Hey, take your time George....

...Month 32 "Bush Lays Out 'Plan For Victory' In Iraq" Got those twins ready for boot camp yet? Just checking....

Grossly incompetent or neo-cons rushing us to war?

From the White House’s new "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq” "It is not realistic to expect a fully functioning democracy, able to defeat its enemies and peacefully reconcile generational grievances, to be in place less than three years after Saddam was finally removed from power". Donald Rumsfeld, 3/7/03: "It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months". Vice President Dick Cheney, 3/16/03: "I think it will go relatively quickly, . . . (in) weeks rather than months" AL FRANKEN

Bush is delusional-invoke the 25th

THIS IS WHAT GEORGE W BUSH SAID YESTERDAY;

"If they tell me we need more troops, we'll provide more troops," Bush said. "If they tell me we've got sufficient level of troops, that will be the level of troops. If they tell me that the Iraqis are ready to take more and more responsibility and that we'll be able to bring some Americans home, I will do that."

How many time have we heard Bush say that if the 'generals need this' or if the 'generals say that', they'll get what they need? Well, that's a bunch of crap!Our country is being led by a delusional (and phony) Jesus freak who needs to be stopped-by any means necessary. Seymour Hersh tells you the true story of how it's not our military commanders who are making the tough decisions about Iraq but Delusional George who thinks Jesus will tell him how to convert the Iraqis and the rest of the middle east to 'democracy'. It's way past time that Congress should invoke the 25 Amendment. Our president is mentally incapacitated!

"There are grave concerns within the military about the capability of the U.S. Army to sustain two or three more years of combat in Iraq. Michael O'Hanlon, a specialist on military issues at the Brookings Institution, told me, 'The people in the institutional Army feel they don't have the luxury of deciding troop levels, or even participating in the debate. They're planning on staying the course until 2009. I can't believe the Army thinks that it will happen, because there's no sustained drive to increase the size of the regular Army." O'Hanlon noted that "if the President decides to stay the present course in Iraq some troops would be compelled to serve fourth and fifth tours of combat by 2007 and 2008, which could have serious consequences for morale and competency levels."

Oh, that explains it...

Dumb and Dumber

"Al Qaida leaders Bin Laden and al-Zarqawi haven’t been found "primarily because they don’t want us to find them and they’re going to great lengths to make sure we don’t find them," CIA Director Porter Goss said in the interview broadcast Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America."

We haven't captured bin Laden or al-Zarqawi because 'they don't want us to". Oh boy, isn't that brillant?

DOD News Release(s)

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051128-5165.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1235-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 28, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Ryan D. Christensen, 22, of Spring Lake Heights, N.J., died at the Medical University of Charleston in Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 24, of a non-combat related illness identified in Balad, Iraq, on Nov. 10. Christensen was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051128-5163.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1233-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 28, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. 1st Class Eric P. Pearrow, 40, of Peoria, Ill., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Nov. 24, when his M1A2 Abrams tank accidentally rolled over into a canal. Pearrow was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051128-5164.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1234-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 28, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Marine Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Master Sgt. Brett E. Angus, 40, of St. Paul, Minn., died Nov. 26 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in the vicinity of Camp Taqaddum, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron-372, Marine Wing Support Group-37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051128-5162.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1232-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 28, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Baghdad, Iraq on Nov. 23, when their unit came under direct fire during combat operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. Killed were: Staff Sgt. Aram J. Bass, 25, of Niagara Falls, N.Y. Sgt. William B. Meeuwsen, 24, of Kingwood, Texas. The circumstances of the soldiers' deaths are under investigation as a potential friendly-fire incident. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

'BLUF' from Capt. Jeff Pirozzi

War based on a lie Weapons of mass destruction? I’m still looking for them, and if you find any give me a call so we can justify our presence in Iraq. We started the war based on a lie, and we’ll finish it based on a lie. I say this because I am currently serving with a logistics headquarters in the Anbar province, between the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi. I am not fooled by the constant fabrication of “democracy” and “freedom” touted by our leadership at home and overseas. This deception is furthered by our armed forces’ belief that we can just enter ancient Mesopotamia and tell the locals about the benefits of a legislative assembly. While our European ancestors were hanging from trees, these ancient people were writing algebra and solving quadratic equations. Now we feel compelled to strong-arm them into accepting the spoils of capitalism and “laissez-faire” society. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy watching Britney Spears on MTV and driving to McDonald’s, but do you honestly believe that Sunnis, Shias and Kurds want our Western ideas of entertainment and freedom imposed on them? Think again. I’m not being negative, I’m being realistic. The reality in Iraq is that the United States created a nightmare situation where one didn’t exist. Yes, Saddam Hussein was an evil man who lied, cheated and pillaged his own nation. But how was he different from dictators in Africa who commit massive crimes again humanity with little repercussion and sometimes support from the West? The bottom line up front (BLUF to use a military acronym) is that Saddam was different because we used him as an excuse to go to war to make Americans “feel good” about the “War on Terrorism.” The BLUF is that our ultimate goal in 2003 was the security of Israel and the lucrative oil fields in northern and southern Iraq. Weapons of mass destruction? Call me when you find them. In the meantime, “bring ’em on” so we can get our “mission accomplished” and get out of this mess. Capt. Jeff Pirozzi Camp Taqaddum, Iraq Stars & Stripes

