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Dearest Readers, Betty Buckaneer is recovering from unexpected surgery, thus our delay for the Betty and Prissy Show.
The House and Senate will be getting their own PrissyBalls in September. They will be hand delivered. Write to Prissy before September 10th, if your representative needs some. Feel free to email a note for Prissy to pass along to your rep.
We thought it would better to welcome back from their long break during the Camp Democracy event...and the Lamont victory.
CNN Cindy Sheehan hospitalized after hunger strike
WACO, Texas (AP) -- Anti-war demonstrator Cindy Sheehan was hospitalized Friday evening for dehydration and exhaustion after fasting for more than a month and protesting earlier this week in 100-degree weather, friends and relatives said.
Sheehan was listed in stable condition at Providence Health Center in Waco. Brenda Mauk, a nursing supervisor, declined to release additional information.
Sheehan, 49, was hospitalized after friends picked her up Friday afternoon at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, where she arrived after spending several days in Seattle at the Veterans for Peace convention, said friend Tiffany Burns.
Sheehan, who has been on a liquid diet as part of the nationwide "Troops Home Fast" hunger strike, had been treated and released from a Seattle emergency room Thursday night. On doctors' orders, she ate for the first time in about 37 days, Burns said.
Cindy Godspeed your return to good health. Prissy hopes to see you at Camp Democracy in September!
Must see video, pass this along to others. Nothing fancy, but this is the best psychological explanation for why 911 hoodwinked so many intelligent people. Psychology of September 11th 2001
An absolute must read to understand September 11th. Excellent description of the psychological warfare inflicted upon the American ... all » People. You will learn much in the short article. As stated, this is a must read for those who want to know the truth.
About that Gulf of Tonkin "incident" Tonkin Gulf Lie Launched Vietnam War
On the night of Aug. 4, the Pentagon proclaimed that a second attack by North Vietnamese PT boats had occurred earlier that day in the Tonkin Gulf — a report cited by President Johnson as he went on national TV that evening to announce a momentous escalation in the war: air strikes against North Vietnam.
But Johnson ordered U.S. bombers to "retaliate" for a North Vietnamese torpedo attack that never happened.
Prior to the U.S. air strikes, top officials in Washington had reason to doubt that any Aug. 4 attack by North Vietnam had occurred. Cables from the U.S. task force commander in the Tonkin Gulf, Captain John J. Herrick, referred to "freak weather effects," "almost total darkness" and an "overeager sonarman" who "was hearing ship's own propeller beat."
One of the Navy pilots flying overhead that night was squadron commander James Stockdale, who gained fame later as a POW and then Ross Perot's vice presidential candidate. "I had the best seat in the house to watch that event," recalled Stockdale a few years ago, "and our destroyers were just shooting at phantom targets — there were no PT boats there.... There was nothing there but black water and American fire power."
In 1965, Lyndon Johnson commented: "For all I know, our Navy was shooting at whales out there."
Gaelicstarover Blogspot Fox Slimes Hero’s Mom
Perhaps, Fox News might want to change their motto from "Fair and Balanced" to "Support the troops; trash their mothers."
The cabal would not care at all-but Cindy's message is a serious threat. Prissy suggests they end the war-their own political tsunami is on its way. Ask Joe what it feels like to get hit with one...
IDF soldier. Good thing you aren't Prissy's boy, as you would never make it out of the house with that written on your back...
Arabe News UN Powers Agree Deal to End War
A revised US-French Security Council draft resolution authorizes up to 15,000 UN troops to monitor a withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from southern Lebanon and help the Lebanese Army enforce a truce.
The text, obtained by Reuters, calls “full cessation of hostilities” but does not say it is immediate. It asks Israel to pull out its forces from southern Lebanon “at the earliest.” The timing of Israel’s withdrawal and the nature of the international force sent into the area had been the main points of contention that held up a deal this week.
A second resolution on a permanent cease-fire would follow within a month, tackling a range of issues including the release of two Israeli soldiers held by Hezbollah.
The text is not expected to define when Hezbollah would be disarmed and by whom, as called for in previous resolutions.
Yahoo Bureaucracy impedes bomb-detection work
WASHINGTON - As the British terror plot was unfolding, the Bush administration quietly tried to take away $6 million that was supposed to be spent this year developing new explosives detection technology. Congressional leaders rejected the idea, the latest in a series of Homeland Security Department steps that have left lawmakers and some of the department's own experts questioning the commitment to create better anti-terror technologies.
Homeland Security's research arm, called the Sciences & Technology Directorate, is a "rudderless ship without a clear way to get back on course," Republican and Democratic senators on the Appropriations Committee declared recently.
"The committee is extremely disappointed with the manner in which S&T is being managed within the Department of Homeland Security," the panel wrote June 29 in a bipartisan report accompanying the agency's 2007 budget.
This is the same administration "keeping the homeland safe."
UK Financial Times Pakistan ‘key’ to bomb plot
UK intelligence assessments suggested that the plotters may have planned attacks in two or three waves, attacking as many as nine aircraft in total, though that assessment could change as more details were uncovered.
