Devolution

When I was sent this video, the sender said she thought for sure that he will be a future US president. He seems to have all the current qualifications. & he's the spitting image. When my son saw it, he said "he's stoned!"

"I don't know how y'all do it, Campbell."

It's called a job.

Twit.

I know, NMP. When I saw it, I thought, "Great. This looks like the next one the world will have to try to live through.

I guess the nut didn't fall far from that Bush did it?

from the lighter side of military recruitment

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,92216,00.html

Marines Try to Recruit 78-Year-Old Woman

Saw this over at blog for america...
It is old, but updated...

The following just came to my attention. It shows the mental gymnastics our Republican friends have to accomplish each day. Should we feel sorry for them?

Things You Have To Believe To Be A Republican Today.

Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is
Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

The United States should get out of the United
Nations, and our highest national priority is
enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make
decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our
long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

Global warming is junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

You support states' rights, but the Attorney General can tell states what local voter initiatives they have the right to adopt.

What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital
national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

Feel free to pass this on.
If you don't send it to at least 10 other people,
we're likely to be stuck with more Republicans in '06 and '08.

Friends don't let friends vote Republican!

Jason Leopold | Fitzgerald Will Seek New White House Indictments
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/032806Z.shtml
It may seem as though it's been moving along at a snail's pace, but the second part of the federal investigation into the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson is nearly complete, with attorneys and government officials who have remained close to the probe saying that a grand jury will likely return an indictment against one or two senior Bush administration officials.
Excerpt (More on link):

In lengthy interviews over the weekend and on Monday, they said that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has started to prepare the paperwork to present to the grand jury seeking an indictment against White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove or National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.

Although the situation remains fluid, it's possible, these sources said, that Fitzgerald may seek to indict both Rove and Hadley, charging them with perjury, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy related to their roles in the leak of Plame Wilson's identity and their effort to cover up their involvement following a Justice Department investigation.

The sources said late Monday that it may take more than a month before Fitzgerald presents the paperwork outlining the government's case against one or both of the officials and asks the grand jury to return an indictment, because he is currently juggling quite a few high-profile criminal cases and will need to carve out time to write up the indictment and prepare the evidence.

Posted by: NonnyO at March 28, 2006 07:17 PM

Go Fitz!!! But what about Bush and Cheney? They're forgetting the Captains of the ship!

Posted by: worried in America at March 28, 2006 08:47 PM

That was my thought, too....

However, those two (and Rummy and Condisleazy and whomever else at the top of the war crimes chain) could all be sent to The Hague to be tried for war crimes, since they were responsible for ordering the illegal invasion of a country without good cause, and they are responsible for the horrors at Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, renditions, and opening a concentration camp at Gitmo.

I hold out no hope for Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee being impeached unless Lamestream Media starts talking about the LIES they've told (which might get more people to pressure their legislators to impeach) and unless the Dems can take the House AND Senate (keeping in mind the House has to start the ball rolling with getting more people to sign on to Conyers' bill, and the trial would have to take place in the Senate). They've already proved (to me) that they are, in fact, guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors on multiple levels.

THE LOGIC OF WITHDRAWAL
Anthony Arnove, In These Times
The eight reasons why leaving Iraq now is the only sensible option.
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/34122/

THE DANGERS OF CORPORATE WI-FI
Jeffrey Chester, TheNation.com
Google and other telecom giants are wooing cities with plans to create public Wi-Fi grids, and online privacy could be lost in the process.
http://www.alternet.org/story/34018/

{{{I haven't made up my mind about WI-FI. I do see the dangers in uncontrolled access to what are essentially radio waves that can be picked up and monitored by anyone for any reason. But this article and the bloggers comments are interesting.}}}

NonnyO
Friend of mine in France (young guy) got Wifi. He didn't bother to have a password because he figured Wifi was everywhere. Some criminals detected his system and conducted some alleged threats from it. Plainclothes police came to his house, scared the heck out of him and his mother, took him to the station late at night & took his hard drive for awhile. Of course, the problem wasn't really the Wifi. It was the failure to use a password.

Cell phones can be easily intercepted and everyone uses them.

My radio was quite educational on the drive home.

I listened to alot of the Supreme Court - chilling and legalese, but I understood enough to understand our right of Habeas Corpus (fair trial etc) could be imperiled. The conclusion of the reported - in summary, they felt the Court had not been as sympathetic to the Bush position (of complete power and domination) as expected.