Brent Bozell-Republican Girly Man

Brent Bozell, Chicken & Girly Man Like most Republican hacks, Brent Bozell is a chicken-shit who wants no part of Larry Johnson, a former CIA agent, who continues to expose the Bush administration as the liars they are. So, typical...so republican

From: I was contacted by an MSNBC booker late today (Monday, 28 November) who asked if I would appear tonight on the Joe Scarborough Show to discuss whether or not the media are hypocrites when it comes to covering the leak to the Washington Post about the CIA secret prisons. The booker told me that Brent Bozell, head of the Media Research Center, was accusing the media of focusing too much on the leak of Valerie Plame and not enough on the leak about the prisons. Apparently, Mr. Bozell is a coward. He told MSNBC he would not appear if I was on the show, even if they scheduled me before or after him. He couldn't handle a man-to-man debate. Typical conservative coward. I think the term is "Girly Man". Tough talker when he is alone but unable to handle an informed debate. What is really sad is the MSNBC is caving into Bozell, rather than insisting that its audience hear both sides of an issue. Shocked, anyone?

Al Franken Overrules Antonin Scalia

I had written last week about another exchange at this same gathering where Franken had embarrassed Scalia on his lack of knowledge in regard to the constitution and abortion. It seems Franken also made Scalia look foolish about his lack of 'judicial demeanor' for refusing to recuse himself on cases involving Cheney.

"Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is, supposedly, a very smart man. Indeed, he is frequently referred to as the intellectual giant on the current high court. Yet, when Scalia was confronted by comedian and social commentator Al Franken with a basic question of legal ethics, it was the funny man, not the "serious" jurist, who proved to be the most knowledgeable".

Franken schools Scalia

'Duke' Cunningham Pleads Guilty, Resigns

I had written a post 4 months ago saying that Duke Cunningham deserved a break because what he did for our country. I still stand by that. I hope the judge will consider Cunningham's sacrifice to his country when it comes time for sentencing.

Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham resigned his office today after pleading guilty to fraud, conspiracy to commit bribery and tax evasion in a political corruption case. U.S. District Judge Larry Burns accepted the pleas from Cunningham, 63, including the congressman's admission in federal court that he had accepted bribes in exchange for performance of his official duties. "I misled my friends, family and myself. The truth is, I broke the law and disgraced my office and myself," Cunningham said after his plea, breaking into tears at a news conference.

John Warner verifies Bush's most recent lie

John Warner, Republican Senator from Virginia and Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee, said on Meet The Press yesterday that members of the Senate Armed Services Committee or the Senate Intelligence Committee did NOT receive the 'same intelligence' as those in the Bush administration. Don't even attempt to perpetuate that lie anymore-it won't work. When John Warner, a die-hard Republican partisan can't lie for your cause any longer, you have no argument left.

MR. RUSSERT: But even back then, Senator Warner, and this is really important. This is what you said on August 27, 2002. "As I read and follow the debate, there appears to be a `gap' in the facts possessed by the Executive Branch and the facts possessed by the Legislative Branch." The White House is now saying that you had every bit of intelligence that they had and yet, leading up to the war debate, you were saying there was a gap between what you knew and what the president knew. SEN. WARNER: Well, I stand by that statement also. There are times in which I feel that we do not have the full knowledge, and as chairman of the Armed Services Committee, I have done my very best to assure that members of our committee do get the full intelligence. I also serve on the Intelligence Committee. And I feel very strongly that that gap should never exist. And apparently, at that time, I was of the opinion and I stand by the statement.

Meet The Press Transcript from 11/27/05

Let's Make a Deal!

Maybe we should try and make a deal with Saddam. We leave and he can have his country back and he can deal with the crazy-ass bastards the way he has for the last 35 years. He can control them a hell of a lot better than we can.

