I downloaded that pdf file the other day. A little late in the game is an understatement.

+++++++

On another topic:

Stephen F. Cohen wrote a recent cover story for The Nation titled The New American Cold War -- he wrote: "Contrary to established opinion, the gravest threats to America's national security are still in Russia. They derive from an unprecedented development that most U.S.
policy-makers have recklessly disregarded, as evidenced by the undeclared cold war Washington has waged, under both parties, against post-Communist Russia during the past fifteen years."

The article and an interview of Cohen by Charlie Rose are:
HERE

Regarding an earlier Smart Card, that obviously had limited success! More evidence of War on the Cheap!:

“We use them to build rapport, especially with the local kids. My intent is to equip each of my soldiers with one of these cards instead of our current practice of one per vehicle.”

Major, U.S. Army Special Forces, Baghdad

DONT FEED THE TROLLS

Please don't feed the trolls.

ABOUT THAT EARLIER SMART CARD

Kwikpoint is proud to be part of the pilot program training Marines to interact with Iraqi people that they encounter while performing stability operations.

+++++
Hello! Stability?!

Mr. David Corn,

I hope the Wilsons use the stonewall on the Busheney crime family.

Did Bush already admit to the basics of the charge?

I hope this gets more interesting and so more ratings - that will drive more coverage.

I can always hope!

Thanks for all of yur work!

Kirk

promise to bring some more high level discourse next time
Posted by: ed the troll slayer at July 14, 2006

Ed, last evening's posts (about 100 posts), were the biggest waste of time and the biggest pile of crap I've seen here in a long time. the best you can expect out of emmerson is Liberal Jew hater Declare yourself the winner and stop posting to trolls. It's a waste of time and it brings the discourse to a standstill.
Posted by: . at July 14, 2006 06:13 AM

You tell it .
I completely agree.

The ed and emmerson show was quite the self gratuitous exchange and waste of blog bandwidth.

It is really annoying posting here with the copy and paste doofusses running wild.

Instead of intelligent discussion there is childish banter feeding the wallets of the PAID trolls.

Difference of opinion is good but useless talking points spewed by paid trolls are meant to provoke response for their financial gain. Feeding the trolls is just that, feeding their wallets at Davids and the regulars expense.

Siniora: Bush says Israel will stop

Lebanon's prime minister said he had President Bush's assurances that Israeli retaliation against Lebanon would spare civilians.

Israeli war planes continued to strike airports Friday and suburbs around Beirut that are strongholds of Hezbollah, two days after gunmen belonging to the terrorist group killed eight soldiers inside Israel and abducted another two. Israel also destroyed the highway to Damascus. Israel believes Hezbollah is operating with Syrian approval and has promised to continue the attacks until its soldiers are released.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said in a statement that he had spoken with Bush. "President Bush affirmed his readiness to put pressure on Israel to limit the damage to Lebanon as a result of the current military action, and to spare civilians from harm," the statement said. The White House confirmed the call.

The attacks have killed 61 Lebanese, including one Hezbollah terrorist. Hezbollah rocket attacks have killed two Israeli civilians. More than 200,000 Israelis who spent Thursday night in bomb shelters were given the green light to leave for a few hours Friday to shop.

More HERE

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

I think Bush should be very aggressive about stopping the escalation of violence. Too bad he has made such a piker of himself. I doubt the Bush statement means much. I hope whatever influence Bush has will serve the process of peace not military action.

Have to check the small print but Bush is talking "readiness" to do something not actually doing anything. UGH!

capt

Remember, whatever chimpy sez he will do the opposite. Like some sort of bizzaro world mindset.

Who says the Germans don't have a sense of humour? THIS IS FUNNY!

The bush pilot behind bush in video. We need a laugh or two, don't we?

Mr Corn,

I have a very serious question for you:

Why do you let these friggin anti-Semites spew their hatered of jews on your web site without a peep from you? Your silence seems to be a message of support for idiots like DEN.

Now, I know you've let the hate America and our troops crap go on, but this is racism at it's worst. The Corn site should change it's theme from Bush lies to Jews please die!

Very disappointing!

What do ya know, one Democrat that isn't a low life. Pull the ad Ms Pelosi and Mr. Murtha. Using our dead soldiers to make a profit just isn't right!

Spratt asks Democrats to pull video

By SEANNA ADCOX
Associated Press Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. | U.S. Rep. John Spratt has asked the House Democrats' campaign arm to pull a fundraising video that shows caskets draped with American flags and a soldier standing at a grave.

"I strongly recommend that you pull this ad and delete both of these clips before running it again," Spratt wrote Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in a letter dated Thursday.

In the two-paragraph letter, Spratt said he would discuss his feelings about the ad in greater detail later, "but I urge you to pull the ad immediately."

Do the Wilsons have a chance at getting something out of this? Or will it be another several month waste-of-time run-around like what Fitzgerald did with Rove, et al? I long for the former, but suspect it will be the latter.

Television brought the brutality of war into the comfort of the living room. Vietnam was lost in the living rooms of America- not on the battlefields of Vietnam.

Marshall McLuhan (1911-80)

The Nazis (Not-sees) didn't want everyday people to witness the horror of the ghettoes for the same reason. Censorship is good for keeping citizens ignorant and in line. Land of the controlled, home of the cowards. Average Americans have no business seeing the truth.

We are paying for bush's unnecessary war on Iraq and U.S. Occupation of Iraq with human lives -- American and Iraqi. Dead bodies. Unnecessary dead. Dead because of bush's bumbling stupidity and arrogance.

I recall that bush used images of 9/11 for fundraising for his benefit in his campaign.

Oh, oh. This could be interesting. Cheney might decided to let us know that he's the president and The Decider is not the president (as we've always suspected).

Turns out that Plame and Wilson will probably first have to overcome Cheney's claim that the veep is immune from suit before their lawsuit moves forward.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that a whistle-blower who was fired could not sue the president. Cheney will likely argue that the same ruling should apply to him. Why? Well, perhaps because he thinks he is the president!

Just kidding...sort of.

#225 novak thread, scott_

I think everyone needs to understand the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that this is not a 19th, 20th or 21st century struggle. If you want to be educated, please refer to the timeline at....

and i think everyone needs to realize that it's not about who was there first, but rather who is behaving in a brutal atrocious manner (israel) and who is enabling such brutal tactics (u.s.).

Middle East Going Up in Flames
What is the Bush administration doing?

Depends on who you talk to--

Conservative: Bush is doing the best he can under extremely difficult circumstances brought on by the incompetence and perfidy of previous administrations, especially the Democratic ones.

Liberal: the Bush administration is showing once again how completely incompetent they are and are letting the situation get out of hand again, as they did with 9/11, Iraq and Katrina.

Libertarian: Israel sucks and the Bush administration should stay out of the fray, although they are being pressured by the omnipotent Israel lobby.

Conspiracy Theorist: the neoconservatives in the Bush administration are letting things spiral out of control in order to provoke a widespread Western-Islamic conflict that draws in Iran.

Deep Conspiracy Theorist: this is all just a game being played out by the elites who control the money supply; what happens ultimately depends on what is most beneficial to these people.

Is it not fairly brutal to murder soldiers and kidnap another. The USA would retaliate against that kind of treatment in a heartbeat. Why is it good enough for us but not for Isreal?

David, #11 and his rhetoric full of discord intended to disrupt and distract for his own financial gain is a slap in the face to the integrity of your blog. Free speech is one thing but being paid to spew falsehoods for personal gain is something entirely different.

Will David continue to avoid sharing his opinion about Israel attacking Lebanon?

The document and blueprint for what is taking place in the middle east at this time "A CLEAN BREAK A NEW STRATEGY FOR SECURING THE REALM" written by Richard Perle and David and Liv Wurmser in 1996 for Netanyahu is sure not very clean.

This morning BBC's Clair Baldeson said to Netanyahu "this disproportionate response is not about the two captured Israeli soldiers, this is about taking out Hezbollah". Netanyahu agreed and then hammered Iran and Syria. Netanyahu and the rest of the right wingers are on course with the "new strategy for securing the realm".

