Assault on Freedom

The Bill of Rights and the courts are under attack. All restrictions on civil rights imposed by today’s fervent crusaders against ‘’everything & whatever” will likely affect all of us for a long time to come. The current Administration’s irrational fears motivate their reptilian and visceral need and desire to strike out and punish something and someone.

I believe the fact that very few individuals in this administration have actually ever placed or experienced themselves in Harm's Way in service to their country has a great deal to do with their oddly infantile fears. Had they ever done so perhaps they might have a better, mature perspective on reality.

But the very important fact that their ironheaded attacks on rights and freedoms affects all Americans somehow doesn’t compute. We can already see grave erosions of freedoms and liberty in the guise of “Homeland Security” and in favor of their Gods of Mammon & Money.

A great irony is they also claim to be bringing “Freedom and Democracy” to other countries while freely using our country’s massive military might to invade them - under fraudulent pretenses it turns out, to add insult to injury in the fullest meaning of the term. Unfortunately all too many Americans through fear, also buy into their blatant propaganda. All Americans will be held responsible by the world at large unfortunately.

Americans can not afford to ignore the current full court press on individual and civil rights. To do so is to stand in extreme danger of losing precious and hard-won individual freedoms as we slide ever closer to a peculiarly American style of Corporate/Fascist state.

Most national media has capitulated and abandoned the field. It is left up to individuals to stand up for what we believe. We must encourage debate and discussion wherever we can. We must not abandon our FREEDOMS!

“The very purpose of the Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials, and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by courts.”
- Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, 1943

Will the real patriots please stand up?

Have you ever noticed that the current administration has risen to dominance be claiming many things with absolutely no foundations in reality? Have you noticed that their fraud doesn't bother them at all if it helps get them elected?

Neo-Con Republicans Claim:

We are patriotic Americans who support our troops 1000 percent!

Actual Facts: This claim turns out to be quite specious - as do most Neo-Con claims. In fact, Republicans voting along party lines refused to support funding for veterans' health care, including all wounded and disabled veterans from wars long past, to the current crop of maimed young Americans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Less than half way through the current fiscal year, VA medical facilities are running out of money and facing huge deficits. This is partly due to the huge influx of new wounded veterans coming home from Iraq. Veterans funding is up only four tenths of one percent, a small fraction of what is needed even to keep up with inflation, not to mention the new influx;

Consider this:

A. Democratic senators Murray (WA) and Akaka (HI) offered an amendment for a relatively palty emergency $2 billion increase in VA funding, which was then defeated along party line voting. EVERY Democrat in the Senate voted for the amendment; ALL BUT ONE Republican (Arlen Specter) voted AGAINST the increase. This speaks volumes to me;

B. Meanwhile, Senators then APPROVED $27.3 BILLION in pork barrel projects for favored constituenceies;

C. Meanwhile, the current energy bill soon to be signed into law contains MANY of BILLIONS of dollars in tax breaks for oil and energy companies;

D. Most Republicans have never done military service and the percentage of Democrats who have is approximately five times as high. Republican senators include Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, elected over disabled veteran Max Clelland who lost three limbs in combat in Vietnam. Unbelievably, Chambliss won partly by questioning Clelland's patriotism. He went so far as to place Clelland's picture next to pictures of Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden in campaign TV ads.

"I've never seen anything like that ad. Putting pictures of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden next to a picture of a man who left three limbs on the battlefield -- it's worse than disgraceful, it's reprehensible."
- Republican Senator John McCain commenting on the infamous TV ad

To their everlasting shame Georgia voters bought into that fraud and elected Chambliss - whose 'trick knee' kept him out of the military, though not from recreational running.


Neo-Con Republicans Claim:

We are patriotic Americans and anyone who is against us is a traitor!

Actual Facts: This is so specious as to be laughable, if it weren't so damaging to our country.

Consider this:

A. Presidential advisor Karl Rove did not hesitate to commit blatant and outright treason by outing an undercover CIA operative when he felt it would help his devious political ends, thereby damaging the agent, her sources and our national security.

