Friday Beagle Blogging

Due to completely uninteresting circumstances, my beagle blogging has become sketchy. But, here is an older pic of Harley's reenactment of "The Princess and the Pea"

kidnapped journalists released - repugs attack her

Kidnapped journalist Jill Carroll has been released by Iraqi insurgents after nearly three months in captivity.
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John Podhoretz Attacks Jill Carroll
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Imus Executive Producer: Carroll is “The Kind of Woman Who Would Wear One of Those Suicide Vests, Sneak Into the Green Zone”
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Jonah Goldberg: “Jill Carroll Is Increasingly Starting To Bug Me”
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Imus Exec. Producer: “Taliban Jill” Is “Wearing Terrorist Headgear” And “Carrying Zarqawi’s Baby”
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(All from Think Progress)
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Absolutely shameless! This woman has been through an ordeal that most people cannot even imagine and she gets attacked by the media when she is released.
Utterly disgusting!
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more from TBogg

more body armor controversy

Army Bans Use of Privately Bought Armor
WASHINGTON - Soldiers will no longer be allowed to wear body armor other than the protective gear issued by the military, Army officials said Thursday, the latest twist in a running battle over the equipment the Pentagon gives its troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Do they really not get the concept that if they supplied the troops with proper armor then the troops would not have to buy inferior product on their own?
These people are just trying to stay alive and the bush administration is certainly not helping!
"Supporting the troops", my ass!

now, this is truly stupid

'Brokeback' banned in Bahamas
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What kind of idiocy is this? No, I know what kind - the "christian" kind.
Damn, what year do we live in?

bush loves to give our tax money to the ultra-rich

Under Bush, the Dept. of Homeland Security subsidizes the Fortune 500

Okay, this is outrageous. Americans might have naively thought the Department of Homeland Security was going to use their tax dollars on the basics that would aid first responders. That would be wrong.

The Bush DHS is using tax dollars to subsidize a Fortune 500 oil company. Not kidding. ONE MILLION DOLLARS for a FORTUNE 500 refinery. That's what we learn from Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's report from February, 2006 (page 21):

For example, a Fortune 500 refinery received a port security grant in round five totaling almost $1 million for fencing and surveillance upgrades at a refinery located in a major port. It did put up the same amount in matching funds. This company recently reported 3rd quarter net income in excess of $1.2 billion. We remained concerned about the absence of more specific guidance on security measures proposed by private companies that are capable of paying for them, and what measures they should pay for.

Now, which Fortune 500 company -- with 3rd quarter net income of $1.2 billion -- needed tax dollars to build a fence? The GOP loves corporate welfare -- but giving tax dollars to oil companies is a new low.

(Americablog)

could never happen here

Fake E-Mail Topples Japan Opposition Party
TOKYO - Japan's opposition party suffered a fresh humiliation Friday when its leadership resigned en masse over a fake e-mail scandal, handing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi an uncontested grip on power in his last six months in office.

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Man, don't you wish that proven lies, corruption, lawnbreaking, etc, could shame the repugs here into resigning?! But, American repugs have no shame, so that could never happen.

condi admitting mistakes?!?!?!

Rice Concedes Errors in Iraq, Elsewhere
BLACKBURN, England - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice conceded Friday that the United States probably has made thousands of "tactical errors" in Iraq and elsewhere, but said it will be judged by its larger aims of peace and democracy in the Middle East.
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Rice replied that leaders would be "brain-dead" if they did not absorb the lessons of their times.

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Ohmygawd! She just gave bush an "out" with that last comment! No way will he ever learn any lesson!!!

more repug corruption

Former DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty
WASHINGTON - A former top aide to Rep. Tom DeLay pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy and promised to cooperate with the government's investigation of lobbying fraud.
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Rudy, 39, stood with his head slightly bowed and his hands clasped in front of him as the judge detailed how he took free trips, tickets, meals and golf games from Abramoff while working for DeLay, who was then House Majority Leader.
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The plea agreement contains no allegations that DeLay, which it describes as Representative 2, did anything wrong.

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Right, I'm sure that DeLay's aide did all the wrongdoing and DeLay is completely innocent and was unaware of what was going on!
Gimme a freakin' break!

new horror in Iran

Earthquakes Devastate Iranian Villages
TEHRAN, Iran - Three strong earthquakes and several aftershocks reduced villages to rubble in western Iran early Friday, killing at least 66 people and injuring about 1,200 others, officials said. At least 13 tremors jolted the mountainous region throughout the night, Tehran University's Geophysics Institute said.

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more on our embarrassment of a president

First Draft offers some particularly idiotic quotes, including this gem:

Q Mr. President, as you noted at the beginning -- I'm with Freedom House, and I gave the President a copy of our annual report, Freedom in the World, before he took the stage. And as you noted, our reports have --

THE PRESIDENT: Little print, no pictures. Go ahead.

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Does it really seem like we have a kindergartener running our country?

ironic repug lawbreaker

Stupid Republican Tricks
I think this calls for a "Heh."
Alex Castano, a Republican House candidate in southwestern Travis County [Texas, y'all], amassed more than $35,000 in credit card debt before three credit card companies took him to court.

Castano, 34, owner of a commercial real estate firm, has touted "state budget discipline" as one of his campaign issues in the District 47 race.

(First Draft)

never ending saga of "liberal media"

Video: ABC’s Gibson Demands McCain Use His Right-Wing Immigration Talking Point
(Think Progress)
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I've cut back dramatically on posting examples of the extreme conservative bias in the media because it is so prevalent that there is no way that I could keep up with it all.
This one really stands out though because ABC is fighting for the use of a conservative talking point. I wish I could say that this was unusual, but it is just more blatant than most.

censure hearings

Daily Kos reports and, once again, asks why Dems are afraid of this issue when even repugs - even former Nixon and Regan staffers! - think that it is legitimate! Not to mention that a majority of the American public is for it, as well.

still blaming Saddam

Bush: Violence in Iraq is Saddam's fault
Bush said today: "Saddam Hussein, not continued U.S. involvement in Iraq, is responsible for ongoing sectarian violence that is threatening the formation of a democratic government."

(Crooks and Liars)
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Man, how desparate is he getting to spout this kind of nonsense?!
And, even bigger question, does he actually expect anyone to believe this?

Iraqi leader defying bush

Iraqi leader defies Bush, will stay in power

The Iraqi Prime Minister wants to keep his job. The Bush administration wants him gone. He says he's staying. He should probably keep in mind what Bush did to the last leader of Iraq. Bush only has so much respect for sovereignty, especially when his poll numbers are tanking:

Facing growing pressure from the Bush administration for him to step down, Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari of Iraq vigorously asserted his right to stay in office today and warned the Americans against undue interference in Iraq's political process.

It's actually almost quaint. The Iraqi PM actually thought Bush really meant that he wanted the Iraqi people to pick their own leaders.

(Americablog)

possibly making excuses?

Frist Says Job Bad Spot to Seek Presidency
WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says his high-profile job is a "terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible" post for seeking the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

Making it clear that a White House bid is all but certain, Frist said in an interview with The Associated Press that remaining in the Senate would make a presidential run impossible. Frist plans to step down when his second term ends this year.
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Frist still faces political and possibly legal obstacles.

He is under investigation for possible insider trading by federal authorities following his sale last year of stock in the hospital chain HCA Inc., which his family founded. Frist has said he did nothing wrong.