A Clean Break:
A New Strategy for Securing the Realm
Following is a report prepared by The Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies’†"Study Group on a New Israeli Strategy Toward 2000." The main substantive ideas in this paper emerge from a discussion in which prominent opinion makers, including Richard Perle, James Colbert, Charles Fairbanks, Jr., Douglas Feith, Robert Loewenberg, David Wurmser, and Meyrav Wurmser participated. The report, entitled "A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm," is the framework for a series of follow-up reports on strategy.

Israel has a large problem. Labor Zionism, which for 70 years has dominated the Zionist movement, has generated a stalled and shackled economy. Efforts to salvage Israel’≥ socialist institutions—∑hich include pursuing supranational over national sovereignty and pursuing a peace process that embraces the slogan, "New Middle East"—µndermine the legitimacy of the nation and lead Israel into strategic paralysis and the previous government’≥ "peace process." That peace process obscured the evidence of eroding national critical mass—†including a palpable sense of national exhaustion—°nd forfeited strategic initiative. The loss of national critical mass was illustrated best by Israel’≥ efforts to draw in the United States to sell unpopular policies domestically, to agree to negotiate sovereignty over its capital, and to respond with resignation to a spate of terror so intense and tragic that it deterred Israelis from engaging in normal daily functions, such as commuting to work in buses.

Benjamin Netanyahu’≥ government comes in with a new set of ideas. While there are those who will counsel continuity, Israel has the opportunity to make a clean break; it can forge a peace process and strategy based on an entirely new intellectual foundation, one that restores strategic initiative and provides the nation the room to engage every possible energy on rebuilding Zionism, the starting point of which must be economic reform. To secure the nation’≥ streets and borders in the immediate future, Israel can:

Work closely with Turkey and Jordan to contain, destabilize, and roll-back some of its most dangerous threats. This implies clean break from the slogan, "comprehensive peace" to a traditional concept of strategy based on balance of power.

Change the nature of its relations with the Palestinians, including upholding the right of hot pursuit for self defense into all Palestinian areas and nurturing alternatives to Arafat’≥ exclusive grip on Palestinian society.

Forge a new basis for relations with the United States—≥tressing self-reliance, maturity, strategic cooperation on areas of mutual concern, and furthering values inherent to the West. This can only be done if Israel takes serious steps to terminate aid, which prevents economic reform.
This report is written with key passages of a possible speech marked TEXT, that highlight the clean break which the new government has an opportunity to make. The body of the report is the commentary explaining the purpose and laying out the strategic context of the passages.

this is not the complete document

#18 Joe "Disproportionate Responses" are indeed good enough for the Bush administration. They happen to be a group of "psychopaths gone wild".

Is this the standard that Israel and the rest of the world should mimic?

Emergency Petition to Congressional Leaders: Pass the Voting Rights Act!

"For more than 40 years, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) has protected the right of every American citizen to cast a vote. Equality in voting is fundamental to the American democratic system. Stop the stalling and pass the Voting Rights Act now!"

More HERE

End this punishment of the Palestinians
Wednesday July 12, 2006
The Guardian
The Israeli government's behaviour at present is to be condemned (Report, July 8). The failure of our government to speak out against Israel's oppression of the Palestinian population is complicit with those actions of the EU, the US and Israel. It is, in effect, a coordinated attempt to collectively punish the Palestinian people for electing a government of which they disapprove. Having lectured the people of the Middle East about democracy for decades, Europe and the US are seeking to trample upon the democratic rights of the Palestinian people.
The suspension of aid by the EU and the US, the withholding of Palestinian taxes by Israel, and Israel's illegal blockade are crimes against the Palestinian people. They are creating a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the West Bank and have emboldened Israel to sustain an unrelenting bomb and missile barrage, which regularly kills innocent children and other noncombatants in violation of the fourth Geneva convention which protects civilians under occupation. Israel has bombed the only power station in Gaza, destroying electricity and water supplies to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, and forcing tens of thousands to flee from their homes. These are crimes against humanity.

Israel has now kidnapped a quarter of the parliament elected by the Palestinians, and half of its democratically elected government. They join thousands of other Palestinians illegally kidnapped or imprisoned, including over 300 children. We call upon the British government: 1) To immediately work for the restoration of EU aid to the Palestinian Authority; 2) to demand that Israel ends its blockade and pass on taxes; 3) to demand that Israel cease all military action in the occupied territories; 4) to demand the release of all elected Palestinian officials and the instigation of a programme for the release of all prisoners held in violation of international law; 5) to apply pressure through the UN for Israel to respect the UN resolutions requiring its withdrawal from the territories it illegally occupied in 1967; 6) to end Britain's arms trade with Israel until it abides by international law.
Ken Livingstone
Mayor of London

Anti-Americanism Made in U.S
By: Nicola Nasser*
Following a trend of voting at the United Nations, the U.S.-led western diplomacy twice this week used two U.N. forums to protect the military atrocities of the Israeli occupying power, in a 50-year old pattern that has pre-empted peace, security and development in the whole Middle East region, with tragic and devastating effects on the Arab world in particular.

The U.S.-led western diplomacy in the worst cases used to veto or threaten to veto draft resolutions presented by Arab, Islamic, Non-aligned or formerly Soviet-oriented nations. Otherwise this diplomacy used to abstain or absent its ambassadors from voting sessions.

Normally and mostly such resolutions deal with the territorial expansionist military adventures or the military atrocities of the Israeli occupying power, ҴheӠstrategic ally of the U.S. in the Middle East.

Justifying their opposition, the US-led western diplomats always claimed the draft resolutions were Үot balanced.ӊ
This trend and pattern of voting discredits not only the international body, but also the U.S.-led western diplomacy’≥ self-appointed role of a peace maker in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

This week the U.S. led western diplomacy against an Arab draft resolution at the U.N. Security Council in New York and an Islamic draft resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva.

On Thursday the newly constituted 47-member HRC in a special session in Geneva adopted a resolution, presented by Pakistan on behalf of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), to immediately dispatch a fact-finding mission to the region to investigate the Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip.

The resolution called also for an immediate end to the Israeli military operations, asked Israel to abide by the provisions of international human rights laws, called for a negotiated solution to the ongoing crisis in the Middle-East, criticized Israel for the arrest of Palestinian government ministers, other officials and civilians, and authorised the HRC to immediately dispatch a fact-finding mission to the region.

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in an ongoing invasion of the Gaza Strip, which was launched on June 27, reoccupied the northern Gaza Strip and parts of the east and south, including the airport, bombed the power, water, road and government infrastructure to rubble, plunged the Mediterranean coast into a humanitarian crisis and darkness, paralyzed the executive, legislative and local government, with a lot of bloodletting.

Special U.N. Investigator, John Dugard, presented a report to the HRC in which he accused Israel of collective punishment.

Hundreds of Palestinians Stream Into Gaza From Egypt After Militants Blow a Hole in Border WallRAFAH, Gaza Strip Jul 14, 2006 (AP)—†Hundreds of Palestinians poured into the Gaza Strip from Egypt on Friday after militants blew a hole in the border wall, an Associated Press reporter at the scene said.

The border has largely been closed since June 25, when Palestinian militants carried out a cross-border raid on a military outpost, killing two Israeli soldiers and capturing one.

Hundreds of people have been stranded on the Egyptian side of the border, unable to get to their homes in Gaza.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.

Herald: Harris Whispered about Scarborough's "Dead Intern"

Republican insiders... trace the seeds of her trouble to the story of ``Joe's dead intern.''

This wasn't any old Joe.

It was Joe Scarborough, host of the prime-time MSNBC show Scarborough Country and a former Pensacola Republican congressman who was courted last summer by national Republicans to run against Harris. But before he could announce he wouldn't, Harris called major donors and suggested Scarborough would have to answer questions about the strange death of a former staff member in 2001, according to two former high-level Harris staff members, a GOP donor and Scarborough.

''That was the first clue that something wasn't right with Katherine Harris,'' Scarborough told The Miami Herald in a recent interview, noting that a medical examiner found his staff member's death was natural and not the result of foul play.

