Sunday, October 28, 2007

Before and After the NeoRepublican Makeover

Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) Then:AP Photo

(A dirty looking-pp) Norm Coleman protests the Vietnam War as an undergraduate student at Hofstra University, in this 1970's black-and-white file photo. The Republican senator from Minnesota, who also attended the Woodstock music festival, voted in 2007 against spending $1 million for a museum that commemorates Woodstock. (AP Photo/Hofstra Chronicle,file)

Like many pro-war neorepublicans, Norm loves war-but only if your kind and mine can be ordered to fight it-otherwise its just not his thing...

And Now:Norm feebly attempts to explain in Iraq, to deployed MN National Guard why they and their equipment will be in Iraq should natural disaster strike their state.

Norm is attempting to keep his GOP senate seat away from DINO Al Franken, the comedian and former Air America talking head.

Boy, did Prissy ever tire of hearing that Al whine about why we "couldn't just leave Iraq."

Nor would Al give adequate explanation as to why he wasn't willing to sacrifice his own military age son to "finish the job." Al seems to have used Air America to spring board his senate campaign

Hopefully, Al is the lesser of the two eveels for Minnesota's next Senator in Washington.

Al just got his only Prissy Patriot free ad giveaway...

A Side Note: Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has announced his engagement to a woman much younger than himself- a Head Start teacher. A typical man thing, but certainly a gal with a noble profession.

Now Prissy shall have to get a new invisible boyfriend. Fortunately, they are very easy to come by...

Hot Links

Yahoo Thousands Call for Swift End to War

THOUSANDS? Millions worldwide have protested this war for YEARS...the media acts like this is the first time Americans have protested this war. There were actually larger protests, including military families, BEFORE the war began in Washington.

However, the media was MIA at that time...

Are they afraid Iraqi civilians, military and their families will sue them? Maybe they should be. Did they remember they are Americans? Or was no one buying their fake news.

Remember how Fox news gave these reporters the shaft, as did the courts? The rules are different when plantiffs are hurt because Fox or other media failed to print the truth and people are hurt as a result, as well as having a motivating factor to do $o.

FOX BGH lawsuit NEWS OF LAWSUIT EXPOSING MEDIA COVERUP OF SUSPECTED DANGER IN MILK

FLORIDA MILK SUPPLY RIDDLED WITH ARTIFICIAL HORMONE LINKED TO CANCER; REPORTERS SAY THEY WERE ORDERED TO LIE ABOUT IT ON FOX-TV

TAMPA—Two award-winning investigative reporters at the Fox-owned television station in Tampa are blowing the whistle on a story they say WTVT (Ch 13) and its corporate bosses preferred to coverup rather than broadcast honestly and accurately.

The story, documented in a lawsuit the reporters filed Thursday, reveals the widespread use of a controversial bovine growth hormone Florida dairymen have been secretly injecting into their cows.

NYT Governor Accused of Betraying Principles

Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s retreat from his plan to permit illegal immigrants to obtain the same kind of driver’s licenses as other New Yorkers drew angry reactions yesterday from civil liberties advocates and immigrant groups, some of whom described the shift as a stunning betrayal.

The governor has been under fierce assault from conservative groups and others since proposing last month to allow illegal immigrants to get New York driver’s licenses. But joined by the federal secretary of homeland security, Michael Chertoff, in Washington yesterday, the governor announced a starkly different version of his plan.

It calls for separate tiers of licenses. New Yorkers who could provide stringent proof of legal residency could get the new federally recognized license known as Real ID. The licenses available to illegal residents would not serve as federal identification.

“What a huge political flip,” said Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.

Everyone is entitled to a few huge mistakes...apparently Spitzer just used up one of his.

MSNBC Guantanamo remark offends Dutch officials

Dutch lawmakers who visited the Guantanamo Bay military prison this week said they were offended by a testy exchange in Washington with a senior congressional Democrat.

The lawmakers said that Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told them that “Europe was not as outraged by Auschwitz as by Guantanamo Bay.”

Lantos, a Holocaust survivor, was responding to arguments that the United States should shut down the prison, located on a U.S. naval base in Cuba, the lawmakers said.

...“You have to help us, because if it was not for us you would now be a province of Nazi Germany,” Lantos said, according to the Dutch lawmakers.

Apparently, Lantos learned about diplomacy and dialogue from Massah Boosh and Dick the side-kick. Victims should not think that because they are victims that it gives them a blank check to do/say as they damn well please when diplomacy is the job they signed on for, all victimhood aside...others like no shame McCain come to mind.

Where is Lantos sympathy for the survivors of the USS Liberty or the USS Cole?

