As you know, Gonzales is returning to Capitol Hill on Thursday to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. Time now reports that Kyle Sampson told congressional investigators "three times in as many minutes that Gonzales was angry with McNulty because he had exposed the White House's involvement in the firings had put it's (sic) role "in the public sphere," as Sampson phrased it, according to Congressional sources familiar with the interview."
Should be some fireworks thursday.
426 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 426 Newer› Newest»Due to the magnetism they formed a weiner dog brigde
ha ha ha
whomever wrote this story was on crack
this page was the plot climax
-conbo
"If you can't be a good example then you'll just have to be a terrible warning."
Catherine Aird
http://home.att.net/~thehessians/disasterwatch.html
CYANURIC ACID - A second industrial chemical that regulators have found in contaminated pet food in the United States may have also been intentionally added to animal feed by producers seeking larger profits. Three Chinese chemical makers said that producers of animal feed often purchase or seek to purchase a chemical called cyanuric acid from their factories to blend into animal feed. Chemical producers said that it was common knowledge that for years cyanuric acid was used in animal and fish feed in China. In the United States, cyanuric acid is often used as a disinfectant in swimming pools. Two of the chemical makers said feed producers here used it because it was high in nitrogen, enabling feed producers to artificially increase the protein reading of the feed. The revelation is interesting not just because it is another indication that Chinese animal feed producers were intentionally doctoring the ingredients they sold but because the practice of using cyanuric acid may provide clues as to why the pet food in the United States became so poisonous. American regulators already suspect that Chinese companies mixed an industrial chemical called melamine into animal feed because it is high in nitrogen and can be used to artificially bolster protein levels. But scientists have had difficulty finding the precise cause of the deaths. Neither melamine nor cyanuric acid, which is a melamine-like compound, is thought to be particularly toxic. Now, however, scientists studying the pet food deaths say the combination of the two chemicals, mixed together with perhaps some other related compounds, may have created a toxic punch that formed crystals in the kidneys of pets and led to kidney failure. Contaminated batches of wheat gluten, corn protein and rice protein sold to pet food makers often contained a mixture of melamine and cyanuric acid. Melamine scrap or cyanuric acid scrap often costs one quarter of the price of pure melamine or cyanuric acid and is much cheaper per protein count than wheat or corn meal.
//dada said...
"What kind of Mickey Mouse game is the news playing?" -kos post
++++++
The feigned politeness of the comment section is nauseating.
What an oppressive attitude that site has.
Just my opinion, of course//
that it does!
i just ignore it though and say whatever I feel like anyway. i am impervious to criticism because i am constantly making an ass of myself, so after awhile you stop caring what peopel think.
as a rule, the more people you have together, the more they try harder to impress everyone-which is what goes on at dk.
it used to be that way here before we all got to know each other. well, not quite as bad, because their are less people posting here
-conbo
catherine called into the show?
what?
-conbo
catherine called Glenn Becks show!!!!
oh!
-conbo
how did he take ford=hitler
(which it does)
that probably really messed with his world view of Gore=Hitler tho.
wow! there is a politician creature who is working media reform! :)
Media Ownership Reform Act (MORA)
Media Ownership Reform Act (MORA)
The Media Ownership Reform Act seeks to restore integrity and diversity to America's media system by lowering the number of media outlets that one company is permitted to own in a single market. The bill also reinstates the Fairness Doctrine to protect fairness and accuracy in journalism.
Bill Summary
I. Guarantees Fairness in Broadcasting
Our airwaves are a precious and limited commodity that belong to the general public. As such, they are regulated by the government. From 1949 to 1987, a keystone of this regulation was the Fairness Doctrine, an assurance that the American audience would be guaranteed sufficiently robust debate on controversial and pressing issues. Despite numerous instances of support from the U.S. Supreme Court, President Reagan's FCC eliminated the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, and a subsequent bill passed by Congress to place the doctrine into federal law was then vetoed by Reagan.
MORA would amend the 1934 Communications Act to restore the Fairness Doctrine and explicitly require broadcast licensees to provide a reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views on issues of public importance.
II. Restores Broadcast Ownership Limitations
Nearly 60 years ago, the Supreme Court declared that "the widest possible dissemination of information from diverse and antagonistic sources is essential to the welfare of the public, that a free press is essential to the condition of a free society." And yet, today, a mere five companies own the broadcast networks, 90 percent of the top 50 cable networks, produce three-quarters of all prime time programming, and control 70 percent of the prime time television market share. One-third of America's independently-owned television stations have vanished since 1975.
There has also been a severe decline in the number of minority-owned broadcast stations; minorities own a mere four percent of stations today.
MORA would restore a standard to prevent any one company from owning broadcast stations that reach more than 35 percent of U.S. television households.
The legislation would re-establish a national radio ownership cap to keep a single company from owning more than five percent of our nation's total number of AM and FM stations.
The bill would reduce local radio ownership caps to limit a single company from owning more than a certain number of stations within a certain broadcast market, with the limit varying depending upon the size of each market.
Furthermore, the legislation would restore the Broadcast-Cable and Broadcast-Satellite Cross-Ownership Rules to keep a company from aving conflicting ownerships in a cable company and/or a satellite carrier and a broadcast station offering service in the same market.
Finally, MORA would prevent media owners from grandfathering their current arrangement into the new system, requiring parties to divest in order to comply with these new limitations within one year.
III. Invalidates Media Ownership Deregulation
MORA would invalidate the considerably weakened media ownership rules that were adopted by the Federal Communications Commission in 2003; rules that are now under new scrutiny through the FCC's Future Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The legislation further prevents the FCC from including media ownership rules in future undertakings of the commission's Biennial Review Process.
IV. Establishes a New Media Ownership Review Process
MORA creates a new review process, to be carried by the FCC every three years, on how the commission's regulations on media ownership promote and protect localism, competition, diversity of voices, diversity of ownership, children's programming, small and local broadcasters, and technological advancement. The bill requires the FCC to report to Congress on its findings.
V. Requires Reports for Public Interest
MORA requires broadcast licensees to publish a report every two years on how the station is serving the public interest. The legislation also requires licensees to hold at least two community public hearings per year to determine local needs and interests.
cha cha cha!
MORA is even better than the old fairness doctrine
-conbo
------------
Senator Sanders plans to introduce the legislation in the U.S. Senate.
From Senator Sanders:
This week's town meeting, at St. Michael's College in Colchester, is also an opportunity for Sanders to unveil his soon-to-be-introduced legislation — the "Media Ownership Reform Act," or MORA, which he calls "the most sweeping and comprehensive media reform legislation ever introduced in Congress."
"Over the years, basically all of the responsibilities that were asked of media owners have been diminished. There's virtually nothing left," Sanders asserts. "And now, their only job is to make as much money as possible in any way they can."
A key feature of MORA would be to restore the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" of the 1934 Communications Act, which once required broadcast licensees to ensure that all coverage of pressing and controversial issues be balanced and fair. But the FCC eliminated the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, under pressure from President Reagan.
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=269328
House Liberals Entertain Alternate Scheme: Deauthorize The War
By Greg Sargent |
Link
Federal Watchdogs Facing New Scrutiny
May 08, 2007 2:18 PM
Justin Rood Reports:
Four of the federal government's top watchdogs have found themselves under investigation recently, a trend experts call unprecedented and troubling.
Link
Wayne Gilman has quite a history of throwing a few too many bones to the Repubs when he reports the news.
omg
I was thinking about Ford Co and how it was most likely founded by a Nazi or at the very least a Nazi sympathizer and then a whole bunch of other things occured to me that I am not even going to post on the blog because its crazy
i hate thinking about Nazi's
gah
i wonder if this is what Glenn Beck does every night
thinks about Nazi's
probably. and then he puts down his crack pipe and writes down material for his show
Why is Glenn Beck terrified of Nazi's though?
That is what is most ridiculous about him.
sorry blog, I can't sleep.
I have insomnia lately
-conbo
Rev. Al Shartpon attacks Mitt Romney's Mormon God
Romney To Address Anti-Abortion Group
to be fair, Mormonism until VERY recently believed that black people were sub human, which is why Al hates Mormonism
But honestly, a lot of Christian people preached the same thing...
-conbo
Anti-U.S. Uproar Sweeps Italy
By David Swanson, After Downing Street
Posted on May 8, 2007, Printed on May 10, 2007
http://www.alternet.org/story/51576/
The U.S. government has proposed to make Vicenza, Italy, the largest US military site in Europe, but the people of Vicenza, and all of Italy, have sworn it will never happen.
As with the story of the Downing Street Minutes two years ago this week, a major news story and huge controversy in Europe right now is unknown to Americans, despite the fact that it is all about the policies of the American government. In February of this year, 200,000 people descended on the Northeastern Italian town of Vicenza (population 100,000) to march in protest. Largely as a result, the Prime Minister of Italy was (temporarily) driven out of power. Meanwhile, just outside Vicenza, large tents now hold newly minted citizen activists keeping a 24-hour-per-day vigil and training hundreds of senior citizens, children, and families every day in how to nonviolently stop bulldozers. The bulldozers they are waiting for are American.
The conflict, should it come about, will be as surprising to American television viewers as were the attacks of 9-11, unless someone tells them ahead of time what is going on. This week a group of Italians is in Washington, D.C., attempting to do just that. A group of Italian Members of Parliament also visited Washington last month in opposition to the base.
To understand this story it is necessary to be aware of a few basic facts that Americans are not supposed to be aware of, including that our military maintains several hundred bases in other people's countries, and that many of the residents of these countries resent the U.S. military presence. (Of course, the alleged planner of the murderous 9-11 attacks said he was reacting to U.S. bases on foreign soil, in that case in Saudi Arabia. The Bush Administration closed the offending bases.)
In addition, it is helpful to understand that Vicenza is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a beautiful treasure of a town showcasing the renaissance architecture of Andrea Palladio. Reflecting on this makes it easier to put into context the proposal for Vicenza from the U.S. military and the reaction of the people who live there.
//CLEAR LAKE, Iowa — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Wednesday denounced the Rev. Al Sharpton's remarks about God and his Mormon faith, saying it could be construed as "a bigoted comment."
"It shows that bigotry still exists in some corners," said Romney, who spoke to reporters after a campaign event. "I thought it was a most unfortunate comment to make."//
hahahahaha
Mitt Romney from Planet Zenophobe preaching about bigotry to a black preacher
hahahahahaha
oh God, at least the fake 'election' process is funny
-conbo
hey ToniD
:)
good morning!
-conbo
Trying to fix the damage done by conservatives in Kansas: Kansas Board of Education erases conservative sex ed policies, including the stressing of abstinence until marriage
LINK
this is confusing
What did Al mean?
