We have a single troll with 15 different aliases on a single thread and two spoof posts (spoof posts of O'Reilly and Spy on This!) for good measure. That combined with the profane vulgarity means the troll has broken every one of the very few rules David Corn has for posting on his site.
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amazed to say the least
Butt Head
cookie
curious
deserved what she got
gethits
Important
jesus
keap lernin werds
MadAsHell
SAM
Spy On That
truth
vegas
veto
viewer
The U.S. economy has been steadily growing, with unemployment low and corporate profits at historic highs.
So, why can't David Lewis get a decent raise?
Lewis worked his way up through technology companies around San Jose, Calif., finally landing a $77,000-a-year Web design position. But in five years in that job, he received only a single 5 percent pay increase.
....Wage stagnation, long the bane of blue-collar workers, is now hitting people with bachelor's degrees for the first time in 30 years. Earnings for workers with four-year degrees fell 5.2 percent between 2000 and 2004 when adjusted for inflation, according to White House economists.
It is a setback for these workers, and it may explain why surveys show that many Americans think President Bush has not been a good manager of the economy.
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Where were you 6 years ago?
What a way to start off a new thread. Send money? Are you that desperate? One would think you are like a Katrina victim who needs a government debit card to buy porn. I think you are better than that.
Come on guys. Don't pollute this site with swill. And if swill washes in, don't repeat it that way. As for asking for money, it was half a joke. (I'll accept any donations!) But if that offends you, feel free not to stop by.
Sorry to hear about the computer problems. That has to be a bear trying to get any work done. I hope you have the help you need.
Made for a very long thread - a record for number of posts! Sadly if you were to weed out all of the swill I do not think we would have made 750 (I think 750 was the previous record).
Thanks for all of your work and curses on the machines that break down!
The federal government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit tax returns of some of the wealthiest Americans, specifically those who are subject to gift and estate taxes when they transfer parts of their fortunes to their children and others.
The administration plans to cut the jobs of 157 of the 345 estate tax lawyers, plus 17 support personnel, in less than 70 days.
...But six IRS estate tax lawyers whose jobs are likely to be eliminated said in interviews that the cuts were just the latest moves behind the scenes at the IRS to shield people with political connections and complex tax-avoidance devices from thorough audits.
Sharyn Phillips, a veteran IRS estate tax lawyer in New York, called the cuts a "backdoor way for the Bush administration to achieve what it cannot get from Congress, which is repeal of the estate tax."
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I posted this on the previous thread. I think this is a very big story and it is getting no play. Congress addressed the issue of estate taxes and the Bush administration dealt with it simply by going to the IRS and telling them to layoff the estate tax attorneys who worked on the returns of the most wealthy Americans.
So the Republicans can vote against the repeal of the estate tax and look like they're doing something for the average American but know that bush and his group were going to go to the IRS and tell them to demand cutbacks.
Interesting trip home from ATL today...'bout 20 different people coming up to thank Grant for his service...wished him a good time while he's home (and judging from the heat coming from my cell phone...well...y'know...). Had a reserve SGT Major give us a regimental coin for him at Waffle House...etc.
Instant Mall Shopping...shorts, shirts and shoes (he came home with nothing but Army clothes) "Wild Wings" for many beers and "real food". (I never thought of wings as "real food", but I haven't been eating out of brown plastic packages for 6 months.) Saw Pirates 2.
Home for the night. Some young girls are coming up the hill, now to see the wunderkind. I'm going to sleep. I've had about 6 hours sleep in the last 60. Running on "nuclear venom" as my old pal Hunter used to say.
Thanks again, David (and the rest of y'all for all the good wishes for Spank. He just sooooo freekin' good. Just want to sit and look at him.
NEW YORK - The U.S. government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit the tax returns of some of the wealthiest Americans, specifically those who are subject to gift and estate taxes when they transfer parts of their fortunes to their children and others.
The administration plans to cut the jobs of 157 of the agency's 345 estate tax lawyers, plus 17 support personnel, in fewer than 70 days.
Kevin Brown, an IRS deputy commissioner, confirmed the cuts after The New York Times was given internal documents by people inside the IRS who oppose the action.
The Bush administration has successfully lobbied Congress to enact measures that reduce the number of Americans who are subject to the estate tax - which opponents refer to as the "death tax" - but has failed in its efforts to eliminate the tax entirely.
Brown said during a telephone interview that he had ordered the cuts because far fewer people were obliged to pay estate taxes under Bush's legislation.
But six lawyers whose jobs are likely to be eliminated said during interviews that the cuts were just the latest moves to shield people.
Washington, DC Last night, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) released a conciliation agreement reached with Americans for a Republican Majority political action committee (ARMPAC) stemming from a complaint Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed against the PAC last August. As a result of CREW's FEC complaint, ARMPAC has agreed to pay a $115,000 civil penalty and go out of business. ARMPAC was created and led by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX).
This is one of the 50 largest fines ever obtained by the FEC in its 30-year history.
The FEC found that:
ARMPAC failed to report accurately nearly a quarter million dollars in contributions and expenditures during the 2001-2002 election cycle.
ARMPAC failed to report nearly $325,000 in debts owed to 25 campaign vendors.
ARMPAC improperly used over $200,000 in soft money to pay for federal election activity. In particular, ARMPAC improperly used over $120,000 in soft money to pay for GOTV activities in Texas immediately before the 2002 general election.
Seems a paltry amount for a slug who has clearly hidden away millions of our tax dollars. DeLay should be in the crossbar hotel and should be stripped of any pension.
Of course we tax payers will be paying his pension. That really chaps my hide.
Hajji, do you think Sgt Spanky would be interested in joining you at the next meeting of Drinking Liberally? (Is there a feminine *persuasion* represented?)
He'd go, but has to head to IN thursday morning. There is indeed a "female persuasion" contingency, probably a little older and a little more serious than he'd like.
Ran into one of the younger ER nurses I work with while shopping the mall. She's all.."Give him my number..." and I'm like, "Give it to him yerself..." and she's like..."Okay...giggle, giggle..."
#10 & 13 Jeanne & capt, more cheating for the wealthy! More time to spend jailing the poor and the middle class for any mistakes on their taxes.
I WAS AUDITED TWICE. THE REASON FOR BEING AUDITING BY THE IRS AGENT WAS THAT HE DID NOT KNOW HOW A FAMILY OF FIVE COULD LIVE ON MY SALARY. THIS IS FACTUAL INFORMATION!!!
Latest reports from Middle East show Hezbollah recycling Lebanese civilian bodies.
After counting bodies as civilian deaths by Israeli attacks, Hezbollah is moving the bodies to
attack locations where no civilian deaths occurred, and reporting them as new civilian deaths.
There is also evidence pointing to Hamas killing Lebanese civilians and placing their dead bodies in destroyed buildings after Israeli bombing.
Jeanne, Jay Inslee is not as well-known as Jim McDermott, but keep his name in your radar. Inslee, IMO, has the bona fides to be a national candidate with impeccable credentials.
The U.N. humanitarian chief accused Hezbollah on Monday of "cowardly blending" in among Lebanese civilians and causing the deaths of hundreds during two weeks of cross-border violence with Israel.
The militant group has built bunkers and tunnels near the Israeli border to shelter weapons and fighters, and its members easily blend in among civilians.
Jan Egeland spoke to reporters at Larnaca airport in Cyprus late Monday after visiting Lebanon to coordinate an international aid effort. On Sunday, he toured the rubble of Beirut's southern suburbs, a once-teeming Shiite district where Hezbollah had its headquarters.
During that visit, he condemned the killing and wounding of civilians by both sides and called Israel's offensive "disproportionate" and "a violation of international humanitarian law."
#25 A reliable source would be extremely valuable. Could you kindly provide one? Thanks for you kind consideration in advance. I look forward to hearing from you.
Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of using artillery-fired cluster bombs that disperse after impact in populated areas of Lebanon.
The human rights organisation's researchers said cluster munitions were used in an attack on the village of Blida in southern Lebanon on July 19, killing one and wounding at least 12 civilians, including seven children.
Human Rights Watch said its researchers photographed cluster munitions in the arsenal of Israeli artillery teams on the Israel-Lebanon border.
"Cluster munitions are unacceptably inaccurate and unreliable weapons when used around civilians," Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
Sadly this is the latest news I can find. I sure hope those reporting such a crime are mistaken. Cluster bombs in populated areas is pretty sick if it is true. HRW is usually on top of their game and almost always have evidence of the things they report.
If President Bush, and those evangelical Christians who support him, sought to have their actions match up with Jesus' values, wouldn't they be more inclined to value innocent life specially when we risk bombing not just our targeted enemies but those who have nothing to do with the conflict itself?
Bombing innocent civilians and using violence to accomplish one's means is ultimately not an attribute of Christ. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."
It is telling that on October 22, 2004, the United Methodists of America chose to speak truth to power, much like the early Christians in the Bible, when they issued a signed statement to President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, both self-proclaimed Methodists, which read:
We, the undersigned, are also very much disturbed by President Bush's many references to the significance of Christian faith in the decisions that he has made as President of the United States. George W. Bush has called Jesus his "favorite philosopher," said that Jesus changed his life, and that his decisions are often guided by prayer. In fact, we feel that most of his actions as president have directly contradicted the philosophy of Jesus. Jesus said to feed, clothe, and shelter the "least of these," not to starve, strip, and bomb them.
Actually Capt, Jesus would be the one being bombed. When we ignore the poor, we are ignoring Jesus. When we fire upon the helpless and the innocent we are firing upon Jesus. I don't think Jesus spends a lot of time among the people who are calling Bush about the IRS tax attorneys.
A powerful Republican committee chairman who has led the fight against President Bush's signing statements said Monday he would have a bill ready by the end of the week allowing Congress to sue him in federal court.
"We will submit legislation to the United States Senate which will...authorize the Congress to undertake judicial review of those signing statements with the view to having the president's acts declared unconstitutional," Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said on the Senate floor.
Specter's announcement came the same day that an American Bar Association task force concluded that by attaching conditions to legislation, the president has sidestepped his constitutional duty to either sign a bill, veto it, or take no action.
Bush has issued at least 750 signing statements during his presidency, reserving the right to revise, interpret or disregard laws on national security and constitutional grounds.
"That non-veto hamstrings Congress because Congress cannot respond to a signing statement," said ABA president Michael Greco. The practice, he added "is harming the separation of powers."
President Bush and the Republican Congress show nearly record low ratings while Democrats are viewed much more favorably in their performance on the issues that matter most to Americans, according to the latest CBS News/New York Times poll.
Only 31% of those polled approve of Mr. Bush's job performance and 68% believe the United States is worse off today than it was before Mr. Bush became president.
Personal evaluations of Mr. Bush are the lowest they've ever been during his presidency. On the public's confidence in Mr. Bush's ability to handle a crisis, 51% had been the previous low in September 2005. That figure is now at 50%. The President's handling of the Hurricane Katrina crisis is tied to that decrease.
....The overall approval of Congress' performance has diminished vastly since 2001; only 23% approve now while 67% did in 2001. This figure reflects frustration over Congress' ability to challenge the President since 67% think Congress does not question his policies enough.
Also, 39% say that Congress would be in better condition today if Democrats were in charge, an increase from last month.
Heading into the 2006 elections, Democrats look to have quite an advantage. For instance, if the elections were held today, 44% of registered voters said they would support the Democratic candidate in their congressional districts, while only 33% would support the GOP candidate.
President's Use of 'Signing Statements' Raises Constitutional Concerns
The American Bar Association said President Bush's use of "signing statements," which allow him to sign a bill into law but not enforce certain provisions, disregards the rule of law and the separation of powers. Legal experts discuss the implications.
David, sorry 'bout the computer. I've got my fingers crossed your book wasn't on it without a backup somewhere.
I'm thinking you authors have a vigorous back-up policy.
Jeanne, I don't trust Spector. He's good about jumping out there sounding like a patriot but doesn't do shyt later to back it up. Remember shyt like not making Gonzo testify under oath, and most recent, his bill about NSA spying which would leave seeking warrants as voluntary... in other words, it would make all the illegal spying now leagal.
Another vote for getting a Mac, David. Just bought a Macbook Pro, and it's a great little machine (although it's too soon for me to judge its long-term reliability). And a program called Parallels (made by a company just down the road from you, in Reston) enables it to run Windows and Windows applications right on the Mac desktop (no rebooting necessary).
Micki, Jeanne, Jim McD's a living political saint as far as I'm concerned. I'll never forget seeing him stand in Baghdad just before the invasion, telling the world that he thought Bush would lie to justify a war. Needless to say, he sure called that one.
And Jay's great too. I think it was at a town hall meeting that Jay held in Shoreline where Joe Wilson first said he expected to see Rove frog-marched out of the White House.
The Seattle area's about as blue as they come. I just wish a certain senator named Maria had shown herself to be worthy of the place.
Plagiarism incident
On April 14, 1983, Reed wrote a column for The Red & Black student newspaper attacking the late Mohandas K. Gandhi. Entitled "Gandhi: Ninny of the 20th Century," it denounced the motion picture Gandhi for its favorable treatment of the life of the pacifist leader of the Indian independence movement. A graduate student complained to the editor of The Red & Black that Reed had plagiarized a Commentary article by film reviewer Richard Grenier. After an investigation, Reed was fired from the paper. Reed wrote a final column acknowledging his failure to cite sources but accusing the graduate student who complained of "the most shocking, profane form of personal attack I can imagine." (Nina J. Easton, Gang of Five: Leaders at the Center of the Conservative Crusade, page 130-31)
Early days as political activist
Reed spent much of his college career as a political activist, taking six years to earn his undergraduate degree. He started with the University of Georgia College Republicans, steadily rising to state and then national leadership as he became a master of confrontational street protest and hardball backroom politics. He was later profiled in Gang of Five by Nina J. Easton, along with Grover Norquist and other young activists who got their start in that era.
The triumvirate
In 1981, Reed moved to Washington, D.C., to intern for Jack Abramoff, the newly-elected Chairman of the College Republican National Committee (CRNC) and later the central figure in the Indian gaming and Congressional bribery scandal that would cause problems for Reed's campaign for Lieutenant Governor.
At the CRNC, Abramoff, Norquist and Reed formed what was known as the "Abramoff-Norquist-Reed triumvirate." Upon Abramoff's election, the trio purged "dissidents" and re-wrote the CRNC's bylaws to consolidate their control over the organization. Reed was the "hatchet man" and "carried out Abramoff-Norquist orders with ruthless efficiency, not bothering to hide his fingerprints." Abramoff promoted Reed in 1983, appointing him to succeed Norquist as Executive Director of the CRNC. (Nina J. Easton, Gang of Five: Leaders at the Center of the Conservative Crusade, page 143)
Reed roomed with Abramoff in Washington, D.C., and later introduced him to his wife. Reed participated in the weddings of both Abramoff and Norquist. Norquist would later serve as President of Americans for Tax Reform, an anti-tax group that would serve as a fundraising conduit in the Indian gaming scandal.