Postnote: The USS Cole that was attacked had been warned by the "Able Danger" intel days before.

So why did it still happen? Not sure, but the rumor is certain people were hoping the international incident would start a war-but Bill Clinton didn't bite. He apparently knew something the rest of us didn't back then. Like who was really behind it...and how come are all the attackers out of jail already? (The ones who didn't "escape") Hmmm...

IHT As temperatures rise, a greening of Greenland

When using the words "growing" in connection with Greenland in the same sentence, it is important to remember that although Greenland is about four times the size of France, it has only nine conifer forests like Bjerge's, all of them cultivated. It has only 51 farms. (They are all sheep farms, although one man is trying to raise cattle. He has 22 cows.) Except for potatoes, the only vegetables most Greenlanders ever eat - to the extent that they eat vegetables at all - are imported, mostly from Denmark.

But now that the climate is warming, it is not just old trees that are growing. A Greenlandic supermarket is stocking locally grown cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage this year for the first time. Eight sheep farmers are growing potatoes commercially. Five more are experimenting with vegetables. And Kenneth Hoeg, the region's chief agriculture adviser, says he does not see why southern Greenland cannot eventually be full of vegetable farms and viable forests.

"If it gets warmer, a large part of southern Greenland could be like this," Hoeg said, walking through Qanasiassat, a boat ride from Narsarsuaq, a tiny southern community notable mostly for having an international airport. A hectare, or about two and a half acres, near here of imported pines, spruces, larches and firs are plunked in the midst of the scrubby, rocky hillside next to the fjord, as startling as a mirage.

Farther north, Greenland's great ice sheet, a vast white landscape of 1.8 million square kilometers, or 700,000 square miles, covering 80 percent of the island's land mass, is melting rapidly, alarmingly, with repercussions not only for the traditional way of life on an island of 56,000 people, but also for the rest of the world. The more the ice melts, the higher sea levels will eventually rise.

Dubya tells us global warming is all in our minds. You know, like doctors used to say to women about the pain of menstrual cramps...that is, until there were women gyno's! (Sorry in advance to Prissy's doctor friends, but going to a male gynecologist seems too much like going to a Volks Wagon mechanic when your Cadillac needs repaired)

Remember the limbless young soldier exploited by the fascist loving "Freedom Watch"? They are getting sued...collective awww. The plaintiff is claiming Trademark infringement. Ari, still working for the same guys

Klayman v. Freedom's Watch, Inc. cv-22433-PCH

Here are the founders of Fascist watch Inc., aka Freedom's Watch, Inc., Bradley Blakeman, Ari Fleischer, Mel Sembler, William P. Weidner, Matthew Brooks, Anthony Gioia, Kevin Moley, Howard Leach, Ed Snider, Sheldon Adelson and Richard Fox

Here's the list of shameless money grubbers representing the "loyal Bushie" fascists without honor: (mostly of Patton Boggs)Mitchell R. Berger,George Borababy,John J. Dabney,Heather M. McPhee and Justin Brian Uhlemann

The plaintiff is just one man,Larry Elliot Klayman-representing himself. He must be one scary guy to need all those lawyers-or Freedom for Fascists have one very weak case. Maybe you could email Larry Klayman, ask if he needs any help. Email Mr. Klayman here

What these fascists deserve for selling out their country and exploiting injured soldiers and their families, a lawsuit can never make whole. But even an unrelated lawsuit would be nice...

Journal Gazette Ft. Wayne, IN Georgia's reservoirs are already low and could fall below their conservation pools

So Georgia has called for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reduce the amount of water released from federal reservoirs that include Lakes Allatoona and Lanier. Perdue also asked President Bush to declare Georgia a major disaster area, and to use executive powers to slash water releases from the reservoirs.

(Gov's )Riley and Crist responded last week with letters to the president of strong opposition.

Riley noted that the Farley Nuclear Plant on the Chattahoochee River in east Alabama - which produces 19 percent of Alabama Power Co.'s electricity - cannot operate if water flow falls below the minimum needed for cooling.

That, he wrote, "could require a shutdown of the plant, thereby putting the reliability of the electric power grid in the region at risk."

What could a water shortage lead to? Apparently a shortage of hops...Beer drinkers beware: Shortage to boost costs Undersupply of one key ingredient — hops — could impact flavor too

Now the bright spot in the brewing industry is facing mounting costs on nearly every front. Fuel, aluminum and glass prices have been going up quickly over a period of several years. Barley and wheat prices have skyrocketed as more farmers plant corn to meet increasing demand for ethanol, while others plant feed crops to replace acres lost to corn.

