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 […]

The count: Gonzales 64, or 71

The previous count: Sampson 122, Lorita Doan 29
The Gonzales hearing did not go quite as I expected. Two weeks of preparation including “murder board” sessions, and still the AG was not up to the task. I believe my expectations were not met because I incorrectly believed saving himself would be his objective.
The Washington Post’s Dana […]

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 […]

Gonzales preparing for the performance of his life

It’s worse than sad that the AG needs to “practice” testifying before the main event at the Senate Judiciary Committee next Tuesday. A certain amount of preparation before critical testimony might be expected but 2 weeks worth seems to be for something of a performance rather than an opportunity for clearing the air and truthtelling.
The […]

Impeachment: Bring It On!

It’s a taunt, isn’t it — when the president says to Congressional leaders, summoning them to the White House, after a 4-year war based on lies in which 3,292 U.S. soldiers have died, after Congress has given him everything he wants in a spending bill but included provisions aimed at limiting death and mayhem without […]

King George Issues Summons On War Funding

Arrogance or delusion? From what place in the shrub’s mind comes the audacity to summon congressional leaders to the White House to “discuss” his supplemental war spending bill? His words sound like those of the petulant child demanding ice cream from an indulgent mother. Whatever mother brings, no matter her greater wisdom, will not be […]

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 Final Status For Gay Marriage?

It’s amazing to think, given the state of Israeli-Palestinian relations these days, that back when Bill Clinton was president and Arafat was alive, people were talking about the end-game in a Palestine-Israel peace process. Jerusalem was the non-negotiable item that somehow, sometime would have to be negotiated. Ideas were floated. There was an atmosphere of […]

Remembering “The Great Society”

This blogger is taking a break from the news for the weekend. I can’t say I’ve quite managed it, but I’ve at least avoided the usual immersion. In times like these, this moment of peace feels like an indulgence.
I’ve had this text on my desktop for a few weeks, now, with the idea of sharing […]

There Needs To Be A Law Against “I Don’t Recall”

The Washington Post says today of Lurita Doan, GSA Administrator,
On at least 10 occasions, she testified that she could not recall asking her employees to help the GOP or details of the presentation.
Before the malfeasance of this administration is fully exposed, we are going to hear that a lot. It’s pretty clear that Washington’s […]

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 […]

Gonzales Aide Cries Persecution Before the Fact

What is Monica M. Goodling afraid of? Goodling’s attorney, John Dowd, seems to claim that the Scooter Libby trial is evidence that even truthful testimony would put her in jeopardy.
It was not Libby’s trial that put him in jeopardy. It was the lies. It’s still not clear who’s lies, but Libby’s conviction was for prior […]

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 […]

Elizabeth and John

I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth Edwards since the first time I saw her, conducting a town hall meeting on her own, during John’s run for the Vice Presidency. She had such a command of the facts and the issues and delivered her answers with ease and with heart. Just imagine the contrast of Elizabeth, […]

Why Little Rock?

The first of the U.S. Attorneys to be fired in order for the administration to replace them with political operatives was Bud Cummins, in Little Rock Arkansas. The Washington Post reports today on emails demonstrating the “machinations” of the administration as early as April 06 to make a place for Karl Rove protege Tim Griffin. […]

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