They're spying on everyone, including us.

Hi Guys hate to nearly first but we are dealing with a machiavillian villian as our president. Too bad the vote did not go the other way.

Oops the blog forgot me. This is not bloggers anonymous is it?

Right you are!

capt

may turn out to be an explosive story

ya they're all explosive stories, remember gannongate? as if. even the downing street memos barely fizzled. nsa spying? that's so yesterday! and what the devil is a plame anyway? mary mcCarthy? is that jenny mcCarthy's mom?
I won't even waste a good ha on any explosive stories anymore.

911hoax.com better wake up soon.

Well, if Mary McCarthy deserves to be investigated, so does the Leaker-in-Chief.

She was unsuccessful getting her superiors' attention on this matter, and the Repug Congress sat on its hands, so she told a few things to Dana Priest because she believed what she knew had to be revealed because it was wrong -- for the nation.

Condi leaks like a sieve. The Cabinet oozes with leaks. bush leaks. cheney leaks. But that's okay. Fuck 'em.

So Capt can I ask why bunnypants became named bunnypants. I like it along with Chimpy Mcflightsuit but somebody blogged bunnypants was your nickname and I wanted to know the logic and the ridiculness of it.

The Federal Reserve and Housing:
A Cluster of Errors?

Unfortunately, the common American does not understand he is being manipulated and impoverished by the Federal Reserve. When money is no longer real (i.e. fiat currency vs. gold and silver), then people may come to believe in the surreal, and a hyperreality emerges. In particular, during the reign of Alan Greenspan, money and credit –†created out of thin air –†rained upon Americans as if to assure us that crop failures and misfortune had been banished from U.S. soil. Hence, we came to live in a world of plenty where one may become wealthy by simply purchasing a house –†with lots of borrowed money –†and by "investing" in stocks for the long run. What a dream it is to become wealthy without effort. This mass delusion is only one step away from collectively believing that cotton candy is a cash crop. Alas, Americans will soon discover that housing values don’¥ grow to the sky and that heavy mortgage debt leads to a harvest of financial despair. The Austrian theory of the trade cycle will be validated yet again.

So here’≥ a quick trip down memory lane. Early in my underwriting career, cash and savings were king. Accordingly, this frame of mind was reflected in personal financial statements. As the 80s rolled on, Americans bought into the pop culture that is Wall Street. Without fail, I saw people cash in CDs and purchase mutual funds. Peter Lynch, indeed, popularized such "investment" vehicles for long-term wealth creation. Then John Bogle flaunted the low-expense-ratio S&P 500 Index Fund as the wisest way to build a substantial retirement nest egg. And who can forget the dot.com and telecom crazes of the late 90s? Americans envisioned themselves retiring to Easy Street based upon owning shares of Amazon.com and Global Crossing. Lastly, let’≥ not forget the Wall Street darling known as Enron. This company’≥ common stock was going to make each of its shareholders wealthy. So why aren’¥ Americans taking early retirement, en masse, to lives of luxury? Where is all the wealth promised by Wall Street?

Mas AQUI

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

I am reminded that the rat race is always one by a rat.

capt

Bunnypants was originally from a guy that used the name in front of a co-worker, the co-worker called the FBI and the guy was interviewed as a potential POTUS threat.

I have used it with glee ever since, hoping to see a couple of suits come to the door.

That and go to google images and type in Bunnypants - there are many funny pictures!

Commander Codpiece comes from the flightsuit pictures where Bunnypants has his crotch straps cinched up tight (most pilots undo then once out of the plane).

capt

I have been leaning more towards Dictator Dummypants lately but seldom speak to the individuals issues so Busheney works better - like Bushco for the whole gang of slugs.

http://crusaderbunnypants.blogspot.com/

http://zehmaloim.com/president_bunnypants.htm

Re previous thread:

Gerald Ford and his wife, Betty, have lived in Rancho Mirage since leaving the White House in 1977.

It is appropriate that Ford lives in RANCHO MIRAGE -- he is seeing illusory and unattainable "mirages" in Rummy's competence.

I use the term bushco to signify all of them together - but I refuse to ever put a capital b on the bush name.

ground was broken on the pentagon building--eerily, on September 11, 1941.

In the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, part of their plan leading to its fulfillment is the discrediting of politicians, so they can bring in their false messiah.

We are quite possibly in that final stage now. They could not have picked a better stooge for this than Shrub.

100777.com

Sept. 11, 1297: William Wallace leads over 15,000 Scottish soldiers to victory over the English Army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Battle depicted in the film Braveheart.

Sept. 11, 1499: French forces take Milan, Italy, with little opposition. At that time Italy was comprised of regions with city states.

Sept. 11, 1609: Henry Hudson sails into New York harbor and discovers Manhattan Island and the mouth of the river later named in his honor - the Hudson River.

Sept. 11, 1709: The Spanish War of Succession (1702-14) represents the first European war of the Modern Era. On September 11, 1709 an Anglo-Dutch-Austrian force defeat the French in the Battle of Malplaquet, and on September 11, 1714, after 13 months of siege, Spanish and French troops broke into Barcelona, ending Catalonia's sovereignty.

no, YOU go away

Sept. 11, 1776: After the fall of New York to the British, a Peace Conference was held between General Howe and three prominent representatives of the Continental Congress - Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Edward Rutledge. After taking the Americans key city, Howe thought he was entitled to a peace settlement. The Americans, having declared independence in July, considered separation from England as non-negotiable. The conference of Sept. 11, 1776, ended and the war continued for seven years.

Sept. 11, 1777: The British defeat the Americans, led by George Washington, at the Battle of Brandywine Creek in the American War of Independence. The battle is regarded as the first where Americans carried the American Flag (Old Glory) to battle.

September 11, 1777: American Flag First Used in Battle

Sept. 11, 1782: The siege of Fort Henry begins, and becomes the last battle of the American Revolution.

Bush admits he offered Blair way out of the Iraq conflict

The Prime Minister insisted he would rather risk losing office than retreat

George Bush yesterday revealed the extent of the political gamble Tony Blair took over Iraq, disclosing that he had spurned the offer of a get-out clause on the war even amid fears that it would cost him his government.

In a rare glimpse inside the so-called special relationship, the US President disclosed how he had offered to release his 'close friend' Blair from the military coalition because he feared that domestic opposition to the war would actually bring him down. But the Prime Minister retorted that he would rather lose his government than retreat.

Bush's description of the events surrounding what he called a 'confidence vote' - the knife-edge Commons vote in March 2003 over military action - reveal not just the depth of trouble Blair was in, but the extent to which he was willing to gamble.

More HERE

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

I wonder if Blair appreciates this?

I think it might get some MP's upset.

capt

Bush admits he offered Blair way out of the Iraq conflict

The Prime Minister insisted he would rather risk losing office than retreat

George Bush yesterday revealed the extent of the political gamble Tony Blair took over Iraq, disclosing that he had spurned the offer of a get-out clause on the war even amid fears that it would cost him his government.

In a rare glimpse inside the so-called special relationship, the US President disclosed how he had offered to release his 'close friend' Blair from the military coalition because he feared that domestic opposition to the war would actually bring him down. But the Prime Minister retorted that he would rather lose his government than retreat.

Bush's description of the events surrounding what he called a 'confidence vote' - the knife-edge Commons vote in March 2003 over military action - reveal not just the depth of trouble Blair was in, but the extent to which he was willing to gamble.

More HERE

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

I wonder if Blair appreciates this?

I think it might get some MP's upset.

capt

Sept. 11, 1814: The American navy defeat the British in the Battle of Lake Champlain in the War of 1812.

Sept. 11, 1855: The siege of Sevastopol ends when British, French, and Piedmontese troops capture the main naval base of the Russian Black fleet in the Crimean War.

Sept. 11, 1922: Despite Arab protests, a British mandate is proclaimed in Palestine on September 11, 1922. The mandate came into effect at the end of September 1922.

Sept. 11, 1941: Construction of the Pentagon began on this day in 1941. The purpose was to provide a temporary solution to the War Department's critical shortage of space. The ground breaking ceremony also took place on September 11, 1941. Sixty years later, to the day, the Pentagon is attacked for the first time in it's history on Sept. 11, 2001.

