Target: Iraq

Kos has a post up tonight detailing a report that I missed yesterday.  It's all about Iraq - the moving target, it seems.

The "New" Way Forward: An Update

Yesterday the White House issued a progress report on the new way forward in Iraq that's chock full of "hopeful" signs of progress and warnings about withdrawing before victory is achieved.  But it seems that the victory goalposts have been moved again, because instead of the previous goal of, "a free Iraq that is democratic, that can govern itself, defend itself and sustain itself, and be a strong ally in this war against radicals and extremists," what we are now: [...]

Tags: Iraq War

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Did You Hear?

They had a big terrorism scare in London early today.  Or maybe not.

London Bomb--What a Crock of Crap!!

So I turn on the telly this morning and find breathless CNN anchors hyperventilating over the nuclear suicide car weapon of mass destruction discovered smoldering outside of a London nightclub. One report from the scene notes that: London police were contacted when witnesses saw a Mercedes being driven erratically near London West End night club Tiger Tiger, and the driver jumped out of the automobile and ran away. The car was reported to have two gasoline canisters and be full of nails. CNN adds: Explosives officers discovered the fuel and [...]

It all depends on what you read...

Dangerous bomb deactivated in London

While some of the recent alleged terrorist plots in the U.S. haven’t withstood much scrutiny, it looks as if London avoided a serious terrorist incident today. Police in London say they have deactivated a bomb packed with nails and capable of creating huge casualties, raising renewed fears of a terrorist strike almost two years after the [...]

Tags: London, Bomb, Terrorism

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As Always

We pass along...

Today's Must Read

So, the White House has claimed executive privilege, and Congress has thrown down the gauntlet. So where are we now? Enter the legal scholars! If there's one thing they agree on, it's that there's no [...]

Tags: White House, Executive Privilege

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Yes, There Was A Debate

It was Thursday night.  It was the Dems.  How'd they do?

Top Iowa Columnist Says Hillary Resoundingly Won Debate

Influential Iowa columnist David Yepsen of the Des Moines Register calls the debate for Hillary in glowing terms: Clinton was crisp, cogent and methodical in her answers. She understood better than [...]

Tags: Clinton, Debate, Yepsen

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Supreme Court Takes Up Gitmo

Here's one we'll be watching, for sure!

Supreme Court to hear appeal by Gitmo detainees.

AP reports: The Supreme Court, reversing course, agreed Friday to review whether Guantanamo Bay detainees may go to federal court to challenge their indefinite confinement. The action, announced without comment along with other end-of-term orders, is a setback for the Bush administration. It had argued that a new law strips courts of their jurisdiction to hear [...]

Tags: Supreme Court, Gitmo, Guantanamo Bay

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Earth From Above

Never thought I'd find myself linking to something at AOL, but I stumbled on this tonight and it's pretty darn fascinating.  Seems AOL has a new-to-me "reference center" that just happens to be featuring some amazing photographs of earth, taken by NASA satellites.  Ya' know, this is a pretty darn beautiful place we all call home...Go on, take a couple of minutes.  Enjoy.

Tags: AOL, NASA, Satellite

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From Fox News

So, it MUST be dependable, right?

Bush hits new record low in Fox News poll; Congress more popular

This just in: Americans are giving bad grades all around. President Bush’s job approval rating now stands at 31 percent, the lowest ever in the FOX News poll, and almost twice as many Americans say they disapprove of the president’s job performance. And those harsh sentiments extend down Pennsylvania Avenue to Capitol Hill. Six months after [...]

Tags: Fox News, Job Approval

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Blowin' Smoke

Again.  All this smoke can't be good for poor Tony Snow's health..

Snow responds to wiretapping subpoenas.

Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas for documents related to the White House’s warrantless surveillance program. Today, White House spokesperson Tony Snow called the subpoenas “outrageous” and alleged that Congress was kept “fully informed all along the route:” SNOW: [L]et’s just say it’s an outrageous request. What you have is a program that was [...]

Tags: Senate Judiciary Committee, Subpoenas, Tony Snow

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Any Questions?

I'm thinking this is a fairly major admission from the White House...

Legal Memo Confirms White House Led Effort To Target And Remove U.S. Attorneys

Today, White House counsel Fred Fielding released a letter informing Congress that President Bush will assert executive privilege over White House documents relating to the firing of U.S. attorneys. Fielding attached a legal memorandum written by Solicitor General Paul Clement, laying out the legal basis for the executive privilege claim. Clement reviewed the documents that the [...]

Tags: Fielding, Executive Privilege, U.S. Attorneys

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The Tragedy That Is Iraq

Note that this article comes from the Army Times, please.  Not some left-wing, radical, publication.

Family of slain soldier blames exhaustion

...Craig, whose nickname was Dre, called his family by cell phone Saturday to tell them he was on 24-hour security duty, said Erik Brown, his godfather and family spokesman. After that, Craig went out on a mission and was killed, he said. “He was very tired, he was exhausted,” Brown said Thursday. “Due to that exhaustion, we believe that’s why we lost Andre. The soldiers are not getting rest, they’re tired.” Craig described “deplorable” conditions in Iraq, including women being raped and [...]

Tags: Iraq War

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Discrimination in Schools

Did the Supreme Court just open the door to more discrimination?

BREAKING: Supreme Court Strikes Down Public School Desegregation Law

In the “biggest school desegregation ruling in more than a decade,” the Supreme Court today ruled 5-4 to reject public school assignment plans “that take account of students’ race.” The AP reports: The decision in cases affecting schools in Louisville, Ky., and Seattle could imperil similar plans in hundreds of districts nationwide, and it leaves public [...]

