-Diane
Thursday, January 31, 2008
The war on terror is killing us.
Perhaps you saw reports on this earlier today:
"As many as 121 Army soldiers committed suicide in 2007, a jump of some 20 percent over the year before, officials said Thursday."
If you read the full report, however, more startling is this fact:
"The report also shows an increase in the number of attempted suicides and self-injuries — some 2,100 in 2007 compared to less than 1,500 the previous year and less than 500 in 2002."
Yes, the troops themselves want out of this neverending debacle, and too many would opt for any alternative available.
Certainly an increase in these figures during war is to be expected, but more than double since Bush began his crusade with the terror meme?
"The total of 121 suicides last year, if all are confirmed, would be more than double the 52 reported in 2001, before the Sept. 11 attacks prompted the Bush administration to launch its counter-terror war."
Counting just the military casualties alone, more Americans have died for a right-wing talking point than all the casualties suffered on 9/11. It just doesn't make any sense for the cure of an illness to be more harmful than the illness itself.
-Diane
"As many as 121 Army soldiers committed suicide in 2007, a jump of some 20 percent over the year before, officials said Thursday."
If you read the full report, however, more startling is this fact:
"The report also shows an increase in the number of attempted suicides and self-injuries — some 2,100 in 2007 compared to less than 1,500 the previous year and less than 500 in 2002."
Yes, the troops themselves want out of this neverending debacle, and too many would opt for any alternative available.
Certainly an increase in these figures during war is to be expected, but more than double since Bush began his crusade with the terror meme?
"The total of 121 suicides last year, if all are confirmed, would be more than double the 52 reported in 2001, before the Sept. 11 attacks prompted the Bush administration to launch its counter-terror war."
Counting just the military casualties alone, more Americans have died for a right-wing talking point than all the casualties suffered on 9/11. It just doesn't make any sense for the cure of an illness to be more harmful than the illness itself.
-Diane
Labels: Military Suicide
Progress
From CNN:
-Diane
Shaima, a 29-year-old artist, proudly displays her latest work in progress. White streaks stand out against a bright, burnt orange background -- an abstract painting that she says signifies the reality of life in Baghdad for the last five years.
"I am trying to show scattered body parts flying around," she says.
Dressed in a sleek gray shirt and spiked heels, Shaima looks like she belongs at an art gallery in Paris, not a run-down studio with no power in Baghdad.
Her art used to be as lively as her persona, but since the U.S.-led war began, she only expresses tragedy. It's the reality inside her, the death and destruction she has witnessed firsthand.
"Ruins of a city, a memory of a city only," the artist says as she describes what she sees when she looks at the streets of Baghdad. "I only see it full of sorrow -- the city that had such a busy past -- but now it's just a memory."
Shaima could have left Iraq, but she chose to stay out of love for her homeland. She's fighting to keep going, opening a small studio with two friends.
She says her paintings are not meant to be political -- just a reflection of the mood in Baghdad.
"We see the violence daily, the killing, the conflict among the people. It's affected me and my students, especially the students when they see their colleagues kidnapped or killed."
...
At a home in central Baghdad, the mere mention of electricity angers a 65-year-old grandmother named Nawal.
"Don't even get me started about the electricity," she says. "I went yesterday to get gas. I was freezing, shaking, and I hadn't slept. I went to the gas station, and I said just give me 5 liters of gas. They refused and yelled at me to get out." Video Watch this family's struggles »
She adds, "Why would they say this? I am an old woman. Respect me."
Nawal eventually bought gas from a person who was hawking it for triple the price.
Nearby, her 16-year-old granddaughter, Ahad, speaks with a maturity beyond her years. She has known nothing but war since elementary school.
"Here, there are no guarantees that you will be alive in the future, whether you are old or young," she says.
Huddled on the bed with her two older siblings and her little cousin, Ahad says the war has created a layer of nightmares, each different from the next.
"It's impacted our psychological state," she says. The children's room is kept warm by a space heater running off the family's generator; they only get city power for about an hour a day.
Another family member -- Mohammed, Nawal's son-in-law -- will never shake the memory of four friends who were killed in a two-week period in 2006. "Two, we found hanging from power poles. One was found with three bullets to his head. The other had his eyes gouged out."
-Diane
Labels: Baghdad
"King George" issues royal proclamation...
WASHINGTON - President Bush this week declared that he has the power to bypass four laws, including a prohibition against using federal funds to establish permanent US military bases in Iraq, that Congress passed as part of a new defense bill.
One section Bush targeted created a statute that forbids spending taxpayer money "to establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq" or "to exercise United States control of the oil resources of Iraq."
" ...Impeachment, it does a country good..."
~SSquirrel
One section Bush targeted created a statute that forbids spending taxpayer money "to establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq" or "to exercise United States control of the oil resources of Iraq."
" ...Impeachment, it does a country good..."
~SSquirrel
Attn. Fellow "Windsor Ballet" Devotees...
TUCSON, Ariz. - New rules for the types of identification U.S. or Canadian citizens must present to cross into the country shouldn't cause significant delays and won't be strictly enforced at first, a senior federal official said.
Under the rules going into effect Thursday, people will no longer be allowed to simply declare to immigration officers at border crossings that they are citizens, Jayson Ahern, deputy commissioner with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Tuesday.
Instead, those 19 and older will have to show proof of citizenship — a passport, trusted traveler card or a birth certificate and government-issued ID such as a driver's license.
What with the US dollar now worth a "warm cup of piss", even the price of a good Honduran cigar is outrageous in Canada, and if you want to go with the traditional Lanceros from the El Laguito factory in Havana, casually tossing a hundred on the counter might not cut it anymore...
~S(wan Lake)Squirrel
Under the rules going into effect Thursday, people will no longer be allowed to simply declare to immigration officers at border crossings that they are citizens, Jayson Ahern, deputy commissioner with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Tuesday.
Instead, those 19 and older will have to show proof of citizenship — a passport, trusted traveler card or a birth certificate and government-issued ID such as a driver's license.
What with the US dollar now worth a "warm cup of piss", even the price of a good Honduran cigar is outrageous in Canada, and if you want to go with the traditional Lanceros from the El Laguito factory in Havana, casually tossing a hundred on the counter might not cut it anymore...
~S(wan Lake)Squirrel
PS and really, go with the Behike...
The Black Donald Rumsfeld...
DETROIT -- In a city waiting for answers and at a church where he prays, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick sat with his wife, Carlita, before a single camera on Wednesday night and apologized -- to his sons, his wife and to the city he's led since 2002.
But the speech did not address daunting questions: Did the revelations of intimate text messages between Kilpatrick and longtime chief of staff Christine Beatty -- who last summer denied under oath that they had an affair -- constitute perjury? And did the city shell out more than $9 million for a legal settlement in an attempt to keep those messages secret?
"I am the mayor. I made the mistake. I'm accountable," Kilpatrick said.
Kilpatrick dismissed notions of a resignation -- "I would never quit on you, ever" -- and vowed to commit to his city and to repair his damaged marriage.
"I love you and I'll see you at work tomorrow," he said in closing.
I don't know how to break it to ya Kwame...but I'm just not that into you...
Kwame's "accountable", his Chief of Staff(with "benefits"), Christine Beatty has been forced to resign, will never get her law license, is faced with massive legal bills and is probably unemployable at this point. Well I guess she's not "accountable", just totally fucked...
Kwame loves me, and I love you too, Kwame. But you broke the law, repeatedly lied under oath, and you're an asshole. So I don't want you to "quit", don't ever quit my love...just resign, plead guilty and go to jail like a man...
S(ister Mary Kate and Ashley)Squirrel
Deja Vu All Over Again, Again...
WASHINGTON - Thousands of Iraq war veterans who could have suffered traumatic brain injury may be getting unnecessary or inadequate health care because Veterans Affairs officials have yet to determine whether their initial screening tests are reliable, investigators say.
A draft report by the Government Accountability Office, obtained this week by The Associated Press, highlights the Bush administration's continuing difficulties in treating traumatic brain injury, a leading problem among soldiers struck by roadside bombs in the Iraq war. It also comes as a provocative military study this week found that symptoms of memory loss and irritability that have been tied to brain injury might be more accurately attributed to post-traumatic stress and depression.