"Some Dare Call it Treason"

News of the Future

With today's advanced communications technologies, it is not too surprising to find web sites capable of reporting news of the future. Here is a report from one such site:

BSN “Fast Forward” News report: May 30, 2010:

NEWS ITEM: President Clinton II said today at ceremonies marking Memorial Day in Washington, DC that even if she could, she would not offer amnesties or pardons for any of the so-called “Gang of Thugs” associated with discredited former president George W. Bush, impeached and now pending trial for war crimes.

Ms. Clinton said, “I will let the chips fall where they may. George W. Bush & Company will receive whatever punishment is decided by the International Court in The Hague, if any. I must say I think it is perhaps most ironic and fitting that Mr. Bush and members of his administrations are currently confined incommunicado in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and being guarded by Iraqi security forces. Of course any reports of their abuse and/or torture at the hands of the Iraqis will be fully investigated in due course, as we are permitted to do so and as we have the time.”;

President Clinton dismissed as ‘a joke’ the widely distributed photograph of former president George W. Bush being led around on all fours on a dog’s leash, and reports that guards have attached electrical wires to his testicles and urinated upon him on a regular daily basis. “I don’t believe he probably has any testicles for one thing, and anyway, who wouldn’t piss on him if they could?” commented Clinton in an unguarded aside;

Ms. Clinton’s husband William “Slick Willie” Clinton now serves as US Ambassador to the UN where he is regarded as “ambassador extraordinnaire” and most female aides wisely stay out of his reach, although many say he is 'kinda cute'. He no longer smokes cigars saying that ‘it has proved very bad for my health, not to mention my career.”

NEWS ITEM: A related item notes that former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein also serves in the UN as the Ambassador from Iraq. After a period of confinement, rehabilitation and reeducation dictated by The Hague Court, the now heavily bearded Saddam is a respected and revered Su’uni Muslim cleric in Baghdad where he sometimes may be seen walking peaceably throughout the city dispensing blessings, smiling and waving to his adoring followers who stuff dinars into his robes. Saddam has recently repurchased four of his former palaces and has ordered several new Rolls Royces for himself and his close staff;

NEWS ITEM: Vice President John McCain is on holiday in Brazil with his 'half Mexican child' from an' unacknowledged former illicit relationship'. "I really just love J-Lo you know." said the former Senator. "and, my wife really doesn't object so long as it's not too public - and she never finds out about it." Mr. McCain switched parties from Republican to Green last year upon Congress’ successful passing of meaningful and draconian campaign reform legislation, which was subsequently signed into law by Ms. Clinton;

Mr. McCain now 74, says that he intends to completely devote the rest of his life and political career to protecting the earth’s resources and environment, supporting reproductive choice and the rights of gays and lesbians. McCain was also recently named to the Boards of Directors of the ACLU and Greenpeace;

NEWS ITEM: Former Vice President Richard Cheney’s body was disinterred last week for an autopsy at his family’s request. The family felt there were suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and did not believe he actually died from a heart attack. Their suspicions were confirmed when the autopsy indicated Mr. Cheney did not actually have a heart, there was no sign of one and he probably never had one. The same results had been found for Donald Rumsfeld, John Ashcroft and Kenneth Starr last year. The National Health Service now strongly suspects this could be an important symptom of the so-called "Inverse Deviation Ideation Obsession Tendency" (IDIOT) Syndrome nearly universally found in "Neo-Conservatives".

The NHS, CIA, FBI and Secret Service are investigating fully and plan to disinter former President Nixon for autopsy soon. Unfortunately Bush 41 is still nominally alive and unfortunately can not yet be autopsied, although X-rays and his history do give strong indications he also suffers from the syndrome. Negotiations are also being held with former President Ronald Reagan's widow Nancy Reagan, now almost 89 years old. However, Ms. Reagan says she wishes to consult with all her astrologers before granting permission for an autopsy on her husband. That may take a while as she can't seem to remember who they are.

The NHS says that if a test and a marker can be found for this condition, perhaps many of the world's problems might be avoiding by the abortion of infected fetuses from the womb before birth, or lifelong incarceration if accidentally or unavoidably allowed to term. Alternatively, anyone showing IDIOT Syndrome symptoms could simply be indefinitely incarcerated as a proactive protective measure.

