The NeoRepublicans Point of No Return

Gonzo takes his oath before the Senate hearings? (Thanks to Dearest Reader Valerie for the picture)

Dearest Readers, Gonzo will soon be gone. Prissy is hearing he will resign by September...either that, or he will certainly be looking at impeachment. Maybe even disbarment.

One thing is for sure. He has lost all credibility within his own party. Spector isn't fooled or maybe he just doesn't like Gonzo. Either way, he's asking the right questions. Let's see if he has enough of our ancestors in his bloodline to follow with action.

Only ones just as deep in Bushworld muck, can afford to stand up for him at this fork in the road. They know they have little to lose and so the ruse must continue.

If the American people are tired of the deceit, they must use all available lawful means to restore the government back into the hands of the We the People. The creatures of the current regime will not hand it back politely, we must demand its return.

Should one require a cause or mission statement before embarking on the venture, Prissy suggests reading the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence or its conclusion (see below) for further guidance.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Back channel whisper of the day: Did Congressman John Boehner (OH-R) make the DC Madames list? There may be another Ohio congressperson on the list too.

Place your bets, Dearest Readers. Larry Flynt will probably drop the names beginning of next week, watch the roaches in Washington scatter... Will it help to tell these boys they are "well within the national average?"

Hot Links

TruthOut Gonzales Memo: White House Granted Extraordinary Access to DOJ Files

Under intense questioning by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), Gonzales was shown a copy of the May 4, 2006 memo he signed authorizing Cheney, his chief of staff and his attorney to enter into direct discussions with Gonzales "regarding any matter within the Justice Department."

"The Attorney General may communicate directly with the President, Vice President, their Chiefs of Staff, Counsel to the President or Vice President, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Adviser, or the head of any office within the [Executive Office of the President] regarding any matter within the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice," states the memo. Moreover, the memo says Gonzales's staffers were also given authority to communicate directly with the officials in the office of the president and the office of the vice president on DOJ matters.

The issue is of particular concern to lawmakers and the legal community because the DOJ historically operates independently of the administration and without political interference of any kind. A similar memo was signed by former Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2002, but limited discussions between the DOJ and the White House to the office of the counsel of the president.

Gonzales's memo, on the other hand, seems to authorize discussion about pending DOJ cases to virtually hundreds of White House officials, and it seems to lend credibility to the assertion that perhaps some high-profile public corruption cases involving Republican lawmakers were scuttled due to interference by the Bush administration.

Don't we make a cute couple?

Chicago Tribune, hat tip to Prissy's invisible BF...BP dumps mercury in lake

Peter Swenson, chief of the water permits section at the EPA's regional office in Chicago, said some Great Lakes polluters have been granted exemptions to the mercury limits when they renew their permits. But others have been forced to comply immediately, he said, noting that emerging technology can remove the metal from waste water.

A Tribune review of federal records shows that the waste water the BP refinery pumps into Lake Michigan includes more than a dozen toxic byproducts of oil refining, including benzene, toluene and suspended solids containing mercury, lead, nickel and vanadium.

The refinery is the top industrial source of lead, nickel and ammonia pollution directly released into the lake, according to the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory. It also is one of only two industrial polluters on the lake that dump acetonitrile, a chemical that metabolizes in the environment to cyanide.

If BP were to meet the federal mercury standard for the Great Lakes, it would take the refinery 25 years to put the same amount of the toxic metal into Lake Michigan that it does now in one year.

ABC still trying to salvage some credibility after the DC Madame untruths Spy Agency OKs Bloggers as Journalists

Are bloggers part of the news media? The U.S. government -- led by two of its most secretive agencies -- is increasingly saying, "Yes, they are."

Despite the rap that bloggers simply "bloviate" and "don't try to find things out," as conservative newspaper columnist Robert Novak once sniffed, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) have altered policies to indicate they're taking blogs seriously, and a growing number of public offices are actively reaching out to the blogosphere.

What Dick thinks of bloggers

The CIA recently updated its policies on Freedom of Information Act requests to allow bloggers to qualify for special treatment once reserved for old-school reporters. And last August, the NSA issued a directive to its employees to report leaks of classified information to the media -- "including blogs," the order said.

Experts say it's part of a trend. Earlier this year, the criminal trial of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was the first time a federal court had issued press credentials to bloggers. A rotating pool of five to 10 bloggers sat alongside dozens of traditional media reporters to hear the government try and convict one-time aide to Vice President Dick Cheney on perjury and obstruction of justice charges stemming from the leak of an undercover CIA operative's identity.

Republicans blocking Freedom of Information Act bill, Judiciary Chairman says

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) issued a Friday afternoon statement criticizing Republican colleagues for holding up an open government bill that seeks to reform the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and end delays in government compliance with requests for information.

"The Republican obstructionism continues in the Senate and the latest casualty is Americans’ access to their government," Senator Leahy said. "I am deeply disappointed that Republicans continue to block attempts to pass the Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act” (“OPEN Government Act”)

CREW CREW RELEASES REPORT DETAILING INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE OFFERS IN WAKE OF HURRICANE KATRINA

Another email responding to an offer from Argentina to DOS officials reads “All, The (sic) word here is that doctors of any kind are in the 'forget about it' category. Human assistance of any kind is not on our priorities list....It’s all about goods, not people, at this point.”

Another email describes how the transport of Israeli relief supplies loaded on a C-130 aircraft was delayed for over 48 hours on the tarmac while Israeli officials waited for clearance from the U.S. government. The unidentified author states: “I’ve been on the phone with the [Israeli] attache every couple of hours since noon . . . they’re patient, but not amused by our delay, obviously.” The documents do not reveal if or how the issue was resolved.

Melanie Sloan, CREW’s executive director said today, “A review of the State Department documents reveals distressing ineptitude. Countries were trying to donate desperately needed goods and services, but as a result of bureaucratic bungling and indifference, those most in need of these generous offers of aid never received it.”

CBS Dick's hardening of the arteries and his head Cheney Having Minor Heart Procedure

Cheney, 66, has a history of heart problems. He has had four heart attacks, quadruple bypass surgery, two artery-clearing angioplasties and an operation to implant the defibrillator.

In March, doctors discovered that he had a deep venous thrombosis in his left lower leg. After an ultrasound in late April, doctors said the clot was slowly getting smaller.

In 2005, Cheney had six hours of surgery on his legs to repair a kind of aneurysm, a ballooning weak spot in an artery that can burst if left untreated.

What a waste of taxpayers money...persons of his vast wealth should have to pay their own health care costs. He has access to the best resources much of his life-its not our fault that he failed to use them.

The problem Prissy has with Republicans is that they always like to hold others responsible for behaviors which cause health problems (smoking, overweight,etc) but never wish to be held accountable themselves. To be held to their own standards would literally kill them...

