Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Wednesday - The Senate Takes A Stand

Well the Senate Dems took a stand yesterday, setting up a showdown with Bush over Iraq funding and withdrawal. That leads us to the question of the day: If a president vetoes a bill that provides funding for the troops, doesn't that president hate the troops? We thought so. But just to be sure, we'll ask Christy Harvey from the Center for American Progress, and David Sirota from SirotaBlog. And we'll talk to Daniel Levy from the Century Foundation's Prospects for Peace Initiative about Condi Rice's trip to the Middle East.

328 comments:

1 – 200 of 328   Newer›   Newest»
War Dog said...

Mornin Sammy...

Iraq is so yesterday..

Iran is the news today..

The Battle of Iran is coming thing!!

War Dog said...

The Battle of Iran is outlined in the War Dog Plan..

Although it is unfolding exactly as predicted..

This time table is accelerated..

War Dog said...

I have always seen Hillary as the Commander in the Battle of Iran..

Clearly Iran fears Hillary and want to press us into war early..

That's fine..

Congress is wanting change..

The Battle of Iran is just the ticket..!!!

War Dog said...

U.S. navy drills in the Gulf come amid Iran tensions


Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:50AM EDT
Top News





MANAMA (Reuters) - Mounting tensions between Iran and the West have accelerated war games the U.S. navy is conducting in the Gulf, a spokesman for the U.S. Fifth Fleet said on Wednesday.

A second U.S. aircraft carrier began exercises in the Gulf on Tuesday -- the first time two such vessels have been sent to patrol Gulf waters since the U.S.-led war on Iraq in 2003.

The U.S. exercises come amid rising tension with Iran over its nuclear program and its capture of British sailors.




"The planning accelerated in conjunction with what was going on, but it was absolutely not the sole determinant ... We are here exercising every day," said Kevin Aandahl, a spokesman for the U.S. Fifth Fleet based in the Gulf island of Bahrain.

"If Iran takes away a message from this, that's up to them... Frankly the message is a regional one that reinforces that our presence is to provide stability and security."

air-ono said...

"ok, this is major gen. fucking war-dog... listen up you guys... tommy & freddy, i want you guys to ask the gerry if he as any cigarettes and we'll take it from there... and don't forget: it's my plan, ok... ok! let's rock-n-roll"

War Dog said...

It would be nice to see Greece, Italy, France, and Germany get more involved in the Gulf..

Although I do not think this incident is The Trigger..

I think it does much to bring the forces together that will one day attack Iran..

War Dog said...

And of course the events that are unfolding today play right into Hillary's hand...

Hillary keeps herself poised for any move to the right or left depending on the days events..

Of course it will be the War Dog Plan that brings Hillary to power..

She is making her military plans as we blog...!!!

Alice said...

And House Dems take a big step in the right direction (out!) on Iraq

Posted by SEDER at 3:31 PM 523 comments

I'm still steamed @ you SEDER everytime I read that line!! The 'right' direction is to NOT fund the illegal occupation.

You do realize that there is 140b in th 08 budget for more war, and another 40b in the budget for 09...as Dennis Kucinich points out this morning on Democracy Now...

He also notes how Hillary & Edwards plans for Universal Healthcare involve insurance companies staying in charge...

This is how regular politics goes on eternally...the Dems stumbling along pretending to change things...Maybe someday you'll be able to look at government with wider eyeballs and notice the bigger picture.

Possibly you could find some 3 or more party candidates to be guests on your show...

Even Bernie Sanders voted for this war funding...!

Ugh!!

War Dog said...

Hillary's roll is also spelled out in the War Dog Plan...

Her move to the right..

Her Hawkish positions..

Her rise to power..

And her final victory in Iran..

All foretold in the War Dog Plan...

air-ono said...

hey, shelly

how's ya belly

toniD said...

Morning all!

The female soldier held by the Iranians to be released! Per CNN.

It's the start of the rest to be released.

Sorry WD. Doesn't look like anything will happen this time.

Anonymous said...

http://kucinich.us/iraqplan

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1234:

War Dog said...

This incident in the Gulf comes very close to The Trigger long predicted in the War Dog Plan..

But I do not think Iran is yet ready for war..

This brings them closer, and conditions their people for war, but I think they will wait..

The Trigger is a response to the Pressure Phase..

The heat has not yet been turned up enough for The Trigger..

Alice said...

Morning Ono, Toni... :)

I feel better today, a/o...I've been drinking straight 1/2 & 1/2...mmmm...fatty...

War Dog said...

Sorry WD. Doesn't look like anything will happen this time.

----

I don't think this is the one..

Too soon..

But it does foreshadow events yet to unfold..

Hillary is watching and taking this it all in..

War Dog said...

Russian intelligence sees U.S. military buildup on Iran border

17:31 | 27/ 03/ 2007


MOSCOW, March 27 (RIA Novosti) - Russian military intelligence services are reporting a flurry of activity by U.S. Armed Forces near Iran's borders, a high-ranking security source said Tuesday.

"The latest military intelligence data point to heightened U.S. military preparations for both an air and ground operation against Iran," the official said, adding that the Pentagon has probably not yet made a final decision as to when an attack will be launched.

He said the Pentagon is looking for a way to deliver a strike against Iran "that would enable the Americans to bring the country to its knees at minimal cost."

He also said the U.S. Naval presence in the Persian Gulf has for the first time in the past four years reached the level that existed shortly before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Col.-Gen. Leonid Ivashov, vice president of the Academy of Geopolitical Sciences, said last week that the Pentagon is planning to deliver a massive air strike on Iran's military infrastructure in the near future.

A new U.S. carrier battle group has been dispatched to the Gulf.

air-ono said...

damn, my isp just died and came alive again

so if i suddenly drop out, it'll be due to tech failure and not an ice-pick to the head

: )

air-ono said...

//I've been drinking straight 1/2 & 1/2//

huh!?

1/2 cat milk & 1/2 dog milk

: )

War Dog said...

You will know the Battle of Iran is eminent when you see the NATO warship flood into the region..

We already have Iran surrounded, but the Nato presence has long been predicted in the War Dog Plan..

air-ono said...

[note to self: get in as many pings as is humanly possible before any sudden crashes]

Anonymous said...

Oh hey - new tangent here - anyone else catch Dennis Miller on The Daily Show last night?

Bleccchhh! If there were a grain of truth in any of his 'political' jokes, they might be funny, but he's just mean & nasty & you could almost smell the fear-stink coming off him. He seemed rather nervous, I thought......

air-ono said...

//predicted in the War Dog Plan..//

LMAO!

it's not you plan!

toniD said...

Glad you are feeling better Shell.

Britain presses Iran; woman may be freed By DAVID STRINGER, Associated Press Writer
10 minutes ago

Britain said it was freezing talks on all other issues with Iran until it freed 15 Royal Navy crew members seized last week, and the British military released what it said was proof its boats were within Iraqi territorial waters when they were seized.

Iran's foreign minister said meanwhile a female British sailor held captive by Iran may be released later Wednesday or on Thursday, a Turkish TV station reported.

"The woman soldier is free either today or tomorrow," CNN-Turk television quoted Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as saying on the sidelines of an Arab summit meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the woman, identified as sailor Faye Turney, 26, had been given privacy.

Britain's military said its vessels were 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters when Iran seized the sailors and marines on Friday.

Vice Adm. Charles Style told reporters that the Iranians had provided a position on Sunday — a location that he said was in Iraqi waters. By Tuesday, Iranian officials had given a revised position 2 miles east, placing the British inside Iranian waters — a claim he said was not verified by global positioning system coordinates.

"It is hard to understand a legitimate reason for this change of coordinates," Style said.

Style gave the satellite coordinates of the British crew as 29 degrees 50.36 minutes north latitude and 048 degrees 43.08 minutes east longitude, and said it had been confirmed by an Indian-flagged merchant ship boarded by the sailors and marines.

