F-Troop

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Soldiers in the Ohio National Guard are not being trained with the same equipment they would use if deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, according to the state's adjutant general.

"It's about confidence in soldiers, and the soldiers need to train on the right pieces of equipment so they have confidence in the mission we're asking them to do," Maj. Gen. Gregory Wayt said Wednesday.

For example, Wayt said some Army Guard troops will begin three weeks of training starting June 9 using standard-issue M-16 rifles when they would be using shorter, lighter M-4 rifles in the field.

The soldiers also can't train with the type of night-vision goggles or armored vehicles they would use in combat, the Guard said.

We spend close to $600 billion a year on our military - Which doesn't include Bush's $10 billion a month in war supplements - and we still don't have enough money to properly train our Guard troops?

Is anybody paying attention to this bullshit?

What a dick

"But I think the level of activity that we see today, from a military standpoint, I think will clearly decline. I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency". Dick Cheney on Larry King Live - 5/30/05

All the while, violence in Iraq has continued unabated. Since Cheney’s statement two years ago, 1,799 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq, roughly half of all U.S. fatalities. At least 12,378 U.S. soldiers have been wounded. TP

Memorial Day

Only the dead have seen the end of war
- Plato

Thank you is never enough for those who have died for our nation. And to those they left behind.

Happy Memorial Day...

Sunday Scroll #14 ~ (The biscuit without the gravy)

The Limbaugh Award
This week's winner of the Limbaugh Award - The award given here weekly at 'done that' to the most shameless liar of the week - is also the first repeat recipient, the one and only, 'Commander Guy' himself, George W. Bush.

There was some stiff competition this week and if the award was given to the 'most pathetic' person, John Boehner would have been the first repeat winner. And although an award named after Limbaugh or 'HD' would be a fitting award for a 'pathetic' person as well, this award is for lying and therefore, Bush was the clear winner.

But I have to say, I have never witnessed a more pathetic and utterly self-humiliating public scene in my entire life than John Boehner, who obviously was in a drunken stupor (men don't act like that sober do they?) this week when he made a complete ass out of himself on the Congressional floor. Boehner, and we've all known drunks like him, completely lost it and...Well, watch the video for yourself here.

But as I stated, this award is for lying and for liars and Bush hit the jackpot this week at a news conference in the Rose Garden when he had the audacity to say - And...I'm not kidding, he actually said that we are in Iraq "at the invitation of the Iraqi government."

Ladies and Gentlemen, there is no-way in hell anyone could top that lie!

If the horrendous losses to this country weren't so grave because of that type of stupidity from 'commander guy', that would almost be funny.

Congratulations dumbass. You're #14.

Past winners of the prestigious, but infamous,
Limbaugh/HD Award
Pat's Brother - Bay Buchanan - 5/20/07
Used car salesman - John Boehner - 5/13/07
Uncultured Wussy - Bill O'Reilly - 5/6/07
Mr. Overrated - Rudy Giuliani - 4/29/07
Turd Blossom - Karl Rove - 4/22/07
The Decider - George W. Bush - 4/15/07
Lying Chickenhawk VP - Dick Cheney - 4/8/07
Mr. Straight Talk - John McCain - 4/1/07
Attorney General - Alberto Gonzales - 3/25/07
Fox mouthpieces Sean Hannity and
Victoria Toensing - 3/18/07
Fox News guy - Brit Hume - 3/11/07
VA Secretary - Jim Nicholson - 3/4/07
Rep. Michele Bachmann - (R-MN) - 2/25/07

Support the troops....

as long as we can do it on the cheap

While Bush has been busy politically demagoging funding for the troops, CBS Evening News highlighted a disturbing report tonight that the administration waited over a year before acting on a “priority 1 urgent” request to send blast-resistant vehicles to Iraq, the so-called Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.

The phony patriots sure support the troops just as long as they don't ask for too much.

Do you think Bush short-changes the 100,000 civilian contractors or Halliburton when it comes to spending the billions we've wasted in Iraq? You can bet he doesn't.

But when it comes to giving our troops the equipment they need he has no problem in denying their requests.

And this despicable behavior of sending our troops to fight and die without the equipment or training they need has been going on for the entire 50 months of this quagmire and what have all these phony patriots on the right had to say about it? Absolutely nothing.

They were warned this would happen

2003 Intel: Iraq War Will Aid al-Qaeda, Iran

WASHINGTON --U.S. intelligence agencies warned senior members of the Bush administration in early 2003 that invading Iraq could create internal conflict that would give Iran and al-Qaida new opportunities to expand their influence, according to an upcoming Senate report.

The 21% of us who were right about our needless invasion of Iraq were saying exactly what U.S. intelligence was telling Bush and his minions back in 2003. You invade Iraq and remove the one obstacle, Saddam Hussein, who was a bitter and well known enemy of both al-Qaeda and Iran, just who do you think was going to benefit from that?

When you have 79% of the populace act like scared sheep and follow their incompetent leader off the side of a cliff you're doomed to the failure we have now in Iraq.

We strengthened Iran and we allowed al-Qaeda to survive by needlessly invading a country that had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11. And Bush was warned this would happen but he stupidly ignored what the intelligence agencies were saying and what those of us who were right, knew all along.

Well too bad, Wal-Mart is hiring

HOUSTON - The widow of Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay is asking a judge to let her keep nearly $13 million in assets — particularly the family condominium — that the federal government is trying to seize.

...Federal authorities claim $12.7 million in assets they are trying to seize were "proceeds of the fraud proven in the criminal case against Lay."

...Linda Lay contends she, not her husband, is the owner of the assets the government is trying to seize. In his will, Kenneth Lay left all of his assets to his wife.

Prosecutors are looking to take three things: $2.5 million of the value of the couple's condominium in one of Houston's most exclusive high-rises; $10.2 million from a partnership named for both the Lays; and nearly $23,000 in a bank account.

Sorry Linda, that money belongs to all the people you and your husband ripped off.

If times are tough - too bad, get a job. Move into a subsidized apartment. Or go ask your good friend George for a loan.

42% of American Christians say what?

And 62% of 'evangelical' Christians?

I've heard and read a lot whining about a recent Pew Research Center poll that asks various religious groups questions about their faith and government.

Fox News has been whining and complaining about how "47% of American Muslims" feel they are Muslims first and Americans second.

But guess what the Fox News pundits aren't telling you. That same poll shows that 42% of Christians feel that they are 'Christians first' and Americans second. And, it get's worse with the so-called 'evangelicals' (read-Republicans) where an appalling 62% feel they are Christians before they are Americans.

