Tuesday at the Fort With George

Listen to JK AFTER the bush fiasco on CNN !!...finally!!

"...They wear no uniform. They respect no laws of warfare or morality. They are trying to shake our will in Iraq, just as they tried to shake our will on September 11, 2001. They will fail."

One of the most warped, twisted attempts to mislead and confuse the American people, and instill violence and fear into their hearts, that this guy has come up with yet. Despicable. Unconscionable. It makes me sick to my core.

This kind of propaganda is right out of the fascist handbook. Bush is proving to be as amoral as any fascist leader in history.

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/bush_administration

Bush: Bloodshed in Iraq Is 'Worth It'
AP - 22 minutes ago
FORT BRAGG, N.C. - President Bush on Tuesday appealed for the nation's patience for "difficult and dangerous" work ahead in Iraq, hoping a backdrop of U.S. troops and a reminder of Iraq's revived sovereignty would help him reclaim control of an issue that has eroded his popularity. In an evening address at an Army base that has 9,300 troops in Iraq, Bush was acknowledging the toll of the 27-month-old war. At the same time, he aimed to persuade skeptical Americans that his strategy for victory needed only time — not any changes — to be successful.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Uh huh... and if you believe that drivel, I have this historical bridge I'd like to sell you....

Yes, there is an emoticon that hurls, and if I could post it here, I would....

I've been trying my darndest for five years now to see any value whatsoever to ordinary Americans in taking over Iraq per Bu$hCo and PNAC. So far, I can't find one good reason to do more than support the troops and urge bringing them home to our own soil before more are murdered for no reason other than Bu$hCo & PNAC greed. It's brought us to fascism and a controlled press, and nearly half the people of this nation too deaf, dumb, and blind to reality to see the facts staring them in the face.

Has the drivel begun? I thought it was at 7pm Western time.

I may not be an expert speechwriter, but if I want people to think that what I am doing is a success, I don't gernerally start eight sentences in a row with the word Fail, failed and failure.

Okay, who had 8:11 PM in the "it's hrad work"pool, You may claim your prize at the door.

Just posted the below on LUTD

Shrub speech of course is same old crap that the reason we are in Iraq is because 9/11 happened and we have to fight terrorists. Better to fight them in Iraq(where they weren't before) than here(where they'll be after they are trained in Shrub's new terrorist training center he provided for them in Iraq.

I swear twice I thought he was talking about himself, his admin and party instead of "the terrorists". He was actually said something about "people" who will not accept and dissent and later about "their" ideology of hate. Though maybe he was talking about himself and the GOP platform at that point. Have to check later...

Anyone not listening don't bother. Saying nothing different then the BS he's campaigned on since 9/11.
--------
If his numbers don't go down after this replay of the same BS he's said from day 1, the American public is totally beyond hope. I mean it. Totally.

Ok, he's trying to replay the Iraq and 9-11 connection even though the 9-11 commission stated outright that Sadam or Iraq was not linked to 911

Iraq makes no logical sense.
They did not attack nor had any role in 9/11, and Saddam was contained. The invasion of Iraq would cost hundreds of Billions, and at least 60 billion per year to maintain...calculating risk against gain works the same the world over. Why would this President embark on this illogical course of events.

Petroleum...we cannot pump 60 Billion dollars of oil out of iraq per year..
National Security... Invading Iraq would make the world far less table..
Removing Saddam...he is gone, yet we are building the worlds largest Military base at this time in Iraq....

Invading Iraq makes no sense unless Iraq is part of a larger agenda. I want to choose another phrase but there is none, this Administration wants to create an American Empire. Nothing else makes sense.

There is evidence slowly leaking that osama bin laden was offered to the bush administration, that the Taliban was involved in offering him up, that Saddam was prodded again and again to retaliate against the US, that evidence was manufactured to create cause, and on and on. This is a manufactured agenda to create war.

The Global war on terror requires this nation to install Military bases all over the world, small to very large. We will be required to build prisons the world over. We will be required to fund the greatest expansion of Military force the world has ever seen.

This White House uses the words Peace, democracy, liberty and freedom to describe intention.
But their actions bring death, torture, rape, abductions and murder. There is massive disconnection between stated intention and realities we can see for ourselves.
Rotten fruit does not grow from a healthy tree.

Our representatives need to Question this White House based on the actual course we have been placed on, not the lies and fraud we have been told and discovered.

Dave,

I agree. Though frankly, I think most aren't even tuned into his speech.

"Bush: Bloodshed in Iraq Is 'Worth It' "

Then there's the bloodshed of Iraqi's. They haad even less of a voice in the war "decision*" that citizens of the countries of the coalition of the "willing".

