Defense Department debunks Santorum/FOX News claim that we found WMD in Iraq

Well that didn't take long. I can't wait to see how low Santorum's poll numbers go after this debacle. And I also can't wait to see all the quotes from FOX News tonight touting the wonderful "discovery" of WMD in Iraq. I hear there are good ones. Stay tuned. Read More......

Apparently the US House held hearings today about the folks who sell your phone records online for 100 bucks

Nice of them to tell us. Read More......

Who said it: Adolf Hitler or Ann Coulter?

I got ten right. Read More......

Now Rick Santorum is claiming we found WMD in Iraq a long time ago. Uh, right.

UPDATE: The Defense Department has just come out and said that Santorum is full of, well, santorum.

But you see, the Bush administration just didn't want to tell anyone. Uh, right. For national security reasons it was more important for Bush to lie to the American people and tell them we didn't find any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but we really did. Get it? No, because it doesn't make any sense. There is zero chance that George Bush wouldn't tell the American people had he found WMD in Iraq years ago. Zero chance. And in fact, this White House actually repeatedly told the American people they had found WMD in Iraq, only to later say "oops, we were wrong." So, in fact, they have already shown they have no problem whatsoever announcing that they found WMD, so had they REALLY found it years ago, as Rick Santorum is now alleging, they'd have told us years ago.

This is yet another lie being put out by the White House and its Republican surrogates in Congress in order to help Republicans get re-elected in the fall elections. Read More......

AT&T; waters down privacy policy to better screw you in the future

How AT&T;'s shareholders have not launched a massive shareholder suit against the company is beyond me. There is no reasonable business reason for AT&T; to, as it's been alleged, let the federal government use its network to spy on AT&T;'s customers (and perhaps the entire country). I can think of no way in which this helps AT&T;'s stock. The directors of that company ought to lose their shirts. More from Explore for Truth blog. Read More......

House GOP stops voting on extending Voting Rights Act

You know, some things just really do speak for themselves. No matter how they spin this, the reality is that there are many prominent Republicans who do not want to extend the Voting Rights Act:

House Republican leaders on Wednesday postponed a vote on renewing the 1965 Voting Rights Act after GOP lawmakers complained it unfairly singles out nine Southern states for federal oversight.

"We have time to address their concerns," Republican leaders said in a joint statement. "Therefore, the House Republican Leadership will offer members the time needed to evaluate the legislation."

What's unfair is that Americans are denied their rights to vote. Those are the concerns that should be addressed. Period. The rest is a smokescreen. And the GOP knows it. Read More......

War crimes influenced by bad strategy, failed leadership

As reports of war crimes increase, it's vital to remember that in a command and control structure like the U.S. military, leadership bears great responsibility for wartime actions.

Of course all people should be held responsible for criminal actions, and we hold soldiers to an especially high standard because of the power and responsibility that comes along with being in the military. Excuses cannot be made for criminal acts.

It is shameful, though, how the leadership of this administration and Defense Department put American troops in situations where rules are blurred and regulations remain unclear. In this latest report, which contains minimal detail, the soldiers are reportedly being charged with crimes committed against detainees. When an administration calls the Geneva Conventions "quaint" and signals its intention to ignore legislation regarding treatment of detainees through signing statements and the like, it invites soldiers to go to far . . . and is shocked -- shocked! -- when they do. Read More......

85 to 100 Iraqis kidnapped leaving work north of Baghdad

Good God. This is winning? Read More......

New study says parental smoking impairs lungs for children

But don't those kids know it's the parents freedom to smoke, health impact on everyone else be damned? What about the damage to the smokers liberties? Some people just don't understand personal freedom and are so self centered that they worry about the negative health impact of those around them. Read More......

Is civil war coming for Palestinians?

The pro-Fatah revolt against Hamas last week was a shocking development and some analysts think that civil war might be just weeks away. For a group of people that has experienced its share of poverty, misery and poor government leadership I hope that this can be avoided but the momentum for a fight is there. Read More......

Did George Bush deface American flags in Vienna, Austria today?

UPDATE: The Associated Press caught Bush defacing American flags in 2003. The Democrats need to offer an amendment to the "flag burning amendment" that says that writing on the flag is also illegal. Then let the Republicans decide if they're going to vote that George Bush defaced the flag, or whether they're going to defend defacing the flag. Either way, it will make for good theater. I see massive cardboard displays on the Senate floor with this picture blown up really large.



A US embassy staffer in Vienna writes AMERICAblog and says he did. Reportedly, a slew of conservative Republican Bush supporters wanted to get Bush's autograph on US flags. And Bush signed them. Right on the flags. Kind of ironic right before Senate Republicans force us to debate "flag burning," again, simply because they have no more ideas left.

