June 18, 2004

Paul Johnson

As Michele says, the people parading these Paul Johnson pictures around in the manner which they are going for total shock value. As I've advocated in the past, the images should be available - but that doesn't mean you have to disrespect his family like that.

Furthermore, this shows what we're up against - and why I worry about our response to it so far.

UPDATE: Andy McCarthy at NRO echoes the stupidity of Oliver North, etc.

Listen up. We talk about the incidents at Abu Ghraib, because we are a decent society. We don't want to be like the savages who killed Nick Berg and Paul Johnson. To sweep the evil comitted in our name under the rug is to give some sort of credence, some sort of respect to the ludicrous justifications our enemy uses to destroy us.

We expose Abu Grhraib, because we're f'ing Americans - and we're better than that. You guys may want to use terrorist thugs as the model for American behavior, allowing them to define what is acceptable, what is and isn't barbaric. I don't. Most Americans don't. Real Americans don't.

[link] posted @ 06:38 PM est [Comments (11) | TrackBack (2)]

CBS Does It Again

CBS to air new "anti-Clinton ad"?

CBS is apparently set to run a new TV advertisement attacking former President Bill Clinton that appears to violate the network's stated prohibition on "advocacy" ads that deal with "controversial issues of public importance." Under the headline "Citizens United Launches New Anti-Clinton Ad Campaign to Air during '60 Minutes' Interview," Citizens United (led by David N. Bossie) announced on its website the new ad is to air during Clinton's June 20 appearance on CBS's news program 60 Minutes. The self-described "advocacy" group explained, "Amidst the hype surrounding the release of former President Clinton's new book, 'My Life', Citizens United sets the record straight by exposing the real legacy President Bill Clinton left for America."

The Citizens United ad claims that Clinton is "responsible" for "leaving us vulnerable to terrorists."

CBS's airing of the Citizens United ad would be noteworthy because the network refused to run ads from MoveOn.org and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) during this year's Super Bowl. At the time, CBS explained that it does not run "advocacy advertising":

[link] posted @ 05:44 PM est [Comments (9) | TrackBack (1)]

Rumsfeld. Go. Now.

You know, if this response is what happens when the administration is "at battle stations" (as Condi Rice famously testified)... I fear what they would do when they really aren't paying attention. How many more of us will die?

9/11 Tapes Reveal Ground Personnel Muffled Attacks

WhatÂ’s more, the decades-old procedure for a quick response by the nationÂ’s air defense had been changed in June of 2001. Now, instead of NORADÂ’s military commanders being able to issue the command to launch fighter jets, approval had to be sought from the civilian Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. This change is extremely significant, because Mr. Rumsfeld claims to have been "out of the loop" nearly the entire morning of 9/11. He isnÂ’t on the record as having given any orders that morning. In fact, he didnÂ’t even go to the White House situation room; he had to walk to the window of his office in the Pentagon to see that the countryÂ’s military headquarters was in flames.

[link] posted @ 10:03 AM est [Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)]

Did Pooty-Poot Send Us To War?

KGB operative turned Russian president, President Bush claimed he could see into his soul -- then Putin started rolling Russia back to communism (jailing his political opponents, etc.). Did Bush allow his affection for Putin to sway him towards going to war, now that this revelation is coming out?

[link] posted @ 09:58 AM est [Comments (13) | TrackBack (2)]

June 17, 2004

"New" Iraq

Martial law threatened for Iraq

The escalating violence has forced the new interim government of Ayad Allawi to consider assuming broader security powers in the aftermath of the June 30 transition.

"A decision to impose martial law could be taken if the attacks continue," said Hazem Shaalan, the defence minister.

Muwaffaq Rubaie, national security adviser, confirmed to the Financial Times on Thursday that the idea of declaring a form of martial law was under active consideration by Iraqi ministers.

The debate highlights the dilemma for the new Iraqi government, which is trying to establish order without jeopardising its democratic credentials.

Such laws carry uncomfortable echoes of the legal fabrications used by the former regime of Saddam Hussein and many current Arab governments to justify repressive and totalitarian rule.

[link] posted @ 10:48 PM est [Comments (18) | TrackBack (0)]

Bush's War For Reelection : Iraq, the White House, and the People James Moore Price: $19.01 More Like This

Republicans: War Profiteering? No Problem.

The GOP decided that a top priority of the legislative agenda was blocking stiffer penalties for war profiteers. C'mon, where would they get their vice presidents from?

[link] posted @ 10:40 PM est [Comments (6) | TrackBack (1)]

Bush: Crazy

Remember the right-wingers chanting in unison that Al Gore was "nuts" simply because he told the truth? Now their very own dear leader is exhibiting some form of brain malfunction...

