Return of the Jedi in PlameGate Update

Name one tyrant in history that was not arrogant enough to believe he would get away with it. None of them did, and these guys won't either. Desperation is in full force at the White House-thus Dubya's angry yet easily discredited attempts to re market the war in Iraq. He's wasting his breath and our airwaves...

Prissy believes Patrick Fitzgerald will strike when the prosecutable iron is hot and the time is right. It cannot be much longer, which explains why Bushco has began in earnest the Swift boating of Fitz. There was really no need for the cabal to concentrate on this before, with Fitz keeping mum during most of the investigations progress.

Team Bush would never understand Team Fitz is a team always cognizant of their responsibility to We the People and the constitution-not to mention criminal law. Politics don't come into play on the case and the politics on the Hill certainly have nothing to do with how this investigation was conducted.

It is silly for Bushies to make the claim Fitz is playing politics because when you open the core of this republican party's apple, one finds the whole thing full of worms. So if you read the corporate owned news calling Fitz a player for the Dems, give him a break.

Naturally, with more indictments close at hand- the also guilty media must crank up the smear machine. Singing a new song, yet the same tune with the trio they have had going for quite some time-the White House and Pentagon...If the media continues on that course, it would surely motivate Prissy and the others to write that class action brief for military family lawyers, suing all of the major corporate news for their own liability in the pre-war reporting. It won't be a difficult case to prove.

Bushies may not believe it, but there are true independents in this world. They usually make it a point to strive for fairness in an investigation, before they are willing to put their name on it.

At the very least, this cabal and its fans should realize the only thing Fitz could be called a stick-in-the-mud for; is an investigation which shows major legal violations- done in systemic, purposeful fashions which have cost thousands of innocent lives.

Hmm...sound like anyone we know?

Hot Links

Media Matters Media figures repeat false claim that Armitage role in Plame leak exonerates Libby and Rove

Summary: Numerous media figures have asserted that a recent report purportedly identifying former deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage as Robert Novak's original source for Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA operative prove that Karl Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby were not involved in the leak of her identity. However, Armitage's role as Novak's first source is not inconsistent with Rove's and Libby's involvements in the leak -- both were original sources of the information for two other reporters.

BBC Merkel trumps Rice on power list

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has overtaken US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as the world's most powerful woman, says Forbes magazine.

Neither of them can seem to tell Dubya to keep his hands to himself...so how powerful can they really be?

Haaretz Report: Israel discusses freeing 1,000 Palestinians in Shalit swap

An Israeli delegation is visiting Egypt to discuss a proposed deal for the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israel Defense Forces soldier abducted by Hamas on June 25, a Saudi Arabian newspaper reported Friday.

The deal involves Hamas' release of Shalit in exchange for Israel's release of about 1,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails, according to a senior Egyptian source quoted by the newspaper, Okaz. The paper said Egypt would help carry out the swap.

According to the proposed deal, the Palestinian prisoners will be freed in three phases, with the first phase beginning three days after Shalit's release, the newspaper reported.

News from Alaska...more mostly republican woes-look for this to happen all over the country. You go Feebies! Federal agents raid legislative offices

Agents conducted office searches in both Juneau and Anchorage belonging to Sen. John Cowdery, R-Anchorage, the Senate Rules chairman. The senator stood by in Anchorage as authorities sifted through documentation.

The offices of Senate President Ben Stevens, R-Anchorage; Kohring; Rep. Bruce Weyhrauch, R-Juneau; Sen. Donald Olson, D-Nome; and Rep. Pete Kott, R-Eagle River also were searched.

Four different teams of at least six federal agents spent hours searching offices on each floor of the Capitol. Agents left Stevens' Capitol office Thursday evening with 12 boxes of documents labeled "Evidence" and loaded them into a vehicle waiting them outside. Special Agent Wade Dudley said they were being taken to an undisclosed location in Juneau.

Jane's Intel Israel revives plan for anti-rocket laser system

Begun in 1996 by Israel and the US, the Nautilus project was meant to counter Hizbullah's 122 mm Katyusha rocket attacks. TRW (now Northrop Grumman Space Technology) was awarded a contract to develop the THEL: a chemical laser gun designed to intercept short-range rockets and mortar bombs.

However, despite several successful tests, and although Israel has since been under repeated attack by rockets from Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, Israel and the US decided to abandon the THEL development in January.

Reuters Alertnet The trouble with trauma...

We are all traumatised these days. From a bad day at the office to the breakup of a relationship to 9/11 itself, the language of trauma has made its way into every corner of our daily discourse. No self-respecting journalist gets through an account of pretty much anything without qualifying it as, in some way, "traumatic".

Humanitarian emergencies would, at first glance, serve up a fairly straightforward narrative when it comes to traumatic stress. Displacement, abuse, torture, conflict and natural disaster are easily characterised as universally distressing experiences that call for some kind of professional therapeutic intervention

More Military Families Speak Out members, making a difference. NYT Letter to the Editor:Rumsfeld Says War Critics Haven’t Learned Lessons of History (August 30, 2006) “Moral or intellectual confusion about who or what is wrong or right.” (Rumsfeld)

Dear Editor,

No, Mr. Rumsfeld, we’re neither immoral nor confused. Al and Celeste Zappala, lost their son, Sherwood, when he was sent on a mission to look for WMD’s, four months after the inspectors declared there were none. When John Fenton, visited his son, Matthew, at Bethesda Hospital, he saw hundreds of other gravely wounded troops – single, double, and triple amputees. There were many others, like Matthew, whose skulls had collapsed from head injuries from IED’s. Now, Matthew is dead. (The Bush administration reduced funding for brain injury research)

At least 2638 troops have died. They volunteered for the military, but not for your war based on lies.

All over the country, members of Military Families Speak Out are talking about their loved ones who have been redeployed over and over, or like the Stryker Brigade, have been extended by your backdoor draft. They are talking about their loved ones with PTSD, many of whom have attempted or committed suicide (not considered war deaths).

No, Mr. Rumsfeld, we don’t want our loved ones and the loved ones of the Iraqi people to be killed for your LIES or your quest for oil. You lie, hundreds of thousands die. The vast majority of the military and the public are not at all confused by your jargon. We say, “Support the troops. Bring all of the troops home NOW! Take care of them when they get here.”

Patriots must continue to demand an immediate end to the occupation of Iraq. It’s our moral obligation.

Paula Rogovin

Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County chapter Son in the Marines Co-founder of the weekly Wednesday vigil in Teaneck, NJ at the National Guard Armory

Understand politicians-you WILL give in before military families do. Bring them home NOW. The fine soldiers this government has misused did not decend from cowardly stock.

Columbus Dispatch answering the question "Are military families who protest this war really making a difference in the next election? Tiberi latest Republican to break step with Bush

"I can’t defend how the president laid out the need for (going to war in Iraq). I don’t support Rumsfeld, Tiberi said.

The comments from the three-term congressman came during a meeting before the Dispatch editorial board with challenger Bob Shamansky, whose spokesman revealed that the Bexley Democrat has committed more than $1 million of his own money to the race.

Asked whether Bush has operated above the law regarding government surveillance, Tiberi responded: "He might have."

The comments signaled a clear effort by Tiberi, a longtime Bush loyalist, to separate himself from the president.

It’s a growing trend.

Gee Pat, nice of you to notice 118 needlessly dead young Ohio soldiers. Would you be willing to sacrifice your own kin for this cause which you supported? Supported, that is, until looking at last weeks poll numbers.

Prissy warned you last year this was going to happen-but you didn't believe it. Too drunk on the kool-aid to listen...

Now their blood is on your hands for your failure to protect our youth from misuse. Prissy isn't buying your pro-life until birth stance. All because Tiberi refused to stand up for what was right-and what the majority of his constituents' wanted.

