Mr. David Corn,

"But if he had been merely engaging in rhetorical excess, perhaps he should admit that--and his future statements can be judged accordingly."

I have always thought Lowry was full of it.

Great post! Buckley has obviously made a mistake. He is not in lock step and will likely be attacked from those crazy neoconmen. There are some distilling the con out of the neocon. I cannot believe it has taken this long.

Thanks for all of your work.

Kirk

"commander in chief who is willing to stretch the truth"

Kind of odd hearing the author of "The Lies of GW Bush" back pedal to a willingness of the CIC to stretch the truth?

Is it getting to dangerous to call a spade a spade and a liar a liar if the liar is the CIC?

Have the Reich-wingnuts beaten you down until you can no longer use the word lie? Euphemisms are a social grace in conversation but in the political arena they come across as double-speak.

Either way, I think you get the prize for the funniest understatement you have made in a long time.

capt

David, just like the trolls who come here spewing out irrational rhetoric, Lowry has nothing else but insults and name calling, there is and never was any benevolent rationale for this war, it was always based on lust for power and money. Saddam may have been a tyrant but he was OUR tyrant, officially installed and armed by these good ole United States, paid for by John Q. Public and laid low when he stepped out of line by dumping the petrodollar in favor of the Euro. Lowry can answer this question, of all the cruel dictators in the world, why was saddam, a tinpot leader of a faraway country decimated by 10 years of santions, chosen as the baddest of the bad guys and given top priority as the harbinger of a mushroom cloud? And a better question, why did most of congress fall for such blatant bullshit?

whoops, sanctions.

The respected W. Buckley says:

"One can't doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed.... speaks of the bombing of the especially sacred Shiite mosque in Samara and what that has precipitated in the way of revenge. He concludes that "The bombing has completely demolished" what was being attempted..

Our mission has failed because Iraqi animosities have proved uncontainable by an invading army of 130,000 Americans. The great human reserves that call for civil life haven't proved strong enough. No doubt they are latently there, but they have not been able to contend against the ice men who move about in the shadows with bombs and grenades and pistols.
===================================================
Patience is not a Western virtue and perhaps will NEVER BE. One thing the passing years since Bush took office is that clearly, the Iraq War is part of the overall global War on Terror; just as Bush & Co. said it was after 9/11. Belatedly, Europe now knows that it is part of this War whether Old Europe has any troops in Iraq or not.

Buckeley is entitled to his past Skepticism and current Pessimissm/Defeatism. But he, and others that are to his left, perhaps have forgotten that it took Korea (with continuing US Troop presence) over two decades to evolve from a dictatorship to a full blown democracy, something similar in time for Thailand to evovle into a constitutional monarchy, Taiwan (with direct US military support) also took decades, Japan took almost 100 year (with US Military presence), etc... Why do critics expect Iraq, with its additonal complications of religion and ethnicity, to take as little time as between one or two of our election cycles?

This article is a good brief on the fundamental beliefs of modern conservative thought and an interesting profile of some noteworthy intellectuals in the conservative movement. The fight over how this country is governed is not fought only at the ballot box.
____________________________

Point Man for the 'Fifty-Year Project'

For decades conservatives have viewed America's university system as a dangerous cradle of radicalism. Frank Chodorov, founder of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), was among the first to propose a campaign to assert right-wing influence over universities as a central tactic in the conservative movement's grand strategy.

"What the socialists have done can be undone, if there is a will for it," Chodorov wrote in his 1962 autobiography, Out of Step. "Individualism can be revived by implanting the ideas in the minds of the coming generations.... It is, in short, a fifty-year project."

(read on) ...Princeton Tilts Right

Here's some more conservtive thought for your pleasure...

"To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to claim that Jesus was not born of a virgin."
-Cardinal Bellarmine

David,

A swift kick to the testicles of M.Lowry, please, from those of us who watch our children go off to facillitate this insanity.

Not only do we speak out of fear for the lives and well-being of our own kids and others', we speak out so the world may know that such actions are hardly the will of the American people!

We've been supporting out troops personally, intimately while simultaneously cursing the men and women who have power to stop the madness, but stand like silent eunichs as the powers that be loot and shame our nation.

So please, a little "rochambeaux", fom Jill and I, next time!

-T

Oh, Vanity! To presume to fathom the well-spring of a Lowry or a Buckley, or trace the machinations of their art. Permit them one moment of privacy, sir, so they might prepare some civil explanation for the sopping bed clothes. You see, Buckley was enjoying some lemonade in bed, when Lowry uttered something hilarious.

O'Reilly,

To quote a former WCOG Pastor, just before his "retirement"...

"C'mon! We ALL know where babies, even baby Messiahs come from, don't we?"

-T

It's Usually About Money

Now, a respected Arab journalist does not believe that America's hostility to Iran has anything to do with the bourse, scheduled to open in March. Her reason for that statement is that she is sure Bush has no understanding whatsoever of world financial affairs. I tend to agree with her. I think our hostility toward Iran is made in the same place our hostility toward Iraq was made – in Israel.

Nevertheless, we as Americans should be more concerned about the fate of the dollar than the fate of Iran or Israel. The present monetary system, based on a fiat dollar and a privately owned central bank misnamed the Federal Reserve System, is a handy way to rob the American people of the fruit of their labor.

Even creeping inflation that we have suffered since World War II in effect steals money from our paychecks, our pension checks, our savings accounts and our insurance policies. Many years ago, when I bought a $10,000 life-insurance policy, $10,000 was a good sum of money. Today it will buy about $2,000 worth of goods and services. The federal process of deficit spending and monetizing the debt has stolen the remaining $8,000.

The federal deficit and the huge trade deficits do mean something. They mean we are heading for big trouble that we won't be able to bomb our way out of.

More HERE

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

Each and everyday our nation borrows money to service the growing debt. We are digging the hole deeper. This is not managing the economy this is economic suicide.

capt

Don from last thread, agreement is not necessary, my opinion is just that, an opinion. bushco might as well be from another planet, their tactics and behavior are totally alien to the histoty of this country. That just goes to show that surface labels work, the people are fooled and the damage is done. Call them republicans, neocons, christians, conservatives or whatever, none of those titles means a damn thing, it's just window dressing.

only 21 more shopping days until the proposed iranian oil bourse!

as always, click my name to view the informative video 'LOOSE CHANGE 2nd edition'

Exaggerating the case for war is not the reason our Iraq adventure has failed. I opposed the war from the start but it's possible we could have attained the secondary goal of establishing a stable democracy there, if Bushco had not done everything possible to bungle the post-war period. A partial list of errors:

--Failure to secure known munitions areas, resulting in at least 280 tons of conventional munitions falling into the hands of insurgents

--Treatment of Iraq citizens as criminals. House-to-house searches, arresting people in the middle of the night without cause, detaining thousands based on little or no evidence against them.

--Torture

--Attempt to install Chalabi as Hussein's successor

--Failure to prevent looting in the early days and general lawlessness since then (apart from insurgents and coalition deaths, Iraqis are contending with sky-high crime rates.)

--Development of 14 permanent bases in Iraq, giving the appearance that we are staying for a long time.

--Torture

--Shutting down anti-coalition media (Muqtada al-Sadr rose to prominence after his little newsletter was shut down, leading to the Fallujah violence.) and bombing al-Jazeera's offices.

--Disrespect for Islamic culture, typified by the Quran-in-the-toilet episode.

--Multiple episodes of hair-trigger guards killing Iraqi citizens and others at checkpoints

--Torture, and Bushco defense of torture

As I say, this is a partial list. Even if there had been WMDs a-plenty, it would not have changed the situation we now face. If anything, the botched execution of the war is stronger evidence of Bushco's negligence, cruelty and incompetence than their push to go to war in the first place.

