I know the Constitution is, in places, ambiguous, but this language seems pretty straightforward: The Congress shall have power… to declare war… That’s Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution. It’s the "War Powers Clause". The dirty little secret is that Congress, in all its history, has only declared war five times: the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), … Read More
I’m No Economist, But….
….this makes no sense to me. From Mike Allen’s piece just out in The Politico … The McCain administration would reserve all savings from victory in the Iraq and Afghanistan operations in the fight against Islamic extremists for reducing the deficit. Since all their costs were financed with deficit spending, all their savings must go to deficit reduction. What does … Read More
Marine Expelled For Puppy Throwing
You may have heard about this story a few months ago. It’s about the U.S. soldier in Iraq who threw a puppy off a cliff. Here’s the video [WARNING: This is a very disturbing video] Justice is (somewhat) served. According to the AP: The Marine Corps said Wednesday it was expelling one Marine and disciplining another for their roles in … Read More
Gitmo Detainees Have Habeus Rights
OK. Permit me to get all law geeky, but this is big legal news. Well, it’s big news for anyone who believes in our Constitution, really. Aned a big blow to the Bush Administration. About an hour ago, the Supreme Court ruled that foreign nationals held at Guantanamo Bay have a right to pursue habeas challenges to their detention. What … Read More
Senate Intelligence Committee Report On Pre-War Iraq Released
Key conclusions: The Committee’s report cites several conclusions in which the Administration’s public statements were NOT supported by the intelligence. They include: Statements and implications by the President and Secretary of State suggesting that Iraq and al-Qa’ida had a partnership, or that Iraq had provided al-Qa’ida with weapons training, were not substantiated by the intelligence. Statements by the President and … Read More
Here’s What Happened
The folks over at McClatchy newspapers are trumpeting their own horn about their reportage in the run-up to the Iraq War. And well they should. Unlike the rest of the media, they actually questioned the Bush Administration’s "intelligence" and justification for an Iraq War. To them (and other astute political observers), Scott McLellan’s book is nothing new. But the "crimes" … Read More
The McClellan Book
You know, it doesn’t say anything that many of us didn’t already know. It’s just nice to see someone on the inside of the Bush Administration admit that these things went on: WASHINGTON (CNN) — The incidents that first left then-White House press secretary Scott McClellan "dismayed and disillusioned" about Washington involved the surreptitious release of classified information, McClellan said … Read More
The Coulter Foreign Policy
Great: McClatchy says the U.S. military is investigating reports that Marines have been handing out religious material at checkpoints in Fallujah, Iraq. "Multi-National Force-Iraq is investigating a report that U.S. military personnel in Fallujah handed-out material that is religious and evangelical in nature," spokesman Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll says in a statement to the news organization. "Local commanders are investigating … Read More
Dunkin Donuts Is Being Ridiculous
OMG! Look! It’s celebrity spokesperson Rachael Ray talking about Dunkin Donuts!! And look what she’s wearing around her neck! That looks vaguely middle eastern! It looks like a keffiyeh. Is she a terrorist-supporter?!? Does Dunkin Donuts (by inference) support terrorism?!?!? Some observers, including ultra-conservative Fox News commentator Michelle Malkin, were so incensed by the ad that there was even talk … Read More
Soldiers Can F*** In Afghanistan
Progress is being made: A new order signed by Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, commander of Combined Joint Task Force-101, has lifted a ban on sexual relations between unmarried men and women in the combat zone. General Order No. 1 outlines a number of prohibited activities and standards of conduct for U.S. troops and civilians working for the military in Afghanistan. … Read More
Fiscal Malfeasance In Iraq
Can you imagine if you ran your household finances this way? In one case, according to documents displayed by Pentagon auditors at the hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, a cash payment of $320.8 million in Iraqi money was authorized on the basis of a single signature and the words “Iraqi Salary Payment” on an invoice. … Read More
Shut The Hell Up!
Olbermann laid into Bush last night about the "no golfing while we’re in Iraq" sacrifice that Bush is making. Full transcript below the fold.
Bush Makes Ultimate Sacrifice For The War
President Bush finally admitted today that he has been touched by the true cost of war: For the first time, Bush revealed a personal way in which he has tried to acknowledge the sacrifice of soldiers and their families: He has given up golf. "I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in … Read More
The Mortality Rate Of Iraq And Afghan Wars
Something to think about when you consider the U.S. casualty count. Thomas Insel — director of the National Institute of Mental Health and the U.S. government’s top psychiatric researcher — said today that “the number of suicides among veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may exceed the combat death toll because of inadequate mental health care.” Bloomberg reports: Insel … Read More
PTSD
A RAND study just showed that something like 20% of all returning servicemembers from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from depression or PTSD. That’s an astounding number — almost 300,000 men and women. But it is just a number. What is it like? Read this post from a vet actually suffering from this syndrome. A sample: So it’s like that — … Read More