they're here for us. To shut us up.

Declaration For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences: He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny .

NYT article by Elizabeth Bumiller: "1 out of 7 freed detainees rejoins fight, report finds". Assuming that stats taken from unnamed sources and which reek of bogosity can be trusted, guess what? It's a rate that's far, far less than the rate of US prisoners in general, as even Bumiller admits: "Terrorism experts said a 14 percent recidivism rate was far lower than the rate for prisoners in the United States, which, they said, can run as high as 68 percent three years after release."

The NYT is out with another report of the Pentagon stat that 14% of those released after being held in Gitmo subsequently engaged in terrorism. An unreleased Pentagon report concludes that about one in seven of the 534 prisoners already transferred abroad from the detention center in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, has returned to terrorism or militant activity, according to administration officials.