40 florida voting machines recorded votes cast 2 weeks early - '04 election

Pasting Buckley [and all other patriots who advocate phased troop redeployment] as a "DEFEATIST" is akin to pasting "stay the course" advocates as "IMPERIALISTIC BLOOD-LUSTING MURDERERS."

I don't buy either characterization but notice who picked up the rock first.

It is my sincere hope Iraqi's are better off than four years ago. We, for our part, have spent a national treasure of $300 billion dollars including over 2500 American and 100,000 Iraqi lives. (I wonder, has our elective war of preemption killed more Iraqis in three years than Saddam Hussein did during his reign of thirty?)

I don't think we lost this war, I think we won. We disarmed Hussein of his nuclear weapons and other WMDs. We stayed to keep security while Iraqi's formed a government. Now, it's reasonable to ask the question: At what point does the security of the Iraq government and the Iraqi people become an Iraqi responsibility? Take the question literally. It's a policy question, not reasonably delegated to field commanders.

UH, WHAT nuclear weapons and WMD's did we disarm him of? I must have missed that headline.

Sal, It happened at night when the embedded journalists were sleeping.

OH. :-)

My point about "disarming" Iraq was to reference the original intent, AKA the mission. Disarming Hussein was the mission. It has been "accomplished." Now the conversation about 'mission accomplished' reasonably includes discussion of redeployment.

Is it me, or is it incredible that the media does not ask the President these questions EVERY SINGLE DAY?

That's the liberal press for ya, constantly picking on our glorious leader!

Patricia Goldsmith: 'One nation, under psy-ops'

Tom Blackburn: 'Friendly criticism can be torture: British blunt about U.S. tactics at Guantanamo'

Sometimes, your friends have to tell you that you are wrong. Unless you were in Britain the past two weeks, you may have missed what Sir Andrew Collins said about us in his courtroom.

What he said was: "America's idea of what is torture is not the same as ours and does not appear to coincide with that of most civilized nations." That stings, and it wouldn't sting if it weren't true.

Sir Andrew is a 63-year-old judge, which the British call a justice, on the high court but which is not the highest court. He is well-known, not least for infuriating Tony Blair's home secretary, David Blunkett, with his rulings. Like someone we know, the Blair government doesn't bear up well to being told by judges that it is breaking the law. But when governments break a law, who else will tell them?

More.

ReddHead from Firedoglake is on AirAmerica at 2pm EST.

Click here to go there

He's Welcome in Pakistan
By Ahmed Rashid
The Washington Post
Sunday 26 February 2006

Lahore - When President Bush lands in Islamabad later this week, it may be the closest he ever comes to being in the same neighborhood as Osama bin Laden. His nemesis is probably only a few hours drive away in Pakistan's Pashtun belt, now considered to be al Qaeda Central and one of the world's most dangerous regions.

During the past 12 months or so, CIA and Pentagon officials have quietly modified the line they employed for three years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks - that bin Laden was hiding out "in the tribal areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border." Now the same officials say with some confidence that he is "not based in Afghanistan." Whatever ambiguity there was in the past is gone: Bin Laden is in Pakistan.

What's left is the question: What are the United States and its ally, Pakistan, doing about it?

Not enough, according to high-ranking Afghan, Pakistani and Western officials I've spoken to here. Indeed, the disastrous policies of the United States and Pakistan, starting with the aftermath of the war in 2001, have only hastened the radicalization of northwest Pakistan and made it more hospitable to bin Laden and his Taliban allies. The region has become a haven for bin Laden and a base for Taliban raids across the border back into Afghanistan which they had fled.

Not that you'd be able to tell any of that from what Bush administration officials have been saying. Almost everything the administration claims about the al Qaeda leader is tinged with bravado and untruthfulness. "We are dealing with a figure who has been able to hide, but he's on the run," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said earlier this month. Here in Pakistan, however, the view is different. Bin Laden is not considered to be on the run, but well protected by friends who are making his life as comfortable as possible.

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

So, just how deep are the ties between ISI and CIA, and the Taliban, and, and.................

O'Reilley #16

[I wonder, has our elective war of preemption killed more Iraqis in three years than Saddam Hussein did during his reign of thirty?]

The answer is no. Respectable human rights groups generally agree that Hussein was responsible for 300,000 Iraqi deaths, not counting those killed in his war with Iran.

The number of Iraqis killed by coalition forces might be around 100,000 but that estimate usually comes from opponents of the war. Even Bush acknowledges there have been at least 30,000 deaths and presumably there are many deaths that have not been counted. Whether the true number is 50,000 or 100,000, Hussein still deserves the title Butcher of Baghdad.

Hussein still deserves the title Butcher of Baghdad. - eggman

That begs the question, "whose butcher?"

The Ba'athists were installed primarily to counter a leftist trend in Iraq, and Hussein was an asassin of Communists...

Have been busy with some other political activism. I know I appreciate being able to come to the Corn site, for many like minded people.

Although it is always refreshing to find many like minded people out there in middle america. I have been out on the streets again with americans audio taping. It is amazing to hear what people are thinking...first hand.

Many folks are really pissed off ( I was in malls) about the PERSISTENT LYING THAT HAS COME OUT OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION. I really believe Congressman Strickland will be elected Governor in Ohio this fall, and if Diebold is not in control of the votes, Ohio will flip to the Democrats in 08..

Here is the latest e-mail from our dear friend Peggy Gish with the Christian Peace Maker Team who has been serving in Iraq for over 2 years. Her statements confirm what some have speculated..that the U.S. has had influence in these bombings.

Sure is fascinating how the U.s. military has done little to stop the violence.


Resistance to Sectarian Violence
24 February, 2006
By Peggy Gish
?

An Iraqi human rights worker was interviewing members of our team for her radio show, when we heard the news. The Shia Al-Askari shrine in Samarra, north of Baghdad, had been heavily bombed early that morning. All around Iraq, groups of angry men gathered to march and protest or retaliate by attacking Sunni mosques and leaders.
?

We heard that gun-battles had erupted in many Baghdad neighborhoods. Police began to close bridges. In a neighborhood where Iraqis of Palestinian origin live, two rocket-propelled grenades exploded. We talked on the phone with a Christian priest who had been injured in his leg by shrapnel when a group of men shot into the church building. We canceled later appointments for the day. Everywhere people were fearful that this would escalate into sectarian war.
?

Out on the streets people lined up at food shops to stock up supplies before they closed for the three ?days of mourning? declared by Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari. He called on Iraqis to ?close the road to those who want to undermine national unity.? Ayatollah Sistani called it ?Black Wednesday and called for seven days of mourning. We bought an extra supply of food, water, and phone cards and then limited our going out the rest of the day. Some of us were able to use the limited electricity to send quick messages back home, asking friends and family to join us in prayer for the situation.
?

?The following day was calmer, but reports of the widespread violence were sobering. Sunni organizations said that ten Sunni Imams had been killed and 168 Sunni Mosques had been attacked. The forensic morgue in Baghdad received 80 new bodies, and in areas east of Baghdad, 47-50 were killed. Even in the next day?s curfew, sporadic violence continued.
?

The news that did not get widely circulated, however, was the many actions to demonstrate and foster unity. On Wednesday, Sunni and Shia marched together from the Al Mansour neighborhood to the Khadamiya district in Baghdad calling for peace. In another Baghdad neighborhood Shia residents protected a Sunni mosque. Sistani urged Shia not to attack Sunni Muslims or their holy places. ?Muqtada Sadr also called for an end to the sectarian violence and commissioned the Mehdi Army in Basra to go to the Sunni mosques to protect them. The Iraqi people generally agree that they have had enough and want to get on with their lives.
?

