G'morning Toni, and thanks for remembering your password and log-in! I won't mention any names, but one of us has three Blogger accounts because she repeatedly forgot hers, and forgot where she wrote the info down ;)
Found my original account info on a scrap of paper in a cookbook marking a nice artichoke risotto recipe.
Shuster: 'Prosecutors still looking for ways to pursue Cheney' John Byrne and David Edwards Published: Tuesday February 20, 2007
According to MSNBC's David Shuster, legal sources say that if I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby is convicted for perjury and obstruction, prosecutors may try to get him to turn over evidence against the Vice President.
"Legal sources confirm to MSNBC tonight that if Libby is convicted, prosecutors are expected to attempt to revisit Libby’s vague testimony about Vice President Cheney," Shuster said. "The idea is that prosecutors would seek to flip Libby to get at suspicions about the Vice President."
"Prosecutors are still seeking to pursue Cheney in the overall investigation," he added.
The X factor in the case is whether if Libby is convicted he will be pardoned by President Bush -- in which case all bets are off.
Closing arguments for Libby's trial begin today. The following video contains a clip of Shuster's Monday night report on MSNBC Countdown.
Paper: Iran's oil production is drying up Michael Roston Published: Tuesday February 20, 2007
report in today's Wall Street Journal paints a picture of an Iran in the early stages of an energy crisis. Although long considered an energy giant, the Persian Gulf country is facing the prospect of an oil output crash within a decade, and it may start rationing gasoline next month.
Bill Spindle writes in the Journal this morning that Iran's oil production is stagnating. Demand in the country is high because the government makes the price of gasoline very cheap. At the same time, "a combination of Western sanctions and Iranian policies has discouraged foreign investment in oil fields," resulting in a lull in production growth. The problem is so severe that Iran's government "shelled out at least $7 billion on gasoline imports alone so far this fiscal year."
In response, Iran is hoping to expand its production abilities. But the US government and others see political implications from the current state of affairs in the Iranian energy sector.
"Iran's energy woes could make it more vulnerable to international economic sanctions," Spindle writes. "Even many Iranian officials concede that the longstanding ban the U.S. has placed on American oil companies working in Iran has hampered the country's ability to develop its oil fields adequately."
Rape row ramps up Iraqi tensions 2 hours, 20 minutes ago BAGHDAD (AFP) - Allegations that a squad of Iraqi policemen enforcing a new Baghdad security plan took turns to rape a young Sunni woman has fed sectarian tensions at the summit of the Iraqi government.
From Hardball last night reported by Richard Engel:
But first, NBC‘s Richard Engel has lived in Iraq for four years now covering the conflict with all its horrors. Richard, thank you very much. You are a brave man. Who are we fighting in the streets of Baghdad? The Sunnis or the Shia.
RICHARD ENGEL, NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Chris, right now there is a fundamental turning point in the war. For the first three years, roughly, U.S. troops were fighting Sunnis and were fighting mostly a Sunni insurgency. Then after that Samarra attack last February, almost one year ago to the day, the Shiite militia groups which had been gaining strength on the ground could not take it any more. They have been absorbing so much abuse that after that attack they decided that was it and they started attacking everyone.
The Shiite militias started attacking Sunnis, they started attacking U.S. forces, also any local shop owners. Anyone who wasn‘t agreeing with them.
Then—now there is a new fundamental shift. The Shiite militias have decided to go to ground. Have stopped fighting for the time being. They are going try to and wait it out. And it is the Sunnis who are now in the forefront and are trying to attack both Americans and to attack the Shiites to get them back into the fight so they don‘t just sit back and consolidate their power.
MATTHEWS: So the Shias are the majority of the people in Iraq. And they are smart enough to let us do the fighting against the Sunni. We wipe them out or at least repress them down to nothing and then the Shia take over and run the place when we love leave.
ENGEL: That is exactly the strategy. There was a meeting that was directed by the grand Shiite Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani right around the time of the execution of Saddam Hussein. And he effectively said to Muqtada al-Sadr through his representatives that enough is enough. Your organization is out of hand. It is alienating your own people. We are having Shiite on Shiite violence. We are going lose this entire situation.
I just got word that the SS. John Stennis has arrived in the Persian Gulf on February 15. It apparently steamed better than 24 knots and had no port calls, which suggests it was in a hurry.
Accused Terrorist Is Major RNC Donor ABC News | Justin Rood | February 20, 2007 09:13 AM
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) won't say what it plans to do with thousands of dollars in campaign donations it received from an accused terror financier.
Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari gave $15,250 to the NRCC since 2002, according to FEC records published on the Web site opensecrets.org.
Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL) reveals that he didn’t know — and didn’t care — if the Pelosi plane story was true. Putnam claimed he pushed the story because it was the first break “from the media in driving our message.” A message which happened to be completely false.
Grandparents raising the children of soldiers killed in Iraq are denied a $100,000 payment that is intended to ease the financial strain as families await government survivors' benefits 2-19
Don't sacrifice Scooter LIbby for how you may feel abotu war in Iraq or Bush Administration. Treat him the way he deserves to be treated. He worked every day to be NSA for this country. Analyze it fairly. Fight any temptation for your views if you're Democrat whatever party. This is a man who has a wife kid. He's been under my protection for the last month. Just give him back. Give him back to me, give him back.
Snow: President Bush ‘Certainly’ Was ‘Aware Of The Conditions In The Wards’ At Walter Reed » In today’s press briefing, a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Tony Snow about the Washington Post’s two-part series over the weekend, highlighting the Walter Reed hospital’s dilapidated conditions. Snow stated that “the president certainly has been aware of the conditions in the wards where he has visited, and visited regularly.” Snow also affirmed that the administration was aware of Walter Reed’s conditions “before the articles appeared in the paper.” Watch it:
The Army began repairs on the facilities yesterday, only after the media reports and intense public criticism. Apparently, Bush is fine with U.S. troops living in squalid conditions — as long as no one else knows about it.
(The Progress Report has more on the state of veterans under the Bush administration. Read it and sign up to receive the newsletter HERE.)
02/19/07 "New York Times" - -- A disturbing recent phenomenon in Washington is that laws that strike to the heart of American democracy have been passed in the dead of night. So it was with a provision quietly tucked into the enormous defense budget bill at the Bush administration’s behest that makes it easier for a president to override local control of law enforcement and declare martial law.
The provision, signed into law in October, weakens two obscure but important bulwarks of liberty. One is the doctrine that bars military forces, including a federalized National Guard, from engaging in law enforcement. Called posse comitatus, it was enshrined in law after the Civil War to preserve the line between civil government and the military. The other is the Insurrection Act of 1807, which provides the major exemptions to posse comitatus. It essentially limits a president’s use of the military in law enforcement to putting down lawlessness, insurrection and rebellion, where a state is violating federal law or depriving people of constitutional rights.
The newly enacted provisions upset this careful balance. They shift the focus from making sure that federal laws are enforced to restoring public order. Beyond cases of actual insurrection, the president may now use military troops as a domestic police force in response to a natural disaster, a disease outbreak, terrorist attack or to any “other condition.”
Changes of this magnitude should be made only after a thorough public airing. But these new presidential powers were slipped into the law without hearings or public debate. The president made no mention of the changes when he signed the measure, and neither the White House nor Congress consulted in advance with the nation’s governors.
There is a bipartisan bill, introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, and Christopher Bond, Republican of Missouri, and backed unanimously by the nation’s governors, that would repeal the stealthy revisions. Congress should pass it. If changes of this kind are proposed in the future, they must get a full and open debate.
Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company "
Click here to comment on this and other articles
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Information Clearing House has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is Information ClearingHouse endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
House Rules Committee Chair Louise Slaughter writes Pentagon, demanding answers on Walter Reed vets scandal by John in DC · 2/20/2007 02:51:00 PM ET Discuss this post here: Comments (40) · digg it · FARK· ·Link
She's the chair of the House Rules Committee. And she's pissed. From Slaughter: "Supporting our troops begins with giving them a mission that makes sense and that doesn't needlessly jeopardize their lives," the Congresswoman continued. "It ends with an unconditional commitment to men and women who have made sacrifices few of us can fully appreciate. If this Administration is going to order soldiers into battle, then it has no right to stand on the sidelines when they come home. We need a serious evaluation of the care being given to our veterans, and must immediately address holes and gaps in a system that can't afford either."
"Critics of the President's escalation of the war are told that they can't both support the troops and oppose their mission," Rep. Slaughter added. "I think that you can't support the troops if you send them into battle without proper armor, or deny them critical medical care and counseling after they are injured. That is the definition of hypocrisy, and our wounded soldiers are paying the price."
