The Bush Team was afraid it would cause a backlash with Pakistan? Eight years later and we're still paying heavily for the misdeeds of those chickenhawk cowards!WASHINGTON – Osama bin Laden was unquestionably within reach of U.S. troops in the mountains of Tora Bora when American military leaders made the crucial and costly decision not to pursue the terrorist leader with massive force, a Senate report says.
The report asserts that the failure to kill or capture bin Laden at his most vulnerable in December 2001 has had lasting consequences beyond the fate of one man.
...At the time, Rumsfeld expressed concern that a large U.S. troop presence might fuel a backlash and he and some others said the evidence was not conclusive about bin Laden's location.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Why we're still there
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Another Saturday Evening Post
Only eight more years?
U.S. Will Be Out Of Afghanistan By 2017
'The U.S. will not be in Afghanistan eight years from now, the White House said on Wednesday, as President Barack Obama prepared to explain to Americans next week why he is expanding the war effort.'
What a disaster. The odds were never good that Barack Obama would make the right decision. But the very fact that Obama has to make a decision at all on Afghanistan eight years after we went there is the real crime.
So did Bush and Cheney
Blair knew Iraq had no WMD before war
The former Prime Minister was told 10 days before the March 20, 2003 invasion that the dictator did not have usable chemical weapons or the warheads to launch WMD missiles, the Iraq inquiry was told. ...The inquiry heard that Saddam was not even close to developing WMD with much intelligence "patchy, sporadic" and "simply wrong".
Weapons of mass destruction had nothing to do with the invasion of Iraq. Even the good liars can't say that with a straight face anymore. Three trillion dollars wasted, 4,684 needless deaths, 31,557 wounded and shamelessly ignored the Taliban and al-Qaeda all the while, the wingnut sheep said nothing.
She didn't care either
LONDON — Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice raised the issue of Iraq with the U.K. hours after the Sept. 11 attacks, Britain's former ambassador told an inquiry into the Iraq war Thursday. Christopher Meyer, who served as then-Prime Minister Tony Blair's envoy to Washington between 1997 and 2003, said he spoke with Rice on Sept. 11, 2001. "She said there's no doubt this was an Al-Qaida operation, we are just looking to see if there could possibly be any connection with Saddam Hussein," he told the panel.
Condi knew that day how badly she had screwed up.
Give or take 7,684 deaths
‘We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bush’s term.’
Right Dana. Bush may as well use 9/12/01 as his first day in office considering how little his administration did before that.
That's a joke, right?
Blackwater lawyers accuse Justice Dept. of ‘disturbing’ misconduct
The prosecution of five Blackwater employees over the notorious 2007 Nisoor Square massacre hit a snag Wednesday, when lawyers for one of the five accused federal prosecutors of "misconduct" in the case.
Blackwater complaining about 'disturbing' conduct?
He said he'd do that
Lobbyists pushed off advisory panels
Hundreds, if not thousands, of lobbyists are likely to be ejected from federal advisory panels as part of a little-noticed initiative by the Obama administration to curb K Street's influence in Washington, according to White House officials and lobbying experts.
No Gipper?
GOP purity test would have banished Reagan
...'A new GOP "purity test" named for Ronald Reagan moves the line even farther to the right, and a liberal website has found that the test -- if used in the past -- would have screened out President Ronald Reagan and President George W. Bush as viable conservatives. The test was conceived by conservative attorney Jim Bopp... Bopp's litmus test, titled the "Resolution on Reagan's Unity Principle for Support of Candidates," includes the following guidelines: (1) Smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits ...STOP!
Wingnuts are conveniently delusional when it comes to Ronald Reagan's 'real' record; he grew government, he tripled the national debt and had eight huge consecutive budget deficits. Jimmy Bopp needs to rename his club.
What a fucking ego
Bloomberg Spent $102 Million to Win 3rd Term
'To eke out a narrow re-election victory over the city’s understated comptroller, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg spent $102 million of his own money, or about $183 per vote, according to data released on Friday, making his bid for a third term the most expensive campaign in municipal history. Mr. Bloomberg, the wealthiest man in New York City, shattered his own previous records: he poured $85 million into his campaign in 2005, and $74 million on his first bid for office in 2001.'
We did stay at a Holiday Inn...
Michaele and Tareq Salahi during the White House state dinner
Only eight more years?U.S. Will Be Out Of Afghanistan By 2017
'The U.S. will not be in Afghanistan eight years from now, the White House said on Wednesday, as President Barack Obama prepared to explain to Americans next week why he is expanding the war effort.'
