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

Daring Dick and His Top Secret Adventure

Dearest Readers, Prissy's friend Victrola-an actual musician, has fixed the sound on the interview of Ms Deborah Jeane Palfrey. It is down loadable as an MP3 file.

We will have her back for a follow up interview in a couple of weeks...

Update about the phone records in the Palfrey case. Still no confirmations Prissy can name, other than sources used by Wayne Madsen, who will go on the record and say that Dick was positively where he should not have been...

That said, it still fun for speculation and Wayne is adamant that his sources are correct and that Dick was a client in the 1990's while an executive for Halliburton.

Update from Ms. Palfrey today:

The Government’s justification for the temporary injunction was witness harassment and intimidation – having abandoned its prior rationalization, i.e. asset forfeiture. Consequently, ABC received ONLY 80% of years 2002 thru 2006. Contrary to popular belief, they never had a complete set of all 13 years.

In the final analysis, it really didn’t matter whether ABC had 4 years or 13, their constant assurances and reassurances to Mr. Sibley and me that they could be trusted with my story – for the almost two months they researched 2002 to 2006 - fell flat on May 4, 2007, when the much hyped, sweeps week 20/20 broadcast failed to deliver even one revelation; this despite, a major ad campaign blitz on the part of the network to the contrary.

Both Mr. Sibley and I can attest to the fact – having been an integral part of the 7 ½ week vetting process - that there were and are noteworthy names to be named, in the four years. Why ABC chose to jump ship seemingly at the eleventh hour would be pure speculation, here. The bottom line is that they did and by doing so, they did a tremendous disservice to the American people.

She gives the conditions of release:

·Upon receipt, the records cannot be given, sold and/or transferred to another. ·The records cannot be placed on the Internet. .The identities of the former associates cannot be revealed publicly. ·Each set will be individually coded, specifically to identify any culprit who chooses to violate the transference of the information – whether to another or online. ·Records will be given ONLY to those parties interested in responsible investigative journalism. All others need not apply.

She is doing it in a responsible way, most customers will have their confidentiality respected, but there are some that will not besides.

Expect more on this story from Brad Friedman and Cannonfire...we are all interested to see if and how this case would fit into to the U.S. Attorney firings.

But if you are one of these guys, you should break into a sweat...

Since my situation became both national and international news this past spring, countless people have directly OR indirectly commented and/or communicated to me that in essence, it is my patriotic duty to release wholesale the entire database (so to speak) of phone records; preferably online. At the onset, I disagreed with this philosophy and in large part, still do. In the tradition of responsible escort service owners, I always promised my clients (and independent contractors) that I would keep their confidence and to this day – with the exception of Mr. Harlan K. Ullman – I have kept my word. And I aim to continue to do so.

However with this said, it has been brought to my attention that statistically there are about a few dozen to a hundred or so former clients – who through their patronage of my business – either violated the public’s trust similar to former Ambassador Randall Tobias OR placed the public in danger, i.e. put themselves in positions susceptible to blackmail. Consequently based upon such deduction and significant reflection, I have determined that responsible dissemination of the phone records indeed is my patriotic duty.

Hot Links

Times Herald Online D.C. madam vows to release records Once injunction is lifted, 46 pounds of phone registers will be available to media (and that means The Prissy Patriot will have them too;)

And if the current court-ordered injunction is lifted, allowing Deborah Jeane Palfrey access to her files, she vows to send every last name and phone number to any journalist, blogger or private detective wanting them.

"I kind of think it will be like deciphering the Da Vinci Code," said Palfrey, in an exclusive Times-Herald interview Friday at a local coffee shop.

Of the more than 10,000 client names within the phone records, "a couple dozen to 100 or so" are Washington D.C. bigwigs.

"Statistically, this is absolutely a certainty," she said.

Already, such capital movers and shakers, as Dick Morris, a longtime Bill Clinton political adviser, were named as clients of Palfrey's Pamela Martin and Associates, an escort service she ran from her Vallejo home. Federal prosecutors say she employed more than 100 "prostitutes," earning about $2 million.

Oh yes big boys, step away from the flag with your hands in the air...we don't need a bunch of hypocrites running the government.

McPaper for 4th graders Politics leave vacancies on 4th U.S. Circuit Court

The 4th Circuit has been largely supportive of President Bush's war against terror, allowing the military to indefinitely detain without charges "enemy combatants" captured overseas and backing the CIA's practice of taking captured terrorism suspects to foreign countries for interrogation. In a departure, however, a three-judge panel of the court last month rejected the detention of a U.S. citizen captured on American soil and held as an enemy combatant.