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Personally, I would think that his legal problems would be a bigger obstacle to the presidency than his work in the Senate. But then, bush has proven that you don't have to obey the law to be president!

From Eschaton:

Fristed
My videotape diagnosis tells me that Frist's presidential campaign is brain dead and should have its feeding tube removed.

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bush the jackass; Dems offering real alternatives

Bush Tells Iraqis to 'Get Governing'
WASHINGTON - President Bush expressed frustration Wednesday that Iraqis have so far failed to form a unity government, but he said withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq too early would damage U.S. security.

"I want the Iraqi people to hear I've got great confidence in their capacity to self-govern," Bush said. "I also want the Iraqi people to hear — it's about time you get a unity government going.

"In other words, Americans understand you're newcomers to the political arena. But pretty soon it's time to shut her down and get governing."
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Congressional Democrats, meanwhile, proposed a strategy on Wednesday for protecting Americans at home and abroad — an election-year effort aimed at changing public perception that Republicans are stronger on national security.

In the strategy, Democrats vowed to provide U.S. agents with the resources to eliminate Osama bin Laden and ensure a redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq in 2006. They promised to rebuild the military, eliminate the United States' dependence on foreign oil and implement the recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission.

"The president can give all the speeches he wants, but nothing will change the fact that his Iraq policy is wrong," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"Two weeks ago, he told Americans that Iraqis would control their country by the end of the year. Last week, he told us our troops would be there until at least 2009. These mixed messages from President Bush are taking America in the wrong direction and jeopardizing Iraq's chances for success."

Vice President Dick Cheney said the Democrats' behavior has been inconsistent with what they're now promising to do. Cheney said he did not believe the Democrats had a credible plan for tracking down bin Laden and their plan to move U.S. forces out of Iraq this year would amount to a strategic retreat.

"It makes no sense at all to turn Iraq over to the terrorists," Cheney said on Fox News Radio's "The Tony Snow Show."

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So, bush acts and talks like a childish ass, the Dems offer a real, legitimate plan with real, measurable goals, and Cheney actually has the gall to say that he doesn't think the Dems have a plan to track down bin Laden?!?!?
Well, it's damn obvious that Cheney has no plans - it's been well over 4 years and he hasn't done anything!
It certainly seems like it's time for a change!!

abramoff sentenced

Abramoff Gets Almost 6 Years in Prison
MIAMI - Disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and a business partner were sentenced Wednesday to five years and 10 months in federal prison, the minimum they faced for fraud related to their 2000 purchase of the SunCruz Casinos gambling fleet.

Abramoff and Adam Kidan both pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud, but they won't have to report to prison immediately.

The judge postponed their reporting date for at least 90 days so the two can continue cooperating in a Washington corruption investigation and a Florida probe into the killing of former SunCruz owner Konstantinos Boulis. Both deny roles in the killing. Abramoff pleaded guilty in connection with the corruption probe but has yet to be sentenced.
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The same week Abramoff pleaded guilty to the SunCruz fraud, he entered guilty pleas to three federal charges as part of a wide-ranging corruption probe that could involve up to 20 members of Congress and aides, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

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Can't wait to see who else goes down with him!

more anti-gay bigots

Gays adopt children to molest them.
So says right-wing Tennessee State Rep. Debra Maggart (R): “We…have seen evidence that homosexual couples prey on young males and have, in some instances, adopted them in order to have unfretted [sic] access to subject them to a life of molestation and sexual abuse,” she said. Adoption institutions strongly disagree.

(Think Progress)
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How are these people allowed to spout this nonsense that is based on nothing whatsoever?

networks won't ake ads from inclusive church

The United Church of Christ, which, oddly enough, does not preach hate and does preach the teachings of Christ (what a concept!) is once again being censored by major networks.
Check out their ad and ask the networks to stop catering to the religious extremists at the exclusion of the reasonable churches!

Scalia doesn't think that he should act like a judge

Scalia asked to recuse himself from case where he already stated his opinion
(Americablog)
Scalia apparently rejects calls for recusal.
(Think Progress)
Guess he's taking his cues from bush and also believes that he is above the law.

pro-torture Fox News

Crooks and Liars reports

bush trying to run Iraq

because he's doing such a great job here!

Shiites Say U.S. Is Pressuring Iraqi Leader to Step Aside
BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 28 — Senior Shiite politicians said today that the American ambassador has told Shiite officials to inform the Iraqi prime minister that President Bush does not want him to remain the country's leader in the next government.

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more from Americablog
and more from First Draft

Dems again showing they are strong on security

Dems to announce defense plan: Get Osama; redeploy from Iraq

Yes, and yes.

Overall, the Democratic position paper attempts to make the case that the Bush administration's "inadequate planning and incompetent policies have failed to make Americas as safe as we should be."

Incompetence. Good word.

Republicans have sought to use that division to their own political advantage, claiming that Democrats simply attack the president and his fellow Republicans without presenting proposals of their own.

Funny, but if you go to the doctor for a tonsillectomy and he cuts off your leg, you don't go back to the same doctor. And it doesn't matter if the other doctors tell you that you're screwed, they can't glue your leg back on. You still don't go back to the same quack to fix your tonsils.

(Americablog)
more from Think Progress

anti-gay bigots fail (for now)

Attempt to revive gay marriage ban fails in Senate
No further options seen this year for proposed constitutional amendment

An attempt to revive a constitutional amendment that would prohibit same-sex marriage failed in the Maryland Senate today, apparently leaving no further options this year for opponents of gay marriage.

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(first seen at Americablog)

bush broke the law (does anyone care?)

FISA Judges doubt Bush had authority for domestic wiretapping

The judges want the President to act in a constitutional manner. What a concept in George Bush's America:

In a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the secretive court, known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, several former judges who served on the panel also voiced skepticism at a Senate hearing about the president's constitutional authority to order wiretapping on Americans without a court order. They also suggested that the program could imperil criminal prosecutions that grew out of the wiretaps.

Judge Harold A. Baker, a sitting federal judge in Illinois who served on the intelligence court until last year, said the president was bound by the law "like everyone else." If a law like the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is duly enacted by Congress and considered constitutional, Judge Baker said, "the president ignores it at the president's peril."

Congress can't and won't deal with the simple fact that Bush broke the law. To paraphrase Judge Baker, since the president ignored the law, he should be in legal peril.

Bush broke the law. It's that simple.

(Americablog)

andy card's replacement

Under Bolten’s Leadership, Federal Debt Ballooned By $1.8 Trillion In 34 Months
$6.592 trillion: Federal debt on June 26, 2003, the day Josh Bolten became director of the Office of Management and Budget.
$8.364 trillion: Federal debt today.

In the Bush administration, this is grounds for a promotion.

(Think Progress)

Andy Card resigns.
White House Chief of Staff Andy Card has resigned, MSNBC reports.
UPDATE: Card will be replaced by Josh Bolten, current budget director and former deputy White House chief of staff.

(Also, Think Progress)

First Draft reminds us of Card's place in history

repugs using troops as props

DOD reissues uniform regs after Rep. Musgrave misuses troops for partisan gain

You'll recall I wrote a few weeks back about how the White House sent out a directive urging Republicans to use our troops for partisan political events.

