Grab The Box of Tissues

Marjorie Cohn | Bush Game on Padilla May Backfire
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/112805I.shtml
Marjorie Cohn writes that once again, at the 11th hour, the Bush administration has pulled its punches in the case of Jose Padilla. Using an approach that more closely resembles a game of chess than a system of justice, Team Bush has altered its strategy, while seeking to keep all options open. Its fancy footwork, however, may ultimately backfire.

Bob Herbert | Cut Our Losses
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/112805J.shtml
Bob Herbert writes that Jack Murtha is as tough as they come, but he's seen enough of the misguided, mismanaged, mission impossible war in Iraq to know that it's not sustainable, not worth the continued killing and butchering and psychological maiming of thousands of American GIs.

Fallujah: What Are They Hiding, Official Secrets or the Truth?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/112805K.shtml
Nobody outside the Westminster village would recognize the names of David Keogh and Leo O'Connor. One is a former Cabinet Office official, the other a researcher for an MP who lost his seat at the last election. But the crime of which they are accused concerns two men who are firmly in the public eye: Tony Blair and George Bush.

As Calls for an Iraq Pullout Rise, Two Political Calendars Loom
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/112805L.shtml
American officials are beginning to acknowledge that a judgment about when withdrawals can begin ... could well hinge on whether the new Iraqi government, scheduled to be elected in less than three weeks, issues its own call for an American withdrawal. Last week, for the first time, Iraq's political factions, represented by about 100 Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish leaders, collectively called for a timetable for withdrawal.

Paul Krugman | Age of Anxiety
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/112805M.shtml
Paul Krugman writes that American workers at big companies used to think they had made a deal. They would be loyal to their employers, and the companies in turn would be loyal to them, guaranteeing job security, health care and a dignified retirement. Such deals were, in a real sense, the basis of America's post-war social order.

Nick Turse | Bush's Burgeoning Body Count
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/112805N.shtml
Nick Turse continues to pay tribute to the "Fallen Legion Wall," a proposal for a virtual "wall" made up of the seemingly endless and ever-growing list of top officials and beleaguered administrators, managers and career civil servants who have quit their government posts in protest or been defamed, threatened, fired, forced out, demoted or driven to retire by administration strong-arm tactics, cronyism and disastrous policies.

Muslim Brotherhood on the March to Islamic State
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/112805O.shtml
The Arab world's largest and oldest Islamic movement has more than quintupled its seats in Egypt's parliament after the second round of month-long elections on the weekend.

Jason Leopold: Fitzgerald Targets Rove Again
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/112805Z.shtml
Continuing his two-year-old investigation into the leak of Valerie Plame Wilson's identity as a covert CIA agent, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald will present evidence to a second grand jury this week that could lead to a criminal indictment being handed up against Karl Rove.

First glance

Monday, November 28, 2005

From Elizabeth Wilner, Mark Murray, Huma Zaidi and Ryann Gastwirth

With Thanksgiving over and the war-roiled Congress still out, President Bush reclaims the spotlight for the first time since he left for Asia two weeks ago. Which makes his choice of subjects for this latest page-turning opportunity all the more notable. Immigration reform cleaves the Republican Party in two, between centrist supporters of guest-worker legislation and conservative advocates of stricter border controls, and between the business interests who help bankroll the party and the base which supplies the grassroots muscle on Election Day. The President's two-day effort to straddle this divide may be characteristically bold, but may also be the political equivalent of eating nails, given its potential to tear up the insides of the GOP.

more... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3626796/

Excellent article, Casey. Chock full of interesting news and tidbits. Thanks.

A heads-up here from a voter in Arizona; dailykos poster NCYellowDog passes along an urgent warning...

Arizona is attempting to purge me from its voter rolls
by NCYellowDog
Sat Nov 26, 2005 at 01:01:33 PM PDT

Today I received a letter from the Pima County, AZ Recorder's office notifying me that they had attempted to send mail to my address which had been returned as undeliverable, so they are going to remove me from the active voter registration rolls unless I respond immediately. This notice, however, reached me easily.
~snip~

If you know anyone who lives in Arizona, please take a moment to call or email them to tip them off that they may be getting purged from the voter rolls, especially if they're a Democrat. Tell them to treat any piece of mail from the county recorder's office with the same urgency that they regard the tax bill.