The decision to make the arrests came amid signs that some of those involved were planning a “dry run”, possibly as early as Friday, while unconfirmed reports suggested that the alleged terrorists had planned to strike next Wednesday.
US officials said some of the suspects had travelled to Pakistan and that a British undercover agent had infiltrated the group.
Pakistani officials said they intensified their monitoring of suspects arriving from the UK at the start of the school summer holidays, a period when large numbers of Pakistani expatriates return home for family visits.
Is this the same kind of intel operation which uncovered the other infamous "foiled plots?" Be very leery of this claim, Dearest Readers...
Reuters Bush says British terror threat may not be over
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush cautioned on Saturday the threat from a plot to detonate liquid explosives on commercial flights may not have passed and denied Democratic charges he was trying to use the crisis for political gains in an election year.
"We believe that this week's arrests have significantly disrupted the threat," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "Yet we cannot be sure that the threat has been eliminated."
British authorities arrested two dozen suspects on Thursday for allegedly plotting to use liquid explosives to blow up airliners flying from Britain to the United States.
The arrests prompted the United States to raise its terror alert to the highest level ever and prompted airports to ban passengers from taking liquids, gels and creams on planes.
Oh come now; we all know Blair and Bush policies are what put us at risk for terrorism.
Canadian National Post Israel prepared to expand war if peace deal fails
American diplomats did not give up hope that a peace deal might be passed today, thus ending a conflict that has already lasted 30 days and resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,000 Lebanese and nearly 100 Israelis.
Also late Thursday, the Jerusalem Post reported that Lebanon was balking at one aspect of the deal the notion of allowing French troops to use force to enforce their UNmandate. The newspaper said attempts to convince Lebanon to accept the deal are continuing.
The diplomatic developments, meanwhile, seemed to make little difference on the battlefield. With as many as 30,000 Israeli troops poised on the border, awaiting firm invasion orders from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert if the peace talks fail, Israeli warplanes hit a neighbourhood very close to the centre of Beirut for the first time. Fresh ground units also went further into Lebanon than before, seizing territory eight kilometres north of the Israeli border.
Israel kill ratios of 100 to 1. Why is Prissy supposed to believe they are being victimized with numbers like these?
Center for Public Integrity In Your State
Do you ever wonder what really goes on under the dome in your state's capitol? In addition to national and international topics, the Center for Public Integrity studies the goings-on in state governments and has done so for almost a decade.
These 50 "In Your State" Web pages guide you through the Center's regularly updated library of information on legislatures, lobbyists and industry working at the state level.
Choose a state from the list below to start exploring or if you see a topic to the left you are interested in, click on it and select a state.
CNN Can the GOP use terrorism to win -- again? By Bill Schneider CNN Senior Political Analyst
But among voters concerned about terrorism, slightly more said they would vote for a Democrat (50 percent) rather than a Republican (45 percent) for Congress.
Republicans still do better on terrorism than on any other issue except same-sex marriage, which is far less important to voters. But the Republican advantage on terrorism had vanished, at least before the news from Britain.
Why did that happen? Here's a clue. As of last week, only 31 percent of Americans believed the United States and its allies were winning the war on terror. That is the lowest figure recorded since 9/11. The prevailing view (45 percent) is that neither side is winning.
One reason is disillusionment with the war in Iraq. A majority of Americans polled recently by the Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg News believe terrorism has increased around the world because of the situation in Iraq (52 percent). Only 5 percent think the Iraq war has decreased the threat of terrorism, while 39 percent say it has made no difference.
They actually pay Bill to come up with this common knowledge. He's still way behind the public...
ABC Hezbollah Vows to Abide by Resolution
Israel stepped up its airstrikes and continued its incursions across the border early Saturday, not long after the U.N. Security Council voted on a resolution to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.
Will the UN have to put a stop to this if Israel continues to disregard the resolution?
New Haven The CourantCan Joe Regain New Haven?
In the 2000 presidential elections, in which Al Gore and Lieberman won the popular vote but lost the election, who could forget a humbled Gore lamenting the loss of his home state, Tennessee? If Lieberman is to pull off his November comeback - and he has a legitimate shot - he's going to have to reclaim the Elm City.
"That was a devastating blow," said Wendell Johnson of Danbury, a 1960 classmate of Lieberman at Stamford High. "But he did carry Bridgeport and Waterbury. I'm sure it's a tremendous disappointment to Joe, but I don't think it's such a blow that it will contribute to him being defeated in the November elections."
Why Wendell, is Rover going to give Joe the kind of help Ohio's Ken Blackwell gave to Dubya in 2004? See below
The Daily Show very funny video via RAW and UTube Loserman for Independent Run
Best line- Samantha Bee explains Lieberman's strategy as this: "If not nominated, he will run. If not elected, he will serve."
USA Today HIV pill deemed safe, shows early promise, but doctors say more tests needed
The first test of a daily pill to prevent HIV infection gave a tantalizing hint of success, but a real answer must await a larger study due out next year.
China Daily Google CEO: Govt instructions serious threat to online privacy
BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Accidental public disclosures of data are serious threat to online privacy, but a more serious threat lay in potential demands on Google by government's instructions, its CEO said on Wednesday.
