Bush: U.S. Won't Get Into Iraq Civil War

In an exclusive interview with ABC News' Elizabeth Vargas, President Bush offered his views on a range of topics, including the response to Hurricane Katrina, the war in Iraq, U.S. port security and the future of his presidency. What follows is an excerpt from the full interview. For more of the interview, watch World News Tonight at 6:30 P.M. ET and the daily webcast, World News Now, at 3 P.M. ET. VARGAS: But what is the plan if the sectarian violence continues? I mean, do the U.S. troops take a larger role? Do they step in more actively to stop the violence? BUSH: No. The troops are chasing down terrorists.

The "terrorists", are the same people who will be fighting the civil war George. You've been involved in their 'civil war' for almost three years now. ABC News

$263 Million? That's chump change!

"The Pentagon's Defense Contract Audit Agency had questioned $263 million in costs for fuel deliveries, pipeline repairs and other tasks that auditors said were potentially inflated or unsupported by documentation".

Halliburton; $263 Million of your money "The Army has decided to reimburse a Halliburton subsidiary for nearly all of its disputed costs on a $2.41 billion no-bid contract to deliver fuel and repair oil equipment in Iraq, even though the Pentagon's own auditors had identified more than $250 million in charges as potentially excessive or unjustified. The Army said in response to questions on Friday that questionable business practices by the subsidiary, Kellogg Brown & Root, had in some cases driven up the company's costs. But in the haste and peril of war, it had largely done as well as could be expected, the Army said, and aside from a few penalties, the government was compelled to reimburse the company for its costs". - NY Times

What's a measly $1/4 billion among old thieves? It's all funny money anyway. If L. Paul Bremer and his gang can steal a few billion why can't Halliburton rip-off the taxpayers for a lousy $263 million? *Here's a direct quote from that WSJ article; "Authority officials rapidly doled out the money, including $12 billion from the U.N. fund paid in cash" Can you imagine, $12 billion in cash? Walking around money...Man, it's damn good work if you can get it! And how much of that $2.41 billion 'no bid' contract, with the $263 million in overcharges, did Dick Cheney receive, or will eventually receive, in deferred compensation?

George, you're killing us...

Bush calms some governors on Nat'l Guard

"President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld offered private assurances to the nation's governors over plans to make cuts to the National Guard, but some governors said Monday they were still worried. Republican and Democratic governors said discussions are just beginning on Guard units, the backbone of state emergency and homeland security response. "No, there's no sense of hugs, handshakes and cut the cake," said Republican Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. "At least now, we're talking."

Bush, playing lip-services to those who know better... ...The 50 U.S. Governors. Bush likes to put on a face of strong security and 'love for the troops' when in public but he's always looking to cut costs on the backs of the troops and state-controlled National Guard units and veterans. Hell, he tried to cut their combat pay - called it a 'budget buster', and as we all know, he's dragged his feet for three years now on supplying the troops the proper body armor needed. Paying our men and women who are dying in Iraq an extra $75 a month is a 'budget buster' to Bush and Rumsfeld but they see no problem in allowing hundreds of millions to be over-billed by Halliburton or concerned about the missing billions by Bremer and the CPA. You should be able to figure out by now who George W Bush really "supports". Oh yeah, in all fairness, there were at least two governors there who did agree with Dubya; "I trust Peter Pace and I trust the president of the United States. They said they'd find the money and I think you can take that to the bank," said Republican Jeb Bush of Florida. "It was a very strong commitment to all the nation's governors that they made," Republican Bob Taft of Ohio said .

Fat Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday In the Christian calendar, Shrove Tuesday is the English name for the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which in turn marks the beginning of Lent. In many solidly Roman Catholic countries in Europe and the Americas, this is the last day of Carnival. In some historically Francophone places it is Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday. v. shrove, (shrv) or shrived shriv·en, (shrvn) or shrived shriv·ing, shrives v. tr. 1. To hear the confession of and give absolution to (a penitent). 2. obtain absolution for (oneself) by confessing and doing penance. * Note to Catholics-sorry, no paczki's, go to confession...

Scientist Hopes For Stem Cell Success-from CBS's 60 Minutes

"If paralyzed people are ever going to walk again, it might be because of the scientist in this story. His name is Dr. Hans Keirstead and he has made great strides using human embryonic stem cells. He is among the best and the brightest in his field - a field that shows enormous promise, but has been restricted by a ban on federal funding for research because it involves the destruction of human embryos. To move the science forward, California allocated its own money to pay for stem cell research, luring some of the top scientists in the nation, who are doing cutting edge work that could change the way we treat disease.

If you missed 60 Minutes last night you missed a very interesting segment on the exciting progress being made in human embryonic stem cell research. In spite of the narrow-minded foresight of far-right Republicans, led by George W. Bush, hES research is making great strides in developing cures for paralysis, heart disease and other fatal diseases. Scientists like Dr. Keirstead are making these wonderful discoveries in this research but they are still hampered by as I said in the post yesterday on this subject, the Luddite-type of thinking coming from extremists on the right. Fortunately, and as usual, the state of California has broken away from the rest and invested their own money, basically telling Bush and the federal government to go to hell, and they will lead the country to successes that will benefit everyone. People like George Bush and the 33% of his followers who oppose hES research, who aren't sophisticated enough to figure out that something the size of the period at the end of this sentence isn't a 'baby', have absolutely no business deciding what's best for the rest of us. They should just shut-up, go stand in the corner, do some chanting, and allow this scientific break-through to some day save their narrow-minded asses and possibly their children and grandchildrens' lives, too. If you have some time and you didn't see 60 Minutes last night, check out the transcript and video here.

This Day in History - February 27

1700 - The island of New Britain is discovered. 1864 - American Civil War: The first Northern prisoners arrive at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia. 1922 - A challenge to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing women the right to vote, is rebuffed by the Supreme Court of the United States. 1951 - The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting Presidents to two terms, is ratified. 1991 - Gulf War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush announces that "Kuwait is liberated."

Kenny 'Poor Boy' Lay

For Ken Lay, Enron's Riches Turning to Ruin "For Kenneth L. Lay, it has been a true reversal of fortune — and not just in the courtroom. Once at the pinnacle of Houston's financial and political elite with a fortune worth as much as $400 million, Mr. Lay, the former chairman of the Enron Corporation, is now facing financial ruin. While he has talked about his shrinking wealth since Enron's collapse, he has managed to keep up appearances, continuing to live in a full-floor apartment in the city's affluent River Oaks section. But already, according to personal financial records obtained by The New York Times, Mr. Lay has fallen out of the ranks of the city's millionaires, with a stated net worth of less than $650,000. And that financial assessment is probably on the optimistic side. His assets, for example, include $1.9 million held in a trust that is almost sure to be eaten up by legal fees".

Poor Ken 'Kenny Boy' Lay, the man who ruined the lives of thousands of people who worked at Enron and who through the cooperation of Dick Cheney, stole billions from Californians, is almost broke. Almost broke, if you count being down to his last $650,000, that is. It couldn't happen to a nicer crook, or a bigger contributor to another thief, George W. Bush. 'Kenny Boy', a nickname given to him by Bush, contributed even more to Dubya than even Jack Abramoff. Why is Dubya so closely associated with so many criminals?