All these bills that have been passed in the last 6 years have to be gone over nad all the things that allow this prez or any future prez this much power needs to be removed.
just finished the metal plates i'm making as patches. had to forge em into curved concave sections to lie snug to the frame.
fresh coffee, i love it...
want some T?
maybe a small Mandarin Hazelnut Chocolate Bar? Bgurl gets em in a foilwrapped ball and when she whacks em just right they break into orange segments! coolest stuff...
Blair to announce Iraq troop withdrawal RAW STORY Published: Tuesday February 20, 2007
Prime Minister Tony Blair will announce that thousands of British troops are to begin withdrawing from Iraq in weeks, media reported.
According to The Sun daily, Blair will say that the first contingent of 1,500 troops will leave the war-torn country and arrive back in Britain in a matter of weeks, and a further 1,500 will follow by Christmas.
The White House moved quickly to respond to reports of Blair's announcement and released the following statement:
"The president is grateful for the support of the British Forces in the past and into the future. While the United Kingdom is maintaining a robust force in southern Iraq, we're pleased that conditions in Basra have improved sufficiently that they are able to transition more control to the Iraqis. "
"The United States shares the same goal of turning responsibility over to the Iraqi Security Forces and reducing the number of American troops in Iraq."
Chief Libby trial blogger says she believes prosecutor 'wants Cheney,' 'won't rest on laurels'
Brian Beutler Published: Tuesday February 20, 2007
This weekend, RAW STORY interviewed Marcy Wheeler, one of the blogosphere’s most tireless observers and analysts of the CIA leak investigation and the I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby Trial.
In the interview, she revealed that she believes that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald will press forward with his investigation, and that his ultimate target is Vice President Dick Cheney: "I’m not entirely convinced that Fitzgerald’s done. I used to be conservative on that, believing that he was done. But there are little snippets of hints that he’s not."
Wheeler is omnipresent in the new media, most notably at the blog Firedoglake, while also appearing on her own blog, The Next Hurrah, and also at Daily Kos and the Huffington Post. Her book on the CIA leak scandal, Anatomy of Deceit, has been released in paperback. Because of a marathon effort parsing public documents, she managed to beat the traditional media to major stories by months.
“We figured out that Armitage was the Novak/Woodward source in March,” Wheeler said in an implicit critique of mainstream coverage of the Plame story, “and we were able to do that because we were able to do things that journalists wouldn’t do.”
Fitzgerald became famous for using organized crime-fighting tactics to root his way through an immensely corrupt government in the state of Illinois, culminating his years-long investigation with over 60 indictments and the conviction of former Republican Governor George Ryan.
Intelligence czar calls for objective, politically independent analysis, nearly four years into Iraq war Michael Roston
Published: Tuesday February 20, 2007
Analysis produced by the United States Intelligence Community must be "objective and independent of political considerations." This directive was issued last month by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and signed by John Negroponte, the outgoing Director of National Intelligence, and recently made public.
On Jan. 8, Negroponte signed "Intelligence Community Directive Number 200: Management, Integration, and Oversight of Intelligence Community Analysis. The directive sets up a policy framework for management of national intelligence analysis, and rescinds earlier directives that were employed by the Director of Central Intelligence prior to the establishment of the ODNI. The directive is applicable to the Intelligence Community as formally defined by the National Security Act of 1947, and also to other elements of the government as agreed to by the president.
The directive defines nine elements of policy. The first of these insists that analysis be "objective and independent of political considerations." It also discusses the need for transparency and collaboration between analysts, and calls for accessibility of information.
LONDON (AP) - London's socialist mayor signed an agreement Tuesday with Venezuela's state-owned oil company to provide discounted oil for the city's iconic red buses, praising the idea as the brainstorm of the country's leftist leader, Hugo Chavez.
Ken Livingstone - a committed socialist known locally as "Red Ken" - met with Chavez last year at City Hall to discuss the deal to provide cheap oil to London in exchange for advice on urban planning in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital.
Venezuela has signed similar agreements with cities in several other countries, including the United States. Critics call it "oil diplomacy" - and say it is designed to embarrass President Bush, whom Chavez has repeatedly mocked.
"This arose out of the suggestion of President Hugo Chavez, and builds on the work he is doing around the world to tackle the problem of poverty," Livingstone said.
The savings - which would cut fuel costs by 20 percent for the city and could amount to about $32 million - are to be directed toward cheaper bus travel for up to 250,000 Londoners living on income support. Those who qualify will get a half-price discount on bus fares.