Sept. 11, 1944: President Roosevelt, British PM Winston Churchill, and Canadian PM Mackenzie King meet in Canada, at the Quebec Conference. Also, the US 1st Army crosses the border into German territory.

Sept. 11, 1948: Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the first head of state for Pakistan dies in Karachi. He is called "The Great Leader" and "Father of the Nation". Born on Christmas Day, 1876, he is schooled in London and later returns to build the nation of Pakistan. Jinnah, a Muslim, was a strong advocate for Muslim - Hindu unity.

Sept. 11, 1972: The troubled Munich Olympic Games end on September 11, 1972 Eleven Israelis are killed by terrorists.

Sept. 11, 1973: Chilean President Salvador Allende is killed in a violent military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet.

Sept. 11, 1990: U. S. President George Bush addresses Congress on the Persian Gulf crisis, vowing that "Sadam Hussein will fail" in his takeover of Kuwait.

Sept. 11, 1999: The Jewish calendar is 6,000 years old. September 11, 1999 is regarded as the 6,000th anniversary of Adam's creation. September 11th is recognized by many faiths as the end of a major cycle.

Sept. 11, 2001

Medical Marijuana's Catch-22

Yesterday the Food and Drug Administration issued a statement reaffirming its opposition to the medical use of marijuana, declaring that "no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana for general medical use. There are alternative FDA-approved medications in existence for treatment of many of the proposed uses of smoked marijuana." This, despite the existence of a 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, which concluded that marijuana was "moderately well suited for particular conditions, such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and AIDS wasting." As the New York Times notes in its front-page coverage:

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

The FDA knows there are benefits from marijuana. In my opinion liquor is far worse in every way.

capt

Have y'all seen this video of Pink? It's her song "Dear Mr. President".

Pink

"Dear Mr. President"
(feat. Indigo Girls)

Dear Mr. President
Come take a walk with me
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep
What do you feel when you look in the mirror
Are you proud

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why

Dear Mr. President
Were you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
How can you say
No child is left behind
We're not dumb and we're not blind
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye

Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night
How do you walk with your head held high
Dear Mr. President
You'd never take a walk with me
Would you

~ Pink

Which President is Pink talking about? The subjects ranted about have been going on for quite some time.

I use the term bushco to signify all of them together - but I refuse to ever put a capital b on the bush name.

i use bu$hCo--i've been calling the preznit 'smirkey mcBruisey' lately just because i can.

Why did she take the polygraph? Lying while wired up like that is a conscious attempt to decieve, which is another crime.

If she had been acting honestly, she would have quit rather than take the polygraph. What would have happened if she had beat the polygraph?

Did her past experience with polygraphs persuade her that she could leak and lie without being caught by the machine? How does someone come to believe that they can beat a polygraph machine?

Corn's Hero.

Selectively punishing politically damaging leaks
Greenwald | 4/22/06

The CIA's firing of the official who allegedly leaked the existence of Eastern European black prisons to Dana Priest of The Washington Post has prompted an orgy of celebration among Bush followers, who apparently believe that the dreams they harbor -- whereby anyone who discloses information which results in political harm to the leader will be imprisoned -- are about to be realized. The NSA leakers are next, they gleefully proclaim, followed by the whole parade of nefarious, traitorous "cockroaches" -- including reporters -- who have leaked and/or published information that resulted in embarrassment to The Commander-in-Chief in this Time of War.

Read mode here (link)

the Israeli lobby is hard at work pressuring for this case to be dismissed.

Lawyer: Rice Allegedly Leaked Defense Info

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
The Associated Press
Saturday, April 22, 2006; 12:59 AM

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leaked national defense information to a pro-Israel lobbyist in the same manner that landed a lower-level Pentagon official a 12-year prison sentence, the lobbyist's lawyer said Friday.

Prosecutors disputed the claim.

The allegations against Rice came as a federal judge granted a defense request to issue subpoenas sought by the defense for Rice and three other government officials in the trial of Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman. The two are former lobbyists with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee who are charged with receiving and disclosing national defense information.

Defense lawyers are asking a judge to dismiss the charges because, among other things, they believe it seeks to criminalize the type of backchannel exchanges between government officials, lobbyists and the press that are part and parcel of how Washington works.

During Friday's hearing, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III said he is considering dismissing the government's entire case because the law used to prosecute Rosen and Weissman may be unconstitutionally vague and broad and infringe on freedom of speech.

Unauthorized disclosures, more than anything else, are what accounts for the fact that Americans finally realized what type of government we really have, and caused literally millions of Americans to abandon this President and his administration. Is it really any wonder why the president's followers are so eager to imprison the people responsible for these types of leaks, while insistently ignoring the leaks designed to help the president? This has nothing to do with national security or with safeguarding classified information. It is about punishment, vengeance, and deterrence -- all focused on those who have exposed, or who could expose, government misconduct that results in political harm to George Bush.

It is worth noting that the President does not have unfettered authority to declare any information he wants as classified. To the contrary, Section 1.8 of the still binding 1995 Executive Order governing the classification process specifically prohibits classifying information in order to conceal governmental wrongdoing:

(a) In no case shall information be classified in order to:

(1) conceal violations of law, inefficiency, or administrative error;

(2) prevent embarrassment to a person, organization, or agency;

The Firing of Mary McCarthy
Larry C Johnson | 4/22/06 | (link)

Mary never worked on the Operations side of the house. In other words, she never worked a job where she would have had first hand operational knowledge about secret prisons. She worked the analytical side of the CIA and served with the National Intelligence Council. According to press reports, she subsequently worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) from 2001 thru 2005. That is a type of academic/policy wonk position and, again, would not put her in a position to know anything first hand about secret prisons. . .

I am struck by the irony that Mary McCarthy may have been fired for blowing the whistle and ensuring that the truth about an abuse was told to the American people. There is something potentially honorable in that action; particularly when you consider that George Bush authorized Scooter Libby to leak misleading information for the purpose of deceiving the American people about the grounds for going to war in Iraq. While I'm neither a fan nor friend of Mary's, she may have done a service for her country.

Dare we be surprised that bushco ignores the law in its favor and screams to apply the same laws to those who'd dissent?

Patriots should stand up to cheer Mary McCarthy, and demand that her heroic exposure of the renditious torture of many, many humans be the example to other government employees who see insidious wrongdoing.

What happens to Ms.McCarthy will be endemic to what happens to the republic!

-T

Sunday Morning Funny (pic)

#2: Actually, Dave, it WOULD have gone the other way, except for the Elephascist Party's mastery of electoral fraud, both computerized and old-fashioned (digital and analog?).

Wow David, you were busy while I was sleeping! This is just more bait and switch. Thoses goons are better at coming up with idiot distractions then any group I"ve ever seen. BTW, what ever happened to the censure motion that was all the rage awhile back? Did those faithful dems finally force Feingold to give it up? If they can't agree to a slap on the wrist for that murdering psycho, how will they ever progress to impeachment? I hate being a naysayer, but I knew that wouldn't get anywhere, unless they are still working on it in secret, could that be it?

Mary McCarthy is the Joe Wilson of 2006. The lawfulness of her disclosure aside, is there any question her utterances of the truth were motivated by patriotism?

Joe revealed war-justifying lies about Iraqi acquisition of Niger uranium. Mary McCarthy told the truth about secret prisons.

If Mary broke the law, she must pay the penalty. If the government broke the law by having secret prisons or torturing detainees, policy makers in the government must pay the penalty.

The Bush administration will try to prosecute leaks of classified information that make it's policies look bad, even if the leaks are the truth; while the administration itself will engage in leaks, both truth and LIES, that advance its political goals. This hypocrisy is not lost on the American people.

What is in question is the extent of the damage the Bush administration will do to our system of government before his time runs out.

capt #8, that article explains why there are still so many happy delusionals out there. They can't see the train wreck from their house yet, so it must not be happening! And whoever is suffering from it must deserve it. That quote I posted from greenspan yesterday proves that he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew what it meant to take our money off the gold standard and what the results would be, a nation of impoverished people living on borrowed money and time as their real wealth was slowly being stolen from them. I wish more people would take an interest in the economic realities surrounding us, then they would come to understand that both left and right have contributed equally to this mess we're in, that in fact it was a dem that started it to begin with, also knowing what would happen, that's why it was done in secret while congress was in recess. That is why they both have to go if we are to have any hope at all of rescuing this country from the abyss.