_Inconsistent follow-up. Iraq war veterans face greater burdens in keeping appointments because they tend to be younger than other VA patients, with daytime work, school or child-care commitments. Some Iraq veterans also said they were under the impression that VA facilities catered to an elderly population and did not want to treat younger patients.
_Poor rural access. Two medical centers reported no-show rates of 50 percent or greater for Iraq war veterans with possible brain injury, in part because they lived in small towns or farms and would have to drive 100 miles or so to reach a VA facility.
I think tearing down the Pentagon and rebuilding Walter Reed is the way to go...
~SSquirrel
A draft report by the Government Accountability Office, obtained this week by The Associated Press, highlights the Bush administration's continuing difficulties in treating traumatic brain injury, a leading problem among soldiers struck by roadside bombs in the Iraq war. It also comes as a provocative military study this week found that symptoms of memory loss and irritability that have been tied to brain injury might be more accurately attributed to post-traumatic stress and depression.
_Inconsistent follow-up. Iraq war veterans face greater burdens in keeping appointments because they tend to be younger than other VA patients, with daytime work, school or child-care commitments. Some Iraq veterans also said they were under the impression that VA facilities catered to an elderly population and did not want to treat younger patients.
_Poor rural access. Two medical centers reported no-show rates of 50 percent or greater for Iraq war veterans with possible brain injury, in part because they lived in small towns or farms and would have to drive 100 miles or so to reach a VA facility.
I think tearing down the Pentagon and rebuilding Walter Reed is the way to go...
~SSquirrel
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Another One Bites The Dust...
U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) said today he will retire from Congress at the end of the year, bringing to a close a 14-year stint in the House of Representatives during which he rose rapidly through the ranks of Republican leadership and championed such issues as D.C. voting rights and a vibrant defense-contracting industry.
Davis's career in Congress has come to a close with great swiftness, underscoring how uncertain political life can be. Just a few months ago, he was viewed as a natural contender to replace U.S. Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), who also retires at the end of this year. But a series of events pushed Davis to withdraw from consideration and then, this week, to leave elective office altogether.
Davis didn't count on the vehemence with which the GOP's conservative wing would resist his efforts to move the party to the middle. His opt-out of a Senate bid was spurred in part by an ugly battle within the Republican Party of Virginia, which decided to have a convention instead of a primary to choose its nominee. The decision favored former governor James S. Gilmore III, a more conservative candidate viewed as likelier to win over the party faithful who typically attend conventions.
"I'm not at all bitter," Davis said. "I'm just disappointed. We have such an opportunity to put together a coalition that's good for Virginia. Instead of opening up the party to people who agree with them on many issues, they've decided to have an admissions test [on abortion and taxes]. And that's not a winning formula for them or for Virginia."
You could actually view this as a loss for Democrats in a way. But mostly it's just evidence that Obama is clueless if he believes that the leadership of the Repukes calls for compromise are anything but thinly veiled efforts to demagogue Democrats...
Davis's career in Congress has come to a close with great swiftness, underscoring how uncertain political life can be. Just a few months ago, he was viewed as a natural contender to replace U.S. Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), who also retires at the end of this year. But a series of events pushed Davis to withdraw from consideration and then, this week, to leave elective office altogether.
Davis didn't count on the vehemence with which the GOP's conservative wing would resist his efforts to move the party to the middle. His opt-out of a Senate bid was spurred in part by an ugly battle within the Republican Party of Virginia, which decided to have a convention instead of a primary to choose its nominee. The decision favored former governor James S. Gilmore III, a more conservative candidate viewed as likelier to win over the party faithful who typically attend conventions.
"I'm not at all bitter," Davis said. "I'm just disappointed. We have such an opportunity to put together a coalition that's good for Virginia. Instead of opening up the party to people who agree with them on many issues, they've decided to have an admissions test [on abortion and taxes]. And that's not a winning formula for them or for Virginia."
You could actually view this as a loss for Democrats in a way. But mostly it's just evidence that Obama is clueless if he believes that the leadership of the Repukes calls for compromise are anything but thinly veiled efforts to demagogue Democrats...
~SSquirrel
All Praise The Glory of Bush!
An Iraqi florist displays flowers outside his shop in Baghdad's Al-Shaab neighborhood, 29 January 2008.WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is sending strong signals that U.S. troop reductions in Iraq will slow or stop altogether this summer, a move that would jeopardize hopes of relieving strain on the Army and Marine Corps and revive debate over an open-ended U.S. commitment in Iraq.
The indications of a likely slowdown reflect concern by U.S. commanders that the improvement in security in Iraq since June _ to a degree few had predicted when President Bush ordered five more Army brigades to Iraq a year ago _ is tenuous and could be reversed if the extra troops come out too soon.
One of those extra brigades left in December and the other four are due to come out by July, leaving 15 brigades, or roughly 130,000 to 135,000 troops _ the same number as before Bush sent the reinforcements.
I'm thinking a three to four month extension for everybody, say early November? A Fall homecoming is so much prettier don't you think, leaves changing, nice parade weather, long lines at the polls...
S(ynical)Squirrel
The indications of a likely slowdown reflect concern by U.S. commanders that the improvement in security in Iraq since June _ to a degree few had predicted when President Bush ordered five more Army brigades to Iraq a year ago _ is tenuous and could be reversed if the extra troops come out too soon.
One of those extra brigades left in December and the other four are due to come out by July, leaving 15 brigades, or roughly 130,000 to 135,000 troops _ the same number as before Bush sent the reinforcements.
I'm thinking a three to four month extension for everybody, say early November? A Fall homecoming is so much prettier don't you think, leaves changing, nice parade weather, long lines at the polls...
S(ynical)Squirrel
At least Rudy was out first.
DENVER - Democrat John Edwards is exiting the presidential race Wednesday, ending a scrappy underdog bid in which he steered his rivals toward progressive ideals while grappling with family hardship that roused voters' sympathies but never diverted his campaign, according to The Associated Press and NBC News.
The two-time White House candidate notified a close circle of senior advisers that he planned to make the announcement at a 1 p.m. ET event in New Orleans that had been billed as a speech on poverty, according to two of his advisers. The decision came after Edwards lost the four states to hold nominating contests so far to rivals who stole the spotlight from the beginning — Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
The former North Carolina senator will not immediately endorse either candidate in what is now a two-person race for the Democratic nomination, said one adviser, who spoke on a condition of anonymity in advance of the announcement.
I hope Elizabeth is well, and that perhaps we'll see Edwards in a VP slot.
-Diane
This would be great for shopping on those really busy days, like those day after Thanksgiving day sales. People trying to cut in line would just bounce right off of you.
Or, perhaps it's for hunting season...I dunno.
-Diane
Knees or ankles?
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Congress Tuesday passed a 15-day extension of a temporary surveillance law set to expire later this week, buying itself more time to come up with a permanent fix for the measure.
President Bush has threatened to veto the bill if it includes several controversial amendments.
The House and Senate passed the extension of the Protect America Act -- the law that was hastily passed in August when the Bush administration warned of gaps in its ability to monitor suspected terrorists.
President Bush is expected to sign the extension.
Bush would've vetoed a 30 day extension, but 15 is okay? I wonder how far over our congressional Dems had to bend for this great accomplishment?
-Diane
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
A road sign points the way to nearby towns Clinton and Prosperity in Newberry, South Carolina, January 25, 2008. US Democratic presidential candidates Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), former Senator John Edwards (D-NC) and Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) have been criss-crossing South Carolina ahead of the state's Democratic primary election. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
-Diane
So many better uses for those trillions in war bucks.
"The discs are made from dried yellow clay mixed with water, salt and vegetable shortening or margarine.
The mud, which comes from Haiti's central plateau region, is first strained and then shaped into biscuits which are left in the sun.
The pale brown biscuits, known by locals simply as "terre", have traditionally been eaten by pregnant Haitians and children as an antacid and source of calcium.
However, for some Haitians unable to afford even a plate of rice, terre has become their staple diet.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations has expressed concern over food prices in the Caribbean, recently declaring a state of emergency in Haiti and several other countries.
The agency estimates prices have rocketed by as much as 40 per cent due to floods and crop damage caused by the 2007 hurricane season.
At the market in Haiti's La Salines slum, two cups of rice now sell for 60 US cents, up 10 cents since December and 50 per cent from a year ago.
Beans, condensed milk and fruit have gone up at a similar rate. Even the price of the clay used in the biscuits has increased considerably though, at five cents each, they are still relatively cheap.