Under the agreement, city officials in Caracas will receive recommendations from British experts for "the urban reorganization" of the capital, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicholas Maduro said in an interview broadcast on state-run television.
Conservatives on the London city council said in a statement that London shouldn't be doing business with "third-rate South American dictators with an appalling human rights and democratic record."
82 comments:
eya gang
lets get er started!
Morning all!
Jim,
Maybe we can get Sam to start a new blogspot blog for an alternate.
These comments aren't bad if you get rid of Word verification.
Hiya, Jenise. Rest well.
G'morning Toni, and thanks for remembering your password and log-in! I won't mention any names, but one of us has three Blogger accounts because she repeatedly forgot hers, and forgot where she wrote the info down ;)
Found my original account info on a scrap of paper in a cookbook marking a nice artichoke risotto recipe.
so this is now the Official back up blog to the back up blog to the bloggie!
i even got it a tinyurl!
http://tinyurl.com/39jpwg
got this THREAD a tiny url, i meant... sheesh.
http://tinyurl.com/39jpwg
heres the tiny url page
http://tinyurl.com/create.php
There is nothing on blogger help telling me how to close comments Jim. So I just sent an email to ask how.
ya
having a link off the MRR page is the main thing to gather people again.
and functionality...
thanks, sunshine. i'll send a postcard or something.
have a good one.
you can just post a notice to use the top thread for blogging as "last post for this thread"
Toni, can you make changes to the thread header after it's posted?
backatcha lil j
get it to ya when i go out to the car for his address.
g'nite, pleasant dreams!
say hey to siggie other!
eya catchoo!
so good to read ya!
Cat Chew said...
Toni, can you make changes to the thread header after it's posted?
Not sure. I'll try on an older open thread.
G'morning, Sunshine. I'm glad the blogfolk I know haven't vanished into the ether-net. Good to see you!
hee,
nah, i got lotsa trix left over from my internet apprenticship in 2000.
this reminds me of usenet days.
this bloggie screwup has scattered everybody.
SOS we've gone thru the last 4 or 5 times...
think we offered alternatives in the 3rd month of the MRR blog.
more coffee!
Thom laying it down in that calm way of his.
good to have an in depth explanation of this all!
I've emailed the people about this blog but I don't have everyone's email addy.
I posted to Sam's blog to direct them here. At least this is more user friendly.
lovely blog actually T.
nice and quick too.
At least this is more user friendly.
Yes! Much better.
does take ya to the top after a post.
if you can get it to go to the new post that might be worth trying
I'm just hitting end now and it takes you to the bottom.
I am new to this so give me time to set it up. Remember I'm not a techie. Heh! Far from it. But not bad for an old lady.
ya
things will stabilise after a while.
get sam in on this if we can.
all he has to do is put up a link.
hee! but then you'll see what the hassle is with keeping a show blog up.
not bad for a gorguss babe like yourself either! ;)
thom adds a lot of perspective.
making brunch and then back to it.
Shuster: 'Prosecutors still looking for ways to pursue Cheney' John Byrne and David Edwards
Published: Tuesday February 20, 2007
According to MSNBC's David Shuster, legal sources say that if I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby is convicted for perjury and obstruction, prosecutors may try to get him to turn over evidence against the Vice President.
"Legal sources confirm to MSNBC tonight that if Libby is convicted, prosecutors are expected to attempt to revisit Libby’s vague testimony about Vice President Cheney," Shuster said. "The idea is that prosecutors would seek to flip Libby to get at suspicions about the Vice President."
"Prosecutors are still seeking to pursue Cheney in the overall investigation," he added.
The X factor in the case is whether if Libby is convicted he will be pardoned by President Bush -- in which case all bets are off.
Closing arguments for Libby's trial begin today. The following video contains a clip of Shuster's Monday night report on MSNBC Countdown.
Video here:
LINK
for the news junkies out there:
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/index.htm
Firedoglake has the closing statements for the Libby trial.
http://firedoglake.com/
Paper: Iran's oil production is drying up Michael Roston
Published: Tuesday February 20, 2007
report in today's Wall Street Journal paints a picture of an Iran in the early stages of an energy crisis. Although long considered an energy giant, the Persian Gulf country is facing the prospect of an oil output crash within a decade, and it may start rationing gasoline next month.
