Damn this economy. No one is safe

I think Cheney is crying in his hospital room.

...
Note: Headline links to source.

The second coming of Shrub

Glenn Greenwald

I often avoid reading Glenn Greenwald because: 1) I read slowly and 2) he writes as if each word will give him an extra hour of life.

However, this is a must read. For example:

As has been voluminously documented here, one of the most notable aspects of the first year of the Obama presidency has been how many previously controversial Bush/Cheney policies in the terrorism and civil liberties realms have been embraced. Even Obama's most loyal defenders often acknowledge that, as Michael Tomasky recently put it, "the civil liberties area has been [Obama's] worst. This is the one area in which the president's actions don't remotely match the candidate's promises." From indefinite detention and renditions to denial of habeas rights, from military commissions and secrecy obsessions to state secrets abuses, many of the defining Bush/Cheney policies continue unabated under its successor administration.

Despite all that, there is substantial political pressure from all directions for Obama to reverse the very few decisions where he actually deviated from Bush/Cheney radicalism in these areas. In the wake of extreme political pressure, mostly from Democrats, the White House just forced Eric Holder to retreat on his decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York City, and numerous Democrats now appear prepared to join with the GOP to cut-off funding for civilian trials altogether, forcing the administration to try all Terrorists in military commissions or just hold them indefinitely. The administration has created a warped multi-tiered justice system where only a select few even get civilian trials -- those whom they know in advance they can convict -- yet there are growing signs that the President will abandon even that symbolic, piecemeal nod to due process.

I never expected great things from Obama. Great things rarely happen in Washington D.C., but I did hold out hope he would undo the things Shrub did to fuck up the principals upon which the US was based.

...
Note: Headline links to source.

House votes to send impeachment resolution to Judiciary Committee

This is a must read for those who think anything will come of Rep Dennis Kucinich's fucking impeachment measure.

If the goddamn Democrats are unwilling to do anything about Cheney, they sure as hell won't do anything about the moron.

That's your representative government at work. Or rather not doing their jobs at all.

The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to send articles of impeachment against President Bush to the Judiciary Committee for review.

[t]he impeachment resolution's sponsor, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, requested a recorded vote on the motion around 3 p.m. Wednesday, and 20 Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in voting to send the impeachment measure to the committee, according to a vote count on C-SPAN.

The motion passed 251-166.

"It is imperative that Members of Congress have a thorough opportunity to read the Articles of Impeachment and study the documentation," Kucinich said in a news release Tuesday. "When they do, I am confident that they will agree that it is both appropriate and necessary for the Judiciary Committee to begin hearings on the Resolution."

Kucinich took to the floor of the House Monday evening to read his 35 articles of impeachment, accusing Bush of war crimes, breaking his oath of office and misleading Americans to launch an illegal invasion of Iraq. The Ohio Democrat said impeachment was the only way to keep Bush from launching another invasion of Iran.

The Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), already has before it articles of impeachment aimed at Vice President Dick Cheney. Since receiving that impeachment measure in November, the committee has done nothing.

Democratic leaders in the House seem determined to block the latest impeachment measure as well, and it remains all-but-impossible that the House would proceed with impeachment hearings before Bush leaves office.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is sticking by her earlier pledge to make sure impeaching Bush and Cheney is an option that remains strictly "off the table."

Of course the Democrats voted to move the measure on, realizing its the equivalent of sending it to the round file. They can look like "heroes" to the electorate with no repercussions to them when the measure simply dies in committee.

Note: Headline links to source.

Bush and Cheney dictator and psychopath’s checklists are complete: time for impeachment

Bush frustrated by questions from the press.
Of course psychopathic behavior can't be included in Dennis Kucinich's (D-OH) 35 Articles of Impeachment filed against George W. Bush [and others - ed]. A person's being a psychopath doesn't justify impeachment.

