cry-baby repugs

GOP, Democrats clash over omnibus bill

WASHINGTON - House Republicans complained bitterly Wednesday that they had been shut out of the secretive process in which Democrats assembled a huge spending bill to sweep clear a budgetary mess they inherited.

As the House kicked off debate on the bill, Republicans said the measure was being rushed to the floor without adequate time for lawmakers to read it and without the chance to offer changes.

"I cannot recall in the entire time I've been a member of the House a single appropriations bill that has not been open to amendment at some level," said Rep. James Walsh R-N.Y., a 10-term veteran. "Frankly, I think that's a travesty."

Such protests got little sympathy from Democrats such as Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey D-Wis., who noted Republicans last year had failed to pass nine of 11 spending bills.

"You forfeited any right to squawk about how we cleaned up your mess," Obey said. "Don't blame us for your screw-ups."

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I think that is the perfect response! The repugs didn't do anything for years and now they want to get involved when the Dems actually get things done! It certainly isn't like the repugs didn't pull behind the scenes crap on important issues like the so-called patriot act.

Update - the House passed the bill!

forgive me if i'm suspicious

Justice to release spy program details

WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Wednesday he will turn over secret documents detailing the government's domestic spying program, ending a two-week standoff with the Senate Judiciary Committee over surveillance targeting terror suspects.

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gosh, where would you get that idea?

U.S. may have botched training of Iraqis

unending horror

58 killed in Iraq on Shiite holy day

surprise! WH lying about global warming

Waxman seeks climate inquiry evidence

WASHINGTON - The Democratic chairman of a House panel examining the government's response to climate change said Tuesday there is evidence that senior Bush administration officials sought repeatedly "to mislead the public by injecting doubt into the science of global warming."

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said he and the top Republican on his oversight committee, Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, have sought documents from the administration on climate policy, but repeatedly been rebuffed.

"The committee isn't trying to obtain state secrets or documents that could affect our immediate national security," said Waxman, opening the hearing. "We are simply seeking answers to whether the White House's political staff is inappropriately censoring impartial government scientists."

"We know that the White House possesses documents that contain evidence of an attempt by senior administration officials to mislead the public by injecting doubt into the science of global warming and minimize the potential danger," Waxman said.

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understatement of the year

Bush nominee: New actions needed in Iraq

WASHINGTON - Stabilizing Iraq will require "new and different actions" to improve security and promote political reconciliation, the Navy admiral poised to lead American forces in the Middle East said Tuesday.

Adm. William Fallon, at his confirmation hearing, also told the Senate Armed Services Committee that it may be time to "redefine the goals" in Iraq. And he said he believes Iran would like to limit America's influence in the region.

"I believe the situation in Iraq can be turned around, but time is short," he said.

Fallon, 62, who currently is commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, said he saw a need for a comprehensive approach to Iraq, including economic and political actions to resolve a problem that requires more than military force.

"What we have been doing has not been working," he said. "We have got to be doing, it seems to me, something different."

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even the repugs are turning on bush

Specter: Bush not sole 'decision-maker'

WASHINGTON - A Senate Republican on Tuesday directly challenged President Bush's declaration that "I am the decision-maker" on issues of war.

"I would suggest respectfully to the president that he is not the sole decider," Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said during a hearing on Congress' war powers amid an increasingly harsh debate over Iraq war policy. "The decider is a shared and joint responsibility," Specter said.

The question of whether to use its power over the government's purse strings to force an end to the war in Iraq, and under what conditions, is among the issues faced by the newly empowered Democratic majority in Congress, and even some of the president's political allies as well.

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repugs continuing to try to obstruct the Dems' work

GOP using minimum wage debate to prevent Iraq votes

GOP Senators are playing procedural games with the minimum wage debate to put off the debate on the anti-escalation resolutions. That's the report from Bob Geiger:

[T]he Republicans figure that if they can keep the Senate occupied indefinitely with an open-and-shut thing like a minimum wage increase, they can avoid the thing they fear most -- having to vote on any of the myriad Iraq-war resolutions waiting in the wings.

Stay tuned because things could pretty wild in the Senate this week. Despite the GOP delaying tactics, there is going to be a debate on Iraq. The GOP enabled this war, they never challenged Bush's failed leadership on the war, now, they can't avoid debating it.

(Americablog)

attempting to destroy what is left of America

The country formerly known as America

The man is a pig.

From tomorrow's NYT:

President Bush has signed a directive that gives the White House much greater control over the rules and policy statements that the government develops to protect public health, safety, the environment, civil rights and privacy.

In an executive order published last week in the Federal Register, Mr. Bush said that each agency must have a regulatory policy office run by a political appointee, to supervise the development of rules and documents providing guidance to regulated industries. The White House will thus have a gatekeeper in each agency to analyze the costs and the benefits of new rules and to make sure the agencies carry out the president’s priorities.

This strengthens the hand of the White House in shaping rules that have, in the past, often been generated by civil servants and scientific experts. It suggests that the administration still has ways to exert its power after the takeover of Congress by the Democrats.

Ah yes, we wouldn't want scientific experts actually figuring out the best policy. Oh no. Better to have some Bible-thumping Dick Cheney clone make sure that Dear Leader's arrogant, stupidity-ladened will is stamped on every decision our government makes.

May Congress and the American people destroy this man.

(Americablog)

i don't care what you think of the man, this is truly sick

Miami plans big party when Castro dies
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Though i gotta admit, if bush and cheney were to disappear (no, i'm not saying that anyone should do anything), that would sure be cause for a celebration!

must be the same folks who still support bush

13 pct of Americans not heard of global warming: report

impotent ravings of a madman

Bush warns Iran against action in Iraq

WASHINGTON - Deeply distrustful of Iran, President Bush said Monday "we will respond firmly" if Tehran escalates its military actions in Iraq and threatens American forces or Iraqi citizens.

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the "decider" is the "decision maker"

Bush: 'I'm the decision-maker' on Iraq

WASHINGTON - PresidentBush, on a collision course with Congress over Iraq, said Friday "I'm the decision-maker" about sending more troops to the war. He challenged skeptical lawmakers not to prematurely condemn his buildup.