What a disaster. The odds were never good that Barack Obama would make the right decision. But the very fact that Obama has to make a decision at all on Afghanistan eight years after we went there is the real crime.So did Bush and Cheney
Blair knew Iraq had no WMD before war
The former Prime Minister was told 10 days before the March 20, 2003 invasion that the dictator did not have usable chemical weapons or the warheads to launch WMD missiles, the Iraq inquiry was told. ...The inquiry heard that Saddam was not even close to developing WMD with much intelligence "patchy, sporadic" and "simply wrong".
Weapons of mass destruction had nothing to do with the invasion of Iraq. Even the good liars can't say that with a straight face anymore. Three trillion dollars wasted, 4,684 needless deaths, 31,557 wounded and shamelessly ignored the Taliban and al-Qaeda all the while, the wingnut sheep said nothing.
She didn't care either
LONDON — Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice raised the issue of Iraq with the U.K. hours after the Sept. 11 attacks, Britain's former ambassador told an inquiry into the Iraq war Thursday. Christopher Meyer, who served as then-Prime Minister Tony Blair's envoy to Washington between 1997 and 2003, said he spoke with Rice on Sept. 11, 2001. "She said there's no doubt this was an Al-Qaida operation, we are just looking to see if there could possibly be any connection with Saddam Hussein," he told the panel.Condi knew that day how badly she had screwed up.
Give or take 7,684 deaths
‘We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bush’s term.’
Right Dana. Bush may as well use 9/12/01 as his first day in office considering how little his administration did before that.
That's a joke, right?
Blackwater lawyers accuse Justice Dept. of ‘disturbing’ misconduct
The prosecution of five Blackwater employees over the notorious 2007 Nisoor Square massacre hit a snag Wednesday, when lawyers for one of the five accused federal prosecutors of "misconduct" in the case.
Blackwater complaining about 'disturbing' conduct?
He said he'd do that
Lobbyists pushed off advisory panels
Hundreds, if not thousands, of lobbyists are likely to be ejected from federal advisory panels as part of a little-noticed initiative by the Obama administration to curb K Street's influence in Washington, according to White House officials and lobbying experts.
No Gipper?
GOP purity test would have banished Reagan
...'A new GOP "purity test" named for Ronald Reagan moves the line even farther to the right, and a liberal website has found that the test -- if used in the past -- would have screened out President Ronald Reagan and President George W. Bush as viable conservatives. The test was conceived by conservative attorney Jim Bopp... Bopp's litmus test, titled the "Resolution on Reagan's Unity Principle for Support of Candidates," includes the following guidelines: (1) Smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits ...STOP!Wingnuts are conveniently delusional when it comes to Ronald Reagan's 'real' record; he grew government, he tripled the national debt and had eight huge consecutive budget deficits. Jimmy Bopp needs to rename his club.
What a fucking ego
Bloomberg Spent $102 Million to Win 3rd Term
'To eke out a narrow re-election victory over the city’s understated comptroller, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg spent $102 million of his own money, or about $183 per vote, according to data released on Friday, making his bid for a third term the most expensive campaign in municipal history. Mr. Bloomberg, the wealthiest man in New York City, shattered his own previous records: he poured $85 million into his campaign in 2005, and $74 million on his first bid for office in 2001.'
We did stay at a Holiday Inn...
Michaele and Tareq Salahi during the White House state dinner
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Why do they lie so much?
I hate winter. I hate the gray days, the bare trees and the cold. But another thing I really hate about winter is that the radio station I normally listen to both going and coming back from work each day, AM 1310, doesn't come in at all during the 'night time' hours of winter.
I usually listen to Bill Press in the morning and Ed Schultz in the afternoon commute. But when daylight savings time ends and it gets dark at 5 PM and is fairly dark during the ride in, I'm relegated to listening to Bill Bennett on WAAM 1600 in the morning and Sean Hannity on Detroit's 50,000-watt blowtorch, WJR 760 AM, in the late afternoon.
Two days in a row now, Sean Hannity has flat-out lied to his listeners. Yesterday he said Ronald Reagan started his first term with a 'worse recession than Barack Obama' and that the unemployment rate 'was double-digits when he took office'. Today Hannity said that 'defense spending is the only spending Barack Obama has cut'.
Now, all three of you know what's coming, don't you? You've read this blog enough to know that the proof, along with the documentation of that 'proof', is surely coming. Those are the simple facts -- and you know it.
