Happy Easter

The Resurrection of Christ by Pieter Pauwel Rubens c.1612

Stuck in the middle

$74,000 for cleaning job "On her 83rd birthday, Lillian Winkel celebrated the same way she spends every day -- going to work at a General Motors Corp. metal stamping plant in Indianapolis. The great-great grandmother, who is the second-oldest woman working at GM, made $74,000 last year cleaning floors and emptying wastebaskets. "I always work on my birthday," said Winkel, who turned 83 on March 2. "I don't know anybody else who's going to give me three hundred and some-odd dollars for my birthday. Thank God for General Motors."

Exxon Top oil executive was paid on average $144,573 per day

"For his efforts, Lee Raymond, Exxon's chairman and chief executive officer, who retired in December, was compensated more than $686 million from 1993 to 2005, according to an analysis done for the New York Times by Brian Foley, an independent compensation consultant. That is $144,573 for each day he spent leading Exxon's "God pod," as the executive suite at the company's headquarters in Irving, Texas, is known. Despite the company's performance, some shareholders, academics, corporate governance experts and consumer groups were taken aback when they learned for the first time this week the details of Raymond's total compensation package, including the more than $400 million he received in his final year at the company".

Damn, is there any wonder why cars and gasoline are so expensive? It seems pretty clear why General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are having so many problems. You can't pay janitors $74,000 a year to empty waste baskets and expect to stay competitive! And Exxon...what the hell! They pay their CEO $145,000 PER DAY? You could hire 508 janitors at GM for that! It's tough being stuck in the middle of all this bullshit!

Why's everybody picking on Rummy?

"It wasn't Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld who stood up in front of the UN and identified two mobile latrines as biological weapons labs, was it, General Powell? It wasn't Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld who told us our next warning from Saddam could be a mushroom cloud, was it Condoleeza? It wasn't Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld who declared that Al Qaeda and Saddam were going steady, was it, Mr. Cheney? Yes, Rumfeld is a swaggering bag of mendacious arrogance, a duplicitous chicken-hawk, yellow-bellied bully-boy and Tinker-Toy Napoleon -- but he didn't appoint himself Secretary of Defense".

Greg Palast, WHY RUMSFELD SHOULD NOT RESIGN

Marines Reissue Medals to Ted Williams' Family

"They were assumed either lost in a hurricane when Ted Williams lived in Islamorada, Fla., or "borrowed" by Teddy Ballgame’s army of "friends," says Williams’ lawyer,Peter Sutton. But thanks to Sutton's efforts, the U.S. Marines have agreed to reissue to Claudia Williams, Ted's daughter and heir, the many medals her father earned during his nearly five years of duty in two wars. Williams served as a Marine pilot from November 1942 to January 1946, then reenlisted in May 1952 and was discharged as a captain in July 1953. Among his many military honors: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Air Medal with two gold stars, the World War II Victory Medal and the American Campaign Medal".

Boston Herald

Darrell Green and "Republican principles"

"Former Washington Redskins cornerback Darrell R. Green is being urged to run for the state Senate from Loudoun County next year by leading Northern Virginia Republicans who hope he can use his fame on the football field to oust newly elected Democrat Mark R. Herring. Green, one of the most well-known Redskins from the team's recent golden era, lives in Loudoun and has been running a nonprofit foundation since he left the team three years ago. "That name is on many lips," said former senator William C. Mims (R), whose Loudoun seat Herring won after Mims left to work in the attorney general's office. "[Green] is a longtime Loudoun resident who has been active in the community. He is highly respected and has an outlook that's consistent with Republican principles."

Looks like another token for the Republicans. "Republican principles"? What does that mean - That he's cheating on his third wife while praising God and spending twice as much as he earns?

"Chatty Cathie"?

Cathie Martin, second from the left

Cheney Authorized Leak Of CIA Report, Libby Says "Moreover, on July 12, 2003, the same day that Libby spoke to both Cooper and Miller, Libby and Cheney traveled aboard Air Force Two for the dedication of a new aircraft carrier in Norfolk, Va. During the flight either to or from Norfolk, Cheney, Libby, and Cathie Martin, then-assistant to the vice president for public affairs, discussed how they might rebut Wilson's charges and discredit him, according to federal court records, and interviews with people with first-hand knowledge of accounts that all three provided to federal investigators. The previously unreported grand jury testimony is significant because only hours after Cheney reportedly instructed Libby to disclose information from the CIA report, Libby divulged to then-New York Times reporter Judith Miller and Time magazine correspondent Matthew Cooper that Plame was a CIA officer, and that she been involved in selecting her husband for the Niger mission".

Isn't that interesting? What a coincidence that on the very same day that Scooter told Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper that Valerie Plame was a covert CIA agent, he and Dick Cheney were on Air Force 2 scheming of ways to discredit her husband, Joe Wilson. And, there was a third person in the conversation-a Ms. Cathie Martin. Scooter has given up a whole lot of information on leaks already but Patrick Fitzgerald hasn't been able to get him to implicate Cheney on Plame yet. That's the charge that's going to nail ol' Dick-Head Cheney. Can't Fitzgerald break Ms. Martin? You know damn well Cheney and Libby talked about Plame's role at the CIA on the flight that day and she more than likely was involved in that conversation. Doesn't she realize the book and movie deals she's missing out on? So what if you've already testified, and perjured yourself, Fitzgerald will grant you immunity. Come on, Chatty Cathie, you know Cheney told Scooter to leak Plame's name...Come clean. They could have Renee Zellweger or Hillary Swank play the role of you.... You could be a big star. The National Journal

Free cartoons over at http://www.wisgrove.com/

Thanks LA/Sirk and 'John'

What if? What if Plame had been working these last 3 years?