Well, the Pentagon is apparently not happy about what the the White House is doing, and reissued the rules about troops NOT attending partisan political events in uniform. The document reiterating the rules came from Rummy himself, which is interesting since he's as political as the White House. I suspect General Pace, the Joint Chiefs chair, is the one who flipped out and forced Rummy to do this.

(Americablog)

and, again, why are Dems not backing this?!

Call for Censuring Bush Boosts Feingold
WASHINGTON - While only two Democrats in the Senate have embraced Sen. Russ Feingold's call for censuring President Bush, the idea is increasing his standing among many Democratic voters as he ponders a bid for the party's presidential nomination in 2008.

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I wish the rest of the Dems would realize that a majority of the American public are behind this idea. We don't like having a president who feels that he is above the law!
This is just bizarre. No one in the American public thought that Clinton should be impeached over a BJ and yet he was, but the majority think that bush should be impeached over his many lies, and yet the Dems are scared shitless to do anything about it!
This is f'k'ing stupid! I wish I could just slap every one of the Senators and wake them up!

still more proof of bush's lies

Bush told Blair determined to invade Iraq without UN resolution or WMD
NEW YORK (AFP) - US President George W. Bush made clear to British Prime Minister Tony Blair in January 2003 that he was determined to invade Iraq without a UN resolution and even if UN arms inspectors failed to find weapons of mass destruction in the country, The New York Times reported.

Citing a confidential British memorandum, the newspaper said the president was certain that war was inevitable and made his view known during a private two-hour meeting with Blair in the Oval Office on January 31, 2003.

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Has this scumbag done anything that does not warrant impeachment?!
Has anyone even been able to tabulate the number of lies that he's made to the American people?!

More from Americablog

And First Draft shows today's denials by McClellan

more Iraqi madness

Shiites Denounce U.S. Over Raid
BAGHDAD, Iraq - New violence flared Monday in northern Iraq with 40 dead in a suicide bombing, while Shiite leaders cut off political talks and denounced the United States over a weekend raid that they said killed worshippers in a mosque.

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another one gone

'Hee Haw' Co-Host Buck Owens, 76, Dies
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I do find it somewhat amusing that he is known more for Hee Haw than for the fact that he had 20 number 1 records and that even the Beatles have covered his songs!

bush believes he doesn't have to obey the law (and no one tells him otherwise)

Bush says he doesn't have to obey the newly-signed Patriot Act
You've gotta be kidding me.

Bush added an addendum (which he legally can't do) when signing the Patriot Act this time around, saying that he doesn't have to obey its language requiring him to keep Congress informed.

That is illegal. It's unconstitutional. You can't do that. A president can't just say he's going to ignore the law.

Every senator who voted for the Patriot Act is a chump.

(Americablog)

still more to drive IDiots crazy!

Skull discovery could fill origins gap
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - A hominid skull discovered in Ethiopia could fill the gap in the search for the origins of the human race, a scientist said on Friday.

The cranium, found near the city of Gawis, 500 km (300 miles) southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, is estimated to be 200,000 to 500,000 years old.

The skull appeared "to be intermediate between the earlier Homo erectus and the later Homo sapiens," Sileshi Semaw, an Ethiopian research scientist at the Stone Age Institute at Indiana University, told a news conference in Addis Ababa.

It was discovered two months ago in a small gully at the Gawis river drainage basin in Ethiopia's Afar region, southeast of the capital.

Sileshi said significant archaeological collections of stone tools and numerous fossil animals were also found at Gawis.

"(It) opens a window into an intriguing and important period in the development of modern humans," Sileshi said.

Over the last 50 years, Ethiopia has been a hot bed for archaeological discoveries.

Hadar, located near Gawis, is where in 1974 U.S. scientist Donald Johnson found the 3.2 million year old remains of "Lucy," described by scientists as one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world.

Lucy is Ethiopia's world-acclaimed archaeological find. The discovery of the almost complete hominid skeleton was a landmark in the search for the origins of humanity.

On the shores of what was formerly a lake in 1967, two Homo sapien skulls dating back 195,000 years were unearthed. The discovery pushed back the known date of mankind, suggesting that modern man and his older precursor existed side by side.

Sileshi said while different from a modern human, the braincase, upper face and jaw of the cranium have unmistakeable anatomical evidence that belong to human ancestry.

"The Gawis cranium provides us with the opportunity to look at the face of one of our ancestors," he added.

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didn't do them much good

Report: Russia Had Sources in U.S. Command
WASHINGTON - The Russian government collected intelligence from sources inside the American military command as the U.S. mounted the invasion of Iraq, and the Russians fed information to Saddam Hussein on troop movements and plans, according to Iraqi documents cited in a Pentagon report released Friday.

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While I don't see that this helped Saddam much, it does bring up the larger issue of bush's continued lack of security.
It truly seems like this administration is doing everything in its power to make us less safe every day.

so when will he be indicted?

Mehlman Tied To Phone Jamming Scandal
(First Draft)
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Y'know, I honestly think that if every repug involved in current scandals and corruptions were indicted and convicted, there would not be any left in Washington!
But, of course, that will never happen in this day & age...

more McClellan humor

First Draft reports that McClellan is trying to go back in time and change what bush said about troops remaining in Iraq until well past his presidency.
What a sad, sad way to make a living....

wow - i'm rated below muslims and gays!

Finally, I'm Part of an Oppressed Minority
Check this out:
American’s increasing acceptance of religious diversity doesn’t extend to those who don’t believe in a god, according to a national survey by researchers in the University of Minnesota’s department of sociology.

From a telephone sampling of more than 2,000 households, university researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and other minority groups in “sharing their vision of American society.”

(Sadly, No!)

more Iraq madness

Iraq chaos:
“The headquarters of the anti-terrorist unit in Baghdad was today targeted in a wave of bomb attacks that left at least 56 people dead.” A second car bombing at a market area outside a Shia mosque left 6 dead and more than 20 wounded, “many of them children.”

(Think Progress)

science teacher not allowed to teach science

Arkansas public school science teacher says faculty are forbidden to use the “e-word” (evolution). More: “I am instructed NOT to use hard numbers when telling kids how old rocks are. I am supposed to say that these rocks are VERY VERY OLD…but I am NOT to say that these rocks are thought to be about 300 million years old.”

(Think Progress)
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This is just absurd!
What's next? Not being able to teach that 2+2=4 in fear that it will offend someone?

that didn't take long

Ben Domenech resigns.
(Think Progress)
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For those not following, Ben was hired (on Tuesday!) as a conservative blogger for the Washington Post online edition, apparently to balance some perceived (by whom, no one knows) "liberal bias" on the part of the paper.
Unfortunately for the WP, besides being a radical bigot, he is also a proven plagiarist! The blogosphere had a field day with this gent and this is the result!
What fun!

Russ Feingold

Russ Feingold on The Daily Show
(Crooks and Liars)
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Check out this clip of Russ on the DS. He was really great - made his case very well and was funny and personable.
I don't see how any Dem could think that this was a bad or unreasonable idea.

Fox News gets even weirder!

Does Hollywood treat Albinos worse than conservatives?
(Crooks and Liars)
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Is that the most surreal comment anyone has ever seen on a news station?

good for them!

The Dixie Chicks are back. And they're pissed.

GREAT new song. You can hear it for free on their home page, just turn up your speakers, it plays automatically - lyrics are there too.