At the pinnacle of his power, Reed appeared on the cover of TIME on May 15, 1995, under the banner "The Right Hand of God: Ralph Reed of the Christian Coalition."
In 1999, Abramoff helped Reed get hired as a consultant subcontractor for Preston Gates & Ellis, a large law firm founded by the father of Microsoft's Bill Gates.
Reed's $30,000 per month contract with Enron was arranged in 1999 by Karl Rove, principal campaign advisor to Texas Governor and future President George W. Bush. Rove did not want Reed, an expert in negative campaigning, to work against Bush, but he also did not want Reed to be publicly associated with Bush in the early stages of the campaign. The existence of Reed's contract was revealed in 2002, when a federal investigation was launched into Enron's bankruptcy.
Reed is credited with orchestrating attacks on Senator John McCain in the 2000 South Carolina presidential primary. Bush's defeat of McCain in that primary ended McCain's early momentum from an upset victory in the New Hampshire primary.
Reed's $20,000 per month contract with Microsoft proved a minor embarrassment to the Bush campaign in the summer of 2000 when it was revealed that the software giant, which was being prosecuted for anti-trust violations, had hired a number of Bush aides as consultants and lobbyists. Reed apologized for the "appearance of conflict" but continued to accept the money until early 2005, when Microsoft terminated Reed in the midst of the Indian gaming scandal.
The greatest controversy about Reed's business dealings has come from his fellow conservatives, who have criticized Reed's choice of clients and suggested that he has inappropriately profited from his credentials as a conservative Christian leader.
In the wake of the scandal, President Bush has distanced himself from Reed. During a July 2005 visit to Georgia, the President pointedly ignored Reed, who attempted to get his attention by jumping up and down and waving, during his speech. In a March 2006 appearance at a Georgia Republican Party rally, Bush further distanced himself from Reed, saying that Georgia had two candidates for Lieutenant Governor and naming Reed's opponent, Casey Cagle, first. Reed supporters, expecting a Bush endorsement in the primary, are disappointed and baffled. (Insider Advantage Georgia)
Lottery position switch
In a major policy announcement, Reed reversed himself on the highly popular Georgia education lottery, saying that he now supports Georgia's state sponsored gambling enterprise. Reed had defended his hiring by Indian gaming tribes to help defeat an Alabama lottery referendum on the grounds that he was philosophically opposed to all gambling.
On June 22, 2006 the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs released its final report[7] on the scandal.
The report states that under the guidance of the Mississippi Choctaw tribe's planner, Nell Rogers, the tribe agreed to launder money because "Ralph Reed did not want to be paid directly by a tribe with gaming interests." It also states that Reed used non-profits, like Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform, as pass-throughs to disguise the origin of the funds, and that "the structure was recommended by Jack Abramoff to accommodate Mr. Reed?s political concerns."
On July 7, 2006, The National Journal ran a lengthy article, entitled "Reed In The Rough," detailing the extensive relationship between Abramoff and Reed. The article noted, for example, how Reed helped Abramoff land his influential slot on George W. Bush's Interior Department transition team.
"I used to tell people he was going to be either President of the United States or Al Capone. Whatever he did, he was really good at it." - his mother, Marcy Reed
"[Reed] is a bad version of us! No more money for him." E-mail from Abramoff to Michael Scanlon, questioning whether Reed had properly accounted for funds spent on Indian gambling projects, January 4, 2002
"Reed transformed the remnants of Pat Robertson's failed 1988 presidential campaign into a potent political force, more than a million strong at its peak." - Atlantic Monthly, 2004.
Instead of making his triumphant debut as a politician, the man Time magazine called "The Right Hand of God" is fast becoming the new poster boy for Christian-right corruption.
"The president believes strongly that for the purpose of research it's inappropriate for the federal government to finance something that many people consider murder. He's one of them," Snow said.
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WASHINGTON - White House press secretary Tony Snow apologized on Monday for suggesting that President Bush believed stem-cell research amounted to "murder," saying he was "overstating the president's position."
"He would not use that term," Snow told reporters.
At issue was Snow's comment last Wednesday defending Bush's veto of legislation to expand federally financed research on stem cells obtained from unwanted embryos.
dick cheney -- on yet another campaign stop in endless campaigning -- said regarding the fighting between Israel & Hezbollah: "This conflict is a long way from over," Cheney said. "It's going to be a battle that will last for a very long time. It is absolutely essential that we stay the course."
Kissing Cousins
BY JOHN STOSSEL - JFS Productions Inc.
July 20, 2006
URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/36394
I'd always thought marrying a blood relative as close as a cousin was immoral, and certainly risky if you plan to have kids. Conventional wisdom says only primitive people who live in isolated places marry cousins. It leads to stupid children. But that's a myth.
It's the sort of myth that leads to stupid laws. Half the states in America have banned cousin marriage, but there's no good reason for it. You can marry your cousin and have perfectly intelligent kids.
Watch Public Citizen's Tyson Slocum decimate Stossel on Scarborough Country, it's amazingly fun and even Scarborough is laughing by the end of it. Best part is when Slocum calls him a "Luddite", which is the perfect appelation for these science-denying sycophants. If only Slocum would have caled him "ecoterrorist".In the end Stossel's best argument for refuting global warming is that those who believe in it "hate capitalism". It really needs to be seen to believed.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Defeating the Specter bill
Greenwald
Yesterday's significant judicial defeat of the Bush administration in the EFF/AT&T NSA case underscores just how pernicious the Specter FISA bill is, and how urgent it is that it not be enacted. It has been clear for some time that both the federal district judge in the EFF case, as well as the judge in the ACLU case pending in the Eastern District of Michigan, are unwilling to simply roll over and offer the administration the type of blind deference which the Congress and even other courts have been willing to extend in the area of national security. As a result, these cases threaten to subject the administration to that which it fears most: judicial review of its behavior.
Yes, Drewp, it was Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA) who hosted that forum on Iraq intelligence at Shoreline on August 21, 2003, with Joe Wilson as the "featured guest." I attended -- and, when I left the auditorium, I was so SURE that bush and his boyfriends would get their comeuppance! (Boy, was I wrong on that one!)
Brewster Denny, founder and first dean of the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs was also on the panel, along with former Navy Adm. Bill Center.
Mac's crash too and when they do it is not usually software but a hardware (Hard drive, board, etc.) based on my experience.
Does anybody really believe Mac's do not crash? Consider the crossover of peripheral hardware?
Mac's OS is more stable and does not have some of the issues that Windows or Linux have as an OS but real "crashes" are hardware related.
If you believe Mac's do not have the same hardware related issues you are kidding yourselves.
Sorry to burst any bubbles but Mac hard-drives crash too.
I have had, used, worked with both. Both have certain advantages with regard to operating and applications software.
As an old programmer I side with (what we used to call) IBM compatible because I know them better and have used them more.
What makes anybody believe it was not a Mac that that crashed? When I still did consulting I did more data recovery on crashed Mac hard-drives than Windows (granted that is just my personal experience).
I doubt an OS restart would be a problem for any user. It is hard-drives and such that bring either type of computer to a dead stop.
I have always assumed Mr. Corn uses a Mac because of the character set anomalies I have run into when posting.
The real problems are not OS related, the real threat to data is hardware related and you will find peripherals built for both from the same companies.
Chances are David had an hardware not an OS issue. The Mac OS is more stable but the hard-drives and periferals are the exposure to hardware downtime risk not likely an OS issue.
I am sure Mac users like their machines but OS stability is a different consideration from a hardware failure.
Tony Snow, President George W. Bush's chief spokesman, apologized on Monday for saying Bush believed embryonic stem cell research amounted to "murder," saying he had overstated the president's position.
Snow, a former radio talk show host who took over as press secretary in May, created a bit of a stir in defending Bush's veto last Wednesday of legislation that would have expanded embryonic stem cell research.
"The president believes strongly that for the purpose of research it's inappropriate for the federal government to finance something that many people consider murder. He's one of them," Snow had said.
Asked about that comment on Monday, Snow told reporters: "I overstepped my brief there" and said he was sorry the remark became a subject for White House chief of staff Josh Bolten in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.
"I feel bad about it," Snow said.
Bush himself said, in casting the veto, the legislation "crosses a moral boundary."
Asked if Bush considered it murder, Snow said: "He would not use that term."
61 micki,just like the troll posts here, none of the claims in the whitehouse.gov/climatechange document are substantiated with links. not one claim is substantiated.
Im scared. I am going to crawl back under my rock now.
Keep it real cornbloggers!
Backing down from trolls is why Democrats have made a habit of losing. America does not need spineless leadership any more than it needs neocon hate bots and their culture of ignorance.
There is no reason why these idiots should win elections anywhere. I observe Democrats everywhere just ignoring them. Ignoring them will not make them go away. While trading "swill" with them on some on some blog is pretty pointless, what worries me most is I still see Democrats being backed into corners. The same dynamic is still present. Democrats do not respond to the idiotic rants. Like the way John Kerry never responded to the swift boat liars. It is as if they think nobody in thier right mind would believe such bs. So they just sit by and let the lies grow and grow. For these new conservatives the campaign never stops. They spread thier abundant swill 24/7. The swill fertilizes the soil until the weeds of deciet grow into a dense, dark forest that obscures the light of truth.
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Beirut was pounded by new airstrikes Tuesday as the two-week-old crisis showed no signs of letting up, despite frantic diplomatic efforts. At least four heavy blasts were heard, the first Israeli strikes in the capital in nearly two days. A gray cloud billowed up from the southern district, a Hezbollah stronghold that has been heavily bombarded.
Al-Jazeera television said 20 Israeli rockets hit the Dahiyah neighborhood as a quick succession of blasts set off car alarms in central Beirut, miles away, and sirens were heard. More, smaller explosions followed.
BEIRUT — The UN's humanitarian chief made an emergency appeal Monday for $150-million (U.S.) in aid to help Lebanon through the next three months amid the damage caused by Israel's bombardment of the country.
Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland told reporters in Beirut that the money is needed to pay for food, health care, water and sanitation in over the next three months in key areas.
"Approximately 500,000-800,000 people have been effected by the conflict, of whom some have become displaced persons or refugees," a statement issued by the UN said.
U.S. President George W. Bush has ordered helicopters and ships to Lebanon to provide humanitarian aid, although he still opposes an immediate ceasefire that could give relief from a 13-day-old Israeli bombing campaign.
= = = = =
Will the profits from US arms sales to Israel finance the US humanitarian aid or will the US taxpayer foot the bill? (The question is sincere but rhetorical.)
I remember the debate about climate change that took place in the late 1980s. Back then it was called "The Greenhouse Effect". People argued about it. The debate is over. Now it is happening.
The Vatican has emerged as an "unwitting relay source of spam traffic" in the latest "dirty dozen" report released by Sophos, which names and shames the countries generating the highest amounts of junk email.
Although the Vatican itself is not a member of the dirty dozen, Italy made its first appearance in the list in eighth position, indicating that spam kings might have enlisted an increased number of "zombie" computers either within or outside the country.
Sophos compiled the list for the three months to the end of June and the US once again topped the rankings throughout the quarter. It was closely followed by China while Australia continued its slide downward from 24th to 25th position.
You are absolutely correct. He is the administration's lapdog. All bark, no bite.
Hajji,
Please also extend a welcome home and thank you from me to yours.
Still catching up. On vacation this week. (Had to get a netscape dial-up account for the week.) Little Gasparilla Island. As a bonus, with the red tide, all the (dead) fish you can carry.
I have a question. What did Hezbollah and Hamas hope to accomplish by kidnapping Isreali soldiers?
It seemed like a stupid move, even for idiots like them.
Innocent people are always the ones that pay the price when idiots collide.
Scorching heat is still severely stretching power supplies in parts of the US with consumers warned of more shortages unless they reduce demand.
California's electricity grid was pushed to breaking point on Monday but rolling blackouts were averted.
"It looks like we dodged a bullet," a power grid spokesman told Reuters.
Electricity is now back on in many of the hundreds of thousands of homes hit by power outages in the past few days, including in California and New York.
But on Monday night, more than 150,000 people were still without power in St Louis, Missouri, where supplies were knocked out last week by storms.
The US is planning to deploy thousands of extra troops in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, in an attempt to combat the deteriorating security situation.
US President George W Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki are to meet at the White House to discuss details.
US officials said the extra troops would be sent from other areas of Iraq.
An average of more than 100 civilians per day were killed in violence in Iraq in May and June, according to a report by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq.
White House spokesman Tony Snow admitted that a plan brought in six weeks ago to improve security in the Iraqi capital "has not achieved its objectives".
The plan was made years ago. The current hostilities have as much to do with kidnapped soldiers (who were inside Lebanon) as it does with the man on the moon.
What is with the neocon "Human Events" ad? I know you need a new computer and all but that is terrible. I wish I could help, but after five years of plutocracy and the silly jellyfish Democrats, I dont have two nickels to rub together. I will pray that God will bring you a new laptop.
Just in time for this week, Mexico's main oil field is in serious decline, and might really cause a problem in the US> Why? Because petroleum income provides 60% of income for the Mexican government, think that won't start a mass exodus to the north? Still no border security and that makes things look really bad. Civil war to the south? Could happen lots more places in the world besides the ME. Just in case you want to read this, here is the link:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pemex24jul24,1,6754747.story?coll=la-headlines-business
Let me agree with capt., war is always a failure of diplomacy, and should be viewed as the result of incompetent leadership. War as a matter of planned policy decision is criminal.
It will certainly be interesting now to see how this ABA report on presidential signing statements plays out, but Arlen Spector changes direction more frequently than a magic bullet.
It seemed like a stupid move, even for idiots like them. C, The 'stupid' and 'idiots' argument doesn't compel. It bothers me when trolls spew that swill at cornbloggers. I think it's worth considering whether it makes sense to stop using it ourselves, even if your assessment is correct becuase it's imflammatory and its a dead end argument.
corky at 71, a stupid move even for idiots like them? Hezbollah captured the soldiers on the Lebanese side of the border. Capturing enemy soldiers on your territory is pretty routine. Maybe a better question would be, why is Israel holding roughly 10,000 Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners, some for many years, without charges or trial? Israel has admitted they are mere bargaining chips. Think of all the lies told by the Neocons in charge of US and Israeli policies, all the lies used as an excuse to attack and occupy sovereign territory, to steal land and resources, to murder indigenous people. Don't believe anything the Neocons say.
Hundreds of thousands of people in different parts of the US continue to be affected by power outages as temperatures soar to record highs.
In California, where temperatures reached 50C (122F), the heat may have killed up to eight people.
The power grid was unable to cope with the increased demand for electricity, leading to widespread cuts.
Of course our media has done little to explain the big picture. I was totally unaware that the two soldiers were actually inside Lebanon at the time! Imagine that! What else is CNN not telling me? Could you recomend a site or a book where I could learn more about this?