Does this leave any doubt that Republicans need to be defeated? I don't think so.

You can't complain about 47% of Muslims and their allegiance to this country when you have 62% of these rightwing Republican hypocrites who call themselves 'evangelicals' putting their country second.

I know one thing, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin and the other framers of the Constitution are rolling over in their graves!

This country is fucked royally if we don't drive these bastards from power.

Bush - Surrender Monkey to the UN

THE Bush Administration is developing plans to "internationalise" the Iraq crisis, including an expanded role for the United Nations, to prevent a domestic political meltdown as the 2008 US presidential election approaches.

The move comes amid rising concern in Washington that the controversial troop "surge" in Baghdad, led by the US commander, General David Petraeus, is not working, and that Iran is winning the clandestine battle for control of Iraq.

"Petraeus is brilliant, but he is the captain of a sinking ship," said a former senior Administration official. "Iraq's government is a mobile phone number that doesn't answer. Iraq probably can't be fixed."

...Mr Bush will sweeten the pill by "handing off" many current US responsibilities to other countries, the former official said.

Aren't all the wingnuts who've held on to 'Bush the loser's' failed Iraq policies cringing in embarrassment now! First they had to swallow their 'freedom fries' and now their boy idiot has to go begging to the dreaded United Nations pleading for help.

And why will Bush go to the UN? Is for help to stabilize Iraq? No, it's "to prevent a domestic political meltdown as the 2008 US presidential election approaches."

Typical Republican response: Politics over country.

When you have a Commander-in-Chief who can't lead the mightiest military in history and who now has to go begging to the ragtag United Nations you know it's time for new leadership.

Nice work, wingnuts!

NEWSFLASH: Al-Qaeda wants to attack us

George 'Forrest Gump with a trust fund' Bush announced yesterday that Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda want to attack targets here in the U.S.

Although the news is from 2005 and the person who was suppose to direct the attacks, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is dead, Bush thought that since he was on his ranch he'd corral some sheep.

WASHINGTON - President Bush, trying to defend his war strategy, declassified intelligence Tuesday asserting that Osama bin Laden ordered a top lieutenant in early 2005 to form a terrorist cell that would conduct attacks outside Iraq — and that the United States should be the top target.

The information mirrored a classified bulletin from the Homeland Security Department in March 2005, reporting that bin Laden had enlisted Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, his senior operative in Iraq, to plan potential strikes in the U.S.

Some things you might want to know about the Great State of Michigan...

Michigan's Governor, Jennifer Granholm is battling it out with the state's legislature over a proposed $800 million budget deficit.

Which, when you think about it, (and know your facts) isn't bad when you consider her Republican predecessor, John Engler, left her with a $1.7 billion, or $1.8 billion deficit when he finally vacated his fatass from the State Capitol back in January of 2003.

I read somewhere the other day that the state of Michigan had one of the 'highest tax rates in the country'. No, that's not true and only a liar or an idiot that's too dumb and too lazy to look it up, would write such nonsense.

You see, Michigan isn't even in the top half and is actually tied with New Mexico as the 29th 'highest taxed' state.

I know, I know, you went to the link and saw where Michigan was 22nd and not 29th. Well, that's easy enough - Those rankings are from 2005 when Michigan's state income tax was 4.1% and now it's down to 3.9%, which brings Michigan down to a 9.9 rating, the same as New Mexico's.

And who knows, maybe some of the other states had tax decreases also and Michigan might not be 29th. But one thing is for sure, Michigan is NOT one of the 'higher' taxed states - Not even close. And only a liar or a lazy dumbass, or both, would state that.

And another thing. Michigan doesn't have a 'liberal' Democratic problem. Michigan has a Republican problem. The Michigan State Senate has had a Republican majority for something like 12-14 years and the State House had a Republican majority for 8 years up until just last November. That's not a Democratic problem.

And Michigan's place at 49th or 50th in unemployment? Hey, Michigan makes cars - we manufacture things. The Chinese do a lot of that now. But you know, Michigan didn't have that problem when Bill Clinton was in office. Clinton and Gore were very, very good for Michigan. In fact, look at this graph and take note that during those good old days of Bill Clinton, Michigan had an unemployment rate that was LOWER than the national average.
Notice when Michigan's unemployment rate passes the national average?

If Michigan has a problem that's not unique to its heavy manufacturing base then the only thing one can truthfully surmise is, Michigan has a 'Republican problem'.

And other people who say and write differently have a truth and integrity 'problem'. Of course, that's already been established here long ago.

Go Wolverines!

Republicans - Who the real 'cheaters' are

Von Spakovsky and the ‘vote-suppression agenda.’

McClatchy ran a detailed profile today on Hans von Spakovsky, the top Bush administration official who many in Congress believe is “a key player in a Republican campaign to hang onto power in Washington by suppressing the votes of minority voters.”

You've always heard a lot of the whiny-ass big-mouth wingnuts complain about Democrats 'stuffing' ballot boxes or registering to vote multiple times, which has now been proven false.

There has been something like 34 documented cases (15 of which the charges were dropped) of people registering to vote more than once over the last six years - And hell, Ann Coulter is one of them! She's within the '15 where the charges were dropped' and all she had to do was give her old ex-boyfriend, the FBI agent, a blowjob to get her charges dropped. (I wonder where these 12 Republicans fall in those numbers?)

Bottom line folks, it's the Republicans who have to cheat to win elections and that's now been proven.

Ask the poor inner city minorities from Cleveland, Ohio
what it's like to have their votes suppressed.

That's right, 350,000 votes in Ohio. If those Ohioans would have been allowed to vote, we wouldn't be having the problems we're having now.

And then just think of Florida in 2000 and imagine how well off this country would be. It's one of the biggest scams this country has ever seen.

Just remember - It's Republican who have to cheat to win. And up to this point, unfortunately for the nation, they've been very good at it! And we will pay for it for decades to come.

TP

15 dead over the weekend? ... I got brush to cut

Swarms of cicadas

These undated photos show the emergence of the periodical cicada. From left: the cicada molts from nymph to adult; in teneral stage, wings expanded, while its new exoskeleton hardens, and a red-eyed adult, skin hardened.

Coming soon: Brood XIII. It sounds like a bad horror movie. But it’s actually the name of the billions of cicadas expected to emerge this month in parts of the Midwest after spending 17 years underground.

The red-eyed, shrimp-sized, flying insects don’t bite or sting. But they are known for mating calls that produce a din that can overpower ringing telephones, lawn mowers and power tools.

