Ralph Reed's defeat may be a precursor to further Republican ethics losses this November

Yes!

Republicans worry that more than six candidates for the House and Senate could be hurt by Justice Department investigations, the courts and revelations in the Abramoff affair. Topping the list are Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) and Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), both bruised by Abramoff connections and facing tough races.

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Homeland Security Spying on US College Kids, Putting Their Names in Foreign Terrorist Database, Simply Because They're Protesting Military Recruiters

Now they're spying on American college kids and literally treating them as terrorists, going so far as putting their names in a database that tracks foreign terrorists. Had enough yet? Read More......

Open thread

I have no idea if this is real or not, but it's funny as hell.

And speaking of the Snowflake babies, are there any black snowflakes yet? Read More......

Bush bars media from Stem Cell Veto ceremony, continuing a trend of massive White House fear of being seen in public with the religious right

Seriously, how many times does Bush have to treat the religious right and its agenda like pariahs before they get the picture?

Remember how during the gay marriage White House speech Bush hid the leaders of the religious right from the TV cameras? Then there was the time Bush let Laura and Mary Cheney undercut his message on gay marriage right as the vote was coming up. Then there was the time he refused for 3 months to endorse the anti-gay marriage amendment. Then there was the time he endorsed gay civil unions right before the election. And let's not even get started on the incredible number of gays working at the RNC, in Republican offices on the Hill (ahem, George Allen), and the executive branch, including the White House.

Other than Rick Santorum, a lot of Republicans seem far more willing to embrace gays than they do the religious right (not that the Republicans don't do their fair share of damage to the entire civil rights agenda, including gays). Sure, the Republicans pander to the religious right for elections, but otherwise, even when they're in the midst of pandering, like today's stem cell veto, the Republicans won't be caught dead getting photographed with the crazy aunt wing of the Republican party.

It would almost be funny if it weren't so pathetic. No, scratch that, it is funny.

More from ThinkProgress. Read More......

Chicago Trib: Karl Rove lied about stem cell research

No one could have ever imagined that the Bush White House would lie in order to convince the American public to support an unpopular decision.

From the Chicago Tribune:

When White House political adviser Karl Rove signaled last week that President Bush planned to veto the stem cell bill being considered by the Senate, the reasons he gave went beyond the president's moral qualms with research on human embryos.

In fact, Rove waded into deeply contentious scientific territory, telling the Denver Post's editorial board that researchers have found "far more promise from adult stem cells than from embryonic stem cells."....

But Rove's negative appraisal of embryonic stem cell research--echoed by many opponents of funding for such research--is inaccurate, according to most stem cell research scientists, including a dozen contacted for this story.

The field of stem cell medicine is too young and unproven to make such judgments, experts say. Many of those researchers either specialize in adult stem cells or share Bush's moral reservations about embryonic stem cells.

"[Rove's] statement is just not true," said Dr. Michael Clarke, associate director of the stem cell institute at Stanford University, who in 2003 published the first study showing how adult stem cells replenish themselves.

If opponents of embryonic stem cell research object on moral grounds, "I'm willing to live with that," Clarke said, though he disagrees. But, he said, "I'm not willing to live with statements that are misleading."

Dr. Markus Grompe, director of the stem cell center at the Oregon Health and Science University, is a Catholic who objects to research involving the destruction of embryos and is seeking alternative ways of making stem cells. But Grompe said there is "no factual basis to compare the promise" of adult stem cells and cells taken from embryos.

Grompe said, "I think it's a problem when [opponents of embryonic research] make a scientific argument as opposed to stating the real reason they are opposed--which is [that] it's a moral, ethical problem."

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Bush vetoes stem cell bill, blah blah blah

We knew he was going to do it, he did it for political reasons only - to suck up to the Jerry Falwell wing of the Republican party - so honestly, who cares? Yes, George Bush yet again adopted a political agenda that is hurting people, and he's doing it for all the wrong reasons - basically, he's doing it for a lie. His own lie, pretending he actually believes in the fundy agenda (which he does not), and the lie that such research isn't really necessary, which of course it is.

So forget him. All Bush wants to do is draw the attention away from the disaster he's made of our country and the world. So let's get back to that disaster with Murray Waas' latest - a further look at George Bush having obstructed his own administration's investigation into Bush's unwarranted domestic spying on American citizens. Read More......

ACLU says Bush may be spying on three more financial services companies

Gee, what a surprise. And let me just ask, on whose blog did you hear the names of these companies only a few weeks ago...

The New York-based American Civil Liberties Union has fired another salvo in its ongoing battle with the Bush Administration over domestic surveillance, all but accusing the Administration of spying on three additional financial service systems.

According to a release, "ACLU research indicates" that the three named systems are "likely targets." The group said Wednesday they had filed new requests under the Freedom of Information Act to ascertain whether the systems were being surveilled.