A decade-long oversupply of hops that had forced farmers to abandon the crop is finally gone and harvests were down this year. In the United States, where one-fourth of the world’s hops are grown, acreage fell 30 percent between 1995 and 2006.

Australia endured its worst drought on record. Hail storms across Europe damaged crops. Extreme heat in the western United States hurt both yields and quality.

Big brewers can hedge against rising prices for raw ingredients and can negotiate better, longer-term contracts for ingredients, while smaller brewers generally are left with whatever is left.

Andrew Sullivan, the Atlantic Giuliani Makes Light Of Soviet Torture

The ignorance of Rudy Giuliani with respect to the history of torture is almost on a level with his ignorance about Islam and the Middle East. Yesterday, he made this comment: "They talk about sleep deprivation. I mean, on that theory, I'm getting tortured running for president of the United States. That's plain silly. That's silly."

Really? Has Giuliani ever inquired about the history of sustained sleep deprivation as a torture technique? Stalin perfected it. And one of its victims was Menachem Begin, a man for whom presumably Giuliani has some respect. Begin was subjected to the same techniques that Bush has used by Joseph Stalin in the Gulag. In Begin's view, being forced - not choosing - to stay awake for days and even weeks on end (as Rumsfeld approved in Gitmo) is one of the worst forms of torture there is. He described just such a torture victim who is "wearied to death, his legs are unsteady, and he has one sole desire to sleep, to sleep just a little, not to get up, to lie, to rest, to forget ... Anyone who has experienced the desire knows that not even hunger or thirst are comparable it with it."

Hat tip to fellow blogger SPB Finally! Larry Flynt Gets Ready to Dish the Dirt!

Larry Flynt, editor and publisher of Hustler magazine, just told FOX Business Network’s Neil Cavuto that he’s “hoping to expose a bombshell” that will stand “Washington and the country on its head.” Within the next week or two, he says his magazine will expose a sex scandal of huge proportions involving a prominent United States Senator. Flynt refused to comment on the Senator’s political affiliation, but alluded that he or she is a Republican.

Outstanding work patriot, Prissy salutes you. Yes, Dearest Readers, Prissy knows who he is. Sometimes it takes a dirty old man to know and find what dirty old men do. BTW, dirty old men? They were dirty young men.

Houston Chronicle Lengthy standoff ends in Spring with man's suicide

A 12-hour standoff ended this morning with a north Houston man lobbing Molotov cocktails at Houston Police before taking his own life rather than vacate a home he'd lost to foreclosure.

James Hahn, a chemist, had told police he would not be taken from the home alive, said Capt. Bruce Williams, an HPD spokesman.

" 'You know what I do for a living and you know what I am capable of,' " said Williams, recalling one of the conversations police had with the man on Wednesday.

The standoff began at 1:10 p.m. Wednesday when police said Hahn pulled a gun on Precinct 4 constable deputies who had attempted to serve him with a warrant for eviction at the home in the 21000 block of Covington Bridge in Spring, authorities said.

A terrible ending, reminds Prissy of stories Granny tells about the great depression...

CBC regarding another war we were duped in to, since OBL is dead. But how could neorepublicans justify two wars without their boogie man? Hillier denies contradicting PM over Afghan mission length

Liberal MP Scott Brison praised Hillier as "a real soldier who dares to tell the truth" and accused the prime minister of misleading Canadians.

"Who is telling the truth — Canada's top soldier or Canada's top spinner?" Brison asked.

NDP defence critic Dawn Black, whose party has called for the immediate withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan, said Hillier's and the Tories' "wildly different" assessments have left the prime minister's office "fuming."

"There's nothing the Conservatives hate more than a script they haven't written," Black said.

She added it also raised questions over whether elected civilians are truly in charge of the Afghan mission.

"Conservatives" (who conserve nothing but liberties of others) appear to be same in Canada as they are in the US.

A blog we'll call wishful thinking and interesting reading, until we can verify... Alcuin and Flutterby

Behind the scenes, elements of civil war are becoming evident within the White House. On the eve of the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings at the end of October 2007, Dick Cheney attempted to steal $45 billion from George Bush Jnr. A long-serving banker of Pakistani origin based at the New York office of Credit Suisse diverted $45 billion for a secret personal account held by Halliburton in Dubai for Vice President Richard B Cheney. The $45 billion represented stolen money held in trust for the President of the United States, George Bush Jnr.

This illegal transaction was frustrated by a covert fail-safe mechanism. The Credit Suisse banker was arrested and shortly afterwards, under interrogation, suffered a mysterious heart attack. At about 2.30pm Eastern Daylight Time on Friday 19th October 2007, Credit Suisse domestic banking in the USA collapsed and was taken over by Union Bank of Switzerland. This story has yet to be covered by the mainline media in the USA. More details here, here and here.

