Give Bush Nothing. The Iraq Supplemental Was The Compromise.

While delivering his second-ever veto to the Iraq supplemental appropriation to fund his war, the American Pretender asserted in many speech-crafted sentences that the war in Iraq is now the war on terrorism and where we engage Al Qaida:
In Washington last week, General Petraeus explained it this way: Iraq is, in fact, the central front […]

Pacifist, Humanist, Pragmatist — Trying To Make Sense In Aftermath Of Sensless Virginia Tech Shootings

There are plenty of wonderful tributes to the victims, survivors, and their families on the web, both in the MSM as well as Facebook and Myspace. It’s important to understand the human losses this week. Personal stories of the victims make clear the depth of losses in the tragic shootings on the Virginia Tech […]

The Secret Government, Redux

In this 1987 PBS video, Bill Moyers begins, “The secret government is an interlocking network of official functionaries, spies, mercenaries, ex-generals, profiteers, and “super-patriots” who, for a variety of motives, operate outside the legitimate institutions of government. Presidents have turned to them when they can’t win the support of the Congress or the people, […]

A Timeline For Withdrawal from Iraq

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

A Hero among columnists, E.J. Dionne Jr., of the Washington Post set it up this morning, in his piece “An Antiwar Tide on The Rise.” And then, it happened. Jaded folks like me turned up the radio in a hurry on the drive home when we heard that the Senate had […]

Privateers: Outsourcing U.S. Sovereignty

Jeremy Scahill exposes in his video for The Nation the alarming and little-known outsourcing of security and military operations supported by the Bush administration. In government rhetoric and that of the individual contractors, they are referred to as “private security.” In a militarized area in the midst of conflict, protecting clients by means of […]

Impeachment, continued

Photo by mystical_swirl.

Yesterday, I stirred up some reaction around the web with my post, “Impeachment in all but name.” Mostly, I heard from the “throw the bum out” crowd, suggesting my approach is too incremental at best. Many believe that a full-blown impeachment is the only correct course. One went so far as to suggest […]

Impeachment In All But Name: Scandal in the Bush Administration

The new Democratic Congress is finally getting down to some of the business for which it was elected. I don’t want to make light of the things already accomplished. There were business items long overdue that had to be taken care of in the first few weeks. To a large degree, these items were “low […]

McCain and Obama Apologize Needlessly for Saying Lives Wasted in Iraq

Why do good men fall all over themselves to apologize for telling the truth?
On Letterman Wednesday night John McCain while announcing his run for the presidency said:

Americans are very frustrated, and they have every right to be,” McCain said about the Iraq War. “We’ve wasted a lot of our most precious treasure, which is American […]

Congress Must Exercise Power of the Purse

The old saw “Power of the Purse” takes on new meaning as a woman controls the gavel in the house. Now that she’s busted up that nasty “marble ceiling” maybe Mrs. Pelosi can take her gavel or her purse an bust up some Republican war-mongering while she’s still swinging.
This week Sen. Byrd’s Appropriations Committee takes […]

Bush’s Extraordinary Protection of Extraordinary Rendition

According to the Washington Post, the U.S., Britain, Spain, and Italy have refused to sign a long-negotiated accord on secret detentions. The U.N. treaty has 58 other signers. It is hardly surprising as failure to cooperate with other nations is a hallmark of the Bush administration. What would be surprising is if this administration did […]

Time To Get Off Our Asses and Do Something

I’m talking to me and I’m talking to you. Some folks are doing everything they can. This is for the rest of us. I sit in my comfy dining room or home office and tap away posting blog entries. It’s great for venting bile and preaching to the choir. Most of my hits in the […]