Saturday Night Music

Kylie Minogue/Whigfield Mash-up "Can't Get You Out of My Head/Saturday Night"

Top 10 Best Political Web Videos

PVT's six minute compiliation

Aide Details Loss of Faith in the President

"Huge, Brass Balls" image courtesy of ARPA

You really gotta hand it to the "Bushies." Half a trillion dollars in spending on a war we never had to fight, 3,246 military-dead, record profits for Bush-connected corporations, scandals galore, a laundry list of examples of egregious behavior and finally, finally one of them comes around to reality. Some people's kids. While 70% of the country is sure they've loss confidence in the chimp-in-charge, the 'inner circle' still just doesn't get it--BushCo is bankrupt--morally, ethically and otherwise. New York Times delivers the article, Aide Details Loss of Faith in the President.

He criticized the president as failing to call the nation to a shared sense of sacrifice at a time of war, failing to reach across the political divide to build consensus and ignoring the will of the people on Iraq. He said he believed the president had not moved aggressively enough to hold anyone accountable for the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and that Mr. Bush still approached governing with a “my way or the highway” mentality reinforced by a shrinking circle of trusted aides.

Arab 'Idol' Unites Iraqis

A shining moment of pride for Iraqis as an Iraqi woman, Shada Hassoun wins the Mid East's version of American Idol. From the Lebanese News site "Ya Libnan" ."

"Sunnis and Shiites will unite with your victory!" read one text message, sent by a viewer, that scrolled across the screen Friday during a pre-show telecast on Iraq's al-Sharqiya satellite channel. "You are the one who unites all of Iraq, from North to South, from the Tigris to the Euphrates!"

IraqiSlogger has written up the win and provides some background of the music competition called "Star Academy 4." Shada sang, "Baghdad Wal Chouarra" as her finale in the competition. "The lyrics celebrate the long cultural history of the Iraqi capital and sings of the city’s past greatness" as described by IraqiSlogger. For a deeper exploration of Bagdad-in-music read Genevieve Williams article, "Bagdad" for "City Songs," which provides some context for songs about Bagdad.

Music has always been able to evoke a powerful range of emotions in the human species and of course the power to, "soothe the savage beast." To have an Iraqi woman win this prestigious event while her country is ravaged by violence has invoked a moment of calm. Who knows, the victory may be used some time in a future as a reference point for a peaceful nation; the uniting of Sunni and Shia in Iraq.

Watch the video of Shada Hassoun's triumphant victory, singing "Baghdad Wal Chouarra" with an ensemble of the other finalists. “The Daughter of the Two Rivers who United Iraq,” as one Iraqi media outlet calls Shada in Arabic, referring to a traditional name for the country, may just be the beginning of a shining future for Iraq.
In šaʾ Allāh (إن شاء الله).

Walter Reed Photo Op

“Walter Reed is not a photo-op,”said Veterans for America’s Bobby Muller, in reference to President Bush’s visit today to the army medical center. He said Bush isn’t going to see areas of the hospital most in need of change. “Walter Reed is still broken. The DoD health care system is still broken. … Our troops need their commander in chief to start working harder for them.”

Except when it is...Think Progress story here.

Doan's Bitter Pill

For those that missed it I wanted to share my adventures in snark. Lurita Doan, bushie-alzheimeresque-troll at the GSA, had a moment of paranoia after yesterdays hearing and with the mic still on told an aide,“Take my water, and my glasses. I don’t want them to track my fingerprints, they’ve got me totally paranoid.
”

My comment:
I have turned over Lurita’s eyeglasses and drinking glass in a plastic bag to the left-wing of the FBI. Hopefully, they will match her fingerprints to bullet casings found in Dallas, 1963.

Ask not what your paranoia can do to you , but what you can do to your paranoia.

Comment by Doan's Little Pill

Lawmakers fault veterans’ care under Bush

Duh. Now the story. Also, note how when the going gets tough, Junior puts a woman in charge. he's such a typical 'mama's boy.' Acting Army Surgeon General, Maj. Gen Gale Pollock said, “When the original plans were made, we did not take into consideration we could be in a long war.”

'Trashy Women'

"Fashion Photo"
Vox ex Machina (now on my blogroll) added a link from my post about the murder of LaVena Johnson to the post "Women still face violence, no thanks to high fashion". This post shocked my sensibilities in ways I cannot describe. Please read it and explain how these ads sell clothes much less are 'sexy,' especially in light of it being Women's History Month.

PNAC meet POAC

I have to post this graphic just because it's so good and so accurate. We are part of the less than one percent of Americans actually making real sacrifices for this illegal war. Thanks for the graphic go to Project for the Old American Century, the progressive answer to PNAC the evil think-tank of the right that largely provided the ideology behind the war in Iraq. Go over to POAC and show them some love.

Bush and the Tilt-O-Whirl

Image Courtesy of Intricate Art

LA Times posting "Bush's long history of tilting Justice"

Over the last six years, this Justice Department has ignored the advice of its staff and skewed aspects of law enforcement in ways that clearly were intended to influence the outcome of elections.

Quote of the Day found at The Carpetbagger: Thomas Friedman started his NYT column yesterday, “Sometimes you read something about this administration that is just so shameful it takes your breath away.” His piece was about the politicization of science, but as Steve M. noted today, “Tom? A lot of us think that happens every day.” Geez, even Tom "the world is flat" Friedman thinks Junior is a fucknut.

