Gonzales Moves To Replace US Attorneys WIth Political Hacks

In the brashest move by the Bush administration and what is being called a coup d’etat no behalf of Alberto Gonzales, the administration has forced at least 7 US Attorneys to resign. They are being replaced by lock-step political appointees who are unquestioning in their loyalty to Bush.

Among those being dismissed were several at work on high profile corruption cases. Earlier this week, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty admitted that the U.S. attorney in Arkansas, Bud Cummins, was pushed out to make way for a "37-year-old protege" of Karl Rove.

If all this smacks of something shady, consider that Bush also cleared the way for heads of all government regulatory agencies replaced with political appointees. He is clamping down his hold on the government, consolidating power and to what end? I have to be suspect of his motives. Since his term is up in two more years, I have to wonder if he doesn’t intent to refuse to relinquish power after the next election.

Keep your eyes and ears open, because Congress is asleep at the wheel.

Pentagon Report Show Deception By Bush Administration

Once again a smoking gun has appeared showing that the Bush administration cooked the intelligence on Iraq prior to the invasion. The recent report by the Pentagon’s Inspector General has been described as “very damning” in its explanation of how the Pentagon manipulated intelligence to portray Saddam Hussein as an ally of al-Qaeda.


In an interview with the Washington Post, Senator Carl Levin, Democrat from Michigan states, "that was the argument that was used to make the sale to the American people about the need to go to war…which was wrong, which was distorted, which was inappropriate ... is something which is highly disturbing."


My question is just how disturbing is it? To ordinary Americans, this report is direct evidence that Bush lied to us to get us into a war. That is heady stuff. If that is not ground for impeachment, I can’t imagine what would be. As a result of his lie, thousands of Americans and many more thousands of Iraqis have died in a war that did not have to happen. How much more evidence must pile up at the doorstep of Congress before they take action?


I again suggest that anyone concerned about this write his or her Congressperson. Demand answers and an investigation and if necessary, impeachment. This whole thing has stunk to high heaven from day one and how much longer will we let it go on?

Tek Jansen - Stephen Colbert Alter Ego

I couldn't resist adding this latest Tek Jansen Adventure for your enjoyment.

Laura And George Bush Separation Story - Update

So far, I have been unable to confirm anything regarding this story. The only absolute is the dynamic increase in traffic to my blog. Since I posted the headline I saw in the Globe Magazine at the supermarket my traffic has increased 300%!

More importantly this increase means the public is not only willing to believe that Bush may indeed have feet of clay, but that they seem eager to find anything that shows him to be a fallible human being. Perhaps it is our societies odd notion that morality starts at the waist and ends at the knees.

Clinton was impeached for lying about having sex. Not a federal crime or treasonous, yet Bush commits dozens of serious acts , any one of which could be considered impeachable and nobody demands his prosecution. Looking at the referrals of a sample of the traffic to my blog, the search terms "Laura and Bush Trial Separation" are the most common. That means either a whole lot of people are fact checking the tabloids, or they want the dirt on the President.

Either way it is a hopeful sign. Either people have stopped taking everything they read for granted and are willing to do a little research to find the truth, or people are desperate to find anything incriminating on Bush so they can feel good about wanting him out of office.

Why wait? Write your congressperson now and demand investigations and impeachment now!

GOP Congressman Mentions Possibility Of Bush Impeachment

Though is seems the Democratic Congress is unwilling to discuss impeachment, the GOP is. Dana Rohrabacher, Republican from California, criticized the Bush administration in regard to a case where two border agents are imprisoned on charges of shooting a Mexican drug smuggler in the back and then attempting to cover it up.

Rohrabacher said in a fiery speech, "I tell you, Mr. President, if these men, especially after this assault, are murdered in prison, or if one of them lose their lives, there's going to be some kind of impeachment talk in Capitol Hill."

The mere mention of the "I" word by GOP Lawmakers sends a message that even those who march in lock step with the Bush administration are tiring of the inaction and incompetence. Though this case may not be anything Democrats want to get involved in, I would encourage them to take the lead and start making some noise. The magic spell has been broken, now you can say the word impeachment without being seen as a troublemaker. Come on Dems! Show your balls.

Ted Haggard Cured Of Homosexuality - Gets Payoff From Church To Go Away

So what was touted as taking maybe several years has ended up being a 3 week crash course on heterosexuality. Seems Ted Haggard, recently fallen evangelical pastor of the New Lief Church in Colorado Springs has been given a new life. After only 3 weeks he has been pronounced completely heterosexual.

The subtext behind this is that he has reached a settlement with the church. They paid him an undisclosed amount of money and he agrees to move out of the state. Sounds a lot like the Catholic Church's dealing with their pedophile priests. Move them out so they become someone else's problem.

First of all, I don't buy this cure for a minute. Homosexuality isn't a disease so there is no cure. Also, who is to say that Ted Haggard isn't just bisexual? Why does he have to come down on one side or the other? More importantly, why has the church put a gag order on him if he's cured?

The agreement apparently has a stipulation that he not speak of the affair again. That really sounds like the kind of thinking that many fundamentalists really fall prey to. If you don't talk about a problem, it goes away! Well guess what? Haggard will continue to have problems until he comes to terms with his sexuality and admits that he has at least some attraction to men. Big deal? For a fundamentalist it is. They need to live in a constant struggle between God and Satan in order to keep their faith going. It's all about good and evil and personal salvation. The problem is they get so bogged down in dispensationalism they forget to follow Jesus and do His work. That stuff about feeding the hungry, advocating for the prisoner and clothing the naked takes a back seat to securing my seat in heaven.

I really don't like to throw stones at someone else's beliefs, but when you build your house out of very thin glass and insist on throwing rocks at everyone else, what do you expect? Haggard and his kind have made life miserable for us gay and lesbian people for years. Using us as a cause du jour for fundraising and aiming lots of hatred our way. That's why Ted was outed in the first place. The guy he was paying for sex and drugs had a revelation. He saw the hypocrisy and decided to do something about it. Good for him! Some day he might even be considered a prophet, someone who speaks truth to power. If only we had more like him that would speak out and drive the homophobic hate mongers out of their closets.

Divine Strake Back In The News

A group of Nevada citizens is lobbying the Governor to demand an environmental impact statement before the Department of Defense can conduct their fake nuclear blast with the oddly apocalyptic name, Divine Strake.

The explosion, which is expected to produce a mushroom shaped cloud, was scheduled for last June but has been postponed indefinitely. However, today is the last day to file objections with the government, so I expect it to be happening in the near future. Objections come from a wide variety of people in both Nevada and Utah concerned about soil from the former nuclear test site being dispersed into the air. Of course the government says that won't be a problem, and of course everyone is skeptical of that claim.

Additionally, there is still a suit that was filed by the Western Shoshone tribe who claims the mammoth blast will contaminate their ancestral lands.

Divine Strake is a conventional blast, but is designed to simulate a bunker buster atomic weapon in its effect. The explosion is widely thought to be a possible prequel to resumed nuclear testing

Time To Investigate President Bush Says Chief Council Of Nixon Probe

According to an interview in Raw Story, the former chief council in charge of investigating Richard Nixon says it's time to investigate President Bush. Frederick A.O. Schwarz, was chief counsel to the Church Committee from 1975-1976 and their probe into illegal use of US intelligence agencies by the Nixon White House.

From the interview:

“Another thing that needs to be looked at is the theory that the Bush administration has that the president is entitled to break the law,” he said. “Because if that’s right, then much of what they've done with respect to warrantless wiretapping and torture, he's like a king, and he has the right, so you must take on that third subject to have a good investigation.”

Guess we will have to wait to see if anyone in Congress listens to him.

Stephen Colbert Ice Cream Flavor?

Could the folks at Ben & Jerry's be planning a patriotic flavor themed around the Nation's Truthiness Czar? Well the rumors on the Internet are flying and given the nature of the info, I suspect it's an early promotion for the real thing.

Colbert's No Fact Zone hints at it and even Salon.com has speculation. What could be more American than a rich creamy red, white and blue ice cream with a hint of political satire. Only thing better would be the same thing, topped with gummi bears.