It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her

Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger

And how in the world can the words that I said

Send somebody so over the edge

That they’d write me a letter

Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing

Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice

I’m not ready to back down

I’m still mad as hell and

I don’t have time to go round and round and round

It’s too late to make it right

I probably wouldn’t if I could

‘Cause I’m mad as hell

Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should.

(Americablog)
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I still won't listen to their music (just not my style), but this gives me even more respect for them. Glad that not all new country artists are political idiots.

no one can be surprised about this, can they?

Study: Whiny insecure kids grow up to be Republicans
(Americablog)
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Makes complete sense to me! If you only care about yourself, you'll be a repug! If you care about others, you will be a liberal and, most likely, a Dem.
Not exactly rocket science!

even more bush cronyism

Bush's Uncle "Bucky" Earned Millions in War Firm Sale

If you like the way things are going in our country, vote Republican for more of the same.From the LA Times:

As President Bush embarks on a new effort to shore up public support for the war in Iraq, an uncle of the commander in chief is collecting $2.7 million in cash and stock from the recent sale of a company that profited from the war.

A report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission shows that William H.T. Bush collected just under $1.9 million in cash plus stock valued at more than $800,000 from the sale of Engineered Support Systems Inc. to DRS Technologies of New Jersey....

Bush, known as "Uncle Bucky" in the president's family, joined ESSI's board in 2000, several months before his nephew became president.He heads a St. Louis investment firm and is the youngest brother of former President George H.W. Bush.

(Americablog)

bush determined to turn over our security to other countries

Bush hiring Chinese company to be in charge of finding nukes in cargo entering US

Cuz North Korea and Cuba were busy?

In the aftermath of the Dubai ports dispute, the Bush administration is hiring a Hong Kong conglomerate to help detect nuclear materials inside cargo passing through the Bahamas to the United States and elsewhere.

The administration acknowledges the no-bid contract with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. represents the first time a foreign company will be involved in running a sophisticated U.S. radiation detector at an overseas port without American customs agents present.

(Americablog)

keeping the money in the family

What would the Bush boys do without their mommy?

Clever move by Babs. She gets a big fat tax deduction while guaranteeing business for her son. It's a win for everyone in the Bush household:

Former first lady Barbara Bush donated an undisclosed amount of money to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund with specific instructions that the money be spent with an educational software company owned by her son Neil.

Since then, the Ignite Learning program has been given to eight area schools that took in substantial numbers of Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

(Americablog)

what does Fox know that we don't?

Fox News: ‘It’s Too Late…We’re Already Probably At War With Iran’
(Think Progress)

compiling the lies

Consortium News reports on the latest batch from bush's speech.

bush sends millions to religious groups

Grants Flow To Bush Allies On Social Issues
Federal Programs Direct At Least $157 Million
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Too bad he can't spend money on groups that want to help people. But, that is not what bush believes in, obviously!

still another cool find!

Ancient Sarcophagus Unearthed in Cyprus
NICOSIA, Cyprus - A 2,500-year-old sarcophagus with vivid color illustrations from Homer's epics has been discovered in western Cyprus, archaeologists said Monday.

Construction workers found the limestone sarcophagus last week in a tomb near the village of Kouklia, in the coastal Paphos area. The tomb, which probably belonged to an ancient warrior, had been looted during antiquity.

"The style of the decoration is unique, not so much from an artistic point of view, but for the subject and the colors used," said Pavlos Flourentzos, director of the island's antiquities department.

Only two similar sarcophagi have ever been discovered in Cyprus before. One is housed in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and the other in the British Museum in London, but their colors are more faded, Flourentzos said.

Flourentzos said the coffin — painted in red, black and blue on a white background — dated to 500 B.C., when Greek cultural influence was gaining a firm hold on the eastern Mediterranean island. Pottery discovered in the tomb is expected to provide a precise date.

Experts believe the ornate decoration features the hero Ulysses in scenes from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey — both hugely popular throughout the Greek world.

In one large painting, Ulysses and his comrades escape from the blind Cyclops Polyphemos' cave, hidden under a flock of sheep. Another depicts a battle between Greeks and Trojans from the Iliad.

Archeologists think the scenes hint at the status of the coffin's occupant.

"Why else take these two pieces from Homer and why deal with Ulysses? Maybe this represents the dead person's character — who possibly was a warrior," Flourentzos said.

Other drawings depict a figure carrying a seriously injured or dead man and a lion fighting a wild boar under a tree. These are not believed to be linked with Homer's poems.

Reflecting a long oral tradition loosely based on historic events, Homer's epics were probably composed around 800 B.C. and written down in the 6th century B.C.

The tomb was found in an area containing several ancient cemeteries which belonged to the nearby town of Palaepaphos, 11 miles inland from modern Paphos.

First settled around 2800 B.C., Palaepaphos was the site of a temple of Aphrodite — the ancient goddess of beauty who, according to mythology, was born in the sea off Paphos.

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DeLay is testy!

Prosecutors Want DeLay Charges Reinstated
AUSTIN, Texas - Prosecutors will try to persuade a Texas appeals court Wednesday to reinstate some of the criminal charges against Rep. Tom DeLay, who is trying to win re-election to Congress while under indictment.

In December, a judge threw out some of the conspiracy and money laundering charges against the former House majority leader, saying the conspiracy law DeLay allegedly violated did not exist at the time.

Prosecutors say that it did. Both sides will argue their cases before the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals.
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"It's been almost 120 days that this frivolous appeal has been before the 3rd Circuit," DeLay said Tuesday in Houston. "I would hope that they would come to a speedy resolution on a matter that would, I think, take a first-year law student an hour to make a ruling on."
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Richard Murray, director of the Center for Public Policy at the University of Houston, said the prosecutors' appeal serves to "drag this case out and the congressman really doesn't need that."

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DeLay is sounding a little frustrated and condescending, isn't he?!
And, isn't it good for justice that this isn't about what DeLay does or doesn't need?
What a pompous jerk!

twisted f'k giving the US a worse name

Convicted Soldier Unrepentant in Court
Dog Handler at Abu Ghraib Scoffs at 'Soft and Cuddly'
FORT MEADE, Md. (March 22) - An Army dog handler convicted of tormenting Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison with his snarling animal was unrepentant, telling a court-martial jury that soldiers aren't supposed to be "soft and cuddly."
---
Sgt. Michael J. Smith, 24, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was found guilty Tuesday of six of 13 counts. A judge later dismissed one count, and Smith could face up to 8 1/2 years in prison. His sentencing hearing was set to continue Wednesday.
---
Smith was found guilty of maltreating three prisoners, conspiring with another dog handler in a contest to make detainees soil themselves, dereliction of duty, assault and an indecent act. The assault charge was dismissed.

The indecency conviction was for Smith directing his dog to lick peanut butter off the genitals of a male soldier and the breasts of a female soldier.

---
Man, this maniac is insane! I sure hope that he is going to be locked away for a good,long time - I'd hate to think that someone this crazed was loose on the streets! Where does the military find someone this far around the bend?! How was he not in a psycho ward already?!

How could anyone in the world think that this was appropriate behavior?

this week's Top Ten Conservative Idiots

From Democratic Underground

bush could have stopped 9/11

FBI agent: Bush's FBI and Justice Dept refused to take Moussaoui seriously pre-9/11

This is possibly the biggest untold, or at least not yet fully tapped, story in Washington. The Bush administration had one of the September 11 terrorists in their hands, before September 11, and refused to listen to local FBI agents' warnings that this guy was planning something big.