"Less than 24 hours before Saddam Hussein returned to court on charges of crimes against humanity, the police in northern Iraq said Sunday that they had arrested 10 Sunni Arab men carrying orders from a fugitive associate of Mr. Hussein's to assassinate the court's best-known judge".

They're just loving us...

"Abuse worse than under Saddam"? This coming from the first puppet Prime Minister, Ayad Allawi, is a huge blow to those who attempt to say things have gotten better in Iraq. And, if you think it couldn't get any worse for Allawi, Sunnis and us, read about Moktada al-Sadr and the Shiites in the previous post. It's a shame so many people were too ignorant, too gullible and just plain, too stupid not to realize invading Iraq would come to this. Abuse worse than under Saddam, says Iraqi leader

"Human rights abuses in Iraq are now as bad as they were under Saddam Hussein and are even in danger of eclipsing his record, according to the country's first Prime Minister after the fall of Saddam's regime. 'People are doing the same as [in] Saddam's time and worse,' Ayad Allawi told The Observer. 'It is an appropriate comparison. People are remembering the days of Saddam. These were the precise reasons that we fought Saddam and now we are seeing the same things.' In a damning and wide-ranging indictment of Iraq's escalating human rights catastrophe, Allawi accused fellow Shias in the government of being responsible for death squads and secret torture centres. The brutality of elements in the new security forces rivals that of Saddam's secret police, he said".

Mr. Sadr

"Men loyal to Moktada al-Sadr piled out of their cars at a plantation near Baghdad on a recent morning, bristling with Kalashnikov rifles and eager to exact vengeance on the Sunni Arab fighters who had butchered one of their Shiite militia brothers. When the smoke cleared after the fight, at least 21 bodies lay scattered among the weeds, making it the deadliest militia battle in months. The black-clad Shiites swaggered away, boasting about the carnage. Even as that battle raged on Oct. 27, Mr. Sadr's aides in Baghdad were quietly closing a deal that would signal his official debut as a kingmaker in Iraqi politics, placing his handpicked candidates on the same slate - and on equal footing - with the Shiite governing parties in the December parliamentary elections. The country's rulers had come courting him, and he had forced them to meet his terms".

And, he's on 'our' side...?

long weekend editorial.......

Only in America...

FEMA's Mike Brown capitalizes as the disaster king of disasters It takes one to know one? Michael Brown lost his job as head of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency over FEMA's slow response to Hurricane Katrina. Now, he is starting a disaster preparedness consulting firm to help others avoid a similar fate. "I think people are curious," Brown said in media reports. " 'My gosh, what was it like? The media just really beat you up. You made mistakes. I don't want to be in that situation. How do I avoid that?' "

Don't hire a Crony...

Iraqis Asking for a Timetable for Withdrawal

"If those who describe themselves as Iraqi resistance want to contact me, they are welcome . . . I am committed to listen to them, even those who are criminals."

"The success of the Arab-League orchestrated ''Reconciliation Conference'' in Cairo underlines the shortcomings of the Bush administration's unilateral, guns-and-puppets strategy in Iraq and creates an opening for a negotiated solution among the main Iraqi factions. In addition to more than 100 Shiites, Sunni and Kurdish participants, the Cairo conference was attended by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran. But there were no U.S. officials. The gathering was strongly supported not only by the Arab League but also by the United Nations, European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. According to press reports, the conference produced a clear Iraqi statement calling for withdrawal of occupation forces. With a full-fledged peace conference scheduled for February, it is time for Washington to end its foot-dragging and get squarely behind the peace process started at Cairo -- and specifically the initiative for troop withdrawal from Iraq".

I'd say.., we'll start packing tomorrow...

DOD News Release(s)

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051126-5152.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1228-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 26, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Nov. 24, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV causing it to flip into a canal. Both soldiers were assigned to the Army's 170th Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash. Killed were: Staff Sgt. Steven C. Reynolds, 32, of Jordan, N.Y. Pfc. Marc A. Delgado, 21, of Lithia, Fla. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051126-5151.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1227-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 26, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Javier A. Villanueva, 25, of Temple, Texas, died in Al Asad, Iraq, on Nov. 24, of injuries sustained in Hit, Iraq, on Nov. 23, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol during combat operations. Villanueva was assigned to the Army's 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, Calif. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Cost of Bush Will Be Huge, Lasting

"As I predicted after the 2004 elections, we're going to have trouble in a couple of years finding people who will admit to having voted for him, just as nobody would fess up to having voted for "Tricky Dick" Nixon's re-election in 1972".