Now, this is just a report from one reader, though it's a reader I've had extensive dealings with and he's been trustworthy before. So, can someone with the media traveling with the president look into this further?

Just FYI, but here's what the US Code says about what Bush reportedly did:

TITLE 4 > CHAPTER 1 > § 8

§ 8. Respect for flag

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

Then there is this (and this seems to apply on in DC, but still, that is where Mr. Bush lives):

TITLE 4 > CHAPTER 1 > § 3

§ 3. Use of flag for advertising purposes; mutilation of flag
Release date: 2006-03-20

Any person who, within the District of Columbia, in any manner, for exhibition or display, shall place or cause to be placed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing, or any advertisement of any nature upon any flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America; or shall expose or cause to be exposed to public view any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign upon which shall have been printed, painted, or otherwise placed, or to which shall be attached, appended, affixed, or annexed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, or drawing, or any advertisement of any nature; or who, within the District of Columbia, shall manufacture, sell, expose for sale, or to public view, or give away or have in possession for sale, or to be given away or for use for any purpose, any article or substance being an article of merchandise, or a receptacle for merchandise or article or thing for carrying or transporting merchandise, upon which shall have been printed, painted, attached, or otherwise placed a representation of any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign, to advertise, call attention to, decorate, mark, or distinguish the article or substance on which so placed shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $100 or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both, in the discretion of the court. The words “flag, standard, colors, or ensign”, as used herein, shall include any flag, standard, colors, ensign, or any picture or representation of either, or of any part or parts of either, made of any substance or represented on any substance, of any size evidently purporting to be either of said flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America or a picture or a representation of either, upon which shall be shown the colors, the stars and the stripes, in any number of either thereof, or of any part or parts of either, by which the average person seeing the same without deliberation may believe the same to represent the flag, colors, standard, or ensign of the United States of America.

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Real troops support Murtha

The traditional media has given great coverage to the attacks on Murtha from the GOP - led by Karl Rove. Yet, the traditional media - like most people in D.C. -- know that Murtha has impeccable sources within the military. He is channeling the voice of the military leaders about the real situation in Iraq. That's why the GOP has been so vociferous in their attacks on the war hero. If the Republicans cared about the troops as much as they cared about getting re-elected, they'd listen to Murtha too.

When AP talked to real soldiers from Murtha's district, not DC-based GOP operatives, they found that soldiers were on Murtha's side::

Sixteen-term Rep. John Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran and military hawk, has become the face of the Democrats' anti-war movement since he called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops last fall. His oft-repeated criticism of the Bush administration's war policies also has earned him the wrath of Republicans.

In Murtha's southwest Pennsylvania district, however, many share the war critic's views.

At a welcome home ceremony this week for Myers and other troops from the Johnstown, Pa.-based 876th Engineer Battalion, the crowd cheered when a Murtha aide welcomed the troops on the congressman's behalf.

Myers said he backs Murtha, an opinion echoed by a number of other troops and their families. Several share his frustration with the conflict.

"I'm not sure we're doing a whole lot of good," Myers, 46, said of the U.S. presence in Iraq. "Everybody thinks we are. We're trying to, but we're not going to change what they want to do, and if they don't want to change, they're not gonna."

Said Sgt. 1st Class George Wozniak, 36, of Murtha: "He's definitely for a strong military and he definitely supports the troops."

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Vintage Kerry

John Kerry is determined to make a statement on Iraq -- two years too late (or two years too early.) But he made the front page of the New York Times:

Mr. Kerry now describes the war in Iraq as a mistake, even though he once supported it. His critics say they believe the new stand reflects more politics than principle, and ignores other Democrats' concern that setting a fixed date will leave those in tough re-election fights open to Republican taunts that they are "cutting and running" in Iraq.

The Democrats' exasperation has increased in the last week, as they postponed a vote on Mr. Kerry's amendment to try to fashion a broader consensus among themselves. Democrats up for re-election asked him not to propose a fixed date. But Mr. Kerry, several Democrats said, was unwilling to budge from that idea, even though his co-sponsor, Senator Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin, seemed willing to compromise for the sake of consensus. In the end, Mr. Kerry agreed only to extend his deadline, from Dec. 31 of this year to July 2007.

Mr. Kerry's insistence on pushing ahead with his own plan has left the Democrats divided, and open to renewed Republican accusations that they are indecisive and weak — the same ridicule that Republicans heaped on Mr. Kerry in 2004, when his "I was for it before I was against it" statement about a vote on money for the war became a punch line.

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Iraqi troops killed American soldiers

From bad to worse.

The deaths of Army Spc. Patrick R. McCaffrey Sr. and 1st Lt. Andre D. Tyson were originally attributed to an ambush during a patrol near Balad, Iraq, on June 22, 2004.

But the Army's Criminal Investigation Command found that one or more of the Iraqis attached to the American soldiers on patrol fired at them, a military official said Tuesday.