Why Bush ranks number one for being the most unsophisticated, vulgar president in American history. Imagine being a military family and seeing him joke about the misuse of your loved ones life...watch Joe Lieberman yuk it up at the prez.

Possibly the most callus, unAmerican, unpatriotic moment against our troops in the annual press dinner's history. They cared not, while deceiving Americans into this war. It shows.

Thank you again, Stephen Colbert! He did one of those critical skills jobs, the one that no one else had the gonads to do.

Maybe Dubya should have looked within for WMD

The Iraq War: Legal or Illegal?

Pinky wants some answers: Is the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq legal or illegal? Do any of the charges of illegality we've been hearing about have any legal basis at all? And why should we even care about international law anyway? Pinky and friends do the research and then tell you all the answers!

A well researched cartoon with the facts about the war. Send to anyone left still doubting...

Andrew Sullivan The Republicans and the Young

Young people react with hostility to the Republicans on almost every measure and Republicans and younger voters disagree on almost every major issue of the day. The range of the issue disagreements range from the most prominent issues of the day (Iraq, immigration) to burning social issues (gay marriage, abortion) to fundamental ideological disagreements over the size and scope of government. This leaves both potential Democratic nominees with substantial leads over Rudy Giuliani, but importantly, both Democrats still have room to grow their support among younger voters. The current problems with the Republican brand are not fully reflected in young people’s preferences for President.

No kidding; Prissy is glad the younger generation isn't as easily fooled as their elders. Notice their elders prefer not to answer the young 'uns questions...

Wired Republican Candidates: Afraid to Face the YouTube Generation?

Ratings data show that the CNN/YouTube debate received the highest viewership level for the demographic between 18 and 34 since measurement level began in 1992 for a cable news debate.

Research released earlier this year by Harvard's Institute for Politics found that -- galvanized by the war -- this age group showed up at the polls in 2004 at extremely high levels.

As Carl Cannon, a writer for the inside-the-Beltway publication National Journal noted in a May edition of the magazine, "These young people are so little understood that many of the 2006 congressional campaigns ignored them utterly, although the candidates who did paid a price for their inattention."

WaPo With Gonzales Under Fire, FBI Violation Gains Notice

"Oversight by Congress to minimize abuse of government's power relies on full and honest answers from government officials," particularly with regard to Patriot Act matters, Leahy said in a statement. "Time and again this Attorney General has not met that obligation."

The issue of what Gonzales knew of FBI violations and when arose this month, when The Washington Post reported that the FBI had sent him at least half a dozen reports of legal or procedural violations before he gave his 2005 testimony.

In total, the FBI has told the White House and the Justice Department about a few hundred instances since 2001 in which its agents violated procedures or laws designed to protect the civil liberties and privacy of Americans. Most of the problems involved paperwork mistakes, the inadvertent collection of phone data for the wrong person or the collection of data past a legal deadline, officials have said.

Officials said the 2004 violation stands out because it is the sole occasion on which the FBI itself concluded that an agent intentionally violated safeguards on the use of national security letters, investigative tools that allow agents to gather phone, computer or bank records without court approval or a grand jury subpoena.

Wired more reasons for concern about Gonzo AG Gonzales Wants Police to Get "Extremely Graphic" When Discussing Child Porn

According to this account, Gonzales repeatedly stressed the need to give the public more lurid accounts of what officers have seen. "We have to be very, very graphic in describing what we're discovering over the Internet, for example, the images that we see. Not just young teenage girls in bikinis, but these are images of crimes being committed against our children, of dads having sex with their young daughters, oral sex, defecation," Gonzales said. "I mean, just, we've got to be extremely graphic about what we're seeing because all these images mean that a child has been molested."

Wouldn't such graphic descriptions in police press releases and news stories play to the prurient interests of pedophiles and, in a sense, become its own version of child porn?

Of course it would...remember Ken Starr "and then what did she do with it, Mr. President...republicans can't get enough of the lurid details. Put it in the final report for police and doctors eyes- it doesn't need to be in Gonzo's entertainment news.

Really makes Prissy professionally concerned about those firmly holding on to such an ideology. The successful re-branding of KKKarl's GOP

Mirror Tories are revolting

Civil war broke out in the Conservative Party yesterday as senior Tory MPs publicly blasted David Cameron.

Die-hard Derek Conway said there were "generational difficulties" with the new leader.

He claimed the views of older Tories had been forgotten in plans to rebrand the party.

Veteran MP Bob Spink accused Cameron of relying on gimmicks and "wet behind the ears" advisers.

Kids, these are the kind of "grown-ups" Prissy will be more than happy to help you verbally target.

Listen up, DLC democrats. Politico Democrats dis DLC convention

The lack of a single presidential candidate at the convention is nonetheless striking.

Even those long shots like Joe Biden, aching to catch some momentum, will not be attending.

Biden argues for restoring a Democratic coalition. But he's campaigning in New Hampshire over the weekend. His book tour is beginning. He, like his fellow candidates, is simply too busy for the DLC.

The snub would not be so noticeable if it were not for the presidential race beginning so early this cycle. No Democratic candidate for president attended the DLC gathering in 1999 or 2003. But in 2000, Al Gore gave the conference keynote address. In 2004, John Kerry did the same.

The DLC does not represent the grass roots that made them possible. They appear to snub their "base."

Gulf News US plans big arms sale to Saudi Arabia

Officials told the newspaper that the plan is aimed at bolstering GCC militaries to contain Iran’s growing strength in the region.

The State Department and the White House had no comment on the report, and a Pentagon spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.

Officials said that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates plan to use their visit to Saudi Arabia next week to press for help over Iraq.

The newspaper quoted a senior State Department official as saying that Washington wants Gulf states to stress to Sunnis that engaging in violence is "killing your future."

That's right, cause this guy wants to "kill your future...

IHT Stock markets rise and fall according to a new world pecking order

The economic strength this year has been largely in Asia, where there is talk of an overheating Chinese economy and annual growth rates in gross domestic product remain in the double digits. While recessions in America and Europe would presumably damage China's exports, its growth has so far resisted government efforts to slow it down through higher interest rates.

As a result, the prices of such economically sensitive commodities as oil and copper are significantly higher now than they were in February.

"You can make the case that we are simply witnessing a reverse of the late 1990's - Asia collapse, long-term interest rates swoon and U.S. housing booms," said Robert Barbera, the chief economist of ITG. This time, he said, interest rates may not fall much, because of the Asian boom, and that will put more pressure on housing prices.

The plunge this week, while made in America, seemed to end in China. While Japan's stock market fell about 2 percent on Friday, the CSI 300 index, in China, managed a small gain. After that, European markets showed only mild moves.

