Body Counts

Po-leez... these people are so easy to figure out.

If they say they do, they really don't. If they say they did, then they really didn't. If they say it is, then it really isn't. If they say it was, then it really wasn't. If they say we will, then we really won't. If they say we should, then we really shouldn't... and vice versa

Scooter Pie anyone?

A caller's question on this week's Diane Rehm News Round-up:

The administration is precise about how many Iraqis Saddam Hussein killed, but with all our troops & people in country, we don't know how many Iraqis have died in the war?

I remember well hearing a broadcast of John Kerry nailing those bastards. Hey, Someone just told me to Google in my own name & hit "I'm feeling lucky" - it comes up as John Kerry's site. Right on.

Watch for these events coming to your town.
Only 5 bucks each. If they aren't coming near you, put pressure on to have them scheduled.

Elections in US: 'Steal this Vote'
Tuesday, November 1, 7:30 PM Seattle

An award-winning correspondent for the Independent of London, Andrew Gumbel talks about the colorful, disturbing history of votes bought, stolen, lost, and litigated in America, right up to the recent elections in Washington state. The author lays the blame for continuing disarray in our elections on a corrupted political environment created by both parties and shockingly lax behavior by election officials. Gumbel is a veteran international correspondent, now based in Los Angeles and a leading expert on the pitfalls of computer voting.

$5 at the door only.
Gen. Janis Karpinski: ‘One Woman’s Army’

Brigadier-General Janis Karpinksi, after a long and distinguished military career, was made the scapegoat for the tragic and shameful events at Abu Ghraib. She has written a memoir, One Woman’s Army, which describes what it was like to interact with Iraqi prisoners, the corruption within the armed forces and the accompanying private firms, and her meeting with Saddam Hussein. She forcefully argues that the bulk of the blame for the Abu Ghraib scandal goes to the very top of the chain of command.

$5 at the door only.
Thursday, November 10

Mark Crispin Miller, professor of media studies and New York University, contends that it wasn’t moral values that swung the 2004 presidential election to the Republicans – it was theft. In his incendiary new book, Fooled Again: How the Right Stole the 2004 Election and Why They’ll Steal the Next One Too, he describes the mind-set among both parties and the media that could permit it to happen again.

Bert watches tv so I don't have to:

I saw Brooks and Safire on Rusesert's meet the press today and they said the indictment of just Libby exonerated the White House --- it shows it wasn't a conspiricy or the leak of a CIA agent. I guess they didn't hear the Prosecuter when he said Libby prevented the leak and conspiricy charge to be pursued by covering up and lying about the facts.

Safire also said Bush will move on to talk about Avian Flu and other important issues that will lead to his comeback. ALso, Safire praised Judy Miller - puke.

http://www.iraqbodycount.net/

Reid Calls for Rove to Resign

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/30/AR2005103000348.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5380017,00.html

Sunday is Republican Damage Control Day
so this is a rebuttal

Very good, very thorough - get our ducks in a row - this outlines what we need to know and do

The White House Criminal Conspiracy
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/103005Y.shtml

Former federal prosecutor Elizabeth de la Vega says the Bush
administration engaged in intelligence fraud comparable to the accounting fraud of companies like Enron, but with far graver consequences. She examines in detail the evidence that the President and his aides conspired to defraud the United States by intentionally misrepresenting intelligence about Iraq.

Reid Urges Bush To Come Up With Someone For Supreme Court
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-5380254,00.html

From the Charleston Daily Mail newspaper in WV:

Robb becomes a Democrat

Jake Stump
Daily Mail Staff

Thursday October 27, 2005

Richie Robb figures he never really left the Republican Party. Instead, he says, it left him behind.

And if you take a look at Robb's voter registration file now, you'll notice a ‘D' instead of an ‘R.' The longtime Republican figurehead and South Charleston mayor crossed party lines and is now a registered Democrat.

read more...
http://www.dailymail.com/news/News/2005102722/

Interesting point made by ntodd at Dohiyi Mir:

~snip~
And that's why I get sick of hearing people say the Democrats must support Cindy Sheehan, or file Articles of Impeachment, or whatever the "should du jour" is. They have observed that Bush is sinking himself, they've oriented themselve to the new political climate, have decided to not focus on one bad action but rather create a cohesive message about the Republican's myriad ethical afflictions, and really avoid getting caught in the trap of tainting real independent efforts with "partisanship".

As soon as they get involved in any of these successful efforts, they're back in the kind of set-piece battle that the GOP thrives on. That's how insurgencies lose. However, as the French learned at Dien Bien Phu, if an asymmetrical opponent lets you squander your natural advantages and then strikes in a more convenional manner, you lose.

So long as the Dems keep constant pressure on the issues and pay attention to events as they unfold, they get to decide when to strike while Bush and his cronies are on the defensive, in reaction mode. If Dean, Reid and Pelosi stupidly overreach on something like impeachment, they have to keep that going to the end, and it just ain't gonna happen until they retake Congress in 2006. Since they can't continue on that front, they will squander their resources and eventually come to a stop. That will only let Bush and the GOP get back into the fight.
~snip~

http://www.dohiyimir.org/2005/10/part_of_my_poin.html

The Iraqi war was planned by short sighted and inexperienced officials in our government, now trying to desperately cover their tracks.

Iran is the single greatest benificiary of the actions of the United States in the Middle east.
The Brilliant strategists in our white house removed Saddam Hussein, eliminated the largest threat and balance to Iran, allowed Iran to shift funds to nuclear research and build its armed forces. We gave Iran everything they could possibly hope for in the Mid east.

The man known as Mr. Chalabi supplied this white house with intelligence used to promote the invasion of Iraq. Mr. Chalabi is now in charge of much of Iraq's oil and petroleum contracts. Iran is signing large contracts with Mr. Chalabi, who is now recognized as having worked for the Iranian Government all along.