I always cringe when the shrub decides to tell us how the Iraqis feel. He can't even handle giving a speech a croud with a few listeners who disagree with him. How absurd to to think he can speak for people who could get attacked or blown up while standing in line for a job.

How absurd for him to comment on representatives from many walks of life working through the process of forming a government. His inner clique doesn't include anybody who disagrees with him.

* substitute 'forgone conclusion'

end of rant

Bush 2005: Setting a timetable would be a huge mistake.

Bush 6/5/1999: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.

What a flip-flopper!

I started to watch Dumbya's speech. The second or third "sentence" out of his mouth started with the 9/11 stuff, so I left the room.... sigh... same ol' same ol....

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/062805X.shtml
The Bush Speech Drinking Game
By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t | Perspective
Tuesday 28 June 2005
Excerpt:
Tonight should be interesting. If I were still in college, I'd propose creating a drinking game based on this speech. Drink a beer after every lie. Drink a beer every time Bush says "freedom," or talks about September 11 as if those attacks had anything to do with Iraq. Drink two beers after every wildly unrealistic assessment that has no basis in fact. Drink a beer and a shot every time he says "Nukular." Two beers, a shot and a kick to the head every time he thanks the troops around him for the sacrifices "we" know must be made. Anyone still standing after ten minutes wins a Kewpie doll.

It's probably a good thing I graduated.

sparrow,

We are fighting "terra-ists" in a number of countries(he listed a number of attacks in other countries since he took office.).

He has said nothing different at all than previously. Sounds like a highlight speech of everything he's said before in other speeches about terra-ists Iraq etc. Seriously I think they just cut and past. Now blaming the military leaders, since he's given them everything they've said they needed. See. just a replay of "best of Shrub"

Posted by: sparrow at June 28, 2005 08:17 PM

True, a lot of people will wait for Fox et all to tell them what a great speech it was. I just hope the MSM for once in their now worthless lives will all try to tell the truth to people. Just a cut a paste of everything he has saod previously. Can't believe they didn't even bother to write him a new speech at all. Should have just played a tape

Has lightening struck yet?

Does anybody know if the media will be allowed to ask questions afterwords?

If so, then I've got ten bucks to give to each of them who ask, "Did you incite war before going to Congress? Did you break our laws? When will you resign?"

Ok..it might have to be more than ten bucks if you're a real journalist because an "patriotic" American would ask it for free.

Well, my CIC did nothing to educate me as to how we got into this situation or how he plans to resolve it.

Chuck in Houston

I like that in speaking in front of an all military audience of his loyal troop, as he works the rope line, the Secret Service are on him like glue.

What could he be afraid of? Fragging?

ANNOUNCEMENT!!! ANNOUNCEMENT!!

There is a new reason for the war in Iraq. We are no longer spreading freedom and democracy. We are now there to prevent Iraq from becoming a training ground for terrorists....

Oy.

FRAME: Military service as a calling to protect the American people that the CIC shares with US military personnel. Link Iraq and 9/11 in the face of ALL evidence and define terrorist of some "they" that are ideologically driven.

REFRAME: Iraq was never a threat and had nothing to do with 9/11. We just dug ourselves a deeper hole. So, hoss, whatchya gonna do?

Chuck in Houston

Yeah! I missed all but the last 3 minutes (±).

What was he lookin' so smug about toward the end?

I see he's still incapable of speaking before a group where somebody might wear his opponent's tee shirt.

Also, we will be continuing the war in a place called Iraqighanistan.

FRAME: Only corrupt and decadant people respond to terrorism by retreating.

REFRAME: Retreat from where? I think we should press ahead in stabilizing Afghanistan and get much more aggressive about working with our friends abroad to identify and attack Islamicist terrorist cells around the world.

Chuck in Houston

Paula Zahn saying that the President is trying to link 9-11 and Iraq...ya think?

David Gergen saying that the President is saying something new. What would that be David?

What could he be afraid of? Fragging?

Posted by: spinnaker at June 28, 2005 08:33 PM

lol. if i was him i'd sure be worried....

FRAME: Only solution is military operations. We either fight them here or there.

REFRAME: Military options are a last resort. We have to fight terrorism everywhere at once, both here and there, but we have to do it smart. We are neglecting to fight exposures here and we are steadily increasing exposures there. OK, we already screwed up by taking over Iraq -- so, hoss, whatya gonna do about it? Still waiting for an answer.

Chuck in Houston

Why would anybody think that "we fight them over there OR we fight them here."
Or usually-
We fight them over there SO we don't have to fight them here

As if the fighting them there precludes fighting them here, or that the 2 haves of the sentence are mutually exclusive.

