Atrios just might be a bigger geek than me

Discuss. Read the rest of this post...

Open thread

Dupont Circle fountain.

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When are the red staters going to take responsibility for themselves?

I'm just watching ABC News, and saw an interview with a woman whose husband just got killed in Iraq. According to ABC, "she still supports President Bush" but if she could talk to him she'd ask him "when is enough enough," when will there be enough deaths for Bush to bring the troops home?

What is it with these people? So long as you "continue to support President Bush," then enough won't ever be enough. Seriously, what is wrong with these people? They have a 3 year old daughter who now doesn't have a father. Either you support the president or you don't. Either you support the war or you don't. Either you take responsibility for yourself and your vote, or you don't. Either you have a problem with the president lying to you in order to start a war, and not giving you and your loved ones the armor and equipment you need to live, OR YOU DON'T. But this "I support the president" while you then say "when is enough enough?" - what is that?

It's time to pose the question back to all these people: When is enough enough? Read the rest of this post...

Monday is the last day of the Sup Ct's term

Rehnquist might resign. I've heard Sandra Day may do it first. And they have some big cases they're announcing their decisions on, on Monday. Read the rest of this post...

Quagmire...

...isn't just a character on The Family Guy. Read the rest of this post...

Red state fever

A letter to the editor in today's Louisiana paper:

In reference to Mack Calhoun's statement, where he used the word "jew'' in discussing the purchase price of an item, I have waited for people in his district to come out in his defense. I have known Calhoun for many years. I know he is a fine Christian man. He would never do or say anything to offend anyone.

The word "jew'' in negotiation prices has been used in our family since I can remember. It is hard for me not to say it in normal conversation. The full definition of "jew'' from the dictionary is as follows: 1. To persuade to take a low price by haggling: with down. 2. To get a better of a bargain.

We need more public servants like Calhoun to stand up for what is right.

J.O. Antley
West Monroe

Well now that you explain it THAT way... Read the rest of this post...

Justice Department cover up is now over

How long until the crazies call for a renewed cover-up? I guess this is going to mean that Gonzales is a wild lefty for the wingnuts or is this part of the attempt to make him look like a moderate? Read the rest of this post...

Interesting effort going on at G8 Summit

Live 8 Read the rest of this post...

Bush sending troops to die without safe vehicles

When Karl Rove accused liberals of wanting troops to die, he was accusing others of doing what his boss has allowed. The New York Times just posted another long investigative article about how ill-prepared our troops on the ground are in Iraq. This time, it's still, yes still, the lack of armored vehicles:

Yet more than two years into the war, efforts by United States military units to obtain large numbers of these stronger vehicles for soldiers have faltered - even as the Pentagon's program to armor Humvees continues to be plagued by delays, an examination by The New York Times has found.

Many of the problems stem from a 40-year-old procurement system that cannot acquire new equipment quickly enough to adapt to the changing demands of a modern insurgency, interviews and records show.

That's right, the Humvees still aren't protected. That's just sick. The Bush Administration is sending people to die.

And, Karl Rove has the audacity to accuse us of being unpatriotic and motivated to have our troops to die. Great strategy to accuse us of exactly what the Bush/Cheney team is doing. This is just criminal. Read the rest of this post...

Open thread

Nap time Read the rest of this post...

Cheney checks into Vail hospital, White House may be lying about what happened

I had received this tip last night, but as I couldn't confirm it, I didn't want to post it. Arianna has apparently confirmed it, as she was there!

Arianna seems to have found the White House lying about what's wrong with Cheney. Evidence points to his heart having issues, and the White House appears to be lying about it. Welcome to the Soviet Politburo. We now no longer have the right to know about the serious health problems of our leaders. Read the rest of this post...

Horrible

AP:

Three boys whose bodies were found in the trunk of a car following a massive, two-day search died from accidental suffocation, not foul play, authorities said Saturday.

The bodies were discovered Friday when David Agosto lifted the trunk of a banged-up maroon Toyota Camry in the yard where the boys were last seen. There, he found the bodies of his 6-year-old son Daniel Agosto; 5-year-old Jesstin Pagan and 11-year-old Anibal Cruz.

Officials said no foul play was suspected, but it was not clear why searchers — who combed the yard next to Cruz family home — did not find the boys sooner.

The car was searched when police first responded to the report of the missing children Wednesday at about 8:30 p.m., Police Chief Edwin Figueroa said, though prosecutor Vincent Sarubbi said it can be inferred that the trunk of the battered car had not been checked. He said police and prosecutors will issue a report on the handling of the search within 30 days....

Figueroa said if any law enforcement officials broke department rules in the search they would be disciplined, but otherwise he might simply order more training for officers.

Um, they searched the car and not the trunk. What exact "rules" do you need to look up? We had a similar case in DC a few years back. Police (or firemen or something) search a bedroom for a missing woman and failed to see her feet (dead) sticking out from under the bed. They didn't discover her for days. Read the rest of this post...

Italy: Arrest C.I.A. Operatives For Kidnapping

The US and the CIA have endured a lot of criticism for kidnapping people and sending them to countries where we know they'll be tortured. Now the CIA may have to endure some arrests. In Italy, the New York Times reports a judge has submitted arrest orders for 13 people who either work for or are linked to the CIA. Imagine, a country that expects the US to follow its laws. Two things struck me here, beyond the embarrassment for the US and the Berlusconi government.

First, this note about where the CIA folk stayed:

The [CIA] suspects stayed in five-star Milan hotels, including the Hilton, the Sheraton, the Galia and Principe di Savoia, in the week before the operation, at a cost of $144,984, the warrant says, adding that after Mr. Nasr was flown to Egypt, two of the officers took a few days' holiday at five-star hotels in Venice, Tuscany and South Tyrol.

Who the hell do they think they are? US Congressmen? Second, this comment by an Italian official:

A senior Italian official said the apparent abduction of Mr. Nasr had disrupted the Italians' attempt to identify his connection to a suspected terrorist network in Europe. "Our belief is that terrorist suspects should be investigated through legal channels and brought to a court of law - not kidnapped and spirited away to be tortured in some secret prison," the official said.

Clearly, this guy is unpatriotic and weak in the war on terror. Read the rest of this post...

Chickenhawk Youth

I found this via Atrios. Funny as hell. Pro-war GOP youth explain why they're not volunteering. Read the rest of this post...

Alcoa to cut 6,500 jobs

But everything is OK with the economy. Yes, the high oil prices will not negatively impact the economy, just as the economic genious Greenspan keeps telling us. Read the rest of this post...

In the military and mad at Karl Rove?

Go here Read the rest of this post...

NY Times: Three Things About Iraq

Today's NY Times editorial on Iraq:

To have the sober conversation about the war in Iraq that America badly needs, it is vital to acknowledge three facts:

The war has nothing to do with Sept. 11....

The war has not made the world, or this nation, safer from terrorism....

If the war is going according to plan, someone needs to rethink the plan....

Of course, using the Rove standard, by stating the obvious truth, the NY Times is undermining America and wants our troops dead. Read the rest of this post...

If only the poor were rich

Then, they would be looking at juicy government welfare money but instead the GOP is handing them an 84% cut in funding and dozens of programs that will be eliminated. It's nothing really though because who needs job training, health care, health insurance and money for poor schools anyway? Now if those lazy poor people could only figure out how to get into the oil business or military contracting then they would be all set.

Imagine what would happen if the GOP made similar "tough decisions" targeting the likes of Halliburton, Big Oil, Big Pharma or our fantastic credit and banking sector? Not very likely with this bunch. Read the rest of this post...