Bush Insists on Saddam Relationship with Al-Qaeda

"The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam and al-Qaeda is because there was a relationship between Iraq and al-Qaeda," Bush told reporters after a meeting with his Cabinet.

He actually believes his admnistration's own lies.

[link] posted @ 01:16 PM est [Comments (75) | TrackBack (2)]

Presidential Courtesy

A lot of commentators on the right, like the pill popping Mr. Limbaugh, have made some sort of issue out of Bush's comments at the unveiling of Clinton's presidential portrait. Supposedly they show him as bipartisan and above the fray. I'll pause when you stop retching at the thought. And of course, Clinton never said anything like that, right?

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT UNVEILING OF BUSH PORTRAIT

President Bush's portrait will hang out here in the Grand Foyer, across from the portrait of President Franklin Roosevelt, the Commander in Chief, he served in World War II. It will stand as a reminder of George Bush's basic integrity and decency, and of his entire adult lifetime devoted to public service. Most of all, it will stand as a testimony to a leader who helped Americans move forward toward common ground on many fronts. We see this clearly in the causes George Bush led us in as President -- causes that aimed at improving the lives not just of Republicans, but of all Americans.

He made education a national priority when he hosted the Education Summit in 1989, something I will never forget and always be especially personally grateful for, because he understood that a solid education is essential to every American's ability to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

He led us to a new dedication to service, and extolled the real heroes in America -- the ordinary Americans who every day go about solving the problems of this country in courageous, brave, and quiet manners. The Points of Light Initiative held up the best in America, reminded us of what we can do when we truly work together. And I can say that it was the one thing that he did that he personally asked me to continue when I took this office, and I was honored to do because it was so important and it remains important to the United States today.

He signed the Americans With Disabilities Act, something that has now acquired broad support among people of all parties and all walks of life, and which has made a real difference to the quality of life of Americans who are now making larger contributions to the rest of us. And he supported and signed the Clean Air Act, which is terribly important today in preserving the quality of American life.

He also led our nation and the world in the Gulf War Alliance, in an example of contributions and cooperations in the aftermath of the Cold War that I believe will long be followed.

[link] posted @ 10:44 AM est [Comments (25) | TrackBack (2)]

The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton Joe Conason, Gene Lyons Price: $18.16 More Like This Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth Joe Conason Price: $16.97 More Like This Flight of the Navigator Price: $13.99 More Like This

The War With Iraq

Weapons of mass destruction? Nope.
(well, there was one shell left over from the Iraq-Iran war... use your imagination and it's a stockpile "just outside Tikrit")

Connections to Al Qaeda? Nope.
(well, this one guy may or may not have had tea with Saddam once - and that's good enough for a hack from a right-wing think tank and a morally evasive vice president)

Yet, the future of Bush's presidency rests on a narrative, a narrative with no factual basis.

"The problem the administration has is that the predicates it laid down for the war have not played out," said Warren B. Rudman, the former Republican senator from New Hampshire, who has extensive experience in assessing intelligence about terrorism. "That could spell political trouble for the president, there's no question."

Mr. Bush has said that he knows of no direct involvement by Mr. Hussein and his government in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. But the president has repeatedly asserted that there were ties between Iraq and Al Qaeda, a position he stuck to on Tuesday when he was asked about Vice President Dick Cheney's statement a day earlier that Mr. Hussein had "long-established ties with Al Qaeda."

Now do you understand why Bush tried so hard to stop the 9/11 commission?

[link] posted @ 02:34 AM est [Comments (37) | TrackBack (0)]

Why? Why? Why Does He Have A Job?

Rumsfeld ordered prisoner held off the books

Pentagon officials tell NBC News that late last year, at the same time U.S. military police were allegedly abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ordered that one Iraqi prisoner be held "off the books" - hidden entirely from the International Red Cross and anyone else - in possible violation of international law.

[link] posted @ 01:58 AM est [Comments (10) | TrackBack (1)]

The Man Returns

I think I'm gonna enjoy the next week or so immensely. Why? Bill Clinton is back. His book is going to sell very well, and it's going to raise the temperatures of the Clinton Haters on the right through the roof. Screw 'em.

Bill Clinton is the president I "grew up" under. I became politically intrigued just as he gained the presidency, and -- silly me -- I thought it could always be that good.

Anyhow, Jeff Jarvis has a good wrapup of a Clinton appearance. And fair warning - if you hate Clinton, stay away from this site for a while - because we're gonna be following the Big Dog's Summer Splash closely.

