On May 29, 2003, 50 days after the fall of Baghdad, President Bush proclaimed a fresh victory for his administration in Iraq: Two small trailers captured by U.S. troops had turned out to be long-sought mobile "biological laboratories." He declared, "We have found the weapons of mass destruction."
The claim, repeated by top administration officials for months afterward, was hailed at the time as a vindication of the decision to go to war. But even as Bush spoke, U.S. intelligence officials possessed powerful evidence that it was not true.
A secret fact-finding mission to Iraq -- not made public until now -- had already concluded that the trailers had nothing to do with biological weapons. Leaders of the Pentagon-sponsored mission transmitted their unanimous findings to Washington in a field report on May 27, 2003, two days before the president's statement.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
It's been so long
It's been so long and no word from me. DeLay quits, the continued incompetence of the Bush WH, the GOP abandoning the Bush ship as fast as they can. The all of the sudden critical issue of illegal immigration (I guess the GOP needs something other than supporting Bush, destroying America's economy with staggering debt, criminal behavior and the Iraq civil war to run on in November) is huge.
But this latest hypocrisy and possible treason is too much.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/07/whitehouse.leak/index.html
He didn't flip flop? How precious is that. Let's ignore that leaking classified information should put every one of the amoral idiots in prison for decades, but the issue for him is whether he flip-flopped. Of course he didn't, when he said People who leak classified information should go to jail, he wasn't talking about him. The man thinks he's King, can you imagine if Henry VIII thought the rules he made applied to him? Do you think any amoral dictator beleives the rules apply to them. Come on...this man and adminstration is pathological.
If I was a Republican or more importantly a COnservative I'd be abandoning this immoral criminal ship as fast as I could (see Fukuyama and Bartlett's books in recent weeks).
But this latest hypocrisy and possible treason is too much.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/07/whitehouse.leak/index.html
He didn't flip flop? How precious is that. Let's ignore that leaking classified information should put every one of the amoral idiots in prison for decades, but the issue for him is whether he flip-flopped. Of course he didn't, when he said People who leak classified information should go to jail, he wasn't talking about him. The man thinks he's King, can you imagine if Henry VIII thought the rules he made applied to him? Do you think any amoral dictator beleives the rules apply to them. Come on...this man and adminstration is pathological.
If I was a Republican or more importantly a COnservative I'd be abandoning this immoral criminal ship as fast as I could (see Fukuyama and Bartlett's books in recent weeks).
Saturday, March 25, 2006
trashing a man's legacy
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060325/ap_en_mu/obit_owens
yahoo and EVERYONE else is going to say that Buck was the Hee Haw host which completely diminishes his contributions to country music. The man had so many hits, the Beatles loved him, and these obits are going to make him seem like a joke.
I weep with you today Dwight.
yahoo and EVERYONE else is going to say that Buck was the Hee Haw host which completely diminishes his contributions to country music. The man had so many hits, the Beatles loved him, and these obits are going to make him seem like a joke.
I weep with you today Dwight.
Monday, March 20, 2006
No wonder France didn't go along
No wonder France didn’t go along. They knew the truth.
France awaits the NeoCons apology.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11927856/
But on that very trip, there was also a secret contact made. The contact was brokered by the French intelligence service, sources say. Intelligence sources say that in a New York hotel room, CIA officers met with an intermediary who represented Sabri. All discussions between Sabri and the CIA were conducted through a "cutout," or third party. Through the intermediary, intelligence sources say, the CIA paid Sabri more than $100,000 in what was, essentially, "good-faith money." And for his part, Sabri, again through the intermediary, relayed information about Saddam’s actual capabilities.
…
For example, consider biological weapons, a key concern before the war. The CIA said Saddam had an "active" program for "R&D, production and weaponization" for biological agents such as anthrax. Intelligence sources say Sabri indicated Saddam had no significant, active biological weapons program. Sabri was right. After the war, it became clear that there was no program.