Brood XIII is expected across northern Illinois, and in parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana. Cicadas live only about 30 days as adults, and their main goal is mating.

Sunday Scroll #13

They just love us... Let's stay awhile

The new 104-acre US Embassy compound in Baghdad which is supposed to open in September will be the world's largest and most expensive foreign mission. But there are doubts how safe and effective it will be. The $$592 million compound occupies a chunk of prime downtown real estate two-thirds the size of Washington's National Mall. It has desk space for about a thousand people behind high, blast-resistant walls. One person raising doubts is Edward Peck, a former top US diplomat in Iraq. He asks: "What kind of embassy is it when everybody lives inside and it's blast-proof, and people are running around with helmets and crouching behind sandbags?"

'Support' stopped six bucks ago
OLBERMAN: Mr. Bush says a 3% raise provides a good quality of life for service members and their families. Sketch for us the financial profile of the average service member’s family if you would be so kind.
TODD BOWERS: No problem. Average servicemember — you join the military as a private. You get $1300 a month. You got expenses that you have to cover for. You got to take care of family members, car payments. It essentially adds up. This 3% raise would give them approximately $29 extra dollars, alright. Point five percent gives them an extra $6 dollars. We’re talking about $6 for someone that is serving over in Iraq and Afghanistan that is away from their families. It’s not too much to ask.
OLBERMAN: Six bucks?
BOWERS: Six bucks

Change it to Tel Aviv, Pennsylvania
The US House of Representatives authorized a sum of 205 million dollars for financing joint US-Israel missile defense system projects, Israel Radio reported early Saturday morning.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., had tried unsuccessfully to strike a Murtha earmark from an intelligence spending bill. The item would restore $23 million for the National Drug Intelligence Center, a facility in Murtha's Pennsylvania district that some Republicans say is unneeded.

By a nose
Curlin edges Street Sense by a nose in this photo finish to win the Preakness




Cannibals
'Gay-haters' to picket Falwell's funeral
But the protesters were a no-show in New Braunfels on Wednesday because they chose to travel to Virginia in preparation for demonstrating at Falwell's funeral, said member Shirley Phelps-Roper, who is also an attorney for the church. "There are dead soldiers everywhere," Phelps-Roper said. "You don't have a very high-profile, cowardly, lying false prophet like Falwell dying every day."

Okay, what's the punch line?
FOX News review of Michael Moore's new documentary 'Sicko', "brilliant and uplifting".

'Liz' keeps Hitler's bounty
Elizabeth Taylor will be allowed to keep a Van Gogh painting allegedly stolen from a Jewish woman by the Nazis after she fled Germany in 1939, a US appeals court ruled on Friday. The two-time Oscar-winning actress bought the "View of the Asylum and Chapel at Saint-Remy" for 257,600 dollars at a Sotheby's auction in London in 1963. The painting -- now estimated to be worth between 10-15 million dollars -- has been the subject of a legal wrangle in recent years, with descendants of its former owner claiming it rightfully belongs to them". Raw Story

Making it comfortable
Here's a look inside California's death chamber of the future. (Click here for a virtual tour of California's current and future execution chambers.)

Hold on a minute!
'Liberals' are not all behind this so-called 'comprehensive immigration' bullshit! This from 'Joanne98' at the Democratic Underground - with a lot comments that agree. Right on, Joanne!

A man of God? What God?
"If Chief Justice Warren and his associates had known God's word and had desired to do the Lord's will, I am quite confident that the 1954 decision would never have been made," Falwell boomed from above his congregation in Lynchburg. "The facilities should be separate. When God has drawn a line of distinction, we should not attempt to cross that line." Falwell's jeremiad continued: "The true Negro does not want integration.... He realizes his potential is far better among his own race." Falwell went on to announce that integration "will destroy our race eventually. In one northern city," he warned, "a pastor friend of mine tells me that a couple of opposite race live next door to his church as man and wife." - read Max Blumenthal

More on God
Authorities in northern Iraq have arrested four people in connection with the "honor killing" last month of a Kurdish teen -- a startling, morbid pummeling caught on a mobile phone video camera and broadcast around the world. The case portrays the tragedy and brutality of honor killings in the Muslim world. Honor killings take place when family members kill relatives, almost always female, because they feel the relatives' actions have shamed the family. In this case, Dua Khalil, a 17-year-old Kurdish girl whose religion is Yazidi, was dragged into a crowd in a headlock with police looking on and kicked, beaten and stoned to death last month.(Watch the gruesome attack here.)

Cheney visits his boss
In Saudi Arabia, Cheney met with King Abdullah at a royal palace in Tabuk on Saturday. Cheney was given a red-carpet arrival ceremony at the airport. At the palace, as he and the king exchanged pleasantries...

Today a long time ago
Auschwitz I served as the administrative center for the whole complex. It was founded on May 20, 1940, on the basis of an old Polish brick army barracks (originally built by the Austro-Hungarian Empire). A group of 728 Polish political prisoners from Tarnów became the first residents of Auschwitz on June 14 that year. The camp was initially used for interning Polish intellectuals and resistance movement members, then also for Soviet Prisoners of War. Common German criminals, "anti-social elements" and 48 German homosexuals were also imprisoned there. Jews were sent to the camp as well, beginning with the very first shipment (from Tarnów). At any time, the camp held between 13,000 and 16,000 inmates; in 1942 the number reached 20,000. The entrance to Auschwitz I was—and still is—marked with the ironic sign “Arbeit Macht Frei”, or “work (will) make (you) free.”

18 year old girl climbs Mt. Everest
Samantha Larson just became the youngest American to climb Mount Everest at the age of 18.




The Limbaugh/HD Award
This week's winner of the Limbaugh/HD Award is Republican strategist and Pat Buchanan's cross-dressing younger brother, Bay Buchanan.

Bay, who is rumored to be dating Ann Coulter, wrote a book on Hillary Clinton entitled, The Extreme Makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton .

After 'days of research' - Bay diagnosed Hillary with 'narcissistic personality style'?

'Bay' ain't no doctor but (s)he sure is a liar and a worthy recipient of this week's Limbaugh/HD Award.

Congratulations Bay. You're #13.

