The Happy Hookers

David Safavian found guilty on four of five felony counts.

Karen is right--they should just run yellow tape around the whole of Washington, D.C. The place is one big crime scene.

Yeah, I'm in the disgusted mode today. Lots to be disgusted about.

I think I'll bring voter registration forms to the town pool with me today and register some folks who are disgusted too.

When you demonstrate to the whole world that torturing others is ok, even when you say it's not, then what the hell did you think was gonna happen to our brave soldiers in the event they were captured?

The neocons and their so-called ideology of strike first, torture if necessary, kill or be killed mentality, THEY are to blame for the horrific deaths of these two soldiers, and for the ungodly state of affairs around the globe.

It's easy to say it was those terrible terrorists who did this, but what would you do if another country with untold might and resources invaded YOUR country and did terrible things to your neighbors, your neighborhoods, your way of life?

Oh, how I grieve for those two young men who didn't have to perish this way.

I'm sure this will illicit the same response as always from this putrid administration... "this is what we're up against"..."they have no regard for life as we know it"..."our will won't be shaken"... blah blah friggin blah.

It's YOUR fault, Bush administration... architects of global unrest and mistrust, all in the name of a benevolent maker, with actions that are so contrary to what you "claim" to base all of your moral and ethical judgements by.

Elephants Are Hippo Critical

Karen is right--they should just run yellow tape around the whole of Washington, D.C. The place is one big crime scene.

Posted by: Casey Morris at June 20, 2006 10:41 AM

You are so damn right, Casey, when I see articles like this.

http://www.alternet.org/story/37668/

Sam Brownback, the "champion of North Korean human rights," is concerned with taking away the rights of TAX-PAYING, LAW-ABIDING AMERICANS.

Hey Brownback, you don't legislate in the South Korean National Assembly. You legislate in the United States Senate, and you answer to the AMERICAN PEOPLE, not Reverend Moon and the tax-evading Korean community. Get that?

Posted by: Ally McLesbian at June 20, 2006 10:53 AM

Don't think he does, Ally.

Sam Greenback

A-hem....

US makes missile defense system operational

Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:00am ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Amid concerns over an expected North Korean missile launch, the United States has moved its ground-based interceptor missile defense system from test mode to operational, a U.S. defense official said on Tuesday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed a Washington Times report that the Pentagon has activated the system, which has been in the developmental stage for years.

"It's good to be ready," the official said.

more...
http://tinyurl.com/ze9qe

Nerds Wratchet

JK busy today:

We need you to stand with us -- and we need you to do it now.

In the next 24 to 48 hours, we will go to the Senate floor to press for passage of the Kerry-Feingold Amendment calling for the redeployment of U.S. combat troops out of Iraq by a deadline certain. Our country desperately needs a new vision for strengthening our national security, and it starts by redeploying U.S. forces out of Iraq so we can wage and win a more effective war on terror and give Iraqis the best chance to stand up for a stable Iraq.

Tell your Senators: support the Kerry-Feingold Amendment on Iraq:

http://www.johnkerry.com/action/iraq/?sc=e.20060620

Our troops have served valiantly in Iraq. Under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, they've done their job. Now, it's time to put the future of Iraq where it belongs: in the hands of the Iraqi people and their leaders. And it's time to listen to General George Casey and acknowledge that the indefinite presence of large numbers of U.S. combat forces in Iraq will weaken chances of defeating the insurgency and weaken our ability to fight the global terrorist networks that threaten us today.

In recent days, we've seen Republican leaders in the House and Senate shamelessly reject the opportunity for a genuine, meaningful debate on Iraq. They've resorted to a Karl Rove strategy of blindly endorsing President Bush's failed "stay the course" policy in Iraq and challenging the courage and patriotism of anyone who dares to point out the disastrous consequences of their failed approach.

It's time for every Senator to reject the lack of wisdom in their Iraq policies and the lack of decency in their Iraq politics.

Tell your Senators: support the Kerry-Feingold Amendment on Iraq:

http://www.johnkerry.com/action/iraq/?sc=e.20060620

We have to reject calls for an unquestioning, open-ended endorsement of George W. Bush's endless commitment of U.S. troops in Iraq. And we have to reject the "play it safe" conventional wisdom, inside D.C. punditry that would have Democrats stand on the sidelines without doing everything in our power to change policies that we know are deeply flawed and dangerous.

We urge you to tell your Senators that it's time for a new direction. Ask them to endorse the Kerry-Feingold amendment calling for the redeployment of combat troops out of Iraq by a hard and fast deadline. Tell them to act for one simple reason: it's the right thing to do -- for Iraq, and for the United States.