Quotes of the Day

We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately. --Benjamin Franklin

Mourn not the dead that in the cool earth lie, but rather mourn the apathetic, throng the coward and the meek who see the world's great anguish and its wrong, and dare not speak.--Ralph Chaplin

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.--Albert Einstein

The Ass and His Driver: AN ASS, being driven along a high road, suddenly started off and bolted to the brink of a deep precipice. While he was in the act of throwing himself over, his owner seized him by the tail, endeavoring to pull him back. When the Ass persisted in his effort, the man let him go and said, Conquer, but conquer to your cost. A willful beast must go his own way.--Aesop

The Boosh/Chainee Rain of Terra

Any of you mates still left, have questions or concerns for Commander Crook?

Hello Dearest Readers, can you believe all of this?

His own party cannot keep him in line. See below:

Bush Surprises Senate Aides With Unexpected Interruption of White House Meeting

July 17, 2007 by Major Garrett and Trish Turner Fox News

WASHINGTON — President Bush shocked Capitol Hill staffers and Republican leaders Monday when he crashed a meeting at the White House to deliver a blunt message that he wasn't backing down on Iraq and Republicans need to understand that.

"It was stunning," said one GOP aide who attended the meeting. "We couldn't believe he came in."

"We kept looking at each other, amazed he came in," said another Republican aide.

Bush was described as folksy, adamant and mildly profane as he interrupted the meeting between senior White House communications staffers Tony Snow and Ed Gillespie and GOP leaders. His message: the policy on Iraq isn't changing. He is not backing down and no one on Capitol Hill should be confused into thinking he is letting up.

Judge Bates tossed aside the Plame case like a glanced over USA Today blowing about in the metro...About the judge:

CNN Suit against Cheney task force dismissed

Lawmakers sought details on contacts with energy industry (2002)

Judge Bates serves on the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (bio)

The judge who just dismissed the Valerie Plame lawsuit serves as a judge on the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, aka the FISA court. Hat tip to

dc @ 1 Boring Old man! Impeach!

Valerie Plame's Lawsuit Dismissed

While Bates did not address the constitutional questions, he seemed to side with administration officials who said they were acting within their job duties. Plame had argued that what they did was illegal and outside the scope of their government jobs.

"The alleged means by which defendants chose to rebut Mr. Wilson's comments and attack his credibility may have been highly unsavory, " Bates wrote. "But there can be no serious dispute that the act of rebutting public criticism, such as that levied by Mr. Wilson against the Bush administration's handling of prewar foreign intelligence, by speaking with members of the press is within the scope of defendants' duties as high-level Executive Branch officials."

Hot Links

Discovery Science New La Nina Could Stir Up Hurricanes

The nine to 12 month La Nina traditionally causes heavy rainfall in Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia, droughts in parts of South America, an increased number of storms in the tropical Atlantic, cold snaps in North America and wetter conditions in southeastern Africa.

The Atlantic hurricane season is at its most active in August and September. US experts have predicted that a total of about nine to 10 Atlantic hurricanes could form in the course of 2007 after a relative lull last year.

Encyclopedia.com 2004 flashback Be careful what you wish for.(ISRAEL: Military operations) "What is certain is that Israel and the United States are seeking to establish a Kurdish state." Firouz Dowletabadi, Iran's Ambassador to Turkey, 7.21.04

In mid-May when the Ankara government froze three large-scale military tenders for the purchase of new fighter helicopters, remote piloted aircraft and tanks, Israeli defense companies were not happy. They had submitted a bid for two of the tenders, the aircraft and the helicopters. Israeli diplomatic sources insisted the freeze was "not related to Israeli and Turkish relations." The announcement came despite claims by diplomatic sources in Jerusalem that they were "unaware of any decision by Turkey to freeze contracts with Israeli firms. Moreover Turkey's Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had met with his Israeli counterpart, Silvan Shalon, in Dublin only days earlier and assured him that Ankara was interested in "expanding ties with Israel." In the Haaretz report on the topic, Aluf Benn hinted there might be more to the freeze, Israel's Palestinian policy, perhaps. "Turkey has recently criticized the IDF's activities in the territories, particularly the assassination of Hamas leaders, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and Abed al-Aziz Rantisi, as well as the demolishing of homes in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip," he wrote. On the other hand, "Following public criticism by Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, directed at Israel's activities in the territories, the Turkish government sent a communique to Israel stating that the criticism is an 'isolated' matter and will not affect relations between the two countries." (Haaretz 5.17.04)

Reuters Turkey boosts troops at Iraqi border: sources

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey's army has boosted troop levels in the restive southeast to more than 200,000, most of them stationed along the border with Iraq, security sources told Reuters on Friday.

Those sources, who declined to be named, said the unusually large buildup, which includes tanks, heavy artillery and aircraft, was part of a security crackdown on Kurdish rebels hiding in southeast Turkey and northern Iraq.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates dismissed the estimate of 200,000 troops, saying it was too high.

The Pentagon has disputed reports of increased Turkish troop levels for days. The top U.S. general, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Peter Pace, said Turkey has the capability to fight the rebels inside Iraq without boosting troop levels.

A very dangerous situation...almost makes one wonder if people are determined to bring about Armageddon.

Reuters China warns U.S. against "smear attacks" on imports

Good grief, they use prison labor camps to make products shipped to this country. Who needs "smear attacks?"

Need a laugh? Listen to one of the good guys take it as good as he can give it. And didn't Prissy tell you he's not only one of the best prosecutors in the country, but also has a wonderful sense of humor. Many lawyers can be the funniest people to hang out with. There's a fine line between law and art.

Video of Wait, Wait

Perhaps he missed his true calling! NPR Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me Click to listen to the special prosecutor being quizzed on the segment Not My Job: Patrick Fitzgerald. Quick with a quip, he is also a good sport.

What Prissy found surprising upon seeing in him in person vs. television, is that he's a soft-spoken guy. Certainly more polite than the neocon he caught...or Gonzo having the nerve to tell Mr. Fitzgerald that he was doing a "good job." The WaPo described Fitzgerald's reaction as "taken aback." Even some of the bad guys like Fitz

RAW Story Intel director doesn't want US 'not torture' tactics used on Americans

MR. RUSSERT: But by use of the term "enhanced interrogation measures," there clearly are things that are used to elicit information. Have we eliminated water-boarding? Can you confirm that? MR. MCCONNELL: I would rather not be specific on eliminating exactly what the techniques are with regard to any specific. When I was in a situation where I had to sign off, as a member of the process, my name to this executive order, I sat down with those who have been trained to do it, doctors who monitor it, understanding that no one is subjected to torture. They are treated in a way that they have adequate diet and not exposed to heat or cold, they are not abused in any way, but I did understand when exposed to the techniques how they work and why they work -- all under medical supervision, and one of the things that's very important, I think, for the American public to know -- in the history of this program it's been fewer than 100 people.

