WaPo Apology

Interesting:

Days before the Iraq war began, veteran Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus put together a story questioning whether the Bush administration had proof that Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction.

But he ran into resistance from the paper's editors, and his piece ran only after assistant managing editor Bob Woodward, who was researching a book about the drive toward war, "helped sell the story," Pincus recalled. "Without him, it would have had a tough time getting into the paper." Even so, the article was relegated to Page A17.

"We did our job but we didn't do enough, and I blame myself mightily for not pushing harder," Woodward said in an interview. "We should have warned readers we had information that the basis for this was shakier" than widely believed. "Those are exactly the kind of statements that should be published on the front page."

Read on. Liberal Media? Imbedded journalists? What a joke.

I remember hearing this about the media, "After 9/11 things will be different..." As in, we'll do our jobs and stop focusing on stupid shit like blow jobs. Well, you can't say things aren't different!

Hands Free

I got pulled over the other day and escaped with a mere, "didn't sign your license ticket." Over the years I've learned the right way to deal with The law :)

Point is, the hands-free device is NOT SAFER. I find myself using the phone more, and not paying attention to the road at all, hence why I even got pulled over. I'm normally a VERY alert driver, but ever since Linda Dubya gave me this device I find myself clueless on the road.

A new NHTSB study agrees:

But new research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and others suggests that hands-free devices may actually add to the overall risk. The growing evidence could put safety regulators -- who have been reluctant to act so far -- on a collision course with the nation's wireless business. American drivers spend roughly a billion minutes a day talking on their cell phones, an estimated 40 percent of all cellular minutes.

Gotta love it when corporations create laws that are not only unncecessary, but poor policy as well because you know Verizon, Sprint, and everyone else made this happen.

Sorta Funny, Sorta Sad

Since I just did some searching of news from 2003, I came across an article about Rumsfeld telling Bush what some of our worries should be.

Remember...

When we needed to goto war in late March '03 to avoid the troops having to deal with heat?:

Koetting is one of about half a dozen soldiers who have been evacuated from the front line in recent days because of heat exhaustion and related problems. Several dozen more have been treated on the battlefield in this south-central Iraqi city, where U.S. troops and armed followers of radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr are squaring off.

With temperatures approaching 130 degrees, medics fear that casualties will increase. "This could become a significant problem," said Brian Humble, senior medical officer with a Marine emergency facility at a camp just outside Najaf.

Summer #2.

Ashcroft Effs Up Again...

Still, no convinctions in the War on Terror.

The case in Detroit is coming apart:

The Bush administration's already troubled case against an accused terror cell in Detroit is being dealt another blow with revelations that a witness came forward after the trial to undercut a key piece of video evidence presented to jurors.

Lawyers and Justice Department officials said Wednesday night that a man shown in a videotape of landmarks in New York, Las Vegas and California has told investigators the tape was an amateur film and not surveillance as prosecutors portrayed at the trial of four suspected terrorists.

The witness interview was conducted in January, months after the trial in Detroit ended, and was turned over this summer to defense lawyers. It could deal a significant blow to the Bush administration's first major terror prosecution since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

This story has been going on for ages, and the background story of it is Ashcroft's attacks against former Prosecutor Covertino and the lawsuit:

federal prosecutor in a major terrorism case in Detroit has taken the rare step of suing Attorney General John Ashcroft, alleging the Justice Department interfered with the case, compromised a confidential informant and exaggerated results in the war on terrorism.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Convertino of Detroit accused the Justice Department of "gross mismanagement" of the war on terrorism in a lawsuit filed late Friday in federal court in Washington...

Convertino is seeking damages under the Privacy Act, alleging he has been subjected to an internal investigation as retaliation for his cooperation with the Senate and that information from the internal probe was wrongly leaked to news media.

The lawsuit states Convertino first complained to his superiors more than a year ago about Justice's interference in the Detroit terrorism trial, saying Washington supervisors "had continuously placed perception over reality to the serious detriment of the war on terror."

USA! USA! USA!

It's incredible, Convertino is now under investigation by the Justice Department. What a coincidence!