Tell your Senators: support the Kerry-Feingold Amendment on Iraq:

http://www.johnkerry.com/action/iraq/?sc=e.20060620

Act now to add your voice to tens of thousands of others from around the country who are actively supporting the Kerry-Feingold Amendment. We'll see to it that your letter gets delivered to the Senate.

This is a critical vote on the most crucial issue facing our country. It's time for every member of the Senate to send an important message that we must change course. And it's time for you to demand leadership from those you have sent to Washington to represent your views.

We urge you to act immediately -- and we thank you for standing with us on this critical issue.

Sincerely,

Russ Feingold and John Kerry

Kerry-Feingold....that has a nice ring to it!

Of course, I just saw An Inconvenient Truth, and I thought maybe Gore-Edwards had a nice ring to it as well.

I don't really know what to think about who a viable candidate might be at this point (it's too early), although almost any one of the speakers at the TBA conference would be SOOOO much better than the idiot crew we are enduring now!

Carol,
You and I do not need to sign the support emails for the Kerry-Feingold Bill because JK and TK are your Senators and I HAVE no Senators!

So those of you in actual states need to get at least two more people to sign that request! And thanks.

Well said, Karen!

This is a powerfully strong statement from Kerry and Feingold, and everyone out there needs to let their Senators know you support it. We CAN actually make change happen by doing this. We've done it before.

So sign up to support the Kerry-Feingold amendment on Iraq, and send it to everyone you know as well. This is what we've been waiting for!

Poor orphan Karen. Seems really odd belonging to a nation and not a state. Without a bird and a tree to call your own.

You have a great state of mind, though. Let me count your states of greatness. Though true, I won't embarrass.

Marjorie,
As you know, in DC, we call many trees our own--the apricot, fig, pear, and cherry trees in the 'hood, for example...(ssshhhh).

But having no voting representation in Congress, while enraging, is also galvanizing. We live at the crime scene, yes, but we are also responsible for and to the entire nation. That's why I am here.

Worthwhile Action

Call on the FCC to Stop “Fake News”

TV Stations Broadcast “News” Segments Secretly Produced by Corporations or the Government

Go to True Majority website to send a message to FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin urging him to stop corporate and government distribution of “fake news.”

Information is the life blood of democracy. If we lose trust in the news, how can citizens possibly make informed decisions at the polls?

Some TV stations air “news segments” that look like everyday journalism but that are actually produced by the federal government or large corporations and are designed to promote a political position or product.

The Federal Communications Commission must enforce rules stating that TV stations “must clearly disclose” when they air news segments produced by the government or other entities.

Send a message (text below) to FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin, urging him to ban fake news.

The Center for Media and Democracy has produced an excellent report documenting 98 instances that TV stations used fake news by corporations like Pfizer, Intel, General Motors, and Capital One. Click here to read the report, and you can also subscribe to their updates on this issue.

The New York Times reported last year that at least 20 federal agencies distributed “Video News Releases” on topics such as Iraq and the Medicare prescription drug act 1.

The Federal Communications Commission recently announced that it would investigate fake news but has made no sign that enforcement of its own rules banning it is anywhere on the horizon.

More people get their news from television than any other source. Let’s do everything we can to make sure the information they get is fair and accurate.

For media accountability,

Matt Holland
TrueMajorityACTION

New York Times, 13 March 2005

Here's the message we'll send to FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin:

In our country, citizens rely on the news media to be informed of important issues. If the "news" they see on TV is secretly produced by government and corporate entities intent on selling a political point of view or a product, it won't be long until citizens lose faith in the news media and our, democracy is threatened.

It's essential that news consumers be able to trust the news media. Otherwise, they will not be able to make informed decisions at the polls come election time.

So, I am writing to ask that you stand up for democracy and put an end to the use and distribution of fake news by government agencies and corporations. If TV stations use video or other content produced by the government, it should be clearly labeled accordingly.

The Federal Communications Commission is not enforcing its own rules banning fake news. Please correct this immediately.

Forward this widely or visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.

http://www.TrueMajorityACTION.org is a grassroots group of citizens who believe in America's true values of openness, fairness and compassion. We believe participating in an effective government is the best way to be mutually responsible for our community.

Has anybody heard today how the "media" Buscho Propaganda has been "playing" the resolution?

I have my predictions how they will present this, but I am probably in the minority. I suspect the media, with the exception of Faux, will give it some positive spin. I say that only because they know the country's sentiment and are loath to create an even worse impression for themselves. Any thoughts?

