Prince of Tides

And the tide is turning: Blackwater likely to be out of Iraq

9/11 claims more victims

As a direct result of the lies and negligence of Rudy Ghouliani, BushCo and its cronies, more people are dying every year from various respiratory illnesses related to the Twin Towers demolition on September 11, 2001.

The "Lost" Weapons of Iraq -- Will they be' found' in the hands of insurgents?

WaPo is reporting: Weapons Given by U.S. To Iraq Are Missing

The Pentagon has lost track of about 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005, report shows. The United States has spent $19.2 billion trying to develop Iraqi security forces since 2003, the GAO said, including at least $2.8 billion to buy and deliver equipment. But the GAO said weapons distribution was haphazard and rushed and failed to follow established procedures, particularly from 2004 to 2005, when security training was led by Gen. David H. Petraeus, who now commands all U.S. forces in Iraq.

Of course we know Betray-us is now LEADING the US troops as CenCom commander. Petraeus wrote the book , literally, on how to defend against an insurgency and has thrown out that manual in favor of whatever little Georgie says.

This comes on the heels of the 13 billion dollar Saudi Arabian weapons deal and the folding of the chickenshit congress giving the president broader powers to wiretap the American public without a warrant. Did I mention Gonzo has the last word about whether the tap is legal or not? The hits just keep on coming.

Join Veterans in Writing President to Come Clean on Tillman

Please sign this petition.

For the good of our military, our troops, the Tillmans, and our nation, I respectfully call on you to comply with all past and future requests of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on the matter of the death of Corporal Tillman.

I don't believe the evil bastards in office will care, but to document our dismay at what appears to be not only the assassination of Pat Tillman, but the cover-up and refusal by ANYONE to take ANY responsibility for war crimes. Listening to the hearing conducted by Henry Waxman today, it felt like old footage of Nuremberg. Please sign.

1000 Reasons

How many more do the American people need before they DEMAND from our government the removal of the Bush crime syndicate?

President bush's speech last week arguing that the United States must stay in Iraq to defeat the Al Qaeda leadership reassembling there ranks as one of his most vacuous. It drew on intelligence that was conveniently (and perhaps selectively?) declassified in order to make the dubious case that the Al Qaeda in Iraq today is the same enemy that attacked us on 9/11

. Read a few more here.

Demoted

Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger should start packing his duffel bag.

Army Secretary Peter Geren is expected to recommend that a retired three-star general be demoted for his role in providing misleading information about the death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman, military officials say, in what would be a stinging and rare rebuke.

NSPD-1984

There has been an inordinate amount of talk the last few days of martial law being invoked by the emperor-chimp, and I have to say it is more than a little unsettling. I don' recall any time in my life when the political landscape was this littered with dangerous minds. Looking into the American pathology has become more a thing of shame and disappointment than I care to admit. But what to do?

We have an absolutely criminal administration and an opposition party that looks more and more Chamberlinesque with each passing day. The convenience of politics, i.e, either participating or not, if you feel like it, the laissez faire, take it or leave it, no longer seems possible. To read or listen to conservative Bruce Fein tell it, the founding fathers would take up arms against this lawless BushCo bunch, and all things considered, it would appear we are through the looking glass.

JFK's assassination, the Vietnam war, Watergate, Iran-Contra, they don't even come close to the depth and breadth of of corruption and in-your-face deceit presented with such extraordinary hubris it stuns the senses. And Americans do nothing. The left blogosphere is blowing its top, which has been on-going to the point of fury-fatigue, but to what avail?

The fuckstick(s) in the White House have crafted yet another National Security Presidential Directive. Have a look at the list of NSPD's. Consider that any number of constitutional law scholars have called much of what BushCo has done/continues to do daily, illegal but end commentary with, "...but these issues will not get through the courts until Bush is well out of office." Or maybe until he cancels the election, declares martial law, seizes the assets of dissenters. The entire 1984 scenario is absolutely surreal until you look back carefully sorting through the details of what these criminals have done and then it seems strangely possible.

I have no answers, only prayers. Hopes that the spirit and courage of our ancestors who fought for the independence of this country 231 years ago still survives in the genes of today's Americans. I'm not sure what else to do but hope.

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -Plato

A Case for Impeachment

Bill Moyers hosts Bruce Fein and John Nichols as they parse out the case against BushCo. Worth a listen.

The founding fathers expected an executive who tried to overreach and expected the executive would be hampered and curtailed by the legislative branch... They [Congress] have basically renounced — walked away from their responsibility to oversee and check. — Bruce Fein

On January 20th, 2009, if George Bush and Dick Cheney are not appropriately held to account this Administration will hand off a toolbox with more powers than any President has ever had, more powers than the founders could have imagined. And that box may be handed to Hillary Clinton or it may be handed to Mitt Romney or Barack Obama or someone else. But whoever gets it, one of the things we know about power is that people don't give away the tools. — John Nichols

Grave Dancing

Shoephone over at Evergreen Politics has eulogized Jerry Falwell's passing. Though it is said one should not speak ill of the dead, I cannot help but feel relief at the passing of one of the most virulent racist, anti-Christians to have walked the earth.

Jerry Falwell was a racist; a bigot extraordinaire. He called the civil rights movement, “the civil wrongs movement.” Said of Desmond Tutu he was "a fake" after he won the Nobel peace prize. Supported Apartheid. Told his supporters to buy Krugerrands in order to support the horror that was Apartheid. Berated his ‘flock’ to give until it hurt, regardless of how poor. Said MLK Jr. was not a real Christian. Covered-up Jim Bakker’s affair, in order to steal the PTL Club.He was the original 'Gay-hater.' He is a piece of human garbage and should be eulogized as such. He was pure evil. Who could hate MLK Jr. but an absolute fuckstick?? Jimmy Carter, the consummate gentleman, said of Falwell, "He can go to hell." That says it all.

From Shoephone's post:

Jerry Falwell's dead. Or "Jimmy Cracked Corn and I Don't Care."

No reports yet on what killed him. Maybe he was struck down by the Lawd for saying all those hideous things about anyone and everyone who didn't follow his strict religious doctrines? Nah, it was probably just your basic heart attack. If only he had used his powers for good, instead of evil...

read the rest...

Thanks to reader Op99, I'm linking the Carpetbagger Report of Jerry Falwells' record of injustice.

Teh Truth

And the hits just keep on comin' "Presidential Truth"

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.