Harris, through a spokeswoman, denied Scarborough's account, saying she ''would never insinuate publicly or privately'' that he did anything untoward.

But her former staff members say they expected her to deny the previously untold anecdote, which they say marked the beginning of the Harris campaign's tailspin.

More HERE

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

I have never warmed up to either of these characters. Some might find the Harris (election fixer) tid-bit interesting.

capt

LA Times falsely reported Fitzgerald "concluded" Plame leak "did not violate ... law protecting the identity of covert operatives"

Los Angeles Times article by staff writer Richard B. Schmitt echoed the claim -- frequently advanced by conservatives -- that special counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald's investigation into the leak of then-CIA employee Valerie Plame's identity "concluded that the disclosure did not violate a federal law protecting the identity of covert operatives." Schmitt appeared to be referring to the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act (IIPA), prohibiting the intentional disclosure of a covert intelligence officer's identity. But as Media Matters for America has noted repeatedly , Fitzgerald has stated that he was unable to determine whether any laws were violated in the leaking of Plame's identity because his investigation was impeded by former vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was indicted on charges of perjury and obstructing the grand jury investigation.

In an October 28, 2005, press release summarizing Libby's indictment, Fitzgerald indicated that he had not been able to reach a conclusion about whether a crime had been committed in leaking Plame's identity, saying that Libby impeded the grand jury's investigation:

More HERE

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

Looks like the SCLM are just more the lap dog.

That really has to change.

capt

Iran denies Israel fears that soldiers head to Iran13 Jul 2006 16:24:41 GMT
TEHRAN, July 13 (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Ministry denied on Thursday Israeli suggestions that Iranian-backed Hizbollah guerrillas could take two captured Israeli soldiers from Lebanon to Iran, saying Jerusalem was "talking absurdities".

"I strongly deny such reports," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said. "Because of its desperation and increasing isolation in the world and because of the tension and crisis created inside Israel, it is now talking absurdities."

LA Times falsely reported Fitzgerald "concluded" Plame leak "did not violate ... law protecting the identity of covert operatives"

That is a great question that Nancy Skinner’≥ campaign is asking in order to beat Republican Joe Knollenberg. And they are not only asking the question, but they are incorporating it into their House Party program.

You see, Knollenberg is one of those guys who takes thousands upon thousands of dollars from the big oil interests and then votes to afford them the luxury of recieving over $6 billion in subsidies. Ouch! Nancy decided we needed to do something about it and is asking everyone who attends one of her House Parties to donate an amount equal to (or greater than obviously) what it would take to fill up their tank of gas. Sounds fun right?

We need more proactive ideas like this from our Democratic congressional candidates. If you want, share this idea with one of your local candidates. From what I understand, Nancy sent out an email about this program just this morning and already has 11 people who want to throw this Tank of Gas house party for her. Dig it.

More HERE

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

I like the idea. I am very tight with the small amount of political donations I make. I will generally not donate unless I am very motivated. The idea that a donation is based on a tank of petrol is very smart.

capt

The Israeli soldiers are being transferred to Iran, just the excuse they needed to start the bombing there. This IS NOT going to get better.

#31 This is Phase II of the radical right wingers blueprint..."A clean break A new strategy for securing the realm".

Israel and the Bush administration are out of control.

Our government and the Israeli government are just plain liars!

Will they get away with this stuff?

The true believer truly believe. They are just wrong. Will there be peace? Not soon enough.

I believe the Iran spokesperson. Iran would NEVER let that happen. We are returned full circle to the simple question: Qui bono? Who benefits? How would moving the soldiers to Iran benefit Iran?

Then consider Israel and Bush want to attack Iran as part of the "war of being scared" it seems to serve every warmonger except Iran.

capt

Hey I just read the interview of Amy Goodmans at Democracy Now with Noam Cholmsky. Did folks know that two Gaza civilians had been abducted by Israeli soldiers in the Gaza before the first Israeli soldier was taken hostage?

Noam Cholmsky at Democracy Now
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’¥ 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’≥ Corporal Gilad Shalit. And that's well known; first abduction is not. Then followed the escalation of Israeli attacks on Gaza, which I don’¥ have to repeat. It’≥ 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?

I have another courtesy they should pass on. Don't rape 14 year old girls and kill the families. This crime is another symptom of how our military is degenerating.

Here's something from Democracy Now headlines.

Accused Ex-Soldier Joined Military Amid "Moral Waivers" Increase
The New York Times has revealed new details on Steven Green, the former soldier accused of raping fourteen-year old Abeer Qasim Hamza and killing her, her parents, and five-year old sister. Green enlisted last year just days after leaving jail on his third misdemeanor conviction. He joined the armed forces just as the military increased by nearly half the rate of "moral waivers"to potential recruits.

Here's something on global warming from the headlines on democracy now. I know. It doesn't exist...wink wink. Unless, of course, you are a casualty of the results. Then it's not so funny.

Study Points to Wildfire, Global Warming Link
Just days before the fire erupted, scientists reported findings showing an increase in large wildfires may be linked to global warming. According to their research, the rise in temperatures was the most important factor in a four-fold increase in the number of Western wildfires since 1970. From 1987 to 2003, average spring and summer temperatures were more than one and a half degrees higher than they were during the previous seventeen years. The climate changes meant earlier springs, shorter winter snow, and drier forests. Last year was the worst wildfire season on record. This year, there have been more than 60,000 wildfires -- twice the number during the same period last year. Thomas Swetnam, a fire specialist and research director at the University of Arizona, said: "I see this as one of the first big indicators of climate change impacts in the continental United States."

#34
Kathleen,
It was a great show wasn't it?

I believe the Iran spokesperson.

Capt

No suprise there! Just like you believed Saddam, Osama and all the terrorist at Gitmo-hey?

Pathetic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To continue on Kathleen's post on #34

the end of Palestine; the abduction on June 24 of the two Gaza civilians; and then the reaction to the abduction of Corporal Shalit. And there's a difference, incidentally, between abduction of civilians and abduction of soldiers. Even international humanitarian law makes that distinction.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about what that distinction is?

NOAM CHOMSKY: If there's a conflict going on, aside physical war, not in a military conflict going on, abduction -- if soldiers are captured, they are to be treated humanely. But it is not a crime at the level of capture of civilians and bringing them across the border into your own country. That's a serious crime. And that's the one that's not reported. And, in fact, remember that -- I mean, I don’¥ have to tell you that there are constant attacks going on in Gaza, which is basically a prison, huge prison, under constant attack all the time: economic strangulation, military attack, assassinations, and so on. In comparison with that, abduction of a soldier, whatever one thinks about it, doesn't rank high in the scale of atrocities.

the claims that iran would waste it's time kidnapping and transporting 2 israeli soldiers is moronic to say the least - israel's rididiculous provocations are obvious.

#11 - has somebody on this blog declared that they hate jews? - be specific!

Thanks for the funny video clip, Micki. By the way, I'm thoroughly disgusted with the Cantwell-Mark Wilson caper. It really looks like Cantwell paid him to take a fall (I thought the cons were the ones who gave jobs to their political collaborators).

That pretty much seals the deal for me. If no one knocks Cantwell out in the primary, it looks like Aaron Dixon gets my vote in November. Cantwells' sleazy scheming will backfire. She's playing right into the hands of the cons. So predictable.

Evangelical Scientists Refute Gravity With New 'Intelligent Falling' Theory
"Things fall not because they are acted upon by some gravitational force, but because a higher intelligence, 'God' if you will, is pushing them down," said Gabriel Burdett, who holds degrees in education, applied Scripture, and physics from Oral Roberts University.

Mr. Corn:
Tell me again how responding "oh, you know that, too," when asked during a 20 second phone call initiated by a reporter if Joe Wilson's wife (not identified by the reporter with her maiden name) worked at the CIA and recommended him for that mint-tea sipping junket is such a big deal. I keep forgetting why I'm supposed to be outraged.