LINK

Anonymous said...

As soon as Bush lights the Iran fuse, everyone will forget about Fredo and purgegate. They accused Clinton of wagging the dog because that's what they'd do!

air-ono said...

//Glad you are feeling better Shell.//

toni,

i doubt your sincerity...

are you willing to testify under oath

toniD said...

Sammy Cam

air-ono said...

enough with the chatty jokes, seder

get on with it

air-ono said...

disregard the last post

it's been made obsolete

Unknown said...

Like the new angle on the Sammy Cam - now we can actually see you AND your guests.

Keep up the good work, everyone!

Anonymous said...

Well damn... I thought everything was going swimmingly in Iraq.

Isn't that what McCain and the rest of the repugs keep telling us!

Anonymous said...

the stream is cutting in and out again

air-ono said...

ok, i'm going to calm down

have some dark blue sambuca

and stfu before bed

(cheers)

War Dog said...

Hey Sam, what's up with this cheesy blog...???

How about a little long-term thinkin..??

Anonymous said...

//Hey Sam, what's up with this cheesy blog...???

How about a little long-term thinkin..??//

Why should he bother when we will have a nuke with Iran...

how about a little long term thinking War Dog...

Morning! I see you have your stalkings on straight today!

-conbo

Anonymous said...

Jazmin said...
Well damn... I thought everything was going swimmingly in Iraq.

Isn't that what McCain and the rest of the repugs keep telling us!
*******************
In an interview with Michael Ware (sp) from Iraq this morn. . . Michael asked McCain to name the neighborhood McCain was referring to in Baghdad and that Michael and McCain could take a stoll through there and see how "safe" McCain felt. McCain has lost his mind. He is so full of crap his eyes are turning brown.

Anonymous said...

bwhahaha!

listen to this Wado.

it's funny

-conbo

Anonymous said...

I'd Just Like To Say Hello To My Uncle!

Unknown said...

Sam,

Has April Fools Day (4/1) been taken for the Gonzo is Gone-zo contest?

I'm really just dying to get a signed copy of FUBAR.

Being a freelance editor, I can't afford hardover book prices.

Anonymous said...

McCain looks like a big old loony fool..in addition to a 'flip-flopper' every other day. That interview on Wolfe's show was fantastic!

Alice said...

Th bill also provides for privatization of Iraq's oil...more private contracts.

Kucinich's bill does NOT. It gives the oil back to Iraq. & reconstruction that does not involve the likes of Halliburton...

HR 1234

War Dog said...

Mornin Connie..

Have you been watching the War Dog Plan unfolding..??

You guys are lucking to know what will happen before anyone else..

War Dog said...

That guy sure talks funny Enlish..

Anonymous said...

jesus god your scary

go away for awhile, thats a good dog

-conbo

Anonymous said...

And Lieberman!

They are both saying the same things!

-conbo

toniD said...

“The population is in despair,” retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey wrote in an assessment on the situation in Iraq, based on a recent round of meetings there with Gen. David H. Petraeus and 16 other senior U.S. commanders. “Life in many of the urban areas is now desperate.” McCaffrey was scheduled to brief White House officials on his findings yesterday.

LINK

Anonymous said...

McCain sounds just like Bush!OMG!
even being condescending and a JERK to Wolfe!

air-ono said...

michael ware needs a nose job

link

Anonymous said...

texan4real said...
Jazmin said...
Well damn... I thought everything was going swimmingly in Iraq.

Isn't that what McCain and the rest of the repugs keep telling us!
*******************
In an interview with Michael Ware (sp) from Iraq this morn. . . Michael asked McCain to name the neighborhood McCain was referring to in Baghdad and that Michael and McCain could take a stoll through there and see how "safe" McCain felt. McCain has lost his mind. He is so full of crap his eyes are turning brown.

I can't wait to see that one! This man has literally lost his mind. He's neck and neck with georgie boy with the sanity issue.

toniD said...

After environmental groups leaked the Interior Department’s secret plan to “gut” the Endangered Species Act yesterday, senators vowed to block the proposed changes through appropriations legislation.

LINK

air-ono said...

//That guy sure talks funny Enlish..//

he needs to tone down the steve irwin, also

Anonymous said...

McCain should take his straight talk bus on tour in the streets of baghdad

-conbo

Maybe that will snap him back into reality.

Alice said...

They're voting on the budget tomorrow...again...the budget that has 140b in 08 - & 40b in 09 for Wars...

War Dog said...

Iran is going to put the Brits on TV..

That will be their big Pay-off on this deal..

Then they can come home..

But Iran has taken a step closer to the Battle of Iran..

pbtrue1 said...

Thank you for the Sammy CAM!!

toniD said...

“Federal and state lawmakers have launched a new drive to pass the Equal Rights Amendment,” which “would subject legal claims of gender discrimination to the same strict scrutiny given by courts to allegations of racial discrimination.” The constitutional amendment was three states short of passage in 1982.

LINK

Anonymous said...

billy mumphrey said...

I'd Just Like To Say Hello To My Uncle!

March 28, 2007 6:23 AM

This ain't gonna make dada too happy. Hope he doesn't kill himself.

toniD said...

McCain calls media a bunch of ‘jerks.’ On Fox and Friends this morning, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) noted that he allows “jerks from the media” to come on board his bus, the “Straight Talk Express.” Watch it:

MCCAIN: Sure. We are going to do just fine. We are going to have fun. That’s the important thing in these campaigns. We are back to the town hall meetings and I love them more than anything else.
FOX: You will take a question from anybody about anything.
MCCAIN: And I also have these jerks come on the bus, too.
FOX: You have who come on the bus?
MCCAIN: These jerks from the media.
FOX: Ok. Of course that couldn’t be me, I hope. I haven’t been on a bus in a while without paying a fare.
MCCAIN: Come on. You are welcome on.

LINK

Anonymous said...

Love the new SAMMYCAM view!

blah blah blah said...

a special thanks to the ayatollah. dow is down 36 points in the 1st two minutes.

Alice said...

It's easy to point out where the 'other side' fails...not so easy for the Dems to work on their own party & how it operates...

air-ono said...

"talk to me... christy"
: )

there's a good chap

Anonymous said...

PADDED CELLS for all the neo-cons. . . if there are enough available.

toniD said...

Senate conservatives feeling “scandal fatigue.” Bad news for Gonzales:

Goodling’s announcement, some senior Republicans felt, strengthened the Democrats’ charge that the Justice Department had something to hide.

All of which added up to scandal fatigue inside the caucus, the senators said.

Specter’s appeal to the caucus [to downplay Goodling’s announcement] received “a lot of head shaking, a lot of eye-rolling,” said one senator who attended and spoke on condition of anonymity because the session was private.

Asked Tuesday if Gonzales had lost their confidence, many Senate Republicans demurred.

LINK

Anonymous said...

it was also funny last week

it never dies

-conbo

toniD said...

The daycare kids in the Phillipines have been released. That's good news!!

Anonymous said...

hahahaha

your war dollars at work wado!

-conbo

toniD said...

US democracy ideals lose steam to Bush 'realism': experts
Published: Wednesday March 28, 2007



Fallout from the Iraq war has prompted a new "realism" in US foreign policy, which is edging out early Bush administration ideals of promoting democracy around the world, analysts say.

US President George W. Bush pushed hard for reform in the Middle East during his first term in office, and still says that ideological change is an integral part of what he calls the "war on terror."

And Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was "really concerned" last week on the eve of an Egyptian constitutional referendum that opponents said was certain to curb freedoms.

Experts say the crippling war in Iraq has forced Washington to pursue "realist" policies over Bush's earlier "idealist" ways.

"The failure of US policy in Iraq has provided autocratic regimes in the Middle East a reprieve from the pressure to democratize, as long as they position themselves clearly on the side of Washington in its looming confrontation with Iran, Syria, and Shiite Islamists," said analyst Marina Ottoway of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"The lofty ideals of democracy promotion may still find their way into the administration’s speeches, but when it comes to policy, America’s enemies’ enemies are its friends."

