Impeachment Question Shows Bitterness of Divide
In a sign of the continuing partisan division of the nation, more than two-in-five (42%) voters say that, if it is found that President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should hold him accountable through impeachment. While half (50%) of respondents do not hold this view, supporters of impeachment outweigh opponents in some parts of the country.
Among those living in the Western states, a 52% majority favors Congress using the impeachment mechanism while just 41% are opposed; in Eastern states, 49% are in favor and 45% opposed. In the South, meanwhile, impeachment is opposed by three-in-five voters (60%) and supported by just one-in-three (34%); in the Central/Great Lakes region, 52% are opposed and 38% in favor.
Impeachment is overwhelmingly rejected in the Red States—just 36% say they agree Congress should use it if the President is found to have lied on Iraq, while 55% reject this view; in the “Blue States” that voted for Massachusetts Democrat John Kerry in 2004, meanwhile, a plurality of 48% favors such proceedings while 45% are opposed.
more
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1007Update: Video from Crooks and Liars. Olbermann interviews Zogby.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Zogby: 42% say impeach President if he lied about Iraq war
DSM picking up steam
Downing Street Memos Matter!
Conyers and 51 Members File FOIA Request on Downing Street Minutes; Members Formally Seek Hearings in HouseRepresentative John Conyers, Jr., (D-MI) House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member, along with 51 other Members today submitted a broad and comprehensive FOIA request to the White House, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State seeking any and all documents and materials concerning the Downing Street Minutes and the lead up to the Iraq war, RAW STORY has learned.
In addition, the Members also formally requested that the House Committees on Judiciary, Armed Services, International Relations, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence commence hearings on the Downing Street Minutes.
"This is the next stage of the Downing Street investigation and brings the investigation to a new more and more aggressive stage," one Democratic Judiciary aide said.
Following is the FOIA request, obtained by RAW STORY.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Taking the fight to Karl
American service men and women sound off in response to Karl Rove's remarks to the New York Conservative Party on Wednesday, June 22, 2005.
Here is one from their mailbag: Enduring Freedom Veteran: How My Conversations with Conservatives Go
I'm an Enduring Freedom vet and I'm soon to be and Iraqi Freedom vet as well. I joined the Army "Reserves" shortly after 9/11 so I could do my part in the war, and look after one of my high school buddies that was about to be deployed. I've been on active duty since late 2002, doing constant tours. My last one was a stateside tour that I volunteered for because I got home when the recession peaked (late 2003), and no one wanted to hire somebody in the Reserves for fear of losing an employee to the war.
Since then I've volunteered for several liberal groups, such as MoveOn, Democracy For America, and a few local grassroots organizations. I also volunteered with the Democrats for John Kerry.
Whenever I get into an argument with a conservative, the story is always the same. First, they tell me I'm unamerican and unpatriotic. After I show them my military ID and mention I was in OEF, their next response is to say that I'm hurting my fellow soldiers. Then I confront them and ask them what they've done for the troops. Have they petitioned congress to make sure that the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have all the armor they need? Do they make sure that the Reservists still have jobs when they come home? Do they lift a finger to look out for soldiers families while they're away? Did they even send a care package? So far, everyone I've debated has given me a no to all of these questions.
Then I ask them why they haven't stood up and fought against Bush when he slashed veterans benefits. Why don't they care about troops being undermanned and underequipped in Iraq? Their answer is always the same: Vet's have all they need, and troops in Iraq are doing just fine. Nevermind all of the reports and newspaper stories saying otherwise. Nevermind that soldiers are dying. We're doing just fine over there.
Finally, I ask them why they don't go and fight the war themselves if it is so great. I get all kinds of excuses for this one. If they are over 38 they simply say that they are too old. I respond by telling them "Halliburton is hiring." They make excuses for not wanting to go to Iraq as a civilian.
In the end it's all the same. I'm sure that there are some conservatives out there that do genuinely support the troops. But I have yet to meet one. The ones I know are all wimps who don't have the balls to enforce the policy that they believe in.
Karl Rove is no exception. When I heard his words I was livid. I didn't think the Bush administration could ever say something to make me hate them more than I already do. That changed with Rove's comments.
Don't worry, Karl. While your punk ass is hiding behind the safe walls of the White House, I'll protect America. In the meantime you can kiss my liberal soldier ass.
DeLay inquiry set to move
Delay and MTBE
Hard bargaining lies ahead, especially with a pesky issue surrounding the gasoline additive MTBE remaining a potential deal breaker � as it was two years ago.