A nice time line of the events in "PlameGate" Plamegate Timeline Updated daily

Bush, Cheney, Rove, Novak and Libby all lied about their roles in 'outing' Plame before the 2004 elections, Guardian July 2006, but the main stream press did not report this until the fall of 2005. Mail & Guardian ... "The cover-up worked". Washington Post (file) The Libby indictment says he learned of Plame's id from Cheney in June 2003, but Cheney went on national TV in September of 2003 and said that he didn't know Wilson or who sent him to Niger. Mail & Guardian

Video: Salt Lake City, Utah mayor slams 'dishonest, war-mongering' Bush

"A patriot does not tell people who are intensely concerned about their country to just sit down and be quiet; to refrain from speaking out in the name of politeness or for the sake of being a good host; to show slavish, blind obedience and deference to a dishonest, war-mongering, human-rights-violating president," Mayor Anderson told the crowd, estimated by organizers to number between 4,000 and 5,000

Flashback from Dec 26, 2001.. Fox telling the truth? Report: Bin Laden Already Dead

Usama bin Laden has died a peaceful death due to an untreated lung complication, the Pakistan Observer reported, citing a Taliban leader who allegedly attended the funeral of the Al Qaeda leader.

The Coalition troops are engaged in a mad search operation but they would never be able to fulfill their cherished goal of getting Usama alive or dead, the source said.

Bin Laden, according to the source, was suffering from a serious lung complication and succumbed to the disease in mid-December, in the vicinity of the Tora Bora mountains. The source claimed that bin Laden was laid to rest honorably in his last abode and his grave was made as per his Wahabi belief.

USA Today Financial aid records of college students examined in terrorist search

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings learned of the project on Wednesday, said Samara Yudof, another department spokeswoman.

Project Strike Back is virtually unknown within the higher education community, even among top financial aid and admissions officials. The program was mentioned in a September 2002 Education Department report to Congress, noting that it had been initiated. And a May 2004 Government Accountability Office report on data mining noted that the program compares Department of Education and FBI data "for anomalies. Also verifies personal identifiers."

Terry Hartle, senior vice president of government and public affairs for the American Council on Education, which represents colleges nationwide, likened the project to the IRS turning tax returns over to the Department of Homeland Security "for possible ties to terrorism."

"Ultimately, this is troubling but not surprising," Hartle said. "It's hard to be surprised when it has become obvious that the government is mining every database that they have. In the war on terror there are no safe harbors where federal data is concerned."

BBC Repairing the levees

The US Army Corps of Engineers, which has been overseeing the work, is examining a number of longer-term options to defend the canal entrances, including a design for floating barge dams equipped with built-in "bowthruster" pumps to repel storm surges.

Despite this work, critics say not enough has yet been done to improve the city's storm protection system.

China People's Daily Annan arrives in Damascus for talks on Lebanon truce

The stance of Syria, a supporter of Hezbollah, was deemed critical to the success of this resolution.

Syria has always been accused by the United States and Israel of funneling arms to Hezbollah, an allegation it denied.

Syria also rejected an Israeli demand of deploying the UN peacekeeping forces along the Lebanese borders with it and threatened to close the borders if they were deployed.

Annan just wrapped up a visit in Jordan where he denounced Israel's use of cluster bombs in Lebanon and urged for a swift lift of Israeli blockade there.

Many folks in the know on Syria say it isn't so...

TPM Muckraker Byrd Confirms "Secret Hold" on Porkbusting Bill -- And Drops It

There was an effort to pass a bill (S. 2590) on an important subject without debate just before the Senate recess. Senators have an obligation to their constituents to know what they are voting on before signing off on any proposal. The American people ought to demand that bills receive scrutiny by Senators before those bills are approved. We have seen the consequences of rushing legislation through the Senate without any time for review or understanding.

On August 2, the last day before a month-long Senate recess, a Senate committee gave its approval to a brand new piece of legislation, cosponsored by Senator Obama and Senator Coburn. That same day, there was an effort to rush the legislation through the Senate without any Senator having the chance to ask questions.

Senator Byrd wanted time to read the legislation, understand its implications, and see whether the proposal could be improved. Now that there has been time to better understand the legislation, Senator Byrd has released his hold. Senator Byrd believes that the bill should be debated and opened for amendment, and not pushed through without discussion.

The Nation Blackwater Shot Down in Federal Court

In a major blow to one of the most infamous war profiteers operating in Iraq, Afghanistan and New Orleans, a federal appeals court has ruled that a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the mercenary firm Blackwater USA can proceed in North Carolina's state courts. The suit was brought by the families of the four Blackwater contractors ambushed and killed in Falluja, Iraq on March 31, 2004. Blackwater had tried to have the same case dismissed or moved to federal court.

Chicago Tribune Bush: War on terror is ‘ideological struggle of the 21st Century'

John Mueller, a professor of political science and national security at Ohio State University who has studied the impact of casualties on public support for war, suggests that Bush is playing to his political strength with this new offensive but has passed the point of regaining support for the war in Iraq.

"It's his strongest suit, and terrifying people over terror can win votes for him and his party," Mueller said. "There is an election coming. Terrorism is his strongest suit. The standard thing in an election is to focus on your strongest suit."

Mueller cites the words of a 20th Century social critic, H.L. Mencken: "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed."

Yet, "judging from polls," public support for the president's argument that the war in Iraq is the central front of the war on terror "is starting to wane," Mueller said. "I don't think they have any new arguments, so people may not pay much attention, because they've already heard this 400 times… What happens is, as people drop off, they tend to stay off."

Hat tip to Lukery at Wotsitgood4-Investor's Business Daily Did Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald Lie?

Fitzgerald's contention in October that Libby was "the first official known to have told a reporter . . . about Valerie Wilson" may therefore have been a lie.

Fitzgerald knew in the early days of his politicized witch hunt that no crime was committed. No one intentionally revealed the identity of a truly covert agent. Yet he made a reporter, Miller, spend nearly 90 days in jail for refusing to reveal her source.

Meanwhile, Fitzgerald refused to reveal to the public the true source. From top to bottom, this has been one of the most disgraceful abuses of prosecutorial power in this country's history. That it's taking place at a time of war only magnifies its sordidness.

We wouldn't be surprised if Fitzgerald ran for high elective office in the next few years — likely as a Democrat. The Plame case proves he can bend the truth with the proficiency of the slickest of pols.

As Lukery said 'Can you smell the desperation?' Like the kids in prison Prissy used to babysit, Lukery.

Prissy is here to tell you- if Fitz lied about Libby, she'll eat her hat. Sue 'em Fitz...

Reuters-remember this? Soldiers' families question Rumsfeld on deployment The rest of the story from Prissy's inbox and straight from the mouth of one who was there!

One military family member said :

You should have seen the response at the protest on Sunday. Rummy was booed and most notably shaken his warm welcome. It's too bad that it didn't make the front page.

And check out the picture the you'll never see in the corporate owned media...(click to enlarge)

Ansa Peres and Prodi meet on Lebanon

"Italy has a worldwide reputation as a great builder of bridges so it can promote peace efforts not just in Lebanon but throughout the region". "We do not hold Italy's good relations with Arab countries and the Palestinians against it. It garners respect and appreciation from all those in the region." Peres said Rome had acted "swiftly and decisively" to help defuse the crisis and Israel "thanks it for all it is doing." "Italy is not a country that steps in to gain something for itself but simply to help bring peace," he added .

Prodi recalled that he had discussed the situation in Lebanon with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a phone conversation on Tuesday. "Assad assured me that Syria would back Resolution 1701 and the UN peacekeeping force." Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema told Syria on Wednesday that the international community "would not stand by idly" if it endangered a UN brokered ceasefire by sending arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Syria should know that if it sends arms "the international community will find out and will not idly stand by," D'Alema told state broadcaster RAI radio. "We ask Syria to cooperate," D'Alema said .

Before meeting Prodi, Peres referred to a suggestion by D'Alema on extending the UN force's mission to Gaza, saying this would largely depend on what happened in Lebanon .

And this troubling quote:

The 34-day conflict was triggered by a Hezbollah incursion into Israeli territory on July 12, when guerrillas belonging to the group killed eight Israeli soldiers and captured two others. Some 1,000 Lebanese civilians and more than 115 Israelis, mostly soldiers, were killed during the fighting.

The Next Hurrah Rove's Silence Amid the Din

Correct me if I'm wrong. But the real silence isn't coming from the lefty blogosphere. The real silence is coming from Karl Rove.

