Once again, the Democrats have failed me. I have had type1 diabetes for twenty years. I am terrified. I don't know how I can survive without stuff like the Americans with Disabilities Act, equal opportunity employment, and the forty hour work week. Game over. I am screwed. The Bush administration has done nothing but terrify me since they stole the 2000 election.

Mr. David Corn,

Of course Alito will be confirmed.

The character of America is dead. Love live the neo-American neo-fascists (with the consent of the Democrats)

Thanks for all of your work and the open forum.

Kirk

So when did the United States stop being a republic where the representatives of the citizenry are (technically) in charge and able to oversee the actions of the federal government? Sometime, it seems, after George W. Bush became president. David Corn

The National Security Act, Corporations, and the Media August 01, 2005
By: Sheldon Drobny
Common Dreams

The National Security Act (NSA) created the CIA and other covert agencies in the executive branch. It was passed in 1947 and signed by Harry Truman. Allegedly the act was a post World War Two measure to counter the expansion of the Soviet Union. That was the governments official public announcement about the reasons for the Act and the media was in lock step in its reporting of this reason. However, Gore Vidal and many other astute writers and historians know that the official reason for the Act had nothing to do with its genesis. Let me explain. Many historians know that the United States was unmatched in military and economic power in 1947. The Soviet Union had been virtually destroyed in the War and that country had lost approximately 25 million of its people. The Yalta Conference was supposed to settle the issue of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe. Russia had been attacked 3 times in the 20th century through what is called the Polish Corridor and wanted security from further attack. So the military victories by the Soviet Union at the end of the War created the political reality of Eastern Europe. The United States only had a problem with oppressive Soviet style dictatorships, but did not have a problem with fascist regimes all over the world before and after the War. The NSA was the linchpin upon which the government operations went underground and was the birth pang to the military industrial complex that Eisenhower spoke about. What most people are not aware is that all of this was about corporate dominance and big business. More.

**********************

Certainly things have been aggravated in the past 50+ years, but...

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction of evil--hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars--must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength To Love, 1963.

The dems NEVER let me down, because this is exactly what I expect of them. I'm sorry to say "I told you so" corky, but we can't rely on anyone from either side of the isle to bail us out of this train wreck. I jsut read this article,

Top Senate Democrat Supports Outsourcing
By S. SRINIVASAN
AP

BANGALORE, India (Jan. 13) - U.S. Senator Max Baucus, the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Finance Committee, said Friday he supports outsourcing white-collar jobs to low-wage countries such as India - a position at odds with his party's traditional stance on the issue.

Baucus insisted a majority of fellow Senate Democrats agreed with him, despite the party's longtime opposition to American companies moving jobs overseas.

"Everybody is concerned about job losses and so am I," he told The Associated Press in an interview in Bangalore, his first stop on an five-day tour of India with U.S. business leaders.

"But the world is flat and we must work harder to better retrain our people," rather than resist outsourcing, he said. "Offshoring is a fact of globalization. Opportunities for U.S. companies come from everywhere - including India."
--------
Classic dem doubletalk. Express concern for job losses, then support outsourcing. Maybe he thinks our kids, after pouring many thousands of dollars into college, should then head on over to India and work for $30 a month, what a GREAT plan! With asshole frinds like that, who needs enemies??

Bush Authorized Domestic Spying Before 9/11
By Jason Leopold
t r u t h o u t | Perspective
Friday 13 January 2006

The National Security Agency advised President Bush in early 2001 that it had been eavesdropping on Americans during the course of its work monitoring suspected terrorists and foreigners believed to have ties to terrorist groups, according to a declassified document.

The NSA's vast data-mining activities began shortly after Bush was sworn in as president and the document contradicts his assertion that the 9/11 attacks prompted him to take the unprecedented step of signing a secret executive order authorizing the NSA to monitor a select number of American citizens thought to have ties to terrorist groups.

[...]

What had long been understood to be protocol in the event that the NSA spied on average Americans was that the agency would black out the identities of those individuals or immediately destroy the information.

But according to people who worked at the NSA as encryption specialists during this time, that's not what happened. On orders from Defense Department officials and President Bush, the agency kept a running list of the names of Americans in its system and made it readily available to a number of senior officials in the Bush administration, these sources said, which in essence meant the NSA was conducting a covert domestic surveillance operation in violation of the law.

James Risen, author of the book State of War and credited with first breaking the story about the NSA's domestic surveillance operations, said President Bush personally authorized a change in the agency's long-standing policies shortly after he was sworn in in 2001.

"The president personally and directly authorized new operations, like the NSA's domestic surveillance program, that almost certainly would never have been approved under normal circumstances and that raised serious legal or political questions," Risen wrote in the book. "Because of the fevered climate created throughout the government by the president and his senior advisers, Bush sent signals of what he wanted done, without explicit presidential orders" and "the most ambitious got the message."

More.

******************

O.K. so they were listening prior to 9/11, which goes to either dispute the efficacy of listening in the first place or argues for involvment or complicity in the event.

sorry about the typos, caffeine hasn't kicked in yet!

Robert, since they are spying on Quaker peace groups it's pretty obvious that terrorists are not the target, unless peace groups are now considered "enemy combatants." I wonder if the people will ever figure out what they're up to? Maybe they don't want to figure it out, I guess it sucks to have your whole fantasy world collapse around you.

Just another example of how MANY are screwed...

Backdoor Draft, Back Again -- In These Times

"When I signed my contract, the impression was that the IRR was rarely used, only in a national emergency," says Jason. "I didn't think it would be used as a manpower tool to support an occupation."

Hey Saladin,

Of course the Quakers are "enemy combatants" - the NEA are "terrorists" according to Rod Paige...

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." ~ Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963

Saladin, it doesn't do any good to say "I told you so." I can't speak for Corky, but I know (personally) dozens and dozens of people who worked their hearts out to try to get our country back on track (including a few elected officials I know). The Democratic Party HAS done things to help people like Corky and it has every right to feel let down, without someone telling him, "I told you so."

That is counter-productive and, frankly, MEAN, IMO. Some of us had held out a little hope -- that is a GOOD THING. Whether you think so or not! You don't know everything! You act like you've got it all figured out and the rest of us are idiots.

...sorry...he

caffeine, not necessary...I'm just pissed.

Fuck off, Saladin. You effin' know it all.

micki, my intent isn't to be mean. You have missed the back and forth between corky and I many months ago, so I don't expect you to understand what I'm talking about. I am well aware of the hard work that has been done by many people on this countries behalf, I am also aware that there are a few politicians left, on both sides, that seem to care, but they are badly outnumbered. I have never claimed to "have it all figured out," and the last thing I would ever think is that anyone here, besides bushbots, are idiots. You are projecting intent that isn't there. I'm not looking to be counter-productive, the very opposite is true. This country is going down the drain, and one of the primary reasons is because of misplaced faith in politicians that have proven over and over again that our welfare is not the priority. And the sooner people wake up to that fact, the better chance we will have of averting the oncoming disaster. It is impossible to make sound decisions based on endless lies and deceit, which is what we have been given to work with, and I, for one, am fed up with it. It's not as if I haven't provided hundreds of links with information to back up what I have been trying to say. I love this country and hope for it to be restored to what it once was. But I have known for a long time that we need serious change, from top to bottom. The status quo is unacceptable to me. My post at #147 on the previous thread makes clear how I feel. We have to come together, before it's too late. I'm not the bad guy here micki.

