Open Thread

What do we all need to know? Read More......

Wolfowitz would get $375k if he leaves World Bank

Nice booty for some, er, booty. It's really sad what a laughing stock the man has made of the Bank. Read More......

Senators to Gonzales: Looks like you lied under oath

Okay, the Senators put it more diplomatically in letter sent today to the Attorney General, but in essence, that's the gist. What known-liar Gonzales said under oath conflicts with what James Comey said under oath. My money is on Comey telling the truth:

Specifically, Mr. Comey testified that you and former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card went to Mr. Ashcroft's bedside at George Washington Hospital, where he was in intensive care, in an effort to get him to agree to certify the legality of a classified program that he and Mr. Comey, who was serving as acting Attorney General at the time, had concluded should not be so certified. Mr. Comey stated that when the Administration decided to go forward with reauthorizing this classified program without that certification, he and several other Justice Department officials, including possibly Attorney General Ashcroft himself, were ready to tender their resignations.

You testified last year before both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Judiciary Committee about this incident. On February 6, 2006, at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, you were asked whether Mr. Comey and others at the Justice Department had raised concerns about the NSA wiretapping program. You stated in response that the disagreement that occurred was not related to the wiretapping program confirmed by the President in December 2005, which was the topic of the hearing.

Huh. Imagine George Bush's lawyer telling a lie -- under oath, no less.

Bush and Gonzales never, ever thought they'd be held accountable for their lies. And, if the GOP still controlled Congress, they wouldn't be.

Josh Marshall has video of Comey's testimony. Not to be overlooked was Comey's recollection that Bush himself had called Ashcroft's hospital room to arrange the visit by Card and Gonzales. It's worth a watch. Reading the reports about Comey's testimony don't do it justice. Read More......

Wolfowitz refusing to resign from World Bank after giving lover cushy job and raise

ABC News is reporting in breaking news that "PAUL WOLFOWITZ WILL NOT RESIGN 'UNDER THIS CLOUD' AND WOULD RATHER PUSH THE ISSUE OF HIS TENURE TO A VOTE BY THE WORLD BANK BOARD, HIS LAWYER SAYS." (No link, there's no story up yet.) Here's the link.

Dear World Bank, welcome to our world. Bushies who have screwed up, who have you screwed YOU, don't quit until you give them a medal. It's time for the rest of the world to show the US who's boss. Bushies don't negotiate with you, they won't leave without a fight - so give him one. I'd start by taking away his furniture. Though what the Germans just did - telling him he's not welcome in their country - was a hell of a first step. I think he's positioning for a massive monetary settlement. The World Bank had better not give it to him. We don't reward incompetence. Well, WE do here in Republican America, but the World Bank is supposed to set the standard for competence and ethics. Start uninviting Wolfie to every event and every meeting in existence. And like I said, start removing his furniture.

What a total embarrassment. Though the fact of George Bush defending a guy who gave his unmarried sex partner* a cushy job at the people's expense is priceless.

(* "Sex partner" is a phrase the religious right likes to use for committed gay couples, so what's good for the goose...) Read More......

Why kidnapping is such an insurgent priority

The massive manhunt for three missing U.S. soldiers continues in Iraq. New details about the initial ambush that resulted in their disappearance continue to come out, and the military is, understandably and rightly, putting in a huge amount of effort and resources to find the missing men.

The attack was defined as "complex," a term generally indicating that multiple types of weapons were used (e.g., some combination of grenades, guns, roadside bombs, etc.) by several perpetrators. It is, fortunately, exceedingly difficult for insurgents to kidnap U.S. forces in Iraq. Although military training doesn't concentrate on many of the things we're doing in Iraq, it definitely does focus on keeping soldiers out of the hands of the enemy. Force protection measures are in no small part designed to prevent this kind of occurrence, which is why, even in a country of 30 million people, such events are mercifully rare.

The reason they keep trying, however (and why we train so hard to prevent it, outside of the obvious goal of keeping our troops alive), is because having an abducted soldier is of potentially limitless value in this kind of conflict. It is the ultimate propaganda tool: insurgents can portray it as weakness in the opposition, it makes the population fear/respect the group that accomplishes it, and, perhaps most importantly, it inevitably provokes a military response that helps the insurgent cause. It gives the captors tremendous power, and the military must become reactive.