I can't feel sorry for religious extremist idiots, whether they are Hezbollah or the Christian Coalition. I think Neocons and Islamic fundimentalists are very similar. I think they feed off one another.
Alan, I'm with you regarding Arlen Spector -- he talks like he's going to do the right thing, then capitulates. In a way, he does exactly what the busheviks do -- say one thing, then do another once the "claim" of the day is out there embedded in the minds of non-critical Americans.
Take the Tony Snow "apology" on murder: What a sorry spectacle. Snow trotted out that word murder because that was part of the propaganda plan from General Rove. Snow was just following orders. He is a whore. Snow is so full of s**t he'd better watch out or his colostomy bad will blow.
The location where the two Israeli soldiers were nabbed by Hezbollah is disputed. . . of course it is. We would like to think knowing their location at the time of the abduction would give us a leg up on understanding who provoked who and why. This issue, the location of the "abduction" or "apprehension" will not, in and of itself answer those questions. Consider Israel's dissproportionate response. Consider the US's tacit approval of Israel's disproportionate response. These facts may help you draw a conclusion about who started this and for what purpose.
The title of this devastating new book about the American war in Iraq says it all: ÒFiasco.Ó That is the judgment that Thomas E. Ricks, senior Pentagon correspondent for The Washington Post, passes on the Bush administrationÕs decision to invade Iraq and its management of the war and the occupation. And he serves up his portrait of that war as a misguided exercise in hubris, incompetence and folly with a wealth of detail and evidence that is both staggeringly vivid and persuasive.
When ill words are used in the context of political discussion they are not a personal attack.
Come on, wake up and smell the Senseo!
When such words are directed at a handle or a specific poster it is a personal attack.
If one cannot tell the difference it would be best not to use the ugly words but if I call Bush a jerk or whatnot it is a very different thing than if I call "capt" (or another handle) a jerk.
88. Of course but understand you can expect the same in return. My point is that saying 'stupid' doesn't make a case for stupid. My suggestion is, rather than saying it, make the case. In the humble words of Capt. Kirk, But what do i know?
Israel has been planning and training for this invasion since 2000. Hezbollah was formed in response to the first Israeli attempt to take the Litani River, when Israel was defeated they continued to plot ways to gain back the ground they lost to Hezbollah. Any excuse at all would do. Just as the PNAC has been planning the Iraqi invasion for many years, same kind of lies, same results, created by the usual suspects. Christian and Muslim extremists are no worse or extreme than Zionist extremists. But the Zionists have the Phosphorous and cluster bombs as well as nuclear weapons, and guess where they got them?
Israel's excuse for bringing death and destruction to the Lebanon seems to be centred on the arrest of two Israeli solders, the two soldiers were captured in Lebanese territory, in the area of A•ta Al-Chaab close to the border, whereas Israeli television indicated that they had been captured in Israeli territory.
****
Would the USA have "kidnapped" two Mexican soldiers if they were in Texas? It was a provocation.
IN 1985, THE FORBES 400 were worth $221 billion combined. Today, theyÕre worth $1.13 trillionÑmore than the GDP of Canada.
THEREÕVE BEEN FEW new additions to the Forbes 400. The median household income has also stagnatedÑat around $44,000.
AMONG THE FORBES 400 who gave to a 2004 presidential campaign, 72% gave to Bush.
IN 2005, there were 9 million American millionaires, a 62% increase since 2002.
IN 2005, 25.7 million Americans received food stamps, a 49% increase since 2000.
ONLY ESTATES worth more than $1.5 million are taxed. ThatÕs less than 1% of all estates. Still, repealing the estate tax will cost the government at least $55 billion a year.
ONLY 3% OF STUDENTS at the top 146 colleges come from families in the bottom income quartile; only 10% come from the bottom half.
BUSHÕS TAX CUTS GIVE a 2-child family earning $1 million an extra $86,722Ñor Harvard tuition, room, board, and an iMac G5 for both kids.
A 2-CHILD family earning $50,000 gets $2,050Ñor 1/5 the cost of public college for one kid.
Nothing wrong with people getting rich or being rich, the problem is the preferential considerations because they think being rich gives the rich some kind of entitlement over the poor.
The wealthy that are willing to spend a fortune protecting their wealth from the poor when they could just give to the poor is an arrogance of wealth that is sickening to me.
So far, no invasion but they sure are bombing the crap out of Lebanon and not just the southern part near the Israeli boarder. We are talking about Billions upon Billions of damage.
I don't think Israel has a chance of keeping the land from their northern boarder to the Litani River. They make take it but there is no way world opinion will allow them to keep it. Instead, world opinion will require Hezbollah retreat to north of the river and Lebanon's army will be required to guard its southern boarder.
This is based on my assumption that Iran, Al Queada and other terrorist organization don't flock to the area to participate in the fight. The longer the US lets this go on, the more likely radical muslim militants, shia in particular, go to the region to fight the zionists.
Red Cross ambulances destroyed in Israeli air strike on rescue mission
Volunteer paramedics demand UN guarantees
Flags and lights prove no protection for aid teams
Suzanne Goldenberg in Tyre
Tuesday July 25, 2006
The Guardian
Coffins are prepared for mass burial in the Lebanese city of Tyre. Photograph: Nasser Nasser/AP
The ambulance headlamps were on, the blue light overhead was flashing, and another light illuminated the Red Cross flag when the first Israeli missile hit, shearing off the right leg of the man on the stretcher inside. As he lay screaming beneath fire and smoke, patients and ambulance workers scrambled for safety, crawling over glass in the dark. Then another missile hit the second ambulance.
Even in a war which has turned the roads of south Lebanon into killing zones, Israel's rocket strike on two clearly marked Red Cross ambulances on Sunday night set a deadly new milestone.
Six ambulance workers were wounded and three generations of the Fawaz family, being transported to hospital from Tibnin with what were originally minor injuries, were left fighting for their lives. Two ambulances were entirely destroyed, their roofs pierced by missiles.
The Lebanese Red Cross, whose ambulance service for south Lebanon is run entirely by volunteers, immediately announced it would cease all rescue missions unless Israel guaranteed their safety through the United Nations or the International Red Cross.
For the villages below the Litani river, the ambulances were their last link to the outside world. Yesterday, that too was gone, leaving the 100,000 people of Tyre district with no way of reaching hospital other than to take to the roads themselves, under the roar of Israeli war planes.
The fateful call to the Red Cross operations room came through at about 10pm - well after dark, a time when almost no Lebanese now dare venture out.
At the Red Cross office in Tyre, three volunteer medics dressed in their orange overalls, and got into their ambulance. The plan was to drive halfway, meet the local ambulance, and transfer the three patients to their vehicle to return to Tyre.
By Nader Joudi's reckoning, the ambulances had been stopped for barely two minutes. Two patients had been loaded: Ahmed Mustafa Fawaz, who had been hit by shrapnel in the stomach, and his son, Mohammed, 14. The volunteer attendant was just easing Jamila Fawaz, 80, inside and setting up a drip when the missile struck. He managed to get the old woman and the child outside, but there was no way to reach Mr Fawaz. "It was horrible," Mr Joudi said. "He was screaming, and we couldn't do anything."
=============
Any moral high ground Israel ever thought it had has been destroyed. Bombing clearly marked emergency vehicles, maybe they think the big Red Cross is a target? Ordering people to flee, then bombing the cars full of terrified people, many small children.
Tell me about it! I am dirt poor despite the fact I have worked like a slave my whole life! Bush's stem cell veto was a massive kick in the stomach to poor diabetics everywhere. I am sure he has only gotten started making my life more impossible.
I believe the GOP will maintain thier grasp on Congress. What would they do next to screw the poor? I shudder to think.
AMY GOODMAN: It's good to have you with us. Well, can you talk about what is happening now, both in Lebanon and Gaza?
NOAM CHOMSKY: Well, of course, I have no inside information, other than what's available to you and listeners. What's happening in Gaza, to start with that -- well, basically the current stage of what's going on -- there's a lot more -- begins with the Hamas election, back the end of January. Israel and the United States at once announced that they were going to punish the people of Palestine for voting the wrong way in a free election. And the punishment has been severe.
At the same time, it's partly in Gaza, and sort of hidden in a way, but even more extreme in the West Bank, where Olmert announced his annexation program, what?s euphemistically called ?convergence? and described here often as a ?withdrawal,? but in fact it?s a formalization of the program of annexing the valuable lands, most of the resources, including water, of the West Bank and cantonizing the rest and imprisoning it, since he also announced that Israel would take over the Jordan Valley. Well, that proceeds without extreme violence or nothing much said about it.
Gaza, itself, the latest phase, began on June 24. It was when Israel abducted two Gaza civilians, a doctor and his brother. We don't know their names. You don?t know the names of victims. They were taken to Israel, presumably, and nobody knows their fate. The next day, something happened, which we do know about, a lot. Militants in Gaza, probably Islamic Jihad, abducted an Israeli soldier across the border. That?s Corporal Gilad Shalit. And that's well known; first abduction is not. Then followed the escalation of Israeli attacks on Gaza, which I don?t have to repeat. It?s reported on adequately.
The next stage was Hezbollah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers, they say on the border. Their official reason for this is that they are aiming for prisoner release. There are a few, nobody knows how many. Officially, there are three Lebanese prisoners in Israel. There's allegedly a couple hundred people missing. Who knows where they are?
But the real reason, I think it's generally agreed by analysts, is that -- I?ll read from the Financial Times, which happens to be right in front of me. ?The timing and scale of its attack suggest it was partly intended to reduce the pressure on Palestinians by forcing Israel to fight on two fronts simultaneously.? David Hearst, who knows this area well, describes it, I think this morning, as a display of solidarity with suffering people, the clinching impulse.
It's a very -- mind you -- very irresponsible act. It subjects Lebanese to possible -- certainly to plenty of terror and possible extreme disaster. Whether it can achieve any result, either in the secondary question of freeing prisoners or the primary question of some form of solidarity with the people of Gaza, I hope so, but I wouldn't rank the probabilities very high.
corky, it's very simple. Israel wants what does not belong to it, they have been forcefully expanding their borders since they became a state. They have been murdering people and occupying the territory of their neighbors for decades. There is a good and bad side. Who wouldn't object to having their home bulldozed, their olive groves destroyed and their children murdered? This is what Israel calls it's "right to exist."
Two recent studies have shown that prescription drug prices rose significantly during the first quarter of the year. AARP, an advocacy organization for older Americans, found that the prices charged by pharmaceutical companies for brand-name drugs increased by almost four percent. A similar study by Families USA, a healthcare advocacy group, found a nearly identical increase. Given the vast sums that the pharmaceutical industry has spent lobbying against price controls, the dramatic increase in the cost of drugs isn't surprising.
The AARP study determined that brand name drug prices increased at more than four times the rate of inflation during the first three months of this year. This was the largest quarterly price hike in six years. Older Americans take an average of four prescription drugs a month; this increase means that the cost of these prescriptions rose by almost $240 between the first quarter of 2005 and the first quarter of 2006. The study by Families USA confirmed the AARP's findings.
102 True. But Lebanon is not a direct party in the conflict so to deprive them of their land fought in a battle between Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas would be to unfairly penalize them in the eyes of moderate arab neighbors; Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia. I think the neigboring countries will have sway when it comes to peace negotiations. Israel needs their neighbors support to protect them from anti-zionist terrorists. But what doi I know?
The neocons have no power. They are living under the illusion of power, drunk on their dreams of power.
The ONLY power they have is to make our lives miserable (like theirs) and THAT is a matter of attitude, do not let them get you to surrender your peace of mind. They cannot have it unless you give it to them.
Keep a sense of humor, they hate that!
HA!
"The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think." ~ Horace Walpole (1717 - 1797)
There's practically a holy consensus right now that the war in the North is a just war and that morality is on our side. The bitter truth must be said: this holy consensus is based on short-range selective memory, an introverted worldview, and double standards.
This war is not a just war. Israel is using excessive force without distinguishing between civilian population and enemy, whose sole purpose is extortion. That is not to say that morality and justice are on Hezbollah's side. Most certainly not. But the fact that Hezbollah "started it" when it kidnapped soldiers from across an international border does not even begin to tilt the scales of justice toward our side.
Let's start with a few facts. We invaded a sovereign state, and occupied its capital in 1982. In the process of this occupation, we dropped several tons of bombs from the air, ground and sea, while wounding and killing thousands of civilians. Approximately 14,000 civilians were killed between June and September of 1982, according to a conservative estimate. The majority of these civilians had nothing to do with the PLO, which provided the official pretext for the war.
In Operations Accountability and Grapes of Wrath, we caused the mass flight of about 500,000 refugees from southern Lebanon on each occasion. There are no exact data on the number of casualties in these operations, but one can recall that in Operation Grapes of Wrath, we bombed a shelter in the village of Kafr Kana which killed 103 civilians. The bombing may have been accidental, but that did not make the operation any more moral.
On July 28, 1989, we kidnapped Sheikh Obeid, and on May 12, 1994, we kidnapped Mustafa Dirani, who had captured Ron Arad. Israel held these two people and another 20-odd Lebanese detainees without trial, as "negotiating chips." That which is permissible to us is, of course, forbidden to Hezbollah.
============
Some have the courage to face the truth.
It doesn't really matter where the soldiers were, there capture is wrong. No if's, but's or and's about it.
However, context is important. Israel has been known to trade political prisoners for POWs, so the motivations of the Hizbollah are clearly political.
The difference is Israel finally decided it would no longer negotiate(I hope this also means they will not participate in political kidnappings themselves but am not holding my breath in anticipation) with the enemy.
Their response however, is innapropriate because it will not bring on the results they claim it will, the destruction of Hizbollah, because force alone can not end terrorism or defeat "freedom fighters" if you choose to so call them.
What Israel, and the US, need to do is to talk honestly and openly with the leaders of these nation-states and find out what these groups(hamas, al qaida, hizbollah, muslim brotherhood, etc) provide for the people in order to receive such support so as to keep their locations and identities concealed from the authorities.
Clearly these terrorists have done what our mighty military can not do, they have won the hearts and minds of the population.
How did they do this and can we not also employ the same tactics?
If it is by building schools, hospitals and homes, then can we not afford to do the same with our vast resources?
The only thing we can not provide them that the terrorists can is protection from us, which begs the question, why do they feel they need protection from us?
To answer that questions requires some soul searching that many are unwilling to partake in.
111 Me too. The chaos and carnage of war is evidence there is no rationale voice in the dialogue. Both sides are intransigent. They play for life and death. That is why it takes outside parties to broker the end of battle.
I think there are rational and trusted voices, in Jordan, in Egypt and in Saudi Arabia. These are Arab lands, neighbors that won't permit annexation to stand under the auspices of security. Security will be enabled with the other solutions. The Lebanese will rebuild their country and a generation of survivors will blame Israel for killing their family members with indiscriminate bombs in search of Hezbollah.
