Clear and Present Danger: The Bush Presidency

There has never been a worse president than Bush. Those who work with him say the president is dangerously unhinged. They see him as a failure, as they pump up their own resumes.

The smart ones ran for higher ground years ago. The rest of them are stuck walking in lock step with the neorepublican agenda. Why, you say?

Rumor is the NSA has taped congress members phone calls and threatens them with blackmail if they refuse to tow the line.

A rumor we cannot verify, because Dubya wants to make darn sure there are no questions about his policies and no way to find out any background information on those policies.(See Chicago Tribune article- AT&T Case)

A lawyer friend said that there are still documents online which have been reclassified as secret. Dubya is telling us if you have looked at such documentation, it could be jail time for you. Doesn't matter if it was legal when you looked!

He would like to do the same with documents labeled "sensitive". Prissy has access to this type of documentation, and so do you. Much of the information Prissy gets from the US Army War College could be classified as such and if Dubya gets his way, it will be.

If he gets his way on this one, it will be a matter of time until the news will consist of nothing but missing college students on vacation and gushing over his booming two tiered economy-one for the rich, the other for the rest of us...

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UPDATES: From the DOJ April 12 letter to Judge Walton from Patrick Fitzgerald, Special Prosecutor

Re: United States v. I. Lewis Libby. Cr. No. 05-394 (RBW1)

We are writing to correct a sentence from the Government's Response to Defendant's Third Motion to Compel Discovery, filed on April 5,2006. The sentence, which is the second sentence of the second paragraph on page 23, reads, "Defendant understood that he was to tell Miller, among other things, that a key judgment of the NIE held that Iraq was 'vigorously trying to procure' uranium." That sentence should read, "Defendant understood that he was to tell Miller, among other things, some of the key judgments of the NIE, and that the NIE stated that Iraq was 'vigorously trying to procure' uranium." (In pdf) DOJ link

Note to Dearest Readers from Prissy Voice Of the White House- while certainly making for lively reading, is not checking out according to a diary on KOS. Darn, it was so much fun.

Yahoo Powell Forces Rice to Defend Iraq Planning

In January, Pentagon officials acknowledged that Paul Bremer, the senior U.S. official in Iraq during the first year of the war, told Rumsfeld in May 2004 that a far larger number of U.S. troops were needed to effectively fight the insurgency, but his advice was rejected.

Bremer said his memo to Rumsfeld suggested half a million troops were needed — more than three times the number there at the time.

"There will be time to go back and look at those days of the war and, after the war, to examine what went right and what went wrong," Rice said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

"But the goal and the purpose now is to make certain that we take advantage of what is now a very good movement forward on the political front to help this Iraqi government," she said.

Moscow Times Russia Still Wary of Iran Sanctions

"A diplomatic option implies different ways to react. We will discuss this with our European partners, the United States and the international community," President Vladimir Putin said Thursday in Tomsk at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Putin added that any response should be coordinated between governments.

The president also said the Iranian imbroglio remained an IAEA issue and should not be handed over for the Security Council to deal with alone.

The enrichment of uranium is not prohibited by international law, but Western governments are wary of Iran's intentions. Tehran insists its nuclear program is solely for generating power.

On Thursday, Putin reiterated Russia's position that Iran has a right to peaceful nuclear energy. But the president also called for enforcing the nonproliferation treaty.

Center for Immigration Studies. Prissy is against amnesty for illegal immigrants. (It doesn't solve the problem) Sorry in advance to Prissy's liberal friends...Businesses want illegal immigrants so they can exploit them. If the businesses were fined heavily, the problem would stop.

Prissy is always against the exploitation of other human-beings. Undocumented illegal immigrants are a problem and they are not only from Mexico. However, that may be how they get in to the US. Census Bureau: Over 100,000 Illegal Aliens from the Middle East Flashback- January 22,2002

The fact that more than eight million illegal aliens now live in the country demonstrates that amnesties don't solve the problem of illegal immigration. Although 2.7 million of the estimated five million illegal aliens living in the country in 1986 were given amnesty (legal permanent residence), the new estimates indicate that they have been entirely replaced by new illegal aliens and that by 2000 the illegal population was at least three million larger than before the last amnesty.

Although the INS has very serious shortcomings, it is not primarily responsible for this situation. Instead, the problem lies with Congress and successive administrations, Democratic and Republican. All have failed to provide the money or political support the INS needs to enforce the ban on hiring illegals and to track down those who overstay their visas.

"It is difficult to overstate the implications of this new report for the security of our nation," said Steven A. Camarota, Director of Research at the Center for Immigration Studies. "While the vast majority of illegals from the Middle East are not terrorists, the fact that tens of thousands of people from that region and millions more from the rest of the world can settle in the United States illegally means that terrorists who wish to do so face few obstacles. We can'’t protect ourselves from terrorism without dealing with illegal immigration."

Washington Times Israel has told the Bush administration that Iran is closer to having a nuclear weapon than was previously thought

The chapter leaves military action as a last resort, but the other two permanent members -- China and Russia -- are reluctant to approve even economic sanctions.

Diplomats are discussing compromises that include a ban on foreign travel by top Iranian officials.

The Tehran government remained defiant yesterday.

"Iran will not implement any forced resolution," chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani was quoted as saying in speech to university students in Tehran. "Iran's plan is to have research and development and the nuclear fuel cycle in Iran."

The negotiator also referred again to remarks by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said last week that Iran would harm U.S. interests around the world if it was attacked.

If one reads the Israeli papers, one would find Israel wants a war with Iran, and they intend for the United States to do something about this view.

Using diplomacy is not on the top of their list. Yet diplomacy doesn't ruin the environment or cause needless deaths and humanitarian crisis. Have you noticed who has poor diplomacy skills? Duyba, Israel and Iran. Bad combination. They really do want Armageddon.

As far as Israel and pre-emptive war, consider this from the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute

This text can be found at: (Must type in title) Preventative War and its alternatives:The Lessons of History by Dr. Dan Reiter

Some regard the 1981 Israeli attack on the Iraqi Osiraq nuclear reactor as the best example of a successful attack against an NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical weapons in the hands of rouge leaders)program, because it dealyed the Iraqi acquisition of a nuclear weapon, preventing Iraq from fashioning one by the time it invaded Kuwait in 1990.

However, according to the existing evidence, we cannot claim that the 1981 attack substantially delayed the Iraqi nuclear weapons program, because,absent the attack, Iraq would not have been close to building a nuclear weapon.

Talking Points Memo TMP

With respect to what's coming on Iran, what is in order is a little honesty, just as was the case with the Social Security debate a year ago. The only crisis with Iran is the crisis with the president's public approval ratings. Period. End of story. The Iranians are years, probably as long as a decade away, and possibly even longer from creating even a limited yield nuclear weapon. Ergo, the only reason to ramp up a confrontation now is to help the president's poll numbers.

This is a powerful message because it is an accurate message. We have many challenges overseas today. Chief among them, as one of the Democrats' senate candidates puts it, is "refocusing America's foreign and defense policies in a way that truly protects our national interests and seeks harmony where they are not threatened." The period of peril the country is entering into isn't tied to an Iranian bomb. It turns on how far a desperate president will go to avoid losing control of Congress.

Go to his heart. Go to his weaknesses. Though the realization of the fact is something of a lagging indicator, the man is a laughing stock, whose lies and failures are all catching up with him.

To the president the Democrats should be saying, Double or Nothing is Not a Foreign Policy.

He's got that right!

Washington Post-caught telling the truth The Untold Story of Israel's Bomb

By the time Prime Minister Levi Eshkol visited President Lyndon B. Johnson in January 1968, the official State Department view was that despite Israel's growing nuclear weapons potential, it had "not embarked on a program to produce a nuclear weapon." That assessment, however, eroded in the months ahead. By the fall, Assistant Defense Secretary Paul C. Warnke concluded that Israel had already acquired the bomb when Israeli Ambassador Yitzhak Rabin explained to him how he interpreted Israel's pledge not to be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons into the region. According to Rabin, for nuclear weapons to be introduced, they needed to be tested and publicly declared. Implicitly, then, Israel could possess the bomb without "introducing" it.

The question of what to do about the Israeli bomb would fall to Nixon. Unlike his Democratic predecessors, he and his national security adviser, Henry A. Kissinger, were initially skeptical about the effectiveness of the NPT. And though they may have been inclined to accommodate Israel's nuclear ambitions, they would have to manage senior State Department and Pentagon officials whose perspectives differed. Documents prepared between February and April 1969 reveal a great sense of urgency and alarm among senior officials about Israel's nuclear progress.

As Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird wrote in March 1969, these "developments were not in the United States' interests and should, if at all possible, be stopped." Above all, the Nixon administration was concerned that Israel would publicly display its nuclear capabilities.

Prissy's fear is that Israel will use their nukes (that they still don't admit they have) on Iran -a move which would not be without serious repercussions for the entire world. Prissy wonders if their government is too one sided to see the environmental concerns alone-should give them pause.

UK Sunday Times US admits Iraq is terror 'cause'

Report says that 11,000 attacks worldwide shows the war has become driving factor for extremists

THREE years after its invasion of Iraq the US Administration acknowledged yesterday that the war has become "a cause" for Islamic extremists worldwide and there is a risk of the country becoming a safe haven for terrorists hoping to launch fresh attacks on America.

According to CIA data released yesterday, there were 11,111 terrorist incidents last year, killing more than 14,600 non-combatants, including 8,300 in Iraq. Of the 56 American civilians killed by terrorists in 2005, some 47 of them were in Iraq.

The figures in the State Department'’s annual report on terror represented a fourfold rise compared with 2004, partly because it has adopted a broader definition of such incidents since having to withdraw data used two years ago on the ground that it was grossly understated. Officials conceded yesterday that the rising violence in Iraq was a factor in last year'’s figures, saying that fatalities from terrorism there had "probably doubled"”.