Mr. Libby was forced to lie and obstruct justice to cover what the white house has done; allowed an agent working for Iran to determine the course of US foriegn policy, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of iraqis, thousands of american soldiers, tens of thousands wounded, and eliminating the counter balance to Iran in the middle east. The Niger yellow cake evidence was fabricated, we do not know by whom yet, that is the last shoe that will drop on this white house.

We may never know exactly who was pulling the strings in the white house, but evidence is accumulating that a man working for Iranian intelligence was allowed to infiltrate the White House and direct Foreign Policy to benifit Iran.

Toolmaker
Chalabi was sitting with Laura Bush when Bush uttered the "16 words" at the State of the Union address

Posted by: Toolmaker at October 30, 2005 01:02 PM

To benefit "Iran" eh? How very convenient.
Ever played dominoes?

I am very pleased to see Harry Reid call this corruption what it is, and demand Rove be taken out of the White House.

I personally think this is the perfect time to repeat the word CORRUPTION as loudly as we can.
Everywhere we can, for as long as we can.

more on Chalabi:

http://www.iraqinews.com/people_chalabi.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Chalabi

very worth knowing about
- Shiite
- family exiled
- family in power before Saddam
- family want power back
- former bank frauder
- not popular with the CIA, kurds, exiles
or any of the groups wanting to overthrow
Saddam
Yet look how far he got .. once he got some overdiligent novices on his side

& just think - Iran had a democratically elected leader, overthrown with help of the CIA to put in US-friendly dictator, who was then overthrown and replaced with religious fanatic

The short version: READ THE PART ABOUT JUDITH MILLER

(& here is a 5 page long story on Chalabi & Judith Miller, at least a year ago when we knew there were not WMD in Iraq & that the US had wasted million son Chalabi and his INS)

http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/media/features/9226/

The rest (below) is excerpted from Wikipedia, & has also been told to me in a similar fashion by an Iranian who saw this coming.
==

Chalabi was born into the Bagdad power elite but his family was Shia. He grew up mostly in US and UK, then headed the INC, created in 1992 to overthrow Saddam Hussein, with funding and assistance from the US. His INC provided information on which U.S. Intelligence based its buildup to war, false reports of weapons of mass destruction and alleged ties to al-Qaeda.

Chalabi had political & business relationships with members of US government, & neoconservatives in the Pentagon (Wolfowitz, Perle etc.) He had support among politicians and political pundits in US, such as Jim Hoagland of the Washington Post. Iraqis generally did not trust him.

In 1969, he received a Ph.D. in mathematics in US & took a position in the mathdepartment at the American U, Beirut. In 1977 he founded Petra Bank in Jordan. After the bank's failure, Chalabi was convicted and sentenced for bank fraud by a military tribunal. He fled the country & faces 17 years in prison, should he enter Jordan.

He organized a resistance movement in northern Iraq in the mid-1990s. When that effort was crushed, Chalabi fled the country. HE lobbied in Washington for the passage of the Iraq Liberation Act (1998), which earmarked USD $97 million to support Iraqi opposition groups, virtually all of which was funneled through the INC (his group).

As U.S. forces took control during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, Chalabi was given a position on the Iraq interim governing council. He served as president of the council in September 2003.

In a survey of nearly 3000 Iraqis in February 2004 only 0.2% of respondents said he was the most trustworthy leader in Ira. A secret document written in 2002 by the British Overseas and Defence Secretariat reportedly described Chalabi as "a convicted fraudster popular on Capitol Hill".

Information from his group (most famously from a defector codenamed "Curveball") made its way into intelligence dossiers used to help convince the public in US & UK to go to war. "Curveball" – the brother of a top lieutenant of Chalabi – fed hundreds of pages of bogus "firsthand" accounts of mobile biological weapons factories.

Secy of State Powell l used this info in a UN presentation to garner war support, despite warnings from German intelligence that "Curveball" was fabricating claims. The CIA has admitted the defector made up the story, and Powell apologized for using the info in his speech.

THE INC OFTEN WORKED WITH THE MEDIA, MOST NOTABLY WITH JUDITH MILLER, CONCERNING HER SENSATIONAL WMD STOREIS FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES.

After the war, given the lack of discovery of WMDs, most of the claims of the INC were shown to have been either misleading, exaggerated, or completely made up.

Throughout the period, Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress was paid $335,000 per month by the Pentagon for the intelligence provided. In addition, the US State Department paid over $33 million, according to a US General Accounting office report in 2004.

As Chalabi's position of trust with the Pentagon crumbled, he found a new political position as a champion of Iraq's Shi'ites, promoting the claim that leaders around the world were illegally profiting from the Oil for Food program. Chalabi contends that documents in his possession detail the misconduct, but he has yet to provide any documents or other evidence.

Additionally, Chalabi and other members of the INC have been being investigated for fraud involving the exchange of Iraqi currency, grand theft of both national and private assets, and many other criminal charges in Iraq.

In June 2004, it was reported that Chalabi gave US state secrets to Iran in April, including the fact that one of the US's most valuable sources of Iranian intelligence was a broken Iranian code used by their spy services. Chalabi allegedly learned of the code through a drunk American involved in the code-breaking operation.

An arrest warrant for alleged counterfeiting was issued for Chalabi on August 8, 2004, while at the same time a warrant was issued on murder charges against his nephew Salem Chalabi.

He regained enough credibility to be made deputy prime minister on 2005 April 28. At the same time he was made acting oil minister.

Iraqi National Congress headed by Ahmed Chalabi was a part of the United Iraqi Alliance in the Iraqi legislative election, 2005. After the election, Chalabi claimed that he had the support of the majority of elected members of United Iraqi Alliance and staked claim to be the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Iraq. Ibrahim al-Jaafari later emerged as the consensus candidate for prime minister.