Why is it that Hamas and Hezbollah are "terrorists", but Israel, who employ the exact same tactics, and in fact were the first to perfect terrorist tactics, are not considered terrorists? That is a bullshit double standard. One of the first terrorist bombings was commited by Zionist extremists in 1946 with the bombing of the King David Hotel which killed 92 British citizens. Israel recently celebrated the anniversary of this terrorist attack, it is something they are proud of. How quickly history is forgotten. Zionist propaganda is very effective, it should be, they learned the tecnique from the best.
August 20, 1937 - June 29, 1939. During this period, the Zionists carried out a series of attacks against Arab buses, resulting in the death of 24 persons and wounding 25 others.
November 25, 1940. S.S.Patria was blown up by Jewish terrorists in Haifa harbour, killing 268 illegal Jewish immigrants (see below).
November 6, 1944. Zionist terrorists of the Stern Gang assassinated the British Minister Resident in the Middle East, Lord Moyne, in Cairo.
July 22, 1946. Zionist terrorists blew up the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, which housed the central offices of the civilian administration of the government of Palestine, killing or injuring more than 200 persons. The Irgun officially claimed responsibility for the incident, but subsequent evidence indicated that both the Haganah and the Jewish Agency were involved.
October 1, 1946. The British Embassy in Rome was badly damaged by bomb explosions, for which Irgun claimed responsibility.
June 1947. Letters sent to British Cabinet Ministers were found to contain bombs.
September 3, 1947. A postal bomb addressed to the British War Office exploded in the post office sorting room in London, injuring 2 persons. It was attributed to Irgun or Stern Gangs. (The Sunday Times, Sept. 24, 1972, p.8)
December ll, 1947. Six Arabs were killed and 30 wounded when bombs were thrown from Jewish trucks at Arab buses in Haifa; 12 Arabs were killed and others injured in an attack by armed Zionists on an Arab coastal village near Haifa.
December 13,1947. Zionist terrorists, believed to be members of Irgun Zvai Leumi, killed 18 Arabs and wounded nearly 60 in Jerusalem, Jaffa and Lydda areas. In Jerusalem, bombs were thrown in an Arab market-place near the Damascus Gate; in Jaffa, bombs were thrown into an Arab cafe; in the Arab village of Al Abbasya, near Lydda, 12 Arabs were killed in an attack with mortars and automatic weapons.
December 19, 1947. Haganah terrorists attacked an Arab village near Safad, blowing up two houses, in the ruins of which were found the bodies of 10 Arabs, including 5 children. Haganah admitted responsibility for the attack.
December 29, 1947. Two British constables and 11 Arabs were killed and 32 Arabs injured, at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem when Irgun members threw a bomb from a taxi.
December 30,1947. A mixed force of the Zionist Palmach and the "Carmel Brigade" attacked the village of Balad al Sheikh, killing more than 60 Arabs.
1947 -- 1948. Over 700,000 Palestinian Arabs were uprooted from their homes and land, and forced to live in refugee camps on Israel's borders. They have been denied the right to return to their homes. They have been refused compensation for their homes, orchards, farms and other property stolen from them by the Israeli government. After their expulsion, the "Israeli Forces" totally obliterated (usually by bulldozing) 385 Arab villages and towns, out of a total of 475. Commonly, Israeli villages were built on the remaining rubble.
January 1, 1948. Haganah terrorists attacked a village on the slopes of Mount Carmel; 17 Arabs were killed and 33 wounded.
January 4, 1948. Haganah terrorists wearing British Army uniforms penetrated into the center of Jaffa and blew up the Serai (the old Turkish Government House) which was used as a headquarters of the Arab National Committee, killing more than 40 persons and wounding 98 others.
=============
The link has many more examples.
Wow! Looks like the lies of the left are starting to wear off the American public:
50 percent of U.S. says Iraq had WMDs
By Jennifer Harper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
July 25, 2006
Half of Americans now say Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when the United States invaded the country in 2003 -- up from 36 percent last year, a Harris poll finds. Pollsters deemed the increase both "substantial" and "surprising" in light of persistent press reports to the contrary in recent years.
The survey did not speculate on what caused the shift in opinion, which supports President Bush's original rationale for going to war. Respondents were questioned in early July after the release of a Defense Department intelligence report that revealed coalition forces recovered 500 aging chemical weapons containing mustard or sarin gas nerve agents in Iraq.
NEW YORK Despite seveal years of official and press reports to the contrary, a new Harris poll finds that half of adult Americans still believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD) when the United States invaded the country in 2003.
This is actually up from 36% last year, a Harris poll finds. The polling company itself called this "surprising" -- considering that no WMD were ever found and U.S. inspectors have confirmed the non-existence of active weapons.
In early summer, there were reports that 500 shells once containing mustard or sarin gas nerve agents were found buried long ago in Iraq but they were judged by experts and military officials as decrepit and useless by 2003.
In another finding wildly diverging from most expert opinion and media reports, Harris found that 64% said Saddam Hussein had "strong links" with al-Qaeda, up from 62% in October 2004.
The poll of 1,020 adults was conducted July 5 to 11 and has a margin of error of three percentage points.
You sure had a melt down on previous post. Why do you continue to insult opposing views with little diatribes about not providing links?
Where's Panty when you want an adult argument?
Oh ya, that's right, he finlally got tired of getting his ass kicked with my cut and paste facts.
Don't worry Capt, I don't take your little temper tantrums personal.
By the way, Clintons 22 million jobs that were created by having a Republican Congress were starting to disappear in the Clinton recession of 2000 because of that huge tax hike he forced on us.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has held talks with Lebanon's PM in Beirut at the start of a Middle East tour to discuss the regional crisis.
She met Fouad Siniora on an unannounced visit that her officials said was to show support for Lebanon's people.
Ms Rice praised Mr Siniora's "courage" but has also said there is no place for "terrorist groups" like Hezbollah to attack from Lebanese territory.
She has now arrived in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
In the latest developments:
Israeli forces pushed north from the captured village of Maroun al-Ras in south Lebanon and fierce clashes were reported around Bint Jbeil. Ten Israeli soldiers were hurt in the border fighting and two Hezbollah guerrillas captured, Israel said
Israeli troops push into Lebanon as their offensive continues
An Israeli helicopter has crashed in northern Israel, killing two pilots. An army spokeswoman blamed technical problems, but Hezbollah reportedly claimed it had been shot down
The UN launched an appeal for $150m (?81m) to help hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese civilians.
US President George W Bush has ordered ships and helicopters to supply a "significant" amount of humanitarian aid to Lebanon from Tuesday, the White House said.
At least 372 Lebanese, the great majority civilians, have been killed during the conflict, which is now into its 13th day. Thirty-seven Israelis have been killed, about half of them civilians.
The Israeli offensive began after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on 12 July.
Al Maliki visits Bush today, while his country is falling apart, and the neighborhood is heating up, global warming not withstanding.
He is to press for an amnesty for insurgents who lay down their arms, but nothing doing saith the Americans, who don't relish the thought of pardoning those with American blood on their hands.
But, would our own Civil War ever have ended without some sort of way to spare the Confederacy the burdon of trying all the rebels? Let's be real, although this is a touchy subject, one which even opponents of the war in Congress are finding hard to swallow, as I heard from Mr. Delahunt (D-MA) last evening.
Also, Maliki will press for the ability to try Americans in Iraqi courts; not surprisingly following Haditha and the rape case he is under tremendous pressure to do so at home. Nothing doing saith the Americans.
He will speak for a cease-fire in Lebanon. Nothing doing saith the Americans.
He will try to explain his need for good relations with Iran, his Shi'a neighbor.
According to a recent Harris Poll, a growing number of Americans believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when the United States went to war in March 2003.
Fifty percent of American adults, when questioned by telephone between July 5 and 11 said they believe weapons of mass destruction (WMD) existed in Iraq before the U.S. invaded and toppled Saddam Hussein's regime.
In February and March 2003 - just before and just after the invasion - Harris Interactive found that 81 percent of Americans believed the WMDs existed, but following the Iraq Survey Group's 2004 report, which concluded that there was no evidence of the weapons, the number plunged.
In October 2004 Harris Interactive found that only 38 percent of
Comments
David,
If it's the Downloader virus welcome to the club. Wicked. I blame Bush.
Posted by: Jeanne at July 24, 2006 09:12 PM
We have a single troll with 15 different aliases on a single thread and two spoof posts (spoof posts of O'Reilly and Spy on This!) for good measure. That combined with the profane vulgarity means the troll has broken every one of the very few rules David Corn has for posting on his site.
"."
".."
amazed to say the least
Butt Head
cookie
curious
deserved what she got
gethits
Important
jesus
keap lernin werds
MadAsHell
SAM
Spy On That
truth
vegas
veto
viewer
Posted by: . at July 24, 2006 09:16 PM
College degree becoming less than a piece of paper
The U.S. economy has been steadily growing, with unemployment low and corporate profits at historic highs.
So, why can't David Lewis get a decent raise?
Lewis worked his way up through technology companies around San Jose, Calif., finally landing a $77,000-a-year Web design position. But in five years in that job, he received only a single 5 percent pay increase.
....Wage stagnation, long the bane of blue-collar workers, is now hitting people with bachelor's degrees for the first time in 30 years. Earnings for workers with four-year degrees fell 5.2 percent between 2000 and 2004 when adjusted for inflation, according to White House economists.
It is a setback for these workers, and it may explain why surveys show that many Americans think President Bush has not been a good manager of the economy.
-------------
Where were you 6 years ago?
Posted by: Jeanne at July 24, 2006 10:00 PM
What a way to start off a new thread. Send money? Are you that desperate? One would think you are like a Katrina victim who needs a government debit card to buy porn. I think you are better than that.
Posted by: BYOB at July 24, 2006 10:01 PM
Show me in the constitution, or anywhere else, where a company is required to give an employee a raise.
Posted by: BYOB at July 24, 2006 10:03 PM
Come on guys. Don't pollute this site with swill. And if swill washes in, don't repeat it that way. As for asking for money, it was half a joke. (I'll accept any donations!) But if that offends you, feel free not to stop by.
Posted by: David Corn at July 24, 2006 10:04 PM
I was joking as well. I know you can afford a laptop, desktop, etc. Good luck with the book.
Posted by: BYOB at July 24, 2006 10:08 PM
2
David. Sorry about repeating the swill. I should have assumed you were aware of it. Please do delete the post #2 if you would prefer to be rid of it.
Posted by: rene at July 24, 2006 10:09 PM
Mr. David Corn,
Sorry to hear about the computer problems. That has to be a bear trying to get any work done. I hope you have the help you need.
Made for a very long thread - a record for number of posts! Sadly if you were to weed out all of the swill I do not think we would have made 750 (I think 750 was the previous record).
Thanks for all of your work and curses on the machines that break down!
Kirk
Posted by: capt at July 24, 2006 10:20 PM
IRS to cut nearly half estate-tax attorneys
The federal government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit tax returns of some of the wealthiest Americans, specifically those who are subject to gift and estate taxes when they transfer parts of their fortunes to their children and others.
The administration plans to cut the jobs of 157 of the 345 estate tax lawyers, plus 17 support personnel, in less than 70 days.
...But six IRS estate tax lawyers whose jobs are likely to be eliminated said in interviews that the cuts were just the latest moves behind the scenes at the IRS to shield people with political connections and complex tax-avoidance devices from thorough audits.
Sharyn Phillips, a veteran IRS estate tax lawyer in New York, called the cuts a "backdoor way for the Bush administration to achieve what it cannot get from Congress, which is repeal of the estate tax."
-----------------
I posted this on the previous thread. I think this is a very big story and it is getting no play. Congress addressed the issue of estate taxes and the Bush administration dealt with it simply by going to the IRS and telling them to layoff the estate tax attorneys who worked on the returns of the most wealthy Americans.
So the Republicans can vote against the repeal of the estate tax and look like they're doing something for the average American but know that bush and his group were going to go to the IRS and tell them to demand cutbacks.
Nice.
Posted by: Jeanne at July 24, 2006 10:20 PM
Sorry, on the last post I meant vote for the repeal of the estate tax.
Posted by: Jeanne at July 24, 2006 10:25 PM
Thanx for all the good wishes for Spanky.
Interesting trip home from ATL today...'bout 20 different people coming up to thank Grant for his service...wished him a good time while he's home (and judging from the heat coming from my cell phone...well...y'know...). Had a reserve SGT Major give us a regimental coin for him at Waffle House...etc.
Instant Mall Shopping...shorts, shirts and shoes (he came home with nothing but Army clothes) "Wild Wings" for many beers and "real food". (I never thought of wings as "real food", but I haven't been eating out of brown plastic packages for 6 months.) Saw Pirates 2.
Home for the night. Some young girls are coming up the hill, now to see the wunderkind. I'm going to sleep. I've had about 6 hours sleep in the last 60. Running on "nuclear venom" as my old pal Hunter used to say.
Thanks again, David (and the rest of y'all for all the good wishes for Spank. He just sooooo freekin' good. Just want to sit and look at him.
Anybody know a painless way of breaking legs?
-T
Posted by: Hajji at July 24, 2006 10:28 PM
Layoffs at IRS will Halve Audits of Wealthy Estates
NEW YORK - The U.S. government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit the tax returns of some of the wealthiest Americans, specifically those who are subject to gift and estate taxes when they transfer parts of their fortunes to their children and others.
The administration plans to cut the jobs of 157 of the agency's 345 estate tax lawyers, plus 17 support personnel, in fewer than 70 days.
Kevin Brown, an IRS deputy commissioner, confirmed the cuts after The New York Times was given internal documents by people inside the IRS who oppose the action.
The Bush administration has successfully lobbied Congress to enact measures that reduce the number of Americans who are subject to the estate tax - which opponents refer to as the "death tax" - but has failed in its efforts to eliminate the tax entirely.
Brown said during a telephone interview that he had ordered the cuts because far fewer people were obliged to pay estate taxes under Bush's legislation.
But six lawyers whose jobs are likely to be eliminated said during interviews that the cuts were just the latest moves to shield people.
More HERE
*****end of clip*****
"to shield people"
Bush gazed around the diamond-studded $800-a-plate crowd and commented on the wealth on display. - "This is an impressive crowd - the haves and the have-mores," quipped the GOP standard-bearer. "Some people call you the elites; I call you my base."
This one time I think Bush did manage to tell the truth!
Had enough?
capt
PS - I could not resist a repost with the re-quote.
Posted by: capt at July 24, 2006 10:43 PM
Yoga?
Posted by: BYOB at July 24, 2006 10:43 PM
CREW FEC COMPLAINT AGAINST REP. DELAY PAC Ð ARMPAC Ð RESULTS IN $115,000 FINE
One of Largest Fines in FEC History
Washington, DC Last night, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) released a conciliation agreement reached with Americans for a Republican Majority political action committee (ARMPAC) stemming from a complaint Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed against the PAC last August. As a result of CREW's FEC complaint, ARMPAC has agreed to pay a $115,000 civil penalty and go out of business. ARMPAC was created and led by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX).