Science-we progressives need to take our country back

67% of Americans Want Embryonic Stem Cell Research One of the things I dislike most about right wingers in this country is their absolute Luddite way of thinking. There is no question that if progressive Democrats had not been in power during the crucial times in our country's history we would more than likely still be driving around in horse-drawn carriages. Bush and his phoney Christian minority have stood in the way of science and embryonic stem cell research for far too long and it's time progressives push their ignorance off to the side and get on with what needs to be done.

The Silent Stem Cell Majority There is a popular myth that stem cell research is a major front on the culture wars, a debate that divides Americans and shows little hope of being resolved. Nothing could be further from the truth; an overwhelming number of Americans support stem cell research, which politicians would know if they bothered to actually listen to them. It is time to abandon the old stem cell debate, fueled by a small but vocal minority, and begin focusing on the debate Americans want to have about how this research should be conducted. Public opinion polls have shown that the vast majority of Americans support embryonic stem cell (ESC) research. In a recent poll of Americans nationwide, the Genetics and Public Policy Center (GPPC), a non-partisan research institution, found that 67% of Americans approve of ESC research.

Stop the Republican incompetence and let's get the country back to where it should be.

Progress in Iranian/Russian talks?

Iranian VP Golam Reza Agazadeh, left, and Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Russia's nuclear agency Iran Reaches Initial Nuclear Agreement With Russia TEHRAN, Feb. 26 — The top nuclear officials of Iran and Russia announced today that they had reached initial agreement on a deal to enrich Iranian uranium on Russian soil and said that talks would continue over the details. The announcement comes as international pressure on Iran to give up its nuclear program has intensified. The governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency will meet on March 6 to discuss possible punitive measures against Iran, which recently restarted uranium enrichment in defiance of the agency and European and American ultimatums. The agreement was announced after a meeting between Sergei Kiriyenko, the Russian nuclear chief, and Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the head of Iran's Atomic Organization in Bushehr, where the Russians built Iran's first nuclear power plant. "We held talks with the Russian side on Russia's proposal yesterday and today," said Mr. Aghazadeh, according to the ISNA student news agency. "The talks saw good progress."

Bush Defends Ban on War Grief

President Calls on Nation to Forget War's Human Cost Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:34:18 am Washington, DC — President Bush on Thursday defended his decision to exclude grief from U.S. war coverage, saying that lost lives and limbs show that the "evildoers still hate us" and thus confirm that we are "on the path of freedom." The president, making his first appearance at a funeral for Americans killed in Iraq, posed beside a flag draped coffin and claimed that death is "no big deal." Bush's happy-face policy calls for cheerful optimism in the wake of the mounting death toll in Operation Sitting Duck, a deepening war risking the lives of 160,000 of America's finest young men and women. (Full Story)

Going backwards in Iraq

Iraq Now Has No Units Able to Stand Alone "The number of Iraqi army battalions judged capable of fighting the insurgency without U.S. help has slipped from one to zero since September, Pentagon officials said Friday".

Bush and Rumsfeld, two highly proven fools when it comes to leadership, have stated over and over that, 'As Iraqis Stand Up, We Will Stand Down'. Well, get a fucking clue you stupid ass, the Iraqis are not going to die as long as there are leaders of other countries that are dumb enough to send there young to die for them! As I stated a few months back, how can we train 18 and 19 year olds in 12 weeks of bootcamp, give them a M-16 and send them over to do the job the fucking Iraqis are suppose to do and the Iraqis can't be trained in three years? We need a commander-in-chief that isn't an absolute fucking dummy that has no problem allowing our young men and women to die because he's too fucking stupid to figure out the Iraqis are a bunch of wimps! And as I also said before; Insist Bush send his two slutty daughters over to Iraq and I guarantee you that Bush will figure it out real quick. Get your head out of your asses America!

Are there ANY Republicans that aren't criminals?

The woman who made Dubya president is now acting just like him "Defense contractor Mitchell J. Wade pled guilty yesterday to election law fraud, among other charges for making illegal campaign contributions, including $32,000 in illegal contribution to Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL). Katherine Harris claims she had no idea there was anything amiss when she received the contributions. In a statement she said the incident “demonstrates the perils of a process in which candidates are sometimes asked to determine the intent of a contributor.” Her story isn’t very credible, for three reasons – see the rest here.

Bush Vows to Eliminate Debt

Bush Vows to Print "As Much Money As It Takes" to Defeat Debt Presses Groan Under Added Load Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:50:37 am Washington, DC — President Bush toured the Denver Mint on Wednesday as the nation's paper money presses reached capacity. "We can print unlimited money because it's really only paper," Bush assured nervous Wall Street analysts. "But we need the right equipment or we let the terrorists win." Mint officials have ordered additional printing presses from Taiwan to keep up with surging demand. "We must print over a billion dollars a day to cover the $400 billion in red ink this year alone, and that puts enormous strain on our equipment," said Henrietta Fore, Director of the United States Mint. Mint officials are considering alternatives, such as a $200 bill, wooden nickels, and bartering with fowl. "We like to think outside the coop," winked Ms. Fore. (Full Story)

Republican Rally in Orlando Scheduled

Orlando Prayer March To 'Shower Love' On Neo-Nazis "Despite pleas from police to stay home during a neo-Nazi march planned for downtown Orlando this weekend, state Sen. Gary Siplin said he is going to stage a counter demonstration that will shower the neo-Nazis with love. The same neo-Nazi group that instigated violence in Toledo, Ohio, last year will march along Hughey and Church streets and then head north on Terry Avenue to Washington Street before ending at the Federal Courthouse".

There's been no word yet whether Jeb Bush will be either joining in the march or just attending to accept campaign contributions from members of his base.

Squeeze Libby Until He Bleeds Cheney

The rich and the powerful always receive different justice than the regular guy in this country, but hopefully Patrick Fitzgerald can put a stop to that when it comes to prosecuting Scooter Libby. Libby's attorneys are trying to get him out of his perjury charges by demanding Bush's PDB's, the identity of 'another government official' who Fitzgerald is investigating and other information Fitzgerald has that's irrelevant to Libby's case. Libby just flat-out lied to the grand jury and anything other than information about his lies is none of his business. All that information is irrelevant to his case and he has no right to it. Many of those on the right jumped up and down when Fitzgerald didn't charge Libby with the crime of exposing an undercover CIA agent and now they want Libby to be able to use information relevant to that charge for his defense. Well tough, his defense needs to prepare their case based on his lies, not on something he isn't charged with. Fitzgerald needs to let Libby and his defense team know that he will seek the maximum sentence on all charges of perjury and if he doesn't want to spend the next 15-20 years in jail than all he has to do is tell the court that Dick Cheney is the person who committed treason by exposing an undercover CIA agent. I'm sure those who think treason should be prosecuted, even if you are on King George's court, would give up Libby to see Dick Cheney 'frog-marched' off to prison. I sure know I would.

