A blog for the politically curious, angry American.
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can,
begin it. Boldness has genius,
power and magic in it."
- Goethe
"It's never too late to become the
person you might have been."
- George Elliot
I posted on resignation day when the story broke and Air Force Times did an interview with former Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne. Wynne, along with Chief of Staff Gen. Michael T. Moseley who were both forced to resign June 5, 2008 under the cloud of the "accidentally" loaded, armed nukes, flown to Barksdale AFB where one bomb subsequently went "missing," and of course the nuclear warhead fuses mistakenly shipped to Taiwan.
When asked by AFT why he was fired, Wynne responded, "...long-standing disputes about the funding for F-22...a dispute as to whether or not you should spend your time worrying about the strategic effects of the future, or you should spend your time on the war as it sits." He goes on to address the airborne nukes and oops, mistaken missile parts, "We moved missiles between Minot and Barksdale. We did. In 2004 began the odyssey of the missile parts to Taiwan, which was not in the watch I was on, but nevertheless the results occurred during the time I was [secretary]. And so ascribing it to my tenure is interesting. ..."
So, to sum up, as with all things Bush, Mr. Nobody did it. Whatever it was, whenever it happened, no one is really responsible except possibly, the democrats.
Jane Mayer (author of The Dark Side) did an interview with Harper's Magazine, published today. Scott Horton Asks Jane six pointed questions further exploring points made in her explosive book exposing the torture of whomever BushCo thinks fit to torment. This information comes on the heels of the payload discoveries in the recent ICRC report, and lends a deeper examination of the apathy and tacit approval given by the American public for the '24' style of "enhanced interrogation" in real-life situations which consistently lowers the very ethical foundation of our Republic, at home and abroad.
Photo courtesy of Clinton Fein from his art exhibit "Torture"
Eyewitnesses describe Mitchell as quoting Seligman’s theories of “Learned Helplessness” as useful in showing how to break the resistance of detainees’ to interrogation. One source recounts Mitchell specifically touting the experiments done on dogs in the context of how to treat detainees.
Good posting in a diary at DKOS and H/T to reader Mary for the heads-up.
The 60 Minutes episode entitled, "Military Soft On Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Is Military More Tolerant Of Gay Members In Wartime?" was a real disappointment. First, in the inimitable words of Stephen Sondheim, "It's intolerable, being tolerated." The U.S.military has become "more tolerant...and...soft," by allowing convicted felons, lowering intelligence standards, increasing age limits (42) and literally paying people to join and stay.
Why? Because George W. Bush and his legions of cronies have broken the military -- not to mention the country as a whole. The military have "relaxed" the witch hunts of previous years precisely because the current servicemembers are overworked with war on two fronts and another one looming.
The 60 Minutes piece was a joke. Representing the government was the infamous tool Duncan Hunter (R-CA). Leslie Stahl doesn't bother to call him on much, most particularly when asked about why Gay persons can't serve and he responds, "It's wartime..."and he goes on to intimate that Gays won't or can't fight. "We need hardened warriors, " says Hunter. Leslie Stahl just lets it go as if it's a given that Gays can't or won't fight.
I am sick to death of listening to Gay-bashers in and out of the service. Others agree. JOHN M. SHALIKASHVILI, former Joint-Chiefs-of-Staff says in a NYT article, "I now believe that if gay men and lesbians served openly in the United States military, they would not undermine the efficacy of the armed forces." Watch the segment and then let CBS know that 75% of the public do not agree with DADT or the "60 Minute" treatment of such an important topic.
I saw an old friend yesterday and we spent the day together catching up. We went into the USAF on the very same day (900 years ago) and were in BMTS squadrons right next to one another. He turned out to be my Air Force hero in so many ways. He retired 4 years ago and moved with his partner to Lackland AFB with me and my partner. We are now both single.
We had many parallels in life and now we are both back in California. It was great to see him and see him doing so well. I've missed you so much John, I'm glad we got to see each other again. In honor of old friendships and the hope that we can make sense out of the brave new world we seem to be entering, the full story of Christian the Lion (get a tissue).
So much of what's going on in politics right now strikes me as just 'going through the motions.' I have this terrible feeling of impending doom. So much so, that I haven't been blogging. Still reading and listening but not sharing my thoughts until now. I can't imagine that BushCo would go to all this trouble to change the entire government, amass all the "unitary executive" power, subjugate the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights and then just walk away.
I don't understand how McCain, being the complete liar-dud-loser he is, can still be be competitive in the fall, in spite of all the help from the MSM. We already know the depth and breadth of the horrific changes this criminal administration has made: NSPD-51, the "detainmentcamps," the nearly completely corrupt DOJ, the illegal wiretapping; you know the list goes on and on. I repeat: Why go to all that trouble and then just walk away?
Karl Rove is a top level advisor to McCain. Is it a coincidence the "architect" of the GOP election theft is now on the team? How about the complicit congress? Not to mention the hackable voting machines still in use in most of the 50 states. C'mon people this is a big set-up. And I have no idea what to do about it. How about you?
Welcome to the San Francisco GLBT Parade! Well the music anyway. SF celebrates one of the largest Gay events in the world. Say hello to diversity today and kiss a Gay.