UPDATE:  Can you say, "Campaign Issue"?

Hillary Condemns SCOTUS Decision On Racial Diversity In Schools

Hillary is first out of the box with a statement on the SCOTUS decision this morning that rejected school diversity plans that take account of students' race. The decision could imperil efforts to [...]

Tags: Desegregation, Discrimination

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For The Sake of Argument

Let's jump on board the health care debate, shall we?

Fear, uncertainty and doubt about health care waiting lists

Waiting lists, waiting lists, waiting lists! OMG! Michael Moore is a terrible person! "Michael Moore’s denunciation of America’s health-care system is about to hit the silver screen. In the film’s trailer, a desk attendant at a British hospital smiles while explaining that in Britain’s National Health Service, “everything is free.” But for free hospital care, Britons [...]

Tags: Universal Health Care, Michael Moore, Sicko

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So Much For Presidential Capital

All the arm-twisting didn't work. This was bad legislation; not even a solid sto-gap measure.

Senate immigration bill dies... again

The Senate's attempt to keep the controversial immigration-reform bill alive failed minutes ago, with 46 senators voting to keep it going, and 53 against, well short of the 60 needed to keep going. This was the second time in as many months that the bill, which would have given a path to citizenship to the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, was declared dead. But this time it looked like it [...]

Tags: Immigration

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Sobering Thoughts

I'm a bit more optimistic than Carl, but we do have a problem.  Sadly, it's a growing problem.  And it needs to be fixed.  That could be a tough task...

Decay

...We used to be the bastion of advanced technology, in research and development, in pure science for science sake. Now we can't even keep the lights on. Particularly since the turn of the decade, it seems as though America doesn't do anything anymore. We don't innovate. We don't lead. We don't implement. We don't discover.  This is far deadlier to our society than one might think: without the competitive advantage we've taken in the 20th Century, America would be a second rate agrarian society. Think the Soviet Union, only without [...]

Tags: Blackout, Internet

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Your Money

Don't know how things are for you, but it seems EVERYTHING is costing more these days, from utilities to food to fun. Overall, how's it going?

The Bush Economy

Ever hear from your conservative friends about how well the economy is doing because of the Bush tax cuts? Putting aside the issue of income inequality, which means our economy is doing well for a smaller and smaller percentage of Americans, we now find that the economy is hardly growing at all. In fact, factor in inflation and the economy may very well be at a standstill or actually experiencing negative growth: "WASHINGTON (AP) -- The economy limped ahead at just a 0.7 percent pace in the first quarter, the [...]

Tags: Economy, Bush Administration, Income Inequality

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Daily Chuckle

Ann Coulter is usually good for a laugh or two.  Today, thankfully, is no exception..via Huffington Post and MSNBC..

Ann Coulter Loses It On "Morning Joe"

Oh, poor, poor beleaguered Ann Coulter, unfairly criticized by mean, terrible people like Elizabeth Edwards who don't want her to exercise her First Amendment rights to mock people over the death of their children and/or husbands who died in 9/11! Seriously, this woman is whack, and Joe can [...]

Tags: Coulter, Edwards, MSNBC, Scarborough, Morning Joe

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Settle In

And read.  Because, this truly is...

Today's Must Read

No other agency in the government has as much power over the lives of citizens as the Justice Department. That's what has made the U.S. attorney firings scandal so urgent. And time and time again, [...]

Tags: DOJ, Justice Department, Gonzales, Charlton

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It Is, Officially, Summer

That means it's time for things to heat up in Washington...

Democrats Looking To Make It A Long, Hot Summer For Bush And The GOP

Faced with crumbling Congressional favorability ratings, House and Senate Democrats have begun a full-scale campaign to pin responsibility on the GOP for the failure to either enact key domestic legislation or to stem the bloodshed in Iraq. Next month, Democrats are prepared to use the Defense Authorization bill to exploit fissures within the Republican coalition. Democrats plan to press the case that Republican obstructionism in Congress and the President's vetoes are [...]

Tags: Congress, Defense Appropriation, Defense Authorization, Iraq

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Point. And Counter-Point

The White House response was expected.  But the Congressional response is strong.  It is, as the blogger says, "Game On".

WH Gives Congress The Finger…Again

Just off the AP wire, via MSNBC: “The doctrine of executive privilege exists, at least in part, to protect such communications from compelled disclosure to Congress, especially where, as here, the president’s interests in maintaining confidentiality far outweigh Congress’s interests in obtaining deliberative White House communications,” Fielding said. “Further, it remains unclear precisely how and why your [...]

Tags: Executive Privilege, White House Communications

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And, So, It Continues

More of your money, headed for KBR and others...

Army Awards Three $5 Billion Contracts (KBR)

Three defense companies on Wednesday were each awarded $5 billion contracts from the Army to provide food and shelter to U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. Falls Church, Va.-based  [...]

Speaking of outsourcing..

Grossly Beyond the Scope

...The WaPo has a story today about how a $2 million DHS no-bid contract with Booz Allen awarded in May 2003 turned into $30 million by the end of 2004 and into a $48 million contract in June [...]

Tags: KBR, Halliburton, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait

Tags: Outsourcing

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New Orleans Redux

Isn't it ridiculous that we're still talking about the horrible mishandling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster?  We're still talking because it was such a debacle and because things STILL aren't fixed. 

BushCo Never Implemented the “Southeast Louisiana Catastrophic Hurricane Plan”

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released a report today on the 7,500 records they forced the DHS to turn over in a FOIA request and subsequent lawsuit. Will anyone be surprised to learn this is the same song, new verse, on the amazing incompetence of business folks trying to [...]

Think Progress has more...