Also heard Amy Goodman, "Democracy Now" - first they had Gary Hart (new book out) and he was talking about how corrupt our election process is (financially, especially) & then a really interesting story about how the female chief of the Oglala Sioux proposed Planned Parenthood clinics on federal land because they don't fall under South Dakota jurisdiction. Don't know if it will happen but SD could also bring the issue to the public, if they get enough votes. Reporters have called from all over the world, asking - what the hell is happening in South Dakota?!

Best Title:

Bush Allows Top Aide to Fall On The Sword

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/59006.html

American Spin Version:

Bush Bucks the System By Staying The Course

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=1778131

even more misleading subtitle:
With Bolten Choice, President Disdains Inside-the_Beltway Conventional Wisdom

You see, it makes him sound not only steadfast, resolute and forthright but more intelligent than he actually is

This is hilarious!

Card goes as Bush shuffles his pack
Scotsman, United Kingdom

Card shuffling
Chicago Tribune, United States

Once again:
Bush aide falls on his sword
Aljazeera.net, Qatar

Also unflattering:
Senior aide resigns as Bush bows to pressure
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom

but yet:
Bush Bucks the System by Staying the Course
ABC News

or even
Changing Chief of Staff May Help
Washington Post, United States

The President Is Not Smiling
Yahoo! News

After five years, Card folds
Christian Science Monitor

Bush shakes up staff
News24, South Africa

Huh?!

NEWSMAKER-Bolten is quiet manager, motorcyle enthusiast
Reuters

The Card Sacrifice
Washington Post

Bolten seen as safe pair of hands
Financial Times, UK

Posted by: DiAnne at March 28, 2006 09:54 PM

Ah, that's right. I'd forgotten. Tribal lands are sovreign territory (i.e., technically separate nations). Native Americans can write their own laws and govern what happens on their own lands! That might be an interesting twist to SD state law...!

Posted by: DiAnne at March 28, 2006 09:45 PM

Well, not everyone uses a cell phone. I don't have one. I can't think of a good reason to get one either. I figure if there's any bad news someone is calling me about while I'm out getting groceries or running errands it can wait until I get home to call them back if they leave a message on my answering machine. And, yes, I did know that cell phones could be monitored just like police and ambulance radio transmissions can be monitored. WI-FI puts a whole 'nuther twist on that, as your friend found out. It wouldn't take much to illegally spy on any communications using radio frequencies, with or without a password (someone always figures out how to hack into those systems, in spite of passwords).... Which is essentially why I am against voting machines....

Veteran: War Based On Greed
Delta Force founder finds Bush deaf to Iraq criticism
By Diane Wagner
It is the duty of every American citizen to stand up and say it when something is wrong,” he said. “This administration has wrapped itself in the troops. They’ve learned from Vietnam to say, ‘If you don’t support me, you don’t support the troops,’ but they’re hiding behind those kids.”
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article12527.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I left the following blog note on the ICH Comments section about the above article:

The judgment at Nuremberg says that it is a war crime to invade a country for no just cause, and it further stipulated that those who committed more 'personal' war crimes inside concentration camps could not use the defense 'I was only following orders.' The Nuremberg judges said that soldiers did not have to follow orders that are illegal or immoral.

Not ignoring the treaties and UN agreements and human rights agreements that came after that, but the Nuremberg trials were a turning point as far as war crimes judgements are concerned on an international level, and have set a precedent.

Bush, Cheney, Rummy, Condisleazy, and the rest of their ilk have shamed all of us for trying to "interpret" laws out of existence and follow their own laws - none of which adheres to their oaths of office to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States of America." They are the least patriotic people on the planet, IMHO, and they're killing people for their own greed.

I am personally deeply ashamed that the Stars and Stripes now stand for the installed administration that condones and sanctions torture and illegal wars.

The administration can say US laws don't apply at Gitmo, but I'm not that stupid nor that gullible. If I lease property, I am responsible for what happens on that property. It is "my" property by proxy as long as I lease that property. Guantanamo was leased to the US. The US laws and treaties therefore apply at Gitmo since the US has control of that piece of land. The people being held in the concentration camps there are entitled to all rights granted to any prisoners of war by all previous treaties and agreements. Gitmo is not a no-man's-land without any rules of law that apply.

I'm just wondering why no one's figured that out yet.... I've waited and waited and waited for someone to point out that simple fact, and have not seen any lawyer or judge write any opinions about it. All I've seen is the arbitrary opinions of the illegal administration that was installed in 2000, but they have a track record of lying every time they open their mouths, so I don't believe them....