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." ~ Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968)

The other day, a radio talk show had a brief topic "what to name the new era we are in". The speaker was hoping for something positive...but could not find a word that summarized this era in a positive light.

Can we try for a accurate word? What about

"PREVARIFICATION"

With an Alito confirmatioon, that would sum up the era we have entered. The Age Of Prevarification.

We are in it now...no turning back.

Courage friends. Courage, we need daily affirmations that we seek goodness and truth in all things, each day. That is all we can do, regardless if whether it is enough.

Peace,
th

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." ~ Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968), Strength to Love, 1963

carolines comment is something the trolls will just use against all of us. Way to go. I guess my desire to see bushco go down inflames isn't good enough for some people here, I just don't tow the proper line. And I never will.

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools." ~ Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968)

I couldn't care less what the trolls say about "us" -- I'm not one of "you."

Saladin, you have bashed ALL Dems and Repugs over the months -- they are all alike, yada yada yada -- and then you back-off when challenged and say, "well, a few are okay."

But, I am not going down that path with you.

Come together? You want to throw out the whole government, lock stock and barrel. That is not realistic. If you think Libertarians are our saviors, I've got news for you, hon.

WHOOOA...

I dont think Saladin intends to be mean. I think she is pretty much right about the Democrats these days. I just don't know if they are being simply incompetent or complicit. Thanks to the Democrats, who I have often loyally voted for, my future is pretty bleak.

Great qoutes capt.!

Bush could seize absolute control of U.S. government

President George W. Bush has signed executive orders giving him sole authority to impose martial law, suspend habeas corpus and ignore the Posse Comitatus Act that prohibits deployment of U.S. troops on American streets. This would give him absolute dictatorial power over the government with no checks and balances.

Bush discussed imposing martial law on American streets in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks by activating "national security initiatives" put in place by Ronald Reagan during the 1980s.

These "national security initiatives," hatched in 1982 by controversial Marine Colonel Oliver North, later one of the key players in the Iran-Contra Scandal, charged the Federal Emergency Management Agency with administering executive orders that allowed suspension of the Constitution, implementation of martial law, establishment of internment camps, and the turning the government over to the President.

John Brinkerhoff, deputy director of FEMA, developed the martial law implementation plan, following a template originally developed by former FEMA director Louis Guiffrida to battle a "national uprising of black militants." Gifuffrida’s implementation of martial law called for jailing at least 21 million African Americans in "relocation camps." Brinkerhoff later admitted in an interview with the Miami Herald that President Reagan signed off on the initiatives and they remained in place, dormant, until George W. Bush took office.

Brinkerhoff moved on the Anser Institute for Homeland Security and, following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, provided the Bush White House and the Pentagon with talking points supporting revised "national security initiatives" that would could allow imposition of martial law and suspension of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1978, the law that is supposed to forbid use of troops for domestic law enforcement.

Brinkerhoff wrote that intentions of Posse Comitatus are "misunderstood and misapplied" and that the U.S. has in times of national emergency the "full and absolute authority" to send troops into American streets to "enforce order and maintain the peace."

Bush used parts of the plan to send troops into the streets of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. In addition, FEMA hired former special forces personnel from the mercenary firm Blackwater USA to "enforce security."

Blackwater USA, in its promotional materials, describes itself as "the most comprehensive professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability operations company in the world," adding that "we have established a global presence and provide training and operational solutions for the 21st century in support of security and peace, and freedom and democracy everywhere."

Blackwater is also a major U.S. contractor in Iraq and has a contract with the Bush White House to provide additional security work "on an as-needed basis."

The Department of Homeland Security established the "Northern Command for National Defense," a wide-ranging program that includes FEMA, the Pentagon, the FBI and the National Security Agency. Executive orders already signed by Bush allow the Northern Command to send troops into American streets, seize control of radio and television stations and networks and impose martial law "in times of national emergency."

The authority to declare what is or is not a national emergency rests entirely with Bush who does not have to either consult or seek the approval of Congress for permission to assume absolute control over the government of the United States.

The White House press office would neither confirm nor deny existence of Bush’s executive orders or the existence of the Northern Command for National Defense. Neither would the Department of Homeland Security.

But my sources within the White House and DHS tell me the plans are in place, ready for implementation when the command comes from the man who keeps telling the American public that he is a "war time president" who will "do anything in my power" to impose his will on the people of the United States.

And he has made sure that power will be absolute when he chooses to use it.

and the abyss widens. corky, if I have hurt your feelings I'm sorry. I hope you know me well enough to realize that wasn't my intent. I hope what I sent to you was received, so you will know that I do have hope, otherwise I would leave this country behind and never look back.

"A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

All of the "us" and "them" stuff is a creation of evil men like Karl Rove. The only divisions that should concern us now are GOOD and EVIL. Once the people figure that out we will be okay. I believe that Karl has convinced a great many people that his side is the "good" side. Like smoke on the water in the morning, his lies will be burned away by the warmth of a rising sun of truth.

Again I must say I come for my daily laugh. But after reading what Saladin had to say on post #15, I agree with him. Even though I come here to pock fun and laugh at the liberals, I am by no means happy with this current crop of Republicans. I would support real 3rd party only if would diplace both current party's. But won't support a third party if it is just going to get the Liberals back in power.
Couple of questions for the Liberal folks here. What are you going to say when the WMD are found in Iraq? How are you going to act? What are you going to say when the real facts are revealed and Saddam and Osama were in it together? Just wondering

Saladin,

No harm done my friend.

"The only divisions that should concern us now are GOOD and EVIL."

Amen - brother!

capt

micki, that is NOT true! What path are you talking about? I have always acknowledged the presence of some good guys, I have posted many links written by the real patriots that are not afraid to call a spade a spade. I have never said Libertarians are the knights in shining armor, just that they could provide a viable third party, which we desperately need. I have read many comments on this forum advocating throwing out the govt. and starting over, yet when I say it, even jokingly, you go off the deep end. You are welcome to your traitorous dem party, I want no part of it. If someone ever comes along with the balls to drag the truth out into the light, I will support that person, but I'm still waiting. Unfortunately, Cynthia McKinney has already been stabbed in the back by her own, she is one of the few brave souls in DC. And since Wellstone, who was my last hope, has been murdered, the wait may be a long one.

WMDs in Iraq?

I am still waiting for somebody to find Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster, wireman.

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Padilla filled out an application to join the al qaeda organization? and it was whipped out at his trial and used as evidence against him? ha I wonder what his references were? list your last five places of employment beginning with the most recent: uh...shoe bomber...stewardess...uh...
I wonder if he worked at the magic box cutter factory? reason for leaving this place of employment? uh...the boss had it in for me, ya that's it...

Just a couple hypotheical questions Corky, but that was funny.