I could be wrong. But I have yet to see any of these articles actually quoting Rove. I have yet to see any reports of Karl Rove, gloating not only at his vindication, but attacking Patrick Fitzgerald for pursuing a case when he knew, the wingnuts claim, everything he needed to know by October 2, 2003 (even before Fitzgerald was appointed). Gloating that Richard Armitage is being dragged through the mud instead of him.

Oh sure, lots of Rove mouthpieces are doing so, starting with Isikoff and continuing to Hitchens and Brooks and Byron. Rove apparently still employs Mark Corallo (even though some eleven weeks have passed since Corallo declared this "over"), because he complained to Byron York that Rove was never contacted for the Isikoff-Corn book (Libby's Comstock made the same complaint). Though Isikoff says Rove was given the opportunity to comment, but chose not to:

Emptywheel, Prissy thinks you're onto something...

Quotes of the Day

We do not inherit this land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. --Haida Indian saying

Never tell me the odds.-- Hans Solo

I would fight for my liberty so long as my strength lasted, and if the time came for me to go, the Lord would let them take me. --Harriet Tubman

There is no faculty of the human soul so persistent and universal as that of hatred.--Henry Ward Beecher

The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom.--Henry Ward Beecher

They Have Created a Monster

What shall we do about this, Dearest Readers? Prissy will tell you all her plans. Better they know up front. Prissy will be making the rounds to demand that military JAG's start doing their job. In short, Prissy will "nag the JAG's."

Not the ones like Paul Hackett and Lt. Commander Charles Swift-they have done their jobs well. But we continue to need their expertise and their voices on this matter.

Are you a JAG? Write Prissy if you are, tell JAG's if you know one. Prissy Patriot will be insisting they stand firm on the side of the law. We have plenty of case law on our side, domestic, military and international-you name it. The paperwork is all ready for them.

Get ready DC, because as Constant said, "there is no appeal when you lose on the battlefield" only in a court of law. Prissy will say a prayer they will choose their country and Constitution, over their commander-in-chief...

Hot Links

MSNBC The Man Who Said Too Much

Sept. 4, 2006 issue - In the early morning of Oct. 1, 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell received an urgent phone call from his No. 2 at the State Department. Richard Armitage was clearly agitated. As recounted in a new book, "Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War," Armitage had been at home reading the newspaper and had come across a column by journalist Robert Novak. Months earlier, Novak had caused a huge stir when he revealed that Valerie Plame, wife of Iraq-war critic Joseph Wilson, was a CIA officer. Ever since, Washington had been trying to find out who leaked the information to Novak. The columnist himself had kept quiet. But now, in a second column, Novak provided a tantalizing clue: his primary source, he wrote, was a "senior administration official" who was "not a partisan gunslinger." Armitage was shaken. After reading the column, he knew immediately who the leaker was. On the phone with Powell that morning, Armitage was "in deep distress," says a source directly familiar with the conversation who asked not to be identified because of legal sensitivities. "I'm sure he's talking about me."

This story does not pass the smell test...nor does it change the actual dynamics of the case. Perhaps Armitage should have consulted with Rover, since he was leaking too...

Reuters Soldiers' families question Rumsfeld on deployment

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (Reuters) - The wives of soldiers whose duty in Iraq was extended to add troop strength to Baghdad peppered U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld with tough questions, some that he could not answer, at a closed-door meeting in Alaska on Saturday.

Rumsfeld, who received a mixed reception from a crowd that offered more applause for the questions asked than the answers provided, praised the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. He would not commit to a date for bringing those soldiers home, but told a 12-year-old girl in the audience, "I'd bet your daddy gets home before Christmas."

He also told the estimated 700 to 800 family members at the meeting in an Army gymnasium that what the soldiers were doing was necessary to ensure terrorism does not strike the United States.

"In five or 10 or 15 years, you'll all be able to look back and appreciate the importance of what's being done and the value of what's being done," he told the crowd.

Yeah Rummy, in 10 or 15 years we will still be cleaning up your mess...a quote from Prissy's friend in Alaska in the same article.

"I think it was a show," said Jennifer Davis, the wife of one soldier in Iraq. She declined to give her husband's name.

Way to go Jennifer, Prissy is proud of you for standing up for our troops.

Independent Another miserable milestone for Bush's war

Sadly, this argument that worked so well in 2002 and 2004 works no longer. Even the wilfully blind can see that Iraq is a disaster. Bush, who yields to no one in that category, lambasted the Democrats for pusillanimity. But even he could not bring himself to use the word "progress" apropos of events in the country that he once claimed would be a beacon of peace and democracy for the entire Middle East.

Nor does the terror card have the force it once did. True, the President's ratings went up slightly after the foiled UK airliner bomb plot (but they could hardly have sunk much lower). Far more revealing, Chris Shays, a Connecticut Republican who had supported the war, last week broke ranks with the White House and called for a firm timetable for withdrawal. If you're seeking re-election to the House in November, there's really no choice.

Bush's problem is that two-thirds of Americans - according to a recent poll - no longer buy his argument that Iraq has become "the central front in the war on terror". Iraq, they now realise, had nothing to do with 9/11, and the foreign fighters who are now in Iraq went there only after the 2003 invasion. They believe the Mesopotamian adventure has made them less safe. Put another way: if you start a war that lasts as long as the Second World War, you'd better have something to show for it. George Bush does not.

If the republicans cannot see what a disaster they continue to support, the party will drown in the blood bath of its own making. Prissy will remind you the new buzz word in politics is progressive...and yes there are republicans calling themselves progressive republicans. Do they understand that progressive means incorporating new facts, as they become available, into their world view?

Al-Jazeera Chad orders oil giants to leave

Talking on state-run radio on Saturday, Idriss Deby, the president of Chad, asked both the companies to leave the country for refusing to pay taxes:

"Chad has decided that as of tomorrow [Sunday] Chevron and Petronas must leave Chad because they have refused to pay their taxes."

The president gave the oil production consortium that is led by Exxon Mobil, a deadline of just 24 hours to start making plans to leave.

Neither Kuala Lumpur-based Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) nor the California-based Chevron immediately commented on Derby's declaration.

New Zealand Iraqi businesses cling on for better times

The HMBS factories in the capital operate for barely an hour a day because of power cuts, while machinery parts don't arrive and workers are often too scared to leave home.

"You are in a war zone. Security is extremely difficult. You can barely manage to operate one shift a day. But you need to continue," said Bisha, speaking from the company's headquarters, which have moved to Amman, capital of neighbouring Jordan.

"You can't just stop life. People are depending on these jobs to support their families," he said.

Efforts to foster private enterprise are also being stifled by soaring inflation, almost 70 per cent year-on-year in July, which is crimping profits badly unless producers can pass on the higher costs to consumers.

Christian Science Monitor Freed journalists: despair, then hope

Officials at the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority (PA) said they had exerted "huge efforts" in recent days to secure the journalists' release, but still did not know exactly who was responsible for kidnapping the men.

The Interior Minister said Hamas officials had not had any direct contact with the kidnappers, but that the Popular Resistance Committee (PRC), an amorphous group of Palestinian militants from different factions, played an intermediary role in negotiating with the abductors.

The kidnapping was unprecedented in that it was the longest period of time foreign reporters have ever been held in Gaza. Moreover, several videos made of the men, in the style of those made by the Iraqi insurgency, were released to local and international news channels - another first in Gaza.

Haaretz Nasrallah: Wouldn't have snatched soldiers if thought would spark war

Nasrallah also said he did not believe there would be a second round of fighting with Israel, and that Hezbollah would adhere to the cease-fire despite what he called Israeli provocation.

Nasrallah said that Israel was trying to press new demands such as the deployment of United Nations forces at Beirut airport, at Lebanese ports and on Lebanon's border with Syria.

But he added: "Their displaced people are going back and they have started to rebuild the north. Someone who acts like that doesn't seem to be going to war. We are not heading to a second round."

The Hezbollah leader also said that negotiations on the release of the abducted IDF soldiers have already begun.

Ansa, Italy Pope to grapple with Darwin

The closed-door think-in at the pope's summer residence of Castelgandolfo is expected to nail down a firmer position on evolution, which has been keenly debated since Pope John Paul II's famous pronouncement that Darwinism was "not just a theory" .