Saturday Night Music..Cute, little, unsigned band from 3 different continents. They've never met in person. They recorded this on a Mac, each separately in England, Australia, and the US, mixed it down and poof! YouTube. Here are The Shures Give 'em a listen.
And just for a laugh, local Comic Tim Lee, "Best Dating Secret Ever!"
File under AYFKM: Prostitute-patron David Vitter (R-LA), and Gay-Bathroom-Sex-Perp Larry Craig (R-ID) have authored a new and improved Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution. The `Marriage Protection Amendment’ is such an absurd waste of time and resources only to be topped by the ludicrous couple introducing it. A perfect item for Dan Abrams segement "Why America Hates Washington." From the Carpetbagger Report:
Yes, two of the principal sponsors of a constitutional amendment to “protect” marriage include one far-right Republican who hired prostitutes and another far-right Republican who was arrested for soliciting gay sex an airport men’s room.
As my friend Kyle put it, these two are “not exactly the poster boys of the family values crowd or particularly upstanding examples of the supposed sanctity of the ‘union of a man and a woman.”
Good luck with that one boys, I'd get Glinda the Good Witch to sign on as a co-sponsor. If she's not available, try The Tooth Fairy.
Filmmaker Robert Greenwald (Outfoxed,Iraq for Sale) has produced another winner with the documentary This Brave Nation. This episodic series marries activism with hope and encouragement for those of us who have fallen into the abyss of powerlessness living through what this dangerous time engenders. Give the trailer a look-see and then go to This Brave Nation and watch episodes of this auspicious footage. Make no mistake about it; this nation will become completely fascist if we don't put our collective voices together and say, "No!" Peace takes Courage. I highly recommend Episode 3 Anthony Romero and Ava Lowery in conversation as a starting point.
For the first time in history, a sizable and growing number of U.S. combat troops are taking daily doses of antidepressants to calm nerves strained by repeated and lengthy tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a report in Time Magazine.
In its June 16 cover story, the magazine reports that the medicines are intended not only to help troops keep their cool but also to enable the already strapped Army to preserve its most precious resource: soldiers on the front lines.
Citing the Army's fifth Mental Health Advisory Team report, using an anonymous survey of U.S. troops taken last fall, Time wrote that about 12 percent of combat troops in Iraq and 17 percent of those in Afghanistan are taking prescription antidepressants or sleeping pills to help them cope.
Escalating violence in Afghanistan and the more isolated mission have driven troops to rely more on medication there than in Iraq, military officials told Time.
The Army estimates that authorized drug use splits roughly fifty-fifty between troops taking antidepressants -- largely the class of drugs that includes Prozac and Zoloft -- and those taking prescription sleeping pills such as Ambien, Time wrote.
The magazine noted that the high number of soldiers on antidepressants is mirrored by that of the general population.
Time also reported that there are sharp divisions among military physicians: Some have said that the effects of using such prescriptions on soldiers in war zones are not adequately understood, while others contend that using prescriptions for mild depression symptoms avoids costly removals of soldiers from the fight.
When you call your congresscritter to complain aboout torture, tell them no immunity for the colluders of BushCo policy. Cujo over at Slobber and Spittle has reminded me that the pesky telecom's immunity bill has reared it's ugly head yet again. He has a great piece on it and is recommended reading.
It would appear that the "American Exceptionalism" image we have held of ourselves as a nation, will finally be put down as the dysfunctional, deceptive, delusional construct that it probably always has been.
Released at midnight last night, the report from Physicians for Human Rights states unequivocally the the U.S. has, and continues to, torture. We torture and render to faraway lands, run by dictators, that bow to our will, people scooped up off the streets, held with out charges for years, unable to have attorneys or access to Red Cross officials, and then torture them--sometimes to death. Not one of these "enemy combatants" in the nearly eight years of war, have been charged with a crime. NOT ONE.
The Physicians for Human Rights report is entitled, "Broken Laws, Broken Lives," and is a telling chronicle of the unspeakable horrors inflicted on people held without charges or proof they have done anything. Nova M Commentator Jeff Farias did today's radio show and blogged on this report. From Jeff's blog:
WAR CRIMES !!!!
That's what Major General Anthony Taguba called it in the just released Physicians for Human Rights report. The report is based on medical examinations of former detainees. Dr Allen Keeler with more than 15 years in treating torture victims around the world says that the torture and abuse inflicted by the US were "second to none". Who is responsible ? Some investigations point to a team of 5 lawyers known as the War Council which acted on direct orders from bush and cheney to re-write our laws on torture. Thus far the only ones charged have been the low level operatives caught on film. I submit that in a country founded by 'We the People', a country that prides itself as a beacon for freedom and liberty and an example of the highest form of representative government, that we all bear responsiblity for the war crimes of our leadership. If we are not actively fighting to stop the abuse we are complicit. We all share the blame.
Finally, there is a compelling compilation video by Billy Vega using the summation speech of the Alan Shore character, from the show Boston Law, that sums up the American nonchalance about the myriad of crimes committed by the most heinous, criminal administration in our country's history. I reprise it for it's content in this dark time of indifference by the American people in regards to our most shameless disregard of the U.S. Constitution at any time in history.
There is apparently nothing this administration, it's minions and collaborators, can do that will spur the American people, much less it's congressional leaders, into action. BUt with enough outcry, someone will listen. And if nothing else, document this shameful period , perhaps our last, in the failed American Experiment, and say, "At least there were some that stood up and said ,'Stop!' ."