Republicans Score As Worst Senators In Online Poll

Gotta love polls! The latest poll of America's Senators puts a couple of big loosers right where they belong, at the bottom of the heap. Leiberman and McCain are 98 and 99 respectively. Now that could change since it's an online poll. Not very scientific, but still very amusing.
Interetingly, the bottom 50 with the exception of Lieberman are all Republicans. The lone Republican to score in the top 50 is Chuck Haggle at number 48!

Log on and let's see if we can get them tied for last place.

Snickers Removes Gay Bashing Ads

Americablog reports that Mars Candy company has issued a statement in the NY Times regarding their homophobic commercials broadcast during the Super Bowl. They have removed the ads from their website as well as the offensive comments by NFL players about the ad which featured two mechanics working on a car. One is eating a Snickers bar and the other is drawn to try to bite it from the first guys mouth. They eat furiously like Lady and the Tramp on a piece of spaghetti and end up kissing. After they jump back in disgust, they decide they have to do something "manly" and proceed to rip out their chest hair.

The real problem was alternate endings that viewers could vote on including one where the two men beat each other brutally with a monkey wrench. I guess they consider violence against people perceived as gay a "manly" act.

Their statement is far from an apology and claims they were just going for the 18 to 25 year old male demographic. Guess they consider gay bashing appealing to that consumer group?

U.S. Soldiers Torturing An Injured Dog In Iraq

This is very disturbing video, and if you don't have a strong stomach don't watch it. I am posting it because this is what happens when you put soldiers in a war with no clear mission and no hope of success. We need to get our troops out of Iraq and back home. These particular troops I suspect are bored and fristrated and finding amusement in the torture of a wounded dog. This makes me very mad. These guys need to be home and this crap has to stop before we have worse scenes on our screens.

Snickers Not So Funny Gay Bashing Super Bowl Ads

Mars Candy company owners of Snickers brand presented a mildly amusing gay bashing ad in the Super Bowl this Sunday. The real problem aside from the idea of homosexuality being the punch line was their web site which features alternate endings for the spot including a hard core monkey wrench to the midsection attack.

This kind of homophobia disguised as "humor" only serves to encourage gay bashing in not so subtle ways. The website includes athletes reacting with disgust to the "gay kiss" punchline of the ad. Enough of this Mars. So far the Human Rights Campaign as well as thousands of others have let them know this kind of stuff is not OK. Let them know how you feel!

Bush Budget Cuts Centers For Disease Control In Face Of Bird Flu

So here's the latest insane proposal by our dictator in chief. His budget includes a cut of $500 million for the Centers for Disease Control. Now if you have half a brain and have been reading the news you will know that the CDC is one of our first lines of defense from epidemics. There is this little problem that recently made it to England called the Avian Influenza. This is the bird flu that scientists expect to become a global pandemic when it jumps to humans from birds.

Pandemics like this are fatal to millions of people and the CDC is on the front lines of defense, so it is only logical that Bush cut their funding. NOT! This is the most lame-brained budget ever and it shows Bush's blatant disregard for the health and safety of the American people.

If this were a baseball game, something the President is very familiar with the crowds would be shouting, "THROW THE BUM OUT!"

Turneer Broadcasting Settles With City Of Boston For 2 Million

If I had put a bunch of suspicious looking electronic devices all over Boston, I would be roting in prison right now. For Turner Broadcasting it's just another business expense. They settled with the city of Boston for $2 million. The first million covered the expenses of emergency responders caused by the bomb scare and the second million was for good will.

If you haven't been following the story, the problem came from dozens of electronic gadgets with LEDs blinking on them that Cartoon Network (a Turner Company) had plastered across Boston as a PR gimmick for a new adult cartoon show. People saw the suspicious devices and what ensued was a full scale post 9/11 panic. Bomb squads blew at least one of them up and the others shut down traffic and businesses for hours.

The moral of the story...if you have money, you can do anything you want.

Bush Budget = More Money For Guns, No Money For Healthcare

Once again Bush puts our money where his mouth is. The new budget has a $300 billion item for military spending (read corporations selling arms) and a $100 billion cut in Medicare and Medicaid. So to put is in simpler terms Bush is saying, "f*#k you America, I’m going to have my war and make my friends richer at the expense of the poor."

Congress needs to know how you feel about this. Write your Congressperson today and let them know. Even though my representatives are people like Kay Bailey Hutchison, the biggest "yes woman" in the Senate, I still write her almost daily to protest the President’s dictatorial actions. I get a variety of form letters back, but at least she gets the mail.

Stop Escalation Super Bowl Ad

This ad will run in several states during the Super Bowl as a direct attack on the Senators that have not signed on to the non-binding resolution. Watch it and you will be affected by it's powerful message.

Music Video - "Get Out of Iraq: Impeach"

I usually don't post videos, but this one is catchy. The music may not be to everyone's taste, but the message is clear. Enjoy!

Florida To Get Paper Ballots - Fair Elections A Little Too Late

So finally the folks in Florida figured out that they have problems with their voting machines. Well that’s not exactly fair, they figured that out in 2000 with the whole hanging chad fiasco, but now they got the touch screen machines. Guess what? They are error prone and easily rigged.

Sooooo. Now that Jeb Bush is out of office, Florida Governor Charlie Crist says the state need paper ballots. Wow! A politician wanting fair elections in Florida? Things must be changing. Pity they weren’t around in 2000. Had the election then been fair we wouldn’t be in Iraq and the world would be a safer place.

Laura & George Again - Trial Separation?

Like the ubiquitous Bat Boy, the tale of Laura and George's marital problems have become the latest fodder for the tabloids again. As I walked through the supermarket my eye was caught by the headline, "Trial Separation". According to the Globe Magazine, Laura and George have agreed to a one month trial separation. After that who knows?

Again, I take this with a big helping of salt. The real story is that it seems that middle America is now ready to believe that the President's life is the stuff of scandals, and that speaks volumes.

This story keeps resurfacing and I am beginning to wonder if there may be a little smidgen of truth somewhere in it.

Lesbians Register In Mexico's 1st Gay Union

It’s a sad day when our neighbor to the south, Mexico grants more rights to its gay and lesbian citizens that our own country. Of course it’s been a sad day here since Canada legalized marriage between same-sex couples, but that’s another story.

31 states in Mexico grant civil union privileges to same-sex couples, and here in the USA, only a handful recognize the right of gay and lesbians to have their unions recognized by the government.

Yesterday a lesbian couple in Saltillo tied the knot to be the first same-sex couple in Mexico to do so. Who knows, this may start a wave of migration by gay and lesbian Americans to Mexico?

Bomb Scare As PR Stunt? Bad Idea!

Sometimes I have to wonder if people involved in PR even watch the news. The folks at Cartoon Network take the prize for being out of touch with reality. Being a network devoted to animated escapades this shouldn’t surprise me!

Some rocket scientist in their PR department decided placing little electronic gadgets all over Boston and apparently some other cities with blinking LEDs was a great way to promote their new show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force". Now let’s do the logic. We live in a paranoid country that jails people for simply saying the word "bomb", and you are going to put gadgets that to the untrained eye could resemble bombs all over big cities? Yea, that will be great PR!

Well guess what? Boston went on red alert for a day, with bomb squads running too and fro and the citizens scared shitless. I suspect the creators of this stunt will be charged with some crime and sent off to Gitmo. In this case, I think that is a good idea. Idiots like these, especially PR people whose very existence is of questionable use to humanity anyway, need to be taken off the street and locked away. Next thing you know, someone will start sending out guys with fake guns to hide on the tops of buildings to promote CSI or some other crime soap opera.

In reality, these geniuses will probably be given jobs in the Bush administration in charge of misinformation and propaganda. After all a scared populace is more malliable.

Molly Ivins, Proud Liberal, Dies At 62

In my mothers vernacular Molly Ivins was an SOB. That stood for "Salty Old Broad". It was the highest compliment my mom could pay anyone, and that was why Molly was her favorite journalist. Molly didn’t put up with fools and she called it like she saw it.

Molly lost very few battles in her life, but today she succumbed to cancer. Molly’s wit and candor will be sorely missed in Texas journalism. Texas will have one fewer voice of sanity after today, and that makes me very sad. Last year we lost another SOB, Governor Ann Richards, a woman cut from the same cloth as Molly. I just hope their legacy will inspire a few dozen writers to speak truth to power. This state needs all of that we can get.

