Pro-Taliban extremists in a Pakistani tribal area stoned and then shot dead two men and a woman for alleged adultery, officials and witnesses said Thursday.
Some 800 tribesmen watched the executions by the Lashkar-i-Islam (Army of Islam) group on Wednesday in the Khyber tribal district on the border with Afghanistan, they said.
Who's got your back, General?
THE US has indicated for the first time that it might be willing to back plans by elite echelons of the military in Islamabad to oust Pervez Musharraf from power, as the Pakistani President was beset by major new difficulties over his attempts to sack the country's chief justice.Reports yesterday quoting highly placed US diplomatic and intelligence officials - previously rusted on to the view that General Musharraf was an indispensable Western ally in the battle against terrorism - outlined a succession plan to replace him.
Too many sheep, Donald
George W. Bush will be remembered as the worst US president ever, real estate mogul Donald Trump said Friday, adding that US Senator Hillary Clinton could be Bush's White House successor.
"Bush is probably the worst president in the history of the United States," Trump told CNN, lamenting the 2004 Democratic failure to stop Bush's reelection.
"I just don't understand how they could have lost that election."
Was that Dwight or Joe McCarthy?
The Pledge of Allegiance was written for the popular children's magazine Youth's Companion by socialist author and Baptist minister Francis Bellamy on September 7, 1892.
On Flag Day, June 14, 1954, Congress passed the legislation adding the phrase "under God" to the Pledge.
'Time creep'
When the surge plan was first proposed in January, then-commanding general George W. Casey Jr. suggested that it might be successfully completed, with Baghdadis "feeling safe" in their neighborhoods, by "the summer, late summer." Soon enough, new Secretary of Defense Robert Gates let it be known that the time estimate had crept into the fall, when, he felt sure, the surge might begin to be "reversed." Now, Petraeus is talking about extending the (rising) surge troop levels into the winter; his second-in-command, Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, is already floating the idea of surging into February 2008; - Tom Engelhardt-AlterNet
Another Bush Record
Trade Deficit Hits Record for 5th Year
The deficit in the broadest measure of trade hit an all-time high in 2006 and for the first time the United States even ran a deficit on investment income.
The Commerce Department reported that the imbalance in the current account jumped by 8.2 percent to $856.7 billion, representing a record 6.5 percent of the total economy. It marked the fifth straight year the current account deficit set a record.
By the balls
China may sell U.S. bonds
In a move that speaks to China's growing significance in the global economy, its government said Friday it will look for more aggressive ways to invest sizable portions of its massive $1 trillion currency reserves. With much of China's $1 trillion in reserves currently invested in ultrasafe U.S. Treasury debt, a significant shift out of the American bond market could have an impact on American consumers. Interest rates would rise, making it more expensive to borrow money for a home mortgage or car loan or to pay credit card debt.
Today a long time ago
On March 18, 1766 - American Revolution: The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act, which was very unpopular in the British colonies.
93 U.S. Attorneys
United States Attorneys represent the U.S. federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Sharp stick in the eye
For awhile it looked like Helen Thomas, dean of White House correspondents, was going to get booted from her customary front row seat when the renovated press room opens there. But the The White House Correspondents' Association met Friday...and, 'agreed to honor a previous commitment by our association to maintain Helen Thomas' seat in the first row. As the dean of the White House press corps, Helen is an institution. First with United Press International and now as a White House columnist for Hearst newspapers, Helen has covered every president since John Kennedy'.
When Warriors Come Limping Home
Shameful details continue to emerge on the neglectful care extended to soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army’s inspector general reports that more than nine out of 10 disabled veterans have been kept waiting for benefit evaluations beyond the 40-day limit set by the Pentagon. Some have waited up to a year and a half for benefits. NYTimes editorial4 years tomorrow
Monday marks the fourth anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. Four years is a long time to do something that didn't need to be done. The wasted 3,218 deaths, the 23,417 wounded young Americans, the $1/2 trillion, and the total mess that it's created. Four long years into one the biggest blunders in this nation's history-and we're still clinging onto this failed administration's policies. It's a national tragedy of unprecedented ignorance.
How George will commemorate
The White House, repeatedly asked if President Bush is planning anything to mark the fourth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq on Monday, has suggested that the president is going about business as usual. On Monday, that business includes playing host to the 2006 NCAA football champions, the University of Florida "Gators''.
The Limbaugh/HD Award
This week's winner(s) of the Limbaugh/HD Award are Sean Hannity and Victoria Toensing
Hannity and Toensing, two very well established liars who would make the namesakes of this award proud. In fact, speaking of 'namesakes', there was almost three winners this week, but, more on that, below.