A "demographic tsunami"

2,107

2,107

Jose Padilla and the Sixth Amendment

Jose Padilla, an American citizen, arrested in the United States and held in a military prison for 3 1/2 years as an 'enemy combatant' and denied counsel. A first grader could figure out how wrong and unconstitutional that is. Charge him, let him face his accusers, or free him. "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence". U.S. Constitution: Sixth Amendment

The odd Padilla case "IT is both good and bad news that the federal government has brought an indictment against suspected terrorist Jose Padilla. It is good because it ends three-and-a-half years of unconstitutional detention of a citizen. It is bad because Padilla's argument against preventive detention might have been accepted by the U. S. Supreme Court, and now it will not. Padilla was arrested in Chicago in May 2002 and held as a material witness in a terrorism case. Padilla challenged his detention, and two days before a judge in New York was to hear his demand for release, he was declared by President Bush an unlawful combatant. Federal agents plucked him from the civilian courts and stuffed him in a prison on a military base. The accusation against him was serious: that he had been planning to set off a bomb to spread radioactive waste in an American city. He was not charged with that, however, or with anything. He was not allowed to see a lawyer. He was merely held. A case was brought in his name, and worked its way up to the Supreme Court, which said he had filed it in the wrong jurisdiction. The case was started over. A district court judge ruled for Padilla. On Sept. 8, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for the government. At the Supreme Court, the deadline for the government filing its arguments was to have been next Monday. The indictment, which is not for the dirty-bomb plot, but other things, kills the challenge to Padilla's preventive detention. This American should never have been held for three-and-a-half years on a presidential order without being charged with a crime. By relenting at a strategic moment and letting the civilian courts have their prisoner, the government allows the Fourth Circuit's opinion to stand — and that opinion says the government may do this again, at its own discretion".

What action should the U.S. take in Iraq?

Should we stay or should we go?

"I would list all the arguments that you hear against pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq, the horrible things that people say would happen, and then ask: Aren't they happening already? Would a pullout really make things worse? Maybe it would make things better," wrote William E. Odom, a retired Army lieutenant general and former Reagan-era National Security Agency director, for a Harvard University Web site". ..."You already have a civil war," Odom said. "As for terror, that's the biggest danger there, but it's already happening. Getting out will allow us to focus on al-Qaida. This war has made it easier for al-Qaida - we still haven't gotten Osama bin Laden."

We should withdraw immediately and let the Iraqis fight for their own freedom. But, to do so, we need to first indict Donald Rumsfeld for his crimes against our military and appoint General Odoms Secretary of Defense as of yesterday. Lt. Gen. William Odom (U.S. Army, ret)

What a coincidence.....

Polls show the American people overwhelmingly want out. U.S. Generals and officials at the Pentagon are now letting certain hawkish Democrat Congressmen know we need to leave. Hell, even the 'Iraqi politicians' who we thought loved having us there are now saying those who are killing us have a 'right to resistance' and that we need to get out. So, of course, Condi, Rummy and the rest will now all of a sudden declare the 'training' of Iraq troops is coming along at a faster pace than thought so maybe we can begin pulling out. Funny thing about that is, just 6 days ago it was reported 'only 700 Iraqi troops who are fully independent and combat ready'. It's nice to see the pressure beginning to work on this administration...The lying bastards lied us into this war, so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise they'll lie us out of it, too. That's all right...just get us the hell out!

U.S. Starts Laying Groundwork for Significant Troop Pullout From Iraq " Even as debate over the Iraq war continues to rage, signs are emerging of a convergence of opinion on how the Bush administration might begin to exit the conflict. In a departure from previous statements, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said this week that the training of Iraqi soldiers had advanced so far that the current number of U.S. troops in the country probably would not be needed much longer. President Bush will give a major speech Wednesday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., in which aides say he is expected to herald the improved readiness of Iraqi troops, which he has identified as the key condition for pulling out U.S. forces. The administration's pivot on the issue comes as the White House is seeking to relieve enormous pressure by war opponents. The camp includes liberals, moderates and old-line conservatives who are uneasy with the costly and uncertain nation-building effort. It also follows agreement this week among Iraqi politicians that the U.S. troop presence ought to decrease. Meeting in Cairo, representatives of the three major ethnic and religious groups called for a U.S. withdrawal and recognized Iraqis' "legitimate right of resistance" to foreign occupation. In private conversations, Iraqi officials discussed a possible two-year withdrawal period, analysts said. LA Times

Four congressmen probed in Abramoff scandal

"The Justice Department's probe is far broader than previously thought. Those involved in Mr. Abramoff's case say that the Justice Department investigation could take years to complete. Prosecutors in the department's public integrity and fraud divisions -- separate units that report to the assistant attorney general for the criminal division -- are looking into Mr. Abramoff's interactions with former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, Rep. Bob Ney (R., Ohio), Rep. John Doolittle (R., Calif.) and Sen. Conrad Burns (R., Mont.), according to several people close to the investigation".