In the four weeks leading up to September 11, the Bush administration refused to listen to their own agents' warnings that Moussaoui was up to something big.

Bush could have stopped September 11 with this information, yet his administration simply let it go, and 3,000 Americans died.

Bush likes to cite September 11. Fine, lets cite September 11.He had the power to stop it, and didn't. He had one of the hijackers in his custody, and ignored him.

Imagine what the response would be from the mainstream media and from the Republicans had Bill Clinton done nothing while possessing the key to an imminent attack that would take down the World Trade Center and kill 3,000 Americans?

(Americablog)

funny

NJ GOP Senate Candidate blows off Cheney at his own event
(Americablog)

bush's never-ending war

Bush Defends Decisions on Iraq War
WASHINGTON - President Bush said Tuesday the decision about when to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq will fall to future presidents and Iraqi leaders, suggesting that U.S. involvement will continue at least through 2008.

---
Isn't that nice? He starts this mess without any plans or preparation and now he says he'll leave it for the next guy to clean up!
What a freakin' ass!

sickos

Court OKs State's Anti-Abortion License Plates
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 17) -- A federal appeals court ruled Friday that Tennessee can offer an anti-abortion license plate bearing the message "Choose Life" -- even though it doesn't offer one with an abortion rights message.

---
Well, sure - that's fair and I can't imagine how anyone could feel slighted!
WTF is wrong with these morons?!

halliburton "supporting our troops"

Halliburton didn't protect water supply for US soldiers

Cheney's old colleagues really are bastards:

Halliburton Co. failed to protect the water supply it is paid to purify for U.S. soldiers throughout Iraq, in one instance missing contamination that could have caused "mass sickness or death," an internal company report concluded.

The report, obtained by The Associated Press, said the company failed to assemble and use its own water purification equipment, allowing contaminated water directly from the Euphrates River to be used for washing and laundry at Camp Ar Ramadi in Ramadi, Iraq.

Shouldn't someone go to jail for endangering the lives of our troops?

Oh yeah, that would be the president.

Republicans = incompetence.

(Americablog)

st paddy bigotry

NYC St. Pat's Parade leader compares gays and lesbians to neo-nazis, KKK and prostitutes
(Americablog)
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What the hell is wrong with people?! Makes me sick...

repugs version of national security

Right-Wing Blocks Funding For Port Security, Disaster Preparedness
Moments ago, the House of Representatives narrowly defeated an amendment proposed by Rep. Martin Sabo (D-MN) that would have provided $1.25 billion in desperately needed funding for port security and disaster preparedness. The Sabo amendment included:

– $300 million to enable U.S. customs agents to inspect high-risk containers at all 140 overseas ports that ship directly to the
United States. Current funding only allows U.S. customs agents to operate at 43 of these ports.

– $400 million to place radiation monitors at all U.S. ports of entry. Currently, less than half of U.S. ports have radiation monitors.
–
$300 million to provide backup emergency communications equipment for the Gulf Coast.

Meanwhile, the Bush budget – which most of the members who voted against this bill will likely support – contains an increase of $1.7 billion for missile defense, a program that doesn’t even work.

(Think Progress)

all I can keep thinking is "how did they not know this in 2004"?

Incompetent, idiot, liar

Reuters

A majority of Americans, 56 percent, believe Bush is "out of touch," the poll found. When asked for a one-word description of Bush, the most frequent response was "incompetent," followed by "good," "idiot" and "liar." In February 2005, the most frequent reply was "honest."

I'd have probably said "idiot." You?

(americablog)

and just why are the Dems backing away from this?

First censure poll released.
46 percent of Americans (48 percent of voters) support Sen. Russ Feingold’s censure resolution, while 44 percent (43 percent of voters) oppose the idea, according to an American Research Group poll.

(Think Progress)

WTF?!

Quote of the Day
Former Senator Nickles:
He [Bush] inherited 9/11.

(Eschaton)

"compassionate" conservatives calling for murder

Republican talk of "activist judges" is causing death threats against Supreme Court justices
(Americablog)
---
Read the whole article for numerous examples. The repugs' hate speech is getting out of hand and, unfortunately, we have some lunatics in this country that listen to these wackos.
But, they will continue to get away with it because no one ever wants to criticize a repug for anything that they do or say....

repugs really, really hate sex - and think that you should too!

House GOP Bans County Health Clinics From Providing Birth Control
Yesterday, during debate on HB1010, the budget for the Departments of Health and Mental Health, House Republicans voted to ban county health clinics from providing family planning services.

So the GOP has finally come clean that they are opposed to contraception. They used to argue that they opposed family planning because Planned Parenthood played a role. But now the GOP has targeted family planning provided by the county health clinics. Their action is a direct attack on women's access to traditional family planning services.

(Fired Up! Missouri)
---
So they don't want anyone to have an abortion, but they don't want anyone to have protection against getting pregnant, either! Well, that makes sense!!!
Of course, they just think that no one should have sex because they don't like it. I wish that these idiots would just realize how absurd that is and just get over it already!
The repugs are going to bring about the end of the world, one way or another!

democracy at work!

Iraq Parliament Meets, Quickly Adjourns
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's new parliament was sworn in Thursday, with parties still deadlocked over the next government, vehicles banned from Baghdad's streets to prevent car bombings and the country under the shadow of a feared civil war.

The long-expected first session, which took place within days of the third anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion, lasted just over 30 minutes and was adjourned indefinitely because the legislature still has no speaker.

---

more of bush's economy

Senate Votes to Raise Debt Limit
WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Thursday to allow the national debt to swell to nearly $9 trillion, preventing a first-ever default on U.S. Treasury notes.

The bill passed by a 52-48 vote. The increase to $9 trillion represents about $30,000 for every man, woman and child in the United States. The bill now goes to President Bush for his signature.

The measure allows the government to pay for the war in Iraq and finance Medicare and other big federal programs without raising taxes. It passed hours before the House was expected to approve another $91 billion to fund the war in Iraq and provide more aid to hurricane victims.
---
The debt limit will increase by $781 billion. It's the fourth such move — increasing the debt limit by a total of $3 trillion — since Bush took office five years ago.
---
Democrats blasted the bill, saying it was needed because of fiscal mismanagement by Bush, who came to office when the government was running record surpluses.

"When it comes to deficits, this president owns all the records," said Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "The three largest deficits in our nation's history have all occurred under this administration's watch."

---
It is pretty incredible that in just 5 years bush took us from record surpluses to this!

a reason to like Jessica Simpson!

Jessica Simpson Snubs Bush
Singer-Actress Fears Visit Would Hurt Her Favorite Charity

LOS ANGELES (March 16) - Concerned about politicizing her favorite charity, singer-actress Jessica Simpson on Wednesday turned down a invitation to meet with President Bush, a snub that left Republicans dismayed.

---
Wow! Who would have thought that she would have principles?! And that she would be smart enough to distance herself from this failing administration?
I am impressed!

bush is determined to bring about the end of the world!

President Bush's National Security Strategy Reaffirms Pre-Emptive Use of Military Force
WASHINGTON -- Undaunted by the difficult war in Iraq, President Bush reaffirmed his strike-first policy against terrorists and enemy nations on Thursday and said Iran may pose the biggest challenge for America.