LINK

burepe said...

Why is the sammy cam on today? Is Sam chatting too?

Since Sam is using AIM chat I made a channel that everyone can chat on when not messaging him directly.

Try to join (it is an AIM channel):

sammychannel

Alice said...

"This Isn't American Idol, We're Choosing the President of the United States" - Kucinich

toniD said...

Foley out of rehab, could face charges
FL law enforcement officials building possible criminal case against former Rep.

LINK

Unknown said...

This is your CHIEF law enforcement officer...I think he needs a lawyer.

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Video_Gonzales_damage_control_backfires_on_0326.html

blah blah blah said...

the current anti missle system is a joke. whats ironic is that back in the 70's we did build a missle shield that would work. it has an absolutely huge phased array radar out in the plains and an array of missles that would destroy incoming warheads. while the new system is designed to intercept the missles the older system used a big sledge hammer in the form of a 5M warhead that would be detonated 40 to 80 miles up in the air destroying anything around. anything that made it thru that was then targeted with a close up weapon called the sprint. this missle flew like a bat of hell able to climb to 50,000 ft in under 10 seconds and then explode a tactical nuke in the vicinty of the incoming missle.

now fast forward 70's technology to now and there's no reason why we shouldn't have an affordable workable defensive shield.

toniD said...

Connie, look, it made the MSM...

Uproar over Texas teen's imprisonment
Female teen jailed for over a year for shoving a teacher's aide; case sparking anger.

LINK

Anonymous said...

hahaha

Yeah its going to be a great joke when we all fry

-conbo

Anonymous said...

He is threatened by a concert

hahaha

-conbo

toniD said...

King's cancellation signals
the fall of George Bush
King Abdullah’s bowing out of the April 17 event is, in fact, one more warning sign that the Bush administration’s downward spiral at home is undermining its ability to achieve its policy objectives abroad. Friends as well as foes see the need, or the chance, to distance themselves from the politically besieged Bush.

LINK

Anonymous said...

//The facility is part of an embattled juvenile system that is the subject of state and federal investigations into allegations that staff members physically and sexually abused inmates.//

wooot!

That is a start!!!!

:)

that makes me happy Tonid!

thank you!!!!

-conbo

Noodles Jefferson said...

Bush is "Nixon Redux." It is going to be entertaining as hell, watching Bush go down the drain.

It's starting to really pick up speed. Funny how a tyrant ends up getting dragged down when they think they are bigger than the country.

blah blah blah said...

Noodles Jefferson said...

It's starting to really pick up speed. Funny how a tyrant ends up getting dragged down when they think they are bigger than the country.

look, the emperor has no clothes.

thats what i've been saying for seven years, people are finally starting to notice.

let the show trials begin.

toniD said...

The Republican mystery
The truly astonishing thing about the latest scandals besetting the Bush administration is that they stem from actions the administration took after the November elections, when Democratic control of Congress was a fait accompli.

LINK

blah blah blah said...

so was it desparation after the election or total arrogance? i think the latter.

air-ono said...

my tongue after black sambuca

War Dog said...

Brits To Be Paraded On TV

Updated: 14:37, Wednesday March 28, 2007

The British sailors and marines being held in Iran are to be paraded on television - but the female sailor who was captured could be released "today or tomorrow."

Turkish TV has quoted the Iranian foreign minister as saying Faye Turney could be freed within hours.

And an Arabic Iranian broadcaster says it will show footage of the captives on television.

The news comes after Tony Blair said the time had come to "ratchet up the pressure" on Iran.

Earlier the Ministry of Defence released evidence that the 15 captive sailors and marines were in Iraqi waters when they were snatched.

And Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett announced that all official business with Iran had been suspended until the crisis was resolved.

Alice said...

http://www.peaceandfreedom.org/summary.htm

Anonymous said...

The rethuglicans are no longer in power so it does "stinkyboy" and "premature shotboy" no good to blackmail them. . . BUB BYE POWER!

In the words of Greg Palast "Make em steal it." Guess what - the rethugs did try to steal it and we caught them.

"The truth will set us free!"

blah blah blah said...

Alice said...
The Democrats Lied!

pragmatism: A method in philosophy where value is determined by practical results.

i'm happy with what the dems are doing. that candidates like kucinich don't understand this principle is why they will never win.

Anonymous said...

The minute Pat Tillman died he no longer belonged to the military. His mother should charge the military with desecration of his body.

Noodles Jefferson said...

The United States needs a new government from top to bottom. Our antiquated systems cannot cope with the speed of today's issues.

You can't have a foriegn policy like ours when we don't manufacture anything. If we had to war with China, for instance, it wouldn't be long before we are screwed for the lack of critical goods, necessary for war, that we are forced to import because we no longer make anything.

Shipping out all our manufacturing jobs to other countries was the move that severed our nuts!

Anonymous said...

jerry uses an awful lot of adjectives. he calls every show that takes calls on air america and gets on virtually every day.

Alice said...

blah blah blah said...

March 28, 2007 7:18 AM

That's cool, I'm not voting for him either. His plans sit better with me than with the Dems as a whole though.

Anonymous said...

So I went to a web site this morning and it had a bear icon.

And the first thing out of my mouth?

"Poking the bear...."

Anonymous said...

Britain Steps Up Pressure on Iran, Freezing Business Ties

Anonymous said...

i'm having streaming problems....help!

Unknown said...

Several years ago, the Humanist Magazine contained an article noting that Pat Tillman was assassinated because his oppostition to the Iraq war would have been used against "W" in the 2004 election. This article should be reviewed by anyone interested in considering all of the various aspects of this "interesting" situation.

Anonymous said...

The rethugs have been in control of Congress for 12 years. . . and boy did they fuck up everything they did.

The DEMS have been back since January. Wake up people! The DEMS have accomplished a great deal in a short time considering the fact that they are working against the crap the rethugs did.

blah blah blah said...

Noodles Jefferson said...
The United States needs a new government from top to bottom. Our antiquated systems cannot cope with the speed of today's issues.

You can't have a foriegn policy like ours when we don't manufacture anything. If we had to war with China, for instance, it wouldn't be long before we are screwed for the lack of critical goods, necessary for war, that we are forced to import because we no longer make anything.

Shipping out all our manufacturing jobs to other countries was the move that severed our nuts!


very good point. couple that with the amount of debt we have to them and we're really toast.

blah blah blah said...

i heard a tale yesterday that almost sounds like it could be true:

in ohio we have an active rails to trails program. this is where they take abandoned rail lines and convert them to bike paths. the person i was talking with said she was told that dod has plans to be able to convert these paths back to rail lines in the event of a national emergency. thats why they have left the infrastructure in tact (bridges, rights of way, etc).

anyone ever hear about this?

Alice said...

10 Most Magnificent Trees in the World

Noodles Jefferson said...

I haven't blogged here much since it got shifted over to this make believe blog.

It's kind of sad to see it so quiet, remembering how busy it was in the evening, when Sam and Janeane were on the air.

Also, I was blindsided by a blogger the other night when I came in. I was told to "fuck off" and get the hell out of here.

That kind of thing insures the death of a blog. You want to draw MORE people, not drum out the folks that show up.

toniD said...

Is anyone getting cross talk on real player about the I-Rack and Steve Jobs?

burepe said...

Who is watching youtube in the office?

burepe said...

I was getting it.

Alice said...

Top 25 Web 2.0 Search Engines

burepe said...

Can someone try to join the AIM group chat I made to see if it works?

It is "sammychannl"

burepe said...

Sorry! it is "sammychannel"

doggielover said...

Sam...

What is you IM handle? Can I reach you if I use ICQ?

Alice said...

toniD said...

Is anyone getting cross talk on real player about the I-Rack and Steve Jobs?