And so this is a program where we capture someone known to be a terrorist, we need information that they possess, and it has saved countless lives because they believe these techniques might involve torture, and they don't understand them, they tend to speak to us, talk to us in a very candid way.

MR. RUSSERT: Does this new executive order allow measures that if were used against a U.S. citizen who was apprehended by the enemy would be troubling to the American people?

MR. MCCONNELL: I can report to you that it's not torture.

MR. RUSSERT: How do you define torture?

MR. MCCONNELL: Well, torture is -- an attempt to define torture in the executive order gives examples of mutilation or murder or rape or physical pain, those kinds of things.

Let me just leave it by saying the techniques work. It's not torture, you're not subjected to heat or cold, but it is effective, and it's a psychological approach to causing someone to have uncertainty and, in a situation where they will feel compelled to talk to you about what you're asking on that.

Guess Mitch won't mind if we use a few on him, just to loosen him up and get him over that social anxiety for parties he attends.What will it take to make torture acceptable America?

No, Dearest Readers, we mustn't...breath deeply. We must show them how justice is supposed to work.

MSNBC Abu Ghraib figure gets spot on recreation board England spent 18 months in jail for role in Iraq prison abuses

Lindy England moving forward in a positive direction. No one is saying these soldiers should not have been disciplined. Half of those conducting torture were contractors, not military personnel. No contractors were ever charged for the assaults they were responsible for at Abu Ghraib.

The original master minds behind the memos creating the torture, still walk amongst us as free men.

MSNBC DoJ all but 'operating on autopilot'

Resignations and the on­going furore over allegedly politicized hiring and firing at the US justice department have left so many top positions vacant that the department is all but operating on autopilot, the Financial Times has learnt.

Six top DoJ officials have quit since February, when the sackings of at least nine US attorneys prompted an outcry in Congress. Outside Washington, 23 of the 93 US attorneys' offices, which investigate and try most cases, are devoid of permanent political leadership.

And... Patrick Leahy, the Democrat who chairs the Senate judiciary committee, pointed out that the White House has submitted nominees for only four of the 23 open US attorney positions. "The current status is un­acceptable," he said. The crisis of leadership at the justice department has allowed the White House to play politics with law enforcement."

Gonzo's Brand DOJ on Autopilot

WaPo U.S., Iran to Hold Second Round of Talks on Iraq

"We do feel that there are networks of explosively formed projectiles . . . that are coming from Iran," Rear Adm. Mark Fox, a senior U.S. military spokesman, told reporters Sunday.

Meanwhile, an influential legislator in the ruling Shiite-dominated alliance said it was unlikely that a U.S.-backed oil law would move forward significantly before August, when Iraq's parliament is scheduled to break for a vacation. The oil law is one of the so-called benchmark legislations that the Bush administration views as essential to restoring stability in Iraq.

"The problem is the cabinet agreed on this oil law and sent it to the parliament. But every day, a political bloc comes and says, 'I have some kind of reservation about this point, or change this point, or cancel this point,' " said Abbas al-Bayati, a Shiite Turkman legislator who is a member of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's United Iraqi Alliance.

The assessment, shared by other politicians, casts doubt on whether the oil legislation will be passed by September, when a crucial progress report is to be delivered to Congress and could determine how long U.S. troops remain in Iraq.

"It will never happen before September," Bayati said.

It had better...or Bayati and Boosh will be on their own.

CBS News and Harry Reid slow on the draw as usual... Reid: GOP Protecting Bush Not Troops

(CBS/AP) Senate Republicans who blocked a vote on setting a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq are more interested in protecting the president than protecting American troops, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said Sunday on Face The Nation.

"Even Iraqis, by a 70 percent margin, think that Americans in Iraq are doing more harm than good," he said. "So getting the Americans out of Iraq ... I think, would lessen chaos rather than increase it."

The legislation stalled Wednesday after a 52-47 vote fell eight votes short of the 60 that Democrats needed to advance it. Reid kept the Senate all night Tuesday to try to force some movement on the issue.

KOS, some good stuff-but Prissy feels they are too slanted toward some bad Democrats and not enough to good progressives. Hadrian's Forum: John Yoo and the Roman Tyrant Sulla; Subversion of Rome's Constitution, Part 3

I was recently reading a kos diary, which said that John Yoo wrote that the AUMF is 'an express affirmation' (rather than authorization) of the President's constitutional powers to fight wars. What John Yoo said was that the congress is irrelevant. He said that congress has no power, and that its authority is largely symbolic and ceremonial. Any blogger who has read my Hadrian's Forum series will know that I have written a lot about the forces that subverted the Roman constitution and destroyed the Roman Republic. I fear that we are seeing the same thing happen again today, 2,000 years after the Roman republic fell.

So in the latest edition of my "Hadrian's Forum" series, I want to talk about one Roman who, like Bush, decided that he could ignore the constitution. The civil wars of Lucius Cornelius Sulla constituted an early warning of the declining authority of the Roman senate. This authority was what had tamed the Roman executive branch for hundreds of years before the days of Julius Caesar. Sulla demanded constitutional authority to command a war. When the senate refused this, Sulla took his troops, marched on Rome, and made himself dictator. (Will Dubya show his rear and try this next, Dearest Readers?) EmperorHadrian's diary:

Lucius Cornelius Sulla was born in 132 BC. Julius Caesar was assassinated only 35 years after Sulla's death in 79 BC. When Sulla was working his way up the ranks of Rome's army, the autocrat of a little kingdom was stirring up trouble. That autocrat, Mithridates VI (Mithridates the Great) ruled a kingdom in Anatolia (modern Turkey). The kingdom, called Pontus, was located on the northern end of Anatolia. Mithridates had goals of making his kingdom the greatest empire in northern Anatolia. After deposing the queen of Pontus, his mother Gespaepyris, he set his sights on larger conquests.

Mithridates entertained ambitions of making his state the dominant power in the Black Sea and Anatolia..... the Scythians and the allied Rhoxolanoi suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Pontic general Diophantus and accepted, albeit at the point of the sword, Mithridates as their overlord.

All the flack over why Harriet Miers cannot/will not testify? Fred Fielding, Dubya's lawyer said she doesn't have to, as well as others. Executive privilege...oh yeah? Well it didn't work so well when "Clinton did it!"

WaPo Flashback: President Is Denied Executive Privilege Wednesday, May 6, 1998

A federal judge has ruled that President Clinton cannot use the power of his office to block prosecutors from questioning his senior aides, rejecting Clinton's assertion of executive privilege in the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation, lawyers familiar with the decision said yesterday.

In a ruling issued under court seal Monday, Chief U.S. District Judge Norma Holloway Johnson concluded that independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr's need to collect evidence in his obstruction of justice probe outweighs Clinton's interest in preserving the confidentiality of White House discussions, the lawyers said.