Bill Spindle writes in the Journal this morning that Iran's oil production is stagnating. Demand in the country is high because the government makes the price of gasoline very cheap. At the same time, "a combination of Western sanctions and Iranian policies has discouraged foreign investment in oil fields," resulting in a lull in production growth. The problem is so severe that Iran's government "shelled out at least $7 billion on gasoline imports alone so far this fiscal year."
In response, Iran is hoping to expand its production abilities. But the US government and others see political implications from the current state of affairs in the Iranian energy sector.
"Iran's energy woes could make it more vulnerable to international economic sanctions," Spindle writes. "Even many Iranian officials concede that the longstanding ban the U.S. has placed on American oil companies working in Iran has hampered the country's ability to develop its oil fields adequately."
LINK
Rape row ramps up Iraqi tensions
2 hours, 20 minutes ago
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Allegations that a squad of Iraqi policemen enforcing a new Baghdad security plan took turns to rape a young Sunni woman has fed sectarian tensions at the summit of the Iraqi government.
LINK
that sunni lady the one riverbend wrote about yesterday?
Baghdad Burning
http://www.riverbendblog.blogspot.com/
Yep Jim. I guess her appearance on TV got the point across! And I am sure Riverbend's blog helped.
sheesh that poor girl!
those assholes gang raped her and then her 'supposed' protectors threatened blackmail and raped her some more!
all this goes on because "they" like to keep the pot stirred.
wonder how many levels of "they" there are on this one?
hey, up
wanna quick skype, s.j.
re: chubby
i'm sluggish
and will return to bed shortly
hey, toni
please get rid of that "security info" d/box
i'm sure you have all my personal details by now
: )
"do you want to display... yes/no/whatever"
(yawn)
"Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act."
~~~George Orwell
Sabrine Al-Janabi is incredibly couragous. Did you see Riverbend had an update (Maliki's Reaction...) on the story?
See you fine folks later.
later, maybe...
pigged out on too many fried tomatoes
(yummy, but gluggy)
Ooops! what did I do?
Back to the drawing board!
AO! still there gator legs?
From Hardball last night reported by Richard Engel:
But first, NBC‘s Richard Engel has lived in Iraq for four years now covering the conflict with all its horrors. Richard, thank you very much. You are a brave man. Who are we fighting in the streets of Baghdad? The Sunnis or the Shia.
RICHARD ENGEL, NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Chris, right now there is a fundamental turning point in the war. For the first three years, roughly, U.S. troops were fighting Sunnis and were fighting mostly a Sunni insurgency. Then after that Samarra attack last February, almost one year ago to the day, the Shiite militia groups which had been gaining strength on the ground could not take it any more. They have been absorbing so much abuse that after that attack they decided that was it and they started attacking everyone.
The Shiite militias started attacking Sunnis, they started attacking U.S. forces, also any local shop owners. Anyone who wasn‘t agreeing with them.
Then—now there is a new fundamental shift. The Shiite militias have decided to go to ground. Have stopped fighting for the time being. They are going try to and wait it out. And it is the Sunnis who are now in the forefront and are trying to attack both Americans and to attack the Shiites to get them back into the fight so they don‘t just sit back and consolidate their power.
MATTHEWS: So the Shias are the majority of the people in Iraq. And they are smart enough to let us do the fighting against the Sunni. We wipe them out or at least repress them down to nothing and then the Shia take over and run the place when we love leave.
ENGEL: That is exactly the strategy. There was a meeting that was directed by the grand Shiite Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani right around the time of the execution of Saddam Hussein. And he effectively said to Muqtada al-Sadr through his representatives that enough is enough. Your organization is out of hand. It is alienating your own people. We are having Shiite on Shiite violence. We are going lose this entire situation.
LINK
MSNBC has had 3+ hours of the Anna Nicole Smith Trial.
No mention of the Appelate court's decision on Bush's Anti-terrorism Law!
No mention of the lives lost in Iraq.
Hasn't even mentioned the Libby trial.
Stop with the Anna Nicole stuff!!!
the shiite and sunni riff is mostly camoflage for the power freaks IMO.
all this fuss over Mohammed's offspring...
and so many levels internally.
just like us.
From Larisa Alexandrovna:
I just got word that the SS. John Stennis has arrived in the Persian Gulf on February 15. It apparently steamed better than 24 knots and had no port calls, which suggests it was in a hurry.
LINK
taking a break while the clearcoats on the vette nose dry.
came out just right. i can tell i'm rusty though.
little mistakes put you in 15 minute reverse mode, fix em and then forward again.
usually it goes pretty smooth.
top on the new carriers is 50 knots plus in flat weather. but half thottle is deff getting there quick
Jim, do you find it difficult to work with your hands at times?