Most of us deal with fucking psychopaths on a daily basis (Link is to one example only. Hell I worked for one in highway construction who was also my father). It isn't a terribly uncommon condition, but devastating to the US and the world when that personality is in control of the most goddamn destructive and numerous weapons of war in the world.

And when that person has no respect or compassion for the rule of law, Constitution, Bill of rights, Congress, the American people, the judiciary, international law, Geneva Convention, the environment, international treaties, wildlife, brown people, honesty, other world leaders, nations' sovereignty, women and children its no less damaging. Well that might be overstating the case. He probably won't nuke the US even as a false flag attack justifying bombing Iran. Or would he? Just asking.

I was gonna add no respect or compassion for the poor, but I've stated before the fucking moron has no respect for the wealthy either. He's buying friendship from them and a certain amount of lucre for himself. If there's nothing in it for him he would dump them like McCain (another psychopath) dumped his first wife.

I believe we are all aware now that George W. Bush is a psychopath, with a personality disorder characterised by chronic immoral and antisocial behaviour. It will be his only defence, his mental health problem, if the War Crime Tribunals catch up with him one day. I will go through his psychopath’s checklist later. What is important to keep in mind though, is that his full political agenda has not been entirely played out yet, and before it is over, George W. Bush will certainly present a perfect case of a full flesh dictator. We still have the time to stop him, but we won’t for much longer. So let’s explore what is really happening.

George W. Bush and Dick Cheney dictatorship’s checklist, that I had to quickly establish from many websites, and which is not exhaustive, goes something like this: 1) a leader who holds and/or abuses an extraordinary amount of personal power, 2) the power to make laws without effective restraint by a legislative assembly or a Constitution, 3) cult of personality/megalomania (like when someone states that God has spoken to him and told him to go to war, or when a leader portrays himself as the symbol of patriotism), 4) head of the military, association with the military and wearing a military uniform (which Bush did), 5) repression of political or other opponents without abiding by rule of law procedures or moral and ethical code (threatening and succeeding in shutting up one’s opponents, Bush has been highly successful at this), 6) rule by decree (losing the elections and yet proclaiming oneself the ruler), 7) proclamation of a state of emergency to further one’s agenda (9/11), 8) suspension of civil liberties (several terrorist acts, being able to imprison and convict people without due process, use of torture), 9) control of mass media (Fox Network at the very least, and probably most of the mass media since they are all so quiet about all this), 10) suspension of elections following a large scale false flag/government sponsored terrorism event.

As you can see from my perhaps incomplete checklist, everything has already been accomplished, except for the last item of suspension of elections through a state of emergency. Wikipedia states that modern dictators have usually come to power in times of emergency, and so we can certainly expect that someone as desperate as George W. Bush has shown, in order to remain in power for as long as possible, and by any means possible, must be seeking another state of emergency to establish fully his dictatorship.

It is entirely predictable and likely to happen, it is just a question of time, months at most, probably weeks. One could even argue that elections have already been suspended twice, through cheating in Florida and other States, and manipulation of voting machines. Also that the main false flag/government sponsored terrorism events could be 9/11 and other terrorist acts in London and Spain. All of which point to false flag events.

It is however reasonable to believe that the worse is still to come, because it is the final act standing before absolute dictatorship, and, it is the only way by which George W. Bush and his partners in crime will be able to remain in power past next November. Hence, we already have a dictatorship, although not an absolute one, and it is time to impeach the dictator and his associates before the war agenda against us is complete.

I don’t pretend to know all about psychopathic behaviours and dictators, and perhaps it is a good thing, because then I will speak about it in terms which can reach the collective consciousness. These topics are highly important right now, unfortunately the experts are only able to write about it in terms which limit the reach of their discourse to a few other experts. So they speak together in that language no one can understand, and ultimately they forget to raise the alarm when a perfect text book case shows up in the world and is about to enslave us all. Let’s raise the alarm for them.