In her last column, on January 12, Molly wrote:

We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single
day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help
stop this war. Raise hell. Think of something to make the ridiculous look
ridiculous. Make our troops know we're for them and trying to get them out of
there. Hit the streets to protest Bush's proposed surge.

Army Investigates Abu Ghraib Gang Rapes By US Soldiers

Just when you though the Iraq war couldn't get any stranger we have this latest atrocity that appeared on YouTube. Soldiers taped an interview of a guard at Abu Ghraib who told of selling female prisoners for sex at $50 a pop. In a quote from the video the unnamed soldier says of the man who was pimping the girls out, "I think at the end of the day he'd made like 500 bucks before she hung herself."

Great PR! Sounds so much like Vietnam I am getting chills. The video was pulled from YouTube and the Army is investigating its authenticity. Until then it is online here at IraqSloger.

Bush Guts Privacy - FBI Snooping On All Internet Communications

Bush is moving at full speed to consolidate power and now has pushed the FBI into a surveillance program like the NSA wiretap program. No communication is private anymore with this plan. The FBI can look at anything you do or write online without warrants. It is a wholesale sweep of digital communications with no particular target in mind.

Next will be the clamp down on media. That is a dire prediction, but Bush seems to be moving full speed ahead to consolidate power before anyone can throw him out of office.

Bush Guts Federal Oversight - Another Executive Order

In a further move toward complete dictatorial powers, President Bush issued an Executive Order yesterday that gives him complete control over all regulatory offices. The directive states that a political appointee must head regulatory offices that have previously been headed by scientists and civil servants.

This move is obviously an attempt to further consolidate power and put a lock on the government by the Bush administration. It effectively expands the powers of the President and is unprecedented in US History.

This should be another warning of Bush’s intentions to become an absolute ruler without accountability or opposition. Imagine how the FCC will issue broadcast licenses with a political appointee at the head. Imagine how the FDA will change the approval process of new drugs with a political appointee as head. Imagine how the EPA will deregulate industry with a political appointee as head.

Bush is once again playing the role of Queen Evileen in the musical "The Wiz". "Don’t nobody bring me no bad news!"

Time to send him really bad news. Impeach him now before we no longer have the option.

Bush Divorce Story Back In The Tabloids

Last December the Globe Magazine, legendary supermarket tabloid featured the First Family on the cover with the shocking headline about an impending divorce for Laura and George. This week there was another cover with a similar story. Now I know that these scandal sheets make things up, or at least blow little details out of proportion, but it does show the mood of the country when scandals about Bush are big sellers at the supermarket checkout.

That means Middle-America is willing to consider that Bush is not the Godlike figure he presents, and also signals a disillusionment with his persona and I would assert his policies as well.

(The cover shown is from last December.)

The Real John McCain - New Video On YouTube

Finally someone is using YouTube for a good cause. Exposing the real John McCain is the latest project of Brave New Films, a socially responsible online film company that is changing the way documentaries are made.

Watch it here, and if you had any notions of John McCain being a moderate, think again! He is a wolf in sheep's clothing and as I have blogged before has made a deal with the GOP devils to be the next candidate.

His duplicity and lies rival Bush's and he comes off as a complete media whore.

Kucinich Warns Bush Of Impeachment

Dennis Kucinich has never done much to excite me as far as a presidential candidate, but his statement yesterday about Bush’s being "up to his old tricks" really got my attention. He used the "I" word, and that was a first. Could the Democratic Party be awakening after its long slumber?

He made a long statement about the Bush administration building up the misinformation towards an Iranian offensive. That seems to be very true to me. Bush is beating the drums loudly on Iran, but what Kucinich sad last was the kicker.

"The degree to which this President continues to take steps to go to war against Iran without consulting with the full Congress is the degree to which he is increasingly putting himself in jeopardy of an impeachment proceeding."

I might have to start looking at him seriously as a presidential candidate now.

Molly Ivins Hospitalized

I don't often encourage people to put names on a prayer list but I will today. Molly Ivins, the brightest star in Texas journalism was hospitalized today. She has been fighting cancer for several years and doctors say she may be able to go home as soon as Monday.

Her tough Texas girl persona, along with her unapologetic liberalism was a refreshing change from the usual right-wing reporting that is common in the Lone Star State. Her frequent jabs at "Dubbya" and the Texas "ledge" always brighten my reading.

Get well soon, Molly.

New Mexico Lawmakers Call For Bush Impeachment

Well one thing about New Mexico aside from the natural beauty of the land and the inferno like summers, the state lawmakers have balls. State lawmakers there have floated an Impeachment resolution in the New Mexico legislature.

If more states showed this kind of initiative, the US Congress might get off its collective ass and do something. Right now the hearings have started but they promise to be slow and cautious. When will a Congressperson stand up and state the obvious, this President has broken the law numerous times.

Write your representative and demand impeachment now.

Outrageous Video Of Iraqi Troops Beating Suspects While US Troops Laugh & Watch

This video shows some of the brutality that is taking place in Iraq. It is disturbing and raw, and speaks volumes about the lack of focus to our mission in Iraq. Posted on Raw Story it was reported by Channel Four.

Rummy Has Not Left The Building

Just when you thought Rummy had left the building, he’s back! Seems Donald Rumsfeld has a job at the Pentagon as an unpaid consultant. The excuse for this is so he can sift through all the papers he generated to find those he may need for memoirs or library etc. To do this he has a staff of two military officers and two enlisted men helping.

So, it seems from the date he resigned, in early November until the day he officially left the Pentagon just before Christmas, was not enough time to get things in order.

I have to wonder if the shredders aren’t working full time in that office and that "top secret" stamp isn’t running out of ink. With this administration everything becomes secret and no evidence is left in the public record. They must have taken their cues from Enron.

Exonerated

IN a country with a President who claims to believe in a "culture of life" why do we still have the death penalty?

Diebold Voting Machine Keys On The Web!

So you want to throw an election? Well, Diebold, the same people that brought you those bug-filled voting machines have provided detailed directions in the form of a photo of the master key that opens all Diebold voting machines. How stupid are they, or more precisely, how much do they want their machines hacked to throw an election? Anyone with a little talent, a file and a key blank can cut the required keys and voila, you got an election in the bag!

Brad Blog has the story and a video of the homemade keys opening a Diebold machine. Write your Congressperson and demand paper ballots!

Democratic Response To State Of The Union Speech

Below is the transcript of the Democratic Response delivered by Senator Jim Webb. It is not only good, it's terrific, and far more truthful and inspiring than the clap-trap Bush delivered. Read it and be grateful that the Democrats have begun to recover their true identity as liberals and true patriots.

Good evening.

I'm Senator Jim Webb, from Virginia, where this year we will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown – an event that marked the first step in the long journey that has made us the greatest and most prosperous nation on earth.

It would not be possible in this short amount of time to actually rebut the President's message, nor would it be useful. Let me simply say that we in the Democratic Party hope that this administration is serious about improving education and healthcare for all Americans, and addressing such domestic priorities as restoring the vitality of New Orleans.

Further, this is the seventh time the President has mentioned energy independence in his state of the union message, but for the first time this exchange is taking place in a Congress led by the Democratic Party. We are looking for affirmative solutions that will strengthen our nation by freeing us from our dependence on foreign oil, and spurring a wave of entrepreneurial growth in the form of alternate energy programs. We look forward to working with the President and his party to bring about these changes.

There are two areas where our respective parties have largely stood in contradiction, and I want to take a few minutes to address them tonight. The first relates to how we see the health of our economy – how we measure it, and how we ensure that its benefits are properly shared among all Americans. The second regards our foreign policy – how we might bring the war in Iraq to a proper conclusion that will also allow us to continue to fight the war against international terrorism, and to address other strategic concerns that our country faces around the world.

When one looks at the health of our economy, it's almost as if we are living in two different countries. Some say that things have never been better. The stock market is at an all-time high, and so are corporate profits. But these benefits are not being fairly shared. When I graduated from college, the average corporate CEO made 20 times what the average worker did; today, it's nearly 400 times. In other words, it takes the average worker more than a year to make the money that his or her boss makes in one day.