Sean Hannity - Earlier this week Sean Hannity lied about President Bill Clinton firing the Arkansas U.S. Attorney, Charles A. Banks, back in 1993. Hannity repeated an old lie on his TV show that Clinton had fired Banks, 'because he had launched an investigation into Whitewater".
Now that is a bald-faced lie - Not necessarily a 'Limbaugh/HD' magnitude of a lie, yet - But, if you say something and learn later that it was not true, and you then say it again, that definitely qualifies for this prestigious, but infamous, award.
U.S. Attorney Charles A. Banks was fired by Bill Clinton in 1993 - right along with all of the other 92 U.S. Attorneys. Mr. Banks was NOT 'launching an investigation into Whitewater' when Clinton fired him. And in fact, Banks had refused to investigate Whitewater, much to the chagrin of the Bush Daddy Administration - who pressured Banks to come up with a pre-election investigation of Clinton.
Sean Hannity knew what he said on his show Wednesday night was not true. MediaMatters and other news sources refuted what he said the very next day. Hannity knew it was a lie - But, he said it again on his show (without a single peep of opposition) Friday night.
Now that magnitude of a lie will definitely get you the Limbaugh/HD Award.
Victoria 'Poor Little Vicky' Toensing - Poor Little Vicky, I almost feel sorry for her. Well, not really.
Ms. Toensing has been pounding the rightwing misinformation circuit for almost four years, literally playing the role of assassin on Valerie Plame's status, and credibility, at the CIA.
Poor Little Vicky has been the backboard for all wingnuts in their now proven false claim that, 'outing Plame wasn't a crime because she wasn't 'covert''.
Toensing, and therefore, the 'wingnuts', have used as the basis of their argument that Plame didn't qualify 'under the law' as 'covert', because she had not "within the last five years served outside the United States". Poor Little Vicky. Poor wingnuts.
Sorry, Ms. Plame sure did, "travel to foreign countries on secret missions to find vital intelligence”, as she testified to, under oath, on Friday. When 'serving' your country, and traveling is part of your mission, you're 'serving'.
And who else states Valerie Plame 'was covert'? None of other than, the Director of the CIA, General Michael Hayden.
But the lie that wins Toensing the infamous L/HD award, was exposed when Henry Waxman asked Poor Little Vicky, under oath, whether she had ever asked 'anyone in the CIA if Valerie Plame was covert', and she sheepishly had to answer, 'no'. Now think about that for a second.
Here's a woman who has spent four years telling everyone who would listen that Plame didn't qualify as 'covert' , but she never asked any of the people who would have actually known, whether she was or not? Poor Little Vicky never asked the CIA Director, that's for sure.
What was Toensing's source for her unrelenting pursuit of Plame's status in the CIA? How can you argue that a person hasn't 'served in a foreign country', when you don't know that? And of course, we know now that Toensing not only didn't know if Plame was covert, but she never even asked.
You're in bitch-Congratulations to you and Sannity.
'The almost 'tri-winner' of this week's L/HD award'
There was almost some real irony with the award this week when 'Hank Dagny' posted the following comment;
"Only liberals drinking the Kool - Aid can Clinton a pass for firing the lawyer looking into Whitewater."But as you know, to win the Limbaugh/HD Award it has to be a 'lie', and not just a simple-minded fool regurgitating, without any fact-checking, what Limbaugh or Fox News told him the day before. It has to be a lie, so the judges decided to wait until HD writes it, or say's it again. That's what makes a good liar, pathological, and a worthy recipient of the award.
Let me share with you one of my favorite examples of what I mean by being 'worthy' of the award.
Oh, probably 8-9 years ago, 'Hank' told the tale of why he didn't serve in the military during Vietnam. To summarize - he didn't go in because the war was wrapping up, and besides, he had a 'high draft lottery number'.
Well, there was a problem with Hank's Vietnam-era tale.
You see, I'm two years older than Hank and I knew that the year I was born was the very last year that the United States had ever issued lottery numbers for the military draft. No one, born after the year I was born ever received a draft lottery number.
But, being the sweet, lovable, and easy going type of guy I am, I didn't say anything about it then but when Hank said it again at some point shortly after that, I pointed out to him that his 'memory' must be off a little.... That it was impossible for him to 'have had a high draft number', since he had no number at all. Of course, I had to prove it to him - I did, he whined a little, shanked a couple into the woods, and went on.
Well, guess what? Yeah, a couple of years ago Hank wrote the old Vietnam tale again.
Hence, the Limbaugh/HD award will only go to recipients that reach something near that level of deceit.
Sorry HD. Maybe next time.
Past winners of the prestigious, but infamous, Limbaugh/HD Award
Fox News guy-Brit Hume-3/11/07
VA Secretary-Jim Nicholson-3/4/07
Rep. Michele Bachmann-(R-MN)-2/25/07