Yet Dubya won't admit he lied and caused all of this mess. Helen Thomas, bless her heart-continues to ask the White House "So, why did we really invade Iraq?" Helen is another American hero-one of the few in the press!

From the American Federation of Scientists. Dubya and Israel think it "could work" if we use nuclear bunker busters on Iran or whoever. Look what those weapons really do-and they don't even bust bunkers. Short flash movie: Nuclear Bunker Busters Are Dangerous, Ineffective, and Unneeded

Zaman-Turkey Turkish Army Conduct Military Maneuvers on Iraqi Border

According to information gathered from a high-ranking official, the Turkish army is concentrating a military buildup on the border to prevent terrorists, infiltrating across the border and to preserve its own border security in the case of a possible US intervention in Iran. The official who wanted to remain anonymous told that routine operations against the PKK will continue. The special forces in Northern Iraq will try to clear Kandil Mountain, considered to be the headquarters of the PKK from terrorists, in a direct operation,” the official informed. In the case of possible US military action against Iran, Turkey will conduct its own military intervention in Iran "to prevent terrorists" crossing the border and to preserve border security. In the meantime, security measures on the border have increased to the highest level. The military convoy, which was photographed by Zaman as it was making military dispatch to the border yesterday, passed through the Habur-2 Border

Gate on the Uludere-Beytussebab highway. Turkish troops are expected to conduct military maneuvers on the Iraq border within a week. Across the border, it is claimed that settlements close to Kandil and the Turkey border are being evacuated and the residents of these settlements are being moved to the inner regions of Northern Iraq. Over 20 villages in the region of Kandil were evacuated to prevent any loss of life. The peshmergas in Northern Iraq will be deployed to the border at the request of the U.S.

This is a bad move on the part of Turkey. Experts said the war in Iraq would open a Pandora's box and so it has. How much longer will Dubya play chicken, hiding behind American soldiers ? He will mess around and cause massive fuel shortages in the United States. Of course, he will have plenty...

Wall Street Journal Prosecutors May Widen Congressional-Bribe Case

In recent weeks, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have fanned out across Washington, interviewing women from escort services, potential witnesses and others who may have been involved in the arrangement. In an interview, the assistant general manager of the Watergate Hotel confirmed that federal investigators had requested, and been given, records relating to the investigation and rooms in the hotel. But he declined to disclose what the records show. A spokeswoman for Starwood Inc., Westin's parent company, said she wasn't immediately able to get information on whether the Westin Grand had been contacted by investigators.

Mr. Cunningham, a Republican from San Diego, was sentenced March 3 to more than eight years in federal prison after he admitted taking $2.4 million in bribes. The bribes were taken in exchange for helping executives obtain large contracts with the Defense Department and other federal agencies. Mr. Cunningham, who resigned from Congress in November, pleaded guilty to two criminal counts, one of tax evasion and one of conspiracy.

In documents filed in federal court in San Diego, prosecutors listed four "co-conspirators" in the bribing of Mr. Cunningham. The two who allegedly played the biggest role, listed as co-conspirators No. 1 and No. 2, have been confirmed by Justice Department officials and defense lawyers to be Mr. Wilkes and Mitchell Wade, the founder and former head of MZM Inc., a software and computer-services firm that Mr. Cunningham helped to gain federal contracts.

MZM you say? Here's more MZM Inc. (Center for Public Intergrity)

MZM Inc. is a high-tech national security firm based in Washington, D.C. The private firm provides intelligence gathering, technology and homeland security analysis and consulting for both international and domestic governments and private-sector clients. The firm also provides consulting on political and public message strategies.

Boston Globe Bush challenges hundreds of lawsPresident cites powers of his office

President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution.

Among the laws Bush said he can ignore are military rules and regulations, affirmative-action provisions, requirements that Congress be told about immigration services problems, ''whistle-blower" protections for nuclear regulatory officials, and safeguards against political interference in federally funded research.

Legal scholars say the scope and aggression of Bush's assertions that he can bypass laws represent a concerted effort to expand his power at the expense of Congress, upsetting the balance between the branches of government. The Constitution is clear in assigning to Congress the power to write the laws and to the president a duty ''to take care that the laws be faithfully executed." Bush, however, has repeatedly declared that he does not need to ''execute" a law he believes is unconstitutional.

And...Many legal scholars say they believe that Bush's theory about his own powers goes too far and that he is seizing for himself some of the law-making role of Congress and the Constitution-interpreting role of the courts.

Alrighty. Need any more proof he is a dictator or believes he is?

Editor and Publisher Colbert Lampoons Bush at White House Correspondents Dinner-- President Not Amused?

Addressing the reporters, he said, "Let's review the rules. Here's how it works. The president makes decisions, he's the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Put them through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know--fiction."

He claimed that the Secret Service name for Bush's new press secretary is "Snow Job."

Colbert closed his routine with a video fantasy where he gets to be White House Press Secretary, complete with a special "Gannon" button on his podium. By the end, he had to run from Helen Thomas and her questions about why the U.S. really invaded Iraq and killed all those people.

As Colbert walked from the podium, when it was over, the president and First Lady gave him quick nods, unsmiling, and handshakes, and left immediately.

Get used to it Dubya, we don't like your kind around in these here United States...Hand sign for "Down with W"

Wired Bush to Shield AT&T From Lawsuit

"[T]he fact that the United States will assert the state secrets privilege should not be construed as a confirmation or denial of any of Plaintiffs allegations, either about AT&T or the alleged surveillance activities," the filing reads. "When allegations are made about purported classified government activities or relationships, regardless of whether those allegations are accurate, the existence or non-existence of the activity or relationship is potentially a state secret."

The Justice Department has not formally invoked the privilege yet.

But they will invoke "state secrets"- because they know this lawsuit will prove how they disregarded F.I.S.A. and the Fourth Amendment.

Chicago Tribune Bush team imposes thick veil of secrecy

But after the Sept. 11 attacks, and amid growing concern about information that terrorists might obtain from the government, then-Bush Chief of Staff Andrew Card issued an order in March 2002 demanding that any "Sensitive but Unclassified Information" related to homeland security be released only after careful consideration "on a case-by-case basis."

That has led to a proliferation of documents stamped "Sensitive but Unclassified" or simply "For Office Use Only," according to experts who track government record-keeping.

The Bush administration is "objectively more secretive" than its recent predecessors, Aftergood said.

"Anyone who calls or writes a government agency for information encounters barriers that were just not there a decade ago," he said. "The government is undergoing a mutation in which we are gradually shifting into another kind of government in which executive authority is supreme and significantly unchecked."

But Dubya expects you to willingly give up your personal information. He is making sure to gut any privacy protections the American people still have.

Reuters-About the Poodle Blair fights to put scandals behind him

Blair has staggered from one bad headline to another in the last two months and a Sunday poll showed most people think his government is "sleazy and incompetent" and indicated a slide in his personal ratings to a historic low.

All Dubya's international buddies are feeling the heat of We the People...

BBC Italy's Berlusconi set to resign

We comply because we are democratic, but inside ourselves we remain convinced that the majority prize has been wrongly assigned."

Give it up Berlusconi-you lost fair and square. Prissy is embarrassed for you.

Berlusconi looks upon the results of he and Dubya's deadly decision

Alertnet Reuters Italy salutes return of fallen soldiers from Iraq

Unlike in the United States, Canada and other countries, the return of fallen Italian servicemen is given a high media profile and the event was broadcast live on television.

The funeral of the men -- Nicola Ciardelli, Carlo De Trizio and Franco Lattanzio -- will take place in one of Rome's most well-known churches on Tuesday.

And...Under Berlusconi's government, Italy deployed some 3,000 troops in Iraq, the fourth largest foreign contingent there, despite widespread domestic opposition to the war.

Dubya hides his shame from the cameras, in the same breath calling the ones he sent to death heroes- whose funerals he has no time for.

EuroNews EU governments unaware of CIA ops - not likely -report

More than 1,000 CIA-operated flights crossed EU territory with suspect motives; Only one EU country asked questions about them - Spain. That is according to a key European Union lawmaker.

He has supported allegations that U.S. intelligence kidnapped and illegally held terror suspects on EU territory - and flew them to countries that used torture.

And...On the basis of his investigations, following a Washington Post report late last year, that the CIA had run secret prisons in Eastern Europe, Fava said several European governments were probably aware.

He singled out Italy, Sweden and non-EU Bosnia.

But Condi and Rummi claim of "great progress in Iraq" BBC Iran 'attacks Iraq Kurdish area

Nice going Dubya, Granny said to tell you "the more you stir it, the more it stinks." Speaking of Grannies

Meet Bush's latest enemy in the war on Iraq: the Raging Grannies of Tucson, Arizona

Three years after the start of the Iraq war, one thing New York police do not lack is experience in dealing with protesters - so when they were called to a disturbance at the military recruitment centre in Times Square last October, it sounded like just another routine demonstration.

Instead, they found 18 elderly women, many in their 80s and one aged 90, blocking the entrance and demanding to enlist in place of young men.

Let us see...Dubya has enraged Vietnam Vets, Iraq Vets, Grandma & Grandpa, Military Families, West Point and the rest of the sane world.Iraq Vets Against the War-New York, yesterday. 300,000+ protested the war.

Don't miss the May 13, 2006 Mother of all protests! Mother's Day weekend in Washington D.C.