---
He is completely insane! We are all going to die because of this madman!

waiting for an end to the myth of "liberal media"

L.A. Times Rewrites History of Bush Incompetence on Iran
(Think Progress)
---
LA Times is considered a "liberal" paper and yet they are constantly apologizing for bush and repeating his talking points. They even have an insanely conservative blogger writing editorials.

It is hard to even imagine us actually having even one liberal media outlet. Maybe someday....

someone gets it!

Now HERE is a quote for the ages

"Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You didn't place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."

- Jamie Raskin, testifying Wednesday, March 1, 2006 before the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee in response to a question from Republican Senator Nancy Jacobs about whether marriage discrimination against gay people is required by "God's Law."

(Americablog)

everyone hates him, no one supports him, yet he still wins

Bush getting a win over Google in court today

The Bush administration is obsessed with invading the privacy of Americans. Obsessed. If it's not Terri Schiavo, it's eavesdropping. Now, it's Google and the internet. Today, Bush and Gonzales had a win in court according to AP:

A federal judge said Tuesday he intends to require Google Inc. to turn over some information to the Department of Justice in its quest to revive a law making it harder for children to see online pornography. U.S. District Judge James Ware did not immediately say whether the data will include words that users entered into the Internet's leading search engine.

The legal showdown over how much of the Web's vast databases should be shared with the government has pitted the Bush administration against the Mountain View-based company, which resisted a subpoena to turn over any information because of user privacy and trade secret concerns.

Hopefully, Google will keep taking the fight to Bush and Gonzales. But, in the bigger story of how the Bush administration is undermining the privacy of Americans, this is one of the key paragraphs from an article earlier today by Reuters:

Analysts said the Google case shows it is only a matter of time before the U.S. government may seek access to individual Internet records, just as federal agencies already can do for library or medical records.

Bush wants your internet records. He is the most intrusive President ever. There is just no zone of privacy when it comes to the Bush crowd.

(Americablog)
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How does he continue to get the backing for these outrageous policies? Doesn't anyone care about our constitution any longer?!

bush lies again

Remember that story about Iran supplying components for IEDs in Iraq? Surprise! It was a lie!

Remember a week ago when I reported that Bush and Rummy were claiming that the Irani government was supplying explosive components for IEDs to the Iraqi resistance? Remember how at the time I said it sounded like we might be being duped, again?

Well, today the Chairmain of the Joint Chiefs of Staff just came right out and said there is no evidence whatsoever for Bush and Rummy to claim that Iran's government is behind this.

(Americablog)
---
How does the media even report these inane lies anymore?
Of course, I know the answer, but wouldn't it be nice if there was a real media that actually, occasionally challenged these absurdities?

bush = bigots

Security Clearance Rules May Impede Gays
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration last year quietly rewrote the rules for allowing gays and lesbians to receive national-security clearances, drawing complaints from civil rights activists.

The Bush administration said security clearances cannot be denied "solely on the basis of the sexual orientation of the individual." But it removed language saying sexual orientation "may not be used as a basis for or a disqualifying factor in determining a person's eligibility for a security clearance."

---
Man, I really hate these pricks! They are subverting everything that once made this country great and turning us into a facist, bigoted dictatorship.
Man, I wish they were just ignorable - instead, they are doing their best to screw over every single person in this country (except their ultra-rich friends).

i am so sick of these people

Washington Considering 'Pharmacist Refusal' Proposal
---
Is there any other job where you would not be fired for refusing to perform your duties?! A pharmacist dispenses medicine - that is the job! If they can't do that, then do become a pharmacist!
Either that or someone needs to start an all-religious pharmacy where these freaks can work and where any non-religious-approved medications are not allowed.

this is about right!

Feingold Accuses Democrats of 'Cowering'
WASHINGTON - Wisconsin Sen. Russell Feingold accused fellow Democrats on Tuesday of cowering rather than joining him on trying to censure President Bush over domestic spying.

"Democrats run and hide" when the administration invokes the war on terrorism, Feingold told reporters.

Feingold introduced censure legislation Monday in the Senate but not a single Democrat has embraced it. Several have said they want to see the results of a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation before supporting any punitive legislation.

"I'm amazed at Democrats ... cowering with this president's numbers so low," Feingold said.

The latest AP-Ipsos poll on Bush, conducted last week, found just 37 percent of the 1,000 people surveyed approving his overall performance, the lowest of his presidency.

---
What the f'k do Dems think that they have to lose by sponsoring this?! Bush is the most unpopular president EVER and a VAST majority of Americans understand that he broke the law and has been screwing us ever since he got into office.
How can this possibly hurt any Dems by supporting it?!
Freakin' spineless cowards!

giving Dems a bad name

Lieberman Supports Rapist Rights in Connecticut

Lieberman said he believes hospitals that refuse to give contraceptives to rape victims for “principled reasons” shouldn’t be forced to do so. “In Connecticut, it shouldn’t take more than a short ride to get to another hospital,” he said.

(Firedoglake)
---
One of the most insensitive, outrageous statements I've ever seen in my entire life!
Can this person even be a human being?

Polls

Public Rejects Right-Wing Narrative On Media Coverage Of Iraq
---

3%. Percentage of Americans who believe Bush decided to go to war to free the Iraqis or promote democracy, according to a new CBS poll.

---

25%. Percentage of Americans who believe the Iraq war was worth the costs, according to a new CBS poll.

----

36%: President Bush’s new record-low approval rating, according to a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup poll. Only 6 percent agree with Gen. Pace that events in Iraq are going “very well“; 60 percent say they are going either “moderately badly” or "very badly.”

---
All from Think Progress.

more on the facts of Global Warming

NASA to Wingnuts: Global Warming Confirmed

The effects of Global Warming can be strikingly beautiful, but they're not a welcome sight. The good news is that NASA has been paroled from the prison of censorship, to some degree at least. The bad news is they've confirmed that Global Warming is a reality:

[MSNBC] Following two recent studies on changes to Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, NASA is touting a survey that it says confirms "climate warming is changing how much water remains locked in Earth's largest storehouses of ice and snow."

The even worse news is that it's still business as usual at the EPA (And elsewhere). One shudders to imagine what kind of looming danger other government science agencies may be aware of but can't disclose, as it might be inconvenient for George & Dick's corporate funding base.

(Daily Kos)

bush's version of "supporting the troop"

Tapped reports.
As usual, its not what most of us would think of as "supporting the troops"

going it alone

Brits reducing troops in Iraq

Even Tony Blair is cluing in to the disaster that is Iraq. Our top ally is making a significant reduction in the number of soldiers in Iraq:

Britain is to pull 800 troops out of Iraq as local security forces begin to take on more law enforcement responsibilities, the Defence Secretary has announced.

The Army contingent will fall to 7,000 In Iraq, with security sector reforms intended to help Iraqis train their own security forces and guard their own institutions having been completed.

John Reid made it clear that mushrooming sectarian violence was not a factor in the decision, and said that the Government would continue to support the Iraqi people.

The reduction constitutes a 10 per cent decrease in numbers and marks a reduction from the high point of 10,000 British troops in Iraq in October 2003.

Bush can give all the speeches he wants. No one believes him anymore. And, despite the spin from the British government, actions speak louder than words.