Mary's a genuine patriot act. Where do we get (more of) such women and men?

We Aren't in America Any More
News Hounds | 4/21/06 | (link)

The woman [Wang Wenyi, 47] began her protest, begging for President Bush's help, just as Chinese President Hu Jintao began speaking, only moments after Bush had this to say about China:

"China has become successful because the Chinese people are experience the freedom to buy, and to sell, and to produce -- and China can grow even more successful by allowing the Chinese people the freedom to assemble, to speak freely, and to worship."

Freedom of speech? Are we sure we even have that in this country anymore?

What was not mentioned at ALL on Special Report, was after this brave woman stood up to the Dictator of Communist China, begging the President of the free world to help save her people, she was arrested and, according to Yahoo News, "she had been charged with disorderly conduct and that a charge of intimidating or disrupting foreign officials was also being considered."

The charge of "intimidating" a foreign official carries a prison term of 6 months. IN AMERICA.

(video) from C&L
White House heckler charged (link)
links to press stories (link)

Here's a story that will get the Bushevicks faithful fired up:

NASCAR adds Fuel-Price Surcharge (wink)

Good for you Sal, but I fear it is already too late and we are just waiting for the hammer to fall. It seems that no matter what, the economics are the one thing that will destroy this country, and possibly the rest of the world.. Remember he who controls the money controls the country, he who controls the food controls the people. So all of these little fleeting bits of distraction still don't bring any focus or attention on the real disaster facing us. Plus no one has mentioned the word deriviatives, that is the big one, too much money hedging and no one can explain how this market works, but banks, and companies are heavily invested in these through other funds etc. The amounts are enormous and if it cracks then the whole show will fall rapidly. Imagaine this, you wake up one day and gas is over five bucks a gallon, a hundred dollars doesn't buy you much at the grocery store, clothing is so expensive as to be unattainable. The economy has started to slide and no one has enough money to make it through one week. Except of course the rich, who are busily trying to look poor. Kidnapping becomes a growth industry along with private security. Armored vehicles ferry kids to the schools which look more like fortresses instead of learning places. Think it can't happen here, look around the third world once in a while, happening there and not mentioned in the press. Yep, the world is a changing and we don't see the big ones, just the distractions that are flogged on the tube daily. To Capt, just a thought I read once. Just when you think you are winning the rat race, along come faster rats.

O'Reilly, I've been on the rampage about that for the past several days. It is simply astounding what that fool in the WH can get away with. If James post above is correct, and it is the goal to discredit the politicians, I must say, they are doing a heckava job!

33%: Cutting Into The Base
Pam Spaulding | Firedoglake | 4/22/06

I figured that once we hit 33%, it would represent the bottom for the Chimperor. After all, there's a hardcore Base, the blind followers of this disaster of a president who simply won't give in, won't accept the reality of major failures like Iraq, the rotten-to-the-core widespread corruption, or the fact that Bush is, to be charitable, a dunce and embarrassment at home and abroad.

You know what? I heard also howls coming from the fetid swamps of Freeperland when I saw that poll. At 33%, we are digging into the rotting flesh of the most vile, ardent fans of Dear Leader, and they are yelping in pain.

We have a few ready to abandon their man, others are still tethered to IVs filled with wingnut-flavored Kool-Aid concentrate. and a subset who, even by the swamp?s standards, are ready for the padded cell.

For more red meat, read on HERE

WTF, I hate to say it's too late, but the thought has certainly crossed my mind. One thing all the politicians have in common, down to the very least of them, is their refusal to address the one problem that will wipe this country out. Maybe they remember what happened to Kennedy when he crossed that world wide mafia known as the Federal Reserve. He was dead 3 weeks later. They are all cowardly and spineless, and the people are too clueless to know what is going on right in front of their eyes. It's that cluelessness, and the apathy that accompanies it, that make me feel hopeless. It doesn't matter who is (s)elected, that one aspect is never going to change, and there is nothing we can do to change it. There is still time to make provisions for yourself and loved ones, but don't hold your breath waiting for some politician in shining armor to save the day, they are all in the bankers pockets. And they know what will happen if they make waves.

Upcoming International Conference sponsored by www.911truth.org
Source: 911 Truth
URL Source: http://www.911truth.org/ChicagoConference.htm
Published: Apr 22, 2006

Upcoming International Conference sponsored by http://www.911truth.org and the Muslim-Jewish-Christian Alliance for 9/11 Truth http://www.mujca.com

Chicago, Illinois June 2-4, 2006

Embassy Suites Hotel Chicago-O'Hare Rosemont

The 9/11 truth movement has gained enormous credibility and momentum in 2006. Help us build that momentum into a political force that will carry us to success. Let us reveal to all that 9/11 truth offers the greatest opportunity in modern history for courageous, ethical people to positively influence the future of humanity. We hope to achieve no less than a return to Constitutional rule with the re-establishment of our precious civil liberties, the end of fraudulent wars and true justice for all the victims. We should act on this opportunity with gratitude and intelligence, sounding an alarm as well as a declaration that we are free and in charge of our own destiny as awakened and empowered citizens shaping a better world.

In Chicago we will be offering an intensive weekend which will include workshops, presentations, strategy sessions and abundant opportunities for the growing 9/11 truth movement to come together. We are very pleased to announce we have early commitments from human rights attorney William Pepper, BYU Physics professor Steven E. Jones, author Webster Tarpley, Peter Phillips of Project Censored, Canadian activist Ian Woods of Global Outlook magazine, researcher Jim Hoffman, scientist Kevin Ryan, Dr. Faiz Khan, author Jim Marrs, Canadian media critic Barrie Zwicker, Scholars for 9/11 Truth founder Jim Fetzer, strategist David Kubiak, Ken Jenkins, Rick Siegel of 911 Eyewitness, Ralph Schoenman, California 9/11 truth congressional candidate Carol Brouillet and Charles Key and Chris Emery of the Oklahoma City Bombing Investigation Committee. Media coverage is planned by INN World Report, KPFA Berkeley, KPFK of Los Angeles, http://TVNewsLies.org and many others. Many more important luminaries, authors, researchers, organizers and media activists can be expected, including 9/11 survivor and rescue hero William Rodriquez.

This gathering has been taking shape since last fall with the help of a diverse group of grassroots activists. We expect this conference to be a major, watershed event bringing together the many new credible voices from across the political spectrum. It will be an education and strategy conference that moves beyond past 9/11 events. We particularly wish to have widespread representation from across North America and abroad so please consider participating or helping to send people from your community.

Everything we need to succeed -- we now have.
-----------
But the most important thing is support.
Anyone in the Chicago area may be interested in attending this conference. I wish I could go.

"W" dons spinal-tap codpiece (pic)

And for anyone who can't attend but would like to contribute.

Making A Contribution & Volunteering. How You Can Help: We need your financial help to bring these outstanding presenters and advertise the event to make it a resounding success. Please consider making a donation to support this effort via Paypal at the http://911Truth.org donations page or send checks, payable to http://911Truth.org, to Chicago Conference c/o http://911Truth.org, P.O. Box 140332, Kansas City, MO 64114-0332 . Credit card donations can be made by calling (831) 325-3135.

For those who would like to help with any aspect of this effort from outreach and publicity to volunteering some of the weekend in Chicago please contact these members of the five person organizing committee Gabriel Day (831) 325-3135 gabriel@911truth.org, Kevin Barrett (608) 333-2859 kevin@mujca.com, Hal Synder (847)921-3145 drxyzzy@gmail.com, Ian Woods (705)726-7300 editor@globaloutlook.ca and Geraldine Perry (708)460-5683 healthadvantage@comcast.net.

Commander-in-Codpiece (pic)

In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Dorothy originally wore silver shoes -- Hollywood changed the shoes to ruby when the movie was produced.

Some people claim that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written as an allegory of Populist demands in the 1890s for a bimetallic monetary system. Saladin, perhaps you should start a push to teach economics to kids using The Wizard as the textbook -- I'm not being facetious.

BTW, another Alan Greenspan quote that I think is very indicative of his ability to communicate clearly (or not): “I guess I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you've probably misunderstood what I've said.”