This is one of the 50 largest fines ever obtained by the FEC in its 30-year history.
The FEC found that:
ARMPAC failed to report accurately nearly a quarter million dollars in contributions and expenditures during the 2001-2002 election cycle.
ARMPAC failed to report nearly $325,000 in debts owed to 25 campaign vendors.
ARMPAC improperly used over $200,000 in soft money to pay for federal election activity. In particular, ARMPAC improperly used over $120,000 in soft money to pay for GOTV activities in Texas immediately before the 2002 general election.
More HERE
*****end of clip*****
Seems a paltry amount for a slug who has clearly hidden away millions of our tax dollars. DeLay should be in the crossbar hotel and should be stripped of any pension.
Of course we tax payers will be paying his pension. That really chaps my hide.
capt
Posted by: capt at July 24, 2006 10:51 PM
David-get a Mac-you're too important to your
fans and readers to use a common pc laptop!
Posted by: Jeff at July 24, 2006 11:17 PM
Hajji, do you think Sgt Spanky would be interested in joining you at the next meeting of Drinking Liberally? (Is there a feminine *persuasion* represented?)
If he does join you, I hope you post a report.
Posted by: micki at July 24, 2006 11:21 PM
I love my mac!
Posted by: micki at July 24, 2006 11:23 PM
Micki,
He'd go, but has to head to IN thursday morning. There is indeed a "female persuasion" contingency, probably a little older and a little more serious than he'd like.
Ran into one of the younger ER nurses I work with while shopping the mall. She's all.."Give him my number..." and I'm like, "Give it to him yerself..." and she's like..."Okay...giggle, giggle..."
I'm suddenly old...
ang finally, really going to bed.
G'nite
Posted by: Hajji at July 24, 2006 11:28 PM
Drewp #842, the "troll" in Fremont is cool, the blog trolls aren't. ;-))
Hey, I'd love to have Jay Inslee as my rep, instead of Rick Larsen who said all the right things to get reelected then turned "dino."
Jim McD is the real deal in Fremont. Go Fremont!
Posted by: micki at July 24, 2006 11:29 PM
There is indeed a "female persuasion" contingency, probably a little older and a little more serious than he'd like.
Well, maybe they're only serious around YOU! ;-))
Sleep in comfort. May your dreams be soothing.
Posted by: micki at July 24, 2006 11:33 PM
#20
I like Jim McD too. What a very very important person to have in congress. A real soul. A real human being.
Posted by: Jeanne at July 24, 2006 11:37 PM
May the whispers of angels lull you to sleep and may your dreams be soothing.
Posted by: Jeanne at July 24, 2006 11:41 PM
#10 & 13 Jeanne & capt, more cheating for the wealthy! More time to spend jailing the poor and the middle class for any mistakes on their taxes.
I WAS AUDITED TWICE. THE REASON FOR BEING AUDITING BY THE IRS AGENT WAS THAT HE DID NOT KNOW HOW A FAMILY OF FIVE COULD LIVE ON MY SALARY. THIS IS FACTUAL INFORMATION!!!
Posted by: Gerald at July 24, 2006 11:48 PM
Latest reports from Middle East show Hezbollah recycling Lebanese civilian bodies.
After counting bodies as civilian deaths by Israeli attacks, Hezbollah is moving the bodies to
attack locations where no civilian deaths occurred, and reporting them as new civilian deaths.
There is also evidence pointing to Hamas killing Lebanese civilians and placing their dead bodies in destroyed buildings after Israeli bombing.
Posted by: cvao at July 24, 2006 11:57 PM
cvao, I 'd love to read the story. Can you post the link? Thanks.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 12:05 AM
Jeanne, Jay Inslee is not as well-known as Jim McDermott, but keep his name in your radar. Inslee, IMO, has the bona fides to be a national candidate with impeccable credentials.
Posted by: micki at July 25, 2006 12:09 AM
Those Crazy Seattle Fremonters and their Troll!!!
Because I mentoned the Fremont Troll, I figured I should post a link....
Posted by: micki at July 25, 2006 12:17 AM
#25
Yeah...I want to see a link on that one. Sounds like a lot of effort.
Posted by: Jeanne at July 25, 2006 12:19 AM
#28
Cool.
Posted by: Jeanne at July 25, 2006 12:20 AM
U.N. Exec Blames Hezbollah for Deaths
The U.N. humanitarian chief accused Hezbollah on Monday of "cowardly blending" in among Lebanese civilians and causing the deaths of hundreds during two weeks of cross-border violence with Israel.
The militant group has built bunkers and tunnels near the Israeli border to shelter weapons and fighters, and its members easily blend in among civilians.
Jan Egeland spoke to reporters at Larnaca airport in Cyprus late Monday after visiting Lebanon to coordinate an international aid effort. On Sunday, he toured the rubble of Beirut's southern suburbs, a once-teeming Shiite district where Hezbollah had its headquarters.
During that visit, he condemned the killing and wounding of civilians by both sides and called Israel's offensive "disproportionate" and "a violation of international humanitarian law."
(link)
----------
Jan Egeland,the U.N. humanitarian chief, calls them like he sees them. OI think we're fortunate to have people like him working in the UN.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 12:20 AM
#25 A reliable source would be extremely valuable. Could you kindly provide one? Thanks for you kind consideration in advance. I look forward to hearing from you.
Posted by: micki at July 25, 2006 12:22 AM
Israel 'using cluster bombs' around civilians
Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of using artillery-fired cluster bombs that disperse after impact in populated areas of Lebanon.
The human rights organisation's researchers said cluster munitions were used in an attack on the village of Blida in southern Lebanon on July 19, killing one and wounding at least 12 civilians, including seven children.
Human Rights Watch said its researchers photographed cluster munitions in the arsenal of Israeli artillery teams on the Israel-Lebanon border.
"Cluster munitions are unacceptably inaccurate and unreliable weapons when used around civilians," Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
"They should never be used in populated areas."
More HERE
*****end of clip*****
Sadly this is the latest news I can find. I sure hope those reporting such a crime are mistaken. Cluster bombs in populated areas is pretty sick if it is true. HRW is usually on top of their game and almost always have evidence of the things they report.
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 12:24 AM
What Would Jesus Bomb?
If President Bush, and those evangelical Christians who support him, sought to have their actions match up with Jesus' values, wouldn't they be more inclined to value innocent life specially when we risk bombing not just our targeted enemies but those who have nothing to do with the conflict itself?
Bombing innocent civilians and using violence to accomplish one's means is ultimately not an attribute of Christ. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."
It is telling that on October 22, 2004, the United Methodists of America chose to speak truth to power, much like the early Christians in the Bible, when they issued a signed statement to President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, both self-proclaimed Methodists, which read:
We, the undersigned, are also very much disturbed by President Bush's many references to the significance of Christian faith in the decisions that he has made as President of the United States. George W. Bush has called Jesus his "favorite philosopher," said that Jesus changed his life, and that his decisions are often guided by prayer. In fact, we feel that most of his actions as president have directly contradicted the philosophy of Jesus. Jesus said to feed, clothe, and shelter the "least of these," not to starve, strip, and bomb them.
Who would Jesus bomb? You tell me.
More HERE
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 12:46 AM
Actually Capt, Jesus would be the one being bombed. When we ignore the poor, we are ignoring Jesus. When we fire upon the helpless and the innocent we are firing upon Jesus. I don't think Jesus spends a lot of time among the people who are calling Bush about the IRS tax attorneys.
Posted by: Jeanne at July 25, 2006 12:55 AM
Specter prepping bill to sue Bush
A powerful Republican committee chairman who has led the fight against President Bush's signing statements said Monday he would have a bill ready by the end of the week allowing Congress to sue him in federal court.
"We will submit legislation to the United States Senate which will...authorize the Congress to undertake judicial review of those signing statements with the view to having the president's acts declared unconstitutional," Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said on the Senate floor.
Specter's announcement came the same day that an American Bar Association task force concluded that by attaching conditions to legislation, the president has sidestepped his constitutional duty to either sign a bill, veto it, or take no action.
Bush has issued at least 750 signing statements during his presidency, reserving the right to revise, interpret or disregard laws on national security and constitutional grounds.
"That non-veto hamstrings Congress because Congress cannot respond to a signing statement," said ABA president Michael Greco. The practice, he added "is harming the separation of powers."
Posted by: Jeanne at July 25, 2006 12:58 AM
Poll: Dems Have 2006 Advantage
President Bush and the Republican Congress show nearly record low ratings while Democrats are viewed much more favorably in their performance on the issues that matter most to Americans, according to the latest CBS News/New York Times poll.
Only 31% of those polled approve of Mr. Bush's job performance and 68% believe the United States is worse off today than it was before Mr. Bush became president.
Personal evaluations of Mr. Bush are the lowest they've ever been during his presidency. On the public's confidence in Mr. Bush's ability to handle a crisis, 51% had been the previous low in September 2005. That figure is now at 50%. The President's handling of the Hurricane Katrina crisis is tied to that decrease.
....The overall approval of Congress' performance has diminished vastly since 2001; only 23% approve now while 67% did in 2001. This figure reflects frustration over Congress' ability to challenge the President since 67% think Congress does not question his policies enough.
Also, 39% say that Congress would be in better condition today if Democrats were in charge, an increase from last month.
Heading into the 2006 elections, Democrats look to have quite an advantage. For instance, if the elections were held today, 44% of registered voters said they would support the Democratic candidate in their congressional districts, while only 33% would support the GOP candidate.
Posted by: Jeanne at July 25, 2006 01:04 AM
President's Use of 'Signing Statements' Raises Constitutional Concerns
The American Bar Association said President Bush's use of "signing statements," which allow him to sign a bill into law but not enforce certain provisions, disregards the rule of law and the separation of powers. Legal experts discuss the implications.
(audio)
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 01:05 AM
President's Use of 'Signing Statements' Raises Constitutional Concerns
(transcript)
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 01:07 AM
David, sorry 'bout the computer. I've got my fingers crossed your book wasn't on it without a backup somewhere.
I'm thinking you authors have a vigorous back-up policy.
Posted by: Alan at July 25, 2006 01:18 AM
at #36...
"Specter prepping bill to sue Bush"
Jeanne, I don't trust Spector. He's good about jumping out there sounding like a patriot but doesn't do shyt later to back it up. Remember shyt like not making Gonzo testify under oath, and most recent, his bill about NSA spying which would leave seeking warrants as voluntary... in other words, it would make all the illegal spying now leagal.
Posted by: Alan at July 25, 2006 01:31 AM
*legal
Posted by: Alan at July 25, 2006 01:32 AM
#40
Like probably every fifteen minutes into the flash drive.
Posted by: Jeanne at July 25, 2006 01:33 AM
#41
Yeah, I don't know what his deal is. How hard is it to do the right thing? This is so obvious.
Posted by: Jeanne at July 25, 2006 01:36 AM
How hard is it to do the right thing? This is so obvious.
Yeah, no kidding! Well-put too.
Posted by: Alan at July 25, 2006 01:57 AM
Another vote for getting a Mac, David. Just bought a Macbook Pro, and it's a great little machine (although it's too soon for me to judge its long-term reliability). And a program called Parallels (made by a company just down the road from you, in Reston) enables it to run Windows and Windows applications right on the Mac desktop (no rebooting necessary).
Micki, Jeanne, Jim McD's a living political saint as far as I'm concerned. I'll never forget seeing him stand in Baghdad just before the invasion, telling the world that he thought Bush would lie to justify a war. Needless to say, he sure called that one.
And Jay's great too. I think it was at a town hall meeting that Jay held in Shoreline where Joe Wilson first said he expected to see Rove frog-marched out of the White House.
The Seattle area's about as blue as they come. I just wish a certain senator named Maria had shown herself to be worthy of the place.
Posted by: Drewp at July 25, 2006 06:34 AM
The Illustrious Ralph Reed
Plagiarism incident
On April 14, 1983, Reed wrote a column for The Red & Black student newspaper attacking the late Mohandas K. Gandhi. Entitled "Gandhi: Ninny of the 20th Century," it denounced the motion picture Gandhi for its favorable treatment of the life of the pacifist leader of the Indian independence movement. A graduate student complained to the editor of The Red & Black that Reed had plagiarized a Commentary article by film reviewer Richard Grenier. After an investigation, Reed was fired from the paper. Reed wrote a final column acknowledging his failure to cite sources but accusing the graduate student who complained of "the most shocking, profane form of personal attack I can imagine." (Nina J. Easton, Gang of Five: Leaders at the Center of the Conservative Crusade, page 130-31)
Early days as political activist
Reed spent much of his college career as a political activist, taking six years to earn his undergraduate degree. He started with the University of Georgia College Republicans, steadily rising to state and then national leadership as he became a master of confrontational street protest and hardball backroom politics. He was later profiled in Gang of Five by Nina J. Easton, along with Grover Norquist and other young activists who got their start in that era.
The triumvirate
In 1981, Reed moved to Washington, D.C., to intern for Jack Abramoff, the newly-elected Chairman of the College Republican National Committee (CRNC) and later the central figure in the Indian gaming and Congressional bribery scandal that would cause problems for Reed's campaign for Lieutenant Governor.
At the CRNC, Abramoff, Norquist and Reed formed what was known as the "Abramoff-Norquist-Reed triumvirate." Upon Abramoff's election, the trio purged "dissidents" and re-wrote the CRNC's bylaws to consolidate their control over the organization. Reed was the "hatchet man" and "carried out Abramoff-Norquist orders with ruthless efficiency, not bothering to hide his fingerprints." Abramoff promoted Reed in 1983, appointing him to succeed Norquist as Executive Director of the CRNC. (Nina J. Easton, Gang of Five: Leaders at the Center of the Conservative Crusade, page 143)
Reed roomed with Abramoff in Washington, D.C., and later introduced him to his wife. Reed participated in the weddings of both Abramoff and Norquist. Norquist would later serve as President of Americans for Tax Reform, an anti-tax group that would serve as a fundraising conduit in the Indian gaming scandal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_E._Reed,_Jr.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 08:58 AM
At the pinnacle of his power, Reed appeared on the cover of TIME on May 15, 1995, under the banner "The Right Hand of God: Ralph Reed of the Christian Coalition."
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 09:01 AM
In 1999, Abramoff helped Reed get hired as a consultant subcontractor for Preston Gates & Ellis, a large law firm founded by the father of Microsoft's Bill Gates.
Reed's $30,000 per month contract with Enron was arranged in 1999 by Karl Rove, principal campaign advisor to Texas Governor and future President George W. Bush. Rove did not want Reed, an expert in negative campaigning, to work against Bush, but he also did not want Reed to be publicly associated with Bush in the early stages of the campaign. The existence of Reed's contract was revealed in 2002, when a federal investigation was launched into Enron's bankruptcy.