The decision made Clinton the first president to take a claim of executive privilege to court and lose since the dramatic Watergate showdown in 1974, when the Supreme Court unanimously ordered Richard M. Nixon to turn over the secret Oval Office tapes that ultimately led to his resignation. Clinton's case also seems headed for the high court as sources indicated that the White House likely will appeal.

Passports, get your passports-while you still can...Law.comU.S. Firms Beef Up Their Presence in Germany

"The economy there in the last 12 to 18 months has really picked up considerably," Gander said of Germany. "There is a lot more need for legal services -- a lot more need for equity, [initial public offering] transactions, growth in the real estate area ... and pharmaceuticals have been very active."

Last in the news, but certainly not least. Dubya "legalizes" seizure of your assets, should you openly oppose his policies in Iraq. He's finally gone and done it-declared himself Dicktator of the former Free World...Executive Order: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq

Russian newspapers are warning Americans what vagueness this executive order was written with and how dissent of this war by American citizens could be construed as a threat to the "stabilization Efforts in Iraq."

Where there is unAmerican manipulation of laws going on, there is KKKarl somehow involved. Rover has always been Dubya's true partner in slime.

Quotes of the Day

Dictators are rulers who always look good until the last ten minutes--Jan Masaryk

Dictators ride to and fro upon tigers which they dare not dismount. And the tigers are getting hungry.--Winston Churchill

It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own.-- Herbert Hoover

Every dictator is an enemy of freedom, an opponent of law.--Demosthenes

Bush in a Box, Dick in a Spot

Much like KKKarl, he leaves a trail of slime behind him.

Dearest Readers, when Prissy is quiet that means she is busy...in this case, the usual "End the War" type activities and other stuff for our soldiers.

As much fun as Ms Palfrey's phone list is, Prissy and Betty will let Hustler magazine and porn king Larry Flynt do the heavy lifting. There are a lot of numbers to look over. Gee, this won't be good news for Boosh

Lot's of nervous congress and military people on that list, too. We easily found several former CIA officials on the list, and LA Sen David Vitter was there too. More than once... Poor Mrs. Vitter, what a patient or is it subjugated woman she seems to be. Prissy would not have stood by him longer than to have said goodbye, let alone have it on camera.

Wouldn't be nearly the scandal if Senator Vitter had not been so scathing regarding Bill Clinton's free fling...and Vitter claims to be a traditional marriage and family guy. According to "the list", he seems to meet the demographics of those claiming to be more pious than you or I.

Know any numbers you want to search for? Includes list of now known numbers. Here's a database, not yet complete. Cookies for Dick when he visits Ohio

Hot Links

Contractor Misconduct Database

POGO Releases Federal Contractor Misconduct Database POGO announced today that it is releasing an improved and more user-friendly “Federal Contractor Misconduct Database” (FCMD). For years, POGO has been scouring public sources to compile instances of misconduct involving the top 50 federal contractors to highlight how risky contractors continue to receive taxpayer funds. You may also report known misconduct on the site.

ABC caught telling the truth-unlike in the "DC Madame's" case. Not "notable names" shame on them...Lawyers Say They Have Evidence of Warrantless Surveillance

A case coming up before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals may be the best chance for civil liberties lawyers to challenge the government's warrantless domestic surveillance program, attorneys say.

Earlier this month, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Ohio dismissed a challenge to the so-called Terrorist Surveillance Program because the plaintiffs, a group of lawyers, professors and journalists, could not show they had actually been put under government surveillance.

But, in one case in Oregon, lawyers say they have actual proof that the government listened in on their clients' phone calls without a warrant, providing a chance to have the courts decide whether the surveillance program is unconstitutional.

Prissy has no faith in the Cincinnati's 6th circuit court, as they have been taken over by neocon ideology and wish to preserve the Bush legacy more than uphold the rule of law or our Constitution. Cincinnati has too many right wing elitists who conserve nothing but liberty and justice for the rest of us...

Best Cash Cow Put-to-Call Ratio at Highest in 12 Years

Bloomberg News reported yesterday that the put-to-call ratio was highest it has been in the last 12 years. That is no small thing. The ratio is a key indicator of investor fear that the market will drop. With this kind of information - quite dramatic information - the prudent investor might get out of the market pronto.

MSNBC Senate Republicans defeat Iraq withdrawal bill

Both sides show nothing but weak leadership skills.

Here is a strong leader and a funny guy...'Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me:' Fitzgerald goes on air

Patrick Fitzgerald, the Chicago-based U.S. attorney, will make an appearance on Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!, the Chicago-based Saturday comical hour on National Public Radio.

With national fame earned from his role as special counsel in the leak of a CIA agent's identity and his prosecution of former White House aide Lewis "Scooter'' Libby for obstruction of justice in that investigation, Fitzgerald will take a seat on the nationally broadcast radio program as someone pressed to talk about something he knows nothing about.

In the "Not My Job'' segment of the show, celebrities are quizzed out of field.

"We're going to subject Patrick Fitzgerald to the rigors of our quiz, and whether he wins or loses is entirely up to him,” says show host Peter Sagal. "Of course, if he does lose, we expect the president to intervene and change the result. It'd only be fair, right?"

He will be funny, the show will broadcast on your local NPR. Find out when and where here

Prissy hopes he will be doing more of this, he's a natural.

And remember, Mr. Fitzgerald-if that Stephanie Miller wants to claim you for her boyfriend again, you just tell her the Prissy Patriot stole your heart a while ago.

It's the only crime Prissy has ever committed upon a federal official...so indict already!

Candy, Mr. Fitzgerald?

MSNBC Senate Republicans defeat Iraq withdrawal bill

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans defeated an effort to vote on legislation ordering troops home from Iraq Wednesday and forced Democrats back to the drawing board in their bid to end the war.

The Senate debated the protracted war in Iraq in an all-night session. The speech-making marathon ended with a 52 to 47 vote to oend debate and move to vote on legislation that orders troop withdrawals within 120 days.

"The amendment tells our enemies when they can take over in Iraq," said Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.

Chambliss should grab his gun, his Depends and go...more proof of republicans obstructing the way home for weary troops.

More obstruction Leahy Grants Administration Request For Extension, Urges White House To Use Time To Gather Information To Turn Over

“The Judiciary Committee is willing to accommodate reasonable requests and to work with the Administration on its response to these subpoenas. I hope the White House uses this additional time constructively to finish gathering the relevant information and then works with us in good faith on ways to provide it so that we will have the information we need to conduct effective oversight at long last.

“Congressional oversight is necessary to determine whether this Administration has conducted itself appropriately in carrying out and defending the President’s warrantless surveillance program. The Judiciary Committee’s inquiry into the legal justification for the surveillance program is essential to performing its legislative and constitutional oversight responsibilities.”