The House, particularly Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Sugar Land, wants to protect oil companies and refiners who produced MTBE from environmental lawsuits brought by communities whose drinking water has been contaminated by the additive. DeLay said an attempt is being made to "come up with a solution" to the MTBE issue but gave no details.
Supporters of the Senate bill, which has broad bipartisan backing and is silent on MTBE, say such liability protection would send the bill to defeat. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said the House needs to work out a compromise on MTBE that can pass Senate muster.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Reid: enough about 9/11
(Washington, DC) “Tonight’s address offered the President an excellent opportunity to level with the American people about the current situation in Iraq, put forth a path for success, and provide the means to assess our progress. Unfortunately he fell short on all counts.
“There is a growing feeling among the American people that the President’s Iraq policy is adrift, disconnected from the reality on the ground and in need of major mid-course corrections. “Staying the course,” as the President advocates, is neither sustainable nor likely to lead to the success we all seek.
“The President’s numerous references to September 11th did not provide a way forward in Iraq, they only served to remind the American people that our most dangerous enemy, namely Osama bin Laden, is still on the loose and Al Qaeda remains capable of doing this nation great harm nearly four years after it attacked America.
“Democrats stand united and committed to seeing that we achieve success in Iraq and provide our troops, their families, and our veterans everything they need and deserve for their sacrifices for our nation. The stakes are too high, and failure in Iraq cannot be an option. Success is only possible if the President significantly alters his current course. That requires the President to work with Congress and finally begin to speak openly and honestly with our troops and the American people about the difficult road ahead.
“Our troops and their families deserve no less.”
Bloody mess
Iraq is a bloody mess. Bush says Bloodshed is 'worth it'.
Bush promises more of the same in tonight's prime-time address.
9/11 Exploiter
Think Progress has it right again...
It’s a known fact. Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with Osama bin Laden. Iraq had nothing to do with the attacks on 9/11. There is no connection.
Yet, according to excerpts of his speech , which have just been released, President Bush will try to distract Americans from his lack of an Iraq strategy by invoking 9/11:
They are trying to shake our will in Iraq - just as they tried to shake our will on September 11, 2001.
The only way our enemies can succeed is if we forget the lessons of September 11 … if we abandon the Iraqi people to men like Zarqawi … and if we yield the future of the Middle East to men like Bin Laden.
Another predictably pathetic attempt to play on our emotions. This time, the American people aren’t buying it.
flip flop again
As Bush prepares to calm our fears about Iraq tonight.
Thnk Progress: In 1999, George W. Bush criticized President Clinton for not setting a timetable for exiting Kosovo, and yet he refuses to apply the same standard to his war.
George W. Bush, 4/9/99: Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is.” And on the specific need for a timetable, here’s what Bush said then and what he says now:
George W. Bush, 6/3/99: “I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.”
VERSUS
George W. Bush, 6/24/05: “It doesn’t make any sense to have a timetable. You know, if you give a timetable, you’re — you’re conceding too much to the enemy.”
Down down down
As Bush prepares to address the nation Tuesday to defend his Iraq policy, just 40 percent of those responding to the poll said they approved of his handling of the war; 58 percent said they disapproved.Uh, talking to the American people on the television tonight will not better his poll numbers nor the chaos in Iraq.
America is waking up to you GW! You may be a great campaigner but you are a terrible president.
Stop blaming the troops - investigate the real culprits of abuse
The time has come to investigate the Bush Administration's role in the prisoner abuse and humiliation that has motivated our enemies in the war on terror and endangers the well-being of our fighting forces.Today, the reports of abuse and humiliation at detainment facilities in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Cuba are distracting the world from focusing on winning the war on terror. Although the military chain of command seems to have properly investigated the role of its personnel and held accountable those in the wrong, the civilian leadership in this country has failed to do the same.
For generations, the United States has been a powerful voice of moral authority in the world. After World War II, we led the world in creating the Geneva Conventions and prosecuting war criminals at Nuremberg, and later became one of the first nations to ratify the Convention Against Torture. Even today, Slobodan Milosevic is being tried for war crimes thanks to a U.S.-led NATO air strike against his brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing in the Balkans.
Yes, evil genius
Read the comparison and then you make the call on Rove.
Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." -- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials 6-27
Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers. In the wake of 9/11, conservatives believed it was time to unleash the might and power of the United States military against the Taliban; in the wake of 9/11, liberals believed it was time to submit a petition. -- Karl Rove Full text of speech 6-27
Misleader
First, note that for the first time, a full 40% say they “strongly disapprove” of Bush’s job performance, which dwarfs those who say they “strongly approve” (27%).
Second, and again for the first time, a majority (52%) now say that the Bush Administration “intentionally misled the American public” in making its case for war in Iraq.
Third, 57% now say that the Bush Administration did intentionally exaggerate its evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Two headed Delay
Tom Delay speaking to the College Republicans:
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), in a bit of a role reversal, came to the defense of Rove by repeating some of the most provocative lines to College Republicans and saying, "That's not slander. That's the truth." The National Republican Senatorial Committee sent out an e-mail fundraising appeal proclaiming "
Karl Rove Is Right.Tom DeLay on 9/20/2001:
DELAY: Well, there's no American that wants us to fail, that's for sure. When we went home, every member that I've talked to had the same experience that I had. Everywhere I went, it didn't matter who you were talking to -- I ran into some of the most liberal constituents that I had. People would come up to me, hug me, kiss me. They would -- they'd just say they're with us, you know, "We want this done and we want it done right, and we're with you." I mean, the prayer rallies that we went to, the vigils that we saw.
It's good to be a dem
Senator Kerry (D - MA) sends letter to Senate Intelligence Committee pressing for answers on the Downing Street Memo and other Downing documents. I'm just glad this whole DSM story is finally getting some legs. Thanks to us bloggers.
Rumsfeld was all over the MSM this morning dodging the so called tough questions. Then he stated that insurgency could go on for any number of years. Insurgencies tend to go on five, six, eight, 10, 12 years. His best comment of the day was "If you look up 'last throes,' it can mean a violent last throe," Yeah for 12 years? No further comment here.
I found this good comment on Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:
"Anyone who tries to estimate the end, the time, the cost or the casualties in a war is making a big mistake."-- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, on Meet the Press earlier today.
"It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months."-- Rumsfeld, quoted by USA Today, in March 2003.
Some conservatives want evangelicals to keep quiet on the fight for high court nominations. That's you, Tom Delay!
House ethics chair, Doc Hastings, accused of violations. Wake up people! These crooks have got to go. Delay, Inc. at it's finest moment.
Beware. Bush starts Lie Across America Tour this week trying to convince you the Iraq war is a good thing. I wonder how many Young Republicans joined the armed forces this week?
Also, an American General admits to a secret air war, nine months before invasion began.
If those raids exceeded the need to maintain security in the no-fly zones of southern and northern Iraq, they would leave President George W Bush and Tony Blair vulnerable to allegations that they had acted illegally.
Friday, June 24, 2005
DNC responds to Rove
White House spokesman Scott McClellan says that Karl Rove just meant that Democrats and Republicans had "different philosophies" when it comes to their reactions following 9/11. We agree. Our philosophies couldn't be more different when it comes to fighting international terrorism. Let's compare:
Democrats Believe capturing the person primarily responsible for the attack should be a top priority.
Republicans It's been four years, and Osama bin Laden is still free, even though Bush's CIA chief says he knows where he is.
Democrats Investigate the intelligence failures that led to 9/11.
Republicans Do everything in their power to block the 9/11 Commission from doing its work.
Democrats Propose creating the Department of Homeland Security.
Republicans Push tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
Democrats Believe we should have stayed the course in Afghanistan, not allowing the Taliban to resurge, the warlords to take power, and the opium trade to skyrocket.
Republicans Ignore Afghanistan as the situation worsens.
Democrats Believe that we should be honest with our troops about the reasons we go to war, give them everything they need to be safe, and make sure we go in with an exit plan.
Republicans Manipulate intelligence to trump up reasons to go to war, don't give our troops the support they need, constantly mislead the public about the direction the war is going, and fail to make an exit plan. And turn Iraq into the ultimate terrorist training ground.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Durbin Apologizes
Meanwhile, in other news, over 1,700 US deaths in Iraq, over 10,000 wounded and who knows how many Iraqis dead over a fabricated preemptive war. Will we ever find a Democrat that will force Bush to apologize to the US soldiers and their families about the lack of WMDs? Hec, why not impeach him, and maybe we'll get some cold hard facts about the intentions of the war. I'd rather not hold my breath.
Another crap poll for Bush
Bush Approval Ratings
Approve 47 (47) Disapprove 51 (49)
.This does not favor well for new enlistments. As Kos states...