Mr. Cheney’s remains have been re-interred in their crude oil-filled capsule.

NEWS ITEM: Secretary of State John Kerry is in North Korea this Memorial Day to sign an historic nuclear nonproliferation treaty with leaders of that formerly belligerent country who Mr. Kerry describes as “just a bunch of pussycats”. “It’s all in how you handle pussycats you know. You get lots more cooperation from pussycats with catnip than you do with threats, bombs, sticks or stones.” said Kerry.

NEWS ITEM: Earlier last week Mr. Kerry made history when Iran also signed the treaty. Iran has promised several contingents of Iranian aid workers will be sent to distressed counties in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Iowa, South Carolina, Mississippi and other places throughout America’s “Heartland”.

Many counties in the US were severely impacted after the fundamentalist members of their christian communities entered premature ‘states of rapture’ by committing mass suicide upon the election of Ms. Clinton. Some counties lost well over 90% of their populations, and some almost all of their elected leadership. Oddly, San Francisco County in California was the single county in the US which lost not a single person. Many places in Britain and Canada were also impacted, however the Iranians have yet to offer any help to those countries.

The good news is that there are now lots of abandoned and unused church buildings which might be used for crop storage or stockyard barns with minimal refitting. It will not matter that they are tacky looking, cheaply constructed or unkempt as those conditions may be remedied;

NEWS ITEM: The venerable but feisty Fidel Castro now in his 84th year of age and former leader of the island nation of Cuba announced yesterday he will donate any proceeds from winning the Nobel Peace Prize to the Fund to Aid Republicans' Troubled Survivors (FARTS).

FARTS was established by Ms. Clinton to assist destitute families of the many Republican politicians who shot or otherwise killed themselves upon her election to office. "It was the least I could do." said Ms. Clinton. Should Castro be awarded the prize he will join a a select list of notables which include the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King and former president Jimmy Carter.

NEWS ITEM: A new ferry system called “Boatlift” began running between Key West, Florida and Havana on Friday. Cuba entered a new era of peace, prosperity and cooperation shortly after President Clinton’s lifting of sanctions and restrictions against that nation the day after her inauguration. Americans and Cubans now once again travel freely between the two nations.

Supported by Señor Castro, Cuba’s new democratically elected leader El Presidente Juan Miguel Gonzales (Elian Gonzales’ father), has offered a 40 acre parcel near Guantanamo Bay as a site for a new International War Crimes Detention Center. The center would be known as "WD-40" and guards would be selected from hardened convicts (“Lifers”) from prisons of many nations. There is a strong probability that GW Bush and his thugs could eventually end up at Guantanamo if not executed for their war crimes, although a special cell or compound might need to be constructed for Condelleza Rice. If so, they would be imprisoned indefinitely without trial, access to attorneys, or outside contact. In effect they would immediately become 'non-persons';

NEWS ITEM: Exxon/Mobil/BP/Chevron/Conoco, the newly formed oil conglomerate announced last week that unless they obtained federal subsidies plus proprietary rights, titles and a patents to sunlight, the Moon, and to all US, Canadian and British tidal waters, they would have no option but to declare bankruptcy. The companies were unsuccessful in obtaining those same rights to hemp last year even after practically bankrupting their treasuries in campaign contributions. They have already closed their oil fields in the Middle East, Russia, Venezuela, the North Sea and Alaska’s North Slope. In the words of one company official, ‘The only oil you will see pumped out of the ground from now on will be for museum displays.”

The former oilfield workers have been retraining for jobs in the fast food industry, while management has been largely mobilized into the military as cooks, stewards or barbers. None have elected to retire because the pension funds were found to be not only simply depleted, but actually owing money. The CEO's, CFO's and other high corporate officers will routinely be sent on to Abu Ghraib for processing;

Adding to the oil conglomerate’s woes were studies finding that petroleum fumes can cause impotence and sterility in men of a conservative mindset, particularly those addicted to Hummer vehicles and other large SUV's. Scientists have long been puzzled why Republican men have such low reproductive rates and are seldom regarded as ‘sexy’. In fact, in the earthy words of one Hollywood sex goddess, most are considered as being from “Barf City”. Now, there is indisputable scientific proof to support this biased, informal and admittedly empirical opinion.

