turns out there's another link between the Swift Boat group and the Bush campaign, with which they are, we are told, not coordinating activity in any way

A fourth Bush campaign official has been linked to a veterans group hammering Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's Vietnam War heroism.

GOP convention Chairman David Norcross practices law in the same D.C. firm, Blank Rome, as William Schachte, a retired Navy admiral who says Kerry did not deserve one of his Purple Heart medals, Time magazine reported yesterday.

Schachte is aligned with the anti-Kerry group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which has dominated the campaign in recent weeks with accusations that the former Swift boat skipper is lying about how he got his war medals.

Norcross said he did not know about Schachte's claims that Kerry got the first of three Purple Hearts in Vietnam from a self-inflicted wound; and the Bush campaign denied there is any connection.

Schachte says Kerry wounded himself by firing an M-79 grenade launcher into a nearby riverbank during a 1968 boat patrol.

Kerry says he was wounded by enemy fire and other vets point out that the single-shot weapon's explosive 40-mm. shell was designed not to arm itself and become lethal until it has flown 50 feet through the air.

The Kerry campaign also notes that Schachte was not with Kerry during the incident - despite his claims.

Quiet office parties they must have over there at Blank Rome, what with nobody talking to anybody about politics.

Mr. Cheney feels that we need reminding of Mr. Bush's visit to our fair city on September 11.

Cheney recalled President Bush's trip to New York in the days after the attacks and his promise to retaliate.

"He is a man of his word, as the Taliban were the first to find out," he said. "My job here this week and in the two months ahead, is to tell people all across America about how strong and steadfast our president is . . . . He is exactly the leader we need for these times, and we need him for four more years."

I'm reasonably certain most of us remember that visit. Mr. Bush threw his arm around a firefighter for the cameras. Someone in the crowd still couldn't hear him. Bush's response: "I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon."



Osama bin Laden is apparently a little hard of hearing. But I digress...

As eventually happens, the cameras were turned off, and then Mr. Bush became a little hard of hearing himself. One of the reasons so many firefighters died on 9/11 was that they didn't get the order to evacuate the towers before they collapsed. Their radios didn't work. Congress passed legislation authorizing funds to replace them with radios that did work.

Mr. Bush vetoed that bill.

He claimed that he vetoed it because congress was "tying his hands" by loading the bill with pork, but he sent a message to the hill telling them what had to be in a bill he was willing to sign, and the funding for the firefighters wasn't in it.

I agree with Mr. Cheney. When you're deciding who to vote for, do remember Mr. Bush's photo op in the ruins of the World Trade Center.

Remember he doesn't value the lives of our firefighters at a fraction of the money he handed out to his contributors as tax cuts.

Ralph Reed, professional large-C christian Republican political fixer, has apparently decided to use his influence for more secular goals

Ralph Reed, Southeast regional chairman of the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign and former executive director of the Christian Coalition, confirmed on Sunday that he accepted more than $1 million in fees from a lobbyist and a public relations specialist whose work on behalf of American Indian casinos prompted a federal investigation.

In addition to his role running the campaign in the Southeast, Reed is a liaison to the Christian evangelical community, and many of its leaders are adamantly opposed to gambling. Reed has been widely credited with leading the political mobilization of the Christian right since the late 1980s.

Lobbyist Jack Abramoff and public relations executive Michael Scanlon -- the two men who paid the fees to Reed -- are subjects of a wide-ranging federal probe with political ramifications in Congress and within the Republican Party.

The inquiry involves at least $45 million in lobbying and public relations fees, alleged misuse of Indian tribal funds, possible illegal campaign contributions and possible tax code violations.

Federal officials have assembled a criminal task force from the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, the Justice Department's public integrity section, the National Indian Gaming Commission and the Interior Department inspector general's office, according to officials familiar with the investigation. The task force is looking into payments that Abramoff and Scanlon received from an array of clients, including 11 wealthy Indian tribes that operate gambling casinos.

Task force investigators have subpoenaed records at Reed's firm, Century Strategies, along with records of many other subcontractors for Abramoff and Scanlon, according to sources familiar with aspects of the inquiry.

Atlanta-based Century Strategies worked on behalf of casinos seeking to prevent other tribes from opening competitive gambling facilities. Century Strategies mobilized ministers and Christian activists to lobby against the new facilities.

Scanlon's company paid Reed $1.23 million, according to sources familiar with the transactions. The two law firms Abramoff worked for, Greenberg Traurig LLP and Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds LLP, paid fees to Reed and Century Strategies, but the amounts were not immediately available.