MORE ON JUDITH MILLER & CHALABI

Together, Again - Judith Miller and Ahmad Chalabi.
http://www.slate.msn.com/Default.aspx?id=2112900

Miller Time (Again) - she gets flushed out of her spider hole ..
http://www.slate.msn.com/id/2095394

Judith Miller on Jim Lehrer Report
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/05/27/times/

Judith Miller emailing away about Chalabi
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Judith_Miller

Daily Kos: Judith Miller: 3 Decades of Disinformation
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/7/8/16033/61733

Lies Judith Miller Told Us -- In These Times
http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2362/

Intra-Times Battle Over Iraqi Weapons
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/ wp-dyn/A39280-2003May25?language=printer

Maureen Dowd | Woman of Mass Destruction
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/102205A.shtml

REMEMBER TOO THAT JUDITH MILLER WAS VISITED IN PRISON BY JOHN BOLTON

Posted by: Toolmaker at October 30, 2005 01:02 PM

And now look at Iran. Anyone who says this administration is pro-Israel is an idiot.

NativeTexan4Kerry

This administration is not pro-anyone except for pro-big business. Here are the figures on US aid to Israel, which speak for themselves. That might explain why at one time we sold weapons to both Iran AND Iraq, and why it's easy to find images in the archives of Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam, with Jong Il Kim, etc.

The last thing US wants to do is help Iran, but is inadvertently doing so through ineptitude. We have not had diplomatic relations with Iran since 1979 and if we hadn't helped put in the Shah (overthrowing their democratically elected leader, the people wouldn't have revolted & put in Ayatollah Khomeini & this clown whose making the irrational statements). Now same type of thing is bound t happen in Iraq and former enemies Iran & Iraq could even band together (the Shiites in both countries), as they constitute a majority.

Our foreign policy is backfiring because of doing stupid things like enlisting Chalabi, a criminal. Selling chemical weapons to Saddam wasn't too bright, nor was enlisting Bin Laden to help the CIA in Afghanistan and then dropping him like a hot potato. Whether its covert operations or overt warfare, we can mess it up. Was nothing learned from Vietnam?!!

http://www.wrmea.com/html/us_aid_to_israel.htm

I was just alerted to this article in the Guardian, thanks to my Congressman Jim McDermott.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,1594808,00.html

Jim says:

Despite all the optimism I felt after my trip to the Israel and Palestine last month, I've since read some very discouraging news.

A recent report by Chris McGreal of the Guardian explains that "As foreign leaders, including Tony Blair, praised Mr. [Ariel] Sharon for his 'courage' in pulling out of Gaza last month, Israel was accelerating construction of the West Bank barrier, expropriating more land in the West Bank than it was surrendering in Gaza, and building thousands of new homes in Jewish settlements."

He quotes David Shearer, head of the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Jerusalem, as saying, "The access the Palestinians have enjoyed to their places of worship, to some of the best schools, to hospitals is now going to be severely restricted."

In this peace process, it seems that for every step forward, there are two steps back. Yet, I refuse to give up on the idea that there will be peace in my lifetime. There were simply too many encouraging signs during my visits with Israeli Minister of Housing Isaac Herzog and Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan Dr. Marwan Muasher for me to toss all optimism aside.

-- The Best & Brightest Are Fleeing Iraq
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5380229,00.html

Be aware...

Saber rattling for regime change in Iran from neocon supporters...

http://www.regimechangeiran.com/

2000 Killed... Memories 2000...

MODERATOR: New question. How would you go about as president deciding when it was in the national interest to use U.S. force, generally?

BUSH: Well, if it's in our vital national interest, and that means whether our territory is threatened or people could be harmed, whether or not the alliances are -- our defense alliances are threatened, whether or not our friends in the Middle East are threatened. That would be a time to seriously consider the use of force. Secondly, whether or not the mission was clear. Whether or not it was a clear understanding as to what the mission would be. Thirdly, whether or not we were prepared and trained to win. Whether or not our forces were of high morale and high standing and well-equipped. And finally, whether or not there was an exit strategy. I would take the use of force very seriously. I would be guarded in my approach. I don't think we can be all things to all people in the world. I think we've got to be very careful when we commit our troops. The vice president and I have a disagreement about the use of troops. He believes in nation building. I would be very careful about using our troops as nation builders. I believe the role of the military is to fight and win war and therefore prevent war from happening in the first place. So I would take my responsibility seriously. And it starts with making sure we rebuild our military power. Morale in today's military is too low. We're having trouble meeting recruiting goals. We met the goals this year, but in the previous years we have not met recruiting goals. Some of our troops are not well-equipped. I believe we're overextended in too many places. And therefore I want to rebuild the military power. It starts with a billion dollar pay raise for the men and women who wear the uniform. A billion dollars more than the president recently signed into law. It's to make sure our troops are well-housed and well-equipped. Bonus plans to keep some of our high-skilled folks in the services and a commander in chief that sets the mission to fight and win war and prevent war from happening in the first place.

MODERATOR: Vice President Gore, one minute.

GORE: I want to make it clear, our military is the strongest, best-trained, best-equipped, best-led fighting force in the world and in the history of the world. Nobody should have any doubt about that, least of all our adversaries or potential adversaries. If you entrust me with the presidency, I will do whatever is necessary in order to make sure our forces stay the strongest in the world. In fact, in my ten-year budget proposal I've set aside more than twice as much for this purpose as Governor Bush has in his proposal. Now, I think we should be reluctant to get involved in someplace in a foreign country. But if our national security is at stake, if we have allies, if we've tried every other course, if we're sure military action will succeed, and if the costs are proportionate to the benefits, we should get involved. Now, just because we don't want to get involved everywhere doesn't mean we should back off anywhere it comes up. I disagree with the proposal that maybe only when oil supplies are at stake that our national security is at risk. I think that there are situations like in Bosnia or Kosovo where there's a genocide, where our national security is at stake there.