Another key issue was the nuclear question: How far away was Saddam from having a bomb? The CIA said if Saddam obtained enriched uranium, he could build a nuclear bomb in "several months to a year." Sabri said Saddam desperately wanted a bomb, but would need much more time than that. Sabri was more accurate.
France awaits the NeoCons apology.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11927856/
But on that very trip, there was also a secret contact made. The contact was brokered by the French intelligence service, sources say. Intelligence sources say that in a New York hotel room, CIA officers met with an intermediary who represented Sabri. All discussions between Sabri and the CIA were conducted through a "cutout," or third party. Through the intermediary, intelligence sources say, the CIA paid Sabri more than $100,000 in what was, essentially, "good-faith money." And for his part, Sabri, again through the intermediary, relayed information about Saddam’s actual capabilities.
…
For example, consider biological weapons, a key concern before the war. The CIA said Saddam had an "active" program for "R&D, production and weaponization" for biological agents such as anthrax. Intelligence sources say Sabri indicated Saddam had no significant, active biological weapons program. Sabri was right. After the war, it became clear that there was no program.
Another key issue was the nuclear question: How far away was Saddam from having a bomb? The CIA said if Saddam obtained enriched uranium, he could build a nuclear bomb in "several months to a year." Sabri said Saddam desperately wanted a bomb, but would need much more time than that. Sabri was more accurate.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
A worse scenario than I imagined before
This is a disastrous outcome that I really hadn’t envisioned.
The prevention of a Sunni-Shia civil war should now be America's foremost priority in Iraq. Such a war might not only suck in Iraq's immediate neighbours, pitting Saudi-backed Sunnis against Iran-backed Shias.
Imagine if Iraq, instead of being the jumping off point for “democracy” in the middle east, was actually the Sarajevo (killing of Archduke Ferdinand) for a horrible regional war amongst the countries in the area.
From this article in the Economist:
The prevention of a Sunni-Shia civil war should now be America's foremost priority in Iraq. Such a war might not only suck in Iraq's immediate neighbours, pitting Saudi-backed Sunnis against Iran-backed Shias.
Imagine if Iraq, instead of being the jumping off point for “democracy” in the middle east, was actually the Sarajevo (killing of Archduke Ferdinand) for a horrible regional war amongst the countries in the area.
From this article in the Economist:
SOMETIMES after people peer into an abyss, they have the sense to step back. ForCopyright © 2006 The Economist Newspaper and The Economist Group. All rights reserved.
the moment, however, Iraqis are continuing their march of folly. The bombing
last week of the Shias' revered Askariya mosque in the city of Samarra unleashed
the most intense sectarian violence since the American invasion and the toppling
of Saddam Hussein nearly three years ago. What began as a Sunni-dominated
insurgency against the occupiers is now beginning to look increasingly like a
civil war between Iraqis themselves. This is no doubt exactly what the mosque's
attackers were hoping for. Such a war would plunge Iraq deeper into mayhem and
mark the definitive failure of George Bush's vaunted “freedom” project in the
Middle East, not just in the eyes of Arabs but in those of Americans, too. In
the aftermath of the new violence, one poll showed Mr Bush's approval rating at
34%, the lowest of his presidency.
A schism not just in Iraq, but
also in Islam The prevention of a Sunni-Shia civil war should now be America's
foremost priority in Iraq. Such a war might not only suck in Iraq's immediate
neighbours, pitting Saudi-backed Sunnis against Iran-backed Shias. It might have
effects even further afield, along the Sunni-Shia fault-line that runs through
Islam as a whole (see article). At this point, however, it is no longer in the
power of the Americans alone to prevent such a catastrophe. It is primarily a
job for Iraqis themselves. And it is not so much a military job as a political
one. The Shia majority that came out on top in January's general election needs
urgently to show that it is willing to share real power with the parties that
represent the Sunni minority.
