I am so angry…I’m speechless... Much of the information that led the authorities to raise the terror alert at several large financial institutions in the New York City and Washington areas was three or four years old, intelligence and law enforcement officials said on Monday. They reported that they had not yet found concrete evidence that a terrorist plot or preparatory surveillance operations were still under way.

The New York Times

The increased terror alerts in New York, New Jersey and Washington are based more on President George W. Bush’s political campaign needs than any actual threat and the information used to justify the alerts is three years old, intelligence pros complain.

The alerts, planned weeks ago, came right after the Democratic National Convention in Boston as a carefully-orchestrated attempt to play on Bush’s strengths in the war against terrorism and blunt any momentum challenger John F. Kerry might have coming out of the convention.

CAPITOL HILL BLUE

I think Dr. Dean was correct.

In an interview to CNN, he expressed concern that the subject of terrorism could be abused during an election campaign. His comment was made in the context of a general feeling that the warning has something to do with the popularity that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is gaining after last week’s highly publicised Boston Democratic Nomination Convention. “Every time something happens, he plays his trump card, Bush plays his trump card, that is terrorism”, adding that was not good.

I’m sure that BushCo is still thinking it’s Canada’s problem... Almost one year after the worst blackout in U.S. history, consumer advocates say the federal government and the power industry have failed to address the problems that caused the massive power outage on August 14, 2003.

The lack of action has left the system vulnerable to future failures and threatens the affordability of electricity, according to a report released Friday by the National Association of State Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs).

“There is still a lack of accountability and lack of long term planning,” said Tony Dutzik, primary author of the report and a policy analyst with the association. “Things are likely to get worse before they get better.”

The report largely blames deregulation of the electricity markets for the troubles that caused last year’s blackout, which left some 50 million people across eight U.S. states from Michigan to New York and the Canadian province of Ontario in the dark.

Environmental News

So…this administration is all about “let them eat cake in the dark.”

Continue reading "I'm sure that BushCo is still thinking it's Canada's problem"

The True Spirit of Compassionate Conservatism... A campaign worker for President Bush said on Thursday American workers unhappy with low-quality jobs should find new ones — or pop a Prozac to make themselves feel better.

“Why don’t they get new jobs if they’re unhappy — or go on Prozac?” said Susan Sheybani, an assistant to Bush campaign spokesman Terry Holt.

The comment was apparently directed to a colleague who was transferring a phone call from a reporter asking about job quality, and who overheard the remark.

When told the Prozac comment had been overheard, Sheybani said: “Oh, I was just kidding.”

- REUTERS

Another “let them eat cake” moment brought to you by a woman of Iranian dessent. She just doesn’t get it. Wonder if her attitude would change should she be ousted from her job. Wonder if she had to take prozac when she lost out in a political race at UCLA.