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

There are some great democrats and even a couple of good republicans out there. They just do not get any press. This may be a crazy sounding idea, but I think our greatest hope to stop this madness might be Christians. Not Pat Robertson Christians(the ones who are radical fundies like Osama) but REAL Christians who actually look at the ENTIRE Bible, not just one or two vague passages about sodomy. That is why the Neocons have siezed the church. That is why the government wastes so much time and energy on watching the Quakers.

wireman, I am a she. Your fantastical WMD's will never be found because they were never there in the first place. Osama and saddam hated each other, and neither one had anything to do with 9/11. Have you ever heard of the petro dollar? How about the coming Iranian oil Bourse to be traded in euros? Did you know it will start up in March, the same time they are talking about an attack on the nuclear power plant there? Pull your head out and do some research. The terrorists are in DC. If you won't do the research, you have no room for debate. Rhetoric and dogma do not facts make.
Thank you corky. There are a few people here who have always felt annoyed with me, but that's OK. You guys more than make up for that!

"Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

When Hitler was taking over Germany he tried to buddy up with the church. Then when the German people handed him absolute power (he said he needed it to protect the "homeland from terrorists) he replaced all of the Bibles in the church with copies of Mien Kampf and replaced the crucifixes with swastikas.

I still don't know what the Democrats were thinking.

the daily show's Jon Stewart wondered if the posturing by the democrat senators was just "theatre for their constituents"

#24 I don't think that shrub could seize control of crawford texas if he wanted to. Take a look at Iraq, not very successful there, do you seriously think that the american public will stand for martial law in the US? Even if he wanted to declare it he just flat out doesn't have the manpower. He is a legend in his own mind. This guy lives in a bubble and is enthralled by all the people surrounding him telling him he da man. BS, the reality of whatever they think they can pull off is much different than his brain fart style of governance. Let's see them put another hundred thousand "enforcers" or "storm troopers" on the street. Hell they can't even put a hundred thousand additional cops on the street, no additional border patrol, so just where are they going to get the troops to lock down the US? Not a chance in this lifetime. What we do face is a gradual decline in standard of living for most if not all of the citizens and a waking up that government can't and won't do a damn thing to lend a hand. Fantasy lives in DC and actually thinks it makes a difference. Screw em.

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Protesters Under Patriot Act

By Patriot Daily
News Clearinghouse
1-13-6

George Bush wants to create the new criminal of "disruptor" who can be jailed for the crime of "disruptive behavior." A "little-noticed provision" in the latest version of the Patriot Act will empower Secret Service to charge protesters with a new crime of "disrupting major events including political conventions and the Olympics."

The Secret Service would also be empowered to charge persons with "breaching security" and to charge for "entering a restricted area" which is "where the President or other person protected by the Secret Service is or will be temporarily visiting." In short, be sure to stay in those wired, fenced containments or free speech zones.

Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse's diary:

Who is the "disruptor"? Bush Team history tells us the disruptor is an American citizen with the audacity to attend Bush events wearing a T-shirt that criticizes Bush; or a member of civil rights, environmental, anti-war or counter-recruiting groups who protest Bush policies; or a person who invades Bush's bubble by criticizing his policies. A disruptor is also a person who interferes in someone else's activity, such as interrupting Bush when he is speaking at a press conference or during an interview.
----------
I'm curious, is there ANY line at all the bushbots have drawn in regards to this unconstitutional behavior? Is it "all good" as long as it is enforced by bushco?

"We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" is a good read and the parallels to the Bush regime are incontrivertable and chilling.

To deal with people who had chronic health conditions, doctors in the Third Riech would have the "patient" wait in room that was then filled with cyanide gas.

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

I hate being unemployed.

A thought:

Do you think Bush let the situation in New Orleans get so out of hand in the hopes that the people would go nuts and then he could institute his martial law policy? Unfortunately for him those people were remarkably well behaved.

corky, I think the story you told about the lady at your old job was very sad. What you did was honorable. You will find something, and I hope that jerk gets what he deserves!

I gotta go eat. Take it easy my friends. And remember what MLK said. When the trolls come in here, shower them with love and positive energy. The hate and labels are for Bill O Rielly, Karl Rove and Lucifer.

Iraq, the mother of all budget busters

"If Bush had come to the American people with a request to spend several hundred billion dollars and several thousand American lives in order to bring democracy to Iraq, he would have been laughed out of court." ~ noted political scientist Francis Fukuyama

It turns out the eventual cost of the war in Iraq will not be several hundred billion, but according to a new study at least a thousand billion dollars - US$1 trillion, in other words. This figure dwarfs any previous estimate by orders of magnitude.

Given the projected cost of $1 trillion to $2 trillion, one might imagine that American taxpayers are now rolling on the floor in hysterical laughter while gasping for air.

To get an idea of the economic black hole the Iraq war could become, it is useful to remember some of the past estimates given by the administration of President George W Bush. Recall, for example, when then-White House economic adviser Lawrence Lindsey suggested in 2002, six months before the war, that the mission could cost $100 billion to $200 billion, Bush fired him because his estimate was up to three times the $70 billion the administration estimated.

Conservative columnist Paul Craig Robert wrote after the latest estimate: "Americans need to ask themselves if the White House is in competent hands when a $70 billion war becomes a $2 trillion war. Bush sold his war by understating its cost by a factor of 28.57. Any financial officer anywhere in the world whose project was 2,857% over budget would instantly be fired for utter incompetence."

The latest study was done by US economist and Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz, who teaches at Columbia University, and Linda Bilmes of Harvard University.

For the sake of comparison, consider that late last summer the Pentagon was spending $5.6 billion per month on operations in Iraq, an amount that exceeds the average cost of $5.1 billion per month (in real 2004 dollars) for US operations in Vietnam between 1964 and 1972. Currently, the Pentagon is spending about $6 billion per month in Iraq. The total direct cost of the decade-plus Vietnam War to the United States was estimated to be $600 billion. And not even three years after its start, Iraq has already cost 42% of what the Vietnam war did.

"Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thank you Mr. Corn for your insightful posts and the opportunity to learn from some of the best regular posters on this blog….Capt, Micki, Saladin, Jeanne and Hajji….you guys rock!

Pandemoniac,

I Bee sitting on the sideline reading while lmao.

It’s almost inconceivable for a woman, no less a minority woman, to reign her tongue or fingers as the case may be; but believe me, this one is for real. However, once I get started I don’t know when to stop and I definitely do not want my Rican trunk punk’d… I take things so personally.

Reference to “silent minority” came about from a Happy post, ……excluding the Silent fans who visit w/out posting….., although from your post I now see it from a different perspective.

Y’all have a good day!

corky, I read that they have begun bulldozing thousands of homes, many that were not that badly damaged. A court order was issued to stop them but they just came back with a different machine and kept going. My theory, and let me make clear I am not claiming to "know it all," is that these people are being systematically removed from N.O. to make room for more lucrative enterprises. There are plans for casinos and high end housing tracts that will leave the poor of the city with nowhere to go. Does that sound like a bush move to you? Check out who gets the contracts, follow the money, as usual.

What are you going to say when the WMD are found in Iraq? How are you going to act? What are you going to say ...

I don't know about anybody else, but I will say HA

Did Plame out WH plans for finding WMD in Iraq?