Until now, two menacing factors have
worked against this. First, most Sunni Arabs, who have run Iraq since its
creation nearly 90 years ago, seem bizarrely loth to admit that they number
barely a fifth of the population—and cannot see why they should not continue to
run the show. Hence their endorsement of the insurgents, even while electing
representatives to parliament. Second, the newly dominant Shia Arabs, with 60%
of the people, seem increasingly loth to grant the Sunnis a fair share in
government, especially since they seem unable or unwilling to stop insurgents
from carrying out sectarian outrages such as bombing the shrine. Many Shias now
think they simply can and must bash the Sunnis into submission—and may better be
able to do so once the ring-holding Americans and their allies go. Worse still,
the Shias are divided among themselves, with three of their parties competing
bitterly within the ruling alliance. After the shrine's bombing, many prominent
Shias actually blamed America for the deed. With so deep a reluctance to embrace
compromise or reason, what possible hope for the future?
Optimistic as it may
seem in the circumstances, the events surrounding the bombing of the shrine may
hasten the much-needed first big step towards forestalling all-out civil war:
the formation of a unity government embracing all the main ethnic and religious
factions. Though the new constitution gives the recently renominated prime
minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a couple more months to forge a ruling coalition,
he should speed things up before sectarian hatreds overtake the country. It is
vital that at least the four—and preferably the five—leading alliances in
parliament (the Islamist Shia list to which Dr Jaafari belongs, the Kurds, the
main Sunni Islamist group and the non-sectarian secularists led by Iyad Allawi,
a Shia who has Sunni partners) team up in a government. It is equally vital that
key ministries—defence, interior and finance, among others—be shared out, with
Sunnis getting serious ones, and that ministers are prevented from packing them,
as before, with cronies. And the Shias should respond to the urgings of
America's ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, that the present interior minister, a
Shia who is said to have allowed sectarian death squads to operate out of his
ministry, be sacked.
Once in place, it is no less essential that a unity
government amends the new constitution. Much of the constitution is sound, and
it was duly approved in a national referendum. All the same, it has become
increasingly vital to reassure the Sunnis both that their provinces will get a
fair share of future oil revenues and that a Shia “super-region” will not emerge
in the south and so break Iraq up. The hardest task of a new government will be
to disband militias and reintegrate them into genuinely national forces. So far,
most of the Iraqis recruited into the new Iraqi army have been Shia, and their
loyalty to the idea of a multi-confessional state is at best uncertain.
For
the Shia leadership, making compromises such as these will require a supreme
effort of self-control. Having been long oppressed, Iraq's Shias feel that they
are gathering strength and are owed their place in the sun. The insurgents have
sorely provoked them, striking mercilessly at their homes, markets and holy
places. Until recently, influential politicians and clergy, especially the
Shias' Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, had succeeded, as outrage followed
atrocity, in restraining the hotheads from wholesale communal revenge. But their
words are now being less dutifully heeded.
America in the middle It
would be wrong to say that the insurgents are beating the Americans on the
battlefield. But they don't have to. The insurgents win merely by making Iraq
ungovernable. The occupying forces and their Iraqi allies have been losing fewer
men than before. But they are no longer the main targets. The Americans and
their allies must not stay indefinitely: virtually all Iraqis long for them to
go. Yet most of Iraq's elected leaders, struggling to build a coalition, agree
that an American rush for the exit would, at this stage, still be likelier to
provoke a descent into all-out civil war than prevent it.
The greater the
sectarian mayhem, the happier the insurgents. Only when the sour Sunni minority
is properly represented in a new government is there the faintest chance of
persuading enough of the insurgents and their supporters that they have a stake
in the new order. Dr Jaafari and his Shia friends have no time to lose. They
must compromise, and fast, or risk being left with only the rump of what was
once Iraq.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Weren't we hostages to middle eastern oil production 3 days ago?