The Spanish found out otherwise. We're supposed remember "the Lessons of 9-11", but pay no attention to 3-11.

FRAME: Any for any of you out there thinking we are relying soley on military options, I am here to tell you right here and now that we are laying the foundations for peace and stability in the Middle East.

REFRAME: Says you. That's a heck of a gamble on someone else's dime. Where is this evidence that the Middle East is becoming more peaceful and stable? How exactly are we doing it?

Chuck in Houston

CSPAN 2 is replaying JK's speech

FRAME: Some might disagree that we are laying a foundation for peace and stability in the Middle East. But we've transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi people. Iraq is no enjoying full democracy and civil war has been avoided.

REFRAME: Say what? I don't know what you're drinking or what you're smoking but pour me a tall one and roll me a fat one and I'll be right over.

Chuck in Houston

JK-- kicking some butt today!

FRAME: Democracy is good. Iraqis, excepting the terrorists, are good. Therefore, Iraqi's will take over the fight soon. We're embedded with 'em. We're a-trainin' 'em. We're a-showin' 'em the way, the true right way.

REFRAME: Dude, I thought you said sovereignty had been transferred to the Iraqi people. And just how does all that great embedded interaction work? Do all our embedded folks speak and understand Arabic? do they understand the various tribal and clan configurations in Iraq? Please tell me they do. Maybe they do. Please tell me, My Captain! Educate me, oh my CIC! What? Nothing? I'm to take this all on faith? Just like the WMD thing? Do you think my mama raised a fool?

Chuck in Houston

Kerry's speach is excellent!

I wish JK had given more speeches like today's during the campaign

FRAME: Now, some out there say we need to set a deadline. That's a terrible idea, and here's why...

REFRAME: Whoa, partner! Sorry to interrupt, but who exactly ever said anything about a deadline? Are you trying to create a strawman to knock apart? Them's fightin' words; are you fixing to kick a straw-man around the block? Go get 'em, tiger. Hey! Where's that strawman?! I wanna get a lick in too.

Chuck in Houston

JK on CNN NOW

FRAME/REFRAME:

Oh, what's the point.... No change in policy. All is well. We've got all these high and lofty goals and everybody loves us except the deluded terrorists. We never can do anything wrong because, well, we're just so special. Everybody will just see the light and posterity will just love us for staying the course. I guess I'll just have another drink and go to bed happy in the knowledge that my CIC, my President, is so powerful and knowledgeable that he doesn't have to explain a single thing to me or anybody else and I just should stop worrying my pretty little head about it. Just stay the course! My but isn't that easy to remember? Got no idea what the course is other than to turn the world into a perfect and harmonious liberal democracy, industrious and at peace with itself, and to do all this through the appluication of US military force, but then hey, I guess that's why they pay him the big bucks.

Chuck in Houston

Jiminy christmas I sounded just like a rank-and-file Enron stockholder in that last post. What got into me?

Chuck in Houston

2006 and the DSM impeachment process. We've got work to do and we've got to get people to finally PAY ATTENTION and CARE!

Channel surfing, I caught Pelosi on NBC, Biden on ABC, then JK on CNN w/ Costas, also Gen. Clark on Fox (just surfed on by that one, but I'm glad Gen Clark was there to bring some truth to rabid Faux viewers) ...
JK was great, on message, covered all the most important points from his Senate speech earlier today...it still makes me wish we could go back to Nov 2 & have a do-over...if only.
Costas asked JK a question about what would a President Kerry have done.....that got a smile from JK. Too bad this country is still so blind, look what we got stuck with instead. Again.

Bu$h will exploit the memory of fear of 9-11 forever. I think we should use the words "Bu$h exploits 9-11" every chance we get.

this is what i said, "I'm asking President Bush to resign because he sent our troops to Iraq without a plan. without proper equipement and without the permission of Congress when he began the war. I'm asking him to resign before he kills more people."

Well, all framing aside, we've blundered into a foreign entanglement against all good judgement and burned our bridges. Granted, we screwed up big-time. In the spirit of fixing the problem instead of the blame, we can't drag up without worsening the situation. So, whatchya gonna do, Lew Tenant? What should we do?

Chuck in Houston.

PS: Biden and McCain had no ideas on CNN. Kerry had some.

Thanks to Ralph's suggestion in the forum, all of us are calling the white house to leave a message. Join the party!

202-456-1111

i called and told them the part of the speech i hated most:

bush says "ooh we must serve our country and support our servicemen!" and then all he mentioned was hanging a flag on the 4th of July. Great. That's just an empty symbol. What about providing our troops with armor and equipment and not cutting benefits for our veterans!?