Does Al even know
And more importantly. YAWN
//BOSTON (AP) - The Rev. Al Sharpton, who recently urged that radio host Don Imus be fired for making a racially insensitive remark, said in a debate that ``those of us who believe in God'' will defeat Republican Mitt Romney for the White House. But Sharpton denied he was questioning the Mormon's own belief in God.
Rather, the New York Democrat said he was contrasting himself with Christopher Hitchens, the atheist author he was debating at the time.
``As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don't worry about that; that's a temporary situation,'' Sharpton said Monday during a debate with Hitchens at the New York Public Library's Beaux-Arts headquarters.//
-conbo
I think Mitt Romney has finally found something not to love about America:
the presidential race
-conbo
Morning Connie!!
Insomnia. Yeah, I have it to some extent also. Sleep 5-6 hours now.
mmrules has it also.
This facockta govn't of ours gives me nightmares!!!
//This facockta govn't of ours gives me nightmares!!!//
no kidding.
i don't know what is wrong with me!!!!
For some reason I started freaking out about Nazi's right before I was almost asleep
Maybe CNN will give me a show?
-conbo
Thank God for the blog
Seriously. Who else can I talk to at three in the morning
honest to God who does that besides me and Glenn Beck?
the Nazi's are coming!
It was all the holocaust stuff I have read I think
-conbo
At least I don't think Al Gore is a Nazi, so Im maybe different class of delusional
-conbo
Maybe what is bothering you about the Nazis, Connie, is their fascist ways of doing things that are being used by our present govn't.
That would disturb the sleep of anyone who sees this govn't for what it really is.
//their fascist ways of doing things that are being used by our present govn't//
Especially the way they use propaganda to marginalize different groups of people. Bugs the crap out of me.
To what end are they doing this for? Is it just blind bigotry or is it something else?
-conbo
There is a huge mess in Iraq right now, created by the GOP admin and the deluded chimp in charge.
The majority of people don't want it to continue. And many say that right now, the only way to settle things is diplomatically.
We are losing more troops than ever and Iraq is costing our nation money we don't have and money we could use to fix the infrastructure of the US, feed and help the poor, and bring our nation back to where it should be.
Blair is now having a news conference where he is saying he will step down on June 27. The poodle is gone.
So the 3 B's are down to one. and we, unfortunately, have that "one" until Jan, 2009!
//So the 3 B's are down to one. and we, unfortunately, have that "one" until Jan, 2009! //
That is good news about Blair.
I still have this bad fear we will never be rid of this new Extreme Republican Party.
They have too much power to just go away quitely.
-conbo
Live blogging the House Judiciary Committee's Hearing today at the kollective. Only witness is Abu Gonzo. Fireworks begin at 9:30 am, EDT
Should be fun.
Sure fire way to make sure my first diary hits the rec list, eh?
; )
Have a good day ToniD
I should try to go to sleep
-conbo
thanks for the chat!
hey WFC!
thanks for rec'ng my dumbass diary!
you know you should only do that if you like the writing, to keep the site
up to kos purity ;)
-conbo
see you later
I rec'd your diary because it was some of your best writing, and I believe that restoring the Fairness Doctrine, as well as other, significant media reform, is necessary.
I also share your anger at BOR. My sister is one of those that thinks he is truly fair and balanced, and that I want to let the terrorists get us.
See ya 'round.
Morning WFC!!
Mornin' toniD!
Oh God!!! I am listening to c-span's Washington Journal.
I can't believe the calls that are coming in.
This one man just called and said that Bush got awards for his service during Viet Nam! Awards for Viet Nam? Going awol from the Air National Guard?
You see how many deluded people there are in this nation?
Amazing!!!
Worsening: Green Zone told
to wear flak vests and helmets
A sharp increase in mortar attacks on the Green Zone — the one-time oasis of security in Iraq's turbulent capital — has prompted the U.S. Embassy to issue a strict new order telling all employees to wear flak vests and helmets while in unprotected buildings or whenever they are outside.
LINK
The few, the proud, the 28%.
Back in a while.
Rough night, leading in to a long day.
Possible Wolfowitz Replacements Short-Listed
Washington Times | May 9, 2007 10:45 AM
Robert B. Zoellick, former U.S. trade representative and deputy secretary of state, is among a small group of names that the international development community is suggesting to replace Paul Wolfowitz as president of the World Bank.
With Mr. Wolfowitz facing increasing pressure to step down amid revelations that he broke bank rules in arranging a pay package for his girlfriend, development specialists, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, listed a half-dozen names of replacements that they would recommend or they said had been suggested by others.
LINK
Iraq Dismantled
At 3 am on January 11, 2007 a fleet of American helicopters made a sudden swoop on the long-established Iranian liaison office in the city of Arbil in northern Iraq. Their mission was to capture two senior Iranian security officials, Mohammed Jafari, the deputy head of the Iranian National Security Council, and General Minojahar Frouzanda, the head of intelligence of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. What made the American raid so extraordinary is that both men were in Iraq at the official invitation of the Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who held talks with them at his lakeside headquarters at Dokan in eastern Kurdistan. The Iranians had then asked to see Massoud Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, in the Kurdish capital Arbil. There was nothing covert about the meeting which was featured on Kurdish television.
In the event the U.S. attack failed. It was only able to net five junior Iranian officials at the liaison office that had existed in Arbil for years, issuing travel documents, and which was being upgraded to a consular office by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry in Baghdad. The Kurdish leaders were understandably furious asking why, without a word to them, their close allies, the Americans, had tried to abduct two important foreign officials who were in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi president. Kurdish troops had almost opened fire on the American troops. At the very least, the raid showed a contempt for Iraqi sovereignty which the U.S. was supposedly defending. It was three months before officials in Washington admitted that they had tried and failed to capture Jafari and General Frouzanda. The U.S. State Department and Iraqi government argued for the release of the five officials as relative minnows, but Vice-President Cheney's office insisted fiercely that they should be held.
If Iran had undertaken a similar venture by, for example, trying to kidnap the deputy head of the CIA when he was on an official visit to Pakistan or Afghanistan, then Washington might have considered the attempt a reason for going to war. In the event, the US assault on Arbil attracted bemused attention inside and outside Iraq for only a few days before it was buried by news of the torrent of violence in the rest of Iraq. The U.S. understandably did not reveal the seniority of its real targets -- or that they had escaped.
LINK
31 States to Form Greenhouse Gas Emissions Registry
Officials from 31 states announced the creation of a national registry to measure greenhouse gas emissions, a first step toward reducing emissions and another illustration of states moving ahead of the federal gov't in addressing climate change. SF Chronicle
LINK
George Tenet: Loser, Yes. Sycophant, Yes. Fall Guy? Yes
With all the gloating over the ex-CIA head's kiss-and-tell, let's not forget who else screwed up American intelligence.
James Ridgeway
May 03 , 2007
The last thing I want to do is defend George Tenet. The slick, self-serving, and stunningly unrepentant Tenet should at best have been fired on September 12, 2001; at worst, he should be in jail. Instead, he has a Presidential Medal of Freedom, a best-selling book, and an excuse for everything. Nonetheless, when the former CIA director suggests, as he has in numerous interviews over the last week, that he is a fall guy for the twin disasters of 9/11 and the Iraq War, he's right. He's a fall guy for the failings of two administrations—for the timidity of a scandal-ridden Clinton and for the far worse incompetence and perfidy of Bush & Co. He's also the perfect scapegoat for the longstanding and endemic problems of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the political system it serves.
The CIA's role in 9/11—the less discussed of the two intelligence disasters, but in many ways the more telling—began 20 years before the attacks. In the early 1980s, under Director William Casey, the agency took the lead in recruiting and equipping a guerrilla army to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan; it was during these years that Al Qaeda was born. Casey had dreams of not only pushing the Soviets out, but following them over the border and bringing open fighting to their own territory, in the Central Asian republics. The Soviets quit Afghanistan before things got to that point, and the CIA promptly exited as well, leaving behind thousands of revved up mujahedeen—some of whom, with support from the CIA's partner, the Pakistani Intelligence Service, were instrumental in forming the Taliban.
Meanwhile, the CIA was seemingly unable to adjust to a changing world after the Soviet Union collapsed—an event which, incidentally, Langley failed to either anticipate or predict.
After the first World Trade Center attack of 1993, it was clear that the intelligence community had to adjust to world where the primary threat came from freelance terrorists, not a monolithic communist nation-state. Its Soviet specialists were useless in this world, and the agency had relatively few experts, and even fewer linguists, qualified to deal with the Middle East and Central Asia. The consequences became clear after 9/11: As the 2002 Joint Inquiry by the Senate and House Intelligence Committees documented, the CIA was simply unable to penetrate Al Qaeda. James Bamford, in his book A Pretext for War, has pointed out that John Walker Lindh, along with at least seven other young Americans, was able to walk right into Al Qaeda camps, join their training operations, and learn enough about their plans that he could later tell investigators that there were originally meant to be 5—not 4—flights on 9/11, with the fifth aimed at the White House, but the pilot for that flight was unable to get a visa. Another American volunteer sat down with Bin Laden himself for an interview, as did Mother Jones contributor Peter Bergen.
The CIA's inability to crack Al Qaeda meant the U.S. intelligence community had to rely on second- and third-hand informants (who often had their own concealed agendas) and on foreign intelligence services like the corrupt Pakistani ISI. Even this imperfect network brought ample warnings from friendly intelligence services in the months leading up to 9/11—from the Jordanians, the Italians, the British, the Germans, and the Egyptians. Former Senator Bob Graham, who headed the Congressional Joint Inquiry, reports in his book Intelligence Matters that there were no fewer than 12 instances "in which we had learned of terrorist plans to use airplanes as weapons." The Joint Inquiry found that, beginning in 1998 and continuing through the summer of 2001, the intelligence community "received a modest, but relatively steady stream of intelligence reporting that indicated the possibility of terrorist attacks within the United States." The National Security Agency, with its extraordinary surveillance network, reported "at least 33 communications indicating a possible, imminent terrorist attack in 2001." The intelligence community knew enough to advise senior government officials, in June and July of 2001, that the attacks were expected, among other things, to "have dramatic consequences on governments or cause major casualties" and that "attack preparations have been made. Attack will occur with little or no warning."
LINK
omg! i just had to share this poem from the presidential prayer team:
Yes, this is actually meant to be taken seriously, as snarkalicious as it seems
Enjoy, and Remember to pray for the Country's First Mother Barb As She Realizes her Son is no longer among the Relevant
(The fact that this prayer rymes makes it more Holy btw.)
A PRAYER FOR
MOTHER'S DAY 2007
by Rev. Greg Asimakoupoulos
Dear Father, mothers in our land need daily grace to cope.
So many pine for sons at war.
They're running low on hope.
And other moms can't bear to face what storm clouds blew away.
Tornados broke their homes and hearts.
Please comfort them we pray.
Some mothers ache for wayward kids.