The abrupt discontinuance of pumping crude oil followed quickly on the heels of 2008’s discovery of unlimited cheap energy from hemp, from which a year’s supply of energy for a family of four can be obtained from two easily grown window plants, the leaves from which may also double as ‘recreational’ assets if desired.

In an unbelievable and serendipitous chain of events the hemp energy discovery was made by the aging country music singer Willie Nelson, 78 and fellow singer Brittany Spears, 28 while in pot induced or otherwise mind-altered trances. They were awarded the 2009 Nobel Prizes in both Chemistry and Economics for their discovery, and are being considered for prizes in Physics and Peace as well, though they might have to wait until next year for those.

They say they plan to marry in about a month after Brittany gives birth to their 2nd child. Brittany already has several children by various other singers while Willie says he's lost count by now - or just doesn't remember, he can't remember which, or something.

Willie had earlier retired to a monastic compound in Nepal after his 2007 divorce from Christina Aquilera but was lured back to the US by, in Willie's words, "Brittany’s ‘siren song' - and the rest is history - and I don't really care if she's gittin' fat - she's jist a whole hunka big, fat, burnin' love - I think."

After paying off the IRS, Willie and Brittany will donate the balance of the prize proceeds to the group “Farmers of the USA” who lovingly consider Brittany as “da Mama of da Papa”.

NEWS ITEM: The justice department has announced that after five years of re-newed litigation they have finally gotten their conviction of Michael Jackson. Jackson is being transported to Leavenworth prison where it is anticipated that he will become the 'bitch' of "Big Al" Michowski - the 450 pound albino permanent resident, Neo-Nazi and de facto prison ruler there. Big Al has let it be known that Michael 'belongs' to him and that he has a special welcome all planned for Michael. There has been no comment from Jackson, who was forced to leave his nose behind with relatives.

NEWS ITEM: It was confirmed last Wednesday that former Secretary of State Colin Powell has been selected to play the lead role in the latest version of the popular Broadway play "A Raisin In the Sun". "It ist expected zat Colin vill brrring a vealth of personal experrrience to der rrrole." commented the play's director Arnold Schwarzenegger, "It ist neverrr zoo late to enterr derr stage."

NEWS ITEM: On the sports scene, the Boston Red Sox have been entered in the record books after winning their 6th World Series in a row in 2009. If they win again this year as they are widely expected to do, it will make their 11th World Series win in all.

Meet the US Ambassador to Iraq

Would you like to meet the person who is the newly appointed US Ambassador to Iraq?

His name is Zalmay Khalilzad and he is being posted to Baghdad - where largest US Embassy in the world is now being built . . .

Some of Khalilzad’s resume', gained thru a little quick research on his name online follows:

1. Born in Afghanistan - a Pashtun by birth;

2. Supported Islamic militias against the Soviets in Afghanistan - the same ones who destroyed Kabul in the 1980’s & 1990's;

3. Supported Taliban (and Osama Bin Ladin) and advised their accommodation by US; Zalmay Khalilzad oversaw the mobilization, leadership, funding and coordination of, and the media support for, the Islamic fundamentalist terrorists who devastated Afghanistan and Bosnia;

4. Protégé of Zbigniew Brzezinski;

5. Protégé of Dick Cheney ;

6. Protégé, and Assistant Undersecretary of Defense to Undersecretary or DefensePaul Wolfowitz;

7. Advisor to Donald Rumsfeld;

8. Advisor to Unocal Corporation - 9th largest oil company on the planet; (This fact is conveniently omitted on the official US State Department biography on Khalilzad: Source: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/26933.htm)

9. Worked as consultant for Cambridge Energy Research Associates;
(Consultants to the oil, natural gas and electric power industries)

10. Charter member of “PNAC” (“Progress for New American Century” - check it out for yourself) and only non-native born American original member;

11. Consultant for Rand Corp. - neo-conservative ‘think tank”

12. Signed letter urging President Clinton to ‘bring down Saddam Hussein” in 1998;

13. Former Ambassador to Afghanistan (During Khalilzad's tenure in Afghanistan, opium and heroin production skyrocketed. [In December 2004, a secret U.S. military report stated that opium production would continue to increase, strengthening the power of warlords.])