The biscuits reportedly taste smooth but suck out the moisture from the mouth as soon as they touch the tongue, leaving an unpleasant earthy aftertaste which lingers for hours."
War becomes so much more obscene when you consider how dramatically the lives of people in a small nation such as Haiti could change with a relatively small portion of the dollars spent on weapons alone.
-Diane
The answer is clear
WASHINGTON - Attorney General Michael Mukasey said Tuesday he will refuse to publicly say whether the interrogation tactic known as waterboarding is illegal, digging in against critics who want the Bush administration to define it as torture.
...
The attorney general added: “If this were an easy question, I would not be reluctant to offer my views on this subject. But, with respect, I believe it is not an easy question. There are some circumstances where current law would appear clearly to prohibit the use of waterboarding. Other circumstances would present a far closer question.”
Torture is always torture, no matter the circumstances. Waterboarding is torture no matter how badly you wish to inflict upon someone. I believe even Mr. Muksasey's desire not to state this unequivocally reaffirms this nonetheless.
-Diane
Florida Primary
Election Results
Republicans
Vote %
McCain
34%
TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Romney
33%
30% of precincts
Democrats
Vote %
Clinton
49% -- Projected winner via CNN
29% of precincts
1 min
Update at 9:00pm: McCain pulling out ahead of Romney at 35% now...
Second Update: CNN calls Florida for McCain.
A hat tip to Ben for the whacky McCain gif.
-Diane
Man without a party
Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent who nearly won the vice presidency as a Democrat in 2000, says there's no way he'll be Republican Sen. John McCain's running mate should McCain become the party's presidential nominee.
...
"I don't have any intention of leaving the Democratic Party," he said. "I want to be a senator."
Think retirement, Joe. Please.
-Diane
Early Florida Exit Poll Highlights
From the Associated Press:
-Diane
RISING IMPORTANCE FOR FALLING ECONOMY
Given four choices, nearly half of Florida Republican primary voters said the economy is the most important issue facing the country. Terrorism, Iraq and immigration each were picked by fewer than two in 10. The economy also was the top issue out of three choices for voters in the Democratic primary, which none of the candidates contested because of questions over whether Florida's Democratic delegates will be seated. The economy has been seen as increasingly important since the start of the 2008 presidential nomination season.
AND HOW'S THE ECONOMY DOING?
Republicans were more likely than Democrats to rate the national economy positively, though few in either party rated it excellent. A third of Republicans but fewer than one in 10 Democrats rated the economy good. Half of Democrats called it poor, compared to only about one in seven Republican primary voters.
THE GRAYING OF THE PRIMARIES
Both parties' electorates were older than in any other presidential contest this year. A third or more in each primary were at least 65 years old. In earlier Democratic contests no more than a quarter were senior citizens, and on the Republican side only the Nevada caucuses came anywhere close to Florida in the proportion of older voters.
MORE DEMOGRAPHIC TIDBITS ...
_ Eight in 10 Republican primary voters were white and a little more than one in 10 were Hispanic — about half of whom were of Cuban heritage. There were few blacks on the GOP side. In the Democratic primary, two-thirds were white, about one in five were black and a little more than one in 10 were Hispanic.
_ About one in seven voters in each party's primary described themselves as independents.
_ About three in 10 Republican voters called themselves moderates. Slightly more Democrats identified themselves as moderate.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
There were fewer late-deciding voters in both parties in Florida than in most earlier contests.
-Diane
Progress Report...Only Ten Severed Heads Today...
BAQUBA, Iraq (AFP) - Iraqi police said they found the remains of 19 executed men in the volatile northeastern province of Diyala on Tuesday, including 10 severed heads.
And two people were killed and around 20 wounded in a series of bomb blasts in Baghdad, while a suicide bomber targeting a US patrol wounded 10 Iraqis in the northern city of Mosul, where five US soldiers were killed on Monday.
The gruesome discoveries in Diyala were made in several areas around the town of Muqdadiyah, 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Baghdad, provincial police official Lieutenant-Colonel Ismael al-Juburi said.
He said the victims, all males, had been killed in the past few days.
The nine victims whose bodies were found intact had been shot dead, according to Ahmed Fuad, head of the hospital morgue in Baquba. Their identities were unknown.
Without severed heads we might not have Brad Pitt, and wouldn't our lives be badly diminished without Brad?
~SSquirrel
Hell Froze Over...
An Iraqi couple enjoys a snow battle in a garden in Sulaimaniyah, 2007. Light snow fell in Baghdad in what weather officials said was the first time in about a 100 years.(AFP/File/Shwan Mohammed)
Kinda Spooly, Huh?
~SS
There's no Green In Red, White and Blue...
Marshall Adame is a Democrat running for Congress in North Carolina's 3rd District, a jurisdiction along the Tar Heel state's low-lying eastern coast that is home to the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune, Air Station Cherry Point, and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, as well as Blackwater Worldwide's 7,000-acre corporate headquarters and training facility. Adame is an underdog in the congressional race, where he will likely face seven-term Republican incumbent Walter B. Jones—who brought the term "freedom fries" to Congress—in the general election.
Adame's recent public criticism of the private security industry's role in Iraq has caused him to become the target of a political attack from Blackwater. It all began in mid-January when Adame participated in a live question-and-answer forum on a North Carolina progressive blog called BlueNC. "People were writing in, and I was answering the questions," he says. "It just so happened that the first one was about Blackwater." He didn't mince words. "There is no place in the American force structure, or in American culture for mercenaries," he wrote on the blog. "They are guns for hire; No more, no less… Private Armies represent the very things we despise as a people. Servants to the highest bidder with true allegiance to no-one."
Score another one for Mother Jones...
~SS
Adame's recent public criticism of the private security industry's role in Iraq has caused him to become the target of a political attack from Blackwater. It all began in mid-January when Adame participated in a live question-and-answer forum on a North Carolina progressive blog called BlueNC. "People were writing in, and I was answering the questions," he says. "It just so happened that the first one was about Blackwater." He didn't mince words. "There is no place in the American force structure, or in American culture for mercenaries," he wrote on the blog. "They are guns for hire; No more, no less… Private Armies represent the very things we despise as a people. Servants to the highest bidder with true allegiance to no-one."
Score another one for Mother Jones...
~SS
Things to Watch In FLA...
Romney and McCain are basically tied, slight edge to McCain. He needs the win to keep money comming in. But Romney's still all hat and no cattle, I'm not sure he is prepared to spend another 20 to 30 million, even with the old guard backing him...
On the Dem side a real key will be if Hillary Clinton cracks 50%. If she gets 50 it's big trouble for Obama. But if she is below 40 she's toast...
S(avant)Squirrel
Scraps from the table really...
The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee yesterday unveiled a rival plan to stimulate the economy, offering a $500 check to virtually every American -- including low-income seniors and rich financiers -- in a direct challenge to the bipartisan deal reached last week by President Bush and House leaders.
The $156 billion measure by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), which will be drafted by the committee tomorrow, also would extend unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless by 13 weeks, a proposal that had been rejected by Bush and House Republican leaders as they crafted their $150 billion stimulus package.
"Rebates for seniors and payroll taxpayers, extended unemployment insurance and tax relief for struggling businesses will put more cash into the American economy right away," Baucus said. "The White House says we mustn't slow the economic stimulus agreement down, or blow it up. I agree. We're going to improve it and get it passed right away."
Baucus's proposal is only the start of revisions. Senators have promised to add heating assistance for the poor, food-stamp money, more business tax incentives and road-resurfacing funds, among other items.
"This is a package in sync with the House bill but stronger and broader," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), a member of the Democratic leadership. "Once the package gets to the floor, I will make an effort to add $500 million of emergency foreclosure-prevention funding. The housing crisis is at the heart of the economic slowdown, and more must be done about it."
When Fed Chairman Bernanke testified two week ago he agreed that extending unemployment and expanded food stamps payments were the quickest way to stimulate the economy. This is a demand side recession, not supply side. You don't expand your payroll and build more products if no one is buying, no more how much cash you have. You cut costs and payroll so you can be profitable at a lower production rate. This is why Bush's Supply side stimulus plan killed the job market in his first term.
~SS
The $156 billion measure by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), which will be drafted by the committee tomorrow, also would extend unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless by 13 weeks, a proposal that had been rejected by Bush and House Republican leaders as they crafted their $150 billion stimulus package.