Pillaging the Treasury and the Constitution
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
President Bush passes himself off as a conservative Republican and a born-again Christian. These are disguises behind which Bush hides. Would a Christian invade another country on false pretenses, kill tens of thousands of innocent civilians, and show no remorse or inclination to cease the aggression?
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article12536.htm

Soldiers flee to Canada to avoid Iraq duty :
Hundreds of deserters from the US armed forces have crossed into Canada and are now seeking political refugee status there, arguing that violations of the rules of war in Iraq by the US entitle them to asylum.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article12531.htm

Posted by: NonnyO at March 28, 2006 07:17 PM

We can only hope and pray. Rove and Hadley. Still sniff something coming down, and think it is related to Card's stepping down. They are shuffling the deck over at the White House. Yes, we all know Dubya hasn't been playing with a full one.

Keep at it, Fitz, old boy!!!!

Checkmate.

Posted by: Truth Shall Prevail at March 28, 2006 11:35 PM

Yes, I also think Card's resignation comes at a time when something we don't yet know about is in the wind, and likely related to Fitz's grand jury investigation, but we won't find out yet for a while what it is. The article notes it will be about a month before papers are filed because he has other cases pending for other reasons. Gads, but Fitz is a busy man! That's okay... As long as he very, very carefully dots his i's and crosses his t's and makes sure his charges stick, I can patiently wait. Lady Justice is blind, after all, and must work with braille, so to speak. She must be very careful to get things done correctly....

Suffice to say, whether Rove and/or Hadley, they are at the tip of a very large iceberg of hidden crimes, and I suspect many of those crimes won't be known about until long after Dumbya, et al., are out of office.... Just too many secrets in that illegal administration.

The war crimes and other crimes against humanity and the crimes related to illegally spying on our own citizens we know about. Those are the ones where I wish Justice was sighted and could work quickly - preferably with one of Thor's bolts of lightning.... (I know; that's mixing mythologies, but it fits somehow. I just want impeachment to proceed faster than a speeding glacier.)

:-) GO VERMONT!!! :-) The US House of Representatives is dragging their feet, and reps acting like their feet are stuck in cement (exceptions noted for those who have already signed Conyers' bill). It's nice to know there are people willing to do the research to get the ball rolling on IMPEACHMENT, starting with the states!!! :-) I don't think most representatives know how truly upset the citizens of this country are with The Cretin and his Criminal Cabal, thanks to Lamestream Media not reporting the grievances of people fed up with all of their illegal activities, from invading a country illegally per the Nuremberg judgement, to concentration camps and torture to spying on the citizens of this nation. Not to mention how badly the reputation of the US has been damaged by that Criminal Cabal in power....

At the risk of repeating myself: GO VERMONT!!! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray!!! :-)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060329/ap_on_go_pr_wh/democrats_impeachment
Democrats in Vermont to Weigh Impeachment
MONTPELIER, Vt. - Leading Democrats in Vermont plan to decide in April whether to urge state lawmakers to petition for President Bush's impeachment using a little-known provision in the rules of the U.S. House.

Democratic committees in at least half of the state's 14 counties have passed resolutions calling for impeachment, citing a rule in "Jefferson's Manual," a book of parliamentary guidelines written by Thomas Jefferson that supplements U.S. House rules.

The anti-Bush movement is "genuinely bubbling up from the grass roots," said Jon Copans, the state party's executive director.

The state Democratic committee is scheduled to decide the issue in a special meeting April 8.

The resolutions accuse the Bush administration of lying about the case for war in Iraq and illegally engaging in electronic surveillance of Americans.

They rely on "Jefferson's Manual," which says impeachment proceedings can begin "by charges transmitted from the legislature of a state."

{More on link.}

Molly Ivins | The White House that Cried Wolf
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0328-27.htm

William Fisher | Biscuits, Anyone?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/032806A.shtml
Biscuit are comprised of teams consisting of military psychiatrists, psychologists, behavioral scientists, and other health care professionals. Their role, it has been charged by former Guantánamo interrogators, is to advise the military on ways of increasing psychological duress on detainees to make them more cooperative and willing to provide information. Aren't forensic psychiatrists physicians? Aren't they, as well as behavioral science specialists and prison psychologists, governed by the ethical rules of their professions? There is nothing ethical about advising interrogators about how to "break" detainees, writes William Fisher.

David Swanson | Truth Seeping Through Media After Ten Months
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/032806F.shtml
Ten months after starting a coalition at AfterDowningStreet.org and organizing people to demand coverage of the Downing Street Memos the media is finally catching on. At last the New York Times has chosen to acknowledge the White House Memo, and to acknowledge that Bush was intent on finding a way to go to war, that he was not - as he claimed at the time and still claims - trying to avoid war. The media has a long, long way to go, still. A single day's attention could mean nothing if it's not sustained. Still, there is something about this week that feels better
than the average one and I have hope that others will have hope, and that this will let them press hard for action, writes David Swanson.