The man hasn't vetoed ANYTHING, not a spending bill, not anything and now he's threatening to veto ANY bill that forbids Arab interests from running our Ocean Ports. One of the very governments that 2 days ago, who were "holding us hostage" with our oil dependence, now they are going to protect our most sensitive places of entry.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/21/port.security/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/21/port.security/index.html
Monday, February 20, 2006
Usualy Bush speech full of distortion and fear
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11465801/
Bush continues to imply that these unstable governments in the middle east are we get all of our oil from. When the VAST majority of our oil comes from North America. Below is a chart of Imports, let’s not forget that the US produces 40% of it’s own oil. So which unstable Middle East country are we overly dependant on?
Typical use of fear to distort the truth from the Bushies…good thing those crazy bastards are rioting over cartoons makes you worried about your oil when it has almost NO IMPACT on US oil supplies.
Crude Oil Imports (Top 15 Countries)(Thousand Barrels per Day)
Country Dec-05 Nov-05 YTD 2005 Dec-04 Jan - Dec 2004
CANADA 1,892 1,776 1,642 1,556 1,616
MEXICO 1,707 1,658 1,550 1,552 1,598
SAUDI ARABIA 1,438 1,267 1,438 1,449 1,495
VENEZUELA 1,183 1,009 1,231 1,379 1,297
NIGERIA 1,174 1,163 1,060 1,006 1,078
ANGOLA 425 641 450 306 306
IRAQ 390 572 520 626 655
ECUADOR 340 264 276 261 232
KUWAIT 268 273 215 205 241
ALGERIA 212 265 228 199 215
BRAZIL 159 65 94 0 51
GABON 139 66 127 233 142
COLOMBIA 135 281 156 135 142
NORWAY 66 103 119 63 143
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 62 70 62 22 49
Bush continues to imply that these unstable governments in the middle east are we get all of our oil from. When the VAST majority of our oil comes from North America. Below is a chart of Imports, let’s not forget that the US produces 40% of it’s own oil. So which unstable Middle East country are we overly dependant on?
Typical use of fear to distort the truth from the Bushies…good thing those crazy bastards are rioting over cartoons makes you worried about your oil when it has almost NO IMPACT on US oil supplies.
Crude Oil Imports (Top 15 Countries)(Thousand Barrels per Day)
Country Dec-05 Nov-05 YTD 2005 Dec-04 Jan - Dec 2004
CANADA 1,892 1,776 1,642 1,556 1,616
MEXICO 1,707 1,658 1,550 1,552 1,598
SAUDI ARABIA 1,438 1,267 1,438 1,449 1,495
VENEZUELA 1,183 1,009 1,231 1,379 1,297
NIGERIA 1,174 1,163 1,060 1,006 1,078
ANGOLA 425 641 450 306 306
IRAQ 390 572 520 626 655
ECUADOR 340 264 276 261 232
KUWAIT 268 273 215 205 241
ALGERIA 212 265 228 199 215
BRAZIL 159 65 94 0 51
GABON 139 66 127 233 142
COLOMBIA 135 281 156 135 142
NORWAY 66 103 119 63 143
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 62 70 62 22 49
Saturday, February 11, 2006
LAME
I saw the headline/hyperlink that said “first photo of Bush and Abramoff”. So, I clicked you can imagine my disappointment with the lameness of calling this a photo of the two of them. I do believe that Bush and he were good buddies and as usual Bush abandons his friends when they no longer provide any utility or they get into trouble (see Kenny Lay), but this is dumb
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1158908,00.html?cnn=yes
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1158908,00.html?cnn=yes
Friday, January 27, 2006
In response the biggest Bushie i know
He sent me this link and attempted to call me out as some lover of Iranian nuke development:
From: Names Deleted to protect the ignorant
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 21:19
To: Me and some other friends
Subject: How about you guys?
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/821b8e1c-8f47-11da-b430-0000779e2340.html
Or do you support letting them have nukes? Where do you stand? There's no room
for nuance. It's one or the other
.