Now that Colin Powell has come out and vindicated Joe Wilson and admitted that Bush, Cheney and their underlings lied about Iraq trying to acquire uranium from Niger, people need to be reminded about the damage that was done to national security when they outed Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame. Valerie Plame worked under cover on Iran's 'weapons of mass destruction'; more specifically, she was "involved in monitoring the nuclear proliferation black market", that Iran was involved in with Pakistan. Because Bush and Cheney just couldn't get over it and would not allow anyone to question their motives, they totally disregarded what was essential to national security and outed a covert CIA agent to spite Joe Wilson. That is treason*. George Bush has continually reminded us that "we are at war". Treason during war-time is punishable by death. Impeachment is the absolute minimum sentence that should be imposed. *UPDATE-CORRECTION-Outing a CIA agent is not an act of treason. It is espionage, but not treason. (I'm too lazy to change the paragraph)

DOD News Release(s) 5 Soldiers, 1 Marine

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060413-12815.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 315-06 April 13, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died of injuries sustained in Taji, Iraq on April 11, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Bradley Fighting Vehicle and they subsequently came under small arms fire during combat operations. All three soldiers were assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Killed were: Cpl. Joseph A. Blanco, 25, of Bloomington, Calif. Pfc. James F. Costello III, 27, of St. Louis, Mo. Pfc. George R. Roehl Jr., 21, of Manchester, N.H. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060413-12814.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 314-06 April 13, 2006 DoD Identifies Missing Marine and Sailor The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lance Cpl. Eric A. Palmisano, 27, of Florence, Wis., died April 2, after the truck he was riding in rolled over in a flash flood near Al Asad, Iraq. The incident also resulted in the death of six other Marines and a Navy petty officer. Palmisano was listed as Duty Status - Whereabouts Unknown until his body was recovered April 11. He was assigned to 1st Transportation Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Petty Officer 3rd Class Marcques J. Nettles, 22, of Beaverton, Ore. is still listed as Duty Status - Whereabouts Unknown as a result of the incident and search efforts continue. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060413-12809.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 312-06 April 13, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Cpl. Kenneth D. Hess, 26, of Asheville, N.C., died in Rawah, Iraq on April 11, as the result of a suicide bomber attack while Hess was conducting a dismounted patrol. Hess was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060412-12806.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 310-06 April 12, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Shawn R. Creighton, 21, of Windsor, N.C., died in Rawah, Iraq on April 8, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Stryker vehicle during patrol operations. Creighton was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zacarias Moussaoui's soon to be resting place

Swine manure lagoon Zacarias Moussaoui made it known today in court testimony that he no longer wants to be executed because it's 'against Islam'. So, I would grant him his wish. I would sentence him to 'life' and then assign him a bunk in one of our most notorious federal prisons with the Aryan Brotherhood. Before I gave him his plush assignment I would let him know where his headless body would be placed for eternity. His body would be dumped into one of the many 'swine lagoons' we have throughout the country. And then I would let it be known to every single Islamic nation in the world that if you come to our country and commit an act of terror, your body will join his for eternity. Got the message?

Colin Powell tries to cleanse his soul

"I didn't need Wilson to tell me that there wasn't a Niger connection. He didn't tell us anything we didn't already know. I never believed it...That was all Cheney." --- Colin Powell-4/10/06-Trying to wash away the shame of his complicity in the deaths of 2,400 American troops and the waste of $400 billion. Colin Powell may actually have a conscience after all. Either that or he's going to make an attempt to run for office, but either way, he deserves no sympathy from anybody when it comes to his crimes that led us needlessly into war.

"On Monday, former Secretary of State Colin Powell told me that he and his department's top experts never believed that Iraq posed an imminent nuclear threat, but that the president followed the misleading advice of Vice President Dick Cheney and the CIA in making the claim. Now he tells us. The harsh truth is that this president cherry-picked the intelligence data in making his case for invading Iraq and deliberately kept the public in the dark as to the countervailing analysis at the highest level of the intelligence community. While the president and his top Cabinet officials were fear-mongering with stark images of a "mushroom cloud" over American cities, the leading experts on nuclear weaponry at the Department of Energy (the agency in charge of the U.S. nuclear-weapons program) and the State Department thought the claim of a near-term Iraqi nuclear threat was absurd".

Republicans and phoney-conservatives used to fall all over themselves over Colin Powell-He was their straw man that allowed them to hide their ingrained racism. Well, I wonder what they think of him now that he's exposing all the lies that they've been basing most of their arguments on?

"I listen to the Generals"

U.S. First Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. John Batiste attends a ceremony in Tikrit, Iraq, in March 2004. The Liar-In-Chief often says he 'listens to the Generals" but we know that's obviously not true because if he did, Rumsfeld would be long gone. In fact, so would he.

"The retired commander of key forces in Iraq called yesterday for Donald H. Rumsfeld to step down, joining several other former top military commanders who have harshly criticized the secretary of defense's authoritarian style for making the military's job more difficult. "I think we need a fresh start" at the top of the Pentagon, retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq in 2004-05, said in an interview. "We need leadership up there that respects the military as they expect the military to respect them. And that leadership needs to understand teamwork." Batiste noted that many of his peers feel the same way. "It speaks volumes that guys like me are speaking out from retirement about the leadership climate in the Department of Defense," he said earlier yesterday on CNN".

DOD News Release(s) 6 Soldiers, 3 Marines

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060411-12799.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 304-06 April 11, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died of injuries sustained in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on April 9, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during combat operations. The soldiers were assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. Killed were: Sgt. 1st Class Randall L. Lamberson, 36, of Springfield, Mo., died in Balad, Iraq on April 10th. Sgt. David S. Collins, 24, of Jasper Ga., died in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on April 9th. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060411-12798.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 303-06 April 11, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. James W. Gardner, 22, of Glasgow, Ky., died in Tal Afar, Iraq, on April 10, from a non-combat related cause. Gardner was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 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/2006/nr20060411-12794.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 300-06 April 11, 2006 DoD Identifies Marine Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lance Cpl. Bryan N. Taylor, 20, of Milford, Ohio, died April 6 after being shot by an Iraqi Army soldier on a coalition base near Al Qaim, Iraq. He was assigned to the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. The incident is currently under investigation. Cpl. Richard P. Waller, 22, of Fort Worth, Texas, died April 7 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060411-12793.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 299-06 April 11, 2006 DoD Identifies Marine Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lance Cpl. Juana Navarro Arellano, 24, of Ceres, Calif., died April 8 from wounds received while supporting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. She was assigned to 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060411-12791.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 298-06 April 11, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Joseph I. Love, 22, of North Pole, Alaska, died in Balad, Iraq, on April 9, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during convoy operations. Love was assigned to the 84th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), 8th Sustainment Command (Theater), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060410-12790.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 297-06 April 10, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pvt. Jody W. Missildine, 19, of Plant City, Fla., died in Tal Afar, Iraq, on April 8, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during convoy operations. Missildine was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060410-12787.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 296-06 April 10, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. 1st Class Gregory S. Rogers, 42, of Cincinnati, Ohio, died in Ar Ramadi, Iraq on April 9, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during convoy operations. Rogers was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another lie from Bush-the 'biolabs'

Lacking Biolabs, Trailers Carried Case for War Administration Pushed Notion of Banned Iraqi Weapons Despite Evidence to Contrary On May 29, 2003, 50 days after the fall of Baghdad, President Bush proclaimed a fresh victory for his administration in Iraq: Two small trailers captured by U.S. and Kurdish troops had turned out to be long-sought mobile "biological laboratories." He declared, "We have found the weapons of mass destruction." The claim, repeated by top administration officials for months afterward, was hailed at the time as a vindication of the decision to go to war. But even as Bush spoke, U.S. intelligence officials possessed powerful evidence that it was not true. A secret fact-finding mission to Iraq -- not made public until now -- had already concluded that the trailers had nothing to do with biological weapons. Leaders of the Pentagon-sponsored mission transmitted their unanimous findings to Washington in a field report on May 27, 2003, two days before the president's statement.