Friday Night Music (on Thursday)

By suggestion of the Fabulous Opera 99, I give you Weezer "The Sweater Song (I've come Undone)" Dedicated to Sampson and De-liar... the unraveling thread of BushCo Inc.
If you want to destroy my sweater
Pull this thread as I walk away
Watch me unravel, I'll soon be naked
Lying on the floor, lying on the floor
I've come undone

"Keep pulling those threads, Pat Leahy and company"-Op99

Sampson Meets Schumer

Kyle Sampson, Karl Rove's lovechild, told Congress today that Gonzo's statement to them was "inaccurate." Think Progress has the film.

Rovian Moves

For anyone who hasn't seen the horror that is Karl Rove, check out Rapmaster Rove at the Correspondents Dinner last night. Karl's admitted hobby: "ripping the heads off small animals." Charming Karl, charming. Think Progress posts.

Calm Down Little Buck-a-Roo

HuffPo's posting this gem:Pelosi To Bush: "Calm Down With The Threats, There's A New Congress In Town"

Military Cover-up

LaVena Johnson Comes Home
Not that military cover-ups are new but with so many stories on Pat Tillman lately, his tragic "accident" and the subsequent cover-up should be front-paged, but I cannot see a story about him with out thinking of PFC LaVena Johnson. I've posted many times on her case and its cover-up and today I'm asking Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy listeners to add LaVena's story and signing of the petition to reopen her case to their homework. Please watch the ONLY video report of her death and its cover-up. Philip Baron at Waveflux is still posting updates on LaVena's story and was a guest on VetNet KDHX in St. Louis.

The Gay Agenda?

Found over at Progressive Gold. Someone needs to set this sister straight(no pun intended) about what her actual message is...Maybe she's just against Gay computers.

VA Contracts Bungled

Finally something solid on Nicholson that begs a call for his resignation. Jim Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, (click link to see video of Nicholson lying) has been a brown-noser to Bush and responsible for the shocking malfeasance, corruption, and incompetence perpetrated throughout the VA.
McClatchy has the story:Faulty contract costs the VA millions

Department of Veterans Affairs backdated a key document and violated other rules as it pushed through a $100 million computer security contract that resulted in inflated prices and duplicate payments, according to a previously undisclosed report.

It's time to pile on BushCo to create critical mass and topple the house of lies and corruption.

Stephanie Miller on Larry King

Mama is on with right-wing tool Lars Larson.

Stephanie Miller On Larry King (3/27/07)
Video sent by virtualmatter

The Stephanie Miller Show can be heard live Monday through Friday 6AM-9AM (Pacific time) on NovaM Radio streaming online.

Stephanie to Lars:"I've heard your show and I can see why you carry a gun."

The Impeachment Blues UPDATE

I keep trying to remember the tune for "The Impeachment Blues" but it keeps getting away from me. Right on the tip of my tongue, then gone like impeachment being taken off the table. Raw Story has posted "Op-ed: Impeachment threat is real" by David Edwards and Ron Brynaert. I'm hoping people will start hearing the tune and singing it everywhere they go until it hits #1.
Reader Causal adds these links to the comments: Impeach Bush Resources
Find Out More...
Update:The Existential Cowboy got on the impeachment horse and rides the hell out of it. Read his in-depth post and get yer own horse and ride.

Who Do You Think You're Fooling?

This is the opening question from an Iraqi citizen of John Bolton, former US UN Ambassador. The 'other' media covers the news so much better than our own corporate-owned, bottom- feeders. This Iraqi citizen and Tony Benn, President of the Stop the War Coalition take on John "The Walrus" Bolton and really make him look the foolish, warmongering, bully shill that he is. Read Existentialist Cowboy's post and watch this video of the BBC debate. They make our mainstream media look like the cowardly amateurs they are.

From Tony Benn:

I was born about a quarter of a mile from where we're sitting now, and I was here in London during the Blitz. And every night, I went down to the shelter, 500 people killed, my brother killed, my friends were killed. When the Charter of the UN was read to me , I was a pilot coming over on a troop ship. "We the Peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war which twice in our lifetimes has caused untold suffering to Mankind."

That was a pledge my generation gave to the younger generation, and you tore it up--it's a war crime that's been committed in Iraq and there's no moral difference between a stealth bomber and a suicide bomber. They both kill innocent people for political reasons.

Ther are two other short videos in this series so be sure to go see the Cowboy and watch them.

What'd He Say?

Not a single day goes by that I am not stupefied by the 29% of Americans that still support this president. Truth Out's Jason Leopold, with Marc Ash have parsed through the Libby trial notes to bring us to, "Cheney's Handwritten Notes Implicate Bush in Plame Affair."

"Can you make out what's crossed out, Mr. Addington?" Wells asked, according to a copy of the transcript of Tuesday's court proceedings.
"It says 'the guy' and then it says, 'this Pres.' and then that is scratched through," Addington said.
"OK," Wells said. "Let's start again. 'Not going to protect one staffer and sacrifice the guy ...' and then what's scratched through?" Wells asked Addington again, attempting to establish that Cheney had originally written that President Bush personally asked Libby to beat back Wilson's criticisms.
"T-h-i-s space P-r-e-s," Addington said, spelling out the words. "And then it's got a scratch-through."
"So it looks like 'this Pres.?'" Wells asked again.
"Yes sir," Addington said.

Hallelujah and pass the ammunition. Read the rest of Jason and Marc's story here.