Call your people, any people, your senators and congressperson. Tell them you have had enough done in your name.
800 Numbers for Capitol Hill (800)828-0498 (800)459-1887 (800)614-2803 (866)340-9281 (866)338-1015 (877)851-6437
While Barack Obama fills sandbags to help shore up the flooding areas in the Midwest, McLame attempts to fill moneybags in Texas. What a stark contrast between candidates. How the election should turn out seems to be Black and White.
Yet another reason on the long list of why I hate John McCain. In a story from the UK paper The Daily Mail, the truth of McCain's shabby treatment of his first wife Carol, who was seriously injured in an automobile accident while McCain was in Vietnam. The story details his philandering while his wife fought for her life. Also in the article are reports from people he knew 20 years ago, and commentary from Ross Perot (who paid Carol's medical bills after her accident)about McCain's "character."
Photo: McCain in his natural habitat
But Ross Perot, who paid her medical bills all those years ago, now believes that both Carol McCain and the American people have been taken in by a man who is unusually slick and cruel – even by the standards of modern politics.
‘McCain is the classic opportunist. He’s always reaching for attention and glory,’ he said.
‘After he came home, Carol walked with a limp. So he threw her over for a poster girl with big money from Arizona. And the rest is history.’
"No, but that's not too important..." Keith hammers McCain on his comment regarding the troops leaving Iraq. Read full transcript here.
The context of the kaleidoscope of confused rhetoric, and endless non sequitur, and mutually exclusive conclusions—and what they add up to: a veritable tragedy, a microcosm of the American tragedy that is Iraq, a tragedy of a man who himself will never understand… "the context."
They are ten Americans, who have died in Iraq since the first of this month. There are four more. The Defense Department has not yet identified the others.
Full Text of The 35 Articles of Impeachment of George W. Bush
This is an extraordinary document in it's accuracy, acumen, breadth, scope and the time in which it took to compile, so undeserved by the criminal Bush. We can only hope with our emails and calls, we create enough pressure on congress to take action. It would be insult on misery to let the criminal BushCo off the hook for the sake of political expediency and a Democratic 'sweep' in the fall election. That kind of cowardice cannot go unpunished as it is all politics and no principles. If Kucinich's historic documenting of blatant crimes backed up by large volumes of evidence serves only as a congressional 'catch and release' program, let there be a new revolution in America. Bring on the pitchforks. It's encouraging to know someone in power has been watching and keeping score.
Let it be known The Honorable Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), has thrown down the gauntlet. Tonight, (Tuesday) the Clerk of the House is expected to read the 35 articles of impeachment against the president into the record,(I watched most of it last night, but it's worth tuning into again...) at the conclusion of which, Rep. Kucinich will make a motion. Watch C-Span! Below find the list of charges which will be detailed in full at tonight's reading by the clerk.
Also, Rep. Robert Wexler is the first to cosponsor and will be on Keith Olbermann tonight.
CALL THE MEDIA! And call or email Kucinich and Wexler and give 'em a high five. Then, email Your Congress Member - Congress has 72 hours to table it, send it to committee, pass it, or reject it.
800 Numbers for Capitol Hill (800)828-0498 (800)459-1887 (800)614-2803 (866)340-9281 (866)338-1015 (877)851-6437
Congressman Kucinich has laid out an extensive indictment of the president. Here is the index of article titles, read 'em and weep:
Article I Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign to Manufacture a False Case for War Against Iraq
Article II Falsely, Systematically, and with Criminal Intent Conflating the Attacks of September 11, 2001, With Misrepresentation of Iraq as a Security Threat as Part of Fraudulent Justification for a War of Aggression
Article III Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Manufacture a False Case for War
Article IV Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States
Article V Illegally Misspending Funds to Secretly Begin a War of Aggression
Article VI Invading Iraq in Violation of the Requirements of HJRes114
Article VII Invading Iraq Absent a Declaration of War.
Article VIII Invading Iraq, A Sovereign Nation, in Violation of the UN Charter
Article IX Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor
Article X Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes
Article XI Establishment of Permanent U.S. Military Bases in Iraq
Article XII Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation's Natural Resources
Article XIIII Creating a Secret Task Force to Develop Energy and Military Policies With Respect to Iraq and Other Countries
Article XIV Misprision of a Felony, Misuse and Exposure of Classified Information And Obstruction of Justice in the Matter of Valerie Plame Wilson, Clandestine Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency
Article XV Providing Immunity from Prosecution for Criminal Contractors in Iraq
Article XVI Reckless Misspending and Waste of U.S. Tax Dollars in Connection With Iraq and US Contractors
Article XVII Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinitely And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives
Article XVIII Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy
Article XIX Rendition: Kidnapping People and Taking Them Against Their Will to "Black Sites" Located in Other Nations, Including Nations Known to Practice Torture
Article XX Imprisoning Children
Article XXI Misleading Congress and the American People About Threats from Iran, and Supporting Terrorist Organizations Within Iran, With the Goal of Overthrowing the Iranian Government
Article XXII Creating Secret Laws
Article XXIII Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act
Article XXIV Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment
Article XXV Directing Telecommunications Companies to Create an Illegal and Unconstitutional Database of the Private Telephone Numbers and Emails of American Citizens
Article XXVI Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements
Article XXVII Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply
Article XXVIII Tampering with Free and Fair Elections, Corruption of the Administration of Justice
Article XXIX Conspiracy to Violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Article XXX Misleading Congress and the American People in an Attempt to Destroy Medicare
Article XXXI Katrina: Failure to Plan for the Predicted Disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Failure to Respond to a Civil Emergency
Article XXXII Misleading Congress and the American People, Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change
Article XXXIII Repeatedly Ignored and Failed to Respond to High Level Intelligence Warnings of Planned Terrorist Attacks in the US, Prior to 911.