Oh my...when will they finally "get it" Dearest Readers? The Bush administration has no respect for the legislative body OR the Constitution. Tyranny cannot be voted out...

Slate Read It and Weep Even Bush's intelligence report says the war in Iraq is making us less safe at home

The National Intelligence Estimate that was released today—titled "The Terrorist Threat to the Homeland"—amounts to a devastating critique of the Bush administration's policies on Iraq, Iran, and the terrorist threat itself.

Its main point is that the threat—after having greatly receded over the past five years—is back in full force. Al-Qaida has "protected or regenerated key elements" of its ability to attack the United States. It has a "safe haven" in Pakistan. Its "top leadership" and "operational lieutenants" are intact. It is cooperating more with "regional terrorist groups."

As a result, the report concludes, "the U.S. Homeland will face a persistent and evolving terrorist threat over the next three years" and is, even now, "in a heightened threat environment."

Crooks and Liars Thank You Senator Landrieu

As the Republicans rallied behind President George Bush and his failed war policy during last night’s all-night debate on Iraq, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) finally broke away from Holy Joe and breaks one off in them, giving one of the most passionate speeches of the night. The Republicans have been calling Tuesday night’s debate a “stunt”, but Landrieu sets the record straight and takes them to the woodshed. This is a long clip, but it’s worth it.

Market Watch Bear credit hedge funds almost wiped out: sources Leveraged fund worth nothing; larger fund reportedly loses 91% of its value

A Bear Stearns Cos. hedge fund that made leveraged bets in the subprime mortgage market is worth nearly nothing, according to two people briefed by the investment bank.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the larger High-Grade Structured Credit Fund is worth roughly 9% of its value at the end of April. A spokeswoman for Bear did not return calls seeking comment late Tuesday.

BBC Water find 'may end Darfur war'

A huge underground lake has been found in Sudan's Darfur region, scientists say, which they believe could help end the conflict in the arid region.

Some 1,000 wells will be drilled in the region, with the agreement of Sudan's government, the Boston University researchers say.

Analysts say competition for resources between Darfur's Arab nomads and black African farmers is behind the conflict.

Human Events Tonkin Gulf II and the Guns of August? by Patrick J. Buchanan

Is the United States provoking war with Iran, to begin while the Congress is conveniently on its August recess?

One recalls that it was in August 1964, after the Republicans nominated Barry Goldwater, that the Tonkin Gulf incident occurred.

Twice it was said, on Aug. 2 and Aug. 4, North Vietnamese patrol boats had attacked the U.S. destroyers Maddox and Turner Joy in international waters. The U.S. Senate responded by voting 88 to two to authorize President Johnson to assist any Southeast Asian nation whose government was threatened by communist aggression.

The bombing of the North began, followed by the arrival of U.S. Marines. America's war was on.

Canada Strip Conrad Black of Order of Canada, NDP urges

The reputation of former media baron Conrad Black, who fell from fortune to felon last week, could plummet even further now that the federal New Democrats are asking Rideau Hall to strip away Black's Order of Canada.

The NDP has put in an official request to take away Canada's highest civilian honour from the former head of Hollinger Inc., reasoning Black's convictions for three counts of fraud and one count of obstruction of justice in Chicago on July 13 undermine the integrity of the award.

NDP heritage critic Charlie Angus told the Canadian Press that the Order of Canada was meant to represent the noblest achievements of Canada's men and women, but "when someone falls below that standard by being convicted, in the past they've been removed from that order."

Total 411Info GOP scam: Ames straw poll counted on Diebold!

"Dear Friend and Supporter of Dr. Ron Paul, I would like to thank everyone for their interest and support of our Iowa campaign. Some of our volunteer supporters have expressed concern about ensuring the accuracy of the vote count at the upcoming Ames Straw Poll on August 11th. This is an issue we are taking seriously, both in Iowa, as well as other states around the country. We are currently communicating with the Republican Party of Iowa, the sponsor of the Straw Poll, to ensure that we are informed as to how the vote will be conducted.

Quotes of the Day

We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.--US Declaration of Independence

Action is eloquence.--William Shakespeare

Our government leaders... have made many mistakes in the past when they have lost sight of the sacred American values rooted in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. We are at the brink of even graver mistakes and assaults on these values.--Samuel Dash

The United States began life in a moment of time with a Declaration of Independence, and then proceeded to secure that new and distinct national existence by establishing a formal set of ground rules - a written constitution, which outlined the institutions of government of the new nation.--Stockwell Day

DC MADAME'S LIST ONLINE

Hot, Hot Links

UPDATE: Files of Phone Records Dearest Readers, Ms Palfrey's site goes up and down. Download the files here to open them as a Microsoft Office Document Imaging File, from WhatReallyHappened.com

Ms Palfrey and her attorney decided to put them online for good reasons. Prissy received from one GOP operative a veiled threat/comment who told a friend, that Prissy should just "disappear."

Don't just blame Prissy for outing them- since the whole world has the DC List. Not just a few bloggers and independent media organizations.

Oh yes, they would like that-but shouldn't hold their breath waiting.

The fantasy shoppers and consumers shouldn't be so hostile when Prissy has no intention of outing any single men and ruining anyone's career. However, if we do find Dick or other "family values" high level officials on the list, you will know it after their boss has been made aware. It's the right thing to do. Write to Prissy should you find anything you feel is important in those records.

Prissy would like to remind clients that married men with high level security clearances should not be visiting an escort service. This isn't some new regulation! They have put us ALL in jeopardy by their lax national security standards...

We may find some players from the Ohio 2004 election on "the list"...more on that later, from FreePress.org.

Why the Records are Being Publicly Released

I have reason to believe the disk - containing a full set of the telephone records for the 13 year operational history of “Pamela Martin & Associates” - already has been pirated. Despite our very best intentions to maintain control of the information, our efforts seemingly have been for naught. I am concerned about manipulation of the database with false and misleading information. Even though such falsifications can be refuted in time by comparing an altered copy with the original, my attorney, Mr. Sibley and I fear that in the intervening time period, considerable damage can and will be done to the reputations of individual and entities with no connection to the business. Additionally, the overall validity of the records’ contents will be diminished when one false accusation after another begins to manifest. Therefore, to thwart any possible distorted version and to ensure the integrity of the information, the records – in their entirety -- are available for downloading.

Deciphering this voluminous amount of data – some of which is well over a decade old will not be an easy task. Frankly, this likely is understating matters. It will take a small army of people skilled in computer and phone technology, investigation as well as factual knowledge regarding the significance OR non-significance of identified persons. No one individual or entity will be able to connect all of the dots. The overall endeavor easily could take many months, if not years to research and report conscientiously.