"Rebates for seniors and payroll taxpayers, extended unemployment insurance and tax relief for struggling businesses will put more cash into the American economy right away," Baucus said. "The White House says we mustn't slow the economic stimulus agreement down, or blow it up. I agree. We're going to improve it and get it passed right away."
Baucus's proposal is only the start of revisions. Senators have promised to add heating assistance for the poor, food-stamp money, more business tax incentives and road-resurfacing funds, among other items.
"This is a package in sync with the House bill but stronger and broader," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), a member of the Democratic leadership. "Once the package gets to the floor, I will make an effort to add $500 million of emergency foreclosure-prevention funding. The housing crisis is at the heart of the economic slowdown, and more must be done about it."
When Fed Chairman Bernanke testified two week ago he agreed that extending unemployment and expanded food stamps payments were the quickest way to stimulate the economy. This is a demand side recession, not supply side. You don't expand your payroll and build more products if no one is buying, no more how much cash you have. You cut costs and payroll so you can be profitable at a lower production rate. This is why Bush's Supply side stimulus plan killed the job market in his first term.
~SS
State of the State
DETROIT -- Michigan ranked third in the nation for foreclosure filings in 2007, with nearly 2 percent of all households in the state at risk for foreclosure due to defaulted mortgages, according to data released today.
Throughout last year, 136,205 foreclosure notices were filed in the state, according to the report from RealtyTrac, an Irvine, Calif.-based company that tracks such statistics. Those filings affected 87,210 homes, or 1.95 percent of all households.
The number of Michigan filings was 68.3 percent more than in 2006, and a whopping 282.2 percent higher than 2005. Nationally, foreclosures in 2007 were up 75 percent over 2006.
But, say...in May you should be getting a rebate check for up to $1,200.00...
-Diane
For all of 2007, Michigan ranked among the top states for the number of foreclosures. That reflected Michigan's one-state recession, marked by massive manufacturing job losses and the nation's highest unemployment rate, as well as a sharp rise in the number of subprime mortgages that went into default.
Monday, January 28, 2008
I can feel their pain...
The Telegraph:
Odd, isn't it, that this topic hasn't come up in any of the debates?
-Diane
Those being bugged include people suspected of illegal fly-tipping as councils use little known powers to carry out increasingly sophisticated surveillance to catch offenders.
The report, by Sir Paul Kennedy, the Interception of Communications Commissioner, has fuelled fears that Britain is becoming a state where private communications are routinely monitored.
It also found that more than 1,000 of the bugging operations were flawed. In some cases, the phones of innocent people were tapped simply because of administrative errors.
Odd, isn't it, that this topic hasn't come up in any of the debates?
-Diane
State of the Last Union
Join us at the State of the Union party! Robert Greenwald, Cenk Uygur, Sam Stein, Eleanor Clift, Robert Boehlert, David Sirota, Tom Hayden, AJ from Americablog, and more.
-Diane
-Diane
Notice...
Blogger will be unavailable Monday (1/28) at 4:00PM PST for about 10 minutes for maintenance.
Pfft! 10 minutes?
~SS
Pfft! 10 minutes?
~SS
Bill Bashing...
"The MSM not only has a visceral disdain for Hillary (who fanned that predisposition herself for years by perpetually snubbing the press), they have also hated Bill, even though he is by far the nation's most popular Democrat since JFK. If it were Constitutionally possible to run again Bill would probably trounce even (the new) Al Gore (who seems to be pretty much every Democrat's dream candidate). "
~Trey Ellis
You'd think President Clinton was a left wing conspiracy all by himself. On a hunch I looked it up, and no, Bill did not issue an executive order changing MLK's birthday this year...The MSM brought up race and pretty much made up everything else...
I'm not interested in pretty speeches, and I don't wanna make nice...I want someone to flip on the lights and stomp on all the cockroaches...I want the bullshit bible thumpers and their cronys tarred and feathered and run outta town on rails...I even want the Pentagon torn down and a cemetary put in it's place, maybe a brand new Veteran's Hospital with a free hotel for families right next door...Hell let's build one in every state...
~SSquirrel
~Trey Ellis
You'd think President Clinton was a left wing conspiracy all by himself. On a hunch I looked it up, and no, Bill did not issue an executive order changing MLK's birthday this year...The MSM brought up race and pretty much made up everything else...
I'm not interested in pretty speeches, and I don't wanna make nice...I want someone to flip on the lights and stomp on all the cockroaches...I want the bullshit bible thumpers and their cronys tarred and feathered and run outta town on rails...I even want the Pentagon torn down and a cemetary put in it's place, maybe a brand new Veteran's Hospital with a free hotel for families right next door...Hell let's build one in every state...
~SSquirrel
Fresh out of Flowers...
An Iraqi man reacts during the funeral ceremony for two bodyguards of Abdul Mahdi Al-Karbalai, representative of Ayatollah Ali Sistani, in Karbala, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Jan. 25, 2008. The two bodyguards where killed late Thursday, when a roadside bomb targeted the convoy with the representative of Ayatollah Ali Sistani in Karbala.
(AP Photo/Ahmed al-Husseini)
~SS
Today's Lede Story On Fox News...
MOSUL, Iraq (AFP) - Five US soldiers were killed on Monday when their patrol was struck by a roadside bomb and attacked with small arms fire in the restive city of Mosul, the US military said.
Iraq's Defence Minister Abdel Qader Jassim Mohammed said the situation in Mosul is "worse than imagined" after touring the flashpoint city on Sunday.
The minister was sharply critical of the Iraqi army's deployment in the city, telling reporters: "The forces are scattered.
"We are working to unify the command The military units are distributed in Mosul in a way that means they haven't studied the area."
"The 2nd Brigade of the Iraqi army works in the day and withdraws at night, leaving the insurgents free to move. There are many negative things and we must address them," the minister added.
"The security generally in Nineveh province is at a good level but in Mosul, the provincial capital, it is bad. The situation ... is worse than imagined by far."
Defence ministry spokesman Major General Mohammed al-Askari said on Sunday that military reinforcements, comprising troops, tanks and vehicles, had reached Mosul for a huge offensive against Al-Qaeda.
On Wednesday, according to the US military, a cache of munitions stored by insurgents blew up in a building in west Mosul's Zanjili suburb, leaving a massive crater and damaging about 100 surrounding houses.
A suicide bomber killed provincial police chief Brigadier General Salah al-Juburi and two other officers the next day when they went to inspect the carnage.
Iraqi officials put the toll from Wednesday's blast at 35 people killed and 217 wounded, but the Iraqi Red Crescent in a report on its website said the toll was much higher.
"Many families had buried their killed relatives immediately after the attack without getting them registered," it said.
"This had brought the estimate of the number of killed people to 60; most of them were children, women and elderly," the Red Crescent said.
"At least 280 people were wounded in the attack; some of them are in a very critical situation. It is expected that there are still dead bodies buried under the rubble."
Iraq's Defence Minister Abdel Qader Jassim Mohammed said the situation in Mosul is "worse than imagined" after touring the flashpoint city on Sunday.
The minister was sharply critical of the Iraqi army's deployment in the city, telling reporters: "The forces are scattered.
"We are working to unify the command The military units are distributed in Mosul in a way that means they haven't studied the area."
"The 2nd Brigade of the Iraqi army works in the day and withdraws at night, leaving the insurgents free to move. There are many negative things and we must address them," the minister added.
"The security generally in Nineveh province is at a good level but in Mosul, the provincial capital, it is bad. The situation ... is worse than imagined by far."
Defence ministry spokesman Major General Mohammed al-Askari said on Sunday that military reinforcements, comprising troops, tanks and vehicles, had reached Mosul for a huge offensive against Al-Qaeda.
On Wednesday, according to the US military, a cache of munitions stored by insurgents blew up in a building in west Mosul's Zanjili suburb, leaving a massive crater and damaging about 100 surrounding houses.
A suicide bomber killed provincial police chief Brigadier General Salah al-Juburi and two other officers the next day when they went to inspect the carnage.
Iraqi officials put the toll from Wednesday's blast at 35 people killed and 217 wounded, but the Iraqi Red Crescent in a report on its website said the toll was much higher.
"Many families had buried their killed relatives immediately after the attack without getting them registered," it said.