There are days I can't even close my hands.
Just wondering!
Accused Terrorist Is Major RNC Donor
ABC News | Justin Rood | February 20, 2007 09:13 AM
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) won't say what it plans to do with thousands of dollars in campaign donations it received from an accused terror financier.
Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari gave $15,250 to the NRCC since 2002, according to FEC records published on the Web site opensecrets.org.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/02/accused_terrori.html
yupper. they warm up though if i use em.
recently they and my feet lock too.
realise that i've got a limited amount of time to do stuff.
better get busy eh?
Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL) reveals that he didn’t know — and didn’t care — if the Pelosi plane story was true. Putnam claimed he pushed the story because it was the first break “from the media in driving our message.” A message which happened to be completely false.
LINK
i'm letting the paint heat cure right now and then welding this afternoon.
fairly nice day outside, cold and clear, me and the doggers played for a while.
they definitely are interested in the new neighbors old barn cat...
new fencing is working... so far.
the cat is gutsy, comes over and perches in the top of the weeping birch tree over the pond. Jax has already gone swimming over this.
ruzz wants to climb the tree. she's gonna figure it out too.
i've seen her climb trees before.
Randi's got a rant going, again, on Walter Reed and the Vets!
This is just unbelievable! My brother, who was in the AF, is so upset about this.
ya,
those peeps seeing all this for the first time!!!
wait til they hear about some of the other stuff...
Grandparents raising the children of soldiers killed in Iraq are denied a $100,000 payment that is intended to ease the financial strain as families await government survivors' benefits 2-19
http://tinyurl.com/34spzq
Libby's attorney Wells last words at closing.
Don't sacrifice Scooter LIbby for how you may feel abotu war in Iraq or Bush Administration. Treat him the way he deserves to be treated. He worked every day to be NSA for this country. Analyze it fairly. Fight any temptation for your views if you're Democrat whatever party. This is a man who has a wife kid. He's been under my protection for the last month. Just give him back. Give him back to me, give him back.
[Wells gets all choked up, crying.]
http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/02/20/libby-live-wells-defense-summation-three/#more-7341
Snow: President Bush ‘Certainly’ Was ‘Aware Of The Conditions In The Wards’ At Walter Reed »
In today’s press briefing, a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Tony Snow about the Washington Post’s two-part series over the weekend, highlighting the Walter Reed hospital’s dilapidated conditions. Snow stated that “the president certainly has been aware of the conditions in the wards where he has visited, and visited regularly.” Snow also affirmed that the administration was aware of Walter Reed’s conditions “before the articles appeared in the paper.” Watch it:
The Army began repairs on the facilities yesterday, only after the media reports and intense public criticism. Apparently, Bush is fine with U.S. troops living in squalid conditions — as long as no one else knows about it.
(The Progress Report has more on the state of veterans under the Bush administration. Read it and sign up to receive the newsletter HERE.)
LINK
check this out...
Making Martial Law Easier
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article17124.htm
"New York Times Editorial
02/19/07 "New York Times" - -- A disturbing recent phenomenon in Washington is that laws that strike to the heart of American democracy have been passed in the dead of night. So it was with a provision quietly tucked into the enormous defense budget bill at the Bush administration’s behest that makes it easier for a president to override local control of law enforcement and declare martial law.
The provision, signed into law in October, weakens two obscure but important bulwarks of liberty. One is the doctrine that bars military forces, including a federalized National Guard, from engaging in law enforcement. Called posse comitatus, it was enshrined in law after the Civil War to preserve the line between civil government and the military. The other is the Insurrection Act of 1807, which provides the major exemptions to posse comitatus. It essentially limits a president’s use of the military in law enforcement to putting down lawlessness, insurrection and rebellion, where a state is violating federal law or depriving people of constitutional rights.
The newly enacted provisions upset this careful balance. They shift the focus from making sure that federal laws are enforced to restoring public order. Beyond cases of actual insurrection, the president may now use military troops as a domestic police force in response to a natural disaster, a disease outbreak, terrorist attack or to any “other condition.”
Changes of this magnitude should be made only after a thorough public airing. But these new presidential powers were slipped into the law without hearings or public debate. The president made no mention of the changes when he signed the measure, and neither the White House nor Congress consulted in advance with the nation’s governors.