(Americablog)

more on the ports deal

That Dubai deal to give up US port security isn't so clear cut after all

Figures. Who cut this deal anyway? Karl Rove? Bush never wanted to end this deal:

The Dubai-owned company that promised to surrender its U.S. port operations has no immediate plans to sell its U.S. subsidiary's interests at Miami's seaport, a senior executive wrote Monday in a private e-mail to business associates.

Even if DP World were to sell its Miami operations to quell the congressional furor over an Arab-owned company managing major U.S. ports, "that would probably take a while," wrote Robert Scavone, a vice president for DP World's U.S. subsidiary.

The e-mail, obtained by The Associated Press, added to questions raised since DP World's announcement last week that it will divest U.S. port operations it acquired when it bought London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co.

(Americablog)

more corruption re: Abramoff

CREW files complaint against Grover

This is serious stuff. Citizens for Responsibility in Ethics in Washington (CREW) is going after Grover Norquist -- he should be afraid.

Grover's name keeps popping up in the middle of the Abramoff scandal. Now, CREW is alleging that Grover was using his non-profits as for-profit companies to launder money. That would violate IRS rules - irnoic for the leading anti-tax guy.

(Americablog)

how do these hate-mongers get access to the media?

Radical Christian fundamentalist leader Pat Robertson attacks Muslims again

These are the kind of people the Republican party has made its bed with.

Television evangelist Pat Robertson said Monday on his live news-and-talk program ''The 700 Club'' that Islam is not a religion of peace, and that radical Muslims are ''satanic.''

(Americablog)

just when you think that this admin can't surprise you!

White House knew top aide Claude Allen was accused of felony and did nothing about it

Their reasoning? He had already had lots of background checks a while ago and they came out okay.

Huh? Security clearances check to see if there's anything in your past, they don't guarantee that you aren't going to commit a felony tomorrow, and they certainly don't exonerate you preemptively.

The larger pattern just keeps filling in of a White House where crimes are meaningless, and national security during wartime is meaningless. Claude Allen, Bush's top domestic policy adviser, was allowed free reign to the White House after he was accused by the police of stealing. All Allen had to do was tell the White House fuggedaboutit and they looked the other way, like they always do.

Jeff Gannon accessed the White House 200 times in a two year period without having undergone the required 3 month background check. Fuggedaboutit. Bernie Kerik for Homeland Security? Fuggedaboutit. Harriet Miers for Supreme Court, Brownie for FEMA, Karl Rove and Scooter Libby leak Valerie Plame, and on and on and on.

In the crony White House, it's not what you know, it's what law you've broken to get there that counts.

(Americablog)
---
I had no idea that he was accused while he was working at the WH! This is an incredible story, even for this administration!
This has got the be the most corrupt, criminally negligent, illegal and worthless administration ever in the history of this country, if not of this world!
How can anyone defend these reprobates is beyond me!

DeLay continues to delay his trial

DeLay Gets Court to Halt, Void Subpoenas
WASHINGTON - A Texas appeals court Monday granted Rep. Tom DeLay's request to stop a prosecutor from filing subpoenas in the former majority leader's pending money laundering case.

---

bush in la-la land

Bush Expresses Confidence in Iraq's Future
WASHINGTON - Despite the gruesome violence in Iraq last weekend, President Bush continues to emphasize the positive, saying, "Iraqis have shown the world they want a future of freedom and peace."

Democrats say it's the same old rhetoric, not a real strategy for victory in Iraq.

"Rather than leading a White House public relations blitz, the president should lead by pulling the factions together right away in a summit to develop a unified plan for Iraq's future," Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said Monday.

---
Wouldn't it be nice if once in a while bush would base one of his speeches on reality instead of his nonsensical rhetoric?
But then, if he did that, then he would actually be required to know what was going on in the world, which he obviously refuses to do.

another cool archaeological find!

Tunnels Used by Ancient Jews Discovered
JERUSALEM - Underground chambers and tunnels used during a Jewish revolt against the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago have been uncovered in northern Israel, archaeologists said Monday.

The Jews laid in supplies and were preparing to hide from the Romans during their revolt in A.D. 66-70, the experts said. The pits, which are linked by short tunnels, would have served as a concealed subterranean home.

---

horrific

Iraqis Find 87 Bodies Within 24 Hours
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Police in the past 24 hours have found the bodies of at least 87 men killed by execution style shootings in a gruesome wave of apparent sectarian killing, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday. They include at least 29 bodies stacked in a mass grave in an eastern Shiite neighborhood.

Much of the bloodshed — the second wave of mass killings in Iraq since bombers destroyed an important Shiite shrine last month — followed deadly weekend explosions in a teeming Shiite slum in which 58 people died and more than 200 were wounded.

---
But don't call it a civil war! And, apparently, bush and his cohorts think that this kind of stuff means that things are going "very, very well".
I'd hate to see what it would have to look like for them to think it was going badly!

still another corrupt repug

Grand Old Police Blotter
Wisconsin edition:
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A former speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly, convicted of using state workers as campaign operatives on the taxpayer's dime and now facing up to 15 years in prison for it, announced Monday he would resign his office next week.

A jury convicted state Rep. Scott Jensen on Saturday of three felony misconduct counts and a misdemeanor for using state workers to run Assembly Republican campaigns on state time and with state resources.

(Eschaton)
----
Just amazing! Really, is there a single repug in office that is not guilty of something?!

another day, another McClellan lie

McClellan lies on NSA
This is what we've grown to expect from the press and Scotty.
Glenn:
Here, according to an article from Reuters, is what Scott McClellan said today in response to Sen. Feingold's censure resolution:

"I think it does raise the question, how do you fight and win the war on terrorism?" McClellan said. "And if Democrats want to argue that we shouldn't be listening to al Qaeda communications, it's their right and we welcome the debate. We are a nation at war."

This is not advocacy. This is just lying. No Democrats are advocating that we not listen to Al Qaeda communications, and Scott McClellan knows that. And no journalist ought to pass along this falsehood without pointing out that it is factually
false...read on"

(Crooks and Liars)
---
How is it that he can say such a ridiculous comment and no one calls him on it?!

censure bush

Feingold Will Introduce Resolution To Censure President Bush
On "THIS WEEK," Sen. Feingold told George Stephanopolous that he wants the Senate to admonish Bush for approving domestic wiretaps on American citizens without first seeking a legally required court order.

(Crooks and Liars)
---
I don't expect anything to come of this, but nice that someone is trying!

"liberal media" ignores 300,000 people

300,000 Marched in Chicago Friday. Why Doesn't Anyone Know?
(My Left Wing)
---
We have the most unpopular president in hostory and still the media ignores anyone who doesn't agree with him!

"liberal media" states "Dems indicted"

Media Matters reports that CNN (Conservative News Network) equates Ken Mehlman making unsubstantiated charges against Dems equals "indictments"!
Man, what I wouldn't pay for some ACTUAL liberal media!

interesting definition of "sanity"

O’Reilly offers sensible Iran policy:
“You know, in a sane world, every country would unite against Iran and blow it off the face of the earth. That would be the sane thing to do.”

(Think Progress)
---
I know that one person couldn't do this in particular, but what is going to happen when someone murders another person because of the racist tripe that these morons spout?

becoming more and more like the Soviet Union

AP: Thousands of Federal Cases Kept Secret
WASHINGTON - Despite the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of public trials, nearly all records are being kept secret for more than 5,000 defendants who completed their journey through the federal courts over the last three years. Instances of such secrecy more than doubled from 2003 to 2005.