What the American public's response to this will be, I really have no idea. People are emotional and unpredictable about these things -- nearly six months ago, an American soldier went missing, and everybody has basically forgotten about it. Sadr made Maliki make the U.S. stop searching in Sadr City, and while I figured that would cause riots in American streets, nobody seemed to care. On the other hand, this continues to get tons of press, so maybe it will stay with us for longer. I certainly hope so, as I can't imagine many things more horrifying than the extremist groups holding our soldiers hostage.

I'm absolutely, unequivocally in favor of doing whatever it takes to find these men. Both from the perspective of an American who wants to keep our soldiers alive and knowing that the ethos and cohesion of the military depends on knowing that your country will do whatever it takes to find you if you're taken, it's the right thing to do. I also know that the methods for recovery are going to be brutal and will certainly harm our long-term strategic interests. From the NYTimes article (linked above):

American and Iraqi troops have focused their search on several key towns and villages around Mahmudiya, including Yusifiya, which has long been active with Sunni Arab insurgents.

"The situation is very tense right now," Jamal al-Dulaimi, 35, a truck driver in Yusifiya, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. "The Americans are searching the area inch by inch. They search a house and return to search it again in a few hours, or the next day, and they might do it several times for each house."

Not exactly a recipe for winning hearts and minds. On the other hand, it's nothing compared to the response we'll levy if these men turn up in a beheading video. I hope we find them, and soon.

Of course, our troops should no longer be in Iraq to get kidnapped. As always, no matter how many diversions he tries, the ultimate responsibility lies with the Commander in Chief. Read More......

Why does Duncan Hunter's presidential Web site claim to also be the Official Web site of Chuck Hagel?

Check out this image I just took of Duncan Hunter's presidential campaign Web site home page. Look at what's at the very top, I highlighted it in yellow. A bit odd, wouldn't you say? The site only just got changed in the last hour or two, it now no longer references Hagel (some of our readers initially caught this a few hours ago). Is Hunter using the same Web folks that Hagel is using? If so, they're a wee bit sloppy.


(click image to see larger version) Read More......

Bush's new "War Czar" backed Dem plan for Iraq two years ago

Oops. Two years ago he announced that we were going to be pulling a significant number of our troops out of Iraq by summer of 2006 in order to force the Iraqis to stand up and defend themselves. That would be the Democrats' plan. The one Bush vetoed. So not only does the new War Czar support the Democrats over Bush, but apparently he's a liar, or woefully out of the loop, as well (since we never withdrew). Read More......

Wolfie may be resigning at World Bank this afternoon

The appropriate end for a very bad man. From ABC News:

World Bank officials say the bank's board is completing an "exit strategy" that will allow World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz to resign this afternoon and "still save some face" over the issue of his efforts to seek a promotion and pay raise for his girlfriend at the bank.

The officials say the bank's board will accept Wolfowitz's resignation but will also acknowledge that the World Bank's Ethics Committee bears "some responsibility" for giving him bad advice on the issue of his girlfriend.

The decision is likely today, officials say, because Wolfowitz had been scheduled to leave tonight for a European trip.

German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul said yesterday, "He would do the bank and himself a great service if he resigned." The German said Wolfowitz would not be welcome at an Africa forum the bank is holding next week in Berlin should he refuse to resign.

Wolfowitz made an impassioned plea to the board last night to clear his name before leaving.

He said the inquiry into his conduct "has the potential to do greater long-term damage to the institution than the alleged underlying ethics issue that was, in point of fact, put to rest over a year ago."

Wolfie comes from the George Bush school of ethics. The harm doesn't come from their crimes, rather, it comes from holding them accountable for their crimes.

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Read More......

How the GOP candidates responded to Falwell's death

I decided to see what the various Republican candidates had to say about the death of anti-gay bigot and religious extremist Jerry Falwell. The statements ranged from an outright endorsement of the man's ideas to a simple condolence to his family. Here is the order of how closely they embraced Falwell, in rank order:

Strong Falwell Supporters
1. Hunter
2. Brownback
3. Gilmore
4. Romney
5. Huckabee

Weak Falwell Supporters
6. Thompson
7. McCain
8. Giuliani

No Support for Fallwell at All
9. Paul, Tancredo

Strong Falwell Supporters

1. Hunter - Hunter went over the top, devoted his entire home page to Falwell. Unfortunately he, oddly, used an image of his words so that I can't copy them.