So we're spending alot of money to have missile defense system operational .. Jong Il King has succeeded in getting attention away from Iran, Iraq, etc. He didn't get to meet with the Russians & Chinese. He wasn't courted as he has little to offer except a big movie collection. He has no oil, just sells weapons so his people & million man army can eat. This is a fine can of worms. No wonder Condi's "alter ego" quit to join Wall Street (which is sinking under the spectre of inrerest rates & inflation). Rat leaving a sinking ship for another one.

Its time to start branding the Republican Party as the Pro Waste Fraud and Abuse Party:

"WASHINGTON, June 20 — Republicans defeated a Democratic measure calling for an investigation into waste and fraud in military contracts today as the Senate engaged in an emotional debate over the Iraq war.

"By a 52-to-44 vote, the Senate rejected the proposal by Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, calling for a panel like that headed by then-Senator Harry Truman that uncovered many abuses in military spending during World War II."

Isn't that the way that Rove would label this vote if the tables were turned? Why do we not frame their votes, and the policies they oppose similarly?

Posted by: Ira at June 20, 2006 01:08 PM

Absolutely, Ira.

Meanwhile, Karl Rove and his fat backside remind us what hard work it is gettting people killed for political gain from an air-conditioned office in Washington, DC.

Carol,

I should probably say here that I talk to Republicans a bit differently than I discuss matters here.

Mostly, I ask questions about what they want for their kids future, and then supply the facts that go unreported in the media.

People draw their own conclusions pretty quickly.

I heard a great thing today on the radio about the difference one person can make. It went something like this:

"If you don't think that one person can make a difference, than you have never been in bed at night with a mosquito flying around."

Buzz buzz, chomp chomp...

On another note about our tortured and dead soldiers in Iraq, I wonder if Tony Snow thinks that "2" is just a number.

These people relly are despicable.

Casey -

Nothing wrong with a little BushCo. bashing among friends! We have to release our aggrivation with them somehow!

I just have found myself trading barbs with the republicans in my family, and it gets none of us anywhere, and doesn't do our cause any good to stoop to their level. THAT's when we should do just as you said - ask what they want for their kids, and how they think the current regime is offering them those things.

Posted by: Ira at June 20, 2006 01:08 PM

Damn straight, Ira.

U.S. soldiers' bodies mutilated, booby-trapped

The bodies of two U.S. soldiers were found mutilated and booby-trapped, military sources said today. Kristian Menchaca and Thomas Tucker went missing Friday after an attack on a traffic control checkpoint south of Baghdad. Their bodies had been desecrated, and visual identification was impossible, the sources said.

www.cnn.com

Abu Ghraib and Gitmo et al has and WILL continue to come back to punish the very soldiers the administration claims to support... tell that to the families of these two young men.

Bad Precedent Bush

This speaks for itself:

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- As the families of two missing soldiers waited to hear if two bodies found Tuesday were their loved ones, the uncle of one lashed out at the government, saying it didn't do enough to bring the men home safe.

"Because the U.S. government did not have a plan in place, my nephew has paid for it with his life," Ken MacKenzie, uncle of Army Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, told NBC's "Today" show.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/20/soldiers.missing/index.html

Got this in the email today - this is your president, ladies and gentlemen. Ask your republican friends to remember this when considering whether to vote for rubberstamping republicans in the fall (sorry so long):

George Bush Resume:

W
RESUMER
GEORGE W. BUSH
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington , DC 20520

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

LAW ENFORCEMENT
I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine , in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been "lost" and is not available.

MILITARY
I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam

COLLEGE
I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE
I ran for U.S. Congress and lost.

I began my career in the oil business in Midland , Texas , in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas . The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.

I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money. With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry, including Enron CEO Ken Lay, I was elected governor of Texas .

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS
I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union. During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America.

I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.

I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.

With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida , and my father's appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President after losing by over 500,000 votes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT
I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.

I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.

I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.

I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.

I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.

I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.

I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market.

In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month.

I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My "poorest millionaire," Condoleeza Rice, had a Chevron oil tanker named after her.

I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President. I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.

My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. History, Enron.

My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.

I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution.

More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip- offs in history.

I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.

I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.

I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.

I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. history.

I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government.

I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.

I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.

I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law. I refused to allow inspectors access to U.S . "prisoners of war" detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.

I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. election).

I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.

I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.

I garnered the most sympathy for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.

I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind.

I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community.

I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families-in-wartime.

In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.

I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.

