The Stuff of Nightmares

Don't mean to give you something really nasty to take to bed, but Thom Hartmann minces no words in this assault on our financial dealings with other countries.  Specifically, in how much foreign investment we allow into American companies.  (Hint - you can't really call them American anymore with numbers like these.)

Thom Hartmann | When Americans No Longer Own America  

Thom Hartmann writes: The Dubai Ports World deal is waking Americans up to a painful reality: So-called "conservatives" and "flat world" globalists have bankrupted our nation for their own bag of silver, and in the process are selling off [...]

New Federal Drug Deal

It TRULY ain't working.  At least not for most.  And that is just wrong.  The entire Medicare Prescription Plan is snowballing into a good deal for the drug companies and a bad deal for most elderly folks. I just don't see how it can be spun any other way.

Drug Prices Rise Under Medicare Prescription Drug Plan  

Democrats are looking closely at problems with the Medicare drug program including enrollment difficulties and delays in reimbursement to pharmacies. Perhaps the most alarming problem is the increase in drug prices since the plan began last month: Prices for some of the most popular medicines used by seniors have jumped an average of 4 percent [...]

Jeb Bush and the Cruise Ship Deal

Representative Henry Waxman of California is nailing Presidential Brother, Jeb Bush, over the Carnival Cruise Lines deal to house Katrina evacuees.  Waxman runs the numbers and comes up with some incredible analysis. Out tax dollars at work.  This is just the latest incredible story to hit the net tonight. 

Jeb Bush Questioned Over Carnival Deal  

It now appears that the contracts will cost federal taxpayers almost $240,000 to provide temporary shelter for a family of five. At this price, the federal government could have built permanent homes for the families.  Emails recently provided to Congress by Michael Brown, the former FEMA Director, indicate that you intervened at a key moment to support the efforts of Carnival to win this lucrative [...]

Civil War Update

Iraq.  A bad day.  A VERY bad day.  So bad that AP says:

AP: "Civil war looms" in Iraq  

Headline: Civil War Looms With 68 Killed in Baghdad. Text: Iraq began to tilt seriously toward outright civil war after the Feb. 22 bombing of the important Shiite Askariya shrine [...]

Tricky, Tricky, Tricky

I find it really hard to believe that ANY political party would try this stunt.  I'd be all over this report, no matter WHICH party pulled it!

The Minnesota GOP’s Stealth Attack On Privacy   

This week the Minnesota Republican Party is distributing a new CD about a proposed state marriage amendment. Along with flashy graphics, the CD asks people their views on controversial issues such as abortion, gun control, illegal immigration, and so on.  The problem -- the CD sends your answers back to headquarters, filed by name, address, and political views. No mention of that [...]

Scooter Hires an Expert

As the blogger says, you really can't make this stuff up.  I'm betting it's fodder for Olbermann and all the late night comics.  Scooter's hired himself a "Memory Loss Expert" for his trial!

Ignorance of the...   

law is no defense. How about ignorance about what you did? In the department of 'you can't make this stuff up' Scooter Libby, lawyer, foreign policy hand, author and Dick Cheney's personal one-man heat shield, has hired a memory loss expert to assist in his defense. Harvard psychology professor Daniel L. Schacter is the guy who got the call. Maybe Scooter can consult [...] 

Budget Cut Bufoonery

Take a moment and read through the post linked below.  Then, please, somebody, try to tell me why the budget cuts proposed make ANY sense.  Any at all. 

UNKINDEST CUT   

I guess it's just a matter of priorities. In his new budget, the president takes an ax to a tiny Americorps program called the National Civilian Community Corps. This small enterprise employs about a thousand 18-to-24 years olds in [...]

When They Were Screaming

I was out of the office and the house at newstime tonight, so I'm trusting ABC to have provided an accurate transcript.  As John says in the blog below, this IS a remarkable exchange:

Bush noticed Katrina failures: When they were screaming!

Bush is going on ABC World News tonight to do an interview.  This is a pretty horrifying exchange:
VARGAS: When you look back on those days immediately following when Katrina struck, what moment do you think was the moment that you realized that the government was failing, especially the people of New Orleans?
BUSH: When I saw TV reporters interviewing people who were screaming [...]

Buried in the Poll Numbers

This blogger's doing a very good job of digging deep into that new Zogby poll of our military personnel in Iraq.  We posted the basic fact earlier - that the vast majority of them think we should get out of there by the end of the year.  But, there's more. Much more.

Is There A Disconnect Between What The Public Now Knows, And What Troops Think About Iraq?  

Zogby has released an interesting poll about what the troops in Iraq think about the war, but the poll is more troubling for what it says about why the troops feel they are in Iraq: An overwhelming majority of 72% [...]

Iran's Nukes

Does this start to sound a whole lot like the WMD argument for going into Iraq?

"Iran Says It Opposes Nuclear Weapons"  

"A confidential International Atomic Energy Agency report made available to The Associated Press on Monday said more than three years of investigation has not revealed a secret nuclear weapons program in the Islamic [...] 

Yet, we are still dropping huge hints of military action against Iran.  I certainly don't trust that hot-headed guy running Iran, but I'm thinking we need to be a bit more careful about the "evidence" we have to justify a war.

Bad Day in Baghdad

It's tough to say things are really getting better when you hit a day like today. 

Suicide and car bombs in Baghdad

Even as the bodies stack up in the Baghdad morgue, more are on the way:

A series of suicide attacks, car bombs and mortar barrages rocked Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 66 people and wounding scores as Iraq teetered on the brink of sectarian civil war.

More reports of violence across the country as well. But US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad says the crisis is over, and the country is retreating from civil war. Meanwhile, there is some dispute [...]

Taking on the Government

I'll give them credit for having the guts to try this.  Don't think I'd say anything risky during a phone call anytime soon, though!

NYT Sues Defense Dept. Over NSA Surveillance Documents  

The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense seeking documents related to Bush's warrantless NSA electronic surveillance program requested in December under the Freedom of Information Act. Here is what [...]

Iraq Reporting

ABC's Jake Tapper has just rotated back into the network's Baghdad bureau.  And that's good for those of us who read blogs.  Jake's a solid blogger and is continuing to update from Baghdad.

Another Explosion   

It seems like the media in general have decided that the major crisis Iraq seemed headed towards last week -- sectarian bloodshed careening precipitously towards civil war -- has been averted. It sure doesn't feel that way here. We just heard word that of a sixth bombing today -- in addition to two car bombs, one suicide bomber, and a mortar in Baghdad, as well as an explosion that damaged [...]

Dubai Ports World Facts and Figures

The diggers are hard at work.  And they're hitting the mother lode when it comes to deep background on the Dubai Ports World story.   If there is a positive spin from the Administration, there is one going the opposite direction on the web and in some media. Here, now, a collection:

More About Dubai  

What is truly amazing on this entire Dubai ports deal is the fact that some of the people defending the deal are the same people who have painted the entire Arab/Muslim world as being terrorists. If we are talking about torture, wire tapping or racial profiling then it is fine to question all of them. When we are talking about our vital ports then we should trust them. For those who don't believe Dubai is port of the more hardline [...]