A Pentagon spokesman knew of no other similar incident, calling it "extremely rare."

Interesting that he did not say "was a single exception" because "rare" implies it has happened on other occasions.

"When they come I have my list of questions ready, and I want these answers and I don't want lies," McCaffrey's mother, Nadia McCaffrey, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

Soldiers who witnessed the attack have told her that two Iraqi patrolmen opened fire on her son's unit. The witnesses also said a third gunman simultaneously drove up to the American unit in a van, climbed onto the vehicle and fired at the Americans, she said.

"Nothing is clear. Nothing is clear," she said. Her son was shot eight times by bullets of various calibers, some of which penetrated his body armor, she said. She believes he bled to death.

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Wednesday Morning Open Thread

Matt Lauer is reporting from the White House -- although the President isn't even at the White House. He's in Europe making the rest of the world hate us even more.

Get it started.... Read More......

Propaganda program #1 failed, so it's back to FEAR

Why is it that this video of the 20th 9/11 hijacker has suddenly appeared now? And wait a minute, I thought we were told that Moussaoui was the 20th and we found justice. Don't tell me that he was just another nutcase like Abu Zubaydah who was propped up to give the appearance of a big success in the so-called war on terror.

So here we are, about a week after the major propaganda/PR spin machine wrapped up its Mission Accomplished II program and what do we have? Iraq is as violent as ever. US soldiers kidnapped and mutilated. And now, the old fall back position of fear and 9/11. This team is so predictable and what's not to love about the incredible timing involved? Suddenly out of nowhere as if someone is desperately trying to change the subject away from the failures of Iraq, the 20th hijacker is back with us, only he's been dead for a few years. But not to worry because here's the message of this newest propaganda tool to get us all back into the spirit:

The video includes footage of al-Nashimi justifying attacks against the West. It also contains 27 minutes of previously unheard audio of a siege that he took part in on oil facilities in Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

Screeching car tires and gunfire are heard as the terror cell moved from building to building. A voice in Arabic can be heard saying: "Where are the Americans? ... Give me the information."

The demands are punctuated with more gunfire.

Remember to be afraid. 9/11. Hijacker. 9/11. Kill. 9/11. Screeching tires. 9/11. 9/11. 9/11.

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The war may not be going well, but surely the reconstruction is, right?

You know, winning hearts and minds, showing Iraq how to get the job done by corporate America with all of its might and expertise, not to mention millions of dollars of fed money. With all of the taxpayer money going in there are bound to be some good stories that the liberal press just doesn't want to talk about.

The Army Corps of Engineers said Monday that it had canceled a $99.1 million contract with Parsons, one of the largest companies working in Iraq, to build a prison north of Baghdad after the firm fell more than two years behind schedule, threatened to go millions of dollars over budget and essentially abandoned the construction site.

The move is another harsh rebuke for Parsons, only weeks after the corps canceled more than $300 million of the company's contracts to build and refurbish hospitals and clinics across Iraq. A federal oversight office had found that some of the clinics were little more than empty shells and that only 20 of 150 called for in the contract would be completed without new financing.

So...how's the war planning going? Do we have a plan yet? Read More......

Salon.com Exclusive: AT&T; may be hiding a second NSA domestic spying operation in St. Louis

Seriously. That company needs to be made a lesson of and taken down.

It looks like they may be spying on our Internet traffic from this facility, or at the very least on the Internet traffic of all of their customers.

In a pivotal network operations center in metropolitan St. Louis, AT&T; has maintained a secret, highly secured room since 2002 where government work is being conducted, according to two former AT&T; workers once employed at the center.

In interviews with Salon, the former AT&T; workers said that only government officials or AT&T; employees with top-secret security clearance are admitted to the room, located inside AT&T;'s facility in Bridgeton. The room's tight security includes a biometric "mantrap" or highly sophisticated double door, secured with retinal and fingerprint scanners. The former workers say company supervisors told them that employees working inside the room were "monitoring network traffic" and that the room was being used by "a government agency."

The details provided by the two former workers about the Bridgeton room bear the distinctive earmarks of an operation run by the National Security Agency, according to two intelligence experts with extensive knowledge of the NSA and its operations. In addition to the room's high-tech security, those intelligence experts told Salon, the exhaustive vetting process AT&T; workers were put through before being granted top-secret security clearance points to the NSA, an agency known as much for its intense secrecy as its technological sophistication....

The importance of the Bridgeton facility is its role in managing the "common backbone" for all of AT&T;'s Internet operations. According to one of the former workers, Bridgeton serves as the technical command center from which the company manages all the routers and circuits carrying the company's domestic and international Internet traffic. Therefore, Bridgeton could be instrumental for conducting surveillance or collecting data.

Read More......