"I've picked the plan that I think is most likely to succeed," Bush said in an Oval Office meeting with senior military advisers.

The president had strong words for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who are lining up to support resolutions opposing his decision to send 21,500 troops to Iraq. He challenged them to put up their own ideas.

This would be hilarious if it wasn't so serious - there have been many plans that have been given to bush that he has dismissed without considering. Pretending that there are no other options doesn't make it real. But he loves his little fantasy world! And he loves to say that it is all up to him - no one else really has a say in his plan to end the world.

bush completely at odds with reality - Pelosi hits it right on

It's even better than Kos reports

Markos reports the following, then read on because I have more and it's good:

In an interview, Pelosi also said she was puzzled by what she considered the president's minimalist explanation for his confidence in the new surge of 21,500 U.S. troops that he has presented as the crux of a new "way forward" for U.S. forces in Iraq.

"He's tried this two times — it's failed twice," the California Democrat said. "I asked him at the White House, 'Mr. President, why do you think this time it's going to work?' And he said, 'Because I told them it had to.' "

Asked if the president had elaborated, she added that he simply said, " 'I told them that they had to.' That was the end of it. That's the way it is."

Oh, it's better than that. When I was on the Hill on Tuesday, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) told us (on the record) the rest of the story. Apparently, Pelosi's final come-back to the president was the following:

PELOSI: He's tried this two times — it's failed twice. I asked him at the White House, 'Mr. President, why do you think this time it's going to work?'

BUSH: Because I told them it had to.

PELOSI: Why didn't you tell them that the other two times?

(Americablog)

but of course this administration cares nothing about the lives of the innocent

In the Scooter Libby trial yesterday, former Associate CIA Deputy Director Robert Grenier testified that — pursuant to a request — he told Libby that Valerie Plame worked at the CIA in June 2003, a month before Libby claimed to have learned that information from NBC’s Tim Russert. Another CIA employee said he delivered a stark warning that the Bush administration’s leak “could lead to the deaths of people who aided American intelligence gathering abroad.”

(Think Progress)

trying to portray the Dems as divided

Morgan repeated discredited Obama smear, with new claim of Edwards as source
(Media Matters)
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So, they make up a lie, get called on it, then change the lie, without making any attempt to have it reflect reality! And all to try to make up a story that the Dems are fighting each other.

Wouldn't it be amazing if just once these freaks used truth instead of lies?! Of course, then they would have no ammunition...

conservatives have sick and twisted imaginations

Milbank: From Clinton's seat at SOTU, "[s]he could have inserted the knife [into Obama] without even being detected"
(Media Matters)
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Seriously, how do you come up with something this off the wall and literally insane?
These clowns are wacked-out freaks!

Conservative News Network defending bigotry

see Americablog
Man, I'm past wishing for a real "liberal media" - now I'm just starting to wish for a sane media!

John Kerry will not run for president

via Oliver Willis
I still think he would of been a helluva president, but he's tainted now, so there's no way he would win next time. Too bad...

WTF?! THIS is what Fox thinks is important?!

Congressional fashion, fair and balanced. “FOX News’s Brian Wilson just informed us that the major color tonight among the lady’s outfits this SOTU is purple (’I'm seeing a lot of purple’). He then stated that Nancy Pelosi will be wearing a ’sea foam green’ outfit. Brit Hume then chimed in to say that Pelosi had intended to wear a different jacket (he asked her about this earlier today), but then spilled chocolate on it, hence the sea-foam green jacket. No news on the fellas’ outfits.”

(Think Progress)

SOTU rebuttal

by Senator Webb on Think Progress

McCain can't stay awake for bush

McCain falls asleep during the State of the Union?
(Think Progress)
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Click the link for the screen shot!

completely insane!

Hagel: White House Originally Wanted 2002 Iraq War Resolution to Cover Entire Middle East
(Think Progress)
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If this is for real, then those people were totally over the top, batshit insane!
They were given FAR too much latitude as it was - did they really think this was a possibility?!

sounds about right

Libby says he’s being set up to take the fall for Rove.

“Attorneys for former White House aide Scooter Libby said Tuesday that Bush administration officials tried to blame him for the leak of a CIA operative’s name to cover up for Bush political adviser Karl Rove’s own disclosures. … ‘They’re trying to set me up. They want me to be the sacrificial lamb,’ [Libby’s attorney] said, recalling the conversation between Libby and Cheney. ‘I will not be sacrificed so Karl Rove can be protected.‘”

(Think Progress)

oh PLEASE put cheney away for good!!!

BREAKING: Libby Destroyed Evidence Prior To Testifying, Cheney ‘Deeply Involved’
(Think Progress)

this is f'k'd up!

Jimi Hendrix energy drink in works
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ok, my links aren't working and i can't find this again, but trust me - this was serious!

no free speech on Qantas

Australian airline Qantas bans anti-Bush speech on airlines

(Americablog)
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In just over 5 years, bush & bin Laden has completely destroyed all that was good in the world....

a new Edwards smear

This is just too dumb to even go into, but Americablog documents the non-story that John Edwards sold his house!!!! Somehow, we are supposed to believe that this is a bad thing...

To see the inanity, check out Americablog's posts here and here.

Damn, the repugs are desperate!!!

still another religious pervert!

Ex-church official guilty in porn case

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - The former music director of a church where former President Bush once worshipped pleaded guilty on Monday to possessing child pornography.

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Religion really f'ks with people, doesn't it? What is it with all the religious child-molesters (or would-be-child-molesters, in this case)?

land of the free!

Pa. man's letter brings Secret Service
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File under: "things you don't think happen in the USA".
Our utter loss of privacy and free speech due to our insane president.
What a f'k'd up country we have become!

wow! some companies with conscience!

CEOs ask Bush to back climate protection
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But we well know that bush listens to no one who doesn't agree with him, so this will fall on deaf ears, but it is good to know that some companies are at least willing to listen to reasonable restrictions.

unlimited horror in Iraq

Bombs kill at least 100 people in Iraq
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When will this end.....