Afternoon Funnies

Here's your Keith Olbermann chuckle for the afternoon.  Just in case you missed it last night. Video clip, if you follow the link.

Kurtz joins in the Falafel Wars   

Keith Olbermann continued his coverage of the O'Reilly petition campaign which included a new applicant, Howard Kurtz.  Olbermann: But perhaps the oddest development comes not from Fox nor MSNBC, but from CNN.  Howard Kurtz‘ media program, "Reliable Sources." He spent part of a segment [...]

Fresh Photos. Old Memories

They found a box full of unpublished photos of the Civil Rights Movement in the South.  Photos seen by only a few, until now.  They are an incredible look into life in our part of the country 40 years ago.

Birth Of A Movement  

Never before seen (by the public) photos from Birmingham News of the civil rights movement have been found in the news archives. Take a look at the photo galleries from c.1962 at the amazing struggle and fortitude of black people in the south to simply be treated like human beings. My memories of this time are from listening to the radio my mom always had on in the kitchen. We heard of the [...]

Trying to Silence Lou Dobbs

Next to Keith Olbermann, Lou Dobbs (CNN) has been the most prominent attack dog journalist on some of the big issues.  The UAE takeover of U.S. ports has really gotten his dander up lately.  To the point that Dubai World Ports tried to pressure CNN to get him to back down!

Dubai is now trying to censor CNN's Lou Dobbs   

Well, here's a little advice for Dubai: In developed democracies the government doesn't get to tell the media to shut up or else. Sure, your good buddy George Bush has tried to censor the US media for years, but he's a failed president [...]

CNN told Dubai Ports World to, essentially, take a hike.  Dobbs keeps talking.

The Port Deal

Another voice in the wilderness saying it's a bad deal.  No matter HOW you look at it.  And, the man with the words was part of the Bush administration.

Why the Dubai port deal is dangerous to America  

I know the Bushbot and their GOP allies are now falling in line behind their president, eager to let the supremely undemocratic (and terrorist sympathizing) UAE have access to major gateways into our nation...Yet a real counter-terrorism expert under this administration gives reasons why the deal is a bad, bad thing. "Joseph King, who headed the customs agency's anti-terrorism efforts under the Treasury Department and the new Department of Homeland Security, said national security fears are [...]

Exit Strategy

From the troops, themselves.  Looks like a lot of them are just flat out getting tired of being over there. Facts and figures from a new poll of our troops in Iraq:

72% of US troops in Iraq want us to withdraw in a year  

That's the Murtha plan, a Democratic plan, that our troops are supporting. Remember that, oh Democrats who were afraid to support Congressman Murtha (Mr. Hoyer, uh hum). Democrats represent mainstream American values now. Believe it, and trumpet it. You don't get credit for coming to the party late - embrace these [...]

Torture Settlement

TalkLeft blog found an interesting report and they have a darn good question about it.

U.S. to Pay Detainee in Torture Lawsuit

President Bush says the U.S. does not engage in torture. Not in Iraq, and not at home. Then why did the U.S. agree to pay $300,000 to two detainees to settle their torture lawsuit? [...]

Talk Radio

Interesting.  Look at the shift in radio talk show numbers for liberal vs. conservative talkers in the big markets.

Radio Problems  

LA Wingnut radio is in trouble. It's important to note that the Limbaugh station can be heard across half the dial in every valley and canyon in Southern California, while the Air America station can barely [...]

Just Wrong

No other explanation for this.  It's just wrong.

Making America Safer  

Washington Wire: "Anyone can buy a copy of the 1958 Department of Defense Emergency Plans Book, an early Cold War description of response planning for a nuclear attack on the U.S. It is sold via Amazon.com and elsewhere under the title The Doomsday Scenario (Motorbooks International, 2002). But don't look for it at the National Archives, where Doomsday author L. Douglas Keeney originally obtained it in 1997. It's no longer there. The book is among the thousands of government documents that have been reclassified and withdrawn [...]

New Numbers

Well, if they can ignore these numbers, I'm amazed.  No, I'm not. Nothing amazes me at this point.

What Took You So Long

From CBS News:  Poll: Bush Ratings At All-Time Low.  The latest CBS News poll finds President Bush's approval rating has fallen to an all-time low of 34 percent, while pessimism about the Iraq war has risen to a new high.  Americans are also overwhelmingly opposed to the Bush-backed deal giving a Dubai-owned company operational control over six major U.S. ports. Seven in 10 Americans, including 58 percent of Republicans, say they're [...]

Oh, there's one more.

Bush Approval Slips Again 

The latest Cook Political Report/RT Strategies poll gives President Bush a job approval rating of 40% with 54% disapproving. Last month, Bush had an approval rating of 47% in the poll. 
In a hypothetical 2008 presidential matchup, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) beats Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), [...]

Cheney to Retire?

There have been scattered reports of a pending Cheney resignation floating around the blogs for some time now.  However, this latest one comes from a prominent conservative magazine and may signal that there is something to the report.

Cheney To Retire After Midterm Elections?  

Insight Magazine makes the claim... Rumors of Cheney's retirement have been popping up for quite some time, many predicting that Cheney would be replaced by a favored presidential candidate for 2008. One rumor I remember was that Bush would drop [...]

Winning the War?

America doesn't seem to think things are moving in that direction.  At least not as much as they did last month.

Poll: 36% Believe Terrorists Winning Terror War  

A new Rasmussen Reports poll finds that 36% of the respondents believe the terrorists are winning the terror war, while 39% believe we are winning.  Last month, 44% thought we were winning [...]

Press Briefings

I'd forgotten that live coverage of the daily White House press briefings was a relatively recent development, sparked by the growth of cable news coverage a decade ago.

Another White House Briefing, Another Day of Mutual Mistrust (Katharine Q. Seelye/New York Times)   

Mike McCurry, who was President Bill Clinton's press secretary a decade ago, is kicking himself to this day for ever allowing the White House briefings to be televised live.  —  "It was a huge error on my part," [...]

Bloggers and Huckabee

Seems our Governor sat down with some bloggers and talked about a wide variety of topics, including the blogs.  It hasn't gotten a lot of attention, until now.  Michelle Malkin picked up on it and that means it's getting some high-profile traffic.  She links to an interesting article (with video clips) on townhall.org where the author notes: 

Like a former Arkansas Governor of a different political persuasion, this one plays an instrument well (bass player in a classic rock – “is there any other kind?” asks Huckabee – band), and has the gift of gab.  Huckabee told the group about the National Governor’s Association (which he chairs) conference held last weekend in Washington DC and he fielded questions of all types from [...]

Mardi Gras and the Governors

Wide-ranging topics make our on-air blog segment today.  We're airing a report on parades at Mardi Gras, and following that with a blog post from the reporter.