In a statement to The Washington Post, Reed said: "I have worked for decades to oppose the expansion of casino gambling, and as a result of that, Century Strategies has worked with broad coalitions to oppose casino expansion. We are proud of the work we have done. It is consistent not only with my beliefs but with the beliefs of the grassroots citizens that we mobilized. And at no time was Century Strategy ever retained by, or worked on behalf of, any casino or casino company."

Asked if he had been aware of the clients paying Abramoff and Scanlon, Reed said, "While we were clearly aware that Greenberg Traurig had certain tribal clients, we were not aware of every specific client or interest."

It's an article of faith for me that the Christian right is being played by their leaders. Now it appears that the game is casino monopoly.

It seems like some folks are protesting the Republican Convention.

"tens of thousands" - Voice of America, Miami Herald, the International Herald-Tribune (which is to say the New York Times) as well as the actual New York Times, CNN, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Houston Chronicle, the Christian Science Monitor, ABC News
"thousands upon thousands" - LA Times
"hundreds of thousands" - Reuters, Kansas City Star
"more than 100,000" - AP,

and my personal favorite, from the news service owned by our beloved Republican mayor, whose Idea this party reportedly was, Bloomberg News: "thousands," in which they are joined by the Miami Herald and the BBC

As a basis for comparison, United for Peace and Justice are claiming 400,000, and the AP says that the protesters filled the entire route of the march.

Of those, they've arrested around 200 people, most for disorderly conduct away from the march.

Meanwhile, 81% of the home team are all for the demonstrations, six percent more than the number of us who disapprove of the job Our Fearless Leader is doing.

I love my city.

Conventioneers, welcome to New York. We wish you weren't here, but we have nothing against you personally. You'll probably feel right at home in one of our many TGIFridays or Applebees. If you're out after dark, blocks with restaurants on them are always a better choice than blocks of closed stores.

A respectful silence on the subject of 9/11 would be greatly appreciated, but we don't really expect it. Be nice to our cops and firemen, please. Your party hasn't.

Please note that we aren't being allowed anywhere near you folks while you're here, so if you aren't happy with conditions you should know that you almost certainly brought the problem with you.

Have a nice week.

that I'm lolling at the beach?

Well, I'm also eating fresh corn and tomatoes and picking black raspberries and bobbing amongst the waves, but mostly I'm lolling.

Things may be slow hereabouts for the next two days.

News you can use: Picking black raspberries? Not barefoot.

Police are considering criminal charges against the Dave Matthews Band and its bus driver for allegedly dumping gallons of human sewage onto tour boat passengers June 8.

At separate news conferences, Chicago police officials and Mayor Richard Daley said they have witness accounts, partial confessions and video that indicates driver Stefan Wohl's bus was responsible for the load of waste.

Passengers who were on the boat, which was passing beneath the Kinzie Street bridge over the Chicago River, were doused in waste.

"It's a criminal charge to basically pollute a river, to basically endanger the health of somebody, all those people on the boat," Daley said.

Chicago police spokesman Dave Bayless said the department is talking with county and federal attorneys about possible criminal charges. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sued the band and Wohl on Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, asking for $70,000 in damages. The lawsuit says 800 pounds of waste was released into the river without a permit.

Madigan also wants the court to check on the policies for waste dumping at Four Seasons Coach, the bus company.

"This incident may be unique but that does not lessen the environmental or public health risks posed by the release of at least 800 pounds of liquid human waste," Madigan said in a statement."

TBogg's dad passed on.

He did a good job with his life.

In Hollywood, the father of a Marine killed in Iraq is hospitalized with severe burns after setting fire to a Marine Corps van Wednesday afternoon.

Police say Carlos Arredondo set the van on fire after being told about the death of his 20-year-old son.

Private first class Alexander Arredondo died Tuesday in Najaf, according to local television reports.

Marines went to his parents' home in Hollywood with the news. Carlos Arredondo walked out of the house with a torch and what appeared to be a container of flammable liquid.

The Marines tried to stop him from setting the van on fire but failed. Arredondo set himself on fire as he ignited the van.

Police say Marines pulled him out of the van and put out the flames.

RIP Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, 78

and the free publicity you want is probably not the free publicity you get when you have the state police and the secret service turn away the triple-amputee veteran, among the many whose service you've slandered for political purposes, at the permanent roadblock outside your vacation bunker ranch

Former Democratic Sen. Max Cleland tried to deliver a letter protesting ads challenging John Kerry's Vietnam service to President Bush at his Texas ranch Wednesday, but neither a Secret Service official nor a state trooper would take it.

