Rove has Bush's "complete confidence"

In any other administration, a treasonous traitor who outed a covert spy during war time would be in jail. In the Bush administration, the treasonous traitor has the President's complete confidence. Reuters has the story:

President Bush on Monday declared "complete confidence" in his top political adviser, Karl Rove, despite his alleged role in leaking a covert CIA operative's identity, according to an interview.

Federal investigators are trying to determine who outed covert CIA agent Valerie Plame, whose name first appeared in a column by newspaper journalist Robert Novak on July 14, 2003.

"Karl's got my complete confidence. He's a valuable member of my team," Bush said in his strongest defense yet of Rove, the architect of his presidential campaigns.

Wow, complete confidence. What the hell does Rove have on Bush? Or does Bush just realize he can't function without him? Either way, it's a national disgrace, to say the least. Read More......

Open Thread

Soon, John will awake in gay Paree.... Read More......

Bush Caving To Terrorists

Bush is insisting Iraqis finish their constitution in two weeks -- even if they need more time -- because he has to start pulling out troops before mid-term elections. To hell with what is best for the long-term stability of Iraq (probably an INFLUX of troops into Iraq, frankly), he's got polling numbers to look out for.

And now the new US ambassador to Iraq is continuing to set deadlines for troop withdrawals -- meeting with the Iraqis to discuss what cities the soldiers will pull out of and when next spring. Bush can't possibly pretend things have gotten BETTER or even stabilized in the past year, and yet he's talking about pulling out and saying when. According to Bush, that means all the insurgents have to do is hunker down and wait them out. Why does Bush love the terrorists? Read More......

One more day til the Election in Ohio's Second District

Swing State Project has constant updates -- including the news that another $50,000 was raised today from the netroots -- and Atrios (with a styling new logo) really captures the race.

We'll see if the people in Ohio are still electing corrupt Republicans liars. Read More......

Bush Poll Numbers: Lower Than EVER

We've gotten so used to these polls showing the American people have caught on to Bush, that we forgot to mention the latest Gallup poll on Friday. USA Today's story in the paper reminded me. Bush's favorable rating? The lowest of his administration. Bush's unfavorable rating? At 50% -- higher than ever.

President Bush's job approval ratings have hit the lowest point of his tenure and the number of Americans with an unfavorable opinion of him has reached 50% for the first time, according to a Gallup poll released Friday....

Chickens coming home to roost, etc., etc. Read More......

Iran Defies US, Starting Up Nuclear Program Again

Another Bush success story.

Meanwhile, the Iranians are getting cozier every day with the Shiites running Iraq. The NYT headline: "Iraq Dances With Iran, While America Seethes." Can you say endgame? Read More......

More Proof Bush Knew Iraq Was No Threat

A CIA spy is suing their former employer. Why? Because he was fired for telling the truth.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court here in December, the former C.I.A. officer, whose name remains secret, said that the informant told him that Iraq's uranium enrichment program had ended years earlier and that centrifuge components from the scuttled program were available for examination and even purchase....

In his lawsuit, he says his dismissal was punishment for his reports questioning the agency's assumptions on a series of weapons-related matters. Among other things, he charged that he had been the target of retaliation for his refusal to go along with the agency's intelligence conclusions.

How many people need to come forward before the American people realize Bush lied to them? Oh, wait, the American people already do realize Bush lied to them. So why doesn't the MSM keep pounding away? Is it really "old news" that Bush lied to the American people in the State of the Union address, ignored all the facts pointing in one direction and went in another, "fixed up" the intelligence according to his closest ally the British and fired anyone who spoke up and smeared anyone who dared to go public?

We were attacked by Al Quaeda and the Taliban that harbored them. Why did Bush invade Iraq? Read More......

Open Thread

Have at it. Read More......

Teaching The Bible In Public Schools: Texas Leads The Way

The fight never ends. Here's a story about people trying to push their own, narrow interpretation of the Bible into the public school curriculum and trying to pretend it's not religion...just a non-religious text studying the bible as literature and as a historical document. Some highlights of their foolishness:

Elizabeth Ridenour, a commercial real estate broker who said she formed the nonprofit organization in 1993 after deciding that she had long been "duped" into believing the Bible could not be taught in public schools, said the course has stayed within legal limits. "Our teachers are not to say, 'This is the truth,' or that the Bible is infallible," she said. "They are to say, 'This is what the Bible says; draw your own conclusions.'"