New Post-Katrina Investigations Reveal More Federal Waste And Incompetence

Three new investigations shed further light on how the Bush administration betrayed Gulf Coast residents during Hurricane Katrina, and how New Orleans and other affected areas are still suffering from federal waste and incompetence. Some key highlights of the reports: EPA allowed toxic chemicals to harm poor Katrina victims: A GAO report revealed that EPA publicly [...]

Tags: Katrina, New Orleans, Louisiana, FEMA

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Come On, Now!!!

This is just wrong, Mr. Romney.  Wrong!

I do not think Mitt Romney is very good with animals

Nuff said: "Before beginning the drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family’s hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon’s roof rack. […] As the oldest son, Tagg Romney commandeered the way-back of the wagon, keeping his eyes fixed out the rear window, where he glimpsed the first sign of trouble. “Dad!” [...]

Tags: Romney's Dog, Mitt Romney

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Empty Words

Senator Lugar got a lot of attention for his Monday night speech, but now...

Lugar reverses course

On Monday, Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) appeared to shake things up with a Senate speech in which he said Bush’s war strategy is not working and that the U.S. should downsize the military’s role in Iraq. Given Lugar’s stature in the GOP, it was perceived as a seminal moment. Lugar’s spokesperson added, however, that the speech [...]

Tags: Logar, Bush Administration, Iraq War

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Presidential Politics

From Olbermann, via Brad Blog, tough talk from a constitutional expert.

Law Expert Jonathon Turley: NSA Spying 'Clearly a Criminal Act, Impeachable Offense'

... Constitutional law professor Jonathon Turley on Olbermann: "For many years, since we first found out about this program, some of us have said that this was a clearly criminal act that the president called for. ... If we're right, not only did he order that crime, but it would be, [...]

Tags: Turley, Olbermann, Constitution, NSA

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Battle of The Bloggers

Mark Noonan, over at "Blogs for Bush" has started a bit of a firestorm debate with his commenters. I'd be the first to point out that his original post consists of what is essentially a press release from the U.S. Military and is (surprised??!) remarkably upbeat about progress in Iraq.  With that being said, read on and make sure you follow the comments!

Battle of Baqouba

More things the critics don't want to hear from Iraq: Iraqi Security Forces and Task Force Lightning Soldiers continued clearing and securing Baqouba, while providing humanitarian aid to citizens there June 27 as Operation Arrowhead Ripper entered its ninth day [....]

Tags: Iraq War, Baqouba, Arrowhead Ripper

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Needing More Than A Few Good Men

The U.S. Army is in a world of hurt.  It's running short of Captains. 

Army Looking To Stem Loss Of Captains

Stunned by the continuing loss of its captains -- the critical, mid-career officers who command companies, the basic combat organizations -- the Army has asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates for permission to begin offering $20,000 cash to captains willing to stick it out another three years. If that doesn't appeal, [...]

Tags: Army, Captain Shortage

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Time On His Hands

He's (theoretically) no longer a part of the Bush Administration.  So, Donald Rumsfeld has enough time on his handds to become an author.

Rumsfeld Shopping Memoir On Iraq Failures For ‘Large Cash Advance’

The ever-shrinking group of Americans who believe invading Iraq was a good idea may soon receive some support, in the form of a memoir by one of its key architects, Donald Rumsfeld. The former defense secretary has the publishing world “abuzz” over the possibility that he may write a book “justifying the military strategy for [...]

Tags: Rumsfeld, Iraq War

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Quick Prediction

This guy is gonna be looking for a new gig.  Real soon.

Second reporter complains Romney’s fake officer pulled her over

As has been discussed here before, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s operations director is in trouble with the law– for pretending to be the law. Jay Garrity (pictured right, looking at Romney in a creepy way), who is now on a paid leave of absence, allegedly illegally impersonated a police officer in multiple incidents, to [...]

Tags: Romney, Garrity, Impersonating an Officer

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Your Tax Dollars

At work...unfortunately. "Think Progress" has all the gory details...

Report: ‘Shadow Goverment’ Of Private Contractors Explodes Under Bush

A new report by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform concludes that, under the Bush administration, the “shadow government of private companies working under federal contract has exploded in size. Between 2000 and 2005, procurement spending increased by over $175 billion dollars, making federal contracts the fastest growing component of federal discretionary spending.” But [...]

Tags: Shadow Government, Private Contractors, Halliburton

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Entertaining Television

Actually, "enlightening" might be a better term for it.

More Sicko

Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks appeared on CNN’s Paula Zahn show last night to talk about health care and the film Sicko. You can watch the video here. Be sure to check out the spokesperson for the Right, Amy something. My comments: The young lady representing the Right kept going on about how she didn’t have [...]

Tags: Sicko, Health Care, Uygur, Zahn, CNN

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Your Attendance Is Required...

Work is now guaranteed for dozens of those White House lawyers...

Finally, The Subpoenas

Let’s have the court challenge front and center now. Democrats in Congress need to get over the fantasy that they can negotiate a solution with this White House. The Bush Administration will reject the subpoenas on grounds of executive privilege and force the Democrats to take this to court. Do it now, so that the rest of Bush’s agenda and his [...]

Senate subpoenas Cheney's office, forcing him to claim executive privelege

But of course, Cheney just said he and his office are not part of the executive branch. But he'll have to change his tune immediately in order to squash the subpoena by claiming executive privelege. And that is why the subpoena was issued right now, to force Cheney to recant his recent claim that he's a new and independent 4th [...]

Tags: Evesdropping, Supoenas, Cheney, Bush Administration

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Your Kids' Health

Another new report and things aren't looking good for our kids and their health.