DOD News Release

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051125-5150.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1226-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 25, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Allen J. Knop, 22, of Willowick, Ohio, died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Nov. 23, from non-combat related injuries. Knop was assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. The incident is under investigation. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

What's wrong with that?

A high school teacher is facing questions from administrators after giving a vocabulary quiz that included digs at President Bush and the extreme right.

"Bret Chenkin, a social studies and English teacher at Mount Anthony Union High School, said he gave the quiz to his students several months ago. The quiz asked students to pick the proper words to complete sentences. One example: "I wish Bush would be (coherent, eschewed) for once during a speech, but there are theories that his everyday diction charms the below-average mind, hence insuring him Republican votes." "Coherent"is the right answer".

What's the big deal? I think that's a perfect sentence in describing 'coherent' and it is true that a large majority of Republicans respond well to talk that's delivered at their below-average level of comprehension. Sounds like Mt. Anthony has a fine teacher there in Mr. Chenkin.

"Bad for the Country"

"What was good for our country," a former president of General Motors once declared, "was good for General Motors, and vice versa." G.M., which has been losing billions, has announced that it will eliminate 30,000 jobs. Is what's bad for General Motors bad for America? In this case, yes. Most commentary about G.M.'s troubles is resigned: pundits may regret the decline of a once-dominant company, but they don't think anything can or should be done about it. And commentary from some conservatives has an unmistakable tone of satisfaction, a sense that uppity workers who joined a union and made demands are getting what they deserve. We shouldn't be so complacent".... by Paul Krugman

3 Time Divorced Draft-Dodging Drug Addict calls War Hero, "Useful Idiot"

"On the November 21 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, host Rush Limbaugh asserted that Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) -- who on November 17 called for the immediate redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq -- is "just the useful idiot of the moment." Limbaugh added that people "portray [Murtha] as a former hawk," and asked: "What kind of serious hawk calls for withdrawals like this?" Limbaugh then added: "I don't think he ever has been a hawk ... in his career ... as a congressman." Limbaugh further asserted that Murtha is "just getting his 15 minutes of fame like [anti-war protester] Cindy Sheehan got," and characterized Murtha as "just the latest member of the endless parade of personalities around whom the Democrats can circle and support."

THE TRUTH ABOUT RUSH LIMBAUGH

U.S. Nears 1,000th Execution Since 1977

Gary Mark Gilmore arrives heavily guarded to 4th District Court in Provo, Utah on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 1976.

"Let's do it." With those last words, convicted killer Gary Gilmore ushered in the modern era of capital punishment in the United States, an age of busy death chambers that will likely see its 1,000th execution in the coming days. After a 10-year moratorium, Gilmore in 1977 became the first person to be executed following a 1976 U.S. Supreme Court decision that validated state laws to reform the capital punishment system. Since then, 997 prisoners have been executed, and next week, the 998th, 999th and 1,000th are scheduled to die".

GET OUT OF THAT DITCH YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH

Juan Torres, holding a poster of his son who died in Iraq, at an antiwar protest Wednesday in Crawford How dare these unpatriotic leftwing sleazeballs try to peacefully demonstrate their constitutional right to assemble on Dubya's Thanksgiving holiday? Don't come down here in Crawford County talking that constitutional bullshit cause this here is Dubya country. That Torres guy is going to have to give up a lot more than just one son to fuck up the President's turkey dinner and morning bike ride! Life under Republicans...

U.S. morale in Iraq is marked 'fragile'

"Seeing friends die, injured is taking its toll on many American soldiers" "We're not going to change the Iraqis. I don't care how many halal (Muslim) meals we give out." "Morale is a roller coaster," said Lt. Rusten Currie, who has spent 10 months in Iraq. "We were all idealistic to begin with, wanting to find Osama bin Laden and (Abu Musab al-) Zarqawi, and bring them to justice — whatever that means. Now we just want to go home." During this bloody fall, Maj. Robert Blessing, the 1-184 chaplain at Camp Falcon, talked to soldiers who were dealing with flashbacks and nightmares of mangled bodies. The official title of these sessions: "critical event debriefings." "So many deaths, so many wounds," said the 47-year-old Blessing, his voice thickening with repressed tears. "Supposedly it's peacekeeping, but it's a war." Although the battalion was getting ready to leave Iraq, the chaplain feared he would be talking to troubled soldiers for years to come. "They're going back with all these memories," Blessing said. "The wound they carry back with them is the loss of innocence."