Many here believe that those who bombed the shrine were trying to incite more division and hatred between Shia and Sunni. Some Iraqis speculate that this was encouraged by U.S. leaders in order to discredit the Jaaferi government to pave the way for putting in leaders more supportive of U.S. policies. One Iraqi neighbor told me that behind this are all the leaders, Iraqi and American, who want to use this to grab more power.
?

Sectarian violence has the potential of causing horrendous damage to Iraqi society. We are encouraged, however by the resistance here to that, among the leaders as well as the Iraqi people.

CURFEW, February 25, 2006
by Allan Slater
?
You may know that Baghdad was under a day time curfew on Friday, February 24. ??Our neighbours told us that it was imposed to prevent large crowds from gathering at mosques.? People were prevented from moving between communities, especially in cars.
?
At first we were a bit apprehensive about venturing out, not knowing what sort of curfew enforcement might be in place.? It was a beautiful spring day without the normal pall of pollution.? From the roof we could see that our neighbours were enjoying the sun out on our street.? I walked down to join in a conversation with our friend Abdul and four other neighbours.? They were discussing the various points of view being expressed about the recent violence.? I am sure they were worried but they were in a jovial mood, talking about who might be benefiting from all the violence.
?
I walked on down to our main street.? It is normally jammed with cars.? There were almost none to be seen.? Most shops were closed.? The mood could only be described as festive.? People were strolling with babes in arms and toddlers at their sides.? Groups of people were chatting.? The actual street had been taken over by boys playing soccer and boys careening by on their bicycles equipped with radios blasting out loud music.
?
The spirit of these people never ceases to amaze me.? They are able to summon up the hope and courage to face each day as it comes.? When they are handed even one day of blessed relief from the chaos and violence they sure know how to make the most of it.
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

When I hear about confrontations between pharmacies and their patrons who are denied the opportunity to buy the medicine (such as birth control) because the pharmacy has decided the medicine is immoral, I'm tempted to conclude the people running the business are complete crackpots.

But the more I read about the fundamental beliefs of conservative thought, the more I understand how these crackpot decisions are consistent with their beliefs.

The concept 'natural law' seems to justify a 'moral correctness' that 'authorizes' them to subject (inflict) their moral standards on others in business practices and law. This is the face of the culture war. The results are no more and no less the diminution of your personal rights. Here's a case in point:

WAR ON BIRTH CONTROL

IN SPITE OF THESE FACTS: "Researchers estimate that widespread use of EC (emergency contraception) could potentially prevent up to half of the approximately 3 million unintended pregnancies that occur annually in the U.S., and one study has suggested that broader use could help prevent as many as 700,000 pregnancies that now result in abortion. - Kaiser Family Foundation."

Last year, Missouri Governor Matt Blunt (who believes that "The Pill" is the same thing as an abortion) chose St. Louis lawyer Ed Martin to serve as the Chair of the St. Louis City Board of Election Commissioners. Martin is now receiving national publicity, but it's not for any effort to modernize the City of St. Louis' elections system. Instead, Martin is being featured for his role in trying to restrict women's access to birth control.

In today's Washington Post, Martin is quoting talking about the national effort to restrict access to emergency contraception and the pill. "Basically, every state now has an effort going to either make Plan B more easily available or to slow it down or make sure that pharmacists don't have to dispense if they oppose it," said Edward R. Martin, a lawyer and lobbyist with Americans United for Life, who has helped put together some of the proposed "conscience" clauses.

Read on (link)

American Soldiers

2,560 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan for Bush and his lies.

Actor Dennis Weaver dead at 81

Wow, that's 3 of my favorites right in a row. If I didn't know better I'd be wondering if this wasn't a mass exodus!

Is the situation in Iraq better or worse now than it was a year ago?
Worse 73%
Better 12%
No change 11%
Don't know 5%
Total Votes: 79,252

Do you think the U.S. should send more troops to Iraq?
No 73%
Yes 18%
Maybe 9%
Total Votes: 65,719

Should the U.S. quickly pull troops out of Iraq?
Yes 56%
No 32%
Maybe 12%
Total Votes: 36,073

Do you think the U.S. can use diplomacy to defuse Shiite-Sunni tensions?
No 70%
Maybe 19%
Yes 12%
Total Votes: 35,029

Do you think the U.S. should stay the course in Iraq?
No 71%
Yes 23%
Maybe 6%
Total Votes: 34,015

Should the National Guard and Army Reserve be expanded, as authorized by Congress?
Yes 48%
No 44%
Not sure 8%

Would expanding the guard and reserves improve disaster preparedness?
Yes 39%
Probably not 23%
Probably 20%
No 18%
Total Votes: 43,515

#26 Are you serious? You want to argue about who killed more Iraqi civilians? What's your rationale: The US killed fewer Iraqi civilians than Hussein so we hold the moral high ground?

Iraqi Civilian Deaths Increase Dramatically After Invasion

Civilian deaths have risen dramatically in Iraq since the country was invaded in March 2003, according to a survey conducted by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Columbia University School of Nursing and Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad. The researchers found that the majority of deaths were attributed to violence, which were primarily the result of military actions by Coalition forces. Most of those killed by Coalition forces were women and children.

David you stated in your latest post "What about Francis Fukuyama, the end-of-history intellectual who recently slammed the neo-cons (with whom he once allied himself) in the New York Times Magazine?

As I pointed out on your blog on Feb.21 Francis Fukuyama continues to participate in a big way with the neo-cons. Unless you do not call being on the Libby Defense Fund Advisory board being involved with the neo-cons.

Fukuyama presently serves on Libby's defense fund committee. I do not call that "with whom he once allied himself".

LIBBY LEGAL DEFENSE TRUST.....ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Ambassador Mel Sembler Chairman
Mel Sembler is the Chairman of the Board of the Sembler Company, a real estate and shopping center development company. He served as United States Ambassador to Italy under President George W. Bush from 2001 through the summer of 2005.

The Honorable Spencer Abraham
Spencer Abraham is Chairman and CEO of The Abraham Group, an international strategic consulting firm based in Washington, DC. After being nominated by President-elect George W. Bush, Spencer Abraham was sworn in as the tenth Secretary of Energy in United States history on January 20, 2001

Mr. Lawrence E. Bathgate II
Mr. Bathgate is the senior partner at Bathgate, Wegener and Wolf, attorneys-at-law, Lakewood, NJ. The firm represents many domestic and multi-national corporations in a variety of business-related matters.

The Honorable Wayne Berman
Wayne Berman is a Principal at the Federalist Group. He also was the founder of Berman Enterprises, a business development consultancy that merged with the Federalist Group in January 2004.

Ambassador Stuart Bernstein
Stuart Bernstein was sworn in as Ambassador to Denmark on August 16, 2001 and served through January 2005. As Chairman of the Bernstein Companies, Stuart Bernstein was a recognized leader in real estate development, investment and management in the Mid-Atlantic region, with the focus of his business efforts centered in Washington, DC.

Ambassador Richard Carlson
Richard Carlson is Vice Chairman of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a policy institute focusing on terrorism. He has experience in journalism and diplomacy and is a former United States Ambassador.

Mr. David Flaum
Mr. Flaum is a leading real estate developer in upstate New York and is the founder and CEO of Flaum Management Company, Inc. of Rochester, New York.

Mr. Steve Forbes
Forbes is Editor-in-chief of business magazine Forbes as well as president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc. Forbes was a candidate in the U.S. Presidential Republican primaries in 1996 and 2000.