Here is my response, in typical fashion because it's so damn easy the Bushies attempt to be cute provides the opening to point out that this is Bush's mess:
Geez, if Bush had not blown his military wad on Iraq, he might actually be in a
position to do something other than ask the Russians to take the lead. (funny
despots working with despots).
As I've told you a thousand times, Iran has a HUGE secular pro-west faction. The WORST THING Bush could do would be to invade or some other military dumb shit. It would turn those friendly to us, against us.
But, hey that Bush foreign policy is working wonders in the
middle east isn't it? Since Bush took over, two radical groups have been
democratically elected in the region, in Iran and now you've got Hamas running
Palestine.
And like I said before the Iraq debacle, if they have nukes or WMD, Israel will take care of it. Especially now, since Bush's foreign policy incompetence put Hamas in power, which will give rise to Netanyahu in Israel and that crazy bastard's going to bomb everyone.Looks like Bush blew it. AGAIN
Oh, yeah and Osama Bin Laden is still alive, while the Taliban controls
most of Afghanistan. Well played George.May be time to raise the terror level.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Remember when Republicans used to talk about Fiscal Responsibility
http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/26/news/economy/cbo.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. budget deficit will hit $337 billion this year, the Congressional Budget Office said Thursday, according to a source familiar with the forecast.
The forecast does not include a potential $80 billion to $100 billion in additional funds the Bush administration might request to finance the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or more money that likely will be needed this year for Gulf Coast hurricane rebuilding.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. budget deficit will hit $337 billion this year, the Congressional Budget Office said Thursday, according to a source familiar with the forecast.
The forecast does not include a potential $80 billion to $100 billion in additional funds the Bush administration might request to finance the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or more money that likely will be needed this year for Gulf Coast hurricane rebuilding.
Friday, January 13, 2006
More Bush incompetence
Bush implements a “new and improved” prescription drug plan supposed to help seniors get their meds and the opposite happens.
Is there anything this administration doesn’t screw up? Anything? …Anything at all?
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/14/nyregion/14drugs.html
Pathetic
Is there anything this administration doesn’t screw up? Anything? …Anything at all?
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/14/nyregion/14drugs.html
Pathetic
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
LedDale
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft06/news/story?id=2287645&campaign=rss
&source=ESPNHeadlines
If LenDale White did not play on the same team with Bush and Lienhart more people would be talking about awesome he is. He had 26 TDs this year, led the nation, which makes his season the quietest for a scoring leader that I remember.
He averaged over 5 yds/carry for his career and with 541 carries in 3 years he NEVER lost a fumble (according to his stats on ESPN). I'd take him in the top 3.
Bush is costing this guy money. I love me some Reggie, but LenDale totally got overshadowed.
&source=ESPNHeadlines
If LenDale White did not play on the same team with Bush and Lienhart more people would be talking about awesome he is. He had 26 TDs this year, led the nation, which makes his season the quietest for a scoring leader that I remember.
He averaged over 5 yds/carry for his career and with 541 carries in 3 years he NEVER lost a fumble (according to his stats on ESPN). I'd take him in the top 3.
Bush is costing this guy money. I love me some Reggie, but LenDale totally got overshadowed.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
can any member of the GOP stay within the law?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060110.wterminator0110/BNStory/International/
First is was smoking Cuban Cigars (something a lot of people who rant about hating Cuba seem to do) and now he can't even obey the laws he's taken an oath to uphold. Shameful.
Typical of the GOP of George Bush though.
First is was smoking Cuban Cigars (something a lot of people who rant about hating Cuba seem to do) and now he can't even obey the laws he's taken an oath to uphold. Shameful.
Typical of the GOP of George Bush though.
Incompetent AND a common criminal
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060110.wterminator0110/BNStory/International/
First is was smoking Cuban Cigars (something a lot of people who rant about hating Cuba seem to do) and now he can’t even obey the laws he’s taken an oath to uphold. Shameful. Typical of the GOP of George Bush though.