Wages and salaries for our workers are at all-time lows as a percentage of national wealth, even though the productivity of American workers is the highest in the world. Medical costs have skyrocketed. College tuition rates are off the charts. Our manufacturing base is being dismantled and sent overseas. Good American jobs are being sent along with them.
In short, the middle class of this country, our historic backbone and our best hope for a strong society in the future, is losing its place at the table. Our workers know this, through painful experience. Our white-collar professionals are beginning to understand it, as their jobs start disappearing also. And they expect, rightly, that in this age of globalization, their government has a duty to insist that their concerns be dealt with fairly in the international marketplace.
In the early days of our republic, President Andrew Jackson established an important principle of American-style democracy – that we should measure the health of our society not at its apex, but at its base. Not with the numbers that come out of Wall Street, but with the living conditions that exist on Main Street. We must recapture that spirit today.

And under the leadership of the new Democratic Congress, we are on our way to doing so. The House just passed a minimum wage increase, the first in ten years, and the Senate will soon follow. We've introduced a broad legislative package designed to regain the trust of the American people. We've established a tone of cooperation and consensus that extends beyond party lines. We're working to get the right things done, for the right people and for the right reasons.

With respect to foreign policy, this country has patiently endured a mismanaged war for nearly four years. Many, including myself, warned even before the war began that it was unnecessary, that it would take our energy and attention away from the larger war against terrorism, and that invading and occupying Iraq would leave us strategically vulnerable in the most violent and turbulent corner of the world.

I want to share with all of you a picture that I have carried with me for more than 50 years. This is my father, when he was a young Air Force captain, flying cargo planes during the Berlin Airlift. He sent us the picture from Germany, as we waited for him, back here at home. When I was a small boy, I used to take the picture to bed with me every night, because for more than three years my father was deployed, unable to live with us full-time, serving overseas or in bases where there was no family housing. I still keep it, to remind me of the sacrifices that my mother and others had to make, over and over again, as my father gladly served our country. I was proud to follow in his footsteps, serving as a Marine in Vietnam. My brother did as well, serving as a Marine helicopter pilot. My son has joined the tradition, now serving as an infantry Marine in Iraq.

Like so many other Americans, today and throughout our history, we serve and have served, not for political reasons, but because we love our country. On the political issues – those matters of war and peace, and in some cases of life and death – we trusted the judgment of our national leaders. We hoped that they would be right, that they would measure with accuracy the value of our lives against the enormity of the national interest that might call upon us to go into harm's way.

We owed them our loyalty, as Americans, and we gave it. But they owed us – sound judgment, clear thinking, concern for our welfare, a guarantee that the threat to our country was equal to the price we might be called upon to pay in defending it.

The President took us into this war recklessly. He disregarded warnings from the national security adviser during the first Gulf War, the chief of staff of the army, two former commanding generals of the Central Command, whose jurisdiction includes Iraq, the director of operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and many, many others with great integrity and long experience in national security affairs. We are now, as a nation, held hostage to the predictable – and predicted – disarray that has followed.

The war's costs to our nation have been staggering.

Financially.

The damage to our reputation around the world.

The lost opportunities to defeat the forces of international terrorism.

And especially the precious blood of our citizens who have stepped forward to serve.

The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought; nor does the majority of our military. We need a new direction. Not one step back from the war against international terrorism. Not a precipitous withdrawal that ignores the possibility of further chaos. But an immediate shift toward strong regionally-based diplomacy, a policy that takes our soldiers off the streets of Iraq's cities, and a formula that will in short order allow our combat forces to leave Iraq.

On both of these vital issues, our economy and our national security, it falls upon those of us in elected office to take action.

Regarding the economic imbalance in our country, I am reminded of the situation President Theodore Roosevelt faced in the early days of the 20th century. America was then, as now, drifting apart along class lines. The so-called robber barons were unapologetically raking in a huge percentage of the national wealth. The dispossessed workers at the bottom were threatening revolt.

Roosevelt spoke strongly against these divisions. He told his fellow Republicans that they must set themselves "as resolutely against improper corporate influence on the one hand as against demagogy and mob rule on the other." And he did something about it.

As I look at Iraq, I recall the words of former general and soon-to-be President Dwight Eisenhower during the dark days of the Korean War, which had fallen into a bloody stalemate. "When comes the end?" asked the General who had commanded our forces in Europe during World War Two. And as soon as he became President, he brought the Korean War to an end.
These Presidents took the right kind of action, for the benefit of the American people and for the health of our relations around the world. Tonight we are calling on this President to take similar action, in both areas. If he does, we will join him. If he does not, we will be showing him the way.

Thank you for listening. And God bless America.

It's Fitzmas! Opening Statements In Scooter Libby Trial Finger Cheney and Rove

Well finally it's Fitzmas! Just read the live blog from the trial written by Firedoglake.com and looks like Fitzgerald has taken off the gloves and is hitting hard. His scathing accusations of perjury against Libby are only the start. What is really news is how deep this whole shebang goes. Looks like Rove was a bit player and Cheney was the top dog on the whole disinformation project regarding Joe Wilson and his wife.

More soon.

Libby Testifies Cheney Source Of Leak - Destroyed Evidence

Oh the pigeons are coming home to roost! Scooter Libby testified under oath that Dick Cheney was the one who told him Valerie Plame was a CIA agent. To cover that fact up he even destroyed evidence, a note from Cheney regarding the issue.

What interesting news on the eve of the State of the Union. Seems like the state of this Union is pretty sad. We have a government rife with corruption and fraud and it goes all the way to the top.

I can only guess that in the next few days much more will come out regarding this case and perhaps the Democrats will grow the cajones to actually do something about it. Impeachment would be one option.

Bush Approval Rating Now 28%

According to a new CBS poll, on the eve of his State of the Union speech, Bush’s approval rating has sagged to 28%. Pitiful, and yet no member of Congress is ready to stand up and demand investigations into the unlawful acts by this man. I have to wonder why Congress is still so cowed by Bush? Does he have secret scandals on them he has collected through the wiretaps?

I hate to belabor the point, but if you haven’t written your Congressperson to demand action, you are part of the problem. Americans need the same sense of outrage we had at the end of the Vietnam War to motivate us. Too bad it takes a parade of caskets to get it.

State Of The Union?

The State of the Union speech will probably not cover any new ground, and one note that I suspect will not appear is the Bush budget cut to the National Cancer Institute. Bush who spouts rhetoric about a "Culture of Life" apparently doesn’t give a flying fig about the lives of American’s with cancer. If pressed on the issue I suspect he would babble some crap about the private sector…blah, blah, blah. What he means is unless there is a profit, why bother?

Bush proposed cuts would shave 36 million dollars from the budget of the Cancer Institute, which would represent a cut of around .8%. And as millions of Americans continue to die of cancer, I certainly hope they ask about this alleged "culture of life." Again not to belabor the point, but IMPEACHMENT NOW!

Gonzales Denies Habaes Corpus - Watch It!

As I posted yesterday, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales stated before the Senate that the right to Habeas Corpus is not in the US Constitution. The Supreme Cort and every Constitutional scholar and anyone with a lick of common sense can see it IS there expressly.

Senator Arlen Specter grills him on this fact and Gonzales wriggles and spins but still cannot escape the issue. Every American should be worried with this guy in office. As one comment on the ThinkProgress.org website said, "Wake up and smell the Hitler!"

Watch the video clip here. Then file a complaint with the State Bar of Texas here.

Rich Little Told - Don't Mention War Or Reality

First rule is: don’t tell the Emperor he has no clothes! That’s the law as it was laid down to Rich Little, this years’ headliner for the White House Press Correspondents Association dinner. Little promised not to even mention "Iraq" in his routine.

Sad that we have to censor comedians now, just to satisfy a despotic leader who doesn’t want to hear the truth. Last year, Steven Colbert did the work of the press by soundly "bitch slapping" Bush in a backhanded way. He ridiculed the liberal bias of reality and spoke truth to power in the way few prophets dare. This year things will be considerably more tame. Considering Little is a Canadian, it would seem that US comedians couldn’t be trusted to hold their tongues.