For starters, unemployment was 7.5% in January 1981 when Reagan began his first term. You can follow that link below to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and pop in the year '1981' and that graph below is your result.
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
1981 7.5 7.4 7.4 7.2 7.5 7.5 7.2 7.4 7.6 7.9 8.3 8.5
As you can see, Hannity is lying when he says Reagan began his term with double-digit unemployment. It was 7.5% and in fact, it went down to 7.2% in July 1981 and then sky-rocketed to 9.8% by July 1982 (pop in '1982') and then was double-digit from September 1982 until June 1983 -- a full 2 1/2 years after Reagan took office.
And by the way, there wasn't a recession in January 1981 when Reagan took office either. There was a very small recession that ended six months before he took office and then a very large and serious one known as the 'Reagan Recession' that he helped create six month into office, that lasted from July 1981 until November 1982.
Did you notice how unemployment was double-digits for eight months (11/82-6/83) after the Reagan Recession? That, unemployment being a lagging indicator, is what we are experiencing now coming out of the Great 2007-2009 Bush Recession.
And what was Hannity's other lie? Oh yeah, 'Barack Obama has cut only defense spending'. That's not true. Obama's first budget was the 2010 budget and he increased military spending by 4%.
They don't have an argument if they tell the truth.
I hate winter. I hate the gray days, the bare trees and the cold. But another thing I really hate about winter is that the radio station I normally listen to both going and coming back from work each day, AM 1310, doesn't come in at all during the 'night time' hours of winter.
I usually listen to Bill Press in the morning and Ed Schultz in the afternoon commute. But when daylight savings time ends and it gets dark at 5 PM and is fairly dark during the ride in, I'm relegated to listening to Bill Bennett on WAAM 1600 in the morning and Sean Hannity on Detroit's 50,000-watt blowtorch, WJR 760 AM, in the late afternoon.
Two days in a row now, Sean Hannity has flat-out lied to his listeners. Yesterday he said Ronald Reagan started his first term with a 'worse recession than Barack Obama' and that the unemployment rate 'was double-digits when he took office'. Today Hannity said that 'defense spending is the only spending Barack Obama has cut'.
Now, all three of you know what's coming, don't you? You've read this blog enough to know that the proof, along with the documentation of that 'proof', is surely coming. Those are the simple facts -- and you know it.
For starters, unemployment was 7.5% in January 1981 when Reagan began his first term. You can follow that link below to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and pop in the year '1981' and that graph below is your result.
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
1981 7.5 7.4 7.4 7.2 7.5 7.5 7.2 7.4 7.6 7.9 8.3 8.5
As you can see, Hannity is lying when he says Reagan began his term with double-digit unemployment. It was 7.5% and in fact, it went down to 7.2% in July 1981 and then sky-rocketed to 9.8% by July 1982 (pop in '1982') and then was double-digit from September 1982 until June 1983 -- a full 2 1/2 years after Reagan took office.
And by the way, there wasn't a recession in January 1981 when Reagan took office either. There was a very small recession that ended six months before he took office and then a very large and serious one known as the 'Reagan Recession' that he helped create six month into office, that lasted from July 1981 until November 1982.
Did you notice how unemployment was double-digits for eight months (11/82-6/83) after the Reagan Recession? That, unemployment being a lagging indicator, is what we are experiencing now coming out of the Great 2007-2009 Bush Recession.
And what was Hannity's other lie? Oh yeah, 'Barack Obama has cut only defense spending'. That's not true. Obama's first budget was the 2010 budget and he increased military spending by 4%.
They don't have an argument if they tell the truth.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Brit Hume is a Lying Idiot!
That blathering turtle-talking fool said on Fox News Sunday yesterday that it showed Russia 'capitulation' when Obama changed our missile defense shield policy in Europe.
That change in policy came from the unanimous recommendation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. Should Obama have listened to Fox News and Limbaugh or those guys?
It strengthens our missile defense, assholes. Try reading the facts from the experts instead of stupidly regurgitating the bullshit you get from Fox News.
That blathering turtle-talking fool said on Fox News Sunday yesterday that it showed Russia 'capitulation' when Obama changed our missile defense shield policy in Europe.That change in policy came from the unanimous recommendation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. Should Obama have listened to Fox News and Limbaugh or those guys?
It strengthens our missile defense, assholes. Try reading the facts from the experts instead of stupidly regurgitating the bullshit you get from Fox News.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday Scroll 101
John F. Kennedy Assassinated
November 22, 1963
President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, riding in a motorcade with Texas Governor John Connally and wife Nellie, shortly before Kennedy's assassination.