And those who think we should stay the course are those least likely to want to lend a hand (beyond a stupid yellow ribbon magnet on their car).
Yeah, let other sons and daughters die for a war you support. That's being a good, patriotic, upstanding American citizen. It's better people like these suffer, rather than them.
So we are stuck in an unwinnable war, with a Right Wing that's increasingly shrill as they hold on desperately to the what last straws they have ("they hate America!" "Last throes!"). We have a military that can't recruit the manpower necessary to fight the war. We have families refusing to send their children into the Iraqi meat grinder.
Thankfully, Jesus' General has just the right solution: Operation Yellow Elephant. The objective of OPERATION YELLOW ELEPHANT is to recruit College Republicans and Young Republicans to serve as infantry. They demanded this war and now viciously support it. It's only right that they also experience it.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Diverting for Jesus
"Enclosed please find a check for $10,000 to the Texans for a Republican Majority. This check needs to be reissued to America 21," Abramoff wrote the Coushattas in a May 2002 letter obtained by The Associated Press.
America 21 is a Nashville, Tenn.-based Christian group focused on voter turnout that helped Republican candidates in the pivotal 2002 elections that kept DeLay's party in control of the House.
"Adios mofo"
Flip flop mission
Thank you Think Progress
A headline in the Washington Post today declares “Bush Defends Strategy In Iraq, Pledges to ‘Complete the Mission’.” The trouble is that Bush has changed the definition of “mission” so many times, it’s hard to have any confidence in his most recent declarations.
THE PRE-WAR MISSION WAS TO RID IRAQ OF WMD…
Bush: “Our mission is clear in Iraq. Should we have to go in, our mission is very clear: disarmament.” [3/6/03]
AFTER THE WAR BEGAN, THE MISSION EXPANDED…
Bush: “Our cause is just, the security of the nations we serve and the peace of the world. And our mission is clear, to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people.” [3/22/03]
Bush: “Our forces have been given a clear mission: to end a regime that threatened its neighbors and the world with weapons of mass destruction and to free a people that had suffered far too long.” [4/14/03]
THEN THE MISSION WAS COMPLETE…
Bush: “On Thursday, I visited the USS Abraham Lincoln, now headed home after the longest carrier deployment in recent history. I delivered good news to the men and women who fought in the cause of freedom: Their mission is complete, and major combat operations in Iraq have ended..” [5/3/03]
BUT THEN IT CONTINUED AGAIN…
Bush: “The United States and our allies will complete our mission in Iraq.” [7/30/03]
THEN THE MISSION WAS TO DEVELOP A FREE IRAQ…
Bush: “That has been our mission all along, to develop the conditions such that a free Iraq will emerge, run by the Iraqi citizens.” [11/4/03]
Bush: “We will see that Iraq is free and self-governing and democratic. We will accomplish our mission.”
[5/4/04]
AND TO TRAIN THE IRAQI TROOPS…
Bush: “And our mission is clear there, as well, and that is to train the Iraqis so they can do the fighting; make sure they can stand up to defend their freedoms, which they want to do.” [6/2/05]
NOW, COMPLETION OF THE MISSION IS FAR FROM CLEAR…
Bush: “We’re making progress toward the goal, which is, on the one hand, a political process moving forward in Iraq, and on the other hand, the Iraqis capable of defending themselves… And we will – we will complete this mission for the sake of world peace.” [6/20/05]
Babys whining
The ethically challenged and criminally corrupt Republican leader Tom DeLay is whining that Nancy Pelosi should apologize for calling the war on Iraq a “grotesque mistake”. One wonders if DeLay considers the majority of Americans who now think of the war as a huge mistake as similarly mean.
Considering his past activity, you also have to wonder which multimillionaire lobbyist paid DeLay to say what he said.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Is he worthy?
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Hit by friendly fire
Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel is angry. He's upset about the more than 1,700 U.S. soldiers killed and nearly 13,000 wounded in Iraq. He's also aggravated by the continued string of sunny assessments from the Bush administration, such as Vice President Dick Cheney's recent remark that the insurgency is in its "last throes." "Things aren't getting better; they're getting worse. The White House is completely disconnected from reality," Hagel tells U.S. News. "It's like they're just making it up as they go along. The reality is that we're losing in Iraq."
Saturday, June 18, 2005
KBH out
Looks like a Strayhorn - Perry matchup...
Last throes of insurgency?
War debate grows louder.
U.S. says it launches 2nd Anbar offensive.