Prof. Cole

Checkout what is going on in Iraq around the country.

No Ordinary Tin Can

More fighting:

NAJAF, Aug. 12 -- Intense fighting was underway in the holy Shiite Muslim city of Najaf and the adjacent town of Kufa Thursday in a major offensive by U.S. and Iraqi forces designed to crush the insurgent militia of cleric Moqtada Sadr.

How many times can you try to CRUSH SOMETHING? I mean, every few weeks, attempts to "crush."

I keep hearing pulling out would be a mistake, blah, blah...but why is it a mistake? I mean, not pulling out is getting us where? What's the goal, and is it achievable?

Dumbya said this yesterday:

President Bush on Wednesday declared, "I know what I'm doing when it comes to winning this war," in rebutting John Kerry's criticism of administration policy on Iraq.

Of course he does, based on the numerous other battles he has fought in and won.

9/11 Report

I'm still only 75 pages into it!

The thing that sticks out right now is how obvious it is Dick Cheney was in control from the White House on that fateful day.

The conversations between Cheney and Bush are based on second hand accounts, etc. One would think if Cheney was making calls to Bush, or vice versa, they wouldn't need all these accounts from Condi Rice, Ari Fleischer, Scooter Libby, and others, claiming what happened. I figure these conversations would be RECORDED! Especially those that took place when Cheney was in the underground bunker.

I'm sure others have made this point before. I'm coming around late.

So, the thing that sticks out is the President was involved marginally, at best, but because of all his deficiencies they have to hide that, and make it seem as if he was in control. It seems he wasn't. And this book wishes it could say it.

The first believable scenario I've heard of in which the President was involved is when he asked Advisor Richard Clarke if Saddam was involved in the attacks. That's backed up. It's now being tossed around as something he should have done!

So, that's my point: He wasn't involved. He wasn't in control. Cheney was running the country. And Bush is a terror fighter. All part of the script being written by smart people, acted out by a dumb one.

Just like the aircraft carrier, which now RETIRED General Franks is taking the blame.

So sad...

Gertz Hurts

It's painful to read his columns, but here's todays:

U.S. intelligence officials say a high-profile political assassination, triggered by the public release of a new message from Osama bin Laden, will lead off the next major al Qaeda terrorist attack, The Washington Times has learned.

The assassination plan is among new details of al Qaeda plots disclosed by U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports who, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the killing could be carried out against a U.S. or foreign leader either in the United States or abroad.

The officials mentioned Saudi Arabia and Yemen, two nations that are working with the United States in the battle against al Qaeda, as likely locales for the opening assassination.

Shorter Gertz:

Hi, I'm Bill Gertz, the man who issues dire warnings on a weekly basis, and who hopes one actually happens so I can look good.

Each week you'll notice I never cite a source beyond Mr. Anonymous. It's a great scene, mang.

By the way, the owner of my paper is a psycho, rightwing nut, who was recently crowned by Congress and actually did the furnishings for submarines sold to the North Koreans, so that's nice.

Plame

From reader SF:

So a federal judge held a reporter for Time magazine in contempt of court for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating the leak of the identity of a covert CIA officer. The managing editor of Time vowed to appeal this decision as far as necessary to protect journalists from being forced to reveal their confidential sources. A couple of things jump out at me here:

First, there is no "journalistic privilege" at common law, at least that I'm aware of, that shields from disclosure a journalist's communications with confidential sources (as opposed to professional and spousal privileges, for example). Arguing that there is, or that there should be, is a loser as a matter of law IMO. New privileges don’t just arise out of nowhere.

Second, the brief in defense of the appeal will undoubtedly contain a section that begins, "Even assuming arguendo that a journalistic privilege does or should exist at common law..." This may be the most politically damaging part of the entire case for Rove and Co., because it will highlight for the courts, the media and, hopefully, for the public, the unusually outrageous nature of the act in question-- outing a covert CIA operative. The argument will be that outing Valerie Plame was an act nothing short of treason, and in the face of such conduct public policy requires courts to pierce the veil of privilege in the interest of justice. I don’t know how far the public policy argument will go (or will have to go), but it will force everyone paying attention to focus on the unusual nature of the facts of this case. Obviously, focusing on the facts is not this administration’s strong suit.