A Quarter of the Way to Our Next Thousand Dead

For those of you keeping track, we are nearly 25% to the 4000 dead troops mark. Today we sit at four thousand, two hundred and forty-two dead. Dead for BushCo oil. Helluva job bushies.

Psychopaths=Good, Gays=Bad

So sayeth the US Army. First through the mouthpiece of Gen. Peter Pace (who has 'Gay eyes' if you ask me)and then via a military email account belonging to an Army recruiter
For those that haven't seen it, Think Progress is front-paging a story from Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend. An Army recruiter sent this comment (among others) to a a man, Corey Andrew who never intended on an army career:

“GO BACK TO AFRICA AND DO YOUR GAY VOODOO LIMBO TANGO AND WANGO DANCE AND JUMP AROUND AND PRANCE AND RUN ALL OVER THE PLACE HALF NAKED THERE.” — U.S. Army recruiter Sgt. Marcia Ramode, using her military email address to respond to Jersey City resident Corey Andrew, after Ramode learned Andrew was gay.

Photo:Sgt. Ramode caught unawares in the shower

Thanks General Pace for your stellar leadership in the area of not only civil rights but human rights. Please write your senator or any senator on the armed service committee and make this Sgt.Ramode resign. See if you can get them to take Pace with her. Frontlines has an update.

H/T to Lotus for the linky and Eli for the blog title.

Murdered Women, US Atty Firings--Same Kettle of Fish

Josh Marshall of TPM has attempted to answer the question for conservatives about why the US Attorney firings are such a big deal. As always he does a brilliant job, but one bit of his story stuck out for me:

For all the intensity and hostility awash in our politics, there are some lines we just assume aren't going to be crossed, lines that are so basic that the civil compact itself can't easily survive if they're not respected.

This quote from Josh's article is exactly why BushCo needs to go. They cover-up, lie, obfuscate, deny, spin, virtually everything to further their interests at the cost of our very safety and freedom.

I've been active on the story of LaVena Johnson of late because while her story has garnered a paltry amount of attention, it is precisely indicative of what has become deeply wrong with America under the Bush Regime: America no longer respects the most basic civilities at home or abroad. The civil compact is broken.

One very crucial aspect of that civil compact is upheld by soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors; they trust the president will never put them in harm's way without good reason. They will never be expected to breach the water's edge without cause. As we enter the fifth year of the Iraq war we know this is no longer true. The military knows this as well, so all bets are off. The US military are behaving like barbarians and it just fine with the White House.

This latest scandal with the AG is but a symptom of power-mad dictators gone wild. And when a young, female soldier is murdered in her tent and they call it "suicide" things can only get worse. Read Josh's post and then come back and sign the petition to get answers on LaVena Johnson's murder. I'll wait. I hope the country can too.

Are Women Soldiers Inherently Less Valuable?

So few people seemed moved enough to comment on the "Murdered Woman Soldier" post and I am disturbed. Very few in the blogosphere, the left blogosphere mind you, have bothered to post this tragic, powerful story; A young female soldier found battered and sexually abused in her tent with a bullet hole through her head is called "suicide" by the army and they refuse to re-open the case. What more needs to be said here? Is it an underlying bias toward women in the military? Do women who choose to serve their country just automatically 'get what they deserve' when they are raped? I have posted a number of stories about the unprecedented abuse women in the military have endured since the inception of the "war on terror." The posts go virtually unnoticed. And guess what? The newest terrorists are us. Al-Qaeda ain't got nothin' on the Pentagon.

Male US military persons are raping and killing their fellow female soldiers. Military policy downrange requires that females go places in pairs while in the presumed safety of their own bases. The danger is from male soldiers and no one seems to give a shit. Women are dying of dehydration from not drinking as to avoid having to go to the toilet. I guess I didn't realize how deep the misogyny runs in the left side of the pool.

At least one man has taken this incident seriously and not only posted on it but has begun a petition to send to the Senate Armed Services Committee to force the re-opening of the investigation. Give Philip Baron of Waveflux your thanks and support by signing the petition and perhaps the family and friends of PFC LaVena Johnson may rest a bit easier. Missouri TV news report of LaVena's story.

Honesty is the Best Policy...

Foreign Policy that is. Smirking Chimp.

The Joys of Editing

Why Editing an Opinion Section is not a quirk. LAT editor Allison Silver speaks.
Update: Guess who might 'guest edit' the LA Times, remember, you use the editor you have and not the one you want.

Impeach Gonzo

Read Robert Kuttner's "Gonzales Should Be Impeached".

Gonzales, the nation's highest legal officer, has been point man for serial assaults against the rule of law, most recently in the crude attempt to politicize criminal prosecutions. Obstruction of a prosecution is a felony, even when committed by the attorney general.

Read the rest...

Military Murder

Jurrasic Pork, part of The Unruly Mob over at Les Enrages.org has written up the latest tragic death of a woman soldier in Iraq. Anyone here about this? The murder of LaVena Johnson has been treated by the military as a "suicide." Read JP's gut-wrenching post and with others we can bring this horror out of the darkness and demand the answers for the pentagon for yet another cover-up.

On July 19th, 2005, Pfc. LaVena Johnson was found dead in her tent, a single bullet wound to her left temple (she was right-handed). Her nose was broken. One of her lips was battered so badly that a mortician had to reconstruct it. Two of her front teeth were knocked loose. Her shoulder or elbow was dislocated. A trail of blood led from her tent to outside.

Where's the outrage people?