Oil Tops $75 a Barrel
Taylor Marsh | Firedoglake | 4/22/06

Oil prices could be the issue of the year, just like it was back in Jimmy Carter days. ANWAR isn't the answer. Just wait until summer and people start driving on vacations. This could get really ugly, especially if another oil executive gets a golden package that resembles the collective wealth of several small countries combined.

Read on (dude)

The Whistler Blower: patriot or criminal?

micki, that's a great idea. I will get started as soon as we save this country from economic suicide! If we don't, all the economic classes in the world won't help, we don't have enough time to wait on the next generation to fix it.

The Whistleblower Gets Whacked
Taylor Marsh | Firedoglake | 4/22/06

. . . a whistleblower, a member of the CIA's Inspector General's office, leaks the existence of illegal black sites to a reporter, because she feels something wrong is being done in the name of the American people, and she gets fired. Not only fired, but pulled out and identified as nothing short of a traitor. In other words, the Nixon rule really does apply. If the president does it it?s okay, but if it?s done by a whistleblower she gets fired, with humiliation and the "traitor" tag waiting for her on her departure. Even people who don?t like Mary McCarthy are saying something smells.

(more?)

something smells? Jeez Louise! What will it take to get the people's attention?

I just read that it costs 1.4 cents to make a penny! Save your pennies, the copper value will make it worthwhile.

#55 hahaha Our generation sure as hell can't fix it...just holding out hope for the next generation, before the qaqaa gets too deep

If our generation doesn't fix it, the next one can kiss their country goodbye. That mushroom cloud they were talking about? That's the world wide monetary collapse, when we go down, everyone else goes down too, that is why China has been funding bushco's madness this long. Eventually they will realize it's a lose-lose proposition and will back out before it's too late, that's when the pain begins.

"I would not rattle the tactical nuclear weapon sabre with Iran, it's counterproductive."

- Sen. Kennedy 4/23/06

Israel Calls For Assassination of Iranian President
Source: english.farsnews.com
URL Source: http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8502020527
Published: Apr 23, 2006

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Haertz columnist Amir Oren openly called for the assassination of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and said that the issue is on Tel Aviv's agenda.

The Zionist Regime has repeatedly embarked on the assassination of the Palestinian leaders in the past, but this is the first time that it is trying to assassinate the head of another country in recent years.

The paper described Ahmadinejad as a ticking atomic bomb who is the most threatening character for the so-called state of Israel and further termed assassination of the Iranian president reasonable.

The paper has also called for not only assassination of more and more Palestinian leaders, including Hamas leaders, Hamas administration, and Hamas representatives at the Palestinian legislative assembly and others, but also asked for the destruction of Mecca as the most important Islamic site and a symbol of Muslim unity and solidarity.

Describing such measures, including the assassination of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a moral, legal, and reasonable action, the columnist says to defuse the Islamic wave of Vigilance which has been aroused all across the Muslim world by President Ahmadinejad, Israel is faced with two options.

"One is destroying Mecca in case the wave grows and comes closer to the Zionist Regime, which will certainly arouse the wrath of a billion believers from Mauritania to Malaysia against Israel. And the second option for the Zionist Regime is elimination of leaders whose behavior and policy create existential danger for Israel, tantamount to a ticking atomic bomb, including assassination of the Iranian president which will arouse less Islamic sentiments and thus, cost Israel less."
---------------
So, the press can spin lies about what the Iranian president said, but Israel can openly call for assassinations and no one even blinks. After 90+ years of attacks and attempted genocide of the Muslim people, is it any wonder why they despise the west and the Zionist regime in Israel?

On teaching ECONOMICS/HISTORY using THE WIZARD OF OZ as a guide

Just for the heck of it....

#61 Too bad the busheviks don't see that it's counterproductive.

US intel report: Major increase in terrorist incidents

But experts say a common definition of terrorism is a great challenge and a global issue.

By Tom Regan | csmonitor.com

In a report to be released next week, US government figures will show that the number of terrorist attacks in the world jumped sharply in 2005, totalling more than 10,000 for the first time. That is almost triple the number of terrorist attacks in 2004 -- 3,194. Knight Ridder's Washington bureau reports that counterterrorism experts say that there are two reasons for the dramatic increase: a broader definition of what consitutes a terrorist attack, and the war in Iraq.
More than half the fatalities from terrorism worldwide last year occurred in Iraq, said a counterterrorism official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the data haven't been made public. Roughly 85 percent of the US citizens who died from terrorism during the year died in Iraq. The figures cover only noncombatants and thus don't include combat deaths of US, Iraqi and other coalition soldiers.
"There's no question that the level of terrorist attacks in Iraq was up substantially," said the official, who's familiar with the methods used by the National Counterterrorism Center to track terrorist trends. The center is part of the US intelligence community.

Knight Ridder also reports that the new definition was used in 2004, but 2005 was the first year that analysts had more time to use the new method. In past years, only terrorist attacks that involved people from more than one country were counted. But officials realized this would, for instance, leave out incidents like the one in the Philippines where terrorists sank a ferry killing 132 Filipinos.

The latest figures will be released in conjunction with the US State Department's annual report on terrorism.
-------------
YUP, the war a terror creating more terror. Oh well, as long as we don't have to fight 'em here! As long as it's someone elses family getting blown to smithereens.

micki, that link gave me a 404 error. I hope there's no creepy ghost lady in the bathtub in there!

The boogeyman speaks.

New bin Laden tape promises attack on US
Email Print Normal font Large font April 23, 2006 - 11:14PM

Al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden issued an ominous new statement on AlJazeera television, appearing to justify attacks on civilians in the West.

"I say that this war is the joint responsibility of the people and the governments. While the war continues, the people renew their allegiance to their rulers and politicians and continue to send their sons to our countries to fight us," bin Laden said in an audio tape.

The al-Qaeda chieftain, who last issued a message via the satellite television broadcaster on January 19, said the people of Western countries were equally responsible with their governments for what he called "a Zionist (Jewish) crusaders (Christian) war on Islam".

He further said that the Western cut off of funds to the Palestinian Hamas-led government proved the US and Europe were at war with all Islamic people.

"The blockade which the West is imposing on the government of Hamas proves that there is a Zionist (Jewish) crusaders (Christian) war on Islam," the tape said.

It was the first new message from bin Laden since January 19. That tape was posted in full on a website a month later and included a vow by the terrorist leader never to be captured alive.

"I have sworn to only live free. Even if I find bitter the taste of death, I don't want to die humiliated or deceived," bin Laden said, in the 11 minute, 26 second tape.

In that message, bin Laden offered the United States a long-term truce but also said his al-Qaeda terror network would soon launch a fresh attack on American soil.
----------
How convenient that he always manages to show up when bush needs him the most.

Texans Forced To Pawn
Shops To Get Extra Gas $$
CBS 11 News
4-22-6

DALLAS -- High gasoline prices are causing some people to take desperate measures.

Pawn shops say their business is increasing, with some customers saying they're selling things to buy gas.

Gas prices are climbing again, with most stations prices hovering at, or just below $3.00 a gallon. For some people the high fuel prices are overwhelming.

"We just have customers come in and have to tell us that they need money 'till the end of the week, for gas to get back and forth to work," said pawn shop owner, Gerald Costner.

Everything from high end jewelry, to name brand purses, and televisions pawn shop owners say they are seeing it all come in. They say customers are frustrated and have no place to go to get extra cash for gas.

"Some of the construction people tell us they are having to pawn their tools to buy gas, but when they pawn their tools they can't go out and work in the construction business 'cause their tools are in pawn. So it kind of a catch-22," Costner said.

Mary Rodriguez has worked at the Casa View Pawn Shop for five years. She says she's seen people of all ages coming in looking for help.

"We've always had a clientele of the young kids, or middle age kids, and now we're getting an older generation. Which, it just seems wrong that they have to pawn things just to get gas, or ya know, to make ends meet on things like that."

As prices continue to rise at the pumps, many motorists say they don't see things getting better anytime soon, for the consumer.

"It is frustrating, but the thing is they know they can get away with it, because people need gas," Rodriguez said.

At Casa View Pawn, the owner says they've seen the increase in numbers over the past couple months.
------------
Yes indeedy! The economy is hunky-dory, fine and dandy, peachy keen, never been better! I can't see the struggling from MY house, HA!