BUSH: I agree our military is the strongest in the world today, that's not the question. The question is will it be the strongest in the years to come? Everywhere I go on the campaign trail I see moms and dads whose son or daughter may wear the uniform and they tell me about how discouraged their son or daughter may be. A recent poll was taken among 1,000 enlisted personnel, as well as officers, over half of whom will leave the service when their time of enlistment is up. The captains are leaving the service. There is a problem. And it's going to require a new commander in chief to rebuild the military power. I was honored to be flanked by Colin Powell and General Norman Schwartzkopf recently stood by me side and agreed with me. If we don't have a clear vision of the military, if we don't stop extending our troops all around the world and nation building missions, then we're going to have a serious problem coming down the road, and I'm going to prevent that. I'm going to rebuild our military power. It's one of the major priorities of my administration.

http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2000a.html

& just think - Iran had a democratically elected leader, overthrown with help of the CIA to put in US-friendly dictator, who was then overthrown and replaced with religious fanatic

Posted by: DiAnne at October 30, 2005 01:36 PM

O.M.G. !!

Truth Shall Prevail
Now I'm writing from the Apple store at University village.
You can Google it or look at Wikipedia or a middle eastern history book that is good. I'm not sure I can do the spelling off the top of my head but the key players are Mosadeqh, then Shah Reza Pahlavi, then Ayatollah Khomeini.

The Shah was friendly to our interests but widely despised by the Iranian people. At the time of the revolution, there was warring between more democratic/secular forces and religious extremists. The Shah was overthrown, there was a period of chaos, then the religious fanatics took over.

My Iranian friend thinks the same pattern will be followed in Iraq. We overthrow a leader who is/anarcy/civil war, then religious extremism takes over.

Truth Shall Prevail
A short history -

In 1953 Iran's prime minister Mohammad Mosaddeq, who had been elected to parliament in 1923 and again in 1944 and who had been prime minister since 1951, was removed from power in a complex plot orchestrated by British and US intelligence agencies ("Operation Ajax").

Many scholars suspect that this ouster was motivated by British-US opposition to Mosaddeq's attempt to nationalize Iran's oil. Following Mosaddeq's fall, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (Iran's monarch) grew increasingly dictatorial. With strong support from the USA and the UK, the Shah further modernised Iranian industry but crushed civil liberties. His autocratic rule, including systematic torture and other human rights violations, led to the Iranian revolution and overthrow of his regime in 1979. After more than a year of political struggle between a variety of different groups, an Islamic republic was established under the Ayatollah Khomeini by popular vote.

(Wikipedia) (still at the Apple store)

Great research, truth!!!

Sorry to interupt with a new subject but this diary on kos is well worth the read.

Toledo Blade Officially Daily Must Read (especially today)
by ttagaris [Subscribe]
Sun Oct 30, 2005 at 12:22:27 PM PDT
Updated your bookmarks, read it daily, and get prepared to link it on your blogs consistently. There are not enough Pulitzers out there for this paper's post-2004 election coverage. That paper is the Toledo Blade, and their work extends far far far beyond the Coingate coverage they have dominated for the past several months.

Take today's paper for example:

ttagaris's diary :: ::
Here's the first reason you will want this site bookmarked for constant reference.

They were executives, lobbyists, evangelical Christians, political veterans and rookies, and a rare-coin dealer from Maumee. They bankrolled a president.

Thirty Ohioans collected at least $4.1 million for George W. Bush's re-election campaign last year - exceeding Sen. John Kerry's entire take from the state. They raised $2.4 million more for the Republcan National Committee.

They are Ohio's "Pioneers" and "Rangers," President Bush's most prolific fund-raisers. Most Ohio voters have never heard of them, but the White House knows them well.

They have sat on crucial policy committees and won choice appointments. In the last five years, their firms have conducted more than a billion dollars of business with the state and the federal government.

One was Tom Noe.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/10/30/152227/51

.

IRC peeps...

I have not been able to log into the irc for the last week or so.

It gives me a java exception problem.

Any ideas why?

(Just letting you know why I haven't popped in.)

Thanks for the history lesson, DiAnne.

Hmmm....is anyone thinking what I'm thinking?

I'll be back in a bit to read it in greater detail.

Truth Shall Prevail
They're already having skirmishes in Syria.
It's been in the neocon plan to go into Iran & they would even not be afraid to fight China were Taiwan's sovereignty to be threatened (at least acc/the literature on the neocons). They would have to be insane. Our country does not have the money, the manpower or the political will. But remember how they used to talk about being able to fight a war in two theaters and how often they talk of a global war on terror? Remember Bush saying that Iraq and Afghanistan are just two battles in the war on terror?! Yet there were just big terror attacks in India and they don't go on about attacking someone, even though they have a nuclear weapon & are sitting right next to Pakistan, who has a nuclear weapon as well.

Remember what that article in the NY Times makes clear is they are averaging that SIXTY THREE Iraqis a DAY are being killed by INSURGENTS.

They have YET to realease how many our military kill a day.

With all the research me and Rossi have done I would estimate WE kill between 20 to 40 a day on average.

Lets just say twenty is correct... That would mean 83 innocent Iraqis are killed PER DAY.

Damn you to hell georgie.

I'm sorry..once again off topic...

BUT

FINALLY MSNBC FINDS NOE and the money laundering scheme and coingate!