Some grieve for those who've died
while others long to see their kids
develop healthy pride.
Be near the one whose son holds court
within an oval room.
Please help this mom to comfort George
when headlines foster gloom.
All mothers in our nation know
the joy of giving birth.
But, Lord, we ask you'll help each mom
to sense her in-bred worth.
Wow. JUST FUCKING WOW.
link
-conbo
I think I will write a prayer of my own
God
Why did you give all these delusional wingnuts power?
It's because you are a comedian right?
amen and pls pass the gravy
-conbo
Only a true wingnut could write a prayer that rymes about tragedy
Just WOW
-conbo
KESSER ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE - 136 SW MEADE
The building on the southwest corner of Second and Meade was erected by the Immanual Baptist State church in 1888. It represents Period Architecture. The crenelations at the top of the tower are Romanesque, the vestigal buttresses at the side, Gothic in origin. The Synagogue uses the original balcony level, now floored in, for its sanctuary, and the original early 20th century light fixtures are in place. Note in the windows that there is no figural art, as is common with Christian Churches. The Commandments speak against "graven images" and so no statues or portraits appear in synagogues. In 1912, the building was purchased by H. Horenstein, Morris Goldstein, and T.H. Goldstein in order to form the Kesser Israel Synagogue. Today it is the only orthodox synagogue in Oregon, and it continues to serve its own congregation as well as others in the Jewish Community as a place to gather for weddings and bar mitzvahs.
go to sleep, miss connie
the o.g. & me are doing "the lip sip suck" thing
(salt, tequila, & lemon)
1st time i done it -- and it's icky
I hope the Presidential Prayer Team writes a prayer for Gonzales.
Hmmm. Maybe i could help them out
A Prayer For Gonzo
He works for the Whitehouse, You work for the Whitehouse
I do not recall
I am not aware
I do not recall
I am not aware
Nor Do I recall
I am not aware
And I do not recall
ad nauseum
amen
-conbo
I can't sleep!
it sucks
-conbo
no image of Shekinah? WTF? Time for a change.
click on this in about half an hour
Christopher Hitchens - God is No Great
it maybe available then
(i'll have to listen then to because the o.g. came and hijacked me to drink his stinkin' tequila)
have fun with your druken debauchery
limes are sinful
-conbo
toniD said...
Oh God!!! I am listening to c-span's Washington Journal.
I can't believe the calls that are coming in.
This one man just called and said that Bush got awards for his service during Viet Nam! Awards for Viet Nam? Going awol from the Air National Guard?
You see how many deluded people there are in this nation?
Amazing!!!
May 10, 2007 7:39 AM
It's all perception. I have always contended that in addition to the obvious reasons for using the National Guard for the Iraq Occupation, Bush is using it for his legacy project. By dumbing down America, throwing out science, teaching to the test and abandoning critical thinking, the younger or "go shopping" generations would think the National Guard participated in the Vietnam War too. Visuals like him climbing off the jet onto the carrier for "Mission Accomplish" oratory and the discrediting of CBS documents expose, and, voila, Bush has the honorable military service portrait for his presidential library. We say they are incompetent, but actually they aren't, it's a matter of priorities...power, wealth and vanity...and they just don't care about anybody or anything else. And the sheeple go along.
hahaha that sounds like Hitchens
'I say, God is no Great!'
-conbo
[a lullaby for tonid]
goodnight, my darling
i'm going to go play poker with the boys
if i win big, i'm going to have sex with whores
and if i don't...
i love you
t.y. connie darling
i'll have to invent a lullaby for you too
(when you're old enough)
"lemon are yellow
limes are are green
um, sin is great too"
: )
A prayer for Air Ono
Duck!!!!!!!!
-conbo
Have fun with your hang over
Tequilla is not kind
-conbo
oops, destroyed that link
Christopher Hitchens - God is Not Great
it's available for listening now
he sounds better if one is pickled
gtg, the o.g. is getting violent cause my undivided attention is not devoted to his bullshit
: )
"yes, o.g., the blog is 24 hours -- it's like a heartbeat -- it never stops pumping"
but he doesn't understand and only inflames him
//Pray for President Bush as he is briefed at the Pentagon this morning on details of the Iraq war, asking for God's wisdom and help. Also today, he will speak to those gathered for the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month observances in the East Room...//
hahaha
that site could satire, and I honestly thought it was at first
-conbo
with any luck he'll do a bon scott and die a horrible death choking on his own vomit
: )
(he's a problem child)
I honestly don't want to hear Hitchens drunkenly screaming at God
I'm not in the mood for it
-conbo
With a flick of my knife
I can change your life
There's nothing you can do
Cause I'm a problem child
: )
Hi! Just popped in to say I look good in Autumn Colors
-conbo
i'd invite you to our 2-man party, connie
but it's strictly for the boyz
: )
(only freaks of nature allowed)
Wow.
Well nothing gets me off the blog quicker then disturbing pictures
adios and have fun
-conbo
Gonzo is testifying again. c-span3
Conyers, House of Reps!!
Here's the link:
LINK
“The Pentagon has placed unprecedented restrictions on who can testify before Congress, reserving the right to bar lower-ranking officers, enlisted soldiers, and career bureaucrats from appearing before oversight committees or having their remarks transcribed.”
LINK
ToniD!
Yayyyyyy
Im glad you are back
-conbo
Congress plans to “introduce a bill this morning that would increase by at least 20,000 the number of Iraqi refugees eligible for resettlement in the United States in 2007 and 2008. It would also admit 15,000 ‘special immigrant status‘ Iraqis and their families for each of the next four years.”
LINK
WTF?
Is this c-span or FOX
Criminalization of politics?
Is there any other kind
-conbo
Who is talking right now?
I can't get the picture
-conbo
Connie, I'm trying to do laundry and blog. The laundry room is down the hall from where my apartment is so I will be popping in and out.
But I'm here and I think you need sleep my girl!! Warm glass of milk or maybe some tea!
toniD said...
Congress plans to “introduce a bill this morning that would increase by at least 20,000 the number of Iraqi refugees eligible for resettlement in the United States in 2007 and 2008. It would also admit 15,000 ‘special immigrant status‘ Iraqis and their families for each of the next four years.”
for four frickin years we have been told we need to fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here. now, we're turning around and importing 20,000 fighters? wtf?
It was Rep Lamar -----. Couldn't read his last name!!
currently playing ac/dc's dirty deeds done cheap album
(a couple more shots and he'll be in bed)
later we can skype and i'll serenade you with the cure's primary
The very first time I saw your face
I thought of a song
And quickly changed the tune
: )
SHUT Up! TONI
we're devils
we don't sleep
♥≠♥
♥=shit
: )
unless i got it the wrong way round
Hey Wardog!
It's another Happy Doggy Day!
hahahaha
When he shows up again, someone ask him about the band of 11 and Iraq
mwhahahahaha
Republican warmachine my ass!
The band of eleven incubents were too worried about elections to care about the Common Good of Constant War Against terrorism
hahahaha
-conbo
im out for awhile
have a good day
C-SPAN 3 (standalone) RealPlayer stream link
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz was given until Friday evening — two additional days — to make his case in writing against charges of misconduct before the Bank board decides his future. In the meantime, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been lobbying European foreign ministers, expressing her support for Wolfowitz.
LINK
Is Condi Lobbying them or threatening them into compliance?
(hush)
deep & meaningful in progress
A report released by Sen. Edward Kennedy yesterday revealed that four Education Department officials “who helped oversee a federal reading program for young students have pocketed significant sums of money from textbook publishers that profited from the $1 billion-a-year initiative.”
LINK
The House Armed Services Committee is considering a measure would cut $160 million from funds for President Bush’s missile defense program. A statistical analysis conducted by the Center for American Progress bolsters the case for funding cuts, finding the threat from ballistic missiles has steadily declined over the past 20 years.
LINK
rock and roll in the house :)
White House Vets Privacy Report
Oversight Board Gives Administration Passing Marks By Paul Singer
Roll Call Staff
May 10, 2007
The White House played an active role in vetting a new report to Congress from an oversight panel on civil liberties and national security, even as civil libertarians and the former chairmen of the 9/11 commission have faulted the panel for not making a more critical analysis of administration anti-terror programs.
LINK
he's hiccupping
i tell him to hold his breath for 10 seconds
and he tells me "the war is over"
(um, yeah)
U.S. attorneys probe shifts from Gonzales to Rove
POSTED: 7:48 a.m. EDT, May 10, 2007
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats are shifting their attention on the botched firings of eight federal prosecutors from Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' fitness to head the Justice Department to the White House role in the dismissals.
In the three weeks since Gonzales testified before a Senate committee, the department disclosed that it is investigating whether his former White House liaison, Monica Goodling, weighed the political affiliations of those she considered hiring as entry-level prosecutors. Consideration of such affiliations could be a violation of federal law.
More of the eight fired U.S. attorneys also have told congressional investigators they were warned that if they publicly protested their dismissals, Justice Department officials would publicly criticize their performance.
And there have been new allegations that U.S. attorneys were evaluated on their enthusiasm for pursuing voter fraud cases that might benefit Republican candidates.
Gonzales is expected to be asked about those developments Thursday in his first appearance before the House Judiciary Committee since Democrats took control of Congress.
"All of that goes to the larger question," House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Michigan, said Wednesday in a telephone interview. He said the bigger question is who put together and approved the list that caused the eight U.S. attorneys to lose their jobs.
Conyers is holding a subpoena for White House political adviser Karl Rove but has not issued it. Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee last week subpoenaed Gonzales for all e-mails the Justice Department has gathered regarding Rove and the firings. (Full story)
Senators had little success in getting answers from the attorney general three weeks ago. In more than 70 responses to questions by members of the Senate panel, Gonzales said he could not recall or did not remember conversations or events surrounding the dismissals. Republican supporters were shaken by his performance, but President Bush issued a strong vote of confidence in him.
There was little indication that Gonzales planned to disclose much more. Asked Wednesday during a news conference whether he's refreshed his memory, Gonzales replied: "I can only provide information as to what I know and to what I recall, and that's what I intend to do, as I have done in the past."
LINK
I am hot
And when I'm not...
I'm cold as ice
Get out of my way,
Step aside
Or pay the price
(omg! we just had sex)
Gonzales Testifies before The House
By Paul Kiel - May 10, 2007, 9:44 AM
The hearing before the House Judiciary Committee is beginning now. It's airing on C-Span 3 and streaming from the House Judiciary website. We'll provide you running updates throughout the day.
Here's a little preview of what you'll be hearing from the Republican side. From Roll Call (sub. req.):
In what may be the most spirited public defense of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to date, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee today will demand an end to what one called an “endless piscine expedition” in the U.S. attorneys scandal....
“If there are no fish in this lake, we should reel in our lines of question, dock our empty boat and turn to more pressing issues,” [Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the ranking member on Judiciary said].
Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah), the ranking member of the Judiciary subcommittee on commercial and administrative law, which is in charge of the probe, also sounded fed up.
“I hope he’s clear, direct and unapologetic,” Cannon said of Gonzales’ testimony.
“I’m really tired of innuendo and repeated use of the word corruption,” Cannon added. “If [Democrats] can’t produce tomorrow, the story ought to disappear.”
LINK
Would someone please tell Fredo that he may serve at the pleasure of the president, however, the president serves at the pleasure of the American people, therefore, so does he!
http://www.oculart.com/
interesting last post on gonzo toniD. what i see between the lines is, we're obstructing you from finding the truth about the nasty things we've done. since you have failed to find this out, go away and leave us alone. how come no one is saying impeachment.
ag remembers a talk w/ rove !!!
A prayer for Air Ono
Duck!!!!!!!!
Reminds me:
Donald
----------------------------------
““I’m really tired of innuendo... If [Democrats] can’t produce tomorrow, the story ought to disappear.”
Hmmm. I wonder what Cannon thought of the Whitewater investigation. As I recall he was for fishing expeditions and enjoyed innuendo before he was against them.
Churches to Provide Immigrants Sanctuary
Churches in five big U.S. cities plan to protect illegal immigrants from deportation, offering their buildings as sanctuary if need be, as they pressure lawmakers to create a path to citizenship for the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.
On Wednesday, a Catholic church in Los Angeles and a Lutheran church in North Hollywood each sheltered one person, and churches in other cities plan to do so in coming months as part of the "New Sanctuary Movement."
"We want to put a human face to very complex immigration laws and awaken the consciousness of the human spirit," said Father Richard Estrada of Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Los Angeles.
Organizers said churches in more than 50 cities nationwide were planning to join the sanctuary effort. They don't believe immigration agents will make arrests inside the churches.
...
lmao
Gallegly, Elton, California, 24th
FEATURE: German radicals flex their muscles ahead of G8 summit
Hamburg
"Beat back Repression," read a banner fluttering above the anarchist headquarters in Hamburg after police raided the premises in a crackdown against leftists suspected of planning to disrupt next month's summit of industrial nations in Germany. "We will not allow this attack by the powers of the state on the structures of those opposed to the Group of Eight summit," yelled an activist from the veranda of the building, a former theatre called the Rote Flora.
Minutes later, the loud noise of firecrackers erupted outside the building and protesters began hurling bottles and bricks at passers- by and police, who responded with a show of force.
Some 1,100 officers moved in behind water canons to disperse the estimated 3,000 protesters as some of the more radical ones among them taunted the officers with cries of "Clear off, Clear off!"
"It's like a war," said a young man from out of town who was stopped by a police cordon as he was making his way to a restaurant in the city's Schanzenviertel where the demonstrators congregated.
...
good morning a.a.cc.bbb.ao
G'morning, jbenet!
Nice economical greeting :)
----------------------------------
toniD said...
Would someone please tell Fredo that he may serve at the pleasure of the president, however, the president serves at the pleasure of the American people, therefore, so does he!
Amen and well said.
A prayer for Cat Chew
If you're havin' trouble with the high school head
He's givin' you the blues
You wanna graduate but not in his bed
Here's what you gotta do
Pick up the phone, I'm always home
Call me any time
Just ring 36 24 36 hey
I lead a life of crime ~♪
*
the real crim got half-way to bed
he tripped over in the hallway
dropped down & fell asleep
: )
(now i can get on with my life)
Good morning, jb... :)
*
Keyra Gots Back... <---air ono warning...
Lofgren, Zoe, California, 16th
ask the ag why they pursue these cases when the efect is to disrupt elections
Israeli Troops Beat Peace Activists Protesting Hebron Roadblock
In the Occupied Territories, Israeli troops beat dozens of Israeli peace activists protesting a roadblock in the West Bank city of Hebron. The group had come to help local Palestinians place ropes around large stones to remove them from blocking a main road. They were able to move one stone before Israeli troops arrived on the scene. This is Israeli activist Ben, who did not give his last name.
Israeli peace activist Ben: "He knows I'm Israeli but he doesn't care. He started hitting people, he hit my friend and he's arrested now, and then he came and hit me really strong in my lung. Nothing, we were just standing there and he started hitting people, he was telling us to go back, and he just jump on us and he hit me with the barrel of the gun.”
“I hope he’s clear, direct and unapologetic,” Cannon said of Gonzales’ testimony.
~-~-~
Direct? Clear? Unapologetic? Well, that depends on whether Gonzo decides to tell the truth, you fat bastard. What did your fat ass have to say about the 60+ times "I don't recall" was uttered, Chris? Was that direct? Clear? Unapologetic?
Morning everyone. :)
GOP lawmakers bluntly tell Bush: Fix Iraq soon
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Eleven Republican lawmakers expressed their frustrations to President Bush this week about the war in Iraq and its political implications, Illinois Republican Rep. Ray LaHood said Thursday.
LaHood said the delegation of lawmakers met with Bush Tuesday and told him "in the most unvarnished way that they possibly could that things have got to change" in Iraq.
Top Republicans have said an expected September review by Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, may decide the future of the war.
Bush must be able to show by September that the push to pacify Baghdad and its surrounding provinces is working, LaHood said.
"The American people are war-fatigued. The American people want to know there's a way out," LaHood said.
Eleven more Surrender Monkeys?
Ya know, Randi nailed it yesterday. Republicans are tepidly optimistic about the war publicly, but, personally, they already know it's lost. So what? They're advocating for more death while they sit and wring their hands until September? And that's called supporting the troops? Bastards.
Theory of Xenomorphosis
Xenomorphosis is the process through which negation of the fraudulent values, institutions, mores and taboos of consensus reality is accomplished. It is the key transforming moment in the transgression of mass media. The unlocking of the unconscious triggered in the darkened theater by the flickering light and the seduction of the irresistible through the illusion of motion forms a magic wherein psychological and environmental factors combine to dilate chains of association. Amos Vogel has said "The essence of cinema is not light, but a secret compact between light and darkness".
Half the time we spend viewing movies is spent in total darkness. With the psychological complicity of the viewer, persistence of vision occurs. The initially demoralizing effect of xenomorphosis, wherein alienation and transformation occurs, can be frightening, infuriating, and shocking to those who have been indoctrinated by an exploitative and hierarchical system. But it is only through this experience of transformation wherein one's cultural conditioning is subverted, that mutation occurs. Xenomorphosis, triggered during persistence of vision by the use of diametrically opposing variables; ie: libido excitation versus mutilation revulsion, results in a form of cognitive dissonance. The subconscious reconciliation of the matter/anti-matter equation is a union of opposites. The life/death, win/lose, right/wrong dichotomy imposed by the dominant hierarchy is revealed to the xenomorphic mind as a false equation.
...
Toni, did the address get to you?
thanks, alice
*yawn*
but i've just had sex
(plus i'm a better dancer)
What I Learned From the Republican Comedy Hour
Alice said...
kat
Wild. Reminds me:
Cheshire
That's it...now you've done it..
Breakdancing and joie-de-vivre!
The video I've uploaded here is one I shot at a festival held in Berkeley last weekend called Hip-hop in the Park. It was such a gorgeous sunny day, the good vibes were flowing, and these breakdancers just blew me away! It was some truly multicultural, funky-ass shit. Pure joie de vivre!
...
*
Nice cheshire, cat chew... !
slick, but cliched
where's the soul, mamma
i want the personal touch
(gimme donna summa)
http://www.pretrieve.com/
you americans don't impress me
with your bee-hive hairdos
and you fancy cars
(i got ac/dc)
(heh)
Waltzing Mathilda
"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known folk song, and one that has been popularly suggested as a potential national anthem.
The lyrics were written in 1895 by the poet and nationalist Banjo Paterson, but it was first published as sheet music in 1903. Extensive folklore surrounds the song and the process of its creation, to the extent that the song has its own museum, the Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, Queensland.
I got it Shell!
I'm going to buy a calling card today and call to see if it is her.
If she's in Brentwood, she must have got something from her mother's estate or married well.
She couldn't afford Brentwood b4!
quintessentially australian
(before us wogs got here)
: )
Toni, there were some music type links for her that I didn't follow, but it sounds like she could be in that industry somehow, so if this one isn't her, I can still look more..
They just threw out a Pink Lady from demonstrating in the comittee room.
In Guilty Plea, OxyContin Maker to Pay $600 Million
I'll let you know, Shell.
These fines the drug companies pay...who are they paid to?
Do they get devided and sent to the people that have used the drug?
They never state this in the articles.
LaHood: Bush ‘Surprised,’ ‘Sobered’ Over GOP Frustration About Iraq »
This morning on CNN, Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL) — one of 11 Republican members to have recently visited the White House and plead with President Bush to change course in Iraq — described the meeting as “unvarnished, about as frank and honest as I have ever been to at the White House.” Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) told Bush at the meeting that the president’s approval rating was at 5 percent in one section of his northern Virginia district.
LaHood further added that Bush was taken aback by the concerns expressed by the congressional delegation. “He listened very carefully. I think he was a little — I don’t know if surprised is the right word, probably maybe sobered,” LaHood said. “The fact is that, I don’t know if he’s gotten that kind of opinion before in such a frank and no holds barred way but he was very sober about it and he listened very intently.” Watch it:
LaHood said the congressional delegation expressed concern about the political impact that Iraq is having on their congressional districts. “People are very war weary and that’s going to be reflected in peoples’ opinions, much stronger in the fall, I believe.”
But when asked how he would react to a “negative report” by Gen. David Petraeus in the fall, LaHood left open the possibility that he would continue to support the current course. “It depends on what Petraeus says. I mean if we are making some progress and we need to move ahead more aggressively — it will — for me, it’s going to depend on what he says in terms of where we’re at and what the way forward looks like in terms of success.”
LINK
Breaking: House to vote on Iraq withdrawal today. “In a change of plans, House Democratic leaders today plan to bring up legislation that would begin redeployment of U.S. forces and contractors from Iraq not later than 90 days after enactment and to be completed within 180 days before turning to a second Iraq war supplemental,” National Journal reports.
The bill was introduced Wednesday night by Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., a prominent member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, after discussions with Speaker Pelosi.
The vote on the McGovern bill is a concession to antiwar members of the Democratic Caucus who are concerned that supplemental proposed by Appropriations Chairman Obey would not permit until July an up-or-down vote on removing troops from combat zones.
UPDATE: Greg Sargent has some additional details
LINK
Cat Chew: "I wonder what Cannon thought of the Whitewater investigation. As I recall he was for fishing expeditions and enjoyed innuendo before he was against them."
May 10, 2007 10:43 AM
---------------------------------
A compulsive old joke disorder prevents me from writing "innuendo" without following it with "and out the other."