They lost their homes, but still want to party  

Two months ago, I would turn out of my parking garage on the way to work and see the Rocky Mountains. I was CNN's Denver correspondent.  Now, the most memorable sight is endless debris fields. I moved to New Orleans to cover the still unfolding Katrina story... I don't know if the city should have had the party. But, I am glad it did. It is nice to see this city spring to life, if even for a few days.

The Arkansas' governor leads the complaints against budget cuts hitting the National Guard:

Bush is weakening National Guard say the Governors  

Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, a Republican and chairman of the governors association, said: "The National Guard plays an incredibly valuable role in the states. What we are concerned about, as governors, is that when our troops are deployed for long periods of time, and their equipment goes with them but does not come back, the troops are very strained, and they no longer have the equipment they were trained to use."

The Coast Guard Had Questions

Another case of two steps forward, three steps back.  Can the Bush Administration get even one day when they don't collectively shoot themselves in the foot?  You kind of get some level of support for a closer look at the port operations deal and then we find out this -

Coast Guard had serious concerns about Bush's UAE port deal  

This scandal just keeps growing. A report released today showed that the Coast Guard had serious concerns about the UAE deal. This issue gets worse for Bush every day. The entity charged with port security was ignored when they raised questions about [...]

Impeachment Talk

The murmurs become a bit louder.  I'm not convinced that another impeachment trial would be good for America or would accomplish much, but it would make for fascinating fodder for bloggers and the cable talkers.

The Case For Impeachment  

I’ve been hoping that Harpers would put their current issue, with cover story on The Case For Impeachment on line, at least for us subscribers. Finally a portion is available. I’ve noted several articles recently which seemed to be trying to talk Democrats out of impeaching Bush if they take control of Congress arguing that [...]

After you read that, consider this:

Bush's Get-Out-Of-Impeachment Card  

The Rovian strategy is to avoid impeachment now and provide a defense to impeachment in the future should Democrats regain control of Congress in midterm elections by a White House deal with Congress to "fix" FISA, which is actually an attempt at a Lincoln Ratification, that will be spun as a constitutional pardon, should [...]

Spying on Americans

True, he has a book to hawk.  Money to make.  But James Risen talks the talk and walks the walk of someone who has his head on straight and has done the research.  Brad Blog has rounded up some great video clips from Risen's appearance on CNBC's Tim Russert show this weekend.  Risen is joined by a Washington Post reporter.  Together they paint what Brad says is "a picture of an enourmous partnership between U.S. intelligence agencies and private data collection firms."  Russert calls it a "sobering" discussion.  It's worth your time.  Grab a cup of coffee.  Follow the link.  And watch.

History Lesson From Eisenhower

Perhaps we should pay attention to what General (and President) Eisenhower said.

Must Read   

Eisenhower delivered his farewell address to a national television and radio audience in January 1961. "This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience," he said. He recognized that this development was essential to the defense of the nation. But he warned that "we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications." "The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists {...]"

Katrina Victims in Court

Not everybody's partying with Mardi Gras in New Orleans, it seems.  Check the courts.

Katrina Victims Not Gonna Take It Anymore  

That's right. The Katrina evacuees are royally p***ed. How p***ed? Well, for starters, they're suing the federal government for making them homeless, again: NEW ORLEANS -- About two dozen hurricane evacuees living on a cruise ship south of New Orleans were taking the federal government to court Monday in a bid to keep the ship docked and the government paying for it. Their lawsuit claims the Federal Emergency Management Agency failed to provide alternative housing and had shown no evidence it would by Wednesday, FEMA's deadline for releasing the cruise [...]

Twisting the Truth

Never let the facts stand in the way of a good argument!  I guess it all falls into that "repeat it often enough and somebody will believe it" category of lies. Watch now as a prominent liberal blogger rips into one of the conservative biggies.

It’s Not News Because It’s BS  

The right wingers never give up, and sure don’t let facts get in their way. Despite all the evidence that Bush’s invasion of Iraq had nothing to do with disarming Saddam, they still persist in distorting information to make it appear that Saddam had WMD and was working with al Qaeda. Power Line makes a [...]

Vote Fraud - Michigan Style

In the interest of fairness, you DO hear a lot about how election fraud hurt the democrats in key states last time around.  Here's one from the other side.

Vote Fraud Update  

You might recall that even before President Bush won Ohio by more than 130,000 votes, our Democratic friends were claiming fraud. Various absurd conspiracy theories were advanced to support their claims, but nothing ever panned out. In light of this, [...]

It's the Economy, Stupid!

Okay, let's run the numbers.  And see how we're REALLY doing.  It is, after all, a world economy that we're dealing with, right?

Snowed In On Broke Strikeback Mountain  

We keep hearing from our Wrong-Wing Wregulars about how well the economy is doing. There is only one real way to know if this boast of theirs contains any merit, and that is by comparing the US economy to that [...]

Bush and the GOP

The campers are NOT happy.  And the elections are looking closer and closer all the time.

Bush and GOPers on the Hill aren't feeling the love right now  

If Bush and the GOPers in Congress are having issues, now is the time to exploit them. Keep up the pressure. They might fight among themselves, but it won't last long. They deserve each other -- and those weak-kneed Republicans on the Hill will never stray too far from Bush. Bottom line is their failures are mutual failures:  "Though the tensions were somewhat defused Sunday when the company agreed to a 45-day national security review, the problem continues to exact a steep political price from Mr. Bush, exposing divisions between the White House and Congressional Republicans in a critical election year and further weakening a president already reeling from a series [...]"

Blogging the Olbermann/O'Reilly Feud

Seems a lot of folks are paying attention!  Wonder what Monday at 7 pm will bring?  Be there. MSNBC.

O'Reilly, Olbermann Take TV Feuds to Another Level  

Too often, the media operate on a sort of "gentlemen's agreement" not to criticize each other so it's sometimes refreshing to see reporters and commentators step out of the "objective" pose, no matter how bizarrely.  It all started last Thursday when FNC host Bill O'Reilly announced a petition drive to get MSNBC to bring back fired host Phil Donahue out of "concern" for the network [...]

All In Fun?

A blast from the past -

Bush is a Moving/Falling Object  

If you are in the mood for levity it is hard to top the latest from the The Scotsman: Scotland on Sunday has obtained remarkable details of one of the most memorably bizarre episodes of the Bush presidency: the day he crashed into a Scottish police constable while cycling in the grounds of Gleneagles Hotel. The article has a very snarky attitude. HE MAY be the most powerful man in the world, but proof has emerged that President George Bush cannot ride a bike, wave and speak at the same [...]

Iran Nukes

Hmmm.  If they're serious, this is a postitive move.

"Iran Says It Will Agree to Russian Enrichment Project"  

Iran agrees to "set up a joint uranium enrichment project with Russia, a potentially significant breakthrough in efforts to prevent an international confrontation [...]