"This had brought the estimate of the number of killed people to 60; most of them were children, women and elderly," the Red Crescent said.
"At least 280 people were wounded in the attack; some of them are in a very critical situation. It is expected that there are still dead bodies buried under the rubble."
Hell no, It's missing white women with a sidebar on how cute Chimpy looks when his lips move while reading...
In a related note, George is going to include a special bonus feature in tonight's State of the Union speech...he's finally gonna reveal the ending of "My Pet Goat"...Thank God!...He's finally going to finish something...
~SSquirrel
The "George W Bush" Army...
"Replacing a tank gunner who had scored Category IV with one who'd scored Category IIIA (in the 50th to 64th percentile) improved the chances of hitting a target by 34 percent."
By Fred Kaplan
The latest statistics—compiled by the Defense Department. and obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by the Boston-based National Priorities Project—are grim. They show that the percentage of new Army recruits with high-school diplomas has plunged from 94 percent in 2003 to 83.5 percent in 2005 to 70.7 percent in 2007. (The Pentagon's longstanding goal is 90 percent.)
The percentage of what the Army calls "high-quality" recruits—those who have high-school diplomas and who score in the upper 50th percentile on the Armed Forces' aptitude tests—has declined from 56.2 percent in 2005 to 44.6 percent in 2007.
There used to be a regulation that no more than 2 percent of all recruits could be "Category IV"—defined as applicants who score in the 10th to 30th percentile on the aptitude tests. In 2004, just 0.6 percent of new soldiers scored so low. In 2005, as the Army had a hard time recruiting, the cap was raised to 4 percent. And in 2007, according to the new data, the Army exceeded even that limit—4.1 percent of new recruits last year were Cat IVs.
Being a Squirrel amongst squirrels, who are generally regarded as one of the most aptudinally endowed creatures on the planet, I may be a bit biased. But who the fuck would put someone who can't score 30 on an Army aptitude test in charge of anything more lethal than a mop? I mean elected maybe...appointed by the Supremes sure...but my god!..."here' the keys, kid; it's the shiny new M1A2 out front"?
The Army actually recruits people who score "between 10 and 30 percentile"? 10?...10?
Where the hell is the Media? If you score a 9 do you get a job hosting "Meet The Press"? My tummy hurts, I need to lay down...
~S(gt.)Squirrel
By Fred Kaplan
The latest statistics—compiled by the Defense Department. and obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by the Boston-based National Priorities Project—are grim. They show that the percentage of new Army recruits with high-school diplomas has plunged from 94 percent in 2003 to 83.5 percent in 2005 to 70.7 percent in 2007. (The Pentagon's longstanding goal is 90 percent.)
The percentage of what the Army calls "high-quality" recruits—those who have high-school diplomas and who score in the upper 50th percentile on the Armed Forces' aptitude tests—has declined from 56.2 percent in 2005 to 44.6 percent in 2007.
There used to be a regulation that no more than 2 percent of all recruits could be "Category IV"—defined as applicants who score in the 10th to 30th percentile on the aptitude tests. In 2004, just 0.6 percent of new soldiers scored so low. In 2005, as the Army had a hard time recruiting, the cap was raised to 4 percent. And in 2007, according to the new data, the Army exceeded even that limit—4.1 percent of new recruits last year were Cat IVs.
Being a Squirrel amongst squirrels, who are generally regarded as one of the most aptudinally endowed creatures on the planet, I may be a bit biased. But who the fuck would put someone who can't score 30 on an Army aptitude test in charge of anything more lethal than a mop? I mean elected maybe...appointed by the Supremes sure...but my god!..."here' the keys, kid; it's the shiny new M1A2 out front"?
The Army actually recruits people who score "between 10 and 30 percentile"? 10?...10?
Where the hell is the Media? If you score a 9 do you get a job hosting "Meet The Press"? My tummy hurts, I need to lay down...
~S(gt.)Squirrel
Obama's a Republican...
In fact, some journalists say they have to guard against getting swept away by the excitement. NBC's Lee Cowan was candid about fighting such temptations, saying on the network's Web site: "I think from the reporter's point of view, it's almost hard to remain objective, because it's infectious energy." Politico Editor in Chief John Harris said on CNN that when he was a Washington Post editor a couple of years ago, "you would send a reporter out with Obama, and it was like they needed to go through detox when they came back -- 'Oh, he's so impressive, he's so charismatic,' and we're kind of like, 'Down, boy.' "
MSNBC's Chris Matthews told Jay Leno: "If you're actually in a room with Barack Obama and you don't cry when he gives one of those speeches, you're not an American. It's unbelievable."
Fine...don't believe me...college kids sent him a hundred million by e-mail...but when Howie Kurtz starts quoting Tweety about how much they both want to jump in bed and have a beer with somebody...Have you noticed you never see Joe Lieberman and Barak Obama in the same room together?
Now I'm not saying Bruce Wayne is Batman, I'm just saying they kinda sound allot alike...
~S(uspicious)Squirrel
MSNBC's Chris Matthews told Jay Leno: "If you're actually in a room with Barack Obama and you don't cry when he gives one of those speeches, you're not an American. It's unbelievable."
Fine...don't believe me...college kids sent him a hundred million by e-mail...but when Howie Kurtz starts quoting Tweety about how much they both want to jump in bed and have a beer with somebody...Have you noticed you never see Joe Lieberman and Barak Obama in the same room together?
Now I'm not saying Bruce Wayne is Batman, I'm just saying they kinda sound allot alike...
~S(uspicious)Squirrel
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Women cry outside the house of their neighbour killed by gunmen in Baghdad January 27, 2008. Gunmen killed a couple and their son and daughter when they stormed their house in the Talibiya district in northern Baghdad on Saturday, police said.
REUTERS/Ceerwan Aziz (IRAQ)
-Diane
Mine's Bigger...
Voters are showing up at Democratic primaries and caucuses in record numbers, doubling, tripling or even quadrupling the turnout totals recorded in the last fully contested two-party election in 2000. Overall, Democrats have so far outnumbered Republicans at primary polling places by a rate of almost two to one.
So far three states have held primaries or caucuses that both parties actively contested, and in each, Democratic turnout is outrunning participation by Republicans:...
Repukes might end up watching the election returns for the commercials
~SS
So far three states have held primaries or caucuses that both parties actively contested, and in each, Democratic turnout is outrunning participation by Republicans:...
Repukes might end up watching the election returns for the commercials
~SS
Saturday, January 26, 2008
checkmate
Martin Luther King III has endorsed John Edwards.
Caroline Kennedy has endorsed Barack Obama.
Sylvester Stallone endorsed John McCain.
I think I can tell which party wins this one, although it might be unlucky to say so 'outloud' just yet.
-Diane
Caroline Kennedy has endorsed Barack Obama.
Sylvester Stallone endorsed John McCain.
I think I can tell which party wins this one, although it might be unlucky to say so 'outloud' just yet.
-Diane
Primary Day...
By Shailagh Murray
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Early signs here suggests turnout could shatter 2004 totals. Several black precincts in Richland County, where Columbia is located, reported hitting 25 percent of all registered voters by midday, according to state party officials.
Lexington County, a predominantly Republican County next door and to the west, also is seeing spikes. In one Lexington black precinct, 80 people total voted in 2004; today, 95 had voted by noon. In another black precinct, 59 people voted in 2004; by noon today, 118 had showed up. In mixed precincts in Lexington, numbers were higher as well: one reported 149 voters as of noon today, compared to 176 in 2004. And, in one predominantly white precinct in Lexington County, twice as many people had voted as of 10:20 this morning, as in 2004.
The South Carolina Democratic Party was hoping for a turnout of 350,000 people today -- about 60,000 more than went to the polls in 2004.
Early reports from former Sen. John Edwards' hometown of Seneca don't suggest jaw-dropping turnout for the mill town's favorite son, however. A total of 637 people had voted in the town's four precincts as of noon today. In 2004, when Edwards was also a candidate for the nomination, 1015 Seneca residents voted.
Spent the morning reading a book in the Platinum Lanai Spa Tub Of Eternal Enlightenment and Happiness...very nice...28 degrees and snowing outside, 104 degrees and bubbly inside...I recommend it highly...
~SSquirrel
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Early signs here suggests turnout could shatter 2004 totals. Several black precincts in Richland County, where Columbia is located, reported hitting 25 percent of all registered voters by midday, according to state party officials.