Cause the games and dirty tricks have started early this time.

Read the rest of the diary here...
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/11/26/15133/386

And pass it along to anyone you know who votes in AZ...

Taking a detour en route from Crawford to Washington, Bush stops in Arizona today and in Texas tomorrow. Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) is co-sponsoring a guest-worker proposal that is similar to the one Bush has long promoted, and White House officials say Bush will talk about his guest-worker plan, but his itinerary suggests a heavier focus on border controls. Today, he has a briefing with US Customs and "border protection" personnel at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson at 4:25 pm ET, followed by remarks at 4:40 pm ET. He'll be accompanied by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. Tomorrow, he visits the US Border Patrol headquarters in El Paso.

"Tucsonans who want to see President Bush during his visit to town today will have to turn on their televisions," says the Arizona Daily Star, which notes that Bush's speech "will not be open to the public."

The president's speech at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on border security, will not be open to the public. "He's not leaving the base, so nothing will be affected as far as road closures," said Officer Lisa Peasley, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.
KVOA Channel 4 and KGUN Channel 9 plan to carry Bush's 2:40 p.m. speech live.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff are expected to appear with Bush at D-M.
The White House would not say if Bush plans to announce any new initiatives while in Tucson.
Later today, Bush is to attend a fund-raiser in Phoenix for Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl.

The Washington Times reports that Bush "will call for a crackdown on illegal immigration, a move aimed at further rallying conservatives who recently cheered Mr. Bush's tough talk on Iraq and the Supreme Court. But the president will also renew his call for a program to allow Mexicans who have already entered the U.S. illegally to remain here for up to six years. That initiative has long angered conservatives who equate it with amnesty." The story notes that Bush "shifted gears" on immigration reform "last month, placating conservatives who were rebelling against his... nomination of White House Counsel Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court."

Testimony from Rove's former assistant may solidify case that he misled leak inquiry, lawyers say
Jason Leopold and Larisa Alexandrovna

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald will present evidence to a second grand jury this week in his two year-old investigation into the outing of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson that could lead to a criminal indictment being handed up against Karl Rove, President Bush’s deputy chief of staff, attorneys close to the investigation say.

Rove has remained under intense scrutiny because of inconsistencies in his testimony to investigators and the grand jury. According to sources, Rove withheld crucial facts on three separate occasions and allegedly misled investigators about conversations he had with Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper.

The attorneys say that Rove’s former personal assistant, Susan B. Ralston -- who was also a special assistant to President Bush -- testified in August about why Cooper’s call to Rove was not logged. Ralston said it occurred because Cooper had phoned in through the White House switchboard and was then transferred to Rove’s office as opposed to calling Rove’s office directly. As Rove’s assistant, Ralston screened Rove’s calls.

But those close to the probe tell RAW STORY that Fitzgerald obtained documentary evidence showing that other unrelated calls transferred to Rove’s office by the switchboard were logged. He then called Ralston back to testify.

Earlier this month, attorneys say Fitzgerald received additional testimony from Ralston -- who said that Rove instructed her not to log a phone call Rove had with Cooper about Plame in July 2003.

Ralston also provided Fitzgerald with more information and “clarification” about several telephone calls Rove allegedly made to a few reporters, including syndicated columnist Robert Novak, the lawyers said.

If true, this is perhaps the most significant evidence Fitzgerald has obtained suggesting Rove deliberately sought to mislead investigators. Her testimony may help Fitzgerald prove that there were inconsistencies in Rove’s account of his role in the leak and assess why he withheld a crucial fact from the prosecutor: that he had spoken with Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper as well as Novak about Plame and confirmed that she was an undercover CIA agent.

MORE:
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Testimony_from_Roves_former_assistant_may_1128.html

Cunningham....and now Rove still in contention....it could be very happy holidays this year....

Atrios outdoes himself this time...

check it out here...

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2005_11_27_atrios_archive.html#113319730532736092

Rep. Cunningham pleads guilty to tax violations
California Republican admits to taking $2.4 million in bribes

Monday, November 28, 2005; Posted: 3:21 p.m. EST (20:21 GMT)

Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham says he now knows "great shame" after pleading guilty Monday.