The Church has been accused of sending mixed signals, with Schoenberg's views being challenged by prominent Catholic scientists and some theologians. Schoenborn, a former university pupil of the pope's, grabbed headlines a year ago with a New York Times editorial seen as backing moves to teach intelligent-design theories alongside Darwinism.

LA Times For Bush, No Vacation from Demonstrators

The president was spending the weekend at the Kennebunkport estate of his parents, former President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, to attend a wedding and relax.

"Hey George, while you're golfing and fishing, kids are dying. Sleep well," said one protester's sign. Another placard read, "We were misled and tens of thousands are dead."

Wired Engineers Doubt Big Easy Levees

NEW ORLEANS -- The head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conceded Saturday that despite aggressive efforts to repair the levee system in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, it was unclear whether it could hold up to a sizable hurricane this year.

Lt. General Carl Strock, the commander of the Corps, said the agency was carefully tracking Tropical Storm Ernesto, which was spinning in the Caribbean and projected to reach hurricane strength by Tuesday.

He was confident the Corps had done all it could to repair and reinforce 220 miles of levee walls, but he conceded he couldn't be sure whether the system would withstand Ernesto if reached Category 3 status and struck near New Orleans, as Katrina did Aug. 29, 2005.

News 24 UN chief expected in Beirut

Beirut - UN chief Kofi Annan will arrive in Beirut on Monday to discuss with Lebanese officials the deployment of a beefed up UN peacekeeping force as well as measures to secure the border with Syria, a Lebanese official source said.

He said Annan, who will spend the night in Beirut, will meet with Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, Defense Minister Elias Murr and parliament speaker Nabih Berri.

The source said Annan was not planning on meeting with Lebanon's President Emile Lahoud, who has come under criticism by the international community for his close ties with Syria.

News 24 63% Israelis want Olmert out

Cameron Brown, an analyst at Israel's Herzliya Centre, said Olmert's political troubles were compounded by a string of embarrassing government scandals, including an investigation into whether the Israeli president coerced a female employee to have sex with him.

"These politicians are under fire from several different directions at the same time and I think Olmert is clearly having a rough time.

"The question is will this force him to step down," said Brown.

Israel, please do us all a favor- elect someone who isn't a bully...we have seen first hand how that turns out. Diplomacy, please.

WaPo In Israel, a Divisive Struggle Over Targeted Killing

In Israel, targeted killing has become a select weapon. In Lebanon last month, Israel targeted a bunker that officials believed held Hezbollah's leadership, pounding it with 23 tons of explosives. The hit list in Gaza, Halutz said in an interview, consists of 15 names.

"It is the most important, the most important, method of fighting terror," Halutz said.

It is also, arguably, the most morally complicated. Since the beginning of 2006, Israel has targeted and killed 18 Palestinian fighters, according to B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization. Fifteen civilians were also killed, the group said.

But aside from the military incompetence displayed while killing innocent civilians, it is the wrong way to fight terror tactics. Geez, why don't they even bother to understand why "the enemy" uses terror tactics?

Why Gonzo's international money tracking system doesn't work on the bad guys...CBC Money-transfer systems, hawala style from June 2004

What is a hawala? Hawalas are unregulated international financing networks. Hawalas are not limited to specific geographic regions, and are found throughout the world. The word hawala means “in trust” in Hindi. The money-transfer system is used primarily by individuals to transfer cash, locally or overseas, to people who do not have access to a bank. Hawalas are commonly used by immigrants in Canada. Transfers are usually from one blood relative to another. They leave no paper trail and offer anonymity to both the originator and the recipient.

Register Ex-Comverse chief turns fugitive Aug 16 2006

A warrant for his arrest was issued last week when Department of Justice officials in Brooklyn, NY, charged him and two former colleagues - Comverse CFO David Kreinberg and former general counsel William F Sorin - with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud.

And...Kreinberg and Sorin were arraigned in federal court and and granted bail for $1m each.

Alexander has dual American-Israeli citizenship. An Interpol notification for his immediate arrest has been issued.

The trio resigned from Comverse, the world's largest voicemail software provider, on 1 May in the midst of an internal investigation into stock option grants. Investigators accuse them of profiting from backdating options and making misleading public financial statements between 1998 and 2002

Man or animal?

Quotes of the Day

“It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.”--Voltaire quotes

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.”--Patrick Henry

“Must a government be too strong for the liberties of its people or too weak to maintain its own existence?”--Abe Lincoln

“An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger.”-- Confucius

“A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inferences”--Thomas Jefferson

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Dearest Readers, Prissy may change templates on you, so don't be shocked if the page looks completely different. Blogger has updated its blogging software and as you know, Prissy will update herself accordingly...

Hot Links

ABC The Blotter Is the Next Step a Draft?

An Iraq War veterans group says the call-up of thousands of Marines from the Individual Ready Reserve, announced by the Pentagon today, is "one of the last steps before resorting to a draft."

"This move should serve as a wake-up call to America," said Jon Soltz, an Army captain who served in Iraq and heads the group VoteVets.org, which raises funds for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans running for Congress. "Today's announcement that thousands of Marines in the Individual Ready Reserve will be called back to go to Iraq is proof that our military is overextended, and there is no plan for victory in Iraq."

While the Pentagon has repeatedly maintained the armed forces have met their recruiting and retention goals, Soltz says, "Today's actions speak louder than words."

Become part of the Global Strike Force, Prissy did. Put Yourself on the Map

The Scotsman Israel buys nuclear subs

Israel has been expanding its military in the light of Iran's nuclear ambitions. It already has three Dolphin-class submarines which can fire nuclear missiles, but the newer models can remain submerged far longer.

Israel, which has never officially admitted possessing atomic weapons, has an estimated 60-85 nuclear warheads, according to the United States Defence Intelligence Agency.

And...The country's military planners have a clear preference for submarine-launched nuclear weaponry. Given Israel's small land area, launch sites for missiles would be easy to detect and therefore possible to destroy. Submarine-based missiles give the country a more credible deterrent.

Reuters Data points to slowing economy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales of new U.S. homes and orders for durable goods both fell by more than expected in July, providing further evidence of slowing U.S. economic growth.

U.S. stock prices slipped and bond yields edged down in the wake of the data which is seen supporting the view that the Federal Reserve will not raise interest rates next month.

"It suggests that the economy is cooling off," said Gary Thayer, chief economist at A.G. Edwards and Sons in St. Louis.

Quoting him like he is some kind of a genius, to figure that out.

Madison, WI Feingold rips 'pile of lies' on Iraq

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold told a group of Madison area residents this morning that the ongoing U.S. presence in Iraq is the result of an "outrageous pile of lies" and called for more accountability.

"The Bush administration should take accountability for being stuck there and not admitting mistakes," he told a group of about 60 people this morning at a listening session at the Boys & Girls Club on Jenewein Road.

A group of about 10 anti-war activists in the crowd praised Feingold for his opposition to the war and asked him to gather more support in Congress for an immediate withdrawal. The senator has made waves recently by being one of the few members of Congress to call on the Bush administration to create a firm timetable for withdrawal.

International Herald Tribune While you surf the Web, who's surfing you?

There are also simple measures you can take to protect your hardware, like using a cable lock to secure your laptop in a hotel room or even a café (in case you leave the table for any reason), and making sure you lock your computer bag in the trunk of a car rather than leaving it on the back seat.

For travelers who do carry around sensitive data, it is worth looking into programs like Absolute Software's LoJack for Laptops, which can help recover a missing computer. The software reports its location when connected to the Internet, and some versions can even be programmed to destroy data if a computer is reported lost or stolen.

But perhaps the most common snoop that business travelers encounter is someone nearby "shoulder surfing" to see what is on a laptop, out of curiosity or mere boredom. To foil prying eyes, 3M sells a Notebook Privacy Filter, a plastic film that makes it impossible to view a laptop screen from an angle.

Trevor Stromquist, a sales analyst for a manufacturing company in Minneapolis, has been using one for the last two years to dissuade nosy neighbors on the road, but he has noticed an added benefit back at the office. "To be honest, it's kind of a nice thing when you're sitting in one of those long drawn-out meetings," he said. "You can do what you need to do and no one will notice."