U.S. planes drop 500 lb bombs in Iraq operation. Two U.S. Marines were killed.
U.S. Launches Airstrikes in Western Iraq.
US concerned about spread of insurgent tactics from Iraq to North Africa.
Iraqis struggle to make ends meet as food rations shrink.
Rising Iraq Toll Moves Republican To Call for Pullout.
Gunmen take over Ramadi as bomb kills five marines.
Cheney, lying to the American people may have helped you get elected, but that crap just doesn't work anymore.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Liar = Bush part II
Over the top reader
Buzzflash review:
On a Sunday, June 12, FOX propaganda gabfest, Dick "Anti-Democracy Puppet Master" Cheney called Howard Dean "over the top." Cheney went on to charge, "I've never been able to understand his appeal. Maybe his mother loved him, but I've never met anybody who does. He's never won anything, as best I can tell." Holy Herr Himmler, Dick, Howard was elected governor of Vermont five times, which goes to show you that the Dick Meister is as about as knowledgeable about Dean as he is about the war in Iraq.
You can tell Dean is hitting a Republican alarm button when Cheney starts accusing the Chairman of the DNC of extremism. Heck, Cheney appears on Rush Limbaugh when he can and pals around with the likes of Pat Robertson, who accused so-called (and perhaps non-existent) liberal judges of posing a greater threat to America than terrorists. Talk about over the top, Limbaugh is the male "Tokyo Rose" for the Bushevik oligarchy.
Dean wasn't phased by Dick's calculated attack. Howard's response was, "My view is FOX News is a propaganda outlet for the Republican Party and I don't comment on FOX News."
All this proves is that Dean is following the old Harry Truman adage: You don't have to give the Republicans Hell. All You have to do is tell the truth, and they'll think that it's Hell.
Which brings us to today's premium: "The I Hate Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity. . . Reader: The Hideous Truth About America's Ugliest Conservatives," edited by Clint Willis. (Willis also edited the popular BuzzFlash premium, "The I Hate Republicans Reader: Why the GOP is Totally Wrong About Everything.")
Liar = Bush
Did President Bush mislead the nation to war?
In a live, unscientific Internet poll, MSNBC readers are overwhelmingly saying yes.
A plug for Stephanie
You must listen in the morning...
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Lampson calls for indepensent counsel
TEXT OF PETITION:
(Emails from petition signers are sent to website of Reps. DeLay, Hastings, and Speaker Hastert)
Dear (Rep. DeLay; Rep. Hastings; Speaker Hastert),
I urge you to support the appointment of an independent counsel to conduct the ethics investigation into Tom DeLay's activities. Clearly, the House Ethics Committee is compromised and cannot discharge its responsibilities fairly or objectively on its own.
If Tom DeLay is truly innocent of these ethics allegations, then for the good of the people of the 22nd District and for the good of the Congress, it's time for him to get the investigation underway. The only way to get to the bottom of this ethics investigation is to appoint an independent counsel, and to do it today.
Please restore honesty and integrity to Congress -- appoint an independent counsel to investigate Tom DeLay's ethics today!
Sign the petition!
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The boy who was president
Only 39 percent approve of his handling of the economy.
Only 39 percent approve of his handling of foreign policy.
Only 37 percent approve of his handling of the war in Iraq.
Only 25 percent approve of his handling of Social Security.
Only the campaign against terrorism gets the approval of more than half those questioned. The biggest drop off is among Americans aged 30 to 44. In just the past month, his approval rating in that group has fallen 14 points.
Complete Results: The New York Times Poll
61% of Americans think the country has seriously gotten off the wrong track.
33% approve of the way Congress is handling its job.
61% think George Bush does not have the same priorities as you have.
66% of Americans are uneasy about his approach to make the right decisions regarding Social Sercurity.
48% believe the Democratic Party is more likely to make the right decision regarding Social Security. 31% think Republicans.
51% of Americans believe the United States should have stayed out of Iraq.
With poll numbers this bad it makes you wonder what Rove has up his sleeve. Pretty damn scary.
Delay aid makes smart move: get out while you can
The fix is in today
For those who don't receive C-SPAN 3 on their local cable system, the video and/or audio from the hearings should be carried via the Internets right here.
The hearings will also be carried live on Pacifica Radio and via Radio Left.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Nowhere to run to
Bush's approval ratings are among the lowest of his presidency. Voters are growing increasingly uneasy over the war in Iraq and the economy. His signature domestic issue, Social Security reform, was received coolly by Congress and the public. Some Republicans are raising the prospect that Bush could cost them control of Congress.