Dems working to protect pages

House approves page program reforms
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Dems working to stop bush's insanity

Dems seek to bar U.S. attacks on Iran
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From Americablog:

US war plans evision all out war with Iran

Bush is certifiably insane. If he keeps up the arrogant-crazy-moron routine, his low popularity could soon turn into calls for him to resign. And it won't come from the left, it will come from the middle - the independents (and newly independent Republicans) who threaten to send the Republican party into election purgatory in 2008. From Reuters:

U.S. contingency planning for military action against Iran's nuclear program goes beyond limited strikes and would effectively unleash a war against the country, a former U.S. intelligence analyst said on Friday.

"I've seen some of the planning ... You're not talking about a surgical strike," said Wayne White, who was a top Middle East analyst for the State Department's bureau of intelligence and research until March 2005.

"You're talking about a war against Iran" that likely would destabilize the Middle East for years, White told the Middle East Policy Council, a Washington think tank.

"We're not talking about just surgical strikes against an array of targets inside Iran. We're talking about clearing a path to the targets" by taking out much of the Iranian Air Force, Kilo submarines, anti-ship missiles that could target commerce or U.S. warships in the Gulf, and maybe even Iran's ballistic missile capability, White said.

"I'm much more worried about the consequences of a U.S. or Israeli attack against Iran's nuclear infrastructure," which would prompt vigorous Iranian retaliation, he said, than civil war in Iraq, which could be confined to that country.

Thank God we have Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi standing in the way of this nutcase.

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another down in Abramoff scandal

Ex-Ohio Rep. Ney sentenced to 30 months

WASHINGTON - Former Rep. Bob Ney was sentenced Friday to 2 1/2 years in federal prison for trading political favors for gifts and campaign donations from lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

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good news for the environment

Ten major companies — including General Electric, DuPont, and Alcoa — “have banded together with leading environmental groups to call for a firm nationwide limit on carbon dioxide emissions that would lead to reductions of 10 to 30 percent over the next 15 years.”

(Think Progress)

$8.4 BILLION a month!

$8.4 billion: The cost of the Iraq war per month. “The Pentagon has been estimating last year’s costs for the increasingly unpopular war at about $8 billion a month. It rose from a monthly ‘burn rate’ of about $4.4 billion during the first year of fighting in fiscal 2003.”

(Think Progress)

be nice to the prez!

Rich Little, the comedian chosen by the White House Correspondents Association to headline the annual correspondents dinner, has been told by organizers of the event that “they don’t want a repeat of last year’s” performance by Stephen Colbert.” “They don’t want anyone knocking the president. He’s really over the coals right now, and he’s worried about his legacy,” Little said. “I won’t even mention the word ‘Iraq.’”

(Think Progress)

apparently, gonzales has not read the Constitution

Gonzales: ‘There Is No Express Grant of Habeas Corpus In The Constitution’

Yesterday, during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales claimed there is no express right to habeas corpus in the U.S. Constitution. Gonzales was debating Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) about whether the Supreme Court’s ruling on Guantanamo detainees last year cited the constitutional right to habeas corpus. Gonzales claimed the Court did not cite such a right, then added, “There is no express grant of habeas in the Constitution.”

Specter pushed back. “Wait a minute. The constitution says you can’t take it away, except in the case of rebellion or invasion. Doesn’t that mean you have the right of habeas corpus, unless there is an invasion or rebellion?” Specter told Gonzales, “You may be treading on your interdiction and violating common sense, Mr. Attorney General.”

(Think Progress)

Obama smears

Obama Smeared As Former ‘Madrassa’ Student, Possible Covert Muslim Extremist

This morning, Fox News featured a segment highlighting a right-wing report that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) attended an Islamic “madrassa” school as a 6-year-old child.

Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy pointed out that madrassas are “financed by Saudis” and “teach this Wahhabism which pretty much hates us,” then declared, “The big question is: was that on the curriculum back then?” Later, a caller to the show questioned whether Obama’s schooling means that “maybe he doesn’t consider terrorists the enemy.” Fox anchor Brian Kilmeade responded, “Well, we’ll see about that.”

The Fox hosts failed to correct the false claim that Obama is Muslim. One caller, referring to Obama, said, “I think a Muslim would be fine in the presidency, better than Hillary. At least you know what the Muslims are up to.” Anchor Gretchen Carlson responded, “We want to be clear, too, that this isn’t all Muslims, of course, we would only be concerned about the kind that want to blow us up.” Obama is Christian, a member of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ since 1988.

(Think Progress)

revising history and hoping that we have really, really short memories

Snow: Things Were ‘Going Okay’ In Iraq A Year Ago, No One Anticipated ‘Eruption Of Sectarian Violence’
(Think Progress)

Dems working on Global Warming

Pelosi creates global warming committee

WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sought to create a special committee Thursday in an effort to jump-start long-delayed government efforts to deal with global warming and produce a bill by Independence Day.

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I know the Dems can't constantly do the right thing, but it is so refreshing to see the Congress actually working on issues that the American public truly cares about!

Dems continuing to try to push their ethics bill despite repug opposition

Senators work to revive ethics bill

speaking the truth

House Dems to support Iraq resolution

WASHINGTON - Speaker Nancy Pelosi pledged the support of House Democrats Thursday for legislation declaring that President Bush's decision to send additional troops to Iraq is "not in the national interest of the United States."

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but then we'd have allies instead of enemies in the mid-east

“An Iranian offer to help the United States stabilize Iraq and end its military support for Hezbollah and Hamas was turned down by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in 2003,” Lawrence Wilkerson, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell’s chief of staff, told BBC last night. “We thought it was a very propitious moment to (strike the deal),” Wilkerson said, “But as soon as it got to the White House, and as soon as it got to the vice president’s office, the old mantra of ‘We don’t talk to evil’…reasserted itself.”

(Think Progress)

now do something about it!

414 Members Of Congress Go On The Record About Escalation
(Think Progress)
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Don't wimp out on this issue - there's a lot that Congress can do - let's hope that they take their duties seriously.

because he doesn't give a damn about us

FACT CHECK: Bush Has Cut Funding For Cancer Research
(Think Progress)

McCain continues to show his true colors

McCain Flip-Flops On Lobbying Reform, Caves To Pressure From Religious Right
(Think Progress)

repugs opposing ethics reform (can't imagine why!)