Also last month, Virginia's two U.S. senators — Republican John Warner and Democrat Jim Webb — recommended to Bush five centrist candidates for the court. Emmert said such bipartisan recommendations are unusual, and he predicted Bush will seriously consider them.

"They did a very commendable thing in getting their heads together and saying these are people both sides can live with," Emmert said. "It's designed to break the logjam."

However, getting judges confirmed will become increasingly difficult as next year's presidential election approaches, said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor.

Wired Request For Corporate Privacy Villians: Help Wired News Rank and Shame Them

A few on the list: Real Player!,apple quicktime + itunes,Acxiom Corporation,Dish TV capturing online order form info before you submit it...add your most annoying experience to the list.

TX News Channel 5 Woman: Son Forced to Do Sexual Favors for Prison Guard Accused guard still working at detention center (In Ohio, guard would be placed on administrative leave, most likely paid until conclusion-PP)

"And the guard was promising him, 'This is your way of getting out and going home,'" she tells us.

The 17-year-old was originally sentenced to nine months in jail. That was four years ago. Since his transfer to the Valley, his mother says he fights with inmates and scuffles with guards.

Franklin says he couldn't take the sexual abuse anymore.

When she first learned about it in May, she immediately filed a grievance against the accused guard. Administration at the detention center promised to follow up, but she never heard anything from them.

Rumor is Gonzo helped this kind of behavior in the TX Youth Commission by refusing to appropriately investigate reported incidents.

Chicago Tribune No regrets, Laura Bush says Administration playing 'the hand we were dealt,' she says in interview

"Neither George or I are the kind to look back and think, 'Oh, what if? Why did this happen when I was president?' " she said. "I think it's because he is a realist. … And it's just that this is what's happened, this is the hand we were dealt, and you just have to move on and do the very best you can with that hand."

Hey Laura, understand WE didn't marry him...or elect him.

Word of advice from Granny for Laura- its never too late for a divorce unless one of you is dead.

Planning to go it alone? World Tribune Israel braces for July war with up to five enemies

JERUSALEM — Israel is preparing for an imminent war with Iran, Syria and/or their non-state clients.

Israeli military intelligence has projected that a major attack could come from any of five adversaries in the Middle East. Officials said such a strike could spark a war as early as July 2007.

On Sunday, Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin told the Cabinet that the Jewish state faces five adversaries in what could result in an imminent confrontation. Yadlin cited Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, Hamas and Al Qaida.

FTR Summary FTR #589 Interview with Lucy Komisar About the BCCI

Program Highlights Include: The BCCI’s links through Saudi intelligence to the elder George Bush; the BCCI’s links through its investors to the capitalization of the younger George Bush’s energy ventures; the cover-up of the BCCI investigation by the administration of Bush the Elder; the disappearance of the money that was stolen; the role of the BCCI in the arming of Iran as part of the Iran-Contra scandal; the BCCI’s role in the arming of Saddam Hussein; the role of the BCCI in arming the Afghan mujahedeen; the role of the BCCI and its investors in financing the activities of Osama bin Laden, both during the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan and subsequently; the role of the Clearstream network in the BCCI affair; the role of FBI director Robert Mueller in covering up the BCCI case.

1. Financed by wealthy investors from Pakistan and the Persian Gulf (mostly Saudi Arabia), the BCCI served as a major vehicle for U.S. covert operations around the world, the Middle East in particular. Eventually, the institution’s role in financing illicit weapons deals, drug trafficking operations and international terrorism led to an investigation. New York D.A. Robert Morgenthau returned indictments. The administration of George W. Bush was less than vigorous in its pursuit of the case, perhaps due to the fact that the BCCI and its major players were very, very close to both the elder and the younger George Bush. The monies that vanished have never been located. The Bank of Credit and Commerce International was founded in 1972 by a Pakistani banker, Agha Hasan Abedi, with the support of Sheik Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, the ruler of the oil-rich state of Abu Dhabi and head of the United Arab Emirates. The Arabs’ interest in the bank was more than financial. A classified CIA memo on BCCI in the mid-80s said that ‘its principal shareholders are among the power elite of the Middle East, including the rulers of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, and several influential Saudi Arabians. They are less interested in profitability than in promoting the Muslim cause.’ BCCI enriched the entourage of the Bushes and other Washington influentials. Its biggest shareholders were Saudi and United Arab Emirates sheiks. The money it stole—somewhere between $9.5 billion and $15 billion—made its 20-year heist the biggest bank fraud in history. Most of it was never recovered. The George H.W. Bush administration, in power when the mega-fraud was discovered, went after the bank half-heartedly and only after indictments by New York District Attorney Robert Morgenthau. It never touched the Persian Gulf money-men who ran the BCCI criminal enterprise. The Bush family and its allies used and then protected the world’s most criminal bank.” (A Game as Old as Empire; edited by Stephen Hiatt with an introduction by Jonathan Perkins; Berrett-Kohler; Copyright 2007, Berrett-Koehler; Excerpts are from Chapter Four by Lucy Komisar.)