George W. Bush psychopath’s checklist is borrowed from Wikipedia under the psychopath’s entry (Dr. Robert D. Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist). Of course, no psychopath is meant to exhibit all of those symptoms, however, the more symptoms you exhibit, the more psychopath you are. It is important to understand that most psychopaths are pathological liars and are quite capable to show a convincing mask of sanity (the title of a book by Dr. Hare). In George W. Bush’s case though (and to a certain extent Dick Cheney), the mask has fallen and there is enough data to prove that most of these factors apply to his personality:

Factor 1: Aggressive narcissism: 1) Glibness / superficial charm, 2) Grandiose sense of self-worth, 3) Pathological lying, 4) Cunning / manipulative, 5) Lack of remorse or guilt, 6) Shallow. 7) Callous / lack of empathy, 8) Failure to accept responsibility for own actions, 9) Promiscuous sexual behaviour. Factor 2: Socially deviant lifestyle: 1) Need for stimulation / proneness to boredom, 2) Parasitic lifestyle, 3) Poor behavioural control, 4) Lack of realistic, long-term goals, 5) Impulsivity, 6) Irresponsibility, 7) Juvenile delinquency, 8) Early behaviour problems, 9) Many short-term marital relationships, 10) Revocation of conditional release.

Note: Headline links to source.

US plan to protect right whale from shipping blocked by Cheney

This should come as no surprise. This administration rarely makes decisions based on the advice of scientists. They do what the fuck they want and to hell with the facts or, in this case, the expert knowledge of government scientists.

Efforts to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale from being killed by ships are being blocked by Vice President Dick Cheney according to leaked documents.

A behind the scenes struggle is raging between the White House and US government scientists who want to force ships to slow down near the calving grounds of the almost extinct right whale.

The right whale controversy is the latest example of the Bush Administration sidestepping the advice of its on scientists which are aimed at protecting endangered species or threats to the environment. On Monday, a judge had to order the administration to release its much-delayed decision aimed at protecting the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act.

Only 350 of the whales remain in Atlantic waters off America's eastern seaboard and they are considered one of the most endangered species on Earth. Government scientists warn that the loss of just one more pregnant female is enough to doom the species, which was almost hunted to extinction in the 19th century.

Every year around three right whales are either injured or killed in collisions with ocean-going vessels like containerized cargo ships even though they are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Right whales frequently wash up on shore bearing deep scars from being struck by ships propellers.

To reduce ship strikes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) decided that ships should restrict their speed to 10 knots or less near whale feeding and calving grounds during parts of the year.

But Mr Cheney's office, which tends to operate in secrecy, sent letters repeatedly questioning whether the rule was needed according to leaked documents. Flatly contradicting the scientific research Mr Cheney's staff argued, "that we have no evidence that lowering the speeds of 'large ships' will actually make a difference."

A critique of the scientists analysis by the administration led to a strongly worded reply in which they said: "The basic facts remain that there is a direct relationship" between a vessel's speed and the likelihood of death or serious injury to the whale, and "at vessel speeds at or below 10 knots, the probability of death/serious injury is greatly reduced."

There was, the scientists wrote, "no basis to overturn our previous conclusion that imposing a speed limit on large vessels would be beneficial to whales."

Congressman Henry Waxman who publicised the correspondence said it was "the latest instance of the White House ignoring scientists and other experts."

Note: Headline links to source.

Cheney's Total Impunity

Checks and balances? We don't need no stinkin' checks and balances.

How far will Vice President Cheney go to shield himself and his office from public scrutiny?

Last spring, Cheney asserted that he wasn't subject to executive-branch rules about classified information because he wasn't actually part of the executive branch.

Now his office argues that he and his staff are completely immune from congressional oversight. That's right: Completely immune.

Cheney's latest claim came in a response to a House Judiciary Committee request for vice presidential chief of staff David S. Addington to testify about his central role in developing the administration's torture policies.

Cheney lawyer Kathryn L. Wheelbarger wrote back: "Congress lacks the constitutional power to regulate by a law what a Vice President communicates in the performance of the Vice President's official duties, or what a Vice President recommends that a President communicate in the President's performance of official duties, and therefore those matters are not within the Committee's power of inquiry."