Halliburton's Performance Worsens Under Second Iraqi Oil Contract
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/032806C.shtml
Today Representative Waxman released the first analysis of Halliburton's RIO 2 contract to restore Iraq's southern oil fields. The examination of previously undisclosed correspondence, evaluations, and audits reveals that government officials and investigators have harshly criticized Halliburton's performance under RIO 2. The documents disclose an "overwhelmingly negative" performance.

Art Buchwald | An Ice Day for a News Conference
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/032806EA.shtml
Art Buchwald envisions the day that President Bush holds his first news conference to address global warming and announces "mission accomplished" on the good ship Titanic.
{{{This one is great for a snarky chuckle....}}}

The NPR report on the Supreme Court hearing that occurred yesterday which DiAnne referenced was specifically about the military tribunals that were formed to try the people in Guantanamo and whether or not there were legal bounds on what they could do contrary to what the President and in this case, the Solicitor General are arguing. The writ of habeas corpus discussion was in direct reference to whether or not it was to be applied to the military tribunals. The Solicitor General was arguing that it did not.

None of the discussion was in reference to changes to our current civil court system.

The rallys inPhoenix were organized by Latino Evangelical churches...

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0329evangelical.html
[snip]
In the past year, more than 40 evangelical Latino pastors have joined the movement, said Jose Gonzalez, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Nuevo Nacimiento, a Latino evangelical church in west Phoenix.

There are about 300 evangelical Latino churches in the Valley. About 75 percent of the 15,000 members are undocumented immigrants, and many have seen family members deported or die crossing the border.

"Once we saw the families suffering, being separated, that's really when we started becoming involved in this movement," Gonzalez said.

Benson on the marches...

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/benson/

The Nader bug is at it again...

http://www.counterpunch.org/nader03252006.html

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Georgia lawmakers have approved a measure to fund elective Bible courses in public schools, raising concern among civil liberties groups the classes could violate the U.S. constitutional separation of church and state.

Under the bill, which now goes to Gov. Sonny Perdue for his signature, the State Board of Education would have to adopt curricula for two classes on the history and literature of the Old and New Testaments. School districts would then have the option of offering the courses.

The measure's enactment threatens to again inflame the debate between secularists and the religious right that has been invigorated under President George W. Bush.

The elective courses, according to the bill, are to "be taught in an objective and nondevotional manner with no attempt made to indoctrinate students," and should "not disparage or encourage a commitment to a set of religious beliefs."

Senators in the Bible Belt state approved the bill in a 45-2 vote late on Monday, following passage by the Georgia House of Representatives in a 151-7 vote the week before.

"Are we to say that the world's best seller, a book that has influenced Western culture more than any other, is off limits to kids?" Georgia Sen. Tommie Williams, the measure's chief sponsor, told Reuters, adding that he was concerned about biblical illiteracy among students. "If you asked a kid what the Good Samaritan Law means, there's a history behind that that they probably don't know."

more...
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-03-28T175349Z_01_N28210585_RTRUKOC_0_US-RELIGION-GEORGIA.xml

Battlebob
What is Nader bitching about?
He made it all possible.

Dwahzon
Thanks for the clarification but according to my hearing with my own ears, one of the justices said that a little old lady in Switzerland (for example) who donated to an organization that ended up to be a front for Al Quaida could be labelled a conspirator under the law. & I hate to think the Judicial Branch and Legislative Branch would have to bow down to the Executive Branch in deciding these things.

One of the Justices said the balance of powers was at stake.
I'm not a judge but that sounds serious. One of the Justices who just quit said we may be heading toward Dictatorship. One reporter was present, the media hardly covered it. Call me an alarmist but these people are in for life!!

me an alarmist but these people are in for life!!

Posted by: not my president at March 29, 2006 09:52 AM

Ahhh. Coffee and blog time real fast before I head out to see the citizens in red America.

Face is healing nicely, thanks to all who sent flowers and Teddy Bears and kind wishes.

Not My President,

I don't mean this to be snarky, but I wonder why the particular justice that just resigned to tell about danger of a dictatorship didn't sound the alarm bell before her resignation? I think she thought of the nation when she resigned when Rhenquist was so close to death so we would all know there wasn't just one justice leaving, but I wonder why she remained silent about her fears about possible dictatorship until after she left the bench.

I wonder if she would be willing to campaign on that statement on behalf of another who does not want to see the U.S. become a dictatorship?

Just a thought.

Watched the Pierce Bush video...

All I can say is that if these people aren't born filthy rich, they are so screwed.... they don't have the wits to survive.