Past winners of the prestigious, but infamous,
Limbaugh/HD Award
Used car salesman - John Boehner - 5/13/07
Uncultured Wussy - Bill O'Reilly - 5/6/07
Mr. Overrated - Rudy Giuliani - 4/29/07
Turd Blossom - Karl Rove - 4/22/07
The Decider - George W. Bush - 4/15/07
Lying Chickenhawk VP - Dick Cheney - 4/8/07
Mr. Straight Talk - John McCain - 4/1/07
Attorney General - Alberto Gonzales - 3/25/07
Fox mouthpieces Sean Hannity and
Victoria Toensing - 3/18/07
Fox News guy - Brit Hume - 3/11/07
VA Secretary - Jim Nicholson - 3/4/07
Rep. Michele Bachmann - (R-MN) - 2/25/07

Missing soldier was the 'new guy'

Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Michigan is a "bright kid" and was chided by his comrades as the "new guy," his platoon commander says

NEAR YUSUFIYA, Iraq (CNN) -- One of three U.S. soldiers missing after a deadly Iraqi ambush had been chided by his comrades for being "the new guy," and another taught himself Arabic while in Iraq, their platoon leader recalled Friday.

You're never too 'new' or too young to die fighting in Iraq. Well, unless you're with the Iraqi security forces and in that case, you get 4 to 5 years of training.

Fuck both of them!

Hey Cornyn! "Fuck you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room!"

I'm not sure who the bigger asshole is between John Cornyn or John McCain, but it's nice to see some one call out 'Mr. Straight Talk' on his deplorable voting record since he's been whoring for president.

Obviously McCain is the bigger 'danger' between the two since no one has his head up Bush's ass farther than he does. {See photo to the right of the pansy-ass sucking up to Commander Guy}.

John McCain has missed 42 straight votes in the Senate! Give me a fucking break! Can you imagine if Hillary Clinton had missed 42 straight votes?

Liberal media my ass!

It's good to see some one stand up and say something even if it was an asshole like John Cornyn.

Now where's that liberal media?

We keep dying

BAGHDAD – The U.S. military announced Friday that five more American soldiers were killed in fighting in south Baghdad and Diyala province, as Iraqi officials reported fighting in the insurgent stronghold of Baqouba. The U.S. military denied the Iraqi report.

Three of the Americans were killed Friday when a roadside bomb destroyed their vehicle in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad, the military said. Two others were killed and nine U.S. soldiers were wounded during separate attacks Thursday in southern Baghdad.

When I wrote this 10 days ago 3,381 Americans had been killed in Iraq. Now it's 3,409. Twenty-eight men over the last 10 days. And that's actually an improvement. We've lost 58 men in the first 19 days of May.

UPDATE: Sorry, the day wasn't over. In the 90 minutes between now and when I posted this, it was announced that five more Americans were killed. It's now 3,414, with 63 killed in the first 19 days of May.

Watch this!

"Most alarming is what happens at the exact moment a young blonde surfer begins to “cut in” on his wave.

The scene, captured on home video camera, involves not one but two great white sharks pouncing on the unfortunate hotshot..."

MSNBC

Are you kidding me?

'Comprehensive Immigration'

"Senate negotiators from both parties announced Thursday that they had reached agreement on a comprehensive immigration bill that would offer legal status to most of the nation’s 12 million illegal immigrants while also toughening border security.

...At the heart of the bill is a significant political trade-off. Democrats got a legalization program, which they have sought for many years. Republicans got a new “merit-based system of immigration,” intended to make the United States more competitive in a global economy".

Only 12 million? The U.S. population just surpassed 300 million last October...does that mean we're now at 312 million or were those 12 million 'undocumented' part of the 300?

I guess it's 'scoot the fuck over' - Again. I thought Ronnie Reagan's 1986 amnesty plan was the last time we were going to do this?

You know, if they're already included in the 300 million figure - maybe we won't have to scoot over.

Fruit and vegetables and construction costs are going to increase. 'Citizens' don't like getting screwed out of a good wage and benefits.

What the hell does the NY Times mean in the 2nd paragraph above when they say, "Republicans got a new “merit-based system of immigration,” intended to make the United States more competitive in a global economy"?

Republicans want a cheap labor force, period. Cut the bullshit.

And Democrats get our long sought after "legalization program"? What the hell does that mean? I didn't ask for that and the Democrats I know didn't either.

And the Goober in the White House wants 'comprehensive immigration', too, so we're going to get it.

But I don't know, is it 300 million or 312 million? Did we just have an overnight 4% increase in our population?

We have 'bi-partisan' support.

Scoot the fuck over and get out your wallet.

Iraqi 'security forces' have our back?

Three U.S. soldiers slaughtered in a grisly kidnapping-murder plot south of Baghdad last June were not properly protected during a mission that was not well planned or executed, a military investigation has concluded.

Two military officers have been relieved of their commands as a result of the litany of mistakes, but neither faced criminal charges, a military official familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

...A seven-page summary of the investigation provided to the AP also said it appears insurgents may have rehearsed the attack two days earlier, and that Iraqi security forces near the soldiers' outpost probably saw and heard the attack and "chose to not become an active participant in the attack on either side."

Right behind the 3,403 needless deaths, the 25,242 wounded or the $500 billion wasted in Iraq, the one thing that pisses me off most about Bush and his minions is how they have allowed the Iraqis to play us like fools.

They won't fight and they certainly won't stick their necks out for us. In fact, they'd shoot us in the back before they'd help us.

Fools.

Bush shows his 'support for the troops'

Will veto troop pay raises and widow benefits

The Bush administration today threatened to a veto a House defense spending bill over a 3.5 percent pay raise for U.S. soldiers and a $40/month increase in benefits for military widows, among other provisions. The legislation passed the House today 397-27.

Bush budget officials said the administration strongly opposes both the 3.5 percent raise for 2008 and the follow-on increases, calling extra pay increases unnecessary.

George Bush is shameless. If you still support him - you're just as shameless.

Good luck on vetoing a 397 - 27 approved bill there, Commander guy.

UPDATE-Here's more detail on Bush denying our troops and their widows what they're owed.

It all starts, and ends, with your neighbor's job

SECRET TRADE DEAL: Dems Bow to Pressure, Plan Trade Meeting Thursday (Sirotablog)

"MyDD's Matt Stoller is reporting that House Democrats have added the trade issue to a joint Whip/Caucus meeting tomorrow at 9:00am. The move follows Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel's move yesterday to block a previously scheduled meeting on trade. Emanuel, one of the chief architects of NAFTA, has been using his chairmanship to block rank-and-file Democrats' request to hold a debate about the trade deal. Now, with growing pressure on the Democratic leadership to reject the deal, a new meeting has been set."

David Sirota as usual, is fighting both Democrats and Republicans on doing what's right for middle-class workers when it comes to unfair trade in this country.