As it happens, that was only one of three startling responses in Wheelbarger's letter.

She also wrote: "The Chief of Staff to the Vice President is an employee of the Vice President, and not the President, and therefore is not in a position to speak on behalf of the President."

Disregard, for a moment, the fact that Addington wasn't actually asked to speak on behalf of the president - but about his "unique information and perspective." Contrary to Wheelbarger's central assertion, Addington actually does work for the president. When he took over the job previously held by Scooter Libby -- who has since been convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in the Valerie Plame CIA leak case -- Addington also inherited Libby's title as "assistant to the president." See, for instance, his official White House profile.

Cheney's office somehow managed to omit Addington from the White House staff list submitted to Congress. But Addington isn't on Cheney's public Senate payroll either.

Finally, Wheelbarger cites, "separate from any question of immunity from testimony," questions of privilege "protecting state secrets, attorney-client communications, deliberations, and communications among Presidents, Vice Presidents, and their advisers."

In a letter to Addington, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers yesterday lamented Wheelbarger's "legalistic and argumentative response" and warned that if Addington refuses to appear voluntarily, he may be subpoenaed. (Conyers issued the same threat to former Attorney General John Ashcroft and former Justice Department lawyer John Yoo, both of whom also declined to appear voluntarily.)

The headline links to the source.

This delusional man is the one who will decide if we attack Iran

And now for some pure fiction or deranged musings. Not sure which.

Vice President Cheney today predicted Iraq will be a self-governing democracy by the time he leaves office, calling the current U.S. surge strategy “a remarkable success story” that will be studied for years to come.

I don't know how my mind works or even if it does, but this joke comes to mind.

Two maroons decide to put their horses in the same pasture.

First maroon: How will we tell them apart?

Second maroon: We could measure their heights.

So they did and sure enough, the black one was one inch taller than the white one.

I guess this joke resonates on two levels. 1) Cheney can't see the obvious. His world is black and white, but the facts elude him. 2) Only maroons are part of the Bush administration.

SPIIDERWEB™ Rulz!

Via Brilliant at Breakfast.

Cheney Beats the Drums of War

This is actually a test. What about this story upsets me?

Cheney is threatening Iran with no proof of the accusations he makes? Hint: Because they don't exist.

Yes, I know the Quds force is technically not the Iranian government, but...

The fact he's bringing up the "nuclear bomb" bogeyman?

Neither. Its this quote: "President Bush said the best way to avoid "World War III"..." Yeah, I know its bad punctuation, but its my blog and I can do it if I want to.

Fucking Bush should not be mentioning World War III. Period. Case closed.

No world leader should ever suggest the possibility of WWIII. If its considered inevitable we have a different scenario.

Attacking Iran will be a shit storm of profound magnitude and millions will die. Much of the Mid-East will be destroyed for decades to come and Iran would become the world's largest source of glass (little consolation), but it won't necessarily trigger WWIII. Its possible it will, but a country's leader shouldn't try to frighten the people unnecessarily. Oh shit. I forgot its Dim Son.

Just four days after President Bush said the best way to avoid "World War III" was to prevent Iran from obtaining the know-how to build a nuclear bomb, Vice President Cheney vowed that Iran would face "serious consequences" if "it stays on its present course."

In an address yesterday to a pro-Israel think tank, Cheney stepped up the warlike rhetoric against Iran, most notably by linking Iran's government to attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq more explicitly than ever before.

"Given the nature of Iran's rulers, the declarations of the Iranian president, and the trouble the regime is causing throughout the region -- including direct involvement in the killing of Americans -- our country and the entire international community cannot stand by as a terror-supporting state fulfills its most aggressive ambitions," Cheney said. He offered no new evidence for his accusation.

Via WaPo.