March 28, 2007 7:44 AM

Yes.

Alice said...

...
AMY GOODMAN: Congressman Kucinich, what would getting out now look like? I mean, do you mean, for example, today, you begin the process, and when would the soldiers be home if -- well, if you were president, Dennis Kucinich?

REP. DENNIS KUCINICH: I crafted my plan with the help of the people at the UN, and I will tell you that they say that it would take about two months, three months to mobilize a sufficient force that would replace US Troops leaving. So I say two to three months we could have troops home and have an international force that would help stabilize Iraq. But the international community will not become involved as long as the United States intends to occupy Iraq and keep bases open. So we need to take a new direction.

My plan would be as follows: to put in place the provisions of HR 1234, which ends the occupation, closes the bases, sets in motion a plan to bring the troops home, bring in international peacekeepers, and stop the privatization of Iraq oil. One of the things in the bill that passed the House was a demand that the Iraq government pass a hydrocarbon act which sets the stage for broad privatization of trillions of dollars of Iraqi oil interests.

Now, think about it. If Democrats had told the American people last October that if you vote democrat in November, we'll not only give you enough money to keep the war going through the end of President Bush's term, but we'll also privatize the oil of Iraq and then help the US oil companies win the prize that I think the war was all about from the very beginning. I don't think the people would have voted Democrat. So Democrats have to keep faith with the American people.

My plan would do that, by returning full control of the Iraqi oil assets to the Iraqi people. Put in motion a plan for reconciliation between Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds, which cannot happen as long as the United States occupies. Provide for honest reconstruction, you know, none of these contractors from the US can be there. They've stolen money from the Iraqi people and also from the US taxpayers.

We have to give the Iraqi people jobs with Iraqi contractors doing the work. We have to provide for reparations so that we can pay money to the Iraqi people who have lost their homes or lost the lives of loved ones. We have to stabilize energy and food prices. And when Iraq goes to the international community, make sure that Iraq doesn't suffer from the structural readjustment provisions of the IMF or the World Bank.
...

Transcript

doggielover said...

BTW, speaking of Jeanenne - what happened to Katherine Harris? Did they both disappear into la la land?

toniD said...

He said the bill has too much pork.

toniD said...

What about the pork filled bills the Repub sent through!

burepe said...

Doggielover, you have to use a program that has the AIM protocol. AIM or Gaim or Ichat or Adium.

toniD said...

He just said "That evil has to be faced overseas so we don't face it here"!

blah blah blah said...

Alice said...
10 Most Magnificent Trees in the World

nice link. i have always been fascinated with the idea that the aspen is one of the worlds largest organisms covering acres of land.

ESKIMO BLUE DAY (G. Slick/P. Kantner)
Sun cuts loose, from the frozen
Until it joins, with the African sea
In moving it changes, its cold, and its name
The reason I come, and I go, is the same
Animal game for me
You call it rain
But the human name
Doesn't mean shit to a tree
And if you don't mind, heat in your river
And fork tongue, talking from me
Swim like an eel, fantastic snake
You can take my love when it's free
Electric feel with me
You call it loud
But the human crowd
Doesn't mean shit to a tree

Jefevv said...

to President bush
You go to work with the congress you have. NOT the congress you want.
Deal with it!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff from southern Indiana
Air America Premiun Member

Anonymous said...

oh boy

-conbo

Anonymous said...

first of all he is lumping the entire middle east together

-conbo

blah blah blah said...

toniD said...
He just said "That evil has to be faced overseas so we don't face it here"!

he just doesn't get it does he.

Anonymous said...

they are holding down the land for Jesus' return

-conbo

Anonymous said...

L@L sez:

Hi, gang!

*

Sammer: Classy interview w/ Dan Levy.

And tres smart of you to move Christy Harvey to the 1C segment. As far as I'm concerned, you should just plan to squeeze the D (following) down to a couple of phone calls every week. Christy is not only informative, but gives damn good radio! *snark*

*

Bleeeeech! *kicks the mutt...real hard*

*

ImPeaches, gang!

Jefevv said...

To the President
You go to work with the congress you have....Not the congress you want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

doggielover said...

Sam: Let them know that if they fire you that I will NEVER listen to Air America again... NEVER! You are the best they've got and if you need to increase your ratings then THEY need to do some marketing and figure out how to promote the show. Once people listen they are lifers...you might do better in a different time slot, but YOU ARE THEIR BEST.

Anonymous said...

Get fired Sam? Who's going to take your place? I just paid for the premium serv for you. You're the only one left.

Alice said...

TransCaspian Pipeline construction is now discussed only as a "decree" question

Kazakhstan Today

ASTANA. March, 28.

TransCaspian Pipeline construction is now discussed only as a "decree" question, said on the press-conference the Minister of Foreign Affairs Marat Tazhin, reports KZ-today correspondent.

"We need to define Caspian Sea legal status. While it is indefinite, it is hard to talk over a pipeline on Caspian seabed", - stressed Marat Tazhin. "There are modern technological ways to solve this question but now it is very early to say about ", - he pointed out. "Without competent economic supply it is hard to say (about project expediency. - Kazakhstan Today commented)", - expressed his opinion RK MFA chairman.

Alice said...

U.S. seeks stable energy markets in Caspian region, officials say

...
The MOU, signed March 22, expresses the intention of both governments to establish a high-level dialogue on energy security in the Caspian region. The main object of the dialogue would be to realize pipeline connections that would transport natural gas from the Azerbaijani capital and Caspian port of Baku to Italy and Austria, thus giving it direct access to European and global markets.
...
"I would say monopolies in general are a bad idea -- especially in the energy sector," Bryza said. He added that by supporting the projects, the United States seeks "competition, not confrontation with Russia."
...
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the United States and other energy-consuming nations have looked at the region as a potential alternative source of energy to the less politically stable Middle East. In addition, the region’s geographic location next to Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan gives it a strategic position in the global War on Terror.

blah blah blah said...

that brit talking about iraq sounds like the guy on the daily show.

Sunshine Jim said...

mornin gang!

Anonymous said...

To all of you at Air America -

Monday Randi had an item on her website about the "U.S. attorney firing" provision of the patriot act.

You have all been making a lot of fuss over the politically motivated firings of US attorneys.

Why haven't you called for the repeal of the patriot act?
Why is the Military Commissions Act still active!???
Pat Leahy made a big noise about repealing the Commissions Act and then what happened???
NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And still you continue to willfully misdirect the nation about the truth concerning the events of 911 and the cover up by the 911 commission and the implementation of the police state recommendations of the 911 commission by the Democratic Congress. You clearly do not believe in freedom or a free and informed America. You want those anti-democratic laws on the books and you want to be able to point at some mythical threat to American security.
What about a real investigation into the mass murder of Americans by Americans in America. The families of the 911 VICTIMS have been asking for this for years. YEARS!!!! But you and the Democratic Congress give us POLITICAL INVESTIGATIONS aimed at the other party. Oh my, we have no habius corpus, the 911 murderers still freely walk the earth, America is contiuing the body count up, gas is more expensive than ever, guam is the new free trade slave zone, the families of 911 have no peace and no voice, income tax dollars continue to flow into the pockets of the corporations and the people suffer.
But the democratic party must find out why some US attorneys were fired. Great. that will lead somewhere.

Two words people: TOWER SEVEN.

You apparently believe in a kinder, gentler (machine gun) oligarchy.

Oh, by the way, why are we still in Iraq and why was the president allowed to start operations against IRAN! Why are the democrats discussing a draft? Get real.

Free the people.....NOW!

Scott

Noodles Jefferson said...

Free the people.....NOW!

Scott

March 28, 2007 8:20 AM

Good ideas and well said, Scott. I share your mindset. Sadly, we live in a place in a time where people have not yet learned to profit by their experience. We keep "reliving" our history.

Perhaps we're like lemmings, with a group drive towards death.

zeek said...