More information at Military Families Speak Out

Quotes of the Day

Persuasion is often more effectual than force.--Aesop

We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.--Aesop

I will have nought to do with a man who can blow hot and cold with the same breath.--Aesop, The Man and the Satyr

I never dared to be radical when young. For fear it would make me conservative when old.--Robert Frost, 'Ten Mills,' A Further Range, 1936

"Josh Bolten has put together a five-point recovery plan to help push President Bush up in the opinion polls. How about a five-point plan to get out of Iraq, wouldn't that push up the opinion polls?" --Jay Leno

(paraphrased) "While New Orleans may be considered the chocolate city, Washington D.C. is a chocolate city with a white marshmallow center and a graham cracker crust of corruption..." Stephen Colbert

Part One and Two of the Colbert Report at the White House Correspondence Dinner-A Must See!

Part 1

Part 2

How America Got Her Groove Back, Page One

You knew he did it. The cabal finally knows that we know too. Prissy is very sorry for the mistake.

This note talks about Rove's testimony-fill in the blanks Hat tip to Fitz and staff!

The number 250 in the note are thought to be emails from Dick and Dubya keeping tabs with Rove and others to see how the "Smear and/or Fear" campaigns that they are known for. In this case, when Joe Wilson wrote an OpEd piece for the NY Times refuting many of the justifications for the war on Iraq-the Bushies declared war on him and thus his long-time, CIA employed wife.

If 12 of the 23 jurors agree that Rove should be indicted, Fitz will hold a press conference Monday, unless the jury needs to deliberate longer.

There is so much spin in the mainstream media-but you can just about disregard everything they say that comes from the White House or other cabal members. Pure spin.

Prissy isn't sure she is buying the "wait 10 days for decision" statement Rove's $500+ an hour lawyer is claiming, either. When reminded he wasn't the president...Rove and Limbaugh are pink people. Normally, Prissy thinks pink is a fine color.

Prissy will go out on a limb here and say that the jury has had to have seen enough of Rove to indict. Look for others soon. Prissy still places her bet on Rove/Hadley/Card coming soon...

Make no mistake about it, Dearest Readers. Freedom is on the march in America (Iraq is another story) Justice will prevail.

In fact, Roves paperwork will look a lot like this-Libby's indictment. 22 pages of very interesting reading. Should you require extra assurance the USS America will change course,please read Scooter's indictment. You'll laugh, you'll cry...and Scooters lawyer had the nerve to ask for a dismissal. The judge said no way...read the indictment and say "no wonder".

Dubya might think because he said he is the "decider", that he will decide this as well. It will hardly be the first time he has been wrong...

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UPDATE: The US Army War college latest green book blasts the pre-emptive war strategy. More on that later.

Truthout Fitzgerald to Seek Indictment of Rove By Jason Leopold

In the event that an indictment is handed up by the grand jury it would be filed under seal. A press release would then be issued by Fitzgerald's press office indicating that the special prosecutor will hold a news conference, likely on a Friday afternoon, sources close to the case said. The media would be given more than 24 hours notice of a press conference, sources added.

Luskin was at his office when called for comment but his assistant said he would not take the call or comment on this story.

In recent weeks, sources close to the case said, Fitzgerald's staff has met with Rove's legal team several times to discuss a change in Rove's status in the case - from subject to target - based on numerous inconsistencies in Rove's testimony, whether he discussed Plame Wilson with reporters before her name and CIA status were published in newspaper reports, and whether he participated in a smear campaign against her husband.

The meetings between Luskin and Fitzgerald which took place on several occasions a few weeks ago were called to discuss a timeframe to schedule a return to the grand jury by Rove to testify about, among other things, 250 pages of emails that resurfaced February 6 from Vice President Dick Cheney's office and the Office of President Bush in which Rove wrote to former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card about strategizing an attack against Wilson, sources familiar with the case said.

New Neil Young album streaming from the internet. It's good, Prissy is a new fan. Rust Never Sleeps didn't do much for Prissy-but this one sure does...Living With War

Pink people like this might be endearing if they were not unbelievably mean

NY Times Rush Limbaugh Arrested on Prescription Drug Charges

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 29 (AP) Rush Limbaugh was arrested today on prescription drug charges, with his lawyer saying he has reached a deal with prosecutors that will eventually see the charges dismissed if he continues treatment for drug addiction.

The subject of a three-year investigation by prosecutors, Mr. Limbaugh turned himself in to authorities on a warrant charging him with fraud to conceal information to obtain prescriptions, said Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Jail.

The 55-year-old conservative radio commentator came into the jail about 4 p.m. with his lawyer, Roy Black, and left an hour later after he was photographed and fingerprinted and he posted $3,000 bail, Ms. Barbera said.

"He just kind of came in and he left," Ms. Barbera said.

Daily News Funds-starved Abramoff and family spotted at costly resort

WASHINGTON - Jack Abramoff might be facing financial ruin and a long prison sentence, but he still knows how to vacation.

Guests at the oceanfront Turnberry Isle Resort and Country Club in Aventura, Fla., say they were surprised to see Abramoff, his wife and their five children at the 300-acre resort for more than a week for the Passover holiday.

The Abramoffs arranged the trip through a Brooklyn-based travel agency that, according to its Web site, charged a minimum of $3,600 per adult for a nine-night Passover package.

The Guardian Musharraf insists: I'm not George Bush's poodle (Uh, sure- neither is Tony Blair)

Pervez Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999 when he was head of the country's armed forces, forcing the country's elected prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, into exile in Saudi Arabia. Initial international condemnation faded after September 2001, when Gen Musharraf dropped his support for the Taliban and threw his weight behind the US-led "war on terror".

He has since become a key ally in the west's hunt for al-Qaida extremists but his popularity has plummeted due to widespread anti-American sentiment. In December 2003 he survived two al-Qaida assassination attempts in two weeks. Gen Musharraf attempted to legitimise his rule through elections in 2002 that observers described as deeply flawed. A self-described liberal, he has introduced some social reforms but also allied himself with hardline religious parties when necessary. Last year he advanced the peace process with India through "cricket diplomacy".

The Hill House will debate Iraq

"If the Committee on International Relations produces a resolution that calls for a debate, I will schedule it for the House floor," Boehner (OH-R) replied.

But the majority leader, rather than the International Relations Committee, now is the impetus behind the plan to hold a full debate on Iraq.

A Republican member of the panel said that it has been charged with producing a resolution to stimulate debate. And Sam Stratman, the committee's spokesman, said yesterday that he had not heard anything about crafting a resolution on the Iraq war.

"This is very strange. I haven't heard anything about it," he said.

This debate is long overdue. They don't support our soldiers, they only support this war. Congress is feeling the heat from constituents and they know they better pretend to do something.

They should be afraid-malfeasance and negligence are serious issues...

Yahoo Nuclear Agency: Iran in Defiance of U.N.

"On Iran, there was unanimity," Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos told reporters. "Although the clear message to the Iranian authorities is one of firmness, we have to continue with the diplomatic path."

Rice said it was time for the Security Council to act if the world body wished to remain credible.

"The Security Council is the primary and most important institution for the maintenance of peace and stability and security and it cannot have its word and its will simply ignored by a member state," Rice said.

Iran's U.N. ambassador, Javad Zarif, said Thursday that Tehran will refuse to comply even if the council request is turned into a demand through a resolution because its activities are legal and peaceful. Enrichment can be used to generate fuel or make the fissile core of nuclear weapons.

"If the Security Council decides to take decisions that are not within its competence, then Iran does not feel obliged to obey," he said in New York.

Hey Condi, what about those66 UN resolutions passed against Israeli? Why is no one mentioning that? After all, Dubya said we will use American military soldiers to defend Israel from Iran.

Washington Report on the Middle East Total Direct Aid to Israel Conservatively Estimated at Almost $105 Billion

The of the 109th Congress seems a good time to update the estimate of total U.S. direct aid to Israel as last presented in the May 2003 Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (WRMEA). It is important to emphasize that this analysis will attempt to give a conservative, defensible accounting of U.S. direct aid to Israel not of Israel'’s cost to the U.S. or to the American taxpayer, nor of the benefit to Israel of U.S. aid.

The distinction is important, because the indirect or consequential costs suffered by the U.S. as a result of its blind support for Israel exceed by many times the substantial amount of direct aid to Israel. Some of these "indirect or consequential"” costs would include the costs to U.S. manufacturers of the Arab boycott, the costs to U.S. companies and consumers of the Arab oil embargo and consequent soaring oil prices as a result of U.S. support for Israel in the 1973 war, and the costs of U.S. unilateral economic sanctions on Iran, Iraq, Libya, and Syria.

Furthermore, this computation does not include the costs of the invasion and occupation of Iraq hundreds of billions of dollars, more than 1,700 U.S. and allied fatalities and untold tens of thousands of Iraqi fatalities —which is widely believed in Washington and almost universally believed in the Arab world to have been undertaken for the benefit of Israel.

"Just say no" to attacking Iran...

SF Gate Five members of Congress arrested over Sudan protest

"We have been calling on the civilized world to stand up and to say, 'Enough,' " Lantos said. "The slaughter of the people of Darfur must end."

Lantos' arrest comes as a diverse coalition of human rights activists is planning to stage major Sudan-related rallies Sunday in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and other cities here and overseas. In recent months, the deteriorating situation in Sudan has become a dilemma for the Bush administration, which formally declared the killings in Sudan genocide in September 2004. Now, activists are trying to push pressure on the White House.

Great they will stand against other atrocities, but yet not for Americans needlessly losing their lives in Iraq.

USA Today Economy rebounds with 4.8% annual growth rate in Q1; inflation weakens (No way this is happening in Ohio)

"The economy is off to a strong start in 2006 and has fully rebounded from the fourth quarter's setback," said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group.

The first quarter's performance , the best showing since the third quarter of 2003 was close to economists' expectations. Before the report was released, private analysts were forecasting the economy to clock in at a 4.9% growth rate.

Even with the economy zipping ahead in the first quarter, inflation moderated.

An inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve showed that core prices - excluding food and energy -rose by 2%, down from 2.4% in the fourth quarter.