Kids' Health Issues Rise, Foreshadowing Future Of Increased Disability, Health Care Spending

Writing in an issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association devoted to childhood chronic disease, researchers tracked rising rates of obesity, asthma and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, among U.S. children. In the early 1970s, about 5 percent of children ages 5 to 18 were obese, compared to about [...]

Tags: Healthcare, AMA

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Those CIA Documents

The "family jewels", as they're called.  Hundreds of pages of CIA documents, newly-declassified.  The Danger Room blog at Wired Magazine is doing an excellent job of sorting through the most interesting information. Here's a link to one tidbit. You'll find much more to read, if you just look around that site..

Spooks' "Behavorial Drug" Experiments Exposed

Of all 703 pages in the CIA's creepy family jewels docket, I'm voting this one as the creepiest (for now, at least): A memo outlining the Agency's program of testing out behavioral drug(s) on volunteer members of the Armed Forces [....]

Tags: CIA, Family Jewels, Drugs

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Just In Case

You haven't seen this yet, it's WAY worth a few moments of your time.

Bill O’Reilly Hoisted On His Own Petard By 16 Year Old

Radar Online: Last week, O’Reilly imploded during an interview with Jesse Lange, a rising junior at Boulder High School in Colorado (video above). He was on the program to address O’Reilly’s criticism of the Boulder High sex-education program. Lange tells Radar that he knew he was brought on for an opposing view, but his main concern [...]

Tags: O'Reilly, Jesse Lange, Boulder High School, Sex Education

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Don't Forget

Today brought the final part of the Washington Post's detailed look at Vice President Dick Cheney.

Cheney, Part 4

....The fourth and final installment in the Washington Post's series about Dick Cheney is up, and it's a bit of a chin scratcher. It's about the environment, and the biggest chunk of the piece is devoted to Cheney's [...]

Tags: Cheney, Washington Post

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Change of Heart

Well, this was kinda fun to watch, while it lasted...however, the Politico webbers haven't exactly been batting 100% with their sources lately.  Time will tell.

Cheney Admits He's Part of the Executive Branch

Vice President Dick Cheney’s office "will not pursue the argument that he is separate from the executive branch," senior administration officials tell The Politico. "The decision follows a threat by [...]

Tags: Cheney, Executive Branch, Emanuel

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What America Thinks

CNN's been busy polling Americans.  Again.  We, in general, are not liking what's happening in Iraq.

Poll: Majority Says U.S. Action In Iraq Not Morally Justified

Some more numbers from this week's big CNN poll are now online, and here's a key one flagged by Atrios from the "teevee" a bit earlier: Do you think the United States' action in Iraq is morally [...]

From the Conservative side of things, here's a different view on those same number..

Media Spinning Latest Poll

As long as we're looking at polls, here's one from some other top-flight news folks (and MTV):

Poll: Young Americans Are Leaning Left

Tags: Iraq War, CNN Poll

Tags: New York Times, CBS News, MTV

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Edwards vs Coulter

Ann Coulter is one pundit I can hardly force myself to watch or listen to.  Yesterday brought another outstanding example of why she's on my "least-favorite" list.  Kudos to Elizabeth Edwards for taking her on and pulling no punches. Coulter simply comes off as petty and stupid.  It's almost good enough to enjoy...

Elizabeth Edwards Confronts Coulter During Live Television Appearance

Elizabeth Edwards confronted right-wing pundit Ann Coulter during a live interview on MSNBC this afternoon, charging that Coulter’s “personal attacks” on former senator John Edwards and others were based on “the language of hate.” Yesterday on ABC’s Good Morning America, Coulter said, “[I]f I’m gonna say anything about John Edwards in the future, I’ll just wish [...]

Now, read on...

LEARNING TO FIGHT BACK IN AN ASYMMETRIC WAR Nice...

Nice work, Elizabeth Edwards.  As a lot of you know, Ann Coulter was on Hardball with Chris Matthews and Elizabeth Edwards called in and lambasted Coulter for ugly remarks about John Edwards and his family over the years. Think Progress has a transcript and the video. I have to confess that I didn't enjoy this as much as I would have if [...]

Tags: Coulter, Edwards, MSNBC

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What Lies Ahead

Some thoughts about the future for Iraq.  This, my friends, is your required reading for today.  Be forewarned: it's not an optimistic picture...

PEEK: A Calamitous View of Iraq's Future-from Basra

Barry Lando: A report just issued by the International Crisis Group on the horrific situation in Basra after the British equivalent of the U.S. surge. A presage of what [...]

And, from our own military folks...

U.S. military shows serious doubt in Iraq troops

American military commanders now seriously doubt that Iraqi security forces will be able to hold the ground that U.S. troops are fighting to clear - gloomy predictions that strike at the heart of Washington's key strategy to turn the tide in Iraq. Several senior American [...]

Tags: Iraq War, Baghdad, Basra

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Say It Ain't So...

Hilton Hotels didn't.  Did they?

Hilton Hotels Sponsor FOXNews.com's Paris Hilton Page. [News Hounds]

Hat tip to Paul H. for the catch on this one!! It seems that the Hilton Hotel chain is sponsoring FOXNews.com's coverage of celebutante jailbird Paris Hilton. Talk about strange bedfellows!! Screenshots below the [...]

Tags: Hilton, Fox News

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Poor Tony Snow

After throwing understudy Dana Perino to the lions for a couple of days, Tony Snow was back today.  But, not faring much better with reporters...

Oversight, White House Style

While the White House continues to struggle with the question of which branch of government Dick Cheney belongs to, they are sure of one thing; when it comes to security breaches, this administration is all over them.  And during today's press briefing, Tony Snow explained the rigorous oversight of the Executive Branch: [...]