And, there you have the gist of this man! I guess President Bush, et al thinks Americans are all asleep. Perhaps too many of us are.

"MORPHING"

New words are added to Webster's and the Oxford Dictionary every year. Usually the words are already in common public usage. Here's a selection coming up:

New word - "MORPHING"

Definition: A vernacular term derived from the word ‘metamorphosing’ and now used to denote anything that changes completely from one thing to another. Sometimes there can be several complete changes.

Examples:

From: “The reason we are invading Iraq is because they are stocking thousands of Weapons of Mass Destruction";

To: “The reason we have invaded Iraq is to remove a brutal and despotic dictator from power";

To: “The reason we invaded Iraq is to fight a War on Terror”

To: “The reason we have invaded Iraq is to bring Freedom and democracy to that country":


And,

From: “Mission Accomplished!”

To: “Our mission in Iraq may require years of sacrifice” (left unspoken was "sacrifice by others, not me")


And,

From: “I will fire anyone who leaked information about a CIA agent”

To: “I will fire anyone in the White House who committed a crime”

(All above statements made by US President George W. Bush from 2003 until mid-2005)

The Most Insidious of Traitors . . .

Some quotes of note:

“I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious of traitors.
- George H.W. Bush, the current President’s father in 1999

“The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein has recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.”
- President George W. Bush, January 28, 2003

“I have little choice but to conclude that some of the intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat. . .America's foreign policy depends on the sanctity of its information. For this reason, questioning the selective use of intelligence to justify the war in Iraq is neither idle sniping nor "revisionist history," as Mr. Bush has suggested”
-Joseph Wilson, former ambassador, July 6, 2003

“That's where Joe Wilson came in. His first public notice had come in 1991 after 15 years as a Foreign Service officer when, as U.S. charge in Baghdad, he risked his life to shelter in the embassy some 800 Americans from Saddam Hussein's wrath. My partner Rowland Evans reported from the Iraqi capital in our column that Wilson showed "the stuff of heroism." President George H.W. Bush the next year named him ambassador to Gabon. . .”
- Robert Novak, July 14, 2003

“Wilson never worked for the CIA, but his wife, Valerie Plame, is an Agency operative on weapons of mass destruction. Two senior administration officials told me Wilson's wife suggested sending him to Niger to investigate the Italian report.”
- Robert Novak, July 14, 2003

“Not only do you put her at risk, or any undercover agent at risk, by letting it be known that they are an agent, but you also put the sources they have worked with over the years at considerable risk.”
- Colin Powell, 9/30/03

"I've gone to each of those gentlemen, and they have told me they are not involved in this"
- White House spokesman Scott McClelland, Fall, 2003 referring to Karl Rove & “Scooter” Libby and their role in the Valerie Plame affair

“Karl Rove had no involvement in the leak of Plame’s identity and whoever did leak the information should and would be fired.”
- President George W. Bush (Twice!)

“The idea that Karl Rove or anyone in the White House would leak the indentity of a CIA operative to the media is ridiculous!”
- White House spokesperson Scott McClelland, 2003

“ I have checked directly with Rove, Libby and National Security Council official Elliot Abrams, and none were involved in the leak.”
- White House spokesperson Scott McClelland, 2003

“Libby and Rove were among the unidentified government officials who provided information for the Time story, there may have been other officials who were sources.”
- New York Times reporter Matthew Cooper

"Was it through my conversation with Rove that I learned for the first time that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA and may have been responsible for sending him? Yes. Did Rove say that she worked at the `agency' on `WMD'? Yes.”
- New York Times reporter Matthew Cooper