Spooks refuse to toe Cheney's line on Iran

Anyone who has ever worked in a corporation or just a large business knows this is how it works. Several people are assigned to assess "something". A few wear knee pads.* Others make objective analysis as they were hired to do which doesn't conform to what the boss wants to hear and are asked ordered to revise their conclusions.

Its bullshit of course, but its business. It may affect production, profits or the bottom line, but it doesn't involve bombs and dead people.

Please ask your Congress critter to get behind the Cheney impeachment. That asshole has to be removed from office asap.

The US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran has been held up for more than a year in an effort to force the intelligence community to remove dissenting judgments on the Iranian nuclear program. The aim is to make the document more supportive of Vice President Dick Cheney's militarily aggressive policy toward Iran, according to accounts provided by participants in the NIE process to two former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officers.

But this pressure on intelligence analysts, obviously instigated by Cheney himself, has not produced a draft estimate without those dissenting views, these sources say. The White House has now apparently decided to release the "unsatisfactory" draft NIE, but without making its key findings public.

A NIE coordinates the judgments of the US's 16 intelligence agencies on a specific country or issue.

A former CIA intelligence officer who has asked not to be identified told Inter Press Service (IPS) that an official involved in the NIE process says the Iran estimate was ready to be published a year ago but has been delayed because the director of national intelligence wanted a draft reflecting a consensus on key conclusions - particularly on Iran's nuclear program.

There is a split in the intelligence community on how much of a threat the Iranian nuclear program poses, according to the intelligence official's account. Some analysts who are less independent [read Cheney's poodles] are willing to give the benefit of the doubt to the alarmist view coming from Cheney's office, but others have rejected that view. [emphasis mine]

* So they're more comfortable when kissing the boss's ass.

Via Asia Times.

White House Leak: Cheney's Plan for Iran Attack Starts With Israeli Missile Strike

This is for those of you still living with the delusional idea Dim Son is running the US. Ruining it, yes, but hardly running it.

High-ranking military experts say an attack would lead to world economic chaos, or even what Bush calls 'World War III.'

US Vice President Dick Cheney -- the power behind the throne, the eminence grise, the man with the (very) occasional grandfatherly smile -- is notorious for his propensity for secretiveness and behind-the-scenes manipulation. He's capable of anything, say friends as well as enemies. Given this reputation, it's no big surprise that Cheney has already asked for a backroom analysis of how a war with Iran might begin.

In the scenario concocted by Cheney's strategists, Washington's first step would be to convince Israel to fire missiles at Iran's uranium enrichment plant in Natanz. Tehran would retaliate with its own strike, providing the US with an excuse to attack military targets and nuclear facilities in Iran.

Via AlterNet.

Writing at my level

Stop it Digby. This is something I'd do. Actually more likely something I have done.

Cheney shot an old man in the face:

The result: a one-day story that you, in fact, probably never heard before reading this. [emphasis mine]

If I hadn't heard about it, how could I remember?

He had heavyweight help, though, remember?

Oh yeah, Kevin Drum has it covered.

Via Digby.

Book Tells Of Dissent In Bush's Inner Circle

According to a new book by Robert Draper 'ol Turdblossom didn't have quite the influence over Bush some people thought he had.

In fact, had Bush listened to Rove he could have avoided at least two of his many mistakes.

Rove was saying things Bush didn't want to hear. His counsel was ignored.

This fits with my assessment of Bush as a petulant four year old. He does what he damn well pleases. Unfortunately Bush's political "parents", the Congress critters, let him get away with such behavior.

Karl Rove told George W. Bush before the 2000 election that it was a bad idea to name Richard B. Cheney as his running mate, and Rove later raised objections to the nomination of Harriet E. Miers to the Supreme Court, according to a new book on the Bush presidency.

In "Dead Certain: The Presidency of George Bush," journalist Robert Draper writes that Rove told Bush he should not tap Cheney for the Republican ticket: "Selecting Daddy's top foreign-policy guru ran counter to message. It was worse than a safe pick -- it was needy." But Bush did not care -- he was comfortable with Cheney and "saw no harm in giving his VP unprecedented run of the place."