How much more evidence does the prosecution need to convict these lying traitors?

Convicted felon's direct line to the White House

The continuing saga of the culture of corruption 'Court records show that convicted phone-jamming conspirator James Tobin made dozens of calls to the White House in the weeks leading up to - and following - the voting on Nov. 5, 2002'.

"Key figures in a phone-jamming scheme designed to keep New Hampshire Democrats from voting in 2002 had regular contact with the White House and the Republican Party as the plan was unfolding, phone records introduced in criminal court show. The records show that Bush campaign operative James Tobin, who recently was convicted in the case, made two dozen calls to the White House within a three-day period around Election Day 2002 -- as the phone-jamming operation was finalized, carried out and then abruptly ended. Nearly all the calls to the White House went to the same number, which currently rings inside the political affairs office. In 2002, White House political affairs was led by Ken Mehlman, now chairman of the Republican National Committee. The White House declined to say which staffer was assigned that phone number in 2002. The national Republican Party paid millions in legal bills to defend Tobin".

Gingrich hasn't lost that Republican touch

On Monday, former House speak Newt Gingrich declared that the occupation of Iraq has been a mistake for the last 34 months:

It was an enormous mistake for us to try to occupy [Iraq] after June of 2003.

For Gingrich, it’s a dramatic reversal. In December 2003 (six months after he claimed the occupation of Iraq became a mistake), Gingrich expressed his support for the continuing operations:

I think it’s easy to go back now and second-guess. But when I look back and I think about what we felt in February and March and April, I think it was the right war, it was the right decision. [Fox, Hannity & Colmes, 12/8/03]

In September 2004 (15 months after he says the occupation was a mistake) Gingrich blasted critics who complained "we’re not winning fast enough":

And instead of applauding this deliberate effort to minimize American casualties and to strengthen the Iraqis, we have some of our friends here at home who want it both ways. They want to complain that we’re not winning fast enough, and they want to complain if we take any casualties. You can’t have it both ways. [Fox, Hannity & Colmes, 9/27/04]

Meet the new Newt. Nothing like the old Newt. Think Progress Newt positioning himself for 2008. Man, I think Newt Gingrich would be the perfect Republican nominee. I'll definitely vote for him in the Republican primary. You can still cross-over vote in the primaries, can't you? Or did they stop that back when all the republicans used to go to the polls and vote for Jesse Jackson? I think they did....Damn, maybe I won't get the chance to vote for ol' Newt after all.

Tiktaalik, 375 million years ago?

But, the earth is only 5,000 years old!??!!!

"The fossilized remains of Tiktaalik, a roughly 375-million-year-old fish, are a pivotal entry in the annals of science. This discovery has great value for several reasons. It adds to the biological records. It rebuts inaccurate claims made by creationists. And it shows the passion, patience, and power of scientific research. Scientists say that Tiktaalik is the missing evolutionary link between creatures that lived in water and those that walked on land. Inside Tiktaalik's fins was the skeletal structure of arms, including wrists and elbows. The fish also had a modified ear region and a mobile neck. So while Tiktaalik probably wasn't pondering a move with the spouse and kids to a drier neighborhood, evolution was making way for just such a relocation plan, clearing a path for limbed creatures, including, eventually, humans. As they are frequent guests on free-for-all talk shows, science and religion will no doubt clash over this finding. Tiktaalik will add to the problems of strict creationists, who believe the world was created by God quickly, and not so very long ago. But there's still plenty of room for respectful coexistence between those who believe that evolution is a gift of God and those who believe it is a rational and replicable scientific theory".

More on Tiktaalik

Leaker In Chief

Quotes from the "Leaker In Chief" explaining to students and foreign policy analysts at the Johns Hopkins University on Monday, April 10, why he had Scooter Libby meet Judy Miller at a hotel for 'breakfast' and give her half of the NIE report. Of course the 'other half' of the report was the part about the information not being "very credible".

"I thought it was important for people to get a better sense for why I was saying what I was saying in my speeches. And I felt I could do so without jeopardizing ongoing intelligence matters. So I did." "After we liberated Iraq, there was questions in people's minds, you know, about the basis on which I made statements - in other words, going into Iraq. And so I decided to declassify the [report] for a reason. I wanted people to see what some of those statements were based on."

I wish one of those students or foreign policy analysts would have asked him the simple question as to why he didn't have a press conference if he "wanted people to see what some of those statements were based on." No one has asked Bush that yet. I'm curious to see how he worms his way out of that one.

Powell: U.S. mistakes hurting Iraq

"U.S. mistakes in the invasion of Iraq led to the current insurgency and sectarian fighting, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says. "We made some serious mistakes in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Baghdad," Powell told the National School Board Association's annual conference in Chicago. "We didn't have enough troops on the ground. We didn't impose our will. And as a result, an insurgency got started, and ... it got out of control."

Colin Powell was the Secretary of State when we invaded Iraq. Powell went before the United Nations to sell the war on information he knew was a lie. As Secretary of State and a former general he had the opportunity to ensure we had the proper troop strength but he ignored General Shinseki, and we have lost many young American lives because of his stubbornness. Colin Powell has absolutely no credibility left and he needs to be indicted along with all the other war criminals in the Bush administration.

The 'Un' Christian Coaltion needs your support

The right-wing's spiritual leader doesn't pay his debts just like they don't

"In an era when conservative Christians enjoy access and influence throughout the federal government, the organization that fueled their rise has fallen on hard times. The once-mighty Christian Coalition, founded 17 years ago by the Rev. Pat Robertson as the political fundraising and lobbying engine of the Christian right, is more than $2 million in debt, beset by creditors' lawsuits and struggling to hold on to some of its state chapters. "There's a trail of debt. . . . We believe, our board believes, any Christian organization has an obligation to pay its debts in a timely fashion."