How long has this been going on for?

Josh Marshall has more.

Thoughts...

Looking for an open forum on this.

I think Bush will lose bigtime, OBLaden discounted.

So many people are "scared" he's going to win, and it's not surprising the word "scared" is used since the Bush campaign since 9/11 has always been one of fear. I think this is what creates the doubt about Kerry winning. The media doesn't help.

But, when you look at the problems states face on a budget level, when cops and firefighters are getting less and complaining, when the elderly knows the medicare bill is a corporate giveaway and they can no longer get drugs from Canada, when more people are motivated to register than ever before, when there's fear of a draft, when a preemptive war was started with no justification, with Afghanistan being a mess, with 1000 soldiers dead, with an environmental program that's a joke, tax cuts for the wealthy, Jesus mentioned at every turn, 4 year period of job loss, people getting worse pay than they had, health costs going up, and education bill that was underfunded, and of course, the fact that he's a moron, I think it's REALLY UNLIKELY that you'll see Bush for 4 more years.

But people are "scared" he's gonna win. Yes, they've been trying to scare you, but it may just backfire.

Thoughts?

Boycott

I don't usually get involved, but maybe I should.

The Body Shop advocated a "right of return" for Palestinians as a human rights goal, according to their website, which is linked.

There's no mention of what has happened to Israeli by the human rights-minded Palestinians.

You can complain via this email address: usa.info@the-body-shop.com

Phish

Well, tour begins today for me, so posting will be limited.

If you'd like to follow the boys last run, you can do so here.

Pfffforter Goss?

So, Dumbya makes it a partisan issue:

President Bush has chosen U.S. Rep. Porter Goss, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and a one-time Army intelligence operative, to be the new director of the CIA, it was learned Tuesday.

A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Bush planned to announce the selection of Goss later Tuesday during a White House appearance.

He chooses a Republican House Hack who has some CIA background to make it seem as if he's qualified.

Dumbya very easily could have chosen John Lehman, Richard Armitage, Sam Nunn, or a host of others who would have cleared the Senate easily. Instead, they choose Goss, who will likely encounter resistance. This will give Dumbya the opportunity to say "the democrats are upholding our choice of Porter Goss to the CIA, which is putting Americuns at risk!"

No, no, they'd never take advantage of terror...November cannot come fast enough.

BY THE WAY, the President campaigns in Florida today. What a coincidence.

Turkey

Bomb:

Near-simultaneous explosions have hit two Istanbul hotels, killing two people, while a bomb attack at a fuel storage depot in the capital failed, Turkish police and company officials said.

Anyone know the date when the Iraq/Turkey War begins? Just curious.

In the Words of Eddie Murphy...

"What a silly negro...":

If he (Keyes) wins, "the victory is for God," he said.

The Hypocrite

WaPo on Keyes.

Fed Hike

Fed Hike:

Despite growing evidence that business activity is cooling, economists expect the Federal Reserve to raise its target for short-term interest rates Tuesday by a quarter-point to 1.5%, the second increase since late June.

But after Friday's dismal unemployment report, a number now say that unless jobs, spending and other data improve in a hurry, the central bank could skip a further increase at its Sept. 21 meeting.

That's a major swing from a month ago, when the general feeling in the financial markets was that the Fed had waited too long to raise rates from 40-year lows and risked fueling inflation.

Maybe we'll have two Bushes blaming Greenspan for an election loss?

Taxes Up in NJ

From the Star Ledge:

New Jersey has increased taxes more than any state other than New York since Gov. James E. McGreevey took office in 2002, a Star-Ledger analysis of state budget data shows.

On a per-capita basis, New Jersey's increases have been the highest, with taxes rising an average of $417 per person, according to the analysis of data collected by the National Association of State Budget Officers for the fiscal years 2003 through 2005...

New Jersey has raised taxes by $3.6 billion since McGreevey took office. The $1.7 billion increase in his third budget is the largest by any state this year...