'The final shot took place when the Presidential limousine was passing in front of the John Neely Bryan north pergola concrete structure. As the shot was heard, a fist-size hole exploded out from the right side of President Kennedy's head, covering the interior of the car and a nearby motorcycle officer with blood and brain tissue. Then Mrs. Kennedy said, "I have his brains in my hand."
I was in the 5th grade. It was early afternoon and the announcement came over the classroom intercom that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas. One of my closest childhood buddies, 'Greg G', stood up in the back of the classroom and let out a big, hoorah! -- His parents were big Nixon supporters. I remember Mrs. Cook dragging Greg by his ear out of the classroom. I still laugh my ass off every time I think of it. I also remember getting home from school that day and witnessing one of a very few times that I've seen my mother openly cry. It's a day that's deeply burnt into my memory.
What a farce and a waste
Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle
WASHINGTON — Invoking the memory of Edward M. Kennedy, Democrats united Saturday night to push historic health care legislation past a key Senate hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. There was not a vote to spare. ...All 58 Senate Democrats and two independents voted to advance the bill. All 39 votes in opposition were cast by Republicans. GOP Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio was the only senator not to vote.
A watered-down, worthless attempt at insurance reform.
My Lai Exposed - 40 Years Ago
'Forty years ago today, [Friday 11/20] black-and-white photographs of slaughtered women, children and old men in a Vietnamese village shocked the world -- or that portion of the world willing to believe American soldiers could gun down unarmed peasants and leave them to die in streets and ditches. The Plain Dealer, in an international exclusive, was the first news outlet to publish the images of what infamously became known as the My Lai massacre, which had taken place on March 16, 1968. "A clump of bodies," read the description on the front page of The Plain Dealer's Nov. 20, 1969, edition.'
Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime. - - - Ernest Hemingway
UGA VII
Heart attack strikes beloved mascot
Less than 18 months since his coronation as mascot of the Georgia football team, Loran's Best - also known as Uga VII - died suddenly Thursday morning, leaving the Bulldog Nation in a collective state of shock. "I was very shocked and saddened to hear about Uga VII," Georgia head football coach Mark Richt said. ...The 4-year-old English Bulldog was in his second season as mascot and is the first to pass away during a season. He also had the youngest lifespan of any previous Uga.
Dumb without Dumber?
'Joe the Plumber' not for Palin
In a wide-ranging interview with E&P, Wurzelbacher also shared his thoughts on Sarah Palin (he hopes she doesn't run for president in 2012), Palin's references to him in her new book, and the charge that he has capitalized off the publicity that has come with being Joe the Plumber.
Wingnuts can't count either
TPM's Eric Kleefeld points out that, given the 53% to 46% divide between Obama and Sen. John McCain in the 2008 race, "in order to believe that Obama wasn't the true winner of the 2008 election, one would have to think that ACORN (and perhaps other groups) stuffed ballots to the tune of over 9.5 million votes."
It's estimated ACORN registered anywhere between 450,000 and 1.3 million 'voters'. Obama kicked McCain's ass by 9.5 million votes. Let the whiners whine.
He's the President, asshole!
Car Dealership Billboard Links Obama With Jihadists
"WAKE UP AMERICA! REMEMBER FT. HOOD!" appear on the bottom. The ad belongs to the Wolf Automotive car dealership and is visible from Interstate 70. Dealership owner Phil Wolf said putting the sign up was an act of patriotism. "I'm just passionate about America," said Wolf, a member of the "birther" movement, which questions Mr. Obama's birth place. "I'm asking a question," he added. "What is he? I don't think he's an American, so what is he?"
Is there a God?
McCain Could Lose Primary in Arizona
Rasmussen Reports finds Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) clinging to a two-point lead over a possible challenger, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.). Chris Simcox, the leader of the anti-illegal immigration Minuteman Project who’s already in the race, scores 4 percent. All of this puts McCain, who has never been seriously challenged since he came to the Senate in 1986, below the 50 percent mark with Republicans.
Now that would be a situation worth giving thanks for.
Today 46 years ago
John Fitzgerald Kennedy - November 22, 1963
John F. Kennedy Assassinated
November 22, 1963
President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, riding in a motorcade with Texas Governor John Connally and wife Nellie, shortly before Kennedy's assassination.'The final shot took place when the Presidential limousine was passing in front of the John Neely Bryan north pergola concrete structure. As the shot was heard, a fist-size hole exploded out from the right side of President Kennedy's head, covering the interior of the car and a nearby motorcycle officer with blood and brain tissue. Then Mrs. Kennedy said, "I have his brains in my hand."
