“Treat them with humanity, and let them have no reason to Complain of our Copying the brutal example of the British army in their Treatment of our unfortunate brethren.” – George Washington. Yes, that George Washington, speaking to the officer he placed in charge of 211 prisoners taken at Princeton. Any right wingnut care to attack his patriotism? (P.S. After … Read More
Vindication?
The press is reporting on the discovery (and detonation) of a roadside bomb discovered in Iraq, which released a “small quantity” of sarin gas. The gas temporarily bothered two American soldiers, and (presumably) put them off their lunch. But that’s about it. Clearly relieved to finally have some "happy" news to crow about, the right-wing blogosphere is all over this, … Read More
It Gets Worse For Bush
As most of you probably know, Sy Hersh at The New Yorker has placed blame for the Abu Ghraib scandal directly at the feet of Rumsfeld. But this independent Newsweek investigation brings it directly to the Oval Office. The money quote: But a NEWSWEEK investigation shows that, as a means of pre-empting a repeat of 9/11, Bush, along with Defense … Read More
Bush to Seek Another $25B for Iraq War
As reported here. As the story reports, this request for additional funds is a "retreat from the White House’s earlier plans not to seek such money until after the November elections. " In my view, the request for more money — and the apparent necessity of asking for it now instead of after the elections — forces Bush to admit … Read More
Now THIS is interesting . . .
First the background . . . This document is part of Bush’s military records — specifically, it is the document which records that Bush was suspended from flight status for failure to show up for an annual physical examination. Interestingly, below the entry for Bush is another entry for another pilot, also removed from flight status (on the same day), … Read More
Ribbons and Medals
I won’t regurgitate the entire manufactured Kerry medals/ribbons "controversy" which the right is all lathered up over. You can get a good sense of the ridiculous claim here. Basically, it all hinges on the flimsy premise that when Kerry was asked, in 1971, about what he was awarded (in the midst of a discussion about what medals he "gave back"), … Read More
Lesson of the Day
Eric Alterman nails it: If you fire a photographer, the photograph you fired her for will get printed again and again, even in the New York Times, which otherwise might have left the whole thing alone. This of course refers to the Pentagon/Bush ban on photos of dead troops in their coffins — an order which was violated by Pentagon … Read More
Say WHAT?!?
In an article entitled AP Poll: More than 30 months after attacks, concerns that the terrorists might be winning comes the following paragraphs: More than 30 months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, two-thirds of Americans acknowledge some concern that terrorists may be recruiting faster than the United States can keep up. A third of those polled feel strongly this … Read More
“If It’s Not On Our Website, It Didn’t Happen”
Paging George Orwell . . . The Pentagon deleted from a public transcript a statement Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld made to author Bob Woodward suggesting that the administration gave Saudi Arabia a two-month heads-up that President Bush had decided to invade Iraq. At issue was a passage in Woodward’s "Plan of Attack," an account published this week of Bush’s … Read More
The Third Front
Billmon of the Whiskey Bar has some interesting thoughts on the unification of interests between progressives (as distinguished from John Kerry-like "neolibs") and libertarians. It takes him a while to get to that point, but the journey is interesting as well. An excellent read from an underrated blog. Excerpted highlights: Strategically, the neocons and their neoliberal collaborators now hold the … Read More
On Winning The Hearts And Minds
"Today there is hatred of the Americans like never before in the region," said Egyptian President (and ally) Hosni Mubarak, speaking of the Middle East. You can read all about his comments here: "Mubarak: Arabs Hate U.S. More Than Ever" (Reuters) Quick! What best describes your reaction? (1) "Who gives a tinker’s cuss about what Arabs think of America?"(2) "I’m … Read More
CPA Memo Admits That Iraq Is A Clusterfuck
A newly-surfaced memo, written in March, from an unnamed U.S. government official detailed to the CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority) in Iraq, is alarming in its honesty. You can read about the CPA memo here. Some highlights from the article: Yet the memo is gloomy in most other respects, portraying a country mired in dysfunction and corruption, overseen by a CPA … Read More
Foreign Leaders Favor Bush
The Saudis, that is. In blogosphere time, this is an old story, but for those who have been in a cave for 24 hours, you can read more about it here. Basically it’s this: The Bush White House and the Saudis have a "sweetheart deal" in which the Saudi government will lower gas prices just prior to our elections, a … Read More
Thanks, GWB. I Feel MUCH Safer Now
Probe Shows Iraq Nuke Facilities Unguarded UNITED NATIONS (AP) – Some Iraqi nuclear facilities appear to be unguarded, and radioactive materials are being taken out of the country, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency reported after reviewing satellite images and equipment that has turned up in European scrapyards. Geez. Full story here.
Bush Is Perfect, White House Reveals
Courtesy of The Borowitz Report: First Flawless Person in History, Experts Believe President George W. Bush received some much needed good news today as the White House revealed conclusive evidence that the President is perfect. “After reviewing his actions since entering the White House in 2001, we have come to the conclusion that the President is perfect,” White House spokesman … Read More