Ethics reforms stall amid partisan squabble
(The Mercury News - first seen at Think Progress)
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Keep it up, repugs! This will be a great campaign issue for the Dems!
More from Americablog

another Dem, another first

Baltimore's first female mayor starts
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Not exactly a wonder why the Dems are the "progressives", is it?

on a roll!

1 bill left on Dems' 100-hour agenda
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Unlike the repugs, the Dems actually do what they say they will! And it is all for the good of the American public instead of to the detriment of the US!
PLEASE keep this up!!!

Dems taking on bush's oil buddies

Dems poised to roll back oil subsidies

WASHINGTON - Newly empowered House Democrats sought to recoup billions of dollars in lost royalties from offshore drilling as they anticipated approval Thursday of a $15 billion package of fees, taxes and royalties on oil and gas companies. The money would be used to promote renewable fuels.

The House took up the energy bill as the final one of a string of high-priority issues that Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed to address in the first 100 hours of Democratic control of Congress. She has characterized the energy measures as key to reducing government subsidies for the oil industry.

The bill is largely aimed at recovering an estimated $10 billion that stands to be lost to the government because of an error in deep-water drilling leases for the Gulf of Mexico issued in the late 1990s. Congressional auditors and the Interior Department's inspector general have said the mistake was ignored for six years by the Minerals Management Service, which oversees the leasing program.

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and what can we do about it?

Iran warns it's ready for nuke standoff
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Iran knows that bush is impotent at this point - what can he do - he's stretched the military past a breaking point already.

another plan for Iraq that bush can ignore while horror grips the country

Car bombs kill 19 in Baghdad

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Six car bombs killed at least 19 people across Baghdad on Thursday as Iraq's prime minister urged the United States to give Iraqi forces more weapons and said he could bring security in three to six months if they did.

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thanks to bush

'Doomsday Clock' to move nearer midnight
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He must be proud....

true words...

Hawking: Climate change worse than terror
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This might seem like hyperbole at first glance, but think about it - global warming will effect every living being on the planet - there's not much chance of "terrorism" being that pervasive.

good luck with this!!

Libby seeks jurors who trust Cheney
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hahahahahahaha....

Dems do even MORE good!

House debates cutting student loan rates

WASHINGTON - Continuing its march through an agenda of popular legislative initiatives, the Democratic-led House is considering cutting interest rates on some college student loans in half.

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Man, if we didn't have bush and his failures to deal with, this country would be making some real progress! But, as it is, the Dems are turning us in the right direction.

continued chaos in Iraq

Suicide car bomb kills 17 in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide car bomb struck a market in the Shiite district of Sadr City and police said 17 people died Wednesday, a day after a blast targeting university students killed 70 in what appeared to be a renewed campaign of Sunni insurgent violence against Shiites.

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and where would these troops come from?

Gates to consider more troops for Afghanistan
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Too bad we're not actually fighting the real enemy in the "war on terror".

people are finally seeing through the lies

Bush’s rallying cry backfires. “President Bush’s address to the nation last week outlining a ‘new way forward’ in Iraq failed to move public opinion in support of his plan to increase U.S. troop levels and left Americans more pessimistic about the likely outcome of the war.”

(Think Progress)

they better do more than just "warn"

Congress warns Bush over Iran. “With President Bush adopting a more combative tone toward Iran and Syria, senior Democrats are considering legislation that would require the president to seek congressional sanction for military action against those countries,” CQ reports. “You will see a resolution saying they can’t go into Iran without congressional authorization,” said Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee.

(Think Progress)

Harry Reid tells it like it is again

“He has 24 months left in his presidency. I don’t think I’m being mean-spirited by saying [that in] the first six years of his presidency, there’s been nothing accomplished except the biggest foreign policy fiasco in the history of our country.” — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), quoted by Time magazine.

(Think Progress)

endless horror in Iraq

Deadly day in Iraq leaves 109 dead

BAGHDAD, Iraq - An explosion outside a Baghdad university as students were heading home for the day killed at least 65 people on Tuesday, in the deadliest of several attacks on predominantly Shiite areas. The attack came on a day the United Nations said more than 34,000 Iraqi civilians died last year in sectarian violence.

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Dems show was "supporting the troops" really means

Senator Webb shows how to actually support troops, not just talk about it

Lots of Senators, especially Republicans, talk about supporting the troops. Talk is cheap. One new Senator is actually taking action to support the troops:

Keeping a promise he made on the campaign trail in 2006, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) did more for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan on his first day in the Senate than the man he ousted, George Felix Allen, did in the entire previous Congress.

Going unnoticed in the frenzy of Democrats assuming control of Capitol Hill and George W. Bush seeking to plunge the country deeper into the Iraq quagmire, Webb introduced the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007, legislation that will provide the newest Veterans with educational benefits like those received by men and women who served in the three decades following World War II.

Let's see if the GOP will put its money where its mouth is.

(Americablog)

Top Ten Conservative Idiots

from Democratic Underground

complete craziness

Limbaugh accused Barbara Boxer of "trying to lynch" Condoleezza Rice
(Media Matters)
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I don't often report on limbaugh's idiocy, but sometimes it is SO out there that you just have to comment on it - which, of course, is what he counts on.

Boxer made a completely innocuous comment - and included herself in it - and these loons are trying to make an issue out of it! So utterly bizarre that I literally would not believe it if it happened during another administration.

regurgitating stem cell lies from the past

Krauthammer misrepresented Edwards' stem cell comments, Democratic stem cell bill
(Media Matters)
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It's all about the lies for the repugs - cuz they know if they told the truth then no one would be on their side. They know that the majority of Americans would be on the Dems side if both sides were reported accurately, so they lie, lie and lie some more and because the media is so overwhelmingly conservative, they know that their lies will be repeated endlessly.

I remember when Edwards first made his statement and I just saw the media's version and i thought that was an odd thing to say. But then when I heard/saw the comments in context, then it was completely logical and made 100% sense.

Makes me sick that the media is so right-wing that you can't even get a true quote for a Dem.

bush fighting the Iraqi government

U.S. and Iraqis Are Wrangling Over War Plans

BAGHDAD, Jan. 14 — Just days after President Bush unveiled a new war plan calling for more than 20,000 additional American troops in Iraq, the heart of the effort — a major push to secure the capital — faces some of its fiercest resistance from the very people it depends on for success: Iraqi government officials.

