Kentuckians deserve better

Jim Bunning has decided for Kentucky that no, there won't be another debate in the campaign for a senate seat. He declined an invitation from Meet the Press to sit down with Tim Russert and his opponent, Dan Mongiardo. Once again, Jim Bunning is cheating the people of Kentucky and is demonstrating he doesn't deserve the office he holds.

Bunning has run a terrible campaign and has demonstrated behavior that has led some in the media to think he's losing his faculties.

When first asked if he planned to debate Mongiardo, and give the voters an opportunity to see and hear each candidate the issues facing the state and the nation, Bunning's quick answer was "heavens, no." When he finally caved, he insisted on speaking not in his home state, but from the womb-like confines of the RNC -- where aides could stand just off camera and provide instructions -- and with the aid of a teleprompter. In a DEBATE. The Bunning campaign was so disappointed with the Senator's performance that they tried to keep the debate from being broadcast statewide and refused to show at other debates organized by third parties.

Maybe Bunning's losing it. Maybe he's just a crotchety and arrogant old coot who doesn't like to be questioned. Either way, the Bunning campaign feel it's in their interest to speak as little as possible to anyone, and run out the clock in a red state. Kentucky voters deserve much better than this.
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White House sitting on damning CIA 9/11 report until after election

Absolutely disgusting. The White House and the new former-Republican-congressman-CIA-director are sitting on a damning CIA report that apparently names names of senior administration officials who screwed up in the days and months leading up to 9/11. Reportedly the report says that the White House did not care that much about terrorism before 9/11, and that they therefore Cheney'd-up, big time.

It is unfathomable to me that the media, let alone the Dems in Congress, let alone the private public interest groups can't cause a firestorm over this issue before the election. This could easily be THE number one issue of debate pre-election. The White House screwed up leading up to 9/11, is now in a conspiracy to hide that face, and has no interest in holding anyone accountable. The 9/11 family groups ought to rip these guys a new one. If anyone knows anyone associated with those groups, tell them to contact me - I'm happy to give some free PR advice that would likely make them national news in the coming days.

By Robert Scheer, LA Times:

It is shocking: The Bush administration is suppressing a CIA report on 9/11 until after the election, and this one names names....

"It is infuriating that a report which shows that high-level people were not doing their jobs in a satisfactory manner before 9/11 is being suppressed," an intelligence official who has read the report told me, adding that "the report is potentially very embarrassing for the administration, because it makes it look like they weren't interested in terrorism before 9/11, or in holding people in the government responsible afterward."....

According to the intelligence official, who spoke to me on condition of anonymity, release of the report, which represents an exhaustive 17-month investigation by an 11-member team within the agency, has been "stalled." First by acting CIA Director John McLaughlin and now by Porter J. Goss, the former Republican House member (and chairman of the Intelligence Committee) who recently was appointed CIA chief by President Bush....

"What all the other reports on 9/11 did not do is point the finger at individuals, and give the how and what of their responsibility. This report does that," said the intelligence official. "The report found very senior-level officials responsible."....

"The agency directorate is basically sitting on the report until after the election," the official continued. "No previous director of CIA has ever tried to stop the inspector general from releasing a report to the Congress, in this case a report requested by Congress."

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Pentagon lied to Congress about CIA view of Iraq-Al Qaeda tie

I hate these people.

As recently as January 2004, a top Defense Department official misrepresented to Congress the view of American intelligence agencies about the relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda, according to a new report by a Senate Democrat.

The report said a classified document prepared by Douglas J. Feith, the under secretary of defense for policy, not only asserted that there were ties between the Baghdad government and the terrorist network, but also did not reflect accurately the intelligence agencies' assessment - even while claiming that it did.

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Evening open thread

Thoughts, missives? Read More......

Excellent Ellen Goodman article about Marygate

And she even mentions my milk carton!

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Vewy vewy stwange

From an email going around, I tried it, it's true:

While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot completely off the floor and make clockwise circles.

Now, while doing this, draw the number 6 in the air with your right hand.