The three systems are:

Bolero: The Bill of Lading Electronic Registry Organization is an electronic exchange of trade for documents such as bills of lading (descriptions of shipped goods that control ownership of property when it is in transit). Owned in part by SWIFT, Bolero counts many of the world's largest corporations as customers.

CHIPS: The Clearing House Interbank Payment System, another financial transfer service, is privately owned by the New York Clearing House Association. It primarily handles international funds transfers denominated in U.S. dollars for banks and their large customer transactions. Customers include most of the major U.S. banks.

Fedwire: A wire transfer service run by the Federal Reserve, Fedwire allows U.S. banks to transfer funds to other participants on behalf of each other and their customers.

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Foreign companies are buying US roads and bridges

Very weird. Not sure how I feel about this.

Last year, the city sold a 99-year lease on the eight-mile Chicago Skyway for $1.83 billion. The buyer was the same consortium that leased the Indiana Toll Road -- Macquarie Infrastructure Group of Sydney, Australia, and Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte of Madrid, Spain.

Chicago used the money to pay off debt and fund road projects. Skyway tolls rose 50 cents, to $2.50; By 2017, they will reach $5.

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Read much more about how we'll use your contributions here. Read More......

Turkey signals it may invade Iraq

This is one of the nightmare scenarios that Bush was warned about, and that he ignored, when he decided to trick the American people into supporting the Iraq war.

Turkey invades from the northwest to quell the Kurds, and Turkey just so happens to stay and annex northern Iraq so that Turkey never has to worry about the Kurds declaring an independent homeland. Then just watch what the Shias do in the south, or even possibly the Sunnis in the middle, once they see northern Iraq basically secede. And oh yeah, I can't wait to see what Iran does with regards to southern Iraq and the Shias - will Iran help foment a move for independent there too?

We are now moving beyond civil war, and into total disintegration of the country. And Bush knew all of this was coming - hell, I'd studied this "Iraq disintegrates into 3 states" scenario in grad school twenty years ago, it wasn't a big secret - and Bush simply didn't care. He invaded anyway, he screwed up the entire war, and now we're in danger of splintering the Middle East and getting a key NATO ally into a major war.

And by the way, remember that little tiff Bush had with Turkey leading up to the Iraq war? Bush finally decided we didn't need Turkey's help invading northern Iraq at the time. Well, three years later Turkey may be teaching Bush a much-deserved lesson in what happens when you screw your friends and tell them you don't need them. They screw you back at a time and place of their choosing.

And finally, if Turkey forces us to revise our entire Iraq strategy and redeploy forces to the north to quell whatever Kurdish uprising is taking place, that will de facto hurt whatever efforts we are currently making in the rest of Iraq to quell the situation there. It's not like we have men to spare in the rest of the country. So, we either need EVEN MORE troops in Iraq now, or Bush's screw-up with Turkey is going to put our forces, and security, at risk everywhere else in Iraq.

How many different ways can we pay a price for George Bush's incompetence? And the Republicans want the fall congressional elections to be a referendum on the Iraq war? Make my day. Read More......

Bush ready to veto stem cell bill for the theocrats

Later today, Bush will give a speech to tell us that he's vetoing the stem cell bill. Somehow, he's going to try to spin that he loves life so much that he won't let science advance -- and he's willing to let people die. Reuters has yet another analysis of the politics of the stem cell debate, and they don't work for Bush and the GOP:

The division among Republicans could have political fallout. Polls show most Americans support the research and Democrats are hoping a voter backlash against Republicans who oppose it will win them enough votes to seize control of Congress at the November mid-term election.

Bush thinks his stubbornness appeals to his base. Once again, he's showing the theocrats determine his policy and his politics. Bush is building quite a death toll from his Presidency. Read More......

4 in 10 Republicans find McCain "unacceptable"

From E&P;

A new Gallup poll asking Americans theirs views of 25 leading candidates for president in 2008 found that one of the Republican frontrunners, Sen. John McCain, is judged "unacceptable" by 41% of those in his own party.

A bare majority, 55%, find him "acceptable." In contrast, 73% of Republicans give their okay to rival Rudy Giuliani. Condoleezza Rice got the thumb's up from 68%.

Most of the opposition to McCain comes from conservatives, possibly explaining his moves in that direction lately.

Interestingly, the Republicans with the highest "unacceptable" ratings are Vice President Cheney (61%) and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (52%).

On the Democratic side, the surpise leader in the acceptable column is former Sen. John Edwards, with 71%, followed closely by Sen. Hillary Clinton and Al Gore. Their "not acceptable" tags are fairly low and not all that different, at 25%, 29% and 31% respectively.

Sen. John Kerry had the fourth best rating. Howard Dean comes in with 54% unacceptable, however.

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"Yo Blair" a real hit in the UK

What proud nation wants their leader to be toyed with on a world stage like the G8 Summit? If ever there were a doubt about Blair and his total submission and overall poodle-ness, the "private chat" that was picked up from St. Petersburg should put those doubts to rest. I couldn't care less about Bush saying "shit" but his body language and dismissive words in that video clip were shocking, though typical of what we know about Bush when the camera is not turned on, or at least when he knows a camera is on.