In addition to identifying the involvement of individuals in the White House who were close to key players in nuclear proliferation, the CIA Counter-Proliferation Division prevented the shipment of binary VX nerve gas from Turkey into Iraq in November 2002. The Brewster Jennings network in Turkey was able to intercept this shipment which was intended to be hidden in Iraq and later used as evidence that Saddam Hussein was in possession of weapons of mass destruction.

"Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sal, will you quit being SO annoying already! (he sez jokingly) Just like the troll sez were slinging turds at each other. Paul Wellstone was a GREAT senator, constantly fighting the bullshit peddlers. Cynthia McKinney is equally adept at this also but cannot do it alone. So many jerkoff elected officials trying to cover their political asses makes me SICK. Dem or Rep doesn't matter it seems, both politically correct as to be re-elected to their cushy jobs while chimpy drives us straight to hell. We are at the beginning of the end and I don't think we will ever see the upside, hope is good but realistically there are so many forces in motion now we are truly screwed.

"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

DEN, you expose yourself to great condemnation posting such negative comments! That whole episode with McKinney is when I finally threw my hands up in disgust and forever lost hope in the dems. I will never forgive them for what they did to one of the bravest people in DC. They are wretched and useless, truth is not on the agenda, political correctness, going along to get along, that's where it's at if you want to keep your position. I've been waiting for the hammer to fall on Conyers, he is another good guy, but maybe he serves some sort of purpose that I just haven't figured out yet. Perhaps he hasn't rocked the boat hard enough to get the boot!

#50, Sal, I was also dismayed about corky, wish assholes like that would get theirs. Like the idiot that cuts you off to make his exit then flips you the bird cause you got in his way. jerkoffs like that asshole in the workplace are corrosive but when you try to go up against them YOU are the bad guy for making a fuss...go figure. I wish you luck corky! chin up! usually when crap like that happens you end up finding a better job anyway, its happened to me too and worked out for the better.

condemn me! I don't care! like water off a ducks back, it runs right off. I was rejected at an early age (adopted) and have had plenty of time to get used to it (53years) if people don't like what I say, tell me why its wrong or shut the f**k up.

George Bush's rough justice

The career of the latest supreme court nominee has been marked by his hatred of liberalism "

"If the president deems that he's got to torture somebody, including by crushing the testicles of the person's child, there is no law that can stop him?" "No treaty," replied John Yoo, the former justice department official who wrote the crucial memos justifying President Bush's policies on torture, detainees and domestic surveillance without warrants.

Yoo publicly debated last month the radical notion of the "unitary executive" - that the president, as commander-in-chief, is sole judge of the law, unbound by hindrances such as the Geneva conventions, and has inherent authority to subordinate independent government agencies to his fiat. This is the cornerstone of the Bush legal doctrine.

Yoo's interlocutor, Douglass Cassel, a professor at the Notre Dame law school, pointed out that the theory of the unitary executive posits the president above other branches of government: "Also no law by Congress. That is what you wrote in the August 2002 memo."

"I think it depends on why the president thinks he needs to do that," said Yoo.

The "unitary executive" is nothing less than "gospel", declared the federal judge Samuel Alito in 2000 - it is a theory that "best captures the meaning of the constitution's text and structure". Alito's belief was perhaps the paramount credential for his nomination by Bush to the supreme court.

Alito's manner before the Senate judiciary committee's hearings has been prosaic and dutiful. He seems like an understudy for the part of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. But behind the facade of the supplicant who wants to be liked seethes a man out to settle a score.

Few public figures since Nixon have worn their resentment so obviously as Alito. The son of a civil servant, he attended Princeton and Yale law school. "Both opened up new worlds of ideas," he testified. "But this was in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was a time of turmoil at colleges and universities. And I saw some very smart and privileged people behaving irresponsibly."

In his application to the Reagan justice department, Alito wrote that his interest in constitutional law was "motivated in large part by disagreement with Warren court decisions ... particularly in the area ... of reapportionment" - which established the principle of one person, one vote. Alito's law career has been a long effort to reverse the liberalism of the Warren supreme court.

In the Reagan justice department, he argued that the federal government had no responsibility for the "health, safety and welfare" of Americans (a view rejected by Reagan); that "the constitution does not protect the right to an abortion"; that the executive should be immune from liability for illegal domestic wiretapping; that illegal immigrants have no "fundamental rights"; that police had a right to kill an unarmed 15-year-old accused of stealing $10 (a view rejected by the supreme court and every police group that filed in the case); and that it should be legal to fire, and exclude from funded federal programmes, people with Aids, because of "fear of contagion ... reasonable or not".

Against the majority of his court and six other federal courts, he argued that federal regulation of machine guns was unconstitutional. He approved the strip search of a mother and her daughter although they were not named in a warrant, a decision denounced by fellow judge Michael Chertoff, now secretary of homeland security. And Alito backed a law requiring women to tell husbands if they want an abortion, which was overturned by the supreme court on the vote of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor,

On the supreme court, as O'Connor's replacement, he will codify the authoritarianism of the Bush presidency, even after it is gone.

*****end of clip*****

Crash helmets and safety belts, we are in for a rougher ride in this proverbial handbasket.

If Fitz was the emergency brake, no filibuster for Alito might have snapped the cable.

capt

#19 " I just don't tow the proper line. And I never will".

Well boo hoo. Have you ever considered that you aren't special but just a arrogant, superior, offensive know - it - all???

Great quotes Capt! Here is one of my favorites, though it is from the Greek scriptures, I dedicate it to the politicians that are letting us down.

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or else hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say "I am rich, and have aquired riches, and do not need anything at all," but you do not know that you are miserable and pitiable, and poor and blind and naked. I advise you to buy gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white outer garments that you may become dressed, and that the shame of your nakedness does not become manifested, and eyesalve to rub in your eyes, that you may see." Rev. 3:15-18

This is a metaphorical statement. Those with ears to hear, listen.

U.S. pays millions to Halliburton for excess trucks sitting idle in Iraq

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (HalliburtonWatch.org) -- Halliburton charges millions of dollars to U.S. taxpayers for Mercedes trucks that sit idle and unused in the Iraqi desert, an internal Pentagon memo obtained by HalliburtonWatch reveals.

The memo, written on Sept. 16, 2004, by the Baghdad branch manager of the Pentagon's Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), reported that Halliburton's KBR subsidiary "procures and retains excess vehicles" under its troop support contract with the Army Corps of Engineers. The memo concludes that the excess vehicles result in "increased costs to the government."

The total value of the vehicles under review was $300 million and included both purchased and leased vehicles.

*****end of clip*****

The linked piece has a photo. Parked trucks but it seems to fit the formula. No-bid "cost plus" government contracts are the trough from which the pigs devour our grandchildren's tax dollars.

They want to bump the debt ceiling AGAIN.

"Please keep your arms and legs inside the basket!"

capt

Saladin, no doubt!

EEEgad!

I thought about my post at ?15?. MISSPELL! Got to place where I could log in and mea culpa.

The correct spell...PREVARICATE.

Mea culpa.