On the 25th October 2007, Patrick Bellringer reported that on several occasions recently The Higher Evolution have stopped the Bush-Cheney White House from nuking major USA cities, nuking the major oil depot in Texas City, and creating artificial earthquakes in California. Should such a 911-style homegrown terrorist attack be accomplished again, the USA government would blame the attack on Iranian terrorists, and the long-planned Iran war would be launched. More details here.

The World Court has lodged ten charges of Treason against George Bush Jnr, the 43rd President of the United States of America. These will shortly be served on him by the Adjutant General for the USA accompanied by the Provost Marshall for the USA (Brigadier General Rodney Johnson). More details can be found in a Casper Update of the 21st September 2007 here. It is said that the President is using Patriot Act emergency powers to prevent news of these Treason charges reaching the mainstream media in the USA.

BBC Iraq warns Turkey over incursion

Iraq's foreign minister has warned of serious consequences if Turkey launches a ground assault against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq.

Hoshyar Zebari told the BBC that the current crisis was "dead serious" and accused Turkey of not seeking a peaceful solution. He said Turkey had shown no interest in Iraqi proposals to calm the situation.

Turkey has 100,000 troops near the border and is threatening to attack the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Iraq.

Good job once again Dubya, nothing like a little Armageddon to get the blood flowing...

The Ugly Truth My Weekend with the Survivors of the USS Liberty–Pt 1

The Liberty was attacked–no ifs, ands or buts about it, and attacked–not by militant Islamic fanatics or neo-Nazi, right-wing militia types from the mountains of Montana, but by America’s “only ally in the region”–Israel. Attacked by Israel after 6 hours of low-level, lumbering reconnaissance flights. Attacked by the Jewish state for over an hour with more than 800 rockets, tens of thousands of armor-piercing shells, napalm and 5 torpedoes. As a result of Israel’s actions 34 American men died, 171 were wounded, and what’s worse is the fact that for the last 40 years the survivors have told a version of what happened that does not jibe in anyway with the pathetic excuses offered by the attackers for the event.

Collectively the Liberty fellows are like the guy next door who comes to help you out when a tree blew over in your yard following a night of thunderstorms or the guy who helps an old lady out by changing her flat tire. Unlike the liars who argue that the act of war perpetrated against the United States on 6/8/67 was all a big accident, by contrast the Liberty boys are honest to a fault, like the customer who points out to the cashier that she gave him too much money in change. These simple, unassuming, non-pretentious sailors are not wealthy, ambitious, greedy, blue-blooded bloodhounds following the scent of money and political power. All they want is the truth told. None (to my knowledge) have tried to get rich off of the event. None (to my knowledge) have sought or won any high political offices. None are trying to use the event as a springboard for some high-profile public career. All they want is a fair airing of the facts so that the demons loosed into their unassuming lives 40 years ago can be put to rest and that–once again–they can be proud to call themselves the sons and grandsons of those who 200 years ago caused a foreign, occupying power to scurry off with its tail between its legs as a result of the happy marriage of American arms and resolution.

And these facts (along with the hard, empirical data of what took place on June 8, 1967) are what the pro-Israel groups fear the worst. Instinctively they must know that despite all the propagandizing and bullying they inflict upon the American people that at some point blood will prove to be thicker than water, that the American people will remember who they are and thus will come to the conclusion that siding with the foreign body responsible for the murder of 34 American sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers has no upside to it and that no perks associated with being an FOI–meaning a Friend of Israel–are to be had.

The Part I article was an excellent read, though he'll take some heat for using the term Zionist. Not quite sure why,as it seems to Prissy like referring to someone as Catholic, Lutheran, Mormon or Jehovah Witness...

Quotes of the Day

More than ever before it is now necessary for the whole Party to stand in blind obedience, as one man, behind the leadership...Hilter's man-Voelkischer Beobachter (Sueddeutsche Ausgabe), No. 88, March 29, 1933.

The fox knows many things," he wrote, "but the hedgehog knows one big thing.--Archilochus (and thank you Comrade Tribune)

"I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator."--[Adolph Hitler, _Mein Kampf_, pp. 46]

God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections will come and esI will have to focus on them.-- George W Bush, according to Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, from minutes acquired by Haaretz from cease-fire negotiations between Abbas and faction leaders from the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular and Democratic Fronts (circa June, 2003), quoted from Arnon Regular, "'Road map is a life saver for us,' PM Abbas tells Hamas" (Haaretz.com:June 27, 2003)Bush's Grandpa Prescott would be proud

Thursday, October 18, 2007

the media -W beats Nixon !!!!