"Pay its debts in a timely fashion"? Why would this organization feel the need to be any different than the Republican Party that they support so 'religiously'? Republicans don't pay their debts and in fact, not one single one of them has paid their debt since Dwight Eisenhower. All you phoney-Christian wingnuts better start sending more money to your hero, Pat Robertson, because it's awfully embarrassing to you Republicans that the organization that's ran by your direct 'spokesman to God' is failing so miserably. I guess ol' brother Pat, better get his signal back on his open line to Jesus pretty quick.

The Bush affect on our military

Young Officers Leaving Army at a High Rate "Young Army officers, including growing numbers of captains who leave as soon as their initial commitment is fulfilled, are bailing out of active-duty service at rates that have alarmed senior officers. Last year, more than a third of the West Point class of 2000 left active duty at the earliest possible moment, after completing their five-year obligation".

Got fooled again

Lt. General GREGORY NEWBOLD, Retired director of operations at the Pentagon's military joint staff.

"From 2000 until October 2002, I was a Marine Corps lieutenant general and director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After 9/11, I was a witness and therefore a party to the actions that led us to the invasion of Iraq--an unnecessary war. Inside the military family, I made no secret of my view that the zealots' rationale for war made no sense. And I think I was outspoken enough to make those senior to me uncomfortable. But I now regret that I did not more openly challenge those who were determined to invade a country whose actions were peripheral to the real threat--al-Qaeda. I retired from the military four months before the invasion, in part because of my opposition to those who had used 9/11's tragedy to hijack our security policy. Until now, I have resisted speaking out in public. I've been silent long enough". The rest...

Another general that wasn't listened to. Bush has made it a habit of saying he 'listened to the generals' on what was needed in Iraq but General Newbold is another clear example of what a liar Bush actually is.

Battling the Jesus freaks . . . with science!

Bill Nye, the harmless children's edu-tainer known as "The Science Guy," managed to offend a select group of idiot adults in Waco when he suggested that the moon does not emit light. As even most elementary-school graduates know, the moon reflects the light of the sun but produces no light of its own. But don't tell that to the good people of Waco, who were "visibly angered by what some perceived as irreverence," according to the Waco Tribune. Nye was in town to participate in McLennan Community College's Distinguished Lecture Series. He gave two lectures on such unfunny and adult topics as global warming, Mars exploration, and energy consumption. But nothing got people as riled as when he brought up Genesis 1:16, which reads: "God made two great lights -- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars." The lesser light, he pointed out, is not a light at all, but only a reflector. At this point, several people in the audience stormed out in fury. One woman yelled "We believe in God!" and left with three children, thus assuring that people across America would read about the incident and conclude that Waco is as nutty as they'd always suspected.

Hey watch it Nye! It's in the Bible so it has to be true!

Afghani who saved Navy Seal under constant threat

Gulab says he 'sacrificed everything' to save the American

"Even with all the troubles that followed, Mohammad Gulab says he's still glad he saved the U.S. Navy SEAL. "I have no regrets for what I did," the 32-year-old Afghan told NEWSWEEK recently. "I'm proud of my action." Nevertheless, he says, "I never imagined I would pay such a price." Last June, foraging for edible plants in the forest near his home in the Kunar-province village of Sabray, Gulab discovered a wounded commando, the lone survivor of a four-man squad that had been caught in a Taliban ambush. Communicating by hand signs, Gulab brought the injured stranger home, fed and sheltered him for two days and helped contact a U.S. rescue team to airlift him out".

Why haven't we relocated this man and his family to the United States?

"Uranium from Africa"

"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa". George W. Bush in the 2003 "State of the Union" address, repeating what he knew was a lie.

"TWO employees of the Niger embassy in Rome were responsible for the forgery of a notorious set of documents used to help justify the Iraq war, an official investigation has allegedly found. According to Nato sources, the investigation has evidence that Niger’s consul and its ambassador’s personal assistant faked a contract to show Saddam Hussein had bought uranium ore from the impoverished west African country". The documents, which emerged in 2002, were used in a US State Department fact sheet on Iraq’s weapons programme to build the case for war. They were denounced as forgeries by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) shortly before the 2003 invasion. The revelation spawned a series of conspiracy theories, most alleging that the British, Italians, or even Dick Cheney, the American vice-president, had had a hand in forging them to back the case for war. The story was still reverberating around Washington last week with claims that President George W Bush had authorised the leaking of the identity of a CIA agent whose husband cast doubt on the Niger link".

Bush used the 16 words at the top of this post in his 2003 State of the Union (SOTU) in January of 2003. Here is direct testimony from the Deputy DCI in a National Intelligence Estimate in October of 2002, three months prior to the SOTU;

"On October 2, 2002, the Deputy DCI testified before the SSCI. Senator Jon Kyl asked the Deputy DCI whether he had read the British white paper and whether he disagreed with anything in the report. The Deputy DCI testified that "the one thing where I think they stretched a little bit beyond where we would stretch is on the points about Iraq seeking uranium from various African locations. We've looked at those reports and we don't think they are very credible".

Bush was lying about Iraq trying to obtain uranium from Africa and his own intelligence reports prove that. He was going to Iraq and it didn't matter if they were truly a threat or not. He should be impeached at the very least.

March of the Seals? They can only wish they were penguins...

"The hunt is permitted about two weeks after the seal pups are born and their fur changes from white to gray. Most are killed between 12 to 25 days old". At least they are allowed to live a couple of weeks. We, as a society could never condone behavior so cruel as to kill these animals while their fur was still white. That would be uncivilized.

$13,700 an hour - Brother, can you spare a dime?

"At a town hall meeting in Ohio last Saturday, Representative Sherrod Brown of Ohio, a staunch advocate for social and economic rights--he and Bernie Sanders are the two best candidates running for Senate in 2006--railed against stagnant wages' contribution to economic hardship. "It is unacceptable that someone can work full-time--and work hard--and not be able to lift their family out of poverty." He blasted a system where a full-time worker making the minimum wage earns $10,500 annually, while "last year the CEO of Wal-Mart earned $3,500 an hour. The CEO of Halliburton earned about $8,300 an hour. And the CEO of ExxonMobil earned about $13,700 an hour."