A bit more of that those "disproportionate issues"

This is at JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)..Jewish groups hope they can keep
homeland security money flowing
By Ron Kampeas
June 28, 2006

WASHINGTON, June 28 (JTA) —†Jewish groups gratefully absorbed more than half of the homeland security funds last year aimed at protecting nonprofits —†and they’≤e campaigning to make sure the money keeps flowing.
An array of Jewish groups nationwide is just now beginning to spend the $14 million of the $25 million mandated by Congress in 2005 to secure at-risk nonprofit groups. Another $25 million mandated in the 2006 budget is mired in intergovernmental infighting.
RELATED ARTICLES
Should U.S. money secure synagogues?
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The United Jewish Communities, the umbrella body of the North American Jewish federation system, is lobbying to make sure the $25 million allocation survives in the Homeland Security Department’≥ 2007 budget, due to be referred this week to the full Senate.

җe believe there is a critical threat against Jewish community assets in the United States,ӠWilliam Daroff, the UJCճ vice president for public policy and its top Washington lobbyist, told JTA. ҉t doesnմ take a brain surgeon to see that Jewish institutions are near the top of the terroristsՠlist.Ӡ

The senators who sponsored the original legislation, Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), are scrambling to make sure the money survives the mark-up this week from the Appropriations Committee to the full Senate.

җe must help protect our hospitals, schools, community centers, synagogues and churches from terrorist violence,ӠMikulski said in a statement to JTA. Ҕhis is a federal investment in added security to help protect organizations at risk of terrorist attacks.Ӡ

Senators are believed to generally favor the legislation, but are susceptible to lobbying by a White House that strongly favors retaining executive power in decisions such as where to spend homeland security money.

The $14 million that Jewish groups received in the 2005 budget reached 18 communities: Atlanta; Baltimore; Broward County, Fla.; Boston; Chicago; Dallas, the Washington metropolitan area; Houston; Los Angeles; Long Beach, Calif.; Metrowest, N.J.; Miami; New York; Philadelphia; Portland, Ore.; San Diego; San Francisco; and Seattle.

No organization could apply for more than $100,000, though some federations received more because they housed multiple applicants on the same campus. Most states bar the listing of individual groups for security reasons, but it’≥ known that New York’≥ Jewish community was by far the leader in receiving funds, getting about $4.5 million of $6.3 million allocated to nonprofits in the city.

The funds are an unqualified boon, Jewish leaders agree.

҉t was a terrific process. Itճ going to mean a lot to these programs,Ӡsaid Ron Soloway, managing director of government and external relations for UJA-Federation of New York. ҅ven to this day, we have parents who worry about the safety of institutionsӠaccommodating their children in pre-school, day care or school.

It has taken until now to sign the contracts for the services because of the need to ensure that contractors meet Homeland Security Department standards. The grants are limited to Ҵarget hardening,Ӡor physical and material protections. Applications for programs or salaried employees are not considered.

Jewish organizations asked for barriers, reinforced doors, blast-proof windows, security cameras, gates and fencing.

Jewish day schools in the Chicago area, for example, installed a film on windows to prevent shattering in case of a bomb blast.

҇lass shattering is a major cause of injury and death and serious injury, especially for kids,Ӡsaid Joel Carp, senior vice president of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

The original guidelines for applicants, written when Tom Ridge was department secretary, seem tailored for Jewish groups. Criteria included nonprofits that were likely to be targeted by State Department-designated terrorist groups.

Ґrior attacks within or outside the United States by international terrorist organizations against the nonprofit organizations or entities associated with or similarly situated as the nonprofitӠwould qualify a group for the grant.

According to those criteria, all a Jewish organization had to do —†and many did, according to Jewish officials —†was cite the devastating bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires in 1994, widely believed to have been carried out by Hezbollah, a designated terrorist group.

It’≥ not clear whether those criteria will apply to the 2007 allocation if it survives this week’≥ budget process. Jewish officials say a disagreement between Congress and the Bush administration has dogged the disbursement of the $25 million for 2006. Congress wants local involvement in deciding which nonprofits get the money, and wants the Homeland Security Department to consider potential threats as well as known threats.

Jewish groups say it makes sense to keep the decision making local because the federations have close relations with municipal and state decision-makers.

җe work very well with state agencies,ӠCarp said.

Some 23 Chicago-area Jewish groups, including four synagogues, received about half of the $3 million allocated to the city.

According to Jewish and congressional officials, Homeland Security jealously guards its discretion in how the money is spent and wants to focus on known threats from groups like Al-Qaida, rather than on groups that might only theoretically be targeted.

That approach is short-sighted in an age when ҦreelanceӠterrorists are popping up everywhere, said one Jewish official involved in requesting funds. The official cited a message found scrawled this week in the hold of a ship importing Guatemalan bananas into California that read, Ҕhis nitro is for you Mr. George W. Bush and your Jewish cronies.Ӡ

The origin of the threat, which is still under investigation, is unknown; the potential target might not appear on a list of groups known to be targeted by established terrorists.

Ҕhe problem is getting the department to shift its thinking away from known threats and to potential threats,Ӡthe official said.

Spokesmen for the Homeland Security Department did not return calls seeking comment.

Another factor in the concern over whether the money continues to flow is perceived government bias against nonprofits. Homeland Security initially sought to protect private interests and government targets.

Nonprofit officials say their crucial role in stemming the devastation of last year’≥ hurricane season, at times in place of a floundering government, has proved the value of protecting nonprofits. Jewish officials cite Jewish hospitals and mental health clinics that deal with post-traumatic stress as examples of nonprofits deserving protection.

#11 - has somebody on this blog declared that they hate jews? - be specific!

No need for specifics. Everyone knows that anyone who criticizes Israel is a jew-hater. The Likudniks have made that clear for years.

See, that's what you do when you claim to cherish "democracy" but don't like what some people say. You call them names. It tends to shut them up, but even it doesn't, it feels so damn good.

Jeanne

I am looking for more mention of the two Palestinians that were abducted elswhere in the news that Noam Cholmsky talked mentioned. Did you hear about this anywhere else besides on Democracy Now?

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’¥ know the names of victims.

So what we thought was tit for tat was actually tit for tat for tit?

I am not saying that we should not watch the Muslims carefully but I have heard it subtly said that the Muslims must be eradicated from planet, Earth. Would the genocide of 2 billion people constitute a holocaust?

No suprise there! Just like you believed Saddam, Osama and all the terrorist at Gitmo . . .

Yeah, Capt, I'll bet you even believed the Iraqi U.N. delegation when they said Colin Powell's presentation was nothing more than a Hollywood production.

Nazi America is a nation of fascist hypocrites. We want to spread our democracy over the universe but there are states that prevent Blacks from voting. I received an email to help save the Voting Rights Act. This act comes up every so often to curtail Blacks from voting if they gained in numbers. Will Hispanics also pay the price for numbers? Whitey will be in the minority by 2020 in Nazi America. Does that mean we will have passed acts and bills to stop the majority from voting by 2020? Nazi America is a nation of fascist pigs. By 2201 or sooner Whitey will be extinct on planet, Earth. How much longer can our fascist pigs be in control to kill off the Muslims, Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics? Whitey in Nazi America has the mentality of skinheads.

Drewp when people continue to play the "your an anti-semite card" it is foolish and is not working as well as it used to.

These issues need to be discussed in a respectful and honest way. The facts as much as possible.

Jews around the world have been discriminated against in severe ways. The genocide of Jews, Poles, gypsies and others in WWII is not to be forgotten. There is a genocide taking place in Darfur at this very moment, so we have obviously learned nothing from WWII or any of the other genocides.

But the WWII atrocities are not to be used as an excuse to attempt to expand Israel's territory, humiliate , torture and kill Palestinians and terroize the rest of the middle east with the threat of Israel's massive stockpiles of weapons is not the way to any Peace in the middle east.

I am more convinced than ever before that Israel and the U.s. are not after Peace in the Middle east

Fritolaysia Cuts Off Chiplomatic Relations With Snakistan

KARUNCHI, SNAKISTAN—Citing crumbling relations due to years of protracted french-onion diplomacy, the president of the Central Asian doritocracy Fritolaysia withdrew the country's ambassadors from Snakistan Monday.