There is a bipartisan bill, introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, and Christopher Bond, Republican of Missouri, and backed unanimously by the nation’s governors, that would repeal the stealthy revisions. Congress should pass it. If changes of this kind are proposed in the future, they must get a full and open debate.
Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company "
Click here to comment on this and other articles
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Information Clearing House has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is Information ClearingHouse endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
House Rules Committee Chair Louise Slaughter writes Pentagon, demanding answers on Walter Reed vets scandal
by John in DC · 2/20/2007 02:51:00 PM ET
Discuss this post here: Comments (40) · digg it · FARK· ·Link
She's the chair of the House Rules Committee. And she's pissed. From Slaughter:
"Supporting our troops begins with giving them a mission that makes sense and that doesn't needlessly jeopardize their lives," the Congresswoman continued. "It ends with an unconditional commitment to men and women who have made sacrifices few of us can fully appreciate. If this Administration is going to order soldiers into battle, then it has no right to stand on the sidelines when they come home. We need a serious evaluation of the care being given to our veterans, and must immediately address holes and gaps in a system that can't afford either."
"Critics of the President's escalation of the war are told that they can't both support the troops and oppose their mission," Rep. Slaughter added. "I think that you can't support the troops if you send them into battle without proper armor, or deny them critical medical care and counseling after they are injured. That is the definition of hypocrisy, and our wounded soldiers are paying the price."
LINK
sheesh!
"executive orders"...
the ironic thing is that all the
moneybaggers are slated for the same thing.
being stripped of control and their loot confinscated via the same thing.
Sunshine said...
check this out...
Making Martial Law Easier
I'm not surprised.
All these bills that have been passed in the last 6 years have to be gone over nad all the things that allow this prez or any future prez this much power needs to be removed.
Went to check Sam's blog again.
My post is still loading :(
ha hoo!
just finished the metal plates i'm making as patches. had to forge em into curved concave sections to lie snug to the frame.
fresh coffee, i love it...
want some T?
maybe a small Mandarin Hazelnut Chocolate Bar? Bgurl gets em in a foilwrapped ball and when she whacks em just right they break into orange segments! coolest stuff...
Just made dinner Jim.
Spinach and rice in a tomato sauce (light) with onion, garlic mint, salt & papper. Have enough for 3 days! and then I made some garlic bread
So I'll pass on the candy but coffe sounds good.
don't know exactly why Sam won't let us help.
i'd take on the risk for what's at stake.
these bloggie communities make a huge difference.
if only to inform and in relieving the tension of not knowing whats going on.
making friends is the essential element that makes it work.
also reveals the need to see that this is all reflected in our own hearts.
the fun part is knowing that it's a two way street and being able to zing a few down the road ourselves...
The Libby trial has gone to jury. Fitz's final argument did point to the VP several times.
Tomorrow the judge will give instructions and off to the jury room they go.
Hope they return with a good verdict....guilty!
I like the way he responds to the blog and wish as you do that he had a blog segment. Even once a week.
But first he's got to get a working blog.
yum!
the mint is a neat trick!
i got to try that on Bgurl and see what she thinks...
i love steamed spinach! always have. mom made it all the time. my lebanese aunt turned her on to it.
i loved my aunt! Gloria was fun and round with a buncha kids. RIP auntie!
ya,
the two way is what builds the show audience and the bloggie.
peeps are developing their courage and their abilities edging into speaking out as individuals.
it's really fun to see what a buncha peeps who've learned how to do that do when they act together.
all of this is going to be needed in the hoods when the shit hits the fan.
Blair to announce Iraq troop withdrawal RAW STORY
Published: Tuesday February 20, 2007
Prime Minister Tony Blair will announce that thousands of British troops are to begin withdrawing from Iraq in weeks, media reported.
According to The Sun daily, Blair will say that the first contingent of 1,500 troops will leave the war-torn country and arrive back in Britain in a matter of weeks, and a further 1,500 will follow by Christmas.
The White House moved quickly to respond to reports of Blair's announcement and released the following statement:
"The president is grateful for the support of the British Forces in the past and into the future. While the United Kingdom is maintaining a robust force in southern Iraq, we're pleased that conditions in Basra have improved sufficiently that they are able to transition more control to the Iraqis. "
"The United States shares the same goal of turning responsibility over to the Iraqi Security Forces and reducing the number of American troops in Iraq."