2. Brownback - top of his home page

"Today, America has lost a true spiritual leader and a man of great faith in Jerry Falwell. His great words and actions will never be forgotten by the hundreds of thousands of people around the world that his life has touched. Jerry's moral character and principle will forever be remembered deep within my heart and those whose lives were so blessed to be touched by him."

3. Gilmore - on his home page, but not the top of his home page

"In the passing of Rev. Jerry Falwell, we have lost someone who brought inspiration and faith to millions of people around the world. Dr. Falwell was a valued supporter of mine for many years and I was an admirer of his good works. The educational institution he founded, Liberty University, has become a major employer in Virginia and is well regarded by educators from throughout the country. Not only did he inspire people in Virginia and America with his faith based efforts to lift up the lives of our citizens, he also has helped people throughout the world with his mission work. We will miss him."

4. Romney - on his news page

"An American who built and led a movement based on strong principles and strong faith has left us. He will be greatly missed, but the legacy of his important work will continue through his many ministries where he put his faith into action.

"Ann and I have had the honor to talk and meet with Reverend Falwell and get to know him as a man of deep personal faith and commitment to helping those around him. He will be forever remembered."

5. Huckabee - on his news page. But note the very odd back-handed compliment of Falwell in the third sentence. Many did not know that Falwell had compassion for people? Hell of a thing to say about a religious leader - people didn't know he had any compassion. (Of course, Huckabee is correct - this would be news to me.)

“I’ve known Dr. Falwell since the mid 1970’s. I’ve been to his church and spoke at the university last fall. He was one of Christendom’s great leaders who stood by his convictions and never lost his common touch. Many did not know about his sense of humor and compassion for people from all walks of life."

“Dr. Falwell helped spark a conservative movement that renewed our belief in our core values and a new confidence in what is good about America. His efforts helped elect one of America’s greatest leaders, President Ronald Reagan, in 1980. We are deeply indebted to his service to our nation.”

Lukewarm Falwell Supporters

6. Thompson - yes, the link is on his home page, but not a very warm endorsement at all. Rather pro forma.

"I join millions of Americans in remembering Jerry Falwell as a religious, educational and cultural leader. A man of boundless energy, he dedicated his life to serving his students, his church and our great nation. Our prayers are with Dr. Falwell’s family in their time of loss."

7. McCain - on his news page, and not much of an endorsement, but better than Giuliani

"I join the students, faculty, and staff of Liberty University and Americans of all faiths in mourning the loss of Reverend Jerry Falwell.

"Dr. Falwell was a man of distinguished accomplishment who devoted his life to serving his faith and country.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Dr. Falwell's family at this difficult time."

8. Giuliani - not on his home page, and buried on his news page (the title of the release doesn't even say Falwell). Also, written the way you'd write a eulogy about someone you couldn't stand.

“I express my condolences to his family, Reverend Falwell’s family, and to his much larger family …He was a man who set a direction. He was someone who was not afraid to speak his mind. We all have great respect for him … he is a person who told you what he thought and you knew where he stood. ... My sympathies and my prayers go out to his family…”

No Support for Falwell

9. Paul - nothing about Falwell at all

9. (tied with the above) Tancredo - he has NOTHING on his site about Falwell's death, at all. Read More......

Senate kills Feingold Iraq bill, 29-67

UPDATE: You can find out who voted how here - "nays" are the bad guys.

A number of Democrats have basically voted to kill the Feingold bill, including: Landrieu, Lincoln, Webb, Nelson, Dorgan, Casey, Tester, Bayh, McCaskill.

Unfortunately, far too many Democrats are still playing catch up with the will of the American people. Read More......

Gonzales went to great lengths to implement illegal domestic spying

Didn't see James Comey testify yesterday, but The NY Times has a fascinating account of his testimony. Comey described the lengths to which Alberto Gonzales and Andrew Card were willing to go to break the law and allow spying on the American people. You know it's ugly when John Ashcroft comes across as being on the right side.