Cigarette Companies Pump More Nicotine Into Cigarettes

The pusher man strikes again. Seems cigarette companies have been pumping up the nicotine levels in cigarettes. More nicotine makes it harder to break the addiction. It’s kind of like a pusher providing stronger and stronger heroin to his clients. Why isn’t the government doing something? Well probably because they are sitting fat and happy with tobacco settlements and lobby money from cigarette firms.

Who ya gonna call?

Alberto Gonzales Claims No Right To Habeas Corpus In US Constitution

And now Alberto Gonzales claims that there is no right to Habeas Corpus in the US Constitution. Where did he get his law degree, a box of Crackerjacks? It is written into the Constitution and if he does not know this or is denying this he should be thrown out of his office and have his law degree revoked!

I have to say when I saw this my jaw dropped, and I began shouting at the TV. This has to stop, and Impeachment is the correct and legal way to do it. If the Democrats won't do it, Americans must march on Washington and demand it!

New TV Ad - Escalation In Iraq Is McCain's Idea

The latest from MoveOn.org.

New TV Ad - Escalation In Iraq Is McCain's Idea

The latest from MoveOn.org.

Ex Gay Group Accused Of Fraud - Video Has Deceptive Content

The "Ex Gay" business has had another well deserved setback. The organization Trueth Wins Out has filed a complaint against the non-profit Americans For Truth and it’s leader for selling a video titled, "It’s Not Gay".

The video centers on Michael Johnston, an allegedly ex-gay who was "cured" through the power of Jesus Christ. Johnston was supposedly living a heterosexual lifestyle when he was caught on video having sex with other men. To top it off, Johnston is HIV+ and apparently had unprotected sex without telling his partners of his status. Nowhere does the video mention that Johnston’s cure didn’t work.

Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen wrote in the letter to Illinois Attorney General:

"This organization is undeniably peddling false hope to vulnerable and desperate
people and bilking them out of their hard earned money. In doing so, Americans
for Truth is unscrupulously capitalizing on the sincere and heartfelt religious
convictions of its followers and exploiting them for the organization’s
financial gain."

Republicans Block Congressional Ethics Reform Bill

Again the real Republican agenda becomes clear as they blocked any chance of ethic reform this session. The only way they will let the ethics bill pass is with the poison pill amendment giving Bush a line-item veto.

The Republican reliance on graft, corruption and illegal contributions would dry up under such reforms and so, naturally, they oppose it or anything resembling it. So next time you hear a Neocon or any other kind of Republican complain about special interests controlling Washington, remind them that they are the problem. They are the roadblock to honest government. They are the chief offenders, otherwise they would support reform and honesty in government.

Alberto Gonzales Says Judges Should Always Defer To Presidents WIll

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is a man who apparently has no knowledge of the US Constitution. He apparently has little respect for the American governmental system of checks and balances, and he would better be suited as a PR man than Attorney General of the United States. More accurately, his loyalty to President Bush always comes first over and above his loyalty to the US Constitution.

This is a dangerous situation. The Attorney General is there to advise and council, as well as prosecute the low on behalf of the People of the country. Instead, Gonzales spends his time justifying the dictatorial actions of President Bush and his cronies. He criticizes the congress and courts and single-handedly declares what is and is not constitutional. This is not his job. The courts decide the constitutionality of the law; lawyers prosecute cases. Gonzales is supposedly a lawyer.

Bush surrounds himself with loyalists and yes men who will not speak truth to the high office of the Presidency. That is a very foolish and dangerous thing to do. Without rational voices and serious debate, a Presidency is little more than a dictator, and that is completely against our Constitution.

Gonzales latest stunt is to say that US judges are unfit to rule on matters of national security. In other words, by decree, the president should be able to dub anything a matter of national security and the courts and the public be damned. Enough is enough! Bush, Cheney, Gonzales and the other criminals must be removed from their powerful seats. Impeachment cannot come soon enough if the republic is to survive.

Parents Appaled At Kids Parties Out-Of-Control

Another no-brainer story. Seems parents are finally realizing that their kids’ parties are out of control. Picking up 7-year olds in a stretch limo for a birthday party, it seems is over the top. I’d say so!

What gets me is why parents are surprised and feel that they have no control of the situation. They are the parents, and it’s their job to control the situation. So what if FAO Schwartz has a $25,000 Sleepover party available. Don’t buy it for your little brats or they will grow up to be over-privileged asshole like their parents. We have a whole generation of effete snob kids being raised by social climbing parents. Now the parents wonder why their kids constantly expect more and more. I guess this just shows how money and intelligence do not necessarily go hand in hand.

I’ll bet that if you took a survey of these jokers who are throwing money at their kids instead of raising them you’d fine them to be politically right wing. I can tell you from personal experience that the last time I saw a bratty kid throwing a temper tantrum in the parking lot of a mall, they got into a car with a "W" sticker on the back. Serves you right "family values" voters.

Personally, I was glad to have a simple birthday party with paper hats and a piñata as a kid. I remember them fondly and all my friends seemed to have fun, especially when one of them missed the piñata and hit my cousin in the groin. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Boehner Says GOP "Low On New Ideas" - Duh!

Oh here’s a news flash! John Boehner, Republican House Minority Leader said in an interview that the party was running "low on new ideas". I would guess so when the "new" strategy for Bush in Iraq is to raise troop levels to what they were a few years ago and wait for the Iraqi’s to step up to the plate.

Face it, the GOP hasn’t had a new idea since Regan and most of them have been brain dead. The concept of constantly cutting taxes on the richest Americans and cutting services to the poorest Americans and trying to fund a war on the cheap are just not very good. Every allegedly new idea they come up with begins with the phrase "cut taxes". Guess what? It hasn’t helped the economy or the average American and they don’t care. They are bought and paid for by the wealthy and their job is to continue delivering more money to the rich. Simple isn’t it? They aren’t low on ideas, they have no ideas.

Impeach Bush Now Video - To Democrats

With thanks to Americablog for discovering this great video. It's the song all America should be singing.




Catchy isn't it?

US Military Sells Surplus To Iran And China

In its quest to grab a quick buck the US military has apparently sold surplus to Iran and China. Breaking its own rules parts for a Chinook helicopter ended up ion Iranian hands. Iran has also been trying to buy f-14 "tomcat" fighter jets as well.

I keep hearing the words of Lenin in my ears, "the Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them." The Bush administration rattles sabers at Iran and then sells them the same sabers. How much longer are we going to let these guys get away with their crap?

Evangelicals Back Fight Against Global Warming

It is refreshing when I find I agree with a conservative. That is the case with the National Association of Evangelicals who this week met with scientists in Georgia and issued a statement regarding the environment and global warming. "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, VP of government relations for the National Association of Evangelicals.

The group has taken the biblical charge that gives humankind dominion over the earth to heart and feel that we must be wise stewards of our gift. Perhaps this will encourage our government to make some kind of move toward easing carbon emissions and slowing global warming.

There was a buzz that the White House might change its position on the issue at the upcoming state of the union speech, but sources in the White House deny that possibility. Figures. Unless it can make a profit for big oil or industry, Bush will have no part of it. The Decider always decides to come down on the side of business and against the American Public.

Martin Luther King Day - Remember This Speech

Dr. King gave many memorable speeches in his brief lifetime. Everyone can quote from his "I Have a Dream" speech, but at this time when another tragic unjust war is tearing our country apart it may be good to remember this speech he gave on April 4, 1967 at Riverside Church in New York City.

"True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see
that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring." (M.L.King)

Ice Storm? We Ain't Got No Stinkin' Ice Storm.

So I have been huddled inside today watching the weather people on TV tell me how terrible the ice storm is going to be. Funny, they did this all day yesterday as well and guess what? No ice here. Dodged the bullet I guess, but to hear the TV talk you'd think it was a disaster of Biblical proportions. I guess any possible weather event is a ratings boost.

So, ended up going to church and having brunch with friends. No lines, either at communion or brunch, the one benefit of the predicted "no-show" weather.

Paula Abdul "Blotto" On AM TV Show!

Oh I know I will get in trouble over this, but it's one of my guilty pleasures. Almost as much fun as watching Takeshi's Castle, here's Paula Abdul, drunk on a morning talk show in Seattle.

I love watching celebrities melt down in public!

More Dangerous Heterosexuals! Mother Feeds Daughter Toilet Cleaning Acid.