Article XXXIV Obstruction of the Investigation into the Attacks of September 11, 2001
Article XXXV Endangering the Health of 911 First Responders
On C-SPAN now...Dennis Kucinich (yea!) is currently reading his 35 articles of impeachment against George W. Bush. Dennis has put together ALL of monkeyboy's known crimes, including the "secret laws" section which is a tell-all regarding NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51. I will link the transcript as soon as it is available. And of course, the MSM is missing in action.
I love Dennis Kucinich.
UPDATE: Still very little word from the MSM. One would think Articles of Impeachment against the President might make the news, but sadly, no. I did find some good info on KOS, with mention of Misprison of Felony which makes me giddy as a schoolgirl. The most significant thing about Dennis' 4 hour reading is how he has detailed and fact-checked all of his charges. He gives example after example detailing what Bush did and when he did it. Give the KOS post a look and I will post transcript when available.
1) - If you're 'with us', you can get away with whatever the hell you like, including murder. Think of the KBR/Halliburton thugs that gang-raped Jamie Leigh Jones. Or the contractors involved in the black-site interrogation TO DEATH of dozens of alleged terrorists. Or the $10 BILLION in cash that went missing in Iraq under Paul Bremer's watch - and nobody even bothered to look for it. Etc, etc, etc...
2) If you're not 'with us', you are by explicit definition 'with the terrorists', so you are guilty regardless of any evidence that a crime being committed. Think of Don Siegelman, or once again of those dozens of alleged terrorists who've been tortured to death.
Above all think of the appointment of the most partisan group of hacks to ever inhabit the Supreme Court, and the Prosecutors' Purge that has created what amounts to a Department of Injustice in America. The march toward a full-blown fascist state continues unimpeded.
I would add to SBT's #2 that under The Patriot Act, Habeus Corpus has been suspended, so good luck with getting a lawyer and a court appearance or having anyone know where you are. Don Seigelman is a perfect example; he was unable to talk to the public for over a year as he rotted away in jail.
I hate these fucking people. I'm left with the fear that the election won't happen or will be flipped. After all BushCo has accomplished in so far as their power-grab, will these people really turn all that power over to Democrats?
The Secretary of the Air Force, Michael Wynne resigned today. Also asked to resign was Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley, after disagreements erupted over the handling of nuclear weapons. The resignations were called for as a result of policy decisions made during the 'mistakenly' loaded and 'lost,' missiles aboard a B-52 flight from Minot AFB N. Dakota to Barksdale AFB Louisiana last August.
The stunning development follows a series of high-profile scandals and disagreements between Air Force leadership and Defense Secretary Robert Gates in the past year, during which both the Pentagon and congressional leadership have increasingly expressed frustration about the Air Force’s top bosses.
The last straw appears to be a report on nuclear weapons handling by Navy Adm. Kirkland Donald, director of naval nuclear propulsion. The critical report convinced Gates that changes must be made.
The disagreements between Moseley and Wynne with the Pentagon and Sec. of Defense Gates, bring into question if the resignees will become whistle blowers. What I glean from several reports, it's hard to tell whether the firings are over incompetence by Moseley and Wynne, or their dissension from Pentagon plans. Former Secretary James Roche also resigned under a cloud of controversy over leasing contracts 3 years ago. Good to know the boys with their toys have things so well in hand.
The Fall of the Evangelical Nation is a new book by former Dallas Morning News reporter Christine Wicker. From her site and in her new book, she rips the religious right a new asshole. I listened to an interview with her on Sam Seder's show (which is on it's way out...). Ms. Wicker posts this tidbit from The Tennessean:
“When Christian beliefs become political weapons, the manifesto says, “faith loses its independence, Christians become the ‘useful idiots’ for one political party or another, and the Christian faith becomes an ideology.”
The manifesto seeks to redefine evangelical as a religious term, rather than as shorthand for social or political conservatives.
But Robert Parham, director of the Nashville Baptist Center for Ethics, said the manifesto was too little, too late. Many of the signers were supporters of the Religious Right, he said, and have now changed their tune as conservative Republican political power has waned.
“It’s kind of hard to see how they are now going to advance a kindler, gentler evangelicalism based on their past behavior,” he said. “Had they begun by saying that they were wrong on the war in Iraq, wrong on global warming, wrong on torture, then they might have a little more credibility.”
It would appear from what Wicker says, the the mega-church-going, rabid haters the conservative right touts, are mostly fictitious. The right is smaller than it appears.
Finally, a little good news. I'll post a link to the audio as soon as its up.Audio is up.