Mr. Sam Fox
Sam Fox is chairman, chief executive officer, and founder of Harbour Group, Ltd., a privately owned company with a remarkable record of success in acquiring and building high-quality companies.

Professor Francis Fukuyama
Francis Fukuyama is Bernard L. Schwartz Professor of International Political Economy at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University, and the director of SAIS’†International Development program.

Mr. Shelly Kamins
Mr. Kamins is a Washington area real estate developer, venture capital investor and a long-time Republican activist.

The Honorable Jack Kemp
Former Vice-Presidential candidate, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and Congressman from New York, Jack Kemp has been one of the nation’≥ leading advocates for strong economic growth, free markets and lower tax rates.

The Honorable Jeane Kirkpatrick
Former United Nations Ambassador Kirkpatrick was called ҡ giant among the diplomats of the worldӠby former President Ronald Reagan.

Ambassador Howard Leach
Howard Leach was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to France on July 16, 2001. He arrived in Paris on July 17, 2001, and presented his credentials to President Chirac on September 4, 2001.

Professor Bernard Lewis
Professor Lewis is the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor of Near Eastern Studies Emeritus at Princeton University and the author of The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years, a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist; The Emergence of Modern Turkey; The Arabs in History; and What Went Wrong?: Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response, among other books.

Ms. Mary Matalin
Mary Matalin served as assistant to President George W. Bush and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney from January 2001 through January 2003, and was the first White House official to hold that double title.

Frederic V. Malek
Fred Malek is Chairman of Thayer Capital Partners, a Washington D.C. based merchant bank. Mr. Malek formed Thayer Capital Partners in 1993 to acquire operating companies of divisions of larger companies.

The Honorable Bill Paxon
A member of Congress from 1989 to 1999, Bill Paxon played a key role as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee in electing and re-electing the first House Republican majorities since the 1920s.

Ambassador Mercer Reynolds
Ambassador Mercer Reynolds III is the co-chairman of Cincinnati-based investment firm Reynolds, DeWitt & Co., and Chairman and CEO of Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia.

Ambassador Dennis B. Ross
Ambassador Dennis B. Ross served as Special Middle East Coordinator, from 1988-2000, playing the leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process and in dealing directly with the negotiations.

The Honorable Alan Simpson
Alan K. Simpson served as a Senator from Wyoming from 1979 to 1997. From 1985 to 1995 he was Republican Whip in the Senate and also served as Chairman of the Veterans’†Affairs Committee.

Mr. Allan Tessler
With a specialization in the area of turnaround financing, Mr. Tessler combines extensive management experience with proficiency in corporate and securities legal matters.

The Honorable Fred Thompson
A former United States Senator from Tennessee (1994-2002), former prosecutor and accomplished film and television actor, Thompson currently appears in the Emmy Award-winning drama series Ҍaw & OrderӠas the District Attorney.

The Honorable R. James Woolsey
Former CIA Director, R. James Woolsey joined booz Allen Hamilton in July 2002, as a Vice President and officer in the firm's Global Assurance practice located in McLean, Virginia.

Mr. Michael Green, Trustee
Michael Green is a partner in the Washington, DC office of the law firm Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky LLP.

Posted by: kathleen at February 21, 2006 04:54 PM

24

Saladin, I am really sad to hear the news about Dennis Weaver. This guy was an amazing enviromentalist/activist.

I was able to hear him speak at an enviromental conference called "Windstar" in Aspen Colorado. His dedication to the enviroment was infectious. He walked his talk, by promoting recycled materials in homes. He had built several homes completely out of recycled materials in southern Colorado. He also (along with his wife) donated time and money to enviromental issues.

What a loss for our planet and our nations conscience.

100,000 Iraqi civilians dead, says study

Sarah Boseley, health editor
Friday October 29, 2004
The Guardian

About 100,000 Iraqi civilians - half of them women and children - have died in Iraq since the invasion, mostly as a result of airstrikes by coalition forces, according to the first reliable study of the death toll from Iraqi and US public health experts.

______________
100,000 Dead In Iraq
(link)
"The risk of death was estimated to be 2-5 fold higher after the invasion when compared with the pre-invasion period," notes the story in The Lancet. Extrapolating from this data to the nation as a whole, that translates into a minimum of 100,000 war dead among civilians, the researchers said...

"Indeed, the study directors believe the estimate of 100,000 deaths may be conservative. (Fallujah, for example, was not counted due to the extreme level of violence in that city.)

Graduates versus Oligarchs
By Paul Krugman
The New York Times
Monday 27 February 2006

Ben Bernanke's maiden Congressional testimony as chairman of the Federal Reserve was, everyone agrees, superb. He didn't put a foot wrong on monetary or fiscal policy.

But Mr. Bernanke did stumble at one point. Responding to a question from Representative Barney Frank about income inequality, he declared that "the most important factor" in rising inequality "is the rising skill premium, the increased return to education."

That's a fundamental misreading of what's happening to American society. What we're seeing isn't the rise of a fairly broad class of knowledge workers. Instead, we're seeing the rise of a narrow oligarchy: income and wealth are becoming increasingly concentrated in the hands of a small, privileged elite.

I think of Mr. Bernanke's position, which one hears all the time, as the 80-20 fallacy. It's the notion that the winners in our increasingly unequal society are a fairly large group - that the 20 percent or so of American workers who have the skills to take advantage of new technology and globalization are pulling away from the 80 percent who don't have these skills.

The truth is quite different. Highly educated workers have done better than those with less education, but a college degree has hardly been a ticket to big income gains. The 2006 Economic Report of the President tells us that the real earnings of college graduates actually fell more than 5 percent between 2000 and 2004. Over the longer stretch from 1975 to 2004 the average earnings of college graduates rose, but by less than 1 percent per year.

So who are the winners from rising inequality? It's not the top 20 percent, or even the top 10 percent. The big gains have gone to a much smaller, much richer group than that.

A new research paper by Ian Dew-Becker and Robert Gordon of Northwestern University, "Where Did the Productivity Growth Go?," gives the details. Between 1972 and 2001 the wage and salary income of Americans at the 90th percentile of the income distribution rose only 34 percent, or about 1 percent per year. So being in the top 10 percent of the income distribution, like being a college graduate, wasn't a ticket to big income gains.

But income at the 99th percentile rose 87 percent; income at the 99.9th percentile rose 181 percent; and income at the 99.99th percentile rose 497 percent. No, that's not a misprint.

More.

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

But, Americans keep chasing the "Dream", you, too, can make it to the top.

"But, first you must learn to smile as you kill..." - John Lennon

from DEN's #411 on the last thread...

The Pope, who grew up facing the evils of Hitler and Stalin, knows evil when he sees it.

You post alotta good stuff DEN, but that wasn't one of 'em. The new pope was actually a nazi soldier! The quote above from the article insinuates he was fighting against such evil, when he was clearly part of it.

My repetitive success smacking down you liberal loonitics is a fete-cmplee and now very boringsome. You should all get jobs and move out of your mothers basement. For once in your life, be a patriot and support your president. Now, I have to go make lots and lots of money.

fait accompli or faux accompli?

Alan, the article referred to Pope John Paul.....Sal chastized me a bit for that one too. She doesn't like the catholic church any more than I do. I thought it was interesting article and might provoke a response and it did.

Troll is projecting again.

LBH: "My repetitive success smacking down you liberal loonitics (sic) is a fete-cmplee (sic) and now very boringsome (sic).

You are one sic little cretin. Do you even have a native language?

It's about time people from various political persuasions are engaging in a more serious debate (critique?) of bush's War of Choice in Iraq.