Just when you thought it was safe for our kids we discover another dangerous heterosexual out there. Seems a German mother fed her daughter acidic toilet cleaner over 24 times in an effort to get her out of the way in a hospital for a while. Seems she didn’t want to have to bother taking care of her child. Later she scalded her daughter in hot bath water to try to collect accident insurance as well.

So next time you hear some idiot saying that gays are not fit to be parents, show them this little nightmare. Myself, I have no desire to have children, but I know that my gay and lesbian friends who do have them are much better parents than this woman. Why should her sexual orientation be any qualification for parenthood?

Princeton Scientists Discover "Off Switch" For HIV

Researchers at Princeton University think they have discovered an "off switch" for HIV the virus that causes AIDS. Thought this is not a cure, it may lead to a way to deactivate the virus and essentially send it into hibernation. That would have profound effects on patients with HIV and could extend their lives and halt the progress of the disease.

As great as this news is, I find myself melancholy hearing it. I immediately am overwhelmed by the memories of the many many friends I have lost to this disease and wonder what he world would be like had this development happened years ago. The AIDS crisis is more than a news story to me. It has been one of the defining events in my life. Though I am still HIV negative, I find it hard to understand why. I loved through the 70’s and 0’s just like everyone else, I just got lucky and never became positive. For that I am grateful, and saddened at the capriciousness of fate.

I pray that this development may not be just another false hope for an end to HIV and AIDS. I pray that no more people will become infected. I pray that our government will finally realize that we must fight the disease with not only education, but also action. I pray that the politicians who have bought into the lie of "abstinence only" education will wake up and become part of a solution.

Lots of prayers. They are not new either. I have prayed the same ones for years and I only hope hey will be answered before any more people die.

Senator Johnson Recovering And Talking

Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota is recovering and responding to therapy after his brain surgery last month. Sources say he is forming words and his speech centers are undamaged. This is good news for all those praying for his speedy recovery.

Also bad news for Fox News who had already forecast his replacement and the Republicans reclaiming the Senate. Here's wishing a continued recover for Senator Johnson.

Bush Speaks - The World Yawns

So why no blog about Bush’s speech? That’s an easy one. What he said was not news or any surprise. The only scintilla of truth in his talking points was saying in the most passive voice imaginable, "Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility lies with me…."

And then there is the media being complicit in Bush’s lies by calling this a surge, it’s an escalation not a surge and everyone knows it. To use the deceptive terminology of the Administration the media is jumping on the propaganda bandwagon. Remember that next time someone feeds you that line of bullshit about "liberal media bias."

Lastly the Democratic response, while better than Bush’s speech is impotent. Bush has declared he will do whatever he wants regardless of Congress or the American public opinion. It is that kind of unilateral deciding that makes this "decider" a dangerous and reckless despot. I know I throw those words around here a lot and nobody would think I have any love for our President. True, but the words fit and the media is afraid to use them. Bush is behaving like a dictator. He makes pronouncements and signing statements that run contrary to constitutional process and that puts him outside the law. He would be prosecuted as a war criminal were he president of any other country.

Most importantly, Bush is talking like he plans to make war with Iran next. If he goes on unchecked, he will ignite a fire in the Middle East that will burn for centuries. Bush has some sort of warped crusader complex and if you add that to his recent dictatorial behavior and it spells trouble. Recently several commentators have compared him to Hitler. I think it may be an apt comparison. Though he has yet to start a "final solution" for his scapegoats, I am keeping a close watch. The day he decides that all Arab Americans need to be protected in special relocation camps is the day it will be too late.

"Munsters" actress Yvonne De Carlo dies at 84

Though she will probably be remembered as the spooky wife of TV’s Fred Munster, Yvonne De Carlo was a famous leading lady in numerous films. Playing Moses wife in the "Ten Commandments" opposite Charlton Heston and in dozens of westerns, she was often cast as the romantic leading lady.

Miss De Carlo died today at age 84 in Hollywood with her son in attendance. She will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.

Retailers back Warner combo DVD

In a move that I am intensely interested in Warner Home Video has decided to publish its new titles in both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD on the same disk. As a producer, I have been watching this struggle for a while and waiting before jumping in with both feet into the HD pool. This move is welcomed by retailers who have been working to convince consumers to upgrade their DVD players to one of the new HD formats.

Right now I record all my HD programs on digital tape format, and have yet to release anything for the public in a HD version. My hope is that this will not deteriorate into a Betamax/VHS war and a format will be settled on soon.

For those who have not gone to HDTV yet, let me tell you it's worth every penny. The experience is well beyond conventional video.

Feingold, Sununu Introduce Data Mining Reporting Bill

Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John Sununu (R-NH) have reintroduced legislation requiring federal agencies to report to Congress on the use and development of data mining programs. This bill can be seen as a response to the illegal wiretap activity authorized by Bush and roundly condemned by the American public. More on Raw Story.

Snow Tells Congress - Bush Will Do As He Pleases

Watching the White House press conference yesterday was a surreal experience. Tony Snow, chief apologist for the administration basically told the press that Bush would do whatever he wants, Congress be damned. Here are his words verbatim when referring to a possible move by Congress to limit funds for the war: "You know, Congress has the power of the purse…. The President has the ability to exercise his own authority if he thinks Congress has voted the wrong way."

Snow was asserting what Bush has believed all along that he is a "unitary executive" or in more realistic terms a dictator. The decider, now dictator will take whatever measures he wants even though the American people and Congress oppose him. When asked about the November election Snow said Bush does not read it as a referendum on the war. "The President believes that -- if you take a look… at the elections, you can read any number of messages."

Why aren’t Americans marching on Washington demanding this megalomaniac resign for the good of the country? Bush and his cronies are effectively ruling like third world despots and must be called for their actions. We must pressure our Congresspersons to Impeach this criminal regime before there is no freedom to do so left.

Former Regan Aide Says "Bush Like Hitler" - Duhhh!

I guess it takes a former Regan cabinet member to call a spade a spade. Paul Craig Roberts, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under Ronald Regan says, "Bush is like Hitler. He blames defeats on his military commanders, not on his own insane policy."

The quote is in an interview on the libertarian website Antiwar.com. I guess it takes a conservative to make the obvious comparison before anyone will believe it.

Senator Fiengold Asks Bush To Explain Signing Statement Regarding Opening Mail Without A Warrant

I wish Russ Fiengold was my senator, instead I have that Bush lapdog Kay Bailey Hutchinson who is a rubber stamp for any Bush initiative. Senator Fiengold, on the other hand, has shown some balls and wrote our criminal-in-chief a letter demanding to know the details of Bush’s latest signing statement. That’s the one that gives him the ability to open the mail without a warrant. I call it the "ability" as opposed to the "right" since the whole issue is suspect and most likely unconstitutional.

I can only hope to see more of these kinds of calls from the Democrats and in the future a reversal of the sweeping powers claimed by Bush. His authority, at least according to Alberto Gonzales, is one of a "unitary executive", a term that disguises the more proper term, "dictator".

Photo Proves Bush Is A Lying Sleezeball

Well looks like the folks over at CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) have the goods on "W". The White House has gone to a lot of trouble to distance themselves from Jack Abramoff, but here he is smiling with George in a photo opp.

Gotta wonder how much money Jack gave Bush to get this photo in 2003?

Over 1000 People Spell "Impeach" On San Francisco Beach

Over 1000 people gathered in Nancy Pelosi's district, on Ocean Beach in San Francisco, to spell out the message "IMPEACH!" "America is a great country," said event organizer Brad Newsham, a local cab driver and author. "But President Bush has betrayed our faith. He mislead us into a disastrous war, and is trampling on our Constitution. He has to go. Now. I hope Nancy Pelosi is listening today."

A majority of Americans share Newsham's sentiments. A 2006 Zogby poll found that 52% of Americans agreed with the statement: "If President Bush wiretapped American citizens without the approval of a judge, do you agree or disagree that Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment?" (photo by John Montgomery)

New York Stinks - Or At Least Its Mayors Explanation Does

In an amazing show of bravado, Mayor Bloomberg of NYC told anxious citizens that the noxious gas smell was "not dangerous". When asked what it was, he said they had no idea. OK, maybe my logic skills need a little polishing but just because you don’t know what it is does not make it benign. It was not natural gas, but it had traces of the material normally added to natural gas to give it its odor. That is a long way from knowing what the odor was caused by and declaring it safe. If you remember the World Trade Center site was declared safe only a couple of days after the event and now workers at the site report major health problems.