Lexington County, a predominantly Republican County next door and to the west, also is seeing spikes. In one Lexington black precinct, 80 people total voted in 2004; today, 95 had voted by noon. In another black precinct, 59 people voted in 2004; by noon today, 118 had showed up. In mixed precincts in Lexington, numbers were higher as well: one reported 149 voters as of noon today, compared to 176 in 2004. And, in one predominantly white precinct in Lexington County, twice as many people had voted as of 10:20 this morning, as in 2004.
The South Carolina Democratic Party was hoping for a turnout of 350,000 people today -- about 60,000 more than went to the polls in 2004.
Early reports from former Sen. John Edwards' hometown of Seneca don't suggest jaw-dropping turnout for the mill town's favorite son, however. A total of 637 people had voted in the town's four precincts as of noon today. In 2004, when Edwards was also a candidate for the nomination, 1015 Seneca residents voted.
Spent the morning reading a book in the Platinum Lanai Spa Tub Of Eternal Enlightenment and Happiness...very nice...28 degrees and snowing outside, 104 degrees and bubbly inside...I recommend it highly...
~SSquirrel
I write comments...
Colbert I King
"Which gets me to that superficially charming, self-absorbed couple Billary, ever so possessed with an outsize sense of entitlement. What else to call Bill and Hillary Clinton as they partner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, tag-teaming Barack Obama with alternating blows both above and below the belt? It's an act the twosome plans to take all the way to the White House.
If they make it there -- a big if -- the only unanswered question is where Bill will choose to hang his hat. Will it be in her old space in the East Wing, or will he set up shop in the West Wing?
Smart money is on Billary settling in the Oval Office with "his" and "hers" desks. "
My Comment:
Who reeks more of self pity? You must mean besides all the journalists and Op-Ed writers...
The media is so full of crap when it comes to Bill Clinton. The least corrupt White House we've had, he was also crucified in the media. Scandals blared from the front page for years on end, signifying nothing. Like your shallow drivel of a column.
Obama's call for bi-partisan peace shows he's at best lying, but I suspect partly clueless. Repukes aren't interested in compromise, or what voters want. They certainly won't be worried about alienating black voters. Pfffft!
"Which gets me to that superficially charming, self-absorbed couple Billary, ever so possessed with an outsize sense of entitlement. What else to call Bill and Hillary Clinton as they partner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, tag-teaming Barack Obama with alternating blows both above and below the belt? It's an act the twosome plans to take all the way to the White House.
If they make it there -- a big if -- the only unanswered question is where Bill will choose to hang his hat. Will it be in her old space in the East Wing, or will he set up shop in the West Wing?
Smart money is on Billary settling in the Oval Office with "his" and "hers" desks. "
My Comment:
Who reeks more of self pity? You must mean besides all the journalists and Op-Ed writers...
The media is so full of crap when it comes to Bill Clinton. The least corrupt White House we've had, he was also crucified in the media. Scandals blared from the front page for years on end, signifying nothing. Like your shallow drivel of a column.
Obama's call for bi-partisan peace shows he's at best lying, but I suspect partly clueless. Repukes aren't interested in compromise, or what voters want. They certainly won't be worried about alienating black voters. Pfffft!
SSquirrel
King's been phoning it in for years now. Typical media moron, he bought all the lies about the Clinton's and the war, and he forgets it's all bullshit. If I hear one more of these idiots say "memory hole" I'll wanna vote for Senator Clinton...
Might's well line all the crooks up together in one place...
Paul Wolfowitz, pictured in 2007, an architect of the war in Iraq in the Bush administration who became World Bank president only to resign in a pay scandal, was named Thursday as head of a US government advisory panel.
(AFP/File/Tim Sloan)
-Diane
I *Heart* Vermont
BRATTLEBORO — Brattleboro residents will vote at town meeting on whether President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be indicted and arrested for war crimes, perjury or obstruction of justice if they ever step foot in Vermont.
The Brattleboro Select Board voted 3-2 Friday to put the controversial item on the Town Meeting Day warning.
According to Town Clerk Annette Cappy, organizers of the Bush-Cheney issue gathered enough signatures, and it was up to the Select Board whether Brattleboro voters would consider the issue in March.
Bless their hearts, these folks are sooo going to end up on a homeland security watch list.
-Diane
Friday, January 25, 2008
Child "groom" Maurice (2ndR) kisses his "bride" Lenka (2ndL) during a traditional Sorbian "birds wedding" celebrated to greet the upcoming end of the winter at a kindergarten in Cottbus, eastern Germany.
(AFP/DDP/Michael Urban)
-Diane
Faux pas
BAGHDAD — Officials in Iraq's mostly Sunni Muslim Anbar province are refusing to raise Iraq's new national flag, which the parliament approved earlier this week.
"The new flag is done for a foreign agenda and we won't raise it," said Ali Hatem al Suleiman, a leading member of the U.S.-backed Anbar Awakening Council, "If they want to force us to raise it, we will leave the yard for them to fight al Qaida."
Who could've known that a people so deeply entrenched in their sect's customs, traditions, and heritage would have a problem with a little redecorating?
-Diane
The economy in Michigan is so good that...
A Chesterfield Township man has been arrested in a grave-robbering investigation.
...
According to police, Chatzka is suspected of stealing 14 brass grave markers for military veterans.
...
According to police, Chatzka tried to sell the markers to a metal recycling company.
-Diane
...
According to police, Chatzka is suspected of stealing 14 brass grave markers for military veterans.
...
According to police, Chatzka tried to sell the markers to a metal recycling company.
-Diane
"Ice Ahead, Captain"...
Stolen from "Joey Donuts"
Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) announced his retirement today, according to a GOP operative, becoming the 25th House Republican not to run for reelection this election cycle.
In his retirement announcement, Weldon cited his desire to spend more time with his family and return to his medical practice.
"It is a very big undertaking to run and successfully serve, and I would never have been able to do it were it not for the generous help of so many fine people,” Weldon said in a statement.
Weldon, a physician, was elected in the Republican wave of 1994 and has maintained a solidly conservative voting record throughout his seven terms in Congress. Holding a seat on the House Appropriations Committee, he played a key role in securing funds for NASA’s budget — a major issue in a district that's home to the Kennedy Space Center.
His retirement is the second in as many days; Rep. James Walsh (R-N.Y.) announced his retirement yesterday, opening up a seat that Democrats are aggressively contesting.
Democrats view Weldon’s Republican-leaning seat, based on Florida’s Space Coast, as winnable and already have a candidate ready to run. A Democratic operative said that former Brevard County Commissioner Nancy Higgs (D) will be entering the race soon after Weldon makes a formal announcement, and is viewed by the party as a strong challenger.
Welcome to the SS Permanent Majority, please do not be alarmed by that slight 30 degree list to port. The Captain has assured me that everything is perfectly fine...Uhhh...in fact some of us are taking the last dinghy out for a little...uhhh...picnic cruise. That's it...just a little picnic...just me, the Captain, some of senior staff...couple of the really hot interns...Bruce,Ted...you know...so wait right here....
~S(teward)Squirrel
Man Candy...QOTD...
"The case is fairly straightforward to make to people," said Feingold. "We just want to make sure procedures are in place so that if you are doing absolutely nothing wrong, the government can't run around and hear everything you have to say and want to say to your kids and everything you put in an email. That's a winning argument... But if you hide and act like you are afraid of Karl Rove than they'll win the day. And unfortunately on these issues they seem to win the day almost every time by using this kind of fear."
Dude makes my brain hard...hee, hee...
My vote for king.
~SS
Over The Top?
I'm torn, seems a little bit excessive...Let's have a two hour fair and balanced discussion on a national cable news show and see what bobble-head dolls think...
~S(ister Mary Katherine)Squirrel
More Torture Gate...
WASHINGTON - Attorney General Michael Mukasey said Friday he doesn't plan for a special prosecutor to investigate whether the CIA broke the law when it destroyed videotapes of terror interrogations, defying some in Congress who want an independent look at the politically charged case.
Speaking tersely and in an even, low tone, Mukasey would not discuss whether he has seen any evidence that destroying the interrogation tapes violated court orders or otherwise interfered with any case.
He said the ongoing criminal investigation, headed by career federal prosecutor John Durham of Connecticut, was opened on grounds of "some indication — which is a lot less than probable cause — some indication that there was any violation of any federal statute."