Tags: Tony Snow, Cheney

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Just Not Sure About Religion

I'm a bit surprised by these new numbers.  Given the strength of the religious right, I would have expected numbers much higher.  Still, it would seem to present a bit of a dilemma for politicians planning to pander to that segment of the population.

American Confidence In Organized Religion Wanes

Organized religion trails the military, the police, and small business in a new Gallup survey of the confidence Americans have in their major institutions . Religion leads banking by a small margin and it exceeds the presidency, congress, the criminal justice system, and television news by wide margins. In the last year, those who expressed [...]

Tags: Religion, Military, Police

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Stop And Think

Write the right words and the payoff can be huge.  Just ask....well, you really need to read it all for yourself.  Suffice it to say that it's an amazing story.

‘Bush’s Pollyana’

It’s late-September 2004, just six weeks before Election Day. John Kerry is awfully close to Bush in the polls, and Americans’ concerns about the war in Iraq are escalating. An op-ed appears in the Washington Post that helps change the conventional wisdom among the DC chattering class: I see tangible progress [in Iraq]. Iraqi security elements [...]

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Election Trickery

Some of the most solid reporting, so far, on the Tim Griffin "caging" controversy. 

Cage Match: Did Griffin Try to Disenfranchise African-American Voters in 2004?

For years, Tim Griffin, the former aide to Karl Rove who’s been at the center of the U.S. attorney controversy, has been dogged by allegations that he was a part of a 2004 scheme to block [...]

Tags: Griffin, Rove, 2004 Election, Caging

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The Cheney Saga

Just a quick note to remind you that the Washington Post "Cheney Saga" continues...

Dick Cheney: The Keeper Of The Bush Bubble

Today’s installment of the Becker and Gellman Dick Cheney Controls George Bush series is a doozy.   Helpless Dancer hit the nail on the head in the comments on this: The thing that stikes me about the WashPost series is that Cheney was constructing Bush’s bubble from the very get go. He has managed to prevent anybody from [...]

Tags: Cheney, Washington Post

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Two Quick Polls

Just to keep you informed, linkage follows to a couple of recent Presidentail Polls noted by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:

Canadians Back Clinton

They don't get to vote, but if Canadians could choose the next President of the United States, "it would be Hillary Clinton by a landslide," according to a new Globe and Mail/CTV News poll. Among our friends to the North, Sen. Hillary Clinton is favored by [...]

Clinton Keeps Strong Lead, Giuliani Slipping

The latest Cook Political Report/RT Strategies Poll is out and we asked pollster Thom Riehle to provide a quick snapshot of his findings. In the Democratic presidential race, Sen. Hillary Clinton is "still in control" with [...]

Tags: Clinton, Cook Political Report

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Simply Marvelous

Sometimes, you stumble onto a bit of blogging that is just too darn good to not pass along.  This is one such post, from Carl over at the "Simply Left Behind" blog.  It's good.  REALLY good.  Save it.  Forward it on.

Milestones

We mark our lives by the distance in time between two events: you've been married twelve years, she's expecting in October, he's worked that job for eighteen years. Milestones are particularly important, if totally arbitrary. Most of them, anyway, are arbitrary. Some, not so much. 2007 has been (and will be) a year of such milestones. My [...]

Tags: Graduation, Commencement Speech

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Beck Subs for Zahn

Need a reason to watch Countdown with Keith Olbermann next week?  Here ya' go...

Beck Subbing For Zahn Next Week

First on TVNewser: Glenn Beck is getting his first gig on CNN next week -- and it's in Paula Zahn's [...]

AmericaBlog pulls no punches...

CNN to give sexist, homophobe, racist prime-time slot next week

...Even by FOX News standards, this guy is an idiot. But for CNN? This is truly embarrassing. If ratings are all that matter (and actually, Beck's ratings are terrible, and falling), and CNN's top brass doesn't care any more about being the most trusted name in news, then why not just air [...]

Tags: Beck, Zahn, Olbermann, CNN, MSNBC

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It's the Economy, Stupid

Or, "It's the stupid economy".  Either way, the numbers are headed the wrong way...

Consumer Confidence Falls More Than Expected

Consumer confidence fell more than expected in June as shoppers fretted about jobs, a private research group said Tuesday. New home sales also dropped in May for the fourth time in the past five months, according to government figures, in another sign of continued weakness in the housing market. Both pieces of the economic puzzle dropped into [...]

Tags: Economy, Consumer Confidence, New Home Sales

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The Surreal World

Even Dana Perino admitted yesterday that things are a bit "surreal" around the White House these days.  I'm letting Keith Olbermann explain why.

Countdown: Dick’s World - Fun With Dick And Dick

On “Countdown,” Keith Olbermann does his best to cover the absolutely bizarre dog and pony show being performed by the White House and the right wing noise machine, regarding the recent revelations surrounding Vice President Cheney’s assertion that he’s not part of the Executive branch...Newsweek’s Richard Wolffe talks [...]

Speaking of Perino...

Helen Thomas To Perino: "We should get someone out here who can answer our questions"

Tags: Cheney, Olbermann, Countdown

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Breaking Rank

The line of GOP leaders who oppose the Iraq War is long.  And getting longer.  Yesterday brought another voice and he's not being quiet...

A GOP ‘elder statesman’ steps up?

For quite a while, much of the DC establishment has wondered whether a respected “elder statesman” in the Republican Party would step up to challenge the president’s war policy in a forceful way. Apparently, Chuck Hagel doesn’t count, because he broke with the party line years ago, and Gordon Smith doesn’t count, because his criticism [...]