Foregoing the misspell, that is the word I woud suggest to accuratly portray the era we have entered, and is poignantly illustrated by the Alito hearings and predicted appointment.

Me? I just try to find truth and good in all things, even in trolls. Although,their prevarication obscures and obfuscates the good that exists somewhere in each of us. I keep on hoping.

+++++++++++

Good quotes Capt. Thanks.

Later,
th

64, what's your point? If you find me offensive, don't read my posts!

"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK born - January 15, 1929

War, Lies, and Videotape
They fabricated the case against Iraq, now they're moving on Iran

From: Antiwar.com
By Justin Raimondo

...All right then, let's release the hidden "evidence" of al-Qaeda's much-touted "links" to Saddam: I can hardly wait to see the videotape of the Iraqi dictator playing Risk with Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, as the three of them chat amiably about how to nuke New York, Washington, and Crawford, Texas.

This is the fallback theory the neocons are pushing in light of the complete collapse of the case for WMD, which only the most die-hard cargo-cultists of Neoconland still uphold. It's much more fluid, and easier to "prove," if only in the minds of the president's supporters. Although an alleged Prague meeting between 9/11 hijacker Mohammed Atta and an Iraqi intelligence agent turned out to be a crock, there is an infinite number of similarly tall tales on tap, and I'm sure Senor Hayes and other authors of the neocon school of docudrama will rise to the challenge.
---------------
Great article.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

On October 14, 1964, King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to him for leading non-violent resistance to end racial prejudice in the United States. Starting in 1965, King began to express doubts about the United States' role in the Vietnam War. In February and again in April of 1967, King spoke out strongly against the US's role in the war. In 1968, King and the SCLC organized the "Poor People's Campaign" to address issues of economic justice. The campaign culminated in a march on Washington, D.C. demanding economic aid to the poorest communities of the United States.

Along the way, King also had an impact on popular entertainment. He met Nichelle Nichols who mentioned that she was going to leave the cast of the television series, Star Trek, since she felt was being mistreated by the studio. King personally persuaded her to remain with the series for the sake of being an excellent role model for African Americans on television.

*****end of clip*****

MLK and "Star Trek" - who would have thought it?

capt

Writer jailed for 30 years for criticising U.S.-puppet Government in Iraq

AlJazeera.com | January 13 2006

A lot of conflicting reports have been circulating about the legal case involving Dr. Kamal Sayid Qadir, who was arrested according to law and an established court system for writing an article criticising the puppet U.S.-led government in Iraqi Kurdistan.

In accordance with law no. 21, article 1, enacted by the Kurdistan National Assembly (KNA) in 2003 pertaining to defamation of public institutions, Dr. Qadir, a leading Kurdish academic and one of the region's most prominent writers, has been sent to jail for 30 years for harshly criticising leaders of the U.S.-backed, KDP.

Representatives of many International Human Rights organizations stressed that KRG, now facing pressure from NGO's and UN instruments, angered by KDP's inhuman act(s), must release Dr. Sayid Qadir if it seeks carrying on with its bid to become an applicant for democracy.

And some analysts believe that the arrest of Dr. Sayid Qadir comes as a crucial test of KRG's relations with the international community on one hand, and the KRG protection of freedom of expression on the other hand.

Dr. Sayid Qadir is accused of 'insulting' Massoud Barzani, head of the U.S. backed Kurdish Democratic Party, KDP, one of two parties that rule Iraqi Kurdistan, and publishing critical views of the system in the region.
-----------
HEY! That sounds just like OUR democracy! Way to go bush.

Big Government Is Even Bigger Than You Think

Big Government in America is so huge it boggles the mind and numbs the senses.

But exactly how big is Big Government? For the moment, just consider one key factor: the money spent and controlled by government.

How much of our annual earnings does Big Government take and spend, command and control?

Add the federal budget to all the state and local government budgets in the United States, and subtract out the amounts that they shift between each other ("intergovernmental spending").

Federal, state, and local governments together directly spend a whopping $4.8 Trillion –†every year.

But wait, there's more!

Big Government Politicians hide massive amounts of spending they call "off budget." They conveniently keep these funds out of public view. They pass laws to make these deceptive accounting practices perfectly legal –†for themselves.

Say you file your income taxes this year with a stated income of $60,000. What does the IRS do when they audit you –†and discover that you earned $20,000 a year "off budget?" Do they chalk this up to "normal accounting practices...just like governments do" –†and let it slide? Or do they increase your tax bill, fine you, and throw you in the hoosegow?

Massachusetts state government alone spends at least $20 billion off-the-books –†every year. Conservative estimates give us total off-the-books federal, state, and local government spending of at least $700 billion annually. Add this to the on-the-books spending, and you get government spending of $5.5 Trillion –†every year!

But wait, there's more.

Big Government mandates –†compels us to spend –†another $1.5 Trillion to $3 Trillion every year. This is the externalized cost of government, i.e., the amount that governments force businesses, non-profits, and citizens to spend to comply with government regulations. Examples include collecting payroll taxes, filing tax returns and complying with OSHA, Medicare, EPA, FDA, FTC, FEC, and USDA regulations (to name just a few).

Combined direct and mandated government spending may well exceed $7 Trillion –†and rising –†this year, next year, and every year!

$7 Trillion out of this year's total U.S. economy of approximately $12 Trillion.

Big Government in America is so huge it boggles the mind and numbs the senses.

*****end of clip*****

Nothing CONSERVATIVE about big government.

capt

Capt, no need for conservation when the printing presses are running 24/7! That makes people like happy SO happy! Legal counterfeiting, ya gotta love it!

Upset daddies away at the war? Missing and worried about your spouse? Or maybe your just cross about lossing your buddies and/or limbs...

Not to worry!

Pentagon to families: Go ahead, laugh By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
Fri Jan 13, 6:45 AM ET

-you're-

"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Corky #48. Being unemployed was always my best time. In fact, I enjoyed stretching those periods of not working for the man to maximum length. #49. He let it go because NO was Dem and carried the state to blue. That may have been the Rove factor engaged, but Bush is a ruthless man who will employ meanness to get his way.

Just a word on martial law -- considering current conditions of discord and dissatisfaction, such a declaration would eventually serve to wake the sleeping dog. Bush would need all of the Secret Service, Blackwater and Special Forces just to make sure he didn't get shot. Have you ever seen a chickenhawk cry?

All you fans of Bill Mahr, he is scheduled to be on Larry King tonite. I like him cause he's a straight shooter, no BS guy......How 'bout a little humor? The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta has issued a warning about a new, virulent strain of STD. The disease is contracted through dangerous, high risk behavior. The disease is called Gonorrhoea Lectim and pronounced " gonna re-elect him. " Many victims contracted it in 2004 after having been screwed for the past four years. Cognitive characteristics of infected individuals include: Anti-social personality disorders, delusions of grandeur with messianic overtones, extreme cognitive dissonance, inability to process new information, pronounced xenophobia and paranoia, inability to accept responsibility for own actions, cowardice masked by misplaced bravado, uncontrolled facial smirking, ignorance of geography and history, tendencies towards evangelical theocracy, categorical all or nothing behavior. Naturalists and epidemiologists are amazed at how this destructive disease originated only a few years ago from a bush found in Texas.