"And that's the only basis on which we proceeded," Mukasey said.
Asked if he has reconsidered his decision to not put a special prosecutor in charge of the investigation, Mukasey said, simply, "No."
Admitting that you did it is "some indication". My, my...how "Clintonian". Just because at least three federal judges disagree(see previous post) and your dept. argued in court that it was such an important investigation that the federal courts should not get involved.
U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts seems to think there's "probable cause".
Publicly confessing to violating a court order when even the dept. formerly known as justice under "Lapdog" Gonzalez advised against it?...Priceless!
~S(ix dollars)Squirrel
Speaking tersely and in an even, low tone, Mukasey would not discuss whether he has seen any evidence that destroying the interrogation tapes violated court orders or otherwise interfered with any case.
He said the ongoing criminal investigation, headed by career federal prosecutor John Durham of Connecticut, was opened on grounds of "some indication — which is a lot less than probable cause — some indication that there was any violation of any federal statute."
"And that's the only basis on which we proceeded," Mukasey said.
Asked if he has reconsidered his decision to not put a special prosecutor in charge of the investigation, Mukasey said, simply, "No."
Admitting that you did it is "some indication". My, my...how "Clintonian". Just because at least three federal judges disagree(see previous post) and your dept. argued in court that it was such an important investigation that the federal courts should not get involved.
U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts seems to think there's "probable cause".
Publicly confessing to violating a court order when even the dept. formerly known as justice under "Lapdog" Gonzalez advised against it?...Priceless!
~S(ix dollars)Squirrel
Happy Valentines Day...
WASHINGTON - A federal judge said Thursday that CIA interrogation videotapes may have been relevant to his court case, and he gave the Bush administration three weeks to explain why they were destroyed in 2005 and say whether other evidence was destroyed.
Several judges are considering wading into the dispute over the videos, but U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts was the first to order the administration to provide a written report on the matter. The decision is a legal setback for the Bush administration, which has urged courts not to get involved.
The Justice Department has warned that a judicial inquiry could jeopardize the criminal investigation. U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy, the first judge to consider the question, held a public hearing before agreeing not to hear evidence in the case.
Earlier this month, a federal judge in New York said destroying the tapes appeared to have violated his order in a case involving the American Civil Liberties Union. But U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein has not yet said how he will rule.
Roberts said he wants a report by Feb. 14 explaining what the government has done to preserve evidence since his July 2005 court order, what it is doing now and whether any other potentially relevant evidence has been destroyed.
The Last Boy Scout...I want his autograph, a hero just for doing his job. Just like you'd expect all judges would rule...mad world...
~SSquirrel
Several judges are considering wading into the dispute over the videos, but U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts was the first to order the administration to provide a written report on the matter. The decision is a legal setback for the Bush administration, which has urged courts not to get involved.
The Justice Department has warned that a judicial inquiry could jeopardize the criminal investigation. U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy, the first judge to consider the question, held a public hearing before agreeing not to hear evidence in the case.
Earlier this month, a federal judge in New York said destroying the tapes appeared to have violated his order in a case involving the American Civil Liberties Union. But U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein has not yet said how he will rule.
Roberts said he wants a report by Feb. 14 explaining what the government has done to preserve evidence since his July 2005 court order, what it is doing now and whether any other potentially relevant evidence has been destroyed.
The Last Boy Scout...I want his autograph, a hero just for doing his job. Just like you'd expect all judges would rule...mad world...
~SSquirrel
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Bateman Thursday
The cult-classic 1970 industrial safety film has been given new animated visuals by Scott Bateman.
-Diane
I didn't realize the wmd issue was 'news'
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein kept up the illusion that he had weapons of mass destruction before 2003 because he did not think the United States would invade, an FBI agent who questioned him said.
In an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" to be broadcast on Sunday, FBI agent George Piro describes conversations with Saddam in the months after his capture in December 2003.
Or perhaps I had just read what others thought the reason for Saddam's continued claims to wmd.
However, this:
"For him, it was critical that he was seen as still the strong, defiant Saddam. He thought that would prevent the Iranians from re-invading Iraq," Piro said.
The Iraqi leader had also intended to restart the weapons program and had the means to do it.
"He still had the engineers. The folks that he needed to reconstitute his program are still there," Piro said. "He wanted ... to reconstitute his entire WMD program."
The bitter irony that of all the leaders in the middle east, this one did not trust al Qaeda, feared the possibility of Iran returning to his nation...he probably should have been one of G.W. Bush's bestest buds but for the daddy thing.
-Diane
Iraqis search for wounded people amid the rubble at the site of an explosion in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. A suicide bomber dressed as a policeman killed a top Iraqi police chief in the volatile northern city of Mosul Thursday as he toured the scene of a bomb blast in which 34 people died, police said.
(AFP/Mujahed Mohammed)
-Diane
Inevitable
CLEVELAND - Democrat Dennis Kucinich is abandoning his second, long-shot bid for the White House as he faces a tough fight to hold onto his other job — U.S. congressman.
In an interview with Cleveland's Plain Dealer, the six-term House member said he was quitting the race and would make a formal announcement on Friday.
"I will be announcing that I'm transitioning out of the presidential campaign," Kucinich said. "I'm making that announcement tomorrow about a new direction."
Kucinich has received little support in his presidential bid; he got 1 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire primary and was shut out in the Iowa caucuses. He did have a devoted following.
No reason to bother scheduling presidential candidate debates at all now really. I understand though that Kucinich is in for a rough time hanging on to his congressional seat in Ohio. The time and effort he put into campaigning really left him vulnerable there.
-Diane
I'm Really Gonna Miss...His Wife...
CLEVELAND — Democrat Dennis Kucinich is abandoning his second, long-shot bid for the White House as he faces a tough fight to hold onto his other job _ U.S. congressman.
In an interview with Cleveland's Plain Dealer, the six-term House member said he was quitting the race and would make a formal announcement on Friday.
"I will be announcing that I'm transitioning out of the presidential campaign," Kucinich said. "I'm making that announcement tomorrow about a new direction."
Seriously though, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but while he wasn't a very good mayor, he would probably make a really good President, maybe even a great one. No way he'd ever win, but I agree with him on almost everything...
~SSquirrel
Pelosi Caves Again...Maybe She's Just Stupid...
WASHINGTON - Democratic and Republican congressional leaders reached a tentative deal Thursday on tax rebates of $300 to $1,200 per household and business tax cuts to jolt the slumping economy.
Pelosi, D-Calif., agreed to drop increases in food stamp and unemployment benefits during a Wednesday meeting in exchange for gaining rebates of at least $300 for almost everyone earning a paycheck, including low-income earners who make too little to pay income taxes.
Under the tentative plan, families with children would receive an additional $300 per child, subject to an overall cap of perhaps $1,200, according to a senior House aide who outlined the deal on condition of anonymity in advance of formal adoption of the whole package. Rebates would go to people earning below a certain income cap, likely individuals earning $75,000 or less and couples with incomes of $150,000 or less.
Workers would have to have earned at least $3,000 in 2007 to receive the rebates, the officials said.
The cost of the final business tax break package was uncertain. The two leaders agreed to allow businesses to immediately write off 50 percent of purchases of plants and other capital equipment and to permit small businesses to write off additional purchases of equipment. It appeared that a provision to allow businesses suffering losses now to reclaim taxes previously paid might be dropped to reduce the cost of the business package.
To address the mortgage crisis, the package also allows Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — government-sponsored companies that are the two biggest U.S. financers and guarantors of home loans — to buy home mortgages much larger than the current $417,000 limit. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said that lending cap might reach as high as $700,000 in areas with the highest home prices.
Not sure the Dims in the House are quite this chickenshit, but they probably are. I'm depressed...
Maybe if I post nekkid pictures of Diane?...
~SSquirrel
Just another Note to say...F#%k You...
The Justice Department lawyer who wrote a series of classified legal opinions in 2005 authorizing harsh C.I.A. interrogation techniques was renominated by the White House on Wednesday to a senior department post, a move that was seen as a snub to Senate Democrats who have long opposed his appointment.
The lawyer, Steven G. Bradbury, who has run the department’s Office of Legal Counsel without Senate confirmation for more than two years, has been repeatedly nominated to the job of assistant attorney general for legal counsel.