Of course, that's teaching the Bible, not teaching ABOUT the Bible, but she doesn't want to understand the difference.

But a growing chorus of critics says the course, taught by local teachers trained by the council, conceals a religious agenda. The critics say it ignores evolution in favor of creationism and gives credence to dubious assertions that the Constitution is based on the Scriptures, and that "documented research through NASA" backs the biblical account of the sun standing still....

Some of the claims made in the national council's curriculum are laughable, said Mark A. Chancey, professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, who spent seven weeks studying the syllabus for the freedom network. Mr. Chancey said he found it "riddled with errors" of facts, dates, definitions and incorrect spellings. It cites supposed NASA findings to suggest that the earth stopped twice in its orbit, in support of the literal truth of the biblical text that the sun stood still in Joshua and II Kings.

"When the type of urban legend that normally circulates by e-mail ends up in a textbook, that's a problem," Mr. Chancey said.

Don't these people even have the courage of their convictions? They WANT prayer in the public school. They WANT to teach their own fundamentalist faith in the public school. They WANT to ban any science that conflicts with their religious beliefs -- even if it means our kids falling farther and farther behind the rest of the world. Why can't they be honest? At least the good Christians and Jews and Muslims and other people of faith and even the agnostics and atheists don't try to lie to the American people. So why do these people lie? Because they know if they were honest about what they really want they know that most Americans would say, "No thanks." Read More......

There's something about Jenna

This just in from AMERICAblog's double super secret bar-hopping correspondent... (the pic to the left is a famous old one of Jenna having fun).

First daughter party girl Jenna Bush was spotted last Saturday night at Zucchabar in DC, only a hop, skip and a jump from AMERICAblog world headquarters (well, when we're not in exile in Europe).

Jenna was quite noticeable, our source tells us, because she was "straddling and dry-humping her boyfriend (or acquaintance) who was seated on one of the sofas." A young punk guy then went up and asked Jenna to dance. Jenna's dry-humping buddy reportedly told the punker: "hey dude, are you trying to ask a Bush daughter to dance or something?!" (Now that's a discrete friend.) Later on, punk guy was out dancing and Jenna came up and started pretending to dance with him, apparently to make fun of him.

When asked how our double super secret bar-hopping correspondent ID'd the first dirty-dancer as Jenna, we're told Jenna had on the same beads she was wearing in Africa two weeks ago, was trying to hide for a while behind her bangs (just as she'd done when spotted in a DC bar months ago by another AMERICAblog bar correspondent), and, most damningly, Jenna "had the same piglet eyes like her father."

Say what you will about her father, but I'm betting Jenna's a BIG Democrat. Read More......

Please Feed The MSM

A flurry of new Rove items have appeared, but it appears the MSM is waiting for the investigators to make the next move. Meanwhile, President Bush refuses to take the logical, common sense step of placing national security ahead of friendship and cutting off Karl Rove and Scooter's access to classified info until they've been cleared. So what questions should the MSM be asking?

1. How long does President Bush intend to let people who are credibly charged with leaking classified information continue with top secret clearance? Shouldn't the President suspend that clearance until the investigation is complete? After all, we are at war.

2. The President has always roundly condemned leakers in his Administration. He even announced a zero tolerance policy by stating anyone involved in leaking the identity of a cover CIA agent to the press would be fired. Now the President has gone back on his word. Is the new Bush standard that only someone actually convicted of a crime will be fired? Doesn't that make Bush's standard the weakest in history?

3. How does the President feel about having not one, not two, not three, but possibly four people high up in his adminstration who have leaked classified information to the press?

4.How does the President justify a recess appointment of a major official who knowingly lied to Congress? How many other times has John Bolton been involved in an investigation into a breach of national security? Does it happen every week? Assuming this was the first time, doesn't it boggle the mind that he could forget something as important as that? Scotty, you've been interviewed as part of an investigation into national security -- how many times has that happened to you? Do you think you'll ever forget that? Doesn't that indicate that John Bolton either lied to Congress or simply doesn't care about national security? Does John Bolton intend to apologize to Congress for lying to them? Or does he not think lying to Congress is a serious matter? Does the President think lying to Congress is not a serious matter?