Most of McGreevey's tax increases have been narrowly targeted, hitting corporations and wealthy taxpayers, for example, and smokers and people with bad driving records.

It's been said, as Dumbya cuts taxes the states pickup the slack. At least McGreevey targets the right people.

Btw, no mention in the article of what governor gave us the debt during a great economy. Unreal.

People of the Bush

Sign of weakness:

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 8 - Susanne Jacobsmeyer, a member of the West County Assembly of God in a St. Louis suburb, voted for George W. Bush four years ago, but mostly out of loyalty as a Republican and not with much passion.

This year, Ms. Jacobsmeyer is a "team leader" in the Bush campaign's effort to turn out conservative Christian voters. "This year I am voting for him as a man of faith," she said over breakfast after an early morning service. "He has proven that he will do what is right, and he will look to God first."

The Bush campaign is seeking to rally conservative churches and their members to help turn out sympathetic voters this fall, and West County Assembly of God, a 600-member evangelical congregation in a Republican district of a pivotal swing state, is on the front lines of the effort.

When you have to pander to your base, or reach out to them for votes, you have problems. These groups and added voters should be solidly in camp. You should be reaching across to the other party for votes right now, like Kerry is attempting.

Doh!

Bush, Ridge, and the rest of em screw up, again:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- The effort by U.S. officials to justify raising the terror alert level last week may have shut down an important source of information that has already led to a series of al Qaeda arrests, Pakistani intelligence sources have said.

Until U.S. officials leaked the arrest of Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan to reporters, Pakistan had been using him in a sting operation to track down al Qaeda operatives around the world, the sources said.

Why is it this terror alert had to be so detailed, yet the previous 5 were so vague?

Apparently this terror sting is overblown, and to top it off, it seems the desire to make Dumbya look good closer to the election, it was necessary to blowup terror leads into other investigations. Nice work!

Monitor Elections

This is a good thing:

A team of international observers will monitor the presidential election in November, according to the U.S. State Department.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe was invited to monitor the election by the State Department. The observers will come from the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

It will be the first time such a team has been present for a U.S. presidential election...

Thirteen Democratic members of the House of Representatives, raising the specter of possible civil rights violations that they said took place in Florida and elsewhere in the 2000 election, wrote to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in July, asking him to send observers.

After Annan rejected their request, saying the administration must make the application, the Democrats asked Secretary of State Colin Powell to do so.

The issue was hotly debated in the House, and Republicans got an amendment to a foreign aid bill that barred federal funds from being used for the United Nations to monitor U.S. elections, The Associated Press reported.

In a letter dated July 30 and released last week, Assistant Secretary of State Paul Kelly told the Democrats about the invitation to OSCE, without mentioning the U.N. issue.

Why are Democrats so willing to have our elections monitored, and Republicans are not? Makes you wonder.

Greg Palast usually has the answer.

College

The THICK Irony:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush said Friday he opposes the use of a family history at colleges or universities as a factor in determining admission.

Bush stated his position to what's known as "legacy" in response to a question during a Washington forum for minority journalists called Unity 2004.

He was asked, "Colleges should get rid of legacy?"

Bush responded, "Well I think so, yes. I think it ought to be based upon merit."

Is he aware he would be working at Wal-Mart?

Is He Kidding?

Bush throws down the Gauntlet of Stupidity:

STRATHAM, N.H. — President Bush challenged Democratic rival John Kerry yesterday to give a yes-or-no answer about whether he would have supported the invasion of Iraq "knowing what we know now" about the failure to find weapons of mass destruction.

"I have given my answer," Bush said. "We did the right thing, and the world is better off for it."

I hope he asks this question 100 times because if you were to Poll 100 Americans right now, and ask this question, I'd bet 75% would say "No."

Their Man in Baghdad

And the beat goes on:

Iraq has issued arrest warrants for Ahmad Chalabi, a former Governing Council member with strong U.S. ties, on counterfeiting charges, and for his nephew Salem Chalabi - head of the tribunal trying Saddam Hussein - on murder charges, Iraq's chief investigating judge said yesterday.

When questioned White House Officials said, "Never heard of him!" ;)

Iraq Issues

Must Read from last week.