January 12, 2006 -- Informed intelligence sources have informed this editor that he has, since October 2005, been under an active federal criminal investigation as part of the Bush administration's probe of leaks about illegal NSA surveillance of U.S. citizens.

To reiterate what I've stated before: I refuse to cede my First Amendment rights and will not cooperate with ANY grand jury asking questions about sources and I will refuse to turn over notebooks or other materials to any investigators, warrant or not. I'm willing to become a political prisoner rather than succumb to the fascist thugs in the Bush administration. WMR is working on a number of investigations involving The Carlyle Group, the Fellowship Foundation, and illegal surveillance. We will continue to publish until the Bush administration makes their move to shut us down. Again, your support has helped us to gain enough of a media presence to make the Bush administration nervous. Wayne Madsen

I'm not the only nattering nabob of naysayers here. Tom Engelhardt sums it up pretty well HERE.

What a coincidence DEN, I just finished reading that article. But, he's just a Libertarian, what does he know? No hope in that corner.

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

How do Pro-Big-Business judges influence cases?

Trader Tapes Excluded from Enron Trial
The Associated Press and Bloomberg News
Friday 13 January 2005

The upcoming trial of Enron Corp. founder Kenneth L. Lay and former Chief Executive Jeffrey K. Skilling won't feature audiotapes of Enron traders discussing how they gamed California's power system for high profit when the state was plagued by rolling blackouts and skyrocketing power prices in 2000 and 2001, a judge ruled Thursday.

US District Judge Sim Lake sided with defense arguments that such inflammatory evidence had no place in the Jan. 30 trial because neither Lay nor Skilling was charged with illegal trading or market manipulation in California.

More.

"If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolute night of bitterness, and your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Robert, I wish they would investigate the part our dear govinator had in that enron debacle. I've read about some pretty shady dealings that helped remove Davis from office. I was no fan of Davis, but what happened to him was wrong.

Yeah, I know what you mean - I wasn't a fan either, but Recall Grey Davis sounds better every day...

Arnold's Enron Secret

It's not what Arnold Schwarzenegger did to the girls a decade back that should raise an eyebrow. According to a series of memoranda our office obtained today, it's his dalliance with the boys in a hotel room just two years ago that's the real scandal.

The wannabe governor has yet to deny that on May 17, 2001, at the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles, he had consensual political intercourse with Enron chieftain Kenneth Lay. Also frolicking with Arnold and Ken was convicted stock swindler Mike Milken.

Now, 34 pages of internal Enron memoranda have just come through this reporter's fax machine that tell all about the tryst between Maria's husband and the corporate con men. It turns out that Schwarzenegger knowingly joined the hush-hush encounter as part of a campaign to sabotage a Davis-Bustamante plan to make Enron and other power pirates then ravaging California pay back the $9 billion in illicit profits they carried off.

Here's the story Arnold doesn't want you to hear. The biggest single threat to Ken Lay and the electricity lords is a private lawsuit filed last year under California's unique Civil Code provision 17200, the "Unfair Business Practices Act." This litigation, heading to trial now in Los Angeles, would make the power companies return the $9 billion they filched from California electricity and gas customers.

It takes real cojones to bring such a suit. Who's the plaintiff taking on the bad guys? Cruz Bustamante, Lieutenant Governor and reluctant leading candidate against Schwarzenegger.

Now follow the action. One month after Cruz brings suit, Enron's Lay calls an emergency secret meeting in L.A. of his political buck-buddies, including Arnold. Their plan, to undercut Davis (according to Enron memos) and "solve" the energy crisis -- that is, make the Bustamante legal threat go away.

How can that be done? Follow the trail with me.

*****end of clip*****

From the way-back machine!

capt

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhwre. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

David says- "I still don't know what the Democrats were thinking?"

This is the problem-they weren't thinking!!! They showed up with the usual incompetence that they normally display. These dimwit Sens. were no match for a intellectual conservative like Alito or Roberts.

It's a dark day in Cornut Land, the regulars are so depressed that they have turned on each other like voltures. You guys/gals have conformed to the Democrat model of self destruction. This is truly amusing to watch.

Don't worry, you can still fantasize about impeachment, or better yet-go back to that conspiracy theory about 9/11 being an inside job. Fiction always works well in perking up someone so depressed.

If you get to depressed, you can always go to Canada and end all the pain by committing legal suicide. Thats the ticket!!

Voltures?

I've heard of electric eels...

Title: Their Armageddonites, and Ours...
Source: AntiWar.com
URL Source: http://www.antiwar.com/utley/?articleid=8376
Published: Jan 12, 2006
Author: Jon Basil Utley

Iran's president and Pat Robertson more alike than you think
by Jon Basil Utley

Pat Robertson and 20 million American fundamentalists are not alone.

The new president of Iran also believes that the end of the world is nigh and "believers" can help speed it up. His government has now allocated millions of dollars for the Jamkaran mosque to help believers prepare for the event. It is staffed by the Bright Future Institute, which fields inquiries and prepares Iranians for the end of this world and eternal life in the next. Among Muslims, especially Shias, much attention is given to this coming battle between good and evil: some 20 percent of the population in Iran is reported to believe in an Armageddon-type scenario –†except the roles are reversed, with America representing evil. The ascetic President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lives so modestly that his only declared assets include a 30-year-old car and a small house, and no money in a bank account.
---------
Two fundamentalists. Matching bookends. God help us.

"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

LBH, you stick to your zero evidence 9/11 conspiracy theory, and I will stick to my mountain of evidence 9/11 theory, 'kay?

Arnold's Enron Connection

August 2003

A month before the Frontline interview and Bush's meeting with Davis, Cheney, who chairs Bush's energy task force, met with Lay to discuss Bush's National Energy Policy. Lay, whose company was the largest contributor to Bush's presidential campaign, made some recommendations that would financially benefit his company. Lay gave Cheney a memo that included eight recommendations for the energy policy. Of the eight, seven were included in the final draft. The energy policy was released in late May 2001, after Schwarzenegger, Riordan, and Milken met with Lay and after the meeting between Bush and Davis and Cheney's Frontline interview.

The policy made only scant references to California's energy crisis, which Enron was accused of igniting, and did not indicate what should be done to provide the state some relief. Cheney said the policy focused on long-term solutions to the country's energy needs, such as opening up drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and freeing up transmission lines. That's why California was ignored in the report, Cheney said.

WhatⳠunknown to many of the voters who will decide Davis's fate on Oct. 7 is that while Cheney dismissed Davis's accusations that power companies were withholding electricity supplies from the state, one company engaged in exactly the type of behavior that Davis described. But Davis would never be told about the manipulative tactics the energy company engaged.

In a confidential settlement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, whose chairman was appointed by Bush a year earlier, Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams Companies agreed to refund California $8 million in profits it reaped by deliberately shutting down one of its power plants in the state in the spring of 2000 to drive up the wholesale price of electricity.

The evidence, a transcript of a tape-recorded telephone conversation between a Williams employee and an employee at a Southern California power plant operated by Williams, shows how the two conspired to jack up power prices and create an artificial electricity shortage by keeping the power plant out of service for two weeks.