Since 1980 when Ronald Reagan came into power to knock down the middle-class worker, right through Bill Clinton's complicity with signing NAFTA and GATT, and through the current idiot in the White House, the deck has been stacked against our middle class workers. And now we have a block of Congressional Democrats, led by former Clinton NAFTA cheerleader, Rahm Emanuel, once again taking their cue from corporate lobbyists instead of the American worker.

You can't fucking win for losing with these bastards!

Read Sirota's two pieces on this. It's well worth it.


Also, here's more from 'The Nation', "Dems Sell Out on Trade"

Michigan Democrats step up for our fallen

House passes flag bill Bush opposed

"Governors could order federal facilities to lower their flags to honor fallen military troops under legislation passed by the House Tuesday."

Rep. Bart Stupak, a Democrat whose northern Michigan district has lost close to 20 people in fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, said he sponsored the bill after unsuccessfully trying to persuade President Bush to issue an executive order on the issue.

The bill passed 408-4 and now goes to the Senate, where Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., have introduced parallel legislation.

Michigan Democrats are proud of our two Senators, and are especially proud of Representative Stupak, who represents the U.P.

We appreciate Michigan Democrats representing us in Washington not taking 'no' for an answer from a disgraced president who instead of honoring our war dead doesn't want to be reminded of his incompetence.

Bush refused to issue an executive order.

Well, in your face, Commander Guy. 408-4. Veto that!

TP

On another 'Michigan' note, two out of the seven soldiers involved in last weekend's ambush that killed four soldiers and three were captured, were from Michigan. Both are 19.

Pfc. Daniel W. Courneya, 19, of Nashville, Michigan was killed and Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Michigan, is listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN).

Michiganders are very proud of these two young men, as well. And the flag will be respectfully lowered to half-mast in their honor - Regardless of what Bush wants.

Patrolling their streets

"At the time of the attack, the soldiers were in two vehicles "at a stationary observation post trying to interdict terrorists who place roadside bombs," U.S. spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said.

"There were other observation posts that were trying to do this in the area. They were not moving in a convoy. The entire unit was out operating in this same area," Garver added."

We patrol their streets and act as sitting ducks waiting for some suicide death squad to attack us.

Aren't there enough Iraqis willing to act as cops?

And regardless of what Lt. Col. Garver says, we are too thinly stretched and are now exposing smaller units of our men to these types of attacks.

The Lt. Col. said the 'entire unit was out operating in the same area'? It took an hour for the rescue team to get there.

How could that be?

They gave it all

1st Lt. Andrew J. Bacevich of Walpole, Mass., on assignment in Iraq. Bacevich was killed Sunday, May 13, 2007

Son of anti-war professor killed in Iraq

Boston University professor Andrew J. Bacevich has been a persistent, vocal critic of the Iraq war, calling the conflict a catastrophic failure. This week, the retired Army lieutenant colonel received the grim news that his son had been killed on patrol there.

First Lieutenant Andrew J. Bacevich , 27, of Walpole, died Sunday in Balad of wounds he suffered after a bomb explosion, the military said yesterday. The soldier, who graduated from BU in 2003 with a degree in communications, is the 56th service member from Massachusetts to be killed in Iraq.

His father, a veteran of the Vietnam and Gulf wars, has criticized the war in his writings and described President Bush's endorsement of such "preventive wars" as "immoral, illicit, and imprudent."

Both son and father paid the ultimate sacrifice to our country. Losing your son is worse than losing your own life.

I'm sure wingnuts have called and will probably continue to call Professor Bacevich - a vocal opponent of George Bush's war in Iraq, a graduate of West Point, a retired Colonel, Vietnam and Gulf War veteran - a misguided pre-9/11 thinking, communist-loving liberal professor and a 'traitor' because of his opposition to this war.

Let them. And let them give what he has given.

Boston Globe

Commander Guy chooses War Czar

The White House said this afternoon that President Bush ended his lengthy search for a “war czar” to carry out Iraq and Afghanistan policy by offering the job to an active duty three-star Army general who said in his interview that he had been skeptical of the troop buildup in Iraq.

Bush selected Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, currently the top operations officer for the Pentagon’s Joint Chiefs of Staff...

Falwell must've pissed off Jesus!

Jerry Falwell, the man who epitomized Republican Christian attitudes and who was revered by them, died of an apparent heart attack today at the age of 73.

Falwell, who stated after 9/11 that America deserved it because we angered God, must have have angered God himself, and was killed in his office at Liberty (sic) University.

Some one better turn the rotisserie - I think he's done on that side.

These crazy bastards shouldn't be involved!

If you believe in 'Armageddon' you should be banned from discussing foreign policy with governmental leaders.

Come to think of it, that includes the 'Commander Guy'.

James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell* and all the rest of these rightwing phony Christian leaders should have nothing to do with any our government's policies.

Read the 1st Amendment you fucking Constitutional-hating morons!

“I was invited to go to Washington DC to meet with President Bush in the White House along with 12 or 13 other leaders of the pro-family movement,” Dobson disclosed on his radio program Monday. “And the topic of the discussion that day was Iraq, Iran and international terrorism. And we were together for 90 minutes and it was very enlightening and in some ways disturbing too.” […]

“You know, the President seems to me does understand this, as I told you from that meeting I had with him the other day, but even there it feels like somebody ought to be standing up and saying, ‘We are being threatened and we are going to meet this with force — whatever’s necessary.'

Think Progress

(* I wrote this blog story before this morning's news and thought I should keep Falwell's name there out of respect for the dead)

Another Bush talking point shot down

Sunni Coalition forms to combat 'al-Qaeda in Iraq'

A newly formed Sunni insurgent coalition on Monday accused al-Qaida of killing 12 of its senior members in Baghdad's Dora neighborhood in a new sign of rifts between Iraq's militant groups.

The coalition, called the Jihad and Reform Front, was formed by at least three insurgent groups in an apparent attempt to counterbalance the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group led by al-Qaida in Iraq.

If we leave Iraq al-Qaeda will have another base to operate from? No they wouldn't. The Iraqis would not allow it and they would do a much better job of eliminating the 'foreign' fighters from their country than we can. The Iraqis know the enemies among themselves.

And these are the Sunnis going after these al-Qaeda-lite operatives. The Shia would be even more ruthless in throwing them out of Iraq.

Bush and the wingnuts who stupidly follow along have used that lame-ass talking point that al-Qaeda will take over Iraq if we leave and that is total nonsense. They say this all the while knowing that our own Defense Intelligence Agency has said the total number of 'foreign fighters' in Iraq is only between 4%, and 'less than 10%' (1,200-3,000) of the total 30,000 insurgents.