I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD. I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden [sic] to justice.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES

All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view.

All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.

All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for publi c review. I am a member of the Republican Party.

PLEASE CONSIDER MY EXPERIENCE WHEN VOTING IN THE 2006 MIDTERM ELECTIONS. PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERY VOTER YOU KNOW.

As a mother of a son about the age of the 2 soldiers brutally killed in Iraq, I resent more than ever that our government misled us into war in Iraq. Some will feel outrage only at the killers but it's alot bigger than that. I'm glad the relative quoted above realized that.

"Because the U.S. government did not have a plan in place, my nephew has paid for it with his life," Ken MacKenzie, uncle of Army Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, told NBC's "Today" show.

Posted by: oncall at June 20, 2006 02:34 PM

Poor Uncle Ken, as if he doesn't have enough to contemplate, he is sure to be dealing with a smear campaign next.

Mission Implausible

JK on fire:

KERRY: "Stay the course" is not a plan. And what this administration wants is to have a fake debate, as usual. Uh, they're--you hear the drumbeat on every television show from every commentator, "cut and run, cut and run, cut and run, cut and run." That's their phrase. They've found their three words, they love to do that, and they're gonna try to make the elections in November a choice between "cut and run" or "stay the course." That's not the choice. My plan is not "cut and run." Their plan is "lie and die."

Go Johnny!

see the video of JK on Imus: http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Video_Kerry_outraged_at_soldier_kidnappings_0620.html

US Effort to Rehab Image Falls Short

This is very discouraging & probably one of the things I resent most about the effects this administration has had on this country. Every percentage point we drop in tourism kills 150,000 jobs.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0621/p01s03-usfp.html

What Iraq's Really Like

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/274524_iraqmemoweb20.html

(We were never supposed to see this)

Lie and die.

Sums it up.

Their plan is "lie and die."

Go Johnny!

Posted by: Carol at June 20, 2006 03:11 PM

Finally, someone on our side frames the issue better than the other side.

This is very discouraging & probably one of the things I resent most about the effects this administration has had on this country. Every percentage point we drop in tourism kills 150,000 jobs.

Posted by: DiAnne at June 20, 2006 03:15 PM

It's not just an image problem. It's actually much more difficult to come to the US these days.

If you are not privileged enough to live in Europe, Japan, or Oceania, then count on paying $100 just for the privilege of applying for a visa.

If you are a male between 16 and 45, cough up your military experience and training.

If you are an unmarried female, chances are you will be seen as a potential sex worker, and your application will be denied.

Once you land on US soil, prepare to be photographed, fingerprinted, and tracked, like a criminal.

I know that I wouldn't want to visit a country that would require me to go through the hoops like this. There are countries with far more severe terrorism problems, like the UK, that deal with foreign tourists more sensibly.

And yes, a drop in tourism kills lots of jobs - not just in hotels and tour companies, but also in our ailing airlines. I know that US airlines between US and Europe carry mostly Europeans (because Americans can't afford to vacation in Europe anymore), and if those Europeans decide not to fly here, then US airlines will get killed.

The flip side is that Americans are being treated like dirt in some countries, in retaliation. Brazil fingerprints and photographs Americans. Japan started the same (actually, all visitors to Japan are being fingerprinted). Russia requires American men to submit their military training experience.

"I leave CBS News with tremendous memories. But I leave now most of all with the desire to once again do regular, meaningful reporting. My departure before the term of my contract represents CBS's final acknowledgement, after a protracted struggle, that they had not lived up to their obligation to allow me to do substantive work there. As for their offers of a future with only an office but no assignments, it just isn't in me to sit around doing nothing. So I will do the work I love elsewhere, and I look forward to sharing details about that soon."

Rather also downplayed the influence of the news anchor, his position for 24 years.

"Too much is made of anchors and their personalities, their ups and downs. The larger issues -- the role of a free press and of honest, real news in a democracy, the role of technology in supporting a free press, the "corporatization" of news and its effects on news content -- all deserve more attention, more discussion and more passionate debate.

"I'll see you soon," Rather's statement concluded.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/20/television.news.rather.ap/index.html

... and in other election year news...

U.S. Back at Full War Footing in Afghanistan

June 20, 2006

Brian Ross Reports:

The United States military is quietly carrying out the largest military offensive in Afghanistan since U.S. troops invaded the country in 2001.

"The Taliban has made a comeback, and we have the next 90 days to crush them," said a senior U.S. military official.

The offensive, "Operation Mountain Thrust," involves almost 11,000 U.S. troops and is focused on four southern Afghanistan provinces.