(NY Times, via Think Progress)

reasonable religious leaders!

Evangelical leaders join scientists to fight global warming

Leading scientists and evangelical Christian leaders have agreed to put aside passionate differences over the origin of life and work together to curb global warming.

Representatives met recently in Georgia and agreed on the need for action. Details are to be unveiled in Washington on Wednesday.

"Whether God created the Earth in a millisecond or whether it evolved over billions of years, the issue we agree on is that it needs to be cared for today," said Rich Cizik, vice president of government relations for the National Association of Evangelicals, which represents 45,000 churches.

(The Boston Globe, via Think Progress)

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Now why can't our administration think this sanely?

cuz in bush-land incompetence is rewarded

Chalabi still in charge of de-Baathification in Iraq. Ahmed Chalabi, the disgraced Iraqi exile who misled the United States into Iraq, remains chairman of the Supreme National Commission for De-Baathification, “which continues to have ultimate authority to decide which ex-Baathists can return to work and which cannot.”

(Think Progress)

cheney is also totally insane

Contradicting Bush, Cheney Claims ‘We Have In Fact Made Enormous Progress’ In Iraq
(Think Progress)
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I wonder if America will ever have a sane, reasonable government again. And, if so, will we know how to react to it?!

After so many lies over so many years, can you even imagine an administration that told even a semblance of the truth - or that even didn't contradict each other?!

bush thinks that the vast majority of Americans are "irresponsible"

Bush calls Iraq critics ‘irresponsible.'

From President Bush’s radio address today: “But those who refuse to give this [escalation] plan a chance to work have an obligation to offer an alternative that has a better chance for success. To oppose everything while proposing nothing is irresponsible.”

(Note to the President: Progressives do have a plan, called Strategic Redeployment.)

(Think Progress)
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And, of course, a number of other plans have been discussed, but since they don't agree with bush's insanity, then he dismisses them and claims they don't exist!

MORE from the Dems - prescription drug reform

House passes prescription drug reform. The House this afternoon passed legislation to repeal the Bush administration-backed provision of the 2003 Medicare prescription drug law that forbids Medicare from negotiating lower prices for seniors. “The 255 to 170 vote wasn’t enough to override a threatened veto from President Bush, who said he won’t accept the measure in its current form. Supporters said the government could save $96 billion over 10 years by negotiating for drugs bought in bulk.”

(Think Progress)

so much for bipartisianship!

Bush refuses to waver on Iraq troop plan

President Bush concedes he isn't popular, and that the war in Iraq isn't either. Yes, progress is overdue and patience is all but gone. Yet none of that changes his view that more U.S. troops are needed to win in.

"I'm not going to try to be popular and change principles to do so," Bush said in a television interview that aired Sunday night.

Digging in for confrontation, Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney say they will not budge from sending more U.S. troops to Iraq no matter how much Congress opposes it.

"I fully understand they could try to stop me," Bush said of the Democrat-run Congress. "But I've made my decision, and we're going forward."

As the president talked tough, lawmakers pledged to explore ways to stop him.

"We need to look at what options we have available to constrain the president," said Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, a possible White House candidate in 2008. Democrats remain wary, though, of appearing unsupportive of American troops.

A defiant Cheney, meanwhile, said Democrats offered criticism without credible alternatives. He pointedly reminded lawmakers that Bush is commander in chief.

"You cannot run a war by committee," the vice president said of congressional input.

The aggressive White House reaction came as the House and Senate prepare to vote on resolutions opposing additional U.S. troops in Iraq.

As the White House watched even some GOP support peel away from the war plan, it went all-out to regain some footing.

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Yet when asked if he owes the Iraqi people an apology for botching the management of the war, he said, "Not at all.

"We liberated that country from a tyrant," Bush said. "I think the Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude."

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So much for bipartisianship! He truly thinks that he can do anything he wants, no matter what anyone else thinks. SOMEONE has to stand up to him finally. We can only hope that the Dems are up to the job!

And what a dick! The Iraqis owe us gratitude?! For destroying their country and hundreds of thousands of their citizens?! I doubt that too many people are grateful for that!

Sunday Sleepy Beagle Blogging

iPhotos on the Mac annoying Harley again!

Dems pass stem cell bill

House passed Stem Cell bill

The House Democrats are on a roll in the First 100 hours. Almost overlooked because of the reaction to the disastrous speech by the President was the passage of the Stem Cell bill:

Thirty-seven Republicans joined 216 Democrats to pass the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which would allow federal funding of research on stem cells from embryos slated for destruction at fertility clinics.

The 253 to 174 vote fell 37 votes short of what it would take to override the veto that Bush yesterday promised would be forthcoming, assuming the Senate passes the same bill, as expected. Bush vetoed the legislation after it passed last year.

But buoyant research proponents said they still have several options and promised to persevere until the legislation becomes law.

Bush is too preoccupied with sending people to die in Iraq to worry about saving lives with advanced medical research.

(Americablog)
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Man, it's it amazing what can get done when politicians actually TRY?!
Please don't stop, Dems!

Dems doing still more good

Democrats unveil energy package
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Man, all these new programs should dispell that absurd "party of no ideas" cliche, shouldn't it?

Of course, because of our media, it won't, but it should!

more bad news for repugs

Convicted lawmakers to lose pensions
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Funny that no one says that this is partisan as it will obviously affect repugs far more than Dems!

more provincial idiocy

Sergeant in trouble for Playboy spread
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Why would this be a big deal in this day & age?

another way bush "supports the troops"

Pentagon abandons active-duty time limit

this is what idiotic sexism gets ya

China facing major gender imbalance

but it wasn't "terrorism" when we did it

Blast at U.S. embassy called 'terrorism'
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I'm not sure how this is different than what we did to the Iranian embassy in Iraq - where we also kidnapped Iranians - but i'm sure that bush thinks that it is!

i really don't understand McCain these days

McCain defends Bush's Iraq strategy
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I mean, he wasn't always a bush apologist - what happened?

that out-of-control "liberal media"!