Libby's evidence request refused "Former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby, charged with perjury in the CIA leak case, cannot be told the identity of another government official said to have divulged the identity of agency operative Valerie Plame to reporters because that person has not been charged, a federal judge ruled Friday. At the same time, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said Libby could have copies of notes he took during an 11-month period in 2003 and 2004 while serving as chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. The judge also set the stage for a showdown in late April over the defense's plans to subpoena reporters and news organizations for notes and other documents. Libby, 55, was indicted last year on charges that he lied about how he learned Plame's identity and when he subsequently told reporters. Libby's trial is scheduled for January 2007".

The Gall of Bill O'Reilly

I heard today that Bill O'Reilly is on a crusade against sexual predators. The Republicans' favorite tv newsman, Bill O'Reilly, is a sexual predator. You know you're a sexually perverted Republican when you buy your children O'Reilly's 'The Factor for Kids' book. What a bunch of losers!

Sen. Rockefeller Exposes Espionage Coming from the White House

The leaking of classified intelligence is a common crime within the Bush administration since treason seems to be about the only thing they're really good at. Senator John Rockefeller in a brillant move shoves it right back into the face of the Bush administration, who are without a doubt the guilty party in the leaking of classified intelligence.

"Jew heads Libby defense fund"

I love that headline from 'JewishNews.com'. Man, can you imagine the uproar if a white Christian, or black Christian for that matter, newspaper or website ran that headline? And Mel Sembler? Do any of you remember Mel Sembler? Maybe that headline should read 'Kinky, Phony WMD's Perpetrator, Bush-Crony, Jew heads Libby defense fund'. If I was 'JewishNews.com' I might not want to go around telling everyone that Mel is a "Jew". Although it certainly seems like he and Scooter are two peas in a pod.

"A prominent Jewish Republican is leading a fundraising drive for Lewis 'Scooter' Libby's legal defense. Mel Sembler, a board member of the Republican Jewish Coalition and the U.S. ambassador to Italy from 2001-2005, is spearheading the Libby Legal Defense Trust. Sembler, a Florida shopping-mall magnate, describes Libby, the former chief adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, as "one of the unsung heroes in fighting the war on terror" and the made-up one in Iraq, on the trust's website Libby, who is Jewish, (or a "Jew") resigned in October after his indictment on perjury charges related to his leaking the name of a CIA operative whose husband criticized the Iraq war".

Curling Fans

Pretty much what you'd expect...

Putting Bush in his place!

Finally, a Congress that will put these incompetent fools in their place! If they would have done this 4 1/2 years ago this country would be in far better shape than it is now. It's great to see this administration squirm with their loss of political clout. When only 35% of the country backs them, they should be required to listen to what the other 65% demand!

The United Arab Emirates company at the center of the U.S. ports controversy volunteered to postpone its management of operations at six major seaports, but eight Republican and Democratic senators said Friday they plan to push emergency legislation next week to require congressional approval of the contract. The legislation would: -Require that President Bush place a stay on Dubai Ports World's management of the ports, which had been handled by London-based P&O ports, a company recently acquired by Dubai Port World. -Require the Treasury's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to begin a 45-day investigation on the port deal's potential impact on national security. -Require Homeland Security and the Treasury to prepare a report and brief members of Congress on their findings. Upon receiving the report, Congress would have the authority to disapprove the management contract within 30 days. The legislation was outlined in a statement by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who said he was being joined by Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Norm Coleman and Olympia Snowe, and Democrats Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid and Robert Menendez. Five Democrats and three Republicans

And now we learn that the deal involves 21 ports and not six. Did the administration spend the last seven days defending DP World in its takeover of six ports while they knew the entire time it actually covered 3 1/2 times that many? Unbelievable.

21 Ports; The Truth Slithers Out

UAE terminal takeover extends to 21 ports "A United Arab Emirates government-owned company is poised to take over port terminal operations in 21 American ports, far more than the six widely reported. The Bush administration has approved the takeover of British-owned Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. to DP World, a deal set to go forward March 2 unless Congress intervenes".

The most corrupt, the most incompetent and the most treasonous administration in the 230 year history of the United States. The citizens of this country could make a damn good argument in stringing these people up on some of those cherry trees around the nation's capitol.

your leader

Simply Amazing!!

"J-Mac" I saw this on Lou Dobbs' show last night and it is one of the most uplifting stories I've ever seen in my life! A young kid, Jason McElwain, who is austistic and who has played on his high school basketball team for three years and never played a minute was put into his teams' final game and scored 20 points in the last 4 minutes. Go here and watch the video. Watch the reaction of his teammates on the bench, too. It's simply amazing!

"A student known by his friends as "J-Mac" brought down the house last week at his New York high school. Jason McElwain, who is diagnosed as highly-functioning autistic, has a large fan base. He got his chance to suit up and play in his school's basketball game. CNN reported that as a student assistant, J-Mac helps out the team. But that changed on Wednesday night, when Athena High School basketball coach Jim Johnson decided to give Jason his shot to suit up and play".

More Lies from HillBilly Heroin PigBoy

From the February 22 broadcast of The Rush Limbaugh Show: LIMBAUGH: And I'm also going to tell you the real reason that Chucky Schumer and Hillary Clinton oppose the deal and it isn't national security. They're simply trying to get themselves established as caring about it because they know the last four years they've done a lousy job of making the American people think they have any interest in our national security. The Facts; Schumer proposed an amendment to the 2004 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill, which would have provided $70 million for research and development to stop nuclear materials from entering U.S. ports. The measure was defeated by a 51-45 near-party-line vote. In addition to also co-sponsoring the 2005 amendment providing $150 million for port security grants, Hillary Clinton co-sponsored an amendment by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) that provided an additional $450 million for such grants, which Clinton and Murray touted in a June 29, 2004, news conference. In a July 12, 2005, news conference, held as the Senate began considering the Homeland Security Appropriations bill, Clinton emphasized that the "President and the Republican leadership have consistently underfunded" port security. Once again Media Matters does a magnificent job of exposing Pigboy Limbaugh of the liar he is. As I stated many times before, people who rely on Limbaugh for their information are the most ignorant and most misinformed people in the country. And, you know what the funny thing is? They know they're grossly misinformed and ignorant and it drives them crazy that their arguments are so weak and their 'product' is so lame and vapid!

Neanderthals in Europe Killed Off Earlier

Neanderthals in Europe Killed Off by Advance of Modern Humans Earlier Than Believed, Study Says Neanderthals in Europe were killed off by the advance of modern humans thousands of years earlier than previously believed, losing a competition for food and shelter, according to a scientific study published Wednesday. The research uses advances in radiocarbon dating to revise understanding of early humans, suggesting they colonized Europe more rapidly and coexisted for a much shorter period with genetic ancestors. Paul Mellars, professor of prehistory and human evolution at the University of Cambridge and author of the study, said Neanderthals the species of the Homo genus that lived in Europe and western Asia from around 230,000 years ago to around 29,000 years ago succumbed much more readily to competition. Dr. Mellars also concluded from his many years of research that some of Neanderthals did survive and migrated to North American and are known today as Republicans.

Bush Campaigns for Democrat Sherrod Brown

Bush Goes to Ohio to Help Mike DeWine, which will surely help his opponent, Sherrod Brown "President Bush worked Thursday to be an asset to the GOP's candidates despite his sagging popularity, traveling to the Midwest to boost the fortunes of two congressional Republicans running for re-election. Bush raised money for Rep. Chris Chocola of Indiana before heading to Cincinnati to bolster the finances of Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio".