Yahoo UK & Ireland After the war: scandals rock Israel Reuters

Some of the allegations:-- A former employee at the official residence of President Moshe Katsav says he coerced her into having sex with him. Katsav has denied the woman's allegations, which police are investigating. The scandal is unlikely to have any significant political impact as Katsav's post is largely ceremonial.

-- Justice Minister Haim Ramon announced on Friday he would resign after the attorney general said he was considering indicting the veteran politician over allegations by a former government employee that he forcibly kissed her.

A Justice Ministry statement said the woman accused Ramon of "kissing her on the lips while inserting his tongue without her consent". Ramon denied the charges and said he would prove his innocence in court.

-- Israel's top government watchdog has confirmed it is examining the terms of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's purchase of a Jerusalem apartment for $1.2 million in 2004.

Global Security AN FBI INSIDER’S GUIDE TO THE 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT by Mike German

But the only way to truly reform the FBI is to impose meaningful oversight. The FBI’s internal oversight systems are broken and need to be completely dismantled. A new system can be built, but all internal investigations and inspections should be conducted by experienced field agents rather than supervisors. This will reduce the influence of internal politics and remove the perception of a double standard.

But even if such a system for internal investigations can be built, the FBI still needs to be subjected to direct oversight by an independent Inspector General and an empowered Congress. Congress needs to have greater oversight powers and tools to force accountability, and they need to exercise those powers on behalf of their constituents. Finally, the public has to demand accountability from their elected representatives and from the agencies responsible for national security. These agencies belong to the American people and the American people have a right to know what they’re doing. I left the FBI so I could tell them. Public exposure promotes accountability; secrecy promotes complacency that harms national security.

The FBI should retain the responsibility over domestic intelligence gathering and criminal law enforcement, for all of the reasons delineated in the 9/11 Commission in its report, but the FBI should not be left intact. The FBI does need to be broken into bits and rebuilt to counter the terrorist threat, just as Dale Watson suggested in a moment of candor. But it can be done with real reform and real oversight. The FBI has been trusted to reform on its own before, and failed. This time the public should make a demand: don’t tell me, show me.

USA Today New-home sales tumble 4.3% in July from June, backlog grows

Prissy sees hundreds of new homes going up, and sitting empty here in central Ohio. How long will this last? Prissy knows Ted Strickland will fix everything, but the damage is extensive and it will take years to rebuild Ohio. Governor Taft has watched Ohio jobs move right out the door, educated people are leaving the state. Prissy may eventually be amongst them, especially if the GOP steals our vote, again.

This ought to quiet those opposed to stem cell research...but no it does not Study Reports Method of Creating Stem Cells Without Destroying Embryos the never satisfied Bushies said, 'White House Says Such Research 'Raises Serious Ethical Concerns'

The White House on Wednesday issued a statement saying that "[a]ny use of human embryos for research purposes raises serious ethical concerns" in response to a study published in the Aug. 24 edition of the journal Nature that describes a technique that could derive human embryonic stem cells without destroying the embryo, the Washington Post reports (Weiss, Washington Post, 8/24)

Toronto Star Palestinians denounce journalists' kidnappers

JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinian officials on Thursday denounced kidnappers in Gaza who demand the release of all Muslims imprisoned by the U.S. in exchange for two Fox journalists.

Such demands are turning U.S. public opinion against the Palestinians and hampering efforts to win the freedom of thousands of Palestinians held by Israel, the officials said.

This was the best Dubya could come up with for the middle East peace process... hat tip to justice bloggers.

Boston Globe Mainers plan protest during visit by President Bush

Bush was scheduled to arrive Thursday at Walker's Point, where he'll spend the weekend with his parents at their summer retreat. Bush will be in town to attend a relative's wedding, said Tom Frechette, spokesman for the president's father.

People across New England who oppose the war in Iraq are being invited to join in Saturday's demonstration, according to Bruce Gagnon, one of the organizers. Gagnon said the demonstrators are upset with Congress as well as Bush.

"It's a bipartisan war. We're critical of all of those who're funding the war. One of our key demands is to stop the funding for the war," he said Thursday.

Boston Globe. Perhaps Dr. Frist should be consulted, for a long distance diagnosis. Judge won't drop Rhode Island influence-peddling case

Robert Urciuoli's lawyers had argued the U.S. Attorney's office violated their client's constitutional rights by pressuring the hospital to stop paying his legal bills.

But U.S. District Court Judge Ernest Torres said there isn't evidence showing his former employer was coerced. Torres also said Urciuoli's ability to mount a defense wasn't hampered by the hospital's actions. He said Urciuoli has several lawyers to defend him.

Federal prosecutors have accused Urciuoli, Roger Williams Hospital and two others of paying former state Sen. John Celona to be a secret lobbyist at the Statehouse. Celona has pleaded guilty is cooperating with the probe.

CNN Blast rocks bomb recycling plant

DOYLINE, Louisiana (AP) -- An explosion and fire Thursday rocked a plant where military bombs are disassembled and recycled, forcing the evacuation of at least 600 students in northwestern Louisiana, authorities said.

The blast at the Explo Systems Inc. site at Camp Minden, a former Army ammunition plant, also led authorities to urge voluntary evacuations in the eastern section of Doyline, which has about 800 residents.

There were no reports of deaths or injuries and no word on the cause of the blast, which sent thick black smoke over the area.

Crooks and Liars-see Paul Hackett make mince meat of Chris Matthews and the republican vet from Texas on the war...Paul Hackett debated the Iraq war with Republican–TX-17 candidate Van Taylor, (updated)

Hackett did a fine job fighting for the truth and troops, as always. Take a look at the map of Hackett supporters from this time last year, when he ran against Mean Jean Schmidt.

Hackett Contributors Map That's very impressive and should scare the life out of career politicians.

Forbes Indicted Ky. (Republican) Governor in Negotiations

A special grand jury has been investigating whether the Fletcher administration broke state law by giving protected state jobs to political supporters. It indicted Fletcher in May on misdemeanors alleging conspiracy, official misconduct and political discrimination.

The judge in the case, David E. Melcher, has since ruled that Fletcher cannot be prosecuted while in office. Stumbo said the judge encouraged settlement talks.

"It's highly, highly unlikely that the governor will ever stand trial," the attorney general said Thursday.

Fletcher, who has pleaded not guilty, had already issued a blanket pardon exonerating anyone else in his administration charged in the scandal, and Stumbo said a pardon was still an option for Fletcher, as well.

WaPo Why Dubya, why? Bush's New Iraq Argument: It Could Be Worse

While still committed to the venture, officials have privately told friends and associates outside government that they have grown discouraged in recent months. Even the death of al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq proved not to be the turning point they expected, they have told associates, and other developments have been relentlessly dispiriting, with fewer signs of hope.

Bush acknowledged this week that he has been discouraged as well. "Frustrated?" he asked. "Sometimes I'm frustrated. Rarely surprised. Sometimes I'm happy. This is -- but war is not a time of joy. These aren't joyous times. These are challenging times and they're difficult times and they're straining the psyche of our country."

Presidential counselor Dan Bartlett said Bush and his advisers still believe progress is being made and the war will be won. "No question about it, the last three months have been much more challenging," he said. "Are we always going to be pleased with the pace? No. There are days that are frustrating. But is the overall direction going the right way? . . . The answer to that is yes."

They should have asked Dan if he thought progress was being made when this picture was taken.

Sunday August 20, 2006 Jamaica Observer Italy reports seizing US-bound arms shipment

ROME, Italy (AFP) - Italian authorities seized a container full of weapons, including Kalashnikov assault rifles and plastic explosives bound for the United States from Saudi Arabia in May, press reports said yesterday.

Il Mattino newspaper said that the "arsenal" was discovered during a search of a ship registered to an unnamed ex-Soviet republic, which was travelling from Saudi Arabia to the US east coast.

It was boarded by customs officials in the port of Gioia Tauro in the southern Calabria region. They discovered more than 70 AK-47 assault rifles, plastics used in explosives and launch pads for rockets, the daily said.

WRH thinks this is OBL funeral announcement. OBL Funeral Announcement Prissy knows an experienced expert who looked at this funeral announcement and thinks it is bunk. Tells Prissy this is not written in the typical fashion of the middle East news.