And they call it a 'liberal media'!!! HA!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9841544

Oh and looky.. Denny Hasterat gets a blog with no comments section...

http://www.speaker.gov/journal/index.shtml

Isnt that CONVIENANT...I looked it up cause I was going to ask him about Sybil Edmonds and what EXACTLY did she hear on those tapes recording high level AMERICAN official you know discussing drug running and money laundering

OHHH THATS RIGHT WE KNOW WHATS ON THOSE TAPES...

Little Denny Hasteret.

His site don't even have4 an email addy link. Hahaha

Christy
I Googled "Rebelle nation" and I got "Did you mean "Revelation"?

hahahahaha

Wouldn't that be the shizznit if Ms. Edmonds who is my own personal hero.. Was able to be ungagged and NAME hasterat...??

Lets see, top repell in congress ..in trouble

Top repell senator..trouble

Plame gate.

Ohio donor trouble

If she COULD name Hasterat that would pick off the last of them

Posted by: Christy at October 30, 2005 08:27 PM

Yes, but profits are UP, UP, UP at Halliburton & MobilExxon, and apparently, that's all that matters.

Jiffy Lubed

Posted by: Christy at October 30, 2005 08:27 PM

Well, as far as I know, Hastert hasn't done anything illegal. Just stupid.

Yes, but profits are UP, UP, UP at Halliburton & MobilExxon, and apparently, that's all that matters.

Jiffy Lubed

Posted by: monkey at October 30, 2005 08:54 PM

Posted by: Christy at October 30, 2005 08:27 PM

Well, as far as I know, Hastert hasn't done anything illegal. Just stupid.

Posted by: sparrow at October 30, 2005 08:55 PM

Jiffy Lubed INDEED

And Sparrow.. if Ms Edmonds were not the most gagged human being in American history... SHE can say what Denny was doing on the phone with the turks.

We KNOW hes stupid... SHE knows much much more than we....

Christy
Here's the website, so people can keep informed about this important case, which appears to have been pushed under the rug - it's hard to believe that the 9/11 Commission Report came out over a year ago & then we haven't heard much more. It's all connected - all one house of cards.

http://www.justacitizen.com/

This is about the Vanity Fair article about Hastert

http://www.cilicia.com/2005/08/vanity-fair-article-turks-boasted-of.html

Posted by: Christy at October 30, 2005 09:02 PM

Thanks for the info on her Christy. I had forgotten what she had done.

So maybe by 2008 (if not before) we can ungag the gagged!

You're right...it's another time that they scream "National Security" when they just want to keep another secret.

Personally, if it were any other President saying, "National Security" I might believe it. But not with this regime and not with this majority in congress.

I know they say corrupt administrations have come and gone, but I'm fairly sure this is the most corrupt I've ever seen.

More on Hastert - possibly taking bribes from Turks - Edmonds connection etc.
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/08/04/200318.php

As John Dean said, Worse than Watergate

A few days old but still good:

Plamegate is Worse than Watergate
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/27387/

& what is this new defense line that Bush wasn't involved? Didn't he stand up there on the podium and read the infamous "sixteen words"?!!

“The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa .”

That makes him IN ON IT.

I think we should make Sybil Edmonds our own group pet project.

Just a constant email and phone call campaign DEMANDING to KNOW what the hell they are thinking they will get away with exactly.

The issue of National Security just became BIGTIME... We should start presssing the issue.

haha from Kos site (& why I don't watch tv):

"Having Ann Coulter on your network debating the "meaning" of the Fitzgerald investigation isn't relevant. It isn't useful. It's like watching a dog crap to music."

PROSECUTOR PLANS ON CALLING CHENEY AS WITNESS IN OPEN COURT; EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE FIGHT LOOMS

*Exclusive* (from Kos, I don't touch Drudge but someone did)

Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald is planning to call Vice President Dick Cheney as a witness in the trial of Lewis Libby, the DRUDGE REPORT has leaned.

But the high stakes move could result in an executive privilege showdown between the White House and Fitzgerald, a top government source said Sunday.

"If Mr. Fitzgerald is going to demand a public recounting of conversations between the vice president, or even the president, and his staff, on matters he, himself, has acknowledged are 'classified,' executive privilege will obviously be invoked."

Fitzgerald has made it clear to lawyers involved in the case that he prefers Cheney appear as a witness in open court.

"Mr. Fitzgerald is starting from the position that this should not be done on remote or videotape," the well-placed source said.

Fitzgerald and Libby's attorney Joseph Tate discussed possible plea options before the indictment was issued last week, TIME magazine reports in new editions. But the deal was scotched because the prosecutor insisted that Libby do some "serious" jail time.

Developing...

Fitz must have something on them?!!

Bushco Philosophy:

Sometimes a harmless lie is better than the awful truth.

(I heard that tonight and I can't think of anything that more accurately describes how our leaders got our country into such an awful mess.) They, and our President especially, actually believe what they were doing is harmless and that telling a "little" lie isn't so bad.

I remember having conversations with Amy on this blog about calling the administration and Bush liars. I was challenged to state to which lies I was referring. Now I can unhesitatingly call the administration and the President a bunch of liars.

By the way, I answered Amy's questions with two words: Mushroom Cloud.

Fire The Liars

WHAT WASN'T a bloody LIE the last 5 years..???

I take a lot of flak for being a 'conpiracy theorist'...

All I can say is if thats what I am then by default that must make everyone else a 'coincident theorist'.

After what I have seen these last years Ill never belive in coincidence again.

WHEN THE CONSPIRACY ACTUALLY EXISTS..Why I'd be a fool not to believe my own eyes.

And when this is all over with, yall will also be forced to admit how wearing a tinfoil hat can be quite fun and informative.

Speak To Us Sybil...!!!!

Tell us EVERYTHING ..

Any court that rules to further hide TREASON from public view is acting directly against the national security of the United States Of America.