But the earlier nominations stalled in the Senate because of a dispute with the Justice Department over its failure to provide Congress with copies of legal opinions on a variety of terrorism issues. Under Senate rules that place a time limit on nominations, Mr. Bradbury’s earlier nominations expired.
Should come up when Mukasey appears before Senate Judiciary hearing next week...
~SS
The lawyer, Steven G. Bradbury, who has run the department’s Office of Legal Counsel without Senate confirmation for more than two years, has been repeatedly nominated to the job of assistant attorney general for legal counsel.
But the earlier nominations stalled in the Senate because of a dispute with the Justice Department over its failure to provide Congress with copies of legal opinions on a variety of terrorism issues. Under Senate rules that place a time limit on nominations, Mr. Bradbury’s earlier nominations expired.
Should come up when Mukasey appears before Senate Judiciary hearing next week...
~SS
'dodgy dossier'
The Foreign Office has been ordered to publish an early draft of Tony Blair's "dodgy dossier" on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
It now has 28 days to decide whether to publish the document or appeal to the High Court.
Information Commissioner Richard Thomas originally ordered ministers to hand over the draft last May but the Government appealed.
But the Information Tribunal rejected the appeal.
Campaigners believe the draft, written by then Foreign Office press secretary John Williams, could contain the first mention of Saddam Hussein's ability to launch a WMD strike within 45 minutes - a claim made by Tony Blair in his dossier of September 2002.
However, the draft was never seen by Lord Hutton, who carried out the 2004 inquiry into the death of weapons expert David Kelly, the first to question the 45-minute claim.
The tribunal said: "We do not accept that we should treat the Hutton report as the final word."
Last night researcher Christopher Ames, who applied for the information in 2005, said: "The ruling casts doubt over the Government's claim that the draft played no part in the production of the dossier."
Does this mean Bush is going back to Israel next month?
~SSquirrel
It now has 28 days to decide whether to publish the document or appeal to the High Court.
Information Commissioner Richard Thomas originally ordered ministers to hand over the draft last May but the Government appealed.
But the Information Tribunal rejected the appeal.
Campaigners believe the draft, written by then Foreign Office press secretary John Williams, could contain the first mention of Saddam Hussein's ability to launch a WMD strike within 45 minutes - a claim made by Tony Blair in his dossier of September 2002.
However, the draft was never seen by Lord Hutton, who carried out the 2004 inquiry into the death of weapons expert David Kelly, the first to question the 45-minute claim.
The tribunal said: "We do not accept that we should treat the Hutton report as the final word."
Last night researcher Christopher Ames, who applied for the information in 2005, said: "The ruling casts doubt over the Government's claim that the draft played no part in the production of the dossier."
Does this mean Bush is going back to Israel next month?
~SSquirrel
QOTD...
A Romney news release ridiculed the McCain ad as a flip-flop, noting that the senator opposed Bush's tax cuts in 2001 and 2003. Brian Rogers, a McCain spokesman, responded dryly that "Mitt Romney has earned the Olympic gold medal for flip-flopping in this race."
"...and the home...of the brave..."
~SS
Giuli, Giuli, Giuli...
NAPLES, Fla., Jan. 23 -- After months of debate over illegal immigration, social issues and the Iraq war, the economy and taxes have emerged as the central focus of the Republican race in Florida.
A new poll for the St. Petersburg Times shows McCain and Romney leading the contest in Florida, with Giuliani and Huckabee fading. The poll put McCain at 25 percent and Romney at 23 percent, with Giuliani and Huckabee tied at 15 percent each, and 13 percent undecided. The Times's November poll had Giuliani in front of Romney by nearly 2 to 1.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) said he thinks the new poll reflects fallout from Giuliani's failure to win in any of the earlier states. "It's important to win," Crist said in an interview at the governor's mansion. "If you're going to win somewhere, you've got to win."
Crist has not endorsed a candidate but said he has not ruled out doing so before Tuesday's primary. With an approval rating over 70 percent, Crist could offer an important boost in the final days of a campaign.
Guv'nor Crist added he has a wide stance, and that he is not gay. Several of his ex-boyfriends agreed, saying he "sure was lousy in bed" and his wife, whom he married shortly before his election as Guv'nor, echoed the sentiment...
As for Giuliani? Well he's got a nice base tan for a vacation in Bali...
~S(outhSeas)Squirrel
A new poll for the St. Petersburg Times shows McCain and Romney leading the contest in Florida, with Giuliani and Huckabee fading. The poll put McCain at 25 percent and Romney at 23 percent, with Giuliani and Huckabee tied at 15 percent each, and 13 percent undecided. The Times's November poll had Giuliani in front of Romney by nearly 2 to 1.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) said he thinks the new poll reflects fallout from Giuliani's failure to win in any of the earlier states. "It's important to win," Crist said in an interview at the governor's mansion. "If you're going to win somewhere, you've got to win."
Crist has not endorsed a candidate but said he has not ruled out doing so before Tuesday's primary. With an approval rating over 70 percent, Crist could offer an important boost in the final days of a campaign.
Guv'nor Crist added he has a wide stance, and that he is not gay. Several of his ex-boyfriends agreed, saying he "sure was lousy in bed" and his wife, whom he married shortly before his election as Guv'nor, echoed the sentiment...
As for Giuliani? Well he's got a nice base tan for a vacation in Bali...
~S(outhSeas)Squirrel
Keith!
Test of new viddy hardware and software, long clip includes worst person...
10.05 Too long?
~SS
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Gettin' it while the gettin' is good
The Hill
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has scheduled at least seven fundraisers in the week leading up to Tuesday’s Florida primary, scrambling to raise enough money to compete with a rival who can loan his campaign tens of millions of dollars.
By packing his schedule with fundraising events, McCain has risked devoting less time to stumping for votes at a critical moment. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), by contrast, has made campaigning his top priority and relegated fundraising to an afterthought, said a Giuliani ally.
McCain’s fundraising has picked up dramatically since he began winning primaries. One adviser said the fundraising scheduled over the next week “is more for [the] Feb. 5” primaries.
After Florida, McCain has scheduled major money events in San Francisco and Los Angeles, melding his fundraising and regular campaigning schedules by taking advantage of a trip to Simi Valley, California, for a GOP debate on Jan. 30.
“He didn’t have a lot in the bank for Florida,” said a McCain adviser. “Now it’s coming in very rapidly. Nothing opens the faucets like a little bit of success.”
His campaign is relying on that formula to raise the money he needs to compete on Feb. 5 and in future primaries should the nomination remain unsettled after Super Tuesday.
“You’re going against very deep pockets and the antidote to that is winning primaries,” said Dan Mattoon, a Republican lobbyist who is supporting McCain, in reference to Romney’s wealth. “If McCain’s successful in winning primaries, the money will flow and will give him momentum with the media. The delegates will then follow.”
St. John the Bloody needs you, please support an endless parade of flag covered coffins for the "Glory of Bush"...
~SS
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has scheduled at least seven fundraisers in the week leading up to Tuesday’s Florida primary, scrambling to raise enough money to compete with a rival who can loan his campaign tens of millions of dollars.
By packing his schedule with fundraising events, McCain has risked devoting less time to stumping for votes at a critical moment. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), by contrast, has made campaigning his top priority and relegated fundraising to an afterthought, said a Giuliani ally.
McCain’s fundraising has picked up dramatically since he began winning primaries. One adviser said the fundraising scheduled over the next week “is more for [the] Feb. 5” primaries.
After Florida, McCain has scheduled major money events in San Francisco and Los Angeles, melding his fundraising and regular campaigning schedules by taking advantage of a trip to Simi Valley, California, for a GOP debate on Jan. 30.
“He didn’t have a lot in the bank for Florida,” said a McCain adviser. “Now it’s coming in very rapidly. Nothing opens the faucets like a little bit of success.”
His campaign is relying on that formula to raise the money he needs to compete on Feb. 5 and in future primaries should the nomination remain unsettled after Super Tuesday.
“You’re going against very deep pockets and the antidote to that is winning primaries,” said Dan Mattoon, a Republican lobbyist who is supporting McCain, in reference to Romney’s wealth. “If McCain’s successful in winning primaries, the money will flow and will give him momentum with the media. The delegates will then follow.”
St. John the Bloody needs you, please support an endless parade of flag covered coffins for the "Glory of Bush"...
~SS
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