When we leave Iraq those 1,200 to 3,000 foreign fighters will not last a month and we are seeing proof of that now.

Wake up fools. Quit falling for these stupid talking points. Do a little thinking on your own and stop letting Bush scare you. And grow a pair of testicles while you're at it.

The gig is up on another Bush talking point.

We want Newt!

Gingrich Says There Is a 'Great Possibility' He Will Run for President

The Former Speaker of the House Warns GOP Hillary Clinton Has a Good Chance of Becoming President

Yes, she sure does have a good chance and it will greatly increase if Newt Gingrich wins the nomination.

If there's anyone who has bigger negative approval numbers in America than Hillary Clinton, it's Newton.

Would love to see it, wingnuts. Get out there and recruit Gingrich!

ABC News

Chuck Hagel - "GOP has been hijacked"

Chuck Hagel talks on Face the Nation about possibly running as an Independent.

Go for it Chuck - It's a win-win.

Welcome to the Party

C.C. Goldwater, granddaughter of Barry Goldwater & Stephanie Miller, daughter of Goldwater's 1964 running mate, William E. Miller - Courtesy of StephanieMiller.com)

Damn! Beautiful and smart!

Also, read this piece from Newsweek on Dwight Eisenhower's granddaughter;

NEWSWEEK:
Susan Eisenhower is an accomplished professional, the president of an international consulting firm. She also happens to be Ike's granddaughter-and in that role, she's the humble torchbearer for moderate "Eisenhower Republicans." Increasingly, however, she says that the partisanship and free spending of the Bush presidency-and the takeover of the party by single-issue voters, especially pro-lifers-is driving these pragmatic, fiscally conservative voters out of the GOP. Eisenhower says she could vote Democratic in 2008, but she's still intent on saving her party. "I made a pact with a number of people," she tells NEWSWEEK. "I said, 'Please don't leave the party without calling me first.' For a while, there weren't too many calls. And then suddenly, there was a flurry of them. I found myself watching them slip away one by one."

Eisenhower isn't the only GOP scion debating if the party still feels like home.

Totally ripped off from Crooks & Liars!

Sunday Scroll #12 - Yo Momma Edition

Mother's Day
Mother's Day in the United States, the second Sunday of May, was first proclaimed around 1870 by Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation, and Howe called for it to be observed each year nationally in 1872. As originally envisioned, Howe's "Mother's Day" was a call for pacifism and disarmament by women. The original Mother's Day Proclamation was as follows;

Michael Moore to Sicko - Fuck Off!
Hello Kossacks, Michael Moore, here. I know you all are aware of the controversy surrounding my recent trip to Cuba with a group of 9/11 heroes for my upcoming movie SiCKO and the subsequent letter I received from the Treasury Department letting me know I'm now being investigated. Well, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you my letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. I just put it in the mail this morning...Read the letter here - [And in case you forgot, go rent Fahrenheit 9/11 and marvel at how true it all turned out to be]

It is like snow
I lived in Santa Monica for 10 years and many times I had to brush ash from my car that was a lot like that morning 1/4 inch of snow on your windshield here in the Midwest. [link, slide show and video here]

Limbaugh takes major stock loss
The manufacturer of the potent painkiller OxyContin and three current and former executives at the company yesterday pleaded guilty to falsely marketing the drug in a way that played down its addictive properties and led to scores of people becoming addicted, prosecutors said. The Purdue Frederick Co. and its chief executive, top lawyer, and former medical chief agreed to pay a total of $635 million to resolve charges filed by the U.S. attorney in the Western District of Virginia, who called OxyContin "one of our nation's greatest prescription-drug failures."
[I'm not sure Oxycontin is a total 'failure'. After all, it did make Limbaugh go deaf. Now if we could only find a drug to make the asshole go mute.]

Line keeps getting snagged
A fisherman pulls a floating body with its hands bound on the Tigris river in Baghdad
The River Tigris has long been a symbol of prosperity in Iraq but since the US-led invasion in 2003, this amazing watercourse has turned into a graveyard of bodies.

Bush's brain is an atheist?
"While reading a hilarious New York magazine interview with Christopher Hitchens, I came across the news that Karl Rove is a apparently an atheist. Really?"


No such fucking luck!



c
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They stood up - So let's leave
Radical Shiite politicians pressed Thursday for legislation demanding a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops and a freeze on the number of foreign forces already in the country — even as the U.S. Congress debates the fate of the troubled mission. The proposed Iraqi legislation, drafted by the parliamentary bloc loyal to anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, was signed by 144 members of the 275-member house.

Wouldn't pay for the glue
Dick Cheney's daughter Mary Cheney was rumored to have gotten a seven-figure advance for her memoir, Now It's My Turn.

Now, it seems, it's Amazon's turn. Mary Cheney's "My Turn" has turned up used on Amazon.com for just seven cents.

In deep shit
Rescuers cut through a filtration tank of dense fish feces to reach four workers who fell into the sludgy dung Friday while cleaning the 18-foot tank at a western Massachusetts farm.The workers became trapped for 45 minutes after a bracket holding a plastic filtration pad collapsed as workers stood on it to clean the fiberglass tank at the Australis Aquaculture fish farm, said Turners Falls Fire Capt. David Dion and the fish farm's manager, Josh Goldman.One of the farmhands was submerged in what Dion described as a sand-and-feces mix, while the other three had their heads above the sludge, he said.

Today a long time ago
At the urging of President James K. Polk, Congress approved the annexation of Texas on March 1, 1845. Polk also sent representatives to Mexico to negotiate the purchase of what are today New Mexico and California, but the Mexicans refused and both sides sent troops to the Texas-Mexico border. U.S. forces, led by future President Zachary Taylor, provoked an incident with the Mexican army, and Polk quickly obtained a declaration of war from Congress on May 13, 1846.

King Herod's Tomb
This undated photo made available by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tuesday, May 8, 2007, shows a general view of the slope of Herodium in which Israeli archaeologists say Herod's tomb was found, near the West Bank town of Hebron. An Israeli archaeologist has found the tomb of King Herod, the legendary builder of ancient Jerusalem and the Holy Land, Hebrew University said late Monday.

Fat Dad
Fathers may be more important than mothers in determining whether a child becomes overweight or obese, according to a ground-breaking new Australian study by the Centre for Community Child Health at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.