Calm down everyone, nothing to worry about, no problems. What a bunch of malarkey! It sounds like Bloomberg is getting his dialogue out of a 1950’s movie rather than from any kind of scientific research. If I were a New Yorker, I’d keep my eyes and ears open. Whatever that smell was it was not normal and my guess is that in a few weeks we will really find what it is.

Terrorism? Probably not, but industrial accidents are often not revealed until weeks and months after to diffuse blame.

Bush "Flip-Flops" On Troop Levels In Iraq

I have to say I get tired of writing about the lies President Bush tells. Just 18 months ago he said sending more troops to Iraq was a bad idea, and today he wants more troops! The guy can’t make up his mind, and worse he has no idea of what he wants to achieve. His excuse for not sending more troops was that he didn’t want the Iraqis to become too dependent on us for security, and now that’s the main problem, security.

His generals told him it was a bad idea to send a "surge" of troops, and so he fires the generals. I can’t believe that Bush is coming up with this crap on his own, I only hope that whoever is feeding him this stuff will either stop it or take a moment to really evaluate what is going on in Iraq. We need an exit strategy, not an escalation strategy.

US Greases Wheels For Exxon And Others To Exploit Iraq Oil

For those of you who might be either asleep or brain-dead, today proof of the real reason for the Iraq war surfaced in the form of…drum roll…OIL! Yep, the US Government handed over to Exxon, BP and Shell the rights to exploit Iraqi oil. Our puppet government in Iraq is cooperating as the US helps write the laws that will give western oil companies the green light.

The controversial law will meet some resistance in the Iraqi parliament, but I suspect it will go through with enough US arm-twisting. Yes, it was all about oil, just like everyone thought. Another Iraq war fact confirmed. Too bad nobody made this crap public before we went and destroyed the lives of thousands of Iraqis and American soldiers.

Musical Chairs IN The White House? Watch Condi & Cheney

So DC is abuzz this weekend about the John Negroponte move. Why would he take what was in essence a demotion to leave the CIA and become Condi’s right hand boy? Well here’s the rumor, one which I predicted over a year ago. Condi will move into Dick Cheney’s seat when he resigns for "medical reasons" and that will give her a secure post for a run at the White House in 2008. Negroponte will move into the Secretary of State seat and Bush will have another lapdog in place.

Others have their opinions and I am sure there will be lots of chatter about this in the near future.

Israel Plans Nuclear Attack On Iran

And so as Israel goes CRAZY, he rest of the world gets screwed. The crazy Israeli’s are reportedly planning a tactical nuclear attack on Iran to take out their uranium enrichment facilities. Oh that’s a great idea! Start World War 3 for real by attacking an Arab country with nuclear weapons. And who will bear the brunt of the retaliation that will come from this? The United States. Israel bombs Iran and every terrorist in the world will attack us, because we are unquestioning allies of Israel. Why do we support them when they do so much to provoke wars in the Middle East? I have no idea.

Fox News broke the story and I am sure they will beat the war drums loudly as they can to drum up a diversion from the current disaster in Iraq. Here’s a Fox News Alert: Nuclear War is not an option, and if Israel starts it we should put them on the outlaw state list just like Iran and North Korea. Enough of this double standard crap. Time for us to call it like it is, Israel is a belligerent Nuclear power with a hair trigger and as such they are dangerous. They are not the kind of allies we need.

White House Managing Defeat In Iraq

Senator Joe Biden (D) is probably right about the Bush strategy in Iraq. In a recent statement he claimed Bush was only postponing defeat in Iraq so the next president will "be the guy landing helicopters inside the Green Zone, taking people off the roof".

Meanwhile CNN tonight reported on a leak in the White House that spoke of a managed defeat in Iraq as the administrations new tactic. So my question is this, why didn’t Bush listen to the multitude of voices who told him this would happen? I suspect it is because he is a megalomaniac who will listen to no one but the voices in his head. He must be removed and the new Congress needs to start doing it now.

Bush Chops Heads Of Military In Iraq

In a move typical of Bush, he is replacing the top generals in the armed forces who are critical of him with loyalists. Seeming more like Queen Evileen in "The Wiz" Bush want’s "no bad news", and surrounds himself with yes men and people whose only qualifications is their loyalty to him.

To head ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, he has selected a Navy Admiral. The pesky John Abizaid is retiring and Bush wants a stooge in his place who will follow whatever crazy plan he comes up with without comment. Granted, the military should be responsive to the Commander in Chief, but they should also feel free to offer advice. Not with this President!

In other posts General Casey, a Bush critic has been bumped upstairs and made chief of staff of the Army, effectively pulling him out of the field.

Meanwhile, CBS news reports that no more than 9000 troops can be added for Bush’s planned "surge". He wanted 20,000 or 30,000 but the cold reality is there aren’t that many available. Look for lots of strum und drang about Bush’s plans vs. what can actually happen. I expect he will blame any failure on ABM (anybody but me).

Were I a conspiracy nut I would suspect Bush is planning a military backed take over of our government, replacing all the Generals with his patsies, but I will leave that to others. Besides, he will need a team of body guards when he is exiled to his land in Paraguay after the impeachment.

Wikileaks Site Will Offer Safe Harbor For Whistle Blowers

A new website called Wikileaks.org will serve as an uncensorable site for government whistle blowers. The site is designed to target government misdeeds in China, Russia, Central Eurasia, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, but you can expect to see western government items on it as well.

Their motto is a quote from Dr. Daniel Ellsberg. “We were young, we were foolish, we were arrogant, but we were right.”

Bush Claims Power To Open Your Mail Without A Warrant!

Our dictator, George W. Bush has granted himself new sweeping powers with the stroke of a pen and a signing statement. Now he can open your mail without a warrant. Another basic right is stolen and where is the outrage? This criminal continues to make up laws as he goes and steal American’s rights and no one is saying anything!

This latest crime is in the form of a signing statement that says he reserves to open mail without a warrant if he deems it an emergency. This makes him judge, and jury and gives him more unchecked power. If the Democratic Congress doesn’t move to remove this criminal, they have no right to assert they are for change. Write Nancy Pelosi and your congressperson and demand investigations and impeachment if it is warranted. We cannot let this go on any longer.

Exxon-Mobil Paid Groups To Misslead Public

Exxon-Mobil apparently paid several groups to publish bogus rebuttals to global warming. The Union of Concerned Scientists released a report that accuses the oil giant of using "tobacco company tactics" to spread misinformation. I guess this comes as no surprise from the company that had a campaign earlier last year about CO2 emissions: "some call it pollution, we call it life"

Bush Determined To Surge 20,000 More Troops Into Iraq

Bush seems very adept at thumbing his nose at America. Our government spent millions on the Iraq Study Group Report that suggested that withdrawal was the best option. Bush apparently never read it, or simply used it to light his Yule log. The commanders on the ground say a sudden surge is a bad idea, but Bush is no longer listening to them, if he ever did. The troops on the ground think a surge is a bad idea, and needless to say, Bush doesn’t give a fig about their opinions.

NBC reports Bush is preparing to send 20,000 more troops into the much of Iraq and he seems sure this is he "big idea" he needs to win the war. What he will get is more death, less stability and even lower ratings in the opinion polls. With luck, he will also get impeached!

It is now the Democrats time. They have to make a drastic change in the government to save our country more death and dishonor. Bush behaves like a despot and must be treated as such. His continued role as President serves no purpose but to bolster his ego. Our prestige abroad is shot and trust for American foreign policy is nonexistent. The only way to restore America’s credibility at home and in the world is to remove the Bush administration now. Impeachment is not an option, it is an obligation.

Report Says Halliburton Sells Nuclear Technology To Iran

So our patriotic Vice-President’s company, Halliburton has been doing business with Iran, and not just oil business, but nuclear "bidness" to boot! According to reports, the company sold key components of a reactor to Iran as recently as 2005. Now correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t Iran part of the "Axis of Evil"?

Since when do American companies defy US bans of business with "enemy" countries? Since when does an American firm try to profit by selling illegal supplies to a rogue nation? Oh yea, since Bush entered the White House! My bad. If Cheney does it or one of his cronies, it must be OK cause they are doing God’s work.