The former Georgia senator, a triple amputee who fought in Vietnam, was carrying a letter from nine Senate Democrats who wrote Bush that "you owe a special duty" to condemn attacks on Kerry's military service.

"The question is where is George Bush's honor, the question is where is his shame to attack a fellow veteran who has distinguished himself in combat?" Cleland asked. "Regardless of the political combat involved, it's disgraceful."

Encountering a permanent roadblock to Bush's ranch, Cleland left without turning over the letter to anyone.

"I have a letter signed by nine members of the U.S. Senate, all of whom have served honorably and I'd like to hand it to a responsible officer here on the gate," Cleland said as he tried to deliver it to security personnel at the roadblock. He accused a member of the president's security detail of trying to evade him.

"I am just going to return the letter and make sure it gets in the mail," Cleland said as he returned to his car.

Yep, triple-amputee veteran just sitting in a wheelchair in the sun while the rich boy who stayed home sits inside the summer place - damned if he isn't on vacation again - and refuses to see him.

This oughta play big with the red states.

You lucky duckies get to read the letter before Our Fearless Leader does.

The Bush/Cheney campaign lost their legal advisor today when he was forced to resign. Apparently the campaign had no idea he was involved in any way with the Swift Boat 527 group.

CNN gives a shortlist of his current activities:

Ginsberg served Bush-Cheney as national counsel in 2000 and was a key player in the recount of the 2000 Florida vote recount according to a biography on his Washington firm's Web site.

His biography also says he "represents the campaigns and leadership PACs of numerous members of the Senate and House, as well as the Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee.

He serves as counsel to the Republican Governors Association and has wide experience on the state legislative level from directing Republican redistricting efforts nationwide following the 1990 Census and being actively engaged in the 2001-2002 round of redistricting."

Former Sen. Max Cleland planned to try to deliver a letter to President Bush's ranch signed by several lawmakers urging him to publicly condemn the commercials.

On Monday, Bush said he opposed all 527 ads, calling them "bad for the system."

Interestingly enough, every group, organization or activity mentioned here either has, or had before campaign finance reform changed the rules to require disclosure of donors, a 527 group.

Seems rather odd Karl Rove never bumped into him at a meeting, hein?

It turns out that not only is Michelle Malkin an easily identifiable descendant of a Muslim-dominated country with a history of terrorism who travels frequently, she doesn't seem to have renounced her citizenship in that country.

She has a book out about what to do with people like that.

And their children.

David Neiwert is a treasure. He really is.

No More Mr. Nice Blog has a point about Dick Cheney's fatherly support for gay americans

Keyes. What a whacky guy.

Declaring "the front line of the war against terror once again involves the citizens," Republican Alan Keyes said Tuesday he believes the U.S. Constitution grants properly trained private individuals the right to own and carry machine guns.

"You're not talking about giving citizens access to atom bombs and other things," the former presidential candidate said. "That's ridiculous."

But the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate argued the founding fathers intended the Second Amendment to allow people to carry the types of weapons "customarily carried in those days by ordinary infantry soldiers."

"And, yes, does that mean that in this day and age people would have the right to have access to the kind of the weapons our ordinary infantry people have access to? With proper training and so forth to make sure that they could handle them successfully, that's exactly what was meant."

Keyes made the remarks at a news conference he called to attack the "ideological extremism" of his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Barack Obama.

The Republican lit into Obama for voting against a bill in Springfield earlier this year that would have allowed people who use handguns to fend off home invaders or attackers to argue self-defense as a possible legal defense against prosecution for violating any local anti-firearm possession ordinances.

The measure passed the Legislature with bi-partisan support, but Gov. Blagojevich vetoed it last week.

Keyes called Obama's vote against the measure an "appalling . . . lack of common sense."

"This seems to be a man who is absolutely determined to make the world safe for criminals, while making sure that law-abiding citizens have no opportunity to defend themselves against the criminals," Keyes said.

...

Keyes only indirectly answered a reporter's question about whether he would "be comfortable if the entire society was walking around with Uzis, as long as they were properly trained."

"Have you ever been to Israel?" Keyes asked the reporter. "Because if you've ever been to Israel, you wouldn't ask that question. And in the midst of terrifying dangers, you walk around the streets of Israel and you see every other person carrying arms and Uzis and so forth and so on, and believe me, you do not feel less safe on that account."

Revolutionary War Veterans for Truth