LINK
Chief Libby trial blogger says she believes prosecutor 'wants Cheney,' 'won't rest on laurels'
Brian Beutler
Published: Tuesday February 20, 2007
This weekend, RAW STORY interviewed Marcy Wheeler, one of the blogosphere’s most tireless observers and analysts of the CIA leak investigation and the I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby Trial.
In the interview, she revealed that she believes that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald will press forward with his investigation, and that his ultimate target is Vice President Dick Cheney: "I’m not entirely convinced that Fitzgerald’s done. I used to be conservative on that, believing that he was done. But there are little snippets of hints that he’s not."
Wheeler is omnipresent in the new media, most notably at the blog Firedoglake, while also appearing on her own blog, The Next Hurrah, and also at Daily Kos and the Huffington Post. Her book on the CIA leak scandal, Anatomy of Deceit, has been released in paperback. Because of a marathon effort parsing public documents, she managed to beat the traditional media to major stories by months.
“We figured out that Armitage was the Novak/Woodward source in March,” Wheeler said in an implicit critique of mainstream coverage of the Plame story, “and we were able to do that because we were able to do things that journalists wouldn’t do.”
Fitzgerald became famous for using organized crime-fighting tactics to root his way through an immensely corrupt government in the state of Illinois, culminating his years-long investigation with over 60 indictments and the conviction of former Republican Governor George Ryan.
LINK
Jim, if you have L@L's email, would you send him the link here. I think he's be happy here without the trolls. And I can control them now!!
Also, I can send you an invite to be a blogger moderator when I'm not here. You can post too!
Intelligence czar calls for objective, politically independent analysis, nearly four years into Iraq war Michael Roston
Published: Tuesday February 20, 2007
Analysis produced by the United States Intelligence Community must be "objective and independent of political considerations." This directive was issued last month by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and signed by John Negroponte, the outgoing Director of National Intelligence, and recently made public.
On Jan. 8, Negroponte signed "Intelligence Community Directive Number 200: Management, Integration, and Oversight of Intelligence Community Analysis. The directive sets up a policy framework for management of national intelligence analysis, and rescinds earlier directives that were employed by the Director of Central Intelligence prior to the establishment of the ODNI. The directive is applicable to the Intelligence Community as formally defined by the National Security Act of 1947, and also to other elements of the government as agreed to by the president.
The directive defines nine elements of policy. The first of these insists that analysis be "objective and independent of political considerations." It also discusses the need for transparency and collaboration between analysts, and calls for accessibility of information.
LINK
New maps show SF Bay drowning
Melting of polar ice due to warming would leave SF neigborhoods under water.
LINK
Sam put up a fresh sheet but it ain't working so far.
2 minutes and counting on my post.
London Mayor Signs Oil Deal With Chavez
Feb 20, 4:27 PM (ET)
By JENNIFER QUINN
LONDON (AP) - London's socialist mayor signed an agreement Tuesday with Venezuela's state-owned oil company to provide discounted oil for the city's iconic red buses, praising the idea as the brainstorm of the country's leftist leader, Hugo Chavez.
Ken Livingstone - a committed socialist known locally as "Red Ken" - met with Chavez last year at City Hall to discuss the deal to provide cheap oil to London in exchange for advice on urban planning in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital.
Venezuela has signed similar agreements with cities in several other countries, including the United States. Critics call it "oil diplomacy" - and say it is designed to embarrass President Bush, whom Chavez has repeatedly mocked.
"This arose out of the suggestion of President Hugo Chavez, and builds on the work he is doing around the world to tackle the problem of poverty," Livingstone said.
The savings - which would cut fuel costs by 20 percent for the city and could amount to about $32 million - are to be directed toward cheaper bus travel for up to 250,000 Londoners living on income support. Those who qualify will get a half-price discount on bus fares.
Under the agreement, city officials in Caracas will receive recommendations from British experts for "the urban reorganization" of the capital, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicholas Maduro said in an interview broadcast on state-run television.
Conservatives on the London city council said in a statement that London shouldn't be doing business with "third-rate South American dictators with an appalling human rights and democratic record."
LINK
Sunshine said...
Sam put up a fresh sheet but it ain't working so far.
2 minutes and counting on my post.
I know. I had already tried. My post never posted.
sure send it to
sofrajones@telus.net
i'll give em a call!
going to the post office!
back in a bit!
New thread up!
go here:
http://abramoffjournal.blogspot.com/2007/02/new-open-thread-for-evening-feb-20th.html
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