Iglesias warns of U.S. Attorney exodus. Three fired U.S. Attorneys told a university audience yesterday “that the appearance of impropriety has wasted the credibility of the Justice Department, and they suggested new leadership would be needed to restore it. [David] Iglesias said he has spoken with many U.S. attorneys and assistant U.S. attorneys around the country. ‘To a person, they’re sickened by this. Some are actively looking for work,’ he said. ‘Morale is terrible across the country.’”
LINK
[frequent offender chew said...]
We need to repeal blog rule #2.
----------------------------------
Alberto Gonzales in a nutshell: "I think I may be aware of that."
How are you all not embarrassed to be here everyday? You do noting but bitch and complain, day after day.
How about getting up off your asses and turning off the computers and doing something that really helps.
My guess is that you'll pull a Gonzo.
//How about getting up off your asses and turning off the computers and doing something that really helps.//
//My guess is that you'll pull a Gonzo.//
(lmao)
those 2 statements are mutually exclusive
WANKER!!
Holy crap!
Bush’s 41-Second Flip Off to America
A 41-second pro forma Senate session convened under the Republican majority last year gave the country an extra full year of President Bush’s most controversial recess appointments.
Details here
no more booze for the o.g.
(i'm keeping vigil so he don't do a bon scott)
as of tomorrow, strictly heroin & lsd...
and in news just to hand: imma switch off c-span & play music
Welcome to WikiFur,
the free encyclopedia written by and for the Furry community.
the 2nd link as exemplified here: //Details here//
is redundant...
please don't complicate my brain
: )
Great. Russia compares the US Policies to Nazi Policies. Nice legacy, Bush.
link below:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11497296/
Pentagon Breaks Pledge To Troops, Sends Them Back To Iraq After Just Nine Months At Home »
On April 11, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that tours of duty for the Army would be extended from 12 months to 15 months, effective immediately. In exchange for the extensions, soldiers would receive at least a year home between deployments. This rest time was intended to “provide some long-term predictability for the soldiers and their families…particularly guaranteeing that they will be at home for a full 12 months,” Gates added. Watch it:
But Gates has not kept his promise. Stars and Stripes reports:
The Army is sending a company of Europe-based soldiers back to Iraq before the unit has had a full 12 months of “dwell time,” or at-home rest.
Members of the 1st Armored Division’s 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry, Company A, learned Tuesday that they are scheduled to head back to Iraq in November, just nine months after the 150-soldier company left the combat zone in February after a 13-month deployment.
A recent Pentagon report concluded that soldiers on extended and repeated deployments “were more likely to suffer acute stress, and that mental health problems correlated with higher rates of battlefield misconduct.”
When asked yesterday about this nine-month deployment, Gates simply replied, “I’ll be very interested in finding out more about that.” Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman’s response was that “there are some people, just by the nature of transferring units and things like that may not end up with the full 12 months.”
According to Whitman, the 12-month rest period between deployments “is a goal,” not a guarantee.
LINK
“I think I may be aware of that.” – Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, still working on his memory problems, during his hearing today.
Video here
Embrace the dog side of the force:
Luke, I am your pug
----------------------------------
Live hearing back on CSPAN3.
----------------------------------
air-ono:
Picky, picky, picky. Sheesh!
----------------------------------
Later.
Conyers to Gonzales: No, let's keep talking about the US Attorneys Michael Roston
Published: Thursday May 10, 2007
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) replied to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' suggestion at this morning's House Judiciary Committee hearing that Congress focus on issues other than the firing of US Attorneys by stating that he'd continue to investigate the matter.
"My hope is that the members will focus their questions today on the US Attorneys and related matters," the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said in the Thursday morning hearing. He called for a hearing at a later time to deal with oversight of Justice Department law enforcement activities.
Conyers also suggested that the White House had tried to create "a bigger Republican farm team" full of "loyal Bushies" within the Justice Department. The Michigan Democrat warned that there was a "cover up" going on.
"One asks whether the administration is trying to cover up two simple truths: who created the list, and why?" he asked, referring to the list of US Attorneys that were fired by the Justice Department.
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the committee's ranking minority member, then accused the Democratic members of the committee of pressing their investigation for partisan reasons and suggested that the investigation could be "wrapped up" quickly.
"For nearly two months, the White House has offered to let us interview its employees and review its documents," Smith said of White House Counsel Fred Fielding's offer of an "off the record" interview with key White House staff, including Karl Rove and former counsel Harriet Miers. "We need to take that offer. If we had accepted it, our answers may have been answered long ago."
LINK
//Picky, picky, picky. Sheesh!//
yeah, i know... i panicked
(i'm old and frightened)
source is my site
a small mp3
waffle for breakfast
Told ya I'd make the rec list.
; )
eya gang.
dealing with the beaurocratic mindset is sheer drudgery.
same trix as here in the states, refusal to accept facts masking ignorance of the 'rules', diversion to subjects unrelated to the issues at hand, avoidance of any responsibility, distortion of facts.
when i get pissed enough i just jump over their heads. sometimes works like a charm.
other times it reveals agencies so stuck on automatic that they're perfectly willing to drive off the cliff as long as they go by the 'book'.
Gonzales testimony contradicts White House, revealing new Bush 'conversation' over US attorney firings Michael Roston
Published: Thursday May 10, 2007
Weeks after the White House ruled out the involvement of President George W. Bush in any discussions on the firing of 8 US Attorneys, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said on Thursday morning that the President had discussed the matter with advisers in an October 2006 meeting.
"I've now been made aware of the fact that there was a conversation with the President that basically mentioned the same thing in October of 2006," the Attorney General said while answering a question from Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA).
"The same thing" referred to voter fraud cases in three US Attorneys' districts, which Gonzales earlier acknowledged had been raised by Karl Rove in a meeting "sometime in the Fall of 2006."
Gonzales' statement varied from remarks by White House spokespersons that the President had not been involved in any discussions of firing US Attorneys.
"I have said on the record for several weeks now that there is no indication that the President knew about any of the ongoing discussions over the two years, nor did he see a list or a plan before it was carried out," said White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino on March 27, 2006.
Furthermore, in a March 21 press briefing, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow had been asked about a Nov. 15, 2006 e-mail from former Gonzales chief of staff D. Kyle Sampson to former White House Counsel Harriet Miers asking "Who will determine whether this requires the President's attention?"
Snow was then asked "did the President have to sign off on this?" referring to the firing of the Attorneys, to which he responded, "The President has no recollection of this ever being raised with him."
A reporter later clarified, "Just to follow, did you say, again for the record, that the President has no recollection of ever being asked about any of this?"
Snow answered, "Yes, the removal – yes, that is correct."
RAW STORY was awaiting a reply from the White House at press time on whether or not they agreed that Gonzales' remark contradicted earlier White House statements.
LINK
al sharpton said:
"As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don't worry about that; that's a temporary situation."
so whats wrong with that? most religions require some suspension of disbelief, some more than others.
Wesley Clark rips Bill O'Reilly for 'character assassination' David Edwards and Mike Sheehan
Published: Thursday May 10, 2007
In the video clip below, potential Democractic presidential candidate Wesley Clark calls out the host of Fox's The O'Reilly Factor for personal attacks on his colleagues and on associates of the retired general.
O'Reilly knocks another retired general for doing a commercial criticizing President Bush's conduct of the war in Iraq, then targets Clark himself for taking money from MoveOn.org founder George Soros.
Of Soros, O'Reilly rants, "He's a convicted felon in France, he ruined the British pound by selling it short..." Clark reacts by defending Soros' activism on behalf of democracy. Then, after O'Reilly says "my guys" would deliver a docket on Soros to Clark, the retired general angrily counters, "That's character assassination – I'm not interested..."
Watch video here
eya sj
saw one honey bee yesterday
names on pages
saw two honey bees yesterday,
one hornet.
My mason bees have 7 nest tubes filled,
one small gill net float filled and one large gill net float nearly filled!
Shameless blog plug:
LINK
Bush Changes Continuity Plan
Administration, Not DHS, Would Run Shadow Government
By Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 10, 2007; A12
President Bush issued a formal national security directive yesterday ordering agencies to prepare contingency plans for a surprise, "decapitating" attack on the federal government, and assigned responsibility for coordinating such plans to the White House.
The prospect of a nuclear bomb being detonated in Washington without warning, whether smuggled in by terrorists or a foreign government, has been cited by many security analysts as a rising concern since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The order makes explicit that the focus of federal worst-case planning involves a covert nuclear attack against the nation's capital, in contrast with Cold War assumptions that a long-range strike would be preceded by a notice of minutes or hours as missiles were fueled and launched.
"As a result of the asymmetric threat environment, adequate warning of potential emergencies that could pose a significant risk to the homeland might not be available, and therefore all continuity planning shall be based on the assumption that no such warning will be received," states the 72-paragraph order. It is designated National Security Presidential Directive 51 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20.
The statement added, "Emphasis will be placed upon geographic dispersion of leadership, staff, and infrastructure in order to increase survivability and maintain uninterrupted Government Functions."
After the 2001 attacks, Bush assigned about 100 senior civilian managers to rotate secretly to locations outside of Washington for weeks or months at a time to ensure the nation's survival, a shadow government that evolved based on long-standing "continuity of operations plans."
Since then, other agencies including the Pentagon, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the CIA have taken steps to relocate facilities or key functions outside of Washington for their own reasons, citing factors such as economics or the importance of avoiding Beltway "group-think."
Norman J. Ornstein, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and an adviser to an independent Continuity of Government Commission, said the order "is a more explicit embrace of what has been since 9/11 an implicit but fairly clear set of assumptions."
He added, "My frustration is that those assumptions have not gripped the Congress in the same way."
Other former Bush administration officials said the directive formalizes a shift of authority away from the Department of Homeland Security to the White House.
Under an executive order dating to the Reagan administration, responsibility for coordinating, implementing and exercising such plans was originally charged to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and later DHS, the Congressional Research Service noted in a 2005 report on a pending DHS reorganization.
More here
"The prospect of a nuclear bomb being detonated in Washington without warning, whether smuggled in by terrorists or a foreign government, has been cited by many security analysts as a rising concern since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."
IMO it's wayyyyy more likely "W" and his lunatic neocons will torch one off to cinch down their control.
The Stock Market heading down:
Dow 13241.29 -121.58 (-0.91%)
Nasdaq 2544.96 -31.38 (-1.22%)
S&P 500 1496.72 -15.86 (-1.05%)
10-Yr Bond 0.464% -0.02
Iraq costs Blair his job,
stepping down on June 27th
Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday that he will step down as prime minister on June 27, after a decade in office in which he brokered peace in Northern Ireland and followed the United States to war in Afghanistan and Iraq.