For years, the mainstream news media has refused to stop idolizing the so-called straight talking maverick John McCain long enough to question the mental health consequences of the years he spent as a "special" prisoner of the communists in North Vietnam.
McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate for President, who could one day have his finger on the "red button," claims the communists subjected him to 5 ½ years of nonstop indoctrination sessions so intense that he attempted suicide.
Unfortunately for McCain, after his bomber was hit by anti-aircraft fire near Hanoi on October 26, 1967, he parachuted into the hands of an evil communist enemy who 7 years earlier had adopted Soviet methods of prisoner interrogation.
At that time, the Soviets were perfecting techniques designed "to put a man's mind into a fog so that he will mistake what is true for what is untrue, what is right for what is wrong, and come to believe what did not happen actually had happened."
Psychiatric Journals are flush with reports concluding that former POWs may remain entangled in "harsh psychological battles" with themselves for decades after returning home including difficulty in controlling intense emotions such as anger and stress.
In political circles, McCain, sometimes referred to as "insane McCain," is well known for having a "volcanic" temper which his colleagues say often erupts into vulgar language and personal insults.
With the economy being the number one priority on the mind of most Americans, I don't expect that this item that flew through the MSM will get much attention, but I post it nonetheless. This copy comes via The Stars and Stripes:
Thousands of 'Unfit' Troops Have Deployed
WASHINGTON -- More than 43,000 U.S. troops listed as medically unfit for combat in the weeks before their scheduled deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2003 were sent anyway, USA Today reported Thursday, citing Pentagon records.
The numbers of nondeployable soldiers are based on health assessment forms filled out by medical personnel at each military installation before a servicemember's deployment, the paper noted.
According to the statistics, the number of troops that doctors found nondeployable, but were still sent to Iraq or Afghanistan fluctuated from 10,854 in 2003, down to 5,397 in 2005, and back up to 9,140 in 2007, USA Today wrote.
The Pentagon records do not list what -- or how serious -- the health issues are, nor whether they were corrected before deployment, Michael Kilpatrick, a deputy director for the Pentagon's Force Health Protection and Readiness Programs, told the paper.
Travis Childers has won in Mississippi's 1st district, a solid GOP stronghold. It don't git no redder than this folks, yet democrat Travis Childers has wrenched the seat away from the appointed Trent Lott-fill-in, Roger Wicker, who appointed a good ole boy, Greg Davis to fill his seat as he took over Lott's.
Lott as you may remember, quit his senate seat soon after re-election to become a lobbyist before the new law which disallows sentators-cum-lobbyists which took effect this past January. Travis beat the tar out of Davis in tonight's special election. As an extra delicious cherry-on-top, darth Cheney campain-gned all day for the rejected republican Davis. Crooks and Liars has the breaking news from Countdown's WV election coverage tonight.
"Friendly Fire" is definitely not the term to be used in relation to Pat Tillman's death, and his mother, Mary Tillman now has a book out that addresses the facts as we know them.
Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman is the chronicle of truth-seeking by a mother who's son was most likely fragged. It appears to be a must-read for those opposed to the war/occupation, and those who believe the rosy picture painted by the Bushies.
The Arizona Republic, a decidedly right-leaning newspaper, has a good read on Mary Tillman's crusade for the facts leading to her son's death, and an attempt to breach the truth/information divide engineered by BushCo. Mary Tillman will appear tonight on 60 Minutes and hopefully the light bulb of knowledge and the rage that follows such enlightenment, will rouse the American ire to at the very least, a dull roar.
UPDATE: Just watched the Mary Tillman segment on 60 Minutes. I sure do dislike Katie Couric, the MSM has it nose so far up the corporate ass they cannot conduct an interview or make an inquiry that questions the BushCo/Pentagon line. The questions were weak with no follow-up and the biggest question wasn't asked, "Who killed Pat Tillman?" Nor was the the fact revealed that Pat Tillman's autopsy showed he had been shot in the head three times at a range determined to be 10-15 yards. Hardly a distance a fellow unit member would be unable to identify Pat or not see the 'cease fire' signal he and other unit members consistently flashed during the "friendly fire" incident. While Couric questioned the newest ass-kisser in the cabinet, Sec. of the Army Pete Gehren, she barely questioned him past his response that, "there was no purposeful deceit or cover-up." Whatever Katie and 60 Minutes, whatever.
So sorry to have been away, I've been super-busy with 'life' as I've come to know it. Not to mention all the nonsense around Rev. Wright v. Obama, etc. I will post later today ands expect to be back in the saddle by Monday.
One for the AYFKM files: Church Sign Causes Controversy While even bothering to correct Pastor Roger Byrd's punctuation, WSPA in South Carolina, reports Pastor Byrd-brain has put up this offensive message on his church's sign:
"Obama Osama humm are they brothers?"
Just wondering (humm) if the righteous wrong-reverend and cracker-boy here are related:
What a great way to start the week. My blogger-buddy Jolly Roger over at Reconstitution was awarded an "Excellence in Blogging Award." One of the requirements for accepting this award is that you pass it forward, and JR has deemed my rambling missives here for that same honor. Thank you Jolly, and the feeling is mutual. I am pleased to humbly accept this award.
While looking over his post on this merited acknowledgement of excellence, I read at the other blogs he nominated. I recommend a read at them all. The blogosphere is an amazing new frontier in which I am happily engaged.