However, that does not mean OBL isn't dead-keep in mind the special regarding OBL's health on CNN in 2001 with Dr.Sanjay Gupta. CNN now acts as though they forgotten it...

Quotes of the Day

In time we hate that which we often fear.--William Shakespeare

Thinking to get at once all the gold the goose could give, he killed it and opened it only to find - nothing.--Aesop, The Goose with the Golden Eggs

Treat the other man's faith gently; it is all he has to believe with. His mind was created for his own thoughts, not yours or mine.--Henry S. Haskins

It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress.--Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.--Will Rogers (1879 - 1935)

Surviving Treason

Prissy is changing some things around. Tell her if you don't like the new look or if it makes the site harder to read. Thank you, Dearest Readers...

"A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within.

An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banners openly against the city. But the traitor moves among those within the gates freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.

For the traitor appears no traitor; he speaks in the accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their garments and he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation; he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of a city; he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist."” - Marcus Cicero, speaking to Caesar and the Roman Senate

Hot Links

Yahoo News see TruthOut article bottom same topic

Calendar studied in CIA leak case

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has investigated whether Bush administration officials intentionally revealed Plame's identity as a one-time CIA covert operative to punish her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, for criticizing the administration's march to war with Iraq.

When contacted at home Monday night, Woodward declined to discuss his meeting with Armitage or the identity of his source in the CIA leak case. Instead, he referred to his statement last year that he had a "casual and offhand" discussion about Plame with an unidentified administration official in mid-June 2003.

A person familiar with the information prosecutors have gathered, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because the material remains sealed, said Woodward's meeting with the confidential source was June 13, 2003.

The calendar released to the AP is the first confirmation that Woodward and Armitage met during the key time in the CIA leak case that was the focus of Fitzgerald's probe.

Yahoo News Teacher's radical 9/11 views raise red flags

Those sort of defenses seem like a cop-out to Steve Nass, the Wisconsin state representative who has led the charge against Barrett and gained 61 signatures from other legislators for a resolution calling for his dismissal.

"I have no problem with discussion on unpopular ideas in the classroom, but substantiate what you're talking about," Representative Nass says. "This isn't academic freedom. This person can't substantiate his views."

The legislature is on recess until January, but if Barrett is rehired, Nass says he'll introduce a proposal to cut funding to the administration.

Barrett says he's surprised at the uproar, which began when he aired some of his views on a popular state radio show. He understands that they are divisive, although he points to a recent Zogby poll showing that 42 percent of Americans believe they were not told the whole truth about 9/11 as evidence of growing acceptance. He disagrees that they're unsubstantiated, citing experts who have looked into Mr. Wellstone's plane crash, Bin Laden and what could have caused the Twin Towers to fall.

Well, Prissy doesn't know about the Wellstone plane crash-but only a fool rejects a premise without looking at the evidence. Representative Nass would be one such fool.

Haaretz- Israel Colleges in north: One-fifth of students cancel enrollment for 2007

Colleges in the north said that around 20 percent of students who intended to start studying in October canceled their application after the war in Lebanon, Israel Radio said on Sunday.

Heads of six colleges in the Galilee called on the government to help students and award them with special scholarships to fund their studies.

According to the college officials, the students had to cancel their applications because many of them could not find summer jobs to support their tuition, after rocket fire left streets and shops deserted in the Galilee.

Tell Prissy how war accomplishes what in these modern times? Bombing us back to the stone age?

Randy's Rag, a Canadian reader and Prissy's friend and fellow blogger. The Sheriff Runs for Cover Rag's Magazine- No Sacrifice Is Too Great For Others To Make. - The Bush Credo

Neo-cons generally tend to be "philosophically" opposed to anything that doesn't fit their ideology, like say...global warming and evolution. Unfortunately, science and reality trump ideology and denial won't make the real world go away. Harper would like people to think his non appearance is the result of a scheduling conflict with his trip to the NWT - the fact is this conference had been planned for years and his trip couldn't have been planned until he became temporarily "acting" Prime Minister. As Dr. Keith Martin, liberal foreign affairs critic and surgeon said in a statement:

"....it is reprehensible that with 40 million people infected worldwide, and 14 million orphans, Stephen Harper and his new Conservative Government have chosen to stick their heads in the sand and ignore this problem.

BBC Flashback- Now didn't Dubya warn us "'bout terrists" again, today? Prissy guesses it comes and goes with him...Bush dismisses al-Qaeda warning

US President George W Bush has brushed aside demands from Osama Bin Laden's deputy that the US leave Iraq, saying the US would "complete the job" there.

Ayman al-Zawahri warned that there would be further violence unless the US and its allies withdrew from Iraq.

His comments were made in a videotape broadcast on the Arab satellite television network al-Jazeera.

Mr Bush dismissed Zawahri's ideology as "dark, dim and backwards" and said Iraqis wanted to live in freedom.

Scotsman Israeli attack leaves truce in tatters as peacekeepers arrive

The ceasefire in war-torn Lebanon was last night on the brink of collapse after Israeli special forces clashed with guerrillas deep inside the country and only a handful of United Nations peacekeepers trickled into the region.

Israeli jets and commandos launched the first major attack on Hezbollah since the 34-day war between the two sides was halted by a UN-imposed truce on Monday. Three guerrillas and one Israeli officer were killed. Click to learn more...

The Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora described yesterday's attack as a "naked violation" of the ceasefire as the first troops to reinforce the international peacekeeping force in the country arrived.

NW Herald Dying soldier feels 'lucky' to say goodbye

I could have gotten killed while I was over there and not gotten to say goodbye to my family," said Spanton of Bloomington. "This way, I'm lucky. How many people get to say goodbye to their kids, their wife and their family? You don't like the short time frame, but it's at least a time frame."

Spanton lived with the risk of dying every day while serving with the Special Forces in Iraq, where he says he was shot at by insurgents, sent to mine fields to disarm explosives, and once had a rocket-propelled grenade pass within feet of him.

The former ROTC instructor returned home safe on Memorial Day, but within days, he was hospitalized with a mysterious illness. Doctors later diagnosed him with cancer of the liver bile ducts and now say he has six months to live.

CNN Bush: Leaving Iraq now would be a 'disaster'

"A war is not a time of joy," he said. "These are not joyous times. These are challenging times and they're difficult times. And they're straining the psyche of our country. I understand that."

But defeat is unacceptable, he said.

"Chaos in Iraq would be unsettling in the region," he said. "Leaving before the job is done would be a disaster."

"I hear a lot of talk about civil war. I'm concerned about that, of course," Bush said, citing Iraq as part of what he called "a global war on terror."

Hey Dubya, try "I was wrong to have convinced the American people that attacking Iraq was the right thing to do. And as a result of my reckless actions, which in reality met long held goals, I apologize for ruining the middle east for generations yet to come." But he'll never say all that.

Political artist Stephen Pitt "

Yahoo, from August 10, 2006 Bush seeks political gains from foiled plot

While some Democrats have opposed some steps in the war on terrorism, and more and more are calling for a withdrawal from Iraq, no major figures in the party have called for a wholesale retreat in the broader conflict.

But Bush's Republicans hoped the raid would yield political gains.

"I'd rather be talking about this than all of the other things that Congress hasn't done well," one Republican congressional aide told AFP on condition of anonymity because of possible reprisals.

"Weeks before September 11th, this is going to play big," said another White House official, who also spoke on condition of not being named, adding that some Democratic candidates won't "look as appealing" under the circumstances.

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia Lebanon troops needed urgently: Bush

"The need is urgent," Mr Bush said of the peacekeeping force. He urged that they "deploy as quickly as possible to keep the peace".

The Lebanese Government has estimated the damage from the war will cost $US3.6 billion to repair. A donors' conference is expected to be held next week in Stockholm and a second meeting may be held to plan rebuilding Lebanon's shattered infrastructure. "America will do our part; it will assist the new international force with logistic support, command and control, communications and intelligence," Mr Bush said.

Speaking of Dubya's wonderful diplomatic skills...from Ottawa RadioIran Will Ignore U.N. Deadline

The country's supreme commander Ayatollah Ali Khameni says Iran will continue to pursue nuclear technology. The U.N. Security Council had given Iran an August 31st deadline to halt enriching uranium, or face the threat of economic and political sanctions.