"We have been supplying the people of Snakistan with pre-packaged consumable goods for over 40 years, and for them to show resistance to our savory products is unacceptable," Fritolaysian President Barbbaku Chedar said, referring to Snakistani officials' unwillingness to adhere to Fritolaysia's zesty new initiative introduced during a between-meals conference at last week's international-trading summit held in München, Germany.

"Fritolaysia has no choice but to crumple up and throw away all chiplomatic ties with the greedy, gluttonous government of Snakistan," Chedar added.

Relations between the two countries grew stale in 1994, when Fritolaysian rufflelutionaries crossed zestablished borders and forced Snakistan to dispatch cheesekeeping forces. The late-night SALTY talks held at Snakistan's Kuler Ranch, however, cooled the spicy conflict with the signing of the historic Buttermilk Compromise, which established bilateral chiplomacy and regulated trade flows by setting the international Rold Gold standard of currency.

The dispute over increased prices and decreased serving sizes escalated when Snakistan, swayed by the influence of the nation's healthiest 1 percent, signed a historic fat-free-trade agreement with the Yogurtslavian nation of Colombo. Preparing for a long and grueling war of nutrition, Fritolaysia imposed trade snacktions and set up a blockade of Snakistan's major ports, cutting off their commerce with Yumen, Mmmmadagascar, and the Chex Republic.

Fritolaysia's CORNCOM command center.

According to internoshonal-relations expert Grady Freedman, Snakistan's reliance on, and craving for, Fritolaysia's delicious exports will likely force their chargé d'éclaires to re-establish ties with Fritolaysia's government and draw up a late-night treaty.

"The only option besides bowing to Fritolaysia's demands is to begin trading with the extreme funyunmentalist people of Utzonia," Freedman said, referring to the Blandinavian nation that offers similar but less-satisfying goods for cheaper exchange rates. "But deals with the Utzonians always leave a funny taste in your mouth."

With much of his country fearing that the rift with Snakistan could lead to a family-size conflict, Snakistan's President Ghulam Murtaza Pringle, whose pork-rind-barrel legislation and 2002 negotiations with international spambassadors earned him the Hormel Peace Prize, said his country cannot live without a strong, flavorful relationship with Snakistan.

"I am sending hundreds of chiplomats to Fritolaysia in the hopes that something can be worked out," Pringle said. "Even if we have to dig in and get our hands a little greasy, we aim to hunker down, preferably on a couch."

More HERE

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I think our cupboards are safe. We do not have anything imported from any of the "Snaxis of edible" !

HA!

capt

Gee, the Middle East is in flames and the stock market's tanking yet again. Coincidence?

Speaking of the stock market, where's our blissful little day-trader (oops, I mean "investor") Happy? Is he still? Maybe he's busy shorting commodities futures.

Kathleen: Jews around the world have been discriminated against in severe ways.

True enough. And there is always the danger of it being repeated. That's precisely why crying wolf for cheap political gain is so unwise.

"I want to tell you something very clear, don't worry about American pressure on Israel, we, the Jewish people control America, and the Americans know it."

Ariel Sharon to Shimon Peres, October 3rd, 2001, as reported on Kol Yisrael radio.

Capt,
You should be ashamed, that had to be the cheesiest post today. :)

Trekkies rejoice! A new twist on crop circles.

Eye's,

That makes two today! (you made me chuckle)

#43! HA! and I am a cheesy guy (Gouda for sure)

capt

Here is my prediction. Polls mean nothing. The Huffungton Post says that Americans want the Democrats to rule. If there is a 2006 election, we must take into account that our elections are rigged. The repugnants will beat the Democrats senseless and the defeat will end the Democratic Party as a viable party in Nazi America.

May the Democratic Party rest in peace!!!

Since Nazi America is the devil incarnate nation, evil will always win. There is total evil in the immoral authority of the Republicans.

I am pleased the regulars have largely ignored the goading and inflammatory troll posts. Keep up the good work. The discourse is so much better today than last night.

Kathleen and Jeanne, thank you for posting the info Noam revealed about kidnappings by Israel, Hamas and Hesbollah, which sparked the events and have gone largely un-reportedi in our MSM. It is truly amazing MSM chooses to keep such details out of its coverage.

The biggest crises, beside civilian casualties on both sides, is the internal presure applied to the Lebanese government that is multi-ethinic and is an ally and a keystone of US foreign in the area. Many Lebanese government officials feel as though the pro-hesbollah members of government have essentially declared war on israel and put Lebabnon in harms way, by backing Hesbollah.

This morning on NPR's Linda Gradstein's report on the bombing in Lebanon she did not even mention the 45 Lebanese civilians that have been killed. More of that fair and balanced reporting by NPR.

Last night on NPR Ted Koppel reported on the situation in the middle east ripping into Iran. Did not mention Israel's actions once..not once. More journalistic integrity...BULLSHIT

Since I am over 60, I can vote by mail. Come November, God willing, my vote will be sent in the mail prior to the election. I will spend my time the eve of November 7 and the early morning of November 8 crying at the biggest landslide victory for the evil Republicans in our nation's history.

The reason why the Republicans will win in November beside the rigged elections is that we are a nation controlled by skinheads.

#65 kathleen, I listen to NPR and I sense that NPR will become like Fox News in their fair and balanced reporting.

Bullshit reigns in our skinhead nation!!!

THESE DAYS ARE TRULY GLORIOUS TIMES FOR HITLER BUSH.

War is a narcotic.

War is a narcotic. War gives certain people a high. Bush is a drug addict who says he has recovered but the Iraq war is an addictive narcotic that gives Bush his daily high. He says that he has recovered but you never recover from an addictive personality. The longer a war lasts the more power goes to the government.

We start hating through language and from language we start to want to kill people. War gives the addictive personality meaning. Bush cannot exist without war. The state begins to define our being. The state must control us in order for us to kill. We cannot look at another person as part of humanity. Friends do not want war. You must, in war, want to kill and a person cannot be a friend to a person whom he is out to kill. People become intoxicated in war toward killing. You lose yourself and your identity as a human person in war.

If you oppose war, you court physical violence to yourself by the nationalists who desire and crave killing and war. You need moral courage to oppose war in America, a land that is overrun by nationalists who want killing and war.

Human beings do not want to kill other human beings. Hitler Bush and Chainey are not human beings because they want to kill human beings. Hitler Bush and Chainey turned away from people who had empathy for us after 9/11. We had an opportunity to build friendships but we became racists.

The Republican Party possesses extremists who are doing great damage to our relations in the world. Once you become violent, you hang onto and remain violent because you cannot behave any other way. Violence comes back to haunt a country. Our violence to other countries will come back to haunt us. We do not have the right to control other people.

I TRULY BELIEVE THAT HITLER BUSH AND CHAINEY ARE PLANNING A TERRORIST ATTACK INSIDE THE USA THROUGH A COVERT OPERATION WITH THE JACKALS (CIA) SO THEY CAN REMAIN IN CONTROL AND IN POWER FOREVER.

A Dangerous Game

WW III is upon us

The end time and the rapture are near and dear to the Nazi hearts.

Are we all sleeping better with Hitler Bush, Chainey, Blair, and Olmert in office?

Isn't it great to see the Mr. and Mrs. Plame on all the front pages again. Really gets the wrong-wingers frothing. Add Hillary to the mix and we'll see heads exploding all over exurbia.

I love this country. What is there not to love? We have the skinheads, the neocon hypocrites, the fascist pigs, and the unChristian fundies in power. These are truly glorious times for evil to reign supreme in our devil incarnate nation.

Why evil will always win? Sin is like the fat grams in our meals. It gives our life spice and it adds to the taste or lifesyle that we live.

I forgot to mention that I was able to drive Peggy Gish to the airport in Columbus Ohio this past Monday. I have mentioned Peggy before on the Corn site. Peggy is a member of the Christian Peace maker team, and is headed back into Iraq for her 8th time. She is incredibly committed to the Iraqi people and such a brave woman.

As we drove to the airport I audiotaped our conversation. She talked a great deal about Falluja(sp?). Her group was able to go in just after the Red Cross (which according to her was 2 months after the fighting there). Her description of the situation there was both moving an depressing. She said that over 20,ooo people were killed there according to people at the morgues. Of course this is not verified because our military does "not count" the Iraqi dead.