Because her gagging is an immoral order, I personally believe she is not bound by corrupt law to maintain her silence.

It is time for the confession of a nation.
Haterat (Hastert) is the key,,..he connects the Admin to the corruption of the house and senate..

Take him down the tsunami cuts both up and down.

There was just a fascinating show on NPR about
the Lancet study of Iraqi Civilian deaths. It was really done well.

The story noted appropriately that this news wasn't covered in mainstream media. NPR wants $13 for the CD transcript.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

My friend Bert just wrote to NPR about it:

I just heard a wonderful show on This AMerican Life about the Lancet study of Iraqi Civilian deaths. It was really done well; the show was comprehensive and balanced. The story noted appropriately that
this news about Iraqi civilian deaths wasn't covered widely in the
mainstream media. IAfter listening to it I went to your website to send a link to friends. It then I discovered that npr wants $13.00 for the CD of the show.

Is this a show that might be a reasonable one to offer as a public service? By selling the CD you are limiting access to the news in the same way as was mentioned in your critique of other mainstream media.

Just a suggestion,

Bert
Minneapolis

Bush recorded a 45 second sound bite about Rosa Parks and he closes his comments by saying something like "We owe a debt of gratitude to Rosa Park" not Parks  

That would be like saying "Martin Luther Kings"

Posted by: oncall at October 30, 2005 09:49 PM

Oncall,

My republican brother sneered today that they IMPEACHED Clinton but have let Bush get away with this!

Where is the impeachment? EVEN the Republicans are crying out for it!

Sure..not every Republican agrees with my brother, but the fact is this is splitting their party and I say, "THANK GOD!"

Because I don't CARE what party is corrupt, I, personally, REFUSE to be a part of a corrupt gang of mobsters.

Thank God some Republicans out there recognise it. I've met 3 or so the last few weeks. (Unfortunately, I've met even more who just don't care! They just HATE Democrats and liberals.)

You know why I broke with the repells when they impeached clinton?

Yall know I don't LIKE clinton but thats not the same as IMPEACHING him for a lie that was so simple and basic it was the most understandable lie a man could tell.

And personally I believe that is HILLARYS problem.

The hypocracy was stunning.

This is what I told my brother today...we all have our own views and feelings. There is not one person, one candidate, one public official who will 100% represent our own beliefs.

BUT...if Bush and this Republican crime family that I call "the neoCONS" don't represent your thinking, then disown them from your core beliefs.

AND even here at the DCP, we all have different opinions and some may be very moderate, some conservative, some liberal, and some conspiracy-like, but the main thing we ALL have in common is a progressive attitude toward justice, equal rights, civil laws, and a disdain for corruption.

AND the other thing we have in common is the belief that we can WORK, work, work, to bring about change and save our democracy. That is what counts...not the conspiracy theories.

Posted by: DiAnne at October 30, 2005 10:06 PM

DiAnne,

I think you should also let people know what it costs Chicago Public Radio to provide one of their services to their listeners.
Anybody can listen to a delayed broadcast via the web on RealPlayer and it is free.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

This snip is from the web page you referenced.

Getting what they paid for? It costs Chicago Public Radio over $100,000 a year to pay for the cost of the "free" RealAudio streaming here on our website. For years, they've taken a bath on this. Their local listeners end up footing the bill. So, if you listen here now and then, we hope you'll consider pitching in a few bucks to help them pay for it.

Bert already heard from NPR.
Tomorrow there will be free RealAudio link of "This American Life" with the story about the Lancet report on Iraq civilian desks. NPR is supposed to send him the link & then I'll pass it on.

OnCall
Thanks! I'll relay that to Bert. That must be what they emailed him back about & are going to send him info on. You are fast!

Check this out...

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Tim_Russert_seen_as_key_witness_1030.html

But what caught me is this

The five-count grand jury indictment against Libby charges that he called Russert "on or about July 10, 2003" (four days before Valerie Wilson's identity became public in a column by Robert Novak) "to complain about press coverage of Libby by an MSNBC reporter" (by all evidence, Chris Matthews of "Hardball") and "did not discuss Wilson's wife with Russert" at all.

Now.....

WHY would LIBY call RUSSERT to complasin about MATTHEWS reporting something he didn't like...?

Sparrow,

One of my neighbors had a Bush bumper sticker still on his car until late September. Somebody (I wonder who?) wrote LIAR over Bush's name with a black magic marker. My neighbor then put a fresh bumper sticker over the previous one. Just this past week he decided to take both the stickers off.

That is what counts...not the conspiracy theories.

Posted by: sparrow at October 30, 2005 10:26 PM

They can not have done what they have done WITHOUT a conspiracy.

I don't know if I believe there was a gunman on the grassy knoll. I don't if there was a 'vast right wing conspiracy' to uncover a blow job.

But watching them has made me BELIEVE in conspiracy.. It is not the conclusions I WANTED to find.

Posted by: oncall at October 30, 2005 10:35 PM

Christy,

Who couldn't notice the link to the poll in the middle of the page that you referred to? NewsMax strikes me as a neoCon front posing as a news organization. It makes me think that they know that a poll of Hillary vs. Condi will certainly favor Hillary when linked to Raw Story's site, but for whom are they working-Jeb?

Posted by: oncall at October 30, 2005 10:49 PM

I don't trust any of them anymore.

I totally believe there is something wrong with most polling orgs these days. They been playing with those numbers for years now.

I say fire them all or as many of them as we can.

Get some good old Farmers, Scientists, and engineers into the halls of power.

Posted by: oncall at October 30, 2005 10:35 PM

Oncall,

I'm out here canvassing and I'm hearing so many people who proudly proclaim, "I'm Republican."