SAN DIEGO, California (AP) -- Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy and tax charges and tearfully resigned from office, admitting he took $2.4 million in bribes to steer defense contracts to conspirators.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/28/congressman.shouse.ap/index.html

FOCUS | Seymour M. Hersh: Where Is the Iraq War Headed Next?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/112805Y.shtml
As the debate over troop reductions continues, the covert war in Iraq has expanded in recent months to Syria. A composite American Special Forces team, known as a SMU, for "special-mission unit," has been ordered, under stringent cover, to target suspected supporters of the Iraqi insurgency across the border.

US soldier who was honorably discharged shares his accounts of his time in Iraq. You probably won't see his interview in the corporate media.

Here is a summary of his experiences:

His use of harsh interrogation techniques on prisoners in Iraqincluding dogs, sleep deprivation, prolonged isolation and dietarymanipulation.
How Navy SEALS induced hypothermia by using ice water to lowerthe body temperature of prisoners.
Serving in Fallujah and going through the clothes and pockets ofsome 500 dead bodies to try and identify them.
The corpses on men, women and children in Fallujah, which hadbeen lying in the streets for days and had been "eaten by dogs andbirds and maggots," were then stacked up in a warehouse where U.S.soldiers ate and slept.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/15/1632233

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/torture/interviews/lagouranis.html

And Dianne?Bert

Don't forget about the drill hole bodies

Yall may wonder why I am stuck on the drill holes...

I mean out of all the atrocities...

But there is something about the drill holes in particular that is just.. blink blink blink dangerwillrobinsondanger.

It matches the 'special interrogation techniques' used in EL SALVADORE.

They USED DRILLS TOO. IN THE EXACT SAME WAYS.

It is almost as if they are reading it out of a playbook or something.

Miami Police Take New Tack Against Terror

By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer
11 minutes ago

MIAMI - Miami police announced Monday they will stage random shows of force at hotels, banks and other public places to keep terrorists guessing and remind people to be vigilant.

Deputy Police Chief Frank Fernandez said officers might, for example, surround a bank building, check the IDs of everyone going in and out and hand out leaflets about terror threats.

"This is an in-your-face type of strategy. It's letting the terrorists know we are out there," Fernandez said.

The operations will keep terrorists off guard, Fernandez said. He said al-Qaida and other terrorist groups plot attacks by putting places under surveillance and watching for flaws and patterns in security.

Police Chief John Timoney said there was no specific, credible threat of an imminent terror attack in Miami. But he said the city has repeatedly been mentioned in intelligence reports as a potential target.

Timoney also noted that 14 of the 19 hijackers who took part in the Sept. 11 attacks lived in South Florida at various times and that other alleged terror cells have operated in the area.

Both uniformed and plainclothes police will ride buses and trains, while others will conduct longer-term surveillance operations.

"People are definitely going to notice it," Fernandez said. "We want that shock. We want that awe. But at the same time, we don't want people to feel their rights are being threatened. We need them to be our eyes and ears."

Howard Simon, executive director of ACLU of Florida, said the Miami initiative appears aimed at ensuring that people's rights are not violated.

"What we're dealing with is officers on street patrol, which is more effective and more consistent with the Constitution," Simon said. "We'll have to see how it is implemented."

Mary Ann Viverette, president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, said the Miami program is similar to those used for years during the holiday season to deter criminals at busy places such as shopping malls.

"You want to make your presence known and that's a great way to do it," said Viverette, police chief in Gaithersburg, Md. "We want people to feel they can go about their normal course of business, but we want them to be aware."

http://tinyurl.com/76r9k

Christy
Drilling may be a British technique too ..

http://dc.indymedia.org/mod/otherpress/display/3648/index.php

Yes i saw that the other day.

Interesting isnt it...?

Its is a...pattern.. right after the first rumors started about the 'el salvadore option' that is when these bodies first started turning up with drill holes. I looked back and sure nuff they did the same in El Salvadore..

And the Brits.. it is just one of those things you know it leads SOMEWHERE.. but where..?