“I’ve already said too much.”
- Karl Rove to reporter Matthew Cooper

“I didn't dig it out, it was given to me. They thought it was significant, they gave me the name and I used it."
- Columnist Robert Novak, Fall of 2003

“Democrat partisans are engaged in a smear campaign . . .”
- Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman

"The Supreme Court has limited press freedom in ways that will have a chilling effect on our work and that may damage the free flow of information that is so necessary in a democratic society,"
- New York Times editor Pearlstine

Heavies & Hummers

"Hummer" vehicle drivers really make you want to hug and kiss all your Neo-Con friends big time, don't they? Many Hummer vehicle owners are able to take advantage of a tax bonanza which allows them to write off most if not all of the costs of their gas guzzling rides.

Tax advantages have been codified into law which permit this. Many Americans have taken advantage of this appallingly obscene and stupid tax advantage. There were some attempts for getting rid of the credit in 2004, but that was not to be. Fortunately for greed, Oklahoma Republican Don Nickles stepped in and proposed that ALL vehicles used for 'business' qualify equally for the investment credit tax break - not just those over 6000# GVW. That was not to be however, and this Republican administration used the 'reform' excuse to settle on RAISING the total available tax break from $25,000 per vehicle to $100,000 PER VEHICLE over 6000# GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)! - and it was subsequently signed into law by our own brave "War President". The bean counters say this will cost the treasury over 17 billion dollars in ten years. I'd be really surprised if it weren't lot's more.

Our brave President wants you to know he is very concerned about the looming energy shortages in our country. He is so concerned about that in fact, that he would really like to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) oil exploration & drilling. And, his coporate contributor friends in the energy business would really, really like that too!

The tax boys are all busy telling their clients the advantages of owning one of these fuel guzzling heavyweight vehicles over owning a 'luxury car'. Here's some typical hype:

"Regardless of how much is spent on luxury cars--anything under 6,000 pounds, that is--the depreciation allowance is capped at $3,060 the first year and dwindles to $1,775 from the fourth year onward. "You'll probably trade in that vehicle before you've recovered its cost in depreciation," says Bob Trinz, editor of RIA's Federal Tax Weekly Alert newsletter.

Now look at what can be written off if you buy a $45,000 SUV over 6,000 pounds. Up to $20,000 of the initial cost can be written off in the first year as a business equipment expense. Then another $5,000, or 20% of the balance, can be written off as depreciation. The next year, 32% of the balance can be depreciated. At the end of five years, the entire cost will have been written off."

The only thing you can know for sure is that almost any owner of one of these (without a really good valid business reason like contracting or something) is merely an ego-centric, self-centered, greedy Son of a Bitch (or Bitch as the case may be). The sad part is that there are so many Americans who now fit that bill. Unfortunately, greed seems to be a very powerful motivating force in our country - and any sort of personal responsibility comes in last it seems.

Hummer vehicles aren't the only ones to qualify though, the following other vehicles also make the 6000# gross vehicle weight qualifying floor. (You've probably wondered why you see so many big crew cab 4WD pick-up truck rigs head into the downtown parking garages every morning!):

BMW X5, Ford F150 Styleside 4WD, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Ford F250 Super Duty Super Cab, Chevrolet Astro Passenger Van AWD, Ford F350 Super Duty DRW Super Cab, Chevrolet Avalanche 2500, GMC Safari AWD Passenger Van, Chevrolet Express Passenger Van 3500, GMC Savana Passenger Van 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 350 & Sierra Denali, Chevrolet Suburban 2500, GMC Yukon XL, Chevrolet Tahoe, Hummer H1 & H2, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Land Rover Discovery, Dodge Durango, Land Rover, Range Rover, Dodge Ram Cargo Van 3500, Lincoln Navigator. Dodge Ram MaxiVan 3500, Lincoln Blackwood, Dodge Ram Wagon, Mercedes M Class 320 and 500, Dodge Ram 1500, Mercedes ML55 AMG, Dodge Ram 2500 & 3500 two-door, Porsche Cayenne, S and Turbo, Ford Econoline E350 Van, Toyota Land Cruiser, Ford Econoline E350 Passenger Wagon, Toyota Sequoia 4WD, Ford Econoline E-150, E-250 and E-350, Toyota Tundra 4WD Access Cab, Ford Excursion, Volkswagen Touareg, Ford Expedition, Volvo XC90 (optional third row seating)