Jeane Palfrey

"Official" Pamela Martin & Associates Telephone Records

What's next?

Quotes of the Day

HYPOCRITE, n. One who, profession virtues that he does not respect secures the advantage of seeming to be what he depises.--Ambrose Bierce

Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo--Ambrose Bierce

Mathematics allows for no hypocrisy and no vagueness.--Stendhal (neither do phone records)

Hypocrisy is the homage which vice pays to virtue--François de la Rochefoucauld quotes (French classical author, leading exponent of the Maxime, 1613-1680)

A conservative government is an organized hypocrisy--Benjamin Disraeli(British Prime Minister and Novelist. 1804-1881)

Scooting Out of Prison Time

The judicial system should not take this too personally. Dubya flips off everyone, then waves the flag in their face. Then he laughs about it like the Riddler in Batman.

Dubya, Dubya, Dubya...What can we say at this point, Dearest Readers. Not only does Dubya lack good manners, he has now gone on to perform one of the more tasteless acts he could be responsible for in American history, considering Scooters role in the war on Iraq.

Dubya just commuted the lawful (and standard) sentence imposed by Judge Reggie Walton, a Bush appointee! Let us not forget special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was also a Bush appointee. At the same time, Gonzo and Bush are yelling for stronger federal sentencing standards. Just not for their fall guys...

Can you imagine what a slap in the face that must have been for some of the nation’s most respected legal scholars, the ones on the bench and practitioners of the courtroom. The lawyers involved were some of the best in the country, even if Prissy did make fun of Scooter's team...

Here in OH-HI-O, it was just another crack of the Massah Boosh's whip. He let us know a long time ago that he is going to be the decider of whomever. And that he (and KKKarl) will chose to decide their fate.

Prissy is amazed to see those who thought the power of the law was on our side assume such this powerful government-gang of neocon mob rule, would succumb willingly to the rule of law.

Dubya blew off long held standards of Federal sentencing guidelines. He did this to America as a whole as most were against pardon or commutation. 70% of Ohioans were outraged at the commutation.

Running numbers like this, will the GOP attempt to steal yet another election? They should not, as they well know, it is very difficult to steal a landslide.

Prissy promises you citizens of all political stripes these days are very concerned about this and they will be watching the elections process carefully.

Watch out Canada, who knows what is next. These guys are loose cannons...Let's hope Ms Palfrey can help them along in the struggle to be righteous to the nation.

The violence George Bush and friends have stunned us all with knows no bounds. You see, they are so dangerous because they have no boundaries. They never have and in their minds, they never will. Now do you understand?

What can you do? Well, like it or not we all will have to get out in the street as well as hold town hall meetings and demand representatives attend. Send them an invitation, if they fail to come-mark their spot so media can note that. No rest for them, they are failing this country remarkable in its depth of tragedy. America, we must put a stop to this and use every avenue it takes to make them either represent us, or leave office.

Replace these old fools with someone qualified for the job, for there can be no question in the mind of anyone aware of this situation that malfeasance runs wild and untamed. David Shuster* slams Bush and Tucker explained the situation very well. He appears a bit angry since like the rest of us, understands what really went on. And we want justice. It is as American as the 4th of July.

Hot Links

Midnight Special Update: Prissy heard from Ms Palfrey and she has instructed her attorney to send us the phone lists. Looking forward to working on that, Dearest Readers. You will be the first to know.

An illegal war, potential 911 negligence at best, Gonzo's DOJ won't take them down. But a sex scandal? And away they go...Jeane Palfrey at a recent press conference with her lawyers. Thanks to Suzie-Q for the picture

Transcript of the last part of our Jeane Palfrey interview:

Ms Palfrey: "Can you imagine scandal after scandal after scandal coming out every week, every two weeks, this one, that one? It will collapse the administration. That’s why the injunction is not being lifted. There is no reason for Judge Kessler at this point in time, in my opinion, to be continuing this injunction. The ban should be lifted and I should be free to release those records en masse at this moment.

But because of the fact that once these records are released en masse to a multitude of responsible investigators and journalists, be they independents or mainstream, the truth will be gotten to. And in those records there are probably twenty, thirty, fifty, a hundred, possibly more Randall Tobiases, Dick Morrises, Harlan Ullman -- and yes, the name Dick Cheney has been touted on more than one occasion. In those records. Can you imagine? It will be Watergate times all those people.

And look what Judge Kessler said. She isn't fooled about what is going on here. Judge Walton was threatened for following long held conservative legal standards of justice. That is a tragedy, obviously done by republicans, who so vehemently went into attack mode on behalf of Scooter.

Judge Kessler wrote: At oral argument, the Government was asked whether the List contained the telephone numbers of unindicted co-conspirators. After a significant silence, Government counsel agreed that the answer to the courts question was “yes.” One cannot help wondering why the government has exhibited such a strong interest in protecting a list containing the telephone numbers of unindicted co conspirators, i.e. the women who the Government alleges provided the illegal sexual services and the men who the Government alleges sought and obtained such illegal sexual services.

Yes, "Government" was indeed interested in keeping it locked up, without really wanting to explain why.

Government in this case is Jeffery Taylor. He is the US Attorney for the District of Columbia. Hmm...about Taylor:

Gonzales appointed Taylor, and because normally the Senate has to allow in an approval process, they vett them. Taylor was appointed under a little section that the GOP of the 109th Congress slipped into the renewal of the Patriot Act, the AG can appoint US Attorneys into vacant-slots indefinitely (Senate cannot even remove them). The other person was Tim Griffin, the caging-lists guy in Arkansas. It was passed in the renewal in March of 2006.

Apparently, the ones they pick do law Gonzo's way. Most likely why he picked them, you saw what happened to honest republican U.S. Attorneys. Out they went, more about that later too.

Prissy thinks if republicans cannot police themselves, they should be disbanded similar to a fraternity gone bad.

Republicans like Ron Paul shouldn't be afraid to call themselves a Libertarian candidate. They should feel odd wanting to call themselves republicans considering the list of damages done to America under their reign.

Not that the enabling dems should get off lightly either. Prissy hears the dems have a hot new plan for success. We shall see...please tell Prissy it isn't a dems version of "Project for a New American Century."

**Prissy could not place Shuster at the time, but later realized it was he, during both times spent at the Scooter Libby trial. Apparently, he was paying close attention. Everyone else in the courtroom was too. And we all knew it was about being lied into the war. Scooter's lies helped people die, since Dick and Dubya's lies did make people die.

Scooter never had to lift a finger, it was just a little paperwork, chitchat and his job was done. Easy chitchat, which endangered a CIA spy, her family and her contacts spanning a 20-year career of distinguished service to her country. That was Scooter's noteworthy contribution to America.