But, David, Rich Lowry is not likely to engage in self-critical reflection. Afterall, he is a moral agent for the cause. He undoubtedly is one of those "thinkers" who believes that our violence is less wrong than "theirs." Lowry believes as many neo-cons do, that real power is shown in the military defeat of enemies, because they see diplomacy or attempts for mutual understanding as "doing nothing." Real power, to them, is not expressed in preventing military conflict, but in using it, even it if means creating instability in the process.

So don't hold your breath waiting for Lowry to alter his position, or eat his words.

James, you're #13... is that a NEW version of that video? Or is the one I've seen?

Alan, the article referred to Pope John Paul...

The quote from it I posted was talking about the NEW pope.

Make the Case for Impeachment!

The President of the United States should not be sending people to be tortured overseas. He should not be illegally spying on U.S. citizens, and he should not be lying to the American public to lead us into war. I urge you to join me, the Center for Constitutional Rights and a growing number of your fellow Representatives in calling for an investigation into the impeachment of President George W. Bush.

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

Some keyboard activism.

capt

#44 Micki you hit the nail on the head... Although I support David for rubbing Lowry's nose in his own hypocritical crap.

Whatha hell? Rude mo/fo, nobody would ever hit one of your links from here just cause you force it on us. The web gods swept it off the last time, and will do the same. Quit wasting your time, dipshit.

A joke from David Letterman:

Osama says we will never get him alive. That’s probably true. He’ll die of old age is more like it.

I'm so sorry Mr. Corn that you have been rattled. It seems to happen quite often now to sane people who actually demand reason. Yes, as Saladin said a few threads back, we should all be standing on our rooftops and yelling. Forego the imagery of New Orleans.

It won't stop. They think they have a handle on the total control thing. They keep lying and lying. You wrote a well-needed book on this.

Did anyone hear that Chertoff is trying to slam the airline industry, it's in USA Today. This is the administration's way of getting our attention away from Bush's port deal. It's just all smoke and mirrors, all the time, isn't it? I think, certainly in this blog, we are writing about what we expect the next president to do. And I think we have reached a consensus. NO MORE BULLSHIT!

The other day I sent the link to Bill Moyers' speech, to the Nick Lampson campaign manager. (Nick Lampson is running against Tom Delay here in Texas) He had seen what I sent before, but emailed back anyway to thank me, and to keep sending anything anyway, in case he hadn't seen it before. That was nice of him. So anyway, I just got a reply on the Bill Moyers speech and they hadn't seen it.
"Thanks alot for the tip off and help."

hey hey

Kathleen @49: #44 Micki you hit the nail on the head... Although I support David for rubbing Lowry's nose in his own hypocritical crap.

Kathleen, I agree with you and support David, too, for challenging Lowry.

We live in a time when lies are accepted. The politics of lying is undermining intelligent discussion and deliberation. We need a better "language" before we can beat back the bushies -- I wish someone would come up with the perfect mix of words that explained CLEARLY AND CONCISELY what this corrupt politics is doing to our country and the world...something to grab the people!

Any ideas?

DEN 41, I didn't intend my comment to be taken as a chastisment, I was just making a observation. I understood which pope you were referring to, my comment was about the church in general. Did you know the papacy was considered the anti-Christ from the late 17th century through the early 1900's by the early prostestant reformers? I guess that's what happens when you go around torturing people into seeing things your way.
I have happy news, my daughter Rachael called me this morning to let me know my third grandson is preparing to make his entrance into the world. This has cheered me up considerably and I wanted to share it with all my friends here on the Corn blog.

Camp Casey and Germany

Congratulationss Sal!!!!! #3? wowser!

Back to the Pope, the Catholic Church lost my attention after spending 8 years in Catholic School, made it thru un-molested. Nuns beat the crap out of me though, mean nasty and vicious.

Saladin,

A grand-baby is something else, entirely! I've grown to treasure every moment of my all-too infrequent time with Allie B.! Allie will be welcoming a baby sister this spring...working title is "Libby".

Love 'em like every day is your last and then love them for a million tomorrows!

-T

The Samarra Bombing and its Aftermath: A New Face on the Civil War?

"...The bombing and the spike in violence afterwards provides the latest proof of the failure of the U.S. military occupation to bring security, let alone "democracy," to the people of Iraq. The declared U.S. strategy of training an Iraqi counter-insurgency military force to replace U.S. and "coalition" troops (not to mention the U.S. effort to enforce "security" in Samarra by surrounding it with a huge earthen wall) is a failure. A Congressional decision to pass the administration's latest supplemental spending bill authorizing about $62 billion for the Iraq war (especially for training Iraqi troops) would represent a complete acquiescence to this utterly failed policy."

"...me know my third grandson is preparing to make his entrance into the world..."

YAY! I'm sending my CONGRATS toooo!
My daughter Randi is just beginning that journey. The doc says she's 8 weeks preggo. I have a grandson coming up on 2 yrs from my other daughter Stefani.

#57 Hey, Grandma! I'm glad to *see* you smile! Best to you, Rachel, baby and all the family!!

A Great Article

ooops -- and it was right in front of me!
Rachael...

DEN,

12 years at Holy Family, here. Had one priest, late in school who became a pretty good friend. Camping, paddling,(in a BOAT, you naughty boy) etc... He tolorated our penchant for breaking the rules and we showed him where all the cool caves were.

He was one of the first to admit that the whole thing might well be revealed to be a sham, someday and that the most reasonable course would be to live according to the golden rule, karma, whatever it took to be good to other humans and good to Gaia, mother earth, etc...

-T

Trained Demolition Experts Blew the Shiite Mosque in Samarra
Source: Bellaciao
URL Source: http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=10638
Published: Feb 27, 2006
Author: Mike Whitney
Post Date: 2006-02-27 13:33:56

The AFP is reporting that the bombing of the Golden Domed Mosque "was the work of specialists" and that the "placing of explosives must have taken at least 12 hours."
Construction Minister Jassem Mohammed Jaafar said, "Holes were dug into the mausoleum’≥ four main pillars and packed with explosives. Then charges were connected together and linked to another charge placed just under the dome. The wires were then linked to a detonator which was triggered at a distance."

Clearly, the bombing was not carried out by rogue elements in the disparate Iraqi resistance. This is the work of highly-trained saboteurs and bomb-experts who were executing a precision-demolition to incite sectarian violence. The blast bears all the hallmarks of a covert Intelligence agency-operation.

Who benefits from such a vicious attack on the foundations of Islamic identity and culture?

Henry Kissinger summarized the current Iraq strategy best when he offered his remedy for the ongoing conflict between Iraq and Iran in the 1980s. Kissinger said blandly, "I hope they kill each other."
--------------
kissinger is a disgusting creature.
The Muslims are not falling for this.

Drewp #43

Sorry to disappoint you drewp, but post #39 was not me. I have not posted here since last Friday.

I will no longer post here, I've already had my fun and now must get back to reality. Just in case anyone uses my name and email address again in the future(cowards).

Good luck to all you Cornnuts in trying to get Bush impeached or whatever it is your trying to prove. I'm sure you'll still be here 2 years from now still pissing and moaning about life under Bush. Also, good luck with next years election, you're going to need it!

Farewell & Good Luck and Good Night!

Thanks everyone, I am both happy and hopeful while at the same time concerned for the future being created for all these beautiful, bright-eyed babies. I told my daughter it's all her fault my hair has begun to go gray, I'm only 43, that's not supposed to happen til I'm like, 80! Or so I thought.

Finally, we know who the chief is?

I know whatcha mean, Saladin. I don't know what I'll do if I EVER start to go gray!

-T

The Case for Impeachment
Why we can no longer afford George W. Bush
Posted on Monday, February 27, 2006. An excerpt from an essay in the March 2006 Harper's Magazine. By Lewis H. Lapham.