"Cold Iron"

"Cold Iron" is the term used for a naval vessel that is shutdown, either for decommissioning or crew leave. Last week the USS John F. Kennedy was decommissioned only weeks after the USS George H.W. Bush was christened. An interesting juxtapositional irony regarding the direction our country has taken. Out with the old, in with the assholes.

New Rules

Bill Maher rips Junior a new one in last nights commentary, "New Rules."

Traitors do not get to question my patriotism. What could be less patriotic than constantly screwing things up for America? You know it's literally hard to keep up with the sheer volume of scandals in the Bush administration. Which is why I like to download the latest scandals right onto my Ipod, that way I can catch up on this weeks giant fuck-up on my drive into work.

Pink Moon

Best. TV. Commercial. Ever.And now it's source. Nick Drake's "Pink Moon"

Jump

Madonna

Another One Bites the Dust

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles pleaded guilty Friday to obstruction of justice, becoming the ninth person and the highest-ranking Bush administration official convicted in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

Hmmm...another BushCo official under the bus. The Guardian has it.

Colbert Calls the Democrats "Pussies"

Colbert Report says what we've all been thinking. Crooks and Liars has the video evidence.

U.S. isn't trying to free American jailed in Ethiopia

A 24 year-old American from New Jersey has become the victim of Renditon. The US State Department says it's AOK with them. Wonder if his name being Amir has anything to do with the hands-off policy...McClatchy has the story.

9 -Year-Old Canadian Citizen released from American Detention Center

Kevin YourdKhani a Candian citizen, with his Iranian-born parents, was flown to Toronto last night after spending six weeks in a privately run west Texas immigration jail. This story got virtually no attention in the mainstream media. I guess they don't like to report on the US government locking up innocent children while the father of Anna Nicole's child is still unknown. Amy Goodman's Democracy Now! First brought this travesty to light and follows up with the family's Canadian attorney.

The Culture of Obedience

Rocky Anderson the maverick Salt Lake City, Utah mayor has become the most outspoken critic of Junior and calls for impeachment. The clarion call from the seemingly most unlikely of states, Utah, known for its 'red state creditials,' comes as a welcome for many. NYT has the story.

“President Bush is a war criminal,” Mr. Anderson, a Democrat, said at a rally here on Monday marking the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq. “Let impeachment be the first step toward national reconciliation — and toward penance for the outrages committed in our nation’s name.”

Soldier Stupidity, Cruelty

A shocking story from a soldier who insists, "I miss my war." Margaret Kimberley at The Smirking Chimp explains:

When I got up this morning I had never heard of Brian Mockenhaupt. I was better off that way. He is a pathetic loser and a sadistic SOB. He is also a stereotypical red blooded American man.

One of the emails from the DoJ's 'Rosemary Woods moment' has been found. TPM tells all.

Smoking Gun

WaPo reports the prosecutor for a landmark tobacco case says Bush political appointees interfered with her case weakening the government's position.
The firebrands at Think Progress posts the Post.

Boxer Busts Out

I heard this clip several times today but this was my first viewing of the smackdown of James "global-warming-is-a-myth, the-world-is-only-6,000-years-old" Inhofe(OK-R) by the new chair-in-town Barbara Boxer(CA-D). Think Progress .

Military Sexual Assaults Up Sharply

The AP reports the sexual assaults in the military shot up last year by 24%. Amy Goodman also reports on this shocking new statistic.

George Bush Joins the Navy!

George P. Bush Dubya's nephew joins the Navy Reserve as an intel officer. Finally, one of the 85 members of the extended family from the the non-serving chimp-in-charge, joins the ranks. It might be to get away from his sister Noelle's constant begging for crack money. Politico is on the case.

George Prescott Bush, the oldest son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, said the death of Pat Tillman, the NFL player and Army Ranger who was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 in what was later determined to be a friendly-fire incident, "was a wake-up call for me."

Mid-day Music

The kerfuffle over the USA firings continues..."constitutional crisis" ensues...seems Nixonian to me. A musical interlude to calm my savage beast until there is firm news beyond the authorization to issue subpoenas has been issued, blah, blah blah.
Goldfrapp's I want to Ride a White Horse

DoJ is D.O.A.

Shoephone of Evergreen Politics is the speed reader extraordinaire who after poring over 1000 pages from the Department of Just-us docu-dump, gleans the really good stuff in a way I can actually read. I tried to read some of the emails out of the DoJ's junk mail but could trudge through very little. As has been reported in the MSM, much of the material submitted are repeats of the same email, over and over, 3 and 4 times. What they didn't repeat, they just redacted. As Shoephone says, "Distract, junk up, obfuscate, confuse. Rinse, repeat." Get over to E.P. and read, "The DOJ 'Document Dump' -- Fear and Loathing in D.C."

Informed Consent:Top Ten

Juan Cole of "Informed Consent" stokes the fire under the Burning Bush formerly-known -as-the-Decider with today's post:Bush’s Top Ten Mistakes in Iraq during the Past 4 Years What Mr. Cole says about March 19, 2003: Bush’s Address on Iraq

What struck me in looking again at Bush’s address to the American public late on March 19, 2003, is how obviously mendacious it was. That dishonest and propagandistic character is even more apparent with the passage of time. The accusation that Iraq was planning to attack anyone in 2003, that US cities were in danger from it, was monstrous in its mirroring of Bush intentions toward the Iraqi people. Which innocents have had to dig out of rubble? And, at a time when Bush rushed to war, engaging in dirty tricks in hopes of getting a Baath provocation that would serve as casus belli, and not letting the weapons inspectors even finish their jobs, to say he was “reluctant”! It is impossible to reread this text without images from the destruction of Fallujah, from Abu Ghraib, from Najaf, flashing through one’s mind. It is America’s nadir, the most Goebbels-like Big Lie in modern American history.