First is was smoking Cuban Cigars (something a lot of people who rant about hating Cuba seem to do) and now he can’t even obey the laws he’s taken an oath to uphold. Shameful. Typical of the GOP of George Bush though.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
ah, duh?
I would think anyone who has read the Constitution would know that you can't survielle people without a warrant. ANd in case you weren't sure, you could look at the FISA law that was enacted because Mr. Nixon was apparently unclear on the COnstituion so Congress future presidents.
And considering that FISA warrants are more or less a rubber stamp when requested (99%+ approvals within hours), Bush's excuses for his criminal actions just don't pass the smell test.
And considering that FISA warrants are more or less a rubber stamp when requested (99%+ approvals within hours), Bush's excuses for his criminal actions just don't pass the smell test.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
This is an old one
I meant to post this some week's ago, but apparently it didn't post: So, here it is
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10530417/from/RS.3/
This is pathetic. He could barely care about outing a secret agent and blowing every contact that she's ever had, putting dozens of peoples lives in jeopardy, but he's going to get uppity about his own breaking of the law when it is exposed. It's not even like it's hard to get a warrant under the FISA rules. In fact 99%+ of all secret warrants are granted in a matter of hours. So, his justifications for breaking the law are simply lies.
Additionally, to pretend like people don't know that their conservations can be tapped is ridiculous, the secret warrants are well-known. It's the lack of oversight (which has led to abuses) that is shameful and it will join the Alien and Sedition Acts and Wilson's despotic stifling of free speech as a low point in American Presidential abuses.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10530417/from/RS.3/
This is pathetic. He could barely care about outing a secret agent and blowing every contact that she's ever had, putting dozens of peoples lives in jeopardy, but he's going to get uppity about his own breaking of the law when it is exposed. It's not even like it's hard to get a warrant under the FISA rules. In fact 99%+ of all secret warrants are granted in a matter of hours. So, his justifications for breaking the law are simply lies.
Additionally, to pretend like people don't know that their conservations can be tapped is ridiculous, the secret warrants are well-known. It's the lack of oversight (which has led to abuses) that is shameful and it will join the Alien and Sedition Acts and Wilson's despotic stifling of free speech as a low point in American Presidential abuses.
So good to be back
It would appear that the corruption and depravity that is the current incarnation of the GOP is going to see the light of day. While I'm no Republican, here's to hoping that the GOP is taken away from the amoral Bushies and returned to moderates or even true Conservatives (think Goldwater)
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Friday, December 02, 2005
Oh dear loard
Now, I hate the BCS bullshit as much as anyone...really I do. It's the sport, competition in the world where 118 teams compete for 5 months and then they have a two-team one game playoff to determine the champion. Never mind that 4 or 5 teams could all be undefeated and obviously have never met each other, but only two play for the title.
BUT, the Federal government should keep it's nose out of it, because if there is one body more inept and incompetent that the NCAA, especially when they deal with Div 1-A Football, it must be Congress.
BUT, the Federal government should keep it's nose out of it, because if there is one body more inept and incompetent that the NCAA, especially when they deal with Div 1-A Football, it must be Congress.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
sure they clap
Has Bush spoke to a Non-military crowd in the past 3 months? I guess when only 37% of America thinks you don't suck, speaking to an audience that has orders to applaud all your lies, name-calling and rhetorical talking points is a good idea.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/30/us.iraq/index.html
AND CB, still waiting for your response to my thorough destruction of your bragging about Bush's impact on the Dow. You're probably doing some research, eh? I suggest you go back to Herbert Hoover for historical parallels.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/30/us.iraq/index.html
AND CB, still waiting for your response to my thorough destruction of your bragging about Bush's impact on the Dow. You're probably doing some research, eh? I suggest you go back to Herbert Hoover for historical parallels.
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