The "Good Old Days", aye, Dubya?

Yesterday afternoon i see on Yahoo that W's approval rating has hit a new low. Only 23% of Americans polled approve of the job George W. Bush is doing as President. (This is down from 31%.) And keep in mind that Prissy and Iron Jawed Angel were not called for this survey or W's numbers would sink even lower!!! I went online a few hours later to email this info to Prissy and guess what? It was gone - i could not find the article. There is nothing about these new low ratings in my newspaper today.

Why? My first complaint with the media-WHY do they continue to tell us W's APPROVAL rating when it is so low? Why do they not report that W's DISAPPROVAL rating of 77% shatters the previous record held by Richard M. Nixon. I'm bad at math but even i know that 77% is over 3/4ths of the people questioned. Wow! Congratulations W!!! History will remember you as the worst president ever.

(Readers! Get your collector item shirts saying just that at http://www.bartcop.com/. )

In July 1974, just before Nixon left office, his disapproval rating was only at 66% and he had the intelligence to resign, quit. Gee, IJA never thought she would see worse than Nixon. To get in trouble over what Nixon lied about seems tame by todays standards don't you think?! Think about this - no president has ever had lower approval ratings and IJA wonders why this is not reported by the mainstream media. Do we really care more about Brittany and her kids or Ellen and her dog?

Harry and Nancy - you two might want to take notice that the approval ratings for Congress are even lower than W's.

IJA is hoping for single digits where Congress is concerned unless they grow a backbone, i'm not holding my breath. The house cannot even come up with the votes to override Bush's veto for poor kids health care?? Can someone please tell me how W can get away with what he is getting away with? Congress is not following the job description that the Constitution lays out for them! W says he vetoed that bill due to $$? What a crock of **** that is when we think about the $10 billion dollars PER MONTH we are spending on his war. Do the math - $10 billion a month = $2.5 billion a week which = $1.33 million a minute which = $22,200 dollars EVERY SECOND.......can we even fathom that?

What could we do with that kind of money here in the U.S.? As a teacher in a public school system don't even get me started on that thought. Why does he not have a problem with money for war but he does have a problem with money for health care or kids?

Quotes of the Day

Samuel Butler (1612-1680)

The most important service rendered by the press and the magazines is that of educating people to approach printed matter with distrust. George Orwell (1903-1950)

Early in life I had noticed that no event is ever correctly reported in a newspaper.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn (b.1918)

Hastiness and superficiality are the psychic diseases of the twentieth century, and more than anywhere else this disease is reflected in the press.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Sept 15th DC Protest Photos...Finally

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Dearest Readers, Prissy apologizes for being away so long. So long, in fact, a regular Dearest Reader has been blogging to get the message out. Thank you to her.

Prissy is pleased to announce a new blogger Iron Jawed Angel to The Prissy PatriotShe teaches government-AMERICAN government. You can feel free to write to us with any questions you may have.

Finally figured out how to get the protest photos off of the PDA, so here they are. A few important announcements and articles at the bottom of the blog.

The new job has been taking up so much time, but Prissy hopes to be blogging again soon. Always looking for good (and free;) help...Thank You and Welcome Iron Jawed Angel!

Iron Jawed Angel attended the September 15th protest too. A.N.S.W.E.R. was the sponsor and contrary to various news reports, the police IJA spoke with explained how he estimated the march at 100,000 plus. Shame on the media, dropping the ball on democracy-as usual.

Veterans at the front of the line in Washington. Some other orgs spread the ugly rumor that veterans were not allowed to lead the march in 2005. Not true then or now-more like disagreements about speakers...but you should be aware A.N.S.W.E.R. does not support the occupation of Palestine.

A side note: The CIA Leak case is NOT said and done...only Scooter's part. Normally, a prosecutor would use a guy like Libby to flip on the others. Maybe Mr. Fitzgerald was not expecting Libby to take the fall-and then not fall. Who was- besides Bush/Cheney and of course Scooter?

Since Scooter didn't flip, we go to the next stage and on to the other officials unnamed in Libby's indictment. You know, the ones who actually outed Ms Plame for her husbands OpEd piece that started the whole thing. Prissy is here to tell you, its not over...she can smell the fear coming from the White House.

Remember this?

Libby's lawyers argue that since the primary focus is on Libby's state of mind as to whether or not he intentionally lied, "decisions made by certain reporters and their attorneys to challenge grand jury subpoenas and contempt orders are not [relevant] to Mr. Libby's state of mind."