A country is not only what it does, it is also what it puts up with, what it tolerates. Kurt Tucholsky

Mr. Lapham makes an excellent case.

This article is right on the money

Moment of Truth

Congrats Saladin!

There are going to be some smart and savvy kids in the generation right behind us that will be good and honest and they will clean up some of the mess our generation has made of things.

Maybe they will find America again.

Happy news!

capt

Gerald, I read that article this morning. As you know that is one of my top 5 major rants!

Saladin, #57 very funny. Yes, but don't get me started on The Church. I just now finished reading the weekend's thread. I live in San Diego on the coast in La Jolla. It sounds like you live in wine country. My glasses just broke so I'm handicappped for the moment.

A very interesting article

Congress Poised to Pass Bill Taking Away Right to Know What's in Your Food
Source: OCA
URL Source: http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd/labeling.cfm
Published: Feb 27, 2006
Author: Ronnie Cummins
Post Date: 2006-02-27 15:10:22

Tell your Congressman or Congresswoman to vote "No" on House of Representatives Bill H.R. 4167, the "National Uniformity for Food Act"

The House of Representatives will vote this week on a controversial "national food uniformity" labeling law that will take away local government and states' power to require food safety food labels such as those required in California and other states on foods or beverages that are likely to cause cancer, birth defects, allergic reactions, or mercury poisoning. This bill would also prevent citizens in local municipalities and states from passing laws requiring that genetically engineered foods and ingredients such as Monsanto's recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) be labeled.

The House will vote March 2, 2006 on a bill that would gut state food safety and labeling laws. H.R. 4167, the "National Uniformity for Food Act," lowers the bar on food safety by overturning state food safety laws that are not "identical" to federal law. Hundreds of state laws and regulations are at risk, including those governing the safety of milk, fish, and shellfish. The bill is being pushed by large supermarket chains and food manufacturers, spearheaded by the powerful Grocery Manufacturers of America.

Big food corporations and the biotech industry understand that consumers are more and more concerned about food safety, genetic engineering, and chemical-intensive agriculture, and are reading labels more closely. They understand that pesticide and mercury residues and hazardous technologies such as genetic engineering and food irradiation will be rejected if there are truthful labels required on food products. Industry-sponsored H.R. 4167 is gaining momentum and must be stopped! Act now! Preserve local and regional democracy and protect yourself and your family from unsafe food by sending an email or calling your Representative and urging them to vote "No" on H.R. 4167.

Please Take Action Now--Send a Message to Your Congress Member in the House of Representatives to Vote "No" on H.R. 4167

And please call your Congress Member at 202-224-3121
-----------
GOD how I HATE this "of the money, for the money" govt!!!

"There is nothing like a newborn baby to renew your spirit - and to buttress your resolve to make the world a better place." ~ Virginia Kelley

Why do you journalists have to get personal? Can't you disagree over an issue without calling the other guy a traitor, or a terrorist, or disloyal? If the war is wrong, is is wrong because it was based on multiple deceptions. Period. Troops die in combat. That is what war is about. Let's cut our losses and get out. We are already the joke of the civilized world.

Carey, we have a good friend in La Jolla! I am in Bishop, far away from wine country, in the high desert at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mtns. If you aren't familiar with it you may recognize the town of Mammoth Lakes, a big ski resort about 25 miles north of us.

Saladin, congrats on the new grandbaby. I only have granddogs, grandcats, grandferrets and that's fine with me. Neither of my kids are married or have any kids, or plan to have any and they're in their 30's.

T, sounds like you lucked out, I was turned off about school because of the Nunzillas.My parents thought they were right to pound on me if I misbehaved, been misbehaving ever since. Take no priznors!! ARRRR!

Carol, I hate to say it but that might be a very wise decision on their part. God only knows what will be left for the coming generation and I have a bad feeling it won't be pleasant. I feel so lucky to have grown up where and when I did. Thanks for the comment.

#31
I love Dennis Weaver. *sad face*

OMG the Humanity of it all!!!The Forest Service is outsourcing SMOKEY THE BEAR!!!! Is nothing sacred? Read all about it.

Twelve years of Catholic school for me. I came out ok; I don't go to church and have nothing but disdain for organized religions everywhere.

Sal #70

When I told my mom that my wife was pregant she looked at me and said that I better start buying her hair coloring right away. Dont worry about the gray hair. Im 34 and have a 10 year old and a two year old. I have been noticing my hair getting gray.

anyway congrats.

DEN, I could never understand their penchant for abuse, and what's up with the self flagellation? And the celibacy? And worshipping Mary, and all the fancy garb, the tons of money, the overt idolotry, something I understand is strictly forbidden in both the Hebrew and Greek scriptures. Where did they come up with the idea of limbo and pergatory, it isn't found anywhere in the bible, who made that stuff up? I know there are a great many good and honest people who are members of that church, but I could never understand what the attraction is to worshipping under the mandate of fear of hellfire and eternal damnation, that turns me RIGHT off! And why would a just and loving God extort worship in such a way? It doesn't make sense to me. It makes him sound more like a tyranical dictator than a loving, benevolent creator. Or maybe that's just me.

# 80 Saladin, our Nazi government wants to kill off her Nazi citizens!

#37
Every college student should read this column. I think many understand and no longer buy into the "I will get rich with the right degree" dream. It's a stupid dream that benefits no one.

Congrats Sal! I have a grandson just over 2 yrs and now a 4 mon. grandaugter. As much as I love them I constantly worry about their future.

Carol, I think your children made a wise decision.

Sal, I think you will find at the beginning of the Catholic Church they adopted the Jewish philosopy for a base and modified everything....except the GUILT! They DO circumsize infants which they apparently liked for the abuse aspect. The insist that everone has to SUFFER, which is not very much like Jesus would have done, stand up, kneel down, sit, kneel down, stand, sit, pew aerobics. Go to confession then everything is ok till next week. Repeat prayers over and over and over, supposed to make a better person out of you, more sheeple if you ask me.

Sal,
Wow! I am happy for you.

Jeanne, remember that movie Duel where he was being chased by the semi-truck driver from hell? That was one of my fav movies when I was a kid and he was always one of the greats to me. I grew up watching Gentle Ben.
Carol 89, ditto!
Paul, thanks for the sentiment. I've been vacillating on the hair color notion, maybe I should just color it all gray and get it over with!

Andrea, thank you, it's good to hear from you!

"A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on." ~ Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967)

Nazi America is on the verge of outsourcing Nazi America to other countries. No jobs will be here for our children and their children. Wake up you stupid Nazi Americans!!!

Gerald, I tend to agree with you. The religious right whines and cries over abortion and birth control but doesn't make a peep when this sort of overt health threat to all is announced. Maybe if it was approached as a risk for unborn babies they would raise a stink!

For me the greatest experience is the Liturgy of the Eucharist and the receiving of the Eucharist.

#101 Saladin, the religious right are hypocrites. If they really cared about the unborn, there would be help for mothers and their babies instead of cutting funding for mothers and their children. Hypocrisy reigns supreme in Nazi America. Names for Nazi America are Murder Incorporated and Hypocrisy Incorporated.

Nazi America is a barbaric police state that is intent on killing off 90% of her citizens.

The Great Amen! When the Eucharistic Minister says, "This is the Body of Christ," I respond as I receive the Body of Christ with an AMEN! Amen for the Bread of Life! The Eucharist means Life, eternal Life!

The glory of God is man fully alive. St. Irenaeus! When I receive the Eucharist, I become fully alive!