In my own small town, for example, one small auto dealer has, count 'em, TWO Hummer rigs - a yellow one and a shit brown one - and is writing both off I'm sure! There are a couple more around as well, with their owners driving around with their noses up in the air at an angle of at minimum 45 degrees. . . but, how many of the other kinds are out running around and they just don't stand out so much - yet they are still costing us billions in terms of energy wastage, environmental damage, and money removed directly from the Treasury?

Treason in High Offices

At least one senior official in President Bush’s administration has committed treachery and a probable feloniously criminal act. This person placed partisan interests far above national interests by leaking the identity of an undercover CIA operative.

That act compromised our nation’s security in time of war, endangered ongoing security operations - on WMD’s no less - and put the agent’s own life in peril along with other’s as well as damaged the credibility of our nation’s security apparatus and our leaders. This act is beneath contempt and is treason in the first degree. This betrayer of trust appears to be none other than Presidential advisor Karl Rove. Mr. Rove has proven beyond any doubt that his sick, partisan dogma trumps our nation’s security interests in his opinion.

In a speech on April 26, 1999 President Bush said, "Even though I'm a tranquil guy now at this stage of my life, I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious of traitors."

For once I am in total agreement with this President. It is time for our national leaders to demand that this person be removed from any position of trust or influence and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Liars & Miscreants

President Bush, when he was hustling votes in the 2000 election made a great big deal about 'restoring honesty and dignity to the White House'.

In actuality, "honesty and dignity" went out the window the day Sparky De Fraud took office. And, Bush conveniently left out any claims about his administration 'obeying the law' - perhaps for good reasons.

For example, Federal law under the "Intelligence Identities Protection Act" expressly prohibits the intentional disclosure of 'any information identifying' a covert agent."

But President "Advisor" Karl Rove did exactly that in one of the 'political dirty tricks' he is famous for. Karl got peeved at former ambassador Patrick Wilson because he basically called the Bush Administration a bunch of liars about Saddam's (invented) search for yellowcake uranium. So Karl "outed' Wilson's undercover CIA agent wife to punish him - in direct violation of the law. Karl Rove had no compunction that this outing might cost lives and do harm to our country's intelligence gathering abilities - NONE WHATSOEVER! He was concerned with only one thing - dirty politics and punishing his perceived political enemy, Wilson, for having told the truth. A man incidentally, who was hailed as an "American Hero" by Bush #1 for his actions during the first Gulf War.

And Karl flat out denied he was the source, several times over. White House Press Secretary Scott McClelland flat out denied it. Bush #2 himself flat out denied it. Now, that Karl has been forced to admit it, does that make this lot a bunch of liars? You can bet your sweet bippy it does! It makes them all dishonest, liars and beneath contempt. It also happens to make Karl Rove an outright felonious criminal.


What a bunch of whores these people are!

I wonder what this administration will do about that? I wonder what their Neo-Con supporters will do? I see them already circling wagons trying to justify this clearly illegal act.

I wonder if the hypnotized American public will demand something will be done? I guess we shall see.

"An nescis, mi fili, quantilla sapientia mundus regatur?"

Administration Revenge

It happens all the time. Someone blows the whistle on wrongdoing. Then they get smeared and punished by the wrongdoer. This time it involves senior members of the Bush Administration. (Surprise, surprise!).

The facts as reported:

Joseph C. Wilson IV, a former United States ambassador with over 22 years experience, much of it with the CIA, was sent to Niger to investigate claims of Iraq buying Yellowcake uranium from there. He concluded the claims were false and so reported back to the CIA.

However, the administration apparently wanted to use the uranium purchase claim to justify the campaign against Iraq. They leaked information which was reported in the Washington Post by Walter Pincus that a ‘former ambassador’ had investigated and found the uranium claim to be true - which was patently false. Later, President George W. Bush used the claim to help justify the invasion of Iraq in his now infamous “16 words” in his January 2003 State of the Union Address.