MOM'S HOME!

After spending the past year in Iraq, Army sergeant Ricci Moore is reunited Saturday at the Detroit Light Guard Armory with her son, Joey, 10, closest to her, along with great-nephew Justin Evans, 8, right of Joey, great-niece Julia Evans, 8, and great-niece Jord'n Straughter, 7, in foreground. Moore said of her son: "He is my little fellow; he is not a baby anymore. I hit my chin on his head. He grew so much."

Former Prostitute Losing Customers

Poor 'Mean Jean' Schmidt, a former prostitute and current congresswoman from Ohio, lied on the Senate floor in front of the entire nation by saying one colonel called another colonel (who happens to be a decorated war hero) a 'coward' and she can't understand what all the fuss is about. Get a clue, dumbass!

"Rep. Jean Schmidt flung the word "coward" at a decorated war veteran from Pennsylvania last week, but the Ohio Republican's comments landed with a splat in her own Cincinnati district, where some supporters are backing away as she scrambles to explain what she meant. Judging by her words yesterday -- the first after avoiding the public for three days -- Schmidt doesn't understand what the fuss is about, and sees herself more as victim than villain. "I am amazed at what a national story this has become," she said in a statement. "I have been attacked very personally, continuously since Friday evening"."

DOD News Releases

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051123-5149.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1225-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 23, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Denis J. Gallardo, 22, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died in Tal Afar, Iraq, on Nov. 22, from a non-combat related illness. Gallardo was assigned to the Army's 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051123-5147.html On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051123-5147.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1223-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 23, 2005 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. John W. Dearing, 21, of Hazel Park, Mich., died in Habbaniyah, Iraq on Nov. 21, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Dearing was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, Saginaw, Mich. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

CITGO and Hugo gnaw on Dubya

.. ...you commie bastard.... I find it hilarious that Hugo Chavez is jerking the chain of Bush and Republicans in Congress who can cut millions from the poor and give the oil industry billions in tax subsidies. Chavez, through Citgo will be aiding the poor in Massachusetts to the tune of about $8 million and will also supply discounted heating oil "to New York - and possibly other US cities". We'll see if brother Pat Robertson can match that this winter. Oh yeah BTW, how have gas prices been since the 5 'Oil Execs" were caught lying on the Senate floor?

A deal with Venezuela's Chávez sends heating oil to Massachusetts' poor. Is there a hidden price tag? "Linda Kelly of Quincy, Mass., and her family will get some help with their heating bills this winter, courtesy of Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez, who evidently can feel a US chill way down in Caracas. This week's announcement that Venezuela will sell 12 million gallons of heating oil -at a discount - to help Massachusetts' neediest citizens is part political theater to tweak the Bush administration, part PR campaign for Mr. Chávez, and, some allow, part gesture of help. A deal to supply oil to New York - and possibly other US cities - is in the works. Like 45,000 needy Massachusetts families, Mrs. Kelly's will get an extra load of fuel oil delivered to her home if she needs it - at a 40 percent discount, a savings of about $184. In total, those savings for Americans will cost Venezuelans, who on average are much poorer, about $8 million. But it's worth every penny to Chávez, whose current global charm campaign involves using petro-dollars to quiet critics and win goodwill, several experts say. "We want to help the poorest communities in the US," Chávez said in August. "There are people who die from the cold in winter in the US." "This is precisely what he loves to do - embarrass the White House, show that the US doesn't take care of its own, and that the approach he's devised in Venezuela is superior," says Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank on Latin America.

