Like him or not, the man has balls. While Democrats (and some Republicans) debate the finer points of passing a non-binding resolution articulating opposition to the Bush escalation of troops in Iraq, Senator Obama is doing what needs to be done. He’s introduced a law which states, quite specifically, the goal of getting "all" — yes, all — U.S. combat … Read More
Oh, Well That Explains It…
Republican Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) on the Bush escalation plan in Iraq: Some commentators have compared the Bush plan to a "Hail Mary" pass in football — a desperate heave deep down the field by a losing team at the end of the game. Actually, a far better analogy for the Bush plan is a draw play on third down … Read More
Was 9/11 Really That Bad?
About time someone said it. Without diminishing what happened that day, historian David Bell takes a look at 9/11, and makes a convincing argument that — as tragic as 9/11 was — it has resulted in a massive overreaction. Key sentences (emphasis mine): The people who attacked us in 2001 are indeed hate-filled fanatics who would like nothing better than … Read More
Marie Jon Apostrophe on “Democratic Defeatism”
Marie Joh Apostrophe has some thoughts about the State Of The Union and Iraq: After hearing the State of the Union address, many people came away with very positive feelings. The president gave an excellent speech. Under the president’s watch, the State of the Union is well. Marie knows that the State of the Union is well because Bush said … Read More
Problems With The Surge
A disturbing video showing U.S soldiers watching as their Iraqi Army colleagues (they’re Shiites) brutally beat Sunni civilians to near-death, as U.S. soldiers hoop and holler in support at the "Rodney King" treatment the civilians receive. Is this how to win hearts and minds? UPDATE: Carpetbagger shoots down five myths often spouted by war supporters: The conservative case in support … Read More
Novak: Democrats Are “Rude”
Novak is very cantankerous and grumpy today. More so than usual, that is. When President Bush called for a bipartisan "special advisory council" of congressional leaders on the war against terrorism in his State of the Union address, he had in his pocket a rude rejection from Democratic leaders. Thank you very much, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate … Read More
Whatever, Dick
"And since I left Halliburton to become George Bush’s vice president, I’ve severed all my ties with the company, gotten rid of all my financial interests. I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind and haven’t had now for over three years." – Vice President Dick Cheney, Meet The Press, September 14, 2003 – graph released today by … Read More
Excuses, Excuses
The NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) is a CIA report which pulls together the assessment of all U.S. intelligence agencies into a single document. It is an important document because it provides a complete snapshot of what our intelligence community thinks, based on the latest information. The last time the NIE made news was in September of last year, when portions … Read More
American Airlines/9-11 Urban Myth
Some of you may have heard that the American Airlines ticket agent who checked in Mohammed Atta on 9/11 later committed suicide. Just so you know: t’aint true.
We’re Better Than This
A nation of laws? The Pentagon set rules Thursday for detainee trials that could allow terror suspects to be convicted and perhaps executed using hearsay testimony and coerced statements, setting up a new clash between President Bush and Congress. The rules are fair, said the Pentagon, which released them in a manual for the expected trials. The rules are not … Read More
Making Fun Of The President And He’ll Cry
The White House Correspondents Association’s annual bash is typically hosted by a comedian who, truth be told, makes fun of the President while the President is sitting there. It is not unlike a Dean Martin or Friar’s Club roast, and every President has been "subjected" to it — Clinton sat there as Lewinsky jokes were flying about, and so on. … Read More
Greenwald on FISA Oversight Of Wiretaps
(1) I’ll just let Greenwald speak for himself on the subject of GOP disillusionment with the sudden Bush reversal on FISA oversight: If you were a Bush follower, and you were told (and, of course, by definition, believed) that the President’s violations of FISA were not just legal but critical to our Survival and Ability to Defeat The Terrorists, and … Read More
A Remarkably Stupid (Or Dishonest) Attorney
UPDATE AND BIG BREAKING NEWS: Fortunately, breaking news suggests that the days of Bush’s secret and illegal surveillance may now be over. Bush now intends his surveillance program to be monitored and overseen by the "secret" FISA court, as the lawmakers who passed FISA originally intended. In other words, Bush caves. Victory for freedom and privacy lovers, but more importantly, … Read More
Terrorist Appeasers On The Right
At long last, I can say this: The far right conservatives in America actually hate this country and are terrorist appeasers. I know, I know. That’s the sort of hyperbolic criticism that usually gets said about those on the left. But the exact opposite is true, and I can say it is true. I can say it is true, because … Read More
All The King’s Horses And All The King’s Men….
Bush, in the (less publicized) Jim Lehrer interview: LEHRER: Is there a little bit of a broken egg problem here, Mr. President, that there is instability and there is violence in Iraq – sectarian violence, Iraqis killing other Iraqis, and now the United States helped create the broken egg and now says, okay, Iraqis, it’s your problem. You put the … Read More