Hmm...GOPers running from their two top guys...
What happened in seven months? One explanation is that he lost his punching bag - a political rival who, once pummeled, helped make Bush look good by comparison.
Ouch...sad but true.
Monday, June 13, 2005
What a wreck!
Clark: Bush 'wrecking' military; lauds Dean
Clark, who was a candidate for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, said the president's use of the armed forces has hurt recruitment efforts and eroded public support for the military."
We have to make our legislators and president understand we believe in a volunteer force, and we expect him to have the leadership to guide our country in the right way in foreign affairs without wrecking the military institutions that keep us safe," Clark said while attending a fundraiser for Manchester Democrats.
He also accused the administration of committing soldiers in Iraq without proper planning and support."
(Bush) used fear, the fear of the American people to take us into a war that was purely elective," Clark said.
See you at the Primaries, Wesley!
.
Aspirins and water
I have been terribly busy of late. I had family visit over the weekend, cooked a lot of food and drank gallons of beer. So I feel like shit today, to put it mildly.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Honor our Dead, Demand the Truth
Friday, June 10, 2005
GOP: “Pick on somebody your own size.”
Raw Story Reports:
In response to Republican efforts to reduce federal funding for children’s public television programs such as Sesame Street and Arthur, Sen. Lautenberg (D-.N.J), a grandfather of ten children, sent a message to his Republican colleagues; “Pick on somebody your own size.”
Yesterday during a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Labor/HHS/and Education, Republicans approved a measure that would drastically cut federal funding for all public broadcasting beginning next year.
“Elmo and other PBS characters are now on the right wing’s “Most Wanted” List,” said Lautenberg. “Instead of focusing on our nation’s pressing problems, they are picking on children. It’s unconscionable.”
'Good and honest' Iraqis fighting US forces
A senior US military chief has admitted "good, honest" Iraqis are fighting American forces.
Major General Joseph Taluto said he could understand why some ordinary people would take up arms against the US military because "they're offended by our presence".
He predicted attacks would continue to surge in intensity, as key milestones were reached, including the upcoming constitutional referendum.
On CNN's ''Larry King Live" on Monday, Vice President Dick Cheney said of the violence in Iraq, ''I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency."
Who do you believe?
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Bolton no, Downing yes
Reid: No documents, no Bolton: Minority Leader says Dems will filibuster unless White House hands over papers. Yes. Yes. Yes. I'm starting to feel good about this one.
Hearings set on Downing minutes: Conyers' aide says Dem has more evidence to support secret pre-war 'memo.' John Conyer's, your my hero. We need more like you. Now, if we could only get Michael Jackson's ugly mug off the news channels to cover the real hard news. But that's another story I'll get to later.
"All you need to do is turn on the television, open up the paper, or listen to the radio to appreciate the extent our so-called ‘fourth estate’ has fallen. We have turned from breaking stories like Watergate and the Iran-Contra scandal to celebrity journalism." --John Conyers, (D-Balls) putting it mildly, B&C
How about the Coalition along the US Mexico border?
I was wondering if maybe the US should send some Coalition forces to these places. Hec, we may even get some oil out of it.
Meanwhile, our coalition army can do the job of Minuteman and create a sense of fear among mexican immigrants. These conservative (or cowards of an Immigrant Nation) ideas will bring us to our first step of a border-divisional wall, just like the soviets did in Berlin.
Maybe its just me, but I get the feeling that we Americans lose sight on why America was founded. The wall resembles, to me, hatred and the loathing upon others just because of their culture and color of their skin. Most conservatives are in favor of tighter immigration policy and a wall. Ask Arnold and Bill O'Reilly.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Friends in corrupt places
The lawmaker who will head a House inquiry into trips that lobbyist Jack Abramoff arranged for Tom DeLay has his own links to the lobbyist.
Hastings' appointment to head the House ethics committee came after the previous chairman took issue with some of DeLay's activities and GOP House leaders removed him from the panel. Last month, two Republican committee members who gave to DeLay's legal defense stepped aside from the DeLay investigation, acknowledging their donations could lead people to question their objectivity.
Also Dems say they have the votes for Bush's other wacky buddy.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
New poll suggests bad news for Bush :)
.Other poll questions generated even more dismal numbers. So much for the self-proclaimed “mandate”.