That's the corporate media spin in bold. So as long as you don't need food, gasoline or heating fuel- you should note the economy is "rebounding".

Media Bloggers Assoc MBA Member Hit With Multi-Million Dollar Federal Lawsuit

MBA Member Lance Dutson who blogs at Maine Web Report was recently served with a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Maine. The lawsuit alleges copyright infringement and defamation for reporting and commentary written and published by Dutson on his blog.

"This case is nothing more than an attempt by a deep-pocketed litigant to bully a blogger for criticizing state officials and state contractors"", said MBA President Robert Cox. "We have successfully defended MBA members in nine previous cases and I don't expect the outcome here to be be any different."

Dutson went public this morning with news of the lawsuit and provided key links here including his account of the events leading up to the lawsuit and the complaint served on Dutson by the local sheriff at his home in Maine. Dutson has vowed to fight.

"The idea that criticism of the state government can be defamatory is absurd", said Dutson, "This attempt to bludgeon critics of the state government is not going to work."

Still trying to shred the First Amendment...

SOI Strategic Outlook Institute

China Daily Health official denies bird flu cover-up

The Asian edition of the U.S-based Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported doubted China's bird flu data. The report said some officials might be concealing suspected cases and the death toll in China is higher than the official tally of 12.

"We must clarify that China has not been concealing any confirmed or suspected human case of bird flu since the first case occurred in November of last year," Mao noted.

China has reported 18 human infections of bird flu, including 12 fatalities. The latest case was an eight-year pupil in southwest China's Sichuan Province who is being treated in a local hospital. News of her illness was revealed yesterday, the day it was confirmed by authorities, which was 11 days after she contracted the disease.

The World Health Organization has recorded 205 human cases of bird flu involving 113 deaths by April 27. Experts have warned the virus could mutate into a form that could pass between people and cause a pandemic.

Wired Service Judge exempts Padilla lawyers from rule

The U.S. Justice Department had wanted them to sign another "memorandum of understanding" spelling out in greater detail what they can and cannot do with the secret evidence. It would have required lawyers to agree to never reveal anything classified and to shred copies of classified evidence, among other restrictions.

But U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke agreed with defense attorneys who said the proposed agreement was heavy-handed and unnecessary.

"There is no legal basis for it," said Anthony Natale, an assistant federal public defender who is part of Padilla's defense team. "We view it as an insult to us and an insult to our integrity."

Quote of the Day

They admit it! They are worthless!

"Having an open discussion on the House floor is unproductive," said Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), an officer in the Army Reserve and chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. "The House floor is reserved for productivity."

For Steve Buyer and the rest, who are more concerned about career than our soldiers...may they all endure nightmares for what they have allowed to happen...

"Civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when the State becomes lawless and corrupt." --Mahatma Gandhi

The less their ability, the more their conceit.-- Ahad HaAm

Martyrdom... is the only way in which a man can become famous without ability. --George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

Europe was created by history. America was created by philosophy.--Margaret Thatcher (1925 - )

Thank you to Allison, a journalism student Prissy met at a Winter Soldier movie showing, for this timely quote. Prissy is pleased our youth are so aware. Shame on Dubya for trying to ruin their futures and allowing his buddies to do the same.

As Pink said in her song, "What kind of father...

"Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government. And paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people and sending them off to distant lands to die of foreign fevers and foreign shot and shell." --Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, New York Times, Co. v. United States, 1971, RE: The Pentagon Papers

What Shall We Do With "the Dubya"?

Dubya without his brains? Pundits and political analysts alike are saying he will be left to slowly twist in the wind, knowing not what to say or what to do next...

Bolten and Snow will simply be clean up crew for what is left of the neorepublican party once the Dubya damage assessments come in.

Indeed boys- it is important to recall the American Nazi party is still in existence too-but membership, these days, is down...

Prissy is sure Kenny boy Mehlman will seize this as an opportunity. If he's smart (and Prissy believes he is-in a diabolical fashion) he will do much for the rich white guy cause of oppressing everyone who isn't them.

As far as Rove not being a target according to his lawyer. Good one...Really? Did he roll over on others? Prissy cannot imagine...

As far as the troop cuts of 30,000-are they including the 30,000 they sent for the rotation that recently went in? So just what would that base line number be, Rummy?

Hot Links

Concurring Opinions Karl Rove is the Subject of this Blog Post

...the special counsel has advised Mr. Rove that he is not a target of the investigation. Mr. Fitzgerald has affirmed that he has made no decisions regarding charges. At the request of the special counsel, Mr. Rove will not discuss the substance of his testimony.

This isn't the first time that Luskin has made this claim. But the news media still aren't really digging into what this means.

Being "not a target" is a good thing for Rove. But it would be better if he were "not a subject" of the grand jury's inquiry either, and the failure of the Special Prosecutor to say so means that KR remains in some (unknown) amount of legal jeopardy. The distinction between these two concepts has been usefully discussed on Talkleft: for a recent post see here. Before today's appearance, there was a rumor that Fitzgerald sent Rove a target letter. Either that rumor was false, or Luskin will some day have some explaining to do. I'm betting on the former. Because it would be frankly shocking were Rove to have testified before the Grand Jury after receiving a target letter. I'm not saying it couldn't have happened under some immunity agreement that hasn't surfaced, but it is exceedingly unlikely.

Yahoo. Hey Dubya, Prissy's Granny is ready to throttle you over the mess you made of Medicare...almost as if someone purposely made it difficult for the older folks. More of that deliberate incompetence passive/aggressive behavior from the neocons.

Telling elderly to sign-up on the internet did not work for most of them Government Sued Over Medicare Drug Benefit

The suit also claims that some poor beneficiaries did enroll but the government failed to notify insurers quickly enough.

The suit filed in U.S. District Court in northern California asks a federal judge to order those involved in the case receive the full benefits of the Medicare Part D program.

The plaintiffs also are seeking to have the suit made into a class-action case.

"We think hundreds of thousands of people's health may be endangered," said one of the lawyers, Jeanne Finberg.

The program, which began on Jan. 1, ran into immediate problems, forcing many states to step in and help pay for drugs for the poorest beneficiaries.

Al-JazeeraEgypt minister: Recent attacks linked

"The information we have indicates that (the perpetrators) are Sinai Bedouin, and the latest operations are linked to the previous attacks," Habib el-Adly told state television on Wednesday, referring to the terror attacks in the Sinai resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh last July and Taba in October 2004.

Three bombs exploded nearly simultaneously on Monday in the Sinai resort of Dahab, killing 21 people and wounding more than 80, and two suicide bombers attacked international peacekeepers and Egyptian police on Wednesday on the northern edge of the Sinai Peninsula.

El-Adly said he believed Wednesday's attacks, in which only the suicide bombers were hurt, were carried out by the same group responsible for the Dahab bombings on Monday, and that they both strikes were linked to those of 2005 and 2004.

Tehran goes nuclear over women attending football

In the 1998 World Cup Iran beat the US, a feat that still inspires national pride. Mr Ahmadi-Nejad has trained with the national team and was an accomplished striker at school.

His populist move has confused both fundamentalists and reformists who had regarded him as socially conservative. He was elected last June on a promise to restore the values of the Islamic revolution and redistribute oil wealth.

On Monday the president told sporting authorities to build special areas in stadiums where women and families could sit safely. Some supporters of the decision said the presence of women at games could calm boisterous all-male crowds.

But the reform has met strong opposition from parts of the religious establishment. Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani ruled that it was forbidden for women to see “men’s bodies even if not to gain pleasure” and suggested separate stadiums for women to watch women’s football.

Didn't Dubya accuse the President of Iran as backward? Not only is he an accomplished soccer athlete, he is somewhat favorable to reforms for women.

Seems our own little terror is more of a threat which cannot be reasoned with.

The Next Hurrah Weird Things about the AIPAC Case

I've been thinking more about Condi's leaks--about the AIPAC case in general. And I'd like to raise a number of data points for discussion. You see, there have been numerous hints throughout the life of the case that "they" (whoever is the real target of this investigation) attempted to stem the damage by sacrificing Larry Franklin. Given that, it's really curious to find out now that Condi may have been involved in leaking information to AIPAC.

Does that mean Condi was always a target? Or that those who were targets (everyone's favorite Neocon characters) are also impugning Condi, as someone who can rescue Steve Rosen's case, but someone who is not so valuable she can't be lost? I'm not really sure; like I said, here are some data points.

Let's go back to the beginning. (Much of this chronology comes from the reporting Josh Marshall and Laura Rozen have done on this case.) The active investigation of Franklin started in July 2003. In May 2004, after the FBI caught Franklin leaking sensitive information to CBS reporter (and disgruntled former CIA employee) Adam Ciralsky, they flipped Franklin, and got him to wear a wire. News of the case was leaked in August 2004, serving to alert a bunch of people to the FBI's investigation (there are conflicting versions of who leaked the news of the investigation).

Note to Prissy's Dearest Readers, the propaganda mills known as corporate owned news is not about to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, just yet. They are too busy CYAing saying "Dubya made us feel unAmerican, we didn't think we could print alternate views". And that is an excuse because war would give them or their parent companie$ no gain? Prissy doesn't think so...

The Hill Newt, pot lead iFrist in podcasts

Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) is foundering.

On the Democratic side, he lags behind several current and former colleagues, as well as retired Gen. Wesley Clark. He cannot compete with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.). Truth be told, he is less popular than pot.

No, these standings are not taken from a poll about the prospective 2008 presidential hopefuls but from the rankings of the most popular political podcasts put out on Apple ComputerÂ’s iTunes Music Store.

BBC... You guys nab the neocon element over there, and we'll grab them over there. Ready? MEPs reveal extent of CIA flights

Earlier this year the European human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, made similar allegations, but these were dismissed by the US as hearsay.

pp

"The CIA has... clearly been responsible for kidnapping and illegally detaining alleged terrorists." Claudio Fava Italian MEP

Unveiling his report, Mr Fava said European governments and intelligence agencies should have verified the purpose of the CIA flights.