A Clinton Presidency

A couple of schools of thought on a Hillary Clinton presidential bid.

Too Much Baggage 

Knight Ridder reports that many Democrats fear Hillary Clinton carries “so much baggage that she could drag the party down to defeat” in the 2008 presidential election. party insiders feel that “ominous signs abound” and all combined, they “suggest her campaign would conjure a clash between the lure of Clinton nostalgia and the fear of [...]

Opposing Clinton On The Issues  

I began by commenting on Pamela’s post on Hillary Clinton, but this grew into a post of its own. While true that Hillary has a lot of baggage, this is not the reason I hope that 2008 is our first election since 1976 without a Bush or Clinton on the ballot. One reason Hillary is polarizing [...]

So Much for a Gentlemen's Agreement on the Ports

The morning talkers made it sound like everything was just peachy between the Administration, Congress and the Dubail Ports World folks.  A 45 day window to let Congress investigate. But..... BUT...

The Dubai Port "Compromise": A Dishonest Proposal  

Make no mistake about it, the "face-saving" deal on the Dubai port imbroglio was concocted by the White House. It's being spun to the press as a "offer" by Dubai Ports World. But the AP reports that "senior U.S. officials and DP World executives have closely coordinated their efforts in recent weeks." The deal is political, not substantive. It's designed take some heat off [...]

Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. 

CNN Broadband

I'm bumping this post from Sunday afternoon up to Monday.  This really is quite a service.  I've noticed today that CNN has essentially created a fully-anchored service on one of the four "pipes".  It's not the same as CNN or CNN International, but seems to be produced exclusively for the net. That's a heck of a commitment, I'd say.  One other fact - the Pipeline service will apparently be FREE all day Tuesday, with feeds from Mardi Gras.

Consider this a blatant plug.  For CNN.  And it's new "Pipeline" service for internet users.  I signed up for a trial this weekend and have been thrilled. If you're a true new junkie, this thing is great!  You get to pick from four live feeds.  Today they've had CNN International streaming all day, plus a couple of continuous live feeds from New Orleans and Mardi Gras.  It's kind of neat to hear some of the off-camera conversations of the reporters, talking with producers back in Atlanta.  So far, I'm impressed.  It'll cost  ya $25 a year, but you have a two week window before they bill your credit card.

Told to Let Gitmo Go, Guess Where We Went?

Afghanistan.  That's where.

U.S. Holding Hundreds in Prison in Afghanistan / Detainees Aren't Charged, Are Kept in Awful Conditions  

Tim Golden, Eric Schmitt: While an international debate rages over the future of the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the military has quietly expanded another, less-visible prison in Afghanistan, where it now holds some 500 terror suspects in more primitive [...]

Civil War - George Will

George Will's out on a punditry-limb today -

George Will: “This Is A Civil War”

Conservative columnist George Will this morning on ABC’s This Week:  STEPHANOPOULOS: What does civil war look like?  WILL: This. This is a civil war. Later, Will even questioned whether Iraq can truly be said [...]

Black Gold

Could Montana save America from our oil gluttony?

Montana's Coal Cowboy (CBS News)   

The governor of Montana says he can turn the billions of tons of coal under his state into enough diesel fuel to greatly reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.  —  And there's an added benefit, says Gov. Brian Schweitzer: the United States will be sticking it to the [...]

Pundits Battle

Don't ya love it when the pundits make it so easy?

The Alternate Universe Of Conservative Pundits  

On this morning's edition of Fox News Sunday, conservative pundits Charles Krauthammer and Bill Kristol labeled Democrats who oppose the transfer of six U.S. ports to a United Arab Emirates-owned company "demagogues," but refused to criticize like-minded Republicans. Kristol added that Democrats were "idiots" for the way they are handling the issue. Krauthammer suggested Democrats were pursuing [...]

Kristol on Iraq War

Stunning change of position, wouldn't you say?

Kristol: "We Have Not Had A Serious Three-Year Effort To Fight A War In Iraq"

This morning on Fox News Sunday, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, one the staunches defenders of the administration's policy in Iraq, said the war in Iraq was not a [...]

Full transcript and some commentary if you follow the link.

Unitary Executive

Pushing the Democrats for change.  More than a gentle push.  Closer to a full-scale shove!

Democratic Imperative: Bush's "Unitary Executive" Notion Must be Obliterated  

The Washington Note works hard to provide constructive, serious critiques of Bush administration foreign policy and attempts to avoid reckless typecasting or tractionless hyperventilation regarding what this administration is up to. We try instead to characterize honestly the power grab [...]

Five Star Journalism

Television news fails to live up to its potential far too often.  Sometimes, it does its job.  Watch this story on police intimidation  from a Florida CBS affiliate.  If this doesn't lead to a change in police policy, I'll be amazed. This is just great reporting.  Great journalism.  Great television.

Hat Tip to Say Anything Blog.

The List Grows Longer

Now we're up to THREE top officials who didn't know about the UAE port deal until it was a done deal. I guess communication is really difficult in DC.

Now It's Three Cabinet Secretaries Who Approved Port Transfer, But Now Claim Not To Have Known About Deal Until After It Was Announced  

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has joined the list of high-ranking Bush Administration officials -- including President Bush -- who claim to have not been aware a United Arab Emirates-owned company was seeking to operate terminals [...]The various agencies are defending the lack of notification by calling the transfer a "routine" matter that no one is "second-guessing." This in spite of the fact that some of the Sept. 11 hijackers used the United Arab Emirates as an operational and financial base, and the UAE was an important transfer point for shipments of smuggled nuclear components [...]

Welcome to Sunday - Political Correctness

I have to confess, this one baffles me. Absolutely baffles me.  And, we attend a Methodist Church.

The Most Absurd Case of Political Correctness, Ever  

You can stop searching for the most idiotic example of PC - I've found it, in this news story:  "The United Methodist Church has rejected Richmond for its 2012 international conference because the city's minor league baseball team is named the Braves [..

.]

Al Qaeda and the UAE

Now, this is interesting. The New York Post is in front of it.

Al Qaeda Claimed To Have Infiltrated UAE Government Three Years Ago  

This New York Post report could prove one more headache for the Bush administration as it digs in its heels on its approval of a highly criticized plan to let a United Arab Emirates company manage key U.S. ports:  "Al Qaeda warned the government of the United Arab Emirates more than three years ago that it "infiltrated" key government agencies, according to a disturbing document [...]

Sports Story of the Year

This showed up on the cable shows earlier this week.  I've been slow in finding links to it. It's amazing. It will make you feel good.

The best sports story of all time?

I'm a little late in posting this story, since ESPN, CNN, most local news stations and even Paul Harvey have covered it. But if you haven't heard of Jason McElwain, autistic team manager for the Greece Athena High School hoops team, you need to take a few moments right now. Unbelievable story.  Jason, a senior suiting up for the first time, was inserted after his team had built a comfortable lead. The crowd went wild. After McElwain badly missed two shots, his coach wondered whether he was really doing this kid a favor. But he didn't worry [...]