Sunday Funnies - Bunnypants (pic) (pic) (pic)

Saladin, I'm not saying this didn't happen, as your cited article states, but I'd prefer to see additional sourcing: Haertz columnist Amir Oren openly called for the assassination of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and said that the issue is on Tel Aviv's agenda.

I went to Haaretz and could not find anything where Oren called for this assassination. Do you have another source for this information, in addition to the Fars News Agency?

Federal debt is paid off

Peter Costello
THE Federal Government will today finally manage to do what most Australians struggle to achieve –†pay off the dreaded credit card.

Treasurer Peter Costello has declared today debt-free day to mark the Government's final payment on the commonwealth credit card.

As best as we can tell, tomorrow, the commonwealth of Australia will eliminate its net debt, he told the Committee for Economic Development of Australia yesterday.

Tomorrow, April 21, 2006, will be Debt-Free Day.

In fact, from tomorrow, our Government will become a net saver, to save for some of the big challenges of the future, Mr Costello said.

However, Mr Costello warned that even though the national debt would be paid off, it was no time for a government spending spree.
-----------
If you can proove that you can support yourself, by showing 1 million dollars in assets, you too can live in Australia!

Alleged Bin Laden Tape: West at War With Islam (link)

Saladin try this:

http://www.turnmeondeadman.net/OZ/Littlefield.html

Young Officers Join the Debate Over Rumsfeld (link)
SHANKER, SCHMITT | NYT | 4/23/06
The revolt by retired generals who publicly criticized Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has opened a debate among younger officers.

File this under: "The Decider"

I found it amusing that the report on the
FDA re: medical marijuana, was issued on 4/20.

Later,
th

micki, here is an article from The Tehran Times, I wouldn't be surprised if the Haaretz source has been pulled already. I'm also not surprised that no western media have covered this.

Israel's state-sponsored terrorism

By Hassan Hanizadeh
The April 22 edition of the Israeli daily Haaretz quoted Zionist security officials as saying that the Mossad is plotting to assassinate Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad.

The daily also quoted Israeli security affairs analyst Amir Oren as saying that Zionist security organizations are planning to assassinate the Iranian president and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya.

Oren also claimed that Israel will not face very many problems or serious reaction from the international community after the assassination of these two figures.

Haaretz stated that the final decision on the assassination of Ahmadinejad and Haniya would be taken upon the approval of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The publication of such news in the Israeli media and the explicit statements of the Zionist security officials about the assassination of prominent figures indicate that Israel is still vigorously pursuing a policy of state terrorism while the international community, and particularly the United States and its Western allies, the self-proclaimed standard-bearers of the global war on terrorism, have failed to take any measures against this ominous phenomenon.

Also, in the past, Israel has assassinated a great number of Palestinian and Lebanese figures, including the famous caricaturist Naji al-Ali, and a number of fighters including Salah Khalaf (Abu Iyyad), Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad), former Islamic Jihad secretary general Fat’®i Shaqaqi, Palestinian political leader Kamal Adwan, and former Hezbollah secretary general Seyyed Abbas Mousawi.

It should be noted that after all these assassinations, international organizations took no appropriate measures against the Zionist regime for these despicable crimes.

Obviously, when both the United States and its Western allies encourage Israel to commit such crimes and to intensify its state-sponsored terrorism, we cannot expect to see global terrorism eradicated. Violence always begets violence.

Flouting international law and enjoying the financial and propaganda support of the United States and its Western allies, Israel, which as the center of international terrorism has trained hundreds of agents to assassinate prominent political figures throughout the world, is trying to suppress the worldwide anti-Zionist movement through the use of force and terror tactics.

It just astounds me that people cannot tell the diffrence between a leaker and a whistleblower.

Daniel Elsberg had to vomit when he realized what he was going to have to do. It is scary as hell taking on our government. I know from experience. One must have the courage of their convictions and true patriotism. Three can be horird consequencs, especially with this administration.

When as many government staff begin coming forward, and this has been going on for several years, it just didn't make Cable, anyone with more than three neurons firing has got to now that this is not politics as usual.

Now we have The Generals and the latest CIA Concerned Person.

In a Democracy, the people must know the truth.

It seems to me that as many people who are now coming forward, is far from politics; it is coming from abject fear of BushCo and what they will do next. I think that the people who are coming out now, believe that Bush and Cheney are both deeply pathological.

We are getting a warning like I have not seen in my 57 years. This country is in more danger than we have ever been before, including the cuban missile crisis.

The people must respond. If we do not, it will be at out own peril, and possibly that of the rest of the world.

This is about as serious it gets.

th, I didn't even notice that! Once again big looby money pays off.

whoops! I meant LOBBY.

This morning we studied the boy scout oath. My skill and business savvy and accompnying superior income, faith in financial markets makes me happy and signifies my excelelnt judgement and superlative fitness as a fabulous human being in the free-market world. Some win, some lose. You are the losers and my success is a feta complee.

The rest of the article.

Yet, if state-sponsored terrorism, which the Zionist regime is trying to develop, is not addressed, it will eventually become a directionless blind terrorism that will threaten global security.

International organizations, and particularly the United Nations, should immediately condemn the Zionist regime for its threat to assassinate the Iranian president since ignoring such problems will lead to the law of the jungle ruling the international community.

Although the Zionist regime will never dare to assassinate the Iranian president, its explicit threat to assassinate President Ahmadinejad will increase Islamic nations’†hatred of Israel, eventually to the point where the United States and its Western allies will no longer be able to control the situation.

Zionist officials should be prosecuted by an international tribunal for carrying out acts of state-sponsored terrorism because the Middle East will definitely witness a new wave of insecurity if these threats continue.

The publication of such threats is an explicit violation of international law. The United Nations should take serious action to confront this so that no other regime will ever dare to try to deal with its opponents through the use of force and violence.
------------
The most important thing to realize is that the Zionist regime currently in charge in Israel, as well as directing US foreign policy, should not be confused with the Jewish people as a whole. They use the Jews as a shield for their corrupt and illegal practices while a large portion of Jews are dead set against them. Just as bushco uses the evangelical "christians" as a shield. He's no christian, but it is a handy label!

I like it when corn posters post one or two or three of the best paragraphs of an article and provide a link so interersted readers can find the rest of it.

Reuel Marc Gerecht was on C-span this morning spewing more of his anti-Iran (regime change) inflammatory rhetoric.

The very same folks who lied us into Iraq have been beating the war drums for military action against Iran just after the invasion of Iraq. Watch closely to see if the Israeli lobby continues to be successful at delaying the Aipac trial. It was first delayed from January to March to April 25th now to May.

If I were Larry Franklin I would be looking over my shoulder. I hope this guy has body guards, I would think the Aipac folks would be gunning for him.

THE RACE TO IRAN IS AGAINST THE AIPAC TRIAL
Well the race is still on, the one I saw so long ago in the Chinese resteraunt is now coming to fruition. Larry Franklin the spy for AIPAC in the DOD had his trial on Jan 3d and he got 12 years in jail, which means he had to have made a plea bargain, because you get 20-40 or death for spying. The OSP wants to go to war with Iran before April because the trials from Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman are in April. Congress is voting on a nuclear option which is scary. They want to nuke a non-nuclear country.

The CIA can not prove that Iran does not have nukes anymore because the teams in charge of that had their cover blown when Lewis Libby (Cheney's Chief of staff) told reporters Judith Miller and Robert Novak the name of a clandestine agent named Valerie Plame. She worked for a front company called Brewster Jennings & Associates and so did many other agents all of whom were in charge with tracking nuclear weapons proliferation in the ME and Africa. Well when she was revealed, so was BJA and thus all the agents had to pull out. Like 20 people died but that’≥ not on the news.

The reason Libby narked on Plame was because either she or her teams could have proved that Iraq was not trying to buy Uranium from Niger Africa back in 2002-3. (it had nothing to do with Joe Wilson which should be evident by the mere fact that the media reported on it.) Bush got that intel not from the CIA but from a yet to be named Zionist (a Karl Rove adviser name named Michael Ledeen in my opinion) who ,as evidence is leaning, fabricated it in Italy with two former agents. However separate from that there were these bastards who were spying from inside the Defense department to pass info to Israel's lobby group AIPAC. They were gathering information about Iran's nuclear capacity, which as it turns out, is harmless (according to the IAEA international atomic energy agencies and also shared intel from European governments). They knew that by undermining our ability to check they would have enough fog of war to make their claims for Iran.