The Taliban has re-emerged as the Afghan government "has created vacuums of power" says the official. Proceeds from the growing opium trade in the region has helped the Taliban obtain new weapons and pay local officials.

The Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, remains at large despite a $10 million reward offered by the United States. U.S. military officials believe he has established a safe haven in Pakistan, where U.S. soldiers cannot operate.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/06/us_back_at_full.html

(... and for Gods sakes, will you please post a reply on that site to the current blogposts. Honestly, I think people are hitting the crack pipe)

Ira, sparrow and others who are interested in helping Ohio,

Jennifer Brunner, candidate for Ohio Sec. of State posted this diary at dailykos. She outlines her plans for Ohio elections and how interested people can help. I have met her a couple of times and she seems to be exactly the kind of elected official we need to undo Ken Blackwell's election dirty work. Hope you find this helpful :

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/6/19/175933/703

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
URGENT & IMMEDIATE: Call Congress NOW!
Support Inslee Ammendment on NSA Spying
Amendment coming for vote within the hour.

In the next hour Congressman Jay Inslee will be submitting an amendment to the Defese Appropriations bill to require the NSA to comply with FISA rules. Your calls RIGHT NOW, can make a difference.

The amendment to the FY '07 Defense Appropriations Act, HR 5631, would prohibit expending any funds in the act for electronic surveillance of U.S. persons in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

This Amendment will not result in any diminution in our capability to track terrorists. The President would still be authorized to conduct surveillance of Al Qaeda affiliates in the U.S. The amendment simply reinforces existing law - that the government must obtain warrants when U.S. persons are targeted, and the surveillance must be reported to Congress.

In enacting FISA, Congress expressly permitted warrantless surveillance for 15 days after Congress declares war. It has now been over 1,500 days since Congress authorized military force against Al Qaeda. Additionally, under current law, the President has the authority to seek warrants retroactively 72 hours after the electronic surveillance has been initiated. Surveillance can occur; it simply must comply with FISA.

The Backbone Campaign strongly supports this amendment as does Bruce Fein, a constitutional scholar who has served as associate deputy attorney general and general counsel of the Federal Communications Commission under President Ronald Reagan and as Research Director for House Republicans on the Iran-contra committee.

ALSO: See article by Lynn Allen at DailyKos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/6/20/132136/986

kay if you are in Ohio maybe you could email me about traveling to Ohio in Sept and Oct. Incidentally your link doesn't seem to open up. Thanks.

Ira,

Dailykos's technical guy had the misfortune to have a truck plow through part of his house while he was at the Yearlykos conference.

He's off trying to take care of his house and their non-techies are trying to take care of the site. They are having some technical problems. If the link doesn't open up the first time, wait a minute or two and try it again.

Kay,

Thanks for that link. She sounds wonderful. I'll be helping in my end of Ohio but not travelling as far as Columbus or Cinci.

Ira,

The link worked for me. Try rebooting your computer.

Equifax employess have now gotten their information stolen from a lap top. Is anyone catching a pattern?

And are these the same people who want us to carry little computer national id cards everywhere?

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

The Cretin approved torturing prisoners of war (whether they were innocent and just in the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught or not).

Now our troops, if captured, will be tortured, just as The Cretin authorized happen to others. I've been wondering when something like this was going to happen.

WHAT did the damned evil fool expect when he insanely authorized torture?!?!?!?!? The Cretin's administration has reaped what they sowed, and we could have expected nothing less than our people being tortured if taken prisoner. 'An eye for an eye'... torture for torture.... There is no one to blame but Bu$h and his evil minions....

I'll bet that, if asked what he would have expected when our people were taken prisoners, that The Cretin (or his mouthpieces) will say some idiotic thing that he would not have anticipated our people to be tortured by the people "we" were liberating from the bad rule of a bad man, then launch into crusade-like warmongering rhetoric about how bad 'our enemies' are for violating human rights - or words to that effect. "What a maroon!" to quote Bugs Bunny.

I watched a few minutes of national Lamestream Snooze, and almost broke out in hysterical laughter borne of sadness when they talked about the kids who were allegedly tortured. ABC VERY carefully crafted their sound bytes of grieving family and friends so that nothing bad was said of The Cretin, even if they did mention in passing that some people are questioning why we are in Iraq, including sound bytes of military vets at a VFW place... but nothing bad was aired against the person of the Cretin in Chief.