The right wing leaning Columbus Dispatch is also the only major daily newspaper in town. Ironically known its uncanny polling ability to just about "name it" days before an election, even if the owners do not like the results-much to their credit. Commutation gets condemnation In Central Ohio (considered a bellwether state by political gurus)

The unfavorable view of Bush's action was backed up by 70 percent of the more than 240 respondents to the Hot Issue feature on Dispatch.com as of yesterday afternoon.

The minority of supporters often cited Clinton's grand jury perjury or his commutations.

The tired "Clinton did it!” get a new line. Prissy is tired of the Clinton's too, though she would have dinner with Bubba-but who would not? He is so charming, his wife kept him despite the very public philandering. Prissy has not met a man who was that charming, not yet.

CNN Flashback from 1999 Sen. Voinvich's closed-door impeachment statement

The very foundation of this nation is the rule of law not of men. The framers of our Constitution specifically provided Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution which states, "The President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

And...One who has committed high Crimes and Misdemeanors disqualifies himself from serving as President, Commander-in-Chief, and chief law enforcement officer. The President also represents much more than these titles and responsibilities. He is a symbol of the greatness of the American people. Presidential scholar Clinton Rossiter observed that the president of the United States is "the one-man distillation of the American people." And, President William Howard Taft described the president as "the personal embodiment and representative of their dignity and majesty."

By virtue of his own conduct, William Jefferson Clinton has forfeited his elected right to hold the office of president. I sincerely believe that this country can survive the removal of a popular president who has forfeited public trust. But, our country cannot survive the abandonment of trust itself.

Substitute "George Bush & Dick Cheney" for Bill Clinton, it works just as well, if not better. Prissy will certainly remind the Senator of his prior judgment and expect him to vote accordingly.

Senator Voinovich was smart in having no comment on the Libby commutation. Being a former prosecutor himself (and Prissy reminds him of this regularly) he should certainly know better than to support such nonsense for a criminal like Scooter.

NY Sun more trouble for Scooter by defense lawyers citing his case for their own clients. Ironic it will aid someone he calls an enemy. Libby Case May Aid Hamas Suspect

"There is so much good fodder in the president's statement," a law professor who specializes in sentencing issues, Douglas Berman of Ohio State University, said. "I think any very good defense attorney could and should look for ways to use the statement aggressively." The professor cautioned, however, that judges were still obligated to follow existing precedents.

The issue of enhancing a defendant's punishment on account of acquitted or uncharged conduct has been raised in several recent Supreme Court decisions but not definitively resolved. In an opinion just last month, Justice Scalia said the current sentencing system suffers from a "patent constitutional flaw" in part because of the continuing role "judge-found facts" play in determining a sentence's constitutionality.

The Libby commutation is also expected to be raised when Salah's co-defendant, Ashqar, is sentenced in a few months. "If you consider the Ashqar case under what the president has said, there certainly seem to be a lot of reasons for leniency," Ashqar's attorney, William Moffitt, said yesterday. "I think you'll probably hear a lot about Mr. Libby and President Bush."

KOS from a military mom in Cleveland. ENOUGH

My son chose to be a soldier, but dammit, I'm going to be putting all the energy I can muster into persuading him NOT to remain in the Army when he has to make that decision in a few months. Because I'm sick of the majority of the people in this country sitting on their thumbs while our military is misused, abused, and destroyed by the wrecking crew that has hijacked our government. Slapping a yellow magnetic ribbon on cars is NOT "supporting the troops." Supporting the troops is demanding that they be utilized in a manner consistent with the US Constitution and international law, and common decency. They're not a bunch of little plastic green guys. And if the people of this country can't find it in themselves to stand up and say ENOUGH already, then this country is not one that is worth fighting and dying for. Sorry, General, I think we're going down, and people won't know it until it's gone, unless somebody takes them by the lapels and shakes them hard. And while the American people remain in this stupor, I've decided they're not getting my son, if there's anything I can do about it. They don't deserve him.

Guardian Russia issues new missile defence threat

The Kremlin's latest warning comes after two days of meetings between Mr Putin and George Bush at the US president's seaside family retreat in Kennebunkport, Maine. Ahead of the talks the Pentagon had incensed Mr Putin by announcing plans to place elements of its missile defence shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. Mr Putin has derided US claims that the system is aimed at dealing with rogue missiles fired by Iran and North Korea, saying it is actually aimed at Russia.

Last month Mr Putin suggested the US scrap its existing plans and instead share a Soviet-era radar station in Azerbaijan. During talks this week he went further - offering to work with the US administration over missile defence within the framework of the Nato-Russia Council, and promising use of another early-warning system in southern Russia.

Mr Bush's answer, however, was decidedly lukewarm. Although the president praised Mr Putin's offer as "innovative and strategic", he made it clear that Washington was likely to go ahead anyway with its missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. "As I told Vladimir, I think that the Czech Republic and Poland need to be an integral part of the system," Mr Bush said.

Most experts now believe that Russia will take active military countermeasures. They include targeting the US's new defence bases in central Europe with Iskandar missiles based in Kaliningrad. Russia will also upgrade its nuclear missile arsenal, put more missiles on mobile launchers and move its fleet of nuclear submarines to the north pole, experts predict.

Good job again, Dubya. Always choosing confrontation over cooperation with the menfolk. He runs from confrontations with women (think Cindy Sheehan). Prissy blames his mother...

Haaretz Olmert to ask AG Mazuz to close pullout protesters' criminal files

The subcommittee was told stories of youths who participated in protest activities, and were indicted over light offences such as "prohibited assembly," or "disturbing a police officer at work." The criminal records prevent the youths from serving in the Israel Defense Forces, and from finding work.

The example was given of a right-wing activist who was tried because he refused to show his identification card to a police officer.

Many of the indicted are the children of evacuated families, whose parents are unemployed and have not managed to readjust socially and economically to life after the pullout.

With 50% of Israeli youth finding a way out of doing the mandatory IDF service, they need all the help they can get.

Sydney Morning Herald Iraq like historic US war, says Bush

He was adamant he would stand up to calls to end the Iraq war before it was won. When Congress returns next week, Democrats plan to renew their campaign to bring troops home.

"Withdrawing our troops prematurely based on politics, not on the advice and recommendation of our military commanders, would not be in our national interest," he said.

"It would hand the enemy a victory and put America's security at risk, and that's something we're not going to do."

Mr Bush delivered his speech to the 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia National Guard, a unit that has sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq - some for second and third deployments.

Dubya, all branches of the military despise you, but Prissy would have to say from her experience it is the Air National Guard that would get first place for that feeling...

Post to be updated later this evening.

Quotes of the Day

Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.--Albert Einstein

You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership.--Dwight D. Eisenhower

The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.--Faye Wattleton

Leaders shouldn't attach moral significance to their ideas: Do that, and you can't compromise.--Peter F. Drucker