As the public learns more of his lies and questions regarding the Downing Street Memo, 06 and 08 is trending up for the Democrats.
Delay doubles up
Tom DeLay (R-TX) has hired another lawyer to defend him as an ethics committee investigation looms. Bennett Roth and Michael Hedges of the Houston Chronicle report that DeLay has enlisted Richard Cullen, a former state attorney general in Virginia who served as chief counsel to former Sen. Paul Trible, R-Va., when the lawmaker was a member of the House-Senate select committee looking into the Iran-Contra scandal in the 1980s.He may need to hire a few more before it's all over...
Edwards to Dean: we agree!
What a flap has arisen over a disagreement about the way something is said! I was in Nashville over the weekend, thanking the good people of Tennessee who supported the Democratic presidential ticket this year, when I was asked whether I thought that it was fair to say that people who were Republican hadn't done a good day's work. Of course, I didn't think so, and I said that. I don't think our DNC chair, Howard Dean, would put it that way again if asked either. I disagreed with him, and I said so. And, I want to be clear, I would have to say so again if I were asked again. I said a lot of good things about Howard's outreach program and invigoration of the internet as a communication and fundraising tool, but no one wrote about that. Instead the headlines blared that I disagreed with Howard. And then the flap arose: A chasm! A split! A revolt!Instead, how about: Nonsense!
We are both talking about the Republicans and their failure to address the needs of working people. We both agree with this basic truth: This Republican president and this Republican majority are not doing what they should be doing for working people in this country. That's a core belief we need to fight for. And what's more, we agree that we - all Democrats and all working people - should be complaining, criticizing, and generally speaking out about this critical failure of the Republican party and offering our positive vision for America. And we have.
Howard and I have been saying the same thing about this for years. Hear that? The same thing. For years.
Monday, June 06, 2005
What do you think?
This a question I have been pondering now for some time.
The question “Is Bush a war criminal?” is one that the Democrats could have used in their campaign to thwart Bush’s bid for a second term. It is astounding that the so-called moral Republicans apparently place far more emphasis on the commandment “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery!” than on the commandment “Thou Shalt Not Kill!”
read on...
Update: At this point in time "War Criminal" is a bit harsh but John Conyers says it best:
As many of you are aware, a classified memo was recently disclosed in Great Britain that I believe has serious ramifications for the integrity of the United States Government. Dubbed the "Downing Street Memo," but actually comprising the minutes of a meeting of Prime Minister Tony Blair and other top British governmentofficials, the memo casts serious doubt on many of the contentions of the Bush Administration in the lead up to the Iraq war.æ With over 1,600 U.S. servicemen and servicewomen killed in Iraq, the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, and over $200 billion in taxpayer funds going to this war effort, we cannot afford to stand by any longer.
Along with 88 of my colleagues, I wrote to the President requesting answers aboutthis grave matter.æ Thus far, our search for the truth has been stonewalled and I need your help. æI believe the American people deserve answers about this matter and should demand directly that the President tell the truth about the memo. To that end, I am asking you to sign on to a letter to the President requesting he answer the questions posed to him by 89 Members of Congress.
I will personally insure that this letter is delivered to the White House. You can read the letter here and sign on to it below. æYou and I know the White House is just hoping that this matter will fade away, but in a few short weeks, with our steadfastness, the memo has found its way into leading newspapers and White House press briefings. æWith your help, we can hold this Administration accountable.
Please pass on this important letter to your friends and colleagues, and ask them to sign as well.
Thank you for your help and support.
John Conyers, Jr.
Letter to President Bush Concerning the Downing Street Minutes
Meeting between Bush and Blair should force question on Downing Street Memo
Having already missed a couple of opportunities to ask President Bush about the Downing Street Memo, the media must use the “meeting and working dinner” between Blair and Bush this Tuesday to question Bush about the memo. It will be the first public appearance between the two leaders since the minutes taken of a July 2002 meeting between Blair and his high-level staff were revealed, in which British officials said the “intelligence and facts were being fixed around [Bush’s] policy” of attacking Iraq. Recall that Blair’s government has already said it does not dispute the claims of the memo. The White House has so far slyly-avoided responding to the memo directly.
In a preview of the talking points we might expect from Bush once he’s asked the question, Ken Mehlman this weekend told Tim Russert, “I believe that the findings of the report, the fact that the intelligence was somehow fixed have been totally discredited by everyone who’s looked at it.” Mehlman cited the 9-11 Commission and the Senate Intelligence Committee as backing for his claim.