Science: How Stuff Works Will there be farms in New York City's skyscrapers?

By 2050, it's estimated that 80 percent of the world's people will live in urban areas (currently, 60 percent do). The population will have increased to about 9.2 billion, much of it in the developing world [Source: New York Magazine]. Many experts contend that unless drastic measures are pursued, the world could face dramatic shortage in both food and arable land. Famine and ecological catastrophe are among the possible dire consequences.

FDA about the toothpaste poisonings DEG in Toothpaste from China

FDA has found a poisonous chemical, diethylene glycol (DEG), in certain toothpastes imported from China. The agency increased its scrutiny and testing of imported toothpaste and dental products after receiving reports in late May 2007 of contaminated Chinese dental products found in several countries, including Panama.

The agency is warning consumers to avoid using tubes of toothpaste labeled as made in China and, through an import alert, is stopping all suspect toothpaste from entering the United States. FDA continues to investigate this problem and will take further action, as appropriate, to address this important public safety issue.

The FDA fails to note 9 people in Panama died from toothpaste poisonings, including children. But don't panic, just watch the labels. Buy as little as possible from China. Of course, that means you won't be buying much...

Orlando Sentinel Feeney sets up legal fund amid Justice inquiry

U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney has established a legal-defense fund to pay costs relating to an ongoing Justice Department inquiry into his ties with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

"Department of Justice lawyers and our lawyers have been speaking. We will cooperate," the Oviedo Republican said Friday in a brief interview. He again denied that he is the target of a federal probe.

When asked why he established the fund, Feeney said he was being cautious and that money raised through the account would be used to "demonstrate conclusively that I always have acted with honesty and integrity."

Establishment of the fund -- the papers were signed Wednesday -- is the latest evidence that investigators are continuing to scrutinize the third-term congressman's dealings with Abramoff, the disgraced lobbyist who made a practice of wining, dining and flying members of Congress to curry favor with them on behalf of his clients.

More about Tom Feeney: Clint Curtis, a highly credible witness, explains why the right wing court shamefully will not allow the source code to be shared to oversee the voting process.

Now here's a good one. The State Dept tells you how to identify bad information. How to Identify Misinformation

Does the story fit the pattern of a conspiracy theory?

Does the story claim that vast, powerful, evil forces are secretly manipulating events? If so, this fits the profile of a conspiracy theory. Conspiracy theories are rarely true, even though they have great appeal and are often widely believed. In reality, events usually have much less exciting explanations.

The U.S. military or intelligence community is a favorite villain in many conspiracy theories.

For example, the Soviet disinformation apparatus regularly blamed the U.S. military or intelligence community for a variety of natural disasters as well as political events. In March 1992, then-Russian foreign intelligence chief Yevgeni Primakov admitted that the disinformation service of the Soviet KGB intelligence service had concocted the false story that the AIDS virus had been created in a US military laboratory as a biological weapon. When AIDS was first discovered, no one knew how this horrifying new disease had arisen, although scientists have now used DNA analysis to determine that “all HIV-1 strains known to infect man” are closely related to a simian immunodeficiency virus found in a western equatorial African chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes troglodytes. But the Soviets used widespread suspicions about the U.S. military to blame it for AIDS. (More details on this.)

Another September 11 urban legend is that an undamaged Bible was found in the midst of the crash site at the Pentagon. In reality, it was a dictionary. But, if a Bible had survived unscathed, that would have seemed much more significant, and been seen by many as a sign of divine intervention. (More details on this.)

It doesn't say how to identify lying public officals...

Learn Outloud Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour

November 11, 1918. The final hours pulsate with tension as every man in the trenches hopes to escape the melancholy distinction of being the last to die in World War I. The Allied generals knew the fighting would end precisely at 11:00 a.m., yet in the final hours they flung men against an already beaten Germany. The result? Eleven thousand casualties suffered, more than during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Why? Allied commanders wanted to punish the enemy to the very last moment and career officers saw a fast-fading chance for glory and promotion.