I hope Bush plans many more visits to Ohio for Mike DeWine because nothing will help Sherrod Brown more (message to the ignorant dittoheads-he's not black btw)in taking DeWine's Senate seat than to have Bush show him support. Democrats all across the country should encourage their opponents to have Bush campaign for them.

UAE gave $1 million to Bush library

"A sheik from the United Arab Emirates contributed at least $1 million to the Bush Library Foundation, which established the George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University in College Station". Isn't 'Bush library' an oxymoron? I guess no one should be surprised by this since the Bush's have been in the pockets of these guys their entire lives.

Busheconomics

Family incomes dropped 2.3% 2001-2004, Fed says The average income of American families, after adjusting for inflation, declined 2.3% in 2004 compared with 2001 while their net worth rose but at a slower pace. The Federal Reserve reported Thursday that the drop in inflation-adjusted incomes left the average family income at $70,700 in 2004. The median, or point where half the families earned more and half less, did rise slightly in 2004 after adjusting for inflation to $43,200, up 1.6% from the 2001 level. (1.6% in three years!) The median, or midpoint for net worth rose 1.5% to $93,100 from 2001 to 2004. That growth was far below the 10.3% gain in median net worth from 1998 to 2001, a period when the stock market reached record highs before starting to decline in early 2000. (1998-2001, The good old days of Bill Clinton) The Fed's results were published in the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finances, a document that provides a comprehensive view of how Americans are faring on such pocketbook issues as incomes and net worth. (Related: Full report.) The Bush administration and Republican economic policies have been a disaster to working men and women in the five years of these incompetent morons. Families are earning less and paying far more for everything. For the first time since 1990 (Hmmm-who was president then?) real wages have gone down two consecutive years. Families are struggling under Bush and Republican policies and it won't get better until the country rids itself of them.

Clear Choice-Leadership or a Group of Failures?

Do you want leaders of this country to be those who have the foresight to lead or do you want to continue having Bush and Republicans who are nothing but reactionaries who have been proven to be unworthy of leadership? Those of us who have been right all along about Iraq stated right from the start that the Shia and Sunni would not allow 'democracy' in their country. But, Republicans and the sheep who followed were too dumb to listen and now we will see happen what we warned you about; Civil war in Iraq. Two months before the 2004 election the CIA warned us that Iraq 'could dissolve into civil war over the next 18 months' and Scott McClellan said the report was from 'pessimists and naysayers' and Bush called it a 'guess'. Well, guess what? Bush and his 'beaten dog' McClellan were wrong again. I said before we needlessly invaded Iraq that this would happen and many Democrats have said it all along. Below are some quotes of what many of the Democrats warned us about and further proves that Republicans have no business being in leadership positions in this country; October 2002 Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE): I have not been very enamored with the way half this administration has gone about this effort without thoroughly going into what happens the day after Saddam is down. … The president said that, “What could be worse than Saddam?” Well, what could be worse than Saddam would be a major civil war in the region. [CNN Larry King Live, 10/9/02] Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV): What plans do we have to prevent Iraq from breaking up and descending into civil war? [Congressional Record, S10006-10007, 10/7/02] Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD): The end of Saddam Hussein could mean the start of a civil war. [Congressional Record, S10078, 10/8/02] February 2004 [Rep. Ike] Skelton also expressed concern about the Bush administration’s plans to turn "sovereignty" of Iraq over to interim Iraqi authorities July 1. He warned of the possibility of Iraq falling into civil war if U.S. troops create a vacuum by scaling back too swiftly. [Marine Corps Times, 2/16/04] April 2004 Joseph Biden, … “We’re going to end up with worst of all worlds,” he said. “We’re going to end up with a civil war in Iraq if in fact we decide we can turn this over, including the bulk of the security, to the Iraqis between now and then.” [AFP, 4/5/04] Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI): If we restore sovereignty to an entity created by the United States that doesn’t have the support of the Iraqi people and the international community then there could be even greater violence against our forces, including the possibility of civil war. [CNN, 4/10/04] The 35% who still support this administration need to get their heads out of their asses and wake up. We need a massive overhaul of leadership in this country and it's way past time for the Republicans to be put back where they belong. In the minority. Our country depends on it! Think Progress

UAE, bin Laden, and the Taliban

"No matter what Bush and his supporters say, there is indisputable evidence of tight connections between the United Arab Emirates and leadership of both the Taliban and Al Qaeda. The country is the center of financial activity in the Persian Gulf, and has next to no laws controlling money laundering. Two of the hijackers came from the UAE and hijacker money was laundered through the UAE. The details are spelled out in documents in the government's case against Moussaoui. The ties with bin Laden and the Taliban reach far back into the '90s. Prominent Persian Gulf officials, including members of the UAE royal family, and businessmen would fly to Kandahar on UAE and private jets for hunting expeditions, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2001. In addition to ranking UAE ministers, these parties included Saudi big wigs like Prince Turki, the former Saudi intelligence minister who now is ambassador to the U.S. And George Bush say's 'just trust me' on this one. Bush has proven he cannot be trusted and Congress needs to stop him before he harms the country even more than he already has. This deal with UAE is just another of the many examples of the total incompetence of this failed administration.

Hey Fools, How's that 'Democracy' Working Out in Iraq?

Askariya shrine Before and After Iraq erupts in violence after shrine bombing "Shiite Muslims attacked dozens of Sunni mosques across Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for the devastating bombing of one of Shiite Islam's holiest sites, the Askariya shrine in Samarra. (Video: More on the attack) At least 19 people were killed in the wave of unrest, according to the Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni political group. The violence prompted fears among U.S. and Iraqi officials that the country's religious tensions could plunge the country into civil war. "This ugly new crime ... is a conspiracy against the Iraqi people to spark a war among brothers," said President Jalal Talabani, an ethnic Kurd and secular Sunni Muslim. "This is the fiercest danger because it threatens our unity and our country with a devastating civil war." Iraqi police said at least 28 Sunni mosques were damaged in the wave of retaliatory attacks. The Iraqi Islamic Party put the number at 90, including more than 50 in Baghdad — that were shot at, burned or taken over by Shiites. The United States urged restraint. "The Iraqi people, in this hour of sadness and anger over a despicable crime, must not allow themselves to be divided," said U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Gen. George Casey, the ranking U.S. officer in Iraq, in a statement.