Libby's lawyers also seek to prevent the government from providing evidence that information from the National Intelligence Estimate was illegally disclosed, or that Valerie Plame's status with CIA was classified or covert and that disclosing Plame's status caused damage.

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald petitioned the court on Monday to exclude evidence or arguments regarding the government's decision not to file other charges against Libby or not to charge other people connected with the case.

Gee, why do you suppose he was willing to exclude evidence and arguments about the others? Think he's a republican partisan hack? Oh my, Prissy is laughing with mirth at the thought. Bye, bye Dick... Neocon sunrise, by artist Stephen Pitt

Family for Peace

Very creative,that's why protests are so much fun. Even if they aren't very effective-short of getting a million out into the streets.

Ohio is NOT a red state,here's proof!

So much for Rover's campaign to make protesters appear anti-military!

Nancy and Harry best pay attention-their job security isn't looking so good...

Still looking for the hippies those right-wingers keep telling us about...

Ron Paul supporters. Not a bad guy, even if he doesn't like the Dept of Education. Given four years, he would end the war and revive the Constitution -Prissy could live with that. Note: A RP sign on an Ohio road side, was returned to its place after the state workers mowed!

Indeed, Dick with a bullseye on his back. Get him, Fitz!

See this, Nancy? Dearest Readers, Ms. Nancy doesn't understand she is supposed to be a LEADER, not Dubya's ADVOCATE.

End of the line, protesters take a rest outside the Capital building. The arrests you heard about were pre-planned...

Hot Links

The Guardian The man who knew too muchHe was the CIA's expert on Pakistan's nuclear secrets, but Rich Barlow was thrown out and disgraced when he blew the whistle on a US cover-up. Now he's to have his day in court.

Once again, Barlow was able to bounce back. In January 1989, he was recruited by the Office of the Secretary of Defence (OSD) at the Pentagon to become its first intelligence analyst in WMD. For a man uncomfortable with political pragmatism, it was a strange move: he was now in a department that was steeped in realpolitik, balancing the commercial needs of the US military industry against America's international obligations. Within weeks, he had again built a stack of evidence about Pakistan's WMD programme, including intelligence that the Pakistan army was experimenting with a delivery system for its nuclear bomb, using US-provided technology. "Our side was at it again," Barlow says.

Still optimistic, still perhaps naive and still committed to the ideal of thwarting the Pakistan programme, Barlow convinced himself that his experience in the CIA was untypical, the work of a handful of political figures who would now not be able to reach him. When he was commissioned to write an intelligence assessment for Dick Cheney, defence secretary, giving a snapshot of the Pakistan WMD programme, he thought he was making headway. Barlow's report was stark. He concluded that the US had sold 40 F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan in the mid-80s - it had been a precondition of the sale that none of the jets could be adapted to drop a nuclear bomb. He was convinced that all of them had been configured to do just that. He concluded that Pakistan was still shopping for its WMD programme and the chances were extremely high that it would also begin selling this technology to other nations. Unbeknown to Barlow, the Pentagon had just approved the sale of another 60 F-16s to Pakistan in a deal worth $1.4bn, supposedly with the same provison as before.

"Officials at the OSD kept pressurising me to change my conclusions," Barlow says. He refused and soon after noticed files going missing. A secretary tipped him off that a senior official had been intercepting his papers. In July 1989, Barlow was hauled before one of the Pentagon's top military salesmen, who accused him of sabotaging the new F-16 deal. Eight days later, when Congress asked if the jet could be adapted by Pakistan to drop a nuclear bomb, the Defence Department said, "None of the F-16s Pakistan already owns or is about to purchase is configured for nuclear delivery." Barlow was horrified.

On August 4 1989, he was fired. "They told me they had received credible information that I was a security risk." Barlow demanded to know how and why. "They said they could not tell me as the information was classified." All they would say was that "senior Defence Department officials", whose identities were also classified, had supplied "plenty of evidence". The rumour going around the office was that Barlow was a Soviet spy. Barlow went home to Cindy. "We were in marriage counselling following my fall-out at the CIA. We were getting our relationship back on track. And now I had to explain that I was being fired from the Pentagon."

Great Blog, Indict Dick Cheney Blogspot

it seems at least some of the documents unsealed on wednesday, in the 10th circuit court of appeals, in denver, support mr. nacchio's extremely bold-faced assertion that he was pressured -- prior to 9/11 -- to grant arguably unconstitutional law-enforcement warrantless access to wholly innocent americans' private telecom records, and conversations. . .

[his contention seems to be that he was then targeted by the government, for refusing to "knuckle- under" to these unconstitutional spying demands. . .