Hey NativeTexan (and Fellow Texan, techinically):

How about having a CIC promising never again to commit US forces to war except as a last resort against a real and demonstrable threat to our security?

Chuck in Houston

courtesy of ThinkProgress:

Bush Iraq Speech: By The Numbers
References to “September 11: 5

References to “weapons of mass destruction”: 0

References to “freedom”: 21

References to “exit strategy”: 0

References to “Saddam Hussein”: 2

References to “Osama Bin Laden”: 2

References to “a mistake”: 1 (setting a timetable for withdrawal)

References to “mission”: 11

References to “mission accomplished”: 0

http://thinkprogress.org/2005/06/28/bush-iraq-speech-by-the-numbers/

Chuck in Houston for All:

Boy, I just heard the goofiest comment from some Republican congressman from Connecticut -- basically, the Syrians and Saudis and Iranians need to get out of the region, not us! Boy I can't figure that one. Last I checked they live there. Grant you, they are not a bunch of Boy Scouts. But after all, they do live there. Whachya gonna do, Lew Tenant?

Chuck in Houston

Iraq= FORCED ENTRY & NO EXIT PLAN

15 Things Learned About Bush And Co.: An Impeachment List

June 28, 2005
By Bernard Weiner, The Crisis Papers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/crisis/05/017_bw.html

LTE's are very important! Here's the link...Let's Roll!

http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/mail/compose

I am sick and tired of the President thinking we are all stupid and don't have a memory. I was completely insulted by that speech. I heard no new ideas or proposals. Instead I heard a desparate man trying to confuse support for soldiers as support for his policies.

I also heard a politician trying to move his party and followers forward for the 2006 mid-term elections. This was more of a campaign speech for the midterms rather than a speech for informing Americans how we will get out of this mess.

Hey Oncall:

What you said.

Chuck in Houston

FRAME: You have to be patient.

REFRAME: I am as patient as Job in a righteous cause. I have little patience for liars, crooks and con-men. You don't trust me with the facts, why should I trust your judgement?

Chuck in Houston

Please use the capwiz link to LTE the papers. Here's mine sent to every paper I could think of.

High Crimes and Misdemeanors?

President Bush lives in the land of lies. He intentionally lies saying there is a connection between 9-11 and the Iraq War. He intentionally lies about his intentions to keep our troops safe.

He lied to Congress as shown in the Downing Street Minutes and he stood in front of the Marines and lied to them.

Make the lies stop! Call your Representative and ask them for a Congressional investigation into whether Bush lied before he asked Congress to go to war. In fact, DID BUSH ALREADY START THE WAR BEFORE ASKING CONGRESS AS OUR OWN CONSTITUTION DEMANDS?

Did President Bush commit an impeachable act of treason? President Bush has betrayed us. Any Congressman who does not support an investigation betrays you too. Call now--202-224-3121

http://cunningrealist.blogspot.com

A good conservative, not neo, view
snip
And when you twist language, you can invoke ridiculous bromides like the flypaper analogy, claiming the need to "defeat the terrorists abroad before they attack us at home." Pay no mind to the the fundamental lesson of 9/11, which is that terrorism knows no borders and that it's impossible to keep terrorists "bottled up" in a single country. Bush's mention of the attacks in Madrid, Istanbul, Jakarta, Casablanca, Riyadh, and Bali was unintentionally ironic. Would our allies in those nations agree that terrorism is contained within Iraq's borders by virtue of our military presence there?
snip

Dear All, this is Chuck in Houston with an Apology:

In my last post, I said I am as "patient as Job." I am not a practicing Christian, and after posting I thought to myself that such an analogy might be offensive to practicing Christians. I hereby apologize. I should have written "Even a person with the patience of Job in a righteous cause should have little patience ..."

Again, sincere apologies if I offended anyone. It was sheer ignorant arrogance on my part.

Chuck in Houston

Sparrow where would I be able to get a link to JK speech please

Kangaroo

FRAME: Patriotism means supporting the Commander in Chief.

REFRAME: Patriotism means fighting for the idea that government of, by and for the people shall not perish from this earth.

Chuck in Houston

Rossi,

Did you try Light up the darkness?

http://www.lightupthedarkness.com

Chuck,

try this link...
http://www.democracycellproject.net/chat/index.php

everyone's chatting away

Chuck in Houston to All with another Apology:

Above I apologized to practicing Christians for saying I had the patience of Job. Then I realized that the Christian Old Testament is mostly part of the Jewish and Muslim faiths as well. How stupid of me. Therefore, I extend my apology to all practicing Jews and Muslims that might have been offended by such a comparison. Just to be clear, I do not consider myself to have patience anywhere near the level achieved, according to various scriptures, by Job. That was an ill-considered literary analogy.