UPDATE: The flipping continues:

Voinovich Joins Lugar - The Dam Has Broken

Tags: Iraq War, Hagel, Smith, Lugar

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Getting On Board

It's the anti-Cheney train.  And it appears to be pulling away from the station, with a bunch of people on board, picking up steam...

'Talk Among GOP: How to Oust Cheney?,' Says WaPo Columnist

... Sally Quinn at WaPo writes: The big question right now among Republicans is how to remove Vice President Cheney from office. Even before this week's blockbuster series in The Post, discontent in Republican ranks was rising. As the reputed architect of the war in Iraq, Cheney is viewed as toxic, and [...]

Tags: Cheney, Quinn, Washington Post

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History Lesson

Big hearings yesterday on the aftermath of 9/11.  John does a great job of analyzing what was said over at AmericaBlog.  Dig in for a history lesson worth passing along...

Poisoning 9/11 first-responders

We've written about this before. The Bush administration lied to first responders in NYC after September 11, telling them that the air was safe (it wasn't). There was a hearing about it yesterday. Christie Todd Whitman, the former head of the EPA under Bush, took a lot of heat. The thing the article doesn't note is that the White House had a major hand in lying to the firefighters, cops and others who descended on Ground Zero to help. And Mr. Giuliani had [...]

Tags: Whitman, 9/11, Asbestos

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The Awkward Investigation

I'm not sure this qualifies as a valid excuse...

White House: It Would Be ‘Awkward’ If Bush Were Investigated By Executive Agency

White House spokesperson Dana Perino struggled again today to explain why Vice President Cheney was exempted from a presidential order meant to safeguard classified national security information. Perino stuck by her argument from Friday that President Bush never intended for the executive order to apply to Cheney any differently than it applies to the president’s [...]

Tags: Perino, Cheney, National Security

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Here's A Plan

Will it get even lip service in DC?  I'm thinking "no".

REPORT: Stop Training Iraqi Security Forces And Redeploy U.S. Troops

A new Center for American Progress report titled Strategic Reset calls for the withdrawal of virtually all U.S. troops within one year, and for the United States to “phase out its training of Iraq’s national security forces and place strict limits on further arming and equipping Iraq’s forces.” Training security forces has been one of [...]

Tags: Center For American Progress, Iraq War, Redeploy

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Recruiting Update

Some fresh numbers today about military recruiting provide some fresh insight into the problems and issues we face:

Military: numbers of black recruits dropping like a stone

The AP reports that between job prospects opening up and family members pressuring them not to join up for Dear Leader’s Military Adventures, young black men and women aren’t ready to sign on the dotted line. According to the Pentagon, the number of new black recruits for active duty and reserves has declined 38% since 2001. "Walking [...]

Tags: Military, Recruiting

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Iraqi Doctors

Note the secondary headline below:  Most Iraqi doctors have fled...I assume that means that our military doctors are going to be increasingly pressed into service...

Chief of Baghdad Children's Hospital Killed

Chief of Baghdad Children's Hospital Killed Latest in Wave of Killing of Physicians; Most Iraqi Doctors Have Fled "Baghdad - Iraqi Police said that unknown gunmen killed the director of the Children's Hospital in the Mansour area of [...]

Tags: Iraqi Doctors, Baghdad, Iraq War

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Required Reading

Your assignment for much of this week, via The Washington Post.  And, you have some catching up to do.  Parts 1 and 2 posted Sunday and today, with two more to follow.

All the vice president’s men.

The Washington Post has posted the second in its four-part series on Dick Cheney. (Read part one here.) The most recent article develops in more detail the role of Alberto Gonzales as one of Cheney’s key enablers: On June 8, 2004, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of State Colin L. Powell learned of the [...]

Tags: Cheney, Rice, Powell, Gonzales

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We Watch Movies

Do you plan to watch "Sicko"? The more I read about it, the more I think it's going to be required viewing...

Sick, indeed

Dru and I saw "Sicko" last night. The theater was packed. I was ready for a pointed, snarky exposé on American health care and I got it. But what I didn't expect was how angry and deeply heartsick I felt at the end. "Sicko" is about the ugliest part of the American ethos: As a nation, we allow our own people suffer and die to protect corporate profits. Not soldiers, not foreigners (although we [...]

Tags: Sicko, Michael Moore, Health Care, Medical Care

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Highrise Agriculture

Gives a whole new perspective to the old "penthouse in the sky" idea...

Going Up!

Curiously, this is a story you didn't hear or read about in the American media, and for the life of me, I can't imagine why: "Now though, scientists at Columbia University are proposing an alternative. Their vision of the future is one in which the skyline of New York and other cities include a new kind of skyscaper: the "vertical farm". The idea is simple enough. Imagine [...]

Tags: Agriculture, Farming, Vertical Farm

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Weekend Fun

I'm helping someone move Saturday and will likely be flat on my back after that exercise, so here's one to keep you busy until I can return.  Oh, of course, must run through the Farmers' Market Saturday morning early, in search of the best local tomatoes, etc with which to feed houseguests this weekend.  Now, on to the fun stuff, all courtesty of Huffington Post.  Yes, I've been saving them up.  Enjoy 'em or hate 'tm..

Apple Offers A 20-Minute Tour Of IPhone Online

The longest iPhone commercial you'll ever see is available on Apple's Web site. The company on Friday posted a 20-minute guided tour of the device that is one of the most exhaustive looks yet at that iPhone thing you might have heard about. A really nice, enthusiastic man wearing a black shirt (no, not that one) takes you through the various features of the iPhone, including [...]