And...this will be fascinating -- and i will post portions of the best unsealed documents right here -- for the world to see -- that cheney, and his one-trick-pony-george-dubbya were well on their way to shredding our constitutional rights, long before the mantra of "nine-eleven- changed-everything" even existed. . .

we shall see -- and learn -- much from this particularly throaty, if felonious, canary, joe nacchio. . . he did run a telecom, you know.

Military wives saying End the WAR!

WaPo, telling it like it really is-for a change WALTER REED AND BEYOND A Wife's Battle When Her Soldier Returned From Baghdad, Michelle Turner Picked Up the Burden of War

The government's sweeping list of promises to make wounded Iraq war veterans whole, at least financially, has not reached this small house in the hills of rural West Virginia, where one vehicle has already been repossessed and the answering machine screens for bill collectors. The Turners have not been making it on an $860-a-month disability check from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

After revelations about the poor treatment of outpatient soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center earlier this year, President Bush appointed a commission to study the care of the nation's war-wounded. The panel returned with bold recommendations, including the creation of a national cadre of caseworkers and a complete overhaul of the military's disability system that compensates wounded soldiers.

But so far, little has been done to sort out the mess of bureaucracy or put more money in the hands of newly disabled soldiers who are fending off evictions and foreclosures.

In the Turner house, that leaves an exhausted wife with chipped nail polish to hold up the family's collapsing world. "Stand Together," a banner at a local cafe reminds Michelle. But since Troy came back from Iraq in 2003, the burden of war is now hers.

Military children for peace. Their father is permanently disabled from his reserve tour in Iraq.

Dearest Readers, please bookmark this organization and tell your friends. Veterans and Military Families for Progress looks out for the rights/benefits of veterans AND their families. Dubya and his neocon buddies don't care who pays the price of their war, but others do.

True Story of the Day

I met a Staff Sgt career vet and his lovely wife. He was injured on his 2nd and 3rd tour-now looking at med retirement. They were age mid 30's. He had the opportunity to tell Bush off-TO HIS FACE!

He was still in a wheelchair at Walter Reed (back surgery, much better, walking now) and was told to go downstairs, then to stand up for Bush. He said no, I'm going back to my room before I'll stand up for that man. So he did. He shared a room with a Marine. So Bush comes up to his room.

He said Bush got to the door way and Sgt said (he's an African American man with booming voice) "Get the fuck outta here." Bush looked like "what did he just say?" He goes on "You heard me, get the fuck outta here-we don't like no bitch's around here." Bush looks at the Marine-Marine says "that's right, we don't like no bitch's around here." Bush left.

Needless to say I thanked him for ALL of his service!! What a great moment in history that shouldn't go untold!

Friday, October 12, 2007

Democracy or Dictatorship? & Do we care?

Hot Links

Bush's Martial Law Plan Is So Shocking, Even Congress Can't See it . member of Homeland Security Committee barred from viewing post-terror attack provisions Paul Joseph Watson Prison Planet Monday, July 23, 2007 President Bush's post-terror attack martial law plan is so shocking that even sitting members of Congress and Homeland Security officials are barred from viewing it, another example of executive über alles and a chilling portent of what is to come as constant reminders of the inevitability of terror attacks reverberate. Congressman Peter DeFazio (D - OR) was asked by his constituents to see what was contained within the classified portion of the White House's plan for operating the government after a terrorist attack. Since DeFazio also sits on the Homeland Security Committee and has clearance to view classified material, the request would have appeared to be routine, but the Congressman was unceremoniously denied all access to view the documents, and the White House wouldn't even give an excuse as to why he was barred. "I just can't believe they're going to deny a member of Congress the right of reviewing how they plan to conduct the government of the United States after a significant terrorist attack," DeFazio told the Oregonian on Friday. "We're talking about the continuity of the government of the United States of America," DeFazio says. "I would think that would be relevant to any member of Congress, let alone a member of the Homeland Security Committee." "Maybe the people who think there's a conspiracy out there are right," DeFazio concluded. The article also quotes Norm Ornstein, a legal scholar who studies government continuity at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, who told the paper he "cannot think of one good reason" to deny access to a member of Congress who serves on the Homeland Security Committee. "I find it inexplicable and probably reflective of the usual, knee-jerk overextension of executive power that we see from this White House," Ornstein said. The only plausible reason DeFazio was barred access to the documents is that the plans for a post-terror attack continuity of government scenario are so abhorrent that to reveal their true nature would cause a public outcry and lead to a major repeal of what is contained in the documents. Congressman Peter DeFazio (D - OR) What we already about Bush's recent spate of executive orders, and in particular PDD 51 , is bad enough - the provisions outline preparations for the implementation of open martial law in the event of a declared national emergency. New legislation signed on May 9, 2007 , declares that in the event of a "catastrophic event", the President can take total control over the government and the country, bypassing all other levels of government at the state, federal, local, territorial and tribal levels, and thus ensuring total unprecedented dictatorial power. It is important to understand that, although these powers have been on the books for previous presidents, Bush is the first to openly brag of the fact that he will utilize them and officially become the supreme emperor of the United States in the aftermath of a catastrophe that the government itself has said will happen on innumerable occasions. According to columnist and author Jerome Corsi , the power grab assures that "The president can declare to the office of the presidency powers usually assumed by dictators to direct any and all government and business activities until the emergency is declared over." Also in May, it was reported that a high-level group of government and military officials has been quietly preparing an emergency survival program named "The Day After," which would effectively end civil liberties and implement a system of martial law in the event of a catastrophic attack on a U.S. city. Last year we also exposed the existence of a nationwide FEMA program which is training Pastors and other religious representatives to become secret police enforcers who teach their congregations to "obey the government" in preparation for a declaration of martial law, property and firearm seizures, and forced relocation. The documents that Congressman DeFazio was blocked from seeing likely interlock with both these programs and detail the overarching agenda to effectively nullify what's left of the U.S. Constitution and firmly ensconce George W. Bush as a supreme dictator. Only by putting enough pressure on the media and in turn the White House to be transparent about what the secret martial law provisions are can we lead an effort to repeal them before the next terror attack, whether real or manufactured, takes place.