"We just have to think about the use of the airspace and airports by [the] CIA: more than 1,000 flights run by the US secret services, often used directly for extraordinary renditions," he said.

Hearsay, did they say? Um, what about the documentation and witnesses? Hearsay, you don't say...

Truthout Target Letter Drives Rove Back to Grand Jury by Jason Leopold

A federal grand jury target letter is sent to a person in a criminal investigation who is likely to be indicted. In a prepared statement Wednesday, Luskin said Fitzgerald indicated that Rove is not a "target" of the investigation. A "target" of a grand jury investigation is a person who a prosecutor has substantial evidence to link to a crime.

Last week, Rove was stripped of some of his policy duties in a White House shakeup orchestrated by incoming Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten. The White House insisted that Rove was not demoted, but insiders said the executive branch is bracing for a possible indictment against Rove.

Luskin was accompanying Rove to US District Court in Washington, DC, Wednesday morning and unavailable for comment. Rove was told by Fitzgerald's staff that his testimony could last for as long as three hours.

In an interview last week, Luskin confirmed that Rove was a "subject" of Fitzgerald's probe. In a previous interview, Luskin asserted that Rove would not be indicted by Fitzgerald, but he was unwilling to make that same prediction again during an interview last week.

Dick and Karl doing the Yellow Cake Tango by artist Stephen Pitt

Zaman in Turkey 'Strategic Vision' Defined for Turkey and US

Rice also pressed the need for the formation of a triple mechanism in Iraq, in addition to the formation of a new government.

The Secretary of State asked the Turkish government to side with the international community in its efforts to combat Iran's nuclear activities.

"Iran has to take steps towards peace in order to keep the notion of peace in the Middle East alive; however, Iran retains its right to have nuclear energy,"” said Erdogan in response to the demand from Rice.

Erdogan and Rice also spoke over the recent developments in Palestine in connection with the notion of peace in the Middle East.

Erdogan told Rice that "Palestine should not be punished for the democratically elected power in the country."

WaPo Many Israeli Holocaust survivors live in poverty

The Finance Ministry said the government allocates 1.5 billion shekels ($330 million) a year to Holocaust survivors, giving them payments "far higher" than the social security allotments received by other elderly.

But, providing figures on the eve of Israel's annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Holocaust Survivors' Welfare Fund said around 80,000 of the 280,000 survivors in the country lived below the poverty line.

"Israel has always been busy remembering the dead but forgetting the living," said Zeev Feiner, a spokesman for the welfare fund.

Well said.

From German site:

It was 9/11 Treason (ist) Con Rice, U.S. Secretary of State, that allowed the Mossad agent Sandy Berger into the US Archives to eat the Able Danger evidence.

Note The material we are bringing to you today ties back to the original Able Danger team that has been part of the investigation trapping and fingering this group of criminals and narcotic traffickers linked to the Black Ops mentioned above.

The U.S. French task force operating today in cooperation IS just a further extension of the original Able Danger team.

Note: Con Rice under Fitzgerald inquiry for leaking sensitive US National Security info to the Israeli Mossad using Iranian double agent Yellowcake Chalabi as the faucet.

Time will tell...

Condi at the top of her game. Rumor says the ole boy liked Condi's legs...

Quotes of the Day

Thank God men cannot as yet fly and lay waste the sky as well as the earth!-- Henry David Thoreau

In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress.-- John Adams

Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.--Abraham Lincoln

You may deceive all the people part of the time, and part of the people all the time, but not all the people all the time.--Abraham Lincoln

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.--Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863

But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.--John Adams

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.--John Adams

Music of the Times- Nobody in this world can say Americans cannot sing. Prissy applauds this burst of creativity amongst our artists. Musical artist Pink changed one mind with her song-that of her Vietnam Vet father. That is the important one...

Prissy isn't sure of the artist in this song but will credit her when possible Ode to Bush Soothing

One to send to pro-war friends: The Time is Now

Hey Fitz, Now is it Okay to Open Our Eyes ?

Is it over yet? Did they get the bad guys? What's taking them sooo long?

New phase? How about we go with what we've got. Trust Prissy on this one-we have plenty-ongoing can keep going.

After all, trials can last a long, long time. Just a guess, but this one probably won't...

Hot Links

Not all Canadian media is going with the blackout of returning fallen soldiers Families gather to welcome fallen soldiers home from Afghanistan Pictures on the site.

The bodies of four Canadian soldiers killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan are back in this country, their families and dignitaries on hand to greet them.

The families lined up on the tarmac of CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario Tuesday evening to welcome home the bodies of Bombardier Myles Mansell, Lieut. William Turner, Cpl. Matt Dinning and Cpl. Randy Payne.

The incident that took their lives was the single worst day for Canadian military combat casualties since the Korean War more than 50 years ago.

One by one, an honour guard removed the flag-wrapped coffins from the military aircraft and carried them to waiting hearses. The first stop will be Toronto, where autopsies will be performed.

Sen. Roberts seeks delay of Intel probe

A report on these three areas would be made separately from the most controversial aspects of the inquiry. Left unfinished would be a report on whether public statements and testimony about Iraq by senior U.S. government officials were substantiated by available intelligence information. Roberts also would leave unfinished another report on what Democrats have called possibly illegal activity in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, formerly headed by Douglas Feith, who is believed to have played an important role in persuading the president to invade Iraq.

The committee may review statements by President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

Democrats charged that the committee did almost nothing to evaluate the statements of public officials before November, when Democrats forced the Senate into closed session.

GOP spokespeople for Roberts and the committee did not return calls for comment.

In light that, read this...

PREWAR INTELLIGENCE:Is There A Double Standard On Leak Probes?

Whether or not Roberts' comments were inadvertent, former intelligence officials said, they almost certainly tipped off the Iraqi dictator that there were spies close to him. "He [Roberts] had given up that we had a penetration of [Saddam's] inner circle," says a former senior intelligence official. "It was the worst thing you could ever do."

What repercussions, if any, occurred in Baghdad as a result of Roberts' comments could not be determined, according to sources. After the missile and bombing attack on his bunker, it is possible that Hussein suspected that he had a spy or spies within his entourage, intelligence officials said. One former official said that the Iraqi dictator "very well may have thought he had been located because of electronic monitoring." Two former intelligence officials said the disclosure by Roberts may have made it more difficult to launch a second missile or bombing attack against Saddam Hussein in the early days of the war.

A spokesperson for Roberts did not respond to numerous phone messages seeking comment for this story, and did not respond to an e-mail inquiry.

A Republican congressional aide who was familiar with the March 20, 2003 speech and who spoke to Roberts about it around the time it occurred, said that Roberts' comments were a "mistake" and a "dumb act," and "not done with bad intent." The aide suggested that Roberts might have been carried away by the moment, or acted out of "self-aggrandizement."

See the video. Nancy Pelosi Nancy Pelosi's Speech to Dubya

A Quote from the speech: "The middle class squeeze is on, competition in our country is affected by the price of energy and of oil and all of a sudden you take a trip outside of Washington, see the fact that the public is outraged about this, come home and make a speech, let's see that matched in your budget, let's see that matched in your policy, let's see that matched in and you're separating yourselves yourself from your patron, big oil, cut yourself off from that anvil holding your party down and this country down, instead of coming to Washington and throwing your Republican colleagues under the wheels of the train, which they mightily deserve for being a rubber stamp for your obscene, corrupt policy of ripping off the American people."

Don't stop there, Nancy! We've got your back.

Mercury News Steps by Bush likely to have little impact, experts say

In such a turbulent and far-reaching global market, the marginal amount of additional oil available from Bush's move will do little to lower the price at the pump, said Philip Verleger Jr., a Colorado energy consultant. "It's like treating cancer with aspirin," Verleger said.

The world will keep dissing us on trade and the dollar value, thanks to Dubya...if only he would have bought the oil instead of the war.

My Way News FBI Agent Slams Bosses at Moussaoui Trial

Under questioning from MacMahon, Samit acknowledged that he had told the Justice Department inspector general that "obstructionism, criminal negligence and careerism" on the part of FBI headquarters officials had prevented him from getting a warrant that would have revealed more about Moussaoui's associates. He said that opposition blocked "a serious opportunity to stop the 9/11 attacks."

The FBI's actions between Moussaoui's arrest, in Minnesota on immigration violations on Aug. 16, 2001, and Sept. 11, 2001, are crucial to his trial because prosecutors allege that Moussaoui's lies prevented the FBI from discovering the identities of 9/11 hijackers and the Federal Aviation Administration from taking airport security steps.

But MacMahon made clear the Moussaoui's lies never fooled Samit. The agent sent a memo to FBI headquarters on Aug. 18 accusing Moussaoui of plotting international terrorism and air piracy over the United States, two of the six crimes he pleaded guilty to in 2005.

So you want to join the Sons of the American Revolution, Prissy tells you how. Open to daughters too... If you feel that you are patriotic, strive for historic preservation and educational accuracy and appreciate fellowship, and are descended from at least one man or woman who served during the American Revolution

Salon Running scared in Ohio

GOP Sen. Mike DeWine is worried enough about Bush's low approval ratings that he blasted Rumsfeld in an interview. Will the Democrats be able to take control of the state that swung the presidency last time?

"Rumsfeld has made some very serious mistakes," DeWine declared, repeating his verdict for emphasis. "Very serious mistakes. I think history will judge him very harshly." Just to make sure that I was really hearing one of the harshest attacks yet on Rumsfeld by a Republican senator, I asked, "Which mistakes?" DeWine, who has never repented his 2002 vote for the Iraq war, gave me a what-planet-are-you-on look before responding, "Clearly not enough troops going in [to Iraq]. That was the biggest mistake. And a lot of mistakes would be covered under that."