Coal Mining

Just caught up with a great piece in "The Nation" magazine.  It's about coal mining. And the author has some first-hand knowledge of the industry.

I'll start close to home with my senator, Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell. No other senator has so adamantly defended the right of corporations to donate unlimited amounts of money to election campaigns, all in the name of free speech. And because coal companies give 91 percent of that money to Republicans, George W. Bush rewarded McConnell's efforts by naming his wife, Elaine Chao, as Labor Secretary in 2001. Within days of Bush's inauguration, Chao replaced Assistant Secretary of Labor Davitt McAteer, who oversaw the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), with Dave Lauriski, a man who had spent his professional life managing and lobbying for coal companies.

It gets worse. You're supposed to be a subscriber to read it, but here's the bottom line - 

Which leads me back to responsibility. In an astonishing display of indifference, Richard Strickler, Bush's new appointee to head MSHA, told senators he saw no need for tougher safety laws. But West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin isn't waiting for the Feds to act. He has already begun overhauling safety regulations at the state level, calling for miners to carry greater oxygen supplies underground and for every mine to install tracking devices that would quickly locate miners in the event of a roof collapse or an explosion. Every governor in coal country should follow Manchin's lead.  If the Bush Administration won't assume any responsibility, individuals can. If everyone reading this replaced the five most frequently used lights in their homes with compact fluorescent bulbs, which use a quarter of the energy of regular bulbs, our country's consumption of coal would plunge overnight. And if on top of that, you bought an Energy Star-rated refrigerator, your consumption of coal-fired energy would drop almost by half, and so would your electric bill. And if we as communities demanded that our electric companies followed the 10/20/30 plan--provide us with 10 percent renewable energy by 2010, 20 percent by 2020, on out--we could finally stabilize the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, stop our global climate crisis and weaken some Gulf Coast hurricanes in the process.

"The Nation" is a great read every week.  I've given you some of what you're supposed to pay for.  Visit the website.  It's $18 for a year.  Well worth it.

Michael Brown. The Katrina Story

Michael Brown unloaded on the administration during the Katrina hearings in Congress.  Now, he's pointing even more fingers.  This is simply incredible.  I'm beginning to think the guy isn't an idiot!  Rather, he was just a mid-level guy stuck in a top-level job.  No fault of his.

Targeting Brown... 3, 2, 1..... Target Aquired - Rovian System Activated...  

 Michael Brown tells NBC News that President Bush was fully informed prior to landfall that Hurricane Katrina would likely destroy New Orleans:  "We ought to get mad at the President... The alarm bells were being sounded on Sunday. Because not only was I having conferences with the President on the telephone, but he was also on the video conference [...]

Surprise! Guess What Just Turned Up?

Those missing White House emails!  Well, whadaya know!

White House "Discovers" Emails Related to Plame Leak  

The White House turned over last week 250 pages of emails from Vice President Dick Cheney's office. Senior aides had sent the emails in the spring of 2003 related to the leak of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald revealed during a federal court hearing Friday.  The emails are said to be explosive, and may prove that [...]

Who's Responsible for Security?

This has been one of the big arguments throughout the debate over the UAE port operations debate.  If the Associated Press (quoting Homeland Security) has it right, this flips just about every other statement I've heard in the past couple of days.

Who Runs Port Security?  

pResident Bush spent three days this week trying to tell the nation that the ports deal with the UAE was not to be worried about because they don't handle security. But a writer for the Associated Press disagrees.  "The terminal operator is responsible for security at its own terminal and the area [...]

Iraq Progress

Two steps forward.  Three steps back.

Progress in Iraq -- Bush style  

This one fact says so much:  The number of Iraqi army battalions judged by their American trainers to be capable of fighting insurgents without U.S. help has fallen [...]

The Petition

Took a while to find it, but it's worth it. The Olbermann/O'Reilly "feud" is astonishingly fun to watch!  As promised, here's the clip, etc from last night's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" on MSNBC.  Funny, funny stuff!  You'll need to click on the link to get to the clips - both Windows Media and Quicktime are available.

Late Night: Olbermann signs O'Reilly's Petition  

Countdown plays a bunch of O'Reilly's greatest hits and his "worst person of the world" awards. MSNBC spoofs it for almost nine minutes as other employees line up to sign the petition-while Keith does his best Ted Baxter impersonation.

And, then, there's the counter-petition!

Bob Cesca: Petition: Replace O'Reilly with Donahue  

This week, Bill O'Reilly has circulated a petition asking NBC Chairman Bob Wright to replace Keith Olbermann with Phil Donahue -- out of concern for MSNBC's ratings. Oh that O'Reilly. So devilishly clever. In response, I've started a petition calling for Roger Ailes to replace O'Reilly with Donahue out of concern for O'Reilly's growing mental instability. Join me in signing the [...]

Won't Back Down

Quite the analysis of the entire port fiasco here.  Including the updates from the White House.  The statements that came out AFTER it was too late for the nightly newscasts to use them. 

Bush and the Dubai Debacle. This. Is. It.  

I realize we're probably suffering from Port Fatigue here, but this Dubai Debacle is growing increasingly disastrous for the GOP by the hour. Literally, by the hour. AP is reporting that Stephen Hadley declared in no uncertain terms that Bush. Will. Not. Back. Down.  WASHINGTON - The Bush administration said Friday it won't reconsider [...]

The Hoodlum Vote

I can handle most all of the folks on MSNBC.  Even really like some of them! But, Rita Cosby drives me up the wall.  It's partly because of her raspy voice.  Partly because she always seems just one notch away from saying something really odd.  She crossed that line today.

Rita Crosby: Dems targeting the "Hoodlum Vote"   

 Digby turned me on to this one. Did Crosby just get back from a hunting trip before this segment? Even Matthews was stunned. Look at Scarborough's face too [...]

Regular Routine in Iraq

Here's a blog to keep an eye on.  Written by an Iraqi dentist in  Baghdad.

Fierce streetfighting at my doorstep for the last 3 hours. (Zeyad/Healing Iraq)  

Fierce streetfighting at my doorstep for the last 3 hours.  Rumor in the neighbourhood is that men in black are trying to enter the area.  Some armed kids defending the local mosque three blocks away are splattering bullets at everything that moves, and someone in the street was shouting for people to prepare for defending [...]

The Iran Plan

Well, if we were thinking about a pre-emptive strike against  Iran, it looks like they've already done some planning.  Rock and a hard place, I'd say.

Iran Threatens to Attack Israel  

Iran threatened today to respond to any US military strike by attacking Israel’s nuclear facility at Dimona.  "If the United States launches an attack on Iran, the Islamic republic will retaliate with a military strike on Israel’s main nuclear facility. Dr. Abasi, an advisor to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said Tehran would respond to an American attack with strikes on the Dimona nuclear reactor and other strategic Israeli [...]