In accordance with the "rules," my own recommends for "Excellence in Blogging" or my own The Dirty Dozen are as follows:
folo An intelligent, biting, informative look at politics from the point of view of a "flowah on a Florida pond." A concentration, but not exclusively, on the politics of the South.
Adored by HordesMarc Lord's brilliantly written, deconstruction and bold reiteration, of all things political. I♥ABH. Slobber and SpittleCujo's always beefy commentary on the misdeeds and injustices we find ourselves embroiled in on a daily basis.
Dependable RenegadeWatertiger's sparkling wit dazzles the newsworthy photos of the day with captions that captivate while holding your sides from laughter.
Jon Swift Another Reconstitution entry and I cannot improve on JR's description:"The blogosphere’s Stephen Colbert. 'Conservative' politics that hit the spot."
Alternate Brain The American Patriot Institute blog-team committed to the very essence of patriotism--dissent and the questioning of authority.
All Hat No Cattle Author Lisa Casey's no-nonsense round-up of the news from the personality-descriptive moniker for the chimp-in-charge's perspective.
SideshowAvedon Carol, an American in London's sharp round-up of the best of the left. Always relevant, sometime irreverent.
Freeway Blogger The infamous, or is it notorious message blogger that reaches millions with his messages that inspired a movement.
BroadcatchingTully's best-of video site, culls the funnies and the frowners with important links and the "Tullycast."
As to this award, take yours and pass the rest, the only rule for awarding this distinction to deserving blogs, is as follows:By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you have to award it to 10 more people who’s blog’s you find Excellent Award worthy. You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. Thank you to all the above people who take the time, energy and passion it takes to 'do' a blog with the unselfish motive of informing the people (torches and pitchforks optional).
A new plan from US President George Bush which aims to cap greenhouse gases by 2025 has been dismissed as "disastrous" and "Neanderthal" by a group of ministers at a climate change meeting in Paris. [ ] In a statement called "Bush's Neanderthal speech," German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said: "His speech showed not leadership but losership. We are glad that there are also other voices in the United States."
Excellent example of that clever German engineering.
What are the I.Q. test results of modern day American Presidents you ask? Just so happens I have that information here, via the Lovenstein Institute:
The Presidential IQ Report
WASHINGTON --In a published report, the Lovenstein Institute of Scranton, Pennsylvania has detailed findings of a four month study of the intelligence quotient of President George W. Bush. Since 1973, the Lovenstein Institute has published its research to the education community on each new president, which includes the famous "IQ" report among others.
According to statements in the report, there have been twelve presidents over the past 60 years, from F. D. Roosevelt to G. W. Bush who were all rated based on scholarly achievements, writings that they alone produced without aid of staff, their ability to speak with clarity, and several other psychological factors which were then scored in the Swanson/Crain system of intelligence ranking. The study determined the following IQs of each president as accurate to within five percentage points:
147 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) 132 Harry Truman (D) 122 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) 174 John F. Kennedy (D) 126 Lyndon B. Johnson (D) 155 Richard M. Nixon (R) 121 Gerald R. Ford (R) 176 James E. Carter (D) 105 Ronald W. Reagan (R) 98 George H. W. Bush (R) 182 William J. Clinton (D) 91 George W. Bush (R)
The six Republican presidents of the past 60 years had an average IQ of 115.5, with President Nixon having the highest IQ, at 155. President G. W. Bush was rated the lowest of all the Republicans with an IQ of 91.
The six Democrat presidents had IQs with an average of 156, with President Clinton having the highest IQ, at 182. President Lyndon B. Johnson was rated the lowest of all the Democrats with an IQ of 126.
No president other than Carter (D) has released his actual IQ, 176. Among comments made concerning the specific testing of President GW Bush, his low ratings were due to his apparent difficulty to command the English language in public statements, his limited use of vocabulary (6,500 words for Bush versus an average of 11,000 words for other presidents), his lack of scholarly achievements other than a basic MBA, and an absence of any body of work which could be studied on an intellectual basis.
The complete report documents the methods and procedures used to arrive at these ratings, including depth of sentence structure and voice stress confidence analysis. "All the Presidents prior to George W. Bush had a least one book under their belt, and most had written several white papers during their education or early careers.
Not so with President Bush," Dr. Lovenstein said. "He has no published works or writings, so in many ways that made it more difficult to arrive at an assessment. We had to rely more heavily on transcripts of his unscripted public speaking."
The Lovenstein Institute of Scranton Pennsylvania think tank includes high caliber historians, psychiatrists, sociologists, scientists in human behavior, and psychologists. Among their ranks are Dr. Werner R. Lovenstein, world-renowned sociologist, and Professor Patricia F. Dilliams, a world-respected psychiatrist. This study was commissioned on February 13, 2001, and released on July 9, 2001, to subscribing member universities and organizations within the education community.
Not sure the above numbers are right, 'cause I think Jr. is actually retarded.
Intelligence Quotient Test Ratings Source: The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Score Classification 132 and above Very superior 121-131 Superior 111-120 High average 89-110 Average 79-88 Low average 68-78 Slow learner 67 or below Mentally retarded
It seems as if yet another neocon-bush-flunky has had a visit from his conscience or at least a lawyer. In an effort to either extricate himself from the bush-designed web of deception that leads to a war crimes tribunal, or at least repentant enough in an effort to attain his golden ticket to heaven, Joseph Collins, former Rummy aide, Pentagon official and DoD kiss-ass, decries the "we are winning" strat-er-gee in Iraq.