H/T to Lotus

Free Speech for Bong Hits

At least some Americans are still free to speak their minds, maybe. Read the NYT opinion piece on the students who unfurled the banner, "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" in an Alaskan street during the Olympic torch run in 2002. The Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday.

Skeletor to Replace Gonzo?

As soon as you stop laughing read the story at Politico.

Uncanny isn't it?

Get Set

That is my prediction. It's gonna be a bumpy Taxiride. This is from the 1999 Alexander Payne (Sideways) indie "Election."

Iraq Veterans Memorial

Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films has compiled this memorial. Check it.

Rehab

A little cocktail time ditty by Amy Winehouse for the likes of Coultergeist the rightwing-Spokeshole and Tom Delay who had to open his greasy piehole on Sunday which is supposed to be the day of rest. Some people just don't know when to give it a break.
They tried to Make Me Go to Rehab, I said No, No, No.Can I get anyone anything from the bar?

Cheney on the Lam

Carol Lam that is...Ms. Lam, before she was fired, was looking into Darth Cheney's possible involvement in the Duke Cunningham scandal. Think Progress writes it up.

To recap, the White House awarded a one-month, $140,000 contract to an individual who never held a federal contract. Two weeks after he got paid, that same contractor used a cashier’s check for exactly that amount to buy a boat for a now-imprisoned congressman at a price that the congressman had pre-negotiated.

That should raise questions about the White House’s involvement.

Crooks and Liars gives a bit more on the story.

Crime Blotter:1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Paul Craig Roberts over at Antiwar, has distilled the criminal goings-on of BushCo with frightening clarity in his article Crime Blotter:1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

We are faced with the almost certain fact that the two highest law enforcement officials of the United States are criminals.

What I don't understand is how Faux News reports the opposite sans facts and gets away with it.

The Bush Blunderography

LA Times Editorial "Blunder after Blunder"

Bush and his advisors seem to be in over their heads too often, and that's not good for them or the nation.

ya think?

Pet Food Recall

We have a houseful of pets and for those of you with companion animals, please check the recall list and make sure you don't have any of the products listed. LA Times story here and the complete list of recalled dog and cat food (many different brands) check here.

Women in Uniform

NYT has "The Women's War." More on the vastly under-reported story of the women soldiers that are caught in the crossfire of this occupation in Iraq--not just the gunspray of insurgents but the danger from within the "war on terror." More than 160,000 women have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan over the past four years of war. Find out the real terror of being trapped between Iraq and a hard place.

Protection

Massive Attack

Head Over Heels for St. Paddy's Day

Tears for FearsHall&Oates

Say It Right

Music from Nelly Furtado

It Can Happen Here

The "it" is fascism, and contrary to popular belief, it's been happening. The slow drift. The Ministry of Love brings us an excerpt from Joe Conason's new book It Can Happen Here. It looks to be an engaging read, check it out and show the Ministry a little love.

For the first time since the resignation of Richard M. Nixon more than three decades ago, Americans have had reason to doubt the future of democracy and the rule of law in our own country. Today we live in a state of tension between the enjoyment of traditional freedoms, including the protections afforded to speech and person by the Bill of Rights, and the disturbing realization that those freedoms have been undermined and may be abrogated at any moment.

well said Joe. It's like we are all "serving at the pleasure of the president."

Jon Stewart Explains the "Purge"

Meanwhile, back in the blogosphere, Crooks and Liars continues their stellar reportage of the up-to-the-minute events in the U.S. Attorney purge scandal which seems a non-stop juggernaut. We can only hope it picks up enough momentum for a knockout blow to BushCo. Read/view the whole of today's posts, all good.

Biden Bust Out

Joe Biden raises his voice on the senate floor. I do like hearing the democrats say something of substance, especially about the war. problem is they never follow through.Biden says, "Why are we there?" it's a question no one in power is answering because the answer is OIL. Permanent bases, America troops as a security force for oil companies, a new Iraqi oil privatazation deal, and stilll no one in power will say so. Good rant Joe, self-serving for your presidential run, but you're still posturing Sir. Put up or shut up.

The Ides of March

The Ides of March has a foreboding nature that history still, 2000 years later, cautions us to "beware." This is the advice I would give to Dubya, for it maybe he has a budding Brutus in his midst. There is a commonly known idea about the Bush administration and it demands of 'loyalty'. There are many reports of the "ideological test" Bush appointees has to take in order to move up the food chain. But apparently, the loyalty is one-sided at BushCo. Donald Rumsfeld, Scooter Libby, Harriett Miers, have all been put out to pasture in less-than-ceremonious ways, and it would appear, Alberto Gonzales will be next to be thrown under the bus to save the president's hide.

WaPo's Andrew Cohen writes the third part of his series on the not-so-illustrious career of Abu Gonzalez, and his dubious history as an attorney. Gonzo has shown he can be a heartless scum bucket with the best of them but so far hasn't really shown a willingness to "take one for the team."