She also said that it is a commom belief among the Iraqi people that U.S. special forces were totally responsible for the destruction of the Al Askani Mosque in Samarra in February by a well planned and well executed commando style raid and bombing. Many of the Iraqi people believe that this was done to inflame the region so that the U.s. has excuses to continue to occupy their country.

I would never say this to Peggy and I know it may sound corny and this would probably make her feel uncomfortable, but when I am in her presence I feel I am with an angel/a saint on earth, she has no ego. Only Love, compassion and understanding for people and it just oozes out of Peggy , and it is truely an honor to be in her presence

When I am able I will share Peggy's emails from Iraq.

20
Will David continue to avoid sharing his opinion about Israel attacking Lebanon?

Posted by: kathleen at July 14, 2006 01:35 PM
+++++++++
Kathleen, the situation in the M.E. and the world, by extension, is extremely serious, but what does this type of "taunt" accomplish? You posted, in essence, the same thing on the previous thread.

David Corn writes about many important issues. Let him do his job -- he's very capable, ya know. I don't read any "avoidance" into his choice of topics.

Yeah, Drewp, too bad about Mark Wilson.

Why Islam will gain more and more converts? When you die, you are met by 72 vestal virgins in heaven. What a great way to spend eternity with 72 vestal virgins taking care of your needs?

I would prefer to have my wife and my sons with me in heaven but what do I know?

Bushitler

Whenever I equate George Bush with Adolph Hitler many immediately conclude the comparison is little more than hyperbole with a liberal sprinkling of exaggeration. You can almost hear minds slamming shut and rational discourse being terminated, even though the analogy is quite valid in many respects. The degree to which capitalist propaganda has managed to deceive millions as to the quintessence of fascist ideology in general and Hitler in particular is stupendous and to note as much is to utter an understatement of the first magnitude. My detractors ignore the obvious fact that I am not talking about gas chambers, mass executions, slave labor camps, or a one-party police state. The US has not arrived at that stage yet. But I am talking about stages which have been attained fully corroborating my thesis that Bush is comparable to Hitler in many critical respects such as the following:

First, Bush, like Hitler confronting the allies prior to WWII, keeps making one demand after another of the Iraqi government and is never satisfied. As each demand is met Bush, like Hitler, moves the bar a little higher fully intent on making it as unreachable as possible while trying to appear as conciliatory as feasible to the world community.

Second, Bush, like Hitler, threatens war if his demands are not met. His attitude is that others will comply with his demands or face military consequences.

Third, just as Hitler used the bogus excuse that Germans were being oppressed in order to justify invasion, Bush is using the bogus excuse that Iraq is hiding weapons of mass destruction. Both are lying because neither has provided proof for his allegations.

More HERE

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An oldie but a goodie!

capt

TALKING POINTS - The Gaza/Lebanon Crises: Escalating Occupation & Danger of New Border Fighting

By Phyllis Bennis
Institute for Policy Studies

Micki,

#82 Good piece. The facts make my heart and soul ache. How can we (as humans) get to a peaceful conclusion to the problems faced.

War and violence is never the answer. It simply cannot be.

Thanks

capt

Why Islam will gain more and more converts? When you die, you are met by 72 vestal virgins in heaven. What a great way to spend eternity with 72 vestal virgins taking care of your needs?

Gerald

Too bad for the vestal virgins.

So what exactly do women get when they die?

No wonder you cornnuts are such butt monkey's for terrorists!

Why Islam will gain more and more converts? When you die, you are met by 72 vestal virgins in heaven. What a great way to spend eternity with 72 vestal virgins taking care of your needs?

Posted by: Gerald

In the Kingdom of Heaven, does Allah manufacture just-in-time virgins or he prestocks the virgins for personal enjoyment?

BACKGROUNDER -- The United Sates and using its veto at the UN

capt -- thanks.

Here's something else from Phyllis Bennis. She said: "Yesterday's U.S. veto makes a diplomatic solution even more difficult." AP reported: "Eight of the last nine vetoes in the council have been cast by the United States. Of those, seven concerned the Israel-Palestinian conflict."

Why does the left love terrorists and hate America and Israel?

Decision Time: Will this war go nuclear?

www.frontpagemag.com ^ | 7/14/2006 | David Horowitz

Here is the situation: World leaders are lining up, either on the side of the Islamic terrorists (Chirac and Putin) or the side of their victims (the United States and -- somewhat -- Great Britain). The Vatican, which has an unsavory record in regard to the periodic slaughters of the Jews has thrown its moral weight (such as it is these days) onto the scales against the Jews. As the Hizbollah terrorists fire hundreds of rockets into Israeli cities from Lebanon and the Pope condemns Israel's attempts to destroy the rockets aimed at its citizens, Israel's chief of staff is forced to concede that those rockets can reach farther than previously thought, putting more Israelis in danger. Meanwhile, the Syrian terrorist state tells Time magazine that it could destroy Israel's nuclear sites. Hizbollah, Hamas, Iran and Syria occupy areas that are one hundred times the size of Israel and the populations they control are ten times the size of Israel's. Hizbollah and Hamas, and their patron Iran, have sworn to remove Israel from the face of the earth -- in those very words. Iran has defied the world community in asserting its determination to complete its nuclear program. Syria supports Iran, hosts Hamas and is a party to this malignant Islamic crusade. Behind them stand Russia and China and North Korea, and also apparently the international left which is lining up squarely behind the jihadists -- and has been doing so throughout the open preparation of this second holocaust. The left's favorite apostle Noam Chomsky only months ago was embracing Hizbollah's Hitler, Hassan Nasrallah, and his genocidal agendas.

So here is the issue: If you were Israel's prime minister, could you afford to wait until Iran attains nuclear warheads for Hizbollah's missiles? Or can you be sure it hasn't already been supplied such warheads by Russia or China through Iran? Could you afford to wait to see if Syria will supply the chemical and biological weapons it has cached for Saddam Hussein to Hizbollah and Hamas? Or would you proceed to plan B and obliterate them now?

While the Israeli prime minister ponders this question, leftists who are encouraging the forces of genocide -- Hizbollah, Hamas, Syria and Iran -- might want to think how all the present bloodshed and the next terrible decisions that Israel must take to defend itself -- and their consequences -- will lie on their heads.

Re #85: Just Curious, in the translation of the Koran I read, there is not one word regarding Heaven or vestal virgins. It does state, more than 100 separate times, to "argue gently with the people of the Book", that is, Jews and Christians.

Re #85: Just Curious, in the translation of the Koran I read, there is not one word regarding Heaven or vestal virgins.

Aw, so Islamist's are liars. Must be the definition of "argue gently"

# Micki..I disagree, and that is O.K.

Why would Bush agree to put pressure on Israel for a cease fire, he wants the whole place to blow, so he can see the second coming of Jesus.

Bush Rejects Lebanon's Call for Cease-Fire
Jul 14, 4:02 PM (ET)By TOM RAUM
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) - President Bush rejected Lebanon's calls for a cease-fire in escalating Mideast violence on Friday, saying only that Israel should try to limit civilian casualties as it steps up attacks on its neighbor.

"The president is not going to make military decisions for Israel," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.

Lebanon's prime minister asked Bush, during a phone call Friday, to pressure Israel for a cease-fire. But Bush told Prime Minister Fuad Saniora that Israelis have a right to protect themselves.

More on dumb and dumber-Plame/Wilson

Why is Valerie so Plame silly?

WND ^ | July 14, 2006 | Kevin Mc Cullough

The news came swiftly Thursday afternoon. Now that Robert Novak had finally revealed one last secret in the ever-fraudulent story about Valerie Plame's identity being leaked, we could put it all behind us and promise never to mention it again, right?

No, for some strange reason – specifically sycophantic vanity – Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson have filed a lawsuit against Karl Rove, Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby.

Their stated reason?

Specifically, to accuse, "Cheney, Rove and I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby of participating in a 'whispering campaign' to reveal Plame's CIA identity and punish Wilson for criticizing the Bush administration's motives in Iraq." .......................................................