Congressional Port Plan

Here's what to expect next week in the Port Battle.  Congress appears to be getting its collective act together on this one. 

Bipartisan Senate Group Wants Final Ports Decision in Hands of Congress  

Eight Republican and Democratic senators said today that they “plan to push emergency legislation next week to require congressional approval of the contract.” The legislation would: – Require that President Bush place a stay on Dubai Ports World’s management of the ports, which had been handled by London-based P&O ports, a company recently acquired by [...]

The South Dakota Abortion Fight

I've avoided posts on the topic of the legislative vote banning most abortions in South Dakota.  I love people who comment, but I've been concerned that this is such a divisive issue, particularly in this part of the country, that I didn't want to have to moderate a fight in the comments.  Let's open things up.  But, please, read this post from NBC's legal reporter, Pete Williams.  This may not be such a ground-breaking national issue, after all.

Why South Dakota won't lead to Roe review  

If South Dakota's governor signs the bill passed by the legislature this week, outlawing abortion except when needed to save the life of the mother, it will generate a fight in federal court, which is just what the sponsors intend. They hope their vote will prod the U.S. Supreme Court into revisiting, and ultimately overruling, its 1973 Roe v Wade decision.  But it's unlikely that such a scenario will play out, and here's why. There's no doubt the [...]

Week in Review

So, how was your week?  Some of the bloggers have been taking the pulse of the President's week.  They're not finding much to cheer about. 

A Third Bad Week for Bonzo  

Thankfully our pResident is having yet another bad week. Maybe things are starting to go against him. Here's the rundown.  We've already covered the Ports sale biz, and the 'alternative energy' staffing cuts with the cover-up that followed, and covered the impending Iraqi civil war he precipitated on Monday. But you ain't seen nothing yet, as they say.  In the Woe on Terror [...]

The Dark Side

This one won't raise you spirits.  But, it's worth your time to read.  No only Mr. Green's original article, but the blogger's comments, too.

it was the best of times, it was the worst of times  

Get on over to Democratic Underground and read It's Munich in America by David Michael Green. (Also available at Common Dreams and Information Clearinghouse) And after you walk through it with Professor Green, come back here and help me think about when we weren't struggling to seize democracy from [...]

Blogging the Port Deal

Tons of traffic today about the Port Deal.  Most specifically, bloggers are discussing the delay in closing the deal and analyzing what that means.   That's the focus of the blogs we're mentioning on the air today.

White House accepts delay   

Yesterday's agreed-upon delay will help the drama play out even longer. The White House is counting on the idea that a postponement will give the Bush gang time to persuade lawmakers and soothe the concerns of conservative activists. Congressional Republicans believe the delay will give them time to kill the deal. Congressional Dems believe the lull will give them more time to hammer the president and take advantage of the political opportunity.  Pass the popcorn [...]

All Bush's Fault?  

Critics have raised some serious concerns over the DPW deal, and it is clear that Bush made a mistake by brushing off these concerns.  To be sure, there is a strong opposition that will not be won over so easily on the merits of the agreement [...]

Port Math - 6 Plus 15 Equals 21

Almost FOUR TIMES the original number!  If there was any movement toward acceptance of the Dubai deal, this ought to put on the brakes.

Dubai Ports World Takeover Extends to 21 American Ports  

UPI is reporting today that the Dubai Ports World deal could encompass more than the 6 ports initially reported. A United Arab Emirates government-owned company is poised to take over port terminal operations in 21 American ports, far more than the six widely reported. The Bush administration has approved the takeover of British-owned Peninsular & [...]

Conservative bloggers are arguing that the additional 15 smaller ports were ALWAYS part of the plan, but considered insignificant.  Don't know that I'm buying that 100%.  At least not yet.

Spin These Numbers

Nightmare time for the Bush Administration.  Even the conservative bloggers say this is trouble.

New Rasmussen Poll: Dems Favored Over Bush On National Security  

Everyone has been saying the politics of the Dubai Ports World deal is bad news for President Bush. Well, now we have an idea of just how bad.  Rasmussen Reports has just released a poll showing [...]

So, Who Did Know About the Port Deal?

It's a very interesting question, isn't it?  And the non-answers raise more questions. 

Everyone Is In Denial  

Now lets get this all straight. In a post 9-11 America where we have to worry about terrorists trying to come in our borders and cause their destruction there is a deal that has given control of 6 major ports to the Dubai, a country known to harbor terrorists and had connections with those who attacked us on 9/11. This deal was not known about by our secretary of defense, the joint chiefs of staff, our President and the head of our homeland security. I am not a conspiracy theory nut but I can see how this would make those "9/11 was an inside job" people go crazy. This is just proving [...]

Nice Gift

Certainly does help explain things, doesn't it?!

$1 million.  

Amount a sheik from the United Arab Emirates contributed to the Bush Library Foundation, which established the George Bush Presidential Library at [...]

Saving Democracy

Here's a true "keeper" for you.  Bill Moyers on "saving Democracy".  The blogger pulls some key quotes from a much longer Moyers' speech.  Follow the links and you can download the entire speech.  It IS that good.

Bill Moyers - Saving Democracy - MUST READ!!   

It is a Dick Cheney world out there -- a world where politicians and lobbyists hunt together, dine together, drink together, play together, pray together and prey together, all the [...]

Teacher Bonuses

Nice bonus for teachers up in the rapidly-growing Northwest Corridor of Arkansas.  Have any of you from other states heard of anything similar? 

Now here's a bonus  

Fayetteville teachers are going to get a one-time bonus equal to 4.5 percent of their annual pay next month thanks to growing property tax receipts and some cost savings [...]

Cons vs Libs

There are some really great battles underway in the blogosphere today.  Oliver Willis has the back and forth on one of them:

The Cult Is Confused  

Cultishness on display! Get yer tickets, right here. Ian claims that Jack Cafferty is lying when he says Bush has spinning the deal to outsource our ports. Of course, Ian doesn’t have to believe the facts at hands that prove that the administration has been spinning like a top, he can even look to [...]

Leaking Like a Sieve

Lots of discussion today about the White House leaks.  And the fingers just keep pointing higher and higher.

More “authorized” White House leaks: 

In a letter made public today, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice-Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) says the Bush administration “authorized” leaks of classified information to reporter Bob Woodward and suggests the leaks may have damaged [...]

Health Savings Accounts=Tax Shelter

Bloomberg News has one of the toughest attacks to date on President Bush's proposed Health Care Savings Accounts.  Why is it that there always seems to be some "backroom" benefit for somebody?  Somebody who doesn't need it.

Bush’s Proposed Health Accounts Would Be “The Mother of All Tax Shelters”  

In case anyone was wondering what Bush’s goal is with his Health Savings Account Plan, here’s some insight via Bloomberg President George W. Bush’s proposal to expand health savings accounts, intended to help contain spiraling medical costs, may prove a tax-free boon for the nation’s rich. Both supporters and opponents of the proposal said the enhanced HSAs [...]