‘The Salvador Option’ - Newsweek The War on Iraq
... Are there parallels between El Salvador in the ‘80s and Iraq
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6802629/site/newsweek

Pentagon May Use Death Squads in Iraq
http://www.truthout.org/docs_05/010905V.shtml

For Iraq, "The Salvador Option" Becomes Reality
http://www.globalresearch.ca

Salvador Option
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0112-22.htm

----Also----Ex-Powell Aide Criticizes Detainee Effort

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5444455,00.html

Check this out (from Wilkerson, ex Chief of Staff under Powell):

He said Cheney must have sincerely believed that Iraq could be a spawning ground for new terror assaults, because ``otherwise I have to declare him a moron, an idiot or a nefarious bastard.''
snip---
Cheney's office, Rumsfeld aides and others argued ``that the president of the United States is all-powerful, that as commander in chief the president of the United States can do anything he damn well pleases,'' Wilkerson said.
snip---
Powell raised frequent and loud objections, his former aide said, once yelling into a telephone at Rumsfeld: ``Donald, don't you understand what you are doing to our image?''
---snip
On Powell:
``What he seems to be saying to me now is the president failed to discipline the process the way he should have and that the president is ultimately responsible for this whole mess,'' Wilkerson said.
---snip
He said he has almost, but not quite, concluded that Cheney and others in the administration deliberately ignored evidence of bad intelligence and looked only at what supported their case for war.

READ THE WHOLE THING!

Also, the NAKED FIGHTING SOLDIERS story has legs, I mean pics.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,,1652362,00.html

Dianne

Cool links ty

on the torture being taught to locals like in Vietnam, yes I get that part.

But I have not found any specific reports from Vietnam about drill holes in particular. it seems to be a 'signature' of some sort and the only other thing i can find like it is the methods used in South and Central america by CIA trained death squads.

The funny thing is.. i said it obviosly leads SOMEWHERE.. I have a suspicion it may be about kissenger. Well all the neocons really but.. a few in particular starting with him.

Him and daddy bush.

TUCSON, Arizona (CNN) -- President Bush launched a new push to crack down on illegal immigration from Mexico, promising to "harden" the southern U.S. border while reviving his proposal for a guest-worker program critics say is a form of amnesty.

"The American people should not have to choose between a welcoming society and a lawful society," Bush told an array of customs, immigration and border patrol officers at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. "We can have both at the same time."

After spending the Thanksgiving holiday with family at his Crawford, Texas, ranch, the president hit the road to sell his immigration policy, with a stop in El Paso, Texas, scheduled for Tuesday.

Bush endorsed building more jail cells to hold those caught inside the United States illegally, speeding up deportations, cracking down on fraudulent papers and "hardening" the border with additional officers, fences and monitoring devices.

"Securing our border is essential to securing the homeland," he said.

Bush also urged Congress to back his proposal for a temporary-worker program, a long-standing idea he said would match legal immigrants with employers "to fill jobs that Americans will not do."

But he said the program would not provide a path to citizenship for those who entered the country illegally, saying that doing so would encourage other would-be migrants to cross the border.

"I support increasing the number of annual green cards that can lead to citizenship," Bush said. "But for the sake of justice and for the sake of border security, I'm not going to sign an immigration bill that includes amnesty."

Bush also said he would crack down on U.S. businesses that hire illegal immigrants, saying American employers "have an obligation to abide by the law."

The renewed focus on immigration follows a sharp drop in the president's approval rating, and recent polls indicate most of his fellow Republicans oppose his handling of the issue.

Many of his conservative allies have criticized the guest-worker program, which they say would allow illegal immigrants to obtain legal status. Many Democrats have also opposed the proposal, which Bush first outlined in January 2004.

Rep. Tom Tancredo, an outspoken advocate of a tough stance on illegal immigration, said Bush's credibility "is on the line, big-time" over the issue.

"People even in his own party are worried about whether or not you can really take to the bank what he tells you," said the Colorado Republican. "So the president has not only got to actually say the right stuff, he's got to do the right stuff. We've got to see action on top of words."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/28/bush.immigration/index.html

"Words without deeds are meaningless -- especially when people are dying every day," - John Kerry, - October 18, 2004 Columbus, Ohio

Rep. Tom Tancredo sounds like he still has a shred of hope that Bush will pull credibility out of a magic hat.

It's not going to happen.

Three years ought to be long enough for whatever hangers-on that are left to see that the vaudeville act is nothing but smoke and mirrors.