The obligatory (gag me) Paris Hilton story:

Final Tally: Paris To Be Paid $1.3 Million For Jail Stay Story

Paris Hilton will be paid an amazing $1.3 million to talk about her time in jail - an absurdly lucrative deal that sparked blue-collar outrage across the city yesterday. NBC will give her $1 million to talk about her time in the pokey, and she'll get another [...]

Unless, of course, you believe NBC:

NBC Denies Paying For Paris Interview

Or, how about THIS angle:

Rome Is Dead - NBC Pulls Plug On Paris (TMZ.com)

This is really impressive.  I've seen a guitar cake (at our son's wedding!), but some of these are unbelievable..

American Cake Art

And, from the same site, some 3D pavement art that will blow your mind..

3D Pavement Art by Eduardor Relero

Tags: Paris Hilton, iPhone

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Closing Gitmo

It's one of the hot topics in the blogs today.  Is the President pushing to close Guantanamo? (In his defense, he admitted a while back that it would be best to house the prisonors elsewhere.  But where?).  Did his wife and mother pressure him to move quicker?  Was there a meeting set to talk about it this weekend?  First, the White House said, pretty much, "Nope. Move along". Reporters stood by their sources and today WH spokesperson, Dana Perino, pretty much confirmed it:

Perino Confirms White House Canceled Meeting On Guantanamo Closure After AP Report

Last night, the Associated Press reported that the Bush administration was “nearing a decision to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility,” and that senior officials were “expected to discuss the move at the White House on Friday.” The White House originally denied there was a scheduled White House meeting to discuss the topic. During a [...]

Tags: Guantanamo, Gitmo, Perino

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Mitt Has A Bad Egg on Staff

Okay, folks.  This kind of stuff is wrong, just wrong. We're not makin' this stuff up.  Really!

Dept. Of Personal Security: Mitt Romney Gets Busted For Pretend Policemen

Mitt’s a private citizen these days — as he’s been for his entire life except for a single four-year term as governor of Massachusetts — but he’s also really rich and can afford his own private “secret service.” The problem with such pretend ear-piece-wearing goons driving around in pretend secret-service black sedans and SUVs, of course, is that they’re delusional pretend cops. Romney aide Jay Garrity is now being investigated for [...]

It would be almost funny, wouldn't it?  If it wasn't true...

Tags: Mitt Romney, Fake Trooper, Pretend Cops

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The Human Side

I just forwarded this on to someone who doesn't often have time to stop by this blog.  With a note that said: "We're supposed to forget that the Iraqis are people."  This will help you NOT forget.  via The McClatchy Newspapers Baghdad Bureau...

Unfair

A friend who i met for only one time. I saw deep sorrow in her eyes and i couldnt ask why but when i read what she wrote about her experience i knew why she had that look in her [...]

Tags: Iraq War, McClatchy

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I Love Talk Radio

And greatly admire those who are still trying to forge a career out of it.  Particularly the progressive talkers, who continue to face an uphill run, courtesy of the mega-monopolies that controll the industry.  I don't agree with everything he says, but progressive talker Ed Shultz nails it in this discussion from last night. This is one of the better explanations of what's happening to the talk radio industry these days...

Ed Schultz: ‘How Many Markets Do I Have To Beat Hannity In Before I Get 200 Or 300 Stations?’

Progressive radio host Ed Schultz appeared on MSNBC last night to discuss the new report by the Center for American Progress and Free Press, which revealed the conservative monopoly that currently exists over talk radio. Schultz — the host of the most popular progressive radio show in the country — debunked the right-wing myth that conservatives [...]

Tags: Ed Shultz, MSNBC, Talk Radio, Progressive Talk Radio

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Howdy, Neighbor

Oh, it's gratifying when our neighbor state to the North comes in for some well-deserved criticism.  Another story that falls into the category of "Whew! At least it didn't happen HERE!"

Missouri: Gateway to the Wallet

...Want to buy yourself a state legislator for $10,000 or so?  Step right up.  Inside track to the governor?  Open that checkbook. The state supreme court is currently considering this law, but frankly the odds that they'll can it are extremely small, especially since the only case pressed to them was the one against the other provisions of the law.  No, the only way to put Missouri back in the realm of sane policy is to [...]

Tags: Campaign Financing, Missouri

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Slow To The Table

Our home point of  Arkansas has been slow to join the states offering legalized casino gambling.  True, it's just a short drive across the border into any of the neighboring states to take advantage of it, but that means Arkansans' money is go there, not staying here.  Still, there are strong moral arguments against gambling, just as there are against liquor and drugs.  On the other hand, our buddy Roby Brock makes a point here.....

ELECTRONIC GAMES OF SKILL ARE PAYING OFF

Six full months into it, electronic games of skill are literally paying off, generating millions of dollars in revenues at Arkansas’ two race tracks, Oaklawn and Southland. Could the dollar amounts renew a debate for casino gambling in Arkansas? The Hot Springs and West Memphis race tracks both added the electronic games during the month of November last year after regulations were installed to implement voter-approved measures in the two communities. Hot Springs is home to Oaklawn’s horse racing facility, while West Memphis is the location for Southland Greyhound Park. From mid-November 2006 through the end of May 2007, the two tracks have collected gross wagers in excess of [...]

Tags: Gambling, Casino, Oaklawn, Southland, Games of Skill

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Obfuscation

Just try to figure out this line of reasoning.  Carpetbagger does the heavy lifting for you...

He didn’t ‘listen to our military’

The president was in Alabama yesterday for a couple of events, including a fundraising reception for Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who’s up for re-election next year. Bush delivered a fairly predictable speech on Sessions’ behalf, but one comment was noteworthy. The president was explaining how his current war policy came together: “I listened very carefully to senators [...]