Katrina vanden Heuvel-The Nation Damn - I guess the ExxonMobil CEO won't be worrying about gas at $3 a gallon. Matter of fact, he's looking forward to $4! [BTW, $13,700 an hour comes to about $28.5 million annually at 2,080 hours]

No Shit

U.S. Study Paints Somber Portrait of Iraqi Discord

"An internal staff report by the United States Embassy and the military command in Baghdad provides a sobering province-by-province snapshot of Iraq's political, economic and security situation, rating the overall stability of 6 of the 18 provinces "serious" and one "critical." The report is a counterpoint to some recent upbeat public statements by top American politicians and military officials. The report, 10 pages of briefing points titled "Provincial Stability Assessment," underscores the shift in the nature of the Iraq war three years after the toppling of Saddam Hussein. Warnings of sectarian and ethnic frictions are raised in many regions, even in those provinces generally described as nonviolent by American officials".

Thicker Than Oil

For fifty-five years, the United States and Saudi Arabia were solid partners. Then came the 9/11 attacks, which sorely tested that relationship. In Thicker Than Oil, Rachel Bronson reveals why the partnership became so intimate and how the countries’ shared interests sowed the seeds of today’ most pressing problem—Islamic radicalism.

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/2006/nr20060407-12783.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 292-06 April 7, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier, who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Daniel L. Sesker, 22, of Ogden, Iowa, died in Bayji, Iraq on April 6, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Sesker was assigned to the Army National Guard's Troop C, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry in LeMars, Iowa. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060407-12781.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 290-06 April 7, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier, who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Dustin J. Harris, 21, of Bangor, Maine, died in Bayji, Iraq on April 6, when an improvised device detonated while he was conducting dismounted patrol operations. Harris was assigned to the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060407-12776.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 288-06 April 7, 2006 DoD Identifies Marine Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine, who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Chase A. Edwards, 19, of Lake Charles, La., died April 6 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060406-12770.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 284-06 April 6, 2006 DoD Identifies Marine and Sailor Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the identity of a Marine and a sailor supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, who have been listed as Duty Status -Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN) after the seven-ton truck in which they were riding rolled over in a flash flood near Al Asad, Iraq on April 2. The incident was not a result of enemy action. Lance Cpl. Eric A. Palmisano, 27, of Florence, Wis., is assigned to the 1st Transportation Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Petty Officer 3rd Class Marcques J. Nettles, 22, of Beaverton, Ore., is assigned to Force Service Regiment 1 Fleet Marine Forces Pacific. All available resources are being used to search for the Marine and sailor. Information concerning the six Marines killed in this incident was posted at http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060405-12757.html on April 5. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bizarre multiple murders in Ontario, Canada

Eight men were found dead in a remote part of a southwest farmer's field, prompting Ontario Provincial Police to launch a homicide investigation. The grisly discovery was made by a property owner near the village of Shedden, about 20 kilometres west of St. Thomas, at around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Then why didn't you have a news conference?

"By definition, the president cannot leak"

"A day after it was revealed that President Bush authorized the release of sensitive pre-war intelligence, his spokesman did not deny the information was leaked by the White House. But spokesman Scott McClellan said it had been declassified and was made public as a defense against allegations the intelligence was manipulated. McClellan said the information from the National Intelligence Estimate was "historical" and the public needed to know the contents..."

If Bush thought the 'public needed to know' then why didn't he have a simple news conference instead of having Libby secretly leak the information to Judy Miller? It would seem to me that if you had valuable information that the public needed to know about, you'd be happy to stand up and tell the whole country instead of giving it exclusively to some mole you have working for you at the NY Times. Keep talking, Scotty.

"I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action." [Bush Remarks: Chicago, Illinois, 9/30/03]

The Bush administration leaked far more 'manipulated' information than the recently acknowledged NIE incident: Here's a nice morsel of info. for you:

"As the war approached, the White House released other documents and statements containing allegations about Saddam's weapons and ties to terrorism, many of which included information from Iraqi defectors and other sources that already had been discredited. Among those was a document published in October 2002, titled "Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs," which was a public version of the National Intelligence Estimate's main points - but with doubts and dissents stripped out".

Let me explain those last two paragraphs to all you Bush ass-kissers. Bush not only authorized leaks, he only leaked the information that didn't contradict his lying. He was cherry picking. All you fools who fell for it should be totally embarrassed. ...You were all such weak and pathetic little sheep...

One of the 16 Seats?

"How nervous are Republicans that the Iraq war could hurt them in November? Nervous enough that Rep. Christopher Shays visited the same senior center twice in one week to defend his stand. The nine-term House veteran is in full campaign mode, explaining his unbending support for the war to confounded voters such as Anne Donnelly, a resident of the Marvin. She has supported Shays in previous elections but complained that his bullish stance on Iraq seemed at odds with news reports that portray a country in a tailspin".

Of all the congressional seats that need to be taken from Republicans this November, Christopher Shays' would be one of the last I would like to see go. He's generally very moderate but his blind faith behind Bush's ridiculous Iraq mess is more than enough reason to vote for Diane Farrell.

below freezing

Overall, do you approve, disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president? -Approve, 36 percent (37) -Disapprove, 62 percent (60) -Mixed feelings, 2 percent (2) -Not sure, X percent (1) Thirty-Six percent... And that's before the country found out he was behind the leaks coming out of the White House! Any takers on Bush being below 32 in the next poll?

Iraqi Soldier Allegedly Kills U.S. Marine

"An Iraqi soldier allegedly shot and killed a U.S. Marine at a base near the Syrian border, the U.S. said Friday. Another American Marine then wounded the Iraqi soldier. The shootings occurred Thursday near Qaim, 200 miles west of Baghdad, the U.S. statement said. "An Iraqi army soldier allegedly shot and killed the U.S. Marine on a coalition base" near Qaim, the statement said. "The Iraqi soldier was shot by another U.S. Marine."

Not so traditional family values

"The son of [Arizona] state Senate President [Republican] Ken Bennett admitted in court Monday to assaulting middle school boys with a broomstick in their rectal areas, but a judge allowed charges against him to be reduced from 18 to one, and he may avoid jail. Three of the 18 victims, all boys between the ages of 11 and 15, are from Tucson, and the families are angry that 18-year-old Clifton Bennett and co-defendant Kyle Wheeler, 19, were not charged with sexual assault. Also, the families said Bennett is being treated favorably by the court system because of his father's position in the Legislature. Bennett's plea would allow the court to classify the aggravated-assault conviction as a misdemeanor, which means he could go on to become a teacher or counselor and would never have to disclose the so-called "brooming" incident".

Some good old family values coming out of Arizona. Son of the state's Senate President, a good traditional family-values Mormom and self-righteous Republican just out having some fun and getting an early start in his young social 'conservative' life.