After Downing Street CREW Chief on Fitzgerald and the Missing Emails By Matt Renner and Jason Leopold

In late January 2004, Fitzgerald suspected that Rove had either hidden or destroyed an important document tying him to the leak, as well as the effort to discredit Plame's husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who had been a vocal critic of the Iraq war and accused the Bush administration of twisting pre-war Iraq intelligence. The document that Fitzgerald believed Rove had either hidden or destroyed was an email Rove sent to Stephen Hadley, then-deputy national security adviser, in early July 2003. The email proved Rove had a conversation with Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper about issues related to the CIA leak. Rove did not disclose that conversation when he was first interviewed by the FBI three months after he had emailed Hadley.

Curiously, the email Rove sent to Hadley did not show up during a search ordered by then-White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales in September 2003. Gonzales enjoined all White House staff members to turn over any communication pertaining to Plame Wilson and her husband. Gonzales's directive came twelve hours after senior White House officials had been told of the pending investigation.

"It looks like Karl Rove may well have destroyed evidence that implicated him in the White House's orchestrated efforts to leak Valerie Plame Wilson's covert identity to the press in retaliation against her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson," Sloan said last week. "Special Counsel Fitzgerald should immediately reopen his investigation into whether Rove took part in the leak, as well as whether he obstructed justice in the ensuing leak investigation."

In light of the revelations Thursday that thousands of emails Rove sent over a four-year period via an email account maintained by the Republican National Committee may have been destroyed, questions as to why an email Rove sent to Hadley was not initially found in the 10,000 pages of documents and emails turned over to the special counsel has resurfaced. Additionally, there are also questions about the veracity of statements Rove and his attorney, Robert Luskin, made to Fitzgerald more than two years ago regarding why that email to Hadley wasn't found.

Reuters Castro charges CIA more murderous than ever

"Sunday is a good day to read what appears to be science fiction," Castro began his three-page editorial, titled "The Killing Machine."

He went on to quote extensively from material covering the attempt on his life, as well as a New York Times analysis of all the documents.

Cuba charges that Castro has been the target of hundreds of assassination attempts. The Cuban leader has said numerous times that President George W. Bush has ordered him killed.

Castro also reiterated in detail his long-held belief that U.S. President John F. Kennedy, assassinated in 1963, was the victim of a plot involving elements of the CIA and militant anti-Castro Cuban exiles.

Quotes of the Day

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.--Thomas Jefferson

Democracy becomes a government of bullies tempered by editors.-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge.--Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu

When armies are mobilized and issues are joined,The man who is sorry over the fact will win.--Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu

A Chat With the "D.C. Madame" Deborah Jeane Palfrey Update

Dick Cheney, still paying women for compliments, after all these years...

7/10/07 Update: Confirmation of Cheney's number appearing on the "List"-should be known very soon...all of Ms. Palfrey's phone number logs are now online. Of course we'll all be disappointed if the ole boy doesn't show up on the list. But that doesn't mean he wasn't there- it just means he didn't make an appointment from his own phone. Many clients call directly from hotel rooms.

On 5:15 PM 6/27/07 Update-from a VERY reliable source...and friend emailed this:

Yes, I have 3 confirmations, 1 from Pentagon, 2 from CIA that (Dick) Cheney was a client.

Cheney and possibly up to 3 GOP presidential candidates are on the list, or "a list" of clients. There were more than one escort service in those days operating in DC among the VIP community.

From The Globe Dick Cheney Call Girl Scandal

National security expert Wayne Madsen says that while Cheney was the CEO and president of Halliburton in the 1990s, he used the escort service, where $300 bought a 90-minute-session of what Palfrey called "erotic fantasy."

Dearest Readers, what an interesting interview with Ms Deborah Jeane Palfrey. Forgive the non-edited version, we need Ray-the-tech-guy to help. Prissy is all thumbs with audio editing and Betty is too.

The edited version will be posted sometime later this week. For now, you can go directly to the Freepress.org media site to hear it. (Thanks Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman!)

Ms Palfrey's story is a red flag for Americans not alarmed by the lack of habeas corpus in our legal system.

Although Ms. Palfrey was charged under R.I.C.O. statutes, she was not charged with tax evasion- there were no "co-conspirators" charged along with her.

In 13 years of business, there were no associates arrested and no tax audits from the I.R.S. She tells us she reported her income, filed her taxes along with her accountant, and all 133 of her associates received a 1099 annually.

Last time Prissy checked, it took two or more to make a conspiracy...and she said the government had no interest in her clients- that is, until she decided to release the list.

Ms. Palfrey also explains why she thinks ABC dropped the ball and canceled the story. There are the phone numbers of approximately 10,000 clients on "the list".

Some are very powerful men, obviously. Lot's of them. Like maybe 100 of the top level military and senior government officials in this country-many currently holding top level security clearances.