This is like something out of a bad spy movie -- unfortunately, it's real:

Mr. Comey said that on the evening of March 10, 2004, Mr. Gonzales and Andrew H. Card Jr., then Mr. Bush’s chief of staff, tried to bypass him by secretly visiting Mr. Ashcroft. Mr. Ashcroft was extremely ill and disoriented, Mr. Comey said, and his wife had forbidden any visitors.

Mr. Comey said that when a top aide to Mr. Ashcroft alerted him about the pending visit, he ordered his driver to rush him to George Washington University Hospital with emergency lights flashing and a siren blaring, to intercept the pair. They were seeking his signature because authority for the program was to expire the next day.

Mr. Comey said he phoned Mr. Mueller, who agreed to meet him at the hospital. Once there, Mr. Comey said he “literally ran up the stairs.” At his request, Mr. Mueller ordered the F.B.I. agents on Mr. Ashcroft’s security detail not to evict Mr. Comey from the room if Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card objected to his presence.

Mr. Comey said he arrived first in the darkened room, in time to brief Mr. Ashcroft, who he said seemed barely conscious. Before Mr. Ashcroft became ill, Mr. Comey said the two men had talked and agreed that the program should not be renewed.

When the White House officials appeared minutes later, Mr. Gonzales began to explain to Mr. Ashcroft why they were there. Mr. Comey said Mr. Ashcroft rose weakly from his hospital bed, but in strong and unequivocal terms, refused to approve the eavesdropping program.

“I was angry,” Mr. Comey told the committee. “ I had just witnessed an effort to take advantage of a very sick man, who did not have the powers of the attorney general because they had been transferred to me. I thought he had conducted himself in a way that demonstrated a strength I had never seen before, but still I thought it was improper.”

Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card quickly departed, but Mr. Comey said he soon got an angry phone call from Mr. Card, demanding that he come to the White House. Mr. Comey said he replied: “After what I just witnessed, I will not meet with you without a witness, and I intend that witness to be the solicitor general of the United States.”

The Washington Post also highlighted this key point from Comey's testimony:

It also marks the first public acknowledgment that the Justice Department found the original surveillance program illegal, more than two years after it began.

Read More......

Blair visiting Bush today

I wonder if he'll get a nice new leash or maybe a fancy new collar. Ahh, what do you give to your favorite lapdog? Read More......

Wednesday Morning Open Thread

That Republican debate was just plain painful to watch. I think it was the first time my tv was on FOX News for more than 30 seconds.

Today, the Senate will take a series of votes on Iraq starting around 10:30 a.m. The key vote to stop the war will be on Senator Feingold's legislation that will put an end to the U.S. involvement in the Iraq war by March 31, 2008.

Start threading. Read More......

From the team that thinks Iraq is going well

After a dismal Q1 economy that grew at 1.3% but is likely to be revised down to 0.7%, the White House economic team still thinks that they can pull off the miracle of maintaining 2.7% growth for 2007. Are there any plans to introduce reality on any subject to the administration in the near future or will they just keep pumping out nonsense like this to run out the clock? Read More......

It's time to clean house at the VA, now

I admittedly have a special disgust for the VA management, having taken my father to the VA on numerous occasions both for normal checkups as well as chemotherapy (which ultimately lead to his death), witnessing one of the worst health care systems up close. American vets are routinely treated like a number at best, rubbish at worst, with treatments that are lagging behind. Between the treatments they provided to my father and talking with vets at the hospital and clinics, I wondered how any of them survived that system.

For those who suggest this is what socialized health care is all about, you are wrong. I live with socialized health care which is excellent. With so many retired, middle class Americans turning to the VA due to rising insurance costs while on a fixed budget, it is imperative that the system is corrected. Updating and fixing a broken down system is difficult when the top management is sitting on the board, overseeing their own juicy bonus plans despite cost overruns and substandard care.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press raise questions of conflicts of interest or appearances of conflicts in connection with the bonuses, some of which went to senior officials involved in crafting a budget that came up $1.3 billion short and jeopardized veterans' health care.

The documents show that 21 of 32 officials who were members of VA performance review boards received more than half a million dollars in payments themselves.

Among them: nearly a dozen senior officials who devised the flawed 2005 budget. Also rewarded was the deputy undersecretary for benefits, who manages a system with severe backlogs of veterans waiting for disability benefits.

These people are dishonorable and disgraceful, but that just makes them part of the crowd in this administration. Read More......