WHEN will our representatives start demanding that the evil fool who heads our ship of state be IMPEACHED?!?!?!? It's because of The Cretin and his co-evil-conspirators that our military personnel were tortured....! There just simply is no one else to blame for the LIES and the ILLEGAL invasion and occupation, the ILLEGAL torture of prisoners.... Even the kool-aiders will have to wake up to that harsh reality at some point.

I still endorse what Rabbi Hillel said in the 5th century BCE (to paraphrase): "Do NOT unto others as you would NOT have them do unto you."

"Dark Side" Sheds Light on Cheney
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/062006T.shtml
"Frontline" delivers a devastating look tonight at the efforts of Vice President Dick Cheney to gain control of the war on terror after 9/11. In doing so, the show purports, he compromised the integrity of America's intelligence system.

"Check your local listings." It's a two-hour show, comes on at 8 p.m. in the local PBS market. Since PBS's news has often been tempered to slant in favor of neoCons, I'm going to watch the show to see if it is anything like what the article says it is.

Nonny,
Watching it now.

"Loved" at home, "loved" around the world...

Vienna - A bomb alert was sounded in Vienna on Tuesday about 12 hours before the arrival of US President George W Bush, but the four devices planted in the city center were soon found to be fakes.

--snip--
General Director of Public Security Erik Buxbaum meanwhile estimated the cost of the huge security operation before and during Bush's approximately 21 and a half hours on Austrian territory would be about one million euros.

http://www.krone.at/

some provocative ones

William Rivers Pitt | Seeking a Better Debate
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/062006R.shtml
Will Pitt says: "An overwhelming majority of Americans believe that the invasion of Iraq was a colossal mistake, and further believe that a withdrawal of our forces is absolutely necessary. Anyone observing what took place in Congress last week cannot deny that the Republican majority has no intention of seeing those desires brought to fruition."

US Activates Missile Defense Amid North Korea Concern
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/062006S.shtml
The United States has activated its ground-based interceptor missile-defense system amid concerns over an expected North Korean missile launch. And, as tensions with North Korea rise, three US aircraft carriers filled the skies with fighters Tuesday for one of the largest US military exercises in decades off the island of Guam.

"Dark Side" Sheds Light on Cheney
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/062006T.shtml
"Frontline" delivers a devastating look tonight at the efforts of Vice President Dick Cheney to gain control of the war on terror after 9/11. In doing so, the show purports, he compromised the integrity of America's intelligence system.

Martin Weiss | The Most Powerful Force on Earth
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/062006EA.shtml
An economist questions the drive for growth at any cost, and offers some hope for change. Martin Weiss says: "The population explosion is beyond control. It has emerged as the single most powerful, immutable force on Earth, driving geopolitical change, stimulating economic growth and generating global inflation."

Pentagon says homosexuality is a mental disorder

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5100828.stm

but the new female head of the Episcopal Church nationally says homosexuality is not a sin

http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0040965.cfm

What a day!

The PBS piece on Cheney is similar to the content of the David Hare play, "Stuff Happens". The piling up of evidence is incredible.

What a bunch of crooks.

Pentagon says homosexuality is a mental disorder

Posted by: DiAnne at June 20, 2006 09:52 PM

What a crock of crap. Mental health professionals dropped that position over 3 decades ago. Even the draconian Chinese government dropped that position - though they continue to oppress gays for "cultural reasons."

I just got a call from DCCC asking for contributions. I told the caller that as long as the Democrats continue to harbor Stephanie Herseth and other homophobes, the DCCC will never have my money again. I would rather support the true individual allies that happen to be Democrats, than a Democratic Party that increasingly looks more Republican.

Has anyone seen Indy?

Posted by: Christy at June 20, 2006 11:03 PM

I haven't. Maybe Monkey or April has.

Hello Ally love.

How are you?

Anyone have any idea about the proportional size of what 75,000 bricks looks like?

Would it be the size of a small house, big house.. congress...?

Standard old fashioned brick

Anyone?

No, it is not a trick question.

Ally
South Dakota is a sad place where Stephanie Herseth is like the least scary thing. Or poor old Tom Daeschle. So that's bad. I know a gay man here in Seattle who went to one of my Alma Maters (University of South Dakota). The day he left the state, Reverend Phelps' people were on a street corner in Sioux Falls. The best thing about South Dakota - it's losing population & only has 2 Congressional seats. The only thing I can think of that they have that's good is sweet corn, tomatoes & watermelon.

US Mulls Intercepting Korean Missile

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060619/nkorea_missile_060620/20060620?hub=CTVNewsAt11

scary Canadian article, especially since tests so far of our
missile defense system haven't gone very well

Posted by: Christy at June 20, 2006 11:03 PM

since when?