Wha Hoppened?

Actually...

A Mighty Wind

Anonymous said...

Sam, what's this about firing? You are what makes AAR worthwhile, I like Thom Hartmann, but i LOVE you. Tell me it ain't so. I miss Jeneane...

Anonymous said...

Sam,

Your handling of Dewey tells me you will be a great father.

Anonymous said...

thanks noodles -

scott

toniD said...

I didn't hear Sam say anything about being fired. When did he say this or is this the same rumor from last week.

Noodles Jefferson said...

Karma is forever playing practical jokes on us. I'll give you an example.

Have you watched American Idol at all this season? They have a contestant named Melinda Dolittle. She's a tiny little woman with a strange shaped body and a large head.

From this curious persona, emerges a voice that sounds is if it was sent direct from "heaven!"

Holy crap...can that girl sing. What a voice! What style and verve and energy!

Will she win American Idol?

Hell no! They will chose style over substance! Just watch! No one else on that show can even carry that woman's shoes yet they'll vote a pretty face as the winner!

Same in politics. Imagine in this point in time that the United States would end up with an insane man as its leader?

With all the people we have to choose from, we end up with a totally crazed, idiot to be the chief.

Karma! It'll fuck with ya!

toniD said...

White House switching to private email. Via Muckraker, U.S. News reports that “just a week after E-mails in the U.S. attorneys case became a main focus of congressional Democrats probing the firings, several aides said that they stopped using the White House system except for purely professional correspondence.” But rather than use RNC accounts, “they have subsequently bought their own private E-mail system through a cellular phone or Blackberry server. When asked how he communicated, one aide pulled out a new personal cellphone and said, ‘texting.’”

UPDATE: Josh Marshall: “[T]his may have been too clever by half. If the president’s aides were using RNC emails or emails from other Republican political committees, they can’t have even the vaguest claim to shielding those communications behind executive privilege.”

UPDATE II: A Laura Rozen reader notes that other federal agencies have apparently banned this practice over security concerns.

LINK

War Dog said...

toniD said...
I didn't hear Sam say anything about being fired. When did he say this or is this the same rumor from last week.

===================================

I heard the end of the month. I was told not to miss the Friday show. So here I am... Rumors..!!

Anonymous said...

sweet! it finally let me post about what an evil commie this sam seder is...... for some reason i cant sign into my blogger i think i forgot the password soon the penguins will own the best beachfront realestate in the world mwah ha ha ha ha

Anonymous said...

I just saw the firing thing as I zipped down the blog, so it's a rumor, good. Good news. Relieved now.

Sam, I echo what the other people ask, now I will join AAR premium too if it helps your show stay on the air.

toniD said...

Here's some good news...

Swiftboat Funder Withdraws Bid for Ambassadorship
By Paul Kiel - March 28, 2007, 11:36 AM
Sam Fox, the administration's pick to be the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, has withdrawn his bid.

Why? Things weren't going his way. From the AP:

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and other Democrats are raising concerns about Fox's nomination to be ambassador to Belgium because of a $50,000 contribution Fox made in 2004 to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth....
With a vote on Fox expected Wednesday in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry's Vietnam crew mates on Tuesday sent a letter urging committee members to oppose Fox's nomination. A copy of the letter was obtained by The Associated Press.

“In our judgment, those who finance smears and lies of combat veterans don't deserve to represent America on the world stage,” said the letter signed by James Rassman and 10 other Vietnam Swift Boat veterans who served with Kerry.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said Tuesday he opposes the nomination because Fox “refused to apologize for his behavior” during his confirmation hearing last month.


LINK

Anonymous said...

Sam, referring to your conversation with David Sirota, did you read the article in Rolling Stone about how the money is spent by the Dems and the t.v. ad racket of the "consultants". Check it out.

Anonymous said...

jeffy remembers people buying AAR Premium when the marc maron show came on the air did him a lot of good......

Noodles Jefferson said...

Anonymous said...
sweet! it finally let me post about what an evil commie this sam seder is.


While it is CERTAINLY passe, is it legal in the USA to call someone a Communist these days?

It used to be illegal.

Anonymous said...

Sam said something about maybe being fired soon on the cam during a commercial. he could be messing with us, but he said that in response to Pashman being sommoned by someone to a meeting.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
To all of you at Air America -

Monday Randi had an item on her website about the "U.S. attorney firing" provision of the patriot act.

You have all been making a lot of fuss over the politically motivated firings of US attorneys.

Why haven't you called for the repeal of the patriot act?
Why is the Military Commissions Act still active!???
Pat Leahy made a big noise about repealing the Commissions Act and then what happened???
NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
--------------------
Funny you should mention this. As aa a matter of fact, just yesterday, I called and emailed my support for repealing the Patriot Act and restoring our other freedoms. And, I have done so in the past and will continue to do so.

9/11 happened not as a result of a lack of intelligence alerts and warnings. It was because they were purposely ignored and neglected. And there is some circumstantial evidence that it was intentional.

These laws and measures were enacted by the Republicans and their coercion of the Democratic representives, not to mention cloak of darkness, to expand executive power.

If your are a Republican that supported these efforts you gave up your American citizenship and became a traitor. (REP"UGLY"CANS: Party over Country)

If you are an American, you are going to have to be patient, since the insidious, sinister acts of these traitors are going to take more than 2 months to unravel.

Sunshine Jim said...

Gonzales Implicated In Cover-Up Of New Pedophile Scandal
Letter from Sutton's office legitimized raping of boys in minor's facility


http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/march2007/260307pedophilescandal.htm

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Monday, March 26, 2007

blah blah blah said...

toniD said...
Here's some good news...

Swiftboat Funder Withdraws Bid for Ambassadorship

YES :)

i think the swiftboaters were pure scum. the worst thing is thats its a vendetta that goes back to tricky dick.

Sunshine Jim said...

Teen sex scandal ignored by AG,(GONZO) others for 2 years
Probe widened, involving hundreds of complaints of sexual abuse in system
Posted: March 27, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54882

By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

Anonymous said...

I know about Marc Maron and AAR premium, I called and wrote then. Now I will call AAR and ask them what's the deal...they think they are going to make AAR a hub and not a producer of programming, not that they'll tell me but i want to do something to help Sam and his young child thrive, there aren't any products that advertise that I can use, i did by the premiums in the beginning...

About Lie-berman, we Dems didn't vote for him, the republicans did and Lamont droipped the ball after he won...a plant? who knows...we complained, but i think he was scared he was going to win...

Anonymous said...

thanks ceecee -

911truth is THE MOST IMPORTANT issue for us to address.

Free the people - NOW!@

Scott

Noodles Jefferson said...

The place has gone dead. See you soon.

toniD said...

SunshineJim said...
Teen sex scandal ignored by AG,(GONZO) others for 2 years
Probe widened, involving hundreds of complaints of sexual abuse in system
Posted: March 27, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54882

By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

Jim, it's all on my blog with an update:

http://abramoffjournal.blogspot.com/

toniD said...

Stocks drop on Bernanke inflation remark By TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer
51 minutes ago



Stocks slid further Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke appeared to chide investors who may have looked past concerns about inflation following Fed comments last week. The Dow Jones industrials fell more than 100 points.

In Capitol Hill testimony, Bernanke said while core inflation slowed "modestly" in the second half of 2006, recent readings remain "uncomfortably high." He also said an implosion among some mortgage lenders that cater to those with poor credit doesn't appear to have spread to the broader economy, though he added that the situation warrants further observation.

Stocks rallied last week after investors interpreted language from the Fed as opening the way to the possibility of a reduction in interest rates. But concerns about stubborn inflation could upend investors' hopes for a reduction in rates, even as the economy continues to cool.

"I think what the Fed is trying to tell us is that it is between a rock and a hard place. And when you're between and a rock and a hard place you just can't move," said Drew Matus, senior economist at Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

Alice said...