DOD News Release(s) 3 Marines, 3 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/nr20060223-12555.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 162-06 February 23, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Marine Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. 2nd Lt. Almar L. Fitzgerald, 23, of Lexington, S.C., died Feb. 21 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany from wounds received Feb. 18 as a result of an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to the 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/2006/nr20060222-12549.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 160-06 February 22, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Marine Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Jay T. Collado, 31, of Columbia, S.C., died Feb. 20 from an improvised explosive device near Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron-267, Marine Aircraft Group-39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was attached to the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/nr20060221-12545.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 156-06 February 21, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Charles E. Matheny, IV, 23 of Stanwood, Wash., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 18, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Matheny was assigned to the Army's 704th Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 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/nr20060221-12544.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 155-06 February 21, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Department of the Air Force civilian who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Daniel J. Kuhlmeier, 30, of Omaha, Neb., died Feb. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq when the convoy he was traveling in was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to Detachment 204, 2nd Field Investigations Region, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/nr20060221-12539.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 152-06 February 21, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Marine Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine, who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Cpl. Matthew D. Conley, 21, of Killen, Ala., died Feb. 18, when his vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, 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/2006/nr20060220-12534.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 148-06 February 20, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Cpt. Anthony R. Garcia, 48, of Fort Worth, Texas, died in Tikrit, Iraq, on Feb. 17, from a gun shot wound. Garcia was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Aviation Brigade, 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/2006/nr20060220-12535.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 149-06 February 20, 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 Amos C. Edwards, Jr., 41, of Savannah, Ga., died in Ar Rutbah, Iraq, on Feb. 17, from a non-combat related cause. Edwards was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, 48th Brigade Combat Team, Savannah, Ga. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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/2006/nr20060219-12533.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 147-06 February 19, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Marine and Air Force Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of eight Marines and two airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. All 10 died Feb. 17, when two CH-53 helicopters crashed into the Gulf of Aden in the vicinity of Ras Siyyan, northern Djibouti, while flying a training mission in the Godoria Range area. The Marines and airmen were deployed to Djibouti as part of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. The Marines were assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, Marine Air Group 29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force, New River, N.C. 1st Lt. Brandon R. Dronet, 33, of Erath, La. Sgt. James F. Fordyce, 22, of Newton Square, Pa. Lance Cpl. Samuel W. Large, Jr., 21, of Villa Rica, Ga. Sgt. Donnie Leo F. Levens, 25, of Long Beach, Miss. Cpl. Matthieu Marcellus, 31, of Gainesville, Fla. Sgt. Jonathan E. McColley, 23, of Gettysburg, Pa. Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Sovie, 20, of Ogdensburg, N.Y. Capt. Bryan D. Willard, 33, of Hummelstown, Pa. The airmen were: SrA. Alecia S. Good, 23, of Broadview Heights, Ohio. Good was assigned to the 92nd Communications Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base,Wash. Staff Sgt. Luis M. Melendez Sanchez, 33, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Sanchez was assigned to the 1st Communications Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

Seven US soldiers killed in Iraq

Seven U.S. soldiers were killed in two separate incidents in Iraq on Wednesday when roadside bombs struck the vehicles in which they were traveling, the U.S. military said on Thursday. Four U.S. soldiers were killed in the Iraqi town of Hawija while on patrol, the military said. Three U.S. soldiers were killed near the Iraqi town of Balad when their vehicle struck another roadside bomb.

Bush didn't know about port deal

Like the country needed another example of Bush's incompetence "George Bush was unaware that a controversial deal to sell shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports to a United Arab Emirates-owned firm was in the works until it was approved by his administration, the White House said Wednesday. After Bush defended the deal Tuesday and threatened to use his veto power against any congressional legislation aimed at stalling it, the administration also said that it should have briefed Congress sooner about the transaction, which has triggered a major political backlash among both Republicans and Democrats. "He became aware of it over the last several days," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters Wednesday. Asked if Bush did not know about it until it was a done deal, McClellan said, "That's correct."

Bush didn't know. Rumsfeld didn't know. Did you ever get the feeling that these guys are the most incompetent dumbasses to ever lead this country?

I'll be his anesthesiologist!

In 1981 Michael Morales struck 17 year old Terri Winchell 23 times in the head with a hammer, then he raped her and then he stabbed her 4 times in the chest for good measure. And now the state of California is worried about causing the punk too much pain by putting his sorry ass to sleep? Give me that fucking hammer and he won't feel a goddamn thing after the first time I hit the son-of-a-bitch. Morales 'nonchalant' about execution delay SAN QUENTIN — Michael Morales was "nonchalant" early today when told that legal issues had delayed his execution for the murder of Lodi teenager Terri Winchell, prison spokesman Vernell Crittendon said. When first told of the delay, Morales said, "Oh, well let me know," Crittendon told reporters. On Jan. 8, 1981, Winchell left home to get some food for her sick mother. She also agreed to meet an acquaintance named Ricky Ortega. What the chestnut-haired girl didn't know was that Ortega had been secretly involved in a sexual relationship with her boyfriend. She also didn't know that Ortega was jealous and had recruited his cousin, Morales, to help get rid of Winchell. They headed out of town and that's when Morales reached from the back seat and strangled Winchell with a belt. She fought, and the belt finally broke. So then Morales pulled out a hammer, beating her 23 times in the head. The vehicle arrived at a vineyard off Peltier Road, and there Morales dragged Winchell from the car and raped her. And then he stabbed her four times in the chest with a knife.

DP World, Dave Sanborn & Cronyism

Dave Sanborn works as a 'senior executive' for DP World, get's a plush appointment in the Bush administration as "Maritime Administrator' and then presto, three weeks later his old company, DP World, owned by a country with known terrorists links, get's a $7 billion deal to run six American ports. Isn't it funny how things work with George W. Bush? Money over Country is Bush's motto. And all the 'sheep' say, just trust him. But then again that's exactly why they're sheep, isn't it?

DP World Press Release from 1/24/06 DP WORLD EXECUTIVE NOMINATED FOR PRESITIGOUS US GOVT POSITION Dubai, 24 January 2006: - Global ports operator DP World today welcomed news that one of its senior executives, Dave Sanborn, has been nominated by US President George W. Bush to serve as Maritime Administrator a key transportation appointment reporting directly to Norman Mineta the Secretary of Transportation and Cabinet Member. The White House has issued a statement from Washington DC announcing the nomination. The confirmation process will begin in February. Mr Sanborn currently holds the position of Director of Operations for Europe and Latin America for the Dubai-based company

Source thru Buzzflash

Frontline's 'The Insurgency'

PBS's Frontline had an excellent one hour documentary last night (Tuesday) called 'The Insurgency'. Absolutely spellbinding! I believe it's being replayed Friday at 9 PM but you can get all the information here at their website, including some video and tv schedules. I guarantee once you sit down to watch it (there are no commercials) you won't get up until it's over.

Holocaust Denier Gets Three Years

"Right-wing British historian David Irving was sentenced to three years in prison Monday after admitting to an Austrian court that he denied the Holocaust - a crime in the country where Hitler was born. Irving, who pleaded guilty and then insisted during his one-day trial that he now acknowledged the Nazis' World War II slaughter of 6 million Jews, had faced up to 10 years behind bars. Before the verdict, Irving conceded he had erred in contending there were no gas chambers at the Auschwitz concentration camp".

The guy is obviously an idiot but I guess it's just being an American and being able to say whatever you want without the fear of being jailed that makes it hard to believe this could happen in a western European country. The Austrians really just have to get over their feelings of collective guilt.

al-Jaafari to Bush; Butt Out!

Iraq’s prime minister bristles at U.S. warnings Al-Jaafari blasts ambassador’s remarks, rails against political interference Iraq’s Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari angrily dismissed on Tuesday U.S. warnings to shun sectarianism in the country’s new government, saying Iraqis would not accept interference in their affairs. Speaking after talks with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who echoed the U.S. call for a government of national unity in Iraq, the normally calm and diplomatic Jaafari said Iraq knew its own best interests. “When someone asks us whether we want a sectarian government the answer is ’no we do not want a sectarian government’ — not because the U.S. ambassador says so or issues a warning,” he told a news conference. “We do not need anybody to remind us, thank you.”