Well, you know, it's not that I want the Republican party GONE...I just want them to TAKE BACK their party from the thugs and neoCONS who took it over. Even my brother said that it's not what it was.

I hope this causes a permanent rift. I told my brother, "the Democratic party now has both the old Republican traits and the old Democratic social/progessive values and the really left ones....It's gotten more fiscally responsible, better at national security, and better at helping keeping people employed. The only thing left in the Republican party is the neoCONs and they don't care what YOU THINK!" I told him..."FIGHT to take back your party! ONE party rule doesn't work!"

Christy,

I will certainly say that when I see the PNAC, my conspiracy theories abound.

The more I learn, the more I see how the media and the neoCONS promoted an agenda.

But I think the key thing to remember is that we're here fighting together to take back America and to hold these public officials accoutable.

I don't know what kind of difference we are having. When I hear people say, "You just don't like Bush" I know they're not getting the big picture..."I HATE BUSH FOR HIS INCOMPETENCE, HIS LIES, HIS DISRESPECT FOR LIFE, and his MONEY HOGGING FOR HIS PALS."

What's so wrong with that? They don't get it. Croynism, incompetence, starvation, and death is ALL this regime offers.

Croynism, incompetence, starvation, and death is ALL this regime offers.

Posted by: sparrow at October 30, 2005 10:56 PM

Amen

They are evil and must be stopped

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said something to the effect that 80% of Republicans are Democrats and they don't even know it.

Posted by: Christy at October 30, 2005 11:01 PM

So we repeat repeat repeat for the next 18 months! And on that note, I'm going to bed!

Talk about your conspiracu theories..

Check out Larry Johnsons latest... Hes a very very interesting... Just very very interesting

http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/10/30/22044/596

No Freaking Way Mr Johnson...

So, which now infamous chief of staff to a Vice President was working as a counsel to a Hill committee that happened to be investigating this story? Gee, does Scooter Libby sound familiar?

Hmmmm and the plot thickens...

Ohh And here it comes

Bush Court Pick Likely On Monday… Radical Right Consulted On Choices…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/30/AR2005103000910.html

Posted by: Christy at October 30, 2005 11:15 PM

I think Harry Reid has got his finger on the trigger for the nuclear option. The names that are mentioned in the article are a dream for the ultra right wing base that Bush is trying to placate. When Bush announces his choice, he and the Republicans will have lost another 10% (hopefully more) of the people who supported him at the last election. But that really doesn't matter if the Democrats can't stop the appointment of an ultra conservative. By picking a nominee who is in the mold of Scalia, Bush will have done the Democratic party a huge favor.

"This American Life" is my favorite radio show. All of the shows are available free via download from their website. They have special CDs for purchase (which make great gifts). Over the past 3 years, there have been amazing stories about the war in Iraq. I hope they will make a compilation CD.

Posted by: oncall at October 30, 2005 11:30 PM

I think we should seriously try to imagine a way to repeal ALL acts of a treasonous president.

If he is found to have committed TREASON and I cant think of a better reason why than Iraq. Then ALL his decisions are open to immediate scrutiny.

Including 911

Officials: Bush picks Alito for Supreme Court
President to announce long-time federal judge's nomination at 8 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON - President Bush is nominating Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, The Associated Press has learned, choosing a long-time federal judge embraced by judicial conservatives to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Bush plans to announce the nomination at 8 a.m. EST, officials said.

The choice likely will mend a rift in the Republican Party caused by his failed nomination of Harriet Miers.

Miers bowed out last Thursday after three weeks of bruising criticism from members of Bush's own party who argued that the Texas lawyer and loyal Bush confidant had thin credentials on constitutional law and no proven record as a judicial conservative.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to preview Bush's remarks, said Alito was virtually certain to get the nod from the moment Miers backed out.

The 55-year-old jurist was Bush's favorite choice of the judges in the last set of deliberations but he settled instead on someone outside what he calls the "judicial monastery," the officials said.

Bush believes that Alito has not only the right experience and conservative ideology for the job, but he also has a temperament suited to building consensus on the court. A former prosecutor, Alito has experience off the bench that factored into Bush's thinking, the officials said.

Democrats warn of partisan brawl
While Alito is expected to win praise from Bush's allies on the right, Democrats have served notice that his nomination would spark a partisan brawl. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said Sunday that Alito's nomination would "create a lot of problems."

Unlike Miers, who has never been a judge, Alito, a 55-year-old jurist from New Jersey, has been a strong conservative voice on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since former President George H.W. Bush seated him there in 1990.

So consistently conservative, Alito has been dubbed "Scalito" or "Scalia-lite" by some lawyers because his judicial philosophy invites comparisons to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. But while Scalia is outspoken and is known to badger lawyers, Alito is polite, reserved and even-tempered.

Posted by: monkey at October 31, 2005 07:04 AM

So it appears the fillibuster may be coming. I hope to God that the Democrats learned how to TELL people in simple ways why they're doing it.

How about the phrase:

We're PROTECTING YOU...the American people from EXTREMISTS!

Today's Five Minutes asks us to begin the work on the Alito nomination.

We may be weary of the struggles, but this is a battle for which we need to consider fighting hard.

In possibly-related news, a new vaccine against cervical cancer is being fought by the religious right because, in their determination, it will encourage teen sex.

I say, why not just kill all the teen women right now and save all the trouble?

(just kidding, with a heavy heart tho...)

In possibly-related news, a new vaccine against cervical cancer is being fought by the religious right because, in their determination, it will encourage teen sex.

Posted by: Karen at October 31, 2005 07:42 AM

In possibly related news, they can all go f*** themselves.

monkey,

I seriously wonder whether we have reached a point where they absolutely need to (and perhaps even WANT to) STOP. Or be stopped.