I was in the 5th grade. It was early afternoon and the announcement came over the classroom intercom that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas. One of my closest childhood buddies, 'Greg G', stood up in the back of the classroom and let out a big, hoorah! -- His parents were big Nixon supporters. I remember Mrs. Cook dragging Greg by his ear out of the classroom. I still laugh my ass off every time I think of it. I also remember getting home from school that day and witnessing one of a very few times that I've seen my mother openly cry. It's a day that's deeply burnt into my memory.
What a farce and a waste
Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle
WASHINGTON — Invoking the memory of Edward M. Kennedy, Democrats united Saturday night to push historic health care legislation past a key Senate hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. There was not a vote to spare. ...All 58 Senate Democrats and two independents voted to advance the bill. All 39 votes in opposition were cast by Republicans. GOP Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio was the only senator not to vote.
A watered-down, worthless attempt at insurance reform.
My Lai Exposed - 40 Years Ago
'Forty years ago today, [Friday 11/20] black-and-white photographs of slaughtered women, children and old men in a Vietnamese village shocked the world -- or that portion of the world willing to believe American soldiers could gun down unarmed peasants and leave them to die in streets and ditches. The Plain Dealer, in an international exclusive, was the first news outlet to publish the images of what infamously became known as the My Lai massacre, which had taken place on March 16, 1968. "A clump of bodies," read the description on the front page of The Plain Dealer's Nov. 20, 1969, edition.'Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime. - - - Ernest Hemingway
UGA VII
Heart attack strikes beloved mascot
Less than 18 months since his coronation as mascot of the Georgia football team, Loran's Best - also known as Uga VII - died suddenly Thursday morning, leaving the Bulldog Nation in a collective state of shock. "I was very shocked and saddened to hear about Uga VII," Georgia head football coach Mark Richt said. ...The 4-year-old English Bulldog was in his second season as mascot and is the first to pass away during a season. He also had the youngest lifespan of any previous Uga.Dumb without Dumber?
'Joe the Plumber' not for Palin
In a wide-ranging interview with E&P, Wurzelbacher also shared his thoughts on Sarah Palin (he hopes she doesn't run for president in 2012), Palin's references to him in her new book, and the charge that he has capitalized off the publicity that has come with being Joe the Plumber.
Wingnuts can't count eitherTPM's Eric Kleefeld points out that, given the 53% to 46% divide between Obama and Sen. John McCain in the 2008 race, "in order to believe that Obama wasn't the true winner of the 2008 election, one would have to think that ACORN (and perhaps other groups) stuffed ballots to the tune of over 9.5 million votes."
It's estimated ACORN registered anywhere between 450,000 and 1.3 million 'voters'. Obama kicked McCain's ass by 9.5 million votes. Let the whiners whine.
He's the President, asshole!
Car Dealership Billboard Links Obama With Jihadists"WAKE UP AMERICA! REMEMBER FT. HOOD!" appear on the bottom. The ad belongs to the Wolf Automotive car dealership and is visible from Interstate 70. Dealership owner Phil Wolf said putting the sign up was an act of patriotism. "I'm just passionate about America," said Wolf, a member of the "birther" movement, which questions Mr. Obama's birth place. "I'm asking a question," he added. "What is he? I don't think he's an American, so what is he?"
Is there a God?McCain Could Lose Primary in Arizona
Rasmussen Reports finds Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) clinging to a two-point lead over a possible challenger, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.). Chris Simcox, the leader of the anti-illegal immigration Minuteman Project who’s already in the race, scores 4 percent. All of this puts McCain, who has never been seriously challenged since he came to the Senate in 1986, below the 50 percent mark with Republicans.
Now that would be a situation worth giving thanks for.
Today 46 years ago
John Fitzgerald Kennedy - November 22, 1963
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Bush Formed a Death Panel?
There's one problem with that; of the 16 members on that task force, 13 of them were on it in August 2008 and only three have been added since.
(CNN) -- Women in their 40s should not get routine mammograms for early detection of breast cancer, according to updated guidelines set forth by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Wingnuts are all over this story. This group, USPSTF, who are now doing Obama's bidding by recommending women wait until 50 years old to have mammograms proves that Obamacare is all about rationing health care.
There's one problem with that; of the 16 members on that task force, 13 of them were on it in August 2008 and only three have been added since.
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