Brazil’s President Lula is Coming to Washington

* The leader of Brazil, the hemisphere’s emerging, if reluctant, super power, will be arriving in Washington on March 31 as the guest of President Bush at Camp David

* The White House, hoping to maintain its man-hunting offensive to bag Lula for its diplomatic pouch, achieved its highpoint while Bush was in Brazil

* Washington wishes to finish the task of transforming Lula into this side of the pond’s version of Tony Blair

* Lula likely to counter with his patented bear-hug diplomacy and a non-committal bottom line

* Bush’s “ethanol diplomacy” is a subject of considerable wariness for Brazilian policy-makers

* Bush wants Brazil to give more that it receives on the ethanol issue; up to now it doesn’t seem to be much of a deal—more bark than bite

Sunshine Jim said...

tanks ToniD,

popping in when i can.

things to do here eh? it never stops.

Ajata said...

March 28, 2007 -- Nuclear Pakistan breaking up. Last week, the World Sindhi Institute held a seminar in Washington, DC to mark the 40th anniversary of the Lahore Resolution, a document that promised sovereignty for the future Pakistan's ethnic minorities. However, Pakistan soon became a continuing dictatorship, led by one general after another, that squashed the autonomy of the ethnically distinct regions of Pakistan. Many speakers, representing the Baluchi, Sindhi, Pashtun, Kashmiri, and Balti peoples of Pakistan, stressed that an alliance of Pakistan, America, and Saudi Arabia works against the interests of the oppressed nations of Pakistan.

A spokesman for the Baluch Society of North America stressed that Baluchistan was not even part of the Lahore Resolution, which was a contrivance of the All-India Muslim League and its Muslim supporters in Hindu India and East Pakistan.

LINK

Ajata said...

Baluchis, Kashmiris, Sindhis, Pashtuns, and Gilgitis/Baltis prepare to say goodbye to Pakistan, leaving a nuclear armed Punjabistan allied with Saudi Arabia.

A spokesperson for the World Sindhi Institute said that Pakistan is currently unraveling -- lawyers have been on strike and there have been mass resignations from the judiciary as the Punjabi military government in Islamabad cracks down on dissent and the media.

[snip]

If Pakistan breaks up, Punjabistan will remain as a nuclear state allied to its financial supporters in Saudi Arabia -- the country that also backed the Taliban and "Al Qaeda." A number of individuals representing Pakistan's nations agreed that Pakistan is based on the "Three A's" -- Allah, the Army, and America.

Ajata said...

Who Protects The Kids From The Department of Justice?

***

March 28, 2007 -- Where was Attorney General Alberto Gonzales yesterday as a pedophile scandal swirled around his department and the US Attorney for West Texas? (See yesterday's story) He was attending a conference of U.S. and state attorneys on a new Justice Department program -- "Operation Safe Childhood," a program designed to protect children from online predators. What about a program to protect children from predators working for the Department of Justice?

Sunshine Jim said...

Bush Administration's Secret Plan To "Gut" Endangered Species Act Revealed: A 117-page document obtained by Salon.com highlights a "secretive plan" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to "gutâ" the Endangered Species Act. 3-28

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/27/endangered-species/

Ajata said...

March 27, 2007 -- BREAKING STORY. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' "loyal Bushie" U.S. Attorney for Western Texas covered up a major pedophile scandal with the connivance of the Justice Department's Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division.

LINK

Sunshine Jim said...

http://tinyurl.com/2uq7ob

The Western Business Roundtable (run by a former employee of Vice President Cheney) has sent out an activist email warning of the

"major new threat to all businesses/industries" (buahahahaha!)

if the polar bear is added to the endangered species list. This will essentially declare 'open season' for environmental lawyers to sue to block virtually any project that involves carbon dioxide emissions. 3-28

Ajata said...

SunshineJim said...

Bush Administration's Secret Plan To "Gut" Endangered Species Act Revealed:


***

What a surprise.

I mean, there is absolutely no president that has ever been this bad. There is no area in which he has not done terrible damage.

Ajata said...

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, already under pressure for firing several U.S. Attorneys not considered "loyal Bushies," now faces another scandal. Albert Moskowitz, the Chief of the Criminal Section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, sent a letter dated September 27, 2005, to the Superintendent of the Texas Youth Commission's West Texas State School youth detention facility declining the prosecution of two of the Texas agency's employees -- Ray Brookins and John Hernandez -- for engaging in sexual molestation of 10 underage males incarcerated at the facility.

Ajata said...

. The charges of molestation were originally brought by Texas Ranger Brian J. Burzynski. Earlier, in a July 28, 2005 letter, the Assistant US Attorney for West Texas, Bill Baumann, who works for US Attorney Johnny Sutton, a close friend of Gonzales, sent a letter to Burzynski declining federal prosecution in the pedophile case. In a decision that indicates that the Gonzales Justice Department defines child molestation in very narrow and high threshold terms, Baumann wrote that the young men at the West Texas facility that claimed they were raped by Brookins and Hernandez did not sustain "bodily injury" or "bodily pain." Baumann also defined aggravated sexual assault as resulting from a "perpetrator knowingly causing his victim to engage in a sexual act (which can include contact between the mouth and penis) by force against the victim or by threatening or placing the victim in fear that the victim (or any other person) will be subjected to death, serious bodily injury or kidnapping). Baumann stated, "I do not believe that sufficient evidence exists to support a charge that either Brookins or Hernandez used force to cause victims to engage in a sexual act."

Ajata said...

It just gets better and better...

***

Astonishingly, Baumann also writes that "none of the victims admit they consented to the sexual contact" with the juvenile facility employees. However, Baumann then suggests that the underage males came on to the prison guards and were "simply 'getting off' on the school administrator. Baumann also indicates that "many students" were "retained at the West Texas State School long after their initial release date" but that "it would be difficult to prove that either Mr. Brookins or Mr. Hernandez prevented their release." The clear indication is that Brookins and Hernandez kept the boys incarcerated in order to continue to sodomize them. Baumann, who appears to be borrowing heavily from the tracts of the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), suggests that sex between the underage males and detention facility personnel is perfectly legitimate as long as the sex is consensual. There are also reports that detained youth in the Texas Youth system are transported from various facilities for purposes of prostitution.

Ajata said...

After the allegations about abuse at the West Texas detention facility became public, Hernandez was forced to resign as principal at a Midland, Texas charter school. A Ward County grand jury is investigating the case.

Anonymous said...

Man, we gotta feminize the whole damn world(lets freak out the crazy ass right even more!). Enough of this extreme macho shit! I'm sick of these god damn wars and domination and abusing power and being dicks. i mean these destructive power trips are beyond crazy. and there are some macho women out there like HILLARY. I mean this macho domination shit is not acceptable anymore it's been going on for too many thousands of years. Why is it in human nature to want to dominate and have such power trips you know? Do we have to live as either prey or hunter? This neocon domination of the middle east was drawn out back in the early nineties. All for oil eventhough we shouldnt be using oil in the future anyways! The 'glory' of war and dominian is something that just doesnt fly with the public anymore. War is such a no win situation....

Sunshine Jim said...

House strips Bush of US Attorneys appointment authority

Michael Roston

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/House_strips_Bush_of_US_Attorneys_0327.html

"The Senate measure passed on a 94-2 vote. The measure will proceed to the White House for approval after being considered in a House-Senate conference."

Ajata said...

There are now reports that pedophilia extends to other youth detention facilities in Texas. The Texas Sheltered Care Facility in Nixon, in south Texas, is being investigated for the abuse, including sexual molestation of detained Latin American immigrant youth housed at the center. The facility is operated by Away from Home, Inc. Some 72 children were relocated from the facility after the abuse charges were raised. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services investigated the Nixon facility and referred the case to US Attorney Johnny Sutton and the FBI. However, once again, Sutton decided "the alleged activity, which as the focus of the investigation, could likely be more effectively addressed by the state of Texas prosecutorial authorities."