This is classic Bush, the strutting cocky guy who believes that he is at the top of the food chain with all others there to serve the master. (Remember the story of Bush spraying sand from his bike on Prodi at the summit last year?) As he chomps away on his bread and yaps (once again, who raised this guy?) I have to wonder what someone like Blair sees in this guy. Blair likes to submit and for reasons which are beyond me, loves to stay in Bush's orbit. No matter how dismissive Bush is of Blair - and he dismisses Blair's overtures to visit the troubled region and instead talks about Condi visiting - Blair just continues to stick around like a dog waiting for his master to show him some love.

What an embarrassment to the people of Britain. Read More......

Under Bush, every week is Hell week for the world

Vintage Dowd:

No matter what the trappings or the ceremonies require of the leader of the free world, he brings the same DKE bearing and cadences, the same insouciance and smart-alecky attitude, the same simplistic approach — swearing, swaggering, talking to Tony Blair with his mouth full of buttered roll, and giving a startled Angela Merkel an impromptu shoulder rub. He can make even a global summit meeting seem like a kegger.

Catching W. off-guard, the really weird thing is his sense of victimization. He’s strangely resentful about the actual core of his job. Even after the debacles of Iraq and Katrina, he continues to treat the presidency as a colossal interference with his desire to mountain bike and clear brush.

That's the kind of writing that makes us love Maureen Dowd. She nails it in that way that only she can. And, then, she offers this:

Mr. Bush may resent the sophistication required of a president. But when the world is going to hell, he should stop chewing and start thinking.

The world is going to hell, and Bush is overseeing it.

There seems to be a growing realization that Bush has made the world a very dangerous place -- and doesn't have a clue about how to deal with it. Read More......

Conservatives have just figured out that Bush has no idea what he's doing

It only took you guys 6 years. Well, newsflash. He's your guy, he's done everything you asked him to, and look where it's left us? America is a conservative dream right now - except that it's actually a nightmare. Read More......

Wednesday Morning Open Thread

Back to my routine.

Why is anyone surprised that the Bush team has been slow to evacuate Americans from Lebanon? They couldn't evacuate Americans from New Orleans last August -- and that happened on our own soil. Read More......

US family in Lebanon abandoned - administration thinks everything is fine

In an ever-changing environment like Lebanon these days, it's not a shock that the evacuation system for Americans is not running at 100% but for the US undersecretary of state for political affairs to attempt to make a claim that all is well, is almost beyond belief. One only has to look at Iraq and read the rosy statements by the administration for it to all make sense. You can plug in just about any disaster situation with this administration and instead of recognizing problems, they have to spin and spin and spin. Is it so difficult to admit failure or problems? If anyone in the administration wonders why they are sagging in public approval polls, this constant inability to face reality and assume that the public is ignorant just might have something to do with it.

"I just would love them to contact the Americans and say ... 'Hey, we know you're here, and we'll protect you, and we'll get you out.' Even if we have to pay, I don't care... They need to contact us," she said.

Nicholas Burns, the U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, defended the evacuation so far as "very well thought out."

"We have an open line to all American citizens. We're in touch with them by Web site. Those Americans who wish to leave will obviously go out," he told CNN Tuesday.

This brings back memories of 9/11 when Bush went MIA and left a nation wondering what the hell was going on. Back at that time I found it cowardly not to mention frustrating that the president could not be bothered with taking two minutes to address the American public. This young family stuck in Lebanon is probably looking for some kind of feedback themselves and a simple recognition of their situation but that seems to be asking for too much.

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6000 Iraqis killed in May and June

It's no wonder the administration only does fly-ins with short visits to ultra secure zones. How can anyone even think of claiming that Iraq is moving in the right direction? When are we going to see one of the "things are improving" folks telling us how great things are from Iraq instead of TV offices in the US? Even if you take the best case scenario of killings, it's an ugly situation.

"While welcoming recent positive steps by the government to promote national reconciliation, the report raises alarm at the growing number of casualties among the civilian population killed or wounded during indiscriminate or targeted attacks by terrorists or insurgents," the U.N. said in a note accompanying the report.

In the last two days alone, more than 120 people were killed in violence in Iraq. In the worst attacks, fifty-three perished in a suicide bombing Tuesday in Kufa, and 50 were slain Monday in a market in Mahmoudiya.

According to the report, 2,669 civilians were killed in May and 3,149 were killed in June. Those numbers combined two counts: from the Ministry of Health, which records deaths reported by hospitals; and the Medico-Legal Institute in Baghdad, which tallies the unidentified bodies it receives.

The report charts a month-by-month increase in the number of civilians killed, from 710 in January to 1,129 in April. In the first six months of the year, it said 14,338 people had been killed.

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Woman on verge of becoming first openly-gay legislator in Alabama

Alabama. Wow. Read More......