Reflecting on the Cheney/PBS piece tonight:

The producers clearly wanted to show how Cheney is the man behind the curtain. After watching it, I am not sure I understand a great deal about who Cheney is (even the movement analysis fails because there is so little variation in flow or attention that any moment of revelation becomes hugely revelatory -- or distracting), but I do think they are correct: he is in the background of every picture.

Even when he is foreground (like on Meet The Press etc), he is background.

The man has cultivated the ability to be both powerful and largely invisible. The thesis of the piece is that Cheney and Rumsfield have taken out the CIA as a player in foreign policy.

Excuse me while I throw down some whiskey, in lieu of contemplating THAT, tonight.

Hello Veritas..

Ummm caramel.

Seriously, I need to know how many bricks that is, like big, very large or humongous will do.

Karen ,

Dick cheney is a pure war profiteer. Only better at it than georgie.

To george w it is almost solely about money.

To cheney it is almost exclusively about power, namely controlling powerful people and their resources. The puppet master with his foot on the nexk of every slave.

Together they are a lethal combination that will never stop killing.

I watched the Frontline piece,"The Dark Side". I used to have some concerns that the military intelligence issue was suspicious and a potential civil liberties issue. Now I have absolutely no doubts that we should fear our what our government has become. Negraponte, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Hayden (director of CIA and a general as well) believe in the ultimate power of the executive and the infallibility of the military.

When Americans start to have the same fear that many of us are experiencing, it will be too late. Elections will continue to be stolen and those who speak out will be labeled as enemy combatants by the authorities as they keep our country in a perpetual state of war against "terrorists".

Some of you may be saying, "Well, he finallly gets it." For my part, I can only say that I had more faith that our government which was established by visionaries with the greatest hopes and aspirations for humankind, would be able to withstand this attack. As a steward of our well being, our government has failed all Americans. Our government has become what Americans have fought against in order to protect those things we hold most precious.

The system has been corrupted by the weakest among us. They are the ones who would surrender themselves to the lowest of human traits: cowardice, greed, power lust, wrath, envy, vanity, gluttony and pride.

Now they are in control. How long will this last? Are we to be prisoners in our own country? Should I have to fear writing these very words? When will America become the America that really never existed, "That shining city on the hill", but we knew it always had the potential to become? When will America be able to fulfill its promise to humankind? It will never have that opportunity as long as people who support this government continue to reign over us.

Speaking of media whores and gigolos: Judith Miller and Robert Novak are my top picks.

Hello Ally love.

How are you?

Posted by: Christy at June 20, 2006 11:04 PM

I'm okay - I haven't seen you on your blog for a while!

US Mulls Intercepting Korean Missile

Posted by: DiAnne at June 20, 2006 11:25 PM

Well, if the Unification Church didn't secretly invest in and help North Korea behind its anti-Communist facade (North Korea now has an automotive industry thanks to the Moonies), then this would have been less likely.

Proof that the conservative movement, which relies heavily on the Unification Church, is a farce. It needs an enemy to survive, and North Korea is proving to be just a very convenient one, alongside Iran and the new Iraq (and Venezuela and more).

Posted by: Ally McLesbian at June 21, 2006 06:47 AM

Very interesting, your comment 'the conservative movement needs an enemy to survive.'

It's so true, on so many levels... and I see so much of that amongst the fundies and the fundie wannabes.

Fundies seperate themselves from everyone else in their eyes, makes them truly believe that they are the good ones, the blessed ones, and everyone else is bad, that their way is the only way, period.

It plays out in the conservative ideology and all of it's policies, and I cannot fathom for the life of me how people who claim to believe so completely in something so eminently rooted in peace, truth and charity can so willingly be party to actions that clearly violate that covenant.

With us or against us.

The world seems to be making that a judement call on that, and the US ain't stacking up so well, which is ok for those who can't wait to meet their Savior, but for the rest of us who are in no hurry there, it sucks.

The Bully Culprit

(rant over... for now)

Posted by: Ally McLesbian at June 21, 2006 06:47 AM
Posted by: monkey at June 21, 2006 07:17 AM

Agreed.

I see similarities to how the people in Germany began to split up into "with us or against us..." already. And you see it not only with regards to the national policies but with regards to the whole idea that "we are the moral people..." which is probably why they chose the frame they used to explain how/why Bush was re-elected and that the election wasn't stolen.