The Pathological Liar

We all know a pathological liar or two in our lives. You know, the type of person who will flat-out lie and make up something and then bob and weave and try to either change the subject or try to act like their blatant lies aren't really all that important to the point they're trying to make. Scott McClellan is one of those liars. He tried to say that the NIE information that Bush ordered leaked to the NY Times by Scooter Libby had already been declassified. But poor Scotty. His previous words are public record and some savvy news reporters were sharp enough to dig up the fact that he said back on July 18, 2003 that that information "was officially declassified today". The problem with that? Scooter told Judy Miller 10 days earlier, on July 8, 2003. That information was still classified. You see, pathological liars don't have anywhere to run when they write it down or when there is a written record of their long, long record of lying. Pathological liars...You all know one. White House Caught Lying on Leak "On July 18, 2003, McClellan said that the information had been declassified that day. "It was officially declassified today," he told reporters in a briefing in Dallas, Texas. At the White House on Friday, McClellan interpreted his own remarks to mean that the information had been officially released to the public. The date could be significant because Libby discussed the information with a reporter 10 days earlier, on July 8 of that year".

Omigod! Is he really saying that to Stupid?

Yesterday morning in Charlotte, a Bush PR event on the war on terror went off-script when a man named Harry Taylor took the microphone.

"'I feel like despite your rhetoric, that compassion and common sense have been left far behind during your administration,’ Taylor said, standing in a balcony seat and looking down at Bush on stage. ‘And I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and grace to be ashamed of yourself.'"

Right on Harry! George Bush is way too stupid to feel shame, though. Thanks for reminding him. (Looks like the lady next to you is having labor pains) Helluva Job! Think Progress a little more...

Scooter Libby's Source

Libby Traces Approval of Disclosure Back to Bush

"George Bush personally authorized leaking long-classified information to a reporter in the summer of 2003 to buttress administration claims, now discredited, that Saddam Hussein was attempting to acquire weapons of mass destruction for Iraq, according to a court filing by prosecutors in the case against former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was indicted in October on charges that he lied to investigators about his role in the unmasking of former CIA operative Valerie Plame. Court papers filed by special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald late Wednesday said that before Libby's indictment, he told a federal grand jury investigating the leak that Cheney told him to pass on information about a secret National Intelligence Estimate to the press and that Bush had authorized the disclosure.

George Bush practically leaps from his desk and orders Dick Cheney to have Scooter Libby call his New York Times’ source, Judy Miller, and ‘leak’ the highly classified National Intelligence Estimate’s (NIE) report on Iraq’s 'weapons of mass destruction'. And although the NIE report had been refuted by two other agencies, Bush and Cheney knew it would sow doubt in the op-ed piece Joe Wilson had written in the NY Times just two days earlier. The president of the United States leaking classified information to some two-bit ho mole at the NY Times. That scenario was laid-out by Scooter Libby before the federal grand jury. Either Libby is lying or George Bush was lying and, more importantly, now been proven to be a source of leaking coming out of the White House. There has been no denial from the White House on this leak coming from Bush. The initial defense seems to be to that it didn’t have anything to do with the Valerie Plame investigation. What? Are we to believe that Bush ordered Libby to leak the NIE information to Judy Milller in his vain attempt to discredit Joe Wilson, but didn’t know anything about the leak from Libby, to the very same source, about Wilson’s wife? Come on. How goddamn dumb do you have to be to believe that?

The Vast Anti-Christian Conspiracy

"Blame it on the vast anti-Christian conspiracy. That was the explanation offered by U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas and his supporters last week for the whirlpool of legal difficulties that finally led the ex-leader of the Republicans in Congress to admit it was time to call it quits. The convener of a "War on Christians" conference held in the nation’s capital outrageously depicted the former House majority leader’s political plight as the unwarranted crucifixion of a Christ-like leader by God-haters. And, with his trademark gall, the infamously ethically challenged DeLay eagerly embraced this explanation when it was his turn to speak to the adoring crowd. "We have been chosen to live as Christians at a time when our culture is being poisoned and our world is being threatened," thundered the Texan pest-control entrepreneur who rose to become one of America’s most powerful politicians. "The enemies of virtue may be on the march, but they have not won. Let’s leave aside for a moment the absurdity of right-wing Christians’ persecution complex at a time when their adherents effectively control all three branches of the federal government. What’s even more confusing is how so many enemies of virtue seem to have had a field day operating under poor DeLay’s auspices, including the latest member of his staff to plead guilty to a felony. That would be Tony Rudy, DeLay’s former deputy chief of staff, who has now pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge for accepting payments from fellow criminal Jack Abramoff while serving in DeLay’s office, and later working to corrupt public officials and defraud clients. To be fair to DeLay, it should be noted that as absurd as his religious posturing may appear, it comes at a time when he has been denied the services of his onetime spiritual adviser and former chief of staff. Edwin Buckham, an evangelical minister who turned lobbyist after leaving DeLay’s staff, is himself now mired in potential legal problems stemming from Rudy’s plea bargain. A devastating article by R. Jeffrey Smith in the Washington Post last week reported that Buckham and his wife received a total of nearly a million bucks from the “nonprofit” U.S. Family Network, which he created as a front group largely funded by clients of Abramoff". Robert Scheer

What people should understand is that all Americans love true Christians. There is just a lot of people who despise the phony-Christians that dominate the right wing of politics and the Republican party in this country.

Pennsylvania, you have some work to do

Curt Weldon, 10-term Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania's 7th District and someone the country will be a whole lot better off without after he's defeated by Joe Sestak this November Democrat and Retired Adm. Joe Sestak, his wife, Susan, and 5-year-old daughter, Alexandra.

"Sitting in the oncology ward at Children's National Medical Center on Jan. 19, retired Adm. Joe Sestak and his wife, Susan, awaited the doctors' verdict about the condition of their 5-year-old daughter, Alexandra. She had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor last summer and given three to nine months to live. The Sestaks lived for four months in the ward. They watched as their daughter survived three surgeries, and as she endured chemotherapy. But that winter day, doctors told the Sestaks that Alexandra had done remarkably well and that, although the cancer could reemerge, she could resume living like a healthy girl. Relieved and grateful, Sestak, who retired as a three-star admiral Jan. 1, after 31 years in the Navy, began thinking about what he wanted to do next. "I went off to the Navy at 18. That's all I ever wanted to do," said Sestak, who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. He considered a position at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a private organization that aids refugees. Instead, he joined several military veterans, mostly Democrats, around the country who have decided to run for Congress this year. He's running from his hometown of Springfield, Pa."