*****end of clip*****

Another piece from the way-back machine!

capt

Circus Maximus

Arnie, Enron and Bush Maul California

The hackneyed phrase "political circus" came vividly to life on the shores of the Pacific this month. The national media, hardly sober and substantive in the best of times, was postively drunk with tabloid glee over two lurid spectacles whose simultaneous explosions of sex, blood, celebrity and raw power merged into a single glop of fevered emotionalism, driving the real story deep into the shadows.

We refer, of course, to the elevation of a cartoonish muscle-man to high office and the near-devouring of a Las Vegas circus performer by a white tiger. In the garish cacophony of America's 24-7 media bubble, the election of scandal-plagued Arnold Schwarznegger to the governorship of California was scarcely differentiated from the mauling of Vegas showman Roy Horn during his animal act at the aptly-named Mirage Hotel. Both stories were the subject of non-stop gabbling on every news outlet, with the American media's high priest, CNN's Larry King, alternating interviews with California political players and Vegas heavyweights on the implications of it all.

Politics, tigers, governments, movies: it's all one thing, one product in America's mega-merged media these days. Diversion is the name of the game: keep 'em stirred up, with witless tittilation, primitive emotion, gossip, chatter, anxiety ("Are your taxes going up? Is your deodorant letting you down? Are the terrorists gonna get you? Does your butt look big in this?")--endlessly evoking unfufillable desires for beauty, riches, security, love. Reality gets smothered in the glop.

*****end of clip*****

All from 3 years ago.

capt

Title: 1976 military planners knew hijacked aircraft alone wouldn't bring down WTC quickly enough
Source: Awoken Research Group
URL Source: http://valis.cjb.cc/
Published: Jan 12, 2006
Author: ARG

Codename Grillfire

I am United States Defense Department Intelligence Operative "Grillfire" aka US Government Federal Agent Timothy S. McNiven; in 1976 I took part in a Democratic - Republican Political Party US Congressional Commissioned Military Study to Improve US Air Travel Security while stationed on Strassberg Kasern in Idar-Oberstein,W.Germany assigned to C-Battery 2/81st FA, US Army 1975-76. The purpose of the Study was to Identify Security Lapses and Submit Corrective Actions to the US Congress; on September 11,2001 the Security Lapses that were used to carry out the Attacks were the same ones that were submitted to the US Congress for Correcting "25 Years" before.

As I stated I was an Enlistedman in the Army durring this Study, so I am able to provide you with the information that Enlistedmen were given (I have been asked about information that was part of the Sargents and Officers Duties in the Study; this information will have to come from the Sargents and Officers who took part.) and my own personal activities durring the Study. There were about 100 People from my Unit, I am just one of the Enlistedmen who took part; so I can confirm that this Democratic - Republican Political Party US Congressional Commissioned Military Study took place, what Questions I and the others were asked when I was present and the Non-Resindable Orders that I was given to get this information to the American People if the World Trade Center Twin Towers was ever Attacked in the Manner in which we discussed in the Study.

I explain these Orders in my Affidavit that I gave for the RICO Lawsuit that was filed for Ellen Mariani against the Bush Administration in November 2003 as well as in my WWU Presentation Video.

The information that you need to take away with you is that the Democrats and the Republicans Knew that US Air Travel Security needed to be Improved in 1976 when They conducted this Study to do just that, Improve US Air Travel Security in 1976; They had sufficient information to Remedy the Identified and Known Security Lapses with the Corrective Actions that were sent to the US Congress; and that They had Billions of Dollars in US Tax Payer's Money and 25 Years to "Just Begin" to Implement the Security Upgrades and Improvements from Their Own Study to Improve US Air Travel Security. And, "After all, 25 Years is; a Quarter of a Century" and if the Democrats and Republicans couldnot Act upon Their #1 US Governmental Priority "National Security" in that amount of Time, It is "Not" an International Legal Reason for any Military Action let alone a Democratic - Republican Political Party 100 Year World War.
-------------
They had no way of predicting this attack eh?

From his 2002 Polygraph Exam Results

One of the people from the group had done calculations and had came up with a time frame for a 100 story building to collapse after being hit by an airliner, it was between 1 and 2 hours the exact minutes I can't remember. Later when he was questioned by Military higher ups about a building's engineers disputing his calculations; he said, that unlike him they had to say that to keep their job.
What this shows, is that the same debates that are/were being hashed out about controlled demolition vs. aircraft damage, have already been discussed 30 years ago between building engineers and "military higher-ups."

By the way,
Is an intellectual conservative one who can quote case law up one side and down the other, but not remember being a member of a group that he put no his resume in 1985? Or does it take someone who uses "a" instead of "an" before intellectual to recognize the towering quality of that intellect and integrity?

LBH must be a fan of the Reagan quote "facts are stupid things."

I almost forgot, Alito claims that he put group membership on his resume because he wanted to support ROTC which had been kicked off campus. However, ROTC had been back at Princeton for more than 11 years in 1985 and was thriving. That type of sterling integrity reminds me of one of the great animal symbols that represents American politics....the weasel.

Solly

HAHA Solly! But I wish they wouldn't keep using animals as symbols for idiots and assholes, it's humiliating, for the amimals!

"A lie cannot live." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

animals, whoops!

I like amimals!

"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Saladin,
Agreed. I would rather be stuffed into a wet sack full of weasels than have brunch at the Ritz with politicians and corporate lawyers. And that is not just because brunch at the Ritz is over-rated.

To quote Homer Simpson, "But weaseling out of things is what separates us from the animals... except the weasel."

Solly

capt,
Amimals= friendly French animals?

Solly

500,000 Americans working for principles like those of Martin Luther King Jr.

TrueMajority's vision for America is based on a set of ten principles, like attacking poverty, getting money out of politics, and ensuring equal treatment under law for everyone. Dr. King's stirring words and the example of his life evoke that vision better than anything we could say. If you agree with that vision, join the group.

If you're already a TrueMajority member, push for these principles by calling and writing to Congress, visiting legislators, and speaking up when it counts.

Today is the day we remember Martin Luther King, Jr. But together we can make every day a day to work toward his dream.

The Democrats do have one thing going for them big time. They have the Iraq War Vets running for office. David, they have guts. *I smile* - *a wicked smile*

I think Alito is a spousal abuser and I'm not alone. read this

I wonder if anyone noticed Alitos wife yesterday, she could hardly wipe that Zanax inspired grin off her face. Alito=ASSHOLE+LIKES+IT+TORTURING+OTHERS

#109
Den,
Boy did she get left in the dust. If she went missing I wonder how long it would have taken for him to realize she was gone. Maybe when he was looking for supper on the table? There's a guy who doesn't think he needs the woman he married. What a fk up.

Where are this generations great orators and speakers? Where are our great men of peace and freedom? Where is this leadership taking us as a nation, as a part of the community of nations that share the planet?

War is not the answer. Tax cuts for the wealthy does no address poverty. Cutting social services does not make the needy self-sufficient, the disabled able, nor feed those who cannot provide for themselves.