Chuck in Houston

Chuck, you're hilarious. Thanks for all the posts.

Another letter:

When we go to the poll booth we trust our Congressmen to behave as they promise us.

Rep. Joe Schwartz has broken that promise. He promised to be a moderate, yet he:

1. Voted to bancrupt you and give free money to the credit industry.

2. He voted to interfer in a private family affair after it had run through the courts endlessly.

3. He voted for an energy bill that puts more poisons into the air and water your children breathe.

NOW, Rep. Joe Schwartz is helping the President cover-up his illegal activities in 2002.

I ask you to call Rep. Schwartz and ask him to keep his promise--act and vote like a moderate Republican--and start protecting the little guy.

And if he doesn't, then I ask you to vote him out of office and find someone who will defend us from this corruption.

Posted by: Chuck at June 28, 2005 10:54 PM

Chuck though I'm an atheist, I was born Jewish, thereby making me one of the chosen people, so I can give you a pass. ;-)

Dear God
by XTC

Dear god, hope you get the letter and...
I pray you can make it better down here
I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer
But all the people that you made in your image
See them starving in the street
'Cause they don't get enough to eat from god
I can't believe in you

Dear god, sorry to disturb you but...
I feel that I should be heard loud and clear
We all need a big reduction in amount of tears
And all the people that you made in your image
See them fighting in the street
'Cause they can't make opinions meet about god
I can't believe in you

Did you make disease and the diamond blue?
Did you make mankind after we made you?
And the devil too!

Dear god don't know if you noticed but...
Your name is on a lot of quotes in this book
And us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look
And all the people that you made in your image
still believing that junk is true
Well I know it ain't, and so do you
Dear god
I can't believe in
I don't believe...

I won't believe in heaven or hell
No saints, no sinners, no devil as well
No pearly gates, no thorny crown
You're always letting us humans down
The wars you bring, the babes you drown
Those lost at sea and never found
And it's the same the whole world 'round
The hurt I see helps to compound
That father, son and holy ghost
Is just somebody's unholy hoax
And if you're up there you'll perceive
That my heart's here upon my sleeve
If there's one thing I don't believe in

It's you,
Dear god

Chuck in Houston for Amy:

Likewise! Man am I nostalgic for the Great Pacific Northwest! Mountains. Rivers with water in them. Man, you all count your blessings!

Chuck in Houston (ex-SE Portland)

Dwaszhon/pcdoc:

After clicking on the link provided above, it worked for a bit but now I get this:

[22:32] Connecting...
[22:32] Unable to connect : java.lang.NullPointerException

FYI.

Chuck in Houston

Chuck in Houston for Amy near the Fort (Clark County):

I am putting on my Billy Rancher disk. I am thinking about the North fork of the Nehalem.

Chuck ex-PDX and Baku in Houston

Well there CNN is again trotting out Joe Biden, my favorite Republican along with Chuck Hagel and Luger, as a spokesperson for the Democratic Party.

Chuck in Houston

Looky LOOKY

!!!!!!!!!

US millionaire linked to looted relics
By David Hebditch and Lawrence Smallman

A top US businessman and an international network of smugglers and academics are making millions of dollars through their illegal dealings in looted Middle Eastern artefacts, according to a leading stolen antiquities activist.

Former self-confessed smuggler and police informant Michel Van Rijn told Aljazeera.net that multi-millionaire James Ferrell, the CEO of America's second largest propane gas company Ferrellgas, is running a London-based business that deals in smuggled relics.

Van Rijn says Ferrell established his network on 29 January 2000 with Hungarian-born antiquities dealer William Veres and academic Henry Kim of Oxford University's Ashmolean Museum.

After just eight months of dealing, a copy of Ferrell's own profit calcuations - provided to Aljazeera.net by Veres - show that the Texan-born tycoon had made a 400% profit on his initial $2.5m investment.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/930394DD-0E34-478D-AD81-B3DF17B0FED1.htm

This is huge, picked up from DailyKos:

"The Veterans Administration admitted today that the true cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars includes 103,000 patients rather than the planned 23,533. No doubt, corporate media will down play or ignore this cost while spinning President Bush's Iraq speech tonight."

Here's the link and a snip:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=2&u=/nm/20050628/ts_nm/congress_veterans_funds_dc

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the numbers of U.S. war injured in Iraq and Afghanistan soared, the Bush administration admitted to lawmakers on Tuesday it had underestimated funds to cover health care costs for veterans, and Congress would have to plug a $2.6 billion hole."

snip

"The Veterans Administration assumed it would have to take care of 23,553 patients who are veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but that number had been revised upward to 103,000, Nicholson told a House of Representatives panel.