Eric Schmidt told the Search Engine Strategies industry conference that Google had put all necessary safeguards to protect its users' personal data from theft or accidental release.
But "a more serious threat to user privacy lay in potential demands on Google by governments to make the company give up data on its customer's surfing habits," he was quoted as saying.
"The more interesting question is something where a government, not just the U.S. government but maybe a non-U.S. government would try to get in Google's computer systems," Schmidt said.
Mercury News Judges consolidate Bush spy program lawsuits in San Francisco
A federal panel of judges has consolidated 17 lawsuits throughout the United States filed against telecoms accused of assisting the Bush administration monitor Americans' communications without warrants.
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred the cases to U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who last month declined to dismiss a spying case against the federal government and AT&T Inc., according to an order released Thursday. The consolidated lawsuits also target Verizon Communications Inc., Bellsouth Corp. and their affiliates. The panel ruled 26 other lawsuits with similar allegations also may be moved to Walker, who took the bench in 1990 after being nominated by the first President Bush.
Last month, Walker rejected government assertions that the AT&T case had to be dropped because it could expose state secrets and jeopardize the war on terror.
Walker ruled July 20 the warrantless eavesdropping has been so widely reported there's no danger of spilling secrets. No hearing has been set and the Justice Department has asked Walker to halt the case pending appeal.
Maybe we should call Gonzo's DOJ the Department of Injustice?
Arlen, we're listening...you don't want another scathing letter from Prissy, now do you?
Lukery Wotsitgood4 Blogspot. Sums it up nicely... CIFA are deep in Duke/MZM doo-doo
"Counterintelligence Officials Resign David A. Burtt II, director of the Counterintelligence Field Activity, the Defense Department's newest intelligence agency whose contracts based on congressional earmarks are under investigation by the Pentagon and federal prosecutors, told his staff yesterday that he and his deputy director will resign at the end of the month."
More about MZM-from Duke Cunningham's letter of explanation-MZM provides highly classified human intelligence support to the U.S. Military. While I am not at liberty to discuss the specifics of MZM's classified work, I can say that in 2003 MZM was actively seeking space for its operations close to Miramar Marine Corps Air Station. Mr. Wade shared with me that his company hoped to acquire space where he could locate highly secure communications equipment along with quarters for employees visiting from other cities. I informed Mr. Wade that Nancy and I were contemplating selling our home in the Del Mar Heights neighborhood, which is close to Miramar.
WaPo. Bush takes another strategy from the Dick Nixon playbook (Psst...George-he got caught too) Increasingly, Bush Escapes the Media Pack
Patrice McDermott, director of OpenTheGovernment.org, a coalition formed three years ago that includes groups such as the American Library Association, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and the Society of Professional Journalists, called the changing pattern of coverage "quite disturbing" and part of a "rising tide of secrecy" in Washington.
"It's another way of closing off responsibility and accountability and shutting themselves off from public view," she said. "I think the public would prefer that somebody be in the room who is not there for their own interests to be served."
White House spokesman Tony Snow said there is nothing insidious about closing fundraisers in private homes and noted that news organizations choose whether to pay for a plane follow the president. "It's really all about money," he said. "It used to be that media organizations had more dough."
Tony knows Dubya gets angrier by the day...doesn't want the press to capture that.
Zogby in the Media Iran’s President Ahmadinejad, one year later
At home, Ahmadinejad has pursued policies restricting the activities of independent organizations and the media, as this new Backgrounder explains. Iran’s human-rights record has rapidly deteriorated under his watch, with widespread reports of unlawful arrest, torture and summary executions of women and children. On August 3 the government banned the leading human-rights organization (RFE/RL) of Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, provoking outrage among Iranian activists. Just one week prior, Akbar Mohammadi, a student activist, died in Iran’s notorious Evin prison with torture marks on his body.
Despite Ahmadinejad’s popular appeals, Iranians’ real needs appear to go mostly ignored. The most important issue, according to recent polls (Zogby), is Iran’s cash-strapped economy, not its nuclear program. According to a recent report by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Iranians largely favor nuclear development but not for military ends for fear it might provoke UN-backed sanctions or, worse, a war with the United States or Israel. Ebadi, writing in The New York Times, says the threat of foreign military intervention has only hindered human rights groups and consolidated the power of Iran’s clerical regime. War, writes recently released Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji, “would only contribute to our further enslavement, as the regime would use war as an excuse to suppress any and all voice of opposition” (NYT).
Quotes of the Day
Check out the 2009 Camaro concept car-sadly it is not hybrid. As fast and fun as a V-8 can be, one would think Chevy would know better with gas prices only expected to rise.
Men enter local politics solely as a result of being unhappily married. --C Northcote Parkinson,historian
"Gentlemen do not read each other's mail."--Henry L. Stimson, Republican, Secretary of War during World War II
Obviously Mr. Thurber never met Prissy Patriot..."Boys are beyond the range of anybody's sure understanding, at least when they are between the ages of 18 months and 90 years."--James Thurber
"To measure the man, measure his heart." --Malcolm Stevenson Forbes