They think they're moral because they gathered their votes from church phone books and used two issues, gays and abortion (2004). Then they made anyone feel that if you support either you're not one of God's children. They call liberals gay loving baby-killers and remind us of how Rome fell. They call themselves true Christians even though they're actions are unChristian-like. They did that then and they're still trying to do it now.

I can't pretend to understand why a group of people who want to follow Jesus's message would forget about everything else he said, but the leadership of those churches and their followers just blindly follow along.

Oddly, they still wear their pride and Christianity on their sleeve even as the Bible tells people to wear their faith in their heart. And these same people are like the ones in Germany who felt they were the "real Germans" and the best Aryans; they act 'above' everyone else like the clique at my daughters' school.

Republicans have definitely made people feel that they are the better group, the real patriots, the real Americans. How many people felt shame to admit they were a "liberal" after all the years of verbal abuse from these people? People grasp the name "moderate" or "independent" as if it's a life preserver protecting them from the waves of hate that people are willing to place on liberals. How did the word liberal become equivalent to black, mexican, jew, immigrant, etc...? And how can so-called Christians do this when Jesus himself would never do that?

And despite their 'faith based' roots, what's really scary is how easily they follow their leaders hate speech. like Rush or Coulter's hate dialogues. They sweep their followers up in a nonreality based emotion, just like they did in pre-WWII Germany.

Frankly, I think those Republican think tanks in DC have figured out which emotional buttons to push just like they did in Germany and then they exploit them. (Buttons: fear, hate, wanting to be part of the 'in group', battle fatigue, etc....)

Sometimes, I think they're all up there playing with us, like we're the mice in their own personal maze, and their own base is full of ugly-rats that they're playing with as well. We're all rodents but those rats just don't realize this so they keep thwarting our escape.

Posted by: Ally McLesbian at June 21, 2006 06:47 AM
Posted by: monkey at June 21, 2006 07:17 AM

Yes, I agree with you both.... the conservative movement needs an enemy to survive. For too long, the warmongering rhetoric has been about "the enemy" - the undefined 'enemy' at that. It's like the cold war all over again in some of the rhetoric (for those of us old enough to remember that)... with one MAJOR difference: This time there's a mentally unbalanced "leader" at the helm, and he has those background people like Chinkster and Rummy pulling his strings, and they are all for "pre-emptive strikes" against "enemies" who have so far done nothing whatsoever to actually harm us except use some of the same warmongering rhetoric that king georgie is using. What harm they've done to us is after they illegally invaded and occupied nations and first harmed their people. (I did notice the names of that Dark Side Frontline piece on PBS last night. All the major players are signatories with PNAC. Their ultimate aim is world domination.)

All little boys playing my wee-wee is bigger than your wee-wee (substitute missiles or bombs or bullets for phallic symbols). They're playing king of the hill with deadly consequences for hundreds of thousands of people. And for what? Besides controlling the flow of oil and more money to corporations, for what???

Stupid, stupid men....

Their infamous smear machine is targetted on a new victim, the uncle of one of the dead (mutilated) soldiers:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/06/20.html#a8794

No he's a hero, like Nicholas Berg's dad.

It's their smear machine not ours.
I knew this would happen.

Smear machine is evil.

What will they say about all the VFW members who
say we shouldn't be over in Iraq?!

Part of what I got from Carville & Begalla:

If there's one thing dirtier and uglier than Karl Rove and the Republican propaganda machine, it's Karl Rove and the Republican propaganda machine backed into a corner.

(snip)

Just look at the dirty tricks they have already started...

In Pennsylvania, Republican Curt Weldon criticized his Democratic opponent, highly decorated Navy Admiral Joe Sestak, because, when his five year old daughter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, Admiral Sestak and his wife sent her to the renowned Children's National Medical Center instead of a local hospital.

Or just recently, Republicans actually ran ads trying to link Democratic candidate Francine Busby to a child pornographer in the California special election!

Not one topic is off limits to these guys. When Iraq War veteran Patrick Murphy won the Democratic nomination to take on Republican Mike Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania, one of their most vulnerable Republicans, this was Fitzpatrick's response:

"The voters now have a clear choice between Pat Murphy, a 'cut and run' liberal and me, Mike Fitzpatrick..."

We cannot let them get away with describing an Iraq war veteran as 'cut and run' - And that's what Republicans will be doing all over the country.

HAPPY SOLSTICE!

Poor Uncle Ken, as if he doesn't have enough to contemplate, he is sure to be dealing with a smear campaign next.

Mission Implausible

Posted by: monkey at June 20, 2006 03:06 PM

Crystal Balls Half Off