Nicholson told a House Appropriations subcommittee that his agency's estimate of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in need of health care services was now four times greater than thought."

Chuck,
love Nehalem. Great little pizza place there....

I'm watching the alpenglow on Mt Hood as I type.

No we didn't watch or listen to it. I read the email from John Kerry - very nice! I heard some "aftermath" while driving back to my home from work. The Guardian reported that Blair was scheduled to address his "people" same day - a plot? People are having buyer's remorse NOW - bad sense of timing - they had chances to vote the crooks out of office.

Oh and the CEO for HealthSouth went free today, after bilking shareholders out of billions.
Canada was the 3rd country to legalize gay marriage.
France won the location for the new nuclear fusion reactor research - 45 grams of fuel for each person would meet their energy needs for a lifetime & it's much safer than fission

I had a much better time going out for Indonesian dinner with Kit from UK and Ben Doko from Indonesia. Ben usually drives a beater car but he pulled up in a Mercedes. He had with him a personal letter from Governor Gregoire, expressing her regret that she couldn't attend his birthday party because she was away at a trade delegation. We ate oxtail soup and durian cocktail, two firsts for Kit and I.

Ben told us Dino Rossi may run against Senator Maria Cantwell, so we made a commitment to continue the work we started in 2004. Patti F, if you're around, Ben and Josh say hi. Josh marched with the Stonewall Democrats Sunday. I love my friends.

Kit heard from his friend Ellie who is interning with Hillary Clinton in New York. She marched with her in the gay parade - to hell with the rumors in the smear book about lesbianism. & today Ellie rode in the elevator with Paul Wolfowitz & he asked her a bunch of questions. & tomorrow Kit has 1-1/2 hour 1:1 with Seattle's Mayor, to teach him about his fundraising effort.

Much more fun than watching Bush. & in the next few minutes we have to decide whether to splurge on a quick Jet Blue trip to NYC, first one in 30 years, to stay with French friends who are doing an apartment swap with some New Yorkers. There is a Murphy bed we can crash on.

& one of my lesbian friends is turning 50 and has just been contacted by her son that she gave up for adoption at age 18, when she had to spend her whole pregnancy in a Home for Unwed Mothers in Texas (her parents are still fundamentalists and Republicans). She will meet him exactly two hours before her 50th birthday party starts, which she bills as "Oprah-worthy."

Someone sent me an email asking whether I could name all of the 10 Commandments. Well I can't do it off the top of my head, but on the way home I drove by a house which has it posted in the front yard (the print was too small and I was distracted).

There is still life after Bush and we're going after it!

Amy:

The Boom Chuck Rock is the only kind of rock around, from the punk rock halls to the country bars.... Or something like that.

Chuck in Houston

If anyone else is on Barbara Boxer's email list, I assume you got a copy of this letter. Still, this is one of the more obscene things that has come out of the Bu$hCo administration....

Stop Human Pesticide Testing!

Dear Friend,

After more than four years of fighting the Bush Administration's efforts to pollute good science with politics, I thought I'd heard it all. Then I learned how they were deciding to test new pesticides.

In violation of routine ethical standards, the Bush Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is using studies that deliberately expose humans to dangerous pesticides to decide whether those pesticides should be legal.

This decision flies in the face of scientific practice and the sound policies of past Republican and Democratic EPA Administrators including Carol Browner and Christie Todd Whitman.

A recent Congressional report commissioned by Rep. Henry Waxman and me found "serious and widespread deficiencies" in these studies. Moreover, it concluded that the "experiments appear to have inflicted harm on human subjects, failed to obtain informed consent, dismissed adverse outcomes, and lacked scientific validity."

In just one example of the inexcusable conduct of these studies, subjects were instructed to swallow capsules of toxic pesticides with orange juice or water at breakfast. We need to put a stop to this kind of Frankenscience -- now.

On Tuesday, I introduced a bipartisan amendment co-sponsored by Senators Clinton, Collins (R-ME), and Snowe (R-ME) that reinstates the moratorium on all human pesticide testing put in place by Republican and Democratic EPA Administrators until the EPA develops strict ethical rules consistent with the standards laid out by the National Academy of Sciences. Now, I need your help to pass this amendment when it comes up for a vote Wednesday at noon EDT in the Senate.

Please take a moment right now to email and phone your Senators, urging support of my bipartisan amendment to put a moratorium on human pesticide testing back in place -- before the Senate vote at noon EDT Wednesday!