Tags: Bush, Jeff Sessions, War Policy, Iraq War

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Real News. O'Reilly-Style

Okay, fans of Bill O'Reilly.  Watch this and argue against what Keith Olbermann says.  Please.  I'm at a loss for words...

Bill O’Reilly’s “serious” news.

Fox’s Bill O’Reilly claims he doesn’t cover the war because explosions in Iraq “don’t mean anything.” Instead, he covers topics that are “new” and “relevant to your life.” This week, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann reviewed some of the “relevant” stories that O’Reilly has been exploring lately (like bear attacks and Playboy centerfolds). Watch it: [...]

Tags: Box News, Bill O'Reilly, Keith Olbermann, MSNBC

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Yet Another New Low

I almost hate to pass it along, but...you need to know the numbers and the reality.  Want to know the number?  Just click. Political Wire links to all the details.

Another Poll Shows Bush at New Low

UPDATE:  Ummm.  By the way, Newsweek has ANOTHER updated poll:

Newsweek poll pits president at 26%

...In the new poll, conducted Monday and Tuesday nights, President Bush’s approval rating has reached a record low. Only 26 percent of Americans, just over one in four, approve of the job the 43rd president is doing; while, a record 65 percent disapprove, including nearly a third of Republicans. The new numbers—a 2 point drop [...]

Tags: George W. Bush, American Research Group

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The Energy Bill

It'll be interesting to see if it makes it all the way.  Good deal?  Bad deal?  Or simply the only thing we'll be able to get?

Energy Bill: One Step Forward, Two Steps Sideways

Late last night, the Senate passed its version of the Energy Bill on a vote of 65-27, just one shy of a possible veto-proof majority. The Bill features a “compromise” that would raise the national auto fuel mileage standard to 35 MPG by 2020. The compromise also requires development of a plan to have [...]

Tags: Energy Bill, Mileage Standardsd

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So Simple

Lengthy post here, but it's filled with a ton of great information. I'm always pleased when somebody takes the time to explode a silly statement from the Administration.  Some are just so easy..

The Executive Branch According to Whitehouse.gov

By now everyone knows that Dick ::blam:: ::blam:: Cheney has disavowed himself from the executive branch of the United States government but according to the White House website, not so fast (second paragraph, first sentence). But in the rare instance that Vice President Cheney might be correct then someone needs to let USA.gov that [...]

that's the simple explanation. Now, let's dig a bit deeper, shall we?

The Cheney Branch of government

The fact that Dick Cheney considers his office exempt from executive-branch rules seems to have captured the political world’s attention over the last 24 hours, thanks to a report issued by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman. Rham Emanuel is hammering the VP over the argument, and the media has picked up [...]

And, in case you need them, Steve Soto has more questions here:

Why Does Cheney Still Have Access To Secrets?

With the revelation over the last several days that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) has argued that it is not bound by Executive Branch rules on the handling of classified information, and Cheney’s retaliation against the National Archives for requesting an accounting from him on the matter, there are many questions that the media and the Democratic leadership should pursue immediately. If the OVP now argues that it is not bound by executive branch rules, then how can the OVP argue that it is covered by executive privilege? If the OVP is not entirely an Executive Branch entity, does this not undermine its [...]

And, finally, THE QUESTION:

White House refuses to say if VP is in executive branch

Reporters finally pushed the White House today on the Vice President’s belief that his office is some kind of fourth branch of government — not executive, not legislative, not accountable to anyone. WH spokesperson Dana Perino’s responses were almost comical. Q: What do you make of what congressman Waxman referred to as “absurd,” which was the [...]

Tags: cheney, Executive Branch

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Dirty Laundry

This should be really fascinating to keep track of: The CIA is set to release a boatload of documents detailing some very unflattering incidents in the past few decades.  And a lot of it seems to bolster the investigative reporting that journalist Seymour Hersch has been doing for a long time.

CIA to Air Decades of Dirty Laundry

The CIA will declassify hundreds of pages of long-secret records detailing some of the intelligence agency's worst illegal abuses -- the so-called "family jewels" documenting a quarter-century of overseas assassination attempts, domestic spying, kidnapping and infiltration of leftist groups from the 1950s to the 1970s, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said yesterday. The documents, to be publicly released next week, also include accounts of break-ins and theft, the agency's opening of private mail to and from China and the Soviet Union, wiretaps and surveillance of journalists, and a series of "unwitting" tests on U.S. civilians, including [...]

Tags: CIA, Seymour Hersch

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Downright Disappointing

I must admit, I'm disappointed and ashamed at the national media.  I've written before about how wrong Keith Olbermann has been to devote so much time and attention to the Paris Hilton story.  Now, parent company (NBC) has one-upped Countdown with an unbelievable bid to get an interview.  Folks, this just ain't right!

NBC Reportedly Shells Out $1 Mil To Outbid ABC For First Paris Post-Jail Interview

America's insatiable fascination with Paris Hilton took another twist today as television networks reportedly began a bidding war to interview the Californian celebrity after she leaves jail next week.  Quoting unidentified sources, the New York Post said NBC News had agreed to pay up to $1m (£500,000) for an exclusive interview with Ms Hilton, an hotel heiress popularly known as the "heir-head", when she is released from the Century regional detention centre in Lynwood, California after a 45-day sentence for a probation violation. "The deal has infuriated [...]

And, by the way, who said America has an "insatiable fascination" with PH?  WHO?

UPDATE: NBC now says: NBC: "We Never Had A Deal" With Paris

And, CNN says: CNN Confirms: Paris On LKL Wednesday

Well, we certainly know what I WON'T be watching!

Tags: Paris Hilton, Keith Olbermann, Countdown, NBC, ABC

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