4. Is the President angry that his adminsminstration is the first in history to intentionally out a covert CIA agent for partisan political purposes? If he is angry, why dooesn't he do something about it? He doesn't need to wait for the end of an investigation to act on the facts available to him right now. If he doesn't act, can we assume the President could care less?

What questions would you ask? Read More......

Open thread

Well, my Vonage phone is WORKING (so far) here in Paris. That means my local phone in DC rings here on my phone in Paris. And when I make phone calls here in Paris to anywhere in the US, they're free. Wild stuff.

So, I just got done watching ER, in French, and then some special on Judy Garland (also in French) - seemed so appropriate, somehow (it was either that or the Simpons!). I'm hitting the sack soon, way too tired to go out - we're six hours ahead of East coast US time, and I need to write my RADAR story tomorrow.

Anyway, I'll check the morning papers when I get up and give you a summary. Read More......

Bush Deceives Congress...Again

Bush lied to Congress about the cost of his prescription pill plan. Bush doctors science papers, denies facts and generally avoids reality based thinking whenever possible. Bush lied to Congress in his State of the Union -- and caved practically the day he was called on it. And now Bush has lied again.

He strong-armed Republicans into passing a (lack of) energy bill that will do nothing to make our country stronger and safer and less dependent on foreign powers for our energy needs. God forbid we try to reduce consumption of oil or anything nutty and liberal like that.

But it wasn't easy, so Bush had to conveniently delay an EPA report that makes abundantly clear that our country's automotive fleet is desperately falling behind -- fuel consumption is getting worse and worse. Hey, it's just our national security we're talking about.

The contents of the report show that loopholes in American fuel economy regulations have allowed automakers to produce cars and trucks that are significantly less fuel-efficient, on average, than they were in the late 1980's.

Releasing the report [on time] would have been inopportune for the Bush administration, its critics said, because it would have come on the eve of a final vote in Congress on energy legislation six years in the making. The bill, as it stands, largely ignores auto mileage regulations.

The executive summary of the copy of the report obtained by The Times acknowledges that "fuel economy is directly related to energy security," because consumer cars and trucks account for about 40 percent of the nation's oil consumption. But trends highlighted in the report show that carmakers are not making progress in improving fuel economy, and environmentalists say the energy bill will do little to prod them.

That's right, one of the easiest and simplest ways to improve our national security -- push automakers to build cars that are more fuel efficient -- and Bush can't even be bothered. Sadly, as hybrid cars are proving, it would be good for business, too. Read More......

Note To Rome: We Haven't Forgotten

Two priests defrocked...about forty years too late.

In 1984, Eugene O'Sullivan was sentenced to probation after he admitted sodomizing a 13-year-old altar boy. A condition of his sentence was that he not be allowed to work with children.

But O'Sullivan was later assigned to four New Jersey parishes. He was recalled to Boston in 1992 after church officials learned of another allegation against him dating to his time in Massachusetts.

Documents from O'Sullivan's personnel file, made public in 2002, show that the archdiocese was alerted as early as the 1960s to allegations against him.

In a 2003 deposition he gave in lawsuits filed against the archdiocese, Cardinal Bernard Law defended his decision to allow O'Sullivan to transfer, saying he wanted to give O'Sullivan a chance at "redemption."

Law resigned as archbishop of Boston but remains a cardinal.

In my anger, I bolded practically half the article. You don't offer a drunk redemption by giving him a job in a bar. A priest who molests children can be forgiven by God, but it is the duty of us on Earth to protect the children, not ignore the danger these people represent. Law was simply trying to brush a problem under the rug or is so twisted in his views of what is "normal" that he didn't think it was that big a deal. (I'm not exaggerating that; numerous comments by bishops about the rape of 13 year old boys that try to portray it as consensual sex show they are way out of touch with mainstream society.)

This is why many Catholics are leaving the Church. Read More......

Brace Yourselves: NY Post Applauds Hillary

Yes, hell has frozen over and the New York Post has praised a stance of Hillary Clinton in a lead editorial. Specifically, Hillary believes we need to expand the Army by 80,000 soldiers. The Army has resisted in recent years because soldiers are expensive. If they add 80,000 new troops (which need to be housed and fed and paid, etc.) they'll have to sacrifice buying some of their shiny new toys. Massively expensive new weapons are fun, of course, but as Iraq proves you secure the peace with boots on the ground.

Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman are doing what members of the loyal opposition are supposed to do.

They are stepping up to the plate with a legitimate proposal that neither the administration nor the Republican congressional majority can reasonably ignore.

Good policy makes good politics.

It would be ironic if Mrs. Clinton converted herself into the candidate most earnestly committed to ensuring that the U.S. Army has the tools necessary to win this war. But if it happens, the president and his party's leaders will have no one to blame but themselves.

Now, Hillary isn't "repositioning" herself -- as a First Lady and advocate on social issues, Hillary didn't have a record on the military. So she's not backtracking on any former stance. All one could do is imply that her husband was anti-military, but that would be a lie. Besides, as the NY Post points out, she happens to be right.

So conspiracy theorists, put on your thinking caps:

1. The New York Post wants Hillary to be the Democratic nominee so it's lying.

2. Hillary is lying so she can "pretend" to be tough on terror, get into the White House and go back to being the super-left liberal we always thought she was.

3. As Senator of New York, Hillary is dealing with a state that faced the biggest attack on our soil in this nation's history. She's become an expert on military issues and this sober, reasonable proposal reflects that. Hillary is being honest and straightforward. And the NY Post agrees with her. Or is that too boring? Read More......

Novak's worried about his integrity

Like he has any. What a loser. He outs an undercover agent....once again doing the dirty work for Karl Rove and Bush, and somehow he's the victim.

He's a pig. Read More......

Bush recess appoints lying harasser of women to UN

Like Dick Cheney said after the first election fiasco, govern like you have a mandate even though you don't. Or, as Bush took it to mean, and as Cheney probably meant it, to hell with democracy and law - you know what's best for America.

Democrats: Bush needs to be made to pay a price for this appointment.

Rest of World: This man has no credibility and we don't support him. When he gives you crap, ignore him. Read More......

Leaked Gitmo emails supposedly claim trials are simply for show, they're phony

Yeah, wouldn't that be a surprise. No justice at Gitmo? My world is collapsing around me. Read More......

Evil Stem Cell Research Proving Annoyingly Useful

Yep, the culture of life keeps on chugging despite Bush's best efforts to ignore the genocide in Darfur, turn his back on the starving of Niger, scoff at the desire of others to give a helping hand to Africa in general, and block medical research that could save countless lives.

Now stem cell research has found that infertile women may be able to harvest stem cells from their bone marrow that can help replenish the ovaries.

This latest bit of good news is one reason Sen. "I can diagnose people from watching a video" Frist is now supporting the expansion of stem cell research. Presumably Frist figures the far right people he needs support from won't have anywhere else to turn in the primaries (Santorum is out, unless he comes back in - he's been waffling a bit), so Frist can get ready to pretend he's mainstream for the general election when he runs for President in 2008. Read More......

I am here, I am here, I am here!

UPDATE: Well, those French may have a word for everything, but they still haven't quite gotten that English thing down. I bought a packet of what was clearly baba ghanoush (or however you spell it). I read the ingredients, it's baba ghanoush. The name in french? Caviar d'aubergines (eggplant caviar, or, well, baba ghanoush).

So what do they call it English in big print on the label? "Vegetarian Liver." I kid you not. (Oh, and the brand is "Ricky's," printed like it's handwritten.) Took me a while to figure out why the French would label something as good as baba ghanoush "vegetarian liver," and then it hit me. Pate is made from liver (well, at least some is). And this is clearly an eggplant pate, so they translated it into, basically, eggplant liver. Get it?

Ah the French.
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Am at my friends' apartment in Paris, unpacked (mostly), got my computer set up, and most importantly, ran across the street to the market and now have a big slab of prosciutto and baguette beckoning me to the table. Not much to report - flight went fine, cab went fine, the cats were thrilled to see me (which pretty much means they didn't run upon seeing me, nor did they immediately pee on my clothes).

Anyway, now that I'm online, I'm going to eat something then peruse the news. Next, we see if my Vonage phone actually works here... Read More......

Monday Morning Open Thread

Let's get it started.... Read More......