Joe Sestak's opponent, 10-term Republican congressman, Curt Weldon, well known as "Crazy Curt' for his obsession with 'Able Danger', thinks Joe and and his wife are gaming the system by not living in Pennsylvania while their daughter received cancer treatment in Washington DC, and for not using a Pennsylvania hospital for their daughter's treatment. What a low-life creep. Pennsylvania should get rid of Weldon at the same time they get rid of Rick Santorum. The country sure could use it and Pennsylvania, you've used up all of your asshole exemptions. Here's Sestak's response to Weldon (from Atrios)

Congressman Weldon's remarks to the Hill magazine in a story published this morning regarding my daughter Alex's treatment are inappropriate. To imply, that I should have sent my daughter to a hospital in Delaware or Pennsylvania for political purposes is beyond the pale. I understand the political arena. I knew that this campaign would thrust my family into the media spotlight and we are prepared for that. But I want to make it very clear to Congressman Weldon, that any remarks regarding my daughter, Alexandra's, treatment will not be tolerated. Like many families dealing with illness, we have had our challenges in the last year. Through the grace of God, the many prayers of our friends and family, and the wonderful doctors and nurses, we have made it through this experience with our daughter Alex, who continues to inspire us everyday. Though we recognize the important work done by the many hospitals in and around Philadelphia, it was our personal choice to have Alex treated in Washington at the Children's Hospital because of its outstanding work on pediatric brain tumors. This decision was based on many things – none of which were political. This was our choice as Alex's parents and as I have said publicly, I believe these medical choices should be left in the hands of parents and family members throughout the country and not in the hands of beauracrats, special interests and especially not in the hands of politicians like Curt Weldon. The Hill via Atrios

DOD News Release(s) 8 Soldiers, 10 Marines, 1 Sailor

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060405-12765.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 282-06 April 5, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier, who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Ty J. Johnson, 28, of Elk Grove, Calif., died in Kirkuk, Iraq, on April 4, when an improvised device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Johnson was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 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/2006/nr20060405-12764.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 281-06 April 5, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers, who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Killed were: Staff Sgt. Darrell P. Clay, 34, of Fayetteville, N.C. Sgt. Israel Devora Garcia, 23, of Clint, 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/2006/nr20060405-12758.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 280-06 April 5, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers, who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Killed were: Capt. Timothy J. Moshier, 25, of Albany, N.Y. Chief Warrant Officer Michael L. Hartwick, 37, of Orrick, Mo. They died in Baghdad Iraq on April 1, when their Apache helicopter crashed while conducting a combat air patrol. Both soldiers were assigned to the Army's 4th Battalion, 4th Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, 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/2006/nr20060405-12757.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 279-06 April 5, 2006 DoD Identifies Marine Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of six Marines, who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Cpl. Andres Aguilar Jr., 21, of Victoria, Texas Cpl. David A. Bass, 20, of Nashville, Tenn. Lance Cpl. Patrick J. Gallagher, 27, of Jacksonville, Fla. Lance Cpl. Felipe D. Sandoval-Flores, 20, of Los Angeles, Calif. Cpl. Brian R. St. Germain, 22, of Warwick, R.I. Staff Sgt. Abraham G. Twitchell, 28, of Yelm, Wash. All Marines died April 2, when the seven-ton truck they were riding in rolled over in a flash flood near Al Asad, Iraq. Aguilar was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Media with questions about Aguilar can call Marine Corps Base Hawaii Public Affairs Office at (808) 257-8871/8835. Bass, Gallagher, Sandoval-Flores and St. Germain were all assigned to elements of the 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Media with questions about these four Marines can call the Camp Pendleton Public Affairs Office at (760) 725-5044. Twitchell was assigned to the Combat Service Support Group-1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. Media with questions about Twitchell can call the Twentynine Palms Public Affairs Office at (760) 830-5476. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060405-12756.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 278-06 April 5, 2006 DoD Identifies Marine Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of four Marines, who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lance Cpl. Jacob W. Beisel, 21, of Lackawaxen, Pa. Lance Cpl. Kun Y. Kim, 20, of Atlanta, Ga. Staff Sgt. Eric A. McIntosh, 29, of Trafford, Pa. Cpl. Scott J. Procopio, 20, of Saugus, Mass. Beisel died March 31 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Kim, McIntosh and Procopio died April 2 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. All Marines were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060404-12750.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 274-06 April 4, 2006 DoD Identifies Navy Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Hospitalman Geovani Padilla Aleman, 20, of South Gate, Calif., died Apr. 2 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was permanently assigned to Bethesda Naval Hospital, USNS Comfort Detachment and operationally assigned to Third Battalion, Eighth Marine Regiment, 2/28 Brigade Combat Team. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060403-12745.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 271-06 April 3, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Jeremy W. Ehle, 19, of Richmond, Va., died on April 2 in Hit, Iraq from wounds sustained when his dismounted patrol came under enemy small arms fire during combat operations. Ehle was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Friedberg, Germany. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060403-12744.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 270-06 April 3, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Joseph J. Duenas, 23, of Mesa, Ariz., died in Kirkuk Province, Iraq on March 30 from non-combat related injuries while returning from combat operations. Duenas was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101 Airborne Division (Air Assault), 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/2006/nr20060403-12742.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 268-06 April 3, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Robert Hernandez, 47, of Silver Spring, Md., died in Al Taquaddum, Iraq on March 28, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Hernandez was assigned to the Army Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 318th Regiment, 1st Brigade, 80th Division (Institutional Training), Fort Meade, Md. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gail Norton & the Gwich'in people

Gail Norton: Switchin’ on Gwich’in "In her farewell note to Interior Department staff, Secretary Gail Norton waxed poetic about the Gwich'in people who live just south of the Arctic Circle":

"America is blessed by its cultural complexity. … I was struck by a statement made by a Gwichin elder in Arctic Village, Alaska. Her people live a subsistence lifestyle, relying mainly on migrating caribou. She said she wanted her grandchildren a thousand years from now to live the same way".

"But Norton wasn’t nearly as respectful when the Gwich'in were standing in the way of her drilling plans. Norton was angry that the Gwich'in did not support the Bush administration’s plan for drilling in the Arctic. Shortly after visiting a Gwich’in village in 2001, she gave a speech that said the Gwich’ins were making life harder for "children throughout America":

"If the group’s goal is to continue their subsistence lifestyle for generations, that is certainly their choice. … But that choice also impacts others. The children throughout America, their lives will be affected by these decisions as well whether they will have heat for their homes, whether they will have jobs in a prosperous economy".