SPOILER ALERT - DO NOT READY ANY FURTHER UNTIL YOU TRY WHAT IS DESCRIBED ABOVE, SERIOIUSLY

Ok, so the deal is that your foot will change direction as you draw the 6 in the air, and it's very hard to stop from happening. Any medical types out there have a clue why?

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Frank Rich on Bill O'Reilly, Mary Cheney, and GOP hypocrisy

A good read from the always enjoyably-complicated Frank Rich. Read More......

Fired Sinclair news chief doing Wash Post online chat today at 2:30pm Eastern

Remember, he's the GOOD guy who spoke up against Sinclair and got fired. From the Wash Post:

On Tuesday, under mounting political, legal and financial pressure, Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. decided not to air a film attacking John Kerry's Vietnam war service and said it would only air portions of the documenary in an hour-long special, "A POW Story: Politics, Pressure and the Media," on Friday.

Read the story: Anti-Kerry Film Won't Be Aired

Jon Leiberman, the company's Washington bureau chief, was fired on Monday for criticizing original plans to air the movie.

Leiberman will be online Thursday, Oct. 21, at 2:30 p.m. ET to discuss the controversy surrounding the possible airing of the film, and his subsequent dismissal.

Submit your questions and comments before or during today's discussion.

A request for an online discussion with a representative from the Sinclair Broadast Group has been made and washingtonpost.com will advise its readers.

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Oh the humanity

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Theologians confer, say God exists

as demonstrated in New York last night.
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Why is our National Security Advisor out campaigning?

Missed this in all the hubbub yesterday...

Condi Rice is uncharacteristically giving speeches in battleground states like Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Interesting that it coincides with cheney's return to mushroom-cloud talk.

Before anyone gives me any crap about the need for her to go outside the beltway, the Post article above has a picture of her at the CLEVELAND BROWNS PRACTICE FIELD in Berea, Ohio. What, does Jeff Garcia need a briefing on the threats to the West Coast Offense?

These are the same people who criticize John Edwards for being "senator gone?" Our National FREAKIN' Security Advisor is out campaigning!!! How many briefings is she missing? How many reports is she not reading?

And most importantly, does she have a copy of "my pet goat" handy if anything happens while she's out?
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Blair folds to Bush demand for UK troops

Bootlicker. He can spin it any way he likes, but the little bastard has given his pal Bush anything and everything he has wanted for four years. I wish that it was simply a matter of being bullied but he's done it so many times, I think that is just a cheap excuse that makes the Brits feel like they are not a country run by a complete asshole. Blair has been a willing participant every step of the way so no more excuses. He has had countless times where he could have stood firm but let's face the fact that Blair likes Bush and is part of the team.
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Politicians and prisoners have access to flu shots

This story gets worse every day. Our Politburo-like superiors in Washington have easy access to the flu vaccine and even our prisoners have access but if you are a sick child or a little old lady you can go Cheney yourself. Don't you just love the GOP spin about Cheney receiving the shot...it's just like Clinton who had his, they say. Gee, maybe that says that Dicky-boy should be resting at home and not running for Vice President of the United States. If he's in the same health state as Clinton we are in trouble.
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Dollar continues to be battered

The Yen and the Euro are gaining and some believe that the dollar will slump for at least the next few months. The issues? The escalating US deficit and fears of more interventionist international policy by Bush. Yes, Bush is making the markets nervous.
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Write-in ballot to be posted on Pentagon website

Fortunately my ballot arrived and was sent out without any problems (though it did have Nader on it, despite later being pulled from the PA ballot) though I do have one friend over here who never received her ballot from Florida. The Dem's Abroad in Paris were on top of the matter so they assisted her with an Emergency Ballot which was mailed out last week.

This latest attempt to resolve the ballot problem is a nice gesture but frankly, this is pathetic that it is only happening now. How are we supposed to lead the world and provide a model of democracy when we can't even sort out our own voting problems even after the 2000 election? It's no wonder the rest of the world only laughs when we talk about spreading democracy. For the Iraqi people that are not being bombed out of their houses, they must be wondering about the democracy that we're trying to bring to Iraq.
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