wow Angel read this online today. I see it is dated July and I wonder if this Congressman since then has been allowed to see this. Think i will check that out. What has happened to checks and balances, the 3 branches of our Govt? I do feel like a fraud most days teaching these basic concepts. Wish W was smart enough to read the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Those founding fathers must be rolling over in their graves, dont you think? I really do not want to believe that it is this bad. What is happening to our once great nation, and why the silence of so many people? Seems to me W uses nationalism, FEAR, and religion to get away with what he is getting away with. Shame on Congress for not doing the job they were elected to do. I called my Congressman and 2 Senators last May after i read about this PDD-51 the signing statement W signed May 9th, 2007 which in effect ,as you read above, makes him the head of ALL 3 BRANCHES of our Govt. in the event of another attack or even a natural disaster like Katrina. W gets to decide what is and what is not a natural disaster. I want you to know Both Sen. Brown and Voinovich offices knew nothing of what i was talking about. They promised to check into it and get back to me and i only heard back 2 months later from Sen. Brown. He sent me this worthless letter that said in essence thank you for contacting my office. I always enjoy hearing from my constituents and if i can be of any help to you in the future please dont hesitate to contact my office. wow a lot of nothing in other words. The other Senator never did reply as well as my Congressman. The Congressmans office did seem familar with PDD-51 and just told me that under the Patriot Act W was able to do all this under the law. The guy who answered the phone did not share my concerns.

Quotes of the Day

Robert.M.Hutchins :"The death of Democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment."

Elizabeth Cady Stanton :"That only a few, under any circumstances, protest against the injustice of long-established laws & customs, does not disprove the fact of the oppressions, while the satisfaction of the many, if real only proves their apathy & deeper degradation."

Henri Frederic Amiel: "Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence."

Plato: "The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."

Pelosi slams anti-war protesters

Poor Nancy Pelosi

here is what she said in the washington post 10/10/07.

"Look," she said, the chicken breast on her plate untouched. "I had, for five months, people sitting outside my home, going into my garden in San Francisco, angering neighbors, hanging their clothes from trees, building all kinds of things -- Buddhas? I don't know what they were -- couches, sofas, chairs, permanent living facilities on my front sidewalk." Unsmilingly, she continued: "If they were poor and they were sleeping on my sidewalk, they would be arrested for loitering, but because they have 'Impeach Bush' across their chest, it's the First Amendment."

wait theres more from Nancy-"We have to make responsible decisions in the Congress that are not driven by the dissatisfaction of anybody who wants the war to end tomorrow," Pelosi told the gathering at the Sofitel, arranged by the Christian Science Monitor. Though crediting activists for their "passion," Pelosi called it "a waste of time" for them to target Democrats. "They are advocates," she said. "We are leaders."

A waste if time to target dems? Who the hell should we target the far right or lapdog lieberman?When will Congress do the job "we the people" (remember us?) elected them to do and that is STOP THIS WAR and STAND UP TO W?

Nancy i am so dissapointed in you, as well as the rest of Congress, why do you think the approval rating for congress is LOWER than the worst president ever??????????

iron jawed angel

Quotes of the Day "the world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." albert einstein