LA Times gives credit where credit is due -- to Talking Points Memo

The LA Times profiles Josh Marshall and the crew at TPM for both discovering and pushing the scandal about the firing of the U.S. Attorneys. TPM's tenacity is one of the reasons that Alberto Gonzales is going to lose his job soon:

In December, Josh Marshall, who owns and runs TPM , posted a short item linking to a news report in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette about the firing of the U.S. attorney for that state. Marshall later followed up, adding that several U.S. attorneys were apparently being replaced and asked his 100,000 or so daily readers to write in if they knew anything about U.S. attorneys being fired in their areas.

For the two months that followed, Talking Points Memo and one of its sister sites, TPM Muckraker, accumulated evidence from around the country on who the axed prosecutors were, and why politics might be behind the firings. The cause was taken up among Democrats in Congress. One senior Justice Department official has resigned, and Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales is now in the media crosshairs.

This isn't the first time Marshall and Talking Points have led coverage on national issues. In 2002, the site was the first to devote more than just passing mention to then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott's claim that the country would have been better off had the segregationist 1948 presidential campaign of Sen. Strom Thurmond succeeded. The subsequent furor cost Lott his leadership position.

Similarly, the TPM sites were leaders in chronicling the various scandals associated with Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

We are very big fans of Josh and his colleagues.

Hat tip to Erin for posting the link in the comments. Read More......

Thousands protest as war enters 5th year

Joe had a brunch this morning for some of the gang in town for the war protest - finally got to meet Kay in Maine, Chris in Maine, Ellie and RevPhat. Kay even brought us some Maine treats, including some kind of chocolate cream thing that looks like an Oreo on steroids. About to try that now.

More on the protest from AP. Read More......

Whether it's "Changing explanations" or "another shift" or a "recalibration," it's still a lie

Lies. Call them what they are: Lies:

Indeed, the administration’s changing explanations for the dismissals seem to be at the heart of the current clash, which both Republicans and Democrats say could cost Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales his job.

On Friday, with the release of more e-mail messages, there was yet another shift, as Tony Snow, the White House spokesman, backed away from the administration’s assertion that Harriet E. Miers, the former White House counsel, had proposed dismissing all 93 United States attorneys. Dan Bartlett, counselor to Mr. Bush, said earlier this week that Ms. Miers had “floated an idea” to do just that, but by Friday, Mr. Snow said he was no longer certain.

“This is as far as we can go,” Mr. Snow said. “We know that Karl had a recollection of Harriet’s having raised it. And his recollection is that he dismissed it as not a good idea. That’s what we know.”

That was not the first recalibration in light of new facts. On Jan. 18, Mr. Gonzales told the Senate Judiciary Committee that his department based employment decisions on “the performance of individuals.” Then performance evaluations for six of eight dismissed prosecutors came to light, showing they had been rated “well regarded,” “capable” or “very competent.”

So many ways to say that Bush Administration officials are lying without just saying it. Read More......

Desmund Tutu is correct, again - upset with silence on Zimbabwe

Spot on.

Nobel peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Friday lambasted African silence about the brutal treatment of democracy activists in Zimbabwe.

"We Africans should hang our heads in shame," said Tutu, who is widely regarded as South Africa's moral conscience. "How can what is happening in Zimbabwe elicit hardly a word of concern let alone condemnation from us leaders of Africa?"

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A brutal day with chlorine bombs in Iraq

Four years later:

Three trucks rigged with chlorine bombs exploded in the insurgent stronghold of Anbar province Friday, in the latest efforts by insurgents to use the toxic chemical to boost the lethal power of their attacks, U.S. military officials announced Saturday.

The U.S. officials said at least 350 people and seven U.S. soldiers were injured and two policemen were killed in the attacks. As many as 10 civilians may have been killed in two of the blasts near Fallujah, said Col. Sami Jabara, a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior.

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Bush trying to kill D.C. voting representation

The District of Columbia is taxed without representation. This year, Congress is planning to change that by giving District residents a voting member of the U.S. House. Everything was proceeding until yesterday when George Bush weighed in:

The White House declared its opposition yesterday to a bill that would give the District its first full seat in the House of Representatives, saying it is unconstitutional, and a key Senate supporter said such concerns could kill the measure.

"The Constitution specifies that only 'the people of the several states' elect representatives to the House," said White House spokesman Alex Conant. "And D.C. is not a state."

He declined to say whether President Bush would veto the bill, but the White House appeared to be sending a message to Congress just as momentum for the measure was building. It cleared two House committees this week, and the Democratic leadership has vowed to pass it on the House floor next week.

All of the sudden, the Bush Administration claims to worry about the constitutionality of legislation. Every chance Bush gets to screw Americans, he does. Read More......

Saturday Morning Open Thread

Four years ago, George Bush started the Iraq war. He lied about the reasons. He didn't have a plan. He still doesn't.

Events this week showed the Bush administration to be the pervasive liars they are. Even the traditional media seemed to clue in. They just lie and lie and lie. And, many people have died because of those lies.

Today is the March on the Pentagon here in DC. The fun part is that Chris and Kay are en route from Maine. We'll be meeting up shortly.

And, Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh (Happy St. Patrick's Day). Read More......

UK retailer goes green(er)

It's tough not to be impressed with the green efforts by the British retailers, from customer demands. The Brits are truly energized to bring change and are setting the pace for the rest of us to follow.

Morrisons has become the latest supermarket chain to cut packaging, promising a reduction of 15 per cent in the next three years.

Britain's fourth biggest grocer listed the target among several new green pledges this week as it signalled its determination to overturn its poor reputation on the environment.

By 2010 Morrisons promised to:

* Slash its carbon footprint by 36 per cent

* Cut energy use by 8 per cent per metre

* Obtain 10 per cent renewable energy

* Halve waste sent to landfill

* Use 15 per cent less water

Very well done. Read More......

UK asking UN for investigators to Zimbabwe

The dictator and thug of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, may have gone too far this time when he sent his goons to beat up opposition leaders at a prayer rally. With the country on the verge of financial ruin, its people starving, unemployment beyond belief and now extreme violence against any opposition, Mugabe may be nearing the end. On the heals of his million dollar party, Mugabe is fast losing the limited support that he once counted on to maintain control of the country.

Britain will try high risk diplomacy by demanding that the Human Rights Council of the United Nations sends a team of investigators into Zimbabwe to gather evidence on the ground about the brutality of Robert Mugabe's regime.

The decision, agreed yesterday by Tony Blair and the Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett, is a sign of Whitehall's confidence that patience with Mugabe across Africa, and particularly in South Africa, is wearing thin. Mr Mugabe has responded to every British criticism of his government by reminding his followers of Britain's past as Africa's colonial master - a line which British ministers frankly admit has resonated with other black Africa leaders.

The same note of defiance was struck again yesterday as Mr Mugabe told Western nations to "go hang" after the barrage of criticism that followed the heavy beatings of opposition leaders this week.

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Open thread

Bread's cooling off. Read More......