Who knows what they were going to do, because thre FBI caught Frankilin on tape giving documents to AIPAC officials, Weissman was an Iran specialist and Rosen who was their top money man. Well both of these guys are squealing. They are even suing AIPAC because AIPAC fired them to distance themselves from the spies and to protect Israel. Libby has resigned and his old boss Perle and his under secretary Feith have ALL resigned. So basically come April the whole world could find out that Israel has been spying on the US and a cabal of Zionist invented the BS that lead to the war with Iraq and also for coming war with Iran. They even wrote what they would do in 97 in policy papers called PNAC which also came out of Israel and its mission statement by David Wurmser is called "A Clean Break for Israel" and talks about the goals of Greater Israel.

I reported everything and I was blocked. I got censored in whatever I wrote. No one even reviewed it when I reported it to the papers. But now they have to because it is all going to public courts. So basically it is a race... can we stall the war with Iran long enough to get the trials under way and expose what happened or will they attack first in March (probably during the Israeli elections) and throw everything off? NOW they have to listen to what we have been saying for years.

Letter of Resignation by John H. Brown, Foreign Service Officer

To: Secretary of State Colin Powell

March 10, 2003

Dear Mr. Secretary:

I am joining my colleague John Brady Kiesling in submitting my resignation from the Foreign Service (effective immediately) because I cannot in good conscience support President Bush's war plans against Iraq.

The president has failed:

--To explain clearly why our brave men and women in uniform should be ready to sacrifice their lives in a war on Iraq at this time;

--To lay out the full ramifications of this war, including the extent of innocent civilian casualties;

--To specify the economic costs of the war for ordinary Americans;

--To clarify how the war would help rid the world of terror;

--To take international public opinion against the war into serious consideration.

Throughout the globe the United States is becoming associated with the unjustified use of force. The president's disregard for views in other nations, borne out by his neglect of public diplomacy, is giving birth to an anti-American century.

I joined the Foreign Service because I love our country. Respectfully, Mr. Secretary, I am now bringing this calling to a close, with a heavy heart but for the same reason that I embraced it.

Sincerely,

John H. Brown
Foreign Service Officer

John H. Brown, a Princeton PhD, joined the Foreign Service in 1981 and has served in London, Prague, Krakow, Kiev, Belgrade and, most recently, Moscow.

A senior member of the Foreign Service since 1997, he has focused his diplomatic work on press and cultural affairs. Under a State Department program, he has, up to now, been an Associate at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, where he was assigned in August 2001.

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

This is what happens when those who care resign out of protest - we never hear a thing until long after the crimes are committed.

capt

Saladin -- thanks for the new info. The Tehran Times tells the story a little differently than Fars News Agency: Tehran Times states what Oren allegedly reports; Fars accuses Oren of calling for the assassination himself. Huge difference!

Tehran Times: The daily also quoted Israeli security affairs analyst Amir Oren as saying that Zionist security organizations are planning to assassinate the Iranian president and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya.

FARS: Haertz columnist Amir Oren openly called for the assassination of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and said that the issue is on Tel Aviv's agenda.
++++++

One reason this distinction is important, is that it's just one more example of someone with a particular bias BLAMING the messenger, i.e. the media. Sometimes undeservedly so...

Letter of Resignation by John H. Brown, Foreign Service Officer

Microsoft has written and is currently campaigning for spyware legislation that may end up giving software companies access to consumers’†computers, according to the Oklahoma Gazette.

The bill, known as the Computer Spyware Protection Act, would impose heavy fines on any person or company that is caught accessing a computer without obtaining permission from the owner. However, once a computer user authorizes software updates and accepts a user’≥ agreement, the software will be allowed to do anything in order to detect or prevent illegal or fraudulent activity.

In other words, Microsoft will be allowed to install and run software that searches for pirated copies of Excel, Word, or any other pirated software and remove those programs if it could be considered fraudulent or illegal. Technically, software companies could go as far as tracking user behavior or scan through a computer’≥ hard drive to search for any type of illegal activity. For example if Microsoft scanned through a computer’≥ browser history and found out that someone plays poker online, they could notify authorities.

Proponents of the bill claim that it will protect computer users from spyware and hackers. However, privacy experts are criticizing the bill because they argue that it will give software companies the legal authority to take control over people’≥ computers.

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

The mega-money multinationals have our best interests at heart. They will write regulations and legislation that help us even if it costs them more to do the right thing, right.

capt

No Longer Sitting Pretty

The retired generals' revolt has raised questions about the Commander in Chief, such as: How come he's the last person in the room to know the war is going poorly and that the guy he picked to run it has screwed up royally? The White House had Bush speak out in defense of Rumsfeld, but did they really believe the public would take the word of a onetime MIA National Guardsman over that of the generals--especially when Bush's credibility, because of those missing weapons of mass destruction, is shot? Bush and his White House tacticians don't seem to get it: It doesn't matter what he says anymore. He's delivered a series of we're-making-progress speeches to rally support for the war, but there has been no discernible impact on the public's attitude. He's busted in the rhetoric department. Reality, for the moment, has trumped his spin.

There's still plenty of time for him to make things worse (see Iran). But the Rumsfeld imbroglio is a pointed reminder that this is a man stuck too much within himself and his world of distortion. And relying on false or disingenuous assertions is not working for him the way it once did. So finally--years too late--he is paying a price. Alas, so is the rest of the world.

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

We all (the whole planet) will be paying the tab Busheney have run up.

capt

No to Prowar Democrats

When Los Angeles teacher Marcy Winograd saw her Democratic representative in Congress making excuses for George W. Bush's warrantless wiretapping program on NBC's Meet the Press in February, she decided that someone had to challenge Jane Harman's acquiescence in Bush's reckless agenda. So Winograd, a veteran activist who had been instrumental in getting the California Democratic Party to take a firm stand against the war in Iraq, leapt into the June 6 primary. She quickly found that others shared her frustration with Harman; Winograd's been endorsed by Progressive Democrats of America, Southern California Americans for Democratic Action, the Western Region of the United Auto Workers union and a half-dozen presidents of local Democratic clubs. Recently her supporters blocked an early Harman endorsement by the state party after Winograd told a caucus: "When elected, I will have the courage to cut funding for the war in Iraq, to say no when the imperial George Bush wants to wiretap your home without a warrant and to immediately sign on to legislation for universal single-payer national healthcare."

Winograd is one of a growing number of challengers to Democratic House and Senate incumbents accused of being too supportive of the war in particular, and of the Bush Administration in general. Not since the early 1970s, when anti-Vietnam War insurgents like Ron Dellums in California, Father Robert Drinan in Massachusetts and Elizabeth Holtzman in New York defeated entrenched Democrats in primaries, has there been such ferment over foreign policy within the ranks of the party.

More HERE

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

That is one of the deal breakers for me. I will not support nor will I vote for ANY pro-war candidate.

capt

#62 We know that Israel can demand military action against Iran, make inflammatory remarks in sync with the neo-cons in the U.s. and the MSM does not touch it. We should all be watching the continued delays of the Aipac trial. The Israeli lobby knows that if this case comes to trial their aggressive measures to implement the plan drawn up by David and Liv Wurmeser and Richard Perle called " A CLEAN BREAK, A NEW STRATEGY FOR SECURING THE REALM" will no longer be possible to implement.

The Israeli lobby must have something big on Judge T.S. Ellis III this is the third time this trial has been delayed with Ellis claiming he may dismiss the whole case.

Another great article by John Dean at Findlaw
If Past Is Prologue, George Bush Is Becoming An Increasingly Dangerous President
By JOHN W. DEAN
----
Friday, Apr. 21, 2006

President George W. Bush's presidency is a disaster - one that's still unfolding. In a mid-2004 column, I argued that, at that point, Bush had already demonstrated that he possessed the least attractive and most troubling traits among those that political scientist James Dave Barber has cataloged in his study of Presidents' personality types.