Geez Al, after all we've done? You need to cooperate a little more and we might stick around and let you hold your power for a little while. Or we could just pullout

Pat Roberts-Bush's 'Bottom' Boy

ROBERTS' CREDIBILITY ON THE LINE "Many Kansans, including members of The Eagle editorial board, have long admired Sen. Pat Roberts for his plainspokenness and reputation for fair brokering of issues. So it's troubling that Roberts, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is fast gaining the reputation in Washington, D.C., as a reliable partisan apologist for the Bush administration on intelligence and security controversies. We hope that's not true. But Roberts' credibility is on the line. From Abu Ghraib abuses to secret CIA detainee prisons to the Valerie Plame affair, critics say, Roberts has become a dependable shill for the White House, ever ready to shield Bush policy from criticism and ever willing to compromise Congress' legitimate oversight role. A prime example: He has dragged his feet on a promised but long-delayed Senate investigation into whether the White House cherry-picked and amplified prewar intelligence to fit its preconceived goal of invading Iraq. This week, Roberts sidetracked a Senate Intelligence Committee inquiry into the possibly illegal National Security Agency wiretap program, saying the White House had agreed to brief lawmakers more regularly and to work with him on a behind-the-scenes "fix" of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. That prompted a scathing New York Times editorial Friday headlined "Doing the President's Dirty Work," which opined: "Is there any aspect of President Bush's miserable record on intelligence that Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is not willing to excuse and help to cover up?" Once again, the pointy-headed obstructionist Senator from Kansas, Pat Roberts, steps in and runs interference for the Bush Administration. But now he even has some Kansans upset with his ridiculous choices of Republican party politics over the nation's best interests. You know the Bush administration, and Pat Roberts are in trouble when Kansans start complaining.

Something smells

How The U.S. Nabbed Alleged Terrorists in Toledo "A retired U.S. Special Forces soldier helped the FBI to uncover an alleged nascent terror cell in Toledo, Ohio, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney in Cleveland Thomas Getz. Three men, two U.S. citizens originally from Jordan and one U.S. resident from Lebanon, had asked the former U.S. commando for help in coordinating "jihad training exercises," according the indictment. But what the suspects didn't know, was that the retired soldier was working with investigators all along. Identified in court papers only as "the Trainer," he earned the trust of the three men because, says Getz, "he was from the Muslim community." Getz would not say if "the Trainer" is of Arab descent or a long-time Muslim but said that he had cooperated voluntarily with the government from the beginning of the investigation going back at least to November 2004 and he was "acting on behalf of the (U.S.) government" the entire time. The suspects, Mohammad Zaki Amawi, Marwan Othman El-Hindi and Wassam Mazloum, have all been living in the Toledo area for over a year, according to the indictment, and had studied how to build explosives and suicide vests with the intention of travel to Iraq to engage in "holy war" by attacking American soldiers. The men raised money for the operation, considered setting up a front charity organization and used an indoor shooting range for target practice, said the indictment. The men had jobs that provided potential cover for traveling to the Middle East. El-Hindi works as a recruiter for European medical schools. Mazloum is the owner of a local car dealership. Mohammad Amawi operates a small travel agency. El-Hindi, a married father of seven children ages 6 months to 11-years-old claims he was arrested Sunday by agents who entered his home without knocking and seized him at gunpoint. Says his lawyer, Stephen Hartman: "He steadfastly maintains his innocence." All three men pleaded not guilty on Tuesday and are being held in a federal correctional facility in Milan, Michigan until their detention hearing on Feb. 24".

"El-Hindi works as a recruiter for European medical schools. Mazloum is the owner of a local car dealership. Mohammad Amawi operates a small travel agency".

I'm always a bit suspicious when I read about 'stings' like this. Were these guys really going to go to Iraq and fight in the 'holy war' or were they just three guys trying to act tough. I'm sorry, I've learned all to well not to trust this federal government on anything over the last five years. Maybe this is legit. Maybe they were a terror cell but I'd bet almost even money that it's three Muslim dudes who were trying to act tough, got caught up in it and 'the Trainer' set them up. We'll see what comes out of it. Even money-50/50. You can't trust the feds anymore.

Money over country? Of course, it's the Bushites!

Dubai company set to run U.S. ports has ties to administration The Dubai firm that won Bush administration backing to run six U.S. ports has at least two ties to the White House. One is Treasury Secretary John Snow, whose department heads the federal panel that signed off on the $6.8 billion sale of an English company to government-owned Dubai Ports World - giving it control of Manhattan's cruise ship terminal and Newark's container port. Snow was chairman of the CSX rail firm that sold its own international port operations to DP World for $1.15 billion in 2004, the year after Snow left for President Bush's cabinet. The other connection is David Sanborn, who runs DP World's European and Latin American operations and who was tapped by Bush last month to head the U.S. Maritime Administration. The ties raised more concerns about the decision to give port control to a company owned by a nation linked to the Sept. 11 hijackers.

Just like George Bush himself walking through the Rose Garden holding hands with the Saudis, the same Saudis that supplied 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers, and bin Laden himself, he's now screwing the country once again by giving into the UAE. The UAE, not only supplied two of the hijackers, but our own intelligence services tell us that al-Qaeda laundered '$10's of billions' through their banks to finance their terrorists attacks against us. Wake up America. The Bush administration will take the money over your security every single chance they get.

Bin Laden's Taped Message

I only have one question about the Osama bin Laden tape that was released yesterday. Does the following quote sound like a statement from an ally of Saddam Hussein or an enemy of Saddam Hussein? "The US and its agents are using the same barbaric tactics once used by former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein" Another one of the many, "I told you so's".

Rick Santorum - "Seriously Ethically Challenged.”

Here is just another example of the deep-seated corruption that is the Republican Party. When they were exposed recently with Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff's scandals, the Republicans set out to look for an 'ethics czar' in an attempt to close the barn door after the horse was already out. And who did they choose, Rick Santorum. Forget the fact that Santorum was already up to his eye balls in the K street scandal, he was about all the Republicans had left. Well, the American Prospect did a lengthy investigation into the life of Rick Santorum, who is about as good of an example of a classic phony-conservative Christian hypocrite as there gets. Pennsylvania, if you re-elect this criminal in November, you deserve what you get. Hell, he doesn't even live in your state, fools! Send Bob Casey Jr. to Washington in place of Santorum and try to get back some respect. Read the American Prospect about the Republican's new 'ethics czar', who is just another right wing criminal who is in the pockets of lobbyists.

Bush administration fears an investigation

White House Working to Avoid Wiretap Probe Originally Bush, Alberto Gonzalez, Andrew Card and their ilk stuck to their story that no laws were broken during their illegal wire-tapping of American citizens and they were ready to battle it out with Congress. That was until they realized they didn't have the votes to stop an investigation by the Intelligence Committee and now all of sudden they're looking for a compromise. Congress should not compromise and they should appoint an independent counsel, independent of Gonzalez's department since he should be an eventual defendant if the law is properly followed. Congratulations to two of the very few Republicans with integrity, Olympia Snowe and Chuck Hagel who chose their constitutional responsibility over party politics. You don't see that very often from Republicans and it's refreshing to see.