Gonzales has the goods on the president and the vice-fucktard as well. With his professional history of addle-brained legal decisions, morally-compromised positions and politicized partisan choices, he has made his loyalty to Junior apparent. But also displayed in this legal complicity are the acts of a self-interested climber that when push comes to shove, I'm laying my money on Gonzo to start singing like a bird about the goings-on in the White House when it's his skin at stake. I think Gonzo is to end up on the Bush scrapheap, but I don't think he's gonna take it laying down. Eu tu Brute, indeed Mr. President.

Paul Kiel at TPM Muckracker goes into "Why We Need A Special Prosecutor for the USA Firings" Love to see how Abu will react to this.

Also worth digging into today, the Glenn Greenwald post on the "Right-wing al-Qaida Plots" bursting out all over the right blogosphere in reaction to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's "confession" to everything but the Kennedy assassination.

Digby extracts all the Rovian pieces of 'Gonzalo-gate', the US Attorney scandal from the Krugman article at Hullabaloo.

News You Can Use

Check in with Juan Cole this morning. He's talking about Cheney and his possibly imminent move to Dubai, to faun over his baby Halliburton...

The IraqSlogger blogs about the surging creep or is the the creeping surge?

Larry Johnson over at No Quarter tells us about the pimple on Andrea Mitchell's ass, oops, make that brain.

Glenn Greenwald writes up how lying to Congress has become a Republican principle.

Bogged Down in Bagdad

Sen. Max Cleland gives it to vice-fucktard Cheney with both barrels. Crooks&Liars.

Funny Thing Happened on My Way to the Gitmo

I was just chastised at another site for "dissing the president." I'm getting pretty tired of this nonsense from the 30% of brain-dead Americans who follow blithely on the chimp's trek to Dante's Inferno. I have a video response for the USAF putz that would prefer I stifle my 1st Amendment right to Free Speech. Madonna speaks for me:

"I'm not sorry, it's human nature, I'm not your bitch, don't hang your shit on me. Handle it. I'm not apologizing. Would it sound better if I were a man? Would you like me better if I was? Well, I feel the same way. You're the one with the problem. Why don't you just deal with it? "

Dubya's Blind Ambition Tour-DoJ Style

Every single day, some new information comes out about just how corrupt, mendacious and bone-chillingly evil this administration has been and continues to be. The Nixon administration--no group of boy scouts mind you--played fast and loose with the truth and perpetrated any number of "dirty tricks" but their behavior pales in comparison with the current bunch. Latest development happen in the Department of Justice, presided over by Alberto Gonzales who, to paraphrase Patrick Leahy (VT-D), doesn't realize he is no longer the president's personal lawyer and is responsible for defending the Constitution and not the money/power based machinations of the Bush administration.

Gonzales latest stomping of the Constitution becomes apparent during his testimony in front of the senate judiciary committee regarding the U.S. attorney firings. And it would seem the White House knew all about it. Big surprise.

I'll play fly on the wall as we listen to commentary on the matter by two readers here at DeepCon, Mary and Anne, a Dynamic Duo of epic proportions. Let's listen shall we?

Mary:I’m not surprised at all - it seemed the USAtty strategy had to come from the WH, with Abu the implementer. W had less than no respect for law and the lawyers he has dealt with have not been tough enough to smack him and make him show a little respect.

Abu knew they didn’t have 93 candidates Bush would back who could make it through advice and consent. They’ve scraped the bottom of the barrel as it is.


Anne:This comes from Dana Perino, deputy press secretary:

“At no time were names added or subtracted by the White House,” Perino said. “We continue to believe that the decision to remove and replace U.S. attorneys who serve at the pleasure of the president was perfectly appropriate and within administration’s discretion. We stand by the Department of Justice’s assertion that they were removed for performance and managerial reasons.”
[snip]
“At no time did any White House officials, including the president, direct the Department of Justice to take specific action against any individual U.S. attorney,” Perino said.

Now, I am confused. Did the president know what was going on? Did he know who he was appointing and who he was firing? I mean, I realize that he’s not going to micromanage the process, but what Perino is suggesting is that he just rubber-stamped whatever was coming out of DOJ. And what was coming out of DOJ looks like a combination of collusion with a political operative and their own successful effort to insert a provision in Patriot II to ensure that there would be no interference from Congress or the state congressional delegations in the process.

How can Gonzales possibly be allowed to continue as AG? Aside from the fact that Bush apparently only fires people if they are wearing orange jumpsuits.

Wonder if Lieberman would be considered for THAT job?

Mary:That’s part of what I have been saying. I do expect micromanaging on the decision to remove a USAtty. It is a big decision and by statute it falls ONLY to the Decider. Not the AG. So I’d like to have them hammer that a bit. A decision as important as removing USAs, where the statutory scheme contemplates that the President would be directly involved in any such decision - what happened? Did the President abdicate that important area of Decidering to someone else? If so, who, how, when and with what parameters? Did the President actually fulfill his statutory duty and make the decision and if so, why is everyone fibbing, ducking and dodging? If not, did the AG’s office run amok and usurp the President’s power under 541 to itself? If so, who made that decision, when, why etc.?

I think they could structure some nicely difficult questions. I also think McNulty and Moschella and Gonzales, all of whom - in light of Sampson’s new revelations appear to have been ‘less than’ forthcoming - need to be grilled about that. Did they know about Sampson’s info or not. If not, why not? Are they too incompetent to gather information for the hearings? Does Gonzales never get briefed by his Chief of Staff? etc.

I’m so glad that Leahy will be involved. He makes AG sweat.