LINK
Congress not told of law-mandated
major covert action
“The Committee was dismayed at a recent incident wherein the Intelligence Community failed to inform the Congress of a significant covert action activity. This failure to notify Congress constitutes a violation of the National Security Act of 1947.”
LINK
toniD said...
The Stock Market heading down:
like damiens elevator...
it appears to be primarily profit taking in response to the combination of several good days and todays disappointing same store sales (indicate that us poor slobs aren't doing our duty and buying)
Daily Show: Cheney’s Iraq Visit & Islamic Mickey Mouse Propaganda
By: SilentPatriot @ 10:03 AM - PDT
Jon Stewart opines on Cheney's joyful Iraq visit, the Fort Dix "terror plot" and Hamas's pro-Jihad Mickey Mouse propaganda.
Download (1044) | Play (1270) Download (380) | Play (735)
You have to see this!!
LINK
trent franks
my arizona
water boy from the desert
If you want a reundown of today's testimony by Gonzo and the republicans trying to sabotage this comittee meeting, go to firedoglake.com. They were live blogging this comittee meeting.
blah blah blah: "...and todays disappointing same store sales..."
May 10, 2007 2:02 PM
-------------------------------
What's all this talk about same store sales? Who cares how many times the same store has been sold and what difference does it make anyway?
Sunshine Jim said...
"The prospect of a nuclear bomb being detonated in Washington without warning, whether smuggled in by terrorists or a foreign government, has been cited by many security analysts as a rising concern since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."
IMO it's wayyyyy more likely "W" and his lunatic neocons will torch one off to cinch down their control.
May 10, 2007 1:50 PM
At the risk of sounding paranoid, I have had this feeling since 2000. Not to mention, my "BUSH'S LAST DAY" key change has stopped despite my efforts to reset it (keeps going back to 714 days). Just saying.
Since my intuition is fairly good, I have mapped out various less-travelled escape routes to (non-Republican)family members outside this area and given them to loved ones here. I've also been stocking up. Assuming of course I survive.
hey emily, good to hear from you.
lmao
ya cee cee,
these imposed changes are what irritate me the most.
good'un emily!
Ohio Congressman Jim Jordon was the only Ohio Congressman and one of only 45 that opposed the reauthorization of Head Start.
The first Republican amendment was proposed by Congressman Jim Jordon from Ohio adding those unborn babies and those partially-born babies to the list of ...
Trade deficit swells 10.4 percent in March By Doug Palmer
Thu May 10, 9:33 AM ET
The U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in March to $63.9 billion, as higher oil prices helped push total imports to the second highest on record, a U.S. government report showed on Thursday.
A separate report showed oil import prices continued to rise in April, suggesting little relief for the trade deficit in the months ahead.
The trade gap swelled 10.4 percent from a downwardly revised tally for February, the Commerce Department said, surprising Wall Street economists who had expected a more modest expansion.
The midpoint estimate of analysts surveyed before the report pegged the March trade gap at $60 billion.
The large March trade gap could prompt analysts to trim their estimates of U.S. economic growth.
"It indicates a downward revision in growth based on the early estimate for the first quarter," said Keith Hembre, chief economist with FAF Advisors.
High Frequency Economics now expects first quarter economic growth to be revised downward to about 0.5 percent from the 1.3 percent that the government initially estimated last month, said their chief U.S. economist Ian Shepherdson.
But Mark Vitner, economist with Wachovia Securities in Charlotte North Carolina, said the revision in the February trade deficit to $57.9 billion from $58.4 billion "takes a little bit of the sting out of the larger number in March."
"It certainly looks like GDP will be revised down but it may not be revised down as much as people think," Vitner said.
A separate Labor Department report showed U.S. import prices rose 1.3 percent in April, driven by steeper petroleum costs. Prices for imported petroleum climbed 6.5 percent in April after an 8.1 percent rise in March.
LINK
Everything is going up in price because of the rise in gas prices.
Support Norman Finkelstein:
http://normanfinkelstein.wordpress.com/
from randi's show:
any construction worker will tell ya, when you hit a sewer line, hold your nose, and move on.
and so it is with gonzo, hold your nose, and move on...
.
blah blah blah said...
from randi's show:
any construction worker will tell ya, when you hit a sewer line, hold your nose, and move on.
==
having some construction experience
break the sewer line
try and hide your mistake (bury with dirt)
move on
New Fiore animation: Pentagon Film Festival
goodun T!
(hoping yer well)
Later
Work again!
For Crank ....
Piffle...
;)
I don't know all the facts.
But I know more than Alberto.
May 10, 2007
In Israel, Not All Blood is the Same
The Death of Samir Dari
By NEVE GORDON and YIGAL BRONNER
Almost a year and a half has passed since our friend Samir Dari was gunned down by an Israeli policeman. Samir, an Israeli resident and father of two, approached a group of policemen who had just detained his brother on a street corner not far away from his house and demanded the latter's release. There are conflicting versions about how the events unfolded, but there is no dispute about the following facts: Samir was unarmed and the policeman Shmuel Yechezkel shot him from close range in the back.
The Israeli police were quick to disseminate a fallacious version of the incident which portrayed the killing as an act of self-defense. This is a typical and almost automatic police response, one which inverts the order between victim and aggressor. When an Arab is killed, he is said to have been violent; when he is beaten up, he is said to have struck the policeman first; when he is oppressed, he is the one who is guilty.
Also typical was the lack of public interest in Samir's death. The killing of an Arab is, after all, not the kind of event that makes headlines in Israel.
Sex offense is a serious issue. The (mostly) men arrested and convicted for such crimes often commit some of the most horrendous offenses imaginable, including the abuse, rape, torture and murder of children and women. These are often truly troubled and socially troubling men; no one seems to know how to effectively deal with them.
Unfortunately, an informed consideration of this issue seems nearly impossible. The growing politically-motivated social hysteria that drives most discussion of sex offenders provides little room for anything other than the most knee-jerk punitive response: Jail 'em and throw away the key!
Matters are made worse by TV shows like NBC Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" that reduce the men who pursue online contacts with apparent underage young people into a moralist's prurient spectacle: Viewers are sexually titillated by the apparently illicit if not illegal behavior of innumerable "predators," yet implicitly scolded for being seduced by the very titillation that drew them into watching the show in the first place. The show refuses to address more fundamental issues like why these men seek out juvenile girls and boys, nor how to deal with them other than through vindictive criminal prosecution and incarceration.
The "reported" incidents of sex offenses, like all other crimes, have been falling over the last decade. While the self-serving Police Executive Research Forum recently released a dubious study reporting an increase in certain violent crimes in a pre-selected sampling of cities, FBI and Department of Justice data tells a different story. [see Alexander Cockburn, "Here Comes Another Crime Wave," "The Nation," April 2, 2007; PERF report at www.policeforum.org]
[C]onfinement also includes far less threatening offenders. According to the Times, an exhibitionist and a released sex offender picked up for a DUI incident were confined, while rapists were not. Offenders are confined on an ad hoc basis depending of the whims of individual states.
(One can wonder whether New York's newly proposed public lewdness statute, as advocated by City Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr., will become law. Offended by public flashers and subway gropers, Vallone requested state legislators add public lewdness to the list of crimes covered by the public registry of convicted sex offenders.
(In Texas, people arrested for streaking or public nudity are classified as sex offenders; in Illinois, convicted skinny-dippers (i.e., people engaging in "public indecency") must register as sex offenders. One-two-three: A flasher is confined for life.
(Similarly, one can only wonder as to the fate of Jeffrey Hayes of Battle Creek, MI. He was recently arrested for bestiality, sexually assaulting two sheep, Thelma and Louise. Under pressure from animal rights advocates, he was added to the state sex-offender registry and might well find his way into confinement.)
COMIC RELIEF:
http://images.ucomics.com/comics/nq/2007/nq070506.gif
"NEWS CONSUMER" said...
A 21-Year-Old Man Is Slain In a Restaurant in Brooklyn
E. 105TH ST. MAN SHOT IN THE FACE
FOUR SHOT IN STREET MELEE
4 people shot, 1 fatally, in separate incidents in Brooklyn
THREE SHOT AT BREUKELEN HOUSES
Two Men Shot Near Breukelen Houses
Wounded Man Found On Avenue J After Being Shot On E. 108th Street
Queens Man Shot After Argument In Breukelen Houses Parking Lot
FOUR SHOT ON GLENWOOD ROAD
Police Identify Body Found In Car Trunk Here Last Week
"NEWS CONSUMER" said...
Just passing thru to say hi.
:)
bbl -
eya NC,
maybe you could invest in a local undertaker/gun shop?
After Willow ups the ante, Bait computes his odds.
Sunshine!!!
are you around? the packag just got here..you sent it to work, that was so smart...! the kid will be here in a few minutes...I just called him...
Oh sorry..didnt read..yes you're here...ok..we'll see if he has questions off the bat when he gets here...I'm going to ask if he has a dad...
Anonymous said...
I encourage everyone to read Harold Meyerson's opinion article on the recent ruling on the Enron shareholder lawsuit. Along with some of the comments. The only way to hurt these companies and bullies like Gonzales is to start systematically pulling our money from the 401k's and investments. If these companies have no investors, they have no power. A crash is coming. It's these Funds that have created these monsters and our retirement accounts have fueled it.
May 9, 2007 10:20 AM
If you take money out of a 401k dont you have to pay the tax on it? Then your taxes fund the illegal occupation.
if you're 401K allows it, there should be other selections you can make like real estate or bonds such that you still get a decent return but your money isn't used for things you disagree with.
there are also conditions (the most drastic being loss of job) under which you can roll a 401k over into a self directed ira which might avoid the tax consequences. maybe someone who is an accountant can volunteer some information here.
eya A.!
standing by!
(this is gonna be sweet A! take pix if ya can! the engines are under the mags in the corner of the box. be real careful un packing the box so the balsa does'nt get broken as well. do it on a table ;))
//Bait computes//
LOL
(the dude obliges)
CLASSIC PIC OF W.C. FIELDS
(aka, sunshine jim)
"I always keep a supply of stimulant handy in case I see a snake--which I also keep handy."
It's easy son, all you need is a little glue."
http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Mptv/1046/0815-0411.jpg
Bush Changes Continuity Plan
Administration, Not DHS, Would Run Shadow Government
WHOA!!
this has to be monitored very closely; the cheney/rumsfeld cabal are planning another 9/11
~if i was a nyt reporter, i'd investigate if the 9/11 recommendations had been adhered to and splash the findings on the front cover (make it a series of articles) - so if there is another major attack by "al qaeda", these rat bastards don't start nuking everyone
(pass the ammo)
IMO it's wayyyyy more likely "W" and his lunatic neocons will torch one off to cinch down their control.