In Friendship,
Barbara Boxer

More letters to the editor:

When will this madness STOP?

Last night, President Bush gave us more propraganda about Iraq, and still didn't answer the basic questions, "What is your plan to end the war and what is your plan to end their suffering?"

Instead, once again, at tax-payer's expense, he stubbornly pretended 9-11 and Iraq were connected despite the facts that the bi-partison 9-11 commission already stated firmly, "Iraq and Sadam were NOT involved in 0-11"

But spreading propaganda is not new to this administration. They hava secret war room (Laura Mechler A.P.) inside the treasury, a little back door, which they use to sneak out some money for the Bush Social Security Propraganda Tour and sneak out more money for their paid news propranda specilists-like Armstrong Williams and others.

Tax payers might thank Bush in the end, because while he's spending their tax dollars for propaganda, Bush and the Republican Congress just eliminated funding for the Head Start education program for the poor.

Halliburton Hearing Unearths New Abuse
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/062805E.shtml
[This is a "must read."]

THE 'LEAVE MY CHILD ALONE' MOVEMENT
Rebecca Romani, Left Turn
Main Street Moms are mad about military recruiting at high schools, and they're becoming a force to reckon with.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/23218/
[This includes how to put one's high school child on a "do not call" list for military recruiters!!!]

British Officials Predicted "Disaster" in Iraq
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/062805Z.shtml

General Admits to Secret Air War
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/062805C.shtml

Low Power FM Taking Back Airwaves in Vermont
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/062805H.shtml

Justice Department Abuses Material Witness Law
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/062805J.shtml

White House to Keep CIA in Charge of Covert Operations
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/062805N.shtml

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES
Molly Ivins, AlterNet
Setting up a straw man, calling it liberal and then knocking it down has become a favorite form of "argument" for those on the right.
http://www.alternet.org/story/23223/

FL: Reproductive Rights Groups File Lawsuit against Parental Notification Law
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/062805WC.shtml

Privatized Social Security - Take 2
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/062805SA.shtml
Mark Sidel | Antiterror Tactics Chill U.S. Campuses
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0628-29.htm

Kathy Kelly | Where Is the UN? Can It Prevent Monetizing Mercy?
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0628-21.htm

Terror Policies Draw Outrage at Home and Abroad
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0628-07.htm

NYTimes editorial RE: last night's speech about Iraq hits many of the points discussed last night in IRC...

President Bush told the nation last night that the war in Iraq was difficult but winnable. Only the first is clearly true. Despite buoyant cheerleading by administration officials, the military situation is at best unimproved. The Iraqi Army, despite Mr. Bush's optimistic descriptions, shows no signs of being able to control the country without American help for years to come. There are not enough American soldiers to carry out the job they have been sent to do, yet the strain of maintaining even this inadequate force is taking a terrible toll on the ability of the United States to defend its security on other fronts around the world.

We did not expect Mr. Bush would apologize for the misinformation that helped lead us into this war, or for the catastrophic mistakes his team made in running the military operation. But we had hoped he would resist the temptation to raise the bloody flag of 9/11 over and over again to justify a war in a country that had nothing whatsoever to do with the terrorist attacks. We had hoped that he would seize the moment to tell the nation how he will define victory, and to give Americans a specific sense of how he intends to reach that goal - beyond repeating the same wishful scenario that he has been describing since the invasion.

Sadly, Mr. Bush wasted his opportunity last night, giving a speech that only answered questions no one was asking. He told the nation, again and again, that a stable and democratic Iraq would be worth American sacrifices, while the nation was wondering whether American sacrifices could actually produce a stable and democratic Iraq.

--snip--

Listening to Mr. Bush offer the usual emotional rhetoric about the advance of freedom and the sacrifice of American soldiers, our thoughts went back to some of the letters we received in anticipation of the speech. One was from the brother of a fallen Marine, who said he did not want Mr. Bush to say the war should continue in order to keep faith with the men and women who have died fighting it. "We do not need more justifications for the war. We need an effective strategy to win it," he wrote. Another letter came from an opponent of the invasion who urged the American left to "get over its anger over President Bush's catastrophic blunder" and start trying to figure out how to win the conflict that exists.

No one wants a disaster in Iraq, and Mr. Bush's critics can put aside, at least temporarily, their anger at the administration for its hubris, its terrible planning and its inept conduct of the war in return for a frank discussion of where to go from here. The president, who is going to be in office for another three and a half years, cannot continue to obsess about self-justification and the need to color Iraq with the memory of 9/11. The nation does not want it and cannot afford it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/29/opinion/29wed1.html?th&emc=th

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050629/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

Bush Criticized for Linking 9-11 and Iraq
By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Democrats are criticizing President Bush for raising the Sept. 11 attacks while he defends his plan to keep U.S. troops in Iraq as long as it takes to ensure peace in the country.