Two-Thirds in U.S. Back Abortion Rights

Angus Reid Global Scan) –†Many adults in the United States believe this is not the proper time to review the country’≥ abortion legislation, according to a poll by Gallup released by CNN and USA Today. 66 per cent of respondents would not like to see the Supreme Court overturn its landmark 1973 decision.

The 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling gave American women the right to an abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy, and regulated the procedure during the second trimester "in ways that are reasonably related to maternal health." In the third trimester, a state can choose to proscribe abortion, except when necessary "for the preservation of the life or health of the mother."

Last month, a legal memorandum showed that Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito apparently favours overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling. In 1992, Sandra Day O’Éonnor—¥he justice Alito would replace—∂oted against rescinding the 1973 decision that legalized abortion. Alito has said the document reflects his role as a lawyer, and not the way he would vote on specific issues if and when he joins the Supreme Court.

On Jan. 24, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 10-8—≥trictly along party lines—¥o send Alito’≥ nomination to the Senate for full approval. Democratic Massachusetts senator John Kerry has called for the use of the filibuster—•xtending debate to prevent an actual vote on the nominee.

Polling Data

Would you like to see the Supreme Court overturn its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision concerning abortion, or not?

Jan. 2006 / Jul. 2005

Yes, overturn
25% / 28%

No, not overturn
66% / 63%

No opinion
9% / 9%

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

In spite of the lack of MSM coverage on the issue two thirds do not support overturning Roe v. Wade.

capt

Dennis Weaver was in those made for tv movies that were so good. He was .....
Peter Falk was Columbo.

My husband just said "Oh Tommy..Dennis Weaver...the truck guy died." Spielberg's first movie he directed.

McCloud.

He was Chester Good in Gunsmoke. My husband remembers the craziest things.

Afghanistan Prison Riot 25000 Protest in Pakistan

The Bush administration cannot even control the al-Qaeda operatives it has in prison! Much less the many walking around free because Bush wasted our resources on an Iraq War instead of polishing off al-Qaeda.

Meanwhile, the furor over the Danish caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad has not died down. Some 25,000 pretested in Karachi on Sunday.

Many Muslims are convinced that the caricatures of the Prophet and the attack on the Askariyah Shrine in Samarra were both US plots against Islam.

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

If we are not responsible for the chaos we are responsible for not stopping the chaos. Command Codpiece has the lose - lose plan.

capt

February Monday 27th 2006 (23h56) :
Ray McGovern says US in most danger ever, from its own government.
Bellaciao

A former officer himself, McGovern declared that the unprecedented movement towards a martial law mentality within government and military is a deeply unsettling one and that the US is hurtling toward a dictatorship.

"As I look at the top Pentagon brass, I have to conclude that unlike my days as a US army officer, those folks have been so politicized that if the US President told them to go ahead and exercise police functions in this country they would go ahead and salute and they would do it, and that’≥ really scary."

Moving on to the "war on terror", 27 year veteran McGovern concurred that staged terror has long been used by our governments in order to forward their own agendas at home and elsewhere:

"There’≥ lots of evidence that the government in the past has used these things for its own purposes, for overthrowing governments, as it did in Iran in1953 , and in Guatemala in1954 , the Gulf of Tonkin was a little different...LBJ did deceive Congress and the war went on for seven years."

Concerning 9/11 McGovern declared that although he is still in two minds, he is deeply suspicious of the official version of events and "there is certainly a cover up." The amount of unanswered questions and blatant lies told by Cheney and the NeoCons makes it very easy for him to believe the government was involved.

Moving on to the recent Askariya mosque bombing in Samarra, Iraq McGovern commented;

"The main question is Qui Bono? Who benefits from this kind of thing? You don’¥ have to be very conspiratorial or even paranoid to suggest that there are a whole bunch of likely suspects out there and not only the Sunnis. You know, the British officers were arrested, dressed up in Arab garb, riding around in a car, so this stuff goes on."

Ray McGovern is part of a collective of former Intelligence officers who call themselves Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS). Their writing can be found on www.truthout.com
-------------
Chalk another one up for our side. More than anything else, lying indicates guilt, and is bushco ever guilty!

#107
If that gets overturned it will start revolution in this country. The youth will understand just how much the neocon christian group is trying to control everyone's lives.

"Exit Strategy"
by Barry R. Posen (link)

The United States needs a new strategy in Iraq and the Persian Gulf. The war is at best a stalemate; the large American presence now causes more trouble than it prevents. We must disengage from Iraq?and we must do it by removing most American and allied military units within 18 months. Though disengagement has risks and costs, they can be managed. The consequences would not be worse for the United States than the present situation, and capabilities for dealing with them are impressive, if properly employed.

Some people argue that the United States should disengage because the war was a mistake in the first place, or because it is morally wrong. I do not propose to pass judgment on these questions one way or the other. My case for disengagement is different: it is forward-looking and based on American national interests. The war as it has evolved (and is likely to evolve) badly serves those interests. A well-planned disengagement will serve them much better by reducing military, economic, and political costs.

Let us consider the facts of the case: Read on (link)

Dennis Weaver won the Emmy for Gunsmoke 1959.

Capt,
Democracy Now had a good segment on the afghani prisons. No legal reprsentation and terrible touture. When you couple that with Sal's article on post 112 you have a very frightening picture.

From #114,

"On the whole, the assertion that the announcement of a definite date for the disengagement of American ground troops would be favorable to the insurgency is simply speculation. But administration officials, who do not wish to admit their mistakes and develop a new strategy, make this argument to silence debate and discourage systematic analysis."

********

Very good article and the above really does sum it up in a nutshell.

Thanks

capt

38 Years Ago Today...and what have we learned?

Published on February 27, 1968 by CBS News
"We Are Mired In Stalemate..."
by Walter Cronkite/CBS News' Who, What, When, Why

Tonight, back in more familiar surroundings in New York, we’d like to sum up our findings in Vietnam, an analysis that must be speculative, personal, subjective. Who won and who lost in the great Tet offensive against the cities? I’m not sure. The Vietcong did not win by a knockout, but neither did we. The referees of history may make it a draw. Another standoff may be coming in the big battles expected south of the Demilitarized Zone. Khesanh could well fall, with a terrible loss in American lives, prestige and morale, and this is a tragedy of our stubbornness there; but the bastion no longer is a key to the rest of the northern regions, and it is doubtful that the American forces can be defeated across the breadth of the DMZ with any substantial loss of ground. Another standoff. On the political front, past performance gives no confidence that the Vietnamese government can cope with its problems, now compounded by the attack on the cities. It may not fall, it may hold on, but it probably won’t show the dynamic qualities demanded of this young nation. Another standoff.

We have been too often disappointed by the optimism of the American leaders, both in Vietnam and Washington, to have faith any longer in the silver linings they find in the darkest clouds. They may be right, that Hanoi’s winter-spring offensive has been forced by the Communist realization that they could not win the longer war of attrition, and that the Communists hope that any success in the offensive will improve their position for eventual negotiations. It would improve their position, and it would also require our realization, that we should have had all along, that any negotiations s must be that—negotiations, not the dictation of peace terms. For it seems now more certain than ever that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate. This summer’s almost certain standoff will either end in real give-and-take negotiations or terrible escalation; and for every means we have to escalate, the enemy can match us, and that applies to invasion of the North, the use of nuclear weapons, or the mere commitment of one hundred, or two hundred, or three hundred thousand more American troops to the battle. And with each escalation, the world comes closer to the brink of cosmic disaster.

To say that we are closer to victory today is to believe, in the face of the evidence, the optimists who have been wrong in the past. To suggest we are on the edge of defeat is to yield to unreasonable pessimism. To say that we are mired in stalemate seems the only realistic, yet unsatisfactory, conclusion. On the off chance that military and political analysts are right, in the next few months we must test the enemy’s intentions, in case this is indeed his last big gasp before negotiations. But it is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out then will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could.