[link] posted @ 01:45 AM est [Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)]

My Life Bill Clinton Price: $21.00 More Like This My Head and My Heart: Sex, Love, Life, and the Unconscious Jorge De Gregorio Price: $24.95 More Like This

June 16, 2004

Reagan the Prop, Continued

The Reagan family said that they didn't like the way his image was being used - this close to his death, and the Club for Growth buckled under the pressure:

"I just concluded a very pleasant conversation with Ms. Joanne Drake, Chief of Staff to President Reagan and Mrs. Reagan. Ms. Drake asked, and I immediately agreed, that in deference to the wishes of the Reagan family, the Club will hold off on airing our latest commercial for one week. Ms. Drake made it clear that she had no problem with the contents of the TV commercial.

[link] posted @ 07:34 PM est [Comments (3) | TrackBack (1)]

The Ick Factor

This just seems... wrong.

YouÂ’d think with both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars well under way and with the war on terrorism being more than two years old that the share price of any bullet proof vest manufacturer would be fully valued. Not so!

The company that manufactures the amazing life saving bullet proof vests that Sgt. Travis L. McKinney wrote to from the Iraq front line is not only undervalued but is a screaming takeover candidate that is poised to enjoy an up to 450% increase in its stock price.

[link] posted @ 04:39 PM est [Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)]

Philly First

KERRY FOR PREZ: WHY HIM, WHY NOW

In that spirit, this newspaper, the first in the nation, endorses John Kerry for president. Unlike the current White House occupant, Kerry can lead America to a brighter, better future. He has shown the personal courage, compassion, intellect and skill to lead this country in a time of war abroad and economic troubles at home. He is a serious man for a serious time.

Why make this endorsement now, when the election is months away?

Because this race promises to be close and Pennsylvania is one of 18 swing states that can go to either candidate. For Kerry supporters to prevail they must do more than just vote, they must bring a ringer into this contest: the more than a million people in the region who did not vote in the last presidential election. We believe these non-voters - who will have to be mobilized over the next few months - are the key to victory.

[link] posted @ 02:43 PM est [Comments (24) | TrackBack (0)]

Look Into Iraq, Al Qaeda

9/11 Panel Finds No Collaboration Between Iraq, Al Qaeda

In an overview of al Qaeda released in a separate report earlier this morning, the commission also found "no credible evidence" that al Qaeda collaborated with Saddam Hussein's government in Iraq on the Sept. 11 strikes or any other attacks on the United States. That finding comes in the wake of statements Monday by Vice President Cheney that Iraq had "long-established ties" with al Qaeda, and comments by President Bush yesterday backing up that assertion.

Bin Ladin also explored possible cooperation with Iraq during his time in Sudan, despite his opposition to HusseinÂ’s secular regime. Bin Ladin had in fact at one time sponsored anti-Saddam Islamists in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Sudanese, to protect their own ties with Iraq, reportedly persuaded Bin Ladin to cease this support and arranged for contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda. A senior Iraqi intelligence officer reportedly made three visits to Sudan, finally meeting Bin Ladin in 1994. Bin Ladin is said to have requested space to establish training camps, as well as assistance in procuring weapons, but Iraq apparently never responded. There have been reports that contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda also occurred after Bin Ladin had returned to Afghanistan, but they do not appear to have resulted in a collaborative relationship. Two senior Bin Ladin associates have adamantly denied that any ties existed between al Qaeda and Iraq. We have no credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda cooperated on attacks against the United States. Whether Bin Ladin and his organization had roles in the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center and the thwarted Manila plot to blow up a dozen U.S. commercial aircraft in 1995 remains a matter of substantial uncertainty.

[link] posted @ 11:32 AM est [Comments (59) | TrackBack (0)]

Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror Richard A. Clarke Price: $18.36 More Like This Contra todos los enemigos (Against All Enemies) Richard Clarke, Richard A. Clarke Price: $19.95 More Like This

Ronald Reagan, The Prop

Via Sean Hackbarth comes word that the right-wing Club for Growth is using President Reagan in a new Kerry-bashing ad. Leaving the issue of whether they should wait for the corpse to cool aside, the idea behind the advertisement is stupid. The idea is to contrast the fall of the Berlin wall vs. Bush's policy vs. Kerry's stance on anti-communism. First off, the fall of the Berlin wall and communism was not solely the product of Ronald Reagan. He helped push, but nothing would have happened if the people of Europe didn't want it. At the same time, Reagan and the right were so blinded in their quest against anti-communism that they ended up funding the same people who grew up to become Al Qaeda.

[link] posted @ 07:45 AM est [Comments (32) | TrackBack (3)]