Snap, Crackle and What?
A US boy was horrified to discover the "Rice Krispies" sound he was hearing was being caused by two spiders living in his ear. Jesse Courtney, of Oregon, told his mother Diana that he kept hearing popping and crackling noises. Concerned about her son's health, she took him to the doctor. The consultant found a pair of arachnids in nine-year-old Jesse's ear canal, which were flushed out with water. Jesse said: "They were walking on my eardrum and I kept hearing this popping sound like Rice Krispies."

WTF?
















Nice Lineage
George Bush's grandfather, the late US senator Prescott Bush, was a director and shareholder of companies that profited from their involvement with the financial backers of Nazi Germany. His business dealings, which continued until his company's assets were seized in 1942 under the Trading with the Enemy Act...

62 million people were that dumb?

20 Grand a week
The average Senatorial campaign now costs over $6 million. That means Senators have to raise $20,000 every week for the entire 6 year term to stay even. Is there any wonder?

CompuBeaver











The Compubeaver, designed by Los Angeles resident Kasey McMahon, took three months to build and is literally stuffed full of the latest computer technology, including an Intel Core Duo processor, 160 gigabyte hard drive, and even a DVD burner so you can record your favorite TV programs off the National Geographic channel.

Walkin' the Walk
The Clinton Foundation has announced deals with two Indian generic drug companies to cut prices of AIDS treatment for second line antiretroviral drugs for 66 developing countries.
"Seven million people in the developing world are in need of treatment for HIV/AIDS. We are trying to meet that need with the best medicine available today," said former US president Bill Clinton.

And he wouldn't even say, 'AIDS'
"If an individual wants to discriminate against Negroes or others in selling or renting his house," he said, "he has a right to do so." - Ronald Reagan [wouldn't even utter the word]

MIA
U.S. and Iraqi troops searched house-to-house and combed fields with their bare hands Saturday after American troops and their Iraqi interpreter came under attack in the notorious "triangle of death" south of Baghdad, leaving five dead and three missing.

The Limbaugh/HD Award
This week's winner of the Limbaugh/HD Award is House Minority Leader, the man who'd make a great used car salesman, Mr. John Boehner.

Boy what a week...These beautiful spring days make it very difficult to keep the committee focused and we once again had a very close vote for this week's award. In fact, I had to intercede to break a tie between Boehner and Tony Snow. But in the end, I just couldn't vote for a guy with ass-cancer - Liar or not.

And to add to the madness, Georgia's Governor, Sonny Perdue, told a huge whopper Friday on Bill Bennett's radio show when he stated, “The president [sic] did not choose war..." - Several committee members insisted on a re-vote but once again I had to intercede and close the vote for Boehner. But I did promise that since Ole 'Sonny Boy' Perdue's lie is so egregious, and since he told it after this week's vote, he will be a nominee for next week's award.

But John Boehner just had to be the winner of the award given each week here at ‘done that’, since the lie he told is the same lie that one of namesakes of the Limbaugh/HD Award has also told.

Here’s what Boehner said on the House floor this week;
“But I’m going to remind all of my colleagues that all of our members in this chamber, except one — all of our members in this chamber, Democrat and Republican, except one — voted to send our troops to Iraq”. (see video here)

Now everyone familiar with ‘Dank Hagny’ over at Liar’s Quorum knows he’s a pathological liar and a rather dumb one at that. But, this is the Republican ‘Leader’ in the House of Representatives and you would expect him to be little smarter, and more honest, than some ignorant America-hating chickenhawk who runs a blog for liars and idiots, wouldn’t you?

That same lie was told at Liar’s Quorum back about a year ago and when Dank and ‘Lycfyg’ (note: they are the same person) were called on it by Patriot Will, Dank whines and whimpers that it was ‘nitpicking’ and ‘wordsmithing’. That’s an interesting response isn’t it? He leads off his blog story with a blatant lie and he thinks it’s irrelevant?

You will also notice that 'Will' called him on another lie just a couple of paragraphs later when the dumbass writes that it was Jimmy Carter who ‘gave the North Koreans nuclear power in the first place”. What a lying moron.

Dank writes two ignorant and ridiculous lies in a matter of four paragraphs and he accuses ‘Will’ of ‘nitpicking’ for calling him on it. That 'my fellow Americans' (LOL!) is undeniable proof that Dank has a habitual problem with the facts.

You know Dank (the great debater-lol!) is a pathetic and defeated little puppy when that's all he can come back with. That's the way it is at Liar's Quorum - if they're not moderating, blocking and deleting your comments they just flat-out deny the obvious regardless of the facts.

And you will notice that once Dank realizes he’s cornered like a rat he has his alter ego, Lycfyg, interject that poor little ‘Dank’ was confused. He’s not smart enough to know that Afghanistan is spelled with an ‘A’ and Iraq, with an ‘I’. [note; in fairness to ‘Dank’, I did hear that when he plays the other characters, ‘Lycfyg' or ‘Mike’, he actually has three separate chairs and uses a different one for each character]

But we already know the America-hating boys at Liar’s Quorum are factually-challenged since after all, not everybody gets an award for lying named after them.

The big concern this country should have is that we know liars like the ‘danks’ and ‘4putts’ out there are insignificant, harmless and full of misinformation, but when the House Minority Leader starts laying those types of egregious lies on the public from the House floor, it’s time to give that asshole the 12th Limbaugh/HD Award - Given here weekly to the biggest liar of the week.

Congratulations, Mr. Minority Leader. You're #12.

Past winners of the prestigious, but infamous,
Limbaugh/HD Award
Uncultured Wussy - Bill O'Reilly - 5/6/07
Mr. Overrated - Rudy Giuliani - 4/29/07
Turd Blossom - Karl Rove - 4/22/07
The Decider - George W. Bush - 4/15/07
Lying Chickenhawk VP - Dick Cheney - 4/8/07
Mr. Straight Talk - John McCain - 4/1/07
Attorney General - Alberto Gonzales - 3/25/07
Fox mouthpieces Sean Hannity and
Victoria Toensing - 3/18/07
Fox News guy - Brit Hume - 3/11/07
VA Secretary - Jim Nicholson - 3/4/07
Rep. Michele Bachmann - (R-MN) - 2/25/07

I love you, Billy ~ 5/15/51 - 5/13/92

Sunday Scroll #12 excerpt

Nice Lineage
George Bush's grandfather, the late US senator Prescott Bush, was a director and shareholder of companies that profited from their involvement with the financial backers of Nazi Germany. His business dealings, which continued until his company's assets were seized in 1942 under the Trading with the Enemy Act...