This is Walter Cronkite. Good night.

#69 "I will no longer post here...Farewell & Good Luck and Good Night!"

and goodbye.

#57 Congratulations Sal. You must be thrilled. I don't have grandchildren but my mother tells me they're great: You can love them and enjoy their company and when you're ready for some peace and quiet, send them home.

ignoring trolls whose only interest is to provoke annoyance works. Good riddance!

Thanks O'Reilly, unfortunately I won't have a lot of time with him because they live 800 miles away, I get up there as often as I can, but since my daughter works she's unable to vist me much. We do the best we can. I take whatever I can get.

119

#69 "I will no longer post here...Farewell & Good Luck and Good Night!"

and goodbye.
____________________
Unfortunately, he will surface under a different incarnation. We were supposed to feel insulted that he "left." Not!

All The World's A Stage

by Dennis Weaver

Though millions recognize Dennis Weaver for his roles in the long-running television series Gunsmoke and McCloud, the most important work of his life has not been performed in front of a camera. Since the early 1980s, he has dedicated himself to serving humanity and the environment. Now, Weaver shares the story of his life-his childhood and military years, his career as an entertainer, and his more recent success as a spokesperson and role model for social and environmental concerns. His ultimate goal: to remind us that only through collective spiritual growth, and understanding the interrelationship of all living systems, will humanity consciously step forward to preserve our world for future generations

Hello Everybody, This is Bob again. I just have one thing to say to you human folk. DON'T EVER FEED YOUR PET CHOCOLATE. Well I got to go run to the bathroom again. Baaah, Bob out!

Congrats Saladin..let's keep trying to make this a better world...oh at times it is oh so discouraging.

Tonight on Msnbc's Olberman Francis Fukuyama was on as a guest coming down hard on the neo-cons. He said that one of the the biggest mistakes "was the over-militarization of the means of spreading democracy".

When Laura O'donnell asked him what he thought other neo-cons were thinking or saying about him Fukuyama replied "they are probably sharpening their knives as we speak."

I still do not know how he can have it both ways. Francis Fukuyama is presently serving on the advisory board for the "LIBBY LEGAL DEFENSE TRUST" ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

Saladin,

My heartfelt congratulations to you and your daughter. I have yet to become a grangpa but I might as well be already. On 5-26-05 my son Mark was born. 2 days later, I took my 7 year old, Daniel, to my 18 year old son, Tyler's, graduation. My 14 year old son, Tanner, joined in the festivities. I was really feeling my age that weekend!

As for going gray, luckily for me, my hair is going gray from roots out. When I want to get rid of my gray, I get a haircut! A short haircut!

That should be not from the roots out!

#44 "Rich Lowry is not likely to engage in self-critical reflection. Afterall, he is a moral agent for the cause. He undoubtedly is one of those "thinkers" who believes that our violence is less wrong than "theirs." Lowry believes as many neo-cons do, that real power is shown in the military defeat of enemies, because they see diplomacy or attempts for mutual understanding as "doing nothing." Real power, to them, is not expressed in preventing military conflict, but in using it, even it if means creating instability in the process."

Touche micki.

I hope folks will take the time to call or e-mail their representatives about this critical issue. Aipac's conference is coming up on March 5th they will be lobbying hard for military action in Iran and for isolating the Palestinians even further. PLEASE TAKE ACTION

Tell Your Representative to Vote Against H.R. 4681

[http://www.cnionline.org/images/cnititle.gif]

CNI ACTION ALERT:

Tell Your Representative to Vote Against H.R. 4681

Anti-Palestinian Legislation Gains 68 Co-Sponsors

Date: February 22, 2006

Send a message to the President and your congressional representatives urging them to support Palestinian democracy and oppose H.R. 4681, the "Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006," a bill that would cut off U.S. aid and diplomatic ties with the Palestinians.

With the swearing in of the new Palestinian legislature on Saturday, the United States, in tandem with Israel, moved on several fronts to isolate and punish Palestinians for voting for Hamas in a democratic election:

- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has embarked on a three-country Middle East tour to lobby Arab governments to end all aid to the Palestinian Authority. Instead of support for an "isolate and punish" policy, her meeting with the Egyptian foreign minister was greeted by a call for allowing Palestinians "time to develop their own ideas."

- The U.S. State Department requested that the Palestinian Authority return $50 million in U.S. aid that was previously allocatted for development projects in the Palestinian territories, which the PA then returned.

- Last week the U.S. Senate voted unanimously to pass Senate Concurrent Resolution 79, which expressed the "sense of Congress" that no aid should be given to the Palestinian Authority if Hamas comes to power. The U.S. currently gives no aid directly to the Palestinian Authority, so the resolution was meaningless, except as a show of force by AIPAC on Capitol Hill. The House passed the same resolution 418-1 last week, with Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) being the only representative to vote against the measure.

Most seriously, the "Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006" (House Resolution 4681), a bill that would effectively end all U.S. aid and ties with the Palestinians, has gained 68 co-sponsors since being introduced by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida) earlier this month. It threatens even more direct punishments of the Palestinians, as listed on our website.

Join with more than 1,000 CNI members that have already sent a message to their representative urging them to oppose this dangerous legislation. Please contact your representative today to tell them to "Vote No on H.R. 4681."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Council for the National Interest Foundation
1250 4th Street SW, Suite WG-1
Washington, District of Columbia 20024
http://www.cnionline.org/
http://www.rescuemideastpolicy.com/

Paper: Coast Guard Has Port Co. Intel Gaps

Citing broad gaps in U.S. intelligence, the Coast Guard cautioned the Bush administration weeks ago that it could not determine whether a United Arab Emirates-based company seeking a stake in some U.S. port operations might support terrorist operations.

The disclosure came during a hearing Monday on Dubai-owned DP World's plans to take over significant operations at six leading U.S. ports.

The Bush administration said the Coast Guard's concerns were raised during its review of the deal, which it approved Jan. 17, and that all those questions were resolved.

The port operations are now handled by London-based Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co.

"There are many intelligence gaps, concerning the potential for DPW or P&O assets to support terrorist operations, that precludes an overall threat assessment" of the potential merger, the unclassified Coast Guard intelligence assessment said.

"The breadth of the intelligence gaps also infer potential unknown threats against a large number of potential vulnerabilities," the assessment said.

The Coast Guard said the concerns reflected in the document ultimately were addressed. In a statement, the Coast Guard said other U.S. intelligence agencies were able to provide answers to the questions it raised.

"The Coast Guard, the intelligence community and the entire CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States) panel believed this transaction received the proper review, and national security concerns were, in fact, addressed," the Coast Guard said.

That multi-agency government panel reviews foreign purchases of vital U.S. assets.

The report raised questions about the security of the companies' operations, the backgrounds of people working for the companies, and whether other foreign countries influenced operations that affect security.
---------------
Yes, but did the administration let congress know about the deal as it was happening?

Kathleen,

here's one for you.

Insight Mag: Cheney to retire after 2006 elections

Bird Flu

In an attempt to thwart the spread of bird flu, George W. Bush has just ordered the bombing of the Canary Islands.

john muldoon's Blog

Coast Guard Said It Couldn't Assess Risk in Port Deal (Update2)

Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Coast Guard said questions about foreign influence, employees and operations made it impossible to assess the threat posed by a state-owned Dubai company's purchase of a firm that manages some terminal operations at six U.S. seaports.

``There are many intelligence gaps concerning the potential'' for assets owned by DP World or London-based Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. ``to support terrorist operations,'' says a December intelligence assessment by the Coast G