When Rove, President Bush's top political adviser, expressed concerns about the Miers selection, he was "shouted down" and subsequently muted his objections, Draper writes, while other advisers did not realize the outcry the nomination would cause within the president's conservative political base.

Via Washington Post.

Sadr Threatens to Rescind Order

Yeah, it kinda sucks to be the only one not fighting. Like al-Sadr thought the US would do the honorable thing and quit attacking? Such a silly rabbit.

A day after the Al-Sadr political movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr said he was taking his Mahdi Army out of action for up to six months, he threatened to rescind the order unless the government stops detaining his followers within the next 48 hours, an official said.

“The warning was a response to US raids in the Karbala area on al-Sadr offices, in which six people were killed and 30 detained,” Karbala Deputy Gov. Jawad al-Hasnawi said.

Before daybreak, US occupation forces carried out raids in Sadr City, targeting Mahdi Army members.

Several cars were demolished during the operation by US occupation tanks, according to a police officer speaking on condition of anonymity.

Its almost impossible to stem Bush and Cheney's blood lust.

Where's Buffy when we really need her?


Oops! Never mind.

Via True Blue Liberal.

Do We Have The Courage To Stop War With Iran?

One headline - two stories. Both are terribly important and shouldn't be missed.

From No Quarter and from No Quarter Redux.

A couple snippets. One from each story:

Day after day, almost hour by hour, fresh confirmation comes of the impending American attack on Iran. Yet the same surreal malaise that hung over public affairs before the war of aggression against Iraq has descended again. Everyone knows the war is coming and nothing will stop it, but the strange, ludicrous shadow play of sham “debate” goes on, as if there were some kind of political or diplomatic maneuver out there that could deflect the Bush-Cheney junta from its long-chosen course. But nothing will stop them, just as nothing — not even 10 million people in the streets around the world, the largest protest in human history — stopped them from the rape of Iraq.

Why do I feel like the proverbial skunk at a Labor Day picnic? Sorry; but I thought you might want to know that this time next year there will probably be more skunks than we can handle. I fear our country is likely to be at war with Iran—and with the thousands of real terrorists Iran can field around the globe.

It is going to happen, folks, unless we put our lawn chairs away on Tuesday, take part in some serious grass-roots organizing, and take action to prevent a wider war—while we still can.

I've been harping on this for a very long time. All indicators are there. Unless Americans tell Bush and Cheney to go fuck themselves, its gonna happen. And you won't believe the shit storm that'll follow.

Yes, I know you're worried about your house mortgage, your inadequate schools, that bridge you cross daily on the way to work, but this is far bigger than all that. This will kill many more thousands than the Iraq fiasco. This is probably going to result in a return of the military draft. This is gonna drain the last few shekels from the US money supply. This is gonna kill many many more Americans.

On the bright side, its gonna make the military industrial complex much richer. Invest now and hope you live to see the returns.

Folks, this ain't a game. It ain't PSP. The soldiers are American children, sons, daughters, wives, husbands, mothers, fathers. They don't deserve to end up in flag-draped coffins long before their time and neither do the Iranians.

15 Congress Members for Impeachment

Hey, its a start.

We take what's available. Right? Of course we do because we're wimps.

(read more)

A simple question

Will the fucking Democrats EVER grow the balls to do what we want?

Impeach the bastards. Its their prerogative and their responsibility. I can't do it. You can't do it, but Congress can and should.

Don't allow Bush and Cheney's horrible and illegal activities set precedent, which the SCOTUS will ignore anyway, set an example of how the US government may operate.

OK, I'll weigh in on this fucking kabuki dance

Cheney has always run the government. To think otherwise is foolish.

In removing himself and his office from both branches when convenient, Cheney has, wrote Dana Milbank in today's Washington Post, "declared himself to be neither fish nor fowl but an exotic, extraconstitutional beast who answers to no one," which is another way of saying he's the first sitting vice president to put himself above the law since Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton and got away with it.