Norton’s farewell letter is clearly an effort to cast herself in a favorable light, but the facts of her tenure remain clear: she was the "administration’s biggest advocate for opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Alaska’s North Slope to oil drilling." And she didn’t let anyone slow her down. Think Progress Gail Norton, is just another clear example of the absolute incompetence, sheer croynism and utter corruption within the Bush administration. Gail Norton makes Michael Brown look like Warren Buffett when it comes to competence and her ties to Jack Abramoff is what sealed her fate and adds another notch to the most corrupt administration in history. Norton, who ran the Interior Department like "James Watt in a skirt," can skip the farewells - we should be hearing a lot more from her. More on the Gwich'in

I think I'm jinxing

13 U.S. Troops Dead In Violent Weekend

Four American troops were killed by hostile fire, while five others died and three were missing after their truck rolled over in a flash flood this weekend in separate incidents in western Iraq, the military said Monday. At least nine marines and sailors are dead, and three more are missing, after the two incidents Sunday in al Anbar province, Dozier reports. The incidents raised to 13 the number of U.S. troops who died this weekend. At least 2,342 American service members have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

A little over two weeks ago I was talking with a friend about colds and I told him I hadn't had a cold in over five years. I'm in about my 12th day of the worst cold I can ever remember having. Last Thursday I was talking with someone about Iraq and I brought up the fact that March was a really good month as far U.S casualties in that only 29 had been killed so far. That was March 30th and two more Americans died on the 31st leaving a total of 31 killed in March. That ties March 2006 with the third fewest amount of casualties in the 37 or so months that we've been there. Fourteen have died in the first 3 days of April. I think I'm going to remain mute for awhile.

Tom DeLay to withdraw from race

Tom DeLay, the biggest criminal to ever lead the House of Representatives, called Chris Matthews tonight and told him he would not run for re-election in November. This was announced minutes ago on Scarborough Country. Of course, DeLay could be serving time in prison by then, too.

DOD News Release(s) 5 Soldiers, 1 Airman

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060331-12733.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 265-06 March 31, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pfc. Sean D. Tharp, 21, of Orlando, Fla., died in Baghdad, Iraq on March 28, when his element came under enemy small arms fire while conducting dismounted patrol operations. Tharp was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, 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/2006/nr20060331-12730.html DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Tech. Sgt. Walter M. Moss Jr., 37, of Houston, Texas, was killed in the explosion of an improvised explosive device while conducting safing operations in the vicinity of Baghdad, Iraq on March 29. Moss was assigned to the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060330-12729.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 261-06 March 30, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Sgt. 1st Class John T. Stone, 52, of Norwich, Vt., died March 28 in Lashkagar, Afghanistan as a result of enemy mortar and small arms attacks during combat operations. Stone was assigned to the Army National Guard's 15th Civil Support Team, South Burlington, Vt. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060329-12723.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 258-06 March 29, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Michael D. Rowe, 23, New Port Richey, Fla., died in Rutbah, Iraq on March 28, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Rowe was assigned to the 46th Engineer Battalion, Warrior Brigade, Fort Polk, La. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060327-12708.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 249-06 March 27, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Frederick A. Carlson, 25, Bethlehem, Pa., died in Taqqadum, Iraq on March 25, from a non-combat related cause. Carlson was assigned to the Army National Guard's 228th Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Division, Bethlehem, Pa. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060327-12707.html IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 248-06 March 27, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Staff Sgt. Christopher L. Robinson, 36, Brandon, Miss., died in Sangain District, Afghanistan on March 25, when his HMMWV came under enemy small arms fire during combat operations. Robinson was assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, Jackson, Miss. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brother Hugo, let's make a deal!

Hugo Chavez wants to lock us in for oil at $50 a barrel? And, OPEC is whining about regional instability and getting ready to up their price to $70 a barrel ? I'd say we need to get off Chavez's ass and start negotiating a nice long-term contract with Venezuela. Or does that seem too practical of an idea?

Chavez seeks to peg oil at $50 a barrel "Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is poised to launch a bid to transform the global politics of oil by seeking a deal with consumer countries which would lock in a price of $50 a barrel. A long-term agreement at that price could allow Venezuela to count its huge deposits of heavy crude as part of its official reserves, which Caracas says would give it more oil than Saudi Arabia. "We have the largest oil reserves in the world, we have oil for 200 years." Mr Chavez told the BBC's Newsnight programme in an interview to be broadcast tonight. "$50 a barrel - that's a fair price, not a high price."

Iraqi rebels shoot down Apache helicopter

The U.S. military said Sunday that the bodies of two American pilots killed when their Apache helicopter crashed near Baghdad were recovered and the aircraft was probably shot down. Three other U.S. soldiers were reported killed in Baghdad and northern Iraq. The AH-64D Apache Longbow went down about 5:30 p.m. Saturday during combat operations west of Youssifiyah, about 15 kilometres southwest of Baghdad, the U.S. command said in a statement.

That ought to piss them off!

The roses kept coming - and coming - and coming - to the Hearst Newspapers office in downtown Washington on Thursday, until they filled a large conference room to overflowing. By the time the Federal Express delivery was complete, there were 108 dozen roses, nearly 1,300 in every color. They were the result of an e-mail campaign to show support for Hearst columnist Helen Thomas after she grilled President Bush about his Iraq policy at last week's White House news conference.

Split among the Shi'a

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the presidential palace in Baghdad on Sunday.

Split Emerges Among Shiites Over Iraqi Prime Minister Iraq's dominant Shiite political bloc fractured on Sunday when its most powerful faction publicly demanded that the incumbent Shiite prime minister resign over his inability to form a unified government. The split came as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Jack Straw, the British foreign minister, paid an urgent surprise visit to Baghdad leaders to convey in the most forceful terms yet that their patience for Iraq's political paralysis is wearing out... ....But the developments suggested a new phase in Iraq's convulsions may have started by opening a possibly violent battle for the country's top job between rival Shiite factions, which both have militias backing them up. The incumbent prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, has said he will fight to keep his job, and his principal supporter is Moktada al-Sadr, a rebellious Shiite cleric whose Mahdi Army militia has resorted to violence many times to enforce his wishes".

As long as the U.S. military doesn't get dragged into the middle of any violence that breaks out between the Shi'a, then this split between these Shiite factions could actually help speed along negotiations for the new government. Wishful thinking maybe...