As previously reported on this blog , the Senate Intelligence Committee has yet to undertake its review of whether Bush officials knowingly manipulated their public statements about the threat of Iraq.
As for the 9-11 Commission, it was never charged with investigating the Iraq pre-war intelligence claims made by the Bush Administration. Responding to questions about the commission’s mandate, the vice chairman of the commission, Lee Hamilton, said:
“I really do not see how you can reasonably read that statute and the legislative history that preceded it and say that the commission should be looking at the war in Iraq. We were to focus our attention on 9/11 and those events, and not the war on Iraq.”Contrary to Mehlman’s claims, the revelations in the Downing Street Memo have not been discredited. It’s not enough for President Bush to dispute the veracity of the report by suggesting that others have disputed it. We need to know whether he himself disputes the claim that his comments on the intelligence about Iraq were knowingly hyped prior to the war in order to justify an attack. He knows better than anyone else, and he should answer it for himself.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
GOP concerned with Delay
After enlarging their majority two elections in a row, House Republicans have begun to fear that public attention to members' travel and relations with lobbyists will make ethics a potent issue that could cost the party seats in next year's midterm races.
In what Republican strategists call "the DeLay effect," questions plaguing House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) are starting to hurt his fellow party members, who are facing news coverage of their own trips and use of relatives on their campaign payrolls. Liberal interest groups have begun running advertising in districts where Republicans may be in trouble, trying to tie the incumbents to their leaders' troubles.
Funny, while the House Republicans start running away, the Texas State Republican Leadership passed a resolution unanimously supporting DeLay.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Read through the spin
This is after May became the deadliest month for US forces since the January elections, with 76 US military casualties.
On CNN's ''Larry King Live" on Monday, Vice President Dick Cheney said of the violence in Iraq, ''I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency."
At a press conference on Tuesday, President Bush was asked about the US casualties and the deaths of 760 Iraqis since the new Iraqi government was named April 28. A reporter asked Bush, ''Do you think that the insurgency is gaining strength and becoming more lethal?"
Bush responded, ''I think the Iraqi people dealt the insurgents a serious blow when they, when we had the elections."
Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers was asked on ABC's ''Good Morning America" about the deaths. ''Myers said, 'Well, first of all, the number of incidents is actually down 25 percent since the highs of last November, during the election period. So, overall, numbers of incidents are down. Lethality, as you mentioned, is up. . . . I think what's causing it is a realization that Iraq is marching inevitably toward democracy."
but just remember...
“See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda.”- Lame Duck 43
Crawford breeze
Is that a breeze in here?
Or does someone else feel a d-r-a-f-t coming too?
In their Ellicott City kitchen, Jeff Amoros's parents handed their son the Selective Service registration form that arrived shortly after his 18th birthday. For them, it evoked dark memories of the Vietnam era. For Amoros, it meant: "I'm old enough to die for my country now."
...
Rarely in the more than 30 years since the draft was abolished has the Selective Service triggered such angst. Two years into the Iraq war, concern that the draft will be reinstated to supplement an overextended military persists -- no matter how often, or emphatically, President Bush and members of Congress say it won't.
Yeah, refresh my memory...would that be the same occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave who conflated Saddam and Al-Qaida? Who said "Osama Dead or Alive"? Who said "Mission Accomplished"? Who said he served honorably in the Tx ANG?
Yeah that one. Cowardly Lying Codpiece.
Draft, take it to the bank, my guess.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Reid: Bush still a liar
Via Raw Story. In an upcoming interview with Rolling Stone, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) re-asserts his reputation as an outspoken critic of the his political rivals.
Likely to cause a stir, is an exchange that concludes the interview.
RS: You've called Bush a loser.
HR: And a liar.
RS: You apologized for the loser comment.
HR: But never for the liar, have I?
It's the media stupid
Two of the country’s largest newspapers, for example, have devoted more than 80 editorials combined since March of 2004 to Abu Ghraib and detainee issues, often repeating the same erroneous assertions and recycling the same stories. By comparison, precious little has been written by those editorial boards about the beheading of innocent civilians by terrorists, the thousands of bodies found in mass graves in Iraq, the allegations of rape of women and girls by U.N. workers in the Congo.Journalist Finley Peter Dunne once famously said: “The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” The job of the free press is to shine a light on injustice and demand accountability from our government. Donald Rumsfeld needs to stop blaming the messenger and start rectifying the problem itself.
The same holds true for GW and Tom Delay.