These ARE parents, and lovers, and friends, after all. If they really thought about the ramifications of the policies they propose, they condemn their own children to death rather than to life. Do they believe that literally in resurrection that they will murder their children in order to "save" them?

I know that sounds extreme, but the path they are on is so destructive. Jesus himself would be horrified...

The six deaths bring the number of U.S. soldiers to have died in Iraq this month to 90, the highest number of American deaths there since January when 107 Americans were killed. November 2004 saw the highest number of U.S. deaths in a single month -- 137.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/31/iraq.main/index.html

If Bush wanted to get the attention off of his criminally incompetent and scandal ridden administration he will have succeeded by nominating Alito for Supreme Court. From what I have read, Bush cleared the name with the right wingers who torpedoed Harriet Miers nomination. Now the Bushco Propaganda machine will change the nation's attention by focusing on the battle to stop "Scalia Lite" from winning approval.

Somebody please tell me why we should be comfortable that Bush has a 40% approval rating, but he seems to get away with nearly anything he wants? I know that he has lost control of Social Security "reform". Yet he will have succeeded in changing the makeup of the Supreme Court and the war in Iraq is no closer to coming to an end, and the environment.... and...............

The 2006 elections are just around the corner, but where are the Democrats? I think that Harry Reid played a dangerous political game by not opposing Harriet Miers. It was clear to all that she was unqualified. That was all he had to say. In my opinion he has come off as a political opportunist of the worst kind. He did not take a lead on her ridiculous nomination. Now, if he fights Alito's nomination I wonder how far he is willing to take it.

Because when the leadership of that party has decided to put party loyalty above their Constitutional duties and responsibility to their constituents, one party rule doesn't work.

There is no check & balance in the system when a small cabal of people control the House of Representatives, the Senate, the White House and potentially soon, the Supreme Court.

Again though, where are the Democrats? Say all you want about one party rule, but there is nary a wimper from the minority party, and the silence is sickening.

Et tu, Jackass?

The 2006 elections are just around the corner, but where are the Democrats?

Oncall.

I will try to translate the mainlines of the excerpt I took from Le Monde last edition (link won't open abroad). There is a beginning of answer : the big divide inside the GOP.

The American conservative camp is in rebellion against his leader. For a while, George W. Bush has been spreading doubt, anger and uncomprehension in the ranks of his own coalition.
Le camp conservateur américain est en rébellion contre son chef. Depuis quelque temps, George W. Bush sème dans les rangs de sa propre coalition doute, colère et incompréhension.
§§§
To such an extent that one of the republican family's thinking heads, Willian Kristol, goes wondering : "If the conservatives still are as demoralized during the 2006 elections, what are our chances to maintain a solid majority in Congress?"
A tel point que l'un des maîtres à penser de la famille républicaine, William Kristol, s'interroge : "Si les conservateurs sont toujours aussi démoralisés lors des législatives de 2006, quelles sont nos chances de maintenir une solide majorité au Congrès ?"
§§§
The last developments in the "plamegate" scandal keep weakening a WH already in the line of sight of an extremely tenacious prosecutor. The presidency is under close watch.
Les derniers développements dans le scandale dit du "Plamegate" affaiblissent un peu plus encore une Maison Blanche qui reste dans la ligne de mire d'un procureur spécial particulièrement tenace. La présidence est sous surveillance.
§§§
Bush knew how to marry different trends with objectives sometimes contradictory. That's his political talent
Bush a su marier différents courants aux objectifs parfois contradictoires. C'est son talent politique.
§§§
And he was convinced he layed the bases of a long lasting majority vote coalition, aimed at dominating the country political life for a quarter of century at least.
Et il était convaincu d'avoir posé les bases d'une coalition électorale durablement majoritaire, destinée à dominer la vie politique du pays pour au moins un quart de siècle.
§§§
The democrat opposition, today divided and without a program, wasn't far from thinking the same.
L'opposition démocrate, aujourd'hui divisée et sans programme, n'était pas loin de penser la même chose.
§§§
Yet today the family doesn't recognize her leader anymore. Each of its branches has a reason to have a grudge against him, to feel betrayed in its deeper convictions. The consevative camp thunders against the White House. This may be a turning point, a key moment in the political and cultural dynamics, that up to now made the success of the Bush team.
Or voilà que la famille ne reconnaît plus son chef. Chacune de ses branches a des raisons de lui en vouloir, de s'estimer trahie dans ses convictions les plus profondes. Le camp conservateur tonne contre la Maison Blanche. C'est peut-être un tournant, un moment-clé dans la dynamique politique et culturelle qui, jusque-là, a assuré le succès de l'équipe Bush.
§§§

I'm sorry for the comments on the Dems, but it seems to reflect what you wrote. The only solution is to use the mess they are in. And sorry too for the mistakes, I translated in a hurry.

Dwahzon,

As long as the minority party sits on its thumbs there will be no hope of having any meaningful checks and balances. 39% approval is dismal and most Americans are waiting for somebody or some group to take the lead in opposition to what the corporatists are doing.

Marines Recruit Raging Granny

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002594495_grannies31.html

most Americans are waiting for somebody or some group to take the lead in opposition to what the corporatists are doing. ??

-- Well one thing Americans can do is not buy so much, be careful not to support corporations but to know the merchants, venders & producers, economize, be ecological & realize that the personal is political.

-- It is not practical to wait for a leader or organization. Those will only come once there is a groundswell of grassroots energy. The leaders follow the people, not vice versa.

-- Not sure this is how it should be but this is how it seems to be, even for the rightwing. They do have their thinktanks but the grassroots religious nutto base has gotten large and powerful enough to do things like control who gets on the Supreme Court.

-- Even if Bush got impeached, Scalito would still be on there. The Supreme Court is Forvere.

By the way, brilliant translation, Andree!