Reed is credited with orchestrating attacks on Senator John McCain in the 2000 South Carolina presidential primary. Bush's defeat of McCain in that primary ended McCain's early momentum from an upset victory in the New Hampshire primary.
Reed's $20,000 per month contract with Microsoft proved a minor embarrassment to the Bush campaign in the summer of 2000 when it was revealed that the software giant, which was being prosecuted for anti-trust violations, had hired a number of Bush aides as consultants and lobbyists. Reed apologized for the "appearance of conflict" but continued to accept the money until early 2005, when Microsoft terminated Reed in the midst of the Indian gaming scandal.
The greatest controversy about Reed's business dealings has come from his fellow conservatives, who have criticized Reed's choice of clients and suggested that he has inappropriately profited from his credentials as a conservative Christian leader.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 09:09 AM
If Bush is one thing, he's loyal
Bush factor
In the wake of the scandal, President Bush has distanced himself from Reed. During a July 2005 visit to Georgia, the President pointedly ignored Reed, who attempted to get his attention by jumping up and down and waving, during his speech. In a March 2006 appearance at a Georgia Republican Party rally, Bush further distanced himself from Reed, saying that Georgia had two candidates for Lieutenant Governor and naming Reed's opponent, Casey Cagle, first. Reed supporters, expecting a Bush endorsement in the primary, are disappointed and baffled. (Insider Advantage Georgia)
Lottery position switch
In a major policy announcement, Reed reversed himself on the highly popular Georgia education lottery, saying that he now supports Georgia's state sponsored gambling enterprise. Reed had defended his hiring by Indian gaming tribes to help defeat an Alabama lottery referendum on the grounds that he was philosophically opposed to all gambling.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 09:14 AM
On June 22, 2006 the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs released its final report[7] on the scandal.
The report states that under the guidance of the Mississippi Choctaw tribe's planner, Nell Rogers, the tribe agreed to launder money because "Ralph Reed did not want to be paid directly by a tribe with gaming interests." It also states that Reed used non-profits, like Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform, as pass-throughs to disguise the origin of the funds, and that "the structure was recommended by Jack Abramoff to accommodate Mr. Reed?s political concerns."
On July 7, 2006, The National Journal ran a lengthy article, entitled "Reed In The Rough," detailing the extensive relationship between Abramoff and Reed. The article noted, for example, how Reed helped Abramoff land his influential slot on George W. Bush's Interior Department transition team.
"I used to tell people he was going to be either President of the United States or Al Capone. Whatever he did, he was really good at it." - his mother, Marcy Reed
"[Reed] is a bad version of us! No more money for him." E-mail from Abramoff to Michael Scanlon, questioning whether Reed had properly accounted for funds spent on Indian gambling projects, January 4, 2002
"Reed transformed the remnants of Pat Robertson's failed 1988 presidential campaign into a potent political force, more than a million strong at its peak." - Atlantic Monthly, 2004.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 09:20 AM
The Devil Inside
Bob Moser | The Nation
Instead of making his triumphant debut as a politician, the man Time magazine called "The Right Hand of God" is fast becoming the new poster boy for Christian-right corruption.
(link)
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 09:22 AM
"The president believes strongly that for the purpose of research it's inappropriate for the federal government to finance something that many people consider murder. He's one of them," Snow said.
-----
WASHINGTON - White House press secretary Tony Snow apologized on Monday for suggesting that President Bush believed stem-cell research amounted to "murder," saying he was "overstating the president's position."
"He would not use that term," Snow told reporters.
At issue was Snow's comment last Wednesday defending Bush's veto of legislation to expand federally financed research on stem cells obtained from unwanted embryos.
-----
Know when you'e being gamed.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 09:44 AM
The dick marches on.
dick cheney -- on yet another campaign stop in endless campaigning -- said regarding the fighting between Israel & Hezbollah: "This conflict is a long way from over," Cheney said. "It's going to be a battle that will last for a very long time. It is absolutely essential that we stay the course."
Oh, yeah right. Because it's working so well.
Posted by: micki at July 25, 2006 09:59 AM
Kissing Cousins
BY JOHN STOSSEL - JFS Productions Inc.
July 20, 2006
URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/36394
I'd always thought marrying a blood relative as close as a cousin was immoral, and certainly risky if you plan to have kids. Conventional wisdom says only primitive people who live in isolated places marry cousins. It leads to stupid children. But that's a myth.
It's the sort of myth that leads to stupid laws. Half the states in America have banned cousin marriage, but there's no good reason for it. You can marry your cousin and have perfectly intelligent kids.
= = = = =
This guy thinks global warming is bullshit. Here's more on John Stossel Is A Pathological Liar (link)
= = = = = =
Watch Public Citizen's Tyson Slocum decimate Stossel on Scarborough Country, it's amazingly fun and even Scarborough is laughing by the end of it. Best part is when Slocum calls him a "Luddite", which is the perfect appelation for these science-denying sycophants. If only Slocum would have caled him "ecoterrorist".In the end Stossel's best argument for refuting global warming is that those who believe in it "hate capitalism". It really needs to be seen to believed.
MORE(link)
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 09:59 AM
President Bush's Foreign Policy Is Succeeding
Oh Really?
whitehouse.gov/news
WH press release: Hit Syria
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 10:06 AM
Friday, July 21, 2006
Defeating the Specter bill
Greenwald
Yesterday's significant judicial defeat of the Bush administration in the EFF/AT&T NSA case underscores just how pernicious the Specter FISA bill is, and how urgent it is that it not be enacted. It has been clear for some time that both the federal district judge in the EFF case, as well as the judge in the ACLU case pending in the Eastern District of Michigan, are unwilling to simply roll over and offer the administration the type of blind deference which the Congress and even other courts have been willing to extend in the area of national security. As a result, these cases threaten to subject the administration to that which it fears most: judicial review of its behavior.
(link)
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 10:10 AM
Yes, Drewp, it was Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA) who hosted that forum on Iraq intelligence at Shoreline on August 21, 2003, with Joe Wilson as the "featured guest." I attended -- and, when I left the auditorium, I was so SURE that bush and his boyfriends would get their comeuppance! (Boy, was I wrong on that one!)
Brewster Denny, founder and first dean of the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs was also on the panel, along with former Navy Adm. Bill Center.
Posted by: micki at July 25, 2006 10:13 AM
Mac's crash too and when they do it is not usually software but a hardware (Hard drive, board, etc.) based on my experience.
Does anybody really believe Mac's do not crash? Consider the crossover of peripheral hardware?
Mac's OS is more stable and does not have some of the issues that Windows or Linux have as an OS but real "crashes" are hardware related.
If you believe Mac's do not have the same hardware related issues you are kidding yourselves.
Sorry to burst any bubbles but Mac hard-drives crash too.
I have had, used, worked with both. Both have certain advantages with regard to operating and applications software.
As an old programmer I side with (what we used to call) IBM compatible because I know them better and have used them more.
What makes anybody believe it was not a Mac that that crashed? When I still did consulting I did more data recovery on crashed Mac hard-drives than Windows (granted that is just my personal experience).
I doubt an OS restart would be a problem for any user. It is hard-drives and such that bring either type of computer to a dead stop.
I have always assumed Mr. Corn uses a Mac because of the character set anomalies I have run into when posting.
The real problems are not OS related, the real threat to data is hardware related and you will find peripherals built for both from the same companies.
Chances are David had an hardware not an OS issue. The Mac OS is more stable but the hard-drives and periferals are the exposure to hardware downtime risk not likely an OS issue.
I am sure Mac users like their machines but OS stability is a different consideration from a hardware failure.
Just sayin'
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 10:15 AM
Snow apologizes for stem cell 'murder' crack
Tony Snow, President George W. Bush's chief spokesman, apologized on Monday for saying Bush believed embryonic stem cell research amounted to "murder," saying he had overstated the president's position.
Snow, a former radio talk show host who took over as press secretary in May, created a bit of a stir in defending Bush's veto last Wednesday of legislation that would have expanded embryonic stem cell research.
"The president believes strongly that for the purpose of research it's inappropriate for the federal government to finance something that many people consider murder. He's one of them," Snow had said.
Asked about that comment on Monday, Snow told reporters: "I overstepped my brief there" and said he was sorry the remark became a subject for White House chief of staff Josh Bolten in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.
"I feel bad about it," Snow said.
Bush himself said, in casting the veto, the legislation "crosses a moral boundary."
Asked if Bush considered it murder, Snow said: "He would not use that term."
More HERE
*****end of clip*****
Interesting, eh?
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 10:21 AM
President Bush's Strong Record of Addressing Climate Change
Another "oh really" moment!
More on bush White House Setting the Record Straight -- on "climate change"
O'Reilly, thanks for the link to "Setting the Record Straight" -- this one on climate change would be funny, if global warming wasn't so serious.
Posted by: micki at July 25, 2006 10:32 AM
There was a crooked man who walked a crooked mile . . .
Setting the record straight? They would have to know what straight means and I think they do not have a clue what the word means (in any context).
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 10:41 AM
61 micki,just like the troll posts here, none of the claims in the whitehouse.gov/climatechange document are substantiated with links. not one claim is substantiated.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 10:45 AM
#56
Im scared. I am going to crawl back under my rock now.
Keep it real cornbloggers!
Backing down from trolls is why Democrats have made a habit of losing. America does not need spineless leadership any more than it needs neocon hate bots and their culture of ignorance.
There is no reason why these idiots should win elections anywhere. I observe Democrats everywhere just ignoring them. Ignoring them will not make them go away. While trading "swill" with them on some on some blog is pretty pointless, what worries me most is I still see Democrats being backed into corners. The same dynamic is still present. Democrats do not respond to the idiotic rants. Like the way John Kerry never responded to the swift boat liars. It is as if they think nobody in thier right mind would believe such bs. So they just sit by and let the lies grow and grow. For these new conservatives the campaign never stops. They spread thier abundant swill 24/7. The swill fertilizes the soil until the weeds of deciet grow into a dense, dark forest that obscures the light of truth.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 10:45 AM
Israel Hits Hezbollah District in Beirut
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Beirut was pounded by new airstrikes Tuesday as the two-week-old crisis showed no signs of letting up, despite frantic diplomatic efforts. At least four heavy blasts were heard, the first Israeli strikes in the capital in nearly two days. A gray cloud billowed up from the southern district, a Hezbollah stronghold that has been heavily bombarded.
Al-Jazeera television said 20 Israeli rockets hit the Dahiyah neighborhood as a quick succession of blasts set off car alarms in central Beirut, miles away, and sirens were heard. More, smaller explosions followed.
More HERE
*****end of clip*****
I am no rocket scientist but IF there is a "Hezbollah District" why would the Israeli army not "hit" that district first? Hmmmm
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 10:45 AM
UN calls for emergency Lebanon aid
BEIRUT — The UN's humanitarian chief made an emergency appeal Monday for $150-million (U.S.) in aid to help Lebanon through the next three months amid the damage caused by Israel's bombardment of the country.
Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland told reporters in Beirut that the money is needed to pay for food, health care, water and sanitation in over the next three months in key areas.
"Approximately 500,000-800,000 people have been effected by the conflict, of whom some have become displaced persons or refugees," a statement issued by the UN said.
U.S. President George W. Bush has ordered helicopters and ships to Lebanon to provide humanitarian aid, although he still opposes an immediate ceasefire that could give relief from a 13-day-old Israeli bombing campaign.
= = = = =
Will the profits from US arms sales to Israel finance the US humanitarian aid or will the US taxpayer foot the bill? (The question is sincere but rhetorical.)
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 10:52 AM
I remember the debate about climate change that took place in the late 1980s. Back then it was called "The Greenhouse Effect". People argued about it. The debate is over. Now it is happening.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 10:53 AM
64
56? Who's scared of what?
We don't need more fights on DavidCorn.Com, we need less swill. Trolls bring swill. Discouraging trolls discourages swill. How to discourage trolls?
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 10:56 AM
Is there a zombie in the Vatican?
The Vatican has emerged as an "unwitting relay source of spam traffic" in the latest "dirty dozen" report released by Sophos, which names and shames the countries generating the highest amounts of junk email.
Although the Vatican itself is not a member of the dirty dozen, Italy made its first appearance in the list in eighth position, indicating that spam kings might have enlisted an increased number of "zombie" computers either within or outside the country.
Sophos compiled the list for the three months to the end of June and the US once again topped the rankings throughout the quarter. It was closely followed by China while Australia continued its slide downward from 24th to 25th position.
More HERE
*****end of clip*****
Is the Vatican spamming for God?
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 10:58 AM
Alan @ 41 and Jeanne:
You are absolutely correct. He is the administration's lapdog. All bark, no bite.
Hajji,
Please also extend a welcome home and thank you from me to yours.
Still catching up. On vacation this week. (Had to get a netscape dial-up account for the week.) Little Gasparilla Island. As a bonus, with the red tide, all the (dead) fish you can carry.
Posted by: RicK at July 25, 2006 10:58 AM
I have a question. What did Hezbollah and Hamas hope to accomplish by kidnapping Isreali soldiers?
It seemed like a stupid move, even for idiots like them.
Innocent people are always the ones that pay the price when idiots collide.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 10:59 AM
Specter should get an Academy award.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 11:00 AM
US heat stretches energy supplies
Scorching heat is still severely stretching power supplies in parts of the US with consumers warned of more shortages unless they reduce demand.
California's electricity grid was pushed to breaking point on Monday but rolling blackouts were averted.
"It looks like we dodged a bullet," a power grid spokesman told Reuters.
Electricity is now back on in many of the hundreds of thousands of homes hit by power outages in the past few days, including in California and New York.
But on Monday night, more than 150,000 people were still without power in St Louis, Missouri, where supplies were knocked out last week by storms.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5212650.stm
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 11:01 AM
US seeks Baghdad security boost
The US is planning to deploy thousands of extra troops in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, in an attempt to combat the deteriorating security situation.
US President George W Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki are to meet at the White House to discuss details.
US officials said the extra troops would be sent from other areas of Iraq.
An average of more than 100 civilians per day were killed in violence in Iraq in May and June, according to a report by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq.
White House spokesman Tony Snow admitted that a plan brought in six weeks ago to improve security in the Iraqi capital "has not achieved its objectives".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5212292.stm
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 11:02 AM
Corky,
The plan was made years ago. The current hostilities have as much to do with kidnapped soldiers (who were inside Lebanon) as it does with the man on the moon.
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 11:03 AM
Hey David Corn,
What is with the neocon "Human Events" ad? I know you need a new computer and all but that is terrible. I wish I could help, but after five years of plutocracy and the silly jellyfish Democrats, I dont have two nickels to rub together. I will pray that God will bring you a new laptop.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 11:07 AM
Just in time for this week, Mexico's main oil field is in serious decline, and might really cause a problem in the US> Why? Because petroleum income provides 60% of income for the Mexican government, think that won't start a mass exodus to the north? Still no border security and that makes things look really bad. Civil war to the south? Could happen lots more places in the world besides the ME. Just in case you want to read this, here is the link: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pemex24jul24,1,6754747.story?coll=la-headlines-business
Posted by: What the F**k at July 25, 2006 11:08 AM
My old fan surrendered this morning to global warming...