Ahh, very satisfying to be a fly-on-the-wall with those two in the room. Thank you ladies.

My only commentary is at least after Abu G. (his rap name) gets fired, he won’t have to change any of his monograms on his prison costume.
Alberto Gonzales=Attorney General=Asshole Grande
For more up-to-the-minute info on the DoJ excesses check over at Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo.

Kiley Resigns!

Think Progress has the breaking news...Good riddance.

Ordering Injured Troops to Iraq

It is clear, the Bush administration cannot be shamed, cajoled, or discouraged from acting in the most heinous ways possible. They've done it again and Salon serves it up.

Clean-Up Day

Big storm last night--big clean-up today. You'll just have to listen to music. Or you could scroll down and see if there's anything you missed...Keane "Is It Any Wonder"Brian Eno and David Byrne "Mea Culpa" from "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" (how prophetic...)

Sunday Night Double Feature

Musically speaking, that is. First up, Pink with "U and UR Hand"Next, IIO with "Is It Love"Oops, turns out it's a triple play:The Sneaker Pimps with "Six Underground"

Sunday Cross-words

I'm posting the ever-ebullient and lovely Water Tiger's, Sunday Snark. Better than finishing the the Times crossword puzzle and eminently more satisfying. Read all about it, and click her links, so worth it, a funny,informative week-in-the-news.How can you resist someone that posts this?

Halliburton Goes Coastal UPDATED

Interesting new post up at Kos, seems Halliburton is moving--moving it's headquarters to Dubai. I guess the administration needs somewhere to go after they're impeached. And it looks like they'll be comfortable.Halliburton to Move Headquarters To Dubai, Keeping Office in Houston

DUBAI -- U.S. oil services giant Halliburton Co. will shift its corporate headquarters from Houston to Dubai, Chief Executive Dave Lesar said Sunday.

New Update from Kos

The Far Right is So Wrong

Max Blumenthal of The Nation visits CPAC and reports about the 'conservatives in crisis."

Animal, Vegetable, Mineral

Can't See the Forest is blogging about vegetarianism, a lifestyle choice which I proudly count myself part of for 23 years. I'm adding them to my blogroll. The personal is political.

For as long as men slaughter animals, they will kill one another. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.
—Pythagoras, ca. 520 BC

H/T to Naj for the linky.

Military Dishonors

Bush rewards dysfunctional behavior in his administration again. Americablog has it (but got it from the vanguard over at Think Progress).

CNN=Captioned Cable News

Good on CNN and their clever screen captioneers. [Found at Alternate Brain]

Saturday Music

A great remix of Coldplay's "Clocks" featuring the Buena Vista Social Club.
The Decemberists "16 Military Wives"Sixpence None the Richer remakes Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over"

Junior Visits Sud Amerika

'Nuf said.
Everywhere he goes he causes trouble and I get the feeling folks don't like him much.

While Veterans Languish

“More than a quarter of military veterans with disability cases before the Department of Veterans Affairs wait six months or longer for the agency’s decision, creating financial hardships for them and their families. … As of March 3, the VA had almost 401,000 pending cases for disability compensation with almost 115,000 languishing for six months or more.”

VA Watchdog has the goods.

Take These Three--Please

It's about time someone wrote a scathing, taken-to-task, bad job review of Kevin Kiley's performance as surgeon general and commander of medcom. Kiley ceased being a 'real doctor' ages ago and began performing tricks for treats in this administration in order to further his career, forgetting not only common decency but his Hippocratic oath. And lapdog Jim Nicholson,Veterans' Affairs secretary, a veteran who has institutionalized sub-standard care for veterans and then lies about it. Jimmy Boy gets what's coming to him as well. Pat Lang at Sic Semper Tyrannis, gives Kiley and Nicholson the scolding they so richly deserve and recommends a UCMJ cure for Kiley; Nicholson will just have to resign.

What next can we expect from this administration, a Gay porn-star, right-wing Marine? Oh wait, already done.[Caution:link includes pornographic images]These people bring a whole, new level of meaning to the word 'hypocrisy,' and "Dirty Sanchez." Someone may have to invent a new word for this bunch and I need a shower.

The Ministry of Love

I love these guys!. Send 'em some love and a copy of George Orwells's 1984. And TGIF...

The Women Soldiers

I was at the VA here in San Antonio the other day and got into a heated discussion about all things political with several veterans. It made for interesting discourse. One thing that stuck out in the conversation for me was a Vietnam era vet who said the biggest mistake the military has made is to let "women serve in combat." I pointed out to him that women are specifically banned from serving in combat and the women in combat zones are there because they are assigned, just like the men, to do their jobs in this, a war unlike previous wars for America. We are in a war/occupation in an urban area; a city of 13 million people in the midst of a civil war. He nodded and shut up.

Amy Goodman in honor of International Women's Day, has a great piece up about women soldiers in the war zone. Women soldiers are like men soldiers in many ways; they take many of the same risks as their male counterparts but have the added danger of rape and abuse at their duty stations. This is a little discussed casualty of war. Please take special note of the soldier Sgt. Eli Painted Crow, 22 year veteran USA,(ret.) Sgt. Painted Crow is Native American and spoke with Amy in this interview.

Amy Goodman: You said that the military referred to Iraq as "Indian Country".
Sgt. Painted Crow: What they said in the briefing, they called 'enemy territory' Indian Country.

Give Democracy Now! A listen and weigh in about what you think.