Impeachment may be too little too late.

Guantanamo Prisoner Abuse Escalates - FBI Witnesses It!

More proof that the Bush administration has run amok! Interrogators at Guantanamo are doing the same things that brought so much criticism previously, defacing the Koran and abusing prisoners and this time it’s the FBI that says so. The FBI reports a new sacrilege as well, a fake priest "baptizing" prisoners. Bush folks have sunk to a new low now using the Christian religion as a weapon. And what are they getting from these prisoners now that they haven’t gotten in the past YEARS? Why is the torture continuing and interrogation still going on long after any information these prisoners might have is out of date and useless?

Stop the Bush administration now. Demand Impeachment of the whole gang of thugs and let’s restore American justice and America’s reputation in the world.

Mannequin Molestor Faces Life In Prison

Well it is always nice to take a break from the crap of the political scene for a really odd story. Seems a guy who was recently released from prison for breaking into stores to "have his way" with store mannequins. He didn’t wait very long before he again smashed the window of a cleaning company and assaulted the mannequin dressed as a French maid. I am not making this up!

He now faces possible life in prison as a repeat offender for this stuff. This story though comical on the surface shows the problem with our current penal system. We warehouse offenders and do nothing to get to the root cause of their crimes. We just hold them and release them and then wonder why they break the law again.

This guy sounds like a guy with a fetish and he has no legal means of indulging it. It is probably because he has never understood why he is attracted to the storeroom dummies. Wouldn’t it make sense to work with him a little bit and find why he has the fetish and then help him find a less intrusive way to express it?
After all, I like leather; I just don’t go breaking into leather stores to indulge myself.

GOP Leaders Running Scared From Bush War Plans

Seems not even Republicans support Bush and McCain’s plan to "surge" another 30,000 troops into the quagmire of Iraq. The average Republican has to stand for election in 2008 and they are hesitant to back a looser now. Bush's plans have no support by either the generals in Iraq or the troops on the ground. Like most Bush decisions, this one is a go-it-alone thing. His ego and blind faith that he is God’s emissary on earth guiding him instead of reason and expertise.

Shooting from the hip might work in a "B" western, but in real life it usually gets folks killed. In this case it will be more Iraqi’s, innocent civilians and US troops. Bush is reckless, headstrong and misguided. He must be impeached ASAP!

Park Service No Longer Able To Speak The Truth About The Grand Canyon

The story that broke a couple of days ago about the Parks Department at the Grand Canyon not being able to tell visitors the age of the park really got me. The Bush administration has discouraged them from doing so because it might offend fundamentalists who believe the world is no older than 6000 years. OK, sounds like the home-school crowd is starting to affect the overall IQ of the country!

The availability of a book saying the Grand Canyon was a byproduct of Noah’s Flood at the canyon gift shop says it all. We have let a group of fringe fanatics force their wacko opinions down our throats as "alternative theories" long enough. Ask any geologist what he or she thinks about this theory and they will stare at you dumfounded. It is not a theory, it is a bad interpretation of scripture, and is both bad theology and bad science.

These backwoods bumpkins used to be laughed at. That was a good thing too, it often would teach them that they needed to get some real "book learnin" and join the 21st century. I respect other people’s faith, but there is a place for it and it’s not as official policy of the National Parks. Noah, Adam, Eve and the rest belong in a church. The problem with this kind of flimsy faith is that it would be more at home in the "Little Book of Bible Stories" than a real theological discussion. If your faith has not matured beyond the Bible story level, I suspect you live a pretty unexamined life. Adults should have a developed adult theology to guide them, not a bunch of bumper sticker phrases and charming fables.

So to the fundamentalists who may be offended by scientific fact, tough! Time to examine your whole faith journey and really give it some thought. A faith that is not based on any effort on your part is destined to fail you in a crisis. Read, learn, grow, use the wonderful mind God gifted you with. You will find many more blessings in your life that way.

Ford Criticizes Bush From The Grave

Now he tells us! Gerald Ford’s interview with Bob Woodward was held until his death, and that is a very unfortunate thing. Ford was highly critical of the Iraq war and the Bush administration in general. His views, those of a moderate conservative, would have gone a long way towards waking the sleeping majority of Americans who reelected Bush in 2004. It is tragic that Ford chose to hide his opinions until now, and more tragic that he is not alive to answer a few more questions.

I am sure more will come out about this historic interview, but it is all too late. What a poor legacy this will leave. Ford, willing to criticize the administration only after he is beyond the reach of any repercussions. A voice from the grave and from history now merely a feeble "I told you so."

Bush Ranked Villain By 1/4 Americans

How the mighty have fallen! George W. Bush, once seen as a hero by the majority of the country is now seen as the World’s Number One Villain by one in every four Americans. This mean’s he beats Saddam and Osama in some people’s books. Pretty durn sad, especially since I am one of those folks.

Only 13% of people polled voted Bush a hero. So much for his political capital. The AP/AOL poll ranked Bush as the #1 Bad Guy by a landslide. And I have to wonder why the Democrats will not impeach him and put him out of his misery?

New Year - No Good News

As the New Year approaches, I find myself thinking as a nation we are in somewhat better shape than last year, but still in mortal peril. Not from terrorists, though they pose a threat, but from a delusional President who continues to march our young soldiers into an unwinnable war he started.

As General Abizaid calls 3500 troops into "call forward" status, I feel a sense of dread. Looks like Bush has already used the Iraq Study Group report as kindling for his Yule log, and now wants to throw gasoline on the fires in Iraq. Adding more troops to an already muddled situation will achieve only more chaos and resentment from Iraqis and more death for our troops.

The other problem with Bush’s "surge" idea is that it will only delay the Iraqis from taking responsibility for their own security. Of course that is a tenuous thing itself. Every day more bombings and death squad reports hit the press. Iraq may be hopelessly broken and it falls at the feet of Bush and his cronies. There is no easy answer, and in my opinion there is no winning this thing. I am reminded of the "Pottery Barn" analogy put forth at the war’s start. So, how do you reassemble a broken pot? Well you use glue and patience and what you end up with is a pot that never looks as good as it did before. That’s what we have in Iraq, a country that as far as quality of life will never be as good as it was before. Did I like Saddam? Hell no, but there were other less lethal ways of removing him than to have an all out assault on the country.

What to do now? Well, investigations and perhaps impeachment of Bush and Cheney for a start. Even though the Democrats seem reluctant to do it, it needs to be done. Meanwhile we need to begin drawing down troops in Iraq and finding ways to deal with our allies and enemies in the Middle East in more effective ways. That is why the present administration must go, they will never understand that.

Of Polar Bears, Gerald Ford & Castro

As the arctic sea ice melts away the habitat of the polar bear is reduced, and finally the Bush administration has admitted it may be a problem. A source within the Interior Department leaked the information that the polar bear may soon be under the protection of the Endangered Species Act. They spoke under condition of anonymity, since the Bush folks don’t want to appear as though they are admitting the global warming may be a reality. Remember they create their own realities!

As Coca-Cola watches it’s most recognizable spokesbear disappear from the face of the earth, I suspect they may be considering ways to jump on the ecology friendly bandwagon. I suspect we will see Coke ads soon that encourage recycling and fuel economy. And while you’re at it, share a Coke and a smile!

Then there is the passing of another endangered creature, an ex-president of the US. Gerald Ford died last night. He will be fondly remembered as the man who ended the Republican Party’s long nightmare by pardoning Nixon. As the country’s only unelected president he held a unique position. His wife, Betty became a hero of many recovering addicts by publicly admitting her addiction and later starting the renowned Betty Ford Clinic. For that, so many American’s are grateful. Betty Ford made the subject of addiction an acceptable topic and brining it out of the closet led thousands to recovery.

Finally there is Fidel Castro. As he lingers in what has been described as a "near-death" state, he reaches another milestone. He has outlived yet another US president and defiantly maintained the sovereignty of Cuba in the face of the most vociferous detractors. Though I am no great fan of Communism, I have to admit that Fidel has held on to power much longer than I expected. My only hope is that once he passes, our country will come to its senses and begin normal relations with Cuba. I really miss the cigars.