An interesting article on DNA is available here.
Democracy Now! reports on hi-tech weaponry in Iraq, white phosphorous in Lebanon and more.
Let me agree with capt., war is always a failure of diplomacy, and should be viewed as the result of incompetent leadership. War as a matter of planned policy decision is criminal.
It will certainly be interesting now to see how this ABA report on presidential signing statements plays out, but Arlen Spector changes direction more frequently than a magic bullet.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at July 25, 2006 11:09 AM
It seemed like a stupid move, even for idiots like them. C, The 'stupid' and 'idiots' argument doesn't compel. It bothers me when trolls spew that swill at cornbloggers. I think it's worth considering whether it makes sense to stop using it ourselves, even if your assessment is correct becuase it's imflammatory and its a dead end argument.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 11:09 AM
corky at 71, a stupid move even for idiots like them? Hezbollah captured the soldiers on the Lebanese side of the border. Capturing enemy soldiers on your territory is pretty routine. Maybe a better question would be, why is Israel holding roughly 10,000 Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners, some for many years, without charges or trial? Israel has admitted they are mere bargaining chips. Think of all the lies told by the Neocons in charge of US and Israeli policies, all the lies used as an excuse to attack and occupy sovereign territory, to steal land and resources, to murder indigenous people. Don't believe anything the Neocons say.
Posted by: RedAlert at July 25, 2006 11:10 AM
Blackouts as US temperatures soar
Hundreds of thousands of people in different parts of the US continue to be affected by power outages as temperatures soar to record highs.
In California, where temperatures reached 50C (122F), the heat may have killed up to eight people.
The power grid was unable to cope with the increased demand for electricity, leading to widespread cuts.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5209276.stm
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 11:12 AM
Thank you capt.
Of course our media has done little to explain the big picture. I was totally unaware that the two soldiers were actually inside Lebanon at the time! Imagine that! What else is CNN not telling me? Could you recomend a site or a book where I could learn more about this?
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 11:13 AM
I can't feel sorry for religious extremist idiots, whether they are Hezbollah or the Christian Coalition. I think Neocons and Islamic fundimentalists are very similar. I think they feed off one another.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 11:16 AM
Alan, I'm with you regarding Arlen Spector -- he talks like he's going to do the right thing, then capitulates. In a way, he does exactly what the busheviks do -- say one thing, then do another once the "claim" of the day is out there embedded in the minds of non-critical Americans.
Take the Tony Snow "apology" on murder: What a sorry spectacle. Snow trotted out that word murder because that was part of the propaganda plan from General Rove. Snow was just following orders. He is a whore. Snow is so full of s**t he'd better watch out or his colostomy bad will blow.
Posted by: micki at July 25, 2006 11:16 AM
If a neocon told me that the sky was blue, I woud question it.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 11:18 AM
micki:
Doublespeak!
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 11:19 AM
The location where the two Israeli soldiers were nabbed by Hezbollah is disputed. . . of course it is. We would like to think knowing their location at the time of the abduction would give us a leg up on understanding who provoked who and why. This issue, the location of the "abduction" or "apprehension" will not, in and of itself answer those questions. Consider Israel's dissproportionate response. Consider the US's tacit approval of Israel's disproportionate response. These facts may help you draw a conclusion about who started this and for what purpose.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 11:20 AM
#79 O'Reilly, sometimes a person needs to call it as he/she sees it.
Posted by: micki at July 25, 2006 11:21 AM
From Planning to Warfare to Occupation, How Iraq Went Wrong
By MICHIKO KAKUTANI
Published: July 25, 2006
The title of this devastating new book about the American war in Iraq says it all: ÒFiasco.Ó That is the judgment that Thomas E. Ricks, senior Pentagon correspondent for The Washington Post, passes on the Bush administrationÕs decision to invade Iraq and its management of the war and the occupation. And he serves up his portrait of that war as a misguided exercise in hubris, incompetence and folly with a wealth of detail and evidence that is both staggeringly vivid and persuasive.
More.
*******************************
The review from the NYTimes. I wonder how the paper, and the media in general fare in the book.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at July 25, 2006 11:21 AM
When ill words are used in the context of political discussion they are not a personal attack.
Come on, wake up and smell the Senseo!
When such words are directed at a handle or a specific poster it is a personal attack.
If one cannot tell the difference it would be best not to use the ugly words but if I call Bush a jerk or whatnot it is a very different thing than if I call "capt" (or another handle) a jerk.
One is a personal attack the other is not.
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 11:23 AM
#87,
Read the last thread. The location and whatnot was posted more than once. No reason for duplication to just waste bandwidth.
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 11:24 AM
88. Of course but understand you can expect the same in return. My point is that saying 'stupid' doesn't make a case for stupid. My suggestion is, rather than saying it, make the case. In the humble words of Capt. Kirk, But what do i know?
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 11:26 AM
90 I agreee with your distinction post 92 notwithstanding.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 11:28 AM
Israel has been planning and training for this invasion since 2000. Hezbollah was formed in response to the first Israeli attempt to take the Litani River, when Israel was defeated they continued to plot ways to gain back the ground they lost to Hezbollah. Any excuse at all would do. Just as the PNAC has been planning the Iraqi invasion for many years, same kind of lies, same results, created by the usual suspects. Christian and Muslim extremists are no worse or extreme than Zionist extremists. But the Zionists have the Phosphorous and cluster bombs as well as nuclear weapons, and guess where they got them?
Posted by: RedAlert at July 25, 2006 11:29 AM
capt.
If you still here could you post for me the formula for posting links? I lost it!
it was something like this:
a=href
Here's a formula for you:
Neocons = Muslim extremist's
Neocons + Muslim extremist's = Women, children and old people getting blown up
The harder they fight each other, the stronger each side becomes and the more innocent life is lost.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 11:31 AM
From #748 on the last thread:
Israel's excuse for bringing death and destruction to the Lebanon seems to be centred on the arrest of two Israeli solders, the two soldiers were captured in Lebanese territory, in the area of A•ta Al-Chaab close to the border, whereas Israeli television indicated that they had been captured in Israeli territory.
****
Would the USA have "kidnapped" two Mexican soldiers if they were in Texas? It was a provocation.
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 11:31 AM
How do I make a hyperlink?
A link is done with something called the Anchor tag.
The anchor tag looks like this:
<A HREF="pagename.html">Link Here</A>
Anything that appears between the begin and end anchor tags will take you to the specified destination when clicked.
*****end of clip*****
And there you go!
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 11:32 AM
The Perks of Privilege
IN 1985, THE FORBES 400 were worth $221 billion combined. Today, theyÕre worth $1.13 trillionÑmore than the GDP of Canada.
THEREÕVE BEEN FEW new additions to the Forbes 400. The median household income has also stagnatedÑat around $44,000.
AMONG THE FORBES 400 who gave to a 2004 presidential campaign, 72% gave to Bush.
IN 2005, there were 9 million American millionaires, a 62% increase since 2002.
IN 2005, 25.7 million Americans received food stamps, a 49% increase since 2000.
ONLY ESTATES worth more than $1.5 million are taxed. ThatÕs less than 1% of all estates. Still, repealing the estate tax will cost the government at least $55 billion a year.
ONLY 3% OF STUDENTS at the top 146 colleges come from families in the bottom income quartile; only 10% come from the bottom half.
BUSHÕS TAX CUTS GIVE a 2-child family earning $1 million an extra $86,722Ñor Harvard tuition, room, board, and an iMac G5 for both kids.
A 2-CHILD family earning $50,000 gets $2,050Ñor 1/5 the cost of public college for one kid.
More HERE
*****end of clip*****
Nothing wrong with people getting rich or being rich, the problem is the preferential considerations because they think being rich gives the rich some kind of entitlement over the poor.
The wealthy that are willing to spend a fortune protecting their wealth from the poor when they could just give to the poor is an arrogance of wealth that is sickening to me.
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 11:35 AM
Hmmm... I still see a idiotic conflict between two groups of idiots. There are no "good guys" there.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 11:35 AM
So far, no invasion but they sure are bombing the crap out of Lebanon and not just the southern part near the Israeli boarder. We are talking about Billions upon Billions of damage.
I don't think Israel has a chance of keeping the land from their northern boarder to the Litani River. They make take it but there is no way world opinion will allow them to keep it. Instead, world opinion will require Hezbollah retreat to north of the river and Lebanon's army will be required to guard its southern boarder.
This is based on my assumption that Iran, Al Queada and other terrorist organization don't flock to the area to participate in the fight. The longer the US lets this go on, the more likely radical muslim militants, shia in particular, go to the region to fight the zionists.
But what do I know?
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 11:37 AM
Red Cross ambulances destroyed in Israeli air strike on rescue mission
Volunteer paramedics demand UN guarantees
Flags and lights prove no protection for aid teams
Suzanne Goldenberg in Tyre
Tuesday July 25, 2006
The Guardian
Coffins are prepared for mass burial in the Lebanese city of Tyre. Photograph: Nasser Nasser/AP
The ambulance headlamps were on, the blue light overhead was flashing, and another light illuminated the Red Cross flag when the first Israeli missile hit, shearing off the right leg of the man on the stretcher inside. As he lay screaming beneath fire and smoke, patients and ambulance workers scrambled for safety, crawling over glass in the dark. Then another missile hit the second ambulance.
Even in a war which has turned the roads of south Lebanon into killing zones, Israel's rocket strike on two clearly marked Red Cross ambulances on Sunday night set a deadly new milestone.
Six ambulance workers were wounded and three generations of the Fawaz family, being transported to hospital from Tibnin with what were originally minor injuries, were left fighting for their lives. Two ambulances were entirely destroyed, their roofs pierced by missiles.
The Lebanese Red Cross, whose ambulance service for south Lebanon is run entirely by volunteers, immediately announced it would cease all rescue missions unless Israel guaranteed their safety through the United Nations or the International Red Cross.
For the villages below the Litani river, the ambulances were their last link to the outside world. Yesterday, that too was gone, leaving the 100,000 people of Tyre district with no way of reaching hospital other than to take to the roads themselves, under the roar of Israeli war planes.
The fateful call to the Red Cross operations room came through at about 10pm - well after dark, a time when almost no Lebanese now dare venture out.
At the Red Cross office in Tyre, three volunteer medics dressed in their orange overalls, and got into their ambulance. The plan was to drive halfway, meet the local ambulance, and transfer the three patients to their vehicle to return to Tyre.
By Nader Joudi's reckoning, the ambulances had been stopped for barely two minutes. Two patients had been loaded: Ahmed Mustafa Fawaz, who had been hit by shrapnel in the stomach, and his son, Mohammed, 14. The volunteer attendant was just easing Jamila Fawaz, 80, inside and setting up a drip when the missile struck. He managed to get the old woman and the child outside, but there was no way to reach Mr Fawaz. "It was horrible," Mr Joudi said. "He was screaming, and we couldn't do anything."
=============
Any moral high ground Israel ever thought it had has been destroyed. Bombing clearly marked emergency vehicles, maybe they think the big Red Cross is a target? Ordering people to flee, then bombing the cars full of terrified people, many small children.
Posted by: RedAlert at July 25, 2006 11:39 AM
"there is no way world opinion will allow them to keep it"
That has yet to be tested or proven.
World opinion is totally against the occupation of Iraq. Lot of good that has done, eh?
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 11:42 AM
Capt.
Thank you!
#98
Tell me about it! I am dirt poor despite the fact I have worked like a slave my whole life! Bush's stem cell veto was a massive kick in the stomach to poor diabetics everywhere. I am sure he has only gotten started making my life more impossible.
I believe the GOP will maintain thier grasp on Congress. What would they do next to screw the poor? I shudder to think.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 11:43 AM
AMY GOODMAN: It's good to have you with us. Well, can you talk about what is happening now, both in Lebanon and Gaza?
NOAM CHOMSKY: Well, of course, I have no inside information, other than what's available to you and listeners. What's happening in Gaza, to start with that -- well, basically the current stage of what's going on -- there's a lot more -- begins with the Hamas election, back the end of January. Israel and the United States at once announced that they were going to punish the people of Palestine for voting the wrong way in a free election. And the punishment has been severe.
At the same time, it's partly in Gaza, and sort of hidden in a way, but even more extreme in the West Bank, where Olmert announced his annexation program, what?s euphemistically called ?convergence? and described here often as a ?withdrawal,? but in fact it?s a formalization of the program of annexing the valuable lands, most of the resources, including water, of the West Bank and cantonizing the rest and imprisoning it, since he also announced that Israel would take over the Jordan Valley. Well, that proceeds without extreme violence or nothing much said about it.
Gaza, itself, the latest phase, began on June 24. It was when Israel abducted two Gaza civilians, a doctor and his brother. We don't know their names. You don?t know the names of victims. They were taken to Israel, presumably, and nobody knows their fate. The next day, something happened, which we do know about, a lot. Militants in Gaza, probably Islamic Jihad, abducted an Israeli soldier across the border. That?s Corporal Gilad Shalit. And that's well known; first abduction is not. Then followed the escalation of Israeli attacks on Gaza, which I don?t have to repeat. It?s reported on adequately.
The next stage was Hezbollah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers, they say on the border. Their official reason for this is that they are aiming for prisoner release. There are a few, nobody knows how many. Officially, there are three Lebanese prisoners in Israel. There's allegedly a couple hundred people missing. Who knows where they are?
But the real reason, I think it's generally agreed by analysts, is that -- I?ll read from the Financial Times, which happens to be right in front of me. ?The timing and scale of its attack suggest it was partly intended to reduce the pressure on Palestinians by forcing Israel to fight on two fronts simultaneously.? David Hearst, who knows this area well, describes it, I think this morning, as a display of solidarity with suffering people, the clinching impulse.
It's a very -- mind you -- very irresponsible act. It subjects Lebanese to possible -- certainly to plenty of terror and possible extreme disaster. Whether it can achieve any result, either in the secondary question of freeing prisoners or the primary question of some form of solidarity with the people of Gaza, I hope so, but I wouldn't rank the probabilities very high.
(link)
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 11:44 AM
corky, it's very simple. Israel wants what does not belong to it, they have been forcefully expanding their borders since they became a state. They have been murdering people and occupying the territory of their neighbors for decades. There is a good and bad side. Who wouldn't object to having their home bulldozed, their olive groves destroyed and their children murdered? This is what Israel calls it's "right to exist."
Posted by: RedAlert at July 25, 2006 11:45 AM
Gene C. Gerard: 'Prescription politics'
Two recent studies have shown that prescription drug prices rose significantly during the first quarter of the year. AARP, an advocacy organization for older Americans, found that the prices charged by pharmaceutical companies for brand-name drugs increased by almost four percent. A similar study by Families USA, a healthcare advocacy group, found a nearly identical increase. Given the vast sums that the pharmaceutical industry has spent lobbying against price controls, the dramatic increase in the cost of drugs isn't surprising.