If any criminal conviction comes out of the matter, and it is looking less likely that there will be, it will be because Scooter Libby might not have said the right thing at the right time. But there was no evidence, not one scintilla, that Rove or Cheney did anything other than to casually acknowledge what Robert Novak had already revealed to them.

But, typical to form, the single most attention-hungry couple in America – and trust me, to beat Bill and Hillary in that department is saying something – the Wilson-Plames are now off to civil court to get cold hard cash for the possible "destruction of her career."

Did I miss something? Did Valerie get fired at the CIA? And since she wasn't active or covert, how exactly did any in justice take place?

Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame need to be flicked off the shoulder of America like the little gnats that they are. They need to regain a certain amount of personal dignity before speaking ever again. But what is completely sad is that they are so unaware of how silly and foolish they look that they just keep on going.

UN urges end to Middle East crisis Friday, 14 Jul 2006 19:00
UN urges end to Middle East crisis Printer friendly version
The UN has strongly urged the Israeli army, Hizbullah and Palestinian militants to end their "disproportionate" levels of violence to avoid a further deepening of the humanitarian crisis threatening to boil over in the Middle East.

Israel has maintained its grip on Lebanon, the government of which it holds entirely responsible for Hizbullah's actions, by imposing land, air and sea blockades on the country, while continuing to target militant strongholds in southern Beirut.

Hizbullah meanwhile has countered by firing an almost constant stream of missiles into Israeli territory, while at the same time violence continues in Gaza.

The UN wants all involved parties to end their indiscriminate rocket attacks and stop the harming of innocent civilians, as well as releasing kidnapped victims who are at the heart of the crisis.

Jan Egeland, UN emergency relief coordinator, said: "We fear a downward spiral to a totally uncontrollable situation.

"The situation has never been worse in this past decade than it has been in the past few days," he said referring to continuing violence in Gaza

While the Israeli prime minister ponders this question, leftists who are encouraging the forces of genocide -- Hizbollah, Hamas, Syria and Iran -- might want to think how all the present bloodshed and the next terrible decisions that Israel must take to defend itself -- and their consequences -- will lie on their heads.

The end is nigh! The end is nigh! Repent ye lefties! Or ye shall sizzle like bacon strips while we the faithful cavort in paradise! (Are there virgins in the Christian version, or just strippers?)

Apparently somebody needs to remind Horowitz that leftists have virtually no political power in the U.S. at the moment, so any consequences of an Israeli response must and will lie squarely on the heads of those in power -- the cons. Problem is, the cons have a pathological inability to accept responsibility for anything.

Virgins? What virgins?

It is widely believed that Muslim 'martyrs' enjoy rich sensual rewards on reaching paradise. A new study suggests they may be disappointed. Ibn Warraq reports

Two points need to be noted. First, there is no mention anywhere in the Koran of the actual number of virgins available in paradise, and second, the dark-eyed damsels are available for all Muslims, not just martyrs. It is in the Islamic Traditions that we find the 72 virgins in heaven specified: in a Hadith (Islamic Tradition) collected by Al-Tirmidhi (died 892 CE [common era*]) in the Book of Sunan (volume IV, chapters on The Features of Paradise as described by the Messenger of Allah [Prophet Muhammad], chapter 21, About the Smallest Reward for the People of Paradise, (Hadith 2687). The same hadith is also quoted by Ibn Kathir (died 1373 CE ) in his Koranic commentary (Tafsir) of Surah Al-Rahman (55), verse 72: "The Prophet Muhammad was heard saying: 'The smallest reward for the people of paradise is an abode where there are 80,000 servants and 72 wives, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine, and ruby, as wide as the distance from Al-Jabiyyah [a Damascus suburb] to Sana'a [Yemen]'."

Modern apologists of Islam try to downplay the evident materialism and sexual implications of such descriptions, but, as the Encyclopaedia of Islam says, even orthodox Muslim theologians such as al Ghazali (died 1111 CE) and Al-Ash'ari (died 935 CE) have "admitted sensual pleasures into paradise". The sensual pleasures are graphically elaborated by Al-Suyuti (died 1505 ), Koranic commentator and polymath. He wrote: "Each time we sleep with a houri we find her virgin. Besides, the penis of the Elected never softens. The erection is eternal; the sensation that you feel each time you make love is utterly delicious and out of this world and were you to experience it in this world you would faint. Each chosen one [ie Muslim] will marry seventy [sic] houris, besides the women he married on earth, and all will have appetising vaginas."

One of the reasons Nietzsche hated Christianity was that it "made something unclean out of sexuality", whereas Islam, many would argue, was sex-positive. One cannot imagine any of the Church fathers writing ecstatically of heavenly sex as al-Suyuti did, with the possible exception of St Augustine before his conversion. But surely to call Islam sex-positive is to insult all Muslim women, for sex is seen entirely from the male point of view; women's sexuality is admitted but seen as something to be feared, repressed, and a work of the devil.

More HERE

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An interesting discussion of the virgins and whatnot.

capt

But what is completely sad is that they are so unaware of how silly and foolish they look that they just keep on going. See. I told you so. The sight of the Plames on front pages across America has set off a great wailing and gnashing of right-wing teeth. Yaaawwwwn . . . . these people are as predictability as a Japanese train.

But there was no evidence, not one scintilla, that Rove or Cheney did anything other than to casually acknowledge what Robert Novak had already revealed to them. Quick, somebody call the Plames and tell them they have no case! I'd hate to see them waste all that money on lawyers.

Israel says Lebanon will hide WMDs for Iran

In remarks made before the UN Security Council today, Ambassador Dan Gillerman claimed that Lebanon was willing to work with Iran to hide weapons of mass destruction.

An official statement from the delegation on the subject is expected shortly.

The Ambassador went on to point to Syria as another member of a "club" of terror-supporting nations.

A partial transcript of his remarks follow:

More HERE

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Why does this remind me of "spectral evidence" as in the Salem witch trials? These slugs sound ridiculous.

capt

This is at JTA under breaking news.

The trial of two former AIPAC staffers was postponed again. The trial has been postponed at least three times. It has been postponed until October.

The race to Iran runs through Aipac.

I believe this trial continues to be postponed to give the Israeli firsters/AIPAC JINsa plenty of time to influence the upcoming elections and push even harder for military action in Syria and Iran.

If and when the American public becomes aware that Aipac has been spying on the U.s. for quite some time, and that the mainstream media has barely touched this issue, the U.s. might stand a chance at being free of the "disproportionate" amount of influence and power that the Israeli lobby has over our congress and foreign policy.

Although if the "Israeli Lobby" is successful at shutting down this trial and the investigation into the "alleged" transfer of classified intelligence by Larry Franklin, Kenneth Pollack, possibly Judith Miller and Micheal Ledeen, and the subsequent threat to U.s. national security , we will truely know that the U.S. is indeed Israeli occupied territory.

for some reason the Council for the National Interest website is down...

The Council for the National Interest is a non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization advocating a new direction for US Middle East policy. ...

Refugees Fleeing Beirut Speak of Catastrophic Bombing

LEBANON-SYRIA BORDER - Refugees fleeing Beirut in the face of Israeli air attacks are speaking of "haphazard bombings" and a crisis situation developing in the city.

A Syrian family waits for transport at a bus and taxi terminal in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, July 14, 2006. Many people are leaving the area following the latest Israeli offensive on Lebanon, with fighter bombers blasting the airport for a second day, hitting residential buildings in the southern suburbs of the capital and cutting the main highway to Syria. (AP Photo)

Israeli warplanes bombed the suburbs of Beirut overnight, killing three people and wounding 55, according to Lebanese police. Residents reported at least four Israeli missile strikes early Friday morning. The Lebanese military responded with anti-aircraft fire.

According to reports from Beirut, a bridge in the area was hit, along with the main highway to the airport. Lebanese police report that a fuel storage tank at a power station on the coast was destroyed in the air strikes, while Hezbollah targets near Hermel close to the Syrian border were targeted.