FBI agent Erik Vasys told the Houston Chronicle that the FBI was "disappointed" in the failure of the Justice Department to bring charges.

Presidential adviser Karl Rove has been implicated by child welfare advocates in Texas in the failure of the Justice Department to prosecute the Texas child abuse and pedophilia cases. Indictments in the case prepared by the US Attorney for West Texas were reportedly spiked on the orders of the White House and Justice Department.

Sunshine Jim said...

the "Boyz" are fine with crashing the system as long as they get "theirs".

pretty damm simple at that level.

just oppose it every way you can is the proper response.

toniD said...

Sampson has close relationship with GOP senators on committee that will question him Michael Roston
Published: Wednesday March 28, 2007

When D. Kyle Sampson, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's former chief of staff, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow, he may get a warm reception from some committee Republicans, including a former boss who warned his colleagues against trying "to hurt the man" last week.

Sampson has agreed to testify on Thursday before the Judiciary Committee in the US Senate, a body where he used to work. One of the senators hearing his testimony, Orrin Hatch of Utah, is a former employer. Sampson served as counsel to Senator Hatch from 1999-2001. Records filed with the Federal Election Commission also show that Hatch received a $250 campaign donation in March 2006 from Sampson.

Senator Hatch made it clear in a Judiciary Committee hearing last week authorizing the issuance of subpoenas that he wants Sampson treated well before the Committee.

"I personally feel badly for young Kyle Sampson. He worked on this committee. He's a very honest, decent, honorable person. And he had the unenviable job of handling these matters," Hatch explained.

He added, "And, frankly, I will resent anybody who tries to hurt the man."

But Hatch tried to sound a balanced note. "He was in a tough position and, frankly, I think, handled it pretty well under the circumstances, even though there are things I disagree with."

LINK

toniD said...

Pelosi to Bush: 'Take a deep breath' and 'calm down' David Edwards and Ron Brynaert

President Bush reiterated that he would veto any bill which contains a timetable for withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, during a Wednesday morning speech to the National Cattleman's Beef Association's 2007 Spring Legislative Conference in Washington, DC.

Afterwards, responding to the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) asked him to "calm down" and respect Congress' constitutional role.

"Here's the bottom line," Bush said, one day after the Senate voted, in a close vote of 50 to 48, to include in the emergency military spending bill a timetable for pulling out most US forces from Iraq in March of 2008. "The House and Senate bills have too much pork, too many conditions on our commanders and an artificial timetable for withdrawal. And I have made it clear for weeks if either version comes to my desk, I'm going to veto it."

The Senate bill is expected to be passed on Thursday, but the president added that it's "also clear from the strong opposition in both houses that my veto would be sustained; that Congress continues to pursue these bills, and as they do, the clock is ticking for our troops in the field."

Bush spoke forcefully against the timetables, and accused Democrats of "making political statements" which could put US troops in peril.

"Funding for our forces in Iraq will begin to run out in mid-April," Bush said. "Members of Congress need to stop making political statements and start providing vital funds for our troops. Need to get that bill to my desk so I can sign it into law."

The president said that he wasn't going to be forced by Congress how to fight the war.

"Now, some of them believe that by delaying funding for our troops, they can force me to accept restrictions on our commanders that I believe would make withdrawal and defeat more likely," Bush said. "That's not going to happen. If Congress fails to pass a bill to fund our troops on the front lines, the American people will know who to hold responsible."

In contrast to Bush, Pelosi's speech was more conciliatory.

"On this very important matter, I would extend a hand of friendship to the president just to say to him 'Calm down with the threats, there's a new Congress in town," Pelosi said. "We respect your constitutional role, we want you to respect ours."

Pelosi continued, "This war must end. The American people have lost faith in the president's conduct of the war. Let's see how we can work together."

"So I just wish the president would take a deep breath, recognize again that we each have our constitutional role, and we should respect that in terms of each other," Pelosi added.

LINK

toniD said...

Schumer: Rove, Miers subpoenas authorized, ready to be issued
03/28/2007 @ 11:40 am
Filed by RAW STORY

A source from the office of Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) tells the New York Observer that subpoenas to compel White House adviser Karl Rove and former counsel Harriet Miers to testify before the Judiciary Committee regarding their roles in the dismissals of eight US Attorneys have been authorized and are ready to be issued.

"Senator Charles Schumer finds it 'hard to believe' that embattled U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales can continue in office for much longer," Jason Horowitz reports for the Observer. "At the same time, Mr. Schumer believes that the practical consequences for the Republican Party resulting from Mr. Gonzales’ actions—the culling of eight U.S. Attorneys—will be lasting."

Schumer tells the paper, "Clearly, it will affect 2008, because the credibility of the President and the people close to him is lower now today than it was a month ago, and that’s going to hurt."

The Senate Judiciary Committee member called the White House's offer to allow "behind doors" testimony by White House officials "ridiculous."

LINK

Anonymous said...

Any of the "strategery" thinking libs around here, realized something....

Bush can veto the bill at his leisure.

What can happen?

"It'll drive his poll numbers down"!?!?!?

Uh.....

Anonymous said...

tonid said

Schumer tells the paper, "Clearly, it will affect 2008, because the credibility of the President and the people close to him is lower now today than it was a month ago, and that’s going to hurt."


Yeah, Bush's shot at re-election in 2008 is DEFINITELY in trouble now!

Waiting for Cicero said...

: )

If he vetoes it, he has no money for Iraq. If he accepts it, he has a binding withdrawal date set into the funding.

Yep, the Dems really fucked up on that one.

I'd rather it had included language to provide for a much speedier exit, but it's a step in the right direction.

Anonymous said...

"NEWS CONSUMER" said...

Hey Jim, Shell, toniD...

Just stopping by to say hi.

See you guys later.

Sunshine Jim said...

eya NC,

later! busy as usual lately.

toniD said...

Hi NC!!

G'afternoon WFC !!

toniD said...

FBI Director Rebuts White House Claims That U.S. Attorneys Failed To Pursue Voter Fraud »
One of the Bush administration’s excuses for its prosecutor purge is that the U.S. attorneys weren’t aggressively investigating voter fraud cases. Last week, President Bush said, “We did hear complaints and concerns about U.S. attorneys. Some complained about the lack of vigorous prosecution of election fraud cases.”

This line has been exposed. The right wing’s pursuit of voter fraud is “code for suppressing the votes of minorities and poor people,” the New York Times wrote. McClatchy News reported it is part of a broader strategy of voter suppression implemented by Karl Rove.

Yesterday, FBI Director Robert Mueller confirmed some of these details under questioning from Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY). Mueller said that since 2001, there have been no FBI investigations related to election fraud that “should have resulted in an indictment but did not.” He also confirmed that he was never consulted about the performance of the fired prosecutors. Watch it:

LINK

Waiting for Cicero said...

Hi/bye toniD!

Gtg, but was checking out Waxman's GSA hearings

See ya later, have a fantastic day!

blah blah blah said...

if the troops run out of money, there is only ONE person to blame. That would be the person who didn't sign the bill into law.
END OF DISCUSSION.

Not gonna play the blame game.

toniD said...

Rove’s PowerPoint Presentation Revealed During Oversight Hearing
In January, General Services Administration chief Lurita Doan and Karl Rove deputy Scott Jennings held a video conference with top GSA political appointees, “who discussed ways to help Republican candidates.”

Jennings, the White House’s deputy director of political affairs, gave a PowerPoint presentation on Jan. 26 of polling data about the 2006 elections.

When Jennings concluded his presentation to the GSA political appointees, Doan allegedly asked them how they could “help ‘our candidates’ in the next elections.”

The Hatch Act explicitly prohibits partisan campaign activities on federal property.