DeWine boasts an independent streak: He endorsed John McCain for president in 2000; he joined with a bipartisan group of Senate centrists to work out a 2005 compromise on judicial filibusters; and, according to the National Journal's 2005 vote rankings, he is the ninth most moderate GOP senator. But the vehemence of DeWine's judgment-of-history indictment of Rumsfeld represents something new -- less a change of outlook than a sense of freedom in expressing it. What his comments symbolize are the lengths to which jittery GOP incumbents will go to distance themselves from George W. Bush.

Ohio Republicans are dealing with two fearsome four-letter words, Bush and (Bob) Taft. The scandal-scarred outgoing governor, Taft bequeaths his party a job-approval rating so low that pollsters may need to resort to negative numbers. During our conversation, DeWine referred to the difficult "climate" so often that I wondered if an iceberg was headed toward central Ohio.

Independent streak from Bush? Is that why he tried to legalize the spying that broke the F.I.S.A. laws? (It was laughed out of the Senate-as unConstitutional)All the red flags go up with DeWines rational... Is he implying more troops is still the solution? I don't know where he does his polling, but he is done around here-the center of the state.

Voters in the street refer to him "that Senator with the glasses" -yes, that is the one they don't like.

Note to DeWiners: Really need to get that name out there more-make sure voters know about associations with Bush, Taft and Blackwell. Sharrod Brown will grudgingly win this one-many Ohio republicans will "just say no" to voting...

The Dems will take the state-All providing the voting machine problems are fixed or unfixed, as the case may be. Prissy sees Gov and DNC Chair Howard Dean is working on that. Democrats and independents cannot win if the machines are fixed again.

Reuters Saudi boycotts tribunal, calls US God's enemy

"I don't want an attorney. I don't want a court," said Qahtani, a father of two in his late 20s, with bushy dark hair and a shaggy beard.

"A nation that is an enemy of God is not a leader and cannot be a leader," added the detainee, who spoke through a court translator. "You judge me and you sentence me the way you want, if this is God's will."

Qahtani, who at times fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat next to the defense lawyer, Army Lt. Col. Bryan Broyles, said he would prefer to be killed than cooperate. He warned the court that perhaps "God would provide me with rescue and then you will regret everything."

After a recess, Qahtani did not reappear in court. His lawyer said Qahtani decided to boycott the proceedings because he denied the legitimacy of the tribunals and would not return unless physically forced to attend.

Moscow Times Wednesday, April 26, 2006Averting a War of Necessity

To some, this may not be all bad. War with Iran, after all, is an option. Any government involved in this issue is ill-advised if it believes this option is not on the table. Along these lines, it is worth discussing this option not only in terms of military tactics but in terms of strategic consequences. Below is a list of reasons why war with Iran is particularly unwise.

First, Iran may forge a peace accord with al-Qaida. They are enemies now. But Iran enjoyed lots of common ground with radical Islamism from the 1950s to the 1970s and in the early 1980s. After the 1979 revolution, Tehran memorialized one of Sunni Islam's key radical philosophers, Qutb. Then, in the 1980s, the two parted ways. But there is nothing, particularly now, preventing them from reconciling. Such a reconciliation would be a disaster for the war on terror.

Second, Iranians are young; the average age is 24. Young Iranians are particularly hostile to the West and are generally supportive of the new president's populism. But they are also progressive; they want development and a new future for their country. They lack access to many external information sources, and this ignorance of other perspectives shapes their views. But they are open to new ideas, new opinions.

This new generation offers hope that a better Iran may emerge over the next two decades, as these people reach their 40s and assume the leadership of their country. But it is critical to bear in mind that these young people are also patriotic. They would be unlikely to forgive the West for a war with their fathers, especially if they lose. And they would probably lose. The West would likely win a war against Iran, but this would be a Pyrrhic victory.

China View Iran to stop acting transparently over nuclear program if attacked

"In case of sanctions, Iran will suspend its relations with the agency," Larijani said. "If Iran is attacked militarily, we cannot be expected to act transparently (concerning the nuclear program)," he added.

"Those Western countries (on the IAEA board) have to understand that the (nuclear) issue cannot be resolved by force," Larijani stressed.

Larijani also said there was no reason to halt Iran's nuclear program. "Iran only has 164 centrifuges now, can these make an atomic bomb? We don't understand why we should suspend. Suspend what?" he complained.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani speaks during the International Conference on Iran's Nuclear Policies and Prospects in Tehran.

Notice corporate owned media is failing to state, word for word what Iran top nuclear negotiator is saying. Maybe we should get a top negotiator.

Those were the days...

Oil and Gas Journal Bush orders agencies to investigate US gasoline prices

Bush also asked major oil companies to reinvest profits in refining capacity, new technologies, and alternative energy sources. He said Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales and the FTC are contacting attorneys-general in all 50 states offering technical assistance as they investigate gasoline price-fixing allegations.

"Record oil prices and large cash flows also mean that Congress has got to understand that these energy companies don't need unnecessary tax breaks like the write-offs of certain geological and geophysical expenditures or the use of taxpayers' monies to subsidize energy companies' research into deepwater drilling," Bush continued.

He said he would ask Congress to remove about $2 billion of such incentives from the federal budget over 10 years. "Cash flows are up. Taxpayers don't need to be paying for certain of these expenses on behalf of the energy companies," Bush declared.

Prissy might faint if she witnessed Dubya do one thing that actually benefited middle class taxpayers.

Scientific Integrity in PolicymakingThis report calls on the president, Congress, scientists, and the public to take immediate steps to restore the integrity of science in the federal policymaking process.

The president should immediately request his science advisor to prepare a set of recommendations for executive orders and other actions to prohibit further censorship and distortion of scientific information from federal agencies, and put an end to practices that undermine the integrity of scientific advisory panels.

Congress should ensure that this administration and future administrations reverse this dangerous trend. To this end, Congress should: hold oversight hearings to investigate and assess the allegations raised in this report; ensure that the laws and rules that govern scientific advisory appointments require that all appointees meet high professional standards, and protect against the domination of such panels by individuals tied to entities that have a vested interest at stake; guarantee public access to government scientific studies and the findings of scientific advisory panels; and re-establish an organization able to independently assess and provide guidance to Congress on technical questions that have a bearing on public policy, similar to the former Office of Technology Assessment.

Scientists must encourage their professional societies and colleagues to become engaged in this issue, discuss their concerns directly with elected representatives, and communicate the importance of this issue to the public, both directly and through the media.

And the public must also voice its concern about this issue to its elected representatives, letting them know that censorship and distortion of scientific knowledge is unacceptable in the federal government and must be halted.

Quotes of the Day

By Thomas Jefferson. While his personal life was perhaps imperfect, his ideals of government and public service were not.

Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day.--Thomas Jefferson

Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state.--Thomas Jefferson

The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it always to be kept alive.--Thomas Jefferson

An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens.--Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Melish, January 13, 1813

I have the consolation of having added nothing to my private fortune during my public service, and of retiring with hands clean as they are empty.-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Count Diodati, 1807

Rex, Thanks for your nice comments. They email to me, but won't post. Please email Prissy the link you referred to when you get a chance.

Junior's Last Stand

UPDATES below.

Prissy is all for Dubya going to war-as long as he goes in first. The rest of the cabinet too.

They can form their own little brigade and go in with "the Army we have, not the Army we want."

They won't require armor or training-talk about doing a war on the cheap.

As Granny says "If it's good enough for our kids, it's good enough for them."

Lead the way, misleaders...

Hot Links

Dearest Readers, they are toast...Oh, the irony of it all-from the Huffington Post Up to the Grand Jury

Will Fitzgerald issue indictments? Washington and cable news care about nothing else these days. The answer is: No, he won’t. The most Fitzgerald will do is ask his grand jury to issue indictments. It’s really all up to them. Which raises the question: who are they? A federal grand jury has 23 members.

A typical Washington, D.C. grand jury is about 75% African American. Fitzgerald’s is slightly more than that. This is not the kind of group Karl Rove feels at home with. He has no professional experience trying to appeal to a group like this. He has been so unsuccessful at it that his boss’s job approval rating with African Americans is now 2%, which, factoring in the margin of error, could actually be zero. To make matters statistically and demographically much worse for Rove and Scooter Libby, only 12 of the 23 grand jurors have to agree to indict them.

And...The question Rove and Libby are asking themselves today is: Does this seem like the kind of grand jury that is going to think lying to an FBI agent or perjury is a serious crime--unless you work in the White House? I think they know the answer.

Only 12 of the 23 mostly African-American, mostly females must agree to indict. Oh my.

Al-jazeera Hamas Distances Self from Dead Guy Hamas distances itself from Bin Laden

He added that Hamas was "very keen to have good relations with the West" but said that its current policies were inflaming tensions.

"We say once again that if the Western siege continues against the Hamas ... it will create more tensions in the Palestinian street and in the Arab world."

"We reiterate that the West should stop this aggression because it will only result in a big response from the Arab street and the Palestinian street."

In the past, Hamas leaders have distanced themselves from al-Qaeda, saying their struggle is only against Israeli occupation and does not fit into the group's worldwide radical Islamist effort.

In Dubya's world it doesn't matter if you keep saying that you will follow the rules and want your government to be considered legitimate.

He doesn't follow the rules, and as a result, thinks everyone is just as dirty as he is. Unfortunately, some of them may be just like him.

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963), In a speech at the White House, 1962

Like she doesn't have enough trouble...Zaman from Turkey 'We Share Intelligence and Inf. with Ankara About PKK'

When asked why the US has still not taken action in Northern Iraq against PKK terror, Rice said, “We have clearly expressed that the PKK is a terrorist organization,” and added northern Iraq should not be a place from which terrorism can be committed against Turkey.