THANKSGIVING

Salvatore Lascari (1884-1967) Thanksgiving Smithsonian Institution "Most Americans are familiar with the Pilgrim's Thanksgiving Feast of 1621, but few realize that it was not the first festival of its kind in North America. Long before Europeans set foot in the Americas, native peoples sought to insure a good harvest with dances and rituals such as the Green Corn Dance of the Cherokees. The first Thanksgiving service known to be held by Europeans in North America occurred on May 27, 1578 in Newfoundland, although earlier Church-type services were probably held by Spaniards in La Florida. However, for British New England, some historians believe that the Popham Colony in Maine conducted a Thanksgiving service in 1607 (see Sources: Greif, 208-209; Gould, and Hatch). In the same year, Jamestown colonists gave thanks for their safe arrival, and another service was held in 1610 when a supply ship arrived after a harsh winter. Berkley Hundred settlers held a Thanksgiving service in accordance with their charter which stated that the day of their arrival in Virginia should be observed yearly as a day of Thanksgiving, but within a few years an Indian uprising ended further services (Dabney). Thus British colonists held several Thanksgiving services in America before the Pilgrim's celebration in 1621. The Pilgrims, with a puritanical rejection of public religious display, held a non-religious Thanksgiving feast, aside from saying grace. In fact, they seem to have used the three days for feasting, playing games, and even drinking liquor. In 1623, the Pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts, held another day of Thanksgiving. As a drought was destroying their crops, colonists prayed and fasted for relief; the rains came a few days later. And not long after, Captain Miles Standish arrived with staples and news that a Dutch supply ship was on its way. Because of all this good fortune, colonists held a day of Thanksgiving and prayer on June 30. This 1623 festival appears to have been the origin of our Thanksgiving Day because it combined a religious and social celebration. Festivals of Thanksgiving were observed sporadically on a local level for more than 150 years. They tended to be autumn harvest celebrations. But in 1789, Elias Boudinot, Massachusetts, member of the House of Representatives, moved that a day of Thanksgiving be held to thank God for giving the American people the opportunity to create a Constitution to preserve their hard won freedoms. A Congressional Joint Committee approved the motion, and informed President George Washington. On October 3, 1789, the President proclaimed that the people of the United States observe "a day of public thanksgiving and prayer" on Thursday, the 26th of November. The next three Presidents proclaimed, at most, two days of thanksgiving sometime during their terms of office, either on their own initiative or at the request of a joint Resolution of Congress. One exception was Thomas Jefferson, who believed it was a conflict of church and state to require the American people hold a day of prayer and thanksgiving. President James Madison proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving to be held on April 13, 1815, the last such proclamation issued by a President until Abraham Lincoln did so in 1862. Most of the credit for the establishment of an annual Thanksgiving holiday may be given to Sarah Josepha Hale. Editor of Ladies Magazine and Godey's Lady's Book, she began to agitate for such a day in 1827 by printing articles in the magazines. She also published stories and recipes, and wrote scores of letters to governors, senators, and presidents. After 36 years of crusading, she won her battle. On October 3, 1863, buoyed by the Union victory at Gettysburg, President Lincoln proclaimed that November 26, would be a national Thanksgiving Day, to be observed every year on the fourth Thursday of November. Only twice has a president changed the day of observation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in order to give depression-era merchants more selling days before Christmas, assigned the third Thursday to be Thanksgiving Day in 1939 and 1940. But he was met with popular resistance, largely because the change required rescheduling Thanksgiving Day events such as football games and parades. In 1941, a Congressional Joint Resolution officially set the fourth Thursday of November as a national holiday for Thanksgiving. Today, Thanksgiving is a time when many families come together, and many churches are open for special services. We have both Native Americans and immigrants to thank for the opportunity to observe a day of thanksgiving".

Proof of another lie...They hyped the connection when they knew there wasn't one

Report: 9/11-Iraq link refuted days after attack

"Ten days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, President Bush was told in a highly classified briefing that the U.S. intelligence community had no evidence linking the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein to the attacks and that there was scant credible evidence that Iraq had any significant collaborative ties with Al Qaeda, according to government records and current and former officials with firsthand knowledge of the matter".

The Bushites not only hyped the connection between Iraq and al-Qaida when they knew it wasn't true, but they also withheld the information from Congress. Not only does this prove they lied us into invading Iraq, but it also proves that Congress did not have the 'same intelligence' as the liars in the administration.