~sunshine jim @ 1:50 PM
times' ah tickin' and i gotta get my knickers on
(ciao)
new thread!
http://tinyurl.com/2qmymj
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2007/05/new-jersey-lawmakers-rank-among-those.html
Thursday, May 10, 2007
"New Jersey lawmakers rank among those trying to have the director of a U.S.-based satellite news channel fired from his job because he has broadcast interviews with incendiary anti-Israel figures.Several lawmakers in the U.S. House want to see Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice fire al Hurra news director Larry Register because, in December 2006, he had the U.S. government-funded news channel, al Hurra, broadcast an hour-long interview with Sheikh Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, a Shiite group that has been deemed a terrorist organization by the U.S. government."
Posted by As'ad
Congressman-Cam Debuts on YouTube
Forget C-SPAN: Massachussets Rep. Ed Markey kicked off a House telecommunications and Internet subcommittee hearing on “the future of video” in fine DIY fashion, with a clip that his staff quickly posted to YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/v/7r91dHvmxwk
“The fact that any consumer can be a programmer and get their video content up on the web is changing the way the industry works,” Markey said. “Anyone can put their video up on YouTube and we’re going to prove that.”
I asked a friend going to school in Washington, D.C. to take notes on the hearing, which addressed a variety of concerns about how legislation and the video industry will interact.
HDNet co-founder Mark Cuban emphasized infrastructure problems, concluding “the internet is not prepared to take on what digital video is calling for.” Talking up the Slingbox being used everyone from servicepeople in Iraq to a TV station in San Francisco,
Sling Media CEO Blake Krikorian testified, “This is one of the technologies that turns local to global, and thank heaven for the regulations of fair use.”
Phil Rosenthal, who created Everybody Loves Raymond and was representing the Writers’ Guild and Screen Actors Guild, expressed his concern about product placement entering plotlines, effectively “turning the shows themselves into commercials.” Further testimony came from YouTube CEO Chad Hurley, TiVo CEO Thomas Rodgers, and
Disney, ESPN Networks President Ben Pyne, and QUALCOMM MediaFLO USA President Gina Lombardi, but unfortunately my friend had to get to class! We’ll check back on the committee website for an archived webcast.
Update: There’s additional YouTube coverage of the hearing, including a sit-down interview between Markey and Hurley. (Thanks Sean! More videos of the testimony coming at The 463 blog.)With help from Paul Kapustka and Sabina Henneberg.
Other ringleaders are now talking about demands for the release of Eduardo “Omar” Arocena Pérez, leader of the Omega 7 terrorist group, the only Cuban-American Mafioso that U.S. justice has chosen to keep in prison, thanks to an old debt he had with the FBI.
According to federal services, his term is due to end in the year 2050.
What is certain is that Posada’s release by the Bush clan confirms more than ever the scandalous impunity awarded to the most fanatical circles in South Florida and constitutes for this extremist fauna a clear invitation to continue conspiring and sowing the seeds of terror.
U.S. Plans to Attack Iran from US base in Kyrgyztan Denied
Nuclear Weapons in Central Asia
U.S. PLANS TO ATTACK IRAN FROM MANAS DENIED Tuesday, May 8, 2007
On May 3 Marie Yovanovitch, U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, denied reports that the Manas base near Bishkek is being used to store nuclear weapons for a possible attack on Iran. Yovanovitch commented on the “ridiculous” nature of these allegations, which suggested that the U.S. military could use low-yield nuclear weapons to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, should military action prove necessary. She reiterated that the base is used exclusively for transferring humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan.
Interestingly, it seems this speculation originated from within the Kyrgyz intelligence services. Interfax reported that a Kyrgyz intelligence officer had anonymously said, “It is currently impossible to rule out the possibility of such nuclear weapons being stored there, because Kyrgyz customs bodies do not check the goods arriving at the Manas air base today. If nuclear weapons are brought to Manas along with other goods, customs officers do not know about this” (Interfax, Moscow, May 3).
The Manas base remains a sensitive issue, within both Kyrgyzstan and Russia, partly due to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s opposition to U.S. plans to deploy elements of its ballistic missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland. Equally, on May 3, Zachary Hatfield, the U.S. air force serviceman accused of killing a Kyrgyz citizen at Manas last year was sent back to the United States (see EDM, May 3). Yovanovitch confirmed that the Kyrgyz investigation has been completed, and the case will now pass to U.S. authorities (Itar-Tass, May 3).
Bishkek is also moving closer to Iran by developing bilateral relations. On May 3 Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ednan Karabayev met Mohammad Reza-Saburi, the Iranian ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, and his predecessor, Morteza Safari-Natanzi, now a special representative of the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Both sides discussed the current level of cooperation and considered how this may be deepened in the future. Although restricted to political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian issues, Bishkek is aware of its neighbors’ growing defense ties with Tehran. However, Karabayev also expressed interest in intensifying existing bilateral cooperation with Iran (Akipress, May 3).
Iranian Minister of Defense Major-General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar concluded a three-day visit to Tajikistan last week, signing a defense agreement with his counterpart, Colonel-General Sherali Khayrulloyev. The memorandum of understanding on future defense and military-technical cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran envisages cooperation in providing Dushanbe with technical assistance, training specialists, and assisting in their education. “During the talks on defense and military cooperation, we discussed educational, technical, and engineering issues and other issues relating to the defense and military fields, as well as ways to strengthen peace, security, and stability in the region. We also discussed measures that could, God willing, help promote security and peace in the two states, as well as peace and stability in Central Asia,” according to Mohammad-Najjar.
Khayrulloyev hailed the agreement with Tehran as significant for Tajikistan’s military. Yet, he used the occasion to describe the escalation of the war of words against Iran as a senseless commotion. “We can say that this may greatly affect peace and stability. We know what is being said about and what is being done to Iran today. These all are empty words or word play. As Mr. Minister said today, Iran's armed forces are prepared to repel any enemy that wants to attack Iran,” he affirmed (Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran External Service, Mashhad, May 2).
“Bilateral relations in the military and technical sphere between Tajikistan and Iran were established in 1997. Over this period of time, 10 military agreements have been signed and technical assistance worth about $6 million has been provided to Tajikistan. Iran also assists Tajikistan in providing with military outfits, particularly in sewing military uniforms and training the personnel," a source within the Tajik Ministry of Defense clarified (Asia-Plus, May 2).
Suggesting a potential threat posed to Iran from the U.S. base at Manas, even referring to far-fetched plans to attack it from Kyrgyzstan, brings yet more pressure on the U.S. military presence there. This poses problems for U.S. planning staffs, should the stay at Manas become untenable, since there are limited re-basing options within the region. It appears that Iranian defense diplomacy is being conducted on the basis of squeezing Tajikistan, making it less politically viable for the Tajik authorities to agree to a future relocation of the Manas base into Tajikistan. However, the Kyrgyz authorities are evidently concerned enough about the possibility of a future attack on Iran from Manas that they failed to prevent the intelligence officer in question from leaking details of the transit of goods into and out of the base, as well as his wild speculation about nuclear weapons.
Such controversy surrounding Manas intermittently surfaces, but it also serves Russia’s interests, since the Russian defense community is increasingly hostile toward any U.S. military presence in the vicinity of Russia’s borders. Iran offers another way for Moscow to exert pressure on Washington to withdraw its forces form Central Asia.
A French e-voting "catastrophe"
Paperless direct-recording electronic (DRE) used in several cities
Two types of machines were certified for use in France's election, both of which are of the paperless direct-recording electronic (DRE) variety now notorious (and hopefuly soon-to-be outlawed) in the States: an iVotronic model from American company ES&S, and another model from Dutch company Nedap."
The following report published a week before the French presidential run-off elections on May 6 point to the use of e-voting machines in several French cities. The potential for electoral fraud in the run-off elections --in which Nicolas Sarkozy won with a four point margin-- cannot be dismissed and should be the object of an independent inquiry in the cities where e-voting was used.
Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, 6 May 2006
One of the more controversial of America's exports has managed to unite factions from across France's political spectrum, with the major parties in France's hotly contested presidential election uniting to inform AFP that a "catastrophe" has taken place. No, I'm not talking about the opening of a new McDonald's. The catastrophe in question is an electronic voting catastrophe of the kind that occurred in a number of counties in America during this past November's mid-term elections.
In the few French cities that used the new electronic machines, the problems encountered were typical of what we've seen here in the US: malfunctions and complications that resulted in long lines at the polls and, ultimately, in voters who had to leave without voting. The technical glitches were compounded by some issues that appear to be specific to France. I'm talking about the elderly French's confusion and general distrust of the machines (as reported by the AFP), responses that are probably rooted in the country's long and cherished tradition of paper ballots and ballot box transparency—literally, the ballot boxes are see-through, and anyone can monitor them during an election to ensure that there's no funny business.
In contrast, the American elderly were among the groups that studies showed were the most pleased with touchscreen voting in the November mid-terms, due to its ease of use. I suppose that senior citizens in America may place more trust in computers than their counterparts in France, a trait that appears to be a decidedly mixed blessing.
Two types of machines were certified for use in France's election, both of which are of the paperless direct-recording electronic (DRE) variety now notorious (and hopefuly soon-to-be outlawed) in the States: an iVotronic model from American company ES&S, and another model from Dutch company Nedap. Problems with ES&S' line have been well-documented here and elsewhere, and apparently the Nedap units suffer from similar vulnerabilities. The machines were banned in the Netherlands after a hacker compromised one of them in a public demonstration that aired live on Dutch TV. If Dutch hacker Rop Gonggrijp's comments to the International Herald Tribune are to be believed, the encryptionless Nedap machines are as poorly protected as the infamous Diebold AccuVote TS.
A Reuters report indicates that the Dutch models account for over 80 percent of the French e-voting machines, with the ES&S models making up the remainder. This being the case, I suppose it's not entirely fair to call e-voting an "American export," and indeed this distinction may answer the question of why no French farmer has yet to demolish a polling place with a tractor in protest.
Heroin is "Good for Your Health": Occupation Forces support Afghan Narcotics Trade
by Prof. Michel Chossudovsky
4/29
Multibillion dollar earnings for organized crime and Western financial Institutions
The occupation forces in Afghanistan are supporting the drug trade, which brings between 120 and 194 billion dollars of revenues to organized crime, intelligence agencies and Western financial institutions.
The proceeds of this lucrative multibllion dollar contraband are deposited in Western banks. Almost the totality of revenues accrue to corporate interests and criminal syndicates outside Afghanistan.
The Golden Crescent drug trade, launched by the CIA in the early 1980s, continues to be protected by US intelligence, in liason with NATO occupation forces and the British military. In recent developments, British occupation forces have promoted opium cultivation through paid radio advertisements.
"A radio message broadcast across the province assured local farmers that the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) would not interfere with poppy fields currently being harvested.