Broadcast networks ignored Democratic response to Bush's address
(Media Matters)

"supporting the troops", bush style

‘Better armor lacking for new troops in Iraq.’ “The thousands of troops that President Bush is expected to order to Iraq will join the fight largely without the protection of the latest armored vehicles that withstand bomb blasts far better than the Humvees in wide use, military officers said.”

(Think Progress)
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McCain has lost all touch with reality!

McCain: Iraq War Was ‘Easy’
(Think Progress)
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I used to think that McCain was the sane repug, but he has also gone off the deep end! Are there any sane repugs anymore?

another one of those magic things that only repugs can do

McConnell Claims Congress Can’t Restrict Funds For Iraq, Voted To Restrict Clinton In Somalia
(Think Progress)

very sad

'Munsters' star Yvonne De Carlo dies

for a change - something fun, cool and educational

Dinosaur show brings reptiles to life
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This better come to Vegas! I would see this in a second!

yep, even in the US

Poll: Americans oppose Iraq troop surge
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But, none of this will stop bush! In fact, he started his plan before even telling us about it.

literally no one in the world agrees with bush anymore

Mideast skeptics blast Bush's Iraq plan

CAIRO, Egypt - President Bush's strategy to send thousands more troops to Iraq was met Thursday with strong skepticism across the Mideast, where many predicted that even with more soldiers, America would fail to break the cycle of violence.

Many saw the surge in troops as a desperate move that will only increase U.S. failures in Iraq — and could deepen sectarian divides in the country.

Bush "is drowning and trying to get out of the Iraqi trap, but he's submerging deeper," said Salem al-Falahat, head of Jordan's hard-line Muslim Brotherhood Movement, warning that the plan "aims to plunge the region into more destruction and bloodshed and leave Iraq with sectarian hatred for many decades to come."

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pissing off the world

Iran, Syria denounce Bush's Iraq plan

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran and Syria on Thursday denounced President Bush's new Iraq strategy that blames them for fueling violence in the war-torn country, and they said the plan to send more U.S. troops would only increase bloodshed.

Bush's speech Wednesday night underlined his staunch rejection of recommendations that Washington reach out to Syria and Iran in an attempt to calm Iraq.

Instead, Bush set out plans to isolate the two countries, calling on help from Arab allies and vowing to cut off Syrian and Iranian aid to militants in Iraq. He announced the deployment of an additional aircraft carrier battle group and Patriot air defense missiles to the region — seen as muscle-flexing toward Iran.

In Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Bush's plan to send 21,000 more troops to Iraq was a "continuation of occupation" that will only "extend insecurity, danger and tension in the country. This will not help to solve Iraq's problems."

Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa said Wednesday prior to Bush's speech that the American troop surge was "not a positive step" and would only "pour oil on the fire."

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bush can be incompetent in several countries at once

Al-Qaida suspects still alive in Somalia
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He can't do anything right anywhere!

everyone knows it's a bad idea, but that won't stop bush

Troop boost plan draws fierce opposition
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People only oppose his plan because they aren't ready for the end of the world! You just have to have the same goals!

a psychopathic scumbag

I heard part of a speech that bush gave today where he said that Americans are now opposed to the war in Iraq because we have forgotten about 9/11.

WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN 9/11 YOU SOUL-LESS PIECE OF SHIT!!!!!!

We know that 9/11 had nothing whatsoever to do with Iraq (those of us who were paying attention knew that from the start) and now everyone is realizing that you have no idea what you are doing in Iraq or even what you are trying to accomplish, other than the end of the world.

I have never seriously wished harm on another human being in my life, but I truly wish that the entirety of this administration would be sent to Gitmo in order to experience first-hand the techniques that they believe are not torture.

I have never hated another human being like I hate this man and I only hope that this country and the world can survive until he is removed from office.

bush's "legacy" will truly be The End Of The World

Bush invaded Iran last night

Last night, Bush sent US forces to attack the inviolate territory of a foreign diplomatic mission, the Iranian mission in northern Iraq - legally, the land of a foreign nation - and took the Iranians hostage. It's hard to see under international law how this is legal, let alone how this isn't an act of war. And it's beyond ironic that we appear to have condoned the very action that we condemned Iran for - attacking diplomatic missions in violation of international law.

But what's most troubling about this is the transparency of what Bush is up to. He's trying to provoke a war with Iran, either by forcing Iran to strike back, or by discovering secret Iranian diplomatic documents that would prove their complicity in helping the insurgents in Iraq. We just invaded Iran last night, folks. Foreign embassies and diplomatic outposts are legally the foreign soil of the country represented. We invaded Iran. This is an act of war.

Only problem with Bush's plan? How exactly are we going to fight a war with Iran? Our generals told us we didn't even have enough troops to meet the needs of Bush's new escalation plan (the plan called for 32,000 more troops, the generals said we only have 22,000 or so available, that's it.) So where exactly will we get the troops to fight a new war with Iran, at the same time we're fighting a civil war in Iraq, and fighting an increasingly bad civil war in Afghanistan? Our worst nightmare would be Iran calling Bush's bluff and invading Iraq. So, why is it then that this is exactly what Bush is trying to provoke?

It's increasingly looking like Bush is more interested in provoking the coming Rapture than solving the multiple crises in the Middle East.

From AP:

Iraqi officials said Thursday that multinational forces detained as many as six Iranians in an overnight raid on Tehran's diplomatic mission in the northern city of Irbil....

The forces stormed the Iranian mission at about 3 a.m., detaining the five staffers and confiscating computers and documents, two senior local Kurdish officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information....

A resident living near the mission said the foreign force used stun bombs in the raid and brought down an Iranian flag that was on the roof of the two-story yellow house.

This is incredibly serious. Bush may have just given every country in the world justification for attacking US diplomats, attacking US diplomatic posts and embassies, and taking our diplomats hostage. Then again, he already gave the world a green light to torture our soldiers, so why not add American diplomats to the mix.

At some point, we are a country of laws. That is supposed to be what differentiates us from the Irans and the Al Qaedas and the Saddams of the world. This is an incredibly serious breach of international law. It's also an act of war. A war we can't afford. Someone needs to stop this man before he kills again.