Indicating that it is difficult to cope with all the threats in an Iraq where instability still continues, the Secretary explained that there is a mechanism between Turkey, US and Iraq and that these countries are trying to overcome the terrorism threat in Northern Iraq.

“It is correct that Iraq is still largely an instable place and it is hard to cope with all the threats at the same time. Yet, we preserve our determination in order not to let Iraqi territories be used as a terror platform. We share intelligence and information about PKK,” Rice expressed.

“We have very strong and long-term strategic relations with Turkey and now Turkey is a country undergoing change. It is a good time to be there,” said Rice as she explained that she was “impatiently” waiting for her Ankara visit.

Reuters-Dead Guy Calls for Jihad Bin Laden calls for jihad in Darfur

"I call on the mujahideen and their supporters in Sudan ... and the Arabian peninsula to prepare all that is necessary to wage a long-term war against the Crusaders in western Sudan," bin Laden said, accusing the West of seeking to divide Sudan.

Sudan hosted bin Laden in the 1990s, but on the tape he criticized Khartoum for not enforcing Islamic sharia law throughout the country and made clear his call to arms in Darfur was in spite of his differences with the Sudanese government.

Criticizing a U.S.-backed peace deal between Khartoum and southern rebels, bin Laden accused the United States of planning to send "Crusader troops to occupy the region and steal its oil under the cover of preserving security there".

Some U.N. troops have arrived in southern Sudan, the first of an expected 10,000 peacekeepers to be sent there. Sudan is resisting pressure for U.N. peacekeepers to deploy in Darfur.

Dubya go to war to steal oil? On what grounds, "bin Laden", do you make that statement...

Sydney Morning Herald...corporate owned US media is still playing games with our national security and what's left of the democracy. Fight ahead for anti-war prime minister

Unlike most of his fellow Dawa Party members, he was against the US-led 2003 invasion, outlining a rationale to a Lebanese newspaper in late 2002 that now appears remarkably prescient.

"The danger to Iraq lies in the possibility of the US Administration making mistakes in its supervision of this crisis," he told al-Nahar.

"Those who will rule Iraq after Saddam Hussein cannot be envied. Don't fight for ruling an Iraq full of widows and orphans, and burdened with heavy debt."

Responding to Sunni complaints about underrepresentation immediately following the December elections, he said: "Democracy means accepting the opinion of the majority. The Sunnis need to take this into consideration.

Now if he can make Dubya and republicans still in lock step (like Rep Pat Tiberi and Sen DeWine-OH) understand that definition of Democracy...

Prissy sees that Gov Dean is making folks aware of the voting machine problems. That is something Prissy can get behind. Dean has a lot of great ideas-he is sensible and smart.

If he can wrestle control of the DNC wheel away from Biden and Hillary, it will be what Americans need. Dean is the best thing that has ever happened to the Democratic party. He is a centrist fighting Dem. Nothing wrong with that, he did great things as governor of Vermont and didn't get bogged down on issues that divided.

Who cares if your gay neighbors get married, when life is good? Content people are not as quick to hate.

It is time to face the facts that the Republican party seeks to legimitize bigotry and sexism. And so far they have done a good job of this. Don't they ever tire of hating? Prissy is certainly tired of the rancor they spew at the masses.

Flashback-CNN- Jan 19, 2006 U.S. rejects bin Laden tapes 'truce' offer

"The war against America and its allies will not be confined to Iraq," the voice on the tape said, adding that "Iraq has become a magnet for attracting and training talented fighters."

"It's only a matter of time," the voice said, referring to attacks. "They are in the planning stages, and you will see them in the heart of your land as soon as the planning is complete."

Top U.S. officials responded by saying the United States would not be swayed in its fight against terrorists.

Unless you are Libyan Colonel Moammar Khadafi- then Dubya will deal.

TIME: Bush's five point plan to 'rescue' his presidency

The five key points include:

1) "Deploy guns and badges" -- to play to the conservative base on illegal immigration, using the cloak of Homeland Security.

2) Make Wall Street happy through tax cuts.

3) Brag more ("highlight the glimmer of success in Iraq").

4) Reclaim security by playing tough with Iran (On Iran, "Democrats will lose").

5) Court the press (pffer Tony Snow of Fox News the job of White House press secretary)

More of the same. One person's comment: hahahaha. oh my goodness. wait. wait. bwahhahahahahah. ooooooh my. hold on. my stomach hurts. Is this from the onion? the daily show? no?! This is actually from the White House?! snort hahahahha

Dearest Readers, Prissy has heard a six-year-old child laughing at Dubya's speeches. A little boy told Prissy "Ha,ha,ha...listen to him say "Ah,ah,ah" 'cause that is how you know he is LYING"...from the mouth of babes.

Al-Jazeera airs purported bin Laden tape

Al-Jazeera, which is based in Qatar, said the new tape is from bin Laden. CNN could not immediately confirm the tape's authenticity.

The speaker on the tape says "the opposition to the Hamas government is proof of the crusade against Muslims."

So does this mean Dubya leaning towards choosing another terror attack on the US? It is common knowledge it is a typical ploy of this cabal to control with fear.

Note to Dubya:You can only rub a dog's nose in it for so long, they will eventually turn around and bite you.

Being Dubya, one would think he would already know that.

Prime minister promises swift changes in Iraq

President Bush suggested the new Iraqi government could be the beginning of an eventual drawdown of American forces from Iraq.

"The new Iraqi government will assume greater responsibility for their nation's security," he told reporters during a trip to California. "It will have the popular mandate to address Iraq's toughest long-term challenges," he added.

"This historic achievement by determined Iraqis will make America more secure," Bush said.

In clear signs of the ongoing security crisis, five American soldiers died Saturday in roadside bombings south of Baghdad, and Marines killed four insurgents in a gunbattle in Ramadi.

Dubya, give it up. Bring them home or pay the price...at this point Prissy hopes you suffer the severe political consequences...

Dubya, they know in the "down under"...Sydney Morning Herald Tide turns on Dubya's wreck

"I'm the decider and I decide what's best," he squawked to reporters in the White House rose garden the other day, as the screws turned tighter on his disastrous Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. Can you imagine Roosevelt, Eisenhower or Kennedy blurting something like that?

Rummy is looking knackered too, with six retired generals going public to agree that he is "incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically", to quote one of them.

These men would have been junior officers in Vietnam, veterans of the all-American nightmare they now see replicated in Iraq. They don't want the mad old warmonger doing it over again in Iran. As former Marine Corps Lieutenant-General Gregory Newbold wrote in Time magazine: "we must never again stand by quietly while those ignorant of and casual about war lead us into another one and then mismanage the conduct of it".

Prissy is here to tell you, of all the stupid things Dubya has said over the years, he will never live down the "decider". Listen to Koo-Koo-Ka-Choo-very funny song...I'M THE DECIDER (Koo-Koo-Ka-Choo) Prissy can only think...what a loser.

Haaretz Virginia Judge allows defense in AIPAC trial to summon Rice

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis on Friday allowed the defense to summon Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to testify in the trial of two former AIPAC officials accused of disclosing classified information.

Ellis ruled that Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman's lawyers established sufficient reason to call for Rice to take the stand, adding that she could decline the invitation by handing in a written document explaining her reasons for doing so.

The two former pro-Israel lobbyists claim Rice and Rosen discussed the classified information during a meeting. The prosecution said Rice denied those claims.

Wayne Madsen Report

April 22, 2006 -- As Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald meets with the Washington grand jury examining evidence against Karl Rove and others in the leaking of the name of Valerie Plame Wilson and her Brewster Jennings non-official cover (NOC) firm in a vendetta orchestrated by the Bush White House, WMR has been told by a very reliable source with high-level connections to the intelligence community that National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley is now under investigation for the leaking of the names of two CIA "NOCS" to the media. One is Plame Wilson. The other was the leaking of the name of CIA officer Johnny "Mike" Spann, a CIA NOC officer who transferred to the CIA's paramilitary Special Activities Division after 9-11 and was killed during a November 25, 2001 prison riot by Taliban detainees in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. According to the source, Hadley, who was then deputy to then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, leaked Spann's CIA identity to galvanize American public opinion in support of the Bush administration's policies. In October 2003, Spann's father said his son's name, address, and CIA status were revealed before adequate measures could be taken to protect his son's wife and children.

Pacific News Service 10-Year U.S. Strategic Plan For Detention Camps Revives Proposals From Oliver North News Analysis/Commentary, Peter Dale Scott, New America Media, Feb 21, 2006

The Halliburton subsidiary KBR (formerly Brown and Root) announced on Jan. 24 that it had been awarded a $385 million contingency contract by the Department of Homeland Security to build detention camps. Two weeks later, on Feb. 6, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced that the Fiscal Year 2007 federal budget would allocate over $400 million to add 6,700 additional detention beds (an increase of 32 percent over 2006). This $400 million allocation is more than a four-fold increase over the FY 2006 budget, which provided only $90 million for the same purpose.

And...

Significantly, both the KBR contract and the ENDGAME plan are open-ended. The contract calls for a response to "an emergency influx of immigrants, or to support the rapid development of new programs" in the event of other emergencies, such as "a natural disaster." "New programs" is of course a term with no precise limitation. So, in the current administration, is ENDGAME's goal of removing "potential terrorists."

It is relevant that in 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced his desire to see camps for U.S. citizens deemed to be "enemy combatants." On Feb. 17 of this year, in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld spoke of the harm being done to the country's security, not just by the enemy, but also by what he called "news informers" who needed to be combated in "a contest of wills." Two days earlier, citing speeches critical of Bush by Al Gore, John Kerry, and Howard Dean, conservative columnist Ben Shapiro called for "legislation to prosecute such sedition."

From former CIA analyst Larry Johnson at No Quarter The Firing of Mary McCarthy

I left the CIA in 1989 despite having received two exceptional performance awards during my last eight months on the job because I could not stand working under her.