However, Khameni says he has already decided to continue uranium enrichment for use in nuclear energy.

CNN Poll: Opposition to Iraq war at all-time high

Just 35 percent of 1,033 adults polled say they favor the war in Iraq; 61 percent say they oppose it -- the highest opposition noted in any CNN poll since the conflict began more than three years ago.

Despite the rising opposition to the war, President Bush said the U.S. will not withdraw from Iraq while he is president.

"In this case, it would give the terrorists and extremists an additional tool besides safe haven, and that is revenues from oil sales," the president said. "Leaving before the job is done would be a disaster," he said. (Full story)

What a press conference-Dubya back peddling on the "unAmericans" against his war. How long does he think he can continue to defy us?

Truth Out Indictment Still Sealed, Fitzgerald Still Busy By Jason Leopold and Marc Ash

A two-month investigation undertaken by Truthout into the circumstances that led to Karl Rove's alleged exoneration in the leak probe has once again put the spotlight back on Sealed vs. Sealed, the heading under which 06 cr 128 was filed in US District Court between May 10 and May 17.

During numerous interviews with Truthout, sources with direct knowledge of the behind-the-scenes legal wrangling in the CIA leak case said the indictment specifically relates to the 2½-year-old leak probe. Other sources who have also been involved in the investigation confirmed this information.

The sources said that it was Karl Rove who led Fitzgerald's office to additional documentary evidence that was not turned over to the Special Prosecutor's staff in the early days of the investigation.

With Rove cooperating, the probe has once again shifted, and the focus now is on another high-level official in the executive branch: Vice President Dick Cheney.

Dearest Readers it is coming, oh yes- the day will come.

Fitz, Prissy greatly admires your bravery. There is no doubts here about any case you and your staff have put together is less than ironclad. The world will look forward all of this coming out into the open for public scrutiny.

Quotes of the Day

He's senile...that poor old man. "Terrorists are waiting for the Democrats here to take control, let things cool off and then strike again." -- Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), quoted by the Salt Lake Tribune.

There are no such things as applied sciences, only applications of science.-- Louis Pasteur

Mankind censure injustice fearing that they may be the victims of it, and not because they shrink from committing it.-- Plato, The Republic

The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.-- William Hazlitt (1778 - 1830)

Republican Men...Brand Unfaithful? Update

Well what do you think Dearest Readers...or maybe it just seems like mostly republican men cheat on their wives.

Yet they still attempt to fault democracts and independents for "the cause of divorce in this country." That and gay marriage,of course. Neorepublicans wish to tell us all about the "break down" of family values...and want you to ignore their own dalliances.

A kiss from the boss in Prissy's book would have meant that Prissy had just quit-and was now dating him.

It wouldn't be a regular work day, that's for sure.

Geez Condi, so much for Ms. Professional.

It's rude to carry on like that, right in front of the Mrs and the whole world too. The press continues to give Dubya a free pass, after hounding Bill Clinton without mercy for his own tryst.

Prissy has a song picked out for Laura B. She can play this clip for both of them Sing it Laura!

Hot Links

NYT In Nashville, Sounds of Political Uprising From the Left

The songs include Mr. Braddock’s “Thou Shalt Not Kill” and “Big Blue Ball of War” by Nanci Griffith. Another longtime songwriter, John Scott Sherrill, contributed “You Let the Fox Run the Henhouse,” and former Vice President Al Gore speaks a few words at the end of “Al Gore,” which was written by Robert Ellis Orrall and includes the line, “President Gore lives on my street.”

Many singers and songwriters who contributed are not household names outside Nashville, but their work is recorded by many big stars, including Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes and Travis Tritt.

The songwriter Darrell Scott contributed “Goodle U.S.A.” Faith Hill had recorded it under a different name and without the line “It’s like Joe McCarthy was our acting president.”

Toby Keith got a letter from Prissy some time ago... Come here Toby, allow Prissy to help pull the boot outta your butt.

Get a haircut, shower and shave while you are at it. Then tell us all how wrong you were to encourage this mess with your "Shock N Yall"

Perhaps next time you will think it through before writing such rednecky stuff...

Toby still in the doghouse with Prissy Patriot

Here we go again...WW Lia Legal News Cell phone case may not be terrorism: FBI

CHICAGO - The five Arabs, who were arrested on charges of terrorism just for buying batches of mobile phones, are innocent, according to the FBI.

Local authorities had arrested the Arab-Americans after they had found nearly 1000 mobile phones; most of them prepaid TracFones, along with $11,000 in cash. They also found a map marking Wal-Mart stores from Ohio to South Carolina. Additionally prosecutors said airport security information and airline passenger lists were also recovered from their van.

FBI then stepped in saying that there were no connections between the arrested persons and any terror groups. However prosecutors are not fully convinced and say that they are still investigating. Many see this as a case of sour grapes. Imad Hamad, who works in the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Michigan, said, "I think (prosecutors) are stuck in a corner and looking for a safe place. If I was them, I would say a mistake was done, and the police overreacted".

Kudos to the FBI for honesty

Wa Po- or why rich kids need to try diplomacy (poor kids have less to lose) War Stirs Worry in Israel Over State of Military

JERUSALEM, Aug. 18 -- Sgt. Lior Rahamin's Israeli reserve unit had not trained in two years. When its members were called up for the Lebanon war, they didn't have straps for their guns, spare ammunition, flak jackets or more than one good radio. There were other shortages: Twice their operations were canceled because they had no water to take; once they went two days without food.

This is a given in Iraq with our own soldiers. Prissy must have missed Israels' concern over that situation ...

Reuters Bush predicts courts will uphold security wiretaps

The program allows the government to bypass warrant requirements and monitor communications, such as e-mail and telephone calls, into and out of the United States by people believed linked to al Qaeda or related groups.

Democrats contend Bush is overstepping his constitutional power by approving domestic spying and some Republicans also have expressed concerns.

Dubya does predictions?

Constant's Pations -here, the work is done for us...and thanks for your funny searches a couple of weeks ago. How on earth do you do that stuff? Grand Jury Indictments Against Members of Congress for War Crimes

Hamdan opens the floodgates for the Grand Jury to issue indictments against Members of Congress for their complicity in the war crimes and unconstitutional conduct. The precedents of Nuremburg and the Tokyo war crimes trials impose war crimes liability on civilian planners who were in a position to stop illegal activity. Members of Congress, through their negligent refusal to review these matters, satisfy the elements to have their legislative immunity stripped, and indicted for war crimes.

This note outlines the legal framework for stripping legislative immunity and indicting Members of Congress for their involvement in the planning, and refusal to prevent, the violations in Hamdan, Iraq, Abu Ghraib, and the illegal NSA activity. We discuss some of the reforms needed in the system of governance and financial reporting to prevent this illegal activity from recurring undetected. Until these reforms are enacted, the civilian population should discuss with counsel principles which are applicable during combat: The principle of reciprocity and reciprocation.

Constant points out that not all representatives have sworn their oath to uphold the constitution.

Here is the who's who of oath takers OATH OF OFFICE MEMBERS

Some still on the list already indicted: Randy ``Duke'' Cunningham ,John T. Doolittle,Jerry Lewis (all CA-R),Robert W. Ney (OH-R)

CNN Wife accused of killing preacher walks out of jail

Winkler's attorneys have asked the judge to suppress statements she made to police in Alabama and Tennessee after her arrest. Testimony at hearings last week shed additional light on what police say Winkler told them.

In those statements, Winkler told officers she did not want to smear her husband's name in public, according to attorney Ballin.

And, she told Alabama officers that the killing was not planned and that she had been verbally and emotionally abused by her husband, Ballin said. She also said she had been through a life-threatening event in the past year, Ballin said.

The attorney would not elaborate on that event, and no details were given about the abuse Mary Winkler claimed she suffered. Winkler did tell police that the emotional and verbal abuse from her husband had worsened over the past year.

We suspected it might be something along those lines...

Y Net News Israelis hack Ahmadinejad's blog

Israeli bloggers claim to have overloaded website of Iranian president, causing it to crash

Sure, he really does have a blog. Write him a note, tell him we need diplomacy and dialogue-not more war.