(Americablog)
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Something has to be done about this psychopath! He obviously doesn't care about destroying the planet, but some of us want to continue to live here.
This is deadly serious....

minimum wage increase!

House votes to increase minimum wage. For the first time in nearly a decade, the House of Representatives voted 315-116 today to boost the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour.

(Think Progress)
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About freakin' time!
Isn't it amazing that the Dems have been in power - what - a week? - and have done more than the repugs have in years?
Keep it up!!

Iraq speech and response

the speech
and the Democratic response
both from Americablog

more facts the WH is trying to cover up

FACT CHECK: Significant Number Of Recent Medical Breakthroughs Have Involved Embryonic Stem Cells
(Think Progress)
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The fight against stem cell research is so insane, i literally cannot comprehend how anyone could know what it is and be against it.
I mean, do people still not know that they are using stem cells that will literally be thrown away if they are not used for research? How is that better?!
And somehow they think they are morally superior?! Just boggling!

talk about unhinged!

Fox News Anchor Calls Ted Kennedy A ‘Hostile Enemy Right Here On The Home Front’
(Think Progress)
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These people are completely nutz! How can they be allowed to say such nonsense on the airwaves?!

anti-environmentalist dick

Bush lifts Alaska drilling ban. “President Bush lifted the drilling ban Tuesday for Alaska’s Bristol Bay, clearing the way for the Interior Department to open the fish-rich waters to oil and natural gas development.”

(Think Progress)
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Surely, there must be a way to fight this!
He is not even pretending to be working for America any more! He is just flipping us off and saying "what are ya gonna do about it?"

WH attempting to re-write history again!

Snow Falsely Claims That Bush Said ‘Just The Opposite’ Of ‘Mission Accomplished'
(Think Progress)
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This is pretty damn ballsy even for this administration!
I honestly wonder what they hope to gain by blatantly lying to our faces and knowing that we know that they are!
It really seems that they are seeing how far they can go - like this whole presidency is one big dare!

This week's Top Ten Conservative Idiots

from Democratic Underground

still another bush flip-flop

FLASHBACK: Bush Says Sending More Troops To Iraq Would ‘Undermine Our Strategy’
(Think Progress)

it's only ok if yr a repug

Barnes Bashed "Obstructionism," Now Hails McConnell As "The Great Master Of The Filibuster"

Yesterday on Fox News Sunday, Weekly Standard editor Fred Barnes excitedly discussed how new Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) may block the new congressional leadership from pursuing its objectives. “There was really an important thing that Mitch McConnell said,” Barnes explained, which was that “the minority can guarantee not much is done.”

Barnes claimed that he has “talked to [McConnell] many times, and he’s the great master of the filibuster, among other things.” Barnes also said that President Bush “has great tools” like “the veto, executive orders, recess appointments and so on” to block congressional efforts.

What a difference new leadership makes. During the last Congress, when Barnes’ conservative allies were in power, tools like the filibuster were described as legislative “rage,” a sign of “ruthless” politics. Here’s Barnes on 2/7/05:

Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle…was plainly obsessed with obstructing Bush at every turn. … The real lesson, of course, is that blatant obstructionism is a failed strategy. It’s what caused Daschle to lose his seat. […]

Stronger countermeasures will be needed, including an unequivocal White House response to obstructionism, curbs on filibusters, and a clear delineation of what’s permissible and what’s out of bounds in dissent on Iraq.

(Think Progress)
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I swear, the dictionary definition of "hypocrisy" should just say "republican".

how can you tell when tony snow is lying....

Tony Snow today: President Bush “still wants to hear what members of Congress have to say.”

VERSUS

Newsweek, 1/15/07 edition:

President Bush has no evident interest in consulting with, let alone drawing in, the new Democratic Congress as a war partner. An example: the new chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee — Carl Levin, an important character now — sent Bush a private letter three weeks ago offering his counsel. Levin never got a reply. Bush can be just as deaf to Republicans. At a recent White House ceremony, Sen. Susan Collins offered to brief him on her Iraq visit. He responded by escorting her to the office of his deputy national-security adviser — and then left before she told her story.

(Think Progress)

McCain cannot comprehend the obvious

McCain Refuses To Raise Taxes To Pay For War: ‘I’m Not Sure What The Point Would Be’
(Think Progress)
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I don't think that he's an idiot, but what would make someone make such an inane comment?
Just hoping to reach bush's base?

back in grade school

Geraldo wants to fight Keith Olbermann.
(Think Progress)
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Actually, I wasn't this childish even in grade school.
What happened to this clown?

scary as hell

The U.S. has launched air strikes in Somalia against “suspected al-Qaeda operations,” NBC News reports.

(Think Progress)
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What are we getting into now?!

Dems continuing to work to make us safer

Democrats want to finish the 9/11 reforms
Bill would enact more panel ideas

Washington -- House Democrats unveiled legislation Monday aimed at implementing many of the remaining reforms suggested by the Sept. 11 commission, including calls for more-thorough cargo screening, better emergency communications and more money for cities at the highest risk of terrorist attack.

Democratic leaders plan to push through votes this week on a long list of Sept. 11-related reforms that were considered but rejected by the previous, Republican-controlled Congress. The proposals signal an early willingness on the part of House Democrats to put pressure on their colleagues in the Senate, where lawmakers from both parties are cooler to some of the ideas and where no similar package of legislation has been proposed.

Democrats say the House proposals would implement nearly all the remaining reforms recommended in 2004 by the bipartisan commission on the 2001 attacks, ranging from ways to beef up money and training for first responders to calls to rewrite many U.S. policies toward controlling weapons of mass destruction and nuclear proliferation.

(The Plain Dealer)

(First seen at Think Progress)

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Still more proof that the Dems want to make us safer and the repugs only want to play politics.

See Americablog for more - it has passed!

even Oliver North is turning against bush!

Oliver North Says Nearly All U.S. Troops In Iraq Oppose Escalation

Last night on the O’Reilly Factor, former Col. Oliver North — now a conservative military analyst for Fox News — said that on his recent trip to Baghdad he learned that “nearly all” U.S. troops opposed escalating the war in Iraq. They told North, “We don’t need more American troops; we need more Iraqi troops.”