Senior Republicans Knew About Conditions at Walter Reed

They knew. This is no surprise. I want every veteran, active duty serviceperson, reservist, and national guardsman, to tell me again how, "the republicans support the troops." The GOP support for the military materializes in large DoD and Pentagon budgets for bullets, bombs and private contractors. The troops and the veterans get the shaft every time. Do your homework. Quit depending on Fox News to tell you what you want to hear in regards to republicans and their alleged support for the troops. Read the CQ story here. And then read the story below this "Beyond the call of Duty" then get back to me about that support from the republicans. [H/T to Lotus for the link}

Beyond the Call of Duty

The Center for American Progress has posted an excellent article on the readiness of our troops and the current crisis in the American military. A Comprehensive Review of the Overuse of the Army in the Administration's War of Choice in Iraq.

Four years ago this month, President Bush led our country into a war of choice against Iraq. Today, there are 135,000 American troops in Iraq and the president is now escalating this war, proposing to send an additional 30,000 combat and support troops. In addition to the costs in American lives and treasure, this war now places an enormous strain on our all-volunteer Army, stretching it to the breaking point.

But how bad is it overall? Although there has been much public debate about the overall readiness of the Army, only anecdotal evidence has been reported in the press. A composite picture is needed to inform that debate, and in fact this information should be readily available from the Department of Defense. But when the Center for American Progress approached the Pentagon our researchers were told this information is “classified” (the quotation marks were added by Defense Department officials)—even though this information is known by the families of individual troops deployed abroad...

In response, the National Security Team at the Center undertook a massive research project to identify, brigade by brigade, the number and duration of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan by the active Army. Our research team compiled the following facts through an extensive review of available information about individual brigade deployments in local news reports and elsewhere. Although we have high confidence that the information presented is accurate, we openly acknowledge that some pieces of information may be inaccurate or incomplete.

Possible errors or discrepancies could not be helped given the nature of the task and the fact that some brigades have changed designations or name since the war began due to the ongoing transformation of the Army. We have no doubt, however, that the overall picture of strain and fatigue that emerges is accurate. We expect to maintain and update this database and welcome corrections and additions from those who have more complete information.

The facts summarized below, and in our underlying data, reflect what we were able to learn. In some cases, the bottom-line totals would be worse if we had complete information (for instance, we could only count the tour extensions that we uncovered; very likely there are more). It is also important

to note that our research focused on the combat brigades of the active Army, not the deployments of other services such as the Marines, the Air Force, the Navy, and the National Guard and Reserves. We have no doubt that many of these services have units that have also been overtaxed by this war.

As our full report describes in great detail, beginning on page 7, the focus of our research revolved around the concept of readiness for combat troops. Readiness requires:

* Personnel: Readiness requires that a given unit has an adequate number of personnel, that the personnel are appropriately trained using the equipment they will use in battle. Moreover, Army policy recommends that after serving 12 months in theater, troops come home to recuperate and retrain for 24 months before being returned to theater.
* Training: Readiness requires that Army troops are adequately trained to perform the duties they will be assigned to perform in theater and will be trained on the equipment they will use in combat.
* Equipment: Readiness requires that troops have a sufficient supply of appropriate equipment for combat and that the equipment be in good working order.

Alas, the active Army today is recklessly stretched far beyond recommended use, ultimately hurting our troops and dangerously depriving our country of the strategic reserves necessary to respond to true crises. The administration has done this for four years now in a war of choice. Here is a snapshot of the current state of our 41 combat brigades and three Cavalry Regiments in the active Army.

* Of the Army’s 44 combat brigades today, all but the First Brigade of the Second Infantry Division, which is permanently based in South Korea, have served at least one tour. Of the remaining 43:

– 12 Brigades have had one tour in Iraq or Afghanistan

– 20 Brigades have had two tours in Iraq or Afghanistan

– 9 Brigades with three tours in Iraq or Afghanistan

– 2 Brigades with four tours in Iraq or Afghanistan

* Army policy recommends that after 12 months of deployment in a war zone, combat troops should come home for 24 months for recuperation and retraining before returning to combat. The Army has been forced to violate this policy many times.

* Army policy recommends that troops return home after 12 months of deployment in a war zone. Due to overextension, the Army has been forced to violate this policy many times.

* Because each brigade has ongoing rotations of individual troops, the fact that a given brigade has deployed three or four times does not necessarily mean that a particular soldier has also deployed that many times. Nonetheless, the number of troops that have served in Iraq—and who have served more than one tour—is staggering:

– 1.4 million military (Army and other service) troops have served in Iraq or Afghanistan; 650,000 Army soldiers have been deployed to these countries

– More than 420,000 troops have deployed more than once; 170,000 Army soldiers have been deployed more than once

– 169,558 Marines have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan more than once

– More than 410,000 National Guard and Reservists have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001, for an average of 18 months per mobilization; of these, more than 84,00 have been deployed more than once

– Stop-loss (a policy that prevents troops whose enlistment end date has arrived from leaving) has been imposed on over 50,000 troops

There is a clear cost on the troops as a result of the multiple deployments:

– An Army survey revealed that soldiers are 50 percent more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder if they serve more than one tour.

– The suicide rate among troops deployed to Iraq hit an all-time high in 2006

In the analysis that follows, the incredible strain of all of these repeat deployments on our men and women in uniform reveals just how misguided the president’s escalation strategy in Iraq truly is for our all-volunteer Army. It is clear, after crunching the numbers, that the president’s strategy is beyond the call of duty.