More HERE

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They are managing the news. I bet we are not hearing the half of it.

What can we do? This is very bad, very bad indeed.

capt

Apparently somebody needs to remind Horowitz that leftists have virtually no political power in the U.S. at the moment,

Drewp

That's his point, all your political power is in support of terrorists and islamic extremist. God help us if you ever did get any power here!

Quick, somebody call the Plames and tell them they have no case! I'd hate to see them waste all that money on lawyers.

Drewp

Actually Drewp they aren't wasting their own money on lawyers. They want fools like you to pay for it.

Plame and Wilson have set up a website to help them "pay for the substantial legal costs associated with the illegal leaking of Mrs. Wilson's classified CIA status."

Drewp

It would just be silly for Mrs Plame to waste any of her millions from the advance on her tell all book deal to pay for lawyers when she can doop drewps. He he!

Two points need to be noted. First, there is no mention anywhere in the Koran of the actual number of virgins available in paradise, and second, the dark-eyed damsels are available for all Muslims, not just martyrs.

Capt

Or in the case of Mohammed, he like to mix it up with little boys.

Hizbollah and Israel head for bitter showdown
Sat Jul 15, 2006 12:55

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Residents on both sides of the Lebanese-Israeli border braced on Saturday for a dramatic spike in violence after Hizbollah's chief declared open war on Israel following its bombardment of his Beirut home and stronghold.

"You wanted open war. We are going to open war," Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a call to Hizbollah television.

"Look at it burn", he urged listeners, announcing an attack which set ablaze an Israeli warship that had earlier hit Beirut.

New York Sun: War on Iran Has Begun
July 13, 2006 Edition BY DAVID TWERSKY
TEL AVIV, Israel —†The war with Iran has begun.

Just last Friday, Iranian President Ahmadinejad warned that Israel's return to Gaza could lead to an "explosion" in the Islamic world that would target Israel and its supporters in the West. "They should not let things reach a point where an explosion occurs in the Islamic world," he said.

"If an explosion occurs, then it won't be limited to geographical boundaries. It will also burn all those who created [Israel] over the past 60 years," he said, implicitly referring to America and other Western nations who support Israel.

Years from now, the kidnapping of Corporal Gilad Shalit will be regarded like the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. Against the backdrop of Kassam rocket fire on Israelis living within range of the Gaza Strip, it was the fate of Corporal Shalit that triggered the Israeli return to Gaza, which in turn brought the Hezbollah forces into the game.

Mr. David Corn,

What happened to the huge dump from DMR on the last thread? All of those seem to be missing?

capt

Not to throw anybody for a loop, but I agree with David about the smart card. I believe it would save more soldiers lives as well as Iraqi civilians. Teaching soldiers about "cultural" niceties after three years seems odd. That is something they should have known three years ago.

Micki,

Thank you for posting the Stephen Cohen article from The Nation. I've been dying to read that. Ever since college (mid-eighties--slightly older student) I've loved Cohen. He's by far the best scholar on all things Soviet Union--Russia. If you ever see anything written by him, please post it or send it to me.

Did I not tell you all that the Southwestern fire season (in a linked article) due to global warming has been extended by 2 1/2 months. It's more like three months this year. It started in late June--it used to start in late September. Now, there are fears that the Southern California fires will merge together which would result in another horrific region-wide series of deadly fires. We had one of those a few years back and school was out for two weeks, unheard of around here.

I was listening to a local veteran weatherman last night who spoke the truth finally. San Diego, due to the warming climate, has become a tropical climate. The mid-Baja California moist climate has spread north to just north of San Diego. We used to have a semi-arid lovely climate, hence the housing prices and the highest gasoline prices etc. No more. Since the eighties the humidity has steadily climbed year by year. One now feels like you're in New York. (Different set of circumstances, same oppressive humidity.)

Jeanne, I hear that Minneapolis is scorching. I'm not sure exactly where you are in Minnesota but I'm sure it's state-wide. Not used to it, huh? Same here. People look at our weather, around mid-eighties with 65% humidity, and they say, so what?

When you're not used to it, it's a big so what. No air conditioning anywhere. The city is not set up for this kind of heat and humidity.

I rather believe that Al Gore's movie arrived a touch late. We're already experiencing the effects exponentially.

Kathleen, people will come around once they experience such climate change. Don't you think Micki? Fucking morons aside, they can't be blind, I mean nonfeeling, to heat stroke!

Again I have to be quick. Haven't read a word because I must keep the phone line free now. I'm thinking very strongly of biting the bullet and getting another phone line. I'm moving, though, and that costs mucho.

Senate Votes to Bar Emergency Gun Confiscation

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to prohibit the confiscation of legally owned guns during an emergency like last year's Hurricane Katrina, marking another victory for the gun lobby.

By a vote of 84-16, the Senate embraced an amendment by Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican. He attached his measure to a domestic security spending bill for the fiscal year starting October 1 that the Senate is expected to pass soon.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed its version of the spending bill and negotiators will have to decide whether to keep the gun provision. The House is usually sympathetic to gun owners.

More HERE

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

I hope they stop. The government has no business taking a patriots "home defense" system. Not for the love of go or money.

capt

Carey,

DSL is cheaper than a second line and runs without truoble on the existing line.

Check what your phone comany offers.

The phone line is clear WHILE you are connected on a fast connection.

capt

It makes so much sense that Micheal Ledeen wrote his latest article about how great it was that Italy "won" the world cup. Ledeen loves people who abuse others, a true socio path.

July 12, 2006 -- It now seems clear what set off French soccer star and team captain Zinedine Zidane, the son of Algerian immigrants, during the World Cup final game in Berlin. According to European sources, Italian player Marco Materazzi tweaked Zidane's nipples and made some reference to homosexuality. That, apparently, was not enough to inflame Zidane. It was Materazzi's next comments about Zidane being the "son of a terrorist whore" that prompted Zidane to head butt the Italian, earning Zidane a red card and expulsion -- something that likely caused France's defeat in overtime penalty kicks. Materazzi has admitted insulting Zidane but denies he insulted Zidane's seriously ill mother. Our European sources claim otherwise and confirm Materazzi engaged in the type of racist insults for which Italian football, under the de facto tutelage of right-wing and racist former Prime Minister, TV, satellite, newspaper, and magazine media magnate, and AC Milan football club owner Silvio Berlusconi, has become infamous. Berlusconi was recently indicted for fraud and tax evasion. Roberto Calderoli, an Italian Senator, former Berlusconi government Reform Minister, and member of the right-wing opposition, issued his own racist insult of the French soccer team, "A team which fielded Lombards, Campanians, Venetians, and Calabrians won against a team which sacrificed its identity for results by fielding blacks, Muslims and Communists."

Materazzi has identified himself with the neo-Fascist party that is a member of Berlusconi's coalition. In addition, he once played for Lazio di Roma, a club, which like his current club, Inter-Milan, is known for racist insults being shouted at black and Arab players by fans

I was very disappointed in Zidane.

He is suppose to be a professional.

capt

BTW - no "e" in truly.

capt

Capt how would you react if someone insulted your very sick mother? The Italian team is well known for making fascist/racist remarks. sticks and stones will break your bones but words will never hurt you...HOGWASH

Cup of Joy
Italy wins!
By Michael Ledeen
First of all, one must be grateful that Italy won the World Cup Sunday, because it would have been very annoying to endure four years of even more French arrogance. And it’≥ particularly delightful because, as the game wore on, the French outplayed the Italians. Life is unfair. Live with it. It’≥ a lot more fun to have Italian world champs.

Not to throw you for another loop but I agree with the captain at 111.

I am pleased the regulars have largely ignored the goading and inflammatory troll posts. Keep up the good work. The discourse is so much better.

Okay, another loop. I agree with Carrie at 118. I'll do my best to keep my posts "civil in discourse."

Dubya Dubya III has begun. Israel has worn out the sympathy card. Too bad they aren't actually Semites, it might help a little.

Dubya Dubya III

Now that is creative. I like the analogy.

"I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one even at the cost of your life." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Sticks, stones, yes, but names, never

Zidane's explanation for his actions: Mate