The AARP study determined that brand name drug prices increased at more than four times the rate of inflation during the first three months of this year. This was the largest quarterly price hike in six years. Older Americans take an average of four prescription drugs a month; this increase means that the cost of these prescriptions rose by almost $240 between the first quarter of 2005 and the first quarter of 2006. The study by Families USA confirmed the AARP's findings.
More.
************************
Don'cha just love Billy Tauzin and the folks who represent big pharma...
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at July 25, 2006 11:47 AM
102 True. But Lebanon is not a direct party in the conflict so to deprive them of their land fought in a battle between Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas would be to unfairly penalize them in the eyes of moderate arab neighbors; Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia. I think the neigboring countries will have sway when it comes to peace negotiations. Israel needs their neighbors support to protect them from anti-zionist terrorists. But what doi I know?
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 11:51 AM
The neocons have no power. They are living under the illusion of power, drunk on their dreams of power.
The ONLY power they have is to make our lives miserable (like theirs) and THAT is a matter of attitude, do not let them get you to surrender your peace of mind. They cannot have it unless you give it to them.
Keep a sense of humor, they hate that!
HA!
"The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think." ~ Horace Walpole (1717 - 1797)
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 11:51 AM
Haaretz
Morality is not on our side
By Ze'ev Maoz
There's practically a holy consensus right now that the war in the North is a just war and that morality is on our side. The bitter truth must be said: this holy consensus is based on short-range selective memory, an introverted worldview, and double standards.
This war is not a just war. Israel is using excessive force without distinguishing between civilian population and enemy, whose sole purpose is extortion. That is not to say that morality and justice are on Hezbollah's side. Most certainly not. But the fact that Hezbollah "started it" when it kidnapped soldiers from across an international border does not even begin to tilt the scales of justice toward our side.
Let's start with a few facts. We invaded a sovereign state, and occupied its capital in 1982. In the process of this occupation, we dropped several tons of bombs from the air, ground and sea, while wounding and killing thousands of civilians. Approximately 14,000 civilians were killed between June and September of 1982, according to a conservative estimate. The majority of these civilians had nothing to do with the PLO, which provided the official pretext for the war.
In Operations Accountability and Grapes of Wrath, we caused the mass flight of about 500,000 refugees from southern Lebanon on each occasion. There are no exact data on the number of casualties in these operations, but one can recall that in Operation Grapes of Wrath, we bombed a shelter in the village of Kafr Kana which killed 103 civilians. The bombing may have been accidental, but that did not make the operation any more moral.
On July 28, 1989, we kidnapped Sheikh Obeid, and on May 12, 1994, we kidnapped Mustafa Dirani, who had captured Ron Arad. Israel held these two people and another 20-odd Lebanese detainees without trial, as "negotiating chips." That which is permissible to us is, of course, forbidden to Hezbollah.
============
Some have the courage to face the truth.
Posted by: RedAlert at July 25, 2006 11:53 AM
RedAlert,
I hear ya. But responding to violence tit for tat is not a solution. You dont get anywhere that way.
Gandhi knew this. So did Martin Luther King.
My Grandma always used to say " Two wrongs don't make a right"
You will never bring back dead children by making more dead children. Hezbollah and Hamas have made a lot of people die.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 11:54 AM
#107,
I hope you are right and I am wrong.
Time will tell.
capt
Posted by: capt at July 25, 2006 11:55 AM
It doesn't really matter where the soldiers were, there capture is wrong. No if's, but's or and's about it.
However, context is important. Israel has been known to trade political prisoners for POWs, so the motivations of the Hizbollah are clearly political.
The difference is Israel finally decided it would no longer negotiate(I hope this also means they will not participate in political kidnappings themselves but am not holding my breath in anticipation) with the enemy.
Their response however, is innapropriate because it will not bring on the results they claim it will, the destruction of Hizbollah, because force alone can not end terrorism or defeat "freedom fighters" if you choose to so call them.
What Israel, and the US, need to do is to talk honestly and openly with the leaders of these nation-states and find out what these groups(hamas, al qaida, hizbollah, muslim brotherhood, etc) provide for the people in order to receive such support so as to keep their locations and identities concealed from the authorities.
Clearly these terrorists have done what our mighty military can not do, they have won the hearts and minds of the population.
How did they do this and can we not also employ the same tactics?
If it is by building schools, hospitals and homes, then can we not afford to do the same with our vast resources?
The only thing we can not provide them that the terrorists can is protection from us, which begs the question, why do they feel they need protection from us?
To answer that questions requires some soul searching that many are unwilling to partake in.
Posted by: TurdBlossom at July 25, 2006 11:56 AM
109 good post.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 11:56 AM
There is one thing we can all absolutely agree on (minus the trolls).
This FUBAR clusterf*** is a direct result of the foolish actions of George W. Bush and his Neocon freakshow.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 12:02 PM
There is one thing we can all absolutely agree on (minus the trolls).
This FUBAR clusterf*** is a direct result of the foolish actions of George W. Bush and his Neocon freakshow.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 12:03 PM
111 Me too. The chaos and carnage of war is evidence there is no rationale voice in the dialogue. Both sides are intransigent. They play for life and death. That is why it takes outside parties to broker the end of battle.
I think there are rational and trusted voices, in Jordan, in Egypt and in Saudi Arabia. These are Arab lands, neighbors that won't permit annexation to stand under the auspices of security. Security will be enabled with the other solutions. The Lebanese will rebuild their country and a generation of survivors will blame Israel for killing their family members with indiscriminate bombs in search of Hezbollah.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 12:06 PM
Anybody heard anything about the situation in Mexico? Its nice to see somebody get mad about electoral fraud.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 12:07 PM
Why is it that Hamas and Hezbollah are "terrorists", but Israel, who employ the exact same tactics, and in fact were the first to perfect terrorist tactics, are not considered terrorists? That is a bullshit double standard. One of the first terrorist bombings was commited by Zionist extremists in 1946 with the bombing of the King David Hotel which killed 92 British citizens. Israel recently celebrated the anniversary of this terrorist attack, it is something they are proud of. How quickly history is forgotten. Zionist propaganda is very effective, it should be, they learned the tecnique from the best.
SOME EARLY EXAMPLES OF JEWISH-ZIONIST TERROR.
August 20, 1937 - June 29, 1939. During this period, the Zionists carried out a series of attacks against Arab buses, resulting in the death of 24 persons and wounding 25 others.
November 25, 1940. S.S.Patria was blown up by Jewish terrorists in Haifa harbour, killing 268 illegal Jewish immigrants (see below).
November 6, 1944. Zionist terrorists of the Stern Gang assassinated the British Minister Resident in the Middle East, Lord Moyne, in Cairo.
July 22, 1946. Zionist terrorists blew up the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, which housed the central offices of the civilian administration of the government of Palestine, killing or injuring more than 200 persons. The Irgun officially claimed responsibility for the incident, but subsequent evidence indicated that both the Haganah and the Jewish Agency were involved.
October 1, 1946. The British Embassy in Rome was badly damaged by bomb explosions, for which Irgun claimed responsibility.
June 1947. Letters sent to British Cabinet Ministers were found to contain bombs.
September 3, 1947. A postal bomb addressed to the British War Office exploded in the post office sorting room in London, injuring 2 persons. It was attributed to Irgun or Stern Gangs. (The Sunday Times, Sept. 24, 1972, p.8)
December ll, 1947. Six Arabs were killed and 30 wounded when bombs were thrown from Jewish trucks at Arab buses in Haifa; 12 Arabs were killed and others injured in an attack by armed Zionists on an Arab coastal village near Haifa.
December 13,1947. Zionist terrorists, believed to be members of Irgun Zvai Leumi, killed 18 Arabs and wounded nearly 60 in Jerusalem, Jaffa and Lydda areas. In Jerusalem, bombs were thrown in an Arab market-place near the Damascus Gate; in Jaffa, bombs were thrown into an Arab cafe; in the Arab village of Al Abbasya, near Lydda, 12 Arabs were killed in an attack with mortars and automatic weapons.
December 19, 1947. Haganah terrorists attacked an Arab village near Safad, blowing up two houses, in the ruins of which were found the bodies of 10 Arabs, including 5 children. Haganah admitted responsibility for the attack.
December 29, 1947. Two British constables and 11 Arabs were killed and 32 Arabs injured, at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem when Irgun members threw a bomb from a taxi.
December 30,1947. A mixed force of the Zionist Palmach and the "Carmel Brigade" attacked the village of Balad al Sheikh, killing more than 60 Arabs.
1947 -- 1948. Over 700,000 Palestinian Arabs were uprooted from their homes and land, and forced to live in refugee camps on Israel's borders. They have been denied the right to return to their homes. They have been refused compensation for their homes, orchards, farms and other property stolen from them by the Israeli government. After their expulsion, the "Israeli Forces" totally obliterated (usually by bulldozing) 385 Arab villages and towns, out of a total of 475. Commonly, Israeli villages were built on the remaining rubble.
January 1, 1948. Haganah terrorists attacked a village on the slopes of Mount Carmel; 17 Arabs were killed and 33 wounded.
January 4, 1948. Haganah terrorists wearing British Army uniforms penetrated into the center of Jaffa and blew up the Serai (the old Turkish Government House) which was used as a headquarters of the Arab National Committee, killing more than 40 persons and wounding 98 others.
=============
The link has many more examples.
Posted by: RedAlert at July 25, 2006 12:10 PM
Wow! Looks like the lies of the left are starting to wear off the American public:
50 percent of U.S. says Iraq had WMDs
By Jennifer Harper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
July 25, 2006
Half of Americans now say Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when the United States invaded the country in 2003 -- up from 36 percent last year, a Harris poll finds. Pollsters deemed the increase both "substantial" and "surprising" in light of persistent press reports to the contrary in recent years.
The survey did not speculate on what caused the shift in opinion, which supports President Bush's original rationale for going to war. Respondents were questioned in early July after the release of a Defense Department intelligence report that revealed coalition forces recovered 500 aging chemical weapons containing mustard or sarin gas nerve agents in Iraq.
Posted by: LBH at July 25, 2006 12:13 PM
188 I guess it has something to do with soveriegn nation.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 12:13 PM
119 I wonder if that has anything to do with Santorums bogus claim.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 12:15 PM
RedAlert,
I do not recognize any distinction between blowing people up, whether it is a bomb dropped from an F16 or a bomb strapped to someones chest.
I see no distinction between the IDF and Hezbollah either.
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 12:17 PM
NEW YORK Despite seveal years of official and press reports to the contrary, a new Harris poll finds that half of adult Americans still believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD) when the United States invaded the country in 2003.
This is actually up from 36% last year, a Harris poll finds. The polling company itself called this "surprising" -- considering that no WMD were ever found and U.S. inspectors have confirmed the non-existence of active weapons.
In early summer, there were reports that 500 shells once containing mustard or sarin gas nerve agents were found buried long ago in Iraq but they were judged by experts and military officials as decrepit and useless by 2003.
In another finding wildly diverging from most expert opinion and media reports, Harris found that 64% said Saddam Hussein had "strong links" with al-Qaeda, up from 62% in October 2004.
The poll of 1,020 adults was conducted July 5 to 11 and has a margin of error of three percentage points.
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 12:17 PM
THE WASHINGTON TIMES!!!!!
HA HA HA HA WHAT A JOKE!!!!
Posted by: corky at July 25, 2006 12:19 PM
Boy Capt,
You sure had a melt down on previous post. Why do you continue to insult opposing views with little diatribes about not providing links?
Where's Panty when you want an adult argument?
Oh ya, that's right, he finlally got tired of getting his ass kicked with my cut and paste facts.
Don't worry Capt, I don't take your little temper tantrums personal.
By the way, Clintons 22 million jobs that were created by having a Republican Congress were starting to disappear in the Clinton recession of 2000 because of that huge tax hike he forced on us.
Posted by: LBH at July 25, 2006 12:21 PM
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has held talks with Lebanon's PM in Beirut at the start of a Middle East tour to discuss the regional crisis.
She met Fouad Siniora on an unannounced visit that her officials said was to show support for Lebanon's people.
Ms Rice praised Mr Siniora's "courage" but has also said there is no place for "terrorist groups" like Hezbollah to attack from Lebanese territory.
She has now arrived in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
In the latest developments:
Israeli forces pushed north from the captured village of Maroun al-Ras in south Lebanon and fierce clashes were reported around Bint Jbeil. Ten Israeli soldiers were hurt in the border fighting and two Hezbollah guerrillas captured, Israel said
Israeli troops push into Lebanon as their offensive continues
An Israeli helicopter has crashed in northern Israel, killing two pilots. An army spokeswoman blamed technical problems, but Hezbollah reportedly claimed it had been shot down
The UN launched an appeal for $150m (?81m) to help hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese civilians.
US President George W Bush has ordered ships and helicopters to supply a "significant" amount of humanitarian aid to Lebanon from Tuesday, the White House said.
At least 372 Lebanese, the great majority civilians, have been killed during the conflict, which is now into its 13th day. Thirty-seven Israelis have been killed, about half of them civilians.
The Israeli offensive began after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on 12 July.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5209778.stm
Posted by: O'Reilly at July 25, 2006 12:22 PM
Top IraqiÕs White House Visit Shows Gaps With U.S.
****************************************
Al Maliki visits Bush today, while his country is falling apart, and the neighborhood is heating up, global warming not withstanding.
He is to press for an amnesty for insurgents who lay down their arms, but nothing doing saith the Americans, who don't relish the thought of pardoning those with American blood on their hands.
But, would our own Civil War ever have ended without some sort of way to spare the Confederacy the burdon of trying all the rebels? Let's be real, although this is a touchy subject, one which even opponents of the war in Congress are finding hard to swallow, as I heard from Mr. Delahunt (D-MA) last evening.
Also, Maliki will press for the ability to try Americans in Iraqi courts; not surprisingly following Haditha and the rape case he is under tremendous pressure to do so at home. Nothing doing saith the Americans.
He will speak for a cease-fire in Lebanon. Nothing doing saith the Americans.
He will try to explain his need for good relations with Iran, his Shi'a neighbor.
Should be an interesting meeting.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at July 25, 2006 12:23 PM
Dorky,
It's not a WT poll. Duh!!
According to a recent Harris Poll, a growing number of Americans believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when the United States went to war in March 2003.
Fifty percent of American adults, when questioned by telephone between July 5 and 11 said they believe weapons of mass destruction (WMD) existed in Iraq before the U.S. invaded and toppled Saddam Hussein's regime.
In February and March 2003 - just before and just after the invasion - Harris Interactive found that 81 percent of Americans believed the WMDs existed, but following the Iraq Survey Group's 2004 report, which concluded that there was no evidence of the weapons, the number plunged.
In October 2004 Harris Interactive found that only 38 percent of