Iranian President Ahmandinejad autobiography and blog In several languages. Very good idea, perhaps our own "democratically elected" president will start blogging.

The New Yorker

President Bush called the plot 'a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom.'” But the war in Iraq is wholly irrelevant to the means chosen by the London terrorists, and the means that thwarted them —dogged police work, lawful surveillance, international cooperation, —are precisely those which have been gratuitously starved or stymied on account of the material, political, and human resources that have been, and continue to be, wasted in Iraq. Why not change the game to one that relies less on gambling and bluff and more on wisdom, planning, and (in every sense) intelligence?

How will we have a sensible solution with a mad man at the helm?

Current Era Blog African uranium redux

Resource-rich Congo, which is just emerging from a genocidal civil war encouraged by U.S., British, and Israeli elements using their surrogates in Rwanda, Uganda, and eastern Congo, is a lucrative target for the Bush administration and its criminal accomplices. Conveniently for the neo-cons, the story about Congolese uranium shipments to Iran is said to have involved trans-shipment points in Sudan and Syria and middlemen in Lebanon, all three countries targets of the Project for the New American Century operatives in Washington, London, and Jerusalem/Tel Aviv. Currently, the CIA, under the regime of General Michael Hayden, is cooking the intelligence to prove the Congolese-Tanzanian-Sudanese-Syrian-Iranian uranium smuggling connections. Just for good measure, the neo-cons are suggesting that Zimbabwe, a major target of the Bush administration, and Zambia, were also involved in the alleged elaborate uranium smuggling scheme. President George W. Bush is reported to have ordered Hayden and National Intelligence Director John Negroponte to do everything possible to prove a uranium connection between Iran and Congo.

Why Prissy does not like the "Patriot Act" AOL News 9/11 Detainee Released After Nearly Five Years

The U.S. released former Algerian Air Force Lt. Benamar Benatta to Canada on July 20 after detaining him for nearly five years. He was never charged with a crime.

UK Independent Left-wingers rally behind Prescott to demand Blair quits over Iraq

An emergency resolution will be sent to all constituency Labour parties calling for Mr Blair to quit because of his "disgraceful" policy in Iraq, and for a leadership election within two months of the conference.

Mr Blair will seek to shrug off the challenge, but it has been tabled by leaders of the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, who successfully backed four candidates elected to the National Executive of the party, including the veteran anti-war campaigner Walter Wolfgang.

The calls for Mr Blair to go will be boosted by the burst of support for John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, since the The Independent disclosed that he said President Bush's performance on the Middle East road map was "crap".

C'mon chaps, getting rid of your problem will help immensely.

Gov Exec Security officials weigh profiling airline passengers

"It's not all about technology," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "If we can't get a reasonable amount of information on people who are getting on airplanes, and if we can't get it in a timely fashion, we are tying our hands against what is still a very serious threat."

Homeland Security aides said Chertoff was referring to the need for Transportation Security Administration screeners to do more behavior recognition analysis of passengers. Aides said the department also is finalizing a rule requiring all international flights to provide passenger data to Customs' Advanced Passenger Information System, which checks that information against government watch lists.

Speaking of cheating republicans- take a look at this-if you can stand it! Surely he tipped them well-cash only, wasn't it Rush?

Certainly Not News-disinformation from CNN...and they wonder why some people might imply they are not impartial Bergen: Bin Laden, CIA links hogwash

NEW YORK (CNN) -- CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen says the notion that Osama bin Laden once worked for the CIA is "simply a folk myth" and that there's no shred of evidence to support such theories.

Dearest Readers, this article was such a disservice to their readers. The "hogwash" is the article-and his outrageous claims the world already knows to be false.

The alarm bells are clanging all over America and yet they remain on message, without deviation. Weird.

ABC News-some of those alarm bells Home Sales Slow in Spring With 28 States and D.C. Suffering Outright Declines

The five biggest declines this spring compared to the April-June period of 2005 were Arizona, down 26.9 percent; Florida, down 26.7 percent; California, down 25.3 percent; Virginia, down 23.9 percent, and Nevada, down 23.5 percent.

Crooks and Liars The UK Plot: What’s going on?

These seem like legitimate questions to me; the British authorities have produced no evidence so far. If the only evidence they have was from torturing someone in Pakistan, then they have nothing that can stand up in anything like a court. I wonder if this story is going to get more interesting. I wonder if Lieberman’s defeat, the resilience of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the emergence of a Hezbollah-style government in Iraq had any bearing on the decision by Bush and Blair to pre-empt the British police and order this alleged plot disabled. I wish I didn’t find these questions popping into my head. But the alternative is to trust the Bush administration.

Been there. Done that. Learned my lesson.

Information Week Court Rules NSA Telecom Surveillance Illegal

There is a very obscure provision in the federal wiretap law that says if the provider is given certification from the Attorney General, no warrant is required for surveillance," he said. "The significance of the decision in Detroit is that, if the courts uphold that the surveillance program is unconstitutional, there's an argument that any certification from the Attorney General is invalid. We might learn, through E.F.F.'s litigation, whether it is enough for the provider to say they had certification and they weren't required to ask questions about it."

Sobel said that telecommunications lawyers should have questioned warrantless requests because they were unprecedented.

He also said Thursday's decision should kill a bill introduced by Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican. The bill, labeled a compromise, suggested that the lawsuits regarding the once secret surveillance program move to a closed court.

"I think events have now passed over that proposal," he said. "We now have two courts -- the court in Detroit today and the court in San Francisco two weeks ago -- that have delved very deeply into these cases. The suggestion that they should be moved to the FISA court would be seen for what they are, which is a government attempt to change the rules now that they see that they are losing. To say that the cases should be uprooted and started over in FISA court would seem like nothing more than a government attempt to erase these decisions and start over."

David Sobel, senior counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which has joined journalists and others in the lawsuit over AT&T's participation in the case...

Crytome Inventing Public Diplomacy: The Story of the U.S. Information Agency

During the 1960s and 1970s, the USIA took advantage of several opportunities and struggled with many challenges. The agency successfully exploited the triumphs of the Apollo space program to project the image of a strong America abroad. Advancements in civil rights, however ineffective these were in dealing with the racist heart of America, allowed USIA propagandists to claim victory in the struggle for racial justice, which the Declaration of Human Rights had made an explicit priority in . The always-present specter of nuclear holocaust continued to present problems for the USIA; the agency confronted a world that understood the problem of nuclear weapons through the prisms of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The scandalous Nixon administration and the appointment of the ideologically-driven Frank Shakespeare to the USIA, which caused the agency’s objectivity to come into question, presented still more challenges. In response to the ideological bent of the agency under Nixon, Jimmy Carter moved to curtail the USIA’s propaganda efforts by suppressing activities he deemed “covert, manipulative, or propagandistic,” and renaming the agency as the US International Communications Agency. Carter’s attempt to steer the agency back towards its original mission—as objective information disseminating agency—would be short lived.

911 Physics- the German Intelligence Report. Thank you to Prissy's friend for sending this-she's so smart. The German Intelligence Report

The following document was published in June of 2002. If genuine, it must rank as one of the most remarkable documents in history. It purports to be a top-secret report from the German external intelligence agency, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) prepared with assistance from an internal German intelligence agency, the BfV. Among the most important claims it makes are the following: German intelligence detected plans for an attack by Arab extremists on the United States, to take place on September 10 or 11, 2001. Israel was aware of the plans and wished the attack to take place without hindrance. The German ambassador informed the President of the US of the impending attacks. He thanked the ambassador and said that he already knew. Subsequently, his administration urgently requested the suppression of information on this warning.

Quotes of the Day

Samuel Adams, quotes about Executive Orders:

The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.

Justice Louis D. Brandeis:

Decency, security, and liberty alike demand that government officials shall be subjected to the same rules of conduct that are commands to the citizen... If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy.

Gaius Julius Caesar, quotes about Executive Orders:

All bad precedents began as justifiable measures.

Sir Winston Churchill, quotes about Executive Orders:

The power of the Executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to the law, and particularly to deny him the judgment of his peers, is in the highest degree odious and is the foundation of all totalitarian government whether Nazi or Communist.