Hugo Chavez Bitch Slaps Dubya and Republicans

Less than a week after Republicans cut $700 million from the poor in this country to pay for more tax cuts, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, is keeping his word and will 'help poor people' in the U.S. Venezuela sending money to help poor people in the United States? With that gesture it doesn't get any clearer of how far this country has fallen in 5 short years of George Bush. Did you ever think you would see the day when a Latin American country would have to send assistance to Americans? Impeach George Bush and arrest his collaborators for the depravation and damage done to our country! CITGO to Begin Discounted Heating Oil Distribution to Poor U.S. Communities

Venezuelan heating oil will be distributed to poor U.S. communities via the Venezuelan-owned oil company Citgo. "The Venezuelan-owned and U.S.-based fuel refiner and distributor Citgo will begin distributing discounted heating oil to poor U.S. communities next week. Rafael Ramirez, Venezuela's Minister of Energy and Petroleum, made the announcement yesterday, saying that the measure is meant to show Venezuela's commitment to disadvantaged sectors in the United States. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez had originally announced the measure last August, while the U.S. civil rights activist Jesse Jackson was visiting Venezuela. The launch of the discounted heating oil program is meant to coincide with the Thanksgiving holiday and will benefit communities in poor communities of Boston, Massachusetts and of the Bronx, New York".

Iraq's oil: The spoils of war

Paul O'Neill, Bush's first Treasury Secretary told of the very first meeting he ever had with Bush and his new cabinet in January of 2001, where he was shocked that the conversation quickly turned to going after Iraq. This was of course, nine months before 9/11, so O'Neill was a bit taken aback by the talk. Now that it has been proven that Bush and his collaborators lied over and over again in leading the country needlessly into war, we have further proof now of their motive; Oil. How many times have we heard from many of the Bush sheep who swallowed and continue to swallow his lies that 'it isn't about the oil'? Well, IT IS about the oil! $200 billion in oil that the U.S., and guess who, Britain, are going to attempt to rip the Iraqis off for. Do you think this will be one more thing to fire up the 'insurgents' against our troops since what they have been saying all along will now be proven to be true? But those same sheep who back these lying war criminals don't care because they aren't the ones sacrificing anything. All they have to do is continue their pompom routines. Fucking pansy-asses!

"Iraqis face the dire prospect of losing up to $200bn (£116bn) of the wealth of their country if an American-inspired plan to hand over development of its oil reserves to US and British multinationals comes into force next year. A report produced by American and British pressure groups warns Iraq will be caught in an "old colonial trap" if it allows foreign companies to take a share of its vast energy reserves. The report is certain to reawaken fears that the real purpose of the 2003 war on Iraq was to ensure its oil came under Western control".

DOD News Release(s) 5 Soldiers, 2 Marines

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051122-5144.html On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051122-5144.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1220-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 22, 2005 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Michael J. Idanan, 21, of Chula Vista, Calif., died in Bayji, Iraq on Nov. 19, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Idanan was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051122-5143.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1219-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 22, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Bayji, Iraq on Nov. 19, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during combat operations. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. Killed were: 1st Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, 23, of Freehold, N.J. Staff Sgt. Edward Karolasz, 25, of Powder Springs, N.J. Cpl. Jonathan F. Blair, 21, of Fort Wayne, Ind. Spc. Dominic J. Hinton, 24, of Jacksonville, Texas. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051122-5142.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1217-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 22, 2005 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Marine Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas, 20, of El Paso, Texas died Nov. 19 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in the vicinity of Hadithah, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). ------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051122-5141.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1216-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 22, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Marine Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lance Cpl. Tyler J. Troyer, 21, of Tangent, Ore., died Nov. 19 from wounds received as a result of small arms fire while conducting combat operations against enemy forces near Al Karmah, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scalia to change vote on Roe v. Wade!

Al Franken teaches Antonin Scalia a little about American Constitutional History Al Franken attended a talk given by Antonin Scalia last week where everything said was 'off the record'. But, there was a 'cocktail' gathering afterward that was 'on the record' so Al Franken approached Scalia and asked him about his contradiction of calling himself a 'constructionist' and an 'originalist' while being against a woman's right to choose an abortion. Scalia angrily pointed his finger at Franken and said 'You're wrong'! No, Antonin, you're wrong! The founding fathers had absolutely no problem with women having abortions and couldn't have cared less what women did their own bodies, which is exactly the view of those of us who are 'pro-choice'. Making abortion illegal was not even talked about in this country until 1821, 34 years after the writing of our constitution. The founding fathers were pro-choice! They thought abortion was a non-issue not worthy of even mentioning. So, the next time someone tells you they're an 'originalist' or a 'constructionist' and that they follow the constitution and they're anti-choice, tell them they're full of shit because if you are truly following what those who wrote the constitution said, you can only be pro-choice. Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, two justices who claim to be something they're not, will now have to change their stance on abortion to remain true to the U.S. Constitution. And, don't you find it a bit alarming that Al Franken had to tell Antonin Scalia that he's been wrong all these years about our constitution? Listen to Al Franken-and learn. Teaching Republicans and social conservatives how wrong they are!