The president, urging patience on an American public showing doubts about his Iraq policy, mentioned the deadly 2001 terrorist attacks five times during a 28-minute address Tuesday night at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Some Democrats accused him of falsely reviving the link that he originally used to help justify launching strikes against Baghdad.

"The president's frequent references to the terrorist attacks of September 11 show the weakness of his arguments," House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said. "He is willing to exploit the sacred ground of 9/11, knowing that there is no connection between 9/11 and the war in Iraq."

[For more, click on link....]

ABC reports that White House advance team FAKED the applause
by John in DC - 6/28/2005 08:34:00 PM

ABC's Terry Moran just reported that the only time Bush got applause was in the middle of his speech when a White House advance team member started clapping all on their own in order to cajole the soldiers into clapping, which they dutifully did.

So even the applause was fake.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/06/abc-reports-that-white-house-advance.html

REID STATEMENT ON BUSH IRAQ SPEECH

Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement:

(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.”

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/06/harry-reid-responds-to-bush.html

http://thinkprogress.org/2005/06/28/breaking-full-text-of-bush-speech/
[Should you feel inclined to need a sleeping potion via the written word, or be bored senseless with the endless repetition we've heard before, the full text of Dumbya's speech is at the above link.]

And lest we forget, we're still fighting in Afghanistan too...

US troop transport helicopter crashes in eastern Afghanistan
Tue Jun 28, 7:08 PM ET

KABUL (AFP) - A US military Chinook helicopter taking troops to battle insurgents crashed in eastern Afghanistan but there was no immediate news on casualties, the US military said.

Taliban rebels claimed responsibility for bringing down the twin-rotor aircraft, which is capable of carrying dozens of troops, and said everyone on board had died.
http://tinyurl.com/b69z8

Once again: Why must we read about Bu$hCo's shameful deeds in foreign presses? Where's the American mainstream media?????

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4632087.stm
BBC News
US faces prison ship allegations
The United Nations says it has learned of serious allegations that the US is secretly detaining terrorism suspects, notably on American military ships.
The special rapporteur on torture, Manfred Nowak, said the claims were rumours at this stage, but urged the US to co-operate with an investigation.

He said the UN wants lists of the places of detention and those held.

The comments come five days after the UN accused the US of stalling on their requests to visit Guantanamo Bay.

Investigators have been asking to visit the jail in Cuba to carry out checks into allegations of human rights abuse.

The UN said for over a year there had been no response to its requests, and it would begin an inquiry into alleged abuses with or without US co-operation.

Washington had yet to grant their request, Mr Nowak said.

He told the BBC there were a number of allegations from reliable sources that the US was holding terrorist suspects in secret places of detention, including vessels abroad.

He said that according to the reports, the ships were believed to be in the Indian Ocean.

Mr Nowak said the charges of secret detention camps were very serious, amounting to enforced disappearances.

MonKeY,

I finally found your lyrics! They're beautiful and so meaningful too.

CNN Internation Edition:

Created: Tuesday, June 28, 2005, at 09:59:59 EDT
Do you approve of President Bush’s handling of the Iraq war?

Yes ..... 26% .... 68367 votes

No ...... 74% ... 197579 votes

Total: 265946 votes

CNN US Edition

Created: Tuesday, June 28, 2005, at 23:03:16 EDT
Which word best describes President Bush's speech?

Reassuring .... 18% ... 11156 votes

Uplifting ...... 7% .... 4496 votes

Worrying ...... 75% ... 48016 votes

Total: 63668 votes

Sen. John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, told CNN's "Larry King Live" that the speech offered a transformation into what he said was a third rationale for the war in Iraq.

"The first, of course, was weapons of mass destruction. The second was democracy, and now, tonight, it's to combat the hotbed of terrorism," he said. "But most Americans are aware that the hotbed of terrorism never existed in Iraq until we got there."

Oh, did Bush speak last night?

I was watching the NBA draft. Isiah Thomas is having a much better 2005 than Dubya.

I'm so sick of the mantra:"We're fighting them there so we won't fight them here." Why isn't this statement ever challenged?? If that statement is true,then we really aren't safe !

Bush speech was for domestic consumption but is being deconstructed (to say the least) in all the world's press. The most scathing I found (was sent) was written in Africa, in French.

Once again, the inept bungler has made things even more complicated. He's a lame duck, but hope it reflects poorly on his whole organization/corporation.