McClatchy News reports:
The war in Iraq has become "a major debacle" and the outcome "is in doubt" despite improvements in security from the buildup in U.S. forces, according to a highly critical study published Thursday by the Pentagon's premier military educational institute.
Today (Sunday April 13) is the day for all registered California Democrats to caucus for Clinton/Obama congressional-level delegates election. Show up at yur local caucus today at 2 PM (must be there before 3 PM) and pledge your presidential delegate. Locations are listed by district and candidate at The California Democratic Party website. You must be registered to vote in California--if not registered, show up, get registered and get active! I'll be there, will you?
"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back again into bondage." -Sir Alex Fraser Tyler, 1742-1813, Scottish jurist and historian
[h/t to Sarah fer digging this one up]
Wednesday Open Thread: Tell me about your day. Mine was long. And yours?
Despite His Votes To Cut Veterans Funding, McCain Says We Owe Vets ‘A Debt We Can Never Repay’
Think Progress has the dirt on the back-stabbing, pandering, flip-flopping, hypocritical, senile old bastard McCain. Definitely watch the video, and then remember why we need a Dem in the WH. On the intemperance of McLame, Watertiger posts, "Campaigns for the McAncient," and more on the "Real McCain"
This American Life, Ira Glass' always touching National Public Radio show, last week tackled stories of the blatant tyranny exhibited by BushCo. So very worth a listen.
Stories of the Bush Administration, its unique style of asserting presidential authority, and its quest to redefine the limits of presidential power.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was brutally taken from us forty years ago today. There are a number of tributes around the blogosphere but I'll give a bit of KOS Diarist, Audio Guy:
I remember the hope, and I remember the loss. I remember the way dreams died at Kent State. And my heart has been broken for forty years, mourning for the country that I love, and the dreams that I grew up with.
NYT reports the findings of the latest poll--81% think the country is going in the wrong direction. Way to go Dubya.
Although the public mood has been darkening since the early days of the war in Iraq, it has taken a new turn for the worse in the last few months, as the economy has seemed to slip into recession. There is now nearly a national consensus that the country faces significant problems.
What clued you in America? The wasteful, horrific war? The loss of our civil rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution? Oh, it took getting hit in the pocketbook, of course. I notice BushCo seems to be doing jus'fine.
A local commission has been formed to rename a San Francisco wastewater treatment facility the "George W. Bush Sewage Treatment Plant." Sfist has it.
The local grassroots movement, helmed by "Wayne Pickering," is proposing an ordinance initiative for the November 2008 San Francisco ballot in order to get the poop/pee/vomit plant's title changed. Why? To honor our current leader of the free world with an "appropriate and enduring legacy, for no other president in modern American history has accomplished so much in such a short time.
And the hits just keep on coming. Newly released memos by John Yu, Torture-boy Gonzo's reason-for-living, specifically green-light torture while telling the president that his is above the law. This stuff is so off-the-chart wicked, it sounds like fiction but unfortunately is the truth of our current policy. Read Phillipe Sand's Vanity Fair report.
As the first anniversary of 9/11 approached, and a prized Guantánamo detainee wouldn’t talk, the Bush administration’s highest-ranking lawyers argued for extreme interrogation techniques, circumventing international law, the Geneva Conventions, and the army’s own Field Manual. The attorneys would even fly to Guantánamo to ratchet up the pressure—then blame abuses on the military. Philippe Sands follows the torture trail, and holds out the possibility of war crimes charges.
Can your elephant paint? Watch this elephant, rescued from abusive treatment in Burma, now paint an amazing self portrait. You'll be amazed at how his talent unfolds.
So touched by their horrific backgrounds and loving personalities, Exotic World Gifts now supports, "Starving Elephant Artisans" by selling their paintings so they can continue to have a new life in Thailand.H/T to Panda for the video.
An interesting tidbit about the American perspective in Iraq, Life During Wartime, from someone I never quote from, The Cunning Realist
Pollution index: Horrible dust year-round plus additional junk in the air in the winter when everything that can be burned for fuel is. During my winter there, a visitor asked, “What's that smell like sh** burning?” The answer was, “Sh** burning.” If you exercise outdoors, you're likely to cough up black gunk afterwards.
Security concerns: Rocket attacks, IEDs, suicide bombers—your basic war zone.
Housing: Huge inequites. Either you will live in a large one-bedroom apartment in a reinforced building or you will live in a 10-by-15-foot non-reinforced hooch (trailer) and listen to your colleagues complain about everything they think is wrong with their apartments.
Is this a good city for families/singles/couples? It's currently an unaccompanied post. Spouses are allowed only if they're employed at the embassy. It's a good post for anyone who doesn't mind spending a year in a minimum security prison.
Interesting/fun things to do in the area: Check how many days are left on your tour tracker.
Items you would ship if you could do it again: As many dirt-colored clothes as I could find. The dust and dirt are unrelenting. It's impossible to keep anything clean. I threw away lots of clothes and shoes at the end of my tour.