Voting Confidence

Take a look at these numbers.  Electronic voting machine errors in Florida.  It is absolutely unbelievable that we're going to use these things in the next election, isn't it?

AP: 100,000 ERRORS REPORTED ON SEQUOIA VOTING MACHINES IN PALM BEACH, FL 2004 ELECTION!  

AP -- yes, AP -- is now reporting the just released audit information obtained from Palm Beach County, Florida's 2004 Election. And the picture of the Sequoia paperless touch-screen voting [...]

A Family Affair

Okay, everybody.  Join hands.  Form a circle.  Sing along with Sly and the Family Stone.  As they sing "It's a Family Affair".  Hillary is borrowing a few "family members" from her husband, it seems.  Hey, at least it's a couple of guys who know how to give a good soundbite to us in the media!

Hillary Brings In Familiar Faces To Help For 2008  

Hillary has taken the first steps to assemble the A-Team for 2008. Ostensibly, they were brought in for 2006, but we all know better. You can bet that McCain has noticed [...]

Voting Machine Problems. Again.

This is either a really big story.  Or much ado about nothing.  If it's true, somebody is gonna have to do a recount.  Really.

Watchdog Group Disputes 2004 Florida Vote  

An examination of Palm Beach County's electronic voting machine records from the 2004 election found possible tampering and tens of thousands of malfunctions and errors, a watchdog group said Thursday. Bev Harris, founder of BlackBoxVoting.org, said the findings call into question the outcome of the presidential race. But county officials and the maker of the electronic voting machines strongly disputed that [...]

How'd He Get THIS Job?!?!

Chalk up another one.  Obviously, resumes don't matter.  Probably aren't even asked for.  Certainly not looked at.

FEMA-izing the Fed   

If you were nominating someone for a seat on the Federal Reserve, what would you look for? At a guess, you'd want someone with a PhD in economics and a good background in monetary policy, right? Instead, how [...]

Port Security

Dems have pushed this issue for a long time.  Suddenly, they have it handed to them as ammunition against the administration. BY the administration.

'People don't need to worry about security' 

Well, this is a quote Bush may have trouble living down. President Bush on Thursday defended his administration's decision to allow a company from an Arab country to operate six major U.S. ports, saying, "People don't need to worry about security." There are a few presidential critics who disagree. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee published a fairly [...]

The Cheney Coverup

We posted a link to the report that sparked this big debate earlier.  Here, with a summary of what caught everyone's attention, is an updated post INCLUDING a response from the original author to allegations that he made it all up.  It's all about the Cheney hunting accident and whether he was intoxicated.

Cheney Accident Becomes Cheney Scandal?   

Almost unbelievable: "Secret Service agents guarding Vice President Dick Cheney when he shot Texas lawyer Harry Whittington on a hunting outing two weeks ago say Cheney was "clearly inebriated" at the time [...]

The President on Display

I've been saving this post much of today, trying to put together what I want to say about it.  As most of you know, I pull blogs from both sides of the political spectrum.  Heck, I even like what Michelle Malkin writes.  Once in a while. But, sometimes, there is something out there that just invites criticism.  This, my friends, is one such post. Follow the link.  Read it all.  Read the comments.

What I Would Like To See  

After watching a smattering of the morning shows today, here is what I would like to see the President do to improve communications: Hold a brief address to the American people and in it say that he is aware that there are many misconceptions about various issues currently in [...]

So far.  So good.  Level with America.  Then, she gets sappy. 

I watched the President give a “speech” last week and I was in awe of his talent to connect. I put the word “speech” in quotes because it wasn’t really a speech. He was taking questions and talking off the top of his head and he was not only entertaining, amusing and at ease, but he came across as sincere and in command of the issues. He made some very good points and good arguments on several subjects clearly and concisely. When he speaks to a camera he doesn’t even look like the same person. The energy and give-and-take he gets from a live audience transforms him into a master communicator.

This is one that I could really tear into.  I do try to maintain some journalistic prudence, so I'll just point out a couple of things.  First, the President generally does well in the Q and A sessions because the audiences are mostly supporters.  When he has, infrequently, gotten a tough question, he has NOT handled things well.  Secondly, to say that he comes across as "sincere" is, I'm afraid, seeing  him through supportive eyes.  To many, he comes across as condescending and aloof.  It is, quite obviously, a matter of perception.  However, I've asked several co-workers about that post today (both conservative and liberal) and it's been quite consistently been a head-shaker.  Read the comments after her post.  Quite in line with what I heard. And "master communicator"?  I don't believe I've heard ANY supporter use that phrase.  Unless they were referring to Bill Clinton.  Say what you want about his politics, the man CAN communicate.

Dems Gain in New Polls

Don't know if you can credit/blame the Port Deal.  Or Katrina Response.  Or Iraq.  But new polls are looking better for the party opposing the party in power.

Diageo/Hotline: HRC's Standing Improves   

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is also taking full advantage of the GOP downturn, gaining ground in a WH '08 matchup with John McCain turning a 16 point deficit into 10 points after gaining 10 points among Dems.  Clinton's fav rating has also increased, up 4 points overall from 1/06 and up 10 points among Dems and 6 points among indies.  Some other notable trends: [...] 

The Port Proposal

Another numbers game, I'm afraid.  25 days.  30 days.  THREE MONTHS.  How much time did we spend studying the UAE port operation deal?  Depends on who's talking.  And when.

PortGate: About That Secret Port Deal and More 

There is not much about PortGate that has not been contradictory Take the latest news today that Bush administration officials, told Congress they spent three months reviewing the deal and said all concerns about security were satisfied. Suddenly the amount of time investigating this deal has more than doubled. WTF? Well hell, that’s a [...]

Iraq Uproar

A couple of good posts on Iraq from one blogger.  Buried in one of them is the fact that the U.S. government says there's really no sign of civil war in Iraq.  We don't WANT it to happen, so we'll just keep saying that it's not.  And maybe (please, please, please) maybe it won't.

Distress signal

President Bush is quoted as saying “Violence will only contribute to what the terrorists sought to achieve.” A welcome sentiment; the temptation is to ask, “What made you change your mind about such things?” He did not think that way [...]

Wha .?  

Bill O’Reilly, sounding like a a patronizing idiot, sure, but a progressive patronizing idiot this time:  "Now, it’s a small little thing, but I picked up on it, because here is the essential problem in Iraq. There are so many nuts in the country — so many crazies — that we can’t control them. And I don’t — we’re never gonna be able to control them. So the only solution to this is to hand over everything to the Iraqis as fast as humanly possible. Because we [..] 

Oh, that comment about how Iraq is NOT on the verge of Civil War - here's how one of the conservative bloggers jumped on that bandwagon:

Iraq Is Not On The Brink of Civil War  

Despite efforts of media, and the hopes of the Democrats, Iraq is not on the brink of civil war, according to the military. The US military rejected the idea of a brewing civil war in Iraq, saying the number of [...]