$400 billion and 2,276 lives later....

U.S. Warns Iraq It Won't Support Sectarian Goals "The United States is investing billions of dollars" in Iraq's police and army, said American ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad. "We are not going to invest the resources of the American people to build forces run by people who are sectarian." What a waste.

Let the games begin

Poll shows more Americans ready for a woman president Clinton got the greatest support with 51 percent saying she should be on the ballot; 48 percent think Condoleezza Rice should run. Bartcop

'President's gone insane'

Peter Gadiel (l.), whose son died in 9/11 attacks, joins Sen. Chuck Schumer at yesterday's press conference It's nice to see the country is starting to realize

"How, asks Gadiel, whose son James died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, can a company owned by a terror-linked country get control of our nation's ports? "I'm a lifelong Republican and I think the President's gone insane," said Gadiel, 58, who heads 9/11 Families for a Secure America. Two of the 19 9/11 hijackers were citizens of Dubai, the Arab emirate whose bid to run ports in New York, New Jersey and four other cities was okayed by the White House even though investigators have found signs that money used to finance terrorism flowed through Dubai banks".

George Bush would sell his mother to the highest bidder if he could get the right price for her. But don't worry Americans, the Congressional Democrats won't allow Bush and the Republicans to get away with this one. Because of Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer and other Democrats that have come forward and expressed outrage, Bush and company will have to pull out of this deal!

What being Republican means....on President's Day

Being Republican to me means much higher deficits and a huge eruption of debt since the two stooges on the right there, along with the one stooge's father, are directly responsilbe for over 90% of the $8 trillion+ national debt. Being Republican also means higher unemployment, under employment and stagnant wages. It also means less money for research, less money for student loans, the disabled and the poor. Being Republican means fewer good jobs here and tax incentives for U.S. corporations to move offshore. Being Republican also means the rest of the world goes through a period of disdain for the United States. The rest of the world certainly looks at us and can't figure out how some one like George W. Bush could ever get elected president. And they should. Being Republican means the federal government will go through scandal, after scandal, after scandal, that are far more serious than whether some one got a blow job from another consenting adult, and because Republicans control Congress, those scandals go on and on without even the slightest investigation. Being Republican means choosing your party over the good of the nation regardless if it requires you to commit an act of treason that has an egregious effect on our security. Being a Republican would mean I didn't care much for my country, and that's why I'm not.

Even the $500 billion in corporate kickbacks?

Frist: Medicare Will Be Political Plus "Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday the new Medicare prescription drug program will be "a huge plus" for Republicans, despite Democrats' hopes to benefit politically from the program's rocky start".

Bill Frist, who is one of most dishonest and corrupt men in all of Congress, thinks the Republican's Pharmaceutical and Insurance Corporation Kick-Back Program, legislation that the Republicans literally had lobbyists from those industries write, and rip taxpayers off for hundreds of billions, will be a 'political plus' for Republicans. Bill Frist knows very well who got the 'plus'. In fact, Frist's family's business will probably reap untold millions from the Republican prescription drug scam. It will only be a 'political plus' for Republicans if the people remain ignorant and allow them to get away with it. Below here is a nice description of how and why the Republicans crammed that prescription drug bill down our throats back in 2003. An informed public would not vote for Republicans. People in this country really need to get their heads out of their asses!

"In June 2004, the consumer interest group Public Citizen reported that "to help push through Medicare prescription drug legislation that will safeguard their bottom lines at the expense of America's taxpayers, the pharmaceutical industry, HMOs and related interests spent nearly $141 million on Washington lobbying in 2003." The data revealed that the pharmaceutical industry spent $108.6 million on federal lobbying activities while managed care companies spent $32.3 million. In addition, a total of 824 individual lobbyists were employed by the former and 222 by the latter. The influence peddling documented by Public Citizen's researchers was not confined to lobbying. Both industries also gave generous campaign contributions to candidates. The group found that 21 drug industry and HMO executives or lobbyists ranked among Bush's "Pioneers" and "Rangers" -- honorary titles for those who have raised at least $100,000 or $200,000, respectively, for one of Bush's presidential campaigns. "They paid a disproportionate share of their campaign contributions to the Republicans, and basically they got a good return on their investment is what it looks like,"

Pass the lube, suckers!

Life Below the Line

37 million poor hidden in the land of plenty "A shocking 37 million Americans live in poverty. That is 12.7 per cent of the population - the highest percentage in the developed world. They are found from the hills of Kentucky to Detroit's streets, from the Deep South of Louisiana to the heartland of Oklahoma. Each year since 2001 their number has grown. Under President George W Bush an extra 5.4 million have slipped below the poverty line. Yet they are not a story of the unemployed or the destitute. Most have jobs. Many have two. Amos Lumpkins has work and his children go to school. But the economy, stripped of worker benefits like healthcare, is having trouble providing good wages. Even families with two working parents are often one slice of bad luck - a medical bill or factory closure - away from disaster. The minimum wage of $5.15 (£2.95) an hour has not risen since 1997 and, adjusted for inflation, is at its lowest since 1956. The gap between the haves and the have-nots looms wider than ever. Faced with rising poverty rates, Bush's trillion-dollar federal budget recently raised massive amounts of defence spending for the war in Iraq and slashed billions from welfare programmes".

Under the leadership of Republicans the United States is becoming a third world nation. And the rest of the world (the Observer here) looks at us in amazement for what we've allowed ourselves to become.

The Hell That's Samarra

SSgt Cortez Powell "No one told me why I'm putting my life on the line in Samarra, and you know why they didn't? Because there is no fucking reason." "The gunfight by the Tigris River was over. It was time to retrieve the bodies. Staff Sgt. Cortez Powell looked at the shredded jaw of a dead man whom he'd shot in the face when insurgents ambushed an American patrol in a blind of reeds. Powell's M4 assault rifle had jammed, so he'd grabbed the pump-action shotgun that he kept slung over his shoulders and pulled the trigger. Five other soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division scrambled down, pulled two of the insurgents' bodies from the reeds and dragged them through the mud. "Strap those motherf-----s to the hood like a deer," said Staff Sgt. James Robinson, 25, of Hughes, Ark. The soldiers heaved the two bodies onto the hood of a Humvee and tied them down with a cord. The dead insurgents' legs and arms flapped in the air as the Humvee rumbled along. Iraqi families stood in front of the surrounding houses. They watched the corpses ride by and glared at the American soldiers. Fifteen months earlier, when the 1st Infantry Division sent some 5,000 Iraqi and U.S. soldiers to retake Samarra from Sunni Muslim insurgents, it was a test of the American occupation's ability not only to pacify but also to rebuild a part of Iraq dominated by the country's minority Sunnis. More than a year later, American troops still are battling insurgents in Samarra. Bloodshed is destroying the city and driving a wedge between the Iraqis who live there and the U.S. troops who are trying to keep order".