During a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing today, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) questioned Doan about the contents of Rove’s PowerPoint presentation. Doan repeatedly claimed ignorance of the contents of the slides and the verbal presentation that Jennings made. So Braley reminded her with some examples from this “nonpartisan” briefing:

(Go to link to see graphics of the Power point presentation)

After showing the slides, Braley told Doan, “I think the American taxpayers have a very good reason to wonder whether the only ‘team’ that was being helped during this briefing was the Republican Party team.” Watch the full exchange:

LINK

The Gavel has several more clips from today’s hearing HERE.

Sunshine Jim said...

GOP senators question Gonzales' honesty...

(LAO!)

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/03/25/gop_senators_question_gonzales_honesty/

By Lara Jakes Jordan,

Associated Press Writer

"WASHINGTON --Republican support for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales eroded Sunday as three key senators sharply questioned his honesty over last fall's firings of eight federal prosecutors. Additionally, two Democrats joined the list of lawmakers calling for Gonzales' ouster.


Several Republicans also urged President Bush to allow sworn testimony from his top aides about their role in dismissing the U.S. attorneys -- a standoff threatening to result in Capitol Hill subpoenas of White House officials."

Anonymous said...

afternoon Blog

Alice said...

"Everything for everyone.

and nothing for ourselves"

-Zapatistas

Anonymous said...

Colombia army chief linked to outlaw militias

The allegations come as Congress reviews aid to the U.S. ally.

By Paul Richter and Greg Miller, Times Staff Writers
March 25, 2007

WASHINGTON — The CIA has obtained new intelligence alleging that the head of Colombia's U.S.-backed army collaborated extensively with right-wing militias that Washington considers terrorist organizations, including a militia headed by one of the country's leading drug traffickers.

Disclosure of the allegation about army chief Gen. Mario Montoya comes as the high level of U.S. support for Colombia's government is under scrutiny by Democrats in Congress. The disclosure could heighten pressure to reduce or redirect that aid because Montoya has been a favorite of the Pentagon and an important partner in the U.S.-funded counterinsurgency strategy called Plan Colombia. The $700 million a year Colombia receives makes it the third-largest beneficiary of U.S. foreign assistance.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-colombia25mar25,1,3444970.story?track=rss&ctrack=1&cset=true

Alice said...

The Democratic Dialectic: The State, Markets and Civil Society

...
But there is another alternative that is mobilizing millions onto the historic stage, the construction of a world based on human solidarity and equality. This alternative is taking shape in the everyday life of common people in societies throughout the world.
...
In Mexico, the Zapatistas have sought to build democratic autonomy without competing for state power. As pointed out by Neil Harvey, “Their strategy is not to seize power and wield it over others, but to democratize power relations in every sphere of life.”(Harvey, 2005, 14) Their efforts have been twofold; to build over 30 autonomous municipalities among their base communities in the Chiapas jungle known as the Juntas de Buen Gobierno (Councils of Good Government); and to seek alliances and dialogue with other social movements to create a diverse but common democratic agenda for social change. Meanwhile on the electoral front, the Party of Revolutionary Democracy (PRD) set-out to win the presidency with the populist mayor of Mexico City, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, as their candidate. The left-center party was formed in a merger of the Mexican Communist Party, two socialist parties, and the left-wing of the traditional ruling party, the PRI. The PRD has had their greatest success in states with large indigenous populations, winning governorships in Guerrero, Michoacan and in the Zapatista’s own backyard of Chiapas. Yet the autonomist movement remains skeptical of the PRD’s progressive legitimacy. As Zapatista spokesperson, Sub Comandante Marcos has stated, “Yesterday they were on the left, today they are on the center, where will they be tomorrow?” (Ramirez, 2005) But the Zapatista’s have their critics too, as activist and writer Tariq Ali has argued “the Zapatistas have failed to make serious gains, because the proposal to ‘change the world without taking power’ is only a ’moral slogan’ that does not pose any threat to dominant groups in Mexico or their foreign allies.” (Harvey, 14) The call to boycott the election by Marcos may have been enough to give a razor thin margin of victory to the conservative candidate Felipe Calderon. While millions of Mexican workers and poor mobilized to contest possible electoral fraud, Marcos and the Zapatistas were left standing in silence on the sidelines.
...

Alice said...

Hey Bart!

:)

toniD said...

I know we are all anxious, but I am seeing a slow crumbling of this admin and the republican party as well.

Alice said...

http://www.myspace.com/goddessalchemyproject

http://www.myspace.com/goddessalchemyproject

http://www.myspace.com/goddessalchemyproject

toniD said...

Hi Bart!!

Long time! Good to see you here!

Alice said...

He DOES have money if the budget passes...he has 140b in 08 & 40b in 09...

toniD said...

FLASHBACK: One Year Ago, Gen. McCaffrey Said Iraq Was ‘Inoculated From Open Civil War’
Late yesterday, retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey delivered a new report to White House officials. Based on a recent visit to Iraq and interviews with Gen. Patraeus and numerous coalition officials, McCaffrey found Iraq to be “ripped by a low grade civil war which has worsened to catastrophic levels.” He added, “the U.S. Armed forces are in a position of strategic peril,” and — in contrast yesterday’s statements by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) — found the situation in Iraq to be dire:

There is no function of government that operates effectively across the nation … There is no province in the country in which the government has dominance. … No Iraqi government official, coalition soldier, diplomat, reporter, foreign NGO, nor contractor can walk the streets of Baghdad, nor Mosul, nor Kirkuk, nor Basra, nor Tikrit, nor Najaf, nor Ramadi — without heavily armed protection.

In total, enemy insurgents or armed sectarian militias…probably exceed 100,000 armed fighters. These non-government armed bands are in some ways more capable of independent operations than the regularly constituted ISF [Iraqi Army].

But just one year ago, McCaffrey believed that Iraq was making progress. In a memo last spring, he wrote:

[I]n my view, the Iraqis are likely to successfully create a governing entity.

The foreign fighters have failed to spark open civil war from the Shia. The Samarra bombing may well have inoculated the country to the possible horror of total war.

The Iraqi Army is real, growing, and willing to fight. They now have lead action of a huge and rapidly expanding area and population. The battalion level formations are in many cases excellent - most are adequate.

The contrast between this latest assessment and that of last spring highlights, in McCaffrey’s own words, the reality that the civil war in Iraq has “worsened to catastrophic levels” and we “have very little time left.”

LINK

Alice said...

Johnny Winter - Mojo Boogie 1991

Sunshine Jim said...

eya Bart!

in and out here during the day,

get's livelier after work. good to read ya!

toniD said...

Circuit City to cut more than 3,500 jobs By ZINIE CHEN SAMPSON, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 39 minutes ago

RICHMOND, Va. - Circuit City Stores Inc. said Wednesday it plans to cut costs by laying off about 3,400 retail workers, or 8.5 percent of its in-store staff, and hiring lower-paid employees to replace them. It is also trimming about 130 corporate information-technology jobs.

Its shares rose nearly 2 percent in afternoon trading.

Circuit City, the nation's No. 2 consumer electronics retailer behind Best Buy Co. Inc., said the store workers being laid off effective Wednesday were earning "well above the market-based salary range for their role." They will be replaced as soon as possible with employees who will be paid at the current market range, the company said in a news release.

LINK

toniD said...

Chiquita figure gave
$300,000 to Swift Boaters
Carl Lindner, who controlled the Chiquita Company when it began payments to terrorists, gave $300,000 to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the organization used to smear John Kerry. His brother, Robert, gave $260,000. News reports say Carl Lindner has not been accused by the Gonzales Justice Department with regard to the Chiquita scandal.

LINK

toniD said...

Wikipedia bio on Lindner brags about his GOP, Bush association
Carl Lindner, who controlled the Chiquita Company when it began payments to terrorists, seems to be a proud member of the Republican Party and George Bush.

LINK

Anonymous said...

heya tonid,Alice,Sunny J

I know I havent been around much,

pretty excited about RATM getting

back together for a few shows,I had

to post

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