Repeat after me, "No Civil War", "No Civil War", "No Civil War".  Now, click your heels together three times....

DeLay's Dilemma

Seems Tom DeLay just can't quite figure out whether people are friends.  Or not.  Two notes.  Two quotes. Not the same.

DeLay Writes Letters: It’s “Absolutely Untrue” That Abramoff Was “A Close Friend”   

Where would anyone get the crazy idea that DeLay was close friends with Abramoff?  DeLay, Northern Mariana Islands, 1997:  When one of my closest and dearest friends, Jack Abramoff, your [...] 

Thawing the Winter Olympics

I was almost joking about this with my wife the other night, talking about how it doesn't really seem much like winter over in Italy.  The conversation started when I realized I was watching some skiing and it was actually snowing!  Imagine that!  Winter weather for the Winter Games!

Laurie David: Kiss the Winter Olympics Goodbye  

Turin, Italy spent years preparing for the 2006 Olympics -- but all that preparation couldn't offset global warming and its impact on the Winter Games. It's been unseasonably warm in Turin, something that is readily apparent in all those sweeping shots of no-covered Alps the TV cameras keep showing us. Indeed, artificial snow-making canons have been working overtime in an effort to make up for the lack of the real thing. But the fake snow is a poor substitute -- it makes the slopes icier [...]

Your Dollars and Sense

Here's a case where saying it over and over failed to "make it so".  And it goes right to your pocketbook.

Bush’s Rhetoric on Family Incomes: Up=Down  

President Bush likes to sell his tax cuts for the rich by saying, "We want our families to have more money in their pocket."  And the White House reported in August 2004, "Real after-tax incomes are up 11 percent since December 2000."  But Bush’s economic statistics have no basis in reality. The Federal Reserve Board reported today that [...]

Wake Up Call on Port Security

The alarm clock's buzzing.  Time to wake up and pay attention. 

Dubya and Dubai Need to Wake Up   

If Dubai Ports World (DPW) does as nifty a job of running our ports as it has done running the freeport in Dubai then we are screwed. This is not about the fact that police and security officials from the United Arab Emirates have been helping us track down Al Qaeda operatives and other ornery jihadists. The issue here is the fact that the port in Dubai is one of the major ports in the world involved with smuggling of counterfeit and contraband product [...] 

Libby Wants Charges Dismissed

Seems like a bit of a stretch to me.  But, it is Washington, ya know.

Breaking News: "Libby's Lawyers Want Charges Dismissed"  

Libby asks judge to dismiss indictment on grounds Fitzgerald "lacked authority" to file charges because prosecutor was not appointed by Bush with advice of Senate and prosecutor was not supervised by [...]

Worried About Terrorism?

Seems a lot of us are.  And not feeling particularly confident about the ability of our leaders to prevent it or react to it.

Americans Sour on Bush's Terrorism Efforts  

"Americans are growing more concerned about the likelihood of another major terrorist attack in the U.S., a new Harris Interactive poll shows, amid an increase in dissatisfaction with the government's efforts to prevent an attack. Indeed, 66% of Americans say a major terrorist attack is likely in the next 12 months, up from [...]

Iraq Divided

Reports from the ground in Iraq.  From regular folks, trying to live out their lives.  They're scared. 

Things are not good in Baghdad River at Baghdad ...  

River at Baghdad Burning has an excellent article regarding the Mosque attacked by insurgents posing as police:  We woke up this morning to news that men wearing Iraqi security uniforms walked in and detonated explosives, damaging the mosque almost beyond repair. It⬠"!s heart-breaking and terrifying. There has been gunfire all over Baghdad since morning. The streets near our neighborhood were eerily empty and calm but there was a tension that had us all sitting on edge. We heard about problems in areas like Baladiyat [...]

Katrina's Blame Report

Sharp-tongued Shakespeare's Sister tunnels right to the true bottom line on the big federal report on what went wrong during and after Katrina. Click through to the blogger's full post to get the main quote from the report!

White House Issues Report on Katrina  

And finds itself without blame. Except for not "cutting through bureaucratic red tape and quickly settling disputes among response agencies." But, you know, how could the White House possibly have been expected to cut through all that government red tape, or settle disputes among such a bunch of incompetents? Who hired those people, anyway? Sheesh.  I love this: [...]

Civil War

It was only a matter of time.  It's just too bad that we couldn't get more of our people out of there before things really started melting down.  Is it too late?  Make sure you follow the link to the full post below.  An amazing collection of quotations from the past.

Bush Ignored Warnings Of Iraqi Civil War 

With yesterday’s bombing of one of Shiite Islam’s holiest shrines in Iraq, the common consensus appears to be that Iraq is now on the verge of a full-blown civil war. Such an outcome has been predicted for years, and the Bush administration has done little to shift its strategy to address the persisting threat.  In September 2004, intelligence officials at the CIA warned that Iraq could dissolve into civil war over the next 18 months (18 months have now elapsed since the report was revealed). “White House spokesman Scott McClellan, and other White House  [...]

Katrina Toxicity

Nice news for Mardi Gras.  All those "no problem with the water or air or dirt" comments haven't been making sense.  Now, we know why.

Toxic Leftovers  

What do you get when a category 4 Hurricane tears up New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and the EPA is in charge of monitoring the clean up of toxic waste? Toxic Leftovers. Floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina deposited arsenic, lead and petrochemical compounds across greater New Orleans in amounts that are potentially dangerous to [...]

Katrina Questions

Hate to start your day with a downer. But, it's an important question. What really happened in New Orleans?

The Katrina Nightmare...   

NPR has a harrowing piece on euthanasia during hurricane Katrina. LifeCare Hospitals could not evacuate critical patients. Gun shots were heard outside of the hospital. The flooding trapped staff and patients. And it ain't pretty. Will anyone ever REALLY be held accountable for what happened during the hurricane? The hardest thing about the times we live in, is that things are such a train wreck from Iraq to Korea, to Iran to the streets of New Orleans, that NOTHING seems to gain traction with the American people. Before they have time to truly get outraged [...]

The Dubai Guy

Great post to wrap up the evening. I knew something bothered me about this interview. I just couldn't put my finger on it. Until now.

Dubai Port World's COO Bilkey  

Did any of you catch Wolf Blitzer's interview of Dubai PW's Chief Operating Officer (COO), Ted Bilkey, this afternoon? First off, you have to picture this guy (and my description will have to do since there are no images of him that I can find, and scant -- very scant -- search results for the man himself). He looks a lot like one of the better-off frequent golfers at the Shriners' private golf club that my stepdad belonged to. Like a regular U.S. citizen. The kind of proper, white-haired, tanned [...]

Oh, by the way, this is an interesting update from the Associated Press -

Arab Co., White House Had Secret Agreement (AP via Yahoo! News)  

The Bush administration secretly required a company in the United Arab Emirates to cooperate with future U.S. investigations before approving its takeover of operations at six American ports, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. It chose not to impose other, routine [...]