Now, in early 2006, Bush has continued to sink lower in his public approval ratings, as the result of a series of events that have sapped the public of confidence in its President, and for which he is directly responsible. This Administration goes through scandals like a compulsive eater does candy bars; the wrapper is barely off one before we've moved on to another.

Currently, President Bush is busy reshuffling his staff to reinvigorate his presidency. But if Dr. Barber's work holds true for this president -- as it has for others - the hiring and firing of subordinates will not touch the core problems that have plagued Bush's tenure.

That is because the problems belong to the President - not his staff. And they are problems that go to character, not to strategy.

Barber's Analysis of Presidential Character

As I discussed in my prior column, Barber, after analyzing all the presidents through Bush's father, George H. W. Bush, found repeating patterns of common elements relating to character, worldview, style, approach to dealing with power, and expectations. Based on these findings, Barber concluded that presidents fell into clusters of characteristics.

He also found in this data Presidential work patterns which he described as "active" or "passive." For example, John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson were highly active; Calvin Coolidge and Ronald Reagan were highly passive.

Barber further analyzed the emotional relationship of presidents toward their work - dividing them into presidents who found their work an emotionally satisfying experience, and thus "positive," and those who found the job emotionally taxing, and thus "negative." Franklin Roosevelt and Reagan, for example, were presidents who enjoyed their work; Thomas Jefferson and Richard Nixon had "negative" feeling toward it.

From these measurements, Barber developed four repeating categories into which he was able to place all presidents: those like FDR who actively pursued their work and had positive feelings about their efforts (active/positives); those like Nixon who actively pursued the job but had negative feelings about it (active/negatives); those like Reagan who were passive about the job but enjoyed it (passive/positives); and, finally, those who followed the pattern of Thomas Jefferson -- who both was passive and did not enjoy the work (passive/negatives).

More at Findlaw John Dean↓

David

It's not good leaks vs. bad leaks

It's legal leaks vs. illegal leaks

I'm not suprised Corn-nuts don't know the difference, but I am suprised that you don't.

Let's see Judge Ellis III will allow the defense to call Condi Rice to the stand in the Aipac trial, to support the defenses claims "that everybody passes classified intelligence around:. The "everybody does it" defense.

Yet the "alleged" Israeli spies Naor Gilon and Rafi Barak who 'allegedly" collected this classified intelligence from Aipac's Steve Rosen and Weismann refuse to testify. HMMMM .

Israelis won't testify in AIPAC trial
By Nathan Guttman
10/02/05 "Jerusalem Post" -- -- The three Israeli diplomats who were in touch with former AIPAC staffers now standing trial in Virginia are unwilling to cooperate with defense attorneys and do not intend to agree to come and testify in the case.

In a court hearing on September 19 at the US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, Judge T.S. Ellis asked attorney Abbe Lowell, who is representing Steve Rosen, the former policy director of AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), if he intends to summon any foreign nationals to testify in court. The term "foreign nationals" in this case refers to Israelis, who were mentioned in the indictment as having contacts with Rosen and with the second defendant, Keith Weissman, a former Iran specialist at AIPAC.

Lowell told Judge Ellis that he has been in touch with attorneys for the Israelis and that his impression is that it will be difficult to get them to testify.

"They are not going to make this very easy," Lowell told the court.

The indictment, accusing Rosen and Weissman of conspiring to communicate classified information, mentioned three "foreign officials" that received information from the two former AIPAC employees as well as from the third defendant in the case, Pentagon analyst Larry Franklin. Though the they were not named in the legal documents, Israeli and US sources confirmed that two of the Israelis involved in the case are Naor Gilon, who was the political officer in the Israeli embassy in Washington, and Rafi Barak, who served as the Deputy Chief of Mission. US sources said the third Israeli is presumed to be a representative of the military intelligence in Washington, but his identity was not confirmed by other sources.

All three Israelis are no longer in Washington and all have diplomatic immunity,

#77
TWF,
I agree. I look at Mary McCarthy as someone who was desperate to get word out that crimes were being committed and when she saw actions that were not at all in the best interest of her government. There comes a point where you have to decide who you work for, the president or the country. The president is a servant of the people. He serves the country. So does Mary McCarthy. She has served more than one president. She has always served on country. Loyalty to country must be first. The CIA is an organization that has been gutted of good people by the Bush administration. The Bush administration wants yes men and incompetents in place. That way they can have what ever agenda they want.

Did Mary McCarthy have a...compliance officer, or a superior she could go to when she realized what the CIA was being asked to do? Did she have a superior who could guide her direction? I can answer the question. NO. I say no because the superior is the commander in chief. The Bush administration was the planner of this rotten agenda.

The CIA officers have been put into a lose lose situation. If they follow orders they will be living with their actions for the rest of their lives. They could, in fact, in some cases be dealing with legal actions. However if they act, what happens? They get smeared, they have the justice department coming down on them, their career is over.

The phrase 'between a rock and a hard place' is very applicable.

Will the Israeli lobby be successful at shutting this trial down?

Allegations of Israeli Spying Usually Disappear -- Eventually
Alex Safian, CAMERA Associate Director - www CAMERA.org - [Originally published August 29, 2004]
Reports that the FBI suspects a mid-level Pentagon employee specializing in Iranian affairs of conveying classified documents to the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, and further that two of the lobby's employees may have passed those documents to Israel, have led to a predictable storm of press coverage, much of it overheated. CBS, for example, led its Nightly News on Friday with its "scoop," and ABC's Nightline replaced its scheduled program with coverage of the spy story. For some unexplained reason the Nightline program included a segment on the USS Liberty incident and an interview with discredited Israel-basher and conspiracy theorist James Bamford.

Israeli officials and AIPAC have strongly denied any involvement in spying on America, and it is far too early to say whether anyone will be arrested or convicted of anything in this case, or whether any sensitive information was compromised. But there is no doubt that in its coverage of the affair the media has forgotten two fundamental facts:

There have been entirely similar charges in the past of alleged spying for Israel which ended up being dropped for lack of evidence or merit.

Countries don't just spy on their enemies, they also spy on their friends. It is well known, for example, that Israel has spied on America at least once in the past, in the Jonathan Pollard affair, which Israel apologized for. Less well known, however, is the fact that the United States has also spied on Israel, even recruiting Israeli military officers and politicians.
Israel's Alleged Spies

Supposed spies for Israel have included David Tenenbaum, an Orthodox Jew and engineer who worked at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren Michigan. Tenenbaum was charged with passing sensitive information on the Patriot missile and advanced armor to Israel. (Detroit Free Press, Feb. 20, 1997) More than a year later the case was quietly dropped, with the FBI stating only that "The case is closed. No criminal charges have been filed."

After the case was dropped, Tenenbaum got his job back, but he has filed a lawsuit against the government claiming that he was singled out for scrutiny and prosecution solely for his religious beliefs. (Detroit Free Press, Oct. 13, 2000)

Also suspected of spying for Israel was CIA employee Adam Ciralsky. According to an internal CIA memo, Ciralsky was guilty of "deliberately compromising U.S. government classified information to an Israeli national, accepting compensation from an Israeli national in exchange for U.S. government classified information, and deliberately concealing from the U.S. government a relationship with an Israeli national." (Associated Press, Feb. 7, 2000)

more at the Jonathon Pollard website

Pollard Revisited: Is Mr. X Spying Again in Washington?
May 18, 1997 - Yossi Melman - L.A. Times
Yossi Melman, a journalist for the Daily Ha'aretz, specializes in intelligence and terror affairs. He is coauthor of "Every Spy a Prince: The Complete History of Israel's Intelligence Community" (Houghton Mifflin).

JOhTEL AVIV - What do they mean when they say "Mega"? Is it an innocent code word used by the Israeli Mossad to describe the CIA? Or is it a sinister cipher referring to an American traitor who works for Israeli intelligence? Since last January, these uncertainties have poisoned the usually good and collaborative relations between the intelligence communities of United States and Israel. They have also revived bad memories of the Pollard affair.