An Associated Press investigation found, and court observers agree, that most of these defendants are cooperating government witnesses, but the secrecy surrounding their records prevents the public from knowing details of their plea bargains with the government.

---
First seen at Americablog

Dems letting another winning issue slip through their fingers

That whole lobby reform thing in Congress...forget about it

Because absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the party in power is corrupt, there's not going to be any real reform in Congress. They love the free meals and corporate jets:

The drive for a tighter lobbying law, just two months ago a major priority on Capitol Hill, is losing momentum, a victim of shifting political interests, infighting among House Republicans and a growing sense among lawmakers of both parties that wholesale change may not be needed after all.

(Americablog)

are all repugs criminals?

Former White House Aide Is Arrested on Theft Charges
WASHINGTON, (March 10) - A former top White House aide was arrested on Thursday in the Maryland suburbs on charges that he stole merchandise from a number of retailers, the police in Montgomery County, Md., said Friday.

The former aide, Claude A. Allen, 45, was President Bush's top domestic policy adviser until resigning last month. Known as a rising conservative star, he previously served as deputy secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, and in 2003 the White House announced its intention to nominate him to a seat on the federal appeals court based in Richmond, Va. Democrats raised questions about the nomination, and it never came to a vote.

The police said Mr. Allen was seen on Jan. 2 leaving a department store in Gaithersburg, Md., with merchandise for which he had not paid. He was apprehended by a store employee and issued a misdemeanor citation for theft, said Lt. Eric Burnett, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Police Department.

---

Lots more from Eschaton and still more from Think Progress

Saturday Beagle Blogging

What? I wasn't howling out the window - honest!

another racist repug

Conservative State Rep. Blasts Racist Email To Colleagues
Colorado State Rep. Jim Welker (R) blasted an email to his colleagues containing “an essay written by someone else that accused ‘welfare-pampered blacks’ of waiting for the government to save them from Hurricane Katrina.” A excerpt from that essay, written by the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson:

President Bush is not to blame for the rampant immorality of blacks. Had New Orleans’ black community taken action, most would have been out of harm’s way. But most were too lazy, immoral and trifling to do anything productive for themselves.

Welker forwarded the essay “without comment.” Here is his defense:

“Some of my best friends are of different skin color, like Ed Jones,” said Welker, referring to Sen. Jones, a Colorado Springs Republican who is black.

According to Jones, “he and Welker are friends, but not best friends.”

(Think Progress)
---
wow.....

"extinct" rodent found

New Rodent Part of "Extinct" Family
Scientists believed the Diatomydae family of rodents had been extinct for 11 million years. But the recently discovered rodent species from Southeast Asia is actually one of this family's modern-day kin, according to a report to be published in tomorrow's issue of the journal Science.
---
Although scientists have now traced the creature's actual place in the animal kingdom, little else is known about the elusive rodent. It was originally found for sale at a Laos (see map) food market, and so far no living specimens have been recovered.

According to the scientists, Laotians prefer to savor Laonastes roasted whole and served on a skewer.

---

IRS wants to sell our info

IRS wants to allow third parties access to your return
(Pam's House Blend)
---
Mighty scary!

another new low!

Poll Numbers on Bush Hit New Low
Nearly 70 Percent Say Country Headed in Wrong Direction
WASHINGTON (March 10) - More and more people, particularly Republicans, disapprove of President Bush's performance, question his character and no longer consider him a strong leader against terrorism, according to an AP-Ipsos poll documenting one of the bleakest points of his presidency.

Nearly four out of five Americans, including 70 percent of Republicans, believe civil war will break out in Iraq -- the bloody hot spot upon which Bush has staked his presidency. Nearly 70 percent of people say the U.S. is on the wrong track, a 6-point jump since February.

---
This poll also says that 70% believe that this country is headed in the wrong direction!
We all told them that in 2004, but they wouldn't listen. Its not exactly fulfilling to be able to say "I told you so" about something this serious.
Now the Dems have to organize themselves and capitalize on this! It almost seems like they aren't even trying to, which is a huge, huge mistake.
Its a long time until November - and obviously, the American public has a very short memory. Let's hope we can make some real changes then.

fired for bumper sticker

Woman Fired for Air America Bumper Sticker
(SpeakSpeak)
The sticker said "1360 Air America Progressive Talk Radio.“

Didn't we used to have free speech?

DeLay flip-flops on Abramoff

DeLay On Abramoff: I Love You, I Love You Not, I Love You…
(Think Progress)

I honestly thought this was a joke!

Never underestimate Fox!
Fox News Grills Gonzales: “Are You, Sir, A Pie A La Mode Man?”
Wow!

ports deal finished?

Dubai Firm Giving Up U.S. Ports Deal
Sen. John Warner (R-VA) “says a Dubai-owned company has decided to give up its management stake in some U.S. ports,” CBS News reports. More:

The news comes shortly after Republican congressional leaders told President Bush that both the House and Senate appeared ready to block the controversial deal that would have given DP World operational control of several U.S. ports.

It was not immediately clear whether the announcement would be enough to cool widespread sentiment in Congress to pass legislation blocking the deal, which has become an election-year nightmare for Republicans.

UPDATE: CNN says the firm will “transfer fully the U.S. operation of P&O ports in North America to a U.S. entity.”

(Think Progress)
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Let's see if this really happens and is all on the up-and-up.

closing Abu Ghraib and opening another

U.S. To Close Abu Ghraib
(Daily Kos)
Read the article for the full story

santorum can't stop lying

Is this what the GOP means by 'family values'?
This is simply beyond the pale:

After saying in January that he would end his regular meetings with lobbyists, Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.), the third-ranking GOP leader in the Senate, has continued to meet with many of the same lobbyists at the same time and on the same day of the week.

(From the Roots)

More from Think Progress

and why would anyone believe them?

Rumsfeld, Rice Say Iraq Not at Civil War
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I guess that they still think that people will believe anything that they say, no matter what evidence there is to the contrary.
They've gotten away with it this long, so I shouldn't be surprised!

this the kind of people who should be in charge of our security?

State Department Slams UAE
Ummm, and Bush wants to give them control of our ports?
The State Department called the human rights records of key Arab allies poor or problematic on Wednesday, citing flawed elections and torture of prisoners in Egypt, beatings, arbitrary arrest and lack of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia, and floggings as punishment for adultery or drug abuse in the United Arab Emirates.
[snip]
The study, which has been published each year since 1977, offers a comprehensive analysis of all countries in the world. It calls records in Saudi Arabia and Egypt poor, and the UAE record problematic.

(First Draft)

today's word is "conversation"

See First Draft for Scottie's talking point of the day.
This would be hilarious if we weren't talking about such serious issues.

defying bush!

GOP House Panel Votes to Block Ports Deal
WASHINGTON - In an election-year repudiation of President Bush, a House panel dominated by Republicans voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to block a Dubai-owned firm from taking control of some U.S port operations.

By 62-2, the Appropriations Committee voted to bar DP World, run by the government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, from holding leases or contracts at U.S. ports.
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As the committee acted, Democrats on the other side of the Capitol were clamoring for a vote on the same issue in the GOP-led Senate.

"We believe an overwhelming majority will vote to end the deal," said Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, whose attempt to force the issue to the floor brought the Senate to a late-afternoon standstill.

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