English-language newspapers and TV available? Cost? Does Stars & Stripes count as a newspaper?
Is high speed internet access available? Cost? Internet service is provided free in all apartments and hooches, though the system is frequently overloaded and slow. Sometimes it goes down completely when it rains or snows…or when someone in Poland sneezes in the wrong direction.
Entertaining/social life: The “drink a lot/sleep around” contingent (made up of singles and marrieds alike) appeared to be quite active.
Clearly, Iraq under occupation is a terrible place to be. I wish the American public would care enough to actively pursue the end of this debacle.
The passing of the 4,000th service member in Iraq is a tragic milestone and a testament to the cost of this war, but for those of us who live and fight in Iraq, we measure that cost in smaller, but much more personal numbers. For me those numbers are 8, the number of friends and classmates killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 3, the number of soldiers from my unit killed in this deployment. I'm 25, yet I've received more notifications for funerals than invitations to weddings.
The number 4,000 is too great to grasp even for us that are here in Iraq. When we soldiers read the newspaper, the latest AP casualty figures are glanced over with the same casual interest as a box score for a sport you don't follow. I am certain that I am not alone when I open up the Stars and Stripes, the military's daily paper, and immediately search for the section with the names of the fallen to see if they include anyone I know. While in a combat outpost in southwest Baghdad, it was in that distinctive bold Ariel print in a two-week-old copy of the Stars and Stripes that I read that my best friend had been killed in Afghanistan. No phone call from a mutual friend or a visit to his family. All that had come and gone by the time I had learned about his death. I sometimes wonder, if I hadn't picked up that paper, how much longer I would have gone by without knowing - perhaps another day, perhaps a week or longer until I could find the time and the means to check my e-mail to find my messages unanswered and a death notification from a West Point distro list in my inbox. The dead in Afghanistan don't seem to inspire the keeping of lists the same way that those in Iraq do, but even if they did it wouldn't matter; he could only be number 7 to me.
I'm not asking for pity, only understanding for the cost of this war. We did, after all, volunteer for the Army and that is the key distinction between this army and the army of the Vietnam War. But even as I ask for that understanding I'm almost certain that you won't be able to obtain it. Even Shakespeare, with his now overused notion of soldiers as a "band of brothers" fails to capture the bonds, the sense of responsibility to each other, among soldiers. In many ways, Iraq has become my home (by the time my deployment ends I will have spent more time here than anywhere else in the army) and the soldiers I share that home with have become my family. Between working, eating and sleeping within a few feet of the same soldiers every single day, I doubt I am away from them for more than two hours a day. I'm engaged to the love of my life, but it will take several years of marriage before I've spent as much time with her as I have with the men I serve with today.
For the vast majority of American's who don't have a loved one overseas, the only number they have to attempt to grasp the Iraq War is 4,000. I would ask that when you see that number, try to remember that it is made up of over 1 million smaller numbers; that every one of the 1 million service members who have fought in Iraq has his or her own personal numbers. Over 1 million 8's and 3's. When you are evaluating the price of the war, weighing potential rewards versus cost in blood and treasure, I would ask you to consider what is worth the lives of three of your loved ones? Or eight? Or more? It would be a tragedy for my 8 and 3 to have died without us being able to complete our mission, but it maybe even more tragic for 8 and 3 to become anything higher.
Well, the toll of wasted American lives in Iraq has hit 4000. But hey, who’s counting? Certainly not the folks in the White House and the Pentagon, and certainly not John McCain, the prospective Republican nominee for president, who thinks the war is going just dandy.
But it’s worth noting that about a year ago, around the time that Bush’s “surge” plan got implemented with the addition of some 30,000 additional troops to the Iraq theater, the number of dead was about 3000. So it’s fair to say that Bush’s “surge” policy—his “escalation of the war in order to end it” plan—has directly led to the deaths of 1000 more young American men and women.
While looking on my own blogroll of news websites, finding a link on passing the 4000 dead soldier mark, was a relatively disappointing experience. I found few articles in the left blogosphere.
This "milestone" it's worth mentioning, DOES NOT INCLUDE the more than 4000 deaths that have occurred out-of-theater since the invasion of Iraq. These deaths are not part of the official DoD death toll because Dubya says so, and he's The Decider. Just more of the subterfuge to keep the Natives quiet.
As I've mentioned before, even the left is asleep to the loss of life and sacrifices being made by the military. Way to support the troops America.
I was just recommended an excellent post over at KOS that all should read. Please, please, please read Andy T's heartfelt post because it matters and we can do something about it. Add Deidra's button to your site, and let the bucket brigade begin.
Former DJ, contractor, and USAF officer who grew up in a San Francisco bar, loves music, girls and beer (not necessarily in that order) and looks forward to all that life has to offer.
When asked by AFT why he was fired, Wynne responded, "...long-standing disputes about the funding for F-22...a dispute as to whether or not you should spend your time worrying about the strategic effects of the future, or you should spend your time on the war as it sits." He goes on to address the airborne nukes and oops, mistaken missile parts, "We moved missiles between Minot and Barksdale. We did. In 2004 began the odyssey of the missile parts to Taiwan, which was not in the watch I was on, but nevertheless the results occurred during the time I was [secretary]. And so ascribing it to my tenure is interesting. ..."