North added that Bush’s proposal “sounds eerily like Lyndon Johnson’s plan to save Vietnam in the 60s by gradual escalation as a way not to lose.”

(Think Progress)

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We know that nothing can change bush's mind and that he will "stay the course" no matter what, but maybe now that there is some oversight, he can be stopped.

Kennedy does the right thing

Kennedy Introduces Bill Requiring Congressional Approval For Iraq Escalation
(Think Progress)
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Hopefully, the Dems really will make a difference and get us out of the disaster that bush made out of Iraq.

how many laws can bush break in a week?

Bush White House changes rules to hide criminal visitors from the public

From CREW's new blog:

In a shocking disclosure, it was revealed today that the Bush Administration cut a deal with the Secret Service to prevent disclosure of White House visitor logs. The action came after CREW sued the Secret Service for records relating to White House visits by Jack Abramoff:

The five-page document dated May 17 declares that all entry and exit data on White House visitors belongs to the White House as presidential records rather than to the Secret Service as agency records. Therefore, the agreement states, the material is not subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

In the past, Secret Service logs have revealed the comings and goings of various White House visitors, including Monica Lewinsky and Clinton campaign donor Denise Rich, the wife of fugitive financier Marc Rich, who received a pardon in the closing hours of the Clinton administration.

The memo last spring was signed by the White House and Secret Service the day after a Washington-based group asked a federal judge to impose sanctions on the Secret Service in a dispute over White House visitor logs for Abramoff.

Our lawyer, Ann Weismann, blasted this move:

The chief counsel to another Washington-based group suing to get Secret Service logs calls the creation of the memo "a political maneuver couched as a legal one."

"It appears the White House is actually manufacturing evidence to further its own agenda," Ann Weismann, a Justice Department lawyer for 19 years and now chief counsel to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said Friday.

The White House and the Secret Service declined to comment.

Of course the White House and the Secret Service declined to comment. This action is appalling. And, it begs the question: What is the White House hiding? Clearly, something big. The Bush Administration has gone to extreme lengths to prevent the public from seeing any information about Jack Abramoff's visits to the White House.

More from ABC News.

(Americablog)

well, duh!

ABC News Survey: 33 Senators Say They Were Wrong To Vote For War In Iraq
(Think Progress)
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Kinda amazing that anyone who was paying attention back then knew that these clowns were wrong, but they didn't!

McCain lying about Iraq again

McCain Claims He Knew Iraq War Would Be ‘Long And Hard And Tough,’ Contradicting Pre-War Statements
(Think Progress)

shows who is the bigger man

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) introduced himself to Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) today on the House floor. In an earlier letter to his constituents, Goode attacked Ellison — the first Muslim elected to Congress — and warned “American citizens” to “wake up” or “there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office.”

(Think Progress)
Also from TP:

Ellison Takes Swearing-In Photograph With Koran

Today, following the official swearing-in ceremony for the 110th Congress, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) was photographed with his wife Kim and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Ellison and Pelosi placed their hands on a copy of the Koran once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

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go atheists!

Atheists challenge the religious right
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I think that the obvious insanity of the religious right will make more and more people question their beliefs and help swell the atheist movement.
That can only be good for this country!

Dems already making changes for the better!

House approves changes to budget rules

WASHINGTON - Resurgent House Democrats voted Friday, their second day back in control, to block future tax cuts or benefit increases from being financed with dollars that swell the national deficit.

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The Dems are already working to bring accountability and responsibility back to the government!
Let's hope they keep up their momentum!

a new reality for bush - finally!

Dems criticize possible Iraq troop surge

WASHINGTON - Congress' new Democratic chiefs criticized plans President Bush is considering to boost U.S. troop strength in Iraq as the White House reshuffled its military leaders in the Middle East and its national security team.

In a letter sent to Bush on Friday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged him to begin pulling troops out of Iraq in four to six months. They also asked the president to begin shifting the mission of U.S. forces there from combat to training and logistical support of the Iraqis.

"We are well past the point of more troops for Iraq," Pelosi, D-Calif., and Reid, D-Nev., wrote a day after their party took control of Capitol Hill.

The Democrats' criticism of a troop buildup was not new. But the letter underscored a new reality for Bush: With the new congressional leadership, his Iraq policy will be challenged at every turn by lawmakers.

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"One thing is for certain: I will want to make sure the mission is clear and specific and can be accomplished," Bush said Thursday.
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Well, that would be a big change! He has yet to let anyone know what his "mission" actually is and no one seems to think that it can be accomplished.

But thanks the fates for this new reality! Now maybe this country and the world will have a chance!

yes, there is hope for the country

The House makes history.

The 110th Congress has officially elected Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as Speaker of the House, making her the first woman in U.S. history to hold the position.

(Think Progress)

bush breaks another law

Bush Ignores Law, Fails To Appoint Policy Coordinator For North Korea
(Think Progress)
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Has there been a single day that bush has been in office and he has NOT broken a law (or several)?

bush further revoking our privacy

W pushes envelope on U.S. spying

New postal law lets Bush peek through your mail

(NY Daily News)
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How far will he be able to go with these incredibly un-American ideas?! How has he gotten this far?
Sickening how one man is determined to completely shred every remnant of our Constitution.

fighting for what he believes in!

Profiles in courage. “I think the fence is least effective. But I’ll build the goddamned fence if they want it.” — Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), on supporting a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border to placate anti-immigrant hardliners.

(Think Progress)

he must be defining "reality" differently than the rest of us

Snow: Americans ‘Out of Touch With Reality’ In Iraq

Just weeks ago, President Bush insisted that the United States was “absolutely” winning in Iraq. Recently, as the casulties have mounted, he’s toned back his sunny rhetoric slightly, saying the United States was not “winning or losing.” Yet media reports indicate Bush believes the United States can win by sending 20,000 more troops to Iraq, a gambit that has been tried before and failed.

This prompted a reporter to ask White House Press Secretary Tony Snow if Bush was “fundamentally out of touch with what the reality is on the ground in Iraq?” Snow responded that “we may be out of touch with reality because we sit around and we look at fractional pictures on the screen.” Bush, on the other hand, “knows more than anybody in this room about what’s going on there.”

(Think Progress)