Ironically, the latest espionage scandal began when U.S.-Israeli relations seemed to be back on track. In January, Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet signed off on a U.S.-brokered agreement with the Palestinian Authority. Israeli troops withdrew from Hebron, and handed most of the city over to Yasser Arafat's police and security forces. As a guarantor, Secretary of State Warren Christopher gave the two sides two different letters spelling out the U.S. commitments. The Clinton administration revealed the content of the two letters in only general terms.
Eager to see the exact wording of the letter given to the Palestinians, Netanyahu asked Israeli Ambassador Eliahu Ben-Elissar to get him a copy. Newly arrived in Washington and lacking good contacts in the capital, Ben-Elissar turned to the chief of the Mossad station at the Israeli Embassy. The chief, whose name Israeli censors refuse to reveal, was reluctant to comply with his request. He called his immediate superior, a senior official and head of the Tevel (universe) unit at Mossad headquarters. Their short conversation was intercepted by listening posts of the National Security Agency. According to the Washington Post, the station chief said: "The ambassador wants me to use Mega to get the letter." His superior replied: "We do not use Mega for this."

As a matter of procedure, a translated transcript of the intercepted communication was disseminated by the NSA to the other U.S. intelligence agencies. FBI counterintelligence experts suspected that Mega was a code word for a senior and well-connected administration official with access to the letters, as well as to other Middle East top secrets.

Johnathon pollard website

#52
Micki,
What a great idea. The guy who was involved in the movie, Yip Harburg could also be studied. Very political story.

A Tribute to Yip Harburg: The Man Who Put the Rainbow in the Wizard of Oz

AMY GOODMAN: Who wrote the Wizard of Oz originally, the story?

ERNIE HARBURG: Frank L. Baum was an interesting kind of maverick guy who at one point of his life was an editor of a paper in South Dakota. And this was a time of the populist revolutions or revolts or whatever you want to call it in the Midwest, because the railroads and the eastern city banks literally dominated the life of the farmers and they couldn’¥ get away from the debts that were accumulated from these. And uh, Baum set out consciously to create an American Fable so that the American kids didn’¥ have to read those German grim Fairy stories where they chopped off hands and things like that. You know he didn’¥ like that, he wanted an American fable. But it had this under layer of political symbolism to it that the farmer, the scarecrow was the farmer, he thought he was dumb but he really wasn’¥, he had a brain. And the Tin Woodman was a result…∑as the laborer in the factories who with one accident after another he was totally reduced to a tin man with no heart, alright, on an assembly line. And uh, the cowardly lion was William Jennings Bryan who kept trying, was a big politician at that time promising to make the world over with the gold standard, you know. And the Wizard was a humbug type was the Wall Street finances and the Wicked Witch probably the railroads, but I’≠ not sure. So it was a beautiful match-up here with Frank Baum and Yip Harburg. Okay? Because in the book the word rainbow was never once mentioned and you can go back and look at it, I did three times. The word rainbow is never once mentioned in the book.
----------------
Yip Harburg is a really intesting guy.

Pawnshops see spike in pawning as gas prices rise

Video

"They're pawning anything they can just to get gas."

Jeff Shepherd of Old Town Jewelry and Loan says he has seen more people coming in to pawn their stuff for gas money. He says four or five people each day come in for gas money.

So has Jay Johnston of Albuquerque Pawn Shop, who says many of his customers need just some gas money just to make it to pay day.

Gas prices are among the highest they’∂e been in recent memory. The average gas price submitted to AlbuquerqueGasPrices.com is $2.90 –†more than 70 cents higher than a year ago. The national average, according to AAA, is $2.88 a gallon.

Those prices have people pawning anything from tools to jewelry –†even guns –†to help fill the tank.

More HERE

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

No great insight to what $3 a gallon means to the little people.

The independent truckers are getting cooked by the increase in fuel expense.

capt

Israeli Cabinet Minister Spied for U.S. - New U.S. Docs Reveal
Hamodia Staff - Israel News - Hamodia - June 23, 2004
[Original title: Was There An American Spy In the Israeli Government?]
Justice4JP Prefacing Note:

The article below describes newly-released American government documents which reveal, that around the time of the Six Day War, the U.S. ran a senior Israeli cabinet minister as a spy. This revelation puts the lie (once again) to America's self-righteous insistence that Israel broke a sacred trust between the two countries by running a spy in Washington. The Americans continue to use this falsehood to justify their harsh treatment of Jonathan Pollard and the grossly disproportionate sentence he is serving. In spite this and of other obvious contradictions which have surfaced over the years, such as the cases of IDF officer Yossi Amit, and Angie Kielczynski- both are Israelis who spied for the U.S. - Israel has never repudiated the American lies which keep Pollard in prison.

***
With all the hubbub last week about Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his sons, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz's decision, the disengagement, and all the rest, a stormy subject that in any other country would have made headlines, was shunted aside.

It turns out that according to papers from 1967 made public recently by the U.S. Administration, the U.S. had a senior spy in the Israeli government at that time, apparently one of the ministers.

The minister in question would pass on a steady stream of information to the Americans about inside doings in Jerusalem.

In the United States, it is permitted to release old U.S. government documents after a certain number of years pass. So it is that documents from President Lyndon Johnson's administration have now been approved for release. Those sifting through the sea of papers that were made public found U.S. intelligence evidence saying that during the Six Day War the Americans knew everything the Israelis were doing, thanks to that high-ranking source, who also passed on army and government documents.

#67
Sal,
Was he wearing a wedding ring?

#96
Capt,
My husband told me about that story. It makes me so sad. These people are selling stuff for gas to get to work. Thank you Mr. Bush.

micki, I see very little distinction between openly calling for and that they are planning for an assassination. In either case what is being said is immoral, illegal and should be dealt with by the international community. When the Iranian presidents words are twisted in the press the whole world is up in arms over it, but life threatening statements by Israel, and outright murders of opposing political leaders and American citizens, is completely ignored by the press and everyone else.

At the Aipac website

Bill to Increase Pressure on Iran Nears House Vote
The House of Representatives is set to vote next week on the Iran Freedom Support Act, legislation that would renew and strengthen sanctions intended to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Introduced by Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Tom Lantos (D-CA), the bill also urges support for democratic forces in Iran and calls for American divestment from foreign companies investing in Iran’≥ petroleum sector. A companion version of the bill is awaiting consideration in the Senate. Urge your lawmakers to support this legislation. CALL YOUR REPS AND TELL THEM TO VOTE AGAINST THIS LEGISLATION

Latest Palestinian Attack Linked to Iran and Syria
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said evidence ties Iran and Syria to the Monday suicide bombing that killed nine Israelis and wounded nearly 60, The Jerusalem Post reported. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the group that carried out the bombing, is headquartered in Damascus and receives most of its funding from Iran. Ҕhe large amounts of Iranian money flowing to Islamic Jihad clearly are allowing it to draft many volunteers, mostly young, for suicide attacks in Israel,Ӡwrote Zeեv Schiff, Israelճ pre-eminent security analyst.

I know bunnypants is a funny person and he does look dumber that dumber but I must rain on your parade.

A Matter of Time

Dear Cornposters:

There are people who wonder whether or not God gives us some indication of our future. I want to share with you some articles that will look into our future. These articles will unfold our future before our eyes. You can believe the path we are on or you cannot believe. We all have a free will. Here are the articles.

Article One

The Price We'll Pay for Countenancing Presidential Omnipotence by Peter Stern April 22, 2006 from LewRockwell.com

As long as we have a Congress that has abdicated their system of check and balance, we have now a god in the WH. He will declare martial law and there will be no 2008 presidential election.

Article Two

Happy days are here again –†or are they? April 20, 2006 from Economist.com

The article will give no joy to the Democrats. Incumbents are difficult to unseat. When you add rigged electronically voting machines into the equation that favor the repugnants, there will be more repugnants who will gain seats to Congress.

Article Three

They're Staying by Kevin B. Zeese April 22, 2006 from LewRockwell.com

When you read this article, you will see the Nazi Americans will never leave Iraq. Nazi America will be in Iraq just as long as Nazi America is in South Korea. Iraq will have permanent Nazi American bases that will be the launch pad for nuclear wars into Iran and Asia.

Article Four

Iran: The Day After by Phyllis Bennis April 21, 2006 from Mother Jones

What will the day be like after we nuclearize Iran? Will it be a total wasteland? Will we nuclearize to prevent China from receiving her oil? The plan to nuclearize Iran has been settled and now the date will be discussed. THERE WILL BE A NUCLEAR ATTACK UPON IRAN!!!!!

Article Five

More muscle, with eye on China by Bill Gertz April 2