That said, I take no delight in the news that she was fired. In fact, there are some things about the case that puzzle me. For starters, Mary never worked on the Operations side of the house. In other words, she never worked a job where she would have had first hand operational knowledge about secret prisons. She worked the analytical side of the CIA and served with the National Intelligence Council. According to press reports, she subsequently worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) from 2001 thru 2005. That is a type of academic/policy wonk position and, again, would not put her in a position to know anything first hand about secret prisons.

Sometime within the last year she returned to CIA on a terminal assignment. I've heard through the grapevine that she was attending the seminar for officers who are retiring while working with the Inspector General (IG). Now things get interesting. She could find out about secret prisons if Intelligence Officers involved with that program had filed a complaint with the IG or if there was some incident that compelled senior CIA officials to determine an investigation was warranted. In other words, this program did not come to Mary's attention (if the allegations are true) because she worked on it as an ops officer. Instead, it appears an investigation of the practice had been proposed or was underway. That's another story reporters probably ought to be tracking down.

I am struck by the irony that Mary McCarthy may have been fired for blowing the whistle and ensuring that the truth about an abuse was told to the American people.

Larry knows what he speaks of...

Information Clearing House Prominent U.S. Physicists Send Warning Letter to President Bush

Thirteen of the nation's most prominent physicists have written a letter to President Bush, calling U.S. plans to reportedly use nuclear weapons against Iran "gravely irresponsible" and warning that such action would have "“disastrous consequences for the security of the United States and the world.”"

The physicists include five Nobel laureates, a recipient of the National Medal of Science and three past presidents of the American Physical Society, the nation'’s preeminent professional society for physicists.

Their letter was prompted by recent articles in the Washington Post, New Yorker and other publications that one of the options being considered by Pentagon planners and the White House in a military confrontation with Iran includes the use of nuclear bunker busters against underground facilities. These reports were neither confirmed nor denied by White House and Pentagon officials.

Good Lord folks, do we need any more proof before someone does the right thing? Or will you let Dubya continue to tell the experts that they are not experts?

Or will you let him irritate us further as he tells us "He's the expert decider 'round this US of A..."

Turkey knows...Zaman Online CIA Warned Bush of no WMD in Iraq

Reportedly, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) warned President George W. Bush before the Iraqi war that it had reliable information there was no weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the country.

White House officials were not interested in such intelligences at the time and ignored the warning as the policy towards Iraq had already been set, , the retired CIA official Tyler Drumheller told American CBS television.

One of the most important claims of the American government to justify its Iraqi occupation of March 2003 was the existence of WMDs in this country.

Though President Bush did not have evidence to prove otherwise, on April 12 The White House had denied lying about itinerant biological weapon laboratories, which were shown as one of the reasons to go to war.

Voice of the White House? Prove him wrong, Prissy hasn't been able to so far.

The Voice of the White House April 20, 2006

There has been tentative talk about a seizure of domestic power using the military because of a faked "emergency" but Bush and his cronies can no longer rely on the military.

At this moment, it is a toss-up between a nuclear war with Iran and a faked "“terrorist attack" on American territory.

They have spoken about blowing up an American Embassy, Ambassador, staff and all, in some other country. Italy has been mentioned as has Greece but the logistics of accomplishing this without detection are immense.

Another, far easier to execute, ploy would be to blow up an American cruise ship filled with old ladies and children somewhere in international waters. That way, Rove has reasoned, we donÂ’t have to threaten some other country, like Italy or Greece, with punitive action, something an outraged American public would demand. The blowing up of small children would be a must for the fury it would engender in the soon-to-be-voting public.

Let's hope it's only talk. Surely they don't think the American people will stand by for another 9/11 type event and expect these bozos to take care of America.

If it comes to a shooting war ... by Victor N Corpus

Scenario One: America launches 'preventive war' vs China

Our first objective is to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival. This is a dominant consideration underlying the new regional defense strategy and requires that we endeavor to prevent any hostile power from dominating a region whose resources would, under consolidated control, be sufficient to generate global power. These regions include Western Europe, East Asia, the territory of the former Soviet Union and Southwest Asia.

Paul Wolfowitz, former US deputy secretary of defense and currently president of the World Bank

Consider these snapshots of China: Since 1978, China has averaged 9.4% annual GDP growth

It had a five-fold increase in total output per capita from 1982 to 2002

It had $61 billion in foreign direct investment in 2004 alone and foreign trade of $851 billion, the third-largest in the world

The US trade deficit with China exceeded $200 billion in 2005

China has $750 billion in foreign exchange reserves and is the second-biggest oil importer

Last year it turned out 442,000 new engineers a year; with 48,000 graduates with master's degrees and 8,000 PhDs annually; compared to only 60,000 new engineers a year in the US.

China for the first time (2004) surpassed America to export the most technology wares around the world. China enjoyed a $34 billion trade surplus with the US in advanced technology products in 2004 (The Economist, December 17, 2005). In 2005, the surplus increased to $36 billion

It created 20,000 new manufacturing facilities a year

It holds $252 billion in US Treasury Bonds (plus $48 billion held by Hong Kong)

Among the five basic food, energy and industrial commodities "grain and meat, oil and coal and steel " consumption in China has eclipsed that of the US in all but oil.

China has also gone ahead of the US in the consumption of TV sets, refrigerators and mobile phones

In 1996, China had 7 million cell phones and the US had 44 million. Now China has more mobile phone users than the US has people. China has about $1 trillion in personal savings and a savings rate of close to 50%; U.S. has about $158 billion in personal savings and a savings rate of about 2% (The Wall Street Journal, Nov 19, 2005)

Shanghai boasts 4,000 skyscrapers; double the number in New York City (The Wall Street Journal, Nov 19, 2005)

Songbei, Harbin City in north China is building a city as big as New York City

Goldman Sachs predicts that China will surpass the US economy by 2041.

Before China's economy catches up with America, and before China builds a military machine that can challenge American superpower status and world dominance, America's top strategic planners (Project for the New American Century) decide to launch a "preventive war" against China. As a pretext for this, the US instigates Taiwan to declare independence.

Victor N Corpus is a retired brigadier general. He has a master's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. His major assignment while serving in the armed forces of the Philippines was as chief of the intelligence service.

A great "what if" read. Oddly enough, you'll only find it in the Asian Times. It's the only place General Zinni can get published too. Corporate media, how can we ever forgive you?

Dearest Readers, Prissy wonders if they understand they are little more than a free newswire service to the blogosphere...

We are sorry, world.

Philly News Bolton: Duel with Iran is a test for U.N.

"It is the intention that there not be armed conflict. We have tried for 3½ years to resolve this diplomatically.... One of the ironies here is that the Bush administration so often is criticized for being unilateralist cowboys, but we've been trying for 3½ years to work our way through the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency and [are] now trying to work our way through the U.N. Security Council. But the purpose of these efforts is not just to chitchat about the Iranian nuclear-weapons efforts, but to bring them to a halt.

We have to ask ourselves at sometime, if our efforts fail, will we allow Iran to get nuclear weapons? Now, I believe the president is very serious when he says it's unacceptable for Iran to have nuclear weapons. If it's unacceptable, that means it's unacceptable... . You have to remember that time is not on our side on this matter."

Considering all the people from every nation who cannot stand the sight of this madman, his time at the U.N. (and the dirty recess appointment Bush made to ram Bolton into place) should be limited to January 2007. So indeed Bolton's time is limited...

Bolton giving a speech at the U.N. representing you and me. ARG!

Some good news from John Edwards. A very likeable middle-class done good fellow-has what is called "common sense". Prissy is beginning to think it's a genetic trait, as you won't find this in the Bush family.

Hat tip to Fitz...Demand that Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald be empowered to investigate the President'’s role in manipulating intelligence on Iraq

Sign the letter to Gonzo...

Dear Attorney General Gonzales:

President Bush initially told the American people that he did not know of anyone in his administration who leaked CIA secrets to the media in an attempt to justify the invasion of Iraq and discredit those who raised legitimate questions. Now, confronted with new court evidence, the White House has admitted that it was President Bush himself who authorized the disclosures. Clearly, the President has no intention of coming clean and telling us the truth about the use of classified intelligence for political gain.

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has a mandate to find out who blew the cover of a CIA agent in order to punish her husband for telling the truth about Saddam Hussein'’s nuclear ambitions. But the new evidence has made it clear that this scandal goes far beyond that incident, and may even include the President'’s own words and actions.

Mr. Fitzgerald has famously said: "The truth is the engine of our judicial system. If you compromise the truth, the whole process is lost." For too long, there has been too much compromising and not enough truth from this White House. It'’s time for those responsible to be held accountable. I urge you to extend Mr. Fitzgerald'’s charter to include the behavior of the President in this disgraceful affair.

Pink's newest song. This girl owns some real talent. Prissy adores her, a youth America can be proud of. Dear Mr President

Quote of the Day "America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards."- Claire Wolfe, 101 Things to Do 'Til the Revolution

Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained with the greatest of violence. --Francis Jeffrey (1773 - 1850)

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.--Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992), Salvor Hardin in "Foundation"

It is by no means self-evident that human beings are most real when most violently excited; violent physical passions do not in themselves differentiate men from each other, but rather tend to reduce them to the same state.--Thomas Elliot

I think that the Communist Party as a political organization is of no danger to the United States. It has no following and has been disregarded by the American people for many, many years.--Robert F. Kennedy (1925 - 1968), "A Thousand Days," by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. [1965]

Funny Flash sent by a soldier and Prissy Patriot reader: Bush and Bill Cosby

At the Broke Back White House?

"We're concerned about AIDS inside our White House-- make no mistake about it."-- Bush quote from Slate

Days gone by, isn't it, boys?