An outraged Wilson went public charging there was a major ongoing coverup by the Bush Administration over Iraq:

"the real victims of the cover-up are the Congress, the constitution and, most tragically, the Americans and Iraqis who have paid the ultimate price for Bush's folly".

Then someone in the Bush Administration, widely believed to be Karl Rove, went on the attack against Wilson. Information was leaked to a cooperative ally in the press, columnist Robert Novak, who revealed the confidential information and ‘outed’ Wilson’s wife Valerie Plame by name. Ms. Plame for many years had been a covert undercover CIA operative, ironically investigating Iraq’s “Weapons of Mass Destruction”. This leak was very damaging and costly to Ms. Plame, the operatives she worked with and national security.

The outing and attack is being viewed as punishment against Wilson.

Of course, senior administration officials have denied leaking the information as that is in direct violation of Federal law. Karl Rove has explicitly denied any role in the leak.

A New York Times reporter, Judith Miller - a frequent administration critic - has now gone to jail for refusing to reveal her sources in the White House who leaked the story about Valerie Plame. She could be incarcerated until at least October. She definitely is one courageous woman. Tragically, the New York Times, Miller’s employer has caved in to the administration’s bullying and provided confidential material on sources, which can have no other effect than chilling potential whistle blowers - which apparently is exactly what this administration wants.

The prosecutor in Judith Miller’s case, US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is quoted as saying:

"we can't have 50,000 journalists each making their own decision about whether to reveal sources.” "We cannot tolerate that.” “We are trying to get to the bottom of whether a crime was committed and by whom."

Significantly, there is no known judicial or legal action concerning columnist Robert Novak- an administration friend - who actually did the outing of Ms. Plame. Could there be double standards in play here?

Nah, not this administration!

Foregone Conclusions

Any thoughtful, halfway intelligent child could have predicted the consequences of the Neo-Con's ill-fated (mark that word) so-called "War on Terror" which has now morphed into the "War to Bring Freedom and Democracy to the Middle East".

If the Bush Administration had really been interested in defeating terrorists, they would have completed the job in Afghanistan and defeated Bin Ladin. Instead, Neo-Cons diverted our efforts and stampeded our country into an illegal and unnecessary war in Iraq - and the Al Qaeda have only gotten stronger, more organized, and more effectively deadly as a result. We are all now in more danger as recent events in London, and Madrid earlier amply demonstrate.


Their patsy, George W. Bush, Jr. might take the heat, but all Americans and the entire western world are paying the price:

Meanderings

Lynne Cheney. Dirty Dick’s old lady, formed a group called the “Committee to Protect American Civilization”. Said group is publishing 100 examples of “unpatriotic” claims by professors in the US. Seems like there have been other groups with similar aims - let’s see now - oh yes! The Nazis!

I mistakenly figured Lynne Cheney might also be behind “The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice”, but that turned out to be the Taliban in Afghanistan.

“Adios, Mofo”
- Texas governor Rick Perry saying goodbye to an interviewer

President Bush has lectured everyone that “disassemble” really means not to tell the truth. Hang what all the dictionaries say - he’s the President!

Our ever-so-brave Secretary of Defense Mr. Donald Rumsfeld says things in Iraq are just as bad now as when Saddam Hussein was in power, if not worse - as if no one has noticed.

Rumsfeld is the guy you will remember, who wants the military to be “lean and mean” and has never once hesitated to send someone else’s children off to war. He claims though that in Iraq "a lot of bad things that could have happened have not happened." ????

“ When I was first searched at airport security, I actually felt relieved they were surveilling the less obvious suspects, larger, older white gals like myself. After my fourth random wanding (not in the Harry Potter sense) from a lovely woman at O'Hare, I learned a new meaning of heightened state of alert.”
- Kate Clinton in “The Progressive”

Where Oh Where Does The Money Go?

Do you ever wonder about where all those tax dollars go to? Maybe this chart from "National Priorities Project, Inc." will help explain things.

Sure would be nice to have more of that 'guns 'n bombs' go to help people instead of killing them wouldn't it?