"Respected people of Helmand. The soldiers of ISAF and ANA do not destroy poppy fields," it said. "They know that many people of Afghanistan have no choice but to grow poppy. ISAF and the ANA do not want to stop people from earning their livelihoods." ( Quoted in The Guardian, 27 April 2007)
While the controversial opium ads have been casually dismissed as an unfortunate mistake, there are indications that the opium economy is being promoted at the political level (including the British government of Tony Blair).
The Senlis Council, an international think tank specialising in security and policy issues is proposing the development of licit opium exports in Afghanistan, with a view to promoting the production of pharmaceutical pain-killers, such as morphine and codeine. According to the Senlis Council, "the poppies are needed and, if properly regulated, could provide a legal source of income to impoverished Afghan farmers while, at the same time, depriving the drug lords and the Taliban of much of their income." (John Polanyi, Globe and Mail, 23 September 2006)
The Senlis Council offers an alternative where "regulated poppy production in Afghanistan" could be developed to produce needed painkillers. The Senlis statement, however, fails to address the existing structure of licit opium exports, which is characterised by oversupply .
The Senlis' campaign is part of the propaganda campaign. It has contrbuted to providing a false legitimacy to Afghanistan's opium economy. (See details of Senlis Project), which ultmately serves powerful vested interests.
How much opium acreage is required to supply the pharmaceutical industry? According to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), which has a mandate to exame issues pertaining to the supply of and demand for opiates used for medical purposes, "the supply of such opiates has for years been at levels well in excess of global demand".(Asian Times, February 2006) The INCB has recommended reducing the production of opiates due to oversupply.
At present, India is the largest exporter of licit opium, supplying approximately 50 percent of licit sales to pharmaceutical companies involved in the production of pain-killing drugs. Turkey is also a major producer of licit opium.
India's opium latex "is sold to licensed pharmaceutical and/or chemical manufacturing firms such as Mallinckrodt and Johnson & Johnson, under rules established by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the International Narcotics Control Board, which require an extensive paper trail." (Opium in India)
The area allocated to licit State controlled opium cultivation in India is of the order of a modest 11,000 hectares, suggesting that the entire demand of the global pharmaceutical industry requires approximately 22,000 hectares of land allocated to poppy production. Opium for pharmaceutical use is not in short supply. The demand of the pharmaceutical industry is already met.
Soaring Afghan Opium Production
The United Nations has announced that opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has soared. There was a 59% increase in areas under opium cultivation in 2006. Production of opium is estimated to have increased by 49% in relation to 2005.
The Western media in chorus blame the Taliban and the warlords. Western officials are said to believe that "the trade is controlled by 25 smugglers including three government ministers." (Guardian, op. cit).
Yet in a bitter irony, US military presence has served to restore rather than eradicate the drug trade. Opium production has increased 33 fold from 185 tons in 2001 under the Taliban to 6100 tons in 2006. Cultivated areas have increased 21 fold since the 2001 US-led invasion.
What the media reports fail to acknowledge is that the Taliban government was instrumental in 2000-2001 in implementing a successful drug eradication program, with the support and collaboration of the UN.
Implemented in 2000-2001, the Taliban's drug eradication program led to a 94 percent decline in opium cultivation. In 2001, according to UN figures, opium production had fallen to 185 tons. Immediately following the October 2001 US led invasion, production increased dramatically, regaining its historical levels.
The Vienna based UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that the 2006 harvest will be of the order of 6,100 tonnes, 33 times its production levels in 2001 under the Taliban government (3200 % increase in 5 years).
Cultivation in 2006 reached a record 165,000 hectares compared with 104,000 in 2005 and 7,606 in 2001 under the Taliban
Multibillion dollar trade
According to the UN, Afghanistan supplies in 2006 some 92 percent of the world's supply of opium, which is used to make heroin.
The UN estimates that for 2006, the contribution of the drug trade to the Afghan economy is of the order of 2.7 billion. What it fails to mention is the fact that more than 95 percent of the revenues generated by this lucrative contraband accrues to business syndicates, organized crime and banking and financial institutions. A very small percentage accrues to farmers and traders in the producing country.
(See also UNODC, The Opium Economy in Afghanistan,
http://www.unodc.org/pdf/publications/afg_opium_economy_www.pdf , Vienna, 2003, p. 7-8)
"Afghan heroin sells on the international narcotics market for 100 times the price farmers get for their opium right out of the field".(US State Department quoted by the Voice of America (VOA), 27 February 2004).
Based on wholesale and retail prices in Western markets, the earnings generated by the Afghan drug trade are colossal. In July 2006, street prices in Britain for heroin were of the order of Pound Sterling 54, or $102 a gram.
Narcotics On the Streets of Western Europe
One kilo of opium produces approximately 100 grams of (pure) heroin. 6100 tons of opium allows the production of 1220 tons of heroin with a 50 percent purity ratio.
The average purity of retailed heroin can vary. It is on average 36%. In Britain, the purity is rarely in excess of 50 percent, while in the US it can be of the order of 50-60 percent.
Based on the structure of British retail prices for heroin, the total proceeds of the Afghan heroin trade would be of the order of 124.4 billion dollars, assuming a 50 percent purity ratio. Assuming an average purity ratio of 36 percent and the average British price, the cash value of Afghan heroin sales would be of the order of 194.4 billion dollars.
While these figures do not constitute precise estimates, they nonetheless convey the sheer magnitude of this multibillion dollar narcotics trade out of Afghanistan. Based on the first figure which provides a conservative estimate, the cash value of these sales, once they reach Western retail markets are in excess of 120 billion dollars a year.
(See also our detailed estimates for 2003 in The Spoils of War: Afghanistan's Multibillion Dollar Heroin Trade, by Michel Chossudovsky, The UNODC estimates the average retail price of heroin for 2004 to be of the order of $157 per gram, based on the average purity ratio).
Narcotics: Second to Oil and the Arms Trade
The foregoing estimates are consistent with the UN's assessment concerning the size and magnitude of the global drug trade.
The Afghan trade in opiates (92 percent of total World production of opiates) constitutes a large share of the worldwide annual turnover of narcotics, which was estimated by the United Nations to be of the order of $400-500 billion.
(Douglas Keh, Drug Money in a Changing World, Technical document No. 4, 1998, Vienna UNDCP, p. 4. See also United Nations Drug Control Program, Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 1999, E/INCB/1999/1 United Nations, Vienna 1999, p. 49-51, and Richard Lapper, UN Fears Growth of Heroin Trade, Financial Times, 24 February 2000).
Based on 2003 figures, drug trafficking constitutes "the third biggest global commodity in cash terms after oil and the arms trade." (The Independent, 29 February 2004).
Afghanistan and Colombia (together with Bolivia and Peru) consitute the largest drug producing economies in the world, which feed a flourishing criminal economy. These countries are heavily militarized. The drug trade is protected. Amply documented the CIA has played a central role in the development of both the Latin American and Asian drug triangles.
The IMF estimated global money laundering to be between 590 billion and 1.5 trillion dollars a year, representing 2-5 percent of global GDP. (Asian Banker, 15 August 2003).
A large share of global money laundering as estimated by the IMF is linked to the trade in narcotics, one third of which is tied to the Golden Crescent opium triangle.
Hillel and MSA Host Ramadan Dinner
Event gives Muslim, Jewish students chance to understand each other�s culture.
The Muslim Students Association and Hillel sponsored an interfaith Ramadan dinner last night.
Even before Sept. 11, Hillel and the Muslim Student Association had planned to organize an interfaith event. After that day's event, the need for such an event became even more apparent, organizers said.
"[After Sept. 11] it was important for us to have a program so Jews and Muslims could get to know each other on a personal basis and break down any stereotypes. I wanted the Muslim population, some of whom are dealing with hate crimes, to know that they have the support of the Jewish students and Hillel," Hillel President Elana Santo, BC '02, said.
Over 100 Jewish and Muslim students joined at a Ramadan dinner, organized by Santo and MSA Public Relations Officer Zehra Mamdani, BC '03.
"It's important to have interfaith dialogue and to foster understanding between the different communities," Mamdani said.
Although Muslims and Jews are usually associated with one another because of differing opinions on the Middle East, politics were conspicuously absent from most conversations. The students instead focused on bridging the cultural divide, learning about the other students' religion, and forging personal relationships.
During the month of Ramadan, it is customary for Muslims to fast from sunrise to sunset.
Every weeknight during Ramadan, many of Columbia's Muslim students have come together to pray and break the fast at a dinner called iftar.
At last night's gathering Santo and Mamdani spoke to the students for a few minutes about the traditions of fasting within their respective religions. Some of the attendees were surprised that both speeches focused on how the point of fasting is to affect one's deeds.
Most of the evening, however, was informal.
Students enjoyed Middle Eastern dishes, and discussed everything from classes to Ramadan to the Jewish calendar.
The dinner was a time "to find what we have in common and not what makes us different," said second-year Muslim law student Frank Revuelto.
Many students said that there is often not much opportunity for Muslim and Jewish students to interact.
"Groups tend to be fairly insular. Jews often hang out with other Jews. An event like this allows Muslims and Jews to remove a little of the �otherness' of the other group," said Gila Stadler, BC '02.
Omar Ahmed, SEAS '03, felt the same way. "People often go off in their own groups. Something like this gives you a broad range of interaction."
Adding that he has "more Jewish friends than Muslim friends," he said this event also gave him a chance to talk to people of both faiths whom he does not often see.
Many students learned new things from the dinner. While Nabeel Cheema, CC '03, has been observing Ramadan, all he knew about Jewish fasting is that the Qur'an said that fasting is prescribed for Jews and Christians as well as Muslims.
"I don't know much about it and I want to find out more," he said about the Jewish tradition.
First-year law student Nadia Janjua had similar questions. "I know that Jews eat kosher food, but I'm sure there's something more in-depth [to Judaism] than that," Janjua said.
She said the dinner was important because it "stressed the parallels between our cultures and religions, that we have similar origins, faiths, and basic beliefs."
Ariel Daube, SEAS '05, came to the dinner with a similar attitude, but from the opposite perspective.
"I know very little about Islam," he said. "It's a great opportunity to learn and make new friends."
Asked if he thought there was any tension between the groups, he smiled and responded, "Not in the least bit!"
Many students simply enjoyed the social aspects of the dinner. Hafsa Ali, BC '03, said, "It was great meeting people of different cultures."
The Student Governing Board contributed to the event. Board representative and Spectator columnist, Yoni Appelbaum, CC '03, said, "This is a wonderful opportunity for students to build a common community, and we're delighted to help in any way we can."
Malik Murray, a Muslim student who works in the law school library, commented that he spoke at the Jewish Theological Seminary years ago and learned about a Moroccan festival in which, at the end of Passover, Muslims would bring unleavened bread to Jews and they would celebrate together.
Now, he said, "This is the same spirit, its good to do things together."
Murray added that Jews and Muslims "are from the same religious tradition. We may have different prophets, but we pray to the same God."
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