Three soldiers feared captured in Iraq

US military sets up checkpoint after rare incident of capturing American personnel by insurgents.

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Three US soldiers went missing on Saturday west of the Iraqi capital and are thought to have been captured by insurgents, American troops taking part in the search said.

UPDATE: Three US soldiers were reported missing following an attack west of the Iraqi town of Mahmoudiyah in which four servicemen and an Iraqi were killed Saturday, a news report said.

US broadcaster CNN, quoting the US military in Iraq reported the early morning attack on the US military targeted a team of seven US military personnel and an Iraqi interpreter in the attack 35 kilometres south of Baghdad.

An explosion was heard and 15 minutes later two burning vehicles were spotted, CNN said.

'Coalition forces are currently using every means at our disposal to find the missing soldiers, and we will continue these efforts until all are accounted for,' the US military said in a statement.

It's endemic with these guys

Then-Congressman Jim Gibbons, seated, toasts with Dennis Montgomery during a March 2005 cruise. Montgomery has now accused Gibbons of accepting cash on the trip.

The new governor of Nevada, Jim Gibbons, is being investigated by the FBI because of alleged gifts and payments from Warren Trepp, a defense contractor whose Nevada firm received tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts.

The FBI wants to know if Gibbons, while a member of Congress, improperly used his influence to help Trepp get those contracts.

...There also is a paper trail showing Gibbons helped Trepp's company, eTreppid, get government contracts.

In a 2003 e-mail, an eTreppid executive tells Trepp that Gibbons helped secure a contract and "we need to take care of him like we discussed." Two years later, the same executive writes, "He [Gibbons] has always been really good to us." -msnbc

And this week's [drumroll please] double-dealing and corrupt Republican, being either investigated, indicted, or outed, is Governor, and not so long ago, Congressman, Jim Gibbons.

Go Air Force!

U.S. Air Force F-16s obliterated three truck-mounted anti-aircraft weapons and killed 10 to 14 al Qaeda operatives near Fallujah on Tuesday, according to the military.

The military believes they were al Qaeda terrorists engaged in an operation targeting coalition aircraft.

"We've had about 11 helicopters that have been shot at and hit over the last four months in that location," Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq, told ABC News.

When you need something done right you call in the U.S. Air Force!

Don't stand up and cheer these guys

Republicans in Congress care more about their political careers and the GOP than our troops

House Republican moderates [sic], in a remarkably blunt White House meeting, warned President Bush this week that his pursuit of the war in Iraq is risking the future of the Republican Party and that he cannot count on GOP support for many more months.

Yesterday we learned that 11 congressional Republicans went to the White House and in a ‘blunt’ conversation with Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Karl Rove, they finally got around to telling Bush and his minions (you get a pass Gates) just what miserable failures they've been in Iraq.

But did these so-called 'moderates' go to the White House because of their concern for the almost 3,400 men and women who have been needlessly killed? Or did they go because of the ridiculous $2 billion a week we're wasting or the $500 billion already wasted? No, they did not. They went because they are afraid they won't be reelected.

Real patriots these Republicans, aren't they? They sat back and watched and defended Bush and allowed this needless mistake of a war to rage on for 50 months with an immeasurable loss to this country, but all they’re worried about is getting reelected.

And these 11 Republicans are not 'moderates'. They were led to the White House by John Boehner so let’s put that goddamn lie from the media to bed right now.

Bottom line is, all of the Republicans are responsible for this war because they did nothing but rubber stamp everything Bush wanted when they controlled Congress.

And now they have the audacity to whine to that idiot about their political careers.

The rats are jumping from the ship. And for choosing their party politics over our troops and our country we need to drown these bastards just as soon as they hit the water.

Null and Void

The 'Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq', no longer applies and George Bush should be required to go back to Congress for authorization to remain in Iraq.

The resolution, which was opposed by a majority (58%) of congressional Democrats, had two stated objectives: 1) to defend the United States against Saddam Hussein and 2) enforce U.N. resolutions against Hussein’s government, and obviously, both of those objectives have been met and if Bush wants to stay in Iraq he needs to come back to Congress for the authorization to do so.

And we would see if Congress would fall for those lies again.
(h/t to Think Progress)

The executive has no right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or is not cause for declaring war. - James Madison

"Game time"?

You flippant assholes. Are you telling the loved ones of the first 3,381 killed there that they died during the 'pregame'?

We know you don't care, but try a little harder to hide it.

"It's game time'' in Iraq – where Americans are attempting to convince Iraqi leaders to forgo a summer vacation.

Vice President Dick Cheney dropped in on American military commanders in Baghdad this morning. Air Force Two landed at Baghdad International Airport at 8:56 a.m., local time, and Cheney flew by helicopter to the Green Zone, where he proceeded to the U.S. embassy.

...The vice president's message boils down to this, according to the official speaking on condition of anonymity: "We’ve all got challenges together. We’ve got to pull together. We’ve got to get this work done. It’s game time.”

And we call this liberation?

“The chance that an Iraqi child will live beyond age 5 has plummeted faster than anywhere else in the world since 1990,” according to the group Save the Children, which “placed the country last in its child survival rankings. One in eight Iraqi children died of disease or violence before reaching their fifth birthday in 2005.”
TP

I didn't know Condi was French?

She cashed in on Saddam's 'Oil for Food' scandal

So Chevron negotiated a 'settlement' with prosecutors by paying a '$25 million to $30 million' fine for sliding Saddam Hussein kickbacks in the infamous 'Oil for Food' program? And all this was going on while Condi Rice was on the Chevron board and heading up their 'public policy committee'?

Damn and I thought only France and Russia were paying Saddam kickbacks!

Who would have ever thought that our very own Secretary of State would be involved in our nation's "most threatening" enemy's kickback scandal?

Well, come to think of it, Ronald Reagan and Bush Sr. did sell weapons to Iraq, Iran and Osama bin Laden… so, what's a few bucks in kickbacks?

And after all, the lady has to buy shoes...

"According to the Volcker report, surcharges on Iraqi oil exports were introduced in August 2000 by the Iraqi state oil company, the State Oil Marketing Organization. At the time, Condoleezza Rice, now secretary of state, was a member of Chevron’s board and led its public policy committee, which oversaw areas of potential political concerns for the company.

Ms. Rice resigned from Chevron’s board on Jan. 16, 2001, after being named national security advisor by President Bush.

Sean McCormack, a State Department spokesman, referred inquires to Chevron.

According to Chevron’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, the public policy committee met three times in the course of 2000. Chevron declined to comment about the private deliberations of its board."