I have been listening to a few MLK sermons and speeches. The good Reverend can still give me goose-flesh and move my internal dialogue to an emotional high.

I just do not get that from any of the lot of poor politicians we have now.

I wait, eager to be moved by a new politician, one that can move me with simple words about equality, truth, justice and love. Of non-violent action and the big values that matter. The high ideas and ideals that once spoke to all people not just half of a divided nation.

Someday . . .

capt

Hail Chimpy! Absolute Ruler of the unwilling. Thus, the Government can and should throw Jose Padilla in a military prison without a trial and without a lawyer because George Bush has decreed that he is bad. The Government can and should eavesdrop without warrants or oversight on American citizens because it assures us it's only doing it to those people who George Bush believes are bad. The Government can and should strip search children, even without the warrants required by the Constitution, because its only doing it to the people who are bad. And the Government can and should break whatever laws it wants to break in order to act against those people who George Bush says are bad. Read the whole article

"Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jeanne, It set her off when he claimed he wasnt any kind of bigot....why?....She knows him TOO well. I have been in direct proximity of a horrendous spousal abuser father in law. His poor wife would break into tears at the mere mention of him being a "good guy" form anyone. So sad that a man can gain power from doing such a thing. Sick man. Ironic that he would be replacing Ms. O Conner.

capt 112

Why not you capt.? I would lead the people but I don't even have a job.

HA!

I am far too shallow and would likely be very corruptable!

"I am opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position." ~ Mark Twain

capt

Arrested for Exposing Terrorists
The Singular Story of the Cuban Five

Five Cuban men, were arrested in Miami, Florida in September, 1998 and charged with 26 counts of violating the federal laws of the United States. 24 of those charges were relatively minor and technical offenses, such as the use of false names and failure to register as foreign agents. None of the charges involved violence in the U.S., the use of weapons, or property damage.

The Five had come to the United States from Cuba following years of violence perpetrated by a network of terrorist made up of armed mercenaries drawn from the Cuban exile community in Florida. For over forty years these groups have been tolerated, and even hosted, by successive U.S. Governments.

Cuba suffered significant casualties and property destruction at their hands. Cuban protests to the United States Government and the United Nations fell on deaf ears. Following the demise of the socialist states in the early 90's the violence escalated as Cuba struggled to establish a tourism industry. The Miami mercenaries responded with a violent campaign to dissuade foreigners from visiting. A bomb was found in the airport terminal in Havana, tourist buses were bombed, as were hotels. Boats from Miami traveled to Cuba and shelled hotels and tourist facilities.

The mission of the Five was not to obtain U.S. military secrets, as was charged, but rather to monitor the terrorist activities of those mercenaries and report their planned threats back to Cuba.. The arrest and prosecution of these men for their courageous attempt to stop the terror was not only unjust, it exposed the hypocrisy of America's claim to oppose terrorism wherever it surfaces.
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Good overview article on the Cuban Five. This is a very interesting case. What makes it even more interesting is the treatment of Orlando Bosch and Luis Posada Carriles. These two men are true terrorists. Bosch, I believe, still walks the streets of Miami and Carriles who.....

--also became the recipient of inexplicable hospitality from the government of the U.S.. His presence in the United States, following a fraudulent pardon by the outgoing President of Panama, was an open secret, but he was reluctantly taken into custody only after giving a televised press conference. He's now housed by American authorities, not in a prison, but in a special residence inside a detention facility. He faces no prosecutions, only an administrative procedure for not having appropriate residential documents, which could lead to his deportation to a country of his choosing. Meanwhile the U.S. has refused to extradite him to Venezuela where he is facing charges related to terrorism.
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Cuban Five website

NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO FREE THE CUBAN FIVE

Bush has already seized absolute control of the government.

My watch is to see the rise and fall of the Fourth Reich, a.k.a. Nazi America.

"Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Solly #99

Solly, yes Alito had a one-time membership to a club of little importance shown to be a dud by the dimwit Teddy Kennedy. It seems that Teddy is the one who has the problem with women, not Alito. Teddy still belongs to an all male Havard club that was thrown off campus 20 years ago for not allowing women to join. It looks as if the intellectual dishonesty is once again a liberal trait, not conservative.

Thank God the NSA is spying on the Quakers. Wouldn't want peace activist in our midst. I wonder if they were concerned about this guy.

Orlando Bosch's terrorist curriculum vitae

Few terrorists in history have achieved as high a level of criminal activity as Orlando Bosch.

In 1968, his fame was so great that, while under arrest for a bazooka attack on a Polish freighter, the city of Miami proclaimed Orlando Bosch Day, in support of that "exemplary" anti-Castro fighter. The pace of the attacks he carried out consisted of a campaign of terror aimed at scaring the Miami community, and raising money for "the cause" –†including, of course, the terrorist leader's bank account.

Unfortunately, his fellow Miami Cuban Otto Reich, now the White House's top man in Latin America - who helped Bosch escape from Venezuelan justice and find refuge in the United States –†seems to have lost his memory. He declared at a Senate hearing, with apparent candidness, that he was unaware of his friend Orlando Bosch's terrorist past.

That declaration notwithstanding, dozens and dozens of terrorist attacks are attributed to Orlando Bosch and the gangs he led. Perhaps this "black list" will refresh the memory of George W. Bush's close collaborator.
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The list of terrorist activity is a mile long.

Solly #99

"LBH must be a fan of Reagan"

Solly must be a fan of Billy Clinton who famous quote is, "I did not have sex with that women" & "It depends on what the meaning of is ,is"

Now those are great quotes to live by!

DEN 113, don't forget crushing the testicles of little boys in the pursuit of terrorists! (I'm not making that up.)
LBH, dishonesty is a HUMAN trait, sheesh!

LBH, if you want to debate the lies and crimes of clinton, get serious. Forget the blowjob. If lying about sexual escapades was the worst thing politicians did we wouldn't be in this leaky ass boat in the first place!

Saladin #124

Dishonesty is a human trait? Sure if you're a liberal, this is good as an excuse as any.

Gerald,
I saw a book on the mature mind on the Today Show.
It's called the Mature Mind by Gene Cohen.

Publishers Weekly
Old dogs can learn new tricks, says psychiatrist Cohen, drawing on the latest studies of the aging brain and mind. In fact, new scanning technologies show that in some ways the aging brain is more flexible than younger ones.

LBH,
However, rampant assumptions belong to you alone. I do not like either Clinton or the Kennedy family. By the way, I said you must be a fan of the quote. Cutting off my quote is typical of dishonesty and lack of intergrity.

You consider being a memeber of a club that points to increasing numbers of women and minorities at Princeton as "watering down" the student body to be unimportant? For a judge ruling on civil rights issues?

What should I expect from someone who is intellectually dishonest enough to misquote me and make unfounded assumptions about who I do support based on who I do not. Your accusing me of such is laughable since all I did was point to facts.

I should have known better than to feed a troll, but he did hoist himself on his own petard.

Solly

Solly, that is why I generally refrain from engaging them in debate. They have nothing to offer and are not interested in anything beyond partisan bashing, no brain, no headache! No fun at all.

Saladin #125

No debate is necesssary, the facts are already recorded in history