But come to think of it, Cheney did that too.

As the occupant of both or neither branches, Cheney seems to prefer the executive when it comes to trappings of office. Milbank noted that on Monday, Cheney made the short trip from the White House to the Capitol "escorted by eight police motorcycles, three police cruisers, two armored limousines and five SUVs and minivans packed with aides and armed Secret Service agents."

Life is good in the Cheney branch of government.

I've posted about this before, the fact a non-elected asshole makes decisions for you in the Cheney administration, but can't find the fucking post. If you can, please let me know.

UPDATE: I'm nothing if not anal and I finally found the "fucking post" referenced above and its here.

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I ♥ Waxman

Well, not really, but the guy has balls the size of Jupiter.

House Government and Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) has shot another flaming arrow at the White House, this time accusing the White House of being careless in its handling of classified material and ignoring flagrant breaches of security. “There is evidence that both the White House and the Office of the Vice President have flaunted multiple requirements for protecting classified information,” wrote Waxman in a letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding. The letter is the latest move in Waxman’s escalating investigation of Vice President Cheney’s handling of classified documents.

Waxman said he has been contacted by “current and former White House security personnel” who say they were ignored when they reported breaches, such as “a report that a White House official left classified materials unattended in a hotel room” or reports that “White House officials left classified information on their desks”, says the letter. The security officials were prevented from “conducting unannounced inspections of the West Wing”, such as those allowed by previous administrations, wrote Waxman, who called White House security practices “dangerously inadequate.

If only the rest of the Dems would grow a pair. Nancy Pelosi excluded, of course, but it's up to her and other women in congress.

Yes that's a pic of Jupiter.

(read more)

Cheney BAE scandal ignored by American media

Ah ha, but not by SPIIDERWEB™. Little gets by us. Hahaha.

Explosive revelations that Vice-President Dick Cheney was behind the failed effort to cover up an $80 to $100 billion dollar slush fund run through the British defense firm BAE Systems, as reported several days ago by the Executive Intellegence Review and Mathaba News Agency, have been totally ignored by the mainstream media.

Instead, the American media establishment has been agog over a series of articles in the Washington Post claiming that Cheney has overstepped the boundaries of his office of Vice-President and behaves in an importunate manner to the President, George W Bush.

This type of deflection has become common during the Bush Presidency. A story detailing how the British Government set up a long-term agreement with the Saudi Arabian monarchy where defense systems and fighter jets were bartered for vast quantities of oil, which most of the profits from were turned into a slush fund used for gun-running and covert operations, aided and abetted by the U.S. government and Cheney, is more important to the public than four-year-old allegations about how Cheney supposedly manipulates Bush.

(unintentionally stolen from Mathaba)

Hey, it was a short post and all pertinent. Shoot me now.

The Man Behind the Curtain

I have to start by saying I really admire The Anonymous Liberal. Every time I log on to the internets tubes I check his(?) posts. But I have no idea why this post. This is a cat chases mouse post because it is merely stating what all of us who are "in the know" have always realized.

Bush is a fucking idiot and Cheney runs the government. It is now as it has ever been.

If you haven't yet read the first two installments (1, 2) of the Washington Post's four part series on Dick Cheney's role in the Bush administration, go read them now. They're incredible. Barton Gellman and Jo Becker do an excellent job telling the behind-the-scenes story of how the Bush administration's various terrorism-related policies came into being. The articles confirm much of what has been suspected about Cheney's role and fill in many of the gaps. It's riveting stuff, and deeply disturbing.

OK, I can't help myself.

To be stereotyping, all attorneys who blog, and this includes AL and the rest, they can't seem to say something quickly. Gawd I have trouble reading line after line and screen after screen as they make their point, often several times.

I often refer to this:

Give me liberty or give me death. An attorney would use 200+ words to say that.

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