The Names of Troops Killed in Crash Released

Military Releases Names of 10 U.S. Troops Killed in Helicopter Crash Off Djibouti The Pentagon said the Marines killed in the crash were: 1st Lt. Brandon R. Dronet, 33, of Erath, La. Sgt. James F. Fordyce, 22, of Newton Square, Pa. Lance Cpl. Samuel W. Large, Jr., 21, of Villa Rica, Ga. Sgt. Donnie Leo F. Levens, 25, of Long Beach, Miss. Cpl. Matthieu Marcellus, 31, of Gainesville, Fla. Sgt. Jonathan E. McColley, 23, of Gettysburg, Pa. Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Sovie, 20, of Ogdensburg, N.Y. Capt. Bryan D. Willard, 33, of Hummelstown, Pa. Also killed in the crash were Senior Airman Alecia S. Good, 23, of Broadview Heights, Ohio, of the 92nd Communications Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.; and Staff Sgt. Luis M. Melendez Sanchez, 33, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, of the 1st Communications Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

This day in history-February 19

On February 19, 1807, Aaron Burr, the only Vice-President besides Dick Cheney to have shot someone, was arrested in Alabama for treason.

Correlating Factors

Utah, Idaho, Alabama, Wyoming, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Montana Would you want to live in any of those states? Me either. Those are the only states left, out of all the 'red'neck states that voted for Bush, that still 'approve' of his job performance. That 'red state/blue state map' would look a little different now, don't you think? Utah-#49, Idaho-#48, Alabama-#41, Wyoming-#47, Nebraska-#29, Oklahoma-44%, Montana-#43 Those same seven states. What do you think the numbers beside those same seven states represent? They are each of those states' ranking in IQ levels. That is a clear example of a simple, but certainly telling, 'correlating factor'. The dumber you are, the longer it takes for you to figure things out. Also, take a look at another seven states below that also voted for Bush in 2004. That is their current 'approve' and 'disapprove' percentages listed. Ohio, 37% approve and 60% disapprove. Iowa 38%-57%, Missouri 39%-57%, Colorado 39%-58%, Nevada 41%-57%, Arkansas 41%-56%, Florida 42%-55% Ohio, 37% approval rating! If only the dumbasses could have figured out what a loser Bush was before the election. There's really no excuse because, besides Katrina, everything Bush and the Republicans have screwed up, happened before November 2004. But were stuck. And it's due to stupidity. SurveyUSA - Released 2/16/06 Be sure to take a good look at the data here on how IQ correlates with party politics. The data shows a definite correlation and should be embarrassing to Republicans. A very strong majority of intelligent people do not vote Republican. And that's a fact!

U.S. military: 10 died in twin copter crash

The U.S. military confirmed Sunday that 10 U.S. troops died when two transport helicopters crashed into the sea last week off the coast of the African nation of Djibouti. The CH-53E choppers, carrying a dozen crew and troops from a U.S. counterterrorism force, went down Friday in the Gulf of Aden, near the northern coastal town of Ras Siyyan. Two crew members were rescued. The troops included U.S. Marines and two Air Force airmen.

'Churches' finally figure out it's wrong to murder women and children

U.S. Church Alliance Denounces Iraq War "A coalition of American churches sharply denounced the U.S.-led war in Iraq on Saturday, accusing Washington of "raining down terror" and apologizing to other nations for "the violence, degradation and poverty our nation has sown." The statement, issued at the largest gathering of Christian churches in nearly a decade, also warned the United States was pushing the world toward environmental catastrophe with a "culture of consumption" and its refusal to back international accords seeking to battle global warming. "We lament with special anguish the war in Iraq, launched in deception and violating global norms of justice and human rights," said the statement from representatives of the 34 U.S. members of World Council of Churches. "We mourn all who have died or been injured in this war. We acknowledge with shame abuses carried out in our name."

Cartoon Editorial

10 Marines Feared Dead in Helicopter Crash

CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter No Casualty Report in U.S. Africa Crash All 12 crew members from two United States military helicopters that crashed off Djibouti on Friday have been accounted for, the military said there on Saturday. But information on whether the 10 people who were missing overnight had survived or died would not be released until 24 hours after their families had been notified, a military spokeswoman said. Two crew members who were rescued Friday were in stable condition. "I can't confirm either way," the spokeswoman, Maj. Susan Romano, said of the condition of the 10 crew members accounted for Saturday. The two Marine helicopters were on a training mission in northern Djibouti at the time of the crash. Each CH53 marine transport helicopter was carrying six crew members.

Guards Murder 14 Year Old-Call it a 'Disease'

Gina Jones, left, mother of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson, wipes her face as her attorney Ben Crump, right, speaks at a news conference regarding the murder by guards of her young son Go to this web link and watch the video and try to say with a straight face that you believe the authorities' explanation that this 14 year old kid died of a 'blood disease'. Yeah, if getting the shit beat out of you by 10 grown men causes a 'blood disease', massive internal bleeding, and you want to classify that as a 'disease' that's fine, just as long as those who caused the 'disease' get life without parole, that's fine with me. The kid died a 1/2 hour after this beating and they want us to believe it was sickle cell? They must think we're fucking stupid!

Another in a long series of "I Told You So"

Taking Saddam Hussein out of power in Iraq has caused the Middle East and Persian Gulf region to be more dangerous to the United States and not less dangerous, as the Bush administration and their many incompetent constituents would like you to believe. And, I'm not missing the chance to say, 'I told you so', and once again remind all of you who ignorantly 'went along' like scared little lambs, how wrong you were.

Invasion of Iraq has backfired in stabilizing Middle East Opponents of Iraq invasion proven right once again "The Islamic government in neighboring Iran watched with trepidation in March 2003 when U.S.-led troops stormed Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime and start remaking the political map of the Mideast. In retrospect, the Islamic Republic could have celebrated: The war has left America's longtime nemesis with profound influence in the new Iraq and pushed it to the apex of power in the region. Now Iraq's fledgling democracy has placed power in the hands of the nation's Shiite majority and its Kurdish allies, many of whom lived as exiles in Iran and maintain strong religious, cultural and linguistic ties to it. The two groups sit atop most of Iraq's oil, and both seek a decentralized government that would give them maximum control of it. A weak central government would also limit Sunni influence".

Another in a long line of "I told you so"! It's hard being so right...

DOD News Release(s) 4 Soldiers, 2 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/nr20060217-12520.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 144-06 February 17, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died north of Deh Rawod, Afghanistan, on Feb. 13, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during combat operations. Killed were: FOUR SERGEANTS Sgt. 1st Class Chad A. Gonsalves, 31, of Turlock, Calif. Gonsalves was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. Staff Sgt. Edwin H. Dazachacon, 38, of Belleville, Ill. Dazachacon was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. Staff Sgt. Clinton T. Newman, 26, of San Antonio, Texas. Newman was assigned to the 321st Civil Affairs Brigade, San Antonio, Texas Sgt. Alberto D. Montrond, 27, of Suffolk, Mass. Montrond was assigned to the Group Support Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, 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/nr20060216-12519.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 143-06 February 16, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Marine Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Killed were: Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Barnes, 20, of West Monroe, La. Cpl. Rusty L. Washam, 21, of Huntsville, Tenn. Both Marines died Feb. 14, when a suicide car bomber attacked their vehicle near Al Qa’im, Iraq. They were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division; II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. --------------------------------------------------------------------------