The problem is not so much buying sexual fantasy talk, the problem is men who indulge in this sort of paid play are very susceptible to blackmail. Especially the ones spouting to the world about their own "family values."

The blackmail concern is not just from 'the enemy' but potentially from anyone, their very own associates or political party can also use it to control them. (or their votes?)

Prissy's problem with these men is based on logic, not their silly fantasy that a beautiful woman actually wants them-overlooking she is paid to pretend.

The men become a national security risk with behavior that would be condemned at least by their wives and constituents. But that might account for some of the maniac like behaviors displayed by these boys...

Wayne Madsen was right-listen to Ms. Palfrey and hear for yourself that Vice President DICK CHENEY is likely on the list...how recently, you ask?

Well, Prissy cannot give you times and dates-not yet anyway, but know this. The only phone records analyzed so far are from 2002-2006-Wayne Madsen claim Dicks visits happened in the 1990's. If you want to hear some other potential list makers, listen to the last five minutes of the show on the podcast below.

Hot Links

This is the raw file of yesterday's interview with Deborah Jeane Palfrey Podcast

MSNBC Cheney's office, White House subpoenaed

The Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's office Wednesday for documents relating to President Bush's warrant-free eavesdropping program.

Also named in subpoenas signed by committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., were the Justice Department and the National Security Council.

The committee wants documents that might shed light on internal squabbles within the administration over the legality of the program, said a congressional official speaking on condition of anonymity because the subpoenas had not been made public.

Calendar Live Norman Pearlstine applies his legal background to journalists in 'Off the Record' Norman Pearlstine defends his actions on Libby but the argument turns on fine points

At the end of the day, self-justification is the most deeply felt impulse in Pearlstine's account. As he writes in his conclusion: "Time Inc., on behalf of itself and Matt Cooper, spent millions of dollars fighting [special prosecutor] Patrick Fitzgerald in the courts, and we lost every round. When the Supreme Court refused to hear our plea, I folded our hand and turned over our notes to the grand jury. The decision was unpopular, but under the peculiar circumstances of our case it was right."

Arguing that he made the right decision compels Pearlstine to be hard on a lot of other people, starting with Cooper, whom he characterizes as rather giddy and definitely indiscreet, an ambivalent character influenced by his media-savvy wife, Mandy Grunwald. Pearlstine's analysis makes Cooper's ham-fisted mishandling of basic reportorial technique the first cause of the news organization's subsequent torment: "Cooper is an honest hardworking reporter, doing what other honest, hardworking journalists do in Washington. But he was wrong in the ways in which he dealt with his sources. None of his editors, including this one, provided adequate guidance."

The author also is hard on former New York Times reporter Judith Miller, her editors and publisher, all of whom Pearlstine characterizes as people with minds far less rigorous than his own — unsteady and erratic allies in the fight over the subpoenas. For example, he takes the New York Times' editorial on the jailing of Miller to task for failing "to distinguish between an individual's and public company's right to engage in civil disobedience — one of the important distinctions that had been at the heart of my decision to hand over the notes."

There's also this: "One of America's most ferocious defenders of the First Amendment , Floyd Abrams, gave us less good advice than we deserved."

Wa Po waking up Cheney: Leaving No Tracks

Sue Ellen Wooldridge, the 19th-ranking Interior Department official, arrived at her desk in Room 6140 a few months after Inauguration Day 2001. A phone message awaited her.

"This is Dick Cheney," said the man on her voice mail, Wooldridge recalled in an interview. "I understand you are the person handling this Klamath situation. Please call me at -- hmm, I guess I don't know my own number. I'm over at the White House."

Wooldridge wrote off the message as a prank. It was not. Cheney had reached far down the chain of command, on so unexpected a point of vice presidential concern, because he had spotted a political threat arriving on Wooldridge's desk.

In Oregon, a battleground state that the Bush-Cheney ticket had lost by less than half of 1 percent, drought-stricken farmers and ranchers were about to be cut off from the irrigation water that kept their cropland and pastures green. Federal biologists said the Endangered Species Act left the government no choice: The survival of two imperiled species of fish was at stake.

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Quotes of the Day

According to a recent survey, men say the first thing they notice about a woman is their eyes, and women say the first thing they notice about men is they're a bunch of liars-unknown

The men the American people admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth.--Henry Louis Mencken

He who does not bellow the truth when he knows the truth makes himself the accomplice of liars and forgers--Charles Peguy

I have no luck with women. I once went on a date and asked the woman if she'd brought any protection. She pulled a switchblade on me. --Scott Roeben,Internet Comedy Icon